In Sickness and In Health
Draco's eyes opened and as soon as he did that he knew something was wrong. He could feel it. He yawned and sat up in bed. He groaned, realizing that his joints were stiff and sore and his throat was dry. He felt as if all his energy had gone. He swung his legs over the side of his bed and his feet touched the floor. The contact caused a painful tingle to reverberate over his body. Groaning again, he managed to push himself off his bed, unconsciously dragging the blanket with him which he still had his left hand grasp upon. He slowly began to walk towards the bathroom, moving slow and sickly like a zombie. He opened the door to the bathroom and looked at the sink. The blanket was lying at the foot of the door as he'd dropped it.
"I don't feel so good…" he moaned as he stared at his reflection. "Or look good either..." His red hair was messy and he had drowsy eyes with bags under them. He was also sweating and his skin seemed a little paler. A trail of drool went down his chin as mucus trailed down both nostrils. He wiped the fluids off with his sleeve. Had he gotten ill or something? He suddenly sneezed and that in turn caused him to freeze the sink, covering it in ice. He paid no mind and turned on the hot water to splash his face. He stared back at the mirror before his cheeks swelled up and his eyes widened. He then lurched over the sink and emptied the contents of his stomach with a vile retching sound. When he had finished throwing up, he looked up at the mirror and said, "I think…I'm sick…" He then fell unconscious on the floor, the tap still running to wash the multicolored vomit down the drain.
Jinx came into the room after knocking a few times and received no answer. Entering the code to his room, she slowly and softly padded into the room. "Baby?" she asked. "Are you in here?" His bed had been slept in but not made and missing the blanket. Where was he? He was usually up early doing some sort of stretching exercises. He was a morning person after all. It was so unlike him to leave his bed unmade. Her eyes followed the light coming from the bathroom and the blanket lying discarded at the foot of the door. She grew concerned as she walked over to the bathroom. She peered in and gasped in shock.
"Baby!" she cried.
Draco was conscious again after Jinx had splashed him with cold water. The water had turned to steam upon contact with his abnormally hot skin but it did wake him up. Jinx had to drag him to the infirmary where she checked that he had a fever.
In the infirmary, Draco was lying in one of the cots with a thermometer in his mouth. Cyborg was examining him as Jinx stood by, worried. Cyborg listed all of Draco symptoms, "Sore throat, running nose filled with mucus, an abnormally high fever (for him anyway) and sore and stiff joints." He then concluded, "Yup, our boy here has got the flu."
"The flu?" Jinx quirked an eyebrow and looked at the pale Dragon Knight. "He has the flu?"
"Yup," Cyborg nodded. "But it's worse for him. I guess it may be because of him being an Orphenoch. It affects him a lot differently from humans."
Jinx wanted to look after her boyfriend as he began coughing and groaning. "Is it…contagious?" Jinx asked.
Cyborg answered, "Usually…but his version of the flu seems to have mutated and can only infect other Orphenochs, which means, we're all safe from his germs."
Jinx frowned. Cyborg was being far too carefree about this. Jinx volunteered, "I'll take care of him."
"I hope you can," Cyborg said. "Pluto did tell us that when Draco gets sick, his powers can get a little out of control."
Jinx shrugged, wiping sweat off Draco's brow. "How bad could it be?"
Suddenly, Draco sneezed and all the Tower's windows shattered simultaneously. Cyborg gave her a look.
"Get him an inhibitor collar," Jinx said.
"Right," Cyborg said, quickly running out of the infirmary and towards Pluto's lab. He knew Pluto had stashed some sort of inhibitor collar, just to take it apart for his own curiosity.
The windows weren't the only thing broken in the Tower.
In the living room, everyone in there had ducked as soon as the windows exploded. They had taken cover from the rain of shattered glass. Raven and Shadow had both created force fields to deflect the shards before anyone got hurt.
Beast Boy peaked out from behind the couch with Terra and the changeling asked, "Dude, what just happened!? Are we under attack?"
Shadow narrowed his eyes. He had a sinking suspicion of who was responsible. Terra decided to open her mouth at that moment. Not a good idea, "Raven, your powers went crazy or something?" the half-demon girl cast the geomancer a nasty glare and the geomancer whittled. "Um…never mind."
"Robin," Starfire said as she helped Robin up right after he pushed her to the ground when the windows had shattered. "Why did the windows all break?"
"I don't know, Starfire," Robin told her. Indeed, he really didn't.
