Authors Note: This story will be my twenty-third (published) story and may be just a short, on-off, story over a number of chapters.
Synopsis: This story is based on the characters from my Forsaken Universe, but set in an AU future and does not necessarily indicate the future content of Forsaken. This story is set around eight years beyond the current Forsaken storyline.
Chicago, Illinois
It had been eight years, since I had last worn purple.
Eight years, since 'The Vigilante Purge' in Chicago. We had all gone back to what had passed for our normal lives. That had been easy for some, but more difficult for others. Some had still not fully acclimatised, even eight years later. Now, I was going to risk everything by wearing purple again and defending my home and my City.
Why, after all that time of being normal?
There was a new menace arising in the City and that menace just had to be stopped. There was no way that I would just stand by and allow that menace to grow and to steadily consume the City that I called home. Everybody and everything that was dear to me was at risk. One, had already been permanently lost to me and another was not far from death's door.
No more – I would not stand for the loss of another!
March 24th
A lot had changed, in only eight years.
I was now twenty-six and surprisingly to my ordered mind, still alive – it was an age that I had never expected to ever reach, due to my nocturnal activities! My husband had reached the grand old age of thirty and he was still as handsome as when I had first met him, almost sixteen years previously, but much more rugged! Dave and Mindy Lizewski were and continued to be, upstanding members of the Chicago community and were regularly in the public eye – nobody considered that we might have also been the centre of the vigilantism in Chicago.
D-JAK had grown and it was our main source of income; we had grown to four clubs across the city and was showing signs of potential growth outside of Chicago. Nobody had set foot in a Safehouse in over five years – all of the equipment was still there hidden, safe and sound, awaiting the call to arms.
..._...
The twins were one day past their sixteenth birthday and doing well at school. They had never had much of a vigilante life, so they were just as normal as any other kids their age.
Anne-Marie had a reputation for being tough and determined. She was never short of a boyfriend, even though every boy knew full well the risks of disobeying her when she said 'no'! Many a boy had turned up back at school after a weekend with a new bruise or two. But, to the opposite sex, the 5-foot 4-inch tall young woman was very desirable, no matter what she did to them!
Danny was just as tall, with an inch or two on his sister and again was rarely short of a girlfriend. He was also a star of D-JAK and along with his sister, was an instructor at the biggest club.
As for my other daughter...
She was now one month short of her eighteenth birthday, but the years had been hard for her and she had struggled to get by without her alter ego. Losing her vigilante status had hit her hard. She had finally worn out Voight's patience and his 'get out of jail free' cards, so now she was under a curfew and wearing a very fetching ankle bracelet! Her siblings had done their best to help her stay on the straight and narrow, but she had a tendency to shut herself off from everybody and hide in her room.
Her usual mentor had left Chicago five long years previously.
..._...
That mentor had of course been her British compatriot, Joshua Williams.
He and Chloe had gone through a rough patch when they were sixteen, which had just got worse and when they were no longer active vigilantes, they had split for good on difficult terms. As Joshua reached eighteen, he had returned to the United Kingdom and followed in his father's footsteps. He was now a Lieutenant in 42 Commando of the Royal Marines. He had kept in touch, of course, but we had not actually seen him for a little over two years – he was now twenty-three.
Chloe...
She had struggled with losing Joshua, as had Stephanie, but for very different reasons. Ultimately, after finishing school, she had followed in her own father's footsteps and she was now a Lieutenant (Junior Grade) in the United States Navy. She flew Seahawk helicopters off destroyers and was very good at it. Being highly intelligent, Chloe had advanced at a fast pace – focussing on her training to help her get past Joshua.
Despite their animosity towards each other, I needed them both.
Talking of training, I had not let the moss gather beneath my own feet, either.
My thoughts were interrupted by a voice in my headset.
"Lima Zulu One Niner Eight. Turn right on Taxi Lane Two. Contact Ground Control on frequency one two one decimal six five. Welcome to Gotham International. Over."
I acknowledged the transmission and made the ordered turns as I left the main runway, Two Seven Left. I passed control to my pilot and we taxied towards the third of five large hangers to the west of the airfield and my pilot gently eased the Gulfstream G500 jet to a halt with the foot brakes.
"Perfect as ever, Erika – thank you!"
"I am always perfect, Mindy – enjoy yourself!" Erika grinned as I unbuckled my straps and rose out of the co-pilot's seat.
Flying had become my newest skill – I loved the freedom it gave me. As I released the hatch and it smoothly motored open, automatically extending the stairs, I saw my ride.
A tall young woman with long legs stood beside a striking red Mustang.
