As Yubel and Gabriel sat in the booth of his favorite restaurant, after he had demand to get to something to eat there, Rattlesnake glared at the both of them as they stared at him in disbelief.
"So to summarize what had happened thanks to you two, I was forced to run multiple gauntlets of puzzles. Puzzles, that are best described as something from a video game." The writer said, still dressed in the outfit he got at Aperture Science, "And the only reason I was able to escape was because testing obsessed a AI, who I had tried to destroy earlier, had a journey of self-discovery, which it had while it was inside a potato battery, let me go after we worked together to beat the world's only AI designed to be moronic by using portals to up a path on the moon to space where he and another faulty AI got sent."
"Here's your order, Snake. It's good ta' see ya' again"
"Thank you, it's good to be back." Rattlesnake thanked to the waitress as she handed him his food before he turned his attention back to the two across the booth from him, "Normally I'd put the two of you in an omake that would forever ruin your images with the fans, but the fact that one of you is an OC of my creation gives me pause. So, use this time to convince me that I shouldn't do something like that "Leather Paints" video that Bakura and Marik are in."
As Kurumu stood by and watched the since unfold, she was thankful that the other members hadn't come to the club-room in time to see the incident with Ice-puppet and then come along to see this. She gripped the cross from Moka's seal tightly in her hand. This was getting completely out of hand, Jaden had basically provoked the inner vampire self of Moka to a fight by saying that her fighting style was flawed and using that black smoke (which she assumed was the power darkness he had told them about) to change his outfit into what they were starting to recognize as his new battle gear with Nenekirimaru strapped across his back. Right now the succubus knew that there wasn't any way for her to stop them, all she could do was hope that they would back off of there and hide behind a tree, praying for their well being, if they didn't.
"I'm going to ask again encase I miss-heard you…" Moka said levelly, giving one of the few people she'd ever use the word "friend" to describe if she had to, a chance to back out, "Are you saying that there's a problem with my fighting style?"
"Actually there are two problems with it. The first of the two is that it is completely incompatible with skirts causing everyone present to receive an eyeful every time you attack someone." Jaden spoke very seriously until a sarcastic tone came into play, "Unless of course you were intending stun your opponents with panty shots, in which case, bravo. You're skills are second to none."
Moka wasted no more time with words and attacked with a spinning kick intending to demonstrate to him why vampires are the highest of apex predators. But the sheathed form of Nenekirimaru took the blow and instead of the herald of darkness, who held his ground with both hands braced against it, while Moka felt a pain in her shin where she had made contact with the white weapon.
"And the biggest problem with it is your pride." There was no sarcasm in any of
Jaden's words now. His eyes were now hardened by battles and all the secrets of past life, "You are so damned sure that on one can beat you because you're a vampire you will get yourself killed."
Flipping back to put some distance between the two of them Moka noticed the beginnings of a bruise on her leg. It was only a bruise but it was still unthinkable that she could be harmed by the brunette, who had been subdued by the mad-slug and medusa.
"Nuraihyon wasn't a vampire, but a yokai of a nameless type, and he was still the supreme commander who led the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. He won the loyalty of his subordinates not because of what he was, but because of who he was." Jaden spoke in a low steady voice, took slow and deliberate steps toward the silver-haired vampire. "In terms of raw power, if a vampire ever challenged him to a duel for control of the Night Parade, he would have lost. But many vampires did come to challenge him and he won every time, because they had been blinded by their own pride."
Moka tensed when Jaden took the sword by its handle and removed it from its scabbard with a smooth movement that made a song with a single note.
Discarding the white lacquered wood side, Jaden took a relaxed stance with the sword's handle in his gauntlet free left hand and the back of the blade resting on his shoulder. "Now, I would prefer to just talk to you about this, but the worst part problem with being prideful is that you can never admit when it's a problem. So that means I have to take advantage of the fact that one way of writing 'to training' in Japan also 'to forge' and hammer out that fault by hand," He said jovially, making the "come here" gesture with a metal covered finger.
Moka immediately obliged him by rushing at him and attacking with a side kick from her left.
"I've seen London," Jaden said in a sing-song voice as he side stepped Moka's attack then grabbed her leg by the ankle in his right hand. "I've seen France," he continued to sing as threw the vampire's leg up and forward, making her lose balance and fall back as Jaden moved in close using his hand to keep the leg locked up and rested the point of Nenekirimaru at her chest. "And what did I just tell you about your attacks and underpants?" he asked as Moka glared up at the boy and blushed at the mentioning of her wardrobe malfunction, as she had started to become increasingly self-aware now that it had been mentioned.
Jaden's expression changed again from toy-fully playing to analytical and disappointed, "Congratulations by the way… Not on your attack. The shortest fight between Nuraihyon and a vampire was seventeen seconds, congratulations breaking the record."
