Quoting DB Sommer <sommert@connecttime.net>:

Avenging
Act II
Chapter 4
Backstabbers

Any and all C+C appreciated. You can contact me at:
[sommert@connecttime.net]

All the previous chapters and my other works are stored at:

Larry F's new address at:
http://www.rakhal.com/florestica/d_b_sommer/index.html

And also Angcobra is now storing fics, at
http://www.hostultra.com/~AngCobraFics/dbsommer.html

At fanfiction.net:
http://www.fanfiction.net/

And newer works at Mediaminer
www.mediminer.org

Standard disclaimer: I don�t any of the Marvel characters or other

characters from the numerous animes which are within.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Waves lapped against the sides of ships moored at the docks as they
had 
since the dawn of man. A briny scent filled the air, the ocean
forcing 
its flavor anywhere it could touch. The full moon reflected off the

water, providing enough illumination for a group of sailors working
on 
the docks in the dead of night. The men were dressed in clothing
that 
would have attracted the attention of anyone that saw them, had it
not 
been near one AM. Most were stripped to the waist, with a number of

ostentatious tattoos decorating their bodies. All had at least a
dagger 
strapped to their belts, along with a number of less bloody
instruments, 
such as truncheons and blackjacks. All were implements of pain, and
each 
man appeared strong and rough enough to have inflicted such on any
who 
would irritate them.

Ooh.  Ugly sentence.  Ugly, ugly.  Take the bad sentence away, mommy,
it scares me.  

The men were busy as they urged a group of women toward the only
wooden 
sailing vessel tied to the docks, its sails unfurled as though it
would 
leave at any moment. 

So I guess there's no actual wind then?  


The women�s hands were bound together and gags

were 
forced in their mouths, preventing any noise from leaking out. Each
was 
forced to wear a set of longer iron chains clamped to their ankles,

Ah yes, the comic book version of the slave trade.   

allowing enough room to walk carefully but no more. Their gait held
the 
weight of despair that weighed them down more effectively than
chains 
ever could.

The group of sailors was dominated by a huge man who watched them 
carefully from the side. He stood over six foot high and weighed at

least two-hundred and fifty pounds. His yellow shirt, faded from
sun and 
water, had its sleeves torn off, displaying massive biceps. He wore
a 
loose fitting pair of black pants and leather boots. His belt held
a 
cutlass on one side and a flintlock pistol in the other. But his
most 
bizarre characteristic was his lack of a left leg, which had been 
replaced with, of all things, a peg leg.

The man growled, �Move quicker, you scurvy dogs. We weren�t able to

bribe all the watchmen to turn a blind eye to our loading of the
cargo 
and we don�t want troubles on this fine evening.�

One of the sailors said, �Actually, Commander Kraken, calling us
scurvy 
dogs is inappropriate since, thanks to the miracles of nutrition,
we now 
eat a balanced diet with plenty of vitamin C to stave off the
effects of 
scurvy.�

Commander Kraken turned to the man. The speaker couldn�t help
noticing 
his comrades suddenly backing away from him.

Kraken walked toward him, moving with fluidity despite the peg leg.
�Oh, 
a comedian. You must be the new swabbie we hired in Thailand, is
that 
right?�

The man gulped. �Yes, Sir.�

�There�s something you should probably know about me before you can

continue with yer employment here.�

�Sir?�

In a flash the cutlass was pulled free of Kraken�s belt and swung,

neatly decapitating the man�s head from his shoulders. �I hate 
comedians!� As the body fell to the ground, gushing blood, Kraken
turned 
to the rest of his crew. �Now then, you scurvy dogs, don�t stand
there 
gawking. Get that merchandise on board.�

The men had started to move with renewed zeal when a voice from
perched 
above a large stack of crates said, �Well, well well, either this

Well-well-well, 

or maybe

Well, well, well,

is a 
really off Broadway production of �The Pirates of Penzance� or I�ve

off-Broadway

stumbled on Commander Kraken and his amazingly outdated crew.�

Kraken remained staring at his men as he said, �Now I wonder who
the 
dead man that spoke to me in such a tone wa�� A billy club slammed
into 
Kraken�s wrist, knocking the pistol he had drawn out of his hand.

Daredevil had to credit the commander. His voice had remained
steady as 
the man drew the weapon when he got to the word �spoke� and
continued 
talking as though nothing had happened. Had Daredevil not been able
to 
sense the sudden jump in the commander�s heartbeat, even he
probably 
would have been taken by surprise.

