No one Left behind

The Woman's eyes darted above, gooseflesh littered the skin of her pale neck, the red of her lips pressed tightly together in a feeling that she had not felt in what must have been Aeons: Anxiety.

Orochi was talented, more so than any that she had ever seen of his age. The way He fought was beyond ferocity, it was clean-cut, calm and certain.

He truly was the Purest, and it at first agitated something that she'd never felt before meeting him, auspicious arousal. She truly loved the taste of it on her eyes, even if he only had One blade at his side.

But it was after he pulled the daggered fingertips of that nude simpleton from his chest, that the panic set in. Morrigan had been waiting in the shadows, biding her time for Orochi to be ****, and eventually, it came.

The Woman couldn't abide him coming to harm, but she'd rip his heart out right out of his back, He'd be dead before He knew it. B-But the counterattack would be a commitment, true interference, they had sworn to keep hidden only dip their toes in, that was the agreement they had with the Nox... and she was afraid, the power it would take to counter-attack would also expose her, Her cocoon could not remain consistent while defending herself, it was a huge risk; Tactically and Personally.

She... She thought that she might love him, she hadn't ever had love, she'd seen it, read bout it, heard of it, but now, she felt it. And Hisano refused to let the man that might have stolen her heart, fall to a bunch of bloodthirsty fiends.

_"Enenra..." _She called for the Third Yoki, the mist and shadow that gave her, her most practised power. As a gale would whip violently through the trees, Hisano stepped out of her Shell in the sky and shot down toward her target.

In the interval where Orochi turned to peer at the Superior, he had likely expected, instead, for the first time, He saw her complete and in her full, his eyes of pure pupilless gold-focused completely on her, no cocoon, no shyness, He saw Fall, lady of the Genryu, tall and pale.

Her owl-like eyes peered back, his head turned like a cat unsure of what it was looking at, though eventually, a recognition filled his eyes. He'd remember her as that quiet woman from the Bar, but here, she would be his protector.

Her eyes slowly turned to Morrigan, filled with an ocean of silent, expressionless fury, the mists kissing her skin, lifting her hair like tendrils as blood-red light shrouded her iris.

"Hisa?" It was Seorsia that spoke, not Lady Morrigan. A disarmed, slightly hurt looking woman, the usual wrath that painted her beauty with an ugly scowl. The others may have despised Seorsia, but of the Four lords that had answered the call of Lord Nox, Hisano was the only one Seorsia had bothered to speak to with any modicum of respect.

"You will not harm him." She whispered.

Seorsia frowned, sorrow building in her expression "Hisa." She pushed, pleaded.

Hisano did not give in "I care for him. You will not harm him."

"I thought we could be... I thought you were my friend. You want to go war with me, over him?" She muttered, her pain turning quickly back to rage, pointing a taloned finger at a very confused Charlie, as the Drake regrouped behind him, and the Moores behind her.

Lady Fall looked back at him and the Drake, who puzzled at her. She was certain, really certain, this was the right choice. "Hai, Mōshiwakearimasen. This is the last chance, or as the others agreed, first blood is mine."

The Lady of the Moores made a swift return, though she relaxed and gestured to her kin. "Táimid ag imeacht." She said in her mother tongue.

"B-But, Our Red queen, we-" The leprechaun started, He did not finish.

Her hand snatched at his neck, tiny in comparison to her powerful arms, the fingers digging into his neck as He wheezed out a crazed chuckle "That is the most powerful Superior Lord in the world standing there between us, you fucking wanker, now shut ya fucking mouth and move." Her leg jutted out, smashing her delegate into oblivion as Dagda, holding the burned up Epona in his arms, bowed low.

"Your wish is my command, My Lady. Good night Drakes, you put up a good fight, I hope that it is not the last before the end."

"Bye-Bye now hehe." Epona gargled to the Drakes as they made for a hasty retreat.

Morrigan lingered, her bloodshot eyes glaring daggers at Orochi who she seemed hesitant to turn to fully "You're all fucking dead. Drake Scum." and with that, she was gone, a phantom lost to the night and only Hisano and the Drakes remained. Those and the strange Human woman on the ground.

