Author: Crofton77

It was too late. The train yard was a complete mess.

"My guess is that with the tank they managed to strike from a distance." Giggles flew over the wreckage. Down below, Sir Lionheart was talking with Sir Dark about Judith Jofrey.

"She's pretty furious." Sir Lionheart said, leaning against the remains of a blown-up train.

"Do you MIND?!" Sir Dark shooed him off, and went to inspect the wreckage. "You're damaging evidence!"

"The police have already been through already, what evidence is there left?" Sir Lionheart pointed out.

"You seriously think my co-workers did their job properly?" Sir Dark raised an eyebrow.

"Fair point."

"Anyway, why are you so wrapped up in Jofrey anyway?" Sir Dark continued to browse the area.

"I am not!" Sir Lionheart protested.

"Mate, the five of us have known each other since we were tiny. I think we might be able to tell when one of us is falling in love." Sir Dark raised an eyebrow at his best friend. "Remember how much crap you, Sam and Tammy gave Petunia and I until we finally got together?"

"Totally different!" Sir Lionheart snapped.

"Find anything yet?" Chuckles walked over as Giggles landed beside him.

"Plenty. I'm almost certain you're right about the tank being used, it was probably fired from Pleasant Ridge over there." Sir Dark pointed to the Ridge in the distance. "They're so much smarter than the DVM, Marion would have simply bulldozed the place with the tank, giving us a chance to stop her."

"Calculating is the word you're looking for Sir Dark." Giggles sighed. "Marion's smart enough, but she allows her selfish desire and emotions to get the better of her. Master Revolver should have thought twice about merging the Death Valley Gang."

"But look at all the power he has now." Chuckles pointed out. "And all he has to do is keep Marion happy."

The others all raised their eyebrows at him.

"Fair point." He agreed. "That woman is impossible."

"WHAT did you say about my sister?!"

"Sidewinder!" The four friends jumped a mile. Sir Lionheart gripped his replica Scythe tightly as Sidewinder twirled the original around in her fingers.

"I called her impossible. Which even you have to admit is true." Chuckles pointed out.

"She can be difficult, yes." Sidewinder shrugged.

"But you ARE Marions sister! I thought she had no siblings!" Giggles yelped.

Sidewinder groaned. She hadn't meant for anyone to find out about that!

"So what if I am? You guys had better get out of here before I hurt you all. Badly." Sidewinder pulled out the Mystic Eight Gun. "Scram."

"We have as much right to be here as you do!" Sir Dark protested.

Sir Lionheart knew he should back his fellow Knight, but he was entranced by the eyes of the Emerald Mobster. Something in those eyes stirred something in him.

"We're leaving Sir Dark." He finally said.

"You're…what?" Chuckles and Giggles looked dumbfounded at their friend.

"If we're going to take on an Emerald Mobster who has the power of the Mystic Eight Gun and the Dragon Scale Scythe on her side then I want the power of the whole Order behind me." Sir Lionheart tried to rationalise his position, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Oh you're not getting away that easily sugarpie." Sidewinder grinned. She leapt from the train she was standing on and landed in front of the leader of the Noble Knights of the Last Order.

"Draw." She held the Dragon Scale Scythe to his throat.

Thinking quickly, Sir Lionheart swung the blade of the replica at the hands of Sidewinder, very nearly removing them. The two blades clashed, before Sidewinder kicked at the unprotected shins of Sir Lionheart. He dropped to his knee, and it was only the intervention of the Lions Claw Blade that stopped his head from being removed.
Sidewinder smirked.

"His head is already in a bucket, all it needs is removing." She said, poking fun at the fact that Sir Lionheart had been wearing the same bucket on his head since Masked Revolver died.

Sir Lionheart groaned.

"Let's get out of here." He muttered to Chuckles. Chuckles looked up at Giggles, who sighed.

"Why do I always have to be the distraction?!" She whined.

"Just do it." Chuckles narrowed his eyes at her.
Giggles sighed again and started divebombing Sidewinder from the sky.

"Are. You. Serious?!" Sidewinder tried to swat Giggles away with the Dragon Scale Scythe.

"I'm not exactly thrilled about this either." Giggles deadpanned, firing a shot from the Desert Eagle at Sidewinders foot, narrowly missing her toes.

"FINE then, I'll GO!" Sidewinder stamped her feet, before stalking off in a huff.

