Written by Beth Brownell
Chapter One.
"I could use a little help over here!" yelled Shaft, as he plunged an arrow into the chest of a Daemonite. His fellow team members were fighting two or three Daemonites at a time.
"Can anyone join this fight, Shaft?" asked a voice, coming from behind him. It was Spartan and the other WildC.A.T.S. as he fired off one of his plasma bursts at the Daemonite warrior to give Shaft, the leader of the group called YoungBlood, some breathing space.
"Sure, Spartan. Your team is a welcome sight right now," replied Shaft, as he fired off three arrows towards a Daemonite, who dropped dead.
Both teams fought side by side against the battalion of Daemonites to defeat. Soon, after the fighting was done, the two teams who rarely encounter each other in battle remained in the area to visit.
"We have a slight problem with one of our members, that I think one of your teammates can help with. Our newest member is an amnesiac. She can't even remember who she is let a lone where she came from. I believe Voodoo could help her in remember something about her past, Spartan," conversed Shaft, looking towards Voodoo and then to the sky where Siren was watching them with a darkened face.
"Voodoo might be able to help her regain some of her memory but I wouldn't know for Voodoo never did this kind of thing before. But, yes, I think she can help your teammate, Shaft. Voodoo, will you come over here for a moment...I need to speak with you about something," spoke Spartan, looking at Voodoo as she walked over to them leaving Maul and Badrock alone.
"Shaft! Have you seen Siren went to? Zealot wanted to speak with her about something. I told her that I would go find her but she vanished from the last spot I saw her at!" yelled Combat, running up to them.
Shaft looked to the spot where he had seen her last and found her missing from the area. He yelled, "What! She should be...damn that girl. Combat, check the radar! She couldn't have gotten too far by now! Diehard, radio HeadQuarters! Ask them if they have seen Siren..yet?"
"Shaft, Siren's at Homebase. She told them something about drying her off her wings," spoke Diehard, looking at him from the transport unit.
"Do you think your team would mind hanging out with us at our base while Voodoo and Siren are talking, Spartan?" asked Shaft, looking at him and then to Voodoo.
"I don't think they would mind too much," responded Spartan, as they headed towards YoungBlood's transport unit for their homebase.
Chapter Two.
"Shaft, we informed Siren that you wanted to speak with her in the debriefing room," spoke Holden. Holden watched as Shaft entered the debriefing room with the members of WildC.A.T.S. behind him and the others. Shaft saw Siren walking down the hallway wearing a red cloak that covered up her white wings from sight by the monitors that lined the hallway leading to the debriefing room.
"Shaft, I'm sorry for running out..? What are they doing here?" asked Siren, looking at Shaft sternly after seeing the members of WildC.A.T.S. standing near the others.
"I asked Voodoo to help you regain some of your memory, Kyra. At least, where you were born," spoke Shaft, looking at Siren then to Voodoo.
"Voodoo doesn't have to go into her memories, Shaft. I know the truth about the woman...you call Siren," spoke Zealot, looking directly at Siren.
"You do?" asked Shaft, shocked.
"Her real name is Kyrana. She's an alien like I am. She came to this planet with our people along with the Daemonites...eons ago. Kyrana is a natural navigator. She could go anywhere on Earth once and that she could return to the same area years later without the help from a map. She is the best tracker and navigator in or on her planet of Birvannia. Her people...the Birvannians, were the best and most well known navigators in the known universe. I was proud to be friends with her people," spoke Zealot, looking at them as they heard the truth about who Kyra was.
"Liar!!! If you were my people's friends and ally...why did you massacre my people? Why did you kill my mother, father, my unborn sister and my seven other sisters, and the rest of my people...murderess?!" demanded Siren, as tears came falling from her eyes. Her fingernails turned into the talons that she used on the Daemonites eariler that day.
"I did not kill your people, Kyrana. I would not kill my friends," replied Zealot, looking at her gently knowing that she was upset at the moment.
Chapter Three.
"Liar! Liar! You killed my people! I saw you kill them with my very own eyes! Now that I found you, Zaranna at long last...you will pay for theirs deaths with your life!" screamed Kyrana, looking at her with fire coming out of her eyes.
"Then, kill me...if it will help you feel better about your people, Kyra. But I didn't kill your people...the Daemonites did," spoke Zealot, looking at the angry young Birvannian woman calmly.
"Death! No..I can't. Your life is spared. But tell me about the scene you found on my homeworld of Birvannia, Zaranna," spoke Kyra, her talons flexed out then they were retracted as she slumped down to the floor.
"I will tell you as much as I know, Kyra. But it is not much. We arrived at your homeworld a few minutes after the massacre of your people, Kyrana. We were burying your people and I had the unfortunate job of putting a couple of the Birvannians out of their misery. You must had just returned from space when you saw me do that. I took you out with a swift blow to the jaw. When you awoken I told you that we weren't the killers of your people...we had just arrived on your home when we found it like this. Majestic had brought us to your planet to hire you....Kyra for an exploration of the farthest regions of space which happened to include this planet...since you would know how to get us back to Khera, our home planet and Birvannia. He told us to send word to Khera to get protectors to your homeworld to protect what was left of the planet's containment pods," spoke Zealot, looking at her as she looked at her carefully.
