Favorite Company - (Reverse SI)

[Ryu Gabriev]

Apparently real life + No Red Bull for my muse = no activity for several months. I can only apologize in shame... as well as hope you enjoy!
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Yohko Mano
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Almost as soon as I jumped down the stairs to the garden room that same hooded man from before materialized in front of me. He now held a saber in his right hand and charged right at me while screaming something about ‘no one deserves her mercy’ or something like that. I deflected the blow easily and struck at him in return, but he vanished into a flock of crows that flew to the far end of the room.

Mr. Hood re-materialized where the birds landed and pointed my direction. “For Our Lady!!”

Dozens of black birds flew from the guy’s body in a mad rush, surrounded me and began trying to peck at me wherever they could. I was honestly expecting my dress to be torn apart in the assault after all this… y’know since… um… similar things tended to happen in a fight.

As I adjusted my stance to better hold the crows at bay, suddenly everything in my view began to slow down. The birds were moving a such a sluggish rate you could perceive every motion of their wings as they flapped.

I grinned as it hit me - the boots! My ancestor’s spell must've left the original enchantment alone as it shifted everything else about the footwear to perfect it's fit on me. Which meant this just became too easy…

I sliced my way out of the circle of crows with a passion, letting the thoughts of that poor guy from before overtake me. In less than an instant from my perspective I had turned every one of the birds into bloody chunks and had dashed to Mr. Hood before neatly decapitating him. Time reset itself as I came to a complete stop, allowing the body of the hooded man to drop to the ground along with the bird bits.

My dress had scratch lines in a few spots, but otherwise was just fine. I gave off a quick mental grin at the thought of not having to flash anyone for the next hour just so I could keep hold of my sword and other weapons, before continuing further into the building.

The door I reached next was warm, and as I opened it a crack I figured out why - the place was ablaze!! I burst in calling out Iroh’s name as loudly as I could while quickly searching the large cathedral like area for the firebender. I noticed him one floor below me fighting off several more of those hooded guys with fire blasts, punches and kicks.

I dashed down the stairs to reach the old man only to bump into two more hood guys with pistols in their hands. A pair of quick punches dropped the both of them and I made it to Iroh’s side as he stood off against three more hooded men. “Are you ok? These guys seem to have a thing for killing foreigners…”

“I am as well as can be expected, Miss Mano, given the nature of our ‘hosts’.” The martial artist turned his eyes back to the three still in a stalemate against him. “Since I have managed to locate my young lady friend I believe it would be best for the both of us to now take our leave of you… interesting gentlemen.”

We started to move away from the bird men while keeping our gaze locked on the both of them. At the time though, I was kind of hoping they'd try something. “Just say over there until we both leave and I won’t have to chop your hoods down to size.”

The hood in the middle began to shout something, but right then the sound of a door being kicked in echoed across the room along with Jonathan’s voice calling for Iroh and myself. Half a second later the rest of the group peeked over the upstairs railing along with a man I hadn’t seen before. With the two of us suddenly distracted, the three guys Iroh and I had been staring down suddenly charged perhaps hoping to do some damage on the way out.

It didn’t work.

Right before my eyes the middle guy’s hood popped clean off his head like a champagne cork, causing the other two to stumble to a stop as everyone just stared at the surprise carnage.

Somehow the new guy managed to snap out of the stupor we were all in first. “Wh- what the hell was that?!”

“That, DeWitt, is my friend Ian getting crazy with his new abilities again…” Jon, Jadzia and this DeWitt guy turned to where Ian still had his hand outstretched towards the remaining crow lovers.

Ian just grinned seconds before the two hoods drew pistols and started firing up at the others. As everybody upstairs ducked behind the hardwood railing, Iroh and I charged the shooters. Iroh then snapped his target's neck while I settled for stabbing mine in the back. Whatever these guys were under those hoods, I was just thankful they didn't have the usual defenses most of the monsters I've fought had.

It was at that time some of the burning ceiling beams decided they didn’t want to hold up the roof anymore and gave way. Iroh and I ducked clear as the burning beams landed where we had just been a second earlier. Jonathan then called out to the martial artist. “Iroh, hurry and put out the fire before the whole place falls on our heads!

The old man nodded and with several deft movements actually pulled the heat away from the flames, extinguishing them. The big room still creaked in a few places and was mostly charred black now, but managed to stay intact as the now six person group came together and made way for the back exit.

Just before we reached the door to the garden the otaku spoke up again. “Yohko… um… sorry for not taking the shot back there.” I turned to face him and noticed he had a pistol in his hand and a holster strapped on his waist. Both hand and gun shook about slightly before he grimaced and put the weapon away.

Iroh just patted him on the shoulder. “Do not be so hard on yourself, my friend. There is no shame in valuing life enough to not feel capable of taking it.”

I scoffed and quickly shoved the door open as DeWitt spoke up behind me. “Nice sentiment an’ all old man, but we're way outnumbered up here. Kid needs to man up or get ready to take a bullet from these guys. They ain't gonna play nice just ‘cause he is.”

With the light from the open door I was able to get a good look at this man called DeWitt. Short light brown hair and blue eyes with a pale complexion. A dark long sleeved shirt with white collar and the sleeves partially rolled up his arms. A loosely tied red ascot around his neck with a blue vest and shoulder harness for a gun framing his chest. Round it all off with his dark pinstripe pants and boots as well as a cynical, tired look to his otherwise handsome face and I frankly became concerned about where Jon managed to find such a man.

Which would be the point he noticed me. “There a reason you’re staring, lady?”

I turned with a huff and quickly walked through the open door with the group following behind. The scent of blood from what I’d slain was far more evident now and it didn’t take long for someone, Ian in this case, to comment on it. “These hooded guys must really be off their rockers if they're watering the grass with blood…”

Jon squatted down and picked up a fragment of a wing from the ground with a disgusted look. “Unless they were trying to get away from the bird motif they've been cultivating someone else did this, man. Looks like a whole murder was minced then spread across the lawn… and speaking of murder…”

Just as the Texan made his way over to the hooded guy I beheaded earlier, the doors at the far end of the room burst open. Several armed men rushed down the stairs and discovered us. “It’s the False Shepard! Protect the Lamb from him and his wicked servants!!”

“Who’s a ‘wicked servant?!’” Our goofy leader shouted out at the soldiers, only to have them fire dozens of bullets in reply. We all ran for the the marble columns on our side of the room and dove for cover, Mr. DeWitt being the only one to return fire afterwards.

I covered my ears as the cacophony continued for what seemed like forever, until a sharp pain in my thigh made me scream out loud. I clamped my hands where the pain was coming from, looked down and saw blood dribbling through my fingers on the outside of my right thigh!

A hiss escaped my clenched teeth as I tried using my hands to staunch the flow of blood from the wound. Thankfully it didn’t seem like a major artery or vein was hit, so there’s that small favor. I lifted my head to get help from someone, only to see Jon in front of me staring straight at where I had been hurt. His face was pale and he started to shake in place just as Iroh turned to Ian and yelled something I couldn’t make out. Ian seemed to understand it well enough however and pushed out with his right hand from behind the safety of his pillar.

At first nothing happened but as the soldiers and Mr. DeWitt exchanged another volley of gunfire the base of the stone statue began to crack and split open. The Lady that these hooded guys had revered so highly began to tip and fall over, the sounds of it crumbling completely masked by all the shooting. By the time they noticed something wrong with the statue it was too late, three of their guys were crushed under the massive ornament. The other two were picked off as they moved clear, one by DeWitt and the other by Jadzia with her phaser, which impressed the older man quite a bit. “This place has everything, doesn't it? Flying buildings, crazy powered people, girls that can make some weird light thing appear and kill a man from a distance…”

DeWitt then moved to the body I beheaded earlier and started rifling through the coat pockets, pulling out a large glowing bottle with a stopper in the shape of a raven's head. “What's this? Some new kinda Vigor?”

Before anyone could comment or stop him, Mr. DeWitt uncorked the strange bottle and took a deep swig of the contents. He then jerked upright letting the bottle fall from his grip and simply stood still as one raven that had somehow avoided the violence up till now landed upon his hand. The bird simply focused its gaze upon the older man for a few moments, then flew away. DeWitt managed to shake off whatever the bottle had done to him after that. “Whatever these Vigors are supposed to be, they really mess with your head.”

“What's a Vigor?” I asked before wincing from Iroh poking around my injured leg as Jadzia started scanning the site with her tricorder.

