(PAST: YEAR 2011)

The Merchants perished in a single night. Their hideout burnt to cinders from Lung's pyrokinesis while the gang members were brutally killed. The Merchants had no chance at all when the ABB invaded their territory.

As for Skidmark, Squealer and Mush, Taylor had simply incapacitated them when she caught them within her range. Using her power to alter their shards configuration, Taylor just made it so that they have trouble using their abilities - which crippled them greatly - while they were fighting the powered and unpowered ABB members.

Afterward, Taylor allowed Lung to finish the three parahumans off by burning them alive. With an inferno raging around them, she cooly observed when the half-formed Lung had roared and unleashed hellfire on the three parahuman members, who had screamed such a horrible scream of agony and anguish as their flesh instantly blackened, turned to a crisp before it sloughed off from their bones like melted butter. Their fat sizzled, their blood boiled and the scent of cooked meat permeated the air thereafter that even a few ABB members had nearly puke his guts out.

It was a dark and grim work, but a necessary evil to completely extinguish the Merchants pitiful legacy in that area. The Merchants were just a small fish to fry, but they were still a nuance that Taylor wanted completely exterminated. There are no use for drug addicts in her dark Kingdom.

Of course, their attack on the Merchants had drawn the attention of the Protectorate capes, but the ABB members had been swift to retreat and scatter after they have taken the numerous drug paraphernalia and some load of money before the Merchants' hideout was burnt. By the time most of the Heroes arrive, they were already too late, the ABB had already sequestered themselves in their territory.

For days the ABB was in a celebratory mood, Lung most of all, who looked quite pleased with himself after massacraing all the Merchants and he had taken to fully indulging in his baser appetites, which mostly included a lot of whores.

With the Merchants gone and the ABB leader fully intending to expand his territory, Taylor allows herself to settle in the main ABB hideout for good.

It's been nearly a week since Taylor last visited her home and she knew that her father would be worried by now. However, she couldn't care less about the father who raised her. Danny Hebert would be assuming that she's been abducted or killed at this point but Taylor doesn't see any reason to go to him and explain her reason for leaving, or even resume her familial ties with him. Not when it will only prove to be a major hindrance to her main objective.

Thus, Taylor moves to the main ABB hideout and Lung and his two Lieutenants are more than happy to welcome her into their midst.

Taylor Hebert never looks back into the light again as she completely descends into the dark.

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Swiftly docking her head down, Taylor is able to avoid Oni Lee's direct punch to the face, but she is not able to evade the leg that somehow manages to sweep under her.

At once, she falls down on the training mat with a thud. She lay there for a moment even as Oni Lee move to stand above her.

"Have you been training with others Persephone? Because it looks like you haven't been training at all with how you keep on falling on the mat..." is Oni Lee's remark.

After Taylor has carefully arranged the man's shard configuration, she is somewhat pleased to see that the previously blank slate cloner is now able to remember everything and even become more verbose compared to his stoic attitude before.

With Bakuda working on the cranial bombs that Taylor suggested and Lung managing everything regarding the expansion of his territory in nearby areas, it's Oni Lee who has personally seen to Taylor's physical training, along with a number of his men who specializes in some forms of martial arts.

Of course, Lung occasionally drops by to give Taylor some pointers while Bakuda just comes to informs Taylor of the progress on the cranial bombs for force recruitment, but it's the Demon who oversees Taylor's overall training and Oni Lee has proven to be a competent taskmaster.

"I apologize, Lee." Taylor states as she slowly sits up. "My mind is just preoccupied at the moment."

"I see...might I ask what is in your mind that causes your distraction?" the Demon asks her.

"I'm simply thinking about the men that you sent out three days ago." She tells him. "Did you hear anything from them yet?"

"I believe that this is not the right place for this particular discussion Persephone. Someone might overhear. Perhaps we might talk elsewhere in a much secure location?" The man suggests to her.

"Yes, of course," is her reply.

"Here, let me help you up." Oni Lee states as he reaches out to her.

Taylor grabs a hold of his gloved hand and allows herself to be pulled up.

