Preface: After my character's initial debut in Sailor Moon Defenders, I tried finding out how I can expand the character's growth a bit more. It took a couple of years, but eventually, I ended up coming up with this story.

For context: This story coincides with the Defenders of the Earth series. Inspired by Marzena's story "Defenders of the Earth: This is Their Story", I created these chapters which would be set during certain points of the series, and the Defenders will be making at least one appearance during the story, hence the crossover.

Disclaimer: The characters Abigail Gordon and Sara Gordon belong to James5. For other disclaimer, see chapter one!

Plot: (Episode: set after "Free Fall"; and between "Escape from Mongo" and "Creation of Monitor") After Dale's funeral, Tori finds out the truth behind what happened to her thanks to an ally who is close to Duncan MacLeod and helps them when an intruder attacks the team.

Questions & Answers

Tori sighed sadly as she walked away from the casket. She couldn't believe her aunt was gone, but it was a fact. Dale was dead, killed by Ming, and she was not coming back. She joined the family back at the mansion.

"It's hard to believe Dale is no longer with us," Abgail stated.

"Yes," Mandrake replied, "but she will always be with us in our hearts."

The family continued talking about Dale, talking about how she was a wonderful mother, even to Tori, who was a daughter to both Flash and Dale after Ian's death and Janet's incarceration.

Tori listened in on different stories of Dale, most of them she had already heard of.

Suddenly, she was sensing something, as if there was another presence in the area.

"Tor?" April asked, tugging at her cousin's arm, "what's wrong?"

"Someone's here," Tori muttered for an answer.

"What do you mean?" Kshin asked.

Suddenly, the window smashed and a man appeared, taking everyone by surprise. This man wasn't too huge in size, but he was well built and had dark hair with a beard. Not only that, he was holding a sword in his hand, "Ah, now I have come to finish the job I have started."

"What the hell is his deal?!" Abigail exclaimed.

"Oh, don't worry," the man said with an evil smirk on his face, eyeing Tori, "I won't be long. Just let me have the girl, and I will be on my way."

"Are you an agent for Ming?" Flash asked, "No matter because you will not be touching my niece."

"We shall see about that," the man replied. The man started swinging his sword around the room.

"You kids stay back," Mandrake told his young ward.

"I know," Kshin replied, annoyed, "so we can be safe."

Tori, Rick, Jedda, LJ, Sara, April and Kshin did their best to stay out of the action.

"Why does this psycho want Tori?" Sara asked.

"I have no idea," Rick shook his head.

"Regardless," April stepped forward, "he's not going to touch our cousin!"

"What are you doing?!" Rick exclaimed, "We were told to stay back!"

Flash and Abby tried their best to fire at the mysterious man. Lothar tried beating down the brute, and Mandrake tried using some illusions to try and subdue him. Even the Phantom used his ten tigers power to try to take down the man. He was down for a moment on each attempt but he eventually recovered each time.

"Is that the best you can do?" the man chuckled. He then grabbed Tori by the hair while she was standing with the younger kids.

"Tori!" April exclaimed in horror.

Tori tried fighting the man in self defense, using Muay Thai to try to take him down. Her efforts were strong, but the man still gained the upper hand and pinned her to the floor.

"Stop where you are, Davis!" a female voice demanded.

Everyone looked to see a young woman with pixie brunette hair, holding a sword of her own.

"Oh, Amanda," Davis glanced at the swordswoman, "you know the rules."

"Yeah, I know the rules," Amanda nodded in response, "but the girl you're attacking is new to the game, so therefore, you will have to battle me."

"Fine," Davis scoffed before freeing Tori from his grasp, "but after I take your head, I will take hers."

With that, Davis and Amanda engaged in a one on one sword fight.

"Who is this girl?" LJ asked.

"Her name is Amanda," Kshin answered bluntly.

"We know that from what that sick man said," Sara replied, "but who exactly is she?"

Eventually, Amanda gained the upper hand against Davis before swinging her sword, and his head rolled, prompting gasps to fill the room.

"That's what MacLeod did," Tori muttered.

Suddenly, the Defenders, Abby, Sara and Tori all heard a crackle of thunder.

"Is it supposed to be thundering tonight?" Flash asked.

"Not that I am aware of," Mandrake answered, shaking his head. The group looked to see the lighting surrounding Amanda, shortly after some mysterious energy transfer from Davis' body to hers.

Everyone looked on in shock as some of lighting hit different parts of the room, including causing a blackout in the living room.

After a little bit, it was all over. Amanda looked at Tori, Sara, Abby and the Defenders.

"This is going to be a lot to take in," Amanda glanced at Tori and the Defenders, "so, I hope you guys can brace yourselves."

