Kuroyama smiled beneath his mask and muttered a silent prayer to those above who sat in shadow. This was a moment best prepared for, and he had trained his people well. At his side stood Nina, her breathing slight and her body motionless as if she were some kind of dark and foreboding statue.

His eyes shifted slightly to look at her, and her eyes glanced in his direction at the same time and without moving or turning their heads, they looked at each other, knowing what was going on in the other's mind. Nina's soul had darkness within it before the Hand had augmented it, and it had taken the blade of Kuroyama to cut out her heart before she unleashed it.*

(* As seen in Elektra #14--David)

As painful and frightening as it had been for her, as well as showing her how helpless she truly was, there had been an element of danger and excitement about it that had appealed to some corner of her soul and her inner demon was at last sated. As she had breathed her last, she knew that in her last few moments she had truly lived.

No longer would she fear pain or death, for she had experienced the worst of these as the one hand held her down, while the blade in the other cut through her flesh. It had surprised her with the incredible ease that it had cut through her, and they both remembered the sound of the rips splintering and cracking under the power of the sword.

The geysers of blood spurted upwards as the canals around the heart were severed from the organ, and then Kuroyama had plunged his hand in to her chest and pulled the vital muscle from her and held it before her. As the darkness claimed her, a sense of having been truly alive - if just for a moment - made her fear evaporate in that moment as she watched the heart beat in vain and then she died.

Now she was awake, alive and powerful and the man who had released her stood at her side. A mentor, a confidant, a lover. They had a bond as murderer and victim that none in the world could share, and they knew how to kill and send people to the darkness that had once claimed them.

The look they now shared told them they were ready. The rituals had been performed, the time was right and the Hand stood ready. Silent, deadly. They had got in to position perfectly without being detected, the guards around the Yashida compound having been dealt with. The elements were on their side so that the X-Man Logan would never know they were there until it was too late. Even with his hyper acute senses.

Then, the wind shifted, just as the sun started to come up and they all knew Wolverine would know they were there. It was time and he nodded to Nina, and raised his hand in the air.

"People of the house of the Clan Yashida! The day of reckoning is at hand, and your time has past. Now you shall walk in to the eternal grip of darkness from which you will have no escape. Prepare yourself to meet whatever Gods you believe in."

As he finished his speech, his hand lowered and the Hand seemed to descend from the sky.

I've been here before, ninja's descending from the sky around the Yashida compound. There's an ominous sense of déjà vu surrounding me here and the last time this happened, it ended badly. Mariko was dead, the Clan lorded over by the Silver Samurai, and Matsu'o Tsurayaba stood victorious amongst the defeat of his warriors, for our loss was far greater than his own.

Now things are different - the Samurai's a big hero in Japan and the Clan are no longer a criminal outfit. The other main change is that, for the moment, Matsu'o is on our side, fighting off his own people, who have vowed to kill him.

Life's fickle at times, especially as there's been a change of cast on both sides. For the Clan we have Elektra, Yukio and Sunfire. For the Hand we have Kuroyama and Nina. Kuroyama I know, because Matsuo told me and I've got Nina's scent. Problem is, there's a lot of Hand about, and Matsuo's not in the greatest condition to fight either.

The Hand are also fighting differently, more stylish and a lot more slick than I remember them being. It's the same style but more confident than it has been before, and it's a confidence I haven't seen in them since Shingen was in charge, and as awe inspiring as that was I know that this is better. So far, though there's been no sign of the main event.

"I don't see Kuroyama," I asked of Matsu'o, who's fightin' the Hand with his own injuries. He's got one foot in the grave already, but he isn't going to give Kuroyama the satisfaction of just dyin'.

"He must be elsewhere then," answers the former Hand master. "I am uncertain as to why he would miss this, though."

"Aw, heck," I curse as I realise what's goin' on here. "Elektra."

"She is here?" asks Matsu'o. "That would explain much."

"I know," I reply and both of us know that these ninja are not only good but are also here to run interference, to prevent us from helpin' the others. Problem is, they're doin' a damn good job. Alone, I'd be hard pressed to take them all on, and Matsu'o's not in a state to be much help. Days like these make me wonder how different it'd be if I still had my adamantium, but thoughts like that don't do anyone any good and I dismiss it as quickly as it came in to my head.

