Chapter 35: Fractures in the Forgotten
"The rules are simple. No firearms, tech or biotics. Do you find those terms agreeable?"
"They suit me just fine."
While Leanne and her opponent prepared to square off, Nate quickly withdrew to the background and prepared to disappear in preparation for an ambush. However, he was promptly stopped when the barrel of an unusual looking submachine gun met his face.
"My sister was pretty clear about the rules and your girlfriend already agreed to the challenge. No funny business, Ghost Fang." a stern, well built young man with piercing dark eyes cautioned while staring at Nate.
"Sister? Does that mean all of you guys are related?"
"No, but we're a family nonetheless."
Nate took a moment to observe the squad of youths who were now watching him like hawks and released a chuckle. "You'd definitely fit in with our head cases, that's for sure."
Meanwhile, Leanne and her opponent were already in the middle of their martial exchange and unleashing and countering a flurry of blows between each other.
"This is unexpected. I was under the impression you were a tech prodigy not a martial artist." Elise mused after landing on her feet in the aftermath of a shoulder toss. "I know one of your cousins is a professional fighter. Did he give you a few tips?"
"Are you trying to insult me?" Leanne calmly responded while maintaining her stance. "Military or not, everyone in my family knows how to fight."
"Interesting but not surprising given the name you all carry. So tell me, are you the best?" Elise curiously inquired.
"Taking notes on us? Good luck." Leanne scoffed before smirking. "Kev is the pro and a straight up puncher just like his brother Keith and our cousin Cammie. All three of them are damned good at using their fists and probably the best in our family. Kay's a gymnast who's good with kicks and flexible enough to take the advantage against anybody dumb enough to upset her. Angelica's a sorceress even when she isn't using her biotics and completely unpredictable. She could toss you on your ass in a heartbeat if you let your guard down and that's when she's not teleporting around like a ghost. The rest of us are normal by comparison but still better than most, especially Simon. But he's the gentle type and not prone to fighting just like his dad."
"Simon? Simon Graham? His father…you haven't heard yet, have you?" Elise quietly whispered in sympathy.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you over the heavy breathing. Don't tell me you're already getting tired." Leanne taunted.
"Sorry to disappoint you but I'm just getting warmed up."
As the two women prepared to resume their battle, a shuttle suddenly appeared above them and began depositing Forgotten reinforcements. It was a move that wasn't welcomed by the young soldiers who were already there.
"What the hell are they doing here?" Elise's brother pondered in agitation.
Nate quickly took note of how irritated his observers were before immediately cloaking while they were distracted.
"Malik, Delilah, what do you think you're doing?" Elise angrily demanded as a towering dragoon in a customized suit of blue armor approached the scene while accompanied by a phantom wearing a mask.
"Your job little girl. Blaine's getting impatient and we've got a deadline to meet." the dragoon replied brusquely.
"I warned him. I told him not to entrust this operation to the weaklings. Ernest and his faction of trash have proven time and again how inept they are. Not to mention cowardly. Too scared to join the rest of us in the assault on Heshtok, isn't that right?" the phantom called Delilah scathingly added while eyeing Elise.
"Don't you dare! My father was the only one with any sense and the fact that you all ended up running away with your tails between your legs is proof of that! How many people did you lose in that godforsaken operation?! How many of our ships got destroyed?!" Elise shouted back.
"As if you'd know. You weren't even there." Delilah replied coolly.
"Enough. You can provoke the brat all you want later. Right now we've got a Shepard to capture." Malik casually stated before turning his attention to Leanne.
"I was in the middle of apprehending her." Elise bitterly replied.
"You were playing around and we don't have time for it. Didn't you fools learn anything from your history lessons and the stories you've heard? Don't give a Shepard any openings." Malik scolded before promptly shooting Leanne with a concussive round from a heavy pistol.
The moment he did, two of his trooper subordinates quickly fell dead after being executed by a pair of omni-blades before the man himself was slashed across the face by a furious Nate who suddenly appeared and caught Leanne as she was falling.
"Or a Hunter for that matter." Malik calmly added while wiping the blood from his wounded cheek.
"You just went to the top of my shit list asshole." Nate angrily announced while holding Leanne.
"Which one is he again?" Delilah mused.
