"Hey Matt!" Tai shouted down the hall towards Matt who was getting his bag out of his locker to take home from school.
Tai jogged up to Matt stopped in front of him then turned around to look down the hall. "What's up Tai?" Matt asked waiting to see whatever Tai was waiting for. After a moment a red puff of hair came through the crowds of kids that were currently filling the hall.
"Come on Izzy." Tai said already impatient. Izzy caught up to Tai and both boys looked at Matt. "Matt. Izzy needs to tell you something."
Uh oh. He knows that Joe wasn't over last night. Despite his accusation he remained calm and looked at both boys refusing to move the look of confusion on his face. "Ok. What?" Matt turned back to his locker and got his stuff out.
"Well…" Izzy thought for a moment. "I was talking to Joe at lunch and he said he was told that I was going to be at your house last night. But I wasn't." Matt's muscles tensed as he slammed his locker with a force that he didn't think he had.
"You sure. Maybe you were mistaken." Matt said as the only thing he could think of. He turned and started walking down the, now, low density hallway away from Tai and Izzy. The two boys started walking and only stayed about a foot behind Matt.
"No. I was there Matt." Tai said.
"Very reinsuring," Matt answered sarcastically. Tai snorted.
"But if neither Joe or I was at your house… who was."
"Max."
"Other then him." Tai said still having a grudge against the older boy.
"What makes you think someone else was at my house? I just didn't want anyone to come over that night and I knew if I just told you that you would say 'I have to come over…' yada yada yada and personally I didn't feel like having another speech given to me." Matt said to Izzy.
Neither Izzy nor Tai believed him. They both had suspicions of their own even though Izzy's was a bit more realistic. Tai was about to say something but Izzy jumped in and said, "Ok. Fair. But I'm going tonight, k? No last minute arrangements."
"Alright, alright." Matt said feeling a bit relieved that they didn't keep questioning him.
"I'll come to." Tai said.
"Fine but your going to get bored." Matt warned.
"Whatever." Tai said. Matt raised an eyebrow at the statement but didn't say anything.
They reached the front doors of the school and walked out. They walked down the front steps and to the sidewalk at which point they turned right and headed home. All or their houses where in the same general direction. They walked in silence for a bit until Tai couldn't take it anymore and said. "So Matt. I was just thinking…Wondering, where you've been in this time. I mean before you came back here. To Odiaba."
"Everywhere." Matt grinned knowing that the statement would frustrate Tai.
Tai scowled. "Can you be more specific?" Tai said.
Matt appeared to think hard for a moment then answered. "Um. Yeah. Probably."
"Matt!" He exhaled to calm himself down. "Matt, you can tell me I'm your best friend." Tai put on an innocent face.
"Sorry Detective Kamya but this mystery is not for you to uncover."
"Well Mr. Ishida I will find out one way or another."
"What's another'?" Tai deliberately didn't answer. Matt sighed and gave up knowing that Tai probably didn't know the answer to the question and yet again silence fell over them.
It's easy they say. Yeah right. It's not so easy to me. I feel like such a baka. Matt thought. "Do you get it?" Izzy pressured.
"No. I don't get it. I thought you were supposed to use Length times Width."
"Not for circles." Izzy said obviously frustrated. Matt sat across the table from Izzy under the dinning room light. Tai sat on Matt's right side at the table. He had his arms hanging off the sides of the chair with his head back, obviously bored out of his mind. Max watched the lesson from the couch in the living room. He had is arm on the back of the couch and his body turned to make it comfortable to watch.
"Forget it." Matt finally said.
"What?"
"I can't get it so why try. Your frustrated, Tai's bored…"
"Really, really bored." Tai said not even lifting his head.
"… By the way I don't need to know this. What good would it do me?" Izzy was about to talk until he saw movement in the corner of his eyes. Max stood from the couch and walked towards the table. He walked up to the table, took a chair from the opposite side of the table from Tai and sat on it backwards right beside Matt. Tai looked up to see what Max was doing and Izzy continued to watch the older boy. Matt turned a bit towards Max and waited to hear what his friend had to say.
"Matt…" He started, "Trust me. This stuff you have to know. It's only basic math."
"Yeah. Sure. Whatever?" Matt said looking back at the table.
"What? You don't believe me?" Max said with a grin.
"Ok Max. Then when will I have to find the area of a circle?"
"Not many. But… hmmm…" Max wondered if he should bring this up in front of Izzy and Tai.
