Five Thousand years ago, Scotland -

Everything was fuzzy, and I don't have a clue what's going on. I wake with a start, gasping for air. The first thing I do after waking is reach for my chest. I vividly remember being stabbed there, but now, whatever it was, the instrument had been pulled out of my chest and there was no scar.

What the heck? I think.

I was finally coming to my senses, and I had to roll dead body off of me. It takes me a moment to get sensation into my legs. I have no idea how long I had been out. It takes me a good ten minutes before I could get to my feet, and as I getting to my feet I see a friend come running.

"What's the problem Ray?" I asked.

"We need to move Ashono." Ray said. I could hear the urgency in his voice.

"I would love to, but I just woke up. And if I had to guess, I just came back from the dead." I said.

"Yeah, you were dead. Welcome back." he said.

We start moving south as soon as my legs are able, and amazingly enough I'm able to move as fast as I used to.

"You knew I was going to come back life?" I asked.

"No. I was just following orders." he said.

"Orders? Whose orders?" I asked.

"Some tiny, crazy ninja woman. You'll meet her, but for now we need to keep moving or we're both going to die. And these deaths will be for real." he said.

"Sounds awesome." I said as we continued running to the south.

I'm not exactly sure what the reason we're running for. Whether we're running from someone, or something, is still beyond me. I'll just ask Ray when we get to wherever we're going.

We had been running for about half an hour before Ray stops, and hands me a sword. "When the opportunity presents itself, cut off their head." he said.

"What? Why?" I asked, but Ray didn't answer because there two people coming after us.

I pulled the sword out of the sheath and prepared to defend myself. I look at the blade in my peripheral vision, and I can tell that the metal used in its construction is not from around here. The person who came after me was wild, feral almost. She was swinging wildly, and erratically. She was leaving herself open on a lot of her strikes. I either parried or outright dodged most of this woman's attacks.

The next time I dodged the woman's attack I stepped off line an inch, and then effortless swung my sword, decapitating her. And what came next, the pain that I felt, was like nothing I have every experienced before. The funny thing though, I felt stronger, albeit, drained. I looked up in time to see Ray decapitate his victim. I watch as bolts of lightning arcing from the dead man, and going into Ray's body. The trees nearby were blackened by the lightning that had transferred from the man that Ray killed to him. I looked back at the dead woman, and the ground around her body was also scorch from the lightning that had arced from her to me.

"That never gets any easier." Ray said.

"What do you mean that doesn't get any easier? How many times have you experienced that?" I asked.

"I don't know. It's probably pushing at least two hundred times." he said.

"TWO HUNDRED? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?" I exclaim.

"Keep your voice down, will you? I don't know how many more are in the area." he said.

"You mean there's more?" I ask, my voice dropping a few notches.

"Yeah. That's why we need to keep moving. I will take you to my boss. She will explain everything." Ray said.

We start moving again, and we don't stop until sun down. Ray found a cave for us to hole up for the night. Ray set out a small meal, but I don't feel that hungry. I still eat anyways. At sunrise we push off again, and we don't stop to eat lunch. But by dinner time we're approaching a small village, but what was breath-taking was the fortress that was behind the village. I've seen a few fortresses in my life, but this is impressive. We stop in the village because it's another day's journey to the fortress.

We wake before the sun rise, and were at the fortress by late afternoon. As we were approaching the fortress, Ray broke off to go do something. Sounded like giving a report. I was in shock at the size of the place that Ray brought me to. I had no idea what to expect, let alone prepared for what I was about to see. I turn a few circles after passing through the front door, but before I could enjoy the view I was approached by a tiny woman. I take a step back, as my hand lowers to hilt of my sword.

"Easy there kid. If I wanted you dead, I would have left you out there where the wolves were waiting." The tiny woman said.

"Okay, than why have you brought me here than?" I asked.

"I brought you here because I have a need that you can fulfill." she said.

"When will that be?" I asked.

