Wade thought long and hard in the days that followed. No matter what he did or what was happening, all he could think about was The Grandmaster and what he offered. He had to think about what this could mean, how would it affect his life, his family, and so many other things. This was to be a major change in Wade's life, but it had so many risk. Would it be worth it? Was it even possible for him to take this step? Let alone with everything going on in his life? There was so much to think about.

Wade had to talk to his family about it. He didn't tell them about The Grandmaster or anything. He just asked them that if he had to go away for a year to pursue his passion, would that be ok? Would it do any harm to them? Of course, they told them it would be ok. They didn't want to end up holding him back from something. Plus, it truly didn't matter, they could handle their own while he went off and did whatever. When asked about it, Wade just told them it was only an offer and nothing definite. But that was the thing; it was only an offer. Wade didn't have much to go on. He confessed that he wasn't even fully sure what it was, but assured it wasn't a scam or anything. If there was one thing Wade was proven to that night, it's that the offer was as real as it gets. Of course, he didn't tell his family all the specifics, they would either not believe him or kill him if they knew he wanted to be a super-powered crime fighter. However, they did bring up one extremely important question that Wade needed to consider:

If he didn't at least try it, would he regret it for the rest if his life?

Those were words that really stuck with Wade, and they were right. Chances are, Wade was going to spend the rest of his life waiting for another opportunity like this. This was a once in a lifetime deal, and he doubted it got handed out to anyone. He needed to see if this really was it for him.

So, it was settled. Wade quit his job at the gas station, was going to get on that plane, head out to Almaty, and see what this guy had in store for him.

He just hoped he didn't find out he was 'The One' living in the Matrix or something.

He didn't know what all he needed for the trip or what would be provied to him once he got there. So, he just packed a few simple things he would likely need, but no big luggage. Just a backpack and a duffel bag. Then finally, Sunday rolled around and it was time to head off. Wade arrived an hour early, believing that would be smart, and just as The Grandmaster said, there was a prepaid ticket waiting for him. Wade patiently sat and waited for the next hour before the flight started seating. He grabbed a quick snack, messed around on his phone, giving everyone updates and letting some friends know what was happening, having long chats with them until time to leave. Wade quickly got to his seat on the plane, shared goodbyes and promised to let everyone know when he landed and then switched his phone off. Half an hour later and the plan was off to Almaty. During the flight, Wade got lost in his thoughts about where he was heading to, and what was waiting for him. He remembered that The Grandmaster said once he landed, he would have to wait at the airport, but wait for what? What was he looking for? He could only hope he would know once he landed. Nighttime fell and Wade got himself a blanket and had a long nap. He couldn't sleep all the way through the night though, his mind wouldn't let him. He kept going from napping, to waking up and wandering around the plane to grabbing a snack or a drink, using the bathroom, and then tried to get some more sleep. It was long and it was restless, but it finally reached it's end.

The flight landed in Almaty just as the sun was starting to rise back up. Wade blew out a sigh as he unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his luggage. He was relieved that this flight was finally over, but now getting anxious as to what was next. He exited the flight and entered the Almaty International Airport's waiting area. He looked around to see if he would find The Grandmaster or somebody possibly recognizing him. Nobody was walking up to him and saying, "Hey Wade, follow me please" so he needed a new plan. The Grandmaster did say wait for him, maybe this was all some kind of test? Either way, there wasn't anything else Wade could do, so he waited. It wasn't easy, especially since Wade didn't know what he was waiting for. He kept worrying that he would miss it, or if The Grandmaster even knew he was here. He messed around on his phone more and got some snacks to kill time, but even that could only do so much.

A couple of hours went by and still nothing. It was becoming harder to be patient as the time went by and the nerves grew higher. Wade was growing tired and frustrated as he continued to wait for someone to come, or something to happen. He let out a deep sigh as he grabbed his luggage and headed to the men's room. He was starting to consider just catching a flight back and heading home, or perhaps just wander to see some of the sights first. When he got to the men's room, he kept his luggage with him as he got into the last stall, the largest one at that.

