Heroes STRIKEs Back 3B Heroes/STRIKE Series'

Prologue

**** Brothers Ash and Taecyeon Park sat side by side on the church pew. The service was nearing it's end, and soon they'd have to stand in line along with their older sister and parents.

Ash glanced at his younger brother. Anna's death wasn't Taec's fault, but she was gone and nothing would bring her back. He shook his head as a stray tear rolled down his cheek. He had only left Taec and Anna for a second, and that was all it took. Anna was dead, and sixteen year old Taec, had been badly beaten.

Ash sighed to himself. He knew in his head that it wasn't his brother's fault, but at the same time... like himself, Taec was just as experienced in using Taekwondo and should have done a better job of protecting their baby sister. Instead, Taec had been taken by surprise and beaten. Then Anna had been taken by a child molester who loved preadolescent girls. Her body had been found a week later.

Taec glanced at his brother. He knew Ash blamed him, but if he hadn't gone off to meet his girlfriend Taec wouldn't have been left alone with Anna. He shook his head, at the memory and fought back the tears.

'No. That's not true. It's all my fault. I should have kept her safe.' He thought.

***

Taec couldn't remember much after he'd been hit, except his sister's screams that still echoed in his dreams. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He may not remember much about that day, but he would be forever haunted with the memory of his father telling him that Anna was dead.

***

The brothers sat with their family in the fellowship hall following the funeral. Mourners and supporters voiced their condolences. The brothers, their parents, Kain and, Alice Park, and their older sister Rana, all felt lost in their grief. Lightning struck somewhere close and the group cringed as the thunder shook the windows. The sky opened up and rain poured as if Anna was weeping right along with her family.

***

Years later -

The alleyway was pitch black. Despite the lack of moonlight, Scott Washington moved quickly out of fear. His heart pounded, enhancing the sound of blood rushing through his ears.

'Wait!' He froze.

There was that sound again. He'd been hearing it on and off for the past few days. However, there was something different about it. Washington stood still for a long moment, listening to the sound of bells in the night.

The sound seemed to move and fill the air. He never knew just where it was coming from; as if the sound had a life all it's own. Then it just stopped.

Washington sighed and turned to continue on, only to jump back with a start. Only feet away stood a man dressed in black. The lower half of his face was covered by a skull mask, and a hood bathed the rest of his face in shadows. The only features visible were his eyes. They were cold and pittieless.

The sound came again. That was when Washington noticed the man's right hand. He held two onyx meditation balls. His hand moved perfectly, spinning the balls around each other, yet never letting them touch. It was obvious he'd done this often and was an expert. The speed with which he performed the act would have been awe inspiring had the man not been so intimidating.

He was tall, over six feet, with wide shoulders. Washington felt a shiver of dread as the figure began to walk towards him with slow, controlled steps; a truly menacing sight. The sound of combat boots echoed off the stone walls, adding to his own terror.

Washington felt the menace radiating off the man. When the stranger stopped, Washington suddenly realized just who he was facing. A soft whisper of terror slipped past his lips.

"Sasin."
(Sa-shin)

Washington suppressed a shiver as the man in black slowly looked up, eyes ruthless and filled with determination. To Washington's horror, the balls stopped spinning, and with them; the bells fell silent. He watched as they clicked together three times. He knew the rumors and what that sound meant.

'If the Reaper has you in his sites, fear not for you're not his intended prey,  only when you hear three taps do you run. Yet don't waist your final wish on escape, for once a wolf has begun to track his prey, the hunt will only end with the prey's death.'

Washington turned to run but to no avail. His neck was snapped before he took more than a few steps.

***

Sasin pulled a small wooden scythe carved specifically for this target and slipped it into the dead man's breast pocket. The polished mahogany gleamed with the light from the street lamps.

Sasin pushed the hoodie back and pulled the mask from his face as he tapped the comm and spoke.

"Target has been neutralized."

The answering voice of his team leader wasn't a welcome one, "Copy that, Sasin. Head for the rendezvous. Wren is waiting."

Sasin stood and looked down at his target, "Will there be women and children for you to rape and torture in hell, Washington?"

He stepped over the body in disgust and disappeared into the night.

***

Yeou dropped his headset and cursed in Korean. "He played with another one!"

The team hacker 'Oracle' shrugged and answered. Her Chinese accent soft. "He enjoys making the evil jerks pay for their crimes and gives them a small taste of what they did to others."

Yeou looked at her, "You know how I feel about that, and the more he does this, the more likely we'll be found out."

She shrugged again, "STRIKE will cover the bills. Besides, our perspective Governments can't risk losing us to any local cells. They'll make any and all issues disappear."