As Moka felt the red-hot rage burn in her chest at the insult as she slapped the blade away from her and used her strength to pull her leg free and try to kick Jaden in the face.
As he dodged the kick, Jaden took notice of the intense youki that was pouring out of the vampire and condensing as black bats around her as she stood up.
"Looks like you've become the center of her attention." Yubel commented as Moka tensed up to attack and then disappeared and reappeared right in front of Jaden her leg raised for an axe-kick. Using the shadow-skates to lunch himself back away from the attack, Jaden narrowly missed the devastating blow which tore up the ground as it concave in on itself. "Or maybe it would be more accurate to say that you've become the center of her killing intent." Yubel amended her earlier statement as she surveyed the damage.
Moka stayed in the same position she had been in since she had finished her ground breaking attack. She knew her the bangs of her hair was covering her eyes so that meant they couldn't betray her shock to the others there. She had first she just wanted to prove that Jaden was wrong about her skills but now she had just attacked Jaden with the intent to kill; things were getting completely out of hand. The best thing that Moka could think of to do at this point was to keep claim and say something about how fighting someone like Jaden was beneath her and walk away, this way her pride would stay intact and no one would be seriously hurt.
"You know that your technique looks like something designed for a twelve-year-old girl?"
Moka's red eyes narrowed as her lips pulled back in a snarl making her fangs completely visible as the burning rage returned and she zeroed in on Jaden, unleashing dozens of furious kicks at the smirking sword master, who dodged the ones that he could and when he couldn't he would move his sword into just the right place to force Moka to stop her attack or risk having her leg amputated.
Moka was steadily growing angrier as she fought Jaden who danced around her and continued to talk, "I wasn't trying to be insulting earlier, I was stating a fact. Your style looks it was developed when you were twelve. In fact, for a child's technique it's probably the greatest fighting-style ever designed. You obviously had a good teacher who was skilled enough to know that back then you needed the extra reach and strength your legs afforded you and needed to be trained to take on any opponents larger than you."
"Whoever your teacher was, they must have been one hell of a fighter," Jaden said respectfully, Moka let up on her attacks as she heard those kind words as memories of a pink-haired woman in a red dress holding her hand and smiling kindly at her filled her mind until she pushed them back and returned her attention back to her opponent.
"But you aren't a child anymore and a style that focuses solely on kicking is predictable when used by someone in our age group. And since you haven't let yourself improved since then, you're tossing aside all the effort that your teacher put into training you," Jaden said as he changed his fighting stance from relaxed and fluid to solid and focused as his brown slightly changed color. But his eyes weren't taking on their normal heterochromatic blue-green and deep orange color. They were both still the same color, but were flaked with golden-yellow, "And I can't wait for you to learn that you're all-powerful the hard way. After all, vampires have natural transformation abilities but forsake them for vanities sake, the only thing that will make it through that kind of idiotic pride is someone getting seriously hurt or maybe even killed. I am going to have to shove you down into a sewer to help up the mountain so you can visit the scenic hot spring bathhouse."
With speed that Moka was sure wasn't possible for a human; Jaden rushed forward and brought the sword down in a slash that would have cut a deep gash from her shoulder to hip if she hadn't dodged. She would have tried to counter attack but Jaden continued to attack with strikes intended ether take her down or keep her off-balance so she couldn't counter attack or put any distance. As she continued to dodge his strikes, she grew increasingly frustrated that her kicks were unable to land and because she couldn't keep her balance her form was becoming increasingly sloppy and…
'… Childish' Moka realized as Jaden's words repeated in her head and the swordsman started a swing from his left that would cut her into two halves at the waist, 'Jaden was right. My style is no longer a fit for me and is going to get me or someone else killed…'
Time seemed to slowdown as the blade neared its target. Knowing that Moka wouldn't be able jump back Jaden prepared to turn it on its side at the last-minute to prevent it from dismembering the vampire, but the blow would still sting like he had hit her with the sharp edge and would prove two both parties who the winner was.
Moka knew that none of her normal moves would work and Jaden would have proved his point, defeating her completely, regardless if he struck her with back off the blade or the sharp edge. 'He was right about my way of fighting… but I won't let him rob me of my pride!" Moka spun into the attack getting in close as she grabbed Jaden's sword arm by the wrist, hard, making him wince in pain. Not noticing Jaden's pained expression, Moka continued by releasing his wrist and punching him in the chest making him tumble to the ground three yards with the wind knocked out of him.
