Just a heads up, there's a bit of derogatory language in this chapter, it's meant to be offensive based on the character speaking the words. A bit of a trigger warning, if you will.

Chapter 6: A Prelude, Pt.2

Klub 007 Stráhov, 7pm

They sang. Danced a little bit. Sung songs of the beautiful north and all its frigid grace.

All eyes were on them, Hesperia and TS, he said his name was.

Harsh vocals harmonized by her angelic ones, the songs pictured a majestic snowy landscape, one that reminded her of home.

She's already been in the Czech Republic for too long, she missed home.

The crowd cheered, and she waved to Kabal and Kurtis in the VIP section. They waved back and blew her kisses, while she threw roses in the crowd.

The next song was a slow, almost romantic duet, she felt the vocalist put an arm around her and draw her in, his crystal blue eyes, only on her.

"It's just a performance.." she said to herself, looking into his eyes.

At the corner of her eye, she saw Kurtis glaring at the vocalist, but she shouldered on, singing a song about missing home, wishing they were under the snow, letting it slowly take them to heaven and become ghosts of the north.

Under the lights, it was hard to see the crowd, but she could make out a few faces, girls cheering for her, couples holding each other, it was beautiful.

Applause roared through the club at the end of that song, and TS took her hand, and her, giving a little bow.

She threw a rose into the crowd, girls reached out to grab it, when it hit the head of a tall, long haired Asian man.

"Oops." she said, holding her hand to her mouth, as another smaller Asian man beside him cracked up laughing.

She ran off the stage as the band broke into their more signature songs, and went into the crowd, meeting Kabal and Kurtis in the VIP section.

Out of her costume, she was just Hesperia again, and she leaned back in her seat, cocktail in hand, as Kurtis lay his head on her lap. She stroked his hair and said, "I saw that look on your face."

"I was going to jump on stage if his hand went any lower." Kurtis said. "Oh god.." she groaned with a laugh.

Once the show was over, the three quickly left the concert venue and went back to her hotel, where she let her hair down and went into the shower.

"What's on the mission tonight?" Kabal asked.

"Drug ring in the slums, the email said. We're to bust in the building with the Czech special ops." Kurtis replied.

"Sounds scary. Sure Hesperia is up for that? We can leave her here and-"

"She'll flip out if she gets left behind without us."

In the shower, Hesperia thought about that song about missing home.

It was just a performance, she said to herself, but the words resonated in her heart. She missed home. Missed the quiet, delicate winds, the cold desolation of Appenzell.

Just a little bit longer, she sighed, placing a hand on the wall. She sighed, washing out her hair, deep in thought. "I can have my freedom, the freedom I granted myself, but not others...they are kidnapped, held hostage, and I must rescue them."

The shower stopped, and she put on a dramatic pose in the mirror.

"I won't stop until there are no more victims."

And so she joined the raid on the drug cartel famous for providing illegal substances throughout Prague's drug central.

Armed with her karambit, she placed her eye mask on and again, stood at the window of the apartment, awaiting her next order.

Kabal was on the other side of the building, against his window, while a SWAT team was at the door, ready to raid.

There could be no hesitation tonight, Hesperia kissed her cross, prayed to the gods above, and crashed through the window as the SWAT team broke the door down.

An assault from all fronts, Kabal dove into the room, punching out the assailants in front of him, while Hesperia slid on the floor, spinning her body and kicking them. She then jammed her karambit into one of the men's throats, slashing, watching as a piece of his trachea fell to the floor.

Not that fucking song again... she thought to herself, of all the times!

That damn song of the north came into her ears, a calm against the cacophony of bullets flying, people yelling and blood curling screams.

She couldn't let that distract her, as one of the cartel's henchmen managed to grab her and throw her through a wooden table. Pain ran down her body, accumulating at her left arm, radiating down the entire bone. But she bit her lip, she wouldn't cry out, despite the insurmountable pain.

No..I can't be beaten.

There was a knife so close to her throat, a foot on her chest holding her down, when Kurtis dove at him, plunging his nightstick into the man's eye.

