Chapter 01: A New Old-Nemesis
Kat woke up just about in time for lunch. After scoffing a meal that would have taken four other people to eat, she yawned and left the kitchen.
Bored, she lazily switched on her computer. Turning on Instant Messenger, she immediately IMed TotalliRaNdOmGIRL. Setting up her webcam, she began speaking the moment a face flashed across her screen. "Hey, Leigh, I'm bored. Duo's not here, so he must've come over after his shift and picked up the monsters...figures, him not waking me up...he must've taken them to Café Du Monde. And Willow's over at Jace's house. Could you come over?" The brunette on the screen nodded once and began to get up. "Wait! You idjit! I haven't even told you where to go!" Sighing, the girl sat down. "For some odd reason, I had a feeling that you meant you wanted me to come over to your house. Also, I was hoping that I could get out of here before that flaming toothpick of a landlady gets back. You know she's insane and would probably want to know where I was going, the dope." Kat sighed. "Yeah, right. Whatever you say."
After Leigh turned off her computer, Kat sighed again and turned around at a strange thumping sound. She stiffened when she saw Naya and Ko on the floor, both semi-conscious with large lumps on their heads. She sniffed warily. Strangers... she hissed in her mind. But something else was wrong. She was having trouble thinking clearly. She was angry, way too angry. Swiftly stooping down to pull a small vial from a hidden compartment in her shoe, she swigged the formula inside. A few moments later, she had become the Eschaton again. Whoever messed with her family had just messed with her. And that was a mistake. Herding the groggy Naya and Ko into a secret room under the gigantic desk, she began her search for the attackers. She bared her long fangs and sharp Elendium claws as she snarled fearsomely. They were going to pay.
Leigh turned off her computer, grabbed a jacket from Hard Rock Café, and ran from her apartment, slamming the door as a thin woman with orange hair shrieked, 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' Rolling her eyes, Leigh ignored her and continued out of the building. The landlady continued shrieking questions, but finally gave up when it was clear that Leigh couldn't hear her...from two blocks away.
When Leigh got to Kat's house, she immediately knew somethin was wrong. The door was open, and the normally loud home was eerily silent. Leigh felt a chill go down her spine as she shrugged off her jacket and pulled a knife and a gun from the inside of her shirt. Slipping the knife into the back of her belt, she snuck into the home.
Naya and Ko listened, but couldn't hear anything other than the echoes of their own footsteps. "Ko? What happened?" Naya's voice sounded small and scared. "I...I dunno? Where'd Mom go?" Ko and Naya pushed on the trapdoor, but something was blocking it. "We've got to get out of here," gasped Naya, fear on his face.
Duo woke up with a splitting headache as he stared at the ceiling. He was in his house, lying across the kitchen table. He slid down and hit the floor. "Owww..." he groaned. His head felt like it was exploding. He remembered getting knocked down...something being injected into him... He saw something on the floor that made him forget his headache. It was a long, black claw, broken. He looked around more, his head clearing. There was blood splattered on the floor. He looked down at himself. There was even blood on him, as though someone had thrown himself...or herself...over him, bleeding terribly. His hands shook as he picked up the sharp black claw. It was one of Kat's.
He heard banging and muffled shouts. In a daze, he staggered through the kitchen into the study. He saw the desk. "That shouldn't be here..." he muttered under his breath. There was more pounding. His mind still numb with shock, Duo could still barely understand what was happening. He tried to move the desk, but couldn't. He heard Naya and Ko shouting, "Mom! Dad! Somebody, help!!" Finally, he realized his children were trapped underneath. "It's alright, I'm here. Gimme a minute, ok?" Throwing himself against the desk, he managed to move it a little. But the jarring impact brought his headache rushing back. As he slid to the floor, he groaned again and pressed his hands to his eyes, trying to block out the flashes of light which were blinding him.