Jaden felt his blood pound painfully in his vanes as it crossed over where he was hit. Shaking as he stood up slowly Jaden almost collapsed back to the ground as a sharp pain shot through his right foot, it wasn't broken or sprained, but it was banged up pretty good. As Jaden changed his stance he felt his grip on his sword getting weaker; he swapped Nenekirimaru to his gauntleted right hand and took a few deep breaths as he heard Kurumu come out from behind the tree she was hiding behind yelling that it was enough and begging them to stop.
"Be quiet, Kurumu!" Jaden ordered her as his eyes turned even more of the golden-yellow color, shocking the succubus into obeying as he returned his attention to Moka. He had managed to get her realize the need to change her style but she still needed to let go of her pride.
Moka sighed as she shook her head and tried to talk him down, "That's enough, Jaden. You can't beat me. If you try to-" The vampire was genuinely concerned for her friend but he stopped her in a loud voice, "Moka!"
The vampire looked back up to Jaden's face which was set in a smirk as he lowered his knees down. "You really are too proud for your good," and with those last words Jaden leapt up into the air using the shadow skates to launch him higher. When he was at the peak of his jump he point the blade up, where it caught the faint sunlight from the overcast sky, and sent a charge of darkness in to the former sacred sword which made its blade glow silver laced with wisps of shadows then brought it point down to ground. It narrowly missed impaling Moka and cut the front of her school uniform open as it buried its self in to the ice, discharging purple energy from it where it pierced the ground.
Moka gaped at the power behind the move and at the cut in her shirt, which reviled her plain white bra and turned it in to a scowl pointed toward Jaden. Who grinned as he twisted Nenekirimaru in the ice, causing a large spider web of cracks to spread across the ice he and Moka were standing on.
Moka remembered where she was standing, on top of a frozen lake and thought with a horrible realization, 'I'm standing in the center of a frozen lake…that means I'm standing above water!'
"Oh" Whatever Moka was going to say next was lost as the ice broke and dunked both her and Jaden into the lake.
As Moka felt the water's purifying nature take effect, draining her powers and lashing out at her painfully as it pulled her under, her mind was filled with thoughts of outrage at her defeat, 'That little idiot! He knew that I wouldn't be able to continue to fight if he broke the ice and would have to be helped out of here! And now he'll be insufferable once he pulls me out.'
But then she saw Jaden was sinking down next to her, weighted down by the shadow-skates, and his eyes were closed. 'He must have exhausted himself…' Moka realized with horror, 'He must have known that he wouldn't have the strength to swim after using that move… So why didn't he back off?'
'I would have…' Moka start to mentally criticize his decision until she started to compare it to what she would have done, 'I would have done the same thing… Looks like my pride real can get me or others killed if I don't learn when to let go of it…'
As she started to black out she saw Kurumu dive down to rescue Jaden. 'So he's going to be alright… that's good.' Moka thought as her vision went black. Not noticing the large scaly hands hold onto her and carry her up and out of the water.
XxX
Once she was out of the water Moka's youki started to correct its self and strengthen, making her wake up to see Tamao preparing to give to her mouth to mouth, but thankfully for the vampire she stopped as she noticed that the other girl was awake.
"Oh, thank god you're alright." Tamao sighed in relief as Yukari glomped the sliver haired vampire. Ignoring the little witch, the transmuted aquatic yokai continued to speak, "I was worried that I had fished you out of the water to late. But it looks like I got here right in the nick of time."
Prying the sobbing Yukari off of her, Moka couldn't help but wonder what the two were doing at the lake in the first place. Anticipating the vampire's question Tamao explained, "When we saw the pink icing and the half melted figure, we were worried and went looking for you three. Thankfully we happened to be nearby when you were unsealed, so we felt your youki and managed to get here in time to see the last part of your fight with Jaden."
"Jaden!" that name shot through Moka like an eclectic current as she remembered that the darkness harbinger had fallen into the water too. "Is Jaden alright?!" she asked franticly in concern for the young "Nuraihyon" swordsman.
"I'm fine aside from a couple of burses, thank you for asking," the duelist said from where Kurumu was helping him keep pressure off of his bad leg, "How about you?"
Moka thought of everything Jaden had said and how he kept growing stronger all the time, proof that there was truth to what he was saying. Nodding the vampire stood up and walked over to fights victor and the succubus. "Yeah, I'm going to be just fine. Thank you. I won't let my pride be my master anymore or let it stop me from asking for help if I need to." She said sincerely as held out her hand for Jaden to shake.
Taking his arm from Kurumu's shoulders Jaden took a couple of steps forward, and took the platinum-haired vampire's right hand in his gauntleted one and shook it, "What are friends for?" he asked rhetorically.
"And Jaden..?" Moka asked as she continued to shake his hand. "I won't let pride from being petty about something like my outfit being torn." She said, referring to the changes to her uniform made by Nenekirimaru.