"I think I know," Shadow narrowed his eyes.
After cleaning up the glass, the Titans were all standing outside of the infirmary. Draco was in bed, asleep and with a power inhibitor collar around his neck. Usually, those things were bad news but due to the current situation it was necessary. Jinx was feeding him some chicken soup as he weakly took some sips. Pluto and Cyborg explained everything.
"He has a mutant strain of the flu," Shadow stated and Pluto nodded to confirm.
"Cyborg told me EVERYTHING when he came into my room to ask for an inhibitor," he frowned as he looked at Cyborg. "He should've knocked first. I was a bit busy at the moment." Blackfire had to hide a blush and embarrassed look on her face. They had probably been doing something that no one else was meant to see and wanted their privacy.
"I'm sure," Shadow quipped, knowing fully well what had been going on before Cyborg burst into Pluto's lab/room. "So, how is he?"
"He has a really high fever," Cyborg reported, "And I mean too high for even a human."
"How high?" Robin insisted, wanting to get straight to the point.
Cyborg then told them, which surprised them.
"Woah," Terra said. "That is high."
"Will Draco be alright?" Starfire asked worriedly. "Will he recover?"
"Knowing the kid, he will be up on his feet in no time," Pluto said, but his smile seemed forced.
"What about us?" Beast Boy asked. "I mean, is it contagious?" If it was then Draco needed to be quarantined.
"Nope, at least not to us," Cyborg said.
"Please, elaborate," Shadow said. He needed more information.
"With Draco being an Orphenoch, the virus seems to have mutated. In fact, I can say that it can and only will infect Orphenochs," Cyborg said. Everyone sighed in relief.
"Well, he'll be stuck in bed," Shadow said.
"All he needs is bed rest and a little 'TLC," Cyborg said as he cast a warm look at Jinx who was fluffing Draco's pillow.
"Good thing he has that inhibitor on," Robin said. "I mean…he's sick and…"
"He can't control his powers when ill," Shadow finished. "We know. We went through it. I lost my bonsai because of it." He added, "Be grateful that we only need to replace ALL the windows now. We could've had an early winter or worse."
Robin frowned, "Aren't you concerned about Draco?"
"I am, but remember that if he doesn't keep that inhibitor on while he's sick we'll be the ones ending up in the infirmary," Shadow warned.
Everyone was silent. Shadow had a point. With all the powers Draco had he could be dangerous if he lost control of them, especially when sick.
"I'll try to work on a cure," Cyborg said.
"I'll be helping," Pluto volunteered, "Two heads are better than one."
"Just don't end up making it worse," Shadow said, knowing fully well the kind of damage Pluto could do if given the opportunity with one of his insane experiments. "Just get him better."
Draco was in his pajamas and under a blanket. His face was pale but his cheeks were flushed. He was also sweating. Jinx wiped the sweat off with a cold damp cloth, which steamed a bit when it came into contact with his hot skin.
Draco wasn't feeling so good. He had vomited twice and even though his body was hot, he felt like he was in the arctic. Jinx looked at him, worried, as he shivered.
He stared at her, gratefully, before sneezing and she wiped his nose with a paper napkin before saying, "Blow." He did and then she threw the paper napkin into the trash.
He weakly picked up a whiteboard and marker and he wrote something down. He then turned it over for Jinx to read and she smiled. He wrote, 'Arigatou'.
"You're welcome, baby," she said. His sore throat had turned into laryngitis, taking away his ability to speak. He now had to rely on writing down what he wanted to say. He erased what he'd written before writing down something else and turned it over for her to read.
'Are you sure this isn't too much trouble?' he 'asked'.
Jinx shook her head, "No, of course not. I'm your girlfriend. It's my job." Draco gave her smile and then began coughing. She went for the ice chips and scooped them up with a spoon before feeding them to him. His lips were chapped and he was groaning due to the soreness of his limbs.
Jinx hated seeing him so vulnerable. It just didn't seem like him to just fall sick like this. This was the first time she'd ever seen him so ill and so weak. He appeared so different from the boy she fell in love with. It was still him; he was just, well, sick.
Shadow stiffened, "She's here."
"Who?" Raven asked. Both were in his room, in the middle of making a sort of elixir to cure Draco of his illness. Shadow gave her a look and she immediately knew the answer.
The doorbell rang and after a few minutes Beast Boy opened up the door and asked, "Who is it?" He got a good look at her and then he gasped. "Oh, hi."