Hesperia coughed as she awkwardly flipped up from the floor, spinning around to create distance and catch her breath.

She gave Kurtis a thumbs up, when a man put a gun to his head.

Hesperia gasped, throwing herself at the would-be assailant, jamming her karambit into the man's face over and over again. She carved his face until there was nothing left, then kicked him out a window.

"You'll never take him away from me!" she yelled, fury in her eyes.

Holding her arm, she staggered back and leaned against the wall, furious tears in her eyes from both the terror of almost watching Kurtis die, and the shock of her pain. Then, there was silence.

Once the dust settled on the raid, the three were outside the building, speaking with the local authorities. They heard a clap, and watched as the main officer of the SWAT team approached them. "I knew I was right to request this of you. The strongest vigilantes in the world, we could not have done this without your help."

"That...was a little too close." Kabal said, glaring at the officer. "We could not guarantee that no one would get hurt, but..." The officer looked at Hesperia who was getting her arm put into a sling. "We did not take into account that the woman would hurt her arm like this."

"Someone slammed my little girl through a table and held a knife to her throat. If I had lost her tonight, I would have killed you all." Kurtis snapped.

"And risk international crime on your record?"

Kurtis glared at the officer.

"There wouldn't be a jail large enough to save you from me."

Kabal walked over to Hesperia who was now nursing a sling on her left arm. "And I was going to finish tattooing my sleeve tomorrow.." she whined.

"How does it feel?" he asked. "Painful. Very painful." she replied. "I..can't move it. My arm..."

Kurtis took her into his arms, mindful of her injury, and she tried her damnest to stay strong. "It's ok, baby..let's go home."

After receiving payment, the three returned back to her hotel room, and Kurtis placed her on the bed, holding her hand. "I'm sorry. I failed you." he said, kneeling to the floor beside her. "No, you didn't. I saw that guy with a gun to your head and freaked out. I had to..kill him or you'd be dead."

"Gods..if I lost you, Hesperia, i don't know what I'd do."

"I'd never stop killing. I'd kill everyone and everything responsible for your death.." she said, looking at him.

"Hey, what about me?" Kabal asked.

"For you? I'd burn the city down."

There was terror in her eyes. This is why the three worked alone, generally not in collaboration with local authorities, but this raid was a special request.

It could have gone so wrong. They were incompetent, they could have been killed, and now Hesperia lays in bed nursing a possible broken arm.

But they were alive.

She had her beloved fathers with her.

A job well done.

Downtown Prague, 4am

"What the hell happened here.." Bi Han said, looking at the carnage and aftermath of the apartment that was previously raided.

The smell of death, rotting and burning flesh, tables, wood strewn out on the floor, cocaine and other drugs haphazard, scattered.

Behind him, Kuai Liang treaded carefully, stepping on broken glass and bullet casings, to where he saw a single rose on the floor, standing upright.

"Bi Han, look. A rose."

The elder Lin Kuei looked up from the carnage and saw the rose standing in the middle of the floor. It was beautiful. In full bloom, like the rose that hit him in the head at Klub 007 Stráhov.

She had to have been here then, Bi Han thought. The woman from the stage, the performer. But how? What would a woman like that be doing in place like this?

He knew he was right to come into town tonight, while Prince Tomáš and his parents were asleep. Sektor and Cyrax were also asleep at this time, other Lin Kuei guarding the forest, and restless, Bi Han and Kuai Liang went into town.

A date night, as Bi Han jokingly called it, pinching his little brother's cheek. He wanted to take Kuai Liang downtown for some dinner and dancing, and whatever else the night would entail. Assuming his duties as the prince's protector, he rarely had time for it to be just him and Kuai Liang, and he felt guilty. He did not want his younger brother to think he was neglecting him. Kuai Liang understood, yet at the same time, wanted some time with his brother, too. And so, they had cheeseburgers at a local restaurant, then curiously went into Klub 007 Stráhov.

They watched as the band named Ghosts of Karelia performed, a mixture of heavy fast songs and slow melodies, songs of desolation, of hope and despair. Kuai Liang found himself in Bi Han's arms for a few songs, laughing as he wrapped his arms around his brother, enjoying their time together.