Kraken rubbed his sore wrist. �Oh, a meddling would be hero, is it

would-be

now? 
And just which one might you be?�

�Daredevil, the Man Without Fear,� he said. �And you�re Commander 

He introduces himself as the Man Without Fear?  That's just tacky.  

Kraken, a pirate who�s been plaguing every country with a seacoast
for 
the last twenty years, and is one of the most wanted men in the
world. 
You were a super villain ahead of your time.�

Kraken shouted, �See here, now! I ain�t no super-villain. I just be
a 
humble pirate.�

Daredevil was taken aback. �But your clothing, your archaic
weapons, 
your crappy dialogue.�

One of the sailors said, �Commander Kraken�s always talked like
that. 
It�s not a costume, that�s his everyday clothing. He doesn�t have
any 
super powers either.�

�And Kraken be my god given name. I started as Midshipman Kraken
before 
being promoted to Commander when the former commander took a walk
out an 
airlock without Scuba gear. Nasty business, that was,� Kraken

scuba (or SCUBA)

explained. 
�In any case, this is no act. Pirating isn�t an occupation; it�s a
way 
of life. So I�ll be appreciating it if you didn�t slander my good
name.�

�Good name? You�ve been smuggling drugs, arms, and slaves,�
Daredevil 
pointed to the captured women, �for years all around the world.�

�I prefer to think of myself as a purveyor of rare and exclusive
goods. 
Besides, you speak of the laws of other countries. The rules of
mere 
landlubbers hold no dominion over Commander Kraken. My home is the
ocean 
that covers three-quarters of the world, and there the law be
survival 
of the fittest. I am a law unto myself. And I say, you be the dead
one 
here. Get him, swabbies!�

The men rushed as a group toward Daredevil. He leapt in the air, a

fishing net he had picked up thrown from the folds of his sleeves.
The 
men quickly found themselves caught up in the net, which grew
tighter as 
they struggled against it.

Satisfied at his handiwork, Daredevil turned his full attention to
the 
only man standing before him. �Now it�s your turn.�

�I see it falls to me to take care of matters.� Commander Kraken
drew 
his cutlass and pointed the tip at Daredevil.

The masked adventurer reached out with his senses. Despite the five

meters of distance between he and his foe, Kraken�s heartbeat was 
excited, as though he was about to launch an attack regardless of
the 
distance. An errant memory crossed Daredevil�s mind, one of a time
in 
China when Swordsman held exactly the same pose.

Didn't he anticipate an opponent's move the same way last episode?  

Daredevil narrowly ducked out of the way as a bolt of electricity 
flashed from the tip of the cutlass, arcing past where the hero had
been 
a second before.

�Trying to shoot someone with a sword that shoots electricity
proves 
you�re a super-villain!� Daredevil shouted.

�No, it proves I�m sneaky and underhanded, just like a proper
pirate 
should be.�

Daredevil threw several billy clubs at Kraken, who batted them out
of 
the way with his weapon, though with nowhere near the artful grace
the 
Swordsman possessed. Several chains met the same fate. Daredevil
closed 
the distance to his foe, feinting high with a blow, then coming in
low 
as he tried to knock the peg leg out from under Commander Kraken.
The 
kick hit, and Daredevil cried out in pain as his bone nearly broke
from 
the impact.

The flat of the blade struck across Daredevil�s chest, a discharge
of 
electricity shocking him into immobility as he fell to the ground,

landing on his back.

�I can anchor me peg leg to just about anything, sort of turning a

debilitating injury into an advantage, don�t you know,� Commander
Kraken 
offered in explanation as he took a couple of steps forward, intent
on 
disemboweling his foe.

The pirate underestimated Daredevil�s recuperative powers as the
blind 
man raised his arms up. From his sleeves spat out a huge white
cloud, 
hitting Kraken in the face and driving him back.

�Gar, not the old fire extinguisher to the face trick!� The pirate

'fire extinguisher to the face'

tried 
looking through the white mist surrounding him, but could see
nothing.

A solid metal object struck him in the wrist, making him cry out in
pain 
as he released his hold on the cutlass. Several other blows rained
in 
with a precision that should have been impossible in the white fog.

Kraken found himself lying on his back as the mists cleared,
Daredevil 
standing before him, the pirate�s cutlass in his hands.

Daredevil hovered menacingly over the prone pirate, the yellow
lenses of 
his mask seeming to bore holes through the man. �I have a few
questions 
to ask, but first, whoever is behind those crates, come out!�

Using his radar sense, Daredevil felt the man, who had chosen to
remain 
hidden for the duration of the fight, come out from his cover. The

stranger had a slightly elevated heartbeat, but a powerful one, 
indicating he was in good shape. Daredevil could tell from the way
the 
man moved and the smell of brine that seemed to come from his skin
that 
this was a sailor, one wearing a body suit, which could only mean
trouble.

