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"Hey there," Selina's voice wakes me from my bedside.

I slowly and lazily parted my eyelids and rolled over to see her standing with her hands on her hips.

"Selina?," I mumbled as I focused on her face. I shifted my gaze to the other side of my bed and torn sheets to see it empty. "Where's Cass?"

"Upstairs with everyone else," Selina answers, pointing a finger over her head. "We were going to let you wake up on your own but Elrick made lunch and asked me to, quote - unquote, 'drag your helpless ass out of bed'."

"Elrick cussed?," I questioned, giving her a strange, exhausted stare. "I guess he's still pissed at me."

"You know him better than I do," Selina points out, "but I just got here about ten minutes ago."

"Do you ever go to work anymore?," I asked her, sitting up, hanging my legs over the bed and pulling my boxers on.

It's nothing she hasn't seen before.

"Only when I don't have anything better to do," Selina says with a grin as I stand and retrieve my pants from the floor. "The way I'm working things now, I can keep my shop open and still hang out with you guys, whether we're assassinating people for the King or not. I should have hired someone to cover for me a long time ago. But you make it sound like you've trying to get rid of me."

"Please," I begged, stuffing a leg into my jeans, "I couldn't get rid of you even if I wanted to."

"Good point," Selina smiles.

"What time is it?," I asked, sitting on the bed to put on my boots.

"Late afternoon," Selina answered, "you've been out for a while."

"I've been sleeping in a lot lately for some reason," I mumbled, mostly to myself, as I slipped a foot into a boot and tied the strings.

"Probably because you're still injured," Selina says, pointing in my face.

"I can feel my head pounding from the alcohol more than my injuries," I stated, tying off my other boot and gripping my temple between a finger and thumb.

"You and everyone else," Selina says, doing the same. "But other than that, you seem like you're doing pretty well. I thought I'd literally have to drag you up the stairs."

I stood with ease, feeling a sharp pain jab into the center of my back and spread down my spine but nothing that would make me flinch. I looked down and scanned over my body, clenching and unclenching my hands and shifting my weight between each leg.

"Now that you mention it," I said, balancing perfectly on my right toes, "besides the hangover, I feel great." With a confident grin, I turned to face the foot of my bed, hopped on the edge with a single foot and popped up into the enclosed airspace with a quick back flip before planting my feet firmly back on the floor. "Fuckin' fantastic! I barely felt that!"

"Well, don't get cocky," Selina says, waving a finger at me, "I don't care how mutated your recovery system is or whatever, you're still hurt."

"Don't you worry, honey," I said with a smile, "I'll be just fine. Let's go upstairs, I'm hungry."

I started walking towards my bedroom door as Selina followed behind me.

"Aren't you gonna put a shirt on?," she asks as we walk through the den.

"I won't need it," I told her as I took my first step on the spiral staircase. "The Old Man's pretty initiative, I bet he's finished with my sweatshirt and drawn up that map to Victor's cottage already."

"Well, let's find out," Selina points out.

I stopped halfway up the staircase and held out a hand to her when she halted behind me. "After the girls leave," I told her, "this thing about Victor needs to stay between the four of us."

"Alright then," Selina says, nodding with curiosity. "Don't quite get why but you are my boss."

" I am, aren't I?," I rhetorically asked with a grin as I looked up.

"Don't let it go to your head, ass," Selina warns me, playfully swatting my arm, "I'm good at following orders and I trust your judgement but I'll stand my ground if I have to."

"I wouldn't expect any less," I told her as I continued up the stairs, "your independence is one thing I love most about you."

"Really?," Selina asks, surprise in her voice, "Thank you, Nate."

I turned my head back to her as I reached the top of the stairs and gave her a smile, "you're very welcome," I told her. I held my hand out to her as she approached the top of the staircase, she placed hers in mine, I hugged her as she hugged me back and lovingly kissed her cheek.

She kissed mine and looked at me as we held each other, "what's with you today?," Selina asks with a raised eyebrow. "You're shockingly more affectionate than usual."

"Don't flatter yourself," I picked as I released her and walked towards the doorway into the front room, "it wasn't a romantic or sexual gesture."

"Obviously," Selina says playfully swatting me again. "Ass."

"Bitch."

We walked into the room where Jacob, Elrick, Cassidy and Alex sat at the table in the center digging into bowls of some strange looking slop.

"Is that oatmeal?," I asked as Selina and I approached the others.

"Yes, it is," Elrick answers, staring down into his bowl as he chews. "I was up most of the night working and I'm not feeling very creative today."

"You didn't have to do everything I asked in one night, you know," I told him as I watched Selina walk into the lab to get some food.

"I don't like stacking things on my to-do list," Elrick points out, "and even if I had, I wouldn't have gotten any sleep anyway."

I lowered my head and looked down at the table with a shameful crooked expression. "I'm sorry, Elrick," I pleaded, "I have a lot to make up for."

"That's an understatement," Elrick says.

I didn't respond, I deserve all the criticism he throws at me.

"Well, good morning to you too," Cassidy says, starring at my revealed chest with a smirk, wearing her skirt and one of my black tees.

I smiled at her and Alex when she looked up as well, "good afternoon, girls," I said, "how do you feel?"

"Like someone's hitting me in the face with a hammer," Alex replies first, probably for Cassidy and Jacob as well.

"Too much alcohol will do that to you," Elrick says, grinning at the girls.

"Totally worth it," Jacob butts in, still shoveling oatmeal into his mouth, "last night was the most fun I've had in a while."

"Ditto," the twins said simultaneously then giggled at each other.

Elrick averted his attention to me for a moment before turning to his bowl then doubling back at me. "Where are your bandages?," he asked, looking up into my eyes.

I reached into my pocket to find the roll of bandages Jacob striped from me the night before still sitting inside then I shut my eyes with a sigh.

Completely forgot about that. And I almost got away with it, too.

"In my pocket," I admitted, pulling them out.

Elrick shook his head and turned back to his oatmeal. "I'm not even going to ask."

"Well, I'm feeling a lot better," I try to lay out an excuse, "I really don't think I need them anymore. How do the holes look?" I turned around to face my back at Elrick and waited for a response.

"What in the hell?," I hear Jacob's voice question something as he dropped his spoon in his bowl, "are those the stitches?"

"Yes, they are," Elrick confirms while I hear his bowl hit the table and his chair skid across the floor as he stands. I felt his hands spreading the fur on my back at every point where the Boss' claws dug into my skin. Then I felt the skin being yanked outwards as Elrick sliced the stitches with his claw and pulled them out, one by one. "Incredible. I didn't expect them to seal so quickly, the hair is already starting to grow back. How do you feel, Nathaniel?"

"Amazing," I said with an unseen grin, "besides the pounding migraine and a little leftover pain in my spine, I think I'm ready to take on the King's first assignment."

"That is not happening," Elrick says as his hands were removed from my back. I turned back around to watch Elrick sit down, tossing the stitches in a trash can next to the table. Selina came back into the room with two bowls of oatmeal and handed one to me then we both joined everyone else at the table. "You are not fully recovered yet," Elrick continues. "If something were to go wrong, you'd end up in just as bad a state as you were when you returned last night, and if I'm not mistaken, you'll need to be at the top of your game."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said, frowning as I spooned my oatmeal. "I'm just excited is all. I feel better than ever already and I'm ready to get back on my feet."

"Don't get me wrong, son, you have every right to be excited," Elrick says, giving me a assuring nod as I took my first bite, "you've surpassed my expectations and if I had to take another educated guess, you should be perfectly fine in a few hours."

"That soon?," I asked, my eyes wide, my mouth full of oatmeal.

"Indeed," Elrick says, "you'll know when that pain in your spine starts to fade."

"You're just working me up even more," I said with a confident smile.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Elrick said, placing his spoon into his empty bowl. He offered to take the twin's empty bowls and took Jacob's as Jacob held it up to him and vanished into the lab.

"That was delicious," Cassidy says, licking her lips. "He's a really good cook."

"I hear ya," I agreed, sinking my teeth into the yummy slop and swallowing, "he can make anything taste good except for the meds he prescribes to his patients."

Elrick's voice was heard obnoxiously laughing from the lab immediately after I said that.

"Anyway," I mumble, turning my attention back to the table and my food.

"We should probably go, Cass," Alex says, turning to her sister, "we usually have the store opened by now."

"You guys are leaving already?," Selina asks, sticking a spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth. "I just got here!"

"I know, we're sorry," Cassidy pleads as she held Selina's hand. "But she's right. We do actually have a schedule."

"Fine," Selina huffs before she swallows her food. "If you absolutely have to."

The twins stood and hugged Selina on each side of her. "We love you," they said in unison.

"I love you, too," Selina said casually, shoveling into her oatmeal once more, "I better see you two again."

"You will, promise," Alex tells her, smiling, as the girls walked around to us.

Alex wrapped her arms around Jacob from behind as Cassidy did the same to me. We both looked at them and they immediately forced their tongues into our mouths. I'm pretty sure we were both surprised at first but quickly gave in and kissed them back, holding onto the feeling for a few moments before the girls pulled away.

"Thanks for last night, boys," Cassidy says with a seductive tone, looking down into my aroused eyes.

"We had a great time," Alex added with the same voice. The twins kissed our cheeks then walked back around and towards the door. "See you all later!"

"Later," Jacob and I said together, grinning at the girls in a daze as they walked out with the same expression.

The door closed behind them then I turned back to my oatmeal. As I spooned some and savored the flavor in my mouth, I noticed Selina staring at us with a disturbed look, her spoon hovering in the air with the slop spilling over and back into her bowl.

"What the hell are you staring at?," Jacob asks before I could say something.

"Are you sure you two aren't related?," Selina asks in response, waving her spoon at us.

"Not by blood," I answered, taking another bite. "Why?"

"You might as well be," she said, sticking her spoonful in her mouth, "you act just like them."

"Oh, you mean our bond," I stated, chewing then swallowing. "Didn't we demonstrate that at your dad's shop like... I can't remember. Jake?"

"Close to a month ago," Jake fills in the gap, lighting a pre-rolled joint. "Twenty-six days ago, to be exact."

"I didn't know you could count that high," Selina teases Jacob, smiling as she chews. "And yeah, you did, I'm just surprised at how much it shows now that I actually spend my time with you guys."

"No one's forcing you," Jacob teased back, passing the joint to me.

I took another quick bite, took the piece as I swallowed then took my hit and held it out to Selina.

"My life got a lot more interesting since you two walked into it," Selina says, taking the joint from me. "I like it."

"Does that mean we can count on you sticking around for a while?," I asked, releasing my smoke with my words then spooning what little oatmeal I had left.

"Yeah," Selina says with a smile, "yeah, I think so."

I smiled back at her with a sudden sense as if she had just forged a permanent bond with us. It's not the same as mine and Jacob's, it probably never will be, but as Jacob and I looked at each other, I could tell we both felt the same connection with her. Jacob shrugged, probably too proud to admit it, and took the joint from Selina as I grinned at him.

No sooner did Elrick walk back into the room and throw my sweatshirt on my head. "Jacob, I finished the modifications on yours as well," Elrick says to him, handing him his new customized orange and black jacket as I finished my oatmeal then stood from the table and held my sweatshirt out in front of me. "Selina, if you'd like to give me yours now, I can have it ready for you in a couple of hours."

"That's fine with me," Selina says, standing, stripping off her new white hoodie with the multicolored stars and handing it to Elrick.

"How did you know we'd need ours done?," Jacob questions.

"I figured it was a given," Elrick answers, "you left yours sitting here on the table last night although I think you were too intoxicated to realize it."

Jacob looked at Elrick for a few moments as he hit the joint before opening his mouth to speak, "touché."

I examined my sweatshirt. The new hood large enough to conceal my face in the shadow is stitched on perfectly. I felt the smooth, soft black layer on the inside of the hood and sleeves Elrick added, it's as if it had always been there.

"I used a blend of cotton and polyester for the new layer," Elrick informs as I switch out my sweatshirt to examine the inside. "It's breathable, lightweight and soft to the touch. The only downfall is it will take a while to dry after a wash."

