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❤️ Gwen and Kando (Part 1) ❤️

Unknown Place:

Kira continued kicking the iron bar until it fell down to the ground, nearly hitting Phoenix.

Entering the cell, she brought out Phoenix who went to sit beside Gwen.

"Thank you so much." Phoenix appreciated it.

"If you were someone else I would have left you but you are Storm's mother so..." she left her words hanging with a shrug.

Phoenix nodded her head in understanding.

Kira walked back to the entrance of the cave and once again tried to come out which proved abortive.

"There is nothing you can do, we are struck here," Phoenix said. "There is no use." she added a second later.

Kira just stared at it and then brought out the pendant from her neck and clenched it tightly round her right fist.

With it she began punching the empty air in front of her. With the help of the pendant in her hands she could now see a white transparent wall that was blocking the entrance which disappeared when she removed her fist. Punching a particular spot until it made a crack and harder she punched until that crack affected the rest and it came crumbling down.

When her fist didn't meet any resistance at all, she stepped outside of the cave and smiled and went back inside.

"It's gone," Kira said, going to help Phoenix up to her feet and then Gwen. "Let's get out of here." she added, turning around.

"Get out of where?" Edgardo asked as he walked in from the entrance cave, startling the three women, "I must say, you are exactly my expectation, sweetheart." He told Kira.

"Let us go, if you want to be alive. Don't provoke me any further Edgardo," Kira said to him.

"That's what I like in you Juno," Edgardo said, putting his hands behind him. "I told you before, you are not leaving here. You will be here until everything is over and that's the only time you will be setting your feet out of here." he added. "Just give me a little time sweetheart."

"That is if Storm doesn't find this place first."

"Don't keep your hope on high, he can never find you here. I have held Phoenix for years here and he couldn't even find her, don't make me laugh my love." he said and then suddenly Phoenix was flying back inside her cell and the iron bar raised up and went back into place, she started screaming in pain. Gwen was thrown and held against a wall and was also screaming in pain.

"What are you doing to them? Stop it!" Kira panicked as she recognized what was happening. Storm has done exactly the same thing with Kando. Staring at the man in front of her, if it weren't for the devilish smirk and his icy red eyes Kira would have believed it was Storm.

"You see sweetheart, don't push me too much, I'm dangerous even to myself."

"Please stop hurting them, I beg of you." She pleaded.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I am sorry, we won't try to escape anymore, now please stop hurting them."

"As you wish my lady." he said and Phoenix and Gwen stopped screaming at the same time the cell door opened and he fling Gwen inside to join Phoenix.

Gwen, who wasn't expecting such a thing, fell down on the floor with a loud thud. She groaned in pain.

Kira rushed over but the cell door was locked before she reached there.

"Don't you know she is pregnant? Do you want to kill her?" Kira shouted as she stared at Gwen in concern. Then turn around to face Edgardo only to find him behind her, so close to her that she takes a step back and her back touches the iron bars. How had he come behind her without her hearing his footsteps?

"That's none of my business, sweetheart," Edgardo said and closed the distance between them. "You should be happy that you are not carrying his child. If not, I don't want to go into details about the kind of things I would do on your stomach when I tear it open." he added.

Kira blinked up at him when she felt the familiar coldness of chains around her hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked in anger as he chained her both hands.

"What I should have done the first time sweetheart." he answered in a whisper and before Kira would know it he was chaining her to the wall.

What the fuck...how?

"This way I would know you won't escape me." he added and collected the pendant from her hand and tucking it inside one of his pockets as Kira glared at him.

"When I kill you, it will be nice and slow." Kira gritted out.

"I look forward to that," he said. "I have got somewhere else I have to be. I will bring food for you and probably the other two since you care about them so much." he added a second later and was gone.

"Are you okay?" she directs her questions to the both of them.

Phoenix nodded her head as she helped Gwen to sit down.

"It hurts but it's okay," Gwen said finally. Her body felt on fire and she was in pain. "Don't worry about me." it took her willpower not to grind her teeth in pain. She closes her eyes as the pain increases and holds back her groan.

"We will get out of here," Kira assured her and Phoenix, especially her. "Storm will find us."

He has got to find them. Storm you better not disappoint me.

***

Marketplace:

Rumi stopped and looked around her in confusion and she didn't even try to hide it. They were not too far from the marketplace.

"What is it?" Storm and Kando both asked at the same time.

"It stopped here," Rumi said. "Whatever lead I had stopped here." she added as she could no longer smell the odd scent anymore. It was gone, as if it wasn't there to begin with.

"That's impossible," Kando said. "You are a witch so do your job."

"I am doing what I know best, Kando but whoever it is that took them, I can't track them. It will only lead us back to the spot we left at that shed." Rumi explained.

"So are you trying to tell us that you are powerless?" Storm asks. "I wasted my time and energy to come down to your house and bring you down here only for you to turn around and tell me you can't find a lead anymore? I should have done this in my own way." he added.

