Chapter 13

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Abandoned Huntslair Complex, Manhattan New York

Dragons, they were the cause of it, and Rebecca Kay knew this, and she and her friends were the only thing standing between the Dragons and the pure extinction of the Huntsclan. Though they had never been fully ordained as Hunters, they were a part of the Huntsclan and as long as they survived, the Clan would go on, that was the important part. Even though she and the others were degraded to live this life, in the abandoned Huntslair in underground New York, they had set rules for the survival of the Huntsclan, never leave the Huntslair and if you did, you don't stay out for more than a day. Twelve of them lived in the complex itself, they maintained it, patrolled it and protected it, they never really understood why, but they felt the need to, because it was the last one, the Dragons had destroyed all of the others, expect this one. And Rebecca was the leader, or what she sometimes thought, that last Huntsmaster.

"Becky! Are you in here?" Daniel called to her.

She sighed. "Hunter Mills, you are not to address me as such"

"Oh shut up, we're twenty and everyone else is asleep," He said as the light panels flickered on. "No need to get all 'Huntsmaster' on me, you know that"

Bringing up her hand she ran it through her fiery red hair. "Alright you got me, what do you want, and before you say it no I will not share a bed with you…"

"Why not, I mean we are sort of in love and I don't know why we really haven't done it yet, can you answer me?" Daniel asked in a sort of whining voice.

Becky whirled on him and scowled. "Because I'm not that kind of girl who would screw someone before marriage ok, we are Hunters, we should act that way"

"As much as I agree with you about that Hunter thing, we haven't hunted a damn thing in two years," He said. "It was only by luck that we escaped the Academy, and got in here to find that there weren't any Dragons so yea, we can be 'hunters' but Beck were only human and humans need to do that…"

Growling, Becky brought her hand and up punched him in the face, and then she made a dismissive gesture. With his pride wounded beyond salvation, he left her quarters. What was he thinking? She was not going to give up the rules and standards that the last Huntsman had established, Rebecca Kay was going to be Huntsclan until the day that she died. And hopefully she would see the complete destruction of the Dragons before that day happened, and maybe, just maybe she would play a role, or maybe she would be responsible.

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34 Miles away from the Home Jackie Hutchinson

"Erin," Rose asked. "You never told me why you hated Paul so much"

Of course she was never going to tell her that, or anyone for that matter because it was something that she would like to forget. What had happened exactly was something that made her feel ashamed, because she was a Hunter and you weren't supposed to relent like that. But she had let him do those things to her, and put up with it for months after she had given birth. She didn't even want to think about those times, she was in a much better relationship. "Eh…if you don't mind Rose I wouldn't like to talk about it…"

Rose bit her lip. "Well I just wanted to let you know, after you disappeared, he was tore up for months, and he really just grew to be different, I think on some level, he really did love you, but I know you didn't love him, did you?"

"Of course I did," Erin snapped. "But, he was just really sick in the head…"

From the passenger seat, Johnny scoffed. "Tell me something I don't know, I live with the man for seventeen years straight, I know how he thought…"

Erin reached forward and put a hand on her son's shoulder. "And I'm very sorry you had to do that sweetheart, you have an idea of what I really mean"

"Mom, he didn't beat me or anything, he just was mentally abusive, was he that way to you?" Johnny asked scared to know this answer.

Her hesitation cost her, and she knew that she had blurted out the answer without really saying anything. Quickly taking back her hand from Johnny's shoulder, she placed it in her lap and looked over to her Husband. The look on his face was that of shock, and she could tell that the others were shocked too. Yes, Paul was physically abusive to her for the first eight months of Johnny's life, and that happened to be her last eight months in the Huntsclan.

"That son of a bitch" Rose growled gripping the steering wheel.

This was something that she didn't even tell her mother, and she told her mother everything, she didn't tell her mother because her mother would have tracked Paul down and killed him. To her surprise, she didn't hesitate, she didn't cry, she had no fear, she was calm and she decided to let it out. And by the time all of the things that Paul had done to her were in the open, a tensed silence had come over the car. "Does your Mom know about this?"

