Chapter 9 Drake

Honor....adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct.

To fulfill an obligation....to keep an...agreement. I an duty bound by my code of justice to make sure the right thing is done and done properly. To do this I joined the law In a crusade to help people live innocent lives.

I try to take cases that is important to the populace. I never lose my cool. I stay vigilant no matter how bad things get. But at some point...I'm just going to....snap. The death, the murder....it can be too much sometimes. But in the end I get...I remember my code of honor. I remember my badge. I remember my family. I remember my mother.

A high pitch scream sound off beside me as Isabella dies. I snap out of the shock and pull Leotie down just as an arrow flies next to her head. One land in the wall next to my head.

"hey!" i shout at leotie to get her attention. She stares at The wise woman's lifeless body. I turn Leotie's chin to me "we gotta go. crawl through that door". A doctor runs in but he is pearced in the shoulder by the arrow. A really skilled archer. An assassin? I haven't dealt with those before so this should be good....more like dangerous.

As Leotie crawls to the door I crawl by the Wise Woman's bedside. I pull her down and see arrows must've still been pelting her even after the initial shot. I checked her pulse. I know she's dead but its procedure. No pulse.

Feeling a newfound pit of rage well up in me I think to fire my gun out the window but I cant see the assailant nor do I want to endanger whatever civilians are below or anyway in the direction of my shot. This is a sniper I'm dealing with here. Was the Wise woman the target? Or was it Leotie and I? All three. The killer tried to snipe us all.

Assassins are bad enough but unconventional ones are more dangerous because of their unpredictability. For instance; the assassin is a marksman using a bow and arrows. Not crossbolts, which are definitely more powerful and accurate. Thing is we're three stories up in the building. These arrows look like they were fired from across the otherside of the street. the only building that high is a construction building I saw on the way here to the hospital and that is an easy 300 feet in distance. look like straight shots so they have to be the same height as well.

I close the curtains on the window. take one last look at Isabella's face. Such a peaceful look but a single tear strays down on her now lifeless face. I crawl out the room.

Leotie runs up to me. Security along with her.

Security checked me but I showed him my badge and instead he tells me something interesting.

"The rest of my team is under fire down on the first floor."

I reach In my pocket pulling out my radio as I head to the stairway. "Code 30. officer in need of assistance at Shade University Hospital on-" after naming the street I signal for the security guard to stay with civilians on the 3rd floor. He nods and Leotie walks off with him as what appears to be her father, take her away and other doctors enter room 305. my radio picks up and I get a positive response for backup. They tell me to stand by but I cant let that security team defend the first floor alone.

I go down the stairs to the second floor and see a few security officers bleeding with arrows protruding from their bodies as nurses and a few doctors attend them. I walk up on a guard and see his shoulder wrapped. He seems to be on the phone with someone. Tears in his eyes. I walk away giving him his privacy. after seeing that the power to the elevator was cut (probably some time after I got off) I look for the stairs and spot an Asian security guard standing by the stairway to the base floor. She wears her long black hair in a Japanese ponytail. when she see me approach she looks me up and down.

"You a cop?" she places her glock by her side.

"Detective Porter--" I look at her name tag on her breast pocket. The name reads Shizuzaki. Her security outfit looks different from the others. Maybe a different agency. I think I know that name though.

"I'm Kasumi Shizuzaki." She points down the stairway she's currently guarding. "There must be about 10 of them down there. All using bows like they're auditioning to be the next green arrow." She stares down the stairway. I can hear gunshots popping off. But not many of them.

"I've already called for backup. ETA in the next fifteen minutes. "

"Those guards will die by that point."

she looks at me with a determined glare. I can understand how she feels. I didn't get un this job because I felt like waiting for help. And logically she's right. It hasn't even been ten minutes and these guys are killing the people here quickly without the use of a firearms. I do this to save people not hear them die. I make my decision.

"Kasumi we're going to assist them. Watch my six." She nods and gestures for another Asian woman in the same uniform to take her post and we head downstairs.

