Jack Rodgers stood on the balcony of his three-story house staring out over the seemingly perfect lives of normal citizens. Moms with children. Fathers and husbands rushing to work. These people believed they lived in a careless, safeguarded world. 

He had been contacted by Jayden multiple times being told to release Marcus from Jail. Of course, he had refused. even when Jayden had threatened his wife and son. A sigh escaped the man's lips. The trial had gone by with Marcus being proved guilty. He had received a life sentence for Murder, terrorism, drug possession, and many other serious offences. 

Jack still remembered the proud smirk Marcus had given him as he'd been escorted away in cuffs. the smirk of a man who was getting his way. The smirk still bore deep into Jackson Rodger's brain. 

"I'm such an idiot," Jack mumbled, rubbing his face with both his hands frustratingly. He wondered if Lily was alright. Of course, she was, she was her mother's daughter after all. The whole 'saving the world' thing was behind him. Years behind him. 

The responsibility was put on the younger generation. Lily, Mark, Amber. Though, Amber had left the grid for a while. No one knew where she was. But Lily could handle a little lone time.....right? A crash from inside snapped Jack from his faraway thoughts. 

A strangled scream sounded from inside. Dashing from the outdoor air into the stuffy hot inside of his house, Jack turned left and right, looking frantically. "Grace!" He basically squealed his wife's name.  

A muffled; "Jack!" was heard from the kitchen. Spinning on his heel, Jack raced to the kitchen where he found his wife standing there....alone. Tears sprang from her green eyes. Her blonde hair a mess. 

"Whe-" The answer; 'Where' was answered before he finished the sentence. A gruff war cry from behind him made Jack duck. The mystery person missed their target as their knife sliced through the empty air. 

Shifting, Jack ran his elbow hard into the intruder's rib. Stumbling back, the man glared daggers at Jack. A stifled scream escaped Grace's hand-covered mouth as the man attacked her husband once more, slicing aimlessly at his throat, face and chest. 

Jack ducked, dodged and blocked the arm of the skilled bladesman.  Hearing his wife scream he turned his head instantly. A second later, warm dark liquid ran down his cheek and a rock-hard knee connected with his abdomen. 

Jack grunted and let out a weakening, "Oof." Blueish-green dots swarmed his vision like a mob of angry bees. Raising his leg, Jack lashed out, propelling his attacker away from him. Not before he noticed the snake tattooed on the side of the man's neck. 

Backing into a table, Jack scrambled for something. Anything he could use as a weapon. His fingers coincidently wrapped around a blue ballpoint pen. The Viper operative was on his feet and charged Jack again, knife swinging wildly. 

Jack slashed back and dodged the sharp blade. The Viper was getting weak. but he fought harshly nonetheless. 

Grace Rodger's got a hold of her fear and reached for a desk lamp, rushing to her dear husband's side, striking the top of the lamp over the unknown man's head. Letting out a shriek of pain and rage.

But he didn't fall unconscious like she had hoped. The man turned to her instead, raising his knife. He had multiple cuts on his face, the blood flowing like healthy rivers down his head, and cheek till it dripped off his chin to the white carpeted floor. 

His deep brown eyes seemed to spark with electricity. Not metaphorically...literally. Jack took the open window of opportunity and wrapped his solid arms around the intruder's neck. the man thrashed, trying to grasp for his knife which had fallen as he'd been hit over the head. 

Tightening his grip, Jack clenched his jaw. This wasn't a phone call threat. It was an actual attack on his family. HIS FAMILY! How could he let this good for nothing pig get away with it!? The man struggled and gargled, gasping and grunting for breath. 

Breath that Jack didn't give him. Not even as his body began to weaken, his scratching hands slackened and his eyes rolled back into his head. Only then did Jack loosen his death grip. Grace dropped the lamp and ran into her husband's waiting arms. 

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Jack searched his wife's face for any sign of pain or wound. "I am fine Jack." Grace's voice was shaken and her fingers trembled as they clutched Jack's shirt. Jack winced as the slice in his cheek re-opened as he smiled in relief. 

"Jack.....wh-what will happen now....?" Grace rested her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her protectively. "We call Alex. This war is spread out to more than just Detroit." 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Amber Kelt backed her Audi a4 into the driveway. With a sigh, she switched off the engine and grabbed the bags of groceries she'd just bought from the passenger seat. Putting her red sunglasses on top of her head, Amber exited the car and pushed the door shut. 

Making her way to the front door, she dug in her purse for her keys, mumbling to herself as she searched for the mission keys. Amber found the keys and fit them in the keyhole. Before she had time to turn them a sudden crash was heard from inside. 

Eyes wide with terror and surprise, Amber swiftly turned her key and burst open the door. "S-Scott?!" Dropping the bags on the floor, the girl rushed in past the kitchen to the living room where there on scene mad her heart stop and her blood boil. 

There lying on the floor near the couch was a body. Not just anybody. the body of Scott Lee. The man she'd grown to cherish was lying on the floor covered in blood. Amber dropped to her knees beside him, tears welling up in her eyes. 

"S-Scott.... Scott!" She screamed, combing her hand through his hair gently, sobbing softly. "Get up, Scott! Please..... I-You can't leave me....please...."

