Disclaimer: Highlander belongs to Davis/Panzer as well as Rysher Entertainment. For all other disclaimer, see Chapter One!

More Trouble Rears In

Tori looked nervous as she, Richie and Duncan looked on as medical personnel wheeled away a gurney with the old man's covered body.

"Dead, and what for?" Tori asked.

"Fifty francs and a couple of pictures of his grandkids," Richie answered, "It's too bad."

"Yeah, the guy was a harmless crazy," Tori stated.

"Maybe," Duncan replied.

"Oh come on now!" Tori exclaimed.

"Yeah, give us a break," Richie added, "He is coming, The time is at hand? The guy was out of his mind."

"He was terrified and he knew my name," Mac replied.

"Mac, Horton is dead," Richie insisted, "It was dark. We had champagne."

"Yeah, you made a mistake," Tori crossed her arms.

"No, no, no, no. It was Horton all right," Duncan argued, "The old man tried to warn me."

"You think he was a watcher?" Tori asked about the old man.

"No, I checked his wrists," Duncan answered, "No tattoos."

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

Duncan, Tori and Richie arrived at the cemetery and they saw that Horton's body had been removed.

"When was the body removed?" Duncan asked.

"Yesterday, Monsieur," the cemetery official answered as they looked at the empty grave, "Hmmm, this was not done in my day. A body was meant to stay in one place, God intended it."

"Tell me about it," Duncan replied before he asked, "What about paperwork?"

"Yeah," Tori added, "There must have been an official report request to have the body exhumed."

"In France, paperwork is our national past time," the cemetery official informed them, "The remains are to be shipped in the United States for the burial sometime today."

"From where?" Richie asked.

"Orly Airport," the official answered.

"At whose request?" Duncan asked.

"The brother in law of the deceased," the official answered.

"Joe Dawson?" Tori asked.

"Yes," the cemetery official nodded.

"Wait a minute. Are you sure you've got the right guy?" Richie asked, "He's tall, gray hair, beard, uses a cane."

"That was him," the cemetery official answered, "Nice man, but seemed to be in a hurry."

"I'm sure he was," Duncan replied.

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

Joe was standing next to the casket, preparing to send it to Lynn so she could have her father buried in Chicago, where she had moved to, "Let's get this over with."

He signed the papers on the clipboard, "Thank you."

The agents walked away with the clipboard.

"Well, if I'd known, I would have sent flowers," Duncan stated as he arrived at the cargo area with Richie and Tori not too far behind him, "My condolences. Anybody I know, huh?"

"This is personal business, MacLeod," Joe replied as Duncan was shaking his shoulder, "It really doesn't concern you."

"Anything to do with Horton concerns me," Duncan retorted.

"Hey! Look, my niece – his daughter – she moved back to Chicago," Joe explained, "She wants her father buried there, so I'm helping the kid out. It's a family thing."

"Oh, a family thing, is it? Huh," Duncan chimed in before he asked, "Then why did you hide it from me?"

"I know what he did to you, and I know how you feel about him," Joe answered.

"Oh, that's very considerate," Duncan retorted.

"Hey, what is wrong with you?!" Joe exclaimed, "The guy was my brother in law. His daughter wants his body shipped home."

"Then she's going to be really disappointed, isn't she?" Duncan asked, facing Joe.

"What's his problem?" Joe asked Tori and Richie. Richie lifted his hands in response.

"Search me," Tori quipped, "I think he's gone crazy."

"You tell me," Joe retorted.

"I saw him. I saw Horton. He's alive," Duncan spoke up.

"See? Told you," Tori replied.

Joe laughed in disbelief, "No. Horton is dead. You killed him yourself, remember? I was there."

"Yeah, well, he looked very healthy last night," Duncan stated.

"This is insane!" Joe interjected, "Whatever is left of James Horton is in that box!"

"Well, then we should should really wish him a bon voyage, shouldn't we, huh?" Duncan retorted before he went after the casket with a pry bar.

"Mac, what in God's name are you doing?" Joe demanded.

"Leave me alone!" Duncan exclaimed as he shrugged off Richie and a security guard trying to stop him.

"Mac, stop it!" Tori exclaimed.

Duncan pried open the casket lid, revealing a desiccated corpse inside.

A group of security guards grabbed Duncan and took him away.

"No, it's not him," Duncan stated, "It can't be!"

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

"So, Richie is in danger from what your premonition told you?" Flash asked as he talked to Rick via communicator.