"Where is my son?" Emiko Narukawa Hasuma asked sternly, standing all business-like and flanked by two of her many black-suited and sunglass wearing female bodyguards who were both carrying large bags of luggage with them.
"MY POOR BABY BOY!" Emiko exclaimed as she dashed into the infirmary and hugged Draco, whose eyes suddenly went wide upon seeing his mother. She looked him over, placing her forehead on his. "My goodness, you're burning up!"
"Um…Mrs. Hasuma," Jinx began. "I think you may need to let him go. He's turning blue."
Emiko could see that her boy was having trouble to breathe so she removed her grip on him. He gasped for breath. "Ryu-chan, gomen," she apologized. Ryuki blushed at the old nickname and Jinx giggled before mouthing, "Ryu-chan." It sounded like a cute pet name to use in future.
"What brings you here?" Jinx asked the mother of her boyfriend.
"Oh, well, I felt something was wrong so I had to fly here on my little private jet," Emiko confessed. It wasn't the large one she had used on her last visit. It was a smaller one, parked outside of the Tower and piloted by two of her bodyguards whom were both standing behind her, like sentinels and on the watch. Jinx realized that it was 'mother's intuition' that had brought Emiko here. "So, how is he?"
"He has a really bad case of the flu," Jinx said.
Emiko could see the missing windows and saw the inhibitor collar. She understood what Jinx meant by it. "I can see. Good, you blocked his powers."
Jinx blinked and Emiko elaborated, "Ryuki-kun got sick a few times when his powers were starting to show up. Every time he sneezed something either broke, went flying or he started porting around at random. I had to bring in one of my husband's relatives on his mother's side to block his powers while he was sick. Believe me, my role as a mother was being tested to its limits those few times."
Jinx nodded in understanding and could do nothing but admire the woman who had given birth to the Dragon Knight. Unlike a number of wealthy parents, she had not neglected her son and instead doted on him lovingly. It made her miss her family a little.
"Why is he so silent?" Emiko asked.
"Laryngitis," Jinx stated simply.
"Ah…" Emiko realized. "Well, I brought my luggage."
"You're staying here?" Jinx asked, "But what about your company?"
"My company can take care of itself. I put it under good hands," Emiko said. "Right now, my son needs me."
"She's staying?" Robin asked Shadow. The Titans, save for Cyborg and Pluto, were in the living room. They had replaced all the windows. It had taken a long while and all of them to get the work done.
"That's right," Shadow nodded, "And she insisted."
"Dude, she was towering over me to let her in and she was scarier without those bodyguards," Beast Boy said, remembering the cold and electrifying stare Emiko had given him earlier.
Robin frowned, "We can't have a civilian staying here. This isn't a hotel."
"Try telling her that," Shadow challenged. "You want to tell her no? She can be really persuasive when Draco is concerned."
"She can be persuasive, period," Raven said, remembering how Emiko had talked her into participating in her fashion show. She was still trying to figure out how the woman did it.
"That she can," Blackfire nodded in agreement.
"And not to mention stubborn," Shadow added. "Which explains where Draco gets it from."
"Does she know about Draco's condition?" Robin asked. He was talking about Draco being an Orphenoch.
"Fortunately, no," Shadow said. "Draco didn't want her to know. He didn't want her to worry."
"So, we're stuck with her, huh?" Terra added in. She didn't mind it though.
"In a nutshell, yes," Shadow nodded.
"Dude, she's gonna be wondering why we haven't worn those uniforms she made for us," Beast Boy said nervously. After seeing her creations, they had stashed them into their closets. They weren't horrible, but actually quite stylish. However, the team had decided that they were meant for more special occasions. Beast Boy didn't want to upset the woman, especially after seeing her with electricity in her hand crackling dangerously.
"As long as we say we wore them, she won't mind," Shadow shrugged. "Besides, she's too busy worrying about Draco to care about that."
"So…got any idea of which room?" Terra asked.
"Do we have anymore empty rooms?" Blackfire questioned. None of them felt like rooming with the eccentric woman.
"Okay, Ryu-chan, say 'ah'," Emiko spoke as she held a spoon of chicken noodle soup out to her son. Draco silently ate the soup, but it was hard to swallow. Draco was just silently wishing that his mother didn't act like this whenever he got sick. It was even worse that she was doing this in front of his girlfriend. How embarrassing! And the nickname. He'd asked her to stop calling him that for years. He wasn't a little boy anymore.
