Earth Overcome, Part 8: Sheath

  When Sara said "Guns Blazing" she meant guns blazing.  That's what hers were doing.  I for one was really curious about the team,

  "What are they like?" I asked. 

  Sara didn't answer.

  "How did they do on the mission?"

  Still no answer.

  "I hope they're okay."

  "Yukino, I could use some help."

  "Yeah." I nodded, I had been trying to avoid this.  I really didn't want to do this, but it couldn't be avoided, we needed Sheath.  I sighed and closed my eyes.

  Sheath Awoke

   Sheath was strong fast and silent, for that was what she needed to be.  One of the thug's trying to kill Raft noticed her and rushed her.  What a fool, he would be the first one.  Sheath drew her sword and spun around and slashed!  He fell to the floor, dead.  Another one decided to run at her, surely he would do better than his predecessor.  He didn't.  Sheath easily sidestepped him and tripped him.  He fell onto the floor, she spun her sword around and stabbed.  He screamed, but Sheath was silent.  The third was smarter, almost.  He shot at Sheath.  It was a Magnum.  Hard to aim, easy to dodge.  She ducked under the bullet and before he could get off another shot, she ran up and slashed.  That would be the last bullet he would ever fire.  Two more decided to follow suit and fired at her from opposite sides.  She ducked... and the bullets passed over her head and found their mark in the other man.  Silently Sheath rose from the floor and closed her eyes, her work was done.  For now.

  Yukino Awoke

  When I got control back from Sheath, there were bodies everywhere.  I don't even know how I got control back or why.  The only person not dead was Sara and she looked afraid.

  "Come on." she said when she saw it was me, not Sheath. "Let's go."

  Video Log: Scar

  I love Yukino as a friend, I really do.  But it's not easy.  I'm a little scared of Sheath, and why shouldn't I be?  She has the potential to kill us all!

  End Log

  On the way back to Sara's ship, we had to be quiet, if we weren't we'd be caught.  Though I wish we could've because that left me alone with my thoughts.  Sheath was usually quiet but sometimes she talked to me.  She says that she wants control over my, I mean our body.  But I can't let that happen, because she also wants to kill people.  I can't be responsible for that.  What's even worse is the way she works.  I don't know why she gave me control again.  It's like she's bidding her time, and that scares me.  Having this... thing!  Inside me.  I just, just, I just wish my other personality was a pacifist.

  When we did get to the ship, I'll be blunt, I was surprised.  The team was not at all what I had expected.  I mean, I knew who was going to be on the team, but they were different from my expectations.

  Sara strapped into the pilot's seat and started to fly.  the dragon guy, Agon decided to make a comment, "So that's the chick we came all the way out here to get?  I'm impressed."

  "Yes this is Sheath." Sara sighed.  Gallatian was quiet, almost quieter than Sheath.  It was creepy.

  Agon waved at me, "Wow she's quiet.  Kinda like Gallatian.  Match made in heaven if you ask me."

 "I do talk." I told him.  I hated people who said I didn't speak, that was Sheath not me.

  "Alright, so much for that wedding."

  "Could you leave her alone?" Sara called from the cockpit.

  "Fine." he sighed, but just because he wasn't picking on me, didn't mean he wasn't going to shut up.

  "So yeah, great first mission and so worth it.  Glad to know we can function, sorta."

  I couldn't take t anymore, "Will you shut up?  All you've done is make snide comments and criticize.  Sara you may have picked the heavy hitters, but this team sucks."

  "Could you please calm down, Yukino?" she asked.

  "No!  So far we have the wise-guy and the one who doesn't talk."

  "This may not be the best time, but during the mission Agon became feral."  Everyone shut up, Gallatian has spoken. 

  "Wow, Sparkles, you pick that to talk about?" asked Agon.

  "You did what?" Sara yelled.

  I decided to stay out of it and so did Gallatian.

  "I couldn't help it, I don't have complete control."

  "Then you better learn control!"  She yelled.  Then she sighed, "Great this whole team is a time bomb."  She turned back to Agon, "How many people did you kill when you lost control."

  "I don't remember, there was red and fire.  That's all."

  "Great, just great." she muttered.  Then she was quiet for a minute, thinking.  "Look." she said.  "Because we had to extract our spy we don't know where Wilson is going to attack.  This means we can only defend when it happens.  Come back here when that attack happens.  Until then, I think we need some private space." 

