Serena made her way through the dark corridors of the Kensington mansion, well aware of the fact that the guests would likely still be downstairs having a nightcap. She knew that there were guards on the floors, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem, as long as she kept quiet, and maintained the element of surprise.

She stopped at a corner as she heard someone approaching. One of the guards was casually whistling to himself as he did his rounds, completely bored. Serena took advantage of the fact he wasn't completely alert and hugged the wall as he passed, not even looking her way. She moved round behind him and made her way quickly down the corridor in the direction of the back stairs.

"Are you there yet?" Hayley asked her.

"Give me a chance; I'm trying to avoid the friendly guys with shotguns right now." Serena whispered in response. She stopped as she waited for the guard on the next floor. "I'm on the first floor. There's a balcony that overhangs the armoury. I should..."

Just then, she heard something, a loud thump on the same level. She looked to the direction of the noise and saw a pair of feet round the corner.

"Serena?"

She didn't answer. Instead, Serena just made her way to the end of the hall. She recognised the boots; all the guards were wearing them. As she got there, she found that the guard was laying on the ground unmoving. She knelt down next to him, pressing his fingers to his neck.

"He's dead." Serena breathed.

"Who's dead?" Hayley asked. "Serena?"

"One of the guards, he's dead. I'm no expert, but he isn't breathing." Serena informed her, looking to his shotgun. She opened it, seeing the shells were still inside. "Whoever it was, they either moved quick or they got the drop on him, because he never got off a shot."

"Someone else is in the house?" Hayley asked her.

"Well I didn't do it, so it looks that way." Serena replied.

"You have to get that sword." Hayley reminded her. "Either get it first, or find the guy and get it off him."

"Yeah, I'm sure that'll be easy." Serena sighed as she left the guard and made her way down the hall.

As she came to the balcony overlooking the armoury, she another dead guard lying on the ground. She ran to the railing, looking over and saw a man in there in a suit, looking at the display case thoughtfully. She vaulted the barrier and landed quietly behind him, sneaking up.

"So you made it this far did you?" He asked. Serena looked stunned as he turned around.

"Kenzo?" She asked as she saw him. "But you're..."

"I also excused myself from the party." He told her. "Walk away, and perhaps you'll live."

"You really don't want to do this." Serena warned him, slipping into a guard.

"You know, I really think I do." He replied, changing into his Nighlock form. Serena just started to back away, extending her hidden blade.

"Oh shit."

Back at the Shiba House, later in the day, Jayden was sitting in the living room with the others as they all went about their business. Antonio had already left to earn some money with his own business while he recovered his energy enough to continue his work on programming the Black Box, but the others were all there. Kevin was in the corner reading with Mia. The two of them had a habit of reading cookery books together, all part of Mia's attempts to educate herself into being the amazing cook she thought she had been.

He was pleased to see them so happy together, their arms around each other as they read the book, pointing out recipes they might like to try and figuring out the instructions. He could remember that at one time, it didn't seem like they would be happy that way. Mia was into him; a somewhat embarrassing and uncomfortable situation that he had initially hoped would rectify itself, but ended with him having to have 'the talk' with her.

He had been thinking a lot about the situation since the previous night, indeed, he had been thinking a lot about the living arrangements since the previous night. As he looked over to where Emily was on the computer, working on another of her on-line modules for her High School diploma, he was thinking about the fact that two strong, amazing, intelligent and beautiful women had been living in his house for months, and he had never once thought about them in that way.

Although he was completely head over heels for Emily, and had even literally marched straight to hell and back for her, Mike was pretty open about the fact he found other women attractive. He had lived a pretty sheltered life all things considered. He was home-schooled, and he only really left the house with Mentor Ji to go grocery shopping when he was a kid, so he didn't really have the same experiences as others to fall back on, so he couldn't help wondering about the fact he didn't feel anything for the girls, but that he now felt himself uncomfortable around his best friend. So much so, that he had to stop sparring with him just because he was beginning to feel himself tightening up. Did that mean there was something wrong with him?

Eventually, he got up and made his way from the room, trying not to disturb the others as he went, resolving to go for a run. He stopped in the hall as he almost ran into Antonio.

"Whoa there, where's the fire?" Antonio asked him with the smile that always made Jayden smile back. It was almost as if the two were connected, it was automatic.

"I might ask the same." Jayden replied. "I thought..."