Right in the middle of doing his business, he heard something slide across the floor. He peaked over his shoulder to see a fancy briefcase lying on the floor. Wade suddenly got suspiciously confused as he finished up, flushed the toilet and stepped out the stall to see if he saw anyone. There was nobody else here, he didn't even hear any footsteps. He furrowed his eyebrows as he re-entered the stall, knelt down on the floor and opened the case. Inside, he only found a small stack of local cash, some type of pin attached to it, a fake I.D. a passport, a small phone and a note with directions on it.

Leave the case, take everything inside.

Go to the bus stop on the corner down the street and give the cash to the driver.

Don't go anywhere else. Don't talk to or interact with others.

Just get on the bus and the driver will take care of you.

The phone is so we know where you are and for emergencies. You shouldn't need to use it, but if any trouble, just press the button on the bottom.

Remember, stay low and be careful.

Wade took in every word and nodded along, feeling relieved that he finally got something. He took the contents of the case and stuffed them all in his pockets. He then shut the briefcase, put it up against the wall and left it there as instructed. He then grabbed all his luggage, almost forgetting to wash his hands, before heading out.

He exited the airport and saw the bus stop down the street. Wade walked up to the bus stop, waited a few minutes, didn't try to interact with anyone as told and then saw the bus pull up. He walked up the steps, took out the money with the pin on it and handed it to the driver; a middle-aged native. Once the driver spotted the pin, he got this knowing look as he took the money, then looked up and smiled at Wade.

"Welcome sir, have a seat in the back please" he said and Wade nodded.

Wade went to the very back of the bus as told and sat. It was a one-person seat too, so nobody could sit next to and interact with him. Wade just sat there and stared out the window as the bus began to move. Wade wasn't sure how long this ride would be, but he got the feeling it would feel almost as long as his flight. They drove around for a while, Wade wasn't sure exactly how long. The driver let people off, boarded some others and Wade just enjoyed the number of beautiful sights this country had; and it had a lot too. Wade could also tell this ride would be a while. So, he decided why not and took a little nap. He was tired as hell from the flight and the waiting around anyway, so figured might as well. He wasn't sure how long he was out; but when he woke up, there was another bag sitting on the floor next to him. He gave a weird glance towards the driver, who just gave him a promising nod and smile. Wade took an exaggerated breath and let it out as he picked up the bag. Since there was fewer passengers on the bus now, he decided to go ahead and inspect it. He only found a pile of clothes, but it was the type that the locals were known to wear. He glanced up at the driver again, who once again nodded, more knowingly this time.

Wade could already see where this was headed.

He zipped the bag back up and kept it secure in his lap. A few minutes later, the bus came to it's next stop. Whoever was still on the bus began to exit. Wade wasn't sure if this was his stop too or not. Once all the other passengers got off, Wade got his answer.

"Sir! This is your pit stop!" the driver called. Wade peaked out the window to see a small little cafe and bar area.

"It's time to get changed!" the driver called again. Wade knew what he meant and nodded before standing with the bag.

"No no no" the driver stopped him when he grabbed his other luggage. "Leave those here, and please take your time. I be here when you are ready" he promised.

Wade was a little unsure about this, but then remembered the whole "leap of faith" deal. He took in another breath and let it out before standing with just the bag of clothes and walking to the front. The driver gave him a promising smile and nod before he stepped off the bus. He went inside the bar and headed straight for the bathroom. Once he got in a stall, he started changing into the new clothes he obtained. First, there was the shapan; a local dressing gown which worked like an easy robe. Then, came the Boryk; a furry headdress for men. It wasn't as much as he thought, but it looked nice, especially with his beard.

