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Hadleigh...

It seemed to Kage as though Team Valiant kept finding itself coming here. Even though he had not been present for the first time, he was for the second outing - when Luke had served as a temporary Guild Councillor. During that, Kage had seen the city of art himself for the first time. Now, here he was again, about to take on one of the most important and likely dangerous missions of his entire life.

He was no stranger to dangerous tasks, though. During his younger years, he had faced dangers many times during his assassin training, and after he rebelled against the organization that trained him and worked on his own. It was what made him into the Greninja that he was this day, and while he had little idea on what to expect for this mission, he had already taken the time to mentally prepare himself during his journey to Hadleigh; preparing every contingency he could think of, and keeping an open mind for new developments that may arise during his time out in the field.

He followed the city's main street to the council hall, where he was to meet his new team. Looking around he saw that much of Hadleigh had been rebuilt since the siege and the newly inflicted damage by Eberon, the Black Titan of Gladiator City, had also been successfully repaired. The people of Hadleigh were a resilient bunch - not something normally associated with artists, but they had proven themselves.

Now the city of art was the new central hub of the guilds. He wondered how long the city would hold onto its old ways, as a home to patrons or practitioners of art, while having found such a place in the world?

Reaching the council hall, he was directed by the guards to a separate room. He had expected to be in the main hall, but it seemed that the room was in use. He could hear the myriad of voices through the walls as he headed for the second floor. Two of the voices were unmistakably Romulus and Torolf - he had grown to know them well, but there were some that sounded rather new to him. Paying it no mind, he kept climbing to the second level, and found the room.

Opening the door, Kage found there was already one other occupant inside. A tall, lean-figured reptilian was already present in the room. He stood over by the window, arms folded behind his back as he stared out to the city. He turned at the sound of the door, his yellow eyes meeting the Greninja's.

There was a long pause between the two as they stared at each other wordlessly, but it would be the taller lizard pokemon that broke the silence, turning to fully face Kage as he addressed him.

"I take it you're our latest member of this task force." He said in a studious tone, taking a moment to examine the Greninja fully before he stepped forward and offered his hand to Kage. "Agent Fisher. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is yours..." Kage returned abrasively, his eyes never tearing away from Fisher's as he silently refused the handshake. "Let's keep the pleasantries to a minimum. I'd prefer to get this mission over with as quickly as possible..."

"Hm. Straight to business then." Fisher remarked, pulling his hand back and resting it on his hip. "Looks like Captain Cedaris was right about you... Stoic, calculating... He chose quite a specimen to take part in this assignment." He added with a slight smirk before he turned his back to Kage. "Make yourself comfortable. The others will be here soon, and then we will commence the briefing."

Kage made no reply, instead opting to find a spot to lean against as he waited for whoever else was chosen to partake in this mission. While he waited, he reached into his tongue scarf and pulled out a small necklace, with a locket around the chain. He quietly popped it open and gazed at the photo of his wife within, allowing a small, remorseful sigh to escape his mouth before closing it back up and hiding it back in his tongue scarf once more. This wasn't the time for regrets or wishful thinking... He had to remain focused for the mission, or else he'd risk failing his objective and letting the Guilds down.

A few moments passed. The door opened again, and a being Kage was more familiar with stepped into the room. Shamshir, a Scizor and a member of team Warmachine. Reputed as one of the greatest fighters on the Eastern Continent. The Scizor noticed Kage immediately as he entered, and nodded to him.

"Well met, Kage," he said. "I had a feeling you would be on this mission."

"Shamshir." Kage returned with a nod of his own. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you too were chosen, what with your combat expertise."

"I feel this mission is too important to let pass by," he stated. "If it presents us with a chance to defeat the Dark Crusade, I am proud to be part of it." He tapped his chest with one of his claws, eliciting a metallic ring from the touch.

"I wouldn't place too much stock in stopping the crusade with just one mission." Kage reminded Shamshir. "The enemy is growing more desperate, and they will most likely be changing their antics in an attempt to throw us off their trail."

"Then pray we can finish them before they get the chance to adapt..." Came another voice from the entrance. A cold mist seeped in from the doorway as a small Weavile stepped into view, balancing an ice kunai on one of his claws. He wore a dark hood over his head that obscured his gaze from the crowd, but the air around him made sure the others present knew that he was no stranger to the cold embrace of death.

