In a room inside a mansion located in Vancouver, a fight between a beautiful, blonde woman, and the leader of the most dangerous drug cartel in North America was taking place. The woman gave the first hit; taking Paolo to the floor and making him roll until he crashed against the desk.

It seemed to be nothing for the old man, who got up as if nothing had happened and cleaned the dust out of his shirt; glaring at the woman and with a grin on his face, Paolo ripped his shirt, revealing his built up abs and his buffed arms.

"This old wolf still has tooth and claw, señorita." He said in a devilish voice as he balled his hands into fists, his veins marking in his arms. "Now, let's dance."

Paolo charged against the woman; jumping at the last second and aiming a kick toward her. However, the woman was far more agile and dodged him easily. As the man landed, he quickly got up and tried to hit the blonde again with a fist, but she could dodge it again and responded with a strong kick. Paolo was able to see it this time and with his other hand he grabbed her foot, and taking advantage of his strength he threw her against a wall.

The blonde crashed heavily, making the wall tremble and some photographs fall, she barely had time to notice that Paolo was running at her with bad intentions, so waiting for him to make his move, she stood there for some moments. Paolo jumped and attempted to connect a flying kick, but fortunately the blonde got out of the way in time, causing him to make a hole on the wall and get stuck. The old man tried to take out his feet before the next attack from the woman; he felt a shiver going through the back of his neck, and by instinct he crouched to avoid a kick flying directly to his head.

The blonde hit the wall, causing Paolo's feet to come out and attack her; this time she couldn't dodge it, receiving a powerful punch right to her face. She fell hard, but managed to roll and get away from him, but as soon as she recovered, an angry Paolo Tujillo was flying towards her with his leg in the air prepared to fall in an axe kick. She rolled out and got on her feet, cleaning the sweat on her forehead and backing away. She was impressed to see Paolo in such a good condition for an old man. She underestimated her opponent, and now she was paying the price.

"Getting tired already, señorita?" Paolo asked mockingly. "Looks like you're the one that has lost the touch."

The girl tried to ignore his words; if she lets him get into his mind, he would win. The blonde covered her mouth to see if she was bleeding, and fortunately she wasn't.

"Not a bit." She said with a confident smile and determination on her eyes. "But now I'm getting serious…"

"Así me gusta…" Paolo said as he started to walk slowly towards the blonde. She did the same, but as they were getting near the other they increased the speed. Now that they were close, the real fight had begun.

Paolo started with a punch right to the girl's face, but she avoided it and responded with a powerful kick. The old man grabbed her feet, but the blonde used this to impulse herself and give a kick with her free leg. Paolo flinched, but recovered fast to avoid another kick from the blonde and respond with a punch on the belly. The woman bend in pain, and the old man used this to grab and lift her fireman style to finally drop her to the ground. Before hitting the floor, she managed to grab his arm, that way reducing the damage of the fall and putting him in position to apply an armbar, damaging his left arm.

"Hija de puta!" Paolo barked, feeling an intense pain and hearing a cracking sound. Cursing under his breath he rolled to position his body over hers and get on his feet; then he lifted her and slammed her body against the floor, letting out his arm. As soon as it was free, the man gave a few steps back to calm the pain.

The woman on the other hand lay a few moments on the ground as pain grew on her back. She fought to get on her feet, but that fall took the air out of her lungs, making it difficult to even lift her body.

Paolo had it worse; he tried to calm the pain on his arm, but every time he attempted to lift it, intense pain ran from his arm through his whole body. He looked at it and saw a big, purple bruise in the middle of his upper arm, realizing that not only the bone was broken in half, but his muscle had a grade 3 tear. This was really bad for him; the constant movement of the broken limb caused pain and now he had to fight with just one arm.

Gazing at the woman, who couldn't manage to stand up yet, he realized that he finally could use that thing he has been working on for the last couple of years. He walked towards his desk and from the drawer he took a little metallic box, opened the lid and took out a syringe; a weird red liquid inside and a sharp needle which he stuck in his neck, releasing the content on his blood torrent. As soon as he threw away the syringe, he started to feel weird; his temperature rose, his whole body began to shake and his pupils dilated, giving him a completely crazy look.

