WWLAOS: I didn't want to push it to much, I was forcing it as is. Thank you, I enjoyed doing both, even if I couldn't explain Annia's problems at first. But it turned out for the best, because I was able to bring Ellie in. I hadn't been able to figure out how to get her in.

oneredneckgoddess: Thank you. And we are rapidly rising towards the end of the story.

"We've got problems." Ace and Annia spoke in unison as they arrived. Always the gentleman, he let her go first.

"Some woman knocked Rebecca out, and almost killed us both." Annia shook her head. "I don't know who it was, but she was firing some really nasty energy blasts at us."

"I got caught by an infrared beam." Ace nodded. "I didn't expect one that far in, and got sloppy. It's not so much a prison out there, as a reprogramming facility. I'd say he's been doing this for a while, the tech is really sophisticated."

"Well, I found the facility that houses the Death Knights. They were burning bodies to fuel the systems that recharge the Knights." Annia reported. She glanced at Songbirds room. "I need to speak with you in private." She told me. I took a shuddering breath, recognizing her tone.

"Alright, in my room. J'nol, will you help Ace?" The other man nodded, and they disappeared into the room Rebecca and I would share. Alfred had already gone to bed, unable to stay awake any longer. I took Annia aside, knowing she was running on fumes. "What is it?"

"Two things. Remember Songbirds father?" I nodded solemnly. "Remember her description of the Death Knight that killed him?" I nodded again, not liking the feeling of where she was going with this. "I saw it." I half-gasped, and flickered my gaze to Songbird's room.

"Where, and when?" I asked. I knew the answers, but had to be sure.

"Tonight in the facility. It was deactivated for recharge, but it wasn't wearing the robes, and I could see the scarring on it. I must have waited too long, because that was when I was spotted, and had to make a run for it." Annia informed me, confirming my worst suspiscion.

"Alright, what ever you do, do NOT, tell Rianne. She'll never leave it alone, and we need her." I instructed. "Now, what was the other thing you wanted to tell me?"

"The woman that attacked us? It was Ellie." I nearly passed out. Fate had left detailed information on not only the clones, but the entire Cadmus project. The information on the clones also provided information on the three most dangerous clones. Ellie, Galatea, and the Adam clone. All three based on some level on Ace and Rebecca's parents. Annia and I had discovered that bit, but kept it from the others. It wasn't a descision made lightly, but Inza had advised us against telling them, for two reasons. First, was that no one had heard from Galatea since the loss of Adam's clone. The second, was that Ellie had vanished shortly after Akati arrived.Galatea was not the kind to switch sides without orders, but Ellie was lacking morals of any kind. She had only the bare beginnings of a conscience. If she had disappeared, chances were she was working for Akati. Tonight proved that. As far as anyone could tell, she was invulnerable with the exception of powerful magic. Between the three of us, we did not think Ace and Rebecca could take her, even working as a single powerful entity.

"That's just wonderful." I sighed, feeling suddenly helpless. "Which mean's in the morning, we're going to have to tell them."

"That's not going to be pleasant." Annia warned me.

"When is anything ever pleasant?" I asked with a slight smile. She new the answer, and we gave it in one voice.

"Never."

Next morning, 4:45am, EST.

"Master, I have urgent news." Ellie reported to the monitor from one knee.

"Speak." Was all the deep voiced warlord spoke. He was covered in shadows on the far end of the monitor, only his boots, running up to his knees, plated with metal salvaged from the ruins of the watchtower, reflected any light at all.

"Master, they have come. The children you foresaw have come here. I injured one, but I was unable to destroy her, or the other she was with, and I lost track of them. I have failed." The green eyed, brown haired woman informed him, waiting patiently for the punishment she felt she deserved. It did not come.

"You have not failed child. I did not expect you to be able to stay with them. It is of no consequence. I destroyed their parents, and so to shall I crush them." Akati spoke in a casual, almost off hand tone.

