The team separated; clearly they would have to find a way to lure him out of his castle; or have a little fun at his expense.

Jaqui made it to the door and started shouting.

"Hey Hotaru, how's it going!" Jaqui, alone, "Earthrealm special forces- we need a word with you!" This was part of the plan.

Conner was a few blocks away in sniper position. The rest were surrounding the building.

He knew he was surrounded and his actions had made the team them more than a little upset- but that was the way of the orderrealm.

He walked to the royal-looking balcony that was only 1 story up. "I wish to speak to your leader," he said in his echoing voice.

"yeah, that's not gonna happen. But you know who I am- you know who my father is. State your case or we will blow your temple sky high." and if he said no she could run fast enough to evade what would happen next. "Do you harbor any neatherrealm insurgents?" she demanded. She said 'case' because even if he denied it she would require proof or else the castle was going to get blown to pieces.

"I will only speak to your leader, little girl." he stood firm, "Get on your radio and tell HIM to make HIS presence known!"

Oh hell no. They knew Hotaru was a little stuck up, but this was just plain rude. Yes she had just admitted she was not the leader but why did he assume the leader had to be male?

"North, make your presence known." Jaqui shouted shouted in to the radio to make Hotaru heard.

"I got something special for this a-hole." He switched out the magazine for explosive rounds. He fired one shot at the wall behind Hotaru, creating a fiery explosion that took out the entire room while sparing his life.

Jaqui flipped him off with both hands before opening a portal walking back to earthrealm. The rest of the team quickly followed suit.

Upon arriving back at the base Jaqui, Conner and Cassie were sent straight to General Sonya Blade's office.

"I'm sure you 3 know the definition of the words "international incident"?!" That was why Takeda and Kung Jin were not in trouble; they were foreign liaisons. Cassie, Conner and Jaqui were trained US soldiers who really should have known better.

"I take full responsibility for our actions."Conner volunteered.

"Yes-yes you do because you are their leader!" Sonya yelled in his face, "if your father wasn't such a legendary founding member of earthrealms's forces..."

Jaqui could see Conner's fist ball up in frustration. He was fighting hard to keep his cool, at the mention of his father.

"Permission to speak freely?" Jaqui said, trying not to look her in the eye.

"Granted." Sonya said still glaring at Conner. Bringing him on was Johnny Cage's idea. He was the one who saw Conner as a potential leader. To her he was just a name.

"Hotaru was being a royal a-, Conner was just defending his team. He's a good leader and a good friend."

"thanks." he took a deep breath, visibly calmer.

"screw it-you're all dismissed. I'll work on fixing relations with orderrealm." Sonya nearly shoved the 3 out the door.

"I have beer white and vodka, and we can order a pizza." Declared Jaqui," Unless you two already made plans."

"No I think that sounds fun." Conner said, before looking to Cassie for approval.

"yeah, lets get s—tfaced, we deserve it. "

After a little food and lots of alcohol Conner sat on Cassie's twin sized bed, with Cassie, her head in his lap. She looked up at him and asked the question they were all thinking.

"baby, sweetie- do you hate your father?" Cassie asked, yawning.

" rude!" said Jaqui who was trying to catch a breadstick pice in her mouth, which resulted in her spilling sauce on her bed.

"I just hate being compared to a man I never met." he said taking another swig out of the vodka bottle.

"so you never met him?" Cassie asked.

"He left my mother when I was 5. Then a few years later he died. I just get annoyed with people think I'm the person I am today because of him." He laid back; his head was getting foggy.

"I'm sorry." Cassie moved herself up so she was resting on his chest instead.

"don't be, this is my cross to bear." he said, looking up at the ceiling.

"if it makes you feel any better your team doesn't think that. We love you for you." Jaqui kissed his forehead before going to sleep in her own bed. There would not be an erotic threeway; she had her heart set on someone else.

"Yes, doesn't have to be your cross to bear." Cassie huged him."Me, Jaqui, Takeda, Kung Jin- and whatever gunners that were not scared to death at the prospect of realm travel- we believe in you. You're our hero." she said as she fell asleep in his arms.

In that moment, even with the mental haze, he felt strong, he felt happy. He had been on many teams throughout his career, but here, he felt truly belonged.

But their next mission would put his faith to the test.

The dreamrealm had no leader. Their team fought for days, resting where ever they could make shelter, but the landscape made no sense. Then out of nowhere appeared a man made of stone.

He punched his way through the earthreamforces until he found Cassie. "remember me-luv?" he grebabed her by her throat and lifted her off the ground.

"thomas...tremor" she said actually terrified. This was not what he looked like when she last saw him.

"the dream realm changed me, " he moaned, as if he was getting sexually aroused.

-Conner left his post and with an (impressive gymnastic-like twist jump) got in between Cassie and Tremor, where he fired his gun in machine gun mode forcing Tremor back.

But these were not armor piercing rounds and only served to delay his attack. Tremor turned away, leaving the attack to his new ali. Acid balls rain downed from an invisible solider.

Conner knocked Cassie out of the way so hard she slammed her head in to a pillar. "Jaqui open a portal!" he shoted as he took a round to his shoulder and another to his knee. But he hit the creature; the reptile man who's blood ran green.

As Cassie shook of the hit she was frozen in place to watch as Conner was carried on Takeda's back through the portal.

"Is he precious to you?" Reptile looked like a mirage, flickering in and out of focus."I usually aim for the head, but even so he will not survive. he will never walk again, he will never fire his weapon again, his spirit will wither until he takes his own life."

"you're wrong." Cassie really believed that, she needed to, especially when she was back in reality, with Kung Jin dragging her through the portal to the medical ward.

Conner was already unconscious from the pain. The last thing he saw was a vision of his knee being eaten away down to the bone.

He would lose his left leg, at the knee and his right arm, above the shoulder, almost to his chest. But Earthrealm special forces had a plan; this was not the first time a solider had lost limbs. Similar to the limbs used by Jaqui's father when he lost both his arms, Conner received limbs that would increase his strength and also allow him the ability to touch (that part required convinving.)

"hi. " Cassie stood by his bedside.

"I can't lift my arm." His body was still in agonizing pain.

"It takes time."

"What kind of time?!" he shouted, "what did they do to me?!"

"you have to trust me." Cassie touched the skin of his neck, tracing her hand over his throat down his collar bone. "can you feel that?"

"yes" he was still not looking at her.

She moved her hand to an area close to the robotic arm, almost along the scar. "do you feel that?"

"yes" that part was still painfull to the touch.

Then Cassie touched an area 2 inches past the scar, on the metal. "Do you feel that?"

He could. The sensation was faint but he could feel.

"I will stay by your side until you can make it out of that bed. " Cassie said. Already in tears. "Then I will be there when you go through physical therapy with Jaqui- she's an expert; your limbs are based on technology that allowed her father to live a normal life." Cassie lost it. She fell to her knees but his bed side. Reptile was wrong; she had to make sure of that.

"You're still you, Conner. Everything that makes you brilliant, creative…. courageous- you're still the man I love."

Her love would save him.