The woman didn't let that intimidate her; recovering the oxygen she lost moments ago she got up with difficulty and got in defensive position. The man saw this and gave a vicious grin; throwing the whole desk aside he prepared to charge against the woman, and after some seconds he blasted against her. She repeated the same technic from moments ago, waiting for the man to get close and dodge him at the last moment. But she could notice something happened to him just by seeing how the man didn't try to stop when he saw her avoiding the attack, making a hole on the wall and going to the next room. She got up again to see him emerging from the hole, trying to see through the dust for her. The blonde was surprised to see the man with a big cut on his forehead; his face covered in blood and dust, but he was still grinning as if it was just a scratch. Something she also noticed was that the purple bruise on the place his arm broke was now covering his entire upper arm.

The blonde was now in better shape; the pain on her back have reduced and her senses were sharper. She didn't know if it was due to the adrenalin flowing through her veins, but she had no time to think about that because Paolo was charging against her again. She anticipated this, so all she had to do was wait for the right moment to avoid him, but when the girl tried to dodge him, something went wrong and caused her to move out of time, receiving a tackle from the old man that sent her against the desk, breaking it in n half.

The man didn't stop; as if he didn't notice he tackled the girl, he went all the way until he crashed against a showcase full of wine, whiskey and rum bottles causing a rain of shattered glass and alcohol.

The blonde made an effort to get up, but as soon as she got on her feet, a huge pain ran through her right leg. She fell again to the floor, watching her wounded limb with a deep, long cut on her tight.

On the other side of the room, a wounded, blood-bathed Paolo was lying on the floor with pieces of wood and glass buried all over his body; he was now completely covered in blood thanks to the wounds caused for crashing against the glass. Moments ago he seemed to be completely ok after making a hole through a wall, but this time he looked really tired; the man could barely stand, but somehow he managed to walk toward a pretty beaten woman who was still struggling to get on her feet.

Paolo lifted his good arm toward the woman in an attempt to grab her; in his mind he just wanted to put his hand on her neck and cramp it until he eyes popped out of her lifeless body. He wanted to rip her head off to claim it as a trophy and hang it on the wall. He would finally get rid of the woman who has been causing him problems for years, frustrating his business not only on the streets in USA, but also frustrating his attempts of importing his goods to other countries. He finally would be like a king and could never be touched.

But as soon as he put his blood-stained hand on her neck, he felt an intense pain directly in his chest; the man walked back slowly as his whole body began to shake. After giving a few steps, Paolo fell to the floor with his hand grabbing his chest, a shocked expression on his face and white foam on his mouth. The girl wasn't sure what was happening, but she supposed it was the aftermath of that weird red liquid he injected on himself plus the blood loss.

The woman finally managed to get up and give a few, painful steps towards the agonizing old man; a giant pool of blood formed under his body as his blank eyes stared at the ceiling, watching his life leaving his body. After some moments, the dying man gave his last breath.

"Zero-two!" the wooden doors opened as a man with a formal suit and a M16 on his hands walked into the room; his mouth dropped to the floor as he saw the mess the girl and the man made. He saw her with a red, ripped dress and her body in bad shape standing in front of a dead old man on a pool of blood. He hurried to help the girl, who nearly tripped as a result of her wounded leg.

"Gotcha!" the man said as he catches the woman when she was about to fall. "You were supposed to arrest him, not kill him." He said, putting the Woman's arm over his neck and helping her to get out of the room.

"That bastard owed me…" She said, taking air and clinging tighter to the man's neck. "Now the organization is over…"

"Jones won't like this…" The man said as he opened a door that leaded to the outside. In the gardens a bunch of police trucks were parked and being loaded with dozens of men and women in handcuffs. There were ambulances too, carrying wounded from both sides as well as corpse bags.

