Confrontations: A Wolf Pretending To Be A Sheep, Part 16 - The Aftermath: What Did The Mandarin's Daughter See?

Roughly Four Hours Ago Back In New Beverly...

Watching from the roof of a nearby building, A figure dressed in black and shrouded in Darkness watches over a street decimated by explosions, gunfire and strewn with dead bodies. A battle for the ages was taking place on that ravaged street and the shadowy figure watched in apparent interest.

"It Seems This Boy Is Giving Lady Shiva All She Can Handle... Who Knew There Was Anyone In The World That Could Keep Up With Her.," The Shadowy Figure said in a low whining screech., "I've Trained Since I Could Walk and I've Never Been Able To Push Her Back Like That."

"You're Quite Good!," Lady Shiva complimented., "Who Trained You?"

The pain from whatever technology his opponent was using to disguise their voice was like a nail being driven into his ear canal but Aaron didn't show any outward sign of pain or even discomfort.

"Self-Taught.," Aaron commented blankly, facing his opponent, seemingly without any fear at all.

"Really?!," The Metallic Voice sounded quite curious. Even the other Assassin who was busily tending to Kassim looked up at Aaron's declaration.

"Amazing!," Lady Shiva declared, dashing at Aaron even faster than before. Aaron was just able to avoid a furious onslaught of punches, palm strikes and finger jabs followed by a series of spinning kicks which transitioned into a flurry of rapid-fire kicks aimed at his head and chest. The level of training being demonstrated by Lady Shiva and the sheer precision of her technique was not something commonly available anywhere in The World, Which was to be expected of The League of Assassins' Best.

"You should have seen it Mother. His skill while a bit rough were quite impressive."

"I've never heard you speak of a Man in quite this way before.," The Mandarin leaned forward and observed her Daughter for several moments., "Could it be that you like this Young Man?"

"Absolutely Not!," The Mandarin's Daughter stood up and protested while blushing furiously.

"Fret not Darling Daughter if this Man is indeed a Pale Shadow then it is our Destiny, You and I, To Serve Him with our Bodies and Assist Him in his Conquest of this any Every Other World in The Universe."

Both The Mandarin and her Daughter shivered at the thought of it. They had both been taught to prepare themselves for this should The Blessed Day of The Pale Shadow's Rising come to pass and it looked like that Day might be soon.

Aaron was barely managing to sweep Lady Shiva's blows aside before executing a spinning back knuckle with his left hand which was blocked but in the very next instant, Aaron connected with a rising knee to his assailant's ribs. He was rewarded with the sound of bone breaking as he spun his body, extending his leg and rag-dolling his opponent several yards. The attack looked savage and indeed it was but his opponent recovered almost instantly from being thrown across the street, pushing off from the building with both feet and flying at Aaron like a Middle Eastern Executioner's Scimitar aimed directly at his heart.

The Mandarin sat quietly as her Daughter recounted the details of what she had witnessed., "I've never seen Lady Shiva take so long to dispatch an opponent. She usually ends the fight in the blink of an eye and with a single strike but try as she might The Boy matched her move for move and managed to counter everything she tried. Neither side could land a decisive hit."

"Is it possible Daughter That Sandra was simply toying with her prey... Testing his limits. The Woman can be quite the sadist at times."

"You don't have to tell me Mother, I've trained with her..."

"Mmm Yes.," The Mandarin laughed.

"I've studied Lady Shiva's Fighting Style for most of my life and I feel at this time that had the fight continued much longer than her opponent would have been able to land a decisive blow."

"Extraordinary.," The Mandarin said thoughtfully.

Having blocked Aaron's descending kick, Lady Shiva rose from the scarred asphalt left in the wake of his incredible attack which bore deep cracks from the sheer **** of the impact, causing a peculiar spider-web pattern to form along the interconnecting series of cracks in the ground.

