Radioactive: Chapter Five

Radioactive

Chapter Five

~Hanging On~

Row sighed as he looked at the scene in front of him behind the police line. Some glowy Other had destroyed a major highway and sent a good chunk of it tumbling down toward earth. They were on the same section of the highway where the blue Other stood. Across the gap were more police cars and men in case the Other went that way. Now he, or she, was simply standing there, eyes closed in some kind of meditation.

“Where are they?” Row muttered to himself.

“Hey, Row! Row Harper!”

Row turned to see a police man run up to him, “What?”

“Some guy over there wants to see you,” the man shouted, “Said something about—”

“Hello, Harper,” Kaiba walked forward, ignoring the other officer’s protests. Kiri and Jekyll followed close behind him.

Row looked over his shoulder at the shining Other then back at the group of three coming at him, “About time you all got here!”

After the events of The Turn, Row got involved with the Tower unbeknownst to his superiors or anyone else for that matter. Whenever they needed him, they seemed to get him to where he needed to be without it being suspicious. Like now, was it really a coincidence that all the other detectives were on vacation, sick or had an unfortunate asthma attack forcing him to be called out to this scene?

Kaiba looked around, “I think we can handle this.”

“Really?” Row almost laughed, “You can handle this? Just the three of you? I’ve seen your kind work but really, you have to be rational. That thing took out a mile worth of concrete if you count the highways below.”

“Well, I don’t see you helping out,” Jekyll decided to join the conversation, “So I guess it has to be just the three of us.”

Row looked at Jekyll, “Oh, I thought I recognized you, Armitage Shanks.”

Jekyll tipped his hat, “Doctor Eon Jekyll, at your service.”

“Eon? Dr. Jekyll?!” Row shot a glance at Kaiba, “Have you been harboring a serial killer?!”

Kaiba smiled, “Now, now, Mr. Harper, surely there are more than one Dr. Jekyll in the world.”

“Not many,” Row muttered, “and this one gives me the creeps.”

“Just don’t get on his bad side,” Kaiba walked passed Row, “Come on! We have work to do. Have your officer’s step back. Wouldn’t want any of them to know you’re working with the Tower, would you?”

“Or for any of them to get hurt,” Kiri followed him.

Row laughed, “Really though, how do you plan to take that thing down?”

“Same way we deal with everything else,” Jekyll flexed his wrist. Three surgical scalpels shot into place between his fingers.

Rows eyes narrowed, “Don’t think that just because you’re an Other, doesn’t mean I won’t shoot you.”

A dark smile creped across Jekyll’s face, “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

Jekyll walked passed Row casually. Row sighed and ordered the other officers to fall back. On both sides, the officers retreated until they couldn’t see the Other anymore. Kaiba continued forward.

He could see the Other clearly now. Her skin was blue and it glowed blue similar to her skin color. She looked transparent, almost as if she were made of glass or crystal. In her meditative state, her wings were folded around her. She hovered over the gap in the highway.

“Subject’s vital signs are normal,” Kiri reported, “Subject emanating strange powers; cross referencing power waves with listed powers in personal database. Unable to find a match. Logging into Tower database: Log-in successful. Start search. Unable to find a match. Next course of action?”

Jekyll looked at Kiri, “Well, now that’s fancy. How come you get all the good toys, Kaiba?”

Kaiba ignored him, “Log suspicious power waves in new file accessible only by you, me and my Father. Store any other similar waves in this file in the future.”

“Understood,” Kiri’s vision was full of folders and files. She sorted and filed things where they were supposed to go, “Task complete.”

Jekyll looked at the floating Other, “Is anyone else starting to feel a little ignored?”

“How do you suppose we fix that?” Kaiba crossed his arms.

Jekyll brought up a hand, scalpels is hand and an almost childlike smile on his face. Before Kaiba could stop him, Jekyll threw the small daggers at the winged Other. The Others eyes opened and she opened her wings with an enormous gust of wind repelling the attack as if it were nothing. Kaiba took a step back at the sudden impact. He took a glance at Jekyll. The man had the wildest smile on his face as he braced against the wind, one hand keeping his hat from flying away.

The Other sang a series of notes before charging at the three Fixers. Kaiba jumped out of the way with Kiri at his side while Jekyll dove in the other direction. Jekyll rolled to his feet and attacked again. Kiri pivoted on one foot and switched herself into combat. She brought out two guns and fired at the Other. Both attacks somehow had no effect on the Other.

