Highlander Universe: Season 2

[scikaiju]

Not saying anything to Ser as she headed down the alley they found the "shack" as she called it.. Actually it was a small abandoned building that nobody had used for a couple of years according to the Father. Actually the inside reminded her a bit too much of the place Owen was holding the thief when he finally got him. Hopefully there wouldn't be a repeat of how that thing ended. Once inside Scott had Owen in a chair, one end of the handcuff transferred from him to one of the arms in the chair. "He didn't even put up a bit of a fuss," he told them after Susan closed the door behind them.

"So what is wrong with Owen?", Serenity asked. Before she answered she took out another set of hand cuff and handed them to Scott. Again Owen didn't put up any resistance. As he did that Susan told her former student, "Something I hoped to never see again."

"It's Dark Quickening," Scott said suddenly. "It has to be."

"I never told you about the Dark Quickening," Susan told him.

"Never told me a lot of thing," was his response. "But if you keep your ears open you can hear all sorts of wonderful thing you're not supposed to know about."

"Wait, what's a Dark Quickening?", Serenity asked. Susan shot an angry glance toward Scott who tried to look innocent, but quickly set himself in a chair for his part in all of this.

"It's a bit of a legend, sometimes you absorb one evil person too many, as the legend goes. That quickening makes you... well evil for a lack of a more proper term. You still who you are but it's like your personality has flipped."

"Is something like that even possible?", Ser asked.

"I am almost positive," she answered. "Because I ran across a person who was changed by a Light Quickening once. A man named Darius. I met him once, briefly, on holy ground as we were passing through the same territory a few centuries ago. He was a bit of a war lord them. A few years later I came across him again and he was totally changed. He told me the story of how it happened. I heard he died a couple of decades ago, a pity he was such a lovely man after it happened. He helped me find my current way back then."

"So Owen hasn't changed right?", Serenity asked. "I mean he didn't seem any different when I was told to get him a couple of month ago and when he left to get the brat. So what's wrong with him?"

"Something I've only seen once, when I was still learning under Finlay. Something I'd hope never to bear witness to again. I can not repeat that enough." Susan took a moment to gather her thoughts. "It's extremely rare, but an Immortal can defeat another but their quickening is so strong they can't absorb them fully. So parts of them is still there, in the back of their mind. Slowly getting stronger in the worst cases."

"Who did Owen beat to cause this?"

Scott spoke up, "Big Evil love." Her eyes went wider as she remembered that man. The darkness of his hair, the savagery in his eyes. The pure joy he appeared to feel when he killed Keith. "Me and the sister caught a glimpse of it a couple of months ago when he was doing the save the day thing. He was in there and almost came out then."

"But that was almost three years ago," Serenity said. "Why is he coming out now?"

"He never went away Ser," Susan told her. "A few months after it happened Owen confided in me that he had been hearing, what he described like a chuckle, in the back of his mind. It usually happened after a duel with another Immortal. But that was it. It be there then be gone for awhile. But it started coming back. Last time he told me about one was right before he started his job teaching. Then he said nothing about it after that. Part of me was hoping that was it."

"It got stronger," Owen finally spoke up. "I felt it when I dueled the man who killed Douglas. I felt something then, something that tried to take over but it didn't last long. I started started getting worse when I saw her." Both Scott and Serenity looked at her but now was not the time to explain that particular thing. "I thought I could control it."

"Owen," Susan told him, "I sincerely doubt he just popped back up like that. Like I said in the worse cases they sit back and get stronger. He was always there, testing you every so often. Waiting until you were detracted to push a little harder. I wouldn't be surprised if he fed off your anger at seeing Himiko's killer again to grow even stronger." She walked away a bit before facing him. "I know how to help you here Owen, Finlay showed me how when I came across it before. He had dealt with it a couple of time apparently and knew of a way. I showed it to Scott after I asked him to stay until this particular moment happened."

"And I'm going to use the technique she showed me," Scott took over, "to help her friend here look inside his own head. Where he will battle once more with the darkness inside of him."

"Then what are doing in the mean time?", Ser asked. "What if Owen loses?"

"We're not on holy ground," Owen said. Naturally he'd know where they were as he'd been here enough over the decades. Serenity looked over at Susan in total shock as that never occurred to her.

"You do nothing," Susan told her. "The less people in here while this is going down the better, Finlay was very clear about that. Head back to the church. You'll see us one way or another after this is over." Although things were still a bit frosty between the two of them Serenity shot a worried look at Owen as she walked past her former mentor.

With just the three of them Susan made sure the door was locked then walked until she stood behind Owen. He picked up his head, just a bit. Enough that Scott flinched a bit but he didn't do anything. "Susan," he said sounding very tired at this particular moment, "if this goes wrong...". He paused, long enough that she was worried he lost control again, but he eventually finished with, "Don't hesitate."

Drawing her sword she assured him, "I won't."

"Since we have the touchy feelies out of the way," Scott produced a crystal pendant and held it in front of him and started to slowly twist the chain it was on to make it spin. "The sister assures me this was the same one they used back then. No replica no worries as it were. Now just look at the way the light hitting it and the soothing sound of my voice." he was half way expecting some sort of crack but Owen seemed almost transfixed by the crystal. And it seemed almost as unnerving form seeing it from this side how fast it happen, considering he almost went under immediately as well when Susan demonstrated how it worked. This was something old and powerful all right. "Now stop looking at the crystal and start looking deep inside. Look for that thing that doesn't quite belong. That little foreign bit you know shouldn't be in there."

