Boratz

Hope you all enjoy

Chapter 56: Witness Protection With aching muscles and throbbing bruises, Juno Skinner stumbled back to look over the body of the curly-haired assassin. Even though she was slightly dizzy, she could see the marks that were left from her hands on the woman's throat. While this woman knocked around Juno with relative ease, the antiques dealer gained the upper hand when she put her hands across the throat of the assassin. The greedy art dealer squeezed as tight as she could and waited until light in the woman's eyes died out. While looking over the lifeless body of Lori Quaid, Juno staggered around until she fell forward against a counter. Looking over her reflection, she saw the bruises and cuts on her face. "What a bitch?" She muttered to herself while reaching over for a towel. Wiping away a line of blood from under her nose, the greedy businesswoman stood for a moment to catch her breath. Her dark brown eyes scanned the warehouse and looked over the pieces of art that were destroyed in the scuffle. After regaining some of her composure, Juno headed to the closest bathroom. She turned on the sink and rested her hands underneath the cold water that ran out of the faucet. Juno splashed some water across her face. Her hands trembled under the water from the adrenaline that was still coursing through her veins. She looked back up in the mirror to see the bruises a bit closer on her face. After taking a moment to breath, the businesswoman reached over for her purse. She dug through the small bag and retrieved her expensive make-up. Once she finished applying the make-up, Juno stood up straight and took a deep breath. She walked outside of the bathroom and looked over the remains of what had recently transpired in her warehouse. Juno pulled out a phone and called one of her contacts to start cleaning up the mess in the warehouse. It was not long until one of her assistants sauntered into the warehouse. Her assistant looked over the damaged pieces of art and the shattered sculptures. Shaking her head, she assumed that teenagers or vandals broke into the warehouse. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked over the bodies of the dead workers that were scattered throughout. She then gasped as she looked over the strangled remains of the curly-haired assassin. As she started breathing heavily, she stumbled back and saw her employer stepping out from around a corner. "I need a lawyer!" Juno hissed while approaching her assistant. New York District Courthouse "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, a horrendous crime was committed. A grizzly murder was committed. You have heard the evidence, or the lack thereof that the prosecution had failed to present. They have tried and failed to prove that my client was responsible for the murder of the victim. They have tried to present evidence of my client's vigilante escapades as a reason behind the horrific murder of this innocent victim. Once again, none of evidence that has been submitted has pointed to my client, Luke Cage as being the one responsible for this heartless act. Whatever Mr. Cage has done in his past, or what he does in his free time should not have any bearing or carrying any weight toward this crime. Ladies and gentlemen, you must remember that Mr. Cage is not on trial for being a vigilante or a superhero. He is not on trial for what he does in his free time, or how he decides to serve this city. He is on trial for murder to which the prosecution has failed prove that beyond a reasonable doubt he is responsible for. You have heard the evidence and the testimonies. You have heard my arguments and the testimonies of the eyewitnesses. You have seen the lack of evidence that fails to prove that my client is guilty. As I said, a horrendous crime has been committed. A grizzly murder has been committed. There is no doubt of that, but the truth behind who committed this act is still out there. The true culprit is walking free to this day and is not sitting in trial for this crime. I am urging that the police find the one who is responsible and bring that person to justice. So, in closing; ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I urge to do what you believe is right in determining that my client is not guilty." After Matt gave his closing arguments to the jury, he walked back over and stood alongside his law partner, Foggy Nelson, and his client, Luke Cage. The judge proceeding over the trial gave his direction to the jury and they were dismissed for deliberations. Luke complimented the two attorneys from Hell's Kitchen over their efforts in the trial. Even though, he felt that they presented a strong case for his defense, he still had doubts that the jury would see the truth. With his personal experiences in the court of law and with his past, the Power Man was preparing for the worst. Despite Danny Rand's persistence that the truth would prevail, and the true culprit would be brought to justice, Luke would not so certain. Luke sauntered off to himself and leaned forward against a wall. He lowered his head and closed his eyes to drift off in meditation. It was something that Danny always encouraged, but something that he did not care to do until now. While Foggy scrolled on his phone and waited patiently alongside his law partner, Matt was trying his best not to listen in on the jury's deliberations. It was something that he tried not to do out of professional courtesy, but there were times that he could not help himself. It was not long until they heard from the bailiff that the jury had reached a verdict. Matt and Foggy followed Luke as they headed back into that crowded courtroom. From the heartbeats of all that were inside that courtroom, Matt could hear that everyone was anticipating the jury's decision. Matt, himself, was curious as to the decision as the deliberations seemed quicker than usual. Foggy muttered under his breath that this must have been a record at how fast they came to a decision. From the sound of his heartbeat, Matt could tell that Luke was more anxious than ever. The Man without Fear tried his best to comfort his client as they watched the jury being led to their seats. As the jury foreman read out the verdict, a sigh of relief escaped from Luke's lips. "Sweet Christmas." He said softly while a smile formed across his cheeks. After hearing not guilty on all charges, the Power Man could not help but have tears in his eyes. As the Power Man, Luke had faced some deadly opponents and fought some of the worst enemies that Harlem had to offer. Even though, he faced the worst kinds of criminals, he was afraid of that twelve-person jury. He wrapped his long muscular arms around both Nelson and Murdock in one of the tightest bear hugs that either one had ever felt. The crowd in the courtroom cheered while the prosecution walked over to shake the hands of the two lawyers from Hell's Kitchen. While Luke stood alongside Danny Rand and other Heroes for Hire, Matt left with Foggy to head back to the office. They did not want to take away from Luke's victory or his celebration. Besides, Matt knew all too well that Foggy would want to stick around and talk with all his favorite heroes which was something Matt did not care to be around for. Nelson & Murdock LLC After returning to the office, the two lawyers were met with a nice praise from Karen. They sat around their small, beat-up conference table and talked about the trial. Foggy made a remark that even though they were the attorneys for all the different superheroes that roamed the city, they were still not being paid the big bucks. Matt gave off a smile before pulling out a stack of papers. It was not long until Karen walked back to her desk and answered an incoming call. “We should definitely go to the bar tonight!” Foggy exclaimed while leaning back in his chair. “Do you think Luke knows Spider-Man or any of those X-Men? I’d consider buying all of them a round.” He said with a boyish grin. “Really?” Matt said with a smirk. “You, one of the absolute cheapest people that I have ever met would buy a round for the X-Men.” “On second thought, maybe I would just sit back and drink a martini.” Matt stopped as the sound of someone entering the office building caught his attention. It was a couple of women. From his office, one of the women was wearing a high-priced perfume. The thing