The enigmatic being known as Q sat on his private plane on the way to his estate in Scotland, idly shuffling a deck of cards as he stared into space thinking to himself

"Are you going to deal or am I going to have to wait all day?." said his companion Susan

"Hmmm Oh Sorry I was Just Thinking About That Man I Fought In New York." replied Q

"What about him?."

"I Wonder Why He Was After Me?." said Q as he dealt another hand of poker to himself and Susan

"I Wonder."

A man clad in a red garment of the classical ninjitsu style and a red cloak walked down a long sparsely-lit corridor deep beneath the earth, any who were watching would have seen lines of worry etched into his face in the flickering torchlight as he approached a pair of large, Iron doors carved with faintly glowing runes

The doors opened as he approached to admit him into a large room filled with black stone columns and a thin blood red carpet that was the only lit portion in the room leading to a dais, the red garbed man walked down the carpet ignoring the faint sounds of movement emanating from the darkness on either side and stoped at the dais glancing quickly at the black garbed figures holding long swords standing on either side of the dais, but they did not interest him, all his attention was at the top, he climbed to the platform and fell immediately to one knee "You have called, I have come, Master."

At the top of the dais sat a throne that looked as if it had been carved from a single black pearl, it was high and foreboding with carvings of faces and runes covering every surface and the arms ended in intricately crafted claws that rested on skulls that sat on top of carved long femurs that made up the front legs of the throne.

In front of the throne sat a pedestal of black marble shaped to that the top looked like skeletal hands held up to hold something, and hold something that did, on the pedestal sat a large sphere, an Orb that swirled with darkness as if filled with black mist

On either side of the throne stood towering figures wearing black robes and cloaks with hoods pulled up to shroud their faces in shadow and their bodies in blackness

And on the throne sat a man dressed like the figures standing on either side accept that his robes were covered in runes that glowed and faded at random with blue light, one hand rested on a claw on the arm of the throne the other held a staff of black wood tipped with a shrunken human skull which had been dyed or painted black "You know why you are here?." said the figure in a soft, cold voice that would chill any normal man to the core with the unadulterated evil that filled every word

But the kneeling figure was not any ordinary man and his voice betrayed no emotion "Yes Master, you have called because of The Knife."

"Yes Red Master of the Shadow clan, I have." said the figure on the Throne leaning forward "always have your clan served me well over the centuries."

"That is why I must ask that you let Me deal with The Knife." Said the Red Master looking up into the hood of his Master "Please."

"No I am afraid not." said the enthroned figure sitting back on his throne "it has gone to far already, he disobeyed your request to stop using the Shadowloo pistol, he disobeyed your command to stop using the Shadowloo name and he disobeyed My command to bring in The Q creature alive and intact, if it were not for The Blade The Q would be dead."

"You know about that?." said the Red Master

"Yes and I forgive you for keeping it from me." said the figure "I know you care about your warriors and so I am sorry for what must be, I can forgive the first two transgressions but not the third."

"I understand, I will summon the Knife" said the Red Master "may I make a request?."

"You may."

"Can I stay? I wish to be with him in his final moments." said the Red Master with I hint of sorrow in his voice

"You are loyal and so you are important to me, I will grant your request." said the figure "I will summon you when the deed is to be done."

"Thank you Master." said the Red Master, rising

The Knife of Shadow was in the training area practicing, his body a blur, his sword an extension of his arms as he ducked and weaved around the automatic defences the room attacked with to strike at the targets with fist, foot and blade

He had just leapt over a barrage of razor discs to slice a robot target in half from shoulder to hip when the room stopped, weapons sliding back into the walls and roof and robots sinking into the floor, Knife stood, an expression of puzzlement on his face when the door to the room opened

He spun sword at the ready and said angrily "Hey I've still got an hour in the room booked, whoever disturbed me better have a good excuse or they are gonna wish their mother and father never met." he straightened and sheathed his sword when the Red Master of Shadow stepped into the room "Sensei!" he cried in surprise "you never come into the tech-practice room."

"I was looking for you." the Red Master said "You need to come with me."

Knife smiled brightly "do we have time for a sparing session first?."

The Red Master smiled sadly "yes I think so." he pulled of his cloak and shirt and tossed them aside "Room: Martial arts Dojo."

Knife blinked "You know how to use the room?." he said as he pulled of his shirt as well and tossed it away along with his sword and scabbard

"Of course, just because I don't use the technology doesn't mean I don't know how to." said the Red Master as he stood in a relaxed ready position

Knife grinned "I'll try to go easy on the old man." he leapt forward in a kick to the head

Red Master jerked to the side so that the kick swept past his head by a millimetre then spun and struck out with a punch at the chest

They battled back and forth for a while in silence before Knife spoke again

"Did you hear? my brother actually beat me the other day when we were sparing,." he said with a proud smile "he's really getting good."