"I remember the rest...Zealot. We were followed by the Daemonites to this planet....I thought I could lose them around the sun but they shot our thrusters out and with one good aim...we too, shot them out of the sky and into the Earth's gravity. We were stranded on this planet with no way to get word to Khera to get a ship sent to the Kherubs...I was the only one who could fly off the planet but I tried once and I don't remembered what happened but I didn't even reach space for a laser beam or someone's power blast blasted me right out of the sky and into the sand. I knew someone didn't want me to get off the planet. I had tried to flex my bird form but it was weaker then it was before. I quickly left the Kherubs to defend for themselves on Earth while I went around Earth. I came to rest in the land that is now Egypt. I lived there for a while then left to find any member of the Kherubs since it was only three thousand years since we crashed landed on this planet...only one thousand years ago when I started on my search for them. I found Zealot and another Kherub which happened to be the ancestor of Voodoo in the desert of Africa. We found each other but it didn't last long for a battalion of Daemonites appeared...they were heading our way. We had no place to hide ourselves. My telepathic abilities were weak but I couldn't do what I can now. Zealot, the other Kherub and I fought side by side but we were way over our own heads until I lashed out with my sonic voice to bring them to their knees but I had also started a landslide that I couldn't get out of," spoke Kyra, looking at them gently.
"I thought you were killed by the rocks, Kyra. If I knew that you were still alive underneath the boulders...maybe I wouldn't have left the area," replied Zealot, looking at her gently. Zealot was showing a side to her that no one really knew that she had.
"I called out to you, Zealot...for help under the boulders. I was hurt and barely breathing under the weight of the boulders on top of my body. It was five hundred years later...when I was freed from my prison by a priest of Bennu, an Egyptian God....who would take the form of the Phoenix. He was in the area of our battle with the Daemonites. He was there praying for a sign from Bennu. He was making a stone home for his time there. He never knew that he was removing the rocks on my prison. I took my spaceflyer form which was the form of a bird of fire to free myself from the boulders. The priest that I was Bennu the rising sun reborn in human form and that of a woman with flaming red hair. I hid my wings as good as I could. The priest took me back to the main temple of Bennu where I was worshiped for over five hundred years when I left to destroy myself but I told the priest that was the high priest that I would never return to Egypt unless she needed my help. But all I did was flew across the sea to what would become Greece and lived on some mountains. But the natives I didn't want to be seen by. They saw me as a Siren for once I lived near the sea and then I moved away from the sea to the mountains where they saw me as a Harpy," spoke Kyrana, as she sat down in the nearby chair.
"Didn't you come looking for us? At least once?" asked Zealot.
"I did. But all I found was heartache and pain. I left Greece to join this female warrior group called the Codas in an attempt to find one of my friends on this lonely planet. I left the Codas about twenty years later and buried myself under some rocks and entered The Sleep for the next two centuries hoping that somehow...someway a Kherubium would find me," replied Kyra, looking at them.
"You were with the Codas and I didn't know! I formed the Codas, Kyrana!" exclaimed Zealot, not believing that she was with the Codas and she didn't know.
"You and I both look different at this time but back then we both looked different when we fought, sister Zealot. I slept under those boulders for over the next two centuries when men dynamited the mountain that I was under freeing me from my forced sleep. They actually thought they had trapped me within the landslide. I raced away before they could inquire about me. That was over forty years ago. I became a recluse roaming the world. It was only three months ago, I saw in the newspaper about YoungBlood and it was right after I had defeated three Daemonite warriors...I knew I had to find my Kherub allies or through the publicity of joining YoungBlood to find you Zealot or any of the other Kherubs. I gained new allies with YoungBlood," spoke Kyrana, looking at them gently as she revealed the real reasons why she joined YoungBlood.
"Have you journey out into space yet?" asked Maul, looking at her as Shaft handed her a glass of water to drink.
"I have not tried that stunt in two thousand years, Maul! I don't even think I should even try!" screamed Siren, as she bolted for the door.
"Miss Siren...the toy company is still waiting for you to meet them in the conference room," spoke Tymer, looking at her as she went past him.
"Tymer...do you know that YOU are PUSHING my strings to a point that I care not if I was a YoungBlood member or not....I would love to burn you to a crisp!!" hissed Siren. She stared at him with fire coming out of her eyes and then she raced out of the room. Tymer gulped a few times never knowing that she could get so furious at anyone.
Chapter Four.
"Will she be back?" asked Voodoo, looking at them.
"I don't think so. Take a look, Voodoo. Man...oh..man, I hope she is aware of things around her," replied Warblade, looking at Siren flying down the street.
"I don't believe this. This is not good. Spartan...maybe you should go after her?" asked Zealot, turning to look at him.
"I can't for it has been taken out of my hands a minute ago...Zealot. Shaft is going after her. Look," spoke Spartan, pointing Shaft out as he raced down the street not even caring to remove his costume for his street clothes.
Shaft found Siren sitting next to the edge of the river with pigeons flocking to her wanting food from her. They were all around her but flew off once Shaft came into view.
"Shaft, you shouldn't be here," whispered Siren, not even turning her head to look at him only way she saw him was out of the corner of her left eye.
He sat down next to her and whispered, "Why did you run out like that on us, Kyra? We were only trying to help you remember your past, Siren?"
"I knew my past, Shaft! I knew who I was without having you go talking with the WildC.A.T.S. about me. I have a terrible secret within this form I have," spoke Siren, looking at him.
"What kind of secret that you couldn't reveal to us infront of the WildC.A.T.S., Kyra?" asked Shaft.
"The secret of near immortality, Shaft. I am ten thousand years old," replied Siren, looking towards the river.
"Ten...thousand years old!" spoke a very shocked Shaft, as he looked at her.
Voodoo didn't wanted to be couped up in YoungBlood's HeadQuarters since it was stuffy inside their HeadQuarters. She walked towards the river where she could see what Siren and Shaft were doing but also she saw seven Daemonites walking towards them. Voodoo raced over to them as quickly as she could.