that really caught Matt’s attention was that the perfume seemed to mask the smell of blood. It was not long until they walked down the long hallway and into the reception area of the Nelson & Murdock Law Firm. Karen tried to give her standard greeting, but she was immediately cut off by the woman with the high-priced perfume. She demanded that she speak with one of the attorneys as soon as possible. Shortly after, Karen sent a message back to both Matt and Foggy. Foggy’s boyish grin faded once he realizes that work never seemed to cease. Matt’s best friend and law partner leaned forward to look down at the stack of papers that were covering his desk. He rubbed his eyes before looking over at his best friend since law school. “You know, how is it that we are as busy as we are but still do not have enough money to hire some good old fashion paralegals?” Matt chuckled before responded, “We do not do it for the money.” “We never do.” Foggy said before he looked down at the phone line. “Karen, you can send them back.” After Karen led the women back to Foggy and Matt’s office, Matt could hear Foggy’s heart beating faster. Even though he concealed it for the most part, Foggy’s muscle started to shake, and he started to perspire in different areas of his body. Matt could tell that his friend was infatuated with the woman with the high-priced perfume. After stepping foot into their office, Matt’s attention fell upon this woman. The strong smell of high-priced perfume and the expensive make-up hid a recent injury. He could hear the muscles in her hands trembling from the altercation that she had previously been involved in. Foggy cleared his throat before speaking to the women. “Thank you for coming to our office toda… “I don’t need some welcome package.” The woman interrupted before taking a seat. “I need some really good lawyers.” “What services are you looking for in a lawyer?” Matt asked. “There are powerful individuals that I am needing protection from with full immunity from the law.” The woman replied. “Usually those come with something in return. You would have to be able to provide evidence or testimony to get that level of protection or possible immunity.” Matt replied. “What is your name?” “My name is Juno Skinner.” “What kind of situation have you found yourself in, Ms. Skinner?” “I am a dealer of ancient art and antiquities.” Juno responded while Matt listened in on her heartbeat. While she was talking about her business, Matt could tell that it was lines that she had recited on more than one occasion. She had become confident in what she told to different individuals and even government officials. Despite her introducing herself and discussing her business, Matt knew that she was lying. He knew that she was holding back vital information. He continued to listen to what she was saying. “Recently, I provided my services to an employer and now they have found it necessary to try and have me killed.” “I think that would be better handled by police.” Foggy muttered. “Listen, my operations may be considered questionable and confidential.” Juno replied with a slight smile. “Ms. Skinner, we do not care to align ourselves with questionable individuals.” Matt interjected. “I am willing to pay a lot of money.” Juno replied. “Why would you hire any other attorney?” Foggy asked with a puzzled expression. “There are tons of attorneys out there that would be more than willing to take you on as a client.” Before she could answer, Matt could hear her heart skip a couple beats. He realized that she was afraid. She had come to them out of desperation. “You’re afraid.” Matt said unemotionally. “You have nowhere else to go and no one else that you trust.” Juno sighed and swallowed her pride. “Yes.” She said begrudgingly. “Who exactly wants to have you killed, Ms. Skinner? Who do you need protection from and what do you need immunity for?” Matt asked sharply. “You can leave.” Juno said to her assistant. The antiques dealer watched as her assistant walked out of the office and down the hallway. She then turned her attention back to the two lawyers from Hell’s Kitchen. “Lex Luthor…” Juno said reluctantly. “I transported items off world for his corporation, and now…” She said reluctantly before shaking her head. “Now, I believe he is trying to cover it up. Cut any potential loose ends.” Matt turned his attention to Foggy and nodded. He then turned his attention back to the greedy businesswoman. “Ms. Skinner, we will take your case. Now, we need you to go into detail regarding what exactly took place.” On a Yacht off the coast of New York, "Your work with Cobra and many other organizations from around the globe have proven to be quite extensive. Even with your name remaining a mystery to the most powerful spy networks and intelligence agencies in the world, you have certainly gained a rather intriguing resume. A resume that my employer has developed an interest in. While he regrets our involvement in your former employer's collapse, he has wanted me to reach out to you for a potential job opportunity. What do you say, Mr. Zartan?" A woman said as she stared at a hooded figure standing in the corner of the room. "Please, Ms. Graves, it is simply Zartan." The hooded figure replied with a thick accent as he stepped closer to Mercy Graves. The figure pulled back his hood and looked over the cold woman. "What is that you want me to do?" "My employer has a thorn in his side. Recently, we hired someone to take care of this thorn but that ended in failure. Now, this thorn has proven that it could be more of an issue than he originally had envisioned. For this pesky thorn not turn into an infection, we need the thorn taken care of. We need any potential risks taken care of as well. We also do not need any potential harm or liability coming to my employer." Mercy replied. "What is the name of this pesky thorn?" The Master of Disguise asked while rubbing his chin. "Juno Skinner." Mercy replied coldly. "We have learned that she may have acquired the legal services of Nelson & Murdock based out of Hell's Kitchen, New York. It would be most satisfactory if they go out of business sooner rather than later." "I will see to it that it gets done." Zartan replied with a devious grin. New York, The Master of Disguise devised a plan after watching over his targets. His main target, Juno Skinner was locked away in a penthouse in one of the city's high rises. From what he gathered; she would not pose a challenge. The main challenge was the infiltration and carrying out the plan that he had worked hard for. In studying and learning about this law firm; he circled around one of the members particularly, Foggy Nelson. Both Matt Murdock and the secretary, Karen Page did not have emotional ties within the city when it came to a loved one. Foggy, on the other hand was married. The former Cobra stalked his prey and studied Foggy's every move. He even went as far as studying Foggy's own wife and her daily routine. The former Cobra waited patiently for his time to strike. He knew that it would not be much longer until he would be able to infiltrate his target's penthouse. Zartan knew it would not be much longer until his devious plan went into action. Inside Foggy's Apartment, Feeling his phone buzzing in his apartment, Foggy stumbled around while trying to get himself ready. He placed a folder in his mouth before reaching down in his pocket. After pulling out his phone, he rearranged the folders back into his hand. "Hey, Karen." Foggy answered while continuing to get all that he needed before leaving the apartment. "I'm just calling you to remind you that there is the meeting with the judge. Then you also have that meeting with Ms. Skinner about her case later tonight." "Yeah! Yeah! I remember. I'm about to head that way." Foggy said while scooping up his apartment's keys. "Hey, I was just reminding you." "Tell me again, why is Matt not meeting with Ms. Skinner?" Foggy asked as he reaches for a bottle of water. "Didn't you volunteer to go over the documents with her?" Karen asked. "You got me there. Just don't tell Debbie." Foggy said jokingly. "Tell Debbie what?" Foggy's wife said from behind him. "I got to go, Karen. I'll see you in the morning. Bye." Foggy said before hanging up the phone. He turned to look back at his wife with a puppy-eyed expression. "Oh, you know, just how amazing you are." "Nice