The Other sored up into the sky and flapped her wings. Kiri pulled Kaiba to one side. Shards of glass or crystal rained down on their stretch of road. The doctor, who was more nimble on his feet, dodged the raining tears of death easily. Kaiba shot a look at Kiri.

“We need to cut at least one of her wings off,” he stated.

Kiri nodded and looked up. She ran until she was just underneath the winged Other and jumped into the air. The Others blue eyes spotted her and she moved out of the way. Kiri soared above her. She twirled, a long sword appearing in her hand. The Other looked over her shoulder to get a better look at her but it was too late. Kiri put all of her strength into the attack. The sword lodged into one of the crystal like wings. The other screamed in pain and started to plunge back down to earth.

Kaiba looked up, “What the—?”

Both Kiri and the creature fell down through the damaged highway. Because the highways below were damaged as well, they would continue to fall to the ground.

“Come on,” Jekyll said as he ran toward the edge.

Kaiba ran and followed him. He jumped into empty space and fell. Kiri was struck by momentary confusion. She tried to remove the sword but it was set in its place. An alert appeared in her field of vision. Long story short; if she didn’t do something now, she was going to plummet to her death. She looked over her shoulder for a brief moment. Kaiba and Jekyll were coming after her. Jekyll drew three more scalpels and threw them down. Kiri caught one in-between her fingers. She determined that her current mission was to get out of this alive.

Kiri released her grip on the sword and started to free fall. But the Other turned and grabbed her leg. The Other screamed her defiance, she was determined to bring Kiri down with her. Kiri took the scalpel and threw it in the Other’s eye. Again, the Other screamed in pain but she didn’t let go.

Jekyll threw down six daggers, losing his hat in the process. All six landed in vulnerable spots on the Other’s damaged wing causing it to crack and break along the cut where the blade and partially entered. With the blade free, Kiri grabbed the hilt and drove it into a fracture that had started to form across the Others chest from her damaged wing. Kaiba straightened his arm and a long blade appeared. With a jerk of his wrist, there was a loud crack as the piece of steel came free. He threw it down into the Others clavicle bone, or where it would be. In so much pain, the Other let Kiri go.

With limited time, Kiri threw her right hand over her head. A compartment opened in her arm and sent out three cables that sored into the air above their heads. On the ends of the cables were sharp three pronged points that dug into the concrete above. With the points in place, the cables jerked to a halt stopping Kiri’s decent. The Other, however, continued the perilous decent and shattered into pieced upon impact, cutting short an earsplitting scream. Kaiba grabbed onto her free hand saving himself from a similar fate while Jekyll grabbed one of the cables and slowed his decent before colliding with Kiri.

He rested one foot on her shoulder and the other against the taut cable. One gloved hand gripped onto the wire. He looked down at Kaiba and Kiri.

“That was fun, now wasn’t it,” he mused.

Kaiba was understandably in a bad mood, “Oh, yes,” he said sarcastically, “it’s always fun plummeting to your death. Right up there with using pliers to pull off your fingernails. Great fun!”

“Oh, is that you down there Kaiba?” Jekyll looked unamused, “I couldn’t see you down there from all the way up here.”

Kaiba glared at Jekyll, “Why I ought to—!”

“Please!” Kiri stepped in before things got out of hand. When she thought she had their attention she sighed, “Not here. If you can’t tell, we’re in a bit of a bind. It would be much appreciated if you would all just shut up while I figure it out.”

For a moment, there was glorious silence. Slowly, Jekyll’s hat floated down from some unknown height. Casually, he grabbed it brushed it against his leg and placed it back where it belonged; on his head. A few more moments of silence blessed Kiri’s circuits as she sent a help signal toward home.

Kaiba looked up, “Have you ever lost that hat?”

“Never,” Jekyll stated, “Almost eight years now.”

“What would you do if you ever lost it?” Kaiba asked.

Jekyll looked down at Kaiba with a seriousness that could suck the air out of the world, “I won’t ever lose it, Kaiba. What would you do if that coat of yours were to meet an untimely end?”

Kiri was at her wits end, “Don’t make me let go. I will do it!”

There was an edge to her voice that signaled the end of the conversation…and any others that would have transpired. They waited, and waited, enjoying the uncomfortable silence; the kind of silence that can be enjoyed while dangling above ground when your life is in the hands of an annoyed android, that is.

