For Rom

## Blacksmount

### Prologue

Fisher was sitting at his desk, staring out the window that occupied an entire wall of his office. Before him laid the city of Balcksmount. The lights of the city brightened the dark evening. It would be what many considered beautiful, but not to Fisher. To Fisher, he didn't see the beauty of the city, he saw the chaos, the terror, the pain. A smirk crossed his face. Yes, he saw it. To him, that was where the true beauty of Blacksmount laid. And it was all his. From corner to corner and even into some of the suburbs. All his. All his. All his. He kept repeating the words over in his mind, his smile getting larger. It was all his, and he planned to keep it that way no matter the cost. He heard a knock on the door. His smile faded and he pushed a button on his desk. Panels came down to cover the window and his entire desk turned around on the circular platform he sat at. "Come in," he called, and the door opened. In stepped a beautiful woman of about 32. "Yes, Bridgette? What are you wanting?"

Bridgette Kydle scowled at the way Fisher talked to her. During the war he had been her underling, and now he had the audacity to talk to her as a servant. Brushing the thought away, she answered him. "Sir, Joseph Clark is causing....problems again."

Fisher sneered. "That old man can't--"

He was caught off as Kydle continued, "AS I was saying, he has started a revolt."

Fisher's look darkened. "What kind of revolt?"

"A group of protesters in downtown. They are all claiming you are holding puppet strings over the mayor."

Fisher turned around, looking at where the panels had covered the window moments earlier. "Get Henneson. Now."

### Chapter One

Will woke up with a start. What was that? It sounded like glass breaking? Perhaps his father had broken a lightbulb. Settling that that was what it was, he tried to fall asleep again, but then he heard it again. No, it was not a lightbulb...he then realized what it was; gunshots. He woke up and ran into his parents' bedroom. There on the ground laid is mother. There was a bullet hole in her head, and his father laying on the bed with another shot in his chest. "MOTHER, FATHER!" he screamed. He ran over to his mother and cried as he held her limp body. He looked long at her lifeless face. Untill he then heard a wheeze coming from his father. He laid his mother down and ran over to the bed and looked at his father. He was still alive somehow. A breath of hope rising in William made him say, " Father! You're still alive. Let me call 911." His eyes were covered in tears and his voice was shaky.

A deep wheeze came from Joseph Clark. "No, son. I'm dying. There's--" another wheeze cut him off. "There's no hope left. Fisher has won this round."

"Dad, no..." tears welled up in William's face. He couldn't bare the thought of his father dying.

His father wheezed again and looked at his son. "Will you promise me something, Willy?"

"Yes, father. A-anything."

"Promise me you will make sure Fisher goes down. You are my sole legacy. I know you can do it."

"I promise. I will make sure he pays for everything. Your d-death will not be in vain." A small smile came over his father's face as he wheezed once more. His eyes then seemed to look off into something distant, and then life faded from his body. "Father, please. Please, wake up. Father, no..." He wiped off the tears covering his eyes so that he could look at his father. He glanced over at his mother and then back at his father. He then let go of his father's body and fell to the ground. He sat up against the wall and let the tears flow. He began to think about the man who had done this. Fisher would pay. His tyranny over the city had to be stopped. So many people had died on Fisher's watch. Now both of his parents...he choked up again and the tears began to flow harder. After a minute, he cleared away his eyes and stood up. He ran over to the window and looked out into the street. There was no evidence that anything had happened. It was just a normal night. He had made his father a promise. A promise he intended to keep, but where should he go next? Just then it hit him. He closed the window and turned back to face his parents. Avoiding more tears, he briskly walked past their bodies, and went downstairs. He then got a coat and went out into the street. It was so cold. It seemed fitting with the pain on his heart.

Walking down the street, he then knocked on a door. When nobody answered, he climbed up the fire escape on the side of the building and stopped at a window. Knocking on the window he said, "Braden? Braden, wake up. I...I need you." After a minute the window was opened and
Braden's face showed.

"Will, for goodness sakes, do you have any idea what ti..." he stopped as he noticed the distressed face of his friend. "Hey man, you ok?"

"No. I'm not ok at all. My parents...my parents are dead." Tears welled up again in his face.

"Will, I-uh, come in. Please." Will climbed in the window and sat on his friend's bed. "What do you mean...dead?"

"Fisher. He killed them."

