Jason and Katherine reached out and shook hands. As soon as their hands touched, a spark of electricity traveled through both of them and the two looked at each other with mild surprise as they recognized the strength they were concealing.

A Practitioner?! Jason thought. He looked at Katherine's face with the lingering smile he previously gave her, but deep down he was shocked. He could feel that Katherine was doing the same as him, compressing and suppressing her cultivation level to that of a human. Yet Jason could sense the strong vitality and burning spiritual power that could almost rival his own. Katherine Rogue, the Paris Hilton wannabe, the billionaire bachelorette, the Wastreless of the Rogues, is a Practitioner? Not only that but these flames … they're oddly familiar.

His eyes traveled down to her neck and he noticed her carrying a pendant similar to his. While his pendant was of a dragon and a black jewel, hers was of a flaming bird perched atop a ruby with its wings spread out. His eyes narrowed for a moment as he realized that the pendant carried the same archaic aura his own had before he looked back up at her brightly burning hazel eyes.

Katherine also looked at Jason but, unlike him, she wasn't able to cover her surprise. She knew the Jason from her past life cultivated, he was the successor to the Dragons after all. Just like how she inherited the Phoenixs' will, Jason inherited the draconic cultivation as a Descender but what she was feeling right now was much more oppressive and chaotic than even those mythical races.

An unfathomable depth, darker and deeper than the abyss itself and not unlike that of a black hole, Kathrine thought as she felt his power; it was the only way she could describe the feeling of his strength. What kind of Formulae could possibly be so … esoteric? It's almost as though it's a law of the universe ...

The two held hands and remained staring at each other quietly for a while, and the people around noticed their behavior. The tense smile, looks of surprise, and the awkward atmosphere had everyone scratching their heads.

"Quite a grip you've got there," Jason said as he composed himself.

"Right back at you, Jay," Katherine replied unconsciously. She was used to his glib tongue and would reply just as quickly due to habit.

"My friends call me that," Jason said with a biting smile while the corner of his eyes narrowed. His meaning was evident to Katherine who realized her slip of tongue.

"Right," Kathrine said as she pulled her hand away. "But seeing as how you're my cousin and all, I think we're familiar enough to be called friends. Besides, I have this terrible habit of calling people by nicknames, it's - it's something I picked up from an old friend."

In other words, you, Katherine thought. Jason had this terrible habit of shortening people's name into nicknames. A habit he still had, judging from the amused stares everyone was sending him.

As she looked at him fondly, Jason's smile faded. He saw the tender look of familial love in her eyes and he couldn't understand why she would be like this with him. What also bothered him was the fact that she called him the nickname all the kids, including John, would call him when he was younger, back when he was still a sweeper for the mercenaries.

"Please stop staring, I won't get anymore dashing," he joked but a visible shudder ran through him because of her stare.

"Oh, gross!" Kathrine said with disgust. "I know you're narcissistic but please, not every woman will swoon to you."

"I'm not - you -" Jason was speechless when he heard her rebuttal.

The others, especially Alina, watched on in surprise; this was the first time that Jason was pressured by a woman other than Alina, who was capable of doing so because of how she viewed him.

"Right right, you're not narcissistic," Kathrine corrected herself. "You're dashing."

"Pfft," A laugh almost escaped Alina's closed lips as she looked away. Katherine turned to her and stared at Alina with the same fondness she had for Jason.

"It's good to see you, Alle," Katherine said softly. "I'm glad to see that you're alright."

"Ookaay," Alina muttered. "This ... feels awkward."

"Tell me about it," Jason muttered back and Katherine smiled wryly before turning to the others.

"Sorry about that," she told them. "I was too caught up that I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Katherine Rogue. It's nice meeting you."

She shook hands and introduced herself to everyone starting from Silvia, the latter who was extremely quiet this time. Like Jason, she felt a certain suppression emitting from Katherine, an aura that was wild and oppressive much like Jason's. She wasn't sure what that meant, but she suspected Katherine of having a similar strength to Jason. Regardless, she couldn't do anything about it since behind Katherine was the world's leading company in … well, almost everything.

