Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Introduction - Beginnings

What is the meaning of life? And what is the point of this existance?

As Sammy gazes over the empty bridge underneath his feet, below he can see the still murky water. It is littered as if no one had crossed this derelict part of the city for months, or even years. As he gazes up, he can see the orange sun setting in the distance behind the tall skyscrapers that tower high above Wood Oak City.

"Sammy! What the fuck are you doin'?" An impatient voice shouts from the end of the bridge, immediately snapping him away from his thoughts.

"We need to be there by 8 and I can't have you fucking this up for us! Get your shit together now!" His friend aggressively orders.

Feeling pissed off with being treated like this, Sammy lazily places his skateboard down on the floor. He huffs a deep breath before skating behind Kadeem. The two of them had been best friends for the last four years since they started high school together and they have always had each other's backs. Although Kadeem could be hot headed at times and on the wrong side of the law often, he was always there for Sammy. He helped him and accepted Sammy into his group when he was once bullied by the other kids. 'Skater boy' was often tormented, beaten up and called names by the other kids. That was all until he met Kadeem. In return for coming to Sammy's rescue, Kadeem would never find any friend as loyal as him.

"Are you sure about this?" Sammy worriedly asks.

It takes a whole hour for the boys to reach their destination outside of a row of abandoned warehouses overlooking the water. Sammy had been to many dangerous places before with Kadeem and could defend himself in any situation, but this place was unusually silent. Something just didn't seem right.

His father and older brother had spent years teaching Sammy martial arts. Before his passion for skateboarding, Sammy remembered wanting to be a boxing champion to follow in their footsteps. But all of that was a long time ago. After Christopher Hunter, his father died, Sammy lost all interest in boxing and teenage life began to go off track.

"Whatever the connect says, keep your mouth shut!" Kadeem instructs. "Just hand over the bag when my man asks you to."

Within five minutes, a black Mercedes with tinted windows pulls up in front of them with two men sitting inside. First, there is the driver in a smart black suit then a second man out of view sitting at the rear. This man, casually dressed in black jeans and a blue t-shirt immediately steps out of the car. He is a young black male, in his late 20s who looks as if he has had his fair share of fights given the thick scars along his neck. The first thing Sammy notices is one running down one side of his face from his eye to his jawline, probably damage by a machete by the size of it.

The man walks over to the boys with a stern look on his face. "Yo Kadeem! Thanks for transporting my shit". His serious demeanour immediately turns into a smile as he greets Kadeem before they lock palms. "It's been a long time! You look like your doing well for yourself these days."

Kadeem replies with enthusiasm. "Business is good! Great actually! We're gonna need more supplies soon, the demand is high."

"Good! So who's this?" The man's gaze suddenly turns to Sammy, acknowledging him for the first time. "This is my boy Skates! He's helping me with the distro. Sammy this is our connect, Donovan".

Donovan then walks over to the skateboarder, suspiciously sizing him up for a moment before giving Kadeem his nod of approval. The boys then proceed to hand over their two backpacks to Donovan. He quickly takes the opportunity to investigate some of the contents, first by pulling out a handful of cash.

Donovan then hands the backpack over to his driver who has just stepped out of the car. "Make sure it's all there".

To their surprise, Kadeem interrupts their conversation, impatiently seeking answers. "Any idea when the next load of supplies will be ready?"

Donovan turns around, appearing offended for a moment as he pauses. It is clear that he has become irritated with Kadeem overstepping his place. This friendly exchange starts to turn into an unpredictable conversation as the two grown men start to heckle. "Are you saying I don't provide enough shit...?"

"No, I just…"

"Kadeem, bro I get it! You really do want to work hard for our organization and prove yourself to us. But you gotta be patient man! If I give you too much supply at once, it's too much of a risk if you don't sell up. All in good time. Trust me, the boss knows what your doing too."

"I'm sorry…" Kadeem glances down feeling embarrassed.

"Hey kid, why don't you come with us? I'm sure the boss is keen to meet you personally, plus we have new product to shift soon and there might be a promotion in it for you if you're lucky", Donovan grins.

Kadeem's eyes light up with excitement, keen to take any opportunity thrown his way however, Sammy can't help but stare back at him feeling concerned.

Donovon continues, "Why don't you and your friend come with us tonight?"

Sammy then responds to Kadeem, feeling uneasy about all of this. "If its ok, I need to go back home. It's getting late now..."

"What are you 10!? Is mommy gonna tuck you into bed?" Donovan snaps back with a sarcastic tone, suddenly becoming sterner. "That's not a request boy! Get in the car and once the meeting with your friend is done we will give you a ride back some place nearby".

Reluctantly, but with no choice, Sammy follows his friend into the car, unsure about where the two of them will end up next.

It's already 9:30pm and the two of them are far away from home, likely somewhere on the outskirts of the city. Sammy knows that his older brother Adam will lose his mind and he will most definitely be grounded if he is not home by 10pm. To top this, if these gangsters find out who he really is, they will probably kill him or take him as ransom since Adam happens to be one of the district's most senior police officers. His brother has no idea right now how deep Sammy is in this shit and another interrogation from Adam is the last thing he needs.

Their car pulls up by a large metal gate surrounded with security guards. Once the car is allowed to proceed, they spot a beautiful white mansion that has a late night pool party getting started outside. Sammy instantly realizes that isn't just some low life drug dealer they are working for. This is the organiser, the real connect, and the boss of the hierarchy. Over the years, he has met a few dangerous people, even members of the syndicate but never one as high in the rankings as this.

"Be careful and hurry the fuck up in there!" Sammy angrily whispers into his friend's ear as they walk side by side up the steps to a large white door. They are now on the other side of the property to the pool party and it is dark outside. A very large, bald muscular man covered in tattoos wearing a white vest answers the door. Once they are inside the entrance, he escorts the group into a long hallway. The entrance of the building is covered in red including the carpet and the walls which are finely decorated with paintings and chandeliers. Any one of these art pieces could probably be sold for over a million dollars. Sammy feels sick to his stomach thinking of how rich this gangster must be with this lavish lifestyle compared to the brutality and poverty he sees everyday on the streets. 'All that money for one fucking painting when I'm bustin' my ass to make 50 dollars!' He thinks to himself in anger.

After 20 minutes, a man in a smart black tuxedo appears to be coming down a wide spiral staircase at the centre of the hall. Again, he is tall, muscular and his walk indicates that he is trained in martial arts. His skin is tanned and olive, with blue eyes and light ginger hair that is slicked back. This is where he gets his street name from, Tiger. Whatever tattoos he has under his suit, they extend all the way down to his hands. One finishes with a small circular design at the base of his knuckle. Walking next to him are two beautiful blonde ladies wearing long slinky red dresses, along with another four more men in suits behind them. The bald man they met at the entrance whispers in Tiger's ear before summoning the rest of the group into the next room. In their tracks, one of the guards stops Sammy, instructing him to wait in the hall on his own as Kadeem follows Donovan.

"I knew tonight was a bad idea" Sammy complains to himself. He is forced to wait outside under the watch of a slimmer body guard in a suit and tie.

Another 15 minutes passes by and Sammy is starting to grow impatient. "Can I get some liquor from the pool party while I wait? I'm thirsty," He cheekily requests. It appears that the guard has not fully understood him and with hesitancy, he replies with a Brazilian accent. "You want drink kid? Cola, water?..." Sammy replies "yes, please can I get a coke". Surprisingly, the guard caters to his request so he takes the opportunity once the man is gone to look around. He quietly peeks through a small window by the door of the large dining room where he sees Kadeem sitting between Tiger and his associates. It suddenly dawns on Sammy that the bald guy at the door is still holding onto his skateboard that was confiscated when they entered.

Sammy can see his friend with the boss sniffing coke, talking to the women and drinking in there. Kadeem is no innocent kid, but even Sammy understands that he is way out of his depth right now. He is used to pot, syrup and the occasional ecstasy tablet, but never cocaine before.

Unexpectedly, events take a turn for the worst where he notices a heated argument forming between Donovan, Kadeem and Tiger. The room in there falls silent with only the sound of Tiger's aggressive tone. Within the flash of a second, the gangster decides to pull out a silver gun from his belt that he forces into Kadeem's mouth. Sammy freezes as he watches helplessly through a small gap in the window. He can see the fear in his best friend's eyes, knowing there is nothing he can do to stop it. A loud shot is then fired, sending Kadeem forward where his young face is now a pool of blood.

Everything in that moment feels like a nightmare and unreal. The room around Sammy echos blue whilst he freezes in shock with his heart pounding out of his chest. Sammy has no choice but to rely on his instincts to get out of there. He starts to run for the door out of the hallway leading to the main entrance. From here on, everything else around him is blank and all he can do is run as fast as possible forward. Eventually he reaches the front entrance, but his troubles are far from over yet. The gates at the perimeter to the estate are still heavily guarded. He panics when he hears more gunshots, men shouting and dogs barking.

Near one of the outside walls, there is a large trash can at the back of the property where Sammy takes cover. "Make sure you kill his friend!" Tiger aggressively shouts from a distance at one of the gunmen. They then round up the bodyguard who returned with the drink for Sammy, immediately shooting him in the head. At this point, Sammy is terrified for his life and is unsure of how he is going to escape the grounds when there are guards everywhere looking for him.

They then decide to split up to search the premises both outside and inside, knowing that Sammy could be anywhere. All of a sudden one man appears next to the trash can, spotting Sammy behind it. He immediately attempts to grab the boy. With a kick to the face followed by a punch to the stomach, Sammy quickly catches the thug off guard as he falls to his knees. The teenager struggles to strangle and wrestle the man who is double his size until Sammy is able to finally silence him by breaking his neck using both his arms and legs.

He immediately runs over to the white wall surrounding the perimeter of the property. His heart pounds as he tries to climb over it before the dogs and other gunmen reach him. Fortunately, Sammy is fast enough and he manages to escape from the property. He lands hard on the ground out onto the dark main road. As the boy sprints down the street, he still hears the sound of men shouting and starting their cars. Sammy then stops to catch his breath by an alleyway, ducking low whilst the cars on his tail speed past.

He suddenly breaks down, shaken and traumatised. "I can't believe they've killed him…"

Chapter Text

Chapter 1 - Brotherly feud
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Another early start, another day at the office and another late finish.

As Adam parks his 4x4 into his driveway he can't help but feel a sense of guilt. He knows that he is the man who spends every day trying to solve the world's problems by protecting the city. Yet he is the one who is struggling to be there for those closest to him. Adam can't recall when he last had a date night with his girlfriend Keri, or even how their little girl is doing in kindergarten. She is growing up too fast and he knows he is missing out.

It's days like this that Adam wishes he could hang out with Sammy after school. Before Adam's promotion, the two of them would often have a sparring match in their local boxing gym then as a treat, they would grab a burger after their session every Thursday. But feeling guilty can't change the day gone by and certainly doesn't pay the bills! The whole reason why his family have their home set up here where they have moved to a nice part of the city is because of Adam's promotion and how hard he works.

10pm and it's home sweet home. After a long day like this, a good rest and a full stomach is well deserved.

"Hey baby, I'm home!" Adam walks through the door exhausted but with a smile on his face. He can see Keri in their front room relaxing on the couch with a glass of red wine in front of the TV with her feet up.

"Hey baby, how was your day?" She tentatively asks. Before Adam can say anything else she continues, "Oh shit, I can't believe the time already! I think I'm going to head upstairs to bed now, but we'll catch up properly in the morning yeah?" She greets him with a kiss on the cheek followed by a yawn. "Cherry is fast asleep and dinner is in the oven for ya'll to heat up".

Feeling the guilt sinking in again for being home late, Adam softly replies "thank you... Look, I'm sorry it was another late one. Sleep well".

The couple had been through a list of ups and downs over the past 14 years since they were teenagers in high school. Everything from moving around to death threats, Keri has sacrificed a lot in order to stay with Adam. She is more than used to being an officer's other half. Keri replies by taking his hand,"I understand baby and I know you are doing your best for us". This brings a relieved and comforting smile to Adam's face. He is forever grateful for Keri sticking by him, even if in his eyes, at times she deserves better.

His smile however is short lived as she travels up the stairs to bed "By the way Sammy has stayed out late again. I don't know where he is! He hasn't returned home and his phone is dead again!"

"Shit! I told him to stop hanging around with those friend's of his!" Although this has killed Adam's mood, he is not surprised. Sammy's behaviour has been off the rails for months and it is getting more and more difficult to monitor his younger brother, especially with the hours that Adam commits to work.

"This boy is trying his luck with me and I'm starting to run out of patience! He knows what the rules are here! I'll wait up for him, thanks for the heads up".

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12am, 1am, 2am…

Finally, Adam wakes up on the couch as he hears the sound of keys rattling followed by the door opening. Sammy quietly walks through the dark hallway with the hope that no one else is awake right now. The last thing he needs is another lecture or telling off from his perfect older brother.

"I've been worried sick out of my fucking mind! Where the hell have you been boy?!" Adam's voice startles him hard. Sammy immediately understands that he is back in his brother's bad books. "I'm sorry… we errm went out and the subway closed so I had to walk all the way home".

"Don't think I can't smell the alcohol and weed on you! You know the rules under my roof especially with Cherry here. I can't have you hanging around with Kadeem on the streets anymore. That boy is trouble and you need to stop this right now before someone arrests your ass or kills you!"

The very mention of Kadeem's name instantly sends red fireworks through Sammy's veins. The teenager loses it then unexpectedly, throws a punch towards Adam's face with rage in his eyes. Unfortunately, his fist misses Adam's jaw. After this action, there is no going back. Sammy has crossed a fine line where Adam has reacted quickly by blocking his fist then applying pressure to restrain the boy on the ground with his hands behind his back. Of course this move is Adam's first instinct, being the cop he is trained to be.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Sammy?! You're a 15 year old! What would our parents say about you hanging with these punks huh?!" Adam shouts in his ear.

All of this commotion has now woken Keri up, so she rushes downstairs. "Adam! Let him go right now!"

Adam reluctantly loosens his grip. Sammy slowly rises up to his feet, trying his best to hide how painful that was being pinned down by his brother, even if he deserved it. "What the hell is wrong with you two?! Whatever you need to discuss, sleep on it and leave it for the morning!" Keri can see Sammy is upset right now and needs rest. "Go upstairs and clean yourself up," she calmly says to the boy.

As Sammy silently walks away, Adam decides that he is not finished yet. "NO! You better listen to me boy! This shit you've pulled tonight won't happen again, you hear me? Tomorrow morning I'm dropping you to school myself and Keri will pick you up at the gates. You're grounded for the rest of term, understood!?" He angrily grits his teeth.

Sammy turns around then coldly replies "don't sweat it bro, I won't be here for much longer and I can do whatever the fuck I want. You're nothing to me, so stop acting like you're my dad!"

Nothing more was said that night but those last words felt like a shock and a real kick in the teeth for Adam to the point where those words ripped into his heart.

Sammy's early years as a child were tough. Within a year of their father passing away, their mother became mentally ill and suicidal. With no one who understood her illness, Adam as a 17 year old boy made the toughest decision by placing her into a care home to stop her from harming herself as well as others. Soon after that day, he was old enough to become Sammy's guardian so that he didn't have to be taken away and put into care.

Adam has raised his younger brother ever since and no matter how rebellious Sammy could be, Adam never once gave up on him. This time however, he was closer than ever on the verge of giving up. With Sammy's last words repeating in the back of his mind over and over again, Adam couldn't help but pick up the half empty bottle of red wine that Keri left on the table. He drank the rest of it straight without using a glass. 'Sometimes tough love is the only way forward', he told himself.

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The next morning he recieved cold silent treatment, served up with hateful stares as the two brothers grabbed their slices of toast from the kitchen. Usually this time of the day is stressful enough with the kids getting ready for school whilst Adam rushes for work.

Keri sits uncomfortably in the middle of all of this tension between the two brothers. Fortunately, four year old Cherry is awake and oblivious to the situation. As the two brothers eat on opposite sides of the kitchen table, the little girl runs over to Adam with a piece of paper. "Daddy, daddy look what I made for you!" He lifts her on his lap then gives her a big hug whilst taking a look at her drawing of him in a police car with musical notes above it.

"Thank you sweetheart, I will pin this on my wall today at work!" His reply put a cute smile on her face.

She then pulls out a second piece of paper from her backpack, this time running over towards her Uncle Sammy. "Yesterday I made this for you too!" It appears to be a drawing of him with his favourite red roller skates on, in the clouds or on the sea from what he could make out. Again, surrounded by musical notes. This also puts a smile on Sammy's face, the first genuine smile he's had in days. He gently hugs his niece and wishes her a good day before she leaves the room.

"Sammy, you look drained," Keri observes, picking up her car keys from the table. "Adam, maybe he should stay at home today and rest. I'm happy to call the school up for any work Sammy will miss that he can catch up with over the weekend". With a little hesitation, but trusting his spouse's judgement, Adam agrees.

"Okay, but he stays at home and doesn't leave". This is a huge relief for Sammy as school is one more thing to worry about right now, especially when he knows he will never see his best friend in class again in class. It's a struggle holding it all together whilst keeping what he witnessed last night a secret. The reality of it all is starting to hit him hard.

"Thank you Keri," Sammy breaks his silence, feeling grateful tp her that he can stay home for today. After they finish breakfast, Adam says his goodbyes then sets off for work.

"Hey Sammy, wanna come with me to Cherry's music class later?" Keri asks.

"If it's okay, I'd like to get some rest but I'll be in my room for the rest of the day. Don't worry, going outside is the last thing I want to do right now". The loss of his best friend is at the forefront of Sammy's mind and the sadness is beginning to show in his face.

"You know, you can tell me if something is wrong…" Keri probes.

"I'm good, just tired…"

Sammy has had his ups and downs with Keri in the past, but he always knew she was a good person who cared about him and his brother. Yes she takes pride in her fancy clothes, appearance and material things, but she always had his best interests at heart and he could look up to Keri like the older sister he never had.

"Okay Sammy, I'll be back in ten minutes. Take your time kid, I know Adam is angry but he will get past this so don't worry. This is still your home. And if you change your mind and need to talk, you know where I am" she nods.

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8:30am at the police precinct.

The place where everyone thinks at 100 miles per hour, the place where meetings, interviews, training and paperwork (lots of it) happen in one go. There are a number of cases and officers to manage on a daily basis both in the precinct and outside on the field. Officers, detectives and attorneys from all ranks are coming and going constantly. This is a whole new chaos Adam is facing this morning compared to the one back home.

As he enters the building, he is greeted by a number of secretaries, cadets and officers who have just finished their night shifts. The ground floor of the precinct is a bustling place that is heavily secured consisting of interview rooms, waiting areas as well as last night's trouble makers who are either taken in or waiting for their bail requests to come through at 9am.

It's a half hour commute each day by car into the city from the suburbs for Adam. Since being promoted to Lieutenant in his department, Adam's office lies on the 6th floor at the very top along with many other departmental offices on the other side of the complex. Wood Oak Central Police Department (WOCPD) is an extremely hectic place, but is like a second home for him.

The usual pile of paperwork is sitting and waiting for him on the desk to read through prior to the 9am daily briefing. Since Adam's promotion, it has meant spending less time out in the field and more time on beaurocracy. Adam can't help but miss all the action. Although the pay is better as a lieutenant, it can be boring as hell with this amount of paperwork every day. He often works closely with their Captiain, and Cheif Deputy Officer O'Neil.

Adam takes the opportunity to multitask his time by reading some of the paperwork whilst queing up to grab a necessary coffee to go. Their 5th floor canteen this time of morning is often busy with staff arriving for their morning brew just before briefing starts. After last night, Adam knows this will be the first of many coffees to get him through the day.

"Heard the news yet on the reds?" A familiar East Coast voice quickly draws him away from his paperwork.

"Hey Ax! Sup?" Adam perks up with a smile before giving his partner a bro hug.

Axel Stone and Adam Hunter have been like brothers ever since they were kids. Adam attended the Stone's family dojo in the city when they first met and both of them had trained and fought together ever since. There was always something special about Axel's fighting style that no one else could ever match up to. When they graduated from high school, life took separate roads when Adam pursued his boxing career before becoming a police cadet. During that time, Axel dropped out of college and left for the military where he served 5 years abroad in various places. After the death of his parents, who were the only family he had, life turned upside down after being dismissed from the US army.

One night a man called Stefan Visser spotted Axel fighting five men who were drunk outside of a bar. Visser was a well-known gangster back then who took the young fighter under his wing. The two of them and their entourage ended up travelling the world in the years that followed. Axel started to fight in the underground pits of Thailand and Malasia until he became South Asia's undisputed MMA champion in over 10 countries. The young man had a rich, lavish lifestyle, but he never forgot where he came from.

But the world Axel had entered had no way out. Visser was making too much money from his fights and had too many gangsters on his back. He had pleaded and barganed many times for his freedom, but Visser always changed his mind. So Axel had no choice but to kill him, along with the rest of his men in order to escape the life he didn't want any longer. He covered up the evidence then moved on and has never looked back since. Eventually when Axel moved back home to Wood Oak City, he had no family, no job and no goals left. So Adam was there for him and persuaded his friend to join the police force. He figured Axel would make a great officer with all of his experience from the military and fighting. Ever since, the pair have worked together and today they are partners on the force and one of the best duos that they're bosses have ever come across.

This morning, Deputy Chief O'Neil and Captain of Wood Oak's main precinct is chairing the briefing. That only means that something serious must be going down today.

"I get the feeling a lot is about to change around here," Axel remarks with pessimism in his voice whilst the pair walk out of the canteen.

"So what has the Red's problem got to do with any of us?" Adam shrugs, referring to another police department.

Wood Oak City is made of three leading districts - Central District, which is where they are stationed, the largest of the three that has jurisdictions in over 50% of the city with the highest level of crime reported and resources; Green District, 25% operating in the far North and West of the city and finally Red District, 25% operating in the South and East.

During the last ten years the syndicate have mainly focussed their crime in the center, but in recent times they have expanded operations outwards. Three weeks ago, the Red district's main office was subjected to a terror attack and explosion. As a result of the bombing, over 80 of its officers were killed, and over 200 injured, many of whom are still out of action now. One of those amongst the casualties was their Captain, Carl Ramos who ran the department. For a building so heavily guarded and secure, it is clear that this attack was the result of a mole, or team of moles in that department. Ever since the tragedy, Central District took over Red District's part of the city due to their shortage of staff, whilst Green District sent over 50 of it's own officers to assist.

"Hasn't O'Neil briefed you yet?" Axel queries.

"No, why?" Adam frowns.

"He's gonna announce that six of Red's best officers will be joining our team here, possibly from tomorrow morning".

"Tomorrow?! As if we don't have enough shit to manage here! They'd better be good! And I need ones who can fight. Do you have their files yet?"

Axel shakes his head. "No. But between you and me, O'Neil has chosen these six because he suspects that at least one of them is the mole or team of moles who organised the bombing last week".

Adam, feeling even more annoyed than a minute ago sighs and mutters under his breath, "What the fuck!? They cannot be serious! They're putting our department at risk all because they want us to spy on a small group of officers? This shit was never our problem in the first place!"

A voice from behind them suddenly interrupts their conversation. "Morning fellas! So who are these new recruits you're talking about then?" Axel and Adam glance at each other for a moment before turning around to face a gorgeous red-haired lady with piercing green eyes.

"Hey Jess", Axel casually replies, avoiding her gaze, knowing that she had overheard their conversation. "To be honest, we haven't met any new recruits yet but I'm sure you will find out more in the briefing. In the meantime I need the Rio case typed up and filed straight away please. And you're stationed at the harbour today so be there as quickly as possible after briefing". Axel can be the most demanding Lieutenant at times, but he does take his job seriously... most of the time. She purses her red lips then gazes at him without saying a word. Then she flashes him a flirtatious grin as she turns to walk away.

"Dammm!" Adam shakes his head.

"What?" Axel shrugs.

"Don't tell me you hit that again Ax, did you? She's acting like she got you right where she wants you!" Adam stares at his friend with disappointment.

"Look, this was the last time I swear! Jess and I had a few drinks the other night before one thing led to another. She knows it's nothing serious…"

"And you know you gotta stop this shit man! I get it, a hot redhead like her putting it on a plate for you, but she's an officer on your team and probably wants to take your job! And if anyone finds this out you could lose it!... Plus that woman is a hoe!" Adam snarls.

Axel glances back at him, slightly surprised. "But we're both single,"

Adam continues, "Yes but she a hoe! She tried it on with me first and has with half of the guys on Floor 2, including the caterers! You should know what you're dealing with son, before you start falling for this one!"

Axel laughs, "Nah, I ain't falling for her! You know me Adam, unlike you, no girl is ever gonna make me settle down."

"I bet you, one day you will swallow that ego of yours when you meet someone who can match up to you",

"That ain't happening anytime soon man, look around! What do you see in here? No woman here is on that level, and I'm not talking about looks..."

"Hmmm, that's a fair point", Adam replies.

Both officers laugh it off before making their way into the briefing room.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2 - The new recruits

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9am.

All 320 officers, 30 cadets and staff are present today at the precinct. They wait patiently in the briefing hall before all senior officials enter. At the doorway, Captain and Deputy Chief O'Neil greets Adam Hunter with more paperwork. "So you've heard the news I take it?"

Adam carefully takes the pile off his hands. "Yes Captain. I know what I need to do but I'd like to see the rest of the files first before our new friends arrive tomorrow".

"Sure, here you go." He slaps on top of the pile of paperwork another 6 folders for Adam to balance. "You should know they're actually arriving from 5pm today. I expect you and Lieutenant Stone to be here to meet our new recruits when they get here".

"5pm? Really?" Just when Adam thought he would finish early today for once on a Friday. He had planned on training and checking in on Sammy afterwards. 'Looks like it's going to be another late one', he thinks to himself.

Him and Axel both enter the briefing room. They take their seats by the podium alongside other senior officers where O'Neil delivers his 15 minute briefing. It includes today's headline as well as an introduction to the department's newly established Syndicate Task Force. As he delivers his speech, Adam takes the opportunity to glance through the six files in his hand, each labelled with

'Wood Oak City Red District Police Department – CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.'

From flicking through, he understands that one of the moles they are searching for has to be either:

Sam Davidson- a young 25 year old with little fighting experience, but one of the city's most intelligent hackers.

David Arnold- close to retirement age. He is more out of the field now but experienced in prosecution. This guy's motive for the Red District bombing could be that he was next in line for the role of Deputy Chief.

Stuart Auberry-Mason- Adam has met this prick before on several occasions previously. Nobody could forget this guy! Rumoured to be a white supremesist, misogynist, but also a savage fighter. The mole is probably him based on Adam's judgement and experience of his character.

Nadine Bilson- Very impressive references lie in this folder, but not a good fighter although she has dealt with major cases as a detective in the past. Also a successful prosecutor.

Bernice Wayne- Again he has good references. This guy who Adam is aware of grew up as an orphan then became a champion cage fighter in France before he moved to America. He also trains cadets in his department, however Adam has never met him before.

Then finally, the last folder - Blaze Fielding-

"No shit?!" Adam gasps full of surprise. He was once partnered with Blaze when they were cadets. He remembers her being an amazing fighter and officer. Furthermore, she was good friend that he hasn't seen in a number of years. But it can't be the same Blaze! She went back home to London years ago to work there for British intelligence.

He observes, taking a good look at her mugshot then realizing that it is her. But why would she be on this hit list?

"Briefing Adjourned! Any officers off duty on the team need to be back here at 5pm sharp today. That's an order!" O'Neil's last words distract Adam away from his thoughts.

"How's that mole list looking?" Axel asks him as they walk out side by side.

"This is going to be a challenge. Half of these 'senior' officers can't fight for shit. The last thing I need is more prosecutors and cops who only have the balls to do more paper work in the office. You can train these motherfuckers by the way" Adam huffs.

"I'm down with that," Axel casually shrugs. "So that means you get to stay up and do the research on their asses," he smirks.

"With the list I've just seen, you'll wish we swapped places once you start teaching these bastards how to fight. Except for the odd one, but that's it! Time to start duty then" he sighs, ready for the long day ahead.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It's early afternoon and the pair are driving around in plain clothes and an unmarked car, patrolling for anything suspicious on the streets. So far, today it has been relatively quiet and uneventful. Having worked as cops for almost the last decade, no two days have ever been the same here. Some days are easy, some are not. But each day is unpredictable which is part of the thrill.

Suddenly a call comes through on their radio from Jess and her partner Brian.

"Central Agent Hart 404 over" Jess's voice calls with urgency.

"Central Agent Stone over, the line isn't clear I need you to speak up!" Axel listens carefully from the passenger side.

"Brian and I had a call out for block 85, Mercer Street, requesting backup right away!"

In response, Adam progresses ahead at speed through the traffic with the sirens on. Within three minutes, the pair arrive at what appears to be a derelict building site.

From a distance, they notice Jess and Brian's car, figuring that they must have broken into the building as they are nowhere to be seen on the outside. Axel and Adam are immediately alarmed when they hear a loud gunshot striking their windscreen. Fortunately however, their police car is bulletproof.

"Snipers! They must have come from the building!" Axel prepares himself on full alert.

"I can see a basement with a window at the bottom of the building on my side, if I drive with speed close enough can you jump out and break in? I'll cover you" Adam nods.

"Yeah, let's go!" When it comes to risk, Axel has always been as enthusiastic as ever and is probably relieved that finally, for today, something interesting and worthwhile has come up. He clicks his gun in place, ready for what is coming next. As the car aggressively speeds toward the building, Axel opens the passenger door then rolls out, quickly firing a shot at one of the snipers in the basement window before kicking down the main entrance. Adam is next to roll out and take cover behind the car, searching for more gunmen around before following the same path inside.

At this point, the basement is clear and the pair make their way to the ground floor with caution. They immediately spot Jess and Brian taking cover behind one of the walls leading to an old kitchen. Adam then sees another gunman walking towards them, on the way to shoot Brian, so he quickly reacts by shooting him in the head.

"You ok?" Adam asks, noticing Brian feeling alarmed. As the team proceed to make their way up the flights of stairs, more thugs start to attack them from above. One man tries to jump on Axel, but the fighter is quick to react when he grabs then breaks the man's arm. He then knocks him out cold, striking him at the back of the head with his gun. The fighting and gun fire becomes more and more intense the further up they go with Adam and Axel taking the lead.

Unfortunately, Jess and Brian have only had the basic minimum training in combat, so this is a real struggle for them. The four of them succeed in either killing when required, or knocking out cold several more thugs that they handcuff to the stairwell. However, on the way up, one punk unexpectedly wakes up then grabs Brian by his leg. He pulls the officer down, then shoots him in the abdomen after snatching his gun. Axel immediately shoots the criminal in the head from above, then he rushes back down one flight of stairs to Brian's aid. Axel then removes his navy blue jumper to try to stop the bleeding. By now, Adam is already close to the top floor of the 8 story building, but on his own.

"Wait here" Axel whispers to Jess. "And make sure you put compression on the wound, use anything you can to stop the bleeding. More backup is on the way, ok?"

She stares back at him, giving Axel a sheepish nod. The group then hear a very loud screech. It is strange and almost painful. The noise comes from the top of the building.

"Where are you going?! Don't leave us here, don't leave me!" Jess worriedly replies to Axel. Before she finishes her sentence, he is quickly back up to his feet, quietly making his way up the stairs towards Adam. Someone or something is definitely waiting for them on the top floor of the building.

The pair of fighters silently wait by the entrance once they reach the end of the stairwell. Inside the highest room of the building, they can see a bright open space where the sun is shining through. This floor is big enough to hold two apartments at most, but is empty with no fixtures or fittings. Only the view of the city remains outside of the window they can see in the distance.

The screeching sound they heard earlier suddenly happens again so they move forward one by one, covering each other. What they are about to see is a big shock. The first thing they notice is a large metal cage at the end of the room. Inside it lies a baby kangaroo. Adam stares forward with his jaw dropped in shock. "What the fuck? How could these people import these poor animals here?" Even worse, at the back of the space is the mother, all tied up with chains around her legs and body which is full of blood. As an air of caution she will understandably try to defend herself if they get too close.

"There are some sick bastards in this place who would do this", Axel remarks, feeling lost for words.

"Check out the rest of the floor. When backup arrives they can inspect the rest of the building" Adam orders

He then reaches for his phone. "This is Central Agent Hunter, we need the animal authorities up in here right away… we have a baby kangaroo and the mother who is bleeding and all tied up…..yes that's exactly what I said! Two kangaroos!" He shouts.

Within minutes, the authorities arrive to do the rest and Brian is taken into an ambulance.

"34 year old male, one shot to the abdomen we've applied pressure to stop the bleeding" Axel informs the paramedic. She thanks him, before turning to Brian in the stretcher. "Thanks to your team, you are going to be ok" she reassures him.

"Fuck! It's 3pm already!" Adam exhales, glancing at his watch with anxiety. "I'm heading back to the precinct now to start preparing the interviews with the three men we have in custody. I'll need your statement along with Jess and Brian as soon as possible for the attorney".

"Sure! Once the forensics have started here on the four dead men and when I've finished up I'll get a ride back to the station" Axel nods.

"Thanks and good work!"

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Central Agent Stone speaking….what? No!" Sadness suddenly appears on his face after taking the call. "… and the joey?...ok that's good at least….. Give me 15 minutes, I'll be right there…" he hangs up. Unfortunately the vets couldn't save the mother as she was too beaten and wounded by the perpetrators. It makes Axel think, how can people be so evil in the world? Humans are one thing but animals are innocent. For a while, the syndicate have used animals such as kangaroos to train them to fight. The market for this kind of activity is worth millions of dollars.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Thanks for driving me here Jess, Adam has taken our car back to HQ" Axel says to her as she pulls up by the sidewalk.

"Anytime!" She gives him a warm smile back. "I'm glad to hear Brian is ok. Thank you for all your help back there. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't of come to our rescue!"

Axel nods. "It's what we do! We all look out for each other right? I really hope things in our department stay like this, even when the new recruits arrive later" he sighs.

"I'm sure you'll show them the ropes. So err, what time are we set to finish tonight then when they've had their introduction?" Jess queries.

"I'm not sure." Axel shakes his head. "You and the rest of the team can probably go within half an hour though, Adam and I will be the ones having to brief them afterwards".

"So I take it your busy then for the rest of the night?" Jess frowns, gently placing her hand on his arm where one of the attackers cut him earlier. The blood is still apparent over his muscular frame on his white t-shirt. He quietly stares back at her through the comfortable silence, noticing her mid length red hair and purposely figure hugging uniform which is easy on the eye. It's tempting to get out of work earlier and seeing Jess every day in the office is always a tease, but Axel knows when to resist her efforts. The truth is, although the two of them have been seeing each other on and off for months, Adam is right. A fling with a colleague is dangerous for this type of work. And besides, it's just as dangerous if she expects more from him.

He finally breaks the silence, changing his tone. "Take the car back to the office, I will be ok from here. When you return before the briefing, ask Rob to take your statement on today. You can also explain why you weren't present at your post by the harbour."

A look of disappointment dawns on Jess's face and she abruptly removes her hand from his arm. "Sure thing…" She turns away feeling rejected.

Axel then exits the car and enters the animal shelter where the kangaroos they found are being treated. The veterinary surgeon who called approaches him straight away at the entrance. "Thank you for coming at such short notice Officer Stone. Luckily the joey is ok, but we did everything we could to save the mother. It was too late though…" he shakes his head with regret.

"These sick bastards use them and breed them to fight for money. With enough evidence we can have them inside for six years at most. It should be more than that but that's the fucking law for you". Axel shrugs.

The vet responds, "I'm sure you will do everything you can to bring them to justice. There's something else you need to see, that's the reason why I called. First though, you will have to wear this white apron and gloves".

After following the vet's orders, he leads Axel into a room where the body of the dead kangaroo is inside a grey bag. As he opens the bag, Axel is shown a circular mark with seven stars tattooed on the animal's neck. A look of horror immediately comes across his face after recognising the symbol. Axel then takes several photographs to use as evidence. "Yes, this is definitely the work of the syndicate", he sighs.

The syndicate is an underground organisation who oversee various criminal organisations on the police radar. This includes one of the city's major casinos, brothels, strip clubs, fight clubs, gyms, drug supplies and bars that are all under their repertoire. The organisation have expanded so much that it is often difficult to tell where the businesses they control are and who is running them. Not to mention the amount of money that they are cleaning out 24 hours a day.

It's evident in the bombing at Red District that at least one syndicate member has infiltrated the police force, and maybe even the government too. Corruption is a major issue today in Wood Oak City. Even the identity of the boss who oversees the syndicate is not known and remains hidden from many of his associates lower in their hierarchy. Mr X, who he is known by, could be anywhere right now and could even be working in any legit profession. But who is he really? That is the million dollar question.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Adam, there's something I have to show you!" Axel rushes into his partner's office.

"This needs to wait, our briefing is in ten minutes! O'Neil is gonna lose his shit if we show up late! We're the two unprofessional senior lieutenants and we need to set an example! And…. Ax please change your t- shirt and get cleaned up, you still have blood on you!"

Axel ignores him then rushes over to Adam with the camera he used earlier. "Take a look at this, can you see that mark?"

Adam recognises it and observes the tattoo in the photo carefully. Axel continues, "That mark is a tattoo that the Yamato cult uses. Their temple is secret, moves around making them impossible to locate."

"You know that this is all fighting legend bullshit! All that true strength you learnt about on your travels and as a child doesn't exist anymore. Besides, what has this got to do with the syndicate?"

"You've seen the effects of the cult's power. This animal must have had strong chi (energy force) around its aura for them to do this to her. Who knows what the syndicate has to do with this but keep an eye out for this mark, even with our colleagues here. If they bear the mark, it's likely to be hidden on their body. And don't share this with anyone, especially when they will ask how we know about this!" Axel explains.

Adam knows his friend better than anyone and when Axel is serious about something and worried, it's no bullshit that shouldn't be ignored.

"Ok bro, I will keep one eye out. Now get yourself changed and ready and let's get this meeting over with!"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

5pm is finally here and they just make it in time to the briefing by the skin of their teeth. A sigh of relief appears on Deputy Chief O'Neil's face as he begins his talk in front of the ten closest lieutenants in his department including Adam and Axel along with a handful of other officers on duty.

"These five members here will be joining your team and will be moving into your offices from tomorrow. Officer Hunter has already allocated where they will be working and who they will be sharing a space with. During this time, you will all have to work collaboratively, giving the best advice you can to our new staff as they get used to our environment and continue with their training. We are all now one unit and although this is a temporary measure, I am sure you will get to know them individually in good time".

One of the new officers, Bernice, felt quite patronised after that speech with disgust on his face. "I already have years of training, especially in combat. Why do I need more?" He mutters under his breath with a French accent whilst sitting next to his colleague, Nadine. "What makes them think they are more qualified than us? I really wish I was not transferred here". She nods in agreement.

"Briefing adjourned!" O'Neil finishes up. "I will inform those officers by email on the night shift tomorrow, and in the meantime you are free to go otherwise. Lieutenants Stone and Hunter, I need you in the interview room asap! You, and the senior team will brief our new recruits one by one with the procedures and their schedules prepared".

"Yes Captain!" Both officers reply. "Oh, and agent Hart, I need you to stay here. Please can you show the new group around the place while they are waiting to be interviewed?" Jess nods back asking, "DC, weren't there supposed to be six on the cards?"

"Yes there were, so glad you know how to count!" He replies with sarcasm. "If the last of them ever bothers to show their face, send them to my office immediately!"

"This is going to be a long night", Axel complains under his breath.

"Yeah, and that fat motherfucker chief is going home now while we do the dirty work for him" Adam huffs. The two of them can see Jess hanging around outside with the new group waiting for the interviews to start whilst showing them around the office.

"That red head is sweet on you," Adam smirks.

"Yeah and I took your advice earlier. No chick is ever worth losing my hard work and career over. She'l can stay sweet on me in the meantime though," Axel grins.

"Like I said, if that day ever comes when you settle down, I'll be dammed" Adam laughs.

"And if you ever pop the question to Keri about marrying you, you can make me best man and I will throw you the biggest bachelor party you have ever seen!" If there is one person who can always lighten the mood on a boring evening like this, it's Axel.

Jess knocks abruptly while the pair are joking around. "Shall I send the first officer in now?"

Adam gives the nod.

"Nadine Bilson, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Officer Hunter and this is my colleague, Officer Stone." She removes her hat bearing the red emblem, part of her Red district uniform as she salutes her two new superiors. They then exchange a friendly handshake.

"Please, take a seat Officer Bilson" Axel continues.

"Adam will now brief you on the departmental regulations where you will need to sign the following documents to confirm you have understood the procedures here. I will then talk you through your schedule as well as our additional combat and self-defence programme." She reacts puzzled. "Well I do already have sufficient combat skills, I went through the cadet programme and had further training when I became an officer".

Adam jumps in. "Yes but your profile is…."

Axel interrupts, trying his best not to offend their new colleague. "What we're trying to say is that we run a regular combat programme here for all of our officers taught by leading martial arts experts, no matter how much experience they have out on the field. Violent crimes in this district are on the rise as the syndicate employs many fighters to work for them. Sometimes guns aren't enough. I can assure you the extra training will make a huge difference, even if you decide to focus on attorney matters only, I would encourage you to protect yourself by improving your fighting abilities."

Adam hints a smile as he believes this has won the slightly pessimistic Officer over.

"Lets continue then, we will brief you on the cases you will be working on from tomorrow….."

One hour later and only the first meeting is over. Next up is Lieutenant David Arnold. Lecturing this 56 year old with at least 20 more years of experience than them is a little embarrassing, but is a necessary evil. Following his meeting is Lieutenant Bernice Wayne. Axel and Adam are tall and muscular at both 6ft2 but this guy makes them look like children with his 6ft7 frame. He is also older than them at the age of 40 and has served more time on the force. He is however, surprisingly the most enthusiastic so far about the combat training and agrees with them on how important it is.

The next person to be interviewed is Lieutenant Davidson, the young computer whizz. This was by far the easiest person to interview of the group as he agreed with everything without question and he was the easiest to read. In addition to the administration and policy briefing, the pair were given strict orders to be observant of their new officers' characters and anything they say at all times.

10pm and Adam is losing the will to live. "No no not this asshole next!" Last but not least was Lieutenant Stuart Auberry-Mason. An old colleague Adam had worked with ten years ago who he had nothing but bad experiences with. "I'm telling you Ax, I know this guy and he must be the mole. He's a racist, just like the asshole cops you see in the South. He has been suspended in the past for inappropriate conduct on several female officers and he tries to undermine anyone who is superior to him!" Adam angrily explains.

"You know what? Introduce yourself then go home. It's been a long night and I can finish off the last interview. Don't worry, I can handle this asshole, he will know his place in the next hour".

Without hesitation, Adam stands to his feet "You're a blessing from God man, what would I do without you?!"

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

So far it has been a very long night and only a handful of senior officers on the night shift are left in the building along with the best secretary they have, Maureen. She spots Axel as he leaves the interview room to head back to his office upstairs before going home. "That bad huh young man?" she gives him a coy smile.

"That has to be the most difficult interview I have ever done! Adam was right about this son of a bitch! I can't believe we have been forced to work with this guy and they saved the best one until last!" Axel complains, feeling drained and heavily exhausted.

The wise old lady can't help but sympathise with him. "It's 11pm right now and you need to be here again bright and early tomorrow morning. Go home and get some rest!" She advises.

Axel smiles back at her, knowing she's right. "Thanks Mau, have a good night!"

He then proceeds to take the elevator upstairs to the 6th floor where his office is situated. There, Axel can get changed, grab his keys, file the paperwork then finally go home. Too much has happened today. He hasn't even eaten and is getting used to living off 4 hours sleep a night. And now to make matters worse, the lights have now been switched off on the top floor in the hallway to save energy. Oddly however, Adam's office light in the distance is still switched on, but he should have left over an hour ago. Axel starts to worry, not ruling out the possibility that someone may have broken into Adam's office.

The blinds across his window appear to be shut, so it's impossible to see who is in there. Only Axel and O'Neil have access to the offices on this floor but their superior left hours ago.

Axel cautiously attaches his gun and knife to his jeans under his jacket along with Adam's spare key. As he approaches the office, he can hear Adam's voice inside talking to someone. This is very strange, given that Axel told him to go home. Is Adam in the middle of a phone call? Has something happened at home for him to stay? Something just doesn't add up.

He decides to cautiously open the door where he finds Adam sitting at his desk. Opposite him, Axel can see the back of a brunette with long dark hair wearing a red jacket. This is also strange as the general public are not allowed up here and she is certainly not wearing a police officer's uniform. She turns around on her chair to observe who has just walked in, looking pleasantly surprised.

"Sorry I err, didn't mean to interrupt your meeting," Axel awkwardly apologises. She pauses, staring back at him in the eye with her own blue-grey eyes and slightly tanned, but still fair skin. Definitely not an American, but she could be European, Latina or even Middle Eastern with her dark hair and complexion.

Adam gives Axel a casual smile. "Hey bro, it's all good, I was just finishing our last interview! This is Officer Blaze Fielding, she will be joining our team tomorrow. Blaze, this is Lieutenant Axel Stone, my partner who will be co-leading the team with me" he introduces them.

Axel extends his hand out towards their new arrival.

"Pleased to meet you" she shakes his hand, replying with an English accent. All of a sudden he feels a ping, similar to a small electric shock on his palm, so Axel instantly pulls his hand away. He is left feeling a little embarrassed. There is definitely something very weird about her even though she now has Axel's full attention.

"So you're British?" Axel replies, clearing his throat with curiosity, whilst stating the obvious.

"Yeah, I'm from London. I moved back here six months ago" she gives him a shy smile back then avoids his gaze.

"So where is all the paperwork for the interview then Adam?" He turns to his partner, thinking about why this strange woman is not at least dressed in uniform.

"Blaze and I were partners in the force when we were training as cadets, we go way back! She knows all about the regulations here and is a great fighter so we don't have to explain the protocol to her…" Adam casually smiles.

Axel can't help but feel shocked with how laid back his partner is acting about this. "Well that's good news. You are aware aren't you though that everyone here goes through the combat training program we teach". He turns his direction back towards Blaze.

"Great!" She forces an awkward smile. Axel is usually a good judge of character but he can't yet seem to figure her out. Blaze appears to be confident, tough plus very attractive, but even he senses that she could be trouble for them. Her charm starts to wear off by now as she becomes impatient to leave. Even if Blaze and Adam go way back as he claims, why should she be treated any differently from the other possible moles and new staff they have had to interview tonight? For this reason, Axel feels no justification in giving her any special treatment.

"And what about DC O'Neil? Did you inform him of her late arrival?" Axel turns to Adam once again, showing his aggravated mood.

"It's fine, I will speak with him tomorrow" Adam reassures him.

Blaze interrupts their conversation about her, feeling slightly unnerved but it all. "Well it's been a long night guys! I had to come straight here from training so if you both have everything you need from me, I'm going to now head home. Is it ok to call a taxi?" She politely asks, reaching for the landline phone on Adam's desk.

"No! I insist, I will give you a ride back as it's late now!" He suggests.

Axel interrupts, "Adam?! I think it's best if we call her the taxi… I'm sure she means a cab" he smirks with irritation. "We also have to finish off that filing before we leave…"

Blaze's eyes have now changed from grey to a more prominent blue as she glances up at the two of them. "Seriously I will be fine! I can catch a cab outside in the street, I'll see you two tomorrow."

Axel, who still has his suspicions about her, forces a sarcastic smile as he opens the door as Blaze leaves the office, uncertain about what lies ahead from her.

"Adam, how can you trust this girl? O'Neil is gonna flip tomorrow because she showed up late! You can't just treat her differently to the others!"

"Blaze is harmless, seriously. And she ain't no mole! I know her and we go way back. She even saved my ass a couple of times!" He chuckles, sitting back relaxed in his chair.

Axel looks back at him with deep concern on his face. "I get it, she's easy on the eye, but please tell me nothing has already happened between the two of two? You know the life I'm leading ain't the same as yours. You got a good woman and a kid at home…"

"What the hell do you mean!?" Adam is taken back, stunned by his observation.

"You know what I mean!... You seem pretty fond of Blaze…"

Adam then cracks a laugh before responding to him.

"Oh...no way man! I care about her, but not in that kind of way… I mean, don't get me wrong, the guys in the department have always thought she was hot. But the girl's got a lot of issues and I've always considered her more like a sister since we met…. Whatever you're thinking, well that would just be weird! Sammy has always had a crush on her though…"

"She knows your family too?!" Axel's eyes widen with even more shock.

"Yep! Blaze is even good friends with Keri. So lighten up about this, yeah?" Adam laughs, reassuring him.

"Ok, whatever you say. I'll see you in the morning then". He answers, still feeling uncertain about this and wary of their new recruit.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3- Queen of England

Chapter 3

Saturday is just like any other day at the precinct, except for the night when the crime rate is higher than usual. Before heading to work Axel decides to stop off at the Wood Oak City Central Hospital. One of the perks of being a senior officer in this district is the pay, healthcare and the odd freedom to bend the law to one's advantage. He quickly pulls over to park his black Porsche a couple of blocks down from the entrance to the hospital. As he switches off the engine, he spots a parking attendant who is now sprinting over to give Axel a ticket.

The attendant decides to knock on the driver's tinted window, "Sir, your vehicle is not registered to park here". Without saying anything, Axel, who is dressed in plain clothes lowers his window, giving the attendant an annoyed stare. He then flashes his police badge and turns his gaze away from the parking officer.

"Ahhh, I can see you are a cop, but your car is not a police marked vehicle so I am still going to issue a fine. Please step out of the vehicle and hand over your licence immediately, you know the procedure…."

Feeling even more pissed off by now, Axel finally gives him a verbal response. "Take another look at my badge. Carefully this time…"

After a long pause, the attendant swells up with embarrassment then tries to apologise, "my mistake, Lieutenant".

"No worries. I get it! You have a job to do and so do I. I'd appreciate it if you could keep an eye out for my car in the meantime. I will only be ten minutes and am happy to put in a good word to your superior. As long as I don't return to a ticket on my car from you or your local officers that is,"

"Of course," the attendant politely replies, feeling relieved at the same time.

Once Axel reaches the front desk of the private patient's floor of the hospital, he flashes his badge once again then is led through to Brian's room without question.

"Hey man, how are you holding up?" Axel smiles.

"Fuck that was painful, my first bullet!" Brian shakes his head from his hospital bed.

"Try three- congratulations!" Axel laughs as he shows him one of his own bullet scars on his left shoulder.

Brian tries to shift around the bed to adjust himself, shrieking through the pain. "Thank you for your help yesterday Stone. You and Hunter saved my life."

"It's just what we do. Glad your still here" Axel nods. "Within four months or so, you will be ready to come back to work. DC O'Neil and Lieutenant Hunter have also recognised your hard work and bravery, so there is always a place for you whenever you are ready to return. In the meantime, make the most of your days off!" He laughs, making Brian smile.

"Hope things aren't too chaotic at the office, I heard about those Red District assholes!"

Axel chuckles, "Yeah, we got our hands full there!" He quickly diverts the conversation to something that has played on his mind. "Brian, about yesterday, do you remember where Officer Hart stationed the two of you during the morning before the incident?"

"Yeah, she ordered us to patrol the highway and industrial areas right by the place where we called you".

"Hmm, did you manage to visit the harbour at all yesterday?" Axel queries, remembering that he had given Jess a direct order to station herself and Brian elsewhere.

"No, it must have been quiet there or somethin'," he shrugs.

"Thanks Brian, take care of yourself!"

Axel is brief in saying his goodbyes, keen to get to the bottom of what really happened yesterday.

Just in time for the 9am briefing and Adam has two cups of coffee in his hand. He passes one over to his partner as soon as Axel enters the room.

"How is Brian then?" Adam asks.

"It looks like he's gonna be ok, but he'l be out for at least five months with that injury. You know the pair of them didn't follow protocol yesterday and Jess had them stationed in the wrong area" Axel huffs.

"Well I guess that was lucky then! At least we found those thugs which by the way, their interviews were quickly done and they have now been taken into custody. We busted a major operation yesterday because of their mistake!" Adam shrugs, not phased by the situation.

"Yeah but…" Axel sighs. "Nevermind, one less thing to worry about then..."

9am arrives, but there is no sign of DC O'Neil. This is indeed a rare sight and an opportunity to cancel the briefing.

"Fuck! Of course he's not here!" Adam suddenly panics with revelation in his voice.

"Where the fuck is he? The whole precinct are waiting!", Axel frowns, confused.

"He's gone to meet and pick up City Chief Inspector Clark….. Shit, you know what that means…." Adam's eyes widen with anxiety.

Axel immediately shakes his head, "no, no fucking way! Do I really have to?" He realizes it is now his turn to chair the briefing.

"I did the last one," Adam smirks.

"Ok," Axel sighs. "But all joking aside, let's get this over with. I need you to hand over today's paper work then,"

As soon as Adam and Axel walk into the briefing room, their fellow Officers stand out of respect.

Axel gives his friend an unamused stare before he begins the briefing at the podium.

"Good morning. Apologies for the late briefing today, I will make this short and sweet. DC O'Neil is currently meeting with City Chief Inspector Clark. For those of you stationed at the office this weekend and in the local areas, the Chief is likely to visit and talk to you. He is keen to share our methods to strengthen Green District whilst rebuilding Red District by learning from our department here. It is therefore our duty to lead by example, setting the highest standards of practice. He would also like to witness our combat programme. The Chief will take this opportunity to meet some of our new recruits, who I am sure most of you are getting to know already after yesterday. Before I continue, I would like to….

Suddenly, the door at the back of the hall opens loudly, interrupting their briefing.

"I was right, it is one of those Red District Officers, bastards can't even show up on time!" One of the Officers who is sitting down mutters to their colleague. The whole room turns silent whilst Axel pauses the briefing. The rest of the officers turn around to stare at the officer wearing Red District uniform.

Blaze's face is one of shock and embarressment as she enters the room amoungst the wolves.

In this department, no one is ever late to a briefing so she needs to learn fast if her job is going to last here. Her new colleagues awkwardly stare for a moment in silence at her, scanning the new officer from head to toe. Jess Hart can't help but giggle over to her neighbour, "that bitch is so lucky O'Neil wasn't chairing this morning, he would have fired her ass straight away!"

For Blaze, the pause with all eyes glaring on her pissed off feels like minutes rather than seconds.

She clears her throat before searching for an empty seat half way in. "Apologies Lieutenant Stone, I got lost around the building. This won't happen again…"

"I hope so for your sake!" He replies, "I thought the British were supposed to be punctual?" He rolls his eyes.

The room immediately chuckles as this briefing turns into a short, but entertaining verbal altercation from both sides of the room. Now, very offended and embarrassed, Blaze takes up an empty seat, giving him an evil silent stare when Axel continues on with the briefing of today's cases.

"Something funny?" Blaze cuts her eyes at Officer Auberry-Mason who has the widest smirk on his face.

"Yeah, you finally showing your ass up! You still can't even do that properly!"

"You won't be laughing when I..."

"ENOUGH!" Axel snaps. "This ain't fucking play school!"

Blaze bites her tongue, folding her arms as she sits back listening to the rest of the briefing.

"You can go now! Briefing completed... And Remember how important this weekend is….." he instructs the officers less than five minutes later. Axel then turns his attention back towards Blaze. "Fielding! Report to my office immediately!" He demands with a stern tone in his voice.

"Good luck with that bro," Adam quietly mutters as he leaves the room.

Upstairs on the 6th floor, the other officers can see Blaze waiting outside of Axel's office. Her arms are folded and her face is reddened with anger as she paces up and down thinking over the events of this morning. It is clear that Blaze has had a difficult day, and anyone can see from her appearance and messy hair that she rushed to make it to work on time.

Most of the other female officers here are either dressed smart with business-like attire in heels, jacket and make up when they are stationed at the office doing attorney work. Otherwise if they are on the field in uniform, they at least make a hint of an effort to tidy i[ their appearance, making sure their clothes are ironed and hair is tied back.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Adam asks, concerned as he passes Blaze. "You need to take this role a lot more seriously! Remember it ain't like Red District up in here. The officers work long hours, are ruthless for higher rankings and will take any opportunity to demote a talented detective like yourself, especially when you are from another district" he warns.

"I'll fix this Hunter, don't worry yourself" Blaze huffs, placing her hands on her hips.

"You need to control that hot headed temper of yours before you get yourself into any more trouble. Avoid getting strikes or you're out! Work closely with us and pay attention to the ropes,"

"Your partner is a jerk!" She bluntly replies.

"If you think he's that's bad, wait until you meet the Deputy Chief! Axel being angry is nothing in comparison. I know your one of the best, but your not doing yourself any justice here. Please don't fuck this up, I know your better than that" Adam advises.

Just as he finishes his pet talk, Axel arrives to open the door to his own office. Adam greets him with a nod, handing over to him a pile of papers before leaving to get along with his own work.

As soon as Axel and Blaze walk through the door, Axel wastes no time in starting his lecture.

"It's simple Fielding. If you're going to be successful here, you need to follow the rules like the rest of us. I have worked in this department longer than anywhere else and never has any senior officer arrived late. This seriously is your lucky day as our Deputy Chief is rarely out of the office and would have given you a strike or suspension right away".

"Take a seat..." He gestures as the two of them sit facing each other on opposite sides of his desk. Blaze remains silent, staring blankly back at her new boss.

