Musical Selection for the Chapter

Assassin's Creed 3 - An Uncertain Present

50 Cent - What Up Gangsta (instrumental)

Soul Calibur 3 - Value of Tranquility

Anno Domini Beats - Strange World

Kid Cudi - Rollin

Chapter 7 – Regroup

Airport runway, northwest side of Kirill Base, Buryatia, Oblast, Russia…

Lars hurried to the location where Alisa called him from. He searched the hangers of the planes, but she wasn't there. It wasn't until Lars spotted Alisa's body parts on the runway when he feared for the worst. "The head! Where's the head!" Lars thought still looking. Then a faint voice could be heard just over the crates near the gate. Lars gets closer to the crates and spots Alisa's head hidden over the boxes.

Lars (climbing): "Alisa!"

Alisa: "Lars! I'm glad to see you!"

Lars (Comes down and picks her up): "You're gonna be okay! Trust me!"

Alisa: "I only have 5 minutes to stay functional Lars. I'm sorry!"

Lars: "Like I said, You're gonna be ok. I'm taking you back to the camp. We can call Lee and order you a replace body."

Alisa: "Alright."

Lars then makes a tough decision to call his captains and force them to fall back and retreat, despite the Spetnaz losing more soldiers than the Paladins did. He hurries his way back to the South Gate in hopes of keeping Alisa's brain from shutting down.

Laboratory, Kirill Base…

Zafina entered the labs, defeating the last remaining Spetnaz soldiers from the first floor. Even some Paladin troops joined in the apprehension of the labs, only to get the call from their captains to fall back. This move puzzled everyone including Zafina. She decided to ignore the order and press on further. After searching the entire two story building, Zafina wondered if this chest was even present at the base. Then she could feel a strong ki from the other side of the base. Zafina never felt a ki this powerful since the resurrection of Azazel. Perhaps this was Stella's energy, Zafina thought. Were they too late to stop her resurrection? Since Lars went to get Alisa, Zafina now felt the need to find Raven and leave the premises.

Lobby area of Kirill's hospital…

Raven: "What's wrong with him?"

Kunimitsu (looks at Karasu with concern): "I dunno, but I think those scummy Manji did something to him. I have to get him help!"

Raven: "Come follow me back to the jet. I know some doctors nearby who can treat him."

Kunimitsu: "Fine, but this doesn't change anything about what you've done understand?"

Raven: "Kunimitsu."

Kunimitsu: "Just shut…aaaa!" (The pain from her leg returns.)

The fox ninja falls down again from reinjuring her leg thanks to her movement after Zukumimefu's attack. Raven could see some of the blood dripping down from her thigh.

Raven: "You're injured too. Let me help."

Kunimitsu: "Damn!"

Raven: "Hang on to my back. I'll take the baby."

Kunimitsu has no choice. She couldn't travel in her current condition and the baby was gravely sick. Raven, with some weigh on his arms and shoulders, rushes back towards the South Gate. A strong ki could be felt right above the rooftop of the hospital. Raven stopped running in order to see what he was feeling. There he could see Stella standing high above the base. Stella was summoning a lot of energy from within her body to create a huge yellow light ball above her head. Raven didn't like the sight of it, sensing its power. He needed to get outta there quick!

Stella: "It's time to destroy this place! I don't want any witnesses to know of my captures!"

A rock was thrown in Stella's direction. It actually cut her left cheek, which made her stop focusing on building the plasma ball. She turns around to see Yoshimitsu with Zukumimefu.

Stella (angered): "What's the meaning of this? Who are you?"

Yoshimitsu: "Forgive me, Countess Stella. I am called Yoshimitsu the 17th. My partner is Zukumimefu or just Zuku. I have a proposition for you."

Stella: "Forget it. The man I just killed tried to use me as well. So unless you value your lives you better leave now!"

Yoshimitsu: "Who said we want to use you? We came here to aid you countess."

Stella (confused.): "Eh?"

Yoshimitsu: "For too long my clan has needed the aid of technology in order to survive. It can't always be available for us when we lose power or age, but by serving you, we will become more immortal by helping you sacrifice humans and stronger than ever before!

Stella: "Well now. This is intriguing."

Yoshimitsu: "What do you think?"