Leigh heard the groans and followed them into the computer room. She tensed herself before peering around the corner. When she saw Duo leaning against the desk, she gasped at the blood on his shirt. Duo looked up and recognized her as one of Kat's friends. "It's ok...just help me move this desk!" Leigh nodded and stuck her gun into her waistband. "Er, your shirt...?" Duo glanced at the blood. "It's ok, I'm pretty sure none of it is mine." She didn't look very relieved. "Uh, any idea as to whose it is?" Duo shrugged as they struggled to move the desk. As Duo opened the trapdoor, the twins jumped out and on him. "Where's Kat," Leigh asked them. "She wanted me to come over." Ko looked worried. "Dunno...she was here and then, BAM, no idea what happened. She pushed us down here, but I know she didn't push the desk over right away. Naya pushed the door open a while ago...but next thing we know, we're stuck." Duo shook his head. "This is weird..." Adding in a whisper which only Leigh could hear, he said, "I think we should get everyone we can find together...it might be starting up again. If only Kat were here!"
The brunette growled angrily. "How could you have allowed him to escape?" She had been ranting for nearly an hour on this same subject. "If you had gone after that freak, he would still be in our control." The man who had led the group of people who captured Duo was as angry as she was. "Listen, Tahnee, it's as much your fault as it is ours. More your fault, even. You were in charge; you bungled it when you decided to act like a total idiot with those cards. I could have done that easily, but you had to show that you were just as good as Eschaton was at disguises. You could have subdued her; you're even stronger than she is! So don't give me any of that crap about it being MY fault! You were the idiot! You were the braggart! You were the person who should have captured her...single- handed! And you refused!!" Tahnee laughed mirthlessly. "What, you and your little groupies were overwhelmed? He was unconscious, so were her kids! You should've been able to use them as hostages!" "We DID!" he countered, his face reddening with anger. "That's the only reason we have that cat...I was about to shoot him because he looked like he was going to wake up. She threw herself over him and got shot. But she STILL would've gotten away...IF he had woken up. In the end, it was either she left with us or he died. And believe me, we couldn't have brought him along if we had tried...took five of us to hold her back AFTER she had been cuffed."
Unable to refute his logic, Tahnee growled again and gulped something from a bottle. Wincing as her skeleton stretched and her tail regrew, she couldn't help but smile in grim satisfaction as Blaine shuddered at her transformation. She casually extended one golden claw to run across his cheek, tickling his chin. "Of course, my dear Blaine, please, forgive me. I should have realized your trouble. It is difficult enough to serve our 'master' when we are united. Why should we make things more difficult by fighting like, forgive the pun, cat and dog?"
Blaine smirked as he took the bottle from her hand. Taking a sip, he set it down on a table. He grew taller, stronger. His black hair became grayish as his eyes took on a greenish-yellow tint. He began to look unshaven as a thin layer of fur covered his cheeks. His fingernails grew slightly longer, much harder, and sharper. His ears became pointed. His smile was quite literally wolfish as he grinned at Tahnee, baring long, deadly canines. She purred as she turned to look at their new prisoner, who was beginning to come around, groaning as waves of pain from her wounds overwhelmed her. "Why does it always happen to me..." Kat muttered.
"So, our prisoner is awake. Hello, Eschaton. Welcome to your hell." Kat stared at the younger woman standing before her. She was a physical double to the wounded Eschaton. From a distance, except for her hair, she could be mistaken as a younger version of Kat.
Duo was pacing back and forth. The surveillance cameras in the kitchen confirmed his worst fears. He had been used as bait, and Kat had knowingly stepped into the trap. For the twentieth time that night, he hugged his sons, realizing how close he came to losing them. "Dad...it's ok, you're being all weird again. Let's just worry about Mom, ok?" Duo nodded, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate. He couldn't remember where he had been when the men surrounded him.
It was office 320, the same office Miyaku had been imprisoned in long ago. Alexander Worthington III walked into the room. He had changed out of his tattered clothing and was wearing a well-tailored suit. His cultured British accent was easy to understand as he began listing people. "Sage couldn't come. Neither could Tricode. Sage is in an airport in Dallas, being held up by supposed terrorist threats. Tricode is in a computer console in Lafayette, making terrorist threats against an airport because one of his ex-girlfriend's is on a plane in Dallas, heading over to Lafayette, most likely to shoot him. Miyaku is five months pregnant. Ririku just had her third child last Monday. Havoc and Steve are trying to find somebody to watch their 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter. Ignition is in Canada with Bogle. Moose is in Houston with Tarantula...Zechs and Noin are on Mars. Zechs was injured when he fell down the stairs. Noin is in a hospital after throwing Zechs down the stairs because he didn't have pickles...or something, I'm not entirely sure why she went berserk...and apparently, one should not throw people down the stairs when one is pregnant. No reason for alarm, she's fine, just a little bit over- exerted. Shanaiha and Heero are...somewhere. I have no idea where. Alandriel is pregnant. Wufei finally got a job as a postal worker, so he can't come for a while."