try, but you will have to do a lot more than that!" Debbie chuckled. "It was worth a try." Foggy said before giving his wife a quick kiss. "I will be late tonight. I have a meeting with a client." "So, don't wait up?" "Unless you really love me just that much?" Foggy said with a large grin. "In that case, I think I will binge watch a show and then hit the bed early." Debbie said with a smile. "Ouch." Foggy chuckled before walking out the door of the apartment. Debbie let out a sigh before walking over the kitchen. She felt a sensation inside of her and gently rubbed her hand across her stomach. Debbie then made her way into the bathroom and opened a drawer. She pulled out a pregnancy test that revealed it was positive. Under her breath she mumbled, "Just wait and see what we have in store for you, Mr. Foggy Nelson." She had been trying to find a way to break the news to her husband, but she always came up short. The moment ended when she heard a knock at the door. Debbie slid the pregnancy stick back into her pocket before heading back to the entrance of the apartment. She looked through the peep hole and saw Foggy standing on the other side of the door. "Fog, did you really forget your keys again?" Debbie laughed before opening the door. Debbie backed up while Foggy quietly walked into the apartment. He stared at Debbie with a grim look on his face. "Fog, what is it?" Debbie asked with a concerned look. A sinister smile formed across Foggy's face as he pulled out a large kukri knife from underneath his jacket. Debbie backed up and let out a blood-curdling scream that pierced through the rest of the apartment complex. Nightfall Matt's Apartment Standing before his suits, Matt rubbed his left hand against one of the many masks that were in his apartment. He took a deep breath as he heard the blaring sirens that haunted the streets of Hell's Kitchen. For many, these sirens were nothing more than an annoying sound in the distance. For Matt, it was the city crying out for help. This was simply another night for the Man without Fear. Matt prowled the rooftops and alleyways of New York in hopes of helping those in need. On most nights, he would watch over his city as the Guardian Devil of the City. He was going to suit up once again as the one that criminals had come to fear. He was going to suit up as the Daredevil. Before he could leave his apartment, his phone had started going off with an alert from Karen. At first, he was going to ignore and begin his nightly routine of watching over the city. After the phone had gone off several times, something in his chest told him that it must have been an emergency. Matt walked over toward his phone and picked it up off the counter "Hey Karen, what is it?" "MATT!" She cried out hysterically. "It's.... It's Foggy." She sobbed. "Karen, I need you to calm down. What is it? What happened?" Matt asked. "Po... Police..." Karen stuttered as her voice was filled with emotion. "They came by. They... They said that they are looking for Foggy. They said, his wife..." She burst into uncontrollable sobs as Matt stood in his apartment. "Please, Karen... I need you to be strong for a moment. What about Debbie?" Matt asked as he tried controlling his own emotions. "She's dead. A witness... A witness saw Foggy leaving the apartment covered in blood!" Karen said before continuing to cry. "Karen, I need you to get somewhere safe. Foggy was going to bring the court documents to Ms. Skinner's penthouse for her to review tonight. I am going to head there and see if he is there." "Okay... Matt, please be careful. If.. If he..." Karen pleaded before going silent. "He didn't do this. He is not that person." Matt said confidently before hanging up the phone. Matt dropped the phone onto the counter and placed the red mask over his face. Immediately, he ran toward the balcony window and launched out of his apartment. Juno's Penthouse After hearing a buzzing in her penthouse, Juno looked over the security camera at the entrance. She saw the face of Foggy Nelson and let out a sigh. Although, she was expecting Foggy to show up with the documents for her to review regarding her deal, there was a part of her that hoped it would be Matt that showed up to her door. The greedy businesswoman had grown attracted to the blind attorney over the past couple weeks. With a scowl on her face, she reached down to press a button for the intercom. "I am going to buzz you in. Just make yourself at home, Mr. Nelson. I need to finish getting ready." Foggy looked up at the camera that was pointing down at him. He grinned while giving off a nod. The door unlocked and the attorney walked into the penthouse. He stared at the expensive furniture and sculptures that were sitting in the living room of the penthouse. Foggy's soon tilted his head as he heard a noise from behind. The attorney turned to look back and saw Juno standing next to a wine rack in the corner of the living room. "I hope you don't mind; I am a little famished." Juno said while pulling out one of his more expense bottles. "Not at all, Ms. Skinner." Foggy replied as he dropped his briefcase on the floor. "So, what do you have for me?" Juno said with a large smile. She popped the cork off the bottle of wine and started pouring herself a glass. "Would like one?" She asked while glancing back at the attorney. "Not quite yet." Foggy said as he reached into his jacket. The attorney pulled out a large and bloodied kukri knife from inside his jacket. Juno's eyes widened as she looked over her attorney. "What is this? Mr. Nelson, what are you doing?!" She screamed. "My job." Foggy replied before raising the blade up from over his head. Suddenly, a red billy club came flying and knocked the blade out of Foggy's hand. The billy club bounced back into the hands of the Man Without Fear. Daredevil flipped high up into the air and landed between Foggy and Juno. "Who are you? Where is Foggy Nelson?" Daredevil while facing off against the imposter. "I do not know what you are talking about. I am Foggy Nelson!" The man pleaded. Matt knew his best friend. He knew his heartbeat. He knew how he breathed and where he would sweat when he was nervous. He knew how he talked and how much cologne that he would usually where. Matt knew his friend and this man was not Foggy Nelson. Daredevil stood in complete silence as he stood before the man that looked like Foggy. He raised his billy clubs and stood in a fighting position. "I heard you were good." The man that posed as Foggy said in a thick accent. He started to chuckle as he reached down and picked his knife off that floor. The imposter, Zartan, pulled another large blade from his jacket pocket. "What gave me away?" Zartan asked as he held a large blade in both hands. Daredevil did not reply at first. He just stood facing off against his opponent before finally responding, "Where is Foggy Nelson?" "Maybe he is dead like his wife and unborn child..." Zartan laughed. "Maybe he is alive, but you will not be alive long enough to know." Matt could not believe what he had heard. Foggy's wife was pregnant. The Man without Fear felt a rage burning through his veins as his grip started tightening on his billy clubs. "Get out of here!" Daredevil growled as he turned his attention to Juno. Without a word, Juno nodded before running away. Daredevil soon turned to face the Master of Disguise once again. "See you in a second." Zartan smiled before looking over the Man without Fear. "Carving you up will be fun!" *************** This takes place shortly after Juno’s battle with Lori Quaid. Juno has decided to hire an attorney to help her with getting immunity and provide evidence against LexCorps for their illegal activities as well as them trying to have her killed. She ends up hiring Nelson & Murdock as she feels that she cannot trust another other law firm for fear that they may be in LexCorps pocket. Mercy Graves ends up hiring Zartan to take out Juno as well as take out Nelson & Murdock. Zartan disguises himself as Foggy Nelson and kills Foggy’s wife to frame Foggy and cover up the conspiracy. Zartan as Foggy then tries to take out Juno but ends up being intercepted by Daredevil. Can Master of Disguise defeat Daredevil and then take out his target? Or will the Man without Fear stop this assassin? Daredevil has his billy clubs. Zartan as two large kukri knives and a couple karambit knives.

