Renegades: A New Dawn

by Primal WolfBlood

In Part 3 of The Renegade Chronicles, follow the Renegades as they try and recover from the shocking end to The Renegade Revolution, and continue their lives with more action and suspense than ever before, as they learn who the true enemies are, and finally confront Segolia once and for all, to end their clash with each other.

25. Loyalty is Everything

Renegades: A New Dawn

Chapter XXV: Loyalty is Everything

That evening, Blair was at the airport in Stockholm, bags packed, with Rio and a recently-arrived Jade. 'So you're going then?' 'Guess so. Can't wait to get home.' Phil meanwhile, was clearing Rio's crutches as hand luggage, while having a conversation with Jack. 'So you've got a lot on your plate don't you then?' 'Can say that again. Between the duelling course, the shop opening, duelling, and looking after Hannah and the little human in her stomach, there's not a lot of time for anything else.'

'Well perhaps you need to take some time off of duelling. How about leaving those tag titles so Rio can buddy up with someone else?' 'Only suitable one is Blair, and she's not back until Sakura clears her. I'm just constantly exhausted at the moment.' 'You will be if you keep burning the candle at both ends. You could try talking to your wife.' 'She's got enough to deal with.' 'And you think she won't want to know?'

Eventually it was boarding time, and the girls said their temporary goodbyes. Maddy and Blair just nodded at each other as their eyes met though. 'Ring the base when you've landed.' 'I will do.' Meanwhile, Jade was talking to Phil. 'So you don't mind me missing a session?'

'I've got all your email addresses on record, I'll send the recording over, probably just after the session ends.' 'Thank you again.' 'I'd do it for any of you.' He then looked over at Blair, who was still concerned about her journey. 'Look after her.' 'We will do.'

They then headed down the gate, with Blair still looking less than convinced at her decision. As the plane disappeared from view, most of them watched on silently, while Hannah kept her head bowed and eyes closed, and Jack muttered 'Good luck soldier.'

In Michigan

America was having her nails painted when Alex walked in, phone in hand. 'I thought I told you, no dorks allowed.' 'So you won't want to know the big news then.' 'Why would I be interested in your news?' 'Because it involves Grandma Wilma's funeral.' 'How much am I getting from her?'

Alex shook her head in disgust. 'So you don't want to know the news?' 'Just tell me what I'm getting dork!' 'It's nothing to do with her will. You know that's being revealed the day after the funeral – you've been marking the days off on your calender.' 'What's the news then?' Alex smiled. 'Your best friend is on her way here fresh off of a trip to Sweden.'

'Where's Sweden?' 'Never mind, I'd have to introduce you to an atlas. Here, I received a voicemail earlier.' Alex then played the message back. 'Hey Al, Blair here, I'm on my way over for the funeral, I'm flying from Sweden so I'll be arriving early in the morning. By the way, tell America I've brought back-up if she's going to give me shit again. Bye.'

Hearing this made her face drop. 'Who gave her the right to come?' 'She's got as much right as you do. More considering that the last time you spoke to Wilma other than to sponge money was… oh that's right, 8 years ago!' 'Why does that count for anything?' 'You really need me to explain?'

The next day, in England

After a late arrival, Maddy got up and after breakfast, she heard a series of crashes, almost like pottery smashing. 'And that's what you get when you ask Mum to do a three-point turn. Either that or they left the keys in when having sex again.' As she walked out, she was amazed to see Astrid kicking slates in half, four at a time, while Kris held them up for her.

'You know, it might be nice to take a break.' 'Never.' 'Seriously Astrid, my hands look terrible.' 'Fine, 20 minutes.' As the Viking turned around, Maddy was stood there, arms folded. 'They're not off of the roof.' 'Astrid, how would you even get up there?' Astrid just grinned at the drainpipe.

'Right, I'm going to coat all the drainpipes in lard so you can't go all spiderviking on me. I don't want to fill in the insurance forms when you fall 15ft and break both your legs.' Astrid laughed at the thought. 'These? They wouldn't break. Built like rocks.'

'So, why are you kicking slates?' 'If I've got a bad neck I need to make up for it everywhere else.' 'Well get practising your duelling – Sak's deciding tomorrow if you're ready to return.' The blonde Norwegian wasn't able to respond though, as she had already run off. 'You know, I sometimes think I'm not being listened to.'

Kris responded by putting his arm on her shoulder, and Maddy freaked out. 'Hey get off me!' 'Oh sorry.' She then returned to normal. 'Sorry, I get funny about people touching me from behind.' 'I shouldn't have done it.' 'How about we just don't mention this to anybody else?' Kris smiled, and candidly replied 'Mention what', before winking at the president and walking off, his hands torn to shreds by Astrid's constant kicks and the sharp edges of the slates.

Meanwhile, in Michigan

With several hours before the funeral, Blair insisted on going to Wilma's house. As she arrived there, Alex was busy trimming some of the plants which had grown wild over the previous months. Upon seeing her adoptive half-sister, the younger Yooper gave out a big hug.

'I'm glad you managed to make it.' 'I wasn't going to not turn up. However tempted I was.' 'I totally get it. Hi Rio, how's your recovery going?' 'Not bad I guess. I'm here for supp...' 'I get it. You don't need to explain yourself.' She then saw Jade stood politely with her arms crossed over her groin.

'Sorry, I'm not sure we've met.' 'It's ok. I'm Jade, I'm Blair's girlfriend.' 'It's lovely to meet you. How long have you been together?' 'Since about November.' Alex then looked at her filthy hands. 'I'm just going to wash my hands, and then I'll make you all a brew if you like. Oh, and Jade, I've got some advice.' 'Really? What?' 'Blair can't resist herbal green tea.'

In the UK

Astrid had spent nearly two hours solid in the arena when the second week of the course started. As everyone waited, Phil and Maddy walked in, Maddy wearing a pair of sunglasses to disguise bloodshot eyes, as well as mini-shorts.

'Good afternoon everyone. You may see that only one of your regulars is here. Sadly Rio can't be with us today as she is dealing with family matters stateside. My favourite daughter, Maddy, has kindly agreed to help out today. Any questions?' Denzil then shouted out. 'Why's she wearing those rank sunglasses?'