"You mean the Fish came out of his pond?"

"No, I highly doubt he pulled the trigger but he was behind it. I know he was. My father was speaking out against him and he was killed. Simple as that. My father did the right thing and he paid for it; my mother too. This needs to stop," Will's voice began to harden. "With his dying breath he made me promise to take Fisher down, and that is what i plan to do. I will go down with my dying breath just as my father. This city will be free once more."

Braden adopted a serious expression. "You do realize the implications you're making right? You want to take down one of the greatest criminal empires in existence. That's not going to be half as easy as it sounds." Braden thought for a minute. "And I am truly sorry about your parents."

Will smiled. "It-it's ok. My father told me I was his greatest legacy. I am going to do him proud as best i can."

Braden responded, saying, "But don't you think you should at least take time to mourn?"

"I don't think Dad would approve of me wasting time by mourning something that cannot be changed. If I keep moving at least I could avenge his death," Will said. He stood up off the bed and walked over toward the window. "Braden, I can't do this alone." He turned back to face his friend. "Will you help me? I know you've said no before, but the stakes have been raised. This is no longer about just freeing the city; this is about carrying on a legacy, about taking down a man who murders all against his will, about giving the next generation a chance at life."

Braden looked at him and then at the door leading into the hall. His parents lived in a room across the hall and his sister down next to his. "If I help you, it's not just me who would get punishment. My entire family will pay. You know you're lucky you weren't targeted as well."

Just then the door opened and in stepped Braden's father. "Boys, come with me. Now." The two friends looked at each other and then followed the older man down into the basement. He kept walking toward one of the walls and then stopped right above a large mat on the ground. He removed the mat and below laid a trap door. A look of shock came across Braden's face. His father then opened the door and stepped down a ladder. Will and Braden followed and what they saw below shocked both boys. There were several computer monitors on one wall, an clipboard of some sort with maps on it in one corner, and a big round table in the middle of the room. Braden's father took a seat on a chair and gestured to the two boys to do the same. He then looked at the two of them. "It is time you know the truth."

### Chapter Two

Braden's father, Justin Rogers, looked at Will. "Your father, me, and more have been planning to fight back against Fisher for a long time. We've been preparing for a small war." He gestured to the monitors. "We were able to hack into some of the mayor's security cameras." He then pointed to the maps on the clipboard. "Those have pinpoints of every known hideout belonging to Fisher. We recently caught the mayor meeting with Fisher on one of our security cameras. It had seemed like the perfect time to strike; to be able to convince the people of how far deep Fisher's roots go into the government, but...I overheard your conversation with my son. It seems Fisher wasted no time in eliminating the man responsible for releasing this information. I'm so sorry about your parents, Will."

Will stared solemnly at the wall. "I had known my parents were trying to take down Fisher, but I hadn't realized how planned this all was."

"Yes, your father wanted you to only believe that it was them in case you were somehow interrogated. If Fisher found out about an entire operation to take him down, we would all be dead. I am telling you this now because your father said that if something were to happen to him that you needed to know. He wanted you to join us. What do you say?"

Will thought for a moment. "I will do whatever it takes to take down Fisher and his criminal empire. I will join you." He looked over at Braden who then nodded.

Braden then somewhat reluctantly said, "I am with you too, father. Where do we begin?"

Justin sat up and pushed a button that was on the round table. It began to flash. "I have sent a message to the others. They will be coming soon."

- - - - -

Hannah heard the phone ring. She put down the knife she had been polishing and picked up the phone. She heard a series of beeps and looked worried. It was a distress signal being sent from Justin's house. She quickly grabbed her knife and put it in the sheath that was on the side of her belt. It had been a while since she had actually needed it, but where she lived, it was better safe then sorry. Grabbing her coat, she left her house. It was about two in the morning she could tell. That made her all the more worried to what Justin might be calling her down for. Walking down the dark alley from her house, she began to think about the last time the distress signal had been sent out. That had been when Fisher had burned down an entire bank because..well, she didn't even know why. She couldn't understand anything Fisher did though. Even in the war, his tactics, although somewhat predictable, seemed to make no sense to anyone but him. She chuckled. Although Romain's tactics had no patter to them at all and it always worked out. She sighed. It had been a while since she had seen him. He had become nothing less then a hermit after he had been discharged. She had to admit he had been reckless quite a few times, but it always turned out for the good of his people. She wondered how he was. She should visit him sometime. As she walked down the street she finally came to Justin's house. Walking into the door as if it was her own house she then went to the basement, expecting to see Justin, Joseph and the others waiting with some sort of bad news, but when she got down the ladder there sat just Justin and was that Will and Braden? "What's going on?" She asked.

