Christmas Love and Sacrifice Pt. 02

I awoke on a soft mat. Looking around, I tried to place my surroundings. The last I remembered; I had handed my master the deed to... I nodded my head a large smile coming to my face.

A moment later, my master walked into my sight. I tried to sit up, then remembered that I had several appendages broken. "Ah, good you are awake. I will attempt to apply healing energy. I warn you though, little one, there will be pain. Do not resist the urge to scream."

I looked at my master, a questioning look on my face. Then my master started to rapidly rub his hands together. I tensed up knowing exactly what he was about to do.

I looked at my master, a questioning look on my face. Then my master started to rapidly rub his hands together. I tensed up knowing exactly what he was about to do.

At first, it wasn't bad at all, then the real pain started. It started as heat, then an extreme tingling. That rapidly changed to what felt like, a few, then all over my body thousands of fire ants biting me. That wasn't even as bad as my muscles stretching along with my bones'.

Even with all the training I had, the pain grew beyond my capacity to hold it off. My master was surprised that I had made it as far as I had. He nodded his head as I started to scream at the top of my voice. "You are almost half healed, though I am afraid the pain is more than I thought it would be. Sleep little one, when you awake the pain will have lessened."

I awoke again, though this time I knew where I was. Like my master had said, the pain was by far, less than half as bad as it had been. I reached in as I was taught feeling that my arm was indeed almost whole. I immediately started self-healing on it, at least I'd feel more whole. An hour later, the pain was gone in my arm.

I nodded as I concentrated on the cast, then it shattered. The only pain I still felt was both my legs, all seven ribs that were bruised and broken. Well, mostly, the bruised ribs felt a hell of a lot better. My master walked in a few moments later with an old wheelchair.

"This should help you much more," my master said. "Ummm, it is good to see that you have finished part of the healing. You should be up in another day or two."

I nodded as I looked at him again, staring into his eyes. Again, I felt an old, ancient soul, that mine paled in comparison to.

"Master?" I asked. "I seemed to be confused, especially when I look into your eyes."

Master, drew in a sighing breath, "I was afraid that you would see it before you were ready. For now, know that I am far older than you think I am."

I wasn't about to question master, like everything else he would tell me when he thought I was ready. Though I was resigned to wait, I was still more curious than I thought I should be.

"So, have you decided where to go from here with your sisters?" Master asked.

I was silent for a while as I thought things through. "For the moment there's not too much I can do, I'm still pretty banged up, after I am healed, we'll see."

Master nodded though; I could tell that my answer didn't make him very happy. "Well, little one, a well-planned future can aid you for more than you think."

I sighed, I knew he was right though, I really didn't feel like dealing with my sisters yet. A look at him made me realize that I had too soon.

All four of my sisters were released from the hospital not long after I had been. To say that they were very upset would be an understatement.

The oldest two used their contacts with the police to no avail. They then tried by the means of private investigators, again this yielding nothing.

"How in a city with this many resources can we not find him?" Wendy asked. "My god, it's almost like he vanished off the face of the earth."

Two of her sisters were listening, though this was not true for Trish. She had a sinking feeling within her chest that she was the one her brother was going to hate the most. It was, after all, her accusation of him that started the actual excuse for the present hatred towards him.

This caused her to pull away, each passing moment a growing dread getting bigger and bigger within her chest. Even though they had no clues, the sisters kept searching.

They were still trying to find me when several things started to happen that week. A very high fence was erected two days later, along with a very high-tech security system.

Wendy and Helen started to get suspicious, though they got no answers from the crew men. A few days later, several female bodyguards appeared, paid for and loyal to the sisters.

This, of course, sparked more intense investigations by the three oldest sisters. The three oldest sisters were so caught up in this that they failed to notice that Trish was slowly starting to slip further and further away. Trish's bodyguard became alarmed, calling me a few days later.

It had been almost a week since the frat house incident. I had already had the old house that was no longer my home, wired with cameras. I had felt that the frat incident was not what it had seemed.

