Retribution

Chapter V

Hun'dai'ra mob vs. Jeremy

The group of monsters was getting closer. Creepers were drawing near, wearing straw sunhats and brandishing the kamas they were using for their farming. Skipezoa were slithering behind, slowly but surely getting to their target. Roachsters and Blocks abandoned their rickshaws to fire at the intruders. All the while, Jeremy was grinning. He pirouetted, tossing the shields like deadly Frisbees. Many charging Creepers lost their heads in that instant. The Skipezoa, however, were unaffected. The shields returned to their master, generating energy as they did so. They started to spin around Jeremy, gathering more and more electricity with every passing second. The artillery fire of the Roachsters and Blocks were deflected carelessly as the air around Jeremy started to hum. Only one metre separated Jeremy from the Skipezoa infantry. Then, the glowing orb that was Jeremy shot into the sky, letting out an electrical whine. Lightning came at the monsters from all sides as Jeremy, shrouded in mere height, let out a battlecry that rivaled that of an angry Saiyan:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

The Skipezoa were nothing but sticky black smears on the ground. Roachsters? Blocks? Nope. Try ashes blowing in the wind. Jeremy descended from the sky, smiling from ear to ear. When he saw the looks on the others' faces, he could not even hope to hide his laughter. He tumbled in mid-air, laughing as he went. Then, he stopped laughing and landed in a standing position. After a few minutes of dumbfounded silence, Odd said, "Dude! Why didn't you join us on other missions with power like that?" Jeremy calmly replied with, "I was still learning Aikido. I'm still only a brown-belt, you know." Before anyone could say anything more, a whimpering sound was sent out from a nearby hut. Yumi slid back the door to find a Creeper huddling over a smaller one, shaking in fear. Then, the larger one noticed Yumi and sprang at her. Odd instinctively shot it with a laser arrow, and did the same to the smaller one, just in case. "Thanks, Odd. I owe you one." Odd smiled mischieviously and said, "Alright, cool. When we get back, you owe me a full-body massage!" At that moment, Yumi glared at him in a stare that even rivaled the Hellfire-gaze Ulrich gave him, and said, "No. Friggin'. Way."

That's when Jeremy said, "Enough fooling around. Let's get to Ulrich before it's too late too convince him. Get rid of any monster that gets in your way."

Ulrich was stuffing his face full of ramen and riceballs while X.A.N.A. was sippimg at a small cup of Shazriki tea. "Mmm... Thish is delishouth, X.A.N.A." Ulrich said while wolfing down some sushi. As Ulrich was freaking out from the Wasabi in his food, X.A.N.A. said, "Please, don't call me that. That's just the name of my combat programming. My name is Leroy Thomas Hopper." Ulrich, barely noticing the comment, replied, "Whatever you say, Leroy..." Just then, a Creeper walked, er... slithered... into the room. Smoke puffed around the Creeper, and a human stood where a Creeper once did after the smoke cleared. It was a small girl, no older than eight, in a kimono. She had a frightened look on her face as she said, "Milord, Ulrich, the... the-the Arouk'tei have started slaughtering everyone in the village... you-you gotta... h-h-help them!" X.A.N.A., er... Leroy, bent down and wrapped the child in his arms. "There, there Zenshei. It's okay. We'll take care of them. After all, we have Ulrich. Without their strongest warrior, how will they fight?" She looked up at Leroy, and said, "There's a new one amongst them, Milord. A blond Denshou'gira who calls forth lightning to smite his enemy. Even those of the Na'gizo'tsu could not stand against them!" Ulrich, very puzzled indeed, asked, "Translation?" Leroy looked at Ulrich with a stern face and said, "Denshou'gira means war-mage. The Na'gizo'tsu are what you'd refer to as Skipezoa. It's Jeremy, Ulrich. Jeremy is here." They're gonna pay for murdering countless innocents. They're all gonna die! Ulrich was thinking that as he transformed into the Ghost Rider. "Let's take those bastards down, Leroy." Leroy stood. "Yes. Let's."

Odd, Jeremy, Yumi, and Aelita did not share Ulrich's feelings upon seeing the manor. To them, it was a fortress of evil, to be taken down. They went up to a door, only to find a note that read "Peek-a-boo. We see you." "DUCK!" Everyone followed Aelita's advice as a 'firey' (as Odd would put it) blast utterly eradicated the door, note and all. X.A.N.A., or Leroy, if you prefer, appeared in the sky. His palm was open and pointed squarely at where the door once stood. Ulrich rode up on his motorcycle, eyes ablazin'. Ulrich spoke then. "How dare you slaughter innocent villagers! Those were mothers, daughters, elders even, not soldiers! How would you feel if these wondrous beings killed off your families? You must truly be wretched souls, for innocence exists no more in your hearts! You shall suffer at my hands!" "These are monsters, Ulrich! X.A.N.A. is just brainwashing you! We didn't abandon you, Ulrich. We didn't know what to think! Please come back!" yelled Yumi. Ulrich bowed his head. "His name is not X.A.N.A. It's Leroy. Leroy Thomas Hopper... And they're not just monsters, Yumi. They are the Hun'dai'ra, a cultured race trying to protect their world from what they see as a threat... us, guys. We scare them. And for killing them, you must die!" Ulrich. Way too obvious. If you needed that explanation, you are considerably dumb. (Just kidding!) Ulrich's chain flew towards Odd's head. Odd rolled to the side and tried to shoot a laser arrow at Ulrich, only to see the chain fly around his back, knock the arrow out of the way, and ensnare him. Ulrich jerked the chain towards himself, bringing Odd within arm's reach. A loud 'WHACK' sounded off as Ulrich punched Odd, creating a sickening 'SNAP' as Odd's jaw broke. If someone were monitoring his character card on the computer, they'd find but a single hit point left. Ulrich set Odd on the ground, savouring his chance for vengeance. He then turned toward Yumi, who was readying a psychic blast. Ulrich conjured forth the mystical powers of Hellfire. Yumi was now feeling all the pains and agonies she ever inflicted on a monster. Sice Yumi was incapacitated, he turned to Jeremy. He'll be the only challenge of the four of them. Better take him out NOW, thought Ulrich. Ulrich rushed at Jeremy, pulling back his fist as he did so. As his fist flew at Jeremy, a white sphere expanded from Jeremy's core. Ulrich was sent flying backwards as Jeremy tossed his shields at him. Ulrich flipped in complex series of twists and rolls to catch them in mid-air. He landed on his feet and snapped the twin set of shields over his knees. "Looks like you'll have to fight barehanded, genious." Ulrich snickered as he rushed toward Jeremy once more. Jeremy jumped down on his back and propelled Ulrich into the air with his legs. He then got up and shot bolts of lightning at the flailing being above him. After a few explosions, Jeremy flipped backward, pushed of the ground, and kicked Ulrich toward the manor. Ulrich landed on his motorcycle and drove up to Jeremy. "When did you get so good?" said Ulrich. He then punched Jeremy in the nose, sending him flying backwards. Jeremy got up with a sly grin, and said, "I made this form more durable than the others I created. You won't be rid of me that easily!" Ulrich got off the motorcycle and ran towards Jeremy. Jeremy ran towards Ulrich. They began to grapple when Aelita yelled, "We didn't know about the Hun'dai'ra! GIVE US A SECOND CHANCE!" Ulrich's head snapped in her direction when X.A.N.A./Leroy shot Jeremy with a blast that knocked him out. He flew up next to Ulrich. "Finish them! Avenge this village! What are you waiting for?"

A/N: Oh-hohohohohoho! I'm so evil for leaving it at that! Next chapter: Ulrich's decision!