Part 28: An Old friend
Shadow was able to get out of the office without any incident whatsoever but he seemed to have a lot on his mind as he made his way to pick up Raven. He just couldn't understand why Masaru had stolen the bike, and what even had him more puzzled was the fact that he was a Zodiac Knight.
Shadow knew for a fact that Masaru was never a Zodiac Knight and wondered why… or how (was a better question) he became a Knight. To him the idea just didn't seem right to him.
But as the Cadillac (The Blue Hound) that he had 'borrowed' from Pluto pulled up in front of the mansion to pick Raven up, he decided to dispense with the thoughts of why and how and pick up on it another time. Raven came in wearing a pitch black top with a dark blue denim skirt and black boots.
As she closed the door the young half-demon noticed that Shadow was wearing a pitch black t-shirt with a cobra logo on the front and matching black jean and shoes.
She leaned towards him to give Shadow a peck on the cheek before they drove off. While they were driving though Shadow's thoughts returned to the thief.
He still could not believe that Masaru was the thief; he refused to believe it because he knew him better than most people, almost as good as…
"Shadow? Something wrong?" asked Raven cutting into his thoughts. She had seen that he was a little distracted by something, but she couldn't figure out what it was.
Shadow came to a stop light as he shook his head and said, "We just found out who the thief is but I'm really skeptical of it if it is who I think it is." Raven raised an eyebrow, she was about to ask why when he cut off, "I'll tell you tomorrow. I have to be able to shift through my thoughts on this."
Raven nodded, deciding to accept the answer. She knew that if Shadow wanted to tell her he would so she decided it best not to push the subject.
However, as she decided to leave it be, she felt a very familiar presence at the location they were going to. She couldn't figure out who it was at first before she remembered an old friend she had been with before her time with the Titans.
'He still is just a friend… isn't he?'
In the Gothic Club there seemed to be very loud gothic music playing. There were many people there either dancing or just sitting alone as they preferred to be that way.
However one man seemed to have drawn a rather small crowd of female Goths. They all seemed to want him to dance with him but all he just did was wave them off as if he didn't care.
'If only these idiots knew how dangerous it was to have a relationship with me, they would avoid me like the plague,' thought the young man who was about eighteen years old. He had muscular visage under his dark blue muscle shirt, a black trench coat and pitch black jeans along with a black fedora hat and dark sunglasses hiding his eyes completely.
He didn't understand why it was like this, every time he came to a city there would be girls that would always try and get his attention especially in clubs like this. It wasn't that he didn't find any of them attractive; some of them were drop dead gorgeous to some people.
But with the constant hounding of his enemies he could not afford to have a relationship with anyone, period.
But his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar presence. He wasn't sure who it was at first but then an image came to his mind, 'I haven't seen her in a long time.'
Shadow and Raven had got into the club and they saw various people in dark clothing either dancing or just sitting by themselves.
However, as Raven entered, she felt that the presence was much stronger now. She decided to ignore the presence since she was here because of Shadow and if she was going to confront a long time friend, she'd probably end up having conflicting feelings for the two of them.
Shadow noticed that something was on her mind but also something was on his. His thoughts had shifted to a familiar presence but he knew exactly who it was. Only it would be strange see him after not meeting him for so long. Then again, Draco wouldn't feel the same towards this new arrival.
Indeed the two of them were always at each others throats, or rather he always knew how to push Draco's buttons and get him in a foul mood. However, he doubted that Draco would want a repeat of the beating he had received from last time.
But this was Draco and, knowing him, it would be a likely bet that history would repeat itself.
The couple was about to dance until the walls were plowed through and creatures that much resembled the Orcs from Warcraft came bursting out of holes, except these were red and not green.
Immediately the entire club began to file out as people began to scream and yell as they ran for the exits. However, the creatures did not bother with going after the other people. No, they had a particular goal in there mind.
"What the hell are those things!" yelled Shadow but deep down he didn't really care. All he wanted to do right now was to cause as much physical pain to these cretins as possible for ruining his night out.
He got his Zodiac deck out and he yelled, "Zodiac Force! SNAKE!"