"Joseph and Merida are dead," Justin said, somewhat stuttering the words out.

She looked strangely at him, and then said, "No. It can't be. Wh-what happened?"

Will angered. "Fisher. He had someone kill them in their sleep. I heard the gunshots and came just in time to watch my father breathe his final breaths."

She had never seen Will so hardened. "I-I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say. Where are the others?"

Justin looked solemnly at the monitors. "I'm not entirely sure. They should have been here by now, unless...." His voice trailed off.

Braden finished for him. "Unless they were killed too?"

"Yeah, that." The room fell silent for a few minutes, but then another figure came down the ladder.

Han looked excitedly at the person who appeared. "Leiana!"

### Chapter Three

The man was a shadow in the dark night. Hardly visible as he walked along the rooftops. He had killed five people that evening and his job was done. Fisher gave him five targets and all targets were acquired quickly and swiftly. He had killed some banker, a single girl, some other guy, and a married couple. No clue why he made any of the kills, but it was his job, and he was good at it. The police feared him, even though they had no clue who he was. They knew him only by the initials he left at each of his kills. He smiled. Nobody had ever seen him kill. Nobody had any clue who he was or why he killed. Nobody had any pattern for his kills either. He didn't even know how he would take a kill until he did it. Climbing down a fire escape, he was now walking down an alley. He then realized he had made a mistake. There was a woman there. He forgot to check the alley for witnessee before going down. Oh well, he'd just take tally from five kills to six. Moving swiftly, he slipped out his knife that he kept on his right leg and threw it at her with speed and precision. She soon laid dead on the road. He smiled. "Sorry, darling. Rest in peace." Picking up his knife and putting back in its sheath, he then grabbed a branding iron from the small of his back where it attached to his belt. He also then grabbed a small little tablet looking item which was actually a special type of heating mechanism he had designed. He put the iron on the heating tool and soon it glowed a firey red. Putting the tablet back where it was, he implanted the iron firmly on the ground next to the dead woman. Pulling it back up and attaching it to his belt, being careful not to burn himself, what was left were the letters TH burnt into the street. He then continued walking down the alley.

- - - - -

"Oh, hey there Han. Why so surprised to see me?" asked Leiana as she looked around the room. "I got the message. What's wrong?"

Han responded first. "Joe and Merida are dead so it seems. No sign of Julia, Luke, or Ethan either. We had assumed you and them were killed too.

She adjusted her glasses. "Dead? Wow. Well, I think I'm alive so don't worry. Sorry I was late. I had to close up the bar. A few of the customers weren't too happy. Anyways, who are these two kids?" She was referring to Will and Braden.

Justin spoke up. "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't believe you've met my son, Braden, and this is Will, Joe's boy." He pointed to each boy respectively.

Will couldn't hear the words going on around him. He could only hear his father wheezing, gasping for another breath. "You are my sole legacy. I know you can do it." The words pounded in his mind. They were his father's last. They would be his motto. He then saw his mother lying there dead. He then stood up as if he had just gotten some massive amount of strength and wisdom from his thinking. He went over to the maps, still not paying attention to the words around him. He could only hear things his father had told him in th past. "Fisher has numerous drug operations across the city." "We once had good leaders, but now they are all corrupt and working for Fisher even if they don't realize it." "Fisher was a colonel during the war. I'm not sure exactly why he came to Blacksmount after it was over, but he did." Will memorized where all the pins on the map were. He then located where they were on the map and looked for where the nearest hideout was. His father had mentioned a drug operation nearby. There it was. He then located the mayor's office and the police station, making notes in his mind of where everything was. Turning around, he finally let his father's voice fade from his mind and looked at Justin. "Justin, I need your help. You don't mind if I call you that, do you?" Without waiting for an answer he continued. "Where are all the security cameras located?"

Looking somewhat surprised at Will's sudden change in behavior, he answered. "Here, I'll show you." He then pulled out another map and laid it on the table. He pointed to all the places where the hacked cameras where. In his mind, Will cross checked those locations with all the spots where Fisher's hideouts where located and then cross-checked those with his knowledge of Blacksmount's streets. Something didn't seem right. Then it hit him.