"Kyra, Shaft...Daemonites! They're coming this way!" yelled Voodoo, looking at them. With her right hand, she was pointing out the seven normal men walking up the riverside.
"They're just normal men, Voodoo," spoke Shaft, looking at her after he looked towards the men walking towards them.
"Shaft...you must had forgotten that Voodoo can see the Daemonite within them. Voodoo, can you depossess them from their human hosts!" asked Siren, looking at her.
"I'll try, Siren. But I can only do one at a time," replied Voodoo, as she took hold of a Daemonite and started to depossess him of his human host.
At that moment, in the debriefing room, they all heard Kyra's telepathic plea for help. They all raced towards the river to find them fighting Daemonites in human form. One of them was being removed from his human host by Voodoo. They quickly helped them in the fight. The Daemonite leader looked at Kyra as she fought with one of the Daemonite and knew exactly who she was.
"Kill the Birvannian witch! Before she uses her destructive voice against us!" commanded the leader of the Daemonite/human hosts.
"The Birvannian? Who...Kyrana, flee...now! They're after you!" yelled Shaft, as he fired off one of his arrows at the leader, who just ducked missing getting hit by it.
"If they want me...they'll have to go through my screams first!" screamed Kyrana, as she let loose a sonic cry that sent the Daemonites screaming down to their knees. Her sonic screams had a bad side as well as a good side. The windows surrounding the river were shattered by her scream.
"Badrock, Maul, Diehard, Warblade...keep the Daemonites from escaping even though they can't even get their bearings straight. Voodoo, can you depossess them?" asked Siren, looking at her gently.
"I..I..don't..know, Kyrana. Weak..still," replied Voodoo, looking at her in the arms of Spartan.
"She's in no shape to do it, Kyrana. She must rest before she does it again," spoke Spartan, looking at her with a hint of anger in his computer eyes.
"Combat...take him! Don't let him him go until I'm done," spoke Siren, as she ripped Voodoo from Spartan's arms. Combat had hold of Spartan as he struggled to get free. Siren was working quickly as she merged Voodoo's body into her own.
"Oh....wow! I never seen through the eyes of an angel before, Kyra. I am not an angel, Pris...I am a Birvannian woman. I have seen that way for thousands of years. Now let's get down to business..shall we? My powers combined with yours will help you to depossess the Daemonites scum bags from their human hosts," spoke Voodoo/Siren, as they both started to depossess the Daemonite parasite from their human hosts.
Five minutes later, all the Daemonites that had possessed a human host was now out of their hosts and lying on the ground trying to escape from their sworn enemies the Kherubims and their allies.
"Now to destroy them before they get away. This is for my people, you monsters," hissed Siren, as she burned the Daemonites to death with her flaming wing.
"Let Voodoo go, Kyra. You got your revenge against the Daemonites and let her go!" demanded Spartan, looking at her as Kyra's eyes went white and then flaming and then brown as Voodoo was emerging from Kyra's body. Voodoo could barely stand once she appeared out of Kyrana's body and mind. Siren held her up with her powers as she placed her flaming hand over her eyes and then Voodoo's hand fell from her waist.
"Is the child alright, Kyrana?" asked Zealot, looking at Voodoo gently.
"Yes, she is, Zealot. I made her fall asleep. She needs the sleep. Do you know that she could become a very powerful woman if she learns how to handle her depossessive powers? Her soul and will are very strong," spoke Kyrana, looking at them seriously.
"Zealot...you mention something about containment pods earlier. What's a containment pod?" asked Shaft, looking at her wondering what she had meant by the word 'containment pods'.
"A containment pod is what the unborn children," replied Zealot, looking at him when another voice was heard.
"I'll tell him...what a containment pod is mainly used for the newborn children of Birvannia. But the seven month old babies or offspring...their lungs and heart are not fully developed to handle the air or the beating of their own hearts on their own so they are placed in the containment pods for another three months before the child is ready to emerge from the containment pod fully able to breath on it's own and it's heart beating on it's own. A Birvannian woman carries the child for only seven months before she gives birth to the birth sac and the baby. She has a matter of just barely under three minutes to place the baby with it's birth sac into the containment unit before the child is rendered lifeless," spoke Kyra, looking at them.
"Rendered lifeless? What do you mean by that, Kyra?" asked Warblade, looking at her strangely and yet he was wondering what she had meant by rendered lifeless.
"Meaning dead, Warblade. The baby would die if it isn't placed in the containment pod within three minutes. She has not enough time to even speak the child's name to the baby before the baby is placed into the containment pod," replied Kyra, looking up at the sky with a sad look in her eyes.
"Is that pod like thing that's in your room a containment pod, Kyra?" asked Combat, looking at her as she looked up at the blue sky.
"Yes...it is. For when I am fortunate to bear a child I would be very much prepared to take care of my child for I do not wish to lose her or him," replied Kyra, turning to look at him.
"Kyra, what's wrong?" asked Shaft, looking at her gently.
"Zealot...answer me this question. Did you or any of the others found any containment pods in good shape with uninjured babies within them?" asked Kyra, turning to look at her.
"Why do you want to know...Kyra?" asked Spartan, pondering why she would ask such a thing of Zealot.
"If by chance they...the containment pods were not damaged or destroyed by the sneak attack from the accursed Daemonites...there may be a chance that I may not be the last of my people! My people may still be alive!" replied Kyrana, turning to look at him and then to Zealot.
