Manhattan, New York

[jmalsimmons]

Manhattan, NY: United Nations HQ

Both Raven and Master Raven silently traversed the busy hallway to their intended destination, butterflies flying around in their respective stomachs for what they may hear. Office tempo has changed drastically over the past few months with the war escalating to new heights. Jin and Kazuya remain unrelenting in their attempt to control the world. If they weren't stopped, everyone else would pay the price.



"Any idea what it could be?" Raven inquired in a hushed tone.



Tatyana glanced at her husband with a shoulder shrug. "I'm just as stumped as you are. Might be new objectives for all I know."



Raven's eyes then went back to focus on the pathway. "Fair enough."



"What's wrong?" she asked him. "You sound unsure."



"I'm worried about the kids," he answered truthfully. "If we're gone for an extended period, they need to be cared for."



He brought up a good point. Carla and Marcus were still mere children, yet they knew exactly what was going on in the world as far as the carnage was concerned. The last thing either parent wanted was for their offspring to be caught in the middle, especially their eldest who was just beginning to recover from her birth parents' murder.



"They'll be safe in the UN's custody, husband," Tatyana assured though the deep recesses of her mind said otherwise. She was just as, if not more apprehensive for their children's wellbeing. They arrived at Dwight's office, anxious for what briefing lied behind the door.



"With the characters we're dealing with, no one is safe." Raven's words held a sense for foreboding.

[jmalsimmons]

After meeting with Dwight for over two hours, Tatyana and Raven were dismissed from his office in disbelief, their eyes telling the entire story. The kunoichi's body language told the entire story; lightly shaking from the news they just received. It wasn't so much the mission they received, but some other damming news. Along with investigating Nina and Anna's family, Dwight revealed to the couple a disturbing fact about the war. 

They retreated to Tatyana's private office, Raven the only subordinate allowed to enter due to being her husband. Tatyana slumped in her chair before burying her face in both hands, doing her best to calm herself. Her husband stayed by her side to lend support at the wake of the news, a manilla folder in his free hand.

"Something was telling me she was behind this," Raven said quietly.

His wife didn't respond, still replaying her breakdown earlier. Never before had anyone, even Raven himself, seen Tatyana lose complete control of her actions after hearing that Nina Williams, the woman she's developed a rivalry with, was the one responsible for the murder of their adoptive daughter's actual parents. She suspected this was the case but didn't have the evidence to prove it.

The files in her husband's hand declared otherwise.

"We... we can't tell Carla." Tatyana muffled through her palms.

"She has to know eventually," Raven told her. "Carla deserves to know."

Tatyana removed her hands, tears threatening to emerge. "Not now, Raven. She's already been through too much."

Raven hardened his gaze. "Keeping this as a secret isn't a better option."

"No, it isn't." Tatyana then rose up and took her sword out of its guard. "Not until I sever that blonde bitch's head."

[jmalsimmons]

The trip back to their shared apartment was quiet, Raven and Master Raven silent as the male ninja kept focused on the road ahead of him in his midnight black Nissan Maxima. He occasionally took a glance over to the passenger seat to check on his wife. Tatyana's gaze wasn't anywhere particular, her mind currently not in the present. Deep down, she was worried and angry, a deadly combination for a woman of her stature.

"How do we tell them?" Raven's question broke the silence.

Tatyana snapped out of her reverie, her thoughts all over the place, and no clear answer for her husband. How could they tell them? And what should they tell them? Their lives were unknowingly in danger because of who their parents were and the jobs they held. However, each ninja knew this was what they signed up for. Backing out now will only endanger Carla and Marcus even more.

"I... I don't know," Tatyana struggled to say. "It was different when it was just you and I. Now, matters are... complicated."

Raven knew all too well the situation they found themselves is, but she was right. Carla and Marcus involved in their lives did complicate things. Yet he cared little for the circumstances they found themselves in. Somehow, someway; they would find a way to work through it.

Together. 

[jmalsimmons]

Raven and Tatyana finally made it home, a welcome relief to each ninja after what they had to endure today in regards to their new mission. They would have to leave their kids for an extended period of time and who knows when or if they'll be back. Both exited the car and headed for the entryway, Tatyana just ahead of her husband. Before she unlocked the door, Raven stopped her with his hand.

"Hey, we'll get through this," he gently assured. "I promise."

Tatyana felt a semblance of alleviation radiate off her shoulders. Having a caring spouse like Raven made everything seem unimportant and inconsequential. Why didn't she noticed this when they were mere children under the care and tutelage of their beloved master.

The gesture made Tatyana smile. "Thank you, Raven."

