I don't own Detentionaire (not sure how often I need to say it)

A/N: It's been a while! Thanks for comming back, but reviews are really low. I want to continue the story, but I need to know if it's worth continuing.

Review at the end, it will matter!


In the detention room…

"Okay," Biffy turned back to Lee once Nora was gone. "Lee we gotta go like now!"

"What's up? You weren't in a rush a second ago."

"Yeah, because your nanny was in here a second ago, and if I said where the key was she'd never let us go."

"My nanny'?" Lee asked. "C'mon Biffy, give her a little more credit! Nora's just as much part of this as you, me and Jenny are. She's taken care of us sure, but she sticks her neck out just as much many times."

"Not this time. The key's last location was at a downtown casino called The Hydra. And given Nora's 'responsible adult' tendencies, you think she'd let us go get it?"

Lee couldn't argue. Nora would not be okay with them doing something like this. She was fine helping them run around the school, but she'd said it was her job to help them while in the school. Not only were they sneaking into a casino, they would be confronting a person who had serious fighting skills. Nora did too, but this guy was more ruthless. And they weren't planning on actually confronting this guy. No way without Nora around.

"Okay, fine. Now that Cassandra has both the keys she's probably going to try opening that Pyramid. I need it back! The Taz obviously thought it was pretty important for me to have."

"And you're obviously connected to this book in a totally weird way." Jenny said. "But maybe we really shouldn't tell Nora. Give her time off for her birthday."

"So? What do you say?" Biffy asked Lee. "Next stop The Hydra?"

"Let's do it." Lee rubbed the place on his arm where that guy on the motorcycle had hit him. "I have unfinished business with that key thief."


Nora's POV

I was thinking about what today had brought us closer too. The key was stolen, but we knew where it was. And the thief Lee described, if he was able to sneak into a house and ride a motorcycle then he could have been just a random thief that the Council had hired. The boys had brought me up to speed with Cassandra and the Council's activities, at least what was known about them. But the fact that the thief had a wooden version of my long-staff was pretty upsetting. Maybe I shouldn't take today off? All I had planned was meeting my Dad for dinner at a restaurant, then if he could come home we'd watch a movie in the living room. Dad was busy, this wasn't first birthday he worked, and what's really to do when you've had this many birthdays?

I've kept on track with my schoolwork so today could be free. I wasn't even going to stop for lunch, I was going to head home, relax and wait for Dad's call. And honestly, I was looking forward to that. Me, my Dad, and a little quiet time. But quiet days were a thing of the past.

"Nora!" he cried out in a sing-song voice. The Serpent's motorcycle pulled up behind me. I noticed a part of his helmet was down so it looked like a jaw.

"Hey, Serpent." I greeted back. I've come to terms that he's just the kind of guy who likes to be funny. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. I was just going by, when I see you walking out of school early. Playing hooky?"

"No, Barrage just let me go early." I might as well tell it to someone. "It's really weird for him. Any kind of kindness in general from him, actually."

"Perhaps not. Is today a special day for you by any chance? Holiday? Family reunion? Birthday?"

"It is! But…" I never even told the kids about my birthday. I was just planning on celebrating quietly with my Dad. "Maybe he knew my birthday from my application. But him giving anyone time-off is so out of character! And he was talking kind of weird when he said it."

The Serpent shrugged. "Anyone can show a moment of kindness. Even a metal-man!"

The Serpent knows Barrage? Then again, a how many cyborg-generals could around here? I don't know how long Serpent's been in town, but it seems to be a lot longer than me. "I guess so." And I have to admit he could be right. Even though Barrage has more of grizzly bear demeanor than teddy bear, he's still capable of acting like a decent person. "It was great to see you again!" I waved and started to head home.

"Would you like a ride?" He offered holding up the famous helmet. "I know where you live, remember?" Is that still creepy? Yeah, kinda. "And since it's your birthday, I'd like to take you somewhere."

