HEY! I appreciate the reviews, guys. I wanted to updat this fast so to everyone who reviewed/followed; you know who are. I absolutely love it, thanks! And I hope you enjoy this episode of:
Xiaolin Chronicles
Episode 50: Not So Happy Meal
"Jack Spicer, evil boy genius, and his band of evil boys!" He clicked his tongue. "How does that sound?"
"…It sounds like I'm not getting paid enough to be here." The thin ninja responded.
"Awhhh, come on, Tubbimura, help me out a little here!" Jack carped. "We have to come up with something!"
"Why are you so eager to make a team anyway?" Tubbimura folded his arms.
"Becaussse, my sister Jill is making her evil band as we speak!"
"You make it sound like a musical group-"
"Listen to me! I cannot lose the world to that copy cat trick! She's gaining an army and I'm just sitting on jack-bots that are too expensive to fix! I need man power, and fast!"
"I'm not joining your little posse again, fool!" Tubbimura sneered. "You have greatly dishonored my retiring plan by attempting this!"
"Hey, you still came! Greedy for money still, I guess…"
"DO not insult Tubbimura! Besides, I since my weight lose I have lost my skills…"
"Calm down subway Jay," Jack taunted, "Just get back to eating fries and burgers and we're good to go!"
Tubbimura scoffed. "You really are an idiot!" He rose from his seat in the workshop. "I'm leaving!"
"W-wait! Don't go!" Jack jumped after him and grabbed his lanky leg. "PLEEEEEEAAASSSSEEE!"
"Hmph! Come bother me when you have a decent army, Spicer!" Tubbimura kicked the obnoxious boy away and he rolled away as Tubbimura exited the hide out.
In defeat, Jack just remained plopped on the cold surface of his cement space. He looked up at the ceiling, frowning.
There was no sound in the room.
There was nothing in the room with a pulse except him. Even surrounded by his robots and armor…
He was alone again.
…
…
…
"Prepare yourself, Kimiko!" Rika charged with high speed towards the dragon of fire.
"Arrow Sparrow!" The bird-like flames darted swiftly as Rika rolled and jumped to dodge all the hefty fumes. Her Spear shot out and nearly reached Kimiko, but she had moved to the right and quickly tried to kick upward at Rika, who had already put her arm up to block. Stepping back, she attempted to strike with her spear but Kimiko had already grabbed onto it, so she used her other hand to swipe hers away and they jumped onto the thin board walk where they continued flawless combat across the shaky path.
Clay, Raimundo and Jaku watched their training with great enthusiasm.
"They're really going at it!" Clay fixed his hat as he spoke.
Raimundo smirked. "The two girls going at it? This is hot."
"Awh, c'mon Rai buddy, why'd you gotta say something like that?"
"Well, its kinda true." Jaku agreed with his arms folded.
"You guys are actin' like a bunch of voltures hovering over dead meat in a desert!"
"Heyyy, the girls aren't just meat to us! Come on, can't we just appreciate this cat fight for a moment?" Raimundo carped.
"Raimundo." Kimiko's angry voice broke their conversation. She and Rika both had made their way to facing the boys that had been watching them.
"Whoa! You guys are fast, done already?" Jaku asked nervously.
"Why do you boys always have to be watching us when we fight, hm? Don't you have anything better to do?"
"W-what?" Raimundo questioned. "You should take our viewing as a compliment-"
"Get THEM!" Kimiko and Rika charged after the boys who were shouting out excuses, in order to avoid being seared and electrocuted.
"Oh ho, they are most indeed amusing!" Omi chuckled as he, Arko and Dojo came across the scene.
"…Are they always like this?" Arko asked.
"Well, Raimundo and Jaku are always teasing the girls, and Clay appears to be caught within the center of their craziness every time!"
"Oh, I see."
Kimiko continued to chase Raimundo and Jaku, but Rika had managed to back Clay into a corner.
"C-come on, lil' darlin you know me! I-I wasn't up ta nothin' bad-"
She kissed him on the cheek, silencing his blabber.
"Uh-Uhm?"
"I know. Raimundo and Jaku are always craving to start a bunch of havoc, but not you. You're different." She rubbed her cheek where she had kissed him, and she feel the intense heat pulsing from him. "You're sweet."
"Awh shucks, R-Rika…" He cleared his throat. "You wanna go inside? I wanted to cook something for ya."
"Sounds good, I'm starving. Just let me go help Kimiko clean up the training ground, then we can settle in."
"Okay… well you better go call her off the boys or you'll never get any help from her!"
Rika turned to see Raimundo and Jaku stepping back with their arms up in defense, away from the girl holding the fireballs.
She chuckled. "Alright, calm down, Kimiko…"
"Did you hear what they were saying about us?" She scoffed. "Okay, I'm gonna play mercy rule here since for some strange reason Rika, the logical one, is insisting I let you go!" Her flares ceased.
"Oh thank you, honorable women, for your mercy!" Jaku mocked, pretending to bow repeatedly by the waist with his hands up. Raimundo followed suit.
"Jackasses." Kimiko grumbled as she strolled away. "Come on, let's go clean up." The girls went back towards the grounds and began their tidying.
"Why do guys have to act like such pigs sometimes?" Kimiko complained.
"Boys will be boys. Why is it bothering you so much today, Kimiko?"
"I… don't know…." Kimiko frowned and sat on the bench sloppily. "I think its because I don't know what to think about Raimundo right now."
"A-ha, boyfriend trouble, then?"
"N-no, w-what do you mean? W-we're not dating or anything!" Kimiko defended. "W-we can't…"
"…Why not?"
"It's just, our job… our duty as Xiaolin Dragons. We can't let our feelings get involved."
"I see, like when Raimundo was tricked by Heba, and you two had to fight?" She fidgeted. "In that case, it seemed like it was a good thing you two liked each other, because you put so much effort into getting him back."
"But he was in that situation to begin with because we liked each other—he stepped in to save me, and Heba had planned that all along."
"Well, I hope you are not still beating yourself up over that, Kimiko. You know that will distract you more-"
"My point exactly! If it was just flirting, like before, maybe I could focus better… but lately, I can't! I just get mad when I think about the fact that we can't possibly be a normal couple."
This caused Rika to frown. "Maybe you can be, once we find all the Shen Gong Wu."
"But who knows how long that will take." She pouted, and continued cleaning. "Anyway, all this talk is depressing! Let's talk about something cute! Like you and Clay!"
"W-what? Me and Clay aren't cute…"
"Sure you are!" Kimiko remarked cheerily. "His sweetness has got you to a less uptight level! And to think you were once actually considering that awful Jack Spicer!"
"Yeah… shame on me. Can we just pretend that never happened?" Rika hesitated to say.
"Oh no, I'm never gonna let you forget that!" Kimiko laughed.
"Oh, how sweet of you. Seriously, don't mention it too much though. I know Clay doesn't act like a jealous person, he gets upset when he has to recall that… or what happened with Arko, either."