A soft "tut, tut" made Amber look up, tears streaming down her face. There he stood. Dark hair gelled back in a slick neatly combed down. His piercing green eyes seemed to stab deep into her soul. Contrasting his warm smile. 

"Marcus Houston....." Amber's voice held confusion, fury, and alarm. His lips turned upward into a spookier smile. If that was even possible. "It is nice to see you remember me, Amber." Marcus spoke in a calm yet sinister voice. 

Amber looked from the man who had murdered her brother, to her broken lover on the ground. "Ah, yes. I'm sure you remember Scott. Such a nice boy. He really cared for you. It's a shame his affection for you was.......his vulnerability." 

Amber tightened her trembling fingers with Scott's still ones. "Y-You're a monster." Amber's heart was on fire. Her eyes were ablaze. Her mouth spitting venom. "You had the nerve to kill my brother and walk away with a smirk on your good for nothing face!" Her voice rose with her anger. 

"You are supposed to be rotting. Not in a prison cell, but a mental asylum." Marcus threw his head back and let out a throaty cackle. "No one has the 'nerve' to do anything, my dear." He took a couple steps towards the young woman.

"Only purpose." He lowered to one knee and lifted Amber's chin with the tip of his finger. "You should be a philosopher in your next life." Amber spat, twisting her head away from his icy touch. Marcus' smirk returned. He shook his head. "You only live once, my sweet girl."

He stood and withdrew a couple steps, his smirk neither whithering nor changing. Ambe could take it no more. Springing to her feet, she charged her brother and friend's murderer with all the ferocity and murderousness she could muster. 

Apparently, it wasn't enough. Two strong hands grasped her arms like iron wristbands, yanking her back. Amber turned to glance behind her to see a man with great muscles holding her back. His face held no expression, though she could tell if she tried to escape his grip he could snap her neck in one twitch of his finger. 

"As you can see, my dear Amber. You and your friends have caused many problems for me and my crew. I can't have imperfections in my perfect plan." Amber glared daggers at him. "I hate you to hell and back." She snarled. Marcus smiled. "Yeah, I get that a lot." He then addressed the bouncer who held her. 

"Bruno, take her to the truck. And knock her out, will you? I don't want to hear her smart remarks and bothersome tone on the drive back to HQ." Bruno nodded. "Yes, commander." Amber struggled. "You won't get away with this Houston! Lily will defeat you!" Marcus grinned once again. 

"Now, now. You and I both know your poor friend is still aching from the detachment from her boyfriend. She has no power over me. I'd crush her like a vermin. Besides," He glanced at Scott. His former right-hand man. "If you have the precious mouse, the cat comes like a fish to the bait." 

His smile made Amber's blood boil more. "You're saying Dylan is alive?" Marcus looked at her and sent her his signature smirk. A small chuckle escaping his throat. "I'm not saying anything Amber. Just that you don't have to bother remembering anything beyond this moment." 

Amber was bewildered. What did he mean by that? A sharp pain erupted in the side of her neck. All she could do was gasp in protest and surprise before darkness consumed her entirely. 

* * * * * * * * * *

A heavy knock awoke Mark Livingston from his daily nap to escape boredom. He groaned and rolled off his bed, grabbing a nearby short-sleeved shirt before shuffling his way gradually to the front door. Tussling a hand through his dark mop of bed hair, Mark blinked in an attempt to 'wake up'. 

Unlocking and swinging open the door, Mark raised an eyebrow to see Lily's Uncle staring back at him. "Mr. Rodgers? Wh-what are you doing here?" Mark asked, stepping aside to allow the older man into the apartment. 

Jack stepped into the room, turned to the young man and took a breath before speaking. "So they didn't get to you either?" Mark scratched his unkempt, chiselled jaw. "Huh? Who?" Jack breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Viper." Jack leaned on the kitchen island. It was then that Mark noticed the cuts on his friend's Uncle's face. He also appeared to be considerably stressed. "What happened? Did you run into a Viper operative?" Mark was concerned now. 

Jack sighed. "No. He ran into me." His voice lowered an octave. "And my family." Mark clenched his jaw, folding his arms waiting for the elder to proceed. "I think this is part of Marcus' plan." Mark nodded. "I saw on the news that he escaped prison." 

Jack shook his head miserably. "It's like he's targeting the people of a greater threat to him and his regime. He looked up to meet Mark's hazel eyes with his own baby blue ones. "We have to get Alex and Amber. Who knows who could be next on their Deadpool list." Jack spoke as if it was that easy. 

"We don't know where Amber is, chief." Mark tapped his slender fingers on his bare skin. "We'll find her, son." Jack straightened and clapped his hand on the younger's shoulder. Mark sighed. "Alright, let me pack first." 

Heading to his bedroom, Mark suddenly stopped in his tracks. His eyes glazed over the bedroom door across from his own. He hadn't opened that door in ages it seemed. It had only been seven months. But to him, it seemed like an eternity. 

Glancing back to see if Jack had followed him, Mark eased the door open. Not that it mattered. Not like Lily's Uncle cared if he entered his best friend's vacant bedroom. 

BOOM! NEW CHAPTER!!!! Hope you all enjoyed this addition. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Please don't forget to vote, comment and enjoy!

~Keziah13ninja