  Everyone is quiet while she lands the jet, and once that process is over, we all go our separate ways.

Earth Overcome, Part 7: Sara Raft

    The second we landed I was out of the jet and inside.  I had to be quick, I had to be efficient, and I had to be professional.  Yukino need me.  I didn't bother to say anything to Agon or Gallatian.  I had the feeling neither of them were very stealthy.  Though  I couldn't help but be a little ashamed for abandoning them.  I shook my head.  I didn't have time to be sorry.  I just shook it off and kept going, like I always do.

  I ran straight past a huge open room, and into a hallway.  Yukino was in the basement and I took some stairs down to the lower levels.  As I started down the stairs I noticed something.  No guards.  No one was on these stairs.  Then I heard a giant crash.  it sounded like Agon and Gallatian had the guards distracted.  At least they were doing their jobs.  I crept down the hallway and heard some voices around the corner.  I drew my pistol, silenced of course.  I peaked around the corner and saw three guards.  Each one of them armed.  Though I had the element of surprise.

  I took a deep breath and whipped back around the corner and shot one of the guards.  He crumpled to the floor but the others saw him fall.

  "Someone's here." he yelled!
  
  I whipped back around and before the could notice me, I took aim and pulled the trigger twice.  They both fell.  I didn't hesitate.  quickly I got out of my cover and sprinted down the hall, taking care to step around the bodies.

  The next room was a more open area, with a door. That had to be where they were keeping Yukino.  The only problem was the two thugs standing guard.  I reached down to my belt and pulled out a grenade.  I stared at it.  If I used it they would all know where I was, but it was the only way.  There was no way I could take down the guys equipped with machine guns.  Silently, I pulled the pin and chucked it across the room.  I heard it bounce once, twice, then it rolled. 

  "What the..." started one of the guards but he never finished.  The explosion was so loud it left my ears ringing.  All I did was shake my head and run to the door (which had been blown off it's hinges.)

  "Yukino!" I called, standing at the top of the stairs.

  There was a voice at the bottom, faint but strong, "Sara!  You're hear?"  I heard her footsteps coming up the stairs and then she was standing right in front of me. "Finally." she grinned.

  "Yeah, I even brought the rest of the team."

  She nodded, "Good, that's good.  So how are we getting out?"

"Guns blazing."

  She tilted her head, "Seriously?"

  I took her sword out of my duffel bag, "Yeah seriously."

  "Dragon Fang." she whispered.  I nodded, Agon would get a kick out of her sword name.

  She unsheathed it and looked around, "I like this plan."

Earth Overcome: Part 6, Gallatian

  It didn't take long for night to come.  You'd think it'd take forever since I had nothing to kill time.  Even if I did it wasn't like I could.  I was starting to wonder why we attacked at night.  They would know we were there soon enough.  That was just one of the many holes in the plan.  What do expect from the eighteen year old strategist.  Though hey, what can you do?  It's not like I could talk.

  Sara landed the ship right outside of their warehouse.  The heat sensors had placed the ninja in the basement, which would mean that Scar had to use the stairs.  There were two guards outside the main door, but Scar shot them quickly and quietly.  What kind of person can just kill without remorse? 

  "We're using the front door?" asked Agon.

  "Why wouldn't we?" asked Scar.

  Agon put his hand on the wall closest to him. "Why use the door..." I swear I've never seen anything like it.  he put his entire hand through the wall.  Then all he had to do was flex and it came crashing down.  "When we can make our own, elaborate entrance?" he finished.

  "Agon..." Scar started to scold.

  "What?  They already know we're here."

  I nodded, the whisper had told me that, though I wasn't able to tell anyone.

  "Fine." she grumbled.  Then before any guards could get us, she stepped around the rubble and rushed inside.  It was just us.  Me and Agon against everything.

"So." started Agon. "How do we grab their attention?"
  "You smash stuff?" I thought.

  "I'll smash stuff!" he yelled.

  He punched a different wall and it too came crumbling around him.  The dust was flying in the air, but it worked.  There was a stream of thugs running into the room.

  "Take them out!" one guy yelled, and that was all anyone said.  They all moved the same way and had the same glazed look.  They were either high or being controlled.

  Agon went ballistic and tore into the nearest person.  I instead, let the suit take over, it kicked into the air and hovered there above the guards.  I watched as my fist glowed and gleamed.  Then a beam leapt out of it blasted straight into a guard.  The whisper and the suit were working together, it'd tell it where someone was and the suit would blast it.  I was just along for the ride.  My arm whipped around again and I the bolt of energy felled another one.

