This is one of those huge pieces I don't want to say too much about, in fear of ruining the pacing of the epic piece.

Just to set the stage, this continues directly from the end of the mission opener, where Dash, Cat, Aleena and Cattaras are ambushed by unknown forces.

 
There's things you just won't see outside of Honorburg. It's a unique town, with its dozens and dozens of super criminal organizations and hundreds and hundreds of stalwart heroes and vigilante types. But even for a city of rogues, the sight of the two Felines, the former big time Honorburg hero, and the former space elven queen surrounded by the dozen and a half enemies, representing at least half a dozen different organizations from the city, might rank up there with the oddest of them.

Dash, Aleena, Cattaras and Catrina had arrived on the scene looking to find answers. Instead, they found a fight.

"What do you want?" Aleena called out to the assemblage of enemies encircling hers.

"We want answers!" called out one of the military looking thugs who's arm had been replaced with a sword.

"We want the truth!" called out another, dressed like a clown. Sort of. But more.. psychotically. "We can handle it!"

"Ask that your curiosity may be sated. Fight and you shall feel our sting," Aleena responded.

"And taste our blades," Dash said, tossing his spare longsword to Aleena. "Use that, Aleena. I've got something more my flavor." With that, Dash produced that odd mirror coated broadsword from before, flashing a smirk at Cattaras. "You can keep the old one. I've upgraded."

The wind blew, dramatically, lifting Dash's hair slightly as he spoke.

Cattaras smirked right back. "No thanks. I brought my own." Sure enough his claws were fully expressed as were Catrina's.

"Then give me it back!" Dash demanded.

"I thought you upgraded?" The smirk deepened.

Aleena looked at Cattaras briefly, sizing up how difficult it would be to quickly steal Dash's sword back. She'd have to wait for the right moment, but perhaps during the confusion of battle, it may be possible.

"This is all very interesting," a eight foot, hot red skinnedhead guard said. "We're going to show our interest now by killing you all." With that, he rushed at Catrina, intent on decimating the queen!

He was intercepted by the tiger, to Catrina's extreme annoyance. "Brother- we talked about this..."

She then moved in and helped with the fight. "I told you I am big girl and can kill on my own! How many times do I have to repeat myself?!"

Aleena took a swing at another approaching minion. She held nothing back, neatly slicing through the unfortunate man's arm. Instead of beating him with his own arm, the elf followed through with a spin towards Cattaras, neatly stealing his sword. "I prefer to fight with two weapons!"

"Must be a girl thing," Dash commented, diving to avoid a searing blast of mutant fire magic as the unfortunate man yelled, shouted and whined in pain.

Catrina growled at the elf. "Return it, bimbo, or I might forget we're on the same side here!"

Aleena grinned. With two swords in her hands, she leapt back into the fray, showing off elven ambidexterity. One sword would be raised to block an incoming blow while the other would cut through another opponent's defenses. Keen ears took in the sounds of combat, and minus the few attack spells enemies had been flinging, she felt completely at home. Another enemy, another block, another cut; the elf could see her allies had visibly reduced the number of foes still standing. Things were going well until an armored foe grabbed both of Aleena's swords midswipe.

"Not so tough now, are you?!" The oversized foe taunted. "Er.. I mean.. surrender your assault upon my massive frame!"

"Left your guard open!" Dash taunted the big thug. Already midair as Dash leaped at the enemy's backside, an energy whip caught his leg, and dragged him to the ground.

Cattaras tried to move in to help, with his sister right behind- but both were blocked by more magical barriers. Cattaras growled. "That is getting tiresome."

"It's worked for the last nine thousand years," the mage declared. "I'm sure it'll last me another nine thousand at least."

Catrina made a face. "Eww, You're THAT old?"

"HA! I wish I was that young!" Then mage then changed the topic of discussion, firing a mini tornado at Catrina, Cattaras and Dash while Aleena simply let go of her swords and stabbed the armored foe through the chest with a nanite-made spike extending from her knuckles. "Drop them!"

As Dash rolled over, slicing through the energy whip with his awesome new broadsword, Catrina and Cattaras attempted to take advantage of the mage's momentary distraction to flash towards him. A risky move but if it worked, it might call some of the heat off the others, maybe enough to turn the tide. The mage countered by throwing up a shield around himself, which Dash burst through easily!

Having just bounced up on the shoulders of the armored giant, and despite the flailing of heavily armored arms, Aleena stabbed him neatly between the pauldron and helmet, slicing open the delicate neck beneath. In spite of lethal wounds, the armored foe was able to reach up and swat her away with a meaty, armored forearm before falling to the ground, dead.

The elf deftly picked up the two swords and quickly looked for her next target. A wizard swept her up in a mini tornado prison, however, as Dash sliced through a military themed enemy's fire arms, then the enemy, in one fell swoop, leaving another enemy dead.

Throwing the whirlwind at Aleena caused the mage to take his eye off the Felines- and that was a fatal mistake as the moved in to him. What happened next wasn't pretty. In fact, it was as effective as it was a bloody mess.

As Catrina brought a slow, merciless end to the mage's life, Dash turned towards getting the wizard's attention. Dash attempted to strike the wizard from behind but he was able to throw up a last second wind shield, forcing Dash back.

The tornado spell entrapping Aleena suffered from his lack of attention, however.

That was all that the elf needed. In a dynamic display of dexterity, she flipped out of the dissipating trap, twin swords flying high, and neatly separating the mage's head from his shoulders.