Now that he had a bit of a disguise on, a really fancy one at that, Wade exited the bar and just as the driver promised, the bus was still there. The driver smiled upon his return and Wade returned it as he re-entered. Wade also saw that his luggage was now sitting in one of the front row seats, guessing he didn't need to sit in the back anymore. He took his new seat, but the bus didn't move until a few more people got on. Once it did, 20minutes went by and more people were being let off, but no-one else was entering again. Wade was once again the only passenger left. That was until, they stopped just down the street from the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

"Well sir, this is your stop" the driver called back.

Wade peaked through the window again, seeing the sidewalk crossing section with a guard inside the booth and two others outside with automatical rifles.

"Here? You sure?" he asked and the driver just nodded with a funny smile.

Wade gave one more glance out the window before shrugging and sighing. He grabbed his bags, strapped them on, and began to leave.

"Wait sir" the driver stopped him before he could exit. "Just follow this and you shall find your way" he said as he handed Wade a large piece of paper. "Have a safe journey my friend" he smiled with a salute.

Wade smiled and nodded back before exiting the bus. Once he was out, the driver closed the door and began driving off. It was only a minute before the bus was no longer in sight. Wade glanced around at his surroundings, only seeing the usual amount of traffic. He then began his walk to the border, feeling his nerves tense up again. He already had his passport out and ready by the time he got to the checkpoint. He gave it to the guy in the booth, who gave it a thorough examination. He asked Wade a couple of questions about his purpose of visit and stuff like that, but it didn't take long for the passport to get stamped to clear Wade.

That must've been a hell of a passport.

Once he passed the checkpoint, he took out that note the driver gave him and examined it. It was a drawing of a map, with an arrow going from the checkpoint to down the street and all the way around the corner before coming to a stop at a street sign, directly on the corner of a gas station. Next to that sign were these little words that said "wait here" and that was all of it. It wasn't much, but the walk to get there was fairly long. Wade couldn't even see the gas station from where he was now. It was about half an hour before Wade reached the corner, walking around it before seeing the gas station. Another 10minutes of walking and Wade finally reached the corner of the station. He went straight up to the sign and leaned against it. Now all that was left was just more waiting.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long this time. It was maybe five minutes at most before a limousine pulled up. Wade's eyes furrowed before the window rolled down, revealing not a native, but a guy who appeared to be from elsewhere like Wade. He was around the same age as Wade, maybe a little older, clean shave, had a flat Mohawk and serious, piercing eyes that could frighten a tiger.

"Wade Barnes?" he spoke with a french accent.

"Yyyea...." he nervously replied, but the guy didn't say anything else. He just nodded for Wade to get in, which he did, hesitantly.

"You will need to put dis on" the french man handed him a dark cloth head bag once he was in.

Wade's eyes bulged when he saw the bag, glancing between it and the man holding it. He just looked at Wade deadpan as he nodded and held up the bag. Wade sighed before taking the bag, not liking this but knowing he had to. He then removed his headwear before pulling the bag on, blocking his vision. Wade wasn't sure how long the drive was. It felt like forever, even longer then his flight at times. It also didn't help that nobody spoke to him, nor did they speak at all, during this godforsakenly long drive. After what must've been hours, the car finally came to a stop.

"You can take it off now" the french guy finally said.

Wade had been waiting to hear those words since he put it on. He practically ripped it off his head once he did. He then followed him and the two other men in the limo as they exited the car, carrying Wade's luggage with them. Once Wade stepped out of the limo, he saw that it was now some time in the afternoon and that they were out in the country, directly by the mountains.

"Woah" Wade sighed as he noticed the beyond gorgeously stunning scenery of the mountains.

"Don't celebrate yet" the french guy said. "We still have long way to go" he set down a pile of hiking gear in front of Wade.

All he could think was, "Yay! Like I haven't gotten enough exercise today"

He removed the robe, strapped on the ski jacket, beanie, hiking boots, stretchy windbreaker jeans, goggles and grabbed all the gear he needed. Once he and the others were all ready, they began their hike up the mountains. The other two men were kind enough to carry Wade's luggage for him as they hiked. Then again, it could've just been so Wade could focus on not falling, which wasn't easy considering he was an inexperienced mountain climber. The trekking poles helped a lot, but Wade's fellow hikers had to help him out a lot along the way. It was cold, rough, awkward, and a hell of a workout. They had to stop for a break after a full hour of hiking. Wade felt like he could pass out at any moment from the amount of moving around he did. He dropped to the floor and laid on his side when they said they could take a break. The French guy sat cross-legged, not showing any ounce of fatigue, shockingly. Wade on the other hand was breathing labored.