Draco was sitting up, but his shirtless attire was making staying warm somewhat difficult. So, Jinx took it upon herself to warm him up. She took a seat next to her boyfriend and wrapped her arms around him so that her body heat could keep him warm while he sat up to eat. At first Ryuki was afraid of how his mother might react, but she just smiled and commented on how lucky Ryuki was to have a girlfriend who was willing to go the extra mile to help her baby boy. Both teens were left blushing.
"There we go," Emiko smiled as Draco finished the last of the soup. "Now you should get some sleep, Ryuki-kun."
Draco nodded slowly. Emiko smiled before she turned to Jinx.
"And I expect you to help keep my son warm, Jinx-chan," Emiko smiled. "If you feel the need to slip into bed with him then feel free. I'm sure it will be beneficial."
Draco's eyes went wide as he began to blush along with Jinx. Usually he would whine in embarrassment, but due to the loss of his voice, he was unable to voice any complaints whatsoever. It would appear that Emiko knew a lot more about how far their relationship had gotten and wanted to help move it along.
"Anyway, how is my daughter?" Emiko asked. She knew her daughter was a Knight too but not of her criminal activity. All she knew was that her daughter and son were both rivals.
Jinx stiffened as Draco's eyes widened in panic. What was she supposed to say? The truth? No way. She began to open her mouth to answer…
Then, the doorbell rang.
Saved by the bell.
Beast Boy grumbled as he went to the door. He muttered, "What am I? The bellboy or something?" When he opened the main door, his eyes widened and he immediately tried to get it close but the person in front of him wouldn't let him.
It was Kat and she had brought along Rose.
"So, heard my little bro was sick and my mother's here," Kat grinned, "Can I come in?"
Beast Boy was about to protest but then Shadow appeared behind him.
"It's alright, Beast Boy," Shadow said calmly. "I don't think she's here to fight."
"We just came to visit," Rose said.
Beast Boy gave Shadow a look, "But, dude-!"
"They are telling the truth," Shadow said as he eyed the two people who were their enemies. "But I still don't trust you two."
"Not asking for it," Kat said. "Just decided to drop by, see my mother and bro, and then we'll be off. Besides, Rosey-chan hasn't been introduced to mama, yet."
Shadow was dubious but said, "Fine, but no funny business."
"Only if you Titans don't tell her about what I'm doing," Kat warned. "Believe it, it wouldn't be pretty."
"That I'm sure."
Kat and Rose began walking up to the main room. Rose herself was feeling a little nervous. They were not only in the heart of enemy territory, but she was about to meet her girlfriend's mother! How nervous could she get?
Both girls walked into the main living room with Beast Boy and Shadow. All the Titans stiffened at seeing her and were ready to go at her if she tried to do anything.
"Oh, just relax already," Kat sighed. "I just came here to see mama and my brother. I haven't seen mama in a while and I don't hit people when they're down."
Robin frowned at her explanation. He didn't like it, but Kat had proven she could keep her word. If she said she was or wasn't going to do something, then you can be sure she would come through.
"Fine," the Boy Wonder frowned. "But any funny stuff and you're gone."
"Just keep your mouths shut about what I do and you won't see any."
"Is someone at the door?" a new voice asked as Emiko stepped out into the main room. She saw her daughter and suddenly gasped "Neko-chan!"
"Hi, mama!" Kat smiled. Of course, she was quickly swept up in her mother's arms with kisses raining down on her face.
"Oh, Neko-chan!" Emiko gushed. "It's been too long! Oooh, look at you! You've grown haven't you? I can tell!"
"I guess," Kat shrugged as her mother put her down. Dang! She was hoping to keep the reunion behind closed doors. The Titans won't let her live this down!"
"Neko-chan, who is this friend you brought?" Emiko asked, eyes on Rose.
"My name is Rose, ma'am," Rose greeted with a nervous look. "Kat and I are…"
She began blushing as she trailed off. How was she supposed to say this to her love' s mother? Would she accept her? Would she tell her to stay away? Rose feared her world would shatter if Kat's mother didn't like her.
Emiko took one look between the blushing Rose and the fidgeting Kat and a smile rose to her lips.
"Oooh, so it seems my little Neko-chan has fallen in love too," Emiko smiled. She then looked back to Kat. "I can understand why. She is very pretty and seems very nice. Oh, Neko-chan, I'm so happy for you! Why didn't you visit when I had a show here? She could have been in it too!"