She finally pushed the door open, allowing herself and Raven to step through. Inside the living room watching TV with the babysitter was Carla, her face lighting up as her new parents walked through the door, keeping her pitched voice down as to not disturb her sleeping brother Marcus who rested in his nearby crib.

Smiling, Tatyana knelt down. "Hello, Carla. Were you a good girl for the babysitter?"

"Yes, mommy," the young girl answered before hugging her new mother. Her eyes then shifted to Raven. "Hi, daddy. How was your day?"

A small smile graced the male ninja's face as he ruffled her hair. "Pretty good, Carla." His face then turned serious. "We need to talk with you. It's rather important."

The once joyous look on Carla's face immediately disappeared at the tone in her father's voice. Tatyana thanked the babysitter and paid her quite well for nearly two and a half hours of work, sending the older female on her way. Now it was her turn to be concerned as to how to approach this situation. Being a mother to an adoptive girl and an infant son was easily the most difficult job Tatyana has ever undertaken, that is until the shared mission with her husband, one that put the kunoichi on edge.

Tatyana took a seat on the couch and motioned for Carla to come over. The child obliged, walking over to sit in her mother's lap, her brother in Raven's arms as he cradled their son.

"Mommy, why are you sad? Carla inquisitively asked. "Did something happen at your job?"

A rather large sigh escaped Tatyana, bracing herself for the inevitable conversation. "Sweetie, your father and I have to... go on a mission."

Confusion made its way on the girls face. "A mission? Where?"

"There's... some bad people we need to imprison before they harm more people. I..." Tatyana paused, nearly overcome with emotion. "I'm not sure when we'll be back."

That wasn't what the girl wanted to hear. "But mommy, I don't want you and daddy to leave!"

Tatyana could feel her chest tighten with angst. "Neither do we, Carla; believe me I don't want to leave you and your brother. But its something us adults have to do." She took Carla's hands in her own. "However, your father and I promise you that we're coming back. We want you to look after Marcus while we leave you at our workplace. Can you do that for us? For me?"

Carla fought off the urge to cry. She's done so too much and needed to be strong like Tatyana has been teaching her the past few months. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the girl knew there wasn't anything she could do to change their minds. They had to do this.

For her and Marcus' future.

Reluctantly, Carla nodded. "Yes... I will."

"Shhh... it's ok. I promise you we're coming back." Tatyana whispered as she embraced Carla tightly. "As I told you when we first met, you will never be alone ever again."

[jmalsimmons]

United Nations' Hospital: New York
It all happened so fast and shortly after returning from Japan.

Raven sat in a chair close by his wife, an oxygen mask placed upon her mouth to help her breathe. Carla was in his arms, tear lines staining her face after crying non-stop for nearly two hours. Marcus wasn't currently with them as Tyra volunteered to watch over him while the paramedics quickly whisked Tatyana away.

'Of all the times for this to happen,' Raven thought darkly to himself. 'This is my fault.'

Both ninjas were glad to be back home after their mostly successful mission. Raven and Tatyana competed well in the tournament against formidable competition though neither were able to reach the final round and the sponsor Madison. However, they weren't able to bring her in for further questioning concerning her ties with Kazuya after the ship's destruction. What did happen was that Lee managed to convince Jin to surrender once his father had been taken care of. The two agents remained wary if Jin would actually keep his end of the bargain.

Once back home, Tatyana and Raven got all their injuries, minor and major treated at the treatment facility after nearly getting caught in the deadly explosion. Both also were recovering from their respective nightmares due to the Espelhar. Tatyana dealt with her abusive mother tormenting her again while Raven had to combat their deceased master who chastised him for having kids with a fellow ninja.

Carla was glad to have her parents back as well as Marcus though he was still teething. Raven and Tatyana were granted a few weeks of leave to recover and prep for their next plan of action.

Tragedy struck a few months later.

Six hours earlier:
The ninja duo were sparring in the dojo, something they usually did at least three times a week to stay in top form and to slowly teach Carla after Tyra taught her the basics. Speaking of, Carla watched from the sidelines while looking after her baby brother.

Tatyana attacked Raven as he simply parried and deflected all his wife's attacks with relative ease. After a while, it started to irritate the older ninja, prompting her to change strategy involving a new technique she wanted to save for Nina.

She lunged forward, foot extended to hit Raven in the abdomen before leaping up, knee extending to catch her husband in the jaw. The force sent Raven to his back. Tatyana smiled as she won this time.

"Ugh," Raven groaned as he held his chin.

"A new technique I developed a while back," Tatyana said. "What do you think?"