Before I even see the gas I began coughing. My eyes began to water and I cover my face. Is this tear gas? I also hear excessive coughing downstairs. Effects of tear gas. Itll mess you up. Though what's surprising is Kasumi Is completely fine. She hands me a piece of gum and I must give her the funniest look because she smiles and whispers "new tech gum. Helps you breath under serious conditions and ailments. " I chew the gum because I take iron and it's hard to swallow. The moment the gum softens in my mouth I no longer suffer from the effects. Amazing. Its staggering until I see the enemy.

Twelve archers on the round floor and five guards. behind cover practically dying from the tear gas that must've been recently released into the room. The twin elevator is set up on a balcony up a set of stairs. Honestly the setup reminds me a bit of a castle throne room.

I see a bleeding guard on the balcony with us. Kasumi and I duck for cover and make our way to her. when we get to her I read her nametag. It say Sanders.

"Sanders," I press my fingers around her wound I see a arrow next to her. "back up is on the way." looks like it went into her shoulder and she must've pulled it out. Not a great idea. Thing about arrows they're more dangerous coming out than going in. It can rip body tissue and cause more damage. Kasumi pull out gauze and alcohol wipes from a pocket sized first aid kit labeled "Shade", she patches her up.

I look over the balcony seeing the archers moving in. I inform Kasumi that we have to move in now to avoid any more casualties by drawing fire. She just kept looking at her watch.

I look at my watch out of curiosity. "what? what's so important about the time?" The time is 6:59. "just wait," she focuses on that watch on her wrist. The longest minute I've ever had to be patient for but for some reason I felt that something was about to happen.

7:00.

"Now!" she jumps on the balcony rail and I hop over it about to fire my gun until I hear her words. She yelled it like a battlecry. It definitely wasn't English. I look up and see her eyes glowing like red rubies.

"Korosu!" It was Japanese. the archers look up at her and fire arrows but the arrow caught fire in the air and she caught one as the others burn to nothing. Flames in her hands she practically growls.

"Teki o korosu!" I see the guards moving out and other private security like her drip out of the shadows all shouting the same battle cry. My blood runs cold because of their words. "Teki o korosu" means kill the enemies in Japanese. But it was shouted like they were a blood thirsty tribe. And all their eyes glowed a bright red. As they descend upon the archers and all hell break loose I stick and move. Arrows,bullets, shuriken? projectiles flying everywhere. I fire at the archers as well I hit one in the chest. but he comes back at me and a red eyed security agent descends ontop of him screaming something in Japanese while stabbing him repeatedly and blood splatters everywhere. This is brutal. I head towards the exit remembering there is still an archer up in that construction building. I need to get there. Hopefully the assassin is still there.

I sprint towards the exit until I hear behind me ancher "Detective, my boss gives his regards." I hold up my gun to fire but I'm too late and he fires his arrow. just as I think in done for, Kasumi drops in front of the arrow catching it and another agent drops behind him like a ninja with a sword and she slices him down the spine.

"where are you going?" The glowing of her eyes made it seem like she was going to eat me. Whoever or whatever these people are at the very least they make amazingly scary guards with their....I dont know what to call this.

"There's an assassin. They killed a source. I gotta catch em. if they're still there."

"good luck." she turns around joing her group in whatever they're doing. I cant think about it right now I gotta go. I hop in Beth and speed off making my way to the site. I can tell I made the right call to assume the assassin was still there if there at all. Arrows descend upon my vehicle. I radio in the location of the assassin and received a report to wait for back up. I cant do that.

I drive Beth through a large window and slow to a stop. I roll out of the vehicle checking my area with my gun. I mark a secure path and head upstairs. once I get to the 2nd floor black arrows fly at me. my shoulder is nicked and i howl in pain rolling out of the way of other incoming arrows and fire off shots.