Kage narrowed his eyes slightly at the newcomer, finding his appearance rather off-putting and out of place. "And you are?"

"My clients call me 'Reaper,'" He answered, catching the kunai in his claw before shattering it in his grasp. "My adversaries, however, refer to me as 'Helheim.'"

Kage scoffed. "Pretentious titles..." He remarked under his breath, rolling his eyes as he looked away from the Weavile.

"You say that now, but shall you ever find yourself on the wrong side, Kage of Valiant, you will understand why they call me such..." Reaper stated ominously.

"There'll be none of that." Fisher stated firmly, looking over his shoulder to the group behind him. "We cannot afford any infighting between us if we're to finish this mission alive, so save the petty rivalries until _after_we're done."

"Of course, Agent..." Reaper said, even going so far as to give an exaggerated bow to the Intelion.

A moment later, the click of talons could be heard from the hallway. The group turned, and they saw a Staraptor entering the room. He wore an emblem around his neck, which both Kage and Shamshir recognized as the symbol of Team Raptor, headed by Captain Valorin. It took a moment for Kage to determine that the Staraptor wasn't Valorin himself, but upon remembering the captain he found this Staraptor was smaller and somewhat thinner. He also wore a metallic anklet that had several metal tubes attached to it, each one looking like it could be removed and capped by rubber stoppers on the tops.

"Skyler of Team Raptor, reporting for duty," he said, saluting them with his wing. "Is this the special ops team's meeting room?"

"This is." Fisher returned with a nod, then nodded for each of the others to converge around him. "Seem's we're all accounted for then."

"Finally..." Kage muttered.

"You seem eager to get started..." Reaper pointed out. "Or perhaps it is not anticipation, but trepidation that has you eager to start..."

"That's not your business to know." The Greninja retorted sharply.

"Is there a point to this discussion?" Shamshir cut in, stepping between the two of them.

"Simply to understand my compatriots." Reaper returned calmly. "There can be no secrets between us if we are to work as smoothly as a frozen lake, am I right?"

"We have all come here for a reason," stated Shamshir. "This is a voluntary group, but now that we are in this room there is no turning back. We shall have to learn of one another on the go, but until then we ought to maintain a measure of respect for our companions." He looked at Reaper squarely.

"So be it, then." The Weavile returned, lowering his head again so that his features were masked by his hood.

"So... when are we to be briefed?" Skyler asked curiously.

"As soon as one of the Guild Councilmen arrive." Fisher answered. "Specifically the one who brought us all together."

"As I recall it was Captain Cedaris who suggested this special unit?" Shamshir inquired.

"Indeed, but right now, the Councilmen are in a meeting. One of them will arrive to brief us on the mission once the meeting is concluded." Fisher answered.

"How convenient..." Kage muttered under his breath irritably.

"Got something to say?" Fisher snapped, though when Kage gave no response, the Inteleon nodded a little and narrowed his eyes. "I didn't think so..."

Some time passed without much change. But soon, the team was greeted by a final arrival to the room and it was not who they initially expected. Through the door stepped Romulus of Team Phobia, who took a second to count the heads in the room before he spoke.

"I hope you have not all been waiting long," he said, levering the door closed behind him as he stepped inside.

"Not too long, but sooner would have been more appreciated." Fisher answered dismissively. "Alas, we're all here now. Let's begin the briefing." He remarked, gesturing for Romulus to begin.

"Indeed," he began, clearing his throat as the five volunteers lined up along the wall. "As you are all aware, this team is charged with striking a blow at the foundation of the Dark Crusade, who threatens our world. Of the many potential candidates who could undertake this mission, you five were selected, and each of you brings a vital skill to this mission."

He began to pace before them, eying each of them studiously as he continued. "Your directive is simple, to find the leadership of the Crusade. A list is being prepared of all of their known members, but I'm sure some of you are already aware," he directed his words at Kage and Shamshir. "The main objective may seem easy. But it will be anything but. When you find one of their leaders, your next task is to capture them, and bring them to the nearest guild outpost - _alive,_preferably. We want to know what their plans are, where they are operating from, and how many of them are left. They have suffered some defeats recently, but they are still out there."

