Kanae Kikumura waited in the line to get through customs. It had been a 6 hour flight from Scotland, and the clocks here read 12:32 only a half hour from when they had left on the long flight. She made sure she had her passport and college papers out before she approached the agents behind the desk.

She handed them her passport and college acceptance papers.

The woman agent looked at her passport, then at her. Kanae had her wool cap on over her pink hair to hide her horns. "You're from Scotland? I'd think you were Japanese."

"Me Mom an Dad's from Japan," Kanae explained. "Me Grandpop's Scottish. I've lived there most all me life."

"Coming here for college I see. Anything to declare?" the woman asked.

"Nay, cept it was a long flight, an I did bring a bottle'o Glen Finnen wit me. Mom said it's real expensive here."

"One bottle is acceptable," the woman assured her. She stamped the passport and handed everything back to Kanae. "Do your best in school," she beamed.

"Aye, thank ya lass," Kanae replied with a smile. She got her carry on off the end of the conveyor and went to retrieve her luggage.

Going past a group of people just past customs, she saw a dark haired man with a mustache. He wore a sweater and pants and was holding up a sign with her name on it. That was odd, she wasn't expecting anyone to meet her. Walking up to him, she asked, "Kin I help ya lad?"

"Kanae Kikumura?" he asked.

"Aye."

"I'm David Gilbert. I was assigned to meet you. I'm from Homeland Security." he explained. "Can we walk and talk?"

Kanae nodded. "I gotta git me luggage. Come along if ya want."

He walked beside her. Curious why he was here, she asked, "So Mr. Gilbert, why'd ya come see me?"

He looked to see her college paperwork. "We have a job for you, if you'd be inclined to help us out. From what we know of your mother, I am sure you will be able to handle it with no problem."

Kanae eyed him. Right, her mother Kaede was well known for putting down all kinds of trouble. "Mr. Gilbert, I'll be goin ta college. Me parents wanted me ta git the education they never had a chance to. I doan know if I'll have any time ta go doin jobs."

"We can work it out, I assure you. We'll pay you by the job and of course, all your college fees will be covered," he explained.

"Must be some job," Kanae noted.

"We can discuss it more on the way to your dorm. Your room is already registered. I'll take you there so you don't have to get a cab." he explained with a smile.

The luggage offload area had plenty of people around it looking for their bags. The luggage on the conveyors was mostly standard suitcases and bags. She spotted her lime green bag right away. There were a few people between her and it. Not wanting to chase her bag or be rude and push her way past them, she reached over them with a mind hand, grabbed her bag and flew it over their heads to her. She caught it. Only one person watched her bag fly over them.

"Impressive," Mr. Gilbert said.

"Nay, t'was nothin," Kanae replied. Then she got what he meant. At home she was used to doing things like that. She'd have to be careful here in the US. "So yer givin me a ride?" she asked.

"Yes, this way please."

Gilbert led her through the terminal and down a flight of stairs to a parking lot. He used a small black key fob to unlock a car, start it and open the trunk. The car was a small light blue sedan. Well small for here. When she got in, the inside was fairly roomy. It was odd getting in the right side of the car. Of course, here steering wheels were on the left and everyone drove on the wrong side of the road.

Pulling out, he left the lot and said, "We have a few problems we could really use your help with. These people know how to skirt the law and have the backing to keep what they are doing very quiet. Unfortunately they know who to pay off to keep from being exposed. One man we suspected was tied to them, we did arrest. When we had him, he refused to talk. We let him go to watch him and he had a fatal accident. Hit and run, but no one can identify the vehicle."

"Ya got bad guys," Kanae stated.

"Many," he said in a huff. "The ones we need help with are those we can't legally touch, and they're slick. We just need the ones we're after to have a fatal accident with no proof it was anything but an accident."

Kanae firmly said, "I ain't me Mom. Did ya try her?"

"We wanted someone closer. Someone who can't be traced coming and going. I also think your mother has her hands full," he told her. "One of the men lives within four miles of your college. He stays home and has his contacts come to him. Making his blood pressure drop to zero is worth ten thousand to you."

"What did he do?" she asked.

"That's not important, what is, is we can't touch him."