At this point, Quatre walked into the room. "Quatre is present and accounted for," he said cheerfully. "And I'd be willing to bet half my money that Wufei will be here within the week. He got fired 12 times because of 'antisocial tendencies.' Although I wish I could have seen him in a postal worker's uniform...could you imagine him in those funny little blue shorts, being chased by a rampaging poodle?" Alexander gave him a very refined glare and continued. "Rhiannon is nowhere to be found. D and Richard are on their way. They seemed to know about..." he broke off and glanced at Duo. "They were on their way when I contacted them. And that's it...most of us are gone. Others shouldn't come. Some of us are new. And the rest...well, the rest don't exist." Duo shook his head again. It seemed impossible that the once tight-knit group had gone in so many different directions.
The door opened. Steve, followed by Havoc, walked into the room. Each was holding a child. Steve was carrying his daughter, Melody. She quietly looked around the room with happy blue eyes. Havoc had her hands full with a three year old boy. "Steeeeeeven! If you don't behave, you can't play with the baby python!" The little boy froze and instantly became the very picture of good behavior. "'Allo! An' what're me mates up to now, eh?" Steve's sunny smile did little to lighten Duo's mood. "Would you sit down! What are you doing, bringing two babies in here! This is serious!" Alex looked startled by Duo's bad temper. "Duo, calm down...they couldn't find anyone to watch their kids on such short notice...be glad they came period." Leigh, although she felt sorry for Duo, didn't want the others to realize he was almost out of control. "Now," she continued, making use of Duo's surprised silence, "we need to think. Why did whoever it was attack you and your family at this particular time?" Duo shrugged miserably, but Leigh continued. "I think it's because they've been watching ya'll. Otherwise, how else could they have attacked at such a bad time? Think about it: Miyaku, Noin, Ririku, Ignition...everyone! They're either out or too far away. And Zechs...well, who's to say that Noin attacked him? There might have been an 'accident' arranged. And what about Tricode's ex? Couldn't she have been planted? Couldn't she REALLY be trying to kill Tricode? Rhia's disappeared, Shanaiha and Heero are gone...plus, Kat hadn't even been in her real form for months! She's been taking that time-release stuff Moose made. It's like we're being watched, all of us. We're being set up."
Peter rolled his eyes. "You're being paranoid. It all seems a little suspicious, I must admit that, but you're paranoid. All of those have innocent explanations." Leigh glared. "Oh yeah? Prove it!" Peter began to logically explain things. As he went on, Duo felt as though he was going numb. He didn't notice Peter glancing in his direction every now and then. He heard a scratching on the door. Without really paying attention, he stood up to open it. He looked down into the golden eyes of his daughter. She reached up for him to pick her up. As he sat down again, Jace jogged in. "Where has that little...oh, good, you found her. She ditched me ten minutes ago and I've been running around like an idiot ever since." He smiled fondly at Willow, who merely gave him a quizzical look.
As Peter's explanation ended, Leigh jumped back up. "Ok, that's all fine and dandy, dearie...but how can you explain Wufei getting a job as a mail man?!" Peter opened his mouth, and then closed it again. A perplexed expression crossed his face. "Oooooooooo-kay. Maybe you're right. Nobody in their right minds would let Wufei handle mail." Leigh sat back down on the table, crossing her legs and arms, a triumphant expression on her face. But slowly, the magnitude of what was happening dawned on everyone. This time, they were all in the crosshairs. Each member of Black Star, whether old or new, looked around. This time, they had families. They weren't crazy young adults with nothing to worry about anymore.
Steve's mouth hardened into a grim line. He looked at Havoc, who was holding his son. As he looked down into his daughter's eyes, he made a decision.