"Fifty percent of the pods were destroyed but several of the pods were still functioning including the one carrying your sister, Kialan. The rest were too badly damaged and had to be destroyed. We sent word to Khera to send a guardian to Birvannia to protect the last twenty percent of the containment pods, Kyra. Yes, you are no longer the last of your kind," spoke Zealot, looking at her as tears of happiness fell from Kyra's brown eyes.
"You mean your people watched over Kyra's people's birth pods, Zealot," spoke Vogue, looking at her not really believing that Zealot's people would watch over a dying world's last children.
"Spartan....is there a way to send word to my people to at least let them know that I am alive....if by chance that that pod is still functioning....Kialan might be alive. Why I know her name is cause I watched my mother placed her last daughter within a containment pod before I received the distress call from space," whispered Kyra, looking towards the members' of the WildC.A.T.S.
"Yes, there is a way. Halo's satellites could send a message to them on Birvannia. Are you...allowed to leave YoungBlood for a while, Kyra?' asked Spartan, looking at her and then to Shaft.
Siren turned to Shaft and she knew it was alright by what he said mentally to her. Siren spoke, "I'm ready when you are Spartan."
"Vogue, you're in command until I return. Spartan, is it all right for me to go with you to give support to Kyra if she doesn't get any response from her homeworld?" asked Shaft, looking at him. There was something that Shaft wasn't saying but how he looked towards Kyrana told the whole entire story.
"I don't think it would hurt too much. Void..come and pick us up," spoke Spartan into his communicator. Just as Void appeared over the river bank. The other WildC.A.T.S raced into the teleport field with Kyra and Shaft behind them.
Chapter Five.
"You did what! Spartan, you must be outta of your mind! To bring two YoungBloods into our HeadQuarters!" screamed Jacob Marlowe, looking at Spartan.
"Sir, she happens to be our navigator from our ship. Shaft only came along to give support to her if we do not get word from her people that she hasn't seen in over five thousand years ago," spoke Zealot, looking at him seriously.
"Lord Emp, you must understand that Spartan only did this so I, Kyrana, daughter of Kilyana and Killian, sister to Kialan, of the Birvannian race, navigator-supreme of the Kherubim explorers, currently with YoungBlood, can contact my people to let them know that I am still alive," spoke Kyrana. She spoke to him with a bowed head. Somewhere deep inside Jacob Marlowe's mind that move stirred a memory long buried.
"Kyrana is correct, Jacob. She is only here to get in contact with her own people on Birvannia. The Kherubim had hauled her away from her very own people when they needed her the most while we needed her help in your explorations of space beyond your knowledge of space," replied Void, looking at Jacob.
"Very well. Spartan send the message to them. I'll be in my office if anyone needs me," spoke Jacob, as he walked out of the room.
Spartan linked his internal computer up with Halo's computer and with that he quickly typed a coded message to the Birvannian's satellite. Once, he got done, he turned towards Kyra and spoke as calm as he could, "They should be sending their response to us within five to ten minutes, Kyra. I wish it was much faster. I know how eager you are to hear from Kialan. Void will inform us when we get their response from your people."
"I know, Hadrian. But I can handle the wait for it took me five thousand years to get to see my younger sister for the first time," spoke Kyra, looking at him as they walked out of the room. Maul was the only one wondering why Kyra had the moves of a Coda warrior. Maybe if he asked her she would tell him. He went to look for her only to end up walking near to Voodoo's room only to end up seeing Zealot and Voodoo walking towards the training room when Kyrana appeared next to Zealot and they walked to the training room for Voodoo's Coda training. But one thing was missing -- Shaft. Where was the leader of the YoungBlood at? he wondered.
He met up with the three women walking towards the training room where he saw the missing Shaft. He was fighting with Warblade in the training room. Warblade was getting frustrated for he kept getting air as Shaft knocked him down with a kick to the lower legs like a Coda warrior. How did Shaft learn the moves of a Coda Warrior -- they all wondered.
"Warblade can't use his powers if he does even slight making of a claw or a blade...he loses the game," spoke Spartan, looking at Voodoo and then to Zealot.
The match was over, Spartan called it a draw since the two men were equally matched. Zealot had the training room for Voodoo's Coda training.
"Kyra, tell me how did Shaft learn that Coda move?" asked Voodoo, looking at her gently.
"Because I taught him that move," spoke Kyrana, she quickly removed Voodoo's legs from under her with one quick move.
"You taught a man a Coda move, sister Kyrana!" exclaimed Zealot, looking at her sternly.
"You are not the Majestrix of the Codas no more, sister Zealot. I do not have to tell you why for I am the Majestrix of the Codas!" replied Kyrana, looking at her with her eyes flaming as she stood there looking at Zealot.
"That's impossible! I thought you left the Codas a long time ago, Kyra?" asked Voodoo.