I turned from the banks of monitors and computers I had installed in a few days. I was almost completely healed though one of my ribs was being stubborn. I had asked permission to buy and add it to the back of the master's property. That was only another two days. I had a bed, a portable cooktop, and a toilet. It was actually quite spacious to what I how lived in the basement.

With all the resources that I now had access to, I was starting to find out a bit about the frat. They were supported by a lot of money, amounts that almost rivaled what my father had amassed. It seemed that the frat was part of a very dark society within the university.

I had been working for a few days to slowly dismantle the society and the frat. A beeping tone had me pause then smile. It appeared that another of the supporters had just lost another five hundred million dollars. I smiled when I saw that an England supporter lost almost five hundred million pounds.

The good thing about their loss, was I using their own funds to take down the rest of the society. True, I had only slowed them down though, I was going after the two richest. It might take a little longer, but I was getting close.

Back in the Seti household, the three oldest sisters were still trying to find me. They were so into looking that no one seemed to notice that Trish was sinking further away from the real world.

Here it was a month away from Christmas and all I could think about was revenge on the society. True, my sisters hated me, had for a number of years. True, I loved them no matter what, though I knew I could never enter the house again. I could make sure that nothing ever happened to them again.

I was finally healed completely, though I found that I was severely depressed. I missed my parents more than I ever thought I would. The loneliness was like an unbearable weight that was steadily crushing me. It was two weeks to go til Christmas, almost a month after the incident.

Almost all the society supporters were penniless, though a great many of the frat males had seemed to disappear. I pressed myself into the training as if my life depended on it.

This close to the holiday, my three oldest sisters were trying harder than ever to find me. It so happened that, that day Trish, who had taken to going out alone with her guard, happened to see me in the master's dojo.

When Trish came to the entrance though, I was gone.

My master appeared in front of her quite suddenly, drawing a gasp from her. "Yes, may, I assist you?" He asked of her.

"I... I thought I saw my brother here, though in just a minute he vanished," she said, then turned her gaze to my master. "I apologize for bothering you, I will go," then she turned shocked when master was again in front of her.

Master bowed slightly in front of her," I do have a student, though he is quite advanced. To you, he would move very quickly. If he is indeed your brother, why are you seeking him?" Master asked, then sat to listen to what she had to say. In Actually, her relaying the story to him helped her to regain a bit of herself.

"I... I am afraid that I will never see him again. To apologize, to tell him that I understand now. Even if our sisters don't? I now do, I just want him to know, so he can forgive them. I know I can never be forgiven, but he has to forgive them. Most of this began because of me, therefore I know I can never be forgiven. If you see him, please tell him for me. Tell him I am glad that he is better, if he believes you. Goodbye sir, and thank you for listening," with that she arose and swiftly left the dojo.

My master smiled; this was starting to be a good mystery. No one but him knew the truth. Surely, even with the wisdom he had, he didn't think any of them would listen.

I was unaware at the time that Trish had actually found me. Had I known, then all this mess would have been over a lot sooner.

I was back in my shack, as master called it. I watched what appeared to be watchers on the old house. Then as I was looking, I saw that there were several at the gate attempting to gain entrance.

All of them received severe shocks, though they attempted again an hour later. I knew that I was going to have to take a firmer hand in this. I had already put out a few feelers.

Yes, contrary to actual belief, I was far smarter than anyone thought. It is a great way to hide in the open. A few moments later, my master came in. "Can I help you, master?" I asked.

"HHHmmmmmm, he started, "I wonder if I should ask you if I can help you. We had or rather you had a visitor not long ago."

"Oh?" I asked, "anyone that we know?"

When master said nothing, I turned to look at him. He had a somewhat perplexed look on his face. "Well," he started, "not as much I knowing them, then you knowing them. I believe that it was one of the younger sisters, though I can't recall her name, a young blonde. She also didn't appear to be well, if what I saw was any indication of her mental state."

I did a double take, "could you tell what's wrong," I asked.

Master then told me all that she said, my mouth hanging open the whole time. "She thought that I... that she... damnit! I was afraid they might take it out on her."