"There is some good news in all of this. I have spoken to Lieutenant Hunter at lengths about your work and given the circumstances, I will not take any further action over this morning's and last night's punctuality issues."

Inside, Blaze exhales a sigh of relief, however still unphased.

"I'm sorry I was late. It won't happen again" she replies, avoiding his eye contact whilst playing with her hair. "Am I dismissed now?"

Her sheepish apology only infuriates Axel further to the point where he is doubtful that Blaze is taking the move to this precinct seriously. To her disappointment, his lecture continues. "No. Actually, from now on I am placing you under the watchful eye of your team to ensure that you are organised at all times. You are the only Officer here who is still in Red District Uniform if you havn't noticed. As a result of your lateness yesterday, you missed the uniform fitting and tour of the building which led to you being late today. I would suggest that you see Maureen on the floor below immediately to take your measurements in order to change your uniform and smarten up before Hunter briefs you on the rest of today's work at 10am. I'd expect your new uniform to be ready by this afternoon before the Chief's visit."

"Ok…" Blaze casually nods.

"There is also a combat session you need to attend with Officer Yeung at 2pm today by the gyms. Here is your printed schedule for the next two days. Lieutenant Hunter and I expect this to be followed down to a T today, is that understood?" Axel raises his eyebrows.

'Wow, this is really like being part of a military operation', Blaze thinks to herself, having already switched off her attention span over 5 minutes ago.

"Yes boss, I understand clearly." Her response is one of impatience and aggravation.

"Lieutenant," he replies.

"Lietenant", Blaze smirks with sarcasm. If anything annoys her, it obediance and formality.

Axel ignores her behaviour, keen to wrap this up to get on with his day.

"Great, glad we have cleared this all up now. Unless you have any questions, you're free to go now." he sits back at his desk, gesturing a nod towards the door.

To his surprise, she remains seated for a moment.

"As a matter of fact, Lieutenant Stone, I am deeply concerned with aspects of your department here!" Blaze raises one eyebrow, refusing backing down without a fight.

"Fire away then," Axel nods.

"First off, I was sent the letter only two days ago demanding my transfer from your DC here. Under current legislation I have rights to 14 days' notice, so I had limited time to prepare for last night, let alone abandoning the cases that I have been working on for months back at Red District! I also have no knowledge as to why I was transferred here so abruptly, even after being promised a promotion where I was…" Blaze sighs, trying her best to control her frustration.

That last comment only made Axel even more suspicious of her being the mole, but rightfully so. He himself would have been just as angry if the tables were turned.

Her outburst continues. "…Your superior also could have at least arranged some temporary accommodation for me to help with your long hours. I mean, my commute is an hour into Central District! And lastly, I am deeply offended by your comment this morning about my nationality. You can see from my resume the amount of work I have done, my skills and my Judo experience which is valuable to your department. But instead, you completely humiliated me in front of your staff just to make yourself feel better!" Although he can see that Blaze's temper is starting to flare up, she is clearly upset and annoyed. Usually any other officer in her position right now would take the lecture on the chin then leave, but to Axel's surprise, this one isn't afraid of challenging her superiors.

He sits back in his seat defensively with his palms in the air. "Woah hold up hold up!"

"I don't know who you think I am but…"

Axel interrupts, trying to calm down the situation. "Look, I'm sorry. I apologise at the fact that my comment this morning offended you. I said it in the spur of the moment and I shouldn't have said it. I've read your file and I can see what you've achieved in your career so far. It was only a joke earlier, please don't take it personal…"

"Says the guy who has just spent the last ten minutes lecturing me about conduct! Your apology is bullshit! Of course it's personnal. Excusing that by saying you were joking? Get real! And what are you or your boss planning on doing about my commute, or my pay? Or my cases, or anything! I'm only here because I am being forced to be here and I am stuck working for incompetant, immature... I have a better word but I won't say it..."

It is clear that Blaze is venting and is probably overstepping the mark with good enough reason for a strike. But the sound of her voice simply echoes out of Axel's ears. He can't help but stare, noticing that her eye colour right now which has changed again from blue to a darker grey from the sunlight beaming into the office. Even her hair seems a little different in the light, appearing as a lighter brown than yesterday. 'Why is she so angry?' He thinks to himself as she continues her outburst. 'Even if she wants to kick my ass right now, which it's clear she does, she's still so beautiful… snap out of it!' Axel thinks, catching himself daydreaming for a moment. 'And yes, Adam is right. Blaze has got a lot of issues and has a major attitude problem. Who does she think she is with all these demands?... Accommodation, her own cases transferred, her own uniform, comes and goes when she pleases…. She's not the Queen of England!'

He continues to stare at her in awe, pretending to listen.

"Have you even been listening to any of my suggestions?! No wonder your department is in the shits…" Blaze takes a deflated exhale.

"I hear you, and thank you for the reccomendations. I will look into them." Axel nods.

"Right. Ok. Well, is there anything else you'd like to inform me of before I set out for my itinerary?" Blaze asks, taking the folder as she stands up.

Axel sighs, feeling guilty about her situation and about embarrassing her earlier. "Look, if you wish to make an official complaint about my comment this morning, I completely understand. You'll have to take it to Lietenant Hunter though as the DC is out of office today. I am genuinely sorry Blaze," he replies with sincerity.

"Thank you. I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot. Adam... I mean Lietenant Hunter speaks highly of you too." Blaze nods with a now calmer tone before she walks away.

Axel immediately sits back in his chair with his palms at the back of his head, releasing a long exhale once she is gone. 'Shit, that was intense.' He thinks to himself.

The morning so far has flown by and the department is expecting the City Chief to arrive in only a couple of hours just in time for the Saturday night shift. They have no idea whether or not his visit will be brief or extended. So far today, the Deputy Chief and their Captain, O'Neil has accompanied Chief Clark in attending Red District's Police Department in order to implement any necessary changes over there.

Adam is on lunch break when he takes out his cell phone for the first time today. "Keri?... How's Sammy holding up?" He asks, still concerned about the other night.

"I don't know Adam, your brother is not himself right now. Aside from him staying home and not leaving his bedroom, he won't talk, he is barely eating and isn't interested in doing much work. Something is definitely wrong. I think you guys need to talk" she explains.

Adam sighs. "I think it's going to be another late finish. We have this new team of officers to deal with right now and O'Neil is on leave,"

"But your brother needs you! I don't know how much more I can do here. Plus baby, you know that it's Cherry's music grading coming up on Monday. It would mean so much to us if you could be there, can't you take a couple of days out from your annual leave?" Keri asks.

"Ok, I will talk to the boss. If Ax can cover for me, it might be possible."

"Thank you baby, I love you!"

"We'll speak soon ok?" He hangs up, feeling a little more stressed than earlier.

13:50 and Blaze has made every effort to arrive early to fight club, or whatever this combat training thing is. Every day this departmental programme is done in shifts where officers of all ranks must attend twice per week around their work. The best fighters on the force each teach the class in turns, depending on the day.

As Blaze enters, the dojo is empty so she takes the time to look around before kneeling to try and meditate to calm herself down. Even though for her, it barely ever works. The walls of the room are filled with photos of fighting masters of various martial art forms dating back to the last century. Next to the room is a large gym then a swimming centre adjacent to it. Behind this, something in the distance suddenly catches her eye, distracting her away from her thoughts. Located at the back is a small dance studio with mirrors and a pinewood floor. "My happy place," she smiles to herself. She also quickly understands how much Central District has more facilities and money invested into it compared to her old hub at Red District.

Seven other officers including Officers Davidson and Auberry-Mason who she is familiar with from her old work place stand outside waiting. Officer Yeung, their Sensei for the session then arrives to greet the class before they surround the mat to take a bow.

"Today we will focus on self-defence techniques such as those used in Aikido that we can use in various situations. First I will need a volunteer attacker…"

One of the Central officers eagerly puts himself forward. Yeung is a good teacher, knowledgeable and clearly experienced in this style. He demonstrates three different scenarios with and without a knife, explaining in slow motion what the officers can do to defend themselves from these types of attacks and how they can restrain the culprit. Blaze gives her full attention and respects the teacher, but in all honesty this class is pretty basic for someone with her fighting abilities. Nevertheless, she understands there is a mixture of levels here, which is already challenging for the teacher.

He then asks the group to pair themselves up initially before swapping around every 10 minutes to practise these exercises against different opponents. Wanting to avoid anymore trouble, Blaze keeps her head down, focuses and does what is asked of her in terms of the exercises set. Just when things are running smoothly, she glances towards her next opponent in the distance whilst sparring with Davidson. "Fucking great, now I have to work with that asshole Stuart!"

"Good luck with that!" Her partner replies, before he moves on through the circuit.

The group continue their attack-defence routine whilst Yeung travels around to correct his students and give feedback.

Stuart arrogantly smirks at Blaze as soon as they pair. "Yo Fielding, looks like we will be working together a while longer".

Blaze bites her tongue, avoiding any confrontation as they get on with the drills set. It's now her turn to act as the attacker with the knife using a wooden replica. As she charges forward, Stuart carries out the defence exercises a couple of times with maximum force and with the aim of provoking her. On the third repetition, he takes it upon himself to restrain her on the ground, pushing himself against Blaze's back, this time with his hand moving downwards.

"You know, Fielding this is really giving me a hard-on right now" he whispers in her ear from above. Blaze immediately loses her patience. She retaliates, quickly freeing herself. She then flips her opponent over on the ground before punching him hard in the face. This results in her fist breaking his nose in several places.

"FUCKING BITCH!" He yells. "Look what she's done to me!" Stuart shouts on the ground with his face covered in blood.

"Someone get a medic right now!" Yeung orders. "Explain this to me Officer Fielding!"

"Sensei! I followed all of the exercises properly. You didn't even have to correct me once and you know I'm a respectful fighter. He took it too far and I had no choice…" Blaze argues.

"The pair of you will need to file a report along with any witnesses here as this is common assult".

"Common assault!? He was the one who assulted me!"

"LOOK AT MY NOSE!" Stuart shouts in agony.

"That's enough!" Yeung loses his patience.

Stuart is then taken away from the scene with a medic as Blaze is pulled to one side.

"Either way, if there was a problem, you should have spoken to me directly and reported it. You will need to speak to your superior immediately to give a statement!" Yeung instructs.

"Great! I'm definitely getting a strike now" Blaze storms out.

Reluctantly, she is escorted back up to the 6th floor. She realises that the situation is potluck right now. If Lieutenant Hunter is the person she has to speak with, it won't be so bad and maybe she will get away without a strike. But if it's the blond military guy again, there's definitely going to be trouble for her….

Chapter Text

4- Syndicate strike

The moment of truth.

After her prior bloody altercation with her own officer Mason, Blaze waits impatiently on the 6th floor of the precinct. It was a long walk up here from the gym downstairs, where she was escorted by one of the senior officers. She is relieved when she sees the plaque on the door in front of her displaying 'Lieutenant A Hunter'.

'No problem whatsoever, Adam will file a report and won't hesitate to believe my side as to what happened. He knows me and he knows the fight is never my fault,' Blaze grins to herself, confident that her assult will be swept under the carpet. The officer who escorted her sits her down outside the office before asking her to wait a couple of minutes by herself.

Five slow minutes eventually pass by, however there is still no sign of Adam.

The officer then returns shaking his head. "I'm very sorry Officer Fielding. Lieutenant Hunter is still at his lunch meeting, however instead, Lieutenant Stone will be up here to meet you in the next 5 minutes. Please can you make your way towards his office immediately".

Blaze can't help but clench her fists as her grin rapidly drops. "'Shit! Fucking bollocks! Could this day get any worse now?!'" She fails to contain her outburst in that moment, struggling to keep herself composed whilst waiting patiently in her sweat pants and blood stained t-shirt. She then hears Axel's voice emerging from around the corner.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! Again?! She is too much trouble…"

Axel passes her without giving his employee a second glance as he reaches forward to unlock the office door. It is clear that he is feeling annoyed with Blaze for a second time today. He then pauses for a moment holding the door open whilst patiently waiting for Blaze to get up and walk inside. But instead, she remains seated outside of the office idle, whilst running her fingers through her long brown hair and completely ignoring him.

"Fielding! Now's not the time to style your hair. Get up and get in my office!" Axel's face reddens. A couple of administrative staff on the same floor find all the drama very amusing, so once Axel has closed the door after they enter the office, he abruptly pulls shut the blinds behind them. Axel knows that he can't stop the other members of staff from eavesdropping. Even before they have started their conversation, the whole hall outside has become unusally silent. They ssh to each other listening carefully to what is about to go down, similar to being at school when a member of class gets into trouble.

Blaze reluctantly stands, waiting for him to sit down as she slowly rolls her eyes towards his direction to hear what her superior is about to say.

"Agent Auberry-Mason is now off duty, he has been taken to hospital" Axel sighs before continuing with a stern tone. "You broke his fucking nose and now he's planning to sue your ass! He will probably also need reconstructive surgery…" His nostrils flare, clearly pissed off and perplexed now more than earlier based on his raised voice.

"Stuart had it coming to him!" Blaze bluntly interrupts.

Axel shakes his head, "all witnesses as well as Mason have already submitted their initial statements now pending review. If you are not careful you could be facing prosecution!"

"WHAT?!" Blaze shrugs defensively. "If anything, I should be the one taking his ass to court for gross misconduct!... Oh let me guess, the male misogenists in the room failed to mention his vile behaviour in their statements," she shakes her head, folding her arms.

"Is that an accusation?" Axel raises his eyebrows, surprised.

"You're a smart guy. Take a look at the surveillance for yourself right now from the gym! Officer Mason kept being overly forceful throughout the entire class with me. Then he tried to touch me pinned down to the ground whilst whispering to me details about his hard-on. Disgusting piece of shit got off lightly, I could have broken his balls at that point!" She huffs, feeling unnerved.

"No, the best thing you could have done was report it immediately to myself or Hunter instead of taking the law into your own hands!"

"But I was defending myself!" She yells back. "And for the record it did feel great breaking his nose…" She then notices Axel typing away at his computer. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to access the surveillance from the gym so that you have evidence in your favour as Mason requested you get suspended…"

"So you believe me then?" There is hope in Blaze's voice.

"...shit" Axel huffs.

"What's wrong?"

"This camera is down right now, it appears to be faulty or turned off since this morning... I'll send maintenance to check…." he continues to type away at the keyboard. "Hmmm...That's strange" he rubs his chin.

"Great! I knew coming to this place was a bad idea, now my entire career is screwed!" Blaze places her hands on her hips defeatedly.

Axel continues to focus on the monitor, "It appears that none of the other cameras are operating either. Both inside or outside of the building…."

The pair look at each other in disbelief and with concern on their faces.

Suddenly, they hear a loud bang that rattles the whole building along with shouting and screaming coming from downstairs.

The pair immediately run out of his office towards the stairwell then all the way down to the ground floor where the commotion is taking place.

"Hold this," Axel says, digging out a spare 9mm handgun from his belt that he throws back towards Blaze who is running just behind him. They make it quickly to the ground floor where there is blood and chaos. Members of staff are panicking, evacuating or tending to several wounded officers laying on top of glass.

Three motorbikes have crashed into the building, driving straight through each of the large glass windows. The culprits have then used their guns and knives to attack civilians and officers nearby. Two of the riders so far are badly injured and have already been restrained on the floor. Axel quickly spots the third gunman, immediately shooting him in the head from a distance when he tries to charge forward.

Just when they think the incident has been dealt with, Blaze spots another loud motorbike riding close to the building outside. It briefly stops to view the damage. The driver this time is wearing black leather gear and a blacked out helmet. Straight away, she runs through the broken glass and chases the bike into the street. Blaze then jumps on the back of it, fighting with the driver to take the controls. At least five more riders then appear on the scene. Blaze successfully forces the culprit off the bike before attempting to shoot at the others who are now speeding by her side around the building. Axel exits the building, spotting another one racing directly towards him. He realises by now there is only one bullet left in the gun.

As the rider draws closer, Axel jumps with one flying kick to knock the rider off before the moving motorbike tips on its side and crashes into a parked truck. Within sectonds, the bike explodes into flames.

The public on the streets are now screaming, running and are in panic mode from all of the gunshots and chases. Axel suddenly spots Adam in his police car. "Where have you been!?" He quickly jumps in.

"Sorry bro, I had stuff to take care of… these fuckers are all syndicate" Adam replies as he hands Axel a knife. They then catch two of the bikers who are now riding by each side of the car trying to shoot them.

"Speed up now!" Axel instructs.

He then climbs out of his window, holding onto the side of the vehicle before jumping on one of the bikers. The impact brutally knocks the rider to the ground. They then hear another explosion as the motorbike crashes into a wall whilst the two of them roll on the ground still fighting. Both of them seem injured, but the adrenaline rush makes them oblivious to the pain. The two men continue to kick, punch and grapple one another on the ground until Axel slits the biker's throat using the knife Adam gave him.

Adam is still on the chase with the other biker on one side of his car, so he decides to take his foot off the gas before aiming and shooting the back tyre once the biker is further forward. It ends up crashing into another on-coming police car, immediately projecting the rider off onto it's windscreen and killing him instantly.

Adam then drives back towards his partner. "Ax you alright?"

Axel quickly gets up to his feet, a little injured with blood by the side of his head, but he is ok. He then steps back into the car.

"Blaze was chasing that other one towards the bridge, lets go there" he orders without hesitation.

Their radio is constantly ringing at that moment with other police cars from all directions coming in as backup.

Blaze and the last biker are now travelling fast and aggressively towards the bridge situated past the harbour. They are riding off-road, high up on the edge of a steep slope leading down to the river. Her gun is now out of bullets and she is starting to struggle as the other rider forces her bike closer to the edge of the drop. Adam can see their chase from a distance, but he decides to detour. He knows the roads here like the back of his hand and with the help of a police helicopter above on radio, he is still able to track them.

"If we can cut through harbour way in time, we'll catch him!" Adam eagerly says.

Axel reaches for their radio, "Officer Peters, I need an accurate update on how far they are from Harbour way?"

Officer Peters (in the chopper) replies. "Half a mile now… 700m…"

"We're almost there!" Adam speeds ahead.

"It's clear right now, 400m…. 300m…. 200m…."

Axel yells, "Now!"

Adam stomps on the brakes, then their police car emerges from the corner of the block. It forces the rider to swerve then fall off with impeccable timing. As the thug tries to get up to escape, Blaze is right behind him where she jumps off of her bike to tackle him on the ground. He tries to fight back but she is too fast, avoiding his attempts to hit her as she restrains him.

By the time her two bosses rush over out of the car, Blaze has dealt with the biker. Her weight forces him down with his hands behind his back, keeping him on the ground.

"I told you she was a good fighter" Adam smirks at his friend.

Axel immediately runs over to the biker to take over, cuffing his hands then making the obligatory arrest statement after removing his helmet. "You have the right to remain silent…."

More police immediately arrive on the scene along with paramedics. All three cops surprisingly are treated for minor injuries only.

Adam can't help but chuckle. "Well two out of five now in custody is not too bad…"

"Maybe we can get some more information out of them," Axel suggests. He then glances over towards Blaze, giving her a wary grin as the two of them cross paths. "Nice work Fielding, but you're not off the hook yet!" He continues to walk away towards the police car.

Blaze can't help but mutter under her breath, cursing him, "plonker!"

"Hey! I heard that! And don't think I don't know what all those cursewords made in England mean!" He shouts back.

She can't help but grin back as the trio share a moment of laughter together before they return to HQ.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sky tonight hosts another pastel red sunset on this Summer evening. Tiger sits calmly outside on his large terrace, admiring the view of the trees and orange sky in a state of tranquillity. He is currently the third most senior member of their syndicate hierarchy, responsible for managing the supply and distribution of its drugs and trafficking in all of Wood Oak's territories.

Some would say that Tiger is the ultimate business man of the syndicate. He started out as a low life drug dealer when Mr X found him on the streets before discovering his fighting capabilities. Today he has moved up in the world and has seen the syndicate evolve, making him a very rich and powerful man. Reflecting on a hard day's work and another Saturday evening ahead, Tiger unbuttons the top of his white shirt before downing his glass of whiskey.

#Mobile phone rings#

"Good evening", his illusive boss Mr X demands an update over the phone.

"Good news, the arrangement we made for today was a success. We lost some of them and the ones left have been taken into custody…. of course, I will see to it that nothing more is said by the rest of the bikers…"

#Hangs up#

Donovan, accompanied with two other men and two women then knocks on the terrace door.

Tiger turns around to greet them with a smile. "I think you lovely people should come outside here and admire the view", he suggests.

Tiger gestures to the L shape sofa he is sitting on as well as a couple of white chairs next to it. "Take a seat", he insists.

One of the ladies looking slightly hesitant then sits directly next to Tiger as he puts his arm around her.

"So have you found the kid yet Donovan?" Tiger pours another glass for himself.

"No, I'm still working on it. I tried the local schools but there was nothing. The boy's friends ain't see him for two days".

Tiger, now clenching his fists in annoyance sighs. "Why do you think the syndicate are a living success hmm?" He is now clearly perplexed.

Donovan shrugs, "We have great leaders?"

Tiger laughs, "Because whenever there is a spec of shit in our business, we clean it right away!"

Donovan can't help but pause with a frown on his face.

"This boy has now seen my face… HE SAW MY FUCKING FACE!" Tiger yells with rage directed at Donovan. "And this boy knows where we are. You need to take care of this right away! Next time, I don't want any fucking excuses, understood?" He threatens.

Donovan nods with his eyes wide open, fully aware of the consequences. He notices one of the women behind him as he worriedly glances back out of the corner of his eye. She is a tall blond in a long red dress holding a whip and a machete. Her eyes glare with ferosity back down at him.

Tiger looks up at her and smirks, "sorry sweetheart, not today".

His view then turns to the younger blond lady sitting beside him with his arm still around her. "Someone told me you saw X today…?"

Her voice croaks quietly as she replies with a southern accent, shaken up but forcing a smile. "Tiger, I really can't remember! I was so high off my face, I don't know if he was blond or brunette…" she laughs with a shrug.

He then gently takes her shaking arm where he can see several needle marks. He softly moves her blond hair out of her face, gently tucking it behind her ear.

"I remember when they picked you up from that old orphanage and brought you all the way here to me. You were my favourite girl that night, so beautiful and you smelt so good", Tiger smiles.

She looks into his eyes as he continues. "You know, Mr X is the most important part of our organisation. It's such a pity, you were one of our best girls at one point. The clients would request you all the time. Now this coke addiction you got has messed up that pretty little face" he looks into her eyes whilst she frantically nods in agreement, gulping from her dry mouth.

"I'm so sorry Tiger, I mean, I'm cutting down on it! I remember you said too much coke was no good for me…"

"And I can see your trying. Come with me, let me show you something".

He takes her hand as they both stand up. He then puts his other hand in front of her with his palm facing up. Unexpectedly, Tiger suddenly illuminates a bright yellow flame above it. Whilst this revelation is a shock, it is still fascinating to the young woman.

"Don't be afraid. It's my chi. My energy." Tiger grins with pride. "See the thing is, with each of you women, beauty eventually fades. But this, what I have right here, is the most beautiful and powerful thing alive. I wanted you to see this before you die…"

A look of horror instantly dooms on her face. The woman screams as one of his other men abruptly pushes her off the terrace where she then falls to her death.

Tiger observes from the top of the terrace towards the ground where her body is laying. "Like I said, he is the most important part of our organisation and I take no risks". Donovan heard him loud and clear, taking this as a stark warning. He quickly understands that if he doesn't find Sammy who escaped the other night, Tiger won't hesitate to kill him either.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5- Deep sleep

Chapter 5

Adam calmly walks back into the crime scene of their broken headquarters and precinct building with disappointment on his face. Security and forensics are all over the place working hard around the clock whilst scanning the building for any more dangers or clues that have led to this afternoon's catastrophe. All remaining officers and administrative staff have urgently been stationed elsewhere, either on duty or at one of the other smaller offices. The building is currently on lockdown and only accessible to the highest ranking officers, investigators and the DC.

Axel quickly rises to his feet after seeing his partner from a distance. He had spent a good half an hour examining one of the bikes that initially crashed into the building. "O'Neil is on his way now by himself. He's cancelled the visit with the Chief" he explains to Adam.

Adam shakes his head, "I never thought in a million years that this would happen here. Our security was so tight! So far, we've found seven officers dead. Stab wounds and shots after the crashes plus over thirty of our own injured. We need to examine everyone and everything that has entered this building over the last three weeks".

"You know the surveillance was off since this morning. Someone had to have set this up!" Axel replies.

Adam nods, "I'll look into this to see who was logged on this morning. If it is a hacker I'll be damned. Our system is the best in the city and its one motherfucker to access…."

"It has to have been someone in the building then" Axel shrugs, running his hand over his chin. "Possibly an admin clerk if it ain't an officer, or anyone else who came in for deliveries… I really don't know what's going on here".

"When you checked the surveillance, what time was it before it went dead?" Adam queries.

"Just after 9am…"

Adam sighs, "but that can't be right. All the officers were either signed out and stationed elsewhere or were in … 9am briefing….." his eyes widen.

The two of them look at each other in disbelief knowing what each other is thinking. After all, Blaze was the only officer who had access to the building and was substantially late this morning during the briefing.

Axel shrugs, unsure of the possibility. "You know her better than anyone in here. I can tell you that I don't trust her, but do you really think Blaze would plan something like this?"

"No! I don't think so" Adam answers, shaking his head. "But Blaze is smart and capable enough if she wanted to…" he frowns.

"How long has it been since the two of you last saw each other?"

"Almost 8 years…" Adam sighs.

Axel reacts surprised with him. "What?! 8 years?! That's a fucking long time, anyone can change."

"I know but Blaze has been working at Red District for a year or so now. We kept in touch but she was always so busy. The rest of that time, she moved back to London."

"It's strange that Ramos would have offered her a promotion so soon though, right?" Axel remembers their conversation earlier. "Why did she move back to London anyway after you two started working here then?"

"You don't wanna know…" Adam shakes his head.

"Well, it's your decision then if you wanna take it up with O'Neil or not. I trust your judgement either way".

"Thanks for the support, man." Adam nods with guilt. "I need to think this through and investigate further before we make a decision. I don't understand though, why would Blaze set this up?"

Axel frowns, "what do you mean?"

Adam takes a deep sigh, pulling his friend to one side. "What I tell you now, it's classified information between us that doesn't leave this room."

"You know I ain't no snitch" Axel replies.

"Blaze's whole family were a rival cartel of the syndicate when they moved out here. Her uncle was the big time drug distributor Petrov Ali, also known in the underground world as the 'General' in the early days of the Syndicate. He got all of their supplies from his contacts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Blaze was just a kid when she was sent off to boarding school back in England. The rest of her family moved out here before the syndicate claimed all of their territory. But they were too much competition. In the process Mr X and the Syndicate murdered Blaze's entire family one night as well as any other rival cartels in this city. Blaze always swore for revenge and was obsessed at one point with it when she found out what had happened to them."

Axel can't help but relate to this, after his parents were murdered at the hands of the syndicate too. He takes a short pause before replying. "When you go through that shit, it either makes you or sends you over the edge. Either way we need to keep our eyes open…"

Suddenly a voice at the entrance to the building interrupts their conversation. Finally their Captain and District DC O'Neil has arrived after a long day.

"Thank you both for your hard work this afternoon. We have questioned and investigated the two we have in custody that you brought in. I think we have found a lead!" He explains with enthusiasm. "Nothing is certain at this stage but we think this could all be connected to Agent Davidson who transferred yesterday to this department. He is one of the best hackers in the city…"

"That makes sense as someone tampered with the surveylance this morning," Adam agrees.

"He's currently being taken in where Chief Clark will have further questioning before Davidson is charged, sent into protective custody then placed on trial".

Axel can't help but answer his boss pessimistically. "Seven dead! If Davidson is behind this and found guilty with the others he will face the needle. Either way, those men who attacked this place were syndicate employees, so we need to be sure first."

O'Neil nods in agreement. "I have every confidence that we will get to the bottom of this in a matter of days. In the meantime, this building needs to be cleaned and cleared once the evidence is gathered by Monday for court. I won't let today's events damage our Chief's faith in us".

The truth is, Axel has never been a fan of DC O'Neil. He respects him as his superior, but has always hated the fact that the man's pride of work and reputation came first above everything else, including the loss of life. The feeling from DC O'Neil towards Axel is mutual. Since Axel joined the police force under O'Neil's old boss, he had always viewed him as too much of a risk taker with a rebellious streak. O'Neil had always favoured Adam over Axel as next in line to run the department due to his determination to follow the rules as well as his intellectual knowledge.

"I need at least one of you stationed here for the next few days until the forensics are done and I want you to continue investigating the other five officers that arrived with Davidson from the Red District in case they are connected to this. They don't know, but each of the reds will be under close observation then taken into questioning at some point before the trial" O'Neil explains.

His two officers agree and nod, before he continues upstairs towards his office.

Once he is gone, Adam takes a deep exhale with panic in his voice. "Fuck, man this is the worst weekend for all this shit to happen! Ax I need a favour. I need you to cover for me just for the next two days or so…"

"You know that Saturday night is crazy right? I don't know man, I have to be here and run the rest of the department who are now scattered elsewhere" Axel shakes his head.

"I know and I'm sorry. It's just… it's Sammy. He's in some trouble and I need to see him. You know I wouldn't bail on you, especially after today if it wasn't urgent."

Axel gives him a supportive nod. "Okay, I understand he's family. Do what you need to do."

He can see how much urgency is in Adam's face. "Thank you bro, I really appreciate the help" Adam pats him on the shoulder.

9pm and the streets of the suburbs are quiet except for the small number of local bars and restaurants. Most residents don't like to venture out at night, especially since the syndicate have been expanding their territory outwards. Violent crime has been on the rise over the past six months, leaving many residents scared to exit their homes after dark.

Adam is sitting in his 4x4 with Sammy in the passenger side next to him. He knows that his brother has not left the house for the last two days and has been acting very withdrawn. It's also extremely rare for Adam to have a Saturday night off work, so this is the perfect opportunity to clear the air with his kid brother.

"Fancy a burger?"

Sammy gives him a straight up nod with a grin on one side. "Alright! If you're paying…."

They arrive at the same bar they were always used to visiting each week after boxing when they first moved out here. It hasn't really changed much except for the fact that the place is near empty for a Saturday night. A waitress immediately comes over to their table. "What can I get the two of you to drink?"

Adam quickly responds, "Can I get a beer?... Actually, make it two!"

Sammy smirks at him from ear to ear, impressed before he replying to the server. "Can we also get two stacked-steak house burgers, both well done. One with blue cheese, the other with regular and streaky bacon, as well as two sides of chilli fries, one plate of onion rings and a pot of barbecue sauce please!"

The waitress can't help but smile at the teenager, "anything else I can get you?"

"No, that will be fine". She then turns to Adam with guilt on her face. "I'm so sorry Sir, but I will need to see some ID for this guy here as he looks under 21".

Adam laughs, "He's actually 15!"

"Oh…! I'm sorry but I can't serve him alcohol…" she shakes her head.

"It's ok, one won't hurt". Adam flashes his badge, giving Sammy a wink.

The evening is going better than expected so far with great food, good beer and lots of talk between the two brothers. This time together is long overdue, where they enjoy extensive conversations including football, video games as well as Adam's mandatory pet talk of giving Sammy advice on women.

After seeing his brother relaxed and happy, the last thing Adam wants to do now is rock the boat, but there is something he has to get off his chest.

"Sammy, so er what's goin' on at school and with your friends?"

"Nothing!" He huffs. "You were right though about Kadeem and the others. They're just stupid. All they do is stir up shit and cause trouble" Sammy glances out into the distance with pessimism.

Adam raises his eyebrows, surprised but relieved that Sammy has finally seen sense.

Sammy continues, "School sucks though, especially the last few weeks my test scores weren't my best. But I still have time to ace next semester's exams after the Summer break. This is why I wanted to ask you something…"

"What is it kid?"

"I've been looking at other schools and there's an academy outside of Wood Oak called Bellfield. It's full of white kids, but I know I can get in if I study, plus they offer scholarships. It's also near aunty Gloria's house so I don't have to worry about…"

Adam, appearing shocked, interrupts him mid way through the conversation. "Sammy! You have one more year left before college starts! Finish these exams where you are then you can go wherever you want. What's the rush and sudden change of heart anyway? And your family is here, not 200 miles away!"

"But I want to do this, I want a new start" Sammy frowns. His large brown eyes almost plead with his older brother.

"But why? What are you running away from? Something's up with you! Since when was school work and exams the top of your priorities huh?" Adam laughs, shaking his head whilst sitting back in his chair.

Sammy insists, "nothing's up, I'm fine! There's two weeks left of school but I don't see the point in staying here, there's nothing left for me. I don't wanna stick around here anymore, I wish you would understand…"

"What?!" Adam folds his arms, surprised. "You know if something is bothering you, or if you're in any trouble I can help you…"

"I know bro. But I've thought this through and this is what I want!"

Adam pauses, trying to hide his disappointment before he responds. "Ok. I will give Aunty Gloria a call in the morning and we will discuss how you can apply to this place. As long as it is really what you want. You can break the news to the others though…" he sighs.

Although Adam and Sammy have had their wars, they have always stuck it out and have never lived separately before. This sudden decision is difficult for the both of them to come to terms with but Sammy knows that this is the only way out to save himself and his family out of danger.

"Can we get the bill please?" Adam calls over the waitress.

It is a difficult drive home and a sad end to an emotional couple of days for Adam. They pull up by the house then Adam switches off the engine, contemplating for a moment before his frown turns into a forced smile.

"You best get those grades boy! Otherwise you know what our aunt is like, she'll whoop your ass with anything less than a B!" His comment makes Sammy chuckle as the two of them chuckle together.

"Thanks for the burger bro," Sammy smiles.

"You ordered half the menu in there! You best not be hungry now, those tacos in the fridge are mine!"

"We'l see about that", he laughs.

"Listen, I need to get back to work for the night shift. A lot of shit has gone down today at our office and I have to fix it. Use your key and try not to wake the girls. I'll see you in the morning, ok?"

"Okay," Sammy nods.

11pm and Adam has been cruising down the highway for almost half an hour with the radio blasting. The attack on the Police Department is highlighted on the news, but he is sick of hearing about it over and over again. He pulls up outside another bar, in two minds whether or not to get out and go in. Eventually, Adam gives in to temptation then enters the bar. 'One drink won't hurt after the day I've had', he thinks to himself.

Again this place is quiet with no sign of trouble at the moment, except for the big screen above the bar displaying the news which he can't seem to get away from. The barman immediately comes over to Adam, "hey, what can I get you?"

"Can I get a Vodka and Coke? Single…. Actually, make it a double!"

Five drinks later and Adam is there telling a group of tourists at the bar his own life story. "You know, I used to be a boxing champion before I quit to become a fed…. Worst mistake I ever made!" He drinks up.

The barman can see that Adam is tipsy, but he isn't causing any trouble. "Ladies here I'm sorry though, I'm blessed and I got my woman and my daughter back home so I'm happy. I don't deserve them though…" his expression suddenly changes to sadness as he stares down at the bar. "And then there's my kid brother, he's decided to leave this place! I hope he makes a better life than I did…" he salutes to the air.

One of the guys in the group responds "Here, let me get you another drink, you look like you need it!"

Adam nods then laughs, "if Keri or my best friend Axel were he they would both whoop my ass by now for drinking this much! Thanks man. Make it another double!" He slurs, leaning forward.

3am and the group have now dispersed, leaving the bar empty with Adam alone.

"Sorry man, we're closing up now." The barman explains. "There's a cheap motel about half a mile up the road, I think you should consider it".

"Thanks but I'm fine, my whip is outside" Adam grins.

The barman immediately reaches over towards Adam's pocket as the man can barely stand. He then pulls out his keys and wallet.

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing!?" Adam yells, stepping forward.

"I'm sorry, but you're in no fit state to drive and you could lose your job! Sleep it off and come and collect your car in the morning. I'll keep an eye on it". Adam however, is quick to snatch the keys back, running out into the street. At first he shouts randomly, then he finds a bench outside that he eventually falls asleep on. As the bar closes, a police car pulls up next to the bench with two Green District officers inside who address the barman. "Thank you for calling us out. Don't worry, we know this guy and we can take him home to sleep it off as long as he hasn't caused you any trouble. He will be fine in the morning and can collect his car once he is sobered up".

It is another late night at the office, but finally things are starting to quiet down after a hectic evening. Axel is currently on his third coffee waiting for the night to be done so that he can go home and get some sleep. This office is usually busy with officers bustling around, but due to the explosion earlier, it is almost empty with only a handful of Senior Officers working in their own confinement downstairs. DC O'Neil has now left and any lower ranking officers who usually do the night shift are stationed at their posts on the streets or the other precincts.

#Door knocks#

"Hey, thought you might be hungry?" Jess enters, holding up two take out bags smelling like chicken ramen noodles. Always a treat at 3am.

Axel flashes her a smile, knowing that she has made an effort to buy him one of his favourite take outs. "Come in!" Feeling famished after a long shift, he chomps on the noodles straight away.

"I thought you finished your shift already?" Axel queries.

"I did," Jess smiles, lowering her chopsticks. "But I had some loose ends to take care of. Listen, I want to apologise to you for not following protocol the other day. There was a bit of confusion. See, Adam gave us different paperwork at the beginning of that day- ?" She hands over her itinerary for him to inspect.

"I see. Hunter must have made a mistake as there was no one stationed at the harbour on that day…"

Jess shrugs, staring at him with her piercing green eyes. "Whatever miscommunication you guys got going on, please fix it. I don't want to trouble either of you with any more mix ups".

Axel nods in agreement, "Hey I'm sorry for doubting you. And thank's to you and Brian, we busted a major operation by chance!" He smirks, sitting back in his chair.

She gives him a warm smile. "I'm glad to….Hey, do you want a coffee or anything? I'm just about to make one"

"Sure, thanks" Axel nods, fixing his gaze back on the monitor.

Ten minutes later and Jess is back with two cups of the proper smelling fresh coffee made from one of the diners still open a couple of blocks away.

"Well these beat the machines downstairs!" They both laugh.

"I figured you could use a bit of help tonight and tomorrow. I heard Adam is out of office for the rest of the weekend…" she calmly sits down next to him.

"Thanks, I appreciate the help but it's quiet on the streets right now so I think it will be ok for the rest of the night."

Jess takes a look at his screen, "woah you've dealt with all these calls on your own tonight?"

Axel nods, taking another sip of his drink, "Just another Saturday night!"

"Yes but I can't believe O'Neil or Hunter would forget and not let you off for the night, especially when today is…" she pauses, reminding Axel of the significance of July 1st. A date stained on his memory forever. It's the day when Axel's parents were robbed at gunpoint in their own home, before they murdered by the syndicate. Being an only child, he thinks about his mom and dad every single day wishing that he was still in Wood Oak City when it happened. But instead, he was thousands of miles away fighting a war protecting others instead of his own parents. He regrets not being here to save them every single day.

"I'm sorry I mentioned it," Jess akwardly says as she stands behind his seat. She gently places one hand on Axel's shoulder. He quietly sits there for a moment, staring at his desk into space, unable to shift the guilt he feels every day about it. He then reaches for her hand in the moment, craving any distraction from the sad reality of today. Suddenly he pulls Jess towards his lap. She then leans forward to passionately kiss him on the lips. Her scent and skin around her neck are soothing. Slowly, one kiss leads to another before the two of them throw off each others clothes, heavily breathing as one thing leads to another.

Insomnia, sleeping paralysis, lucid dreams - In contrast to her colleagues, this happens to be Blaze's night so far. It is very rare that she ends up getting a decent night's sleep despite having had an eventful day. Often when she is up in the middle of the night, she will either read the news on her phone to go back to sleep, or feed the stray cats and dogs outside in the parking lot. Otherwise if she has enough energy, she sometimes trains her Judo or blasts out music to dance around the living room.

Blaze's one bedroom apartment is small but cosy and high up on the 8th floor of the block. It's perfect for someone living on their own but it's a bit of a bitch when the one elevator is out of service. The views are somewhat ok, if you like Walmart downstairs. But from one side of the appartment on a clear night, half of Wood Oak's skyline can be seen in the distance. And finally, although the neighbourhood she lives in can be a little rough, it's nothing that Blaze can't handle. Everyone here keeps to themselves and with a crazier work schedule now, it is rare for her to be home. This apartment however, couldn't be any more further than the luxuries she once had back in London, but Blaze knows that she made the right decision to leave and is determined to make a success of her life.

Tonight is different though to most others, and there is something playing on her mind that must be worked on. Her small front room is quiet and darkened with eight little candles placed in a large circle on the laminate floor. Blaze has been sitting in the middle of the circle with her eyes closed, crossed legs for almost the past two hours trying to meditate with the aim of finding energy, relaxation and concentration. When she is finally in a state of serenity, she takes a deep inhale before opening her palms out, facing the ceiling. Above each of her hands, she emits two small blue energy orbs. Blaze then opens her eyes whilst holding onto this built up energy she is developing and trying to control. The light from the orbs is illuminating and beautiful, but at the same time it is intense, hot and painful on her skin. Her chi has drawn in all of the energy from the room like a vaccume and has even blown out the flames of the candles surrounding her.

The intensity begins to step up, starting to become too much for her now. It is too painful and draining where she doesn't know how many seconds more she can hold onto it. Blaze quickly decides to close her palms before the two electrical flames cut out, leaving her in complete darkness. She suddenly feels breathless, weak and in a state of disorientation. Every time she practises accessing her chi, Blaze gets stronger and stronger, but it is frustrating and frightening because that small amount of energy drains the mind and body, weakening it for a period of time in it's aftermath. Until Blaze can master this power and use it to her advantage, it is going to be one uphill struggle for her. Her surroundings become blurred to the point where she is so drained that she cannot sit up anymore. So she collapses down on the ground where she lays in the middle of the circle. Finally one good thing came out of this - a deep sleep.

Chapter Text

The morning after.

Blaze catches her breath after waking up uncomfortably in the middle of her own living room. Her hand gently rubs the back of her neck, feeling creaky after having fallen asleep on the cold laminate floor. More alarmingly however, are her sore palms which are now reddened and blood stained. Everytime she attempts to use and control her chi, this very same thing happens to her. Blaze can't help but think to herself again and again - yes she is different to everybody else in possessing this power, but look at the harm it is doing to her and her body. She always tells herself that line, 'this is the last time I ever try to use this supernatural ability again…' but curiosity always seems to win in the end.

The Summer morning sunrise beams through the gap in the curtain whilst Blaze squints at the light. "Shit…." she panics as she picks up her cell phone displaying 7am. Today is another day when Blaze will be late for work. And she still has to shower, get dressed and tidy the bomb site of her appartment, let alone catch the hours commute into Central District. The situation right now for her in the workplace is far from great after yesterday.

Blaze takes a deep exhale of air before giving in. The only thing she can do right now is call Adam to let him know that for a third day running, she won't make it into the precinct on time.

She sits patiently as the line rings over and over again, but there is no answer. Instead of waiting for Adam to call back, Blaze's panic persists, so she tries to call him another four times in a row until finally, a voice on the other side answers her.

"Hello….?"

To Blaze's surprise, the voice is not Adam. She suspects that it is his partner Keri, wondering why she is answering his work phone.

"Hi…?" Blaze answers, unsure what to expect.

"Who is this?"

"It's Blaze…!"

"Blaze?! Oh my God, where have you been girl? Are you still in England?" Keri asks, pleasantly surprised to hear from an old friend.

"No, err I've been meaning to call you. I just transferred to Central District… I would love to catch up but this is kinda an emergency. Is Adam around?" She queries.

"I'm sorry but Adam is not in any state to talk right now…" Keri sighs with an annoyed tone in her voice.

"What's wrong? Is everything ok?" Blaze asks, feeling worried.

"Two cops brought him home this morning at 5am, drunk out of his mind. Good thing he didn't try to drive his car, he would have lost his job for sure…"

"Oh shit, that doesn't sound like Adam at all. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, do you think you could cover for him when you get to work today? Make an excuse to O'Neil or Axel that he's been sick, I don't know…. Maybe they won't even be there this morning. I mean, it is Sunday…"

"Sunday...?" Suddenly a huge sigh of relief dawns on Blaze's face. She grins from ear to ear, realising that today is her day off work!

Keri answers, "Yeah it's Sunday… Please Blaze? It would make today so much easier if you could take on some of Adam's duties, I'm sure he'l pay you the extra amount or take you out somewhere nice if you could do us this favour. With this promotion around the corner, I just don't want last night to stir any shit up for him…."

Feeling obliged to help and torn between staying home and going back to her dreaded work space, Blaze hesitates to answer. "I err…"

"Please? I promise we'll catch up soon…" Keri insists.

"Sure! Anything I can do to help!" Blaze forces a smile.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Axel's night could not have been any more different in comparison to Adam's and Blaze's.

"Hey sugar, why don't we head back to your place later for round 2…" Jess flirtatiously grins, buttoning up her white blouse next to the desk before tying back her red hair in a ponytail.

Axel lets out a short laugh, pulling his white t-shirt over his muscular frame. "I err… I got stuff to take care of today…"

"What 'stuff'?" Jess smirks, playfully running one hand down his chest. To her disappointment, Axel gently takes her hand then shrugs it away.

"Just stuff… I'll call you later, yeah?"

"I understand…" she smiles. "Oh and on Friday there's a new French restaurant opening uptown. We both have the night off, wanna try it?"

"Sure!" Axel casually nods.

"Talk later," she smiles then kisses him on the lips before leaving the office.

For Axel, he immediately regretted the night they had spent together. Whilst it was a moment of distraction, Axel always knew it would be a bad idea. He never had any intention to go on dates or take things further with Jess, and at first neiether did she. But everytime they hooked up she couldn't help but become more attached, clingier and more dependant for emotional support on him. The kindness in him and his concience would kick in where he would try his best to be there for her if she ever needed anything.

But for the past year, he made it clear that their time outside of work was nothing more than something casual. Whilst Jess was very attractive and confident, Axel would have never wanted a relationship with her even if she hinted the possibility. There was just no emotional connection there for him. The fact was that he couldn't see himself ever getting in any serious relationship any time soon, especially not with the demanding career of his and everything unsettled in his life. It would take a rare miracle and someone for someone to hold his interest.

All Axel wanted to do right now was spend the rest of the day alone and away from his phone, giving himself enough space and time to breathe with his own thoughts. Aside from the fact that he was an only child, for years he often craved his own silence and serenity when the world outside became chaotic. He learnt as a teenager that stepping back from a situation, rather than diving in headfirst was often a better way of approaching life.

After showering and changing back at his penthouse apartment, Axel decided to head out for a walk rather than taking the car. The weather was warm and bright and he figured the fresh air would do him some good. On the way to his destination, he stopped off to buy two bouquets of flowers. One with pink and white carnations, with the other bunch a bright yellow. His slow walk to the cemetery took around 45 minutes.

The first thing Axel did was take a deep breath, smiling down at two headstones adjacent to one another. The first, displaying the name 'Evan Stone' with the one to it's right named as 'Amber Marie Stone'.

Axel usually tries to visit his parents' graves at least once a week, but lately that has turned into every couple of months due to how busy work had become. He clears away the old dead flowers before replacing them with the new, fresh smelling ones in his hand. So often this is the only place where he really feels at peace, secure and able to talk. Adam is a great friend who Axel knows he can confide in, but he understands that Adam has way more on his plate right now than he can imagine.

Axel quietly kneels down in front of the two graves, taking in the summer breeze surrounded by nature and the trees full of life. He greatly appreciates this moment of silence and serenity here in a beautiful setting.

"Mom, dad… I still miss you…" he says with a tear in his eye whilst placing one hand over his mother's marbled headstone. "So this month has been a pretty shit one to say the least. I just… I don't know how much longer I can take this career. I don't think this life is for me you know….?" he sighs, looking out into the distance. "As soon as I've found the man who did this to you, I think I'll move away from the city. Somewhere calm and peaceful. You know how much dad loved the woods and nature…" he laughs to himself before standing to his feet. "Just give me a sign… anything. I have everything I need, the life and security you always wanted me to build. But I feel so empty right now…alone..." Axel shakes his head full of regret. He then lets out a deep exhale, feeling calm once again before he kisses his hand then touches each of their names to say goodbye.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Friday.

Five days later.

Finally, the restoration work on the ground floor of the precinct is almost finished. DC O'Neil has signed off the last checks that the building is safe and all security has been stepped up with systems updated. For many of the officers, this is their first day back at Wood Oak Central Police Department HQ. They have moved around temporary offices throughout the last few days. Work was quickly done as a matter of urgency, given by how important this precinct is in the city.

8am and things are strangely getting back to normal with speed. DC O'Neil spots Axel on the fifth floor hallway. "Good morning Stone, can you report to my office just before briefing?"

"Of course Captain," Axel nods.

Minutes later, Axel arrives at the office a couple of doors down from his own, except O'Neil's office is much nicer and has double the amount of resources and furnishings. "Please, take a seat," the DC gestures to the chair opposite his own desk.

"I know that we haven't always seen eye to eye in the past but I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your hard work over the past week."

"I was just doing my job, Sir" Axel clears his throat.

"Yes, but you stayed here overseeing and allocating the work that all of the officers on duty were carrying out from other premises. Also this place would not be up and running the way it is right now without your dedication and commitment. It's truly impressive!"

"Thank you Sir," Axel smiles, pleasantly surprised.

"You know I have been working at the department for almost 40 years now. Between you and me, I'm planning on retiring in the next 18 months though. You are young for this role but given the responsibility and initiative you have shown on and off the field, I would seriously consider applying for the Captain position here if I were you once my retirement is announced".

Axel feeling stunned has never been praised like this before from O'Neil. "Thank you, I will take it into consideration if the time is right" he nods.

"You're the best officer in the city, think about it… I don't suppose you have heard from your partner since Saturday have you?"

Axel sighs, shaking his head. "Hunter is on his annual leave at the moment. He filed for it at the beginning of the year but it says that he should return by Monday". Clearly that was a lie but at least O'Neil bought it.

"I see. It's just a shame that his vacation time clashed with our restoration works. Either way, you managed without Hunter here and the work is done so that's the main thing. Speaking of leave, I'm out of the office for the rest of today and tomorrow attending Davidson's first hearing outside of Wood Oak. The sooner this all gets fixed, the better".

"Are you sure that's a good idea with more officers and cadets returning here today and tomorrow? And Adam still on leave?" Axel queries.

"Yes!" O'Neil replies with a stern tone. "Now that means you will be in charge here and any officers need to report to you. Your team can assist with your usual responsibilities, but any cases must be cleared through you as you will temporarily fill my position here. It will mean that you need to remain in the office for now whilst on duty. I need you to chair any meetings with attorneys and you will have to attend the district meeting on my behalf in City Hall tomorrow with the local government officials."

"Er, I was hoping that…."

"It won't be a problem will it?..." He interrupts. "Of course I will make sure you follow my same shift pattern, an added generous bonus will be in your paycheque at the end of the month and all the paperwork and everything you need is ready in my office. Here is the key" he grins.

"No, no problem Sir. I assure you that everything will be in order by the time you get back", Axel nods, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Good. Take this as a valuable experience when you apply for the role. Next time I meet with Chief Clark at the next Commissioner's event, I want you and Hunter to be present by my side so that you can get to know him and how he works".

"Thank you again, that would be a great honour".

"You will also meet some very important associates of mine. This is paramount to your future".

"I see," Axel nods.

"And thank you for putting your career first. See the difference between you and Hunter is, he has other commitments. A wife practically, and a young child to support and look after, a teenage brother. I mean, he has many responsibilities to take care of".

"Adam still seems to have landed an outstanding and honourable role in our department though," Axel is quick to defend his friend, despite his circumstances.

"Yes of course. He is excellent at his job, one of the best officers I've ever known. But to go beyond that, family life doesn't exist in this career. Believe me I know! Now you are in the perfect position almost at the peak of your career and even in your thirties, you have none of the same commitments to worry about. That means there are no distractions and your job takes priority in your life".

"Well I can agree with that. And you know me, I always work hard to bring justice to the city because it's what I believe in".

"Well said!" He smiles with enthusiasm. "And I know what the beginning of July means to you with what happened to your parents. And I know that what you achieve every day won't bring them back, but I'm certain that they would be incredibly proud of you today", he says placing one hand on Axel's shoulder.

Still composed as ever he replies, "Thank you Sir. I'm sure they will be proud one day when we take down the organisation who murdered them".

DC O'Neil lets off a brief smile, a very rare sight for any officer at the precinct.

"So first I need you to chair today's briefing, here is the paperwork….." he then gets straight down to business.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9am and the morning so far has run smoothly. All officers due in have made it on time to briefing so there shouldn't be any challenges ahead. With O'Neil and Adam out of office, Axel addresses the large conference room, this time by himself. Jess, who is sitting in the front row looks up at him puzzled. For her, it's as if he vanished for five days, becoming a hermit buried in his work as an excuse for not returning any of her calls after their heated night together.

"Good morning Officers and Cadets and welcome back to Central Department HQ. As you would have noticed, we have already completed the restoration of the ground level and an update of our online security. You will all receive new log in details, but everything else has remained the same. Currently, Captain O'Neil is out of office for the next two days, ensuring that the perpetrators of last Saturday's events are brought to justice. He is also releasing statements to the press on what happened. I am limited in the information I can disclose on the hearing currently taking place, but rest assured that the evidence has been gathered and any decisions will be finalised over the next six weeks."

He continues: "I speak for all when I say that I am deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of six of our officers and one cadet last week. They fought bravely, served us well and paid the ultimate sacrifice that being a serving officer entails. At 5pm today before the evening shift, a vigil will be held in the communal garden where all staff and family members of the victims are welcome. We also send our best wishes to all of those injured and commend any officers that fought to defend our premises and preventing further devastation." For a second, he glances over to the back of the room where Blaze is sitting before completing the day's briefing.

"Before you go, please note that Lieutenant Hunter is on annual leave until next Monday, so if there are any issues or cases that need review, please continue to report them directly to me. Briefing adjourned".

Axel couldn't get out of there fast enough. He can handle a lot, more than most others under pressure, but at times it does feel like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. Today is not one for any more distractions, so he continues to avoid talking to Jess at all costs.

"Axel…?" She calls him from the other end of the room whilst he makes his exit.

"Officer Hart? What is it?" He formally replies.

"Nothing… I tried to call you…" she quietly answers.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just have a lot of work going on right now. Unless there are any cases you want me to review, we'll talk later, yeah?" He answers before swiftly making his exit.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Surprisingly, it has been a successful morning so far with no major hiccups. 'This Captain role ain't that difficult after all' Axel thinks to himself, having completed all of the necessary paperwork, phone calls, case reviews as well as some of his own duties. And it's only 12:30pm - just in time for a well earned lunch break.

Usually he and Adam stop off at the local Italian place Benito's to pick up some lunch and snacks when they have a free half hour, especially when the ques for Subway and Starbucks are stretching out onto the sidewalk at this time of day. Axel also wants to avoid bumping into Jess again, so this place is ideal for lunch since she hates it. He remembers her heated confrontation with one of the managers after complaining about a hair in her food one time, so Axel decides that it makes sense to stop off here then get a free coffee to go with his lunch as he is one of their regulars.

This is truly a needed treat, even for half an hour. The opportunity to sit outside on the bench in plain clothes being a normal person having a regular cheesesteak sandwich in peace and quiet is gold. Today is also a beautiful sunny one where Axel can see the rest of the city rushing past him from skyscraper to skyscraper. It almost feels meditative for him watching others rush by whilst he sits in tranquility. Although his surroundings are bustling and loud, none of it can distract him right now from his own calm.

From a distance he can see a few cops coming out of Benito's in uniform at the end of their lunch break. They cluster off, dispersing back to the office. One of the officers however, decides to stick around by a nearby grass area, appearing to donate her lunch to an old homeless man sitting on another bench. He responds with an Irish accent, "Thank you pet and God bless you!"

Currently, oblivious to the fact that Axel has just walked up behind her, he startles the crap out of the uniformed officer. "Hey! Your lunch break isn't for another half hour yet Fielding!"

Blaze ends up jumping out of her skin to the point where she drops her cup and hot drink all over the ground. It sends the old Irish man into hysterical laughter. She then turns around, not impressed at all in her expression.

"Did you really have to do that? Now look, my new uniform is stained thanks to you!" Blaze frantically examines the front of her shirt. "And I did everything I had to do this morning! You seriously got some nerve creeping up on me like that telling me when I can have lunch and…."

Axel interrupts her, trying his best not to laugh as Blaze appears livid at this point with her temper flaring. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you…" he lets out a slight grin, pissing her off even more. "And as for your lunch break, don't worry about it now!"

"Hmmm..." she huffs, shaking her head.

"Can I get you another coffee?" He politely offers, feeling guilty.

"I don't drink coffee, especially over here!" Blaze folds her arms in a mood. Axel looks back at her with surprise.

"Oh ok, so what was in there then? How do you have so much energy if you don't drink coffee?"

"It's called hot chocolate and it's much better for you than caffeine,"

"Ok, hot chocolate it is then!" He grins once again, trying his best not to laugh.

"No, thank you!" Blaze brashly answers. "Now If you don't mind, Boss, or Lieutenant, like you said I need to be back on duty. Bye!" She abruptly starts to walk away, ignoring him.