Scott kept talking but Owen had long stopped listening. He was already inside his own head, heading for that very spot and it was easy to locate. He could just feel how sick the darkness made him and headed for it. At first he saw and felt nothing. Then he was standing on something. Looking down he was on a single step. Looking up mores steps just appeared before him out of the air as a banister formed to his left. He continued to look up and saw the top of the stair, which lead to a familiar looking landing and door. He looked at himself, he wasn't wearing the clothes he had on, highlighted by the gray hooded jacket he hadn't worn in a couple of years because of how ripped it became.

Slowly he made his way up the steps as the door became clearer with each one. Cautiously he put a hand on it and pushed. It swung inwards easily, revealing nothing but darkness as first. He didn't remember moving but suddenly the door closed behind him. Surprised he looked around trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Then his eyes went to his right and a series of bookcases. He knew these but they weren't loaded with books like he remembered. No each shelf had a single book that was opened. Taking a closer look at one he saw a picture, no it was actually moving. Then he recognized what was going on, it was the first time he had met Victor and Natalya. Then he glanced at another one sitting on the shelf below. These pages were a bit darker and there was a scene he had no recollection of at all as it involved a gang of angry looking villagers. This made do a quick look down the line at the other bookcases. The all had at least one open book with those dark colored pages.

Then he became aware of another presence close by. Something dark and sickeningly familiar at the same time. Turning he saw a giant picture window he never noticed before, and in front of it an old Victorian era chair. Then he focused on the person sitting in the chair. Looking exactly like he remembered him, in the same clothes. A small chuckle, the same one he had been hearing since it happened, came from the person as he looked around a bit before saying, "I hope you don't mind, I made myself comfortable."

Owen stared at the man, locking his eyes on the cold, hard ones the other man possessed. The leather trench coat seemed to flow into the darkness around as he held his hands, still wearing those studded gloves, together and waited. One word, a name, escaped his lips, "Dijkhuizen."

"I am honored to be remembered," he said with a sick grin. "Because one can not exist without being remembered." He rose from the chair and came toward him. "Don't mind the extra clutter on the selves, it's still a work in progress. I am almost done, I just need that one final push to get to the finish line." He chuckled again, which seemed to echo around the room, "I believe that's the term. My memory's a bit jumbled with all the junk in here." He knocked one of the cleaner books off the shelf, he caught a glimpse of himself and Deborah before it hit the floor. "I'm sure you understand."

 

[scikaiju]

"Why are you still here?", Owen demanded. Something caught his eye as that book that was knocked off was suddenly back in place.

Ignoring his confusion Dijkhuizen told him, "Just taking care of what is mine."

"This is my mind!", Owen snapped at him.

"For now," came the response, "but not for long. I am getting closer, I just need that one last push to take over for good. The fact that you're hear makes this so much easier." He moved his arm in a downward swing. Owen just caught a glimpse of that red blade coming at him. On instinct alone he got his arms up to block. Metal clashed against metal as he blocked the move with his long sword.

"What?", Owen grunted, taking his eyes off the man before him and on the blades. He wasn't even holding his sword when he came in. Where the hell did it come from? Oblivious to his confusion Michel pushed him back and tried to cut him in half. Again Owen blocked the move and pushed back.

Remembering his last fight with this man he knew he couldn't be on the defensive for long and tried to take the offense. Dijkhuizen easily blocked his attempts, laughing the entire time. Swords clashed as they moved closer to that window into nothing. The thing in his mind that was supposed to be Dijkhuizen started to ge more aggressive, more wild eyed as the fight went one. Suddenly Owen found himself more comfortable, this he knew. He'd seen it first hand and survived. He could do this again.

Then he started seeing something he didn't see before, a pattern. Owen kept seeing it the longer they lashed. He saw his chance and took it. Michel came in high with a swing with everything he had behind it. Owen went low and grabbed him by the coat. Feeling him stumble forward by his own momentum Owen used that to hurl his opponent out the window and into the nothing. Then the red sword came through his chest. In the real world Owen reacted in a similar manner of getting rammed through frightening both Scott and Susan. So much so the older Immortal almost took his head right then and there. "That is the very definition of not right," Scott muttered. Inside his head Owen looked behind him as best as he could to see a new door swing back and forth behind Dijkhuizen's twisted grimace. That was his weapons room as Owen recalled. Why was it there now?

"The rules you're thinking of don't apply here," Michel whispered in his ear. He used a foot to kick Owen off his sword and let him fall to he ground. Instinctively grabbing at his chest he was confused once again. There was no wound, he could still feel the pain but he wasn't bleeding. He almost dwelled on it too long as he realized Dijkhuizen got in position to take his head. Spinning to his back he got his sword up and blocked. Then realized how bad a position this actually was as that red blade started to rain down for blow after blow. Spinning just enough he kicked at the other man's knee causing him to to fall forward. Owen got his blade up and got the tip into Michel's chest. He looked even angrier than in pain. Owen couldn't worry about it now, Pushing he was able to force him back enough as he got to his feet and removed his sword. Owen went for a killing strike as the other man's neck was exposed.