Suddenly Aaron was still as a statue and his opponent seemed unsure of what to do for several seconds, a lifetime in a fight where life and **** are decided by the outcome. Suddenly Aaron's body language changed as he lifted his foot out in front of him and acted as if he were bouncing an invisible ball on top of it. Lady Shiva watched for only a second before hurling herself forward, Aaron's gaze which had been centered on the imaginary ball moved up to stare at the rushing Lady Shiva, A Predatory Smile on his lips as he unexpectedly flipped forward from a standing position bringing his leg down with bone-shattering ****. Sensing Danger Lady Shiva threw up her arms to block, instantly stopping her in her tracks. The ground underneath her cracking from the **** and a nearly imperceptible groan of pain escaped from behind The Darkness that concealed her face.

Aaron's eyes glowed faintly but they appeared vacant as if they belonged to a Dead Man unaware that his time had long passed. Without pause, Aaron twisted his body, spinning to deliver a vicious kick to his Assailant's head which they blocked with a forearm. Aaron immediately followed up by dropping his leg and shifting his weight, attempting an attack from the opposite side only to be **** back by a two-handed thrust aimed at his chest. The attack didn't connect as Aaron stopped his attack and deftly stepped back effortlessly jogging backward until he was out of striking distance.

"How Can This Brat Be This Strong?!.," Lady Shiva thought to herself, growing annoyed with the level of resistance Aaron was able to put up against her attacks. Reaching down to the holster on her thigh obscured by a dense fog of Darkness crackling with electricity, her hand disappeared momentarily only to reappear seconds later holding a gun which was quickly leveled at Aaron.

However, Before She could pull the trigger, Aaron reached behind him and removed the clip containing the last of the ammunition for his Blake-Kenner from his waistband and tossed it toward his opponent. It was an amateurish mistake but before she could stop herself Lady Shiva shot without thinking causing the remaining ammunition to explode, peppering the area in deadly shrapnel.

Lady Shiva was immediately enveloped in a thick cloud of smoke while Aaron thrust his hands out and risked overloading his already damaged Light Shield by using it to project a wall of solidified light in front of him to block the molten fragments. Aaron gritted his teeth as the heat from overworked Shield seared his flesh and bone.

Aaron's little surprise managed to save his life, preventing most of the shrapnel from reaching him and the fragments that did only amounted to some minor cuts and scraps that looked worse than they were. The biggest problems were the heat and the concussive ****. The heat burned Aaron's arms and his face, and the **** of the blast fractured the bones of his left forearm and his right upper arm as well as several of his fingers but he didn't drop the shield.

The blast lasted barely an instant though to those involved it seemed like minutes had passed. As the shield flickered and faded from sight, Aaron was visibly relieved that he had this trump card to play and a good thing to or things wouldn't have turned out as well as they had. Aaron staggered forward and almost lost his balance now that the **** pushing against the shield was gone and coughed up blood. He was relived but as the smoke cleared, Aaron's eyes widened in surprise as Lady Shiva emerged from the smoke cloud thoroughly unharmed. Her armor had absorbed the tremendous heat and explosive **** of the blast without incident.

Aaron drew the last two guns he had from his waistband, quickly took aim, and fired while rushing his opponent who returned fire also while dashing toward Aaron. The gap was closing rapidly with every second and the margin for error was shrinking, The slightest mistake now meant either **** or grave injury so Aaron pushed himself to the limit.

The Incredible Display of Agility and Speed from both sides was nothing short of God-like. Soon every shot was point blank but Aaron and Lady Shiva still managed to avoid being shot. No matter where the shot was aimed be it the head, the neck, the chest, a limb... It was always just a fraction of a second too slow. The problem was that while the obviously more experienced Lady Shiva was seemly tireless, Aaron was exhausted and the damage to his internal organs were increasing by the second from the strain of maintaining such a hellish pace. Aaron was running out of time, He could feel his muscle fibers disintegrating from the stress he was putting on them so he decided on one last **** gambit.

