A World's Feral Revolution (PRJF)

[DarkStarShadow]

~Note: This fic will end up being as long as a Harry Potter book, if not longer. if you don't like commitment, this ain't for you.~

Now without further a-doo:

Table of Contents:

Prologue: Trouble in the Temple (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2832825&postcount=2)

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~Act One~

Chapter One: Life in the City (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2842735&postcount=9)
Chapter Two: Shadows in the Rain (http://rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2857156&postcount=24)
Chapter Three: The Venomous King Snake (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2870711&postcount=36)
Chapter Four: A House of Cards (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2877484&postcount=39)

~Interlude I/II: Fork in the Road (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2881770&postcount=49)

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~Act Two~

Chapter Five: Strength of the Heart (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2909535&postcount=69)
Chapter Six: Rhythm of the Mind (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=2967031&postcount=89)
Chapter Seven: Blood in the Water (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=3058999&postcount=104)

~Interlude II/III: With or Without You (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=3081890&postcount=106)

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~Act Three~

Chapter Eight: The World’s a Stage (http://www.rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=3107312&postcount=113)
Chapter Nine: Wolf in the Mirror I (http://rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=3168633&postcount=120)
Chapter Ten: Wolf in the Mirror II (http://rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=3204806&postcount=123)
Chapter Eleven: Wicked Game She Plays I (http://rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=3230959&postcount=128)
Chapter Twelve: Wicked Game She Plays II (http://rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=3250980&postcount=130)
Chapter Thirteen: One's the Loneliest Number (http://rangerboard.com/showpost.php?p=3288084&postcount=131)
Chapter Fourteen: The Burning Lazarus Heart
Chapter Fifteen: One Last Second Chance

The titles will become links once the chapter is up, and there's definitely more chapters to come. ^___^ As always, enjoy!

[DarkStarShadow]

~Prologue: Trouble in the Temple~





Five thousand years ago, a small group of ancient warriors trained in various forms of combat which harness the inner power of totem animal spirits which lived inside them in a symbiotic state. Some trained with powerful weapons which helped them emulate their animal, while others trained with their bare hands, but they all gained amazing abilities which made them unique. Unfortunately, when a group of human beings gain powerful uniqueness, every individual amongst the fold finds themselves in their own personal dilemma…

Many found their newfound skills and techniques to be beneficial to mankind, and they sought to perfect their techniques to aid their fellow man. However, a few sought to dominate those who would never become like them, and those who sought to protect soon found themselves fighting former allies and partners…

A great war broke out in secret amongst the splintered martial arts order which lasted a century and spilled a great deal of blood amongst the ranks. Many of the opposing generals shed their mortal forms and became bipedal monsters in a grand display of their commitment to their cause. Even their leader, Dai Shi, permanently let his animal spirit consume his mortal form, which ushered in a climactic final battle…

The heroic defenders of the innocent fought valiantly and defeated the great Dai Shi, imprisoning his spirit in a temple behind a protective barrier until the end of time…or so they thought.

From afar, one might not have expected the end of the world to start in such a manner, or such a beautiful day. It was spring, and the sakura trees were beginning to drop their lovely pink petals around the grounds of the Pai Zhuq Academy, the holding place of Dai Shi’s spirit. Over the millennia, the place had gone from a temple of worship to a military academy for the ancient Order of the Claw, training young adults who possess animal spirits to become warriors in the event that Dai Shi’s forces were to ever try to destroy humanity once more.

Today, of all days, was not one that most people would look back on and say, ‘I’m not surprised that this was the first day of the end of the world.’ In fact, one would’ve thought the opposite. It started on such a bright note as the sun began to rise.

A middle-aged man walked down the front steps of the Pai Zhuq Academy, the loose ends of his orange robe swaying with each step. At the foot of the steps, three students sat waiting, having meditated through the night in preparation for the test that would determine their status within the ancient temple’s walls. As he reached the last step, he smiled at looked over his well-trained students and had a feeling that the day would be glorious for all of them.

“Miss Blumenthal, the day starts with you.” He spoke with a firm yet calm voice, and the young woman to his far left opened her eyes and smiled.

She tied her long wavy brown hair back in a yellow ribbon as she got up, then bowed to the Pai Zhuq master in front of her. “I’m ready.” She replied in a cheerful and bubbly tone, giving a wide smile.

“You had better be.” He calmly advised before he led the young woman back up the stairs and into the temple.

She followed him inside, happy to be standing and moving again. She hated to sit in one place, and meditation was her least favorite thing in the world. To fight, to earn her place at the top of the ranks in something many could not, it was her passion.

Her Cheetah Style was one of few styles like it, one that specialized in using the erratic and speedy nature of her Heart Chakra to disorient and outrun her opponents while still delivering painful and lasting blows. The Heart Chakra was considered to many to be the weakest Chakra one could use in the Pai Zhuq martial arts styles, but those who, like the young woman, could manipulate it properly, found themselves considered to be some of the strongest Pai Zhuq masters.

Today was her day to prove many people wrong, and she was determined to do so.

They entered a near-barren room in a barely-used hallway far down the main wing of the academy. The only thing in sight was a full-length mirror against the back wall. “Are you prepared, Lily?” The elder master asked the young woman.

“Yes, Master Mao. What do I have to do?” She smiled and bounced a bit on her toes. Her adrenaline was pumping wildly, and she was anxious to get to her test.

“Please approach the mirror.” Lily did so quickly. “Now, stare deeply into the mirror and place both palms against it.” Lily followed orders and waited. After a few moments of patient standing, her reflection started to fade out into monochrome shades.

“Now step back.” As she did so, her reflection moved forwards with her, walking straight out of the mirror and shocking her a bit. “The test shall begin in the center of the room.” Lily and her monochrome reflection walked into the middle of her room and struck identical poses. “Begin.”

The reflection took no time to respond, and quickly fired off a loud yell and a flurry of punches, Lily’s trademark. Anybody not knowing what they were up against would have flinched and been pummeled by the flying flurry of fists, but Lily knew exactly what to do.

She caught each blow and deflected it with ease, trying each time to throw a fist back far enough to leave an opening she could throw a jab into for a quick stun. The fists quit flying before she could as the reflection suddenly shifted to spin kicks aimed at her head and waist. She bent her body around the kicks, waiting for just the right kick to fly at her.

Suddenly, the reflection stopped mid-spin and shot out a final wheel kick. Lily grinned and caught the reflection’s foot and pushed it upwards and forwards, knocking the reflection off-balance and sent it falling to the ground face-first. The reflection growled and opted to counter with a quick flair. The reflection placed her hands steadily against the floor and softly pushed her body up. She shifted her weight to her right arm as she kicked her right leg out. She connected with Lily’s leg and knocked the young woman to the floor, but Lily landed on her hands and tumbled back, landing on her feet and standing up before the reflection had a chance to make an opportunity out of her moment of vulnerability.

Lily huffed and took a defensive position as the reflection stood up from her flair kick and charged at her. The first jab the reflection threw out, Lily caught it and used the reflection’s momentum to spin it around in circles several times before giving it a weak hammer toss across the room. The reflection hit the floor roughly, giving Lily enough time to dash over and prepare her own jab flurry. The reflection got up to its feet and began sluggishly defending itself, finally leaving itself open at the end of Lily’s dash for the Cheetah Style practitioner to spot an open space and deliver a crushing jab which made the reflection stumble back and clutch the point of impact gingerly.

Lily smiled and gave one more charge with a flurry of jabs, this time connecting with every punch, knocking her reflection back ever so slightly with each hit until she had backed it up against the mirror. One rough right cross sent the reflection careening back into the mirror, signaling the end of her test.

“Very good Lily. You passed with flying colors.” Master Mao proclaimed as Lily bowed proudly. “You may exit through the door on the left and rest there.” She scampered off into the next room as Master Mao walked out to retrieve his second student.

Behind the door was a small relaxation room with an Initiate waiting inside with towels and a bucket of tea for nourishment; the typical job of someone new to the temple’s regimen. The Initiate looked up and smiled, as did Lily. She was happy to see a fairly familiar face, as was he.

“Good morning, Casey!” Lily greeted him as he handed her a towel.

“Good morning, Lily.” Casey replied as he grabbed a cup for her. “So you passed, huh?”

“I did great. You should’ve seen me.” She sat down next to him. “Theo and Jarrod still have to test, though. Can’t wait to see how they do.”

“Well, you and Theo spar a lot, and you two do pretty good. Jarrod though…” Casey gave a mildly displeased look.

“You still haven’t gotten over that time he kicked the stool and hit you in the head with it, have you?” Lily teased.

“He does that sort of stuff to a lot of Initiates. You’d think he’d eventually get tired of being a jerk to everyone.”

“Well, Jarrod’s…not a people person. Not everyone likes…hanging out and training with everyone else.”

“That doesn’t give him the right to smack people around.”

“I don’t think he does it on purpose.” Lily replied.

“I suppose.” Lily gave him a look.

Back out on the front steps, Master Mao looked over both young men who were left. He smiled and called out the name of the student he admired most.

“Young Mister Ramos, you are next.”

The younger of the two young men left remaining grinned and opened his eyes. His time had come. He stood and bowed silently before following his master up to the Mirror Room.

The young man was noticeably shorter than his master and darker in complexion to his classmates, and both things helped him stand out in everything. But neither thing helped him stand out more than his dogmatic nature and his expertise in his techniques. The Jaguar Style he excelled in fit him perfectly; it required the memorization and mastering of many quick techniques and stood out amongst many other styles in the fact that it was overly flashy rather than overly quick or overly painful. It was one filled with jumps, dashes, deflections, and above all, looking good while doing it. The young man had been training since childhood to be the best at this style, and this was his day.

They reached the room, and the young man stretched out to ensure his limberness before bowing to Master Mao.

“Theo, are you prepared now?”

“Yes. What must I do for this test, Master?”

“Approach this mirror, and I shall walk you through the steps.”

Like with Lily, Theo’s reflection became monochrome and followed him out into the center of the room and struck matching poses with him. “You may begin.”

Theo began first, charging and leaping up into the air for a high jump kick. His reflection grinned and bent his upper half to the right and the side to avoid the kick itself, then grabbed Theo’s ankle with both hands and shifted the young man’s body down and to the left, smashing him into the floor. Theo winced as his reflection began to spin him across the floor in a counter-clockwise motion, letting him go after a full 360 degree spin to let him slide towards the back door.

Theo had to admit that he was quite impressed with himself; that he should’ve considered that his reflection would’ve countered with the very same moves that it did. However, this meant to Theo that he had to think two steps ahead; what attack he would do, how he would counter it, then finally how to counter that particular counter. Though now he should think about getting up. Luckily, his reflection seemed to share his reluctance to hit a sparring partner on the floor unless necessary, as it wasn’t in a hurry to pound him senseless while lie on the floor thinking.

Theo slowly got up, and the reflection began its run over to him. It began jabbing forwards with all its might, hands pointed out like a pair of spears, trying to catch Theo between his ribs. Theo quickly swiped the shots away with the center of his forearm, then grinned. The perfect feint presented itself in his mind. As he continued along with the deflecting, he formulated the perfect, if slightly disjointed, chain of attacks.

He quickly slapped away the blow and began his counter strike with a vicious crescent kick that knocked away the next jab from the reflection. Knowing that he’d have to give it all to keep up the rapid pace of the rather difficult repetition of kicks, Theo mustered up his strength and shifted it to his legs as he began to continue with a long chain of crescent kicks. The reflection continued to cross his arms and bend back to keep its chest and head from getting pummeled, falling right into Theo’s trap.

As soon as he felt his legs start to burn a bit and he saw that his reflection was automatically moving to dodge his blow, he quickly shifted his movements to his final blow. He suddenly held his foot firmly against the ground as his reflection continued its move, and Theo did a split as he jabbed forwards with a spear fist attack. The blow hit his reflection square across the belt, causing a massive shockwave of pain and making his reflection stumble back in agony.

Theo huffed and backed up while getting up. A few quick steps for distance, then a sprint. Theo leapt into the air and prepared another high jump kick to his reflection’s head. As he connected, the reflection lost its balance and went careening into the mirror and back through to the other side. Theo hit the floor on his thigh with a thud, and grinned through it. He got up and bowed as Master Mao grinned.

“I am very proud of you, Theo. You’ve come very far and you’ve passed. You may go into the room on your left.”

Theo grinned widely and caught his breath as Master Mao began to leave.

“Hey, Theo! You passed, right?” Casey asked as he handed him a towel.

“Is the sky blue?” Theo confidently replied as he took the towel and sat down next to Lily. “So…Casey, right?” Casey nodded yes and handed him a cup of tea. “How have you been doing? Getting started to train for the kata test?”

Casey turned a little red. “Well, I hate to ruin the surprise but…I already passed it.”

Theo and Lily’s eyes widened. “That’s amazing! Congrats!” Lily kicked her feet happily as Casey beamed with pride.

Theo turned slightly redder than he already was. “Well, good for you. You’re progressing faster than anyone I can remember…well, besides myself. Maybe one day, you’ll be as good as me. In fact, I’d be more than happy to be your teacher once I receive my certification test from Master Mao.”

Lily looked over at Casey, hiding her face cleverly as she mouthed ‘He’s jealous of you, Case.’ before giving him a silly face to make him smile.

“So, I’ll be a full-fledged student by this time tomorrow.” Casey smiled.

“Are you prepared?” Theo asked.

“I’m really happy. A lot of my friends are first and second years, so I can’t wait to be bunking in the same quarters with them tomorrow. They’re having a big ceremony for me, I heard.”

“Excellent. Just remember that first through third year students have a turn-in time of eight p.m.” Theo replied.

“Will do.” Casey gave him a quick salute.

Master Mao walked down the steps once more to greet his eldest student. “Mister Mallory…?”

The stoic student opened his eyes slowly, then lightly grinned briefly before taking his time to stand up.

The quietest of Mao’s students was also the oldest; the senior of his other two high-level students by a couple of years at the very least. Understandably so; his physically demanding Lion Style was arguably one of the most strenuous and time-consuming styles to master. Though his style had many different kinds of blocks and attacks, it relied mostly on how much power went behind every blow and swing. He had no time to bother with being erratic, and no need to hit something over and over, something that was very much not like Mao’s other students’ styles. Years of solitary training had built up his strength, stamina and determination, all for this one moment; the moment he strived to succeed and ascend to the rank of Master, where he knew he belonged.

He walked into the room and stretched, cracking his knuckles and neck as well as stretching his arms and legs taking a deep breath. “Are you ready, Jarrod?” The young man hummed a positive tone as he quickly nodded yes. “Then approach the mirror before you.”

As he had with Lily and Theo, he instructed Jarrod on how to summon his reflection with the enchanted mirror. Jarrod and his reflection walked to the middle of the room, and Master Mao let them begin.

Both Jarrod and his reflection watched each other, walking around in a circle, staring each other down, waiting for the other to move. Jarrod disliked going first in any fight, and this was slowly turning into a stalemate. If the reflection wasn’t inclined to be aggressive as part of the test, they could’ve paced around the room staring each other down for hours.

The reflection suddenly shot forwards and, before Jarrod realized that he needed to protect his head, his reflection surprised him with an uppercut with its right elbow, knocking his head back and stunning him long enough for him to do a jumping back kick with its more powerful left leg, smashing Jarrod in the chest and making him drop to the ground face first.

Master Mao’s eyes opened widely, as he had seen Jarrod open with such moves before, and many times the unfortunate student was rushed to the infirmary. However, this was not just any student; this was Jarrod, and he could take a hit.

He proved Master Mao wrong by getting up rather quickly, smiling in admiration while cracking his neck. As it took a few steps back, his reflection looked…shocked.

Jarrod and his reflection once again walked around the center of the room in another stalemate, but this time Jarrod wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. He quickly sprang into action, firing off a vicious tornado kick, smashing his reflection back halfway through the mirror, which was far enough for the reflection to melt back into the mirror, which allowed Jarrod to pass.

“For a moment, a brief moment, I doubted that you would recover from that vicious move.”

“…You doubted me, Master Mao?” Jarrod’s voice was deep, yet surprisingly soft and speckled with intrigue.

“For a brief moment.” The two shared a smile. “But you have passed. You may enter the room to your left and relax.”

Jarrod slowly made his way into the resting area, and as soon as Casey spotted him, he fell silent and just went through his motions. Theo looked away, over to Lily to break the looming silence as Jarrod roughly seized the towel away from Casey’s grasp.

“So, you passed too, huh?” Lily asked as cheerily as she could in an attempt to hide the awkward feeling she had. She normally didn’t go out of her way to talk to Jarrod in situations where it was more than just the two of them sparring. Jarrod was highly unapproachable to everyone, even someone as bubbly as Lily. He looked up at her and gave a cocky half-smile as Casey roughly handed him a cup of tea.

“Don’t be brash, cub.” Jarrod said before quickly throwing back the contents of the entire cup in one fell swoop.

“I’m not a cub anymore. I’ll be a student tomorrow.” Casey shot back.

“Still a cub today.” Jarrod replied, ruffling his shaggy hair with the towel.

Casey shot an angry look as Jarrod stood up.

“Hey Jarrod, why don’t you stay for a few minutes? Master Mao’s probably going to meet with us.” Lily replied.

“Let him go, Lily.” Theo whispered to her.

As he left, Jarrod tossed his towel at Casey, who had looked away to Lily to agree with Theo. The towel hit him in the head, and slid down his face as he sat, stunned. Casey’s eye twitched as Jarrod closed the door leading out into the main hall behind him.

“Casey…c’mon now…” Lily tried to calm him down. Unfortunately, the chair from his first day, the tea bucket he was knocked into in his second week, the ‘accidental’ tripping in the hallway yesterday, and now the towel to the face, not to even mention all the rude and somewhat harmful things Casey witnessed happening to his fellow Initiates at the hands of Jarrod…they had all boiled over.

“No.” Casey stood up. “Somebody has to say something.”

Lily reached out for his hand, but he pulled away.

“He’s a dead man.” Theo mumbled as Casey left the room.

“And he had so much to live for.” Lily replied.

Jarrod continued down the hallway as Casey followed behind him, catching up rapidly. Jarrod could hear his footsteps and kept on guard, unsure of the pursuer’s intentions.

“Hey. Hey!” Casey called out, reaching out for Jarrod’s right shoulder. Instinctually, Jarrod reached around and grabbed Casey’s wrist, then twisted his lower arm until he felt his elbow click, which was the signal that he was about to break it. Casey cried out in pain.

“Don’t do that to me.” Jarrod warned, wrenching his arm slightly. “Never sneak up behind people, cub.”

“Mr. Mallory, Mr. Collins.” Master Mao’s voice called out. Jarrod tossed Casey’s arm away and faced Master Mao. “Is this the way someone in your position should act with someone of lower rank?” Jarrod’s stoic body language broke, giving the overall appearance of shame. “I shall send for both of you to have…private talks with me. Later, however. I still have other things to do. To your quarters, both of you.” He walked past them and walked into the resting room.

Casey gave Jarrod a look mixed with pain and malice as he cradled his arm and walked off.

Master Mao walked into the waiting room and smiled at Lily and Theo. “Congratulations. You have passed your Master’s Exams. I have one last task for you, but I cannot speak it inside these walls. Please follow me.”

Theo and Lily looked at each other in wonder. Master Mao never left the dojo’s grounds for a meeting with anyone but the arch masters.

They followed Master Mao out of the main temple and into the sprawling gardens, where many students were just waking up and stretching in preparation for the morning kata routine. They waved to various students that they knew as they continued to follow Master Mao into the back gardens, which were off-limits to everyone but the arch masters. Lily became antsy and anxious as they continued forwards.

The area was covered in wild flowers of all shapes and sizes, mostly surrounding a large stone structure in the back area. The three walked to the structure and, with a wave of his hand, the large stone wall in front of them shifted back and away, revealing a hidden corridor. Theo’s eyes widened as the two of them followed him down.

Darkness surrounded them, and all that stood before them was a single torch. Master Mao walked over and grabbed it, then led them down a path to their left.

Another wave of the hand at a dead end, and the wall shifted and revealed a wide open room lit entirely with hundreds of candles.

The back wall consisted of a large carving in the stone, depicting many ancient cities on fire, and many dragons circling around them, all connected to one body. Many anthropomorphic warriors wearing the dojo’s kind of robes surrounded the dragon heads; some of them stained red, some left the color of the slate they were carved from. In front of the wall stood an altar of sorts, covered in candles that surrounded an oak case.

Master Mao set the torch outside the room and let the two students in, who just looked around in awe.

“Welcome to the Sacred Chamber, Lily and Theo.” Master Mao softly greeted them, letting his voice project around the rather empty room. “First off, I must present to you your Master uniforms.” He walked to the oak case and opened it, reaching for a pair of packages on either side of the box, neglecting the center. He closed the box slowly and turned around handing Lily the package in his left hand and Theo the package on the right. “I’m proud to say that you are Pai Zhuq masters that I myself trained. You two have spent six long years, practically racing your way to this point, and I knew that you two would be through this faster than most.”

The two bowed and took the packages.

“So…can we wear these today?” Lily excitedly asked.

“If you wish, you two may change into your uniforms in either of the alcoves outside this chamber right now.”

The two bowed and departed for the alcoves; they quickly dressed in candlelight, changing out of their light blue student robes and into their color coded outfits. Theo’s uniform consisted now of a blue coat fit for most climates, a pair of black dress pants, and black sneakers, while Lily’s consisted of a yellow coat that was similar to Theo’s, a miniskirt, black tights, and a pair of Mary Janes.

They greeted each other in the hall as they straightened out their uniforms before walking back in. “Are you two ready?” Master Mao asked them.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Lily replied.

“Ready for anything, Master.” Theo added to his quick bow. Lily looked over at Theo and gave a quick bow as well.

“Good.” Master Mao coughed softly to clear his throat. “Welcome, both of you, to the Order of the Claw.” Lily and Theo looked at each other in confusion, then back at Master Mao, who was rolling up his right sleeve. Directly below his elbow on the inside of his forearm sat a tattoo of the Pai Zhuq insignia. “This is the mark of a Pai Zhuq master who is a member of this order; you two shall receive these in due time as well.”

“Does it hurt?” Lily asked, giving a worried look.

“Not at all, Lily.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, Master Mao, but what is this…‘Order of the Claw’? I’ve never heard of it.”

Master Mao rolled his sleeve back down. “The Order of the Claw is the main purpose of this academy, Theo. The Order is a collection of the most talented martial artists within Pai Zhuq; those with a balance of brilliant fighting skills and powerful animal spirits.”

“Animal…spirits?” Lily looked highly confused.

“Animal spirits reside within your Body Chakra; they lend their power and skill through your individual fighting styles; and while not every person in this academy has their own animal spirit, everyone within the Order of the Claw has one, and it is powerful in its own right.”

“So…how’d we get one?” Theo asked.

“You inherited them at birth. Your bodies are their anchor to this world, and as members of the Order, it has been shown that they desire to protect innocent lives above all else. You were tested on these things long ago without your knowledge, and your fate had long been decided for you. You shall continue to rise up in our ranks from here on out. You should both feel honored.”

“Who, or what, are we defending innocent people from?” Theo queried, giving Master Mao the same look as Lily.

Master Mao smiled softly and turned to face the large carving behind him. “From the armies of Dai Shi, the Great Destroyer. He is the prime example of an animal spirit whose intentions are not pure. The story of him starts many millennia ago…”

Meanwhile…

Jarrod made his way to the back gardens, as per instruction by one of Master Mao’s assistants. Gone were his student’s robes, and the outfit he now wore would make him blend into a city crowd. His freshly pressed slate blue slacks were replaced with a pair of black jeans with a studded black leather belt, his slippers replaced with black sneakers, his white undershirt remained but now were framed with a lightly black-flannelled white collared shirt and a heavily black-flannelled white overshirt. He carried a black backpack with little gold paneled zippers, one he had kept with him since childhood, and he was prepared for the worst.

And this had intrigued little Casey Collins. Where was he going? Nobody went into the back of the gardens, especially not people who weren’t even wearing proper robes. Was Jarrod leaving? Was it because of earlier…?

Behind the pillars and bushes, Casey dipped and dove, keeping close to the Lion Style master, keeping himself hidden to everyone. He was supposed to still be in his quarters, after all.

Jarrod strolled into the back gardens and did the same arm waving motion to the stone structure as Master Mao had done before as Casey made it inside the back garden’s gates. His eyes widened as Jarrod quickly became enveloped in the darkness, and the stone door slid closed behind him. Casey nearly made it to the entrance before a well-hidden rock tripped him up, sending him crash landing into the dirt path.

Casey sighed and got up, trying to brush the dirt off his face and uniform. He had to make sure he wasn’t caught now, as now anyone could tell that he had been outside and possibly even places he shouldn’t be. Casey sighed and sat down in front of the structure, trying to figure out what to do no that he couldn’t follow Jarrod any longer.

Back in the Sacred Chamber…

Theo and Lily had sat down to listen about the story of Dai Shi, the giant dragon pictured in the wall mural, and how the masters of long ago fought against their once great ally to prevent him and his minions from destroying the world. As Master Mao finished and turned around, Theo stood up.

“If you didn’t fully destroy his minions, or Dai Shi himself, then why aren’t they just attacking us left and right?” He asked.

“Without their leader, they will not fight for the most part. There have been times in the last where one of his minions would awaken and start a rampage, and Order members defeated them permanently, but they are quite cowardly without their master to direct them.”

“Is our mission to stop one of these…Rinrinshi…or whatever you called the minions?” Lily asked as she slowly stood up.

“No, I have need of a former member of the Order, but I have lost contact with him, and I need you two to seek him out and bring him back to the dojo.” He pulled an orange envelope out of his left sleeve and handed it to Lily.

Theo took the envelope and looked it over. “We’re honored that you would choose us for this most important task. We will do everything we can to assure his safe return to the dojo.”

“That is, if you find him. I doubt he’ll be found if he doesn’t want to be.”

“But if he knows the Order wants to see him-”

“He’s a little on the…cautious side. He sometimes over thinks, and thinks the worst, of things. This mission is much difficult than it looks, but I have faith in both of you.”

Theo frowned, but held his tongue. “I understand. We understand.” Both of them bowed.

“I have prepared traveling packs for the both of you. There are enough supplies for four days inside, and the trip is two days both ways. I wish you both the best of luck.” Master Mao bowed to both of them, and they grabbed the color coded bags and left.

Casey stood in front of the stone structure, trying to do exactly what Jarrod had done. He waved his arms frantically in front of the door, thinking that there was some sort of camera or sensor in front of the door. However, one soft wave of his right forearm caused the wall to open for him. Casey smiled at his good fortune and made his way down into the darkness.

As the wall closed up behind him and Lily, Theo sighed deeply.

“What’s up?” Lily asked him as they began walking down the hallway.

“Why would Master Mao have us looking for someone who can’t be found even by Master Mao himself?” Theo griped.

“Well, he has the dojo to run upstairs, Theo. He needs us to do this for him, okay?”

“But we’re basically looking for a hermit in a huge town with no leads. The only thing we know is that he has the Mark of the Order on his right arm, and I doubt he’s gonna be flashing that around if he’s a recluse. We don’t even know if this guy even lives there anymore, or even if he’s alive or not!”

“Theo,” Lily said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “stop thinking so hard about this. We’re Pai Zhuq masters; we can do pretty much anything we put our minds to.”

Lily smiled widely, trying to encourage Theo to do the same. She only managed to get a gloomy half smile out of him, but it was enough to satiate her. “Now c’mon, we got things to do.”

Jarrod walked down the left corridor, as he was instructed, and found himself passing by Lily and Theo. He hung his head low to avoid eye contact with them, but Lily watched him walk by, feeling a sense of dread as she noticed his attire.

Jarrod entered Master Mao’s chamber and set his bag down. “I’m unsure as to why you’re wearing civilian clothes, but I suppose everything has a reason.” Master Mao commented as the door closed behind the young master.

Lily and Theo continued their way down to the end of the hall and turned down towards the exit. “Lily, seriously-”

“Theo, not another word.” Lily replied coldly, effectively shutting Theo up.

“You know why I wished to have this discussion with you in private?” Master Mao asked Jarrod as he began to pace.

“I did not mean to harm Initiate Collins. He ran up behind me and tried to grab me after we had a falling-out. I thought he was going to attack me, so I locked his arm to prevent it. He squirmed, causing himself harm.”

“I see your side now, and I have no reason to believe you’d lie, nor do I feel there is any reason to reprimand you. However, that is not why I called you down here.”

Jarrod’s eyes widened. “It’s not?”

“You’ve been in this room before, have you not?”

“Yes, once.” The look on Jarrod’s face spelled it all out for the arch master.

Master Mao gave a half smile. “I suppose then there is very little to say, other than the true reason for this meeting.” Master Mao turned to face the oak case as Jarrod gave a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile…

Casey continued down the passage, and the silence was broken by two sets of footsteps. He panicked and dove into an alcove to his left as Lily and Theo passed by him, and he waited until they had gotten a good distance away from him before continuing.

Once he approached the T-junction, he looked about, wondering which way Jarrod might have gone. He ran down the passageway on his right, griping that there was absolutely not enough light in the underground path under his breath.

Casey let his hands glide against the walls, making them his guiding tools as he wandered through the pitch-black hall. Suddenly, his fingers hit a rock that pushed inwards, causing an audible shift in the wall…somewhere. Casey sighed, as he had no clue where the shift occurred. A few steps farther, and the wall gave way on his left, causing him to fall into it and land onto his side. He rolled over to look up, and as if it were responding to his presence, the room’s candles instantly lit themselves up.

“About damn time.” Casey muttered as he got up and looked around.

Meanwhile…

As Jarrod left the room, Master Mao smiled. “I have faith in you…Master Mallory.” Jarrod grinned brightly while walking backwards, then turned to leave. As he approached the central hall, he saw a bright light down the opposite hall, despite the fact that he was certain that Lily and Theo had left. He hummed a curious tone and walked down the hallway, in pursuit of the light source.

Outside…

Lily suddenly stopped, confusing Theo. “What’s wrong?”

“I left my shoes in the alcove when I got changed.” Lily replied.

Theo gave her a scolding look. “You should’ve double checked. Now we’re going to be off-schedule.”

“Sorry. I was just really excited about everything and…” Lily sighed wistfully. “I’ll be back before you even notice I’m gone.” She smiled widely and ran back into the underground passages. Theo merely crossed his arms and turned around, looking at the ground. He then noticed that there seemed to be a strange indent in the soft dirt, as if somebody had tumbled head first into it. “Hm…curious.” Theo muttered to himself before slowly and carefully smoothing out the path with his shoe.

Deep in the right wing of the underground passages, Jarrod found the illuminated room with ease, and was shocked to see Casey standing in front of the back wall, standing up in awe. Jarrod took a moment to take it all in himself; the room was vast, spacious even, and hundreds, if not thousands, of candles lined the walls. The room was empty and almost completely barren save for the back wall’s mural and the candles. Just as Casey reached out to touch the large mural that, even in the rather bright candle light, still looked like nothing either had seen before, Jarrod called out to him.

“Don’t touch that.” Casey pulled back and spun around. “How’d you get in here?”

“Just lucky, I guess.” Casey half smiled as he turned to face Jarrod. The Lion Style master walked in, setting his bag against the door.

“How did you find this underground place?”

“Just lucky.”

“Perhaps Master Mao would like to hear he has trespassers.”

“I’m not trespassing! I just got lost.” Casey replied, feeling a bit intimidated.

“Is Master Mao expecting you?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll escort you.”

“No!” Casey braced himself, which intrigued Jarrod. “I’m early…I was just looking for the room I’m supposed to go to, but I got lost…” Jarrod smirked, then began to laugh softly. “…What?”

“For a moment, I almost believed you, cub.” Jarrod replied. “Now. Please tell me why you followed me all the way down here. Humor me.”

Casey’s eyes widened. “How’d you-”

“You’re horrible at sneaking.” Casey turned white. “Feel like being honest now?”

Lily reached the end of the corridor and approached the T-junction, and voices and lights in the right passage drew her attention. She recognized the louder of the two; it was Jarrod. The other voice was softer, but she could hear familiar tones in it. She panicked and made her way to the lit room. Her shoes, and Theo, could wait.

Theo impatiently sighed, knowing that it didn’t take any person this long to get a pair of shoes if they hustled. He waved open the stone door and jogged lightly down into the underground passages.

Lily crept up against the wall, making sure to not make any noise.

“So you think sneaking up on me is a valid excuse to break the rules of the dojo and of the academy as a whole?”

“The way you were dressed, I thought you were leaving!”

“It’s none of your business, cub.”

“Yes it is!”

“You’re very defensive.” Jarrod replied calmly, feeling slightly humored.

“We hadn’t finished up earlier. I wanna finish.”

“We were finished to me.”

“Why? So you can spend more time beating on defenseless Initiates and first years?”

“They’re not important. Just in my way.” Jarrod looked to the wall on his left. “Those below me are not important, not worth fighting.”

“Not important?” Casey sounded insulted. “Everyone is important!”

“Not to me.”

“And that’s your problem! You don’t care about anyone but yourself!”

“They’re not my concern. Are we done?”

Theo walked into the T-junction and saw both the lights and Lily’s silhouette in the doorway. Lily threw her lone shoe at him to get his attention. Theo frowned and picked it up, dusting it off as he walked over to her.

“So what do you want, cub?” He looked Casey over, noticing that his body language was…overly aggressive. He grinned. “You want to fight me…?” Casey glared at him. “I see…” Jarrod straightened up, standing at attention like a soldier. “Fine. Take whatever shots you want. It’d be my pleasure, little cub, to put you in your place.”

Casey took an attacking stance and yelled as he charged. Jarrod recognized the stance instantly; the Tiger Style, one which was rather vicious and powerful, but not in its early stages. Jarrod watched him for visual cues.

Casey swiped at Jarrod; downward angled thrusts with open and downward facing palms, all shots that would’ve hurt or stunned someone who knew how to use them better.

Jarrod, however, had seen someone better than Casey use the same techniques before, and had even fought this one who knew them better before, and he learned the rhythm of the swings well. Knowing them allowed him to bend back and away from the blows in perfect synchronicity; every time Casey swung, he knew exactly where and when to dodge. The little Tiger Style user would tire, he presumed.

Casey growled as his chain of varying swipes reached the limit of his knowledge. He swung a right cross, which nearly took Jarrod by surprise.

Nearly.

Jarrod caught his blow by the wrist, then twisted his arm until he locked it. Casey’s face contorted in pain as he instinctually fell to his knees in an effort to fall out of Jarrod’s grasp.

“Are you done, cub?” Jarrod asked. Casey winced as Jarrod squeezed his wrist lightly.

Theo approached Lily and gave her a look. She looked concerned. “They’re fighting in there…I can’t stop them…” She whispered.

“What?” Theo’s eyes widened. He peeked in and Casey scramble back against the wall. He then looked back at Lily, who found herself looking back in.

Jarrod turned around and saw her looking in. He gave her a look suggesting that he was done with his current…distraction. Casey winced and stood up, not seeing Lily at all and charged as silently as he could.

Jarrod heard the soft tapping of his feet and turned around. Giving a look of disappointment, he decided to stop this once and for all.

Theo frowned and looked in, watching as Jarrod skillfully turned back around and slammed Casey in the jaw with a back kick, picking the Initiate up off his feet and sending him flying at an arc towards the mural and landing ten feet away from it with a thud.

Lily and Theo ran in as Jarrod sighed and walked back to grab his bag. “He’s trespassing. I’ll get Master Mao.”

Casey slowly got up and crawled back, leaning against the back wall for support. A surge shot through his body, and it gave him the energy to stand up. The wall behind him shined a brilliant gold, catching Jarrod’s attention.

Lily watched as Casey’s body seemed to illuminate on its own as he began to look like he was under an extreme amount of pain; a bright reddish orange aura set over his skin, marked with black stripes and all seemingly ethereal it still reminded her of a tiger’s pelt. Casey whimpered out a strangled chord of severe pain as he seemed to be glued to the wall.

“An animal spirit…?” She muttered to herself as the pattern dissipated and he dropped to the floor and took a deep breath of recovery.

The floor and walls around the four of them rumbled, and a segment of the wall near Casey opened up. Using what little of his energy the wall hadn’t drained out of him, the Initiate jumped up and weakly ran out in fear. “Casey!”

“Follow him!” Jarrod shouted, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “I’ll get Master Mao.” Lily nodded and grabbed Theo’s arm, dragging him along with her as she dashed down the path after the unusually quick Casey.

Jarrod only had to turn the corner before encountering Master Mao. “Master Mallory, what is going on?”

“Initiate Collins was trespassing, and I found him in here…he touched the mural and-”

“Say no more. Do not worry about this; go through with what I told you to do, but do not return. If you see masters Blumenthal or Ramos on your way, tell them not to return as well.”

“And Initiate Collins?”

“Bring him with you.”

Jarrod sighed, but bowed in respect. “As you wish.”

“Now go.” As Jarrod began to make his way out through the main entrance, Master Mao stopped him. “When you see him, tell him that Dai Shi has escaped. He’ll know what to do with you.”

Jarrod silently nodded, then continued on his way. Master Mao sighed deeply and walked into the holding chamber as the door closed behind him.

[The 2nd Evil]

O_O

Awesome.

[FlashmanX]

so before i read this

I would be correct in assuming this is your remake of geki/jungle fury

[DarkStarShadow]

so before i read this

I would be correct in assuming this is your remake of geki/jungle fury

Yes, it's a full season rewrite of JF, mixing elements of Geki and JF together, as well as putting my own twist on events.

[Angelfox]

very intruiguin

[akamaru13]

Holy crap dude, this thing is gold! It's amazing! I am totally gonna be sitting here comfortably, reading the rest of this amazing fic. Can't wait for the next installment!

[DarkStarShadow]

Holy crap dude, this thing is gold! It's amazing! I am totally gonna be sitting here comfortably, reading the rest of this amazing fic. Can't wait for the next installment!

^__^ Well, I'm glad you like it. You can take the couch in the south wing of the room. It's comfy. Just...avoid Akela's green recliner. That's his, and if people so much as breathe on it...well, fur will fly, literally. @___@.

[DarkStarShadow]

~Chapter One: Life in the City~





Casey’s eyes shot open and he breathed heavily. His vision was blurred and fuzzy, but he could tell that it was night time in the wide wooded area which surrounded and sheltered the temple that housed the Pai Zhuq Academy. He could see the roof peeking out from behind trees in the far distance, and he could only imagine how he got to where he was.

He had blacked out shortly after leaning up against the back mural, and even before then, most of anything after the back kick from Jarrod was hazy at best.

He slowly sat up, his entire body screaming at him, his inner temperature spiking suddenly in response. He looked down at himself and could see a thin layer of light dancing across his skin, red and black stripes in an interesting pattern he’d only ever seen in wildlife photography books as a child.

A branch cracked nearby, and he quickly looked around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. “Who’s there?” His voice sounded off, almost ethereal. His voice and hearing were clearly off. A switch clicked in the back of his head, and his muscles tensed in preparation for any sort of attack.

“You’re awake.” A sultry female voice called out as a figure walked out from behind the trees. Casey’s eyes widened as the moonlight shone onto the figure approaching him.

The woman was tall and very pale, which made her jet black hair and its assortment of gold weaved-in ribbons stand out greatly, as well as drew attention that she wore little more than a pale green tie top and a long pale green loincloth with a gold belt and ankle bracelets. Her emerald green eyes peered deeply into him, looking beyond the surface and practically staring into his soul. She smiled widely and knelt down beside him.

“You look well-rested.” She delicately shifted some of his fallen bangs out of his face and smiled.

Casey pushed her hand away. “Who are you?”

“I mean you no harm, child. I’m just a forest dweller who finds a sense of joy in helping injured wayward souls find their bearings again.”

She could feel the clamminess of his skin and knew he was overheating fast. She’d seen it before and hummed. “Are you feeling overly warm?”

“Yeah…”

She grinned and lied him down. “I can fix this very simply.”

She focused her energy into her pointer finger and honed in on Casey’s Chakras. She grinned and pressed down hard on three points over his abdomen, forming a triangle. Shifting her energy to her palm, she slammed it down firmly down in the center of the triangle outline, hitting the Body Chakra right in the center.

Casey inhaled deeply as his body went numb, and she could feel the energy waning as his skin returned to its natural flesh tones. She smiled as Casey’s body trembled before falling limp underneath her palm.

“What did you do…?” Casey whimpered.

“Your Body Chakra was filled with negative energy, and you were having a bad reaction to it. You must’ve gotten into something horrible, but I won’t ask. I just temporarily locked your Body Chakra to let it heal. All you need now is a good rest, okay?”

“Okay…” Casey’s eyes closed softly as he found solace in the numbness that had swallowed his entire body. The woman softly laid her hand upon his neck and, without giving him a chance to react, pinched his nerve and knocked him out completely.

“Oh, so young, so strong…yet so senseless.” She muttered to herself. “This time should work without…interference.”

Meanwhile, a far distance away from the temple…

Night. The town of Ocean Bluff. Once a quiet and peaceful fishing hole and an easily forgotten freighter stop on the way down to San Angeles Bay, Ocean Bluff had benefited substantially with a boost in population in recent years due to unnatural events happening in nearby cities and towns. With the newfound diversity came both a new style of life and its share of seedy elements. Tonight, the town was about to get some very seedy elements, indeed.

Downtown, a lone figure walked down an alleyway carrying groceries. On his way home after a much needed food run, he was about to approach the stairwell that led to his home’s back door when he heard a scream from the front of the building. He tried to ignore it, but a nagging voice in the back of his head coaxed him into looking.

He set his groceries on the ground and slowly walked to the front of the building. He popped up the hood on his sweatshirt out of habit and peeked around the corner.

“Someone help!” A man screamed, slowly crawling across the parking lot away from the strange…hopping figure.

The strange creature wore a tied-on brown hat and a brown tunic with black pants, and its face looked…like porcelain, rather than like skin. The lone figure supposed that somebody had been watching too many masked hero movies, until he saw the back of the hopping figure. The symbol it bore on its back caused his eyes to widen, as he hadn’t seen it in decades, but he still knew what it was and what it meant.

He frowned heavily. He didn’t wanna play hero tonight, or ever, but it looked like he was going to have to.

He pulled his hood farther out, and pulled the bandana from his front pocket out and tied it around his face to conceal his identity. He then ran out and jumped into the air, smashing his knees into the strange creature’s back, tackling it to the ground. “Hey you. Go.” The terrified man on the ground scrambled to his feet and thanked the lone figure before sprinting out of the area.

The lone figure bashed the creature’s head in against the blacktop, causing it to crumble into rocks, then disintegrate to dust. “Of all the places for a Rinshi to show up…” The figure sighed as he walked back to his groceries and continued back up to his home. “Looks like I got lots of things to do.”

Two days later…

The rain had subsided, and Jarrod could see the outline of man-made buildings through the treetops, and could hear the sounds of cars far off in the distance. This was surely the town he was supposed to be in, the town of Ocean Bluff. He could even smell the faint saltiness in the air from the breeze off the coastline as he walked out into the clearing. He arrived in a fairly new and underdeveloped part of town, full of small corner shops and boasting a wide farmer’s market.

A cacophony of screams roared from inside the farmer’s market, drawing Jarrod’s attention. A pair of brown tunic wearing men bounced around in pursuit of a young woman, and the vendors were diving in an effort to avoid them.

Jarrod was not one to get involved in fights between other people, but his gut instinct told him something was wrong. The two bouncing figures seemed…off. Jarrod sighed and frowned, then assessed the situation.

As the young woman ran towards him, he moved around her then took a fighting position after securing his backpack. The first of the two creatures was coming down on its bounce right in front of him, and Jarrod rammed his palm upwards into its jaw, snapping its head back and tossing it into its partner in crime. The young woman cowered behind him as the two creatures crashed to the ground. The first of the two creatures shattered into a pile of crumbling granite while the second got back up. Jarrod furrowed his brow and gave an unamused frown before taking his pose again.

He pulled his fist back as the creature bounced towards him, and once in range he shot a straight left open palm into its gut, making it stumble back and double over in pain. He then dropped an axe kick on the top of its skull and dropped it like a ton of bricks, making it crumble and melt away like its partner.

The vendors looked up from their shops and over to Jarrod, which unnerved him a bit. He wasn’t used to drawing attention to himself. He sighed and turned around to check on the young woman behind him. “You okay?”

“Thank you!” The young woman replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight and frantic embrace. Jarrod winced and pulled her arms off of him. She then began rummaging through her grocery bag. “Here, take these! It’s all I have to repay you with for saving me.” She handed him a bag of green apples and handed them to him.

Normally, Jarrod wouldn’t have accepted such a gift, or any gift at all for that matter. But he had very little money to boost supplies and his rations were running low; giving up food for his morals was low on his list of priorities.

He took the bag cautiously and helped her up. “Thank you so much!” She blushed and left the market slowly.

Jarrod put the apples in his backpack and continued walking through the market, the area going back to the way it usually was, with the inclusion of eyes gawking at the new guy in town.

Jarrod wished he had taken his old master’s advice to always carry a baseball cap in his backpack in case of sudden moments of attention drawing.

A group of small children ran around the market square; Jarrod supposed that the oldest couldn’t be more than four of five, and from the occasional stare from a vendor here and there, he gathered that the group was most likely some sort of in-market day care for kids not old enough for primary school.

A little girl and boy from the group began following Jarrod around like lost puppies, and as soon as he caught onto their game, he turned around. “What?” He growled, making the girl jump.

“Hi!” The boy said.

“…Hi.” Jarrod replied, turning around.

“Are you new?”

“Yes.”

“Where do you come from?” The girl asked. Jarrod’s eye twitched; he didn’t have time to spend on a pair of precocious children.

“Far away,” Jarrod replied roughly. “which’s where you two should go.”

“You’re not nice, mister.” The little girl said.

“Yes he is! He save Miss Nancy!” The little boy argued. “He’s like a superhero!”

“He’s not a superhero! The Hooded Man is a superhero!”

Jarrod’s curiosity piqued. “Hooded Man?”

“Yeah! The policemans said he’s a veggie…a veggie-lan-tee! Mommy said he’s not, though. She says that he’s helping people when the policemans can’t. But he fights the bad monsters all by himself! No guns or nothing! He just punches and kicks like this!” The little boy tried in vain to properly mimic several moves that Jarrod recognized.

Maybe Lady Luck was smiling down on him today. Unfortunately, he’d have to take a page from Lily’s ‘Guide of Talking to Children’. “Tell me more!” He replied in the most cheerful tone he could muster up as he kneeled down and smiled. The little girl squealed and hid her face in the skirt of the dress.

“You’re scary, mister!” She commented.

“He’s not scary, Gina.” The boy replied. “He’s cool!”

“Can you tell me more about the Hooded Man?” Jarrod asked.

“The Hooded Man is the coolest!” The boy’s mind snapped back to where Jarrod wanted it.

Several hours later…

“Lily, for the millionth time, Casey is fine. We just have to go to Ocean Bluff and find this Order member, then get back to the temple and help Master Mao.”

“But Casey…something bad happened to him! Didn’t you see his animal spirit?”

“Huh?” Theo stopped and turned around to look at Lily. “When?”

“The light around his body when he hit the mural…it looked like a tiger’s pelt. You didn’t see it?”

“I didn’t know what it was…do you think he has an animal spirit, too?”

“I think he does.” Lily nodded.

“Well then, he must be stronger than the average student, like us then, right? It would explain why he’s advanced so far in such a short time…” Theo pondered. “Right now, we gotta worry about ourselves, okay? We’re running low on supplies, and I got caught in the rain storm and I could catch pneumonia, and we can’t afford that. So we go to Ocean Bluff, find a nice, warm, and dry place to stay in and a change of clothes, and then we worry about everything else.”

“Well, I see some buildings to the east. Maybe that’s Ocean Bluff.”

“Then let’s hurry!”

The duo ran through the forest, eventually arriving on the opposite side of the park that Jarrod had several hours before. People looked at them as they surveyed the area for any sign of a place to stay.

“…Are you two lost?” A woman asked the pair as they passed by her.

“Yes, we are.” Theo replied. “We’re looking for a dojo of any sort, or-”

Lily put her hand up in front of his mouth. “We need to get my friend’s clothes dried off. Where can we do that?”

“Laundromat’s two blocks down Cherry Street.”

“Do they have a bathroom with a lockable door or a stall?”

“They got two stalls in the ladies room and men’s room.”

“Thanks, ma’am.” Lily bowed and forced Theo to do so as well before she began dragging him down the street.

“I was trying to find out where we should go look for our master first.” Theo hissed as Lily moved her hand away.

“If you sit around in soggy clothes, you’re going to be too sick to be of any help. So let’s go!”

“I should’ve never opened my big mouth…” Theo whined as she walked him into the laundromat.

After making Theo strip down and hide in a stall while his clothes were drying, Lily sat down in a chair and watched the TV, which was set to the local news station. Lily found a special joy in watching the television; it’d been more than a decade since she had even seen a TV, let alone watched a program on it. After about ten minutes, a public interest story came on, and the other people in the laundromat perked up. Lily followed suit and listened to the newswoman talk to her two guests.

“Now, Police Chief Anderson, why is this…Hooded Man such a threat to the police force? He’s merely doing his duty as a member of the community to help the police out.” The newswoman rattled on. Some of the people in the laundromat seemed to agree.