Out of the darkness a hilt of a sabre with a familiar looking family crest punched him in the face. Staggered he went down to a knee as it punched him again. "There's a couple of people in here who really don't fucking like you," Dijkhuizen taunted and did nothing as he stood. Then what looked like a machete came at his neck before he could react. It was stopped by a walking stick that appeared in front of him. No, by the blade the hidden inside the stick.

He felt something comfortable surround him as the machete was pushed back. And he swore he heard something, no somebody very familiar say, "Not the most honorable of tactics is it?", before retreating back to the darkness.

Now Dijkhuizen was confused at what just happened. Owen didn't care he'd take anything at this point, "Looks like I have at least one friend." Owen went at him again with a renewed vigor. Dijkihuizen matched it with his anger. As they fought he could swear he could hear another battle take place in the darkness around them. Sparks flew off their swords and the one battling in the nothing.

Then he saw the pattern again. Then he realized he knew that style Dijkhuizen was using. He saw it every time he trained. That was his style. Suddenly things clicked for Owen as the room they were in seemed to change even more. "I will take over!", Michel shouted. "I will fucking live again! And I will **** with everyone you know! Starting with that little bitch you love so dearly." Owen was unfazed at the new attack, it only fueled his determination even more. With a power he didn't know he had he pushed Dijkhuizen back toward the window. Then he turned and ran for the new door and jumped through. Michel turned around in time to see Owen grab the top of the window and swung through, planting both feet into his chest. Standing where he was Owen just waved him one.

With a primal scream Dijkhuizen charged swinging widely with his red blade. Now Owen was easily blocking the other man's attack. "I will fucking kill you!" and he lunged that red blade right at Owen's heart. Batting the blade away with his sword it stuck in the wall behind him as he hit a palm strike into Dijkhuizen's chest.

"No!", he barked as the man went back, slamming into the floor. "This is my mind," he repeated. "Here I am king. I am the one. You are nothing, nothing but a fragment of an evil long since defeated. You are part of me now." Owen took his eyes off of Dijkhuizen, "All of you are."

The room was suddenly filled with people, shoulder to shoulder. He saw Victor, Natalaya's adopted father, and Rodger, who chased him after he accidentally killed his newly immortal girlfriendm near the back. In front Naoto, Ezekiel and a couple of others were holding onto Dijkhuizen as tight as they could as he struggled against them. Everybody before him, every face he could see, they were the immortals he had fought and killed over his lifetime. "My apologies Little Immortal," Naoto said, "that we could not hold him."

"It wasn't your job to," Owen said with a sight smile. Then he turned his attention back on Dijkhuizen, "No, this ones on me. If he clinged on to something to stick around it was because I let it happen. And frankly I don't give a damn what that was. But I'm correcting it now." Without looking he reached back and grabbed the handle of the blood red sword. It changed into his long sword as he pulled it free. Not taking his eyes off off the dark presence that inhabited the back of his mind he swung it, cutting through Dijkhuizen's neck. His head disappeared as a whirlpool of sorts formed and quickly spread, covering everything in the room.

On the outside Scoot and Susan still kept watch. Outside of that one reaction Owen hadn't moved since he went under. Scoot nervously played with the crystal, up until Susan came and around and took it for him. "It's not a toy," she said as she resumed her position.

Not even phased by the rebuff Scott eyed Owen keenly. "So when will we know who ended up reigning supreme in there?", he asked. Susan wasn't forthcoming with an answer. The only time she had done this it took a while. Finlay claimed that one of the two he witnessed didn't ended until after three days. The other one, well it got a bit messy and was the reason why he knew a person could lose this particular battle. "If Owen here did lose it would be..."

"I swear to God," Owen grunted as he finally began to stir, the other two immortals tensing and prepared for anything, "if I hear you say 'interesting' one more time." Grabbing his hair Susan pulled his head back and looked him in the eyes. Looking up at here Owen mustered a small smile and uttered a weak, "Hi." Susan didn't respond, she just stared into his eyes, looking for anything that would indicate Dijkhuizen was in there and not Owen.

There was nothing there but the look she usually associated with Owen, even on his darkest days. "Oh thank you God," Susan said as she let got of his hair and hugged him around the neck. She let go to kiss him on the top of the head before hugging him around the neck again.

"Not that I'm complaining," Owen said after a bit, "but you hesitated there." Susan pushed his head a bit. "Now came we get me out of these now? And can we not tell Natalya about this bit. She get's enough ideas as it is."

"In front of the sister," Scott tsked, "as cheeky as ever."

"Then you better not do anything to annoy me then Owen," she told him as she she retrieved the keys from her pockets. Owen won, and she prayed as hard as she could at the moment that she wouldn't have to go through this experience again.

 

[scikaiju]

Tensions inside the church was high as the three of them waited. They were tense because they currently had no idea what was going on not that far away. Things were tense for two of them in particular as Serenity shot a glare Janet as she sat quietly in one of the pews next to Father Andrews. Quietly because he had been doing all of the talking in this situation as she stared at the floor. The Father kept talking though, as a way to try and ease his own nerves. And he prayed neither of the two young girls wouldn't react like he knew they would if his long time friend lost his battle with his own personal devil. Despite him talking all three of them heard the door open. The Father stopped as he and Janet both looked up as Serenity walked over in that direction.

"Well?", she asked as Susan and Scott came into the main hall of the church. Neither said nothing, but they stepped aside as Owen walked into the room. He looked extremely tired but managed a small smile. "Owen," any animosity that recently grew between them quickly faded a way as Ser looked as happy as any of them had seen her. "Owen!", she rushed up to him and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled away just long enough to ask, "Are you...?"