"Take me somewhere? Really?" As charming as he is, he has to know there's a limit to the random stuff he can do. I still haven't forgotten that there's a ton of stuff I don't know about him. "Serpent, you've been really great to me. I mean it! But you can't just take me around at a moment's notice."

"And….why is that?" That cocky smile just won't wipe off, will it?

"Like you said yesterday, if you're seen with me too much it will mean trouble since my dad works for your mom's company."

"Mm-hmm…" Trapped by his own words, he looked away to the side. It's not that I didn't like hanging out with him! I just didn't want to cause any problems for him, and definitely none for Dad. A higher-up's son going out with a daughter of an employee would definitely cause a scandal. But then, the ever-cocky smile came back. He leaned over the bars of his bike and said in a low voice, "What if I wanted to cause a little trouble?"

Dang! I'm blushing again! I had him pinned for a bad-boy from the start! "B-Because," Stick to your guns Nora! "I'm not your girlfriend. And if I was, I don't think your mom or my dad would be happy with it."

"Nora," he said, gently. "I am an adult. If I want to go out with someone, no one can tell me not too. And you just turned nineteen, can't you do the same?"

Logic deserted me. Being an adult means making the adult decisions. Not easy decisions, the right decisions. But my mind was clouded over by one resounding point he made in his argument. Is he really asking me out? Find out! Find out!

"Are you asking me?"

"Asking what?" Coy.

"Out."

"Out?"

"Are you or not?"

He paused and looked like he was thinking as he stared at me. While my face appeared to be waiting for an answer my insides were much less patient. SAY YES ALREADY! YES OR NO I NEED AN ANSWER HERE! C'MON!

"Well?"

"…" OH, FORGET THIS I'M GOING HOME!

"It was a joke! I'll see you around, Serpent." That could have been way embarrassing. Its fine for a girl to ask a guy out, but it looks pretty awkward for a girl to ask if a guy is. I felt kind like a piano: played. Like he was trying to get me to ask in order to embarrass me!

"Yes."

What did he say?

"Yes?" Two can play this game, buster!

"Yes."

"Yes to what?"

"Yes: I am asking you out on a date."

Imagine the smile on his face, then imagine the shock on mine. Both were at their extremes! Maybe that was why I missed Lee and Biffy running for the gates and Barrage ordering them back inside.

"Well…"

"Are you saying no?" Despite my previous reasons, I really did want to say yes.

"It's just…" A ton of weird stuff has happened and a boyfriend might be too much right now? I've seen you three times now and… "I usually know my date's name before I go out with him."

"If you take this," he tossed the helmet and I caught it, "and come with me a little while," he revved the motor, "I might tell you my name."


The helmet was once again on my head and I was once again on the back of the motorcycle of the guy who just recently asked me out on a date. Was kind of coerced? Maybe! But this is fun!

"Having fun?" he called back.

"Yes!" I answered.

"Then hold on!" He leaned forward and the next second we were dodging past car after car at a blurring speed! Because of this I had to hold onto him tighter. Man, this guy has muscles! I had ridden a motorcycle before with my godmother who had the same need-for-speed as The Serpent here. She had taught me how to hold on when riding on the back of a motorcycle, to keep my head back, but make sure my hands were safely secured around her midsection. It felt different with a guy driving. I tried not to talk with him while he was speeding down the road, he wouldn't hear me anyway. But I still had so many questions.

When we finally came to a stoplight I asked him, "Where are we going?"

"I want to show you where I work. You have a few hours?"

"I guess." The light turned green and we continued on.


We drove up to a building that had a wide base, a single tower and was all glass windows. "What the?" It was surrounded by spotlights, green grass and palm trees too. What kind of place is this? And what kind of job does he have here? I first figured he was a delivery-boy. The only time I saw Serpent he was on that motorcycle just playing around. Was he just on break whenever I saw him?

"Coming, slowpoke?" In awe, I had missed that Serpent had walked ahead of me.

"Uh, yeah. Serpent what is this?"

He just laughed, "Tee-hee-hee, you see!" When I caught up, two giant (even bigger than Biffy) security guards were standing in front on the doors. Well, guess I can't go after all.