"Definitely a relative of Marion." Chuckles grinned.

—

"We probably do need new outfits." Sunny agreed, looking at her old gas mask, a present from the late Joe Masters.

"I can get some stuff from work, no one will notice it's gone." TJ looked at his old hockey mask, which was being barely held together with tape. "This old thing has had it."

"I want to keep my mask though!" Petunia piped up.

"I LOVE your new hairdo by the way!" Tammy grinned at her friends new blue 'do. "I'm not so fussed on my outfit, but I would probably prefer to stay away from the fighting. I've already had one life-altering injury, I don't need another."

Sam put an arm around his twin sister. Her voice still croaked, no matter how strong it sounded now.

"Why are you so worried about what Sidewinder says anyway? I thought you were all about Judy Jofrey?" He grinned slyly at Daniel, who glared at him.

"Poor, confused Danny." TJ laughed, dodging a blow from the older man.

"I wonder what Sidewinder was at the train yard for?" Sunny mused. "Why would the Mob be worried about the trains for?"

"Who cares?" Sam shrugged. "The Mob are weird."

"It may have something to do with their influence over the Council." TJ pointed out. "Maybe Dannys little crush on Judy can help us."

"Are you serious?" Daniel glowered at his fellow Knights, who were all giggling. "How old are you guys?!"

—

"I cannot believe I'm going to do this." Daniel muttered the next day at work, pulling small logs off the conveyor belt. Sure enough, Judith was back, looking very harrassed and micro-managing anything she saw.

"You look a little stressed." He said to her as she walked past.

She looked at him for a second.

"You were at the Masters place. Daniel, wasn't it?" Judith asked.

"Yeah. What happened at the train yard? I heard it was destroyed." Daniel ventured.

"The Crusaders sniped it with the tank they got from the Mob." Judith growled. Daniel frowned.
"Bastards." He sighed. "That's going to affect us isn't it? Our wood comes in via train."

"We have a truck route too, so it shouldn't be too bad. I have contingencies." Judith smirked. Daniel laughed.

"Of course, you'd have to be smart to be a Councillor. Unlike layabouts like me." He did his best to flirt. It must have worked, because she chuckled.

"How about you have lunch with me? My break is at noon." Daniel ventured, his heart pounding in his chest. Judith was shocked. No one had ever dared ask her out to lunch before.

"Sure, I'd like that." She stammered, beginning to feel a nervousness she had never felt before.

"Okay…I guess I'd better get back to work I suppose…" Daniel tripped over his own words trying to keep his excitement under control. "See you at lunch time!"

"See you at lunch time!" Judith echoed, with a small smile.

Daniel grinned as he went back to work. Life was grand!

"Who gave you an Emerald Suit?" Mobster Marion glared at Sidewinder from across the large dinnertable.

"I took Marks old one that he left behind when he defected to the Crusaders." Sidewinder replied.

"Why are you doing this Sidewinder? Your task is to maintain the Mobs position on the Council and to be the legal name on all the Misneach assets! If anyone finds out that you're my sister and thus a part of the Mob, you'll lose everything and we'll be sorely under-represented on the Council board!" Mobster Marion scowled.

"Oh we will not, just about every Councillor on that board has been either paid off or scared into submission!" Sidewinder smirked, her long blonde hair flowing freely over her shoulder.

"Not all of them. That interferring idiot Peter Masters is getting into their ears, and HE'S got those pests Chuckles and Giggles on his side, along with the Last Order." Demon Jones pointed out.

"While we DO appreciate that you have the Dragon Scale and the Mystic Eight for us now, please keep your head down. Those assets and that title are your birthright, you need to protect them." Mobster Marion tried. She loved very, very few things in this world, and her sister was one of them.

"My birthright, that'll end up going to YOUR second child." Sidewinder sneered. "And if you think you're getting your hands on my new toys, you can just forget it!"

"SIDEWINDER!" Mobster Marion cried. Her sister got up and stormed off; she'd had enough of this for one day.

—

Two dark brown eyes gazed into the opposing aquamarine ones. Two highly unimpressed brown eyes.

"We're TRYING to play cricket here!" Belle scowled at Judith Jofrey, who had walked right through the middle of their game on her way to the Masters front door.

