...I think it has been a long time since I posted another chapter this soon. O_O Hoping I can keep this up and you guys are enjoying it! Ready to find out what Lance needs Simon and Dakota for?

Disclaimer: I only own Dakota and the plot to this story. Everyone else belongs to their own creators.

Chapter Two: The Mission

April 28th, 2011 14:23

Dakota slowly let Lance and the other man in. Confusion etched across her face as she watched them carefully. She remembered the first time she met the former, not long after she and Simon traveled together. He was what his world called a Trainer, with creatures that held abilities, and he became an ally of sense to the duo. She recalled telling him to visit her home should he need her and Simon again. That was two years ago...and not once did he need her until now. The vision itself still played through her mind, even more so while her gaze remained on her guests. She knew better...this was no coincidence. She recalled the song of the dead clearly and hearing him say zombie made it seem louder. Whatever this trouble was, the zombies were on that island, she concluded. The problem was...what was so devastating that required her to see a vision? Zombies were clearly a problem; she knew that firsthand. However, was it another outbreak? Or, she feared, an outbreak on a grand scale?

Simon slowly stepped forward as he looked at Lance quizzically himself. "Lance?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Forgive the intrusion." Lance began as he stepped in the living room. "We didn't mean to interrupt anything, but we have a situation on our world that...is unlike anything we've seen before."

"These...zombies…" The man calmly replied. "We heard rumors of these things, but never knew they were true until now." Yet, as Dakota noted, he seemed uncertain at the words he said, and she noted his eyes as they flickered to everyone in the room. She did not blame him at all. While she was not human and aware of the supernatural, the zombies were never ones she thought to see. When she did, they were...haunting. Then, he nodded at them as he adjusted his hat. "Special Agent Looker."

"...Dakota Jaeger." She said with a nod of greeting.

Cassandra crossed her arms. The playfulness that once shimmered in her eyes was now gone. Now, they were steel, like a warrior who was ready to battle and protect. "Is it a dark mage who has summoned them?" She asked.

"...No...No, I don't think so…" Lance slowly replied, a brief confusion flickering on his face.

Simon shook his head and sat down on one of the recliners as he explained, "Lance's world does not have magic. They are known for having creatures that can use different abilities. Kota and I came to their world a couple years ago, and we met Lance." His eyes flickered toward Dakota, and she met his with silence. "...So, to hear this...this is unheard of…"

Looker sat down on the couch as he pulled out a file from his coat, and he sat it down on the table. "No records of anything like this from any regions. When Lance heard of this, he insisted we come here because he feels you would know this situation best."

"I KNOW they would know this situation best." Lance interjected. He fixed his cape slightly before he sighed. "...This is otherworldly, I know it, and I remember the stories they told me they have faced before."

Dakota's eyes fell upon the files. Without a word, she stepped forward and grabbed the file. Her hands trembled when she opened it and stared at the paperwork, her stomach lurched. Her face paled, and her eyes widened in realization. There were a couple pictures, and there was detailed information about the situation. The Pokemon did not act like they normally do...no, they attacked a group of police officers and feasted on their bodies. Their bodies rotting away while their gazes were now cold, milky white. All it did was bring back memories. She recalled the song of the dead again, the sight of burning buildings, the smell of death and rotted flesh. She felt even more sick to her stomach, and her breath now shook more in fear. As she continued to read the report, the location caught her by surprise. Her eyes narrowed together as she read it more carefully and soaked it all in. "...An island…?" She asked, forcing her voice to remain calm. No, she was not going to show any weakness. Despite her experiences with zombies before, she needed to keep herself under control.

He nodded calmly before he looked at the others. He explained, "There's an island off the coast of Cianwood City. There have been reports of strange happenings there and people disappearing in the last few months. So, a squad was sent there to investigate. What they saw…" His voice trailed off. There was a look of horror and anguish on his face.

"All except for one was killed." Looker finished, yet even he looked sick to his stomach as well. "He's back in the infirmary with bite wounds himself."