"Gentlemen!" Serpent greeted them. "Hard at work I see. Sanders, has there been any trouble since I was gone?"

What is this idiot doing? They're both twice his size! I've been called the Taz-Tamer and I've told Barrage to his face to do his job, but don't mistake anything I do as brave. I only go into a fight where I know I have the upper hand. Another Sensei Hong teaching though the exact words don't come to mind. The Serpent was showing off, and he was going to get his face punched in doing it! Did not want that!

But then the security guy answered, "No sir. All's quiet. You and you're…guest are all cleared."

"Excellent." Serpent turned and gestured for me to come up next to him. "This is Nora Prowler. She is very important to me, so I want her in good care even when I'm not around. Understand?"

The guards both straightened and answered. "Yes, sir."

Okay, what just happened? They were talking to Serpent like he was their boss! They stepped out of the way for us. "Let's go, Nora." Serpent draped his arm over my shoulders pulling me forward.

"Oh! Yeah, sure." Then I said to the two guards. "Thank you."

The long elevator ride gave me the precious few moments I needed to absorb all this. I was officially on the scariest first (ish) date. Just turned nineteen, in a casino, and with a guy I was just getting to know! "You seem jumpy." Serpent sounded a bit concerned.

I had to answer. "Serpent, is it really okay for me to be here? I just turned nineteen and I'm in a casino? I'm sorry but this doesn't seem right."

"Aw, little daddy's girl are we?" He mocked.

"Yeah! Seeing's how Daddy is one who will have a heart attack and most likely have me grounded for just as long as Lee!"

"And you're also a responsible sister! How adorable."

"Oh, and what about you? You go around like a 'bad boy', yet you work for your mom!"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "I look like a bad boy?"

I counted off on my fingers. "Motorcyle. Dyed hair. Extra helmets. Need for speed. You're like the Asian version of James Dean, same jacket even."

"And what does that make you, hm? The safe, sweet little angel Mary-Sue?"

The elevator was quiet. Both of us just glared at the other. One second… Twos seconds… He started laughing first, and I quickly followed!

"Feel better?" So that was his plan? He was teasing me so I would get mad and be less tense.

"Yes. Ha ha, thank you." The elevator dinged and the doors opened.

Based on the curve of the windows I could tell Serpent had brought me to the top floor. The interior of the room was a polished wooden floor with a dragon rug going down the center. Along the way were two sets of full (I think Japanese) armor, a punching bag with sparring equipment, a gong and at the very back end was a very large desk. "Whoa." I was impressed, no denying.

Serpent casually walked right into the room and sat behind the desk. "So," he smiled knowingly. "Thoughts on my office?"

My mouth spoke my thoughts.

"What? This is your office?" I took three steady steps into the room. "Serpent if you're just trying to impress me this is kind of overboard."

"Nope. This is part of my work. The work that Mommy gives me to do."

"Touché, sir. Wait, part?"

He giggled a bit. When did that stop being annoying to me? "Come in. I don't bite, Nora."

I walked in just a bit more. "So you said-" my leg became stuck and I fell to the floor. My arms stopped me from crashing and I looked back at my leg to see what had happened. Coiled around my left leg, was a big bluish-grey…

SNAKE!

I was even more afraid of this thing than I had been of the tazelwurm a few days ago. It hissed angrily showing its fangs! The grip it had on my leg tightened and I winced in pain. What do I do?

"Priscilla!" Serpent's voice came out with a force of command. "Release her! She is a guest here." The snake looked up at him, then back at me. She hissed once more and then loosened her coils and slithered behind the desk. I checked my leg, it wasn't hurt it had just been in a tight grip.

"I do apologize for Priscilla's behavior." Serpent lifted her up and she wrapped herself around him three times. "She is not used to other people being around here."

From my sitting position I turned and smiled as assuring as I could. "It's okay. I think it's just me. Priscilla's not the first reptile to attack me on site. Not even the first this week." Way to go, Nora. That totally didn't sound weird!