The woman was put into one of these ambulances, being quickly attended by the medic team; they put an oxygen mask on her and cleaned her external wounds with alcohol. At the moment they attended her wounded leg, an awful burning sensation exploded on her body. She wanted to scream, but managed to drown it. Soon, a man on a black suit approached her with a bad look on his face; he was tall, used a pair of black glasses and his head was bald as a knee.

"Why did I think you would follow the protocol this time?" The man asked sarcastically. He looked pretty upset with the woman but she didn't seem to care about it. Not even looking at the man, she continued taking oxygen.

"We were supposed to arrest him!" The man yelled angrily at her; this time the woman got on her good feet, and taking the oxygen mask off she faced him.

"The mission was to destroy the organization, and that's what I did…" She said with a cold voice.

"I knew you would let your personal problems to take on you..."

"And yet I'm the best agent in the company…" The blonde said in a relaxed voice as she turned her back. She seemed to be done with him, leaving totally calmed and grabbing the oxygen mask. But suddenly she burst out and faced the man again. "Listen Jones, I've done in five years what your men couldn't do in fifteen!" The woman shoved her finger into his chest; glaring at the man with her eyes on fire as if she tried to burn him. "I've finished with each one of the leaders of the organization…" She sat again, putting in the mask and calming herself. "And now that Paolo is dead I've fulfilled my promise…"

"I wouldn't say that if I were you… "A tall man approached them with something in his hands she identified as a chart with documents. He was using a white suit and protection for hands, shoes and head, as well as a mask over his mouth and nose. The woman looked at him with confusion; Paolo was supposed to be the last one, and with his death all the organization would be over, she would finally get rid of that weight she's been carrying for ten years… she would finally make those bastards pay for what they did…

"What do you mean, Davis?" The woman asked. Soon concern filled her mind as the man passed her the chart and she looked what the documents said. Her eyes opened wide and her heart racing as she was reading carefully every word, finding out that her job wasn't done yet.

"We found this on his office; according to these documents there's still one more alive, he's known as the "White Snake" and he seems to be the direct responsible for your brother's disappearance." Davis said.

This new information changed everything; this was the opportunity to not only finish with the most powerful drug producer organization in the world, but also to take revenge of the bastard that ruined her life and destroyed her family years ago.

"Count me in."

"What? You're crazy if you think I'll let you go to that mission." Jones said with concern; he knew that she would do everything to get that man. But her body was in bad condition; the ripped dress showed several bruises and cuts, not only that one ugly on her tight, but on her whole body, and even when she hasn't been checked correctly, he was sure she had internal wounds as well.

"You may not…" She said, facing once again at Jones with a daring stare. "But I know who will." The blonde walked away, leaving the man alone watching as her right leg limped.

"You'll never change, Loud." Jones said, giving a heavy sigh. "I just hope you finish the job this time, so you can finally leave all this behind..."

That night the air was contaminated with dust and smoke coming from the burning vehicles and buildings all around. He didn't know what was happening or where he was, but all that gave him a bad feeling. When the dizziness on his mind disappeared and his sight cleared allowing him to see, Lincoln could notice that he was not only handcuffed, but he was being carried by two men dressed in military uniform. At first sight he thought they were from his team, but after hearing them talking in a language he identified as Arabic, he knew he was in real problems.

Lincoln struggled, pushing the two men and breaking free, but as soon as he tried to run, a powerful punch hit him on the face, sending him to the floor with a heavy thud. Lincoln tried to get up and run with all his will, but suddenly a kick on the side of his torso sent him again to the floor. The white haired boy bends, trying to grab his abdomen in pain; a metallic flavor set on his mouth, making him realize that he was bleeding internally. This time he couldn't get up, instead he was lifted by the two men who were carrying him moments ago. The boy knew that fighting was useless, and all he could do was wait to see where they were taking him.

Minutes later, after going through a path where vehicles were burning and dead bodies were being devoured by bad-looking dogs that growled and showed their sharp fangs crimson colored by the blood of the bodies, they arrived to a small house made of bricks. As soon as the old wooden door opened, the men threw him to the ground; Lincoln beefed as his body slammed against the dirt, but he had no time to complain because as soon as he tried to get on his knees, one of the men kicked him in the face, forcing him to lie with his back against the ground.