"Fisher knows."

Han looked up. "Knows what?"

"He knows where all the hacked cameras are. I'm not sure how, but it's obvious. I've roamed these streets my whole life. I know each and every on of them by heart. The places where the cameras are so indeed match up with some locations where some of Fisher's bases are, but on at least two of those locations, I've been to directly. There is nothing there to see. Those are just abandoned buildings. When was the last time your cameras showed anything of importance besides Fisher meeting with the mayor?"

Justin replied, "Well, actually there hasn't been anything important shown since when the bank on Ninth Street was burned down. That was a couple months ago. You know, now that I think about it, we had been getting lots of information from the cameras before that."

Will was thinking hard. "Why was it burned down and how?"

Han spoke up. "We're not sure why, but we're positive it was Fisher's doing."

"I've got it. Fisher found out about the cameras. He then burned down the bank as a warning, and while you were all distracted by that, he removed operations from all the other places your cameras lied."

Leiana nodded. "That does make sense."

Han made a chuckle. "You are definitely Joe's son. He was able to see things like this too."

Will smiled. "I think I have an idea."

- - - - -

Fisher sat at his desk. He was thinking. Plotting his next moves, to be exact. He had sent his assassin to kill Clark and some of the others he had suspected to be plotting against him. He pushed a button on his desk and a small screen came out of the massive desk. Pushing another button, a picture of Kydle arose of her sitting at her desk. His desk has a built in microphone so he spoke freely. "Bridgette, where is the assassin? He should be back by now. I need to speak with him."

"I'm not sure, sir. He hasn't come back yet." Fisher pushed another button and the screen and mic turned off. He suspected Kydle resented him for treating her the way he did, but he didn't care. She had treated him like dirt during the war and now it was his turn to repay the favor. As he was thinking, the door swung open and a young man walked in boldly. He was chewing a piece of gum loudly.

"It sure took you long enough, Henneson," Fisher growled.

"Calm down, Mr. Fish Sir. I got delayed. Some woman saw me. Don't worry." He chuckled darkly. "I took care of it."

"I'm sure you did. Did you acquire what I asked you to?"

Henneson walked up to Fisher's desk and laid down a small hard drive. Fisher grabbed it and plugged it into a small port in his desk. Soon an entire wall of his office turned into a large computer screen. Fisher smiled. It was all here. The entire file on those who were conspiring against him, among much more information. "Henneson, how would you like to have another job tonight?"

The assassin smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

### Chapter Four

His voice somewhat shaky, Will continued explaining his plan. "Do we have any firearms or weapons?"

Leiana responded. "No, sorry to say. We've--"

She was cut off as Hannah smiled and said, "Yes, actually we do have some weapons. I can get you whatever you need."

Everyone seemed to look surprisingly at her, but then Will continued, "I already told you the plan. We'll strike tomorrow." He then told Han what weaponry she would be needing to get. Soon after, everyone parted ways with Justin and Braden going upstairs and the rest going back to their houses except Will who couldn't bare to go back into his house after what had happened there. He, instead, decided to take a walk.

- - - - -

Braden went back up to his room after all that had happened. He had remained quiet for most of the evening, but wasn't quite sure he understood what was happening. Was his father really fighting against Fisher without telling his own son? It didn't make sense. He tried to get back to sleep, but he couldn't. He felt so sorry for Will. His parents had died. Will and him had been the very best of friends since childhood, but he still didn't know how to comfort his friend for something like this. He was going to try to help by being there for him while he got justice for Fisher. He still thought about his parents and sister though. Did his mother know too? Was she part of all.of this? As he laid there in thought he heard a giant blast of sound coming from the hallway. He jumped up quickly and opened his bedroom door revealing a blazing fire inside the house. He ran into the hall, trying to figure out what had happened. He then realized that it was his parent's bedroom that had been blown to shreds. He tried to go inside to look for his parents but the fire was too great. His next instinct was to look for his sister. He ran over to her bedroom but since it was next to his parent's room, it was already on fire. The fire was too great there as well to get inside. As he was trying to figure out what to do, a second explosion sounded from below. It shattered part of the floor and he nearly fell through. He was able, however, to be able to keep his footing and make it to his bedroom. By now, his bedroom was already on fire, but he was able to make it to the fire escape before a ceiling beam fell into his bed, shattering it in two. As he was crawling down the escape's ladder, a third explosion destroyed the top floor and roof, blowing shingles in every direction. He had to jump 3 yards off the escape ladder to avoid being hit by a large piece of the wall. He ran back and looked at his burning home. Tears coming to his eyes, he saw a shadowy figure walk out from the front door, a gas mask on his face. He walked toward Braden with a large sniper rifle. Braden ran as fast as his feet would carry him. Surprisingly, the figure didn't appear to be chasing him. As he ran down the road, he saw Will who had been coming back from his walk. Running up to his friend, Braden was in tears. "Will!!! Will!!! M-my hou-house. It's g-gone. Blown up. A-all gone. Will, what's goin--" His words were cut short as a piercing bullet shot into Braden's back. Will caught his friend in his arms as his body fell.