Mr. DeWitt just shrugged. “Dunno really. All I know is that you drink ‘em and you suddenly are able to do stuff that normal folks just ain't capable ‘o doin’.”

The older man started to fidget in place for a few seconds before starting for the stairs that lead back outside the building. “Look, uh… Jonathan, right? I'm glad I was some help to you folks, but I've got important business to get back to.”

I don't know whatever our ‘leader’ said in return since Dax had isolated where the bullet was lodged (just above the femur, if you wanted to know) and Ian had managed to yank it out without warning me first. And yes, there was a lot of screaming and a bit of swooning on my part. By the time the pain had subsided and my amateur nurses had finished binding the wound shut, Mr. DeWitt was gone.

“How about it, Dax? You think Yohko can walk on that leg now?” The otaku asked while throwing glances at me every so often.

Dax shook her head. “The femur wasn't damaged, but her thigh muscle now has a deep hole in it. We need to find a way to make sure the wound’s cleaned and sealed unless you want Iroh to cauterize it, Yohko.”

I blanched at the thought, remembering the time a few years ago when we had to do that to Azusa after she did get an artery nicked in her left leg after we fought a demon with waaaay too many spikes on it’s body. Denying that option as emphatically as I could, I redoubled pressure on my leg while looking around for something in the room that could help clean out my injury. Problem was I could only choose from grass, stone or wood in the entire room. Maybe there were supplies deeper in the building but given the state of that hall now…

Suddenly the Texan perked up and ran up the stairs to the outside. Not an instant later came the loud boom of the heavy doors being shoved open. Iroh during all this had managed to find the sword that that one hood guy I fought had been using and had wiped it clean of blood and stuff. Now he was using his powers to heat the tip to a dull red color… Oh Jon you better not have run out of the room to throw up like earlier in that park!!

Just as the firebender started towards me with the glowing hot saber, the heavy doors to the outdoors burst open again with the otaku shouting that he'd found it. What it was was a med kit that flew out of Jon's hands to land between me and Jadzia as he slipped on a rather slick bit of grass and planted himself into the turf back first. “...ugh… Stupid bloody grass...”

The goofy psychic just laughed out loud commenting over Jon's graceful dive as Jadzia cracked open the medical supplies. In response, the Texan simply flipped the bird at Ian while remaining in his prone position on his back, just as the Starfleet officer methodically pulled away the cuff of my boot from the wound site and started dressing it.

But seeing those two idiots act like we hadn't been fighting for our lives not five minutes ago… I just started laughing. It quickly spread into everyone having a really good laughing fit that helped us all unwind from the stresses of the last few hours.

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Chapter 4 END
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[ckosacranoid]

Nice to see an update. Thanks forvsharing.

[Ryu Gabriev]

Chapter 5: Elizabeth
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Iroh of the Fire Nation
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Our well earned mirth soon came to an end, and with it, did our journey resume. Jonathan led us past the carved stairwell and through a pair of heavy doors to a fenced balcony outside. To the left of us floating in the breeze was a craft that seemed to have built by people rather unaware of the dangers of a firebender. For that much fire to be spat out of the tubes underneath, clearly whatever engine they were using took up the majority of the space below deck. Coal would burn far too weakly to produce enough energy… so perhaps something like the new liquid fuel I had overheard being developed by the Engineer Corps. A solid looking construction at first glance, but if it were mostly constructed of wood as the outside appeared then even a novice firebender could easily bring it down. I let my attention return to our young strategist as he began to explain his prior actions.

“When you guys mentioned the need for medical supplies, it jarred my memory regarding how Columbia's military and police got around the city when they couldn't use the skyrails- that's those curving lines of track are, over there…” The young man pointed to the right of us showing lines of steel track held aloft by large balloons and spinning contraptions.

“Anyway, I figured that if those guys we fought came by ship that the ship itself might have a med kit for emergencies… y’know since seconds matter.” Jonathan then scaled the ornate railing and managed to climb up unto the hovering airship. “If Dax can get this thing flying for us, we can make our way to Monument Island, and from there is our ride straight outta Columbia!”

The thought of leaving this city was rather interesting, but a question still came to my mind. “If passage out of the city is our main concern, why not use this vessel to fly down to surface below instead of journeying to this Monument Island?”

The rest of our company began climbing aboard the vessel as Jonathan continued his explanation. “Firstly Iroh, in case anyone else missed it, this isn't the world we were in a few hours ago. Q in his idiot wisdom has dumped us in a whole other dimension, one where the floating city of Columbia dominates the skies. And since I doubt Q’s gonna act as our transport til everybody is back home we need to find our own ride.”

Miss Yohko let herself be hoisted up onto the airship before she asked her own queries. “So where’s Monument Island? And what's inside that's gonna help us get out of this dimension and into the next one?”

The young strategist smirked at the devil huntress. “Not what, but who. At the top of that big shiny angel tower we saw when we arrived is a young woman named Elizabeth. And she has the power to open Tears to other dimensions and pull through whatever is on the other side.”

Miss Yohko still seemed unconvinced. “And she's going to just leave her super fancy tower and ferry us all over as many worlds as possible get us all home… out of the goodness of her heart?”

Jonathan simply grinned. “Weeeell, I know that if you just released me from a tower that I had been imprisoned in since I was a baby, I'd feel inclined to help you with your problems… but that's just me.” It was difficult not to grin right along with the young man as his words hit home and the huntress’ face widened in surprise. But if he is to be the voice of this group it would do well to give my new student a lesson or two in keeping one’s feelings and intents unseen though. As it is, his face is so expressive even a novice officer could read his intents like a book.

“But such a useful person in a rather hard-to-reach location would hint that those who hold her captive will not be pleased at our intrusion. Isn't that right?” My question removed the grin from the strategist’s face before he answered.

“I'm not gonna lie, man. If we go through with this we're likely to have the entire city on our butts. But at the same time, I don't trust Q to play taxi driver for us. So it's either spring the damsel in distress or find a way off this floating shit barge to enjoy the lifestyle 1912 can provide.”

The logic of not dealing with the Q spirit certainly seemed sound, as well as the thought to aid someone unjustly held captive for their lifetime in such a deceptive city. The others were soon nodding along as they came to believe the plausibility of our current plan, but young Ian believed aspects of Jonathan’s tale still needed clarification. “Jon, if this girl is able to make dimensional portals, why hasn't she just gone through one before now?”

The strategist shrugged before explaining that the game never went into such details. More than likely, if she had been imprisoned all her life, the thought to leave through one of these Tears never occurred to her as she would have been far to used to the gilded cage. Though why anyone would consider such a violent place a proper site for any kind of game eluded me. An instant later Commander Dax, who had been silent this whole time, called out that the craft was now under her control. Seems that when Jonathan had begun detailing his scheme, the brilliant young woman took the initiative to carry out her part while the rest of us were occupied.

Now, with our path forward secured, we cast off from the balcony and headed towards the winged statue on Jonathan’s direction. We flew elegantly between the ornate buildings and connecting streets and were thankfully unmolested by anyone seeking our heads. But just as the giant gleaming statue came into full view a thought struck me. “Jonathan, if you were planning for us to find this young woman, why did you not mention it to Mr. Dewitt? His aid would be rather helpful given the likely repercussions!”

The young strategist managed to hear me over the roar of the winds and shouted a reply. “It’s ‘cause Booker’s after the same gal we are, just for different reasons! And since he’s been shown to be really good at killing folks in between him and his goals, I figure what he doesn’t know won’t hurt us!”

I chuckled inwardly at his cavalier demeanor as Jonathan then directed Commander Dax to a landing platform for our craft. It was difficult not to admire the carved marble decor of the foyer as we docked, before shuffling off the craft. Miss Yohko was helped off the craft by the young strategist as he insisted Commander Dax remain with the vessel, just in case we were visited by ‘Songbird’. Naturally, I questioned why we should fear a simple animal, and Jonathan elaborated. “Songbird is a twenty to twenty five foot tall leather clad cybernetic monster with giant wings, claw gauntlets, and enough speed and power to outfly, outgun, and outlast every single vessel in Columbia. As far as the game was concerned he was invincible, save for a design specialization to low pressure systems that made him vulnerable to extreme depths. He has one mission that he follows with a passion: Protect the Girl in the Tower.”

It was not so difficult to see the end of this conversation. “And we shall be provoking the wrath of such a beast once we reach the heights of this building and abscond with said girl, correct?”

