** The following eve, Late evening, Hotel room, Central Barcelona **

She sits on a large queen sized bed, her legs folded and her eyes gleaming with calm and a bit of wariness as she looks down at a remote control in her hand, a maelstrom of emotions ravaging her soul as she licks her lower lip.

She’s wearing some short loose pants that end a little above her knee, the shade of the fabric dark blue covered by a large nightshirt that is at least 2 sizes over her own and covers her up sufficiently, wild bangs of her hair covering her face lightly and concealing her façade, but no the look in her eyes.

Apprehension, fear, anxiety all wrapped up into one package that is laced with an undeniable sense of need, the need to know, the curiosity and long months of being in the dark pestering her, and she finally has a change to be enlightened, yet deep inside she feels she perhaps will not like the truth.

The room she is sitting in is not very spacey, but it is sufficient for the single woman to rest in. She also has a small Television with a VCR on a small wooden stool. She had already fed the VCR with the tape she needs to see, postponing the skimming over the picture she had been given.

She had been postponing this moment for a whole day now, excusing it with need for sleep, nourishment and a good bath, shopping for some new clothing and even pulling out some money from her bank account.

Now her means of pushing away the fateful moment have run out, Ibuki must face the music and witness the contents of the proof of life she herself had asked for.

She sighs heavily and weaves her other hand through her hair, massaging her scalp lightly with her fingertips as she pushes the loose bangs from her eyes. She then covers her eyes with her hand, inhales once very heavily, and pushes the button on the remote and the TV turns on.

She fiddles with the remote for a moment before pausing and then clicking the play button on the VCR control panel on the remote, puts it down beside her, and waits as she gazes at the dark screen.

“If you’re watching this tape now, that means you’ve beaten your cousins, good for you Ibuki…” Xavier’s voice is heard and he steps into the screen, giving a courteous bow and smirking wryly.

Her eyes darken at his sight, her jaw tensing and slacking as her brows tick and her teeth grit lightly. “You’ve been such a cooperative little girl, getting me all these Venom blade parts, so I thought a reward is in hand, after all, you’ve preformed so marvelously.” He says and chuckles lightly.

“I’m going to let you have some glimpses into the main recreational activities your mother undertook during her time here,” he says and motions with his hand and the screen shifts. Ibuki gasps and her eyes widen as she sees her mother in rags tied to a wall while shuddering as she’s being electrocuted.

“8am-10am; thorough Shock treatment,” His voice speaks over her mother’s screams. Then the picture changes to her mother chained to a chair and convulsing, an odd helmet on her head that’s glowing in violet.

“10am-2pm, Violent mental probing” he says casually, Ibuki’s eyes water and her fists tighten against the sheets as he breathing hitches lightly “Mom…” she whispers in a guilty and pained tone as she feels her heart ache and bleed for her mother’s agonizing existence.

“2pm-10pm, full body examination and bio experimentation on a live subject, seldom under sedatives” his voice repeats, and Ibuki shuts her eyes, unable to watch her mother’s thrashing, screaming and pain any more.

“10pm-8am, Sleep in a small metallic chamber, on the floor with a thin blanket and consuming around 800 calories and 2 glasses of water, in 2 meals” he says and finishes, chuckling lightly, Ibuki’s eyes snap open and glare hatefully at the screen.

“Now, this is old footage, your proof of life as you put it, is in the envelope, a picture taken today of your mother, thought it is the last one you’ll ever see, because she’s quite dead. Not a real news flash as she has been for a week or two by the time you get this, as you can see by the date on the bottom right corner of the screen. No hard feelings now, at least I made her death quick, or then again, I didn’t…” he says and his tone changes to a more malicious and evil one, laughing lowly at her anger.

Ibuki’s eyes narrow “You see, my use for you is over, as you listen to this recorded message I have already funneled through my spies in intelligence cores many incriminating pieces of evidence that tie you to many of our operations. More so I have placed a tracking device within the envelope you so foolishly didn’t open as I predicted you wouldn’t not…” he says and his laugh grows as his vision begins to fade into the screen, only his violet glowing eyes now visible.