"Feeling like myself," was his answer. And considering what he was going through that was the best answer any of then could have heard.

"Excuse me," the Father said to Janet a she got up and joined them. "My boy you had me worried like no one else ever had." He went for a handshake but just hugged him as well he was so happy. "You look exhausted."

"I feel like I went twelve rounds with Fraizer, Ali and Foreman all at the same time," was his reply.

The Father snorted a bit, "Part of me was certain you say something outlandish. Like Gandhi and his right cross."

"Father please," Owen started looking a bit offended. "Gandhi was a man of peace." He stepped away from him then added, "And it was his left hook you had to watch out for." Then he turned his head back and favored him with a grin.

Giving him disapproving glare Father Andrew told him, "It's not polite to make fun of those older than you." He realized what he just said just based on the look on Owen face.

And at that moment the Immortal couldn't help himself, "That's why you never see me do anything like that with Susan."

"I'm going to let that one slid without comment," Susan told him. "Just because I'm in that good of mood." Owen just kept on grinning and he headed down the aisle.

"Like I told the sister," Scott said to Serenity near the back of the group, "as cheeky as ever."

Walking down the aisle he stopped when he got to the one row Janet, who hadn't moved, sat. When she wouldn't look at him he decided not to push it. He looked back at the group, who decided to give them a little extra space and head toward the back of the room, mainly at Susan and the Father's urging. Looking around he took a seat in the pew next to her and just sat. Then Janet stood up, and he had to be honest at that particular moment, surprised him a bit as she sat next to him But she sat at as close to the edge as she could so he slid over to give her a little more room. Still it took a bit before she said anything, "Are you really all right?"

"Like I said I feel like myself," he answered. "And I haven't really felt like that for a bit. There's times you think you can handle anything, no matter how old you get." Owen looked down, more out of shame than anything, "I'm sorry you saw that. I'm sorry I let it get that close to doing anything to you." He closed his eyes, Michel, or whatever that was, might have been in control but he remembered everything that was going on. "I'm sorry I let it get that bad." It was something he was going to have to repeat to Susan and the others, eventually. They fell back into an awkward silence. He tired to think of anything to say. Anything other than the one thing he wanted to demand out of her. "Did you and the Father have a good talk?"

Her response, "He's going to die you know. He's mortal." That was a little blunter than anybody listening would have expected. But she was still probably in a bit of shock over her newly awakened status, and how she was probably raised. Hopefully.

All things Owen tried to remember. It still raised his heckles a bit to be reminded of it though. Still he told her, "And I'll miss him when he's gone. I care for him too much not to. All things come to an end, everything dies. And like I told you before, every immortal but one is going to die. And that one going to be either the luckiest or unluckiest bastard in the universe." After a bit he added, "Can you call a female a bastard? I never know any more." Despite herself Janet smiled, it was just tiny one, a very small upturn of a corner, but she smiled.

Again they were silent, again he fought to ask the one thing he wanted to know more than anything at that moment. He looked up at the front of the church, all of them was still there. To Janet, "You know a lot already. Way more than what you should at this stage. Still you should have somebody look after you for a bit. Show you a different set of ropes." Janet finally looked at him, almost hopeful. Then he remembered his last student. "Susan's real good at that sort of thing." The shock and disappointment on her face was evident. He tried to keep going. "She's not that bad once you get to know her."

Staring at him Janet asked, "Why won't you do it?"

His only answer, "It would be... complicated."

"Bullshit!", she stood up and yelled at him. Serenity started to head over there and give her a piece of her mind. Only a strong glare from Susan kept her in place. Owen did nothing but sit there as Janet kept going, "You are the only one I know who acted like what I wanted mattered. And I want you to be my teacher. Why won't you do that for me?!"

Finally looking at her Owen stayed seated. "Because I am going to kill her." Both of them knew who the "her" in question was. She dropped back into the pew as Owen kept going, "The very next chance I get." dropping back into the pew Owen softened his tone slightly, "I know she awakened you and I can see you hate her for it. But deep down, I know part of you still loves her. And you can't just turn that off. Trust me I've tried. So yeah," he said looking away from her, "it would complicate things a lot if I took you on."

Sitting there, that's when he finally decided on that question. "I'm not going to ask you if you know where she might be." Janet looked at him again. "I'm not going to put you in that spot. Make you do something you may regret later. I waited over two hundred years to see her again. I'll wait two thousand more if that what it takes. But I will get her."

They just sat there, then Janet spoke, "You wife. The one my... The one she killed." She looked over at him, "What was she like?" Despite everything she was feeling she couldn't help but notice the smile, a genuine loving smile, that crossed his face as he remembered her. She felt... jealous... over his reaction.

"Himiko," he began, "God she was one of the most sweetest women you ever wanted to met. Kind, good hearted. Didn't let the attack on her when...," he trailed off. "Maybe it did drag her down a little, but only when she thought nobody was looking. She, according to this one jackass of a villager, was born under a bad sign. They tried to kill her when she was little, ended up scaring her," without thinking he traced the exact line of her scar down his cheek with a finger. "The immortal who would eventually become my brother in law saved her and nursed her back to health." Snorting Owen smiled a bit, "Honestly we were both still a bit broken when we met. I was still feeling the pain of losing my first wife in the event that awakened me. We sort of healed each other. Then...," his features darkened a bit and she knew why.