"Yes you are a good partner for him to practice with." said Red Master as he grabbed Knife by the arm and slammed him into the mat "you are matched closely enough so that you are hard to beat but not impossible, I was thinking that he will soon be finished his training."

Knife flipped up to his feet "Hey yeah soon he'll be ready to become a shadow clan warrior." he chuckled "maybe I can talk you into allowing two Knives of Shadow that way we can fight along side one another."

The timing buzzer chose that moment to go off so Knife did not see the tears welling up in his Teacher's eyes

After cleaning up and changing clothes Knife of Shadow followed his Master through the corridors of the Clan's underground base to a staircase "Hey Sensei, I thought these stairs were forbidden."

"they are to all but me and those I bring with me." said the Red Master "we go to meet the one the shadow clan serve."

"The Master? The Dark Figure?." said Knife his eyes widening

"Yes, stay close." replied The Red Master as he began to walk down the stairs "stay close, these corridors are a maze and strange things walk these unlit halls, you will be safe with me but if we are separated they will tear you apart."

"why aren't there lights installed here?." said Knife as he pulled a torch from its socket at the bottom of the stairs "I thought only the castle didn't have electric lights."

"the Dark Figure's creatures like the darkness, that is why this place is lit only with torches." said the Red Master as he took the flaming torch "they cast less illumination than electric lights, you remember how I said you must not feel fear because fear is a weakness?."

"Yes." said Knife with his hand on his sword hilt

"You can now."

Knife silently followed his teacher through the corridors staying as close as he possibly could

The Dark Figure looked up as The Knife of Shadow entered the chamber and began to walk toward the dais hand on his sword and eyes darting into the shadows left and right "Come here to the platform." he said gazing at the young man

Knife of Shadow walked to the top of the dais and kneeled, bowing his head

The Dark Figure gestured "Leave us." the guards the bottom of the dais and the black robed figures on both sides of the dais walked around behind the dais and there was the sound of a door opening and closing

"Rise boy, I wish to tell you something." said The Dark Figure

Knife rose to his feet

"You are the Knife of Shadow, one of the two Daggers of the shadow clan." said The Dark Figure "you know what this means?."

Knife nodded "Yes it means I am one of the two sent out to follow the directions of The Red Master.........and through the Red Master..........The Dark Figure."

"Me, yes." said the Dark figure showing a smile in his hood

Knife nodded

"The clan has served me well, you are but one of a long line of Knives to serve me." said The Dark Figure "before and after death." he stood and pointed to the throne "this is the Throne of Shadows, the spirits of the dead clan warriors are in there, those with no particular distinguishment, come sit."

Knife hesitated for a moment then sat on the throne "it feels good."

"Yes." the Dark Figure held up the staff "this is the Staff of Darkness, into it go the warriors who fight well, the Daggers and the Red Masters including your father, take it, feel the power."

Knife took the staff and gasped "I feel it, so much power in the palm of my hands."

The Dark Figure smiled again "Yes, and finally the Orb of Magic." He gestured to the Orb "it holds all those who served me so well that I had to reward them from my own hand, touch it."

Knife placed a hand on the Orb "It's cold." he looked up as he heard the door open to let in the Red Master

the Dark Figure took back the staff and gestured for Knife to get out of the chair then sat down "in these items almost all of the souls of the shadow clan warriors reside." said the dark figure leaning forward "all but those who were disobedient, foolish or incompetent, they went somewhere else." the dark figure threw out an arm and pointed at Knife "Araknid you may have him now!."

Knife did not even have time to draw his sword before he was dragged into the air, his last sight was the sorrow filled face of the Red Master, his last thought (Why doesn't he help me?) them blackness

The Dark Figure raised a hand and the Sword of the Knife of Shadow fell into his hand "bring in the brother."

an eighteen year old boy was brought in

"You know Who I am?." said the dark figure

The boy nodded

"good, you are now the Knife of Shadow serve well and you will be rewarded, serve poorly and..........." he looked at a pool of blood quietly congealing on the floor, "You will meet your brother sooner than you think." he threw the scabbarded sword to the boy and looked at the Red Master "take him back."

the new Knife of Shadow was led out with tears in his eyes and in the door way turned his head and said "Goodbye Brother I will miss you." then allowed himself to be led out to a new life leaving a dark figure sitting on his throne staring into the shadows at the noise of crunching bones and the slurping of blood