Iridescent: Chapter Five

Iridescent

Chapter Five

~Scarecrow~

After the Fall

Chaud woke up slowly. The rain had started to taper off in the early morning hours. Amber was close by. She sat on a tree root, with the gun he lent her in her hand. Amber struggled to stay awake. A twig snapped somewhere in the woods and she shot awake. She aimed the gun at arm’s length in the direction of the sound. Amber shook with fear.

“I think I’ll take that back now,” Chaud stated as he reached for the gun.

Amber looked at Chaud and smiled, “Chaud!” She threw her arms around her brother.

“Ow! My arm!” Chaud exclaimed, “That is a bad bruise.”

“Sorry,” Amber apologized.

Chaud smiled through the pain, “Well, what was in that pack that you just had to have back there?”

Amber shrugged, “Just some extra food and three weird vials.”

Chaud looked interested and held out his good hand, “Let me see.”

Amber went through the bags and retrieved the three blue vials. Chaud looked at them and knew instantly what they were. He flipped on in the air and caught it.

“These are going to be useful,” Chaud smiled.

“What are they?” Amber asked.

Chaud answered, “These vials counter what the Silver Void does to us. It gives a pretty good power high but a real mean crash. What it does is push you to at most limits and as Others that means activating our powers in every cell of our body. So when it wears off, the user is understandably exhausted. Some even die.”

Amber shifted uncomfortably, “You won’t use it, will you?”

“Only if I have to,” Chaud smiled.

There was a long silence. Amber looked at her hands, deep in thought. Chaud let her think as he tried to get to his feet. He threw on his back pack, wincing as he tried to move his arm. He made a mental note to keep an eye out for some aloe plans to help with the healing. Chaud made sure they had all their things before looking over his shoulder at Amber.

“Let’s get going,” he told her.

“You haven’t eaten yet,” Amber stated.

“Yeah, I did, just now,” Chaud lied.

Amber glared at him, “We have enough food now, just eat something.”

“I’m fine, really,” Chaud smiled.

Amber crossed her arms, “I’m not moving until you eat the rest of the bread.”

Chaud sighed. Even though she was adopted into the family she acted more like their mother with each passing day. He knew that she meant every word that she said. They were going to get nowhere if he didn’t eat the bread. So he sat down again and took out the bread. Amber watched every move he made. He ate the bread making exaggerated eating motions. When he had put the rest of the bread in his mouth he dusted the crumbs off his hands and got up.

“Swallow it first!” Amber insisted.

Chaud’s shoulders rose and fell in a silent sigh. He did as he was told and only then did Amber stand up. She picked up her pack and waited for Chaud to lead the way. Chaud led on after gaining his bearings. After their run through the forest the day before, he understandably got a little turned around. They walked in silence for a few more minutes. Amber looked thoughtfully at the ground while they walked.

“Where are we going?” Amber asked after a while.

“To the north east corner of the Island,” Chaud answered.

Amber looked at him, “Why?”

“There is where out ticket out of here is,” Chaud continued walking.

“Then why are we going north?” Amber asked.

Chaud picked up a stick and drew in the fresh mud, “We’re taking the long route through the mountains and the desert.”

“Wouldn’t it be faster to go over the gorge?” Amber pointed.

“There are also a lot of people,” Chaud said, “There won’t be so many people in the mountains and desert because they aren’t the nicest places to be. There isn’t a lot of food. So that’s why we’re going that way.”

“You don’t want to run into people like those men that tried to kill us, do you?” Amber looked at her brother.

He smiled, “I’d be a lot easier to protect you, that’s for sure.”

Amber nodded as if confirming something to herself, “Teach me how to fight.”

Chaud stared at her, “W-what?”

“Mom said that she didn’t want me to learn how to fight like you boys. She said that I was her little girl and that I should let you boys do the fighting.”

“She said that?” Chaud raised an eyebrow, “This is coming from a woman who threatened an accidental trespasser with a rocket launcher? She, our mother, the same one who prides herself on being a good shot said that she didn’t want you to learn how to fight? Dad had to hide all the guns in the house from her and she said that fighting was too violent for you?”

Amber shrugged, “I think the word she used was ‘unladylike’.”

“Mom’s the last person to be using that word,” Chaud muttered.

“But would you teach me how to fight and use my powers?” Amber asked again, “I don’t want to be a burden.”

Chaud looked at her, “You’re not a burden.”

