Just a taste of what Catherine has been up to as the Kitsune Queen.
A giant thank you to Marie Allen for beta reading this for me!
Bonus Chapter
Ethan strode down the dilapidated hallway, avoiding piles of trash and other refuse as he made his way to the end where a hidden door slid open revealing an elevator.
Stepping inside, he turned around and the elevator doors silently closed; the car descending, automatically taking him to where he needed to be.
Waiting, he tapped the folder in his hand against his other palm in annoyance.
The elevator came to a halt and the doors opened to reveal a large chamber constructed of brick and stone. The dark space was lit by braziers that reflected the firelight off the stone floor of the abandoned prohibition storehouse, the tunnels leading to various parts of Manhattan used to full advantage.
Entering in through the hidden side door, he strolled into the throne room.
The twisted remains of a throne, burned, splintered, and cobbled back together, sat upon a dais. To the left, a samurai helmet with a katana blade driven through it stood on prominent display, while two black banners with a white fox head in the center hung from the rafters on either side of the throne proclaiming it to be the lair of the Yokai Clan.
He watched from the shadows as the theatre played out before him; black-clad ninjas kneeling on the floor before their queen, the Yokai -her general, Tengu, and his three lieutenants Tanuki, Neko, and Oni, all masked and always silent- positioned at the head of their respective legions. Okami, -the Queen's Guard- stood to her right, his pure white wolf-dog, Raijū sitting at his side, mouth stained red with the blood of another transgressor.
Okami, wearing his white wolf mask, silently watched as the interpreter stood to the queen's left, translating words spoken in Japanese into English for the poor sod in front of the throne, screaming as the black wolf-dog Beowulf, held him on the ground by the shoulder.
"Silence," the interpreter shouted, the terrified man on the floor clamping his mouth shut on a whimper. "You were found robbing the convenience store on forty-seventh and eleventh, a property under the protection of the Kitsune Queen and under the jurisdiction of the Yokai Clan."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I swear," the man sobbed, "I didn't know! It won't happen again. Just please!"
The interpreter leaned down, speaking a few words in Japanese before the reply was given in the same language and Ethan had to admit the situation was impressively terrifying.
The man would have been dragged underground, screaming the whole way, pulled through twisting, turning, dark tunnels by a creature that resembled a large black wolf, led by a man in an oni mask before finally ending up in this chamber, deposited in front of black-clad figures kneeling upon the floor before a woman on a throne wearing a cracked kitsune mask and speaking in a purring, sweet and dangerous voice in a language he would not be able to understand.
It was eerie and decidedly otherworldly.
It was also brilliant.
Her ruse of pretending to not speak English gave her more than a few advantages, being able to overhear words spoken that others did not think she could understand, with the added benefit of concealing her identity.
"She knows it won't," the interpreter said and the man on the floor, already a sickly shade of grey, blanched even further as the queen gave a negligent wave of her gauntleted hand.
"Noooo!" the man screamed as Oni and Tanuki stood and grabbed the frightened man, dragging him from the throne room and down one of the side tunnels.
When they could no longer hear the man's screams, the queen stood and the ninjas followed, quickly vanishing into the shadows as they went about whatever business their general asked of them leaving only the Kitsune Queen, Okami and Raijū.
"You may come out, Mr. Douglas," Catherine's voice intoned. "I know you are there."
Avoiding the drying blood that led up to the throne, he frowned in disapproval.
"Are the men ye sicked yer wolves on going tae live?" he asked in irritation.
"Of course," Catherine answered, lifting her cracked kitsune mask to reveal her carefully painted features, while Donatello's okami mask remained in place. "He will be dropped off in front of the nearest police station," she replied. "The other one who graced my presence earlier suffered the same fate."
"Yer drawin' attention tae yerself," he growled.
"I am making an example of and giving a warning to those who choose to perpetrate crime in my territory," she answered. "And besides, Beowulf saved that police officer's life."
"Tha' may be, bu' do ye think tha' havin' a wolf attack and drag away a man holding up a convenience store is wise?" he wondered.
"It is our best option for daylight hours," she replied. "Besides, I need to make sure that the truth is much scarier than the rumours that are flying around," she answered with a sharp-toothed grin.
"Did ye send everyone oot on patrol?" he asked, his eyes flicking around, checking if there were any ninjas hiding in the shadows.
"After Raphael and Michelangelo are finished with the thief, Raphael will relieve El from her babysitting duties and Michelangelo will spend some time with his mate."