"Oh, not anytime soon. You're just getting start. I know you though. I know your type." she said.

"I didn't realize I had a type." I said.

"There are two types of immortals. One that lived for the thrill of the kill, and the other that does what's necessary to survive. The second type has no love for killing though." she said.

"I'm the first one?" I ask nervously.

"Oh, no. You are definitely the second one." she said.

"How do you know that I'm the second one?" I asked.

"Ask me again, later. Ask me when you had your fill." She said.

My fill? I think as the woman turns to walk away, and I lowered my hand from the hilt.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"It's Hetty Lange, Mr. Deeks." Hetty said.

"That's not my name." I said following Hetty.

"I know it's not you name. Your name is Ashono MacLeod. Your father was farrier. Your mother was seamstress. Your wife also was a seamstress. You had two kids: one boy and girl. Your family is either dead or will be dead within the next half century. There are people out to get you because you are immortal. You best bet is to leave Ashono behind, and take on you new identity I gave." she said.

"If you don't mind me asking, but why Mr. Deeks?" I asked.

"Calling people by their last name is an old habit of mine. The full name I gave you is Martin Deeks. I gave you that name because over a century ago I met a man exactly like. So much so you could be the man's doppelganger." she said.

I took a moment to process Hetty's words. Coming back from the dead. Leaving my family behind. "Let's say hypothetically that none of the wolves came after, which we both know isn't true." I said, to which Hetty nodded. "What would happen if I went back home?"

"Your family would grow old and die, but you wouldn't age at all." She said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Immortals don't age. Our genes can break down and deteriorate, but as soon we kill another immortal and cause a Quickening we gain the other immortal's power and restored to full health." She said.

"Quickening? What's a Quickening?" I ask.

"The Quickening is what we call the transfer of power when we kill another immortal." she said.

"Aside from death, and other immortals, there would be no reason for me to return, would there?" I asked.

"Nobody knows how immortals are made. Not only that, we're a sterile breed, us immortals." she said.

"Wait? What?" I asked in total shock.

"We're sterile. Even if you could go back, you could never have any more children with you wife." she said.

I was silent for a moment, and then I asked. "What can I do to get my mind off my current predicament?"

"Let me evaluate your abilities, and then I will have an assignment for you." she said.

"One last question. Assignment?" I asked.

"You might say that we police our people. This is the headquarters to the British Isles, and a portion of western Europe." Hetty said, and then walked away.

I was studying under Hetty for a whole month before she sent me out on my first assignment. I'm not exactly sure how this works, but all I know is that an immortal is causing problems, and it's my job to put him down. I make my way out of the fortress, but I grab a horse because I have a decent of amount of ground to cover.

The town I was going to was two days ride from home. When I get there my target was causing a ruckus outside a bar. I get off my horse and slowly walk up to the incident. I can hear the crowd chanting witch, and demon, and other words of the sorts.

"Can help you sort out your problem?" I asked.

"Nobody can stop this demon, so what makes you think that you can stop him?" a man in the crowd asked.

"Demons can't be killed, and witches can't be killed the usually way. This man is neither a demon, nor a witch." I said.

"Prove it!" a person in another part of the crowd asked.

"Isn't obvious. You take the man's head." I said.

When I mentioned decapitating him, the man took off running through the crowd. The crowd parts for me to chase after the man, weaving through the buildings in the village. I was gaining on him, and as he was cutting back towards me. I was on a collision course with the man, and he didn't even see me coming. I tackled the man on his blindside, and we went tumbling down a hill. By the time we finished rolling the man had rolled free of my grasp, and was already back on his feet.

"Who sent you?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" I asked getting back to my feet.

"Yes it does. I was hunting someone, and I was wounded and left here in this village." he said.

"That's it?" I asked getting back to my feet.

"I swear that's the truth." he said.

"Believe me, that's not it. That may be your story, but if that was the truth I wouldn't be here." I said.

