With another chapter of Hard Luck for your reading pleasure…. Well, as usual… I don't own anyone affiliated with DC, Del Rey Manga, Capcom… I only own my own characters… which are like 2 or 3 so far… I drew inspiration for this chapter from Hiji Suru STYLE, a song from the Samurai Champloo OST. Now on with the fic…

"A girl or a fight, pouting lips or a flashing blade? Whichever dance you're dancing at the moment is always the most fun. Wouldn't you say so?"– The Wheel of Time Book 7 – A Crown of Swords.

5. Crossroads…

Last time on Hard Luck…

"Arella, now is not the time for this," the only male in the room stated before returning his gaze to Raven. "Since you failed this task, then I'll be leaving it to the hands of more capable person." He gave her a cold look before waving her out of his office.

"Don't be so hard on her, she's a teenage girl. She can't exactly match up to your expectations so quick," Arella's voice held a reprimanding tone as she stepped out of the office as well.

AGX

X walked inside class slowly, his wound not close to healing yet unwilling to miss anymore days of school. 3 days had passed since he got shot and Vergil was still angry.

He gave the teacher a grin as he handed her an absence slip and walked to the back, to sit next to Kori like always.

This time, there was another red head there and it wasn't Kori. "Out of my seat, Wally," X said as he glared at the slim athlete.

"Aww… I was just getting used to sitting here next to Kori," Wally made a sad face which seemed to make X irritated.

"Now that Jeon's back, return to your assigned seat Wally," the teacher ordered before X could reply, effectively eliminating any chance of trouble in her class.

"Hey, Kori." X grunted as he took his seat. "How've you been?"

"I think I should ask you that," Kori said frostily, something that surprised X.

"I'm not sure what you're what you're talking about, so you might want to clarify that."

"I've been hearing all sorts of things through my contacts lately, and many of them have something to do with you," Kori stated as she pulled up several files on her pda and slid it in front of X. "Take a look."

He quickly read through the several reports, not really surprised that Kori's vast information network had details on the recent incidents. "Your info isn't wrong, that's all I can say."

"Wait, there's something else as well," She took back the pda and quickly brought up a video window showing him a familiar scene.

"Why did you have to get involved in this? You know she's part of the Hellborns." Kori asked, her emerald green eyes showing an uncertainty that left X confused.

X stayed silent, his day now darkened by Kori's strange behavior. After class, they both walked outside, their destination was the next building that housed their next class. "Slade's Mercenaries will be looking for you."

X gave a grunt as an acknowledgement. Several hours later and when class was over, Kori walked quickly through the hallway, heading towards the front of the school. "Hey, sis, hold on!" a blond haired, green eyed boy loped after her.

"Oh, hey Garfield," Kori greeted him as he caught up and matched her quick pace.

"So, where are you going?" he asked mischievously, a toothy grin showing. "A secret meeting with X?" he insinuated, bringing Kori a brilliant blush as she denied it.

"No! I have other things to do."

"You know for a little brother, kid, you sure are a pain." X's amused voice reached their ears as he walked up. "Such a ravishing woman…." He leaned close to her, his voice turned into a soft sultry purr in Kori's ear bringing her blush back with a vengeance.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Stop that! Don't try your seductions on my sister!" Garfield rushed at X, who moved back chuckling as he held a flailing Gar away from him.

"Take it easy, kid. I'm wounded," X said as Gar pulled back.

"W-well, I have to go," Kori's blush wore away and she immediately took off. "See you, X. I'll be home later on, Gar." She called back over her shoulder as she left.

"Wonder what her rush is…" X trailed off as he was forcefully grabbed by his arm and pulled towards another exit of the school.

"And it is time to go home," Setsuna made herself known as she pulled him away towards her car.

X gave a sigh before he put his arm around her shoulder and let her lead him out of the place.

Later on….

Robin and Stone drove through the industrial section of the city close to the docks, the silence in the car almost deafening. Stone was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel until Robin's glare made him stop and he finally asked "What? What is it?"

"I was talking to one of the best informants in this city and she had nothing. Nothing at all to say about that guy." Robin snapped out, punching the dashboard.

