A/N: Finally! I finished chapter 3 :D ! And if any Characters are OOC plz let me know so I can fix it.

Chapter: 3

Time: 17:55 hours

"They pay good he said! You'll love working for them he said!" Muttered a massive bulldog in a Mussian(Russian) accent as he trudged through pouring rain toward a motel. He was tired, soaked to the bone, and had hardly any rest. All because of the incident with Sonic weeks ago. After that Princess Sally had ordered that almost all KFF fighters find who was behind the attacks. Of course him and several mercenaries questioned why they were dealing with it now suddenly, and with so much force. A few of his comrades even boldly declared the only reason she wanted them to deal with it now, was because they had injured Sonic, her boyfriend. After that, they each received a deadly glare from Sally as she got into a heated argument with them. The bulldogs ears were still ringing from that squirrels voice.

"Last time I trust Nack to find me a job." Walking past several rooms he stopped at one with the numbers peeled off it. And the numbers 6-03-28-04 chalked on it. Banging hard twice on it, he heard someone move around inside.

"The gun is unloaded." The Bulldog said into the door.

"And the safety is on my friend." A voice replied from inside. Twisting the knob he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him. Quickly turning around the bulldog pointed his laser rifle at a purple and white Weasel sitting by a table in the middle of the room. Wearing a brown fedora, and a jagged tooth sticking out of his mouth.

"Alright Nack, say the client's safety word so I know you're not backstabbing me." he growled.

Setting his pistol on the table the Weasel known as Nack smiled as he said. "You don't trust me Blackjack?"

"Trust a son of a motherless goat like you? Ha! Like that would ever happen." Retorted the Bulldog named Blackjack as he aimed at Nack's head. "Say it before I blow your head off."

"Lasers are red, they will hurt you, get out of here, before I shoot you." The Weasel quickly said.

"What does he need done this time?" Blackjack asked while slightly lowering his gun.

"Same thing as last time, he also said that he would pay both of us handsomely." Replied Nack as he grabbed his pistol off the table and holstered it.

"He must be paying you well if you're not going to backstab him." Stated the bulldog. Which was true considering that Nack the weasel had a reputation for being one of the most greediest, self serving mercenaries out there. Willing to betray his clients for the right price. While Blackjack on the other hand went by a code of honor, and would rather die than betray those he worked for. Why were these two willing to work together? Because this specific client always delivered his payment, but mostly because he paid in gold.

"Your gold will be in a crate inside a bakery, the building will be marked with the usual symbol." Said Nack as he stood up. "That is all, have a nice day."

Turning around and going out the door, Blackjack muttered insults at the weasel as he went back to his pointless search in the rain. "Have nice day, I'll show him a nice day! Next time I see him I'll sock him right in the face!"

"Blackjack."

"WHAT!?" He yelled into his communicator.

"Everything ok?" Asked Sally.

"Oh everything's just great! I just love searching for days in the pouring rain, to find someone that's extremely dangerous and could kill me." Blackjack answered sarcastically as the princess let out a tired sigh.

"I know i've been asking a lot of everyone lately, but we need to stop these attacks from happening. Your men are already heading back to Knothole and they won't listen to me, so could you get them to search for just one more day. Please?"

Apparently his comrades were finally fed up with searching for nothing. Blackjack couldn't blame them, who wanted to search for a ghost? They couldn't even pick up any scent from places the Mystery group had been.

"If they don't want to play ghostbusters anymore, thats fine by me." He said "I'm about to quit searching myself-"

"Blackjack, you need to get over here." Sally cut in.

"If your wanting me to try and find their scent I can't, I've got a cold from being out in the rain for too long." Said Blackjack while faking a sneeze.

"No, I think there trying to to communicate with us." Replied Sally.

"What is the deal with you Freedom Fighters always looking for trouble." Groaned the Bulldog.

"Just hurry over here. I'm southeast of you. " Sally said before turning off her com.

Over at Sallys location she was staring at what was In front of her, the words "The deaths of many is upon your head." written in red on a building. But what really caught her eye was what was under it, the same skull Symbol that was painted onto whatever they had raided.

Jogging up behind her. The Bulldog knelt to ground looking for tracks, sniffing as he did. "No tracks, no scent. I told you before these guys are like Ghosts." Blackjack muttered.

Raising up a device, Sally pointed it at the wall "Nicole, identify this emblem." Sally Asked.