  "Lasers?" asked Agon. "That's awesome."

  Agon himself was a blur.  He was a flurry of slashing and fire.  The guards didn't know what to do.  they didn't know how to approach him.  So they fell.

  I raised my arm again and the laser sprayed across the room.  I don't know how many people I hit, but it was a lot.  I didn't a thing.

  Then I heard a BLAMM!!!  A gunshot.  I looked down at my arm and there was a hole.  No blood, just a hole.  The pain came in hard and I hit the ground.  Two of the thuigs saw there chance and rushed me.  I struggled to my knees.  They got closer.  I steadied myself with my good and arm and slowly raised my bad one.  They grinned at each other, then at me.  Instead of a laser, I shot out a shockwave and they flew across the room.  They looked like they hit the wall pretty hard.  Be fore I could recover, another tried to rush me, but this one had a knife.  He slashed and I stepped back to avoid him.  He lunged and I sidestepped.  That was my moment.  I grabbed his hand and made him drop the knife, then I brought my hands back and shot off another shockwave!  He landed in a heap on the other side of the room.

  I looked around myself.  Whatever guys I didn't hit, Agon had.  The fight was over.  Then I remembered Agon and looked over at him.  He was shaking and twitching.  His breathing was heavy, almost like a growl.  I inched closer, wondering what was wrong.

  "Agon, are you well?" It wasn't what I wanted to say, but it's what I did.

  ROARR!!!  He turned around and tried to jump on top of me.  if it wasn't for the whisper and suit I would have been clawed.  Instead I was hovering in the air.  I raised both arms and shot him twice, but it didn't faze him.  He was too strong.  He jumped up and grabbed me by my leg.  Then he pulled me back down!  I was on my back, with him right on top of me.  He opened his mouth to breathe fire and started to see the back of his mouth glow. 

  "Don't..." I thought.  I never realized how scary he was up close.  Then something happened.  He stopped, and then he shook his head.

  "What happened?" he moaned.

  I wanted scream, "You almost killed me!" but I said: "You attempted to murder me."

  "How?" he asked.

  "It appears you lost control."

  "Again." he shook his head.

  I was sighing on the inside, but I never did, I just said "Come let's get back to the aircraft."

    Video Log: Agon

  "I feel bad about this... I blame dragons... and Long."

  End Log

Earth Overcome: Part 5, Agon

  When she said 0800, I think Sara meant eight hours 'cause that's when we left to get the ninja.  We were on some kind of fighter jet, but I don't really know what it was because it was huge.  Big enough to fit ten people with space to spare.  Sara, I mean Scar, was flying and Gallatian still was talking.  that meant it was just me and...

  "August!  We can not waste time with these fools."  Long was ranting in my head again, and it kind of hurt.  I swear if I could get him out I would jump at it.

  I tried to speak calmly and slowly, "Listen, Long.  We're doing something equally important here.  It's not everyday you get to save the world."


  He didn't shut up, "Saving the world?  you three are delusional fools with visions of grandeur!"

  "Just shut up." I muttered.  I was starting to get looks from the others.  Well, Sara anyway.  they probably thought I was nuts.

  "We can save the world." I said quitter. "We have powers and resources that other people dream of."

  "We just met them.  you have no teamwork, no training, and no previous experiences.  You'll be lucky if you don't kill each other."

  "Well, we can sure as hell try."  Usually I'd snap back with some witty retort, but not now.  Long was saying everything I had been thinking.  Did he have access to my thoughts?  He is in my head.  I'd have to ask him.  Though if what he was saying was true ( and it kind of was) how were we supposed to save the world?

  Video Log: Scar

  I'm not sure I'm liking Agon's attitude.  Maybe having a guy who a smart-ass and a cynic wasn't such a good idea.

 (End Log)

  "You done talking to yourself, Agon?" asked Scar.

 "Yup." I told her. "It has all the fun of talking to other people, yet less sociable."

  "Cute." she remarked.

  "You do have a plan to rescue this woman, right?  A plan would be really beneficial." I half asked half told.

  Gallatian just stood there with his creepy silence.  I don't think he had any helpful to contribute.

  "I actually don't have a plan." she said just a little too briskly. "Do you have any suggestions you'd like to make?"