"That's a small price to pay," I told him, appreciating his work as I switched it back out and popped my head through the neck hole. "Great job, Old Man, I can't thank you enough."

"You're welcome," Elrick smiles. "I may be hard on you but there is reason behind it."

"He's not a child, dude," Jacob smarts off, tapping my elbow to hand me the joint.

Elrick rolled his eyes and watched Jacob as he stood and put his new jacket on. "Nathaniel, I added a little detail of my own to your sweatshirt that I think you'll appreciate," Elrick says, turning to me. "It was an idea that popped into my head while I was adding the new layer. I figured it could be a great help on your missions."

I puffed the joint and handed it back to Jacob who handed it to Selina then stripped the sweatshirt back off and examined it again. Nothing on the pattern looked any different, no changes visible on the front or back. I switched it out and examined the coal black layer for any anomaly but found nothing.

"I don't see anything," I said, double checking both sides.

"I designed it that way," Elrick said, holding his hand out with a cocky grin. I handed it to him and let him fiddle with something on the back of the new layer. Suddenly, it sounded as if there was a small rip in the cloth but it was very faint, hardly noticeable, even to me. Elrick revealed an opening in the back and held it out to me. "Put your hand in there and feel around," he told me.

I cautiously did as he asked and felt around inside the hole. I found nothing until my finger tapped something that felt like metal. I ran my finger around the piece and discovered it to be some kind of thin ring. I stuck my finger through the ring and pulled the mysterious object out then found myself holding a small, shockingly light weighted black steel throwing knife. Perfectly balanced, so much so, I spun it around my fingers and over my wrist with ease. I felt so right playing with it, it's like my father had made it.

"This thing is awesome," I said, laughing as the blade twisted around my hand in every direction.

"I am so fucking jealous," Selina says, staring at the blade flipping between my fingers as she spoons her oatmeal.

"There are ten inside in all," Elrick explains, "each one in its own holster hidden between the two layers. Which can be retrieved through a small silenced-velcro sealed opening on either layer. The knife's holsters are all sewed to the inside of the new black layer and face the rings of the knives in the same direction towards both openings. However, keep in mind that, due to the interchangeability, the direction the opening faces will change sides when you switch it out."

I held the blade still in my hand and examined the sweatshirt in Elrick's. "So the seal on the black layer would be facing my right hand and the other on the pattern would be facing my left," I dumbed down his explanation.

"Exactly," Elrick confirmed with a nod. "I alined each opening parallel with each other. The opening on the pattern is hidden within the black stripe across the abdomen to conceal its existence while off the job but still allow easy access in a sudden crisis situation. Just to be safe."

"Where did you get the knives?," I asked, taking the sweatshirt, switching it back out to the pattern and putting it back on.

"They were a gift to me from a friend," Elrick answers as my head popped back through the neck hole, "fortunately, we were not close enough for him to realize I would have no use for them."

"They're unbelievably light," I stated, feeling for the secret pocket on my left side then feeling for the empty holster to replace the blade. "I can't even tell they're there."

"Do you like it?," Elrick asks, cupping his hands out to me.

"I love it, Elrick," I told him with a smile, "thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Elrick says, smiling back.

"Why didn't I get some ninja upgrade?," Jacob complains, waving for Elrick's attention.

Elrick gave Jacob a lazy stare and crossed his arms. "Can you honestly say you wouldn't have missed your target and lost the knives?," Elrick questions.

"Not my point," Jacob says, sitting back at the table in defeat.

I turned back to Elrick and attempted to open my mouth and say something, "Hey, Elrick, about last night, I -

"Do not worry about it, son," Elrick cuts me off, holding a hand up to me. "I've come to terms that you're not one of my usual patients and you crave your freedom, just as Jacob, so I'll try not to limit you anymore than I have to. But, please, the next time one of you brings a girl home, stuff her face in a pillow."

My jaw dropped as I stared at Elrick in shock. "Did you really just say that?," I questioned then turned to Jacob and his shocked expression, "Did he really just say that?"

"I think he did just say that," Jacob answers then turns to Elrick, "did you just say that?"

"Yes, I did just say that," Elrick casually admits.

"Did you get that from your erotica?," I asked with a devilish smirk.

Elrick ignored my question, rolling his eyes and disappearing back into the lab with Selina's hoodie.

"That was unexpected," Selina points out, pushing her empty bowl across the table as I sit back down and pluck the joint from Jacob's fingers right after he hits it.

"You're telling me," Jacob says as I puffed and sat back down. "I've known him all my life and never heard him say anything like that."

"He reads too much porn," I joked, handing the joint to Selina.

"I heard that," Elrick says from the lab.

The three of us laughed, more with Elrick than at him, even though he wasn't laughing. I can only guess what face he's wearing on the other side of that wall. He probably didn't think it was very humorous. But we found it pretty funny.

"So what's on the menu today, boys?," Selina asks, stretching her legs across the table's bench as she takes a long inhale from the piece. Selina held it for a few seconds, holding a finger up to keep us from speaking then exhaled and dropped her hand. "Nate, you're feeling better, should we go after Victor?"

"No, not yet," I said, watching the piece pass to Jacob's fingers. "Let's give it another day or so, I want to be at full strength and we might have to leave early morning depending on how far the Indo Forest is from the city. Besides, I have something else in mind for today."

"And that is?," Jacob asks then takes his hit.

"Today's training day, Jake," I answered with a smile.

Jacob sighed out his smoke as he dropped his head and unenthusiastically rose from his seat. "I'll go get the crossbow," he said, walking off.

"Hold up, you didn't let me finish," I said, grasping his arm to stop him. "You won't be needing it today. Selina and I are going to teach you and Anthony how to fight."

" You are?," Jacob asks, looking at me funny.

"We are?," Selina asks, giving me the same look.

"Yes, we are," I assured, standing from the table and walking towards the front door. "Meet me in the courtyard in a few, I'm gonna go find Anthony."

I opened the door and whizzed through as Jacob said, "cool" from behind me just before I shut the door.

Like any other day, I stomped through the corridors, hands in my pockets, heading downstairs with a smile. A new proud sense of leadership washed over my face as I moved.

I'm liking this new job already. Being lead of a highly trained tactical force gives me goosebumps under my fur. Even though two of my teammates have no training at all or, in Anthony's case, not enough. We'll get pass that though, that's what today is all about. It'll take a while, Selina and I have to teach them in a couple months what we learned over our entire lives, but I'm confident Jacob and Anthony will pull through and make us both proud.

As God as our witness, when we're done, we'll all be ready for anything.

I walked into the hall above the courtroom and bummed into some guards turning in my direction.

"Whoa, sorry about that, kid," one of the knights says.

I gave him a slightly aggravated look and crossed my arms. "I am not a kid," I said with certain emphasis. "I'm fuckin' twenty."

"Sorry," the knight says again as he and the other walked down the hall I just came from.

"Hey," I called out the them, "can you guys deliver a message to Anthony for me?"

"Admiral Anthony?," the other guard questions, seemingly surprised.

I pinched my temple and placed my free hand at my waist. "Yes, the Admiral," I said, feeling the hangover pound with their stupidity then looked back up. "Can you tell him he's needed in the courtyard?"

"I guess," the same guard says with a shrug, "whose calling for him exactly?"

"His new boss," I said, grinning at myself then disappearing around the corner.

Instead of taking the usual path leading into the main hall behind the castle's front doors, I traveled across the balcony above the courtroom hallway and began taking a different route towards the courtyard. It's a longer walk than I remember since I trained the archers. I had to move through several sperate rooms and corridors, hallways and wooden doors until I found myself walking out onto the green grass of the open field. I shuffled across the cushioned soil to the center of the courtyard, sat down in an Indian position and pulled my tin case out of my pocket to roll a joint.

It's nice to smoke alone once in a while.

A minute or two passed before a cherry enflamed the end of the new joint of Devil's Fruit and the tin case returned to my pocket. I laid back in the grass, resting my head on a palm and closed my eyes as I inhaled. As the smoke passed over my tongue and into my lungs, I slowly dazed into a trip. The warmth of the sun beating down on my body intensified, burned into my bones and soothed my muscles. A slight draft blowing by weaved between every hair on my body, tickled my nerves and giving me a delightful chill. Holding the smoke while it buzzed my brain, I opened my eyes to the bright blue sky. My vision became pleasantly distorted, scrambling my perception all over my point of view. Soon, the tingle washed through my limbs into every fracture of my being, pulling me off the ground and propelling me into the sky.

I don't get to enjoy my weed like this that often, it's always so peaceful. With Jacob at my side twenty-four/seven, it's kind of hard to let your mind go when he's constantly yapping. I love him, really, I do, but he literally doesn't know how to shut up. Getting away once in a while has easily become a necessity for me that I'm going to have to pay more attention to.

I literally feel like I'm flying. The tingle is so strong now, I can't feel the ground under my body. The bright blue of the sky and the puffy white clouds are all I can make out and the way the THC flows through my brain makes me feel like I'm floating around in every which way and direction, tossing around in the air like a ragdoll. I continued to hold onto the feeling and my breath for as long as I could but, eventually, I felt like I was beginning to suffocate so I released the mixture of carbon dioxide and marijuana smoke out of my lungs in a long, heavy breath. Well, carbon dioxide, anyway. All the smoke had been absorbed in my lungs, there was none left to exhale. Slowly but surely, I started to come down from my high, floating back to the ground, regaining my vision as the tingle in my body and the buzzing in my brain seized to an end. I took a few breaths and puffed deeply again.

I remember when I smoked for the first time. Four years old and my father couldn't have been more proud, oddly enough. I took my first hit like a fucking champ and I wouldn't have coughed if my father hadn't roughly patted my back the way he did. He gave the impression that he was congratulating my endurance but as I grew up, I realized he and Tony just thought it'd be funny. Which was fine, shifting to their perception, I found it pretty hilarious as well. To my delight, I exacted my revenge on them both on a number of occasions and eventually it turned into a cruel game, mostly between my father and I. Until Jacob moved to the mountains, then it was the four of us knocking each other around and forcing one another to cough up their lungs. On a few rare occasions, one of us would end up coughing up our lunch. Or breakfast. Whatever we last ate, let's put it that way. Tony gave that particular reaction a name, he used to call it "choking out" and at the moment when the first person puked from the harsh coughing, unfortunately, it was me, we all ruled that if one of us were to choke out, that person would get immunity for the day as a way of saying, "you've taken enough abuse".

My mother hated the game, she really, really fucking hated it. When she caught us in the act, she would bitch up a storm, send Tony and Jacob home then bitch at my father and I some more. Seriously, if there was a bitch who could bitch more than her on her bitchiest day when she walked in on us, especially when one of us choked out, I would love to meet her. Not that my mom is a bitch, she's an angel. When she wants to be.

We stopped playing the game all together when my father disappeared. Jacob tried to cheer me up by forcing the game down my throat until I choked out. Needless to say, I was quite pissed. Jacob got his fourteen year old ass beat by a ten year old that day and he hasn't ever come close to pushing me that far since. I never said anything about it afterwards and no one ever brought it up. Looking back on it, I think I was so angry because it was my father's game. He started it the day he gave me my first joint and it was always more of a thing between him and I rather than all four of us, as juvenile as it was. When he vanished, I had no desire to take it any further. When Jacob tried, I felt he was insulting his memory. It would have been better for all of us if I had said that instead of going over the edge and kicking his ass, but as bad as this might sound, it did give me a certain leadership between the two of us which eventually spread over what family I had left and some of the locals of the village. Since then, Jacob has always followed behind me, he still does for the most part, and I think he's okay with that. I might have played a part in shaping him into to overly confident hardass he is today but he definitely played his own part in shaping me into... whatever I am. So much has changed since we came to the city and I've already done things I never thought I'd do, I don't even know what to think about myself anymore. Nonetheless, as long as I have that hardass by my side and vice versa, we'll both we alright. We need each other more than we'll admit.