"Really, he does? I never noticed that about him…"
"He's sweet, but he's also actually protective too, I guess."
"Well, okay. I'll just tease you about when its just us! Well, I think we got everything cleaned up."
"As best as we could. I'm gonna grab a bite to eat in the kitchen."
"Oh yeah, that reminds me… you may want to cut down on the greasy foods!"
"H-huh?" She blushed of embarrassment. "Am I getting plump or something?"
"What? You? No not at all! I love your figure, to be honest," Kimiko perkily replied, "but when we were battling today you seemed kinda sluggish than usual."
"Oh no! I can't be getting weak, can I?"
Kimiko giggled. "Relax, I was just mentioning it. Don't take it too seriously, okay?"
"O-okay…" She responded weakly, because what Kimiko had said did make her feel self aware.
"Anyway, I'll probably go exercise some more! See you later!" Kimiko waved goodbye as she left her friend.
Rika sighed of exhaustion as she headed back to the temple. She was tired—was it because of the way she had been eating, lately?
Clay and the other boys were already in the kitchen.
"Kimiko almost fried us, Pedrosa!" Jaku exclaimed. "You better get your girlfriend under control."
"What? Come on we've been over this… we're not dating!" He argued.
"But you should be." Clay called from the stove. He was cooking beef as he flipped them over and spoke. "'Jus sayin'."
"Come on! We're just sort of seeing each other, okay?"
"DO you know how ridiculous you sound? 'Seein' each other-' you've been seeing each other since we all met! You only just started a relationship recently." Clay clarified.
"W-we didn't start anything! Look, I like her, you guys know that, but we got a job to do, and that comes first!"
"Does that mean she's available again, then?" Jaku teased.
"Don't start with me, Romane!" Raimundo seethed.
"Hey, I'm not saying it just for my sake, Pedrosa… but some other guy could snatch her up too, you know."
Before Raimundo could ask what he meant by that, Rika stepped in. "Hey guys."
"Rika, hey," Raimundo waved. "We'll leave you two alone to wine and dine."
"T-that's just dining, Rai, and its okay… I don't think I'm very hungry right now."
"Whaat? Awh, but I made some for you!" Clay whined.
"I know… I just… am sleepy, that's all."
Clay shrugged as he put the plates down. "Suit yourself. More for me!" Clay chowed down on the burgers he had made once the three left.
…
…
…
The creature examined the scribbled sign on the garage entrance way.
NeEd EViL SUBORDINATES NoW HiRiNG
…The creature crashed open through the metal doors, causing Jack Spicer to scream.
"Please don't hurt me! I-I'm sensitive to beat downs!"
"Silence, fool," The beast roared, "I did not come here to hurt you." He held up Jack's pitiful sign. "I came to join you."
"H-huh?" He blinked a few times in realization. "Why would someone like you want to join me? What are you anyway?"
The beast stood like a man, but he had the long messy hair and a round belly that hung over his jean's belt buckle. His hands were gloved but his limbs were long and peculiarly large. His eyes, to Jack's curiosity, were blindfolded.
"I am Nemo; I have come to join your ranks, Jack Spicer."
"….Pfft BAHAHAHAHAAA!" Jack cackled. "Nemo? What kind of a name is that for a monster like yourself?"
Nemo silenced him by throwing him across the room.
"O-ow…" Jack stood up. "Okay, so your one tough cookie." He rubbed where his head hurt as he arose. "But seriously, why do you want to join me? If you haven't noticed, I'm sort of lacking in the super villain department these days."
"I do not like the monks! I wish to help you in your quest in searching for the Shen Gong Wu against them."
"…Good enough for me! Heh, you're hired!" They shook hands on it, then his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He flipped it open and smirked. "Heh, speak of the devil. A wu just activated right now! Let's see what you're made of here, Nemo!"
…
…
…
…
"The Bing-Bong Boots," Rika read the scroll as they flew to their destination, "You use them to jump super high in the air, and you can land safely regardless, it seems."
"That sounds like something you could do in a dream!" Raimundo explained. "Let's get these shoes and be on our way!"
It was nightfall, and the Shen Gong Wu appeared to be in a a hilly plain, covered in thick grass and stacks of hay were spread about. The monks landed and split up throughout the wide range to claim their Wu.
"This Wu could be anywhere!" Jaku carped.
"It is actually like finding a pin in a column of hay!" Omi decided as he scrounged through the yellow grass.
Rika chuckled when she saw the flocks of lamb stalk calmly by them. "The lamb are adorable!"
Clay noticed her admiration for the small animals. "We got lil' critters like that back at the ranch… you'll see 'em when we visit the farm again." He told her with a grin.
A horrible roar broke out and disrupted the monks' concentration. The sheep began to scurry away in a panic.
"That can't be good!" Kimiko loomed over the fields to see what was approaching. The others noticed it as well…
"Jack bots!" Omi proclaimed. "We must get to the Wu, quickly!"
"Let's take out these losers, first!" Raimundo pulled out his Wudai weapon and his compatible Shen Gong Wu. "Hmm? What's that?"
Not only was Jack being followed by his loyal bots, but there was a new player in Spicer's ranks…
"What is that?" Omi spotted the dark creature approaching.
"Long time no see, losers!" Jack Spicer proclaimed. "These are my jack bots, and this my new friend: Nemo!"
"N-Nemo?" Jaku began hollering and hooting. "You're joking, right? Big guy like him's got a name like that!"
"You can laugh all you want, but the Wu is mine and Nemo's gonna rip you guys to pieces! Let's go, buddy!"
"Please, don't call me that." Nemo grumbled in irritation.
"Jack bots, Attack!"
"We can't fight and look for the Wu at the same time!" Rika carped.
"Ckay, Kimiko, Rika! You guys look for the Wu! Omi, Jaku, Arko and I will cover you!" Raimundo declared.
"Good plan, let's go!" The monks scattered and fell to their duties.
"Shimo Staff! Orb of tornami!" The water from the orb was bent by the staff to drown the bots.
Rika rolled onto the grass when she noticed hoards of the bots coming for her. Arko had stepped in to keep the machines from reaching her. "Cosmic Flair!" His spiked weapon whacked the several bots so hard they flung away like shooting stars.
"Did you get injured?"
"F-fine! I thought I saw the Wu and got distracted, that's all!"
"Hmph, well, look sharp."
Clay couldn't help but notice their interaction, but also in front of him was something shimmering in the grass.
"The Wu!" He sprinted over to the boots and grabbed them, but someone else had also reached them and it began to glow.
"Clay Bailey, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown." The creature, Nemo proclaimed.
"Alright, what are the terms?"
"We'll play throw the hay: whoever can toss the most stalks of hay within the time limit will be the winner."
"I accept yur challenge, then!"
"Then let's go: Xiaolin Showdown!"
The field cleared and the arena left Clay and Nemo with their own supply of hay stalks beside each other.
"Gong Yi Tempai!"
"Well, looks like Clay found the Wu!" Jaku realized.
"Come on Clay, you can do it!" Rika cheered.
