<strong>::Nine Months Ago::</strong><br/><br/>Thunder clapped over head as blood pooled beneath a man kneeling in an open field. “.... You will fail … I promise ….” He choked back the blood that was pooling in his mouth and clutched his side where the blade had pierced his skin. Lightning flashed behind the victorious figure, illuminating the crimson blood dripping from a flaming blade. The shrouded figure paused as if in contemplation of its next act before an ethereal voice rang out from the shadows of its hood “May you rest in peace.” With the last word the sword was plunged through the fallen man’s chest, piercing his heart and ending his life on a solemn note. The cloaked being slid its blade back into its hilt before leaning over its victim and picking him up with ease. Within the blink of an eye both figures were gone and thunder crashed again just as rain began to fall washing away any hint of a battle from the hallowed ground.<br/><br/><strong>::One Day Ago::</strong><br/><br/>The training facility that had been founded by the General several centuries ago was located in a sparsely populated area of Albania; the weather was nice this time of year never reaching much hotter than a rather dry 85 degrees. Serena loved it here, when her partner’s in crime were off doing only God knew what between generations of new Horsemen she preferred to remain in Albania leaving only to find her horsemen and then return. The grand gardens were her masterpiece and the interior design was often delivered by her hand while trying to incorporate the tastes of the other three mentors so everyone was comfortable when they returned. The only other person who spent a great deal of time in the mansion was the General but lately she had locked herself away to her attic only coming out to eat or share brief words with Serena.<br/><br/>For the past few weeks Serena had kept her distance from the Mansion, hunting for her next Horsemen – the next able body that the ring thought could take on the role of Famine to the human race. It was as if the ring had a mind of its own, it wouldn’t work on those not fit for the job – it would act as any other ring and constantly find itself lost to the owner should it ever fall into the wrong hands. No, Serena never got to choose her horsemen; if she did she certainly wouldn’t have picked the thing man ending his shift in a coffee shop. She would have looked for someone strong, tall, yummy – not that he wasn’t cute he just wasn’t someone she’d expect could handle such a job.<br/><br/>Serena followed protocol as she did every fifty years by knocking out her horsemen and bringing him back to the holding cell. Once in the holding cell he would be stripped of any personal items such as keys, identification and even gum before being lain beside the others in a straight row to be dealt with the following day. The holding cell was in the farthest part of the basement, a white room with a matching white ceiling and floor as well – obnoxious florescent lights beamed from above while the only difference in the walls was one held a four inch thick, locked, steel door and another held a two way mirror. There was a speaker in the corner of the ceiling that was presently playing a repetitious classical song that would make even the calmest man insane after an extended period of time.<br/><br/><strong>::Present Day::</strong><br/><br/>Serena’s combat boots (http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=43187920) clunked obtrusively through the silent mansion, her steps turning into a skip while she wandered the halls in boredom waiting for the others to return. “Perhaps ….” She muttered to herself before a large Cheshire cat grin overtook her face and her fishnet gloved hands came together in a clap. “Yes! I shall go see Riki and introduce myself, that won’t hurt right?” Serena turned on her heels, her loose black skirt kicking up with each motion flashing her fishnet garters and stockings as she hurried to her room.<br/><br/>Once in her room she grabbed a toy light saber and sheathed it upon her back and then grabbed her Darth Vader mask which was sitting on her bed just waiting to be worn. In the past few months she had developed an obsession with star wars, though not a new franchise she had been preoccupied with other things until recently and now she could get Darth Vader out of her head. She pitied the character, felt he was misunderstood and she felt that the world needed to accept him in a better light – though how long this obsession would last was fairly unclear as tomorrow she could abandon her search to better Darth’s name and find a completely new thing to pine over.<br/><br/>Hopping down the stairs to the training facility she entered to room that lead to the two way mirror and pulled the helmet over her head flattening her long brunette tresses before pressing the intercom button and gazing through her eye holes. “Riki …. I am your father….” She breathed heavily into her Darth Vader mask which in turn turned her voice to sound like that of the man himself aside from the Australian accent. “—kuuuuuuhhh ---“ she breathed again while watching him intensely for any reaction what-so-ever to her attempt at being a terrifying Sith Lord. “…Rikiiiiii….-kuuuhhhhh-“<br/><br/>Whether he reacted or not Serena would leave the side room and move to the steel door, unlocking and pulling it open she’d swing the door as quickly as she could manage while pulling out her toy light saber and wielding it like a sword. Pressing down on the button near her thumb there was a whooshing noise as the saber lit up red in mimic to the movies as she squared her hips and grinned beneath the mask “—kuuuhhh---I lied ---kuuuhhh --- I’m a girl so I can’t be your father ---- Kuuhhhh” There would be an odd giggle within the voice changing mask as the clearly petite gothic girl stood in the doorway wielding her light saber.