"In addition," the Houndoom went on. "There are two Class-S threats among the Crusade. They are to be avoided if possible, only confronted if you are able to isolate them. In doing so, you are to eliminate them. These two are the dark Blaziken, Calhoun, and the escaped Black Titan of Gladiator City, also known as Eberon. Of all members of the Crusade, these two are to be considered extremely dangerous. So I repeat, do _not_confront them unless you have an opportunity to eliminate them. Do not try to force an opportunity - Calhoun is well-known for his ability to stay a step ahead, and Eberon has power beyond imagination. Seek out anyone else among their leaders, and bring them in. Understood?"

"Understood." Kage returned with a quick nod.

"As clear as day..." Reaper nodded in understanding.

"Anything else we should know about before we head out? Any possible leads or clues as to where we should start?" Fisher inquired.

"It is largely a hunch," explained Romulus. "But we have reason to believe that the Dark Crusade may have a base on the Great South Islands. Many of the Pokemon we have encountered among their ranks are natives of that land and not seen anywhere else, including several of their lieutenants. We wanted to find a proper guide, but candidates are limited. The islands are dangerous - volcanic and with many hostile inhabitants. Be on your guard."

He walked over to the window. "You are also being provided with a vehicle to transport you to the islands. My personal craft, the Trident. It is fast, and large enough to accommodate you. I trust one of you knows how to operate a boat and how to navigate?"

"I can." Fisher answered. "A lot of my past missions have required the use of a seafaring vessels."

"Then consider yourself Captained, Agent Fisher," said Romulus. "You will operate the vessel, and the rest of you will follow his directions while he is at the helm."

"Understood," agreed Shamshir.

"Yes sir," added Skyler.

"Now," Romulus began. "I have seen the service records of all five of you. Each of you is highly skilled in your fields." He looked at Fisher. "Marksman, and an excellent investigator." He looked between Kage and Reaper. "Stealth and elimination." To Shamshir. "Combat." To Skyler. "Aerial Combat and Reconnaissance."

"Most of you are accustomed to working with teams, but none among you have actually led one. I am trusting the five of you to work that out among yourselves on the way. I wish there was also more time to train the five of you to work together, but even with his recent defeat we don't expect Calhoun will remain idle for long."

"When shall we depart, Captain Romulus?" Shamshir asked.

"As soon as you are able. Take stock of the ship's supplies, add on what you need and forward the expenses to me," he directed. "I urge necessities only - food, clean water and medicine, namely. Beyond that, money is not an issue."

"Then we shall depart immediately." Fisher remarked with a nod to the Houndoom, then he motioned for the rest of his group to depart the room as he headed out himself.

One by one, the rest of the group departed the room, with Kage being the last to leave. He took a moment to glance at Romulus without saying a single word, then gave him a small nod before he took his leave, following his new comrades to the docks so they could be on their way.

At the docks along the river, they found the Trident waiting for them. As promised, the small vessel was prepared for their departure, needing only a small touch-up to the inventory. They stocked up on non-perishable items and medicines to take with them to the south, and set out the following morning. The river carried them to the sea, allowing Fisher to keep the motor on a fairly low power to save fuel. When they emerged to open water, they stayed to the shallows along the coast.

The journey was going to take them many days. The closest point to the islands was the south-western tip of the continent, and that was easily five days of sailing from where they were. Fortunately there were multiple port-towns along the way where they could rest, restock ensure they were on the correct course. Fisher had been given all of the navigational equipment he needed, along with several maps which were fairly new.

The main deck of the Trident was too small to properly use for group training. For the team to be able to work together in proper sync, proper training was going to be needed. Shamshir, being the most experienced in such, consulted with Fisher while Kage took over steering the boat.

"It may add more time to our journey," the Scizor stated. "But, I do believe investing the time will pay off in the long run. Our team needs to be able to know and understand each other's strengths, weaknesses and, above all else, be able to depend on one another if this mission is to succeed."

"I concur." Fisher returned with a nod. "While Reaper had a rather... Distasteful approach, he wasn't exactly wrong either. We're going to need to know as much about each other as possible if we're to be efficient." He added, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Perhaps we should start at the next port," offered Shamshir. "We can find an open spot of ground outside of town to practice."