Stella: "As long as you do as I say, then I will fulfill your wishes as desired. Now my first order for you both is to travel to my castle and secure my goods."

Zukumimefu: "Umm, where is your castle?"

Stella: "Oh. Well. Where am I exactly?"

Yoshimitsu: "Siberia."

Stella: "That's not where my homeland is! Why would I be here?"

Yoshimitsu: "That wasn't my doing. It was the Russian Army."

Stella: "They will pay for their kidnapping me!" (The ninjas look at each other in unison.) "Anyway, my castle is in Wallachia, I'm sure you know where that is right?"

Yoshimitsu: "Yes. My clan will arrive there within a day's time."

Stella: "Splendid! Now leave before I set this place on fire!"

Yoshimitsu and Zukumimefu obeyed Stella's command and teleported out of sight. The countess gave one last charge of her energy ball before casting into the grounds of Kirill Base. The base exploded as the fire consumed everything in sight. Before the explosion, Raven ran into Zafina after they both met in the woods. Kunimitsu lost consciousness so Raven gave the baby to Zafina so she could help carry him. Then they oversaw the explosion through the woods. They were lucky to be alive.

March 19th, 2014, aboard the Preventer, heading for the United States…

Kunimitsu regained consciousness inside a small storage room. Her left leg was bandaged quite a bit because of her punctured wounds. She wouldn't be able to walk at this moment. Then she called out for her baby boy, Karasu. Tears were about to drip from her face again because the worst may have happened. Hearing her voice the door opens and it was someone Kunimitsu didn't expect to see.

Alisa: "Hey! Fox lady! You're awake, I'm so glad!"

Kunimitsu: "Alisa! Where is the rest of your body? What happened to you?"

Alisa (looks down and laughs): "Yeah my body was lost in that explosion after my fight, so I'm using a small prototype rover to hold my head in place and wander around in my three wheels see?" (Spins around.)

Kunimitsu: "Yea I do. But where is my son?"

Alisa: "Your son is here on the plane, but…"

Kunimitsu: "Tell me please!"

Alisa: "He's under close surveillance by our medical team. He's been poisoned."

Kunimitsu: "No! It's just as I feared! Is he going to make it?"

Alisa: "As long as we give him antibiotics, yes, but a special doctor is needed to fight this diseased poison. That's why we are going to the United States."

Kunimitsu: "As long as my little boy is saved, I don't care where this plane touches down."

Alisa: "Well do you need anything?"

Kunimitsu: "A wheelchair and a glass of water would do."

Alisa: "Ok coming right up!"

Meanwhile, at the Preventer Lounge…

Raven was sipping on some coffee after getting out of bed. He needed something to wake him up after having such a restless sleep. The constant nagging thoughts of seeing Kunimitsu upset at him and viewing his son for the first time stirred his emotions like never before. Making things worse, the little fella was getting sicker due to the poison in his blood system. Luckily, Zafina knew of a doctor in America that could cure the boy. She walked in the lounge in order to have some peace and quiet from the mess hall downstairs. With her plate of food, she sits across from Raven, curious to find out what he is thinking.

Zafina: "I came here to get away from the noisy cafeteria. Is everything alright?"

Raven: "Well I'm ok, but Kunimitsu and the baby."

Zafina: "I meant to ask you before, but was that the only child you could save out of the hundred that were captured?"

Raven: "No. I met the boy after Yoshimitsu brought him to us in exchange for his subordinate. I never got a chance to enter the nursery and save the others."

Zafina: "I see. What happened to Dragunov?"

Raven: "That's another thing, where the hell did he go? Did he survive the blast?"

Zafina: "I can find out later, but how did you find Kunimitsu?"

Raven: "When I saved her from that kunoichi at the hospital, but she got mad with me for not knowing that the child is…."

Zafina: "Is…"

Raven: "Our son."

Zafina was taken aback by that revelation. Her right hand accidently hits her cup of water as it collapsed on the floor.

Zafina: "Oh no! Did I get any on you Raven?"

Raven: "No. You didn't."

Zafina (picks up the cup.): "I didn't expect to hear that. Did you plan to have children in the future?"

Raven: "Of course not. I mean…I only had sex with her 2 times."

Zafina: "I know about the first encounter you had with her."