"My sister," he stated.
"Exactly."
"Is she with Elizabeth?"
"Of course she is," she replied and he could hear the amusement in her voice. "She is Mitzuki's aunt after all, and a very doting one."
Ethan gave a nod. "Sabe always was one fer barins?"
"Apparently," she agreed. "And hoping for many of her own one day," she observed.
"Aye," Ethan said accepting her words.
There was no guarantee that any other children born of the union between a mutant turtle and a human would result in a barin that looked human, but Sabrina didn't care if her wee one took after her or Michelangelo, which was admirable if not very practical.
He hated that his sister had chosen the path that she had -had chosen to marry the creature she had- but he respected his sister's choice, though it had taken him a while to accept it.
The four women in his sister's life knew nothing of what was going on, and though it infuriated them, they had been effectively relegated to the outside of the dark criminal world.
Ethan had approved, and though he didn't like the fact that his sister's husband was part of what amounted to a criminal organization, he appreciated the steps that had been taken to insulate his sister and her friends.
"Leonardo is taking the Karasu to observe trouble spots and coordinate with Karai for their shifts in patrolling my territory."
Ethan tapped the folder against his palm again as he filed the information away. He understood the power structure of Catherine's Clan, but he was still trying to learn how it operated, and if it was having a positive or negative impact on New York.
Leonardo was Catherine's general and went by the name Tengu. He led a team of ten elite ninjas: the Karasu, or crow in Japanese, the name taken from the mask Leonardo wore to hide his features, though it was not a traditional tengu mask. Rather than his usual blue mask across his eyes, he wore a black cloth mask, the lower half of his face hidden by a silver metal half-mask shaped into the form of a beak, the Karasu each wore the same mask but theirs were black.
Leonardo strategized with Catherine and directed his lieutenants who each led their own teams of ninjas.
Catherine's lieutenants, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Karai Oroku -the former leader of the Foot Clan -miraculously alive- were similarly masked and named. Michelangelo wore a tanuki mask, Karai a neko, and Raphael an oni and were each referred to as Tanuki, Neko, and Oni.
None of them ever spoke in the presence of the other gangs, and Ethan found it unsettling and incredibly effective.
How they had chosen their identities, he wasn't sure, but suspected that Catherine had assigned them.
He did not interact with Karai Oroku much, and for that he was grateful. She had a frigid, formal personality and a dangerous nature. She was not overly friendly but oddly respectful. The only thing they had in common seemed to be their mutual wariness and fear of Catherine.
Walking up to the dais where Catherine sat, Donatello -her loyal guard, the one that never left her side- watched him suspiciously through his okami mask.
"Just remember, I'm only doing this because I want tae protect my little sister," he warned, pausing with the folder still in his grasp.
"And how is the NYPD treating its newest member of the Gang Squad?" she asked as he narrowed his eyes in irritation, handing her the file, suspecting that somehow strings had been pulled that allowed him to transfer from the Gayfield Square Police Station in Edinburg, but he had no proof and he had never asked.
"Jist fine," he replied tersely, noting that while there had been more of a culture shock than he would like to admit, it was nothing compared to working in Glasgow.
"I am pleased to hear it."
"The Gang Squad haven't figured oot yer operation yet," he informed her as she flipped through the pages in the file he had given her. "They ken there's a new player in New York, bu' they have nae idea who is running it, how big it is, or how many gangs are affiliated wit it. There are rumours o' course, most that ye have stoked and created. My colleagues are nae taking seriously the whispers o' demons an' monsters running through the streets, bu' 'tis only a matter o' time 'afore one o' the many criminals you have frightened intae silence talks, or they finally believe that there is something tae the strange sightings an' occurrences that 'ave happened."
"I know," she said without concern. "Karai managed to run the Foot Clan for years, her father before her, and the NYPD never figured it out until she and her Clan were 'murdered'. Luckily for Karai, that information was buried rather handily as it would have been difficult for Chaplain and very embarrassing for the NYPD as well," she mused.
He hummed in irritation, Catherine stopping on a page and skimming it.
"The men ye wanted me tae look oot for if they ever stepped foot on U.S. soil, well, six o' them arrived at JFK yesterday."
"Really?" she asked curiously. "I had expected at least a dozen. I wonder if that means there will be more, or if this is more of a negotiation or possibly exploratory group?" she mused to herself.
"And whit exactly are ye planning on doin' whit these men?" he asked.
