Disclaimer: I don't own Ronins… or Pumpkins…. The usual stuff.

Once again the dreaded Monday crept up on Opal and Jett. Opal, however, was looking forward for today: She wanted to see Seiji again. At the moment the two were at Jett's locker. Opal was bouncing from foot to foot, holding her English notebook and totally ignoring the present situation of the demons and the Warlords. Jett was trying to get her to concentrate, but it wasn't working. With an annoyed sigh, Jett finally let up about seeing the guys.

Jett dropped her stuff off in the auditorium. She noticed Shuu wasn't there. Shrugging it off, she joined Opal in the search for Seiji, and hopefully Shin. As much as Jett may deny it, she had fallen for him at the dance. A sudden excited squeal from Opal indicated that the boys were found in the back lobby.

Opal practically bounced up to them. As usual, there were a lot of girls around them, mostly preps and girls that Opal and Jett really didn't get along with. As well as a few preppy guys. Blake was there, talking to Ryu. Jett bit back a few biting remarks she would have liked to say to Blake as she caught a smirk on his face she didn't like.

"Hi Seiji!" said Opal cheerily. "Hi guys!"

Jett too notice that Ryu and Shin looked highly uncomfortable. Shin seemed to be trying to tell her something through his eyes, but she wasn't getting it. He was looking from Opal to Seiji to Shuu, then back at Opal. "Um… Opal—"

"Opal, can I ask you something?" asked Seiji, interrupting Jett.

"Uh-huh, sure."

"What makes you think I'd be interested in you?"

Opal stopped bouncing caught totally off guard. "Excuse me?"

Seiji got a strange smirk on his face. "You heard me."

Opal felt her insides freeze up. "I-I don't understand."

Shuu crossed his arms. "He only danced with you on a dare, Opal. Do you really think that he'd date you?"

Some of the other people there started to snicker. Opal felt a mixture of emotions churn inside her. Anger took over first. "You…only dated me on a bet?" She was beginning to shake.

Touma only nodded. "Yeah. Now you're getting it." The others were now laughing hard.

Shin and Ryu was trying to shut Seiji, Shuu, and Touma up. But nothing was working. And the group around them wasn't helping either.

Opal, feeling the jeers from her peers, Seiji's laugh, and stares from the passer-bys, stab her in all different directions, let her face contort into fury and hurt. She shoved past Seiji and his friends, and went into the girls' bathroom.

Jett glared at all of them, especially Seiji and Shuu. "You sick freaks." She growled under her breath. "Remember, I know where you sleep." She brushed past them, just as Shin seemed to say something. She gave him the cold shoulder.

Blake laughed. "Well, looks like the witches finally got what they deserve. Get out of our school!" Jett ignored him.

******

Opal had her face buried in her pillow. The guidance office had sent her home she was so upset. At the moment, she was attempting to suffocate herself via pillow, though she knew it wouldn't work. Jett was calling every hour to see if she was ok and knew that if there was something wrong, she would drive here to check on her, class or no class.

Lilith jumped onto the bed, stepping on Opal to get her attention. Opal lifted her head slightly, the fresh air slightly stinging her tear stained face. Lilith purred and rubbed her head against Opal, trying to make her feel better. Opal reached over and held her, crying into her fur. She just couldn't stop crying!

Again she heard Jett's voice as she was struggling not to cry in the bathroom: "Don't worry, I'll kill him as soon as I get home and my parents are out. Tonight I'll shave their heads and hide the food." It didn't bring much comfort. She couldn't even make it to homeroom, so Jett walked her to the guidance office so they'd send her home. On the way out the door, Opal trashed her notebook she was carrying.

The phone rang. She let it ring three times before picking up. It was Jay.

"Dude! Are you ok?" he asked. "If you want, I can curse them for you."

"Don't worry about it, I'm going to do it next time I see them."

"Which one you gonna do?"

"My favorite: the Warning. Though as from now it isn't one."

"Ouch. Are you sure you're ok? Jett is like, throwing death glances at them. She's even ignoring Shin! And he was treating her real nice Friday."

"According to her, he knew about it. Because he didn't tell either of us, that makes him just as bad." Her tone was very sharp.

"Whew… glad I never get on your bad side. Well, I better go… the lady is looking at me weird and the pee fairies might get me if I hang around the halls to long."

"I thought they only hung out in the bathrooms?"

"Um… now they wander the halls looking for unsuspecting peoples. Maybe they'll get the guys for us."

"I hope so. Talk to you later then."

"Bye." Click.

Opal smiled a little. Jay could always get her to smile, even if she didn't want to. Lilith jumped on Opal's shoulders and licked her ear. Opal scratched Lilith's head. "Out of everyone, Lily-cat, I wish you'd shift human and talk to me."