Part of it was an act, of course, they had to mingle in the crowd if they were going to do their mission. But he could spare some time for his brother, too.

Tomáš wanted to go with them, but the elder Lin Kuei discouraged it.

The prince protested, but Bi Han said that it was just too dangerous at night. Along with giving Kuai Liang a fun night out, he was also following a lead given to him by Cyrax, that there was a team of vigilantes that were causing havoc near the castle town.

A little too close to home, Bi Han thought. If any of this came near Tomáš or the royal family, it would be a big mess.

"This is the same rose from that concert we went to. The same rose that hit me. That woman performing had to been involved in this. I have to find her, I have to stop her." he said, looking into the moonlight.

Kuai Liang looked at him, then back to the rose. "How do we find her then? Where do we even begin?"

"If they move at night, then so do we. Do not say any of this to Tomáš, I won't get him, or the royal family involved. Technically though, they would be within their rights to arrest them if they are caught. This is Vrbada territory, and they're trespassing." Bi Han said.

"But if I catch them first, then.."

"Would you kill them, brother?" Kuai Liang asked.

"If that is what is tasked of me, yes." Bi Han said.

"Even a woman?"

"While it would not be within my best interests, I would have no other choice."

Kuai Liang nodded. "Of course. Yes. That is how it must be. The duty of the Lin Kuei must be upheld."

"Something tells me you didn't like my answer, Kuai."

"Well, yes, the idea of harming women still does not sit well with me."

"Only if necessary, my brother."

The two sat on the roof of the dilapidated building, overlooking the stars.

"This is too close to the castle. I will not have this come any closer to Prince Tomáš." Bi Han said, pulling his brother close. Kuai Liang curled into his hold, and they sat in silence, watching the sky.

Castle Vrbada, 9am

Knocks were at the prince's door, and when no one answered, King Václav walked in.

"Prince Tomáš?" he asked.

No answer.

"Prince Tomáš?"

Once again, there was no answer.

Where was the prince?

Curious, the king left his bedroom and began walking towards the bedroom of the Lin Kuei brothers. The door was open, and there he found Prince Tomáš, tucking Kuai Liang into his bed. The king looked on curiosity, the prince held a finger to his lips and waved to him.

"What is going on?" King Václav asked. The prince quietly left the room, closing the door behind him, lightly bowing to his father.

"Bi Han requested I visit Kuai Liang this morning, he had trouble sleeping, so I went to wish him well." Tomáš said.

King Václav hummed.

"I know, I know. It's not a princely duty, but he is my friend. I thought my presence would cheer him up." The king ruffled Tomáš' hair and smiled. "My son, you brighten everyone's day." Those words of encouragement caused the prince to blush an adorable pink, then he followed his father to the breakfast table.

"I realized yesterday that we had served you too much food. I am happy that you had the sense to not eat it all."

"It would not do anyone good for the food to ail me again."

King Václav smiled, "no, it wouldn't."

It was now Thursday, and Queen sat at her throne, making preparations for tomorrow night's masquerade party.

Another Friday, Tomáš said to himself, coming right up. Another chance to rub elbows with the Czech Republic's elite, to show off their opulence and watch as pretentious families tried to out do each other when it comes to riches.

Of course, the Vrbada family was on top of the food chain, then there was everyone else.

He watched as his mother spoke with her advisors, preparing the food and drink menu, what kind of decorations and where they would be positioned, and the type of music to be played.

Tomáš didn't know why she made all these plans when the party was nearly the same every time. The prince rolled his eyes.

Once King Václav was finished speaking with his wife, he returned to Tomáš' side, taking his hand.

"Come, take a walk with me. I would like to talk to you."

At first, the prince was hesitant. But it would be a great dishonor if he didn't follow. Reluctantly, he followed his father out of the ballroom, and deeper into the halls, into his study. "What about breakfast?" he asked himself.

He closed and locked the door behind him, and Tomáš flinched.

Was he in trouble? Was he to be punished?

He was apprehensive when King Václav asked him to take a seat by his desk, but he obeyed, sitting as his father stood before him, pacing back and forth.