"Come and we shall talk in my office," Lee tells her as he places a hand on her shoulder.

Taylor doesn't need to know what Oni Lee intends to do since this is the sixth time that she has teleported with him after she has made an adjustment to his shard capabilities.

There is a jerking sensation in her navel right before Taylor suddenly finds herself standing in Oni Lee's pristine office, where he mostly conducts his business with the Shadowy members of his team.

"You may sit," Lee says to her, indicating the chair in front of his mahogany desk.

Taylor moves to sit on the chair while she watches as Oni Lee sits down behind his desk and face her. The red demon mask he wears is set in a permanent leer, fanged and grinning from ear-to-ear. If Taylor is anyone else, she would have been terrified for being alone with a sociopath like Oni Lee, but she knows that the man will never hurt her. So she remains as expressionless as ever when she faces the Demon.

"Now, what do you want to know Persephone?" Lee inquires as he leans back in his high-back chair with his arms crossed in front of him. The bandoleer of knives on his black bodysuit gleaming with cold light.

Taylor allows herself to settle in her chair comfortably while she regards the man in front of her.

"I want to know the progress of the men you sent for the reconnaissance mission three days ago," She says. Her words are not an order but a statement.

"The men are tracking some of Empire Eighty-Eight members as we speak. As discreetly as they can. Their progress is slow, but we are close to discovering some vital information regarding its notable members and their current movements." Lee informs her.

"How long will it take for them to find out about Kaiser?" is her next query.

"It depends on the situation and how the men deal with some of the obstacles along the way. Perhaps a week or a month. I can't be sure."

"I don't have a week," Taylor states while she pursed her lips. "I need the main location where Kaiser generally operates his Criminal Empire."

"Perhaps we can obtain the information from Kaiser's Lieutenant - Hookwolf - who often shows up in dog fighting rings. His movements have proven to be predictable compared to other members. We can set a trap for him in one of those dog fighting rings and capture him." Lee recommends to her.

There is a short pause as Taylor considers this information for a moment.

"There won't be any need for a trap," She says, "Just inform me when Hookwolf decides to visit one of these dog fighting rings and I'll come and meet with him."

At her confident words, Taylor can see Oni Lee inspecting her with his coal black eyes. As she reaches outwards, Taylor immediately senses the concern in the man's mind and his need to protest against her intention.

"I know you are a powerful cape Persephone. However, you might discuss your plan with Lung first before you set out. The Dragon will be thoroughly displeased if you leave without him knowing about your plans." The Demon advice her.

Everyone in the ABB already assumes that Taylor's power is to destabilize a parahuman's power and improve on them, like in Oni Lee's case. However, that's the only thing Taylor has shown them so far. Most of them don't even know that she is Master as well.

But despite her Master power, Taylor decides to let Lung lead while she simply remains under his shadow where she continues to plant and tend to the rich garden in his mind.

After all, her name is Persephone, who is the Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld. It's only right that she proves herself to be similar as her namesake.

"You don't have to worry Lee. I have every intention to talk to Lung about what I intend to do." She assures him.

"That's good then. However, for my peace of mind, I prefer that you bring some of my throwing knives and grenades with you for your protection, and perhaps I will ask Bakuda to give you some of her bombs to properly equipped you before you face Hookwolf." Lee tells her.

Another pause follows as Taylor considers the man before her.

"Concern for my welfare, are you Lee?" Taylor asks, raising a brow at the Demon.

"Yes, very…" is Lee's only serious remark. "Whether you are Asian or not, you are one of us now. A member of the ABB."

"I understand your concern Lee, but you have to trust in my ability to see things through," She says to him. "I am certain that I won't run into any problems when I face Hookwolf."

"Still, I will ask Bakuda to build something for you before you set out. Something that will send a distress signal to the rest of us in case you need back-up." Lee says to her.

"Very well," comes Taylor's nonchalant response. "If that makes you sleep at night, then you can ask Bakuda to build that tech."

"Then, we have an agreement."

"Yes," She says and that is the end of their discussion.