"It depends," she replied, her voice sharpening.
Ethan felt a shiver of unease slip down his spine.
When he had first encountered his soon-to-be in-laws, they had terrified him, not wholly because of their appearance or their weaponry, but instinctually he knew they were dangerous. However, it was the woman who now stood in front of him that he had been most wary of that night.
At the time, he had not known their power structure, or the important position Catherine held within the clan, but he knew she had control over them, and that she was observant and intelligent enough to have figured out that he had taken the kitchen knife from the knife block and was prepared to use it.
His instincts had not failed him that night, and they did not fail him now. "On whit? Them trying tae kill ye?" he asked.
"Exactly," she agreed, satisfied with his understanding that his precinct may have to investigate the deaths of six Japanese nationals from a clan that had attempted to wipe out the Foot Clan. "Their actions will dictate mine."
He glared at her. He didn't like it, he hated it in fact, but he knew that as much as he distrusted the kitsune mask wearing woman in front of him, that she would only kill the men if they threatened her or her family.
As vicious and terrifying as that was, there was something oddly comforting in knowing that this woman had no compunction about destroying her enemies.
He was a police officer, he was supposed to frown on vigilantism and bring criminals to justice, but where his sister was concerned, he would do anything to protect her.
When he had returned to Scotland after the wedding, he had done some digging into the backgrounds of everyone at the wedding who was human.
The exercise had been both illuminating and concerning. It was obvious that his sister had gotten herself involved in a family that, though tragic, was at least monetarily solvent.
The release of the 'Raven's' new graphic novel and his knowledge of the Raven's true identity had been enlightening, and he recognized the story for what is was; a true tale spun in such a way that it entertained.
He had been picked out certain characters and because of this, he was able to look at the events that had happened in New York beginning when his sister had arrived four years ago, and discern events that were hidden unless one were looking for them.
His first thoughts were to try to tear his sister from what appeared to be a dangerous situation. Michelangelo's family was heavily involved in vigilantism against the gangs of New York and the last thing he needed was for his sister to be a target.
Unfortunately, his sister had been willing to be estranged from her family for Michelangelo, which meant that she wouldn't leave him of her own volition, no matter how dangerous it was.
He had put in for a temporary international transfer and sooner than he had thought possible, he had been granted a position in the Gang Squad of the NYPD.
His plan had been to expose them somehow, but they were ghosts. He could see the patterns, where they were working, where they had been, but there was nothing to connect any of them to anything.
The explosion at Karia Oroku's warehouse had been suspicious, the loss of life extreme, the coverup impressive. He knew who to blame for the deaths of over one-hundred people, and even though they were criminals, they hadn't deserved that end.
He wasn't sure how Catherine had figured out that he was close to revealing that the warehouse fire had been no accident, and Karai no innocent, but one night, he had been kidnapped and dragged before the Kitsune Queen's court, and even though he knew Catherine would never harm a member of Sabrina's family, there was something intimidating and terrifying on a visceral level about being thrown before a throne, masked turtles, two wolves, and over one-hundred deadly ninjas at his back.
That was the first moment he had seen her full fiery display and he knew his initial instincts were correct, and that out of everyone in the room, she was the most dangerous.
"I believe you are acting under a misapprehension of a certain situation," she had accused, with a sharp edge in her voice.
She motioned to the ninja in the cat mask and revealed the face of Karai Ooruku.
The bottom had fallen out of his world as the import of the revelation had washed over him.
"Thus, you owe me recompense," she had said, her voice echoing off the chamber walls as her words wove a tale around him, and he had been dragged into the shadowy world she had created.
He was in so deep, he knew he could no longer find his way out, and he marvelled at the empire she was building.
"Thank you, Ethan," Catherine said as she closed the folder and stood, his attention dragged back into the present. "I am going home to see my daughter and mate, so if that is all...?"
He gave a quick nod and paused. "They 'ave found th' New Year's Eve footage of the Parade o' One-hundred Demons," he warned. "'Tis only a matter o' time before they make a stretch an' come questionin' ye," he warned.
"I look forward to it," she said and he gave a huff of irritation, turning and walking off the dais and away from the infuriating creature before her voice caused him to pause.
"You claim that you are only helping me to protect your sister," she began as he looked at her over his shoulder.
"Tha's right," he agreed tightly.