Kanae eyed him. "Tis sure as hell important! Ya want me ta kill'im, I gotta know why."

Gilbert tightened his hand on the steering wheel. "I was not authorized to give you that information."

"Then there's nothing I kin do fer ya," Kanae said flatly. "Either I know why, or we got nothing else to talk about. I ain't doin nothing lest I know why."

"We were hoping you would take us at our word."

"Nay lad. Me parents didn't raise no dummies. How do I know you're not one of these bad guys?"

Gilbert cast her a look of shock. He then reached into his sweater and pulled out a wallet. "Here, look at my ID."

Kanae did. His ID card and his badge said he was David Gilbert, senior agent for Homeland Security.

As she did, he said, "One thing that was drilled into us. Never mess with your family and never lie to you about anything. If you want, I can take you to our office and have my boss prove to you who I am."

Kanae handed the wallet back. "I'll still need to know why ya want this guy."

Gilbert watched the road and offered, "How about this, I'll take you to the college so you can get registered, then I'll go ask for the information we got."

"Aye, That'll be good."

After a few moments, Gilbert asked, "So what are you majoring in?"

"Medical science. Doan know yet if I'll gonna study fer being a doctor, or medical research. Both are good choices. Either will be good fer helpin people."

"That they are. Anyone in your family a doctor?" he asked.

"Nay. Mom has helped some locals, but she ain't really a doctor," Kanae told him. "Doctors call her when they need ta, but she ain't gone to any school."

"Why do they call for her?"

"Mostly fer cases of strokes, or inoperable tumors. Rachel had cancer an the doctor said he had ta lop off her breasts, but Mom took care-o-it an got the cancer out without Rachel havin them chopped off. Same with old Dogal, the docs said he was too far gone, cancer all over the place in'im. Mom took care-o-im too. Things like that. She showed me how she does it. Takes a ton-a-concentratin."

Gilbert nodded. "I heard your mother is a great woman. Never knew she did medical type healing."

"Mom says we can do anythin if we put our minds ta it." Kanae said proudly.

"I can believe that," Gilbert said with a nod. He then let out a sigh.

On the road ahead were a mass of people stopping cars, Screaming at them. One man ran up to spray something on a car windscreen.

"Hooligans," Kanae grumbled. "Ain't there nay cops here?"

Gilbert had to stop from the mass of cars and people in the road. "Cops are here to the sides. They can't do anything unless someone is injured."

"It'taint right." Kanae said and got out. She strode towards the mass.

At first, Gilbert thought 'aww shit.' He then decided to watch and turned his dash cam to watch her.

"Hey! Git outta the road!" Kanae called to the mob.

A couple men turned to yell at her. "Fuck you, bitch. You wanna get hurt!" one barked at her. He raised a club he had. Reaching out with a mind hand, she grabbed the club and made him crack his friend on the head. He stared as his friend fell holding his aching head.

A woman with a sign ran up to yell at him. Kanae made him crack her across the face. She fell screaming. Staring at her, he dropped his club. The women's boyfriend ran up and tackled the man and beat him on the ground.

Cops came to break it up.

Walking along, Kanae pushed another man into someone, knocking them down. Mr. Spray can turned away from the car he was going to spray to spray another man, then a woman in the face. He was beaten on by a couple other angry women.

Kanae got a few other fights started as she looked for the end of this mob. Police were now shouting on bull horns and working to get the crowd separated as the semi-organized protest turned into chaos. Just ahead of the first car, Kanae saw burning garbage had been thrown onto the road. She pushed it to the side into another group of protesters who decided to leave quickly.

The road clear, she waved to cars to get them moving. They did. One woman with a now completely red windscreen looked out her window to get away.

"Thank you!" the woman called to Kanae and drove off.

With a yell of anger, a man ran at Kanae holding up a knife. She put up a mind shield for him run flat into. After he bounced off it, she gave him an extra shove back. He landed flat on his back, looking confused.

More police came and the growing chaos gravitated to the side of the street. Cars moved on quickly, eager to get out of here.

Gilbert pulled up beside Kanae. "Care for a ride?" he asked.

Kanae got in. "We kin git goin now," she said.