As approximately three people laughed, Phil looked on unamused. 'Does anybody have any sensible questions?' Maddy then took her glasses off. 'This is why. This is what happens when you decide to become a pro duellist. This is the sacrifice that it takes. I got back from Sweden less than 24 hours ago, in less than 72 hours I'm off to Finland because I've been told to defend my title at every single show, and I still have a life to live.'

As the whole class looked on shocked, Phil challenged them. 'This is an invitation. If after seeing this any of you want to quit, I will go and collect any money you have paid so far. Because this is the reality if you want to make it big straight away – it's something you have to dedicate your entire life to. I don't care how talented you are, because talent only makes up 10% of success. So does anybody want to quit?' No hands went up, so he continued.

'Right, so today we are talking about duelling styles.' Denzil then shouted out again. 'Yo I don't think Belle should be here for this.' Phil then stood with his arms folded. 'I can't wait for this one. Go on, I'll entertain you.' 'Because you can't have a duelling style if you don't have any style like.'

Belle didn't react while the session continued. 'Well style is in the eye of the beholder isn't it? And what you said isn't true, because however you duel, you have a duelling style. For example, my style is relatively slow, pragmatic, and cautious. On the other hand, Maddy's style is very quick, aggressive, and destructive.' Belle then had her hand up. 'Go on.'

'How do you know what style is right for you?' 'I like that question. Honestly, the only way to know is to try different styles.' Maddy then shouted over to Astrid. 'Hey 'trid, do you have a minute?' 'Sure, what do you need?' 'When did you start duelling?' 'At all?' 'Yeah.' 'Er, I was about 8 or 9 years old, I was on holiday on the mainland, and I saw two teenagers playing. A while later I learned what it was, and then I read into it and how to play.'

'And how did you develop your style?' 'When I start, I trusted what I learned, got basics right, and then I start to trust me own instincts. I'm still learning. I recently try to start slowing my strategy to be more consistent.' 'Thanks 'trid.' 'Anything else?' 'That's it thanks.' Astrid then returned to her training, while the session continued.

'It's totally up to the individual how they duel. If you already have a deck you like using, then it's best to see what style meshes best with it. For example, using Cyber Dragons needs a different approach to using Timelords, which need a different strategy to running Exodia stall.'

'What if you don't have a particular deck in mind?' 'Then find your style, and once you have that, try different decks and see which one you're most comfortable with using.' Kenzie then had a question herself. 'Do you have decks here to try? I have one but I'm not happy with it.'

'We don't keep completed decks here, but I do keep a spare cards bin in the back. If you like, after the session I'll get the box out for you. They aren't the most powerful cards in the world, but I'm sure you'll find something good in there. All of you can take cards from there if you want. It's 50 pence per card, and a maximum of 10 per person.'

In Wilma's house

The four girls were sat down having a drink and discussing life. 'So how have you all been?' Blair shrugged, until Rio jabbed her hard in the ribs. 'Ow!' 'Have some manners B. Here, something like this. Hey Alex, this tea is absolutely gorgeous.' 'Thanks Rio. Don't worry about Blair being polite though, I know she's not the best at making conversation.'

'Excuse me I am here.' 'That got you talking. So why don't you start by explaining the scar on your arm? Been in another fight?' 'No, I had a bookshelf slash my arm a few months ago.' 'Sounds painful.' 'Got a stupid Staph infection from it.' 'Is that any different to a clever Staph infection?'

Rio laughed, which her friend seemingly wasn't too pleased about. 'Don't encourage her.' 'Encourage her? It's just a laugh B.' She then smiled at the Idahoan. 'I know it is. I am capable of joking myself. Just because I don't do it often.'

Jade then changed the subject. 'So do you live nearby?' 'Yeah, a few blocks down. Although I pretty much lived here for a while.' 'What's it like here?' 'Kind of dull. The whole state's turning into one massive garden centre. Great if you want carrots or lettuce, less good if you want cars.' 'No wonder it doesn't feel right.' 'It's changed a lot in a short time.'

Rio then looked over at her friend, while finishing her drink. 'So what happened when you left Michigan?' 'What do you mean?' 'You said how you never had any money because it was being stolen constantly.' 'Yeah.' 'How did you get out of Michigan?' 'Do we really need to go over this again?'

'Not the money, quite frankly I don't care. I could give you all 1000 bucks and still have enough to own a country. I wanted to know how you escaped.' 'Oh… ran away in the middle of the night. Cliched but I did. They never searched me for physical money.'

With this revelation, Alex decided to change the subject. 'So Jade, how did you and Blair meet?' Jade just burst out laughing. 'It's not as romantic as you're expecting.' 'With Blair, romantic is the last thing I was expecting. Did you randomly bump into each other one day?'

'Yeah… something like that.' 'Let me guess – working as a barista?' 'Not quite...' 'Go on then.' Holding back laughter, Jade revealed. 'We met at a strip club.' Alex looked completely in shock at this. 'Let me get this straight – Blair, wouldn't say a word until I annoyed her Blair, went to a strip club.'

'Yeah, in Idaho. Her and Rio.' Alex was still trying to get her head around this though. 'Thing is, I never thought Blair was going to find anyone. I knew she was bi, but I just didn't think that she would ever find anyone who could really be bothered to break her shell.' 'Finally, someone didn't call me lesbian.'

Jade then recanted her feelings for the first time. 'When I met Blair, it was something I could not describe. There was this thing about her, I don't want to say thing but I don't know what it could be, something just struck me immediately. It was in her eyes.' 'My Dad always said my eyes were my best feature. Well my adoptive one anyway, I've never met my biological parents.'

'Well David and Samantha will be at the funeral, so you might be able to talk to them afterwards.' 'Do they ever mention me?' 'He brings you up in conversation from time to time. I don't know about her though, they've been going through a pretty tense divorce. They'll probably get on again afterwards, just arguing about who gets the business.'

'How's it getting on then? Last time I was here it was struggling.' 'Business is good. They're currently in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, but he's planning on bringing them out in the next month. He's in the process of paying back a loan from the bank which got them into trouble. Here's the big thing though – they're now serving the whole of Macomb County, and soon they'll be taking deliveries from Oakland and Wayne.' 'Awesome.'

Talk then turned to the funeral arrangements. 'So it's midday tomorrow?' 'Yeah. St. Clements Church.' 'Will these two be allowed at the wake?' 'Yeah, just explain that Jade is your other half, and Rio's a guest of mine. Apparently her will's being revealed there.' 'I don't care about the will. I just want to pay my respects and then get hammered to block out the pain.'

