After a while of idly sitting on the roof, Draco put his hood back on. I'm gonna head back down and explore... the crappier area of the city. Draco, holding his hood, jumped off the rooftop and fell into an alleyway below.

>>The Street>>

>>>>>>>From The Courthouse>>>>>>>>>>

A thug was being held by his leg over the ledge, a shadow-man holding him.

"Look Louie...you know you don't like this position...so I'm only going to ask this once. Where is the Builder?"

The thug replied frantically "I dunno....I dunno...he never stays in one place!"

"My arm's getting tired. That bastard's traumatized more people than even he will admit."

"I said I dunno! How in the hell would I know?"

"Because you were his runner at one time. Now talk!"

"Um...by the docks..."

"Thanks Louie...you were always a class act.." he said before dropping the thug. Letting him drop until he was 30 feet above, then held fast by the shadows, then set down gently.

"Turn yourself in...or I'll be back...and I won't be so gentle next time.."

The Shadow was agitated. In spite of one of the henchmen singing like a canary, The Builder continued to elude him. He had heard rumors that there were two children here in Weston that had run afoul of him. He was doing this for them, and anyone else that the sadistic madman would try to hurt.

But the Builder continued to elude him. Like some sort of mysterious urchin. But he knew that the kids would need a lawyer. And so Leo Black would give them his legal services. If and when the time came that they would need them. For now, however, he needed to get home.

And so, The Shadow used the shadows, travelling seamlessly among them, until disappearing from the night.

>>>>>>>>>>From The Tanaka Dojo>>>>>>>>>>>>

Shadowstrike soon used his amazing agility to make his way to the rooftops. Several tips he had received, and he was now going to act on them. It was rumored that one of the Yakuza overlords may be in Weston to oversee their expansion into the city. Nothing was known about the individual who was the overlord, but one knew enough not to cross them.

Shadowstrike was going to cross that line soon. For now he needed to know about this new enemy that had made its way into Weston. The grunts he had dispensed with the other night were just that...grunts. And it was time to work his way up the chain.

>>>>>>>>From The Streets>>>>>>>>>

Shadowstrike easily made his way to the top of the roof, looking over the city. His eyes narrowed as he looked across the skyline of Weston. So much corruption....so much decadence....in this confined area.

But he was the cleansing blade that removed the cancer that was called crime. And he was going to cut out the new incumbent virus that was The Yakuza. For he was Shadowstrike.

It seemed that Shadowstrike's patience had paid off. There were three of the Yakuza bodyguards that came to the same rooftop. And it appeared that they were after him.

Three against one....HARDLY a fair fight.

Only there was something....DIFFERENT....about these guards. The addition of Oni masks on each of them for one. Something was definitely not in place. And there seemed to be an aura about them.

For a brief moment, Shadowstrike's eyes glowed a solid white, and he drew out his katana, and prepared to engage his opponents. The oni-masked guards drew out swords themselves and began to circle around the dark-clad vigilante.

Shadowstrike grinned under his mask. These fools were going to pay a price. A very heavy price.

In a blur of motion, the first guard slashed at Shadowstrike, only to find that he nimbly evaded the sword slash, and with two decisive slashes and cuts from his own katana, easily cut down his attacker. The two others followed almost as quickly, except with the last one, Shadowstrike simple disabled him. He needed answers, and this lackey would provide them for him.

He sat down next to the still-living guard on the ground, and removed the guard's Oni-mask. He was a young Japanese man, in his mid-twenties with a trim moustache and goatee. Looking into his eyes Shadowstrike asked "Why are the Yakuza here?'

The guard simply chuckled and replied "You have no idea of our purpose here. But soon..you and your entire city...will be engulfed by..." and as he paused the guard's mouth began to fill with foam, and he breathed his last.

Shadowstrike put the guard down and looked out across the city once again. Something had come to Weston. Something bad. Then he felt something ELSE on the edge of his awareness.

"Katy?"

Shaking his head, he sheathed his katana and went out into the night. Whatever this was, it would need to be dealt with. And soon.

As he made his way through the night, Shadowstrike had a lot on his mind. The reemergence of Katy Hanson...perhaps...was among them. She seemed to disappear, almost as instantly and efficiently as he had. It appeared that on the edge of his awareness, she had returned. But to what end?

He couldn't be bothered by that however. The Yakuza were here in Weston...and the threat of something more than just the emergence of a new criminal empire troubled him and his thoughts. And where were the so-called "heroes" of Weston? The ones that they put upon a pedestal?

No...they didn't have the stomach for what needed to be done. And that was to cut out the growing root that the Yakuza were slowly becoming.

Confident they had went to their hiding places like discovered cockroaches, Shadowstrike soon returned to places familiar to him.

>>>>>>>>>To The Tanaka Dojo>>>>>>>>>>

<<<<from the hospital>>>>>


Leo walked out of the shadows and glanced around he walked over and sat on the edge of the building. the smoke from his office still billowed and the construction crew working on the rubble that once was his lair. He shook his head and laughed hew as thinking to much like a human.

"Why...in a day I lost everything....it took me twenty years to build the small comfortable life to live......why now damn it..."

Leo shook his head and clenched his eyes shut mumbling "your not human stop thinking like one your life line is endless a human only lives 75 years you live forever."

He laughed at those words...forever.

"Not for long.....the shattering of the edge will kill me....and drastically weaken Konnish."

Leo's cell phone rings...