It's really too bad my marijuana doesn't affect me like it used to, I'd be a lot more lenient and relaxed. That trip into the sky would have lasted for hours but I've been smoking since I was almost five so I guess I've built up a tolerance for it. It's a daily habit for me, and Jacob for that matter, so I'm sure I'm not the only one whose built up that tolerance. Actually, I'm very, very doubtful that I'm the only one in the city, let alone the kingdom. I'd like to go back to the days when I could get blitzed out of my fucking mind with Jacob, Tony and my father, even just for a day, but it'll never happen, sadly.

I'll take what I can get, though, I'm not a self centered person. I treasure the family I have left and the new members as well. And as far as my smoking habit goes, I'm not really complaining much less daydreaming. It's just a thought. A memory. A very good memory. One I'll hold onto for the rest of my life. That first toke that ever passed over my lips will always remind me of my father, among other things.

"Nathaniel!," a manly Irish voice calls for me, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

I lifted my slightly buzzing head with the joint pinched between two claws and watch Anthony as he stomped across the field up to me.

"Hey there, Admiral," I greeted him, sitting up and holding the joint out to him, "what's it look like I'm doing?"

"Do you want to tell me why I was just called from my office by, and I quote, 'my new boss',?" Anthony questions, throwing his hands at me instead of taking the joint.

"Because I called for you," I said then dropped my hand with the piece between my claws.

"You do NOT have that kind of authority here!," Anthony yells, pointing down at the ground. "You're authority is on the field, nothing more!"

"How else would I have gotten you out here?," I asked, waving my hand at him. "I figured that would have pissed you off but if I had given my name, you wouldn't have come."

"You don't know that," Anthony says, pointing a finger at me.

"Yeah, Anthony, I do," I argued, holding the joint out to him again.

He gave me a frustrated look and snatched the piece from my fingers. "What the bloody hell is so damn important that you were compelled to draw me down here anyway?," he asks then angrily puffs the joint.

"Remember how I said I was going to make up my mistakes to you?," I asked, standing and crossing my arms.

"What of it?," Anthony asks again, handing the joint back to me.

"Well, I thought of a way to keep my word," I said, plucking the piece from his hand. "Selina and I are gonna spend the next few months whipping yours and Jake's asses into fighting shape."

"You dragged me down here to train me?," Anthony questions as his eyes pop out, "Are you joking?"

"No, man, I'm not," I told him then puffed and exhaled. "I told you I was going to teach you how to hold your own and that's what we're here for. Look, this needs to be done. Jake alone wouldn't stand much of a chance in the field but what if we were to come into conflict with someone like the smuggler boss? I barely handled him both times I fought him. I hate to say this to you, Anthony, but if it comes down to that, in your current state, you'd be dead within seconds, no matter how capable you think you are."

"I am perfectly capable of handling anything you can," Anthony insists. "I did not spend the past thirty years working my way up to the top of the military food chain to be mentored by a mountain man and a bimbo hardly half my age."

"I agree," I said, handing the joint back to him, "mostly. But that's what's happening and you're going to have to deal with it. I'm doing this for all of our benefit. We're a team now, Anthony, and we all need to be an unstoppable force if we're to do the things the King asks of us. Can you stand there and tell me that you can keep up with our level in the presumed ungodly hell we're supposed to march into?"

"I am certain I can," Anthony says, waving the joint at me. "You subdued me ONCE and by surprise, no less."

"Yeah, and if we had been in each other's shoes at the time, I still would have kicked your ass," I gloated with a grin. "Please don't get me wrong, you're a remarkable man. But it's just not enough. If you don't do this with us, even Jacob will be able to easily take you down when his training is finished."

"I resent that," Anthony says, holding the joint out to me while pointing at me with the same hand, "I refuse to accept that he will ever surpass me."

"If you go back to your office now, he will, I promise you that," I said, taking the joint. "You saw how well your archer's skills improved first hand when I was done with them. I even got Jake shooting at my level," I pressed a thumb into my chest, "MY level, Anthony. And with Selina's help training him now, well, you might as well kiss your dignity goodbye, man."

"Choose your words carefully," Anthony tells me.

"I'm just saying," I defended, "you need this as bad as he does whether you want to admit it or not."

Anthony stared at me for a while as I puffed on the roach of my joint then brushed out the cherry on my boot and slipped it into my pocket.

"Alright, how about this," Anthony finally replies, turning to me. "I'll make you a deal. You and I have a rematch right here."

"You... you want to fight me?," I asked with a slight laugh. I tried to hold it back, realizing how disrespectful it is.

"You're damn right," Anthony nodded with a serious face. "If you win, I'll do your ridiculous training. But if I win, you will request an audience when you need to speak with me from now on like everyone else."

"Hold on, that's not fair to me," I pleaded, raising a finger. "Whether you win or lose, you get something out of this. If I win, I get to spend the next few months with your optimistic ass."

"Then what would you propose?," Anthony asks, instant regret for asking in his eyes.

"If I win," I answer, tapping my chin with my finger, "you do the training and I get the right to knock on your front door when I need you."

"You're insane if you think I'd give you that privilege," Anthony says, shaking his head.

"Would you rather I continue to call on you as your superior?," I asked, peering at him. "You know I'm going to."

"Then you will suffer the consequences for defying order of the law," Anthony responds.

"If that's what it takes to get your attention," I shrugged. "I want to be able to contact you at a moment's notice. I may need your help at some point and I probably won't have time to sit in the waiting room for my trusted teammate to come to the rescue. What happens then?"

"You are a stubborn sonofvabitch, you know that?," Anthony rhetorically asks.

"It's been said," I replied anyway, shrugging again.

"Fine," Anthony says, "you have a deal but I am not going to go easy on you."

"Fair enough," I said, beginning to stretch my muscles. "I'll try not to hurt you."

Anthony began to strip off his armor beginning with his chest plate. Next, his pauldrons then his tunic and the chainmail beneath that. His bare chest now exposed, his vambraces hit the ground last followed by Anthony's posture shifting to an elegant stance.

"Do you really have to be half naked for this?," I asked, motioning to him.

"Less constriction," Anthony replies, firmly rooting his footing. "Get on with it already."

"If that's how you want it, then" I said, striping off my sweatshirt and tossing it aside. I took a few moments of deep breathing to clear my head.

I want this over faster than it starts. One good blow in the right spot. Enough to put him down without serious injury. And I think I know how I'll do it.

As I inhaled deeply, my body steadily flowed into a stance then to another as I exhaled. A third stance as I took in another breath then a fourth as I exhaled again.

"What are you doing?," Anthony asks from across the way, still in his form. "I've never seen that style before."

"Well not to be a dick," I said, fractioning my attention towards him as I continued to shift between my forms, flowing my chakras as a steady stream in the woods, "but it's why you're not going to win. This style is one I've learned I share with Selina. Very precise," I took a final stance with my right hand and foot in lead, my focus now on him, "and very lethal."

"Is this a sparring match or a fight to the death?," Anthony questions, giving me a look.

"Neither," I replied, "it's a grudge settler. Whatever it takes to get you to look past your pride and realize I'm right. Now come at me."

Anthony took a quick charge at me at the moment I provoked him. He has much greater speed than I anticipated. He crossed the distance between us in a couple of seconds and clocked me with a left hook faster than I could follow. I tumbled back, rolled over twice then caught myself on the third roll and popped back to my feet in the original form.

"I'll give you credit, Admiral," I said with a grin, "I didn't see that coming."

"That's what decades of military service does for you," Anthony smirks. "Still think I need your help?"

"Yes, I do," I reassured him. "As I said before, its just not enough."

"Well, we're about to find out," Anthony says.

He took another intensive burst at me with his blinding speed but I was ready this time. A jump kick came at me this time, recklessly flying unstable through the air. If he were to miss me, it'd be one hell of a fail. Instead, his boot planted firmly in both of my palms as I blocked his kamikaze attack. I then twisted his foot to spin him, back facing the ground as I pulled him towards me to line up my next move. Two tightened knuckles dug into Anthony's gut and propelled him downward into the grassy plain. Anthony coughed fiercely as he hit the ground and grasped my arm with both hands while he tried to pull my strike out of his stomach.

That might have been a little overboard.

"Are you alright?," I asked calmly, standing over him and looking regretfully down into his eyes.

"That's the first time you actually hit me," Anthony says, growning ferociously through his words. "You pack a much bigger wallop than I expected."

"Yeah, I guess it just gets bigger every time," I said, ignoring the dirty humor in my words and thinking back to Elrick's research. I held a hand down to him, grasped his wrist and pulled him to his feet. "Do we have to keep doing this? I'm going to end up doing more damage than I want."

"I will not forfeit," Anthony says, reforming his stance. "Prepare yourself."

God dammit.

I took a few steps back then reformed my stance as well. Anthony charged me again and thrust a fist aimed for my right kidney. I blocked with my lead hand then used the other to jabbed two knuckles into his carotid artery. He stumbled back a single step then rushed me again as he endured the sudden shock of the blow. Another left hook whizzed by my cheek as I dodged the attack. A knee swiftly rose towards my chin which I blocked in my palms before it reached above my waist followed by another thrust that did break through my defense and strike a rib, luckily, on the side the Boss damaged the least. It didn't break but it's going to hurt like a bitch for a while.

As if the hangover wasn't enough.

I recoiled, gritting my teeth through the pain and hurried to block Anthony's next attack. He hurled yet another fist at my face. I caught the attack, absorbing the blow in my palm and, before he could strike again, I jabbed the two knuckles into the attacking arm's wrist twice. Anthony pulled from my grasp, wallowing on the afflicted arm, as he attempted to roundhouse me. I blocked yet again with my defending hand's forearm and jabbed my free hand's knuckles into the center of his forehead. Anthony appeared to be in a state of shock of some kind, though hardly noticeable as it was, it left me an opening as he caught his balance and shook off the blow. When he looked up to find his position in the duel, I had already closed the gap between us and struck his carotid artery again. He stepped back as he pulled away, unable to counteract, and stepped back again and again as I struck two separate points in his abdomen. Anthony swung at me in an attempt to turn the tides but it proved unsuccessful. I grabbed the attacking fist's wrist, twisted his arm around, forcing him to turn his back to me, swept his feet out from under him then pinned his arms behind him, my knee applying the pressure to keep him face down on the ground. Anthony began to groan and struggle under my grip but couldn't break free.

"Admit it, Anthony!," I yelled down to him in frustration. "You need my help! Let go of you're animosity for me and accept it!"

"Get off of me, you blooming mutt!," Anthony yelled back, struggling harder to get loose.

"Not until you give in!," I yelled again, tightening my grip and putting more weight into my hold. "If this goes on, I'm going to hurt you!"

"I will not!," Anthony screams. "I will fight until my final breath!"

"Well then, we're going to sit here until you tire yourself out," I calmly inform him.

Anthony struggled for quite a while longer, the man has incredible stamina that will be useful later on. He had me struggling for a bit to keep him under my control. It shames me a little to say that he did slip my grasp and sucker punched me in the snout but I quickly reacted by pulling him back to me by his tail and placed him in a head lock. Again, he struggled so I locked my hold. He struck my kidney with a few vicious elbows but I bit my lip through it and tightened my grasp. Which, in the long run, might have been a bad idea. Anthony struggled more intensively and struck me much harder for a few seconds then very slowly began to go limp in my grasp.

Oops...

Immediately releasing him and carefully laying him on his back, I then knelt down at his side and filled with remorse at how far this had gone. But, on the bright side, maybe he'll accept my training now. After he finishes bitching me out for knocking him unconscious.

"Anthony," I called to him as I shook his chest.

"Nate?," Jacob's voice carries from across the field. I looked up to see him and Selina walking towards Anthony and I.

I didn't even hear them come through the doors.

Jacob ran up to us as Selina followed behind him and rushed to my side, kneeling down next to Anthony.

"Jesus, what the hell did you do, Nate?," Selina questions, kneeling down next to me as well and feeling for a pulse.

"He's fine, don't worry," I told her.

"What happened?," Jacob asked, standing over Anthony's head.