Raven gave her a ghostly smirk. "I'm down, am I? You still hit hard." He got back up.

Carla, holding Marcus close to her, approached them. "That was cool!"

They both smiled at the excited girl before Tatyana held a hand to her forehead, suddenly becoming hot and dizzy, her equilibrium altered severely. This immediately caught Raven and Carla's attention.

"Tatyana, are you all right?" Raven asked in concern.

His wife shook her head and hand. "I'm fine. It's..."

Tatyana wouldn't speak another word before her entire body began to shut down, slowly sinking down to the floor. Carla and Raven's eyes widened in horror as Raven caught her body in his arms.

"Mommy!" Carla shrieked.

Raven checked for a pulse in her neck. It was steady, but her skin felt hot, blazing to the touch, almost as if she had a fever. He didn't hesitate to shout for medical assistance.

Present:
Raven fought back a sigh at the memory. Tatyana's condition came out of nowhere but he suspected it stemmed from the ship and that mysterious entity he and Tatyana faced. No doubt that added stress to an already building panic attack. But to his surprise and astonishment, it wasn't a panic attack as he once thought. He stared at his unconscious wife...

Who was three months' pregnant with serious complications. 

[jmalsimmons]

"How soon?" Raven inquired.

"The sooner, the better," Dwight said. "I know you're concerned about Tatyana, but the mission comes first. We'll monitor her condition 24/7." He turned on the TV screen behind him, pulling up his agent's intended destination. "You'll travel to Central Hong Kong and meet up with Lei Wulong who is combating local unrest. Assist him as best you can. Also, report to the Hong Kong branch of the United Nations. We'll keep in touch there."

Raven nodded, not even saying a word. Dwight could clearly see tension emanating from his agent. He couldn't blame him. His spouse was in a medically induced coma, a pregnancy on top of that. The timing could have not been any worse.

"Go and prepare. You have a long flight ahead of you," Dwight instructed.

Without another word, Raven got out of his chair and left the office to mentally prepare for this new objective. In his brief interaction with the so called Super Cop, Raven didn't really have much of an opinion on him due to his apparent aloofness. Then again, we was a very skilled fighter in the arena, his appearances in the previous 5 King of Iron Fist tournaments proof of Lei's prowess. Raven just internally hoped he wouldn't have to deal with the man's quirky personality for long. He had his own problems to worry about.

After walking down the hall, Raven gently entered his wife's hospital room. Tatyana laid still, unmoving and unresponsive. Carla was fast asleep near her, another set of tear lines staining her face. Tyra was also present in the room holding Marcus in her arms, seeing Raven enter.

"Hey," she quietly greeted him. "You're leaving?"

"Yes," Raven simply said. "I need to go."

Tyra sadly nodded. "I'll watch over them, Raven. You have my word."

The older ninja gave a slight smile. "When I come back, I'm speaking to Dwight about getting you a promotion. You've done so much for us."

"You'd do the same for us," Tyra said. "It's not a problem."

Raven walked over and softly kissed his son's forehead, the child not stirring in his sleep. He then approached Carla, running his hands through the girl's hair before lightly kissing her head.

"Be safe and listen to Ms. Tyra," he said.

Finally, Raven held his gaze on Tatyana, his wife, life partner, and the mother to their two year old son. They've been together for as long as he could remember. Though they couldn't stand one another at the beginning, neither ninja wanted to imagine life without the other. Raven always admired her from afar, the sole reason he cracked a meaningful smile before their children came into the picture. Going without her will be difficult, but the world needed help.

Leaning forward, Raven crept closer to Tatyana's ear. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. It will be difficult to go out there without you, but God has always covered our family. Rest easy and await my return. I love you."

Giving his wife a loving kiss to her cheek, Raven left the room, gathering all his gear needed before heading downstairs to his motorcycle to drive to the nearest hangar where the jet was located.

[jmalsimmons]

Two days have passed since Raven left for Hong Kong. Everyone in the United Nations hub in downtown New York worked around the clock to lend help to other nations in desperate need of aid. Meanwhile, Tyra stuck to her word and watched over Carla and Marcus, Tatyana still in a medically induced coma. There was still no word on when she'll wake up. On the positive side, her identified pregnancy remained on the healthy side, no side effects to this point. Whether that continued remained a mystery. The doctors did their normal checkups but haven't a clue on how else to approach this delicate situation.

Tyra decided to pass the time by teaching Carla the basics of speaking and writing Japanese. She figured it would give her a head start.

Carla began drawing a character. "Like this?"

The adult smiled while feeding Marcus his bottle. "That's it. Keep going. You're doing great, Carla."