"...Bite wounds?" Dakota's heart dropped. The seawater from the vision permeated her nose, and she could see the jungle before her eyes once more. This was no coincidence now, but what frightened her more was the sole officer.

He nodded grimly. "He managed to get back to us and said what happened, before he fell unconscious. Sweating all over and seems restless. We even had to strap him down because he got aggressive."

Now, Simon began to pale, and he locked eyes with the half-breed. "...That's not good…" He mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"Sweating, aggressive, bitten by zombies? I've seen that before." Dakota finally admitted. "Which means we need to move. Now." She dropped the file and marched toward the stairs.

"...You think…?" Laurel started to say, before her own eyes widened in realization.

Simon did not reply, but he gave a firm nod before he made his way toward the door. "I'll need to gather my things...I'll meet you there, Kota."

Hotaru looked at him in surprise. "Wait, you two aren't going alone are you?" She asked, before she looked at Dakota. "That's crazy!"

"And not smart." Remy concluded, stepping toward the table to gather his cards. "You two are gonna get yourselves killed if you gonna go alone."

"And going by the stories of one outbreak, Dakota." Cassandra added, crossing her arms. "You barely made it out yourself. So how do you think you two can do it alone?"

"...Wait." Looker spoke up, before anyone else could. "We came for those two. The only reason I am agreeing with this is because Lance worked with them before. But the rest of you?" His gaze fell upon them, wariness within them. "...I don't think any of you should be involved in a police matter...not with a risk such as this."

Lance quickly looked at him with widened eyes. "Looker, I also agree with their friends, they shouldn't go alone. Simon and Dakota may have helped, but they were nearly killed then if they didn't have backup."

"They have us as backups! At least we are only putting two civilians in the line of fire."

Dakota had already gone halfway up the stairs before she stopped. Slowly, she turned her head and looked at her friends. He was right...there was so much risk on this mission. The report and her vision, she knew it was now another outbreak. She could not deny that, even if she did not want to believe it. The other outbreaks she found herself in, she remembered all the faces of those that died. Those she tried to protect...and those she fought along with. Fear nearly seized her body at the thought of someone else she cared for dying in such a situation. An image of Hotaru's thin form, mangled beyond recognition. Remy's throat torn out and his gaze staring at the sky with such emptiness and coldness. Yet, there was a fate worse than dying...and she could not bear to see them like that.

Her hand gripped the railing. One thought managed to break through all the what ifs and images that plagued her mind horribly. She knew of their talents. She had seen them fight and took down all kinds of enemies already. Even before she met them, she heard of their feats. They stood against dangerous foes before, and they managed to survive. Calmly, she watched each one, while Simon had stopped at the door. There was determination in their eyes, almost if they already came into an agreement without saying.

"...Dakota. Simon." Kakashi finally said. His voice was now smooth and calm, as he placed his hands in his pockets. "When are we leaving?"

There was no question of if they were going, Dakota accepted. She brought herself to look at Simon, and they stared at each other for only a few moments. Finally, he nodded, causing her to nod in return. "...Lance, go back and make sure no one goes to the officer. We need to contain this as much as possible. We'll meet you in Cianwood." She said calmly.

Relief flashed in his eyes before he quickly grabbed the file. However, Looker frowned, standing up from his seat. "Wait, why?" He asked.

"...Because that officer is infected…" She grimly admitted. "Those symptoms you mention prove it. What we need to do now is first make sure an outbreak does not happen in the city, before we take care of the outbreak on the island." When she looked at the agent, she could tell he was frustrated at the thought of civilians being involved in this, more numbers than he anticipated. She could not blame him, but he did not know them like she and Simon did. "...Agent…" She calmly said, "You're going to need all of us…"

He looked at her, still unsure and frustrated by this. "...I just hope you all know what you're getting yourselves into…"

"...More than you know...believe me. Everyone. Meet me at the portal in two hours. Give yourself time to get to your worlds and prepare."