Then I hear a whoosh as the air begins to displace and it starts to gradually get warmer. There's a static charge in the air that makes the hairs on my arms begin to stand on end, and then the wind shifts again, confirming what I'd already guessed.

"Cavalry's comin', bub," I say as Shiro appears in a blaze of solar power, the superheating of the air creating the charge I'd felt.

Sunfire had arrived, and he's changed a lot since I first knew him on the X-Men. He's grown up a lot; he's a lot more powerful and much better trained as a warrior. After all, he's got some of the Shingen's bloodline in him as part of that family. He's a skilled fighter, powerful mutant and hero of Japan.

He has a lot to live up to.

"Sorry, Logan-san," he says as he lands. "Someone had to get the staff to safety."

"Better late than never, bub," I answer with a smile, knowing the odds just got a little more even, an' I hope the others can deal with Kuroyama and Nina until I get there to give them a hand.

The Silver Samurai had not stood about idly. When Logan had told him to go, he had gone to get the others, making certain his cousin got the non-combatants out of the building. As the only one of them who could fly, it was a task best suited to him.

He stopped briefly at his own room; to not only gather the Black Blade but to get a device created for him by Hiro Takachiho, one of his teammates on Big Hero 6. At the press of a button, his armour would instantly mould itself around his body, making him ready for battle. Armoured and ready, with the Muramasa Sword of the Black Blade Cult in his hand and the blade charged with his own mutant abilities, making it deadlier than ever.

The sword was virtually indestructible and could slice through virtually anything, except its forger put a piece of his own corrupt soul in to it, and the blade corrupted everyone who touched it until it found a warrior worthy of wielding it. It did so in the Samurai and the added combination of his power to charge the sword so it would cut through anything, made the Black Blade the most powerful sword on the face of the Earth.

In recent times, he had stopped using it because the evil taint within it was not part of the life he now pursued. Today was different, special. The Black Blade had a chance to do some good for the first time since it had been created, and the Silver Samurai would be the man to wield it.

Once he was ready he went to get the staff, the warriors of the Clan Yashida. Skilled warriors all, they would be able to deal with the Hand, if not defeating them, then slowing them down at the very least. The orders were given just in time as the announcement of attack was made and the Hand seemed to come out of the woodwork across the Compound. This was no mere attack, but an invasion that was prelude to a massacre.

"Low born dogs!" shouted the Samurai, the blade charged and swinging. "How dare you desecrate this house!" Kenuichio Harada was trained by the Shingen in the art of swordsman ship and had developed those skills further when the Shingen had disowned him. Now he was acknowledged as one of the greatest swordsmen on the planet, if the not the best, and with the powers he held in his hands now the Hand were not enough, however given time they would overwhelm him.

Dispatching his foes he made his way to where Yukio and Elektra were housed within the complex. What struck him at first was the distinct lack of ninja about the place, but there were still sounds of combat. There was no way Logan could have gotten past him without the Samurai knowing, which meant there was something else happening here, and redoubled his pace towards the small house where the women would be.

As he reached the door, he was confronted by an unknown woman who appeared silently and as if from nowhere. Her demeanour showed her to be one of the enemies, but she did not look like one of the Hand's normal warriors. Her natural beauty was highlighted by the viciousness of her look. The tight leather bodice, the Mohican hairstyle, the various weapons, the very fighting style she adopted when making a defensive posture.

"Nina McCabe."

"So Elektra has been talking, telling you of old times," said Nina, her eyes narrowing, as she drew a sword of her own. "Kuroyama has plans for her, and you are not a part of them."

"Are you good enough to best me, woman?"

"We'll soon see," said Nina and leapt forward, the sword ready and the scent of kill in the air.

Inside the building, Elektra had heard the voice of Kuroyama and instantly she and Yukio had gotten ready for the attack they knew was coming and hurried Amiko under the bed. There was an amount of silence outside that seemed strange, and the women looked at each other in puzzled fury.

The Hand were supposed to be attacking - why weren't they? Then the answer came as the door burst open and Elektra's eyes narrowed. Kuroyama smiled underneath his mask knowing that she looked exactly like Nina did when confronted by an enemy.