As Blaze turns around, Axel's light hearted smirk fades as soon as he notices a red mark on her palm.

"Wait!"

"What is it now Boss? Do you want me to go back to work or not?" Blaze rolls her eyes then tilts her head to one side.

"What happened to your hand? That looks painful…" he asks concerned.

Blaze tries her best to conceal the mark, closing her palms before placing her hands in her pocket. "It's nothing!" She shrugs. "I errr got this new metallic kettle at my flat yesterday. The stupid thing was faulty and after I tried using it, I went to pick it up with my hands then got electrocuted. It's nothing major, I'll be fine," she insists.

'She is such a bad liar' Axel thinks to himself having seen all types of injuries and burns over the years.

"Why don't you get that checked out then by one of the medics back at HQ before it gets infected? It will only take five minutes or so, I'll tell Cooper to cover the rest of your shift".

Blaze pauses, keen to get him off her back about the matter. "Ok, thanks". She forces a smile, avoiding his eye contact before walking away.

Axel stands there for a moment with his hands in his pockets. There's something about this officer that he can't quite figure out. It's clear so far in the short time he has worked with Blaze that she is a good fighter, couragous and has her own way of doing things, but at the same time she is a mess and a nightmare to work with. She's unpredictable, very hot headed and doesn't like to conform like everyone else. But theres something about her that is compelling and different underneith her stubborn exterior. Something he can't quite yet figure out.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

#Phone rings#

"DC O'Neil… yes everything is running smoothly. I'm at the office now back from lunch and everything is ok. How is it over there? ….. Really? For the rest of the week?... Ok…" Axel pause. "Yeah ok, have the rest of the paperwork emailed over to me…."

#hangs up#

'Worker exploitation? Or simply taking advantage!' Axel thinks to himself. O'Neil was supposed to be out of office for two days tops, but now it looks he may be away for longer than expected. 'Adam better get his shit together', Axel mutters to himself, shaking his head. As he leaves the office once again, he spots Agent Cooper in the hall outside. "Hey Cooper, thanks for covering for Fielding earlier during lunch".

"What? I didn't?... Was I supposed to?" the man shrugs with confusion all over his face.

"Forget it!" Axel huffs. "Listen, I need to sort something out outside of the office for the next hour or so. If anyone has to urgently get hold of me, tell them I'll be back at 2. And if it's an emergency, I have my cell on me".

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

With lunch break now over, there are only 20 minutes left until combat training this afternoon. Blaze is only just beginning to find her way around, becoming used to her schedule and the limited time she has in between everything. Having said that, she is feeling much more settled compared to when she started here almost a week ago. Her shared office is on the fifth floor of the building with two other colleagues, Officer Nadine Bilson who she is already friends with from the Red District and Detective Kai Walker who has helped to explain some of the cases being worked on to the two newbies.

"Hey guys, any updates since I've been out?" Blaze enters the room.

"Not really," Kai answers with his eyes fixated on his own monitor. "It was surprisingly quiet today. I guess it's either the aftermath of last week or the calm before a new storm…"

"Fielding, we are stationed by the harbour at 15:30 after combat training today by the way", Nadine informs her. Blaze gives her colleague a nod as she walks over to her desk by the window on the far side. To her surprise, she immediately notices a tall Benito's cup of hot chocolate there waiting for her.

"Aww thanks Nadine, you totally read my mind!" Blaze excitedly says, now grinning from ear to ear. "This drink will help me kick some ass in the gym now," she laughs.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nadine shrugs, confused.

"The hot chocolate! Just the way I like it, marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles...yum!" Blaze smiles, taking a sip.

Kai jokingly remarks, "You are such a child Fielding! Next time I know what drink to get you. How can you even drink that in this summer weather anyway?"

"It's the best!" Blaze smirks.

"Well, if you really wanna know, that thing was there when Nadine and I came back from lunch about five minutes ago..."

"Oh, right! Did you see who put it there?" Blaze is taken back, surprised.

"No!" They both answerd, not bothered as they focus on their monitors.

As she picks up the large cup once again, she feels a small piece of paper folded and taped to the bottom of it.

She opens it to read:

'Thought you could do with another one of these before training this afternoon'.

Her jaw instantly drops and before Blaze can take another sip, Nadine snatches the note out of her hand.

"Girl, looks like someone here knows what you like!" She laughs, suddenly interested in the conversation.

Nadine turns to Kai, still holding the note. "Blaze is the only chick I know who would choose hot chocolate over flowers any day! How romantic, I want to know who this mystery guy is! Is he hot?" Nadine teases her, nudging Blaze's arm with her elbow.

"Give me that!" Blaze's cheeks turn red, abruptly snatching back the note from her before she reads it out. She then screws it up then reaches down to throw it in the bin. "I'm not interested in this stupid note, but I will not waste a good hot chocolate!" She insists.

Nadine sits back in her seat, now drinking her own mug of coffee. "Looks like this secret fella has rattled her cage. I will say no more, promise!"

Less than a minute later, she catches Blaze smiling to herself whilst sneakily glancing back at the screwed up note that she pretended to throw away.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

#DoorBell Rings#

Keri checks up on the surveillance camera before answering. "Hey Axel, thank you for coming over again," She opens the door, giving him a hopeful stare.

"How is he?"

"You'd better come and see for yourself…" she gestures towards the office room upstairs.

Axel knocks then tries to open the locked door, but there is no answer. "Adam?! Yo Adam you in there?!" He can hear the radio on with music playing at full blast.

"He's been in there for almost a day," Keri shakes her head.

"Adam open the door right now or I'm gonna break it down myself!" Becoming more and more impatient by the second, Axel then decides to kick it down. To his shock, he finds Adam standing there with an empty bottle of vodka in his hand. The two men pause, looking at one another surprised.

"Come on man, this ain't normal. Sober up and lets talk things through," Axel suggests.

To his shock, Adam decides to charge forward with the bottle without warning. Axel quickly dodges the glass which then smashes into the wall behind him. Clearly Adam is drunk and unaware of what he is doing.

"What the fuck are you doing man?! It's me!" Axel tries to communicate with him.

Adam only shouts back at him with aggression in his voice. "Who the fuck are you comin' into my home telling me how to run my life! I'm not the crooked cop here, fuck you Stone!" This time, Adam throws a messy jab, catching Axel off guard, where his powerful fist lands in his partner's face. The impact feels like a ton of bricks for Axel, even with Adam in the state he is in. He always had the most powerful fists.

Axel quickly reacts, pushing then throwing his friend onto a glass table which instantly shatters when Adam falls through it. By now the room is chaos with both men starting to beat the shit out of each other. Axel tries to refrain himself whilst Adam stumbles all over the place attacking him. They both end up demolishing the space in under a minute.

A quiet child's voice by the door suddenly shocks the two men out of their fight. They immediately come to a halt.

"Daddy, what's going on?" Cherry is scared and has run upstairs worried from all of the commotion whilst Keri and Sammy have chased after her.

Keri tries her best to stay composed whilst Sammy stares on in shock at his brother. "Sammy, please take her downstairs!" The teenager quickly picks up his niece then carries her away from the scene.

Axel catches his breath, glaring at Adam in the eye with his hands on his shoulders. Both men have blood running down their faces.

"Adam, you need to fix this right now. Look at your daughter, your family! You're going to lose them and everything that ever mattered to you unless you quit this. You can do this! You've come clean once before, it's hurting your daughter, can't you see? You owe it to Cherry to do this…"

Adam immediately calms down, shaken with regret in his eye.

He and Keri start to break down where all of the built up anger in the room suddenly turns into tears for them. Adam looks up at his partner with guilt on his face whilst he sits defeated on his knees. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry baby! Please don't go, don't take my daughter away from me….. I'm sorry I never meant to hurt you" he says with tears in his eyes.

Keri tries her best to stop her own tears as she responds. "I can't keep doing this, Adam. When you're better we will be here, but right now things need to change."

Axel extends his hand to help his friend up off the floor then out of the room. He walks Adam downstairs then outside into his car.

"Keri, if you want he can stay at my apartment for a few days while he gets the help. I'll make sure it's an alcohol free zone and will take care of things at work while he gets back on his feet." Axel suggests.

Keri wipes her eyes using her sleeve. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. We need some space from each other, but we will call over the next few days to check up on how he is doing".

Axel nods, "I'll contact a councillor to visit him as soon as possible. Hopefully he can make a difference this time".

"Yeah, thank you for your help. I don't know what we would do without you! Things have been really difficult lately to be honest, but we need him to come clean for good this time… Ax, I'm pregnant…" she worriedly explains..

"Whoah, does Adam know about this?"

"No". She shakes her head with guilt on her face. "I just found out myself! I'm waiting for him to sober up before I break the news to him. We will be ok, Sammy is here and he's been a big help over the past few days with Cherry while he's taking some time out from school".

"Okay. But if you or the kids need anything, don't hesitate to call me. You know how strong Adam is, he will get through this" Axel reassures her.

She gives him an anxious hug, "Thank you."

Chapter Text

7 - Final Crash

The financial district of Wood Oak City is a clean square mile with barely any drug dealers, junkies or gang members in view on the streets, unlike other areas of the city. Aside from the dozens of sky scraper banks and firms, the sidewalks contain many of the cities' most expensive restaurants, bars and strip clubs. Even better, if you feel like taking a chance on one of your millions after a long day on the stock exchange, why not try one of its three sophisticated casinos. The syndicate have their fingers in every pie in this area here and if anything talks as much as violence, its money.

Tiger's white limousine pulls up outside of one of the banks.

#phone rings#

"I hope you have good news for me Donovan".

"Yeah, I do". He replies. "We have confirmation from a local student who recognised the skateboard! I think I know where he lives. It's more than good news boss..."

"Go on..." Tiger probes.

"The boy's name is Eddie Sammy Hunter and he lives in the suburbs."

"So why the fuck haven't you killed him yet? I don't give a shit about his name!"

"Because he is the younger brother of Adam Hunter..."

For a moment, Tiger pauses in his tracks. He is fully aware of every senior fed in the city and knows what the implications could spell if his men were to kill a senior cop or a member of their family. This bomshell has for sure thrown a spanner in the works for him. If they were to kill the boy, they would have to be very careful in covering their tracks. A thug like Donovan could be careless at times. This particular job would require the aid of a fighter more senior in the Syndicate rankings.

Donovan continues after a brief moment of silence. "I have the address. Say the word and I can kill ass and his brother for good".

Tiger sighs. "No, not yet. This kid could be very valuable to us. Let me think on this. In the meantime, keep the boy alive for now, but test him. I need him living and breathing in case Hunter or his associates try to jepardise our operation. We only have so much control and funds over the feds. To kill a senior officer without good reason would break our agreement with the police. Leave it with me."

#Hangs up#

Tiger is then escorted into the bank with his machete loving blond close behind him. Beneath her smart blue sexy business attire and shades, her weapon is concealed. Both of them enter a gold elevator leading to the top floor of the bank thirty stories up. Tiger then hands over a briefcase to her, "Have these funds transferred to Mr X's secondary account before the meeting is up Electra".

Without saying a word, she leans forward and gives him a kiss on the lips. She takes her exit on the 17th floor with the briefcase.

Tiger continues up to the top floor where eventually, the elevator opens out into a large decorated room with refreshments and a long round table with impeccable views of the financial district below.

Six other powerful associates in suits are sat around the table including the owner of the bank, the cities' head of attorney Bill Cohen and the city's Mayor Ellison Rhys. All stand at the table as the chairman of their committee enters the room, accompanied by four Triad gang members behind him.

As soon as this man walks in the room goes quiet. His menacing yet silent presence and energy are felt by the whole table. He is tall, broad and dressed smart in a black suit and tie. He has long black hair in a slicked back ponytail.

Shiva is known to all of his associates as the quiet but deadly right hand man and bodyguard of Mr X. He is the most highly skilled member of the Syndicate in fighting and his chi is the most powerful known to them. He has a mixed heritage, his mother's side being Chinese and his father's side part Japanese and part American. He is knowledgeable in all aspects of his culture, superstitious and fluent in over six languages. These include Japanese, French, Mandarin and Russian. He was born in Shanghai to wealthy parents. At a young age, they separated before his father sent him to train in many areas of martial arts to a special place in the remote countryside of Japan. When he was a teenager, Shiva moved to Wood Oak City to live with his mother. There, he attended a private American school for the rest of his education.

Shiva is a man who prefers action to words and therefore despises these necessary meetings with his associates who lead a meaningless life according to him. His legal advisor, Marcus Wu who is sat next to him at the table starts off the meeting for them.

"Mr X sends his apologies, he will not be attending today's briefing due to other commitments. Let's begin..."

The associates around the table sit quietly and patiently as Marcus addresses the room. He starts off with an update of the Syndicate finances. "Today we have deposited $15 million dollars, opening a new fund dedicated to Mr X's political campaign. For now this money will stay dormant over the next month or so until the campaign presses ahead and everything from now will stay fully legit. Any funds we have left from our drugs and trafficking organisations will continue to be cleaned through our casinos, real estate and strip clubs at double the rate."

He continues, "our aim is to have expanded out into the suburbs and other surrounding cities at the beginning of next year."

He then turns to address a well-rounded bald man on the other side of the table. "Attorney Cohen, as you are aware we have kept up our end of the deal in strengthening our influence and protection over Wood Oak City Police Force in all three districts. Chief Clark has cooperated and now it's up to you to prosecute and dismiss anyone who dares to stand in our way. Carl Ramos, the Captain of Red District wasn't alone when they tried to expose us..."

"And what about the rest of our arrangement?" Cohen queries.

"As you can appreciate, law enforcement is the most difficult area and our funds are already stretched with the upcoming campain. But you will be compensated once….."

Cohen can't help but interrupt with frustration in his voice. "But this has gone on for too long! Our police force has become increasingly difficult to cooperate with and Chief Clark is it's weak link. He should be…"

Shiva finally speaking out, having heard enough of their bullshit. "Thank you Marcus, I'll take it from here," he stands to address the room.

"Mr Cohen, it is my understanding that Mr X has been paying you for your cooperation over the last six years. We have never had an issue until now. Your team on the other hand however have big ambitions, so I've heard. And I am sure that at least one of them would jump at the opportunity to replace you if they knew where their justice funds were going..." Cohen can't help but freeze, stunned by Shiva's input in the discussion.

Shiva continues, "Really I think it is you who should lay off all the questions and should cooperate without any problems. I dread to think what your mistress, wife and daughter would do if your dealings were to leak out in public. Or better yet. if we paid them a visit ourselves..."

Bill struggles to speak, clearly in fear of this man. "Please accept my apologies Mr Shiva".

"Apologies are not enough. In the meantime, you will ensure that any officers in the police hireachy are prosecuted if they become a serious liability to us". The attourney frantically nods. Some of the committee who are part of the finanicial domain as well as Cohen are then escorted out of the room.

Shiva touches up his tie then continues to brief the others left around the table. "Now for more important matters. Our scientists have been working over the last couple of months breaking boundaries in what we are capable of. Yes, our organization is a growing success and we have seen profits soar this quarter, but our real power is yet to exist. Tiger, come and show our colleagues a demonstration."

A scientist in a white apron, gloves and a mask immediately enters the room with a trolley filled with apparatus. It includes a large thick round flask and several conductors wierd to a black-box machine. Tiger removes his shirt then is connected up to the machine usuing needles from his hands and arms, as well as a headpiece placed upon him.

Shiva explains as the others look on with surprise. "Gentlemen, if you could just observe and stay silent please for the next minute". The blinds in the room are closed and the doors are locked. The scientist then switches the power on for the machine which takes a few seconds to warm up. Gradually, Tiger starts to illuminate two small flames from each of his hands. Most of the room have seen his powers before, but what they are about to see is something on another level. The conductors begin spark, transferring Tiger's flamed energy into and electrical current leading into the sealed flask. It is beautiful, yet powerful and delicate at the same time. This part of the experiment lasts around thirty seconds before the scientist switches off the machine. Tiger comes away breathless and weak with his face pale, but he remains to be ok.

The others in the room are in awe as Shiva explains what just happened. "According to the laws of Physics and the conservation of energy, it is stated that an isolated system in a given frame of reference remains constant. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, rather it transforms from one form to the other."

At this moment in time, the glass flask on the trolley looks empty. However, after about a minute, sparks inside it begin and flare, intensifying and becoming stronger and brighter.

"Gentlemen please, you will find some shades under your desk to place over your eyes. We only took a small amount of Tiger's chi today so that we don't drain out everything he has. Even with this sample of it, you can probably explode a small tunnel or part of a mine shaft. Our plan is to store this energy gradually, accumulating it. This power is the future. Eventually we will be able to create nuclear weapons, energy bombs and even cyborgs using it. It will make us unstoppable not just in this city, but globally over the next decade. We will never again require a police force or military personnel to protect Wood Oak's interests. All of it will be controlled from our own base".

The large flask starts to move around from the sparks inside it that are violently firing now. Suddenly, it implodes causing a powerful vortex of energy around it. All that remains are the shards of glass and a large black mark on the trolley where the flask sat a minute ago. The rest of the room are speechless, in awe and fear at the same time of what they have just witnessed.

Mayor Ellison Rhys responds, unbuttoning his top button. "My God! Something like this could destroy cities and communities if built up over time."

"It's an innovation, isn't it?" Shiva proudly replies.

"Hmmm, I mean, Yes I can support all of your criminal organisations and finances, but I can't ever comprehend…."

Shiva closes his eyes, muttering under his breath "Final Crash" as he summons a bolt of lightning from one hand, projecting it directly to the mayor standing opposite him. It ends his life in one split second. The rest of the room observe in silence, quaking in fear at Shiva's unpredictable nature and what he is capable of. No one else dares to say anything more.

"So, is there anyone else present here who disagrees with our new project?"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Cherry, please can you quickly finish your breakfast, uncle Sammy is taking you to school this morning".

It has been a busy last day since Adam left. Keri has tried her best to make sure that Cherry isn't in any shock, whilst working hard at the salon and clearing the chaos that Adam had made in the study upstairs. This morning has been particularly tough for her with the morning sickness kicking in badly.

"Hey Sammy, thanks again for walking Cherry to school, I appreciate the help."

"No problem. I heard you being sick this morning in the bathroom… I did tell you that anchovies on pizza was a bad idea! Trust me when it comes to food I know how it should be!"

Keri laughs, "Yeah your right, I aint ever looking at an anchovy again!"

"Well I hope you feel better soon. Have you heard anything yet from my brother?"

"No," she shakes her head with regret. "I suspect he is still settling in and his councillor will probably visit him today. That reminds me, I need to drive there later with a change of clothes and some stuff, so I won't be here straight from work. Here's some cash for a take out later on for you and Cherry unless you want to brave the oven on your own."

"Hell no! I think a take out tonight should be fine", he grins.

"Oh and by the way, I spoke to Aunty Gloria about your application for that college. She said that all the information as well as a possible interview date should come through the mail within five days".

"Thanks Keri. I know my grades will get better if I get a new start next year..."

Keri nods. "Look, I know the schools in Wood Oak aren't the best here. I was even thinking, when Cherry is older we should move out there too so that she can start in a better place. Adam could maybe get a transfer to another department. Let's see..."

Sammy and his niece say goodbye to her. He takes little Cherry's hand along with her backpack as they leave the house. Ever since his niece was born, she brought so much happiness into his life. She is nothing like her dad, in fact, her personality is more and more like Sammy's every day. Even at the age of 3, Cherry looks up in awe everytime she sees her young uncle and wants to be just like him when she grows up.

The neighbourhood around seems unusually quiet at this time of morning, but it's peaceful. Keri walks down their driveway then over to the mailbox. There she finds another letter from Oakland's High regarding Eddie Hunter's absence. It's OK though, what's the worst they could do? She thinks to herself. The Principle knows what Adam's position is in the City and therefore, will hesitate to impose an official sanction on them.

She walks back around the drive to the porch where the front door is still open. Suddenly her heart starts to palpitate.

To her horror, she notices that someone has left an item on the porch. Keri then crouches down to find a skateboard broken into two pieces with a card left in between. There is no message on it except for a round black symbol with seven stars. She pushes open the front door, cautiously walking into the entrance of their home.

Under the shoe rack, Keri then pulls out a knife before she scans the ground floor in case anyone has made their way into the house. Again, the kitchen is quiet where nobody seems to be present. She then cautiously makes her way upstairs, pushing each door open whilst slowly scanning every room quietly. It all seems clear, but Keri can't help but get the feeling that someone is watching her.

Unexpectedly, the landline rings, startling her out of her skin. Fortunately, everything seems to be ok and the house is empty.

Keri picks up the phone slowly, "Hello?"

"Kerianne, I've been trying to get hold of you why don't you ever answer your cell phone?" To her relief, it's her mother Paulette who still treats her like a child but she sounds genuinely concerned.

"Mom I'm sorry I've had a lot on, I have to get ready for work now's not a good time..."

"Are you ok though? You sound upset. I'm stopping by after work tomorrow, I'd really like to see you and my granddaughter if it's ok with you?"

Keri sighs, "Sure, I'm fine and all is good! You can come and stay tomorrow night if you like. Adam is out of town at the moment so I could use the company".

"Great! I'll see you at 7!" she replies before hanging up.

Keri anxiously approaches the upstairs window with the knife still gripped in her hand, paranoid that she is being watched. What is even more alarming to her is that the surveylance next to their front door has been turned around when she examines the monitor. Something is definitely not right here and Keri is worroed out of her mind. Due to the nature of Adam's career, on rare occassions their family received death threats in the past, but these were empty and always happened at Adam's workplace. Never has she felt this unsettled in her own home.

Her hands shake as she holds up the phone and dials. She tries to call Axel's office extension at work.

#phone rings#

"Lietenant Stone's office, how can I help?" To her surprise, the voice on the other line isn't his, instead a young woman answers.

"Hi, can I speak with Axel please? I've tried calling his cell but couldn't get through, who is this?"

"Oh, this is Detective Hart speaking. He is currently out of office covering for our DC at the moment. Can I leave a message?"

Keri sighs, "No, that's fine I'll try again later."

#Hangs up#

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jess sits there remaining bored in the office. Today she has helped by covering some of O'Neils paperwork whilst Axel is out attending one of his meetings on the DC's behalf.

#Door knocks#

"Come in!" Jess shouts from the revolving chair.

Immediately, she notices the tall pretty brunette officer that was late to their briefing the other day. This time, she is finally wearing the correct uniform.

"Hi, I've come to collect my itinerary for the day as I'm due out on the field this morning", Blaze explains.

Jess peers over to her, suspicious of their new officer. Her emerald green eyes scan Blaze from head to toe as if she were a bad penny that just walked in. "I don't believe we've been introduced yet, I'm Detective Jessica Hart."

"Hi," Blaze casually replies, keen to get on with her day.

"I'm covering some of the Captain duties today whilst Axel is out of office. I could have sworn I emailed your schedule over to you? Blaze, is it?"

Blaze, who is now a little off guard but still trying to be polite answers her. "Detective, or Officer Fielding should be fine, but since we are of the same rank, it's no big deal if you address me by my first name".

"Hmm, so why are you here then?" Jess sits back folding her arms.

"Lieutenant Stone requested that I report to his office each morning and collect my itinerary before I start duty".

Jess smiles. "Oh yes! I remember you! You're the one with all the punctuality issues! I met all the other Reds during the interviews except for you because you were so late", she laughs.

Blaze bites her tongue, becoming increasingly pissed off. "Yeah well, shit happens..." she replies dismissing Jess's comment. "So do you know when Lietenant Stone will be back then? I have a case I need to run through with him about a missing minor", Blaze asks. The reality was although this was true, she came here to actually thank Axel for the hot chocolate yesterday and call a truce to their confrontation. Now Blaze was having second thoughts.

"He won't be back for a while unfortunately." Jess shakes her head. "If it's urgent I can call his cell for you? It's just, as you can appreciate Axel is under a lot of pressure at the moment doing all of the DC's work out of office today."

"No problem, I understand. I will try to catch him once he's finished", Blaze agrees as she starts to walk away, finished with their conversation.

"Yeah erm, that might be difficult too..." Jess replies before Blaze turns back around.

"See, we have plans after work. Perhaps you can try coming back tomorrow? Or, as I said I can call his cell if it's urgent". Only a small number of colleagues in their office have Axel's personal cell phone.

Blaze replies, "Oh yeah, I forgot it's almost the weekend! A couple of the officers invited me out to Hatchet's bar after work too. I'm off duty then so I can catch him there. Thanks for the heads up!"

Jess laughs. "No, no, that's not what I meant! If you must know, the two of us are going out for dinner together."

"Oh, right.."

"As I said, if you have anything you need to run by him leave it with me and I will tell him later. Was there anything else?" Jess tilts her head grinning at her colleague with pride.

Blaze, who is feeling even more akward and off guard than earlier replies, "Er no, thanks".

Jess smiles back at her, this time with her tone more sincere and less dominant. "No problem. I know your new here and our place is not easy at first. But if you need anything today, I'm here to help also."

"Thanks," Blaze forces herself to smile back.

"Now if you'd excuse me I need to grab a coffee from downstairs to do the trick. I'm not really a morning person you know, but after a decent latte I feel awake again…. Seems to work much better for me than hot chocolate", she laughs.

Blaze, now feeling puzzled tilts her head with her jaw dropped wonderring how or why this bitch would know her business. "I'm sorry, what did you just say...?"

"Oh nothing hon," Jess smirks at her as she rises to her feet. "Sorry, did I say something to disappoint you Officer Fielding? I just like to get to know my colleagues properly that's all. After all, it looks like the two of us will be working together on some of these cases over the next few weeks..." she replies with enthusiasm.

"Can't wait!" Blaze answers with sarcasm in her voice as Jess brushes past her like the cat that got the cream.

Chapter Text

8 - Family Comes First

City Hall is a beautiful glass building in Wood Oak shaped like a dome and looking out onto the Oak river adjacent to the financial district. At any one time there are over 500 staff working in this large complex representing each district in the city. All major political decisions are addressed and made in this building.

It's a big day today for Axel where so far this morning he has met many of the senior leaders of the city including City Chief Inspector Clark, Green District's DC Bailey as well as a handful of attorneys and councillors, the most influential people of Wood Oak. Everyone here knows why DC O'Neil has sent a representative instead of himself and they are understandably concerned by last week's catastrophe at Wood Oak City's Central Police Department.

Its lunchtime and DC Bailey and Chief Clark are sat with Axel outside of the conference room.

"Well that went well this morning, what did you make of it?" Green Districts Deputy Chief queries.

"I'm honoured that DC O'Neil has sent me here", Axel replies. "We need to start addressing all of the issues and changes needed at our department. It's a great experience and I know that with like minds, we can work together".

Chief Clark joins in on their conversation. "I'm usually a sceptic with these things, but I gotta be honest with you son. O'Neil has fulfilled this role for the best part of two decades, but change is coming and he will be retiring shortly. From what I gather so far, he has made a good choice if you choose to replace him one day as Captain. You are clearly a hard working individual with a lot of potential that can make a difference in this city. I'd like to personally extend an invite for you to the commissioner's dinner next week. That goes for both you and Lieutenant Hunter."

"Thank you Sir, that's an honour for both of us.

Clark smiles then pats Axel on the shoulder. "You and your team are exactly what we need right now. You have the drive to bring real justice to our city, not the fake shit we see."

To Axel, he had a good feeling about the Chief of Police. He was talking sense and seemed genuine when we expressed the need for change.

"Between the three of us here, I would suggest keeping your eyes peeled for anyone in your office that believes different or tries to shrug off the fact that there is no real justice or peace in our city. Especially those who are close with the attorneys."

"What do you mean?" Axel asks.

"My former colleague, Red District's DC Ramos was murdered during the attacks there because he trusted the wrong people" DC Bailey explains.

Axel's expression instantly turns into concern. He trusts no one at the precinct anymore apart from his partner Adam and has known a while that they are battling against a corrupt system and a higher order. He also knows that he is about to enter the lion's den when he returns back into that room. Staying one step ahead with your eyes open and anticipating their moves is always the way in defeating those who are superior to you. Axel knows what he has to do and is fully aware that the men and women surrounding him in city hall are most likely involved in the destruction of this city.

DC Bailey draws Axel away from his thoughts. "Ten minutes until we resume, we'd better get back inside..." he signals to the Chief.

"Would you excuse me, I just need to return a call. I'll be back to join you in a few minutes", Axel replies.

He steps outside the building to make a phone call.

"Hey it's me, what's the update on this morning?"

A male's voice is on the other line, deep with a Japanese accent answers. "We found out the syndicate have stored $15 million dollar's at the Central Bank in aid of Mr X's campaign which is due to start next month."

"Shit! This son of a bitch isn't fucking around, was he there?"

"No, my agent said Mr X wasn't present, just his associates. I must warn you, we are dealing with a very dangerous man. At least we know now that he is one of the upcoming candidates for Senate."

"It's likely he's here then at City Hall..." Axel breathes out a deep exhale.

"We will talk more later on then. I need you to stop by at 8pm tonight as there is something even more urgent that we have to discuss in person."

"I understand," Axel replies.

"In the meantime, during the meeting you are about to go into, you will see the ten councillors from the city around the table announcing the start of their campaigns for next month. One of them for sure is the Syndicate boss Mr X using another name. Observe him with caution, you are new to that room so he will be on his guard trying to read you. He might know who you really are. Be careful..."

#Hangs up#

Axel closes his eyes for a second to compose himself.

Having worked for criminals when he was a fighter as well as crooked sergeants once when he was in the military, Axel has a good enough idea of what to look out for in terms of talk and body language in power thirsty individual. However, this is a completely different ball game - politics. And whoever the Syndicate boss is, he will clearly tell the others in that room anything they want to hear.

Once Axel is back inside City Hall, he takes a seat at the table next to DC Bailey. To their surprise, the schedule however is running slightly later than expected.

The chair of the committee eventually addresses the audience who fall quiet. "Apologies members, we have had a slight delay. Unfortunately our Mayor Ellison Rhys will be absent again this afternoon due to a family emergency. So we will proceed without him".

DC Bailey and Chief Clark glance towards each other with concern. It is rare for the Mayor of the City to disappear without any direct word or statement written by himself.

The next two hours are a drag with mundane talk on infrstructure, restoration projects and the policing of the upcoming campaigns and events around Wood Oak next month. The ten councillors are dispersed around the table, with the odd few debating and questioning some of the decisions made. Axel takes the opportunity to closely monitor each of them carefully in terms of their body language and tone. The ten councillors consist of seven men and three women, all over the age of 45. Although the Syndicate boss is known as 'Mr X' on the streets, how can we still be so sure that it isn't just a cover up for one of the women putting themselves forward? Axel starts to ask himself many logical questions, without ruling out any possibilities, but this is proving to be difficult.

Very few can understand how Axel's mind works and what he is capable of. For example, how he is so composed during high pressured situations like today and what makes him tick. He holds many burdens, secrets and demons locked away and is as complicated to read as an individual gets. Always in control of his emotions, he is one of the most difficult individuals to read.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tikrit, Iraq. 15 years earlier.

The sun sets over the baren landscape with the reminance of a once thriving city now reduced to rubble and dust. Axel is barely an adult but he has already experienced trauma that most people his age will never see in their lifetime. He has been stationed here for the past 6 weeks, but only during the last 3 days has any fighting ceased to exist.

"So tomorrow we finally leave this place," one of his colleagues remarks, throwing away the last of his cigarette.

"I don't understand why. Whose gonna fix this place? The people here still don't even have water," Axel replies.

"Ain't our problem anymore. This fight is over," the other soldier defeatedly shrugs as he leaves Axel stationed alone by his post.

Two hours later and darkness has fallen over the area. Only the sounds of wild dogs in the distance and the odd vehicle dominates the scene. Most nearby buildings that still stand remain derelict with a very small population of at most 50 in close proximity who were unable to escape the area.

Suddenly, he hears a scream from inside a nearby abandoned building. Axel quietly paces towards it, scanning the outer perimeter with caution. He slowly opens the front door, before walking carefully inside step by step on the lookout for any potential bombs or traps. His assault rifle is fully loaded and ready in case there are any surprises. In the distances, he notices a lit room with a candle burning. As he gets closer, he can hear heavy breathing coming from inside. Without a second thought, Axels points his rifle, quickly recognising his Sergent and superior pinning down a young woman. "Get off of her!" he shouts.

The sergeant in his forties pauses, rising up to his feet before he zips up his trousers.

"What are you gonna to do boy? Shoot me?" He snarls.

Axel pauses, glaring at him in the eye without lowering his gun.

"You know the rules here," he replies, slightly unnvered in his tone.

"And do you think I'd give a shit?" The Sargent answers. He raises one of his hands, trying his best to persuade the young solider to lower his weapon, but Axel refuses.

"You don't got the balls to shoot me," he laughs, lowering his hand towards his belt for his pistol. But before the Sergent can reach his own weapon, Axel fires a bullet directly in the man's forehead. He pauses, shocked from this moment of madness while the woman lays crying on the floor. The penalty for killing a major is death and the full consequence of this moment of madness suddenly dawns on him. However, before he can cover the scene, the sound of the gun shot has quickly drawn in at least eight officers from his own regiment. They look on at Axel and their major with shock on their faces. He slowly turns around to face them, lowering his gun and knowing full well that they are each pointing their rifles towards his head.

One Axel's close friends, appears horrified with his hands shaking as he aims his gun. "Ax, what the fuck did you do man?"

Another, also speaks out with a sterner tone."Were taking you back to base where you will be sentenced and killed for this. YOU KILLED HIM!" He yells.

"I'm sorry," Axel quietly says, shaking his head.

"You realize this means death... we have no choice. You have to come with us now." Another officer orders.

As he draws in closer, Axel takes a deep breath. He then rapidly emits an inferno from both of his hands and arms, instantly setting the 10 other soldiers alight. They cry out and shout in agony as they burn. Some who are struggling to breathe start firing random shots oreven shooting themselves as the fire is quickly spreading and becoming more toxic.

Axel turns around to help the crying woman up off the floor whilst offering her his jacket. "Come on, we need to get out of here..." he insists.

But she speaks very little English and is shaking her head in fear. He looks her in the eye "Come with me, I will make sure I get you back to your village where you will be safe". But as they start to walk out, she quickly picks up the pistol next to the dead Sargent's body.

Axel barely has enough time to shout, "NO, NO! DON'T…" she holds the gun to her head before firing a bullet, killing herself.

Axel frantically glances around, but there is no one left alive in the building. As the fire continues to spread, the dead woman lays there naked in a pool of blood. The stain on her honour was too much for her to deal with. Axel will never forget that look in her eyes before she pulled the trigger. Still, to this day he has nightmares about that. He made the decision there and then to either turn himself in or kill his friends and other soldiers. Still, the sound of their pain often haunts him in his sleep. And Axel has never spoken to anyone about that night before, not even Adam.

In the end, nothing more was concluded except for a terrorist attack on their regiment. All of the evidence remained burnt. Following that night, Axel quit the military three days later. One of his superiors who owed him his life dismissed the young man on medical grounds for third degree burns to his arms and back as well as post-traumatic stress from the loss of those closest to him. One of the things he always regretted is burning his friends alive. Handing himself in would have prevented their deaths.

That night, Axel understood that if he were to live on, the power he held inside him would be both a gift and a curse. He would have to master it in isolation and only use his chi if he had no other choice. He was used to his fire from a young age, bearing the pain and intensity of it every time. He only ever fully used his fire one more time in his life. This is also how he came to kill his old boss and Syndicate leader, Stefan Visser four years later, as well his fighters. Again, all of the evidence was burnt to a crisp. Shiva is currently the only other human alive today who possesses a similar type of power. Not a power of this world or the same as fire, but a power of the same intensity that can cause as much damage. Thsis makes them two of the deadliest fighters living today.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

Present Day.

The only thing left to rely on is instinct. Mastering ones chi is not just about the power you are able to radiate from your body, it's about using your gut feeling to sense another individual's energy. Axel is drawn away from his train of thought as one of the councillors, Xavier Williams speaks out for the first time in the meeting. Right away this mean catches Axel's attention, briefly locking eyes with him from a distance. Axel can sense the blood on this man's hands as well as his dark energy. If this man really is the anomynous Mr X, then he is certainly good at covering his body language. Furthermore, his precense and confidence have the popularity of many of the senior officials in the room doting on his every word.

He is a tall, broad man in his mid 50s dressed in a dark grey suit, white shirt and black tie. His brown shoes are immaculately polished and he is wearing what appears to be an $80K Rolex watch. His receding hair is a mix of black and grey, slicked back into a ponytail. It unveils his rough, tanned skin with a clean shaven face, thick dark eyebrows and dark brown eyes.

Councillor Williams speaks with authority and a stern tone at the rest of the large table. "Next month, I too will be putting myself forward for Senator to lead Wood Oak City into it's next phase. I am grateful to all of my council advisors, attorneys, police personnel and press who will be supporting or assisting with my campaign over the coming weeks. For those who don't know me as well, my aims are to make Wood Oak a vibrant powerhouse where all have the opportunity to learn and make careers for themselves. I have plans to boost technology beyond what we have seen, as well as medical science and pyjer industries. I believe that Wood Oak has not yet unlocked its full potential and we are capable, together of making it the most prosperous city on Earth." He receives a loud applause from the other associates in the room upon finishing his speech. Clearly, he stands out in his demeanour against the other candidates. The man grins at the table, but feels sligtly uneasy when he notices Axel Stone reading him from across the room with a blank expression on his face.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5pm, and finally the day at City Hall is over.

Chief Inspector Clark shakes Axel's hand then thanks him once again for covering for DC O'Neil. Today has been a real eye opener with a room full of many innocent professionals tied up in this, as well as a number of corrupt leaders in the city. In time, they will be dealt with and bought to justice but it will be far from easy and way more complicated than any assassination job.

Axel waits behind as the rest of the room begins to vacate the premises. Inside, all he can feel is rage burning up. Rage and anger at the people in this room, especially the man who killed his parents. He clenches his fists tightly, then takes a deep breath to calm the fire inside him.

"Hey, are you ok?" DC Bailey approaches him.

"I'm good, just tired after the long day. But I'm good", Axel gives him a convincing smile.

"Well done. You made it through the first City Hall meeting. I'll see you at the dinner next week".

"See you", Axel waves him goodbye.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As the late afternoon approaches, Blaze is stationed with two other members of her team patrolling the harbour as well as neighbouring areas. It has been a long day so far, but Blaze senses something nearby is wrong. In the distance, she suddenly spots a fisherman running towards her shouting for help.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She asks as a look of horror appears on the man's face.

"Please come with me, someone is in the water!".

Blaze immediately runs over to the direction where he came from with two other officers close behind her. To their horror, the spot a rotting body of a young boy which is then lifted from the water by a stretcher. The smell of the body is strong and it is clear that it must have been in the water for at least a week.

Blaze reaches for her radio "This is Central Agent Fielding 620 over…. We are stationed by Maylands Canal where a body has been discovered in the water. It appears to be a young black male, between the ages of 14-16, one gunshot wound to the face, black jeans, blue jumper…."

She pauses for a moment, placing one hand over her mouth. "Oh my God. This could well be the case I was given for the missing boy, Kadeem Saunders. Nadine, please contact his mother as soon as you can, we will need the body to be identified once the forensics are done here".

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Axel decides to head straight home after the exhausting day he had at City Hall. After reaching his penthouse appartment, he opens the door and finds Adam with his clothes and empty takeout bags scattered around the appartment. He can see that Adam has been taking full advantage of his games console, but looking much better than yesterday.

"Hey man, how was the counselling session today?"

Adam pauses his game then places down the control pad on the couch. He smiles, "you know what? It was good! The last couple of days have been good. I realize theres still a way to go after the relapse, but I'm starting to get my shit back together. Everything is beginning to make sense and I think I will be ready to come back to work in a couple of days. I really needed this break".

"Have you spoken to Keri yet about going back?"

"No, but she should be here any minute to drop off some clothes for me. If she's not here soon I have no choice but borrow some of yours..."

"Let's hope she gets here soon then," Axel laughs.

#Buzzer rings#

Axel answers. "Thank you Keri that was perfect timing. Now I don't have to worry about my stuff going missing" he jokes as he opens the apartment door.

"I see he's made himself at home then," Keri smiles as she glances over towards Adam. "You look good," she says to her man.

"You look even better," Adam gives her a warm smile. "I've missed you baby",

"I missed you too," she replies.

Axel reaches for his keys then puts on his jacket. "I'm gonna leave and give you some space to talk. I need to head out anyway to collect a couple of things from the office..."

"Wait!" Keri stops him. "I need to talk to you and Adam first before you leave Ax"

"What's wrong?" Adam sits up concerned.

"I think Sammy is in trouble..." She hands over a piece of the broken skateboard along with the paper left on the porch from this morning.

"Shit! that's a syndicate message!" Adam replies, unnerved. "They know where we live, I'm guessing the surveylance at the house was switched off too".

"Where's Sammy now?" Axel asks.

"He's picking up Cherry from Friday swimming club then going home".

"We need to move, now!" Adam insists. "Keri please stay here we won't be long..."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It's a fifteen minute walk home for Sammy and Cherry,

"Hey, you must be hungry after all that swimming today". His niece replies in her own cheeky way, "hell yeah!"

"Well, your mom said I can either cook you something, or we can get some tacos?"

"I want tacos!" She replies without hesitation.

"Thought so!" He laughs.

As they walk the last street a couple of minutes from the house, Sammy remains cautious. It's still light outside with another orange sunset in the distance, but the streets are unusually quiet for this time of day. Sammy then notices a couple of the thugs from his school hanging around one corner of the street.

"Yo Sammy, where you at?" One of them shouts out. He ignores them and continues to walk holding tightly onto Cherry's hand. It is only around 200m until they are home.

"Hey Sammy, I'm talking to you! Where the fuck you been?!" The three thugs who have bicycles draw in closer.

"Yo T, I'm alright. Let me take my niece home and I will come and talk to you..."

Tyrone spits back, "Fuck you Sammy! And fuck you for ghosting us."

"Wait a minute," Sammy replies.

He then kneels down infront of his niece. "Listen C, I'm going over there to talk to these guys for ten minutes. Can you do me a favour?"

She nods up at him.

"Run back to that taco store a couple of doors away as quickly as you can. The guy in there forgot to give us our change. Stay there until I come back, ok? If I'm not back in ten ask the server to call your dad." Without saying anything, she quickly runs in the other direction while Sammy walks over to the three boys.

"Where the fuck is my boy Kadeem?" Tyronne asks.

"They shot him T, he's dead! You need to stop dealing with Donovan he's fucked up! I can help you get out of the City…"

Unexpectedly, Tyrone charges at Sammy with a knife that he pulls out concealled under his jacket. Fortunately, Sammy is fast enough to dodge the blade. The other two boys also try to attack him with their own knives. It is a struggle with three against one, but the skateboarder is a great fighter and is more than capable of defending himself against these street thugs. With ease and with speed, he defends himself by disarming all three teenagers then kicking them hard in the head to the ground where they remain disorientated. "Don't ever come near me or my niece again!" He orders.

However, as Sammy looks up further down the road, he can see Donovan who has grabbed onto Cherry.

Sammy yells whilst running over. "Let her go! It's me you wantl! I'll do anything just don't hurt her!"

Donovan smirks, tightly holding onto the little girl who he has picked up in the air. "Get out your cell phone and call your brother down here now! Don't say anything else, you and the girl are coming with me..."

"Okay..." Sammy replies.

A familiar voice from behind them interrupts. "I'm already here motherfucker!"

Donovan has a second of shock on his face as he turns around. "Hunter, if you want your little girl to live, get your ass in that car over there with your brother."

"Tell your connect to go fuck himself! And before you try anything to hurt my daughter, you will die. Now let her go!" As Donovan starts to reply the grin on his face fades, he feels a gun pressed against the back of his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he finds Axel there with his hood up and ski mask on, hiding his face.

"You heard the man.." Axel replies.

Donovan immediately drops his knife then slowly releases Cherry to the ground. The first thing she does is runs over towards her father. Donovan laughs in disbelief to himself "Got me there didn't ya! You two are cops, I'm sure this is aint how cops are supposed to operate… Your man here wouldn't seriously shoot me in cold blood in the middle of the street would he? Your just gonna arrest me right?" He smirks with his hands in the air.

The sight of the gun sends the three young wounded boys running away as quickly as possible.

"Sammy please take Cherry back to the house and make sure she's ok", Adam orders. After they leave, Adam and Axel force Donovan with the gun to walk into an empty alley.

Adam then angrily kicks and punches him against the wall over and over again. "Ya'l think you can step to me and threaten my family like that?" He continues to beat the crap out of Donovan for a good 3 minutes. The thug spits blood as he stares back up at Adam. "When my boss finds my body, you two will be fucked either way. This means war!"

Adam stops the beating for the moment then crouches down as Donovan struggles to crawl away.

"No, it doesn't work like that. See your about to die slowly and there will be no trace of you left by the time we're finished. The feds won't be able to identify you, even with those ugly teeth that I knocked out!"

Axel then hands over the gun to Adam before removing his hood, gloves and ski mask. Donovan instantly recognises his enemy's face as he has seen him fight in the past. Without saying a word, Axel tightly knots a cloth around Donovan's mouth, preventing him making any noise, even though he tries his best to move and escape.

He then places one hand in front of Donovan's chest, emitting a small flame which quickly turns into an intense fire that burns the man's body. The pain is unbearable and excrutiating for Donovan. He wimpers, unable to yell with his mouth gagged.

The last words he hears are Adam's as he stares at him in the eye whilst his organs burn. "No one fucks with my family, ever".

Chapter Text

9 - Dinner Date

It's a quick visit back to Adam's house where the group frantically pack their clothes and any necessary items needed until they find another place to live where the Syndicate have no information or address. Working at this level in the police sends you many enemies along the way and for Adam, it is an even greater risk now with his family involved. He and Axel also use the opportunity to change and burn their clothes as they may contain criminating evidence against them.

It's around a half an hours drive back to Axel's apartment which is situated closer to Wood Oak Central. They leave Adam's small suburban area with Sammy and Cherry as quickly as they can, knowing that once Donovan's associates realize he is missing, they will send more trouble.

"Are you sure you're ok with this Brady bunch taking over your apartment for the next day or so?" Adam asks from the passenger side.

"You and your family will be safe there, it's for the best," Axel replies.

"Don't I know! The surveylance at your place is a bitch!" Adam nods.

"Theres also ammo and cash there if you need it. Don't worry, we'll figure this all out. Just lie low until the whole thing blows over. Keri and Cherry can take my room, Sammy can take the couch. While I'm out make yourself useful and get yourself a sleeping bag", Axel suggests.

"And what about you? You staying with Jess?...Or someone else?"

"No, I'll probably be out most of the night working. I got that meeting later on I told you about outside the office. I think I might know who X is..."

"Jesus! And you're telling me this now?" Adam replies, shocked that Axel never said anything about it earlier.

"Listen, you got a lot on your plate right now. Handle your business first and we'll talk about it tomorrow". Axel briefly glances through the drivers mirror back at Sammy who is sat with Cherry asleep on his lap. "Kid, you ok?" He asks.

"Yeah, that was close! I'm sorry this is all my fault..." the boy looks down with guilt.

"I'll talk to you later, don't even get me started right now!" Adam shakes his head annoyed.

Axel defending Sammy replies. "I know he lied to you, but he got mixed up with the wrong friends. It's done now and you're all ok that's all that matters. All of us have got involved with the bad people at some point in our life".

Sammy feeling ashamed apologizes once again, "I'm sorry bro."

"I know. But you need to be completely honest with me from now on," Adam answers this time with a softer tone.

Axel then questions the boy. "Sammy, Keri found your skateboard on the porch earlier today broken up. Is there anything else we need to know about these people you saw?"

They stop the car at a diner on the way back. Fortunately, there is a small kid's playground at the venue that they can see out the back where Cherry is keen on going to. Not such a bad idea to take her mind off of everything that happened earlier.

"Its fine babygirl, Daddy can see you from here." Adam smiles. "We're just ordering the food to take out, it will only take ten minutes..." He gives her a big cuddle, grateful at the fact that his precious daughter is unharmed. The thought of losing Cherry is the worst thing ever and as it shows from tonight, Adam will go to any lengths to protect her and his family.

"Uncle Sammy promised I could have tacos!"

Adam can't help but smile as he looks over towards his younger brother thinking, 'thank God I didn't lose you either'.

While they wait for the food, Sammy comes clean, explaining everything starting with last Thursday and the event's that led to Kadeem's death.

"One of the other departments must be dealing with the missing report." Axel remarks. "We need to find the body first and confirm cause of death. Sammy, I need you to come to the precinct with me tomorrow to explain all of this again so that we can get an official statement from you."

"Ok, I will" Sammy agrees.

"Also, given that you have been to a Syndicate residence, the police will want to work closely with you."

Adam replies this time, "no wonder they wanted to find us both! They probably tried your school also. You're lucky they haven't succeeded in killing your ass as you so much information about them!"

"Yeah but why did you think they didn't kill him? They could have if they came to your house earlier..." Axel and Adam stare at each other for a moment with caution, both knowing full well that the Syndicate have an agreement with someone high in the rankings not to touch a cop or their family unless it's absolutely necessary.

"I'll call the sketch artist and graphics officer down tomorrow when you give your statement so that we can identify your friend's killer. In the meantime, stay put in the apartment. They will start to come looking for you when they can't reach Donovan", Axel explains.

Adam who is concerned looks over to his brother: "I er wanna apologize to you. I'm sorry I haven't been there the past few days. I know you've been helping Keri out also. I don't want you to worry about any of this, we got your back. And as for my issues, I'm working on it kid and I will fix it. I'm just glad you're ok". It's an emotional and rare hug for these two brothers who are both feeling grateful to be alive.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It's a massive relief for Keri to be reunited with Cherry and Sammy back at the appartment. As soon as she sees her daughter, she embraces her with so much love. She then tightly wraps her arms around Sammy, grateful that he is ok. Then finally, she turns to her man Adam, giving him a long kiss on the lips. "I missed you. Thank you for bringing them back safe", she smiles.

It's a happy moment for the family who understand that although they will have to move elsewhere and lie low until this is all fixed, they still have each other and can protect themselves from the Syndicate. It's also the perfect opportunity over dinner to announce Keri's happy news which Adam is over the moon about.

"Hey Ax, want a chicken taco or the meat one?" She asks as she organizes the five takeout bags.

"Thanks Keri but I'm good. I gotta go and handle some business. You know where all the plates and all that are..." He gestures casually to the kitchen, unsure himself which cupboard they are in.

"You sure?" She asks.

"Yeah. In the meantime enjoy your dinner, you have a lot to talk about and celebrate…" he smiles taking one taco from the bag to go with a wink from his eye. As he gets ready to leave, Axel pauses in his tracks for a second, feeling a little envious of his best friend. He is happy that Adam is reunited with his family, but he can't help but feel an emptiness inside of him as he observes from a distance. Although having his own family with kids has never been a consideration before, Axel can see that he is starting to miss out on something bigger than a career. Is all this success he has worked hard for really worth that sacrifice? He thinks to himself.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Axel takes the elevator down to the ground floor past the concierge and mailboxes. As he opens the door out to the street, out of nowhere, Jess appears right in front of him.

"Hi! Look, I know you got company upstairs. I saw you with Adam's family entering the building with suitcases. But I couldn't help it, I had to see you..."

Axel immediately feels annoyed that he didn't notice he was being watched by her earlier. "Have you been waiting here all this time?" He cautiouslly glances around, making sure that no one else has followed them.

Jess smiles with enthusiasm. "Yes! I thought, maybe now that you've finished work we could go out and get some dinner together. You can stay at my place tonight if you want..."

"Adam is having a few problems with his house so his family are staying upstairs. Thank you for for the offer but I'll will be ok, honestly."

Jess then puts her arms around him. "I didn't come here to talk about Adam, I've missed you! You haven't returned any of my calls or messages. What's goin' on Axel?"

He slowly backs away from her, removing her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry Jess, I don't wanna do this right now". He can smell the alcohol under her breath as well as Jess's agitated demeanor. Axel can see that she is all dressed up and ready to go for a Friday night. Blue Manolo high heals, thick curls and makeup whilst flashing a short tight blue dress under her coat.

Jess laughs, "Come on, I thought you liked this dress… I don't need to keep it on for much longer," she playfully whispers in his ear.

"No, stop doing this! You're high right now and I told you, at the beginning everything was casual and things were cool with us. But I can't keep going back and forth with you. It's over now, accept it. I got a lot of shit to focus on in my life, I'm sorry. I'll call you a cab and..."

She brashly interrupts, annoyed with his honesty. "You know what your problem is Axel? You need to lighten up! I know that we can still have more fun together, it's that simple..."

"Listen to yourself! I told you I'm not doing this anymore Jess. I'm sorry if I led you on but you and I are a mistake! There's nothing else there. Whatever you think we had doesn't exist. And it's over. I'm sorry,"

Her expression instantly changes to one of anger with him.

"Let me call you a cab. Take the day off work tomorrow and sort yourself out", he sighs.

"Fuck you Axel! I can call one for myself. And yeah, your right I had my fun with you, I used you and you should know I've never stopped having fun elsewhere!" She bitterly replies.

"Whatever you want, Jess I'm done!" He starts to walk away.

"You'll regret this!" She shouts at him with anger.

Ignoring her, her continues to leave without a second thought. 'Adam sure is a good judge of women', Axel thinks to himself, recalling a conversation they had together about Jess one time.

An awkward start to the night but this altercation was only going to happen sooner or later. Lesson learnt, Axel thinks to himself.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8pm sharp.

Blaze walks out of the subway right on time, scanning her surroundings with caution that she is not being followed. A rare sight tonight, but she is dressed very smart and business like in attire for the evening. With black heals, tight pin striped black dress, a smart blazer jacket with her hair out and even the right amount of makeup and red lipstick to finish her look.

#phone rings#

Blaze reaches into her handbag. "I'm almost there but you need to make this quick as I have an important meeting at 9pm".

#hangs up#

She continues to observe the dark streets and alleys around, ignoring the wolf whistles aimed at her in the distance. This part of the city is Chinatown, but the old section. Compared to it's upgrade a mile away, this run down area is controlled by the Yakuza of Wood Oak City. It's very easy to find a coke dealer within 10 metres of this place and she receives 5 offers in the space of 3 minutes.

Blaze then makes her way through the night market which is a little busier than the previous street. It is full of fresh fish and fruit, with Asian restaurants and café's surrounding it. The sound of chimes blowing in the wind from above block out the frantic voices around the market stalls. The smell of incense mixed with raw fish dominates the air around. Towards the end of the night market, the street lights fade out to where there is a dark abandoned bridge. To the side of it lies another alley and a row of quietier shops and restaurants. Blaze knocks slowly five times on one of the tinted windows.

A short, stocky man then answers the door.

"Is Uncle Gilbert around?" She asks.

He nods then takes her to the back of the empty restaurant and down a flights of stairs to the basement. It leads to a bare, lit room with lots of scientific apparatus and computers scattered around it. Apart from a well organised lab, there is a small table with 4 chairs at the corner of the room.

A very tall 6ft 7 man then appears, coming out of the kitchen behind her. He is in his late 50s, bald with a long white moustache and Japanese in ethnicity. He is slim but muscular for his age. "Pleasure to see you again Miss Fielding!"

Blaze beams with a smile, "Likewise Professor Gilbert!"

Dr. Gilbert Zan has known Blaze for a number of years. She found him back in London when she stopped ignoring her own chi. He has advised her ever since, but has always been in hiding and is the only person alive today who knows and understands her secret and capabilities. Thirty years ago, a young scientist called Armen Glover suspected that his colleague Gilbert Zan was born with the phenomenon of chi. Zan trusted Glover with his secret but soon after, he was betrayed and imprisoned for five years as a living experiment. These were the darkest days of his life. Every day was torture with the scientists using his body and mind to create a living weapon. One night, Zan managed to escape Glover's lab. Glover's downfall was that he gave Zan too much power and he ended up turning on him as well as his other scientists in order to break free. As a result. Zan is now half human, half cyborg. He has mastered his own chi which changed and intensified into a deadly electrical force following the hundreds of experiments they carried out on him.

"I hope you have been practising the exercises and meditation I have suggested to make your power stronger," Zan remarks.

"Yeah er, that's the thing! Every time I do them I get weak, my hands bleed. Its torture!"

"It's the only way! With more practise and time your body will grow use to it Blaze. Your downfall is your tension and impatience."

"But Professor I have been practising, you know that!" Blaze complains. "It's just, with these marks on my hands people are starting to get suspicious if you know what I mean..."

Zan smiles. "Don't worry, I will give you a homemade remedy to help those wounds heal faster, but you will have to bear the pain."

"Yes please! Like the other day, my asshole boss noticed the marks on my hands. I think he was stupid enough to believe my excuse, but it doesn't matter! I'm leaving that corrupted place anyway this is why I'm in such a rush as I have my interview tonight!"

"Ah I see! Still though, slow down, learn patience and it will help your chi. Wherever you go Blaze, there will always be corruption and negative energy, remember that. You need to learn to withstand and grow above it all," he advises.

Blaze smiles, nodding her head. Zan was always great at giving her his own life philosophy. "Thanks for the heart to heart professor, I guess you're right..."

"So what's wrong then?" He probes.

"I'm just... really unhappy at work," Blaze sighs.

"Why?"