With that, she made her way up the stairs.

00000

Simon Belmont had so much on his mind as he entered the armory of the Belmont Estate. His gaze was steel while his lips formed a firm line across his face. The armory was filled with many weapons, from firearms, to swords that his family had owned for many years. The words from Lance and Looker echoed in his mind, of how they were attacked from otherworldly monsters. Anguish filled his heart at the thought of the innocent lives that were lost. The island was no doubt hell on earth, and now those poor police officers lost their lives to monsters. Monsters...how many more would rise and harm the innocent people? What would it take to rid the world of them all? The instant that question entered his mind, he instantly regretted it. His fingers brushed against the metal of his family's prized weapon, while his eyes closed.

The thought was disgusting. Not all monsters were evil. That was a thought Simon changed ever since he met Dakota and the others. They were all of the same goal...to protect the innocent from those who would do them harm. Their motley crew was both human and of the supernatural, and they were fighting for the same cause. His eyes snapped open before his fingers wrapped around the hilt of his weapon...the Morningstar. While not the famed weapon he hoped to have in his possession, he was content to have the Morningstar by his side. It had not let him down before, and he imagined it would not let him down now. Afterwards, he grabbed his pistol, packed some ammo for it, and grabbed his second favorite weapon, a basket-hilted sword that was forged for his eighteenth birthday.

After he strapped it to his back, he breathed in deeply and sighed. He was a Belmont...the undead creatures would not be able to stand against him. To make it more worthwhile, he was not alone, just like his ancestors were not in the past. Suddenly, a face of a man a few years older than him came before his eyes, one with similar features to his own yet his eyes were dark brown. His lips dropped downward, but he shook his head. He could not think of him now. His focus needed to be on the mission at hand.

With a turn on his heel, he walked out the door.

00000

Laurel Drake knelt on top the roof of a tall building, a pair of binoculars in hand. She had it close to her face, watching a blonde hair woman in the streets below. There was a tug against her heart at the sight of her, and she felt the need to go down there, to talk to her. Yet, fear held her in place. She had not seen the woman in years, ever since she was ten. How was she supposed to approach her, after all that time? Deep within her heart, she knew she needed to keep her distance. It was the best for them both. Her own life was a mess with so many twists and turns from the choices she made. She closed her eyes for a moment, and she could see darkness before her. Within that darkness, she saw a figure, garbed in black. His cold, grey eyes bore into hers, and she could hear his words in her ears as if he stood by her now.

"To fight the unthinkable, you have to be willing to do the unthinkable."

It was a mantra inside her head, to keep her nerves steeled for the choice she had made. She could not go down to face her. Right now, she had undead to kill; her friends needed her more than anything now. As she put away the binoculars, she stood up and moved away from the edge of the roof. She wrapped her brunette hair into a tight bun, before she pulled out a blonde wig from her bag. She placed it on top of her head and made sure it fit before she pulled out a black domino mask to place on her face. She felt coldness in her heart, the same coldness she felt for years. In a way, she almost felt dead inside, but she needed to channel that feeling to be what she needed to be.

She was no longer Laurel Drake. She had now become Ta-er al-Sahfer once more. She was now the assassin she needed to be for this mission. Her black leather jacket hugged her muscled form, while her black halter top and black leather pants were snug against her. After she grabbed her bag, she made her way off the roof to meet with the others.

00000

Remy LeBeau enjoyed the sights of New Orleans but, more importantly, he enjoyed the food that it offered. He sat by a cafe with a plate of beignets before him, the smell almost intoxicating. While he always enjoyed the food from other worlds and what his friends made, the smell of home was what he wanted the most. He had to be sure his sunglasses remained on his face, to keep his eyes hidden from the people around him, however. What he was...no, who he was, made him an unwelcome member among the people. It did not bother him as it did the fellow people of his kind. At least, he would not admit to such a thing. Due to his upbringing, he used his abilities to survive in the world, even at the expense of others. His adoptive father was to be thanked for that, having him join the Thieves' Guild at such a young age.