Jonathan simply nodded and began heading for a set of double doors atop a flight of stairs. “Just keep an eye out and ears open, Dax. If you hear any high pitched shrieks, let us know.”

Miss Yohko, Ian, and I followed behind the young strategist as he guided us through the strange tower. After a small delay with the main gate that our all-bender managed to easily remove, Jonathan began to identify the various unique items and equipment that were found within the main facility. The powerful, and strange Siphon that continually drained the young girl of her powers, though if the graphs and charts nearby were to be believed it had been quickly overtaken by the girl’s natural talent, which rendered the facility unsafe. The young strategist believed that due to our ‘uniqueness’ in this dimension, the usual dangers of associating with Tears would not affect us, though he easily admitted his guesswork in making such a theory. Reaching the far end of the facility, we entered what he called an elevator, and began ascending floor by floor quickly until we reached the pinnacle. I confess, not having to climb multiple sets of stairs was a welcome change of pace.

The doors to the elevator opened once more revealing a darkened room along with a curtained section of tiled wall. A pair of signs were present, but neither were in a language I could identify. Jonathan insisted upon silence as we entered before pulling down a nearby lever that sat in front of the curtain. Instantly, the curtain retracted showing a young woman dancing about to a tune only she could hear while in front of a drawing of an odd criss-crossed pattern, one that was mimicked by a nearby painting upon the far wall. My budding curiosity quickly overtook me, though I kept it to a whisper. “My friend, what does that drawing there represent?”

The young strategist responded in kind. “That’s the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, Iroh. Another country on my world, and this one since both mimic each other. Elizabeth’s crazy to see Paris and other romantic spots around the world at this point.”

I smiled at the image of a young, bright eyed girl seeking romance wherever it might be reported found. “Such an innocence about her. It almost seems a shame to destroy such a simple hope just so that she can-...”

My sentence trailed off as we observed the young girl, now known as Elizabeth, gaze upon the image of this Eiffel Tower before acting as if she were gripping the air in front of her with both hands. By a force I had yet to see in even the Spirit World, a gap began to open where she was pulling, resistant at first, then suddenly letting go allowing a circular window in existence to appear framed by a glowing white outline.

Jon gestured to the window as the young girl hurriedly sealed the Tear. “And this, class, is why we're risking death by madmen in hoods… meet Elizabeth, our ticket home.”
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For those of you wondering... yes. Shit gets far more realistic from here.

[Cheb]

gets far more realistic from here.

That sounds... much more ominous that it should be.

[ckosacranoid]

well, thats going to hurt when they run off with the girl...and seem to piss off many people meybe incuding q....

[Ryu Gabriev]

Why would Q give a damn about the opinions of someone that's effectively an amoeba to him?

[ckosacranoid]

You never know what q would get mad about. Thats ahy said meybe. But it is your story afterall.

[Ryu Gabriev]

Still looking for a BETA, so if anyone wants the job please let me know... Enjoy.
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Clearly his is a family of artisans, for our strategist to be capable of speaking such drama with a straight face. Miss Yohko suddenly asked about those we had battled previously, confused as to why he would go to the trouble of calling them men when they were clearly monsters. Jonathan, now somewhat puzzled himself, explained what I had suspected: Though those fellows back there had strange powers and a murderous intent for any not of their breed, they were still men underneath the hoods and coats.

All the color drained from Miss Yohko’s face, and a thought struck me in that moment. ”You were the one to coat the grassy area of the garden with fragments of the birds weren’t you?”

The hunter dropped to her knees by the time I had spoken, but she still managed a nod. “...I ...I thought they were d-demons in disguise. They had… they called those huge ravens to their side…”

Jonathan knelt down in front of Miss Yohko and placed his hands upon her shoulders. “And whenever people do weird supernatural crap around you, that’s more or less been a dead giveaway that demons are involved somehow… It still isn’t your fault Yohko. Those guys would have killed you and Iroh if they had gotten their chance. And if it weren’t for those goofy Lutece twins, those bird lovers probably would’ve gotten their chance, so I’m not really going to be losing any sleep over that… minus what I couldn’t do… twice…”

I gave off a mild sigh before attempting to set the young man straight once again. “My friend, you cannot honestly expect yourself to go from content villager to hardened warrior in a few hours time.”
I paused a moment to see if he would attempt to interject, but he did not. “You have the potential, yes, but none of the training that would bring it out.”

The young strategist winced as if struck, but I continued. “And now isn't the the proper time to teach you. So for now, do not blame yourself for having a healthy sense of self-preservation.”

Jonathan glared back at my direction before removing himself from Miss Yohko’s side and turning to facing me. “I can't just hide in the background, Iroh. Especially not here. Unlike Liz, I’d be picked off faster than you could say N-P-C.”

“Leave your safety to us, just as we left our welfare to you earlier.” Jonathan’s lips curled in a snarl, and I knew this would be the line the young man could not cross easily. But instead of continuing the argument, the strategist moved on down the winding path through the tower.

This would be a most difficult knot to untie… keeping the young man alive long enough so that his brazen style of leadership didn't see him killed. And to make the sad coincidence even more so, I found that he more and more reminded me of my son, Liu Ten. He also thought it necessary to lead from the front instead of hiding in safety behind the troops he commanded. Was it any wonder that my son's regiment fought the most bravely of all as we assaulted Ba Sing Se?

I shook my head to clear the melancholy thoughts from my mind and moved to follow the young strategist, only to notice Ian and Miss Yohko staring at me with concern on their faces. The devil hunter chose to break the silence first. “Iroh, are you sure making Jon call the shots was the best idea?”

The all-bender nodded in agreement. “I'm with Yohko on this one. Jon’s way stubborn on how he's supposed to do things, telling him the truth is just gonna make him try harder to prove you're wrong.”

I nodded at the helpful advice and then proceeded down the corridor, with the all-bender and devil hunter right behind. We caught up to Jonathan at an airlock door as he struggled slightly with the mechanism to open it. A moment later it relented to his efforts and the strong force of wind outside greeted us. It was slow going for the four of us as we journeyed across the statue’s left shoulder and up the side to the next hatch upon it’s face. Once in, we found a smaller hallway leading to a platform held up by three gilded chains. Our strategist stopped before the threshold before turning our way. “Ok guys, just below us should be Elizabeth and the start of all the fun with Songbird and the rest of Columbia. Last chance to back out… any takers?”

After a few moments of silence I decided to speak up. “There is no path behind us, Jonathan. And even if it is fraught with peril, forward is still the only way to proceed.”

I then put action to word as I squeezed past Jonathan and crossed the platform to the other side, only to be stopped by the groaning of the chains holding it up. One of the others yelled at me to hurry back, but it was too late as one of the lines cleanly snapped forcing me to tumble into the chamber below.

I managed to turn my fall into a roll and land safely next to a large glass window with a rather spectacular view of the clouds outside. I let my gaze drift about the room and let a small smile slip onto my face at how lovely the decor was. The room was a full library, with books along each wall and a large fireplace across from myself. Where I stood was an elevated platform with two sets of stairs that led up to it.

Just then a feminine gasp of shock drew my attention down and to the right, and my gaze met that of young Elizabeth. I blinked twice, then gave a big smile to her. “Hello there. I do hope you will excuse my sudden intrusion into your rather comfortable looking home.”

She remained where she stood in the doorway, her eyes darting between me and the damaged platform above us. “W-who are you? How did you get here?!

I explained the intent of our little group and introduced everyone there as each of them poked their heads into view from my position. The question of how Elizabeth and I might leave the confines of her tower home, when the all-bender suggested we allow him to handle things. It took a few tries, but soon the young maiden was successfully levitated to the waiting arms of the others while I myself settled on jumping the distance. Granted, it took a few tries, but given how Miss Elizabeth had been jerked around previously I did not wish to entertain a bout of sea sickness.

Once the five of us were back outside the tower Jonathan used his Combadge to summon Commander Dax and our flying machine. She quickly docked alongside the statue, and soon we were far and away from the Monument Island. Our strategist was rather swift to heap accolades upon us. “WOOOWHEE! Kids, We Did It!! We sprang Liz from the oversized cherub, got a smooth ride down to the surface, and did it all without alerting the so-called ‘authorities’!”

We all laughed aloud as Jonathan began some odd sort of gestures that could perhaps be called dancing to celebrate our success as Commander Dax began our descent from the city heights.

