Ebony Lion

Chapter 13: The One

"Where is Dante?" Jason asked as he took a drag from the cigarette in his hand. "Your entrance and armed guards don't exactly say that you just came by to talk, so I'm afraid Mr. Windsor isn't taking any visitors right now." Said Ebon. " Well aren't you a cheeky little shit, I like that...normally. Unfortunately today isn't one of those days. So tell me where he is or people are going to die." Said Jason as he dropped his cigarette and stomped it out. "How dare you trespass here and threaten us on our grounds! There will be no more losses on our side today, this I promise." Said Dawn as her eyes flashed red. "It's ok baby I got this." Said Ebon as he stepped in front of Dawn to shield her from what may come. "Hasn't she got spunk, you've got yourself a little pistol there." Said Jason with a grin. "Be thankful I don't aim her at you. What do you want with Mr. Windsor anyway?" Said Ebon. "Oh I don't want anything with him, wouldn't care if the old fart fell off the side of the map. But these blokes called the Inner Circle have a real hard on for him see, and they pay me a lot of money to make sure they get their closure. Like an ex that don't know how to let go, know what I mean. So how about you tell me where he is and all this unpleasantness can be done with." Said Jason. "Sure if that's all it takes to get you to leave, he's in the facility there." Said Ebon gesturing to the building behind him. "Right then, good lad. So we'll just go grab him up, unless you want to bring him out." Said Jason. "No, that's not what we agreed on Slick. You asked where he was, I told you, and now you leave." Said Ebon as he pointed away from the facility. "I'm afraid I can't do that boy'o." Said Jason as he raised his hand signaling his men who once again took aim at Ebon. Just then an arrow came seemingly out of nowhere and landed within an inch of Jason's foot causing him to take a step back. "What the bloody hell?!" Said Jason. Then Kris leapt down out of a tree about thirty yards away from the confrontation where she had been observing the standoff, another arrow already notched in her bow. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." She said. "Kristina, is that you love? You never called after our date, was it something I said?" Jason said with a smirk. "More like something you are, which would be an asshole." said Kris with her arrow pointed squarely at Jason's chest. "You know this man Kris?" Asked Dawn. "This is the man who told me about your father and the Circle. I'd never seen him before and haven't seen him since." Said Kris. "Ahh, you wound me love. And here I was thinking we had something special." Said Jason. "Don't make me puke. You're nothing but a douche for hire." Replied Kris, her aim never faltering. "Well, now that you've been shot down... almost literally. How about we go see this Inner Circle. I'd like to have a few words with them since things ended so abruptly at our last meeting." Ebon said. "Wait, Ebon you cannot go there. They Almost took you away from me the last time they had you." Said Dawn. "It'll be different this time babe... I'm different. I want to end this for you're father... for you. I want us to be happy without worrying about when these people will pop up. Just let me do this please... for us." Said Ebon. "Fine, but I am going with you." Dawn replied. "No, you stay here and look after you father and mother. They need you now." Said Ebon. "And you do not?" asked Dawn as she looked into Ebon's eyes. "I'll always need you baby." Ebon clinched his fist feeling his power radiating within. "But I got this, trust me." he replied. "Alright, I'm done waiting. Take the building." Jason commanded his men. "I'll be right back baby." Ebon said as he winked at Dawn. Just as the soldiers began to move in on the group there was a blinding flash of light, and Ebon, Jason and his men were gone.