A short sigh escaped his lips before he bit into the beignet, white powder to stick to his face. The skills he learned in that time was much needed, and it was the reason he was alive now. He would never change that for the world. What he did not appreciate was how he was used by his father for his own glory. He did not which was worse, to be treated as scum by the people or a mere tool by the man who raised him. At least with the friends he managed to gain, he could feel he was truly a part of something without feeling he was being used. Now, they were about to face something that was going to test his skills more so than he thought.

He wiped away the powder from his mouth and stood up, throwing some money on the table. There was nothing he needed to gather for himself. He had his staff and his cards, and he naturally had his own ability to depend upon. With a slight smirk on his face, he began to disappear within the crowd. "Alright, mon amis." He mumbled under his breath. "Gambit is gonna be bailing you outta trouble…"

00000

Cassandra Pentaghast knelt in front of a woman's statue, while the lights of the red and yellow colors hit the ground around her. Her eyes were closed with her hands in front of her, her lips moving without any sound passing by them. She kept her mind clear, focused on the words she was silently saying. Her mind, her words, and her heart focused on guidance from the Maker, for protection upon her and her friends. With the creatures they were about to face, she knew they would need it. After all the years of fighting for the Divine herself, being her Right Hand, and all the years as a Seeker, she herself knew she needed to be prepared. She had her armor, which glistened in the light, colored in black with the symbol of an eye on the front, colored in white. Her sword and shield were strapped to her back, gifts from her younger brother before his untimely death.

Anthony...how she missed him so. Her heart ached at the thought of him, and the guilt that she could not protect him. Even after all this time, it had still not left her. She thought of her friends that she had made in the past year or two, and all she could think of was how she could protect them in the way she could not protect her younger brother. They had their own lives, their own friends and family, outside of the circle they created together. She needed to be sure they were safe. More importantly, the threat that she was now about to face brought a great risk against the worlds. She had a feeling if they did not contain it now, even all the other worlds would be put at great risk of succumbing to this...this outbreak as Dakota called it.

"...Maker preserve us…" She finished before her eyes opened calmly. She grabbed her helmet and stood up to place it upon her head, her gaze hardened beneath the visor. As the Right Hand of the Divine, it was her duty to protect the people. As a friend, it was her duty to protect this circle from any harm. Whatever it took, she was going to see it through to the end.

00000

"...I'm back…"

Kakashi Hatake stood in front of a monument, his hands in his pockets. His visible eye stared at the names etched in the stone, a soft look within it that he managed to keep hidden so well. His face was still hidden by the mask he wore, so if anyone was in the area, they would not see his expression. They could not see the pain of guilt that panged his heart. "Naruto is still traveling with Jiraiya, Sasuke is still…" His voice trailed off for a moment, but then he sucked in a breath to calm himself. "Sakura, however, is doing well with her training. Before too long, she'll be a renowned healer. The friends I recently made this year...well, they need me against some undead. It will definitely keep me on my toes!" He chuckled softly as he spoke.

The chuckle felt hollowed, however. "...I do not know...how well I can protect them...with everything that has happened…" He admitted quietly. Slowly, he reached out and touched the stone. "I don't want to fail them too. Just as I failed to protect you...and Obito...Rin…" Then, he closed his eyes and released a sigh, shaky in form. The faces of his old comrades and his mentor appeared before him, and the pain seemed to grow in that moment. Their smiles were forever etched in his mind. His own coldness led to his own failure to protect them. He could not fail to protect his new friends now. Yet, that fear seemed to be on the front of his mind in that moment.

"...I need to get going." He removed his hands and placed them back into his pockets. "They're expecting me...if you're there...please tell me what to do…" With that, he turned and began to walk away. He pushed the fear to the back of his mind; that was the last thing he needed to think right now. He needed to focus...these zombies needed to be taken care of quickly, and the others were going to need his help to succeed. They all needed each other.