I'm really am sorry. I try to rate all that come through because I know what it feels like when it doesn't getting a rating and then it's like all that hard work went down the drain

I am sorry, Johnny. I could have sworn that I rated this one

Hope you all enjoy

Chapter 55: Loose End of a Thread As her eyes fell upon the buyer, her heart started beating rapidly. Juno's body started warming up while the Falleen started to approach her. Even though his skin was reptilian, she found herself immediately attracted to him. His facial features were breathtaking and how he carried himself made the antique dealer blush. Despite thinking of herself as an intelligent and confident woman, the art dealer found herself fawning over this handsome being. Looking over his features, his eyes were blue and mysterious. He had a smile that could make any woman gush. Juno had to fight to keep her composure as she felt her legs shaking beneath her. Gently biting down against her bottom lip, she stopped for a moment to look over herself in a mirror. She started to arrange herself to reveal more of her cleavage and make herself appear more perky. The art dealer gently waved her hand through her lush dark hair to make sure that there was not a single loose strand. She could not help herself as the presence of this being was intoxicating. In her lifetime, she had stayed in the most luxurious destinations imaginable and tasted the most expensive wines known to man. Juno had frequently tasted the most extravagant foods and wore jewelry that would make the wealthiest woman envious. Despite all of this, she felt herself completely vulnerable to the mere presence of this immaculate creature. While looking over the buyer, she saw that he was dressed in a long robe that appeared to have been made from some of his galaxy's finest materials. There were strands of gold laced throughout his robes. He walked with what appeared to be a ceremonial staff that had engravings that appeared to be dated by centuries. This Falleen, Xizor, gestured for his servants to load up the metallic crate that was being delivered to him. While Juno tried to make eye contact with those gorgeous blue eyes, the former head of the Black Sun glanced off as if he was disinterested in her. Standing alongside Xizor was a female with long blonde hair. Her skin was fair and she dressed in clothing that was nothing too appealing. There was something about the expression and look in her eyes that made Juno feel somewhat uneasy. While she had the appearance of a human, the way she carried herself seemed unnatural. As this blonde female stood alongside Xizor, Juno felt something burning inside of her. She felt a childish jealousy within her that she had not felt since her youth. The antiques dealer almost felt disgusted with herself for allowing herself to feel this way toward someone that stood only a few feet away. Despite these mixed feelings and emotions within her, Juno titled her head slightly and grinned at the buyer. She stood tall while sticking out her chest. Making her way toward Xizor, she made another effort to meet his gaze and hopefully catch his interests. "Well, Mr. Xizor, do you see anything you like?" Without acknowledging the human, Xizor frowned while looking over the metal crate being loaded in his ship. He quietly watched as his servants took out cases of highly prices sculptures and artworks that were collected from across the galaxy. "Guri will see to it that your payment is received." Xizor muttered while finally turning his eyes toward the human woman. "You know, that may not be necessary." Juno smiled while gently biting her lip and forming a seductive grin. "Typically, I charge a lot of money for my services, especially when it comes to delivering a love human specimen off world, but in your case, I think we can make other arrangements." Juno's eyes slowly peered down at her cleavage and then went back up to meet Xizor's gaze. Her smile widened as she stared deep into his eyes. She could not believe that those words escaped from her lips. 'Why the hell did I say that?' She thought to herself while continuing to look into those blue eyes. There was nothing more important to her than money, but yet, this man was causing her to let go of everything that she held dear. She was vulnerable in a way that she had never felt before. Juno hated the idea that could lose out on all that money over something as pitiful as feelings. "As enticing as that may sound, our work here is complete." He hissed with a cold and uninterested tone. One of his servants walked out of his ship some some sort of device in one of his hands. He quietly walked over toward them and stood straight while acknowledging Xizor. "Everything is in order. The human is well preserved in the frozen containment and her vitals are strong. The specimen that is latched onto her appears to be perfectly preserved as well." "Of course, everything is in order..." Juno boasted with a bold and confident tone. "I am a professional." "We were verifying that everything was delivered as promised. Now as Lord Xizor has declared, our transaction here is complete. Your services to Xizor are no longer necessary." Guri said coldly. Juno's jaw dropped slightly while glaring at Xizor's assistant. She was about to make a sparky remark, but this woman had an inhuman look within her eyes. They were cold and emotionless, yet there was something threatening about them. Juno took a step back and dropped her head in silence. Even though she continued to feel this unnatural infatuation towards the Falleen, she felt frightened by his assistant. Knowing that this woman was merely another weak-minded individual that was susceptible to the pheromones of his species, Xizor turned away from Juno and made his way back to his ship. Guri scowled at the antiques dealer as she too, turned away from her and followed behind her master. Typically, Xizor would have either poisoned the human woman or had Guri dispatch her, but his mind was on other matters. He thought about Juno for a moment and with their brief encounter, he knew that she was driven solely by money. The mere thought of her and her desires left a bad taste in his mouth. Money was a powerful ally within the universe, but it was not what granted power. Xizor was more interested in power and influence. He hoped that he could regain what he lost by working for this Grand Admiral Thrawn. Entering her ship, Juno nodded as her men started arranging all the treasures that were given to her. She had orders to deliver some of these items back to different contacts on Earth. While she wanted to look through her riches, she felt a disgusting sensation inside of her stomach. Now that she was no longer near the Falleen, it was as if she had come back to reality. The idea that she almost gave up all that money for this man made her feel sick. In fact, she started growing bitter and rageful. Letting out a sigh, she looked over at the extravagant bar that was built into her luxurious ship. "I need a drink." She muttered quietly to herself while sauntering toward the bar. "Hell, I need a lot more than a drink." Later, Earth, The world was different now. There was no doubt about that. Leaders from across the globe had perished in what would become one of the most devastating events in recorded history. London was in shambles. As governments all around the world scrambled to find new leaders, countries such as the United States had made decisions that proved decisive amongst many people in the world. The new President of the United States had decided to pull out of the alliance that was to be formed with the New Republic of that far away galaxy. As President Victoria Neaman spoke at a press conference, a multitude of new stations sat back and recorded her speech. Watching the screen in the background, Lori Quaid could not help but smile. While she was merely a hired gun for the recent events, she knew all too well that everything was going according to a well thought out plan. She did not know who was pulling the strings, and quite frankly, she did not care. As long as she got paid, she would see to it that the job was done. A holoprojector shined down from above revealing an AI generated image of a blank faced woman in athletic gear. She reached down for a bottle of water and swished the drink in her mouth. Lori then started practicing different fighting techniques alongside the AI generated instructor. While working out alongside the instructor, her mind started reflecting on her assignments in London. The analyst did not pose much of a challenge, but that NCIS officer proved to be difficult in their battle. Lori was caught off guard at first by her opponent. Jane landed a couple powerful blows on the curly-haired assassin. Although, she was caught off guard, Lori was able to prevail. The battle was tough and one that Lori would remember for a long time, but she was able to knock the NCIS officer unconscious. Rather than leaving her there alive, Lori took her blade and buried it into the throat of the unconscious Jane Tennant. Shortly after her battle, Lori stood back and gently pressed the palm of her hands against the bruises that she sustained in her battle with the NCIS officer. With a slight chuckle, she shook her head once she realized that she was sore from her battle. The assassin soon left that facility and met with the rest of the assassins at a rendezvous spot. Most of the assassins had found success in their individual missions. Only one had not returned to the group. They later learned that Boris the Animal had fallen in battle against the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Despite the loss, Lori did not care much as she loathed the Boglodite. An alert started going off on the screen that brought Lori back to reality. She reached over and ended the work out session before turning his eyes toward the alert on the screen. Looking over the alert, she saw that there was an incoming call from Mercy Graves. Lori sighed as she reached over for a cold towel that was sitting on a counter. While patting the towel against her face, the assassin answered the call from Lex Luthor's assistant. "Do you have a job for me?" Lori asked while tying her hair back in a pony tail. "I do." Mercy replied before turning Lori's screen to an image of a woman. "Who is this?" Lori asked while her eyes studied the image of the woman. "Her name is Juno Skinner..." Mercy replied before turning the screen to other images of what appeared to be artifacts and a location of a warehouse. "She is an art and antiques dealers that is to deliver a shipment of off world goods to one of our warehouses." "Huh..." Lori chuckled with a sinister grin. "What do you want me to do? Oversee the shipment? Seems a little bit beneath me." "After the shipment is delivered. I need you to see to it that Ms. Skinner is dealt with. It needs to be quiet. My employer does not need any unnecessary or unwanted questions." Lori's lips curled back as that same sinister grin shined off the screen. "Now that is a little more up my alley." Outside of a warehouse in New York, After overseeing the last few sculptures and artifacts being unloaded into the building, Juno Skinner nodded at her contact with LexCorps. With a swipe of the contact's hand, he nodded at her. "It's done." The man with a thick accent said. "Good." Juno replied with a large smile. "It is a good thing that you are paying me a lot of money. Jobs like this are not easy, especially going unnoticed." "I am sure you will be contacted if your services are ever needed again." The man replied before walking away. "I am sure they will." Juno said confidently. Juno sauntered toward her limousine where her driver was waiting for her with the door open. Without acknowledging the driver, Juno loaded up into the back of the limo. She leaned back in her seat and listened the vehicle roared life. Looking over a tablet, she watched as the transaction was successfully delivered to her account. Juno closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose. With a slow and steady sigh, she felt at peace with the wealth that she was accumulating for herself. Thinking back to the job itself, she still felt bitter about how she conducted herself with that Prince Xizor. That anger burned in her veins. She could have lost out on everything that she made. Juno did not care about Xizor or his cause. She did not even care about what was being transported. Her only concern was her wealth. Even the thought of losing that caused her to lash out at some of her employees. The limousine started to come to a stop as it approached her corporate warehouse. Parking in the warehouse, the driver immediately got out and opened the door for Juno. She stepped out and rearranged her suit jacket while looking over her surroundings. Her eyes fell upon a couple staff members standing around and talking amongst themselves. The art and antiques dealer lashed out at them to get back to work. Shaking her head, she soon started to walk towards her office. Suddenly, she heard the powerful sound of a gunshot ringing out. Instinctively, Juno went down to the floor and hid behind a couple wooden crates. From what she could see from behind the crates, her men were shot down from a female assailant. Juno cussed under her breath as her eyes moved around the warehouse. To her relief, she then saw a pistol resting against a metal table that was nearby. Quietly, she made her way to the table and wrapped her fingers around the weapon. Her eyes fell upon a box cutter and crowbar that were sitting on the other side of the table. Knowing that her men were dead, Juno realized that she had to fight her way out of this. The moment of relief was cut short once she heard footsteps coming toward her direction. She looked back and saw the outline of the attacker coming from around the corner. Juno raised the gun and prepared herself for a fight. ************************* In a battle of Arnie female villains... This battle takes place about the same time as Agent Venom's battle with the titan xenomorph. To cut any unwanted loose ends, Lex Luthor's assistant, Mercy Graves hires Lori Quaid to take care of Juno Skinner. Before she was able to silence her, Juno was able to take cover and arm herself with a pistol. The battle itself, takes place in Juno's warehouse. Lori Quaid is armed with a pistol that has a silencer attached, and a small knife. Juno Skinner has a pistol, crowbar, and a box cutter.