"Scanning...this is the emblem of the Phantom Battalion. A Special Operations unit of Mercenaries formed by the Acorn Kingdom during the Overlander War." A female voice stated

"Phantom Battalion? I've heard of them during the Overlander war. They were legends." Blackjack said.

"You think these mystery fellows are Phantom Fighters?" Sally asked.

"Na, can't be, That Battalion got wiped out during the war." Blackjack replied.

"Then why did they use this sign?" asked Sally.

"Scare tactic" Blackjack said as he looked over his shoulder. "And it's working let's go, There's nothing here." Blackjack said as he started walking. Sally turned to follow, then suddenly stopped.

'Did that rock just move?' She thought as she stared hard at a large boulder. Shaking her head Sally caught up with Blackjack. 'I need to stop being so skittish' Sally thought. Meanwhile back at the boulder a black hedgehog was leaning against the rock. His armor blended perfectly with his surrounding, making him almost invisible. He watched as the two walked away.

"Smart girl, just like her father." Mortifer said under his breath.

"Alright I'm heading in." Blackjack said.

"I'll see you late-"

Sally stopped and turned around to see Blackjack being choked by nothing, then suddenly float off the ground. As an armored person come out of the shadows behind him with one arm outstretched. Quickly yanking her sidearm out Sally fired repeatedly and started taking steps back as he threw Blackjack to the side, And walked towards her.

"The blood of many is upon your head!" Mortifer bellowed as the lasers deflected off his armor. Sally panicked as her back hit a wall. She was trapped! Pulling the trigger as fast as she could Sally started yelling into her communicator.

"This is Sally! I've made contact! I repeat I've made contact and need immediate assistance!"

"This is sniper Alpha. What are your coordinates?" a voice responded over the radio.

"Sector A15, target is in Black armor!" Sally replied as Mortifer got closer and closer to her.

Inside an old bell tower in the distance, the sniper zoomed in on Mortifer's head and fired. Sally stopped firing and watched as the shot came from the tower and hit him directly in the head, doing nothing to him. He stopped, then turned and watched as the sniper fired a several more shots. But each one that hit had no effect on Mortifer.

"Target is taking no damage! I repeat target is taking no damage!" Frantically said Alpha as he kept firing.

Pointing at the tower, Mortifer clenched his fist. And Sally was forced to helplessly watch as the tower the sniper was in, exploded.

"No!" She cried out. Sally tried charging him, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't move at all. Roughly picking up Sally by the throat, he brought her face to face with him. 'This is it, he's going to kill me.' Thought Sally as Mortifer drew his knife. Closing her eyes Sally waited for the searing pain of the energized blade across her throat,but it never came. Slowly peeking one eye open Sally found herself being held in the air by nothing.

Suddenly, the grip on her throat released. And Sally fell to the ground coughing as her lungs were filled with sweet oxygen. Shakily getting up on her feet Sally sadly looked up at the tower Alpha had been in. Dropships had already landed Swatbots there and if Alpha's body was still there, then the Swatbots had already taken it. Sally then looked at where her attacker was, but he was gone.

Running the best she could Sally went to Blackjack and made sure he was still breathing.

"Blackjack, Wake up we have to go!" she said. Receiving no reply from the bulldog. Sally reared back and slapped him as hard as she could.

"Son of a Motherless-" Blackjack started to say as he sat up but stopped as he saw Sally staring at him with a frown on her face. "Gun?" He finished innocently.

"We have to go." Sally told him.

"What about the sniper?" Asked Blackjack.

"He's dead." Replied Sally sadly as she started running.

"I can't feel my jaw." the bulldog complained while following behind her.

After running nonstop for an hour or two(but also taking a few breathers here and there) and zigzagging their way through Robotropolis to make sure they weren't being followed. They arrived at Blackjacks safe house.

"So I'm guessing your going to head back to Knothole?" Asked Blackjack as he went to the front door and opened it.

"Yes, and I'm going to call off the search." Sally sighed in defeat.

"Finally you listen to my advice!" Blackjack said while leaning on the doorpost. "It took a life and a near death experience but eh, at least you listened."

"Because it seems like they know our every move, fall back positions, supply caches, and even safe house locations!" Said Sally as she paced back and forth.

"Do you think they have someone on the inside working for them?" He suggested.

"Maybe." Agreed Sally.