"The weakling…or maybe not." Malik pondered while examining Nate's armor.
"He's no weakling." another voice casually added as more Forgotten forces approached from the lobby of the apartment complex.
"Dad! Are you all okay?"
"We're fine. The little one and the woman put up an impressive fight. I'm sorry I had to drop a ceiling on them to hasten our departure."
"And here he is, your venerable leader. Delayed by a pair of nobodies while his children almost allowed our prey to escape. Pathetic." Delilah scoffed.
"What did you expect? Earnest was never worth a damn."
After making his rather derisive statement, Malik found himself being surrounded by Elise's brother and companions while his own people prepared to engage them.
"We've listened to you badmouth my father long enough."
"Elise, I'll deal with them. Malik has been itching to have me kill him for a long time now." her brother coldly announced while facing his intended opponent.
"Elise, Tobias, all of you, stop it. The local authorities will be here before long and we still need to deliver Miss Shepard to the rendezvous location and deal with her protector. I doubt the infamous Ghost Fang will simply stand aside while we run off with his girlfriend. In fact, he's already proven he won't in spectacular fashion. He and his associates have wiped out Flora's entire division and destroyed her favorite gunship." Earnest explained rather candidly.
"Ghost Fang?! This wastrel is their most famous assassin?! You must be joking!" Delilah scoffed before quickly diverting her attention back towards Nate's location.
To her immense shock and dismay, he was already gone and in his place was a timed explosive that was already ticking down.
"As I said before, there's no such thing as a Hunter who's a failure." Earnest calmly reiterated while admiring Nate's resourcefulness.
A block away, Nate found himself carrying a still unconscious Leanne through the streets of Nos Astra. He ignored the explosion that erupted behind him and continued to sprint further away from the scene before finally darting into an alley.
"You're too damned honest Leanne. You should've used a defense matrix as soon as the fight started. If you had, that concussive round wouldn't have knocked you out." he gently scolded while holding her. "Then again, that's just like you. Always putting me in a jam."
Afterwards he took a moment to softly brush her cheek before planting a kiss on it and resuming his trek. But before he could take another step forward, he found himself being yanked backwards by a biotic lash from a furious dragoon who was far stronger and more skilled than his brethren.
"Nathan Hunter or would you prefer Ghost Fang? Not that it matters. A dead man is a dead man regardless of the name he goes by."
Ordinarily Nate would've had a snappy comeback ready but at the moment he found himself in a sleeper hold that was threatening to not only suffocate him but also break his neck entirely as the dragoon veteran known as Malik tightened his hold.
Before the man could follow through on his murderous intentions, Nate extended an omni-blade and added yet another gash to the other side of his adversary's face, causing him to relinquish his grip.
"Now you match, bastard." he coughed while struggling to his feet.
Malik ignored his insolence and immediately extended his whips before initiating a furious string of strikes that put Nate on the defensive as he struggled to avoid the onslaught.
"Damn it! This alley is too narrow. He's got the advantage. What I wouldn't give to have Lou or Ray's muscle right now."
Nate's regrets were soon cut short when Malik sent his whips into the ground and created a tremor with a biotic smash. After being hammered into a crumpled heap, Nate looked towards Leanne who was still out cold in the center of the alley where he'd dropped her.
"Not…losing you again." he coughed while staggering to his feet.
He then flung Malik back to the other end of the alley where he'd first appeared using a biotic throw before unleashing a salvo of energy blasts to follow up the maneuver. His adversary responded by fortifying his armor with Foucault Currents and erecting a barrier, shrugging off the blasts and stunning Nate with the display.
"Shit! What kind of dragoon is he?!" Nate furiously cursed while bolting back towards Leanne at a breakneck pace.
He once again found himself on the ground when a pair of armor piercing rounds tore through his back and shoulder. Before he could formulate another strategy, he was quickly pulled towards his foe as Malik dragged him off the ground and towards him with another biotic lash. After catching Nate, he casually rammed his head into one of the walls that lined the alley before dropping him to his knees and punching him in the face, completely destroying his already battered helmet in the process.
"I can see why you work as an assassin. This was hardly worth my time. Even if you are the weakest, I expect better from a Hunter."