While avoiding a shot to the face, Aaron thrust his gun forward which Lady Shiva easily avoided, not suspecting that that was just what her opponent wanted her to do. Lady Shiva avoided her opponent's feint by tilting her head to the side and with a flick of his wrist Aaron sent his gun high into the air before bring his hand down with incredible speed, burying his index and middle finger into a crucial cluster of nerves in his opponent's shoulder just above the collar bone. Lady Shiva felt the effects immediately, Her entire arm and most of her side were engulfed in searing pain seconds before Lady Shiva lost all feeling or control over her arm which fell limp at her side unceremoniously and her gun fell from her hand without her being able to do a thing. It was possible to reverse the paralysis but it would take several seconds and that was time she couldn't afford to lose.

In that split second, Aaron's Assailant unsheathed her knife and slashed at Aaron's face. Aaron's reactions were beginning to slow but he was able to pull back enough to avoid losing an eye but not fast enough to avoid being cut on the cheek. The cut was deep and bleed profusely but Aaron barely seemed to notice it at. Instead his cold expression was one of singular focus and determination. He might very well die in the next few moments but his opponent would have to work for it.

"Amusing.," Screeched Lady Shiva's disguised voice. Aaron quirked an eyebrow but before he could say or do anything, She pointed her knife toward his throat. Her intention was all too clear.

"Haven't you heard what they say about knives and gunfights?," Aaron asked with a chuckle, trying not to appear as exhausted as he felt.

There was a loud pop just as Aaron's left eye closed, Too tired to hold both eyes open at the same time but Aaron still reacted swiftly by using one of his guns to bat away the projectile... It was the blade of the knife that Lady Shiva was holding.

Aaron chuckled at such a ridiculous ploy but there was something he hadn't counted on. In the hand that held the knife there was a Gun instead of a handle without a blade and before Aaron could overcome his surprise three rounds were already heading his way. He'd snapped out of his shock a fraction of a second too late to avoid the incoming rounds which slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward, A stream of blood trailing from his mouth as he did before slamming into a brick wall with the **** of a car crash, The Wall gave way from the impact and Aaron came tumbling down to the unforgiving concrete with a appalling thud.

"Need I remind Daughter that she has already informed me that The Shadow lived...," The Mandarin's tone was icy., "... Then WHY is she now telling me that he is Dead?!"

The Mandarin's Daughter bowed her head fearfully and spoke quietly., "He is Mighty Mandarin I SWEAR!," She raised her head, A look of determination and certainty in her beautiful green eyes., "And what's more....," She began hesitantly., "He Spoke In The Elder Tongue."

There was a deafeningly silent pause and then with the speed of a striking cobra or lightning descending from the heavens The Mandarin rushed forward and grabbed her Daughter by the shoulders., "Truly Dearest One... In This You Cannot Be Mistaken. If You Are Wrong or Your Words Are False... The Consequences Will Be Quite Severe."

Her Daughter gulped loudly.

"You know as well as I The Penalties our Faith Demands and how Serious The Emergence of The Pale Shadow is for The Order of The Ten Rings. To sense even a wit of treachery in this matter means that Mother or not I must remove your head from your shoulders myself."

"I swear Mother... That everything I've said is The Truth."

"I do not doubt you My Daughter but as Your Mother and As The Mandarin it is My Solemn Duty to impress upon you the seriousness of what is happening. After centuries of wondering in The Dark... Finally, There is a Light of Hope, A Guide in The Endless Night to illuminate our Path and Reward us for our Struggles."

The Mandarin fanned herself., "Now Tell me what did The Shadow say."

"G̷̩̟͍̭̦̘͕͚̐ő̷̺̳-̶̨̛̟̦̯̗̬͚͗̅͐͠͝Ş̵̖̟̬͈̬̤̚ḩ̷͚͔͊̀̐̽̓̈́̈́̎͠ͅa̵̫̱̅̽̀̒͊ ̸̤͖͉̩̞͈͗S̴̯̬̤͍̞̪͆̌̅͌͐̓̆̿͊̕ḧ̴̜̱̼̙̾̑͐͂ȋ̷̢̛̪̞̟̦̳̱̥̱̔̒̃̉̇͜͠ ̵̯̖̞̑̇̍̉͛̓̽̕V̷̨̱̬̦͍̹̭͇̽́́̔͒̈̀̽̂ȃ̵̭̠͎ ̸͚̙͛̈́͗̕͝J̶̘̤͓̫̦̀̇̈̌̑͂͠i̸̭̝̩̳̍͑̀̎.," The Mandarin's Daughter repeated with a slight blush.

