"Look, I'm sorry," Johnny groaned to his daughter the next morning.

Cassie ignored him and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a bagel from the pantry.

"Cass, c'mon," Johnny pleaded, "You know last night wasn't on purpose."

She finally looked his way, scowling deeply, but she still remained silent.

"Don't do that, Cass. You're gonna break your old man's heart," Johnny looked genuinely saddened.

Cassie sighed, "You guys gotta stop this," she finally spoke up.

He looked at her, "Who needs to stop what?"

"You and mom need to stop arguing all the damn time," she replied exasperatedly.

"I'm not even sure why you call that woman your mom when she--"

"You see?" Cassie interrupted. "That right there. That's what causes all this; you stab at her every time she comes up." Johnny was speechless for a while. "You know that not every one of your arguments are her fault."

Johnny's eyes fell to the floor. His daughter had a point. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But what am I supposed to do?"

He loved his daughter. She meant the world to him. He cried for about an hour when she was born, and when she was a baby, he hated the short few minutes where he had to put her down. He spent every moment he could holding her, his sweet little angel. But when the day came that she began moving around on her own, it became evident that she had a lot of strength in her. Sonya got a call from Cassie's daycare saying that the little girl punched a boy in the jaw for tripping her. Johnny could not keep a straight face during the parent-teacher meeting that followed. The moment Sonya and the principal weren't looking, he gave his little ass-kicker a high-five.

That being said, it wasn't too rough for Cassie during the divorce, because Sonya was never really around, she didn't exactly have anything to miss. But during those weeks where she was in her mom's custody, Cassie quickly took a liking to Sonya's no-nonsense attitude and especially in her career. Johnny wasn't really surprised when Cassie told him she wanted to join the Special Forces, but he made her promise that she would find time for him.

Cassie had no problem with this, but she dreaded those moments when her parents were in the same room together.

Cassie wanted these arguments to stop, and if it would make her happy, Johnny would do everything he could to make it happen.

"Give me your phone," Cassie said. Johnny took his smartphone out of his pocket and gave it to his daughter without question. Cassie scrolled through her dad's contacts before finding the one she wanted. She pointed the screen displaying "Sonya" at him. "Call her. Apologize. Talk. And be nice." He took the phone from her, looking at the screen hesitantly.

Cassie began walking over to the door. "Where're you going?" he called after her.

"I'm going meet the team at the park. Bye!" she swung the door closed behind her.

"Wait, Cassie!" Johnny shouted, but she was already gone. "Heh. Clever girl," he chuckled, looking down at his phone. His finger hovered over the call button, knowing Sonya was going to be pissed when when she picked up. If she picked up.

"Ah, what the hell," Johnny said out loud as he pressed down on his screen.

He held the device up to his ear, heard it ring twice before, "Hello?"

"Hey, Sonya."

______________________________________

"--8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

The cutthroat slowly stalked down the large hallway, hunting for his prey.

"Ready or not," He shouted, his Australian accent thick, "here I come."

She couldn't hide from him much longer. He was a master of hiding in the shadows, she was but a novice.

He swung open a closet door, revealing only a mop, broom, and scrub brush. "Heh," he chuckled, "It won't be long now, love!"

He heard movement from down the hall. He snapped his head in the direction of the noise, a long grin growing on his face. "Oi, you're a slippery one, I give ya that," he said as he began tiptoeing to a small storage room. "But ya' gonna have to do a lot better than 'at to avoid 'ole Kano." He kicked open the door, his highly trained ears hearing the tiniest of gasps from inside a cardboard box. "There y' are," he growled quietly. He slowly walked over to the box and pulled open the flaps.

Inside was a small girl, only about seven years old. She shrieked and covered her eyes when faced with the sight of the Black Dragon's deadliest warrior. "'Allo, love," he said to his terrified victim, "Now I've gotcha." The tiny girl screamed in terror as the bloodthirsty assassin pounced on her...

... and giggled with delight as he began to tickle her.

"Erg, you little bugger," Kano said, smiling as he continued with his relentless assault. "Thought you could 'ide from me, eh?" The girl couldn't answer through her laughter. "Yeh, but I gotcha now!"

"Daddy, stop," the girl said in between giggles.

"S'magic word?" Kano asked, still tickling his daughter.

"Please! Hahahaha!" she shouted.

He finally stopped, chuckling to himself, and picked the little girl out of the box.

"You're a meanie," she said with a smile as her father picked her up.

"Eh," Kano bounced her onto his hip. She was getting big. "That's fair." She giggled at him. "What a way to greet ye' old man after he been away for so long; by 'iding from 'im. Ye done crushed me heart, Monday."

"I love playing hide and seek, daddy," Monday said, hugging her dad. "But Takeo never plays with me." She pouted in his arms.

"Oh, really?" Kano raised his one functional eyebrow.

Just then, the man in question appeared in the doorway. "Dad!" Takeo started, hurrying over to give his father a hug.

"Hey, m'boy," Kano returned the hug one-armed, keeping the other around Monday.

"Where've you been?" Takeo asked, releasing his embrace. His accent wasn't as defined as his father's, but Kano was proud of his son's deep, masculine voice. Last time he saw him, his voice sounded a dog whining.