"Come on Clay, you can do it!" Jack created an incredulous shrill voice in an attempt to mock Rika. "Oh please, that Nemo guy's gonna tear him a new one!"
Nemo, for being a heavy brute, was tossing hay like a few pillows. Clay was having difficulty, lifting each one up carefully, then throwing them not too far away from his spot.
They were going for three minutes straight.
After two minutes had gone by, Clay was sweating puddles. He and Nemo seemed tied and they were both struggling as they threw their last stalks of loaded hay.
"You're almost there!" Rai exclaimed. "Come on, cowboy!"
Nemo could barely lift the last hay he could throw before time ran out, and Clay managed to toss one more before just before that. The showdown ended and Clay had won the Bing-Bong Boots!
"Alright, Clay!" Omi proclaimed. "Your strength and heavy posture was most useful in this challenge!"
"Heyy, what does that mean?" Clay called out to him.
"You stupid lion thing!" Jack was crying. "We lost a Wu because of you!" He kicked dirt on Nemo and did little to effect him.
The lion growled in frustration and quickly charged at the winner. Clay noticed Nemo coming after him and prepared for collision. He grabbed the taller thing by the shoulders, but he did not expect Nemo to bite into his arm.
"Ahh!" In response the seeping pain, Clay tossed Nemo away from him and squeezed onto the wound with his good hand, blood trickling through his digits.
"Clay!" Rika and the others raced to aid him. Nemo had jumped back and stepped back beside Jack's side.
"Hahahaha! That's what you get, loser!"
"Jack Spicer, you're rotten!" Kimiko seethed.
"What did you do to Clay?" Rika demanded.
"Oh, nothing the fat cowboy didn't deserve!" Jack snickered as he rasied his arm up for a high-five. "Nice hit, Nemo!"
Of course, Nemo did not respond to this. "My job is complete, for now." The lion stalked away form the scene.
"H-hey wait! Where are you going?"
"Back to rest, for now. I'll meet you again, unfortunately, Spicer."
"What!?" Jack could not convince his new comrade to stay. He grumbled in defeat and hoarded his jack-bots together. "This isn't over, Xiaolin losers!"
"It never is." Raimundo decided to say. They watched the bots leave alongside jack from the fields.
"Clay, this looks bad," Jaku speculated the bite with wide eyes, "let me heal it for you."
"N-no!" He retorted. "Just a few bandages and cheeseburger and I'll be good to go."
"A cheeseburger? But you ate two of em before we got here!" Raimundo recalled.
"Yeah, but all that tossing and throwing heavy hay got me so hungry I could eat a horse! I'll be fine, really."
"Okay, well, good job on winning the Wu, Clay. " He congratulated. "Let's head home."
…
…
…
The next morning, Arko Delet had gotten up earlier than the sun to train. He had been training for a while until somebody had also woken up and disturbed his concentration outside.
He stopped what he was doing to catch his breath. "Kimiko," He addressed, "sorry… did I wake you up?"
"Oh no, you're fine," She told him. She was leaning against one of the pillars with a small purple blanket draped over her shoulders. "What are you doing up so early?"
"Couldn't sleep." He shrugged.
"Oh…" She paused. "Uh, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"I guess."
"Well, I was just thinking about how we all had that crazy party the other night. We all got wasted—but you didn't, did you?"
"No, I guess not…"
"Do you guess everything?" She chuckled. "Anyway I was just wondering how that was possible? Since you seemed to have been drinking as much as us."
"…"
"…Well…? I mean, it was just a thing you were sober, otherwise the Heylin Sisterhood might have gotten away with our Wu."
"…I may have been a little buzzed, but I'm used to it."
"Used to what—Oh…" Kimiko realized he was talking about the drinking. He was drinking before that night, then? Maybe all those nights he was alone after he had been defeated. "I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for?" He demanded.
"N-nothing, I guess!" She stammered.
"Now you're guessing. Idiot." He turned away from her and went to sparring with his skills.
"Heh. Sorry to bug you, that is." She said cheerily to him. "I'm going back in. Enjoy the rest for your training!"
He glanced over his shoulder to see her practically skipping away. "Hmph."
When his training was through, he was quite hungry and thirsty from his strife. He ventured into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat… only to see that there was nothing in the fridge.
"What the..?" He scanned through the drawers and cupboards as well. There was nothing left but empty wrappers and crumbs!
"Uh…"
"Good morning, Jaku!" Dojo slinked into the kitchen wearing his PJs and holding a teddy bear. "It is a beautiful morning, yes?"
"Dojo, did you eat all of the food last night?" Arko asked without hesitation.
"Huh?" He cried. "How can you accuse me of such a thing! I thought we were friends!"
"Uh, is that a yes or a no?"
"What is all the hollering and screeching in here for?" Omi was up as well.
"Dojo ate all of the food." Arko stated.
"I DID NOT!"
"Well, all of the food is gone… there's hardly crumbs left."
"Oh my, that is most upsetting to hear." Omi frowned. "I was hoping to have the stripes of a pig for breakfast this morning!"
"Bacon doesn't sound very good when you say it like that, Omi." Jaku entered, with Rika along side him. "What's all this about not having bacon?"
"All of the food's gone." Arko sowed them an empty case of sour cream.
"What? Is anything else missing in the temple? We could have been robbed or something!" Rika scurried around to check their home and the others followed suit. Everything else appeared to be normal, nothing was missing, and even the vault was secure.
"That's so weird…"
Kimiko and Raimundo noticed everyone searching around as well.
"…Did someone lose a hundred bucks or something?" He teased.
"Our food is all gone. Something took everything we had to eat last night."
"What? B-but we were stocked up! Are the Wu secure?"
"Yeah, the vault is fine, everything's fine, just the food is gone…" Rika answered vaguely, perplexed by this mystery.
"Awh, man! I wanted to have a nice breakfast with bacon this morning!" Raimundo whined.
"Right? I also said that!" Omi agreed.
"Well, looks like we're eating out, Xiaolin Dragons." Raimundo shrugged.
"Oh, that's okay… I'll just eat later." Arko was about to leave the room but Kimiko literally blocked the doorway.
"Ohhh no! You're going to dine with us whether you want to or not!"
"Groovy, I'll go wake up Clay." Jaku dashed into the hallway and pulled the cover away from Clay's room. "Hey buddy—"
His stomach had to be the size of a pumpkin! Clay was lying on his mat, and grease and stains were all over the shirt he wore that barely went around his belly, plus there were crumbs everywhere.
"Holy hell Clay-!" Jaku covered his mouth and peaked in the hallway to see if anyone else was approaching, then he closed the curtain behind him. "Clay, what did you do?" He whispered.
"Ughhh—hmm?" He halted his snoring and sat up. "W-what time is it? Five more minutes, kay?"
"Oh nooo you don't!" Jaku rolled him back up. "Did you eat all the food last night?"
"Hmm?" Clay around. "Oh… I did. I was just so hungry after that showdown…"
"Bailey!" Jaku chided. "I knew you had an appetite, but not like this! You ate everything!"