..._...
"Good to see you, Cat – you're looking good!"
"Mindy!"
Cat leapt at me, hugging me tightly. I heard a wolf whistle from the Gulfstream and saw Erika laughing.
"Not in public, Cat!" I growled as menacingly as possible, but Cat just ignored me.
Selina 'Cat' Kyle, was still an active Vigilante, along with her soon to be husband, Bruce Wayne. When I finally pushed her away, she drove me into Gotham and more specifically, Fox's domain beneath Wayne Tower.
..._...
I did not stay long.
After explaining my detailed requirements to a cheerful Lucius Fox, I left the man to his tasks and headed back to the airport. I wished that I had time to check in with Bruce, but time was against me. Cat gave me another hug and we said our goodbyes.
The next destination was Southampton.
Southampton, United Kingdom
I departed the airport in a hired Jaguar XF.
My destination was Bickleigh Barracks to the north, the home of 42 Commando. Through my contacts I had pulled some strings and gained access to surprise one of my closest and oldest friends.
At the main gate to the Barracks, I was asked to wait and my escort arrived, Colour Sergeant Jim Reynolds.
"Welcome, ma'am. I'm just setting the lads to some close quarters combat – would you care to try your hand?"
"You mean I can beat up a bunch of Royal Marine Commandos?"
"You can try!" Reynolds grinned.
"Challenge accepted, Colour Sergeant!"
..._...
"Right, gentlemen, we have a guest here today – she is here to kick your fucking arses!"
There was a general murmuring along the lines of 'who the fuck is he kidding'! I strode confidently onto the mat flexing my arms and wearing combat trousers, a t-shirt and lightweight jungle boots.
"Come and get it, boys!" I growled.
Reynolds snapped his fingers and pointed at a six-foot Marine who stepped forward with a grin. I rolled my eyes and gauged my muscular opponent. He obviously saw me as a young woman who could not look after herself...
Big mistake – huge!
..._...
I let him come close and then I pounced, not pulling any of my punches and leaving the man face down on the mat in obvious pain.
"You need to attack – no matter who your opponent is. You see before you a little girl and you see no threat – well this little girl just killed your fucking arse, Marine!" I growled into his ear. "Learn from it!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The humbled Marine responded.
An annoyed Reynolds clicked his fingers twice and pointed at two more Marines. They looked pissed at me for some reason or other – no idea why!
..._...
I faced them as they advanced and broke my normal rules and telegraphed my actions, but then I instantly switched to a different attack, catching them out with the feint. With another deft move I sent the right hand Marine cannoning into his colleague, sending them both sprawling.
There was a collective, 'ow', from the assembled Marines as the collision had been very spectacular and had left both Marines on the mat rolling around in pain. Reynolds, needless to say, was now pissed. He clicked his fingers four times and four more Marines strode forwards taking up positions at each corner of the mat.
How familiar, I thought!
"Four attackers, no escape..." I muttered to myself. "Let's do it for real, this time!"
They all came at me together.
..._...
Two and a half minutes later there were seven Royal Marines Commandoes on the mat in various stages of pain and humiliation, with at least two hugging their more delicate regions! Before Reynolds could do anything else, I heard a loud and strikingly familiar bellow from the far side of the gym.
"What the bloody hell is going on in here, Colour Sergeant!"
"Some training, Sir!"
Reynolds snapped a smart salute which was returned by the six-foot four-inch tall Royal Marines Lieutenant as he approached.
"What a bloody shambles...! Who is...? I might have bloody known – only one woman could cause so much carnage!" He turned to his Marines. "How many times have I told you lot to never drop your guard, no matter who stands against you – hope you all bloody learnt something today... Colour Sergeant clear up this debacle. You – with me!"
"Aye, aye, Sir!" Reynolds grinned.
"Of course, leftenant!" I chuckled.
I followed the officer out of the gym where once around a corner, he turned to me and wrapped me in a very tight and slightly painful hug as he lifted me off my feet.
"God, I've missed you, Mindy!" Joshua Williams said.
"I've missed you too, Josh..."
..._...
"I know why you are here, but I can't leave all this – it is my dream," Josh said as he put me back down.
I grinned.
"All sorted – you have been transferred – get yourself packed; you are now mine, Jackal!"
HM Naval Base, Clyde
As luck would have it, my next port of call was in Scotland.
We flew to Glasgow Airport and I drove up to the Naval Base where I found the Ticonderoga-class cruiser, USS Normandy, alongside. I was welcomed at the gangway and escorted to the Captain's cabin.
"Mindy – glad you made it!"
I received a big hug from Captain Ryan Bennett.