"Yes," Rick answered, "MacLeod appeared hallucinating and took Richie's head, and Ming was savoring his death in that vision."

April got out her phone, "I'll let Tori know right away. Katarina had the exact same vision."

"Thanks sis," Rick replied, sighing with relief, "I knew I could count on you guys."

"We'll head over to Paris right away," Flash chimed in, "If Ming is involved, we're going to give MacLeod some back up."

"That's a good idea," Rick replied, "I can't predict how far into the future my visions take place and I assume Katarina can't either with hers. You know? The sooner you get to them, the less likely the premonition will happen."

"Exactly!" Mandrake exclaimed.

"Good luck guys," Rick told the Defenders.

"Thanks, son," Flash replied.

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

"If it wasn't for Joe, they would have nailed you," Richie said as he left the police station with Duncan and Tori in tow.

"Richie's right," Tori added, "He convinced them to drop the charges. What's your deal?"

"Yeah," Joe chimed in, "I told them you were a friend of the deceased and you were overcome with emotion."

"Yeah, nice touch," Duncan stated.

"I don't know what's going on with you, MacLeod," Joe declared, "I just hope it's over."

"Not yet," Duncan replied.

Suddenly, Tori heard her phone go off as the men were talking amongst themselves. She got her phone from her pocket and saw she got a text message which read: "Tori, it's April. Richie is in danger."

She looked nervous as she glanced at the three men before typing: "Come on, A. Elaborate further. This isn't funny."

Tori glanced at the men again.

"Are you okay?" Joe asked.

"I'm fine," Tori answered, "April just sent me a text."

She received another text from April which read, "Rick just had a premonition and so did Katarina. They both said MacLeod was hallucinating and took Richie's head. He was also surrounded in red fog in the vision and Ming might be involved as Rick saw him in the vision too."

Tori looked even more nervous. Duncan was hallucinating over Horton right now. Could it be possible he could go crazy and behead Richie? She looked around, deciding she had to act. She hurried away.

"Tori, where are you going?" Richie asked.

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

Tori hurried outside of the apartment building. She sensed the Buzz. Then, she turned around and saw Amanda, "Amanda?"

"Hey there," Amanda eyed her student, "What's eating you? You seemed bothered by something."

"Yeah," Tori nodded, "You'd be spooked too if someone told you of a premonition of your spouse's death."

"What?" Amanda quipped.

"April told me Rick and Katarina both had a premonition saying Ming might be involved as he's in the premonition," Tori explained, "and Richie dies in the premonition. I asked for further details on my way here."

"Any luck with that?" Amanda asked.

"A little," Tori answered, "April is going to ask Rick for further details and I'm going to ask Jack for any potential information on this."

Amanda nodded, "Good luck with that."

"Thanks," Tori replied before she hurried into the apartment.

-Defenders-Chronicles-Highlander-

Duncan looked at the chess board by his chair.

He heard faint growling noises, looked up and saw Kronos lurking behind the shelving unit. He looked away, giving his head a quick shake. He looked over and Kronos was still there, dressed in his Bronze Age outfit, make up and all. He was the one of the Horsemen and took his head.

"You still don't understand, do you?" Kronos asked before he yelled, "I AM THE END OF TIME!"

"You're history," Duncan declared.

Duncan and Kronos resumed fighting. Eventually, Duncan took Kronos' head. Richie took Caspian's head and Methos took Silas' head.

The triple quickening occurred as Duncan, Richie and Methos took the quickenings of their respective opponents and a triangle was formed during the quickening.

Duncan was startled as Kronos came out from behind the shelving unit, his steps echoing loudly.

"Kronos?" Duncan called out.

"Well, Highlander, did you really think you could kill me?" Kronos asked.

Duncan stood up from his seat, "You're not real. I took your head. You can't be real."

Duncan drawn his katana, and motioned Kronos forward, "Come."

Kronos moved towards him, his steps still echoing loudly, then disappearing in a flash of red. Duncan looked around the empty barge, then ran outside. He sensed the Buzz.

"Mac?" Amanda quipped in surprise.

"It's us," Methos added in, raising his hands up, "It's us."

"Did you see him?" Duncan asked.

"See who?" Methos inquired.

"Kronos," Duncan answered.

"Who?" Amanda asked, confused.

Methos let out a disbelieving laugh, "Really?"

Duncan looked at them, looked at them, and then started walking away.

"Mac?" Amanda called out.

"Where are you going?!" Methos added.

"Tori wasn't kidding," Amanda stated, "Mac is appearing to go crazy."