“But I feel like one!” Amber said loudly, “I just feel in the way and useless! I mean, how many times did you need to save me in the city? Huh? Four times and you saved me two more times when we got to the forest! And then there was yesterday! What if you died yesterday!? What would happen to me!? I don’t know the first thing on how to fight! You have to teach me, you just have to!”

Tears started to form in Amber’s eyes. Chaud reached out to hold her. He could rarely say no to his sister but at the same time he didn’t want his mother’s wrath when things finally got back to normal.

Chaud sighed, “Well, better late than never. Another reason to go through the mountains. That’s where all the masters train their apprentices, right?”

Amber had to smile, “Shut up.”

“Come on,” Chaud started jogging up the incline, “Let’s make the most of this daylight.”

“We’re running?” Amber asked.

“Hey,” Chaud called over his shoulder, “in gym class they made us run around the Island for five days, not including the city portion though. Of course we didn’t have to run the whole nine days and we had camps where we slept the night. They gave us a backpack full of water and bug spray and sent us off. Zara finished the fastest in our class. We need to get your stamina up! Let’s go!”

Amber sighed and started to run behind her brother. She maintained his speed for several minutes as she did run the five mile run in middle school. Her stamina was decent for the children her age on the Island but it was nowhere close to her brothers. He barely showed any effort. It was even possible that he was slowing down so that she could keep up.

After about five miles, Amber’s limit, Chaud slowed down to a quick walk. He reached into his pack and gave her a water bottle. She accepted it and drank a big gulp.

“Not too much,” Chaud said, “You’ll get sick.”

Amber nodded and gave the water back. Chaud put it back in his backpack.

“We should be there soon,” Chaud said.

“There?” Amber asked breathlessly, “There where?”

“You’ll see,” Chaud smiled, “We should be there within the hour.”

Amber nodded and walked quietly. She tried to keep an even pace with her brother. She watched him closely. Amber noticed that, unlike her, Chaud didn’t make so much noise in the brush. As he walked, he seemed to subconsciously avoid stepping on twigs and branches that would make noise. She watched him and tried to follow in his footsteps. Her noise level dropped significantly though not entirely.

It was what she did. She copied. It was her power even if that was taken away from her because of the inhibitors. As a copycat she could copy a person’s ability and power to a T. Of course some practice would be necessary but for the most part she could copy someone’s form and access that power. Even if her power was taken away, she still had the skill. She could copy Chaud’s movements easily but she wouldn’t be able to copy his powers.

Chaud looked at her and smiled. Apparently he was waiting for when she would catch on that she was making too much noise. Amber felt embarrassed that it took her so long to figure it out. She must have been like a bear trampling through the woods compared to his light footsteps.

Soon they came to a clearing in the forest. In the center of the clearing was an old shrine. Half of it was burned and charred yet half of it remained standing. Amber guessed that a missile struck near the building. Chaud looked a little worried at the sight of the building.

“Stay here,” he instructed her.

Amber protested, “But—”

“Just for a minute, okay,” Chaud said before drawing his gun and heading for the building.

Chaud entered the first floor. No one seemed to be living there at the moment. He progressed upstairs and found much of the same. The place had defiantly been looted and the original residence had long since left the place. But the building was still standing and he wondered why there weren’t any squatters in the building. When he entered the portion of the second floor where the roof was blown off he got his answer. He sighed.

“Is that and inhibitor?” Amber asked.

Chaud turned quickly, “I told you to stay outside!”

Amber simply shrugged. Chaud turned back to the sighed. One of the devices that the New Order used was sitting half way through the floor. It hummed ominously as a signal it was working.

“Come over here,” Chaud signaled to her, “Help me move this.”

Amber looked at him, “Where are we moving it?”

“Outside,” Chaud walked closer to the device.

“Why?” Amber shuffled nervously.

“We need a scarecrow,” he smiled to reassure her, “No one will come a mile of this place when they see this sitting right outside.”

Amber nodded and walked up to help her brother.

The Hunters: Chapter Five

The Hunters

~05~

Dark Huntress

Big Bertha

Sanya sighed as she shut off the hot water. It was her first decent bath in weeks. She stepped out of the shower and got dressed. Upon opening the bathroom door she nearly bumped into Yin, Undertaker’s faithful shadow. She apologized and they both went their way. Sanya got to her room. It always amazed her how much room Undertaker had. There was a designated room for each of the team and a few extra rooms for those extra visitors.

Out of curiosity, Sanya knocked on Ren’s door. She wasn’t expecting an answer but she got one.