"Stop firing. Put your hands in the air and drop your weapons." I inch towards the the third floor. It's simply terrifying to know that someone has this level of skill when it comes to archery. "Come on up Detective" I hear the voice of a man. It was intelligent and somewhat condescending. What's worse is that whoever this is has a terrifying ability to hit me without knowing my exact position. This sounds more like a challenge than a surrender. I take him up on that. I dont plan on killing anyone but if hes going to let me get this close to him I'm all for it. I need to know who he is.

I get up the stairs covering my exit, marking my surroundings. There's construction equipment everywhere but there seems to be plenty of room to move around. I head further in and I see a bowman dressed like a old native archer. I instantly train my gun on him. "Hands where I can see them." No response. He just stands there like a statue. Theres a ghostly glow around his body. warpaint covers his face and the bow rests on his back. Whats really strange is the talisman on his face.

"He only listens to me Detective Porter." I spin around upon hearing the voice of the man from earlier. I see a man in a black and blue suit. his face is covered by a impossible darkness and yet I could see his eyes clearly. He wore a wide black fedora that was decorated with a rose that seemed to radiate darkness, and he held a unique looking black long bow in his hand. it was memorizing but I can tell it was made to kill. The upper and lower limb had been bladed and curved. The recurve was gorgeously deadly being decorated with dark blue rose pattern. Each petal also seemed bladed as well. it looked too dangerous to even hold.

He waves his hand and the bow disperses into dark mist. What the hell. "I'm sorry. you said you had wanted me to put my weapons down and hands in the air." he mocks me with a solid grin I see just as well as his eyes. It creeps me the hell out. He places his hand in the air.

"Then again we both know I'm something more than what that gun can handle." he quickly walks up on me with much obvious agression.

"Stop--" I fire my gun and he disperses into dark mist. Did I kill him? what the he--

"Detective ya shot me" he appears behind me with a mocking voice demented laughter behind it. I turn around but hes not there. "Over here." behind me. I swing my gun and again hes gone. The mysterious man reappears about twelve feet in front of me. I'm so confused. How is he doing this. I know I shot him. Trying to stay calm with all this happening is hard enough now I gotta deal with....this?

"How--"

"Ahh now don't be so confused we just got started." he swings his arm. My body moves on it's own and something tells me to look in my previous position. I see a hole. nothing was left where i was. Obliteration. Fear struck me to the core. I then hear an insanely evil laughter. Something that would make mighty kings falter. A voice of pure evil. I see the mysterious man laughing with the glee of the Devil himself. As if some great prize was thrown right into his lap.

"I won't kill you after all." he regains his composure and then he pulls off his hat. What I see I cannot describe. Literally. I seriously cannot describe what I see it. All I know is it's as if his scalp is gone and something is there. A dark mass of possibility. I'm left speechless.

" I would love for you to call me Nemisis." he pulls a black cane out of his "mind"? He places the fedora on his head and skips towards the native bowman. I had forgotten the archer's presence. Now that I see him my gun goes up instinctually. "Your Nemisis, your brothers' Nemisis, heck even your new friend Carson's nemesis. " He rests his arm on the native's shoulder. Still no response.

"Why did you kill her." I seem to regain my senses. or at least my pride. I was there like some kind of scared statue. Now I remember. I came here because I have an obligation to uphold.

"Why did you kill Isabella? Why attack the hospital? " if I cant arrest him, I'll at least get answers. Hes what people call a supernatural being. someone or something with the power of the supernatural backing its every move.

"Oh I killed Isabella because we are long time Nemisis and I needed to make room." his answer nearly made me explode into a mindless rage. Did he just say he killed an old woman he knew out of a need to have newer enemies?

"And i had my black archers attack the Shade Hospital because I kinda have something against the owner. Family thing you know. You were suppose to die there too but you are just FULL of surprises aren't you. "

Police Sirens howl through the streets of New Seyuta heading straight here.

"Annnnd that's my cue." just like that I fired off a few shots but both he and the Native disperse into black mist. I'm left there.. Beaten.