But just then, a sharp cry echoed across the landscape causing all of us to shudder. An instant later, Miss Elizabeth pointed above us crying out in alarm! I turned my gaze above, only to see the oddest thing ever to pass before my eyes. It was coated from head to toe in thick brown leather, it’s head and wings reminding one of a bird, though I never knew a kind that had a tube running from the tip of it’s beak. It’s large hands each held a set of three prongs extending from the knuckle area, and it’s eyes were like two great lights - first yellow, then shifting to a bright, ominous red as it focused its attention upon us.

“Jadzia, get us under the cloud cover and try to lose ‘im/him!” Jonathan and I then blinked and turned to one another at the same time, It seemed we both had the same idea and a similar intent to grab the initiative. For her part, the scientist adjusted our ship’s pitch and dove into the cloud bank below us as the monstrous being known only as ‘Songbird’ swooped in to pursue us.
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Toldja shit was getting real!

[Cheb]

To think of it, that bird is sort of scary when NOT restrained by plot logic. >_<

[Ryu Gabriev]

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Iroh's POV
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At first I believed that the dense vapor would protect us from the monster’s pursuit, but that thought was quickly erased as twin beams of light began cutting through the mist. I began speaking in hushed tones, hoping the others would understand why. “We must fly faster than this, otherwise our observant friend will undoubtedly destroy this craft with us on it.”

Jonathan’s voice spoke out from his last known position, thankfully in whispers as well. “Nothing goes faster than Songbird in this era, Iroh. Nothing! Hell, the only thing that can keep him off balance is riding the Skylines, but that's out since we've got a severe lack of Skyhooks to ride the ‘lines with!!”

Miss Elizabeth sudden spoke up at that exact moment. “I could open a Tear to get us some, would that help?”

Our strategist excitedly replied in the affirmative, but before he could speak further Ian suddenly interrupted. “Hey those Tears are big portals to other dimensions, right?”

A pause filled the air, before Jon replied. “Um, yea Ian, why?”

“Why don’t we just get the stupid thing to fly into one and shut the door behind him?”

An instant, then a sound like two hands clapped rang out. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Unfortunately the noise was enough to draw Songbird our way, and it’s speed in a full charge was unlike anything I had ever witnessed! I froze in place at the oncoming mass of leather and steel with but a moment until it collided with our craft!

Thankfully Commander Dax was as agile mentally as the monster seemed to be physically as with but a single manipulation of her device our craft dropped several feet allowing Songbird to zip past, leaving us unharmed.

The beast strained to come about for another attempt, but the science officer proved swifter once again as the monster neared. Our craft nimbly rose to reclaim our starting position. “Elizabeth, at some point that thing is going to get wise to what I’m doing… No pressure or anything…! Open the damn Tear!”

Miss Elizabeth gained a determined look to her features and slightly hunched forward as she kept her gaze locked firmly on the incoming monster, her whole body tense for what was to come.

Songbird gave off a horrid screech as the distance closed between itself and us.

But just as it grew close enough for my eyes to begin making out specific details the young ingenue wrenched open the Tear as wide as she could make it! Songbird, fully committed to his forward charge could do nothing but scream as it fell through the hole in existence to another reality, which then sealed itself as swiftly as it was opened.

We simply hovered in place for a few moments, staring at where the monster had vanished from our sight, before the reality of our gambit sunk in. Our strategist was quick to comment. “Well… that wasn’t such a chore now, was it?”

Multiple hands flew out to slap Jonathan on the back of his head, somehow synchronized in a way as to avoid each other while still connecting with our mutual target. The strategist was as vocal about it as you might expect as our craft gently rose above the heavy cloud cover. “OW!! The hell was that for?!”

“You jinxed us once already, man. Why the hell would we let you make it worse?” The all-bender folded his arms in defiance as Jonathan turned to glare balefully at his friend.

After a few seconds of the both of them locking eyes with one another, Jonathan’s gaze softened and he turned away. “Alright, fine. I may have deserved that.”

The both of them bantered for a moment as the young ingenue slumped down next to one of the crates on board the deck. Within seconds she was fully asleep. Smiling at the adorable scene, I turned to view the afternoon horizon, letting out a sigh of relief. It would seem our struggle here would soon be at an end. We found a secluded hanger to dry dock our craft in the hopes of saving fuel while we took a moment to go over our current options.

As it was, according to what information that Jonathan could recall, there were three possibilities for us to pursue: First, we could continue with our interrupted plan of flying to the surface away from the effective range of the Siphon and await Miss Elizabeth’s full recovery before pleading our case for her assistance. Second, We find a way to destroy the Siphon that still resided underneath within the Angel Tower and from the surge of energy liberated from that event, escape to another world before those of this world could hope to give chase. Third and Finally, we simply find a location to sequester ourselves and await the coming revolution that these Vox Populi were days away from instigating then just slip away during the crossfire.

I myself did not approve of the third option since it would grant us a front row seat for a horrendous massacre, and Commander Dax was unsure of the validity of the first given the lack of information at her disposal. Miss Yohko was unwilling to offer any opinion on the subject as was Mr. Gram. Our strategist was all for the remaining option as a way to, as he put it, ‘Fuck up Comstock’s dreams something awful.’

In the end, with one vote for each plan and two abstains, all that could be agreed on was waiting for Miss Elizabeth to awaken and put to her the decision as the tiebreaker.

And so, we waited and I eventually found myself focusing upon the horizon. My mind drifted back to the Western Air Temple during the start of my nephew’s quest from the Fire Lord. A cruel fate is what it was, forcing a young man and a small crew to search for a being missing for a hundred years. Calling it by such a name made it seem like something that could be accomplished and not the veiled exile my brother meant it to be. Then again, If that episode Jonathan had shown to me was completely true and the Avatar was about to reemerge, that meant in the future Zuko would face him alone… unless I could return to my world in time.

I was roused from my thoughts by Miss Yohko’s call. Miss Elizabeth had recovered from her ordeal and was all in favor of destroying the Siphon now that she was made aware of it’s existence.
*****
I wonder if I could speed things up if I had someone to do the editing for me? Any thoughts?

[Ryu Gabriev]

Wow... no replies at all... *shrugs* Alright then. Here's the end of the chapter (FINALLY) and here's to me kicking off the new year with a faster production timetable. Cheers!
*****
Iroh's POV
*****
Once back at Monument Island, the whole group began investigating all about the Siphon for possible weaknesses that we could use to cause the device to destroy itself. Soon after we began I suggested that I simply set fire to whole facility and we wait for the inevitable results. Our strategist insisted that if we were to complete this sabotage correctly, the tower had to completely be torn down as a sign to Comstock that his plans have been thwarted. “I mean, yea, fireballs and electrical damage should knock this thing offline, but I want Mr. Prophet to really feel it, ya know?”

Miss Elizabeth peeked her head out from behind one of bigger storage tanks. “Why did Father Comstock do that in the first place? Was I locked away because I'm dangerous to everyone around me?”

She crossed her arms in front of herself and walked over to the graph showing how her power had grown as she aged. “What am I? Just… what am I?”

The young strategist’s voice rose from his area of the chamber. “You’re the girl with fancy powers that is about to help level this tower that’s been your home and prison for the better part of 19 years… assuming we can find the right amount of ‘buum’.”

Elizabeth mulled over the description for a few moments before letting herself smile. “And how exactly do we find this...boom?”

“In theory, I could set my hand phaser to overload and then we just enjoy the light show from a safe distance.” Commander Dax moved to where the young woman and myself had paused in our search. “Unfortunately, I’ve had a fair bit of things to shoot at in the last few hours… right now my phaser would only do significant damage to this room and a few halls instead of a total building collapse. Then again, given what’s in this room that might be enough.”

The science officer started staring at the blackboard. “Jon, what brought the building down the first time?”

“Songbird being thrown at it-” Jonathan’s gaze brightened as his mind realized Dax’s plans. “Oh yea! Once Songbird shattered the Siphon tanks the energy burst did the rest!”

Commander Dax nodded in agreement. “That sounds about right to me also. The rest of you head back to the ship, I’ll deal with this little jury rig myself.”

We honored her request and returned to our vessel, and after several moments, the science officer exited the building in a run. A sharp keening wail followed her out of the entrance and steadily grew louder. “Everybody hold onto something ‘cause we need to move!” As she hopped aboard the craft Commander Dax proved true to her word by moving us away from the tower as swiftly as the ship was able.

