{Location: Crystal Pass}(Dawn's POV)[Years ago]

I walk into CJ's, the smell of pizza in the air. Someone touches my shoulder and I nearly judo flip him over, "Dawn. James is still here." Sarah smiles as I try to relax.

"Glad I didn't miss him." I smile as she lets go.

Sarah leads me to the outside part of the restaurant and gossips nonstop.

I really don't pay too much attention to her, "Oh really." I reply to a conversation I have no idea about.

"Ok," she points to an empty chair across from James, "I'll be right back with your food."

"Thanks." I sit as she scurries off. "Sorry, I'm late."

"Better than not being here at all." He smiles then digs into his food, "So what kept you?"

"I may have uncovered a small smuggled set of weapons in Crystal," I whisper as I take a bite out of my food.

"Once more please." James patiently waits until I'm finished before rubbing his forehead, "Please tell me you left the fancy looking knife alone."

"Not exactly." I sip my water, "It's safe."

"And you say you took it from Mr. Nom?" James' voice fluctuates.

"Yeah."

"Dang it." James licks his lips. "You can't trust him."

"We buy our food from him when it comes to this why is he trustworthy?"

"Because," James holds out a menu and leans closer to me, "Food is one thing, but he deals with a lot more than the soft cookies."

"He's done this before? Why isn't he in jail?"

"We can't get proof." James puts the menu down and draws back, "He's slippery. And even though now we have something, you touched it. Unless we want to arrest you too.."

"I can get more." What am I saying? That is crazy. I made it out the first time by the skin of my teeth. "It won't be easy."

"Dawn, if you do that and it doesn't work, you're spelling out trouble the rest of our lives." James holds my hands, gives them a little squeeze, "I'm not as brave as you but I don't someone like that angry at us."

I get an idea. It's definitely a mistake to be made but it's better than anything else. "So what if he isn't angry at us?"

This is a bad idea. But it's all we got.

"What do you mean?" James tilts his head, "He can trace it back to us."

"Yeah. But he might think someone else told me to do it." James still looks confused as I roll my eyes, "We can make Chen look like the guilty party."

"I'm listing."

{Location: Crystal Pass' old mine}(Seliel's POV)[Present day]

The lighter fire gets closer to the ground. I have to do something. That rail line can't be destroyed. Then another light comes on. "Freeze scumbag." AJ, what are you doing? Her flashlight is making the night-vision go haywire. Well, I guess I needed action. I turn off the night vision and creep up behind Victor.

Victor closes his lighter, "The fuzz already. Not a good sign for me."

I pull out my left kama, sidesteps and aim the point against his Adam's apple. "You know what else isn't a good sign? Blowing up a rail line."

"Seliel?" Victor sneers and squints in AJ's bright light, "Oh I mean all powerful Phantom Ninja. I thought you quit."

"I make exceptions for scum like you."

"Are you still hurting about the whole spy thing?" He raises an eyebrow as the ground just below the rail line glows green. "I had a reason for it."

"And yet it took you, oh wait. You never explained it to me." I put a little more pressure on.

"What do you think I was trying to do? I listened to the tapes, I know of the rivalry between the Tigers and Chen. Or anyone associated in the slightest with him."

I glare thought my helmet. At most the gang is only 6 or 7 guys. And yet Victor thinks I need him as a guardian angel. "So why'd you hide it from me? Protection requires trust."

"I was relying on the trust we already had." He lowers and raises his eyebrow, "Trust that dates back to middle school."

Sly fox. I bite down my need to scream. He wants this. He wants a reaction from me.

"Ugg." Jordan folds his arms just above us, "Enough already. We're all knew each other as kids. Can we get on with the job?"

AJ points her gun to Jordan now as the sound of small knives ring, "You are under arrest for-"

"Make her quiet." Jordan double snaps his fingers.

It takes a second but the boys bomb rushes her. Sooner rather than later, they end up in the minecart with no bullets wasted. AJ holds her gun up again, "Face the wall."

I keep my eye on Marci the green glow, there seems to be something drilling it's way up. Now that is smart, why didn't I think of that? I watch as a green tip slowly comes out a few inches from my feet.

AJ steps closer, "Now."

Jordan turns slowly as the boys in the mine cart moan, "So, what's your name, honey?"