"Mama," Kat blushed. Honestly, Kat was relishing the affection her mother was giving her. Growing up, Emiko had been one of the only members of the Hasuma family whom actually paid any attention to her rather than just dote on Ryuki. Her heart was fluttering at the fact her mother accepted Rose while her mind dropped to the gutter as she imagined Rose in one of her mother's mere 'intimate' designs.
"You mean, you don't mind?" Rose asked, surprised.
"No, of course not," Emiko shook her head. "I'm not one of those close-minded and ignorant bigots. All I want is that my children are happy and I see that you make Neko-chan very happy."
Rose smiled and then hugged Kat around the neck. "She makes me happy too," the silver-haired girl admitted. Kat blushed while Emiko gushed at the cute scene.
All the Titans were staring. Kat sure acted different around her mother but then again that was probably because she didn't want to arouse suspicion. They didn't trust her since she was their enemy but respected her wishes. She had helped them out once or twice…before stabbing them in the back but that was how she was.
Kat wondered if she could invite her mother over to Slade's mansion. Was that even a good idea? Slade had expressed interest in meeting Kat's mother. Kat then asked, "How's otouto?"
"Oh, he has a bad flu. He can't even talk," Emiko frowned. "Luckily, he has Jinx-chan to help him."
Kat was glad. If her brother could be taken down by a mere illness, then what was the point of their rivalry? She preferred him to be in tip-top shape for their fights. It was more fun that way.
Hopefully, Slade could make himself look presentable and not too intimidating. Kat wanted her mother to meet the man who she considered her father.
It hadn't been too hard really. Slade said that if Kat needed to cultivate a proper appearance then he would assist. Kat and Rose took Emiko out to 'help her relax' and meet the man Kat was staying with during her time in Jump City. The bodyguards were also with them, much to Kat's chagrin but then again they were hired to protect her mother.
Emiko was somewhat surprised when a limo pulled up in front of her and a man stepped out from the back seat.
He seemed to be a gentleman who was into his early forties if not late fifties with a muscular physique hidden under his clothes, which comprised of a black turtleneck, and a brown blazer with matching slacks. He was ruggedly handsome with a well-trimmed beard and short silver hair which was well-kept. An odd characteristic was the eye-patch which was covering his right eye.
"Mrs. Hasuma, I presume?" he asked with a degree of charm.
"That's me," Emiko nodded politely.
"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," he smiled. "My name is Slade Wilson. Your daughter has been living at my mansion during her stay here in America."
"I hope Neko-chan has not been any trouble, Mr. Wilson," Emiko said. "If she has then I do apologize in advanced."
Slade smirked. "She hasn't been any trouble at all. In fact she has been assisting me a lot ever since we both met."
Emiko wanted to know more, "And her education? Since she left home I have been worried that her schooling would not be completed."
"I have been home-schooling her in my mansion, ma'am," Slade said.
"Hai, mama," Kat added, "Slade-sama has been a great teacher." Both Master and Apprentice exchanged smiles. So far so good.
"Well, right now I am visiting my son and his friends but maybe we can go to your home for some tea and to get to know each other more," Emiko suggested.
"Well, after you then," Slade offered as he opened the door to the limo.
"Are you sure it's smart to let Kat take Draco's mother to meet with Slade?" Robin asked with deep concern. He knew Emiko was no pushover but Slade was someone who would do anything to get and keep what he wanted.
Shadow nodded and said, "Despite everything, Kat still loves her mother and since Slade wants to keep Kat as his apprentice I don't think he will harm her. They are only going to talk."
Robin gave Shadow a skeptical look at how calm he was. This was Slade they were talking about here and Shadow didn't act like it was a big deal!
Terra didn't trust Slade or Kat either. They were both bad news. "But, what if Slade uses her to get to Draco?" Terra asked.
Shadow sighed. "I don't think it will come to that. Slade can't use Emiko because it may cause him to lose his hold on Kat. He wants her as an apprentice and not as an enemy. If Slade did do anything to harm Mrs. Hasuma, then he would have to deal with both Copycat and Draco and both of them would do anything to protect their mother." He continued, "Right now, let us concern ourselves with Draco's recovery." He looked over his shoulder to see Pluto coming in. "How is he?"
"He's stable," Pluto said with a frown.
"So he's going to be okay?" Terra asked expectantly.
"I said he's stable," Pluto insisted, stressing his words. "No change. He's still sick! He's so hot you can fry an egg on his forehead and he still can't talk!"