“He’s encouraging copycats who’re not as skilled as he is to go out and fight these things. We don’t know what they are, or where they come from, or what they can do. We’ve had reports of little hooded punks from all over town ending up in the hospital trying to play hero like this guy. The way he moves, you can tell he’s got experience in some kind’ve martial arts, but this guy’s gotta learn to let the cops do his job.”

“Well, if the cops actually did their job and got rid of these things, we wouldn’t need to have these kids popping up everywhere to defend their homes from these…things!” The woman sitting on the opposite side of the newscaster replied angrily. Again, the laundromat crowd seemed to agree. “Now, I lived in Reefside several years ago, and we had our share of citizens stand up against a group of monsters, and they did way better than the cops did!”

“You mean those fruits in colored costumes?”

“Those fruits saved my hometown!”

A clip of the Hooded Man fighting several brown tunic wearing creatures played out on the screen as the two went back and forth. Lily recognized some of the moves as being similar to Jarrod’s, but the man himself looked smaller framed and moved faster than him.

She stood up, wide-eyed and shocked. Was this the master they had been sent to find? It had to be! She ran into the men’s room and banged on Theo’s stall. “I’ve found our master!” She shouted.

“What?” Theo peeked his head over the stall. “Where’re our bags? Go guard them!”

“They’re too busy watching the news report on our master to care. Besides, I hid them.”

“Well…tell me when I’m out, okay? I feel uncomfortable talking to you like this.”

“Fine. But you have to listen, okay?” Lily pouted.

“Fine, just stop pouting.” Theo responded.

Twenty minutes later, Theo and Lily were back out on the streets, talking to each other as the sun began to set.

“So you think this ‘Hooded Man’ is our master, just because he does a few moves Jarrod does?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot…I know what you’re going to say, so don’t say it.”

“I’m surprised you still have brain power left to talk from all that thinking.” Theo teased playfully. Lily frowned.

“Like I was saying…like, maybe the master we’re looking for…is Jarrod’s old master?”

“You mean the one who just up and left six years ago?”

“Well, what if he didn’t just up and leave? I mean, Master Mao just sent us out without any formal deal or whatever. Maybe he did that with Jarrod’s master, too. Just…sent him out to guard the city.”

“I think you’re just grasping straws…but still, very surprised that you were thinking about something like that.” Theo frowned. “You seem to have Jarrod on the brain, so it doesn’t surprise me that you have this hare-brained thought pattern.”

“Well, if we can’t find Casey, we should keep our eyes peeled for Jarrod. I heard that someone saw a guy who fits Jarrod’s profile perfectly. Black clothes, shaggy brown hair, very anti-social, and very strong. I’m not going to give up on looking for our fellow Pai Zhuq, master or not.” Lily crossed her arms, letting Theo know that she was dead set on it.

As soon as they turned the corner, they spotted a trio of the strange tunic wearing creatures attacking cars by jumping on top of them and denting them heavily. “Well, the search’s off for now.”

The trio sensed the two Order members and turned around, charging at them. “Good, they want a fight. Let’s give them one.”

Theo saw that they were in a perfect triangle as they approached. “I got this. You clean up.” Lily nodded and let him charge forwards.

He leaped in the air and went through the motions of one of his more powerful moves. He turned his body to the side and pulled off a Brazilian scissor kick; a sidekick to his right, a twist kick to his left, and the two on his sides were down. The roundhouse kick directed at the third’s face, however, didn’t make it to its mark. The strange creature, despite appearing to have no way to see, saw the attack coming and caught Theo by the ankle and slammed him down onto the hood of the car.

Lily gasped and ran to Theo’s aid as the monster tried to jump on top of Theo, who was doing his hardest to both catch his breath and dodge the jumps. As the two monsters crumbled to dust, Lily leaped up on the hood of the car and went to punch the monster. It leaped over her blows and kicked her in the chest, knocking her off the hood and dropping her onto the pavement in a curled up heap. Theo rolled off the hood and quickly crawled to Lily’s side, making sure she was alright.

The Hooded Man darted through the alleyways and spotted the Pai Zhuq masters huddled up on the blacktop. He sighed and began making his way over to them.

Those’re Order style uniforms, but the Rinshi gave them trouble…?

As he approached, a black clad figure approached the duo and he stepped back in shock.

Is that…?

The Hooded Man ducked behind a tree and watched the fight.

Jarrod leaped over the two and slammed his kneecap into the monster’s face, cracking it and sending it rolling over the top of the car and crumbling to pieces by the time it hit the blacktop under the bumper. Jarrod turned around and looked down at Lily and Theo, then huffed. “Up.”

“Jarrod! You’re alive!” Lily shouted as she slowly got up.

The Hooded Man’s eyes widened. It *is* Jarrod…he’s hardly changed at all...

“So you’re here too, huh?” Theo commented, his voice laced with a strange sort of venom.

“Have you seen Casey?” Lily asked.

“No.” Jarrod replied, pulling an apple out of his bag and walking off while polishing it.

While turning around, he spotted the Hooded Man, and once the Hooded Man noticed that Jarrod was looking at him, he began to run back in the direction he came from.

“Hey! WAIT!” Lily shouted, following after him. Jarrod and Theo followed her. Unfortunately for the trio, he soon disappeared from Lily’s sight. She pouted, then crossed her arms. “That was him, too!” Lily shouted angrily.

“Well, he went this way for a reason, Lil. Maybe we should continue following in this direction…?” Theo suggested.

Jarrod continued down the alleyway while biting into the apple in his hand. Theo grimaced as Lily ran after him.

“Don’t you leave us too!” Lily shouted. “All of us Pai Zhuq must stick together right now!” She grabbed his left arm tightly, clinging to him.

Jarrod shook her off, but stopped walking to let Theo catch up to the two of them.

“Fine, he can stay with us. Just don’t cause any trouble, you hear me?” Theo warned. Jarrod gave him a confused look. “You know what I mean! If you didn’t get off on smacking Casey around-”

“He attacked me.” Jarrod replied.

“Right. A likely story.”

“He did, Theo.” Lily defended. Theo fumed and shot a dagger-ridden look towards Jarrod.

“I don’t like you either, okay?” Jarrod snidely remarked to Theo, getting an eye twitch out of him.

“C’mon, you two. We have to stick together! Have some camaraderie!”

“I refuse to work with the guy whose fault it is that Master Mao is in danger!” Theo shouted.

“That’s Casey’s fault!” Jarrod shouted back, feeling to need to defend himself.

“Casey’s fault, Casey’s fault! Sure, pick on the guy who’s not here to defend himself!”

“STOP IT!” Lily screamed, shutting them both up.

Jarrod took another bite of his apple and continued down to the sidewalk by himself.

“Hey! Get back here!” Theo shouted. He went to run off after him, but Lily grabbed him by his collar.

“Stop. Please.” Lily sounded as if she were about to cry. Theo turned his head around and looked at her; she had indeed started to turn red in the face like he assumed. “It’s nobody’s fault, okay? We’re the only three Pai Zhuq here right now; let’s please try to tolerate each other…please?”

Theo thought about it, then sighed deeply. “Fine, I’ll let him go, but only for your sake. Don’t expect me to be all chummy chummy with him though, got it?”

“Just don’t yell at him anymore.”

“I won’t…at least about the underground incident. If he acts up again-”

“I’ll deal with him from now on, okay?”

Theo sighed again. “Fine…” Lily let go of his collar and the two of them began looking for Jarrod once more.

They found him half a block to their right, and they dashed after him. Jarrod sighed and deftly hurled the apple core into a nearby trash bin.

“Jarrod…” Lily called out. He ignored her, and reached for another apple out of his bag. “Jarrod…we’re sorry.”

Jarrod stopped what he was doing, then turned around and gave Lily and Theo a confused look. “Why?”

“Well…because Theo yelled at you, and I haven’t been all that nice either. So I’m apologizing for the both of us.”

Jarrod looked at the both of them, then shrugged. “Whatever.” He grabbed another apple and began polishing it as he continued walking.

“We really do want you to stick with us, though. Anybody we can get from the Academy, we’d be more than happy to keep in our company, right Theo?” She drove her finger into his lower back and he winced.

“Yeah, sure, ow.”

Jarrod shrugged. “Whatever.” He then stopped and inhaled deeply. “Do you smell that?”

“Smell what?”

“I smell good food around here.” Jarrod looked around. “There.” He pointed northwest. “Come on.”

Lily and Theo gave each other confused looks, then caught up to him.

“What’s with the sudden niceness?” Theo snipped.

“Master Mao wanted us to cooperate. So, we cooperate.”

“So we’re cool?” Lily asked with a tone of hope.

“We’re co-workers. Besides, how you two feel about me doesn’t bother me. We’re not here to be friends. We’re here to find my master.”

“I told you it was him!” Lily shouted, poking Theo’s shoulder.

“How do you know that it’s him?” Theo asked.

“Master Mao said so.” Jarrod’s mouth began to water as the smell got stronger. “Can’t you smell it?”

“Oh wow, now I do…it smells like…” Lily thought hard. “It smells like…”

“Pizza’s up, you three.”

The three customers of the local pizza place looked up at the spectacled co-owner and head waitress of Jungle Karma Pizza and gave her looks. “Hooded Man story on TV, Fran.” The eldest teen spoke up.

“Oh, I’ll turn it up then.” Fran turned the wall mounted TV’s volume up before setting three plates of broccoli pizza down in front of them. She then walked into the back room/kitchen, her pigtails bobbing slightly as she went to fill another order in the absence of her boss, who both co-owned Jungle Kama Pizza with Fran, but who was also the mastermind behind it and was always making some sort of new and strange pizza.

As if magically summoned by her entrance, her boss rushed downstairs, this time notably wearing a zebra print skull cap to match his pants rather than the cheetah print he ascended the stairs wearing.

“Hey RJ.” Fran said, getting her boss’s attention. “How’s the cake coming?”

He looked up like a deer in headlights. “Oh, it’s coming out fine. Hand mixer acted up a little, though. It’s just in the oven now.” He grinned happily. “Sorry I left ya hanging like that.”

“Not a problem.” Fran replied with a smile. “Oh! Pizza for Table 8 is in the oven, and a Hooded Man report’s on the TV right now, so the radio needs to be turned down.”

RJ rolled his eyes, and Fran knew why. “Oh, c’mon. The customers sometimes come in and sit down to watch this guy…he’s a town hero.”

“What kind of town hero hides his face?” RJ questioned.

“Why does Batman or Spiderman hide their faces, huh?” Fran stuck her tongue out at him, knowing she had got him.

“Because they’re not real.” RJ roughly replied, walking out to get Table 8’s pizza.

“Hey RJ!” The girls crowded around the TV called out. RJ gave a half smile as he walked over to the oven and pulled out the broccoli and garlic pizza out of the oven and sitting it onto a pizza pan.

He blocked out the news report and the girls’ contented sighs of worship over it; he was one of few denizens of Ocean Bluff who couldn’t stand the constant reports of heroism going around. It bothered him to walk through the streets, watching little kids acting like the guy, to see people trying to be like this guy, and all of the insane media coverage of him. So the town was in trouble…the police could handle it, right? Why weren’t they interviewing the police officer who stopped one of these things invading Ocean Bluff from killing a little girl yesterday? RJ just zoned out as he brought the pizza to its starving and paying customers.

He began walking back towards the kitchen when he heard the little bell above the door ring. In walked an odd looking trio; the guy in the center looked rather normal, but to the sides of him stood a pair who looked like they just escaped an anime convention of sorts.

He sighed softly and grabbed three menus from under the cash machine.

“You three look hungry. Welcome to Jungle Karma Pizza. The name’s RJ. If you need anything, the waitress will be more than happy to get you anything ya want.” He smiled widely, causing the girl to cling to her skirt.

“How fast can you make one of these things?” Theo queried as RJ sat them down at an open table. Lily sat down between Jarrod and Theo in an effort to stifle their feud indoors.

RJ sat their menus down in front of them, then stood and waited for them to order.

The three looked over the menu, only to find a rather…unusual list of food.

“No pepperoni…” Jarrod mildly whimpered. “No sausage, ham, beef…”

“Not even anchovies.” Theo added. “And I don’t even like anchovies, either.”

“It’s all vegetarian stuff.” Lily noted.

“Of course it is. This’s a vegetarian establishment.” Lily and Theo glared at Jarrod, who glared back in a more ferocious manner. “…Are you three new here?”

“We’re just passing through.” Theo remarked.

“We’re looking for our master.” Lily added cheerfully.

“Aren’t we all?” RJ replied. “Well, good luck with your search. Pizza’s on me…if you’re still interested, that is.”

“How about just a plain cheese pizza? That’s fine with you two, right?” Lily asked, looking between the two.

“Food is food.” Jarrod remarked.

“Plain cheese is fine.” Theo replied.

“Is that okay?” Lily asked.

“Of course. You three are obviously on enough of an adventure; you don’t have to trek through the menu, too.” He forced a smile and took their order on his notepad. “Any drinks?”

“Three waters.” Jarrod ordered.

“Can I have a soda instead?” Lily asked.

“Sure. So, two waters and a soda.” He smiled and slid the notepad back into his apron. “Fran’ll be with you in a moment.”

RJ passed the girls on his way into the kitchen and gave a quick wave before walking in.

“Alright, Table 6 wants a plain cheese, two waters, and a soda.” He rattled off without looking at the notepad.

“That’s a weird order.” Fran replied.

“Well, they’re weird customers.” RJ commented, laughing softly.

“That’s mean.” Fran frowned, quickly shutting him up.

“You’re right. Rude, got it.”

“Need I remind you how weird you looked when you moved here?” Fran gave him a look suggesting that she was about to go on one of her long rants.

“No! No, I remember just fine.” RJ replied, holding his hands up and giving a worried look. “I’ll deal with Table 6.”

“So, what do you know about our mission?” Theo interrogated Jarrod while they waited.

“We’re looking for my master. He left six years ago to live here. Now Master Mao needs him again, so…” He looked back at the menu and studied the various concoctions. He had never heard of a pizza with roasted tofu and habanero peppers on it; if they weren’t busy tomorrow, he planned to return and get himself a slice or two.

“Why did he leave?” Lily asked. Jarrod shrugged. “So he just up and left?” He gave her a look suggesting that she was right. “…Huh.”

“Well, Lily said she thinks this Hooded Man is our master.” Theo added, sounding entirely amused at the idea.

“It is.” Jarrod replied. The two looked at him, their eyes widening.

“Told you!” Lily replied, slapping him on the shoulder.

“How do you know that?” Theo asked, completely bewildered.

“Saw him fight.”

“See? I saw it and knew it too.” Lily teased Theo.

“First time for everything.” Jarrod joked.

“Hey!” Theo snipped.

“I knew he was joking, Theo. Stop.” Lily glared, and he shrank down in his chair a bit. “So, you know your master better than we do, I guess. Where might we find him?”

Jarrod just shrugged. “Tried the dojos. Tried the parks. Got no ideas left.”

“Do you know his name? We might be able to find him in a public directory or something.” Lily asked as Theo opened the letter again.

“He’s probably not running around under the name of Master Finn.”

Fran walked up to the table with the soda and the waters. “Here ya go, guys.” She smiled nervously, then stood up and brushed her apron off.

“I got it now, Fran.” RJ called out to her.

“Kay.” Fran quickly left and RJ quickly replaced her spot.

“So, how long are you three here for?” RJ sat down suddenly as he turned a chair around and relaxed.

“Not very long at all.” Theo rudely replied, trying to shoo RJ off.

“Well, I haven’t lived here long either, so I kinda know how easy it is to get lost. Thought maybe I’d help you guys out with your search.”

“Well, we’re looking for our new master, Master Finn.” Lily replied.

RJ’s eyes rapidly blinked as he looked off to the side, as if trying to recall something. “Hm…don’t think I’ve heard that name before. Does he teach at the Blue Falcon Dojo down on Riverside Lane?”

“No.” Jarrod replied.

“Oh, you speak.” RJ replied in a joking manner. Jarrod just stared at him, and RJ looked away. “No, then? Alright. How about the Red Sun Academy downtown?”

“No.” Jarrod replied again.

“You checked there too? Hm…” RJ thought harder. “Well then, I guess he’s not here.”

“Look, we already know that. Do you know anyone who knows advanced martial arts or something, someone who may teach in the park or out’ve his living room or anything?” Theo ranted.

“Whoa, why would you think I would know something like that?” RJ asked, pulling back away from Theo, holding his arms up against his chest. “I’m a lover, not a fighter, kid.”

“Sorry, I’m-”

“It’s okay, Theo. Thanks for the help, Mr. RJ-”

“Oh, just call me RJ. If you’re in town again, feel free to stop by. Though, the food won’t be free next time.”

RJ got up and turned the chair back around before walking back into the kitchen. Lily looked back at Jarrod, who was watching RJ leave. “What’s on your mind, Jarrod?”

Jarrod merely smiled softly, keeping his eyes focused on the kitchen door.

As RJ reached for the refrigerator door, an explosion rocked through the area and shook the food stock from the cabinets. RJ’s eyes widened. “Fran!”

“Right here.” She replied from her position next to the brick oven.

“I’m gonna make sure nothing upstairs gets destroyed; you man the fort down here.” RJ ordered.

“Right!” Fran replied, causing RJ to dart up the stairs.

“Rinrinshi…” Jarrod muttered as he stood up; many of the patrons stared at him from their spots underneath the tables.

“You think?” Lily asked.

“Rinshi don’t make explosions…” He turned around and began walking out.

“Hey! Wait up!” Lily shouted.

The trio ran out and spotted a strange creature with a pair of Rinshi two blocks down.

“Take the Rinshi.” Jarrod ordered.

Lily took the Rinshi to the left and it began to punch at her as soon as she came in range. She quickly swiped away every shot that came towards her, surprised that the Rinshi was a little hard to keep up with. All the more reason to be happy that she could build momentum through her blocking movements. Once the Rinshi missed a movement, she grinned and slammed an open palm straight into its jaw, sending fractures up through its porcelain face and shattering the Rinshi to pieces.

Theo ran in against his Rinshi and jumped into the air, and in rapid succession smashed the Rinshi’s temple with a tornado kick and tossed it aside with a wheel kick, causing the Rinshi to twirl around gracefully as it disintegrated to rocks and dust.

Jarrod slowly approached the strange Rinrinshi, which looked like a bipedal spike-haired mantis, and caught its attention.

“A civilian child? Challenging me?” The Rinrinshi cackled in a high-pitched tone. Jarrod merely stood firmly and cracked his neck.

Jarrod took his stance and waited as the Rinrinshi ran up to him. As soon as it got close, he went in to slam his palm into its face.

The Mantis Rinrinshi, however, hadn’t mastered its martial arts style without learning how to get around such an easily avoidable attack.

The Mantis Rinrinshi quickly swiped his hand away and slammed its other claw sideways into Jarrod’s chest, roughly injuring his solar plexus and knocking the wind out of him. Jarrod was stunned by the sheer force the creature used as he stumbled back and shielded his solar plexus; he had never met a person who could throw such a devastating single punch like the one he just took.

In a blatant act of arrogance, the Mantis Rinrinshi followed Jarrod and slammed its claw against his temple, dropping him like a sack of potatoes. Lily and Theo’s eyes widened in shock as his effort to get back on his feet quickly failed, and he just fell back to the ground, motionless.

“Jarrod!” Lily shouted, getting no response from him.

“Well, he shouldn’t have let the thing just get so close to him…” Theo griped. “He should’ve waited for us. C’mon!”

Theo and Lily ran at the Mantis Rinrinshi from both its sides. “More children, eh?” It cackled. “Oh, those marks! Pai Zhuq sent children to fight me? How adorable!” As Lily punched and Theo kicked, it caught them both in its large pincers and put their joints in a painful vicegrip. “This’s like child’s play, literally!” It cackled with delight as it picked them both off the ground and swung them around like rag dolls, slamming them into streetlights, parked cars, and even the street itself.

Jarrod’s eyes fluttered open as blood from his head wound started to run down his face. He slowly started to sit up as the other two were tossed in his direction. Lily landed in front of him and rolled across the blacktop before coming to a stop against Jarrod’s body. She whimpered and curled up in a ball against him, making him frown at the thought that he was in no shape to help himself, let alone get her any. Theo flew overhead, and Jarrod forced himself to grab Theo’s leg to stop his momentum, which ended up slamming Theo headfirst into the blacktop.

“Thanks a lot, Jarrod.” Theo snarked as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. He then reached over to Lily and placed his hand carefully on her shoulder to make sure she was still conscious.

“I’m okay, Theo…” She mumbled as she slowly sat up.

Jarrod slowly inched himself in front of the two, desperate to get to his feet to fight again. As he collapsed once more, he could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. He looked back to spot the Hooded Man running up to the scene.

“Huh? Another Pai Zhuq child?” The Mantis Rinrinshi asked.

“Oh, not quite…” The Hooded Man replied. If the lower half of his face wasn’t hidden by his purple bandana, they would’ve seen him grinning widely in joy.

The Hooded Man ran and leaped high into the air, over the trio and landing several feet away from the Rinrinshi. He swung at the Rinrinshi just as Jarrod had before, and Lily hid her eyes in the fear of having to witness the same result.

The Rinrinshi laughed and blocked his hook, then prepared to smash the Hooded Man’s solar plexus, as it had before with Jarrod. Jarrod grinned and almost laughed as he knew what was coming.

“What?” Theo asked Jarrod as his attention broke away for the moment.

The Hooded Man lifted his leg up at the knee and knocked away the blow, then quickly shifted legs and roundhouse kicked the Rinrinshi’s kneecap, knocking the creature off-balance. The Hooded Man lunged forwards with his knee and slammed it into the Rinrinshi’s sternum, causing it to turn its attention from its leg to its chest. Before the Rinrinshi could even comprehend the fact that the Hooded Man was still there, the Hooded Man slammed his elbow diagonally onto the Mantis Rinrinshi’s temple, sending it spinning around wildly in place.

The Mantis Rinrinshi stopped spinning around after a few seconds, and his back was turned to the Hooded Man and the trio, which excited the Hooded Man. He pulled his left arm to his side, palm pointed upwards as he crouched down slightly.

“Heh.” Jarrod wiped the blood off of his face and grinned widely. “It’s over.”

Lily looked back at him. “Over…?”

He nodded his head in the direction of the fight, as if telling her to keep her eyes on it.

The Hooded Man then lunged forwards and turned his arm 180 degrees and opened his hand widely, clamping his fingers around the yellow hexagonal seal adorned with a white triangle and black lines and circles; the seal of Dai Shi’s army. As he pressed forwards to smash it, a rush of energy shot through his forearm, giving off a brief flash of violet light which pierced through the seal and shattered it. The Mantis Rinrinshi shrieked in agony and began to turn to rock as the violet light set the seal ablaze and the Hooded Man peeled it away. In mere seconds, the creature’s legs gave way to the heavy weight and it fell over like a smashed statue.

The Hooded Man took a long look at his striking hand in a disdained manner, as if disappointed with something, but then realized the trio was behind him. “Can you get up without help?” He asked them.

“We’re fine, Mast-”

“Ah, girl…not here.” He flinched and drew himself back a bit. “If you can get up without my help, then follow me.”

The trio slowly rose off the ground, and Lily helped Jarrod keep steady while he got his bearings. Theo ignored Jarrod and stumbled over to the Hooded Man’s side.

“Aren’t you going to help your fellow Pai Zhuq?” The Hooded Man asked.

“Are you kidding me? He’s fine.”

“He doesn’t look it from here.” The Hooded Man’s icy blue eyes pierced deep into Theo, making him shiver inside.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got him.” Lily chided.

“I’m fine.” Jarrod replied coldly, wiping the blood from his head again before stumbling awkwardly towards the Hooded Man.

“Here.” The Hooded Man grabbed Jarrod by his arm and helped him walk down the street into a back alley with Lily and Theo following close behind.

After a short walk, Jarrod looked up and sniffed the air, catching the scent of Jungle Karma Pizza once more. “So…hungry…” He muttered.

“You can have something upstairs. Don’t worry.” He helped Jarrod up the fire escape stairs and through the handleless second story door of a somewhat familiar brick building.

He lead them into a high-roofed loft, complete with a gymnasium-quality hardwood floor, a pair of raised catwalks, a basketball hoop and a large central fan against the back wall where a small collection of old TV sets and a dusty green recliner sat parked like a display in a museum of what the typical hermit of the 50’s living room might’ve consisted of.

The Hooded Man sat Jarrod on a chair at the small dining area and pulled a first aid kit from behind the counter and pulled out the antiseptic spray and a roll of gauze.

“Mi casa es su casa, kids. Go anywhere you want, except my chair.” He quickly lectured. “The green chair is mine, and it is my personal space. That, and the west wing of the loft. It’s forbidden.” He grinned.

“Master Randall…?” Jarrod muttered.

“Yes, Jarrod?”

“Am I still getting that plain pizza? I didn’t want it, but…” Lily and Theo turned around as the Hooded Man stopped wrapping up Jarrod’s head. Jarrod grinned. “You give yourself away easily.”

“You think?” The Hooded Man pulled his bandana down around his neck and revealed the lower half of his face, which was giving a worried sort of look.

“Not at first. It took a while, but you got too suspicious of Theo asking about your knowledge of training places.” Jarrod laughed softly. “Otherwise, I would’ve remained blind.”

“Glad to know I’ve done a good job on most accounts of hiding myself…” He pulled off his sweatshirt and tossed it at the railing to reveal a purple tie-dyed teeshirt, his Order tattoo on his right forearm below his elbow, and a jumbled mess of outgrown wavy brown hair. He smoothed it out to reveal the rather unexpected visage of the pizza chef from earlier, RJ.

“You’re Master Finn?” Theo asked half out of shock and half out of disappointment.

“Well,” RJ began, retracting back slightly and going through his rather quirky hand motions. “I’m not *the* Master Finn, but I’m *a* Master Finn. Finn is my family name, and it’s a first come, first serve sort of deal when it comes to using it as our title, so…I didn’t get to use it on the record if I was still teaching. I have to stick with my first name if I were teaching, which’s unfortunately Randall. So Master Randall it is, instead of Master Finn…that is, if I was still teaching.”

“You talk so much…” Jarrod commented.

“It’s my co-owner’s fault. She rambles on and on and well…I guess it’s rubbed off on me a little. Which reminds me…” He leaped over the railing of the catwalk and landed on the main floor, then walked over to his chair and grabbed his chef’s coat, pants, and skull cap. “I have a job to get back to. You kids stay upstairs and try to keep the noise level to a whisper and if you make any messes, you’re cleaning them. Consider my home to be your Pai Zhuq Academy, got it?”

“Yes, Master Randall.” The trio bowed to RJ, and he panicked.

“Please, call me RJ. And don’t bow.” He quickly ran upstairs to change back into his uniform.

Meanwhile, far away…

A shadowy figure walked hesitantly into a chamber deep within a dark and cold temple. They knelt down in front of a throne, where a rather bored figure sat meditating.

“What is it, Camille?” The figure on the throne asked harshly in a tone that sounded heavily ethereal and completely otherworldly.

“Master Dai Shi, I have come to report news from the field.”

“Have we destroyed the city yet?”

“We have caused quite a bit of damage and have greatly terrified the residents, but-”

The young man on the throne opened his eyes, revealing a pair of deep gold irises that glowed ominously in the dark. “But?” He sat up, trying to look intimidating. “But?”

“Four Pai Zhuq have been spotted…they destroyed Manticore.”

“Only four…?”

“Three children, maybe students, and one advanced student…maybe a master.”

The figure on the throne laughed softly for a moment, then let his laugh grow until it became a near roar. “Four? Just four against an army of millions?” He suddenly cut off his laughter. “I find your lack of faith in our power…disappointing. But, I shall remedy this. Tomorrow, we try harder.” He waved Camille out out. “Now, leave me be.”

“Yes, Master Dai Shi.” Camille bowed as Dai Shi cracked his neck and yawned out of boredom.

As she left, Dai Shi looked down at his hands. “Tomorrow, maybe…tomorrow we shall meet the ones who got away…and then we’ll kill them one by one…” He smiled sadistically, then laughed.

[cirvin06]

Whoa, I am defintely comfortable and I won't be going anywhere any time soon. Like you I too am a fan of longer fics, which is currently what my fic is. But as for yours, I defintely love everything so far.

Just one thing, Is what I saw what I think I saw? Are we gonna see the switch that many people talk about, Casey as Daishi and Jarrod as the Red Ranger?

[DarkStarShadow]

Whoa, I am defintely comfortable and I won't be going anywhere any time soon. Like you I too am a fan of longer fics, which is currently what my fic is. But as for yours, I defintely love everything so far.

Well, I'm glad that you're in it for the long run. ^__^ I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I love writing it.

Just one thing, Is what I saw what I think I saw? Are we gonna see the switch that many people talk about, Casey as Daishi and Jarrod as the Red Ranger?

:winks: Well, I thought the top banner would be enough of a spoiler...

[cirvin06]

:winks: Well, I thought the top banner would be enough of a spoiler...

Well that is true, but you could have started him as a Red then turning him into Daishi. Just making sure. lol

[DarkStarShadow]

...Well, the Black Lion Armor is Jarrod's personal armor, because the Black Lion is his animal spirit. Dai Shi has nothing to do with it, other than the fact that he uses it to his advantage in combat.

[DaiDekaRanger]

killer story so far

[dragomuseveni]

wow i really like this keep up the good work...i will be sure to keep reading -sets up inflatable mattress, a reading lamp, and some cookies- hehe

[Taioh No Kami]

i hope they morph soon. wondering what this story's version of Jungle Pride will look like. Any takers?

[DarkStarShadow]

wow i really like this keep up the good work...i will be sure to keep reading -sets up inflatable mattress, a reading lamp, and some cookies- hehe

Glad to see you're making yourself at home. XD. :skitters over and takes a cookie before going back to writing:

i hope they morph soon.

:begins mimicking RJ: Patience, young Padawan. Our journey may be long, but it will be fruitful. ^__^.

wondering what this story's version of Jungle Pride will look like. Any takers?

...I dislike merchandising.

[cirvin06]

How soon can we expect to see Chapter 2? So I''ll know when to get comfortable.

[Ostentatious]

This is the best Jungle Fury story I've read. Can't wait for more :)

[DarkStarShadow]

How soon can we expect to see Chapter 2? So I''ll know when to get comfortable.

I'm working on it, and it's about...15-20% done. I've had people coming in and out on vacation with me for the last two weeks, so there's been little writing going on. I've also been working on graphic art for the fic and been taking lots of notes, too, so...yeah.

Once I get back on my normal schedule, I should be pumping out text like crazy...I hope. XD.

This is the best Jungle Fury story I've read. Can't wait for more :)

:blushes: Um...thank you. I work really hard on all my stories, so I'm flattered to hear that.

[cirvin06]

I'm working on it, and it's about...15-20% done. I've had people coming in and out on vacation with me for the last two weeks, so there's been little writing going on. I've also been working on graphic art for the fic and been taking lots of notes, too, so...yeah.

Once I get back on my normal schedule, I should be pumping out text like crazy...I hope. XD.

Sounds good. Keep up the good work.

[GreyRanger]

This has got to be the best JF/Geki hybrid i have read so far. I love how you've explored Jarrod's character much more and made him a part of the team, Lily and Theo seem as the show with subtle differences, such as the Heart charkra and Technique aspects from Geki. Those add in nice touches, since Geki actually focused more on the resons behind these things. Jarrod really does seem likable, much like Rio from Geki, but he still has that arrogant streak witnessed in JF.
Dai Shi, i am assuming is not Casey, possibly Ron's suit from Geki? I think Casey will be a servant of Dai Shi, much like Suugu. And RJ and Fran's characters are great, still likable like in JF but more developed so far.
This is agreat fic, keep it up :023::023:

[DarkStarShadow]

V[]etal []_ion;2853280']This has got to be the best JF/Geki hybrid i have read so far. I love how you've explored Jarrod's character much more and made him a part of the team, Lily and Theo seem as the show with subtle differences, such as the Heart charkra and Technique aspects from Geki. Those add in nice touches, since Geki actually focused more on the resons behind these things.

Well, I've had the idea of swapping out Casey for Jarrod for a while, and my last fic had RJ and Jarrod as former master and student, and the two just worked out here, so I went with it. I personally liked what I saw of Jarrod in the first ep more than all of what I've seen about Casey, so that...well, contributed to my choice. >__>. He seems to be a passive person with a troubled and unlucky life, so I write him that way. I even affectionately gave him the last name of Mallory (which means 'unfortunate/unlucky one') to reflect this lack of luck. He's a great character, but like all others, he's kind've neglected and forgotten about.

...And to divert away from my Jarrod fangirling, I used Geki elements because that was one aspect of the Sentai I thought worked ever so well, and I'll be using it to a greater effect as I go along. Although, I won't be using all those little special 'Rou Rou Dan' type attacks that the rangers have...but there's better things to do with that leftover space...

Jarrod really does seem likable, much like Rio from Geki, but he still has that arrogant streak witnessed in JF.

Well, I'm glad you like him, as I'm trying to shine a light on his good qualities and show my impression of him.

Dai Shi, i am assuming is not Casey, possibly Ron's suit from Geki? I think Casey will be a servant of Dai Shi, much like Suugu.

Hmm...maybe...it might be clearer next chapter, which btw is about 80% done. Should be up within the next week, but I make no concrete promises. Just keep an eye out for it. =P

And RJ and Fran's characters are great, still likable like in JF but more developed so far.

Well, they're going to be going in vastly different directions than the show took them, but it's good to know the little bits of them from Chapter One were ones you liked. ^__^.



>__> Well, I should get back to writing now...

[DarkStarShadow]

~Chapter Two: Shadows in the Rain~





As Fran finished cleaning up downstairs to end her shift, RJ took the nearly discarded cheese pizza from earlier out of the oven and packed it up before sneaking upstairs with it.

Lily and Theo stopped training as the sound of RJ’s footsteps grew louder. Jarrod opened an eye as the smell of the rewarmed pizza filled the air.

“Good evening, kids. I’ve returned with something healthy and delicious for dinner.” He grinned as he walked up to the small dining area on the east wing’s catwalk. The trio followed him up and practically drooled over the eight cut wonder. “Enjoy. It might be a bit on the gooey side, since I had to warm it back up, but other than that, it should be fine.”

Lily and Theo both grabbed a single slice, while Jarrod yanked out two.

“Thank you, Master Finn.” Theo replied, bowing.

“Please, please, just call me RJ.” He replied, looking quite pained.

RJ then walked back to his room to get into more comfortable attire before joining them again. The trio seemed a little disoriented as he walked out barefooted in a dark purple teeshirt and black yoga pants.

“Sorry for the lack of a proper introduction, kids. It’s been a long day for everyone.” He commented as he walked over to the dining area. “Namaste.” He bowed slightly, and they bowed back. “The name’s RJ, and I’m apparently your newly assigned Pai Zhuq master. Wish somebody would’ve called me to let me know, but I adjust quickly enough to sudden changes in plans.” He smiled. “I assume that Master Mao sent you three to me for a reason.”

“He didn’t say why he wanted you to return to the temple, just that he wanted you to return with us. We were sent as honorary scouts to find and escort you back.” Theo replied.

“Not now.” Jarrod replied before snapping into the crusts of his folded over slices.

“Why not?”

“We stay here. Master Mao said so.” Jarrod mumbled between chews.

“So, you three aren’t working together…? He sent out separate groups?” RJ asked. Jarrod nodded yes before swallowing.

“After Dai Shi was released-”

RJ’s eyes widened. “Whoa, Dai Shi’s escaped…? Now I get why he wants me back. I should probably leave then-”

“He said to stay here.” Jarrod replied. “Told me to stop you two from leaving, too.”

“So it’s just us four then, huh?” RJ asked, looking a shade paler than before.

“Well, we had a fifth, sort’ve…” Lily replied coldly.

“The cub’s not important.” Jarrod chided.

“Maybe not to you. He was badly hurt and probably needed medical attention!” Lily shot back.

“I didn’t hit him that hard.” Jarrod muttered as he reached into the box for another slice.

RJ eyed Jarrod warily. “I thought I taught you better than to pick on cubs.”

“He wanted to fight. I played defense. He refused to stop, so I stopped him.”

“You back kicked him about twenty feet back and about five feet off the ground.” Theo corrected.

“He was running fast. If he wasn’t, it wouldn’t have done that.”

“Well, if you weren’t such a damn blowhard, arrogant jerk, he probably wouldn’t have had to resort to the only thing you’d respond to!” Theo stood up while shouting.

“Theo! Stop it!” Lily shouted.

“Whoa, whoa, down kids, down…” RJ swung his arms about between the warring parties. “Please, let’s not fill the loft with negative vibes on your first night here.” He looked around at the trio. “I understand that you’re not really all in the same clique, but now’s not the time to let petty quarrels divide us. Everyone needs to have a nighttime meditation session before picking sleeping arrangements, it seems.”

“You’re letting us stay here?” Lily asked.

“Well, I certainly can’t toss you three aside if you’re Pai Zhuq. It’s better if you stay here until the city needs defending.”

“So the four of us’ll be fighting together soon?”

“No.” RJ flatly replied.

“No?” Theo and Lily looked up at him in shock.

“No offense, but you three are the fighters here. What I said earlier is about as truthful as I get; I was only fighting before because I had no other choice.”

Jarrod looked as if he was going to speak, but stopped. RJ caught him out of the corner of his eye, however. “Jarrod…?”

Jarrod pursed his lips for a moment, trying to think of the perfect way to convey his thoughts. “You’re…the strongest Pai Zhuq master I know of. We need your help.”

“Well, it’s no doubt that I was the strongest fighter in the academy, but I’m retired.”

Theo bit his tongue, but RJ, not missing a beat, caught his look too. “Do you have something to say, Theo?”

“You’re…” Theo stopped and thought for a moment. “No offense, but you’re being selfish. We’re begging you for your help; even Jarrod’s begging you. Please. Please just…even if you just teach us some of your techniques. We were horribly defeated without you, and…I hate to admit this as much as he does, but we’re powerless without your guidance and strength.”

RJ looked from Theo to Jarrod, giving a questioning look. Jarrod seemed to silently respond with his own look that suggested pleading. RJ looked back to Theo. “I will meditate on your request tonight, and you may ask in the morning.”

Lily squealed happily, then tightly hugged RJ. “Hey, hey, off.” RJ gave a heavily perturbed look and pushed her away. “Now finish eating and get to meditating.” He left the group and headed back to his room. “Oh, and before I turn in for the night, the door near the fridge leads to Lily’s room; you boys’re not allowed in there without her permission. You two will sleep out here; I’ll be right out with sleeping bags and hammocks, and you can decide who gets what and who sleeps where. I’ll set this alarm for midnight, and that’s when you’re to all turn in for the night. So, until tomorrow, goodbye.” He then continued on his way out.

Meanwhile, far away from Ocean Bluff…

Dai Shi winced and clutched his abdomen, and Camille ran to his aid.

“Are you still having problems, master?” Camille asked.

“This possession technique is not one I have mastered yet…” He muttered. “Perhaps I’m still not strong enough.”

“Perhaps it is your host who is not strong enough. He doesn’t look like he’s fully recovered from the injuries he had before…”

Dai Shi hummed. “Whose fault is that again…?”

Camille sighed. “I’m sorry, master. I was worried that you would fade out if I didn’t find a suitable host quickly.”

Dai Shi grinned and let go of his abdomen as the pain subsided. “Well, I can’t blame you for worrying about me, now can I?” He turned around and set a warm hand against her icy cold face. “I think you made a wonderful choice, my dear Camille. This body is young and vibrant and full of energy that’s just waiting to be aimed in the right direction…” He slowly stood up, gently lifting her up with him. “Perhaps this touch of feisty rebellion is a sign that it was a good choice.”

He smiled wickedly, then with lightning reflexes simultaneously scowled and slapped her across the face with the hand that had been cradling her jawline. She winced and pulled away. “However, I haven’t forgotten your recent failure, and it disappoints me. Tomorrow, I want to see a fully outlined battle plan, drawn out and prepared to use by the next day. Do you understand me?”

Camille dropped to her knees and bowed in an act of submissively pleading for mercy. “I will not rest until it’s done.”

“Good. Now get out of my sight.” Camille quickly turned completely transparent and left the room. Dai Shi smiled, then grabbed his plate of food that she had brought earlier. “I hope this pain isn’t because my host’s allergic to mutton…” He muttered softly to himself while getting back to his meal.

Back in the loft…

The subtle chiming of a homemade alarm clock woke RJ up exactly at six am. He opened his eyes and sat up, groaning at the prospect of another long day of work. Turning off the alarm, he stood up and stretched before wandering out into the west wing of the loft. He closed his eyes to shield them from the bright light of the morning sun while scratching the back of his head. As he opened them, he noticed that he was being watched.

Theo held his position midway through the kata he was practicing and looked up in confusion from the loft floor, while Lily looked across from the dining area, her mouth slightly agape while she held the cereal spoon centimeters from her mouth as her cheeks turned a soft red. Jarrod might’ve not even given a second look past a parting glance, but the Lion Style fighter was still dead asleep.

RJ felt slightly unnerved, but realized they were probably disoriented by the fact that he was in only his boxers.

“Right. House guests…” He muttered, promptly turning on his heel and wandering back down the hall.

“Wow, what a high Body Chakra…” Lily muttered softly, turning redder.

“Lily!” Theo scolded loudly, causing Jarrod’s eyes to shoot open.

“Quiet.” He growled before turning over in his hammock and falling back asleep.

Twenty minutes later, RJ returned to the main area of the loft in his work uniform. “Sorry about that, kids. Not used to there being anyone else around yet. That won’t happen again.”

“Thank god…” Theo muttered under his breath.

“You three are to go through your katas, and I’ll bring something up for lunch.”

“Jarrod’s still asleep,” Lily replied. “and the way he’s sleeping, he could still be out at lunch.”

“Oh, I’ll fix that.” RJ walked over to the isolated corner in the east wing catwalk that Jarrod had claimed for himself and hunched over him, ready to strike. His right hand shot down to Jarrod’s abdomen and before long, Jarrod’s legs flailed wildly.

“Ah! Off!” Jarrod shouted. RJ stopped and grinned.

“Good morning, sunshine.” RJ joked, letting the rather unsettled Jarrod sit up. Jarrod gave a bothered look before stretching and yawning. “Today, you’re going to go through your katas. I’d appreciate if you were up at the crack of dawn like your fellow Pai Zhuq from now on, or I could just run up here and tickle you to death every morning.”

“No!” Jarrod shouted, turning pale. Lily held in a laugh.

“So you’ll participate in everyone else’s morning routines?”

“Yes.” Jarrod replied, standing up.

“Then get some breakfast and get to training. I’ll see you all at lunch.” RJ then gave a brief smile and leisurely walked to the staircase. Jarrod gave a strange look to Lily, as if letting her know he was vulnerable.

“Sorry about that.” Lily replied.

“It’s odd to be scolded again.” Jarrod replied before going into his bag and dumping the contents of it on the floor. Dirty clothes, tent supplies, some rations and a near-empty bag of green apples, and a square parchment paper package bearing the Order logo.

“You got one, too?” Lily asked. He held up the package and gave Lily a questioning look. “Yes, you did get one! Open it!” Jarrod gave a half smile and opened it. Inside sat a black coat with gold trim designed similarly to Theo’s and a pair of pants identical to Theo’s, both tailored to fit Jarrod perfectly. “Awesome!” Lily cheerily commented. “You should wear that while we wear ours…”

“Like a team?” Jarrod frowned and set it aside. Lily sighed as Jarrod grabbed an apple and walked downstairs into the pizza parlor.

Jarrod sauntered down into the kitchen of the pizza parlor, catching RJ’s attention.

“May I ask why you’re not upstairs practicing or eating?” RJ asked as Jarrod opened the fridge. He got his answer as Jarrod held out the carton of skim milk. “Oh…right. I take it the soy milk upstairs left a funny taste in your mouth?” Jarrod grunted in disdain. “Sorry about that.”

“Everything’s so…hippie.” Jarrod complained as he closed the fridge.

“Well, a warrior is only as good as what he runs on, which explains why the Spartans were so bland and rigid.” RJ joked. “After a while of being here, I found that this…hippie food, as you call it…well, it’s not so bad. I mean, it’s not as flavorful at times, but I feel really good about eating it, and it’s usually better than its alternative.”

“Tofu?” Jarrod asked in a grossed out tone while he began to shuffle through the fridge again.

“Again; not terribly flavorful, but better for you.”

“I’d rather gnaw rubber.” Jarrod muttered, setting the tofu down.

“Well Jarrod, I’d like you to go back upstairs with a glass of milk and get to your katas. I’d like to not have to ask you again.” RJ calmly stated as he finished making the rest of the dough for the pizza crusts for the day.

“Practice…?” Jarrod sounded slightly offended.

“Well, that monster did manage to render you unconscious and breathless with a nasty concussion to boot. A little practice couldn’t hurt you, could it?” Jarrod scowled. “Like I thought. So…back upstairs.” Jarrod poured himself a glass of milk and began to walk towards the stairs.

“Yes, dad.” He chided.

“You did not just say that.” RJ gave him a dirty look.

“Well, it’s either ‘Master’, ‘RJ’, or ‘dad’.” Jarrod teased.

“I’m not old enough to be your father!” RJ shouted as Jarrod marched up the stairs.

“Later, pops!” Jarrod teased as he reached the top of the stairs and left the pizza parlor.

“Damn him…” RJ muttered.

Several hours later, RJ walked upstairs with a large cheese pizza for them to munch on for lunch, and found a scene that he was very surprised to see.

Jarrod had changed into the Order uniform’s pants, shoes, and shirt, but not into the coat; it was his own little protest against Lily’s efforts to unify the three of them into one group.

The last thing he wanted was affiliation with someone as hostile as Theo.

However, what caught RJ’s attention more was that while Theo and Jarrod were going through their katas, Lily was in the back of the room with a pair of headphones blaring techno music, just dancing around in a rhythmic pattern.

“Hey, Lily!” RJ shouted, walking up to the dining area. He got no response from her. “LILY!” She stopped and looked for the source of the shouting. She spotted RJ and jumped, pulling down the headphones.

“Hey RJ! When’d you come in?” She asked in a louder-than-normal voice.

“Take those off. I told you to practice your katas, not dance.” He sternly replied. A mental alarm went off and he sighed; the tone of voice he was taking was one he despised. He took a deep breath and waited for her response.

“I finished my katas already.” Lily replied.

“Oh really? Maybe you should go over them again, if you go through them so quickly.”

“But I’ve been waiting for you to come up with lunch.” Lily replied, walking upstairs to the dining area.

“I gave you an order for today, and that was to go through your katas until lunch. You didn’t do what I asked, though.” As she reached for the pizza box, RJ slammed his hand on top of it. “If you disobeyed Master Mao’s orders by not doing something for as long as you were told to, what punishment would he place upon you?”

“I would…” Lily thought for a moment. She had never broken Master Mao’s rules, so she couldn’t recall what the punishment was.

“She’d have to scrub the floors of the dojo practice room with a toothbrush.” Theo spoke up, still going through his final kata.

“Then that will be your punishment. Theo, Jarrod, you two get the rest of the day to rest. Lily, you’re to scrub the main floor of my loft with a toothbrush. I’ll be more than happy to donate one of my spare ones for the effort, too.”

“That’s not fair!” Lily complained.

“How is it unfair? It’s the same punishment as if you had done it in the Academy.”

“I did what you wanted me to, RJ. I did all my katas. They’re all fast attacks, so I finished them faster than the guys did.”

“But I said to practice until lunch time, and you were dancing when I walked upstairs. So you weren’t doing what I asked you to. It’s just the same as meditating for five hours instead of six.”

“But this floor’s twice as big as a practice room. She’ll be scrubbing all night.” Theo walked up and noted.

“Then she should start scrubbing as soon as she’s done with lunch if she wants to sleep tonight.” RJ remarked with a smile before he walked over to the fridge.

“Master Mao would only have her do half of the floor in this case. Everyone is to do no more as well as no less than everyone else.”

“I hate to be the bearer of both the obvious and the bad news, but I’m not Master Mao.” He took out a banana yogurt and closed the fridge. “I work by my own rules. I may borrow some of Master Mao’s set of rules when I need to or want to, but I always do things the way I see fit.”

“You’re being unfair, though, RJ. I didn’t do anything wrong!” Lily replied.

“Stop arguing.” Jarrod griped as he finished his last kata. “He is our master. We must obey him.”

“Well Lily, I assume that you’re roughly eighteen, since you’re part of the Order. In most civilized countries, you’re considered an adult and you can come and go as you please. If you wish to find another master, then go wherever your path may take you.”

Lily scowled and walked into her room, slamming the door behind her. Theo’s eyes opened widely and he ran to her door and began beating on it. “Lily! Wait a second! Lily, think about this!”

Theo stopped as he realized that he couldn’t get through to her. He sighed deeply, then slowly turned around and walked over to his alcove on the opposite side of the main room, all the while taking time to give RJ and Jarrod cold looks.

Less than ten minutes later, Lily walked out of her room with her headphones around her neck and her backpack on her shoulders, completely ready to go. Theo walked over to her, also ready to leave.

“Et tu, Theo?” RJ asked.

“If she goes, I go.”