"Thank you for your assistance," Gilbert replied with a smirk.

"Ya got a ton'a rude people here," Kanae grumbled.

"We do. It seem to be getting worse as time goes on," he admitted. "And one of the reasons those people are acting so badly is the one I was telling you about. He pays these idiots to draw police, his thugs can loot places and kill people before anyone can stop them."

"Tell me more," Kanae stated.

Gilbert swallowed. "I wasn't suppose to say that much."

Kanae eyed him. "Ya already started, so keep goin. Can't do nothin if I doan know nothin."

.

By the time they got to the college, Kanae learned that Jacob Donavan had backing from a yet unknown source and put out 'contracts' to have others killed. He staged riots like she'd seen as a diversion so his thugs had a clear path to rob places, he also had at least one prostitution ring that helped him move drugs, as well as other minor criminal enterprises. It was also highly suspected he paid off officials to not investigate him. One vital piece of information was where he lived.

Gilbert pulled up to the admin building. "Your stop. So, are you going to help us?" he asked.

"Aye, this Donavan is a scum bag that needs ta be put down. But I decide how," Kanae said firmly. She then got out.

Bag over her shoulder, Kanae went in to register that she was here. The line wasn't long, she got registered and got her room number in the dorm along with her information package and a map of the college. The bulletin board that was full of requests to join various sororities, she ignored.

Heading for the dorms, she passed by a few women bearing what she guessed were tribal tattoos and things stuck in their faces. One snorted at her. "Well look at miss Barbie Doll there!"

Kanae ignored them.

"Hey! You with the cotton candy hair, you too good to speak to us!" another barked.

Kanae turned to scowl at her, then used a mind hand to knock then all off their feet. They went down with yelps. Kanae walked on.

Getting to the dorm she was assigned, Kanae went in to the desk, showed her room assignment and got the key to her room. The unhappy looking woman gave her the list of rules for the dorm and specified no boys, no loud music, no drugs, no alcohol, no causing trouble, and lights out no later than 11.

Great, she could follow those rules, except for her one bottle of Glen Finnen.

Her room, number 331, was a bedroom type room, with a bed against each wall. Each side had a desk and chair by a small closet, a bed, and a bed table. Most of the things in the room were on the right side. A coat was on her bed, she also noted a player on her desk under some laundry. She tossed every item that wasn't hers onto the right side bed. Clothes she found in her closet went on that bed also. Looking though her desk drawers, she tossed some papers and a book into the mess that was on the other desk. Once her side was cleared off, she put her things away. The bottom drawer of her desk was big enough to put her single bottle of scotch in standing up. She pushed it to the back.

Tired from the trip, Kanae laid down on the bed. Although the sun was still up, it felt like midnight. She meant just to rest for a while, but fell asleep.

Kanae awoke from a smack on her shoulder, and an angry face above her. The girl leaning over her bore a frown. She had metal rings all over her face. One on her lower lip, three in each ear, a couple piercing her eyebrows and on in each nostril. She also bore heavy black eye shadow, black lips and had black curly hair.

"Hey, princess!" the girl spat. "Don't you DARE move any of my stuff again, GOT THAT!"

Not happy with this girl, Kanae shot her mind hands out and pinned her to the ceiling. Slowly, she sat up and eyed the girl now gaping down on her.

In a normal tone of voice, Kanae replied, "Keep yer shit off my side o'the room. Ya touch me again an yer gonna be in severe pain. Ya got that?"

The girl just stared down on her.

"Didn't ya understand?" Kanae asked.

"I'm sorry," the girl squeaked.

"Ya are, but did ya understand?" Kanae asked evenly.

"Yes. Please, let me go."

Kanae did. She caught the screaming girl before she hit the floor and sat her on her bed. "I'm Kanae Kikumura. Who are ya?"

"Tracy Rogers. How did you do that to me?" she asked, still staring at Kanae.

"Tracy, what ya need ta know is I like quiet, so there'll be no more screamin in me face. I doan care what ya do or what ya got on yer side'o the room, but it doan get over ta my side. Ya doan wanna git me angry."

Weakly, Tracy said, "I thought I was the only one in this room."

