AN: Story's Shadow and I are back. We hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I'd like everyone to please give Story's Shadow a huge round of applause for all his hard work. I personally salute you my good friend.

-Secret Warriors' Base, Training Room-

The team, except for Vixen and Vulpine, stood across from Cassie and Jacob, under Metatron's suggestion that his students should train those that had tried hunting them as a way to further bridge the gap between them. The team was surprised to hear this given what had happened though they were grateful for the trio's forgiveness and aid in expanding their combat knowledge and techniques.

Cassie moved the fire in a circle around her, her hands moving in wide yet slow circles in front of her. Jacob a small distance from his friend as their new students watched the Cat effortlessly move the flames before her with no strain apparent to the group. Inferno watched with slightly wide eyes at how the Cat wielded her fire before him.

"How do you have such control?"

Cassie slowly moved her hands back with the fire slowly vanishing then moved her hands down, the fingers facing each other.

"One's focus and will must be balanced when you use your pyromancy, have your fire move with your will in harmony."

"What?"

Cassie sighed.

"Your intent shouldn't be forcing the flames into a certain action without feeling the path that the flame could lead."

"But you have to control it. Fire is destructive and can go out of control and hurt someone."

"You shouldn't fear it, fire is energy. To truly utilize your fire, you mustn't be afraid of it or yourself."

"I'm...uncertain of what will happen."

Cassie took a few steps back.

"Attack me."

Everyone except for Jacob went wide eyed. Inferno shook his head.

"No! I could hurt you!"

"Attack me, don't hold back."

"No! This is crazy!"

"You'll never truly understand your power until you come to see that one can feel its energy to free it and not fear it."

"What?!"

"You are afraid, how can you hope to fight your enemies when you cannot rely on all your power? What would happen if one of your friends in in danger and the only way to help them is to use all your strength."

"There's always another way."

"And what if that way might not help your friend as quickly or as effectively?"

"You don't know that."

"Nor do you know that this other way may not be as certain. Still, very well show me what amount of your power you can trust."

Inferno frowned and threw a fireball. Cassie threw her fist forward, the fireball vanished once it hit her fist.

"Try again."

Inferno's eyes widened then narrowed as he then threw a larger fireball at her. The Cat slashed her hand down, the flames moved to either side of her hand before vanishing. The Inhuman gasped.

"How did you-?"

"Again."

Inferno grunted as there both fists forward, a stream of fire blazed towards the Cat. Ms. Marvel grimaced at this.

"I can't watch!"

She moved her hands in front of her, but she opened a few fingers in front of her eyes. Cassie moved one foot forward then thrust the opposite hand forward. The flames were pushed to moved around her hand and thus around her. Inferno grunted as he stopped his attack, only to see Cassie unharmed. His eyes widened.

"H-How?"

"A pyromancer learns to attack and defend with their gift. I simply made the fire move around me, not stopping the attack rather just changing its course."

Inferno looked at his hands then to her. His eyes narrowed before he lunged with a shout, throwing both hands forwards. Massive streams of fire flew towards Cassie, who simply grinned. The fire blazed around her, no one able to see her. Inferno's eyes widened.

"N-!"

The next thing they saw was the fire moving in circles and a hole appearing. Cassie moved her hands in circles like she did earlier, the fire moving with her hand motions and slowly vanishing. Many gasped at this. Inferno's eyes went wide.

"How did you do that?!"

"Fire is energy and a source of power. Your chi must be in balance and your will focused to truly wield your fire. Only when you have done these successfully will you be a master of your craft."

Inferno slowly nodded. Cassie turned to Jacob who smiled and nodded. The Hedgehog chuckled.

"Mastering one's arts is something that takes time and dedication, each of your team has a weapon and a skill that's defining to your essence as a warrior. Cassie's pyromancy and martial arts showcases her fierce and tactical approach to combat. Her practice with your friend's fire pinpoints her experience and innate gift for her experience and talent."

Cassie smirked.

"Thanks Jacob."

The Hedgehog smiled and nodded.