“Well then, take care, both of you.” RJ closed the pizza box and held it out. “Here’s one for the road.”

Lily walked out without giving the box a second look. Theo sighed and grabbed the box. “Thank you, RJ.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Please forgive her; she’s just…” Theo gave a bit of a strange look, suggesting that he felt nervous about finishing the sentence. “She’s having a bad…time…of…well…”

“Say no more.” RJ replied. “Good luck on your journey.”

The two took the downstairs route, surprising Fran on their way out the front door of Jungle Karma Pizza.

RJ looked over at Jarrod, who merely looked at his lonely pizza slice. “So…it’s just the two of us for the time being.” Jarrod didn’t reply in any manner. RJ looked about, letting his mind try to grasp at what to say. “Um…so! I’m not sure what I should have you do until tonight, so just…relax. Sleep off that fight from yesterday, or watch a little TV. Just please stay outta my chair.” Jarrod merely nodded, then picked up the slice and idly began eating it.

After a full two minutes of awkward silence between master and student, RJ spoke up. “Sorry.” He apologized in a defeated tone.

“I didn’t like him anyways.” Jarrod replied softly.

Far away, in Dai Shi’s throne room…

“Camille!” Dai Shi’s ethereal voice boomed through the walls, breaking Camille out of her meditative state. She stood up and bowed.

“Yes, master?”

“I wish to travel to the human city we’re attacking to get my own look at this place and get an idea of what we are to do there.”

“As you wish. Shall I send a convoy of Rinshi to distract the Pai Zhuq?”

“Send a Rinrinshi with them. Send Altaurus out with a convoy; that’ll flush them out and give us time to scout.”

As Camille bowed, a rather large flying insect flittered in and swooped down in front of her face.

“If you two are going out into the human village, I would suggest bringing along rain cloaks.” The creature commented in a shrill voice. Camille grimaced slightly at the sound.

“Talk softer. You’re bothering my ears.”

“Forgive me. It’s been a few millennia.” The creature replied, zipping around in front of her face.

“Stop moving so fast in front of me, and retrieve a pair of cloaks for us.”

“Yes, madame.” The insect flew away and out of Dai Shi’s throne room.

After a few moments, Camille walked up to Dai Shi. “How is the possession faring?”

“I’m feeling less resistance now, thankfully. I’m settling in just nicely.” Dai Shi smiled for a moment, then gave a confused look followed by a look of disdain. “I feel like my host is trying to oust me, though. Subtlety leaking through my actions and thoughts…I’m not sure if that’s normal or not.”

“When an animal spirit takes over a host, whether it’s their own animal spirit or, like in your case, it’s an outside possession, sometimes a melding of personas happens when the take over is unwilling on the host’s part. It’s a sort of…well, a vying for control over the body. It could be temporary, or it could be permanent. I don’t know much more about it than that, I’m afraid.”

“I hope it’s not permanent. I appreciate the youthful body you dragged out for me, but these childish actions are getting very irritating.” Dai Shi griped.

“I don’t mind them at all, personally.”

“Did I ask if you minded, Camille?”

“Forgive my idle chatter.” She bowed.

“So…I must decide upon a wardrobe…what should I wear?” He pondered.

“Something inconspicuous. You have a human body now; use it to your advantage when disguising yourself.” Camille replied.

“Ugh. Human fashion evades me. Create something for me with your little transfiguration skills and knowledge of human clothing.”

“…But that would leave me without clothes myself, master.” Camille replied coyly.

“You have more clothes than this body has. You can get something else.”

Camille sighed and began to shapeshift into Dai Shi’s human form. “Let me think of a decent attire for you…” Camille spoke, sounding exactly like her master’s human host. The look of her clothes quickly shifted as she closed her eyes and focused on what she thought would work best for him. A small grin was all she needed; she stripped off the clothes and handed them to him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…” She transfigured back into her natural form and walked back through the cold halls barefoot and freezing.

The large insect flew by with the cloaks, but pulled a U-turn when it spotted Camille. “Madame, you look very cold. Here.” He dropped a cloak on top of her, then flittered back towards the throne room. Camille wrapped the cloak around her and continued back to her room.

“We have to invest in central heating for these floors…” Camille muttered.

Meanwhile…

Several blocks away from Jungle Karma Pizza, Lily walked down the street, arms crossed as Theo walked around her.

“I know the last few days have been rough, Lily…”

“I wanna go back to the Academy.” She pouted. “I’m tired, I’m upset, and I just want something to work out for once.”

“Well, we were doing fine with RJ and-”

“Yeah, we were.” She gave him a look.

“Well, even if you don’t like it, we have to stay here in Ocean Bluff with this guy. It’s Master Mao’s orders.”

“I’m not going back.” Lily griped. She fumed slightly. “They probably kicked him out, he’s so unruly and stubborn! Jarrod’s probably the only person on Earth who can tolerate him!”

“No offense, but you’re pretty unruly and stubborn sometimes, too.” Lily flashed him a dirty look, and Theo shrank back and held the pizza box between them. “I know this’s the worst time of...well, any time…to be arguing…but when did I become the emotionally rational one here?”

Lily sighed, then looked over at him. “I want to go out and find Casey, not just sit around and play babysitter to this town I really don’t even care about. I want a reasonable master to train us, and not some unwilling and stubborn retiree. I want to go back to the Academy and make sure everyone’s alright, not sit around and wait for somebody to call us. You understand?”

“I do. I really do. I don’t like the guy either, but we have to listen to him.” Theo leaned back towards her as it began to mist outside. “Great, rain.” Theo winced. Lily sighed and looked up at the incoming rain. “We obviously can’t go back to RJ’s loft, so…”

“We can squat before we go out to find Casey.” Lily commented.

“We can’t leave them here alone with the Rinshi around.”

“Jarrod doesn’t like us, and RJ obviously doesn’t care if we’re there or not. So, let them have their little bachelor pad to themselves while we look for Casey. Besides, RJ can handle the Rinrinshi on his own, and Jarrod can play clean up. They’re the perfect two-man team. We’re just…fodder.”

Theo sighed deeply in defeat. He knew she wasn’t going to agree with him, no matter what. And was right to an extent; they could easily wax the floor with Rinshi, but it was the power house of RJ and Jarrod that really could stand up to and crush a Rinrinshi. Not that they couldn’t try different strategies in a future encounter; even Goliath was taken down by a small stone, Theo reminded himself.

The storm kicked up and the two ducked into a roofed alleyway. Theo frowned as Lily curled up against a wall. “…Hungry?” He offered the pizza box to her.

“…Sure.” Lily replied, reaching out for the box.

As soon as she opened it up, something leaped out of the garbage bin nearby. Lily jumped and sent the pizza box flying into the air. The stray cat meowed at them as the box dropped and opened up, sending the remaining slices tumbling out onto the ground. Lily frowned and Theo panicked as their ration supplement sat ruined in front of them.

The cat meandered towards a wooden fence and suddenly hissed. Theo looked and saw what appeared to be a porcelain mask darting behind a hold in the fence and gasped.

“There’s a Rinshi over there…stay quiet…” Theo ordered. Lily quietly called the cat over while Theo ran across the alleyway on the balls of his feet, keeping as quiet as he could.

He leaped up against the wall on his left, then bounced over to the wall on his right, then bounced back as he gained enough height to make it over the fence. He gained a slight boost off the top of the fence, then came down on top of the Rinshi with a flurry of bicycle kicks, destroying it before it could even react to his presence.

“Lily, c’mon! I see more down this way.”

Lily scrunched her face up, then went back to scratching behind the stray cat’s ear. “Shouldn’t we just leave that to Jarrod and RJ?”

“Lily…” Theo scolded.

“I was just getting comfortable, too…” Lily picked up the stray gently and mimicked Theo’s leap over the wall.

“Put the cat down.”

“No…she doesn’t even have a collar; she’s all alone.”

Theo sighed. “Fine, but as soon as we find an animal shelter, we’re giving that dumpster diver to them.”

“As long as she gets a good home.” Lily smiled, scratching behind the cat’s ear as they began to track down the other Rinshi.

Back at the loft…

Sounds of cat’s claws and wolves howling erupted from the main television in the lounge alongside the sounds of repeated tapping of game controllers and a slow burn of a temper that accompanied being beaten miserably.

“Ah! Ah, no!” RJ whimpered, jittering around frantically. “No, no, aw crap!” He winced as the large monster crashed to a heap on the screen. Jarrod grinned as the childish catgirl cheered happily. RJ looked over at Jarrod, frowning mildly. “Beginner’s luck.”

“Don’t be mad that your precious Talbain failed you.” Jarrod replied softly, looking over at RJ with a sly grin.

“I want a rematch tonight.”

“Deal.”

RJ shut the game console off and set his controller down. “I’d love to catch up on the last six years some more, but I have hungry people downstairs who’re paying me to feed them.” He jovially commented as he got out of his recliner. “Well, they’re not just paying customers to me, but…oh, you know what I mean, right?” Jarrod nodded. “Good, good.”

RJ grabbed his chef’s coat and began to walk out. “You keep outta troub-” He was abruptly cut off by both the ringing device on top of the TV collage and by his watch; they seemed to cry out synchronously. RJ frowned, then looked back at Jarrod. “Turn on the sets…”

Jarrod hit the master switch for the TV sets, and an array of streaming video clips from various sections of the city showed up. Jarrod’s eyes lit up. “Surveillance?”

“Well, when the Rinshi began attacking, I built a bunch of little closed circuit spy cameras and set them up around all around the city, and as soon as the computer I have them all hooked up to detects somebody who matches the Rinshi’s profile shows up, the alarm goes off.” He looked over at Jarrod, who gave him a skeptical look. “What, you doubt my technological prowess?”

“A bit.”

“Hey, it hasn’t been all about getting hippied out and doing some solo martial arts training for the last six years.” RJ replied. Jarrod merely raised an eyebrow in response.

RJ turned his attention to the surveillance setup and spotted the Rinshi hopping about nearly five blocks away. “There! Down near the strip mall. You know where that is?” Jarrod nodded in the negative, which made RJ sigh. “I see. I guess I’ll have to go with you…” RJ took off his coat and walked over to the banister, where his hooded sweatshirt sat waiting for him. “Let’s get ready to go.” RJ ordered.

Meanwhile, Dai Shi and Camille took comfortable positions atop a clothing store in the strip mall where they could easily see the fight while still keeping dry and hidden. Camille took out a pair of binoculars as she camouflaged herself and looked out at the destruction the Rinshi were causing.

“I can hardly see what’s going on. What’s going on?” Dai Shi muttered.

“They’re destroying the city and, ooh! They just overturned an automobile on top of some civilians!” She waved him over and he stealthily skittered over to her side and looked. He grinned widely as a pair of Rinshi made an effort to use a different car as a projectile at other civilians.

“They’re stronger than I remember…” Dai Shi commented.

“Well, in the latter campaigns of the last war, they were heavily fatigued and couldn’t fight like this. They’ve had a few millennia to rest and become enraged over our loss to drive them into a fury now that they can run about again.” Camille smiled. “Shall I send Altaurus out into this area?”

“No. Wait until we get a report of Pai Zhuq. I want to watch them die in an ambush like what they’ve done to my poor Rinshi.” Dai Shi replied in a hurt tone.

Just then, the large winged insect flew in, holding a mini umbrella over its head and wings. “Madame, I’ve spotted two people bearing Pai Zhuq logos on their clothes approaching the vicinity.”

“Only two…?” Dai Shi queried.

“Yes, only two. I may have many eyes, but they only saw two humans with the Pai Zhuq logo on them approaching.”

“The Order does not just split up like this…” Camille muttered. “No. Something has happened within their ranks. It would be most opportune to conquer them while they’re divided.”

“How do you know this isn’t an Order trick of sorts?” Dai Shi asked with a sly tone.

“No. These ones are by the book, definitely. They’re fresh and new, and they definitely aren’t thinking for themselves. Their leader cast them aside, most likely for weakness, which’s why we should kill them now.”

“I’ll summon Altaurus, then.”

Lily and Theo rushed into the strip mall and ducked quickly as a car sailed through the air. Lily hid the kitten in a pile of thick shrubbery, then quickly threw a right cross into the face of an incoming Rinshi, crushing it easily.

Dai Shi winced and stood up, handing the binoculars back to Camille. “Time for the slaughter. Altaurus, rise up!” He pointed his gauntlet-covered hand outwards, towards the center of the strip mall parking lot, causing a small fissure to kick in as the ground split. Rising out of the ground, a strange humanoid creature rose up, wearing a red robe and bearing a Rinshi’s porcelain mask, which looked more terrifying without the top half covered. Upon its forehead sat a bull’s head carved out of solid iron.

“You called, Master Dai Shi?” The creature called out in a bellowing voice one might associate with a large bodybuilder.

“Yes. Those humans there, bearing the logo of Pai Zhuq on their jackets. I want them dead.” Dai Shi ordered, drawing attention to himself.

“Dai Shi?” Theo queried aloud. “That can’t be Dai Shi; isn’t Dai Shi a big dragon?”

“Very observant for someone so short.” Dai Shi replied. “Now, kill them Altaurus!”

“As you wish.” Altaurus’s bull charm turned black and spread out across its body, transforming the meager looking Rinrinshi into a seven foot tall minotaur. “With the power of the bull, I’ll mow you little children down!”

Lily and Theo took defensive stances as it charged.

“Lily, run towards your little stray. I’ll try something out.” Lily nodded and rushed to her left while Theo looked around. He noticed that there were numerous cars still left to bounce around on top of, and it gave him an idea.

He summoned up the power of his Jaguar animal spirit through his Mind Chakra, channeling the animal’s style of treetop hunting and melding it with his fighting style.

“Ever played leapfrog with a jaguar?” Theo asked as his blue aura shone around him. He leapt entirely over Altaurus’s head as it came near and landed on top of a car. He immediately bounced off it and nailed a flying jump kick into the minotaur’s lower back, then kicked off him and flew to the left and onto the hood of a van.

“Hey, stop jumping around you little monkey!” Altaurus whined.

“Jaguar, not monkey!” Theo scolded as he crouched down for another strike. He leapt into the air and spun forwards, rolling in the air like a ball, and dropped his heel down on top of Altaurus’s skull. Unfazed by the move, the minotaur grabbed Theo by the ankle and slammed him into the flatbed of a truck, cracking the back of his kneecap and knocking the wind out of him. Theo screamed out in pain, which drew Lily’s attention.

“I’m coming!” Lily shouted, summoning her Cheetah animal spirit through her Heart Chakra, casting a yellow glow around her body. She focused her animal spirit’s energy through her fists and charged at the minotaur Rinrinshi. “Ever been pummeled by a hundred hits in five seconds?” She asked. “You will now!” She growled loudly and began rapidly punching at superhuman speeds, smashing her fists into its ribcage and causing stinging pains. Her hundredth and final punch in the five second period of time slammed straight into its gut, knocking it back.

Altaurus clutched its gut and winced. “Is that all you got?” It growled. Lily helped Theo out of the back of the truck, then charged up another Hundred Fist Strike while running at Altaurus.

As she began the flurry, the first punch was caught, and she panicked, losing her groove. Altaurus twisted her wrist, then picked her up off the ground and slammed her back down facefirst, nearly dislocating her shoulder. She began to tear up in agony and curl up in a ball on the ground before Altaurus picked her back up and hurled her at Theo.

“How wonderful!” Dai Shi cheered. “Now, finish them!”

Lily and Theo huddled together as they waited for their demise. Altaurus picked up a station wagon and lifted it over his head preparing to crush them with it, when all of a sudden, a thunderous roar filled the air.

“Look! That light!” The large insect spoke in awe as it flittered down to Camille’s shoulder. “It can’t be…”

Theo and Lily looked and saw a large roving figure of light; the shape of the black energy was that of a lion with golden claws and a golden mane and hollow blue eyes. The Lion animal spirit tackled Altaurus to the ground, making it drop the station wagon on top of itself as it fell on its back. The Lion animal spirit pulled itself away and disappeared into thin air as Jarrod dropped his simple summoning pose.

“You didn’t tell me that they could summon their animal spirits like that!” Dai Shi clamped his hand tightly around Camille’s throat and stood up.

“He didn’t…do that last time! In fact…they’ve all…gotten better…” She whimpered.

“I can vouch for the validity of her statement, Master Dai Shi. I witnessed their last fight, and they were indeed not this capable or adept at fighting.”

“Hey now, put the lady down.” A voice called out from Dai Shi’s side, He turned his head and saw RJ standing there, giving him a dirty look.

“Is this their master?” Dai Shi asked Camille, sounding unimpressed.

“He is their new master, yes.” The large insect replied. “He destroyed Manticore in one shining, flaming hit! It was most impressive, considering that Manticore was near-spotless when he arrived.”

“How derelict you are for such a high rank and vast power.”

“To be honest, I was in retirement until your little overgrown porcelain-faced bipedal rabbits hopped their derrieres onto my home turf.” RJ replied in a jovial yet serious tone. “So you only have yourself to blame for my derelict…ness. I’d look better if I knew you wanted me to look nice and if you gave me enough time to dress up.” RJ grinned.

“Shut up.” Dai Shi created a black ball of energy and hurled it at RJ, connecting with his abdomen and knocking him off his feet. While leaving no physical trace of impact, a surge of burning pain shot through him as a mixture of the attack and his Body Chakra violently reacting to it locked his entire body up and left him unable to cry out in pain as he vainly tried to.

Dai Shi’s grip loosened as he clasped his own abdomen. “I can feel it again…the rival spirit…” Dai Shi muttered.

Camille coughed and held her throat as the large insect spoke up. “Have you overexerted yourself again, Master Dai Shi? No need for disrespect, but I think you shouldn’t be pushing your host so much.”

“Quiet, Dante.” Camille scolded. “I want you to stay here and keep note of the battle.”

“Yes, madame.” Dai Shi and Camille took off as RJ slowly got up and limped away to a dry spot on the roof.

RJ watched as Jarrod took command of the situation like the natural leader he suspected his protégé was. He grinned as Dante flittered down beside him. “That’s my boy…” RJ muttered in a soft and warm tone. “Give’em hell, kid.”

“Is he your son?” Dante asked RJ.

“No, but sometimes it seems that way, I suspect…” RJ replied, leaning his head against the wall behind him.

After tense negotiations during sessions of ducking around tossed cars, Jarrod finally got Lily and Theo to work with him. He quickly came up with a plan, then looked over at Lily. “Kick.” He then looked over to Theo. “Punch.” He then looked forwards. “I’ll distract. Go for the seal on the back.”

Both of them nodded in agreement, then decided to go through with the charge as a group.

Jarrod leapt onto Altaurus’s back and quickly wrapped his arms around the Rinrinshi’s neck and attempted a sleeper hold, which caused the beast to react to him. Theo shifted his weight to his good leg and used his injured leg to push back onto his good leg for support. Using his knife hand technique, he jabbed at pressure points in Altaurus’s arms, making the muscles go limp and causing it to let go of Jarrod’s arms.

While Theo chipped away at its defenses, Lily sprinted around back and began giving a round of quick snap kicks.

“Lily!” Jarrod shouted as he grabbed a hold of Altaurus’s horns. “Kneecaps!” He clamped his hands tightly around the horns, then kicked off its back. The two fought synchronously without thinking, and as Jarrod yanked downwards on Altaurus’s horns, Lily kicked sharply against the back of its kneecaps, dropping the beast down to Lily’s height. “Now!”

Lily gave a sharp snap kick, dragging her heel against the seal and causing Altaurus great pain. “Again!” Jarrod shouted.

“Hit it harder!” Theo shouted as he helped Jarrod hold Altaurus steady.

“Your students are quite amazing; taking on such a formidable opponent with such ease.” Dante commented to RJ.

“Considering that less than an hour ago, two of them no longer wanted to be my students, and the fact that they haven’t worked together before…yeah, I’d say they are pretty amazing.” RJ replied, wrapping his arms gingerly around his abdomen.

Lily kicked repeatedly, putting more speed, and consequently more force, which caused the seal to crack more and more. “Axe kick!” Jarrod commanded.

“I can’t do that one too good!” Lily yelled back.

“Do it anyways, Lily! We’re losing our grip!” Theo shouted at her.

“Alright…” Lily kicked straight up, then dropped her leg with all the speed she could muster given her stance, and her heel smashed down straight on the seal, destroying the seal and causing Altaurus to crumble into large hunks of rock before dissipating.

The trio collapsed to the ground in a tired heap and Dante prepared to leave. “I hope to see you once more like this; it gets a little lonely watching fights by myself.”

“Aren’t you with Dai Shi?” RJ asked.

“I am a border beast; the outcome of this war does not matter to me, nor do I have any emotional stock in any of it. As long as my summoner has things to summon me to do, I do them.” Dante flew around RJ, his microphone-shaped proboscis twitching in and out like a baby’s pacifier. “You harbor a border beast as well, I see.”

“Unlike you, little flying amigo, I have emotional stock in the outcome of this war.” RJ replied, his eyes wandering down to the trio. “Humans in general mean a lot to me, even if I haven’t always garnered the same feelings back.”

“I see. Well, as I said before, I hope to enjoy a fight beside you again, Wolf Master.”

“Mind not spreading that around?” RJ asked rudely. “Just call me RJ.”

“As you wish, RJ.” Dante attempted to bow, then flew off, giving RJ a cue to get up and to his students.

He attempted to get up without disrupting his damaged Body Chakra, but to no avail, as it cried out in agony and caused him to seize up and collapse onto a sloped section of roof. He slid down and dropped fifteen feet onto the top of a Hummer and bounced off onto the hood, then rolled off and landed onto the blacktop below.

Jarrod jumped up and ran to RJ’s side and gingerly looked him over. “RJ…” Jarrod paled and a look of deep concern flooded his visage. RJ slowly opened his eyes, his irises looking more like pools of mercury than walls of ice.

“I’m awake. Go home.” Jarrod glared, letting him know that he wasn’t moving until RJ moved. He reached out to touch RJ’s arms to make sure he wasn’t hiding a severe wound, but RJ swiftly grabbed his wrist. “Back.” He let go of Jarrod’s hand, then closed his eyes and began breathing in a meditative fashion.

A quick rotation of his hips was followed with a soft wince and the sound of bones shifting back into place. He rolled completely onto his back, emitting more cracking sounds, then curved his spine and popped it, finally lying back down in a heap. “Need a sec.” He replied while closing his eyes. He took a deep breath as Theo and Lily rushed over, the stray cat nestled in her arms.

He opened his eyes, the lightly glazed light blue orbs looking around at them all huddled around them. “What? I’m okay. Sore, but okay.” He sat up and clutched his abdomen. “Let’s go, Jarrod. I’m soaked, and I bet you are, too.”

The two looked up at Lily and Theo, who stared at them longingly. RJ just silently looked ahead and began to limp away, and Jarrod gave a sympathetic look while following him.

Ten minutes later, the two arrived at the loft, and RJ limped up the stairs. “Jarrod, dry off and go downstairs.”

“Hm?” Jarrod looked up from the small folded pile of clothes next to his hammock.

“I’m gonna go meditate for the night. I want you to go downstairs and help Fran out for me; Saturday nights are very busy, and I don’t want her doing it alone.”

“But, I-”

“She’ll give you easy stuff to do, don’t worry about it. You’re in charge of anything not JKP-related though, okay? Just come back up when she leaves, make sure she’s locked up the place, and help yourself to any leftover pizzas.”

“Okay.” Jarrod replied.

“One more thing.”

“Yes?”

RJ smiled proudly. “You did great out there today with how you handled Lily and Theo. Your animal spirit has bestowed to you an innate sense of leadership, it seems, and I kind’ve figured that it would, given its place in the animal kingdom…I digress. Your technique with the spirit summoning was a bit on the plain side, but what can I say other than I would expect you to do no more than you did.” RJ laughed quickly, and Jarrod slyly grinned back.

Jarrod slowly stood up as RJ began walking down the hallway to his room. “Need help?”

“I’ll be fine, Jarrod. Don’t worry about me.”

“How’re your eyes?”

RJ stopped in his tracks and turned around. “…What about them?” His jovial tone turned serious.

“They turned silver out there. Are they okay?”

RJ looked down and to the side, then back to Jarrod. “Are they silver now?”

“No.”

“Then there’s nothing wrong with them.” He gave a hollow smile. “Have a good night, Jarrod.”

"Thanks." Jarrod grabbed his dry clothes and quickly began to dress in them before heading downstairs.

He walked into the back room of Jungle Karma Pizza, startling Fran. “Hey there!” She replied. “RJ just let me know you’d be coming down to help me. He, uh, called from upstairs, from one of the phones up there so he didn’t have to come down here, which’s why he sent you down here, and what’s wrong up there? Is RJ okay?”

Jarrod stood silent, overwhelmed by Fran’s rambling. “…I’m sorry. Did I confuse you?” He nodded slowly and silently. “I’m so sorry! I should’ve known one of RJ’s hometown friends would be a little taken away with the way I go on and on and…I’m losing you again, aren’t I?” Jarrod nodded again.

“Fine. I’ll start slow.” She held out her hand quickly, startling Jarrod. “Hi, I’m Fran, but you probably already knew that. You must be Jarrod, RJ’s friend from Norwood, right?” Jarrod nodded slowly and reached out, clasping her hand and shaking it. “Wow, tight grip you’ve got.” Fran smiled nervously as Jarrod let go. “So Jarrod, RJ says you’re in town, looking for a little work. I can tell you’re not…really a people person, and that’s okay! RJ wasn’t always either, and look at him now, ya know?” She turned slightly red, but continued.

“Well, I’m gonna give you an easy task; I have a table chart set up out there next to the oven door, and I’m going to have you deliver the meals to the tables. I’ll show you how to pull a pizza out’ve the oven right now, okay?” Jarrod nodded happily. “Oh! Before you go out there, you need to put on these.” She handed him an orange hat emblazoned with the JKP logo, and a pocketed half apron like RJ’s that also had the logo on it. Jarrod quickly put both of them on, finding comfort in the fact that he now had a hat to wear in public.

“Okay! You’re ready to go, Jarrod. Follow me.”

For the next ten minutes, Jarrod quickly picked up on the task he was given, and even found himself unconsciously clearing up tables when he wasn’t needed. It was all fine and well until two familiar and soggy characters tiredly marched into JKP’s front doors.

“Hey.” Lily called out quietly to Jarrod, catching his attention. He turned around and spotted them, then paled slightly as the cat jumped down and began rubbing up against his leg.

“Cat. Out. Of store.” Jarrod lightly kicked the cat towards the door. The cat dashed out the door, causing Lily to chase after it.

“See, I told her not to bring that stray in here. It’s so-”

“Unclean.” Jarrod muttered.

“Yes! Yes! Very unclean, unsanitary, and who knows if that cat’s got rabies or something?” Theo crossed his arms and huffed. “Finally, something about you I can agree with.”

“We’re not that different.” Jarrod replied, grinning. Theo gave him a dirty look, which only made him grin wider. “You two hungry?”

“Hungry, tired, cold, wet, sore, and…well…” Theo sighed. “Lily’s really sorry for just storming out like she did earlier. She wanted to apologize to RJ. That, and we can’t afford to go to a hospital.”

“Heh…” Jarrod looked down for a moment as Lily walked back in with the cat. “As Lily said, it’s just us four. We need to keep close.” He softly smiled. “RJ would agree. Stay here.” Jarrod walked into the back kitchen. “I’ll be back.”

“Make it quick, okay? The after-work dinner rush is about to start!” Fran ordered. Jarrod popped out and Fran smiled to herself in an odd wonder. “So this’s what it’s like being boss…not bad. Not bad at all.” She looked back down at the pizza she was making.

Jarrod ushered them up to the front door and smiled. “Lily, your cat stays in your room. Get yourselves warm. First aid’s under the sink. If you’re unsure, wait for me. You two want anything to eat?”

“You’re talking an awful lot.” Lily teased.

Jarrod blushed. “Fran’s fault. Crazy girl’s got a big mouth.”

“What a good influence for you she is.” Lily giggled.

“Get dry.” Jarrod replied, looking a bit irritated. The two walked inside slowly and got their bearings once more.

Fran made a large cheese pizza for the trio before she left, and Jarrod thanked her before carrying it upstairs into the loft. “Dinner.” He called out.

“Lily, could you get me a slice? My leg doesn’t wanna move.” Theo asked.

“Sure.” Lily replied, setting the cat down behind her door and closing it. Both were back in there Pai Zhuq uniforms; the only other outfit they owned. “Do you think RJ could take a look at my arm?”

“Can it wait?” Jarrod asked, taking off his apron.

“No.”

“Then let me.” He sat her down at the dining area and let her pull her tunic down off her shoulder.

Jarrod gingerly looked at the damaged area, then touched her shoulder, making her flinch. “Hm.” He lightly grabbed her wrist and locked her elbow softly, then moved her arm up, instantly tweaking her shoulder. She winced and began to tear up. “Mmm…sling.” He set her arm down and walked over to a cabinet near Theo. He opened the door to reveal a plethora of jarred healing salves and herbs, as well as a small mountain of clothes for bandages. “Come over here.”

Lily grabbed a slice of pizza for Theo with her good arm, then walked over to the other catwalk to where Jarrod was waiting.

“…Sorry I was a big brat.” Lily commented. “Just, a lot’s been happening, and I’m not feeling well, and RJ wasn’t making it any better and-”

“It’s fine.” Jarrod replied as he tied her arm up in the sling. “A lot’s changed. Not everyone adjusts well.” He gave a soft half-smile. “We’ll adjust…together.”

“Now there’s something I thought I’d never hear come out’ve your mouth.” Theo chided.

“Same here.” Jarrod replied in a concerned manner.

[The 2nd Evil]

Oh, yeah. This is going to be a fun story.

[cirvin06]

Great story you have going so far. A few notes I had after reading the chapter.

- Jarrod's attitude. When I was reading early in the chapter and saw signs of his attitude starting to change, my first reaction was "Oh shit!" He's gonna cram this personality transformation all into one chapter. But when I kept reading, it was done really well, and didn't cause Jarrod to lose his edge which I enjoyed.

- Lily's...Behavior. - I like the stubborn streak you've put in her. She was always so nice and protective in JF that this was a really cool change for her. Don't know if it's going to continue but for this chapter it worked. Plus I love Theo's line about her "time of the.." I was laughing hard at that.

Dante - Lovin the background for him so far. Not a good guy, nor a bad guy. Plus the name owns Bae or Flit any day. lol.

The only thing that I was puzzled on is why the team didn't get their powers in this chapter. Plus when they do, how would that be handle seeing as two of them have suits and one has armor. I'm intrested to see how that plays out.

In all, excellent job. Look forward to more. Update soon, before the popcorn gets stale. lol

[DarkStarShadow]

- Jarrod's attitude. When I was reading early in the chapter and saw signs of his attitude starting to change, my first reaction was "Oh shit!" He's gonna cram this personality transformation all into one chapter. But when I kept reading, it was done really well, and didn't cause Jarrod to lose his edge which I enjoyed.

Do I look like a PR show writer to you? XD I love being realistic, and nobody's going to change over a period of less than 48 hours (which, for all that writing, was the period of time covered by that chapter). And I like Jarrod having this bad boy streak in him; since when have we had this really...'maverick'-like leader who wasn't a total jerk and who just played by his own rules and just ended up being leader that way? ^__^ I've been told that this Jarrod trumps Casey any day, and that's just what I was aiming for.

- Lily's...Behavior. - I like the stubborn streak you've put in her. She was always so nice and protective in JF that this was a really cool change for her. Don't know if it's going to continue but for this chapter it worked. Plus I love Theo's line about her "time of the.." I was laughing hard at that.

She had an instance of super stubbornness in "Way of the Master", and then it disappeared. It was my favorite personality trait of hers, and then she goes back to 'ditzy princess' entirely and I cried on the inside about it. I've tried to have this stubornness show throughout the story thus far in varying amounts, from her iron-clad determination to be a Master, to her being dead set on finding Casey, to her being pissy at RJ about the punishment. That stubborn streak ain't going nowhere. ^__~.

Dante - Lovin the background for him so far. Not a good guy, nor a bad guy. Plus the name owns Bae or Flit any day. lol.

Dante, Dante, hehe. Long story on the name thing. First off, every non-canon name thus far has a meaning behind it, from the Rangers' last name's, RJ's first name, and now Dante. "Dante" derives from the Latin word for 'enduring', and who endures more than a servant who gets smacked around verbally and physically?

Also, the name itself was inspired by a joke a close friend and I had about RJ's first name (Randall, as it's been mentioned in the first chapter) and how he should have some sort of friend he hangs out with named Dante (to make an appropriate Clerks reference), and when it came to renaming Flit, it just fit so well! ^__^.

I'm starting to think I think a bit too much about all this. ...Oh well. ^__^.

The only thing that I was puzzled on is why the team didn't get their powers in this chapter. Plus when they do, how would that be handle seeing as two of them have suits and one has armor. I'm intrested to see how that plays out.

Well, them getting their powers was not the moral of this chapter. ^__^ Them learning to be a team, even when divided, was. I suppose a warning for you guys is that I wrote a fic this big last time, and it took until chapter six for the rangers to get their honorary spandex. But I don't think it'll take that long this time. ^__~. Promise.

And as for the suit/armor thing, well, Jarrod needs heavier armor than the other two because he takes the hardest hits AND he doesn't move as fast or as often as the other two (so it affects him less to wear something heavier). The other two need to have lighter uniforms to jump around in. Does that answer your query? ^__^.

In all, excellent job. Look forward to more. Update soon, before the popcorn gets stale. lol

Well, I'll have someone bring you more popcorn later, because it takes me a little while to write these bad boys out.

Alrighty, I replied too much to this one, and I should get back to writing...hee.

[cirvin06]

Do I look like a PR show writer to you? XD I love being realistic, and nobody's going to change over a period of less than 48 hours (which, for all that writing, was the period of time covered by that chapter). And I like Jarrod having this bad boy streak in him; since when have we had this really...'maverick'-like leader who wasn't a total jerk and who just played by his own rules and just ended up being leader that way? ^__^ I've been told that this Jarrod trumps Casey any day, and that's just what I was aiming for.

Don't worry, I enjoyed it. I just got a bit worried that's all, but I truly am liking this Jarrod.


She had an instance of super stubbornness in "Way of the Master", and then it disappeared. It was my favorite personality trait of hers, and then she goes back to 'ditzy princess' entirely and I cried on the inside about it. I've tried to have this stubornness show throughout the story thus far in varying amounts, from her iron-clad determination to be a Master, to her being dead set on finding Casey, to her being pissy at RJ about the punishment. That stubborn streak ain't going nowhere. ^__~.

Good. I've always liked stubborn girls. They make me work harder and that stubborn girl is only going to make me read more to see where this goes. :D




Dante, Dante, hehe. Long story on the name thing. First off, every non-canon name thus far has a meaning behind it, from the Rangers' last name's, RJ's first name, and now Dante. "Dante" derives from the Latin word for 'enduring', and who endures more than a servant who gets smacked around verbally and physically?

Also, the name itself was inspired by a joke a close friend and I had about RJ's first name (Randall, as it's been mentioned in the first chapter) and how he should have some sort of friend he hangs out with named Dante (to make an appropriate Clerks reference), and when it came to renaming Flit, it just fit so well! ^__^.

I'm starting to think I think a bit too much about all this. ...Oh well. ^__^.

Lol Sounds good. I look forward to seeing Flit..er. Bae...ummm. Dante more often.





Well, them getting their powers was not the moral of this chapter. ^__^ Them learning to be a team, even when divided, was. I suppose a warning for you guys is that I wrote a fic this big last time, and it took until chapter six for the rangers to get their honorary spandex. But I don't think it'll take that long this time. ^__~. Promise.

And as for the suit/armor thing, well, Jarrod needs heavier armor than the other two because he takes the hardest hits AND he doesn't move as fast or as often as the other two (so it affects him less to wear something heavier). The other two need to have lighter uniforms to jump around in. Does that answer your query? ^__^.

Now that makes a lot of sense. Hmmmm, I wonder what the morphing call is going to be, if its going to change at all?

Also, Now it makes me wonder what is going to happen to Casey/Daishi when it comes time for him to power up?



Well, I'll have someone bring you more popcorn later, because it takes me a little while to write these bad boys out.

Yeah and while you're at it. Can you bring me a soda? Prefrerably Root Beer. It's good for washing down the popcorn. lol

[GreyRanger]

Great chapter; Again Jarrod is great. I notice how he likes pizza and apples, and yet has the predatory hunger thing that you would associate wit his animal spirit. Good characterization there.
Lily' stubborness i picked up on in Way of the Master too, so it's good having it put in early to be used throughout.
I actually like how they haven't morphed yet as it shows them having to rely on their actual martial art skills rather than just upping the powerups like they do in PR. And Dante seems a lot different from Bae or Flit, and i see you establishing RJ and Dante's friendship early on, once again so it doesn't seem random or forced later on. Keep it up.

[DarkStarShadow]

V[]etal []_ion;2857805']Great chapter; Again Jarrod is great. I notice how he likes pizza and apples, and yet has the predatory hunger thing that you would associate wit his animal spirit. Good characterization there.

I've known people who do a lot of physical activity to have a massive appetite like how I write Jarrod. I just thought it'd fit him perfectly. ^__^ Happy to see you agree.

Lily' stubborness i picked up on in Way of the Master too, so it's good having it put in early to be used throughout.

Glad you like it this way.

I actually like how they haven't morphed yet as it shows them having to rely on their actual martial art skills rather than just upping the powerups like they do in PR.

I like it this way, too esp. with this season, where they're *supposed* to be able to fight without shiny hunks of merchandising.

And Dante seems a lot different from Bae or Flit, and i see you establishing RJ and Dante's friendship early on, once again so it doesn't seem random or forced later on. Keep it up.

^___^. Ah, and to think I didn't want to use the litle pest, and everybody loves him and RJ's roof scene. Hee.

Well, back to work. ^__^.

[dragomuseveni]

wow that was really awsome...i really like jarrod, and oddly enough the thing is i like jarrod/dai shi in the show, because they actually develop him, which i find odd that they are developing the villan more than they are the heros in the show...sadly thats the only way i can keep track of the eps. Anyway I love the way you are developing the characters its so much more believable than the show. keep up the good work!!!

[BlackKnight Ranger]

Where's the next episode......loving the seies btw.

[DarkStarShadow]

Ah, don't be so impatient. The next chapter is about 45% done. If you're all good, maybe tonight, I'll post a teaser snippet or something after the Marathon of Mediocrity tonight (or if I start to fall asleep, I'll post during it). But only of you all can be good. XD.

[DarkStarShadow]

@__@. Okay, so I wanted to post last night, but I didn't. Bad me. Kinda owe you guys a teaser snippet, don't I?

Alrighty. I owe you somthing juicy, but not too spoilery. ^__^.





Meanwhile…

Jarrod scraped the gum off the bottom of the last booth table as Fran cheerily opened the door for the morning’s first customers. “Good morning!” She chirped. “Early bird specials are listed on the little orange flyer, just so the new faces know.” She began assigning tables to people while handing out the menus. The last member of the crew caught sight of Jarrod as he was walking out to the garbage bin, and his eyes lit up.

“Jarrod?” He called out, catching the Lion Master’s attention. Jarrod turned around and gave a confused look. “Oh my god! It is you!”

Jarrod was shocked to see Casey standing in the doorway, clad in a Hanshin Tigers teeshirt and blue jeans, light blonde streaks shooting through his hair and his eyes bright and wide at the sight of him. “You made it here! I’m so surprised!” Casey walked over to him and embraced him, causing Jarrod to pull back and away from him while pushing him off. “Have you seen anyone else? Lily? Theo? Anyone? I’ve been so worried!”

“Sit.” Jarrod sat him at a chair at the counter. “Wait.”

“Same Jarrod as always, it seems.” Casey commented, his cheeriness somewhat deflated.

Jarrod walked into the back room and spotted RJ. “Guess who just wandered in.” He muttered.

“From the sounds of it, the kid Lily was worried about?” Jarrod huffed, giving RJ the impression that he was right. RJ gave an odd look, then walked out to greet him. Casey’s eyes looked him up and down, and a strange change in demeanor overtook the young man’s body as RJ approached. “Hey there. You must be Casey.”

“Yes, I am.” Casey replied, his tone sharp and flat. His glare shot straight through RJ, as if RJ was merely a distraction in the way of something important. He grinned much in the same manner that Jarrod typically did. “You must be the…boss around here.”

“Indeed I am. The name’s RJ, and I’ve heard a lot about you from Lily, mostly.”

“So she is here then. And Theo?”

“He’s here, too. Those two are upstairs, and are kind’ve busy today with…chores. Perhaps they’ll be done…tonight around nine?” RJ smiled.

“Sure.” Casey smiled.

“You can come upstairs and wait if you want.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’ll be able to.”

“Why not?”

“I’m out looking for more of us. You heard what happened, right?”

“Yeah…the cat’s out’ve the bag, so to speak.”

“Well, the cat burned down the house.”

RJ’s eyes lit up as he paled. “…What?”

Casey leaned in, and RJ followed his lead. “Dai Shi burned the academy to the ground out of anger. I’ve been out looking for other students, but I haven’t seen anyone. I had gone unconscious for a while outside the temple, so I’m not sure if they all left while I was out, or if they’re all dead inside, or if it’s half and half, or whatever the case may be. You four are the only Pai Zhuq I’ve seen, but I’m not gonna stop until I’m sure of the fates of the other students.”

“That’s a pretty noble thing to want to do, Casey.” RJ commented.

“I’m not doing it to be noble. I just have to know.” Casey looked down. “I’ll come back tonight, though, just to see with my own eyes that everyone’s alright.”

“After hours, come and visit, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. I promise.” Casey smiled.

“Now, I’ll make you a breakfast pizza, on the house. You just sit there and wait. You want a drink?”

“How about that green tea?”

“It’s all yours.” RJ smiled warmly and got the drink for him out of the cooler.

RJ walked back into the kitchen as Jarrod came back from the dumpster, and RJ’s watch alarm went off. Jarrod looked at him, then frowned. “Sorry, your shift’s just been cut short.” Jarrod just nodded in acknowledgement, then walked upstairs to join Theo and Lily.





Now I'm off to write more. ^___^.

[democable]

Very Nice teaser, can't wait to see more of this one

[DarkStarShadow]

~Chapter Three: The Venomous King Snake~





Two weeks had gone by, and RJ had been hard at work working on what he considered ‘tools of combat’ for his students. His injuries from the weeks before had started to fade out the yellow state of bruising days ago and left almost no trace of injury whatsoever. Lily’s arm and Theo’s leg had also healed magnificently, thanks to a combination of Jarrod’s combat-related anatomy studies and his own brief self-taught lessons of basic healing. He had to pay the students back for doing the job he didn’t want to and couldn’t continue doing…and he had to give them a fighting chance, literally.

He looked over his schematics and frowned at the device to his left. “750 watts, not 1200…I see, I see…yeah, too much would do more damage than benefit…” He pulled his magnifying goggles over his eyes and grabbed his pen-sized welder. “Gotta unweld you, little guy. Sorry.” He muttered to a copper wire inside the black and orange shell.

In the loft, Lily continued doing windmills with her left arm. “87, 88, 89, 90…”

“She’s going a little overboard with this ‘getting back in shape’ thing, ya think?” Theo asked Jarrod as they both watched her from the dining area.

“No.”

“No?”

“Nothing wrong with instantly working hard to get back lost strength.” Jarrod replied.

“I almost miss you not talking so much.” Theo muttered. Jarrod grinned and playfully shoved him out of his chair. “Ow!” Jarrod grinned wider and walked down to greet Lily.

“Good work, Lily.” Jarrod commented.

“Thanks, 97, 98, 99, 100. Whoo, done.” She rotated her arm, then put her jacket back on. “So, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to praise you for the hard work.” Jarrod replied. “Isn’t that what leaders do? Praise their subordinates for their hard work?”

“We’re not your subordinates!” Theo angrily commented while sitting up. “You’re not our leader, either.”

“RJ has put me in charge of things on the field. That makes me your leader.”

“Yeah, on the field. Here, we’re all equal.”

“Don’t have a complex, Theo. RJ says he’s our leader, then he’s our leader. How many times do we have to have this argument?”

Theo sighed deeply and roughly sat down in his chair.

“Gather round, kids!” RJ’s voice called out from the west wing. “I got a neat little gadget for ya!” He marched downstairs in his beige pants and jacket, his magnifying goggles sitting on his forehead.

Theo, Jarrod, and Lily stood in the middle of the loft main floor, looking at him in wonder. “Sorry for the shoes, I didn’t have time to remove them.” The trio looked down, and saw a pair of dilapidated Chuck Taylors that had once been black and purple and had once been all in one piece, complete with tongues and laces. “Well, oh! Right! Check this out!” He unwrapped the burlap bundle in his hands. “Tada!”

Inside sat what looked like a pair of stylized metallic gauntlets that protected mostly the top of the hands and below the wrists, with a strap of flexible metal attaching both halves. The grooves in the metal were pigmented with a bright orange, while the rest was gunmetal black. The trio stared in confusion, then in curiosity.

“…What’s it supposed to be?” Theo asked.

“These are…well…they….” RJ gave a look suggesting that his train of thought had crashed. “Well, you and Lily need help fighting, there’s no doubt about that. These are designed to help you out by stimulating your Body Chakra.”

“Howso?” Theo asked.

“Well, they send a small charge through your body; don’t worry, it’s not life-threatening, or even painful if you’re using the right wattage, but the shock sends a signal through your arms, to the spinal cord, and down to the area of the body where the Body Chakra resides, which tells it, ‘Hey, I could really use a power boost here,’ and your Body Chakra reroutes power to your dominant Chakra, making you more effective in combat.” The trio still looked mildly confused. “Here, how about a volunteer? Who’s got the weakest Body Chakra? Theo?”

“How’d you know?” Theo asked as RJ handed him the gauntlets.

“People with a strong Mind Chakra typically don’t have a strong Body Chakra; present Archmasters excluded.” RJ grinned cheesily. “Now, there’s a pair of adjustable straps there, yeah, there ya go. Okay, to cause the charge to go off, you need to connect the two gauntlets together against something solid, like your hand. If they connect by themselves, well, that’d be bad. So, since the left hand is where the charge comes from, put your right hand up to guard the right gauntlet and you can just tap it, or even do a little saluting motion without the bowing. Go ahead.”

Theo got a feeling for the gauntlets sitting on his wrists, and he did exactly as RJ told him. As his left fist connected with his palm, he felt a gentle current pass through him, making his Body Chakra react and send power throughout his body. His aura shone brightly around him, and he felt energized.

“Whoa! That worked better than I calculated.” RJ replied. “How do ya feel, Theo?”

“Ready to beat down a few Rinshi.” Theo replied.

“Great!” RJ replied. “Here, lemme get the other pair…” He dug into his ragged work apron and dug out a second pair and handed them to Lily. “Here, try these out, just to make sure I don’t need to tweak them for ya.”

Lily followed the same motions as Theo and got the same result, to RJ’s delight. “That’s perfect! Lemme just get those things color-coded for ya…” He pulled out a small screwdriver and took Lily’s gauntlets first. He tinkered with a small console within the top panel, switching through colors on the knuckle guards until he stopped on yellow; he then moved over to Theo and did the same until the knuckle guards turned blue. “There, no confusion about which is which.”

“Does Jarrod get a pair, too?” Lily asked. RJ gave a mild frown.

“The price of everything has gone up in the last few years, and I could hardly afford the materials for those, let alone for another pair.” RJ gave a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, Jarrod.”

“I don’t need toys.” Jarrod replied back softly.

“Well, I’m glad that you don’t mind. I promise to have a pair done for you soon enough…once I can pay off the mortgage for the loft.” RJ gave a defeated laugh. “Now, why don’t you two work on finding out your limits with those things? Jarrod, why don’t you take the day off? Sleep a little?”

“Um…may I…help in the shop? It was very busy the other day…”

“I can’t afford to pay you, ya know.”

“That’s fine. I just want to help.”

“So the great leader wants to be a subordinate now?” Theo chided.

“I want to volunteer my time. It has nothing to do with my rank in our group.” Jarrod shot back.

“Now now, boys.” RJ interjected, holding up his hands between them. “Jarrod, get your hat and apron. Theo, I’ll talk to you at lunch about any…problems you may have about rank.”

Theo started up his gauntlets and began training with a bolted down punching bag without another word.

Downstairs, RJ stopped Jarrod as he walked down the stairs. “Jarrod, may I ask why you love abusing Theo like that?”

“He tortures himself, RJ.” Jarrod replied, sighing. “He can’t stand being ordered by someone as…brutish as me.” Jarrod snorted as he lightly brushed RJ’s hand away. “I’m just a mindless fighter to him. Useless as a leader.” He huffed, pulling the brim of his hat lower as he walked out to start helping Fran open up the shop. RJ sighed and began setting up before realizing that he was still in his lab room gear. He frowned at his absent-mindedness and went back upstairs.

In Camille’s chamber…

“May I ask why you were chumming it up with the Pai Zhuq master?” The Chameleon Style master questioned her flittering pet.

“Madame Camille, I was merely finding out about him and his students from the other side of the battlefield. He seems a bit too lacking in seriousness, but still very capable.”