"What was all that about?" Jedda asked, "you beheaded that guy and thunder surrounded you after that."

"That is called a Quickening," Amanda answered. She paused, took a deep breath and continued, "Normally, mortals are not supposed to know about immortals, but there had been exceptions, so..."

"Immortals?" Mandrake spoke up next.

"Yeah," Amanda nodded, "Immortals exist, and one of your own happens to be immortal."

The Defenders all looked at one another, wondering who the immortal was.

"The guy your beheaded nearly took Tori's head," Rick spoke up, "that was until you showed up."

"Yeah," Amanda bluntly pointed out, "Tori would be the immortal."

Tori paled in shock. So, this was what happened to her.

"Tori," Amanda glanced at her before asking, "do you recognize the changes you had experienced?"

She shook her head, "Not really. I just noticed I was feeling changes when they happened last night."

"Can you explain further about these changes?" Mandrake asked. He seemed to be curious about what was going on as did the rest of the Defenders.

"Last night while I was enjoying the night view," Tori explained, "then suddenly, I heard a loud clapping sound. It sounded like a gun shot, and I felt some intense pain in my back before I blacked out."

"That's when I found Tori," April added, "she looked awful and she told me to take her to the summer home."

"So, that's why you went to our summer home," Flash stated quietly, "I can understand why though."

"That's your first death," Amanda spoke up, "Davis was killing pre-immortals in this area, and then try to take their heads before they can figure out what happened to them."

"Like what nearly happened back there," Lothar stated.

"Davis must have shot Tori last night," Amanda explained, "as you will experience, some immortals are good, and some are evil."

"And this Davis guy was an evil immortal," Kshin asked, "while you are good?"

Amanda looked around as she eyed Tori and the Defenders, and then proceeded to ask, "Tori, you mind if you come with me and I will explain things further to you, and perhaps I'll help train you before you return home."

There was a pause of silence as Tori glanced at her uncle and cousins as well as the rest of the Defenders. They were surprised at everything that had happened.

"You should go with her," Flash suggested to his niece, "and us Defenders will take care of getting our headquarters up and running."

"Okay then," Tori nodded before she looked at Amanda, "that sounds like a plan."

"What will we tell Sara and Aunt Abigail?" April asked.

"I guess we tell them," Flash answered, "Tori had an emergency and was in the process of returning home."

"Hopefully, they'll buy that story," Rick nodded.

"In due time," Amanda assured the Defenders, "if it's true that Tori is living in Seacouver, this may not be the last time you have immortal encounters."

"What do you mean by that?" LJ asked.

"Well," Amanda answered, "if Tori has met MacLeod as she stated, then you will be in for more adventures than just this Ming the Merciless you speak about."

That gave the Defenders something to think about. They weren't sure if they would come across Duncan MacLeod given he was a few states away from where they lived, being Washington as they lived in California. Of course, in their line of work, anything could happen.

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

Tori looked around the hotel room Amanda was staying in. She was immortal now, and she assumed that Amanda had been immortal much longer than she had.

"There's a lot more to being immortal than what you told the Defenders, isn't there?" Tori asked.

"Yep," Amanda nodded, "I explained the Quickening already, but there is more to immortals than what I explained as well as how first deaths work."

Tori nodded.

"There are some rules with being an immortal," Amanda proceeded to explain, "first, you may not fight on holy ground, such as a church. Second, immortal combat is one on one only, no outside interference. Typically, mortals are not supposed to know about immortals, as I explained to your friends back there, as the mortal dies, you move on."

Tori nodded, listening intently as Amanda explained the rules to her.

"When only a few are left," Amanda continued, "all immortals will be drawn to a distant land, and that is called the Gathering, which is around the corner, give or take."

"What's the Gathering," Tori asked, "and what's the prize?"

"The Gathering is like I said," Amanda answered, "where all immortals will be drawn to a distant land. In the end, there can be only one. The last immortal will receive all the power of all the immortals who have ever lived."

"You're not supposed to die as an immortal, are you?" Tori asked.

"There is one way," Amanda nodded, "your head can be decapitated from your body, like you saw back at the mansion."

"And when I saw MacLeod take the Quickening from that one man," Tori stated.

"Exactly," Amanda nodded, "so you have witnessed immortal action prior."

Tori nodded before asking, "There is a way to defend yourself from other immortals, right?"

"There is," Amanda nodded before getting out some sort of box, "here, this is yours."

Tori opened the box. It looked like a Tachi. She got the sword out of the box and examined it, "Nice."

"I shall be training you to get to your opponent before they get to you," Amanda gently touched her student's shoulder, "Get some rest. You're going to need it."

"Here?" Tori asked, "I can spend the night here?"

"Of course," Amanda answered.