Confident, Carla expertly drew her first symbol. Her name.

[jmalsimmons]

Tyra then received a phone call. "Agent Tyra speaking."

"It's me," said Raven on the other line.

"Raven," Tyra said before sighing. "You made it to Hong Kong."

"About an hour ago. I haven't had much time to talk with meetings and all." Raven paused. "How is she?"

Looking up, Tyra gazed at Tatyana's sleeping form. Still no movement whatsoever. The doctors ran their regular tests but have found nothing new in their diagnosis.

"She hasn't woken up and the doctors aren't sure what the issue is," Tyra said. "I'm starting to worry."

"So am I," Raven replied. "The kids?"

"Marcus has been quiet while I've been teaching Carla how to draw and speak in Japanese. They've been good, Sir."

Raven sighed, thankful his children stayed on their best behavior. "Thanks. I hate to cut this short, but I'm about to quell the violence in the town. But alert me if something changes."

"Will do, Sir. Be safe," Tyra said before ending the call.

[jmalsimmons]

"Still nothing?" Tyra asked.

The head doctor along with his assistants had just finished nearly two hours of observation over Tatyana's condition. Carla and Marcus were escorted outside until the process was finished as a precaution.

"There's a lot of built-up stress and anxiety within Tatyana's person, but we're not sure what to categorize it as," the male doctor explained. "This is the first of its case I'm seeing. No injuries, head trauma, or anything else could have caused this. However, her pregnancy still remains healthy for the moment. We'll continue monitoring her progress over the next few days. That's really the best we can do."

Although not the answer Tyra wanted to hear, it was better than the alternative. "How long do you realistically think she can stay in this state?"

"It could be for weeks, maybe months. But today, her condition has somewhat improved, brain activity more active than yesterday. Take it for what it's worth, but it's a step in the right direction," he said.

[jmalsimmons]

Two weeks later:

All was quiet within Tatyana's hospital room except for the silent beeping of her heart monitor. It was nighttime, just past 1. A.M. Then, the door creaked open, revealing a single female walking in garbed in hospital scrubs. Behind her back was a syringe filled with a deadly agent sure to kill the unconscious ninja in her sleep.

'The boss is gonna pay me big time by getting rid of you,' she thought to herself.

She crept closer to the bed before readying the needle to insert inside the pouch situated to the side to aid in Tatyana's hydration. Just before the imposter could finish the deed, she felt the icy presence of cold steel pressed against her jugular, blood slowly trickling from the small incision.

"No sudden moves... or you die where you stand."

Tyra managed to catch the woman making her way into her supervisor's room and immediately sprang into action to prevent a murder under her organization's noses.

Carefully, the woman let go of the syringe. Any false moves from here would guarantee death.

"Turn around," Tyra ordered.

She did as told, turning around before fully facing Tyra. Both stared at one another with hard glares. Neither moved, perhaps waiting for the slightest flinch.

"You're good, little ninja. I'm surprised you caught me when you did," the woman sneered.

Tyra wasn't fazed. "Who sent you?"

An evil smile was her answer just before the imposter managed to headbutt Tyra, sending her reeling back close to the door. She pressed on the attack after drawing her own weapon, an extended metal pole strong enough to withstand even the sharpest of blades. They battled ferociously against one another just as reinforcements began rushing to where the fight took place.

Tyra found herself on the floor with multiple bruises and the woman standing over her in supposed triumph.

"Say goodbye, bitch!" she yelled, raising her pole over her opponent's head to smash against Tyra's skull.

But then, the woman shrieked in pain as her weapon slipped out of her hand and dropped unceremoniously to the ground below. Tyra saw what happened but couldn't prepare herself for the next instant as the imposter fell over, bleeding from a deep gash on her back. Standing over the defeated woman, wearing only a hospital gown with her sword in hand...

Was Tatyana.

[jmalsimmons]

"Ma'am!" Tyra exclaimed, holding her head after being struck by the mysterious woman.

Groaning, Tatyana cautiously stepped over the fallen intruder and helped Tyra to her feet. "You ok?"

"Better now that you're awake," Tyra replied. "How do you feel?"

"Like crap, but it's better this way than the other alternative." Tatyana glanced at the unconscious woman. "Have a couple of the doctors treat her before subduing her in the interrogation room. Also, contact dispatch and have them comb the building for any more intruders. I'm going to get some answers as to who wanted me dead. Where are the kids?"

"Asleep in your office room, Ma'am." Tyra gulped before continuing. "Carla took your condition really hard and had an emotional breakdown yesterday. She would be delighted to see you."

Tatyana's mouth formed a thin line. "I see... and my husband?"

