Chapter 108 [Next Morning—Kent Farm]
[A/N: Okay yet another crossover within the crossover. As you all might have guessed from the tube and references made in earlier chapters, Xena's about to take on Arighatto/Yodoshi. They're both from her own show which belongs to StudiosUSA and MCA.]
Clark clomped down the stairs. The previous night's dinner had him feeling like he walked on eggshells. Tension still crackled throughout the farmhouse. Even if everyone talked pleasantly enough, he and Lana had felt the divide between Mrs. Parker and the engaged couple. That's really harsh! From what Peter had said about his aunt, he imagined a very different scenario. I hope they can deal with everything.
He found Martha sitting at the table with her coffee. "Mom?"
"Good morning, Clark. Your Dad's out in the barn. I was about to start on the wedding cake." She considered the sunrise. "It's a beautiful morning."
"Yeah it is. Hope we have a sky like that next Thursday." He smiled. "Mr. Reynolds and I agreed to make it then. You think it'll work for everyone?"
"This is going to be some week. I just hope that tomorrow will be a ceremony to remember for Peter and Gwen. It is their day." She shook her head.
"I know Mrs. Parker wants them around but if their life moves, don't they have to?" He paced about the area.
"Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. It depends on the family and situation. Gwen told me that Mr. Dubois offered them a solution." She smiled. "And it's so like him. He offered to bring them back and forth."
"That'd be great! Then they could see Professor Dubois and the Cranes." Clark grinned.
"Mrs. Parker has her memories and life in that house. She does not want to move. The problem is Peter and Gwen may have to, Clark. They want to take her with them if they do. She has to compromise. But that's for them to decide not us. Why don't you do the chores before you get ready for school?" She pointed toward the door.
He smiled. He super sped to the barn. Within a dozen heartbeats, he had everything done. "There. All set." He picked up the pail of milk next to Bessie's side.
"Such efficiency, Boy! I am most impressed!"
Clark froze. He turned slowly to find Arighatto watching him from the Loft's top stair. Instead of his usual suit, he wore a silk gi. "What are you doing here, Mr. Arighatto? You're not welcome." Lana, Miranda, Mr. Dubois, that samurai guy's back!
"Such manners!" The intruder frowned. "And here I complimented you." His dark eyes regarded the farm boy. "You are such an exceptional actor. Pity." He drew his kitana. "How I wish you had your full abilities, Boy!" He swung the blade faster than the eye could see.
Clark went to put his arm up to block the blow. As he did, the blade's fiery edge gashed his arms. "AHHH!"
"Not as tough as you might think?" Arighatto smirked. "Magic can hurt even your alien hide!"
Clark backed away. He glanced toward the house. He definitely did not want his mother involved in this matter. "Yeah well you're not taking Miranda again!"
"I will kill the Lang girl and you. Then I will take her." Arighatto raised his sword again but could not bring it down. He glared at the web strand holding it in place.
Spider-Man tugged on his web line. "Bet Norman told you I slept in late. Every spider needs a workout at the start of the day. Heard you were talking about me in town last weekend. Not nice." He motioned to Clark. "You'd better get that looked at, Kid. Get your Mom out of here. NOW!"
"Go on, Boy. I would rather swat a bug." Arighatto tore the webbing with his sword. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"I think so. Overblown egomaniac with a demon riding shotgun inside of him. Yeah I kind of do." Spidey watched Clark disappear into the house. "So we going to do this…for real?"
"I am real, Parker." Arighatto curled his lip. Indignity sniffed. "The day before your wedding and you wish to die horribly? What a fool you truly are." He focused. His form shimmered. His hair grew and twisted itself into a knot. Crimson streaked his face. His dark eyes glinted at the Wall Crawler.
Yodoshi sniggered. "I will devour your soul. That will be message enough!" He turned his hand into a fiery whip. He snapped its fiery fury at the hero taking out the rail underneath the hero's feet.
Too bad he'd moved a hair before.
"You really have a burning need for help. You know that?" Spider-Man shot a web glop across the demonic samurai's face. Then he kicked off the Loft's rail. His fists and Momentum's boost sent him out the open barn door and onto the dirt driveway beyond. "Heard how being around you sucks for everyone. Today, Dude, it SUCKS to be you!" He put his full spider strength into his next blow.
Yodoshi barely staggered backward. A fiery burst cleared the web mess from his face. He cracked the fiery whip at Spider-Man over and over again. "Oh I will take your soul…after some SPORT!"
"Yeah well. I'd like to, Yo Ho Blow. Couple of old friends of yours wanted their shot. I'm here to bait you out, Demon Boy." Spider-Man listened. He really tuned into his Spider Sense.
Sounds…sounds within sounds….
Almost like a breeze kicking up with a sharp twirling sound….
"WHAT? NO!" Yodoshi growled.
"Oh yeah!" Spidey ducked. "TAG! YOU'RE IT!"
Twin blurs gashed at Yodoshi's right shoulder and left side before returning from where they came. "YOU MISERABLE! XENA!"
"Miss me?" A six and a half foot woman dressed in leather armor and a breast plate caught the two chakrams. Her eyes bore into the demonic assailant's. Her mouth fixed in a firm line. "This time we're ending this!" She launched herself through the air. Flip after flip. "AIYIYIYISHEEYAHH!" Her boots' soles found the demon's face. Her eyebrow arched at Spider-Man. "Good work. Now get out of here." She drew her sword. "He's mine."
"Hey! What am I? The water boy?" Spider-Man protested.
"Do wha' she says, Bug Boy." The Child grabbed his arm. "We're gittin'. Hey, Xena! Ah'll be back!" He disappeared in a dark flash.