Alex then turned to the other two. 'If you're interested, there's an old amusement arcade and some coffee shops nearby to where the wake is.' 'Thanks. We'll be contacting home first. Just to let them know we're all safe.' 'I totally understand that. If you want, I'll put $10 behind the bar for you.'

Rio then got $20 out of her purse. 'Give the rest to Ally as spending money.' 'Thanks, you really don't have to.' 'I insist. Where is she anyway?' 'She's got school today. She's off tomorrow for the funeral though.'

Back in England

As the session was drawing to a close, Maddy breathed a sigh of relief. 'I'll see you all next week, Rio should be back by then.' Some of them then started shouting out for a Q&A with Maddy. So she accepted. '5 minutes, one question at a time, and nothing about relationships.' 'Denzil.'

'When did you, like, start duelling?' 'At all?' 'Yeah.' 'Think I was about 7, I don't really remember.' 'And when did you compete?' 'My first competition was, I think, about 12. It was a local 64 person tournament. I came second and won £50 in fast food vouchers, which I splurged in one day.' 'Belle.'

'When did you know you wanted to be a pro?' 'I wasn't sure it was for me until I had my first duel in the World Championships. When I turned up I didn't really care how I did, I just wanted to enjoy myself. But once we started, I was a totally different animal. That's when I knew I'd found my thing, it just made me tick.' 'Becca?'

'Have you always been so confident?' Maddy gave a slight smile at the question. 'Not really. I mean I was always kind of chatty, comes with being from the North-East I think. But I wouldn't say I was really confident, I was always reserved.' 'Myka.'

The half-sisters locked eyes for a moment, before Myka asked her question. 'Do you enjoy the travel and discovering new countries?' 'I love the sense of adventure. I hate the travel though. Luckily I speak about 8 different languages so I'm ok getting around.' 'Speak French?' Je parle un peu français, bien mieux avec l'allemand et l'italien (I speak a little French but am more confident with German or Italian). Et tu?'

'Oui, je le parle assez bien, je passe beaucoup de temps à préparer des événements au Québec, et tout le monde ne parle pas couramment l'anglais là-bas. J'ai aussi une amie Franco-Yukonnaise donc ça aide car elle parle peu anglais (Yeah I speak it pretty well, I spend a lot of time preparing for events in Quebec, and not everyone speaks fluent English there. Also I have a friend who is Franco-Yukonnaise so it helps as she speaks little English).' 'Brooke.'

'Is it true that you were born in Wales?' 'No, I know a lot of people think that because I speak Welsh. I was born in Newcastle, but I always went on holiday in Wales when I was younger, and my best friend Jana is originally from Bridgend although she now lives in Cardiff.' Right, we're wrapping this up now after one last question from Donny.' Donny smirked, before Phil stepped in. 'Keep it clean Donny.'

'Could you let me know if Rio needs comforting when she gets back to England? My arms are long and warm.' 'Yeah, I bet you've got something else getting long and warm as well' Maddy replied, making everyone laugh, especially Donny. 'You should take up a career as a comedian.' 'What's the point when nobody can understand my accent? Anyway, have you got any serious questions?'

'Yeah, what's your favourite duel you've ever been a part of.' 'That's a tricky one because I have two of them. First the one against Kalin at Worlds because we just went to war, and I learned so much from that one duel. It taught me to wait for an opening, and to always keep my head. My other one is against Dad in China, but that's purely the memories of winning my first event. It's a feeling I'll never forget.'

With the impromptu ending over, Phil stood again. 'Over the next few weeks, I want you all to find your style of duelling. Find how you're most comfortable, practice duelling at that speed. You'll just know when it's right. Rio should be back next week. Dismissed.' As everyone walked off, Kenzie and Becca remained.

'You first.' 'Thanks Kenz.' 'What do you want to talk about?' 'I've decided that I want to quit the course.' 'That's a shame. May I ask the reason?' 'I've seen what we're going through and what's expected, and I'm just not ready yet.' Nodding, Phil made a quick note. 'Do you want me to speak to Hannah about dropping down to the Pro course?'

'What's that like?' 'It's one step below this. Whereas this course is designed to make you a top duellist, the Pro course is designed to make you good enough to be a professional, and nothing beyond that. If you're finding this course a bit too much then that is a nice level. And if you're top of that course, you'll automatically get invited to go on the Advanced course again next time as long as we hold them again.'

'If you could speak to her please.' 'Of course. You'll receive an answer within 48 hours via email.' 'Thank you.' 'You're welcome. I appreciate your honesty. This way you're not wasting our time and not wasting your own time.' As Becca quietly left, Kenzie stepped up. 'Kenzie.'

'I wanted to ask your advice about something.' 'Of course.' 'I love being here, but I've been struggling to read the cards a bit. So I went to the doctor and he told me that I'm going blind because of something called Macular Degeneration. So I was wondering if you knew of any way I could still duel.'

After a moment of thought, Phil came up with somewhat of a solution. 'Do you have any kind of earphones?' 'Yeah.' 'Are they wired or wireless?' 'Bluetooth ones.' 'I may have a solution then. Just give me a minute.' As he went to search in the back of the arena, Kenzie got to talk to Maddy 1-1.

'So when you had your first pro tournament, were you nervous?' 'I wouldn't say nervous, no. But that mainly came from the fact I had no expectations. I was fully expecting to lose every duel, go home and prepare for the tour qualifiers. But I was anxious because I at least wanted to go down fighting. Honestly though, if you're nervous, it's only because you wanna do well. There's one thing Mam told me before my first pro duel ever – play your own game. Otherwise you're gonna get played.'

Phil then walked back in with a plain silver duel disk. 'This is a special bluetooth duel disk.' 'And it works?' 'It's been tested multiple times, works just fine. It's a little slow to connect though. All you have to do is switch your bluetooth on, and search for "BTDDPN4". Stands for Bluetooth Duel Disk Prototype Number 4.'

'Why, what happened to the first 3?' 'Let's just say they didn't go well.' 'How not well?' 'The first one never worked, the second one melted through all the wires within five minutes, and the third one was really bad.' Intrigued, Maddy pressed. 'How really bad?' 'You remember seeing that thing on TV the other day? The one about what happens if you damage a phone battery.'