After listening to everyone's introduction, Kathrine turned to Alice and looked taken aback. She then turned to Jason and sighed.

"Really now," Katherine said with a shake of her head. "Shouldn't you be introducing your daughter? After all, she's a cute kid."

And my niece, Katherine thought in her head. Still, this is … strange. Did he have a kid in the previous world?

Jason didn't answer and instead frowned. How was she able to tell that Alice was his daughter? Selena also snapped her head and looked at Alice, the tumultuous feeling brewing inside her reached a new level when she heard what Katherine said.

"I'm Alice, it's nice to meet you!" Alice took a step forward and introduced herself cutely. Regardless of his flaws, Jason was still her father and even though Katherine said it as a joke, Alice took her jibe seriously. "Dad, do we have an aunt? Is she a punk? Does that make her a punk aunt?"

Jason smirked while Alina tried wiping her smile with her sleeves. Katherine looked surprised before asking Alice curiously. "What makes me look like a punk?"

"Your hair," Alice said simultaneously. "I was told punks dye their hair in weird colors."

"Well, can't argue with that," Selena muttered and Katherine glared at her.

"We'll be taking our leave," Raphael coughed as he, Michelle, and Junco prepared to leave but not before thanking Jason for informing her. Raphael was surprised when he saw that they were in contact with each other. He couldn't help but feel envious when he saw them chatting together, his ears rang and his mind went blank as a feeling of rage almost overwhelmed him.

As he walked away lost in his thoughts, Raphael stopped and turned back. He tried grabbing the money that Jason still had in his grasp but Jason pulled away. However, Jason flinched and relented when he saw Silvia glaring at him while whipping her teacher's pointer. Satisfied, Raphael left with Michelle while Junco chatted with the latter and Silvia excused herself, making her way back to the Academy.

"So," Katherine said, breaking the awkward silence that descended on the group. "Wanna grab some ice cream and drinks?"

"We're busy," Jason said curtly, his attitude changing now that they were alone.

"That's alright," Katherine said. "Maybe tomorrow then?"

"Can I talk to you?" Jason ignored her and turned to Selena while gesturing his head towards an empty spot. Selena nodded and the two moved away while Katherine turned to Alina.

"He doesn't like me, does he?" She asked Alina. Katherine felt down since Jason was the closest thing to a brother to her. In a way, she felt envious of Alina's and Jason's relationship.

"Sorry about that," Alina said. "No offense but, uh, maybe it's 'cause you're acting so …"

"Friendly?" Suggested Katherine.

"Close," Alina replied. "And why do you keep mentioning you're family? Maybe you're related to me, but not Jason."

"Well, if he's adopted by your family, then isn't he technically my cousin brother?" Katherine asked back. She watched Jason from the corner of her eyes as she continued speaking. "Besides, he … reminds me of someone. A good friend of mine who's long gone, from the looks of it."

"Oh right, I forgot about that," Alina muttered. She was so used to Jason, she forgot how he was adopted and not her real brother. Alina fidgeted her shoes as she watched Katherine, unsure of what to say about losing her friend. "So … uh, nice hair?"

"Thanks," Katherine said. Her roots were black but slowly turned brown, then reddish-orange, before finally ending in yellow. Alina admired Katherine's flaming hair but she couldn't dream of doing that to her own hair. As Alina fell silent again, Katherine placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry about your parents," she said carefully. "I wish things were different …"

"Don't we all?" Alina muttered bitterly. "But thank you."

Alina felt that Katherine was truly sympathetic, she was not pretending, she truly felt sorry for Alina.

***

"Sir, there's something I want to ask," Junco turned to Raphael and spoke. The two lagging behind Michelle, who was walking quickly to the car so the latter two could spend some time alone.

"What is it?" Raphael asked.