The man came out with his hands halfway up, near his face. �Easy
there, 
lad. I�m unarmed, as you can tell.�

Actually Daredevil could tell, not only from the man�s silhouette,
but 
from the fact his heartbeat remained steady as he made his claim.
�Who 
are you?�

�Captain Barracuda�s the name.� The man�s hand moved to his face,
making 
Daredevil tense up. However he only scratched at his eye, the sound
of 
something leathery making contact with the finger. So he was
wearing an 
eye patch. All he needed was a parrot on his shoulder and his own
pirate 
image would be complete.

Daredevil�s radar sense tipped him off to Kraken�s heartbeat and 
adrenaline increasing, indicating he was about to attack. With a 
backhand swing, Daredevil cut off the peg leg that had just started
to 
rise up off the ground. A laser flashed for a split second before
the 
concealed weapon was rendered inoperable.

�You should be ashamed of yourself, attacking a disabled person
like 
that.� Captain Barracuda scratched his eye again. Only this time he

raised the patch up and a beam of energy shot forth from the
socket, 
striking Daredevil solidly and knocking him to the ground. This
time he 
did not rise to his feet.

�Took ye long enough,� Kraken complained. �Ye should have shot him

before he lopped off me leg.�

�Damn� pathological liar,� Daredevil hissed out.

Barracuda kept his hand dangerously close to his patch. �As a
matter of 
fact, I am. See if you can tell if I�m lying now. I�m going to kill
you.�

�No, you�re not.�

�Correct.� Barracuda�s hand started to lift the patch when an arrow
hit 
it, the tip exploding and dousing half of his face in it.

�What the hell is this?� Barracuda shouted as he found his hand and

patch affixed solidly to his face.

�A glue arrow.� Hawkeye emerged from behind several crates.
Towering 
above them came Giant Man, walking over them as though they were 
building blocks. Captain Japan followed by leaping from the top of
one 
crate to the other.

Barracuda appeared as though he were about to run for it when he
saw a 
tiny figure fly into his view. A beam of energy came from it,
hitting 
him in the face and rendering him unconscious.

�That takes care of that. Another super-villain brought low by the

combined might of half the Avengers,� Wasp said cheerfully.

�I give up, too,� Kraken added from his position on the ground.

Daredevil finally recovered enough to rise to his feet and turn his

senses to his allies. �How did you know I was here?�

�We didn�t,� Hawkeye said. �I shook down a few snitches and they
said 
that there was some kind of slave trade going down on the docks
tonight 
with a Commander Kraken. I decided to call up some reinforcements
to 
help out in case he proved a handful.�

�Which he did,� Captain Japan added. �You�ve really got to learn
about 
this whole group of heroes thing. You cab get a lot more

can

accomplished 
working as a team, like those two losers did when they two-on-one�d
you.�

Y'know, when Captain Japan tries to sound like Steve Rogers, for some
reason he ends up sounding more like Billy Batson.  

�Shut up!� Daredevil spat. �I didn�t need your help.�

�In what? Becoming a corpse?� Captain Japan shot back.

�This was personal. I need to talk to Kraken. He has some
information I 
need.�

�That be Commander Kraken to you, landlubber.�

�Come here,� Daredevil grabbed Kraken by his shirt and dragged him

behind a few crates, out of sight of his fellow Avengers. He
brandished 
Kraken�s own cutlass before the pirate�s face.

Kraken sneered at the unspoken threat. �Don�t be stupid, you land
bound 
twit. I know you super heroes don�t go around torturing people for,
Agh!�

The flat of the blade met Kraken�s head, a discharge of electrity
following.

Does that mean the blade shocks him?  Because that probably happens 
at the same time as the flat hits him.  

Daredevil made a great production of regarding the hilt of the
blade. �I 
see how it works. There�s a pressure sensor on the grip. But what
does 
this button do?� He pointed the tip of the blade at Kraken�s face.

�I�ll talk, laddie. No need to be torturin� me further,� Kraken
said. 
�Though you do do it well. Maybe you got a touch of pirate in ye
after 
all.�

Daredevil brought his face close. �In the last ten years have you
ever 
come across a Chinese girl with purple hair?�

�Naturally purple?�

�Yes.�

�No, can�t say I have. And I�d remember a distinctive thing like
hat. An 
exotic color like that would triple her price.�

�Are you certain?�

�Aye, laddie. I personally inspect all my merchandise, if you know
what 
I mean.� He winked at Daredevil.