'Yeah...' 'Think that but much brighter and slightly less fiery.' 'That's… reasurring. Just to check, this one's a different duel disk?' 'Maddy, I don't think you've quite grasped what I'm trying to say. It caught fire.' 'Yes.' 'The batteries exploded.' 'Got it.' 'The shell melted. It was unusable even if I'd wanted to. Besides, how reckless do you think I am?' 'You really want me to answer that?'

Kenzie meanwhile, was looking at the new device. 'It looks awesome. How long did it take?' 'About 3 hours. Most of that was getting it working, because I just bought a shell in. The system itself took maybe 40 minutes to install. My suggestion is that you try it out for a week and then bring it back, tell me what you think. All you need to do is sign this contract.'

'What contract?' 'Just saying that I'm leasing this to you for a week and if you keep it you owe me £15000.' 'Is that how much it cost?' 'No, just makes sure you give it back. Actually cost about £50.' With little hesitation, Kenzie signed. 'If there's any more support we can give just let us know.' 'Thanks. Why are you doing this for me though?' Phil smiled at her. 'I want everyone to have an equal chance.'

In Michigan

The chat by now, had been going on for over 3 hours, as matters turned to a more light-hearted subject, everyone bar Jade tanked up on red wine. 'So Jade, what came first – the name or the hair?' She laughed. 'This was supposed to be grey believe it or not, but my friend picked up the wrong dye. I kinda liked it though, so it's stayed.'

'And you met Blair at a strip club?' 'Yeah.' 'What were you doing there?' 'Exotic dancer. 4th country I worked in that industry in.' 'Really?' 'Yeah. I was a lap dancer in Qa'em Shahr, Iran, worked as a stripper in an underground bar in Sadr City, Iraq, I was an exotic Vespertine dancer for bourgeoisies in Salihorsk, Belarus, and then went back to being a stripper in Boise, Idaho. 23 soon and I've been doing this since the age of 12.'

The revelation of this scared Rio and Blair. 'Half your life?' 'Guess so.' 'But you only left Idaho when you were 10.' 'Yeah, my father set up a business selling guns and ammo in Iran, but he got caught out by massive inflation, ended up going to jail for Tax Fraud. I got the offer one day to work as a lap dancer. I was good at it, and ended up being there for three years, four nights a week.'

'Must have sucked.' 'Not really. It was late hours, but I was always treated well, and I earned a lot of money.' Clearly stoned, Blair turned her attention to money. 'How much?' 'Depended how generous they were, but especially when I was in Belarus, I earned about 2500 roubles a night, somewhere around $1000.'

'Take it your parents were happy though.' 'My father's still refusing to speak to me. Being lesbian doesn't help with that. As for my mother, I don't know if she's even alive. The last I heard was 2011, when she emigrated to Palestine. Anyway, I think we've had enough to drink tonight.'

'But you've drunk nothing.' 'Duh, Muslims don't drink.' Meanwhile Blair was so stoned that she had fallen asleep. 'I think we'd better be going.' Alex then got up. 'I'll get my fiance to pick you up and take you to the hotel. I only live round the corner.' She then got on the phone.

'Hey sweetie. I've had a couple, you can probably tell. Blair and her friends are here – could you pick us up and drop them at the Ultica? Thank you! See you soon.' Less than 10 minutes passed before Matthew arrived, but it was still enough time for Rio to also drop off.

In England

Maddy was taking time out on the Nightmare Bridge when Kris walked up to find her meditating. He looked across the expanse for a moment, before Maddy spoke. 'I know you're there Kris.' 'How?' 'Felt ya. It's amazing what you can hear when you concentrate.' 'I'll take your word for it.'

'So what brings you here?' 'Fancied some time out. Time to reflect.' 'How you feeling with your treatment?' 'Feel fine honestly. Just tiring. They're hoping to do the transplant in the next couple of weeks. Then it's a month until they can tell if I'm in remission or if I need more treatment.'

'Hope it goes well. You're a nice guy.' 'You're not half bad yourself.' 'I try.' The president then started convulsing, before throwing up. 'You ok?' 'Yeah just not feeling too on it at the moment. Felt dodgy for a few days honestly.' 'You might want to get checked out.' 'It's probably just a bug. That's why I came up here – get some air.'

'Nowhere better.' Maddy then smiled at him. 'You know it's called the Nightmare Bridge right?' 'What's nightmarish about it?' 'Popular place for teenagers to jump to their deaths.' 'Tallest bridge around?' 'No, but it's the only one with handrails thick enough to stand on. Also it's the only one not above the motorway. Not that a soft landing matters after you've jumped 320ft.'

Soon after, talk turned to love. 'So what about you and Astrid?' 'What about us?' 'When are you actually going to make it official?' 'We ain't together, we're just friends.' 'Come on Kris, she's totally into you.' 'I'm ready if she is.' 'You really like her don't you?' Kris smiled. 'Yeah, guess I do. She's a blonde Viking with blue eyes and a sense of humour. What isn't to like?'

'S'pose you're right there.' 'So what about you?' 'What about me?' 'When are you getting a boyfriend?' Maddy laughed. 'You're not serious, right?' 'Yeah.' 'Trust me, when your previous was mine, you'd be staying away for a while.' 'Why, who's your ex?' 'Rhydian.' 'What – Rhydian as in enemy of the state and probably the third most unpopular person to club members Rhydian?'

'Yep.' 'What happened?' 'I joined the Renegades and he didn't. So that was that.' 'Sounds like unfinished business.' 'The only unfinished business is taking that title from him. Our personal business was done the moment he rejected the cause.' 'Don't take this the wrong way, but do you ever miss him?'

'I guess I miss the person I thought he was. But I miss someone who didn't really exist. I only miss a charade I guess.' 'He's put you off.' 'You could say that. I just want to concentrate on the club for now. Anything else can wait.'

In Michigan, the next morning

Blair was getting dressed for the funeral, with Rio and Jade in her room. 'So how bad's your head this morning?' 'You have no idea. I really can't handle alcohol.' 'I'd never have guessed. Luckily I didn't drink any, so I managed to sort out all your clothes for today – shirt, jacket, trousers, socks, and shoes.'

'Thanks Jade.' 'Need a ponytailer?' 'Fine thanks, got one already. Thinking of just leaving it down to be honest.' 'So you know where the church is?' 'Yeah, it's not far from here. Could walk it in about 20 minutes, and that's with a handicap.' Pouting, Rio started answering back. 'I don't like being called a handicap.' 'You know what I mean.'