“A drunken master sort, I see.” Camille chuckled softly, turning it rapidly into a sneer while crushing a red rose in her hands. “I will not take him lightly, then.” She tossed the drained and crushed red rose aside. “Has the replacement Rinrinshi arrived in my tea room yet?”

“He is going to be fashionably late it seems.” Dante replied, looking in to make sure the room was properly in order while hovering in the doorway between rooms. Moments later, in marched an imposing figure, as if summoned by dialogue made about him. “He is here!” Dante chirped.

Camille leaned back on her Roman style couch and looked out; the viper-themed Rinrinshi stood waiting, looking angry.

“Where is the Grandmaster General of Dai Shi’s army? He should be here!” He barked at Dante. “I hope you’re not him, you little pissant.”

“Don’t talk to my pet that way.” Camille ordered as she stood up and walked out. She shot her long tongue out and wrapped it around Dante, pulling him close to her before letting him go. The Rinrinshi seemed unnerved by numerous elements of the situation. “You must be Brachis, the Desert Killer, and master of deadly poisons. I am Grandmaster General Camille, but you will address me as ‘Madame’. Is that understood?”

“I can’t imagine how a little human girl and her pet became Dai Shi’s right hand…” He spoke softly, but to his misfortune, Camille still heard him.

“Keep on with that forked tongue of yours and you won’t have a right hand, or a left one either, for that matter.” Camille threatened as she sat down, Dante resting on her shoulder like a six-legged parrot. “If you need something to go on, I give all of my loyalty and devotion to Dai Shi, and he has rewarded me graciously for it. You would do best to follow my lead and obey my orders if you wish to find yourself in a position similar to my own one day.”

She poured herself a cup of tea, and Dante cheerfully dipped in a sugar cube then stirred the cup in her hand with his lower right arm while humming. “Now, I have summoned you from your rather extensive exploits in the east because Dai Shi made note long ago of your killing sprees and wants to assign to you an important task here.” She took a sip of her tea, then lightly tapped Dante between his two large red eyes in approval, making him lightly blush. “I doubt that you will turn this offer down.”

“What is this mission entail? How many victims?”

“Your prime victims are four rogue Pai Zhuq. They’re isolated within the city, and have been impeding Dai Shi’s efforts to kill the residents.”

“Just four?” Brachis sounded disappointed.

“Kill a few civilians to draw them out if you have to. They’re ever the effervescent immaculates they make themselves out to be, and will just burst at the seams to tear you apart if you hurt one of the pathetic lesser beings, let alone if you kill one of them.”

“They’ll fail to destroy me…Madame.”

“That’s just what Manticore and Altaurus believed.”

Brachis’s eyes widened. “They defeated Manticore AND Altaurus?” Brachis looked aside in deep thought. “Hm. Well, they both lacked speed and class, that is certain. They were more hack and slash and bash and crash than I; I take it these Pai Zhuq are agile?”

“Two are brawlers, one relies on speed, the last is a little leaping tyrant.”

“Ah. I see.” Brachis grinned, showing a pair of glistening fangs. “Which one is the most trouble?”

“They’re all equally troublesome in their own regard.”

“It’s easier to kill slower prey first…” He chuckled. “I’ll need a distraction, of course.”

“We have some Rinshi to provide you with for this mission.”

“Consider it accepted. I despise taking missions with such low body counts, but if it’s important to Dai Shi, I suppose I could do it.”

“Good. Now sit and have tea.”

“I don’t drink tea.” Brachis coolly replied, waving his hand.

“That’s an order, not a request. You are now my subordinate. Now sit, and drink.” Brachis sneered and sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. Dante flew down to the table, prepared to serve Brachis. “Shoo.” Brachis waved him off.

Meanwhile…

Jarrod scraped the gum off the bottom of the last booth table as Fran cheerily opened the door for the morning’s first customers. “Good morning!” She chirped. “Early bird specials are listed on the little orange flyer, just so the new faces know.” She began assigning tables to people while handing out the menus. The last member of the crew caught sight of Jarrod as he was walking out to the garbage bin, and his eyes lit up.

“Jarrod?” He called out, catching the Lion Master’s attention. Jarrod turned around and gave a confused look. “Oh my god! It is you!”

Jarrod was shocked to see Casey standing in the doorway, clad in a Hanshin Tigers teeshirt and blue jeans, light blonde streaks shooting through his hair and his eyes bright and wide at the sight of him. “You made it here! I’m so surprised!” Casey walked over to him and embraced him, causing Jarrod to pull back and away from him while pushing him off. “Have you seen anyone else? Lily? Theo? Anyone? I’ve been so worried!”

“Sit.” Jarrod sat him at a chair at the counter. “Wait.”

“Same Jarrod as always, it seems.” Casey commented, his cheeriness somewhat deflated.

Jarrod walked into the back room and spotted RJ. “Guess who just wandered in.” He muttered.

“From the sounds of it, the kid Lily was worried about?” Jarrod huffed, giving RJ the impression that he was right. RJ gave an odd look, then walked out to greet him. Casey’s eyes looked him up and down, and a strange change in demeanor overtook the young man’s body as RJ approached. “Hey there. You must be Casey.”

“Yes, I am.” Casey replied, his tone sharp and flat. His glare shot straight through RJ, as if RJ was merely a distraction in the way of something important. He grinned much in the same manner that Jarrod typically did. “You must be the…boss around here.”

“Indeed I am. The name’s RJ, and I’ve heard a lot about you from Lily, mostly.”

“So she is here then. And Theo?”

“He’s here, too. Those two are upstairs, and are kind’ve busy today with…chores. Perhaps they’ll be done…tonight around nine?” RJ smiled.

“Sure.” Casey smiled.

“You can come upstairs and wait if you want.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’ll be able to.”

“Why not?”

“I’m out looking for more of us. You heard what happened, right?”

“Yeah…the cat’s out’ve the bag, so to speak.”

“Well, the cat burned down the house.”

RJ’s eyes lit up as he paled. “…What?”

Casey leaned in, and RJ followed his lead. “Dai Shi burned the academy to the ground out of anger. I’ve been out looking for other students, but I haven’t seen anyone. I had gone unconscious for a while outside the temple, so I’m not sure if they all left while I was out, or if they’re all dead inside, or if it’s half and half, or whatever the case may be. You four are the only Pai Zhuq I’ve seen, but I’m not gonna stop until I’m sure of the fates of the other students.”

“That’s a pretty noble thing to want to do, Casey.” RJ commented.

“I’m not doing it to be noble. I just have to know.” Casey looked down. “I’ll come back tonight, though, just to see with my own eyes that everyone’s alright.”

“After hours, come and visit, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. I promise.” Casey smiled.

“Now, I’ll make you a breakfast pizza, on the house. You just sit there and wait. You want a drink?”

“How about that green tea?”

“It’s all yours.” RJ smiled warmly and got the drink for him out of the cooler.

RJ walked back into the kitchen as Jarrod came back from the dumpster, and RJ’s watch alarm went off. Jarrod looked at him, then frowned. “Sorry, your shift’s just been cut short.” Jarrod just nodded in acknowledgement, then walked upstairs to join Theo and Lily.

Less than five minutes later, the trio were out in the near-empty parking lot of a local supermarket, where several Rinshi had gathered.

“It’s a trap.” Jarrod muttered. “A distraction.”

“Let’s just get rid of this big group before they cause trouble.” Theo ordered. “Let’s put these things to good use!” Lily and Theo fired up their gauntlets and rushed into battle.

Jarrod stood waiting for Rinshi to approach him, but the typically busy fight for him was rather silent as Theo and Lily ran through the ranks.

Lily dashed into the fray, speedily smashing Rinshi apart as her aura brightly lit the field. Ten feet away, Theo leapt high into the air and dropkicked a pair of Rinshi in the face, crushing them with little effort.

Camille stood camouflaged on the rafters, Dante sitting precariously on her head. “Their master is absent, but they’ve become…superhuman, so they don’t even need him.” Dante commented.

“Don’t remind me.” Camille snipped. “I may have to go down there myself if Brachis doesn’t get here soon.”

Jarrod sighed at the obvious fact that he could still be working or sleeping or meditating right now. He slowly sat down in the middle of the lot and closed his eyes in preparation of meditation.

“Jarrod! What’re you sitting around for?” Theo scolded. Jarrod, already deep in meditation, did not respond. “Jarrod, aren’t you supposed to be leading us here, O Mighty Leader?” He taunted.

Unbeknownst to the trio, Brachis began slithering up behind Jarrod. “I see him, Dante. The Lion’s about to be viper food.” Camille laughed sadistically.

Brachis shot up rapidly, but Jarrod swiftly threw his palm back, smacking the viper Rinrinshi in the face with immense force and stunning him. Before Brachis came to, Jarrod grabbed his throat and dragged him forwards so he could properly see him, then he slammed his head into the blacktop and pushed upwards to stand up.

“Nice try.” Jarrod muttered. Brachis hissed and drove his claws into the back of Jarrod’s thigh. Jarrod cried out in pain as a paralyzing toxin flooded the wounds, causing him to collapse to his knees. The toxin rapidly spread through his body, rendering him immobile.

“Why thank you, child.” Brachis laughed. “You’re pretty strong if you’re not already dead. You’ll make a nice bait for your little friends, though…” He picked Jarrod up by his hair and held his still dripping claws near Jarrod’s throat.

“How efficient!” Dante commented.

“He’s not known to be a mass murderer for nothing.” Camille happily replied. “I’m only partially shocked that he’s still alive; he’s a very strong human, if anything.”

“Indeed. If only he were working for Dai Shi instead of Pai Zhuq…” Dante quipped. “Speaking of which…I wonder where their master is.”

Back at Jungle Karma Pizza…

RJ winced as he watched the surveillance video from a hidden camera, and panicked as he watched Jarrod’s immobilized body being flopped around like a dead fish. He turned off the monitor in the kitchen and stowed it away, then poked his head out from the kitchen. “Hey Fran. Can you run the shop for a few? I forgot to do a few things upstairs.”

“Not a problem.” Fran replied.

Back on the field, Lily and Theo charged at Brachis. Jarrod tried in vain to order them away, but neither his vocal chords nor his lips had the capability to alarm them. Lily prepared her Hundred Fists special, and Theo leapt up for a jump kick, and Brachis grinned violently. He prepared a volley of caustic toxin shots, then fired them off from a group of glands underneath his claws, making the trio’s minds race in synchronous terror.

“Ahhhh!” Theo screamed as he attempted to shield himself in mid-air.

“Noooo!” Lily shouted, throwing up her arms to block her face.

RJ arrived on the scene just in time to witness the next event.

The auras of the two panicking Pai Zhuq masters suddenly brightened and engulfed them, obscuring them from view. The toxin hit the aura’s barriers and seemed to slide down an invisible wall. After a few seconds, the auras began to dim, revealing the two young heroes in uniforms much different from what they wore before.

Theo stood clad in a tight blue bodysuit kind of armor, complete with helmet, adorned with black lines and markings set in a solid yet elegant jaguar motif. A simple pair of sport-like blue sneakers graced his feet, and RJ’s gauntlets remained attached to his arms.

Lily’s armor was similar, but was yellow and came with a tunic-length top half, and was curiously spotted and streaked in a cheetah motif.

Theo collided with Brachis and knocked Jarrod out of his grasp, causing the Lion Master’s motionless body to tumble about across the blacktop. Theo quickly backflipped away from the viper Rinrinshi, and his mind raced much like Lily’s was over their suits of armor.

RJ grinned softly to himself. “So, the legend is true…”

“What an amazing development!” Dante cheered, flittering around in excitement.

“This isn’t good! This isn’t good at all!” Camille caught Dante by the throat and pulled him close. “The Animal Armors of Pai Zhuq have only managed to be summoned by the strongest warriors of the Order! These children are more than just a nuisance…the Order sent their best.” The Chameleon Master’s voice quivered in a low tone dripping with fear. “Dai Shi will not like this turn of events one bit.”

Dante spotted RJ and flew down to him. “I must admit...in spite of my master’s disappointment, I must say, your students are exceptional.”

“Why, thank you, little talking fly dude.” RJ replied. “I’m rather…well, surprised in your new guy. He’s pretty good as well…” He sighed deeply. “I have to go check on Jarrod.”

He ran over to Jarrod’s side to look him over. “You two! Take him down!” He shouted to Lily and Theo as he checked Jarrod’s pulse. Jarrod gasped slightly. “Hey. C’mon Jarrod, hang in there.” RJ slowly picked Jarrod up off the ground and began bringing him back to the loft.

Theo snapped out of marveling over his armor first. “Right. Lily!”

“Oh! Right!” She slammed her fists together, charging herself up. “Cheetah Special! One Hundred Fists!” She sprinted forwards, then began slamming away at Brachis in a brutal fashion, her blows hitting with more power than she was ever able to before. The blows appeared to affect the viper Rinrinshi greatly.

As Brachis stumbled back, Theo looked around and smiled before powering up his gauntlets. “Jaguar Special! Grand Leap!” He ran towards Brachis and leapt into the air, landing a rough jump kick into his chest. While still kicking, he grabbed the top of Brachis’s head and pulled himself up and over the viper Rinrinshi until their backs faced each other. Theo gave a mighty back kick, shattering the seal on Brachis’s back.

Brachis began to crumble, and he panicked. He plunged in his middle left claw into his chest and broke it off. Instantly, his body glowed a deep indigo and began to regenerate, even his seal. After a few moments, he appeared to be at full health.

Camille’s eyes widened. “His memory was correct…” She slyly grinned. “Perhaps this turn of events this morning was actually a blessing in disguise.”

Brachis stretched as Lily and Theo stood next to each other. “I did a part of my job! I’ll be coming for the rest of you next time!” Brachis quickly disappeared, and both Camille and Dante weren’t far behind.

As the field cleared, Lily and Theo’s armors dissipated. “C’mon, let’s go check on Jarrod.” Lily said, giving a grim look.

Back at the loft…

RJ checked Jarrod’s vitals with his stethoscope from the medical cabinet; he was only slightly improved, but his breathing had stabilized. “Good job, Jarrod. Just hang in there, okay?” RJ sighed, feeling helpless as he realized all he could do was wrap up Jarrod’s leg wound and watch him sleep in his hammock. “You need to hang in there, for them. For me, too.” RJ smiled weakly. “Today would be a totally bad day to die, got it?”

He walked over to the sink and grabbed a clean dish rag, drenching it in ice cold water and ringing it out before folding it up precisely and laying it on Jarrod’s forehead. “Please don’t die.” He kneeled down next to Jarrod’s hammock and sighed. Jarrod weakly moaned and tapped RJ gently on the chest with all the strength he could muster.

RJ looked up and sat up straight. “What? What is it? What do you need?” Jarrod moaned softly again while trying to move his right arm. “Don’t push yourself, okay?”

Jarrod looked over at Lily’s door in a longing manner. “Lily’s not home yet.” He winced in response. “What? You don’t want Lily?” Jarrod gave a look in the affirmative. “Oh, you want Nitza, huh?” Jarrod’s face twitched slightly as he tried to smile. “You like that little orange furball, doncha?” RJ gave a disapproving look. “Fine, I’ll let the cat out, but try to keep it over with you.”

RJ got up and opened Lily’s door, and the cat looked out and spotted him. The cat hissed at RJ, then bolted past him and leapt up on top of Jarrod, curling up on top of his chest. RJ sneezed painfully and quickly closed Lily’s door. “Ugh, where’s my anti-histamines…?” RJ muttered to himself as he looked around.

A few moments later, Lily and Theo came rummaging through the back entrance of the loft.

“RJ, these things are wonderful!” Theo shouted from the hallway. RJ popped a chewy orange tablet from the cabinet and chased it with a small brown pill that he ended up swallowing without water. “I don’t know what happened out there, but…but that was the best fight of my life!”

As Lily rounded the corner, she began her big question. “How’s Jarrod?” She looked at the cabinet and waited for RJ to close the door. As soon as she saw his puffed up eyes, she worried. “What happened to you?”

“I’m-” He turned his head and sneezed onto his sleeve. “allergic to Nitza.”

“So you hate cats because…you’re allergic to them?” Theo asked.

“Big time allergy to them. I get all stuffy, and I-” RJ turned his head and sneezed again. “I do that, and I start getting itchy…” He sniffled. “Besides, cats don’t like me. They hiss and try to claw me up…why do you think I told you that you had to keep the cat in your room?” He curled up in his recliner as Lily and Theo followed him around the loft. “Dogs, on the other hand, I have no prob-” He sneezed once again. “problems with. I love them, they love me, and they don’t make me sneeze at all.” RJ gave Lily a look. “Why couldn’t you have found a nice stray German Shepherd or Husky?”

“…Because I’m allergic to dogs with heavy coats.” Lily replied.

“Figures.” He sneezed, then quickly frowned.

“So how is Jarrod?” Lily asked, walking over to him and petting the purring feline perched atop his disturbingly still frame.

“Well, there’s not much I can do for him other than make him comfortable. At best, he’ll be fully mobile in a few days. At worst, his body’ll give out and he’ll either go into cardiac arrest or he’ll stop breathing, or both.” Lily didn’t seem to like his response, so RJ quickly changed topics as the anti-histamine kicked in. “So! I take it that you guys turned that nasty Rinrinshi to dust while Jarrod and I were making out way back here?”

“We did…but it healed itself.” Theo replied.

“Healed itself…?” RJ sounded confused. “How?”

“It broke off one of its claws in its chest, and that seemed to restore its health.” Lily responded.

“…Oh! Oh man…” RJ appeared to be wracking his brain for a few moments, then gave a look of clarity. “Brachis! Now I remember…”

“Brachis?” Theo asked.

“There was a story of a serpent warrior named Brachis with the powers of life and death; it went that Brachis was capable of killing a man by spitting on him or scratching him with his long talons, but that he could will himself to save a person’s life with his venomous fangs. I suppose the only wrong part of the story is that the life restoring power was in his fangs!” RJ laughed.

“Where’d you hear this from?” Theo asked, feeling incredibly curious.

“This book…hold on. Lemme go fish it out.” He walked up to his room, and Theo walked over to Jarrod’s side while waiting, where Lily seemed lost in some sort of prayer.

“He’ll be fine, Lily.” Theo said, kneeling beside her. “RJ’s taking care of him.”

“Doesn’t mean he couldn’t use a little divine intervention.” Lily replied softly, trying to laugh.

RJ walked back into the main lounge with a thick book which was almost as big as his entire torso. “Ah, Brachis, the ‘Death Viper’. One of his more interesting nicknames.” He laughed softly, then coughed. “Ooh, dusty.” He walked down to his recliner, and Lily and Theo walked over and sat beside the rickety green seat. “Says he was a one-hit killer, and he became infamous for taking down small armies in the cover of night or during big battles.” RJ hummed. “Looks like this guy’s gonna be tough to totally destroy if he’s got six claws…he had all six to start, right?”

“I think so, yeah.” Lily replied.

“So you’ll have to kill him six more times, it seems.”

“Talk about a recurring nightmare; it was fairly tough to fight him the first time.” Theo commented.

“You’re telling me. Just watch your step; neither of you are going to be as lucky as Jarrod if you end up on the receiving end of the same attack, I can promise you that.” His grim tone spoke louder than his words as he closed the book. “I want you two to train and to work on getting that armor summoning down pat; I don’t want you two going out there without it.”

“Yeah, how did we do that, with the armor?” Lily asked.

“You willed your animal spirit into physically manifesting itself around you as a shield. It’s a powerful technique that you definitely needed a little help doing. The gauntlets essentially saved your lives.” RJ grinned.

“So you knew it would happen?” Theo asked.

“Not exactly. I mean, I had a theory that jolting your Body Chakras, and in turn, your animal spirits, would allow them to sense when you were in danger, and that they would form a shield around you should anything life-threatening come your way…but I certainly wasn’t expecting what happened.” RJ scratched the back of his head. “Perhaps artificially strengthening someone’s Body Chakra causes that to happen that way…hm.” RJ took a pondering pose. “Well, I’d like to sit around and think, but I have work to do down in JKP. Get to that training, got it?”

“Got it!” They replied, bowing.

“Ah, no need to bow. Just…do as I ask.” He replied, setting the book down in his chair before dusting himself off and walking down to the pizza shop.

Back in Camille’s tea room…

Camille stared down at Brachis, who was kneeling down in front of her. “How dare you leave while they’re weak?”

“I no longer had the element of surprise, and that body armor…I can’t burn through it with the acid, and I doubt I’d be able to puncture it, and their power nearly doubled while in it. I’m…well, useless against that armor.”

“Are you saying that you are unable to perform your assigned task…?” Camille looked interested.

“I am saying that I need to surprise them, and I couldn’t on that field.”

“I see.” Camille looked up over once. “Get out of my sight until you have a proper plan.” She waved him out while scowling.

Brachis ran into Dai Shi and scowled. “Another human in here…ugh.”

“Excuse me?” Dai Shi replied with a tone of arrogance. “Have you forgotten that you were once human?” He took a crunching bite down on the edible item in his hand.

“Don’t remind me, child.”

Dai Shi cocked an eyebrow and walked into Camille’s tea room. “Why is he still alive?”

“You were right, Dai Shi…he is the keeper of the Life Talons.”

Dai Shi finished off the hunk of wheat-colored food in his hand, then set a brown cardboard box in front of Camille which was brandished with the Jungle Karma Pizza logo. “Here, you’ll like this. It’s not that bad.” He sat down where Brachis had been sitting moments before. Camille opened the box and stared at a vegetarian style breakfast pizza, covered in green bell peppers, mushrooms, and hunks of banana.

“So my memory did serve me right.” Dai Shi smiled. “…Let him give you a reason. We shall be civil about this, Camille.” He poured himself some tea, and Dante quickly zipped in to put in a few drops of honey. “Thank you.” Dai Shi replied as Dante stirred his tea for him.

“You see Camille, you made a point the other day when we spoke about my…current situation. We can afford to learn from my unfortunate state and understand the little humans better if we try to work a little like them.” Dai Shi smiled. “So we give Brachis one more chance, like how a merciful human would. Then we do what we want.”

He took a sip of his tea as Camille took a slice of the pizza out and inspected it. “That reminds me. We have a dinner date tonight with a couple of Pai Zhuq.” Camille turned pale. “Oh, don’t worry. It’ll be fun. Just wear something nice.”

“Do you need another outfit?”

“No, the one I have is fine. Just be ready.”

“Yes, Dai Shi.”

The rest of the day was eventless for the Pai Zhuq quartet as Jarrod lie sleeping ever so still in his hammock, recovering even slower than he could manage to breathe with the paralysis still tightly gripping him. RJ had seemed lost inside the large book he had brought out, and Theo’s curiosity got the best of him.

“What is that thing?”

“You mean this book?” RJ replied, setting in a bookmark and closing it. “It’s…well, it’s a book of monsters…well, basically a Book of Monsters, Rinrinshi Edition.” RJ grinned. “Well, it’s missing all the border beasts, but it’s still pretty extensive in the research of all the Rinrinshi that fought for Dai Shi during the last great war between Dai Shi and the Pai Zhuq.”

“What’s a…border beast?”

“Well, it’s a term for animal spirits who aren’t personally inclined to fight for either Pai Zhuq or the Akugata, which’s Dai Shi’s little group organization type name. It’s a group composed of spirits who just like to fight and don’t care who they’re fighting for, those who take purely neutral stances and don’t fight at all, and those who, from incarnation to incarnation, choose to let their human hosts decide what side they’re going to fight on. Take for instance…” RJ looked around frantically, then spotted Jarrod. “the lion! The lion likes having an army to fight with, and when it finds an army it likes, it takes the helm. Some have fought for the Akugata, and some have fought for Pai Zhuq. Jarrod just happens to vibe well with me and with you guys, so he’s sided with Pai Zhuq.” RJ smiled.

“So animal spirits actually choose what side they wanna fight on?”

“Is it so wrong to believe an animal spirit has its own will, its own consciousness? Dai Shi once roamed the earth freely without a human to influence it.” RJ gave a weird look. “Funny to think that all of what remains of something like him is just a spirit…” He laughed softly.

“Hey! Jarrod twitched!” Lily shouted, making Nitza look up at her. “He moved his whole right arm!” RJ and Theo rushed over to his side, and Jarrod slowly opened his eyes and looked at the three of them.

“Hey Jarrod!” Lily shouted, smiling brightly. He struggled to choke out a groan of discontent at the volume of Lily’s voice.

“Hey. Don’t move so much, okay?” RJ commented, setting Jarrod’s raised arm down. “What do you want?”

“The…the time…” He choked out, trying to look at the clock. RJ understood what he meant once he followed Jarrod’s wandering eyes.

“Oh! It’s nine! You two, with me.” RJ’s eye twitched and he sneezed as they left the loft.

As RJ brought the two downstairs, he heard a knocking on the front door. “Take a table, kids.”

Fran gave him an odd look as the trio walked into the dining area of Jungle Karma Pizza. Lily smiled and waved at Fran as she and Theo took a table.

“Fran, you can go home if you want. I’ll finish that.” RJ replied.

“Oh, okay…” Fran replied. “You look a little sick. You okay?”

“He’s allergic to Nitza.” Lily replied.

“Oh? I’m sorry I suggested to you that you should keep her, then.” Fran replied.

“That’s okay. The furball loves Jarrod, and Jarrod loves having her sleep on top of him. I can deal.” He replied as he opened the front door, revealing a pair of rather hungry looking people.

Casey stood next to a young woman who looked to be around Jarrod’s age, sporting a massive pile of chestnut shaded hair and jade shaded eyes and a pastel green summer dress decorated with daisies. She smiled softly and curtseyed to RJ as the duo walked in.

Lily’s eyes widened and she leaped up out of her chair to greet Casey. “You’re alive!” Lily cheerily rushed to his side and hugged him tightly. He smiled and softly hugged back.

“Same here, Lily.”

“Well well well, all that worrying about him for nothing, eh Lily?” Theo chirped, crossing his arms.

“And who’s the lady friend?” Lily asked, pulling out of the hug.

“This is Cameron. She’s been helping me find my way around town. She’s been a big help.” Cameron smiled in a shy manner as Casey looked over at her.

“He flatters me. I haven’t been that much of a help, have I?”

“Well, come on in, you two.” RJ brought everyone to a table close to the door, then took a seat himself.

“Well, everyone looks all happy together, so I’m gonna go. Goodnight, RJ.” Fran set the mop in the bucket, then slid them both into the corner.

“Goodnight, Fran. Remember, we have to start up at seven tomorrow for that Ocean Bluff High breakfast thing.”

“Oh! Thank you for reminding me. I thought that was Thursday!”

“…Tomorrow is Thursday, Fran.” RJ grinned as Fran gave a shocked look.

“Really?”

“Yeah. You may wanna go home and get some sleep if you’re forgetting what day is what.”

“Yeah, I should, shouldn’t I?” Fran blushed, then gave a cheery grin and walked out the back door.

RJ’s attention then focused directly on Casey and Cameron.

“So where’s Jarrod?” Casey asked, crossing his arms on the table and leaning forward. RJ and Theo looked off in thought, but Lily quickly came up with an excuse.

“He’s not feeling all that good. We’re on a pretty no-meat diet here, and it’s getting to him pretty bad. All the ‘hippie food’ is messing with his carnivorous diet.” She laughed, and Cameron let out a highly restrained laugh on accident. She retreated back and placed her hand over her mouth.

“Oh, what a shame. I was hoping that I could try and patch up some stuff with him…” Casey sighed. “Maybe next time.” He gave an optimistic smile.

“So, you guys hungry?” RJ asked.

“We’re starved!” Casey exclaimed. “Think we can have something like that one from this morning?”

“As long as we don’t end up bedridden like your friend Jarrod.” Cameron joked. Her and Lily shared a chuckle as RJ stood up.

“Well, no need to worry. Everything here’s organic, vegetarian, and hand made from scratch. Private local farms and everything. Well, they don’t grow the sodas on trees, so I guess we’re not 100% organic…” RJ trailed off.

“Well, I’ll take another green tea, and…” Casey looked over at Cameron. “You’ll have one too, right?”

“Of course.”

The quintet shared a large ‘Inferno Supreme’ pizza, and red faces and fits of habanero-induced pain were shared around the table. It helped get the group’s mind off of Jarrod, but as soon as Casey and Cameron left for their own little room in town, RJ, Lily, and Theo found themselves left with the morbid reality that Jarrod was still upstairs, recovering slowly.

The next few days were painfully slow; Brachis was nowhere to be seen, yet it didn’t stop the Rinshi from coming around. RJ was happy to find that the public had slowly been drawn away from his ‘Hooded Man’ persona by Lily and Theo’s “Power Ranger” personas; a group name which caught on from former residents of towns like Briarwood, Blue Bay Harbor, and Reefside.

Four days later, RJ had woken up early and before anyone else. As he passed by Jarrod’s hammock, Jarrod’s arm lurched out, and he grabbed RJ’s wrist while opening his eyes and looking up on him.

“Hey there.” RJ commented softly. “You’re recovering better than expected.”

“Food…” Jarrod moaned.

“Oh, you’re hungry. Think you can swallow alright?”

“Yeah…”

“Alright. I’ll ask Fran if she’d be able to whip up one of her smoothies for ya. Green apple, right?” RJ winked.

“Please…” Jarrod weakly smiled.

Suddenly, the alarm set off, and RJ turned the TV sets on. “Ah, well well. Brachis has returned.” Theo shot up in a cold sweat, already in most of his uniform. He pulled his coat on as Lily ran out with her gauntlets in hand and still in her nightgown. Nitza charged out and leapt up onto Jarrod’s hammock. Jarrod smiled weakly and lifted his arm to wrap around the purring mound perched on his abdomen.

“What’s going on?” Lily asked as she set the gauntlets in place and opened the fridge to look for a yogurt drink.

“Looks like Brachis and a dozen of his closest friends’re trying to beat the morning commute.” RJ commented, sitting himself down in his recliner. “West and Main, guys. There’s not a ton of people out there, luckily. However, it looks like he caught a pair of joggers…they’re not looking good. I’ll call the hospital, you get down there before anyone else gets caught by him.” The two nodded, then left.

They arrived on the field and drew Brachis’s attention away from a delivery boy. “Alright Lily, just like we practiced. No time to waste.” Lily nodded as she took the same standing pose Theo was in.

“Spirit of the Jaguar!” Theo called out.

“Spirit of the Cheetah!” Lily added.

“Arise!” They synchronously shouted, activating their gauntlets simultaneously. Within seconds, the armor they wore in the previous fight had engulfed them, and they were ready to brawl.

“How unfair!” Brachis shouted, feeling a bit panicked. “No matter!” Brachis summoned a pair of crescent moon-shaped sickles and spun them slightly to get a feel for them. “I almost feel sorry for you children now…”

“This shouldn’t be too hard, right Lily?” Theo asked, looking over at her.

“Right!”

Lily charged at Brachis, diverting attention away from Theo, who began to dash towards a building. Theo leaped up against the wall and ran for several seconds before pushing off the wall and performing a flying jump kick while Lily began winding up for a windmill punch.

Brachis grinned and began his attack. As Theo dove in, he swung his right crescent sickle and let loose an arc of his own energy, which smacked Theo and knocked him out of the air. He then used his left crescent sickle and pointed the tip upwards, then sidestepped and swung at Lily, catching her back and arcing up to slash her trapezius and clavicle as he applied pressure and drew the blade back.

The armors sparked and spewed little colored photons as the conflicting energies clashed, but they kept the two from sustaining heavy injuries. Lily stumbled back and grabbed her right shoulder as the pain grew. Theo got up and ran to her side.

Jarrod sat up slowly to watch the fight on the television sets. Once he realized that they were losing, he began getting out of his hammock. RJ heard Nitza hit the floor as she leapt off of Jarrod, and he turned back as Jarrod wobbled on his legs while standing up.

“Hey hey, lie down.” RJ ordered, getting up out of his recliner.

“No.” Jarrod replied, getting his balance on his wounded and numb leg.

“Jarrod…” RJ sighed. “I know you’re really into fighting and helping out, but you can hardly stand.” He walked up and sat Jarrod down on his hammock.

“I’m just a little numb, a little hungry…I’ll be fine.” Jarrod replied, pushing RJ away and making his way to the fridge.

“Normally I would advocate teamwork in this sort of situation, but you…you’ve had a near death experience this week, and you’re not fully recovered from it yet. This isn’t the prime time to be disagreeing with me.”

Jarrod looked back at him, then sighed. He gave RJ a look that let the Wolf Master know that he wasn’t going to win the argument.

“So I suppose it’s going to take more than that…? No matter.” A steady stream of venom from underneath Brachis’s claws oozed out and began coating his crescent scythes. “Viper Special! Burning Fangs!” The venom began to glow an intimidating indigo as he charged at the pair.

They both sidestepped to avoid the blow, but it was exactly what Brachis expected. The Viper Rinrinshi grinned and swung his blades in the opposite direction that he had been holding them, and he smashed them both in the abdomen, leaving the caustic venom to burn away at their armor as they flew back from the blow.

“Ahhhh! It burns!” Lily screamed as she writhed around on the ground.

“Don’t touch it! It’ll spread out!” Theo shouted at her, finally wincing as the caustic venom chewed through his own armor.

“Jarrod, can we talk?” RJ asked, trying to coax Jarrod into sitting. Jarrod sat down and began drinking the yogurt drink he had taken out of the fridge.

“Yes?” Jarrod asked as RJ sat down next to him at the kitchen table.

“I…” RJ looked down. “I lied.”

“What? When?”

RJ got up and walked out to his recliner, digging into the small side pocket and retrieving a pair of gauntlets with black panels before making his way back to the table. Jarrod eyed the gauntlets in confusion. “I…I thought you’d be insulted if I gave these to you. I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea, and I convinced myself that you didn’t need them. But you do. They could’ve saved you from this whole thing…and I made the wrong choice.”

“It was unavoidable; it was just the natural motion of the fight.” Jarrod replied, taking a sip of his drink.

“No, you needed them out there. You needed that armor out there. So please, take them if you’re going to go.” RJ held the gauntlets out in front of him.

“I don’t need toys.” Jarrod weakly smiled, then finished his drink.

“Jarrod, I’m being serious now.” RJ’s voice significantly dropped and his tone became grim. “Take them. I order you to, as your former and current master, and as a surrogate guardian.” RJ saw no change in Jarrod’s demeanor, and he sighed. “I don’t think your father would’ve disagreed with me on this.”

“Don’t bring him into this.” Jarrod replied, giving RJ a dirty look. “Now I’m insulted.” He got up and slowly began making his way out of the loft. RJ went pale and got up.

“Jarrod! Please! Stay here! You’re gonna get yourself killed!”

“So be it.”

RJ sighed as Jarrod continued on out and slammed the door. He slumped back into the chair and eyed the gauntlets, shoving them away and knocking them and several dirty glasses to the floor in a loud crash.

Lily and Theo stood up and began dodging Brachis’s attacks as best as they could. From atop a shop nearby, Dante and Camille watched the fight progress.

“He’s actually defeating them in their armored forms! I’m in awe.” Dante chirped.

“I am too. It’s almost as if his griping and whining was for naught…” Camille mused.

“Oh my! Is that who I think it is?” Dante flittered about as he spotted a black and gold uniform slowly charging up in the distance. “It is! Jarrod has survived!”

“What?” Camille choked out. “Impossible! He should’ve died by now!” Camille panicked. “I’ll take care of him; he shouldn’t be too hard to kill this time.” Camille leapt down into the battle area, still in her camouflage.

Jarrod closed his eyes momentarily and focused on his Body Chakra. “Spirit of the Lion, give me strength.” His aura shone brightly in flickers of black and gold, and he charged as fast as he could run at Brachis. Suddenly, a rush of wind smashed into his throat like an invisible clothesline, knocking him on his back. He panicked and rolled to his left, which saved him from a finishing blow from Camille that he couldn’t see, but rather sensed coming.

Camille stood back up as fast as Jarrod did, and she charged him. Despite the noise around him, he focused in on the sound of her Chameleon Armor’s boots. He felt the wind rush towards him, and he leaned to the side and grabbed out to where his head had been. A solid mass shot out from the side, and he clamped down, realizing that it was her right arm.

Camille gasped as he spun around and hammer tossed her into the building across the street. She dropped out of her camouflage as Jarrod’s arms shook in defiance of his activity. He clenched his hands tightly. “Please keep steady…”

“Hm…a chameleon? I should’ve figured.” RJ muttered as he looked up from his sweeping.

“Well, that certainly took the vigor out’ve you.” Camille chided. “Brachis!”

Brachis kicked Lily away and turned around. “Yes, General Camille?”

“Finish the job on this one!” Camille dove back in her camouflage and ran off, and returned back to Dante’s side. “Wasn’t expecting him to counter like that. Didn’t think he could see me.”

“I doubt that he could see you, madame; your Hidden Form technique is flawless.”

Brachis waved his scythes and grinned violently. “You again? Well, I suppose that I could kill you again if you didn’t feel like dying the first time!” He cried out and charged, baring his fangs.

Jarrod took a step forwards and fell to his knee as his ankle locked up. “C’mon…don’t fail me now…” Jarrod winced and focused on his Body Chakra once more. “Don’t fail me…please…”

He felt his Body Chakra send pulses throughout his body, setting off chain reactions within his other two Chakras, and he felt a rush of energy pick him up and autonomously attack with his arm, smashing his open palm into Brachis’s jaw.

Jarrod opened his eyes and found his view slightly obscured by a lightly tinted pane of plexiglass. He looked up and felt fur from his helmet brush lightly against the leather underarmor encasing his body. A full suit of metal armor with a lion motif sat above his leather armor, colored mostly in black and decorated in gold trim. He didn’t need to think much more than the basic realization that Brachis was going to have to really try hard to cut him apart this time.

He took his normal fighting stance as Brachis stepped back in shock. “You too?”

RJ looked down at the TV sets from the kitchen and saw Jarrod in his own armor. “Maybe I was wrong after all…”

Brachis charged and began swinging wildly to try and disorient Jarrod. His first swing was deflected from the inside by Jarrod; he pushed Brachis’s arm aside while grabbing wrist in the same motion. The second blow fared just as bad for the Viper Rinrinshi, and Jarrod had him locked in place.

He rammed his knee into the Viper Rinrinshi’s faceplate which sat upon his chest until Brachis felt like a doll in his hands. He spun and hammer tossed Brachis halfway down the block after a few revolutions.

“Whoa!” Theo shouted.

“Amazing!” Lily added.

“Wait.” Jarrod commented, striking his pose. “Lion Special! Tremor Claw!”

He stomped the ground with his right foot and let loose a small quake which rendered Brachis immobile. He pushed off his right foot and charged as fast as he could at the Viper Rinrinshi, and once he was in range, he swung his right arm diagonally downwards, driving his energy-drenched claws upon his gauntlets deep into Brachis. His body shot through the Rinrinshi as he began to crumble.

“There.” He replied, turning around and smiling to himself as the two slowly made their way over to him. “You okay?”

“Color me surprised when I say that I thought this conversation would be the other way around.” Theo replied. “I’ve been better…”

“I’ll carry you back.”

“No, thank you.”

Brachis winced and drove another Life Talon into his chest, and he revitalized himself once more.

Camille grinned and looked over to Dante. “Is wasting valuable Life Talons considered an offense, dear Dante?”

“Well, Dai Shi wants them, and he’s using them on himself…logically, you’re correct in your line of thought, madame.”

Camille leapt down from the building in her camouflage and sprinted towards Brachis, pulling out her sais. One quick swing, and she effectively removed both of Brachis’s hands at the wrist before dropping out of her camouflage.

“General Camille…?” Brachis cried out. Jarrod, Lily, Theo, and RJ all stared from where they were, stunned at the sight.

“Dai Shi no longer finds you useful. You’re wasting his time if you can’t kill these children.” She crossed her sais in front of her face, then shot out her tongue. The incredibly long appendage wrapped around Brachis and sharpened at the tip before striking the Akugata Seal and destroying it. As Brachis began to crumble for the final time, Camille grabbed his severed hands and removed his Life Talons before tossing aside the crumbling bits. Camille grinned. “Thank you, little Pai Zhuq, for showing us how useless this Rinrinshi was.”

She bowed as Dante flew down to join her. “Now we must go. I’ll deal with you all later.” She disappeared in her camouflage as the trio’s armor dissipated. Jarrod’s legs gave out, and Lily and Theo held him up.

“Let’s get you back to the loft.” Theo said, patting Jarrod softly on the chest. “You deserve the rest, definitely.”

“Am I the leader again, Oh Little One?” Jarrod joked.

“Let’s not push it.” Theo replied, giving him a look.

They returned to the loft and found RJ brandishing a long curved and flexible cerulean blade, swinging it around with precision, going through a complex routine and looking like he was in some sort of trance. Once he finished, he took a relaxed pose, spun the sword, then pointed the blade up at the trio. “Good job, kids.” He commented, looking up at them.

“That was…beautiful.” Theo complimented. “I didn’t expect you to be-”

“So graceful? So skilled?”

“Both.” Theo replied, dragging Jarrod and Lily over to RJ’s side.

“Ah. My looks truly are deceiving.” He laughed, but there was a feeling of emptiness within it. “I saw the whole fight on the TV sets, and I realized…well, I’m not right about everything. There’s…well, a lot of things I’m not right about.” He looked down, his eyes slowly drifting to the sword in his hand before looking to Jarrod. “If you’re going to have breakfast, watch out up there. I haven’t vacuumed up there yet.”

“What happened?” Lily asked as she helped Jarrod up to his cot.

“I…went a little off-center. I’m fine now, though.” He went back to swinging the blade around while Theo watched. “Feel free to drink the orange juice straight out’ve the carton until I can replace those glasses. Well, not if you’ve got a cold, but you know what I mean.”

“Can you teach me how to do that?” Theo asked. RJ stopped and sheathed the sword in the scabbard tied to his waist.

“No.” He replied sternly. “I don’t even like doing this anyways, but unfortunately, it’s the only way I can balance myself at times.” He walked back upstairs to his room.

“Well, huh.” Theo sat his hands on his waist. “If he just doesn’t want to teach me, he didn’t have to lie about it.”

RJ returned without the sword, but with an old mat in hand. “I’m going to meditate until I have to go downstairs for work. If anyone wants to join in, please feel free. But do remember, you need your own mat to participate.”

Back in Dai Shi’s Throne Room…

“Today’s lesson; I’m always right.” Dai Shi chuckled to himself as he looked over the Life Talons. “Put these somewhere safe. I want to save these until I need them. Hopefully I won’t have to, but you never know these days.”

“Indeed. Those Pai Zhuq children are incredibly strong and full of surprises. It’s no wonder they’re part of the Order.”

“No bother. We’ll recover from this setback. Count this as a balanced chain of events; the children became stronger, but now we can cheat death a few times.” Dai Shi smiled. “Now Camille…you feel like having a little pizza and espionage for breakfast?”

“It’s better than trying to cook today.” Camille smiled. “I’ll get a new set of outfits for us.” She left the throne room in a particularly cheery mood, despite how horrid the morning had been thus far.

[BlackKnight Ranger]

Wow ...... this has to be the most solid fan fic i have ever read. This is everything i wanted my fanfic that i was working on to be. In fact due to the fact taht this is so awsome i am going to slow down my writing and refine it to the point where i think it comes close to this, because you have just set the standard.

[dragomuseveni]

Nice work!!! im really enjoying this, i had always thought that was how the morphers worked for Jungle Fury, not neccisarily with their chakra, but yeah, anyway good work and i like how Jarrod got his powers!!!

[DarkStarShadow]

~Chapter Four: A House of Cards~





It was a delightful late spring day in a town a considerable distance away from Ocean Bluff, and families were unaware of most anything inside Ocean Bluff as they strolled the streets outside a deli sitting across from a wide open beach.

Two occupants of a table next to the door of the quiet deli stood out amongst the tourists.

The woman of the pair was the more demure looking of the two. Her piercing ice blue eyes scanned the newspaper in her hands as the wind blew through her shoulder length brown hair. She wore a black wetsuit trimmed with cerulean and aquamarine stripes and a pair of matching water shoes, with her only accessory being a surfer-ish necklace with a gold ring in the middle tied around her left wrist. Given the proximity of the beach to the deli, she stood out very little from the crowd of early morning surfers that were starting to gather.

The male of the pair was whom many people found themselves staring at. His hair was roughly the length of his female companion’s and roughly as brown, but kissed lightly with silvering streaks. His eyes were blocked entirely with a pair of old aviator shades tinted black, but one could tell that he was attempting to stare at the women through both the lenses and the paper obscuring his view. Oddest of all was his attire; a black turtleneck and silver scarf wrapped up around his neck and sitting like a shawl and decorated in small bells, along with a pair of black jeans and black sneakers. He definitely appeared to live somewhere far away, possibly in the mountains to the north, and possibly in the fashion mecca of the area. Every time his foot tapped, the bells on his scarf jingled and drew attention from passersby.

The male rested his elbow on the table and rested his head upon it while sighing out of boredom. “Anything interesting in there?” He uttered.

“The ‘Lifestyles’ section has a ‘One Day Vacation’ special on Ocean Bluff.” The woman replied, smiling softly.

“Lemme guess. Jungle Karma Pizza’s mentioned?” He knew his companion too well.

“As part of the ‘Alternatives on the Fly’ and ‘Alternatives on a Budget’ sections. Rave reviews about quality and inexpensiveness…listen.” The woman cleared her throat.

Owners Randall Finn and Fran Lovelli pride themselves in making the customers feel like they’re right at home, despite the fact that up to 40 people can sit inside the cramped quarters of the dining room that once housed a Chinese restaurant that sat 12. The former of the duo runs the hands-on cooking aspect, going on with making every pizza in a perfectionistic manner, making sure the quality of every ingredient is top notch, while the latter coolly manages all ten tables and the cash register (which is, in fact, and old-timey early 20th century silver cash register, which fits the motif of other antiques sitting around the store, such as a 50’s jukebox, a bookcase filled with books from the 18th century, and even a functioning television set from the 80’s. But don’t worry, they take credit cards here too.) Since the entire menu is animal-free, the rising cost of meat has not effected the price of these little works of art, and with large pizzas (which could easily feed a family of 3 or 4) costing under $15 and arriving to the table in under ten minutes, it’s the perfect stop for a health-conscious and animal-loving tourist on the go.

The woman seemed to beam with pride as she continued reading to herself.

“Maybe you should go congratulate him one-on-one.” The male’s voice was laced with a suggestive tone which made the woman bend the paper down and give him a frown.

“He knows I’m proud of him. He doesn’t need my cheerleading.”

“Maybe you should go visit him anyways. It’s cheaper to buy a meal for four there than it is to buy a meal for two here. Twenty bucks for the two of us, Mary.”

“Don’t call me Mary, Remy. You know I hate that.”

“I know, Meredith.” He grinned impishly. “I’m sorry. It’s just…I’m here only one week a year, and your head’s buried in a newspaper talking about someone you won’t even go and talk to despite the fact that he doesn’t live all that far away. So I’m a bit jealous, maybe?” He bounced his leg nervously, making the bells in his scarf sing a cacophony that matched his mood.

“Sorry.” Meredith folded up her newspaper and looked over at him. “Okay, Remius, what do you want to do?”

“Not think about RJ if you’re not proposing a visit.” Remius replied back. “How about a stroll on the beach? Maybe just chill at your pad on Devil’s Island.” She frowned. “Wanna go see a movie?”

Meredith snorted. “You can’t even…oh, why am I bringing this up?”

“Because I did.” Remius leaned forwards. “Wanna just walk around town before you have to go to work?”

“Sure.” Meredith smiled.

“Alright. Lemme go pay.” He pulled out his wallet and shuffled through it, quickly finding a $20 bill that was folded in half width-wise. “$20, right?” He held it up for Meredith to see.

“Yeah.” She replied.

“I’m gonna start putting creases in the corners, because every frigging bill I get is folded like this…makes me feel like I’m rich, but I don’t feel like reliving that incident at the bar.”

“Hey, that was pretty funny.”

“Maybe for you! The bartender was about to punch me; I could practically see his heart trying to pound out of his chest and sock me in the face.” He stuck his wallet back in his pocket and walked into the deli.

Back in Ocean Bluff, Fran began looking around and sighed contentedly as the parlor looked busier than usual.

“Ya know, if it gets any busier, we’re going to have to start putting tables out front or something.” RJ commented to Fran as he came up behind her while surveying the dining area.

“Yeah, really. Thank goodness you’ve got those three helping out.” Fran replied, looking over at Theo, Lily, and Jarrod, all of whom were wearing matching JKP uniforms.

“Eh. I figured I’d give them something to do while nobody’s hiring them.” RJ replied, scratching the back of his neck. “They’re family friends, so I kinda feel obligated to help them on their feet, ya know?”

“Well, they’re good kids, too. I hope they’re not having the same problems you had when you were out job hunting.”

“Luckily, not so much.” RJ replied, blushing nervously.

“Oh good! I mean, you had some hard times with your social security, your work papers and references weren’t checking out, and nobody would hire you; heck, the first big break you got from having to do all your odd jobs was JKP, wasn’t it?”

“Pretty much.”

“And the time and money it took to open this place, and now look at it. Took the last three years of our lives turning this rat-infested lot into a 4-star quality pizzeria.”

“It’s been worth it.” RJ sighed contentedly. “This place’s made me feel…like I’ve done something good with my life. I mean…not that it wasn’t okay before; well, actually, it wasn’t all that great, but I feel like I’ve made a difference in the world by helping others, even if it’s something as fleeting as a meal or two.”