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"Just press the button and all three of us will come running to help you...but for all our sakes, don't do anything stupid that you would need us to begin with, white girl." The female Bomber had said to Taylor as the woman gave the tinker gadget that has a GPS on it and the relay button which will send a distress signal when Taylor needs help. It's built like a wrist watch too, which Taylor can wear on her wrist without none the wiser of its true purpose.

Other than the beacon, Bakuda has also supplied Taylor with a number of mini bombs that functions in various ways, most of them will serve as distraction if she needs to escape. As for Oni Lee, the man is no slouch either and had provided Taylor a number of grenades and the finest of his throwing knives, which he had personally sharpen to deadly points the night before Taylor is about to leave.

The two Lieutenants already knew what Taylor intends to do, except for the Dragon, which is the reason why Taylor is making her way towards his room. Oni Lee has informed her about where and when Hookwolf is going to appear a day before, but Taylor had been busy with a last minute training session with Oni Lee that she failed to inform Lung about her plans. For this reason, Taylor finds herself walking in the main ABB hideout and straight into Lung's room.

After living for nearly two weeks in the same place as the leader of the ABB, Taylor already knows what Lung is doing at this moment, considering that she knows his routine as well as he might know hers.

Most assume that Lung has his own sex slaves, but when Taylor starts living in the same building with the ABB leader. She discovers that some part of the rumor is true. Lung does have a number of women most of the time, but they are mainly his paid whores that he gets from the whore houses he owns.

Other than that, Taylor also learns more about Lung's habits, where she finds out that Lung doesn't smoke, drink or do drugs. The only apparent vice she has seen him do so far is parade a number of women in and out of his room and other places, that ranges from three to five whores - where six is the highest - when the ABB leader is clearly stressed out and needs instant relief from what she heard from the other members.

Taylor knows all of this but she allows the Dragon his only vice, so long as it does not interfere with her main objective. All of the ABB members have talked about Lung's insatiable sexual appetite and Taylor has decided not to comment on it, despite the fact that she sometimes have trouble speaking to him openly without his whores clinging to his side like blood-sucking leeches. Because apparently, being one of Lung's whores is considered to be an honor now, just by judging at the number of women who likes to paw at the man-dragon possessively and gaze at his handsome features like a bunch of hungry hyenas every time Taylor has a chance to talk to him.

Taylor had even sense the spike of jealousy from Lung's women, especially when the ABB leader pays attention to her, where he treats her with respect, or when he flashes Taylor with one of his rare smiles. There is even one incident when one of the whores had been openly confrontational and the woman had remarked that Taylor is one of Lung's potential groupies because how much Taylor spends time with him. At the woman's comment, the Dragon had been completely enraged, so much so that he had instantly ordered his men to drag the woman out and straight into the Underground cages to be sold as a drug-induced sex slave, but not before they beat her bloody.

"You will show her some respect! Whoever dares insult her again, I will personally cut their tongue out and burn them alive myself!" Lung had simply roared in rage to anyone within hearing after the incident.

Afterward, no one had insulted Taylor outright, but she knows what they are thinking. More and more of them are beginning to wonder what her true relationship with the ABB gang leader is, especially when Taylor spends most of her time sequestered in Lung's office while he teaches her how to run a part of the Criminal Underworld.

Lung has even jokingly starts calling her, "My Dark Apprentice," just because Taylor continues to learn more of the evil, dark deeds that the Villain has to result to keep his Underworld Kingdom running.

However, sometimes Taylor can tell when Lung wants to withhold knowledge from her and his hesitation to teach her more. For someone who has a fearsome reputation, Taylor realizes that Lung still has some good in him despite his Villain status because he occasionally appeals to her absent conscience during those times when she sits in his office to learn.