Scar had all eyes on me.  All four of them.  I knew that even Gallatian was staring.  Planning is hard.  Especially when there's pressure.  Then something clicked inside of me and I said, "Does this thing have heat sensors?"

  "It does." she nodded.

  "Good.  We'll need those to find out where she is."

  "Fine.  Then what?"

  "Like you said we have a Dragon, a Cosmic Being, and a Butt-Kicker.  I say we pull a smash and grab." 

  "How?  There is a telepathic in the building."

  Then something weird happened, Gallatian spoke. "What Agon is implying is that we have a distraction."

  "Thank you." I said. "Me and Gallatian will distract them, while you rescue the ninja."

  Scar nodded, "Glad we have that sorted out.  We'll go down there once night hits."  then she walked back to the cabin.

  I could see why Sar- Scar looked so stressed all the time.  Leading was hard.

  "You handled that well." said Long.

  "Yeah I guess.  Why would Sara do that?"

  "I wonder why?"

  I thought about it, "She set me up didn't she?"

  "Yes."

  "HA!  Little does she know that after you get scales nothing can ever embarrass you!  Plus the only person here was Gallatian.  We all know that he won't talk about it."

 

 

Earth Overcome: Part 4, Sara Raft

  I walked quickly but briskly down the hallway.  I was needed for a meeting.  A meeting with my team.  It had been three months since Wade Howlett's last attack, and now he was trying again.  This time it was more.  More help, more plan, and a bigger desire to carry his plan out.  That just made my desire to stop him bigger.  I had spent three months putting together my team, and now I was about to talk to them.  To tell them the problem, I was about to them just why I needed their help.  Funny, what three months can do.  I wasn't scared anymore, I was determined.

  I pushed through the giant doors and into the small conference room.  I'm not at liberty to say what our location is, technically this is a government operation. 

  "Gentlemen..." I started, trying to sound professional. "Welcome to the team.  I assume you've already met each other?"

  Gallatian was standing in a corner and not saying anything, and Agon was slumped in his chair.  That seemed about right.

  "Cut to the chase, Sara." said August. "It's really just us, and Space Face here doesn't talk.  Like, at all."

  "Fine." I grumbled. "As you both know there is a crisis that threatens this world and I need you to..."

  "If you would stop being ominous  we would help."

  "Please shut up and stop interrupting August."

   "Fine." he grumbled.

  "Now the problem is a supervillian named..."

  "She said supervillian!"

  "August!  If you don't shut up I will tear those wings off your back and feed them to you."

  "Shutting up now." he said quickly.

  "Good.  Now, a supervillian named Wade Howlett, has a viable plan to control all the animals on Earth and make them attack the American government."  August sat up and Jeph kept staring.  I had their attention now.

  "He can do that?" asked August.

  "Using a form of telepathy, yes."

  "So like mind control."

  "That is what I implied, isn't it?"

  "Query:" said Jeph. "Couldn't humans be considered animals?"

  "So you can talk." remarked August.

  "Let me answer him August."

  "And who says query?"

  "Shut up!" I yelled. Then I turned back to Jeph. "Yeah, humans are animals, but we're basically too smart to be controlled."

  He nodded like it made sense.

  "So he's powerful, right?  Cause there are a lot of animals on Earth." asked August.

  "Powerful he would be." I nodded.

  August looked around nervously like he thought Howlett was in the room with him.  "What do we do first?" he asked.

  "Well there's one more member of our team we need to rescue.  I had sent her to spy on Howlett but he found out about her.  I haven't heard from her in two months."

  "So we rescue her?" asked August.

  "Yes, her name is Yukino Pichelli."

  "What can she do?"

  "She's a painter." He snorted. "Who has multiple personalities." He laughed. "With the other personality being a ninja."

  He stopped and looked at me.  Then he said, "You plan to save the world with a teenager, an astronaut, a painter, and a CEO?"

  "No.  My plan is to save the world with a Dragon, A higher Cosmic Power, a Ninja, and a Butt-Kicker."

  "When you put it like that..."

  "Glad you agree.  Mission start in 0800 hours, but you need codenames for the operation."

  "Wow codenames?  What are we? Two?"

  "Just pick one."

  He shrugged, "Agon."

  "Gallatian." said Jeph from his corner.

  "Yukino is Sheath."

  "And yours?" asked Agon.

  "Scar.  I'll see you two at the mission launch."  Then I left.

