The Price of Desire

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious

A/N:

Chapter 22 (Battle of a True Master)

Trina blasted her way into the door of the school. There were students around now. Why? Why were they here? It wasn't even four yet, but that didn't matter, class shouldn't even be close to over. The students looked at her with wide eyes. She was furious. Lane would tell her where to find Seth. A great clamoring erupted from the students, they'd been wondering where she had been. Everyone knew what was going on with the gang, but they'd questioned whether or not Tori and her friends were alive.

"You all will need to leave," Trina shouted out. It wasn't safe for any of them to be there right now. "Your guidance counselor is not who he appears to be. You're all in danger." The students began conversing amongst themselves, raising questions as to whether Lane was involved with the gang. Trina rubbed her forehead. She felt irritation seeping into her. Why weren't they doing what she wanted them to do? Why? "Listen, quit asking questions, you all have to leave n-" Suddenly a gunshot ran out and the students all screamed in anguish. Everyone looked to the stairs and Trina slowly clenched her fists.

Standing on the steps with his gun high in the air was none other than Lane. Next to him was Seth, a full headed, wrinkled older man. Sikowitz growled and took a step forward, glaring at the man. Jacob put his hand to Sikowitz's shoulder while Christy nudged them and pointed, whispering for them to be careful. Behind the two men, kneeling on the ground and crying, her neon red hair was clutched in Seth's calloused hand. Cat Valentine turned her gaze towards them, sniffling. She held up her wrists, a thick brown rope was digging into her flesh.

"Shit they have Cat…" Anger flashed through her body as Lane's cold smirk taunted her. This bastard was going down. If it was the last thing she did, he would die. Lane slowly stepped down the stairs, shrugging his shoulders. The fearful students screamed and moved away from him, as if water flooding away to create a path. Trina clenched her jaw and stared him down. "Lane, you dirty little piece of shit. I'm going to tear you limb from limb. A guidance counselor no less, and here I thought you were a good person."

"Not everything is what it seems, Miss Vega." Lane extended his handgun towards her, aiming it directly at her forehead. "I know the boss doesn't want you dead, but you've caused us a lot of grief." Trina's eyes widened and sweat started to drip along her neck. She looked to the others around her. Christy and Jason were ready to spring into action. Sikowitz looked ready to run after Seth.

Seth laughed and started walking away, dragging Cat with him. She screamed out her cries and tried to squirm her body, but she just couldn't escape. Dr. Richards's phone blared and Trina quickly shifted her eyes to him. He took the call and everyone stared at him as if he were really oblivious to everything that was happening. He started to pale and quickly put the phone to Trina's ear. "It's for you, Chief Michael."

"Seriously?"

"I won't ask where you are," Michael said under his breath. He was speaking with a tone filled with sadness and laced with anger. "After this is all over, you will be safe to live your life. I want you to know that first of all…" Trina raised her eyebrows and waited as he continued on. "Trina. Giovanni's dead, we think someone else is pulling the strings."

"What!"

"Yeah…" Someone else pulling the strings? Her heart sank and her face began to pale. Could it be? Nurse Bethany was truly in charge? No! No that couldn't be! "We have worse news. Your dad…is dead." Those words, the very words she never wanted to hear. Her entire world began to crumble as her eyes widened and filled with terror. The others were close enough to hear. They eyed her with concern as her body began trembling, like a volcano about to explode. "It's not safe, you could be walking into a trap…most of the gang is gone now…"

Her eyes drifted to Lane, whose cheesy grin was growing wider with every passing second. It was infuriating! She hated this man, she hated everything about this traitor, this liar. She no longer heard Michael, her rage was boiling far too much for her to pay any attention to her surroundings. Her father was dead! First Tori and now her dad? Seriously? Lane started to open his big mouth, but she didn't give him any time to speak.

With a warriors cry, she grabbed his arm and spun around, twisting his arm behind his back. Lane's eyes widened as she shoved his gun hand into the back of his pants. "You fire, you shoot off your ass. Sikowitz, go after Seth and Cat!"

"Got it!" Sikowitz began running as Trina continued screaming, her tears flying from her face. She kneed Lane in the back many times, which caused him to fire off a bullet after each kick. The bullets flew from his pants and into the floor, but along with them, came blood and Lane cringing painfully. He was not in the right place for her to receive that news.

Sikowitz followed the sound of Cat's screaming to his own classroom. When he entered, he saw Seth standing on the stage with Cat curled up in a ball behind him. Seth faced him and slowly stepped down from the stage, chuckling. Cat lifted her head up and whimpered. "M-Mr. Sikowitz?" Jason and Christy came running in behind him, Trina was handling Lane just fine. "Jason!" Sikowitz glanced back at the two and breathed in deeply.