"He made me fight him," I explained. "It got a little out of hand, I accidentally choked him out."

"Accidentally?," Jacob repeats, "How do you accidentally choke someone out?"

"Well, he would give in to reason, it was either this or the infirmary," I defended myself, motioning at Anthony. "But I may have fallen a little too deep into instinct."

"Do you think so?," Jacob sarcastically asks with wide eyes.

"Hold on, what am I missing here?," Selina asks, looking up from Anthony to me. "Why did he make you fight him?"

"I told him I wanted us to train him and Jake," I elaborated, "he refused then told me the only way he would do it is if I won in a sparring match."

"I guess you won," Jacob jokes, giving a slight snicker.

"Too soon, Jake," Selina says as she stands up.

I knelt over Anthony's head and gave him a few light slaps to his cheek. "Anthony," I called for him, slapping him a little harder, "Anthony, wake up!"

Jacob walked over and moved me out of his way. He knelt down over Anthony where I was, took in a long breath and let it all out in the Admiral's face, "AANNTHOONNNYYYYYY!!!"

Anthony suddenly jumped to life in an instant and socked Jacob in his loud mouth out of reflex.

"Awe, God dammit!," Jacob yells as he falls to the ground on his ass.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!," Anthony screams at Jacob as he wobbles to his feet.

"ME?!," Jacob questions, sitting up and gripping his nose with both hands. "YOU PUNCHED MY FACE!"

"You scared the shite out of me, you overgrown Chihuahua!," Anthony cusses at him then turns at me, "And you!"

"Don't even go there, Admiral," I warned him before he could continue. "The deal was you would do the training and give me the clearance I need if I won. You're not about to stand there and tell me you're not a man of your word, are you?"

"You did not fight fair!," Anthony announces, pointing his finger in the air and exclaiming his sentence as if Jacob and Selina were witnesses.

"How?," I questioned, raising a hand, "You wouldn't quit so to win, I did the next best thing."

Unintentionally.

"You choked me out!," Anthony exclaims further, getting in my face. "It's cheating!"

"It's mixed martial arts," I defended.

"It's dirty fighting!," he yells at me.

"It's survival, Anthony!," I yelled back, getting in his face. "The enemy isn't going to pass up an open nutshot just because it isn't fair! He doesn't care! In a single instant you could lose all your leverage in a fight and, obviously, you're not prepared to handle the situation! That's why you HAVE to train with us!"

"I'm not going to go back on my word," Anthony said, calming himself a bit. "I'm a man of honor and I will fulfill my end of the deal but you know nothing more of my skills than a few minutes in the ring."

"Apparently, that's all I needed," I said, crossing my arms. "Believe me or don't, it WAS that easy for me and I could do it as many times as I want."

"Nathaniel!," Selina yells under her breath as she slapped my arm. I turned around to look at her starring at me with disturbed eyes and crooked eyebrows. "Completely unnecessary!", Selina burned holes into my pupils for a second or two then looked at Anthony. "Anthony - I'm, sorry - Admiral, I know Nate can be a bit overbearing sometimes but there's good reason behind it. He's really an intelligent man, if he says you need the training, you should take the offer. It'll do you more good than you might think."

"I already said I would," Anthony says with attitude, "now get off my arse."

"Hey, easy, Admiral," I said, raising a hand between him and Selina, "no need to take it out on the lady. I'm you're target, remember?"

"Let's just get on with it!," Anthony pleads into the air.

"Okay, well, if we're going to get right down to it," I shrugged, looking at Selina. "I had an idea. I was thinking we could teach them both their own set of martial arts."

"What exactly do you mean?," Selina asks, questioning me with her blue eyes.

"Between you and I, we have several different arts to offer to them but we don't quite have the time to teach them everything," I explained, talking with my hands. "It'd take years. Decades. Even making sure they're prepared in a few months time is going to be one hell of a challenge. So what if we could help them choose the arts they want to learn from the list, say two each, max, and work with them individually? This way they're both progressing at the same pace and developing their own styles at the same time. I'll train Jake 'cause I'm the only one who can keep him focused and you can handle Anthony seeing as he's not too happy with me right now."

"That's a good idea," Selina says, nodding with a grin. "And after you two learn to fight like men, we're all going to work on our connections with each other. This new family of ours has some issues to work out."

"What?," Jacob asks, giving her a weird stare.

"What, what?," Selina replies, looking funny back at him. "I had an idea, too. I figured the best way for us to accomplish our goals is if we worked as one. Like a hive mind of a hornets nest."

"That's brilliant," I said, agreeing with her in an instant. "How would we go about doing that? Considering the infinite number of conditions we could be in, we'd have to have a way to communicate, no matter the situation."

"I can teach you the hand signals we use in the military," Anthony butts into the conversation as he approached Selina and I. "Provided you can see in the dark, it's the best way to get a message across."

"Good to see you pitching in, Admiral," I said with a smile.

"That'll work when we're moving as a group but what about when we're separated?," Jacob asks, walking up to the rest of us. "A hand sign isn't going to keep an arrow out of our heads if one of us got caught. We need a way to communicate over distances, too."

"That has got to be the smartest thing you've ever said," Selina says, peering at him. Jacob simply stuck his tongue out at her. "He's right. It's not like we'll be a single unit on every assignment. Obviously, we should plan our approach to every mission ahead before we so much as leave the castle but what if something goes wrong while we're split up?"

"I'm not sure...," I said, looking down in deep thought then shook it off. "We'll worry about that when we cross that bridge. For now, let's work on whipping their asses into shape."

"Alright, so let's make the list," Selina says with a peppy attitude and a wide smile while she clapper her hands together. "Please tell me we don't have to go back to the lab for some paper and a pen."

"I have a notepad you can use," Anthony says, digging into his dark jeans. He pulled out a small notepad from his pocket with a clip-on pen attached to the inside of the spine.

Selina took the notepad from him, removed the pen and flipped open the cover and a few pages that had already been written on. She found a blank page and began to scribble on the paper. A few seconds later, she hands both the notepad and the pen to me. I examined her list before placing my own.

Taekwondo

Jiu-Jitsu

Ringen

Kenpo Taiji

Kung Fu

Okay, I'm pretty sure Jacob will hook himself to Kung Fu so that's one for him. Which means Selina and I will have to switch students at some point. Anthony's insanely fast so the Taiji would be great for him. I think it's safe to assume he has an interest in the martial art that just kicked his ass, excluding the sleeper hold. I believe those would be the best first choices for them but I still have to add my list so I'll suggest them while they examine their options.

Shit... what IS on my list? It's been so long since I've thought about it... Let's see...

Obviously, the Taiji is excluded since it's already on Selina's list. Then there's... fuck, what's the opposite of Kung Fu again? It's something else with a "K"... dammit... oh well, it'll come to me sooner or later. The first art my father taught me was basic boxing. After that, it didn't take me long to pick up the more advanced techniques and move onto the next art. Which was... it's on the tip of my tongue... Gatka! I knew it had a funny name. It was also one of my favorites, a weapon-based Indian martial art that originally lead to my comfort with a bow. So there's boxing, that other "K" word, Gatka, Kenpo Taiji and... Sys-something. Sys... Syski? Systam... Systema! There we go. I believe that one is a Russian art based on self consciousness and calmness. I remember my father always telling me to fall back on its breathing and relaxation exercises if I'm worked up in any negative way.

And that's everything.

I scribbled my list onto the paper under Selina's and went over it again.

Taekwondo

Jiu-Jitsu

Ringen

Kenpo Taiji

Kung Fu

Boxing

Gatka

Systema

K

Still can't fucking remember that "K" word.

I handed the pad and pen back to Selina and watched her examine the list. "What's this 'K' at the bottom?," she asks, looking up at me.

"I wish I could remember," I replied with a shrug, "all I can be sure of is the name is Japanese for 'empty hand'. An unarmed based martial art."

"Do you mean Karate?," Selina asks, giving me an entertained giggle.

"YES!," I screamed, throwing my hands at her with relief. "God, thank you! That was going to annoy me all day."

"You're welcome," she says, looking down at the notepad and filling in the blank at the bottom with a grin. "Alright, boys, come take your picks."

Selina held the notepad out as Jacob and Anthony both reached for it. It left her hand but remained in both of theirs. They both tugged the pad back and forth until Anthony yanked it from Jacob's grasp and gave him a harsh look. They stared at each other for a moment then both looked down at the paper in Anthony's hand.

"I've never heard of any of these arts," Anthony says, skimming the page up and down. "Besides the Kung Fu. And Karate."

"Anthony, I think Kenpo Taiji would be great for you," I told him, crossing my arms.

"Why do you say that?," Selina asks, bumping my hip with her ass.

"You should have seen him when we fought," I answer, looking over to her, "he's a speed demon. He's really tapped into that tiger instinct."

"I want you to teach me the art you used against me," Anthony says, handing the pad to Jacob. "The blows you dealt with your knuckles were devastating. You can decide what else I'm to learn as long as that one comes first."

"That's the Taiji I suggested," I informed Anthony.

"Then that is my first choice," Anthony says.

"Alright," I acknowledged with a nod.

"I wanna learn some Karate, yo," Jacob says with a confident grin.

Huh. Guess I was wrong.

"Okay," I acknowledged Jacob as well then looked back at Selina. "So while I teach him Karate, work with Anthony on the Taiji."

"And after that?," Selina asks.

"Well, I'm thinking Anthony should also learn Systema," I replied, talking to her but looking at the Admiral. "It'd help his anger issues."

"Be nice, Nathaniel," Selina says, peering at me then rolling her eyes.

"What is that?," Anthony asks.

"It's a Russian martial art," I replied. "Literally meaning 'The System'. Actually, it fits well with the Kenpo Taiji, the offensive schematics between both have a unique similarity. And other than the given like self defense and fitness, it's used to develope a sense of peace in the body between the physical, the psychological and the spiritual levels."

"What will that teach me what the Taiji won't?," Anthony asks, "If they're so similar."

"The attack points are basically the same, precise areas scattered on the body but the main idea Systema will teach you is how to attack those exact points with weapons," I inform. "You of all people should know approaching a conflict unarmed has much different circumstances than when armed. But don't get me wrong, the two arts have significant differences as well."

"And you believe that if I am to learn these martial arts, it will do what exactly?," Anthony questions.

"It'll make you like me, Admiral," I answered, doubling back at Selina then raising a hand to her, "like us. You'll be as unstoppable as we are, as Jake will be."

"Speaking of," Selina butts in, bumping me again, "we still have a duel to settle."

"Later," I told her, "when we're done training for the day. Then these two can finally see what a real fight is like."

"Sounds good," Selina smiles.

I smiled back then looked over to Jacob still scanning over the list. "It's not that long of a list, Jake," I said in hopes he had made a decision.

"Don't rush me," Jacob says, keeping his eyes on the page. "It's hard to choose when I don't know what the fuck I'm choosing between."

"How 'bout I pick one for you," I suggested, taking the pad from him. I scanned the list once more from top to bottom then back up again. "Jiu-Jitsu."

"And that is what?," Jacob asked, looking at me funny.

I shrugged and turned my attention. "Selina?"

"Jiu-Jitsu is a Brazilian martial art focused around grappling," Selina informs with a smile. "The idea is that a smaller individual can successfully subdue a larger one with proper technique. Actually, paired with Karate, it'd make an excellent combo for him. Good pick, Nate."

"I aim to please," I said, tilting my head at her compliment. "Alright, let's get started."

I began to walk away from Selina and Anthony and motioned Jacob to come with me to the other side of the field.

"So," Jacob says, crossing his arms as we walked, "how was she?"

I looked over to him as we walked and started to ask who but my memory jogged itself in a matter of moments. "You mean Cassidy," I said aloud to myself. "She... opened my eyes to new things. What about Alex?"

"Exactly what I was gonna say," Jacob said, snickering at himself. "And Selina thinks we need to work on our connections with each other."

"You and I don't," I told him, "she was talking about our connection with Anthony. The guy hasn't been too happy with us lately."

