I was outside late in the night training my Guardian powers when I sensed Michelle.
"What's on your mind, Kitty Cat?" I asked and she jumped down from her tree.
"How long are we going to stay here and train lightly?"
"Another day or two, then we have to take an airship to go to a friend of mine where all of our gear and outfits will be upgraded. That's where you will get even more training from a friend of mine,"
"Why just me?"
"It's not just you it's for all four of you, but this friend is just like you, she specializes in the hand to hand approach. She's one of the best," I said and she nodded.
"Alright. Can I upgrade my weights?"
"You used to the ones you have on now?"
"Ya. I even trained some without them. I can see the difference already," she said and I nodded.
"Alright. First thing in the morning," I said and she nodded.
"Training yourself?"
"Ya. I wasn't just a team leader, for my team. I have three others that depend on me to help lead them. I can't be weak as it'll end badly. She doesn't count as she stole it," I said and Michelle nodded.
"That makes sense. When your eyes glow, does it hurt?"
"No, it's oddly a sense of comfort," I said.
"Does it burn others?"
"The eyes? No,"
"Have you ever thought about projecting your healing out?"
"I have and over the years, I've tried but it doesn't work. I tried that day," I said and Michelle nodded.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could have gotten to know them. From the banter I saw and the stories I hear. It would have been really fun. Two Team SWORD's, we'd be a force to reckon with," She said and I cracked a smile.
"I'll say. It's why training is going to be hell once you lot are upgraded because I'm going to throw your asses through the wringer,"
"Bring it on," Michelle said and I laughed some before I looked at her.
"What will you do if you see him again?" I asked as I crossed my arms.
"Honestly? I want him dead. He's hurt to many people and I almost lost not only my arm but life if Malia hadn't stepped in and sent him flying with one of her spells. I only got away because of her," She said as she hugged herself.
"Remember your not alone,"
"Tell yourself that as well. We know the truth and that day. We haven't experienced that ourselves but seeing it does leave a mark,"
"I know," I said and she nodded before she was silent for a moment.
"It's Aurora, isn't it? She's the reincarnation of Vivian's oldest child, Dawn? It's why your training and why you're going to make training hell for us?" She asked.
"I'm almost positive is it, yes, and that terrifies me. It's part of why I'm going to make training hell. I've got some research to do on something before I can be sure," I said and Michelle nodded.
"Can I ask you something, that's really personal?"
"Yes,"
"Have you ever wanted to find your parents, to ask them why they abandoned you?"
"Yes,"
"Then, why haven't you? You obviously have the skills to do so and the resources," she said and I tilted my eyes up.
"Because it's hard to find people when you don't even know if they are alive. Fading memories can only do so much. Why aren't you with your parents?"
"Died in a Nighthand riot that turned south. I'm sorry,"
"You asked, I answered. Hurts but what else is new. Besides, Pepper and Tony? They raised as their own. They're my parents. That's all that matters to me,"
"That makes sense. Why are we here with you instead of being at another school,"
"Ah, I was wondering if it was going to be you or Malia that was going to ask me that. The answer is simple. My team, despite what happened to them, wasn't retired," I said and she was silent until I all but heard it click in her head.
"Meaning as members of Team SWORD, we fall under your command. You only listened to Valk, meaning you have full control over your life now,"
"Exactly, when I became a full Hunter, my team and I both put in that we'd work only with each other, by ourselves and with jobs that we agreed to, not forced upon us," I said and she hummed in response.
"I have full control of my life, yes and I'm in charge of you four but I'm not going to be a dictator. I'm here to help you. I'm your guardian of sorts but I'm also going to let you four do your own thing until you all can't and need my help. Each of you knows your own limits of what you know and what you can do yourselves before you go and help each other until you need my help. I'm honestly proud of that. I'm going to train the fuck out of you four, yes, but I'm still going to let you four be who you are as a team but also make sure what happened to my team doesn't happen to you four. I'm a badass not heartless," I said and she relaxed some.
"Besides, I'm the one who can issue your Huntress licenses now,"
"What?"
"You four are good, but not quite there yet,"
"What do you mean you can give us our licenses?"
"You answer to me, I used to answer to Valk for missions on Ulric. I have full control of my life. The school might be fallen but,"
"Field promotions from Silver Valley commissioned by you with Valk's approval as you control us. Well, sorta. That's brilliant!"
"Well when you are the only team to know the truth, you kinda have to think outside the box," I said with a shrug.
"True. Out of all of your missions that didn't have to deal with Ghouls or finding information on Ulric, what is the one that stays with you the most?"
