CHAPTER 4

HUMILIATION! KER'S HARSH TRAINING BEGINS!

When Spike and Lynn made it to the Chaotix, they walked into the training room and saw Takashi sitting in a chair with one foot on the floor and the other in the chair.

The hybrid turned to them looking impatient. "Hey what took you two so long?"

An anger mark formed on Spike's head because he took what Takashi was asking as an insult. "Shut up, Takashi! I'm not my dad!"

"Yeah", he spoke with a sly smile. "It shows."

Spike shook his clenched fists as he growled at the hybrid.

Lynn looked around the huge training room and didn't see Ker anywhere in sight. She turned to Takashi. "Hey, Takashi?" She called. "Where's Ker?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. I guess he's running late too."

"I'm not just running late", a voice spoke from the doorway.

Everyone turned and saw a man with pale white skin leaning against the doorway.

"I'm running fashionably late."

A sweat drop appeared on Spike's head, "Typical Ker."

Takashi stood from his chair and turned to the demon. "Why did you want us to come here?"

Ker confronted the group by standing in front of them. "I have called you here today to begin your training."

Lynn arched an eyebrow at his words, "Training?"

The demon made a nod, "Yeah before any of you can protect Tech City , I must study by how strong you really are."

Spike formed a smirk with excitement. "Okay! Bring it on!"

Ker wasn't shocked at all after seeing Spike's reaction. He made an evil smirk and looked down at a strange watch he was wearing. "Okay", he then pushed a black button on the watch and suddenly the entire training room had changed into a desert with sand flowing within the strong winds in the air.

Lynn began to panic as she got concerned about what was happening. "Uh, Ker? What's going on?"

Takashi looked around the desert and saw nothing but sand. "Where are we?"

"Isn't it obvious? We're in a deserted desert of course."

"Desert?" Spike repeated blankly.

"Don't worry. This is only a simulation. This isn't a real desert", he explained.

Takashi kneeled down and touched the sand that was on the ground. He picked some of the sand off of the ground and let it slowly slip away from his hand. 'Simulation or not. Everything in this environment seems way too real.'

Ker began to explain the rules, "Now for the rules for our training exercise."

Spike, Lynn, and Takashi focused their attention the demon and watched him take out a small green book. They all stared at him with grimaced looks on their faces.

Spike stood there confused at the sight. 'What a minute', he thought. 'Ker always wears a blindfold. How can he...read? Is he toying with our minds or what?' He finally decided to ask Ker why he had the book. "Hey Ker, what's with the book?"

The demon looked down at the book in his hands like he didn't know what Spike was talking about. "Oh this? It's a special book for those who can't see and if you're wondering why I have it, I'll tell you. The objective of this exercise is to get both bells from me."

"What bells?" Lynn looked closely and spotted two little silver bells tied around his waist.

Spike couldn't help but to laugh a bit. He and Ker had played tag all of the time when he was a kid so he thought it wasn't hard to touch the bells at all. 'How easy!'

"But", Ker had added. "There is one more thing."

Spike awaited the next part to his rules.

"If I knock any of you unconscious, the simulation will be over and we'll start all over the next day and so forth until you all can get them from me."

Lynn gulped as she imagined them all trying to fight Ker all at once. 'It sounds easy but it isn't! This is Ker after all and he's exactly no pushover!'

Ker continued, "I warn you all now. I will give it my all to deflect your attacks so come at me like you're meant to kill. Trust me...it's your only way to survive." He raised his hand in the air, "Now..." He brought his hand back down. "Go!"

Lynn and Takashi surrounded Ker and stood in fighting stances as they were ready to attack Ker until they saw Spike coming at Ker with both of his hands glowing light blue.

Lynn gasped as she watched Spike charge towards the demon.

Takashi's mouth hung open in shock at the sight. 'Has Spike lost his mind or what?'

Ker took his eyes away from his book calmly and saw Spike coming towards him ready to attack. The demon smirked as he grabbed Spike by his wrist and kicked him to the ground with his foot on his back.

Lynn's mouth hung open in surprise at how fast Ker had stopped Spike's attack. "Whoa!"

Takashi's eyes were locked on the way Ker had held Spike down to the ground. 'So...this is the power of the fourteen demons. No wonder they're one of the most feared demons in Mobius.'

As Spike struggled to get his wrist free from Ker's grip, he saw a white aura of energy forming around Ker's hand. He gasped and thought for sure that it was all over.

Ker held his glowing finger under Spike's neck and frowned. "Your will power to attack me was pathetic." He made the hedgehog stand from the ground and push him towards Lynn and Takashi. He crossed his arms and glared at the hedgehog, "I wouldn't dare even call that an effort."

Spike held his throbbing wrist as he turned to Ker once again. 'Damn! Ker...he's just toying with us! If he wasn't so civil, he would've torn us apart already! Literally!'

Ker stood in front of them calmly as he awaited for them to attack him. "What are you waiting for? You guys scared or what? Attack me already!"

Lynn flinched and her body still refused to move. 'I have never seen Ker like this before. He was always so gentle and calm when Spike and I were still kids.'

'How humiliating!' Spike had thought in his head. 'I'm supposed to be Mobius' next ultimate being and I can't even get touch him? How embarrassing!'

A/N:

Lynn: *huff* This is impossible!

Takashi: He's so strong!

Spike: I'll get those bells! You'll see!