"What do you mean us?," Jacob asked, "I haven't done a damn thing to him."

"He's pissed at me because... of a number of things," I explained, "he's pissed at you 'cause, well, Jake, you're a dick."

"Yeah, yeah," Jacob says, rolling his eyes and waving the statement away, "if I've heard it once."

"Alright, this is good," I said, stopping and turning towards Jacob.

"So where do we start?," Jacob asks.

"Where you start when learning anything, Jake," I answered, "the basics. Come stand next to me but leave the elbow room." Jacob did as I instructed and stood at my left side but far enough away to where we could do jumping jacks. "There are four simple aspects of Karate," I began to explain, "technique, pattern, study, and form."

"Study?," Jacob repeated.

"Meaning practice," I said, "understanding the techniques."

"Okay then," Jacob skeptically acknowledged.

"The quickest way I can sink years of training into your thickheaded skull is if I teach you these aspects first," I continued. "So first I'm going to teach you the basic blocks and attacks then I'll show you how to link them together through technique. After that, I'll teach you how to 'pattern' your knowledge into an effective fighting style and you should pick up on how to practice on your own. I would hope."

"What about the last thing?," Jacob questioned, "what about form?"

"That'll sink in with the rest of the training as well," I told him.

" Can I pick what we start with?," Jacob asks with a grin.

I gave him lazy eyes and looked at him unsurprised. "Attacks?," I guessed.

"Attacks," he assured with a nod.

"Fine," I agreed, "First, you take a stance. There's several different stances at different elevations each with its own purpose. Some focus on mobility, others on agility or stability and so on. For now, I'll show you a stability stance."

I almost can't believe how fast it's all coming back to me. I haven't thought about my training since my father disappeared.

I placed my right foot up front pointing straight ahead then my left back behind me pointing in an outward angle. Instead of fists, I held my right hand out with the palm slightly facing my front. My left hand remained hovering at my waist, my fingertips pointing forward. "This will be your basic stance. Although it's not very original, many martial arts have similar stances, maybe even identical, so we'll just call it universal. Start by placing your dominant foot and hand in front of you in this fashion."

Jacob, again, did as I instructed. His right foot and hand fell in front as his eyes examined my form. He copied my figure exactly and smiled when he figured it out. "Okay, now what?," he asked.

"All punches in Karate are based on a straight thrust technique with a twist of the wrist just before the initial impact," I explained. Moving slowly enough for Jacob to follow, I took a left step forward, my right arm fell to my waist as my left rose up to my chest and halted. "Always attack with the retreated limb. Do not pull your punches. Bring your arm up to your chest," I extended my arm, "then thrust forward but do not let your elbow lock. It'll hurt like a bitch," my wrist twisted counterclockwise toward Jacob as my arm reached its extent, "then twist your wrist just before you strike," I pulled the left arm and foot back and replaced my right ones in lead, "then at the end of every attack quickly fall back into your stance." I dropped my guard and eased myself. "Now you."

Jacob imitated my actions as best he could, but being a simple punch, it's not surprising he nailed it. I told him to do it again but as if he was actually attacking someone. It turned out much sloppier. His arm waved everywhere as he thrust forward, he didn't twist his wrist until the end of his strike and, somehow, he slipped up his stance. He wasn't even supposed to move his feet but he did. The only thing he did do right this time was keep his elbow from locking.

"Okay, that was horrible," I told him, giving him a crooked look. "Give it a couple more go's. Straight thrust, twist before impact, and hold that stance. Bend your knees a little bit."

Jacob spent the better part of five minutes working on just that single punch. I urged him several times to move on and come back to it but he insisted on continuing until he nailed it. He did two or three times and I called him on it, finally bringing his focus back to me.

"Now what?," Jacob asked, still in stance.

"Kicks," I answered, "now pay attention, there's a few of them and I'm going to go through them all at once."

"Okay," Jacob said, falling out of stance and crossing his arms as he pinned his eyes on me.

I tightened my stance and lined up the order of kicks in my head. "First, the front kick," I said as I leaned into my lead foot. My left knee rose up then my arms were thrown back as my foot rose over my knee and thrust outward at eye level, attacking the skull of an invisible opponent. "Then the side kick," I said again, my left leg falling in lead as my foot planted on the ground. I then leaned into my left leg this time, turned to face my right side at my inexistent enemy, rose my right knee and kicked straight out, attacking with the blade of my foot. My right foot planted back on the ground and fell into lead as I fell back into stance. "Next, the roundhouse," I continued, leaning into my right leg. I lifted my left knee, extended my leg straight out and kicked as I spun clockwise, striking the air with the ball of my foot. I put a little more power behind it than I should have and kept spinning for a second but I spun back to front and reformed my stance, my right leg still in lead. "Now, the hook kick," I announced, literally reversing the previous process. I leaned into my right leg again, spun counterclockwise and swung the heel of my foot around to strike the air in front of me before spinning back into stance, right lead. "And finally, the back kick," I concluded, spinning one hundred and eighty degrees on my right foot and extending my left upward behind me to strike the head of my opponent between the eyes. I spun once more back into stance then eased myself back to my casual posture.

"That doesn't look that hard," Jacob says, reforming his stance.

"Easier said than done, believe me," I told him, rolling my eyes. "It'll take a lot of practice to sync it all together."

"I'm determined," Jacob says with a grin.

"As always," I said, grinning back. "Alright, you're turn, in that order. Ready?"

"Do you have to ask?," Jacob questions, shooting me a criticizing look.

"Front kick!," I called out.

Jacob leaned on his right foot, rose his left knee and kicked outward. It turned out a little lazy, he didn't throw his arms back which drastically took away from the power of the attack and he kind of did a split as he landed but popped right back up leaving his left leg in lead.

"Side kick!," I ordered next.

Jacob leaned in on his left leg and attempted to spin to face his right side up front but he over shot it and stumbled over himself.

"You alright?," I asked, laughing over my words.

"I'm fine," he said, quickly rising back to his feet.

He immediately replaced his stance and tried the side kick again. He leaned on his left foot, spun on the heel, and kicked out with his right leg then stuck the landing.

"Fantastic," I praised him, "now the roundhouse!"

Jacob shifted his weight to his right foot and spun clockwise as he swung the ball of his foot around. His precision was right on target however his control wasn't as beneficial. Again, he over shot the power behind the kick, like I did with my roundhouse but he wasn't as lucky as to catch himself and slip back into stance. Instead, he slipped under his feet and crashed on his knees then his face.

"Don't say it!," Jacob yells, pointing a finger into the air from the ground. I bit my lip and tried not to laugh as he slowly stood back up. "That one hurt."

"That'll happen a lot," I said, snickering under my breath. "C'mon, keep at it. Hook kick, do what you just did backwards. Um, just try not to fall on your face again."

Jacob gave me a "very funny" sarcastic grin then reformed his stance, his right foot in lead. Jacob learned in on his right leg again, spun counterclockwise and swung the heel of his foot around, striking the invisible opponent dead in the temple. He nailed the attack but stumbled once or twice as he attempted to find his footing when he landed. Instantly, he dropped back into stance, right lead, and, before I could call out the back kick, he leaned in again, spun on the palm of his foot and extended his left foot out high into the air in front of and technically behind him then finished the spin and stuck the landing with perfection.

"Very well done, Jake," I praised him again with a proud smile. "You flawlessly executed the back kick. On your first try, no less."

"I just got into it at the end there," Jacob says, scratching the back of his head then immediately reforming his stance. "Let's keep going. What's next?"

"Blocks," I answered, "then we can get into forming your technique."

"Okay, let's see 'em," Jacob insisted, standing casually and watching me again.

"There are three basic blocks," I explained, taking my stance. "The upward rising block, simply thrust your forearm upward at a ninety degree angle, catching the attack right in the center of the arm." I preformed the simple block then continued to the other two, "next is the middle block. Extend your arm out towards the attack at an upward ninety degree angle." I displayed the second block then extended my arm in a downward diagonal fashion in front of me, "and lastly, the downward block for low attacks." I relaxed and stood casually as I thought a few things over, twirling the long hairs on my chin in my fingers. "There are several other ways to block other than those three.", I continued to explain, "you could also use your shin, palms, wrists, even your feet if your flexible enough."

"I don't actually have to do those, do I?," Jacob asks. "They're way too easy. Anyone can do those."

"True, but not everyone can use them to defend themselves in a battle," I replied, talking with a single hand. "Most without training would throw out their arm and get decked in the face 'cause they flinched. That is not going to be you."

"Like I needed you to tell me that," Jacob smarted off as he rolled his eyes. "Okay, so, we work on my technique now, right?"

"Yup," I answered with a nod, "let's get right into it. Face me."

I took a stance towards Jacob and waited for him to take one towards me.

"You're...," Jacob mumbles, looking at me with a gap between his lips, "you're going to make me fight you?"

"God, no," I exaggerated with a look, "I'd fucking kill you. No, I want you to come at me and try to link the attacks I just showed you. Don't worry about hitting me just focus on perfecting your execution."

"Alright," Jacob nodded, took a few steps closer to me and formed his stance.

Jacob hurled a fist straight out at me that struck the center of my palm.

"Twist," I said, twisting his fist to face palm up, "the wrist. You keep screwing that up."

"I don't get why it's so fucking important," Jacob complained, pulling away from my grasp.

"Actually, neither do I," I admitted, shrugging and looking away for an instant. "Something to do with breaking defense... or applying extra damage... I can't remember, I never though it was important either but its the way my father taught me. It's the way I learned and it's the way you're going to learn. So twist that wrist, bro."

"Fine, whatever," Jacob agreed, reforming his stance.

"Hold on I just had an idea," I said holding up a hand, "a better way you can learn to sync your attacks together."

"And that is?," Jacob questions.

"This time, come at me with that same attack," I told him, "just do it right. Then strike with a different attack, reform your stance, repeat the same two attacks then a different third attack and keep going on like that. Understand?"

"I think so," Jacob answers, nodding to his side.

"Alright," I acknowledge, forming an identical stance to his. "Let's have it."

Jacob threw the same fist at me, aimed for my cheek, this time remembering to twist just before he struck my palm again.

"Straight thrust Jake!," I yelled, throwing his attack to the side. He lost his footing when I chucked his arm away and fell to one knee. "You remembered to twist but you're still not sticking to the basics we just went over."

Jacob stood back up and looked at me with attitude, "how do you expect me to get this down if you throw me aside every time I fuck up?"

"I know how you work, Jacob," I told him, pointing a finger, "you have a one track mind and if your going to get this down, you, specifically, are going to have to perfect your abilities one at a time."

"Still doesn't explain why you're pushing me around," Jacob mumbles.

"This is nothing," I said, rolling my eyes, "when I learned, I got my ass handed to me."

"Your dad actually hit you?," Jacob questioned, "I didn't know that."

"Well, you would if you ever took the time to train with me. He only did it to toughen me up, though, you know better than anymore that it worked," I told him then formed my stance. "Enough with this, come at me again."

Jacob formed his stance an instantly threw the same left handed punch a third time. His feet planted firmly this time won't allow me to toss him aside like I could, which is good, he's learning, but I can still deflect the attack. This time, the attack flew straight in front of Jacob and spun clockwise like it is meant to before striking my palm.

"Flawless!," I announced with a grin then threw his arm aside, "now link it with another attack!" He caught himself from falling to his knees, stood at left lead, leaned in on his lead foot and spun clockwise as he swung his right heel at my temple. He preserved the power behind the attack to keep his balance but he wasn't looking at what he was doing as he spun which left me another opening. I blocked the attack with the middle block I showed him earlier, his attack halted by my right forearm. I swung my hand under the leg, took a firm grasp on the calf and twisted clockwise, forcing Jacob to hop on one foot and turn one hundred and eighty degrees to relieve the pain of the forced limb. I nudged his leg forward as I released my grasp, Jacob hopped a few feet away then tripped, saved himself by diving into a roll and catching the ground back under his feet before turning back at me.

"Don't quit," I urged him, "you've already learned more than you think you have."