"Oh is that what you're doing? I assumed you were all drunk and behaving disorderly." Judith looked down her nose at the shorter woman.

"Well…" Belle had to admit the older woman with her short-cut brown hair had a point. Charlie currently had Daniel in a headlock, whilst being punched by Sam, who was about to be tackled by Petunia, who was being held back by TJ, who was having his ankle twisted by Tammy who was having her hair pulled by Sunny, whom Belle had dragged to the ground.

"It's a very involved sport." Daniel tried to explain, throwing Charlie off and straightening himself up. "I'm Daniel."

"Charming." Judith scowled. "Is Mr. Masters home?"

"Sure is. OZZIE!" Called Belle. Sure enough, seven-year-old Oscar Masters-Vargus came running out.

"You called?" He grinned at his older sister, guessing the joke.

"I meant Peter!" Judith yelled angrily. "I wouldn't be so jovial if I were you Miss Masters, I believe that you've been suspended AGAIN for causing a disturbance in the Court?"

"What about it?" Belles temper flared.

"Hey, no need to start attacking each other now, let's all just be friends huh?" Daniel tried to step in. Behind him, he could hear contained laughter and was pretty sure TJ was elbowing Sam in the ribs and pointing at his back.

Judith sneered.

"If you ever want to see the inside of a courtroom again Miss Masters, I suggest staying on my right side. Consider yourself warned." She stalked towards the front door, where Lara was about to step out to do some shopping.

"Is Peter Masters home?" Judith asked her.

"Sure, let me show you where he is." Lara said, praying that her husband had put a shirt on since she'd left him drinking with Thomas.

Once Judith had left, the laughter let loose.

"Someone's got a crush!" Petunia giggled uncontrollably.

"Next time I'll be nicer to your girlfriend Danny." Belle couldn't stay upright she was laughing so hard.

"Shut. Up." Daniel glared at the hysterical group. "Or shall we talk about how SOME people like to step on their own wicket?"

Laughter over.

—

"Peter." Judith looked down her nose at the two men who were happily drinking beer, lounging around the back yard.

"Councillor Jofrey!" Peter leapt to his feet and grabbed for his shirt as Thomas fell out of his hammock. "How can I help you today?"

"I'm here to discuss your continued employment with the Pleasantville Council." Judith continued, not at all impressed with what she was seeing. "And how your professional values and beliefs line up with those of the Council."

"What that's supposed to mean?" Peter finished pulling on his shirt and looked Judith in the eye.

"It means that you're stepping into business that does not concern you. You're a prosecutor, that's IT. You have no place making your little "recommendations" to the more gullible members of the Council." Judith glared back. "Remember your place, Masters, or you will lose your position and your job."

"Is that a threat Miss Jofrey?" Peter scowled.

"Why would I have any need for threats?" Judith smirked. "You know you lose the protection of the Mob if you're not employed by the Council – otherwise you'd be in huge trouble."

"If you think I'm worried about the Mob you have another thing coming." Peter growled.

"You think that your little friends Chuckles and Giggles will protect you and your family?" Judith scoffed.

"Actually, yes, we're 100% certain that Chuckles, Giggles and the Noble Knights of the Last Order are enough to take care of us." Thomas piped up.
Judith couldn't help but smirk.

"Tom, you have to admit that even though the Knights are able to hold their own, they're not exactly the most reliable." Peter pointed out. The gleam in his best friends eyes suddenly made his stomach drop. "Don't you dare-,"

"What seems to be the issue here?" Giggles landed between Peter and Judith, making the woman jump back and Peter facepalm. "This man is under the protection of Chuckles and Giggles, your threats from an impotent Council have no power here."

"I hate everyone." Peter declared, as he walked inside. "Especially YOU." He directed a glare at Thomas who was laughing.

"What the hell did I just walk into?!" Judiths eyes darted between the three figures.

"Issues. Lots and lots of unresolved issues. I don't suggest trying to understand it, too much brain-hurtiness for one day." Giggles shrugged as Thomas fell off his hammock again.

"By the way, would you like to stay for dinner?" Thomas picked himself up, looking sheepishly at the Councillor.

"NO!" Was the resounding reply from Judith, Peter and Giggles.

—

"I'd like to introduce you to our new boss, Miss Judith Jofrey!" Daniels supervisor announced a few days later at work. Daniel frowned but joined in the clapping.