"Oh..I did, Voodoo. But I returned years later. A civil war had started to break out because of Zealot's disappearance. I quelled it before it even started. I told them the only one who could rule over all must be strong of heart and discipline to rule over the Codas. I told them that whoever wants to become Majestrix must go through the arena first. There must had been about two hundred women who wanted to rule. Not many lasted no more than three rounds. The best went farther by eight rounds. I was one of them who went into the final round along with a woman by the name of Andromache. I had just beaten her and I was preparing to kill her. But I threw aside the clef blade and called the end of the fight. I told her that I could do three things to her...one kill her...two to banish her forever...three make her my second in command. I asked her what she thinks she deserves. She said the first for she fought as bravely as she could but I had defeated her fairly and she deserves an honorable death. I told her that being as brave to believe you deserve death would strain the Codas without a great woman like herself. I told her that she was my second in command as of that moment. I ruled wisely for over three centuries...I knew I hadn't taken The Sleep in over five centuries so I went into the mountains to enter my sleep but I told the Codas that I was going hunting. My Sleep was for over two years long when I finally returned to the Codas. I found that they were in mourning over their Majestrix, whose body was found in the mountains. She was killed by a wild animal, the guard added that they found the body of the animal near to her dead body. The Codas knew that their Majestrix did not go without a huge fight. I asked who was the new Majestrix. It was Andromache who was the new Majestrix. I went to the arena where I saw her sitting alone near the Goddess of the Hunt's statue. I called out her name. At first she thought I was a ghost. I told her if I was a ghost I wouldn't be able to touch her. She reached out her hand and I took hold of it in my own. She was thrilled that I was alive but then she told me that if the others found out about me being alive it would send them in an uproar. I told her that I would exile myself from the ranks of the Codas and the Sisterhood...forever. Then, I left the arena and the home of the Codas forever never to set foot in the home of the Codas again," spoke Kyra, looking at Voodoo as Zealot and Voodoo went onto the training floor.
"Kyra, it's here," spoke Spartan, walking into the room with Shaft behind him.
"The message," replied Kyra, as she flew out of the room not using her wings to fly but her fire power as she raced into the computer room.
"I want to be alone when I speak with my sister, Shaft. I hope you can understand," spoke Kyrana, looking at him as he stood by the door.
"I do, Kyra. Go and speak with your sister," replied Shaft, as he backed out of the door and headed back to the training room with the others behind him.
"Kyrana...is that you, sister?" asked Kialan, as her face appeared on the computer screen.
"Yes, it is, sister. I am alive," spoke Kyra, looking at the face of her younger sister. The resemblance between them was obvious. They both has white wings, brown eyes, but only one thing was different. Kyrana has fiery red hair while Kialan has golden blond hair.
Chapter Six.
Kyrana had slipped into the training room quietly to see Maul and Warblade fighting on the training floor. She watched them from the side of the door. Maul saw her standing by the door. He started to walk over forgetting the fight for a moment. Warblade turned his hand into a ram and whammed Maul into the computer next to Voodoo, who jumped out of the way. Maul moved away from the wall to see how much damage he had caused, the computer started to send sparks out. Those sparks that touched the air burst into flames. The whole room started to fill up with flames and smoke. As Voodoo headed towards the door with the others, an explosion occurred trapping Voodoo within the room. She couldn't move for the flames had wrapped itself near to where Voodoo was standing at.
Everyone was out except for Voodoo, but to stop the flames from going any farther they would have to get the computer's fire system on line since it now has to be done manually.
"Voodoo! Where's Voodoo?" asked Spartan, when he realized that Voodoo wasn't with them.
"Voodoo's still in the room, Spartan.'' spoke Warblade, pointing out the dark shape of Voodoo in the room.
"The room's temperature is over what anyone here can handle. I'm going in," spoke Spartan, as he started to walk into the room.
"You're forgetting about me, Spartan. She who can withstand the cold chill of space and enter the sun and come out alive. With the heat in that room...you'll melt before you even reach the Gifted One. I'll save her. She's using her telekinetic powers to have a shield around her but it won't last long," vocalized Siren, as she wrapped herself in her own flames and entered the room to get Voodoo out.
"Kyra! No!" bellowed Spartan, as his computer senses tried to locate them in the room.
"Spartan...can you find where they are?" asked Maul, looking at him.
"No, I can't find where they are. I lost their body patterns," whispered Spartan, turning away from the door and allowed the fire blanket to drop from his hand.
"No...look..Spartan!" spoke Zealot. She was watching the room to see something approaching the door covered in a bird of fire. The fire that was within the room was moving with the bird of fire but when in fact the fire was out. Zealot grabbed the fire blanket from the floor and quickly wrapped it around the bird of fire hoping that it was indeed Kyra and Voodoo. They both collapsed to the ground, breathing very shallow.
"The fire's out, Kyra. You can let Voodoo go," whispered Shaft, as he removed her hands from around Voodoo's body.
"I...know. I put it out with my flames," moaned Kyra, looking up at him as Voodoo was removed from the area to their medi-center for smoke inhalation. Shaft knelt down to pick Kyra up when Spartan lifted her up into his own arms and carried her to the medi-center for smoke inhalation. Once, she was there, it was discovered that there was no burns on both women even though both women were in the fire. That puzzled the doctors as they examined both women.
"That's one of her powers, doctor," spoke Shaft, looking at him as Kyra's eyes were being examined.
"How do you know that's one of her powers, Shaft? Only the Kherubim are the only ones who knows about her firebird form," replied Zealot, looking at him from the bedside of the Voodoo.
"Not anymore, Zealot. A month ago, we found her flying in a bird of fire to the scene of a battle faster than us. She protected us in that form more than once, Zealot. I have even thought of changing her code-name from Siren to FireBird. She has been using that power more than usual now-a-days," replied Shaft, looking at them.
Warblade looked at Siren gently and then asked, "How did it go with your sister, Kyra?"
"Warblade, you will address Sister Kyrana....properly," spoke Zealot, looking at him firmly with both hands on her hips.
"That's alright, Zealot. I'm not a Coda anymore. I have no right to be called that now. My visit with my sister, Kialan, went fine, Warblade. She informed me that the Emperor and the Empress, including their own heirs to the throne were killed by the sneak attack by the Daemonites. When all the containment pods were hatched, the children...they all chose a new Empress of Birvannia. One who gave money to the poor and to those who needed it. I still do not believe it myself now or when I first heard it from my sister," spoke Kyrana, shaking her head gently.