"And what exactly did I do wrong to deserve that?," Jacob asks, waving an arm behind him as he walked back up to me.

"You need to watch your opponent at all times," I instruct him. "You focused all your attention into the hook kick and left yourself open to a counter."

"How the fuck do I watch my opponent and spin at the same time?," Jacob criticizes.

"By using this thing," I answered, pointing underneath my head, "I'm not sure if you've heard of it before but it's one of those things that are 'all the rage' nowadays, it's called a neck."

"Asshole," Jacob says, forming his stance again. "C'mon, let's get on with it."

I reformed my stance again and waited for Jacob's repeated attacks and the mysterious third.

I'm sure I can guess.

Jacob, yet again, hurled his fist at me, twisting his wrist a little early this time but it's not a major slip up, which planted in my palm like the other three times. Jacob immediately pulled away before I could toss the attack the aside and swung his right hook kick at me. I caught the attack with the middle block and Jacob, again, pulled away immediately. He pushed off my block and spun back to right lead then instantly took a left step forward as he uppercut under my defense and struck me a good one in the gut, knocking the wind out.

Jacob stepped back as I leaned inward, grasping my gut and coughed a few times. "Alright, I had that one coming," I admitted, grunting my words through my teeth. "Cheap shot, though."

"Hey, you're the one who said not to expect the enemy to fight fair," Jacob pointed out, grinning at his successful strike.

"Whatever," I grunted, straightening myself on my feet, still holding my gut, "low moves like that aren't what I'm teaching you."

Jacob crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow with the same grin. "But...," he nudges me to continue.

I sighed and shook my head at the ground. "But that was a smart move," I said, looking back up at Jacob. "I didn't see it coming."

"Damn right, you didn't," Jacob gloats.

I rolled my eyes again and continued, "You'll learn to link different moves from arts together like that once you've added to your list in the future. But for now, can we focus on Karate, please?"

"Baby," Jacob calls me as he formed his stance.

Jacob didn't wait for me to take my stance before hurling his fist at me with the twist meant to go along with it. I caught the attack then Jacob swung his hook kick at me. I caught that then glued my eyes to Jacob's left arm, expecting him to repeat the uppercut. Instead, he stepped forward, raised his left arm to his chest and extended an identical punch to his first. I hopped off my left foot backwards into the air and blocked the attack with my right knee. As I landed, Jacob took another step forward and launched his right fist. I hopped off my right foot and blocked the strike with my left knee.

I landed again and held my hand out to stop him, "Hey, what happened one at a time?," I asked, dodging a left legged roundhouse after Jacob ignored my hand between us.

"Too slow," Jacob huffed as he leaned into a front kick that would have stricken my chest if I hadn't blocked with a forearm, "this is funner!"

Jacob spun on his landing and whizzed a back kick straight past my head. I looked dead into his adrenaline fueled eyes and frowned at the grin spread over his face.

WHY am I surprised?

Jacob came at me with a three punch combo which he executed perfectly, followed by another roundhouse, side kick, two more punches and a side kick. I blocked the last strike by crossing my forearms in an 'X' in front of me. The impact was brutal and almost knocked me off my balance. Actually, I skid backwards in the grass a couple of inches and tore up the dirt with my boots. Nonetheless, his progress already is phenomenal, it's like the lessons branded into his brain.

"Jesus, Jake, where the hell did that come from?," I asked, cautiously dropping my guard while watching him for any other sudden moves.

"No idea," he replied, "but it felt fucking great."

"Don't go junkie on the rush of a fight," I warned him. "It won't end well for you."

"Is that a threat?," Jacob questions, mostly with his eyes.

"No, it's a lesson," I pointed out. "If you start getting high off your own production of adrenaline, one of two things will happen; you'll lose yourself in a new addiction and turn into the smuggler boss or you'll lose your focus in a fight because you honed in on the euphoria at the wrong moment and caught a cheap blow which eventually proves fatal."

"Oddly specific," Jacob mumbles, blinking at me. "Fine, fine, whatever. I was just happy I lasted longer than a few seconds fighting with you anyway."

"You might wanna raincheck that relief," I told him. "You still have a lot to learn before I step into a ring with you."

"Awe, don't be a bitch, Nate," Jacob said, "you're just overwhelmed with how fast I caught on."

"Well, you could always piss me off and test your luck," I sarcastically suggested, hoping he would be arrogant enough to. Jacob stood there for a moment and stared at me. "Just don't," I told him, "Come on, we still have daylight to burn. Let's get back to it."

Once again, Jacob groaned and reformed his stance. The two of us then spent the better part of the day knocking each other around. We did it my way, taking breaks every once in a while between sessions to jam a few buds into my bowl or light a cigarette. Jacob's progress skyrocketed beyond my belief as the day slowly moved by. Every minute of every hour, he improved his executions, strengthened his stance and corrected his flaws immediately after he made them. It was like I was seeing a part of him I've never seen before. A piece of him residing in his brain logging every detail and working recessively to improve. For fifteen years, I have never seen him more determined to learn.

Why didn't he take this much of an interest when my father offered to teach us both?

My way soon became too stale and boring for Jacob. He told me he wanted to actually spar like Selina and I plan to later. I told him it wasn't going to happen. Not so soon, anyway. This is far too new for him to suddenly assume he's hot shit. Like most arguments we have, I found it almost impossible to burn my point into his head. Almost. I got it through after about ten minutes of bickering and he accepted it. However, he did continue to egg me on about making it more interesting. Eventually, I gave in to his begging and let him explain to me what he had in mind. I didn't like it at first. He asked me to take the offense so he could work on his reflexes. I declined and suggested he think of something else but he refused to do anything further unless I agreed to do it his way. I had to think about it for a while, I was worried I'd slip through his rickety bridge of the defense and do some real damage. But my soft spot for him shined through from my interior and let him have his way.

It went better than I expected. Jacob's reflexes have always been pretty well strung and his response time is beautifully tuned, him and I have those similarities. For him, though, it doesn't work the same way. Still, he seems to find a way to pull his mix matched assembly of brain waves into a working mind so I can't really rag on him too much.

When Jacob announced he was ready and waiting, I was wary of how to make my moves. I kind of just stood there in front of him scratching my head as I planned to do no damage in a fight for the first time in my life. Honestly, I didn't know what to do. Until Jacob pushed me. Which aggravated me until he did it again and it annoyed me. Then he did it a third time and it was enough to make me throw a punch at him. I thrust the same punch at him that he did at me and, to my surprise, or maybe even pride, Jacob deflected the attack by catching my wrist in the V of his hand and pushing it off course.

I didn't even teach him that.

I followed up the failed strike with a front kick which Jacob dodged and a hook kick with the same leg which he avoided with the middle block. After a bit of this, I decided to toy with him a little. I faked him out with a false punch and instead slipped through his wasted block and used his shoulders to leap frog over his head and roll off his back before spinning around and sticking the tips of four claws against his carotid artery.

"This is why I won't fight you yet," I told him, "if I apply enough pressure, you'll bleed out in minutes."

"What the hell, Nathan?," Jacob questions, freezing in his position and gradually pulling away from my claws in his neck, "what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I was just proving a point," I said, dropping my hand, "you didn't actually think I was gonna do it did you?"

Jacob said nothing.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head, "Okay, clearly we've met our limit for the day," I said. I began to walk back towards Selina and Anthony sparring on the other side of the field. Jacob quickly caught up behind me and walked up to my side.

"Sorry buddy," Jacob said, nudging me with his elbow. "You just caught me off guard."

"I know," I said, turning my head towards him, "that was the point. Don't worry about it, we'll pick up where we left off tomorrow."

"What about Victor?," Jacob asks. "Don't you want to go after him?"

"More than anything," I replied. "But we'll get to that too. You're gonna have to learn to prioritize before we take our first assignment. I'm still not sure if I want to go tomorrow yet, anyway."

"Alright, what do you wanna do for the rest of the day?," Jacob continues to ask. "We still got a few hours of sun left." I just shrugged.

Jacob and I crossed the field of the courtyard to Selina's side of the open air dojo and joined her and Anthony as they sat in the grass to rest.

"Done already?," Selina asks, tilting her head with a playful grin.

"Things got a little heated," I answered, intentionally falling on my ass in between her and Anthony and laying back, interlocking my fingers behind my head.

"He tried to kill me," Jacob said with a straight tone.

I shot him a piercing dirty look then rested my eyes. "How'd it go?," I asked, keeping my eyes closed.

"Very well, I think," Anthony's manly Irish voice replies.

"You're a horrible liar," Selina spunky voice cuts in. "He was everywhere. It's gonna take some time for him to get the precision down."

I laughed lightly then peered at Anthony with a single open eye. "All that speed makes you sloppy, Admiral," I told him.

"Don't you worry, I'll get the hang of this," Anthony says. "Then your mine, mutt."

"Can't wait to see the day," I said with a smirk.

"So Nate," Selina cuts in again, "when do I get to kick your ass?"

"Well, aren't we eager?," I rhetorically asked. "Let's have a toke first. Then we can spar."

"Sounds good to me," Selina says, digging into my pocket and pulling out my tin case and pipe.

"Nathaniel, I'd like to apologize for doubting your ability," Anthony says.

My eyes popped open and I stared right at him as I sat up on my elbows, "You're kidding."

"No, I am not," Anthony replied, shaking his head. "Before today, I thought you were nothing more than an average man with a few tricks who happens to have gotten lucky. On a number of occasions."

"And when did that change?," I questioned, raising a hand and pinching the air. "A couple hours ago, you were this close to ripping my head off for knocking you out."

"Like I said, I thought it was luck," Anthony says. "After going through just the simple things of this new art with Selina, I can only imagine what you are truly capable of."

"I honestly never thought I'd hear you say... anything remotely close to that," I said, blinking my eyes in shock. "Thank you, Admiral. I accept your apology."

"Alright, enough sap you two," Selina says, tossing my tin case and bouncing it off my forehead when I looked at her. She smiled innocently and lit a match from the matchbox that is supposed to be inside this case. "We'll have to pass quickly to keep it lit. Kinda sucks we don't have any twigs around to work with."

"Shit happens," Jacob says from Anthony's other side. "C'mon, on with it, woman!"

"Don't rush me, turd burglar!," Selina hollered back at him then lit the red bud aflame.

Anthony and I bursted out laughing at Selina's new name for Jacob and found it a little difficult to stop. I found it quite easy once my pipe had reached my hands. I instantly puckered the lip and inhaled deeply, watching the red and orange burn bright and spread the longer the breath I took. As I puffed rings out of my nostrils, I passed the pipe to Anthony then laid back in the grass again.

Sweet re-leaf. Ha.. what a stupid pun.

"You guys wanna hear a joke?," Jacob asks as Anthony pounds down the harsh smoke.

"Oh God, please don't tell the one I think you're gonna tell," I pleaded, popping up from my grassy bed and looking past Anthony while he handed him the bowl.

"I'm gonna so deal," Jacob told me. "So there are these three lazy guys hiking a mountain to try to get into shape. They get to the top of the mountain where they find a cliff hanging over a bottomless ravine."

Jacob took a second to hit the bowl, inhaled harshly to keep the cherry burning, then passed it back down the row.

" This joke is so stupid," I complain, handing the pipe to Selina.

"Shut up, I wanna hear this," Selina says then puffs the pipe.

Jacob exhaled his smoke and continued, "The guys start bitching 'cause they don't want to go back down the way they came and wish there was another way."

I took the bowl from Selina and inhaled, watching the bud burn to ash.

So stupid.

"Suddenly, the devil himself appears to them in a cloud of red smoke," Jacob explains as I pass to Anthony. "He says, 'I'll give you two choices; either I can push you off the cliff or you can jump off yourself. If you jump, scream the name of anything that could survive the fall and you will live but you can't choose the same as the guy before you.'"

"This is getting weird, lad," Anthony grunts through the smoke as he handed the bowl to Jacob.