"The lunch rush was awesome, I sold out!" Antonio interrupted him. "I'll have to go catch more stock tonight."

"I'm glad business is good." Jayden replied. "I was just going for a run."

"Oh, do you want some company?" Antonio asked him.

"No." Jayden rushed out, before realising that he had snapped. He just smiled at Antonio. "I just need some fresh air and some space to think."

"I guess I can go with that." Antonio said with a shrug. "I guess I'll just go clean up, then go for round two with the Black Box. Have fun Amigo!"

With that, Jayden left on his run, hoping that perhaps some time alone would help.

Back in the Kensington manor, Serena and the Nighlock Kenzo were locked in a deadly battle. She really wished she had something more substantial than the wrist-mounted blade to fend him off considering that now she was facing a full-blown Nighlock.

"So satisfy my curiosity. Just what exactly are you supposed to be?" Serena asked him.

"My form incorporates the properties of the black mamba." He informed her. "One of nature's quickest and deadliest killers."

Serena looked to the hooked fangs protruding from his mouth. Kenzo was obviously a skilled warrior in his own right; he had fought with her and held his own up until now, but since she now knew of his form, she had to be mindful of his fangs. The black mamba had one of the deadliest neurotoxins known to man. He lunged for her with a kick, which she narrowly avoided, and smashed through the case around the sword, setting off the alarm.

"Oh great, now you've done it." Serena stated as Kenzo quit the battle and disappeared into a gap. She looked up to the balcony as some guards appeared. Finding the body of their comrade, they looked down, seeing Serena standing by the broken case. It didn't take Serena long to figure out that it didn't look good from up there.

Realising that stealth was no longer an option, she chose plan B, grabbing the sword and running! She snatched it up as they both fired, narrowly missing her. She wasn't a gun expert, but she knew that at that range, because of the spray, it was unlikely the shotguns would hit her, or even that the hit would be lethal if they did, but she wasn't going to hang around to test the theory. She broke the lock to the back door and sprinted out into the grounds.

A couple of guards rounded one of the out-buildings, attracted by the sound of the alarm, but she was too quick for them. The first, she took down by smashing the scabbard of the katana into his face as she used her blade to stab the other in the backside, hamstringing him. Both of them would live, but neither of them would pursue her.

A few more were coming into view, and she knew that she wouldn't be so fortunate with them. With her skill, she could take them out if they got into reach, but with their shotguns, they didn't have to get into her reach.

She looked for a place to run to, and ran in the direction of one of the out-buildings, rushing inside. She could wait by the door and surprise the guards if they came in.

"Damn it." She muttered as she realised her mistake. She hadn't gone into the stables as she intended. She had hoped stealing a horse would speed up her escape. She had, in fact, gone into the slave quarters. There was only one way in or out, she was trapped. "If you have a stroke of brilliance now would be a good time Hayley."

"Is someone there?" She heard someone call from a little way down. She left the door, coming to the door to a cell, looking inside. She saw a kid in a school uniform inside. He got up and tried to make his way to the door, but was stopped as a chain around his ankle got to the end of its length. Serena looked at him a little curiously. He looked familiar somehow.

"You're the kid that went missing aren't you?" She asked him.

"Michael Windsor." He told her. "Some guys snatched me from school and brought me here. Please, you've got to help me!"

"I'm getting you out of here." She told him, turning her attention to the lock. It was then that she heard a mechanical click behind her that made her freeze to the spot.

"I'd be more worried about myself if I were you love." She heard a man drawl. She held up her hands and turned slowly. He was too far away to attack, but he was close. "If I pull this trigger at this range, that pretty little face'll be redecorating that wall."

Frederick came into view, followed by another guard and his father.

"I guess you weren't so tired after all." He commented. "Put down the sword."

Serena did as she was told, before standing up, keeping her hands in view all the time.

"The toothpick too." He demanded. She unstrapped the hidden blade, and threw it at his feet.

"It's a shame you found Michael here." Frederick told her. "Now you understand we can't possibly let you go."

"If we turn you over to the police, you'll just start blabbing about the kid." The guard told her. "I guess that means I have to take care of you."

Serena closed her eyes, waiting for the shot, but it didn't come. Frederick put up a hand.

"I have a better idea." He commented. "You know, the way you move is quite impressive. The way you came off that balcony..."