"He's currently in Hong Kong helping out the local police with the violent protests," her agent informed her.

"Get a hold of him when you get a moment. I'm going to get out of this garb," Tatyana ordered before grabbing a change of clothes and departing to the nearby restroom.

[jmalsimmons]

Tatyana emerged out of the spare room with a fresh change of clothes, opting for civilian attire instead of her usual ninja outfit. She saw on the security cameras that the entire building was scoped from top to bottom. There were no other intruders inside, much to her relief.

With that, Tatyana walked down to the room where their prisoner was being kept. The doctors made quick work to patch up their injuries but ensured she wouldn't escape.

'Good,' the female ninja said to herself before making her way inside.

Sure enough, the prisoner was tied to a chair, all her limbs restrained with a strong rope material. Plus, it helped that the agents confiscated all the other weapons and escape instruments the woman had before incapacitating her.

"No matter what you do, I'll never talk, bitch!" the woman barked.

Unfazed, Tatyana grabbed a chair and sat right across from the captive, eyes stone cold and full of silent fury. "Oh, you will tell me who sent you to have me killed." She then pulled out her sword, the blade shimmering in the dim light. "Or, we can try another method. Now start talking."

[jmalsimmons]

"Go screw yourse-"

The woman wouldn't get any further with her comment as she screamed in excruciating pain after Tatyana swiped at her shoulder, a new gash bleeding profusely down the arm, a puddle forming underneath.

"That was your first of three warnings. Piss me off even further, the cuts will go deeper, or I might just cut all losses and go for an artery. Your choice," Tatyana threatened. "Who do you work for?"

[jmalsimmons]

Tatyana sat once again in her chair while eyeing the now profusely bleeding captive. Her patience was running thin with this woman though she could admire their fortitude. However, she needed to know who was going after her and her family and make them pay for even considering the notion.

Breathing heavily, the woman managed to weakly say, "Ok, ok. I'll talk. It was... Kazuya. He sent me here to eliminate all threats to his plans. That's all I know."

"See? You could've saved yourself a lot of trouble had you come forward earlier," Tatyana sarcastically remarked. "I had a feeling that bastard was behind this. Now with that out of the way..." She got out of her chair and approached the injured woman who trembled in fear as the blade came in contact with her jugular. "You're going to send your boss a message."

Twenty minutes later:

After cleaning up all the blood and stitching up the prisoner yet again, Tatyana had her subordinates tie her up with metal chains to restrain any and all movement. She even took it a step further and wrote a direct message addressed to Kazuya before slapping it on the woman's forehead.

'You've messed with the wrong family and the wrong woman.'

Satisfied, Tatyana pinched the woman's pulse point in her neck, rendering her unconscious before placing her on a private plane that would take her straight to G-Corp HQ. The jet wasted little time zooming to its destination and should arrive within a few hours.

Tyra approached her boss. "Should I go wake the children?"

"No, let them sleep. I'll see them later in the morning. Meantime, you're coming with me to speak with Jones," Tatyana informed.

[jmalsimmons]

Tatyana and Tyra left Jones' office after a lengthy discussion about their next plans of action. He was relieved one of his top agents was awake and ready to lead the charge. However, he also knew her limitations due to her pregnancy but didn't tell Tatyana that as it wasn't his business.

Walking down the hall, Tatyana turned to her subordinate. "Thanks again for helping out."

Tyra waved a hand. "It's really no issue, Ma'am."

"Regardless, Raven and I appreciate all you've done for us, and then some. Go get some rest. I'll be doing the same after I see the kids," Tatyana told her.

Nodding, Tyra went straight to her room within the building, knowing the hardest work was around the corner. She and a few of the other agents will be working non stop to tail G-Corp's movements and activities along with the Zaibatsu.

Tatyana quietly entered her room and smiled after seeing Carla and Marcus sleeping in peace despite the building in a frenzy due to the attempted murder on her life. She crept closer to the crib housing the small infant and lightly kissed his forehead, the child not stirred in his slumber. Tatyana then approached Carla in the same manner, mindful of the tears staining her cheeks. It was clear the girl was traumatized while she was in her coma.

"My poor baby," Tatyana murmured, softly wiping the tears away before kissing her forehead.

There were a lot of things going through the ninja's mind. The welfare of her kids, her husband's status, and the sudden interest in why Kazuya wanted her and Raven out of the picture. Clearly, the man wanted little to no opposition in front of him, leaving the world vulnerable to his dominance.

'No sense in thinking about it now. I'll pick up on what I missed later,' Tatyana thought to herself as she changed clothes and went to bed just past 3 A.M.