That had come from Mark who had an unreadable expression on his face, but she could see anger written somewhere in it, she looked at him and smiled grimly. "No, Mom would have tracked him down and I don't mean to get graphic here, but she would have castrated him with a dull butter knife…"

"Hell I would have done that," Rose said. "Why did you not tell me this then?"

Erin shook her head. "I thought you were perceptive enough to know that I was wearing a mask of make up to cover up the marks, god Rose I don't know why I never told you I just thought that it was none of your business"

"When did it happen last?" Johnny asked quietly seething at his information.

Looking down for a moment, she swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back up. "Two days before I left, and I will always remember exactly what he did to me, he slapped me when you were in my arms…"

"God Damn him, if I could ever bring someone back from the dead just to send them back in a more gruesome manner it would be him, I hate him even in death I hate him," Rose yelled. "I cannot imagine how that horrible man ever managed to procreate with someone like you"

"Relax Rose, It was twenty years ago, and he's dead, to put it frankly I hope he's burning in hell, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he's no more and you shouldn't get worked up over something that a dead man did" She said growing annoyed that this was continuing.

She frowned. "I guess you're right"

But she still seemed angry, and she really was pissed off, not at the late Huntsman however, but the thoughts that were now going through her mind at the moment. Paul had raised her Son in-law, and she wondered if he would ever turn out like that, and just the thought spun her into a dimension of pissed off that she had never been in. "Mrs. Long, are you thinking what I am like that, because if you are that is foolish, I would never do that, ever…"

"You know Johnny, if you ever do to my daughter what your father did to your mother, I will maim you with a blunt object and bury you alive in a pit of poisonous bugs, you go that?" She asked with calm edge laced in her voice.

Johnny blinked. "You sound like you've thought about it"

"Mr. Long and I have thought about it in great detail, not because of you but because of your father and we do that because we care about our kids more than anything" Rose said not losing that slight edge that she carried.

"Excuse me, but how many times have you threatened my son like that?" Erin asked from the back seat with evident irritation in her voice.

Both Rose and Johnny shook their heads. "Countless times," Rose said. "But that's either when I've been pregnant or angry, otherwise I don't do it, often"

"And right now you're pregnant right, we still haven't talked about that, Mrs. Long have you even told Mr. Long or Alyssa yet?" Johnny asked, curious.

Rose nodded her head. "Well I have confirmed it to them, I took a test earlier at your place, and it told I wasn't but I just took another and it told me I was, so Jake thinks I am and Alyssa is under the impression that I'm not…"

"Don't you think this is a bad time to be impregnated with Mr. Long's Child? I mean have you thought about that…" He stated trailing off with the sentence.

No, Rose hadn't thought about that part and now that she did, it did scare her. If FU and Haley were right, then the Dark Dragon wasn't going to stop until the descendants of Lao Shi and Jake were wiped out off of the face of the Earth. And one of them was now growing in her womb. "No, I didn't think about that, and you know what, I'm going to protect this kid, the best I can"

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Isle of Draco, Dragon Council Security Bunker, Medical Wing

"What happened to the other scout?" Edward asked one of his attendants.

The woman shook her head. "Apparently, when he arrived, he kept ranting that a shadow demon attacked the other and killed him, the medics think that the Dark Dragon has done something to this one's mind, they've sedated him…"

The Dragon Council had been gathering in the Bunker's medical wing since the scout had been brought in and they were listening to what the doctors had to say about him. Apparently when he arrived on the Isle, he was suffering delusions that he was being attacked by the Dark Dragons minions, the Shadow Demons. The only conclusion that they had come to was that the Dark Dragon had somehow twisted their minds, and driven them into insanity. And this posed a problem for Pro Tempore Keeler, if the Dark Dragon had that ability, then they were all in danger. "Doctor, did he say anything before you sedated him?"

"Nothing really," The older woman responded. "He just kept saying 'he's coming, he's coming, and he's going to kill us all' just generally that…"

Edward sighed. "I need know everything he has to say, so can you wake him?"