�You scum!� Daredevil brought the hilt of the blade into the top of

Kraken�s skull. The pirate�s eyes rolled into the back of his head
and 
he slumped to the dock.

As the hero dragged Kraken back to the others, he silently cursed
yet 
another dead end in his quest for Shampoo. He knew it had been a
long 
shot, and a part of him prayed she hadn�t ended up in the likes of

Kraken�s hands, but if it meant finding her again, it would be
worth 
nearly any price. Almost.

If only Elektra hadn�t died in China. She had known Shampoo. It had
been 
the only lead he had to his love�s identity in the last ten years.
How 
ironic that it had come to him when he wasn�t looking for it. And
then 
it was lost as quickly as it had been found. It wasn�t fair, though
at 
least he knew she was still alive. Probably. He doubted Elektra�s 
reaction to Shampoo�s name would have been so fierce had it been in
the 
distant past. He had to keep looking, no matter the cost. So he
spent 
nearly all of his time trying to dig up leads with an obsessive
vigor. 
His grades were suffering, and he had been skipping Avengers�
summons 
for the last week as well. Finding Shampoo was what mattered.

It was the only thing that mattered.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matsuo Tsurayaba stared over the long table at his fellow
lieutenants in 
the Hand. For the most part they dressed in traditional kimonos,
though 
a few were contemporary, like Matsuo, and preferred Armani. Any
casual 
observer would have no idea that among then ten of them, they had

the

killed 
close to a thousand men.

It was the monthly meeting of the heads of the Hand, all the
commanders 
of their various sects in their proper places. There had been no 
unexpected death or assassinations among the ranks of the
commanders. 
Sometimes members of the Hand liked to test their skills against
their 
own. It wasn�t the lieutenants that dominated the meeting or
Matsuo�s 
thoughts, though. What concerned Matsuo was the new head of the
Hand. 
Head was an appropriate term since that was about all there was to
the 
thing which rested on a cushion on the table at the head of the
table, 
relaxing as though it owned the world.

It was most peculiar. The former leader of the Hand, known only as
Hard 
Master, had been an assassin of unsurpassed skill and sound
judgment. 
And while the Hand had not flourished as it had in times past,
neither 
did it suffer. Matsuo had been making plans to have the old head 
eliminated in ten years time or so, when he was in proper position
to 
take over the organization. Those plans came to an abrupt end three

months ago when, instead of the Hard Master, a new being entered
the room.

It was a beach ball shaped yellow thing with simple features that
passed 
for a face, almost as though they were drawn on by a child with a
magic 
marker. It came in flying on wings that flowed out of the substance
of 
the ball, able to appear and disappear without sign of an actual 
aperture, much like the being�s hands. It floated onto a padded
cushion 
placed on the table in front of where the Hard Master had formerly
sat, 
said its name was Onsokumaru, and announced it had become the new
head 
of the Hand. Most of the other lieutenants, like Matsuo, assumed
this 
was some sort of test, and placidly accepted the situation.
However, 
this Onsokumaru thing ran things as though it were in charge, and
there 
was no Hard Master to contradict its whimsical decisions.

Also of note were Onsokumaru�s two bodyguards that stood at his
side 
during any public appearances. The first was a sixteen-year old
girl 
dressed in a pink and black kunoichi outfit. It was extremely
small, 
hugging her chest tightly and showing a huge bust hidden
underneath, and 
the lower edge barely made it past her bottom. It was a good 
psychological edge against any male that allowed his hormones to 
distract them. The only odd thing about the uniform was the white 
headband with the smiley face on it. But even that was appropriate
since 
the girl called Shinobu seemed perpetually happy. Curiously, Matsuo

could sense no danger about her. Even the way she moved implied she
only 
knew the basics of the art. Hardly the sort that should be a
bodyguard 
to anyone.

The other bodyguard was the exact opposite in nearly every way. He
was 
about the same age, had black hair as well, and that was where the

similarities ended. He wore non-traditional garb. Brown pants and a
blue 
jacket with a red and white ball shaped symbol on the back. He wore
a 
metal forehead protector with an odd arrow symbol on it. Where
Shinobu 
was perpetually happy, the taciturn Sasuke was dour and radiated a

healthy amount of anger, which in turn was dwarfed by his barely 
retrained sense of power.

restrained

For this meeting Matsuo had decided to test one of the bodyguards
of his 
new �master�. This Shinobu was an enigma, and it was time to see if

solving her would lead to information about the others. Matsuo
scratched 
his chin, a signal to the assassin hidden above one of the ceiling
tiles 
directly above the meeting table. The already slightly misadjusted
panel 
moved upward just a tiny bit, no more than a crack. Just enough to
fire 
an arrow at the girl.