"Oh, no," I said and she laughed some.
"Oh, it's a good one,"
"Let's go inside. Tea, coffee, fish, catnip?"
"Tea and bite me," she said and I nodded with a snicker before we walked into the house where I fixed some tea for her and a small cup of coffee for myself.
"I was investigating an illegal brothel that was tied to a lot of missing kids and Hybrids," I said.
"Why are you two up at this hour?" Malia asked as she rubbed her eye.
"I was training before we got to talking. You?"
"Can't sleep and it's not just about the bombshell news. I think my father and sister are about to do something drastic. I don't understand why, just a feeling," Malia said and I nodded.
"We'll find out soon enough. Tea? Coffee? Ice?" I asked.
"Haha, and tea," She said and I snickered but fixed her a cup before I fixed two more as Indigo and Aurora came down.
"Can't sleep?" I asked.
"Haven't been to sleep yet. Been reading over Lillian's book," Indigo said as she took a cup from me.
"Thank you,"
"Hm,"
"I thought I heard Casey talking to me," Aurora said and I looked at her with a blank face.
"Like as a memory or something you've never heard her say before?"
"Something she's never said to me before,"
"What exactly happened when you got to the tower?" I asked as I leaned forward some.
"Malia used her spells to help me run up the side. I landed at the top to see Elizabeth shoving one of her swords straight into Casey's chest. Next thing I knew, Casey is just turning into ash, kinda like how Vivian when the God killed her again after he realized Ulric went to his sister first. I remember screaming her name before pain erupted from my eyes and then nothing until I woke up at home," Aurora said and I nodded.
"You don't seem so surprised. Why?" She asked.
"As soon as you did what you did, I landed to see you falling to the ground with the ghoul that was there turning to stone. I attacked the ghoul so it would die. The bigger the ghoul,"
"The more ghouls that come. It's why that giant Ghoul was there and after you killed it, the ghouls were easier to kill. Am I right?" Michelle asked.
"That's correct, kitty cat," I said and she made a face but her ears twitched some.
"Oh. What's this?" I asked with a smirk.
"Oi. Why aren't surprised about what I said?" Aurora asked and I turned my attention to her.
"I already had my suspicions. I don't have enough information at the moment to give you a clear answer but from what I saw before I got there and what you just told me. I was right to start my search. Give me a few more days to a month tops before I give you a solid answer,"
"Promise?"
"I promise and have I ever let you down?"
"No,"
"Now you remember that. What did Casey tell you?" I asked.
"To not trust anything that comes out of Commander Williams mouth,"
"Odd," I said and she nodded.
"At this rate, I wouldn't trust my own father either but let's take this one step at a time," Malia said and the four of them nodded.
"What were guys talking about before now anyway?" Aurora asked.
"I asked about one of his more interesting missions and he was just starting," Michelle said and Aurora got stars in her eyes making me snicker some.
"Alright. I was investigating an illegal brothel that was tied to a lot of missing kids and Hybrids. Some of those that went missing were found broken or dead. With. Unpleasant results when taken to the hospital or morgue," I said and they all shifted nervously while Michelle's ears went flat against her head.
"When. When you say broken. What do you mean by that?" Indigo asked.
"I mean they were no longer fully alive. Couldn't think for themselves, couldn't eat, couldn't shower. In extreme cases you couldn't say certain words without them freaking out. They couldn't do anything without someone helping them and even then, they hated whenever someone touched them. Most of them would lash out in fear or worse. Most of them didn't rehabilitate back into society, so they. They took their lives," I said.
"That's. That's horrifying," Malia said.
"It happens a lot more than you think. Your home country is one of the worst," I said and she clenched her jaw some.
"I got a job at the brothel as a bartender,"
"You can mix drinks?" Michelle asked.
"I can mix them and drink them. Do to my healing factor I can't stay drunk so, no hangovers but I can outdrink everyone. Anyway. I got the job as a bartender and as a bartender with excellent senses thanks to Valk, you'd be amazed at what one would hear. Also a side note, there are a lot of types of drunks. Anyway, the best type of drunk in that brothel were the loose-lip ones as they will spill not only their life stories but everything going on in that brothel,"
"How loose lip are you talking?" Indigo asked.
"I'm talking they would have given me their bank information if I asked. Anyway, getting their information and getting them out and arrested was simple until I was able to get the leader's information and where they were taking the girls and Hybrids. I worked with the police and had them watch where they were kept until I arrived as a precaution, while I went after the leader. The Leader, who called himself Vlad. He wasn't pleased I managed to track him down so it ended in a fight, as always. He tried to kill himself when he realized he couldn't win, but I stopped him which caused him to twist the knife around and he stabbed me," I said.