"Who the fuck do you think you are!?" The Black Rabbit came forth, and Hisano hardened in caution.

"Rabbit. Stand down, if that's who I think it is, then be glad that she isn't our enemy." The Mad-Dog warned.

Hisano turned to them fully, the mists around her dispersing. Orochi continued to look at her, she looked away and fiddled with her fingers.

"Umm, Hi." Orochi said, in his rich voice that made her skin tingle "We've met before."

"..." her fingertips massaged the space between her knuckles. She managed to nod.

"You're Lady Fall aren't you? of the Genryu... the Tattoos on your neck, Peace leaves." The Mad-dog had a keen eye, she hadn't been titled 'Hisano of the Peach trees' for many many years. She nodded again.

"Why did you help us?" Orochi asked more directly, his body strong as oak, with broad husky shoulders; a warrior's shoulders. She didn't know if speaking was the best idea, Her English always went a little off when she got nervous...

The Legendary Black shuck let out a sound of recognition "The Muramasa.. that was you that left it for him, wasn't it? Are you looking to make some kind of alliance?"

"I will leave." She suddenly said, peering at Orochi and trying to give a small smile, though she only managed that creepy twitch she did sometimes. But she wanted to see him again, "The Clocktower, how you say... Rendezvous with me, if it is your wish." She sounded like she was making a transaction, she didn't like it, Hisano tried again "Please, visit me-us... Me." She corrected herself.

Orochi blinked "Ummm, okay?"

She smiled, making sure to show teeth just like Fawkes told her "Good. Goodbye."

Talk about blink and you'll miss it, as soon as that weird Superior appeared, she vanished. You'd met two Superior Lord's now, why were they here? and why did one look like a Japanese School-girl with a crush on you?

You would have given it much more thought... if your skin wasn't starting to stretch unnaturally over your unnaturally inflated muscles.

"Agh." You winced, feeling Perfect Overdrive crushing you, burning you.

"Turn that Off you fucking idiot, before your damn lungs explode." Shuck grumbled as Overdrive continued to tear you apart.

"Come on, Vlad, just relax and we're Scott free. Our first Battle won."

Hardly. ARGH JESUS! IT'S LIKE THE SEA IS BOILING, SLOTH! AND A LIL' BIT OF ANC-

Remhilde flinched as blood sprayed at her, dripping down the wooden seems of her rabbit mask. Her eyes opened wide.

Artorias staggered, a sharp intake of breath as the rain clinked against his iron helm.

Diana screamed bloody ****, clutching at her black hair, eyes bloodshot as tears trickled down her cheek.

You were confused at first, that was before something hot began to ooze down your chest, sizzling like water in a hot pan against the tarmac. "Whose blood is that?" you tried to ask, only, when you'd try to draw breath none came, all the air had escaped.

Eyes wandering down, you saw something shiny and crimson, dripping with blood, buried in the tarmac as a shred of cartilage swung from its end. But further down, punched into your chest, was an abyss of red, a chasm where your left pectoral, the right chamber of your chest bones.... and the entirety of your heart used to be, pushed out by a silver stake shot from behind.

"Oh..." You croaked as you fell back, seemingly... dying.

Well, shit.

"What's happening?"

*Sigh* we're dying, kid... again.

"B-But... how?"

The other Quincy, Gaudium, 600 yards behind us, sniper crossbow by the sounds of it

The sound of the string cocking back

"You're... getting smaller...."

That's.... just how it works buddy........... you die....... I die..........

"Shit... first hunt and it's already over? That sucks..."

I said we were.................................... dying, kid..................................... I didn't..................................................... say anything........................................... about the end................................

"What? what's that supposed to mean? ... Vlad? Vlad!?"

Time slipped back into motion as someone caught you, brown eyes looking... worriedly, down at you, you heard the clanging of weapons as your head hit flat against the tarmac.

Things got very cold and very dark, an abyss whirling you around like somebody had pulled the plug, **** was coming, the time ticking away until it could tick no more.