"Kuroyama," said Elektra, her sais prepared, while Yukio readied her throwing blades.

"And once more we meet again, Elektra." Then he caught a blade thrown by Yukio. "Wild One." He placed the blade under his nose to gain its scent. "Still using the nerve poison, I see."

"Only when I need to," she answered. "Your name was whispered in the court of Shingen, whispered as the man who trained him."

"I did," answered Kuroyama, his tone matter-of-fact and containing no pride in the statement. "I trained him, he failed me. He had the potential to be the greatest of them all, yet he failed to contain one rogue mutant."

"Logan is worth twenty of you," snarled Elektra and Kuroyama's smile became more evident under his mask.

"So, Logan means something to you, something more than we have been thus far led to believe. Your emotions betray you once more." Then his smile died. "The very name 'Logan' has been a thorn in my side since the time of my training. Ogun spoke of him with such reverence and today those voices will be silenced." He suddenly pulled tight on the chain and the sickle flew up, and he caught it in his hand. He knew it wouldn't be long before someone arrived, and Nina was outside waiting, and in the meantime he would keep himself ready by taking on these two. It would be interesting to say the least.

"Shall we begin?" he asked and the battle started.

Even with the added firepower of Sunfire, we're not gettin' much further towards where the real action has to be, and I'm getting' a very bad feelin' about this.

"Shiro! Cut loose! I gotta get to Elektra!"

"But Logan-san, in this enclosed area, it could destroy the compound." Towards the bottom of the garden can see the shrine, the tribute to Mariko. The compound's not the only thing that could be destroyed here, including us.

"I know," I mutter, the words coming out of my mouth almost as a whisper. "This place can be rebuilt, though."

"Your tactics are applaudable, but what about us?" asks Matsu'o whose injuries are finally beginning to catch up with him. He hasn't got much time left and while instinct says I should let him burn, I owe him. If the Hand had caught us by surprise, there would have been nothing we could have done.

"I'll hit this place from the air," said Shiro. "It'll give you both a chance to run."

"Good enough for ya, bub?" I ask and Matsu'o simply nods. Sunfire flash fries the nearest assassins that attack him as he lifts in to the air, while I start to hack my way through the Hand, so we can get out of here. Protectin' myself against them is hard enough, but coverin' Matsu'o's hide makes it damn near impossible. Once we get to the compound, Shiro powers up.

I can feel the heat from here and I drop to my knees, needing time to recover from the wounds I took gettin' Matsu'o out. It'll take a few minutes, so Matsu'o's defending us from the Hand within the house, and I look outside at the power of the plasmic fire that Sunfire's creating. I can see the shrine catch light like kindling under the heat and it's as if there is a knife being driven through my heart.

"Wolverine!" calls Matsu'o shaking me from the pain in my heart. "We must move, this place is burning!" I stand shakily and we start to move, though Matsu'o slows us down. After a moment we run in to some of the staff, and I tell them to get Matsu'o somewhere safe and to look after him. The look at me questioning why I'd order this, but do it anyway. As I run, I can feel the healing factor repairing the last of my wounds an in moments I'm back in business.

The thing with cuts and slices is, as long as they're not poisoned, they're not like bullets that need expellin' from my body, which makes things harder. The times I've felt the bullets shift around my body as the healing factor forces them out. It usually makes a wound as it does so, too, so I'm kind of glad that some shots go all the way through.

My room is just before the pathway to the house, so I pick up the Honour Sword before I go to the girls. Gotta feelin' I'll need it. Then I hear a woman scream in pain and horror.

Yukio was still and lifeless as she laid there, the force of the kick from Kuroyama slamming her in to the wall. There had been a crack of her ribs from the kick and a nasty snapping sound as she hit the back wall.

Elektra put that out of her mind, she had to. She had to deal with Kuroyama, and every time they'd fought so far she'd lost. She hoped she could reverse that trend but it was looking highly unlikely. It was as if he had been toying with them this far and finally gotten bored of Yukio, discarding her like a rag doll.