"Good to see you, Ryan."
"You know, she may not go along with your plans," Ryan began. "She's a stubborn bitch, we both know that, but she is living her dream right now, however, there are two things missing from her life – two enormous voids that need filling."
"I know; I just came from seeing one of them and I hope I can entice her with the other."
Ryan reached for a walkie-talkie.
"Lieutenant Bennett, my cabin!"
"Short and sweet!" I grinned.
Two decks below and two hundred feet aft, a young female officer groaned as the walkie-talkie on her belt squawked.
"You in trouble again, Lieutenant?"
"All the damn time!" The lieutenant grimaced as she pulled off her flight helmet and climbed out of the right seat of the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter. "I better run before the old man gives me the lash!"
"Or maybe the brig again?"
"That was not funny!"
Minutes later, the out of breath young officer smoothed down her flight suit and knocked on the door of the Commanding Officer's cabin.
"Enter. Shut the hatch behind you!" Came the response.
"Lieutenant Bennett, reporting as ordered, Captain!" The young lieutenant stated as she stood at attention before her grinning Commanding Officer/Father.
"She's gonna bust something standing there like that!"
Chloe Bennett turned in shock and for a moment just stared at her best friend – absolutely the very last person that she expected to see so far from home.
"Christ, Lieutenant, hug her already!" Her father laughed.
"Mindy!"
The two friends hugged each other for an age and there were more than a few tears on both sides.
After an age, we separated, both feeling more than a little embarrassed.
"Thank God, for that," Ryan quipped. "No lesbian sex is allowed in the Captain's Cabin!"
The Captain received two very nasty glares to which he just chuckled.
"What are you doing here?" Chloe demanded. "You knew, Dad?"
Ryan nodded.
"Mindy needs your help, back home..."
"When do I leave?" Chloe exclaimed. "Anything to get away from Captain bloody Bligh, here!"
Ryan feigned a hurt expression and laughed.
"Just take her, it's like hell on earth, having an insubordinate bitch like her aboard!"
The flight back across the Atlantic gave me plenty of time to consider the other members of the team.
Marty and Kim were both still living in Chicago with their eight-year-old son, Matthew. I would be able to count on both Battle Guy and Hawk, although Matthew had no idea that his parent's used to be active vigilantes, not least members of the famous Fusion.
Abby was working at a large IT company in the city and naturally she had jumped at the chance to be part of Fusion again, so Hal was ready and hard at work.
Hit Girl was a given and so was Kick-Ass. Jackal and Shadow were in the bag – at least I hoped so! Leon, or rather Mathilda, was still active and had always been, but she was still home-based in Chicago, so she too had headed home as soon as I had called her. Cathy also jumped at the chance to help, she was lonely and we spent a lot of time together. She had her husband and only daughter away at sea and her nephew was no longer living at home.
..._...
So where was Curtis, which also brought up the question: where was his partner in crime, Megan?
They were both living in an apartment – one of my apartments, which I had given them as a wedding gift. Yes, the two nineteen-year-olds were both married and living in Chicago. I had not been to see them as yet, I wanted to surprise them when I returned home. I knew that they would not let me down, so Wildcat and Trojan would be in the bag, too.
Erika had signed up instantly – hell, she was already my pilot!
I was very worried about recruiting Stephanie and the twins. I knew that they would sign up immediately too, but... They were my kids and...
Maybe I could find them something out of the way and safe...
..._...
Now, came the bad part.
Marcus and Paige – they would be against me reforming Fusion. They had just got used to their kids being safe. I also had my seven-year-old brother to think about. Damon had no idea what we had all done in years past and Marcus wanted to keep it that way.
I had not mentioned Hailee.
It had happened so quickly, but it had been the opening shot of what was looking to become a war. Lieutenant Vicky Richards had been gunned down one night by unknown assailants. Nobody had a name for them – except some called them 'Shadows'.
Naturally, Hailee had reacted badly to the death of her mother. Hailee was twenty-six, like me, and she was a member of the CPD SWAT. The death had twisted her and I could see Petra going rogue on us – she wanted justice and I understood that. Only, I knew the pitfalls of revenge – I had been there and I had only survived because of one man, Dave.
For now, though, Hailee was listening to me and we talked a lot; I hoped that would keep her on track.
..._...
There had been another shooting, that same day and that had left Sergeant Sam Fellowes in the ICU. It had been his nineteen-year-old son, Cameron, who had helped persuade me to fight the Shadows. Cameron had been distraught and he had needed somebody to talk to and that had been me. I had promised him that I would avenge his father if the worst happened.
It was what I did.