"What about the tests?" Robin asked.
"Nothing we tried could cure him," Pluto said.
"I still say we should use magical remedies," Shadow said sternly.
Pluto barked back, "And I say science is better!"
Both Robin and Terra knew what was coming.
"Magic is better!" Shadow argued.
"No, science is!" Pluto shot back.
"Magic!"
"Science!"
"Magic!"
"Science!"
"Magic!"
"Science!"
"Science!"
"Magic!" Pluto shouted and then realized, "Hey, wait a minute! You tricked me!"
"You made it sound like an accomplishment," Shadow smirked.
Both Terra and Robin left the two. Hearing both Shadow and Pluto argue was like hearing Beast Boy and Cyborg…
In the kitchen…
"Vegetable soup is better!" Beast Boy insisted.
"No, I say chicken soup!" Cyborg shouted back. Both were at the stove cooking something in two pots. One was filled with vegetables and Cyborg had prepared some chicken noodle soup, his own recipe.
"Veggies!" Beast Boy shouted.
"Chicken!" Cyborg shouted.
"Veggies!"
"Chicken!"
"Veggies!"
"Chicken!"
"Veggies!"
"Chic-Oh, hey, Jinx," Cyborg stopped the argument as he watched Jinx come in, not looking too pleased.
"Ryuki is trying to sleep! Keep it down!" She fired two hexes at them and the pots erupted, sending vegetables and noodles flying all around to land on the ceiling, walls and floor. She turned on her heels and walked back to the infirmary.
Ryuki was asleep, clutching a small plush toy that resembled Jinx. His mother had made it for him and given it to him as a sort of companion. Jinx came in and walked over to his bed. She gazed down and admired how peaceful he looked so rested. His fever had gone down so he was already on the road to recovery.
In Slade's mansion, Emiko admired the home of her daughter's guardian while she was staying here in Jump City. So far, she hadn't seen anything that would suggest that Slade was up to anything suspicious. Then again, she wasn't looking at the right places. She saw family portraits lining the walls and also several antiquities.
"These must've cost a fortune," Emiko said.
"Yes, they do," Slade said. "I had Wintergreen prepare a meal for us all."
"That was thoughtful of you, Mr. Wilson."
"You're welcome, Mrs. Hasuma."
"Oh, please, call me Emiko."
Kat rolled her eyes. Slade could be a total gentleman when he wasn't wearing his mask. If she didn't know any better she'd thought that the Slade talking to her mother was whole different person. Slade was a master of deception and disguise. So, it wasn't too strange to think that he would be able to pull of such a façade.
"Tell me, Mr. Wilson," Emiko said as she walked with the man towards the dining room. "What has my daughter done to help you?"
"She has helped me with my business," Slade admitted.
"Your business? What kind of business?" Emiko asked.
"Oh, it's something worldwide," Slade said, smirking.
"I see," Emiko said. Alright, she knew Slade was hiding something. She knew Ichijyo's father, Ichiro, usually hid things too. But, right now, all she wanted was to get to know this man to know that her daughter was in good hands.
Emiko returned to the Tower, safe as sound as promised. She may not have known about the danger she could've been in since Slade was a master criminal, but Draco trusted his sister that their mother would not be harmed in anyway.
Emiko had gone to check up on her son again. She nearly embarrassed him when she told the others a story of another time in their past when Ryuki had gotten sick. This time is was when he had the measles. Ryuki had covered his head in despair, wishing he could give his mother his laryngitis just to make her shut up. However, she could always just show them a home movie. There was just no way to stop her. He had no choice but to grin and bare it. The only thing that made him feel a little relieved was that Emiko had probably told Slade some embarrassing parts of Kat's own past, causing some embarrassing secrets to be revealed.
What goes around comes around…
Emiko Narukawa Hasuma was in her room, leaning over a table with a pencil moving over paper at full speed. She had just gotten a burst of inspiration and drawing new designs for her next line of clothing. She then heard a knock at the door and looked up, saying, "Come in." The door opened and then Jinx came in. Emiko smiled as she saw her son's boyfriend but then noticed the nervous look on the young girl's face. "Jinx-chan, what's wrong? You don't look too well."
"I'm fine," Jinx said. Emiko knew that was a lie.
"Well, if that was true then why are you here?" Emiko asked, looking serious.