It seemed like a mere instant later that bright light erupted from behind us. I turned back just in time to squint at the base of the monument as it disintegrated from the blast wave of violet radiance tearing its way out. The explosion was loud of course, but somehow distorted, slowing down jerkily before speeding back up. Even so, my ears were still left ringing afterwards. The upper torso of the angel collapsed onto the island that once supported it, the force of impact shearing off the arms and causing the head to partially sink into the main body. The island broke apart soon after and the remnants of a once shining idol began their fall to the surface below. All in all, a rather spectacular blast. I turned back to see if the others enjoyed the show only to find them crowded around Commander Dax. She had fallen to the deck and was convulsing violently.

“Hold her still! The seizure should pass quickly but her flailing about can do a lot of damage to herself in that time!” Miss Elizabeth showed off her apparent skills as an apothecary as she administered various medicines to the science officer while Jon and Ian both held her still. An instant later Commander Dax went limp as a doll and I feared the worst… but the young healer announced good news after a few more moments of observation. Miss Elizabeth had taken possession of the tricorder and was quickly mastering its function in order to aid her in diagnosing the science officer’s condition. “...Ok. She’s stable for now and I think whatever the blast did to her is fading away, but I can’t really be sure of anything at this point. I thought you said my Tear powers wouldn’t hurt any of you?”

The young strategist gave off a sour look. “Liz, in case it escaped your notice, just because I have answers doesn’t mean I can’t be surprised!”

Our healer was cut off from replying as a strange warbling horn blared in the distance. Jon’s face went pale as he turned in the direction of the sound. I looked that way also, and saw the horde of airships that slowly approached us. The largest vessel among them gave off the same horn call from before and a distorted man’s voice began speaking. “Vox Populi. Servants of Evil. Minions of Fitzroy that sought to steal this place from the faithful… You go too far. Much like when Satan dared to challenge the Lord over Man’s destiny… you go too far. Like when the forbidden fruit was tasted against the commandment of God… you go too far. My Lamb, the Child is fallen. You have stolen the future from my flock, so I shall take yours in turn. And when the Lamb rises again from her rest, all of you will be rendered as dust. Bring them to me, Captain, and make sure you bring them to me alive. I will look these hellspawn in their soulless eyes as I send them back to their master.”

Dozens of small barges began to swarm from their larger counterparts in our direction. I turned towards our strategist for his insight as we seemed to be trapped. “What now, my friend? Shall we make ourselves guests of this odd sounding man?”

Jonathan continued to keep his gaze centered upon Commander Dax. “It’d be quicker to just jump off the boat right here. About as frightening, but much faster…”

It was slight, but he was indeed shivering in place. If we make it safely away he and I shall have quite the talk over holding composure. In the meantime, however... “Then our course is clear. We must stall for time until Miss Elizabeth can fully master that tricorder device.”

Now the strategist could tear his gaze from the science officer to stare me in the eye. He knew what that meant… but silently nodded all the same. I turned then to the all-bender, Ian. “Mr. Gram, you and I must hold off those smaller craft as we are able as long as we are able.”

Ian’s smirk was almost feral as he moved to the stern of the ship and reached out with his power, catching multiple vessels and ramming them into one another to destroy them. My eyes then met Miss Yohko’s. “I ask that you and Jonathan expedite matters by assisting Miss Elizabeth in the deciphering. And please keep an eye on the Commander, it will be difficult enough to maintain our assault without also worrying if her body has gone over the side during the battle.”

The huntress gave a sharp nod in agreement and hobbled over to where the others were now crowded over the tiny device that held all our futures. I took a moment to steel myself, then moved astern to the all-bender’s left side and began my own grisly work. The first two victims were easy enough to dispatch as I took hold of the fire keeping them aloft and forced it back into the craft. Both ships detonated soon after. I wasn’t finished with my initial demonstration, showing such by grabbing some of the flame from the explosion and sending the two fireballs I crafted across several more of the attack craft. They seemed to understand the message and hastily retreated. I was glad for it, better to frighten many than kill the same.

Unfortunately it seemed that we merely traded our foes for their much larger brethren. A sudden burst of rocket fire streaked towards us from the flagship, only for the all-bender to raise a barrier around us for protection. As the invisible shielding fell, so did Ian drop to the deck, cradling his head and trying to staunch the blood leaking from his nose. “I really don’t think I can do that again...”

I nodded and turned to face the next volley as it launched towards us. “Agreed. It would seem that this is all the time we are able to purchase.”

Suddenly, our vessel lurched to the left and turned away from our opponents, dodging the missiles as it did so. “And as luck would have it… that’s just the amount we needed.”

I turned back to Jon after he spoke, noticing his demeanor had returned to its original state as his face held a triumphant grin. A second manipulation of the alien device, and our craft swiftly accelerated away from the enemy armada with several other barges in hot pursuit.
*****

[ckosacranoid]

Nice to see updates on this. Have to wonder just what dax did to see up the big bang......sorry, had to go t here. Thanks for sharing.

[Cheb]

Wow... no replies at all...

I was away! Honest!

Thank you for updating.

[Ryu Gabriev]

It's been two months... you thought I was dragging my heels again, no doubt. But in reality it i̶s̶ ̶m̶e̶,̶ ̶D̶i̶o̶!̶!̶ the full, complete chapter!! Enjoy!
****
Chapter 6: Fall Back
****
The flash from the godling’s action subsided, leaving a small group of people remaining in the tunnel entranceway: a Devil Hunter, a firebender, a Starfleet Officer, and their hosts, two young men that lived in this city under siege. As they stirred to consciousness and took stock of their surroundings, the source of Q’s amusement couldn’t help but comment. “Guess we can cross ‘Get Trolled by a God’ off the bucket list… Everyone ok?”

A chorus of affirmatives answered him, allowing the rookie leader to relax somewhat. It seemed Q simply had just been hoping to get a scare out of the group when he pulled his little stunt just now. The five of them left the tunnel and began their trek back to where Jonathan had parked their ride. Along the way several spirits and minor demons attempted to accost the group, only to discover Ian and Yohko were more than a simple meal items.

They reached the spot where the Jonathan had left his vehicle, glad to discover it had remained unmolested during the whole ordeal. They all piled in and drove away from urban center of Dallas back towards Ian and Jon’s part of town. No one felt like breaking the sober mood in the cabin, so each was alone in his or her thoughts and actions. Yohko, who rode shotgun, was muttering to herself about possible barrier types and how many talismans she would need to create in order to carry out those ideas. Dax managed to squeeze herself between Iroh on her left and Ian on her right. The trill scientist was running a diagnostic on her phaser and other tools, nodding along as the information trickled in from her tricorder. Iroh simply gazed out of his window with his sleeves together in front of himself, his thoughts wandering. The neophyte psychic had kept some of his pebble shot from the previous battle and was entertaining himself by letting stone fragments slowly orbit his hand, The radio was back on, and like before the news wasn't encouraging. “National Guard forces have been deployed to prevent possible looting within the city limits. If you are in the Dallas - Ft. Worth area please remain where you are until emergency personnel have assisted you. This quarantine is a precautionary measure only-”

“In other words, ‘We have no clue what’s going on but we know we have to do something or look even more clueless than we already are.’” Jonathan quipped as he half listened to the announcer, half focused upon the light traffic that braved the highway despite all that gone on over the last few hours. “Then again, who’s really prepared to survive the Apocalypse?”

Suddenly a thought forced its way into the rookie leader’s mind. “God… I need to get home. Whole world’s falling apart and Mom’s fending for herself and Dad back at the house...”

Just as fast as the thought struck him, Jonathan drifted to the exit lane of the highway and moved towards his home. Of course, the sudden change of direction didn't go unnoticed by his passengers. “Jon, I get that you wanna make sure your parents are ok, but the rest of us can't just stay in your car while that's going on.” Yohko remarked as the Texan turned onto the street leading home.

“Then come in if you all want, but im not doing anything else until my folks know I'm okay.” Jonathan’s tone brooked no further argument. Thus when he pulled up to the side of his house and moved to enter the group as a whole followed behind him.

Immediately the rookie leader knew that the next few minutes could be the most strenuous of his life so far... the living room was spotless, as was the dining room and kitchen. You see, in addition to his mother being a successful stage actress and retired nurse she had maintained an unusual habit over the years: Whenever she was stressed or frustrated, to avoid taking it out on her son or husband, she funneled her energies into tidying up her environment instead. Which would be perfect, were it not for the fact her interactions with people also gained a passive-aggressive bent. By the time Jonathan was an adult, he’d completely accepted that a cluttered house meant harmony in the family.

