Being alive for eight hundred years one often had time to contemplate their life. Jin had done so many times in his, before he became immortal and after. Just to calm his mind, because to busy mind was a unfocused one. And if nothing else he prided himself on his focus. Before his rebirth he was a soldier in the national army of his home country. While he was, at the time, an above average fighter his tactical mind was top notch. If he was more prideful back than he would even dare say few in the ranks above him could match him. But he was never that prideful, even as those dimmer than himself rose in the ranks higher than he did. One even stole one of Jin's strategies as his own to get a command rank. Another thing about him was that he quickly learned from past mistakes, he didn't quite talk as openly about what he would do after that.

Well one time he did, and to the same person. Jin always wondered ifit occurred to the oaf before he died that the information he gave was intentionally wrong. Not exactly an honorable method of getting revenge, no matter what culture you hailed from. But one was only human in the end.

Still he rose in the ranks, getting as far as commanding a small squad of soldiers. Still following other peoples orders and plans, but he learned he could quickly adjust his small team's movements in those plans on the battlefield, seeing things the generals either didn't consider or care about. Not so much to make it look like he thought his plans were better of course. He saw what would occasionally happen to those who thought they were. But enough that they could work inside the orders given to them with a little more leeway given how successful they were as a unit.. Just enough that he started to gain some notoriety in the higher echelon for his unit's prowess in battle. If he was a little more prideful he might have even boasted that he was on his way to becoming one of those generals.

Then he made an error.

He realized it, like many others he supposed, right after it happened. In the middle of a battle he stabbed someone with at the time he thought was a fatal blow. Then he turned away. Any other time he would have made sure the other person was dead first, even in the heat of battle. He trusted the men under him as much as they trusted him. But this time he turned away and discovered his fallen opponent had more life in him as he looked down to see his sword coming through his chest. He doesn't remember much after that, it was a blur as they say. He thought he heard one of his men cry out before the eternal darkness took him. Jin faced it knowing revenge would be swift.

Then he woke up. Not in the normal way one was used too. No this was different, more painful as his whole body seemed to wake up for the very first time. Naturally frightened by such events he looked around and saw one of his men. "Do not worry sir," he had said. "None will know you have returned from the dead."

"What are you babbling about?", he demanded. "Of course I'm not dead. Look at me."

"No you are not sir." Without warning the man had a knife in his hand. Getting ready to curse him for his apparent betrayal he watched as the blade flashed in the light before moving. But not at him. Jin watched dumbfounded as the man stabbed himself in the stomach. He doubled over and Jin just stared at what he was seeing. A small part of him was wondering if this was some sort a conspiracy, frame him for the murder of his own man. A very small part grasping for any logical thought to explain what just happened. Then the man straighten up, removed the blade with a grunt and handed it to him for inspection. As Jin did so his man lifted his clothing to reveal the wound which was now gone outside of the blood. "You are very much alive sir. But you are more than just a man now. And I have much to teach you."

Jin adapted quickly to the new situation. He had to otherwise he would face a more permanent death if someone else took his head. Jin often missed that man, he lost a challenge to a superior opponent from what he heard. He never gave him the proper thanks for teaching him the ways of his new life.

He often assumed that was part of the reason he formed this little group that was currently around him. Not a proper squad of soldiers like in his previous life, but not anything resembling a family either. No just a rag tag group trying to survive. Even though destiny would have them tear themselves apart at some point in the future. Decades from now or mere days it would happen eventually.

He glanced over at Omar, the first of his group. And most loyal out of any others, even if he did occasionally disagree with his decisions from time to time.

~1598~

"Do not do this!" Jin had heard the cry outside of a desert town he was looking at to seek temporary lodging for the night. If it was hospitable to outsider that is. Curiosity made him look for the source of the scream. He sensed another immortal first and soon found the source of both. A muscular man with his hands tied behind his back being forced other some sort of rock by a group of men. The one with the sword of the region in his hands told him what was about the happen. The condemned man eyes met his momentarily and in that brief instant both knew what the other was like most of their kind could. His tactical mind, which was only grown sharper over the centuries, quickly assessed the situation. As soon as the other man lost his head his Quickening would soon become his. But it would also mark him as a target by these very men. Seeing the sick glee in death in their eyes it wouldn't be drawn out enough for him to get away from the scene.

Which left only one other option. "I am not sure what this man has done but surely it doesn't require such an action,' Jin said. Or at least that was his intent in his mind. He hadn't just yet master the native tongue completely as of yet.

"Leave dog," the one with the sword said as he shook it at him. "Or you'll be next to feel my blade."

"As usual other must resort to violence," Jin sighed. In one motion he drew his sword and slashed the other man's neck. Not to decapitate but deep enough his life fluid would quickly pour out of him. His companions were stunned momentarily before charging at him. Obviously none were trained soldiers. Even if they were they didn't have his experience on the battlefield. The battle, if you could call it that, was quickly over. Jin was about to leave but cast a second thought at the bound immortal still trying to free himself. As a second thought he walked over to the man who started to squirm harder out of his binding. Kicking him down to his gut he placed a foot on his back. "Keep still," he ordered before cutting the man binding with the tip of his sword.

Jin walked away as the man started rubbing his wrists. "Why did you save me?", he demanded. Jin almost reconsidered letting him live.

"I didn't," he informed him. "I was protecting what I really am from those men."

"Still I am in your debt," he said walking behind him . "My name is Omar..."

"I have little care for who you are," Jin told him.

"Still I am in your debt. I am yours to command until it is repaid."

"Would you offer me your head?", Jin inquired. Here the man paused. Jin let it hang in the air for a moment longer before going on. "Still, I suppose a local guide would be helpful. Do you know the area well?"

"As well as any man," he told him.