"Weren't you saying Jason was a threat? Why were you …" Junco was confused. She heard Watson mention how Raphael wasn't in good terms with Jason, it was the reason why Watson sent her here in the first place. Luckily, Jason texted her too, giving her the perfect alibi and ensuring Raphael was unaware of her true reason for coming.

"So pissed?" Raphael finished.

"No," Junco shook her head, bemused. "You two were acting like friends. In a strange manner."

Raphael sighed and stopped walking. He looked up at the skies Belle looking back at Junco. "Junco, I said he's crazy, but that doesn't mean he's bad."

"I'm not sure I understand," Junco said slowly after contemplating for a moment.

"His heart's in the right place," Raphael replied. "It's not like he kills everyone discriminately, he doesn't do that anymore. But I can't trust someone so ... unstable to protect this city or have free rein to do whatever he wishes. What he needs is help, help in getting over his trauma."

Raphael turned and stared at the Academy. From this distance, he could still see a figure watching everything from a window. He made eye contact with the figure before sighing again.

"They all need help," Raphael muttered before he and Junco entered the car.

***

"What were you thinking?" Jason asked Selena once they were away.

"I told you that I'd be telling Katherine about Alina," Selena shrugged.

"Uh-huh, but a head's up wouldn't be so bad," Jason said. He looked over and noticed Alina smiling and chatting with Katherine. "I needed time to prepare."

"Prepare? Oh…" Selena was confused about what Jason meant for a moment before realizing his meaning. Katherine's reason for coming to Sanctuary was Alina and it was possible that she could take her away too. "I'm … I'm sorry. I didn't think about ...."

"I'm not blaming you," Jason said quietly. "Just … with Alice here, I could use all the help I could get. And Alina …"

"You just want her to stay and help babysit your daughter?" Selena asked gloomily.

"Yeah, yeah, that's exactly it," Jason answered with a nod. He saw Selena's glare and sighed. "Ok, maybe that's an excuse. It's just - it's been so many years and she's - Alina brought back from the brink of disaster. I was so close to losing my humanity, ready to just keep on killing and not living when she showed up. I don't want to lose her, not again."

"Sounds like you're making her an excuse or a justification to living a normal life," Selena replied harshly. "And you can't just keep her to yourself, she'll grow up and live her own life."

"You don't understand," Jason said quietly as he walked back. "You wouldn't understand. If you did ..."

I'd have to kill you, Jason finished in his mind. To him, Alina, and now Alice, were a priority. It didn't matter who it was that tried to interfere, he'd kill them.

A chill passed down Selena as she realized that Jason wasn't joking, he really did threaten her despite not finishing his sentence. What made her unnerved was the fact that Jason smiled and acted casually with the others as soon as he joined up. It was as if he had a normal conversation with her.

Right. But to him, it was a normal conversation, Selena thought. He's so charming and … I always forget that he's a killer - a mercenary, at heart. Despite knowing this, Selena still couldn't overcome the feelings she had for him. He was dangerous but so exotic that she couldn't help but have feelings for him.

"So … are you free this coming weekend? Maybe we could all get together and have fun?" Katherine asked Alina as Jason approached.

Alina turned to Jason who shrugged, indicating that it was up to her. After some hesitation, Alina opened her mouth. "I can't guarantee it but I'll try. Let's exchange numbers."

While she didn't say anything, Alina had mixed feelings about Kathrine. For the longest time, she thought it was just her and Jason that was family. But now, another family member showed up and, despite being nice, Alina felt it was strange; she wanted to sort her feelings before getting to know Katherine.

"Ok," Katherine nodded. She saw that Selena was quiet so she patted her on the shoulder. "We'll see you this weekend then."

Katherine and Selena left, leaving Jason, Alina, and Alice alone. Alina roused herself and smiled at Alice. Right now, the only thing that mattered to Alina was Alice, the only link left of her best friend, Katelyn.

"Hey, Alice," Alina said softly while holding hands with Alice. "Do you want to see a movie tonight? It's sorta a tradition to watch it together."

