Hidden War

Chapter XI: Beneath the mask

Austin and Korrina sat quietly in a car together on the way to the Bones hideout. Korrina, always being out there, turned to SK with a smile. 

"It's going to be weeeeird seeing all your family again."

"Always is." SK said shortly. Korrina didn't say another word for a little bit then she started to sing. 

"Where have you been? Been searching all along Came facing twilight on and on, Without a clue Without a sign, Without grasping yet, The real question to be asked: Where have I been?" 

"Your a shape shifter. At Poe's masquerade. Hiding both face and mind. All free for you to draw." SK said as Korrina smiled. 

"I'm a shape shifter! What else should I be? Please don't take off my mask, Revealing dark. Wow SK i didn't know you played Persona?!" She said very happily. SK shrugged. 

"I don't i just know that.. Hey Korrina, i want to know more about you, i guess what i mean to say is like what do you do outside of killing people." SK said as Korrina laughed. 

"Hmmmm well i like to play video games with my little brother, draw, cook, mess around, do my hair, watch anime, you know like girls normally do." 

"You have a little brother?"

"Yup his name is Joey. He's about 8. He actually lives in the Skeleton City with my suyang eomma and suyang appa." She said looking out the window silently smiling. SK looked over at Korrina with a blank look on his mask.

"What uh what happened to your parents?"

"Oh they're just on the SSS floor of Arkham but its all good cause we're here now!" Korrina said beaming a smile and getting out the car. The two walked towards the voice identification machine. 

"Name?" The machine spoke. Korrina got there first and SK was right next to her.  

"The wonderful Windowmaker!!" She said closing one of her eyes and sticking out her tongue to have SK laugh. 

"Skeleton Killer." He said. The machine hummed for a bit but talked again.

"Password?"

"The man who breaks the iron door is the man who understands weakness." SK and Korrina said together as the door opened. At the entrance to the cave stood Jason who beamed to see the two. 

"If it aint Austin and Korrina! How long since its been since i've seen both of you?"

"Uh like last week?" Korrina said as SK also nodded in agreement. Jason didn't say anything else as he lead SK and Korrina to the main area where Luna and Crossbones were waiting. Crossbones look at the two of them in confusion. 

"Where... are the others?" Crossbones said with some confusion in his voice as Luna put a hand to her face to cover her laugh. 

"They're with Scarecrow, he wants to help us out."

"Hm Crane?" Crossbones said slowly but then didn't say anything but turned to Korrina. "Widowmaker. How long has it been?"

Korrina gave an awkward smile, "Too long?"

"Yes... It has." 

"Uh can we go to the Skeleton City?" Korrina said to Crossbones who shrugged his shoulders. 

"I don't care, i just need to talk to Austin for a little bit." He said waving Korrina off, who turned and walked away leaving SK with his sister and his father. 

"What do you want?" SK said in a short tone. Crossbones laughed and patted his son on the back. 

"You remember that time i almost killed you?"

"How could i forget?" SK said shaking his head. 

"Eye for an eye son." Crossbones said raising a hand and giving SK a gun. SK and Luna stood there in shock as their father raised SK hand putting the gun to his head. 

"I'm not going to shoot you. Are you fucking insane?" SK said in disgust as Luna gave SK a strange look. 

"Wow you're a pussy?" She laughed.

"Want me to shoot you?" SK said turning his head to his sister who laughed again.

"I know you wouldn't!" Luna said rolling her eyes. SK turned back to Crossbones.

"Let go of the gun dad." SK said in a straight voice as Crossbones let go, right as SK turned around and shot Luna in the shoulder. She dropped to the ground in pain.

"YOU FUCKING PRICK! I'LL KILL YOU!" She screamed as SK paid no attention only turning to his father again. 

"Look dad, as much as i'd like to get my revenge on you, not now. I'm going after Batman, and if you agree to help me, then i'll get my revenge."

"That's fair. I'll help you with anything you need." Crossbones said as him and SK shook hands and SK went down to Skeleton City to find Korrina. Crossbones turned to his bleeding daughter who looked up in disgust. 

"Your letting him walk after he FUCKING SHOT ME?" She yelled as Crossbones turned and walked away smiling. 

"You asked him to." 

                                                                                                   ***

SK looked out the glass elevator he was going down into Skeleton City, a huge underground city built by his father. As he stepped off elevator, he saw a group of kids running around right in front of a statue of a woman holding up SK's sword. 

"Mom.." He muttered to himself as someone tapped him on the shoulder: Korrina. 

"Heeeey SK! Let's a go" Korrina beamed and smiled and ran off. SK sighed and followed Korrina through the city, looking around at everything. 

"This place.. its changed since ive last been here," SK said looking around. "There are more people and houses.."

"Well the world is changing SK. Your father is training the future i guess. But we're heeereee." Korrina smiled in front of a one story house on a mountain side. Before SK stepped in, Korrina pointed at his shoes, in which SK smiled and took them off. As they both walked in, a blur ran at Korrina and jump-hugged her. 

"KORRINA!!" It yelled as Korrina hugged it back. 

"Joey! How are you doing?" Korrina said smiling as he was very excited to see his sister. 

"I'm doing greaat! I'm almost done with Devil May Cry! Now who's your boyfriend?!" 

"Boy-boyfriend," Korrina said blushing to a laughing SK, "Him and i aren't dating you idiot!"

"Joyonghi hae! Joileul jalyeogo haeyo!"(quiet down joey! We're trying to sleep!) a voice said from the other room. 

"Sorry mom, but Korrina's home!" Joey said with a smile. SK saw an old couple walk out of the next room with a smile as they saw their daughter. 

"Korrina? Yeogiseo mwo haeyo?"(Korrina? What are you doing here?) The old man said with a smile then turned to SK, "Geuligo geuneun nugu-ibnikka?(And who is he?). Korrina turned to SK and smiled.

"This is SK, or Austin, he's Crossbones's son."

Korrina's dad smiled. "Your father, he a good man. Helped us a lot."

"Oh that's uh great," SK said rubbing his head then his phone rang and he picked it up, "Yeah?"

"Uh yeah SK it's uh Carter erhm uh when are you guys getting back?" Carter muttered in the phone. SK looked at Korrina who was hugging her family goodbye responded back. 

"We're leaving now."