“Come in,” Ren said

Sanya opened the door and saw Ren sitting on his bed reading.

“Are you all rested up?” Sanya asked.

“Nope,” Ren smiled.

Sanya shrugged, “Yeah, me neither. We got in past midnight last night. Then the adrenaline rush didn’t wear off until later.”

“Same here,” Ren nodded.

Ren turned and looked out his window. Shortly after, the sound of a motor bike could be heard in the distance.

“Ai and Dante!” Sanya dashed down the hallway.

“What are you so excited about?” Ren called after her.

“I get to braid Ai’s hair!” Sanya called back.

Ren rolled his eyes. Sanya ran down the steps and into the small store. Akaban sat at the casher’s desk, his feet propped up on the desk and his red had over his eyes. The chair was tipped back but was balanced perfectly. Sanya barely noticed him as she dashed out the door. She stood outside and waited in anticipation for the straight faced little girl.

“Waiting for someone?” a voice startled her.

Sanya turned and noticed Undertaker sitting on a bench, “Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you sitting there.”

Undertaker blew a trail of smoke out of his mouth. He temporarily removed the long wooden pipe from his mouth. Though the brim of his hat was low over his eyes his green eyes looked at her with kindness. He spoke in a voice somewhere between his ‘old’ and ‘young’ voices. He didn’t feel the need to hide his true voice with people he knew well.

“I could only assume that you’re waiting for Ai,” Undertaker smiled.

Sanya nodded, “Yeah.”

Sanya’s words seemed caught in her throat. No matter how many times she met him, Undertaker seemed to counter her expectations. He was a legend in the Hunter community. There were stories upon stories about his power and victories. He was by far the most powerful blood vampire alive on earth. Undertaker was an Elite by birth but something happened early in his life and vampire blood entered his veins and changed his eye color. He was 100% Elite and yet he was 100% vampire and most importantly he acted very human.

Of course when Sanya got the news that she was to be transferred to Undertaker’s team, she nearly fainted. Actually she did, several times. It took her nearly five weeks to figure out what to wear when she met him. When she did finally meet him, it wasn’t at all what she expected. She walked through the shop doors in time to hear him swear at the golden pocket watch he carried. He didn’t swear just once, but an entire sentence worth. When he finally noticed she was there he threw the watch on the desk and lit his pipe at the very verbal disapproval of Yin.

And now, here he was, the greater than greats sitting on an old dusty bench smoking so casually as if he wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. And he was talking to her.

“I think it’s good that you give Ai so much attention. She needs a sister to braid her hair. She has a brother for practically everything else,” he looked down the street, “Ah, here they come.”

Dante drove up and turned off the bike. Ai jumped off and was immediately swooped up by Sanya who carried her inside. Dante rolled his eyes and started rolling his bike into the side alley. Undertaker looked up as Dante passed by again.

“I hope the trip was uneventful,” Undertaker stated.

Dante smiled, “Nothing Ai and I couldn’t handle. You got anything to eat?”

Undertaker pointed toward the shop entrance behind him, “Check the pantry.”

“Thanks,” Dante walked inside.

He glanced over at Akaban as he walked passed. Dante bumped into Yin as she was on her way outside.

“What’s up with him?” Dante asked.

“He never really said,” Yin said, “I think he’s mentally preparing himself for his new partner through some kind of meditation. Either that or he’s just sleeping.”

“Man, he’s really down about this isn’t he?” Dante observed.

Yin shrugged, “He thinks partners, especially new partners, are a waste of time.”

“Ai’s saved my sorry butt more times than I care to admit,” Dante turned to the kitchen, “I’m hungry. Where’s the food?”

Yin watched as Dante walked into the kitchen. She dreaded to see what was left, or rather what wasn’t left, after the Dante hurricane blew through their food stores. Yin looked at Akaban and shook her head. She walked up to him and moved a delicate looking vase away from close proximity to his feet. After that she walked outside and looked over at Undertaker.

Undertaker looked at her from under his hat. He blew his pipe again just before Yin grabbed the pipe from his grasp.

“What did I tell you about smoking?” Yin asked.

“I distinctly remember that you said that it was essential to my health,” Undertaker smiled jokingly.

“Do you have a death wish?” Yin sighed, “You have no motivation for self-health.”

“I lived tens of thousands of years before you started nannying me and I’ll live ten thousand more,” Undertaker laughed.

Yin placed her hands on her hips, “Thanks to me we might be able to stretch that number a little.”