Matsuo could feel the assassin take aim when Shinobu suddenly
sneezed. 
He swore he sensed something small cut through the air at the edge
of 
his perception.

�Bless you,� Onsokumaru said.

Shinobu rubbed her nose. �Sorry, I think I sneezed one of my throat

spikes out. Was anyone hit?�

A body fell through the tile and landed on the middle of the
table.

�Oh, there it is.� Shinobu removed the poisoned throat dart from
body 
even as it began to smolder, giving off a greenish mist as it 
disintegrated. Within seconds all that remained was the empty
outfit of 
the ninja, his soul traveling to one of the capture spheres hidden
about 
the world. Once caught, it would eventually be consumed in a
powerful 
spell. No one was allowed to leave the Hand, even in death.

There was the answer to that question, Matsuo noted silently to
himself. 
Shinobu was so dangerous that even one of his abilities hadn�t
sensed 
the attack coming. She was probably more dangerous than Sasuke, and

Onsokumaru more powerful than either of them if they had sworn
fealty to 
him.

Onsokumaru said, �Now that the obligatory assassination attempt is
over, 
let�s get down to business. How many new attractive babes have
joined 
the Hand?�

One of the lieutenants shifted uncomfortably. �Female recruitment
is 
only up ten percent, and most of them aren�t� babes.�

Onsokumaru slammed a hand (which appeared from his round surface)
on to 
the table. �Didn�t I order babe recruitment up two hundred
percent?�

�It seems most babes want to be models, not assassins,� the man
explained.

�Damn bias against ninjas,� Onsokumaru mumbled. �Hopefully our
Ninja 
World Amusement Park will change all the public perception about
us.�

The lieutenants looked at one another. Matsuo said, �I thought you
were 
joking about that.�

�Why? It�s a great idea. It�ll do wonders for the image of ninjas 
everywhere.�

�We�re assassins. We kill people, not entertain them.�

�I don�t see why we can�t do both at the same time.�

�We can�t afford to build an amusement park,� one of the others
said.

Onsokumaru huffed. �Do I have to think of everything? There�s a
European 
assassin called Arcade that uses murderous amusement rides. Kill
him and 
we�ll rebuild all of his �Murderworlds� into �Ninja Worlds�.�

Matsuo jerked in his seat. Actually, that would work. The whole
Ninja 
World thing was stupid, of course, but it was an economical way of
doing 
it, as well as eliminating a rival assassin. Maybe they could even
make 
the Ninja World�s financially viable. Perhaps it was something to 

Ninja Worlds

seriously consider.

Onsokumaru moved things along. �How about our success and mortality
rates?�

Another lieutenant stood up, �One hundred and two successful 
assassinations, fifty-eight.� He looked at the empty uniform on the

table. �Fifty-nine deaths among our membership.�

�Why so many fatalities this month?� Onsokumaru asked.

Matsuo answered, �It�s Elektra, Sir. She�s killing the men we keep

sending to kill her.�

Onsokumaru started weeping, �It�s so unfair. She was a major babe.
Why 
did she turn on us?�

Given that he's not anatomically complete I'm wondering what the big
interest in babes is.  

�It hardly matters, Sir.� But inside, Matsuo seethed in rage. She
was to 
be his Assassin Prime and key enforcer in controlling the Hand, and
now 
it was all for nothing. He knew when Shan Pu had taken the Elektra
name 
something had gone wrong with her training. 

When Shan Pu had taken the Elektra name, he known something had gone
wrong with her training.  


He had failed to

eradicate 
every aspect of her former mentality. But he had been convinced he
had 
obtained her at an early enough age to train her without resorting
to 
drugs for brainwashing. Now her open betrayal meant death, and a
setback 
to Matsuo�s long term plans.

Onsokumaru said, �I want her captured, not killed. Then I can 
interrogate her myself.� The eyes of the Hand�s leader took on a
distant 
gaze and drool slipped from his mouth.