"What?" Matt ushered.
"Well remember back near Mt Fuji in Shizuoka?"
"Um… remind me."
"That guy got so drunk he thought you where an eighty year old man."
"Oh Yeah." Matt said as a huge grin grew on his face. "You challenged what's-his-name…"
"Chris."
"To a drinking challenge in that bar."
"It wasn't just me. You came up with the idea of betting money. I was willing to do it for free."
"And we…" Matt started but Izzy interrupted.
"Is there a point to all this."
"Yeah. Anyways remember what Chris said about his knew house." Max said.
"You mean about the llama?" Matt asked as he scrunched up his nose.
"No. I mean when he was still sober. About his pool."
Matt adverted his eyes a bit as he remembered slightly. "He said he put a pool in his yard. Hmmm."
"It was an above ground one and he was explaining all the difficulties he had with it. First finding the area of it. But he miss calculated and he messed up the whole project."
"Yeah but he was on tour to Mt Fuji. He was from America. There, people don't live in apartments. Not all of them. I won't run into situations like that."
"One day you might. You don't know for sure. You might one day move to America. And even if you don't you'll run into other problems. The pool thing was only one example. Think about it." Matt sat back into the chair, his mind on what was just told to him.
After a moment he said, "Alright. Explain it to me again." Izzy, amazed on how Max, not Tai or himself but Max, was able to get Matt to listen to him, Izzy started looking at the papers that where placed in front of him to remind himself of where he left off.
A knock was heard at the door and all accept Izzy looked towards the hallway that led to the front door. Max looked at Matt. "You want me to get it?"
"Nah. My legs are going numb. I need to stand." Matt said standing up to get the door. He walked towards the hall. When he reached it he suddenly realized how dark it was. A weird feeling filled him and he slowed down his pace. Who ever knocked on the door the first time did it again but this time it came in slow loud thumps. He could hear the voices of his friends in the dinning room. They were cheery yet slow as well and seemed so far away. He slowly walked towards the door. He didn't know what it was but something scared him. He could hear his heart beat speed up as adrenalin rushed through his veins. Nothings wrong. Your getting all worked up for nothing. He told himself but it didn't help at all. He reached the door and reached for the doorknob. He held it in his hand for a moment. He took a deep breath. Then exhaled. The exhale sounded like thunder to him.
He turned the knob and opened the door. Standing there was a man dressed completely in black with a black cape. Right then he recognized him from the guy in his visions. He stopped breathing and slammed the door shut. Time then sped up and he turned on his heels and ran towards the dinning room. The three boys looked at the panicked expression on Matt's face. Max was straight to his feet as he heard a crashing noise. Matt looked back towards the door and saw that it was now lying on the floor.
"MAX. WE GOTTA GET OUTA HERE!!!" Matt shouted. Izzy and Tai stood up quickly.
"Not so fast." Came a deep voice. Matt took the card from his back pocket and through it out in front of him then it created a shield. A violet ball with flashes of yellow flew from the hall towards Matt but hit his shield.
"WHAT'S GOING ON!!!" Tai shouted.
"GET DOWN!!!" Max commanded.
Matt kept his shield up as he looked at the man walking towards him. He walked up to Matt's shield. He knew he couldn't touch it so didn't try. He looked around the room and saw Tai and Izzy standing there. "So. You do have friends. Massar will be happy to know this."
"Massar?" questioned Izzy to no one in particular. "Who's Massar?" Tai shrugged.
"Leave them out of it." Matt growled.
"Who sent you and how did you find us?" Max said walking towards him.
"Finding you wasn't that hard. Actually it wasn't me that found you. I was only sent here to get you two." He said not at all doubting himself. "And as for who sent me… you'll meet him soon enough."
"What does that mean?" Matt spit out.
The man laughed to himself but didn't answer. "Put down your shield. You're only wasting your power like that."
Matt didn't, even though he knew the guy was right. He felt the power he had slowly draining but he couldn't, not while the guy was with in reaching distance.
"Leave him alone." Max said walking up to the man. Max was well built and the dark man wasn't but both knew Max wouldn't be able to hold himself if the fought. But Max wasn't about to back down and let Matt stay in the position he was in. Max locked eyes with the other man's dark ones. "What's your name?"
"Call me Black. Everyone else does."