“How existential of you.” Fran commented.

RJ looked back at her with an odd look on his face. “I know. I think I’ve been listening to Theo too much.”

“That would be the short one, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good! I remembered his name. I called him Leo earlier, and he gave me a mean look. Man, did I feel embarrassed.”

In walked Casey and Cameron, looking rather demure in comparison from the last few times they had been there within the last week and a half. “Ah, your new favorite customers are here for the morning rush again.”

“Joy.” RJ replied, trying to sound cheerful as he grabbed a pair of menus for them.

Jarrod made a beeline for Fran while mopping. “Hi.” He mumbled.

“Hey there, Jarrod.” Fran replied. “…Something on your mind?”

He gave her an odd look. “Can we talk…outside?”

“Um, sure…”

The two walked out to the dumpster area and Jarrod hid his face out of nervousness. “What’s on your mind, Jarrod?”

“I…feel uncomfortable…when he’s in there…”

“Who, Casey?” Jarrod nodded. “Why? What’s up?”

“It’s a façade. He puts on a façade.”

Fran gave a shocked look. “Howso?”

“Well, when he smiles, the look in his eyes is very malicious. Like he’s smiling to hide his anger.”

“He has a look in his eyes?” Fran felt confused.

“And the way that he talks changes with whom he’s talking to. First off, he respects me, which’s completely off, then he takes a condescending tone with Lily and Theo, and then he’s authoritative with RJ and you. Casey, the way I remember him, always took a submissive tone, unless he was upset. Even then, he’d put on an angry charade, which’s the weakest form of intimidation.”

“Well, people change.” Fran shrugged.

“And the way that he walks has completely changed. Back…home, he walked slouched, slow, without confidence, and with a meek air. Now he’s upstraight, fast, overconfident, and with this boisterous air…it’s like a different person entirely. And trust me, you don’t gain an entirely different style of walking in just three weeks.”

“Anything else weird about him?” Fran asked, sounding almost bored.

“The fact that he’s got a girlfriend surprises me; I doubted that a submissive woman like her would cling to Casey like that, but I guess it has to go with his attitude adjustment.”

Fran snorted, then laughed. “Sorry. I’m just not…used to you talking so much.”

“I don’t waste time on words unless I need to.” Jarrod replied coldly. “To top it off, whenever he mentions his reasons for looking for the rest of us…he looks down, then to the left, then back on center, like a signal.”

“You’re really into visual cues. I’ve never noticed that.”

“It’s his cue for nervousness. Like my hat.” He pulled it down farther to conceal his eyes. “When I’m nervous, I look down, cover my eyes. I know I do that. When RJ’s nervous, his voice heightens slightly and his eyes widen slightly, and he pulls back from whatever or whoever’s making him nervous a bit…but he’s good enough to do it subtly enough so that most people never notice. But I notice.”

“Like I said…really into visual cues.”

“You can speak a million lies, but your body will always tell the truth.” Jarrod smiled. “I study the way people move to anticipate their next move.”

“…You mean, like a fighter?” Jarrod looked down, and Fran giggled. “Nervous?”

“I practice martial arts as a hobby.” Jarrod replied. “Have to know what the other person’s doing.”

“Well, I’m not surprised. Boxing?”

“Kickboxing. A bit rougher.”

“That explains a lot.” Fran chuckled. “You win any fights?”

“A few.”

“Make any money?”

“They’re qualifying rounds. No money yet.”

“Well, I’ll be cheering you on.” Fran smiled. She looked around the corner and saw Casey and Cameron leaving. “Hey, those two’re leaving, if you wanna go back inside.”

“Thanks.” Jarrod replied, watching Fran walk back in. “When you’re nervous-” He drew Fran’s attention. “you ramble. And when you’re directly talking to RJ, your voice heightens a step too.” Fran gave a weak nervous smile. “RJ is also more prone to having an accident whenever you walk by. You two throw each other off balance out’ve awkwardness.”

“Really?” Fran asked, holding her arm.

“Did something bad happen to you two? Was there a falling out between you two at all…?”

Fran looked down. “I didn’t notice…but then again, it’s like I don’t notice much anyways.” She laughed nervously, then quickly walked back inside. Jarrod waited a moment, trying to figure out what he had just seen.

Lily bumped into Jarrod as he walked in. “So, trying to avoid Casey, are we?” Jarrod ignored her. “Hey, no answer? I thought you were trying to work on your social skills.”

“Can we talk alone?”

“Ugh…sure. Lemme just clean the booth I’m assigned to.”

Meanwhile, in Dai Shi’s throne room…

Dante flittered around Dai Shi, who was curled in a fetal position in front of his throne, moaning.

“Has all the human cuisine has made you ill…?” He queried.

“My host…” Dai Shi whimpered. “Get Camille!”

“Yes, sir!” Dante saluted Dai Shi, then zipped into the tea room. “Madame! Dai Shi is in grave pain and requests-” He tapered off as Camille leapt up and ran for the throne room. “Wait for me!”

“Dai Shi…” Camille knelt down beside the quivering mound of flesh and bone on the floor. “What must I do?”

“Heart Chakra. Now.”

“Right.” Camille rolled Dai Shi onto his back, then performed her Quick Lock technique, allowing him to relax. “Your Heart Chakra has become such a nuisance. How has this come to be?”

“Perhaps it is the Pai Zhuq’s fault. I feel so warm around them…I can’t go with you on espionage missions anymore if this continues…” Dai Shi sighed and sat up.

“There has to be something you can do, Dai Shi.”

“I thought there would be, but I honestly feel glum about my chances with the way this’s developing.” He looked back at her. “I need to find a permanent solution…but for now, I feel like killing some human to exert my authority for as long as the Chakra Lock will hold.” He grinned.

“I’ll come, to make sure you return safely.”

Back at JKP…

“So lemme get this straight…you think that something happened between RJ and Fran an unspecified period of time ago, that Fran got the short stick, and now they just won’t talk about it to each other or anyone else, so they’re just going on like it never happened, but they just can’t stop acting awkward about it, even when they try really hard?”

“…In so many words, yes.” Jarrod felt a bit overwhelmed with how fast Lily could talk when she was wound up.

“And you got all of this from the body language you picked up between them?”

“Yes.”

“…Well, I’m interested. What else is there to do to crack this case?”

“…Crack this case?”

“Well, you wanna know the truth, right?”

“Not if it’s going to hurt them to get out of them.”

“Life is pain, and so are broken hearts. This whole scenario screams ‘jilted lover’. I love these kind of stories, dammit, but I never get to be a part of them!” Lily pouted.

“What if you’re wrong?”

“Well then, we’ll get the truth anyhow! If Fran’s hurting, and RJ’s acting all screwy around her, let’s fix it and make this whole place one big happy family again!”

“What if our meddling only makes things worse?”

Lily stood and thought for a moment, then looked up at him. “Then it wasn’t meant to be then, was it?”

“But if it just makes it worse, then we could destroy RJ’s lifeblood! They co-own this place, ya know! If one of them just up and leaves…” Jarrod sighed and looked down, pulling his visor down. “…I know you just want the best, but I don’t want to get into it.”

“You chicken!” Jarrod looked her straight in the eyes, shooting a piercing glare straight through her, making her shake. “Ah, that got your attention, didn’t it?” Lily nervously laughed, making Jarrod sigh in defeat. “You want to help people, right? Well, sometimes punching somebody’s lights out isn’t the only way to help them!”

“What are you proposing?”

“You talk to RJ. I talk to Fran. We’ll be real subtle about it. If you want, I’ll write down some starter questions for you.”

Jarrod sighed. “I don’t want to get involved, but if it’ll make you feel better…”

“You’re the only one who can really talk to RJ around here. Like, have a heart-to-heart. I’ll give you some starter bits to work on, and we’ll patch everything up with them!”

Jarrod groaned lightly. “I just hope everything works out like your romantic notions wish them to…”

The alarm set off, and RJ was quick to find the two standing around the dumpster. “C’mon you two. You’ve got bouncing fodder to smash up.” He called out after making sure he was out of earshot of Fran.

“We’ll talk about this later.” Lily said, patting Jarrod on the shoulder. He frowned slightly and groaned. “Oh, don’t you start with that. Let’s go.”

The trio were already in their armors by the time they arrived in the park. They suspected that the wandering hooded figure surrounded by Rinshi wasn’t as benign as he looked.

“Ah, look who’s come all dressed up…” Dai Shi called out from underneath his hood.

“Who are you?” Lily asked, pointing at him.

“I am the great Dai Shi, child…I grow tired of my minions wasting their time and energy on you, so I’ve come to kill you myself.” He unsummoned the Rinshi with a snap of his gauntleted hand. “I brought them for the attention, but I don’t need them anymore.”

“What a coward, hiding under a cloak like that.” Jarrod commented. “Show yourself.”

“If you insist, I’ll get myself dressed up too…” A gold mist surrounded Dai Shi’s body, suddenly shining brightly before he tossed his cloak off.

Lily and Theo gasped as they studied what they saw before them.

The gold armor Dai Shi wore looked greatly similar to their own armor, only set in a motif that neither had. The suit design differed at several points; not only did it have golden metal boots that looked like dragon claws, but it had matching scaled and clawed gauntlets and a scaled gorget and pauldron set to protect his shoulders and upper chest.

“There. A lovely fusion of speed and power, and I have my host to thank.” Dai Shi gloated. “Ready to die now? I know I’m ready to kill you and get it over with.”

“You’re awfully cocky. It’s awfully familiar.” Jarrod sneered, stepping up in front of the other two.

“Oh, is it?” Dai Shi laughed. “Perhaps you’ll be the one to die first, just for funsies.” He looked to the side, mentally berating himself for letting Casey take control of the dialogue. “Hm…unexpected. No matter.” He created a ball of his own dark energy, then levitated it in front of his right pointer and middle finger, which he had fashioned into a gun-like pose. “I’ll just kill you all at once.” He pointed upwards, and the ball of energy followed. “Rinki Shower!”

The ball of energy shot up into the sky, then shot down in small knife-sized bolts, striking the trio and cracking their armors apart, dropping them down into their civilian uniforms. “…Is that all? What a disappointment! I was hoping the way you’ve killed off all my minions would have made you all worthy of my time and energy, but…”

“Stop picking on kids, Dai Shi. Especially my kids.”

Dai Shi turned around to see RJ standing there in his sweatshirt, but surprisingly devoid of his face cover. “Oh, you silly Pai Zhuq master. Did you think threatening me was going to gain you any favor?”

“You want a real fight? Then fine.” RJ took his starting pose.

“Are you offering yourself as a sacrifice to protect your children? Is that what they teach you to do in Pai Zhuq…?” Dai Shi laughed. “That’s all you stupid masters seem to know how to do.”

Dai Shi started up another Rinki Shower blast as RJ charged forwards. “Rinki Shower!” The blast flew into the air, and RJ grinned.

“Rinki Burner!” A bright violet aura surrounded him, dancing around him like flames as the Shower began to fall down. The bolts smacked into the aura and were swallowed whole by the flames, shocking Dai Shi.

“You can’t possibly…” He didn’t have time to finish, as RJ approached him and began to attack. He drove his knee into the side of Dai Shi’s lower right ribs, cracking them before smashing his elbow into the part of Dai Shi’s helmet that sat above his right temple and stunning him.

The Akugata leader stumbled and RJ grinned violently. “Where are you going?” RJ taunted, grabbing the collar of Dai Shi’s gorget and yanking him close. “I’m not done yet!” The jolt pulled Dai Shi out of his stupor, and he grabbed RJ’s wrist and began trying to yank it off. RJ deftly slipped his hand out of the gauntlet, then grabbed Dai Shi’s wrist and twisted as hard as he could, snapping joints and bone alike.

Dai Shi cried out in pain as RJ grabbed further up his arm and used the leverage to spin and toss him nearly fifteen feet away. “The next time you touch them, it’ll be the other arm. Then your legs. Then the rest of you.”

He then seemingly reached out into the thin air and clamped his hand down on something, then began dragging whatever it was hand over hand. The sound of forced footsteps rang out and before long, RJ threw out an elbow drop and connected to something solid while letting go of what he was yanking on. Camille dropped to the ground and out of consciousness, her tongue shooting back inside her head.

His attention shot back to Dai Shi, who was cradling his arm while slowly trying to get back up. Dai Shi stared up at him as he approached, and locked on to his eyes, which had turned a cold silver. “That look…” Dai Shi mused as he backed away. “…familiar. Painfully familiar.” RJ stopped and cocked his head in confusion. “Have we met on the field before? Perhaps in the last war…?”

RJ remained silent and continued walking towards him. Camille woke up and quickly shot her tongue out, ensnaring RJ’s ankle and dropping him to the ground, pulling him away from Dai Shi.

“Camille!” Dai Shi called out as he got to his feet. She let go of RJ and ran to his side, dropping out of camouflage. “Let’s give the day to them.”

“If you wish.” She snapped her fingers and summoned a small group of Rinshi. “Come.”

The trio got up and charged the Rinshi while RJ sat down and began taking deep breaths while slouched. With their second wind, they crushed the Rinshi easily. They then turned around to look at RJ, who slowly began to breathe normally. He looked back up at them, his eyes once again an icy blue. “Good job. Let’s get back before Fran gets suspicious.”

Several hours later…

“Okay, you know the deal. Go.” Lily said, patting Jarrod on the shoulder.

“But what if he’s asleep? He seemed really drained…”

“Then we’ll try again later.” Lily replied. “Stop worrying. Go.” She began pushing him up the stairs.

Jarrod walked upstairs and quickly blinked to adjust to the lack of lighting. His eyes picked up a figure in the middle of the floor that he quickly recognized to be RJ meditating with a stick of incense burning next to him. The smell was heavy and made him a little dizzy, but he didn’t let it deter him. He approached RJ and sat down in front of him.

“Care to join me in meditation, Jarrod?” RJ asked, knowing it was him without opening his eyes.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you.”

“You seem to be doing a lot of that, lately. I’m impressed with how far you’ve come along with your social skills since arriving here. You’re doing a lot better than I did, to be honest, but then again, you have a bigger support system than I had.” He smirked and opened his eyes. “Now, what’s on your mind?”

“I wanted to…well, I’ve noticed how…uneasy…” Jarrod looked down, grabbing the brim of his hat. “I’ve noticed that you and Fran have a strange relationship, and it bothers me.”

“Strange relationship? Howso?” RJ gave him an awkward look.

“There’s a lot of bad tension between both of you, and you two may be good at hiding it from most, but not me.”

“Ah yes, the master of body language…” RJ mused. “I see. Well, I honestly don’t know why she’s still upset at me, but she doesn’t let it affect our professional lives. Well, she’s not upset-upset, but maybe a bit…well, I don’t know.”

“Well, why might she be upset at you?”

“I know that, if anything, it has to do with me moving out five years ago.”

“Moving out?”

“…Of her house.” Jarrod raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Downstairs…

“Hey Fran! Lemme mop the floor for ya.”

“Thanks, Lil.” Fran smiled as she began going through the cash register to make a note of profits.

“Hey, can we have a girl chat?”

“Um, sure.” Fran replied as she set the calculator next to the cash register.

“I’m…well, a little worried about you.”

“Oh? Why, what did I do?”

“When you and Jarrod walked in earlier, you looked really upset about something. Did he say something rude to you?”

“Well, yes and no. He asked me something that…I just didn’t wanna talk about.”

“…It wouldn’t happen to be about RJ, would it?” Fran looked up at her with pained eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Did he tell you?”

“I just guessed that it had something to do about RJ, since he stopped me on my way down asking if RJ was upstairs. He’s been adamant about talking to him, ya know…I just had a feeling.” Lily mentally patted herself on the back for the quick recovery.

“Oh.” Fran looked down. “He’s so uncouth…”

“Jarrod?”

Fran sighed. “Both of them. I swear, Jarrod is like a younger version of RJ, but less…hurtful!”

“RJ hurt you? That’s really surprising. You two seem very close.”

“Well, I learned to turn the other cheek…but sometimes I just can’t get it all the way turned.” Fran looked down at the money and sighed deeply.

Upstairs…

“You lived with her?”

“Well, I didn’t just get this loft right off the bat when I got here. In fact, I didn’t have a penny to my name when I came here. I was sleeping in abandoned buildings on the east side until I managed to start working odd jobs. Then I met Fran, and then she let me crash on her sofa.”

“Nobody lives on someone’s sofa.” Jarrod replied, giving RJ a look. RJ frowned.

“You’re rather inquisitive.”

“I’m also rather curious.” Jarrod replied.

“You’re ruining my good vibes.”

“Consider this karma return for last week.”

RJ sighed. “Fine…” Jarrod smiled as RJ went on. “So we met at the library. I was in looking for some science books, she was looking for veterinary books. We kept on running into each other, and we just hit it off. She’s a huge animal rights advocate and was helping her cousin run a pet shop, and I totally vibed with that.”

“So you two had a relationship?”

“Oh! No. It wasn’t like that.”

“Well then, what was it like?”

“Well…”

“He had nothing stable in his life, so I extended my hand in help. All I asked when he left was to keep in touch.”

“And he didn’t.” Fran began using the calculator silently. “I’m sorry I asked.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s just…the next time I ever talked to him was when he wanted to start up JKP…I know we’re friends, but sometimes I feel like I’m just…here because I’m useful. Like he knows I’ll just do whatever he wants.”

“Yeah, I get that feeling too. But he’s not that kind of person, I can tell.”

“Well, give it about six years and tell me if you still feel the same way, okay? I was just as optimistic as you are…but he’s someone who will never fully change, no matter what he does.” She finished making her tallies. “He’s changed a lot, but he still just goes through everything, not caring about who he uses or how he hurts people…I’ve never seen him be truly sorry for anything. But like I said, I turn the other cheek, because I know he’s had it really rough and people like that are difficult people to deal with.”

“Have you ever told her how much she’s actually impacted you as a person?”

“I assumed she knew.”

“Assuming makes-”

“An ass of you and me, I know…” RJ gave a corny look.

Jarrod sighed. “Maybe you should tell her how much she inspired you, like you told me.”

“It’s not that easy to just tell someone something like that. You know that.”

“…True.”

“Well, I’ll think about telling her. I’ll just set her aside and thank her and I guess we’ll go from there. That should be enough, right?”

“I suppose.”

RJ sighed, then looked down for a moment. “Well, I guess that’s that, right?” He nodded in agreement. “Then it’s settled. Care to join me in meditation?” Jarrod got up and got his mat.

“You have to promise me that you’re going to tell him exactly how you feel.”

“I’m not sure, Lily. What if I hurt him?”

“You’re hurting! You should tell him everything! He’s a very understanding person.” Lily grabbed Fran’s hands and held them gently. “I don’t get along with him a lot, either…but he understands why I do things the way I do and say the things I say…and he hardly knows me. You two are really close; there’s no way in the world he wouldn’t understand you.”

Fran smiled brightly. “You’re right. I’m going to tell him the first chance I get!”

“How about tomorrow?”

“Definitely tomorrow!”

“I’m so excited!” Lily smiled.

“Well, don’t get excited. It’s not all that exciting. That, and it’ll make me kind’ve nervous, and I’ll just start rambling, and that’s not gonna be good and-”

“Fran.” Lily snapped Fran from her rambling fit.

“Hm?”

“You’re rambling.”

“Right!” She blushed. “Okay, so tomorrow.”

Back at Dai Shi’s temple…

Dai Shi shot up from sleep, breathing deeply as he moved gently under the silk sheets of his large bed. After a few moments, he smiled sadistically, then summoned a Rinshi. “Go get Camille.” He ordered, and it quickly hopped out to get her.

A few minutes later, Camille walked in with a full tea set, wearing her nightgown. “You summoned me, Dai Shi?”

“It came to me in my sleep, Camille.” Dai Shi smiled as she sat the tea tray down on the bed in front of his feet and began preparing a cup for him.

“What did?”

“Those eyes. I remember them now. It has been too long.” Dai Shi laughed softly.

“Where are they from?”

“The great Wolf Master from the war. The fourth Archmaster. The little bastard…” Dai Shi sneered for a moment, then grinned as Camille handed him his tea. He took a sip. “How amazingly fortunate I am to have returned to the land of the living while one of his incarnations lives.”

“Fortunate indeed, I suppose.”

“Ah, you don’t recall the great battle, do you?” Dai Shi smiled. “I may have lost but…well, they didn’t win either. This whole turn of events…well, I’m just fortunate.” Dai Shi laughed, then took another sip. “How inconspicuous this one looked…but yes, the resemblance to the first is very much there. He tried so hard to hide from me, even though I was still entombed. Just goes to show you how great I truly am!”

“I don’t know much about what you’re talking about, but if a man as strong as the Wolf Master had to hide from you, then I can fully appreciate your sentiment.” Camille finished stirring her own cup of tea, then took a sip.

“I want to see more of what I saw…I know just how to go about getting to…” Dai Shi smiled, and Camille joined in with him.

RJ’s eyes shot open, and he found himself lying on the floor of the dining room, staring at the ceiling. He sat up, and found an odd sight sitting at a table in front of him.

As he stood up, he looked over the figure in confusion. It was Casey, but wearing an outfit he didn’t recognize all that well. The young man wore a black bodysuit with red tiger-like stripes crawling up from the back and the sides of his chest and stomach. Around his waist sat a gold leather fauld tied up with jade green and red straps that dangled and swayed with his movements in the chair. His boots, gauntlets, and gorget/pauldron combination caught RJ’s eyes, as they looked oddly familiar…

“…Dai Shi…?”

Casey’s face contorted into a smile. “How nice of you to recognize me. You’re not as dense as you look!” Dai Shi laughed, then dropped the façade that was Casey’s voice with his own. “But I digress. Good evening, Wolf Master.”

RJ backed up a few steps and into a table. “What? With such a smashing performance on the field, and those pretty eyes of yours, you didn’t think I wouldn’t recognize you?”

“I thought we’d have a tea party and introduce ourselves formally.” RJ joked, sitting down on top of the table.

“What do you think this is? Alice in Wonderland?”

RJ grinned slyly, and the scenery changed to that of a long dining table set up in a wide open garden bordered with perfectly trimmed hedge bushes. RJ sat atop one end of the table while Dai Shi sat in a chair on the opposite side.

“Oh, very funny.” Dai Shi frowned, making RJ grin more.

“What? This is my subconscious, so we could very well end up on the moon if you ask.” RJ grinned, letting Dai Shi know he wasn’t joking.

“…Fine.” Dai Shi crossed his arms.

“So, what’re you invading my mind for? It can’t just be for this rather unsurprising revealing to me and me alone.”

“I came to let you know that I’m very cross about you breaking my arm, and now that I know who you are, I’m highly motivated to pay you back for it.”

“I see. So what, you’re going to break both my arms in return?” RJ crossed his legs and got comfortable. “Big deal.”

“No, see…” Dai Shi leaned forwards. “I prefer to crush my enemies in ways that can’t be fixed with a little healing salve and a good night’s rest. I’m going to crush you from the inside out, and I’m going to revel in the moment when I see the real you.” RJ sat silently, waiting for him to continue, but Dai Shi could tell that his stoic demeanor was hiding a massive fear. “I’m going to blindside you and take everything you hold dear away from you, because then you’ll crumble like a house of cards in a soft breeze and I’ll be there to finish off what’s left of you. I will not let you be the end of me this time, I promise you.”

Dai Shi stood up. “Well, I can see my job here is done. I’ll be seeing you again quite soon!” He smiled and quickly faded away.

RJ’s eyes shot open, and he sat up in his bed. He shivered and looked over at the clock; 3:23 am, give or take a few minutes. He quickly got out of bed and grabbed his old uniform robe, then walked downstairs.

He grabbed the kitchen phone and dialed a phone number without looking it up. He tapped his foot impatiently against the ground as the phone rang.

“Pick up, pick up…god, please pick up…”

After the fourth ring, a click. “Mmmmuh, hello?” Fran’s groggy voice answered.

RJ put a gruffness in his voice. “Hey Fran…sorry I’m calling so early…”

“What’s wrong? You sound horrible.”

“I’m feeling like crap…Theo threw up about two hours ago, and I think I caught it too.”

“Oh gosh…do you want me to bring over something for you guys?”

“No, no…I’m just calling to tell ya not to come in today because I’m sure as hell not opening JKP like this. I’ll let you know if we feel better tomorrow, okay?”

“Oh…okay…I hope you get better.”

“I hope you haven’t already caught this.”

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed and my bathroom prepared.” Fran joked. “Hope you get some sleep.”

“I doubt it. Night.”

“Night.” As soon as she hung up, RJ gave a sigh of relief and hung the phone back up.

Jarrod, Lily, and Theo all woke up at 6 am sharp to find RJ leaned up against the wall opposite of the recliner, still in his robe and looking very sleep-deprived.

“Oh, you still have that thing.” Jarrod smirked. “What’s the occasion?”

“That’s a nice shade of purple. Goes nice with your eyes.” Lily commented, garnering a dirty look from Theo. “What? It does!”

“Lily, keep your cat in your room.” RJ walked over to the wall behind the basketball hoop, tapping on a brick near his head. The wall shot open, revealing a hollow spot under the catwalk. “Keep your stuff packed up and in there, kids.” He then walked into the middle of the room. “Today, you kids’re off to get some better civilian clothes than just your uniforms.” RJ drew attention to the three violet-shaded envelopes on the kitchen table. “Don’t worry about paying me back or anything; you guys’ve earned that and then some.”

“What’s going on?” Lily asked.

“Just doing a few things differently. Variety is the spice of life.”

“Okay…” Jarrod replied, picking up the envelope.

“Don’t worry about today; just relax. If anything happens, I’ll let you know.”

The three went through the orders RJ gave, then left for the day. RJ sighed deeply and meditated.

Meanwhile…

“Summon Leaper and prepare for an attack in a few hours. Let the Wolf Master get a little rest.” Dai Shi ordered.

“As you wish.” Camille replied. “I will go summon it right now.”

Back in Ocean Bluff…

“Holy crap.” Lily said, opening the envelope in her hand. “I…wow.”

“How much’s in there?” Theo asked, looking over at her.

“Enough to buy a wardrobe bigger than my entire walk-in closet.”

“You’re kidding. You probably got more because you’re a woman who’s compelled to shop as much with your eyes as with your wallet.” Theo replied, getting a dirty look. “Okay, your spending habits aren’t that bad…but you do have an expensive taste.” Theo opened his envelope, only to find the same amount as Lily. “Okay, now I’m worried.”

“He can’t afford to give us this much, especially if he’s having problems paying bills like he says he does.” Jarrod replied.

“Well, let’s just go shopping for now, get a few outfits, then give him back the rest.” Lily said.

“Great idea. Wish I had thought of it myself.” Theo replied.

Back in Dai Shi’s throne room…

“Dai Shi, Leaper is ready to attack. Are you sure you don’t want it to attack now?”

“Not yet. I’m not ready yet, and besides, I woke the poor Wolf Master up early.” Dai Shi grinned. “I decided to let him try to go back to sleep…but I sense that it’s a wasted effort.” He chuckled. “I’ve rattled that old dog’s cage and he’s made everyone scatter…there’s nothing I want to do right now but recover.” He cradled his right arm and grimaced.

Back in Ocean Bluff, the trio had taken nearly an hour to walk all the way to the main mall in the area, all the way downtown. “Okay, we meet back here in one hour, got it?” Theo ordered.

“I thought I was the field commander.” Jarrod asked, adjusting his hat.

“We’re not going to kick anyone’s ass in here, we’re just going clothes shopping.” Theo replied. “Now c’mon.”

“Here, I’ll help you out.” Lily grabbed Jarrod’s arm and began dragging him to a department store nearby.

“I don’t need…ugh…” Jarrod sighed deeply.

After nearly a half hour of dragging Jarrod through the men’s section and trying to find things he actually liked, Lily sighed and left him to his own devices and made a beeline for the women’s section.

While browsing dresses, she ran into Fran. “Hey! What’re you doing here?” Lily called out, catching Fran’s attention.

“Oh hey! You escaped the loft, eh?” Fran joked. “Well, I heard they were having a sale down at the mall, so I came.”

“You’re off work too, huh?”

“RJ told me he wasn’t even opening today, so I guess…yes, I’m off work today.”

“He’s not?” Lily asked, sounding confused.

“Well yeah, that’s why you’re here, right?” Fran replied in the same tone. “I’m somehow guessing that answer is no.”

“No, it’s not. RJ kicked us out of the loft and gave us lots of shopping money to buy some clothes. What’d he tell you?”

“That he and Theo were sick. But I guess it’s just another lie in a sea of ‘em.”

“Well, something’s definitely wrong with him, if it makes you feel any better. He doesn’t look like he slept well last night…maybe he’s actually sick.” Lily replied.

“What do you mean, ‘something’s definitely wrong’?”

“First off…” She handed Fran the envelope. “That’s what the three of us got.”

Fran’s eyes widened. “You all got this much? That’s essentially the entire month’s profits…what is he thinking? How’s he gonna pay the bills?”

“And he’s got us barricading all our belongings. And he kicked us out’ve the loft for the day.”

“I’m not surprised that RJ’s unwilling to ask us for help, or tell us what’s wrong. He’s just like that.” Fran sighed. “But do you think we should try and figure out what’s going on?”

“Wouldn’t hurt.”

Jarrod crouched down in the changing room stall and took the communicator RJ had given him out of his back pocket. The jerry-rigged cell phone gave a display of three numbers when he opened it, and he picked the number for the loft. RJ quickly picked up. “Hey. How goes shopping?” RJ’s cheery tone poured through the receiver. Jarrod, however, saw through the façade and could tell that RJ was still a nervous wreck.

“Got a few outfits. Just wanted to talk.”

“You’ve been doing a lot of that lately.”

“What’s going on? Honestly.”

“Honestly?”

“…Why are you tossing us all out of the loft today?”

RJ sighed. “I…I just have a bad feeling about keeping you guys around me today, okay?”

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with Fran, would it?” Jarrod replied suggestively.

“No, I told her to stay home. Nobody’s here but me.”

Jarrod thought for a moment. “…You’re not leaving again, are you?”

“No! I’m not leaving you guys…not this time.”

“Good, because I’m just getting used to having you around again.” RJ sat and let the comment roll through his mind. “Fran’s not the only one who didn’t adjust well to you leaving them behind.” Jarrod couldn’t stop himself from saying it, and a silence fell over the line for a moment.

“…I’m so sorry…” RJ replied, feeling his heart sink into his shoes.

“It’s alright. I’m not resentful. But the Academy wasn’t as comfortable without you.”

“I didn’t mean to…” RJ sighed. “I wouldn’t have left if I didn’t have to.”

“Have to?”

“I’ll tell you later. Just…enjoy your day, okay?”

“It’s hard to when Lily’s dragging me around, trying to get me to try on ridiculous clothes that barely fit me.”

“Yikes.” RJ’s eyes caught an image on the screen in front of him. “Keep your guard up, okay?”

“Why?”

“Trust me.”

“Alright…I’ll let Lily and Theo know.” Jarrod smiled. “This’s been rather cathartic.”

“Good. I’m glad you got everything off your chest. Now go get a nice shirt to put back on it.” RJ and Jarrod shared a laugh.

“I’ve got a few outfits I’m going to buy right now, then I’ll round up everyone.”

“Good idea. Catch you later.” RJ hung up and watched the monitors intently.

Jarrod put his communicator away and picked up the clothes he was to buy. As he opened the door, he saw Lily and Fran approaching. “Oh, Fran’s here too?”

“RJ told her not to come in today. I already called Theo; I wanna go back to the loft because this honestly doesn’t feel right.”

“It shouldn’t. Just got off the phone with RJ; he said to keep our guard up in here.”

“Great…”

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

“What’s going on?” Fran asked.

“Long story. Just stay with us and don’t look too nervous.” Lily then walked over and bought the clothes she was carrying. Theo joined them as they left the department store.

“I was on the other side of the mall, and I knocked over a couple of third graders while making a mad dash over here. This had better be important.” He scolded while catching his breath. He then noticed Jarrod surveying the area. “What’s up, Oh Mighty Field Commander?” Fran looked up at Jarrod, confused as to why Theo used such a nickname on him.

“RJ said to stay on guard. I’m staying on guard.” He replied.

“Well, did you guys get any clothes, like RJ wanted us to?”

“Hardly made a dent in my allowance.” Lily replied, holding up her bags.

“Same.” Jarrod added.

“Okay, let’s get going. If something’s following us, we should split up.”

“No. You and Lily stay with Fran. I’ll go back to the loft.” Jarrod ordered.

“What? Why don’t you stay with Fran?” Theo asked.

“Because he talks better with RJ than we do.” Lily replied.

“Well, can’t argue with that. It’s settled.”

“But we leave here as a group. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Theo gave a sarcastic salute, which made Jarrod grin.

“Good.”

As they approached the front doors, Fran tugged on Jarrod’s sleeve. “Hm?”

“So RJ called me this morning and lied to me…to protect me from whomever or whatever is following you guys now?”

“Can’t be a coincidence.” Jarrod replied. “Either that, or it’s a big one. C’mon.”

The quartet walked out of the mall, but quickly found themselves being followed.

“Of all the places to run into old friends…” The quartet turned around to find Casey tailing them, the majority of his right arm in a tight cast. Jarrod pulled Fran close to him, making Lily and Theo suspicious.

“Nice arm.” Jarrod remarked, drawing attention to it.

“You think?” Casey replied, pulling the massively damaged appendage close to his side. “RJ did some fine work on it; I really can’t move it at all…” He grimaced as Lily turned pale.

“You…” Lily muttered. “…No…”

“What?” Fran asked softly.

“I promised the scruffy Wolf Master I’d crush him the best way I know how, and he practically gift wrapped my opportunity to do so!” Casey laughed, his voice slowly becoming swallowed by a low, growling sort of voice. His eyes turned a varnished gold, which shocked the trio greatly. “Four on one isn’t fair…lemme even the odds.” He snapped his fingers and a dozen Rinshi shot up out of the ground around the quartet. Fran screamed and curled up into Jarrod’s embrace. “Scream a little louder, girl! Your terror empowers me.” Dai Shi commented, his clothes quickly shifting into his armor.

“On three.” Jarrod ordered, rousing the group into action. “Hold on tight, Fran. We’re going to be running as fast as we can, okay?”

“Okay…” Fran replied.

“Okay…one…two…three!” Jarrod backhanded three of the Rinshi and crushed them, while Lily and Theo took out two in quick blows, which made a wide gap in the ranks. “Go!” The quartet sprinted down the parking lot, only to be stopped by a previously invisible wall. They turned back, only to find that they had become trapped inside a dome of sorts.

“Oh, I can’t have you four just running off! That would ruin the fun!” Dai Shi summoned up a small communications device as a rather large and rotund yellow frog-like Rinrinshi approached. “Good job, Leaper.”

“Want me to suffocate them to death?” The Frog Rinrinshi asked in a rather goofy sounding voice.

“No. They’re better to me alive.”

“Aw, nuts.”

Dai Shi looked around, then found interest in a light post, waving to the small camera perched at an angle which gave it a full ranged shot of the parking lot while still concealing it from the views of anyone who wasn’t directly looking for it. The device rang several times before a familiar voice rang through its speakers.

“Leave a message at the beep! BEEEEEEP.” RJ’s voice was uncharacteristically cheery, rather than swaying or stoic.

“Oh Wolf Master, I know you can see me! The wife and kids say hi, but I’m gonna kill them in about fifteen minutes unless you show some sign of caring about them. Ya know, like showing up here. Because you know how I hate getting my hands dirty if I don’t have to…”

“That’s going to be the funniest voice message I’ve ever gotten. Thanks.” RJ called out from atop a car nearby. Dai Shi hung up and smiled.

“I have to hand it to you…your fear of me just made this all easier to do. I didn’t even have to round the little bastards up myself!”

“Isn’t it nap time at the kindergarten? Shouldn’t you have a mat out with your security blanket all ready to go?” RJ taunted, sliding off the hood of the car. The remaining Rinshi charged, but he quickly handled them with a few swipes.

Fran watched intently in confusion as the Lily and Theo sat down and waited. Jarrod let go of Fran and sat her down before feeling out the wall. Giving it a few test taps to test its durability, he pulled back and smashed an open palm into it. The impact sent shocks up his arm, and he pulled back in pain. “Okay, we’re not going anywhere.” He replied while wincing.

Dai Shi fired off a quick energy blast, which RJ dodged with ease. “Ya know, there’s a reason they don’t let kids play with guns; they’re not very good shots.” RJ chided.

“Shut up!” Dai Shi shouted, firing again and aiming so far off target that RJ didn’t even have to move.

“Hey! It’s not my fault that your host’s barely out’ve training pants.”

Dai Shi growled and quickly summoned his armor, then began charging up a Rinki Shower.

“That thing again?” RJ commented, firing up his Rinki Burner.

Dai Shi laughed and quickly turned around, firing it at the dome. Jarrod, Lily, and Theo quickly jumped in front of Fran and took the shots as they slipped through the barrier. Though they amounted to only a volley of surface wounds, their blood flew out around them and splattered against the barrier as they dropped to their knees.

RJ panicked and tackled Dai Shi to the ground, then slammed his head against the ground hard enough to incapacitate him, then charged at the barrier.

“Not so fast!” Leaper hopped out in front of RJ and slashed him with a trio of long and vicious claws. The force of the blow dropped RJ to his knees, but he quickly countered with a leg sweep which knocked the Frog Rinrinshi down. He then continued his charge with his Rinki Burner activated, and his shoulder ram into the barrier successfully cracked it and set it aflame, destroying it in seconds.

His aura dropped as he knelt down in front of the quartet. “You guys gonna be okay?” They all nodded yes. “Okay. You guys bring Fran home. I’ll buy you guys all the time you need.”

“But you’re bleeding!” Fran pointed out the large gash in his chest.

“It’s just a flesh wound, Fran. So’re those, so he’s not really done anything major. Just go, right now, and stay together.” They nodded and slowly got up, then ran as fast as they could.

RJ then quickly turned his attention back to Dai Shi and Leaper. Leaper was crying into its hands, and Dai Shi quickly backhanded him. “Get going!”

“But my shiny barrier…”

“You can make another one! Stop crying!”

“If you wish, master…” Leaper sniffled and hopped high into the sky and out of sight.

Dai Shi dropped out of his armor and smiled as RJ stared him down. “You have such affection for them…it’s sickening!”

“Now I know love and affection, for you, is all about cooties at your age, but it’s really not all that bad! When you’re a big boy, you’ll understand!” RJ joked.

“Enough!” Dai Shi’s body glowed a vibrant gold. “Stop playing around! I want to see the real you! Not this fake shell!”

“I have no idea what you mean. I am who I am. Sorry I’m not the person you want me to be; I’ve really let quite a few people down with that, so just join the club.”

“You know what I mean, Wolf Master!”

“…Oh! I see what you mean.” RJ grinned. “But unfortunately, the service you’re looking for is currently out of order. Please try again later.” He smirked.

“Ugh!” Dai Shi lunged at him.

Meanwhile, the quartet sprinted down the alleyways towards Fran’s house.

“Can someone please explain what’s going on here?” Fran shouted. “Why’re those things attacking you? What’s wrong with Casey? Why do I need to be protected? I’m fine on my own!”

“To be honest, I’m not quite sure of what’s going on, either…” Jarrod replied.

“RJ must’ve known this was going to happen. These coincidences just reek of one of his countermeasures.” Theo replied.

“RJ’s been planning for this to happen…but why is it happening?” Lily asked.

Jarrod stopped and set Fran down. “He wants RJ.” The rest of the group looked back at him.

“Then we have to go save him!” Lily countered.

“No! We do what he wants us to. He wants Fran safe first, so let’s go. We’re almost there, right?” Fran nodded yes. “Then let’s finish this, then go back.”

Elsewhere…

Camille held the communicator up to her face and smiled. “I’m here.” She sat herself down in the green recliner and watched the fight play out on the screen.

“About time, dear!” Dai Shi called out, sounds of struggle matching the appearance of him being pinned on-screen.

The two vanished in a bright gold light, and Camille saw fit to kick the various TV sets down, smashing them. “Now, where to start…?”

The trio locked Fran’s doors quickly at her home. “Don’t leave until we call you, okay?” Jarrod asked.

“Alright.” Fran replied. “Just please…go help RJ.”

“No need to tell us twice!” Lily commented.

They left Fran’s house and managed to get half a block away before they hit another barrier. They turned around to spot Leaper.

“You humans are so easy to catch!” Leaper cheered, clapping its hands in joy.

“Well, you’re going to have a hell of a time keeping us in here this time!” The trio summoned up their armor and began to pound away at the barrier.

RJ caught his bearings as he and Dai Shi reached their destination. He was about two blocks down from JKP and the loft. “Welcome home!”

“Love the new location.” RJ replied, driving his elbow into Dai Shi’s chest. “There’s a little ‘thank you’.” RJ smiled widely as he charged the stunned Akugata leader.

“Chameleon Special! Needle Spray!” Needles comprised of Rinki filled her mouth, and she quickly spit them out in all directions, shattering glass, denting metal, splintering wood, and shredding cloth.

The basketball hoop came down with ease and partially embedded one of its corners in the floor, while the dining area quickly became a disaster area as shots that went through the fridge door found themselves openings for various liquids to shoot out of. Windows shattered rapidly, and the places that Theo and Jarrod once slept became holding centers for debris from the surrounding furniture and fixtures.

“Oops. Did I make a mess?” She giggled to herself.

Okay, so it’s obvious that we’re not going to break out’ve this on our own…” Theo muttered, hopelessly resting his fist against the barrier.

“Your friend may’ve been lucky, but you three will never escape without his help!” Leaper laughed.

“We’ll see about that.” Jarrod taunted. “I have a plan, so listen up.”

“What is it?” Lily asked.

“We’re obviously not doing well on our own…so how about we all strike at once?”

“How’re we going to do that?” Theo asked.

“We all summon our animal spirits to strike at once at the same point.”

“Sounds like a great idea!” Lily cheerfully replied.

“Well, it can’t hurt to try.” Theo commented. “So, lead us, Oh Mighty Leader.”

Jarrod smirked and leaned up against the back wall of the barrier, and the other two followed. “Ready when you are.”

“Spirit of the Jaguar!”

“Spirit of the Cheetah!”

“Spirit of the Lion!”

“CHARGE!”

The trio’s auras shined brightly, then as they finished their summoning poses, the auras shot out, forming a yellow cheetah, a blue jaguar, and a black and gold lion. The aura animals smashed into the barrier and began to claw and headbutt the barrier, slowly but surely cracking it.

“Almost there…” Jarrod commented in a strained tone.

“I’m losing control…” Theo commented.

“Hold in there! It’s almost gone!” Lily shouted at him.

Camille revealed a pair of sais from hidden side holsters and began spinning them about, gathering Rinki from the air around her into a ball. She used her tongue to hit the speaker button to her communicator.

“You may want to start moving this way…I’m almost done.”

“Right.” Dai Shi scrambled to his feet and began running towards the loft. RJ chased him and tackled him to the ground, but all Dai Shi could do was laugh.

“What’s so funny?” RJ asked.

“Nothing…nothing at all…”

The ball of Rinki grew large and she divided it into four separate sections, then flung the balls of energy out around the room. One flew down the west wing walkway, one rolled down into the stairwell, one clung to the wall where the TVs once nestled, and the last stuck to the back of the basketball hoop. “Done.”

The trio’s animal spirits smashed through the barrier and rocketed towards Leaper, lighting the Frog Rinrinshi up with sparks of conflicting energies. The animal spirits were quickly dissipated as Theo dropped to one knee.

“How can you two keep that up for so long…?” Theo queried.

“Stronger Body Chakra.” Jarrod answered, grinning.

“Impossible!” Leaper cried. “Not fair! How come you brats’re so hard to stop?!”

“Because we’re the good guys, that’s why!” Lily chirped.

“I’ll show you! Frog Special! Sky Stomp!” The Frog Rinrinshi leaped high into the sky and crashed down, barely giving the trio enough time to dodge it. Leaper then shot back into the air and repeated the process several more times, before the trio got sick of it.

“I got this.” Theo activated his gauntlets. “Jaguar Special! Mile-High Kick!”

Theo bounded into the air above Leaper, then began doing a bicycle kick into the Rinrinshi’s head, knocking it slowly back down to earth with every kick. After nearly three dozen kicks, he gave a heavy stomp and sent the Frog Rinrinshi careening into the grass, and leaving a dent on impact.

“Cheetah Special! Windmill Punch!” She began swinging her arm rapidly, sending out stunning waves of air as she ran towards the barely recovering Leaper. As she came within range, she slowly changed her fist’s momentum and turned the violent swing into an energy-powered uppercut which sent Leaper high into the sky and crashing back down where he was, his Seal slowly cracking.

“Damn you kids!” He began to put up a barrier around himself as he got up.

“No you don’t!” Jarrod started up his Tremor Claw special and charged while Leaper stood stunned. He smashed through the Rinrinshi and once and for all crushed it. “There. Let’s go!” The trio dropped out of their armors, then ran back towards the loft.

Dai Shi grinned and pushed RJ away and to the ground. “I’m done playing with you today. Farewell.” He grinned violently.

“What’re you so smiley about?”

“I love being a distraction.” He then teleported away.

Before RJ could put together what Dai Shi meant, a series of small explosions rocked the second floor of his building, shattering the windows that had yet to be destroyed, and collapsing the front stairwell in a fiery eruption. RJ’s eyes widened as he stared in horror at the little black flames dancing out the windows and doors and chimney.

He panicked and ran into the first floor to check on the shop.

JKP itself was nearly spotless, with the exception of things that had fallen over in the shockwave from upstairs. RJ calmed down slightly at the sight, as he hadn’t secured anything in case of an attack upon his only source of income and stress relief. The stairwell in the kitchen that led to the second floor was in shambles, and RJ found it difficult to traverse up them.

Dai Shi and Camille stood in their civilian clothes inside an empty lot that was quickly filling up with people taking pictures and filming for the local news stations.

“Wow, that blew up nicely.” Casey commented, holding his arm close to him as various sirens wailed in the distance. “Now the fun begins.”

“Time to go home?” Camille asked.

“Yup.”

“Good. I want to learn how to set this up in the lair so I can see this over and over again tonight.” Camille held up the small TV from JKP’s back kitchen. They shared a smile and quickly left.

The loft was totaled, to say the least. RJ quickly dashed around and grabbed the fire extinguisher under the sink and began putting out the small fires around the main hall that once had been places of sleep and relaxation. After putting the extinguisher away, he opened Lily’s door and saw the pair of glowing eyes glaring at him, hissing at the sight of him.

The mangy cat was still alive. Good, he wouldn’t have to replace it.

He closed the door, then walked back downstairs to the main floor. His recliner was knocked over and lightly singed, but he knew it had seen worse. He set it upright and dusted the old thing off, telling himself he’d fix it later.

He then looked around, his eyes spotting the needle-ridden fridge and making him frown. He marched back up and began rummaging through the fridge. The remains of broken bottles of soda and various condiments spilled out onto the floor and soaked his shoes. He winced and took them off, being careful to not step onto any shards of glass. While searching, he found the veggie sushi he had made for lunch sitting unharmed, shielded by the saran wrap that had originally been little more than an afterthought and had become the sushi’s savior. He took the plate out and dug into the less-damaged freezer, where his ‘special occasion’ bottle of vodka sat unharmed next to the equally undamaged tray of penguin icecubes; both gifts from those who cared about him almost too much.

He took out the bottle and stared at the date. 1977, an okay year he supposed.

He grabbed a mildly broken glass and filled the glass with the vodka, topping it with a pair of icecubes before grabbing a pair of chopsticks and setting up a small dining spot in front of the fallen basketball backboard, in full view of both loft entryways. All he could do was eat and wait.

[dragomuseveni]

wow that was absolutly amazing!!!

[DarkStarShadow]

I'm glad you enjoyed it...I feel kind've sick in regards to how I ended it. @__@ A necessary evil, however...

[GreyRanger]

Wicked chapters, i was surprised to find i'd missed TWO chapters. I love how the guys can now summon their armours, but it's done better and actually makes a lot more sense with themartial arts theme that JF shoulda focused on a bit more.
Using DaiShi's Dragon armoured form (Which in JF is Scorch?! Who the hell is DaiShi then?) was great, bringing it in early rather than waiting till the end. I was expecting the tiger suit to be the main protagonist until DaiShi figures a way to get rid of Casey (who still is in there somewhere, an interesting idea that JF is only starting to play with).
The introduction to your latets chapter, Remius and Meredith, gussing Master Swoop and another master?
Another intersting idea you've brought in of animal spirits choosing the sides they fight on, the body language/visual clues that Jarred picks up on, very predatory and fitting of his animal spirit. Keep it up :)

[DarkStarShadow]

V[]etal []_ion;2877850']Wicked chapters, i was surprised to find i'd missed TWO chapters. I love how the guys can now summon their armours, but it's done better and actually makes a lot more sense with themartial arts theme that JF shoulda focused on a bit more.

That was a pretty hard thing to retool, the morphing aspect. I'm glad you liked the way I did it, though.

Using DaiShi's Dragon armoured form (Which in JF is Scorch?! Who the hell is DaiShi then?) was great, bringing it in early rather than waiting till the end. I was expecting the tiger suit to be the main protagonist until DaiShi figures a way to get rid of Casey (who still is in there somewhere, an interesting idea that JF is only starting to play with).