"Don't take it out on my car, Robin," Stone said evenly as he slowed at the traffic signal.

Robin stayed silent, as Stone continued driving. Robin was looking around when a bullet impacted on the rolled up window. "SHIT!" he ducked as Stone sped up, more bullets impacting on the car.

"They have the whole block covered," Stone said, swerving through the streets as to avoid more bullets. The sound of screeching tires reached their ears, informing them that they now had a pair of Hummers following them as more bullets started pinging off the car.

The camo green hummer slammed into the back of Stone's car, as the black hummer slammed into the side. "They're trying to run us off the road…" Robin said through gritted teeth as he pulled out his guns. He opened the window just in time to see a window roll down in the black hummer and an assault rifle be aimed out.

Robin opened fire on the shooter, managing to kill him before more than a burst could be fired. "Damn…" Stone groaned and Robin turned to catch sight of the bullet wound to his shoulder. "Don't stop! Cause if you stop, we die!" Robin said as he rolled the window back up and Stone's 07 Mustang leapt forward in a burst of speed.

As the mustang swerved around a warehouse, they were now in the unused cargo dock area of the piers. They sped alongside of the water's edge, with both Hummers behind them peppering their car with gunfire. A lone figure stepped out of the shadows carrying a long bulky tube.

"Fuck!" Robin and Stone both cursed as the figure hefted the rocket launcher and let a rocket streak towards them. Stone swerved to the side, the car understeering as they barely avoided the rocket which collided with the pursuing vehicles.

The explosion that ensued forced the mustang to careen wildly as another rocket streaked towards them. Stone was struggling to get the car under control when the rocket was let loose; he managed to force the car to plunge into the bay waters as the rocket collided.

"Targets have been eliminated as per your request," the figure that fired the rocket launcher revealed itself to be the same blonde girl that wounded X. She stood next to the smoking launcher as she called her boss.

"Okay then. Just plant the evidence and leave no trace of your involvement."

"Affirmative," she answered before hanging up the phone and making a few final arrangements. She left the area as the sounds of police sirens got nearer.

Jump City mall, a day later…

"Whoa, check this out!" Gar called out as he watched the TV screen on the electronics store.

"Authorities say that this was a job from one of the 3 main syndicates in Jump City. Police are linking this shootout along with another that occurred a week ago in the dock area of Jump. We'll have more as the story develops…" the news broadcast cut off.

"Man, that's crazy. The syndicates are duking it out in the day in plain sight…." Gar sighed, as they headed towards the food court.

"Don't worry about it, kid. It's nothing to do with you, right?" X answered, waving it off as Kori just shrugged her shoulders.

"So, who were we supposed to meet today?" X turned and asked Kori, who gave him a bright smile as she led them towards a table already occupied.

"Why bring the pest?" X muttered as he caught sight of the red haired Wally West sitting at the table along with Roy Harper.

"That's exactly what I'm asking," Wally said with a sneer as he glared at X. "This invitation was for Kori and Gar only."

"I'm gone," X said as he started to walk off only to be stopped by Kori, who grabbed his arm as she gave him her trademark wide eyed sad face. "Please, Jeon, don't go."

"Yeah man, don't listen to Wally. He's just frustrated that he ain't got a chance with Kori," Roy called out as Wally turned to glare at him. "What'd you say, Harper?"

"Saying nothing but the truth, man," Roy said with a shrug of his shoulders as Kori, Gar and X sat down.

"So what's going down?" Gar asked as he snaked his hand into Wally's plate of fries and snagged a few.

"Someone's trying to recruit us…" Roy said, looking around quickly before leaning forward. "Some blond chick is trying talk me and Wally into a syndicate."

Gar nearly choked on the fries he was munching when Roy said that. "DUDE!"

X immediately covered Gar's mouth, looking around before he said "Keep your voice down, you can't be sure who's listening." Gar nodded slowly and once X let him go, he shook his head a bit.

Kori wasn't surprised. Several of her other contacts had started receiving recruitment offers since a week before. What had her stumped was that she couldn't figure out who exactly was making those of offers and where they came from.

"So what does X have to do in all this?" Wally asked as he arched an eyebrow at Kori. "I'm only here to escort Kori…" X answered with a shrug at which Gar gave an outrage cry of "Hey! That's my job!"