That display disturbed even Matsuo, who had once eviscerated a 
half-dozen children to test himself and ensure he had developed no

ridiculous feelings of sentimentality. He hadn�t. �She killed the 
Yamamoto Twins.�

�WHAT?� Onsokumaru roared. �They were two of the hottest babes in
the 
Hand! And twins! Do you know how hard it is to recruit hot twins?
That 
is unacceptable. The needs of the many babes outweigh the needs of
the 
one. Elektra will have to be dispatched.�

Shinobu raised her hand and gleefully shouted, �I can kill her, 
Onsokumaru-sama!�

Onsokumaru considered that. �I wonder if we could lure her into a
nude 
oil wrestling death trap.�

It was at that moment the door to the chamber burst open, revealing

several figures in the doorway. To the untrained eye, it would have

appeared none of the men at the table reacted, but to Matsuo he
could 
sense every man tense up and small movements indicated they were
ready 
to unleash the weapons concealed on their persons. Any single
individual 
that could arrive so close to Matsuo without him sensing them was 
skilled. For four of them to manage it at the same time meant it
could 
only be� them.

Four young men strode into the room, all of various ages, though
each 
was painfully bishonen. The oldest was also the tallest, a blond
wearing 
a blue trench coat and white gloves. The second in age was also
tall, 
with reddish hair, an affinity for black, and a sheathed katana
strapped 
across his back. The third was shorter than the other two, wearing
a 
brown leather jacket and normal looking pants. The youngest and
shortest 
by far wore a sweatshirt and pants, and had a hand crossbow hung at
his 
side. There were intakes of breath around the table, though Matsuo

resisted the urge. No one had expected Youji Kudou, Aya Fujimiya.
Ken 
Hidaka, or Omi Tsukiono, 

I have no idea who any of these guys are, but I suppose it doesn't
matter.  

the so-called �Snakeroot� of the Hand, to

show 
up at the meeting. They were unquestionably some of the greatest
killers 
the Hand had ever seen.

�Hey, guys, we�re back, and we brought this!� the blond Youji,
declared, 
throwing a skeleton of a man on top the table. It made a clunking
noise, 
the weight of the skeleton chipping some of the table surface. �We

couldn�t remove the head. Did you know his entire skeleton is made
of 
adamantium? Stuff�s fused together, too.�

Gee, I wonder how he could walk.  

�The claws could be made to slide out, though.� Ken, the youth with
the 
brown jacket pulled out a glove with three long blades attached to
the 
back of the palm.

The youngest, Omi, added, �That Yukio girl that was with him is
dead, 
too. I found out she was my third cousin, twice removed. Another
member 
of my family is dead. Soon there won�t be any of them left.� He
sighed.

�She was definitely a hot lay,� Youji said.

Omi turned on him in anger. �You slept with her? She was my
cousin!�

�She was dead.�

�So you think defiling her corpse makes me feel better?�

�You�re the one that killed her.�

�It was fated that she die, like all of my family! It�s a tragedy
that I 
have to bear.� Omi radiated a healthy doze of angst.

Aya finally entered the conversation, talking to Youji. �Maybe you

should try sleeping with, you know, a girl that�s alive.�

Youji scoffed. �Nah, I tried it. They start whining and bitching
about 
size, tempo, and want to be held afterwards, like it�s all about
them. 
When I sleep with a girl, it�s all about me and my pleasure, not
them. 
Doing it when they�re dead makes it easier for both of us.

Ken spat at the skeleton lying on the table. �And this asshole
called me 
a queer. Fucking gaijin mutie.�

�You sleep with guys,� Aya pointed out.

�That doesn�t make me gay!� Ken shouted.

�It doesn�t?� Aya asked.

Ken doesn't kill Aya for that.  Curious.  

�No! It just means I like sleeping with guys! I don�t even like
fags.�

Matsuo noted that not only were they expert killers, but they were
also 
completely insane. Well, maybe not Aya. It was hard to say, since
he was 
so quiet and hung out with the other trio, who were loud and
crazy.

Onsokumaru stared at the skeleton on the table. �You actually
managed to 
kill Logan?�

�Yes,� Aya said.

Youji turned once again to the people lining the table. �I think 
congratulations are in order.�

�Not really,� Onsokumaru said. �We assumed you�d die like the two 
hundred and thirty-five other members of the Hand he�s killed
before 
you. We only sent you on that mission in the hopes that you�d meet
the 
same fate as the others. You are insane, after all.�

Matsuo felt his heart miss a beat. Actually what Onsokumaru said
was 
true. It had been decided that the Snakeroot was too unstable to
keep 
around. No matter how nicely you treated a rabid dog it would try
to 
bite you. 

would bite you.  

But to tell them that to their faces? Matsuo prepared for

a 
fight. He had a squad of his most dangerous subordinates only a
floor 
away on standby alert. If he could hold off the Snakeroot long
enough, 
he could use his men�s lives to buy time for him to escape.