"Agreed. It gives us a chance to resupply any consumed rations during the journey." Fisher said. "I assume I can trust you with taking charge of this task of uniting us?"

"I have some experience in the matter," he replied. "But in the end, they must be willing. I fear I lack the charisma to motivate them."

"I do not know if I am much better," Fisher stated, rubbing his chin in thought. "The problem is that most of us are used to working solo."

"Not entirely true," corrected Shamshir. "Skyler and I work in tandem with our teams, and Kage also works in a team, although he does still take on solo objectives. Kage may have some useful advice for us, on how to integrate solo operatives into a team. We will need that for you and Reaper."

"I suppose that's fair..." Fisher remarked, looking over his shoulder in the direction of Kage. "...Though he doesn't really strike me as a 'team player' given his attitude, but I suppose looks can be deceiving."

"It is a start," replied Shamshir. There was a momentary pause, the Scizor seemingly considering his next words, before he spoke. "So. How much have you been informed about our adversaries, the Dark Crusade?"

"Enough to know that they are a considerably dangerous threat that must be taken care of swiftly, before they gain even greater power." Fisher returned quickly, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Granted, I haven't seen their destruction first hand, but I've read enough reports on them to get a general idea on their capabilities..."

"I have seen some of those abilities firsthand," replied Shamshir. "They are as dangerous as you have heard, and above all else, unpredictable. Especially their leader, who as Romulus stated has an uncanny ability to stay a step ahead of his opponent. I only hope we removed his influence from the guilds, so that he does not know we're coming."

"Sounds like he either is a master tactician, or has one within his forces." Fisher replied. "The reports also mentioned that this... 'Calhoun,' is a Shadow Pokemon that has managed to tame its corruptive powers?"

"That is correct," replied Shamshir. "We still don't know how he managed it, but he has maintained his sanity, such as it were, and not been driven feral as most Shadow Pokémon are. Captain Meilin of Team Tao believes that Calhoun may have utilized the meditative techniques of her order to retain his mind, and it supports evidence we uncovered that Calhoun may have once been a warrior monk from the far north."

That caught Fisher by surprise, making him look at Shamshir with a stunned expression. "You mean to tell me that this corrupted being that is hellbent on destroying all life in this world, was once a being that trained by those dedicated to preserving all life in this world?" He asked, almost exclaiming it loud enough for the other members to overhear.

Skyler, who was closest, looked over. He seemed to wonder if the two were having an argument, but Shamshir gave him a reassuring wave and he went back to keeping lookout as the Scizor resumed. "It seems to be the case, yes," he said. "We sent Razorwing to the north following a lead on where Calhoun first appeared. It led him to a ruined monastery, and he brought back a portrait of a Blaziken with amethyst coloured eyes that was left there. Not a common colour for the species, and Calhoun has the same eyes. Unfortunately, that was all he found. When the chaos around Hadleigh hit, we stalled our plans to go back. Then the Guild Chapters were attacked, and... Well here we remain."

Fisher hummed in thought, pinching the bridge of his snout with his thumb and pointer finger as he processed this information. "When this is over, I think we ought to go to the North and figure out what you could not before Hadleigh was besieged." He stated. "It seems that the temple might hold the answer as to why he became who he is now, and might possibly hold a clue as to how we can properly defeat him."

"Agreed," the Scizor returned with a nod. "But, as for defeating him, it's possible the captain of Team Valiant may have already found a way." When Fisher met his gaze, the Scizor continued. "During the siege of Hadleigh, one of the legendary guardians was unleashed on the city, corrupted by Calhoun's influence. Team Valiant's captain was able to extract the shadow corruption from them, and destroyed it. The guardian, Lugia, was freed as a result."

Again, Fisher was completely caught off guard from hearing that, though rather than raising his voice, he began to chuckle and shake his head slowly. "Team Valiant, eh?" He asked softly. "I've heard their reputation is growing as a result of their recent exploits, but that just sounds utterly ridiculous." He remarked. "Though, granted one of our colleagues comes from Valiant, so I suppose I'll have to take both yours and his word for it."