"Whoever it is powerful, Storm, I am not dealing with a simple magic here. Give me time. I need time to connect the dots." Rumi told Storm.

"There is no time, Rumi," Kando said and at the same time Storm said.

"I don't like waiting."

"I don't know what else to do, Storm." Rumi didn't get to finish her statement when her eyes widened in shock.

Storm was in the mid-air and was staring around. He soon closes his eyes.

And she realized she wasn't the only one too, Kando was surprised.

Storm landed in front of Rumi.

"I know where they're." he added, climbing his horse. He is following Kira's scent.

Rumi eyebrows twitch in anger.

"Are you playing with me or what? First it was standing in the air and now you know their whereabouts? I know it was a game when I saw you leaving the market with them." Rumi said in anger. Was Storm trying to ridicule her? Was this how Kira and him wanted to set her up in front of Kando so that he could report back to Cando? Why did he do that? Why would Kira want to embarrass her now? She wondered in thoughts as plenty of questions filled her head.

"I wasn't the one," Storm said. "And if you were looking enough you would have seen whoever took Juno and Gwen has lifted up his scent to the air around and besides, I don't like showing off but right now I needed to do it. You have magic and I am just Storm." he explained.

Rumi's anger was fading away and she couldn't help but agree with Storm. She didn't look enough, her brain could have told her that. Maybe that was why she hadn't been able to get the unknown man's location because she was searching at the wrong place.

"You could fly and you still use a horse to go wherever you want to go?" Kando asked with raised brows. He was surprised as he came down from his horse.

"Says the guy who has wings but chooses to come to Ashland on a horse back," Storm said. "Let's get Juno and Gwen back safely in the palace then you can re-ask your question again." he added a second later and this time, he was leading the way.

**

Kudarma Kingdom:

Cando was restless about the state his brother is right now and if he was able to pull off his plan. He wondered what kind of plan it was.

Not knowing who to talk to, he decided to visit Adaoh.

"You are worried about your brother, isn't it?" Adaoh asked him when he came to meet her.

Nodding his head. "Will he be okay? Will something happen to him? Will he come back safely?" Cando rushes at his question.

"Kando will be back, but the real battle will begin then." Adaoh told him. "That's when you should get worried because it will get bloody. Be strong and ready Cando for the coming battle ahead."

"I am ready. I was just worried because we couldn't inform Storm about our attack tomorrow then he told me he has a plan on how to inform Storm." Cando explained why he was worried. It won't take him anything to fly over to Ashland and see how it is going but he couldn't, that would aroused Dean suspicion. He has no other option than to wait for his brother's return and hopefully with good news of how Ashland stopped them.

"Will that be all?" Adaoh said bringing Cando out from his deep thoughts. "Or is there something else?" she asked.

"There is something else, apart from my brother, I am worried about someone else too." Cando admitted. "I hope she is safe wherever she is right now." he added and did not elaborate.

"I'm sure she will."

__

Dean's Room:

"I have done as you've asked," Dean said to Edgardo, who was in his room with him. "What's next?" he asked. It still baffles him that Edgardo was standing right in front of him. Why will he be at Ashland and still working for its downfall? He had seen Edgardo with Kira and he wondered if Kira knew that Storm was Edgardo or he may be wrong. Maybe they're different people but that is impossible, there can't be Edgardo because he died and somehow he is back and has planted himself as Storm and also as his late brother son once again.

"You attack tomorrow, show no mercy to anyone Dean." Edgardo told him.

"Afterwards, what will happen and also me, what will you do with me?" Dean asked. He felt weak in the presence of Edgardo, he has always felt weak in his presence even when he was a child.

If Sarah was here she would have given me an idea on how to stop you since but sadly she is not here.

Dean thought as he awaits Edgardo's response.

"That's when my real plan will manifest but you won't be alive to witness it."

"You plan to kill me even though I am helping you? I thought we will be even after I render my help to you " Dean said.

"No matter how much help you render to me it won't cover up your betrayal Dean. Do you know what I would have become if you hadn't meddled with my fate?" Edgardo said angrily. "I would have become the only god but you and your stupid witch decided to play with my fate not knowing that in the years coming I will become your doom that's why in life, choose. It hurts me deeply that you won't die in my hands."

"What?"

"Oh, did I say that aloud?" Edgardo mused to himself. "Good luck," he added.

Dean was silent and watched as Edgardo closed the distance between them and surprisingly pulled him for a hug, shocking him to his bone marrow.

Dean was confused by that gesture but didn't have enough time to think when Edgardo suddenly grabbed hold of his ponytail and cut it off and then released his hold on him.

Moving back a bit as he held the length of Dean's hair he had cut off closer to his face.

"This will do," he said more to himself. "If you survive then I will be paying you a visit soon. Fight well and put good use of these muscles for once." he added and was gone like a wind.

Touching the back of his head. His remaining hair wasn't even up to shoulder length and he tried not to yell out, what is done is done and yelling and screaming won't bring back his hair Edgardo took. He wondered what Edgardo wanted his hair for?