'Yeah, I know.' 'I'm planning on getting to the church early.' 'Why?' 'Because the gruesome twosome won't. They'll turn up as late as possible, and they can't fight me if they don't see me. With anybody else I trust my temper. But it's a different story with them.' 'Can't blame you – the way they've treated you. Anything from Alex this morning?'

'Yeah, we arranged to meet at the church at 1:10. Time check Jade.' '12:35. Now have you eaten this morning?' 'Yeah, had some cereal in my PJs.' 'Got time for a leisurely walk down then.' 'Depends if I can get these damn buttons done.' As Blair became frustrated, her girlfriend helped her out. 'If you need help you just have to ask.' 'Thanks. I have no idea what I'd be doing without you.' 'Well you don't need to wonder because we're going nowhere.'

The girls then left the hotel, with Rio and Jade both wearing sunglasses. As they approached the church and the bells rung, Alex hoved into view. 'You're here early.' 'Could say the same about you. What brings you here so early?' 'Avoiding the gruesome twosome. We did discuss it earlier.' 'Sorry, it's the wine last night. Gives me dodgy memory. You look great.'

'Wish I felt it. Properly hungover.' 'Well the church is open so shall we go in?' 'What are we waiting for?' Rio then put her arm over her much taller friend. 'We're going to head off. Meet you at the wake after.' 'Sure. Just remember one of you will have to go in with Alex.' 'Obviously, yeah. Already arranged it in fact – Rio's a cousin I just learned about a few weeks ago. She's coming to get to know her extended family.'

'When did you arrange that?' 'Yesterday, when you went to the toilet. Rio was asking if they'd be allowed in.' 'Fair enough. Thought it was weird I didn't remember it.' 'With how much you two drunk last night, I'm surprised you remember anything. Anyway, we'll see you two after the funeral.' 'Sure.'

Once Alex and Blair were out of sight, the next discussion was what to do next. 'So where do you fancy going?' 'Honestly? I want to go somewhere quiet. So we can catch up. Feels like with you and Blair getting together we never properly caught up. It's been several years.' 'Missed a lot.' 'Not kidding.'

In England

Astrid's assessment was taking place in the Arena, with Sakura and Maddy watching on. 'So what do you need?' 'It's fairly simple – it's an hour of duelling against the drones, random levels of difficulty and randomly-generated decks. Meanwhile I'll be keeping an eye on you, see how you're coping with any residual pain, keep an eye on your heart rate, all that stuff. I took your resting heart rate, and I'll take your rate after as well.'

The Viking was full of scorn for the hurdles she had to jump however, and snapped the words 'Dere medisinske mennesker er like, jeg vil heller være lam enn å svare på dere hunder!' 'Astrid, please don't give Sak a hard time, she's doing her job.' As Astrid began the test, Sak whispered to Maddy in hushed tones. 'So what did she say about me?' 'You really don't want to know.'

In Michigan

Sasha and America arrived five minutes after the funeral was due to start, dressed more like Hollywood A-Listers than mourners, in only the finest fur. As they took their seats, the sturdy oak coffin was carried in by Blair's parents as well as Matthew and Wilma's close friend Anthony. With the coffin in place, the service began.

'We are gathered here today to say goodbye to Wilma Elsa Daphne Flannigan. A mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and wife for 68 years to Michael, she had lots of family members who cared for her and she cared for in equal regard. In her century of living, Wilma provided many of us gathered, and so many more, with thousands of countless memories which we will never forget. I can say from personal experience that she was a lovely woman who had a passion for living. She always wanted to broaden her horizons and try anything new. I would like at this moment to invite her grandaughter Alexandra to share her memories.'

As Alex stepped up to the altar, she took a look at the coffin, and shared her memories. 'The summer of '93. I was five, and I stayed at my Gramma Wilma's for the first time. We always called her Gramma because I never pronounced my D's when I was younger, but it was one of the best times I had in my entire life. It was a time when I was just free to be a child.'

'And that is what she always wanted – she wanted all of us to be free to be whatever we were. It didn't matter what she thought of our paths, I know for a fact she didn't like Matthew at first, it didn't matter where we went, she always wanted us to be happy in whatever we were doing. If we were satisfied, she was satisfied.'

'Right up until the end, she was still worried about us. That was the kind of person she was – everyone else was always more important, only we mattered. She could have chosen to spend her last days and hours however she wanted, but she wanted to spend them with us. I will always be thankful for the time we spent together. So I just want to say to you, thank you. The memories will last for the rest of my life.'

As Alex returned to her seat, the congregation stood up for the first hymn. After this, the priest continued. 'When we gather together here for a funeral, many would expect it to be a sad time. And yes, it is sad saying goodbye to a loved one. But it is also an opportunity to say thank you, and to gather and remember the good times. We gather to mourn death, but also to celebrate life. We cry at our losses but we also look forward to a time in the future when we will reunite with our loved ones who have left this mortal plain. We now turn to a reading from the Gospel of John. Please turn to Chapter 14, Verses 2 and 3.'

In England

Astrid's fitness test was over, and having considered her decision, Sakura came back to her. 'So what's the decision?' 'Well, I took a look at all of the data we got from you, and it's looking good. So I'm clearing you to duel again with immediate effect.' Astrid looked delighted at this.

'Just one thing though – please stop landing on your head and neck. Your vertebrae are messed up enough as is.' 'Let me guess, you're going to lecture me about surgery?' 'I've given up with that by now. That's why I'm warning you to be careful. Otherwise you'll have no say in the matter.'

Once Astrid had left, Maddy consulted with the club doctor. 'You're really not happy are you?' 'I'm not comfortable clearing Astrid, but I don't have a real choice.' 'She'll be fine though.' 'As long as she doesn't land on the back of her head or neck.' 'Back?' 'Should be fine. It's the ones in her neck which are the big issue.'

'Is there any chance they'll just heal on their own?' 'Could do but it'd take a while. Really she should have surgery but I know she's got a thing about that.' 'It's ok, lots of people do. Anyway, I'm taking the rest of the day off.' 'Don't blame you. Any plans?' 'Not particularly.' 'Well if you're interested there's a sushi bar about 20 minute walk from here.' 'Thanks, I'll check it out.'