X gave a smirk as he stood up and went to get something to eat, allowing Kori to conduct the rest of her conversation. He caught a glimpse of indigo in the corner of his eye, and he got out of line as he turned to catch sight of Raven walking into the book store that was close by.

"Anything interesting?" a voice reached his ear and he turned languidly to catch sight of none other than Storm.

"Does it matter, Sean?" he answered, using his real name in the process.

"We haven't finished our-" Storm was interrupted as a person was hurled through one of the glass windows on the bookstore's second floor.

X went inside the bookstore quickly, ignoring the flare of pain from his side. He quickly looked around and saw several people on the floor and another came hurtling off the second floor of the bookstore with a yell.

3 minutes earlier….

Raven's search for an interesting book had been unsuccessful so far. Inside the bookstore's horror section, she scanned through many titles before moving into another section. She reached the end of the aisle when several men stopped in front of her and several more behind her.

"So this is the Hellborn bitch?" one of the men asked as he leered at her.

"She doesn't look so tough…" another behind her gave a laugh as he grabbed her shoulder.

Raven pulled an effective shoulder toss that sent him flying through one of the windows. The others were shocked and with two quick kicks two more flew off the second story and onto the floor below. She punched another off the floor when the blond watching from below opened fire at her.

X tackled the blond to the floor, knocking the gun out of her grasp as Storm ran inside. "What the hell around you doing?" he yelled at X, pulling him off the girl before he could punch her unconscious. The blond took her chance and ran off.

Raven had slipped on her hood, running out of the bookstore and into the milling crowd of people trying to get away from the gunfire. X snagged the gun and took off, Storm following close behind him as he pushed through the people.

Once he was outside, he caught sight of Kori looking through the crowd as Gar, Wally, and Roy stood around her. X joined her while Storm walked off in another direction after giving Kori a wave.

X gave them a quick run down of the story, omitting parts of it because of Gar, Roy, and Wally. They all split up once they were filled in and once X dropped off Gar and Kori to their own house, he went to the park.

He walked along the path, when the cold barrel of a gun made contact with his head. "Who are you working for?" Raven hissed as she led him towards the spot where he met her.

"What are you talking about?" X asked blankly.

"You were there when the bitch shot at me," Raven snarled as she turned X around to face her. "You were there when I confronted Robin as well. That makes it twice that someone's shot at me and you happen to be around. Who are you working for?"

"I was just passing by when you confronted Slade's lieutenant," X answered with a sneer, "and as for today… I spotted you when you went inside the bookstore, so I was keeping an eye on you."

"Keeping an eye on me?" Raven scoffed at that, "and you so happen to save me again?"

"No…I happened to tackle the bitch that shot me," X's voice went cold.

Raven went silent as he lifted his shirt, showing her the bullet wound. "The bitch shot me at the docks and I owed her some payback."

Raven lowered the gun as she rubbed her eyes, "This isn't making any sense. She shot at me and you say she shot you too?"

"No, I happened to jump at the bullet," X answered sarcastically as he pulled out the gun he took from the blond. "Here, this is her weapon."

Raven took it and shoved it into her waist band along with her own gun as she took a seat on the pink squirrel playground ornament. X pulled out his pack of cigs, lighting one as she turned towards him extending her hand.

He gave her his lit cigarette and lit another for himself, letting the nicotine rush through him. "Can't believe I was this worried about you…" he muttered, watching the smoke drift upwards.

"Why would you be worried about me?"

"Does it look I know why?" X snapped before turning away. "You've been on my mind since that night."

She gave a snide laugh at that. "I doubt that."

X whirled around, pulling her into a hard kiss. Raven was too surprised to even bother fighting back as he kissed her, slowly surrendering into the kiss until X pulled away. "You doubt that?" he asked almost angry before he stood up.

"I'm gone…" he said as he walked off, leaving Raven sitting there dazed for a bit before she snapped out of it. For several seconds she contemplated on following him and shooting him, but she decided against it.

A/N - and that about ends this chapter of Hard Luck…. Hope everyone enjoys it… well… catch you all next time…..