"I don't know, it's all a bit too much right now. Not the cases, it's the people there. Most of them don't wanna work with me, they just don't get me. One of my bosses also runs the place like the military, so I'm always getting in trouble. Plus another guy is about to get my ass suspended for breaking his nose!"

Zan grins, "I'm guessing that temper of yours came out already?"

Blaze laughs, "something like that! So, professor what's this big news then that you have to urgently tell me?"

She pauses for a moment when she hears footsteps coming from the kitchen at the back. "Oh, I didn't know you had company?" She asks, feeling puzzled.

Immediately, Blaze eats her words and her heart skips several beats when she turns around to see the person who emerges from the other room behind her. Her face instantly reddens in shock as Axel emerges. This is akward, incredibly akward for her! He has just heard the entire conversation Blaze had with Zan and now he knows her secret. Never has Blaze wanted to sink into the ground so deeply and disappear as much as now.

"What the fuck!?" Her jaw drops. "Professor, why didn't you say…."

Zan, more enthusiastically replies, "This is Axel Stone. I believe he works at your department? You can learn a lot from him and his chi which he has now mastered. He will also be joining us for our meeting tonight".

Blaze is speechless. Her eyes wide open, jaw still dropped with her face flustered. And to make matters worse, all she wants to do right now is wipe off the smirk all over her superior's face. She is in disbelief... this can't be happening. 'And he has chi too!?'

Axel breaks the long silence as Blaze stares at him dumfounded. "Let me guess, came to get the electrics on your kettle fixed?"

Blaze breathing heavily now replies irritated in her tone, "YOU KNEW?"

"Of course I knew, I'm not as 'dumb' as you think!" He tilts his head to one side.

'He had to throw that one in there to make it even worse than this already is', she thinks to herself. For the first time ever, Blaze has been silenced and has no comeback, feeling very uncomfortable in his company.

"You're unbelievable! Your worse than I imagined... this can't be happening..." she mutters under her breath, now embarrased and annoyed as she paces up and down the room.

"Look, I get it! Your pissed off at me for not telling you. But I wasn't going to risk mine getting out either! Let's just move on now, Zan has briefed me already on why we are here. It's gonna take a while to explain, but you really need to hear this".

The trio walk over to the table, Blaze still reddened and feeling flustered as they sit.

Zan starts their meeting together. "My scientist has been spending a considerable amount of time working within the Syndicate over the last 18 months. He has risked his life to feedback information to us and our sources so that we can plan ahead. It's not good news I'm afraid. Currently, two of the highest members in the Syndicate, Tiger and Shiva who have similar powers to you both have been storing their energy gradually over time. Their aim is to use it to create nuclear weapons and cyborgs. When they finish, their plan is to take control of the city. The results could be catastrophic..."

Blaze grins, still in disbelief at what she is hearing. "Tiger? Shiva? What are they some circus duo?"

Axel ignoring her comment replies, "we also believe that 'Mr X', the leader of the Syndicate is this man Xavier Williams". He then passes over a small black and white photograph of the man. The smile on Blaze's face instantly drops as she pauses staring at the picture in shock.

Axel continues. "I saw him today at City Hall. He is a powerful individual as one of the councillors of the city who is about to campaign for Senate. Judging by the reaction of the city officials and the money in his pocket, odds are he will win the election".

Blaze responds with horror on her face. "Oh my God! If he gets anymore political power he will use these weapons to strengthen his cause. We have to assassinate him!"

Zan intervenes, "It's not that easy. Mr X is well protected by his fighters in the Syndicate and has friends within the police department and attorneys".

Blaze then angrily turns to Axel. "And you're continuing to allow this in your department? Who is working for them? Tell me!"

"You're forgetting that the mole came from your Red district department where Ramos was murdered first. Honestly, I don't know but whoever is with them, they are in a powerful position and close to the attorneys. My logic tells me that it could be DC O'Neil and anyone else who works close to him. We need to be sure first before we do anthing."

Blaze feeling concerned can't help but ask, "And Adam?... is he..?"

"No! That I know for sure and so should you", Axel insists.

Zan replies to them. "Any full scale assassination attempt on Mr X by an officer will result in them being arrested and killed. It also wouldn't mean the end of the Syndicate as there are enough criminals who would easily take over. Plus he has the backing of the Yamato Cult with Shiva working for him".

Axel then hands over the piece of paper found earlier with the circular symbol and seven stars scattered inside it.

"I recognize this", Blaze replies with worry on her face, understanding how serious this all is. "So how the hell are we supposed to beat them then?"

"We start from the bottom and work our way up, we have to be patient." Axel answers. "While X is focussed on this campaign, we buy time by jeopardizing each of his sources of income. Without money, the Syndicate would struggle. The bank, the clubs, casinos, strip clubs, everything."

"But you said that they have sources within the police force, how can we raid their asses?"

"One thing you should know is that this operation isn't going to involve the police."

"What do you mean?" Blaze queries, confused.

"Zan, Adam and I have our own underground team of fighters, hackers and ex criminals who want the Syndicate dead just as much as us".

"You're telling me a group of vigilantes can take down a whole criminal organisation led by a potential Senator and then cover it up?"

"It's our best shot! In the meantime we continue as normal working for the police department as they have an agreement not to kill any serving officers unless we pose a threat to their cause. I'd like you to consider joining us Blaze. You have the fighting capability plus your chi is a major advantage".

Zan interrupts the two of them. "But both of you need to keep this energy hidden! If you choose to use your chi when you fight, be sure to finish the job and cover yourselves. If the Syndicate ever discover that you possess this power, they will either turn you into a living weapon like they did with me, or they will drain everything you have to create their own nuclear weapons".

Blaze takes a deep breath, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. "So who else knows about you two?"

"Adam, and one more guy who works with us called Max," Axel answers.

Blaze shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know, I need to think this through. Besides, it's a struggle and its taking me forever to get stronger with this power."

Zan replies. "But you're a great fighter and we can fix that! After dinner though, you will need your strength first".

"Dinner!? Look guys I've heard what I've needed to and now I have to go."

She then turns to Axel. "I'm surprised you're staying here then. Weren't you suppose to go out for dinner tonight after work with your girlfriend?"

Axel replies grinning at her. "Girlfriend? I take it you've caught up with Jess then. Is that why you've been so grumpy with me since you got here?"

"Don't flatter yourself!" She bluntly answers.

She stands to walk away and leave but Zan shouts out. "Wait!...show her!"

As Blaze turns around, she is quickly fascinated to see a display of fire radiating from Axel's hands all the way up to his back. He walks forward, controlling the flames towards a blank human mannequin on the other side (used for one of Zan's experiments). Within a second, he projects his fire with full force, annihilating it in one go to nothing but ash. What is even more remarkable is that Axel is not burnt himself, only parts of his t-shirt ripped and blackened from the smoke.

Zan immediately reaches for the fire extinguisher, taking almost a minute to fully eliminate the flames left which feel hot and intense, even from a distance.

As Axel removes his shirt, Zan hands him a tub containing a white paste like an ointment that he carefully dips his hands into before rubbing it over them as well as his muscular tattooed arms and shoulders to reduce the effects of the heat radiated. Blaze tries not to stare as he walks over to his bag to pull out another shirt when he is finished. He definitely has great physique for a fighter and there is evidence that Axel has done a lot of fighting with some of those scars on his body.

"Now do you want to know how to maximise your power?" Zan asks Blaze.

Blaze pauses then proudly replies, competitive in her nature. "Please, that's nothing compared to the intensity of my powers". She is now keen and fired up to show the others what she is capable of and how much better she believes her power is.

"Good!" Zan replies. "It will take at least a year if you practise each day, that's if you possess as much power inside you as this."

"A year?! Yeah. sure I do, he's got the fire I give him that, but my chi is even more intense!" She brags.

Axel brings forward another mannequin "show us then", he challenges.

Blaze proceeds to remove her jacket, taking a deep breath to gain some focus. She closes her eyes then opens her palms, creating a small vacuum similar to a vortex around each hand. The vortex then turns into two round blue energy orbs. Blaze then opens her eyes and focuses on the mannequin, pushing her energy forward. The intensity is now at its limit and the pain is starting to get to her as she builds it up. She tries again and again to project her power at the maneqin, but it just isn't working!

"Shit!" Blaze abruptly closes her palms, depleting her power. She angrily kicks over the mannequin with frustration after feeling disappointed with herself.

"It's certainly there and it is powerful. You just need to learn to control it!" Axel tries to reassure her.

Blaze, now feeling faint and breathless replies "I need to go now..."

"No you need to sit down! You look pale!" Zan insists. He then takes her over to one of the chairs and hands her a glass of water.

"Wait a minute," Axel says. He then tears a bandage from his bag into two parts that he hands over to Blaze as her palms have started to bleed.

"Wrap these loosely around your hands. You will need the ointment later when the bleeding stops", he advises.

Blaze can be the most stubborn person at times and if there is one thing she despises, its failure.

"You need to eat Blaze! The food will be ready in ten minutes", the Dr insists.

"Professor, I have to go!"

He ignores her then leaves towards the kitchen.

Axel sits down on the opposite side of the table from her. "For Zan it's easier as he's been programmed to use the chi he was born with to be more powerful. We have to work harder to achieve that and I can show you how to do it."

"I don't need you to show me anything, I can figure it out myself! Tell Professor Gilbert I can't stay..."

"So where is your interview then? I should know in case they want a reference and I need notice from you before you leave".

Blaze sighs. "I'm thinking of transferring back to London. Chief Andrew Bingham is visiting Wood Oak Police Department at Green District over the next few days and he can only carry out the interviews tonight".

Axel trying to hide his disappointment replies, "I see. Chief Bingham and his team are great, innovative and are a global task force. There's lots to learn from them".

"Yeah, they get around, you know them?" Blaze asks.

"Yes, very well actually. They trained at our department for a while. I even saw Andy briefly today at our meeting in City Hall".

Blaze can't help but feel slightly jelous. "Oh right. It doesn't matter now, I don't think I'm even going to make it now on time anyway. The last thing I want is to piss off anyone else with my punctuality issues".

To her surprise, Axel takes out his cell phone to make a call.

"Hi, its Lieutenant Stone here… I'm sorry about the late call this evening, is it a good time to talk?"

Blaze looks at him, curious at what he is doing as he places the phone down on the table and puts it on speaker mode.

"Hey Stone that's no problem at all, I hope the rest of the meeting today didn't drag on", The voice on the line is Andrew- another shock to add to Blaze's eventful evening.

Axel contines. "You know how it is! I'm calling because I have a favour to ask and I need to apologize to you. I believe you are expecting a member of my team, Detective Fielding for an interview tonight?"

Blaze is now feeling very nervous of what he might say. She stares at Axel with anxiety written all over her face reading 'please don't fuck this up for me...'.

"Yes we are expecting her at 9pm sharp".

Blaze whispers to herself frantically "Fuck fuck fuck!" But Axel signals to her to quieten down.

"You'll have to accept my apologies. As you know I've been handling DC O'Neil's duties. I gave Blaze an important case at the last minute to work on which had to be completed tonight. I completely forgot that she told me earlier about the interview, it's my fault she is running late."

"That's no problem whatsoever, if anything it does show how serious your detective takes her work and is willing to help you out at this busy time."

"Exactly! This is why I gave her this challenging case at the last minute. She is one of the best on my team and a great fighter. We'd be sad to see her go but this was only ever a temporary arrangement as Red District is being taken over by our department."

"I trust your word and if you say this one is good for my team, then I know it is true. Leave it with me and tell her not to worry, I will send Fielding an offer pending an official written reference from you or your DC on Monday. In the meantime enjoy the weekend! We should catch up over a drink soon if I see you before the commissioner's event next week before I leave town..."

Axel replies "Thanks Chief for your help, we will talk again soon!"

#Hangs up#

Blaze takes a deep exhale, astonished. "You didn't have to do that you know. It's my fault I'm late! I should never have come here..."

"You've practically got the job now anyway what's the difference?"

Blaze shrugs not knowing whether to celebrate or throw his cell phone in the trash can.

Axel sighs, feeling a sense of guilt. "I didn't realise you were so unhappy at Central, how long do you have until the transfer?"

"I believe it's between four to six weeks"

Axel feeling a little more disappointed than before asks, "that soon?"

Before anymore can be said Zan returns, breaking an airy silence with a tray of food whilst his assistant sets the table.

Blaze looks down at her plate, unsure what this dinner is in front of her.

"This is uni, please eat you need to gain your energy back", Zan insists.

"Uni?" Blaze frowns with disappointment.

"It's basically sea urchin along with rice on the side, a Japanese delicacy. It tastes better than it looks", Axel explains.

Reluctantly she tries a small piece but is still not impressed. She spends the next ten minutes pretending to eat, playing around with the food using her chopsticks whilst nibbling on the rice while the other two scoff the whole plate down quickly as if they have been famished for days. Having spent a few years fighting around Asia, Axel is use to all types of interesting food not regularly cooked in the West.

Blaze can't bear to eat anymore of this, but she politely waits until Zan and Axel have finished.

"Ok, it's a yes. I'll do it! I'm willing to fight alongside your team until I get my transfer..."

Chapter Text

10 - Beautiful Dawn

The night has quickly flown by where it is already 11:30pm. So far since dinner earlier, Zan, Axel and Blaze have discussed strategies and options of where they can start in breaking down the Syndicate, any information they can build on and when Blaze can train with them. They have also spoken about Kadeem's death and Sammy and what they should do to keep him safe.

"Pass me some more Saki please", Zan's words slur more by the hour. He often refers to his warm Saki as medicinal to help him sleep, but he needs quite a bit first before it kicks in. "Blaze are you sure you don't want to try this? It will cure your sleeping issues..." he suggests.

"I'm fine Dr, thank you! I'll leave the Saki to you and Axel".

"You're missing out!" Axel replies. "The amount we've had this evening is nothing compared to when Max is with us. Hopefully you'll meet the rest of the team tomorrow, plus Adam will be there too".

"Glad to hear it! Adam and I haven't really caught up properly since I returned... Well thanks for an interesting evening guys, but I'd best get going now. I wouldn't wanna be late for work in the morning, right boss?" She smirks at Axel. "See you guys tomorrow".

She leaves them to finish their drink and heads upstairs to exit the premises back towards the bridge.

The street is much quieter than earlier, darker and the night market in the distance has fully closed.

"Hey Blaze, do you need a ride back home?" She turns around to find Axel who has run upstairs to follow her out. "I'll be fine thanks, I'm planning to get the subway home".

"You won't make it the last train was five minutes ago",

"Shit! Ok where is the nearest cab office?"

"About half a mile in the other direction through that park then past the dockyards. It's not very safe this time of night unless you want to find some Syndicate punks. You know, they pretend to be asleep on the benches in the park before they pull out a knife on their victims..."

Blaze smiles, "I have to see this then! It's their unlucky night and I need to get home..."

She starts to walk off with confidence in the other direction towards the park gates past the parade of closed restaurants. Suddenly, a thug with a knife jumps out from behind the gate running towards her. Blaze reacts quickly by blocking his knife then kicking it out of the man's hand before sending him crashing down on the floor with a final swift roundhouse kick.

Axel observes, impressed. "Nice work! He's out cold." He crouches down to examine the man's pockets for any ID or evidence whilst Blaze fixes her dress and jacket.

"I'm sure the Dr can interrogate this guy when he regains consciousness, he must have some information. Wait here a minute." Axel picks the body up over his shoulder with ease then carries the thug back into the restaurant above Zan's confinement.

A couple of minutes later he is back upstairs to the street surprised to find that Blaze is standing next to two further Yakuza fighters who are both injured and unconcious on the ground. "Told you it's their unlucky night" she grins feeling impressed with herself, unharmed without a sweat.

Zan then appears in the doorway of the restaurant. One of the fighters opens his eyes before trying to rise to his feet. Zan quickly skids over to the man, placing his hands around the Yakuza's head before electrocuting him. He then repeats this on the second fighter.

"Don't worry I will disperse the bodies. A Yakuza will never betray his master by providing information, so that punk downstairs is our only option", the Dr explains.

It's the first time that Blaze has ever seen Professor Gilbert use his powers on someone else and she is in awe at how much energy he has. Axel gives Zan a nod goodbye before he turns to Blaze, "let's get outta here".

Blaze and Axel end up walking through many of the dangerous areas of this part of the city situated beside derelict train tracks and abandoned buildings. To their surprise however, any trouble they expected has remained dormant. The talk between them is intriguing, mainly to do with how they learned to fight as well as tips they give each other for different kinds of opponent.

"Seriously, who would win if you were you against Adam and you couldn't use your chi?" Blaze queries.

"Well, we almost killed each other the other day," Axel laughs, remembering their fight. "I mean he's got the kicks, I'll admit that. But I got the fists so it's hard to tell..."

"Yeah well, I bet I could beat both your asses in the ring", Blaze proudly smirks.

"What makes you so sure?" Axel raises an eyebrow.

"You guys might be stronger, but I'm faster, more agile. And I'm smarter. Plus I never lose a fight,"

"hmmm... I know you'll hate it even more then when you lose against me," now it's his turn to brag.

"Bring it on!" Blaze cheekily challenges him.

"Alright, I'll give you 30 seconds. If you can hit me, I'll accept defeat".

"Oh, I don't need 30 seconds", Blaze stands folding her arms. "You'd better be ready,"

"Always," he grins with confidence.

Suddenly, an array of fast hooks and jabs brush past each side of Axel's face as he quickly manouvers to dodge Blaze's fists attacking from each side. She then decides to opt for kicks, aiming first towards his side then chest. He quickly twists, turns and ducks, narrowly avoiding her powerful kicks before the 30 seconds are up.

"Grrrr!" Blaze punches her palm with annoyance "I hate you even more now!"

"Hate to say it but I told you so..." Axel smirks.

"Well I went easy on you this time. You saw what I did to Mason's nose, you got lucky this time!" Immediately the two of them burst out laughing.

"I shouldn't laugh, but you did us a favour there!" He chuckles.

"So how much further is your car then?"

Blaze hadn't expected to walk for this long in her heels, but she is relieved that they have finally made it to a main busier street which is still buzzing from the Friday night traffic and open bars.

"It's not far from here..."

"How come you parked so far away?" She queries.

"It was easier not to be followed plus I didn't want to risk my car getting stolen or damaged. You've seen what it's like where Zan is and there is no surveylance around".

Blaze notices him taking out the remote key to unlock a black Porsche a couple of metres away. "Makes sense," she nods.

"So where is home?" He asks, opening the passenger door for her.

"All the way out past Red District, I did say it takes over an hour to commute into work!"

"I'll use GPS then, just type in your zip code here" He points to a touch screen monitor inside the car.

"Wait, wait, wait! You've been drinking with the Professor. Your way above the limit, how are you going to drive back?"

"Its fine, it don't affect me and no one is coming to breathalyse me any time soon..." Axel shrugs.

"And you call yourself a cop? Well I could book you right here if I wanted to!"

"You would, wouldn't you?"

"mmmhmmm" she proudly smiles.

Axel has no choice but to give in, handing her the key before they get out of the car to swap seats.

"OK, you can drive but on one condition, we go get some proper food on the way back! That sea urchin didn't quite do it for me,"

Blaze laughs, "alright deal!"

"And take it easy on my car!" before he can finish his sentence, Blaze has put the car into gear speeding off and driving like it's GTA. She's confident behind the wheel, has excellent control of the gears but she is too fast and just about dodging some of the obstacles in the road. The next ten minutes of the drive consists of Axel becoming a nervous wreck in fear that his car might not see another day whilst Blaze gets pissed off with other drivers, displaying her inner road rage. In spite of that, she seems to enjoy the thrill of the fast car.

"I've always wanted to drive one of these you know!" She comments enthusiastically while her passenger is holding on for dear life. The road quickly becomes darker, narrow and bendy. And what makes it worse is they have driven higher up in altitude on a cliff where the edge is just short of a steep drop. They spot a small diner still open near the top of the cliff, where Blaze decides to park the car outside - A huge exhale of relief for Axel.

The pair walk into the diner, near empty but are greeted by one of the waitresses. "Hey folks you'll have to make this fast, we close in 15 minutes so if you want food you'll need to take it away".

Axel understands as the time is now nearly 1:30am "That's fine, what do you have left?" He can see Blaze is very hungry having skipped the earlier dinner. "I can quickly get them to rustle up a couple of cheese burgers and fries?"

Blaze's face instantly lights up with joy, "thank you that would be amazing right now!"

The waitress smiles at them then replies "anything to drink?"

Blaze responds, "Can I get a chocolate shake please?"

"And I'll have an ice tea,"

Blaze looks at him trying not to laugh as the server hands over a bottle to him. "You are such an American! Where I'm from they would call this fake tea. You really haven't lived until you've tried a decent cup of English tea along with digestive biscuits!"

"I'll be sure to try it if I ever get to experience your home country."

"Honestly, the concept of iced tea is a wierd one for me..."

"You must miss it there then? I know that when I travelled for a couple of years in Asia whilst I was fighting, I missed all of the little things we take for granted at home", Axel replies.

Before they know it, 15 minutes pass by quick and the food is ready to take out. Blaze delves into her bag. "I'd like to get this. I think I owe you an apology for what I said earlier".

"Don't worry about it. I know you were referring to Adam, your other boss when you mentioned the asshole bit", he replies making her laugh.

The waitress then responds to Blaze. "Ah, that won't be necessary. He's already settled the bill". Axel must have sneakily paid when she visited the bathroom. Blaze, slightly taken back politely thanks him for the food before they leave the diner.

They sit outside on one of the benches next to the edge of the cliff looking out to the city below in the distance. The view is breathtaking, somewhere in the middle of a concrete jungle before them and nature behind them. The sound of crickets and some passing cars in the road behind them is the only thing that disturbs the quiet air up here. The gold city lights below dominate the stunning view whilst they tuck into the burgers and fries.

"So if Professor Gilbert didn't tell you about my chi, how did you know?" Blaze queries.

Axel looks at her having quickly finished his food. "I knew that night I first met you in Adam's office when you shook my hand. Caught me right off guard!" he smiles to himself.

"And is your girlfriend part of your team of vigilantes also?"

Axel defensively answers. "No, I don't have a girlfriend! If you must know, Jess and I were seeing each other for a while casually in secret outside the office, but I ended all that with her."

"Okay, that's good..." she replies, suddenly biting her tongue. "...I mean, it's not good to go through any kind of breakup. But you guys work together so it's probably for the best..." she akwardly says.

"So how are your hands feeling after earlier?" He asks, changing the subject.

Blaze smiles, "Yeah they're fine now!"

Axel holds out his hand as a peace offering.

"Honestly, I'm fine," she insists.

"Come on, let's see..."

Blaze anxiously starts to unwrap both of the bandages before opening out her palms in front of him. The deep cuts on each palm are a dark red, clearly very sore and painful.

"I only lost against you earlier because of this... oww!"

"Zan's homemade remedy, it works but this is going to hurt a bit", Axel replies as he takes out the tub of ointment the doctor gave him earlier. Blaze gives him a nod as he carefully takes her hand to apply it. The pain is nothing like she has ever experienced, it burns badly with Blaze trying not to scream or cry out each time. "How the hell did you manage to put this stuff all over yourself earlier?"

"I'm used to it but it's always the same pain every time". He then places her right hand with the deeper cut between his own two hands which feel very warm. Within a few seconds, the burning subsides. "Don't wrap your hands anymore tonight, they need air now to heal. You'll feel better by tomorrow.

Blaze looks up at him warily "Thank you". She continues, "You know, the first time I discovered this thing was the scariest day of my life..."

"What happened?" He asks, feeling intrigued.

Blaze laughs for a moment. "The day of my first period and I thought it couldn't get any worse! I was eleven and we were at a family barbeque. I wasn't feeling well so I ran to the back of the garden thinking I was going to be sick. When I turned around, I could see everyone at the party there staring at me strangely. I froze and I couldn't move, but when I looked down I saw these two small blue flames in my hands."

"What did they do?"

"My parents were very superstitious. All part of my father's Middle Eastern ancestry, plus generations of gypsy blood and psychics from my mother's side. Anyway, that night when we got home, I could hear my parents arguing downstairs saying it was the Djinn that possessed me and that my brother and sister can never talk about this again. My mum's brother Uncle Petrov suggested that burning me alive was the only way to stop it from harming the rest of our family and their honour". Blaze's eyes start to tear up.

"You don't have to explain…" Axel responds not wanting to stress her out anymore.

She wipes her eyes for a second, composing herself to continue. "That night my mother dragged me out of bed and put me in the car to go to my uncle's house to do it. I don't know what my father said to her outside, I just remember being terrified. My parents argued, I don't know what was said but my dad ended up driving me far away into the countryside on his own with the logs of wood still attached to the car. We ended up at a stranger's house, they were an older couple. He kissed my forehead goodbye and that was the last time I ever saw him.

He left an envelope with the couple that was full of cash and the next day they used it to enrol me into boarding school using their family name, Fielding. I knew that I had started a new life. And if I tried to go back, the rest of my family would burn me alive, so I never saw them again. I'm guessing my father told them he did it himself as I found out that everyone moved out here to Wood Oak City a year later and no one ever came back to search for me."

"I'm so sorry", Axel replies feeling horrified and genuinly sad at what she went through.

"For this reason, I spent years being afraid to use this power, as well as fire. Shit I'm sorry I don't know why I've said all this to you, usually I have problems sleeping at night but I must be tired. Please, let's just keep this between us".

"It's ok Blaze, I understand and I respect you. You're stronger than anyone I know to have come through that."

"I'm really not inside, and honestly I don't know how much I can help your cause."

"Adam told me what the Syndicate did to your family when they moved out here and why you joined the police force. Despite them turning their backs on you, your still fighting to avenge them. If that's not strong, I don't know what is." Blaze instantly feels a sense of relief as if a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

"Thank you. I've never spoken about this to anyone,"

"I understand. And as for the fire fear, well you've come to the right place for help with that," he smiles.

"I guess your not that bad after all," she playfully elbows his arm.

"I gotta tell you now about the first time I discovered my chi".

"Fire away..." Blaze smiles.

"You know, I accidently burnt down my dad's garage with his prized BMW parked inside. I must have been about five years old."

"I can see where you get your protective instincts over your car from then!" She chuckles.

"I was lucky! Being the only child, mom and dad forgave me then sent me to Japan to study Ninjutsu and other martial arts. Living in a sacred ancient city, secluded from any society taught me so much more about the world and myself. Living amongst nature is a powerful thing. My Sensei showed me how to control and strengthen my chi from a young age."

"That's pretty cool. I wish I started early but I'm grateful to have studied years of Judo which helps. What happened when you came back to Wood Oak?"

"Well I returned when I was eleven to start high school here and luckily there were no more of my dad's cars burnt! My parents were ex cops who owned a Dojo in the City which is where I continued to train, entering competitions- that's how I met Adam! His family became part of ours and they also lived in our neighbourhood. We've been like brothers ever since. When I was 17, school didn't work out so I left Wood Oak to enrol in the military."

"Your mum and dad must be proud of you".

"Yeah they were," he replies, staring into the distance.

"I'm so sorry," she replies, feeling guilt.

"I'm sorry you lost your family too".

"It's was all my uncle's fault. He was the head of Wood Oak's largest drug cartel before the Syndicate. He had it coming, but they didn't have to wipe everyone else out. My parents, my younger brother and sister, cousins, they were all innocent. The saddest thing is the Syndicate never knew I existed, so I was the only one who survived" she explains.

"The head of the syndicate killed my parents too. They destroyed our house, our dojo, everything whilst I was serving in the military. I regret it every day that I wasn't there to protect them. You know, when I sat opposite that man earlier today who murdered my parents, I looked into his eyes without showing an ounce of emotion. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do".

For the first time, Blaze can see that this man next to her who she once thought as cold and composed has opened up and trusted her. His walls start to break down, chipping away at the surface to reveal another person with the same emotional burdens, sadness, vulnerability and strength all tied together. She draws in closer, gently putting her arms around him whilst he wraps his around her, burying his head next to her shoulder. They share a long affectionate hug, recognizing that they both understand one another's struggles.

"I could stay here for hours," Blaze smiles.

"Then lets stay like this," Axel replies, not letting her go.

"You don't have to always be strong. When you're feeling weak and when they get to you like this, I got your back".

"I got yours too", he replies.

It's comforting to know that someone else in this world is battling the same demons as you and that they can battle them with you.

The pair sit there in each others arms for hours, with their energy as serene as ever until dawn breaks over the city below.

Chapter Text

11 - Sammy's Turmoil

5:30am and both Blaze and Axel have agreed for him drive her back to his apartment to save some time with their work beginning at eight. With his place being nearer to the city centre, there is at least a chance of a couple of hours sleep.

Last night changed the both of them forever. All of their lives, they had grown up in their own world knowing they were different to others. And then came the hardship of losing their families. For so long they were stuck in a lonely place. Now it felt as if they were no longer alone and the pair had a good understanding of one another. And even though they had only known each other for a short space of time, their connection was strong and was growing stronger.

"Once I have a shower and a coffee I need to get back to the office", Axel says with both eyes on the road ahead.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok without any sleep?" Blaze asks, concerned next to him.

"I'll be ok. Keri and Adam still get up early on a Saturday so you'll be able to get a few hours' sleep when we arrive back at the apartment. Adam has his car so he can take you home to pick up a change of clothes if you feel like coming into work later. Otherwise take the day to rest."

Both of them are clearly exhausted, but they each needed that night of talking and opening up about their past. As a result, they have a mutual understanding of why they are who they are, as well as the road ahead they must face together in order to avenge their families. Now that Axel's past is out in the open to someone else, the burden feels a fraction lighter than it used to be. His focus is even clearer now and he knows that his parent's killer must be brought to justice, having done the same to others. And he won't stop until it's done. All these thoughts and plans are whirling around through his head during the silent drive home and the talk they had has made him determined more than ever to fight and succeed.

Unfortunately for the person sitting next to him in the passenger seat, this has all bought back too many painful memories that she wishes she had blocked out last night. As Blaze looks down at her cut hands she can't hold back the tears any longer and she breaks down, trying to stay quiet as Axel is focussed on the road. He is quickly drawn away from his thoughts of how he is going to take down the Syndicate when he realises she is crying next to him. Without saying anything, he takes Blaze's hand and closely holds it for the rest of the drive back.

"It's gonna be ok, you don't have to fight alone anymore", he says to her as she nods back.

Axel parks the car in one of the spaces reserved underneath the block, still gently holding onto her hand. "I promise you we will defeat every last one of them together". It's hard for Axel to know what she is thinking at this moment in time, but he knows Blaze is exhausted and feeling vulnerable about letting her guard down. "Come on, let's get you upstairs so you can get some sleep".

Blaze tiredly nods then they both make their way to the elevator and up to his apartment. This all feels like one long nightmare right now for Blaze having relived the memories of her past in her head, experiencing all the emotion and heartache that her 11 year old self shouldn't of. She has oppressed these feelings for years and has never faced up to them or talked about them until now until now. But she is too tired that this all feels like one draining blur.

As Axel unlocks the door, he slowly lets go of her hand knowing that Adam and the others are inside. The first thing that hits Blaze is the smell of pancakes and eggs. It's already 6:30am now and everyone is up, the TV is on and the curtains are wide open. The new day has begun but it all seems so strange to her. How can everything be so normal right now? How can she even face the day?

Keri and Adam come out of the kitchen to the hallway to say good morning, puzzled as to why Blaze is here so early, but Keri is very happy and thrilled to see her again after such a long time.

Keri walks over to her beaming with excitement. "Blaze! Damn girl it's so good to see you! How's it going working with these two stooges?"

Blaze is still feeling shaken and drained so she struggles to register that Keri is talking to her and she is unable to respond as her thoughts remain elsewhere. As Keri draws in closer she can see that the pair have stayed up all night, tired eyes without any sleep and that Blaze had been crying.

Keri now feeling concerned reaches out to give her a hug. "Sweetheart what happened? You look like you've seen a ghost, what the hell is going on?"

Adam also glances over towards Axel with concern, expecting some answers.

"Is Cherry still asleep in the bedroom?" Axel asks.

"No she's up with Sammy watching TV in the front room". Keri then turns to Blaze. "Come with me honey, you look like you could use some sleep urgently." Without saying anymore, Keri takes her to the bedroom with an extended bathroom so that Blaze can wash her face, change into something comfortable then get some rest.

As they leave Adam turns to Axel. "Are you gonna tell me what's goin' on then? Why Blaze is at your appartment?"

"It's not what you think..." Axel then changes the subject. "I gotta leave in ten minutes! Good thing Sammy is up he can come to the precinct with me this morning to write up his statement".

"That doesn't answer my question. What the fuck is going on with you two?"

Axel gives in as he knows Adam won't back off until he is satisfied with an explaination. "Last night Blaze was there at the meeting with Dr. Zan. They know each other".

"How the hell does she know the doc?" Adam asks, surprised.

"How do you think?"

It finally dawns on Adam the reason why she was at the meeting. "Shit, not two of you?!. We need to be careful with these powers of yours. That shit can't get out, the Syndicate will use it against us! So is Blaze gonna fight with us or out?"

"She's in", Axel nods.

"And what took you both so long?"

"We stayed up outside on a bench for most of the night talking to each other about our past..."

"Talking? All night? That's a first for you!"

"I'm fucking serious man, we spoke a lot. She told me a lot about her parents, her chi, everything! I opened up to her about mine and why I want the Syndicate dead".

"So you two didn't, you know..."

"NO!" Axel insists.

"Good. Because I care about Blaze like a younger sister. We go way back! If it was any other girl, I wouldn't give a fuck. We've known each other for years and she's had a lot of bad luck. No disrespect, but the last thing she needs is a guy like you charming your way onto your next..."

"I get what your saying," Axel interrupts locking eyes with his best friend. "It's not like that, I'm tellin' you..."

"Ok. Because she's got a lot of issues, major issues. So you two best keep your feelings clear and focus on the task ahead."

"Believe me, I am" Axel reassures him. "Ready kid?" He turns his attention to Sammy who now has his jacket on.

"Ready as I'll ever be..."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Here, you're gonna need this. It's likely to be a long morning for the both of us". Axel hands over an energy drink to Sammy inside the car after stopping at a service station.

"What happens after I give my statement then?"

"Well, we'll see what evidence we got, investigate further then…"

"No. I mean, what happens to me?" Sammy asks.

"It's likely that you will have to testify as a witness to your friend's murder. In the meantime they will want to put you under witness protection"

"No no, I can't! I ain't goin' through witness protection shit..."

"Don't panic kid. You and I both no there's no place safer than staying around your brother and me. We will register you under witness protection so they think your in hiding. Trust me, your brother and I have a plan to keep us all safe".

"I know what you two are doing outside of work. I wanna come and to fight alongside you!"

Axel shakes his head. "Sammy right now you need to keep a low profile. You're not ready yet. One day, maybe, but not right now."

"But I can fight!" Sammy insists.

"Against thugs your age and gang members, yes. But the gansters who control them are on another level. Your not ready for that yet. We dealt with Donovan, but anyone else who knows your face is still looking for you so until we've caught Tiger, I'm sorry kid but you gotta stay out of sight".

Sammy understands the consequences of his actions, feeling guilty for getting involved in this.

"Listen, when we get to the building, don't leave my side." Axel instructs. "Another officer will have to take your statement and question you. I'll be sitting in the room with you as your supervising adult so don't stress."

He parks the car and looks directly at Sammy's face, locking eyes with him. "I want you to remember everything you say for that statement in case you're put on the stand. Tell them exactly what you told me, the drugs, Kadeem, everything. Just tell them the truth."

"Won't they arrest me for dealing?" He worriedly asks.

"No, I'll take care of that".

"Ok thanks…."

"Stay focussed on this and keep a cool head in there".

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It's a long morning with Sammy in the interview room for over three hours. The only time Axel leaves his side is to take care of the morning briefing in between as well as a couple or errands when they have a break from the interview, but Sammy is never too far away from him. It is difficult for the teenager to recall every last bit of information. From the tattoos he saw on Tiger, to the carpet, to Kadeem's T-shirt- it's all exhausting and confusing. On top of this, picturing the moment his best friend got killed and describing the lead up to it was the hardest thing for Sammy.

"It's ok kid, you're doing well. Tell them how you got away..." Axel reassures him as the tape continues to record. It is also strange for the two officers in uniform interviewing this regular teenager who is the brother of one of their superiors.

Finally, after the interview is over and the description of Tiger is taken for the sketch artist, it is a huge relief for Sammy. One of the officers in front of him comments. "Thank you for your cooperation Mr Eddie Hunter, it's a big help in getting to the bottom of this drug cartel and I'm sorry you lost your friend". It's rare that anyone calls Sammy by his real name these days which is a welcomed surprise.

Axel reaches for his keys from his pocket as they leave the interview room. "I just need to handle a couple of things in my office then I can take you back to the apartment". The pair leave the ground floor to go upstairs. Near the entrance to the building, Sammy suddenly notices a woman shouting and crying who is next to an officer. He recognizes her. "That's Kadeem's mom!"

She has been called into the station to identify her son's body. In despair, she notices Sammy in the distance then starts running towards him. "Sammy please, please what happened to my son?! Do you know anything?! Were you with him when he died? I have to know, please, who did this to my boy?" She pleads. At this point she is crying and desperate for answers, clinging onto Sammy by his arms.

"I'm sorry Mrs Saunders.. I er… I'm sorry!" He starts to break down with guilt. Axel quickly rushes him away from the situation, leaving the other officers present to assist Kadeem's mother. As they enter the elevator, Sammy can still hear her shouting and crying echo.

"I'm sorry I had to get you out of there. The less people here that know who you are, the better. The fucking Syndicate have their eyes everywhere. Are you ok kid?"

Sammy sighs, "yeah, I'll be fine….. Where did they find his body? Can I at least go to his funeral?"

Axel shakes his head with guilt. "I'm sorry Sammy. It's not safe to go until we find his killer. They found his body in the canal".

Sammy immediately feels nautious with an anger burning inside his stomach. "Fuck this! We're wasting time here going through the police, we need to find them ourselves and kill them! You, my brother, the feds they have Tiger's location already, why are we just sitting here doing nothing?!"

Axel calms him down, pulling the boy to one side. "Don't you think we haven't sent anyone to verify that yet? They're gone. Tiger moved their operation to another location because of the risk and what you know! We only have so much to go by right now so be patient, I promise you we will find your friend's killer".

They exit the elevator to the top floor. As they walk along the hall, the two of them are greeted by senior officers.

"Shit," Axel mutters under his breath as he notices Jess coldly walking in the opposite direction towards them.

"Why the hell is there a member of the general public up here, let alone a child in this restricted part of the building?" She remarks as she passes them.

"Are you questioning my authority Detective Hart?"

Jess smiles, "We'll see what DC O'Neil has to say about this then when he gets back..."

"First off, know that I'm the acting Captain here until he returns, so there is nothing you can do and secondly, deal with your personal shit and hate towards me outside the office from now on. O'Neil has better things to do than hear you complaining about a member of public on this floor".

"Fine! I'll take this up with Lieutenant Hunter then!"

Sammy can't help but burst out giggling.

Jess then turns to the teenager, angrily respondsing. "What the fuck is so funny boy? I'm sorry but you're going to have to leave now you shouldn't even be here".

Sammy replies, "My brother is your boss! He always said you was a bitch and he was right!"

Jess who is now more annoyed than ever draws closer, looking Axel in the eye. "You might be acting Captain right now, but sooner or later your job and Hunter's will be mine for the taking. I always get what I intend to have one way or another". She eyeballs him up and down and starts to walk away.

She then turns around and smiles "Oh and kid, tell your brother this bitch said hi! I'll have to buy him a drink when he gets back from his leave".

Sammy loses his patience but Axel holds him back "Don't! She ain't worth it!".

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lieutenant Sam Davidson enters his isolated cell in his orange jumpsuit. He is in protective custody and has several more hearings to attend before a verdict and sentencing are given for the organised events at Red and Central District. He knows what the consequences are and is terrified at what lies ahead.

"Davidson, you have a visitor" one of the prison officers informs here. Sam gets up off his bed then walks towards the electric door. They handcuff him before escorting him to another room with a table, chairs and thick glass windows. As they enter, he spots DC O'Neil sitting down on one of the chairs.

"Thank you officer", O'Neil addresses the guard. The prison officer then leaves the two of them alone inside the room.

"Deputy Chief please tell them I didn't do this! I swear I am not responsible for what happened at your district or at my own. I saw you at the hearings, observing me and you've seen the evidence they provided. It's all bullshit! I didn't do this! TELL THEM!" He pleads.

"Take a seat son," he gestures to the younger male.

"I'm being framed here you have to believe me!"

"I understand."

"You do?" Sam replies with desparation.

"The truth is, I came here because I need something from you Davidson. Sometimes, unfortunately in life we have to make sacrifices so that the world can be a better place. We are going through a transition all over Wood Oak Police Department that Government Officials, Attorney's, council leaders need us to fulfil so that we can thrive once again. Your Red District Deputy Ramos was one of those sacrifices who didn't believe in the same ideology as us. I believe he gave you a memory stick with some very important, classified information before he was killed".

Sam shakes his head, realizing that this man in front of him is the real enemy. "It was you! You son of a bitch! You fucking set me up! You planned all of this, that's why you were out of the office the day Central HQ was attacked!" Another prison officer abruptly enters the room to restrain him.

O'Neil remains calm and seated without worry. "We've searched your apartment, your car, your girlfriends place but there is no sign of that memory stick. Tell us who you gave it to and I will get the attorney's to swap the death penalty to twenty years instead".

"I am not going to die or rot in prison for something I didn't do!"

O'Neil stands then walks towards him. "What could be so important on that memory stick that you can't exchange it for your life? Let's give this one last try, who did you hand it over to?" The prison officer still has Sam restrained and it is clear that he won't give in.

"Let's try another way shall we..."

Sam is then gagged with a belt tied around his neck. "Please..." he begs.

"Who has it? And I will spare your life."

"Ramos said it would be safe with her..." he struggles to speak.

"WHO? Which officer was it from your team?"

"I can't..."

"Bilson? Fielding? WHO!" O'Neil demands, but Sam shakes his head knowing he is not getting out of here alive.

O'Neil then turns to the prison officer, "he knows too much now kill him". He orders.

As Sam struggles to break free, he is violently strangled by the belt around his neck.

"Make it look like a hanging," O'Neil orders the guard.

The prison guard, also known as 'Big Ben on the streets is a well-rounded stocky man who is incredibly strong. Sam who was half of his weight had very little chance of fleeing his restraint.

Big Ben replies to the acting DC. "Mr X needs that memory stick as soon as possible. We are running out of time now".

"We have to track down Bilson, Fielding and any other Red female officers from Ramos' old team. You heard what the man said. Leave it with me for a couple of days. And if they don't cooperate, we'll kill them too."

Chapter Text

12 - Intoxication

Midday.

Blaze has been sleeping since she came back with Axel to the apartment. When she wakes up, the bedroom is still dark with the curtains drawn. Everything here is quiet as the penthouse is high up and tripple glazed. The place appears new and tidy with a king size comfortable bed, a small extended on-suite bathroom and a walk in wardrobe. The place is as neat as a hotel room.

This bedroom alone is bigger than Blaze's small cosy apartment. The joys of having a Lieutenant promotion. Mot that Axel gets to spend much time at home. He probably has enough to employ a cleaner based on how tidy the place is, she thinks this to herself. Either way, it did feel good to get some decent sleep. Blaze yawns and stretches comfortably, just wanting to lay here for a moment.

As she turns over, she catches little Cherry sitting on the end of the bed on the other side with a book in her hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," the little girl says.

Blaze immediately switches on the bedside lamp and gives her a reassuring smile without acting startled, even though she initially was. "Hey that's ok. What are you reading there?"

"This is the adventure of Tyler the Turtle", Cherry grins holding up the book.

"Wow he looks smart, it seems like you've almost finished the book!"

The young girl nods her head.

"You know your mom and dad use to help rescue turtles a long time ago whenever they could".

Cherry's little face immediately lights up. "Really? That's so cool!"

"Sometimes when the sea and the beach get really dirty, the turtles find it hard to swim and sleep there. When I worked with your dad a long time ago, we all use to visit the coast every weekend to stop this from happening and we use to find the turtles that needed our help".

"I want to see a real turtle one day," Cherry replies.

"I'm sure we will go back there and you will see lots of them! They like to come out at night when all the humans stop sunbathing!" They both laugh.

"Are you a princess?" She randomly asks with seriousness on her face.

Blaze laughs, "Erm, not that I know of"

Cherry smiles, "Your accent is funny but you're really pretty so I think you are one."

Just as Blaze smiles back, Keri opens the bedroom door. "Cherry! I told you dear, Blaze was sleeping."

"It's ok, I need to get up anyway, I should have been at work hours ago", Blaze replies.

As Keri opens the curtains, the bright sunlight from outside is strong but the view through the glass windows down to the bustling city and skyscrapers is a stunning sight.

Blaze looks at the clock in shock, "Oh wow its midday already?"

"Yeah you seemed like you needed the sleep after the night you had. Adam told me what happened. It's good to see you again Blaze".

"You too. I heard also about what happened yesterday to you and Sammy, are you both ok?"

Keri nods, "Yeah, we need to find another place to live right now, but at least we still have each other".

Cherry excitedly blurts out "Mommy is having a baby in six months!"

"Oh my God!" Blaze turns to Keri, pleasantly surprised. "I'm so happy for you and Adam, that's amazing news!" The positive news cheers her up a lot.

"I know, we are having our first scan next week, I can't wait! Girl we have so much catching up to do, screw work! Your boss will understand!"

Blaze laughs, "I know right? This is all too weird! I'm sleeping in his bed and I think you gave me his t-shirt that I'm wearing!" Blaze glances down at the oversized white t-shirt she is wearing.

"Don't worry, Ax left straight away this morning for work without any sleep. That office is more like his home than here so he wont notice!"

Blaze smiles, "yeah, it's good of him to put us up like this especially after he heard me talking about him being an 'asshole'!" She tries to mime the word as Cherry is in the room.

The pair spend the next two hours in there eating snacks, drinking tea and catching up.

Adam knocks on the bedroom door, finally emerging "is it safe to come in?"

"Sure boss!" Blaze replies as both ladies laugh hysterically.

"Great to see you smiling again Blaze, but shouldn't you be at work now?"

"Yeah erm, Axel said…"

Adam interrupts, reassuring her. "I'm just kidding Blaze, it's all good and I ain't firing you anytime soon!" He laughs.

"Congratulations on your big news, that's wonderful! And Cherry and I are just getting to know each other too, she's definitely a smart kid you should be proud!"

"Yeah, too smart!" He smiles at his daughter. "Sweetie your lunch is ready, go to the kitchen and try not to make a mess."

Keri turns to face him. "Heard anything yet from Sammy?"

"No, I logged into the system to check but his statement hasn't been filed yet so I don't think they are finished. So Blaze, it's been a while since we caught up properly outside of work. I'm sorry I haven't been there the past few days, the extra load you guys have had back at the precinct must have been stressful".

"No its ok, you don't have to explain I understand." She reassures him. "We've handled it really well. I covered most of your duties so it's all taken care of".

"Thanks seniorita!" She smiles, Adam has always referred to her with this nickname.

"Hey do you know what time we are all meeting later and where?" Blaze asks.

"I'll know in a few hours when Axel finishes work. These meetings are always last minute and he's left his cell phone in the hallway. I wish I knew the code to turn it off, Jess has been blowing up his phone for the last hour! Why can't they just deal with their dilemmas in person or at work?"

Keri responds to him. "Well you know why! It's against the rules there but everyone is entitled to a social life especially when you work as hard as this. You know she stopped by drunk last night after they met because her phone was dead and she needed to call a cab,".

"They met up last night?" Blaze asks, surprised thinking the two of them had ended things.

"Yeah, must have been before your meeting." Keri replies. "I don't know who that bitch thinks she is all dressed up like a stripper, even for a player he sure got that one wrong. But that's Ax anyway, always attracting trouble because he's trouble!" Keri laughs.

Blaze, who is feeling akward changes the subject. "I should get changed and ready to go back home now, do you guys mind giving me ten minutes?"

"Sure, take all the time you need". Keri leaves the room.

"Blaze can I have a minute?" Adam asks before sitting by her side.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Ax told me to give this to you, he said you'd be needing it". He pulls out of his pocket a small tub of ointment, acknowledging that he knows everything now about Blaze's chi.

"I won't be needing this, I can look after the wounds myself", she insists with her mood now dampened.

"That is some serious shit you're messing with, just promise me you will be careful. Are you sure you don't want me to drive you back?"

"I'll be ok, thanks Adam"

"I'll text you the time we are all meeting and location as soon as I know".

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Axel takes a late afternoon lunchbreak using it to drop Sammy back to the apartment. "You did good kid, I'm sorry you had to see that earlier".

"I wish that we never got involved with Donovan in the first place, I knew it was a bad idea. I put everyone else in danger".

"Hey maybe it's a good idea if you come with us later on, I think we should start training you up again so that you can protect yourself", Axel suggests.

"You know, sometimes all I can think about is shooting Tiger in the head for what he did. Kadeem was stupid at times but he was like my brother. I wish I could have saved him. You would have saved Adam if it was him. I just ran away like a pussy!"

"You had a choice! Stay and die with all those thugs and weapons against you or run and save yourself. You made the right decision. If it was me and your brother, you know it would be different, we fight until the end but Kadeem led you down the wrong path where you could have been killed.

"Now I have to live with this..."

Axel sighs, sencing the boy's built up guilt. "Ok I'll make you this promise. When, and I say when we catch Tiger, I'll give you the gun and you make that choice".

Sammy looks back at him in shock. "But Adam would never let me..."

"If you wanna to fight with us, you will face tough decisions every time. We live, we die and we live with the consequences of our actions. Accept that. Tiger wasn't afraid to pull the trigger on your friend. Don't let what you witnessed rule and ruin the rest of your life. Trust me, I know what that's like and it's not nice waking up every day wishing you could have changed the past. Only now matters".

"I guess,"

"Here, take these and keep them within reach at all times even at home. If Adam and I are out or if Adam is away when you find a place to live, you need to protect yourself and your family".

He hands over a silver handgun wrapped in a black cloth along with a knife. "The safety catch needs to always be on until you choose to use it and keep it out of reach. Your brother and I will show you how to use it later".

"Ok," Sammy nods.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Its early evening and Blaze is finally back at her apartment. It feels like a whole world away from last night. She also now feels more focussed and determined to get the job done in avenging her family.

As she switches on her TV, the 6pm Saturday news bulletin is on air. Blaze instantly recognises the face on the TV, Xavier Williams - wanting to make Wood Oak City a better place. As she turns the volume up, it shows him doing an interview promoting himself for Senate. Her heart pounds and she can feel goose bumps on her arms just by hearing the sound of his voice. This is the man that wiped out her family, who potentially wants her power to wipe out more families. These thoughts are spinning around in Blaze's head over and over again.

She is startled when a sudden bolt of blue energy dashes out of her right hand, hitting the TV and cracking the screen. Blaze quickly turns off the main electric supply as the TV sparks. "Shit!" She is more shocked that the energy projected was completely out of her control. And to make matters worse, her hand starts to bleed again so she wraps it with a kitchen cloth.

#phone pings#

New Message

Adam: 8:30pm, Monument Arena. Say to the bouncer on the door that your with Hunter and he will show you in.

And dress up nice or they won't let you through the doors".

What? This is supposed to be a strategic meeting not a red carpet event! Blaze sighs as she reluctantly starts to get ready.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8:30pm and Blaze is unsure if she should que up with everyone else or go straight to the bouncer at the front. She scans her surroundings where everyone else is stationary and patiently waiting. The long line consists mainly of couples and large groups of friends all overly dressed for the occasion. Blaze is relieved to have made an effort - it's better to be overdressed than too casual, she thinks to herself.

The others in the que can't help but stare at her in awe tonight with her favourite colour on. Short sexy red dress, red heals, red lipstick and finally a short black leather jacket to complete the look with her long dark hair down. Being by herself, she is getting a bit of attention in the que so she decides to divert away from it, reaching for her cell phone to call Adam. Of course, her calls keep going to voicemail so she figures that he must already be inside.

Blaze grows more and more impatient, so without waiting any longer, she approaches the bouncer on the door. "I'm with Hunter,"

He immediately replies, eyeballing her from head to toe. "Please step inside maa'm".

A female bouncer then approaches Blaze with a drugs detector before searching her bag. Another woman in a long black dress then comes over to her with a friendly smile. "You must be Miss Fielding, it's nice to meet you. Please follow me".

Puzzled at why she is really here at an event, Blaze follows the lady around the corner and up a carpeted flight of stairs to a private viewing booth in the arena. The luxury box is comfortable, boasting two large couches and a table full of refreshments with an expensive bottle of champaigne on ice. "Would you a drink Miss Fielding?" Slightly overwhelmed but keeping her cool, Blaze smiles and replies "Thank you", as the server opens the bottle.

Another lady steps in to take her jacket before Blaze has the chance to sit down.

"Is all of this for me?" Blaze asks, feeling confused.

The lady smiles and responds. "Have as much food and drink as you like on us. Your colleagues should be here shortly before the fight begins"

"Fight?", she frowns with confusion.

As Blaze opens the curtain inside the booth she takes a good look over the balcony, noticing a lit up boxing ring in the middle of the arena. This is all weird, where she is left wondering why the rest of the team would drag her all the way back to the city to watch a fight?

Half an hour turns into 45 minutes, then 1 hr passes glasses of champagne later and still no sign of any of her team mates, plus there seems to be a delay happening with the fight itself. Blaze stretches her arms out on the couch with a yawn, suddenly feeling a little tipsy from the alcohol. She checks her mirror, then touches up her lipstick.

To her surprise, the door of the booth starts to open behind her. Suddenly a large, tall muscular man with shaven hair rocking a white suit bursts into the room accompanied by three beautiful women dressed up in hot pants and bikini tops. They laugh, flirt and dote upon him, completely oblivious to Blaze who is already in the room..

Blaze angrily turns to the group, convinced that they have made a mistake. "I'm sorry, but this room is reserved already!"

One of the women turns around and laughs at her. "Don't worry sweetpea, we don't bite! Chill out we can all watch the match together. We'll take the other couch... ". Another woman turns to the man who has his arm around her. "Jesus, this bitch has knocked back most of the bottle!" She inspects before he clicks his fingers to order another one.

Blaze immediately squares up to her. "Who you calling bitch?"

The muscular man steps between the two of them to prevent a building altercation. "Ladies please, I don't want any more stress right now! We can order as much champagne as you girls want, there is plenty to go round..."

Blaze turns to him, infuriated. "Do I look like one of your groupies?"

The man politely responds. "Please accept my apologies, Miss Fielding. Tonight the fight is having a few start up issues so we will finish later than usual."

"I don't care about this stupid fight! I'm here for a meeting, that's why I came. How do you know my name? And where the fuck is Axel or Adam?"

"Please, let's just calm down for a moment..." The man extends his hand out politely to greet her. His appearance is initially intimidating. Bald with a huge scar running down one side of his face from his forehead over his eye then to his jaw. However, his demeanor is calm and collected, even if Blaze's temper is flaring right back at him.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Max Hatchet, the owner of this place. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Blaze, who is now feeling embarrased by offending him and his establishment quietly shakes his hand. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... you know what you can have the booth to yourselves..." she insists.

"It's ok, really. Just sit back and enjoy the fight."

"Thank you for the champagne but it's now already 10pm, I didn't think the meeting would be this late...".

"Business will be discussed after the match", Max insists.

"I don't get why we couldn't of just arranged to come here afterwards? What's the point of all this?" Blaze impatiently replies.

Max sits down with a new bottle on the other couch with the three women still surrounding him. The crowd below steadily become louder. "Where do you think we get our funding from?" He asks.

"I didn't expect this if I'm honest. You seem like a respectable fighter, as am I, but I'm not going to waste your time. Enjoy your evening..."

As Blaze gets up to open the door to leave, she realizes that the alcohol has kicked in and has instantly got to her head, now slightly disorientated.

She ends up stumbling out of the room, but fortunately another tall guy in a smart black suit catches her just in time, stopping her from falling on the ground.

"Woah, easy there! Are you ok?" Axel asks.

Blaze casually pushes him away, "I need to get some air!" She then begins to walk away tipsy in the opposite direction to the exit.

"The exit is this way but the fight is about to start. Let's go back in and no more alcohol for now! I need you alert for our meeting afterwards. This is Max's joint and he is an important member of our team, please try and get to know him".

Blaze laughs with sarcasm as she returns towards him. "Listen 'boss'. You might have the authority at work to tell me what to do, but don't for a second think you can order me around outside the precinct! I agreed to work with you and your team to take down the Ssyndicate, all of that mattered more than anything last night..."

"And we will, just give it a chance", Axel reassures her.

"Anyway, this whole night is outrageous! I had to wait over an hour in there and I had that whole bottle of champaigne that never tasted so good to myself, so what the hell do you expect? You are exceptionally late!" The Queen of England is back in the building.

"You look exceptionally beautiful!" Axel suddenly responds without thinking.

In that moment, Blaze is lost for words once again. She hates the fact that he knows exactly how to silence her from arguing, but at the same time it's that hot chocolate feeling all over again for her. She stares back at him, biting her tongue.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Let's go back in there, get this match over with then we will have the meeting". Axel breaks the silence, holding open the door. "Adam, Sammy, the Dr and a couple of other people are going to join us afterwards. I assure you that you will meet everyone tonight and we will have the chance to cover everything."