As she said this Alina's mind went back to when Jason sneaked her out of the Sage mansion to watch a movie together in a theater. It was her first time watching a movie on a large screen with a crowd, and Alina's only regret was that Katelyn wasn't there to watch it with them; she was distracting the others back in the mansion.

"Really? A cinema! I haven't seen a movie in a cinema before!" Alice said. Her excitement doused the smile Jason and Alina had. From the sounds of it, Alice barely had a proper childhood.

"Yeah, we'll go watch a movie. The three of us, together," Jason said softly as he placed a hand on Alina's and Alice's head. "Then we'll have a family dinner at a restaurant."

Alice smiled and giggled as Jason rubbed her hair. She felt genuinely happy at the attention both Jason and Alina were giving her. They treated the better than Katelyn could, since she was almost always away, busy in a mission or something else.

"First things first," Jason said as Alina escaped his head pat with a pout. "Let's go home, take a shower, get you guys ready and then head out again."

"Ungh, not the Loft again," Alina groaned.

"Nope, not the Loft," Jason said with a smile. "We can't go back to the penthouse, I'm not sure if it's been compromised, but there's this nice mansion I have near the Graves."

"Wait just a sec," Alina interrupted. "You have a mansion at Griffin's Court? Why weren't we living there in the first place?"

Jason hesitated before answering Alina quietly. "After the Sage mansion, I wasn't sure …"

"Thanks, but you don't have to worry about me," Alina said, her heart feeling warm and fuzzy despite the pang of pain that felt like someone was stabbing a needle into her heart. "I'm fine. I will be fine."

Alina looked at Alice and smiled. She wanted to see her reaction when she saw the mansion.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Alina asked as she and Alice skipped to the Baron. "Let's go and check it out!"

"Sure. But first, I gotta go and check on the penthouse," Jason said as he helped Alice enter the backseat. "Just to make sure everything's fine."

***

"Emily, you sure about this?" Asami was standing behind Emily in a salon. A hairdresser cut Emily's hair to the size that the latter desired. Asami only felt that it was a shame to cut such beautifully voluminous hair so short.

"I'm sure," Emily said. Her hair was cut into a hairstyle that wasn't precisely a bob; it was purposely uneven with multiple jagged and messy layers which covered her snipped hair.

"It looks wonderful on you," the hairdresser said. She nodded with satisfaction at Emily, thinking she did an amazing job. "It's stylish but messy, requiring little time to fix."

"True, you do look great," Asami agreed. "But really, I liked your long hair. It was so silky and smelled great when I'd comb it."

"Don't worry," the hairdresser said. "Your girlfriend can do that to your hair."

"Oh, uh, we're not - it's not like that," Emily said and Asami nodded.

"Yep. Just friends with benefits," Asami explained, unnecessarily complicating things.

Emily looked away and wished she didn't come with Asami, it was beyond embarrassing.

"Oh, don't worry," the hairdresser noticed Emily's face and reassured her. "I think every girl has a girlfriend like her. Not that kinda girlfriend - you get the point."

"It's God's gift, really!" Asami agreed and said enthusiastically.

"Let's … just continue," Emily said while avoiding Asami who was grinning at her successful teases.

The hairdresser nodded and Asami sat next to Emily while another hairdresser came to help her. After getting a hair wash and curling, the two had their nails done before leaving the salon. Emily was surprised when her hairdresser waived her fees in exchange for having her model for a fashion show that the salon was sponsoring. Of course, Emily agreed immediately, she was worried about how frugal she'd need to be if she had to pay for today.

"So where to next, Em?" Asami asked.

"The arcade," Emily answered before hesitating. "I - you were right Asami, there's something wrong with Accelerant."

"What do you mean? Are you okay?" Asami asked. She stopped and grabbed Emily's shoulder, studying the latter with concern.