Jaden blinked as his brain tried to change gears, but that took two little seconds to long.
"KNOW YOUR PLACE!" Moka bellowed as she kicked the swordsman in the side of his ribs, sending him flying into a tree with a crunch as it broke and the warrior continued on to a second tree that made Jaden stop with a jarring halt.
Very glad his battle gear was made to reduce impact, the harbinger of the darkness groaned in pain. Battle gear or not it would still be a miracle if he didn't get any broken bones from that attack, "Could someone help me get to the school infirmary please?" he asked weakly.
XxX
After getting patched up by the nurse, who had a length opinion to share about how some people didn't appreciate how hard it was to be the school nurse, Jaden managed to escape the infirmary around seven 'o' clock and return to the Internal Affairs office where he found the smell of food cooking from the kitchen area.
Investigating the source of the smell, Jaden fond Gabriel dressed in a chef's hat and a pair of oven-mitts pulling a pizza stone which had a pizza with refried beans, yellow cheese, and taco meat on it out of the oven. The purple-eyed teen took a deep breath of the pizza he made, "Ah… pizza meet taco, taco meet pizza. I love you both."
Gabriel glanced up and noticed his host in the door way, "Oh, hey here Jay."
"I thought that I had the kitchen staff send you and Samantha food?" Jaden asked.
"Yeah, but now I'm hungry again." The amateur chef replied as he placed fresh shredded lettuce on his culinary creation, "You can try to add the lettuce before cooking, but in my experience that makes it rubbery."
Jaden looked the Cheshire over and compared him to the one he had saved back when he was the Lord of Pandemonium. The first Cheshire Cat always had a large smile that showed off all of her yokai-form's sharp teeth and would make people shy-away from her because they couldn't tell if she was in a good mood or about to rip your throat, she also would act much like a cat with the way she moved and laid down (making Jaden wonder just where the Cheshire started and the Cat stooped), she would never give a clear answer to anything always speaking in riddles that made sense if you thought about them for a minute or two, and there was an unbalanced look in her eyes that made her lunacy clear to see ready to be set off by lord alone knew what…
But Gabriel wasn't like her. He smiled a lot but it was a natural one. He acted like a young man, standing relaxed and upright, and sleeping lying straight with his hands behind his head as opposed to curling up like cat. He spoke plainly and didn't mix words (although he did talk a bit too much). And while his eyes had that "different light" in them, it was much claimer then in his predecessors.
"If you don't mind my asking a bit of an invasive question," Jaden started to ask, "Why aren't you a total nut like the first Cheshire was? If it wasn't for the fact that the purple eyes and feline fangs were passed down to you I wouldn't have known you were a Cheshire."
Gabriel, who had just finished cutting his pizza, looked up to Jaden and his smile disappeared as fished a bottle glass with black and purple medicine capsule out of his pocket. "This is why." He said somberly as he handed Jaden the bottle, "Turns out that the insanity of a Cheshire Cat is responsive to medication. Two pills every six hours and most of the major symptoms are reduced to the point I can suppress them myself… I was on the last stretch of my last dose when I meet you and the others."
"Modern medicine to the rescue, huh?" Jaden asked, passing the medicine back to its owner.
"Yeah, but they weaken my powers, make it so cats won't answer to me, and reduce my hand to eye coordination. So I don't really like them." Gabriel answered, accepting the bottle and pocketing it.
Making the "Nuraihyon" frown confusedly at the Cheshire's answer and ask him, "Then why do you take them?"
"That's reason why I started to cook, so I could forget it." The black-haired teen said a small smile appearing on his face again.
"Must be a pretty big deal then…" Jaden said, deciding to let the young man keep his past in the past.
"I wouldn't know about that, since I can't seem to remember…" Gabriel said thoughtfully as he took out a pair of plates before he chuckled lightly, "I guess the cooking-thing worked."
"So you planning to joining me for "second dinner"?" the cook asked.
"Maybe, after I check on Samantha." Jaden answered.
XxX
As Jaden interred the cells he saw the contractor he had hired for the offices' reconstruction putting the finishing touches on the cell bars and Sam with sticking her arms through them and holding pan of wall sealant for him.
"Well this is a pleasant change," Jaden said as he gave an experimental tug on one of the completed cell doors and fond them undeniably solid.
Sam glared at the AI chief and said in a surprisingly surly tone, as the construction worker took the pan from her and left, "Well lest I don't feel so naked setting in this cell."
"My offer still stands..." Jaden reminded her, "So have you given it any though?"
"Yeah…"
XxX
As the sun set the official chief and unofficial cook and medic sat around the kitchen table and enjoyed some light conversation as Jaden wondered what had happened to Mizore the yuki-onna after they had parted ways.
