'I swear to you, Zander was no normal child,' Stephen held his hands up as the cold metal of Anne's staff placed up against his chin.
'Just what are you getting at?'
'Don't you think it's odd how both you and him got the powers of the champions,' Stephen smirked.
'Why do you know so much and we don't?'
Stephen pushed up Anne's staff and pushed her aside, 'RUN,' Stephen got sent flying.
Sitting in the snow, Anne scurried back up to see a man in a full 2-piece suit come up to her, 'You cannot learn the truth,' he pushed his glasses up and fixed his mop head hair.
'I'll learn, if it means,' she got into a fighting stance, 'I CAN SAVE ZEN,' spinning her blade she went for a hit.
'Nice try,' he grabbed the staff and ripped it out Anne's hands, 'Names Talbot.'
'I don't care about your name,' Anne created another staff.
'Well knowing who I am might do yoh some good,' he fixed his gloves, 'Now I would prefer to refraim from fighting and have you just stop snooping around.'
'No can d-'
Talbot punched Anne square in the face.
Being launched off her feet and into a pile of built up snow, Anne got back up, 'Ok then.'
'Stop resisting and give up.'
'Never.'
With elegant movement, Anne parried all the attacks she could with her staff, while in return she delivered back blows to lean the fight in her favor. Stumbling back, Talbot straightened his posture and cracked his knuckles. Rushing at Anne, he swept her off the soles of her feet and onto the snow. Kicking her, she grunted in pain as she back flipped upwards and took steps away from him. The two now charged at one another. Throwing her staff, Talbot ducked under it and into Anne's trap. Falling backwards, Anne used her arms to propel herself to slide atop the snow and kick Talbot in his stomach.
'You-WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST DO,' he stopped himself, 'Sorry, I lost my posture,' he fixed his tie.
'And I'm sorry,' Anne was breathing heavily now as she went to stand up, 'But I still have to refuse your offer.'
'And then Stephen came to the rescue!'
Both Anne and Talbot turned to see Stephen run out a bush.
'But you have no powers,' Anne sounded short on breathe.
'But alas,' Stephen snapped his finger and made a sword appear behind him. It was floating and looked ghostly. Unsheathing itself: the blade was translucent yet sharp. '3rd Technique,' Stephen made the blade move to his side without using his hands, 'Demon Style Horizontal Slash,' at that moment, the blade flew towards Talbot, dodge Talbot's attack and had cut his knees and the soft tissues in his hind legs, 'Kneel,' he said coldly.
Talbot was now rendered immobile.
'What wa-'
'Come Anne, I have much more to share,' Stepehen snapped his fingers again and made the sword sheath and disappear.
Anne and Stephen were now inside a cafe.
'What was that power?'
Stephen took a sip of his coffee, 'bitter,' he smacked his lips. Now he looked at Anne, 'You know how Zen has Black hair and blue eyes.'
'Of course I would.'
'The blue eyes and blonde hair are from our father while the black hair and green eyes are our mothers.'
'Green eyes?'
'Heres our story: there were three children. They were all related by blood, loved one another, cherished each other, but one day something corrupted the youngest. As heros, the parents had to send their child to a health institute, but they knew the truth: their precious child would be tested and harmed rather than saved. In desperation, they faked his death and had him sent to a friend of the family to raise him. Unfortunately, infantile amnesia prevented that child from remembering those times. While he forgot, the other two were blessed. The girl had the gift of creating explosions with the snap and clap of her hands. She inherited her fathers powers. The boy however, inherited his mother's blade titled, "Demonic Blade." The two trained to become strong so they may one day reunited with their lost brother and save him, or atleast do some good to make his lost less miserable. Then one day came. The parents had died to those they trusted. Fellow heros. Leaving the children as orphans, they survived alone at the age of ten. Gathering information to why their parents were killed, at age sixteen, they knew now. Their parents wanted to warn people about the incoming alien threat whereas the government wanted only heros to know and do nothing about it.'
Anne was shocked by what she was told. Zen apparently hadn't had lost his family once or twice, but three different times. 'Who was the sister?'
'Lady Sandra as you know her, but to me she's Sandra Hope.'
'And Zen was powerless too, how was he corrupted or more special than you or Sandra??'
Stephen looked Anne deep in her eyes, 'Zen had a close relationship to an imaginary friend when he was three. That friend is the demon who chose him as the champion. Zen doesn't know this, but I know the demon has memories left of it.'
'Why doesn't he tell Zen?'
'He doesn't want him to hate him. The demon once loved a woman, and then lost her to our human greed. Even so, Zen seemed to had welcomed him somehow, so they became friends before they ever actually meet.'
Anne took a sip of her coffee, 'ew, bitter.'
'And that corruption was just a fear of whenever Zen mentioned the name Blood.'
'Where have you been all this time when Zen could've used you or Sandra's help!'
'While Sandra was busy fighting those who betrayed us, I've been sticking my neck out into the government's databases, military bases, everything to learn what I know now.'
Anne looked off to the side, 'I don't know what to do,' tears were leaving her eyes, 'Without Zen, I'm nothing,' Anne's face began to look like a mess with her makeup coming off, 'I miss him!' Anne loudly whispered.
'That's why we're gonna save my younger bro.'
Anne wipped her tears, 'You know where he is?'
'Being held by the government in the Florida Hero sector.'
'Home,' Anne was filled with disbelief and she didn't know to trust Stephen, but she knew she had no other choice, 'I'm ready.'