"Braden. No, no, no, no, noooo!!!!! Please, Braden. Stay with me, bud. Please."

"Will, i-i'm sorry. Please forgive me. I c-can't..." His words trailed off as his body lost it's life. Braden looked down at his friend, tears trailing his face once more. He then looked up to see the smoke coming from where Braden's house had been earlier that evening. Everything was gone. His parents, his house was no longer welcome, his only friend now lied dead in his arms, his house was now gone along with the movement that was already in shreds after Will's own father's death. What was left for him now? As far as he could tell he was the only one left besides Han and Leiana who could also be dead by now. If he was going to take down Fisher with his bare finger nails he was now determined to do so. The old Will burned down completely with the rest of his life. All he had left was his hate for Fisher, and that grew furiously with every second. He hated Fisher. He hated everything about him. He wanted his friend to have a proper burial, but there was no way to do that without drawing unwanted attention to himself. The next best he could think of was to take him back to Will's house and to lay him to rest with his parents, and he did so. He laid Braden, and Joe and Merida Clark all on comfortable beds. He then lit a match to burn their bodies in a respectful manner. He grabbed a hoodie, one of his baseball caps that he had at one time collected, but collecting things was something the old Will did. That no longer interested him. He also grabbed a clean pair of clothes, some personal belongings to remind him of his parents, and a few other things he would need and put it all in a small suitcase he found. He then left the house to burn from the fires he started. By the time he got away, the firemen and police arrived. Will snickered. Fisher probably had delayed them somehow to make sure Braden's family burned. He then went to the only place he thought he could trust, and that was the bar that Han owned. Leiana also worked there. It was as safe a place as any to at least see if either of them survived.

### Chapter Five

Tenor Henneson chuckled. He enjoyed having a bit more fun in his kills sometimes. He watched the boy leave the house and then killed him when he seemed to have finally gotten hope. That made an even ten kills in one day. That was impressive even for him. Grabbing his sniper rifle and slipping it into the strap on his back, he then pulled out his iron and his heating tablet. He then seared his initials into the ground where he had fired the shot. Fisher would be pleased tonight. Tenor looked at his watch. It was 5:43 in the morning, and he wasn't the least bit tired. He cleaned up where he was and then started back toward his next mission. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, he made his way across town. This indeed was a good day. Fisher would owe him big time, but first he still had one more target. Some bartender named Han.

- - - - -

Han was in bed when she heard the bell ring. Her house was right next to the bar she worked at so she figured it was some drunkard wanting her to open up shop. She grabbed her knife and walked toward the door. However, when she opened it, there stood a young looking man with a hoodie and that covering his face. "Will? Is that you?"

He walked inside and closed the door behind him. "Han, we need to talk." It sounded like Will, but his voice was even more hardened them it had been earlier that evening. "Everything is gone. You are the only person I can trust."

"What do you mean 'everything'?"

"Braden, Justin, his whole family are dead as of now. Fisher came back for them. You need to get out of here. Do you know of any safehouses? Cancel the plan I had given you earlier this evening. If we don't move quickly we will be dead too. We need to get as far away from Blacksmount as we can for a while."

Han looked dumbfounded. "Will, slow way down. Did you just say the Rogers dead?"