Back in Michigan

After a passionate speech from Sasha about the speedboat she had arranged to buy with the soon to be received inheritance, the priest continued. 'As we come towards the end of our service here, I ask us to always show each other with the love that we deserve and the love that our father showed us by giving us life. Jesus too showed this love by sacrificing himself on the cross and forgiving the traitor.'

At this moment, Blair leant forward, her lanky body allowing her to speak to the priest without getting up. After a brief conversation, he stood up again. 'Excuse me but there appears to be an unscheduled speaker wanting to share their memories. So if Blair would like to step up.'

Standing up, she looked America and Sasha full in the face, with the younger of them having not noticed her during the speech due to being so preoccupied thinking of their new boat. The grieving young woman stood up straight, held her head up so everyone could see her face, and made her speech.

'Wilma was more than just a grandmother. She was an inspiration to us all. She spent her entire life, she wanted to go as far as possible, right to the edge, and then she wanted to go further. If there was a boat to the end of the earth she would have taken it and then swam straight over the end.'

America briefly shouted 'Slag!' at her, but Blair didn't notice. 'I was there, at the end. I almost saw her last breath. But she didn't want me living with that. That was the kind of person Gramma always was. She would rather be alone than make somebody she cared about go through any kind of pain. But this world was never for her. She always deserved a kinder world than she could ever have here. So hopefully in the next life, she's somewhere where her kind heart is rewarded.'

'And before I go I wanted to share the one piece of advice she gave me on the last day. She told me not to be afraid of who I am. Because the only person who truly knows what makes me me is myself. She helped me find myself again. And that is worth far more than anything else she could have ever given me.'

Blair sat down and Alex put her hand on her half-sister's knee. 'You were ace up there.' 'Thanks.' The service was then shown a slide-show of photos and memories of Wilma's years. As this ended, the service was brought to a close. 'May we all stand now as Wilma begins her final journey, before she ascends to heaven, where our lord Jesus Christ will welcome her. The gates will be opened for her and she will walk in to eternal salvation. The service has ended, let us leave.'

The pallbearers picked the coffin back up and marched it out of the church, followed by all of the attendees. As Blair started to walk back up, a slender and strapping man with long fingers and a goatee walked past her, before looking back. 'Dad.' 'Blair, I wanted to talk to you.'

'What about?' 'I wasn't happy about the way that we parted last time. I spoke to Wilma shortly before she was bedridden, she explained everything to me. You were following your dreams, and trying to make a life for yourself. You could have settled for the family business but you wanted to do everything your way.'

'I'm sorry for the way I left. I was proper disrespectful.' 'I think we could both learn a few things. It's just a shame it took this to bring us together.' 'I know. I just want to have you back in my life.' 'I'll work on it. You are always welcome to move back in if you like.' 'I appriciate that, but I'm settled now.'

'Where did you end up?' 'It's a place called North Shields, it's near Newcastle in northern England.' 'I've never been but I hear it's cold there.' 'No colder than Michigan. If you're interested, a couple of my friends are going to be at the wake later.' 'I will try to meet them then.'

In England

Astrid was changing a few cards in her deck when Phil approached her. 'Alright?' 'Yeah.' 'How did the assessment go?' 'Cleared.' 'Good on you.' Before the awkward conversation could continue, Maddy walked in, carrying her trusty sketchpad. 'Here comes the artist then.' 'I thought I'd got rid of you.'

'Yeah, well I got something to show you.' Maddy then presented a series of sketches revolving around a fox's head and body with the words "Arctic Fox" around them in stone grey letters. 'Thought you might want to use them.' 'Yeah, thanks… who came up with Arctic Fox?' 'Oh, that's Dad's pet name for you.'

'Your Dad has a pet name for me?' 'Yep.' 'This guy?' 'Yep.' 'Since when?' 'Probably about new year? How long have you had that name for her?' 'First called her that in China after I faced her. Because you're from the arctic and you're as cunning as a fox.' 'Not bad.' 'So you going to use it?' Astrid grinned. 'Maybe.'

At the burial

As the coffin was carried out of the hearse, the priest bowed his head. 'For as much as it hath pleased almighty god of his great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear sister here departed, we therefore commit her body to the ground. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in such and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through our lord Jesus Christ. We hereby ask our lord to accept Wilma into heaven, where she may be granted her eternal life. We ask also that a seat at his table be reserved for upon her accension, she would surely be by his side.'

The oak structure was then lowered into the ground slowly, as everyone kept their heads bowed in respect. After it reached the ground, a number of mourners including Alex threw dirt onto the grave, and it was covered up, without Blair shedding a single tear. Everyone then slowly left for the wake, with the relocated native spending longer there.

In England

Maddy was back in her office when there was a gentle knock. 'Come in.' Kate then walked in, hair down and carrying a large box. 'Oh thanks.' 'You're welcome. I wanted to talk to you anyway.' 'Sure, fire away.' 'I was wondering if I could join the club.' Reluctant, Maddy looked for an excuse. But there was none forthcoming.

'I'm sorry, I just don't think it's a good idea.' 'Why not?' 'I'm trying to keep a lid on the numbers here. It's nothing against you, but I'm not just allowing anybody in here. I have to set an example to everyone else here that I'm not choosing recruits based purely on whether I like them. I've not even allowed my best friend in.'

'What – that Jana? She's here all the time.' 'She's a guest of mine. I'm not saying you can't come in, but the time isn't right to just give you a place in the club. When the time's right I'll absolutely let you have your chance. I promise.' Kate looked disappointed but seemed to understand. 'Thanks anyway.' 'You're welcome.'

In Michigan

As Blair arrived for the wake, Rio was waiting on her own, nursing an orange juice. 'Hey Rio.' 'How was it?' 'Yeah, went as well as it could have done.' 'Alex told me you made a speech. Probably make you feel better.' 'I guess. I just…' 'Tell me anything.' 'Just something's bugging me. All this time, I've not cried once and I don't know why. I know it doesn't make me a bad person or anything, it's just frustrating that I know I should be.'

'You said it yourself – you're not a bad person for it. You're just not that much of an emotional person. Don't get mad over it.' 'If you don't mind me asking, how did you react when you lost your parents?' 'It's not really a fair question. I mean, I was 10 and had been in a car wreck. But yeah, cried like a baby. But you know how emotional a person I am – I cry at everything.'

Blair then looked around and appeared puzzled. 'Where's Jade?' 'She's gone to the toilet. Between us, I think she's on her… you know' 'Lady season?' 'Yeah.' 'Mine's overdue by two weeks.' 'You probably miscounted.' Just then, Blair's father came over to them. 'So this is your friend you mentioned?'