Raven: "Say what?"

Zafina: "I was still in Japan on that day. I wanted to find you again, since I didn't really know my way around that remote area. But I had no idea Kunimitsu felt that way about you until that night. At least you said to me the first time wasn't consensual. So the next time you did it, it was something you cherished wasn't it?"

Raven: "I had been through a lot with her during that stretch, so I granted her wish by satisfying her lustful needs. At the same time, I meant to say goodbye to her. I was hoping it would be the last time until now."

Zafina: "You never cease to amaze me ninja. Even now, I still don't want children, but even you, a man who always is about business over pleasure, can make mistakes such as this. Do you regret leaving her behind like that?"

Raven: "I do now, but ninjas aren't supposed to fall in love."

Zafina (smirked.): "I think you're lying."

Raven: "Why do you disagree? Are you in love?"

Zafina: "I am."

Raven: "With who?"

Zafina smiles at him again while looking intensely at him. Raven didn't like that look. He saw that same look from her at the Bahamas.

Zafina (finishes her salad.): "You know those answers ninja. I'm heading back to my room. Kunimitsu doesn't like me and yet I want to save her child. The boy doesn't deserve what's happening to him. He deserves nothing but the best life has to offer him. Whether or not you want to help the boy yourself is your call. If you need any company, just come to the other side of the floor where my room is."

Raven had a lot think about. Zafina was trying to get with him despite hearing about the part that the sick boy was his own child. Did he want his son to grow up without knowing him? Raven felt the need to go see Karasu. That is, until the intercom sounded off.

Lars (at the intercom): "Raven I need to speak with you. Come to the cockpit."

5 mintues later at the Preventer's Main Cockpit…

The Dark Talon goes into the cockpit and is surprised to see Lars with Kunimitsu and Alisa. Kunimitsu was in a wheelchair however due to her leg injury.

Lars: "There you are. Looks who's up?"

Kunimitsu (gloomy): "Hi Raven."

Lars: "Come on Kuni! You said you wanted to see him again, didn't you?"

Kunimitsu: "But did you have to announce it front of everybody!"

Lars: "Oh. I didn't think that through. Forgive me."

Alisa: "Anyway. Raven we gotta a doctor for your son. We are heading for the CDC."

Raven: "Center of Disease Control? It's that serious?"

Lars: "Im afraid so, the poison in the baby is that bad. The preventer just made it over California. In another 4 hours, we should arrive in Georgia. Once I drop you, Kunimitsu, Zafina, and the baby off, I have to meet Lee Chaolan in the Silicon Valley so Alisa can get her replacement body."

Alisa (Spins around.): "Yay!"

Kunimitsu: "Hold it! Why is that fortune teller coming with me?"

Lars: "Because she knows this doctor personally. I mean how else could we have known that?"

Kunimitsu (feeling stupid): "Oh."

Lars: "I just got approval to land at the air force base not too far from the place, so this where you can meet the doctor and his team. Raven, Kunimitsu, please try to be on your best behavior when you all meet."

Kunimitsu: "Don't worry about me. Worry about him." (Points at Raven.)

Raven (ignores): "Lars. I'll have everything under control. You have my word."

Lars: "Ok. Just relax a little longer guys. We'll be there before you know it."

As Raven and Kunimitsu left the cockpit, Raven felt the need to apologize.

Raven: "Before we land, I want to say I'm sorry. For that night."

Kunimitsu: "Back then, I meant what I said about me bearing a child for you. I don't regret that, ever. The only regret I have is not hearing you say goodbye. I could've looked for you, but getting pregnant got me sick for quite a while. Then Karasu was born and I wanted to forget you after that. But every time I look at him, I think of you. How you left me Raven…(sighs). Just give me some time and space ok?"

Raven: "Alright." (Walks further off.)

How did Kunimitsu know if Raven was really remorseful for his leaving off almost 2 years ago? The thought of this almost brought Kunimitsu back into depression. Yet, she needed to remain tough. Her little boy was fighting for his life. She needed to be there with him every step of the way.

Notes: The crew heads for America to treat Karasu's poisoned body and for Alisa to get another body. See how Raven has to control both Kunimitsu and Zafina from getting on each other's nerves. Oh and thank you Purple Cobra for the weekly reviews.