This one is tough... Nancy W and her team have definitely had experiences with other wordly beings, Nancy T and Co have had to deal with a supernatural nightmare serial killer. Goodness, this one is a little tough Initially, I go with Nancy W because she's become hardened in a way as the series has progressed

Another great addition to the megastory. I enjoyed the pairing on this one and the use of Legolas

It is hard for me to imagine Jamie surviving against Tiffany. Maybe within the Spirit store, she might get lucky and manage to hide for a while but I just don't see her being able to survive this one

Hope you all enjoy

Chapter 54: Phase 3: No Rest for the Weary Part I Flashes of lights and the sound of alarms caused Jessica Priest to open her eyes. She looked over her surroundings and leaned up to a sitting position. A shiver went down her spine as her skin went cold. It took her a moment to realize that the flashing lights and the blaring alarms were only a dream. It was a dream of what she had gone through the night before. She scooted herself around so that her legs dangled over the bed that she was in. The palms of her feet touchdown against the cold metal floor beneath her. Her dark brown eyes lowered and fell upon the cast that was wrapped around her arm. Memories of her battle with that S.H.I.E.L.D. agent started to flow through her mind like a river. It took her a moment to push herself off the bed that she was in. It was not long before she realized that the battle that she had could not have been the previous night. In fact, she did not know what time it was or what day it was for that matter. She did not even know where she was. The room at a faint light shining above her and a mirror that hung over a metallic sink. Her mouth was dry, and her head was throbbing with an uneasy pounding. The assassin stumbled forward over the sink and turned on the faucet it. A line of cold water shot out and she hovered the palm of her hand underneath the line of water. She leaned her face down to splash the water onto her face. Opening her mouth, she gulped down what water she could before turning off the faucet. She the remaining droplets of water from her mouth before staggering back to the center of the room. More memories and flashes started to pour through her as she looked over this cold dark room. After being defeated by the Black Widow and left for dead in what was left of that space station, Priest remembered trying to make it to that escape pod. Her memories were still fuzzy as her head continued to throb with an unbearable pain. Despite the rest of her body feeling cold, her face felt as if it were on fire. She sauntered toward the mirror and looked over her reflection. Her hand reaching up and gently rubbing against her face. Even though her skin was cold to the touch, she felt her face was being melted with sulfuric acid. Her eyes soon shifted to the other side of the room, and she looked over the metal door. Stumbling toward the door, the assassin lifted her hand against a scanner and waited while it scanned her palm. A chirping sound went off as the metal door ascended and she caught a glimpse of the corridor that was on the other side of her room. She soon stumbled into the hallway and her eyes glared over her surroundings. As she sauntered down the cold corridor, flashes of what occurred in her escape poured into her mind. In the chaos of the destructions, she remembered that there were spider-like creatures pursuing her. After evading the creatures, she had made it onto one of the escape pods. She remembered shutting the door behind her and setting a course for the small vessel. As she continued to walk through the corridors, one final memory caused her to stop cold in her tracks. Before she could relax on the escape pod, she remembered a glimpse of one of those spider-like beasts crawling out of a shadow and lunging at her face. After that, everything had gone completely dark. It was the last thing that she could remember before waking up in this strange place. She thought about trying to reach out to her handler, but she woke up with no phone or any other form of communication device. Priest opened another door which revealed a large glass wall. Peering through the glass, she saw a group of people walking alongside a lower section. The mercenary started banging against the glass, but soon realized that the people in the lower section could not hear her. The glass was thick and strong. On the other side of the room that she was in, she heard a metallic door opening wide. Rolling her eyes, the assassin felt as if she were a lab rat trapped inside a maze. She moved her feet forward and proceeded to walk toward the door. As she moved, something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Her mouth dropped open as she glared down at the occupants down below on the other side of the glass. There were things walking around down there that were not human. It was strange as these creatures walked alongside the humans as if it were a normal, everyday occurrence. Priest opened another door which revealed a large glass wall. Peering through the glass, she saw a group of people walking alongside a lower section. The mercenary started banging against the glass, but soon realized that the people in the lower section could not hear her. The glass was thick and strong. On the other side of the room that she was in, she heard a metallic door opening wide. Rolling her eyes, the assassin felt as if she were a lab rat trapped inside a maze. She moved her feet forward and proceeded to walk toward the door. As she moved, something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Her mouth dropped open as she glared down at the occupants down below on the other side of the glass. There were things walking around down there that were not human. It was strange as these creatures walked alongside the humans as if it were a normal, everyday occurrence. “Where the f*** am I?” she asked herself while walking through the doorway. Jessica Priest’s eyes peered over symbols written over a wall. She stumbled forward to get a better look. Realizing that it must have been some sort of sign, the mercenary concluded that it was not anything from Earth. Priest then heard a sound coming from a room. The mercenary sauntered into the room and saw what appeared to be a light shining down onto a metallic table. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to what it was, but she soon realized that it was a hologram of some kind. A figure appeared with a robe and hood covering his head. The figure soon reached up and pulled the hood back over his head. The face of this being was almost reptilian. While Priest had encountered her fair share of strange creatures over the years, she had never seen anything like this. “What the hell are you? Where am I?” Jessica hissed. “I do apologize for not preparing anything for you when you awoke. You must understand you have become someone of great importance to me.” “Who are you exactly? And why am I so important to you?” “Oh, how rude of me. My name is Xizor. I was… Contacted by mutual acquaintances to oversee your safe and undisturbed journey to a space port in a galaxy in between yours and mine. I had to meet with an antique dealer from your world to secure your frozen body, but now you are awake.” “What? I demand you tell me what is going on or I will not hesitate to carve you up!” Priest growled. “Now, now my dear, there is no need for threats. As I said, I was contacted by mutual acquaintances to oversee your transportation to this space port. When the opportunity arose, I could not help but seize the moment. I met with an antiquities dealer from your home world by the name of Juno Skinner. After she delivered you to me, she went on her way while I placed you in a status on one of my transport vessels. Like many weak-minded females, she immediately became attracted to me. Also, like many others that I have come across over my lifetime, she was driven solely by money. Her little mind knows nothing of what true power is. True power comes from influence. I was once a figure of great importance and influence in my galaxy. Due to some rather unfortunate events, I lost everything. The galaxy thought that I was dead…” “Yeah, yeah, I don’t need some damn monologue. Where are you taking me? Why am I so important?!” Jessica said while gritting her teeth. “I must apologize for misspeaking earlier. It is not you that is of great importance, but something that you possess within you...” Xizor said with a devilish grin. “And that which resides within you is what I need to be brought to this space port.” Before she could say another word, a sharp pain started piercing within her chest. Jessica fell to her knees as she let out a painful groan. The sharp pain started growing worse by the second. She could hear her own rips cracking as looked up at the image of Xizor. “What the hell is happening to me?” She screeched in excruciating pain. “It looks like the specimen is ready.” Xizor replied while rubbing his fingers against his chin. “I thought that there would be a little more time, but alas, everything is coming together just as he planned.” On Xizor's Star Yacht, The Falleen slowly pushed himself up to his feet and reached over for his ceremonial staff. Pressing his weight against the staff, the former head of Black Sun had started making his way toward an open bar on the other side of the room. Leaning the staff down against the bar, he reached down for one of the dark glasses of liquor. An aged liquor that he had acquired from Ryloth. He started reflecting on the recent events that had transpired. Many years had passed since that fateful day on Coruscant. After Darth Vader had ordered the destruction of his skyhook, Prince Xizor had fallen from the public eye. With his skyhook's destruction, many in the galaxy were under the impression that he was dead. Fortunately, Xizor was not that easy to kill. He had plans in place that guaranteed his survival. Unfortunately, with the attack, he found himself with injuries that followed him every day since his defeat. After escaping the destruction of his skyhook, he plotted and planned his return to power. Once he was reunited with Guri, it was not long until interested parties from the Empire's remnants were able to locate the Falleen. His moment of reflection soon came to an end once Guri brought him back to reality. It took a moment for him to process that she was trying to get his attention. The former head of Black Sun left his trance and turned his gaze toward the human replica droid. "My apologies, Guri. What did you say?" "What is to become of the specimen?" Guri asked while looking over her master with emotionless eyes. "From my knowledge of this race of creatures, it will burst out of the mercenary's chest and begin to grow. I must admit that Thrawn's intelligence and patience rival my own. His plans are terrifying and fascinating at the same time. The other occupants of our transport will ultimately become carriers for other beings of this race. Once our transport attaches to the