"I did. All gone. Their house was burned down. Please. Don't want to talk about it. You should get Leiana too"

"No, Leiana will be fine. She was never officially one of us to be perfectly honest. Fisher would have no reason to want her dead and the safehouses I know would only welcome us. You'll need to come with me." Han soon gathered up everything she would need like a well oiled machine. She then grabbed a few of her knives from her knife collection which proved to be quite large. "Ok, come with me. If there is some assassin on our trail there will be only one way out." Will followed her to a side alley where sat a large motorcycle.

"We're going to ride.....this?"

Han smiled. "Indeed. I call her The General. All aboard!" She then pulled out a key ring and jumped on swiftly. Will got on the back.

"Um, where's the seat belt?"

Han's smile turned into a large grin. "What seatbelt?" She then revved up the engine and went ful speed down the alley. Wil was forced to grab a hold of Han herself out of fear of being thrown off. The General moved down alley to alley and street to street super quickly, narrowly dodging all sorts of obstacles.

- - - - -

Tenor arrived at the address and pulled out his knife and branding iron. He then went inside and quickly searched the entire building for his target. As he was searching he Heard voices outside and then a revved engine. With all the speed physically possible, he dashed outside and pulled off his sniper. It was too late. He had last them. Fisher would not be happy. Oh well, not like he cared what Fisher thought. If he wanted to, Tenor could kill him in a split second and Fisher knew that. The assassin then put his iron back and strapped his sniper to his back. "Well, time to go home."

- - - - -

They were on some sort of highway now. As the the wind tried ferociously to blow Will's hat off, he turned and watched the large city fade behind him. It looked so beautiful with the sunrise behind it, but he knew better. Blacksmount was not beautiful. At least, not since Fisher encased it in his grasp. It was a dark city with corruption and deceit being its foundation. He had to fix that. If not for his father then for the next generation. He turned back toward the road ahead.

### Chapter Six

"What do you mean, you missed one?" Fisher stared at Tenor with malicious anger in his expression.

"I missed the bartender. She got away before I could make the kill. How does that not make sense to you?"

Fisher looked hard at Tenor and then turned back to the panels covering the window in his office. "Hannah Rootlee is not some ordinary bartender. She was a Captain in the Slovak War. She has contacts. Some of whom I don't want her contacting. Of she got away, there will be many many troubles ahead." Fisher thought for a moment. "Do you understand me?"

Tenor stared darkly at Fisher and then busted out laughing. "All this seriousness talk makes me burst out laughing. If you want me to hunt her down then I will." He bowed mockingly. "Your word is my command."

"This is not a joke, Henneson," Fisher replied.

"Of course it is, don't be ridiculous." Tenor held a mocking grin.

Fisher, now steaming mad, finally said, "Get out of here now before I kill you."

"You know I'd see any murder attempts of yours long before you pull a gun on me, but as you wish, my mighty lord." Tenor bowed mockingly once more and then departed.

Fisher then pushed a button, and Kydle's face lit up on a screen pn his desk. "Kydle, get in here now before I kill something."

The door opened and Bridgette Kydle stepped in. "What's wrong?"

"It seems Hannah Rootlee was not able to be killed by Tenor."

"Rootlee.....I recognize that name."

"You should. She was a Captain from the war. She had served under Major Romain, um, I always forget his last name, but you know who I mean."

"I see." Kydle seemed lost in thought. A look of disgust finally appeared on her face. She hated Americans. The Americans had assassinated President Reznik shortly before the war started. That was something she would never forgive. Even thinking about American soldiers from the war disgusted her every being. That's why she had accepted Fisher's position as his second in command. So she could destroy the American lives. Her thoughts went back to the subject at hand. "So, why was Tenor supposed to kill her in the first place? Have you finally agreed to let him kill all the American soldiers in the city?"

"No, she was helping Joseph Clark. I had found through one of my sources the location of where a list of conspirators lived. I had Tenor kill the man with the list and after finding it, he gave it to me. It seems we had already killed most of them. Hannah was one of the few left, and she escaped. So now to my point. I need someone besides the assassin trying to kill her. She has the potential to start a small-scale war, and that is something we cannot have."

Kydle snorted. "I'll see who I can find."

"Good. You are dismissed." Fisher turned and sat back at his desk and pushed a button on it. The platform the desk sat on turned around and the window's panels opened once more revealing Blacksmount. It was sunrise. Fisher smiled again. It was his. All of it, and he intended to keep it that way. No matter the cost.