"I suppose that is good enough," Jin said after thinking about it for a moment or two. "Tell me, why were those men going to execute you?"

"One of them thought I forced myself on his sister and sullied her," this Omar said.

Human curiosity got the better of him, "And did you?"

"I didn't force myself upon her," was all he said. But there was a particular glint in his eye that he had seen before in other men.

"Perhaps you know how close the next village is. I get the feeling this one will be inhospitable"

~now~

That debt had surely had been repaid by now but Omar still stood by his side. Jin quietly hoped he wouldn't have to be the one to eventually kill him as their life demanded. Of course remembering how Omar came into his company made him look over at Ezekiel, looking uncomfortable as ever behind the computer. An interesting contraindication of a man if there ever was. He was raised to believe anything not created by the Lord was unnatural and yet had the highest aptitude of any one Jin had ever encountered at it.

~1995~

"No, this isn't right. I can't be able to use this."

"And yet you are," Jin watched as a salesman tried to calm down the most plains clothed individual Jin had personally ever seen. There were peasants back in his youth that were better dressed. They had spotted each other earlier as fellow immortals but kept things civil since they were in a public place. "I have never seen anyone pick up a computer program that fast."

"That is not possible...!", the man was starting to make a scene.

Foe whatever reason Jin took pity on the man and intervened. "I'm sorry," he told the salesman. "My friend hasn't been right lately and I thought the air would do him some good. I guess he got a little too excited." Without another word he lead the man out of the store and into the street.

After a bit his temporary companion said, "I am not you're friend."

"No you are not,' Jin quickly agreed. "But further outbursts might involve the calling of the police. And depending on how tightly wound they were the situation could have escalated rather quickly. And I'm sure neither of us wants to wake up in the middle of a investigation. Granted I could have just as easily left by myself..."

"Are you going to kill me," he asked suddenly.

Jin looked around to see where other people where in regards to them. "I had no plans but if you are challenging me."

"No," he said sullen. "I only respond to challenges." Well there was a unique viewpoint. "I will not fight unless provoked, as this unnatural life demands. " He looked lost in thought as they continued walking away from the store. "I keep hoping the next one will be the one to finally end my curse but I always win."

"Then why not let the other person win?"

He looked at Jin like he just uttered the most blasphemous thing he had ever heard in his life. "That would be akin to suicide. This existence condemns me to hell itself but to make it worse would prolong my eternal agony."

"So being alive is unnatural but letting yourself be killed is a sin," Jin said trying understand his logic. "You have placed yourself in a most unique quandary. I'm not quite sure how one would get into that spot to begin with."

"Either challenge me or leave me be," he said as he walked away. Jin watched him, weighing his options. While have never seen the other man fight Jin figured he could figure out his combat style rather quickly. He would be doing the other man a favor it would seem.

Still something else made him say, "Or to create a third option, I could be your friend."

The other immortal turned back at him "Our kind," the very word seemed distasteful in his mouth, "do not have friend."

"I'm sure my current traveling companion Omar would disagree," Jin countered. "Than an small acquaintance perhaps.," he said walking forward. "Somebody to just be yourself around. To relax. As much as we can relax around others like us."

"Why," he asked, "why do that?"

"Because even we need someone to lean on occasionally," Jin answered him. "Part of us is still human after all. That part that needs to be around others, for the sake of their own sanity if nothing else." The other man looked confused, unsure of what to do. Taking it as a good sign that he was still lingering he added, "My name Jin."

Reluctantly the other man replied, "Ezekiel."

"Well then Ezekiel," Jin motioned down the street. "Let us talk and get better acquainted. Calling each other acquaintances we should know a little about each other at least."

~now~

"I've located the woman 's profile," Ezekiel spoke up. He and Omar joined him at the computer as he backed up to let them look at the screen. Victoria looked mildly interested from across the room. The newest member of their little troupe. Unfortunately there was no real story there. The late Nathan brought her in, along with her per-immortal daughter. Will Jin was positive Nathan had a more lustful interest in mind, and the thief was quickly disappointed in the respect, Jin let them stay for one reason. To give the daughter a roof for a while as it seemed they traveled a lot in her short life. Which brings them to right now in a matter involving her former high school teacher.

He looked at he picture of a blond woman on the screen. A few days prior Omar swore he saw the woman that was with the man after Victoria at a hospital during one of his supply runs in the next state. Jin had requested some thing and suggested that it be as far away from her as possible, but that was a bit extreme. But then again that was Omar. Jin glanced over to his longest running companion for verification. Without looking at him Omar nodded, "That's her alright."

"So the bitch was there when he captured that loser," Victoria stated. "So what."

"Perhaps we can use her to lure him somewhere, "Jin said. Yes Victoria wronged him a long time ago. But she was under his wing now and like he did with his old squad centuries ago he looked after his own. "Find a way to end this once and for all. One way or another."

"Whatever," Victoria said. "Guy had a hard to kill me for centuries. I don't think you can talk him out of it."

"As I said," Jin told her, "one way or another."

"Maybe you can find out how he knew about Nathan," Ezekiel offered. Yes that was an interesting question to ask. While Nathan was brash none of them could think of anything he did that would bring attention to their group or who was in it. Then he looked past Victoria at her daughter Janet. Was he imagining things or did she looked strangely satisfied for a moment? He glanced over to Omar. He had seen it too. It almost looked like he apparently approved as he nodded slightly. His distaste for the late thief was no secret, especially after Victoria started letting him have his way with Janet. Perhaps there was some lessons the young woman picked up on a little too easily. A issue for another time.

"One thing at a time my friend, "Jin told Ezekiel who was still waiting. "Let us see how we can use this information first before we act. We don't want to miscalculate things and make the situation worse."