“Now now, don’t scream yet, do let me finish. This VCR was specially planted by my people, it has not only played the video cassette but it has also erased its contents, so you see, you’re quite screwed my dear girl, ah well @#%$ happens, no?” He asks and Ibuki’s grip on the remote tightens as she pants through tightly grit teeth.

“Anyhow, before you hyperventilate from that mad dog look I’d just like to remind you that your time as a free woman is limited. I suppose they’ll be knocking at your door very soon, so from a loving friend, have a nice day…” he says and the tape ends, the silence being pierced as Ibuki screams in frustration, anger and anguish and tosses the remote at the Television before the realization hits her and the tears and sobbing follow very quickly

** 1 day later, a room in a small motel, near Barcelona, Spain **

The room is shroud in a blanket of shadows, the intangible darkness almost alive, devouring all shreds of light and leaving the hollow space of the rectangular area in a raven colored atmosphere, the nocturnal melodies filling the room with its graceful tunes.

The room is humble, a carpet from corner to corner, a small cabinet with a TV on it, and two single beds that are adjacent to the door. Two people are occupying the room at this very moment, sitting on their beds and conversing silently over the last 24-hour’s events, monumental to their lives and unexpected to say at least, their hushed tones banishing the silence and overshadowing any other sounds that try to invade the room.

The Motel was a small and low priced establishment, set in the more rural and desolate part of the Spanish city’s surrounding areas. The plateaus and grassy plains around the building are quiet, seclusion and solace easily found upon staying the night within the walls of the motel.

Two siblings, tired and wounded, bandaged and morally beaten are the room’s inhabitants. They were thankful for an even more powerful silence they were graced for due to the fact that for what they could sense all of the clients who found accommodations there were not there at the moment, the hour too early and most people still working or recreating within the suburban area of the city of Barcelona

The window is open and the gentle evening breeze toying with the curtains with unseen hands. Soon after the wind caresses the half naked bodies of the two sibling, both clad in sleeping clothing of thin material and little covering.

“So what do we do now?” Mei asks and exhales lightly, the gesture full of frustration blowing some loose bangs of her black hair off her forehead and back lay more comfortable on her head in contrast to the annoying position before her eyes as she lies down and sighs heavily.

Hwang folds his hands behind his head, leans against the wall, and looks up at the ceiling, “I’ve got no idea sis…we’ve built our whole retribution plan on killing our cousin and it turns out she’s out of the picture…” Hwang says and his voice trails off.

“She left me a note…I threw out the original and copied it off just like you taught me, it was quite interesting in terms of content…” Mei says after a few moments of silence. She then sits up and brings her legs to her chest, hugging them and leaning her chin on her lap, looking at her brother.

“Is that so? Interesting…so what’s did it say?” he asks and turns toward his sister, curiosity in his eyes as he listens silently, tilting his head sideways a bit and leaning it against the wall, yawning lightly.

“It had the address of her current lodgings and the general area she’ll be roaming about for the next couple of days, also she said she’ll be waiting for us and says if we wanna talk she’ll be there. She says she has a small glimmer of hope maybe we could make amends, not be driven by the hatred of our ancestors, maybe even hook up and cooperate, since all three of us are all alone now...” Mei says and looks at her brother’s façade as a mocking smirk reaches his face.

“We’ve done fine without her up until now, we don’t need or want her help, at least I don’t personally. If you ask me it’ll only complicate things, that woman’s a magnet for conflict and trouble, a jinx, misfortune just seems to follow her every step, so…thanks but no thanks on that one…” Hwang says and shakes his head.

Mei shrugs, “If ya say so bro, though just for the record we’ve got our own share of trouble on our a**es, and misfortune. For example, Interpol is after us for that time we stole their files on Shadowlaw two years ago, oh and let’s not forget the ever unforgettable time we blew up one of Mi6’s facilities…or the…” She begins and giggles lightly while she smirks wryly at her brother’s frown.