"You're still very young and innocent to know this...but this corruption of the soul. The stain it leaves in one's being every time we do these evil deeds for selfish reasons. It won't be easy to cleanse or remove...For it will be there forever no matter how much you try to erase it. I hope you understand this Persephone," Lung had said, his voice almost sad when he looks at her that one night. "Because there's still a chance for you to turn back around and stay in the light, to remain uncorrupted, where you can pick or plant flowers in your garden, enjoy your Springtime of youth, run away barefooted in a grassy glade. Be Persephone. The Goddess of Spring, and not become the Queen of the Underworld who reigns in the dark...I may not be able to change your mind, but I want you to listen still. If my mother were still alive right now, she will advise me to keep you from this dark, crooked path, like she failed to do so with me. As rebellious as I had been in my youth, I loved my mother, but that love wasn't enough for me to respect her wishes to change my ways and become a respectable man. Because when I make a choice, I always stand by it and I never diverted from the path that I set before me ever since. However, you are different...and I know you can still decide to take the right path..."

"Kenta, I understand the decisions that you made these past years to make you the person you are now." Taylor had replied, "I know your choices hadn't been easy...from the night you triggered, to the fight with Leviathan that sunk Kyushu, even your refusal to join the Protectorate and your imprisonment with the Yangban...You made tough choices, but I can see in the end that your choices had made you far stronger than before. So I ask that you respect my decision as well because I also intend to become powerful enough to take the Triumvirate at the end of my path. Even if I'm still young in your eyes, but I'm not as innocent as you might think, I'm mature enough to understand where this path will lead me...More than that, you can't corrupt someone whose soul has been corrupted from the beginning Kenta-kun. There's no going back for me anymore. No ascending into the light for me, or taking back my childhood innocence. There's no other way for me but down into the Underworld...where all I need is a guide in the darkness..."

There is a moment of silence afterward as the Dragon regards the Queen.

"You are very stubborn, aren't you Persephone?" Lung had sighed, sounding defeated.

"I know I am…"

"You must understand that when you go down this path, it's going to be difficult for you to turn back without suffering some form of mental trauma. You will see unimaginable horrors along the way and you will do things that most will find inhumane. Are you ready for it, Kore?"

Kore. The other name for Persephone, which means The Maiden.

"I am ready and I am not afraid."

"You should be Persephone…"

"I'm not afraid because I know you will be there to guide me in the dark, Ryujin..."

"Dragon King, am I? Hmn...How fitting..Yes, I will be there to light the path for you with fire, I will guide you, lead you anywhere you want, even across a river of blood, down the pitch black tunnels choking with bloated corpses and heaps of bones, and straight into the precipice where you can see the unimaginable horrors that lurk in the deep abyss...but for how long do you want me to guide you, I wonder?"

"For as long as you are able to Kenta," was Taylor's response.

"If that is what you wish, then I will lead you wherever you want in the dark…"

"Then, stop hesitating Lung and teach me everything I need to know." That had been Taylor's words and the Dragon had not hesitated since then.

Taylor is brought back to the present when she finally comes to a halt in front of Lung's door. Instantly, she hears the sound coming from the inside. At first, she hears a number of feminine giggles, then a familiar growl, there is some creaking sounds, followed by more explicit noises.

It doesn't take a genius to know what Lung is doing at the moment, but Taylor finds that she particularly doesn't care if she interrupts Lung's activities.

With a blank expression on her face, Taylor raises her hand and knocks on the door.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Her knock is loud and Taylor knows that the occupants of the room must have heard it because the noises instantly ceased.

For a moment, there is only silence in the room right before Taylor hears Lung's shout of annoyance.

"WHO THE FUCK IS AT MY DOOR?! CAN'T YOU HEAR I'M CURRENTLY BUSY?!"

Yes, I can hear you just fine Lung and the women in your company. Taylor thinks while she finally says out loud, "Lung, it's me, Persephone. I need to speak with you."

At the sound of her voice, Lung immediately falls silent. Then, as Taylor listens more closely, she hears Lung's gravelly voice ordering his whores, "What are you waiting for you idiots?! Fucking cover yourselves! I don't want you bitches airing your cheap wares to someone as innocent as her!"

There is the sound of grumbling from the women. Taylor even hears a female voice says, "Why don't you just tell the girl to go away so that we can finish what we- "

"Shut the fuck up! She's not some girl! She's a cape and more important to me than you piece of shit! So shut your trap, you good for nothing slut!"