Jonathan carefully shuffled everyone through the interconnecting rooms till they reached the hall that led to the two separate bedrooms, one on each end, with the bathroom nestled in between them. The Texan pointed to the left. “My room’s right over there, if you guys want you can chill there until I’ve smoothed over things with my mom. Besides, there’s… not much to see where I’m going.”

The neophyte psychic and lieutenant commander accepted the invitation to Jonathan’s sanctum sanctorum, but Iroh stopped Yohko from joining them at the last moment. “I believe it would be best if Miss Yohko and I accompany you.”

The retired general smiled at their confused looks and elaborated his point. “Our arrival into your home has not been silent, and you clearly do not wish to have this conversation with your mother now. Perhaps with supportive allies at your back, we can answer questions that arise without adding to the confusion.”

Jonathan gave off a skeptical look but relented and allowed the pair to follow him to his parents’ bedroom. It was squared in design, with a queen-sized bed dominating the space from where it was pushed against the wall opposite the door. The remaining three walls had furniture and things stacked precariously high, but somehow nothing seemed like it might fall. A flat screen TV was sitting on a raised platform in the corner turned toward the bed, blaring various news stories. Finally, next to the bed was a dark blue easy chair, and in it, rested a barrel chested older man with short dark silver hair. His breathing was coming in wet and halted even though a nasal cannula on his face helped pure oxygen enter his weakened lungs from a nearby supply tank. The sight was always able to dim the rookie leader’s spirits. His father had never been physically fit in any part of Jonathan’s recollection, but there had always been an energy to him that most times could be found in men half his age. To go from that, to someone struggling to simply breathe…

Almost as soon as they crossed the threshold a hefty older woman with wavy salt-n-pepper hair rushed to meet them and began frantically fussing over her son. “God, Jonathan, where have you been?!”

“Relax, Mom I-”

His mother started patting him down in various areas, testing for any breaks or sores. “First you don't come home after work, then your job called wondering where you were…”

“Mom-”

The rookie leader was cut off mid word by the back of a warm hand pressing against his forehead. “Now the radio is talking about this attack in the city and people being evacuated! Your father is in no condition to move, much less leave!”

Jonathan’s right eye had begun twitching oddly. “Mom. We can figure out something-”

Yohko grinned and gave off a small giggle at the display, which had the unintended effect of drawing the attention of the force of maternal nature. Now noticing both Iroh and the Devil Hunter behind her son, Jonathan’s mother looked on in slight awe. She stared without blinking for several moments, as if trying to confirm that was in front of her eyes before finally speaking. “Gorgeous.”

Yohko took a slight step back as Jonathan’s mother moved around her son and let her right hand get close to touching the Devil Hunter’s updated uniform. “I’ve… this has to be the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. You look just stunning! Where’d you find it?”

Jonathan grinned as Yohko was now the one in his mother’s sights, and from the looks of things was starting to enjoy the attention. “She made it herself, actually. Yohko’s got magic hands for that sort of thing.”

The Devil Hunter cocked her head at the rookie leader in confusion while the look from his mother’s eyes gained an excited sparkle to them. “Really?! Oh God, it’s been ages since I knew anyone who could sew like this! The fabric is just shimmering in the light! Might I see how it feels Miss... Yohko, wasn’t it?”

The Devil Hunter nodded and introduced herself with a smile as the Vehan matriarch let her fingers slide across the material of Yohko’s uniform only to scrunch up her eyes in budding confusion. “This is… leather? Why in the world would you use that in a dress?”

As Yohko tried to figure out a way to excuse herself without revealing her ‘family business’, Iroh suddenly stepped into the conversation. “Because it is not a dress, actually, but a fighting uniform. Miss Yohko is a member of an order of fighting women known as Devil Hunters. This whole debacle thus far dropped us from our own dimensions into your son’s lap along with all else that has occurred these last few days. Thankfully, Jonathan is a fine young man and has shown himself quite honorable in his aid towards us during our time in the city thus far.”

The Vehan matriarch blinked twice before giving off a sudden titter of laughter. “O-other dimensions? Haha… Jonathan, what sort of odd game are you-” Suddenly She registered the rest of what Iroh had said and spun back towards her offspring and gave him the look all mothers seem to know. “Jonathan James Vehan! Are you telling me that you’ve been in that hellhole the city center’s become? All This Time?! And you haven’t told me?!”

Jonathan answered his mother’s parental stare with a deadpan look of his own. “How could I? The moment you saw me you’ve been trying to see if I’m terminal or not- AHH!”

With a speed beyond what her years would seem to allow, Jonathan's mother had snatched his ear in a firm hold, the pain forcing him to bend forward. “Don’t you sass me, mister. I know full well how much you take after your father- you’ve probably already had your fair share of fights just from sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong, haven’t you?!”

“I wouldn’t call it my fair share, honestlyiiiIIYAH! Alright, alright, I give! Leggo mom it’s tearing!!” Though he certainly acted like he was trying to reclaim his ear from his mother’s grip, something wouldn’t (or couldn’t, perhaps) let his actions succeed until she let go of her own accord.

The Vehan matriarch then turned toward the aged firebender and locked eyes with him. “As for you sir, I appreciate that my son has helped you in some way during all this. Frankly, however, I wasn’t born yesterday. Now I insist you and this girl explain how you know my son now.”

Just then, Jadzia’s head poked out from the doorway. “Jon, Ian wants to know the password to your computer so he can show me this century’s Datanet.” The commander gave off a light smile and introduced herself to the Vehan matriarch before asking Jonathan once more for the password to access his PC. He waved her off, promising to unlock his device for her once everything had been settled.

Dax ducked back out of sight and the trio turned back to Jonathan's mother, only to see that all the color had drained from her face. “M-m-my God. Th-that was Jadzia Dax… from Star Trek. In my house.”

Iroh offered his arm to help steady the Vehan matriarch. “Madam, perhaps it’s best you sit down. We will do our best to answer your questions.”

She waved off the firebender’s offered hand, but took the offered advice and sat down on the left side of the bed. “Please, call me Sharon. What is going on here?!”

“Well, to start with Mom… what do you remember about Q?”

The rookie leader then told the whole story that had occurred over the last two days, stopping only when Sharon asked for clarification or when Iroh or Yohko chimed in with a better perspective. Obviously to avoid panicking her, Jonathan chose to gloss over the whole drow incident. “And after I realized you’d probably be worried sick about me I decided to come back here. Which leads us to where we are now, Mom. Somehow Q’s bet has brought hell down on our heads, literally, and we’re stuck trying to figure out a way to fix things.”

Sharon took a few seconds to center herself before speaking. “Jonathan, you can’t be expected to fix the world’s problems all by yourself. Let’s just figure out a way to bring help back here so that they can evac your father to safety.”

“You just said he wasn’t fit to move, much less be evac’d! Even if we-” The rookie leader was cut off as a wet hacking cough burst from his father’s throat, along with specks of dark red fluid. In a matter of instants three things occurred: The Vehan matriarch was at her husband's side, trying to figure out what had just gone wrong with him. Jonathan rushed to the other side of the easy chair, only to watch as his father’s chest quivered, then become still. Shouting drew Ian and Dax from the other room, only to find a mother and son huddled around the father’s pale, deathly still form…

… until Jonathan’s hands, which were desperately gripping his father’s arm, started to glow with bright golden light.

A brief flash of light came from the rookie leader’s hands, blinding all present. Almost as soon as their collective vision cleared, a shuddering gasp came from Jonathan’s father, before color returned to his skin and a deep snore rumbled from his frame.

Seconds passed as everyone there tried to understand what had occurred. Finally, the Vehan matriarch worked up the nerve to speak. “Son… What did you just do?”

The rookie leader could only shrug his shoulders as he looked at his hands like they were something new. Dax, for her part, began scanning Jonathan’s father with her tricorder. Her expressions quickly shifted from concerned to astonished. “His metabolic rate is elevated, pulse and respiration are at ideal levels… and I’m detecting an odd radiation pattern. Doesn’t seem to be high enough to cause damage, but it’s all throughout his system.”

The lieutenant commander then shifted the device’s focus around the room, settling on each person for an instant before turning it on herself. “We all have the same signature, but in Jon’s case it’s several magnitudes stronger. Same situation also, our metabolic rates are elevated.”