"Okay… Thank you", she quietly replies as she walks past him back into the room.

They enter the viewing booth to find on the table three more bottles of champagne on ice with more people around the room than earlier who sat on both couches. Max and two other men get up to greet the pair.

"I take it you've met Max already. This guy here is Luca, the cities' best hacker and this is Enzo, Max's cousin". Both men stand to shake Blaze's hand as Axel introduces her to some of the team.

The crowd are extremely loud at this point and the room they are in is very busy with staff going in and out, constantly bringing canapes, glasses and cigars. There are also three more women in the sat next to the other men on the second couch where Blaze was earlier. There is barely any more room left to sit down.

Max being a professional wrestler and successful business man is clearly use to this type of lifestyle- the money, the fights, the parties and the girls. He looks up towards Axel with his arms around two of the women each sat on his lap "there's plenty of chicks up in here man,"

Axel smiles, "I'm good Max". He briefly glances over towards Blaze who is now by the other couch looking slightly uncomfortable and out of place. He takes one of the cigars from the table then walks over to the other side where Enzo and one of the ladies are smoking and kissing each other. "Get the fuck up Enzo!" Axel tells them. They stand up straight away then leave the room, giving the two of them some space to sit down next to Luca and another woman on his lap who is more enthusiastic about the fight.

The lights in the arena and the booth start to dim as the air thickens with smoke. It is intoxicating and uncomfortable for Blaze, still tipsy, now sitting between Axel to her left on the end of the couch with Luca making out with the woman on her right.

Axel pulls out a small bottle of water from under the table and passes it to Blaze. "You ok?" He asks.

"Yeah!" She smiles, feeling more enthusiastic about the upcoming fight than earlier.

The couple next to them on the couch start beocming tipsier during the match, spilling drink and ash on the floor. This pushes Blaze over to the left, where there isn't much room left. To deal with the four of them squashed next to each other, Axel puts his arm around the couch behind her as they sit closer together. He then lights up his cigar with one flick from his hand before taking a puff then breathing out the smoke slowly. Finally he is feeling more relaxed then when he arrived here.

"You sure you're ok here?" He checks in on Blaze once again.

"I'm fine, honestly", she answers with her left side and back pressed against his chest.

"Hey, get a room! Your blocking the view of the fight!" Axel turns to Luca who is taking up the rest of the couch with the woman on Blaze's right, but the couple are oblivious to them with their lips locked together.

The fighters have now entered the arena. Everyone else in their booth glances back and forth to the match as they watch these fights nearly every weekend. For Axel and Blaze however, this is a rare treat where they are excited to see what is about to happen.

"This part before the fight is always the hardest with your enemy sizing you up trying to intimidate you to lose focus". Axel comments, having experienced it hundreads of times himself.

"Do you miss it in the ring?" Blaze asks.

"Sometimes," he half heartedly smiles.

"Who do you think will win then?"

"See the guy in the blue? His name is Stephen Chang. He is one of Wood Oak's most accomplished mixed martial arts fighters with more than four titles under his belt. He also belongs to the triads that work for the Syndicate who have representatives sitting on the other side. The younger guy however in the red, that's Raven. He is one of Max's fighters and is one of the best kickboxers we know. He also happens to be on our team so he has our support. Raven is relatively new to the fighting scene with no title yet under his belt so he is the underdog. My bets are on him to win".

"But the other guy has more experience in the ring and isn't that much older", Blaze argues.

"Why do you think you and me hold the biggest threat to Mr X's empire?" Axel asks.

"We seek revenge, we are the best fighters in the city, we have chi?"

Axel answers. "No. It's because we have nothing to lose, just like Raven. He has no title or reputation to keep up with. That's what makes a fighter hungrier to succeed. When I use to fight, my boss took all my trophies, medals, everything. I had nothing. The reason he did that was so I didn't become content with my success."

"But your still human, staying hungry eventually kills you".

"You're right," Axel sighs. "And this is why I quit the ring. It's not something you can do forever,"

"Did it ever make you happy?" Blaze asks.

"Only temporarily..."

As he finishes his sentence, the fight intensifies with an exciting display of kicks and punches between the two opponents. The whole booth fully concentrates on the match, gripped whilst cheering on their guy Raven.

"I put $500 dollars on him, your fighter better win!" Axel shouts over to Max on the other side of the room.

"He will, don't sweat it..."

"So that's a $4000 prize based on the odds. Nice! What are you planning on doing with that kinda money?" Blaze raises an eyebrow.

"Buying you some driving lessons," he teases.

"Hey, you know I can handle your whip. And I'm a great driver," Blaze proudly smirks.

"Seriously though, we need to get you a car. Or a place closer to Central while your here on our team so that it's easier."

"Seriously? You'd really do that for me?" She asks, surprised.

"Course I would" Axel says without hesitation "... Your one of our team now. And we look out for each other, it's just what we all do..." he continues, playing down his feelings. It suddenly dawns on Axel that especially after last night, he really genuinely cares for Blaze and would go out of his way to make sure she was happy.

The crowd around them suddenly jump and cheer with elation as Raven is crowned the victor of the fight based on points.

"Wow, what a fight!" Blaze's face beams up with a smile, caught in the moment of celebration with the others. For a second, Axel forgets about his winnings, wanting to kiss her more than ever right now. The two of them lock eyes, smiling hard at each other, as he places one hand softly next to her cheek, drawing in closer to her.

#phone rings# .

They glance down at the table to find Axel's phone flashing.

Jess Hart

Answer / Reject

Blaze immediately backs away from him, feeling akward.

The call stops then the phone starts to ring again.

"Sorry I gotta to take this, it's probably work. Please excuse me for a minute".

"Sure," Blaze replies, disappointed and folding her arms as Axel exits the room on his own.

She then reaches for another readily available glass of champagne, toasting the result of the fight with the others before knocking back the alcohol.

Five minutes later and Axel is back just as they exit the booth.

"I'm sorry about that. Listen, I gotta go for an hour or so. Go with Max, he'l take you to the meeting, then I'll come back. The team will have to start without me," Axel explains.

"Why? Where are you going?" Blaze asks him, concerned.

Axel sighs. "Jess was supposed to work at the office tonight. Instead, she didn't show up to duty because she overdosed on coke earlier. She's in a bad way right now and needs some help as she owes these dealers money. They're stopping by at her house in half an hour."

"Can't the police or any of her family help her pay up?"

"If she calls the police, she will understandably lose her career. Her family are out of town. I'll just talk to them and settle the bill and hopefully that will be the end of it".

"She could have asked you last night when she saw you for money though right?" Blaze shrugs defensively.

"It ain't like that Blaze. She needs help, serious help!"

"Yeah, And I wasn't born yesterday", Blaze brushes past him, annoyed and instantly regretting ever ignoring the red flags from earlier.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After a fast, frantic drive Axel reaches Jess's house. He knocks loudly on the front door, just in the nick of time. One of the dealers opens it door whilst Jess is sat crying on the couch with a gun to her head.

"How much coke did you sell her?" He asks.

"Half a kilo. You paying or what?" The dealer, a bald bi-racial man in his 30s asks.

"So I'm guessing you're after 40 grands worth then?"

"She owes us interest also, for late payment".

Axel pauses for a moment, glaring at Jess with disappointment on his face. He then turns back towards the dealer. "Mind if I have a look? Sample it for myself?"

"Be my guest..." The man throws over a small bag containing at most a teaspoon of the white powder inside. He investigates the contents between his fingers, lightly sniffing a small amount.

"This is bullshit! Your product is at most 70% pure and isn't worth that much. I'll tell you what I can do, I'll give you half the money along with your life".

The two men laugh, offended by his offer. "Your forgetting that we're the ones holding the gun here".

"20K and that's my final offer", Axel insists. He pulls a knife out swiftly throwing it towards the man holding the gun. The blade takes him by surprise, puncturing his palm and forcing him to drop the gun. Axel quickly gets out his own handgun, opening fire on him while Jess runs towards his side. He then takes aim towards the other dealer, armed only with a knife whilst the first guy lays injured on the floor.

"My patience is running out, are you accepting my offer or not?" The dealer frantically nods before Axel pays him.

"If I see your face again, I'll kill you" Axel warns him. The main dealer exits the premises unharmed with his right hand man shot in the leg, limping beside him.

"Why did you shoot him? Look at this mess" Jess argues, once the thugs are gone.

"They can't ever know we're police. I've put a tracking device on their car, tomorrow the cops can raid they're asses. And since we've settled your debt, they have no reason to ever come back here.

"Good plan," Jess agrees.

"This is the last time I ever do this for you. You know this shit is bad news. I can't keep bailing you out..."

Jess wraps her arms around him, kissing him on the mouth "Thank you. I'll pay you back in full I promise!"

To her disappointment, he pushes her away. "I still meant what I said last night. It's over between us. You're safe now. Get clean and focus on yourself." He then takes the bag of the rest of the drugs then empties it down the sink.

"NO!" Jess yells at him. "What are you doing? That's mine!"

"This stuff will kill you first before they do."

He walks away, leaving Jess to trash her own place out of frustration, desperate to salvage anything she can from the edges of the sink.

After tonight and the way Jess has been acting, Axel knows he is done helping her for good.

Chapter Text

13 - Temper Tantrum

Following the big fight, the group have driven to an abandoned warehouse about a mile away from the arena. Behind an empty room full of cardboard boxes and crates, Adam, Sammy, Blaze, Zan, Max and Luca are sat around a table. The room is cold and bear with a punch bag in the centre of it as well as a box full of skipping ropes and weights scattered around the place. There is also a smart board connected to a laptop on one side. It could fit the hybrid of a classroom and someone's garage.

"What's in those crates outside?" Blaze queries as they enter the concealed space.

Max smiles to himself then with ease, he lifts one of the heavy crates, carries it over then slams it down on the table before opening it. "These are just some of our supplies". He takes out at least five different types of firearms plus ammunition. "Some of the other crates contain the drugs we stole from the Syndicate", he casually explains.

"That's a lot of ammo," Blaze raises an eyebrow.

Adam interrupts, keen to start as quickly as possible. "It's been a long day so I'm going to begin the meeting before Axel and Raven arrive. First let's welcome to the team Blaze and Sammy!" Just as he continues, they hear a car parking up outside. All aspects of the meeting are paused as the man of the match Raven enters the building.

Max grins from ear to ear. "Well done man, that was some fight you gave back there to that Syndicate fucker".

Adam is next to congratulate him. "I'm sorry I missed your fight Raven, I heard it was one of your best."

Raven smiles, "It's all those 5am starts and hours of training that paid off." He briefly nudges Max. "Plus I have a great coach" he smiles, immediately noticing Blaze across the table.

Adam introduces him to their new members. "You've met my lil bro Sammy, he's a rookie but he is about to learn how shit goes down around here! And this is my colleague from the police force, Blaze".

"Hey Sammy it's good to see you again", he also smiles at Blaze who catches his eye, feeling curious as to what she can do for the team and why she might be a powerful force to recon with.

Raven has known the group for the last four years. He initially came to Wood Oak City looking for work whilst fleeing a large gang known as the Aguilas where he was born in Mexico. Max took him in when Raven wanted to expand his fighting knowledge. One year later Max made a deal with the head of the Aguilas that helped to spare Raven's life as well as keeping him out of danger. He is clearly a talented, humble fighter who is focussed on training hard every day. His kicks are just as powerful as Adam's and the two would have an epic fight if they ever decided to get into the ring together. He is also tall, 6ft 3 with jet black hair, tanned olive skin and hazel brown eyes. The fighter is enthusiastic, beaming with confidence but not arrogance.

"Dr Zan please can you show the rest of the group our findings", Adam is quick to divert their attention back to the meeting.

Zan types away at the laptop connected to a smart board in front of the table. "This man here is Xavier Williams, also known as Mr X. Over the past couple of days I have been closely monitoring his whereabouts and activities. He is incredibly hard to track down and is well protected by his team. As far as we know, he has no power, or chi like Shiva's, but he is working closely with the Yamato cult behind the scenes. His plan is to take as much power as possible to build nuclear weapons and cyborgs so that he can control the city."

He then loads another page.

"This as you know is his right hand man, Leon Shiva who oversees his criminal activities. He is one of the most dangerous men in the world and his chi is the most powerful known to their organisation. He is extremely religious, following the old Ninjustu traditions and superstitions of the Yamato. In order to get to Mr X, he needs to be dealt with first.

Lastly we have Tiger, of whom Sammy has had dealings with. He too has powerful chi and is an unpredictable, insane criminal who oversees distribution and the dozens of organisations run by the Syndicate".

Adam continues, taking the lead. "Thank you Professor Zan. We also know that in aid of William's campaign next month, the Syndicate have stored at least 15 million dollars at the Central bank to legitimately use. Our plan is to steal that cash and crush their assets first before they gain any more powerful allies. Currently X is in control of the attorneys, much of the City Hall and even parts of our Police force. We also believe that his men are responsible for the murder of Mayor Ellison-Rhys" who has been declared as missing since Thursday.

Adam presses on, "We discovered that every Monday morning Tiger sends one of his associates to Central bank to add to their assets any money they can clean out from the weekend. A room containing a large safe on the top floor is heavily guarded and can only be opened by a member of staff up there whenever one of Tiger's associates sign in. Here is a map of the bank given to us by the janitor who works there undercover. On Sunday night he will turn off and loop any surveylance from the previous day. Our plan is to get into the bank a decoy before Tiger's associate reaches the top floor. Usually he sends one of his women to do this..." Adam glances straight towards Blaze.

"So what do you need me to do?" She asks, excited for a challenge.

"Once you are inside the bank, you will need to kill the real associate without anyone seeing you".

"Sounds simple enough, how though?"

Zan hands over a box to her with a syringe inside. "Inject this in her neck and she will quietly die within ten seconds".

"You will then take her briefcase and ID card up to the top floor, giving it to the member of staff who will sign you in before opening the safe. Pay close attention and memorize the code when he does this, then leave the bank as if nothing happened. Outside you will give us the code and the rest of our team will take of it from there".

Max replies, "by hijacking their finances and their drug money, they won't be able to expand as they are hoping to. This is a good starting point".

Blaze agrees. "Either way it's going to take time to bring down the whole organisation".

Raven is next to comment. "We're all working on different areas to target them. Luca has continued to hack their accounts and phones for the last few months and now that we know Mr X's identity, that is the next step to get the ball in motion. Max and I will deal with taking down their fight clubs and gyms one by one..."

"Now that you newbies know what's going on, are there any questions?" Adam asks.

Everyone stays silent. "Ok, so both of you take one of these" Adam hands out two new cell phones. "You both will need to be shown the codes we message each other when we have to use these."

"When are we supposed to use them?" Sammy asks.

"In an emergency or when you need to give information over the phone to one of our team. It's much safer than using our regular cell phones where calls can be tapped".

After the meeting, Luca immediately gets to work on the two laptops, whilst Max takes the opportunity to put on some music. His way of unwinding is to start deadlifting heavy weights in the corner. At first, it's a little obsessive to find a guy taking off his smart white shirt, keeping his smart trousers on from his suit while bench pressing, but the team are used to it. Adam also decides to take some time out with Sammy to get a half an hours' worth of late night training in using the ropes and punch bag.

Blaze observes the men in the roo, flexing their muscles with little enthusiasm on her face. "Its quarter to one now guys, I have twork tomorrow! Adam can you take me home?"

"We still have work to do!" He shakes his head, holding onto the punchbag for Sammy. "Besides, Axel took my car".

"Great! Do you seriously want me to train right now then?" Blaze asks, looking down at her short red dress and heels.

"That ain't what I meant! Go and learn the codes and study the map of the bank!"

Blaze sighs as she sits herself back down at the table.

"Hey if you want, I can give you a ride back, I'm done fighting for the night" Raven pulls up the chair next to her. "But first let me write down our message codes just in case you ever have to use this phone".

"Thanks Raven, I think I got this though," Blaze replies staring down at the phone.

"So are you from London?" He asks, lightening up the conversation.

"Yeah that's home!" Blaze smiles.

"Best city in the world I've visited outside of Wood Oak!"

"You think so?" Blaze tilts her head, intrigued.

Raven nods "I trained there for six months before I settled here in Wood Oak. The funniest thing is the tube. It's like a warzone at 8am".

Blaze laughs, "Yeah that's one thing I don't miss! That was a great fight earlier by the way. I watched it from the booth upstairs. You never gave up even when that guy was punching the crap out of you!"

Raven proudly grins at the complement. "Yeah, I mean it's a psychological battle just as much as it is physical. Now I have the bruises to prove it" he points to his black eye.

"Aw, well I hope you get your first title soon. I'm sure all the hard work will pay off".

"My title match is in two weeks from now. Would you like to come and see the fight?" Raven asks her.

"Sure! Thanks", she politely smiles.

"Have you ever fought competitively then?"

Blaze laughs, "Me? No. Only fought to defend myself and kick ass"

Adam interrupts from his training with Sammy from across the room, eavesdropping on their conversation. "Raven she can definitely kick your ass if you were in a fight! Blaze is one of the best fighters I know".

"Aw thanks Hunter," Blaze grins.

Raven smiles back at her. "Well you never know, you'll have to teach me some of your moves one day, plus you could be the next champion if you wanted it."

"I'm already a dance champion, I think that's enough competition for me! It is rewarding to fight, although I'm not a boxer or kickboxer myself. I've always stuck to Judo."

"Wait, dancer also?" He smiles at her, pleasantly surprised. "You're talented all round then! Okay, I'll make you a deal, if I teach you kickboxing you can teach me how to dance. I have fast feet so that might help?"

Blaze laughs, "Ok deal!"

Adam then walks over to the pair who are just becoming aquainted. "Blaze, can you go over to Luca for five minutes. He's going to take your photo then create an ID for you".

"Sure," she nods.

Raven replies to her. "Give me ten minutes or so. When your done, just come outside, I can take you home", he boldly offers.

"Thanks, but really you don't have to. It's a bit of a journey out past red district so if you're tired I understand".

"It's no trouble. My driver is on standby outside so theres no chance of me falling asleep at the wheel!" He insists. "Besides, I'd like to get to know you more since we're gonna be working together..."

"Oh Ok. If your driver is ok with the journey? Thanks!" She gives him a friendly smile then walks over towards Luca.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:30am and Axel finally parks up to joins the group.

Adam is the first person to approach him. "I've already briefed the group, how did it go with Jess?"

"I took care of it". Axel's response is blunt, keen to stop that conversation from going any further. He then walks over towards Max and Raven to greet them.

"Yo Ax it's good to see you bro!" Raven shakes his hand.

"Congratulations man! Tonight you fought like a champion, this crazy motherfucker over here can finally sleep well", he points towards his coach, Max.

"I know!" Max grins. "I'm proud of this guy. But he still has more work to do with two weeks left until the title match!"

Axel nods. "Well I know we all got a lot going on with this group, but if you need any extra coaching or fighting practise just let me know. I'll also try to make it to the match if I'm off work".

"Thanks man, I appreciate that. I asked Blaze to come in two weeks also. I know you're her boss so maybe you or Adam could give her that evening off?"

"Yeah of course, we're all here to support you," Axel replies.

"Thanks!"

Max folds his arms. "Adam said the girl's an interesting fighter. But it's clear she's got a temper on her and an chip on her shoulder. She must be a nightmare to have on the team at times".

Axel smiles to himself. "Yeah, Blaze can be hot headed, but I'm sure Zan will help her with that". The trio briefly glance over towards the Professor who is in his own element fixing a broken electric heater.

"Did you guys give Blaze a cell phone yet?" Axel asks.

Max answers. "Yeah, Raven showed her the codes" the three of them then turn their glance over the room towards Blaze who is talking to Luca.

Raven can't help but grin in awe. "Yeah it's all good she knows the ropes thanks to me! I'll tell you something, this mamacita is gorgeous! Plus she is smart and she can fight, I'm looking forward to working with her!" Max lightly taps him on the shoulder approving.

"She's fiery, sure you can handle that?" Max jokes.

"I like a challenge," he grins. "Speaking of which, I'd better take Blaze home now before you and Adam are on her case tomorrow for being late again!" He says to Axel, coldly staring back. "I'll see you Monday morning,"

"Yeah, see you Monday", Axel replies annoyed.

Raven then walks over to Blaze on the other side of the room smiling at her. They both say goodbye to the rest of the group, Blaze just about acknowledging Axel's presence in the distance with a brief forced smile before leaving with Raven.

Max laughs, "Raven certainly has a way with the ladies! He deserves some fun after all the hard work."

Feeling pissed off, Axel stays silent whilst the others remain oblivious to his mood. He walks away from Max, unbuttoning the top of his white shirt whilst rolling up his sleeves. "Adam, pass me those gloves" he orders as he approaches the punch bag to train.

His partner throws the gloves then walks over to the bag hanging in the middle of the room. Adam wipes the sweat from his own forehead before holding the punchbag in place. Axel quietly places his fists in front of his face to examine the bag before delivering 12 fast powerful punches that almost knock Adam over behind the bag.

"What the fuck is your problem man!?" Adam snaps.

Axel who has now worked up a sweat abruptly throws the gloves on the floor. The room immediately falls silent. The rest of the group are used to seeing him calm and composed, so they appear shocked to witness him like this.

"Are you sure everything was ok tonight?" Adam calms himself, following Axel towards the door.

"I told you, I fixed that!" He snaps back.

"Just go home and rest! You've had two nights with no sleep. Whatever is troubling you, sleep it off!"

Axel ignores him, reaching for his jacket and keys which he slings over his shoulder as he approached the door.

As he leaves, he finds Dr Zan outside standing by the car.

"Do you need me to drive you back?" Axel asks.

"No thank you, I'm staying at the warehouse tonight with Luca to work on those files we are trying to locate".

"So why are you out here then?"

Zan calmly replies. "That temper of yours Axel, you know it could get someone killed if your energy ever gets out uncontrolled. I know it's been a long night but control yourself!" He warns.

"Your tellin' me shit I don't already know," Axel shrugs.

"I know the last few weeks have been..."

"I told you, I just came back. I sorted things out earlier with Jess's drug dealers. It's been a long night, now if you don't mind, all I wanna do is go home".

Zan looks down at him with compassion in his voice. "I might be an old man and half machine but I'm not blind! I know that's not the real reason why you were so angry tonight..."

"I don't know what you're talking about at this hour, but I need to..."

"I've seen how you look at her. And how she looks at you..."

It's a long pause for Axel who knows he has been caught off guard. He finally replies, slightly calmer this time in his tone of voice. "After we left your lab last night, we told each other everything".

"Did Blaze tell you about her family?"

"Yeah. And I never considered someone else ever having gone through worse than what I went through as a result of my parent's killers. She was just a kid when she lost her family..."

"I know. But you both have a lot of the same struggles when it comes to your powers."

"Yeah, I never thought in a million years I'd meet someone else who understands me like that", Axel sighs.

"And I know that you're angry because whatever feelings you have towards her, you can't control them. Avoiding the situation won't change anything. You must be honest with yourself and accept that you are human. Theres two of you now with this power. We have the best chance at winning against the Syndicate, more than ever before."

"How can you be so sure?" Axel asks.

"The prophecy states that in this generation a chosen one will emerge who will put an end to the evil illuminati ruling over us. Your angry deep down because of fear. But you won't fail. Fear is only part of being human. If anything, it will make you fight harder when there is no other way."

"Then why do I feel so uneasy about all this?"

"Because you've found someone worth fighting for."

It's hard to admit, but Axel knows that the doctor is always right. He backs down his argument then wishes Zan a good night before he drives away.

The journey home is short, but it gives Axel some alone time to think about what the Dr said. Never has he felt so uncertain about the future and is and for the first time, he is afraid of the future and afraid of losing control of himself and his anger. The last thing he would ever want is his chi to fire out and kill someone who is innocent.

He parks up then takes a deep exhale to clear his mind. Axel glances at the time, also concerned and wondering if Blaze made it home yet. Although Raven is his friend and a valuable asset to the team, he is known to be an asshole at times, not understanding when to back off. But then again Blaze is more than capable of taking care of herself.

He takes out cell phone, spending a good five minutes typing then deleting then typing.

Sunday - 1:44am - New Chat

Have you arrived home from the meeting?

(#phone pings#)

New Message: Blaze F (Online) - Sunday - 1:45am

Yeah just made it back. Sorry, who is this...?

Sunday - 1:46am

...your asshole boss.

I'm sorry.

Blaze F (Offline)

He takes a moment to himself, feeling guilty about bother her. Adam was right and maybe this is for the best, he thinks to himself. Tomorrow's a new day and the team will have a lot of other shit to stay focussed on.

Chapter Text

15 - The Heist

Sunday.

Blaze sits quietly at her desk with her head rested against her palm staring into space. So far the morning has been a slow one as expected, but she can't help but feel tired after barely getting any sleep last night.

Suddenly her colleague Kai Walker runs into the office in a panic, flustered all over his face.

"What happened?" Blaze asks with concern, rising to her feet.

"It's chaos downstairs! Neither Lieutenant Stone nor Lieutenant Hunter are in briefing. DC O'Neil is also still out of office. Theres 18 of us here, the system is down and we don't know where we have to be or what we're doing..."

"Ok, ok, calm down" Blaze reassures him.

She quickly paces upstairs towards the DC's Office, but the door is locked. Blaze then removes a small pin from her pocket then starts to pick at the lock.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kai asks.

"Wait a minute..." Blaze focusses... "Yes!" She grins as she opens the door.

"You could be fired for this!"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," she replies.

She takes hold of the weekend's pile of paperwork, before leaving the office to go downstairs.

As they enter the briefing room, the other officers are stood around laughing and chatting amongst themselve with nothing else to do.

Blaze immediately sets her sites on the empty podium at the front.

"What are you doing Fielding?" Kai asks.

"Trust me," she reassures him.

Blaze clears her throat as she starts to address her colleagues.

"Good morning," but they ignore her. This time Blaze shouts louder, demanding their attention.

"I SAID GOOD MORNING!"

"What the hell?" One of the officers mutters under their breath.

"Please take a seat," Blaze requests as the others comply, curious at what she has to say.

"Accept our apologies for the delay, however Lieutenant Stone and Lieutenant Hunter have placed me in charge of this precinct today at the last minute. So, this is what we're gonna do with our Sunday. Officer Peters, Rogers, Diaz and Cooper will start on our daily patrols of the harbour all the way to the construction site. You other four over there can focus on your cases this morning, I'm giving you the deadline until 12pm sharp to send the paperwork over to me to sign off. Walker, Reyes, Brown, Taylor and Banksy, you five have combat training. At 12, you will rotate with the first group to continue th city patrols, they will then have until 3pm to work on their cases, whilst the others practice combat. Then we will rotate one last time at 3pm.

In the meantime, we are all still on call as well as the other remaining officers already out on the field. We will continue to assist them when they need us. Is that all clear?"

"Yeah, that's pretty straight forward" the team nods.

"Good. Now get back to work!" Blaze orders.

"I gotta hand it to you Fielding, those were some impressive leadership skills there", Kai says to her.

"Thanks, I learnt from my old boss God rest his soul... hey where's Officer Bilson?" Blaze asks, remembering their colleague Nadine was absent from the meeting.

"She's another one who didn't show up for work today," Kai shrugs.

"Hmmm, that's strange," Blaze frowns. "She'l probably make it back into the office later".

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The morning flies by for Blaze who is in her element. Not only can she simultaneously manage her colleagues, signing off and checking their paperwork as well as assisting them, but she also makes an effort to attend in and out of combat training. Her peers start to really value her input and advice that they receive in small doses when it comes to fighting and defending themselves against a threat.

Her leadership style is somewhat different to Adam and Axel's, but it is clear that she is a natural, taking to it like a duck to water. Just as she finishes checking over another file of paperwork, to her complete shock, the Chief of Police barges into their DC's office to where Blaze is sitting at her superior's desk.

She immediately stands up and salutes him.

"I'm sorry, what is going on here?" He tilts his head, surprised.

"Sir, Chief Clark" Blaze replies, raising her hand to her temple.

"Please would you care to explain," he politely asks. Compared to their Captain, DC O'Neil, the Cheif of police carries a more kinder and sincere approach to his officers.

"Of course Sir. As you are aware, DC O'Neil is out of town. Our two Lieutenants Hunter and Stone are also away today. So I took over the precinct..." she boldly answers.

"Thank you Detective Hart, you have done a great job and everything is running smoothly,"

"Er Sir, I am Detective Fielding," Blaze explains.

"But she was supposed to handle..."

"Sorry Sir, Jess, I mean Detective Hart didn't show up to work today."

"So you took it upon yourself to manage the precinct by yourself?"

"Yes Sir," Blaze nods.

"Great job," he nods with approval. Clark rubs his chin, recognizing Blaze's name from elsewhere. "Wait, you came from Red District didn't you?" He queries.

"Yes Sir," . To any other superior, Blaze wouldn't act this formal. However, this is the Chief of Police of all three districts and the most senior person in their hierachy.

"DC Ramos spoke very highly of you. In fact, once the new Red District HQ is up and running again, I'd personally like to promote you there to Lieutenant."

"Sir, that would be an honour for me and I very much appreciate it. But, I have plans to move back to London in 6 weeks..." Blaze sighs.

"I think you should take some time to reconsider then. I will send you the terms of our offer at the end of today. I'll take over now from here, but well done for stepping in today. Your an asset to our department here", he smiles.

"Thank you Chief," Blaze smiles back before leaving.

"YESSS!" She quietly grins to herself after stepping outside. On her way out of the precinct, Blaze receives a call from a number she doesn't recognise.

"Hello?"

"Hello. This is DC O'Neil here".

"Oh, hi there," Blaze answers, again surprised.

"Forgive me for the call, as you know I am out of town so can't be there. I just wanted to personally thank you for stepping in today and for your hard work. I heard everything ran smoothly this morning thanks to you."

"It's no problem Sir,"

"I very much appreciate your assistance at this busy time. As a thank you, I would like to invite you to a business dinner tomorrow night at City Hall to discuss your promotion at our new Red District Department."

"Wow, Sir, that's very kind. I don't know what to say..."

"I don't think we have properly met each other either. It would also be a good opportunity to discuss the future of our department together. I'll see you at 8pm tomorrow night, City Hall".

"Thank you Sir," she replies before hanging up.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, behind DC O'Neil, he turns to face Officer Nadine Bilson who is tied up and gagged with her hands above her head connected via a rope to the ceiling. Her face is bruised and bloodied. Big Ben folds his arms, standing menacingly behind her.

"So? Which of you Reds has the USB Ramos stole?"

"I don't know, I swear!" She cries out.

Another officer, Ralphy from Green District precinct enters the room. Nadine instantly recognises the young man. "Ralphy! Ralphy tell him, I wouldn't hide something so important!" Nadine pleads.

The fed ignores her then turns to DC O'Neil to speak. "We've searched her appartment, her car, her old office, her family home. Nothing. I think she's tellin' the truth!"

"See?!" Nadine coughs out blood from her mouth.

"Thank you for your assistance Officer Ralphy." He then turns back towards Nadine, ignoring her cries whilst giving Big Ben a nod. They both understand that she now knows too much regarding the Deputy Chief's corruption.

With several swift swings of a baseball bat, Big Ben violently strikes her head, beating her to death. The thug casually wipes the blood off his hands using a white cloth as his victim's head and face remain slumped over the body which is now unrecognizable.

"What now? Mr X is growing impatient..." Big Ben asks.

"Fielding has the USB, I know it. She's meeting me tomorrow night at City Hall. From there, we'll interrogate her then you can kill her. For now, clean this shit up".

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Monday morning, 10:30am.

Adam, Axel and Blaze have each marked themselves as 'on duty and outside of office' for a couple of hours. Sunday was a slow but productive day where Adam and Keri searched for a house to rent closer to the city. During the day, Keri's mother took care of Cherry and Sammy. The practical mother-in-law was quick to give Adam a hard time about the family losing their home 'in a fire' then being cramped up in Axel's apartment. Having said this, Keri and Adam filed the paperwork fast and will move to their new house closer to Green District later today, still located within a 45 minutes commute from the city centre. Sammy has agreed that for now, until his enemies are dead he will stay back at Axel's apartment.

Blaze sits outside of a coffee shop dressed overtly smart in black pin-striped trousers, chiffon white blouse and black heals. She is wearing heavy red lipstick, gold hooped earrings and a gold chain. Her dark shades conceal her face and her blond wig is slicked back into a smart bun, making her the perfect fit for one of Tiger's associates.

In her long cream jacket, she has no weapons due to the entrance of the bank being heavily secured with metal detectors. The only possessions in her pocket are the syringe concealed inside a pen case as well as a false driver's license belonging to 'Emma Jefferson', one of Tiger's girls who sometimes attends the bank on his behalf. Her black briefcase at the moment is complete with fake notes.

#Phone rings#

"She's approaching the building now. You need to be quick, ten minutes tops. We'll take care of the driver", Adam is brief before hanging up. He quickly spots Tiger's associate pulling over in a black SUV opposite the bank.

"I'm sorry sir but you will have to move your car, your vehicle is not permitted to park here." Luca who is dressed as a parking attendant distracts the driver and his view whilst Blaze walks into the building. He is forced to move the car off the busy main road and into a quieter side street. Once parked further away, the driver pulls out his phone to text Emma his location. In doing so, the glass next to him shatters. Max reaches forward, wasting no time in breaking his neck then dragging away his body away.

Inside the bank, Blaze cautiously follows Emma past security. To the staff, she is just a second associate that Tiger has sent this morning. Emma proceeds to enter the large gold mirrored elevator at the side of the building to take her all the way up to the top floor. As she fixes her hair in the mirror, the elevator stops on the second floor unexpectedly. She freezes, astounded as another familiar looking associate dressed like her decides to step into the elevator.

"Why are you here? I was sent to the deliver the money, not you! Report back to Tiger immediately!" Emma orders.

As she finishes her sentence and the elevator starts moving, Emma realizes this is all a trap. She tries to fight back by attempting to hit Blaze with the briefcase in her hand whilst trying to kick her in the face. Blaze is quick to block Emma's efforts, delivering a powerful kick to her diaphragm which causes Emma to lose her breath. Blaze then immediately injects her in the neck with the leathal syringe Zan gave her.

Blaze has no time to lose, so she quickly drags out the body out onto the 20th floor and into one of the storage rooms next to the elevator. She empties Emma's pockets to find drugs and an identity card to allow her granted access to the top floor of the building. Blaze also swaps the two briefcases with the money inside, before finally taking the elevator all the way up to the 30th floor. Blaze checks the mirror then looks at her watch. She now has exactly five minutes to complete her part of the job.

As she enters the top floor, she scans in Emma's ID card which opens the glass doors.

The guard to the safe then asks her to sign in, which is something she had practised forging yesterday. Without hesitation, he allows her to pass.

"How much would you like to deposit on behalf of Xavier Williams, Madam?"

"Twenty thousand dollars are in this case", Blaze cooly answers before handing it over. She scans the room leading to the safe which is a quiet, empty, shock proof part of the building with two security guards standing at the glass doors before the vault. It takes a further three minutes as the safe keeper stacks piles of cash onto some scales to count the money. He proceeds to open the vault coded- 45159 followed by 7 stars.

Blaze is now keen need to leave before they run out of time. "Thank you for your time gentlemen. My connect appreciates your cooperation".

She calmly walks back towards the elevator, anxiously looking at her watch during the journey down whilst writing the code on a blank piece of paper. Blaze quietly passes the security towards the exit of the building.

"Hey!" Unexpectedly, one of the security guards calls her out, catching Blaze off guard.

She turns around trying not to flinch "yes?"

He walks closer to her, grabbing her by the arm. "Listen, tell T to hook me up later. I have 10K with me so if he can cut me a good deal and maybe throw in some pussy, I'd appreciate that."

She smiles up at him, "sure, that can be arranged". It's a huge relief when he finally loosens the grip on her arm, then she quickly makes her way out of the building. As she passes one of the street corners, Blaze discretely hands over the piece of paper and ID card to Axel before disappearing.

Axel, Adam, Max and Raven pull down their black ski masks before aggressively running into the bank with their firearms. They know that the janitor has fled and has tampered with the alarm system, but once the staff realize this, they will use their cell phones as backup. The team know they have six minutes until any police arrive. Raven and Adam immediately shoot the two security guards at the entrance, sending the whole bank into panic. "EVERYONE ON THE FLOOR NOW! Do as I say and you won't be killed!" Adam orders.

The four men try their best to keep everything under control on the ground floor where the public are. Axel and Max then take the elevator up to the 30th floor, pointing their guns at anyone who tries to stand in their way. Once they arrive, the guards on the top floor try to call security when they spot the two masked men emerging.

"We will be ok, this glass is bullet proof" one of them says. That is until Axel uses the ID card to open the doors.

"Fuck!"

Max shoots down both guards, whilst Axel points the gun at the last member of staff guarding the safe. "Open it and I'll let you live", he demands.

"I can't, I'm bound to…" Axel wastes no time, shooting him in the head. He quickly types in the code Blaze handed over, before they empty all of the vault's contents. This includes cash in $500 bills as well as gold jewellery stashed away which they cram into two very large gym bags.

"Come on we gotta get outta here!" Max yells. The pair run downstairs as fast as they can to meet Adam and Raven still on the ground floor. Outside the building, Luca speedily pulls up then opens the back of an unmarked van. The four men quickly jump in as he speeds away from the scene.

The team catch their breaths back inside the van as they remove their ski masks.

"Fuck that heist felt good, we did it! Fifteen fucking million dollars plus"! The guys celebrate.

"What the fuck are we goin' to do with all this cash now?" Adam replies to Axel.

"We can each take a share of a million. Blaze has a British passport and Raven has a Mexican one so we can invest the rest of the money abroad undetected either through the banks, charities or projects that need the funding. As long as the Syndicate don't have access to this cash that's all that matters. Zan can also use some of this for his research".

"You've really thought this through already, haven't you?" Adam smirks.

"You know me, always one step ahead of the game!" Axel brags.

"Makes sense! Luca, can get us back to the warehouse. We need to burn these clothes then get back to the office with the police car in the next half hour. Our radios will already be blowing up at the news of the bank's armed robbery. That motherfucker O'Neil has no idea who is behind this and I intend for it to stay that way!"

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mr X has called an emergency meeting at one of his offices with Shiva and Tiger present.

His anger and disbelief at the events of this morning's heist have taken a major toll on him. "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MY MONEY?!" He slams his fists on the surface of his desk. "Your girl should have been last one to sign in Tiger!" Mr X glares at his employee with hate in his eyes.

"I know." Tiger regretfully answers. "We've tried to reach Emma and the driver but neither are responding. I'm guessing they're already dead. We did everything by the book, like we do every Monday".

"Maybe that's the problem then, hmmm?" Mr X tilts his head with frustration all over his face.

He then turns to Shiva. "Tell DC O'Neil I want access to all the surveylance inside and around that bank for the past week! In the meantime I want everyone who was in your meeting the other day brought back in! Only those present knew about the account we had including the bank manager and Attorney Cohen."

"I'm on it," Shiva nods.

"Tiger," Mr X sighs with disappointment. "You and your work are starting to become a liability for me. And you still havn't found Donovan..."

"I can assure you Sir that I will bring those responsible for this to you myself".

Mr X snarls, shaking his head with disgust as he pours himself another glass of whiskey. "Eighteen kilograms of coke have also miraculously disappeared over the last three weeks. I'm losing money left right and centre and I'm starting to get even more irritated! What the fuck are you planning to do about that Tiger?!"

Shiva intervenes, knowing that it isn't entirely his colleague's fault. "Someone who knows our organisation very well is clearly behind this."

Mr X turns to his bodyguard. "Our priority then is to find them and make an example of them. We also need to retrieve that USB before any more information leaks out about our cause. Tiger you have three weeks to double your efforts. I need to see 50% more distribution from your fighters to make up for our loss. And your girls can double their shifts".

"Of course boss, leave it with me".

Mr X proceeds to light up his cigar before walking over to Tiger. "Mark my words boy, if I find anything in this unfortunate incident connected to you, I will drain all of the power you have left in your insignificant life and you will suffer a painful death".

"You have my word boss. I won't fail you again".

Mr X sighs, placing his index finger and thumb at the base of his forehead. "Good. Now I need to get back to my campaign. Don't waste anymore of my time from now on."

Shiva and Tiger leave the room in silence. They walk into the main part of the club that their organisation owns downstairs.

Mercury Room is the Syndicate's biggest source of legitimate income and is one of the most successful nightclubs in the city. They use this place to clean a lot of their drug money and it continues to be a popular, trendy venue that crowds flock to every night of the week. The success of the venue is even known to attract celebrities and the wealthiest business people in the city. Its slick interior is made up of a downstairs and upstairs dance floor, four bars scattered over two floors. It also boasts booths, open tables, as well as a separate strip club on the third floor below two offices on the 4th. A portion of the income of Mercury Room discretely goes to DC O'Neil and a handful of his officers who ensure that the police turn a blind eye to any drug sales regularly made at the club.

Both men sit down at the bar which is empty at this time of morning. Only the alcohol suppliers are in the distance delivering crates of beer at the entrance. The barman serves each of them a glass of whiskey, then he leaves to address their supplier by the door. Before they take a sip of their drink, Tiger empties some cocaine on top of the bar. He leans forward to snort the line it then immediately snaps back up to salute Shiva with his glass of whiskey.

"Are you sure you don't wanna try some? Its 90% pure, real Columbian shit I got here".

"You know I don't do drugs" Shiva bluntly answers. "Any word yet on the Hunter boy?" He queries.

"No." Tiger sniffs. "I sent Donavon to track him down the other night, but somebody must have intervened. Hopefully the boy has kept his mouth shut from his brother as the feds have been quiet".

"We've agreed with O'Neil not to make a move unless a war starts. This boy's brother is a valuable asset to the police and I don't want to shake things up yet."

#Shiva's phone rings#

"Yes?... I see. Gather what you need and we will take it from there".

#Hangs up#

"It appears that your associate, Emma was ambushed and killed at the bank. Dose of cyanide injected in her neck. Your driver is also dead. It seems that this heist was carefully planned, where they knew all of our movements this morning".

"What about the surveylance?" Tiger queries.

"That's another problem. What's strange is that these were masked men with firearms that stormed into the building. So they had no need for CCTV or cyanide. Emma's signature was signed in at the time our cash was deposited, however she never made it to the 30th floor. Her body was found 10 levels below. To get past the security at the top and open the safe, they must have used a decoy. The smart fuckers somehow cut out all of the surveylance in and around the building".

Shiva's phone pings once again with some photographic messages showing the current investigation at the bank. One of the images is of Emma lying dead in the storage room. Another is the swapped briefcase open full of fake notes and a message stuck to them saying 'Fuck You'.

Tiger shakes his head. "Do you think this was just a heist or something personal?"

"It's hard to tell right now. Investigate all of your associates and try to track Donovan down if you can. I will have my men bring in everyone present at last week's meeting. The quicker we resolve this, the better. Mr X's identity must not be leaked, so any one of those men who know his face must be killed. You focus on making that money back for now".

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lunchtime at the office and Adam and Axel have returned in their usual plain clothes, both waiting for updates on the reported heist this morning. DC O'Neil catches them outside of Adam's office. "Hunter, Stone please can you come to my office we have some urgent matters to discuss". The pair look at each other, slightly concerned as they follow their superior.

"Fellas, please take a seat. As you both know, it has been a difficult few days for me outside Wood Oak, attending Davidson's trial."

"What's goin' on with that, we've heard nothing here" Adam asks.

"Unfortunately Sam killed himself in prison. It looked as if he would be facing the death after trial, but I think he gave up in the end".

Both Axel and Adam glance at each other, hiding the concern on their faces.

"Had the jury reached a verdict?" Axel queries.

"No. But he pleaded guilty. All the evidence was there, however they have not closed the case yet. I'm hoping we can keep this news under wraps for the next day or so as the prosecution believed that Davidson was not working alone. Sam kept a memory stick containing highly classified Government information regarding nuclear weapons. I suspect that he had hacked the government portal to obtain it and when his old boss DC Ramos found out, Davidson planned the bombing at the Red District."

"You would have expected them to conduct a thorough search at Davidson's address for the USB right? So hopefully it's now in safe hands," Adam remarks

"Regrettably no. We searched everywhere for it including his apartment, his girlfriend's house, his car, his gym, but there was nothing. Davidson must have given the information to one of his colleagues who worked closely with him. This is the whole reason why we transferred those six Red officers in the first place. Now that he is out of the picture, our priority is to search each of their premises for evidence then take them in for questioning until we find that USB. If any of this gets out to the public, we could be in real danger," O'Neil explains.

"When is all this going to happen then?" Adam asks.

"We will have to delay the search to tomorrow. I was planning to get this all wrapped up this evening, but we have our hands full with the city heist that took place this morning. 15 million dollars' worth of cash was stolen. Our priority now is to find the perpetrators as well as the money. The five Reds left will still be here tomorrow, so as long as we keep this conversation between us, we shouldn't have a problem".

Both Adam and Axel know that O'Neil has a certain level of trust for them that they do not wish to jeopardize, so they will go along with whatever he asks for now. They know he is trying to slowly pull them into the game, despite Axel's reservations and hate towards the Syndicate. O'Neil can be a patient but manipulative man, so it is far more effective to play him at his own game.

"What exactly would you like us to do from tomorrow chief?" Adam queries.

"Hunter, you will be in charge of implementing the search warrant for the five officers. That USB is our priority, so whoever has it will be put on trial. Both of you can split up and lead the different search parties. Are there any questions?"

"No Sir," the pair reply.

Once they have left his office, O'Neil shuts the door then pulls out his cellphone.

"Ben, it's me. I know you and your boys have your hands full right now after the heist today. Let's postpone that meeting at city hall with Fielding tonight until tomorrow. In the meantime, my team will conduct the necessary searches."

"Agreed. Mr X has called an emergency meeting tonight. We don't suspect the heist today or the missing USB device are related. I will text you a time tomorrow."

#Hangs up#

Chapter Text

15 - Seven Stars

One hour until the day shift is over and Adam spots Blaze on the fifth floor returning from a duty outside. "Blaze!" He discretely calls her over.

"Hey, is everything ok?" She asks with concern after their heist morning.

"Not really. Axel and I just ran into O'Neil. He's organising a warrant on your ass as well as the other Red's anytime from tomorrow."

"What do you mean? O'Neil was planning to offer me a promotion tonight. He's literally just told me our meeting will go ahead tomorrow instead..." Blaze shrugs confused.

"I don't know what the fuck is goin' on. All I know is they're keen on finding a government USB device."

Blaze lets out a slight panic under her breath, "shit".

"What is it?" Adam frowns.

"Come with me," She cautiously glances around.

As they walk into her shared office for some privacy, her colleague Detective Kai Walker is sat at his own desk fixated on his montor.

"Have any of you seen Bilson?" He asks.

"No," both Blaze and Adam shake their heads, briefly glancing over towards Nadine's empty desk.

"So, what do you need to tell me?" Adam quietly asks.

"My appartment is clean, they wont find anything there. But I know where it is..."

"Word was your former DC Ramos gave Sam the USB, however he either destroyed it or passed it onto another member of your old team. If you know anything or hear anything, it's important that you let me know as we need to get to this thing before somebody else does."

"Sam never had the device in the first place. All I know is that it isn't even in the country, so O'Neil is wasting his time searching us. Ramos made sure it was safe and far away from here,"

"Good. So when we raid your appartment, everything will come back as inconclusive".

"100 percent, they got nothing on me," Blaze gives him a confident nod as Adam exhales a huge sigh of relief.

"Hey, wanna get some food? I think we need it," Adam asks.

"Yeah," Blaze enthusiastically nods.

As they turn to leave the office, there is an unexpected knock at the door from one of their secretaries, Maureen. "Somebody here is popular," she smiles holding onto a large boquet of red roses along with a wrapped red box.

"Whose that for?" Kai asks with an excited grin on his face.

"Miss Fielding here," she smiles.

Adam and Blaze immediately glance at each other with concern on their faces. Adam reaches for the boquet and box, handling them carefully, "I'll take it from here Mau," he insists, slowly placing them down on Blaze's desk.

"You don't think this is...?"

"No," Blaze shakes her head.

The pair inspect the box with caution. "It looks safe," Adam nods.

"All packages that come through the office are carefully x-rayed at the entrance," Maureen reassures them.

"Thanks," Blaze replies.

"I think this is just a romantic gesture from somebody nice, you lucky girl! I wish I was recieving roses," she laughs.

"Aww Mau, I'll make sure you get some on your next birthday," Adam flirts.

"Such a charmer Hunter as always," she grins.

"You still got it girl," he winks at Maureen, 30 years his senior.

"Your too kind," she smiles.

"If you want, you should take these roses. Blaze is the only woman I know who hates flowers," Adam insists.

Blaze ignores him whilst carefully inspecting the small card attached to the boquet.

'Looking forward to training with you after work. Hope you like the flowers.

Raven'.

"Adam it's safe, the gifts are from Raven",

"Ohhh," Adam raises an eyebrow surprised. "It's obvious the guy likes you from the other night. What's in that box? I bet it's somethin' kinky..."

Blaze sighs, shaking her head with annoyance at his immaturity. The others in the room eagerly watch as she opens the red box decorated with a bow on top. Unexpectedly, inside Blaze finds two red kick boxing gloves with her name sewn on the wrist part of each one.

Her face immediately lights up with a smile, pleasantly surprised by Raven's efforts. "This is actually quite sweet", Blaze admits.

"So he's serious about training with you by the looks of it!" Adam nods, folding his arms. "If you don't want the flowers do you mind if I give them to Keri? She loves roses."

"Adam! Your such a cheap skate at times! Next time make an effort buy her some yourself! I think I will keep my flowers as Raven didn't know they're not my thing. Were actually seeing each other today after work now that my meeting at City Hall is postponed," she smiles.

Adam laughs. "That soon huh? Your crazy and he's a charmer".

Maureen excitedly replies, glancing at the filing cabinet behind Blaze. "Holy moly girl! He's also left you another hot chocolate over there! This guy's a keeper!"

"Huh?" Blaze looks twice.

"Damn Blaze!" Adam is taken back surprised. "Raven must really like you then, let me see that!"

"No, wait!" Blaze tries to stop him.

Adam reaches past her, noticing a note stuck to the lid of the take out cup.

"Gimme that!" Blaze insists, but it is too late.

Adam frowns, taken back surprised after opening the note that reads,

'I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you x'

"What the fuck?!" Adam blinks at the note, puzzled.

"I'm so confused! The man is sending you all these gifts then saying he's sorry? For what?! I knew this whole front from Raven was too good to be true! What has done now? I'll handle this!" Adam huffs.

"Nothing!" Blaze yells back. "Raven hasn't done anything!".

"I like him and your business is your business Blaze, but he's a player. You deserver better. If he messes you around or hurts you, I don't give a shit I won't hold back with this one!"

"Will you just stop?!" Blaze insists.

"Why are you looking so sad about this Blaze? The guy just put a smile on your face, those gifts were so cute." Maureen asks her, concerned.

"This note isn't from Raven," Blaze sighs staring down.

Kai impatiently joins in, also confused by the drama. "Wait! So Raven isn't hot chocolate guy?!"

Adam can't help but chuckle "Oh yeah, I heard about this in the canteen downstairs..."

Blaze cuts an annoyed stare at him, pissed off by the prospect of others in the precinct gossiping about her. "No. If you must know, Raven is not him!"

"So who the hell is this sorry motherfucker then?" Adam shrugs.

"You're a detective, figure it out". Feeling upset, she forces the flowers in Adam's hand then brushes past his shoulder as she exits the office.

Adam follows her out into the hallway finally realizing what is actually going on. His tone of voice instantly changes from humorous to serious with one of concern.

"What the fuck is goin' on Blaze? He is your boss, what are you thinking?!"

"Adam, nothing is going on! I just..."

"What?"

"I don't know," Blaze shrugs anxiously.

"Shit!" Adam thinks to himself. "No wonder Ax got so angry the other night when Raven took you home..."

"What do you mean?" Blaze asks.

The two of them stop by a coffee machine.

"After Raven took you home... damn I ain't ever seen him that jelous before..."

"That's surprising. Your friend couldn't wait to get out when Jess called up", Blaze huffs, folding her arms defensively.

"Hey wait! Axel is many things but he's not a liar! He called me that night before the meeting saying she was in trouble and he had to help."

"So?"

"Look, getting mixed up with him is a bad idea. A very bad idea. Truth was I didn't realize how caught up he was on you, but when he says it's over, Axel means it".

"It doesn't matter now anyway. I'm tired of his shit," Blaze insists. "Now if you don't mind, I gotta get back to work."

"Blaze, wait,"

Without saying anymore, Adam guiltily watches her walk away.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lingchi is a slow, painful traditional torture method used in China that many gang members adopt to interrogate their hostages. It involves the cutting and removing of small chunks of flesh from the body and is a slow way to bleed out and die.

In front of Shiva, attorney Bill Cohen stands in chains next to the dead bank owner.

"We've taken control of Central bank now so we won't be needing him anymore," the bodyguard explains.

One of Shiva's gang members painfully cuts out another piece of flesh from Cohen's leg. He shouts out in agony.

"I want to know how the details of our meeting the other day leaked out. You are the last person we tracked down around that table and as a result we lost 15 million dollars this morning. So, for the last time, who sent you to spy on us?"

Cohen cries out, "No one! I don't know what you are talking about! I make enough money, do you really think I'd be behind a bank heist working for someone else?"

Two of Shiva's Yakuza associates then enter the room. "We have made checks on his house, car and other areas of interest, but no cash was found".

Shiva turns back to his hostage, slowly glaring at him. It sends shivers down Cohen's spine. "Looks like it's your lucky day then. Your associates are dead but you get to see another night, Cohen".

The two Triads carrying out the torture immediately unchain him following Shiva's orders. The man collapses to the floor with his bare chest and back covered in blood.

"Take him away and clean him up". Shiva then crouches down next to the attorney boss. "I know you're on Mr X's payroll but if any of this gets out, or if I find that you betrayed us in any way thinkable, next time your wife will be here alongside you".

Shiva orders the men to take him away before communicating with the two Yakuza fighters in Japanese.

"This better be good".

Two more men bring in the scientist who was the last person present at the meeting.

Shiva pushes the old man against the wall. "Who do you work for?!" He yells.

The scientist stays silent before Shiva shouts the same question again in Japanese to him.

Shiva immediately starts to become infuriated. "If he won't talk, you know what to do". He passes over to one of the men two knives before they start cutting the scientist's flesh. Each time they take a piece, they shout out "WHO?!"

But the scientist stays silent throughout the torture and remains completely loyal to Dr Zan. It takes hours for him to bleed to death, but he gives away nothing.

Shiva stands back folding his arms when the scientist has taken his last breath. "Examine the man's phone, any call towers that he used nearby over the last week. Also his labs, his home. I won't give up until we find out who he is working for".

Shiva leaves the room, having had enough of today. He decides to remain alone in meditatation for the night.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6pm at the precinct and many of the night shift officers are starting to arrive.

Axel enters Adam's office, handing over a classified folder. "These are the files for Sammy. The department are not wasting any time trying to track down Tiger, and it is clear that someone is protecting the guy and trying to prevent a war with us".

"Thank you for dealing with this. Looks like we're gonna have to find Tiger off the books...".

Axel nods in agreement. "We need to hold another meeting tonight straight after work. Zan just called me. We have a bigger problem right now".

"What happened?"

"They've caught Zan's scientist, he's unresponsive. Most likely, the Syndicate have killed him. Zan assured me that the man wouldn't talk, but we can't 100% sure. If this traces back to any of us, they'll be a full scale war on our hands".

"Shit! Ok, I'll message the rest of the team"

"Where the fuck is Fielding? She's nowhere in the precinct."

Adam replies, "Blaze finished work for the day."

"Can you get hold of her?" Axel requests.

Adam guiltily replies, "I think she has gone out with Raven to train for the rest of the night, as far as I know"

"Train? With him? What for?" Axel shrugs.

"You didn't hear about earlier. The whole office is talking about it! He sent her a box of red kickboxing gloves and flowers here".

"Well our guys at the door need to stop letting personal packages through, it's against the rules. You should have taken the shit away. After one meeting on Saturday night, does Raven think were running a dating site?"

"I'm sure when they've finished training they'll attend the meeting".

"They know that what we're up against so they better get their priorities straight! If those two wanna act like teenagers with flowers and shit, good luck to them".

"It's funny you saying that. I used to stick little romantic notes to Keri's paper cups at school - your idea I remember".

Axel replies, pissed off in his tone. "What did you say?"

"I know what's going on with you, why you were so angry the other night..."

"Adam shut the fuck up before I say something I regret", Axel warns.

"Whatever this is, it needs to stop. I'm telling you as your friend and as your partner I'm starting to see your anger flare up. We both know what happens when you lose control of your powers."

"I can assure you I am fine, and I don't need your advice either. Maybe you should give that talk to Blaze. I thought she was smarter than this, but it's her life and a stupid decision becoming personally involved with a member of our team."

"That's rich coming from you isn't it? Just keep clear of her, it's clouding your judgement and disrupting your focus. Whatever 'connection' you two have, it needs to stop now! We're taking a lot of risks especially over the next few weeks".

"I hear you," Axel reassures him.