But one thing he knows, he won't be going down alone.

***

Unknown Place:

"So have you try to talk him out of this suicide mission he has embark on?" Kira asked aloud from where she was bound to. No one needed to point out who she was asking.

"I have tried to talk him out of this," Phoenix said. "But he remains adamant to my plea. I am tired of begging." she added.

"Don't worry, it will be over soon. I just have to find a way to get us out of here." Kira said.

"You don't give up don't you?" Phoenix asked with wide eyes.

"He is not here yet, so yes. If my hands could touch something pointy I would get out of this," she said as the chain around her hands rattled. "Give me time, I need to think." She added and closed her eyes but couldn't concentrate because she heard the sound of two horses coming and their running hoofs.

"Someone is coming." she said and opened her mouth to shout so that she could attract whoever it is to them but two voices she knew well beat her first.

"Juno!"

"Gwen!"

Kando and Storm both shouted at the same time.

"We are here!" Kira yelled back, excited, she continued yelling 'we are here's

Storm and Rumi came down from their horses, Kando had given Rumi his horse to use while he used his wings. They climbed down the mountain. Kando flew Rumi while Storm jumped down.

"They're here." Rumi said, pointing at a cave not too far from them. She remembered this place very well. It was here she had brought Kira and betrayed her twelve years ago. There are hidden caves around the mountains that you would miss if you aren't paying any close attention.

Storm and Kando hurried to the cave with Rumi right behind them.

Entering the cave, he growled when he saw Kira on the wall and without exchanging words, the chains bounding her loosen, falling to the ground.

"Where is Gwen?" Storm asked.

"Here." Rumi answered, pointing at the cell that held two occupants.

Kando quickly went and pulled the cell door off its hinges and dropped it on the floor then went instead to meet Gwen. He was focused wholly on her. He stopped in his movement when he saw Gwen's stomach and she was groaning in pain, though not audible but he could still hear her. He went on his knees and touched Gwen's chin.

"I am here Beautiful."

Kira wanted to run and hug Storm but stopped, what if it was Edgardo's plan so that he would find an excuse to finally kill Gwen. There was nothing magic can't do and Rumi being here proves that not everyone should be trusted. She wouldn't take such a risk.

"Do you think I will come running into your arms, Edgardo?"

One of Storm's eyebrows shot up. "There is another one? So apart from Dean you are seeing someone else?" he said as he shook in anger. "Where is he?" he demanded.

Kira breathed out in relief and ran to hug him.

"You are the real one."

"What are you saying? Was I not real to begin with?" Storm asked as he returned her hug, his hold on her tightened. "How did you get here?"

"You won't understand," Kira said, referring to his first question. "Let's leave here immediately before he returns and with your mother too." she told him.

Storm halts and pushes Kira back a little so that he could stare at her face. He was in shock.

"My mother? You've seen my mother?" Storm asks.

Kira nodded her head. "Of course, that's here, she is with Gwen inside that prison." she pointed and Storm turned quickly in that direction and his eyes widened up.

Phoenix couldn't believe her eyes. This was Storm, she couldn't forget his eyes but why then did he look so much like Edgardo. Is the creator hands in this? She slowly stood up to her feet. She could see anger and pain in his eyes. He has every right to be angry at her for abandoning him that night but then again, didn't he get her note?

"Storm." Phoenix whispered his name.

"Mother." Storm said, still not believing his eyes. He has been searching for his mother for years and couldn't find her, he didn't know she was just beneath the mountain that was in front of the great Wall Dean had built. He didn't know when his legs carried him to meet her but he did know when his arms went around her to hug her. She was alive and that was all that matters, later on, he will be angry but not now. "I missed you so much." he said, his voice muffled.

"Me too son," Phoenix said in tears and then suddenly started coughing out, releasing her hold on him and going down on her knees.

"What's it mother?" Storm asked in concern.

"H..he.." Phoenix stutter.

"Magic." Rumi muttered.

"Let's get out of here, we will talk when we get home," Storm said as he helped his mother to her feet once again. Kando carried Gwen in his arms and they started walking towards the entrance of the cave.

"And where do you think you are going with my bride?" Edgardo asked.

That made everyone stopped in their movement and Storm turned around to glare at the stupid person then started blinking rapidly when he saw who it is.

A splitting image of him stood at the place Kira was bound, smirking down on his shock face.

"I am in no habit of talking too much. You can go with the others all except for Juno. Take Phoenix with you. She is dead to me anyway and will soon be gone but Juno stays."

Coming out from his shock state. He wasn't expecting that.

"Never." Storm said, grabbing hold of Kira's hand in his.

"Take your hands off what is mine this minute." Edgardo said. "Or else you can't handle what I will do to you." he added and at that moment Ninja's began to fill the cave, drawing out their swords towards Storm and the others.

Storm smirked as he stared around. "Is this all you've got?"

Smirking exactly the same way Storm did, "I was hoping you'd say that."

The ground beneath them cracked open.