Another silence followed while Taylor waits for Lung to come out of his room.

It takes another minute for the Dragon to finally emerge from his lair and when he does, Taylor can't help but wrinkles her nose at him. The man practically reeks from his latest activity. With his dark raven locks in complete disarray, his skin flush and glistening with sweat, and the scent of various perfumes clinging to him, plus the lipstick stains and other markings all over him, Lung looks thoroughly debauched.

Fortunately, Taylor is grateful that Lung has hurriedly put on a pair of loose pants before he meets her. However, it is still blatantly obvious that he wasn't quite finished yet with his activities at all.

"What the fuck do you want Persephone?!" comes Lung's low growl, his handsome face set into a fierce scowl of annoyance as he slams the door shut behind him, but not before Taylor catches a glimpse of four faces glaring at her from inside the room.

Hmn...four whores this time, Lung? My, my...I hope your regenerative ability somehow prevents you from getting STD...Taylor thinks.

"I apologize to interrupt your...activities with your guests," She states in a cool tone as she tilts her head up to meet Lung's annoyed gaze. "But there is something that -"

"Yes, you should apologize to me, little girl! Because I'm beginning to think that you don't even know what you just interrupted!" Lung cuts in furiously before Taylor can finish.

She notes when Lung suddenly narrows his eyes at her as he spat out angrily, "I know you already left your home to come live here, but I wonder...Did your parents give you The TALK before you even left?! Because if you haven't heard about the Birds and the Bees, I have all the time in the world to fucking educate you right now and the importance of not interrupting someone in the middle of IT!"

"Lung, I'm sixteen years old. Not twelve. I had sex ed in my school so I already know what you've been doing with your whores since I came here," is Taylor's calm response, which seems to infuriate Lung all the more.

"Then, why the fuck do you have the need to interrupt me from my enjoyment?! Are you deliberately trying to piss me off?" Lung snaps at her.

"No, I am not trying to piss you off. And I am truly sorry for preventing you from achieving maximum gratification, but I had to speak to you before I leave." She informs him as expressionless as ever.

There is a brief pause as Lung's anger seems to disappear after hearing her words.

"Before you leave? What do you mean?" He says while a frown mars his brow.

"I'm leaving Lung. It means I will be leaving the ABB gang while I handle some important matters in person." Taylor tells him.

"For how long and when?" comes the Dragon's demands.

"I don't know how long I will be gone, but I will be leaving right now." Taylor informs him.

"Right now? Why so soon? And why haven't you told me about this before?" Lung inquires, clearly getting incensed at the fact.

"I'm sorry. I failed to inform you earlier because I've been preoccupied with something else," is her only reply. "But now that I have informed you about my intention, then I will be taking my leave soon."

Taylor observes how Lung's face seems to darken in raw anger.

"No, you are not going anywhere Persephone!" Lung growls as he grabs a hold of her wrist and pulls her close to him until she is forced to tilt her head back to face Lung's wrathful gaze. "I am your leader and you will obey my command! You will not go anywhere without my permission and you will stay here where I want you!"

"Lung, you are never my leader to begin with. I join your gang for my own gain. Now, let me go before I do something that you will soon regret…" Taylor states in a cool tone while she places a hand against the man's bare chest in warning.

At her words, the Dragon simply growls in defiance and says, "I said you are not going anywhere Persephone!"

There is a pause as the Dragon continues to growl and glower at her.

"Kenta, I will only say this once more...Let. Me. Go." She orders, exerting more of her willpower on him.

However, Lung surprisingly resisted. The Dragon must really want her to stay by his side that he is even able to fight against Taylor's previous conditioning. His need, his desire to keep her there with him must be so strong that he simply tears right through Taylor's hold on him. With the Dragon mentally fighting her, Taylor has no other choice but to use drastic measures to overpower him, which requires contact on the deviant host.

Quickly, Taylor's hand snaps forward to grab the back of Lung's neck and drive her nails straight into his skin until she draws blood. She does this to keep him in place while Lung lets out a snarl at her ruthless action.