"Wait, how did you see...?" Her words were cut off as Edward levelled a rifle at her, shooting her with a dart. She looked at it for a moment as her vision blurred. She collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"I know this is disappointing my boy." Edward sighed as one of the guards dragged her into a cell and fastened a shackle around her left ankle.

"What can I say? Those mirrors can be useful." He replied as he came over to Serena's unconscious form, brushing the hair out of her face. "It is a shame though, she is rather fetching."

With that, they left the cell, locking the door behind them.

Back in the states, Jayden stopped by the harbour on his run. He needed space to think, and he needed to sort out what he had been feeling as of late.

He knew that there was something different about the way he felt about Antonio now. He was delighted to have his best friend back, and when he came into the house, he just fit into the routine so seamlessly, it was already like he was a part of the family.

He couldn't help thinking about the day he came out to the team. Antonio had explained later that he did it because he had already revealed the fact he was gay to Kevin because of the dispute they were having about how much time he was spending with Mia. He accepted the fact that his best friend was gay, it didn't change who he was in Jayden's eyes, but for some reason, it seemed to stick in his mind.

He had an idea why he was looking at Antonio differently, but he wasn't sure what to do about it. In his whole life, he had never felt anything like he had when he found Antonio in his arms on the couch. He couldn't imagine anything like what he felt when Antonio stood between him and Dekker, defending him against the Cursed Warrior. He felt like Antonio would do anything for him, and it made him feel happier than he could ever remember being to think about Antonio.

However, his thoughts strayed, as they always did to his duty. He was the head of the Shiba Clan, one of the five Samurai bloodlines. Moreover, it was the only bloodline that could create the seal that would keep Master Xandred in the Netherworld for good. He was well aware of the pressure on him to fight, he had been raised to accept it his whole life, but he also had another responsibility. His bloodline was the only one that could create the seal. If it did not happen in his generation, if he failed to create the seal within his lifetime, then he would have to pass that responsibility onto the next generation. His children.

He was used to sacrifice, he had made plenty in his life, but this one was going to be the hardest. As much as he was beginning to realise how strongly he felt for Antonio, he knew he could never act on them. His duty was to the planet. His happiness meant nothing compared to that. The hardest thing about it all was that he knew that while so far he had always been able to share the load, especially since the Rangers had made him accept their part in the war, this was one burden he had to carry alone. More than anything else, he couldn't tell Mentor Ji, the man who had been his whole world since his father had died. More than anyone else, he couldn't bear it if he turned from him now.

Back on the Kensington Estate, Serena finally started to come to, her vision starting to clear up. She grabbed the dart in her leg and threw it aside. Looking around, she could see that she was locked in a cell. Feeling something around her ankle, she pulled it to her, finding a steel shackle there, connected to a chain which tethered her to the wall. She just groaned as she realised her predicament.

"This is just great." She moaned.

"You're awake?" She heard Michael say. She got up and went to the barred door, as close as the chain would allow, finding him staring back at him.

"My head's still buzzing a bit, but I'm fine." She told him.

"It'll pass in a couple of hours." He assured her in a sigh.

"So what's your story?" Serena asked him. "The paper said you disappeared from Eton."

"They snatched me from the grounds." He told her.

"I guess it's a ransom thing." She commented. "If you go there, your family's loaded right?"

"My dad owns some companies." Michael told her. "But it isn't ransom. They took me a week ago."

"If they wanted money, surely they'd have it by now." Serena replied. "So what else?"

"They want me because of who I am." He told her. "They told me when I got here that they want me because I hold the current cross-country running record at school."

"I don't understand." Serena replied.

"The invitations are ten grand for a reason." He told her. "I'm the main attraction."

"You mean, the special prey for the final hunt is..." He nodded his head.

"But this year the guests are really getting their money's worth." Frederick announced as he came in, making his way towards Serena's cell. "This year, there's an extra hunt. Shame really, I would have preferred..."

"I can guess what you would have preferred." Serena snorted as she looked at him in disgust. He just chuckled and approached the door, reaching through and stroking her cheek tenderly.

"I have to say, the way you moved when you were trying to rob us was quite impressive." He complimented her. "You'll make good sport I'm sure."

He withdrew his hand and turned to leave, lighting up a cigar as he went.

"I guess there's only one question." He stated, pointing from one to the other. "Who goes first?"