Undertaker lifted the rim of his had out of his eyes, “I’d love to continue this conversation but our new team member is coming down the road.”

Yin looked up and nodded, “That looks like her.”

“Do you think she buys all of those stories about me?” Undertaker’s smile widened.

“How am I supposed to know?” Yin shrugged.

Undertaker reached into his coat for his gold watch, “It’s strange how these trinkets cease to work when you need them to.”

“You can be a horrible man, master,” Yin shook her head and walked inside.

Undertaker shrugged and smiled, “Hasn’t been the first time one has called me that.”

----

“Everyone gather around!” Undertaker called, “Our newest member is here!”

Akaban looked out from under his hat. His gaze wasn’t at all pleasant. Ai sat on a nearby chair with her hair in an array of braids. She sat patiently as Sanya braided her hair. Ren sat on one of the tables reading his book. Dante ate in the kitchen doorway while Yin walked around cleaning the book shelves full of trinkets and books.

“Now, now, let’s not have everyone get excited at once,” Undertaker muttered, “I’d like you to meet Zathura.”

The shop door opened and a girl walked in. She wore a black corset that at certain angles shimmered dark blue. Over her shoulders was a short length black cropped jacket. A black lase necklace was wrapped around her neck. Three blue stones were strung in the necklace. Blue eye shadow decorated her eyes while black lipstick stained her hips. Her hair was black and tied into two ponytails at the sides of her head. They spiked outward instead of down. She wore black leather fingerless gloves. Around her waist was a thick belt with silver studs. It sat over her black layered skirt. The skirt’s length was about just above her knee. She wore black mid-thigh belted boots.

Zathura’s two handed battle axe hung over her shoulder, the heavier side was pointed toward the ground. One side had a blunt side and a bladed side. On her left side was a one handed crossbow. A pouch of bolts hung from the right side of her belt. She chewed a piece of black gum and blew a black bubble.

“Sup,” Zathura nodded.

“The one in red is your partner, Akaban,” Undertaker pointed, “Don’t mid him, he’s just in a bad mood. Then there are is Dante and Ai, the two with white hair. The one with the sweeping hair over his eye is Ren. His partner is Sanya. She’s braiding Ai’s hair. And Yin is over there dusting or something.”

“Like she’s going to remember all of that,” Dante muttered.

“Dante, Ren, Akaban, Ai, Sanya, Yin, and Undertaker, right?” Zathura looked around the room.

“You here that, Akaban, she’s a quick one,” Undertaker smiled.

“Hmm,” Akaban barely moved.

Zathura grabbed a crossbow bold and fitted it in the crossbow. She raised her left arm and aimed the bolt at Akaban. The vampire moved his head slightly and the bolt struck the wall behind him.

Zathura leaned on one leg, “Do I have your attention now? Look, I’ve done my dues, alright. All the boys laughing at the little school girl wanting to be a Hunter. They shut up real fast when the little school girl crushed a demons skull with a fifty pound Bertha here when I was a year into training. I know what I can do and I’m not going to stand here and work my way up the ranks when I can tear your balcony down.”

“That thing is fifty pounds?” Dante whispered to Ren.

“It’s been four years,” Ren shrugged, “If she could swing fifty pounds her first year, it could be heavier now.”

Akaban reached into his coat and pulled out a long black gun. He barely flinched as he fired the gun. Zathura dove to one side as she reached for another bold and loaded her crossbow. She rolled on the ground behind one of the lower book shelf. Another bullet flied overhead and when it passed, she stood and fired another bolt.

When the bolt was spent, Zathura jumped onto the book shelf. She gripped the handle of her battle axe with both hands as she leaped off the shelf. Akaban fired another bullet and it grazed Zathura’s boot. Zathura threw her arms forward as she brought down the axe on Akaban’s location. Akaban didn’t move an inch from his seat as he watched the mighty axe descent.

There was a loud clash of metal on metal. Zathura landed on her feet. She looked at what had stopped her attack. The snath of Undertaker’s Silver Fang stopped Zathura’s weapon from landing its blow. The scythe was across his shoulders, his arm draped over the narrow snath. Undertaker’s hat was gone and his green eyes were clearly visible.

“I do like this desk,” he smiled, “I would appreciate it in one piece.”

Akaban lowered his feet from the desk and stood up, “I suppose she will do.”

“Did you have to shoot at my walls to figure that out?” Undertaker sighed.