Chapter Text
Jay tastes crisp and sterile air as he arises. Taste was always the sense to return first after resurrecting.
Slowly waking, Jay in turn recognizes the cold dissection table beneath him, the smell of ethanol, and the dull sense of pain remaining after his fatal crash.
The memories return last, and Jay knows the morgue he is in has to be in Istanbul.
As he wonders why none of his nine companions have recovered his corpse yet, Jay makes to stand.
Before he can, the blind man they have been chasing swiftly decapitates Jay in the darkness of the morgue.
Notes:
The chapter notes will explain my choice for the name of each ninja that is featured.
They are not relevant to understanding the story.
They can also be quite extensive. Read at your own discretion.Name: Jay
J, 10th letter in the Latin alphabet.
The English pronounciation of the letter J is a homophone of the name Jay. Also, Jay is the middle name of Homer Simpson.
Chapter Text
Tara has been tasked to keep watch over the Marmara University Hospital.
Anele had given the order, they were not to rescue Jay. Their comrade would be the perfect bait to lure in Stick, the current head of the Chaste.
She dislikes the order; Tara knows it could have just as well been her lying in that morgue. That it is Jay has just been… paltry chance.
The lights in the entire hospital shut off. Before Tara can contact the other eight, a shadow falls over her.
Stick had not come alone. Tara will never arise back to life again.
Notes:
Name: Tara
Tara is the Hausa word for nine.
It is a popular name in Australia and Ireland and saw an uptick in the US after the publication of "Gone with the Wind" and the release of the movie version.
Chapter Text
August runs a com check when he notices the lights turn off. Tara does not respond. Now, the remaining eight of them know where tighten the noose.
As they all arrive, August sees a heavily scarred man standing above Tara’s body and her pulped head. August recognizes Stone, the Chaste’s second-in-command. This will be an uphill battle.
Stone runs for the roof’s ledge. They are closing in on Stone, with August the closest among them.
August does not see the garrot wire Stone must have thrown, but he feels it cutting into his throat as Stone leaps over the edge.
Notes:
Stone is the guy that shows up at the end of Daredevil Season 1, Episode 7.
He appears to hold an important position within the Chaste.
After an ominous conversation with Stick we never see him again.
Name: August
August, the 8th calender month.
Also a German name, though slightly archaic.
The first Roman Emperor Gaius Octavius adopted the ancient Roman title Augustus (meaning great, majestic) late in his reign.
Octavius (meaning eighth) was his family name, which he later dropped to be only adressed by his first name and his title. In other words, Augustus was the Madonna of his time.
Finally, when he decided to rename the month August in his honor, it used to be the 6th month of the Roman calender.
Only more then a century later did Rome change the beginning of the year from March to January, making August the 8th month of the year we know today. There is no relation between the fact that his family name means eight and that August is the eighth month of the year.
Chapter Text
Naoto can only stare as the wire cuts through August’s skin, his throat, his sinews and veins. It does not sever the spine, but it drags August over the edge before they can hold on to their comrade.
A squelching slap resounds as August impacts the street below. His head bursts like a watermelon meeting a baseball bat.
The other six are quicker than Naoto to regather their wits. Already they are fastening their grappling hooks and climbing down the building's façade.
Naoto makes to follow but his hesitancy costs him. Before he realizes it, his heart sports an arrow.
Notes:
Name: Naoto
Naoto, 七音, consists of two Japanese kanji, the first meaning seven, the second meaning sound.
Chapter Text
Sia is the first one down the building, and the only one to see the arrow streak overhead. Naoto does not come after them. Duri tries to convince them to climb back to save Naoto.
But climbing up they would be easy targets, so Anele forbids it. They only need to win, and Naoto will be revived.
Stone has run off into the hospital, presumably to join Stick inside. They follow.
Sia, Quentin and Rabia are to cover the first floor while the others search the basement.
Tressa, Duri and Anele are only gone for five minutes before Sia dies.
Notes:
Name: Sia
Sia is the Scottish Gaelic word for six.