Ghost Spider rubbed the back of her neck.

"So you two and Metatron were going easy on us in our first encounter."

Jacob turned to her, a nervous smile on his face.

"Yeah, we promised Doreen we would."

Patriot chuckled.

"If she can do that, I'm really glad you all did go easy on us."

Chavez scoffed.

"Here I thought you liked a challenge."

"Not all of us are invulnerable."

Chavez opened her mouth to retort then stopped then nodded in acknowledgement of Patriot's reply.

"Fair point."

Jacob chuckled before turning to the group.

"When it comes to facing a foe that can command the forces of the universe, you must learn to anticipate and adapt to what you can feel or sense rather than see."

Ghost Spider rubbed her chin.

"Like how I do?"

Jacob nodded.

"You shall serve as an example of this."

Ghost Spider chuckled as she cracked her knuckles.

"Alright, let's do this."

The Hedgehog smiled.

Ghost Spider rushed forward as Jacob raised one hand up. The heroine's Spidey sense went off. She grimaced as she froze for a moment only to find herself up a few feet in the air. She groaned.

"I froze! Why did I freeze?!"

Jacob moved his hand down, gently placing Ghost Spider onto the floor.

"When faced with a foe or attack you cannot see, one may find themself seemingly trapped with no escape or way to defend themself."

"So how do I defend myself? Like you said: I can't see your attack."

"From what sensei and you have told us, you have a sixth sense that warns you of a threat or in this case an attack."

Ghost Spider chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah, it's something I've learned to trust."

"It seems like you had trouble with my attack, perhaps because you couldn't see it?"

"Well that...and because...well...telekinesis is kinda hard to defend against. You just moved your hand over so slightly and I was powerless."

"Perhaps...or perhaps you underestimate your strength?"

"Huh?"

"Let's go again. This time, trust what you feel and defend or evade."

Ghost Spider slowly nodded.

Jacob moved one hand forward. The arachnid heroine felt her spidey sense blare off. She thought she felt the push of the Hedgehog's attack which she responded to with jumping up. She latched onto the ceiling. Ghost Spider laughed, pulling one hand back to beside her.

"Yes!"

Jacob nodded.

"You trusted what you felt and you evaded the attack."

"I felt the push try to move me back, it felt centered around my lower torso."

"You dodged where my attack was aimed. While my strike was invisible to your eyes, your senses detected its intent."

"Awesome."

"Remember: my magic is one thing to defend against. The enemies' is another."

Ghost Spider sighed and dropped to the floor.

"Right."

Cassie gently hit the Hedgehog's arm with her elbow.

"Go easy on her. They're still new to this...kinda."

"I meant no offense. Just suggesting that she remain focused and to be adaptable."

Cassie sighed.

"I know. I'm just concerned we'll push them too hard for this."

Chavez chuckled.

"Oh trust me, Director Fury and Captain Marvel push us hard enough."

Cassie turned to Jacob, smiling.

"Could you imagine how Lord Jorawar would've responded?"

Jacob laughed.

"He didn't take kindly to his teaching being questioned."

The others looked at one another, scratching their heads. Squirrel Girl rubbed the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry, who?"

"One of our world's most honored warriors. Many tried to be trained by him. His training was grueling and pushed everyone to their limits. The Old Tiger sought our world to be guarded by the most dedicated warriors. We'd seen him in training, few could match his strength and skill."

Quake nodded.

"How did he do...when Imperious invaded your world?"

The Cat sighed, ear dropping.

"He died standing in defense of our home."

Quake's eyes widened slightly.

"Whoa."

Jacob nodded.

"Perhaps we all may need to train to face our foe like he and all the brave souls who faced the invaders?"

Cassie sighed, tapping he friend's quills with a claw.

"Remember though, sensei said not too hard. Remember not to be so prickly."

Jacob chuckled.

"Prickly? Really?"

The Cat smirked.

"I know it's a common Hedgehog trait, but these young ones don't need to be pushed so hard right now."

"You're right, sorry."