Malik didn't bother masking his disdain or disappointment before spitting on Nate's beaten down form and taking aim with his heavy pistol. As he prepared to pull the trigger, an explosion suddenly erupted behind him and the small alley quickly filled with smoke afterwards. When it finally cleared a few minutes later, both of his targets had already disappeared.
"I'm not amused." he seethed before rushing off.
"Come on Nate, hang in there." Rabbit anxiously whispered as he carried Leanne and observed the battered state his friend was in while Lynx dragged him forward and shouldered his weight.
"It's just as I feared. These aren't their typical ground troops. We're dealing with the most elite among their veterans." Lynx added in desperation.
"I kind of figured that when we failed to take out any of those bastards in the lobby. And their leader…I've never seen a dragoon fight like that. The guy tore down an entire ceiling with his whips like it was nothing. These guys are tough, REALLY tough." Rabbit quietly agreed.
"We're going to need backup and not from the Fangs. Only our strongest forces will stand a chance against them. We have to make contact with a Terminus Wolf division and fast." Lynx urgently stated.
"We can call Lou once we get someplace safe. Boss Dog, Liv, Bushido and Bruiser plus all their respective squadrons should be enough to beat these bastards." Rabbit speculated. "This is way more serious than I thought it'd be. What the hell do they want with her?" he angrily added while looking down at Leanne.
"I don't know Rabbit but it's obvious they're prepared to commit their very best resources in order to capture her. And I have a sneaking suspicion that the disturbances caused earlier by Tiburon Rojo are related to this. They've conveniently drawn the Terminus Wolves who were stationed here away from the city making it easier for the Forgotten to launch their attacks. It seems Lou will have a great deal to contend with."
"His first big trial as the new boss, huh? I don't envy him." Rabbit sighed.
A tense silence followed his statement as he and Lynx continued to traverse the maze of alleyways that would hopefully lead them to an escape from their pursuers. After turning a corner and catching sight of a vacant street ahead of them, the duo slowed their approach. They had no intention of abandoning their caution given how dangerous their enemies were proving to be but they were also quite eager to flee while they still had a chance.
"Damn, where is she? She should've been here by now."
"Give her time, Rabbit. She has a right to be wary of us, especially you due to your history of intrusion. You also contacted her without warning during a firefight. We should consider ourselves lucky that she even responded."
"One pair of panties. I'll admit it. I snagged one pair of underwear while I was looting her office a few years ago. Do asari really hold grudges for that long?"
"Pray you never find out." Lynx humorously responded after rolling her eyes.
The somewhat amusing exchange was quickly interrupted when Malik finally caught up to the duo after descending from a rooftop. His arrival created a small crater in the alley and knocked both of his intended victims off balance as the entire area shook.
"Okay, you're pissed. But we can talk about this." Rabbit sheepishly offered while facing the giant standing before him. "I mean, I'm not that invested in the situation. What do I care if you snatch a Shepard? They're a family full of self-righteous assholes if you ask me. Am I right big guy?" he continued while smiling.
Malik responded by pulverizing Rabbit with a massive biotic smash using his whips but was quickly disappointed when he realized that he'd simply destroyed a decoy. The real Rabbit had already scurried ahead into the street that was no longer vacant while carrying Leanne as Lynx boarded a newly arrived sky car after depositing Nate in the backseat.
"You treacherous little coward! Get back here runt!"
"I think I'll pass. I'll be sure to write though. Bye-bye now." Rabbit quipped before tossing his last flashbang grenade at his pursuer.
The asari driver of the vehicle quickly exploited the opening he provided by sealing off the escape route from the alley with a singularity before speeding away.
It took several seconds for the effects of the grenade to wear off and even longer for the singularity to dissipate and once it finally did, Malik was completely livid.
"When I get my hands on that stunted little-"
"Problems, comrade?"
"Now is not the time to test me, Earnest. Why don't you make yourself useful and pursue those weaklings. They're getting away!" Malik raged after his much calmer colleague approached.
"I don't take orders from you Malik. Don't ever forget that. As for our targets, one of my other teams is already on the move. Amber will track them down."
"Your wife? I hope she's not as incompetent as her daughter."
Malik's remark had barely left his mouth when a pair of hands suddenly wrapped themselves around his throat and lifted him into the air.