Jonathan crossed his arms in front of himself. “You can’t tell me that’s the end of it, Dax. I did not just imitate a strobe light for the sole purpose of pepping us all up.”
Iroh smiled and gave off an upper body stretch suddenly. “More than merely ‘pepping us up’, I think. I was still feeling some of the exertion from our time in the city proper, and now I feel as if I just came off a weekend at the Cherry Blossom Inn in the Colonies. Most refreshing.”

The feeling was soon mutual among everyone else in the bedroom, including Jonathan’s mother, who had noticed that an old shoulder injury of hers seemed to have vanished completely. Sharon then turned to leave the room, mumbling something about a half remembered recipe. With the tension in the room fading from this shared sense of rejuvenation, Jonathan’s team retreated to his own bedroom to make further plans for what might come.

The next few hours passed uneventfully for the household, with a few minor exceptions. The biggest, and in Jonathan’s opinion Best, exception came once his father woke up from his rest. For the first time in over 3 months the head of the household stood up from his easy chair and walked under his own power without assistance or his oxygen tank. And he was famished, so much so that his desire for a repast awoke everyone else’s appetite. So after a little work clearing out the dining room and dusting off a few antique chairs, all seven people sat to a meal swiftly crafted by both father and mother.

It was a mishmash of various foods, Hamburger Helper alongside chicken pot pies mixed with steamed spinach, corn and carrots. Add in Diet Coke and Iroh’s teas for the drinks of choice and you have the makings of a well deserved Vehan family meal. The dinner conversation, however, was not what the rookie leader was hoping for…

“So there’s Jonathan marchin’ up with all his classmates to get his diploma… and of course my son can’t help but go over the top like always. He starts making a big show of giving little bows and waving his cap all the way to the podium, only to remember when he gets there that he’d put his announcement card under his hat right before he started!” Jonathan’s father gave off a barking laugh before he wolfed down several bites of his pot pie. After washing it down with his soda, he continued the tale. “So he has to run where the damn thing fell, and scurry right back. Just as he gets there, he stepped on the hem of his robe or something since he tripped right at the podium steps and plops flat on the ground right there in front of the dean. To top it all off, as soon as he shakes it off he stands up and says ‘Guess this’s what the counselor meant by graduation being painful for some.’ The whole place explodes laughing as Jonathan realized he’d said it loud enough for the mic to hear. Sharon’s mortified of course, I was too busy laughing myself!”

The reactions from the rest of the table were mixed: Ian howled with laughter at the imagery the story invoked, Iroh gave a polite chuckle but was far more interested in his serving of Hamburger Helper, Dax didn’t laugh but could be seen hiding a smile behind her glass of soda, Jonathan’s mother stared hotly at her son and the rookie leader had the good sense to look somewhat embarrassed. “Hey, it worked out in the end, didn’t it? Besides, right after that one of the guys in charge got a hold of my info and swore up and down that I’d join the immortal greats who’d pulled off their own pranks as well!”

Yohko, however, had been barely paying attention during the whole thing. Instead she’d been stealing glances at Jonathan the entire time, trying to work up the nerve to confront him about what had happened earlier. Back during Ian’s time possessed, she too had heard the spirit bragging about how close Jon was to becoming a Devil Hunter himself. At the time she had thought there had been no possible way for such a thing to happen, the rookie leader was a man after all. In all one hundred eight recorded generations of the Mano family none of the few men sired ever showed signs of inheriting the power. But now, here, after three days of interaction the rookie leader had pulled off one of the few abilities that could do more than simply harm. And without the aid of a Ring or Talisman no less. Inwardly, the Devil Hunter cringed at the thought of her grandmother’s reaction upon seeing such a display.

‘A man did that?! Yohko, you’d better damn make sure that man’s essence is brought into the Mano clan as soon as possible!! Hell, get your cousin and the Azusas in on it if you have to sweeten the deal… the more babies you kids make, the safer the world’s gonna be!’

‘Ok maybe she wouldn’t go that far… but she’d definitely want me to seduce him at the very least.’ Absentmindedly Yohko’s thoughts drifted further down their current path as she glanced back at the rookie leader. An instant later, the Devil Hunter rose from her seat and asked if she and Jonathan could be excused for a few minutes. There were curious smiles from both of the rookie leader’s parents, but they were allowed to vacate the table.

The pair made their way to Jonathan’s bedroom and shut the door. Inside were various wall scrolls covering the white walls, a large bed holding the far corner all to itself, and a large and cluttered light brown computer desk opposite the bed with a flatscreen TV perched on the top shelf. Two bookcases loaded down with manga and various novels were at the other two corners, one holding a triangle-folded American flag in a sealed wooden case with a glass lid. The devil hunter took the leather rolling office chair at his desk as her seat while the rookie leader plopped on his bed and made himself comfortable. “Well Yohko, this’d better be good. Otherwise we’re gonna have to come up with a good excuse as to why I haven’t taken advantage of a girl in my room.”

Yohko wasn’t having any of it as she leveled a stern glare at the rookie leader, who managed to get the message and lift himself into a lotus position as he focused on the Devil Hunter. “This is serious Jon. That technique you pulled off is a sign that you really are about to mature as a Devil Hunter!”

Jonathan folded his arms in front of himself and nodded. “So I’ve heard. Demon says I’m changing then I pull off ‘Lay on Hands’ in my parents’ bedroom, sounds like a pattern to me.”

The way he said that in such an apathetic manner startled Yohko somewhat. “Jon… you do realize what this means, right? You can fight these monsters directly! The both of us could nip this invasion in the bud before it overruns this country!”

The devil hunter gained a sparkle in her eye at the thought of not facing this threat by herself, since it was clear that whatever Netherrealm they came from, these were not the adversaries of her ancestors. The rookie leader’s mood shifted further in the opposite direction however, something Yohko finally noticed as she saw the man shrink in on himself more and more. Didn’t he want to protect his home?

“Jon, what’s the matter with you?”

“What if… I don’t want this power?”

Yohko opened her mouth to further her point but quickly closed it when memories of her own maturation flew past her mind’s eye. She had felt put upon also once her grandmother had dumped the whole story of the ‘family business’ on her back when she was in high school. Why wouldn’t Jonathan feel the same way? Then again…

“Jon. As far as I, and my grandmother ever knew, whenever any member of my family failed or refused to complete the process of becoming a devil hunter… they died a few months later.”

The rookie leader paled considerably at that little revelation. “So it’s convert or die? No matter what?”

The devil hunter shrugged. “As far as I know. Honestly though, aside from the whole… exhibition problem... “ Yohko’s cheeks reddened slightly. “It’s not so bad being a Devil Hunter.”

In a split second Jonathan was staring down Yohko with a severe half-lidded stare. “Your first crush ended up being used as a mobile blood bank by a neophyte Black Queen.”

He kept his gaze locked firmly on Yohko as he uncrossed his legs and slid off the bed. “You then fought tooth and nail for a prince who you were certain loved you, only to find out that all that hard work was to free two lovers imprisoned by a Dragon God that took heavy handed parenting to a whole other level.”

The rookie leader clamped both armrests tight, one in each hand, and closed the gap until only a few scant inches was all that remained between him and the devil hunter. “You were then attacked by your clan’s sworn enemy-slash-original source of your Ring’s power and only managed to stop him after being impaled by his big ass claws and flung back to the time of the 1st Devil Hunter, Haruka. And all these things occurred in your first year as a Hunter.”

Yohko eyes fluttered as she didn’t really know what to make of Jonathan’s little monologue just now. “U-um… well. W-what’s your point?”

The rookie leader took a step back and folded his arms in front of himself. “My point is: You had resources, training, and backup at your start and you just squeezed by. How the utter Hell am I supposed to match that with none of the above plus a demonic invasion already underway?!”

“You do not. Rather, it is in these times that you trust your teammates, and through them, gain the strengths needed to counter your own weakness.”

Jon and Yohko turned toward the voice, and noticed Iroh standing in the doorway with his sleeves pressed together. Behind him were Dax and Ian and the rookie leader could just make out the heads of his father and mother in the back. Jon locked eyes with Iroh’s smiling face for an instant before replying. “...deal. But if I find a way to lose these powers without dying, I’m taking it. I am not doing the whole ‘Power Corrupts’ scenario if I can help it.”