"Fall back! Retreat!" called out the enemies. Dash, Aleena and the Feline continued to fight, but the retreat was instant and effective; the groups fell back in separate ways, falling behind other potential threats to prevent being followed. Some of the mages simply vanished, while others sped out of sight faster than even Catrina would be able to follow. Even the armless enemy escaped with a little help.

Dash moved over to check if Aleena was okay. "I'm guessing that's tied to Kadlin's disappearance, but I have no idea how."

Aleena held up the longsword freshly filched from Cattaras and grinned. "Miss this?"

That was enough to make Dash smile, but Cattaras just shrugged. "Not really. I have more weapons than that on me when I wake in the morning- naked." He smirked at Aleena as he mentioned the naked sleeping.

"What, your scent?" Dash said with his own smirk.

Aleena pressed Dash's swords into his hands. "Thank you for the use of your weapons."

"Sure you don't want to keep them?" Dash asked, still staring at Cattaras. "I'm more of a one sword guy, anyway."

"Aye, I'll hang onto them for the moment. Thank you." Aleena crossed the two swords together at her back where tendrils of her suit wrapped around them and secured them in place.

Seeing this Catrina's eyes widened and she nearly bared her fangs, but then she chuckled. "Pity.. I had so much fun planned for that sword. Oh well. " She then feigned indifference, ignoring the mage's blood which covered her.

"Not sure you could handle a real sword," Dash retorted. "Anyway, we need to..." Dash paused, seeing Catrina glaring at him. "Problem, traitor?"

Catrina growled. "One of these days, we'll put my Katana against your so-called ‘real sword' and see who survives the comparison."

"Someday," Dash answered, matter of factly, "we are going to fight, and I am going to defeat you. And I am going to find out what happened to you, one way or another."

Catrina laughed. "You think you have it in you to defeat me?"

"All I have to do is defeat what you've become." Dash heard of own voice grow distant and cold, almost speaking on its own accord, shallow and tinny. "I am your champion, after all."

Catrina's mirth turned into a growl. "You are a fool, Sebastian Dash. Do yourself a favor and abandon this quest. For you know what happens to heroes?"

Dash reached for his sword, motioning for her to bring it. His voice lost the eerie qualities once more. "Show me."

Cattaras was staring at his blood stained sister. He then moved between the two of them. "Before the two of you start killing each other, perhaps we should work on finding Konall and Kadlin."

The elf jumped at and tackled Cattaras, removing him from between the two fighters. "I've no quarrel with you, but this will be dealt with," she hissed.

"Let's settle this now," Dash said, eyes locked on Catrina. "So I can get down to finding out how you managed to frame Konall."

She growled back. "I doubt what's left of you will be able to find out how to die properly!"

Aleena pinned Cattaras beneath her, well aware of the male's stronger physique. She whispered softly, "Let's just... stay out of it, okay? This needs be done."

Cattaras growled.. but didn't look too unhappy. "Much as I enjoy this, and much as I agree that someday there must be a reckoning, this isn't the day!" His paws were up, away from her body. The elf caught the feline's wrists and slammed them back to the ground. She gazed into his eyes intently, watching for his next move.

"Woman, stop doing that or you are going to want to kill me." Cattaras growled- and Aleena felt what he meant. The elf's hips were pressed to the feline's, and she grew wide eyed -- distracted, but only for a moment. During that moment Cattaras pitched violently, rolling them so that he was now on top and pressing into her! "You see what I mean... Aleena?"

"Indeed," came the elf's response. Cattaras purred.

Meanwhile, Dash dove at Catrina, attempting to knock her swords away with his own. Catrina easily dodged and countered with a swing at Dash's body. Almost as if he knew it was coming before she could swing, Dash parried hard to his side, blocking the blow with that strange mirror coated broadsword. The intensity forced Dash back, however, taking him off balance.

Elven hips moved, grinding upwards against the feline's own in an aggressive, distracting tease. Cattaras smiled- a true smile. "You are truly a queen, and you know how to handle your toms. Do you wish to continue this? I would be more than happy to."

Catrina moved in a flash behind Dash, pressing one katana to his throat. "Do you yield?"

"Dash!" Aleena cried out, struggling violently, suddenly aware of the mortal danger he was in.

As Aleena screamed like she was forced to watch a Jersey Shore marathon, Dash showed he had a few new tricks. Pain shot up Catrina's leg as her knee went numb. Without showing signs of movement, Dash had managed to throw a small two balled Bolas at her knee. Dash escaped, and kicked her in the midsection to create separation between the two. Aleena gave a sigh of relief. Dash shook his head, leaving his sword to the side.

"No, I shall not be yielding."

Catrina roared at the Bolas and the kick- then moved behind Dash again- and thrust with both her swords, lifting Dash off his feet.

"Too bad- for you."

And thus ended Dash's life.

Told ya, epic.

The end of Dash's life? Well, this is a comicbook inspired city soo.. Before Catrina's lethal shot on Dash, Aleena retrieves his sword from Cattaras, even as the four are forced to work together against common enemies! Oh, and we even see Cattaras and Aleena beginning to bond! Plus of course, we've been waiting to see Catrina vrs. Dash since the end of the first Season Finale!

We're going to take a lil break with Becky and then get back to this story! Also, still to come: Todd Blackpaw, Fahari, Scaros, Lady Goblina, Sir Fumblies and more. A lot more!