"Team Valiant has, in a way, been involved longer than all of us," said Shamshir. "It was they who first encountered a single survivor from the Arc Island incident, the survivor who also happened to be the captain of Team Phalanx. It was then, by extension, Team Valiant and Phalanx who found the location of their fortress in the Equatorial Islands, launching the rescue mission to free their captives. Then they were the first on the scene in Hadleigh when the region was endangered, backed once again by Team Phalanx, and Teams Plainsrunner and Storm, all while we were left unaware of what was happening."

The Scizor wore a small, but warm smile as he continued. "As if that weren't enough, the captain of Phalanx has been making his own mark in the recent events, not the least of which having captured the escaped convicts from the Siphon Prison with the help of Team Kama in Bluegrove." The Scizor crossed his arms as he let out a light chuckle. "So young, all of them. Yet, they have been the guild's vanguard of this crisis, its first and last line of defense."

"Perhaps it's a sign that there really are those that are willing to do the right thing for more than just a quick Pok..." Fisher muttered, talking like he spoke from experience in that regard. "There may be hope yet for this broken world."

"Courage is the light of the road forward," recited Shamshir. "It's our turn now to keep that light shining."

"Indeed." Fisher returned with a nod. Then, he cleared his throat and added. "We should deviate from this conversation before we become too distracted. Let's focus on creating exercises to build our team's synchronicity." He suggested, wanting to get them back on topic.

"Right," returned Shamshir apologetically. He rested a claw against his chin as he thought of a solution. "Before we can work in proper sync, we start with trust-building. That is the first step."

"And as Reaper stated, that should mean no secrets between us..." Fisher pointed out. "As ineloquently as he did, he wasn't wrong...though we must also respect each other's boundaries as well."

"Sharing secrets is a by-product to trust building," offered Shamshir. "No one will open up to anyone they don't feel comfortable with. We'll start with something simple but proven - the fall back and catch, as Leon calls it."

"...You can't seriously be suggesting a trust fall." Fisher replied in disbelief.

"It may seem ridiculous but it does work," said Shamshir. "If you have a better suggestion...?" He left it there, giving Fisher a chance to think.

"I... Do not." Fisher admitted, closing his eyes and shaking his head slowly. "The others will most likely object to this, but... if it helps, then I can't exactly dispute it."

Shamshir nodded. "They likely will. But you and I must convince them to do it if this mission is to succeed."

"I can only promise to try..." Fisher returned.

As anticipated, the others were not too keen on the idea of a trust fall exercise. Except, surprisingly, for Skyler, who actually seemed quite enthused by the suggestion, remarking that his own team had done the same kind of exercises when Raptor had first formed. Kage and Reaper though, they were anything but enthused...

"I absolutely refuse to take part in this ridiculous exercise... It's a waste of time, and as you once stated, Agent, time is not a luxury we possess." Reaper scathingly retorted.

"I've worked in a team long before joining this band. I have no need to prove myself to any of you of my trust." Kage added spitefully. "All I care about is completing this mission as quickly as possible."

Fisher sighed and dragged his hand down his face in irritation. "I should have seen this coming..." He muttered.

"This mission will not succeed if we cannot be certain we can trust one another," Shamshir reasoned. "We are all from separate teams or, in some cases, used to working alone. In either case we are out of our element, all five of us."

"Plus, the trust fall is actually kinda fun," Skyler piped up. "If you like a bit of thrill, once you move up to the second stage."

Both the Greninja and Weavile shot Skyler a callous glare, as if scolding him silently for voicing his opinion on such a ludicrous exercise in their point of view. "We should be focusing on making plans and perfecting co-ordinated maneuvers, not falling into each other's arms like swooning bridesmaids." Kage remarked.

"Of course you'd suggest that, considering you've worked in a team before..." Reaper retorted.

"Which is more than I can say for you." Kage snapped back. "I know your kind all too well... You wouldn't hesitate to make a hasty retreat whenever things go south for you, yet you revel in the rush of spilling your target's blood and licking it off your claws..."

"Coming from a former assassin such as yourself, I take that as a compliment. You can't tell me you didn't revell in a similar sensation when you were still young and ignorant-"

"Enough!" Shamshir roared, slamming his claws together forcefully, a shrill sound erupting from the impact which made both Kage and Reaper wince. "Your bickering only proves my point. You won't work together, so the planning you suggest, Kage," he said pointedly to the Greninja. "Will never work. Not without coordination." He stepped toward the two. "And I shall prove it, now."

