Chapter Nine

Flash looked on as Felicia gasped, revived. He assumed that wasn't new when it came to immortals. Felicia stood up as she walked over to Keogh as he gasped, revived as well.

"Wake up, idiot!" Felicia exclaimed.

"What happened?" Koegh asked.

"You two go and take care of MacLeod!" Ming instructed.

"On it," Felicia replied before leaving the room.

"Of course," Keogh added before following Felicia.

"Let's leave them to MacLeod," the Phantom suggested.

"Yes," Flash nodded, "we have Ming to deal with."

Flash, the Phantom, Rick, Jedda, LJ and April continued with their fight against Ming and his robotic army.

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

"How long have you been Duncan MacLeod's watcher?" Kshin asked.

"A long time," Joe answered, "At least that's what it feels like. Mac's one of the best immortals I've had the honor of watching."

"How many years of training do you need to become a watcher?" Kshin asked.

"Several years," Joe answered, "but it always varies."

"And Hunters have the same amount of training watchers do?"

"Yes."

Suddenly, Duncan, Amanda, Tori, Mandrake and Lothar arrived at the Terry with Lothar carrying a half naked Richie in his arms.

"What the...Richie?!" Joe exclaimed in shock, "MacLeod, what happened?!"

"Ming, Keogh and Felicia took a psychological toll on him," Duncan answered as Lothar placed Richie on the nearby bed. Tori grabbed a nearby blanket and placed it on him.

"This therma blanket should erase any traces of frost serum Richie still has in him," Tori stated.

"Frost serum?" Joe glanced at her, confused.

"Ming made him a frost person," Duncan answered, his voice trembling.

"Do you guys need anything else?" Mandrake asked.

"We're good," Joe declined, "thanks."

"We're heading back to the battle," Lothar announced before he and Mandrake left the Terry again.

"Mac?" Amanda looked on in concern as he appeared tearful.

"Ming got Richie drugged," Duncan spoke through his tears, "and Felicia raped him twice!"

Amanda comforted him, "Richie will be okay, Duncan."

"She's right," Tori replied, assuring him, "Don't blame yourself, Mac. You had no way of knowing what would happen."

Duncan sighed and took some deep breaths as he stroked Richie's hair, "Richie will pull through. I'll get him to therapy. I'll see him through this."

He stood back up and faced Joe, Kshin and Amanda, "But first, I will go find Felicia and finish where we started."

"Well," Amanda quipped as she looked around the room, "you better beat Tori to her if you're going to go after her head."

The group noticed Tori had left the Terry.

"Merde," Duncan muttered before he hurried out of the Terry.

"Merde?" Kshin asked.

"That's a curse word in French," Amanda answered.

"Oops," Kshin clasped his hands to his mouth.

"We won't say anything as long as you don't bring it up," Joe assured him.

"Fair enough," Kshin replied, "thanks."

"I'll go see how the battle turns out," Amanda said before she too left the Terry.

"And leave us again?!" Kshin exclaimed, annoyed.

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

Rick glanced up as Mandrake and Lothar returned to the battle.

"Now we're talking," Rick muttered.

"We need you kids yo return to the Terry as well," Flash announced.

"What?!" April exclaimed, annoyed.

"We've rejoined the battle!" Mandrake exclaimed.

"We'll take things from here," the Phantom added.

"Let's go guys," Rick told the others before he, LJ, Jedda and April all left the area.

"Maybe we can witness another quickening," April told the others.

"Quickening?" Jedda quipped.

"Tori and Mac are immortals," April stated, "and so are the two immortals who took Richie."

"Are you sure about this?" LJ asked.

"Definetly," April answered.

"I'm up for it too," Rick replied, "I guess."

"So am I," LJ nodded with a grin.

"Why am I always outvoted?" Jedda scoffed as they made it outside.

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

Tori took a deep breath, clutching her tachi in her hand. She took another deep breath, focusing on her target. She knew Felicia was at the area, and she had to make her pay for everything she had done: first off, she killed the family of her ex lover before eventually taking his head, deceiving Richie and trying to trick one of her mentors during their first encounter, threatening them, and on top of all that, Richie had gotten drugged and Felicia raped him twice while waiting for MacLeod. Tori couldn't have imagined what Richie was going through, not only being trapped in that frozen prison, but being drugged, and the rape, and even being brainwashed into becoming a frost person.

