The Crow: Fragile

Disclaimer: Please read chapter one for the disclaimer.

Summary: Please read the first chapter for the summary.

~::-|-::~

"What do you mean, we've lost the meatworks team?!" Taurus asked savagely. Isis bowed her head, hoping not to become the target of the man's rage. "You were meant to be watching out for that vigilante group!"

"It wasn't a vigilante group, sir. It was one girl."

"One girl!?" Taurus snarled. "You mean to tell me that the meatworks team, consisting on nine of our finest, couldn't take down one girl!?"

"Truthfully, sir, I am unable to comprehend as to how she got passed them all." Isis looked at her boots, chewing her lip nervously.

Taurus snorted. "Taurus!" The big man turned and bowed his head.

"Yes, My Lady." He said gruffly, kissing the woman's hand.

"What is all this commotion? All I can hear is your yelling."

"Isis claims that the meatworks team has been dismantled."

Lola turned her strange gaze to the woman behind Taurus. "Is that so, Isis? Have we lost the entire meatworks crew?"

"I believe so, My Lady." Isis said in a small voice. "One of the vigilantes took them down. I don't know how she managed it."

Lola sighed. "It's all right, Isis." She said slowly, holding up a hand to stop Taurus's comment. "Please, go and tell the Elements to meet with the Zodiacs and myself in the main chamber. I wish to speak with them before we begin the ritual. I want everything to be perfect when that time comes. Taurus, ready the Big Cats and tell them to guard the ground floor. I want to be ready if these vigilantes try to interrupt our little ceremony. Also," she paused. "Make sure our guest is completely comfortable."

Taurus snorted and walked away, his fists clenching and unclenching in annoyance. Isis bowed her head, and hurried out the door to tell her fellow Elements the message. Lola walked back to her room and surveyed Luc's photograph, now framed and sat between the two lighted candles.

"It's almost time, baby." She said with a smile. "Soon we will be together again and we shall be rid of the little eyeless Raven. We will be free."

~::-|-::~

"The Lady Byrne has something to say to you." Gemini said, addressing the ten people in the room. "Some information regarding the ritual tonight."

The Elements turned their gazes to the woman in the feathered mask, their leader. She looked at them with the eyes that she had supposedly stolen from one of her many victims.

"Children." She said softly. "Tonight is the night that we've been waiting for. Tonight is the night that we welcome Death back into our ranks!" She looked at each one of them in turn. "I know you have all heard of these vigilantes that have been notching our brothers and sisters into their belt. We all have. I am sad to say that we must add some more of our kinsmen to the long list of deceased. Hawk and Falcon, of the Bird team; Venom and Cobra, of the Snake team; and sadly, our newest recruits are those among the deceased in the War team. Lest we forget our brothers and sisters, Havoc, Mayhem, Siren, Militia and Blade." Lola bowed her head. The group did so as well.

"But that means we have none of those teams left!" A voice said from the back of the room. "We've lost all the lower teams now! Who's to say these vigilantes won't start picking us off?!"

Lola lifted her head to see who had spoken. Blaze looked steadily at her, his brow creased by a deep frown.

"It is a terrible loss, Blaze. I know you had family in those teams. I'm sorry." Lola lowered her head. "But that is why I have called you here this evening. I have known of this so-called vigilante for some time."

"If you knew about them, why didn't you stop them?!" Thunder called out, agitated. Lola glared at him for speaking out of turn.

"I have known about the vigilante, Thunder. There is only one. She is a girl whom has been summoned back by the Crow."

"That's just an old wives tale!" Scoffed Storm. "Anyone who believes that rubbish should be sent off to the loony bin!"

"Remember, I have been there, Storm." Lola said quietly. "I believe in the legend of the crow. I have seen it happen. I also know how to destroy it." She looked around at her gathered followers. "Tonight, she will make her presence known. She will have with her a bird. A crow. It is this crow that gives her the power. Kill the bird, you kill the girl."

"Then we will do it now!" Said Hurricane. "A girl with a pet crow won't be hard to find!"

"No!" Lola said, glaring at the Wind Rider. "You will not harm her until I say. We will let her find her way here so that she may witness the rebirth of Death."

~::-|-::~

"Let me go!" Ramírez yelled, clasping the bars of his cage tightly. "You can't hold me here like this! I am an officer of the law!"

"Quit ya yapping." The man at the desk said. "We'll let ya go when the boss says we let ya go, Detective." He sniggered.

"How dare you! I can put you up on charges of false arrest and wrongful imprisonment and obstructing an officer in the course of his duty!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Heard it all before." The man yawned. "You can't book me for anything, anyway. We nabbed you when you were at home… technically, you're a civilian." He grinned.

"Lynx, stop teasing our guest." A woman sauntered into the room and lay an arm across Lynx's shoulders. "Really, sweetie, you really must learn some manners." She kissed his cheek.

"Probably." Grinned Lynx. "But then the fun of the game would be gone… and you know how much I like to have fun, Cheetah."

"I do." Purred Cheetah. "I certainly do. Come on. We've been summoned to guard the ground floor. Taurus and Scorpio will be here to escort our guest to where he needs to be in a few minutes.

"All right." Lynx sighed, getting up out of his chair. Picking up his machete, which had been leaning against the wall, he pointed it at Ramírez. "No funny business, Pig." He warned. "Or old Sasha here will make you into a new coin purse for my girl." He put his arm and Cheetah and they walked off laughing. Ramírez watched them go, fear mounting in him quickly and intensely. He didn't know why he had been brought here or why he'd been chosen. He just knew he had to get out. Now.

~::-|-::~

"You are to keep guard of the ground floor, should the vigilantes make their way here tonight. You will guard our Lady with honour. If you fall, you fall for her." Taurus told the five assembled members of the Big Cat team. "Lynx and Cougar, you'll be at the front of the building, making sure no one gets passed and up the stairs. Cheetah and Panther, you'll be in the stairwell, just in case the vigilantes manage to sneak passed or manage to overpower Lynx and Cougar." He glared at the letter, as if daring them to talk. "As for Sabre Tooth, you'll be guarding the landing that leads to the main chamber. Anyone who comes up those stairs must be dealt with accordingly, do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" The five Cats saluted, before shouldering their weapons and making their way to their posts.

"I don't see how five of us are going to keep a group of vigilantes away from the proceedings." Cheetah mused as she and Panther took up their residences in the stairwell.

"If you ask me, I don't think there are any vigilantes." Panther said with and roll of her eyes. "My guess is that the higher ups are killing off the lowers to keep the secret of Death's reincarnation between them."

"That's a cheerful thought." Cheetah said disgustedly. "If that's true, I'm hoping you die first."

"Feeling's mutual, love." Panther grinned toothily. "Just make it quick and neat so that I don't have to step in your blood on the way out."

"Who said you'd be left to live, bitch?" Cheetah smirked. "Anyway, when we've got these…" She indicated to their weapons – a set of nun chucks and a sledgehammer. "Who's to say anyone will get passed us?"

"Right on, sister." Panther grinned, slapping her a high five. "Bring it on, vigilantes. We're gonna kick your asses!"