The Hedgehog grinned. Cassie chuckled.

Squirrel Girl chuckled lightly.

"Adorable."

Cassie's ear perked up at this then lowered.

"Unfortunately, adorable won't save us."

Chavez raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we get that."

Cassie's ear flattened, grumbling.

"I hope not."

"Come again?"

The Cat sighed and pulled a locket from her robes. She opened it and looked what was displayed in it.

"There is so much to this that I hope your world doesn't suffer like ours did."

Chavez sighed.

"...Some of us understand...I lost my entire dimension...and my parents."

Cassie nodded.

"Losing someone you love so dearly is a truly infectious pain."

Chavez looked from the Cat to the locket.

"Who did you lose?"

A tear slowly moved down Cassie's face as she spoke.

"My daughter."

Many of those present gasped. Squirrel Girl slowly approached her.

"W-We had no idea."

"...Events didn't unfold for us to explain the more cruel events of Faunia's destruction...what happened to our home cannot happen to yours."

The Secret Warriors nodded.

Jacob rested a hand on his friend's shoulder before looking to Squirrel Girl.

"Is the young Fox still talking with...the Clone?"

Squirrel Girl nodded.

"...She's hardly been around him since she learned the truth...she's forgiven him...or at least in part, I think...but she's still coming to terms with everything."

-Vulpine's Room-

Vulpine sat on his bed, head hanging low. Vixen leaned against the door, arms crossed. The clone didn't look at her when he finally spoke.

"...You haven't come here since we learned the full truth..."

"...It's...It's still difficult to accept what I learned...you're a clone...Imperious manipulated you...into destroying Faunia...and into trying to betray us and this world...part of me is still having a hard time knowing this..."

"...I can't imagine..."

"...You destroyed your...his...our ancestral home...every part of the world razed and nearly everyone slaughtered...and you were using us...until you decided you wanted something else..."

"...It would seem...the real Vulpine's true feelings had begun to take root in me after I'd spent more time with all of you...especially you."

One of Vixen's hands gripped the opposite arm.

"You...whether truly willing or not...helped kill a whole planet...every man, woman, and child..."

"...I did..."

"...There's...There's so much of what I want to say...and yet I don't know what to say..."

"You can speak with Metatron...ask him about the sentencing for the worst crimes..."

Vixen didn't respond at first, pondering his words.

"W-What?"

"Punishments for mass slaughter and murder...for men offenders...it was death."

Vixen gasped.

"What?"

"It was dealt out differently sometimes by different rulers or lords. The Wolves who dealt out this punishment, the one sentencing the guilty man would personally behead them."

"...I-Is that what you want?..."

"...It's no less than what I deserve..."

"...What would our line do?..."

"We'd personally cut the throat of the guilty man."

One of Vixen's hands went to her throat.

"That's...brutal."

"Neither line enjoyed the act and it was rarely done...only certain truly cruel individuals were sentenced this way...and some called for more merciful or lenient punishments...but in my case...it's deserving."

Vixen lowered her hand, before quietly clenching both.

"Perhaps I am of the more merciful kind...maybe it's how I was raised...though I still wish I had been among my own people as well."

Vulpine sighed.

"Metatron, Cassandra, and Jacob see that I should I live at most to try to defeat Imperious...use what apparently limited knowledge I have of him and his campaign against him. And the people...or those that know us believe I should be spared death and to also be used against Imperious."

"...What do you want?..."

Vulpine's hands shook as they clenched his bed, teeth gritting.

"I want to burn down my creator's empire to ash...to pay him in kind for what he did to me and to Faunia through me...and what I almost did to this world."

Vixen inhaled slowly then exhaled slowly.

"...Very well..."

She turned to him and Vulpine slowly looked to her. Vixen's eyes narrowed slightly.

"In atonement...whether you deserve to do this or not...you will aid in defeating Imperious and avenging those he destroyed and to save those he would destroy."

Vulpine nodded.

AN: What do you think will happen next, let us know and perhaps you'll be right.