"I say we fight."
Kat woke up just about in time for lunch. After scoffing a meal that would have taken four other people to eat, she yawned and left the kitchen.
Bored, she lazily switched on her computer. Turning on Instant Messenger, she immediately IMed TotalliRaNdOmGIRL. Setting up her webcam, she began speaking the moment a face flashed across her screen. "Hey, Leigh, I'm bored. Duo's not here, so he must've come over after his shift and picked up the monsters...figures, him not waking me up...he must've taken them to Café Du Monde. And Willow's over at Jace's house. Could you come over?" The brunette on the screen nodded once and began to get up. "Wait! You idjit! I haven't even told you where to go!" Sighing, the girl sat down. "For some odd reason, I had a feeling that you meant you wanted me to come over to your house. Also, I was hoping that I could get out of here before that flaming toothpick of a landlady gets back. You know she's insane and would probably want to know where I was going, the dope." Kat sighed. "Yeah, right. Whatever you say."
After Leigh turned off her computer, Kat sighed again and turned around at a strange thumping sound. She stiffened when she saw Naya and Ko on the floor, both semi-conscious with large lumps on their heads. She sniffed warily. Strangers... she hissed in her mind. But something else was wrong. She was having trouble thinking clearly. She was angry, way too angry. Swiftly stooping down to pull a small vial from a hidden compartment in her shoe, she swigged the formula inside. A few moments later, she had become the Eschaton again. Whoever messed with her family had just messed with her. And that was a mistake. Herding the groggy Naya and Ko into a secret room under the gigantic desk, she began her search for the attackers. She bared her long fangs and sharp Elendium claws as she snarled fearsomely. They were going to pay.
Leigh turned off her computer, grabbed a jacket from Hard Rock Café, and ran from her apartment, slamming the door as a thin woman with orange hair shrieked, 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' Rolling her eyes, Leigh ignored her and continued out of the building. The landlady continued shrieking questions, but finally gave up when it was clear that Leigh couldn't hear her...from two blocks away.
When Leigh got to Kat's house, she immediately knew somethin was wrong. The door was open, and the normally loud home was eerily silent. Leigh felt a chill go down her spine as she shrugged off her jacket and pulled a knife and a gun from the inside of her shirt. Slipping the knife into the back of her belt, she snuck into the home.
Naya and Ko listened, but couldn't hear anything other than the echoes of their own footsteps. "Ko? What happened?" Naya's voice sounded small and scared. "I...I dunno? Where'd Mom go?" Ko and Naya pushed on the trapdoor, but something was blocking it. "We've got to get out of here," gasped Naya, fear on his face.
Duo woke up with a splitting headache as he stared at the ceiling. He was in his house, lying across the kitchen table. He slid down and hit the floor. "Owww..." he groaned. His head felt like it was exploding. He remembered getting knocked down...something being injected into him... He saw something on the floor that made him forget his headache. It was a long, black claw, broken. He looked around more, his head clearing. There was blood splattered on the floor. He looked down at himself. There was even blood on him, as though someone had thrown himself...or herself...over him, bleeding terribly. His hands shook as he picked up the sharp black claw. It was one of Kat's.
He heard banging and muffled shouts. In a daze, he staggered through the kitchen into the study. He saw the desk. "That shouldn't be here..." he muttered under his breath. There was more pounding. His mind still numb with shock, Duo could still barely understand what was happening. He tried to move the desk, but couldn't. He heard Naya and Ko shouting, "Mom! Dad! Somebody, help!!" Finally, he realized his children were trapped underneath. "It's alright, I'm here. Gimme a minute, ok?" Throwing himself against the desk, he managed to move it a little. But the jarring impact brought his headache rushing back. As he slid to the floor, he groaned again and pressed his hands to his eyes, trying to block out the flashes of light which were blinding him.