“Ok! Ok! I got you, d*mnit woman! You’re so d*mn picky sometimes!” He says in exasperation, throws his hands up, and shuts his eyes while sighing heavily. “I guess it can’t hurt to meet up with her,” he says in a defeated tone.

Mei grins and blows a raspberry in his direction, “Why thank you, just don’t forget how many times this d*mn woman saved you from being pulverized with your irrational spurs and fits” she says and giggles lightly as she deflects a pair of socks thrown her way.

She and Hwang end up brawling in a friendly wrestling match, Hwang in the end holding her in a headlock and giving her a noogie, much to her protest and snarls as his knuckles are mashed to her head.

Both are laughing and preoccupied in their little bout, not noticing a set of footsteps that is heard from the outside hall, quick paced and steadily getting closer.

Mei manages to get him off in a less than fair manner of conduct as a very sensitive part he cherishes is fisted and he groans and lets go, doubling over and panting while glaring at her “Cheat…” he whispers in a pained tone.

Mei laughs out loud at his face and flashes a wicked and smug grin while lifting her hand in a gesture of victory, “One of the disadvantages of you being a man, isn’t it?” she asks and winks as she rolls up to her feet and stretches.

“I hate you sometimes,” he mutters and climbs to his feet slowly, still bending over a bit and panting. She only giggles at his discontent and then hmms questioningly, as there is a knock on the door. “Who is it?” Mei asks.

“Room service” a humble quiet male voice speaks up from behind the wooden door.

“We didn’t order anything,” Mei says as she runs her hands over her satin nightdress, smoothing the slightly wrinkled fabric lightly and sighing lightly, yawning a bit and rubbing her eyes, not yet adjusted to the Jetlag and by keeping herself awake finding herself quite a ways more tired than usual, the time according to Spanish time only 8pm.

“Well I don’t know about you ordering this or not, but my manager said I should deliver an order for room 306” the voice repeats and taps against the door a bit impatiently.

Hwang snarls as Mei shakes her head, “I’ll get rid of him,” he says to her in Japanese and sighs as he walks over to the door, unlocking it.

** Meanwhile, outside the hotel room, Central Barcelona **

“That bastard…” she whispers as she steps into a side street, spewing the air out of her lungs heavily, she turns and punches a wall, venting her frustration. A dull pain flares as her knuckles collide with the wall, leaning her forehead on it as well and then hitting it with her hand as she bangs her head lightly against the cold surface of the brick.

She is now wearing a pair of Levis cowboy style black jeans, some Nike running sneakers. A belt with a golden buckle holds her jeans; she is wearing a thin sleeveless skin tight black shirt and hefting her backpack on her shoulder, she has a ninja toe scabbard clasped on the back side of her waist, hidden by her jacket, ready to be used at moment’s notice.

Her eyes are hollow and full of anguish and woe, slightly misty with unshed tears, her breathing left uneven, and ever many negative thoughts swirling within. She shifts position and leans against the wall, her gaze falling to the pavement below her feet, small angry tears well in her eyes.

“I’ll get you Bison…somehow…somehow…I swear by all that is holy! I’ll find you one day and I’ll make you pay for this…” she says and sniffs, inhaling deeply and lifting her eyes from the ground to narrow as she feels the touch of cold metal against the back of her head.

“You’re…” the voice begins, Ibuki doesn’t let him finish his sentence as she turns sharply and uses her right hand to swat his hand aside. Her other hand clasps around his wrist and yanks him with her movement, forcing him to his knees by the vicious angle his arm is shifting into.

The man gasps in pain as she suddenly shifts his hand in the other direction and makes him fall onto front while making his finger involuntarily release the revolver in his hand; she then bashes his head with it and knocks him unconscious.

“There she is!” She hears voice and turns around to see a man swinging a police baton at her. Ibuki’s eyes narrow and darken as she steps forward while the baton is still in motion, not yet colliding with her skull, both hands hitting his shoulder and pushing him backward.

The man stumbles a bit, Ibuki doesn’t give him any slack and knees him in a strategic area before grabbing his head and with one hand, fisting his hair and her other hand pressed against his shoulder before slamming him into the wall.