"Alright Black. Stand down before I make you." Max threatened. Black said nothing. All he did was raise a hand and pointed a finger towards Tai and Izzy who where standing as spectators by the table. A violet electric ball flew out of his finger and straight towards the boys.
"NO!" Matt shouted. Max quickly created a powerful up draft that sent the ball crashing into the wall above their heads as they ducked down. Tai's scream filled the room as the noise of another explosion happened just above him.
Matt, noticing that Black's attention was now adverted from him, lowered his shield and ran towards Max, yet he kept the card in his hand for easy access. He stood by Max ready for anything that might happen. Matt looked at Black and noticed his delight when Tai screamed. He realized then that he had to get this guy out of his home and away from his friends. He looked towards his balcony, which was the only way out considering that Black was standing in the way of his front door.
"Max." he said a little above a whisper. Both boys kept their eyes on Black. "I'm going to lead him away from here before someone gets hurt. You stay here just incase he doesn't fall for it, k?"
"No. I'm not letting put your self in danger. I'll go."
"No Max. I know what I'm doing. Please trust me. I just need you to help Tai and Izzy," Max looked back at Matt. Matt stared at Black. He saw a look of determination on Matt's face and knew immediately that he should trust him.
He sighed. "Ok. But I'll meet up with you as soon as I have them safe."
"Ok." Matt stood forward. "You think you're so tough!" He said challengingly to Black as Max inched his way towards the other two boys.
"That's because I am." Black answered.
"You think you're all that and a bag of potatoes chips. Well guess what, your not." Matt continued.
"Matt. What do you think your doing." Tai said.
Matt only glanced at Tai then continued. "I don't think you're strong enough to take down a new born kitten.
"Oh really." He said mockingly. He raised his hand ready to shoot another violet ball at Tai and Izzy.
"WHAT? TOO SCARED TO FIGHT ME?" Matt said as a sudden panic shot through him as he saw that his friends where going to be shot at again. Black stopped the attack he was going to do and relaxed his hand by his side. Matt relaxed a bit but not much. "I bet you can't even take on me."
"Hmmm. I doubt that very much."
Matt narrowed his eyes on Black and said, "…Prove it." Then he turned around and ran towards the balcony knowing the Black won't hesitate to prove his strength. When Matt reached the sliding glass doors to his balcony he didn't even stop to open it. He jumped through it getting small cuts on his face and bare hands. He then jumped off the balcony. A blue light flooded out from the card and surrounded him.
He felt himself quickly drifting towards the ground. He felt a sudden breeze hit him as a violet ball barely passes his head. Finally touching the ground he ran from that place, his apartment, to where ever people would not be.
It was late. Nine o'clock maybe. Not to many people where out but enough to cause Matt to worry. He looked behind him and saw Black, not far behind, chasing him. Black was gaining speed and this only told Matt he couldn't keep this up forever. He had to think of something.
He had to hide. Delay whatever was going to happen until he could think of some way out of this. Or until Max showed up. Matt looked at everything ahead of him. He saw an alley and realized that he might run into a dead end if he ran in there. He scratched that option off his list. He saw a closed store. It was a music shop. He could see a guitar in the window in front of the store. He had often gone to this store and new every inch of it. The alarm was broken. He remembered Tai mentioning it when they were talking once at school. '…Oh. By the way Matt, 'member that music store you used to go to so much. There was a burglary and when the alarm went off the burglar broke it. They hadn't even fixed it yet. At least that's what I hear…' I'll go in there, he thought.
He held out his card and out from the diamond in the center of it came a silver fog. It spread out in all directions and filled Blacks vision. Black couldn't see anything. He stopped running, a bit lost at sight and surprised that Matt was able to do this. He put his hand up in the air and the silver fog retracted into his hand. When he was finally able to see again he looked around to see the Matt was gone. But he knew he was close because he could feel Matt's Magic present.
Matt was at the door of the Store. The store had storefront windows and a recessed door. The two walls that were on either side of the door were brick and it made the place Matt was in darker then the street. He was planning to break through the door into the store but the fog cleared faster then he was anticipating so he was stuck in that small space trying to be as quiet as possible.
He waited in silence for a few minutes. His heart sounded like it was banging against the inside of his eye and his breathing seemed as loud as thunder. He tried to breath less but when he did he only felt dizzy. His knees felt like Jell-O. He was tired from the run and wanted nothing more then to go to bed and sleep till the next millennium but he couldn't and he knew it. He had to put up with the feelings that came with this night.