"Jesus christ Daddy how many times did you fucking die?" The Girl asked, her Black hair tied behind her pretty brown face, bolognese painting the corner of her lips where she'd slurped it down.

"Language!" The Taller Girl growled cutely, sauce all over her apron where she'd helped you cook, she always loved to cook, just like her Aunt, her Crimson hair bellowing as her stitches creased with annoyance.

You snorted, whipping free your apron as it flew through the air, landing perfectly on its hook by the archway.

Moving towards the full table, you drew a handkerchief and dabbed your daughter's lips, her adorable feature grimacing "Stop it, daddy! I'm not a little kid!" Said the Little kid, barely in her teens.

Chuckling, you patted her head "No, bumblebee, you're not, You're a Hunter, now eat up before Bill beats you to seconds!"

She certainly didn't want that, stuffing her face faster then a bat out of hell.

"She's right, Papa, You're stories get less and less believable." Sunny added, Her brother twirling the spaghetti around the fangs of his fork quietly. He never doubted your stories, not for a moment, nor his brother.

Scooping up from the massive pot of spaghetti, You filled a bowl and handed it to your eldest, giving her a smile and pulling a chair out for her. "I was gonna wash up-"

"Sit down and Eat, Fran." You insisted, damn busy body, bless her heart. She obeyed, groaning with satisfaction as she stuffed her face. You'd been out in the mountains for nearly four months... and they'd improved, more than you could imagine, in this shack they'd built to get out of the tents, You thought they should get some much-deserved relaxation time.

"Alright, How about this, Shoot me." You reached around, drawing your good old M119 and spinning it around your finger, holding out its handle to Bea.

She blinked "Like... Shoot you, shoot you?"

A smile crept across your face. "Go ahead..." They'd seen what you could do... maybe not all of it, but they'd seen enough.

Bea pushed your gun back at you, and smiled your smile at you "I believe you."

Your M119 slipped into its back holster, as you knelt by her side. "Listen, Bea. I've learnt a lot about us, about our blood, about what we're capable of. I was ****, I could be ended, there were plenty of things that could have made it so that Vi, most likely Fran, and you would have never been born. But there is one very important thing that You need to know about me. What kills me, has only ever, made me stronger."

"You haven't seen Dad fight for real... He'd kill us in about 10... no, probably 5 seconds." Fran said nonchalantly.

"I think we'd clock in at at least 25." Bill grumbled with a slight smile, nudging his brother who raised an eyebrow silently.

"Oh please, an hour at least-" Sunny tried to get cocky again, but you'd quickly put an end to that... and put a gun in her mouth "Ughhh...iihgh..." Her eyes widened as she flew back "Ahhh!" Flying out of her chair like a frightened squirrel.

The Kids all had their laugh as Sunny flushed "WHAT THE HELL DAD YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!"

You grinned mischievously, showing her that the safety was on, and the lack of a Magazine. "Yep. make that 1 second. And she's the Heir-"

Eyes widening, you paused, a drop of blood sliding down the body of the Tachi's blade that touched ever so lightly at the soft skin of your throat, having opened the tiniest of wounds, as Louie held it there, continuing to eat quite calmly.

The Siblings all paused, and You smiled as his eyes looked up at you, carefully pulling the blade away and handing you a handkerchief.

Dabbing the wound, You watched as the Boy sheathed his blade carefully and peered up, blinking as He realised that everybody was staring at him, "1 minute. It would take 1 minute for him to kill us all. 5 seconds for Vi, 10 for everyone else and 15 for me... I guess." He muttered quietly, continuing to eat. though he paused "Or 5 seconds for Vi, 10 for me and Everyone else, and 15 for Sunny if she took it seriously." He corrected himself.

They all stifled laughs as Sunny glared at her Brother, thumping his arm. The Boy didn't flinch "Ugh, so much for Twins, asshole." She grunted, marching off. He sighed and stood, pausing as you looked down at him.

He gave you a slight smile "No one left behind, right?" He moved after his sister.

You smiled brighter than you had in a long time "No one left behind."