The man gasps in pain and shakes his head, spitting some saliva mixed with a surge of blood before taking his baton and striking at her once more. Ibuki dodges narrowly by shifting her body backwards, as she bends back she also lifts one of her legs and slams it into the man’s chin, sending him reeling back and stumbling toward the wall.

Ibuki is about to press her attack when she hears more running footsteps, she turns and prepares herself as 2 more police officers, these 2 female, follow the first ones and press an offensive against her. Ibuki leaps and spins while in midair, her foot hitting the officer from before and causing the back of his head to hit the wall with gruesome force, his body slumping to the ground.

She kneels beside him quickly and takes his Baton and then moves quickly to recover the long since unconscious cop’s Baton as well, holding both midnight black cold weapons at the side of her body as it’s too late to escape.

This conclusion reached as she can hear sirens in the distance closing in on her location, she would most likely need to take a car once she’s done with these two and make her way away from this location.

“Godd*mnit, I can’t deal with this now!” she mutters and then hmms and quirks a brow and pauses her monologue and kneels down beside one of the downed officers as she hears a muffled voice hidden behind static.

She relinquishes one of the men’s walkie-talkies, places it to her ear, and listens intently. She recognizes a female voice that is heard above a quite aggravating amount of static. “Unit 5 what’s going on over there, don’t forget you need her alive for interrogation, do you copy unit 5, do you copy?” Ibuki puts it down and takes note to this new piece of information and the identity of the speaker.

She then gets up and shakes her head, quickly moving to leave the scene before more cops come and hound her. She idly flicks one of the batons, thinking of her next move as she steps into a side alley a few feet to her right, and taps her chin lightly with one of the wooden rods.

Ibuki hears running footsteps and turns to run toward another side alley, and then pauses as she sees people running toward her. She turns and backpedals to the T-junction alley and turns to her right, she halts as more cops approach, she sighs and turns to her left and groans in exasperation as that route is blocked out as well.

Some have batons, some tazers and shock sticks, long metallic sticks with conductive edges that send jolts of high voltage into the target and cause involuntary convulsion and cramping of muscles, not the most pleasant way to be beaten down.

She stands in place, crossing both batons before her body and then bringing one behind her head and one to hip level, letting her eyes roam over both groups, all in all there are quite a number of them after her, whatever she’s done must have seriously flustered someone for this kind of attention.

She stands ready, calculating her odds and her foes skill through stances and facial expressions, as they approach slowly and carefully, obviously have been tipped off on how dangerous she is, unknowingly only helping her as she formulates several different battle tactics for various scenarios of how they could possibly attack.

Her brown eyes narrow and crystallize as they turn serious and a dangerous glint reaches her eyes as she prepares to fight. She hears them shouting in Spanish and then they attack.

“Bring it on” Ibuki whispers herself as they close the gap around her and strike.

** Back in the Hotel room **

Just as the lock clicks and the door is unlocking the door is suddenly pushed forth violently and Hwang is thrown backward as the wooden door hits him and sends him reeling backward. Mei turns to the door just to see a figure bursting through the door way and hitting her brother, the force sending the sibling stumbling backward, his balance broken as the lower part of his legs hit the bed, falling back and hitting the floor with a thud.

A figure bursts into the room, moving with immense speed and lunging at Hwang. The latter tries to block as he stumbles to his feet, the assailant beating him to his plight and clocking him with a forceful kick to the diaphragm.

Hwang grunts and is thrown back again, the air forced out of his lungs as he’s pushed back into the wall once more, the back of his head colliding hard against it and his body slumping forward slightly as he falls to his knees. He pants and grimaces as he holds his abdomen, the victimized area now throbbing with sharp pain as he strains to breathe properly.

Mei lunges at the intruder’s back, prepping a sidekick and slamming it into the man’s lower back, or so she had thought the events would unfold for the figure spins and her foot misses horribly, hitting nothing but thin air.

Two hands lock around her ankle and push it aside before the figure steps forward and grabbing her by the neck, and a flicker of light rebounds off a pair of sunglasses it seems as she’s left suspended in midair.