I guess I'll have to do a pixel art interpretation of this just to help my own mind, too...XD. I picture it as his underarmor is that of his Tiger spandex suit, recolored gold, with his gold armor on top. But yeah, Casey does manage to shine through Dai Shi's control at various points, and subtly influences him, but Dai Shi is in full control.

The introduction to your latets chapter, Remius and Meredith, gussing Master Swoop and another master?

Ping pong! XD The blind jokes gave Swoop away too easily, I take it. Meredith is also a master, but of what is to be seen.

Another intersting idea you've brought in of animal spirits choosing the sides they fight on, the body language/visual clues that Jarred picks up on, very predatory and fitting of his animal spirit. Keep it up :)

The animal spirit thing came along when I was trying to explain to myself why some animals are good and some are evil, even though some could go either way.

As for Jarrod and body cues, I would figure that the explanation he gave to Fran as to why he's good at it made the best sense. That, and Jarrod himself is very into giving visual cues. Top it off by the fact that he's the "Body" of the team...yeah.

I would also like to let you guys know that this's the end of the first act of the fic. The next chapter will be a transitional interlude and considerably shorter than usual. ^__^ catch ya'll later.

[The 2nd Evil]

Amazing chapter. Loved the fights. Very detailed.

[Angelfox]

Love the action Shadow.. cant wait to see what's next.. but what is with the west wing??

[DarkStarShadow]

Love the action Shadow.. cant wait to see what's next.. but what is with the west wing??

The west wing of the loft is where RJ's room and the back entrance is located.

[akamaru13]

Wow, I've missed alot >.<. Anyway, still awesome Shadow! Keep it up! I don't know why, and I'm probably wrong, but i'm thinking that Meredith might be the shark master. Then again, it might just have been the wetsuit. I dunno. Anyway, awesome job, dude!

[DarkStarShadow]

Wow, I've missed alot >.<. Anyway, still awesome Shadow! Keep it up! I don't know why, and I'm probably wrong, but i'm thinking that Meredith might be the shark master. Then again, it might just have been the wetsuit. I dunno. Anyway, awesome job, dude!

Glad you're enjoying the fic. As for Meredith, it's not like you're not trying to think of her significance other than just a random person. I mean, she's hanging out with Remius...^__~.

[DarkStarShadow]

Surprised? I know I am...





~Interlude: Fork in the Road~





Thunder. The sound of thunder rumbling in the sky over shouts from inside a shell of a loft. A ruckus as cameramen and reporters swarmed like vultures around the shell and stopped behind the wall of police cars and fire trucks.

Crack. A crack to the man’s skull, what started a massive scuffle inside. He’d asked them to leave politely several times, but they touched his vodka bottle. They went in Lily’s room, his room. He told them to leave things alone, but they wouldn’t. They inspected the hell out of his recliner. Nosy pricks. He’d get them out somehow.

Six. Six officers in blue uniforms handcuffed him and dragged him out while he flailed, growled, snapped, and all but foamed at the mouth. A typical drunk, they supposed, but it wasn’t the case. No, some had a feeling it wasn’t, but what it was…

Violet. The color brightly seeped through every strand of hair on his head in a tag-team of a warning alongside the silvering eyes which nobody seemed to understand. All they knew was the drunk was psychotic and violent and began to appear more psychotic and violent by the minute. He kicked, swung, spat, growled, and tried to bite every last one them, but nobody got the hint. He didn’t like being grabbed and touched and manhandled, especially when all he wanted was a little quiet. If they just let go of him, took the handcuffs off, maybe he’d calm down and the violet and silver would fade away…

Cameras. The four of them shoved their way through the sea of them, trying to shoo them off. But none of them would listen. They were interested in the story unfolding, not of the emotional toll it would take on anyone. Vultures, they all were. She flung her sidebag at one of the cameras in anger, letting her well-known clumsiness become the scapegoat for her attempt to save him from this disaster. The other three roughly shoved their way in front of the cameras, drawing attention to themselves and their uniforms. The woman in the trio began threatening to sue for trespassing on private property, and some of them scattered. But unfortunately not all of them.

Rain. They were all getting soaked as the half-dozen officers tossed the flailing man into the back of a cruiser. The clumsy girl attempted to reconcile with them, to barter, but there was nothing she could do to save him. Not today, at least, as he was way too gone…

Smile. All the wicked dragon could do was sit upon his throne and smile. He got what he wanted and then some.

“Remy, stop flipping through the channels so quickly.” Meredith scolded as she went through her katas. “Why in the hell are you even watching TV, anyways?”

“I’m looking for something good to listen to.” Remius boredly replied, setting his chin on the back of the chair and sighing with an air of ennui.

While channel surfing, he took a few moments to take note of Meredith passing in front of him during a spin attack, waiting until she passed by the front of the screen before he continued. “Have I hit the same channel twice yet?” He asked.

“Nope. Good luck trying to. Satellite TV, over a thousand channels. At least my kids won’t have to play Scrabble when they’re bored.” Meredith commented.

“Your kids?” Remius snorted. “We losing faith in other people’s abilities to settle down all of a sudden?”

Meredith stopped and grinned. “Maybe you’re right. But while no news is good news, sometimes it’s not good at all.”

“You have little faith, dear Belle.” Remius stuck his tongue out childishly. “Now, can’t you sit and veg out with me? I’m bored and need somebody to tell me how boring the images are with the sound.”

“Fine.” She began walking over, but she suddenly stopped. The sound of metal hitting the floor and bouncing about like a pair of fish out of water couldn’t drown out the sound of sirens. Remius could hear her heart pounding profusely in her ribcage; never a good sign.

“Tell me what it is.”

Meredith stood silently, but luckily for him, the newscaster began speaking for him. “In Ocean Bluff late yesterday, a mysterious explosion rocked the upstairs residence of local ‘it’ spot, Jungle Karma Pizza…”

“Oh god…is that RJ…?” Meredith gasped. “Oh god…”

“What’s wrong?”

“It doesn’t look much like him…but I recognize that shade of violet hair anywhere…”

Remius didn’t need a further explanation. He swallowed hard and continued listening, turning up the volume.

“Authorities arrested the lone occupant of the residence after he struck an officer in a drunken rage.”

“Damn idiot.” Meredith growled slapping her palm against her face. “Great, we gotta go bail his ass outta ja-wait! Pause!”

“Which button is pause?”

She yanked the remote out of his hand and hit the pause button, her mood softly changing. “Three Order members in the crowd. Look awfully young, though.”

“Describe them.”

“All of them are probably in their early to mid-twenties. Smallest of the group is male, tan skin, blue uniform coat, looks vaguely Asian, so probably a Pacific Islander or something.”

“Heh. How short do you mean? I need a mental image.”

“Armrest.”

“Wonderful. Go on.” Remius grinned.

“Middle one is female, Caucasian, long brown wavy hair, yellow uniform coat, and a mini-skirt. When did that become regulation?”

“Since you told them you weren’t gonna wear it because it was sexist.” Remius smirked.

“Bastards.” Meredith crossed her arms.

“Go on. Tell me about the last one.”

“Tall kid, male, Caucasian, messy brown hair, black uniform coat and gold trim. He looks more like RJ than RJ does.” Meredith snorted.

“Black and gold? There’s a combination I haven’t heard in a while.”

“I know. Wanna bet on which animal he’s got?” Meredith grinned.

“Already guessing it’s a lion. They’re always black and something else. Usually red, sometimes gold, sometimes yellow, even once heard of a black and green one.”

“Green? Funky.” Meredith replied.

“Is that all?”

“Yeah…” Meredith picked up her swords and sheathed them before sitting down next to Remius. “So he’s got help there, that’s good. Very good…maybe we don’t have to bail his ass out after all.” She snorted. “But what happened…who would do this to him?”

“Dai Shi, definitely. Those attacks we’ve heard of, along with the fact that there’s Order kids out there…Dai Shi had to have escaped.”

“Then we should be on guard, waiting to be contacted.”

“I guess that means my little vacation is over.” Remius frowned.

“Hey, if all ends well, RJ will want all of us there with him, and we can hang out then…that is, if we have a place to stay.”

“With RJ? Talk about walking on pins and needles.”

“And why’s that?”

Remius sat up, moving slightly away from her. “Well, I mean…you know how territorial he gets.”

Meredith rolled her eyes. “Let him bark and snarl all he wants. It’ll be good for him to get it out’ve his system, especially after Dai Shi blew up his house.” She grinned.

“…I suppose you’re right.” Remius turned off the TV, then paused for a moment. “…Hey! Since when were you the sensitive one?”

“Ugh, since I decided to answer you with something I thought you’d say.”

“…So I’m still the sensitive one?”

“Yes, yes you are.” Meredith patted him gently on the back.

“Good. I thought I was losing my touch.” He grinned. “Alright. I’m gonna just stay here tonight, then I’ll leave in the morning. Sound okay to you?”

“Fine with me. You get the couch.”

“Ooh, futon.” He unpacked his black trenchcoat from his travel bag and flopped on the couch.

“Here.” She tossed a pillow from the chair at his head, and he caught it with ease. “Nice catch.”

“Why, thank you.” Remius grinned.

The next morning…

RJ’s eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the brightness of the room around him. His hands were pinned and locked at the wrist, and the same thing occurred with his legs at the ankles.

He sat up and gathered all that he could of his surroundings as he contorted to get his handcuffed hands out from behind him. Once he had accomplished his task, he began contemplating several things; how he got where he was, and how he was going to get out.

He felt out the handcuff’s grips on his wrists and grinned; they were tight, but not enough. A quick tucking in of his thumb and rounding up of his hand, and in one swift movement, he freed his left hand, then followed up with the right.

The ones around his ankles proved to be the difficult ones. RJ pulled his knees up to his chest and began inspecting the cuffs as best as he could. He began using the edge of the handcuffs to try and pop open the lock, but no such luck.

He looked under and around the bench he had been lying in front of, and to his surprise, saw the tip of a pen sticking out ever so slightly, as if somebody had hid it from public view.

“Thank you, random former occupant of such a small room…” RJ commented as he reached forwards and picked up the pen, popping out the ink cartridge and tip and making quick work of the locks.

He used the pen to open up the door lock, and he walked out into the hallway and got his bearings once more.

“Listen, he came in last night, six officers had to bring him in…this isn’t ringing a bell for you at all?” Fran scolded the secretary.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but nobody with the name of Randall Finn was brought in last night.”

“How about anyone who came in with a large convoy of officers?” Jarrod asked, pushing up the rim of his pinstriped newsboy cap. “Possibly sent to a holding cell for intoxicated individuals, and maybe charged with assault?”

“Lemme check…” The secretary began typing away, and Fran gave Jarrod a look. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Relax.”

“Here we go. A John Doe came in around 6:43 pm, set in an isolated drunk tank and set as a high-risk inmate for an assault on a police officer. No ID, and no fingerprints were taken. Male, Caucasian, purple and brown hair…”

“Purple and brown hair…?” Fran looked surprised.

“Well Cassie, lookit what we got here…” An officer rounded the corner, RJ’s arm in a tight grip. “The little nut’s a fricken Houdini, too.”

“RJ!” Fran shouted, her eyes lighting up.

“Well, I haven’t met a restraint I couldn’t get out of. Handcuffs are cake, especially when somebody doesn’t put them on tight enough.” RJ jovially commented.

“Regular in juvie, eh?” The officer snarked.

“Father who enjoyed giving punishments involving trees, rope, and sailor knots. Lots of sailor knots.” He looked down and gently rubbed his left wrist. He then noticed the trio and Fran waiting in front of him. “Hey! You guys didn’t need to get dressed up for me.”

“Can we just take him now?” Fran asked.

“Please. Take him.” The officer said, roughly pushing RJ towards them. “It ain’t like he’d be staying long anyways.”

“Thank you!” Fran cheerily replied, hugging the officer.

“C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Lily replied as she and Theo brought him out.

“Wait…where’re we going…?” RJ asked, giving them both a confused look.

Meanwhile…

“You know, I can get back to shore on my own.” Remius commented as Meredith untied her rowboat from the docks. The morning breeze over the ocean whipped around the lower half of his trenchcoat and Meredith’s long beach skirt.

“The wind over the surf’s a little choppy this morning, so I’ll row you back to Devil’s Cove. Then you can make your way back on your own.”

“How thoughtful of you.” Remius replied.

“Well, one of us has to do all the thinking around here, so it might as well be me.” Meredith joked, getting a slight chuckle out of Remius.

“I don’t mind, just as long as you say it all to me in small words.” He joked.

“I’ll try to, but I can’t guarantee it. Now get in the boat.”

Remius slowly got into the boat and steadied himself on the seat. “Really need to spend more time getting sea legs if I’m going to visit more than a week a year.”

“It’s your choice to only visit for a week a year. I don’t mind you visiting longer. Just drop me a line.” She sat down in the boat, then kicked the boat away from the dock and began rowing.

“Ah, I would, but Cerise would be jealous.”

“Bring her along next time. Scuttle doesn’t bite, and I’d love to make the runt a banana and starfruit parfait.”

“Oh, Cerise isn’t a runt anymore. She’s almost big enough to use as a helmet now.”

“All the more reason to visit more often with her.” She smiled. “Ah! I see Scuttle…looks like he’s bringing another present.” She slowed her rowing down as a large seagull slowly descended upon the boat. It landed in the middle of the boat, holding a plastic fork in its mouth. “Scuttle! What have I told you about the plastic ones? I told you that they were bad, didn’t I?” The seagull fluttered up and dropped the plastic utensil overboard. “Good boy.”

Remius sighed and looked down. “So I guess this’s goodbye for the time being…”

“Hey. This’s important. RJ might need our help, even with those Order kids around, so we need to be in the places where he knows we live. You need to be there, and I need to be here.”

“And if all goes well, we’ll both end up in Ocean Bluff…?”

“Or it’ll blow over and we can spend another week out here. And another, and another, and as many as you want.” Meredith smiled.

“Sounds like a plan.” Remius relaxed and leaned back, sighing. “How Balter can just sit around in the middle of nowhere like a hermit just perplexes me.”

“You’re a people person, that’s why. Like I said, you can and should visit more often if it bugs you to be out in the mountains by yourself.”

“…Thanks.” Remius smiled.

“Okay, we’re almost to Devil’s Cove. Get ready.”

Remius sighed. “Here’s to hoping everything turns out okay.”

“Same. If anything turns up, send a letter my way.”

“Same to you to.”

The boat gently glided onto the rough sand of Devil’s Cove. “Last stop.”

Remius slowly got out of the boat and smiled. “Thanks for the ride.”

“I’ll walk you up to that high cliff.” She replied, getting out of the boat.

“No need to.” Remius pulled her close and hugged her. “Just take care.”

“I always do.” She grinned and he began his walk up to the cliff.

She waited and watched as he took a running leap off the edge of the tallest cliff and soared through the air, turning north towards the mountains. She then smiled and looked over at Scuttle, who was preening himself. “Hey Scuttle. Wanna race mommy home?” Scuttle fluttered his wings and lightly leaped to the bow of the rowboat. She grinned and untied her skirt, setting it in the rowboat. “Last one to the shack’s gotta wax all the Mizunin’s surfboards!” She ran for the waves and jumped in, quickly accelerating on her way back home.

Back in Ocean Bluff…

Lily and Theo still found it necessary to walk the reasonably lifeless RJ along with them into Fran’s home. The world seemed to go by in a rushing daze for him, from the car ride over, to now.

Fran stepped in front of him as the duo left his sides and met up with Jarrod in the kitchen/dining room. “Hey.” She coyly said. “Um…your room’s still down the hall at the end. Maybe…two people have been in it since…” She noticed that he wasn’t really listening, so she stopped. “You hungry? Need a shower or something?”

“Yeah.” He replied with an empty tone. He slowly scuffed his way down the hall and into the guest room. Fran looked back to him, and the trio looked over at her, all sharing the same look of regret.

“Maybe he just needs to get a nice warm shower and a good meal in his system.” Fran replied, wishfully thinking. “Yeah, he’ll be okay.”

RJ gathered old clothes out of the closet, then grabbed a towel from the linen closet and locked the bathroom door behind him. In the shower, his mind slowly rolled back to the sounds of the night before, hazy images of violence and malice directed in all the wrong directions. RJ sighed in self-disappointment; he let go at the worst possible time, played into Dai Shi’s hand. The little bastard was probably dying of schadenfreude-induced laughter by now.

The temperature of the room rose, and RJ was quick to crank the cold water up as high as it would go. “Not today. Not again. I will remain calm and composed and I will not let my anger consume me…” He muttered in a mantra-like fashion as he rested his arm against the wall beneath the showerhead. “I will remain calm and composed as long as I must. Dai Shi will not get the best of me, because I won’t allow him to. I will remain calm and composed. To play into his hand is to allow myself to gather negative karma. I cannot allow myself to do so. I will remain calm and composed to gather good karma. Then I will have full control of myself and my actions. I will not be swayed by my anger. I will remain calm and composed…”

The temperature dropped until RJ could feel himself shivering. He took a deep breath and turned the cold water off.

He took long, drawn out breaths as he finished his shower and got dressed. None of the clothes fit right anymore, which made him feel a little out of it; he’d have to go back to the loft and get shirts and pants that weren’t a size too big later on, he supposed.

It perplexed him, the amount of preservation Fran had left everything of his in; everything he hadn’t taken to the loft had been well maintained; the king sized bed with its white and brown sheets, the origami swans they had hung from the ceiling, the nightstand and the porcelain swan lamp, and all the clothes he had forgot to take with him.

The only thing he didn’t recognize was the large birdcage near the window. He approached it and lifted the cover, revealing a pair of sparrows. They looked at him in curiosity, then hopped over the bar closest to him, as if trying to study him.

“I see you’ve met the twins.” Fran joked, leaning against the door frame. “The little one is Kiran, the bigger one is Chandra. They’re…day and night.” She softly chuckled.

“Room looks nice still.” RJ commented, setting the sheet back over the birdcage.

“Well, it’s not like I ever get visitors. Family friends all stay at mom and dad’s house, and…well, that’s pretty much it.”

“So no wild partying on Saturday nights anymore?” RJ joked, sitting down on the bed.

“Well, I only went because you wanted to go…” Fran replied. “I usually just make clothes for my nieces or read novels in the study.”

“You don’t even go out anymore…?” RJ seemed a little shocked.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I go out on my nights off. I just go to…quiet places. The library, a nice restaurant with my parents when they’re in town, or down to the coffee shop…well, actually, I go to the bookstore more often now, what with them now serving coffee and muffins there…”

“What an exciting life.” RJ replied, smiling weakly.

“So…what do you do?” Fran sat down next to him on the bed and folded her hands into her lap.

“Well, I practice yoga, meditate, watch TV, sometimes build little gadgets for around the house out’ve discarded toasters and blenders…” RJ, for a moment, was animated and acting like his normal self. Fran smiled.

“So when’re you teaching the kids about how to fight monsters? Lunch break?” RJ looked at her nervously, having turned a shade paler than usual. “Oh, ugh…I grilled your students for twenty minutes on the ride over to the precinct. I made them tell me about what happened at the mall, and they decided to fill me in on the whole monster predicament. I hope you’re not mad at them, or me…”

“No…just disappointed.” RJ replied. “I didn’t want to get you involved in this mess.”

“That’s why you called me and told me to not come in.”

“I didn’t want you getting hurt because of…well, they’ll target anyone who’s with us, and they don’t care if you can fight back or not.”

“That’s okay. You’re my best friend, and your students are great kids, and if I can help out in any way I can, I want to.”

“Well, I don’t want you to. It’s going to get very dangerous. We’re the only ones here to protect you and everyone else.”

“And that’s okay with me. Besides, what else am I gonna do? I’m gonna be too worried about you guys working without me if you won’t let me help. I’ll drive you guys to the fights, I’ll give you guys a place to stay, I’ll-” RJ put his hand over her mouth, silencing her.

“Stop. Just stop.” He gave her a serious look and slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth. “Just…I’ve got a lot of things to worry about, and your safety is one of them now. Just…let me think about it, okay?” She quietly shook her head in the affirmative. “Now, I need some sleep. Can I get some sleep?”

“Sure. I’ll call you when it’s lunch time.”

“I’ll come out when I’m done sleeping.”

“…Fair enough.” Fran smiled weakly, then slowly leaned in for an embrace. RJ lied back, causing Fran to slump over on her side in defeat.

“Have fun with the kids.”

“Yeah. Fun.” Fran deadpanned before getting up and feeding the sparrows. “Goodnight.” She deadpanned dejectedly.

“Good morning.” He replied back, curling up under the sheets.

Meanwhile, far away…

Camille walked into the throne room carrying her full tea and dinner set, Dante on her shoulder and waiting to be useful in the event. She stopped at the sight before her.

Dai Shi stood in front of his throne, the gold suspiciously dissipated from his eyes and hair, and trembling and terrified look swallowing his demeanor. His arms were wrapped around him in a manner of self-support. Once his eyes locked onto Camille, they widened, and his demeanor loosened a bit. “Hey. Hey!” He shouted hopefully, his soft and warm voice growing louder in hope. “Hurry!” The voice was most obviously the one he used during his espionage missions to JKP, when he could go on them.

Camille looked at Dante, who had nothing to say about the matter. She approached him slowly, unsure of what was going on.

“Faster.” He softly ordered, waving her closer. “I can’t quite move, so I’ll need you to come here.”

“Coming, master.” She replied, moving and twice her walking pace.

“…Hm?” He seemed confused by her use of honorifics.

She stopped over at the small dining table and set the tray to the side. She then helped Dai Shi over to his seat, but he didn’t seem to want to go. “Please, we don’t have time.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“We have to get out of here.”

“…Why?” Dante sat up and began staring at Dai Shi, inspecting him.

“I can’t explain.”

“Here, sit down and eat. Then we can talk about this. If it’s something important, just send a Rinshi or ten to do it. Now, you said that after you crushed the Wolf Master, you wanted some peace and quiet. Now we’ll have some peace and quiet over a warm meal. You have no idea how hard it was to find anything edible in this dump, let alone something your host could handle. Now sit.”

She sat him on his dining cushion and began pouring him tea. Dante grabbed the honey jar and sat it next to his cup.

“Sugar, please.” Dai Shi asked politely. Camille looked at him in wonder; he despised sugar, didn’t he?

“So, tell me what is wrong.” Camille commented, grabbing a bowl of rice for herself.

“I don’t know how, but I have to get out of here. I’ll take you with me, and we’ll be safe.”

“…Dai Shi…?” Camille asked flat out, setting her bowl down.

“That’s what I mean!” He shouted, standing up.

Camille looked down at her rice bowl and frowned. She reached her and sighed as she stood up and walked next to Dai Shi. “Forgive me.” She cracked him against the temple with the handle of her sai, then sheathed it. Her master’s body crumpled to the floor, and she gingerly began picking it up. “Dante…”

“Yes, madame?” Dante perked up and flew to her side.

“Why don’t you be a dear and go downstairs into the library and look for documents regarding the Advisors, particularly where the fights were held? Get a map and mark them down if you can when you find out.”

“Right away!” Dante replied, saluting her before flittering away.

Her attention shifted to the unconscious form of her master. “I hope this plan works.” She slowly dragged his body to his throne and sat him down, watching in a humored manner as he sat slumped. “I will say one thing in the child’s defense. He’s polite…” She briefly smiled, then sat down to eat alone, in silence.

It was night before RJ’s eyes opened again, and the light of the full moon poured in, illuminating the origami swans on the ceiling. He sighed and stared, his right hand slowly reaching up for his necklace. “I’m so…lost.” He admitted to the little swaying swans. The sparrows chirped at him, begging for attention.

He walked over to his roommates and took the sheet off the cage and humored them. Chandra flew up and clung to the cage in front of RJ’s face. “What would you like, little one? You got some advice?” Chandra chirped at him, then shimmied down towards the door. “You…wanna come out?” RJ checked the windows and doors, making sure Chandra couldn’t get far in the event that she wanted to escape. He opened the cage and Chandra flew up around the swans on the ceiling, then dropped down to his bed.

“Big fan of the birds in here, huh?” RJ commented, sitting down on the bed next to the sparrow. Chandra flew up to his shoulder and inspected his necklace, then tugged on it with her beak. “Hey, be gentle with that. I can’t replace it…and even if I could, it’s…sentimental.” Chandra chirped at him as he swatted her off the necklace, and she fluttered up amongst the swans again.

RJ supposed that he got the hint. “You think she’d know something, huh?” He asked, looking downwards at the necklace in his hand. Chandra looked at him like she had earlier in the day. “Well, it’s better than nothing.” He got up and dug out his spare metronome from his side desk and set it to its appropriate tempo. He then took the position for meditation as Chandra fluttered up to his shoulder. He closed his eyes and slowly sifted through his memories…

Around a large round table, five people sat; RJ sat across from a young girl with pigtailed brown hair who was, at the time, the same age as him. The boy who sat to her left was several years older than her, his light brown hair soaked and matted to his head and his light grey eyes staring between both RJ and the person next to him, and clothed in a vastly oversized cerulean sweater. The person to the young girl’s right was clearly much older than the rest; looking to be in his early 20’s while the majority of his tablemates were under the age of 12. His long platinum blonde hair sat pulled in a ponytail and drooping over his shoulder like a decorative piece, the only bit of glitz in his outfit that seemed to counteract his rather plain grass green tunic. The woman who sat beside RJ was by far the oldest; the senior of even the blonde by nearly a decade. Her wavy sandy brown hair sat pulled back in a bun and decorated in pure white swan feathers and her soft bluish green eyes surveyed the speakers as they spoke, which at the moment, was the younger female.

“So we found that the sandcastle was gone, and Randall got all upset about it. So we decided to build another one. Balter found the perfect spot on the beach; right near a patch of rocks that we used to build and later reinforce a moat.”

“Don’t praise me. It’s common sense.” The blonde gruffly commented, digging into the bowl of food in front of him again once he finished his sentence.

“I doubt the children would have thought to use rocks as a water barrier, Balter. That was very intelligent of you.” The woman spoke, her voice as deep and calm as her eyes. She smiled, then looked back at the girl. “Continue.”

“And then Remy went out and found the flag in the ocean.”

The soaked boy piped up. “I practiced my minor levitation skills, Madame Finn! I ran across the surface of the water and everything! But then I saw the flag and got excited and then…I fell. But I got the flag!” The young man gave a wide, cheesy grin.

“That was very kind and brave of you to put your training to the aid of your friends at the risk of self. The waves today are not forgiving ones, and you very well could have ended up out in dangerous waters.” The woman commented. “Continue, Meredith.”

“So then Randall and I got the buckets and started working as fast as we could, and we finished building before Remy got back to shore.” Meredith smiled hard, trying to look as happy as possible.

“Well, you four sound like you’ve learned a few lessons without me this morning.” The woman replied, giving a warm and natural smile, unlike Meredith’s. “You’ve learned that things that are lost and gone can be found and restored with effort, and that when you four work together, you can do much better than if you worked alone.” She smiled and stood up. “Now, eat breakfast. Everyone’s got work to do today, at their own homes, but I won’t have anyone being hungry leaving my home.” The woman slowly began humming a tune which stayed in rhythm with the metronome to RJ’s side…

RJ slowly opened his eyes and smiled. “Hm…you think so?” He asked, eyeing the bird. Chandra woke up and fluttered off his shoulder and back into the cage to preen her feathers in peace. “Oh, I see. Sleeping on the job, huh?” RJ smiled. “Well thank you, my fine feathered roommate, for relaying the message.” He got off his bed and closed the cage door behind Chandra. “If you see her or hear from her again, tell her that I’d love to hear from her again, but preferably directly.” Chandra chirped and seemed to sing to him. “Yeah, something like that.” RJ smirked.

He left the birdcage uncovered and walked over to his nightstand, opening the drawer and digging out his stationary, writing paper, and half a dozen of his spare special violet envelopes. He ran the feathered edge of his quill pen against his temple, trying to stimulate his thoughts.

The next morning…

Dai Shi awoke with a throbbing headache. He lightly touched the spot where Camille had hit him the night before and winced. He sat up slowly as Camille walked in with the breakfast tea tray.

“Camille. Get me something for this headache.” He growled, his normal voice returning. “And why are you bringing in breakfast?”

“Master, you had an…incident last night regarding your host.”

“Incident?” Dai Shi sounded unusually nervous.

“Your host had full control last night. He luckily was too petrified to do anything, but I had to incapacitate him in the swiftest fashion. Forgive me for your headache.”

“No, you did the proper thing.” Dai Shi replied, sitting up in his throne. “I will not lie; this troubles me greatly, and I wish to speak with my Advisors about ways I can…remedy this problem.”

Dante then zoomed in, holding a scroll. “Madame! Madame! I found them!”

“Perfect timing, dear Dante.” She seized the scroll as Dante zipped by and set it on the tea set. “I know exactly where they are, but you will have to sacrifice three Life Talons to return them.”

Dai Shi understood what she meant, and he grew a shade paler. “I see…I was beginning to wonder why you were the only one here…”

“Here’s a map, and the three Life Talons. Go to them, I implore you. I will even send Dante with you in case your host should take over again and decide to do something next time.”

“Right. But first, breakfast.” He got up and walked to the dining table, sitting down as Camille handed him the scroll. He untied it and looked it as Camille set the table properly.

“Who is where on this? All I see are marks noting who died where.”

Dante flew to his shoulder. “Forgive me, Master Dai Shi. The mark in high cliffs nearby is Jamaicen. The mark on the bay to the south is Fleckeri. The mark in the forest to the west is Ursarc.”

“I see. I will visit them in that order, then. But first, breakfast.” The soft smile from last night graced his face, and Camille tried her hardest to return it. “You realize that this makes you the leader of my army in my stead.”

“I will do everything as you would, master.” She smiled, bowing slightly. “If you wish to leave me specific battle plans, I will follow them to perfection.”

“That I shall do. Now, breakfast. I’m starving.”

“Sugar or honey?”

“That’s the stupidest question you could ask.” He grabbed the cup of honey and Dante was quick to help him. Camille looked away from the table and down to where Dai Shi had been standing in a daze the night before, feeling a sudden emptiness in the room.

[akamaru13]

AWESOME! and woot, I was right about Meredith :p. Anyway, I loved it, and like I said before, keep it up. I must say that I love how you're not keeping teh story close to Gekiranger's plot, like JF does. I hate it about JF, and I think that's one of the main reasons why I love this so much. Anyway, I'll definitley be sticking around till the end.

[dragomuseveni]

Idk from what i have seen of gekiranger JF isnt close, but maybe im thinking close in terms of characters, i think it would be cool if rj and theo were brothers lol, but thats not the point, i think there is certainly plot that jf isnt following from gekiranger, that being said way to make ur story origional. Akamaru i think that ur right that meredith is the shark master, but and im sure this something most of caught onto, but i think that she is RJ's sister.

[Taioh No Kami]

i loved the sentai and powesr ranger references to the colors of the various lions! great job on the story!

[GreyRanger]

Another grea chapter.
As guessed, Remy and Mary are masters, but you've given a more familial take on their relationships, making the whole Order a lot closer feeling, especially with RJ's flashback. Nice touch there.
I'm guessing RJ's rage was something to do with the werewolf syndrome that will inevitably manifest sometime down the line.
Looking forward to the next chapter :023:

[DarkStarShadow]

Whoa, four reviews. @__@. You guys're fast.

AWESOME! and woot, I was right about Meredith :p.

Akamaru i think that ur right that meredith is the shark master, but and im sure this something most of caught onto, but i think that she is RJ's sister.

^___^. Well, well...everybody's catching on about Meredith, eh...? Good.

Anyway, I loved it, and like I said before, keep it up. I must say that I love how you're not keeping teh story close to Gekiranger's plot, like JF does. I hate it about JF, and I think that's one of the main reasons why I love this so much. Anyway, I'll definitley be sticking around till the end.

Idk from what i have seen of gekiranger JF isnt close, but maybe im thinking close in terms of characters, i think it would be cool if rj and theo were brothers lol, but thats not the point, i think there is certainly plot that jf isnt following from gekiranger, that being said way to make ur story origional.

I'm actually going closer to Geki's plot by peeling out out of the JF nonsense, but also staying close to JF by latching onto some of their unique points, all while adding my own touch with things like Fran and RJ's current plot and Meredith's storyline. It's a tough job, I swear. @__@.

As for RJ and Theo being brothers for kicks....ahhhh, ow, no. There's plenty of issues with that in my story for it to even remotely work. XD Sorry.

i loved the sentai and powesr ranger references to the colors of the various lions! great job on the story!

Ah, glad you caught that! ^__^. It took me a little while to make sure I got every color that's been used in the last 16 years...XD.

V[]etal []_ion;2882244']Another grea chapter.
As guessed, Remy and Mary are masters, but you've given a more familial take on their relationships, making the whole Order a lot closer feeling, especially with RJ's flashback. Nice touch there.

I'm glad you liked that. I felt like they should all feel that way, considering who they all are. The reasoning for their closeness is actually going to be explained later on, I promise.

I'm guessing RJ's rage was something to do with the werewolf syndrome that will inevitably manifest sometime down the line.

:giggles: I personally hate spoiling people, but its appearance in this chapter was very much the tip of the iceberg in terms of its total appearances.

I thought I would deviate from canon in terms of this aspect...as reacting badly to a bad punch is a lame cop-out for something rather interesting and unique about one's character...

But I digress. I will begin writing as soon as I can get my lazy muse to start inspiring me to do so...

[miratrix rules]

wow, this turning out to be really good! i think i'm gonna subscribe!

just amazing

[Taioh No Kami]

hey dark, which Lion in Super Sentai was gold anyways?

[DarkStarShadow]

hey dark, which Lion in Super Sentai was gold anyways?

Rio/Jarrod's lion is black and gold.

[Taioh No Kami]

o i didnt know that was the one you were referring to cuz the 2nd time around you said "sometimes red, sometimes gold.." thought u were referring to another lion =)

[Silver-Ranger]

“…Fair enough.” Fran smiled weakly, then slowly leaned in for an embrace. RJ lied back, causing Fran to slump over on her side in defeat.

No offense meant but this should say laid back. Every chapter has been really good so far. But having a beta reader really helps with little errors like this.

[DarkStarShadow]

I have four beta readers, but thanks. Besides, the writing is all past tense and it's about him, so it actually works.

[GalaxyRed]

This is a nice read. Interesting that you kept some elements from Jungle Fury, but went your own way on it. I've thought since the premiere of Jungle Fury "What if it was actually Casey that took Jarrod's place as Dai Shi's host?" So, I guess, in a way, this really is just a "what if" story of the season, even though you have changed some of the characters (since Swoop, Finn and more than likely Phant, are completely different characters).

[DarkStarShadow]

To those of you thinking this was a real update, I'm sorry. Just letting you guys know that this's the last chapter that I'll be able to write on a regular basis, so I'm really putting my all into it.

I would keep my eyes open for the rest of this week, though. >__> Just saying.

Anyways, to compensate you guys, here's an excerpt from my favorite not-super-spoilery part of the chapter:




Fran quickly caught up to Armaldo, flying down streets with her horn blaring to get oncoming traffic to stop. She swerved up and rammed the Pangolin Rinrinshi with her front bumper, getting its attention.

“This isn’t going to end well…” Fran muttered grimly to herself as she pulled into oncoming traffic to cut Armaldo off. “I’m going to have so many traffic tickets…”

The Rinrinshi fumed and rammed her into a row of parked cars, peeling paint and smacking off mirrors before rolling off again. Undaunted, Fran sped up and continued the chase.

Akela growled and ran as fast as he could, knocking over onlookers. He followed the scent of Armaldo and decided to take a shortcut.

He turned the corner and ran into a small crowd of teens. “Dude! You hair’s wicked!” The ringleader shouted.

Akela gave him an odd look. “Thanks. Now move.” He pushed them out of the way and ducked into an alleyway, relying entirely on his slowly returning memory of the city’s layout.

He poked his chest as he ran and leapt over the chain link fence. “About time you joined in!” He chided as he continued on. As he predicted, he managed to catch up to them, and even ended up watching them race past. “Dammit! Wait up!”

Fran stopped the car and opened the door for him, and he grimaced as he jumped in. “Great, you’re going to have to speed to catch up.”

“Well, I’ve already wracked up at least seven points in this ride so far, what’s attracting the police’s attention now going to do?” Fran replied, pointing to the seatbelt. “Safety first.” She smiled. As soon as he was secure, she revved up the engine and peeled out in an effort to catch up to Armaldo.

“Sorry about leaving you back there.” Fran commented as she weaved around crushed cars and ones swerving to avoid both her and Armaldo.

“I don’t want you in this chase at all. You’re a puny, frail, and skittish human female; you’re not exactly a warrior.” He looked over at her. “No offense.”

“None taken. I know that I’m not cut out for this, but RJ and his students are my friends, and this is my home, and I’ll be damned if I let that little twit and his girlfriend hawk ugly monsters into my town and harass my friends!”

Akela moved away from her slightly. “…I take back my comment about you being skittish.” Fran smiled, then floored the gas as an open strip of road lay in front of them. “You’re insanely tenacious for someone who has no formal training in combat.”

“Well, I watch a lot of action movies. And horror movies. And kung-fu movies. Well, and some dramas, and the occasional chick flick, but the guys in those movies are never as cute as advertised…”

“Eyes! On road!” Akela panicked and clung to his seat as Fran swerved around a cop car which became airborne after being crushed by Armaldo.

“We have to stop this now before anyone else gets hurt or killed!”

“I completely agree! Just don’t get us crushed by those idiots!”

“I’m catching up.” Fran replied, concentrating on Armaldo.

Several cops stared at the duo as they raced past. Akela rolled down his window and stuck his head out. “Get the hell outta here!” He shouted.

“What are you doing?”

Akela pulled his head back in, grinning madly. “Telling them to leave.”

“How old are you again?”

“Old enough to taunt these idiots who can’t do a damn thing to help us. Now, eyes, on road.”

Fran sighed. “You really don’t care about anyone else other than yourself, do you?”

Akela frowned. “Hey, I’m only telling them to leave because they’re probably worse off than you.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because they’re overly arrogant and complacent in the self-made delusion that they can even help, and I’m not willing to save their sorry asses if the Rinrinshi turns around and tries to flatten them.”

“I suppose I should be flattered.”

“Hey, if they’re too stupid to move, then why should I bother?”

“Because they’re officers of the law, and they protect civilians.”

“Oh, they do such a good job at it, too.” Akela deadpanned. “It took six of them to take me down, while I was inebriated and while I’m still not at full strength. I highly doubt they could even down a Rinshi on their own.”

Fran sighed. “I’m running out of gas. You’d better have a good plan.”

“Well, I’ve tried outmuscling him, and I ended up bedridden for a day or two, I tried to outsmart him, only to get outsmarted by that lizard bitch who ruined my chair, so the only thing left is…well, to be sporadic.” He placed his hand over his lower right shoulder. “I hope my host’s absorbed enough of your crazy to come up with a good idea.”

“I can hear my car running on fumes…” Fran complained.

“Alright…” Akela sat and thought for a few moments. “Okay!” He undid his seatbelt. “Try to maintain an even distance with it, okay?”

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m gonna climb on the hood of your car, then tackle this overgrown bouncy ball into the blacktop.” He crawled out of the car and clung to the roof as he tried to stabilize himself.

“And you worry about not being crazy enough…” She muttered.

[Taioh No Kami]

whoa a car chase eh? and whats this talk of a 'host'? man cant wait to read it!

[DarkStarShadow]

whoa a car chase eh? and whats this talk of a 'host'? man cant wait to read it!

Yes, there's a car chase. The excerpt is the majority of it, though.

As for a 'host'...well, I tried to not say much...but you'll see.

And I'm glad you're excited. I have just a handful of scenes to finish.

[GreyRanger]

Nice teaser. Akela = ******, i know who he's taken over but not why. Looking forward to the chapter, shame you won't be able to continue writing regularly but i'll be here as always to read and review :)

[Nightcrawler]

Wow, this a good story. I can't believe I only just now found this thread....


>__>


<__<


*BAMF*

[DarkStarShadow]

V[]etal []_ion;2907594']Nice teaser. Akela = ******, i know who he's taken over but not why. Looking forward to the chapter, shame you won't be able to continue writing regularly but i'll be here as always to read and review :)

...Who's ******? XD. I get what you mean, though.

Yeah, it's a pain in the tits that I can't write all day...but then again, that's what a weekend is for, right?

And I'm glad that you'll stick around...who knows? This might actually speed up my process. XD.

Wow, this a good story. I can't believe I only just now found this thread....


>__>


<__<


*BAMF*

Yeah, hey you! XD.

[democable]

Nice tease my friend can't wait to see the full chapter

[DarkStarShadow]

Happy (belated) birthday, Metal Lion. ^___^. I worked hard to finish this on your birthday...but I didn't quite make it. @__@.



~Chapter Five: Strength of the Heart~





Fran knelt down, staring at the last purple envelope, feeling it call her name. Her hand slowly and shakily reached out to it, her stomach turning. She grabbed it and pulled it close; she could still feel the warmth of his body on it, and it calmed her.

She slowly opened it and found several pages written out days before, given how dry the ink was. She began to read it silently to herself.



~Long ago, on a far away island, there existed a great and mighty tribe of people, a proud warrior race with three great Chieftains, who descended from a great line of warriors. One day, the youngest Chieftain was surprised to be gifted with a son. However, the High Priest was worried about this birth, as this child was the Chieftain’s second child, and thusly, was a bad omen.

The Chieftains had long been families who bore only one child, and for any of them to have a second was a bad omen, and the child was considered bad luck for the generation in which it lived in. Thus, the Chieftain, his wife, and the other Chieftains feared that this child would be a pariah.

But something was different. Even at the boy’s birth, everyone seemed…somehow excited, despite the High Priest’s protest. In fact, they were rather excited for his arrival.

And thus the child was not cast aside as a pariah, as many children like him had been. He grew up knowing his place, but never fearing the omen the High Priest gave. Many people were cautious of him, but the Chieftains and their children treated him no differently than the three older children. In fact, it was hard to find someone who wasn’t at least interested in what he was to become in life.

However, there was an exception: the son of the elder Chieftain.

He was the oldest of the four children born to the Chieftains, and he was raised to be dogmatic and fearful of omens. The one the fourth child was to live out was too great for him to ignore, and thus he treated the boy with impunity, despite the obligation he had to keep peace between himself and the others.

As they grew older and far apart, both the boy and the eldest son severed ties entirely, despite the ever-growing obviousness that the two would one day need to work together for a common cause…~

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lily’s Mission, The Dark Forest - Day Two

Lily sighed, as she had been walking for nearly a day and a half without stopping. Why did RJ want her to meet someone whom he warned would not want to talk to her, anyways? Even if he was a member of the Order, why would he live so far out in the woods…? Secret mission, maybe?

She sighed and swatted away a bug buzzing around her head.

Through the air whizzed something near invisible, flying through Lily’s air and piercing the tree behind her. She turned back and saw an arrow, and her eyes widened as she heard the sound of a tree branch bending above and nearby.

Another arrow flew towards her from her right, and she dodged it by rolling forwards. She prepared to summon her cheetah spirit to attack long range.

“Whoever you are, you have no idea the trouble you’re in!” She shouted, facing her right.

Another shot, from behind now. She rolled to the side and fired her cheetah spirit out, hitting nothing. “Stop fighting me! I don’t even know who you are!”

An arrow flew in from her right and she rolled to face the shot. An idea hit her mind and she began to summon her animal spirit. She quickly turned around and shot it off behind her, knocking the bowman from the treetops before they fired off the next shot.

She ran over as the figure scrambled to their feet. “You’re pretty good,” The figure replied, the voice sounding like that of a riled young man around her age. “I mean, usually it take people a long time to figure that out.” He readjusted his hood, then focused on the Order insignia on her jacket.

Lily caught him staring and looked down into his hood. “Excuse me.”

“No, I’m sorry! Don’t take it like that!” He panicked. “I just…I’ve seen that logo before. Kind’ve horrible person to deal with, but he doesn’t make trouble. He your grandpa or something?”

“Grandpa…?” Lily gave the archer a strange look. “No, I was instructed to find him and deliver something to him in person.”

“So you don’t have any pies in that bag for him, huh?” He laughed and pointed at her backpack. Once he realized she wasn’t laughing, he picked up his bow and cleared his throat. “Well, if you want, I’ll be more than happy to help you and escort you to the clearing he lives in.”

“That’d be nice.”

“Alright, lemme get my compass out…” He held out a pocketwatch-sized device and faced north, then looked southeast. “This way.”

Fran’s Residence, Ocean Bluff – Day Two

RJ grabbed his Phillipshead screwdriver from between his teeth and reached behind Fran’s TV, screwing in the small device he had painstakingly recreated from the model he used on his television sets in the loft. He pulled down the protective eyewear he had managed to smuggle out of his loft and flicked on the mini flashlight on the side to give himself some ability to see what he was doing.

Fran walked in and sat a pair of plates holding sandwiches on the coffee table, then kneeled down beside RJ. “Whatcha doing?” She asked.

“Camille managed to not destroy my surveillance hub, where all the closed circuit feeds hook up, so they’re still transmitting all the camera images out on a remote frequency. We’re close enough to the hub where if I install this device to your television and turn it on, it acts exactly like the surveillance system I had in my loft, only you have to constantly loop the channels.”

“Like a giant, city-wide security camera monitor?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t know people could build stuff like this without the cops going all insane on them.” Fran replied, grinning.

“What they don’t know can’t hurt them.” RJ grinned, making Fran pale in nervousness. “Oh, don’t worry. Even if they found a camera and traced it back to the source, they’d never find out I set them there, and I hid those cameras so well, that they’d have to be looking for them to find them. Besides, it’s a very small frequency, so they’d have to have one of the devices to even pick up the transmissions.”

“You’re a real technology whiz.” Fran commented in awe.

“Ah, I get that from my better half; I used to be the one breaking all the shiny equipment, but the gift for making little gadgets and tools and whatnot’s came to me with age and my prolonged vacation here in Ocean Bluff.” He grinned.

“You genuinely amaze me in times like this.” Fran commented. “Any time something bad happens, like if I set part of the kitchen on fire, or when JKP gets a sudden influx of customers out of the blue while we’re already packed…you always know what to do.”

“My father taught me, like his father taught him and so on and so on, how to have at least five plans for everything. Unfortunately that doesn’t always help, like right now. I’m just doing everything on the fly. Now, almost done…”

The screwdriver in his hand slipped off the screw and slid into a live wire opening, sending a massive shock up through the tool and into RJ. The current shot through his body, connected with his Body Chakra and amplified, quickly freezing him up and knocking him to the ground before he could even think to drop the screwdriver.

“RJ!” Fran panicked, looming over him as he grimaced and clutched his abdomen with his free hand. She grabbed his arm, and could feel the heat radiating from underneath his sleeve. “You okay?”

“Ice. Lots of ice.” He faintly muttered, the hand holding the screwdriver finally letting it go and dropping to the floor like a dead weight. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing as Fran ran into the kitchen and opened up her freezer. She grabbed the box of Ziploc bags and began emptying her ice cube trays into them, one by one, until she was out.

She grabbed all the bags and rushed out, quickly situating the bags across stable parts of his body. The ice cubes quickly began melting as soon as they touched his body, and Fran felt completely scared. She was unsure if he was dying, or fell ill from the shock, or anything else. Did this have something to do with him being a…Pai Zhuq?...was that what they called it? She sat the last ice cube bag on his forehead and sighed deeply, noticing that the roots of his hair and then some had turned an almost electric purple, and it seemed to be oozing down every strand of hair like morning dew off a leaf. She leaned back slightly, a slight fear filling her.

Dai Shi’s Mission, Grey Mountains – Day Two

“The air is growing cold, Master Dai Shi…” Dante shivered on Dai Shi’s shoulder as they continued up to the peak of the mountain where Jamaicen, the Sky Terror, last fought. “My wings are freezing, and it’s getting harder to breathe…”

“How do you think I feel? This armor is skin tight, and my host is shivering like a hairless mutt!” Dai Shi grumbled.

“Well, Madame Camille packed you a bag…may I at least stay in there until I am needed?”

“Fine, but be quiet.”

Dante slowly crawled down and began opening the bag. A tuft of black fur popped out, shocking him. “Ahhh! What is this?”

“Hm?” Dai Shi set the bag down, then began pulling the black fur out, revealing a heavy black fur coat.

“How thoughtful of Madame Camille!” Dante commented.

“Well, she knew I was going into the mountains for a period of time. It’s common sense.” Dai Shi replied, quickly pulling the coat on. Dante crawled into the bag, and the two of them continued on up the winding and rocky path.

As they approached the summit, Dai Shi was shocked to find a giant crater in the side of it. He slowly made his way down the hill, sliding ever so gently down until he saw something he recognized. He turned pale as he approached the outline of Jamaicen’s hawk motif faceplate.

“My poor Jamaicen…what did those ungrateful traitors do to you…?” Dai Shi ran his fingers over the cold granite that had molded itself over the mask. “These traitors and their hosts will pay…” He took a Life Talon from his bag and plunged it into the granite covering Jamaicen’s chest.