  Video Log: Agon

  Sara, I mean Scar (I wonder why she calls herself that) wants us to do these video logs as part of mission reports.  I'm too lazy to write so these video logs work just fine.  She asked for our thoughts on the other members.  They seem okay, but Gallatian creeps me out and Scar is way serious.  People aren't that uptight without a reason  I wonder what's hers?

  Video Log: Gallatian

  -Error-  Codename: Gallatian has not recorded any logs.

  Video Log: Scar

  My thoughts on this team?  lord help us all?  I only really considered power hitters and not personalities.  I'm not naming names but one of us in particular was annoying.  I guess maybe a mission will whip them into line.



 

Earth Overcome, Part 3: Sheath

  Yeah, so... where to start?  It had been two months since the whole Sheath fiasco and a lot had changed.  For one I was now a spy.  For another I lost my job, and to top it all off I had to share a mind.  Though I may be getting ahead of myself, how about we go back?  You see, about two months ago Sara Raft came to me and told me about some terrible problem that threatened to destroy Earth.  then she told me where Wade Howlett was hiding.  She wouldn't tell me her source, but she did send me into their base so I could spy on them.

  I haven't painted in a month, but what was worse was that I got no sleep.  You see me and Sara figured out that Sheath was triggered by me closing me eyes.  which meant if I wanted to control her I had to keep my eyes open. I can't sleep.  I can't.  If I do Sheath will kill everyone.  My name is Yukino Pichelli and I need... sommmme sleep.

  Looking back, I was bound to screw up.  The human body needs sleep.  I remember being dragged into Wade Howletts office (which was really a curtained off corner, but that's not important).  Wade was a tall, scraggly, thirty something year old man  Who hadn't shaved in quite awhile so he had hair everywhere.  Just wild hair growing every which way.  He smelled like old cheese, which I was told that was all he ate, but what I immediately noticed about him was: despite all his hair his ears still managed to stick out.

  "How long did you expect me not to know?" he asked me in his curtain office.  At first he seemed so calm, so serious.  Then he threw his head back and cackled like a hyena! "I'm a freakin' mind reader girly!  You can't hide anything from me!"

  I didn't say anything to him.  Though it wasn't much help.  He really is a mind reader.

  "You've been here for two months.  Sara trained you to clear your mind, and you can't sleep or the ninja in your head will kill everyone correct?"

  I didn't say a thing.

  "I am correct." he said triumphantly. "You know my dear, you really are an interesting person.  Seeing as how you have two minds to read."

  Then he stopped, and looked at the guards, "Do we have a dungeon?"

  "No sir?"

  "Do we have a basement?"

  "Yes?"  The guards seemed just as confused as I was.

  "Then throw her in there."  Both guards nodded and stood me up.  Then they started to walk me downstairs.  I didn't struggle.  I didn't even try.  Sara had taught me so many different things and one of those was how to pick my battles.  Even Sheath couldn't take on a full warehouse of thugs.  They did throw me into the basement and I do mean threw.  It took all my willpower to keep my eyese opened as I tumbled down the stairs. 

  "GAHH!!!" I screamed.  When I landed flat on my back.  I lay there for awhile and wondered what I was doing with my life.  Then I sat up and looked around me.  I've been down here since.

Earth Overcome, Part 2, Gallatian

  Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to attend your own funeral?  Well I can tell you first hand.  It sucks.  You can see everyone, your family, your friends, anyone who ever cared about you, and you can't tell them that you are alive.  I really couldn't tell them, I can't speak.  My name is Jeph Wolfman, I'm also Gallatian. Everyday I hear everything.  Literally everything.  I know everything, but only as it happens.  I can't see into the future, I can only hear the present.  You'd be surprised at how much of it is bad.  You'd be even more amazed at what I do with this ability, I ignore it.  I ignore so I can wallow in self-pity at my funeral.  I have the power to right every wrong in the world, and I do nothing.

  So I stood far away, under a tree, and I watched my family.  I watched and heard as my brother, Michael, got up to speak,  "Jeph... um... Jeph was brave.  The bravest person I had ever known.  He pushed the boundaries, beat the odds, and achieved his dream of going into space.  It's... terrible that he was taken away from us, but he will be remembered.  Thank You."

  It hurt.  I wanted to tell them that I was here, that I was alive, but I couldn't.  I'd ruin their lives.  So I kept watching as my mother took the stand, "Jeph was  not only brave, he was kind.  the second he heard that something was wrong, he'd do anything in his power to help.  He always helped, no matter what.  Thank-You." 