�How did you kill him?� Onsokumaru asked, temporarily defusing the

situation.

�It was easy,� Ken said. �He was highly overrated.�

Aya said, �He had just fought and killed two men, one called Creed
and 
the other called Cyber. He was so weakened from the fight that not
even 
his healing factor could overcome our attacks.�

So much for the New X-Men.  

�Like I said, overrated,� Ken said.

Onsokumaru stared at the skeleton for a few moments longer, then
looked 
at the men. �I have another mission for you. We need you to kill
Elektra.�

The Snakeroot looked warily at one another. Youji said, �I�m not
sure I 
want to go on any more missions if you�re just sending us to die.�

�I said we were hoping you would die, not that actually dying is
part of 
the mission. If you don�t want to die, then don�t.�

The Snakeroot silently stared at one another. It was at that moment

Shinobu sneezed again. Ken�s headband fell to the floor a moment
later. 
All eyes turned to look at the throat needle that was embedded in
the 
wall next to Ken�s head.

Shinobu laughed embarrassedly.

Aya shrugged. �Why not?�

�She is seriously hot. If I could get her while she was still
warm�.� 

Now it was Youji�s turn for his eyes to take on a distant glaze.

Shouldn't be a separate paragraph.  

�I�m not so sure,� Omi said.

�I�ll get you the name of a third cousin of yours,� Onsokumaru
offered.

�Done.�

Ken continued staring at the dart embedded in the wall.

�It�s settled, then. You go kill Elektra and have some fun,�
Onsokumaru 
said.

The four turned and left. Matsuo couldn�t decide if it had been
deft 
maneuvering on Onsokumaru�s part or just plain luck. What he did
know 
was that in any case, he�d bide his time and wait a bit longer for
an 
opening to take control of the Hand.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Atsushi Morikawa sat at the bar, working on his third vodka
martini, 
looking at his watch every five minutes. Soon that hottie, Hikari
Kine 
would show up, and they could have a few drinks before heading back
to 
his place for some hot sex. And he wouldn�t have to pay her
afterwards, 
like he did most of the other girls he slept with. Life was finally

taking an upswing for the information broker.

Atsushi had gone halfway through his drink when he felt a pair of
arms 
wrap themselves around his neck and a set of impressive breasts
mash 
themselves against his back. A light caress of breath touched his
ear, 
turning him on. His date was even friskier than he could have
hoped.

Then Atsushi felt the small blade press against his jugular.

�How�s it going, Atsushi?� a woman�s voice whispered in his ear.

�Elektra,� he whispered. �Come on, don�t do this. If the Hand
catches me 
telling you anything, they�re going to kill me.�

�But they can only kill you later, while I can kill you now.�

Atsushi detested how casual she sounded when saying things like
that. 
�There hasn�t been any word out of them in the last five days. I
mean 
nothing. It�s weird, like they�ve given up on you or something. I�m

being honest. I�m not holding out on you.� But she wasn�t going to

believe him. She�d cut his throat and be out of the bar before
anyone 
saw the blood pooling around him because she was that good. He went

ahead and wet himself just to get it over with.

Instead of slitting his throat, Elektra said, �Damn. I was afraid
of 
that. I�m going to need help. You did well.� Her arms disappeared
from 
his throat and the breasts removed themselves from his back. For
the 
first few seconds he thought she was just lulling him into a false
sense 
of relief so that the blade to the back was all the more
surprising. But 
nothing happened.

And then a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist and a
set of 
impressive breasts mashed themselves against his jacket. �How�s it

going, Atsushi?�

Hikari had finally shown up. He laughed softly.

Her hand went down to his groin, grasping it. Then the grasping
stopped 
and the breasts weren�t pressed against him so tightly. Atsushi�s
eyes 
nearly rolled into the back of his head. It was over.

�Ohh, you are well informed. How did you know I have a fetish for 
urine?� She grasped his groin even tighter.

Atsushi laughed. It appeared it was going to be a good night after
all.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bouncing atop her pool cue, Stick maneuvered her way into the
private 
back room of Ohtana�s Bar for her regular meeting with her prot�g�.

Daredevil had been irksome lately, agitated beyond anything since
his 
return from China and that sordid incident with the Mandarin. At
first 
Stick thought it was simply difficulty in dealing with a team, but
of 
late, she was certain it was something else. Something had happened
in 
China, something that had him trying to dig up information on
Shampoo 
harder than ever.

Stick sensed him come in from the skylight above, silently
descending on 
a cable from one of his billy clubs. Halfway down, he dropped the
rest 
of the way, landing on the edge of the pool table.