"Your healing kicked in, though, right?" Malia asked.
"Not until after Vlad was arrested, the girls and Hybrids were all led out safely and I ended up in the hospital. Turns out. The knife was poisoned. My healing fought it until it could no longer counter the poison. I spent a week in the hospital and it ended up scarring," I said as I lifted my shirt some to show the scar on my chest making them all gasp.
"I'd never been poison so my healing ability didn't know what to do, so after that. I trained myself in some poisons, to have a sort of immunity. Hurt like a motherfucker but in the end worth it. Most of the girls and Hybrids at the end of my investigation hadn't been hurt physically but I wasn't quick enough for some.
"How long did that mission take you?"
"About a month. The police wanted it done sooner but I made them realize, that if it was only two weeks and I made what I was doing well known, I would have been caught and no one would be safe,"
"That makes sense. I'm glad that most of them are okay though," Michelle said and I nodded in response before they asked me a few more stories until they slowly went off back to bed until it was just Michelle and I.
"Some other story you want to hear?" I asked and she put her cup down.
"Not at the moment. I want to ask something else,"
"I'll see what I can give you," I said.
"Would it be better to just rebrand the whole Nighthands or just throw everything out and start a new group?" She asked and I leaned back in shock some before I nodded.
"I say you start with the rebranding and then if that doesn't work, throw out everything and start over," I said and she nodded before she stood up.
"Thanks, Bird-Brain,"
"Anytime, Kitty Cat," I said and she walked around me where she set her cup in the sink.
"You should call me, MJ like the others," She said and I was shocked for a moment before I nodded.
"I'm still keeping the other nickname and any others I come up with," I said and she snorted.
"I kinda figured you'd say that. Furball," MJ said and I smirked at her only for her to kiss my cheek and walk away leaving me sitting there in shock. After a few minutes of shock, I shook my head with a soft smile and went to go to bed myself.
A few days later, I stood in front of my neighbors.
"Are you leaving again?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am. I don't know how long we will be gone but keep an eye on it just like last time, please,"
"Of course. I will pray for all of your safety,"
"Thank you. Please do not overstress yourself, Ms. Sakura,"
"I will do my best not to," she said and I nodded before I thanked her once more before leaving to see the girls outside going over the last of their checking lists.
"You guys have everything?"
"Yes, we do. Do you have everything?" MJ asked
"Yep,"
"By the way. Did you ever name your weapon? Weird question but I've never heard you say the name of your weapon," Malia said and I laughed some.
"I did. Epilogue," I said and that made them all look at me weirdly.
"Why?" Aurora asked.
"End of the story for thousands of Ghouls," I said before I stuck my hands behind my head.
"Now, let's go. We have a few miles to walk before I get us an airship to my friends,"
"Where are these friends located anyway?" Indigo asked.
"What are they like? Do they know the full truth?" Aurora asked.
"Are they racist?" MJ asked.
"Despite having an AI, KAREN and your AI, NOVA, they can only do so much on helping us stay informed, so a spy network of sorts was created. They are located everywhere but the main building is hidden a few hours from here. It's hidden in plain view without people knowing. You'll see what I mean when we get there. Do they know? Only two people there and those two people are going to be the two you are talking to the most. Are they racist? They shouldn't be as most of them are Hybrids. What are they like? Most of them are friendly. Some will be cold because they've lost a lot," I said and they all nodded before we hit the road.
"Wait you can fly this?" Indigo asked when I walked up to an airship.
"Yep,"
"How?"
"I learned. Illegal at first but I learned. Relax my pilot's license is legal. Plus to, I outrank the police and Military personal, and I don't work for them, I work for Valk. Well, Vivian if you think about it but her next in line hasn't found us yet,"
"How will we know if they are truly Vivian's next in line?" Indigo asked.
"They'll say something that only I would know. Plus, when you all spoke to Valk. You ever fell the aura around her?"
"Like she knew a lot more. Like she lived for hundreds of years, so she was wise beyond her years?" MJ asked and I nodded.
"That's the feeling you'll be having again soon. Now get on and make yourselves as comfy as possible," I said and they all nodded.
After about an hour of flying in mostly silence. The girls were talking amongst themselves and asking me a question here and there when the Ghoul-Radar went off. I tapped it with a soft curse.
"There shouldn't be any flying-type Ghoul here. Alright, you four. Good news and bad news,"
"What's the bad news?" Aurora asked.