"Who is the new Empress, Kyra?" asked Jacob, as he entered the room.
"You just answered it, 'Saul'. They have declared me Empress. My sister wants me to return home to Birvannia, Lord Emp," replied Kyra, looking at them as they stared at her shocked.
"You mean they declared you Empress. That's wonderful, Kyra," spoke Spartan, looking at her.
"No, it isn't wonderful! That would mean I leave Earth forever! I don't care what happens to Birvannia for Earth is more my planet than Birvannia ever was! I never felt like they really cared for me like this planet does. I was Birvannia's money source!" screamed Kyra, looking at Spartan with fire coming out of her eyes.
She turned to Shaft and spoke, "I had radioed YoungBlood after I was done talking with my sister, Shaft. They should be arriving here soon."
Kyrana stood up from the bed and quickly teleported Shaft and herself up to the roof where they would wait for their transport to arrive to pick them up. Jacob headed up to the roof to speak with Kyrana for the last time.
Chapter Seven.
The YoungBlood's transport was hovering ten feet over the Halo's building as Kyra flew Shaft up to the transport with the use of her birdform.
"I need to speak with Jacob for a moment, Shaft. Would you fly three hundred feet away so we could have a private chat?" asked Kyra, looking at them.
"Sure, just give us a wave and we'll come pick you up," replied Shaft, as Combat watched Kyra carefully from the driver's chair of the transport.
The unit flew away from the building as Jacob watched from the shadows. Kyra didn't need to even turn around to know who was there.
"Hello, 'Saul'...or..is it..Jacob...now. I need to speak with you. It's about us," spoke Kyra, turning around to look at him.
"As do I," replied Jacob, as he walked to the edge of the building.
"I have changed much since we saw each other in the late sixties. Since I have joined YoungBlood...I been seeing alot of Shaft," spoke Kyra, looking at him as he stared out towards the city.
"Is he in love with you, Kyra?" asked Jacob, looking at her as her fiery red hair flew into her face.
"Yes, but I haven't told him that I love him for I haven't ended my love for another man..." spoke Kyra.
"Which is me...Kyra. Am I right..on that?" asked Jacob, looking at her as she pulled her hair away from her face with her clawed hand.
"Yes, I still love you and I know you still have feelings for me as well....that has resurfaced with my reappearance. I care for you as a friend only. I do not or can not love you anymore. I know you will say the same for I know you too well, Jacob. We are friends..nothing..more...than good...friends," spoke Kyra, as she looked at him a dizzy spell came over her which almost sent her over the edge of the building.
"I got you, Kyra!" yelled Jacob, as he used his telekinetic powers to grab hold of her waist, "What is happening to you...Kyra?"
"I am getting close to my Sleep, Jacob. In another three days...I will be sleeping for many days or many months. I must prepare them for what is to come," replied Kyrana, looking at him gently as she turned away from him. She spread her white wings outward to prepare herself for liftoff. Then with one graceful motion she launched herself into the air.
"Are you sure you can get to the transport before another dizzy spell strikes again, Kyra. I could have Spartan fly you to the transport?" asked Jacob, looking at her gently.
"I can manage to get there without having Spartan fly me there. Good-bye...my friend," spoke Siren, as she flew towards the transport unit. Then, suddenly a dizzy spell struck her unprepared for it. She went out cold just as she heard a male voice call out her name and grabbed hold of her wrist.
"I got Kyra! Pull me in!" yelled Shaft. He had almost missed grabbing her wrist before she was out of reach of his hands.
"Kyra?" asked Shaft, gently as he held her in his arms. His hand was on her neck feeling for a pulse which was there.
"Uh...wha?" whispered Kyra, opening her eyes to see Shaft's eyes looking down on her with concern written all over them.
"You fainted before you got into the transport, Kyra. What happened to you out there?" asked Shaft, looking at her.
"The...time to Sleep...is at hand. But..I have...too many....things..to enter..the Sleep...now," whispered Kyra, as she tried to sit up but Shaft kept her down.
"The Sleep? What is that, Kyrana?" asked Vogue, looking at her seriously.
"I can't explain it now. Need to...tell you about....Shelly's...murder..first. I...know..who killed her..Shaft. He had...been..stalking...her for several months before he...killed..her," replied Kyra, as she closed her eyes and then opened them to look at Shaft.
"Who? Who killed my girlfriend, Kyra?" asked Shaft, looking at her strongly.
"The...man...who calls himself...Holden. I have his file in my room at HeadQuarters. He been stalking her for the last three months. Sending her...anonymous gifts and flowers then letters which she confided in me that in her words terrified her. Shelly accused you of sending the letters, Shaft. I told her it wasn't you for I told her that the psyche that was the imprint on the letters were not Shaft's. It was someone else who was sending you the letters and he works with her. I told her I'll find the one who was responsible for the letters and make him pay. I turned to leave only to see Holden standing at the doorway of his office and how he looked at Shelly and I knew it was he....who was sending the letters but I had....no proof to my claim. When he left for the lunch break, I stole into his office and found all the evidence I needed to prove to Shelly that Holden was the one and not you...Shaft. I found Shelly and I made sure that no one knew we were talking by turning us both into plants in the hallway. She believed what she saw and she told me that she was going to press stalking charges on Holden that day and get a court order whatever that means...to stop him from getting close to her. But it didn't help he got to her anyway. I have the originals hidden in my room stashed away to where he would not find them....you will find them under my drawer. I didn't trust the drawer for he could find them and destroy them. He been stalking me to get me to give him my files on him...for now he considers me a threat to his freedom for I found out from his last place of employment that he stalked his female bosses and when they found out that it was him...they fired him. I must tell you all something that you don't know. I must go off active duty for two months as of today," spoke Kyrana, looking at them gently.