"I-I know… I'm sorry! You ain't gone tell everyone, are you?"
"Hey guys! What's taking so long?" Rika rang from the hallway. "We're ready to go."
"Uh…j-just a moment! Clay was just borrowing a shirt from me, that's all!"
"Oh… okay. We'll be waiting at the front!"
Clay smiled. "T-thanks Jaku-buddy."
"No problem. Just get dressed and try to look presentable, hm?"
…
The monks went to an I-Hop, and they sat at a both while they waited to be served and looked at the menus.
"I still can't believe all of our food went missing." Kimiko commented.
"Yeah… weird." Clay chuckled nervously.
"Heh, I bet Clay knows what happened to it." Raimundo teased.
"Why you gotta make a joke like that, partner?"
"Hello and welcome to I-Hop! I'll be Jenny, your waitress. Can I get you guys started with some drinks?"
"Yeah," Raimundo began first, menu in hand, "I'd like to have—"
"Actually, Rai buddy, could we order our food now? I'm starvin'!"
Jaku gave him a perplexed look, as if to say, 'didn't you just eat all of our food in the kitchen last night?'
"Uh, sure. I guess,. You guys ready?"
The monks nodded and shrugged their yeses.
"Okay, what can I get you?"
"I'll have the short stack with eggs. Over easy, please." Kimiko told her.
"I'll have what she's having," Raimundo teased, "only with scrambled eggs and sausage."
"I would also like the cakes from the pan!" Omi exclaimed. "And I would like them blueberry form, thank you."
"Uhm, I'll just get the French toast meal." Arko told her.
"Ahhh, so you're French, Arko, are you?" Raimundo asked bluntly.
"What? Just because I got French toast?" Arko questioned.
"Heh, nothing, it's, a joke," His chuckling subsided into a frown, realizing he wasn't getting the joke, "never mind."
"I'll have the sunset omelet with a side of toast, please." Rika told her pleasantly.
"Yeah, can I get the waffle combo, please?" Jaku ordered.
"Of course," she turned to Clay, "and for you?"
"Can I get the buttermilk pancake combo, with toast and crispy bacon, the chicken fried steak with scrambled eggs and fried veggies, the triple chocolate waffle stack and the ham and egg sandwich meal with a sausage patty and side of hash browns?"
Jenny stared at Clay with wide eyes. "Uh… s-sure." She scribbled the intense order down quickly. "Uhm, anything else?"
"Nope… that's all…." Raimundo handed her the menus with a grumble. "I'm pretty sure I lost my appetite anyway…"
"Okay, I'll get your orders in right away!" Jenny scurried away with a shocked look upon her face.
"Goodness me, Clay!" Omi spoke first. "That an enormous amount of food you are about to eat!"
"Well, I couldn't choose what to get!" He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "It all looked mighty tasty… and I'm really hungry."
"Gee, it looks that way." Jaku glared at him.
Once all of the food was brought to them, they attempted to dine in peace. The boys chowed down rather quickly, and Kimiko attempted to have a race against Raimundo as well, but the one who was really growling and scarfing down the food was Clay.
In a few minutes, all of the meals he had ordered were gone.
"Bloody hell, man!" Jaku yelled. "Do you have a tape worm in you or something?"
"Yeah…. Clay, I know you like food a lot, but, are you okay?" Rika asked timidly.
"No kidding! That was a lot of food, cowboy." Raimundo commented.
"I told y'all I'm fine," he said as he leaned back into his chair. "I was just hungry. Shoot, I could still eat some more!"
"Then you can do all of the shopping for the temple food when we get back!" Raimundo proclaimed. "'Cause I hate shopping and we won't be able to eat out like this all of the time, especially with your giant appetite!"
"T-that sounds fair."
After paying the obnoxiously high bill, the monks returned home. Clay insisted that he was too sleepy and went off to have an afternoon nap. The monks were left with their free time.
Omi and Jaku were evaluating the Heylin side.
"Do you think Chase Young was behind that menacing puppet attack?" Omi asked Jaku. They were sitting in the yard with a list and planned on training afterwards.
"Nah, Chase would just show up himself, right? It still bugs me though, that Amelie' girl…"
Raimundo overheard their conversation as he stepped into the living room. He saw Kimiko on her i-phone, doing god knew what, but he was curious and decided to investigate anyhow.
"Whatcha doin'?" He plopped next to her.
"Minding my own business," She did not look up at him as she spoke, "what are you doing, nosy?"
"Meh, I don't know. I'm bored."
"Oh great. You're the worst when your bored."
"What? I'm always the best, bored or not!" He chided. "And don't you forget it! Besides, you like it when I give you attention when I'm bored."
"Oh, so you can only check up on me when your bored, is that it?"
"Uh…" She got him there, and he knew it. "I'm totally busy right now and I'm still harassing you."
"Uh-huh, nice try hero."
He smirked at the remark, then swiped her i-phone away from her. "You better not be texting some guy—"
She went to punch him in the face, but as she expected, he ducked out of the way and scooted away from her onto the other side of the couch.
"Give that back to me!"
He kept it arms length from her as he leaned against the arm of the sofa and held her back. "Nope—"
"You son of a-! I'm serious! Keiko and I were having a serious conversation!"
"Oh really? About what, exactly? Your next shopping trip?"
"Oh dear,"
The two settled back on the couch in a hurry when Rika appeared, as if they children being caught doing something wrong.
"H-heyy, Rika," Kimiko said heartedly.
"Rai's bored again, isn't he?"
"See? I'm not the only one who notices when you act up!" Kimiko reproached as she snatched her phone away from him.
"Oh, don't act harsh; you're just saying that because you don't have moments like these with Clay." Raimundo snickered.
"Ugh, Rai!" She slapped his shoulder with a scoff. "That was rude!"
"It's okay, Kimiko." Rika grinned. "He's right; I don't have to worry about Clay acting like a child because he's more mature than that."
"Oooooooh, burned!" Kimiko sneered at him.
"W-whatever! It's not like any of us are going out anyway; unfortunately."
"What do you mean by that?" Kimiko asked.
"Guys, sorry, but have you seen Clay?" Rika interrupted.
"Oh, you mean snorlax isn't sleeping in his cave anymore? He probably just went to go get the groceries, then."
"Oh, I wanted to go with him, but… Oh well."
"Is everything okay, Rika?" Kimiko asked worriedly.
"It's just, he's acting strange, don't you think?"
"You mean other than the usual four meals a day? I don't think so." Raimundo folded his arms. "If you're concerned about Clay, though, maybe you should try talking to him, not mouthing about it to us."
"Ugh! You're useless! I can't find him that's the only reason I am bothering you!" Rika retorted. "Idiot!"
"He really is one, right?" Kimiko agreed.
"Whatever…" He plopped out back on the couch, "….I'm bored."