space port, the creatures will spread like a plague. It will be untouched and in a stasis of waiting for the arrival of the escaping New Republic transport. Once they arrive at this massive space port, I am afraid that it will be too late for them. I am afraid that..." Xizor for a moment before letting out an uneased breath from his nostrils. "... Leia will finally pay for her crimes against me. The New Republic leaders will be victims of this xenomorph race before they can garner any more support or allies." "It seems to be a lot of moving pieces. At any moment they can become compromised." "There are always uncertainties in war. The unforeseen factor and underestimating of an enemy are things that many fall victim too. I, myself, fell victim to the unforeseen. I underestimated the son of Darth Vader. I can assure you that will not happen again. As I said, this Grand Admiral Thrawn has a knowledge and an intelligence that almost rivals my own. He has assurances that his plan will succeed." Previously, "A bodyguard? You want me to be some kind of bodyguard?" Flash Thompson asked in disbelief. He leaned forward in his wheelchair and shook his head. "An ally." Nick Fury replied while turning back to look over Flash. "Corporal Thompson, you have served this country admirably since you joined the military. Hell, you even got yourself the Medal of Honor..." "Came at a cost, though." Flash said while shaking his head and glancing down at his lower torso. "It did, but you found a way to serve once again with Project Rebirth 2.0. Became... What was that codename again?" Fury said while looking up at the ceiling. "That's right, Agent Venom." "What about it?" Flash asked he glared at Fury. "Corporal, we are at war!" Fury growled. "The President may not want to admit it. She may be trying to look the other way, but there is no denying that we are at war. This other galaxy is taking a bus back to their home turf, and I feel that is a mistake. I think they have the potential to be allies in whatever war that we just found ourselves in." "So, what? You want me to go with them? Make sure that they get home safe?" Flash asked while curling his lip. "One of my contacts in that New Republic is going to search for other allies across the different galaxies on their way home. I've been in enough wars to know that someone is going to try and cut the head off that snake." Fury said while shaking his head. "So, yeah, I want you to make sure that they get home safe. I want you to protect them from whatever threats may present themselves." "Something tells me that President Neuman is not sanctioning this." Flash said with a slight smirk. "She is not. No government is. The Avengers and the Justice League have their hands tied up now. That is why I am asking you and a couple of your pals in the Thunderbolts. This is off the books." "How many of us are going?" Flash asked. "Not many, but just enough to keep it interesting." Now, The journey was long. During his time training for the military and being deployed, Flash had gotten used to long travels. Something that he was trained to do was be patient. Even though he trained for it, patience was still a tough trait to have. This journey, this mission that he was sent on was a test of his patience. Ever since being selected to be the carrier for the symbiote that turned him into Agent Venom, Flash had to learn to be patient once again. While many of the surviving members of the New Republic were lodging in their individual rooms, Flash tried to find ways to pass the time. He tried to converse with other allies that were sent on this mission with him, Frank Castle and Elektra Natchios. Frank was quiet and kept to himself mostly. As for Elektra, well, she was also quite hard to read. Flash trusted that Fury selected them for a reason, but he was not sure if they all really needed to be here. Up to this point, everything to be quiet. Perhaps that was for the best as some of the leadership in the New Republic had hopes of trying to find new allies in the different galaxies that were spread throughout the universe. The veteran tried to keep himself busy as the massive starship continued its voyage through the stars. After what seemed to be an eternity of looking over the durasteel walls and shuffling his deck of cards for the thousandth time, a woman from the New Republic came to their common area. She had dark brown eyes and soft skin. While her appearance did not make it seem as if she were a warrior, Flash could see in those dark brown eyes that she had seen her fair share of combat. Knowing that this was the contact that Fury had mentioned before, he sat up as best he could and turned his full attention to the New Republic senator. Frank had done the same while Elektra scoffed and went off to be alone. "We are approaching a space port station where we can gather supplies and refuel with the necessary items for our hyperdrives." Leia said softly while looking over the two men. "We're out of fuel." Frank muttered before looking over the senator. "Not exactly, the fuel that is needed to fly across the different galaxies is getting low. While we have plenty of hypermatter and coaxium, we just need..." "I don't need the details." Frank interrupted before taking a seat in his chair. "I was hoping that at this space port, I could start trying to send word out to other systems across the universe in order to gain support against the growing threats." Leia replied with a hopeful tone. "Why are you here? Why tell us about it?" Frank moaned while slowly looking up at the senator. "When trying to make contact with the space port, we have not received a response. I am sure it is probably nothing more than a faulty connection, but..." "You want one of us to do some recon and scope out this place when we arrive." Frank answered with a grim look on his face. "If you don't mind." Leia replied. "Brock here," Frank said as he gestured over at Flash, "will be happy to scope it out." "That is correct, ma'am. Besides, I am getting a bit restless." Flash said with a grin. "That is wonderful. We should be docking soon. We will try one more time to make contact. I will let you know if anything changes." Leia replied with a warm smile. Approaching the space port, As the massive New Republic starship docked onto the vast space port, Flash could not believe his eyes. It almost the size of a small city. He was told beforehand that it was like an airport or an ocean port for space freighters and other star ships that were traveling across the vastness of space. Even though, he was told about this massive ship, he never could have imagined what it would really look like. The New Republic starship latched onto one of the unoccupied docks on the space port. While the surviving members of the New Republic tried to contact staff of the space port, they were only met with silence. The Army veteran took out his case that contained the powerful symbiote. Flash closed his eyes for a moment to think before opening the case. The symbiote attached itself to Flash once again and turned him into Agent Venom. While getting armed with his multi-gun and a variety of other weapons, Agent Venom started walking toward the latch that connected to the space port’s dock. As he made his way through the hallways of the New Republic ship, his comrades walked alongside of him. The Punisher gave him a small briefing and ordered him to report back as soon he knew something. Elektra did not much to say, but he could sense that she was growing restless. The closer he got to the latch, the more he started to feel something unusual through his bond with the symbiote. His senses were blaring as he stood at the entrance to the space port’s entrance. Agent Venom glanced back at the Punisher and Elektra. He gave them a nod as the door sprang open. He sauntered through the door and listened as the thick durasteel door shut behind him. Making his way through the docking station, Agent Venom could hear the mutterings of the New Republic guards from his communication device. In the background, he could hear the Punisher and Elektra trying to get them to stay silent while Agent Venom scouted out the massive port. The deeper he ventured into the space station; he noticed that it was oddly quiet. Along the walls, ceilings, and floors laid a strange webbing. Taking a step closer, Thompson gazed over this strange substance that was plastered all over the place. It was some type of secreted resin. He soon noticed that his communication devices started to give out a static sound. He tried multiple times to send a message to Frank and Elektra, but he was unsure if anything had gone through. Even if it had, he was not receiving any responses from the group. Despite the issues with communication, Agent Venom decided to move forward. The further he ventured, the more alarming his senses became. Despite his senses alarming him of danger, everything seemed clear. He soon found what appeared to be another docking station with a ship already attached. Gazing upon the ship, he had device that was able to translate the alien language that was written on the side of the ship. The words on the ship spelled out Sizhran Transport Systems. Steadily approaching the ship, Agent Venom raised his multi-gun and kept it ready for a battle. The ship's large cargo doors were down, and that same resin led deep inside of this massive transport ship. His body tingled as his senses went blaring. He soon leapt back as a massive tail came slashing at him. With his grip tightening on his weapon, a large figure appeared from the shadows. Coming into view was a gargantuan beast that was the product of nightmares. This beast towered over Agent Venom. "What the hell?" Agent Venom said while keeping his gunned trained on the beast. Sensing the danger that this horrifying beast presented, Agent Venom knew that he had no other choice but to face the monster. ********************* This takes place a while after the events of the titan/kaiju attacks in London and the immediate aftermath of all of that. Thrawn had arranged for the frozen body of Jessica Priest and the xenomorph embryo inside of her to be moved from Earth to space. He hired Juno Skinner to discreetly move the frozen body off Earth and meet with Xizor. Xizor, in hopes to regain prominence, has agreed to participate. He arranged for Priest's body to be moved to a massive space port/space station in one of his transport ships. Thrawn's plan is for the escaping survivors of the New Republic to link up with this space port, only to run into the xenomorphs. Nick Fury, knowing that the New Republic leaders are still in danger, recruited some of the Thunderbolts to protect the surviving leaders of the New Republic. When the New Republic ship started approaching the space port, Agent Venom was ordered to scout out the facility due to issues with the comms. When exploring a section of the space port, Agent Venom has run into the Titan Xenomorph. Agent Venom is armed with his multi-gun, 2 pistols, 2 submachine guns, and a grenade. Titan Xenomorph is fully formed and has Agent Venom in its sights.