"Master please, I have foreseen things. They are more powerful than their parents. I beg you, do not come here. Move back your travel plans and go north. Let me deal with them, that I may present them to you as a gift when you arrive." She begged. Akati smiled.

"You may deal with them, but do so quickly, I enter harbor tonight, and then I tour the city tomorrow." Akati replied. "Enjoy your hunt my child."

"I will master." The monitor blinked off, and she rose, eyes narrowing. She turned to the doors. They opened as she approached. "Sentinels. Take my command to the Death Knights. This city will be swept from top to bottom, from north to south, from east to west, and back again. If the intruders are not found, then we will turn it upside-down and shake it until they fall out. Lord Akati arrives tonight, and we will have them in custody or dead by then. GO." The last word was a command, and the Sentinels saluted, then moved out of her throne room. Settling down, she shifted back in her chair, getting as comfortable as possible, then closed her eyes, and 'stretched out her mind'. She smiled slightly. This would be a much faster method of finding them.

"Sit down." I invited Songbird, doing my best to be polite. Room service had sent breakfast, and she'd come out long enough to drink something and grab toast, and was about retreat to her room when I caught her.

"I don't feel like it." She started to push past me, and I caught her arm.

"I don't care. Sit down." I don't usually let my temper run free, but at the time, I didn't have the energy to contain it. I hadn't slept well the night before and we were about to tell them somethings they weren't going to like. That was not something I was looking forwards to.

"No." Came Songbirds answer, trying to shake my arm loose. I hit her. It wasn't something I intended to do, but I hit her. She stumbled back, gasping for air. Stoutly built as she was, very few people could handle that kind of hit and not loose their breath. So far, I'd only seen J'nol do it by phasing out. Songbird dropped into a chair, as Ace joined us from the other room. That was everyone. Annia and Ace repeated what they'd said last night, filling in all the blanks for us. I had the distinct feeling that Annia was leaving something out, but it didn't seem to be important. I hoped I wouldn't regret that.

"Alright, the woman that Annia saw, is something that we have been afraid of for a long time." I spoke up after the stories were finished.

"How could you know who she is?" Alfred asked, glaring suspiciously at me.

"We found something in the tower, and it described a set of clones." Annia answered. The others nodded.

"She was in there?" Rebecca asked. Annia looked at me.

"Yes, and no." I answered. "She was listed in there, along with two others. Annia and I discovered this, and after talking with mother, we decided to remove it from sight." The room exploded in protest.

"How could you do that!" Was the general reaction.

"It was decided that for the good of everyone, it shouldn't be known. Ellie, is woman's name. She is described as being a super clone. Created from the DNA of your mother," I pointed at the twins, "your mother," Alfred, "your father," J'nol, "my mother, and some of the powers of my father."

"As well, they used my Father's DNA to give her enourmous speed, but it doesn't approach mine. She does not have the aura that allows her to surpass air resistance. Otherwise she would be virtually unstoppable." Annia cut in before they could start again.

"As far as Fate was able to determine, the only thing that could harm her, was extremely powerful magic. We did not know if you would have the power to take her down, even working together." I snapped at the twins, not intending to, but needing to cut them off. "I still don't know, but it seems as though it's time to find out."

"So who were the other two clones?" Alfred spoke up.

"Galatea. A clone of Kara. Straight clone, though older and stronger." I took a breath. "And a clone of Adam. The clone was far more powerful than anything they'd seen, and took down the everything the league threw at him with ease. It wasn't until Adam returned from the dead that they were able to stop the clone."

"And what happened to the clone?" Ace asked.

"Adam took over his body." I answered, having read the account in Fate's journal. Adam had given it to him shortly after the encounter. "It was the only way he could return to life." I added hastily, quelling the disgusted looks. "The clone was going to die anyway, so he did a favor for Adam."

"And Galatea?" Rebecca asked.

"No one knows. She disappeared shortly after that. Ellie went to live with her father, and disappeared shortly after the arrival of Akati. It appears she has gone to work for him." Annia replied, taking the pressure off of me.

"For him? No. With him." The wall burst inwards.