Mac was right, Felicia couldn't keep her mouth shut and boasted about what she did, with help from Ming and Keogh nonetheless. Not only was MacLeod after Felicia's head, but Tori was too.

Richie was the man she loved and she was going to make sure he was safe from that vile, immortal woman. With the Game being as it was, the Defenders and Joe were a part of her life, even Charlie, as they were all mortals an an immortal could target them at any time.

Tori perked up. She saw Felicia standing there with the sword she stole. She didn't hesistate as she walked over to her opponent.

"You're not MacLeod," Felicia sneered at her "rival".

"No," Tori shook her head, preparing for her duel, "but I am the immortal who is going to have your head."

"Is that right?" Felicia replied before preparing to duel as well, "Well then, looks like I have no choice. Bring it on, little girl."

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

Duncan hurried at the scene. He saw that Tori was dueling with Felicia. She'd beaten him to her.

"You have to duel me now!" Keogh exclaimed as he approached Duncan, "I want you to pay for letting Jill die last week!"

"You're delusional," Duncan replied, "I tried to help but you screwed things up and she fell to her death."

"Things would've been just fine if it wasn't for you though," Keogh insisted.

The two men began their duel.

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

Rick, Jedda, LJ and April arrived to see Duncan dueling with Keogh while Tori was dueling with Felicia.

"Looks like things have just begun!" Rick exclaimed.

"And not only will we see one Quickening," April added, "but we'll witness a double quickening as well!"

"That'll be interesting," LJ chimed in, "we shall find out which two immortals will triumph."

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

"It seems to me you have no remorse for your actions," Tori stated as she was dueling with Felicia, "from what MacLeod and Joe told me about your past as well as your previous interactions and now, you're a piece of work!"

"A piece of work is an understatement, sweetheart," Felicia replied as she dueled with her opponent, "as a matter of fact, I take pride in my work."

"No kidding."

Felicia glanced around, observing the cuts on her, "Do you really think I care about the cuts on my body and the damages on my clothes?! The wounds will heal, and I can just replace my clothes as soon as I take your quickening as well as MacLeod's quickening, and then take your man."

Felicia chuckled and gloated, "Speaking of which, what I did with your boyfriend, perhaps I've given him something that you never could."

"Maybe it was consensual during your first encounter with MacLeod," Tori stated in anger, "but this time, it wasn't. You are just vile!"

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

Duncan continued with his duel with Keogh. They both had bloodied cuts from each blows. Eventually, Duncan gained the upper hand against his opponents.

"You still haven't learned, have you?" Duncan stated.

"You better finish it this time, MacLeod," Keogh glanced at his victor, "because it will never end if you don't."

Duncan took a deep breath, didn't hesistate and swiftly took Keogh's head.

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

In a series of blows, Tori impaled Felicia in the abdomen. Felicia dropped to her knees in defeat.

"You are a twisted vile person," Tori glanced at her kneeling opponent, "Richie trusted you and you used MacLeod's knowledge for your own selfish, evil gain and you especially used Richie for your plans, even now. You're someone who deserves what's coming to them!"

"Go ahead and kill me," Felicia yelled, almost challenging her, "but what good will it do for you?!"

Tori took a deep breath before stating, "Bye, Felicia."

Moments later, Tori took Felicia's head. She glanced over as she noticed Duncan had taken Keogh's head and his quickening had just started. Tori looked back at her area as she felt the energy of Felicia's quickening, followed by lighting from the quickening. Suddenly, she saw an image of a man with long, dark, curly hair.

"Devereux?" Tori asked. The man nodded in response.

"Go," she told him, "Go and be with your family. You can finally rest in peace."

"Thank you," Devereux replied before he vanished.

Tori glanced at Duncan as the double quickening continued. After a little bit, Tori dropped to her knees as the quickening ended. While recovering, she looked around, noticing the damage near ice station Earth, given that this quickening was powerful.

Tori then noticed April, Rick, Jedda and LJ nearby. Rick held Jedda while the others just looked stunned. Her cousins and friends witnessed a quickening before, but they just now witnessed a double quickening.