"There's a warehouse," Janet said suddenly. "We were using it as a safe house when Nathan brought us to Jin. She still made sure it had plenty of supplies in case,,,"

Cutting her off Owen went, "Why are you telling me this? I told you you didn't have to."

"I know," she said. "But the look on your face when you were talking about your wife, how happy you looked." She paused just long enough to gather her thoughts. "I realized she going to do that to some one else and not care. She's going," looking away it took Janet a bit to continue. "She's going to do what she did to me to someone else. And not care." She lowered her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. Owen reached over and started rubbing her shoulder as they started shaking a bit.

From the front of the church the rest of them watched the two of them. When the younger girl finally composed herself they exchanged a few more words. He gave her a shoulder a final squeeze before getting up. He walked up to the rest of them. To Susan he said, "Keep an eye on her." When she nodded he turned to the Father, "My sword still in the trunk of your car?" When he said it was Owen looked uncomfortable. "I'm... um... going to need to borrow it for a bit."

The Father, naturally, was a little taken a back at this request, "Why do you need to borrow my car."

 

[scikaiju]

Then Janet stood up and turned toward him, "She has a move! It's unbeatable. It's..."

"She does this thing where she puts our swords behind her heads and swings," he finished for her. Turning back around he gave her a smile, "Saw it and beat it." Rubbing the front of his neck a bit he added, "Barely, but I did it."

"But it's supposed to be," she started to say.

"Supposed to be yeah," he said. He also realized he said pretty much the same thing he said to her mother when he did it. Walking toward her he said, "Think of it as lesson number one, it's not about trusting every immortal, sometimes it's about making friends with the right one. And I probably could worded that better. If I don't come back, think about Susan huh. Like I said, she's not that bad once you get to know her." Without another word he turned back toward the door and exited the church.

This had to be the worst of worst case scenarios that she had ever conceived. One bastard, who was still pissed off by the fact she freed him from the mortal that clung onto him, found her and... Victoria still didn't know what the **** happened there. It was like he got possessed by an even angrier demon or something. She got out of there by the skin of her teeth, if not a closer. Never in her entire life had she seen anything like that. Not even a rumor of anything similar over the centuries. The one thing she did know, she left her daughter behind. And the little slut probably spilled everything she knew the first chance she got. Ungrateful little bitch.

Which was why she tried to avoid this place, but realistically she really didn't have any where else to go. So she waited as long as she dared to head back to the safe house she had originally set up. She had a couple of cars stashed there, a few sets of clothes. And more than a few new identities set up and ready to go. Because that was what she did, she survived. And you don't survive for as long as she had by pure chance, you had to be prepared for anything. Which was why she waited for as long as she did, if her slut of a daughter's teacher did show up before she did she would have a chance to sense him first and get out of there before he could locate her. Or an even better option, got bored of waiting for her to show up and leave.

Victoria dismissed that thought almost as soon as she had it. The guy had a hard on to kill her for a couple of centuries now, he wasn't going to give up that easily.

Reaching the warehouse she slowed her pace just long enough to see if she could sense another Immortal near by. Not that it was an exact science, could have been anybody if she sensed them. But so far she was getting nothing, still didn't increase her pace though. The distance of the buzz seemed to vary depending on how busy her surroundings were, at least from her experience. Reaching the garage doors at the side she still felt nothing. Looking around she gabbed one in particular and pulled it up and headed inside. The cars she had tucked away in case of an emergency where still here. Then she saw all of the tires, all of them, where flat. Obviously cut by something long and sharp. And as she thought earlier, it was too much to hope he had already left.

She didn't even tense as she felt the Buzz. Barely even reacted as she heard the foot steps from the outside getting closer. When she felt him stop by the open garage door she finally looked back at him. There he was,with his long sword resting against his shoulder. "Those are some really nice cars," Owen told her. "Hope you got some spares though because um," he sort of waved a finger at the tires, "yeah." Then he looked at her and reached up with his free hand to pull the garage door down as he walked forward. "No where to run now."

"I freed you," she told him. "I freed you by..."

"By killing the woman I loved!", he shouted at her. "You know, I had this whole speech set up in my head for this exact moment. Worked on it for decades, about love being the one real thing to live for, to fight for. But you would have to know what love is first for it tp have the proper effect. And right now I don't think you ever had a clue what it meant to begin with."

"You know nothing about me," she told him. "You know nothing about what I went through." She drew her sword. This was still her safe house, she knew it better than even her bitch of a daughter did.

"Like I said before," Owen said moving the sword off his shoulder "I know enough." He went at her, not at a full run. As much as he would have personally like to blame his initial blood rage over seeing this woman on that dark voice that used to inhabit is head, deep down he knew better. That rage was all him, two centuries of build up waiting until he saw this woman again. And it almost cost him once. No he had to try and remain as calm as possible now. An immortal like this one, she wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of any mistake he could make.

Their swords clashed as she blocked his initial strike. But Owen saw it, she did hesitate a little, almost studying him intently. She continued to do so as they she kept blocking and swinging her blade to intercept or try to get around his. She was looking for him. Not Owen per say but what she saw before, and Owen briefly wondered how she would react when she realized that part of him was gone now. He'll worry about it if it happened. Victoria kept backing up, toward those cars. Recognizing that he was fighting like he was before whatever the hell happened, more controlled, ore precise. More controlled over his emotions that was for damn sure. Not that when he just up and cut loose was any advantage to her. She tried to catch him off guard by going in for a quick attack. It worked as he quickly got his sword up to to block her blade. Too bad it left him open for a well placed knee. He reacted like every man did in that situation, reflexes wanting to go grab his groin but survival instincts trying to keep his sword up at the same time.