"Whatever." Xena shrugged. Her attention remained riveted on Yodoshi. She watched him with care. Her eyes watched for his elemental tricks or the burning demonic blade.
"Even the Dark Brat deserts you, Xena. What a pity." Yodoshi chided. He swung his blade.
She met his parry with one of her own. Then she pushed his blade away. Her elbow and knee met his face and chest respectively. "He's getting the kid out of here. He'll be back. Gabrielle will be sorry she missed you." She jumped as he tensed.
An icy burst escaped from Yodoshi's mouth. It froze the space where she'd been. He tried and missed two more times.
He turned his arm to a fiery whip and tried to burn her with it.
She dodged every assault. With moves that surpassed any gymnast's, she twisted and turned in air. She landed several blows with her fists and feet. Her blade bit into his left shoulder. "Sloppy!"
Fire exploded forth from his mouth but missing wide.
"Closer that time." Defiance and Taunting carried through her own widening smirk. "There's somethin' else." She pointed to his left.
The Scream echoed across the farmyard.
The Child hissed low. "Ya thought Ah'd leave 'em? DUMASS?" He pasted Yodoshi with dark fire…over and over again.
"HEY! FINISH HIM!" Xena gashed the demonic samurai's side.
"AH KNOW!" The Child grabbed onto their adversary with a telekinetic vice. "Ah've got me some fun first!" He dipped the other in the manure pile making sure to really rub it in deep. Then he pulled Yodoshi back toward them. "YER TURN!"
"THANKS!" Xena vaulted into the air over Yodoshi's head.
Yodoshi tried to suck her inside of himself. The vacuum effect pulled fence posts, barn planks and other things toward himself.
Xena drove her blade into his chest. She twisted it to be sure.
Yodoshi screamed. He spasmed and twitched. The motion became more intense. Then he exploded into a pyre of ash and fire.
Several hundred balls of light bobbed into the air. They danced this way and that as if stretching their legs after too long of a confinement. After a few minutes, they lined up in front of the two heroes. Love poured forth from them.
Thank you. We knew you'd free us. Look after Miri please. There will be someone else for you as well, a male voice declared.
"R…Randy? Wha'?" the Child stared at the glowing lights.
Our not so little girl. Look out for her. See to her happiness. A second ball touched the first. Then it bobbed upward toward the barn. Is that not right, Jasmine?
From where she'd watched the fight over the rooftop, the Princess bowed. And you are?
Terri. Miranda's mother. I felt you in the Talon. Her father and I both know. Make her happy as you can. Thank you. The light bobbed in front of the Princess. Then it streaked back down toward its counterparts and resumed its place in the line.
We love you. No more hiding from the world. A third light bobbed from the center. Once more you will have a family. Be patient. Then it resumed its place in the line.
Then they floated skyward and vanished into the clouds overhead.
"Thanks." She rubbed his arm.
"Ah need friends." He squinted with his open eye. "Sick a' hidin'! Ain't gonna lose Miri Ma 'gain!"
"I think she ain't going to let either of us go. Besides you heard that voice" She shrugged and sheathed her sword. "And you have friends. Look around. Guess Angela and you know what we're doing?"
He frowned. He knew Angie didn't want to give up the farm. "Yeah. Ah know. Maybe we can have both places? Hope Lexie don' mind us bein' 'round." He looked at her. Warmth shone from an unaccustomed place therein. "You too."
"You know me. Can't leave you alone. Come here." She embraced him. "Tell David Angela says thank you for trusting the three of us."
"He don' wantcha hurt. Ah don' neither." He ground his teeth but returned the gesture. "Aw nuts!"
"You can soften up once in a while." She coughed. "See? It ain't so bad."
"Yeah. Don' like Jasie takin' chances!" He squinted toward the Princess on her carpet.
"I was quite ready to support you." Jasmine sheathed her scimitar. "You have decided. So have I." She shook her head. "Papa will not approve."
"We gotcha." The Child hugged the Princess.
"Is it over?" Clark stepped out of the front door slowly. With Yodoshi's disappearance, his natural healing ability had started to heal his arm.
"Yeah. You 'kay?" the Child retorted.
"I'll get there." Clark showed the scar across his forearm. The mending bones stabbed at the nerves around them.
"Just the same, I'm calling the school. You're staying home, Clark. I want you healed for tomorrow. Come on. You're taking it easy." Martha saw the trio standing there. "Wait. Who are you?"
"I'm Xena. I was passing through. Thanks for taking care of them." Xena smiled at them. "Watch them."
"And you." Jasmine bowed to the other warrior. "Watching you fight was an honor, Xena. My order tells of your exploits in our service. Thanks to Gabrielle and you."
"She'd love to hear that and overblow the account." Xena coughed. "Mind if I get a ride?"
"Of course!" Jasmine lowered her carpet onto the ground. "You as well?"
The Child disappeared in a dark flash.
"Sure you don't want some breakfast?" Martha invited.
"Nah! You're busy enough. Thanks." Xena grinned. Appreciation sparkled through her eyes at the farm wife and her son. "I'll be around though."
Jasmine nodded. "I have business elsewhere." She bit her lip and trembled.
"You'll be great. Come on." Xena stepped onto the carpet.
Jasmine urged the carpet skyward. She steered them into the clouds and out of view.
"That's sure something else, Mom." Clark shook his head. Amazement ran through his mind.
"None of us are as alone as we might think, Clark." She seized onto him. "I'm glad you're okay, Baby. That maniac could have killed you."
"I know. I was thinking of you." He hugged her back. "Come on. Let's make that call. You've got that wedding cake to make."
"Maybe later you can help." She rubbed his back as they walked back toward the house.
From Darkness came forth some of Light's grace….