"I know. But you need to accept that we're all risking our lives here. Any of us are likely to be killed. That goes for Blaze also. It's risky if you get too close,"

"Ok, no risks" Axel agrees.

"Good. The last thing I want is you taking your eye off the ball. I will arrange the meeting tonight, 9pm at Max's gym. Don't be late".

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Jesus you throw quite a punch Blaze! For someone who has never done kickboxing before you're a natural!" Raven complements her in the middle of their training session.

Blaze stops for a moment to wipe away the sweat from her forehead with her wrist band. Even though she has clearly had a good workout, she still has a lot more energy left in the tank to train. " So what next then coach?" She grins.

"Let's try the ring now," Raven suggests.

The two of them have a sip of water, leaving the punchbag and boxing pads they were working with. Blaze readjusts her braided hair before reaching for her mouth guard as she enters the ring.

"Don't you want this?" Raven throws over to her a soft padded helmet to wear.

"But you weren't wearing one of these the other night. Why would I need it?" She smirks.

"I refuse to hit a pretty face..."

"Try me," Blaze brags.

"Your call..."

Raven attempts to throw a jab towards her head, but Blaze is quick to block, retaliating with a kick to the stomach.

"Good!" Raven skips back. "Your kicks need some work though, they're not powerful enough".

"Oh yeah?" Blaze accepts the challenge. Her next roundhouse kick narrowly misses Raven's left ear. He can't help but feel a moment of air twisting by the side of his face. Not only does he take back his last comment, but it leaves him thinking wow- that was more than just a kick. It was almost as if Blaze was able to manipulate the energy around her move without realizing.

Concentrating harder, both of them quickly exchange attempted jabs and blocks, before Blaze delivers another powerful kick to Raven's side before sweeping him. Her bold move sends him flying down to the ground.

Raven catches his breath back, immediately feeling unnerved on his back. After all, he's the 'teacher' here tonight, not Blaze.

"Better kick this time, but sweeping is against the rules!"

Blaze laughs. "This is why you should learn Judo then! It's not as restricted!". She puts back in her mouth guard then extends her hand to help him up. As soon as he is back up, Raven decides to give the spar his all, but Blaze is fast and full of energy. She fires more and more jabs towards Raven's arms and face without giving him a break. "Come on, I'm going easy on you!" Blaze grins as she skips around the ring. He can see that she is a skilled fighter and definitely faster than him.

Raven suddenly notices Max out of the corner of his eye watching them spar from the office at the back".

"Actually, I'm the one going easy on you Blaze!" Raven brags.

Max starts laughing at the fact that his fighter is getting his ass whooped by kickboxing novice in the ring, even though Raven is trying his best to block her efforts, Blaze is just too fast for him. This is very intimidating and quite embarrassing for a prospective champion. The punches and kicks that follow from her get thrown around faster and faster along with the blocks.

Raven eventually starts to lose his patience. "Hey, try this with your fists," he says, diverting her attention to his palms. Suddenly, he drives his knee hard into Blaze's ribs, knocking her down to the floor.

She cluctches onto her side, coughing.

"Shit! I'm so sorry, are you ok!" Raven reaches down, helping her up.

Blaze nods. "Yeah, I think so. Its ok really, I've thrown enough punches way worse than this your way!"

"Yeah, but I train for this every day. Here let me see to that", he insists.

Max quickly brings over an ice bucket to the ring as Raven examines the swelling on her left side. "This is gonna bruise, but it should subside within five days or so. Here keep the ice on it."

"I'll be ok, really I've had worse injuries than this!"

"I'll get some more ice," Max replies, heading back to the office.

He places one arm around her waist then helps her out of the ring before she removes her gloves to sit down.

"I'm so sorry Blaze. I'll send you the whole flower store if I have to tomorrow".

She smiles back. "It's ok really, I'm a big girl. You need to also stop buying me gifts you know..." Unexpectedly, he leans forward then kisses her on the lips. "Next time we'll stick to judo or dancing then". They then share another, longer kiss as he draws closer to her.

"I like you a lot," Raven says before pulling her closer towards him. But Blaze is quick to put her hand over his chest to bring him to a halt before things go any further.

"What's wrong?" He frowns.

"Nothing. I gotta go and get changed and showered for the meeting later. I'll meet you back here after ok?"

"Sure thing. I'll catch up with you later", he sighs.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9pm and everyone except Zan are sat around the table at Max's gym.

"So where is the professor?" Max queries.

Axel replies, addressing the whole group. "Earlier today Zan's scientist was killed by the Syndicate. They had found out that he betrayed them and was feeding information elsewhere after their bank meeting. As a result, Zan is now in hiding."

"Shit..." Sammy shakes his head in disbelief.

"So I'm guessing this is why you called the emergency meeting, what about the rest of us now?" Max shrugs.

Adam intervenes. "There's one other thing you all need to know. DC O'Neil is looking for a government memory stick and has assigned us to search for it. Lieutenant Sam Davidson, who they believed DC Ramos gave the information to, was awaiting trial in protective custody for the attacks on the police department. His body was found yesterday morning after hanging himself at the prison".

Blaze suddenly feels sick to her stomach, knowing that her old colleague and friend is now dead.

"But that's not possible!" She interrupts. "Sam was a devout catholic, his girlfriend and child meant everything to him! I know he was in prison but I know he would never have committed suicide, especially before the verdict".

"Precisely what we thought." Axel agrees. "We have reason to believe O'Neil was behind his death after Sam kept the location of the USB hidden. There was no point in his trial taking place, he wasn't behind the attacks although we think that the first attack at Red District may have been an inside job".

"Ramos trusted Sam, I know he was innocent" Blaze replies.

"So our next priority is to find that memory stick before O'Neil or anyone else does", Adam glances towards Blaze.

"Yeah well, that won't be easy," she shakes her head.

"What's on this thing anyway?" Sammy queries.

"We don't know, but it's something very important for them to go through all this trouble to find it", Axel replies.

Adam explains, "O'Neil will keep pinning this onto Ramos' team until he finds answers. He has search warrants on all of the Red District transfers."

"I told you earlier, I don't have the USB and my appartment is clean", Blaze answers whilst throwing over her keys at Adam.

Axel's phone starts to ring. "Excuse me, I have to take this", he briefly leaves the group.

Adam and Blaze start to clash infront of the group. "All jokes aside, if you don't have the memory stick then who does?"

"I told you, it's not even in the country..."

"And would you happen to have a clue as to where it might be?" Adam shrugs.

"I have my suspicions..."

"So...? We'll send Max and Raven to retrieve it then."

"NO!" Blaze snaps. "I'll get it myself,"

"What's the matter, don't you trust the rest of us?" Max questions her.

"I'm the only one out of us who is capable of finding it. You should trust me for once,"

"Sorry lady but you joined us only 5 minutes ago and already your here tryna call the shots?!" Max argues. "This is what happens when you let a woman join the team," the wrestler directs his frustration back at Adam.

"Fuck you!" Blaze stands, squaring up to him with her fists clenched.

"HEY THAT'S ENOUGH!" Adam intervenes, standing in her way. "Calm down now," he orders, witnessing Blaze's temper brewing. "We're all a team here," Adam remarks, turning to Max.

There is a short silence in the room.

"Hey I'm sorry,.He's right. I got your back Fielding," Max is the first to apologize, feeling guilty whilst extending one hand.

"Your lucky I'm not the type of woman to hold a grudge," Blaze nods, accepting the genuine olive branch as she shakes his hand.

"Believe it or not, I'm actually quite fond of you. You fought good against this champ earlier and you got more balls than most male fighters I know. Don't change for anyone, Blaze" Max complements. They pair end up coming to a mutual respect for one another.

"Good, now that's all cleared up we can..." Before Adam can finish his sentence, Axel returns to the group. His face is flustered, slightly reddened with a look of worry over him.

"What happened?" Adam asks.

"Something to do with the precinct. I need to talk to you and Blaze alone about work," he replies.

The trio vacate to another room used as an office, away from the others.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," Blaze asks him with concern in her eyes.

Axel takes a short gulp in his throat before answering. "It's your colleague, Officer Bilson. They found her body this afternoon tortured and beaten to death. In addition to Sam, your other Red District colleague Levenez has been killed..."

"Oh my God," Blaze covers her mouth in shock.

"O'Neil is definitely behind this! When is your meeting with him?" Adam asks.

"Not until tomorrow," Blaze answers.

"I'm gonna get you out of here. I have a plan," Axel replies to her.

"But you two can't just up and leave manl! We still need that USB. And we need you here, O'Neil trusts you out of all of us," Adam panics.

"But O'Neil's planning on killing her!" Axel argues.

"Trust me, I can survive on my own! While I'm gone, I'll find that USB before the Syndicate finds me..." Blaze reassures them.

"Someone needs to leave with you. How are you gonna know where all the safe houses are? And the money? Ammo..."

"Yeah but we need you here Ax!" Adam interrupts. "O'Neil is sending us to execute her warrant. If you disappear, both our asses will be on the line and he'l suspect somethin' is goin' on here, especially now that the doctor is also in hiding..."

"Adam's right," Blaze replies.

"Max and Raven both have access to our safehouses. One of them can go with you," Adam recommends. "I'll go and brief them now. I'll pack you some of Keri's clothes. We have to get moving!" He says with urgency in his voice as he walks away.

"I don't like this at all," Axel huffs.

"It's the only way," Blaze answers. "I'm tellin' you though, while I'm gone I will find that USB"

"I don't doubt that, but you wont be able to return here for a long time. Not at least until we have O'Neil dead or exposed..."

"I know that," she stares up at him with regret and sadness over her face.

"So I guess this is goodbye for now. Take care of yourself, Blaze".

Without saying anything else, she reaches forward then wraps her arms around him. He exhales, pulling her close to him with his arms around her.

"Ow," Blaze flinches for a moment, clutching painfully onto her side.

"What happened?"

"Fighting injury," she guiltily smiles.

"I know you love a fight, but just be careful," he says gently touching her waist, inspecting the injury.

"You too," they continue to hold each other.

Axel is suddenly distracted away from the moment when he hears Raven clearing his throat in the doorway. "The car is ready, we have to move..." Raven says with urgency after being briefed by Adam. He feels annoyed for a second, to see the girl he kissed earlier in another guy's arms. Even if it appears to be a friendly hug, it is clear that there is much more to it under the surface.

"Goodbye," Blaze says to Axel, reluctantly letting him go before walking away.

Raven pauses in the doorway glaring at him after she leaves.

"Blaze will be just fine from now on, I got her back" the kickboxer smirks with arrogance.

Axel stays silent, giving him the most hostile stare as a warning not to test his patience.

"See you around," Raven proudly grins as he leaves.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Their drive outside of Wood Oak is at least three hours long into the open road and country. The windows of Raven's car are fully down and the Summer night air is fresh. Wood Oak City is now long behind them.

Blaze stares out of the passenger window up at the stars glistening above. It dawns on her how small the world really is.

Raven breaks the silence between them. "I got this friend who we're goin' to. He's a Coyotaje and he is the best person when it comes to hiding people. You will be safe there until this whole mess is fixed."

"Adam is planning on telling O'Neil that I accepted that transfer to London and I left early. He might not suspect a thing..."

"That's good then," Raven nods. "So you wern't ever planning to stick around then?"

"I dunno," she shrugs. "Does it even matter now? Somehow I think either way that this is the end of my career with the police. It's not even my fault!"

"I'm sure everything will work out as it's meant to be..."

Blaze smiles as she looks out towards the night sky.

"So is Raven your real name then?" She asks.

He laughs, "no it's my street name and my fighting name. I was actually born as Julio Eduardo Sanchez. How did you get your name then? It's different..."

"My mother told me that the night I was born I was very sick. They didn't think I would make it past a couple of hours since I had many complications as a baby. My mothers side of the family were very spiritual. They believed in astrological signs, mediumship, you name it. It was more important to them than religion. So that night she looked up to the stars and prayed for me to live. She saw a large cluster of seven bright blue stars, a very rare sight to the naked eye, but that night they appeared almost as if they had set the sky alight.

She believed that this was a sign and that I would be ok, despite the doctors telling her otherwise. She described them as a Blazing light with worlds of energy inside them. So she named me Blaze".

For the rest of the drive, Blaze continued to watch the stars with anticipation at what the future was holding for her.

Chapter Text

16 - On the Run

Three days have passed where Adam has heard nothing from Blaze. As far as O'Neil is concerned, she fled Wood Oak City possibly back to London. When he questioned his two Lieutenants regarding her absence, they mentioned the new job Blaze was offered and had no suspicion that she was hiding. They understand however, that sooner or later O'Neil will realise that Blaze has not transferred office and has purposely left on the run.

O'Neil sits down with Axel and Adam sitting on the opposite side of his desk. "Still no word yet from Officer Fielding then?"

"No." Adam shakes his head. "As soon as I hear any news of her transfer you will be the first to know. She must be long gone back to England, but her employer has not yet seen her as she isn't due to start for another four weeks".

"Any findings in her apartment?" O'Neil asks.

"No, everything seemed normal", Axel answers.

"We have questioned, suspended and searched all of the other Red's who remained silent. I know they are covering somebody's back. We may have to find alternative ways in getting them to talk. All fingers point to Fielding for the attacks. She was clearly smart enough to leave before we had the chance to question her".

Adam calmly replies, "at least let's wait until we get hold of her. Our search for the USB is still on, despite her gone. How do you know that Ramos didn't take it back from Davidson before the attack? Or didn't destroy it?"

O'Neil huffs, beginning to lose patience over the matter. "Just keep searching and we will find the memory stick as well as Fielding. In the meantime I still need updates on the heist so get back to work".

The two officers comply without fail.

"Oh and Hunter, I need to speak with you once your shift is finished. Meet me at Rosa's restaurant on Acorn Avenue after work", their DC orders.

As they leave his office, Axel quietly mutters under his breath. "He's getting suspicious now and impatient. We need to find that drive fast. Any news yet from Blaze?"

"No nothing, her cell phone is out of service." Adam worriedly answers. "I sent some clothes with Raven yesterday to take to her. He has driven back to the safe house to make sure she's ok. I've asked him for an update and have given him a new cell phone to pass onto her"

"I still think this is a bad idea," Axel disagrees.

"O'Neil is watching us closely. If you leave the city, he will know somethin' is up! I'm sure once Blaze has tracked this thing down, we will hear something. In the meantime keep a low profile, do what O'Neil requests."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Blaze has been staying with Raven's cousin Amelia for the last three days whilst searching for answers from anyone connected to her old boss DC Ramos. Amelia is a kind soul who doesn't ask questions, but she knows the real reason as to why Blaze is here.

There is a knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in," Blaze answers, concealing the paperwork she has under the pillow.

"Good afternoon, I thought you'd be hungry so I picked up some burritos for us," Amelia smiles with a tray in her hand.

"Thank you, that's very kind. I know you've been good to me the last couple of days, so I really appreciate it".

Amelia smiles, "Your welcome. I bet they don't make food like this back in England!"

"No way! The food here is so much better!" Blaze agrees, taking a bite of her lunch.

"It's not bad here, but you can't beat my mama's homecooking back in Mexico. I hope you find what you're looking for, sometimes when you can't find the answers you have to go back to the source".

This sentence suddenly gives Blaze an idea of what she can do next.

"Oh my God, Thank you Amelia!" she grins.

"No problem! Anything you need, just let me know. I can see my cousin likes you, so your like family now..."

Blaze smiles feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Oh and speaking of which, Raven called earlier asking if you would meet him at 4pm by our church. He has some more clothes and a cell phone for you. He said it's safe there."

"Okay, thanks".

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4pm and Blaze is sat outside the quiet church overlooking a dusty empty highway. She knows that they have fled South about 600km from Wood Oak City as the climate here is much hotter and drier with no sign of city life intact.

A friendly Pasteur comes out of the church to greet Blaze. "Good afternoon, would you like to come into the church for some water and to pray with us?"

"Thank you but I'm not religious", she replies.

"It's ok. We may be different in our beliefs, but we are all children of God. You are welcome inside our church anytime".

Blaze smiles, "thank you",

"Raven also asked for you..."

Blaze slowly follows the pasteur inside.

She immediately spots Raven sitting on one of the benches close to the alter. "Blaze," he calls her over. "Come and pray with me..."

She immediately notices some cuts and bruises on his face.

"What happened to you? Who did this?" She asks.

"Blaze I'm not even supposed to be here", he replies.

"What do you mean? Adam sent you though,"

Raven sighs. "There's a lot that Adam doesn't know. It's a huge risk for me being here, but I didn't wanna let the rest of the team or you down".

"Why?" Blaze frowns.

"Part of Max's deal with the Aguilas was that I don't step foot into any of their territory ever again..."

"But I thought they were in Mexico? Shit, we need to get you cleaned up," she suggests.

"No. I'll be ok. I outran them, but they took my car with the bags inside. I had 5,000 in cash as well as a cell phone and supplies for you in there..."

"Don't worry, it's just clothes and money in there. The main thing is you're ok. Let's go back to Amelia's and we will get you cleaned up".

"No!" Raven insists. "I don't want you or my cousin involved with this gang. These men are dangerous."

"I can handle this." Blaze reassures him. "I won't take no for an answer, plus you don't have a car to get back to Wood Oak."

"I'll find something..."

They leave the church, walking along the quiet road until they find a diner closeby.

"The only thing that saved me earlier was this". Raven discretely pulls out a knife from his pocket. They walk up to a car before he takes off his shirt, wrapping it around his fist.

"Stand back", he orders. With ease, he punches and breaks the glass next to one of the back seats before reaching into the car to unlock the door.

"The good thing about these old cars is there is no alarm. Get in!"

Within half a minute, Blaze hot wires the car, then they are good to go.

"Here, take the next right."

"But..." Blaze frowns, surprised.

"No, we can't go back to Amelia's house. It will only put her in danger. Take the next left on the highway, were going to the Cayotajie I told you about".

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Almost an hour later into their journey, they reach an old derelict looking house in an empty street off the highway.

"Follow me inside and don't say anything to them. Don't even look at them." He orders.

Raven knocks at the door where a short stocky man answers, cautiously scanning the two of them.

"I need to speak with Phillipe," Raven says to him. As they enter the house, all of the curtains are drawn where it is a dark, run down place with ripped furniture and old stained wallpaper. Blaze suspects this place is some sort of drug den with all the boxes and needles lying around.

Phillipe is a young man in his mid 20s with a serpent tattoo on one side of his neck. Blaze doesn't understand Spanish, but she guesses that Raven is asking him for a place to stay for the night.

After their short conversation, Phillipe responds in English: "You can use the back room upstairs. I will arrange a car for you tomorrow, Julio. The girl can stay here as long as she doesn't get in the way of any of our business."

"Thanks, I owe you one." Raven nods.

Phillipe then turns to face Blaze "puedes cocinar guapa?" She immediately glances over to Raven confused.

"No, and she doesn't speak Spanish".

Phillipe heckles, "that's a shame, she could pass off as a Puerto Rican beauty with that long dark hair".

Supporting a fake smile towards him, Blaze then follows Raven up the stairs to the back room.

"I don't like him," she remarks.

"It's ok. We won't be here for long, I promise."

The room they have is bear with an old empty mattress covering a broken wooden floor. A scratched glass dressing table and some old nets hang up next to a small broken window. The breeze is welcoming on this hot summers evening. Blaze scans the bear walls and surroundings then peers outside the window, noticing another church in the distance and a small grocery store. There are barely any houses around, just a couple scattered close by.

"What did Adam say before you left?" Blaze asks.

"They're still working on O'Neil," he bluntly answers.

"I need to contact him, where's your cell phone?"

"No, it's not safe!" Raven halts her. "Those men also drove off with my bag containing my phone, I won't have access to anything until tomorrow morning".

"Shit! There must be a payphone opposite that store across the street, I have to get hold of him".

"No!" Raven shouts, before calming himself down. "Blaze we need to stay here, it's not safe! O'Neil has started to get suspicious and Adam's phone could be tapped. I can't risk you being taken away until we find what we need". He places one arm around her as they sit down on the matress.

"Listen, I'm only here for the night. Phillipe is sorting out a car for me tomorrow morning and a phone. You will be safe here until I come back for you."

"But what about..."

"Trust me. For now, the two of us might as well make the most of the time we have together alone here". He says, immediately changing his mood whilst he kisses her neck.

Blaze reacts, abruptly pushing him away. "I got shit to do. I have to find that USB! Sitting around here isn't going to help!"

Raven, feeling disappointed with her replies: "Ok it's your call, but I thought our feelings were mutual here? No?"

"Raven, I'm on the run. That is the last thing on my mind right now..."

"Sure hon. Anyway, I need to go and talk to Phillipe about tomorrow morning, I'll be back upstairs soon. Stay here and don't go anywhere". He leans forward, briefly kissing her one more time on the lips before closing the bedroom door and leaving her alone to watch the hours tick by.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At the back of Rosa's restaurant, DC O Neil is sat in plain clothes next to Marcus Wu, Shiva's trusted adviser.

"If anyone can track the information down that we need, its Adam Hunter" O'Neil speaks highly of his employee.

"Let's see what he has to say. Maybe if we agree to spare his brother's life and let bygons be bygons, he will cooperate with us" Marcus suggests.

"No, Hunter doesn't work like that. We need to gain his trust first and convince him we are doing this for the greater good. Once he is on our side it will make it easier to convince his partner".

Adam confidently walks in to the restaurant whilst the two men stand when he approaches their table.

O'Neil enthusiastically introduces them. "Please meet one of my most senior officers and the best on on our team, Adam Hunter". Marcus extends his hand.

"Adam this is Marcus Wu, he is a lawyer working for the government. I have often worked with him behind the scenes of many cases over the years that have bought to court."

Marcus gives him a friendly nod. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Hunter, your boss here speaks highly of you".

O'Neil nods, continuing with the complements. "Adam has been the longest serving member of our department ever since he was a cadet" he smiles.

"True dedication then. I like it!" Marcus grins. "Now you're probably wondering why you are here."

"I'm guessing it is to do with the governmental case we are working on," Adam fires straight to the point.

"Yes. The reason why we are searching for this particular drive is it contains classified information to do with the creation of nuclear weapons and the power that goes into them. There is a risk that this information is in the wrong hands right now and whoever has it is capable of creating destruction and chaos on a global scale. We have to find it fast to prevent danger to our society".

"I assure you Mr Wu, we will be doing everything we can to find it".

"I know and we appreciate your help. I just wanted to show you my appreciation for this in person and to emphasize how important it is for us to find this information before it is copied or leaked."

"I agree," Adam nods.

"There is also one other matter we need to discuss", O'Neil replies.

"Fire away", Adam nods.

Marcus continues the conversation. "One of my clients, Javier Williams is campaigning for Senate. It is going to be a busy couple of weeks for him and his team and as you are aware, the funds supporting his campaign were stolen on Monday during a heist. It has meant that we have had to cut corners on the campaign and cancel the private security we had planned for. I am kindly asking you and your team to assist us in this matter. You will of course be paid well for your services and will be recognized by our government".

"That's all well and good, thank you for the offer, but I will have to speak to my partner first to see if our department can handle this. He is the security expert for big events and has more experience with this than I do."

O'Neil interjects. "Maybe you can have a word with Stone, before we see you at the Commissioner's dinner tomorrow night?"

"Sure, no problem", Adam smiles.

The three men salute their glasses before discussing the details further.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Blaze has been counting the number of chimes on the church bell, realising that it must now be 9pm. The room she is in has cooled down a little since getting dark outside. The only light shining in is from the street lights below as well as the local store across the road. The light bulb above is empty, so Blaze has to sit in darkness.

Outside the window, she notices two cars pulling up next to the house. She figures that it is likely to be a delivery from one of the local drug distributers. A tall man in a dark leather jacket with a slicked black ponytail steps out of the car, accompanied by four other men. This is either about to get chaotic and it is clear that this is something more than just a drug deal.

She listens carefully as Phillipe opens the door downstairs to let the men inside. It's hard to hear anything as the walls are thick, so Blaze quietly opens the door from the bedroom then walks down the stairs towards the landing, where she can just about hear voices coming from the closed front room.

Phillipe leads the conversation. "Please, Mr. Shiva can I get you something to drink? I know you have travelled a long way".

Blaze scans the landing, understanding that she either has to run back upstairs or quietly or hide in the toilet if they suspect anything.

"No, that won't be necessary. Have your men found the information yet?" Shiva replies.

"No but we're close. Raven here has searched high and low. It is either outside the country or has been destroyed. The fedarales in Mexico are also looking for the USB".

Blaze gasps as soon as she hears that Raven is involved with them.

Shiva replies. "I know that sooner or later we will have answers, but we need to try harder. I can't stress enough the importance of this". He then pulls out a suitcase with a $500,000 inside. He hands over $10,000 of it to Phillipe.

"Phillipe, if your men find it first, this is just the start of what I can give you. With this money you will never have to stay in a shit hole like this again and I will personally make sure you move up in the rankings of our Syndicate".

"We will find it, I assure you".

Shiva then turns to Raven. "And as for you Raven, I heard all about your fight the other night. Your opponent had nothing on you, but many of our other fighters are tougher. With your cooperation, you will never have to look at an empty trophy shelf again. We could really use a fighter like you and you have a lot of talent. At least think about my offer".

Raven smiles, shaking his hand. "I will get you the USB, but it involves me going somewhere where I am unauthorized to be. If you can promise me protection when I get there then we have a deal."

"Of course, whatever you need. My men will meet you at dawn outside of the service station due East, just over a mile from here".

"But in order for this to work, they must think I'm working alone" Raven replies.

Shiva nods."Ok, I'll have my fighters follow you, keeping a safe distance until you get to your destination. In the meantime take this $10,000 and these firearms in case you need to do any negotiating."

"It's easier than that. I will offer these fellas my life along with your drugs. They will hand it over the device without a war. Then I expect your men to come and step in".

"Good to know you have a plan. I'm glad we cleared this all up, you have my word and my protection. Mr X needs a fighter like you on our side as a war is coming".

The men shake hands before standing to leave the room. Blaze, in shock and now unsure of Raven quietly goes back upstairs, trying to get a better view of the men, their car and any weapons they have from the window. She is uncertain as to what Raven's purpose is. Is he about to betray everyone by working with the Syndicate or has Adam sent him undercover to ambush them on purpose? Time is running out and she needs to know.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ten minutes later, Raven returns upstairs to find Blaze sitting on the mattress.

"Here, I bought us some pillows, a sheet and a blanket". He hands them over to her.

"What did Phillipe say about the car?" She queries.

"He's left it outside already. So this means I can leave to go back to Wood Oak in the morning".

Raven then removes his shirt, revealing his slender but still muscular athletic body. "I just need to use the bathroom next door, give me a minute". He leaves the room to take a shower.

Blaze is cautious to now watch his every move. She overhears him talking on a phone in the bathroom, but can't make out what he is saying due to the water running. It was only a couple of hours earlier that he mentioned his phone was stolen. Something is clearly going on where he is lying, but she is not certain why.

Raven returns, more enthusiastic and relaxed with a smile on his face. "Hey, look I'm sorry about earlier princessa. I'll make sure Phillipe picks up some clothes for you tomorrow and I will come back for you, I promise".

"It's ok. Let's get some rest, it's going to be a long journey back for you". Blaze replies.

Suddenly, in that moment and uncertain feeling comes over her where she feels a sense of insecurity around Raven. As they lay down together on the bed, Blaze's thoughts dart around her head, carefully analyzing the man who is a stranger next to her. For her, all of this feels pretty rushed. She gets the impression that Raven doesn't want to hold back in her presence and the more time he spends around her, the more intrusive and bolder he becomes.

Blaze quietly turns her back to him, hinting that she wants to sleep. But then he decides to place his arm around her, snuggling up close to her back.

"Look, I know we haven't known each other for long, but I want you to trust me Blaze. I swear I will come back for you and everything I'm doing will keep you safe", Raven whispers in her ear. For Blaze, two thoughts spin around in her mind. The first being turned off by him for moving forward so fast with her, the second being the fact that her feelings are with someone else.

She briefly turns to force a smile at him, not wanting him to suspect that she heard anything earlier.

"Your my girl now, and I'm serious when I say to you we will fix this..."

Nothing repulses Blaze more. The thought of being 'owned' or 'his girl' as he put it, infuriates her inside. But now isn't the time for Blaze's temper to flare up.

"So do you trust me?" Raven probes.

Not wanting to put any doubts in his head, she replies, "I trust you".

"Then show me you trust me," Raven insists looking into her eyes.

To his surprise, she leans forward, passionately kissing him. If there is one thing easier than hearing Raven's soppy renditions to her, it's putting her womanly charm on him without anymore talk. Raven is taken back, now lost for words as she positions her hips on top of his. He is stunned and surprised at seeing this fiery side to her.

"Believe me now?" Blaze asks, taking control of the heat between them.

"Hell yeah I do," Raven replies, heavily breathing underneith her.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2am.

Blaze is wide awake, sitting up whilst Raven is fast asleep next to her. She glances down at him with dissatisfaction on her face with her instincts growing stronger by the hour screaming at her that he really is betraying the group. The sex between them was what she expected. Sure, Raven is an attractive guy, but there was no emotional connection between them. Even the physical one they had was more from his side than hers. The point was that now, Raven believes she trusts him, making him more vulnerable in underestimating her.

Blaze quietly grabs her clothes off the floor that were thrown on top of Raven's jeans, trying her best not to wake him. She then carefully removes the knife he showed her earlier from his pocket before quietly walking downstairs. When she reaches the hallway, she notices Phillipe having a drink with two other men in the front room.

He hears her walking towards the kitchen, "shouldn't you be asleep baby?" He grins at her from a distance.

Blaze, who is only wearing a long chequered red shirt right now over her underwear, looks back at him flirtatiously replying "mind if I get a glass of water?"

Phillipe smirks then nudges his colleague who has fallen asleep on the other couch. "You know, I've never fucked an Australian woman before. Go and get her some water," he orders. Blaze innocently smiles at him. How stupid could this man be? She thinks to herself, knowing that he can't distinguish between an Australian and an English accent.

Phillipe's right hand man places one arm around her waist, leading her into the dark kitchen.

"We have tequila also if…"

Before he has finished his sentence, Blaze swiftly spins around, slitting his throat with the knife. He gags with blood aggressively pouring out. The man painfully holds onto his throat until he collapses on the ground. She quickly searches the bodyguard's back pocket to find a loaded hand gun, before returning to the front room.

"Get up! Slowly", Blaze orders. She immediately shoots Phillipe's other bodyguard before he has the chance to turn around.

Phillipe stands up with his hands in the air.

"Throw me that bag over here," Blaze nods towards the large sum of money that Shiva left him earlier. "I said throw over the fucking bag!" She insists.

This time, Phillipe complies.

Within seconds however, Raven appears after having heard the gun shot. Blaze wastes no time in shooting Phillipe in the head.

"What the fuck is going on?" Raven yells.

Blaze immediately starts crying and shaking, with the gun still in her hand. "Raven, he put his hands on me, I had no choice! I don't know what I just did..."

The fighter cautiously paces forward towards her. "Blaze, calm down. Just give me the gun and the bag," he draws in closer.

"No!" her tone immediately changes as she aims the firearm at Raven "I know what your doing with the Syndicate. Now put your hands behind your head" she demands, however Raven refuses to back down.

"I SAID PUT YOUR FUCKING HANDS UP!" She yells.

The kickboxer angrily charges forward at her. Blaze pulls the trigger, but to her disappointment there is nothing there but an empty click. She reaches for the other bag with more ammo, but Raven aggressively pushes her over before hitting her across the face. It's a struggle as both fight one another for real this time, kicking and punching without stopping. He is the stronger fighter, but Blaze is faster.

Out of the corner of his eye, Raven spots his knife then reaches for it with his left hand as he pins Blaze down on the floor with his body and right hand around her neck.

"Why are you making me do this!?" He shouts down at her. She struggles to break free, breathing fast as he begins to press the knife against her throat. Blaze tiredly looks into his eyes as the blood starts to draw from her neck. Unexpectedly, she emits a powerful force of blue energy from both of her hands. It throws Raven high off her body, burning his chest before his back hits the wall. Raven is also bleeding now. Her glances down at his chest in severe pain, realizing what this power is.

Blaze freezes, backing away on the floor. Raven stares back at her, laughing as she takes out another gun from the bag.

"What are you going to do princessa, kill me? The blood from your hands is all over that gun!"

"Shut up!" Blaze yells.

"It's a pity, because I really likeed you, plus I thought I got one up on Axel. I'm sure he and your colleagues back in Wood Oak will put you away for killing me now that your powers are exposed. The same power the Syndicate want to fire up all those nukes..."

"Put your hands behind your head and get the fuck up off the floor before I shoot you. This time it's loaded!" She insists.

Raven slowly starts to get up to his feet. "You're wanted by the feds, now the Syndicate will chase you too when this gets out! There's no hope now for you my love and you have nowhere to go".

Blaze has heard enough. She silences him once again with another pulse of energy, this time knocking him out cold.

Feeling breathless and bleeding, the first thing Blaze does is grab the bottle of tequila from the kitchen. She knocks some of it back then pours the rest of the alcohol over her wounded hands. She then carefully checks Raven's pulse, making sure he is still alive before bandaging and tying him up. She positions his hands behind his back then finds masking tape to place over his mouth.

Blaze then puts her jeans jacket and shoes back on before taking the keys to Phillipe's car along with his money and the bag of firearms. It's a struggle to lift Raven into the trunk of the car, but Blaze eventually does it knowing that it is only a matter of time before he wakes up again.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Blaze glances down below the dashboard of the car, where the time displayed is 4:01am.

She has left the quiet town they were in and is now on the highway. Through the darkness, Blaze cautiously drove past a police car that was coming from the other direction. Most likely, it was on the way to the property they were in after the gunshots and shouting. She understands that she has to move fast and that dawn is in an hour, the time when Shiva's men are expected to return for Raven.

Blaze however feels famished, not having eaten for the last fourteen hours. Just before the dawn and another 50 miles away, she stops at a diner just opening off the highway. She removes the large bag out of the passenger side of the car then locks it, making sure the trunk is secure.

She knocks on the window of the diner. "Are you serving yet?

An older woman inside responds, "We only got coffee and toast at this hour!"

Blaze hates coffee, but could use some right now as an energy boost, "sure, that's fine".

She notices a pay phone by the gas station next to the diner, so Blaze pulls out some of the spare change she has inside jeans. She immediately tries to call Adam, the one number from the team she can remember.

"Adam, it's me!"

"Blaze?!" He is stunned by her calling at this hour.

"I need your help fast..." she explains, noticing the call time running out. "Call me back please..."

She patiently waits before the phone rings.

"Adam?"

"What do you need," he asks with urgency.

"I need you to ask Luca to track down the phone number for Don Melendez. He is someone that use to work closely with DC Ramos who I met back at Red District a few times. He is a well known cartel boss living in Mexico. Tell him I am headed towards the Mexican border and I'll be there in 7 hours. Tell him I have no ID on me, no passport and I'm wanted by the feds."

"How the fuck...? Blaze where's Raven?"

"Look, I don't have much time to explain. The Don knows me and he trusts me. Tell him to meet me with his men at 12 noon. SAS crossing point on this side of the border. I have something for him, and in return I believe he has the memory stick we're after".

"Goddammit! How can you be sure?"

"Trust me on this. I overheard a conversation yesterday I'll tell you about later. My research and knowledge indicate that he can help us!"

"Ok, I hope your right." Adam sighs. "Be careful and don't get yourself killed."

"I'll be ok," she reassures him.

#Hangs up#

Blaze cautiously observes the trunk of the car, knowing that Raven must still be asleep. She returns to the diner, carrying looks the bag containing $10,000 that was given to Phillipe last night".

"I'm sorry, I only got $50 notes..."

"I'm ever so sorry honey, I don't have enough change. Please don't worry its only toast and coffee", the waitress replies.

"I'll tell you what, take this $100 from me and if anyone comes asking for me or this vehicle, tell them you've seen me and send them the other way," Blaze winks.

"Oh, whose on your tail then?"

"A nasty ex. He'l get his comeuppence soon enough," Blaze smirks, glancing back towards the car.

The waitress happily thanks her for the money. "We all got em! Here, take some of these croissants with you and some water for the journey".

"Thanks," Blaze smiles.

Chapter Text

17 - Kill the Raven

Shiva carefully examines the two dead bodies on the floor of Phillippe's drug house. He has driven here at the crack of dawn, accompanied by three of his men including Big Ben.

"This fucker took all our firearms with him!" Big Ben observes.

Shiva shakes his head. "Raven knows that he can't escape from a whole organisation like ours. He has no protection from the feds and he is still wanted by the Aguilas".

"Do you think it was them who caused this shit?"

"We can't be sure yet..."

Shiva reaches for his cell phone.

Amelia, Ravens cousin who Blaze was staying with at first answers. "Hello?"

"My dear I have bad news. Your cousin Julio has gone missing. We think that the Aguilas found him in their territory. Have you seen or heard anything from him?"

"Who is this?" She worriedly asks.

"Someone who knows where your son goes to school, where your husband works at the factory and where you sleep at night. I need to know where Raven is so I can save him. He works for us".

Amelia feeling shaken up responds, "I don't know, he left yesterday to meet his girl at the church".

"His girl? What is her name?"

"Jenny. She told me her actual name was Jenny. She mentioned something about a safe house, that's all I know I swear!"

"And what does this girl Jenny look like?"

"She's 5ft 7 or 8, long brown hair and she has an English accent..."

"Hmmm. If you hear from Jenny or your cousin, make sure you call me back. I would hate to turn up unannounced".

#Hangs up#

"If Amelia is lying to me, send someone round to kill her," Shiva orders.

Big Ben calls him over. "Boss check this out! This wasn't here last night".

Shiva crouches down to examine the stained blooded wall in front of him. "Only two bullets were fired which killed Phillipe and his bodyguard. The third body was left in the kitchen with his throat slashed. Raven didn't have the balls or the muscle to back away from our deal, that blood on the wall must be his".

"So this must be the Aguilas then," Ben replies.

Shiva rubs his chin. "The Aguilas would have taken him alive as well as the girl, so possibly."

Next to the blood, something strange unexpectedly catches Shiva's eye where he notices some black marks on the wall. "That's wierd.."

"What, boss?"

"Any regular fire would have burnt down the whole wall with other items here. Plus there are no electric cables or switches on this side of the room. Ben check the main power supply".

"Phillipe disconnected all of the power weeks ago as a precaution. This shit hole is derelict and only used as a drugs den..."

"So there is no chance of any electrics catching fire?" Shiva questions.

"Hell no!"

"Those marked dents in the wall have been caused by some sort of sparks or flames. Someone was here that has the same power as I have, look". He holds his hand in front of the wall to create the same dark mark with a small flash of chi from his palm. The spark slowly cools onto the wall to leave a small dent and a black mark around it.

"So are you saying someone from the Aguilas has the same power as you?"

Shiva laughs. "No, fuck no! They would have used it against me a long time ago if they had..."

He gently touches the wall where Blaze's energy left the mark, then he closes his eyes to meditate on it.

"This energy was powerful and very intense. Raven wasn't capable of this power, he would be a much better fighter if he was. Gather the rest of your fighters and any bikers you have nearby, we have to find the girl".

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

There are only 100 miles to go now and Blaze is racing down the highway as quickly as she can without being stopped. She starts to hear kicking coming from the trunk where Raven is now concious. Ignoring him, Blaze increases the volume on the radio to block out the noise.

Blaze glances through the mirror, "shit!"

A police car annoyingly flashes her, ordering her to pull over.

Blaze complies, hoping that the officer will not hear the noise from the trunk.

"Madam can I see your identification?"

"I'm sorry, I don't have any", she replies. He then hears loud banging coming from the trunk of the car.

"Please can you step out of the vehicle. I'm going to have to inspect this car and arrest you for speeding and driving without…" One roundhouse kick to the head does the trick and he is swiftly knocked out cold. Blaze quickly drags his body back into the police car before breaking his radio. She locks the doors then throws away his keys as well as his cell phone into the deserted land off the road. This part of the highway has nothing around for miles so it will be a while before anyone finds him. Without looking back, she speeds away from the scene.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Blaze parks the car at the top of a hill overlooking a beautiful view of the calm and clear waters of a crystal blue lake in the distance. It has been an incredibly long drive and tiredness is starting to take a major toll on her. A man in a grey suit approaches her window, "Don Melendez asked me to meet you."

"Where is he? I need to see him in person," Blaze requests.

"Please step out of the car, he will be here in a moment". Another two men walk over to her with caution. "Mind if we search?"

"Sure. All the guns I have are in that black bag. You can take it along with the money". She lifts her arms, complying with their security checks. "She's clean", one of the guards nods.

Don Melendez immediately steps out of another car which pulls up next to Blaze's vehicle. The shiny silver Rolls Royce is impressive and extravogant. The cartel boss in his black suit walks up to Blaze with more of his men by his side.

"Blaze Fielding, what a pleasure to see you again. Despite these circumstances. Please, follow me". He gestures towards a small bench underneith a blue palo verde tree. "Please, take a seat. I personally like it here, it's shade makes the heat more bearable on a day like this."

In fact, the Don was right. The cool breeze underneith the tree is a welcome feeling for Blaze. In front of them and just down the hill over the borders is Mexico. They can see almost a hundred miles of land in the distance on a clear day like this.

"You remembered me then?" Blaze jokingly smirks.

"Of course I did. You were Carl's best detective", Melendez replies. "And you never once accepted my cash. It's clear your one of the good cops,"

"It's funny you say that," Blaze smiles to herself. "Sometimes I feel like the other officers at the department are more the enemy than the cartels..."

"It's true." Melendez agrees. "At least there is no front with us. You should know, you grew up in the same type of family..."

"That was a long time ago," Blaze nods.

"Still. I respect you for coming to me first. Ramos knew the real enemies were his own Government and the Police. They're the ones who killed him. On your side of the border in Wood Oak City, the Syndicate control everything".

"I know," she sighs.

He then pulls out the USB drive she has been searching for. "This is the original and the only one of its kind left. Your Red District colleague, Sam Davidson had a copy, but Ramos told him to destroy it after he viewed the information. He also asked me to destroy it but I knew it would be useful someday".

"I need it. DC O'Neil is framing me, he killed Ramos as well as others. O'Neil and the syndicate will kill us both if they know you have this. They are doing everything they can to find this information."

"I warn you Blaze, you will never feel the same about the world again once you see what it is on this drive and what they have planned for us. I am just a simple business man in comparison to the evil on here. Guard this with your life," he insists.

Blaze turns around, witnessing eight of Melendez's men holding their guns, ready to shoot her if she tries to take the memory stick from him.

She turns back towards the Don, understanding that he is having second thoughts about fully trusting her. "You probably don't remember and I probably shouldn't talk about this, but my family cartel once saved your life."

"Your Uncle, The General was a brutal man..."

"I know. But he respected you. You owe my family, even after all these years,"

The Don smiles, "you know something? Despite the fact that your a fed, the apple didn't fall far from the tree here,"

"I've killed, I've broken the law many times. But I'll never stop fighting for peace and I'm strong enough to take care of the information you give me today and I'm strong enough to fight them,". Blaze unwraps her hands, displaying the deep red cuts on her palm. "I'm trusting you with this knowledge, you know what this is." She displays a small blue orb, carefully concealling it from the men behind them.

Melendez nods, then gracefully passes over the USB device to her. "If they discover who you really are, they'll drain your power and will use it to wipe us all out. Do what you need to do, but I want guarantee that my men and I can market our supplies to Wood Oak on this side of the border once the Syndicate fall."

"Granted," Blaze agrees. "I'll speak to Clark,"

"You are a good negotiator like your uncle," he smiles as she carefully places the device in her jacket pocket.

"Good luck my dear. I'll pray for your success," they stand together then start walking back towards the cars.

Blaze grins, "Oh and before I forget, here is something to seal our deal".

She opens the trunk of the car to reveal Raven tied up. He rustles around, still with the masking tape over his mouth with dried blood staining his face.

"Julio! Finally we meet again" the cartel boss laughs. "After all this time you're coming home with us to Mexico! Maybe we can pay your mother a visit before you die huh?" One of his men abruptly pulls off the masking tape around Raven's mouth.

Blaze leans over the trunk showing him her palm. "Its ok, he knows my secret too. But luckily for me, these men are going to make sure you never talk again".

"FUCKING BITCH!" Raven yells.
"I win, always" she proudly grins before they shut the trunk once again on him.

Blaze hands over the keys of the car to Melendez's right hand man..

In return for her gift, the Don generously gives hands over the keys to the silver Rolls Royce. "Here, take this. I will leave in one of the other cars. Your British so you will appreciate this beauty".

Blaze smiles from ear to ear, excited to leave with the car. "Thank you".

Melendez takes a final word. "I will remember our arrangement. My debt with your family is now cleared. Stay safe Blaze".

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Big Ben returns back to the drug den two hours later.

"Have you found them yet?" Shiva queries.

"No. My men are stationed all over searching everywhere. We managed to find this though...".

He hands over a bag to Shiva containing clothes and a passport. The same bag that went missing when Raven was attacked on the way here.

"Raven was carrying this yesterday in his truck when some men on this side of the boarder who are loyal to the Aguilas forced him off the road. We raided one of their drug houses and found this bag belonging to him. His ID was inside as well as the girl's. It looks like they were on the way out of the country on the run..."

Shiva opens the bag then examines the American passport with Blaze's photo, displaying the name 'Jennifer Richards'.

"This has to be a fake, it's too new. No stamps and they have chosen a common name so that we waste time trying to track her down. Amelia said she had an English accent... At least we now know what she looks like. Send this photograph to your bikers and any of our feds from here to the border. It's very important that we find this woman and bring her back alive!"

Shiva looks at the passport in detail with determination on his face. "This woman and the power she possesses may be the answer to all of our problems".

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Blaze uses some of the cash she has left to stop off at a motel on the way back to Wood Oak. More than anything right now, she needs a few hours to sleep. Once Blaze is awake, she stops off to buy some new clothes at one of the local stores, knowing that her blood-stained shirt and jeans are only going to make others suspicious. This time she picks up a simple black top, a new pair of blue jeans and another similar short black leather jacket. She ties her hair back into a bun so that no one can notice its length. After showering and changing back at the motel, Blaze drives back out onto the highway, using the opportunity to pick up some chicken and fries to eat as well as some needed pain killers from the drug store.

Her hands under her gloves have been sore all day and her rib injury where Raven punched her is starting to hurt more and more after their fight. The bruise and cut around her neck is also starting to cause her worry

Blaze enters another drugs store off the highway. "Could I please use your phone?" She politely asks the server.

"Yes but make it quick", the lady by the counter replies.

"Thanks".

Its 5pm already and Wood Oak is still at least another six hours away for Blaze to drive to with the journey back being even further.

"Adam, I have it!" She whispers under her breath/

"Hold up, let me see where you are," he replies. "Looks as if your still over 500 miles away from us..."

"Shit! I need to get this information to you in case I don't make it back tonight,"

"I'm still at work though. You know it ain't safe to send anything here. Your best bet is to call Axel, he is at his appartment. Upload the files directly to him."

"Ok," Blaze agrees. "I need his number though and I need to find a computer myself!"

Adam replies, "I can see on the map you have about an hour left before the nearby internet cafe closes. The commissioner's dinner doesn't start for another couple of hours tonight. Here, I'll give you Axel's number.

Blaze looks once again over at the lady by the counter, "please may I have a pen and paper". She quickly jots down the number before hanging up. "Do you know where I can find an internet café?"

The lady who is now getting irritated with her answers, "I get it, you're just another tourist here. But I ain't no tour guide!"

Blaze sighs, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. Thank you for letting me use the phone".

The lady feeling guilty comments as she leaves, "look I'm sorry, it's been a tough day for me. The next town five miles north of here. It has an internet place next to the service station. You will have to be quick as they close at six".

"Thank you," Blaze rushes back to the car.

Half an hour later she reaches the internet café. It is quiet and empty space with only one man on the door. "$5 for 15 minutes then we're closing up", he demands. She quickly hands over the change.

"If I give you $20, can you let me use your phone for ten minutes also?" Blaze requests.

"Sure" he replies handing it over to her. "10 minutes, that's all".

Blaze quickly dials the number Adam gave her.

"Who is this?" Axel warily answers on the other side, not recognizing the number.

"It's me! The line is bad and I don't have much time!"

"Blaze?! Are you ok? We've been worried out of our minds the last week, we've heard nothing from Raven..."

"I'm ok right now," She quietly replies. "I'll explain everything when I get back. Listen I found it! I have the USB but I'm in trouble and I'm scared someone is going to find me before I make it back,"

"I knew you'd find it! You've got this far, you're gonna make it home Blaze. One sec," He types away at his laptop, trying his best track down where she.

"Your around 500 miles South of Wood Oak. I'll come and get you, just find any computer right now and I'll tell you what to do..".

"I'm right next to one," Blaze smiles.

"You never fail to impress!" He grins. "Alright, I'm logged on now and I'm sending you a link. I need you to quickly upload the contents of the USB in my account and I will be able to access it. Here is my login and password…. " He spends a minute giving Blaze phonetics as types away.

"You in?" He anxiously asks.

"Ok I'm in!" Blaze nods. "It's going to take at least fifteen minutes to upload. What should I do with the USB after?"

"Only destroy if you get caught. I will come and meet you on the way back here. Just get outta there as quick as you can."

"Don't you have the Commissioner's Dinner tonight?"

"I can make an excuse, Adam will be there..." Axel answers.

"I'll be ok. You have to go to it before O'Neil suspects something is up. Now that we have this information, we can end his career for good!"

"Your right," Axel sighs. "Ok, I'll send Max to come and find you. Everything is gonna be ok..."

"No, you can't send Max! I don't trust anyone else except you and Adam," Blaze replies with worry in her voice.

"What happened? Where the fuck is Raven?" He asks, concerned.

"I'll explain everything when I get back. I have a car, it's ok. If I'm not back in six hours, you'll know I'm dead".

"Blaze, use your powers if you have to and find a place to hide once the upload is finished. Call me every half hour... Blaze?..."

She suddenly goes quiet after noticing a group of bikers pulling up outside of the internet café talking to the owner.

"Shit!" Blaze whispers.

"What's wrong?"

"They're here, they're outside!" She panics.

"Ok, turn off the monitor, save what you can, destroy the USB and get the fuck outta there!"

Blaze can see that it says 85% has uploaded, but the green light is still moving slowly.

"It's almost done!"

She closes the monitor, then hides underneith one of the desks with the phone still in one hand.

"I've switched off the screen..."

Axel quietly counts the transfer: 90%, 91, 92…."

"They're here," she whispers as she hears footsteps approaching.

"Just try to stay calm," he listens carefully as the men inspect the premises.

"… 100%!"

Blaze quickly pulls the USB.

"Cut out the power supply," Axel instructs.

She quickly reaches forward then disconnects the cable connected to the plug from under the desk.

"Now destroy the USB without them realizing..."

As Blaze slowly rises to her feet from under the desk, she places her hands in the air. In doing so, she crushes the USB device under her shoe, leaving the cell phone on the floor under the desk.

"Please don't shoot me..."

One of the bikers aggressively yells, "That's her!"

"I'm sorry I have no idea what you are talking about, I'm sure theres some kinda misunderstanding here,"

"Gale, cuff her now! That's the one we're looking for" He orders!

Blaze purposely shouts back louder, so that Axel can still hear her on the other side of the line. "What did you fellas say? Was Shiva looking for me?! Are you taking me back to that shitty drug den near Barnville church?!"

Gale walks over to her with a gun aiming at her in one hand and handcuffs in the other.

Blaze swiftly attacks, breaking his arm with ease before taking the gun. She restrains him then holds the gun to Gale's head from behind. "Walk away or I'll kill him!" She says to the other men. She then forces Gale to the back of the store with her, further away from the others. They rest of the gang their chances in aiming their shots at Blaze but they miss, shooting Gale instead in the chest and head instead as her human shield.

She pushes her dead enemy down, shooting back at the others as she runs down a flight of stairs that lead to a fire escape at the back of the store. Blaze moves as fast as she can towards a gas station that she can see adjacent to the store. The six men left follow her into the station from the other front entrance to it, knowing she is hiding inside. They shoot down both of the cashiers then they fire at several rows of food and drink on display in case Blaze is hiding behind one of the aisles. The men cautiously inspect the rest of the building, including an office at the back as well as the toilets.

"Look! Outside!" One of the men shouts with urgency. He turns around, witnessing Blaze emptying petrol canisters around the entrance of the building.

"The bitch must have escaped through the back, or she was never inside in the first place!" One of the bikers remarks.

Before he has the chance to run outside, Blaze emits a ray of energy from her hands towards the fuel on the ground before she runs in the opposite direction.

"Fuck!" The gang panic.

The violent blast sends Blaze crashing into the road outside. The service station immediately bursts into flames with the whole biker gang inside it. Then second after second, the eight fuel gages just outside explode one by one, destroying all of the cars around the perimeter. This includes the Rolls Royce parked outside as well as all of the Syndicate motorbikes the gang came with. No one in the building had a chance of surviving this.

Blaze opens her eyes disorientated as she starts to hear sirens in the distance. She knows she has to get out of here fast. Her right ankle at the moment is in a lot of pain and her head is bleeding. Somehow, she finds the strength to rise to her feet, fleeing from the chaos she created before anyone else has the chance to arrive on the scene.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hours pass by before Blaze reaches another highway through the darkness. She knows that she hasn't made it far due to her wounds and fatigue, but now on food, the Syndicate are less likely to find her. There is nothing surrounding her except desert for miles, so Blaze carefully stands next to the highway, hoping that someone kind enough will stop for her. She also hopes that the files fully transferred, as the information on the USB will never be recovered again after tonight. But right now, making it home is a priority.

Blaze watches the stars above, patiently waiting for a miracle. To her surprise, a large truck appears in the distance within ten minutes of waiting. She removes her jacket, lets out her hair then she reaches out her hand, hoping that the driver will stop when he sees a young woman.

And it works.

"Where can I take you sweetheart?" The man in his late 40s peers out of the window.

"I need to get as far north as possible, towards Wood Oak". He opens the door to his truck to let her in.

It's a silent and exhausting drive for Blaze where the man can see she is injured.

"What happened to you? Those wounds on your leg look painful."

"My car crashed in the desert a couple of miles back," she briefly answers.

"So how are you planning on repaying me for this ride then?" He says, placing his hand on her leg. Blaze smiles at him as she grabs his palm, instantly twisting it to break his wrist. She then pulls out a knife from her jacket, warning the man not to come any closer."

"AAAH!" He cringes in pain as the truck swerves.

"Touch me again and I'll cut your hand off," she fiercly replies.

"Woahh, ok!" The man is taken back. "Now give me your cell phone", Blaze orders. Without hesitation, he hands it over.

"See that place on the right?"

"Yeah?" He worriedly replies. Stop right there on the side of the road and get out". Without hesitation, he follows her orders. "The nearest town is 15km away, how the hell will I get home?"

"That's not my problem", Blaze answers, bluntly shutting the door.

She painfully shifts over towards the driver's side before driving off at full speed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

#Phone rings#

"What's the update?" Mr X answers.

"Raven mentioned that he knew where the USB was, somewhere in Mexico. The Aguilas deny having any involvement in this matter. All I need is your permission and I will end Don Melendez and his men!" Shiva replies, enraged.

"No." Mr X sighs. "That time will come, but now we don't have the funds or the men for a full scale war. We will get Raven to steal the USB back from them first".

"But I don't even know if Raven is alive! He was with a girl who we are trying to find and identify. She might have the answers we need..."

"Keep searching. For now, I have to finish getting ready for dinner."

"Ok boss. I'm on it."

#Hangs up#

Shiva's phone pings once again, this time with several picture messages downloading. He looks on in horror at the burnt down gas station and bikes where he sent his fighters.

Now infuriated, Shiva loses his cool, aggressively slaming his phone down and breaking it into pieces.

"Somebody is gonna die for this!" He yells, clenching his teeth.

Chapter Text

18 - City Hall Night

Adam and Axel are looking as sharp and more handsome than ever in their black tux's, ready to arrive at the Commissioner's annual dinner. Keri is also with them as Adam's plus one sparkling radiant in a beautiful long purple gown. The three of them step inside the glass elevator of City Hall then out to a room painted gold room with a red carpet, art on the walls and chandeliers.

"Where's your plus one then? Are you and Jess still...?" Keri probes Axel.

He akwardly smiles, shrugging his shoulders. "Didn't plan on having one,"

"Aw too bad. For the record I never liked her anyway, you deserve much better..."

"Stop embarrasing the guy!" Adam intervenes.

"He knows I'm just jokin' around," she teases. "See you boys at the dinner table...".

"See you later," they smile. Keri casually walks over to the 'plus one' group having canapes at the bar, a much better idea than staying where they are to talk about police and government matters with district officials.

"Speaking of your love life, have you seen this yet?" Adam pulls out his phone to show Axel a photo of the exploded gas station now trending all over the news.

"Yeah," Axel grins with pride.

"Two words- Blaze Fielding. I hope she got out..." Adam shakes his head.

"I know she did,"

"What makes you so confident?"

"Blaze was the one who got hold of that USB in less than a week when the rest of you thought it would take months."

"Speaking of which, have you taken a look at the files yet?" Adam queries.

"Yes briefly, everything is there with some interesting stuff we have to examine later. It's not just about the nukes. The information on it wasn't ever created by the government, it was only stored by them".