Sia is the daughter of Phil Colson. As in, the name of the father of famous musician Sia is called Phil Colson. Not to be confused with Phil Coulson of the MCU.
Chapter Text
A throwing knife takes Sia in the eye, dropping her instantly. Quentin can see Stick down the hallway now, with Stone right next to him.
“Come back up, they are here.”
Anele confirms the others are on their way as Quentin and Rabia take their place in front of Sia’s corpse. They do not need to win; they only have to hold out.
Still, Quentin sees Rabia’s sword tremble.
“Hey.”
It is just a whisper, but now Rabia looks at him from the corner of her eyes.
“The faithful live eternal.”
Rabia calms. Quentin does not see his death coming.
Notes:
Name: Quentin
Quentin is a French name, related to the old Latin name Quintus, meaning fifth.
No, Quentin Tarantino does not have four siblings. He is an only child.
Chapter Text
Quentin has barely spoken the ancient pledge before he slumps over, an axe buried into the back of his head.
Rabia dives to the side, barely evading a second axe thrown her way.
This isn’t her first clash with the Chaste in the two centuries since Alexandra recruited her, right here in Constantinople.
Scrambling, Rabia escapes into the next best room. Absentmindedly she notices that the power surge has knocked out more than the lights. All electronics are switched off, including life support machines.
Death is all around her.
Rabia thinks of Tressa.
And then death comes for her, too.
Notes:
Name: Rabia
The name Rabia stems from the Arabic word رابع (raabi’a), meaning fourth.
Chapter Text
Tressa sees Sia and Quentin first, both lying decapitated on the floor. The grief she feels is brief, but intense.
Rabia’s head comes thrown out of an adjacent room. This time, Tressa’s fury is not brief.
Anele grabs her arm before Tressa can run and confront her lover’s killer.
“We do not know how many are in that room, Tressa. We should retreat. Maybe Naoto can still be recovered.”
“You two should go alone. For me, eternity has lost its lustre.”
Anele searches her face, just for a second. Then he gives her their cohort’s explosives and steps back.
Bang.
Notes:
Name: Tressa
Tressa is the Cornish word for third.
The name Nessa means second. I considered first going with that name, as I thought I recognized it. However, it only seemed more familiar to me because of the character Nyssa al Ghul from DC. I dislike mixing up my fandoms. So, I chose Tressa instead of Nessa.
I only later learned that there is no relation between the names Nyssa and Nessa. Well. Whatever.
Chapter Text
Duri enters the room after Tressa has blown herself up inside of it. The corpses of five members of the Chaste surround her. Neither Stick nor Stone are among them.
“May your last death bring you peace,” Anele whispers.
Duri spares a prayer for Tressa’s mangled body before he joins Anele as they run out of the hospital, towards the building where Naoto waits for them to collect him.
However, Duri and Anele find the missing Chaste leaders standing right next to Naoto’s now headless corpse. Duri knows escaping now would be futile.
Sizing up his opponent, Duri attacks Stone.
Notes:
Name: Duri
The name 두리 (Duri) is a Korean name meaning two.
Duri is an indigenous Korean name, stemming from the Gyeongsang dialect, in contrast to the more numerous Korean names with Sino-Korean roots.
Chapter 10: 1
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Duri dies first. Stone bludgeons him to death with an iron pipe.
Anele is trying to hold out against Stick but the blind man is just… better.
A sword slash with the precision of a scalpel and Anele loses his grip on his sword. The last weapon Anele has are his words, even as Stick raises his sword.
“The Hand can trade ten of its lives for five of the Chaste. We are but a drop in the wave that will drown the world.
“We will grasp the world in our Hand. The faithful live –”
And Then There Were None.
Notes:
Name: Anele
Anele is the Zulu word meaning enough, or last born.
alchemise on Chapter 10 Sun 06 Feb 2022 09:29PM UTC
Comment Actions
DareMe (IncognitoMe) on Chapter 10 Tue 08 Feb 2022 12:59PM UTC
Comment Actions