Leigh heard the groans and followed them into the computer room. She tensed herself before peering around the corner. When she saw Duo leaning against the desk, she gasped at the blood on his shirt. Duo looked up and recognized her as one of Kat's friends. "It's ok...just help me move this desk!" Leigh nodded and stuck her gun into her waistband. "Er, your shirt...?" Duo glanced at the blood. "It's ok, I'm pretty sure none of it is mine." She didn't look very relieved. "Uh, any idea as to whose it is?" Duo shrugged as they struggled to move the desk. As Duo opened the trapdoor, the twins jumped out and on him. "Where's Kat," Leigh asked them. "She wanted me to come over." Ko looked worried. "Dunno...she was here and then, BAM, no idea what happened. She pushed us down here, but I know she didn't push the desk over right away. Naya pushed the door open a while ago...but next thing we know, we're stuck." Duo shook his head. "This is weird..." Adding in a whisper which only Leigh could hear, he said, "I think we should get everyone we can find together...it might be starting up again. If only Kat were here!"
The brunette growled angrily. "How could you have allowed him to escape?" She had been ranting for nearly an hour on this same subject. "If you had gone after that freak, he would still be in our control." The man who had led the group of people who captured Duo was as angry as she was. "Listen, Tahnee, it's as much your fault as it is ours. More your fault, even. You were in charge; you bungled it when you decided to act like a total idiot with those cards. I could have done that easily, but you had to show that you were just as good as Eschaton was at disguises. You could have subdued her; you're even stronger than she is! So don't give me any of that crap about it being MY fault! You were the idiot! You were the braggart! You were the person who should have captured her...single- handed! And you refused!!" Tahnee laughed mirthlessly. "What, you and your little groupies were overwhelmed? He was unconscious, so were her kids! You should've been able to use them as hostages!" "We DID!" he countered, his face reddening with anger. "That's the only reason we have that cat...I was about to shoot him because he looked like he was going to wake up. She threw herself over him and got shot. But she STILL would've gotten away...IF he had woken up. In the end, it was either she left with us or he died. And believe me, we couldn't have brought him along if we had tried...took five of us to hold her back AFTER she had been cuffed."
Unable to refute his logic, Tahnee growled again and gulped something from a bottle. Wincing as her skeleton stretched and her tail regrew, she couldn't help but smile in grim satisfaction as Blaine shuddered at her transformation. She casually extended one golden claw to run across his cheek, tickling his chin. "Of course, my dear Blaine, please, forgive me. I should have realized your trouble. It is difficult enough to serve our 'master' when we are united. Why should we make things more difficult by fighting like, forgive the pun, cat and dog?"
Blaine smirked as he took the bottle from her hand. Taking a sip, he set it down on a table. He grew taller, stronger. His black hair became grayish as his eyes took on a greenish-yellow tint. He began to look unshaven as a thin layer of fur covered his cheeks. His fingernails grew slightly longer, much harder, and sharper. His ears became pointed. His smile was quite literally wolfish as he grinned at Tahnee, baring long, deadly canines. She purred as she turned to look at their new prisoner, who was beginning to come around, groaning as waves of pain from her wounds overwhelmed her. "Why does it always happen to me..." Kat muttered.
"So, our prisoner is awake. Hello, Eschaton. Welcome to your hell." Kat stared at the younger woman standing before her. She was a physical double to the wounded Eschaton. From a distance, except for her hair, she could be mistaken as a younger version of Kat.
Duo was pacing back and forth. The surveillance cameras in the kitchen confirmed his worst fears. He had been used as bait, and Kat had knowingly stepped into the trap. For the twentieth time that night, he hugged his sons, realizing how close he came to losing them. "Dad...it's ok, you're being all weird again. Let's just worry about Mom, ok?" Duo nodded, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate. He couldn't remember where he had been when the men surrounded him.
It was office 320, the same office Miyaku had been imprisoned in long ago. Alexander Worthington III walked into the room. He had changed out of his tattered clothing and was wearing a well-tailored suit. His cultured British accent was easy to understand as he began listing people. "Sage couldn't come. Neither could Tricode. Sage is in an airport in Dallas, being held up by supposed terrorist threats. Tricode is in a computer console in Lafayette, making terrorist threats against an airport because one of his ex-girlfriend's is on a plane in Dallas, heading over to Lafayette, most likely to shoot him. Miyaku is five months pregnant. Ririku just had her third child last Monday. Havoc and Steve are trying to find somebody to watch their 3 year old son and 1 year old daughter. Ignition is in Canada with Bogle. Moose is in Houston with Tarantula...Zechs and Noin are on Mars. Zechs was injured when he fell down the stairs. Noin is in a hospital after throwing Zechs down the stairs because he didn't have pickles...or something, I'm not entirely sure why she went berserk...and apparently, one should not throw people down the stairs when one is pregnant. No reason for alarm, she's fine, just a little bit over- exerted. Shanaiha and Heero are...somewhere. I have no idea where. Alandriel is pregnant. Wufei finally got a job as a postal worker, so he can't come for a while."