"Wuh-oh," muttered Skyler when he saw the look in Shamshir's eyes. He hopped aside and then glided over to stand by Fisher as they watched the spectacle unfold.

"You want to move onto combat techniques, fine," said Shamshir, rolling his shoulders. "The both of you will start, by fighting me."

They both looked at Shamshir in complete silence, then back at one another as they contemplated the situation presented to them. Then, Kage slowly reached behind him and drew his blade from its sheathe, flipping it into a reverse grip and crouched low to the ground.

"...Truth be told, I've been itching to take a crack at you since the Warmachine tournament..." He remarked coldly.

Reaper slowly started to grin as he flexed his claws. "Cutting your metal body to shreds shall be greatly entertaining..." He stated, lifting his gaze so that the others could see his face more clearly... and he wore quite a crazed look in his eyes as he got ready to square off against Shamshir, already growing quite excited from the concept.

Shamshir shifted his stance then, his feet scraping over the grass as he did. He opened his claws in a battle-ready position, watching the two and waiting for them to make a move. Kage knew of only one instance he had seen Shamshir fight, but that had been when the Scizor was mind-controlled by the Malamar, Bialo. It occurred to him that he didn't actually know how skilled Shamshir was except by reputation, and words could exaggerate their praise, or, in rare cases, not be enough.

Immediately, Kage began to take charge of the situation, glancing to Reaper and whispering to him. "Go slowly to his right, catch him at his-"

"I don't take orders from you." Was all Reaper growled back at the Greninja before was off, sliding along the ground as if he were skating on ice, claws flexed and ready to attack as he moved.

As the Weavile closed in, he suddenly banked to the side, and in his place, a copy of himself remained - Double Team, and he repeated the motion several times, creating one copy after another, which hurriedly surrounded Shamshir. Yet the Scizor didn't blink, his posture unchanging. But there was a blur of motion to his sides, as exact duplicates of himself also formed, repeating Reaper's tactic.

The shadowy clones engaged each other, with Shamshir himself seemingly having not moved from his original spot. Kage thought the Scizor might have been trying to distract them, and with a Shadow Sneak he bypassed the clones, appearing to the right flank of the Scizor, and exhaled a Scald attack at him.

Unfortunately, it turned out Reaper had the same idea, and that they both had been tricked. Reaper appeared to Shamshir's left, and took Kage' Scald attack full-force as the clone vanished, searing the Weavile with hot water. Kage immediately stopped his attack, and Reaper shook his clenched claw at him angrily with steam rising off his body.

"Idiot! Next time make sure it was the real body!" He scolded.

Kage scoffed. "Perhaps you shouldn't have just rushed in blindly." He retorted back just as angrily, then flinched for a moment before turning and parrying a surprise attack from one of Shamshir's doubles. This one, only being a clone, passed through him harmlessly. But the distraction was enough for the real Shamshir to leap at him from the other side into a flying drop-kick.

The Greninja was far more patient and methodical than Reaper was, and was quick to create a Mat Block to halt Shamshir's attack before it could nail him. He then turned and was just about to strike back when Reaper suddenly leapt at Kage, kicking him back and using the momentum from his movement to launch himself at Shamshir, claws extended and shrouded in Ghostly energy as he went for a Shadow Claw attack.

Shamshid was ready for the attack, catching both of Reaper's claws in his own pincers, painfully squeezing them as Reaper hung between his arms. Then, Shamshir lurched forward and smashed his forehead against Reaper's, sending stars exploding across his vision. Then, Shamshir released one of his arms and casually tossed the dazed Weavile aside and faced Kage again.

"So far, I am not impressed," he said chidingly."With _either_of you."

"Not yet." Kage remarked, then quickly created a trio of Water Shuriken in his off hand and hurled them at Shamshir, then disappeared in a plume of water afterward.

The shuriken bounced off of Shamshir's metal body harmlessly - such a weak attack was never going to scar his armour. But it was not meant to, as Kage shot down from above, sword reared back as he approached, then swinging it in a wide arc as he reached striking range. Shamshir saw him just in time and raised his claw to block the sword blow, steel meeting steel with a ring of metal.