Leo answers his phone with out looking at the caller ID. He flips his phone open and answers.

"Hello Leo Black."

"Hey Leo, it's Lonnie. We're all ready on our end here, just waitin' for whatever comes down.."

He paused for a moment.

"I think we got all the mushy shit out of the way in the hospital, so Renee an' I are ready. You let us know when you're ready, all right?"

"of course your see when I am ready dont worry....and watch each others backs dont get separated."

Leo paused and began to speak again.

"and...tell renee......never mind forget it."

Leo hung up his phone and placed it back in his pocket.

No reason to admit my feelings not when I am this close to finally taking down someone of great importance. i just gotta wait till the signs show when its my turn to act...

"they are ready watcher...when should I strike."

The Watcher shimmered softly behind Leo.

"You may call me Mirara..." she replied. "As for when to strike....that time is upon us. For even now Konnish strains against his dimensional prison, and his followers are trying to hasten his coming. The Black Jaguar is even now setting up counteragents and wards against him....the Champion of Light is ready...for the most part...Oswald and his grandson appear to be ready as well."

With that said Leo vanished into the shadows returning home.

<<<<left for the edge of shadows>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>From The Weston Museum>>>>>>>>>

Dragon Fist soared into the air until he was able to land on one of the rooftops overlooking the city, waiting for the "Knightly One" to arrive.

The ghostly steed lightly landed upon the rooftops and as the knight dismounted it vanished. THe man turned to the world famous hero in front of him. "So uh, what do you want to talk about?"

<--From: Weston Museum

"Oh, I could think of a couple topics," came a disembodied voice as a haze of purple mist enveloped the rooftop 'floor'. Almost out of nowhere, Katy appeared, sitting on an air-conditioner unit, legs crossed and looking extremely frustrated, though her voice gave no indication.

Such as why all of a sudden I have a daughter from the future, to my boyfriend who she swears is my husband, Psyche's voice projected into Lucas' mind, I hate time-travel, Lucas. Do you realize I haven't even TOLD Aaron I'm psychic? And now, all of a sudden I have a teenage girl staying at my place, swearing up and down that I'm her mother and Aaron's her father. How the hell am I supposed to handle this?

Dragon Fist turned his head, looking off into the city for a brief moment.

"Daughter? Married? Katy....I'll be glad to help you deal with that. I know you've had a lot to sort through lately. This young man needs my.....our...help. He's a new face on the hero scene. I can see into his soul...he genuinely wants to do the right thing. We have to encourage that."

"Well...let's start off with you, young man. I have a unique ability which allows me to see your lifeforce...your chi....and based off of that vision, you genuinely want to do the right thing. This is rare, and I would like to do what I can to foster that righteous sentiment into a potent force for good and right in this world."

He turned back to the young knight. "I'm Dragon Fist....and that's Lady Psyche. What should we call you?"

"You can call me, Knight Errant.." He said after a moment of deliberation. "And yeah I want to do whats right by others never expected to become a friggin superhero."

Psyche gave Dragon Fist a look that looked like it could pierce steel, but didn't press the issue. He was right. Someone wanting to do right by the world needed to be guided. Even without adding superpowers into the mix, a heart like that needed guidance. It was why most police officers were 'encouraged' to accompany a veteran officer until they knew the ropes.

As an after thought, an ornate, golden carnival-style mask appeared on her face. Normally, when she was off doing super-powered feats of daring-do, most people were so busy running away or trying not to get killed. That, or anyone seeing Psyche's face 'conveniently' forgot when they tried to describe her. But she didn't know this Knight Errant's powers, nor what they encompassed.

"An apt name," Psyche said, hopping off the air conditioner and walking towards the two, "And just what are your abilities, Knight Errant?"

"Uhh so far? Can summon a sword shield and a horse. I'm a lot stronger than I used to be now if only I knew how to take the thing-" Suddenly there was a flash of light and the knight was replaced by a man in security guard uniform. HE had dark brown hair and had a muscular build and a light beard. "Off?"

Dragon Fist looked on at the young fledgling hero Knight Errant.

"Knight Errant...a very appropriate name. It would appear that your powers are somewhat like mine, in that they are based in mystic energies. It took me some time to discover what all I could do. Perhaps, a journey of discovery may be able to help you find out why you received such powers."

He brought his hand up to his chin, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"Let's consider a few things: were your powers triggered by some sort of life-changing event? Mine were.....that's a long story in itself. Perhaps you may, in fact, be a descendant of one of the Templar Knights? Your attitude certainly fits one of the Knights.....always willing to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Somehow, some way, the forces that empower your armor and abilities chose you as a...well, as a Champion. Now the question is....who or what chose you, and what will you do with that knowledge?"

"Umm I was just a run of the mill security guard until those thugs took over the museum. I saw this armor and thought it would provide some bulletproofing and give me an edge I didn't expect it to turn all magic. Speaking of which I have no idea how to get this off." HE looks down fingering an amulet around his neck. "Thats new, guess the armor goes compact. Convenient."

Dragon Fist looked closer at Knight Errant's amulet.

"Stranger things have happened. Though it sounds like you and I have nearly the same arrangement with our respective armors. Maybe you should talk with the curator of the museum....see if you can find out maybe where the armor came from...maybe the magic in the armor found a worthy soul to wield its power...in this case, being you."

"I think the curator will be more concerned as to why I have the armor rather than answering any questions about it. If I'm lucky they'll think it was stolen in the confusion."