"You should control breathing better" he said, still not showing much of an expression.

Wade let out a scoff from the notion.

"You know, you know my name, but I never got yours" Wade panted.

"I did not give it" he coldly replied, not even looking Wade in the eyes.

Wade raised his eyebrows before mockingly shaking his head.

"So what am I supposed to call you, Mister Serious?" he got an irritated look in response. "Relax man, just a joke" Wade irritably added, then lying flat on his back.

"Baron" he heard after a minute. "I am called Baron"

"Cool" Wade nodded, impressed by the unexpected name. "Nice to meet you Baron" he didn't get a response.

Then again, he didn't say that was his name, just that he was called that. Maybe it was some type of fancy secret name like The Grandmaster. Wade could only wonder what was awaiting him on these mountains.

After about five minutes, the group continued their hike up through the mountains. Wade had to push himself to keep going and not stop. Not to mention, keep himself from falling. They weren't exactly going up the mountains, more like up and around and in between them. Wade didn't know how there could be so many together, or why at that. After nearly another hour, Wade found out.

Wade, Baron and the two bag carriers went through a cave that cut straight through the last mountain they were on. Baron said, "this is it" when they arrived and Wade felt sighed in relief. Once Wade stepped out of the cave, he saw it. Right in the center of all of the mountains and clouds was this larger then life temple. It was a combination of an Asian temple and a European mansion, but much larger then both. It was covered in red, black, and gold. It somehow managed to intersect with the mountain and could easily fit hundreds, if not maybe thousands.

"Woah!" Wade sighed out.

They had to climb down from where they were, but they eventually reached the front of the temple. Just when it looked humongous from the distance, it looked even larger from up close. When they got to the entrance, Wade noticed the symbol on the door, the same one he saw on that pin he gave to the bus driver. It was a golden crown.

Baron walked up to the big front doors and slammed on the gong. Then, a little slidy door opened, revealing the eyes of the guard behind it. Baron said something to him in a foreign language and the doorman responded in the same language before closing the slot and opening the big doors.

"Baron Lieutenant" the doorman spoke with an English accent, doing a respective warrior's bow.

"Chief Guardian" Baron bowed back.

"The Grandmaster has been expecting you" the Chief Guardian said before letting the group enter.

Once Wade and the others stepped inside, the big doors shut behind them with a loud thud. They were inside a dark room with dim light beaming through windows, candles on the walls and a few pillars around them. There was also a small group of more of the temple's occupants in here, all dressed in these interesting and different colored martial art outfits and tunics, and all staring at Wade. Including, The Grandmaster himself. He wasn't in his tuxedo anymore though. Instead, he was dressed as more of a monk. It would actually explain more about him.

Wade wasn't sure if he should say or do something, so he just said "Grandmaster" with a slight bow.

The monk giggled under his breath from the nervous gesture.

"Hello Wade, good to see you again" he greeted. "It pleases me you have chosen to come here. I know it must've been difficult" Wade couldn't help but crack a smile from that.

"But I must ask, why did you choose to come here?"

Wade took in a breath and let it out before answering.

"I want to learn how to ensure justice; to have the ability to protect those who can't protect themselves; save my home from the crime that's threatening to destroy it; and to take the fear and power they use and turn it against them"

"But why? Why do you want to do those things?" Grandmaster questioned, stepping closer to Wade.

Wade hesitated again before responding. "Because, I believe it's what I'm meant for. Frankly, I think it's the only thing I can do. If not, then... I don't know what I'm gonna do"

The Grandmaster smiled from his honest answer.

