Synopsis: the Defenders have to face a new enemy. Set after "Family Reunion".

Disclaimer: the animated show "Defenders of the Earth" doesn't belong to me. I'm not making any money with this fic so please, don't sue me.

Vendetta

In Ice Station Earth, Ming the Merciless was looking at the young person who had just entered the room. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked contemptuously.

"I think you know who I am", the other one answered. "And I want what my father tried to get."

"And why would I help you to get that?" he asked.

"I can make anything for you in exchange."

Ming laughed sardonically. "I want you to enter Monitor and to destroy Dynak-X. I'll give you something in exchange but you won't be able to keep it for more than eight hours."

The other one nodded and followed the ice robots into another room. Next minute, a wild shout was heard throughout the building.

Ming smiled. Someone was going to do the dirty work for him.

Ooo0ooo0oo

Jedda Walker was getting bored. She was starting to realize that following the boys for a video games day was not fun, after all. What was the point of fighting enemies on a screen when you did it for real every week? "I'm going back home" she said to Rick discreetly.

He didn't even look at her. "Wait! Nearly finished the third level! What were you saying?"

The girl sighed and looked around. Kshinn and L.J. were both in a strange zombie mode, staring at their screens with wide eyes. She was definitely not going to have a serious conversation with them today. She was about to leave when a skinny, shy-looking boy in his early teens stopped in front of her. "Jedda Walker?"

"It's me."

"I… I need to talk to you."

The Phantom's daughter realized he was talking in Bandar language, not in English. But only the Bandar, the Phantom and his family could speak this language, and she didn't know the boy. Moreover, he was a Caucasian. This was most surprising. "What's the problem?" she asked in English.

"Please. Only five minutes. You don't mind?"

Puzzled, Jedda followed the boy. They bought drinks and had a seat. "It's complicated" the boy stuttered, blushing. "I don't know how to tell you, but…"

"Just tell" she suggested, moved by his cute behaviour.

"I'm your cousin."

Jedda wondered if she had heard well. The boy took two photos in his pocket. On one of them, the girl could see her grandfather, the 26th Phantom, with his two teenage sons, and on the other one, there was a grown-up Kurt Walker with a new-born baby in his arms. The boy blushed again and carried on.

"Maybe you don't know but your father has a big brother, Kurt. And he's my dad. It's him who gave me these photos some time ago. He's been missing for weeks and my mom and I are getting worried. Maybe you could… I don't know… You know the Defenders, maybe they could help me looking for him?"

Jedda took the boy's hand. She had never felt so sorry and so embarrassed. How could she tell this innocent little boy that her dad was in fact an evil man and that he was dead, killed by his own greediness? "What's your name?" she asked.

"Kurt, like my dad."

"Kurt, I'm sorry. You'll have to be very brave. I…"

She looked away. Kurt tugged on her hand. "Miss Walker? What happened? Just tell me the truth, I need it! Is my dad…"

Jedda remembered the day her father went missing, apparently dead, and how she had felt. This poor boy was really going to need some help. "Please call me Jedda. I'm sorry, Kurt. Your father is dead."

The boy looked at her incredulously, got up and took his jacket. "Thank you for being so honest" he stuttered. "I need to be alone for a moment."

"Is there something I can do?"

"Yes." He scribbled something on a piece of paper. "Come to this place this afternoon. This is where I live with my mom. I'd like you to come and tell us what happened. Can you do that?"

"Of course!" She got up and kissed her cousin on both cheeks. He looked utterly bewildered and forced himself to smile.

"Thanks. Please, come alone. Not even with your father, I'm not sure he… Well, come, I need you." And he left. Jedda stared at him for a moment.

Ooo0ooo0oo

Ten minutes later, the four young Defenders had lunch at a refreshment room. It happened that Rick had spotted Jedda and Kurt talking, and he didn't really like it. "Are you going to tell me who that boy is?" he asked for the umpteenth time.

Jedda shrugged. Rick had been doing nothing but playing video games for hours, paying no attention to her, there was no reason for her to tell him anything about what had just happened. "Someone", she said.

"He's younger than you."

"Young for what? Can't I have a talk with someone without you becoming jealous?"

"Me, jealous?"

Kshinn and L.J. exchanged a look. It was not the first time these two ones were bickering: Rick was jealous and Jedda was enjoying it more than a little and then Rick was pretending to look at someone else and Jedda was getting jealous in turn and pretended not to notice anything and so on… It was cute for one minute but then it was getting really annoying. "I'm going back to Final Destruction 5" the youngest one said, putting away his half-eaten sandwich and getting up.

"I'll check he's not doing anything stupid" Lothar's son announced in turn.

"So! I'll try that game, too" Jedda said.

Rick grabbed her wrist. "What are you saying? You hate video games!"

"Oh, now you remember it?"

They both felt hurt. Rick had the feeling Jedda had talked to that kid to hurt him, and he didn't want to show how uneasy it made him feel. Jedda knew she was acting like a pampered princess, playing with his friend's feelings, and she felt guilty about it. She was about to suggest him to leave the place and have a walk together, just the two of them, and reconcile but she remembered the promise she had made to poor Kurt. "Let's meet here in three hours" she suggested. "I have something to do."

Rick tried to protest but Jedda didn't leave him time. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and ran out of the building. Rick hesitated between running after her and staying where he was. Perhaps he was indeed jealous for no reason, after all.

Somewhere else in the world, Ming the Merciless started laughing sardonically.

To be continued…