"From what she said, I felt that she felt guilty, that it was she who made you leave," the master said.

I jumped out of my seat, nearly falling on my face within the closer quarters. I brushed my dark blonde hair from my eyes. I drew myself to my six feet, grinning like an idiot at my master.

There was a twinkle in master's eyes, "at times I wonder if all the training we have done has been for nothing."

"No, master, it's just that I am anxious about her," I said.

"Go, bring her to safety. Do what you must. Remember, she is your sister, she is your family, she needs you almost as badly as you need her. Now go before she gets too far," my master said.

"Yes master," I said as I took a step, then seemed to vanish.

Outside the fence that I had placed around the master's property, I reached out to feel where she was. I almost growled when I felt no less than twenty people following her closely. Damnit, they seemed to be moving in rapidly.

I took to the air, moving as fast as I could. Less than a minute and a half, I found her and them. I landed behind them shaking my head. It was the same frat guys though a different set.

"I guess more than fifty in the hospital wasn't enough," they turned but saw no one. I had already moved among them. Their first indication that something was wrong was when half of them closest to Trish dropped unconscious to the ground. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, like I said, you just don't learn.

"Yeah, you're real funny, get him Kenji," the obvious leader said. I smirked, then vanished, as did Kenji, who appeared a moment later falling to the ground.

I took out all but the leader in a few seconds, I reappeared with Trish leaning against a light post.

I turned to look at Trish who had a huge look of shock on her face, then a slowly developing smile. "I'll be right back," I told her as she nodded to me. I appeared behind the leader, grabbing his neck. "So, you're going to tell me where the others are while you can still feel your body."

"HA! There's nothing you can do to..." he said, then started to scream more like a little girl than a man. The thing is, I had barely applied any pressure at all.

"So gonna talk?" I asked. He shook his head no, so I increased the pressure to twice what it had been. I noticed that his legs and arms gave out as they went numb. "Now, care to cooperate?" Again, he fervently shook his head, I touched a spot over to the left of his spine, which caused him to lose control of his bladder, completely. I had already dropped him on the ground, he was lying in a pool of urine.

"There is nothing you can do to me to..." I nodded as I twisted a knuckle at his throat, he stopped being able to breathe.

I bent down to look at him, "you are sadly mistaken if you think I have mercy for you. You tried to hurt my sister, normally I would have mercy. I am tired of playing. I am coming after all of you. I feel no mercy, no compassion, no guilt. When I finish, you and the others won't ever hurt another woman again." I twisted my knuckle again just as he passed out.

I checked his pulse, nodded, then checked Trish's bodyguard, Grace. She had taken a lot of abuse, was alive but badly injured. I looked over to Trish, whose mouth was still hanging open. "Let me help her, then I'll get you to a safe place, OK?"

I tried to remember what master had tried to do for me. I felt her bruised ribs, the lump on her head, her bruised legs and arms, plus all the cuts.

I rubbed my hands together then pushed my energy into them. I was afraid I was doing it wrong when I put both hands on her, nothing happened. A moment later Grace's eyes flew open, then she screamed.

I felt a presence beside me, "Hello master, I tried to remember everything you did. Unfortunately, I passed out, so I was unsure."

"For your first time you are doing better than I thought you would," master said.

"Grace," I said, "Try to stay awake. I know it hurts, the longer you're awake the better."

Master looked at Trish, "Hello again little one, are you OK?"

Trish only nodded, then she crawled closer to me. Actually, she tried to get into my lap.

Grace was actually starting to look a lot better, then she passed out. I sighed as I pulled out my phone, making a few calls.

Finished, I walked back to the leader, slapping him conscious. "So, wanna talk?"

This time the man's eyes went huge though he still shook his head. I sighed, then was hit by weak visions of a building downtown. I saw that there were at least a hundred on each floor, with no less than twenty floors.

"So, how are you?" My master asked, "anything useful?"