"Now ya know better. Behave yerself an everythin'll be fine. Had a long day taday, so keep it quiet so's I kin rest."

"Where you from? Ireland?"

"Close, Scotland. Me town's called Glen Finnen. We doan put up wit rude." Kanae said and laid back down.

Tracy decided she need to go and do something. That Kanae looked meek and innocent. She had the feeling miss pink hair was neither. In fact, she was more than a little scary.

.

Down in the lounge, Tracy had to find out where Kanae was from. On Google, she found the town. She also found information about Glen Finnen. Supposedly, it was a small, quiet town. The main income was sheep and the whisky factory. They had a golf course and hotels and motels for tourists. The big events there were Highland games and dart tournaments. That was also where a 'Jacobite' revolution had started. She saw a picture of a tower with a statue of a man on top, marking the place where 'Bonny Prince Charlie' had began this revolution. She found nothing special about this place at all.

She did find another photo of interest. A woman who looked identical to Kanae was kneeling before Queen Elizabeth the Second to receive Knighthood in a tavern. The caption below read : Kaede Kikumura was Knighted in Glen Finnen for her efforts to save the world.

The resemblance to Kanae was strong, except the woman being Knighted bore short triangular horns on her head. Then again, Kanae had been wearing a wool hat, even in bed.

Tracy looked up Kaede Kikumura, and got a ton of information. Vacationing in Mexico, Kaede had earned the name, 'pink haired devil'. In France, she'd found and killed Muslim terrorists walking through a militant section of Paris by herself and caused more injuries and death. The Muslims begged for peace after her stroll though their neighborhood. When those aliens had come to try and take over the planet, it was Kaede who'd found and killed many, driving the others off the planet. When the true insides of the Sphinx was discovered, it was Kaede who'd gotten into secret rooms within and came out with video proof of what Ancient Egypt was like. Kaede was called 'The Witch' and 'Wind of Death'. Kaede was also called, "The One' but there was no reference to what being 'The One' meant.

Nearly identical in looks and the similarities in their names, Kaede/ Kanae, as well as getting pinned to the ceiling by nothing, Tracy was understanding that Kanae was not someone she wanted to mess with.

.

Kaede awoke to her phone ringing. It was night time, the only light was coming in through the curtain on the window. She begrudgingly answered it. She also realized she'd been sleeping in her clothes.

"Kanae … Hi, Mom, yes I got here fine … Sorry, I was beat when I got here an fell asleep on me bed … Nay much, just a gaggle of protesters blockin the street. Had ta show them a bit-o trouble ta git'em outta the way." Kanae chuckled "Nay, didn have ta kill anyone. There is a guy, David Gilbert who did point a target out fer me … Yeah, he's a bad guy, least I'll git paid fer it. Doan worry, I'll be careful… Sure, I know what he told me but if ya kin find out who he is fer sure, I'd be grateful. Me classes doan start fer a couple days, so I got time … Love ya too, mom, tell everyone I said hi … OK, bye Mom."

.
Tracy had heard the phone ring and listened to the conversation. She stayed quiet and feigned sleep as Kanae got up and left the room.

Bad guy? Target? Getting paid? From what she heard, Kanae was an assassin! She curled up in her blanket a little tighter, feeling chilled.

.

After cleaning up in the bathroom, Kanae was quiet as she changed clothes in her room so as not to wake Tracy. It was 2AM, now was a good of a time as any to go see this Donovan guy.

Getting to the address, Kanae noticed plenty of security around the high walls of the big house. Lifting herself up in a tree across the street, she saw a couple guards with dogs, outside lights and cameras looking down in the yard. The house was a two story with another partial floor in the back that looked like one big room. She catapulted though the air to land quietly on the roof.

Walking to the back, she lowered herself down to look in the windows. Below was a patio with tables and chairs. Sliding glass door showed a dark bedroom beyond. She found the bed with figures in it.

The patio door was locked, but reaching in with a mind hand, she unlocked it and slide it partway open to slip inside. Floating over to the bed, she saw a balding man was in the middle, with younger girls to each side.