"Shut up." AJ holds the gun up while reaching for her cuffs.

"Seems like you could use a better payroll." Jordan holds still now.

"Not interested."

Victor manages to sneak a peek at the emerging object. "Umm, Jordan."

Jordan glares as I push Victor's head up, "Not now, underling." He focuses on AJ again as the green tip is revealed to be a long knife with a golden handle and a red gem.

"But-" Victor tries pointing but I push the blade a bit deeper.

Now there's a second green tip coming out slower than the first. What is that thing?

Jordan huffs with a small eye roll, "I said be quiet." He smirks at AJ, "So, where were we." Now his eye grow to the size of a boulder as the green blades reflect light, "Are those-"

"The Jade Blades." Victor rolls his eyes, "Yeah. I was trying to-"

"GET THEM!" Jordan jumps to the knives but AJ body slams him against the wall.

Victor struggles now. I lightly scrape the blade's end against him then sucker punches his gut. Then twist over and grab the two.

Marci jumps out of the ground to pull the mine cart around, "Run, Seliel. Find out what those things are." She changes the lines direction so the boys roll down to the end.

I tuck away my kama, turn to run when something catches me foot. Victor is holding on tight as Jordan and AJ struggle, "Be a good ex and give those to-"

"Nope." I slam my boot heel into his face and charge out of the mine. What are these Jade Blades? How does my Mom know about them?

So many questions. So few answers.

{Location: Crystal Pass' mine}(Dawn's POV)[Many years ago]

Is this real? I recall the plan in my mind as James finalizes some things. The plan, I fend off any interference as James collects the Jade Blades. Once we have them all, we'll run back and send them off in an airplane. On top of this, we planted a tracker on the bag, then we leave the receiving end of the tracker here for Edward to make the assumption that Chen sent his goons to do all this. It also helps that we're dressed in red and dark purple, further false confirming that Chen is responsible.

I watch James as he pays someone shady with hundreds. Can I really do this? Yeah, Chen was awful but he saved my life. He also did tell me to assassinate someone. So I'm 50-50 on this one. The alternative is all this coming back to bite me. Which is better, the safety of now or the safety for my future?

James nods, grabs a big black duffle bag, "You ok? You're white."

"I don't know about this." I look down at the gravel. Destiny said that my future was ok. But is this part of it. I don't want to go against destiny. But...ugh, this choice will drive me insane as Chen. "Chen did a lot for me. He cared for me, clothed me."

"Did he love you?" James gets quiet and has to repeat the question. "I don't mean in, oh, he gave me a few things in life, I mean. I care for what happens to him. Just like he cares for what happens to me."

"Well when you put it that way," I inch to him, making him blush. I even pucker to trip him up. Instead of a gentle kiss, I pull on his mask, "He did this to himself then."

James sighs as he pulls on my mask, "Once this is over, you so own me."

"Then let's get started." I turn about and stealth runs into the tunnel. In my hand is a white iron pipe. I don't have as good of access to weapons anymore. I keep going straight, quite as I was taught. James on the other hand huffs and puffs like a sweaty ape. I pause near the entrance to the bigger cave. The tarp is still down, I wonder why it's down.

"Did you hear something?" A big tall guy dressed in total black freezes as James tries to catch his breath.

Another big tall one more round guy shrugs his shoulders, "See nothing. Hear nothing. Do nothing." He keeps walking, slowly pulling his partner with him.

I nod to James. The guards head one way as James and I circle around the other. I make sure he gets down ok, then toss a rock at one of their helmets. Bullseye. They turn to me. I make my voice deeper, "Hey, wisecracks. Come get me." I hold out the Jade blade I stole earlier.

"After him." Non-round guy pulls out a stick as I get ready to run. They charge me and I bolt to the mine. I stay fast enough that they don't lose me, but keep them in earshot so I can further insulate them. I run into the sun shine, two guards in tow, and to the further end of town. I can do this. I just have to keep this up.

"Going somewhere?" Edward pulls up in a black car in front of me.

I nearly slam into it but end up sliding over the hood. I even drag the blade over his windshield. Yay, property damage. I get running again as he gets out.

"AFTER HIM!" He screams as the sound of a plane engine starts.

