Chapter Six

Reuniting Foundation

Kat sighs to herself, anxiously tapping the side of her wheelchair as she waits for her plane to arrive.

Annoying as Luka was, he was still her best friend, and the fact that he was attacked... And if her father was in danger, on top of that… Everything about this pissed her right off.

She feels her spirit growing restless at the shift in her mood. Kat sighs, thinking a silent apology to poor Apollo. But whoever it was that attacked Luka needed to be dealt with.

She glances from her phone to the LED sign, slipping it into her coat pocket as pre-boarding begins.

Maybe this flight would allow her to breathe easily, if only for a bit.

Abi hands Jerry and Mia each a printed ticket. "Don't bother about paying me back." She mutters, setting herself on one of the benches as she waits for the train to arrive. "It should be here in some 10 minutes."

Jerry flips over the ticket, staring at it skeptically. "Is there any reason in particular why we need to go to Ocean Bluff right this instant?" He asks, directing his gaze to Abi. "Say we are in some sort of peril. Wouldn't the school be much safer?"

Abi's brow furrows at his questions. "We're going someplace that I know for certain is safe." She says- attempting to reassure Jerry. "If the academy can be attacked, its defenses are compromised."

… "Unless the attack happened from the inside." Mia mutters. It was her cautious theory, a curious assumption.

Abi frowns, the images in the Forbidden Room still engraved in her mind. "Nothing's impossible."

"You're being very vague." Jerry grumbles. But, he sees Abi turn towards her phone, and knows that he won't get an answer.

There was a very minimal chance that Luka's day could get any worse. Maybe he could get struck by lightning before midnight.

He checked his beloved Sprinter Trueno one last time for damages. Shattered windshield, broken wiper, and one of the lifts for the trunk were jammed.

Minor damages. Easily replaceable. But, damages nonetheless, and to his dear baby…

"Hey, hello? Uh, buddy?" Rock taps his shoulder as Luka continues scrutinizing the damage. "I'm sorry about your car and all, but I think we have more immediate issues…"

"This is an immediate issue!" Luka snaps. "I told you to watch the car!"

"You said so a bit too late. Again, I'm sorry dude. How about I help you fix it to make up for it?" Rock asks, with a sheepish grin.

… Luka sighs, shoving away his spite for the guy. "How about you just help me with "the immediate issue", He begins, with exaggerated air quotes, "and we consider your debt paid."

The only other set of hands he'd trust his baby with are Kat's, but Rock didn't need to know that.

"Alright, deal." Rock nods in agreement. "So, I guess I'm just following you? Are you trained in Pai Zhuq too?"

Luka steps out of the garage and makes his way to the building across. "Define trained." He says, squatting down in front of the main entrance of Jungle Karma. "I can't do that animal-spirit malarkey (unless under extreme pressure), but I know a couple of people who can."

"Yeah… But, uh… Do you really need to do a BnE to get their attention?" Rock asks, with a nervous chuckle. He'd caught what Luka muttered, but figured that he didn't want to get on the kid's bad side by bringing it up.

"Do you think I'm an idiot? Do you think I'm a complete and utter simpleton that would try and break into this place after what happened the first time? Do you take me for a complete fool?" Luka was almost offended. He scoffs, flipping over the doormat, and rustling a loose brick in the pavement. It comes loose, and unveils a spare key, which he promptly picks up.

"So you... did break in here before?" Rock asks, taking a cautionary step back as Luka unlocks the door.

"Yeah, I broke the lock and was stuck tossing pizzas until I couldn't move my arms. I don't think a plus-sized pussy will be much of a threat for these guys."

Abi yawns once more, letting out a sigh as she stares down her father's pride and joy. It was nostalgic- but if only the circumstances were different…

"Good to be home." She sighs.

"Um… Master Abi…" Mia pipes up after spending the train ride and the following walk in silence. "N-not to be rude, but… How is a pizzeria safer than the academy?"

"Short answer, it's not." Jerry frowns, and points towards the garage besides it. The door was dented, objects were astray, and a vintage car sat with a broken windshield.