The man didn't even hesitate, he drew his sword as I was drawing mine. We crossed swords for a few strikes, but this wasn't even a competition. The man was actually a young teen who had his life stolen from him at a young age. And here I am to end it completely. I think as I found an opening and severed his head from his body. The Quickening from this teen was nothing compared to the woman I killed a month ago.

I was able to move shortly after the Quickening had finished, so I cleaned off my sword and sheathed. I climb back up the hill. At the top of the hill there was a crowd of people waiting.

"What was that electricity we saw?" a child asked.

"The man had constructed a device that had harnessed electricity as a weapon and tried to use it against me." I said to the child. I look at the person who was the town mayor. "You won't have any more problems from that man anymore."

I head back into town, and grabbed my horse. On my way back to the fortress my mind wondered to Cortana, my lovely wife. She had creamy tan skin, long dark-brown hair, and two mismatch brown colored eyes. I think how I will never see her again, never hold her again. But if what Hetty says is true that I won't be able to have children every again, let alone having to watch my family die as I live on, I guess it's better this way.

After two days Hetty was waiting for me at the stable when I returned. And Ray was with her, too. "Ray. Hetty." I said greeting my boss and friend.

"Hey Deeks." Ray said.

"Welcome back Mr. Deeks. I take it your task wasn't too difficult?" Hetty asked.

"I had to kill a teenager." I said.

"Get used to it." Ray said.

"I said that I had no control over who becomes an immortal." Hetty said.

"Just promise you won't send me after another teenager?" I asked.

"Okay." Hetty said.

I headed to the armory and hung up my gear. I got a shower and a hot meal, and then I was off to the training room to keep my skills sharp until I head out for my next job. I've been back a month, and I see everyone go out at least twice, and I'm still here. I start to get restless, and I have to stop myself a few times from taking it out on other people in the training room. One day Ray had took me for a walk down by the river that was below the fortress. I look back up at my home, and then out at the river. I find a few smooth stones, and then I skip them across the surface of the river.

"You okay?" Ray asked.

"Other than not having a job to do at the moment, and endless training, I'm fine." I said.

"You are not fine." Ray said.

"You know what I mean." I said.

"I do, but you know full well that you aren't fine." Ray said.

"Mr. Deeks." Hetty said.

Both Ray and I turned to the stairway that lead from the fortress.

"Yes, Hetty." I said.

"I have your next mission. I apologize for taking so long, but the logistics for it took longer than I expect it to. Grab you gear. There's a boat that will be docking here with the hour." Hetty said.

"We have a dock beneath the fortress?" I asked blankly.

"Why else do you think I chose this place?" Hetty asked.

"I've been dead for two months, technically, and I'm still learning new things." I said.

I head up to the armory and grab my gear. As I was exiting the armory, Hetty was waiting for me. "You first mark is in London England. After that you are heading to Paris, France." Hetty said.

"Two cities I never knew existed until now." I said. I grabbed the paper from Hetty, and then head down to the dock. I board the ship, and then went to stow my gear. I haven't been on a ship in two months, but I grew up on ships. I was a fisherman in my previous life. Come to think of it I was wondering how I wound up on land in a battle, especially sense I wasn't really trained for war. Or at least on land. I think. I feel the ship push off from the dock, and then it sails out to sea out to sea. When we get out into open water I feel myself come alive. I haven't felt this good since I'm became an immortal. I t take us about five days to get to London.

After the ship docks in London, I get off and make my way off the dock. I had just cleared customs when I was approached by a child. "Are you Deeks?" the girl asked.

"Didn't your parents tell you not to talk to strangers?" I asked.

"I've seen stranger men and women than you walking theses streets." she said.

"Really. How strange?" I asked.

"I've seen murders, rapists, and even a child molester, or two." she said.

"Wow. It seems like you have an ear to the ground. And yes my name is Deeks. Did Hetty let you know I was coming?" I asked.

"Yep. I have a lead on your man. Follow me." she said.