…
…
…
Clay was having pleasant dreams in the back yard where they had their little garden. He had had multiple dreams in only a few moments. First he dreamed about a farm in the clouds, and he was roasting a delicious steak over the camp fire after a long day of work. Then, after a few toss and turns, he dreamed about Rika in a dress bringing him plates and plates of her delicious meals at their dinner table. Then, he had slight hit of memory in his musings, as he remembered all the kids that made fun of him for eating so much and calling him fat and a mammoth and other repulsive names. The next dream was about a rainbow; and he ate every color.
He sat up from his squashed spot in the grass.
Damn. Even in his dreams he was thinking about food!
He yawned and stretched himself out before falling back into the grass. His eyes ventured to the clouds above him.
Something was wrong. He realized then, when he was gazing at the clouds that were shaped like cakes and pork to him, that he did not just want food—he wanted to stop being hungry.
He gorged on the apple trees and the carrots being grown in the garden. There nothing more juicy than fresh food. Then he went for the flowers and leafs as well.
The garden was ruined. He wiped the dirt and green strips from his shirt and decided to try to for something else.
"Maybe going to the grocery will help me figure out what I want to eat." He decided.
Clay's stature at the moment reminded him of the characters in the children books that were read to him when he was a young rancher, before his days at the temple. His father would read him stories about valiant heroes, or about the little pig that almost got eaten, or even the one about the mother goat that saved her seven kids from being devoured by the wolf. Indeed, he was treading into a journey. He simply had to find a solution to his hunger. He was the hero who had to fix the problem he was in before the end of the book. His mind was hazy when he walked into the air-conditioned store in the village, after all, he had walked for a good 40 minutes to get there. Surely, that would make any living soul a bit famished.
The clerk woman screamed when she found him eating all the ice cream and frozen pizza in the cold aisle. He left the area before security showed up and grabbed a few cereal boxes, even though he had already treaded through the cookie and chip aisle, and even drank a few liters of water and soda before that. He dropped the boxes when he had been chased out of the building, and quite frankly, he was pissed; how dared that law enforcer stand between and trying to find a solution to his problem. He almost wanted to go back inside and beat the security figure to death; than nobody could really stop him until the police showed up, but he woke up for a moment.
He stared down at his hands. "What in tarnation am I doing?" He felt a pain of shame strike him as he realized he was covered in the slime of all the food he had consumed.
Everyone knew Clay liked to eat, and over the years, he seemed to have found some sort of diet: it was called when young men go through puberty, they hardly gained any weight. Clay had lost all of his baby fat and now all the greasy meat he ate went straight to his muscles. Despite this, he was still the slowest of the bunch, and still teased about the amount of food he did eat…
But the people that teased him, were his friends, right? Not like the kids that used to pick on him like in his dream.
He noticed the people staring at him on the streets as they passed, noticing his gross stature and reek of rations on him. He shook of his embarrassment and ran back to the temple, where he'd be safe.
…
…
….
Jack was fiddling with a creation he claimed would become the next best game system when heard a light knock at his garage door.
"Coming!" He yelled excitedly. He lifted the garage door up. "EEEK!"
"Hello, worm."
"Ch-Ch-Ch-CHASE!" He squaked. "W-w-what on earth are you doing here?"
The Heylin lord took one step in- "PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!"
"Relax," His voice peaked. "I came here to see your new partner."
"Huh? P-partner? You mean that captain Nemo that ditched me after his showdown?"
"He's not here anymore?"
"N-no…Sorry. But he said he'd be coming back!"
"Hmmm," Chase sat himself criss crossed on Jack's desk, "Then I'll wait here until he shows up."
"NO WAY YOU'LL RUIN MY EQUIPMENT!"
"There's no need to keep the master of evil waiting,"
Chase and Jack noticed the heavy figure emerge from outside.
"Oh, there you are, Nemo!" Jack waved. "Its about time!"
"So, you're Nemo." Chase observed. "What's with the blindfold?"
"I wouldn't want to frighten you all with my appearance." Nemo replied.
"…What are you planning? What are you up to?" Chase demanded.
"Hey hey heyyy," Jack intruded, "I already did an interview with this guy, ok? He's 100 percent evil, and that's goot enough for me-"
"Shut up Spicer!" Chase Young snapped. "I'll ask you again—"
"I am a servant. I am simply doing what I was told…"
"By who?"
The room fell silent as they waited for Nemo's response.
He smirked. "God told me to do it."
Jack's eyes widened. "Okay, maybe I should have done a background check on his psyche…"
"I don't owe you any other explanantion, but if Chase Young is going to keep interrogating me, I'll finish this job on my own."
"Job?" Jack echoed. "What job—"
The heavy character roared out and leapt through the roof of the underground hideout, escaping the scene with destruction right behind him.
"Ohh, dammit! I have to fix this roof again—" He noticed Chase Young leaving from the garage doors again. "Hey Chase, w-where are you going?"
"None of your concern." He groaned. "But, I'm not going to lose the world again to any one or any thing…"
Jack Spicer watched the lord leave, then he sighed in aggravation. There was something bigger going on here, and it looked as if Chase Young had received his strength back, still…
Being insulted and humiliated were going to be things of the past, regardless.
"I don't know what this scheme this Nemo guy is on, but I'll be the first to figure it out." He smirked, holding a remote control. "The camera bug I latched onto him should keep me all aware of what he's going to do next… heh-heh. Jack Spicer's not out of the loop yet! Wait and see!"
…
…
…
It was becoming nightfall when the concerned monks noticed their comrade was yet to return to the temple.
"He's not answering, still." Jaku announced.
"Dammit, Clay," Raimundo whispered, "where are you?"
"Oh, I see him!" Omi pointed towards the temple trail.
"Clay!" Rika said with relief. The monks raced over to him.
"You look beat up, Bailey… is this juice on your shirt?" Jaku tugged at the sleeve.
Clay continued to stagger towards the temple, and the others trailed behind him. "I-I'm fine, really." His voice was hushed. "I'm just sleepy is all."
"You do appear to have luggage under your eyes." Omi noted.
"Hey dude, where's the food?" Raimundo grinned. "Did you eat it all on your way back here-?"
"Gosh dangit Raimundo," In a quick fury, Clay turned around to face his leader, "QUIT WITH THE GODDAMN FAT JOKES!"
The roar of the angered cowboy kept everyone silent with features of sheer shock. He noticed this and growled in irritation as he strode away from them.
"Geez… sorry," he shrugged, "what the hell's eating him? Or actually, what the hell has he been eating—"
"Can it, Rai!" Kimiko snapped. "Haven't you said enough you insensitive jerk?"
"Clay, wait!" Rika ran after him. The others awkwardly waited and wondered what was wrong, leaving Rika to the solution.
Clay stormed out into the back yard garden, where he had eaten all the nourishments from it earlier. He covered his face, attempting to calm down.
"Clay, Clay!" Rika slammed the sliding glass door shut behind her as she raced outside to meet him. She reached out for him. "Hey… are you okay?"
"Don't touch me!" He shrugged off her touch. "I need to be alone."