It's a fun movie. Nothing mind blowing or world altering, but an entertaining action flick

I'm leaning towards Grace on this one I'm definitely enjoying this arc

You definitely seem to come up with the most unique and interesting ideas for matches! My goodness, this was a fun read

Hope you all enjoy this continuation to my major arc I'm hoping I can get part 2 of my pirate themed arc out soon.

Chapter 53: Hunter Ground Phase Two Prt. 4 (The Last Hunt) "Power is slowly starting to return to the ruins of London. With emergency services and troops coming in to evacuate the multitude of citizens, a sliver of hope has started to return. The growing tragedies continue to unravel once it was discovered that foreign from all over the world have been targeted in aftermath of these titan attacks. These casualties included the President of the United States as well as several members of his cabinet. It is with great regret that I must report that it was discovered that heroes such as the Teen Titans and Captain America have also perished in the targeted attacks. With rescue operations still underway, time will tell what the true impacts on the world will be from these devastating events. We will continue to provide updates once they come in. Currently, there has been no word from the Vice President's office, but we are certain that she is preparing to address the nation and the world later tonight..." After turning off the news, Kate leaned back against her seat and looked out at the world. Since her childhood, she had become almost callous to the news. Even after recent events, this was nothing new for her. She had been sent on missions in some of the worst places known to man. The sniper had participated in missions in war-torn counties that had not even appeared on the radar for many news outlets. Despite the monstrosities that demolished the once great city of London, the assassin had seen the monsters that reside in the worst of mankind. She, herself, had become a monster in her own right during the missions that she had been assigned over the years. For Kate, this was simply another mission in another war-torn country. The only difference between this job and previous jobs was that she was not given a specific target. The assassin was given orders to search and rescue the Prime Minister of Japan. With numerous reports filtering through the countless news outlets all over the world, many were on the edge of their seats to learn of the latest developments in this world altering event. Questions were being asked from all corners of the Earth about what happens now. Despite the influx of reports and questions circulating throughout the globe, the priority was still on search and rescue operations within London. While it was confirmed that the President of the United States had lost been lost in the aftermath of targeted attacks, that has not detracted from the efforts presented by rescue operations from around the world. Kate was somewhat worried that these other rescue operations might try to get in her way of rescuing the Japanese Prime Minister. Despite her worry, she kept her composure as the helicopter that she was in had inched closer to its destination. The sniper soon closed her eyelids tight to sit in quite meditation. It was a relaxing moment that was cut short by the buzzing of her phone. Kate sighed before slowly opening her eyes. She reached down for her phone and lifted it up before her eyes. Her dark brown eyes looked over the screen and she rolled her eyes once she saw the name of her handler on the screen. Even though she had answered his calls countless times in her lifetime, she could not help but reflect on one of her earliest conversations with Varrick. "I’m Your Handler Now – That Makes Me Your Mother, Your Father, Your Best Friend, And Your Therapist." He had told her that in her youth before she started training to become the assassin that she was today. At the time, she did not think much of those words but now she realized how accurate they truly were. Kate answered the call and put it on speaker. "I haven't even landed yet. What do you have for me?" Kate said while shaking her head. "I do not appreciate the head shaking." Varrick replied. "How do you..." "I can hear your head shaking over the phone. You know, you are supposed to respect your elders." "So, is that what you are? An elder?" Kate said with a smile. "Anyway, you are going to want to be extra careful on this one. It is not your usual mission..." "Yeah, why is that? I thought there were plenty of rescue operations in the area." "I don't know if you heard, but the President of the United States is dead. Even the great Captain America himself and those Child Titans got themselves killed as well..." "I think they were called the Teen Titans." Kate interjected. "Whatever they called themselves, they are gone now. Things are little dangerous in London right now..." "I mean, I would assume so with monsters the size of mountains and people out gunning for the world leaders." Kate said sarcastically. "Are you going to let me finish?" Varrick asked. "Go for it." Kate said smiling. "It has been reported that after the Juggernaut killed the President; he left the area. I don't even know who the hell got to Captain America. All I know is that we have some pretty big spenders that are wanting to make sure that the Prime Minister returns home safe to Japan." "Are you sure that the Juggernaut is gone? I'm pretty sure anything I threw at him would just bounce off." Kate asked waving her hand through her hair. "I am certain. My intel has confirmed that big, dumb, and muscles has left the area." "Your intel has been wrong before." Kate replied while rolling her eyes. "This time, it is correct... Look, I know this is not our typical job, but it might actually be a walk in the park..." "A park that has been completely decimated by giant monsters." Kate interrupted. "Pish, posh..." Varrick giggled. "I know you can do this kid. I believe in you." "Are you getting soft on me?" Kate asked with a smirk. "That is a negative, kid, now go do your job and save a Prime Minister." Varrick replied before hanging up the phone. The skilled sniper could not help but break a smile as she slid the phone back down into her pocket. She small ounce of relief in knowing that this was not just another assassination job. At least she could take some comfort in knowing that she could possibly rescue someone in need. As the plane landed safely on the ground, Kate rose to her feet. She gathered a couple large pieces of luggage and stepped out of the small plane. Looking over her surroundings, she saw that the skies were still dark from the fires and the ash that plagued the once great city. The overpowering smell of smoke started to fill her nostrils as she headed toward a small jeep that Varrick had arranged for her to use. After opening the back of the jeep, the assassin loaded up the large pieces of luggage that she had carried with her. Kate reached down and carefully unzipped the luggage to reveal the stash of weapons that she had brought with her on this mission. Knowing that most of the high vantage points in the city would either be destroyed or severely compromised, the assassin pushed away the luggage that contained her sniper rifle. Instead, she pulled out and started to assemble one of her fully automatic machine guns. She then reached down and loaded up her pistols as well. The trained assassin strapped a knife to her hip and reached down for a stun grenade that she had locked away in a small compartment of her luggage. After attaching different accessories to her machine gun, the assassin then walked over toward the driver's side door. After opening the door, she pushed herself into the seat and ignited the engine. Varrack had already plugged in the coordinates to the Prime Minister's location to the vehicle's navigation system which made Kate's job a little bit easier. As she drove away from the airfield, there were a couple thoughts that started to linger within her mind. With the death of Captain America and the fall of the Teen Titans, what would this mission truly entail for someone like Kate? Even though those thoughts crossed her mind, she considered herself a professional. Despite not facing alien tyrants and mutated psychopaths, the highly trained assassin had seen her fair share of battles in her lifetime. Varrack had practically raised her and trained her to become a weapon. While the city of London