The Mandarin quirked an eyebrow then without warning began laughing with abandon. After a couple of minutes of continuous laughter, The Mandarin fell silent and wiping away a tear she said., "He really said that?"

Feeling a sense of relief wash over her, The Mandarin's Daughter bowed her head and said., "He did O Mighty Mandarin."

"Very Good.," The Mandarin replied with a genuine smile., "Please continue Daughter."

"To Think He Had An Ace Like This Up His Sleeve.," Lady Shiva said as she crouched down and examined the smoking heap of a Light Shield Aaron had modified., "It's Too Bad. It's Just Useless Trash Now.," Lady Shiva openly lamented, throwing Aaron's arm aside and standing back up.

"How Is He?," Lady Shiva asked her partner.

"He's Been Through Alot But He's Stable Enough To Move.," The other Assassin replied without pause.

"Good Then Lets Get Ready To Move... We've Been Here Far Too Long Already.," The Master Assassin stated impatiently.

Lady Shiva surveyed the area while her Apprentice hefted the heavily injured Kassim onto their back like a sack of potatoes and in an instant, The two Assassins turned to face each other and with a light nod they both suddenly disappeared from sight.

A Short Time Later...

The Shadowy figure or rather The Mandarin's Daughter watched as the unmoving Aaron who was on his side amidst some debris from the wall he had collided with began to stir. First, He rolled onto his back and was still for some time then with a sharp inhale of breath he began coughing and sputtering, blood flying as he did. Eventually, Aaron gathered enough strength to pull his medkit from the pocket dimension inside his watch and begin using what was left of his Nano-Machines to repair his considerable array of internal injuries. It wasn't easy given that bones in both of his arms and hands were either fractured or broken but he managed.

His eyes still closed, Aaron smiled happily while listening to Gog berate him for worrying her in between digital sobs and celebrating that he was still alive.

"I Love You To Gog.," Aaron replied through his shared link with his Supercomputer and then passed out but he was still smiling.

Final Body Count:

For Those of You Who Are Interested In The Number of Bodies That Have Been Dropped In The Confrontations: A Wolf Pretending To Be A Sheep Storyline But Don't Want To Go Too All The Trouble of Pulling Out A Tally Sheet and Keeping Track Yourself:

Sydney Hoffer:

• 26 Confirmed Kills (Including 2 Snipers)
• Unconfirmed Kills: ?

Final Word: A Descent Effort But Nothing To Write Home About.

Aaron Cross:

• Confirmed Kills [Total]: 242 (Jesus Fuck... Mass Murderer Much!)
• Friendly Fire Fatalities: 13 (Certainly An Unlucky Number For Those Poor Bastards)
• Lying Bitches: 1 (The Cunt On The Second Floor In Chapter 103 Who Tried To Fool Our Boy Aaron)
• Snipers: 10
• Tortured: 1 Poor Bastard (Eventually Executed By His Employer Then Buried With Full Honors Despite A Recent Record of Failure)
• Unconfirmed Kills: 24

Final Word: Pacifist My Ass... Our Boy Is A Stone Cold Killer!

Combined Total of Casualties:

• Confirmed Kills: 268

Final Final Word: In Summary, Alot of Heavily Armed But Thoroughly Outclassed Bitches Died Because They Got In Over Their Heads and Fucked With The Wrong Person.

Author's Note: In case any of you are wondering why this chapter wasn't written in the Point of View of The Mandarin's Daughter that is because I wanted to give it a kinda movie-like feel and in the movies when a character remembers something, i.e., A Flashback, The Audience, i.e., You, sees it unfold as if it were actually taking place at that moment. Sometimes there's narration of the events by the character in question and sometimes not.

Anyways I Hope You Enjoyed The Chapter and Are Looking Forward To Reading More of "The Apex of Control" In The Future. Until Then Take Care and Thanks For Reading.