"The last thing you need is to be alone." She replied sternly. "So Raimundo is an ass… we all knew that already, he just doesn't know when his jokes go so far, that's all."
"But he's right, Rika."
"Clay, how can you say that!"
"Because, it is true!" He faced her. "My whole life, I've been the big-boned fat freak that everyone gets to poke fun at. I'm always hungry; more than usual, lately, but I can't help it, I love food. I've tried to change, lost some weight being a monk, 'course, but I always revert back to that fat kid that always got made fun of, because I ain't good enough to be nothin' else but that!"
"Clay…" Rika sculptured a pitiful frown. "…I didn't know you were so bothered by your weight. To be honest I never noticed that about you…"
"Don't lie to me, please," Clay asked, "everyone notices that I'm bigger than most people…"
"Most people?" She echoed. "And exactly what is most people, Clay? You're not most people, you're you. You're the Xiaolin dragon of the earth, the sturdiest, strongest man on this side of the world! Society and their version of what most people look like is irregular, making important people like you feel like trash when you're really one of the best treasures of the world."
He stopped sulking to bring his gaze up to her. "Heh, don't girls usually complain about this kind of stuff? I'm such a pansy—"
"You have every right to be upset. The jokes went too far this time, if you ask me."
He smiled. "Thanks, lil' darlin."
She smiled back then hugged them. His chin was resting beside her neck as he pondered in their embrace. She was the one. She had to be. She never did judge him about his size, did she? She was always making food for him, actually…
Maybe he wasn't the figure type that most people considered, but if he was a hero to her…
He loved her. He wanted her. Staring down at the side of her neck, he realized their hug had lasted a while. He wanted, to taste her. She looked, delicious—
"AHH!" She screamed and squirmed away from him. "Ah, Clay…" She moved her hand off from where had bitten into her neck. Raw red blood was spread across her palm. "What…what's wrong with you?"
He realized he had made a mistake. Of course she didn't want to be eaten. She was a human, after all.
"I…I…" He could not express his apology, nor could he explain. "Just leave me alone!" He hopped over the wall without any hesitation and ran away faster than he ever had in his lifetime.
"Clay, wait!" Rika made little effort to follow suit. She still grasped her neck as she reached out towards him.
"Rika? What's going on out here?" Kimiko raced out first, the others behind her.
"We heard you scream!" Omi told her.
Kimiko gasped. "Oh my god! What happened? You're bleeding every where!"
"M-my neck," She looked pale and horror stricken, "Clay…."
"Clay did this to you?" Jaku managed to guess.
"He… just bit me, that's all." She tried to calm herself, but her hands were shaking.
"What the hell?" Raimundo yelled. "Has he gone bananas?"
"Let me look at it," Jaku gently pulled her hand away from the wound; clearly, it was a bite mark oozing from her neck. "Well, that's just weird."
"I… don't understand. We were just talking and then…"
Jaku frowned. "Guys, I think something's wrong with Clay."
"No shit! He just tried to make Rika his main course!" Raimundo snapped.
"Well, there's more to it then that… he ate all of our food."
"Huh? Seriously?" Kimiko freaked. "We were just joking when we suspected him… but that almost sounds impossible. Even with his appetite for fodd, there's no way he could have eaten all of that stuff in one night!"
"He also had many meals at the restaurant," Omi pointed out, "and he appeared to be covered in food remains when he returned just now."
"Great, so food's not satisfying him and now he has to try to eat his girlfriend?" Raimundo snapped.
"W-we're not dating, Rai." Rika replied. "Look, we should go look for him, he could hurt somebody else in this condition, he's not himself!"
"But, why? This sort of appetite almost isn't bloody human." Jaku thought aloud.
"…Did all of you forget already?" Arko spoke out at last.
"Forget what?" Kimiko asked him.
"That new partner of Jack's, what was his name? He had that showdown with Clay and then he bit him."
"…Holy crap, Clay's turning into a zombie!" Raimundo concluded.
"That's not it, idiot!" Kimiko chided. "He's obviously having some weird eating symptoms because of that blind-folded freak!"
"Uhm, guys?" Jaku added. "This may be a bad time… but remember how we told you guys about those three blindfolded girls that kinda just appeared before Rika, Omi and I?"
Raimundo's eyes lit up. "You think they have something to do with this?"
"I didn't notice the connection before, but those three seemed to have had some weird powers… now this Nemo guy shows up, and he's able to change Clay with a bite? What if they're connected?"
"I don't know. All I know is we got a hungry monk loose and we gotta bring him back!"
Jaku nodded. "Right. I'll heal Rika, you guys look for Clay."
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm coming too!" She insisted.
"You should let Jaku heal you first, Rika." Arko said to her. "You're lucky he didn't get deeper into one of you veins. You should rest."
"Ugh!"
"I know its frustrating, Rika, but we'll bring Clay back and solve this! We're his friends, after all." Kimiko assured her.
"Okay… thanks guys. Please, hurry!"
…
…
….
"Look at the cow!"
The children were laughing ferociously. Their shrill giggles echoed in a repetitive fashion, and their fingers were pointing at the curled up lard that was covering its face in shame, as he was being cornered in the pig pen.
"What a fat loser!"
"Just die, little cow!"
They kept laughing and laughing and LAUGHING. He was a joke. A big, fat, joke.
"Stop it! Leave me alone! Go away, please!"
…
Clay wanted to weep, but because of his masculine life, he decided to just let his thoughts run him ragged. He finally collapsed in a quiet field of tall grass. The night wind bristled through as he rolled over onto his back to gaze up at the stars.
He was still hungry.
"What's wrong with me?" He asked the air in sober melancholy. "I can't believe I wanted to…." Rika. He wanted to eat her, yes, and his stomach was in knots because of it… but he couldn't help but consider what flavor she must have tasted like…
The wind blew the hat off his head and he quickly sat up to grab it, but hat was gusting off briskly.
Nemo caught the cowboy's hat as he approached.
Clay sat up to intercept the intruder of his isolation. "You? Why'd you come here?"
"Good to see you again, Clay." Nemo halted right in front of him.
"Answer me! Why are you here?"
"Isn't it obvious? I came to see how the effects are going."
"Effects?" Clay loomed over his bandaged arm. "You did something to me?"
"Even is the dragon of day had healed the bite I gave you, the venom was already in your blood stream."
"V-venom? What are you? Some kind of vampire or somethin'?"
Nemo snorted. "of course not. Vampire bites don't make people want to eat more and more."
"Then what?"
"My venom is special… All it does to a person is enhance their true nature."
"True… nature? What in tarnation are you trying to say? That deep down I'm just some kind of pig?"
Nemo chuckled, slightly. "Not at all. Tell me, how do you usually get energy, Clay?"
"What? What kind of a question—"
"Just go along with it, won't you? If you answer my questions, I'm sure I'd be able to help you."
Clay hesitated. "Uhm… from when I eat, I guess. I don't usually get cramps like other people, so I'll eat a meal before or after a fight to get motivated."