was a mere shadow of what it once was, she had stepped foot in some of the worst war-tone countries in the world, and it did not slow her down one bit. The skilled sniper was going to see to it that this mission would be a success by any means necessary. Meanwhile… Feeling the bones of her victim crack under the power of her thighs, the demented Xenia started to giggle. Struggling with each breath, the man tried as hard as he could to break free from her grasp, but it was no use. She had previously gunned down his security detail while they were trying to dig their way out of the chaos. Despite their best efforts, the security was outmaneuvered by this female assassin. As for this foreign leader, he tried to run. He tried to plead with her, but there was something far too sadistic about her. She knocked him down onto the cold hard pavement and then wrapped her legs around his body. He tried to break free, but her grasp was far too strong. The remaining spark of life that once flickered in the eyes of this foreign leader had soon faded away as Xenia snapped his bone like a twig with her thighs. Her demented smile quickly faded as she pushed away the lifeless body of her victim and steadily rose to her feet. She heard a groaning sound coming from one of the bloodied security guards that was lying only a few feet away. Xenia smiled as she licked her lips. She sauntered over toward the security and hover over him. His body was beaten from flying pieces of debris during the initial titan attack. Now he was bloodied and shot up from Xenia’s rampage. With what little strength he had left, he tried reaching his battered hand for the pistol that was lying close to him. Xenia’s bright red lips curled back over her teeth as her smile grew wider. She reached down to gently the pistol further away from the struggling guard. His swollen eyes glared at her as he let out a painful sigh. The sadistic assassin reached down at her hip and pulled a knife from a sheath. After pulling the knife from the sheath, she started to gently rub the blade across the chest of the security guard. Xenia soon had the tip of the blade pointed directly over the heart of the wounded guard. He started breathing heavily as he gritted his teeth. His eyes looking deep into the dark, soulless void that were her own eyes. The assassin slowly pushed the blade deep into the guard’s chest and into his heart. She closed her eyes and started breathing heavily as she felt the air escape his lunges. Xenia soon pushed herself up to her feet and wiped away the guard’s blood from her blade. While looking over her gruesome work, the assassin started reflecting on the last job that she had been given. Even though she had faced an unforeseen enemy in Cuba, Xenia had completed her objective. Despite not being able to have as much fun as she would have liked that Cuban CIA operative known as Paloma proved to be an enjoyable adversary for the sadistic assassin. She put up a fight that was one that Xenia would remember for a long time. As with most of the adversaries and enemies that she had faced over her career, Paloma’s efforts came up short. She had fallen at the hands of the former Soviet Officer. After putting an end to Paloma, Xenia delivered the frozen body of Jessica Priest to the contact that was arranged by her new employer. This contact, Juno Skinner, was an American antiques and arts dealer that also smuggled weapons from all around the world. While she specialized in getting weapons moved across borders under the radar, this antiques dealer was going to get the frozen remains of Jessica Priest moved off world and into an intergalactic transport vessel to an unknown location in outer space. While Xenia found this Juno Skinner to be a greedy woman of no honor, she ultimately did what was requested of her. Now, Xenia was here in the aftermath of the Kaiju battles. She was given orders to track down and eliminate surviving world leaders. Knowing that the smoke was starting to clear, and the rescue operations were now well underway, the sadistic assassin grew curious as to when she would be given orders to return to the base of operations. As she started walking toward her red Ferrari, the former Soviet officer felt her phone buzzing at her side. The dark-haired assassin reached down and slid her fingers into one of the pouches on her belt. She pulled out her phone and looked over the screen with her dark-soulless eyes. She bit her lip before shaking her head. The assassin placed the phone against her ear and answered to her handler. “Is it time for me to leave?” “Not quite yet, I’m afraid.” Mercy Graves replied while sending a text message to the assassin. “We have one more target for you.” “Who is the lucky person?” Xenia said while opening the car door and sitting on the driver’s seat. “The Prime Minister of Japan.” Mercy replied in a cold voice. “He may be a little hard to find in all of this rubble.” Xenia said in a mocking tone. “I am sending you his last known transmission. Our employer’s satellites were able to track it to a specific location that is not far from you.” Mercy replied. “Why not send in that big, muscled brute or the metal man?” Xenia asked while looking over the coordinates. “Juggernaut and Durge have been pulled out of the field. After this completing this new assignment, you too, will be cleared to leave.” “What about... What was his name again?” Xenia said while shaking her head. “The animal? Boris?” “Boris will no longer be a part of our operations. He was eliminated in the field.” “Oh, I see… What a shame? I was starting to like that wrinkled beast.” Xenia replied while a smile. “I guess that means our rate may double since we’ve lost one of our teammates.” “Complete your objective and we will discuss your benefits.” “Understood, Mercy.” Xenia replied before hanging up the phone. She ignited her engine and sped off into the direction of the GPS coordinates. Speeding across the broken landscape and evading the sections of structures that had crashed down onto the streets, Xenia was driving as if she was mad. Her fingers were gripped tightly around the steering wheel as her gaze peered out in what laid before her. Once she saw that she was close to the coordinates, Xenia's started bringing her bright red Ferrari to a stop. She stepped out of her vehicle and sauntered toward the trunk of her car. With the trunk propped open, the assassin started to prepare herself for yet another battle. Assembling her weapons and arming herself with what she could, the dark-haired operative looked around her environment. Her dark-soulless eyes looked over the screen on her phone and she saw that the transmission for Japan's Prime Minister was close. Quietly, she started prowling through the area in search of her prey. It was not long until her ears perked up. She made her way toward a covered area and glanced out to see a small group of beaten and battered men. These men looked as if they had crawled their way out of the Earth itself. Each one of them looked exhausted and bloodied from this ordeal, but they had that look to say that it was far from over. They being confronted by a female operative. From Xenia's viewpoint, she appeared to be specialist of some sort. Despite having a vantage point, Xenia did not have a clear shot on the American. After looking over the group of men once again, she smiled as her dark-soulless eyes fell upon her target. Lifting her machine gun, Xenia aimed it at the group and squeezed the trigger. Several shots rang out and cloud of red mist filled the air around. Xenia hissed as she saw the Prime Minister being pulled away and dragged under a pile of rubble for cover. Immediately, the American operative started firing at Xenia position. Knowing all too well that she was in for another battle, the sadistic assassin started to chuckle. "I can already tell you are going to be so much fun!" Xenia laughed. ******************** This battle takes place after Juggernaut's battle with the Teen Titans, Durge's victory over Captain America, and Boris the Animal's defeat at the hands of Nick Fury. Xenia was given orders to track down and eliminate the Prime Minister of Japan in the ruins of London. Kate was given orders to protect the Prime Minister and get him out of the area. Kate is armed with a machine gun, 2 pistols, a stun grenade, and a combat knife. Xenia is armed with a machine gun, 2 pistols, and a pair of karambits knives.

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