The aged firebender gave a nod in agreement to the set terms while Yohko pointed out that if Jon slept with somebody before the next few months pass, his powers should disappear just like they had with her mother. The rookie leader could only roll his eyes while giving his swollen gut a solid slap. While Jonathan wasn’t horrendously obese by any stretch, it was, in his opinion, one of the bigger reasons for his consistent failure at attracting the fairer sex.“Yea, that option… kinda exists… but then finding a girl willing to hide her eyes long enough till the deed is done while everything goes to Hell in a handbasket ‘round the both of us…” His deadpan expression told all present how likely he thought that plan was to succeed. “You don’t haveta be a genius to see where this path leads.”

Ian smirked lightly. “Um, dude… escorts are a thing, you know.”

The rebuttal was swift. “Um, dude. STDs are a thing, y’know.”

The neophyte psychic gave off a shrug, but not otherwise conceding the point. Suddenly Ian’s eyes shot open as his posture stiffened. “...Jon. Duck.”

Jonathan gave his friend a confused look moments before said friend thrust out his hand and an invisible force shoved the rookie leader down. Good thing too, as a fraction of a second later a small dark blur burst through a nearby window but suddenly came to a stop almost exactly where Jon’s head had been earlier. However, given that the tiny oddity was now writhing and twisting about in midair, it was a safe bet that it wasn’t hovering now by choice. It looked like someone had taken a cat twinned it’s dark, bushy tail. Shimmering midnight colored fur covered the whole of it’s body, which was… rather large for what seemed to be a cat. The tips of it’s tails, ears, and all four feet held a dark blue tint that helped accent the rest of it coat.

No one spoke for a few moments while the creature continued to try and break free of the invisible force holding it captive. Then the devil hunter’s voice calmly rang out. “Ian, that was you pushing Jon down just now, right?”

The neophyte psychic grunted a bit from the building strain, but was able to respond in the affirmative. “If I’d had more time to think I might’ve pushed him away instead of down there.”

‘There’ referred to the… unfortunate... fact that the rookie leader was still in a position over the devil hunter when Ian warned him to move out of the way. As a result, when he was forced down by the neophyte psychic’s power, his head was planted quite firmly in Yohko’s ample bosom. Realizing where his forehead now rested, Jonathan completely froze and stayed still even after the pressure upon his back and shoulders had released. He finally straightened up after Ian pointed out that the tiny attacker was floating right next to him, and it was, still squirming and wriggling for any sort of release.

The rookie leader glumly locked eyes with the devil hunter, who simply looked at him neutrally. Jon opened his mouth a couple of times with the first syllables of a reply on his lips, but shut it both times as his brain struggled to find an answer that wouldn’t get him knocked out by the knockout. Finally he gave off a large sigh and said, “I’ve got nothing. Fire away, Yohko. Just don’t break anything up here.”

The rookie leader closed his eyes and held that position for a few moments, awaiting the feminine firestorm that was due any minute… Only to hear the woman in front of him give off a snort of laughter at the same time several chuckles and snickers came from the group nearby. Even the cat-like creature had ceased it’s struggling in favor of the developing scene before it. Yohko calmly stood up from the chair and lightly tapped Jon on the nose. As he opened his eyes in reflex the first thing he saw was Yohko giving him a teasing grin. “Don’t ask Ian to be your wingman next time you want to be so forward with me.”

The devil hunter then stepped away towards the unexpected visitor. Jonathan could only wonder at how he’d somehow gotten away free and clear before tabling that mystery for another time, this odd twin-tailed cat took precedence.

As everyone focused on the new arrival, it in turn gave its full attention to the devil hunter and renewed the effort to break free from the neophyte psychic’s grasp. And much to the shock of everyone there, it wasn't limited to physical action. “Release me, Traitor! Those humans are a threat to everything!!”

“Huh… talking animal mascot…” Jonathan grinned as his comment managed to turn the large critter into a hissing, wriggling ball of fur. Turning to the one he thought the cat was talking about, the rookie leader adopted a shocked look to his face. “Ian, how could you betray the cause like this?!”

Ian’s face was growing flushed as new and unusual kinds of strain assailed his mind and will.Even so, he managed to respond to the verbal jab with a dig of his own. “I can't help it Jon, you're the ‘loyal dog’, not me. Now could you or Yohko please kill this thing already? It's getting harder to hold it up like this…”

The ebon-furred feline stopped squirming and hissing once it heard that, and started looking decidedly nervous as Yohko summoned her Soul Sword. The devil hunter raised her weapon high, and was just about to let the blade fall when the cat spoke up again. “W-wait! WAIT!! I can be of help to you!! I can serve you! S-surely one such as I is insignificant compared to the bigger prey I could lead you to… fiercer youkai, stronger youkai! One such monster is near! Spare me, and I shall lead you to his new lair!!”

The blade stayed where it had been raised, it's owner wondering aloud if they should take the cat up on the offer, given the logic of taking out the more ferocious fiends first and foremost. Jonathan couldn't help but show interest, but Ian was quick to remind Jon of feline nature; specifically that cats were ‘self-interested sociopaths’, as he put it. The cat in turn redoubled its efforts to convince them of the sincerity of the offer. Ultimately, the rookie leader agreed to the terms, a decision helped along by his mother and father taking a single good look at the ebon-furred feline and in the next instant showering heaps of affection upon it.

The cat, who introduced himself as Raiga, quickly found himself enjoying the new state of affairs after his release. “...Yesss… no, to th-yessssss…”

Everyone had moved back to the dining table to chat and deal with the leftovers, meaning the newest member of Jonathan’s team was learning first hand what a family of cat lovers could do for his stress level. After gaining a belly full of meat and more belly rubs then a day spa the ebon-furred feline was ready to die happy… Or at least shake himself to death with how strongly he was purring. In between bouts of attention from Jon’s father and mother, the rookie leader was able to learn more about the ‘bigger game' Raiga promised. “Firrr~stly, you must head east, till you reach the glass tower that sits along the bank of the great winding road. It is there that my old masterrrrRRrrrr, Tenrou-ryuu, has crafted a lair for himself…”

From his new position sitting to the left of the Vehan matriarch, Jonathan held his chin in a thinking pose and gathered his thoughts for a minute or so. “Tenrou-ryuu… I can pick out ‘dragon’ and ‘heaven’, but the middle part escapes me.”

Yohko spoke up an instant later. “It means ‘wolf’, Jon. The whole name altogether means ‘Imperial Wolf Dragon’ in english. In old myths back home, dragons were seen as minor gods, usually kind to people that lived near them… unless you pissed them off in some way. Then whole towns could be wiped off the map by the dragon taking revenge. This Tenrou-ryuu might’ve managed to slay an actual dragon and steal its power for himself, since lightning is supposed to be a holy element.”

Jonathan’s father interjected suddenly. “Son, I get that I'm outta the loop for much of what's been going on, but what's it matter what this Ten Yo-yo’s name means?”

The unintentional mangling of the demon’s name left the rookie leader howling in laughter. Which meant the devil hunter was left to explain things. “Basically, Mr. Vehan, the names of most creatures in Japanese myth tend to identify their traits... though this is the first I've heard of something like this.”

The Vehan patriarch nodded in understanding. “You can learn something about these things by the name they have… and please, call me Jon. My father was Mr. Vehan.”

“That joke’s old enough to belong to grandpa also.”

Jon gave his son a deadpan look while Raiga diverted the discussion back on course. “It is hard to know if that is true for my former master, but his control over lightning and thunder is very real.” The nekomata began rolling onto his side on instinct and ended up sliding right off of his warm human perch. After everyone calmed down from laughing, Raiga hopped up upon the table top and continued speaking. “The tower holds great amounts of energy within strange metal veins that line the walls all throughout the structure. From its flat apex, he has begun to siphon as much power as he can so as to cement his hold upon his new territory. This has also attracted youkai of similar persuasion that barter service in exchange for being allowed to draw from the tower as well.”

“Sounds like this ‘wolf dragon’ figured out how to tap into the city electric grid…” Dax commented from her seat. Seconds later, her eyes lit up. “..So maybe we could make things easier on us if we cut the power to the whole building before engaging it!”

“It would serve to draw the beast and his minions to us, so it would be best to divide our forces and maintain the element of surprise.” The aged firebender stroked his beard thoughtfully, already seeing the possible reactions of demons that had their energy source suddenly cut off. Ideas were further bounced back and forth until a plan of attack was settled upon. As the sun rose in the east the coming day, Jonathan's team would journey to Tenrou-ryuu’s lair to deal with the threat this demon would cause to the surrounding area.

By the time it set in the west that evening, the Legend of the Crusader would have begun… with the death of a comrade.
*****
Chapter End.

[ckosacranoid]

Intresting update. Not a whole to say other wise.