Victoria pressed her advantage, tried to keep him rocking back on his heels, keep him off balanced as she wore down his defenses enough to at least disable him in any sort of way that would create another opening. Fighting like his life depended on it, because right then it did, Owen was able to get in a position that he was able to shove her back. She hit the hood of the nearest car bending backwards a little bit. Owen ran in swinging his sword down. Victoria saw it coming a mile away and jumped on the hood long enough to slide to the side to avoid the blow. He quickly pulled his blade free from the hood as he watched her run deeper into the warehouse, the exact thing he didn't want to happen. Still he gave chase not wanting to let this opportunity to go to waste. He should have taken a couple of extra minutes to ask Janet if her mother had any tricks set up in this place.

Despite cautiously going down the hall he still almost didn't see her blade come out of the darkness, just barely deflecting it out of the way as she came out from her hiding spot. How many more places like that did she have here? He didn't want to find out. At least one small consolation, there were no visible pipes so he wouldn't have to worry about getting blinded that way. She backed up, almost anticipating the savagery he'd displayed before. But he came at her like he did before he went nuts, picking his his spots as he attacked but making sure his sword didn't get so far out of reach he couldn't get it back quick enough when she saw an opening. As they fought her muscles went on auto, positioning their swords so she could grab them then place them behind her head. And she hesitated. Because she went off auto when she remembered the last time she did this. Hesitating just long enough that his head shot forward. Nose breaking on impact Victoria let go long enough so she could stumble back and tried to set it on instinct. "****," she grunted through the blood that had quickly stopped because of her immortal abilities. She left herself open for the kill.

Instead Owen just stood there looking astounded, "Seriously? After last time?" You thought that would actually work?"

"**** off," she spat and went at him. Then she realized something as she attacked, he was playing her game. Trying to get in her head, make her make a fatal mistake. Cheeky bastard. So she pulled back a bit, but still kept him at a distance as she recollected herself. He didn't didn't charge in after her, nor were there any hints of the surprise crazy streak. Was it all an act before? No he even moved differently when that happened. Whatever the **** it was it seemed to be over now. Still didn't mean she was out of the woods yet. He was angry, she could see in in hos eyes, but the type of controlled angry that made a person dangerous. And she didn't live this long by testing her skills in this situation. She had to get out of there.

 

[scikaiju]

Owen could tell that she was good with a sword, knew she be this good just by the few times he fought Janet. Which was why he was wary when he realized she was making her way toward a staircase. She tested his defenses one more time before taking one solid swing at his neck when he had his long sword too low. He backed up to avoid getting decapitated. Then he realized that was exactly what she wanted as she ran up the stairs. "Not this time," he muttered as he gave chance. Running down a catwalk she stopped and turned to face him. This time Owen kept running, bringing all his momentum as he swung his long sword down trying to break her guard. It held as she pushed back and attacked him in turn. Swords clashed as each tried to get the advantage over the other. Then she jumped back and swung her sword up. Owen covered up as she hit a steam pipe, another fucking steam pipe, that temporarily blinded him. And when it cleared, and like last time, she was gone. And there were a lot of places to hide that he could see from his immediate view, "I am so fucking done with this trick."

Back at the church Susan sat next to Janet, and was a bit pleased when the girl didn't move in response, although she didn't really say anything when Susan tried to talk to her. Being a long time friend of Owen's she figured they should at least get to know each other a bit and Susan tried to lay the ground work for that. Not pushing the matter, she could tell Janet was more than a little uncomfortable right now and didn't want to alienate her if she could help it. The attempted small talk was interrupted when the Father walked back into the room, having decided to go get Owen's car when before he got back. "I'm hoping that knocking I was hearing in the engine was there before now," he said as he came closer to them. When he was close enough, "Any word?"

"Not yet,' Susan told him. Although she did look back at the door he came in from, "Where's Ser and Scott." Serenity volunteered the two of them to give the Father a lift when he made the decision about the car. And to be honest she expected them to return with him.

Looking apologetic he answered, "Serenity said something about Scott hearing the wind or some nonsense before leaving. Took him by surprised in any case." With that he went back to his office to wait, and more than likely pray for Owen's well being.

"It's me," Janet finally spoke. "They left because of me. She hates me."

"She just had a bad first impression," Susan said for her former student. "She'll get over in time once she gets to know you."

"So why aren't you acting like her?", Janet asked.

"It's not the first time I've seen you." She looked at Susan, trying to remember if they ever met before then. So she explained, "The first time I saw you was when you and Owen talked in that park, after you lead him to the Thief. I saw somebody scared to ask for help despite wanting it so bad it was coming off of you in waves. That's who I saw back in the cemetery that night."