"Just listen," Jacob urges him with a grin. He took the bowl, hit it then passed it back down the row again. "So the first guy stands at the cliff for a second to think then jumps off and screams, 'HAWK!'," Jacob continues. "Poof, he turns into a hawk and flies away. The second guy stands at the cliff, thinks then jumps off and screams, 'EAGLE!'. Poof, turns into an eagle, flies away."

"Here it comes," I mumbled then took my hit as I stared at the ground.

"The third guy just sprints right off the edge of the cliff and forgot to think of something before he jumped," Jacob says as Anthony takes his hit. "He starts screaming, 'OOHH, SHIIITTT!!,' as he realizes he's falling to his death," Jacob held a fist out, palm to the ground and extended all five fingers outward, "Splat."

"That's just nasty," Anthony says, shaking his head as Selina bursted out in a full on laughter.

"I told you it was stupid," I said to Anthony, talking over Selina's obnoxious laughter.

"She thought it was funny," Jacob says, pointing at Selina. "You gonna be alright over there?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!," Selina pleads through her laughs, holding up a hand and turning away to hide her face. "That was priceless!"

It was?

"-al!," I hear a faint voice call out.

"Did you hear that?," I asked, tilting my head as I listened in.

"I can't hear anything over her," Anthony says, pointing at Selina as she began to calm herself.

"Admiral!," the voice calls, much clearer this time.

"Wait, I heard that one," Jacob says as he and I turned around to see a knight sprinting across the field towards us, waving his arms through the air. "Uh, Admiral, I think your break is over."

Anthony began to stand as he looked to the knight in confusion. "What the bloody hell is his -

"ADMIRAL!," the knight screams louder as he got closer, revealing his long white and black striped face.

"WHAT, soldier, WHAT?!," Anthony screams over him as he approached us.

The zebra bent over his knees and began to huff to find his breath. "Emergency," the soldier says, gasping for oxygen.

"Stop talking and catch your breath," I told him, crossing my arms. The knight took about thirty seconds then rose back up right, resting a hand on his chest. "Now what's your problem?," I finished Anthony's earlier interrupted question.

"There's been a murder," the zebra says, looking through each of our eyes.

"What? When?," Anthony asks, reaching to the grounds for his clothing and armor.

"The body was just discovered not ten minutes ago, sir," the soldier informs. "In a dumpster in an alley."

"Where?," Anthony asks, pulling his chain mail over his head as I reached for my sweatshirt and popped my head through the neck hole.

"East side of the richer district, sir," the soldier answers. "We believe he passed no less than an hour ago."

"Injuries?," Anthony asks, storming off towards the doors back into the castle and forcing the rest of us to catch up with him.

"None," the zebra said, "he was poisoned."

"Whose the victim?," I butted in.

"Trevor Daufht," the zebra replied, then began to give me a weird look. "He's the CEO and founder of one of the city's most successful businesses. Who the hell are you?"

Anthony stopped in his tracks as he reached for the doorknob, turned around and stuck a finger in the soldier's face. "Show some respect!," Anthony scolded him. "This man is a valuable asset to the King and could tear you apart with his pinky finger. You are to treat him as your superior and nothing less. Understand?"

Holy shit, what did he just say?

"Yes, sir!," the zebra said then turned to me, "Forgive me, sir!"

"You're fine but you're not finished," I told him as we followed Anthony through the doors and down the corridor. "Any witnesses or suspects?"

"None, sir," the zebra answers. "If there was ever any evidence, it's not there now, the scene was scrubbed clean, we have no lead to so much as when or where he was poisoned."

"What did you get from the interrogation?," I asked him as we all turned a corner. "Friends, family, coworkers, etcetera, what'd they say?"

"We haven't talked to anyone yet, sir," he replied.

"Why the hell not?," Anthony questions, throwing an angered look back at the soldier.

"I don't know, sir, I was only ordered to come inform you of the situation," the knight says.

"Get them here, now!," I demanded, shoving a finger into the knight's chest. "All of them!"

"Right away, sir!," the soldier said, saluting Anthony and I then taking off down a different corridor as Anthony lead Jacob, Selina and I through a set of doors.

That was fun.

"You do realize I'm going to be involved in this, right?," I asked Anthony. "You won't keep me out of it, not when lives are threatened."

" I do," Anthony says, "and I don't plan to. In fact, I want you to be involved. I need to know how knowledgeable you are if we are to work together and this will be a perfect test for you."

Man, he's just opening all kinds of doors for me.

"Jacob, go get your uncle and have him meet us in the morgue," Anthony tells Jacob. He nodded and broke off from the group as well. "Hopefully Elrick can provide a little insight on how the man was poisoned."

"What can you tell me about him?," I asked.

"He's an infamous sort," Anthony explains, cutting another corner. "Very wealthy and powerful, not many allies but plenty of enemies."

"That really narrows down the suspects," Selina sarcastically points out.

Anthony lead us down several more hallways, through several more doorways and several more rooms, some we've been through before and some we haven't. We weaved the interior of the castle like the maze it is. Sooner or later, we walked through a last pair of metallic double doors and into the most sterile environment imaginable.

Almost everything was made of a clean, shiny metal. The wall on the left side of the door has several large box shaped drawers from the floor to the ceiling in an eight by eight order. There's another door like the one behind me on the right wall leading to God knows where. Metal cabinets lined the corners between the ceiling and the right and front walls. Metallic tables are lined in an order of seven by five in front of the frozen tombs on the left wall, each with a white sheet covering it, some with man like figures underneath. Other than the metallic countertop stretching the front and right walls underneath the cabinets and the many compartments it held, there were literally thousands of pieces of equipment visible through every piece of glass. Some lined in a row on the countertop, some overcrowding the cabinets and forcing a few to crack open a bit. There is also two sinks in the front right corner of the room, one filled with a hot, soapy water, the other with what I believe is sterilizer.

"This way, we must sterilize ourselves before we enter the mortuary technician's lab," Anthony says, walking over towards the sinks.

"It's freezing in here," Selina says, chattering her teeth while Anthony washed his hands and face then pulled out three towels from a drawer.

"It has to be," I told Selina as her and I shared the sinks while Anthony dried himself. "The low temperature keeps the bodies from decomposing."

Selina and I dried off our arms and faces then Anthony tossed the used rags in a drawer filled with other used rags and lead us through the door on the right wall. On the other side, a crow dressed in a lab coat like Elrick's stood over another metallic table, rubber gloves doused in blood, accompanied by a motionless corpse lying on the table. The lifeless duck lying there under the technician has his stomach dissected and hanging open. Dried blood covered the surroundings around the open examination.

"Oh my God, that's gross," Selina says, covering her snout with both hands. "I'm staying right here by the door."

"Hello, Admiral," the crow's distinctive voice greeted Anthony. "Who are your friends?"

"This is Nathaniel and Selina," Anthony introduces us. "They are reliable colleagues of mine I believe can help with this case. Nathaniel, Selina, this is the mortuary technician, Dr. Frank Kloss."

"Pleasure," the crow says to us.

"Likewise," Selina and I said in unison.

"Why have you opened up the body?," Anthony asks.

"I was hoping to find any sustenance he may have consumed in the past couple of hours," the crow explained, looking down at the brown duck lying on the table. "I theorized his food may have been poisoned but it appears the poor soul hasn't eaten in days."

"A kirari dart, maybe?," I suggested, looking over to the crow.

"Improbable," Frank said, "there are no entry wounds suggesting he had been struck by a needle."

"Several poisons can be absorbed through just the skin alone," I pointed out, "he could have been given something, a gift maybe, covered in an unseen powdery like substance. That's all it would take if you know what your doing."

"I thought of that as well," Anthony says. "It would explain things but we need to figure out where he was initially poisoned before we can make any assumptions."

"I agree," I said. "Anthony, would it be alright if Selina and I investigated Trevor's home? While your men are questioning his acquaintances, I would suggest you investigate his workplace as well."

"I can deal with that," Anthony answers with a nod. "Go to the castle's front doors and wait for a few of my men to approach you. I'll have them lead you to his home and I'll make sure they understand you are in charge."

"Much obliged, Admiral," I said with a smile. I nodded to him, Frank then turned to Selina and motioned for her to come along with me.

We walked out of the morgue and proceed to head back the way we came.

"How do you know that poison can be absorbed in the skin?," Selina curiously asks from my side as we walked.

"Not all poisons can," I corrected her. "It has to be a specialized strain. Like poison ivy. And even then, you'd have to use a precise amount or more to kill a target, depending on the victim's size, mass, and the poison being used."

"Yeah, how do you know all that?," Selina asks again. "You're frighteningly specific about it."

"Martial arts weren't the only things my father taught me," I told her. "I don't know remember much about poisons other than that."

"Why in God's name -

"I don't know," I cut her off, passing a look as we walked through a set of open doors. "My father taught me a lot of things that I may never understand why. But in the long run, it's been paying off lately so I'm not complaining."

"Neither am I," Selina defended herself. "I guess."

We traveled through several more hallways in route to the giant front doors of the castle. As we passed by several familiar faces, we greeted them as we went by, keeping our thoughts to ourselves.

Just when things begin to settle down, something else rises from the ashes of the fire I just extinguished. Could this be the smugglers? Rick or Shaun, perhaps? No, that doesn't make sense. Why would they kill an innocent man with no connection to me? It doesn't add up so what else could it be? It could be a number of things. If he's married, it could have been the spouse. She'd need an incredibly distressing motive. Maybe she caught him in an affair. It could also have been any of his remaining family members. A jealous brother or sister envious of his wealth and power. Maybe a rival company willing to do whatever it takes to be on top. An ex vowing if she couldn't have him, no one could. An employee he fired for the smallest of reason. The possibilities are endless.

Like Anthony said, it's too soon to make assumptions.

Selina and I reached the doors, walked out into the warm summer air outside and stood against the door still closed.

"What are you thinking about?," Selina asked, pulling out a cigarette from her pack and handing one to me. She reached into her pocket where my matchbox resided and lit her cigarette then held up the match to light mine for me. "I can see you deep in thought over there."

"Just trying to make sense of this," I said then puffed my cigarette. "Such a random act brought on to such a random person."

"Well, not really," Selina says. "The guy was a fancy corporate bigwig, it's not really shocking for something like this to happen in that league of man. You're thinking too hard about it."

"Maybe," I mumbled. "Something about it doesn't feel right, I don't care how much sense is does or doesn't make."

"Save your energy," Selina told me as smoke rolled over her lips. "We have no leads to go on yet, you're searching for answers in a wishing well of nothing."

"That is the weirdest expression I have ever heard," I picked at her with a grin then took a drag of my tobacco.

"It was the first thing off the top of my head," Selina told me. I gave her a funny look with the same grin. "Don't judge," she says, bumping into me with her hip.

"I get what you're saying," I told her, doubling back to our conversation. "But I can't ignore the feeling. I'm going to be all over this case until I solve it."

"Look, let's just get over to this guy's house and see if we can't find anything suspicious," Selina says, waving her cigarette at me. "We find something then you can start piecing together evidence that doesn't exist yet."

"You just keep making more and more sense," I picked at her some more then nudged her into laughing about it along with me.

"You know what I meant, ass," Selina says, rolling her eyes at me.

I grinned at her then puffed as I looked out to the crowd swarming in the city below. "We'll see," I said, smoke rolling with my words. "One way or another, I will find out what happened."

"Oy!," a British voice calls from our left. "Are you Nathaniel?"

"Yeah," I replied, looking to find a black labrador and an eagle walk through the castle's front doors out into the open.

"Admiral Anthony sent us to -

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I cut him off, holding up my cigarette hand, "what are your names?"

"They call me Twitch, sir," the black British labrador introduced himself with a solute then motioned to his eagle counterpart at his side, "this is Cole."

I leaned in and took a closer look at the labrador. "Don't I know you?," I asked, squinting my eyes at him.

"Can't say, sir," the Britain shrugged. "Although you do seem familiar."

"Wait...," I said holding up a finger. "Yeah, I remember you, you were standing guard outside the courtroom when I spoke with the King," I said, shaking my finger at him.

"Oh, right, right, I remember now," Twitch said, pointing a finger back. "You were the center of that whole incident with the smugglers."