The granite responded, sucking the talon in and turning brown. The tunic-length hauberk beneath the bronze chestplate turned a midnight blue, while the wide wings that were attached to the chestplate turned brown, and the tassets and greaves turned a pale yellow. The helmet was highly elaborate and completely covered the face, looking more like it was a natural part of his face than anything. The eyes opened wide, revealing a pair of bright yellow eyes, devoid of whites or veins, or anything else other than the cold and piercing yellow glare.

The Hawk Style beast sat up and got to its feet, then looked over at Dai Shi and scowled. “Who are you?”

“Forgive my appearance, dear Jamaicen. I was gravely wounded during the last war, and have to rely on this pitiful host for the time being.” Dai Shi replied.

“…Dai Shi…? I feel your aura within that pathetic shell…” Jamaicen reached out slightly and placed his hand on Dai Shi’s shoulder. “Yes, it is you.” Jamaicen laughed. “They sent their four best and still couldn’t destroy you! I’m not surprised at all.”

Dai Shi grinned. “The traitors couldn’t even finish what they started. How pathetic.”

“Well, I thank you for returning me to life. What is it that you need of me?”

“I have two problems at the moment, but one is a great importance.”

“And the other?”

“It is the obvious; a few Pai Zhuq have been impeding my plans. Stubborn and crafty little ones, at that. But I’ve routed them well enough to allow me time to come and revive you.”

“I see.” Jamaicen closed his eyes and spread his wings as he gathered a ball of Rinki. He then leapt into the air and fired off a spiraling blast into the side of the mountain. A few moments of silence, then a pair of matching blasts shook the mountain, and out flew a pair of strange looking beasts. They both landed in front of Dai Shi, and he began studying them.

One was white and had a rather angelic appearance that matched well with its crane motif, bearing a fanciful outstretched wing on its right side. It spun a pair of batons around with great precision, then pointed one at Dai Shi. “And just who are you?” It asked in a rather melodic voice.

The other was black and looked like death embodied, which made Dai Shi shiver a bit. Its crow motif fit it perfectly in his mind, and the large broadsword it bore seemed greatly appropriate. The long tendril-like feathers making up its left shoulder wing shivered as it moved. “Do we kill this one?” It asked in a shrill voice as it held the broadsword up at Dai Shi.

“No. Your mission is elsewhere. There are Pai Zhuq alive within several hundred miles of this location. Seek them out and destroy all of them.” Jamaicen ordered as he dropped down between them.

“Roger!” The Crow Rinrinshi turned to Jamaicen and bowed, revealing that he had no Akugata Seal on his back. “As you wish, master.” The Crane Rinrinshi mirrored the movements of his partner, and had no Seal on him as well. They both leapt into the air in search of their targets.

“That’s settled. Now, tell me of this other problem.” Jamaicen sat his hand on Dai Shi’s shoulder. “I see you’ve been gravely injured. Shall I repair it for you?”

“Please.” Dai Shi replied. “I have no need for healing skills, and Camille didn’t learn any because she doesn’t believe in them. You can see why I’m suffering so.”

“Indeed.” Jamaicen plucked a feather from his plumage and began summoning a light brown aura around it. “Now, as I heal, explain your problems.”

“My host has…become rather unreasonable. It may be that I have no experience possessing a host, but his outbursts have compromised many of my plans. See, this body belongs to a Pai Zhuq student, a weak one, but one nonetheless. He protests the torture of his brothers in arms, and constantly tries to overpower me.” He clenched his right fist in anger as Jamaicen began healing it by running the aura-laden feather over it slowly.

“You anger will only fuel your host’s fire, Master Dai Shi.” Jamaicen advised. “If you are having the difficulty maintaining him that you speak of, you mustn’t give him any leverage.”

“Indeed. I shall remain calm.” Dai Shi replied. “I came to find you to see if you knew of any way to remedy this situation.”

“Believe it or not, I do.” Jamaicen looked up at Dai Shi. “I propose that we make him hate his supposed allies and trust your decision to destroy them.”

“How do we go about doing that?”

“I shall mediate him in the same manner I mediate all my…humans. Demoralizing him, breaking him down, and instilling in him a need to destroy them out of a belief in a grand betrayal…” Jamaicen sighed happily. “Ah, I miss the old days when this used to be what I’d do over breakfast.”

Dai Shi grinned as Jamaicen slowly finished up healing his arm. “That sounds rather promising. What must I do to help?”

“Let him take control again, so I can talk to the boy directly. Then I shall let you know when to take back over with a keyword. You’ll know it when you hear it.”

“Sounds like a plan. Once you’re done, we can begin.” Dai Shi replied.

Lily’s Mission, The Dark Forest – Day Two

“We’re almost at the clearing.” The bowman commented. “I wish you good luck. You’ll need it.”

“…Um, thanks?” Lily smiled weakly, trying not to nervously laugh. She began making her way into the clearing and turned to thank the bowman for his help in finding the place, but before she could he was gone. She sighed and turned back towards the center of the clearing.

The first thing Lily noticed was the unusually high amount of unnaturally broken boulders around the entrance to the clearing. She saw a rickety shack far back, and decided that the man RJ sent her to must live there. She mentally frowned, finding it depressing that a Pai Zhuq master resided in such a dilapidated and gloomy wooden hut; once she had given the letter she was to deliver to him, she decided that she would help him reorganize the place.

A rustling rang out through the branches, much like her previous ambush from the bowman. She ducked just as a heavy iron ball no bigger than her head sailed past her and smashed into the tree behind her. She rolled to her left and held up her arms in surrender. “I come in peace!” She shouted as the ball and chain quickly shot back to its origin.

“What do you want?” A gruff voice called out. Well, if this was him, he certainly sounded much older than her.

“I’ve been sent by my master to deliver a letter to you! It’s rather important.” Lily replied back loudly, slowly standing up.

“Master Mao?” The voice called out.

“No, Master Randall Finn.” Lily brushed herself off and smiled as she began digging through her backpack.

“Oh.” The voice flatly replied. “What does that hoodlum want?”

Lily seemed confused at the animosity in his tone. She had always assumed that all Pai Zhuq masters were friendly to each other, but she now stood corrected. “Here. I don’t know what’s in the letter, but he wanted you to read it.” She replied, holding out the purple envelope and approaching the figure slowly.

She mentally giggled, supposing that he very well could be her grandfather, by the looks of it; however, the middle-aged man stood tall, and seemed to exude a vitality that didn’t quite match his actual age. The real indicator of his age was his long silver hair, which was pulled back in a ponytail.

Lily observed his attire, as it seemed rather unusual for a Pai Zhuq master. He wore a long sleeved black turtleneck, over which a forest green tunic sat, his master logo sewn in where the Order’s claw logo usually was. His uniform pants, on the other hand, were a bright lime green; very much unlike the uniform pants that Jarrod and Theo wore. However, his shoes looked like the same kind the boys wore, only the mesh vents on the sides were dyed forest green, rather than left black.

His dark brown eyes were filled with contempt and a wish for her to leave as he snatched the letter from her grasp.

“Come.” He ordered as he turned back towards the shack. “You came out here, so I might as well feed you. Last thing I need is you going back to the brat and complaining that I didn’t feed you after you took so long to get here.” He muttered.

“It’s okay. I packed extra food for the trip.” Lily replied, trying to not make him more agitated.

“Well, at least you’re smarter than you look.” He griped as they approached the shack.

She knew she wasn’t the smartest student Pai Zhuq ever had, but he didn’t need to rub it in.

The inside of the shack was only relatively better looking than the outside, which wasn’t saying much overall. A single room hut, with a half-wall dividing the bedroom from the kitchen/living room, all filled with hand-carved oak furniture. She frowned, as a bathroom was nowhere in sight, and that usually meant that there was an outhouse in these sorts of situations. Several well-placed candles illuminated the entire shack, including one sitting dead center on a side table next to a lounge chair that the master sat himself down in.

“Sit.” He ordered, pointing to the floor in front of him. Lily took off her backpack and rested it in her lap as she sat down. He opened the letter and read it slowly, huffing every once in a while to vent over the contents. His eyes widened for a moment, and he looked to Lily. “So, somebody was stupid enough to free Dai Shi from his prison, eh?”

“Yeah, unfortunately.” Lily replied, sighing as she wondered how Casey was faring at the moment.

He continued reading, then suddenly stood up in anger and huffed. “He must truly be testing my patience!” The master bellowed, thrusting the letter back to her. She took it and read it over.

Dear Balder,

I know you hate being bothered, but I’m sending you this letter only out of necessity. As you may or may not know, Dai Shi has been released from his prison, and things haven’t been going so well in my efforts to hold back his attacks. You know I wouldn’t ask anything of you unless I had to. Right now, I need your help. I’ve sent you one of my finest students, in hopes that you can teach her some of your techniques to help us in our effort to defeat Dai Shi and his minions.

Please teach her. I beg of you. Teach her, then send her back. That’s all I ask.

“He knows that I will not teach a woman any of my family’s techniques, especially a student of his!” The master bellowed.

“But he needs your help! Aren’t you going to help him?”

“Help him? He can’t do the job himself? He’s really let himself go in his little self-righteous exile if he can’t fight a bunch of pathetic minions on his own.”

“Right now, he’s risking his life protecting an entire city while we’re away trying to get help from you and whatever other masters there are left. Don’t you care?”

“Ha. I don’t, in fact. I have my reasons.” He crossed his arms.

“They blew up his house. They tried to kill us to hurt him. He really needs our help. Please…I’m a quick learner, and I’ll do whatever it takes to succeed.”

He looked down at her and grinned. “No wonder RJ places so much faith in you to send you here; he knows how hard you’ll beg. He must like that quality out of you the most.” He bent slightly at the knees and shortened the distance between their faces. “I will teach you one technique. Just one, one that even a little girl like you could handle. I will teach you basic combat with my family’s weapon. Then I will send you home to that little mongrel and you can show him everything he wanted to see you get to. Got it?”

“Fine.”

“You start now. Go clean the yard.”

Fran’s Residence, Ocean Bluff – Day Two

It had been nearly four hours since RJ had passed out on the living room floor, and while Fran was worried for his health, if he was still breathing and his heart was still going, she didn’t worry much. He appeared to be little more than sleeping the shock off at this point, anyways. For better or for worse, she needed to get things done, and they preoccupied her mind while RJ was out cold.

She finished her shower and grabbed her glasses when a loud crash erupted from the kitchen. Fran stood still and listened harder, and a softer crash filled the air, followed by a loud and angry growl. She grabbed her bathrobe and slippers and made her way out to the kitchen.

There RJ stood, rummaging through the fridge like a madman, his hair still the almost toxic-looking purple it had turned earlier. He growled as it was obvious that he didn’t find what he was looking for. He slammed the fridge so hard, it shook slightly.

“Hey! Go easy on my appliances, unless you wanna buy me new ones!” She scolded. The shout caught RJ’s attention, and he spun around on his heel and focused his mercury-colored eyes on her.

Fran became slightly shocked by his demeanor; obviously the shock had knocked something loose, and not only had his eyes and hair changed colors, but he had suddenly turned feral, and even the look of ferociousness in his eyes reflected it. The way he stood was slightly different, as now he stood hunched over and looking ready to charge at her, rather than standing up tall and minorly imposing as usual.

RJ gave a look of intrigue as he cocked his head to the side, studying her as if he had no clue who she was.

“…What?”

“Why’s there nothing to eat?” He asked, his voice sounding incredibly strange. She could hear RJ’s voice, but another voice registered in her ears as well, sounding like an echo of a much deeper, feral voice.

“I have yogurts, and juice, and some hummus and things in there…”

“No steaks. No pork. Not even a drumstick.”

Fran gave him a disgusted look. “Well, duh. I’m a vegetarian. Hell, I’d be a vegan if I didn’t have your pizzas for lunch at work.”

He looked confused, and once again cocked his head to the side, blinking as if trying to divine a rational answer as to what she meant.

“You know…at JKP? Where you and I work? That you and I co-own…?” He kept the same look, letting her know that she wasn’t getting through to him. “…Did that shock fry your brain or something?”

“No, it woke me up. Now I’m starved.”

“Well, I’ll cook you something you might like.”

“If it’s not dead, I don’t want it.” RJ replied, moving as Fran walked to the fridge.

“I’ll make you something better.” She replied, pulling out a tray of wrapped Portobello mushrooms. RJ eyed them, and Fran noticed. “So you like those, huh?”

“Had them with Salisbury steak. They’re passable.”

“Well, I can make you something that’ll make you forget about Salisbury steak.”

“…I dare you.” Fran grinned.

“Sit at the table. Grab a drink and watch me work my magic.”

RJ grabbed a bottle of hard lemonade from the fridge door and sat down in a rather arrogant manner; he kicked his left leg up onto the table and lounged in the chair, watching her in intrigue.

Fran grabbed several more vegetables and got a groan from her audience. “Hey now, shush. You wanna do this?” He scowled and opened the bottle, taking a long sip from the bottle. “I thought so.”

“You’re not afraid of me…” RJ commented after a few moments of silence.

“Of course I’m not. Why should I be?”

RJ laughed, the echo making him sound sinister. “You don’t know who I am?” He looked away. “Heh. Obviously not.”

Fran looked over at him, stopping her chopping for the moment. “Well, you’re obviously not RJ…so who are you?”

He grinned. “I am the great Violet Wolf. My host calls me Akela, and you may as well.”

"Host…? You mean RJ?"

"Yes." He grinned, looking a little sinister before he took another drink.

"So…what are you?" Fran asked, feeling confused as she continue chopping up an Anaheim pepper on her chopping board.

“I am the greatest animal spirit to grace this planet,” He replied, sounding annoyed at her lack of recognition. “not even Dai Shi was as strong as me in the last great war!” He grinned.

“Well, Dai Shi’s really been outsmarting you lately, so I’m not so sure you can brag about that.”

“Huh?” Akela sat up, looking confused. “What do you mean?” He looked to the side and tried to think. “Should this be something my host should know…?”

“Um, yeah. He blew up your host’s house less than a week ago.”

Akela gave a look suggesting that he was having trouble remembering. “Something’s happened…typically I can remember these things if my host does…”

“Well, he got knocked out by a nasty shock from my TV set earlier…maybe that messed it up?”

“Oh, no wonder I woke up…” Akela sat up straight and pondered. “Must have been one hell of a shock if it took him out…” He took a long drink. “I’m sure if I sit back and let my host’s body recover, his memory will pan out and I’ll remember why it is that I don’t feel like killing you…other than the fact that you have booze in your fridge and I dared you to make me a vegetarian dish I won’t vomit up later.”

“My name’s Fran. Fran Lovelli. Does that ring a bell?”

“Mmm…no. Well…no.” He took another drink. “This drink tastes better than it looks. Very nice. The food better be good, too.”

“I aim to please.” Fran smiled.

“I can see why my host keeps you around, Miss Fran Lovelli…you’re very pleasant and unafraid of me.” He tipped back the bottle and set it down. “You’re like some sort of odd, previously hidden combination.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“That was a compliment. I don’t give those, ya know.”

“I can tell. You don’t seem the type…” Fran gave a weak smile. “RJ used to never say anything nice to anyone for a while, too…”

“It’s hard to give what you don’t get.” Akela replied, grabbing another hard lemonade from the fridge. “I’m beginning to believe he shut me out and came out here to get a damn compliment for once.” He laughed as he gently closed the fridge, then walked over to Fran’s side and inspected what she was doing. “Hmph.”

“Go sit down.” She eyed him warily, and he got the hint.

“You’re lucky you have these,” He replied, holding up the bottle in his hand. “and that you’re a woman. Otherwise I would’ve killed you so quickly, your heart wouldn’t have known to stop beating.” He marched over to the table and opened the bottle while sitting down and kicking his feet up on the table.

Dai Shi’s Throne Room – Day Two

Camille looked around the near empty room, the cold darkness enveloping her. Not even Dante was around for her to bark at, and the silence was slowly driving her mad.

The doors flung open, and in marched a large creature that looked like a bipedal spike-shelled armadillo, but upon closer observation was obviously a pangolin creature.

“Armaldo! What a surprise!” Camille sat up in the throne, looking as shocked as she sounded.

“I mean no rudeness, General Camille, but some of the other Rinrinshi have been wondering why we have not been called to crush the human fort while the defenders are gone.”

“I haven’t given the order yet, and that’s all you should know.” Camille snapped.

“Well, I offer my services to you, General Camille! Make me useful! I can’t take it anymore!” Armaldo commented, throwing a small fit.

“Fine! Steamroll the city for all I care!” She waved the Pangolin Rinrinshi out. “Take some Rinshi with you!”

“As you command, General Camille!” Armaldo replied, saluting her.

As Armaldo left, Camille curled up in the throne, feeling even colder and lonelier than usual.

Fran’s Residence, Ocean Bluff – Day Two

“What’s taking so long?” Akela growled.

“Give me a few more minutes.” Fran replied. “You’re rather impatient.”

“Patience is a virtue I do not possess, for time is of the essence, and essences are like spirits, which’re horrible things to waste.” Akela grinned and chugged the remains of the seventh bottle in the ever-growing collection in front of him. He blinked a few times in astonishment of his own dialogue. “When did I start talking like a fortune cookie?”

Fran smiled. “It’s something RJ does from time to time.”

“Ugh, great. Well, that’s good news and bad news at once.”

“Howso?” Fran asked, grabbing a pair of plates from the cabinet in preparation to serve the meal.

“Well, it’s good because this means his other Chakras are slowly turning back on, so to speak, and they’re not permanently damaged. The bad news is that I’m going to have to deal with our personalities clashing for as long as I’m still in control.” He frowned. “I hope the dialogue is the worst thing that happens to me; if you’re any indication of how unlike my host I’ve become, I’ll be an herbivore, hugging sheep while wearing a poncho and sandals.” He muttered.

“So you think vegetarians wear ponchos and hug sheep?”

“I’d imagine so. I mean, it’s a poncho. What reasonable person outside of Central and South America wears one of those things?” Fran gave him a mildly irritated look, then began loading the food on the plates. “What? What did I say wrong?”

“…I own a poncho.” Fran replied coldly, driving a fork directly through the food meant for Akela.

“Ooh, you’re angry. I think you’re cute when you’re angry.” He gave a sly half smile as Fran walked over and nearly slammed the plate down in front of him.

“Why don’t you just…pass control back over to RJ, if you don’t want your personalities to clash?”

“That’s the thing. I can’t manually do that like the rest of my kin. My host has to assert control himself. I can only hope his timing isn’t horrible.”

“…Oh. I see.” Fran waited for Akela to take a bite. “Try it.” Akela made a noise of displeasure as he eyed it and sniffed it. “Stop inspecting the damn thing and eat it!”

“Have I mentioned that you’re cute when you’re angry…?” He replied, grabbing the fork. Fran frowned slightly, realizing that he was only doing it to make her angry.

“Yeah, well, my blood pressure isn’t cute when I’m angry, and unless you wanna drag my ass to the hospital, I’d suggest you not do that to me too often.”

“Heart problems?”

“No, just a little overstressed. Not that any of you Pai Zhuq guys help it any.”

Akela looked to the side, looking a bit…uncharacteristically hurt. “…Sorry.”

“It’s alright. Just try the food.” She smiled. He dug into the molded mass of what appeared to be marinated Portobello mushrooms and peppers, then took a bite. After a few pensive bites, he swallowed and looked up at her. “So…?”

“I don’t hate it.” He replied, before voraciously diving into it again with his fork. Fran smiled.

“Good.”

She watched him down the meal, then find his way to the bathroom to take a shower. After nearly an hour, he walked out looking rather miserable and with his towel wrapped around his head in the manner that Fran herself usually had it.

“What’s wrong?”

“My host is a wreck.” Akela muttered. “Can’t leave him alone for three minutes; he looks like a prisoner of war, all stringy and scruffy and whatnot.” He looked back at Fran with a perturbed look. “It’s not hard to keep neat and orderly, is it?”

“Hey, it’s his style, and I’m not his keeper.” Fran replied, waving it off.

“Now, where do I go for clothes?”

“RJ’s room is down the hall, door is dead center.”

“Got ya.”

Twenty minutes later, Akela marched out in a purple-striped grey long sleeve polo shirt and a pair of the least worn out jeans RJ owned, which meant that the material around the heels was worn away and frayed, and the knees were right behind them.

“Ugh, he even dresses like a captive.” Akela griped.

Fran giggled slightly; RJ did have a tendency to dress even more unusually than she did. “You may wanna put on at least a pair of socks, if not shoes. There’s still a lot of glass left around.”

“Around where?”

“…The loft?” Fran replied, suddenly remembering that if it was current, Akela wouldn’t know about it. “Oh, RJ’s place. The windows got blown out, and there’s glass everywhere. I’ve been calling my Uncle Seth to see if him and his construction buddies can’t fix up the place. Right now, RJ and I have been cleaning it up and keeping the cops away.”

“Cops? You mean the idiots I smacked around?”

“Yes, those idiots.” Fran frowned. “You got RJ arrested and sent to jail, ya know.”

“But I got them out of the house, didn’t I?” Akela grinned widely. “Casualties of war, little girl.”

“War? The cops are on our side!”

“…They are?” Akela looked confused.

“Yes! They want to protect the city, too! They went there to see what happened and to make sure everyone who may have been inside were okay!”

“Oh! Alright. I will remember that.” Akela replied. “So…what are we doing in this…loft…today?”

“We’re gonna get the poor battered fridge outta there, and I’m gonna fix up the recliner.”

“My chair? What did that brat do to my chair?” Akela’s eye twitched.

“Mostly tore up upholstery. I’m gonna sew some patches up in it, if you don’t mind.”

Akela began to process it in his mind, then looked at her in a stern manner. “Just be delicate. That is one of the very few possessions I cherish. That is everything to me.”

“It took forever for me to find matching fabric to reupholster it with, so feel lucky.” She held up a package filled with scraps.

“You’re such a helpful and giving little girl.” Akela commented, putting RJ’s sneakers on.

“I try.” Fran smiled.

Dai Shi’s Mission, Grey Mountains – Day Two

Casey’s eyes fluttered open and panicked as his brain registered that he was in a mountain range. He sat up and clung to the black fur cloak around him and shivered.

“Where am I…?” He looked around, shivering from panic and worry.

He inched slowly towards the fire nearby and warmed himself. He heard footsteps ring out, and he froze.

“Feeling better?” Jamaicen asked, approaching slowly. Casey saw Jamaicen and began clawing his way in the opposite direction. “Wait! It’s okay!” He called out, reaching out to Casey. “I mean you no harm, child.”

Casey eyed him warily; the burning sensation he had felt several times before was growing steadier as Jamaicen approached, and it only meant trouble.

“Go away!” Casey cried out, his voice breaking in his terror.

“Be calm! I mean you no harm, child. The lack of oxygen up here must be disorienting; forgive me for bringing you here, but it’s safe here for the time being.” Jamaicen pulled away, then sat down crosslegged where he stood. “I will sit here, and you can stay there, and I promise that I will not move closer until you want me to.”

“Where am I? How did I get here? Am I free?” Casey’s eyes lit up as he spoke the last question.

Dante peered through a hole in the bag nearby and listened in, hearing that Casey’s voice was spoken without an echo, and therefore spoken without Dai Shi’s control.

“You are in the Grey Mountains, boy, and I brought you here when I found you broken and cold out on the cliffs. Now, your last question is intriguing; it depends on what you mean by ‘free’.”

“Is Dai Shi gone? Am I far from the temple?”

“You are far from the temple, but Dai Shi is ever truly gone.”

Casey’s cheer washed away from his visage as he gingerly cradled his abdomen with his right arm, then realizing that it was no longer broken like it had been the last time he could remember being awake.

“My arm…”

“It was broken badly; I almost didn’t think I’d be able to fix it, but I managed to do a decent job, I suppose. How does it feel?”

Casey moved his arm slowly around, checking the joints in his fingers and his elbow. Everything felt like nothing had ever happened. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“It’s a shame I found you in the condition I did; if you don’t mind, would you tell me what happened to you?”

“Well, I’m a student from the Pai Zhuq Academy-”

“You’re a Pai Zhuq? What are you doing in Dai Shi’s temple…?”

“There was an accident, and Dai Shi got released and took over my body after he captured me and this girl, and…have you seen her, too?”

Dante blinked in wonder; did Casey believe that Camille was a fellow captive of Dai Shi? Did he…care about her well-being? He hardly knew her, after all. Didn’t he remember her setting him up for Dai Shi’s possession? Even if he didn’t, didn’t he find suspicion in her actions from the other night? The human was a strange child, indeed.

“I’ve only seen you.”

“I have to go back, even if Dai Shi captures me again!” Casey stood up. “He’s using her as his slave; I can’t let him do that to her!”

“Child, calm yourself. You’re still weak, and you seem a bit tired. Are you also hungry?”

Casey sat down, feeling dizzy. “What’s the point of escaping if people are still suffering while I’m not?”

“There are casualties in war, boy. Now lie down and relax. Breathe a little…”

Casey couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps, this strange creature was right. He ignored his Body Chakra’s desire to stay awake and lied back, trying to breathe the thin air. Slowly, gold streaks ran through his hair and his eyes shot open after a few minutes. “Did it work?” Dai Shi queried.

“I’m afraid that I must gain the boy’s trust first; he’s very wary of me, and for good reason.” Jamaicen laughed softly. “He is too concerned with a female captive for me to handle.”

“Female captive…?” He thought for a moment, then laughed. “He must think my head general, Camille, has been captured as well. What a stupid child.”

“Well, I do not think I will be able to continue today; the boy needs to calm down, and I believe I need to think of better ways to work my magic. I have gotten rusty.”

“That I understand. It’s been five millennia, after all. Work quickly. I want you to try again tomorrow.”

“As you desire.” Jamaicen stood up and bowed.

Ocean Bluff, outside Jungle Karma Pizza – Day Two

“So Dai Shi has returned, and he blew up my host’s house…so he knows I’m here, and he sent off all his students to get help and now we’re the only two in town who know what’s going on?” Akela asked.

“Pretty much.” She replied, opening the door to escape the heat. Even the air conditioner couldn’t properly counter the heat RJ’s body was giving off. “What’s with all that heat?” She asked. “Can’t you stop that?”

“No; my brightly burning aura cannot be confined by such a frail body. I suppose my host figured that since he locked me off with such a prisoner-style life of tree-hugging madness, he wouldn’t need to do any further upkeep of his strength.”

“Oh. Sorry I asked.” Fran replied, crossing her arms and feeling a little bad for asking.

They walked into the loft, and Akela was overcome by the smells of carnage. “Ugh, all this Rinki…” He muttered. “And a…lizard? No, chameleon.”

“How can you tell?” Fran asked, grabbing the broom for him.

“The smells are distinct. The auras never change. I’ve felt and smelled them before, girl.” He looked over at her, taking the broom from her. “I’ve lived a lot longer than you, remember.”

“How old are you, exactly?” Fran asked, finding the sewing kit in the damaged medical supplies armoire.

“I’ve forgotten, to be honest. But I’ve been around a lot longer than the Order of the Claw has, and that’s been around since the last great war, so at least five millennia…”

Fran looked over at Akela. “Wow.”

“Heh, yeah. Unfortunately, the war’s left me wounded, and I can only take a host every few generations, unlike my kin. Kinda sad, because I like it here, despite the stigma.”

Fran knelt down beside the recliner and began to line up the fabric scraps with the grain of the original fabric. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? And why a stigma? You may be a bit of a pompous jerk, but I’ve met worse people than you at my family reunions.”

“I was wounded in the battle against Dai Shi…it’s something that will not heal, I suppose. It limits me greatly, but it won’t stop me from fighting that overgrown lizard. As for the stigma…my host’s persona has greatly stunted my natural ferocity; I’m not naturally inclined to be so calm. However, my host’s reaction to your serene nature has transferred to me, so I feel unusually calm. I’m on good behavior, for your sake.” He made a face. “I smell cats. Four of them.”

“Four?”

“Lion, jaguar, cheetah, and a house cat.”

“That would be…I think Jarrod, Theo, Lily, and Nitza, respectively.”

“My host’s students are cats? Ugh.” Akela frowned.

“Well, Nitza is an actual cat. She lives in Lily’s room.”

“…Oh.”

“I’ll check on her. You just…sweep the floor.”

“Fine.”

In the next few hours, Akela and Fran fixed the recliner, moved the fridge into the dumpster, swept up and mopped the floors down, and cleared up most of the debris. Akela made a vow to walk back to Fran’s house to avoid having to hear her gripe about him cancelling out her AC.

She drove alongside him as he walked fast along the edge of the sidewalk, but halfway back to her home, Akela stopped and appeared to sniff the air.

Fran rolled down the window. “What’s wrong?”

“…A pangolin…?” He muttered, turning to face towards Fran, but looking down the road to her left. “I smell a pangolin. That way. It went that way, I’m sure of it. Go home, I’ll deal with this.” He leapt over the top of her car, then into oncoming traffic and down the opposite street.

“…What’s a pangolin?” Fran commented to herself as she continued driving home as instructed.

Akela dashed down the sidewalks, nearly knocking people over on his way down to the park. The ground began to rumble and Akela turned to face the source. Armaldo, who was curled into a ball and rolling straight for him, tore up the turf and caused those who were in the park to scatter. Akela’s eyes widened and he ran at Armaldo, gaining speed before leaping straight over the top of him. In a fit of shocked anger, Pangolin Rinrinshi started turning around to chase after Akela.

Akela stood up and turned around, then started channeling his energy to his left forearm while taking a position meant to stabilize himself in the event of an impact. After a few seconds, a ring of violet flames engulfed his forearm, which made him grin as Armaldo rolled up towards him.

Akela then focused the power of all his weight behind a left hook, his hand opening up as if to clamp down on Armaldo. With little effort, Akela’s hand and lower arm plunged down beneath Armaldo’s spiky armored hide without so much as a scratch, and burned its internal structure badly.

Akela frowned as he realized that he hadn’t struck its Seal, but then again, it was impossible to tell where the seal was underneath its shell, or even where he had struck the creature. He drew back, feeling a little exhausted from the failed effort of a one-hit termination. Armaldo rolled back a dozen or so feet before unraveling, revealing that Akela had struck it in the lower back.

Akela held his hand up in front of his face. “My host’s really grown weak…that shouldn’t have worn me down this much…”

“That stung, you little human!” Armaldo complained. “I’ll get you for that!” Armaldo charged uneasily on foot towards Akela, and although weakened, the Violet Wolf was ready to strike back.

He easily blocked the first two slashes made by Armaldo, then countered with a rough elbow jab to the temple, stunning the Pangolin Rinrinshi with the force of the blow. He then wrapped Armaldo’s arm around his neck and held onto it tightly, bending back and rolling, trapping its leg in his spare arm, finally bending backwards and slamming Armaldo down in a vicious suplex.

The impact rattled Akela slightly, and Armaldo took advantage of its arm’s position around his neck and slashed Akela neck and upper chest with its claws. Akela whimpered in pain and let go, pushing the Pangolin Rinrinshi away and clutching the wounds. Superficial, but painful. A rush of fatigue began to overcome the Violet Wolf, and his legs felt like they were becoming rubbery.

“You’re already succumbing to my toxin! Wonderful!” Armaldo laughed. “You’re not too strong, so I doubt you’ll last much longer!”

Akela growled. “I am the Violet Wolf! I’m plenty strong!” His right knee gave out and he fell down onto it. “This is just a minor setback!”

Armaldo curled up and rolled off as Akela dropped to his other knee and growled. “Why…?” He muttered to himself as he focused his aura to burn off the toxin. “What happened? Didn’t you promise everyone you’d become stronger when you left the temple…? Now look at you…defeated so easily by such a meaningless creature…you broke your promise, and now I must hold you to it, whether you like it or not.”

Akela got to his feet a few minutes later as onlookers stared in awe from their hiding places. He glared and sneered as he began to walk out of the park. “Hey! What’re you looking at?” He snapped.

Fran ran into the park and began shooing people away before she ran to Akela’s aid. “You really have to be more discreet.” She commented as she helped him to her car. “RJ has a reputation to hold down in this town, and–”

She turned the car on and realized that his body wasn’t giving off as much heat as before, as she could actually feel her AC. “Hey, you okay?” She looked over at him, and found that he had passed out shortly after sitting down. “Someone’s a little overworked…” She grinned, then noticed his wounds. “Oh gosh…I’ll get you home. Don’t worry.” She quickly sped off, getting home as fast as she could.

Lily’s Mission, The Dark Forest – Day Three

The sun had barely begun to creep over the horizon, and Lily was woken up by a massive earthquake. She shot up and clung tightly to her sleeping bag, then looked around in a panicked manner to find Balder with his Iron Hammer firmly planted in the ground, the obvious source of the earthquake.

Once he saw that she was awake, Balder yanked the small cannonball-like weight of the Iron Hammer out of the ground, then caught it and glared. “I don’t care how late the mongrel lets you sleep in; around here, you wake up as soon as the sun rises over the mountains.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t. I shouldn’t have assumed that your previous master adhered to Pai Zhuq standards.” He turned around.

Lily scrambled out of her bag and stood up. “RJ has us up at 6 am every morning to help with JKP.” She showed off her wrist watch. “It’s 5:35. I’m still in bed every other day.”

“Hm. Surprising.”

“So, what’s for breakfast?”

“Get it yourself from the garden.” Balder replied, pointing to the small, weed-laden garden to the side of the shack. She sighed and bent down next to the garden, attempting to forage for something to eat.

After a few hours of digging and preparing, Lily tried to not choke down the boiled radishes and potatoes, which had become rather dry and flavorless in the cooking process. She was instructed that where the trees were closed off with long, taught drapes was the only place of privacy she was allowed; a wide open and roofless bathroom with a ditch of stagnant water for a bath and a separate hole for a toilet.

She silently cursed RJ, but knew Balder was only doing this to try and make her give up. She wasn’t going to give in that easily.

She bathed in the murky ditch, then changed into her spare uniform; a short black skirt, black stockings, black Mary Jane shoes, and a yellow teeshirt. She stood out in the clearing in front of the shack at precisely 9 AM, when he had instructed, standing in an almost military-ish stance, waiting for Balder to begin teaching her. She refused to leave, no matter how hard he tried to get rid of her; her friends needed her, and she could not ignore them in their time of need.

Fifteen minutes went by, then a half hour. An hour, then another hour after another. Lunch came and went, and even as the sun began to fall behind the treetops ahead of her, she stood firmly. She was not leaving.

Balder walked outside the shack, looking rather unprepared for her, and his eyes widened when he saw her there. “You still here?”

“RJ wants me to learn your technique. I will wait here to learn your technique.”

“You’re incredibly stubborn, I’ll give you that.” Balder commented. “Fine.” He walked back inside, then returned out five minutes later with two Iron Hammers; one of which was obviously old and ill-kept, judging by the level of rust on it. She knew exactly which one was hers.

“We will start with basic swinging motions, which form the basis of the weapon’s power. The more energy you build up behind the ball, the stronger the attack will be. Do you understand?”

“I do.” She took the rusty Iron Hammer and waited for him to show her the movements.

Dai Shi’s Mission, Grey Mountains – Day Three

Casey felt a soft feather tickle his face, and his eyes shot open. There stood the strange bird creature once again, and he panicked, pushing himself away in an adrenaline-induced fear.

“Boy, what have I said before? I mean you no harm!” Jamaicen spoke as he stood up. “Now, you look famished. Would you like to eat something?”

“Leave me alone!” Casey shouted, pulling his knees to his chest and leaning up against an incline in the crater.

“If you don’t eat, you’ll die, boy. I’d hate for that to happen, now that you’ve gotten this far.”

Casey looked up at him, then over to the fire, where something resembling a dead and cooked animal sat beside it.

“What is that?”

“An animal who was passing by earlier. There’s not much around to eat, so that was the best I could do.”

Casey squirmed, then slowly moved towards it, making sure to stay as far away from Jamaicen as possible.

“See, I’m not out to harm you. You’re alone out here, as am I. Now, you and I are all we have in the world.”

“I have my friends out there…I’m trying to get back to them.”

He walked right into Jamaicen’s trap.

“Pai Zhuq?” Jamaicen asked, walking over to Casey’s side.

“Does it matter to you? Of course they are.”

It just kept getting better.

“But what if Dai Shi found you again?”

“My friends would help me then.”

“…Why haven’t they helped you so far? Haven’t they seen you out of Dai Shi’s guise yet?”

“…They have. But I couldn’t reach out to them. I can now!” Casey grabbed what he assumed was some sort of leg or arm or something and picked at it. “Leave me be!”

“I have never met anyone who has managed to escape Dai Shi’s capture. I want to see you succeed, I do! I just worry that your friends in Pai Zhuq may not be the wisest choice.”

“Why not? What would you know about them?” Casey glared, scooting away slightly from Jamaicen.

“Well, haven’t you fought them before, without armor?”

“I think so…it’s hard to figure out what I was dreaming and what was real.”

“That’s understandable. Capture and torture can make you forget things in such a manner.” Jamaicen set his hand on Casey’s shoulder. Casey flinched a little bit away from his touch, but went back to concentrating on the food.

“My friends will protect me. Pai Zhuq don’t abandon each other, that’s what we’re taught.”

“Then why do they insist on letting Dai Shi keep you?”

“They don’t know that I’m here! I need to tell them!” Casey shouted, setting down the hunk of whatever he had picked up earlier.

“…I see. Forgive me for insinuating otherwise…” Jamaicen replied, keeping an eye on Casey while he let him finish his food. There was no point in trying to continue tonight, it seemed. He had to try something different.

Lily’s Mission, Dark Forest – Day Three

The sun had set and basic training was finished for the day. After shouting at Lily for the thirty-second time that she swayed her hips too much when performing a Windmill Spin, Balder had decided that the lesson was done and he sent her off into her little sleeping/bathing privacy area for the night.

She set up a small campfire for light and warmth as she emptied out the bathing ditch and filled it with fresh river water late in the evening. On her way back with her final bucket, she heard footsteps approaching, along with a bright light emanating from a single point.

“Hey!” A familiar voice called out; the bowman from the day before was calling out to her with a hushed tone. “Is that you, Order girl?”

“Yeah. Hey. Please keep it down.” She replied.

“See, I told you she was still alive.” The bowman called out.

“I see that.” Another voice called out. This voice was more feminine, much like Lily’s in fact.

“Can you turn that light off?” Lily asked.

“Yeah, sure. Don’t wanna get you in trouble or whatever.” The light receded, and the moonlight showed the two voices belonging to a pair of cloaked figures.

“I brought out a pie, if you’re hungry.”

“A pie never looked so good. What kind?” She led them to her private area.

“Raspberry and strawberry.”

“Oh man…so good.”

They sat around the fire and the duo dropped their hoods; the pie bearer had a long French braid in her black hair, and the archer’s hair was as bright and orange as the fire he sat in front of.

“So, welcome to our neck of the woods.” The young woman commented. “So, you’ve come from far away, huh?”

“From Ocean Bluff.” Lily replied.

“Oh, I’ve heard of that place before. Southeast, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you one of those new Power Ranger guys from there?” The redhead’s eyes widened in excitement.

“Well, that’s what they’re calling us, but we’re not really like Power Rangers. We’re just Pai Zhuq masters, protecting the city from Dai Shi’s army of the undead.”

“Undead?” The redhead seemed incredibly intrigued. “Do they carry around axe-sword things? Or do they have spears?”

“Um, neither.” Lily replied.

“Pai Zhuq? What’s that?” The young woman asked, quickly changing the topic.

“We’re a martial arts group. We fight alongside animal spirits.”

“So do we!” The redhead blurted. The young woman looked over at him with a skeptical look, and he swallowed hard and gave Lily a nervous look. “Well, sort’ve.” After a few moments, the redhead pulled a knife out from a compartment on his belt and offered it to Lily. “Cut the pie before it gets cold.”

“I, uh, don’t have plates…” Lily replied.

“No problem!” The young woman pulled out what looked like a cell phone and opened it. The top half’s center shot up and formed a long pointed device, and with a quick twinkling of blue light, a trio of porcelain plates and metal forks appeared. “Never go camping without a plan.” She smiled widely.

“Whoa! How’d you do that?” Lily asked, poking the plates and forks to see if they were real. They were, in fact, quite real.

“We’ve got plenty of tricks up our sleeves.” The redhead replied, giving a sly look.

“Well, that’s enough of them outta me.” The young woman replied, folding the cell phone-like device up and putting it back in its holder. “And none out’ve you, Mr. Survivalist.”

“Don’t worry; I come prepared.” He grinned. “So, food now?”

“I know how hungry you are, so go for it.”

“Finally!” The redhead proclaimed as he cut into the pie with a voracity unmatched by even Jarrod after a long, foodless day.

The trio dove into the pie, happily dividing the delectable treat up amongst themselves. About halfway through, Lily smiled and looked over at the young woman. “I know this’s kind’ve awkward, but I don’t know your names. So, if you don’t mind me asking…what’re your names?” Lily smiled nervously.

“Not a problem. I was just about to introduce ourselves. My name is Madison, and this’s my very good friend Chip.” The redhead looked up halfway through a bite and looked around in an alert manner. “I was just telling her our names.” Chip made a noise and gave a nod suggesting that he understood, then went back to eating. “What’s your name?”

“My name’s Lily.”

“That’s a really nice name!”

“Thank you! Your name is nice, too.” Lily and Madison shared a smile.

“Well Lily, it’s really nice to meet you. It’s been a long time since we’ve met anyone from another town, so…”

“Same!” Lily replied.

“Really?”

“I’ve been bunked up inside a temple for the last six years; I’ve only been out for a month or so.”

“Wow, that sounds really sad.”

“Well, I’m a Pai Zhuq master; to get to such a high rank requires skill and dedication, which means spending every day getting there. I think it’s worth it.”

“Must get pretty lonely.”

“I have my friends.”

“Well, you can count us as friends too, right Chip?” Madison nudged him. He looked up at her and swallowed.

“Right. If you need us…well, how can she get a hold of us?” Chip asked, taking another bite of his pie slice.

“We’ll find you.” Madison assured.

“Thanks.” Lily replied.

Chip finished his pie slice, then realized there was none left as he reached for another. “We’re all out of pie.”

“Well, you ate about half of it.” Madison scolded.

“I haven’t eaten all day!” Chip replied. Lily laughed at them and smiled. “Huh?”

“You just remind me of my friend Jarrod. He eats a lot too.”

“Is he getting pudgy, too?” Madison teased, gently poking Chip in the stomach.

He gave her a hurt look. “I am not!” Madison just gave him a small grin suggesting otherwise. “Fine, stop making such good pies if you think I’m gaining weight off of them.”

“Fine, I will.” She stood up and smiled as she picked up the empty pie plate. Chip’s eyes widened. “It’s been nice meeting you, Lily. I hope to see you again.”

“Same to you two.” Madison then turned around and began leaving the enclosure. Chip got up and started following her, looking panicked.

“I didn’t mean what I said!” She could hear him shout as a bright light shone off in the distance and tapered off into the night.

Lily cleaned off the dishes and stacked them up next to her bag. After a quick washing of her face and a brushing of her teeth, she began settling in for the night, thanking the great animal spirits for such an interesting pair of people to save her from the misery of training with the master she had been sent to.

Ocean Bluff, Fran’s Residence – Day Four

Akela stirred and growled in his sleep as Fran walked into RJ’s room to check on him, as he had been doing since the day before. She kneeled down next to the bed and sighed, running her fingers across the gauze patches she had placed over his wounds the day before. The skin underneath felt surprisingly cold; a great deal of his chest, shoulders, and right arm felt the same way as she let her arm slowly hover over him in a bout of curiosity. The rest of him still radiated vast amounts of heat, however, and she found it peculiar.

She placed her hand on his lower right shoulder, where the cold itself seemed to be centralized, and he winced and grabbed her arm with his left hand.

“Off.” He painfully ordered, pulling her hand away.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s okay.” He opened his eyes and sat up. “Thanks for bringing me back here. I’ll take it from here, though.” He slowly pulled the tape and gauze away, showing nothing more than a few soft red lines marred with black speckles. “Ah, still a bit to go.”

He crawled out of bed and passed by Fran, walking into the closet and grabbing a fresh change of clothes before making his way into the bathroom.

Fran sighed and walked into the kitchen, looking for the food she had bought for Akela, and quickly began cooking while he was in the shower. She smiled, knowing that he would likely be excited.

Akela rotated his shoulder; the point Fran had touched burned and stung madly, firing a pulsing shock running through most of his chest, back, and right arm.

“Dammit. Dammit, dammit…gah.” He leaned his left shoulder against the wall and cursed to himself. “How did she set it off…?”

Ten minutes later, Akela walked out into the kitchen in a violet and aquamarine teeshirt with a cheery beach design and a pair of blue jeans that had long lost their knees and half of the belt loops.

He perked up at the smell of what was cooking, and his eyes widened. “Do I smell…bacon?”

“Surprise!” Fran smiled. “I thought you’d like to have something like bacon when you woke up.”

He grinned widely, trying to not drool in front of her. He walked over to her side and spotted a pile of scrambled eggs in a separate pan. “Ooh!”

“Hey! No snooping!” She pushed him away via his right shoulder, and he winced and stumbled back.

“Stop touching that spot!” He snapped, guarding it with his left hand.

“What is wrong with you?” Fran asked.

“It’s…it’s an old war wound. Just…don’t hit this shoulder while I have control.”

“Okay…” Fran replied, giving him a sad look before getting back to cooking. “You know, it’s rude to stand over someone’s shoulder while they’re cooking.”

“…Oh.” He awkwardly walked over to the small table.

She served up breakfast and sat it in front of him, and he promptly poked it with a fork. “Hm…smells like bacon…and it looks like bacon…” He looked up at her. “I can’t believe you bought me actual bacon. Your kindness knows no bounds; I’ve not known anyone to be so kind to me who wasn’t obligated to.” He grabbed a piece of bacon and took a bite and chew happily for a few seconds, then gave a strange look and looked up at her. “The texture is strange…”

Fran smiled. “It’s vegetarian bacon.”

He gave a grossed out look, and contemplated spitting it out, but he shrugged and finished eating it. “I take it the eggs aren’t real, either.”

“Nope, which’s why I don’t feel bad for having any myself.” She got a plate of food for herself and sat down across from him. “So…how’s the bacon taste?”

“Enough to fool me for about four seconds.” Akela grinned.

“Okay, good.” Fran nodded, then began eating with him.

“…Thank you.” He said softly.

“You’re welcome.” Fran replied.

Dai Shi’s Throne Room – Day Four

“Why have you not struck the city again, Armaldo?” Camille scolded the Pangolin Rinrinshi as it entered the throne room.

“The Violet Wolf is guarding the city! You know, *the* Violet Wolf! Do you know how powerful he is?” Armaldo whimpered.

“Yes, and you lived to tell about it! Him and his host aren’t strong enough to kill you, especially after you infected him with that toxin!”

“But he gets worse when he’s angry!”

“He’s only one warrior defending an entire city! How hard could it be to destroy him? Just roll around in circles, destroying the city while he plays catch-up! He’ll get tired, and when he does, pull a U-Turn and flatten him! Even a human child could do it!”

“I don’t think a human child could roll around at a thousand RPM…”

“Silence!” Camille slammed her fist down on the throne’s armrest.

“I will go…but not without Rinshi!”

“Oh, what’s the use of them? They’re too weak to be of any help against the Wolf Master. He’s torn through them like wet parchment before; I doubt they’ll do anything but buy you a few seconds.” She huffed. “Now you, on the other hand, came out’ve the fight with little more than a few minor burns. You’re strong enough to handle the Wolf Master if he should return.”

“But…”

“But what?” Camille hoisted herself out of the throne. “Are you saying that you don’t think you’re capable of doing what I ordered?”

“Honestly? No!”

Camille sighed deeply. “You’re as incompetent as you are cowardly. I’ll come along.”

Lily’s Mission, Dark Forest – Day Four

Lily felt stiff as she continued the Windmill Spin without moving anything but her right wrist. It felt so…unnatural.

“There! Perfect! You’re catching on quickly!” It was the first time she’d seen the old man have anything resembling a smile on his face. Lily felt entirely uncomfortable as he approached her. “See what a touch of restraint will do for you?”

Lily did not answer as he set her arms and legs in a new position; one where the cannonball sat grounded by her foot, which stood firmly upon the top grip of the cannonball, and both her swinging arm and handle holding arm served to use the chain as a shield.

“Basic close quarter defense. The chain is your body’s only defense in this situation.” He held up a long rock, which appeared to be fashioned into a rather dull yet heavy sword. “I am going to attack you with this, and you will use the chain to block. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Lily replied.

“How many times much I teach you? You reply with ‘Yes, Master Phant’ at all times! Now, do you understand?”

“Yes, Master Phant.” Lily choked out.

“Much better. Now, we will begin.”

He took about ten steps back, then struck a pose Lily recognized as one very typical of a samurai. He then charged at her with a speed she had never seen him move at, and she barely had a chance to hold the chain up to block his swing that was aimed at her head.

The blow was heavy, and she buckled slightly under it. Master Phant frowned and stepped back, redirecting his grip and swing and quickly swinging upwards from his waist.

Lily blocked the blow with her other arm, which the chain shielded from below. He pulled the blade back, then thrusted forwards, and Lily caught on quickly, wrapping the chain around the blade and ensnaring it.