�Want me to applaud?� Stick asked.

�Has there been any word for me?�

�Actually there is,� Stick hopped off the cue and onto the floor.
She 
hoisted the cue over her shoulder. �Word passed through the network
that 
some girl named Elektra wants to meet you at the Halfway Scraper 
tomorrow at five past midnight. She also adds you�re a lousy
kisser.�

Daredevil was so startled he nearly fell off the edge of the pool
table.

Stick shook her head sadly. �Listen to me, boy, any relationship
with 
someone named Elektra is bound to end in tragedy. 

Well, that or hot incest action.  

It�s fate. Keep

your 
distance from her.�

Daredevil spun in fury on his mentor. �Save it! She has information

about Shampoo. Nothing can stop me from meeting her.�

Stick shrugged. �Fine. Meet her and discover yet another dead end.
Maybe 
you�ll realize it�s the last one, and you can get over this idiotic

obsession and move forward with your life.�

�I am moving forward with my life,� Daredevil insisted.

Stick shook her head sadly. �No, you�re stuck in the exact same
pattern 
you�ve been in since I dragged your blind ass out of that shelter.

You�re afraid to move forward. That�s why you keep ignoring as many
of 
those Avengers meetings as you can. Acting like an actual member of
the 
team, or worse, like their friend, would mean you�re letting go of
your 
dead past, which you can�t bring yourself to do, coward.�

�They aren�t my friends,� Daredevil retorted.

�Oh no, they just save your sorry behind because they have time to
kill. 
Yes, I heard about your run in with the pirates at the docks. You�d
have 
been dead without your friends, and yes, they do consider you as
one, 
though god knows why. Keep pushing them away and eventually they�ll
stop 
coming back. You�d better get your act together before it�s too
late.�

�I don�t have to listen to this!�

Stick smirked, letting her pool cue go from one hand to the other.

�Actually, with your super sensitive hearing, you do, unless you
think 
you can shut me up.�

To her amusement, he didn�t even try to offer a counter argument.
He 
simply said, �I have a meeting to keep,� and left the way he had
arrived.

Stick shook her head sadly. �Kids. I forgot how much I hate raising
them.�

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The �Halfway Scraper� was a slang term for a partially completed 
skyscraper that stood in a low scale area of Tokyo. Plans had
called for 
it to be the centerpiece of a new financial district that would
restore 
the area, but funding for the building fell through when it was
revealed 
they were being backed by an outfit called the Secret Empire, 

You know considering that superheros and supervillains have only
recently popped up, it's amazing how long the various comic book
conspiracies seem to have been around.  

and

that 
the building was intended to be a forward attack base capable of 
leveling Tokyo. So it stood alone, a framework with some flooring
and 
almost no walls slowly falling into ruin. A scarecrow of concrete
and 
steel in a field of urban decay.

Upon arriving, Daredevil discovered the security guard for the
grounds 
unconscious in his guardhouse. That meant Elektra had already
arrived. 
He used his billy club to snare a girder and hoisted himself up to
the 
fourth floor, one with much of the flooring complete. He walked
through 
the building, his radar sense telling him all he needed to know
about 
the structure in a way mere eyes never could. Except for what color
it 
was, of course.

Daredevil stood silently for a full minute before calling out, �You
can 
come down from your hiding spot against that girder one floor up
and 
eight and a half meters to my right.�

Removing herself from that very spot, Elektra ran forward, leaping

through an incomplete section of the floor and down to Daredevil�s

level. She landed a handful of meters away from him, not out of his

reach but far enough she for her to react to any move he made.

enough for her

�I don�t kill people,� Daredevil pointed out. Something was
bothering 
him, but he couldn�t quite place it.

Of course that doesn't mean he can't help her do the killing.  

Elektra made no effort to hide her disdain. �Spare me your useless

morality. If it�s any consolation to you these four are killers a 
hundred times over, and unlike me, they�re psychotics that enjoy
it. 
Killing is as integral to them as eating and sleeping. They can�t
stop 
themselves, even if they wanted to. If you capture them, they�ll 
eventually find a way to escape and kill again. The only thing that
can 
stop them is death itself. It�s the only practical way to deal with
them.�

The feeling of unease grew so badly Daredevil fidgeted. �You�re an

badly,

hoping to take him by surprise. If he could finish one off fast,
the 
odds switched into Daredevil�s favor. With his skills he was
confident 
he could defeat two normal people, assassins or not. 

Daredevil is overly impressed with his penny-ante super-power.  



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