"I know that is not your only reason," she mused as he found himself listening, anticipating her next words. "You are curious," she offered. "You want to know if this grand experiment will work. If by becoming the bad guy, more good can be done than by being the good guy."
"The good guys don't kill people," he said as she gave a mysterious smile and she stepped from her dais.
"That is true," she agreed. "So, tell me, Ethan, am I the good guy, or am I the bad guy?" she asked as she turned and walked away, leaving him pondering a question he couldn't answer.
She headed towards the darkened tunnel, Raijū trotting at her heels as Donatello approached him.
Of all the brothers, Donatello made him the most uneasy. He was kind, courteous, easily distracted, an actual genius, and was head over heels in love with his bird, Gwendolyn, but once he put on his mask, he became Kitsune no Shiroi Ōkami, the White Wolf of the Kitsune. He was the most violent, dangerous, and vicious of the 'Yokai' and the one that was the most feared within the ranks.
The duality of his nature was unnerving.
"Just a warning," Donatello began, his voice low, "don't fall in love with her."
This caught his attention and he turned to fully face the mutant turtle. "I'm no' goin' tae fall in love wit her," he defended, shocked that he would have to voice such a thing.
Besides the fact that Catherine and Raphael loved each other with an intensity that left him feeling uncomfortable and a little envious, there was a child involved, he was a police officer, she was the head of a crime ring, and Catherine wasn't his type.
At all.
"My brother and his mate are finally in a really good place, and I won't have you looking at her like you are and inciting Raph's jealous rage," he growled from behind his mask.
"I'm no' lookin' at her-"
Donatello stepped into his personal space and Ethan found his words caught in his throat by the menace rolling off the turtle in front of him.
"I've seen that look," Donatello refuted. "Either you are falling in love with her, or you are succumbing to her spell and you will find yourself kneeling before her and calling her your queen."
"Tha's never goin' tae happen," he snarled defensively, stepping up to Donatello, wanting him to give ground, but was unsuccessful, Donatello titling his head up slightly as their chests nearly touched.
"Ask yourself this: When did you, a cop, someone who is supposed to uphold the law, give up on this notion and cast your morality into the wind?"
"I'm protectin' my sister!" he defended.
"You keep telling yourself that, if it makes you feel better," Donatello said as he turned and strode after Catherine, who was patiently waiting for him with Raijū.
He watched them go, fury running through him at the blatant accusation of his supposed feelings.
Silently fuming, he walked back the way he had come, but he found his steps slowing as Donatello's words echoed ominously in his mind.
He found his steps cease and he stood, ice water flowing through his veins as the reality of his feelings washed over him, dread pooling in his stomach.
Romantic entanglements were not his thing. He was basically married to his job, having wanted to work his way up through the ranks; following every rule and procedure. He had excelled, reaching the rank of detective, and he had come to New York, to save his sister and instead, ended up breaking every rule and every oath he had ever sworn.
All for a woman who sat upon a burned-out throne organizing an army to restructure the criminal underworld in such a way that it helped rather than hurt people.
It wasn't a perfect system, not yet, and he already knew it was an experiment that could never be repeated, because Catherine was unique. She had a way of looking at the world and was able to solve problems that governments and municipal officials had been unable or unwilling to. She had tackled the gangs, slowly expanding her territory as she either took a pledge of loyalty from those willing to bow to her and agree to work within her framework, or she took them out with brutal, meticulous violence or swift cunning.
Her information network was vast, and the NYPD gang unit was inundated with 'tips' that led to major gang arrests, the police taking credit for Catherine's actions.
She charged businesses for protection, but actual protection. Patrols ran the streets, rooting out crime, stopping thefts, and controlling the gangs. Intergang violence had been nearly eliminated and most importantly, innocents were no longer getting caught up in the crossfire.
He swallowed roughly, looking over his shoulder and meeting Catherine's gaze briefly before she slid her mask back over her face and took Donatello's arm, turning away and vanishing into the shadows.
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he felt shaken to his very core by the glance she sent his way.
Closing his eyes, he tipped his head back, allowing the waves of realization to crash over him.
Giving a grim smile, he let his head fall and opened his eyes, knowing when he met the Kitsune Queen again, he would kneel at her feet, pledging his life to her and do it gladly.
He would be like the men that were sprawled upon the ground before the Queen of Hearts in the Through the Looking Glass graphic novel, risking his life, his sanity, and his heart just to bask in the presence of the dangerous, captivating creature upon the blood-soaked throne, hoping for nothing more than to be noticed by her.