"Trouble in Outworld. Got pinned in Earthrealm. Had to give the SF the slip. Ye' wouldn't believe what happened after 'at," he put his daughter down and stretched his shoulder. He was still in his battle wear, but he couldn't wait to put on some soft pajamas. He'd never say this out loud though. "Now what's 'is I hear about you not playing with ye' little sister?" He took up a scolding tone to his son.

Takeo looked a little embarrassed. "I've... been training." Then, with a contradictory tone, "Like you told me to. Remember?"

"Yeah," Kano replied, "But that doesn't mean you can't put off some time for family." He put his hand on Takeo's shoulder. "I mean, I even come once in a blue moon, an' I reckon my schedule's a lot more booked than yours."

Takeo looked at the floor. "Yeah. Sorry dad."

"Ah, don't be be, eh," Kano responded. "I'm 'ere now, and I sure as 'ell didn't come to watch you nope at yerself." He patted his son on the back. "Come on. Tell me what ye' two been up to."

______________________________________

The family of dragons ate pizza that night, as a celebration of Kano's return. Monday sat next to him on the small, square table, and Takeo sat across from them. Kano was recounting his time with the emperor.

"Biggest sucker ye'll ever see," he said. "I mean, scratching seven foot he was. My job was to take him out; a hundred million," his family looked excited at that. "I figured: big knife, big guy, match made in heaven, eh?" Takeo snickered at that. "So, while he gots his back turned, I take a stab at him, trying to get a quick neck in 'ere." His son was on the edge of his seat. "Bastard's big, but he was quick." Monday slapped him on the arm when he cursed, "Sorry, love. Anyways, we rustle for a bit in the carriage til he tosses me out. We have it out for a bit, but 'e..." he saw his children looking at him expectantly, "... 'e never had a chance 'gainst 'ole Kano. I had me knife at his throat when tooth-face called me off, wanting the kill for 'erself. The big smurf pounded her to the dirt, so I cut me losses and ran." His seven-year-old daughter surprisingly looked less awed than his twenty-year-old son.

"And the hundred million?" Takeo asked.

"Uh, yeah," Kano said bashfully, "Sorry kiddos. That died with Mileena." He shook his head and looked down at the forgotten pizza, "F'only I was able to kill the emperor..."

Monday hugged his arm, "Don't worry daddy. You'll find another way to get rich."

Kano smiled at his daughter's neverending faith in him, "Thanks sweet." He ruffled her hair up. He stood up suddenly. "Well then, now I s'pose it's right time for bed," to Monday, "Takeo still gave you a bedtime right?"

"Yes daddy," Monday replied, upset about having to go to sleep.

Kano pet his daughter's head. "G'night my sweet," he said, kissing her forehead. "I swear we'll do something fun tomorrow."

Monday wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you, daddy."

"Me too, love," he replied, "Now off to bed with ye'." She walked upstairs into her room. Takeo still sat at the table, not moving. Kano had a feeling he knew why.

"Dad--"

"No son." He said this bluntly, without a possibility of negotiation.

"Dad, I've been training for years," Takeo argued. "I've familiarized myself with every weapon we have. I've been... preparing myself..."

"Takeo," Kano's face was unwavering, "This is not a job that you can quit if ya' decide it's not your 'thing.' It's not a job at all. It's a life. And you don't turn back from it." Takeo looked like he was going to argue again. Kano clenched him by the shoulders, speaking harshly, but not angrily, "It is nothing but murderin', cheatin', stealin', and death. It'll kill ya'; inside or out. I ain't havin' 'at!" He sighed and calmed down. "You. Are my only son. When I first saw ye', I din' want nothin' to do with ye', but now..." he released his shoulders and patted him on the back, "You've shaped up m'boy. You can be pretty much anythin' you wanna be."

"Dad," Takeo pleaded, "You've always enjoyed being in the Black Dragon."

"No," he responded, "I've always enjoyed the money it brought. And now it ain't goin' nowhere without me, so I gotta stay in. You..." he smiled, "Why couldn't you want to be a bank robber or a mugger or some other criminal? Ye' had to be a dragon, eh?"

Takeo returned the smile, "It's in my blood."

"I know it," Kano hugged his son. "Tell ye' what, we'll discuss this in the mornin'. I'll decide then."

Takeo finally conceded, "Alright. G'night dad."

"G'night son," he looked at his son once more. He had grown. He was almost as built as Kano was, and he was most certainly skilled. "Yer mum would never had believed what she was dumpin' when she dropped ye' off."

Takeo smiled at that and bid his father good night once again.

Kano smiled to himself again. I'd love to see Ole' Mrs Blade's face if she ever saw how great my children are. They really blow lousy old Cassie outa the water.

Kano went to his own bedroom for the first time in months, took a nice, long shower, and put on those soft pajamas he had been yearning for. He was just about to lay down when his cell phone started ringing.

He gruffly walked over to the bathroom, fished his phone out of his old, dirty jeans and answered it. "Hello?" he said, disguising his voice, just in case.

"Is this Kano of the Black Dragon," a familiar, low, gravelly voice asked.

"Hehehehe," Kano chuckled. "It sure 'as been a while since I 'eard that voice." He didn't bother with the fake American accent anymore. He knew exactly who this was.

"You got some stones calling me now, Tremor."