Judith smiled icily at her new employees. "You probably won't see much of me around, as I have quite a few places to be, but I know that you'll all continue to work hard and make this the best business decision I've made yet!" Her eyes met Daniels and he felt his breath catch in his throat. She smirked and was about to continue, when her phone went off very loudly.

"What is it?" She growled impatiently. Her expression went from annoyed to furious when she heard whatever was being said on the end of the line. "THOSE BASTARDS BETTER LEAVE MY TRAINS ALONE!"

She turned back to the mill workers. "I'm sorry, but I have to tend to an emergency down at the train yards. Have the rest of the day off!" She waved them all off, leaving Daniel suspicious. He hung back as everyone else vacated the building, waiting until he was sure he was alone.

He pulled out his own phone. "TJ? Get the rest of the Knights and meet at the train yards. I think the March Hill Crusaders are making a move."

"Can confirm that. I've been left back at the station while the others go out to the scene. Do you think they brought the tank with them?" TJ asked, lounging back in his desk chair, surveying his empty office.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Daniel grabbed his replica Dragon Scale Scythe out from underneath a rusty old machine that wasn't used anymore.

It wasn't the most noble thing in the world, but Daniel was looking forward to being able to defend Judith Jofrey.

"Not cool!" Chuckles unsheathed the Lions Claw Blade and pointed it at Sidewinder. "You could have seriously hurt Giggles!"

"I was aiming to kill. But I'll take what I can get." She pulled out the Mystic Eight Gun. Sir Lionheart gasped.

"HOW did you manage to steal THAT?!" He asked, picking up the fallen replica that he'd made.

Sidewinder didn't answer, instead firing three rounds at the group, who scattered. Giggles fired a round back, making Sidewinder laugh.

"Why do you bother firing that thing with no intent to kill or harm?" She asked, swinging the Dragons Scale Scythe at her and instead colliding with the replica scythe that Sir Lionheart was using.

"Maybe because she's a decent human being who recognises the basic rights of other human beings?" He fought back, swinging at Sidewinders midsection and narrowly missing.

"There ARE no rights in this world, only privileges, and you have to fight for those, including the privilege to survive." Sidewinder brought the Dragon Scale Scythe down onto Sir Lionhearts head, the move being narrowly blocked by the replica. The green glow of Emerald Power began to envelope Sidewinders hands and Sir Lionheart felt the two blades beginning to weigh down towards him despite his massive strength. The eyes of his opponent seemed to drill into his own, her long blonde hair touching his face, the blade of her scythe beginning to push into his shoulder.

"Sir Lionheart!" Sir Dark cried. The other Knights of the Last Order had rushed back to help their leader, all of them grabbing onto the replica scythe and pushing back and hard as they could, Lady Silent scrambling onto her brothers back to be tall enough to reach, and Lady Courage and Lady Luck standing on their toes.

Giggles flew up above them, pointing the Lucky Seven Gun at the real Dragon Scale Scythe while Chuckles pointed the Lions Claw Blade at Sidewinders back.

Seeing she was outnumbered for the time being, Sidewinder lurched and threw the Knights of the Last Order aside, all of them landing on each other. She rolled out of the way of the Lions Claw Blade and fired another shot from the Mystic Eight Gun at Giggles, scratching the heroes arm.

Sir Lionheart glared at her.

"We're leaving, the cops should be here soon." He said. "C'mon guys."

The Noble Knights of the Last Order left, Giggles flying backwards with the Lucky Seven Gun and her Desert Eagle trained on the Emerald Mobster until they were out of sight and the Backpack gave out again, leading to her landing on everyone and causing an argument.

"Bunch of cowards." Sidewinder smirked to herself. She holstered the Mystic Eight Gun, shouldered the Dragons Scale Scythe and headed back to the Council building.

—

"Why, why, WHY do things insist on getting worse for us?!" Belle groaned, sitting on an old chair with her helmet in her lap as Petunia tended to the scratch on her arm. They were back at the tip, and they were all confused.

"I have no idea where this Sidewinder came from!" Tammy pulled off her Lady Silent mask and went to her laptop. "She's definitely NOT a regular Emerald Mobster, that's for certain. She's just as skilled as Marion."