Without hesitation, Shamshir pivoted aside, redirecting the sword blow and sending Kage back to ground, and then striking out with a spin kick as the Greninja tried to regain his balance. The kick did connect with the Greninja, but right as it did, Kage disappeared in a puff of smoke, and a poke doll was left in his place as he pulled off a last minute Substitution to avoid the kick.

As Kage appeared in Shamshir's blind spot, Reaper had recovered and was dashing through the Poke Doll to attack the Scizor on his opposite flank, Shadow Claws at the ready as he closed in for what he thought was the decisive blow. But Shamshir was once again ready. Using the momentum from his missed kick and giving a light hop with his other leg, he was out of either attackers path, and they were instead in each other's.

Kage's blade connected with Reaper's claws, the two attacks cancelling out and leaving them in a stalemate. They both glared at each other, Reaper speaking up first as they pulled apart from each other.

"Stay out of my way, amphibian... This prey is mine."

"Get over yourself. He's been playing you from the beginning." Kage retorted back angrily.

"Wrong," Shamshir said before he fell upon the two, seizing both of them by their heads in his large pincers. He twisted, ripping both of them off their feet, and spun in a circle before dropping both of them onto the ground, never letting go of their skulls as he pinned them. "I've been playing both of you from the beginning."

They both grunted from the impact, instinctively grasping at the claws holding them down and scrambling to try and break free. Alas, they were hopelessly pinned down by the warrior, and soon their struggles ceased entirely, leaving them completely at his mercy.

"I think you've proven your point, Shamshir." Fisher called out from the sidelines, now approaching him and motioning for the Scizor to let them go.

Slowly, Shamshir opened his claws to release them and stepped off the two, crossing his arms as the two rose. "Now, do you two understand what went wrong in that battle?"

They both rose to their feet quickly, but Reaper still had that crazed look in his eyes as he turned to strike at Shamshir. Before he could even touch the Scizor though, he was nailed from the side by a small, but precise blast of water that sent the Weavile tumbling along the ground, clutching his side and trembling in pain.

Fisher had his pointer finger aimed right at Reaper when the others looked at his direction, a stern glare present on his face. "Try that again, and the next shot takes your eye out." He warned, lowering hand to his side.

"Nice shot." Skyler remarked, clearly impressed.

Reaper shot a glare back at Fisher, then looked to Kage as he pushed himself back up to his feet once again. "You got in my way. I would have had him if you didn't interfere."

"Don't make me repeat myself, you ignorant fool." Kage shot back. "I tried telling you what to do. It's your own fault you're in the sorry state you're currently in."

"You two lost, because I turned your lack of cooperation against you," said Shamshir. "At the risk of sounding narcissistic, neither of you could have won a fair fight against me even without the other getting in your way. Reaper," he began. "Your first and last mistake was attacking me head-on, as though there was no risk to yourself or possibility of defeat. If I had been Calhoun or one of the Dark Crusade's ruthless lieutenants, you would already be dead." He said the last word with such affirmation that even the Weavile felt his retort die in his throat.

"And Kage," he turned to the Greninja. "When you launched that Scald at me, you didn't consider that Reaper might be hit. At the speed he was going he could very easily have moved into the path of the attack, and ultimately he did. A clone wouldn't have been worried about taking the Scald, but the real one would. Your disregard for him in that moment was akin to using him as cannon fodder."

Kage did not reply. In his mind he felt Reaper deserved it for thinking he could take him alone, but he couldn't deny that Shamshir had a valid point either. Had this been an actual fight against Calhoun, they _would_end up dead... And he also knew better than to treat teammates as cannon fodder unless it was part of an agreed plan, which made him wince slightly as he imagined if it were Luke or the others of his team scolding him for his insubordination.

"This... Is why we cannot rush to the South Islands. If Calhoun is there, we are not ready to face him as we are now," Shamshir explained as he walked to and fro, taking slow calculated steps. "Romulus may have said that we are to eliminate Calhoun - if, the opportunity presents itself." He added pointedly, reminding them that was not their prime objective.

"But we are not ready. I have faced him before. Kage knows this, because that was the confrontation that nearly resulted in his captain's demise," he looked pointedly at the Greninja as he said this, before looking evenly at the other four present. "This is no mere criminal we are hunting. This is the most dangerous being in the world. If we continue as we are, then none of us will leave those islands alive."