The Serpent had a look of interest though. "Really? Who was the first?"

I stood up and brushed myself off. "A tazelwurm. A really very sweet creature, but it took one look and jumped at me on my first day."

"At A. Nigma High?"

"The very same!"

"And you still remained at the school?"

Truthfully, even if I had unintentionally gained some fame from the experience, I had never even told my dad about what happened. He would complain to the school (and have to face Barrage), and get me to quit. I didn't want that. "Well, yeah. I have a job there, it would be pathetic if I quit before I even started."

"I see. I did hear something about that. They call you the Taz-Tamer at your school?"

I chuckled. "No, everyone calls me Nora. At least to my face. And Barrage calls me Soldier." I shrugged.

"So you have gained the Principal's favor too." He scratched Priscila under her jaw. "That is very interesting."

"And very inconvenient." I admitted. "Barrage is made for boot camp, not high school. I think most of the students are afraid for their lives while he is there! He even put laser beams in the detention room to keep students from moving around in there. Being his favorite is not exactly an honor."

"Ah, but you gained it, didn't you?" He stood up and lifted his snake so he could place her on the desk. "How?"

Not going to complain that he's chatty. But I want some answers too. "Hm, I don't exactly remember." I was smiling now. Hey, it's fun.

The Serpent's eyes visibly narrowed. "Gee, that's too bad." He walked over to the punching bag. "You know Nora, I have heard some interesting things about you." What does that mean?

"Like?"

"Like you're an excellent fighter."

"Where are you going with this?"

His back had been turned to me, but only his head turned so he could watch me. "Hearing rumors is one thing. But I prefer to know the actual truth." He removed his red jacket, revealing the green shirt underneath. Despite my previous uneasiness this was more in my comfort zone. I had some idea what he was getting at. I hadn't been the only student in my martial arts class. But I had been labeled as the prodigy, and the more ambitious (and often older) students used to stand that way when they were looking for a fight.

I smiled, my eyes narrowed. With a proud stride I walked over to the couch near the elevator ad dropped my bag and jacket onto it. "One round, no weapons?"

The Serpent's smile could have been as dangerous as Priscilla's glare. But I didn't feel afraid of it. It was out of arrogance. A typical look I saw on a sparring partner's face before I knocked them down. "Sounds right to me."


(A/N: Fight Scene! There really should be more of these.)

We both stood on opposite ends of the room. Serpent stood relaxed on his end, this was his home turf of course he feels safest. I steadied my stance and pulled my fists back to show I was ready. He has no idea how good I am. He thinks that he's just going up against a girl with nothing going for her but a little lower body strength. I love it when they underestimate me. All I've been going up against were tazelwurms lately, fighting a person is way more of a challenge.

With even strides we walked to the very center of the room, stopping at arm's length of each other. Each of us waiting for the other to make the first move. Goading seems to work with him.

"You know, I've actually been at this for a few years. If you wanted to back down there'd be no dishonor."

"The same to you!" Then he added in a low voice. "And I've been doing this my entire life."

"Then this should be fun." My adrenaline waits for no one.

I launched a punched at his chest. With one hand he blocked and knocked it away. He noticed too late that my other fist made contact with his arm. I followed with a kick only to have him sweep me down with one of his. From the floor I glared at him. With the same leg he knocked me down with I went for a body shot. He jumped away. I got up and ran straight at him. In a fast-fury my fists went for anywhere I could see an opening. His face, his arm, his chest, his stomach, all he was able to block!

Okay, he's good. But he was just defending. I needed to make him fight back. I took aim with a hit to his face I knew he would block and came in with a round-house kick getting him in the side. It knocked him back and he put a hand on where my heel had landed. A small laugh came from the mop of hair in front of me. "You are good, Nora." He said. "Now I can hold back less!"