“You’d better try harder to hold me back.” He taunted, pushing harder with the blade. The rusted chains buckled under the force and snapped, and the rounded end of the blade jammed into her stomach, knocking her on her back. “Pathetic. If you can’t hold an old warrior like myself back, then you’re not strong enough and not worth my time!” He threw the rock blade aside and turned his back to Lily.

“It’s not my fault this rusted antique broke!” Lily shouted, throwing the two halves of the broken Iron Hammer to her sides while getting up.

“Rusted antique?!” Master Phant turned around, looking livid. “That is a family heirloom!”

“And you took such good care of it, didn’t you?” Lily chided. “But it’s not the one you use, so you didn’t care, and now it’s broken!”

“How dare you talk to me like that!” He held his hand up to strike her, but stopped and looked away as she flinched. “I don’t want to see you here tomorrow. You tell that mongrel that if he wants my help, he’s going to have to come and get it himself. I thought maybe I could work around your little attitude, because you have potential, real potential, but I can’t stand you.” He began walking back to his shack. “Take the broken thing home with you to show that brat just what happened.”

Lily sniffled and turned around, picking the broken Iron Hammer up and walking back to her secluded area to begin packing up.

It was then that Madison snuck into Lily’s secluded area with a pie and a frown. “I heard.” Madison calmly commented, setting the pie down next to the fire pit. Lily didn’t speak to her. “Sorry you’re going so soon. Wish I could help.” She looked over at the pie. “Here, take this home. I’m sure your master there will like it…and you’ll like it too. It’s cranberry, so it’s a little tart, but I put extra sugar in, so it’s pretty good.” She smiled weakly, trying to cheer Lily up.

Lily looked over at the broken Iron Hammer and sighed. “I let RJ down because I…I can’t stand the way he acts.”

“He’s an old hermit; the locals say he’s been living there for years on his own, maybe even decades. People like that are hard to get along with, especially if they were already kind’ve…disagreeable people.”

Lily laughed softly. “Like RJ.”

“Who’s RJ, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He’s my master back home. He…was living on his own for almost four years until we just showed up. Him and I…we were butting heads and I left for a while…”

Madison smiled as she saw where the conversation was going. “So what did you do? I mean, it seems like you two are fine now.”

Lily smiled. “…I apologized.”

“You…think that might work now?” Madison looked intrigued.

Lily thought for a moment. “…I’ll need a little help, but I think I know exactly what to do.”

“Anything you need, Lily, I’ll help you with.” Madison replied, smiling warmly.

Ocean Bluff, Fran’s Residence – Day Four

Akela turned on the TV, only to find that the surveillance video loop was on, and set on the park. “What’s this?”

Fran poked her head in, then spotted Armaldo rolling into the area. “That’s our cue to leave.” She grabbed Akela’s arm and pulled him out, just as he too spotted the Pangolin Rinrinshi.

“Hey! Is that live?”

“Yes! That thing’s attacking people in the park, so let’s go!”

They arrived at the park several minutes later and Akela grinned. “Play time!” He shouted, jetting out of the car, then hoisting himself onto the hood and leaping far out and tackling Armaldo in mid-revolution. Akela held on tightly as the Pangolin Rinrinshi continued rolling about. He summoned up a ring of violet flames and drove his hand and lower arm into Armaldo’s back, making Armaldo stop abruptly. Akela lost and grip and went flying.

“Haven’t you learned that move is useless against me?” Armaldo taunted.

“Well, it makes you stop, so it’s good enough for me!” Akela replied, getting up. As he stepped forwards, the smell of something familiar caught his nose, but it was too late to react. A pointed metal object was placed directly above his jugular, and he stopped moving.

“Armaldo! Continue your mission! I’ll take it from here.” Camille replied, dropping out of her camouflage.

“You’re the bitch who ruined my chair!” Akela growled, trying to move out of the situation he was in. He only succeeded, however, in driving the point through the uppermost level of his skin. He winced as he watched Armaldo roll off into the city, but his heart rate skyrocketed as he watched Fran drive off in pursuit.

“I wouldn’t try anything like that again…” Camille smiled.

Akela growled and bared his teeth, then thought of an idea. He shot his head forward and to the side and bit down on the sai. Camille’s eyes shot open in shock, and left her open to more attacks, just as Akela had planned.

He grabbed her wrist and hit a pressure point, making her drop the sai, then got a better grip with both hands before spinning about with her in tow.

Once he got her feet to no longer touch the ground, he swung her forwards, slamming her into the ground. Firmly planting his feet to the ground, he slammed her to the right of him, then the left, then spun around 180 degrees and hurled her across the park.

She tried to get up, but he was already running down the street to chase Armaldo and Fran.

Fran quickly caught up to Armaldo, flying down streets with her horn blaring to get oncoming traffic to stop. She swerved up and rammed the Pangolin Rinrinshi with her front bumper, getting its attention.

“This isn’t going to end well…” Fran muttered grimly to herself as she pulled into oncoming traffic to cut Armaldo off. “I’m going to have so many traffic tickets…”

The Rinrinshi fumed and rammed her into a row of parked cars, peeling paint and smacking off mirrors before rolling off again. Undaunted, Fran sped up and continued the chase.

Akela growled and ran as fast as he could, knocking over onlookers. He followed the scent of Armaldo and decided to take a shortcut.

He turned the corner and ran into a small crowd of teens. “Dude! You hair’s wicked!” The ringleader shouted.

Akela gave him an odd look. “Thanks. Now move.” He pushed them out of the way and ducked into an alleyway, relying entirely on his slowly returning memory of the city’s layout.

He poked his chest as he ran and leapt over the chain link fence. “About time you joined in!” He chided as he continued on. As he predicted, he managed to catch up to them, and even ended up watching them race past. “Dammit! Wait up!”

Fran stopped the car and opened the door for him, and he grimaced as he jumped in. “Great, you’re going to have to speed to catch up.”

“Well, I’ve already wracked up at least seven points in this ride so far, what’s attracting the police’s attention now going to do?” Fran replied, pointing to the seatbelt. “Safety first.” She smiled. As soon as he was secure, she revved up the engine and peeled out in an effort to catch up to Armaldo.

“Sorry about leaving you back there.” Fran commented as she weaved around crushed cars and ones swerving to avoid both her and Armaldo.

“I don’t want you in this chase at all. You’re a puny, frail, and skittish human female; you’re not exactly a warrior.” He looked over at her. “No offense.”

“None taken. I know that I’m not cut out for this, but RJ and his students are my friends, and this is my home, and I’ll be damned if I let that little twit and his girlfriend hawk ugly monsters into my town and harass my friends!”

Akela moved away from her slightly. “…I take back my comment about you being skittish.” Fran smiled, then floored the gas as an open strip of road lay in front of them. “You’re insanely tenacious for someone who has no formal training in combat.”

“Well, I watch a lot of action movies. And horror movies. And kung-fu movies. Well, and some dramas, and the occasional chick flick, but the guys in those movies are never as cute as advertised…”

“Eyes! On road!” Akela panicked and clung to his seat as Fran swerved around a cop car which became airborne after being crushed by Armaldo.

“We have to stop this now before anyone else gets hurt or killed!”

“I completely agree! Just don’t get us crushed by those idiots!”

“I’m catching up.” Fran replied, concentrating on Armaldo.

Several cops stared at the duo as they raced past. Akela rolled down his window and stuck his head out. “Get the hell outta here!” He shouted.

“What are you doing?”

Akela pulled his head back in, grinning madly. “Telling them to leave.”

“How old are you again?”

“Old enough to taunt these idiots who can’t do a damn thing to help us. Now, eyes, on road.”

Fran sighed. “You really don’t care about anyone else other than yourself, do you?”

Akela frowned. “Hey, I’m only telling them to leave because they’re probably worse off than you.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because they’re overly arrogant and complacent in the self-made delusion that they can even help, and I’m not willing to save their sorry asses if the Rinrinshi turns around and tries to flatten them.”

“I suppose I should be flattered.”

“Hey, if they’re too stupid to move, then why should I bother?”

“Because they’re officers of the law, and they protect civilians.”

“Oh, they do such a good job at it, too.” Akela deadpanned. “It took six of them to take me down, while I was inebriated and while I’m still not at full strength. I highly doubt they could even down a Rinshi on their own.”

Fran sighed. “I’m running out of gas. You’d better have a good plan.”

“Well, I’ve tried outmuscling him, and I ended up bedridden for a day or two, I tried to outsmart him, only to get outsmarted by that lizard bitch who ruined my chair, so the only thing left is…well, to be sporadic.” He placed his hand over his lower right shoulder. “I hope my host’s absorbed enough of your crazy to come up with a good idea.”

“I can hear my car running on fumes…” Fran complained.

“Alright…” Akela sat and thought for a few moments. “Okay!” He undid his seatbelt. “Try to maintain an even distance with it, okay?”

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m gonna climb on the hood of your car, then tackle this overgrown bouncy ball into the blacktop.” He crawled out of the car and clung to the roof as he tried to stabilize himself.

“And you worry about not being crazy enough…” She muttered.

Akela balanced himself on the hood of the car, making sure Fran could see around him as he summoned up a violet ring of flames. “You don’t think my attack does much, huh…? I’ll show you!” He ran and leaped at Armaldo, landing feet first and quickly finding himself running atop Armaldo as if it were a barrel in a river. “Hey! Slow down!” Akela shouted at Armaldo as Fran pulled away and stopped her car.

Akela grinned, as his efforts to stay atop Armaldo were actually beginning to slow him down. Once Armaldo had slowed down to little more than a crawl, Akela once again plunged his fist deep into the Pangolin Rinrinshi. A shock of surprise hit both of them, as Akela finally struck its Akugata Seal, which was buried deep within its tough shell. “Useless, huh?” Akela taunted, letting the flames consume the Seal entirely. Armaldo promptly began falling apart at the seams, crumbling into quickly disintegrating rocks.

“That’ll teach you to…” Akela began getting up from the rolls he had done across the pavement, but a wave of anemia overcame him. “Ugh…this can’t be good…” He then collapsed to the ground, face first.

Fran ran out to the prone figure lying out in the middle of the street; she could tell by the fact that his hair was once again dark brown that RJ was back in control. She knelt down next to him and lightly touched him, receiving a groan of completely tired pain out of him.

RJ looked up at Fran, then looked around at the surroundings. “Ugh…I take it…that things didn’t go to well while I was out?”

“Well, the TV’s working now, and we saved the city. I’ll fill you in while we wait for the tow truck.”

“What happened to the car?” RJ looked over at the smoking wreck. “…Oh.” Fran helped him up and over to the car’s side, where they both promptly sat down again against the passenger side door. He ran his tongue across his back teeth and gave Fran a look. “Does this have anything to do with me apparently downing bacon?” He looked out. “When did I eat bacon last…?”

“That’s part of the story…” Fran smiled.

Lily’s Mission, Dark Forest – Day Five

At the break of dawn, Master Phant walked out onto his front porch, and was promptly greeted by a fruit bat wearing a long pastel green ribbon. He huffed, and took the silver-trimmed black envelope from the well-tied knots securing it to the fruit bat’s back.

He opened the letter and began to read intently, feeling a bit intrigued that the writing was so legible, given its origin.

Dear Balder,

I hope all is going well with you. I suppose that, by this time, you’ve had one of RJ’s students visit you. Considering the difficulty I’ve had thus far with the student RJ has sent me, I would understand if you were having difficulty with the one who was sent to you.

I’d almost think he was testing us as much as he’s testing them. That’s his style, is it not?

I’m feeling a bit tired, and I have to train my student in a few hours, so I’m going to end this letter here and send Pomme over to your residence. He’ll most likely be thirsty when he arrives, so I do ask that you give him some water to drink before sending him back my way.

I hope to hear from you soon. Meredith and I are very likely to go to Ocean Bluff to check on RJ if neither of us receives anything good from him in the near future. We’d be elated if you would join us, as well. Right now, with Dai Shi being free, we need to stick together, right?

Right, I’m going off again. I’m back home from my vacation early, so my sensible half isn’t around to stop me from writing more. Hope to hear from you soon.

Balder huffed and set the letter aside, then continued back out to the draped-off area to ensure that Lily had left as he had ordered her to.

On his way out, the sound of a chain being swung caught his ears, and he became intrigued.

“Okay, here I go!” A faint male voice far out into the woods, beyond the secluded area. The sounds of a bowstring being pulled and quickly followed by the arrow flying and splintering against its target. “Holy crap!”

“Told ya.” Lily’s voice. What was she still doing here?

Balder marched out towards the sounds; now the sounds of swinging had stopped, and the sounds of metal against metal had begun.

He made it out into the small clearing, where he watched Lily fight Madison in a sparring match; a now pristine Iron Hammer in hand against Madison’s quarterstaff.

In a quick thrust, Madison lunged forwards, and in her defensive position, Lily wrapped the chain around the tip of the quarterstaff and its twin prongs. Madison struggled to pull free, but neither Lily nor the chain would let her go. Instead, Lily pushed forwards, ramming the end of the quarterstaff on Madison’s side into her stomach and knocking her off-balance. Lily continued and ran forwards, ramming Madison into a tree.

Chip gave her the signal they had established if Balder was to arrive, and Lily looked over in the direction he was pointing towards. Balder had a look of awe on his face as he looked over at her, and it wasn’t hard to notice. She unraveled the restored Iron Hammer from around the quarterstaff, and Madison slid down the tree, giving a pained look as she held her stomach.

“Forgive me, Master Phant. I was just making sure that Madison and I had fully repaired this before I left.” Lily gently folded the Iron Hammer in half, then held it up for him to take.

Chip jumped down from the tree he was in and knelt down to Madison’s side, and both watched Balder and Lily, waiting for a reaction. Chip’s hand shook slightly as it rested beside his hip quiver, but Madison tapped him to take him off-guard.

“You…how did you restore this?” He asked her, taking it from her slowly and looking it over. What was once rusted and snapped into pieces was now pristine and whole, looking like it was in a better shape than even his own Iron Hammer.

“There’s nothing a little effort, rust remover, and a little help can’t do.” Lily replied, smiling.

Balder looked at her, then Madison and Chip, then to the Iron Hammer, then looked back at Lily again. “…Unpack your bags. And you two…make yourselves useful.” He gave a brief half-smile before turning around and making his way back to his shack.

“You heard Master Phant, you two…” Lily smiled.

“We’ll go get some food for you guys.”

“We still have some of that stickleberry pie left?” Chip asked.

“If you didn’t eat the rest of it as a midnight snack last night.” Madison teased.

“Oh, c’mon now…” Chip said, looking upset as Madison stood up.

“What? Mr. Court Jester can’t take a joke?” Madison teased as she began making her way out northwest. Chip gave her a look suggesting that he was unamused as he followed her.

Ocean Bluff, Fran’s Residence – Day Five

RJ sat down at his bedroom’s desk, four sheets of paper to his right, his pen and inkwell to his left. The envelope tried taunting him into writing anything at the moment, but his thoughts of what should be written varied. He grabbed the pen, then began writing down the most poignant thing that came to mind.

As he finished, Fran shouted for his attention. “Camille’s in town!”

“Be there in a minute!” RJ replied, corking the inkwell and setting the pen down. He quickly looked over what he had written, then sighed as a melancholy feeling settled within him. He got up and let the ink dry as he went with Fran to confront Camille.

Dai Shi’s Mission, Grey Mountains – Day Five

Casey’s eyes fluttered open, and he quickly realized that the air was heavier than it was when he fell asleep. He looked around and saw that he was at the foot of the mountain, and it appeared as if he had camped out there the night before. He panicked, wondering if he had moved himself, or if Dai Shi…

He had no time to think it over as the sound of the rustling of branches from the wooded area ahead of him, and he ran forwards towards the sound, keeping his guard up.

His fear of the notion that Dai Shi may have overtaken him again subsided as the sound of the rustling through the branches grew louder.

“Hey! HEY!” Casey shouted. “HELP!”

The sounds stopped, then directed themselves towards him. The sight of the noisy runners filled Casey with joy, but the feeling was obviously not mutual.

Jarrod sent his Lion Spirit charging at Casey, smashing into him and knocking him back nearly thirty feet. “Stop! I don’t wanna fight!” Casey shouted painfully as the trio ran up to him.

“Nice try, Dai Shi.” Theo chided, crossing his arms.

“You think that after what you did to the loft, after we trusted you in JKP with us, that we’re just going to fall for the same act twice?” Lily added, sounding much angrier than Casey could ever recall.

“I’m not acting! It’s really me, Lily! I know you don’t believe me, but I promise you I’m telling the truth!”

“I don’t think we should trust him anyways.” Theo replied. Jarrod merely stared Casey down and crossed his arms. “I mean, he’s the one who let Dai Shi out in the first place. Let him deal with it.”

“Well, that’s rude to say, Theo.” Lily commented, setting her hands on her hips.

“Thank you, Lily!” Casey called out.

“Maybe if we destroy Casey, Dai Shi will go away too. Then nobody will suffer.”

“What? No! Dai Shi’s let me go! I’ve escaped his hold! Please believe me!” Casey crawled closer to them, and they stepped back, avoiding him as if he were a plague bearer.

Jarrod summoned his Lion Spirit and sent it towards Casey again. However, Jamaicen dropped down from the trees and knocked away the plasma-like entity, making it disintegrate.

“I knew that as soon as I awoke and found you gone, you might be in trouble.” Jamaicen commented. “Good thing I acted upon my instinct.”

“Tell them that I’m no longer under Dai Shi’s control!” Casey begged.

“You’re obviously his Pai Zhuq friends that he’s spoken to me at length about. I can assure you that I do not sense Dai Shi’s presence within or around him, so you need not fear him.”

“And who are you? One of Dai Shi’s minions?” Theo chided. “We can’t trust you either.”

“Should’ve killed you in the caves…could’ve saved us time.” Jarrod spoke, striking a fighting pose.

“Hurry, run!” Jamaicen grabbed Casey’s arm and half-dragged him away from the scene.

“They’re getting away!” Theo shouted. Lily and Jarrod gave chase as the two ran back up the mountain.

Ocean Bluff, Local Shopping Center Parking Lot – Day Five

“You’re staying in the car.” RJ told Fran as he got out of the unmarked delivery car they had taken in lieu of Fran’s car.

“But what if you need help?”

“I’m fine. If I look like I’m in bad shape, then call an ambulance. I’d rather end up in the hospital than have both of us end up in a morgue.” His tone was serious, which worried Fran a bit as RJ ran out to the middle of the chaos.

“Ah! Wolf Master, how good of you to join me!” She noticed his hair was back to its normal shade. “Oh, should I not have prepared to get bitten and tossed around like a rag doll this time?” She smiled slyly, and RJ gave her a confused look. “I still have a bruised disc in my back, but don’t think you can beat me because of that.” She transformed into her Chameleon Armor and waited for RJ to charge at her.

As he shifted his guard to attack, she shot her tongue out and wrapped it around his throat, then slammed him into the nearest parked van over and over again before tossing him high into the air and spiked him into the blacktop, leaving a set of minor indents.

Camille laughed as RJ winced in agony. “Not so tough now, are you? I’m disappointed; after the last fight, I didn’t think it would be this easy to defeat you!” She laughed and slowly walked towards him. As he got up, she wrapped her tongue around his neck again and lifted him off his feet. She hurled him through the window of a hardware store, scaring patrons who had taken refuge in the shop. RJ curled up, quickly yanking the hood of his sweatshirt down as far as he could get it.

He then slowly got up and waved the patrons out of the way as Camille walked towards the building. He ignored the glass that was slowly crunching up in his hand and exposed knees and he ran towards the back exit. Camille smiled and took pot shots at RJ and the civilians with her Needle Spray as she followed, hitting a few civilians and tearing up shop displays, knocking down various sharp tools into the crowds who were fleeing.

Fran sighed and clenched the steering wheel, feeling useless as the people dashed around inside the store. She grabbed her phone and called the police, hoping they’d call for some ambulances as well.

Dai Shi’s Mission, Grey Mountains – Day Five

“We’ve lost them for now, but we might have to split up soon…Casey, is it?”

“Yes, my name’s Casey.”

“Alright, Casey. Calm yourself. I’m going to take the low road to distract them while you dash to the summit.”

“I can’t climb that fast…not like this.”

Jamaicen hummed in deep thought, then ducked into a small cave and shielded the entryway with his back. “Here, I will bestow to you a special technique that will allow you to fly. It may be too strong for you to handle at first, and it might hurt a little if that happens to be the case. But you will fly like the wind and outrun these friends of yours.”

“How much does it hurt?”

“Not much. When I first used it, it burned for the first few flights, but the pain goes away quickly as you get used to it. It’s a fairly simple technique, if you wish to learn it.”

“Please. Maybe if I can fly around, I can tire them out, and then they’ll have to listen to me!”

“Maybe. They don’t look like they wish to talk, but it’s always good to be optimistic, I suppose.” Jamaicen laughed softly. “Now, close your eyes, and let go of your emotions…”

Casey closed his eyes and began to set himself up to meditate, his fear and nervousness slowly muting themselves out. Jamaicen felt elated as he charged up his Chakra Lock, quickly striking Casey’s Heart Chakra. He gasped and his eyes shot open. “It burns…”

“It will, for a while, but it’s a powerful technique, and the pain is worth it.” Casey clutched his chest in agony. “I see that you need a few moments to rest. Do you want to go over this plan?”

“Please…” Casey winced, trying to block out the pain mentally.

“Fine…just listen to me while we still have time…”

Lily’s Mission, Dark Forest – Day Five

A humming sound filled the air, making Pomme agitated while the sound cruised over the shack. Master Phant and Lily stopped their basic drill seminar and looked up as the sound intensified.

“Oh, it’s another one of your happy band of outsiders.” Master Phant muttered as the noisy broom-like mini-jet slowly landed down in the field.

The rider smiled brightly and tipped her wide brimmed witch hat back a bit, her mid-back length pink hair shimmering in the mid morning sun.

“There you guys are!” She commented. “And you’ve got friends, too. Nice.”

“Hey Vi.” Chip softly waved.

“Brought you guys an early lunch; figured that the pie would be gone by now.” The pink haired woman teased, winking while sticking her tongue out at Chip.

“Both of you are…” Chip sighed deeply and crossed his arms.

“Anyways, here ya go.” She handed the bag that was tied to her waist to Madison.

“Sit and stay a while, Vida. Here, meet Lily and Master Phant. They’re the ones Chip and I have been coming out to see; the ones who’re fighting those monsters out in Ocean Bluff.”

“Oh! Wicked!” Vida smiled. “Nice to meet you guys! Welcome to our neck of the woods. Looks like I’ll have to double the amount of food I brought…”

“No need to! There’s still some pie left over. We can have that.” Lily replied.

“I take it that you’re formally requesting a meal break.” Master Phant asked.

“Yes, Master Phant.”

“Fine. A half hour for lunch. Then back to training. You’re using your arm too much, and we’ve got to work you out’ve that habit.” Master Phant commented. “And you, Vida, with the broom.”

“Yeah?”

Master Phant scowled. “If you’d like to fly around here again without any hassle, you’ll do me a favor.”

“Whatcha need?”

“I need you to deliver a parcel for me.”

“Will it take me a while? I have a gig in three days.”

“You should be home by then.”

“Nice. Alrighty, when’s the job start?” Vida smiled.

“When I finish creating the parcel.”

“Kay. So…lunch first?”

“Of course. All of you, whatever you move, you put back.”

“I’ll make sure they do, Master Phant.” Lily smiled.

“Certainly a turn-around from yesterday, huh?” Madison cheerily commented as Master Phant made his way back to his shack.

“He’s still strict, but I think he’s loosening up a bit. I think you and I really struck a nerve.”

“Great.” Madison sighed contentedly as she unwrapped the lunch bag. “Ooh, sandwiches.”

Ocean Bluff Shopping Center, Day Five

RJ darted through the back alley of the shopping center, and as soon as he found an open door, he dove in.

Several employees of the upper class Chinese restaurant panicked at the sight of RJ and his bloodied hands, but with a quick wit, he managed to talk the employees into helping him clean them out. He managed to get most of the glass out by the time Camille caught up to him and terrorized the kitchen.

RJ grabbed a cleaver and hurled it at her, striking her chest armor and sticking in. He took the precious few seconds it took her to dislodge the cleaver to grab a pair of dish towels and wrap his wands up in them, then run out into the restaurant itself.

He spotted a decorative fan and grabbed it off the wall, then jumped onto the wooden half wall divider in the middle of the room. He cleared his mind and opened the fan in his left hand, then struck a pose while waiting for Camille.

She burst into the room, brandishing her sais, and most of the crowd dispersed. However, in the back of the room a young patron’s light blue eyes locked onto the two, and he relaxed in his seat, looking like nothing more than a moviegoer sitting through the opening credits.

“What’s up?” His dining partner asked, poking his head up from under the table.

“Dinner and a show.” He grinned.

“Huh?”

“Two people in disguises burst into a room, and one of them’s a woman in a ridiculous bodysuit? Trust me, something exciting’s about to happen.” The young man grinned.

RJ opened his eyes slowly and began rhythmically tapping his foot against the wall’s top in six-eighths time, waiting for Camille to strike first. The variation of the style he had learned, which had been lovingly named the “Valse de la Lune” by those he trained under, was a last resort rather than the first choice in his arsenal.

RJ mouthed the beat count to himself as Camille lunged.

The first beat was a block and deflection of the left sai, the second beat was a repeat with the right. The third beat went to shifting his balance to his right leg, and the fourth was his knee into her lower ribs. The fifth and sixth beats repeated three and four, and promptly left Camille wobbling to catch her balance.

RJ took the second set of six to plan out the third set. It was risky, and not something many others would do, but it was a quick set of six beats and Camille was disoriented.

He closed his fan and flipped it so he was holding the cloth-covered half for the first two beats of the third set in preparation for the last four.

Dai Shi’s Mission, Grey Mountains – Day Five

Jamaicen helped Casey out of the cave, looking around cautiously. “They probably attempted to go up to the summit, following that winding path. You remember the plan?”

“I head to the summit, you follow the path.” Casey replied, feeling half-awake and numb.

“Good. How is the pain?”

“There is no pain. Just…existence.” He gave a lifeless look to Jamaicen, who nodded in understanding.

“Good. You remember how to summon your wings?”

“Just let go of all my emotions, then imagine spreading a pair of wings outwards, from my shoulder blades to the sky.” He closed his eyes and concentrated. A dark indigo cloud began seeping out of his chest, shoulders, and arms, gathering around his shoulder blades. His breathing became labored as the process went along, as he slowly was pushing the pain aside. Within the next few moments, the cloud spread out into large gold shaded draconic wings, a wingspan of nearly double the length of his arm reach.

He clutched his chest and began to crumple as if he was going into cardiac arrest, and Jamaicen caught him. “That was magnificent for your first try, Casey. Very good. If you want, we can wait a bit longer-”

“No! I can forget this pain. I want to find them right now.”

“Then I will not stop you. Hurry, to the summit.”

Casey focused his mind on lifting himself upwards, and the wings responded, flapping and slowly picking him up off the ground. It quickly became a simple command for him to give, and the effort required to fly was next to nothing within a few minutes.

He then began practicing soaring techniques as he dove around jutting rocks and through small caverns. The feeling of floating above the ground was exhilarating, to say the least, but his priority was to reach the summit.

He reached the crater, his former shelter, and inside he spotted a familiar face snarling at him.

“You…” Jarrod snarled, taking a fighting stance.

“Jarrod…please. I know we don’t get along.” He dropped down and let the wings relax and drag softly behind him as he walked forwards.

“You caused all this. What were you doing in the caves, anyways?”

“I just wanted to settle everything between us! I’m sorry I attacked you and everything…I was just angry! I didn’t mean to!”

“You released Dai Shi. I can’t forgive you.”

“That was an accident!”

“So many accidents…” Jarrod commented, implying that he wasn’t doing things on accident. “It’s too late. Dai Shi must be stopped. You have to go.” Jarrod snarled at him and prepared to run.

“No!” Casey braced himself for impact as Jarrod charged at him. His wings shot open, and with a mighty gale, knocked Jarrod both upwards and backwards, sending him up and over the edge of the crevice and down the side of the mountain.

Casey opened his eyes and flew over in shock at the events that had just unfolded. He watched as Jarrod’s body slowly rolled and bounced down the jagged rocks, stopping in a bloody heap about halfway down.

A feeling of grief overcame him, but he quickly flushed it out in an attempt to stabilize the technique Jamaicen bestowed upon him. If he let go, he’d end up right beside Jarrod.

His eyes fluttered slightly as he grew number and more lethargic, but he fought to stay awake. He spotted Lily approaching Jarrod’s body, and she screamed in horror. She ran over to him and checked his body as Casey slowly slid down the mountainside.

Lily saw him and grimaced through her tears. “You killed him!” She stood up and took an enraged pose. “How could you say you want to help us when you just go and kill Jarrod?”

“It was an accident! He went to attack me and my wings…they just…”

“Your…wings?” It was then that Lily noticed them. “Those things…they look like…” Her eyes widened. “I knew I couldn’t trust you!” She struck a fighting pose. “You’re a horrible liar, Dai Shi!”

Casey blocked and knocked away her punches, then braced himself as she continued punching in a manic rage. Finally, Casey had finally had enough, and shoved her away.

She stumbled back and tripped over Jarrod’s legs, falling over the edge and screaming. The screams were short-lived and replaced by the sound of fabric, bone, ligaments, and flesh tearing apart.

Casey panicked and ran to peer over the cliff, and found Lily impaled on a large jutting rock, quickly fading as her body shot spurts of blood out in rhythm with her rapidly fading heartbeat. In a few moments, the blood slowed to a crawl, and her eyes began to glaze over.

“You bastard!” Theo jumped Casey from behind and wrapped his arms around his throat while yanking him around the ground.

Casey slowly began to black out as he focused on not becoming emotional once more, and it wasn’t long before his hair gained several new gold streaks in addition to the few streaks he had beforehand as Dai Shi reasserted control over him. His eyes flashed gold, and he reached back, slashing Theo’s face with his razor sharp gauntlets. He then laughed madly and gave a look of crazed excitement as he grabbed Theo’s head and twisted with all his might, snapping his neck.

Jamaicen smiled warmly as he realized that Dai Shi was back in control.

“Is all well?” Jamaicen asked.

“I can’t feel him at all…” Dai Shi laughed manically while setting a hand against his chest. The trio of bodies melted away into black plasma-like feathers, which quickly faded from sight. “Quite ingenious, I might say…making him believe that his friends hated him…”

Jamaicen held Casey’s backpack up to him. “I suppose you won’t need this anymore?”

“No, I’ll need it. This body requires the supplies in this bag, unfortunately.” He sighed. “Where is that cloak? I’m freezing again.”

“The cloak is still in the crevice, Master Dai Shi!” Dante’s voice called out from the bag.

“Oh, you’re still alive in there.” Dai Shi deadpanned.

“Yes, I have survived! No need to worry, I’ve left everything the way it was when I got in here!” Dante ensured.

“Thanks…” As Dai Shi walked over to retrieve the bag, a blinding shock through his temples and sinuses and paralyzed him. He clutched the sides of his head and screamed.

“Master Dai Shi!” Dante panicked.

“What is wrong, Master Dai Shi?”

“I can’t make him stop screaming…” He stumbled about, looking greatly pained. “Make him stop…”

“Perhaps Fleckeri can help, Master Dai Shi! Her ability to silence men’s minds was legendary!”

“But she was lost in the final charge against the Pai Zhuq.”

“As were you, Jamaicen. We have found the legendary Life Talons, and we can restore her body!”

“Then let us go and find her. She was fighting in a battle across Heaven’s Ocean.”

“There is a map marking a point in the Pacific Ocean; she is most likely there.”

“Then let’s not waste time to get there.” Jamaicen grabbed Dai Shi, who had slowly gone silent and unconscious during the conversation, and flew off with him and the bag. Dante happily got out of the bag after they left the mountain range, and he showed Jamaicen the map.

Ocean Bluff, Local Chinese Restaurant – Day Five

RJ counted out his third and fourth beats, smacking her wrists with the handle part of the fans and knocking the sais out of them. He then flipped the fan around and clamped down on the fifth beat, and he slashed upwards while opening the fan on the sixth beat.

Though the fan was fragile, his burning aura had spread across the fan itself, and shielded the fan from damage while burning Camille. The smack to the chin popped her upwards and backwards, sending her flying into a table at the end of the wall. The female who had been eating there teared up as her lunch was crushed.

Camille got up as RJ returned to his base pose, then folded up the fan and jumped down.

She rolled away and grabbed her sai and slashed at his right leg, cutting a minor line into his calf. He winced and kicked the sai from her hand with enough force to launch it at the young patron. He quickly ducked, and the damage caused to him was only a few missing curly locks off the side of his head. His eyes widened and he slowly joined his friend under the table.

Camille jumped over to the other row of tables and grabbed the other sai before going over and retrieving the sai embedded in the booth seat.

As Camille took a camouflaged retreat, the young patron grinned in excitement. “That was more intense than last week.”

“Last week?”

“Dad insisted that I wear my uniform to a bullfight in Barcelona. El Diablo chased me around the first row for nearly five minutes.”

“You’re a magnet for trouble.”

“Don’t I know it.” He chuckled.

“RJ looked under the table and checked on them. “How are you?”

“We’re fine, sir.” The young patron replied.

“Well, he’s fine. I’m scared as hell.”

“Okay. Good.” Another pair of legs walked over, and the sound of metal clicking in place shocked the three of them.

RJ looked up to spot a police officer from earlier. “Well well, if it ain’t everyone’s favorite vigilante.” He yanked RJ’s hood and bandana down. “And it’s little Mr. Houdini! Aren’t you just a magnet for trouble?” The officer chuckled. “You’ve got the right to remain silent, Mr. Kung Fu Houdini. Anything you say or do – which includes breaking out’ve handcuffs and drunk tanks – will be held against you in a court of law.” He marched RJ out of the restaurant.

“Man, this town’s exciting!” The young patron exclaimed.

“You’re nuts.”

RJ was tossed into the police car, where Fran was already waiting for him. His heart stopped for a moment at the realization.

“I called them to help the people, RJ…I didn’t think we’d get arrested…”

“Don’t worry; I’ll get you out’ve this.” RJ commented, looking down to hide the utterly miserable look on his face. “Someone has to be around for the others when they get back.”

Lily’s Mission, Dark Forest – Day Twenty-Five

It had been over two long weeks of intense training, and her last demonstration was now.

A quick set of revolutions to start, and Master Phant tapped his marble sword’s tip against the ground.

She slammed the Iron Hammer’s ball into a boulder, crushing it into small rocks on impact. She then pulled it back and launched it directly behind her, crushing a boulder out of sight. She pulled it back and bent back, swinging the Iron Hammer horizontally and taking out several targets placed around her. She then pulled the ball back and took a defensive position with the chain.

Master Phant then charged and swung at her head, and she blocked. He came at her from the left and right, and she swiftly blocked again. He jabbed at her, and she caught the blade in her chains and tightly secured it, pushing forwards and ramming the handle of the sword into Master Phant’s stomach. She then rotated the chains, snapping off the end of the sword before taking her foot off the cannonball weight and swinging it upwards, knocking the sword into the air and away from Master Phant.

A quick punch forwards, and the session was over. Master Phant grinned happily.

“You’re ready.” He replied. “We’re ready to travel to Ocean Bluff.”

“Let’s just hope the place hasn’t burned down by now.” Lily commented.

“If there’s one thing that the…that RJ does well, it’s keep a promise. A Finn never lets people down; it’s in their blood to keep a vow until death. That place’ll be in one piece, or he’ll be dead.”

Lily frowned as Master Phant turned around and began heading for the shack.

“Hey guys! Brought you a blueberry pie today!” Madison called out as she ran into the clearing.

“Hope it’s to-go.”

“You’re going so soon?” Madison looked saddened.

“My town needs to be protected.”

“Oh, I understand.” Madison nodded. “Well…keep the pie. Take it as a reminder that we’re always here for you.”

“You guys’ll be hard to forget.” Lily said, hugging Madison. “Take care.”

“You too.”

Master Phant arrived with his traveling supplies, including his own Iron Hammer, and with Madison’s blueberry pie in hand, master and student made their way back to Ocean Bluff.

[Taioh No Kami]

yay update! =D

[GreyRanger]

Awesome chapter, i'm honoured you did it in ime for my Bday.
Very long and action packed. I was correct in Randall being Akela, and i like the idea of Animal spirits possessing hosts, so it makes DaiShi look less evil i suppose. The way you handled Jamacien dealing with Casey's outbursts was great and quite gritty in the last part.
A great Cameo by some of the Mystic Force rangers was great, giving a better geogrpahical hint to where all these wierd and wonderful forests and such that we see in PR actually are (i'm guessing somewhere near Briarwood right, or that dimensional thing the MF rangers could access through trees?).
All in all, a good chapter, can't believe it's only chapter 5. Can't wait for the next one.

[DarkStarShadow]

V[]etal []_ion;2909790']Awesome chapter, i'm honoured you did it in ime for my Bday.

Eh, no bigs. ^__^.

Very long

It actually now holds a record; my longest chapter prior to this was 52 pages in MS Word. This was 53. @__@.

I was correct in Randall being Akela, and i like the idea of Animal spirits possessing hosts, so it makes DaiShi look less evil i suppose.

Well, Akela's possession of RJ was a reaction to his environments on both of the accounts that he's shown up, and he only sticks around of prolonged amounts of time because he can't give RJ back control in the same way that Dai Shi was letting Casey have control during his scenes with Jamaicen.

More on that later. >__>.

Dai Shi just took over Casey's body and is holding him prisoner, so he's still pretty evil. =P.

The way you handled Jamacien dealing with Casey's outbursts was great and quite gritty in the last part.

Yeah, I think I scared one of my betas. If she thinks that's bad...she might have to quit in Act Three. >__>.

A great Cameo by some of the Mystic Force rangers was great, giving a better geogrpahical hint to where all these wierd and wonderful forests and such that we see in PR actually are (i'm guessing somewhere near Briarwood right, or that dimensional thing the MF rangers could access through trees?).

I pictured it being it the Briarwood, but more secluded than near a town, as Phant is quite a bitch-hermit. XD.

I don't think we've seen the last of them...

And I'm rather happy that you apparently missed the super secret forth cameo. Don't worry; if you go back and find'em, you'll probably laugh at to fact that you overlooked'em.

If you don't...well, they'll be back in Act Three, maybe sooner. >__>. So...no loss!

All in all, a good chapter, can't believe it's only chapter 5. Can't wait for the next one.

Well, I'll get to it soon. I'm mentally exhausted and possibly getting a cold (two days before I start work, go figure -__-.), so today I'll just be making dolls or something (plus I have betawork to do for this wonderful Jarrod fic...ooh! It's good. ^__^.), so I'll try to start it tomorrow, and this time...I'll end up posting more teasers! XD.

[GreyRanger]

When that Jarred fic comes out, please link me.
A fourth super secret Cameo?! oh now i have to reread it all!

[DarkStarShadow]

V[]etal []_ion;2909958']When that Jarred fic comes out, please link me.

It's over on PRU right now; I'm editing chapter four, and there's like, seven chapters to it.

A fourth super secret Cameo?! oh now i have to reread it all!

Want a hint? Try looking for someone who seems out of place.

[The 2nd Evil]

I keep reading Jamaicen's name as "Jamaican", Which is far too amusing than it as any right to be

Speaking of Jamaicen, he is so deliciously evil. I love it.

Casey screaming, trapped inside his own body is such a horrific idea, and hearing about Fleckeri gives me the impression that I'm going to be crying for Casey really soon.

I don't think I want to know what your Grizzaka has in store for him!

[democable]

What's PRU's link lol

[DarkStarShadow]

What's PRU's link lol

http://www.prunitedfront.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2326

I finished the editing, so chapter four should be up soon. =P

And this fic is there, too. >__>.

http://www.prunitedfront.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2153 <--- Tis me. You can leave comments there, too.

[Nightcrawler]

Cool stuff.

[DarkStarShadow]

>__> Okay, it's been a while. Damn work. And interesting banner challenges. And pixel art dolls...

Anyways! I do NOT have the chapter done, but I do come bearing a preview that's well...rather spoilery. ^__~.

Theo fired up his gauntlets and summoned up his Jaguar Armor as he approached his target, and Remius swatted away the aura feathers to clear his senses once and for all. “Nice try!” Remius shouted to Gruse as Theo began his attack.

After the second kick, Gruse summoned the aura feathers to rise up and strike Theo in a flurry. The feathers popped Theo up, left him disoriented, and knocked him into the lake, but left Gruse completely open to be struck by Remius. The clever master struck from below with a vicious vertical spiral strike, his fans closed and acting more like knives.

Gruse winced and stabbed Remius in the leg; a glancing blow, but painful nonetheless. Remius reopened his fans and winced, pulling away from Gruse. “Perhaps I could use some of my own protection…”

A silver and black aura surrounded him, pressing the air out from around him as he began his summoning pose. “Spirit of the Bat, arise!”

The aura shone brightly and compressed around his body, forming an armor that greatly resembled Theo’s, with the most distinct differences being color and stripe patterns, along with a pair of small black epaulets. His helmet formed around his head last; the core helmet was black, and was decorated with a silver trim in an ornate design. A long pair of bat ear-shaped spikes framed the sides of his helmet, making him look slightly taller and more intimidating than the uniform itself already made him look.

Theo’s eyes widened. “He can do that too…?”

“There! Proper dancing attire!” Remius beamed. “Now for the showstopping finale, right Theo?”

“Could use a little help; I’m not the best swimmer, ya know!”

“Coming!” As Gruse lunged at Remius, he quickly dropped down to both avoid the blow and grab Theo. Theo noticed that his master was considerably faster, just about as fast as Gruse now.

They flew across the surface of the water, the sounds producing vibrations that Remius’s animal spirit used to relay location details back to its host, much like sonar or echolocation. Remius let his senses rely on the feed more than his own innate ability to detect auras, as it was evident that Gruse had found a loophole around it.

The duo shot up and landed gently on the pier, and Remius quickly took his starting pose again. “Thank you for the assist. If you see me make another mistake again, please feel free to join in once more.”

“I shouldn’t have to help you; you’re a Master.”

“Even Masters make mistakes, kid. Hell, half my life’s been filled with little mistakes! The best lessons are learned from mistakes!” He laughed. “What is that? Lesson Five now? Meredith would surely be impressed with how many little lessons I’ve given you already…”

“Who is Me-”

“Prepare yourself! Here he comes!” He shouted as Gruse shot at them like a bullet.

Both Theo and Remius leapt over Gruse as he charged, but neither anticipated the return of the aura feathers. The feathers shot upwards and popped them higher into the sky, giving Gruse time to U-turn and rocket up towards them to slice them up with the sharpened ends of his wands. Sparks of silver and blue lights twinkled in the air as the pair spun about and dropped down into the lake, disoriented.

The feathers surrounded Gruse as he stopped to admire his triumph and laugh. “To think that something so simple could topple a member of the Great Four…are you all this easy?”

“Well, I’ll admit that I’m not the toughest member of the Four…” Remius muttered while swimming over to Theo. “You okay, kid?”

“Not really…” Theo replied.

“Okay, wrap your arms around my neck. I’ve got a plan.”

“…Alright…” Theo seemed slightly apprehensive, unsure of what his master was planning. Remius shot up out of the water. “Kid, can you get on my shoulders?”

“Sure.” Theo quickly maneuvered himself onto Remius’s shoulders.

“Now, am I right to assume that, since you are a Jaguar style fighter, you have a short to medium-ranged jump attack?”

“You would be.”

“Good. Hold on tightly; I’m going to dash in and blow away the aura feathers. When I do that, it’s your turn to attack, got it?”

“Right.”

“Here we go.”

Remius quickly rocketed towards Gruse and grinned. “Rushing Gale!” He forcefully swung his fans out in front of himself, blowing the aura feathers away and stunning Gruse.

“Grand Leap!” Theo bolted off Remius’s shoulders and slammed into Gruse, kicking him back towards his master and sending himself careening towards the solid edge of the lake.

Remius panicked; he wasn’t expecting Gruse to be coming back at him. He performed a spinning slash, then spiked Gruse downwards into the lake with an axe kick. He panicked once more and rushed out to grab Theo by the ankle before his head smashed into the turf below.

“You should’ve told me he’d be coming back at me.” Remius scolded.

“Hey, if you can make mistakes, so can I!” Theo scolded.

“Now you’re learning!” Remius replied joyfully as he set Theo and himself down at the edge of the lake.

Theo went to retort, but a minor epiphany overcame him; his master was right, after all.

“So, verse four, right? Time to go for the kill.” Remius nodded. He folded his fans and flipped them around, pointing the handles towards Theo. “I want you to try. This is your first lesson; just dance to the rhythm of your heart.”

“I’m not a very good dancer, ya know.” Theo replied, taking the fans cautiously.

“That’s fine; neither were RJ and Meredith when I taught them; and they’re much more stubborn than you are. Go ahead; I know you’ll do fine if you just don’t think about what you’re doing. It’s nothing but a dance with your opponent.”

Theo stood up and got a feel for the fully extended fans as Gruse recovered.

I'm going to try and get this done by the end of next month. ^__^.

[dragomuseveni]

lol well this seems like it is going to be a very awsome chapter...i like how the masters morphing is randomness like in the show haha

[DarkStarShadow]

lol well this seems like it is going to be a very awsome chapter...i like how the masters morphing is randomness like in the show haha

...What? It's not random; in fact, it's the exact same way the trio morphs, just without the gauntlets.

But I'm glad you think this chapter looks awesome...

[democable]

*thumbs up* Nice Teaser once again, can't wait for the rest of the chapter, keep it up lol

[GreyRanger]

Nice promo, look forward to the chapter.

[dragomuseveni]

lol sry about before meant to say not randomness...haha my bad...prolly was really tired when i wrote the last one

[DarkStarShadow]

@__@. Once again, I'm posting without the whole chapter. I sincerely apologize, but work's been slaughtering my chances to work (but I'm going to have a LOT of money for Christmas gifts this year, so it's all worth it! ^___^.)

I'm aiming for my birthday (the 30th) as the day I'll finish, so keep an eye out! ^__~. In the meantime...three teaser scenes for the price of one post!

“This outfit is ridiculous.” Akela muttered as Fran grabbed a ball of pizza dough from the fridge. “I feel like I’m supposed to be putting on a play of some sort in this.” He looked up. “Not that I wouldn’t mind putting on a show for customers; my host has a few little talents that could make for some entertainment for a small venue, but the job at hand is food preparation.” He looked at Fran and gave a soft frown. “It’s a shame; I’m sure I could fill that parking lot with spectators if I could do a little firebreathing or sword juggling.”

Fran looked up at Akela and gave a strange look. “Sword juggling?”

“That’s more my host’s talent than my own; the Finn family are expert swordsmen. While my host, because of me, was not allowed to fully learn all of the family’s techniques, he was allowed to learn basic techniques and allowed to handle both training and combat-grade swords. I picked up a bit of it myself over the years; I have a decent memory for combat-related things. But he’s much better at it than I am.”

“I didn’t think sword juggling was a combat technique.” Fran joked as she began rolling out the dough.

“Oh it’s not, but a bottle of rum, a bottle of vodka, two friends at a beachside bonfire, and a $20 dare that my host couldn’t juggle four of the swords at once was definitely a show.” Akela grinned madly. “And thus, nobody’s been able to tie or beat his record since without looking like they fought a lawnmower and lost.”

Fran’s eyes widened. “How badly did RJ get hurt?”

“Not at all, in fact. I assisted, and I have amazing hand-eye coordination and balance that completely counterbalanced the fact that he was inebriated to the point that he could hardly stand, let alone juggle four razor sharp blades without injury.” He nodded in reassurance, and Fran looked down at the pizza dough, grinning softly.

Very few men in the world were quite as insane or as lucky as RJ, she mused.

Mack walked in, wearing his uniform in the same manner that Jarrod did, only with long red sleeves instead of black sleeves. “So, where do you want me to go?”

Fran handed him a stack of papers that had been sitting on the counter behind her, along with the staple gun that was sitting on top of them. “Go staple these to the telephone poles around town, and come back here at around lunch time, okay? We need to get the word out that we’re open again.”

“Will do.” Mack gave her a warm smile as he took the things from her and walked out. Akela watched him walk out and gave a pondering look.

“What’s on your mind?” Fran asked.

“I have a craving for mutton all of a sudden. Not sure why.” He replied. “I’m sure it’ll pass.” He shrugged his shoulders. “So! Pizza, this thing you’ve got here. Show me what to do.”

True to his word, Akela quickly figured out how to make every pizza on the menu in only an hour and a half, and customers slowly began coming in. Fran and Akela eventually got into a rhythm that was similar to the rhythm she and RJ had before Dai Shi had begun attacking Ocean Bluff, and for a few moments, she had forgot all about the troubles of the world.

That was until Akela burst into the dining area in a panicked and aggressive manner.

“What’s up?” She asked him, smiling. He walked over to her and shooed off the customers she was talking to.

“There are Rinshi about. I can feel them.”

“So? Stay here.”

“…Did you hear me?”

“Yes, I did. Stay here.”

“But the ci-”

She thwapped him in the nose with a bundle of rolled up napkins. He rubbed his nose and raised an eyebrow at her. “What do you think I am, some kind of dog?” Fran shot his look back at him, and he felt sheepish. “…