I shook my head, "I am better though. I don't think I can take over a thousand men. As you taught me, master, go in smart and alive, not angry and dead," I said.

"Yes," master said, "also remember that surprise attacks can also merit a few possibilities. If you do this correctly, you could succeed with minimal problems. It is good to know that I did not waste my time on one who did not listen."

I turned to him with a worried look on my face, "I am troubled, master, in dealing with these," I indicated those unconscious at our feet. "I feel no remorse nor regret for going after them with no mercy. I know this is not the way of the art."

"Little one," master said, patting my shoulder. "Unfortunately, there are times when this is the only end result. You must also know that this is not your responsibility, it is theirs and their choice."

We stopped talking as a great number of police cars and vans started to arrive. That took another hour, my sister clinging to me as if her life depended on it.

I thought I was going to have to use a spatula to remove her. "NO!" She almost screamed as her eyes got large. "I'm sorry about what happened, I know you hate me, please help our sisters."

I could only stare at her, hate her? Nothing was further than the truth. I loved her and the others, I just knew they hated me. I also knew that they blamed me for the loss of our parents. I could never hate them nor could I really tell them, thanks to the promise I had made.

"I need to put her someplace safe, though at the moment it appears there aren't too many places like that. It also seems she is too scared to leave my side," I told my master.

"She will be safe here," master said as he touched the side of her neck. I watched as she slowly crumpled in sleep. "That should remove some of your worry."

I sighed as I nodded, "problem is she is the least strong-willed of all of them. Then, there is trying to get them here," I said.

Master thought a moment, then nodded, "perhaps the oldest is, the two middle ones shouldn't be too much a problem."

I looked at master a moment, seeing a plan start to form as indicated on his face. A smile crept on his face when he started his plan.

Wendy was still going through all the information she and Helen had gathered. The only problem was it wasn't much at all. A moment later, Mandy, my third sister's cell rang. She was surprised a few moments then the look on her face started to grow more and more worried.

"Alight I'll be there as soon as possible," she said, then disconnected. "I have to go, something has happened to Trish and her bodyguard. The old man wouldn't give me any info."

Wendy looked up then around the room. "When the hell did she slip out?" She turned to her bodyguard, "Have you heard anything about this threat we are facing?"

"No mam," her bodyguard Janice said. "As of yet we have received no info about it, only that your family has been targeted. Might I suggest that you not go alone, Miss Mandy? There is always strength in numbers. Perhaps you and Miss Helen go? Two times the strength."

Wendy thought about it, it was true there was strength in numbers, though that went both ways. "Alright, get her back here, with all the added security here we could hold for quite a while.

I watched well-hidden as Helen and Mandy left the grounds of our old home. I immediately picked up on the thirty, then forty that started to follow them. This was far more than I had at first thought were watching them.

I stayed as close as I could, taking out five before we'd even gone a block. I had their number down to twenty-five by the time they were approaching master's property.

I shook my head when they started to make a move on my sisters. I saw that both Grey, Mandy's bodyguard and Rey, Helen's bodyguard, were tense on their guard.

Unlike Trish's bodyguard, they were ready. Unfortunately, they were quickly overwhelmed. They had taken five when they went down. The last twenty were laughing as they tied the two women up. My sisters had gone into master's dojo calling the police. At least they were 'til I stepped out.

"Well," said the leader, "looks like we're going to have a little bonus, strip 'em."

He got mad when the four men didn't move, then fell to the ground in agony.

"What the hell?" Then he saw me staring at him.

"I suggest," I said between clenched teeth, doing my best to hold my anger back, "that you leave while you are still able. You could stay, though you," I pointed a finger at him. "Will be the first to die."

The leader started to laugh," what you? You scrawny little nothing? I'd like to see that," he stated as he pulled a revolver.

I just nodded as I vanished, taking the gun from his hand. Then I stopped in front of him long enough to see me. I hit his chest in four spots directly with a knife hand with straight fingers.

I stepped back as the man yelped, then started to gag, then fell over dead, blood coming out of every opening he had. I turned to growl at the other fifteen that were left.