"It is time for a more permanent death for you," he said as his chain wrapped around her leg and pulled her to the floor. She hit the wooden floorboards hard and it knocked the air from her lungs, as Kuroyama grabbed her by the jawas she fought to regain her breath. The look in her eyes demanded that he do it now, to finish it while he had the chance, sending her off with honour and dignity "However I am not the one who will kill you." Then he brought his elbow down hard on to her left forearm, snapping the bones within and Elektra tried to cry out, but with so little air in her lungs she couldn't even make a squeak.

Then the door opened, and Kuroyama turned, expecting to see Nina, but not expecting to see her thrown to the floor by the Silver Samurai, his armour battered and his face bruised.

"She was good, but I was better," he said, looking at Kuroyama. "You have threatened my people, my family and attacked my house. Honour demands you face me."

"As you wish," said Kuroyama, releasing Elektra and pulling the chain from her leg. He leapt forward with a kick, which the Samurai anticipated, grabbed and threw him back. "So you are more than a mutant with a sword" said Kuroyama, relishing the fight that was to come.

"As you will see," said the Samurai as he withdrew the Black Blade, "I use the proper tool for the proper time." Kuroyama unleashed the sickle and just as swiftly the Samurai sliced through the chain that held it and the sickle embedded itself in the wall. The Samurai then embedded his own sword in the wall and bowed to his opponent. A hand to hand challenge was issues and accepted and the battle began.

I ran out to see the Silver Samurai catch Nina by the leg. The cry of pain that had come out had distracted her, and thrown her moves, allowing Harada to gain an advantage. As he caught her, he slammed her to the floor, then pounded his fist in to her face and she didn't move again.

"Nice move, bub," I say as he retrieves the Black Blade from the floor where it had been knocked from his hand. He's not in the greatest shape. He's bruised and his armour is damaged, but he's still standin' and he knows what he has to do.

"Wait here, Logan," he asks. "I must face Kuroyama alone." I nod, knowing it's what honour demands and he hefts Nina over his shoulder and goes to the door and kicks it open and dumps her body down. I can see inside that Elektra's hurt and Yukio even more so. Yukio could even be dead, something that stirs the beast within me. She's more than a friend to me, and people like that are few and far between. I can also smell Amiko in the room, but she has to be hidin'. Can't say I'd blame her.

I make my way around the back of the house, to where Yukio is laying and unsheathe my claws. I can cut through the wood and pull her free from the action. The noise of the battle will cover my impromtu carpentry skills. It takes a few moments to make a hole large enough to get her out, but in those moments the Samurai is giving Kuroyama a run for his money or so it seems, but I can't shake the idea that this is too easy, however it's Harada's fight.

I don't like dragging Yukio out of there, because I don't know how much further damage I'll do to her, but I can tell she's alive.

"Easy darlin'," I whisper, and she smiles softly, to signify she heard me and that she's mostly all right. I'm glad she is, as I didn't want to be the one to tell Storm. Westchester would be rained on for days.

Then I take a glance inside and I suddenly realise what Kuroyama is up to and I quickly start to run around to the main entrance. I'm not in time, as Kuroyama directs the Samurai, playing him like a fiddle and engineering it so he's close to the Black Blade. It works perfectly, for the Samurai is fighting with honour and can't see that Kuroyama is not. I've fought Sabretooth too many times to know better.

He pulls the sword from where it's embedded in the wall and in one swift move frees it, swings it and slices in to the Samurai's armour. The Black Blade cuts through it as if it were paper and the Samurai shudders as he feels it slice in to him. I can see it in his eyes, the sudden stop of his heartbeat and the smell of fear that comes of him. His eyes look at me, and then at Kuroyama then he falls to the floor with a thud.

"Huh," sneers Kuroyama, his voice echoing in a way it hadn't before and his clothing darker than it had been. The Black Blade has possessed the Black Mountain and this game just got a whole lot more deadly, and he looks down at the fallen Samurai. "Fool!" he says giving him a kick.

~SCHLUKT~

At the sound of my claws he turns and sees me there and his eyes go wide in surprise.

"You!" I give him my best answer - I smile at him and the muscles in his body tighten. Now's the time to say something.

"Okay, bub. Now it's my turn."

NEXT ISSUE: The Endgame begins and not everyone walks away from this one. Be here in thirty!