"KIRA!" She ran the door she knew was Kira's room. Kira had just returned from a late night and was not in the mood to do work of any kind.

"what?" she yawned.

"Something's wrong with Kabal!" Cassie said in a painc.

"What did you do?" Kira said, not even expecting much, whatever the problem was, it could always be cured with a shot of some kind of drug. "Oh crap. This is a bit more serious than I thought." she said as she got a look at Kabal's lack of life signs.

"did you screw him to death?" It was a joke, only because Kira still had a plan.

"that's not funny." Cassie said, almost in tears.

"No worries, I just need to bring in the doctor." Kira said, leaving.

"down here?" that seemed odd.

"Yeah, he's an old friend- and more of a russian mafia doctor then a "tradition" "easily frightened" doctor." Kira said as she left, "I'll be back.. in the mean time just turn up the oxygen on Kabal's tanks-bye."

"uh, how?" yes, she lived there for two months, and fell deeply in love, but no one actually told her how to use the oxygen tanks.

Just then a little girl, no older the 5 appeared she was dressed in dirt covered cloths-but not like a homeless person- more like a gypsy/traveler; "you need a screw driver..." she said in an oddly scratchy voice. "I heard you screaming, I thought Mr. Kabal must be in trouble. I have a lot of stuff- I thought I could help."

"Thanks, what's your name?" Cassie asked as the girl helped her adjust the tanks rather quickly.

"Ferra...I'm just passing through, but I'm really good at fixing things. She said, pulling out a rusty screw driver.

"Ferra, that's a pretty name" Cassie said, "Are you here by yourself?", Cassie tried to remember if she had ever seen this girl before during her and Kabal's visits to the rooms.

"nope, I here with my friend Torr." She answered. "When me and Torr pass through your realm, Mr Kabal is always so nice."

Cassie remembered now, this girl was accompanied by some kind of giant . Kabal said she didenlt have ot go in that room if she didn't want to, and since the strange giant was asleep, she just opted o twat outside.

"bye, hope Mr Kabal is ok- and I hope to see you again someday pretty lady." she smiled as she ran off.

"that was weird." she said out loud, but Kabal seemed to be stabilized and that was all that mattered. Just then as Kira returned with the "doctor."

"James meet Cassie, Cassie meet James." Kira said, carrying the man's bag. The man with long blonde hair and a Spiderman t-shirt, seemed a little young to be a doctor.

"for the last time-It's Kobra!" he said opening his bag to locate his tools.

"and for the last time, I refuse to refer to you by the name of the GI JOE villains-JAMES!"Kira said, leaning against a wall.

James did a quick diagnostic using a potable scanner. "the components surrounding his heart and lungs are starting to fail." he said in just a few minutes.

"his organs are failing?" Cassie asked.

"No... the cybernetic elements that cover his organs are failing... so...actually yes. If they cannot be repaired then his actual organs will also fail" that was his final answer. "Can I go now?"

"whatever." Kira said to him as he left. "so barbie-I have no plan."

"really? WTF?" Cassie was sure Kira was just testing her; she wanted to see Cassie break down.

"really- I have treated him when he needed normal medical care, but robotic parts are out of my range." She said as she turned to leave.

"ok, I'll go back to LA and ask my mom." Cassie suggested.

"yeah you do that.." Kira scoffed.

"what is that supposed to mean?" Cassie glared as she packed her things.

"nothing- you are the child of a celebrity and a military general- there is nothing you can't do. You go ask your mommy for help I'll try to make sure Kabal doesn't die before you get back." Kira said in a way she knew would get a reaction.

"f-k off kira." Cassie said as she left. She still had her phone and credit cards, so getting home would not be an issue. Except for when she met her mom.

"YOU HAVE BEEN MISSING FOR 2 MONTHS?!" General Sonya Blade said.

"oh yeah... my bad" she had meant to make contact but it slipped her mind."But Jacki must have told you where I was, right?"

"She said you went to stay with a strange mutilated homeless man you met in a fighting ring- we contacted the police immediately." Sonya said, trying to stay calm.

"He's actually an old friend of yours, " Cassie chimed in.

"oh really, " Sonya prepared herself for whatever lie Cassie was about to pull.

"Kabal."

"Go to your room- you are grounded until the day you die!"

"I can prove it!" Cassie had kept the police batons. They were ancient, only someone who was a cop over 20 years ago would have them.

"he's sick- the tech inside him is failing." She said, hoping her mom would believe her.

"turn him over to the proper authorities; he will have the same rights as any criminal" that was a strange answer.

"Why would you even say that?! He devoted his life to helping others, and he was your teammate in the war against outworld!" Cassie felt tears in her eyes. It was clear her mom would be of no help.

"That doesn't change the fact-the tech in side Kabal comes from one place- " Sonya a

"What does that have to do with anything?!" Cassie said, interrupting.

"Kabal is a living weapons, property of Kano. If he is turned over to the proper authorities the tech can be removed and all efforts will be made to save his life." Sonya said, trying to make this sound like a possible idea. But she knew the "saving his life" part was a long shot.

"So what you're saying is I need to find Kano?" Cassie said heading to her room.

"NO! You are not going to search out that psychopath!" Sonya screamed, her anger back in full force.

"fine…." Cassie said, as she slammed the door. Later that night she grabbed her passport, she was 18 now, and there was nothing her mom could do to stop her.

Cassie already knew where Kano was; a compound in the New Zealand jungle. How did she know? Her mom kept all intell on Kano I a safe in her bedroom; Cassie had known this ever since she was 5.

With only her credit cards, passport and luck she went to the airport and got on a flight to New Zealand. It wasn't a direct flight, but by the time her mom woke up she was making her connection in Japan and by the time the police/FBI report was filed she was already in New Zealand.