The king looked nervous, very nervous.

"Prince Tomáš.."

"Yes, father?"

There was silence again, and the king scratched the back of his head.

He took a deep breath.

"Surely, you know the reason why we have these parties, yes?"

Tomáš nodded. "Mother says so I can meet women."

"Yes." King Václav said. "You are of the age where you are eligible for a bride. As heir to the Vrbada throne, it is only right for you to find a suitable bride, that we can rest easy handing down the throne when it is our time."

"Not just any bride will do, my son. You must seek out a Czech woman to keep our bloodline pure. She must be from a noble family, remember you two will be representing the future of the Vrbada family."

Tomáš swallowed his thoughts. Of course, high standards. Pure bloodline, in that case, Tomáš should marry a cousin if he had one. He nearly chuckled.

There was silence again, before King Václav blurted out, "What do you know about sex?"

Tomáš nearly jumped out of his seat. "E-excuse me, what?!" he all but shouted. He quickly apologized and held his hand to his mouth, his entire face red.

"My apologies, I suppose I could have asked that better. But the point remains. What do you know about-?"

"Um..I know it can be between a man and a woman. Bi Han mentioned that it involves insertion of..well..um.." Embarrassment treaded through the prince, and he blushed, looking away, eyes on the floor as he dug his nails into his pants. He then looked up at his father, as he cleared his throat, demanding attention.

Both men stared at each other, and King Václav sighed. "Tomáš, this is not a laughing matter. Be serious about this. I ask this question because maybe you are unsure about attending these parties. You are tasked with meeting women of reproachable conduct, noblewomen who could potentially be your wife. What good is it if you do not know how to act in the bedroom?"

The prince was silent, and the king continued, "Tomáš, diplomacy is not only done in throne rooms or the battlefield, it can also be done in the bedroom. Behind closed doors, you would be representing the Vrbada royal family, it would not do you well if you cannot satisfy your chosen bride."

"Allow me to explain." he added.

"Sex between lovers, yes, it is romantic, but you, as heir apparent, hold power over your woman. A prince, a king, is powerful in all rooms of his house. The bedroom included. Never let your bride overpower you, it would create a scandal. I do not think I have to teach you how to please a woman, do I?"

Tomáš felt his heart pounding. Am I really having a conversation with my father about this?

"Do you have any experience to speak from, my son?"

The young prince froze, looking into his father's eyes. "If I recall, father, you would have me pure for my wedding night." he said quietly.

"Yes..yes, this is true. I am to serve you to your bride as a virginal prince. But..I also realize that you are a man, and men have needs. As much as I would like to serve you as a virginal prince, it would be best if you knew of some experience, as to not embarrass yourself in bed.

Tomáš was silent at this. His father would be upset at his answer. How could he tell him about the time in April, on his eighteenth birthday, that Bi Han, Sektor and Cyrax took him to a brothel in the seedy part of town?

So of course instead of staying quiet, the idiot prince nodded.

"Bi Han, Sektor and Cyrax took me to a brothel the night I turned eighteen, father."

There was immediate fury in the king's eyes when he turned and looked at his son. He clenched his fists held to his side and he clenched his teeth. "A brothel?! Prince Tomáš, tell me you did not lay down with kurvas!"

"N-no!" Tomáš all but shouted, his heart pounding in fear. "No, I did not do anything. The girls were grabby, touched me and tried to kiss me, but I fled before anything else could happen."

The king took a deep breath and unclenched his fists. "They tried to kiss and touched you?" "Yes, father. One of the..unmentionable women tried to bite my neck and tried to put my hand under her skirts." Tomáš replied, ashamed.

"I should have a word with Bi Han. Is he the older or the younger brother? Regardless, you're never going there again." the king said. His calm voice scared Tomáš, but he could not let Bi Han or the others get blamed for this.

"Father. It was not his fault. The three of them wanted me to try something new, and I admit, I was curious, too. " Tomáš said. "And who put these thoughts in your head?" the king argued. "It is not hard to find a whorehouse if you look hard enough." the prince said.