"Shit! Were lucky Blaze and Raven tracked it down then".

Axel frowns, "Raven? No, Blaze was alone when she called me. We'll talk about all this later back at the warehouse. After tonight, Zan and Luca can examine the files properly". He then takes his phone out once again from his pocket.

"What's up? This is the 20th time you've looked at your phone this evening,"

"I havn't heard from Blaze since she uploaded the files. I just wanna be sure no one else is on her tail,"

City Chief Clark spots the pair of officers, distracting them away from their conversation.

"Great to see you both again,"

"You too Chief," both men smile.

His smile quickly starts to fade. "I'm sorry Lieutenants, but I can't help but get straight to the point. We have something to discuss before dinner, urgent".

The three of them suddenly notice DC O'Neil and Attourney Bill Cohen nearby observing them.

"Axel, can I have a minute?" Chief Clark asks, taking him to one side.

"Sure". He signals to Adam that he will brief him later, so Adam leaves the group to go and talk to O'Neil.

"That government USB that O'Neil has sent you to find, it's all fake." Clark explains.

"What do you mean?" Axel asks, unnerved.

"It doesn't belong to the government, it belongs to the Syndicate. Your DC O'Neil over there is working with them and trying to drag you and Hunter in with him."

"So who here is part of the Syndicate?"

"I have no idea who the leader is, but the attorneys have made some rash decisions and their pockets are growing by the hour. O'Neil spends a lot of time with them. One of my men also witnessed him murdering Lieutenant Sam Davidson back at the prison. His motive is dangerous and he is desperate to get hold of the information on that drive".

Axel looks him in the eye, "why are you telling me this?"

Clark sighs. "O'Neil has agreed with the Syndicate that if he protects them, he will be able to transform the entire police force as it's Chief. My life, DC Bailey's life and our loved ones are in great danger right now. It's only a matter of time before they wipe out any other officers who disagree with their objectives. They have already murdered the city mayor and DC Ramos, who knows what other lengths they will go to."

The two men pause then force a smile as a couple of senior officers walk past them.

Axel replies once they are gone, "I'm aware that O'Neil killed Davidson, he wasn't the type to commit suicide and he didn't have it in him to plan the attacks on our departments."

Clark agrees. "Their aim is to drag all of us all down into this criminal organization. You only have to look at your partner Hunter over there. That man he is talking to next to O'Neil is Marcus Wu, a Syndicate lawyer."

"Adam won't fall for it, he knows what he is doing," Axel assures him.

"All I ask is when you and Hunter find that information, don't pass any of it on to O'Neil. I'm not asking for it either, no good can come out of it. Either destroy it or hide it away someplace safe. You will see why for yourself".

"Do you know what's on the drive then?"

Clark's voice quietens a touch more. "DC Ramos and I worked together to track it down before he was murdered by O'Neil. Luckily, he entrusted members of his team with the information. Davidson made a copy and had the original delivered to Mexico where the Syndicate have no stronghold. After it was successfully delivered, I gave him the order to destroy the copy.".

"And why are you trusting me with this?"

"I know your background and I know what the Syndicate did to your parents. You will never be one of them. If the Syndicate get to me, no one else knows this information or is capable of finding it. I'm telling you this because I know you can help".

Axel replies, "Look, if I get hold of the drive and I mean if, then I have something in return that I need you to do".

"Name your price", Clark agrees.

"I'm not talking money."

"Then what can I do?" He shrugs.

"One of my officers has been falsely accused and framed for possessing it. O'Neil and the Syndicate are on her case and I don't know if she is even still alive after going in search of the USB,"

"Fielding, I take it?"

"Yeah," Axel sighs.

"O'Neil has the attorneys on his side, so he will frame her even if you try and trade it in for her life. That means there's only one thing you can do..."

"Your asking me to kill the third highest ranking officer in Wood Oak City?"

Their conversation is interrupted by someone announcing dinner in ten minutes.

Axel walks away contemplating whether pr not he should tell Clark about the USB already being found.

"Champagne Sir?" A waiter walks by with a tray of glasses. Axel takes a drink then starts walking back to the bar to find Keri and Adam. As he gets closer, he feels all of the energy in the room blur with the voices of the guests fading put in the background. One tall man in a black suit looks Axel directly in the eye with a blank sinister stare as they cross paths - Xavier Williams, or as he knows it, Mr X. That second feels like minutes and clearly his presence is unnerving and menacing.

Keri distracts him away from his thoughts. "Axel are you ok?" Her voice brings him back down to Earth once he has now reached the bar.

"Yeah, sorry. Where's Adam?"

"He's just over there, let's go and see him. Only ten minutes until dinner, so no matter how bad the conversation gets, it will all be over before you know it!"

"I hope so. I need to get outta here after," Axel decides to keep one eye on Williams who is now on the other side of the hall.

"Mrs Hunter, good of you to join us!" DC O'Neil approaches them.

"Actually I'm still Miss…."

He rudely interrupts, ignoring her. "Axel this is Marcus Wu. He an Adam have already met. Marcus will be working with us on behalf of the government from now on".

The corrupt lawyer extends his hand. but instead, Axel rudely gestures with a nod back at him.

"You're either brave or foolish. When I last checked, we stopped clearing any police matters with interfering politicians and attorneys,"

Marcus laughs it off. "But we must all work together for the greater good. Two organizations are better than one. We recognize that officers like yourself risk their lives every day to catch the criminals of this city".

Axel agrees, "your right, its dangerous grounds we walk over. That's why we are so grateful to have people like you that handle the bureaucracy behind a safe desk. Hope the paycheque is worth it, I mean it's double ours right?" He laughs.

Marcus purses his lips with annoyance, ending their conversation. "Great to meet you, Officer Stone".

Axel smiles with sarcasm, "Lieutenant".

Embarrassingly, Marcus walks away.

O'Neil pulls him up, "I know you don't like politicians getting involved in our operations. I don't either, but this is necessary".

"Just stating the obvious..."

"You are one of the best officers on my team Stone, please don't go pissing off the government like that again" he warns.

The crowd in the hall make their way to the next room where they are seated for dinner. Usually Adam and Axel are on the same table as they are equally ranked.

O'Neil calls Axel over once again. "You're on our table tonight, future Captain. The officials from City Hall have requested your presence after you covered my duties. See, you can get along with politicians" he smiles.

The table at the centre of the room also consists of familiar faces including Chief Clark, DC Bailey, Bill Cohen as well as elected senators with their plus ones.

Adam mutters under his breath to his partner. "You're sat with the big boys now, good luck".

A five course banquet is served starting with duck pate. The food is delicious, a bit on the minimal side, but the wine is flowing and conversations are warming up smoothly around the table regarding politics.

A blond lady sitting next to Axel tries to reach for the bottle of wine, but ends up knocking over one of his knives by accident. "I'm so sorry, you can take my knife if you like".

"No problem, here allow me", he politely replies. He reaches for the bottle then fills her glass "I never liked duck pate anyway".

"Well hopefully the next four courses will have a bit more on the plate!" She quietly remarks. Her accent is mainly American with a Swedish twist. Her light blond her is styled neatly curled with a vintage side parting. It appears she is standing in as a plus one for one of the politicians, uninterested by the talk around the table. She has a high class, expensive taste vibe about her, rocking a 6 figure diamonte necklace to complement her sexy backless blue silk dress.

She has the style and look of a 1960s pin up model and is very classy in the way she carries herself.

She smiles at him, intrigued by a handsome new face at the table. He extends his hand to shake hers "Axel Stone, Wood Oak Police Department".

"Electra Davies. My husband across the table over there is the city's transport minister. Personally, I can't think of anything else more boring than what he is discussing right now. That's why I'm sat here next to you, I knew you couldn't have been a politician," she flirtatiously grins.

"And how did you conclude that then?" He replies intrigued.

"You were using the wrong knife for your pate, this one is the bread knife" they both laugh together, lightening the mood.

The rest of the dinner is pleasant where the pair have decent conversation. Anything is better than listening to the city councillors on the other side. Axel maintains one eye on Xavier Williams throughout, who is sat with on the next table.

It reaches 10pm, however the speeches are still underway. "We now have a special thank you for someone in the room tonight" the host announces.

"This man has not only employed and educated some of the most underprivileged members of Wood Oak City. He has made numerous individuals part of his businesses over the years. But he has just signed over and invested $11 million towards the funding of a new center for martial arts with a gym and sports grounds for young members of our city. A place where the youth of today can go to when they need support or guidance. He has also used part of the money to help build the new centre for Red District Police Department, which is now an extension of Central Department, so that we can make our city a safer place. Furthermore, this man continues to invest much of his time and funds into medical research. Please raise your glasses to toast and thank, Mr Xavier Williams".

Mr X takes a deep breath, then confidently stands to address the room. "Thank you kind Sir. I wasn't expecting this at all, but I am humbled by your support. Aside from campaigns and everything to do with them, I do what I do every day because I love Wood Oak City. I know that we can thrive and the most important people that can make that happen are sitting in this room tonight. Please come over, talk to me if you have any ideas or input and I would be happy to listen and add your feedback to my campaign. Let's raise our glasses and make a toast together to our hard work and for striving to make Wood Oak City a better place to be". The room stands to raise their glasses and applaud.

Desert arrives shortly after - a beautiful delicate chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis. Definitely the best course of the night, whilst the tables start to disperse into another hall at the back for some more drinks and some other serious business talk.

"That's my cue to leave now," Electra smiles. "Looks like your work is not finished for the night. Too bad, I would have invited you back for another drink" she says.

O'Neil signals over to Axel to join him and the other senior officials in the next room.

"Thanks, but I have other matters to attend to now. Enjoy the rest of your night Electra".

"I'll see. Something tells me though my husband won't return tonight. It's been good conversation with you Mr Stone". She takes his hand to say goodbye, boldly leaving a folded piece of paper with her number inside it as she leaves.

Adam walks over to his partner. "Do we really have to go in there now?"

"You know how it is".

"Who was that hot blond that gave you her number?" He raises an eyebrow.

"That was Electra Davies, she's Minister Goldberg's wife".

"What that old motherfucker?" He is taken back by the man in his late 60s. "Apart from her Syndicate pimps she's probably desperate for some checking out the men in here, but her husband definitely has more money than you." He jokes "When are you gonna call her then?"

"I ain't," Axel bluntly replies.

"Right! I forgot that these days you're into brunettes".

"Fuck you Adam! Stop testing me, I gave you my word that nothing has happened and won't happen between me and Blaze. I don't even know if she made it back here yet, my phone has no messages or missed calls. Even if Blaze did escape, Raven is still in the picture, so fuck it!" Axel snaps.

"Ok, ok I'm sorry man! Come on let's go and show our faces in there before we bounce".

Axel looks at his with anxiety building up at the situation - 11:43pm

"I gotta go for an hour or so", he replies. "Just cover for me."

"What's wrong?"

"Blaze should have called by now. I'm gonna see whats goin' on. I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Williams", Adam knows what that means.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As Axel enters the warehouse he spots Luca and Zan sitting down by his laptop.

"Any word from Blaze yet?" He asks.

"No," Luca bleakly shakes his head, "where are you going?" He sees Axel leaving in a rush.

"I'm gonna go and find her..."

"How...?"

Just as he turns to leave, he hears uneven footsteps approaching from outside.

"Blaze! Are you ok?" He worriedly runs over to her.

"I had to leave the truck half a mile up the road..." she answers limping towards him. He can see she's injured and slightly disorientated after the explosion from earlier.

"I got you," Axel says, placing one arm around her to help her walk.

"Jeez, what happened to ya?" Luca observes.

"You don't wanna know," Blaze answers. "...Thank you," she says to Axel as he sits her down.

Dr Zan immediately examines her, noticing blood next to the side of her head, a sprained ankle, bruises on her neck, ribs as well the cuts on her palms and neck from the fight with Raven.

"You did well to make it back here in one piece. You must rest now," the Dr advises.

"How? I am still on the run, I have no home to go back to, I can't go to a hospital..." Blaze worriedly replies.

"Don't worry about that right now," Axel says to her. He takes a seat opposite, genuinely concerned about her as he takes her hand.

"What's wrong?" Blaze asks.

The two of them glance down to see blood soaking through the wrapped material around one of her hands. It's clear that the wounds are worse than they thought and that Blaze has done a lot of fighting to get back here.

"Take this". Axel pulls out a bottle of whiskey from a nearby draw then hands it over to her. He unwraps the bandage, revealing a deep red mark. Blaze downs a couple of gulps of the alcohol as he applies the ointment into her palm. It is agonising and she can't help but shout out "Jesus! That's worse than last time!"

"The cut is deeper, because you used more chi". He repeats the same on the other hand. "You need to learn how to control this. What happened when you had to use it?"

Blaze explains. "Those men that came with the guns. They followed me towards a service station after I got out. I waited outside when they entered the building and they shot everyone in there. So I poured out all the petrol I could find and set the building alight with my chi. Then the whole place exploded. That ain't the worst bit. The night before that, I had to also protect myself against Raven, he tried to kill me..."

"He did what to you?!!" Axel sits up annoyed.

Before she has the chance to explain, Adam, Sammy and Max arrive. They each say their hellos and give Blaze a hug with the relief of knowing that she is ok.

"We were all so worried about you. Glad you made it home," Adam says to her. They can see the bandages on Blaze's hand and the fact that she has had a rough few days.

Blaze gives him a smile, lightening the mood. "What is it with you and Axel tonight? You two look like you've just attended a wedding".

Adam laughs as she is referring to his smart tux. "I think a wedding would have been much more interesting. We just sat down for five hours at the Commissioner's Dinner".

Axel interrupts, "Xavier Williams, O'Neil, Marcus Wu - they were all there".

"Shit! What about Shiva? Is he not usually with them?" Blaze queries.

Axel looks at her suspiciously "no, why?"

"No reason," she shrugs.

Over the next hour, the team sit down to analyse the uploaded files from the drive. They also take the opportunity to discuss strategies and what they can do next to prevent any of this information getting out into the wrong hands.

"We need to track down their labs, they have already started working on these nuclear weapons," Zan remarks with urgency.

"I agree," Axel nods. "We need to continue to steal their funding in the meantime until they have nothin' left".

Adam replies, "all of their Syndicate operatives need to be targeted first before we can get to Mr X. He is well protected. That means the next matter to deal with is O'Neil."

"Leave that with me". Axel assures him.

"We need to destroy the files first!" Max speaks out. "What happened to the original USB?" He turns to Blaze.

Blaze, who has been silent for the past hour finally contributes to the conversation. "I destroyed it when the Syndicate came looking for it, but I managed to upload all of it to Axel's account in time".

"Somehow they managed to track down Blaze who was at an internet place, maybe the owner was working for them" Axel explains.

Adam asks, astounded in his voice. "So how did you do it? Did you travel to Mexico?"

"No, I figured out where the drive was and someone gave it to me before the Syndicate found out..."

Max questions her with urgency. "Was it Raven? Where is he? I'm worried he hasn't called since he left to find you. Did he reach you?"

Blaze nods, "Yes, he took me to a safe house after I was staying with his cousin".

"So where is he now then?"

Blaze pauses, looking down, "He's dead".

"What?!" The whole room, especially Max who was closest to Raven are in shock after hearing the news. He had been one of their team for almost 3 years.

"Are you sure?" Sammy asks.

Blaze nods, "yes".

"How can he be dead? I know he was in unauthorized territory, but nobody knew he was coming", Max paces up and down in disbelief.

"Raven was not who you thought he was", Blaze explains.

Max, now feeling perplexed responds. "So give me some answers. What the fuck happened to him? I don't believe this, we need to go and find him and the men who done this. He's probably dead because of you! I knew she was trouble..." he shakes his head.

Blaze starts to laugh. "Me? Trouble? Wow, and there I was thinking you boys were more intelligent than that. Your forgetting who retrieved this information!"

Feeling pissed off by her response, Max immediately stands up in front of Blaze, who is sat down with her arms crossed on the other side of the table. "I'll ask you one more time Fielding, what the fuck happened to Raven?"

Blaze looks him in the eye with little sympathy on her face. "I fed him to the eagles after I met Don Melendez. He was the one who handed over the USB".

Now infuriated, Max cannot believe what he is hearing. "SO YOU TRADED HIS LIFE FOR THIS?! Do you have any idea what the Aguilas will do to him? He was their blood brother!"

"He betrayed us", she argues, standing to her feet.

In that split second Max loses his patience, throwing over the table in front of them before storming over towards Blaze. Before he has the chance to square up to her, Axel steps in his way, catching him off guard.

"Get the fuck out of my way, she killed him!"

Blaze shouts back at him behind Axel, "I told you, he betrayed us!"

"You don't know shit! Like I said, you've been here five minutes and we've already lost one of our men". He tries again to charge forward at her, but Axel stops him.

"I told you man, get the fuck out of my way!"

Axel illuminates a flame from one of his hands, looking Max in the eye, "don't make me do this".

There is a lengthy silence between the three of them before Max backs away.

"Why are you protecting her? She led Raven on then had him killed!"

Blaze replies, "I did what I had to do! Raven made a deal with Shiva, I heard it all! He was going to hand over this information in exchange for the Syndicate's protection from the Aguilas. He knew where this USB was all along, Raven just needed an excuse and the protection to go and get it!"

"No, you're wrong Raven wouldn't do this!" Max shakes his head. "The whole reason he left the Aguilas was because of their crimes, murdering women and children, trading drugs left right and centre. He wanted out!"

Blaze lifts her shirt to reveal her bruised ribs as well as the bruises and cut on her neck. "Go ahead and tell me your star fighter would never do this on purpose?"

Max falls silent, shaking his head.

"You saw him fracture my rib! But the worst part was him crushing me and holding a knife to my throat," she points to the small cut on her neck. "I had no choice other than use my chi to break free. Yeah, Now you know about my powers too!" Blaze nods. "Raven witnessed it and I couldn't let him live because of it. He would have easily handed me over to the Syndicate so one of us had to die! I knocked him out and took his body in the trunk to Melendez".

There is a lengthy pause where the tension in the room can be cut with a knife. Blaze is fired up now and wants to release her anger on Max. No one knows what to expect and Axel and Adam are in the middle of them.

Blaze deep breath out, trying her best to compose herself. "Of course you would doubt me, wouldn't you?" She decides to turn around and leave the warehouse.

Max starts to realize that he has overstepped the mark, even though he is still upset about his friend and doesn't trust a word Blaze says.

Adam places one hand on his shoulder. "Max, I know you're angry, but I've known Blaze for years. She's tellin' the truth. In time, you'll understand". Adam walks away to go outside to find her.

Max turns to the others, shaking his head. "There's something not right with her, I want her out!"

Axel replies, feeling annoyed with the situation. "You forget that's not your call."

"Fine. I will do what you want. I will work with her for the time being, but mark my words if I find the woman has lied to us or is behind any of this shit, next time you won't be there to protect her," Max warns.

The wrestler sits back down, then pours himself a drink to get his head around his friend's death and what Blaze is claiming to be the truth.

"Hey guys, check this out!" Luca interrupts, still focused on the laptop.

"What is it?" Axel asks, walking over to him.

"Have any of you checked this folder yet?"

Zan replies, "No we haven't examined this one, what is it?". He turns around, seeing a look of concern on Axel's face at him.

"That folder contains documents of the experiments Dr Glover carried out in the 90s on subjects containing extraordinary energy..."

Zan insists without hesitation "Open it!"

"Are you sure about this?" Axel asks.

"I said open it!" Zan demands.

The tech whizz scrolls down past a few subjects until he reaches a folder titled 'Professor Gilbert, RoboCY'. It contains much of Zan's personal information, an old photograph of him as well as key dates in his life when the experiments were carried out. They conducted dozens of surgeries on his brain that disabled many of Zan's human traits, replacing them with cyborg mechanisms.

Seeing all of these records is initially a shock for Zan, but to read the finer details and plans from a scientific point of view is another revelation for him. He begins to realize how much damage they did to his body and mind in order to turn him into a killing machine. He also finds shocking future plans that would have been implemented had he not have escaped.

Zan gets up to walk outside the room to grab some air "would you give me a minute please". The doctor is clearly shocked and saddened by what he has just seen, so he decides to sit alone for a while.

"Fuck me," Luca shakes his head. "They were going to convert him into full cyborg, controlling him and using his chi, look at the design..." he opens an old photograph outlining a design. The image is shocking where they would have completely stripped away Zan's humanity.

Axel then notices another folder below. "Wait what's that? I didn't look at this earlier." The icon is in an image containing seven blue stars.

Zan speaks out from a distance, "We call this Subaru in Japan".

"Click on that folder," Axel orders. At first, the files inside seem useless as it is full of images instead of the government documentation like the other two folders they peviously examined.

"What the hell is this? They look like some sort of ancient cult", Luca is taken back. He observes black and white photos of an old Ninjutsu warrior holding a Samurai sword, wearing a horned helmet.

"That is the Yamato" Zan explains. "Theye were the first warriors on Earth to discover inner chi, they are one with the Universe's energy. They have no name, no location. Their only purpose is to preserve their sacred energy. For centuries, these ancient warriors tried to teach men this power, only to have it turned against them. From thousands of Yamato soldiers, only three remain today."

Axel replies, "one of those was my ninjutsu master Akihiro when I was a kid. This its real. We always knew he was a supernatural force but despite his brothers disagreeing, he decided to open up a school teaching ten boys every generation. It was a lifetime of solitude and the other masters condemned the school, so they eventually stopped. Shiva and I were the last generation to learn their powers..."

Zan replies, "Today there are few of us who are able to access chi. It is said that our ancestors were the most powerful in humanity. That the ancient warriors taught them and their chi was passed down through their bloodlines, sometimes skipping generations."

"One warrior is able to split himself into three more during a fight,"

"No shit?" Luca's jaw drops with surprise. "I'm assuming that, with this mix of information on here the Syndicate stole each file piece by piece. What's with the photos of the stars?"

Zan answers, "the fact that the Syndicate are using this symbol means they have the support of the Yamato cult. These warriors believed that their power originated from these seven blue stars as part of the bull in the sky which is where their horns on the helmet come from."

Axel nods, "all of these files have one thing in common- a gateway to power. Only the first folder outlining the nukes belonged to the government".

"This must not get out ever! We need to destroy it".

Zan replies, "destroying the files won't stop their ambition for power. At least we have some background and knowledge for how they are planning to use it. After all this time, I must leave for Japan".

Axel shakes his head. "You saw what the syndicate tried to do to Blaze! We can't risk you getting caught after so many years. We need you here".

"There will come a day you too will have to reach out to your old master,"

"And until that day our priorities are here. Shiva is behind this, I know it. In the meantime, Xavier Williams is weeks away from being elected. O'Neil is ready to murder more innocent officers who stand in their way. Believe me, this is going nowhere. I'm asking you to stay here and trust me, I know what I need to do when we get to that bridge".

"I hope you are right, or we are all dead", Zan replies.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Outside the warehouse Adam sits next to Blaze on one of the large crates.

"Max can be bitter but he will will come around soon enough, he's just upset. Raven was like a brother to him".

Blaze shakes her head. "I can't do this anymore Adam, I don't want this life or this power..."

Adam reaches over to give Blaze a long needed hug. "I'm done, you have all the information you needed, you guys can take it from there" she requests, pulling away.

"But need you," Adam insists.

"I've lost everything! My job, my home! I'm a fugitive according to the police and now the Syndicate are probably still after me. I need to leave and start over".

"Where will you go?"

"Honestly, I don't know" she frowns.

They turn around to find Axel standing nearby. "I remember you saying you had my back and I made you a promise that we would avenge every last one of them together. Why are you suddenly giving up?"

"It's not that easy, you don't understand."

"Understand what? That you battle with your power every day? That they took everything away from you and you have nothing left? That thought of your own existence turning into something that will wipe out thousands if not millions of innocent people? Tell me something Blaze that I already don't understand! I'm not giving up."

Blaze looks at him and Adam for a moment with worry in her eyes, hesitating to answer. "Every time I fall asleep I see it..."

"What do you dream?" Adam asks.

"The future. Everything is going to change, not just the way of life in this city. People will suffer, you will all suffer because of me".

"Blaze everything is going to be ok, we will fight them together", Adam tries to reassure her.

"No it won't be ok. When I dream, I try to open my eyes to wake up, but I physically can't move. I look up and all I can feel is a dark warrior with hands around my neck draining my energy and I'm terrified that I won't wake up to see another day".

Axel replies, understanding exactly what she is referring to. "Zan and I will teach you how to control your sleep, but you gotta trust us Blaze. If you run away from this, nothing is going to change except we will be one fighter down. Plus the Syndicate, the feds, they will all be after you and we won't be able to help".

"What about Max? He doesn't trust me so why should any of the others?"

"I'll deal with Max," Axel replies. "He understands that Raven was no saint and yes, he did lots for the team but the fact that he tried to kill you means he betrayed us. We can prove all of this as soon as we find Shiva."

Blaze tries her best to look up at them with hope on her face. "Ok, so what now? What about my job, my home?"

"Come with us now", Adam requests.

He then walks over to a white van parked outside of the warehouse then opens the door.

"Where are we going?" Blaze asks.

"Were getting your life back", Axel answers.

He then takes out his phone to make a call.

"Clark, it's me… I'm going to need that favour now".

Chapter Text

Sweet Vengance

3am.

Mr X loosens his tie after having just returned home from the Commissioner's Dinner and the after party that followed. It appeared to be a successful night for his campaign and he was able to make a few more deals with city officials in favour of him becoming elected as Senator.

His home is his office in a highly secure building overlooking Wood Oak forest and river, just outside of the city centre. He resides on the top floor of the building. All levels below are made up of Syndicate offices and conference rooms, so the building is always busy. A car drops him off by an alternative front entrance through a private gated area. Mr X quickly enters the building, with access to his own personal elevator after passing a female concierge.

The young blond happily greets him. "Good morning Mr X, is there anything you need?"

He smiles, "send up a bottle of my favourite whiskey and for tonight, Diamond can join me".

The concierge replies, "Of course sir, both will be up in five minutes".

He proceeds into the elevator.

#phone rings#

"Shiva, what is it?"

"Bad news, four of our bikers died tonight in an explosion at Barnville service station outside of Wood Oak City".

"And what about the USB?"

"They tracked it down. Raven must have found it on this side of the border, but we suspect the woman he was with stole it and is probably half way across the world or back in Mexico by now. The USB however is destroyed."

Mr X huffs with frustration, "surely your men can track her down at the airports. And what about any surveylance on the highway?"

Shiva sighs, "All we have managed to retrieve is the fake ID she was using. But at least we know what this woman looks like. We have tried to match the photo to other records, but she is not part of any known organization. We also know she has a British accent".

Mr X shakes his head concerned. "She may have taken it back to Europe to sell the information or have it leaked to the press. I will see what I can do. Even if the USB is destroyed, our scientists are still making steady progress. Our powers do not stretch that far so make sure you cooperate with our European colleagues."

"Sir, I had a request over the next few days that I'd like to ask for."

"Fire away..."

"I'd like to travel home to Japan for a couple of days. The Yamato can give us some answers about the information we seek. Tiger or Jet can take over here in the meantime, I'm sure they will find her."

"Ok. Just one request granted. Do what you need to do, but I can't have any more slip ups after tonight."

#Hangs up#

Mr X admires the views from his panoramic windows displaying the impressive skyline of Wood Oak City. He knows that it is only a matter of time until he takes leadership and control of everything in front of him and nothing is about to stand in the way.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey, it's ok! Everything is ok, calm down!" Axel raises his hands in the air after Blaze wakes up in a panic. She russles the pillows beneath her as she abruply sits up on full alert.

"Looking for this?" Axel calmly asks, slowly removing her knife from one of the bedside drawers.

Blaze takes a deep relieved exhale as she scans her surroundings. "How long have I been out?"

"Almost 12 hours," Axel answers.

"Shit," Blaze huffs, inspecting a drip injected into her arm. Most probably Dr Zan's idea.

"You were dehydrated and you needed some time to rest,"

"I don't even remember coming to this place last night, that's how tired I was!" Blaze shakes her head.

"This is one of our safe houses, only Adam, the doc and I know your here."

"...And how long have you been sitting over there then?" Blaze questions him, raising an eyebrow. She then notices his laptop on the desk nearby.

"Not that long," Axel clears his throat. The truth was, he didn't mind keeping an eye on her or being in her presence, especially since she was sleeping so peacefully. During the past 3 hours, he had continued to read and analyze the hundreds of files that were uploaded to his laptop since last night.

"Check this out..." He shows her two of the files displaying old drawings of Yamato warriors.

"That's what I sometimes dream about..." Blaze replies with concern on her face, recognizing the 7 star symbol on the folder.

"Look," she replies, moving her hair to one side. At the back of her neck sits the same symbol tattooed on her skin hidden away under her long hair.

"When did you get that?" Axel queries with surprise.

"I don't remember..." Blaze shrugs. "One day I woke up as an 11 year old, just before I discovered my chi and it was there..."

Suddenly, the two of them hear footsteps approaching the room. "Good afternoon sleeping beauty! Don't tell me this frog here kissed you awake!" Adam jokes.

"Shut up Hunter!" Both Axel and Blaze simultaneously reply.

"All jokes aside, I got some news for you two,"

"What is it?" Axel asks.

"As you know the raids on Blaze's appartment came back all clear, but O'Neil has put out $20,000 as a reward for anyone who finds you."

"Is that it?" Blaze sarcastically remarks.

"So he's pinned the blame fully on her at the precinct?" Axel asks.

"Looks that way," Adam shrugs.

"Great! I can't stay in hiding forever though!"

"Well, that's where the good news comes in," Adam answers with more optimism this time round.

"Chief Clark has informed me that tonight is District Attourney Cohen's birthday. Every year O'Neil attends the celebrations."

"And?" Blaze probes with confusion.

"And our plans have paid off. I am confident tonight that we can take out O'Neil, exposing him as the one behind the precinct bombings. We got one shot and if we're successful we'l clear your name".

The trio look at one another with determination on their faces.

"Just us three?" Blaze asks.

"Just the three of us," Adam nods.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The last 48 hours have been a rollercoaster for Blaze, who knows that the fighting is not over yet. It is currently 1am, where she is still battling heavy fatigue in her body. She sits between Adam and Axel in the same van they left the warehouse in on the previous night. The roads leading to the financial district are quiet and empty at this time of night, but as soon as they reach the buzzing city centre they find that the shops, casinos and clubs are still lively even during the early hours of the morning.

Adam parks the van in one of the side streets then hands over a gun to Blaze who is sat in between him and Axel.

"Take this as a precaution," he then hands her a silencer.

The three officers park close to Candybells- the most expensive strip bar amongst many politicians and senior personnel on the police force.

"How do you expect me to get in with this?" Blaze frowns, holding the firearm.

Adam answers, "Next to the bar there is a Chinese restaurant on the other side. Pass through the kitchens out the back and you will find an outside stairwell leading to the roof of the bar. The fire exit up on the roof will be shut but here is the security code to open it from the outside," he hands her a piece of paper.

Axel also briefs Blaze. "Once you are in the building, make your way up to the office on the top floor. The unit is labelled 6.2, I'll will meet you up there".

"And where are you guys going to be?" Blaze asks.

"I will be here in the van on standby waiting for you to get out. Axel will make his way out through the main entrance", Adam explains.

"We don't have much time, let's move!" Axel orders.

Blaze pulls out her black leather jacket then places on her gloves. She tucks the gun into the back of her skirt then heads out of the van towards the restaurant. Axel casually in the other direction towards the entrance of the club.

The busy entrance to the Chinese noodle house is perfect as Blaze disappears through the unorganized crowd waiting for their take outs by the entrance. She calmly walks through the restaurant then down a flight of stairs towards the kitchens with barely anyone noticing her.

"Sorry I was just getting some air", she says as she passes a handful of chefs who are frantically working on their orders in the hot kitchen. Without them even glancing in her direction, she easily exits the premises out the back. Outside, Blaze finds a small alleyway closed off from the main street full of trash cans and cigarette butts. The other building next to the alley is the club. She glances up to see it's bright neon lights, where she can hear the heavy bass of hip hop. She climbs on top of one of the large trash cans then jumps, reaching for the ladder leading to an outside stairwell a few metres above her head.

"Shit," Blaze curses as she grabs onto the ladder, remembering that her ankle hadn't fully healed yet.

Blaze manages to climb up before quietly making her way towards the roof of the building.

Meanwhile outside of the club the bouncer greets Axel, knowing full well that he is a senior officer and an employee of O'Neil. "It's been a while Stone, how are things at the precinct these days?"

"Things are good at the moment, you know times have been hard back at the office but we always get by". The bouncer gives him a warm smile, allowing Axel to enter the club without a fuss. The small bar is dark with blue lighting, but Axel recognizes the faces of many of the officers from all three districts who like to hang out here after duty. Also some of the politicians who attended the Commissioner's dinner the other night have flocked to this bar to join the celebrations. A venue like this is like a high class haven for exclusive guests. Axel immediately spots DC Bailey sitting by the bar in front of two poles where four strippers have just entered.

He calls Axel over to the bar for a drink, immediately updating him on their plan.

"O'Neil's here in one of the private rooms on the third floor. I will get someone to escort you there," he signals to the barman.

Axel quietly replies, "Everything is ready, we have someone upstairs in the office. Tell Clark after this he can start on that favour I needed".

"Once this matter is dealt and O'Neil is out of the picture, he will".

One of the strippers, a blond lady dressed in a gold bikini top and red hot pants, casually walks over to the bar, grinning at the Deputy.

"This is Sandra. She will take you upstairs".

Axel smiles then puts his arm around the woman as they walk together through the crowded, noisy dance floor past many of the officers on his team and those who know him from the other two districts. They playfully salute and acknowledge Axel as the pair casually walk past the party whilst heading towards the elevator. A couple of other officers also wait to go upstairs, having paid for other escorts who stand next to them.

'Sandra' takes Axel's hand then leads him out into the third floor past many of their regular rooms once they are upstairs.

"You're not bad lookin' compare to most of these cops" she grins as they pass through the hall. "Can I give you a private dance? The room next door is free". He smiles back at her flattered, "sorry babe, I got work to do. But there is something you can do. I need you to get this message in that room there, then maybe in an hour or so once this business is dealt with I'll come and find you," he winks.

She grins back at him, taking the envelope from his hand as she enters one of the rooms whilst Axel waits in the hallway.

Inside the private room, DC O'Neil is laying on a bed next to two naked women drinking a bottle of champagne.

He sits up, pleasantly surprised that the additional stripper just entered the room unanounced. "I only paid for two. Are you joining us?"

Sandra replies, "One of your officers asked me to pass on this message to you".

He takes the envelope then almost leaps out of the bed with joy on his face as he opens it. O'Neil then kisses one of the women in jublilation on her neck.

"This calls for a celebration! Honey, is officer Stone still here?" He asks.

"Yes, he's waiting for you outside."

5 minutes later O'Neil is dressed and ready. He leaves some extra cash on the bed for the women as tips before he exits the room into the hallway.

Axel smiles, casually standing there with his hands in his pocket. "What can I say? I wanted to give you the good news in person!"

O'Neil grins with pride. "I can't believe you finally tracked it down! After the last couple of days this is the best news I have had! The government will reward us well! $6 million dollars between us. You are going to be a rich man, does anyone else know about the USB?"

Axel shakes his head. "No, I will brief Adam in the morning as he went straight home."

"Great work Stone! So how did you find it?"

Axel explains, "one of my agents raided a car near the Mexican border". He then pulls out a white USB device from his pocket and hands it over to O'Neil.

"This is it! Have you had a look yet?"

Axel nods, "Yes all checked out and verified. I'm certain this is the information you asked us to obtain!"

"So were any of the Red District Officers behind this?"

"Not that we know of," Axel shakes his head. "We carried out the raids you asked, and as you know they came back clear. We suspect however DC Ramos took this device all the way to Mexico. How about we take a look just to make sure it's the original as I don't wanna waste any Goverment time. There's is an office upstairs with computers.".

"Good idea" O'Neil agrees.

Both men make their way to the stairwell then up to an empty floor of offices above the club. Axel knows that DC Bailey has dealt with the security cameras and can see that they have been turned away to a different angle, so that he is out of sight. As far as all of the other cops downstairs are concerned, Axel left for one of the private rooms with the stripper earlier and he made sure that everyone downstairs noticed, including the surveylance. The bouncer found no weapons or any threat on him either, so his tracks are covered for what he's about to do.

Axel opens the door to the office labelled 6.2. The lights are off and the curtains are drawn, so apart from a small green smoke detector light, the place is in compete darkness. Axel casually switches on the lights then closes the door behind them as O'Neil sits by one of the desks facing a monitor.

"I have to say Stone, I am truly grateful for this and glad we got to this thing before Bailey did. There's something I have to tell you..."

"What is it?"

"Green District have their own problems, just like Red's had. Bailey is working for the Syndicate. He planned this whole thing with DC Ramos to steal this information from the Government..."

Axel smiles, blissfully aware that O'Neil is lying to him. "Damm! Well at least this information can now be delivered to the right people where it belongs in safe hands"

O'Neil then tries to load the contents of the USB once the computer is loaded, but he runs into some challenges. "Hmmm, that's strange. Was it working earlier? Maybe we need to reboot... What information did you find on there?"

"Well there were three folders," Axel explains. "The first contained information regarding the construction of nuclear weapons using the element Rakushin, the second folder had information about experiments carried out on humans with suspected abnormal energies superior to any of us. Very interesting stuff, actually..."

"What about the third folder?" O'Neil probes, still fixated on the monitor with urgency.

"See that one was quite disturbing. It was full of information about the Ninjutsu warriors who are part of the Yamato clan. Have you heard of them and their powers?"

O'Neil laughs it off, "It's all fighting legend bullshit! Let's take this out now and we'l retrieve the files elsewhere. I will let Marcus know we found it", he suggests.

"Sure," Axel nods.

O'Neil then reaches for his cell phone, which to his surprise is dead and broken.

"Shit! This fucking phone is dead. Can I use your cell?"

Axel's mood suddenly turns. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that".

O'Neil's face immediately turns to anger, "Why the fuck not?! What the hell are you doing? Give me your cell phone now, THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Axel folds his arms, blankly grinning at O'Neil.

"I SAID, GIVE IT TO ME!"

To his disbelief, Blaze steps forward and out of the shadows from the back of the room with a her gun in her hand.

O'Neil replies with shock. "What the hell is she doing here?! This is the bitch behind all of this!? What the...?"

Axel gives her a nod before exitting the room.

"STONE! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Somethin' I should have done a long time ago..."

He locks the door behind him whilst Blaze points the gun at O'Neil, her corrupted superior.

"FIELDING drop that weapon now! All I have to do is call one Syndicate member or one officer in this building and they will come for you! I will ruin you!"

Blaze grins with amusement on her face. "Well done, your truly an asset to society."

"Fuck you Fielding! I only had you transferred because of the USB..."

Blaze walks closer to him, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. " Guess what, I know. I know everything about your little deals and your friend Xavier Williams. I know you killed Sam, Nadine and the other Reds and I know what your plan was for me and what you did to our precinct."

"Ramos had it coming to him and he knew it! That information should never have been tracked down by him!"

"Why did you do it huh?!" Blaze angrily pushes him back on his chair with her gun in his face. "Why did you have to kill them and injure your own officers? The attacks at Red and Central districts were unnecessary."

"I did what was necessary. Sam Davidson would never have betrayed your DC. You and the other officers were loyal to him. I don't regret the decisions I've made on behalf of the Syndicate and you will certainly pay that price when your dead".

Blaze switches off her phone which has been recording their entire conversation. "You forget I'm the one pulling the strings here and I'm the one who found the information. You have no shit on me anymore" she smirks.

O'Neil decides to get up, charging aggressively forward to reach for Blaze's phone. Before he has the chance to step closer, she pulls the trigger once, shooting him in the leg. He painfully falls to the ground before reaching her.

Blaze aims the gun again as he crawls in agony. "This is for Sam and Nadine", she pulls the trigger a second time to silence him, shooting him in the head.

Blaze quickly climbs out of the window towards the roof then exits the premises the same way as she came in before anyone can realize what has happened. At the same time, Axel also has made his way back downstairs and out of the venue in front of the bouncer who has seen him leave. Blaze knows that with the evidence she has and with O'Neil out of the picture, they have gained back her freedom and she is no longer on the run. She knows that Chief Inspector Clark is on their side and will ensure that any charges or evidence against her will be dropped.

Finally, the last battle of the day turned out to be a success.

Chapter Text

Dreamer

3 weeks later.

DC O'Neil's death and criminal activities have been heavily published in the press over the last couple of weeks. His murder was pinned on the Syndicate as a result of his involvement in their organization. The evidence in his recorded confession on killing Sam Davidson and Nadine Bilson was also publicly released. In the end, the police department concluded that DC O'Neil was behind the heist carried out as well as the missing Government USB and the man had gotten himself killed as a result of his enemies.

Since then, things have been slowly getting back to normal and the group of vigilantes have kept a low profile during the investigations. Adam has settled into his new home with his family, whilst Sammy has continued living with Axel. The teenager had enjoyed working daytimes with Dr Zan, collecting deliveries for the lab whilst learning more and more every day away from school as Zan helps him with his studies.

Sammy has also focussed on training and knows that it is only a matter of time until he avenges his friend's killer.

Meanwhile, Blaze has concentrated on controlling her chi, training and meditating every day to make it as powerful as possible whilst limiting her energy loss and wounds. Cheif Clark arranged for her to move to the city centre in order to be closer to work as a temporary measure before she leaves for her transfer in just over a week.

Max is still bitter and suspicious about Raven's death, but he has immersed himself in his gym and fighting arena. He often spends hours of the days cleaning out and hiding their stolen Syndicate money and drugs.

Lastly, Axel is back into his usual work mode routine, planning their next moves as he works closely with Chief Clark and DC Bailey. Clark recently moved out of his office at City Hall and into Central District temporarily to fill DC O'Neil's duties in running their department.

Chief Clark, Axel and Adam sit having breakfast inside Benito's restaurant.

The Chielf starts their conversation off. "A lot has happened this summer, but finally we are in the position to implement the necessary changes we need for our department. During the fall, I will have to continue with my duties back at City Hall as requested by the Government when we find a replacement for Captain here. They will also oversee what is left of Red District. I am in favour of one of you taking this role on. In fact, Adam you have been in the department longer than anyone in your team, what do you think?"

Adam glances over to Axel and then back to Clark.

"It would be an amazing promotion but…" he hesitates.

"But what? You have earned it and are fully deserving of it".

Adam sighs. "I have a young child and another one on the way in the New Year, I know that this is a big commitment".

Axel shakes his head knowing that Adam has worked hard for this role, why would he turn this down?

They finish their breakfast before walking back to the office.

Adam thanks them for the meeting. "Listen, I gotta sign off at 10 for half an hour or so, Keri and I have a scan at the hospital".

Clark replies with a smile. "Of course, good luck!" Adam quickly rushes ahead to finish off his morning duties. "and Hunter?" He calls, "at least consider my offer". Adam smiles back at him before walking away.

Clark then turns to Axel, "if he turns the role down it's yours for the taking".

Axel laughs, "I'm not sure if I'm cut out for being Captain, too much work off the field was never my ambition".

Clark sighs, "well, theres only one other person in this department capable enough to lead it..."

"Who?" Axel raises an eyebrow.

"Fielding of course,"

"You forgot that Detective Fielding is transferring back to London next week..."

"Oh, right. Too bad huh? We're losing officers left right and centre. Hart is also in rehab, but that wasn't a huge loss to be honest."

"I get the feeling she won't be coming back anytime soon either," Axel replies.

"Hmmm. Even though we've cleared out the dirt that is O'Neil, we have to rebuild. I think we're making a big mistake letting Fielding go, she was Carl Ramos' top agent solving the highest number of cases on her team, not to mention her combat skills and experience".

Axel replies, "well it was only ever a temporary arrangement for her being here. She was the one who took out O'Neil and found the USB, so maybe it's for the best before the Syndicate find out".

Clark shakes his head, "that's exactly why we are at a loss if Fielding leaves! Do you think that if we offer her a promotion at Red District as it's new Captain? That this is enough to change her mind right?"

Axel sighs, "there's no guarantee if or when that will happen. Blaze is stubborn and won't change her mind, you're wasting your breath".

Clark sighs and responds "ok, we'll see about that. That suspension over her head is enough to put Andrew Bingham off of employing her when he knows she assaulted another officer, it's our duty to inform him of the truth."

Axel shakes his head. "I don't know, she really wanted that role, I can't do that".

"Ok then it's your call, I will leave it there. Start looking through the ranks for new lieutenant and recruits then, our war on the Syndicate is about to get a whole lot worse I'm afraid. Perhaps Murphy or Barney deserve the promotion instead..."

Their conversation leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. After all, the Chief is right. Blaze is an asset to their police department and their team of vigilantes. If she were to leave, things would go from bad to worse. He is left there with a tough decision to make on behalf of the city and himself.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Adam rushes through the doors of Wood Oak Central Hospital, anxious that he hasn't made it in time for the scan. To his relief, Keri is in the waiting area outside of the consultant's room.

"Hey I've been trying to call!" She says with urgency.

"Sorry I'm late I got held up at work. What did the doctor say?"

Before she has the chance to respond, a voice calls out. "Miss Campbell, the doctor will see you now".

Keri excitedly smiles at Adam as they get up and walk into the room.

The doctor performs the ultrasound in front of the couple who are slightly anxious although they went through this process when they had Cherry. Things however feel different this time around where Adam and Keri feel closer after everything they have been through.

The doctor smiles, "you have a healthy boy kicking around in there!"

Keri laughs, "Yeah that's about right, he takes after his dad!"

Adam is lost for words, overcome with emotion. "Wow, a boy!" Having Cherry was the best thing that ever happened to Adam and now he will get to experience that special moment all over again. He feels like the happiest man alive right now and is blessed to be here in this moment.

The doctor responds smiling, "I'm going to leave you both here for a minute, we will get some of these images printed out for you to take home".

Adam gives Keri a comforting hug and takes her hand. "Having you, Cherry and now this little guy in my life is the best thing ever. I love you Keri".

Keri smiles a little teary eyed, "I know we've been through a lot during the past few weeks, but I'm always here and were blessed to have our family".

"Yeah this is a happy time. You know I practically turned down the Captain role this morning that Clark offered me. You and the kids come first now and nothing else matters".

"But you've worked so hard!"

Adam shakes his head. "It's ok, I'm happy where I am now and I need to be there for you and the kids, a lot is going to change. Oh and Miss Campbell? I think we need to change that too..." He smiles, pulling out a box containing a ring from his pocket, completely surprising her.

"Oh my God, are you for real!? After twelve years you..?"

Adam smiles from ear to ear nodding his head.

Keri shouts with excitement. "Yes! I will thank you very much!" She replies before he has the chance to ask. "Oh my God… and the ring? You planned this all. I love you!"

It's a joyous occasion and one of the happiest moments of their lives. They share a long kiss and enjoy the rest of the day they have together as Adam takes some needed time out of work.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The silence of the night air is soothing for Shiva who is at peace in his confinement. He meditates and channels his chi on the wooden floor of a large open air room. His guard waits a good two hours until Shiva is finished. "Master Shiva, we have word from the Yamato. They are ready to speak with you".

"Have my car ready in fifteen minutes, we will leave straight away once I am prepared".

Shiva has been staying in Japan for the last three weeks, working from a remote area recruiting fighters for the Syndicate organization. He is close with many of the ninjas that live in this region and he plans to give them safe access back to America and into Wood Oak City so that they can fight for Mr X's cause. The purpose of his stay is to also keep up appearances with their new found warrior allies, one of them who happens to be Shiva's old master when he was a boy.

Shiva and his driver take a six hour car journey through the remote mountainous wilderness, high and low to make it to the Yamato temple by dawn. It is against their religion to show up to such a sacred place without being invited, so Shiva has been patient in waiting for his master's response over the last three weeks. He completes the last part of his journey on foot up a terrain for 4km towards a beautiful remote red temple. It is the same place where he first studied as a five year old boy, learning various martial arts including the art of Ninjutsu.

Shiva kneels down at the entrance to the temple before a tall dark warrior appears in the shadows when the doors slide open.

A deep voice speaks, "You may enter".

Shiva then makes his way through the doors past several gold statues of warriors upon black wooden floors and red painted walls containing sacred golden scribes.

Shiva kneels down, "Master Yamato, it is an honour to be in your presence after a long time". Each warrior adopts this title.

"Shiva, your energy has grown and has become more powerful than ever", the warrior replies.

"It is with all you have taught me, I have become the fighter I am. We have much to discuss".

Yamato Oshiro is dressed in a long black hooded gown. His concealed face bears the scars of centuries of fighting and his dark red eyes resemble a pathway to the rest of the universe. The two of them sit on the floor of the sacred garden at the back of the temple as they see dawn appearing. The garden itself is full of life with flowers and birds. Whilst it is also full of death, with old pillars of fallen ancient cities further into the distance. They are high up in altitude and the fresh air and breeze feels pure.

Yamato explains, "I have seen hundreds of thousands of sunrises every morning, but this is still my favourite part of the day every time I see a new beginning".

"And every day the world is changing. We are at the centre of it", Shiva looks out into the distance.

"Have you found what you were seeking?"

Shiva takes a deep breath. "Our chi will change the world. Our scientists have found new ways of preserving this power in one place. Your legacy can live on now forever".

"Over the years we lost over a thousand warriors due to human intervention. Now we have three warriors left. I can tell you that nothing lasts forever. Our energy cannot be transferred and kept alive to fire other power sources as we are already one with the universe. All we can do is teach powerful individuals like yourself how to access their chi from your own spirit".

Shiva shakes his head. "But Tiger and I don't have enough power between us. Every time we store more energy, we become weaker and have to wait days for it to replenish."

Yamato agrees. "Mr X unfortunately doesn't have that capability. But he has made promises to restore our influence here on Earth in his own city. What you are doing is forbidden, you know that".

"And he will succeed, we just need more time. I know it is forbidden, but what we have will change the world and anyone who believes otherwise will fall at the mercy to us. Every day I will grow stronger," Shiva replies with determination in his eyes.

"There is so much left for you to learn Leon, but you will understand one day. For our legacy to live on, you must also one day continue your blood line into the next generation. We cannot be replaced once we go back to the stars, but your energy can be reborn".

Shiva nods, "Yes master. Mr X is also in the process of granting you a safe place for your temple if you and the other masters want it".

"Yes we will meet again soon. As you know we can move ourselves and our temple anywhere in the universe. I only wish it is a safe haven outside of humanity chaos."

Shiva nods, "Of course master Oshiro. There was something else I needed to ask from you,"

Yamato's red eyes glare even more intensely at Shiva in the face.

"What is your question?"

"Are there more that possess this power?"

"Possibly if they carry it in their blood from previous generations. Many however who trained here with us are dead, you made sure of that when we closed down Akihiro's school to stop the boys from growing up and turning against us. It was a necessary precaution we had to take that he still holds against me. This means that anyone who does have this power in their blood cannot access or control it, because they have never been taught how to."

Shiva nods, "I am aware of that but I think I have found someone else who has this power."

"Then you must find him and turn him to our religion and our cause. How do you know it is natural energy they have?"

"I felt it. It was a power even more intense than my own, but different. I thought that chi could only be passed down the bloodline through male genes, but it was a woman who had this power".

Yamato explains "Then her chi must come directly from the universe and not bloodline. Once you find her you will need to educate her on our religion and persuade her to practise our ways. Remember, that any daughter of the universe must be honoured and respected. However, if she refuses to learn our ways, then you have no choice but to defeat her in combat before you take her power."

"Thank you for your guidance master Yamato, I now know what I have to do."

The two of them watch the morning begin then meditate to finish off their reunion. The supreme power that Yamato has feeds Shiva's energy and restores calmness and tranquillity to his soul. He now has a clear head and knows that he needs to return back to Wood Oak City tomorrow morning. This conversation is also something that he must not mention to his boss Mr X, who has no care for legacy and bloodline. Mr X will only try to take all the power he can get to benefit his cause. In the meantime however, he is distracted with political campaigning so the burden of this secret should not cause any problems for Shiva.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fire, chaos and confusion dominate Wood Oak City with people running out into the streets screaming with blood all over their faces. The sky is a dull white, full of radioactive substances in the atmosphere that slowly burn the dead bodies lying on the pavement, whilst the living flee underground for cover. Axel is in the middle of all the chaos when he notices a burning temple in the distance. He runs as fast as he can towards it and then through the flames at it's entrance. Inside he finds his former Master, Yamato Akihiro, sitting on the floor with his head in his hands in shame and eyes wept full of regret and sadness.

Axel catches his breath, "Master, what happened? Why am I here?" The dark hooded warrior looks up without saying a word, then points towards the sacred garden at the back of the temple.

On his own, Axel carefully walks outside, almost into another dimension away from the city. The fires and smoke behind him have now subsided and the sky is calm and blue. He looks towards the ancient pillars in the distance in horror. There, he finds Mr X standing next to hundreds of tanks containing rockets and thousands of cyborgs behind him with an army ready to wipe out anyone standing in his way.

The silence in the air is terrifying and unpredictable. With all of his power, all Axel can do is fire up his chi then charge forward directly towards Mr X and his weapons with one goal- to kill him and blow up the entire fleet. It is a suicide mission, but there is no other way. Before Axel has the chance to reach him, Mr X shakes his head and smiles callously at him. Axel suddenly pauses when he hears another voice screaming in the distance.

He sees Shiva with his arm around Blaze's neck, forcing her to walk towards the four pillars. She looks back at Axel and shouts "Do it! Kill him!" Ordering him to wipe out everyone including themselves at the scene. As he runs closer, Axel tries again and again to project his fire towards Mr X and his weapons, but they seem to get further and further away. No matter how much fire he has, it still doesn't touch them. Axel pauses for a moment when his energy starts to deplete.

Mr X finally breaks his silence. "I'm sorry, you will never win this war. We have all the power we need now," he turns towards Blaze.

She continuously shouts out, "No!" looking directly at Axel from the distance. She tries to break free but can't. Shiva turns around then takes her away towards the other two Yamato warriors standing in an identical temple to the one behind Axel.

With resilliance, he charges forward once again will all the fire power he has left. It results in explosion after explosion of anyone left standing by the pillars which are now alight. The rest of this nightmare is a battle full of blinding flames. All Axel can hear now is the voice of his old master pleading with him over and over again "you have to stop them, you must return to stop this…."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Axel abruptly wakes up in a sweat back to reality. He switches the bedside lamp on - 3am to be exact. He knows what this dream means and he knows that his old master has tried to reach out to him with a warning. Something more than politics and police corruption is wrong right now and his team must not ever give up their fight. Failure is not an option and whatever must be done is fated.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21 - Failure is not an option

Today marks a huge milestone in the political calendar and is the first day of campaigning for each of the ten candidates hoping to become Wood Oak's next senator. At 1pm, all ten will kick off their campaigns by addressing the public at Wood Oak Central Square, which will also be broadcasted live on TV. Axel and his team have been placed in charge of overseeing security at this highly profiled event. He knows that he will have to face Xavier Williams at some point during the day but he has to focus on the task in hand, keeping a clear mind.

On the ground floor of Wood Oak Central Police Department, a large number of officers are ready to go. Police vans have started to transport groups of ten officers over to the square just under a mile away. It is expected that over 200,000 people will attend the rally and will view it live outside in the square on the big screen. The candidates each have their own platform to speak out for the first time in order to gather potential voters.

Kai and Blaze are getting ready to leave the office for the vans downstairs.

"We need to go in five minutes, I'll meet you downstairs" Kai tells her.

"Sure, give me a sec," Unexpectedly out of the corner of her eye, Blaze notices a brown envelope on her desk that looks official. She wastes no time in opening it.

The first words read:

Dear Miss Fielding, we regret to inform you that your role with us and transfer to London is no longer available due to contractual circumstances pending your suspension at Wood Oak Police Department. I am aware that this is short notice however…

Blaze's heart sinks into her chest as she stops reading. She angrily screws up the letter with fury and sadness rolled into one. Just when Blaze thought that things were going back to normal and she was ready to move on with the past behind her, there was just no getting away from it. She slams down her gun on the desk along with her bullet proof vest and badge in annoyance whilst losing her temper. She aggressively pushes over the desk, breaking the lamp in the process, creating a chaotic mess with papers everywhere. She knows that Auberry-Mason has been long gone and transferred away from the precinct, so why is someone else in the office messing around with her?

Ten minutes pass by before Blaze hears Adam storming through the door. "Where the fuck have you been Blaze!? The van outside is waiting for you, get your shit together now!"

"I'm not going..." she sits back crossing her arms.

"I didn't ask you Fielding, that's an order!" It's difficult for him in that moment to separate their friendship by imposing his authority over her attitude, but as her superior he has no other choice.

Chief Clark is next to storm through the office to assist him.

The Chief sighs, looking down at Blaze with regret on his face and a more sympathetic tone. "I take it Chief Bingham has contacted you this morning..."

Blaze sits there staring blankly back at him amongst the mess in the office she created.

"Fielding! You've disobeyed a direct order from your Lieutenant, look at this mess!" Adam huffs.

"What are you my mother?" Blaze arrogantly replies. Although Adam is her friend, that reaction was a major mistake from her and one with good enough reaosn for a strike.