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

Duncan glanced at Tori. He noticed they've just endured a double quickening. Rick and LJ hurried over to where he was helped him up while April and Jedda were helping Tori up. Duncan glanced around, sensing the Buzz.

"Duncan, is that vile..." Amanda started to ask as she arrived at the scene. She followed the glance, and saw not only Keogh was beheaded by MacLeod, but Felicia was beheaded by Tori, hence the double quickening.

"That explains the powerful quickening," Amanda stated.

April, Tori and Jedda met up with Amanda, Rick, LJ and Duncan.

"So, Tori took out her rival," April stated.

"There was nothing rival about me and Felicia," Tori retorted.

"Didn't she have the hots for Richie?"

"Well, yeah, but it was one sided this time."

"My point exactly!"

"There's no rivalry," Duncan insisted, "Felicia was playing her games, and lost because she underestimated Tori Gordon."

"That's an understatement," Rick quipped.

"Was that a quickening that just happened?" Flash asked as he, the Phantom, Mandrake and Lothar arrived at the area.

"It was a double quickening," Tori answered.

"Not only is that creep dead," April added, "but Felicia too. They're gone for good."

"What are you kids doing here?!" Flash demanded, "I thought you were told to return to the Terry?!"

"We witnessed the double quickening," Rick answered.

"Well," Duncan suggested, "we should head back to the Terry."

"Exactly what I had in mind," Flash replied. Duncan, Amanda, Tori and the Defenders left the area, and made their way back to the Terry.

"What will you do about Ming?" Flash asked.

"Me?" Duncan glanced at him, "I assume the double quickening caused damage to his headquarters."

"Definitely," Mandrake nodded.

"Well," Duncan nodded, 'it's over for now, but Ming the Merciless better not cross me again. I won't hold back next time."

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

Ming looked around as he saw that the powerful quickening had caused tremendous damage to his throne room.

"We have lost, sire," Octon announced, "and the powerful double quickening caused significant damage to your throne room."

"I've noticed that, Octon," Ming replied before he declared, "but I will never give up. Never! The Defenders and Duncan MacLeod has not seen the last of Ming the Merciless!"

-Beginning-of-a-New-Life-

Richie came to feeling warm. This was the first time he felt warm since he had been captured. He looked around, confused and disoriented.

"Easy," Joe held him down and tried to keep him calm, "Take it easy."

"Joe?" Richie glanced on, confused.

"Welcome back."

The Defenders arrived at the Terry. Duncan arrived moments later as Flash prepared to pilot the ship.

"Mac," Richie laid back on the bed.

"I'm here," Duncan sat next to him, "it's going to be okay."

"And Felicia?"

"She's gone, and so is David. They won't hurt you anymore."

"Who took who's head?" Richie asked.

"I took David's head," Duncan answered, "and Tori took Felicia's head."

"Tori?" Richie looked up as Amanda and his girlfriend were the last to enter the ship.

"Yeah," Duncan nodded with a smile, "She really does love you, tough guy."

Richie gave a small smile. He didn't expect a woman to go through all the trouble and take Felicia's head and quickening, and since Duncan took David's head, it must have been a double quickening.

"I think she wants to check on you," Duncan said, "I'll leave you two alone."

Richie nodded apprehensively. He had no idea why he was feeling this way because Felicia was gone for good. Moments later, Tori was at his side.

"Hey you," she smiled.

"Hey, yourself."

"Are you okay?"

"I think so," Richie was apprehensive with his answer, "I am just shaken up from what happened."

"It'll be okay," Tori assured him, "it wasn't your fault what happened. Being bait for MacLeod, the rape, none of it. Felicia caused all this, but she won't hurt you anymore."

"I know," Richie smiled, "thanks for looking out for me. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

He kissed her on the lips.

"It's no trouble," Tori smiled, "I'll do anything for you. Heck, I'd give my head to make sure you are safe."

"I love you, Tori."

"I love you too, Richie Rich."

He chuckled, "Richie Rich? Seriously? Well then, in turn that case, I shall call you Slick Vic."

"Slick Vic?"

"I called you the name before."

"Ah well," Tori chuckled before the couple shared a laughed and hugged before sharing a playful kiss before it became passionate.

The story isn't over yet. You will have to see the aftermath of Richie's trauma, which the last few chapters will cover.