Janet was quiet again, then, "She told me to kill you two that night." She wouldn't look at her as she continued, "She said it wouldn't count since I wasn't immortal yet so the rules didn't apply. Part of me wanted to obey, to not get her angry with me again. But I knew that would have disappointed Jin." Her voice cracked a bit. "Oh God I killed Jin." That was probably the headless body from earlier Susan realized as the Janet broke down and cried. "He wasn't trying to kill me but I was so..." An instinct made Susan reach out and touch her head. She expected Janet to pull away but she almost seemed to lean into it, like she was starving for any sort of touch. So Susan started softly stroking her hair. "He let everything that happened to me happen because of my mother. But he was still so kind, even trying to protect me when she wasn't around. And I killed him." That would fit with the almost apologetic man Susan had met that night in the cemetery.

"You just awakened," Susan said softly, "Emotions can get a bit jumbled at times." When she finally looked back at her Susan offered a small smile, "Remind me to tell you about when I first reawakened one of these days. Even Owen doesn't know this one." Janet smiled back, but only briefly, before looking back down. "Trust me, ever immortal has an regret or two they have to learn to live with. Me, Owen, I'm sure Scott has one somewhere he's been hiding." Adding to herself, "I hope."

"Did she," Janet started to say but stopped. "Do you think my Mother ever really loved me?"

"I wish I could tell you," Susan said with the only answer she had at that moment. "I'm sure in some twisted way she thought she was showing it. But you never picked any of it up. I've been around a long time I can tell. You could have easily been broken and become just like her but you didn't. You have a strength you're not fully aware of yet, that you're just now discovering."

"Omar said I finally found it," she said, voice almost a whisper.

"That's because he probably knew how strong you could be once you realized it. I'm sure he'd be very proud of you right now." Then Janet surprised her again, by turning and wrapping her arms. Susan returned the gesture while still stroking her hair.

Owen stayed high, remaining on the catwalk, figuring it would give him a batter view of the area and a better chance to spot Victoria. If the bitch ever came out of hiding. Then he did, but not where he was expecting. He just happen to look out one of the windows and saw her running toward on end on the building outside. "No you don't," he said as he desperately looked around. Spotting a coil of metal cable he quickly tested it's weight as he looked down the catwalk and the windows down there. "This had better work." Coil in hand he ran toward that side of the building.

Outside Victoria stopped as she heard a large crash then the plop as some metal cable hit the ground just behind her. Looking up to see where it came from she saw a hole in one of the upper windows right before that bastard jumped through causing even more of the glass to break. He rolled as he landed, quickly spotted her and got back into attack position. "Come the **** on," she said as she blocked his incoming attack. This bastard wasn't going to quit until one of them was dead. Again their swords clashed as they moved away from the building and into the more open field that had grown around the place. Neither seeing or giving that fatal opening that would end this. Then both swung at the same time. His was high and cut into her arm while she got deep into his thigh as she went low. Both went down crying out in pain. Both quickly moved away from the other on survival instinct alone, trying to force their immortal abilities to heal faster than normal.

Both of them sat there and looked at the other, breathing hard from the prolonged fight. "She must have been one hell of a **** in the sack," Victoria finally said. His face darkened in anger but he said nothing. Probably the worst time to rise his ire even more, but she enjoyed that she could still get under his skin.

Struggling to get to his feet, practically leaning on his sword, Owen said, "I lied to you earlier." He looked up at her, "I see you in my dreams every night. I see you killing her." Getting his footing steady as she rose he added, "I'm almost afraid to see what I'm going to dream about now."

'You're not going to get the chance," she told him. Victoria raised her sword up in front of her, Owen raised his up near his head, the tip pointed toward her. Both waited a beat before attacking again. Neither gave an inch as the sparks started to fly as metal hit metal. Then she got him off his footing, making him stumble back a bit, and she increased her attack sensing the end was near. Owen quickly recovered but stayed on the defensive. With a last bit of energy he blocked her sword and forced it up over her head with a push. Victoria tried to bring it back down in a hurry, angling it for his neck seeing her chance. Blocking it again Owen deflected it to the side then lunged forward.

Victoria gasped as he held on to her tightly, his sword piercing through her stomach and out her back. Holding her up, being this close to her, Owen wasn't there at that moment, savoring it like many would assume he would if they witnessed their conflict and knew the history. In his head he was back in Japan. He saw Himiko 'ssmile, felt her touch, smelled her scent. Saw this woman... Removing his sword he let Victoria drop to her knees. A yell that only reviled they one that came from as he jumped off the cliff after her erupted from his mouth as he spun around and swung his sword. Victoria's body dropped the rest of the way to the ground as her head went flying. The neck started to glow as Owen dropped his long sword and started walking away.

Her Quickening froze him in place as he started to absorb her power. The unnatural lightning assaulting his body Owen raised his right hand in the air and was able shout out, "HIMIKO!" through the pain. When the world stopped erupting around him Owen dropped to his knees. As his eyes started to clear they widen as he saw her in front of him, looking exactly lie he last saw her all those centuries ago. 'Himiko!", he nearly fell on his face as he reached out for her. Hand still reaching out to her Himiko smiled as she faded away. On all fours Owen head lowered as he started shaking before letting it all out. Two hundred years of buried grief, of anger all came out at once as he kept that position and cried. "I got her," he reared back and looked at the spot the vision of his wife was through the tears, "I finally got her."

 

[scikaiju]

Weeks later on another day that felt like it should have been too bright for this sort of things, Father Andrews, Susan and Janet stood around a marked grave. The former Victoria's final resting place. The Father said the usual words but knew only one of his current audience was actually listening. Finishing his sermon he reached down and dropped a handful of dirt on the casket before stepping away to give the rest of them the opportunity to do so. Neither did. Janet looked over at Susan, "Where's Owen?"