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Jason and his men landed with a thud in the middle of a stone room. It looked like the grand hall of an ancient castle to Ebon as he stood behind the mass on the ground that was Jason and his men. Jason was the first of his men to begin to stir as he tried to extricate himself from the huddled bodies on the ground. "So this is where your bosses hang." Said Ebon as he watched Jason finally find his footing. "Where the hell are we?" Jason said confused. As he looked around he finally came to the conclusion. "Stuff me! How the hell are we at Grey's place!?" "How's not as important as why, and the reason why is to put and end to your people coming for mine." Said Ebon. "Listen Lad, I know we ain't on the best of terms at the moment but if old Grey finds you lurking around here you can bet it's gonna be trouble." Said Jason "Oh yeah? Lets find out shall we? GREY!!!" Ebon erupted, his voice thundering through the hall and reverberating off the walls. "Holy hell man, are you mad!" Said Jason covering his ears. "Think that got his attention?" Ebon said with a smirk. "I am keenly aware of your arrival Mr. Leonis, although how you arrived is somewhat of a mystery." Said Elder Grey as he entered through the side door of the room. "Oh that's easily answered your boy Jason invited me. Not in the traditional sense but when when he strolled up on me and my folks and drew down on us in the name of Grey, well that's a better way to get me over here than saying you got free chicken and pizza." Said Ebon. "Look Grey, we were just about to nab Windsor when this numb nuts here did Saints knows what and..." Jason was saying as Grey held up his finger and Jason went stiff as if frozen. "Please forgive the rudeness of this mercenary." Grey spat." Reliable help is a challenge to obtain it seems." "Cool trick putting your boy on ice... Literally, but I'd imagine you'll be wanting all the help you can get in a second." Said Ebon. "Although it appears you can indeed handle yourself quite well Mr. Leonis, I can assure you that you are no threat to me. Even though it's apparent that Troya's spell has been unraveled somewhat prematurely. Where is she if I might ask?" Said Grey. "Ah yeah, your girl Troya. See what had happened was, my girlfriend wasn't real pleased seeing her all hugged up on me and she kinda lost her cool. She kicked Troya's ass and was coming for mine until I gave her the puppy dog eyes, I still owe you for that now that I think about it. But yeah, she's locked up in a hole somewhere." Ebon said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "That is indeed regretful, it would seem that you have not one but two people that are due to me now." Grey replied. "Yeah you probably won't be getting even one, but look. I came to tell you that Dante is off limits. I know y'all had beef and whatnot, but from what I know it's ancient history, probably literally in your case. I came to extend the olive branch for the first and last time. Don't start nothing, and it won't be nothing. You feel me?" Said Ebon. Grey shook his head. "Unfortunately I do not feel you Mr. Leonis. Dante's crimes must be answered for. No matter how far he may run or where he may hide, he will be made to atone. He has broken the laws of nature and upset the balance. The evil that he is willing to unleash upon the world because of his selfishness cannot be allowed to exist." Gray said firmly. "So you might be a little late to the party if you're talking about Talia. She's already out of her sleep tank and doing just fine. No locusts, famine or plagues if you can believe it." Ebon said with a grin. "I do not." Said Grey, his eyes wide with disbelief and maybe fear. "If he has truly resurrected his wife the evil within her could be the end of all. There is but one way to vanquish such horror, that I'm certain Dante himself does not know". "You mean the black eyes dark Super Saiyan energy stuff? Yeah I took care of that. No worries." Said Ebon nonchalantly. "It astounds me how foolish you can be. Only the Power of the Black Lion can exorcise that form of evil from the mortal realm. Whatever you may think you have done, it is not enough." Grey said as he raised his hand to Ebon. With that Ebon flew across the room, his back slamming into the stone wall, where he stayed as if held in place by an invisible hand. "You have brought me important information today Mr. Leonis, for that I will let you live. But your part in this battle is at an end." The enormous pressure on Ebon's chest felt like someone had dropped a elephant on him. He had to admit Grey was not just some feeble old coot, but two could play that game. Ebon focused his energy into his hand and concentrated on Grey. He lifted two fingers up and Grey was lifted off the ground. Shock and confusion spread over Grey's wrinkled face. Ebon was released from the bonds that held him to the wall. Then Ebon made little circles with his fingers and Grey began to cartwheel end over end in place. "So some stuff happened since the last time we met and, yeah I'm a little bit different than I was before. But my Mama always taught me to respect my elders so here's what I'll do." Ebon stopped spinning his fingers and Grey came to a halt suppended in the air,
Where he unceremoniously lost the soup he had for lunch. "Now that's just nasty."
Ebon said turning up his nose. "I'll go tell Dante you wanna holla at him and we'll get back to you. Keep your goon squad away from my people until then or next time we'll see what you had for lunch and dinner." Ebon winked at Grey as he blinked out of sight. Grey landed with all the grace of a rock right on his ass as soon as Ebon vanished. He struggled to gather himself as his brain swirled. "Well you don't see that everyday." Jason mocked, having been released from the witchery Grey put on him when Ebon spun him ass over end. "I want to know everything about him." Grey said wiping the remnants from his mouth. "Where he is from, where he has been, his parents, all of it. And I want to know now!"