It was a good thing he brought his deck with him. He thought that he would have to face Masaru but instead he had to deal with these freaks.
Shadow became engulfed in energy until it hardened into his armor.
The orc-like creatures just looked at Shadow for a moment before beginning their search again.
This was it for Shadow. Even though he could control his temper he didn't like being ignored nor regarded as if he wasn't a threat at all.
He was about to attack before a fist made of shadows came out of the ground and slammed into the place where the red Orcs were. Most jumped out of the way but a few didn't make it and were crushed completely.
A figure began to rise out of the floor as some shadows began feeding his form. When he emerged he began to speak, "You came for me right? Well, come and get me, unless you value your lives."
The creatures were hesitant at first knowing what this man could do but those thoughts were quickly stomped away as a vision of what their master would do to them if they failed.
One charged forwards raising its club however as it brought the club down, the figure dodged as his trench coat waved in the air slightly before he went into a spinning kick to the side of the head sending the creature into the ground face first.
The others charged in immediately afterwards but were stopped in their tracks as the figure raised his hand. They preparing for battle but instead he took off his sunglasses revealing pale pure white eyes.
Immediately his clothes became a liquid like black as they began to shift. His pants changed from a pitch to dark blue with bright orange and red dark flames on the side. Around his waist was a black leather belt with a silver belt buckle. His black muscle shirt changed into a yellow symbol with a black center held by four bright orange straps leaving his toned abs and chest for all to see. His trench coat that went down to his ankles began to shrink until the end of it was just below his waist and with no sleeves. The color changed from pitch black to a matching dark blue like his pants and the bottom of the sleeveless jacket were bright orange flames that went around to the other side. Two dark blue fingerless gloves seemed to appear where his hands were along with bright wrist bands connecting them. To top the look off, his hat slithered down to his face wrapping itself around it and covering his neck like a mask as it changed bright orange.
The man looked back and saw both Shadow and Raven, "Shadow, it's been a long time."
Shadow nodded and said, "Like wise."
He looked at Raven and then said, "Allow me to take out the trash Raven."
He turned and dodged as one of the Orcs came in with a rusted blade. He ducked under the next swing and as he did he plunged his hand into the ground and pulled out some kind of black blade that was shifted from the Shadows and began to combat them.
Shadow decided to sit by and let him handle all of this. Apparently he wouldn't allow himself to take on all of these idiots if he didn't know what he was doing. He then asked Raven, "How do you know Ekelo?"
Raven was a bit startled by the question but answered still, "I knew him before I met the Titans."
Indeed, she had traveled with Ekelo for half a year due to the fact that these idiots thought the two of them to be allies. Over the time she had become close to Ekelo and their fates were very similar.
Like Raven, Ekelo was bound by a prophecy that would cause him to end the world, but what she couldn't fathom was why both of the prophecies seemed to have conflicted.
But during their travels she had developed a bond between herself and the half-demon. She had grown close to him and had even confessed her feelings for him as well. However he did not return them saying that he felt no such thing for Raven other than friendship.
But then again, Ekelo hardly ever trusted anybody and being called a friend was possibly the closest she could be to him. She eventually got over him after sometime with the Titans and during the relationship with Shadow she nearly all but forgotten about him.
But now seeing him here had seemed to have rekindled something and she was beginning to feel the same thing she felt for Shadow towards Ekelo.
Shadow noticed this but didn't say anything. There was a bit of jealousy, but he knew it must have been past feelings and nothing more. However, he was cut off of his thinking as a group of the reddish Orcs began to turn their gaze to both Shadow and Raven as some of them began to charge.
Raven got into a stance as Shadow did the same, preparing to fight.
Shadow dodged a blow by ducking and retaliated as he clubbed the Orc with the blunt end of his scepter. The creature staggered a bit until he began to attack again by bringing an upwards swing with its club.
To Be Continued…
Who is Ekelo? How does he know Raven? How does Ekelo know the Knights? Why are these orcs attacking them? Stay tunes next time for the next exciting chapter of Zodiac Knight Draco: Shadows of The Past.
Ekelo is a property of Devan (Dr.Evans)