"My son, Prince Tomáš Vrbada, will not lay down with whores! Not now, not ever!" his shout reverberated through the room and made the prince flinch.

"Trust me, father. I would not want to. I want to keep myself clean. Besides, those women scare me. I know my place as an eligible bachelor, but-"

"You are the most eligible bachelor in Prague, perhaps all of Czech Republic, it would do you well to remember, and choose a bride worthy of this status."

"Yes, father."

The two were silent again, when King Václav said, "At first, I feared something. That when you did not choose a bride, I feared that you were more interested in men."

Tomáš looked at him.

"That would not bode well. And I would not like to hear any gossip, that Vrbada's have a buzna for an heir. Tell me, Tomáš, you are not interested in men, are you?"

"No. I am not." Tomáš replied, "forgive me, I just have not found a woman I connect with."

"Connections, they come later. You two will have lots to talk about. But for now, it is to bring together prestigious families. You two can talk later." The king said.

The two were once again silent, until the king spoke. "I pray that I do not have to give you any kind of sexual education, do i?"

"I..know the basics." Tomáš replied.

The king sighed.

"Sit down and take notes, I will teach you the ways of sex."

"Oh my god..." Tomáš said inwardly.

Kampa District, Prague, 7pm

Hesperia returned to her hotel room with Kabal and Kurtis, now wearing a black cast around her newly diagnosed broken left arm. At first, she protested, that she could not perform on stage like this, what would her fans think, what would the music industry think? She also had bruises on her body from being put through a table, and having her chest stepped on nearly cracked a rib or two. Luckily, her sternum was still intact, but the hospital was a little concerned with a short crack in her clavicle.

"Let it heal, lay on your back tonight and sleep up right as if to not make the pain worse." the doctors told her.

She tried to slam pain medication down her throat, but Kabal stopped her.

"Easy there, kiddo, just one every few hours." he said, taking the bottle from her hands. "Do..you have any idea...the amount of pain I am in?!" she growled, trembling. "Yeah and it'll be worse if you overdosed. Kurtis is coming back with some pizzas, I'll feed you tonight." Kabal said, sighing. He stroked her cheek, looking down at her sadly.

"You poor thing...it'll heal, but, I hate seeing you like this."

"Then don't look at me." Hesperia said. "Nah, too late. I already love you." Kabal said with a smile. "Asshole." she said, grinning and blushing at his words. He leaned down and gave her a small peck on her nose, when Kurtis came into the room with pizzas. "How is she?" he asked, when Kabal met him outside the bedroom.

"Grumpy, grouchy, angry." Kabal replied.

Kurtis looked his partner up and down and said, "Well, everything is still together, so she can't be that angry. Girls usually go for the dick first." "Kurt, I highly doubt she would rip my dick off." Kabal said, hand on his chin in thought. "It's a matter of expression, dumbass." Kurtis said, smiling as he kissed his partner.

"I'm dumb, but you're dumber for staying with me." Kabal said, kissing him back.

The two men embraced, when Kurtis said, "I'm with stupid." "And so am I."

They then turned to look into the bedroom where Hesperia was, the door was closed, it was quiet.

"Just leave her be. She's very upset." Kabal said. He watched as Kurtis placed the pizzas down on the table, taking a seat on the couch beside his beloved partner.

"Is there anything I can do? I knew I had a bad feeling about this place, I should have turned down working here." he said. Kabal wrapped an arm around Kurtis and pulled him onto his side. "Too late now. She's got a show tonight, so she'll just have to pull through."

"How can she perform? She can't even get out of bed." Kurtis said.

Hesperia had her ear to the door, sighing sadly. She looked at her tour laminate. There was a show tonight. Looking at herself in the mirror, she was a mess and she wasn't sure that makeup could fix it.

"We never fuck up. We're so good at what we do..so what happened?"

The only light in the room came from the city lights, and she looked out into the distance, her legs heavy like lead as she walked to the window. Further away, the forest in the distance held a menacing aura over the city.

She shivered.

Then, she looked at her pain pills. Kabal said she needed to take one at a time, but the pain was just too much. She took two pills, downing it with water, then limped out of the bedroom.