He realized that he was waiting in that small place for five minutes and that he still had no indication that Black was still out there. He thought about peeking out from his hiding area. He didn't want to stay there hiding while this guy could be heading back to his apartment to get his friends but he didn't want to get caught either and end up in Massar's custody again. He shivered at the thought but knew that he couldn't hide any longer then he had to.
Matt slowly inched his way towards the edge of the wall that he was pressed up against. He leaned forward and peeked out from behind the wall. What he saw made him gasp and freeze in spot.
Beady small black eyes surrounded by fur. A Werewolf. From his vision. It growled and a low growl. It bared its teeth for Matt to see.
Matt forced his body to move and stepped back. Further into the small place. His mind raced, searching for something he could do in order for him to get out of this situation. The wolf fallowed Matt's every step. Matt felt his back hit the door of the shop and knew he had to come up with something now.
Then he thought of it. A look of panic turned to a look of determination and he quickly raised his hand up above his head with the card held tight between his index and middle finger. He focused on the power that lay inside the diamond and forced the power to work. A silver light swirled around Matt's arm as if it where smoke. Matt watched as the think stepped closer to him. The light surrounded his body now… he jumped at the werewolf. As he touched it an electrical energy surged through the beast and it went flying back. Matt landed on his feet at the opening of the small place he was in. He gripped the card firm in his hands and ran past the wolf, fully aware that the silver mist did not surround him any longer.
The beast stood up from where he had fallen, ready to run after it's pray. "STOP!!" Came a familiar yet not friendly deep voice. The wolf seized in his steps and stood. Matt knew it was Black and wouldn't have stopped if a force field wasn't suddenly in front of him he turned around to see that Black was on the roof of the store and the wolf was just standing there like a zombie. The force field went completely around the store. Matt swallowed hard at the predicament he was in.
"STAND BACK!!!" Black commanded of the werewolf, which did as it was told. Black jumped off the roof and landed on the ground softly in front of the brown furred beast. Black smirked at Matt. "I thought you said I was the weak one. And here you are doing everything you can to get away from me. Well maybe that worked for the others that were sent after you but it won't be the same this time."
"Oh yeah. Well my back up is coming and all you have a trained pup to do your bidding. Looks like I could still win."
"My 'trained pup', as you say, can tear you to shreds. And your 'back up' won't be able to get past my force field." Black smirked. Matt just stared back knowing that what Black just said was true.
"Well still. I can take care of my self. And you don't even have a chance." Matt said but he wasn't sure if what he said was to intimidate Black or to give himself confidence. All he knew was either way it didn't work.
"Well. You see I'm only here for the show. You and that 'pup' back there are the actors." He chucked. "Lights… Camera… Action." Then he started to levitate and, once again, he was on the roof. The werewolf started walking towards Matt and Matt knew he had nowhere to run.
"Call the cops." Tai said.
"The cops won't help. They can't." Max stated.
"Why not?" Izzy questioned. Moving from the kitchen to the living room which Max was.
"Magic is involved. You have to fight magic with magic. There's nothing else to it." Max thought for a moment then said. "I want you both to go to the lobby and hide. I don't want you guys to walk out into the streets right now and if Black comes back then at least you'll be out of harms way. But don't hide in a place where it will stop you from making a fast get away just incase something happens."
"Wait. What are you going to do?"
"Call Matt's dad. I'll come up with some excuse on why he shouldn't come home anytime soon." Max said already putting his plan into action by looking through the phone book the he held.
"And you?" Tai said. Max seized what he was doing and looked at Tai..
"Me? Then I'm going to find Matt and help him out." He then continued looking through the phone book for Matt's fathers work number and Tai and Izzy headed to the lobby to hide and hope everything will be alright.
"What are you calling about Mr. Black?"
Just to say that I might have what you want. The younger boy's cornered right now and I will head to get his friends later.
"Friends? What friends?"
This brunette and red head. I think their names are Tai and Izzy.
"What ages?"
What does that matter?
"Don't question me!"
Sorry. They looked about 11 maybe 12. not sure exactly.
"That's good enough. Now bring back the boys and you will be granted your reward."
I should have this one by the end of the night. I'll try to keep him in one piece… but no promises.
"As long as he's alive." A dial tone told Black that the phone call had ended so he looked back to what was befalling on the street below him. He placed his cell phone in a pocket and watched the show unfold.
TBC