"Exactly. You love food, Clay. But more importantly, you need it. You're simply craving what not only what you truly desire, but what you truly need. People need to eat in order to get strong, Clay, you just appreciate it better than others do. You don't take the delectable meals and juicy robust dishes for granted."
"Why… are you telling me this? Who are you?"
Nemo paused to reply. "Clay, you were always hated for your odd nature, weren't you? Unfortunately, there is always a price to pay for getting what you want. When it comes to food, for anybody, if you eat more than you should, your figure passes the extent of what people consider normal. Well, Clay, I also have an image that people would not find to be regular either, do you wish to see it?"
Before Clay could give him a straight answer, Nemo was already taking the blindfold off of his face. Clay imagined what could be wrong with him. He was blind, he had scars; zits, maybe?
Oh.
Nemo blinked.
Clay blinked in response to the shock. "Whoa! You're a-? But, how-?"
Nemo was a Cyclops. He blinked a few more times for his eye to adjust to the air. "Please, don't be alarmed."
"Uh… ain't you supposed to be some kind of myth 'er something, though?"
"It's a long story. But, you see? I am such a freak you almost don't even want to consider me real."
"But… you're a gosh darn Cyclops! That's… "
"I'm afraid the stories about creatures like me are true. I have eaten more then I should from time to time, and feared me because of my tremendous appetite. But you know what? I refused to change what I was… I could not simply glue another eye on me and call me human, I am a Cyclops and I always will be, regardless of what others may think of me."
"You… ate people, though too, don't you? Like, in that one Odyssey book-"
"Yes, but we do to get more powerful. How else could we have gathered enough brute size and strength to defend ourselves from the judgmental humans?"
"I don't get you. Why do you care about involving me in this, Cyclops?"
"You are just like me, after all. People mock and insult you for your abnormal appearance and size. You're just a grotesque giant to them, when all your doing is embracing your passion. We cannot change what we are after all, Clay. Even your own friends make jokes about you! Doesn't that call for some sort of action?"
"I…don't know… I mean, they're my friends…"
"Are they? They mock and give you scowls when you are trying to enjoy the suppliments of this delicious planet. You are just trying to be what you are."
"And what am I, exactly?"
A smile. "You're Clay Bailey, of course. Aren't you tired of being judged for being you? Don't deny your true nature, Clay. Consume all you can to continue becoming stronger."
"But, I…"
"You love to eat anyway, right? Now use what you devour to become all powerful, and smite those who have wronged you!"
"That…" He shouldn't care what others thought of him. But he did. Clay Bailey was always nice to everyone, but even so, they recognized him for his size, not what he truly was on the inside. So maybe… that's what he was all along.
"You're right. I've never meant to be anything else…" He seemed almost entranced when he spoke. "Even now, all I can think about is eatin'."
"Yes. Devour everything. Consume anything. It will be the only thing that fills you whole and make you complete."
"ccccclllllllllaaaaaaAAAAYYYYY!"
His eyes opened. He felt as if he had woken up from a dream.
"Cowboy! We are coming!"
"Hang on, Clay!"
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Bailey!"
"Guys…" Clay spun around to face the oncoming stampede. His beady eyes adjusted to their shapes as they rushed into the field pursuing him. He pushed Nemo aside to see them.
"Clay, what are you doing here with Nemo?" Kimiko asked.
"Clay, you must return to the temple with us!" Omi insisted.
"Whoa! That Nemo guy's got one eye!" Jaku realized.
"W-why? Why should I go back with all of you? Yur just gonna keep tellin' me what I already know…"
"Huh, which is what?"
"I get it, okay? I'm fat and I'm slow. I can't keep up with y'all and I certainly don't have what it takes to take on a heroic figure like all of you can! I'm just the friendly giant you keep pushing around..."
"Clay, you really think we think that way about you?" Kimiko grimaced.
"Bailey, I didn't know that bothered you so much." Jaku admitted.
"It does, alright? No matter what I do… I'm always gonna want more! I can't help that I've always had a big appetite."
"Clay," Raimundo scratched the back of his head, attempting to look down at the grass, "My bad, okay? I kept pulling the jokes because I didn't think they'd bother you so much. You were eating a lot more than usual lately, I just wanted to point it out, through jokes, like I normally do. We are friends, after all; I don't really think your fat, I was teasing you about your appetite."
Clay blinked a few times, surprised by his apology.
"They're not your friends, Clay." He sneered. "They are holding you back from being what you are."
"Awe, can it ya old one-eyed creep!" Clay retorted. "I almost believed you, and all those people that used to make fun of me, too. I eat more than I should sometimes, yeah, but I ain't gonna let eatin' define me!" He pointed at the monks. "They are what define me; my friends!"
Nemo's pupil dilated. "Then…. You will not devour anymore?"
"I think I'll always like food, but I can learn to control it. I ain't gonna eat just to be happy; I got friends for that, too."
"Ugh…" Nemo closed his eye. "I almost had you, didn't I? Looks like I failed…"
"Huh?"
Nemo began to glow, then a light burst from his that nearly blinded everyone! Clay rolled away from him as the explosion of light caused him to vanish, then nothing was left of the Cyclops.
"Clay! Are you ok?" The others raced to him.
"I'm alright. Really, this time." He dusted off his shoulders with a grin.
"Clay, you were talking to a Cyclops, dude." Raimundo snickered.
"Yeah, damn thing must have been changing me with that bite of his!"
"Hey look, Nemo's bite is gone!" Omi pointed at Clay's bare arm. "It must have vanished when Nemo also did!"
"Yeah, lucky me…" Clay groaned. "'Cause I think I'm gonna be sick from all that food I ate today…"
…
…
…
…
"It says here in the scroll that Cyclops bite was actually very poisonous." Rika read. The monks had gathered in the living room that night with books and internet sources about mythology and Cyclops, but Rika had only found a similar solution in one of the scrolls they possessed.
"Poisonous? Wikipedia doesn't say that!" Kimiko snapped.
"It says their saliva brought upon cannibal instincts to their victims, possessing them and eventually turning them into a Cyclops too."
"What? That thing was trying to change me into a monster?" Clay yelped. "I like both my eyes where they are, thank you very much!" He groaned. "Ugh, I'll be right back!"
"That's the fifth time he's had to go." Raimundo snickered. "Serves him right for eating all of our food."
"Well, obviously, we know it was because he was possessed is all." Kimiko enlightened.
"Still, why did a Cyclops try to turn Clay into a hungry cannibal?" Arko thought aloud. "I mean, he could have gone after any of us, but he tried after the one of us who actually likes to eat."
"Easy target, perhaps?" Raimundo guessed.
"I've read books like the Odyssey before." Rika evaluated. "Everyone who knows the stories knew that Cyclops ate people whole. They'd cook them and everything too. I guess nobody ever survived a Cyclops bite to know what the symptoms were."
"Still, why would we have history like that about a mythical creature in our scrolls?" Omi questioned.