"We're alone now Malik so I'm free to put you in your place without causing any dissension in the ranks. You and the worthless degenerates who follow your lead are welcome to throw as many casual insults at me as you like. But if you value your lives, you'll refrain from making any more disparaging remarks about my family. Do you understand?"
Earnest didn't wait for a response or give his colleague time to offer one before tossing him to the ground. He took a moment to observe Malik release a few spastic coughs before opening a comm line to his wife.
"How's the hunt honey?"
"Interesting to say the least. They've gotten help from a local info broker. I've got a few reconnaissance operatives scouting her safe houses now."
"And the club? We know Nathan Hunter operates one in the commercial district. The faster we move, the easier it'll be to complete our mission. Those mercenaries won't keep the Wolves occupied for long and it's only a matter of time before they return and regroup with the Fangs in the city. If that happens, things will get even more complicated." Earnest explained. "I never imagined a Hunter would get involved."
"I'm afraid you'll have to brace yourself for even more bad news my love. Shar's strike team was sent to neutralize possible resistance at the club and it didn't go very well."
"Let me guess, the employees turned out to be assassins in disguise and repaid the aggression in equal measure." Earnest replied in exasperation before releasing a sigh.
"Not only that, they were being assisted by another Hunter. A pretty powerful one too. He apparently tore Shar's people apart almost single-handedly."
"What?! How many Hunters are down here right now?!"
"We aren't sure yet but this is worrisome. Elise, Tobias, none of the children are prepared to face a Hunter or the Terminus Wolves. And if the Terminus Hunter himself happens to be here, that could spell trouble for all of us."
"If he is, I'll face him. I don't want any heroics out of you or the others. Alright?"
"Sorry, I didn't catch that last part."
"Amber…Must I beg?"
"You could but it wouldn't do any good. Relax Earnest, we'll all be fine."
"I'll relax once this job is over and we've received what was promised to us. I find this whole operation distasteful. The fact that Blaine was the one who brokered the deal only makes me more wary."
"I know but this may be our only chance and we have to take it. You and I can pay penance to the Shepards later after we've secured things for the children. They deserve better than the lives they've led up until now, much better."
"You're right." Earnest quietly agreed. "I'd better begin arranging your backup. Be careful honey."
"Always."
After ending the communication with his spouse, several distressing thoughts began plaguing the veteran dragoon. Just how many Hunters were they going to have to deal with and who exactly was the mystery man at the club?
"It might be him you know. The new king, the Beast of the Abyss." Malik suddenly speculated after finally getting to his feet. "If it is, your little chicks are in for a slaughter." he laughed.
"It could also be the Nemean Enforcer. Either possibility poses a problem for all of us." Earnest calmly responded while contemplating their next move.
"Only for your brats. I've already proven I can take down a Hunter. Fighting one of his brothers won't make a bit of difference to me."
"Then you have nothing to worry about." Earnest casually replied before walking off, infuriating his associate in the process.
"I'm gonna kill that idiot once he gets back here." Ray angrily announced after putting his battle hammer away.
He was standing in the middle of Nate's club surrounded by dead Forgotten forces and his brother's vivacious employees who were all holding weapons of their own.
"You're pretty amazing Ray. I didn't think anyone could demolish that many troopers and dragoons. It's no wonder you were in the running to take over for Mal." an awed young dancer commented while admiring the club's unexpected guardian.
"Don't bother flattering me and you can all drop the act now. I know you're Shadow Fangs." Ray sternly responded before growing quiet. "Is…Is Nate a part of this? Is my brother an assassin too?"
The silence that met his inquiry told him all he needed to know. The hush that had fallen over the area was quickly broken by an alert that had been sent to all of the girls' omni-tools.
"It's Lynx. She's with Nate and Rabbit. This is bad. They need help." one of the girls said in a panic.
"Oh they'll get help alright and that lying ass clown is gonna give me some answers. All of you get your gear ready. We're heading out." Ray ordered but the girls all hesitated for a moment causing him to grow even more irate. "Did I stutter?! MOVE!" he barked.
The young women immediately scattered in different directions while Ray pondered the situation. His brother-his goofy, irresponsible, laid-back, deadbeat older brother may have actually been more reliable than he ever imagined.