I drive home to Seyuta after a good check up at the hospital. Nothing's broken...not physically at least. Kasumi gives me her number claiming to see a valued friend in me and I meet Leotie's very busy father. He seemed alright with me bringing her here. She said she was going to stay with her father and I simply left after the whole mess was sorted through.

Now more than ever I needed answers. What the now dead Wise Woman told me about the Spirit Warrior and me being descended from him, I need to talk to the chief who appears to be a shaman. It takes me a good few minutes to get back to Seyuta police station. I needed the time to think. As crazy as everything else was, "Nemesis" was the worst by far. He was something out of a horror flick. There was nothing I could do against him. Like some crazed boogeyman.

I make my way to the precinct and the first thing I do is head straight towards the cheif's office. I didn't see Carson at his desk. I assume he's taking care of business elsewhere. I walk straight into the office without hesitation and I see Cheif Aiden...and Cheif Gola.

"Detective Drake." Aiden says as Gola closes the door behind me. "Please take a seat, I would love to get your report on what happened in New Seyuta."

I give my report. Though I left out the part where the security agents went ham and murdered the archers like demons out of hell. Aiden and Gola can tell how I seem a little shaken up. Though they only realize the true reason when I tell them about Nemisis.

"That snake finally came out of hiding. " Aiden gave a frustrated grin.

"Yes..."Gola turns his head grunting in frustration. "Only to kill off another asset and valued friend of ours."

Its obvious they know who he is. I just wonder if they're gonna tell me. I have an obligation to uphold. But I can't do that without any information. I have to know. I have to know something at the very least.

"Tell me everything Chief. " I lean forward holding his gaze. "I got blood on my hands. This secret your keeping from me has only caused problems. Can't you see I'm plenty more useful if I'm in the know?"

He gives me a stern look.

"Porter it was your curiosity that lead to the death of Wise Mother." 'Wise Mother'was a different title Isabella apparently went by.

Isabella had called me her grandson. On the way here I had thought about it amongst other things. Maybe she was going senile. Or maybe she was telling the truth. Our mother is mixed with Caucasian and Cherokee blood. Our grandfather also said our grandmother was quite wise. But he never said anything about her being english. Mom never talked about grandma. Unfortunately they never got along. If Isabella was our grandmother that'll simply be too sad. I'll look into this matter later. Yet another mystery to be solved. But I'll be damned if he tries to pin her death on me. "Bullshit Chief" I stand. And so does he. "Nemesis killed her because he was making room for competition. His words not mine."

"Let's sit down for a minute and cool our heads. Both of you!" Gola stood beside us. He probably thought we'd end up getting rowdy. Not my style. My brother Son on the other hand most definitely. Instead I just backed off and so did the Chief.

Gola takes out a cigar and begins to smoke it. Gola looked to be in his late 40s to early 50s in age. Grey eyes, Grey hair, black dress shirt, grey vest, black jacket and a red tie to go with it. He seemed like a native cowboy with his skinny jeans and cowboy hat.

"Look" Aiden began "Its not as easy as you think.. to just say this stuff to a uhh... "

"An outsider right...." I finished for him. "Well I'm not. Neither of my brothers are. Our mother is from here, our grandfather was the chief before you...."

"I know...I know." Aiden's voice becomes sentimental. He scratches his head. "Okay...okay. I'll tell ya everything. Just...be patient."

"Just tell him Aiden" Gola pushes the Chief. "Isabella probably already told him about the Dark anyhow."

"That she did." I confirmed. Aiden was about to say something until we hear a shout come from outside the station. Aiden looks to Gola and they both nod.

"C'mon Porter. " We all walk out of the station as the rest of the officers follow if not already outside. And what we see is another crazy phenomenon. A large glowing red fox about ten feet in height.. Its eyes glowed a bright white color. I guess this is what I asked for. The truth, to not be left out. The look on Aiden and Gola's faces seems very uncomfortable and yet familiar. I guess I'll know why in a bit. I can only hope this new situation hold more answers than the last.