At a speed that my eyes couldn't follow he came in and delivered a punch to my gut. It hurt, but not badly. But before I could recover he was right there again. His hand was coming. Somehow I remembered my first day and the Taz. I moved my head out of his line, and then grabbed onto his arm above his elbow. Still with the momentum he came at me with added to my own strength, I was able to pull him around me and force him onto the floor! Or I would have if he hadn't seen me coming, grabbed hold of my arm and brought me to the floor with him. My back collided with his chest. He trapped me in a hold with his arms and held my feet down with his claves. "Give up!" he commanded.

I squirmed and struggled! I tried rolling out but he had me in too tight. "Give up, Nora~!" Oh, I don't believe this! He was having fun with this while I was wasting my energy trying to get out. Finally I stilled, and let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine. You win."


He giggled like a school-boy who had a shopping bag full of candy (no idea why that came to mind). "I always do~!" I had given up, my body was limp, but he still had me in the hold I had no idea how to get out of.

This fight had been in good fun. Serpent obviously had been studying some kind of martial arts for maybe even longer than me. I smiled since I wasn't really mad that I had lost. Maybe I even deserved in for going up against him on whim instead of need. "Okay, good for you Serpent. You won. Please let me out."

He loosened his arms, but he didn't let me go.

"Uh, Serpent?" I asked him. "You gotta let me out of this."

"No, I don't." What? Oh brother, he's enjoying this isn't he? "I won. So I think I should get a prize!"

"What?"

"I challenged you. You accepted, and you lost. That makes me the winner. When someone wins they get a prize."

The only way I could show how I felt about this was to lift up my head and drop it on his chest. "Oof!" he said. I think it hurt me more than it hurt him, and it wasn't enough for him to let me go. He's not going to make this easy.

"Fine, Serpent." I relented. "What do you want?"

"Hm… Let me think."

So he just held me there. Accepting my surrender Serpent eventually let my feet go so I could place them outside of his. I used them to push myself upwards so I could lay higher on his chest. He didn't seem to mind, especially since I made no moves to do anything else. I took the time to catch my breath, and I could tell Serpent was too. I'd never admit to it, but it was kind of relaxing in this position. He was warm, and I could hear his heartbeat almost feel it. I turned my head to the left to lie more comfortably. That's when saw, just below the sleeve of his shirt, was a scar. Three red jagged lines, like a bad scratch. Somehow my mind drifted to the picture Jenny had found in that book. Three lines. One broken. Fire. Lee's arm had that same symbol. My upper arms were constrained, but I could move the rest of them. Without thinking my left hand glided up his arm and stopped where the three lines were. "What are these?" I asked.

The rustled I heard must have been Serpent turning his head to look where I was looking. "It's a birthmark." He said. Serpent's voice sounded a little husky, like he had taken a nap and just woken up. "It's always been there for as long as I can remember."

"Huh…"absentmindedly, I said three words, "Just like Lee."

For the briefest moment Serpent's body tensed.

"What was that?" I noticed his voice had cleared out, but nothing else.

"One of my boys down in the detention room, Lee Ping. He has a tattoo with three lines in the same spot, but he doesn't remember getting it. He said it was a birthmark."

That was the game-changer. An innocent, absentminded statement, didn't even need to be said and it sent everything spiraling from that point? But at the time I couldn't have known. Serpent gave nothing away. Had I been looking I might have seen the calculating look etched onto his face. Had I any sense to have my guard up at that moment, I might have run out of the building. I'd have run until I got to a safe place where I could call Lee or Biffy to tell them that trouble was coming that very day. Instead I just casually lay back in the Serpent's arms waiting for him to decide what he wanted as a prize for beating in our little sparring match.

After a beat, Serpent sat up. I was surprised by the action yet I laughed when he did. He had one knee bent behind my back to support me, letting the other lay flat on the rug, Serpent had even released my arms. "I have decided what I want now!" He looked like a happy little boy. There was no trace of malice or arrogance; it was like the face of a child who wanted to play. He seemed relaxed.

I asked him. "And?"

"I want…"


A/N: Okay, I'm stopping there for now.

What would the Serpent want?

I'm going to ask for suggestions on this one, just for fun.