00000

Hotaru Tomoe checked through her backpack, making sure she had everything for the mission on hand. She made sure she had water in case of dehydration, bandages for any injuries that she could not heal completely, and other odd items she felt to bring in case they had to sleep. All of the lamps in her room was on, giving it a low illuminating glow around her. Her mind wandered to the task at hand, and she felt a chill run down her spine. She had faced youma before; that was her duty as the Guardian of Death. She needed to protect this city and her princess. If the undead somehow reached Juuban, then she and the others would be endangered. No matter what, she needed to fight to protect them.

Nonetheless, she felt a pang in her heart, one that caused her head to lower. There was a lingering thought in her mind, of her own fate. What if she did die? What then? What would happen to everyone? More importantly, what would happen to her father? If she died, he would be alone...and that possible future caused her grief. She already caused him enough grief; if she died, she knew that would kill him. Beside her, there was a picture, which showed her with a white hair man, a smile on their faces as they stood next to each other. As she gazed at it, she solemnly smiled. "Daddy…" She whispered.

No...no, she would fight to survive. She had her duty, but she still had so much to live for. She had her life ahead of her, and the friends she managed to make recently needed her as well. She pushed back her grief and her fears, and she grabbed her bag to walk out the door. "I'll be back home." She vowed. "I promise." Then, she walked out the door.

00000

Dakota stepped outside with a deep sigh, now garbed in her alter ego's outfit, as Halbmond. She now wore a tanktop with pants and knee-length boots, all colored in black. Even her open-finger gloves were black, as was her hooded jacket. Her jacket itself had silver zippers along it, and there was a silver chain attached to her belt. Her outfit had gone through changes over the years, ever since she took on the title of Halbmond. With this change, she wanted to represent one world she had visited and stayed for a time, where she found someone whom she managed to get very close with. Nyx...she never got a hold of him to tell him what transpired. No doubt, he was on a mission of his own, protecting the king and his family. He took that duty seriously, which she felt was very admirable. It inspired her to keep to her own duties, to always protect the innocent.

As she began to walk into the forest, her quiver attached to her back along with her bow, her twin small axes on her sides, her mind wandered more to him and the others. Jill...Chris...Claire...Leon...she wanted to tell them as well about the mission. One thing that stopped her was the same reason they sometimes did not pull her in on their missions. They had faced so many outbreaks that, despite knowing they would always be there for each other, to put each other through another one would be agony. In some ways, it also made her glad she did not get ahold of Nyx. Had she done so; he would no doubt try to join her. She vowed, since she became close with him, that would she would protect him from this horror. It already added more horrors into her life, she could not bear to do the same to him. Even her own sister came to mind, but she could not bear to lose her either.

With a deep breath, Dakota nodded and hastened her steps. Already, she could smell all the scents of her little crew, causing her to sigh. She hoped they never had to face the outbreak themselves. She trusted that they would stand a chance, but there was always that deep fear inside her. It was a nasty seed that always seemed to sprout at the worst possible moments. Quickly, she attempted to cut it down. She trusted them, and she needed to trust that they would be fine.

Finally, she reached her destination, where the other six people surrounded a pure light, tunnel-like substance. There was no color to it, and there were wisps around the entrance. All she knew about them was what she learned as a child; they were portals that were created centuries ago, during a huge war that took place. So devastating that all worlds were involved, before they became mostly separated once more. As her eyes flickered between each of them, she gave a swift nod and asked, "Ready?"

Simon nodded. "We're ready."

"...Then, let's not waste any more time." Dakota steeled her nerves, and she made her way toward the portal with vigor and determination.

They were all ready, they needed to be. Together, perhaps they would be successful with minimal casualties. It was all she could hope for.

Now...the mission begins...what will they face when they reach Cianwood City? Find out in the next chapter! Read and Review!