What a way to remember me by.

"Yeah," I said, rolling my eyes. "Good to see you again. Where's your chocolate Canadian friend?"

"The feeling's mutual, sir," Twitch replied with a smile. "And he has his own assignment today."

"Too bad, you'll have to tell him I said hey," I said then cocked my head to the side, "So, uh, why do they call you Twitch?"

"His body spazzes out when he's buzzed," Cole answered for him, shooting him a comedic eye.

"I do not!," Twitch hollered at his fellow man. "I tremble a little, at the most."

Selina and I chuckled a little.

"Guys, this is Selina," I introduced her as she waved to them with a friendly smile, "she's a very dear friend of mine. You show her the same respect you show me, understand?"

"Yes, sir," the two soldiers said in unison.

"Alright," I announce with a grin. "Let's get going."

The knights nodded and began to lead the way into the east side of the city, slowly but surely cruising along. The bright colors of the knight's tunics made it easy to move as the citizens happily cleared a path for us to walk through the crowd. This added with their intuitive knowledge of the city made the time fly by. Selina stopped us to buy an apple for each of us at a kiosk we passed by. Which I enjoyed, we didn't have too many of these back up in the mountains. It was even better being a green apple, they're the sweetest and my favorite.

The knights took us literally to the edge of the city along the enormous wall to a three story building made of marble and fine cut stone. It's shaped like a miniature castle with the tiny towers at each corner of the building. A large seven foot tall, one foot thick wall caged in a large grassy yard in the front and back. Several fancy windows covered the front and I'm assuming the other three outside walls as well although I can't see the other sides from this point of view. There's a black iron gate blocking the way from a stone walkway leading to the ridiculously large wooden front door.

As the knights opened the lock of the gate with a key the military most likely obtained from Trevor's body and lead us through, I examined the beautiful cherry blossom trees on each side of the front door. There are also gorgeous pink rose bushes circling the trunk of the trees and a line of several other flowers at the edges of the walkway from the gate to the door. We walked up the three steps of the porch and up to the old door. Twitch began to reach for the door knob but I grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"Whoa, whoa, what the hell do you think you're doing?," I asked him, shooting him a look.

"Trevor Daufht lived alone, sir," Twitch told me. "There is no one here."

"You don't know that," I told him, turning to the door. "That's just plain disrespectful what you were about to do."

"My apologies, sir," Twitch said.

I think I'm enjoying my authority a little too much.

I knocked on the door three times.

"¡Sí, sí, yo voy!," a Mexican female voice answered from inside.

Oh, God dammit.

"What did she say?," Selina asked.

"She's Mexican," I said, staring at the ground. "She said she's coming."

"You speak Spanish?," Selina questioned with a weird face.

"I'm not as fluent as I used to be," I replied. "I'm still pretty good, though. It's just one of those things my father taught me. But it was mostly just for fun. Learning a new language appealed to me."

Suddenly, the door knob began to wiggle, turn then the door opened and behind it stood a short but thick light brown squirrel in a maid's outfit and rubber gloves.

"Hola," the woman greeted with a smile, "¿como puedo ayudarle?"

"Uh, let's see...," I mumbled, looking down then back up at her. "¿Hablas ingles?"

"No, lo siento," the squirrel replied with a crooked look.

"Great," I mumbled to myself again. "Um... ¿es esta la casa da un Trevor Daufht?"

"Sí," the woman responded. "Soy Maria. Quién eres?"

"What's she saying?," Selina asked.

"Just simple introductions," I explained, "gimme a sec." I looked back at the maid. "Mi nombre es Nathaniel, esto es Selina, Twitch, y Cole," I gibbered our names in another language as I held a hand out to the others. "Señor Daufht fue encontrado muerto en un callejón el día de hoy. ¿Estaba usted no tiene conocimiento de esto?"

"¡Dios mío!," the maid prayed as she rose a hand to her mouth. "¿Cuándo? ¿Como?"

"So she doesn't know that Trevor was killed," I told the others then turned back to the maid. "Voy a explicar lo que pueda," I said to her. "¿Podemos entrar?"

"Sí, Por supuesto," she replies, moving aside and holding up a hand to let us in.

I walked in as the others followed behind me and we all followed the maid into a large, spacious living room. All the tables and shelves are made of glass, knick knacks of all sorts filled the shelves along the walls and the sofas were giant and cushy. And white like the one's in the den below the lab. We all took a seat, Selina and I on the love seat, ironically, Twitch and Cole on the three section sofa in the middle and the Maria in a single chair across from Selina and I.

"Señorita Maria," I began to speak in the foreign language again, "Señor Draufht fue un asesinato a una hora y media atrás. Fue envenenado."

"¿Quién haría algo así?," Maria asked with fear in her eyes.

"Eso es lo que estuviera aquí para averiguarlo," I explained. "No tenemos ninguna pista, pero estamos esperando encontrar algo entre las pertenencias de Trevor que nos pueden dar una pista. Podemos echar un vistazo?"

"Por supuesto," Maria answered.

I turned my attention to the others. "She had absolutely no idea Trevor was killed," I told them. "Judging by her expressions, I don't believe she can be of much help."

"Okay, so where do we go from here?," Selina asked.

"She gave us permission to search the house," I reply as I stand up then turned to Maria again. "¿Dónde está su habitación?," I asked. "Y él tiene una oficina?"

"Su habitación está en el tercer piso y su oficina está en el segundo," Maria answered.

"Gracias por su hospitalidad, Maria," I thanked her. She smiled and nodded. Selina and the knights stood up and waited for me to speak. "Cole, I want you to search the first floor," I told him.

"Yes, sir," Cole responded.

"Twitch, take the bedroom on the third floor, Selina and I are going to cover the office," I ordered. "Maria, ¿tiene alguna guantes de goma que podemos utilizar?"

"Sí, dame un momento por favor," Maria answers then stands and walks away. She came back a minute later with four sets of rubber gloves.

I handed a pair to each of the others. "Keep these on at all times," I told them as I slipped my gloves on. "If it is a contact poison we're dealing with, you don't wanna touch it."

"What are we looking for?," Cole asked.

"Anything with a bright color like white," I answered. "Something where the residue poison won't stand out. A toothbrush, a tee shirt, a pen, a pencil. Check everything basically. Tap the object on a darkened surface and if it was poisoned, you'll notice tiny little white specks falling off. It's that easy."

"Yes, sir," the knights repeated each other.

"Get going," I told them. They immediately dispersed, Cole went around a wall to begin his search and Twitch took off up the staircase in the corner of the living room. I turned to the maid and motioned to her, "Maria, puedes venir con nosotros? Puede que tenga algunas preguntas más para ti."

"Sí," Maria smiled. "Sin embargo puedo ayudar."

"Let's go," I said to Selina then began to walk towards the stairwell. Her and Maria followed behind me to the second floor.

I let Maria take the lead when we got to the floor and guide us through the maze of the household to the office. Once through the stylish stained glass window double doors, all looked about as expected from a rich businessman. A rounded wooden room with grooves and corners carved into it for the patterns along the edges of the floor and ceiling, a large bay window completely different from the one in the den revealing the city behind a mahogany desk riddled with papers, pencils, pens, envelopes and a small vase of white roses. Silky red curtains hung from their supports, tied off at the edges of the bay window. There are several highly regarded paintings hanging from the fancy wallpaper, most of which I've seen hanging in the castle itself.

"Start looking," I said to Selina as I turned to the squirrel, "I have some more questions for our friend here."

"You got it, boss," Selina said with a grin and began skimming through all of Trevor's belongings.

I smiled at her then looked back at Maria. "Así, María," I began again, "¿puedes decirme de la vida de Trevor aquí en casa?"

"Siempre fue una persona muy reservada," Maria answers.

"What's she saying?," Selina asks, shuffling through some documents at the desk.

"I asked her if she could tell me about Trevor's life at home," I said, "she said he was always a very private man." I turned my attention back at Maria, "Por favor, continúe," I urged her.

"Siempre he sido la única persona que le permitiría a su casa," Maria says.

"She says Trevor never allowed anyone else but her to come in his house," I translated.

"Y aun así, mi libertad aquí se limitó," Maria begins to complain. "Siempre tenía que estar en una habitación del centro haciendo una cosa determinada en un momento determinado. Él me cogió fuera de horario una vez y... bueno, no quiero hablar de lo que pasó."

"That didn't sound pleasant," Selina says from the background.

"Apparently, Trevor wasn't very lenient with her, either," I inform her, scanning Maria's body language. "He had her on a tight schedule and she won't tell me what happens if she ever feel off."

"I'm starting to appreciate whoever poisoned him," Selina replied.

Me too, a little. Is that bad?

"It could have been her, Nate," Selina says, snapping her fingers to grasp my attention. I turned around to see her sitting back in the chair behind the desk resting her feet on the fine wood surface. "That sounds like good enough motive to me."

"I agree," I said, staring into Maria's blank eyes. "But there are a lot of loose ends to tie to her to be sure. Too many she's not capable of."

"Are you sure about that?," Selina asks.

"Look at her," I reply, motioning at Maria, "this poor woman can't ask for the bathroom, much less kill the man who signs her pay check."

"Good point," Selina says, ripping open a drawer of the desk, "but I don't think we should ruled it out."

"Yeah," I said, scanning Maria's blank eyes again. "Yeah, your right. Maria, usted parece estar más aliviado de que Trevor ha sido matar que asustada."

"Fucking gibberish," Selina mumbles from behind the desk.

"¿Qué estás insinuando?," Maria asks, raising an eyebrow.

"No estoy insinuando nada, señora, soy simplemente curioso de cómo se siente acerca de la muerte de Trevor," I defended myself.

"Mira, Trevor no era famoso por su generosidad," Maria told me, leaning on her hip. "Odiaba al hombre con una pasión, sino haciendo lo que él me dijo que llevar el pan a mi mesa."

"She doesn't really seem to care that Trevor was killed," I told Selina. "And she got defensive when I pointed it out to her then started ranting about how poorly he treated her."

"All the more reason she should be a suspect," Selina said.

"Eh," Maria calls for my attention. I turned back at her. "Puede que no hablan Inglés, pero sí sé lo que está pensando. Yo no tenía nada que ver con esto."

"Entiendo, señora," I assured Maria. "Se trata simplemente de nuestro trabajo de agotar todas las posibilidades. ¿Me puede decir si el señor Draufht ha tenido ningún correo entregado a él en las últimas horas?"

"A sólo sus cosas habituales," Maria replied. "Los recibos, estados de cuenta, cosas por el estilo."

"Survey says?," Selina asks.

"I asked her if Trevor has had any mail delivered in the past few hours," I translated. "She said just his usual bills and things like that. Have you found anything?"

"Nada," Selina answered as she tossed some papers back into the drawer she got them from.

"Maria, tome una mirada alrededor," I urged the squirrel. "¿Estás seguro de que no hay nada aquí que no es familiar?"

Maria glanced around then shot her vision straight forward. "Esas rosas no estaban allí ayer," she says, pointing back towards Selina.

I turned around once more to see Selina bent over the desk on one arm and smelling one of the roses in her other hand.

Oh, God, no!

"Selina, don't!," I yelled, reaching out to snatch the rose away as she took a long inhale. She exhaled and looked at me funny as I smashed into the desk from tripping over my own feet to stop her. I slowly picked myself up and gawked into her newly fearful eyes as she realized what she had just done. The rose slipped from her fingers and hit the desk as her mouth gaped in a horrified stare.

"Oh my God...," Selina mumbles. "Nathaniel, please tell me I didn't."

My lips parted along with hers as we both grew terrified for her then I looked down to the flower on the desk. As Selina looked down at it, I gripped the stem and picked it up to reveal a few scattered specks of the white powder like substance we had been looking for. The same powder I described to Twitch and Cole, the same powder that killed Trevor.

Now, the same powder that's going to kill Selina... What have I done?

"Jesus Christ," Selina prays, raising a hand to her mouth with a few tears and demanding my eyes. "Nate... am I going to die?"