"I'm … I'm not sure," Emily said. "But I think the cold I have has something to do with Accelerant."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Asami asked impatiently. "Let's go there ASAP!"

***

Jason sighed as he entered the penthouse. He left Alina and Alice downstairs inside the Baron that was parked on the other side of the road. He scowled when he noticed a layer of dust that coated the place.

Maybe I should get some bots from the Loft to maintain this place, Jason thought as he looked around. Immediately, he noticed the open window and sighed again. He checked the windowsill and noticed that someone entered through the window.

She was here, Jason thought. If I was earlier, then maybe …

Knowing he wouldn't find anything, Jason turned to the fridge and opened a can of root beer. Now that he was feeling pressured by this group that was controlling Katelyn, he decided to abstain from drinking; he wasn't sure when he'd need to sober.

"A.V.A, anything from the files?" Jason asked out loud while pouring the root beer into a glass. He was asking A.V.A about the files he collected the other night from the docks.

"I've only shifted through a petabyte, but you will not like the results," A.V.A answered.

"Just tell me if there's anything on Katelyn," Jason said.

"No," A.V.A replied. "However, through the number of ships and containers cataloged, along with a variable including the port gang's previous movements and actions, I've calculated an eighty-nine percent chance that the syndicate was working to smuggle both mercenaries and Practitioners to Atlantis."

"How many?" Jason asked grimly while he placed the glass back on the counter without taking a sip.

"From my calculations, I predict about a thousand merc-"

"The mercs are nothing but … insects," Jason interrupted with a hiss. "It's easy for me to crush them, what I want to know is how many Practitioners have infiltrated Sanctuary!"

"Based on my calculations, about five hundred," A.V.A answered calmly while Jason swore under his breath.

"Fuck," Jason muttered. He could handle Adepts without a sweat, but he was sure that these Practitioners would send them in teams controlled by Masters and Grandmasters. And those geezers would definitely be a challenge.

An army of Practitioners … there must be a sect involved, Jason thought grimly. He was beginning to realize that there was a bigger conspiracy lurking in the shadows. And somehow, his daughter and lover were caught in it.

"Anything else?" Jason asked.

"Among the files were unfinished codes that I compiled together," A.V.A answered. "There's a chance that it's an encoded message but most likely, it's -"

"A trap?" Jason asked and A.V.A confirmed his suspicions.

Hmm … did they know I'd hit the docks? Or is this a trap for anyone that accesses their files? Jason lowered his head and thought about it before smiling.

"I guess it doesn't matter," he said as his smile turned ferocious. "I like this cat and mouse game, so I'll play along. For now.

"A.V.A, send me the code," Jason said and A.V.A complied and sent it to Jason's phone which wasn't connected to her servers. Activating the program, Jason noticed his phone sending a signal.

"Is it receiving or transmitting a signal?" Jason muttered to himself. A moment later, he froze as the back of his hair stood up and his body sent warning signals. He turned to look at the window and saw a small speck slowly growing larger by the second.

"Shit!" Jason swore as he began ran to the window.

As the speck grew closer, it's cylindrical body and flaming back became more apparent in his eyes. In his mind, time slowed down as Jason thought about several ways to escape the impact radius. Unfortunately, despite his mind overclocking itself and allowing him to think thrice as fast as a normal human, Jason was unable to move his body at the same speed.

The missile crashed through the window and breezed past Jason even as he made it halfway through the room. The shockwave from the missile traveling at a supersonic speed nearly sent Jason tumbling but he gritted his teeth and canceled the shockwave by creating his own.

I won't make it! Jason gritted his teeth and launched himself forward while turning his body so he'd face the explosion. He held his hand out and created a kinetic forcefield in front of him even as the missile hit the wall and exploded.

A shock wave of invisible concussive force slammed into him before the flames did. It broke through his forcefield and sent him flying through the window while his eardrums ruptured and his lungs collapsed.

Well, shit. I just had … to ... get … cocky, Jason thought as his vision faded to darkness and he fell from the skies down into the streets.