"I guess I'll just have to beat the truth out of him." he grumbled.
"Don't hit him too hard." The krogan dancer named Dirka suggested after joining him. "He's not like you or your other brothers."
"I know. But that doesn't change the fact that we love the clown." Ray replied sincerely. "But I guess I'll hold off on knocking some sense into him until after I've dealt with the rest of these Forgotten bastards. Nobody screws with my family and lives." he ominously added.
"Trials of the Maiden by Lady V. Doc, don't tell me you actually read this garbage?" Rabbit quipped while lounging across a sofa in Liara's living room and perusing a few titles inside a datapad sitting on top of her coffee table.
"That's none of your business and I suggest you keep your hands where I can see them. I have no intention of tolerating your thievery for a second time." Liara warned him from a large chair across the room while scanning a console that was resting across her lap.
"I've read that one myself. It's quite…stimulating." Lynx admitted with a hint of embarrassment.
"It is a good book. I can't wait for the next volume myself." Leanne added before turning her attention back to Nate who was lying across a bed on the second floor.
"Damn, you missed me so bad you had to resort to reading trashy romance novels to pass the time. I'm really touched Miss Sublime." Nate joked weakly.
"Shut up, just shut up. Look at you. What happened after I was knocked out?"
"Oh, I decided to go dancing and missed a few steps. Clumsy me." Nate continued to joke.
"Should I ask Rabbit or Lynx instead? It seems like they know far more about your life than I do."
"Leanne…what do you want to know?"
"How long? How long have you been doing this?"
"A few years now. I started getting hands-on training before my seventeenth birthday. I know this doesn't exactly make things better but half of my family is in the dark too."
"Why?"
"Because it's safer that way and-"
"I mean why do this? Why expose yourself to this kind of danger? Being a Terminus Wolf is risky enough but being an assassin and a Terminus Wolf-Why Nate?"
"A long time ago I made a vow. I swore I'd keep watch over everyone from the shadows, that I'd be the dagger that safeguarded my brothers and sisters. That's all there is to it."
"Is this one of those Hunter things that I won't ever understand?"
"Let me put it like this. Are you still planning to follow your little cousins once they're older in order to keep an eye on them?"
Leanne stared down into Nate's eyes several moments before finally offering her response. "I am."
"See? It's not that hard to understand. Our methods may be different but our motivations are the same." Nate gently stated before reaching up and placing a hand on the side of her face. "Sorry for keeping it from you and for disappearing. I really have missed you Leanne."
"Nate, where do we go from here?" she sighed.
"I don't know yet but right now my only concern is keeping you safe. We can sort through the rest later over lunch. That was the original plan, right?" he teased causing her to smile. "So, about your choice in literature…"
Leanne immediately punched him in the arm after growing flush. "You make me so mad sometimes."
"Nice one, Nate." Rabbit chuckled from the couch while observing the couple above him. "Lynx did you manage to reach anyone for help?"
"I've notified everyone at the club. But more importantly I was able to make contact with the Fenrir. Lou's begun mobilizing the Wolves who are already stationed on the planet. They just returned to the city and are preparing to leave the Den now. The Forgotten are in for a nasty surprise." she informed him as a sinister smirk appeared on her face.
"I know that look. What kind of heavy hitters should we be expecting?" Rabbit cautiously inquired.
"You'll see." Lynx replied coyly while smiling.
"Your objective is to reach Nate and keep him and Leanne Shepard out of the Forgotten's clutches. You'll be facing the most skilled and powerful veterans of their organization so don't hold back or underestimate the enemy. Am I making myself clear?"
Lucas Hunter's holo-form was looming in the center of a communication room within the Nos Astra Den of the Terminus Wolves where a small squad of soldiers were listening intently to their leader.
"We're on it Lou, don't worry."
"You'd better be. I'd hate to have to come down there myself. Actually, that's a lie but Rain thinks I should get used to letting my troops pick up the slack." Lucas humorously responded. "By the way, welcome back." he cheerfully added before disappearing.
"Well, you all heard my little brother. Let's do this."
With those words Vincent Hunter grabbed his Lumina Assault Rifle from a table and led the way towards the door. It was time to make good on his promise.