'Yeah. Meet Rio. Rio, meet Jack Flannigan – my father.' Rio extended her hand, but Jack nodded it away. 'It's nice to meet you. How long have you known Blair?' 'I met her shortly after I moved to England. She's also an expat, from Idaho.' 'And how long have you lived over there?'

'About 3 months before Blair. We just happened to end up renting from the same person.' Before the Spanish inquisition could continue, Jade walked back in from her relief break. 'Who's this Blair?' 'This is my father. Jade, meet Jack. This is Jade, and she's my girlfriend.' Jack gave a wry smile, but stayed civil.

'Nice to meet you Jade. So when did you and Blair meet?' 'Only a couple of months ago. We met at a bar in Idaho, we were introduced by Rio – me and her grew up together in Idaho.' Clearly swallowing his pride, Jack extended his hand. 'It's nice to meet you Jade. Let me buy you all a drink, just to extend the, the proverbial olive branch if you will. Blair?' 'I'll have a pint of beer thanks. What are you having Rio?' 'I might as well have a bourbon.' 'You drink bourbon?' 'Yeah. Never more than one. Gets me really drunk.' 'You're only having one considering what happened the last time you had whiskey.' 'And Jade?' 'I'll just have a coke thanks – I'm Muslim so I don't drink.'

As they received their drinks, an old man in a black suit and poorly-wrapped tie walked in with a dossier of documents, and the bartender got everyone's attention. The business type stood there, waiting until everyone looked to speak, his gentle but strong voice keeping people captivated.

'Hello everyone. My name is Irving Jackson, and I was Wilma Flannigan's lawyer, and a close friend for over 45 years. As such, she asked me to execute her last will and testament according to her wishes. She has specifically insisted that I go through the will in order. And I quote...'

"To my close confidant Ben Jones IV, I leave $10,000. This money is specifically so you can build an annexe on your house for your mother. I understand she is frail, and she deserves to be treated to comfort by her own son. Find enclosed also, the address of my sister-in-law's son, who is a very experienced builder. I already arranged for the work to be done in the budget."

"To Jessica Flannigan, sister of Jack, I will leave the sum of $18,700. This will pay off the debts you occurred from the bank loan you took out. I always knew about it but you were too proud to accept help. Let this be a sign to let others look after yourself when you cannot."

"To my great-granddaughter Alexandra Flannigan, I leave $40,000. This will allow you to take up that criminal justice course at Harvard which you were always destined to do. I also leave my credit card, just in case money gets tight." Upon hearing this, Alex's eyes watered slightly, while America and Sasha started whispering to each other, clearly irritated.

"To my grandson Jack Flannigan, I leave my collection of antique firearms. Your grandfather left these behind when he was called up to serve in Vietnam, and sadly failed to return. You are too young to remember him clearly, but these were his pride and joy. I'm sure they will earn an excellent price, or you may want to keep them. Additionally, do not give up on your business venture, it will work again.'

Blair then stood up. 'Going to the toilet, I'll be back in 5.' Just as she started walking though, she was stopped in her tracks by the will reading continuing. "To my great-granddaughter Blair Flannigan, I leave my collection of costume jewellery, including my wedding ring, and $10,000."

Sasha and America were fuming at this, and their day then got even worse, as Mr. Jackson wasn't finished. 'In addition, I wish for my house to be auctioned off with a reserve of $400,000. All proceeds from the house are to go to Blair's new bank account. And as I am aware of the rumours regarding her bank, the new details are enclosed in a safe in my house, and only to be read by Blair herself. The code is her birthday.'

Stunned, Blair just froze, as the final part of the will was read out. 'A message for Blair. My dear, continue doing what I always wanted to but never had the guts to try – explore the world, find what makes you truly happy and never stop."

"All those not mentioned in my will who would reasonably expect to be, heed this warning: now is the time to change your ways before you lose everyone permanently. Until I see you all again." Mr. Jackson then turned to leave, but was acosted by Sasha and America.

'Uh I think you, like, missed someone out' America whined. 'I did not' the reply came. 'But you must of done. Granny Wilma would never leave us out' 'I assure you I read everything. Unless you want me to read all the legal talk as well.' Angered, Sasha snatched the dossier and read through it herself, before storming up to Blair, and getting right in her face.

'It says this is for family. As in REAL family. So why don't you just go back to Moron land where you and your ugly friends can celebrate your life as a pathetic Diesel Dyke.' At that moment though, something clicked in Blair's mind. Instead of punching Sasha, she leant over, and simply replied 'Because annoying you is much more satisfying', before snatching the dossier and handing it back to Mr. Jackson.

'Thank you. I'm sorry for your loss.' 'Just one of those things isn't it, nature. I don't need to bully, when I can just be an adult.' Blair escorted Mr. Jackson out, and as soon as he left, she turned around only for Sasha to pin her to a wall while America laughed. 'Tell us the combination to that safe otherwise Sasha here is going to cut your beautiful hair off.'

Blair struggled at first, but then calmed down, and stared her chief tormentor dead in the face. 'No.' 'You think we're joking? Sasha do it.' Without hesitation, Sasha brought the scissors in, but Blair pivoted her body away at the last moment, leading to Sasha only cutting off around four inches of her hair on the left side, and scraping skin up from the back of her neck, as everyone looked on shocked.

Sasha and America looked pleased at this until they turned around and saw Jack looking at something on Rio's phone. Jack then looked back up, and saw the scene with Blair bleeding slightly from the neck with her hair now uneven having been hacked at, and Sasha still holding the offending objects, and he spoke with a gruff bark. 'America, Sapphire, come here.'

As they slowly walked over, Rio and Jade rushed over to Blair. 'I'm fine I promise.' Jade then took a looked at Blair's neck. 'Just scraped some skin off. What were you showing Jack anyway Rio?' 'The texts.' Blair looked confused. 'I deleted them though.' 'I may have borrowed your phone one night and sent them to myself.' The native then stared over at the bar. 'Hey Jade, could you get me a Palmer and my phone?' 'Sure.' As Jade brought Blair's phone over, she quickly started jabbing away at it, while America and Sasha were being given the third degree by their father.