Kabal and Kurtis looked at her as she walked out, wearing a pair of jeans and a white tank top, hair brushed and makeup on, covering the most of her bruises.

"Hesperia, you're up, how are you feeling?" Kabal asked. "You dressed yourself?" Kurtis asked. "Well..I need a little help, my bra isn't together." she said.

Kurtis helped fix up her clothes, then he lay his palm on her cheek. "You don't need to perform, sweetheart, you should spend time healing."

She shook her head. "I can't. I'm too deep in my own head right now and I need to get out."

Her voice was monotone, her expression the same, not even looking at Kurtis as they spoke. "If I stay here too long...I can't shake this feeling...once I'm done this show, we leave Prague. I can't stand to stay here one second longer." "We'll leave in the morning." Kabal said, "I for one can't wait to get back to the US and have a cheesesteak." "So you're going back to the US...you know I'll be in Appenzell." she said.

He nodded. "Of course. Our lives can only intersect every once so often."

Kurtis looked at her sadly.

"I'm far too used to you two jumping in and out of my life anyway." she said, more to herself. The image of the man with a gun at Kurtis' head came to her, and she reached out to hug him. "In any case, we should go the venue. Can't leave people waiting."

Nearly an hour later, it was showtime.

Despite all her bruises, make up fixed most of them, and the others, she could hide with clothing and her mask. The three went to the same club she played with Ghosts of Karelia, Klub 007 Stráhov, and she hit the stage at 9pm.

Clubgoers, fans, and others alike were in the crowd, screaming and cheering for her, how could she let any of these people down. Despite her injuries, the crowd could tell she was struggling a bit, the injury to her clavicle and sternum made singing and breathing a bit difficult, the bruises to her legs kept her from dancing the way she wanted, and her arm in a cast made it a bit difficult to hold the microphone, but she soldiered on.

The girls in the crowd sang along, helping her out, and she could not be more grateful. It touched her greatly. For them, she would do her hardest, her injuries be damned.

During an intermission, she sat in a chair backstage, holding her hand to her heart. The pain was returning, the pills wearing off. It was hard to breathe, and she was struggling. Her management came into the room to check up on her, and she began coughing. "I still have another hour left..." she said.

"No, you don't." the tour manager said.

Kabal and Kurtis walked into the backstage room, as well, looking on with worry. "The fans..they still wait. I can't let them down."

"They understand, Tuxedo Mask. We shut the show down."

"What? No, you can't!" she cried out. "Hey, relax. You're too injured to perform, you can't move, and you can't breathe." Kabal said, grabbing her hand. She looked away, when the man took her into his arms. "It's ok, baby, you did what you could."

"But...I'm a performer..."

"You're only going to hurt yourself further. You can relax, Hesperia."

She buried her face into Kabal's shoulder, and he held her tightly. "I want out of this fucking country. Now." she said. "Ok, ok, we'll take you home in the morning. Let's get out of here and go back to your hotel."

"At least let me help clean up the club." she said.

When they walked back out to the main floor, she watched sadly as the sound technicians cleaned up the stage. They put wires, speakers, instruments away, as janitors around her swept the floors. "A whole thirty-minute show...these poor girls probably feel so ripped off. Send a message through social media, these people will get their money back." she said.

Kabal nodded and asked Hesperia if she wanted a drink. "I am on medication, should I be drinking?" she asked. Kurtis laughed and handed her a glass of fruit punch.

She groaned, holding her hand to her chest, letting out a large exhale. "God...you're right, even swallowing is hard." "You did a great job tonight though, the best you could." Kurtis said. "I suppose." she said, finishing her drink. "If you'll excuse me, I have to use the bathroom." she added, walking away from the two.

They watched as she walked towards the bathroom, stopping for a second to cough, holding her hand to her heart.

But before she walked in, she nearly slipped on a piece of paper. "What the hell..." she said, raising her boot to see a piece of paper stuck to her sole. She picked it up and looked at it with curiosity. The paper was crumpled and dirty, but she could still make up the fancy writing. It looked like an invitation.

"A masquerade party...at Castle Vrbada?"