  A piece of me fell apart after that.  Had I changed that much?  Had I just become greedy and self centered?  I continued to stand there and watch.  When I had got back to Earth, I had expected to welcomed with open arms.  After seeing the funeral the reality was setting in.  Not only was I covered in stars, but I had come back from the dead.  It would be selfish of me to come back into their lives now.

  Then I heard a voice behind me, "So what's the universe really like?  I mean, you'd know."

  I whipped around, ready to blast whoever was there.   But it was... Sara Raft?  There was an awkward silence, for some reason the suit wouldn't let me speak. 

  "You don't talk huh?" she asked.  "Why don't I skip right to it?  There's a matter of national security and we need... superheroes.  A team of superheroes to be exact, and you'd be perfect."

  A matter of national security?  She said I was needed?  The Creators had told me about a disaster on Earth.  Was this it?

  "I'll help." I thought. "I will assist you." I said.

  "Good." she nodded, "You should come with me."  Then she left, and I followed her.  Though I did look one last time at my family.  I was leaving that life behind.

Earth Overcome, Part 1: Agon

  "Why the name?"

  "What name?" I asked.

  "Agon."

  "That?"

  "Yes."

  "It's the greek word for anger."

  "Your powers come from China."

  "I'm a superhero." I said. "I think I have the right to name myself."

  "Stop being a smart-@#$."

  "It's better than being a dumb one." I retorted.

  "This is what I mean."

  "Let it go." I said. 

  Yeah, that's the kind of conversation I have everyday.  Don't worry I'm not talking to myself, I talk to Long my... friend.  Well that's note entirely true.  Long is a little old Chinese man, who just happens to live in my head.  I'm not kidding, though I probably am crazy.  Though I'm not lying about the super powers, those are real.  I can breathe fire, I have wings, and a tail.  That also comes with strength and durability, which seem to be the stock superpowers.  I also have a Chinese man in my head, and that's one of my better assets. 

  My name is August Summers, and I'm... half-dragon and half-human.  I'm still not kidding.  I look like a Dragon on two legs.  Being a superhero (if I can even call myself that) is way different from the movies.  Iron Man never accidently killed someone, and J.A.R.V.I.S. is way cooler than Long (the guy in my head).  It had been two months since San Francisco where I fought Dark Sage, and I was poor.  Here's a shocker, no one wants to hire a half-dragon guy.  Trust me I tried.  Most people scream when they see me.  If they have a weapon they try to kill me.  I'm not exactly well loved.  So instead I live on roofs where nobody could find me.  that's where I was when my life changed for the millionth time.

  The whole reason I'm this ugly is because Long chose me to find the lost Dragon civilization.  I had no leads on where to look, besides that they were underground.  I had no family (except for my sister but she didn't want to see me) and I had no friends.  That's when the change came.  I guess somebody had heard my brooding because I was on my roof, when I heard someone behind me.  I sat there, and pretended to be oblivious.  Then I whipped around and slashed with my claws!  Whoever it was managed to roll out of the way.  I swiped again but she stepped back.

  "You always this friendly?" she asked.  I swiped again, but she just sidestepped.  "Don't you even want to know who I am?"

  "No." I grunted. "I want you to leave!"

  "My name is Sara Raft." 

  "You must be deaf." I said. "I said for you to leave!" I yelled bringing my claws over my head and down on her!  Again she just simply stepped out of the way.

  "We need you... August."

  That hit hard, "H-how do you know my name?"

  "I know a lot about you." said Raft.

  "Probably more than you want to know."

  "Don't be a smart-@#$!"

  "People keep telling me that, I haven't stopped yet."

  She sighed, "The point is there's a threat to national security.  Something that we've never seen before, something that we need heroes for.  Heroes like you."  She pointed at me like I had no idea who "you" was.

"I don't know..." I said. "Maybe I just want to fight you some more."

 "You can try." she said.

 "Let me check with Long."

 "Who?"

 "The Chinese man in my head."

 "Okay?"

  I could almost see her locking me in some asylum so I really didn't want to get on her bad side.

  "Long, what do you think?" I thought.

  "I think you should kill her and keep looking for the dragons."

  I sighed, "Good talk, Long."  Them I switched from thinking to talking, "Miss Fury..."

  "It's Raft."

  "Miss Raft I'm in."

  She put out her hand and I shook it, "Two down, one to go." she said.

  "What?" I asked.

  "You'll see." she smiled.