Kanae frowned. She wanted to make sure this was Jacob Donovan, but didn't want him to wake up and possibly cause probes. Plus, either girl could also wake up. Shit. Thinking about it, she figured everyone in this house were bad guys, so she couldn't be too far off the mark. She reached out with her mind hands and broke all three of their necks. Only one girl kicked slightly as she killed them.

Making sure no one else was in here, she turned on a bed lamp and looked for the man's clothes. She found his pants and pulled out his wallet. Yup, this was Jacob Donovan. She put the wallet back, turned the light out and locked the patio door when she left.

Getting back to her room, Kanae got dressed for bed and found she was no longer tired. Laying in bed under the covers, she laid awake. Jet lag sucked.

A gasp sounded. In the dim light, Kanae saw Tracy sit up, panting.

"Tracy, ya OK over there?" she asked.

"What? Yeah. Just had a nightmare." Tracy said in a groggy voice.

"Musta been some nightmare. Wanna talk about it?" Kanae offered.

"Naw, it was just a nightmare. Didn't wake you up, did I?"

"Nay, slept so much earlier. I'm all slept out," Kanae replied.

"I don't think I can get back to sleep either," Tracy admitted.

"Need something ta calm ya down?"

Tracy let out a dark chuckle. "Got any booze?"

Kanae turned her bed light on and got up. She went over to her desk and opened the bottom drawer. Opening the box her whisky was in, she took the shot glass out, then pulled the bottle out and opened it.

Seeing Tracy was watching her, Kanae grinned and said, "Feel lucky, lass, yer gitin the first swig of me malt scotch. This should relax ya."

"You've got whiskey?" Tracy asked, now watching Kanae intently.

"Nay lass, this ain't yer normal whiskey. It's single malt scotch. Best thing ta ever flow across yer tongue," Kaede told her and capped the bottle. Bring the glass over to her, Kanae said, "Here, sip it slow."

Tracy took the shot glass and did as Kanae said. She slowly drank the shot in sips, then looked a the empty glass. "Wow, never tasted nothing like that before. That was really good."

"Ain't nothing better," Kanae assured her and took the glass back. She reboxed the bottle and the glass and put them away.

Tracy licked her lips. "Thanks."

"Give it a bit. It'll light a soft fire in ya an help ya relax," Kanae assured her.

"I always heard Scotch is just for rich people," Tracy said.

Kanae shrugged as she went back to sit on her bed. "Maybe here with all the import fees an such. The factory's right down the road from where we live. Me Dad takes deliveries to'em, and gits it wholesale right outta the factory."

Tracy snorted. "Lucky you."

"Aye, in many ways, we're lucky," Kanae agreed. "We live in a great place, everyone in town's like family, couldn't ask fer a better place ta live."

"Wish I had that life," Tracy said sadly. "Not that where we live is bad, but if you don't act tough, you get picked on or bullied."

"Ahh, so that's why ya got that stuff stuck in yer face and got in my face?" Kanae asked.

Tracy shrugged. "It's expected. I am sorry for yelling at you."

"Wat'r under the bridge," Kanae said. "Perhaps maybe ya kin start livin like ya want now?"

"Maybe," Tracy said thoughtfully. "I have to ask, who's your mother?"

"Her name's Kaede."

"Dame Kaede Kikumura, that's your mom?"

"Aye, I take it ya heard'o her?"

"She's the biggest bad-ass on the planet!" Tracy stated. "No wonder you can do the things you do!"

Kanae laughed. "Yeah, Mom says I'm a chip off the old block."

Tracy shifted to put her feet on the floor, sitting on the edge of her bed. "So, what's it like, being the daughter of the most powerful woman on Earth?"

"I doan think Mom's that strong. Close maybe. I dunno, Mom's Mom. I used to hate it when she'd have to go away, sometimes fer weeks at a time. Remember one time when I was little, Grampa, Gramma, Amada an others had ta go wit her. They was gone a long time. Nana and Mayu got so sick'a Uncle Richie buyin pizza, they started making dinners. After a few days'o that Aunt Roberta began learnin how ta cook," Kanae said with a grin of remembrance. "She really sucked at it, at first."

"She couldn't cook?"

"Nay in our kitchen. It hasn't been updated since the 1500's. Takes plannin an skill ta get the hearth fire goin, an keepin the cistern hearth goin so we got hot water."