"I'm afraid that I cannot do that, he needs his rest," The doctor said. "I can in a few hours, and I can put him under medication that should control his urges"

Cursing under his breath he turned to his aide. "Send a memo to General Long and inform him of everything that the doctor has said, everything"

The attendant bowed and walked out of the room, her place at his side was quickly taken by Councilor Nebroshka. Her face had grown pale at the sight of the scout. "Pro Tempore, I must say, I don't feel it's safe to leave the Isle of Draco, there is too much here that we, the Council, must protect, and if he does come to the Isle then he will have to fight all of us to take them…"

"Such as the Diamond of Draco?" He supplied.

Nebroshka nodded.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of very first Pro Tempore of the Council?" He asked, wondering why he was even saying these things too her.

Again she nodded. "Janus, he was a very powerful man"

"And have you ever heard of the rumor, that Janus and the Dark Dragon are one and the same?" Edward asked again.

Edward could have sworn that he heard the Russian Dragon choke. "I must say that, that thought is somewhat farfetched, that would mean that the Dark Dragon is over two thousand years old, I'm sorry but I just can't believe that…"

"Think about it," He said looking over at her. "Janus was never found, he was never buried, and no one ever found out if he had died or not, and just in case you don't know your own history, The Dark Dragon arose during that time"

Nebroshka gasped. "What spurred you to think of something like this?"

"Because of Pro Tempore Lao Shi," Edward said looking at the incapacitated scout on the bed. "He was convinced that Janus and The Dark Dragon were one in the same, and to be honest with you Sabrina, I totally agree with him"

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The Home of Jackie Hutchinson, East Hampton, New York

When she had heard a car pull up in her drive way, she had immediately jumped up and looked out her window. She had seen this car earlier today, it was the car that the woman and her Grandson had come in. Swallowing her instinct to get a weapon she simply went to her front door and opened it. There would be no more secrecy when it came to these people, she just wasn't in the right emotional mood to have one right now. Stepping out onto her front porch, she shut her door behind her and walked forward to sit on the small flight of stairs. Rummaging through those boxes was still on her mind.

Rubbing her hands together, she lightly brought them up to her mouth and breathed on them. That was something that she had learned when she was on assignment and had no source of heat, she found that it was a good easy way to keep warm. She looked to the walk way that divided her yard, and saw four people, it was the woman Rose, her Grandson, her daughter and son in-law. It was hard to keep a strong face when she had been thinking about her husband, but this time, seeing Erin's face and picturing her Husband's face in the eyes of her mind, it was just too much. Tears began to run down her face.

"Mom," Erin said. "What's wrong, why are you crying?"

Jackie smiled while still crying. "Nothing sweetie, I was just going through some of your father's things, and I'm just remembering how much you look like him"

"Really, I thought I looked like you," She said looking at all three of her companions before looking back at her mother. "I mean I look just like you"

She smiled again. "You do, you've got my eyes and hair but your face looks just like his did, but yes you do still look like me, and you Johnny, you look almost identical to your grandfather, but just like your Mom, my hair, my eyes"

Erin walked forward and sat next to Jackie, she slipped an arm around her shoulder. "Mom are you ok? I have never seen you like this before…"

"Yes I'm fine, It's just I found a picture of the three of us together that I haven't seen since you were born," She looked over at her. "It's the only picture the three of us took together before he was killed, that's why I'm upset…"

That was surprising to Erin, had she really been doing that. "Why were you going through all of that, I mean, I have things that do that to me, but I don't just do it randomly, and for that matter, have I seen this picture of us together?"

Jackie shook her head. "No you haven't infact, I don't think you've ever seen a picture of your father, but I'm tired and cold so can you tell me why you are here at two in the morning disturbing an old lady's trip down memory lane?"

"That's a funny story Mrs. Hutchinson," Rose said, feeling slightly resentful that she didn't have a mother to do that with. "I know you know what the Dark Dragon is, and I know you know what he is capable of and what he's done before"

The older woman seemed to perk up at the name of the Dark Dragon, she looked at Rose, concerned. "Yes I do, what's happened?"