Abi's eyes widened just a bit. "Oh, Luka's gonna be so pissed…" She mutters. But, she turns back to her students nonetheless. "We're among people we can trust. Powerful people, at that."

Jerry's brow furrows skeptically at her statement. But, he crosses his arms, and waits for Abi to open the door.

"Huh, already unlocked…" Abi mutters, stepping inside. "Dad! I'm home early!"

It's Luka's head, however, that sticks out of the backroom. "Oh, great." He mutters. At least Kat had the decency to let him know she was coming. "Is that meant to be a compliment or an insult? I mean, your father's quite the DILF- owie!"

Abi punches him playfully on the shoulder before he can finish his sentence. "Nice seeing you too, jerkwad."

Luka only smirks, squatting down to her height and patting Abi on the head. "I know you missed me, dear."

"If you were anyone else, you'd be a stain on the floor right now." She hisses, giving him another mock-punch on the shoulder.

"Taking advantage of what I got." He grins.

Rock's brow quirks. "Oh, are these the people you were talking about?" He asks, giving the three an overview from his seat.

Abi glances over to Rock skeptically. "Oh, wow, you made a friend? Who's this, Luka?"

"Could ask you the same." Luka gazes over Abi's entourage with curiosity. "But, that's the hippie who lives across the street in a tent. Sort of the reason why my car is busted, I'll kill him later for it. Long story. Hippie, meet Abi."

Rock almost does a spit-take. "You'll what?!"

"Relax, he's just joking!" Abi sighs, turning to the pair of students. "Right, so over there is Martin, he works for my father."

"Just call me Rock. It's nice to meet you all!"

"And your father..?" Jerry asks. His gaze is trained on Luka- something about him seems very familiar…

"He owns the shop, but he's a kickass fighter too. Taught me everything I know." Abi speaks with pride. But, the pride fades as soon as she turns to her friend. "And that's Luka, he's a nerd and pain in the ass."

"I think 'genius' would be the right word." Luka hums, sitting on top of a table. "What would you do without me at the helm, dear?"

Abi rolls her eyes. "And this is Mia, my… Student, in a way. And Jerry, a student that isn't mine."

Jerry's gaze turns to a glare, as Luka's name clicks with a memory. "I'm not going to work with that traitor."

Luka blinks, surprised by the sudden outburst. "Do I know you? Uh, Jerrold, or whatever?"

Jerry scoffs, crossing his arms and approaching Luka. "You don't even remember me? After you threw me under the bus for your own sake?"

"Threw you under the… Wait, I know you..!" Luka's eyes widen, and he hops off of the table, stepping back. Although feint, a green spark flickers in his hand as he tries to maintain the distance that Jerry seeks to close.

"I was hoping that I'd never see your face again. But now that you're here, I don't think I can control myself." Jerry hisses, and a silvery aura burns at his body.

A vein pops on Abi's skull. "That's enough!" She yells, stepping between the two. "Do you think this is the time to sort out year-old disputes?! We have something bigger on our hands!"

Jerry blinks, and the aura fades away. He spares one more glance at Luka, before turning to Abi. "I… I need a moment." He utters, and turns on his heel, out the door.

Kat made it to Ocean Bluff in record time, wheeling towards the entrance of Jungle Karma once more. But, someone unfamiliar was standing outside of the door, eyes closed and arms crossed.

"Hey there!" Kat opts to greet the person- and they open a single green eye. "Everything alright?"

Jerry's eyes move to Kat- and he sighs. "Nothing you should be concerned about."

"Well, you're outside of my father's shop and moping around." Kat wheels next to him, cautiously. "You might drive off customers."

Jerry's brow quirks. Abi's unbeatable sister was stuck in a wheelchair?.. Unless it was a ruse. But, that didn't make too much sense, didn't it?

"They're closed anyway." Jerry mumbles, pointing to the inside.

Kat glances curiously through the window. "Huh, Abi's here too..? Weird… Why aren't you inside with the rest of them?"

Jerry's brow quirks. "Again, why does it matter to you?"

"Because you're on my father's property. And because you look really upset." Kat frowns. "Do you not like big groups?"

Jerry sighs. "Not that… But I suppose I could tell you the tale."