With her cold grey eyes boring into his fiery brown orbs, Taylor uses a mental command to reign the enrage Dragon in. Obey me, Lung, Dragon of Kyushu! YOU MUST LET ME GO!

The moment she finishes her order, Lung instantly releases his hold on her wrist while he slumps against her with a groan. Taylor allows him to use her as a crutch as he recovers from the mental pain that results from her action. She stands there still as a statue with Lung clutching her shoulders and his face buried into her hair.

When the Dragon finally straightens up and lets her a few moments later, Taylor simply regards him for a second before she says to him with a note of finality, "I am leaving."

A muscle immediately leaps on Lung's jaw as he grits his teeth after he hears her words. She also notes how Lung's face hardens into a savage look and his eyes burns with fury once more. However, that is all the Dragon does and Taylor is somewhat relieved that Lung hasn't fully circumnavigate his mental block and gone into a rampage.

"You may go back to your whores," She says to the man, but it seems the chance of fucking all those four women waiting in his bedroom doesn't appease the Dragon because she sees him clench his hands until his knuckles turn white and she hears the low displeased rumble coming from deep within his throat.

Lung is still absolutely pissed despite her mental interference.

"Goodbye, Kenta…" Taylor says and she finds it curious when she notices a look of utter helplessness that flares in the man's light brown eyes when she spoke those words. The Dragon understands very well that he can't stop her from leaving and this must have struck him to the core.

However, she doesn't have time to investigate this further for she has limited time as it is. She has to meet Hookwolf and use him to find Kaiser's location.

Taylor has just taken a few steps away from the ABB leader when she hears him say something that completely surprises her...

After long hours of talking in his office, pouring over paperwork while he imparts his dark knowledge on her and she listens and follows and shadows him wherever he goes in his Underworld Kingdom. A dark shadow to his burning flame. She knows that Kenta has accepted her as someone far more important to him now.

She understands that the Dragon had been a lonely beast before and after his imprisonment with the Yangban and he has managed to fill that void in his black heart by running his own Criminal Underworld. Yet she knows that he yearns for more, some form of connection, emotional or otherwise. She can see it in his past. How he was discriminated by others due to his mixed race where he then becomes a rebellious teen seeking approval from his peers. Then, a young man trying to prove himself to the world as he fought the Leviathan. Now, a Villain who spends his time working to build his fearsome reputation as both a madman and something else while he uses and discards cheap women like dirty laundry.

But for all his dark reputation and evil deeds, Kenta had been more true to her than anyone else. She had seen how he acts with others and Taylor had the honor of seeing the man behind the Dragon mask. Despite his terrifying power, Lung is only a man with a secret weakness, which Taylor figures out soon enough after she spends time with him. Like a Dragon, he is overprotective of the one treasure he hoards. A pearls he guards and keeps close to his heart.

Lung has one secret and his secret is this...The Dragon wants someone to accept him as he is, with all his monstrous strength, untamed power and the danger he presents. He just wants someone to be there with him, whether it be a friend, a lover or a partner, it doesn't matter who it is so long as they stayed by his side unconditionally.

After days with the ABB, Kenta had treated her with respect and like an equal and Taylor understands that he doesn't do this unless he deems the person worthy. She also understands that Kenta sees her as both his confidant and his apprentice, even perhaps someone he has invested emotionally.

So she knows that the Dragon had grown attached to her somehow, but she doesn't know to what extent until she suddenly hears his whispered and broken words, words marked by sheer desperation when she walks away from him.

"Will you...will you be coming back?..."

She hears the Dragon asks.

Without pausing in her steps, Taylor's response is as cold as Winter itself.

"You know who I am, Ryujin...I'm Persephone...I always come back when Spring ends."

And that was that, Taylor doesn't look back, even when she can still feel Lung's gaze on her as she leaves, nor does she turns around even when she hears the last words the Dragon softly utters before she is gone from his sight.

"Then, I will wait for you here Persephone…"

Still, the Queen walks and descends further down, and straight into another Empire, where an Emperor rules with his court of racist followers.