In the middle of the darkness that filled the room a light came from the ceiling, blinding the boy and forcing him to close his eyes. Lincoln couldn't see much except for the men, but suddenly the door opened again and from it a man dressed with a military uniform a little bit different from the others and with a mask covering his mouth and nose came in.

That man talked to the others in Arabic; Lincoln didn't know what he was saying, but the voice of that man… he was sure he had heard it before.

As his vision fixed to the new illumination, he saw as the man took from his belt a silenced colt .45. The man pointed the gun towards him, aiming at the center of his head between his eyes. Lincoln didn't feel terror; he knew that this day would come one day, so all he did was close the eyes and wait for it. Moments passed as his pulse increased, but the shot never came. He was about to open his eyes when…

*Bang-bang*

The drowned sound of the gun being fired twice could be heard. Lincoln opened his eyes, seeing the two men that brought him there lying in the floor with a bullet hole on their heads.

He didn't know what was happening, but as he tried to process what he just witnessed, he saw the men crouching in front of him.

"It took me a lot of time and resources to find you kid…" The man said in a thick latin American accent. After hearing that voice, Lincoln instantly recognized who that man was.

"It can't be…" The boy said, not believing what he was just seeing. "Paolo…?"

Lincoln woke up from his dream as the sunbeams hit on his face as if the sun was telling him to wake up. Cleaning the sweat of his forehead, he took off the covers and put on his slippers to get up and exit the room. After going to the bathroom to relief his morning needs, he walked to the kitchen. Now there, the first thing he did was opening the door of the shelf and take a bottle of coffee, opening the lid and putting some in the coffee maker. He set it to two cups and pushed the start button, and in a matter of seconds the smell of fresh coffee filled his nostrils, delighting him with one of the most delicious smell in the world. Lincoln grabbed two cups, and putting him next to the coffee maker…

"Good morning Lucy." The white haired boy said, not even turning to confirm if his sister was behind. Not that he needed to.

"How did you know I was here?" Lucy asked, totally surprised to see that someone actually noticed her presence.

"When you're in the battlefield you tend to develop… some kind of sixth sense." The boy said.

Minutes passed, and now the two of them were sitting in front of the table. Lucy was sitting with a book in front of her; she was wearing a white t-shirt and black sweat pants. Next to her, Lincoln was wearing a tank top, showing off his slightly muscular arms and a pair of white sweat pants.

The gothic girl was so caught by the story she was reading she didn't noticed when the white-haired boy set the coffee in front of her. He sat next to her, putting his cup on the table and giving a yawn.

"Do you always read this early?" Lincoln asked as he put two sugar cubes to his coffee.

"Just when I have the time. Usually I wake up and take a bath, and after fixing myself I go to my job." She said. "After that, I like to go to Gina's coffee shop."

"Where do you work?" The white haired boy asked.

"I work at a book store. It is a really good job and I earn enough to survive, and sometimes I even spoil myself a little." She said with a slight smile, lifting the book she was reading where he could see a sign on the cover.

"I'm glad you've been doing well, Luce." Lincoln said. He really felt good to see her little sister was not only doing great, but actually making a living in the city. However…

"Lucy, there's something I must know." Lincoln said, looking straight at her eyes…

"I know what it is." She said, taking another sip from her cup. "I'll start by our sister Lori. She married Bobby when they turned eighteen. A couple of years after moving to the city to live with him his grandfather died, leaving him as the owner of the Bodega. Having twelve jobs for so much time did really good on him; Bobby made a lot of good decisions, and now the bodega is one of the most successful business in the country."

"Wow… so they did really marry?"

"Yeah." The gothic said. "Leni on the other hand went for her dream and studied to be the best fashion designer, but…" Lucy stopped, leaving Lincoln in suspense.

"But?"

"The last thing we knew from her was that she was working for the government. Since we know our sister… isn't the smartest, I suppose she's working as a secretary."

"I learned you must never underestimate people; you don't know when they'll surprise you." The boy said. "And then what happened to Luna?"