"Obviously, they weren't mythical enough to be put in a scroll for necessary information." Raimundo decided. "Ugh, all this research is giving me a headache! We've been at it for hours, and now we know at least why Clay was acting all weird now, right?"
"I agree with Pedrosa, let's turn in for the night." Jaku stretched as he headed for the hallway.
"Okay, good night guys." The monks headed into their rooms as Rika rolled up the scroll on the couch.
"Uh, where is everyone?" Clay emerged from the bathroom.
"They went to bed. Everyone is tired from today." She stood up from the couch with her rolled up possession.
"Um, Rika… I'm really sorry about what I did."
"You don't have to apologize, it's not your fault, Clay."
"But it kinda was. I knew was doing, and I couldn't help myself, I did it anyway. Anyway, how's yur neck?"
…
Raimundo rested his head beside the nape of her neck.
"R…Raimundo?" Kimiko's heart was pounding in her ears.
"What? I'm tired." His weight caused her to lean against the hallway wall.
"Then go to bed! That's what everyone else is doing."
"…But I'm bored to."
"Again, I'm not your entertainment, Rai." She scowled.
…
"Tonight was not very entertaining." Rika told Clay. They both stood in silence of the room.
"I know, lil' darlin', and I'm sorry—"
"I'm sorry too." She pouted.
"You, didn't do nothing wrong, though."
She sighed. "I'm afraid I did…. I got close to you, Clay."
…
"Rai… y-you're too close!" Kimiko Put her hands on his chest to push him off, but he brought his hands up to the wall behind her in order to keep her cornered. "What is your deal, huh?"
He wrapped his arms around her. "I already said I'm tired." He remarked lazily in her ear.
Her face felt hot and she could barely breath. "I…Idiot…"
…
"Idiot! What on earth are you talking about?" Clay retorted.
"I mean, I should have noticed it before, Clay." Rika could not bear to stare up at him. "I noticed it when Raimundo and Kimiko had to fight each other almost to the death, and I noticed it tonight too. Don't you see? Feelings get in the way of how we do our job, and they end up hurting us. If I hadn't liked you, if I hadn't tried to be close to you, maybe you wouldn't have tried to eat me in the first place… But I didn't notice your transformation because I wanted to comfort you so badly."
…
"Don't pin this situation on me." Raimundo looked up at her. "You're bored too, after all."
"Is that why you're trying to freak me out right now?"
He paused. His green eyes locked onto her, yet she could barely turn her head to look at him.
His expression was serious. "You like it when I'm this close."
…
"There's nothing wrong with being close, Rika." Clay tried to explain.
"Don't act so naïve, Clay." Rika tightened her fist. "We can't focus if we're close like this. I think… we should just try to be comrades for a while." Now she looked up at him. "So I can't hurt you again."
…
"Aah, that hurts!" Kimiko wrapped around him in order to keep herself stabilized. His rough nibbles at her neck were causing her fever to rise. "St…stop…"
….
"Stop saying stuff like that." Clay shook his head. "It's because I'm close to you that I was able to stop myself from hurting you! If I didn't have no attachment to you, I might have…"
"Clay, no more excuses." She sighed again. "I talked to Kimiko about it today too. She doesn't want us to hurt each other anymore, and the best way to do that, it seems, is to stay focused so we can be prepared for attacks like this one."
"Rika… I, I don't want to lose you…"
…
"Raimundo, I'm gonna lose it! Stop!" She screamed in a hush voice. His hands were rubbing her stomach, then her thighs, and between them.
"SORRY—"
In immediate instinct, they both pulled away.
"Uhm, my bad," Arko closed his eyes and left the hallway area with complete embarrassment. "Continue doing what your doing!"
They were both breathing heavily as they blushed with humiliation for being caught. But Kimiko was almost upset that they had been interrupted.
"Damn… I guess we should been somewhere more private."
"You think? It's your fault for acting like that out of no where!"
He just snickered and smiled.
…
She smiled. "You won't lose, Clay. But as warriors, we shouldn't get close to each other." She bowed. "I should get to bed, goodnight."
Clay was about to stop her, but he decided to drop it then. Maybe they could talk more tomorrow, but if she really didn't want to be close to him, he would respect her wishes.
"Oh, hey Arko." He heard her say. "Goodnight."
"'Night."
Clay noticed Arko pass by the living room entrance.
"Hey Delet—"
Arko pulled back to noticed Clay approaching him.
"Um, hey Clay,"
"Don't 'hey Clay' me right now, partner." Clay was close to him as he spoke quietly.
"The others may think you've changed, and I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think you have completely. Stay away from Rika, got it?"
Arko did not move, nor did he bother to give Clay any kind of expression.
"..,Did you hear me?" Clay asked after a few moments.
"Things are going sour for you, so you're thrashing out at me, is that it?"
"Nah, I just don't trust you yet, is all."
"Hmph, I can understand that." Arko agreed. "You have reason to be cautious of me, after all. I admired Rika in the past for defending me, but I see it was not in favor of her liking me directly, she simply serves to protect others. But is obvious she still likes, even though she says now she does not want to be close to you."
"You were ease dropping on us?"
"Yeah, but only because I was trying to get to my room. But anyway, trust me, you don't need to worry, Clay Bailey."
"Oh, and why's that?"
It was then that Arko produced a smile that was obviously fake. "Because, I like Kimiko."
"W…WHAT?"
"So you see? You have nothing to worry about."
"You little-! You don't think I'm gonna tell Rai about this?"
"You won't." Arko pulled out his phone.
"W…what is that?"
"You, apparently. On my phone, I have photos from the night you went crazy drunk… you did some embarrassing things that night, Clay."
"Y-you wouldn't..!"
"I will if you peep about this to everyone." His fake smile appeared again. "I just wanted you to know though that I wasn't after your girlfriend so that maybe we could be friends?"
"You bastard!"
"I'm only taking this action because you haven't been very unwelcoming to me in the first place, Clay. You're paranoid that I'm out to get all of you, still. I can assure you though that I'm only trying to fit in."
"By blackmailing me?"
"Like I said, you brought this upon yourself." He closed his phone. "So anyway, I'm off to bed." He walked away and Clay did not stop him. "Pleasant dreams, Clay."
He stood there, perplexed and lost. He was right about Arko all along, right? He could not be trusted, and now he could not tell anyone.
Save from becoming a cannibal, this was one of the suckiest days Clay had ever dealt with.
…
"I guess… we should go to bed then." Kimiko had found her air once again.
"Yeah." Raimundo could not stop smiling. "Pleasant dreams, Kimi."
"…Good night, Rai…" Damn, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she had wanted more; still though, the thoughts of her responsibility as a monk plagued her as she curled up into bed. Regardless, she was still happy that they seemed close, even after everything. If they could survive what Heba had almost made them do, they could survive any more of the unknowing threats of evil yet to come, right?
TO BE CONTINUED
Oh snap :0 I probably could have extended this episode, but I typed really quick with little editing, sorry! Thanks for reading guys! Reviews and comments are always welcomed I love to read them.
You RAWK XD