- - - - -

Will tried to raise his voice over the motorcycle's engine noise, "Where exactly are we going?"

"You'll see. We're almost there." They had been driving close to a half hour or so, somehow avoiding most of the traffic. It seems they were heading toward one of the many suburbs of Blacksmount. Will noticed a sign telling the town's name--Happy Tree Valley. Seemed a strange name for a town until Will noticed the massive amount of beautiful trees and forests surrounding the town. It was such a contrast to the dark alleys of Blacksmount. Soon The General pulled to a halt and Han hopped off. "Come on, I have someone for you to meet. An old friend of mine." Han led Will up a sidewalk a couple blocks and then crossed The road and walked a couple more blocks. She finally walked up to an old house. It looked to Will as if close to two-hundred years old. Han then knocked on the door. After a minute, she smiled and said, "Come on, you old drunkard, I know you're in there."

After another minute, a voice finally came from inside, "Go away. Nobody's home." Will stared blankly at the door, trying to figure out if the voice inside actually thought he would believe that.

"Go away? Is that any way to treat a lady? Nevertheless an old friend?"

There was silence and then Will heard somebody unlocking the door. Then the door slowly creaked open to reveal a man wearing a purple suit with crazy spiked hair. He stared at Will creepily a long time and then noticed Hannah. He seemed startled at seeing her and then finally said, "Han? Is that really you?"

Han chuckled and said, "Yes, Romain. It's really me."

Romain stared at her for a few minutes, then snorted. “You jerk. Go away. I hate you. You obviously haven’t been interested in visiting me all these years, so I never want to see your face again.” Han wordlessly pulled out a bottle of foreign whiskey out of a pocket and handed it to him. A huge grin broke out on his face as he grabbed the bottle and threw the door wide open. “COME IN, COME IN, don’t stand out here in the cold!” Will wiped sweat off of his brow. Cold? During the summer? In 80 degree weather? Romain walked passed all of them and into the kitchen where he pulled out a cork screw. “Either of you want some?” He looked at Han and then Will. Will shook his head immediately and took a step back.

Han chuckled again and shook her head. “No thanks, all yours. Now to come to the point, we need your help.” Romain, staring lovingly at the bottle didn’t hear her. Finally Han walked over, took the bottle and smashed it on the counter. “Now can you hear me, Major?”

Romain looked at her blankly and then went to grab the machine gun hanging on the wall. Han got to it before he did and gently pried it from his hands. “No, no, Major, you need to control yourself. I have more whiskey for you, but this is not the time. We need your help.” Romain stared at her some more, looked at the broken shards of the whiskey bottle, then walked over to the kitchen table and plopped himself into a chair, sobbing quietly. Han rolled her eyes. Will was still standing in the corner looking completely confused.

Romain looked up at her, the tears already drying on his face. “What do you want, you miserable excuse for a human being?” Han stifled a chuckle, although Will looked horrified at the continued string of insults the old man was slinging at the only friend he had.

“You know why we’re here, Major,” Han said. “Why else would we be here if it’s not a social visit?” Romain snorted.

“You don’t know the meaning of the term ‘social visit’,” he snapped. “This is the first I’ve seen of you in years. You waltz into the kitchen, hand me a bottle of whiskey only to smash it on the counter and then ask me for a favor. Then you say you will reward me with more whiskey.” He slammed his fist on the table top. “Well, I AM THE MAJOR HERE, AND I SAY NO." He looked back at the machine gun longingly.

Han sighed. "Romain, I....I'm....."

"Me need for excuses, Captain," sighing as well, he then said, "What exactly is it that you really need?"

"Romain, it's not that I haven't wanted to see you, it's just....I guess I haven't made the time too."

Romain looked solemnly at the wall. "I asked you a question, Captain. It is customary to answer it."

Hans sighed again. "Lynn Fisher. That's why I'm here." Romain immediately looked back at Han with a startled expression.

"Now that's a name I haven't heard since the war. What about him?"

Han furrowed her brow. "You mean you don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

Will spoke up. "Fisher is in Blacksmount."

Now fully aware, Romain looked up, "What do you mean? Fisher is in Blacksmount? I assumed he got killed at some point in time." He pushed his hair back away from his eyes, making it even spikier then before.

"No, he is quite well. Somehow he built some sort of criminal empire, somewhat like the mafia. He's been terrorising the place for a few years by now.