"Well, he's sort of returned to the Earth-" She stopped when Jackie's hand went up and made a gesture for her to stop or to halt her sentence.

Jackie narrowed her eyes. "Wait a minute, he wasn't on Earth before?"

"It's a long story, but to break it down, the Dragon Council and my Husband imprisoned him in a Vortex, and he has managed to break out and now he is coming for my family, and that includes your great-grandchildren" She said.

That was certainly a lot of information to take in, in just a few seconds, Jackie simply blinked at looked at Rose's face which was illuminated by the bright moon light. "He's threatening my Great-Grandchildren? That's all I heard…"

Uneasily, Rose took a step back and brought both her up hands up in a calming gesture. "Jackie, he is, and he's threatening my children, and I suppose there spouses as well, and that would include Johnny here"

This time, the older woman's voice was snarl. "You sure know how to push!"

"There's a reason I was the Huntsgirl," Rose said. "Honestly Jackie, the stories of what you did have been something of an inspiration of mine, and I know that if you help me and Erin do what we need to do, the Dark Dragon will be stopped, I don't mean to hero worship here, but you are sort of my idol"

Jackie chuckled, and then she smiled at Rose. "I haven't done any of that in years Rose, but from what I've heard from Erin here, you've done impressive things yourself, I couldn't have imagined doing everything you did and still living"

When she glanced at Mark, she laughed. "I assume you know, because you're not looking like you're about to drop dead of stroke something…"

"Oh yea I know Jackie, you know I keep listening to all of this and I keep thinking that Erin, Rose and Johnny here are all from another planet," He said smiling shyly at his mother in-law. "But I'm going to be supportive through this"

Jackie nodded. "I'll tell you the reason that you feel like they're the same alien from a different planet, They were all raised the same way, I was raised that way if not harsher, they were all raised to be smart, calculating, strong, fearsome when they need to be, and loving when they need to be. I should know, I raised one of them, and the other is my Grandson, Rose however I don't know…"

"I was told my parents were dead," Rose shrugged. "But I'm willing to accept the fact that that may be a lie, but I really have no way to find them even if I wanted too, but all of those other things, I was raise to be that way, ten times more if need be, my Uncle wasn't the nicest person on the block…"

The older woman began to smile. "I knew your Uncle, not well, but I worked with him on several assignments, and he was very dedicated, I can see it in you…"

"A dedication of psychotic proportions" Rose said with a grin.

Jackie nodded. "And so, I've decided to join you in your fight against the Dark Dragon, if you and the Dragon Council would accept me in their force"

"Now that you mention that, they've ordered me to bring both you and Erin to the Isle of Draco, and like you said I'm dedicated" Rose stated hoping that the other woman's mood wasn't going to shift suddenly.

"Good," Jackie said. "Because I was going to ask you if I could go there"

Rose smiled. "That's great, because we have to go, tonight, right now even"

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The Long Family Apartment, Manhattan New York

When Jake had received the flash memo from the Isle of Draco, he had felt a cold child go up his spine. A pair of scouts had been sent to Hong Kong, and when they returned to the Isle, one was dead and the other had been driven crazy and he had been so convinced that he was being attacked by shadow demons. This was not good, things were now moving faster than he had hoped and he only hoped that he would have things ready to move against the Dark Dragon before the Dark Dragon moved against him. "Jake? What is it?"

He looked over to his side and saw Haley, apparently the loud noise that the memo service created had awoken her up. She started at him through glassy, red eyes, Haley must have been very tired. Handing the parchment over to his sister, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes in thought over what going to happen now. "Something new and very unsettling has happened"

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AN:/ I was able to watch 'Homecoming' earlier, and I had an idea that struck me and I've decided to incorporate it into the story. I hadn't intended on writing survivors of the Huntsclan Academy into the story, but they fit into this new idea. Anyway, things will start to heat up in the next chapter when Jackie, Mark and Erin meet Jake and Alyssa, not to mention the Dragon Council. The Dark Dragon will make his first appearance. Erin and Rose learn that getting the nerve gas will be harder than they think, so tell me what you think.