At this point, Quatre walked into the room. "Quatre is present and accounted for," he said cheerfully. "And I'd be willing to bet half my money that Wufei will be here within the week. He got fired 12 times because of 'antisocial tendencies.' Although I wish I could have seen him in a postal worker's uniform...could you imagine him in those funny little blue shorts, being chased by a rampaging poodle?" Alexander gave him a very refined glare and continued. "Rhiannon is nowhere to be found. D and Richard are on their way. They seemed to know about..." he broke off and glanced at Duo. "They were on their way when I contacted them. And that's it...most of us are gone. Others shouldn't come. Some of us are new. And the rest...well, the rest don't exist." Duo shook his head again. It seemed impossible that the once tight-knit group had gone in so many different directions.
The door opened. Steve, followed by Havoc, walked into the room. Each was holding a child. Steve was carrying his daughter, Melody. She quietly looked around the room with happy blue eyes. Havoc had her hands full with a three year old boy. "Steeeeeeven! If you don't behave, you can't play with the baby python!" The little boy froze and instantly became the very picture of good behavior. "'Allo! An' what're me mates up to now, eh?" Steve's sunny smile did little to lighten Duo's mood. "Would you sit down! What are you doing, bringing two babies in here! This is serious!" Alex looked startled by Duo's bad temper. "Duo, calm down...they couldn't find anyone to watch their kids on such short notice...be glad they came period." Leigh, although she felt sorry for Duo, didn't want the others to realize he was almost out of control. "Now," she continued, making use of Duo's surprised silence, "we need to think. Why did whoever it was attack you and your family at this particular time?" Duo shrugged miserably, but Leigh continued. "I think it's because they've been watching ya'll. Otherwise, how else could they have attacked at such a bad time? Think about it: Miyaku, Noin, Ririku, Ignition...everyone! They're either out or too far away. And Zechs...well, who's to say that Noin attacked him? There might have been an 'accident' arranged. And what about Tricode's ex? Couldn't she have been planted? Couldn't she REALLY be trying to kill Tricode? Rhia's disappeared, Shanaiha and Heero are gone...plus, Kat hadn't even been in her real form for months! She's been taking that time-release stuff Moose made. It's like we're being watched, all of us. We're being set up."
Peter rolled his eyes. "You're being paranoid. It all seems a little suspicious, I must admit that, but you're paranoid. All of those have innocent explanations." Leigh glared. "Oh yeah? Prove it!" Peter began to logically explain things. As he went on, Duo felt as though he was going numb. He didn't notice Peter glancing in his direction every now and then. He heard a scratching on the door. Without really paying attention, he stood up to open it. He looked down into the golden eyes of his daughter. She reached up for him to pick her up. As he sat down again, Jace jogged in. "Where has that little...oh, good, you found her. She ditched me ten minutes ago and I've been running around like an idiot ever since." He smiled fondly at Willow, who merely gave him a quizzical look.
As Peter's explanation ended, Leigh jumped back up. "Ok, that's all fine and dandy, dearie...but how can you explain Wufei getting a job as a mail man?!" Peter opened his mouth, and then closed it again. A perplexed expression crossed his face. "Oooooooooo-kay. Maybe you're right. Nobody in their right minds would let Wufei handle mail." Leigh sat back down on the table, crossing her legs and arms, a triumphant expression on her face. But slowly, the magnitude of what was happening dawned on everyone. This time, they were all in the crosshairs. Each member of Black Star, whether old or new, looked around. This time, they had families. They weren't crazy young adults with nothing to worry about anymore.
Steve's mouth hardened into a grim line. He looked at Havoc, who was holding his son. As he looked down into his daughter's eyes, he made a decision.
"I say we fight."