"I wanted to…talk to you," Jinx said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
"Well, take a seat and we'll talk," Emiko said. There was a chair across the table from her so Jinx walked over and sat down. "So, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Emiko said with a smile.
"I wanted to tell you the truth…about my past," Jinx said, her voice filled with regret. She knew the risks. Ryuki's mom may hate her if she knew but she had told him the truth so now it was time for Emiko to know the same. Emiko remained silent as Jinx poured out her heart, telling her about her past as a villain and a criminal, about the bad things she had done. When she was done, she awaited judgment. Emiko's smile faded.
Emiko asked her just one question, "Do you regret all that?"
Jinx said, "I do…now." Jinx was saying in her mind, 'Oh, God! Now she hates me!'
Emiko sighed, leaning back in her chair. Her gaze was fixed on Jinx who shrunk back in her own seat. "Well, I am surprised that you decided to come to me to tell me the truth about your past. Can you tell me why you decided to do all this?"
Jinx confessed, "I love your son, a lot, and I know how much you care about him. I just want your approval. I know I'm not exactly perfect, with my appearance and all and plus my questionable past, but please, I want you to believe that I have changed and am not that person anymore. All I want is Ryuki to be in my life." She added, "I came to you with this information because it was better that you found out from me rather from another source. I think, maybe…I just needed you to know."
"I see." Emiko sighed. "After hearing about your past deeds, I'm starting to ask myself why I should even allow you to have a relationship. It would be quite scandalous if your true identity and past was found out and the consequences it would have on this family." Jinx began to sweat. "The most responsible thing as a mother that I should do is to have my son break any ties with you whatsoever." Jinx knew it. Emiko hated her. "But…I'm not like that." Jinx was surprised. "I'm like my son, or to be more precise he's just like me. He's a good judge of character and doesn't judge people by their past actions."
"So, you mean…" Jinx said, surprised.
"Yes, I give you two my blessings," Emiko smiled. "Now, run along now. I think he's waiting for you now."
Jinx smiled widely and walked out of the room but not before whispering, "Thank you."
Ryuki woke up to feel a soft body pressed against his. He turned his head over to see Jinx who was lying in the bed with him, her arms around his shoulders as her head rested on his chest. Apparently, she had fallen asleep listening to the steady beating of his heart.
He smiled and then he realized that he didn't feel as horrible as he did yesterday. His joints no longer felt sore nor did he feel like he was in a freezer. He sat up and this caused Jinx to stir awake. She yawned and rubber her eyes. She looked at Ryuki who was smiling at her.
"Ryuki, are you okay?" she asked. He then spoke to her. She had missed that voice.
"I'm fine, Jinxy-chan," he smiled. "Thanks to you."
Her only response was to beam at him and then give him a soft kiss. Neither of them felt like leaving the bed but they knew they had to, eventually.
There was a bright flash of light that interrupted the moment.
"Now that is something to put in the album!" Emiko said happily, holding a camera.
"Okaasan…" Ryuki moaned in mortification as he covered his head with the pillow. Could his mother NOT embarrass him like that?
Cyborg examined Draco to see if their Dragon Knight was really cured. So far he hadn't found any hint to say otherwise. Of course, Draco's face was still a little red from this morning.
"Well, it looks like that bug worked its way out of your system," he said, "Must've been a 24 hour thing."
"Well, it just feels good to be able to smell again and talk too," Draco said, relieved.
"Plus, dude, you don't look like a zombie anymore," Beast Boy joked. Draco laughed.
"So, where's okaasan?" Draco asked.
Robin shrugged, "She left when she found out you were okay. Didn't tell us much, just said that it was something important."
"Ah-CHOO!" Kat sneezed as she lay in bed, her skin pale, her nose red and her eyes baggy and watery. A thermometer was hanging from her lips as a packet of ice laid on her head. Now she was the sick one.
Grant had laughed at her but had gotten his just desserts when she used the Rat Power to bring one of her favorite big cat statues to life and maul him. It had been satisfying. Rose sat next to her, taking care of her. Right now she was feeding the ill Cat Knight some cod-liver oil. As much as Kat liked fish, she absolutely hated that stuff.
"Can this get any worse…?" Kat groaned and then the door swung open.
"MY POOR BABY GIRL!!" Emiko cried before rushing towards her daughter and engulfing her in a suffocating hug.
"Spoke too soon…" Kat said as she could barely breathe.
"I'll be here to take care of you, my little Koneko-chan."
"Mama..."
The End…?