Kage let out a heavy sigh, then after a long silence between them all, he finally spoke up. "Alright, fine." He relented. "It seems we have a lot of work to do in order to maximize our effectiveness as a unit." He added, looking over to the Weavile expectantly.

Reaper scowled slightly, but he gave a small nod in reluctant agreement. Shamshir's words did sink in, and even he couldn't deny the fact that they could all perish if they were not in sync with each other.

"So," began Shamshir, backing away to stand beside Fisher again. "This is why I encouraged this trust exercise. We cannot begin to work in sync if we cannot trust one another. I can help all of you hone your technique for battle, but for working together it is you who must take the first step." He crossed his arms and watched the two expectantly.

They knew what he was waiting for. He wanted them to demonstrate their willingness to work together by demonstrating the trust fall to the others present. It was plain on his face that he was not going to reconsider this plan either. The two of them looked to one another, with Reaper rolling his eyes and sighing before he suddenly leapt high into the air, arcing toward Kage at the peak of his jump and falling back first toward the ground.

"...Show off." The Greninja muttered under his breath as he held up his arms toward Reaper, catching him and lowering himself as low as he could crouch in order to ease his fall.

As Kage stood up straight again, he and Reaper looked at Shamshir. The Scizor gave a slow, approving nod. "Dramatic, but effective," he said. "Switch places, and let us continue."

The exercise was far more effective than Fisher had dared to hope. He had expected Kage or Reaper to at least once let the other fall out of spite, but neither one did. They consistently caught one another, and even him and Shamshir and Skyler when all put to the same test. Overtime, they raised the stakes on the exercise by having the faller drop from higher ground. Shamshir stayed aside for this one, as due to his greater weight he was too much a risk of hurting someone by dropping from a higher altitude. The exercise went on without incident, until everyone had caught each individual team mate multiple times.

From there, it was time to move onto combat practice, where everyone demonstrated their individual combat skills. This was as much an exercise as it was a chance to study and learn each team member's fighting style and specific abilities, revealing information they might have otherwise kept to themselves such as Kage's Protean Ability that allowed him to change his typing to his most recently used attack, and Skyler having been tutored in the move 'Tailwind' which he explained he'd learned during a joint training exercise between Team Raptor and the Red Talons.

In Fisher's case, he revealed his ability to be Sniper. He could hone in on an opponent's weak spot to inflict even greater damage than a typical blow to such a spot would make, and he had a Scope Lens that he wore to improve his accuracy. On top of that, while he was well versed in other kinds of attacks.

His specialty was Snipe Shot, which he revealed as the move he used on Reaperto put him in his place. He went on to explain that the move worked in tandem with his ability, since Snipe Shot had a higher critical hit chance, which coupled with the Scope Lens, would always guarantee an incapacitating shot, or a kill shot if he really wanted to.

Reaper was hesitant to reveal _all_of his secrets, but after being reminded by Kage of what he said prior to the briefing about keeping secrets he relented. The Weavile specialized in confusion and assasination, using Double Team to hide himself within a storm of body doubles and using False Swipe to lower their guard, and then striking with a variety of lethal attacks such as Shadow Claw or Night Slash, and Ice Shard or Icicle Spear if he wanted to strike from afar. On top of that, he had the Pressure ability, which caused his foes to tucker out at a quicker pace every time they tried to attack him with a special move of their own - the more he dodged them the sooner he could finish them off.

"We have an effective team," remarked Shamshir, as everyone finished explaining his abilities. "And now that we are learning to work together, success of our mission rises with us."

"We still have a long way to go before we're ready." Fisher pointed out. "We'll need to discuss contingencies in the event of this mission going south for any reason."

"Indeed," agreed Shamshir. "But I believe we can conclude today's training for now. Let us return to the Trident and set out. We have a long way to go and much preparation yet."

"Agreed." Kage concurred.

"No argument there..." Reaper added with a slight nod of his own.

With that, the team left the clearing that had been their training area. Though none of them showed it, the fruits of their labour were having a subtle effect on them, and they were soon to be on their way to becoming an effective, coordinated unit.

If only they knew what awaited them in the south...