"And I do hope you find your place, but are you sure it is here?" now he had a warning look on him as he stepped even closer to Wade. "I must warn you Wade; the trip you took to get here, it is nothing compared to what you are bound to face. Nothing in your life as prepared you for the things you are bound to face. Are you sure you are ready to spend a year of your life here and face these trials? To learn our secrets? To commit yourself to being this crusader and facing the world's dangers, both known and unknown?"

Wade once again took in all that The Grandmaster was saying, ensuring that he knew exactly what he was getting into. He felt as fatigued as a guy could from the trip and was sure there would be more to come in his time here. However, he knew that if he was going to do this, he would have to fight through it, own up to it, make it his new best friend. This would have to become part of his new life. So, he took in another breath, nodded, and said,

"I am"

The Grandmaster smiled widely at Wade's determination and courage. This was exactly the type of man he was looking for.

"Then, allow me to show you who we are and what we do" which was the first thing Wade was wondering.

The Grandmaster led Wade and the people behind him to next big red doors at the other end.

"Wade Barnes, welcome... to Minion Manor"

The guards opened the doors, revealing the temple's outdoor training area. There was a walkway made out of stone that cut straight through the area. Along the opposite sides of that walkway were these two rows of people, all wearing the same red martial art outfits and facing each other. Also, each of them were all carrying some kind weapon, leaning them on their shoulders. They looked like soldiers standing in attention. Behind them, was just wide varieties of grass and sparring mats. Only, instead of training, everyone out there was also standing in attention. There must've been hundreds of them, all genders, all races, all from different countries, all shapes and sizes; it was unbelievable.

"Oh my God" Wade said as they walked through the pathway. "Who are all of these people?"

"They, we, are Minions" The Grandmaster answered. "And no, not like the minions from Despicable Me movies" he added and Wade let out another brief laugh. "These minions are servants of the innocent, the light, and for justice. Most work in secret, and some are known but just for being good samaritans"

"How did you you get all of these... Minions?" Wade asked.

"There are many reasons why a man or a woman would choose to become minion. Some of them are like you, either striving to do good or came in search for purpose. Others seek redemption, or a cause to serve or a place to belong, and some even got here just by mere fate"

Wade was actually surprised by that last one.

"Like I said, many reasons" Grandmaster smirked.

"So, you're going to train me to become a minion?" Wade questioned as more of a statement.

"If that is what you wish" Grandmaster then stopped and faced Wade before he continued. "But you should know, physical threats such as crime, corruption and war are not the only things minions stand against. There are things in this world we have encountered that civilization has yet to even recognize"

"Demons, you're talking about demons, aren't you?"

"Not just that, but many other things that walk this earth" he clarified. "I am surprised you know about these entities" he stated wondrously.

"I... gained a little knowledge of them, just a couple of months back actually"

"Well, believe me when I say, they are not the strangest things you will encounter; and you will encounter them, many times even. I know you are prepared to take on the worst of humanity, but are you willing to stand against forces of true evil as well?"

Wade thought for a minute before responding. As much as he hated to admit it, he figured he would end up having to help out Mark or Jack against one of these things, if not fight one off himself. But if that came with the package Wade ordered, then so be it.

"If that's what it takes" he nodded and Grandmaster smirked again. "What would I have to do to become a minion?"

"You will spend your time here training not only your body, but your mind and your spirit to perfection; and the many ways you can use it all as a weapon. You will learn to face great hardships, push beyond your limits and master things that no other human being can. You will learn to accomplish wonders and obtain capabilities that most never thought possible. Do you believe you can accomplish these wonders?"

Wade was silent for another moment, knowing everything The Grandmaster was telling him and what he was in for. It was exactly why he came here.

"Yes, I do"

The Grandmaster smiled again from his answer, admiring his determination. He was eager to see what Wade accomplished here.

"Baron Lieutenant, please show mister Barnes to his new room" he instructed. "I suggest you get plenty of rest, because tomorrow.... it begins"