"Luna had built a reputation on the music community, and even when she didn't succeed being a famous musician, she owns a very popular music store in Denver." Lucy said

"At least she's working on something she likes. I'm glad to hear that." The white haired boy said with a smile on his face.

"Exactly." Lucy said. "Luan couldn't make a living out of comedy, but not because she wasn't funny… even though she had the habit of throwing bad jokes…" She said those last words in a whisper.

"What?" Lincoln asked.

"Nothing. However, she managed to make a living out of something she enjoyed as much as comedy, and now she owns a restaurant in New York."

"I bet she got it from dad." Lincoln commented. However, he felt a little sad; he never thought things would have changed so much in those years he was gone. "It seems I've lost many things…"

"You did… but you're here now, and that's what matters." Lucy said, giving the boy a comprehensive smile.

"Thanks Lucy…" Lincoln took her hand, feeling her soft skin on his hands. This sensation did really make him feel better.

"And Lynn… well, I'm sure you have heard about her. She's was a famous wrestler, but thanks to her stubborn attitude she couldn't stay on the big leagues."

"What do you mean?" Lincoln asked.

"She started from the bottom fighting on the Indies, but with time she ascended to the biggest wrestling company in the world: The Wrestling Federation Worldwide." Lucy explained. "But thanks to her attitude not-proper for a PG show, she got kicked out."

"So, what's she doing now?" Lincoln asked.

"She's still fighting, but this time in the American MMA Federation."

"Well, it's good to hear that at least she's doing what she likes." Lincoln said, taking another sip from his cup.

"Yeah, I think she is." The gothic said. "Lola, Lana and Lily are living with Lori and Bobby; since they're still underage they must live with a tutor."

"But… what happened to mom and dad?" Lincoln asked with concern.

"Dad died five years ago; he had a heart disease, and when we received the new that you disappeared… it was too much for his heart." Lucy said. Lincoln couldn't see through her bangs, but he could feel her stare darkened.

"T-that's my…"

"Please don't blame yourself, Lincoln. Dad had that disease long before you disappeared; he even had two heart attacks that nearly killed him when you were at the army. And since the last one he couldn't recover…" Lucy said, looking down.

"What do you mean?" Lincoln asked.

"Since his last attack he had to be bedridden for the rest of his life, but I wouldn't call it a life… he had to be assisted for everything. He couldn't go out, or even go to the bathroom by himself. I… I would say he's better now that he's not suffering anymore." The girl said.

"I… think so…" Lincoln replied with a sly smile. "But what happened with mom?"

"She's living at Detroit with Luna; she said that this house brings her bad memories…" Lucy took a glance at the whole room; it was just as it used to be when she was a child. "I couldn't leave the house, not after everything we've been through, and that's why I stayed here."

"I guess we really had good memories here…" Lincoln said with a blush on his cheeks; a quick flash passed through his mind of what happened yesterday between him and Lucy, the love they shared, the fire that consumed their bodies that could only be calmed by give in to the sin. And you know what…?

…he would do it again.

"You know, I need to go out and buy some stuff. Do you want to come with me?" She asked.

"Well…" He wasn't sure what to say; there were still a lot of things that changed since he was gone, and even when one part of him wanted to find out everything, another part was scared of face his past. "It would be nice…" The boy finally replied. He was still afraid, but wouldn't waste a chance of spending time with Lucy.

"Alright, we'll be going in fifteen minutes so get ready quick." Lucy said, finishing the remaining of the now warm coffee and getting up to get out of the kitchen. Lincoln got up as well; the boy grabbed both cups and put them on the sink, but when he was about to get out of the kitchen he felt as his pocket vibrated. He took his cellphone out and saw it was a call; sweeping his finger across the screen he answered.

"Hello?"

"Paolo is dead." A deep voice came from the speaker. Listening at those words, Lincoln gave a sly grin.

"I'll keep my promise like I said."

"You have one week." The deep voice said.

"That's more than enough." The white haired boy replied, ending the call and heading to his room.