He then lifts her into the air with an act of incredible physical prowess and turns while holding her throwing her across the room and sending her crashing into her brother who had only just regained his footing.

Mei and Hwang in a heap, both groaning lightly and grimacing in pain, Mei rolls off her brother quickly, rises to her knees, and glares at the figure angrily. Gritting her teeth as her brows tick in an agitated manner and her eyes darken.

Hwang turns sideways and pushes off the ground, rising to his feet as his sister does the same, both preparing to attack him in unison, now ready to retaliate to the surprise attack.

Both pale a bit, as a clicking sound heard and it makes them pause, the gleaming shaft of a chromatic magnum revolver aimed at them both, the faint light of the room bouncing off it, then being swallowed by the Raven of the black silencing cylinder screwed onto the end of the barrel that is aimed at them.

A soft chuckle fills the air as the faint light from the hallway illuminates the figure partially and gives him an ever-frightening look, this man’s own identity intimidating enough without the added atmospheric effect.

“We need to talk my dear twin ninjas, I hope you don’t mind the intrusion” the man says in a bone chilling tone and grins in a malicious manner, pearly white teeth visible and twisted in a feral expression as he tilts his head forward a bit in a mock apologetic manner.

If the dim red light that is seen when he motions with his head in that manner was not enough to reveal his identity, the familiar voice and outline of his silhouette is enough to send chills running up the spines of the twin ninja teens.

“Jason…” Mei whispers in a cold tone, laced with suppressed rage and quite a bit of loathing and discontent.

“Yes, I’m sorry to drop off so suddenly, but my master wanted me to deliver a personal message on his behalf…” Jason says and pushes his glasses back unto the bridge of his nose with the index finger of his free hand.

“Make it snappy Jason,” Hwang says and calms down only a bit, lowering his arms to his side, Mei reluctantly following suit and standing closer to her brother.

Jason grins and chuckles darkly, his smile widening, perverse joy reflecting in his semi-illuminated face “As you wish…” he says in a sing song voice and before they can reacts pulls the trigger and releases a bullet into the silence of the room, repeating the gesture 2 more times and firing upon them thrice from such close range.

Twin gasps are heard and then a thud. Jason then steps back and slashes his hand adjacent to his body in a swatting motion, it hitting someone and sending him flying heavily, the momentum and power behind the blow causing the attacker to crash with painful force.

“Our contract is over, Have a nice day” he says and salutes lightly before putting the gun back in its holster at hip and turning and leaving the room and closing the door behind him, his deep rolling laughter filling the empty hallway outside as he walks away.

** back in the alleyway **

Ibuki’s lunges forward, pauses abruptly to bend her knees slightly as she swings one of the Batons into the blow. With great agility and force, the rod hits home, just before he can react to the attack. Her speed one of her most infamous traits, always a thing she uses to her advantage.

The man grunts and doubles forward, Ibuki then leaps while spinning in midair and swinging her foot in a wide arc alongside her aerial movement. Her heel slams into the temple of a female officer who was just behind the now downed man.

The woman reels back as Ibuki lands one her feet and bends back and places her fists on the ground before she turns and crosses both Batons, blocking a swing of a shock stick, she then grins and to herself and pushes forward and locks the assailants neck between the batons and turns around while yanking him down.

He flips over and hits the ground hard, Ibuki then finds two sets of hands locking around her arms and pulling her back as two more approach her and begin hitting her with their own batons, Ibuki grunts as the wood collides into her body and pain begins flushing through her.

Ibuki winces and coughs, a horrid rain of blows flooding her body, her back and abdomen traumatized by powerful blows, her muscles aching and shuddering as electricity surges through her and a choked scream is silenced by her tightly grit teeth.

They look at her, her footing turning light and her body slumping some, breathing heavy and her bangs drooping over her face, barely moving or breathing, they seem content with their plight “I got her. Hold her still” one of them say.

Most of them then scoot back so one of them can knock her out. As the Baton rises once more to clobber her head, she kicks forward and kicks the man in the abdomen, kicking him back before she lands once more and steps aside a bit and kicks downs, hitting one of the people holding her, thrusting her heel downward hard, hitting the center of her foot.