"Why is that, Kyra? Is it cause of the dizzy spells you been having?" asked Diehard.
"Yes and no. I am going into something called The Sleep. You heard me mention it several times over the last few days. It makes my powers get renewed in strength and power. I could be in The Sleep for over two weeks or it could be two months before I reawaken. I will have...no pulse...well maybe...a heartbeat...every five minutes or so. My breathing...will stop and so will...everything else will...shut down until I...awaken. I have...a file...on it in my...room which you..will find with...the files on...Holden under my...dresser. It...will give...you...all the inform...ation you may...need, my...friends. For...right...now, I..say..goo," whispered Kyrana, as her eyes closed and her head dropped towards the floor of the transport.
Shaft quickly searched for a heartbeat on her neck and found none. He quickly laid her down on the hard floor and started to do CPR on her. Vogue went to his side to help do the heartbeat while he was doing the breathing.
"Diehard, get us to HeadQuarters immediately! Inform the Medics that we have a code-blue on board!" yelled Shaft, as he went back to breathing for Kyrana once more.
"I don't think that would be necessary, Shaft," spoke Diehard, looking at him.
Chapter Eight.
"What!!" yelled Shaft, turning away from Kyra to look at him.
"I just saw her heartbeat on my internal monitors, Shaft. Kira is in somekind of suspended animation that has reduced her heartbeat and her breathing to almost nothing. That is why she is sleeping at this moment...if we wake her we may get hurt by her talons. She told us to look under her dresser for the files on The Sleep. That file will give us all the information that we need without waking Kyra up before she needs to, Shaft," spoke Diehard, looking at him.
Shaft looked at him with fire burning within them as then he lifted Kyra up into his arms and spoke, "We'll have her in her own room for the two months...she'll be sleeping but there will be a heart monitor in her room just incase she starts to awaken two months from now. If anyone asks about where Siren is...that she is in a coma that we do not know when she'll awaken from...understand?"
They nodded as the transport unit landed in the hangar bay of their HeadQuarters.
"Shaft...what are we going to do about Holden?" asked Chapel, looking at him as he walked down the plank with Siren in his arms.
"I want us all to meet in the debriefing room as soon as I get Siren to her room," spoke Shaft, as he walked down the hall to their personal quarters.
Ten minutes later, Shaft came striding into the room with two files under his arm. Once he was inside the debriefing room he left the door ajar incase Holden was going to sneak a peek into the room to see what they were discussing.
Shaft spoke, "She's in bed. Now to deal with Holden. From what Siren told us in the transport unit that he is the murderer of Shelly and Holden plans on killing Siren if she told us or anyone about the fact that he is the mysterious killer. We can't allow him to know that we know that he is the one responsible for the bomb that was inside the package that killed Shelly."
Holden knew that if Siren told them about him they would be speaking about him in the debriefing room. He was correct that they were discussing him. Then, he quickly hurried down the hallway knowing that he had to get rid of the one person who had information on him before they ask her anymore questions about him.
Unbeknownst to Holden, Shaft opened the door and saw him walking down the hallway at a very fast pace. He nodded to the others and they walked out of the debriefing room towards Siren's room. Shaft had in his hand was an image maker a new device from their weaponers to make them look like whatever they wanted. They were waiting for Holden to make his appearance to them when he tried to kill Siren if he was going to try.
One hour and fifty-five minutes later, Shaft turned off the machine and shook his head. He spoke, "I thought he might try today while Kira was down and I guess I was wrong. I'll be keeping an eye on this hallway from the monitors in the command center if anyone wants me. It makes me mad when someone like Holden is running free like this and we just can't get our hands on him until he makes his move."
Shaft walked away from Siren's room as the others went to the training room to work out or to cool down before taking a shower. They were all wondering if Holden would try to kill Siren today or when as they walked away from Siren's room.
"Hello Shaft," spoke one of the computerists, as Shaft entered the room as he walked towards the monitors where he could watch Siren's room for any signs of Holden heading towards her room. The computerist looked at the others as he shrugged his shoulders as Shaft pulled up a chair to the monitors and sat down to watch that monitor which was in the hallway of the YoungBlood members' private quarters.
Chapter Nine.
Two hours later, Shaft was nodding off in his chair. He quickly woke when he heard a noise next to him. He saw that it was one of the computerist holding a coffee mug full of hot coffee as he placed it next to him.
"You were nodding off, Shaft. Drink...some coffee it will help you stay awake. If you want to go to bed we'll watch for whatever you're watching out for, Shaft?" asked the computerist, looking at him as Shaft stretched out his arms and yawned tiredly.
"No, I must keep an eye out for Holden. He might try to kill Siren to prevent her from given us more information on Shelly's murderer which it turns out to be him who is the killer," replied Shaft, as he picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip of the hot drink.
"We...taped him giving Shelly a small box on the day that she died," spoke the computerist, nonchalantly.
"You what!!" spoke the shocked Shaft, now wide awake.
"I'll get it on the next monitor, Shaft. We at first didn't look at them with no worry until we learned that Shelly's car blew up with her inside it that same day. We combed over the video with a fine tooth comb to see if there was anything suspicious going on around the building or inside," replied the computerist, looking at him as the video popped up on the screen.