I almost run off a cliff. Now that was close. I turn around to keep running but James is just now leaving the cave. Problem. They'll hear the plane. Unless I get truly crazy, "Hey," I hold the blade at the end and hold it over the gorge, "This will be one easter egg that hard to find."

Edward hits the brakes and almost gets run over by the two guards, "Don't/ You have no idea how hard it is to make those."

"Make 'em out of what? It doesn't seem like anything special."

Edward inches closer, I loosen my grip to my fingers holding it, "You try finding dead snake bones, pull out the marrow in them, and fashion weapons to honor the elemental balance."

"They guys who fought the snakes?" I watch as James rests halfway to the plane.

"Yes, they saved me. I vowed to make each of them similar weapons. Showing their unity. I just now finished as was going to send them out."

"I'm guessing through less than lawful ways." I shorten my grip to just my index finger and my thumb.

"Tell me, "He holds his hands out like he could levitate it, "How would you feel if your work went unnoticed."

Now he's just giving me everything on a silver platter, "My actions don't go unnoticed." I let gravity decided this one as the blade heads down tip first, "My master wouldn't let something like this slip."

"NO!" Edward runs to my spot as I run out.

I spy the guard readying to attack. I jump one by kicking him in the unholy spot but the second grabs my collar. There's a loud ripping sound and my back gets cold. I manage to twist over and give him the same treatment at his friend. Edward looks my way and growls very, very loudly, "Chen. You took my work!? NO!" He keeps throwing a tantrum as I run up the hill.

The plane takes off over head and I conveniently drop the tracker. I duck back into the cave aa James changes in a bush.

I start changing too, "That was close. Did you send them all?"

James gives me that adorable smirk of his, "I may have made a small last second alteration to the plan."

"What kind of alteration?"

"I buried two." He hangs his head, "I figured, leverage." I sigh and bite my lips, "Hey." He comes over and holds my shoulders, "There's going to be rail lines soon enough. If we can't touch them, neither can Chen or Nom." He forces my head to rest on his chest.

"I hope you're right." I listen to the plane as the sound grows faint.

Was this a bad idea?

{Location: The Red cliff} (Seliel's POV)[Present day]

The warm outside air and the coldness my helmet absorbed makes fog on my visitor. I keep running until I feel safe. I stop, crouch down, put one blade down and pull my helmet off. Then someone body slams me.

I fall back, off the cliff until someone else grabs my hand. I look back up to see Victor and Jordan. Victor holding my hand and Jordan picking up the second blade like it's gold.

Jordan looks worse for wear, "What are you waiting for Vicky? Drop her like she's hot."

"Victor," I don't want to die. Not like this. I glance down, the furthest point from where I am is maybe 60 feet, "Don't let go." He cocks his eyebrow, wait, he's thinking about this, "You want my love. Fine, I love you. Just pull me out."

Jordan sneers and sits on Victor's left, "You know..." He picks his teeth with the blade, "If she were to drop. I am willing to have a co-leader."

Something new enters Victor's eyes. Greed. So thick. So much. Which is more to him, power or my love? For once, I hope it's my love. Jordan licks the places he picked, "Think about it, Crown. You'll have to much more power. I'll even let you have your own division. We're nationwide, think of it. Half the nation's power, all if you let go."

"Victor. Look at me," I try stabbing the rock with the Jade blade in my hands. The rocks won't give, I can't save myself, "Power never lasts. Jordan will stab you in the back before you can blink."

Jordan leans in closer to Victor's ear, "Tiger's honor. I won't stab you in the back you if you let her drop." He licks his lips, "Let her go. Let her go."

"Don't let me go." What else can I say? Beg? I don't mind begging my way out of this. What does he want? The jade blade, "You can have this. Just pull me up."

Victor settles on something in his mind, "Give me your other hand." I swing my hand up, he catches my wrist, slides his hand down to wiggle the knife out of my hand. He pulls me up so my stomach is at ground level.

"I should have known there was something I could trust you." I calm down a little.

He shanks my hand off and slowly puts me back in my original spot, "You know S.Q." He holds the Jade blade, letting the moonlight reflect into my eyes, "You're not that beautiful."

Victor Crown lets go.

I become weightless for a moment until gravity's hard hand grips me.

And I fall.