In England

Jana was helping out cleaning at the base when there was a gentle, barely audible knock on the doors. 'Anyone else hear that?' Everyone else in the room shook their heads. 'Figures – wolfblood.' As she opened the doors, a look of severe surprise covered her face, as Dan and Emma stood there. 'What are you doing here?'

'Just dropping in on Maddy, give her a surprise.' 'I mean, you are technically supposed to have an appointment, but I'm guessing considering who you are it'll be ok.' 'Well it is meant to be a surprise. So where do we go?' Jana then grinned, before dropping her cloth on the floor and guiding them through the base to the office, before immediately running off again. 'Where are you going?' 'If she's annoyed, I wasn't responsible.'

As they knocked on the door, they heard a familiar voice from within. 'If it's the pizza delivery man, leave it in front of the door. Anyone else, come in.' As they walked in, she looked up, and looked surprised. 'Oh sorry, I didn't know Jana had arranged visitors.' 'She didn't, we decided to surprise you.'

Maddy then put down the paperwork, and straightened her prized custom hoodie out. 'So, to what do I owe the pleasure?' 'Well we've not spoken in a while, so we just wanted to spend time with you.' 'Sure.' 'You don't exactly sound convinced.' 'Yeah, well it's just that there's always an ulterior motive.'

Dan then took over the talking. 'If there was an ulterior motive we would have asked Jana to come with us. We just want to spend time with our daughter. Ok?' 'Sorry for doubting you.' 'We understand, we've not spoken much since everything that happened.' Maddy then smiled at them. 'Listen, I've got a free day Tuesday if you're free.' 'What about this place?' 'I'll leave someone else in charge for a few hours. That alright with you?' Dan looked at Emma and they were both delighted. 'Midday?' 'Make it about 11?' 'Brilliant.'

As they left the office, Dan and Emma met Hannah, who was just walking towards there. 'Dan and Emma, what a nice surprise. How are you both?' 'We're good, we're good. Just so you know, we're having a day out with Maddy on Tuesday.' 'Well enjoy it. Actually, how would you fancy bringing Maddy back to our house and then stopping off for a meal?' 'Yeah, that sounds great.' 'I'll let Phil know.'

In Michigan

Nearly 10 minutes later, America and Sasha were still trying to talk their way out of the situation they were in, while most of the other attendees were busy talking amongst themselves, something which was making Blair very uncomfortable.

'Ri, everyone's staring at me. I'm thinking of finding a different place to drink in.' 'It's fine. I promise people aren't staring.' She then continued to quietly drink her Arnold Palmer, until Alex walked over. 'Wanted to give you a bit of space.' 'Thanks.' 'Sure you're ok? You can tell me anything.' 'I promise I'm fine.'

America then snuck away from Jack and went to square up to Blair, only for Alex to stand in her way. 'Out of my way dork.' 'No. You're going to pay for what you did. Because Blair is more of a sister than you're capable of being. You know why? Because all you care about is money. That's the only thing in your world.' Blair then interrupted. 'Don't worry Al, she's going to get what's coming to her.'

Just then they noticed flashing lights through the window. 'Speaking of.' America's eyes then went wide. 'What've you done punk?' Two police officers then walked in, batons drawn. 'We've received notice of a disturbance here.' Jack then walked over, and explained the situation to the officers, and two of the attendees had filmed what was going on.

With them having seen everything, the officers walked over to Sasha. 'Yeah, can I help you?' 'Sasha Flannigan?' 'Yeah that's me. What do you want?' 'Sasha Flannigan, I am arresting you on suspicion of Aggrivated Assault. I will read you your rights in the car.' 'I didn't do anything!' 'We've seen the video.'

Meanwhile, Rio was talking with the other officer about the texts. America then tried to run, but Jade stuck one of her long legs out to trip her, allowing the officer an easy arrest. 'America Flannigan, I am arresting you on suspicion of Blackmail and Fraud. We'll question you at the station.' America and Sasha were then lead away, with America shouting a volley of abuse at Blair.

In England

Hannah was on her laptop looking up picture frames when she received a strange text from Megan, and her husband noticed her bewildered expression. 'What's eating you?' 'Got a text from Megs. It says "Check my social media, shared something you need to see." Phil shrugged his shoulders. 'Cat videos?' 'No – Megan wouldn't contact me like that unless it was something really important.'

She logged on to their shared social media, and quickly found what Megan was talking about – the video of Blair being attacked. As Phil and Hannah watched it, their faces dropped. So before the video had finished, Hannah rung Rio.

'Hello?' 'Where's Blair?' 'Right next to me.' 'Not in hospital?' 'Ah you heard.' 'Heard? I've seen it! It's all over social media!' 'What?' 'I want to talk to Blair.' 'Sure. I mean she's fine but' 'Now please.' There was then a muffled voice from the other end and some rustling. 'Hello?' 'Blair' 'I'm fine I promise. I almost got out of the way.' 'Fine? You were attacked with a pair of scissors. Has a doctor checked on you yet?'

'No, but Jade has and I've only got a slight scrape on my neck. Besides, they won't be causing more problems any time soon – they were both arrested. Right now they're probably screaming at some police officers on the other side of town.' 'As long as you're not too badly shaken.'

'I'll be fine. Flying straight to Finland tomorrow afternoon.' 'Thanks for letting me know. How did the funeral go?' 'About as well as funerals can thanks. I got some money in the will, but I don't really want it.' 'It was what she wanted though.' 'I guess' 'It's up to you, but I think you should take it.' 'If I do, first thing I'm doing is paying you and Phil back what I owe you.' 'Don't hurry, we don't charge interest.' 'Thanks. I should be going, thinking of getting an early night.' 'Sleep well and see you tomorrow.' 'Bye.'

That night, in Michigan

Jade walked into Blair's room to find her just cutting her hair to make it level again. 'Woah what are you doing?' 'Well I couldn't leave it like that. I swear this is the shortest my hair's been since I was about 10.' Blair's new haircut ended abruptly around the middle of her back, instead of stretching the full distance like it had done that morning.

Concerned, her girlfriend offered a gentle arm across the shoulder, as Rio came in as well. 'For so long it feels like my life's been on pause. Because I've been too scared to let myself enjoy it. It finally feels like I'm free. I'm Blair f*cking Flannigan, and there's nobody I'd rather be.'

Next time: Blair recieves more good news, Akiza takes on Freja, and Astrid is back with a vengeance in Renegades: A New Dawn Chapter XXVI: Fight for your Right