"Over there," she said looking a bit further back at him looking at a tombstone in particular. "Hopefully he's putting his final demon to rest," she continued. "Go ahead, I'm pretty sure we're done here."

Susan nodded and walked over to where Owen was. Father Andrews stepped forward until he stood next to Susan. "Are you sure this is wise?", he asked. "Putting the two of them together like that? Owen's right," he looked back at the grave before continuing, "this does complicate things between the two of them a bit."

Susan watched Janet get closer, "Maybe, but I think they can help each other more than I can help them individually. Owen needs to be able to trust himself again, his skill and ability to teach. Janet," she paused trying to find the right way to say this, "She needs to learn to trust, to let herself open up to other people and not be afraid they're going to last out at her or use her. She needs more than me and Owen, she needs friends."

The Father tried to understand where she was coming from, still, "After all these years I still find it hard to believe you Immortals can still make friends. Especially with each other considering what you usually do."

Susan gave him a warm, "I think we had this conversation before, and the answer's still the same. It be a lonely existence if we didn't." She looked back at the other two, "And it's true immortal friendships generally last up until your friend thinks they can take you. But still it human nature to try and make some sort of connection." To the father she added, "But going around think every immortal you come across is after your head is a sure way to end up dying faster. You should keep your guard up but be ready. To be honest with you Father, I can count the number of immortals I can keep my guard down around and relax on one hand." She looked back over at Owen, "Even then we know there's going to be a day."

Father Andrews silently took that in before saying, "And that day?"

Again she was honest with him, "That day we don't try and think about all that much."

Owen looked up as Janet stood next to him and looked at the tombstone in front of him. Keith's tombstone. Eventually she said, "Susan said you paid for her funeral. Why? You hated her."

"I didn't do it for her," he answered. "I did it for you. Despite how I felt about her, despite of what she'd done, she was still your mother. You deserved the chance to say goodbye." Looking back at Keith;s tombstone he added, "Like I said, you can't just turn it off." In the silence between them he started to smile, "He was like a little brother to me, and I cared for him like one too. But how he died and how close it was to Himiko's death. That just wrecked me on a level that I didn't think was possible. That might have been what he latched on to," he muttered to himself, about that dark chuckle that no longer inhabited his mind.

"So now what?", Janet asked. "Where do we go from here? How do we explain the two of us?"

"Officially?", he started. "You're my cousin that started to live with me for the time being. Fortunately my house is in a different school district so that'll avoid a lot of questions in the immediate future. And you are going to be finishing school, so no arguing."

"Fine," she said, almost in defeat. They started walking away from the grave and toward where Susan and the Father were now heading.

Out of the blue Owen asked her, "By the way, how's your Japanese?"

Looking confused Janet answered, "I never picked it up."

Owen sort of nodded, "Looks like I can teach you something then."

"Why did you ask if I knew Japanese?"

His answer, "Because were heading to Japan. After we straighten out some of the legal stuff like passports and the like." Anticipating her next question he went, "My girlfriend is currently there and wants to meet you. See what I'm getting myself into."

"And she's immortal too?", Janet asked. When Owen nodded she went, "This is going to awkward."

"Trust me Natalya will open up right to you," Owen assured her. "You can get to know her student, Evelyn, as well. Since she's going to be living with us too when Natalya comes home in a couple of months." Owen had this slightly bewildered look on his face, "Wow that house filled up fast."

"You realize," Janet told him, "I'm basically going from one group of immortals to another."

Owen wasn't quite sure how to respond to that one. His initial response was to say the one she was going to now was a better one. But that would have implied that the other one was bad. Yes, it had Victoria and the Thief, both who had no problem using Janet any way they wished. But then it had that Ezekiel character, a man who just wanted to die apparently. And it had Jin and Omar, both who he had brief conversations with, but both seemed to care about his new charge's well being. Particularly Omar. Finally Owen settled on, "Think of it as a different experience. They guy who taught me, well he ended up being a real rat bastard. But I agreed with him on one thing, a immortal has to be as well rounded as possible in order to survive. Think of it of getting a head start on that. You're living with three other immortals now. Two that have been around for awhile."

Janet finished for him, "And a third from a different country. This is probably going to fail spectacularly you know. Things were a bit tense when we started living with Jin and them."

"I never said it was going to be easy," he told her. "And sometime going through the hardest stuff makes you better. And after the stuff you've been through, you're a stronger person than when I met you. If you take anything away from me take this, you decide exactly how what fate and life throws at you shapes and defines you. Other will try, and you know this first hand, and they will only succeed if you let them."

Janet started to smile as she thought about him, "Omar used to tell me something similar."

"Got to be true if two people tell you it," Owen told her with a grin. Janet let him put her arm around her as they met back up with Susan and the Father. Maybe she would give this a chance. Janet wanted to be immortal, hoping her mother would finally love her like a daughter. But she wanted a tool, a distraction while other men lusted after her. Despite that she found her strength through the help of the people who actually seemed to care about her. And she wanted it to flourish and not fad away. Maybe these new connection will help her find a new life to lead.

Only the time would tell.

 

[Kamen Rider Oni]

Excellent ending and glad Owen is healing after getting through those trying events, and finally ending Victoria. Think Owen and Janet's future looks better already, granted with Natalya around... it definitely won't be boring for Janet. lol But, in the end... There can be only One. :3