***

Shin knocked quietly on Opal's door. He and Ryu were fuming at the others and promised Ryu he'd talk to Opal. Shin was upset that Jett wouldn't talk to him, after saying that he was as bad as the rest of them. Shuu commented that there were plenty of other chicks at the school who wanted a date with him, and Shin virtually bit off Shuu's head.

After a few more knocks, there was no answer from Opal. He tentatively opened the door. "Opal? Can we talk?" There was no answer from her. He opened the door wide enough to peek in. Her back was turned to him and was petting Lilith. "Opal?"

"Go away," was her reply. Lilith growled slightly.

Shin ignored this. "We need to talk. Ryu and I had—"

"Yet you knew about it. Neither of you told me or Jay or Jett. We have nothing to talk about. Leave."

Shin sighed. "Alright…" He closed the door quietly and went into his room to do homework.

******

"All we need are the Twin Warriors." Sehkmet's eyes glowed with anticipation.

"Why are they called the Twin Warriors?" wondered Kale. "They look nothing alike, they're not even related."

"We'll find out soon enough," said Dais. "You all know you're places right?"

The two Warlords nodded. Sehkmet drew two swords, letting the acid and venom drip from the blades onto the ground. The ground hissed and sizzled. "I'm to take one of them, Kale is to take the other. I vote for Jett." Kale nodded and vanished for Opal's house.

"Remember, only one for tonight, we can catch the other tomorrow." Dais was pacing the center of the clearing where Talpa awaited his awakening. Sehkmet disappeared for Jett's house. She was the target for the day.

Dais himself summoned what was left of the Nether Spirits who were loyal to Talpa instead of Kayura. The few appeared and circled around the clearing, creating the sacred space needed for his master's return.

***

Jett was in her room, Smashing Pumpkins blaring, and she was dancing around, venting her anger towards the exchange students. Normally, she'd be out hunting to do it, but everyone was wide awake, there was no way she could get out without having her parents take Fuzz Ball and Pig. She was intent on shaving Fuzz Ball's head tonight as well, so she had to wait for everyone to sleep.

A noise, despite the volume of the CD player, caught her attention. She stopped mid twirl and look out the window. She glowered. Sehkmet stood outside it. She opened her window, grabbed some quartz crystal, and held it.

"By the God and Goddess, if you don't leave, so help me I'll kill you myself. I am not in the mood for your ridiculous requests!"

Sehkmet only walked through the wall. Being a spirit was so helpful at times. He looked at her and one of two drawn swords to be shown. Again, venom dripped from it. "You're coming with me, Warrior. If you don't, I'll be forced to strike you. My venom has no cure, and it's very likely my blades will catch you. Are you going to come peacefully?"

Jett looked at her floor; there was a hole forming from the poison. "Sheath those swords! My mom will kill me for having holes in the wood!" She picked up her athame and went to chuck it at Sehkmet. She wasn't going to go willingly without a fight first.

Sehkmet let the blade pass right through him. "Silly child, you cannot harm me in this form! I guess I have to take you by force." He swung a sword. Jett ducked. She was glad her CD player was going or her mom would have come in, panicked and would probably get hurt. She looked to her window from the corners of her eyes. Would she have enough time to climb through the slit after pushing out the screen? She was going to have to attempt it.

She moved quickly, back kicking the screen out so she wouldn't put herself in a corner between the desk and dresser. As Sehkmet swung down, she rolled out of the way and chucked a stake at him. It of course passed through him, but it distracted him. She used this distraction time to crawl out of the window very quickly.

Outside, she had more of an advantage, as long as she didn't move in front of the windows. I'm going to have to leave this area, or mom and dad will catch me. Then I'll really be in for it. Jett raced down the street, to the creek.

A laughter filled the air as she reached the creek, praying to the god there safe passage and forgiveness as she raced across the water. The water was cold in the winter night air, and not wearing a coat didn't help. She made it across, up the hill, but ran dead on into Sehkmet. She instinctively reached for her athame. It was gone.

"Looking for this, Warrior?" Sehkmet held out her athame.

Jett growled in her throat. "Play with matches and you're gonna get burned…" Before Sehkmet could react, she drew a lighter, lighted it, and blew into the flame. The flame extended, causing the small lighter to be a blowtorch instead.

Sehkmet backed off, dropping the athame. Jett grabbed it, spun around in a crescent kick, then found herself entangled in a web. Dais smirked. "Looked like you could use some help, Sehkmet."

The Warlord of Venom snarled at Dais. "I was doing fine."

"Either way, we got her. Let's take her back, tomorrow we'll have the other one."

Despite her struggle, Jett vanished with the Warlords.