"Don't you worry, If there's a traitor me and my boys will find him." Stated the Mussian as he cracked his knuckles.

"Thanks, I better get on back to Knothole and let them know I got someone killed." Sally said and almost bursted into tears

"It wasn't your fault." He comforted

"That's what everyone keeps telling me every time someone dies following my orders, and I never can believe it wasn't my fault. They don't understand what it's like to have to tell children everyday that their father isn't ever coming back and It was my order that killed him." Wiping a lone tear with her arm she tried to compose herself "Sorry, I should be heading back right now. Besides their my problems not yours." Sally started jogging again with slumped shoulders and trying her best not to cry in front of the battle hardened Mercenary.

Waiting till she was out of sight. Blackjack let out a sigh turned around and shut the door. Then walked towards the cot in his bedroom for a long, well deserved nap.

"Good job."

"AH!"

Yanking up his gun Blackjack fired a burst in the direction of the voice. And regretted doing so, for standing there with his arms crossed was Mortifer with bullet holes all around him.

"Sorry about that boss." Apologized Blackjack. "Didn't expect you to be here."

"I wanted to reward you for always completing your job. And your loyalty over the years, so instead of being paid one crate." Mortifer motioned beside him with one arm. "You are getting two, crates of gold."

Quickly going to the crates Blackjack couldn't resist smiling as he flung the crate open and scooped an armful of gold bars up. After a few seconds of holding them and filling his nostrils with the scent of pure gold bars. He sat them back down in the crate as if there were the most fragile things on Mobius.

"When you're done slobbering on the gold, I need the map with their defense and supply locations." Mortifer said as he pulled his pistol out and pointed it at Blackjack.

The Bulldog raised his arms up and let Mortifer grab the map from one of his pouches.

"If anyone ever finds out, I'll tell them you had me at gunpoint." He chuckled.

Mortifer nodded as he holstered the pistol.

"So what did you have to pay that no good weasel to act as the sniper and detonate the explosives in the tower, and without backstabbing you?"

"He needed a rare part to fix his bike, I believe he calls it "The Marvelous Queen.". Apparently one of his jobs didn't end to well." Replied Mortifer. Looking at the map he memorized the locations that had been circled with a marker, just in case something happened to it. "Still not able to tell me where Knothole is?" He asked.

"Sorry boss, that's the only thing I can't show you without breaking my contract. But as you already know, it never said that about everything else." Said Blackjack as him and Mortifer shook hands. "And...sorry for talking about them. I know it's something you would rather forget." Blackjack said and broke eye contact with Mortifer as he stared at the floor.

"You were doing you job, you didn't do anything wrong." Though his face and tone never changed. Blackjack knew if he looked up into Mortifers eyes, he would see the rage and pain that he had been keeping inside for years. "Goodbye." Mortifer said as he walked past him and out the door.

"See you later boss."

After returning back to HQ, Mortifer had Woodstock go with him and help raid most of the caches before turning in for the night. More specifically Woodstock would fall asleep before his head hit the pillow. And Mortifer stayed up late, like every night to do things he believed were more important than sleep.

The sound of chains rattling echoed off the ship's walls as a punching bag was rapidly hit. Mortifer had been at it nonstop for around an hour or two. His body was covered in sweat, his arms and hands were burning with pain. But Mortifer continued to beat the bag in anger as his mind replayed the same memory that had been haunting him everyday for six years.

The cries of dying soldiers echoed in his ears, he gritted his teeth as the flashback started. He saw it all over again.

rivers of red, dead body's covered the ground, the roar of gunfire was heard everywhere.

Slowly Mortifer began to hit harder as the flashback continued.

Soldiers were slaughtered as they charged the enemy defenses without fear.

His fist became a blur as he poured his rage into the bag.

An echidna, beside him was blown into the air as an artillery shell hit.

Mortifer suddenly snapped, and roared in rage as he spun around and punched the wall creating a deep indention it. 'I'm not the weak soldier I was back then. I'm not the weak soldier I was back then.' Mortifer repeated in his head while breathing heavily and recollecting his emotions. Pulling his fist out of the wall, Mortifer closed his eyes. 'I won't fail Woodstock like I failed Elias'

A/N: Blackjack is a character from the comics that was only used once, and since not much is known about his past I think that he fits into this quiet nicely. And as always constructive criticism is greatly appreciated along with suggestions. God bless!