"Perhaps even more skilled than Marion, especially if she was able to steal the Dragon Scale and the Mystic Eight. No wonder Mark and Roger were angry, they've both been humiliated by the Mob." TJ pointed out. "Hey, Danny, you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine. I'm just glad my replica held out. It's badly damaged though, unfortunately the timber mill doesn't have the best wood." Daniel looked at his weapon, the wooden handle badly chipped and in some places worn through completely.

"You tried, that's all that really matters." Sunny smiled. She checked her phone. "Uh, I gotta go, Melody has bitten another child at daycare again."

"Sounds like her mother." Pentunia said dryly, remembering when she had gone to daycare with Sunny and had been bitten. Sunny looked sheepish.

"Speaking of Marion, did you notice the blonde hair and aquamarine eyes that Sidewinder had?" Charlie said thoughtfully. "She's definitely a relation of Marions."

"Not possible. The last living relative of Marion was Mobster Marcus, her father, and he died the same day that Masked Revolver did." Belle began to lecture. "The Misneach family are interesting in that they only ever have one heir, in order to stop infighting over who owns what. The only time this went wrong was 150 years ago when they were first branching out into Ostraya."

"Why is this relevant to us?" Charlie asked.

"It's not really. It IS interesting to know though!" Belle replied.

"No, it's not, so shut up." Charlie deadpanned.

—

"Sidewinder? Never heard of her." Peter said back at the Masters residence as Petunia wrapped Charlies toe in gauze. "And I know a lot of the Mobsters, they're always prowling around the office."

"OWCH!" Charlie cried. "So you don't know any Mobsters with blonde hair and aqua eyes?"

"Nope, only Mobster Marion." Peter mused.

"OWW!" Charlie cried again.

"You really shouldn't antagonise Belle, then things like this wouldn't happen." Petunia pointed out.

"Worth it!" Charlie replied.

—

Daniel lifted another small log from the conveyor belt and threw it into the woodchipper. He winced – the small cut from the Dragons Scale Scythe still stung if he over-exerted himself, even though it had been a few days since he'd gotten it. Petunia had forced him to cover it with a dressing while he was at work, complaining that he shouldn't risk getting sawdust in it.

"Just take a day off work!" She scolded.

Not possible. The bosses were working them to the bone, trying to make the place look profitable to prospective buyers. Any days off would be heavily scrutinized, either losing Daniel his job or getting Sir Lionheart and the rest of the Knights of the Last Order discovered.

Of course, this meant risking damage to his "Lionheart" tattoo, but sacrifices had to be made.

He looked back at the conveyor belt, adjusting the larger logs to make sure they didn't jam while going through the saws and removing any small logs that were too small for building – they were used for paper manufacture.

"GOSH DARN IT!" He heard a cry from further back up the conveyor belt. That idiot Sawyer had dropped a log from the crane onto the feed outside, smashing the conveyor belt again.

"Why hasn't he been fired yet!?" Daniels direct supervisor groaned.

"His family are pretty close to the Misneachs." The guy manning the saws replied. "If he got fired this place would be destroyed."

"Swell." Daniel sighed. He looked towards the catwalk, and nearly fell over.

"What's Councillor Jofrey doing here?" He hissed to the man at the saws.

"I think she wants to buy the place. She's got a huge portfolio already." He replied, looking at her suspiciously.

"She's pretty young to have a portfolio that big." Another worker came over to join the conversation.

"She inherited most of it." Daniel pointed out.

"OI! Get your arses back to work you slackers!" They heard a loud yell from the catwalk.

Councillor Judith Jofrey had walked into the office, and the manager was now glaring furiously.

"C'mon, let's get back to work." The saw-manager groaned. Daniel looked up at the catwalk one last time.

She was pretty, with her short mousey brown hair and aquamarine eyes, her high cheek-bones, long eyelashes and slender body. She was also strangely familiar.

—

"Judith Jofrey is going to try and buy with timber mill?" Peter looked concerned.

"That's what Dan said. Why?" Charlie spooned another helping of Bills mushroom gravy onto his mothers roast beef.

"Because the only person who owns more of Pleasantville is Mayor Jones." Bill pointed out.

"And it looks like he might now have a rival."

"Are you saying…?" Belle perked up.

Thomas grinned.

"I think it's time we invited Judith Jofrey over for dinner." He said.

"NO!" Was the reply from Peter Masters, who looked horrified at the prospect. "Don't go inviting my evil boss over!"