"Sweet mother of God. That bastard will pay for this," whispered Shaft, as he watched Holden give Shelly the box and then she went out of the picture. Less than a minute later, Holden's glasses showed the car bomb going off. He turned and on his face was a very wicked smile and then, he, too walked out of the picture.
"Shaft, look! It's Holden!" yelled one of the computerists, yanking him back to the monitor that he was watching for the last two hours. Holden was standing at Siren's door with a bow in his hand.
"Damn it! Call the others...tell them to get to Siren's room now!" ordered Shaft, as he raced out of the room down the hall towards YoungBlood's private quarters.
Holden knew he had to act quick if he was to get out of the building before he gets caught killing one of the members of YoungBlood. Holden gently opened Siren's door expecting to hear her voice yell out to him to close the door but all he heard was the sound of the heart monitor beeping away. He placed the arrow into the bow and then pulled the string back and let loose the arrow into Siren's room.
"Noooo! You bastard!!" screamed Shaft, as he punched Holden in the face sending blood out of his now broken nose and bloody lip.
"I killed Siren and now I will kill you!" screeched Holden, as he lunged at Shaft with a knife in his hand. When a stone-like fist went infront of Shaft's heart blocking and breaking the knife in two that tried to take the life of YoungBlood's leader. Shaft took the chance and rammed his fist into Holden's stomach and then grabbed hold of his hair and rammed his knee into Holden's face knocking him out cold on the floor of Siren's room. Shaft turned to see who saved his life.
"Badrock, thanks. Get Holden to a jail cell and then call the Police that we have the one who is responsible for the car bomb and killing Shelly in custody. I'll see how Siren is doing," spoke Shaft, as the other members of YoungBlood came racing into the hallway. Shaft entered Siren's room to find that the arrow that Holden shot off was suspended in mid-air. It was only an inch away from Siren's bed. He touched the arrow only to have it drop to the floor. Shaft picked it up and placed it in a paper sack. He walked over to Siren's bedside to find that her condition had not changed yet. He went to the heart monitor and made it register a heartbeat when there was none to be found. If the Police entered her room without the monitor registering a heartbeat, they would know that Siren was dead but she wasn't dead but it would be too hard to explain her alien history. He hoped that the false heartbeat would fool them long enough until Kira awoke from The Sleep.
He walked towards the front door of the building to see the two Police Officers approaching the building. Shaft quickly lead them down to the jail cells where Holden was.
"How did you know that it was Holden who was the bomber, Shaft?" asked one of the Police Officers, looking at Shaft as they walked into the elevator.
"Siren...found out that Holden was stalking my deceased girlfriend before she died. She told us that Holden was stalking Shelly up to the day that she died and that he was her killer before we went into battle today," spoke Shaft, looking at the two Officers.
"Can we speak with Siren? Her statement is the most important evidence we have on Holden being the murderer?" asked the other Officer, looking at the members of YoungBlood but who was missing was the screaming angel herself.
"Come, I'll show you where she is. But if you want her statement...that I'm afraid is another story," spoke Shaft, as he led the two Officers to the private quarters of the members. Shaft entered Siren's room as the two Police Officers were stunned that he didn't even knock on her door before he entered her room. Then, they knew why he didn't need to knock. Siren was sound asleep in her bed with a heart monitor beeping away next to her.
"She's in a coma. She was injured by a member of The Four. She slipped into this coma once she returned to base. If you want all the evidence saying that Holden is the one you are searching for...she hid all the evidence that she had on him under her dresser," spoke Shaft, as he lifted the dresser with his hands as the Police Officer removed the evidence from underneath the dresser and nodded to Shaft who lowered the dresser to the floor. The Police Officer flipped open the file to find photos of Jeff and Shelly with Jeff's face slashed in half.
"Holden is one mad S.O.B," replied the officer, who was looking at the photos.
"He also tried to kill Siren while she was in bed. It was right before we were able to caught him. He tried to make it look like that I was the one who killed Siren. He even tried to use one of my own arrows to make me look guilty if he was able to have killed Siren," spoke Shaft.
"Where is the arrow that he used, Shaft?" asked the other Officer.
"Right here. Holden even tried to kill me when it became evident to him that he couldn't get away from the base without being caught," replied Shaft, as he held the sack that had the arrow inside it. The Police Officer took hold of the arrow and then they walked towards their cruiser with the evidence of Holden being the one responsible for the murder of Shelly. They entered the building once more and headed down to the jail block to arrest Holden for the murder of Shelly and two counts of attempted murder.
"Holden Darius Chasemen. You are under arrest for the murder of Shelly and the attempted murder of Shaft and Siren. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right to remain silent anything you say will and can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak with a lawyer and that lawyer be present during questioning. Bring him out," spoke the Police Officer, as Holden nodded.
Holden was removed from the cell block in handcuffs. He was led through the building to the Police cruiser that was outside.
The other Police Officer asked, "Shaft, how did Siren got taken down? Who was the one who took her down? She is not the kind of woman that could be taken down easily?"
"Siren was taken down by a member of The Four. She didn't know what hit her. She flew back here before she went into her coma. She blurted out one name and it was StrongArm. That guy is tough. The last time we fought him...Badrock was an equal match for his strength but he was lucky to defeat him. If you don't mind...I must return to the others we have a debriefing to deal with at this moment," spoke Shaft, as he turned away from them and entered the building.
Holden's green eyes watch as Shaft left the area, he whispered, "I will return, Shaft. Next time we meet...I will kill you and your girlfriend..Siren. Both of you shall die by my hands. Nothing will stop me not even YoungBlood. This I promise you."