Tracy tipped her head slightly. "What's a cistern?"

Kanae motioned as she explained. "A cistern is a big pot up by the roof. Rain falls on the roofs and gets channeled into the cistern, from the hearth below in the kitchen, a chimney takes the hot air and smoke up under the cistern to heat that water. A pipe brings the water down to the kitchen an bathtubs. If the fire in the hearth goes out, we got nay hot water."

"What do you do if there's no rain?" Tracy asked.

"There's a low level switch in the cistern. If it gits too low, water's pumped up into it from the well Great uncle Connor had to put in. The well also supplies cold water," Kanae explained.

"Why not just put in a water heater?" Tracy asked, confused.

"We gotta keep the place as original as possible. Sides, we only got two windmills up on the towers fer lectric," Kanae explained.

"It sound like you live in an old castle," Tracy noted.

"Aye. It's been standin fer centuries. Grandpa says since the early 1500's. He doan got an exact date."

"Damn," Tracy said softly. "So your mom's a Knight who lives in a real castle. This is a true holy shit!"

Kanae laughed.

"What are you doing in the dorms?" Tracy asked. "I would think you could rent an apartment, or maybe even a house."

"Nay. We got a solid rule, no spendin money lest ya have ta. On the hill we got our own gardens. Sheep fer wool an meat, stone quarry an woods fer building an fruit bushes an trees," Kanae explained. "That way, when we do gotta go buy somethin, we ain't gotta go takin out loans, fer we have the money ta pay fer what we git."

"You live in a friggin fairytale," Tracy concluded.

Kanae chuckled. "Heard that before. it's a ton-a work, but worth it. In the summer, I've gone down ta the loch and swim with the selkies."

"Selkies?"

"People's that got legs outta the water, but tails in the water. We also trade'em sheep fer fish. They supply most of the fish for the whole area."

"Mermaids?" Tracy asked in a squeak.

"Dunno, we call'em Selkies."

"You DO live in a fairytale," Tracy concluded. "I'd really love to see that some time."

"I'll be goin home ta visit next summer. Come if ya want," Kanae offered.

Tracy frowned. "How much is a plane ticket?"

"Too much," Kanae grumbled. "Grandpa an Amanda were both unavailable, so I had ta take a commercial fight here."

"They got their own planes?"

"Grandpa does. Amanda usually uses the one Mom got. Mom ain't got a pilot's license, so she can't fly it."

"I'm surprised you don't have a yacht," Tracy said with a snort.

"We got the Sea Witch, a big sail boat we take out in the summer time. That's a lot of fun too."

Tracy eyed her. "You're rich all right."

Kanae noted the sun had come up. Her phone rang.

"Kanae … Aye, it's done … Aye lad, couldn't separate'em so I had ta do'em all at once … OK, when? … Tis good by me, meet ya there."

Kanae looked out the window. "Looks like we yacked the rest-o the night away. Should probably git dressed and go do somethin. I'm gonna go git some breakfast."

Tracy decided to go with her. It was earlier that usual for her, but she was beginning to find Kanae fascinating. Going down to the cafeteria, She noted when they got in line, Kanae got a full plate of sunny up eggs, sausage (Kanae wasn't pleased they didn't have haggis), toast, jelly and orange juice while Tracy got her usual sweet roll and coffee. Sitting down at an empty table, she asked, "How do you eat so much and stay so trim?"

Kanae eyed her. "It's just breakfast."

On the TV in the corner, the news was on. A reporter was standing in front of a walled house and telling about a Jacob Donovan, his daughter and another girl was found murdered in their beds. So far, the police had no idea how the perpetrator got inside such a well guarded place.

Kanae glanced at the screen. She muttered 'pervert' between mouthfuls.

Tracy stared at her. She remembered Kanae had said she had to 'do' them all because they were so close together. She just got here and she'd killed them all in the same bed? "It seems no one knew how that guy got in the house." she said.

Kanae shrugged. "Who knows," she replied between mouthfuls.

Tracy wanted desperately to say 'you do'. She didn't dare, she might be next if Kanae suspected she knew and decided to silence her. She kept nibbling at her roll.