"Flying-type ghouls are heading our way,"
"There shouldn't be any in this area," MJ said.
"Do you think he knows we know?" Indigo asked.
"Probably,"
"What's the good news?" Aurora asked.
"Malia gets more summons," I said.
"It would be good to have a flying-type ghoul," Indigo said and I looked at the radar.
"Get ready!" I yelled and I heard the side hatch open before the Ghouls were upon us and they started fighting with me carefully piloting before I saw the largest one breathing fucking lightning.
"SON OF A FUCKING BITCH! WHEN THE FUCK CAN THESE FUCKERS BREATH FUCKING LIGHTNING?! THIS IS FUCKING BULLSHIT!"
"We need to have a serious talk about your language!" I heard Malia yell at me making me roll my eyes as I kept flying the airship until I let out a loud curse as one of the wings took a hit so we started to lose altitude.
"They're all dead!" Aurora yelled and I threw down my headset and ran to the side.
"Good. One of the wings is gone. Landing strategy!" I yelled before we all jumped out with our stuff. Once we landed on the ground I let out an annoyed growl as the airship exploded.
"Everyone okay?"
"Ya,"
"Everyone have their bags?"
"Yes,"
"Ammo?"
"We're good for a while," MJ said.
"Good because we have a long way to walk now. More so, since this is area is notorious for bandits. Stay vigilant but do use this opportunity to train your powers and senses.
"Got it, Furball,"
"I think dad would have made a jab at you for your language," Aurora said with a snicker making me let out a puff of air in amusement.
"Probably,"
"I'm sure he has very colorful ones in there as well," MJ said.
"That I do, Kitty cat, that I do,"
"I'd imagine your mother wouldn't be to happy," Indigo said as we started walking.
"Eh, she'd probably scold me but nothing major. She'd be more glad that we are all alright," I said.
"What was she like?" Malia asked.
"She was strong, smart, beautiful and loving," I said.
"She was a super mom. Baker cookies, slayer of monsters and raising us while making sure dad didn't blow himself up in the garage," Aurora said and I chuckled some before I let out a slow breath.
"She and dad were also the ones who created where we are going," I said.
"What?!" Aurora got out in a high pitched voice that made me and MJ wince.
"S-sorry," She said and I waved it off.
"They knew they had a leader but not all of the truth. Dad and mom created this as a way to get information on all the kingdoms, the small villages that don't live within the protection of the kingdoms, Ghoul movements, and even the drama going on with Nighthands. That information that is gathered is then carefully filtered out. Anything crime-related is anonymously tipped to the police. Ghoul movements are sent out to Hunters and Huntress's alike. Teaching and training tips are given to schools. I don't know much about the information for Nighthands, but most of the information was given to Valk,"
"That's incredible," Malia said.
"Mom and dad made that? Why didn't they tell me?"
"They wanted you to remain a kid for as long as possible. I did to but now that you know the truth there is no need to hide the information," I said and she nodded.
"Anything else I. No, we should know?"
"You four will be staying there until mom's old teammate, the one that will be training you and runs this place says otherwise. I have some things I need to do. Information about what you did that day," I said as I pointed to Aurora making her nod.
"I'm going to do some digging on your family as well. Find out why the color of your spells have changed and see what they are up to now," I said as I pointed to Malia making her nod.
"Find some more tips for you," I said as I pointed to Indigo and she nodded.
"And I'll keep my ears out on Eric for you. Find out what is taking Vivian's replacement so long and I haven't done my job since a little bit before the tournament," I said and they all nodded once more before the four of them talk but I knew they were all paying attention until we stopped about half a mile away from what appeared to be a bandit village that was built along the main road.
"Should we knock?" Aurora asked but MJ and I both shook our heads as her ears twitched just before a group of bandits surrounded us.
"Hand over your weapons, ammo, and anything of value. You don't we'll kill you," One said and I rolled my eyes.
"Adorable that you think this pathetic group will be able to kill the five of us," I said before the four girls kicked their asses, all without using their weapons or any ammo.
"You four have definitely gotten better," I said before the air changed some and I avoided a needle-like sword just in time making the girls look at me in shock as it barely just missed my head.
"You are all pathetic! You were beaten by a bunch of children! You should be ashamed of yourselves!" My attacker said and I narrowed my eyes at her as I didn't like the feeling of familiarity I got from her.
"Forgive us, Mary," one of the bandits said and I frowned deeply at the name.
"Have I met you before?" I asked and she turned to look at me. I carefully watched her to see her body language didn't change but her eyes did widen some.