Adam has now lost his patience. "Expect a second strike on your file when you get back this afternoon. Now get your shit together!" He orders.

Clark intervenes once again, trying to mediate between them. "Its ok. Fielding, go home for the rest of the day and cool off!"

Blaze understands that with a third strike on her records, she will lose any hope of a career or role within a police force and that will be the end of it.

Blaze nods, acknowledging her Chief as she turns to leave.

She then locks eyes with Adam. "Go ahead, put that strike on my file then. Anything I've ever wanted out of this career is ruined now anyway thanks to this place".

She quietly walks away leaving Adam bitter and annoyed. Fortunately, Clark has more patience and understanding of her situation. He assures Adam that she will eventually cool off with time.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Xavier Williams is the 7th to speak out from all of the candidates. His style of speech is stern, clear and engaging which proves popular with the crowds. He has spoken of issues that people want addressed and has continuously praised the approach of economic growth. His ideas for helping those at the bottom of society to grow businesses and research in medicine and technology are at the fore-front of his campaign.

"I end by saying that the power is with you, the citizens of Wood Oak. Change is coming and we need to embrace it by overtaking the world's major global cities. My team of scientists are conducting ground breaking research that will cure diseases and we are manufacturing double the amount of exports that we as a society depend on. We also have methods we are planning to use to make our city a safer place where your children can go to school without looking over their shoulders, where we can build a sense of community again, where we stop crime and corruption not just in the centre, but in the suburbs too. Vote for me and I will promise you we will unlock the full potential of Wood Oak City together." The crowd loudly applauds and cheers in favour of his words.

Axel is posted behind the stage with two other members of his team and a police dog who continue to scan the area for any threats. In the distance, he suddenly notices a delivery truck labelled with 'wholesale fruits' and a man with a crate of items walking over towards the square. One of the officers next to Axel comments, also noticing the truck. "He is probably delivering to the market behind the square".

"Call the market director right now and ask him if he is expecting any late deliveries. It's nearly 2pm now so something is not right", Axel replies with urgency. As he turns back, he spots the driver running into the crowds in an attempt to disappear with the package.

Axel immediately radios the other officers. "Suspect, 5ft6 white male wearing a black shirt and cargo pants with a wooden crate moving through the crowd on East side, over".

Adam radios back. "I see him. He's headed towards the candidates sitting on the other side..." The team start running into the crowd but the man is too far away. He ends up dumping the crate by one of the barriers when he spots an officer running towards him. The man then pulls out a gun, immediately firing down a cop. This sends the crowd screaming and running in panic mode.

As the suspect runs away, he fires again at the candidate who is by the podium delivering their speech. She helplessly falls to the ground, shot as the man then repeatedly shoots at the others until his bullets are finished. Adam continues to chase him, close behind his tail through the crowds.

"Get to the crate by the barrier and get everyone evacuated away from it!" Axel orders the officers on the other side.

Their team immediately cordon off the area, swiftly diverting the crowds safely towards a nearby park whilst the candidates leave in the police vans.

Meanwhile Adam who is on the chase finally catches up with the culprit just outside of the park railings. He sprints fast behind the man then pushes him over so that he falls on the ground. They immediately start fighting and throwing punches at one another, before the suspect knocks Adam's gun out of his hand. This man is clearly a good fighter and has taken Adam by surprise. Suddenly, he pulls out a knife from his pocket. He drives the weapon forward, stabbing Adam painfully in the arm. But Adam's adrenaline and resilliance immediately kick in. He does not give up and in that moment, Adam uses his strength and breaks the man's hand, forcing him to drop the knife.

"Motherfucker!" Adam spits before knocking the guy out cold with one punch to the head.

The police and paramedics rush over to the scene to arrest the man and to tend to Adam who is now heavily bleeding.

"I'm ok", the officer insists.

Meanwhile, once the crowds are fully evacuated, Axel and his police dog cautiously walk over to the crate. He knows the risks involved and that anything could be in there. Having trained in the military to detect explosives, this is routine for him but he knows how dangerous this is. This time however it is different. The German Shepard by his side howls strangely, refusing to step forward as he tugs at the lead.

Axel crouches down next to the canine. "What is it Riley?" As he lets go of the lead, the dog lies down on the ground. Axel instantly knows that this is not just some regular explosive as their police dogs are trained in sniffing out. In that crate lies something different that the dog cannot recognise.

"Everyone get back now that's an order!" He shouts to the other officers cautiously observing from a distance.

The police vans and ambulances still on the scene quieten down and everyone standing paces backwards, leaving the space and perimeter around Axel empty. Less than 5 minutes ago, this area was full of people packed like sardines.

Axel slowly aims his firearm at the box, shooting a bullet at one of it's corners on the edge. To everyone's shock, a blue force field slowly illuminates from the hole in the box then quickly starts to evaporate thick grey smoke that intensifies.

Axel shouts out, "TAKE COVER NOW!"

Within seconds, a bright white light about 7ft tall appears and detonates the box. Nails and shards of glass are projected violently everywhere around it. Although the police are used to witnessing explosives and controlling them, this is completely strange as there is no smoke left after the explosion. Had they have not have reacted, this may have killed hundreds of people standing in close proximity to the podium. The disposal unit quickly arrives to investigate the damage and materials used for the device. Fortunately, there were no casualties this time and although four of the candidates were seriously injured along with one officer from gun shots, they are lucky to be alive.

Clark arrives at the scene relieved that no one has been hurt by the explosion. "The disposals unit will take it from here and I will question the suspect in person. Good work Lieutenant Stone, see to it that Hunter gets checked out at the hospital".

"Yes chief. That was no regular explosive though. That energy field was generated on its own without a timer..."

"I will send you the report as soon as it's ready. Go and get yourself fixed up I'll take it from here".

Axel kneels down to pet Riley with relief written all over his face. "Thank you, you saved both our asses today".

Adam has been inside Wood Oak Central Hospital for less than an hour, but he is already complaining. The staff have examined and x-rayed his shoulder for any further damage. All seems to be fine internally, but they are keeping an eye on his wounds.

"Nurse please, I need to get outta here now! I have enough blood left and I wanna see my family".

The nurse responds with patience. "It will only be another hour and then the doctor needs to check the stitches and stab wound again before you are discharged".

Adam feels very helpless and pissed off at the moment, but he has no choice.

A minute later, to his relief Axel walks through the door. "How you doing bro?"

"I could be better but I'm glad we caught that motherfucker", he gives his partner a brief bro hug.

Axel smiles, "You're catching up with me now", referring to Adam's bullet wound which will scar later on.

Adam laughs, "I need to get the fuck out of here now! Any news on the device?"

Axel shakes his head. "No, but Clark is on it. As far as I know it was some sort of energy field either created by Shiva or Tiger that the Syndicate stored from their chi. It was fucking powerful, I've never seen anything like it! This is just a taster of what could come later. Apparently no uranium or plutonium was found, so luckily this time it wasn't radioactive."

"Fuck, this is bad and they're only testing their weapons. That could have killed hundreds of people".

"I know," Axel sighs. "Our next step has to be to take out Tiger before we get to Shiva. At least with him out of the picture, they only have half the power they are draining."

Adam agrees. "Yeah, I want Sammy to be safe. Speaking of which, can you remind him to come to the house later at 7pm, were having a gathering. I expect you there also."

Axel raises his eyebrows, surprised. "Really, is it some sorta house warming party?"

"Call it that if you want but I need you there at 7. I'll try and convince Blaze too, she is pissed off with me that I gave her a strike for bailing out on us".

Axel shrugs, "Blaze is pissed off with everyone, get Keri to talk to her".

"Yeah that's a good idea, she might listen to her".

"I need to go back to the office, I'll see you tonight at 7" Axel nods.

The nurse returns to the room, "excuse me. Lieutenant Stone? There's someone outside who wants to speak to you".

"Tell them I'm working," Axel huffs.

"But there's also a whole load of press outside who want to question you and commend you for dealing with the bomb earlier at Wood Oak Square".

"Shit. Just tell them Chief Clark will address them later..."

Axel quickly leaves the room to escape the attention. The last thing he needs right now after the day he has had are journalists probing him. To his surprise, outside the hospital room, he finds three of the candidates in the waiting area. Including Xavier Williams.

One of them, Walter Adams approaches Axel first, insisting on shaking his hand. "I hope you don't mind but we'd personally like to come and thank you and your team for saving our necks today. The nurses told us you and Lieutenant Hunter bravely stopped us and civilians in the crowd from getting killed. You prevented a tragedy unfolding!"

Axel replies, humbled shrugging it off. "I was just doing my job. If it wasn't for my dog Riley, we wouldn't have known any different plus Adam was the one who caught and arrested the man behind it all".

Xavier Williams cautiously approaches them after overhearing their conversation. His prescense is cold, yet powerful and confident. And although he recognizes Axel from their meetings at City Hall, the two of them have never engaged in conversation before. The man looks him in the eye then extends his hand as a thank you to Axel. "Really, we are grateful for all of your hard work and to your team. Walter is right, today could have been far worse than it was". The closer he gets to Axel, the more it seems that he has to hide and the more insecure the prospective Senator becomes.

Axel calmly smiles then shakes his hand, blocking away all of the hate he feels towards this man. In the back of his mind, it could all be so simple right now to kill the man in front of him who is Mr X. All Axel has to do is either set him on fire or grab a knife from one of the surgeons to puncture the artery connected to his hand, millimetres away from him. But Axel just can't do that.

"Thank you councillor", Axel nods.

"You and your team are seriously some of the best security experts I have come across. I will be sure to call your department again for some more assistance. You will be compensated fairly of course. All the best Lieutenant Stone", Mr X nods before turning to walk away.

Axel calmly walks in the other direction, immediately feeling sick to his stomach and enraged. He can feel the fire intensely burning up under his skin. So he decides to dash into one of the bathrooms, out of sight from the others. He shuts the door then immediately throws up in one of the cubicles. As he washes his face and looks up at the mirror. all Axel can think about are his parents. Failure is not an option and he must stop this now. The words of his old master in the dream he had last night repeatedly run through his head.

Axel finally composes himself and discretely leaves another exit of the hospital to avoid any press waiting outside.

Chapter Text

Chapter 22

The food is ready, the music is blaring and the party is just getting started. Its 8pm and Blaze of course is the latest to show up. She knocks at the door of Adam's new house when Sammy happily answers, "Hey Blaze!" He grins, always pleased to see her.

"Hey Sammy", she gives him a warm smile and a hug. "How's work going with the doctor?"

"You know what? Zan's got me learning so much cool shit, it's a million times better than what we did at school! All that science we did is nothing compared to what he knows!"

Blaze laughs, "glad to hear it! The doc knows his stuff!"

Cherry is next to rush towards the door, giving Blaze another big hug. The little girl is beaming with excitement, "yay you came to visit us! Can we still see the turtles?"

Blaze kneels down, smiling at her. "Yes definitely! That's the first place I'm going to take you to when I have a weekend off".

Keri joins them as Blaze hands her over a bouquet of flowers and a gift bag.

"I wasn't sure if you are having a boy or a girl so I stuck to neutral!"

Keri happily takes the gifts, "aw that's so sweet of you, thank you!" She takes out a couple of cute white baby grows with bears on the front. Blaze suddenly notices the ring on her friend's finger.

"Oh my God, Adam proposed?!"

The two of them start jumping around excitedly, never had expecting this to happen.

"That's amazing news!"

"It gets better! Your the first to know but earlier, we found out we are having a boy!"

Blaze smilies, genuinely happy for them. "You both deserve all of the happiness in the world, wow this is really lovely news. Just don't name him Adam Jr please!" both of them laugh.

"I know right? He has his heart set on that, but were going to have to change it!"

"So when is the big day then?" Blaze asks.

"Probably sometime after the baby is born and you my friend are already designated as my maid of honour. You will have to regularly visit us and take time off for the wedding when you go back to England".

Blaze's smile suddenly changes to a frown, remembering that this is not going to happen anytime soon.

"What's wrong?" Keri probes.

Blaze casually shrugs it off. "It's no big deal but I'm not going back. I've decided to quit the force".

"What?!"

"It's for the best and I'll tell you properly another time. Come on we need to go and celebrate your engagement house warming party!" She diverts the conversation, wanting to avoid any more talk of it.

As Keri shows her around, Adam appears giving Keri a kiss on the lips. "Hey baby, some of the guests are asking for more glasses. I've looked everywhere but I am still finding my way around, that kitchen is too big!"

Keri laughs, "I left them in the dining room honey! Don't worry I will go and get them. At least he knows where the fridge is..." she winks at Blaze before leaving the two of them alone in the hallway.

"Blaze I'm sorry I lost it with you earlier", Adam apologizes.

"No I'm the one who is sorr., I was way out of line and you were only doing your job. I'm just glad you're ok" she glances over towards his bandaged shoulder.

"I heard the news about your transfer after that. I'm sorry".

Blaze gives him a forced smile. "It's just one of those things, just wasn't meant to be. I know it wasn't you who made that phone call, so don't take it to heart. We'll talk more about it later. Right now we need to celebrate!"

He gives her a warm hug, setting her mind at ease. "You know Keri and I are always here if you need anything. And you are our maid of honour at my wedding".

Blaze smiles lightening the mood, "thanks Adam! I can't believe you just said my wedding! Keri is gonna kill you!"

"Its fine, you two are in charge of organizing it to the standard I want!" He jokes.

She follows Adam into the front room where all the guests are socializing whilst enjoying snacks and drink. The house is full of Adam and Keri's closest friends and family, some of whom Blaze already knows and has met before. The first cold stare she witnesses is from Max on the couch who is sitting next to Luca. Ignoring him, she quickly lets it go then gives the wrestler a civil nod, acknowledging that she does not want another war tonight.

Blaze then notices Axel on the other side of the room near the kitchen talking to Sammy. Immediataly, she turns around and walks in the other direction wanting to avoid another war on the cards. He is the only other person at the precinct who would have made that call.

As soon as Blaze walks away she realizes this was another mistake as she bumps into Paulette (Keri's mother), another perosn on her list to avoid.

"Hi darl how are you doing!? This house is great isn't it? How are you keeping these days?"

Blaze clears her throat. "Hi Mrs Campbell, I'm good thank you".

"You must be missing home darling are you still living alone?" Paulette probes.

Blaze akwardly smiles and nods yes.

"What a shame!" She replies holding a glass in her hand. "For a pretty girl like yourself at your age you should have a husband by now. I'm telling you it took Adam long enough to ask my daughter, but at least they were already living together".

"We all gotta do things on our own terms when we are ready," she bluntly answers. All Blaze wants to do right now is run for the hills away from Paulette and the rest of this party.

"Would you excuse me, I need the bathroom", Blaze makes her exit.

Suddenly, she hears glasses chime where she notices Sammy trying to gain everyone's attention. The guests outside in the back yard start to flock inside the house to hear the announcement.

Adam turns to him, "thanks bro".

Adam then stands to address the party. "Ok so we're making this brief, but Keri and I would like to start by thanking all of our close friends and family who are here tonight supporting us and thank you to everyone for our wonderful house warming gifts and messages."

Keri continues, standing next to him with his arm around her. "The other reason why we called ya'll here is because we have some news. Many of you know that in the spring, we are expecting another baby and just yesterday, Adam and I got engaged!"

The whole crowd cheer and clap, elated by the happy news as she flashes her diamond.

Adam smiles, "we hope that you can stay and celebrate with us for the rest of the night! I know that our daughter Cherry over there is really excited to have a baby brother and someone next to me here is thrilled to be an uncle again" he winks at Sammy.

"Yeah Ima start calling you Mr Campbell now!" The crowd starts to laugh before another guest calls out,"so when is the big day?"

Keri responds, "We haven't set a date yet but that will come next. Definitely the wedding of the year will be somewhere in Wood Oak in the spring as this is where Adam and I first met. We have also chosen Adam's best man and my maid of honour..." She smiles excitedly as the crowd say ooooo, excited to know. The couple then turn to glance at Blaze on one side and Axel on the other side. Both of whom are suddenly put on the spot.

"So let's raise as glass and toast to the future!" Adam toasts as the guests raise their glasses and enjoy the rest of the party.

Almost an hour later and Blaze is outside in the garden on a swinging bench playing with Cherry, keen to remain outside and away from the others.

Cherry looks up at her frowning. "Is it true you're going away?"

"No Cherry, I'm not going anywhere. But even if I did, you know that I will always be thinking of you wherever I am", the little girl wraps her arms around her giving her a relieved hug.

Unexpectedly, a voice from behind them speaks out. "Mind if I join you?" Axel approaches the bench where they are sitting.

Cherry immediately leaps up from the bench with excitement when she sees him. She runs over to him, demanding that he picks her up. Blaze however, is less enthusiastic about him being in her presence.

She then gets up to leave, "I'm going back inside the house now. See you later Cherry".

Cherry, still in Axel's arms turns to him and points saying "you know you have to bow to her".

Axel laughs, slightly taken back. "What? Why do I have to bow to her?"

"Because she is a princess!"

Axel plays along, "Really? I knew it! You know what, every time she walks in the room she makes demands so of course she is!". Blaze feeling offended starts to walk away. "...but she's really a good princess," he says.

"What do you want Axel?" Blaze folds her arms, annoyed.

Cherry responds to him, "But you should be nicer to her!"

"Your right. And I'm sorry," he guiltily locks eyes with Blaze.

Blaze avoids his gaze, addressing Cherry once more. "Thank you kid! Look, I think your uncle Sammy just called you, go back in the house see what he wants".

Axel carefully places her on the ground, before she curtsies at Blaze. "Cake!" The little girl excitedly shouts as she runs inside the house.

Blaze's mood instantly switches. "You got some nerve approaching me! I know it was you who jeopardized my transfer."

"I'm sorry, I had to it. Believe me, I had no other choice!"

"Fuck you!"

"I know your angry. You have every right to be. But if you leave, they will find you and they will take all of your power away. We can't protect you if you are thousands of miles from here".

"I don't need your protection and that's not your decision to make!" Blaze snaps.

"Your fake ID is still missing with your photograph that Raven lost. If the Syndicate haven't found that already, they will eventually and it's only a matter of time until they know your face. The service station, Raven, all of it connects to your chi".

"They won't find me, I can look after myself! You know, I really wanted a new start and you fucking took that away from me!"

"I'm only protecting you and the rest of the city"

Blaze walks closer to him, feeling even angrier with him. "Since when did you care about anyone apart from yourself and your revenge mission? That night on the cliff was all bullshit! It was just your way of gaining my trust so that I would fight for your cause!"

"That's not true!" Axel argues.

"You're keeping me here because you know for a fact that you can't do this alone without me and without my power. I am the only fighter in this city that can kill you and Shiva with what I have."

"I have more power than you and more experience, I can still face them alone".

"No you can't! What we're all up against is way more than just street gangs! There's nothing we can do and I'm not part of this anymore, accept it!"

Axel shakes his head. "Your wrong, I do care! Like you I dream of the future. My old master called out to me, he showed me things they are planning to do to wipe us all out. They took you and your energy and they used it to kill others".

"I don't care about a stupid dream. I quit being a cop today and I'm quitting your team! Max wants me dead anyway and I can't stay here anymore".

"We need you! I need you! I don't care if you're angry with me. I don't care what went down with the USB or Raven and I don't give a shit how much power they wanna take from you. I would make that phone call without hesitation a hundred times over again just to keep you safe!"

There is a long pause between them full of guilt on both sides.

"I care about you, I really do," he softly says, reaching for her hand.

Blaze eventually looks up at him with sadness in her eyes, "but you had no right to decide my future!"

She immediately turns away then rushes off towards the house.

"Blaze wait…."

"Just stay away from me! I never wanna see you again!"

He sighs, running his hands at the back of his head as he paces back and forth. Adam and Keri spot the end of the argument before Blaze brushes past them. The couple turn to question Axel. "What did you say to her? Why is Blaze so upset?" Keri who is confused, rushes back inside after her.

Axel then turns to Adam. "I need to go home. I'll see you in the morning, congratulations bro", he says unable to hide the lack of enthusiasm left in his tone.

Without saying anymore, Axel disappears avoiding any further conflict.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three days have passed and no one from the team has heard anything from Blaze. She hasn't attended work, nor has she contacted Zan or any of the others. Leaving the group was her call, but the others would hope that this is just a cooling off period for her and a time where she needs her own space.

In the meantime, the rest of the team have been busy working at the warehouse preparing for their next move.

Adam briefs the others. "Luca has managed to track down some information by hacking Mr X's secretary's phone and computer. The Syndicate are expecting a major drugs delivery at 6pm tonight and have appeared to step up their efforts to regain their funds. The rest of our DEA at Central Precinct and Chief Clark are aware of their next move, but we need backup just in case this fails. We know the exchange will take place underneath Fortess skyscraper in the underground car park. The distributor will meet two of Tiger's men, Jack Barnes and Galsia Amos. We need to act quickly if we are to steal the drugs."

Axel continues the briefing, "Max and Sammy, I need you on standby at the exit of the car park in case they try to escape. Follow them and track their cars. Adam and I will be on duty as police officers with the rest of the feds. It has taken us weeks to get hold of this information and we can't afford to fuck this up. Are we all clear on this?"

The others nod before they gather their weapons together.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17:50 and the police have been on standby around the car park for the last four hours. As the van takes route, they are tracking its every move and know when the delivery is scheduled. Everything is in place. All Axel and Adam have to do now is wait for Jack and Galsia to arrive at the car park before they can make their arrests.

Adam radios Axel whilst waiting in another car overlooking the entrance. "They've entered the building heading towards lower ground level 3. Look out for a black Mercedes S Class"

"I see them", Axel replies.

The distributer parks up on the other side of Basement 3. Once the dealers are out and away from the vehicle, Sammy quietly sneakes under it then attaches a small tracking device on the car. Galsia and Jack, oblivious to the teen behind them, both walk over to the van driver they are meeting with their supplies. The men exchange handshakes before they discuss the delivery.

As soon as the gang their guard down, the DEA move in quickly with their guns to make the necessary arrests. Both men are quick to react when they pull out their guns, shooting towards any cops that try to get in their way. During the exchange of bullets, the van driver is killed when he is shot in the chest after being caught up in the crossfire.

Galsia hastily runs for the stairwell when his ammo is finished and is chased by Adam towards the upper levels. The two men start to fight on the staircase once Adamhas caught up. The officer swiftly kicks Galsia in the neck before grappling him then slamming the thugs's back against the wall. Galsia then retaliates, kicking Adam in the leg with a sharp knife pointing from the tip of his shoe. Adam is fortunate that his kick was not 2 inches higher, otherwise he could have busted a major artery.

Galsia proceeds to pull out another two knives from his pocket, trying his best to cut and stab Adam, but the boxer is fast enough to block his efforts. Eventually Adam manages to kick the weapons out of Galsia's hands, forcing him to fall down the stairwell. Adam runs down one flight to arrest injured Galsia. Unexpectedly, the criminal then pulls out another knife on the floor, projecting it straight towards Adam's chest. "Motherfucker! You're under arrest!" Adam snarls, kneeling down to cuff Galsia before emptying the contents of his pocket. He finds at least another five different knives.

Unfortunately, the other thug Jack has made it back to the car and is getting away from the DEA chasing his tail. He abruptly breaks through the barriers of the car park, driving at full speed onto the highway whilst facing oncoming traffic. Amidst the chaos of causing a series of accidents with police cars and drivers, Jack eventually loses the police, but is blissfully unaware that Max is on his tail tracking him a few cars behind.

Eventually Jack pulls up into a small garage about two miles away, full of other cars receiving repairs and modifications.

He pulls out his phone "Hey T it's me, I need you to send someone to pick me up I'm in some trouble! I think the feds picked up Galsia…. Ok, see you in ten minutes". As he hangs up his phone, Sammy and Max approach the garage in their black ski masks.

Jack puts his hands up slowly in the air in disbelief. "What the fuck? The DEA couldn't catch me so who the fuck are you?!"

Without a reply, Max grabs him by the hair then starts punching him in the stomach until Jack is spitting blood. The thug falls effortlessly down next to his feet. "Where the fuck are the rest of your men?" Max snarls.

Jack loudly heckles as he pulls out a knife from his pocket. He reaches up, stabbing Max in his side, catching the wrestler off guard. Sammy quickly intervenes, delivering a flying kick to Jack's head to knock him out cold.

Sammy then takes a look around the garage. "Shit, the rest of them are here let's move!" Max and Sammy quickly flee the scene, now outnumbered as soon as they realize Tiger is close, pulling up outside with four other cars.

Back at the car park, Axel and the other officers investigate the van and its contents as no exchange had taken place. He takes his time to inspect the vehicle with gloves, scanning every inch of it from the ceiling to the floor. "Fuck! There's only three kilos in here! We were expecting at least 20!" Axel huffs.

Adam responds, bloodstained and sat against the bonet of one of the police cars. "Don't worry we'll question the fucker I caught".

Axel nods, "Make sure Galsia is charged right away and not granted bail, he is important to the Syndicate".

Adam shrugs, "Easier said than done. We aint got shit on him though except for knife possession. As far as he is concerned. he could have just met the driver who was holding a minimal amount of coke - not an amount high enough for an organization to make a profit out of on the streets".

Axel shakes his head with annoyance over his face "They set the whole fucking thing up" They knew we were coming! The actual delivery we had our sights on is somewhere else by now. Call Max and find out where Jack went, maybe he knows something..."

Feeling angry that the DEA messed up, the team head back to the station to return back to the drawing board. Eventually Galsia is questioned and released on bail as the DEA had insufficient evidence to pin a high scale drug deal on him. He is only charged with assaulting an officer and is granted bail the next day by the attorneys with a full hearing pending later on.

Chapter Text

Chapter 23

Barbon's Nightclub is a popular bar and strip club in a rough part of Central District owned by the Syndicate. It is managed by Barbon, a Syndicate thug who has been part of their organization since the beginning. He, with the help of Electra provides the girls and oversees the financial aspects of the club. Most of the regulars in the place consist of Syndicate drug dealers and fighters who prefer to stay clear of their more cosmopolitan Mercury Room uptown.

Blaze reaches the back entrance of the club. Her car is parked on the main street outside just over 20m away. She casually walks towards the door smiling at the bouncer on arrival. "I start in 20 minutes. Do you mind showing me round?"

He raises an eyebrow, "You must be one of the new girls here, but you're late! The auditions have already finished".

"Let's just say I'm always late, but I'm worth the wait" she confidently replies.

The bouncer can't help but grin back at her, staring into her eyes whilst checking out her profile. "Look sweetheart I'll tell you what, if I take you backstage to get ready, maybe you can do me a favour later on? My break is at 12". Blaze seductively smiles back.

"It's your lucky day," she winks as he lets her into the club without a second thought.

Blaze is dressed in high black heals, short tight blue hot pants, blue bikini top with her hair out in messy curls. All finished with smoky eye makeup, red lipstick and gold hooped earrings. She is also wearing her short black leather jacket and carrying a black gym bag over her shoulder.

Once Blaze is in, the first place she goes to is the bathroom. In there, she discretely plants a small explosive device behind a water tank high up, setting the timer to 30 minutes. She is careful that no one sees her and is cautious when passing through the tables surrounded by punters admiring the girls at the podium in the smoked up club. In the short time she has, Blaze quietly makes her way up to Barbon's office then with ease, she picks at the lock. As she enters, she searches the office for the large stash of drugs the DEA were hoping to raid earlier. However to her disappointment, there is no sign of what she is looking for. Blaze then leaves the office and walks down a stairwell.

Unexpectedly, a man dressed in a black leather jacket with piercings over his face stops her in his tracks.

"You should be downstairs. Get back to work now bitch!" Jack orders, raising the back of his hand in the air.

Blaze innocently tilts her head down, avoiding his gaze as she quickly leaves his sight. She reaches the downstairs dressing room, wondering where else the drugs could be hidden. The bar on the other side is crowded and buzzing at the moment with three strippers on the poles and money being thrown everywhere.

As Blaze enters the dressing room, five of the other dancers getting ready observe her with evil stares, knowing that she must be the new girl everyone is talking about. The threat of another dancer better than them could cost them their job and their tips.

"Bitch please, that's my dressing area. Put your shit elsewhere!" One of them huffs. Nora tghen stands before aggressively pushing Blaze out of the way. As she falls to the ground, Blaze spots under the makeup desk a panel on the floor.

"I'm so sorry," Blaze replies, holding up her hands as Nora smirks down at her.

"You won't last 5 minutes here bitch. I'll make sure of that," the stripper snarls.

A couple of minutes pass by where the dancers quickly swap and go out onto the stage, leaving Blaze alone for a moment. She quickly pulls opens the panel.

"Bingo!" Blaze grins to herself.

At least 20kg of coke is stashed there. From her bag, she swaps two kilos of the sealed coke with a petrol cannister before shutting the pannel. She now has only five minutes left until her device downstairs detonates, so she has to move fast.

An excited voice suddenly enters the room behind her. "Fuck my life! That stage is lit out there! I just made $400 in tips!"

Blaze instantly recognizes the voice as one of the strippers enters the dressing room after her performance. Blaze gets up off the floor from under the desk, slowly turning around. She is in shock as soon as she recognises the worker behind her wearing a blond wig to conceal her red hair.

"Jess? What the...?"

There is an anxious pause between the two of women as another stripper enters the room. "Sapphire, who the fuck is this?"

"Sapphire?" Blaze shrugs, thinking for a moment that Jess may be working under cover.

To Blaze's surprise, Jess points at her. "Kill her now!"

As Blaze runs to escape from the room, the two women pull out a set of whips from their draws then strike them towards her. The brunette is quick to dodge their efforts, jumping up onto the desks then running across the make up counters all the way to the end of the room. As Blaze jumps down, Nora reappears.

"Not this bitch again!" Blaze huffs as she delivers a roundhouse kick to the stripper's face. However, Jess and the other woman are moving fast, both attempting to strike Blaze with their whips. Out of nowhere, another stripper enters the door behind Blaze and tries to grab her around the neck so it is now 4 against one. In that split second, Jess projects the whip aggressively towards Blaze's face, but the vigilante is quick to react. With ease, Blaze backbends low so that the whip passes over her head and strikes the stripper behind her in the face. In doing so, it electrocutes her enemy who instantly passes out cold on the ground.

"Shit!" Blaze glances back, surprised by the electricity coming out of the simple whip.

"Fuck you Fielding, I never liked you", Jess spits.

"That's something we can agree on," Blaze replies, sweeping another stripper off the floor before knocking her whip out of her hand. The stripper ends up falling painfully with her back on the electric part of her weapon. She screams as hundreds of volts repeatedly shake her body on the ground.

Jess then tries over and over again to strike Blaze, this time narrowly missing her face. Her whip ends up getting caught on one of the radiators on the wall, forcing Jess to let go of her weapon. Blaze is quick to take advantage where the pair of them throw punches at one another. Jess then tries to grab Blaze by the hair. All of the commotion has attracted attention where Nora has called over Barbon and another man into the dressing room. All Blaze can do now is fight them off then get out of there. She spends the next minute blocking their efforts as Jess, Barbon and his bouncer try to grab her. Barbon also delivers a very fast roundhouse kick which ends up going wrong when Blaze ducks, knocking out Jess instead.

Blaze knows that she has less than two minutes to get out before the whole place explodes.

"This bitch won't give up!" Barbon curses.

Blaze quickly rolls over to grab one of the whips then immediately strikes the bouncer next to her, electrocuting him.

"Stay back or I'll kill you!" Barbon ignores her order then pulls out a knife from his pocket to attack Blaze. Just in time, she ducks and he misses. She decides to project the whip which catches him around the neck.

He struggles to break free as she tugs at the whip around his neck.

Suddenly, they hear screaming and shouting coming from the club. Blaze electrocutes the club owner who instantly passes out with blood around his neck and pouring out of his nose with a high chance that Barbon is dead.

Through the distraction, Blaze reaches for her bag then runs out of there as fast as possible towards one of the fire exits.

She has no time to look back at who is behind her when suddenly, a large explosion blasts her forward into the street. She lies on the sidewalk, hearing several other mini explosions coming from the club. Likely caused from burst pipes and electric lighting.

Anyone still in that building would be lucky to survive. And as for the coke, over 2 million dollars' worth of Syndicate funds ignite up in flames.

Blaze quickly flees the scene, still hearing screaming and sirens coming from the building. She gets into the car before any police get closer then she speeds off in the other direction. Blaze then opens the glovebox, reaching for a spare phone.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Wood Oak Central DEA, I'm reporting a drug den. 35 Wilson Avenue, Barbon's Bar"

#Hangs up#

She then throws the cell phone out of the window and continues to drive away before dumping the car by the pier just over two miles away.

Adam's email pings with images of the burnt club. The horrific photographs of bodies, the injured as well as the collapsed buildings.

"Seems like they have other enemies," Adam tilts his head, surprised.

"What's goin' on?" Axel asks.

"Check this out. Somebody did this to Barbon's Bar..."

The police radios and phones at the precinct are ringing non stop following the incident. Just as the two of them examine the photos, Adam receives a message from Blaze. The picture she sends displays the two kilos of Syndicate coke that she took from their stash.

"Looking for this? I burnt the rest. You and your DEA are welcome..."

"FUCK!" Adam slams the phone on the desk. "She had to add salt to the wound after today!" He huffs.

Axel shakes his head, folding his arms. "Blaze is smarter than you think. The only non-members they would have allowed in were any dancers auditioning or working there."

Adam laughs to himself, "I'll be damned. So Blaze decided to continue our operation by herself..."

"Send a message to the rest of the crew. We need to target the Syndicate again whilst they are weak", Axel orders.

The two of them are interrupted by a knock at the door.

"What is Maureen?"

"I'm sorry to both you, Lieutenant. There is a politician downstairs demanding to speak with Chief Clark immediately."

Axel replies, "he's out at Red District today, who is it?"

"Electra Davies, the owner of the club that burnt down".

"Shit!" Adam and Axel glace at each other for a moment.

"Tell her I'll be there in a minute..." Axel replies.

"Is that the same woman who was sat next to you at the Commissioner's dinner?" Adam asks.

"Yeah, don't worry I'll handle this..."

"You'd better!"

"Mrs Davies. Apologies, the Chief is out today. What can I do for you?"

Electra gives Axel a stern reply, a lot less friendlier in demeanour than when they last met. "I need to speak with Chief Clark immediately. Call him here now!"

"Why? What happened?"

"I understand that your Chief of police has taken over DC O'Neil's duties. That includes the safety and security of my club!"

"Ok, I'll call him. Tell me what happened?" He asks, escorting her into one of the offices on the first floor.

Electra calmly removes her shades and jacket, revealing a classy beige coloured dress.

"Do you think you can help me?" She asks, desperate in her tone.

"Please, take a seat", he gestures.

"As you are aware Lieutenant Stone, my husband Minister Goldberg is a very powerful man and someone who is behind the funding of this department. Now that DC O'Neil, God rest his soul is dead, I feel as if our security agreements have been slipping. We had an arrangement with our licensing and the protection of my club from your department." She places down on the table a contract that was signed by their former DC.

"Tonight it took over 20 minutes for the police to arrive at my club and ever since, they have refused to explain why there are reports of drugs found burnt inside that I was completely unaware of and suspect they are fabricating! Furthermore, they will not even grant me access into my own building that I own!"

Axel calmly replies. "I'm sorry to say this but, I think that whatever arrangement you had with O'Neil regarding your licensing is not our concern anymore. As far as I am aware, there were drugs found stashed inside your club, so any licensing or insurance you feel you have is now void. I understand your husband is a powerful man and although he has control over funding, he has no say over our operations and how we conduct our security. I would suggest that you go home and let us do our job. If you say someone planted the drugs, we will find them along with whoever did this to your club."

Electra stands for a moment, shaking her head in disbelief. "If that is the stance your Chief is taking from now on, don't expect anymore favours from me!"

"Ma'am we're just doing our job,"

He opens the door to show her out.

Electra snarls, "You haven't seen the end of me Axel Stone. I assure you, whoever is responsible for this whether it be you, the DEA here, the Red District precinct, or any officer on your team! I will personally hold them accountable and my husband and I won't hesitate to make cuts. Have a nice evening".

Electra places back on her shades, leaving the building before taking out her phone.

"Mr X, it's me..."

She carefully glances behind to make sure that no one has followed her from the precinct.

"Do you think the cops are behind this? It was only earlier today that the DEA tried to bust one of our operations..."

"I honestly don't know if they are behind this one. They fell for the decoy earlier, but our supply was delivered to Barbon's whilst that operation went ahead….. Possibly this problem may have come from Red District. I want to know exactly who got out of the club alive, who was in there, who was dancing and any rescued surveillance in the area."

"I agree. We have another two million down the drain again. Find Tiger, speak to any survivors and make sure you get to the bottom of this!".

#Hangs up#

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12am.

Max, Adam, Axel, Sammy, Zan and Luca have met back at the warehouse to discuss the day's events and where their next target is whilst the Syndicate are wounded.

"So who were the survivors?" Max asks, trying to scan some of the blurry photos of the burnt down establishment.

Adam replies, "apparantly one of the owners, Barbon is in hospital in a critical condition. As for the rest, we don't know if they got out..."

"Ultimately the next step then is to get to Tiger. We do that by taking out Jack, his main dealer and then Electra".

"According to the tracker we had on Jack's car, he was at Barbon's BAr earlier tonight. His body hasn't been recovered as far as I know so I'm guessing he was one of the lucky ones to get out." Adam replies.

Sammy reacts, "That bitch Electra is more difficult to kill. She is well protected not just by the Syndicate but by the politicians."

"Your right. And her husband will react to the feds with consequences if we hold her ransom or kill her".

Max sighs, "The next place we need to track down is where Tiger, Electra and Jack clean their money then. We will monitor the tracker and will take it from there. Mr X must already be getting impatient with all of this bad luck they are having..."

Axel nods, "He knows he needs his loyalties around to protect him no matter how much they fuck up. Tomorrow we find Tiger's stash house, we locate all of their businesses including the brothel, the casino and their garages where they hide the drugs. We'll take out as many of their fighters as we can".

They halt their conversation, alarmed by a noise from outside.

"Shit, did you hear that?" Sammy asks. They then hear a car pulling up outside the warehouse.

"Wait here," Adam replies.

Adam, Max and Axel quietly walk towards the front locked up entrance through the dark. The intruder outside immediately tries to kick down the shutters.

"Ssh," Adam signals to the others as they silently wait to ambush the person breaking in.

"There's one," Max nods, knowing that this will be easy.

As the shutters go up, Adam aims his gun forward whilst Max and Axel ready their fighting stances.

"BLAZE?!" Adam looks down in shock.

"What the fuck? It's me asshole!" She replies with her hands in the air. He immediately lowers his firearm/

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you quit", Max asks.

"I did!"

Axel lets out an annoyed exhale as he turns to walk away.

Blaze ignores him then turns to Adam, "aren't you gonna let me in then?"

She then follows the three men into the other large room at the back of the wearhouse where Zan, Sammy and Luca are sat around the meeting table. Blaze picks up and carries two large gym bags over her shoulders which Adam offers to take off of her. She smiles at him "no thanks!"

Sammy spots her, excited to see her once again. "Blaze! You came back!"

"Hey Skate, glad someone is happy to see me!" she smiles.

Blaze is dressed in a black hooded jumper under her jacket with black jeans. The clothes she was wearing earlier at the club are now burnt somewhere close to the pier. Her hair is tied back in a bun with her makeup from earlier removed.

Adam who is pissed off with her arrogance, speaks out after she slams the heavy gym bags on the table. "You can't just come and go as you please! You don't show up at work when we need you! You treat our meetings here like they are a joke, and we've heard nothing from you in days!"

Blaze stares at him blankly with an annoyed expression on her face.

Zan sighs, breaking the silence. "He's right Blaze. It is really irresponsible of you. I've been worried and have wondered time and time again, what if they captured you and used your power? You also have a lot of focussing to do on yourself!"

"That's all that matters though right? My power!" Blaze shakes her head.

Max smirks at her, "It doesn't surprise me to be honest".

"It doesn't surprise me that your still deluded..." she argues.

Ignoring his remark, she proudly smiles at the group like the cat who got the cream.

"I thought you burnt all of the drugs back at Barbon's?" Axel pessimistically stands folding his arms as she unzips one of the bags.

"I did. In two of these bags you will find $2 million belonging to Tiger that I stole from his stash house on the outskirts of Wood Oak yesterday along with an ammo delivery he was expecting in the second bag. Your welcome boys."

Luca and Sammy open the other bag, surprised that she has managed to get hold of all of this by herself.

Blaze then turns to Max, "now do you believe me?"

"How the hell did you…"

SHe laughs. "In two days I stole all of this shit by myself, taking full advantage of their vulnerabilities. You guys on the other hand, as well as the DEA tried with all your efforts to track down their coke delivery. But you couldn't even do that!"

"So what are you tryna to prove here? You said you were not part of this anymore", Axel argues.

"Just like you, I still want them dead. But I refuse to work under a bunch of boy here who question my motive. I'm not returning to the police department any time soon, but I need one favour..."

Adam cuts in, " so let me get this straight. Your planning all by yourself to take down the Syndicate by killing their associates and robbing them blind one by one. And then you demand our police protection in case your caught?"

"Precisely Detective. My name stays clear in all of this!"

"It ain't that easy..."

"I have spent the last three days tracking down the locations of their warehouses, their suppliers, some of their hideouts. I have most of it! I can give you all of this information in exchange for backing me up when I assassinate Wood Oak's number one prospective Senator. The only thing I havn't yet captured is Tiger's and Shiva's hideouts. But I will find them. The rest is right here..."

Blaze pulls out an old brown diary that she throws down on the table.

Zan inspects it carefully. "Luca and I have spent months trying to track down this information to do with their drugs. How did you find it?"

"I went back to the source. When the Syndicate first established their organization, they wiped out every major cartel who had territory in Wood Oak, including my own family. In doing so, they took all of their drug suppliers in Columbia, the politicians in their pockets and their real estate. My uncle kept a record of all of this information as well as the names and locations of rival cartels dating all the way back to thirty years ago."

"Where did you get this?" Adam asks.

"My father once had someone hide this information at the cemetery where my family are now buried. After all these years, I never attended my parents and siblings gravestones until now. The man who works at the place knew my parents and knew that one day I would come back. He has held onto that book all this time".

She then pulls out an old photo album, containing family pictures from when she was a child.

"What's this?" Adam asks.

"He gave me this back at the cemetery..."

Adam opens the album to find lots of old photos of Blaze and her brother and sister when they were kids. "I don't get it, why are you showing me this?"

Axel then takes out one of the photos and turns it around. "Look," he shows Adam a message written on the blank side at the back of the photo. It contains a name and location.

"Here are the names of warehouse locations, safehouses, ships, you name it that each of the five cartels who owned Wood Oak's territory used to operate in". Blaze explains.

"They still use these here today," Adam replies, in awe at the information they now possess.

"All of these photos contain contacts and locations. I've spent the last three days following the suppliers, validating most of it. These sites are where the Syndicate are using to store their money, drugs and ammo".

Adam's look of concern turns to a heavy smile from ear to ear. He gives her a hug, lifting her off the ground. "Blaze! You're a fucking genius, I'll be damned!"

"I know we've have had our disagreements lately," she briefly glances at Max and Axel, "but I'm still on your side".

Luca excitedly types away at his laptop, scanning each location listed for any surveylance he can hack. "Shit... I would have never have thought they would be hiding in there..." he says, pleasantly surprised.

"An arcade?!" Sammy looks on surprised. "Wait, I know that place!" The teenager points to the screen in disbelief.

They manage to note down at least 50 locations where the Syndicate are operating. Time flies by and it is now already 3am before they know it.

Adam takes out another photograph, this time it is one of Blaze by herself as an 8 year old. "Your family were some serious gangsters hiding drug contacts and information in the children's photo album..."

"Yeah well, fuck it. They never gave a shit about me..." Blaze sighs before stepping outside for some air. At that point, she is sick of seeing any more photographs from her childhood.

Unexpectedly, she senses Max who has followed her outside.

"I don't need any pity..."

"I wasn't intending on it," the wrestler replies. "Mind if I...?" He asks,

"Sure," Blaze sighs as he leans against the bonet of the car, sitting next to her. He then offers her a cigarette.

"No thanks,".

He swallows his pride. "I believe I owe you an apology. I was wrong about you Miss Fielding..."

Blaze pauses before calmly answering. "Thank you. And I'm sorry you had to find out about Raven the way you did. I know what it's like to be betrayed by those closest to you and someone you trust..."

"Yeah but I was out of line, I should have believed you. And I'm sorry that Raven put you through all that shit..."

"It is what it is," she stares down at the ground, remembering.

"Truce then?" Max asks, making sure as he extends out his hand.

Instead of shaking it, Blaze smiles then wraps her arms around him to give him a hug.

"Oh, these are much better. Your one of the team here, no matter what we go through!" He wraps his arms around her.

"Thanks Thunder," Blaze smiles.

Axel interrupts the pair, "glad to see you two finally gettin' along".

"Yeah, she ain't that bad," Max jokes.

"And you're just a big softie," Blaze laughs.

"You're too kind," Max winks as he gets up, sensing that Axel came outside to talk to Blaze.

"I'm sure you two have some catching up to do," he says as he pats Axel on the shoulder before returning back inside, leaving them to talk.

"Look, about your career offer..."

Blaze interrupts, quickly changing the subject. "50%!"

"Huh?"

"I want 50% of all the takings. The Syndicate money you find at their stash houses, plus Clark's word that I won't be prosecuted after I kill Mr X."

Axel is taken back surprised.

"What, you didn't think I would give away all that information for free did you?" Blaze shrugs.

"You know what we do with all their supplies and their money. 50% is way overboard, there's 7 of us here on this team", he argues.

"No. There's six of you on your team and one on mine. 50% plus police protection. I plan to take down the Syndicate with their own funds".

Axel raises an eyebrow at her. "It's impressive what you did, I'll admit that. But we've now got all the information you've taken in there."

"And I will find more", Blaze insists.

"I'll tell you what I can do. I'll cut you 25% plus police protection if you come back to Wood Oak Central Department."

"And why would I do that?"

"Well, we have surveillance that Electra Davies desperately wants to get hold of from outside her club. And it's traces back to you. But I can easily destroy it."

"Is that a threat? You'd really trade me in then to stop me leaving, wouldn't you?"

"I never said that. But from where I'm standing, it looks like I got more to offer you than you have to offer us right now. Today they don't know your name, your face or anything about you. If your one of us, it's simplier to squash anything that surfaces before they get to it..."

Blaze takes a deep exhale, hating to admit it, but knowing he has point. "Fine. I will come back to work for the police. On one other condition..."

"Name it."

"I no longer work under you or anyone else in there except the Chief. So have me transferred and named as Red District's new Captain."

Axel smiles, impressed by her ambition. "Alright. It's all yours for the taking as long as you stay and cooperate".

After a short pause, he extends his hand then shakes hers, confirming their deal.

"Great, it's a win win then," she remarks.

It's a bitter-sweet exchange as Axel knows that Blaze is still pissed off with him for jepardizing her move and career change back to London. In the end though, Blaze now has a better opportunity and one where the team have her assistance and in turn, they have her back in case she ever needs them.

"Hope I didn't manage to create another spark there," Blaze smirks.

"I think that ship has sailed now," Axel replies, backing away with regret. The handshake between them, felt very formal, almost like a business deal even if it was a friendly gesture. The fact that for a time, they were almost inseperable now feels like a distant memory.

"By the way, you'll know from the outside who entered that club and who worked there. I'm sorry to break it to you but that old girlfriend of yours, Detective Hart was a traitor all along and I dealt with her..."

"And you think I never knew the truth about who she was really working for? It's my job to know exactly who my officers are and what their intentions are",

"You both deserved each other then,"

"And I guess you took the moral high ground selling your soul to Raven,"

"Fuck you!" Blaze snaps, "At least I had the balls to kill him myself, you should never have underestimated me. Sorry for your loss", she remarks with sarcasm in her tone.

Blaze walks away content with their deal knowing, that in the end she got the upper hand, despite the bad blood now between them.

Chapter Text

The end of an era

The next morning as promised, Axel destroyed the surveylance footage outside of Barbon's Bar and Blaze returned to the police force at Red District. The couple of days that followed their agreement consisted of several raids on vulnerable Syndicate areas. This included their drug hideouts and money laundering centres. The team of vigilantes also stayed busy intercepting drug shipments that were coming in from South America.

It didn't take long for Mr X's supplier to became angry with their losses, where Don Nicholas slowly withdrew from their operations in order to trade elsewhere more profitable.

This morning so far has been difficult and is a day that the Syndicate boss doesn't wish to face. He sits comfortably on his leather couch, bare chested in his black robe and boxers with a cigar in one hand and a glass of red wine in the other. His long receeding hair is a mess and his mansion is a mess.

He switches on the news channel, all too familiar with the coverage of his election campaign and it's progress. He turns up the volume hearing,

"After 3 months of campaigning, it looks as if Councillor Brown is favourite to win the prestiged place as Wood Oak's new Senator before the new year. After a growing campaign, it looks as if Xavier William's bid for the role is losing popularity..."

"FUCK!" Mr X cracks the glass of wine between his fingers. Immediately, a servant runs forward to clean up, unsure if the red stains are the wine or the blood from his hand.

One of his security guards then interrupts.

"Sir, Mr Shiva has returned from Japan. He is here to see you,"

"Let him in," Mr X nods.

He sinks back into the couch as his top bodyguard walks in.

"Sir, I came home as quickly as I could after hearing about what happened," Shiva's tone is both apologetic and full of urgency.

Mr X sighs, "we're losing money left, right and centre. Don Nicholas has suspended our shipments, favouring Miami over Wood Oak. So we've now lost our supplier. Two of my bars are closed, plus the arcades, the factory and two of our casinos. All either raided by the police or burnt down by a rival cartel. Then theres my campaign, it's never been in a worse position that now. What the fuck went wrong here?!"

Shiva clears his throat. "Times are changing. We have to evolve to survive..."

Mr X nods defeatedly in agreement. "Your right. They can try and shut us down, but this city is still ours for the taking. Whoever is destroying us from within, I will find them and I will make an example of them. And I will deal with anyone else who tries to stand in our way."

"What do you need me to do?" Shiva enquires.

"Gather more fighters. We must recruit as many as we can over the next month. Even go to Neo Chaos and have them help to transport more men and women here from abroad. If this city wants a war, we will give it to them!" He snarls with determination in his eyes.

"And what about our nuclear weapons programme?" Shiva enquires.

"We will need to put that on hold for the time being. Until I am in power, we cannot implement it or continue our work. For now, assist Tiger and the others in recruiting and building back our business. I have a meeting with another drugs supplier in Columbia tomorrow, I need you with me."

"We are still on the hunt for Raven and the girl he was with. There must be others out there with chi similar to mine. It will accellerate our operation..."

"Shiva, have I not made myself clear? Let this go for now, I need you to focus your efforts elsewhere for the time being..."

Just as he finishes his sentence, his phone rings. Mr X gets up and leaves to take the call.

Shiva sighs, admiring the classic white art deco walls surrounding Mr X's front room. Something strange then happens, catching the fighter off guard. He blinks twice noticing something, or rather someone familiar out of the corner of his eye on the TV. Shiva immediately turns up the volume.

"We bring you breaking news this morning regarding Wood Oak's dramatic re-shuffle of it's police department. Our correspondant Kelsey Bates is with the Deputy Chief of Police, Thomas Clark outside of City Hall..."

"So what can you tell us about these latest reforms taking place for Wood Oak City Police Department?"

The deputy Chief speaks confidently in front of the microphone.

"As you are aware, the last four months especially have been a real challenge for us here. We have been through a dangerous time after the attacks at Red and Central Districts. This has been a drastic, but necessary change for us all in order to stamp out the high level of corruption amongst both our senior and lower ranking officers..."

"So what changes can we expect over the coming weeks?"

"Well certainly our police will have a zero tollerance policy when it comes to corruption and bribes. We are stamping down on every bit of crime in order to make this city safer again."

"But how is that achievable right now, given the department's financial circumstances and low uptake of officers?"

"We have the capability. And underneith me I have a team of young, talented officers taking control as Captains of each district in the city. They are full of energy and ideas that I know will transform the way we run things in this city. Plus we have plans to recruit at least 5000 more officers by the end of next year..."

"Thank you, Deputy Chief. We just so happen to have one of those Captains with us now..."

Shiva leans forward will full concentration on the television as he recognizes this person all too well...

"Captain Stone, what can you tell us about the changes that are coming to Central District Police Force?"

"Come back to me in 6 months time and you'll see," he bluntly answers.

"Our communities are desperate to see change. Are you the person to make that happen?"

"My colleagues and I know full well we have a war on our hands. A war on drugs, on poverty, trafficking. Nothing can change over night. But I can promise you this. The people at the top will be held accountable and we are no longer in fear of standing for what's right. Our financial independance is crucial as well as the integrity of the officers we choose to keep. We are now taking full control of our police force as it should be..."

Axel finishes his interview with no regrets as he is quickly pulled away for other matters.

Shiva can't help but stare at the television in disbelief. It has been years since he last saw his old foe and they go back a long way. He knew Axel was working for the police, but never did he expect him to gain a role so important within the ranks. Whatever is coming during this war will have a heavy price. This he knows for sure.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

The three fighters know there is still more work to do, but they have successfully broken down a large part of the Syndicate organisation. They stand with honour in uniform during a closed ceremony. Chief Inspector Clark addresses the entire cities' police force from a podium outside their headquarters that afternoon.

"Every day we get closer and closer to making our city a safer place again. We continue to increase our efforts in eradicating corruption and drugs from Wood Oak City and I am pleased to say we have now reached new records in the arrest of Syndicate operatives and gang members. In doing so, we have shut down many of their drug operations. Although we still have more to achieve, none of this could have been done without the help and dedication of our officers and our restructured senior team. My own Deputy Chief Thomas Bailey will oversee all of the three districts alongside myself from now on. We also commend our new team of district Captains who will be responsible for each of Wood Oak's territories and precincts. Captain Adam Hunter, now in charge of Wood Oak's Green District, Captain Axel Stone of Wood Oak's Central District and Captain Blaze Fielding of Wood Oak's Red District. God bless us and our city".

The rest of the police force below salute as the three most powerful officers in the city stand side by side in their special ceremonial uniform, restoring order and creating a new era in Wood Oak Police Department.

Following the short ceremony, the officers slowly disperse to return to their duties over the city. It is a bright, sunny day where the trio of officers have a sence of optimism and duty for what lies ahead.

"Another great interview. The press like you," Chief Clark pats Axel on the shoulder.

"They have to know we're doing everything in our power to make this change. Having the public on board will help,"

"Agreed," Clark nods.

Adam and Blaze smile as they walk over to Axel. "Thanks for taking another one for the team," Adam says, already fed up with the press harrassing him.

"Your turn, Captain" Axel gestures to Blaze.

"I told you, I don't do interviews. I'll leave the press to you two celebrities..." she laughs.

"So how have you been?" Axel asks, not having seen Blaze since the night they spoke outside the wearhouse a few weeks back. The truth was, they left that conversation with many things unsaid, both of them having been in the wrong state of mind with harsh words towards each other. Even though neither would admit to it, both Blaze and Axel both regretted the next morning how their conversation had turned out.

"I'm good. Just very busy with all this as you understand," she smiles.

"That's great," he nods, "it suits you being a leader and I know you'll do well with this,"

"Thanks. You will too" she replies with sincerity. "So I guess this is it then for the three of us for now," Blaze remarks, knowing that they will all be incredibly busy over the next few months working far apart, but still making the difference they have always wanted to make in the city.

"Yeah. Always a pleasure working with you two", Adam replies.

"I guess this is goodbye for now," Blaze says as a car pulls up close by.

"Look er, I just want you to know that if ever you need anything, anytime, just call me, ok? I still meant what I said that night outside the diner..." Axel tells her.

"Thank you, I appreciate that" Blaze nods, giving him a warm smile.

"Take care of yourself,"

"You too."

As Blaze steps into the back of the car, she glances at at her two friends, realizing how much she will miss them. Although her new role as Captain comes with many benefits, it holds many responsibilities too. The three fighters will now be working on opposite sides of the city and will have almost double the workload as before. But this is what they're here for and now they are in the best position to handle the corruption in the police to make this city a safer place.

Adam places one hand on Axel's shoulder as he and Blaze lock eyes from a distance one last time.

"She's got you right where she wants you man," Adam teases.

"What does that mean?" Axel frowns.

"All she gotta do is say the word and you'd do anything for her. You could be thousands of miles away, but if Blaze calls, you'd go running without a second thought. It's like that, huh?"

Axel smiles, shaking his head to himself without denying it or giving an answer to Adam because he knows it's true.

"I'll see you around Hunter,"

"No doubt about it bro," Adam laughs as he walks towards his police car.

For a moment, Axel calmly remains at the scene now on his own. He stares out into the distance contemplating on how far they've come. But there is still a mountain to climb in order to bring himself and his city peace and justice.

Axel walks away, now ready and determined more than ever before to put an end to the Syndicate.

To be continued...

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Author's Note:

So I hope you enjoyed this new added chapter. Please keep reviews and messages coming in, they are appreciated. I wanted to end the story differently to leave a clearer opening to the next part and further continuation that made more sense. At the time of originally writing this, I had no idea that I would write a second part let alone more, so I wanted to tie together the next installement in a better way.

I hope you enjoyed my first fanfic :-)