FIGHTING AND MEETING

Though Valandra Moon was renowned for many things, she was defiantly best known for her uncanny ability to be in the right place at exactly the right time: a trait she was dang proud of. She had heard about this insane quest through the (literal) grapevine, and had just known that those idiots would need her help; so off she went.

Valandra knew Justin and Bobby from when she had been raised by the Maccos, before her nanny staged a breakout and took her to Mystique to hone her already abundant mental skills. Their personalities had clashed constantly and so she had left Mystique's hide away in the mountains, turning pretty wild in the process. Then she decided to join "The League of Extraordinariness" where she met and been taken under the wing of the amazing Raven. If that crazy immortal was involved then it would be a messy, hard run, sloppy job. It would also be exhilarating fun and in the end all the good guys would get out alright, cause that was Raven's priority, she always got her team out okay.

So she tracked down the team and found that half was in immediate danger, so she just jumped right in to help. She hadn't expected much in return, but the look of shock on their faces was priceless. She loved surprising old friends. She'd never met the young Atlantian Halfling before, but Moon decided she loved the redhead's style. Aquial handled a sword almost as good as Valandra herself and she had been doing really good against multiple attackers. "I think I'll be sparring with that one later for sure!" She giggled to herself as she fought off the last of their assailants.

"Alright," Valandra said with a grin and a clap, "Do you want to know where the rest are or not?" She inwardly laughed as Justin's look of shock turned into confusion.

"Valandra Moon! You?…How?...Where'd?" The young man of fire just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that he and the others had just been saved by someone he used to baby-sit.

Bobby rolled his eyes at his brother before turning to their old friend and saying, "What my, ever so articulate, younger brother is trying to say is, how did you find us and how do you know where the others are?" He paused a moment before saying, "or that there are others at all?"

Aquial then butted in, "Ummm, hang on, I have another important question. WHO is this exactly?"

Valandra grinned, "I knew I liked your style." She and the others proceeded to fill Aquial in on Val's complicated background. She finished off with, "as to how I know things about your quest, it's hard to keep psychic omissions of this magnitude secret for long." She shook her finger in Mystique's face playfully, "Shame on you for trying to leave me out of all the fun!"

"As for how she knew to come and save us," Mystique added dryly, "she has always had a knack for showing up at exactly the right place at exactly the right time."

"Bingo, Misty my dear, you're still as perceptive as ever." The Wicca couldn't help but smirk at the grimace that passed across her old teacher's face at the nickname. Aquial also noticed and stowed it away in her brain for later as ammo against the proud psychic.

"If you know where the rest of the group is could you please inform us immediately?" Mystique politely requested of the girl, in an attempt to save her dignity.

"I'll do better then that," Valandra trilled cheerfully, "I'll show you." She then proceeded to skip off, shouting back over her shoulder, "Hurry it up, I wouldn't want any of you to get lost."

As a result of this sudden move, the fluffy teen had caught the group completely off guard, so that they had to run a bit to catch up with her. So they were off to find the rest of there group, each a bit leery, each with there own reasons, each unaware of what to expect, each completely unprepared for what lay ahead, and the one leading the way cackling with delight over the entire situation.

IN THE SKINNER BAR

Without a second thought Raven grabbed Ben by the scruff of his neck and pushed him back down. Ben didn't even put up a little fight; he really hadn't wanted to get away that badly.

"Stay where you are boy," Raven tersely admonished him, "we're all in this together now."

"Do--not--call--me BOY!" Ben grumbled. He was really starting to get ticked off because of this bad day.

The two were so engrossed in their conflict that they didn't see the old man falling into a kind of trance; though they both were drawn away from their personal conflict when the whole room seemed to flicker.

JUST OUTSIDE OF THE SKINNER BAR

The fire blew up higher; there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. Not that anyone was dumb enough to try. NO ONE, would dare try to mess with the Maccos splinter cell.

They had fulfilled their master's objective. This pathetic new league had been destroyed. It was strange that for the first few minutes it had seemed there had only been a small explosion, very little damage and no fire, and then there had been that odd flicker. That didn't matter now, though, now the fire consumed the building, and its idiotic new league. Including the two deserters, and the man who'd started this whole fiasco; who'd dared to think he could fight this soldier's all powerful master. He didn't know much more then that, but he knew he had done all he had been told to do.

He was completely startled when he and his team were attacked from behind, by the very people he thought were dead. Hadn't they been in the building? He had no more time to think about that as he threw himself into the battle. Anyone who opposed his master would die.

As Valandra jump-kicked yet another of the pathetic rebels she was really beginning to wonder if this was it. She'd had more fun wrestling with the spirits and animals in the mountains, this was just disappointing.

Mystique however, was rather irritated. Valandra had lead them to yet another drop out battle. One thing she didn't understand was why no one was attacking the bar, which was barely damaged. Especially if that was where the rest of the team was waiting.

Meanwhile, Bobby had decided that he was going to kill Justin if the boy didn't smarten up. Justin had decided to distribute a little pay back to the splinter cell and he was going to get himself hurt if he didn't take it easy. Just because the boy threw fire, why did it mean he had to be such a hot head? Thinking strategically, Bobby threw a burst of cold air at his brother, to "cool" him down a bit.

Aquial was fighting her way into the Skinner bar to call the people inside to come out and play. Seeing Raven look at her, she waved the immortal to join in.

Pretty soon the whole team was fighting the confused soldiers, eventually driving them back. Once the last one had left there really was only one thing to say.

"So when do we get to kick some serious butt?" Valandra emphatically asked, "I'm Bored!"

AUTHORS NOTES

Sci-fi Kane runs and hides, before issuing a heartfelt apologizing for the long wait and running for her life.

Naitriab: Thank you for your kind words. I love your stories so it is such an honor to have you complement mine. Now just continue on with your stories as the anticipation is killing me.

Krisian Rose: Thank you so much for Betaing my work I will tell you no more about Valandra then I have already told you, you'll have to learn with the rest of us, them, I mean, yes. As for Bobby, if I gave him to you who would keep Justin in line? As for Justin, of course he's hotheaded he throws fire. Well again thank you.

Note from new Beta Lady Knightmare: Hello to all you out there in net reader-land! Just stepping it to congratulate my friend the author on her wonderful writing! And thank you for letting me beta for you, it was fun to be a part of your masterpiece. Keep up the good work and HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY! Give the girl a hand folks!