Ibuki fights the haze of pain and weakness that flush through her as pain explodes all through her, she can feel the blue marks beginning to form from the horrid blows she had only recently been given. She grits her teeth and pushes against it, frantically clinging to the need to escape, knowing she has obligations to fulfill.

She is thankful to two very important things that will allow her to escape this predicament and not collapse into a wounded heap.

One, the rush of adrenaline through her body at the moment, it allowing her to push against the pain, her body working beyond normal limits due to the hormone's effect, the rushed blood flow in her veins.

two, the intensive and daily training as a ninja, the pain endurance lessons that had helped meld her into a resilient and powerful young woman, the many wounds, fractures and bleeding cuts now paying off it seems as her body has accustomed itself to such sensations over the all in all over 6 years of day to day dosages of hurt.

These two factors are what she knows is liable to save her a** at this very moment, she allows herself to sigh in relief after the small act she pulled over them when she subdued them to believe she was beaten.

She dreads the morning, h*ll the hour that will follow this one, knowing the pain will come back and with horrid vengeance, already feeling the extensive amount of injuries and blue marks she is going to grow very soon, her body aching and throbbing with pain that is currently dull due to her pumped up state.

She Pushes the thought aside and concentrates on utilizing the very short time she has before the adrenaline ceases its flow within her veins and the weakness hits her like a tidal wave, knowing it won't last long and knowing she has no shred of a chance of running moreover fighting when the effects die down and she's left vulnerable from all the trauma her body had sustained under the batons and shock sticks.

With thoughts now concentrated on one thing only, the instinct of survival and escape she pushes everything out and clings to her skill and primal urges and allows herself to create herself a path of escape, someway, even if she had to break some eggs, or more like noses and bones in this case.

The woman meanwhile screams a vocal line of colorful curses as a sickening crack is heard and she lets go, grimacing and falling back to lean against the wall while holding her foot.

Ibuki now half-free turns halfway and proceeds to slams the side of a Baton into the man that is holding her arm’s nose, the collision powerful and painful as the man’s head whips back and blood begins to pour from the wounded area quite quickly in small rivers.

The man coughs and gasps as his head snaps sideways, his arms forced to let go, she then rams both Batons onto his back and he slumps to the ground, she spits and curses and dodges a shock stick barely, it buzzing near her ear as she turns while sidestepping.

She outstretches her hand and grabs the woman’s shirt, yanking her forth and leaping forward, she slams two consecutive knees into her body with vicious force, before using her as a human shield before the two batons that come striking down at her back.

The woman slumps under the blows that knock her out before she is kicked into the other two, the three landing in a heap; Ibuki takes advantage of the thinning of foes and takes off into the now available escape route, sprinting through the alleyways, coughing only lightly at the dull pain in her body from before.

She hears running footsteps behind her and curses while blood floods her mouth, the bitter iron taste nauseating, she quickly spits out the mixture of blood and saliva and coughs lightly, grimacing and wincing as she runs. She knows inwardly she can’t keep up a chase by foot; she needs a quicker mean of transportation and cuts sharply toward the main street.

She takes a sharp turn and heads for a larger alley, she curses as she realizes she’s in quite an awkward position, in a foreign country, now without Shinobi protection she is quite vulnerable, add to that she knows nothing about the surrounding urban landscape, has no car and all her stuff is back in the hotel.

“Isn’t this just peachy…” she mutters and shakes her head, sighing heavily, stopping to look back and catch her breath, her body now getting a bit heavy and her breathing a bit labored, the blows being quite painful.

“Indeed it is,” a voice cuts her off, a click following quickly which causes Ibuki to pause in her tracks as she feels the cold touch of metal against the back of her head.

Ibuki is surprised on one hand but not shocked as her physical pain and rush of thoughts would most likely be enough to let a masterful opponent slip by her guard. She prepares to disarm this woman behind her before she’s cut off once again as pain explodes in the back of her head and her eyes roll as everything goes black.