"Is Trina okay taking care of Lane?"

"He's really not a good fighter," Christy said while cringing. "Somehow I think he just got something very important shot off." Sikowitz lifted his shoulders and moved his eyes to Seth's eyes. He took a step forward and slammed the bottom of his walking stick on the ground. Seth spread his arms out and smiled.

"Erwin, how are you? It's been too long. I haven't seen you since our master passed away." Sikowitz pulled his lips back and felt an intense anger screaming from inside. He pointed his stick towards Seth and let out a deep bellow.

"You murdered our master! You did this to me!"

"Ah yes, unable to perform kung fu ever again. It's a shame that you're stuck looking after a bunch of sniveling brats, isn't it?" He lowered his stick and clenched his fist tight. Christy leaned in and whispered to him, much to his annoyance.

"Say the word and I'll run him through with this sword."

"Step. Back. Christy." She lifted her hands and moved backwards. He flicked his eyes to Seth and started moving forward. A low growl formed in his throat as Seth quickly lifted his foot high in the air, then brought it down onto a chair, breaking it in two. He laughed evilly and Sikowitz merely shrugged his shoulders. "I am not intimidated."

"You cannot do this! I have continued to grow in my strength while you have atrophied."

"I am stronger than you, my will is greater."

"Oh spare me the moral bullshit. The true strength is in power, Sikowitz." Sikowitz cracked his neck and sighed. Power, was it? Yes. He had plenty of that. Though if Seth wanted to presume him to be a weak old man that couldn't fight any longer, let him. That was rule number one of all martial arts fighters, never underestimate your opponent.

"You are not noble, you are not honest, you are evil. You besmirch the name of our master, and you soil the good art of kung fu." Seth chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. "You also forget the very basic rules of the trade, something that I have never forgotten. I have instilled these rules in my nephew and his friends. Would you even remember the honor of bowing to your opponent before battle?" Seth shot him a glare and threw his head back, laughing violently.

"Are you serious? I'll tear you in two! By the time you get done spouting your righteous crap, I'll have killed you faster than it took to take down our master before!" Sikowitz huffed and positioned his feet firmly on the ground, squatting just a bit. He moved his free hand, palm up, in the air in front of him.

"Then come at me Seth. If you truly think you'll kill me. There is so much at stake, you don't even know what you've gotten yourself into."

"Oh believe me, I know. I will kill you."

"May the honorable man win." He turned his lip into a smirk. He held his stick behind him and moved his hand up, holding it vertically in front of him. "If you lose, you tell us where your boss is."

"Fine, I have nothing to lose."

"Oh no…" Sikowitz shook his head and closed his eyes. "You had everything to lose, even your soul, and you have lost it all." Seth rolled his eyes and dashed madly at Sikowitz. He twisted his upper body around and swung his fist in. Sikowitz quickly moved his hand in the way, deflecting the blow, then swung his stick around and slammed it into Seth's side.

"Ack!" Seth jumped back and narrowed his eyes. "Okay, so you have a stick. Whoopee, real tough." Sikowitz opened his eyes halfway and smirked as Jason began snickering. He'd trained others well with this stick, and he definitely knew how to tear someone down with it. "Die you old bastard!"

"Come at me." Sikowitz moved his stick up and gripped the ends with both arms. Seth charged forward and performed a karate chop. Sikowitz moved the stick upwards, deflecting the chop. He turned the stick vertical and deflected a karate chop from the side from Seth's other hand. Seth narrowed his eyes and brought his knee up, Sikowitz released his right hand and swung the stick down, slamming it into Seth's knee.

"Shit!" Seth bellowed and limped backwards, his right knee was now completely shattered. He growled and lunged for Sikowitz once more.

"You have forgotten so much, Seth. You've lost our Master's teachings and his grace."

"Shut up!" He started to lift his wounded leg, leaning against the strong one, hoping to kick into Sikowitz's chest. Sikowitz gripped his walking stick still in a vertical position. He pushed it forward against Seth's foot, casing the leg to recoil back and snap painfully. Seth felt the pain scorching through his body and let out a wild scream. "Why can't I kill you? You're just an old man!"

"You sadden me." His heart mourned for Seth, the man had truly fallen from grace. Seth threw a punch towards him, but he deflected it. In a counter, he slammed his stick forward, bashing Seth in the middle of his chest. Seth grasped his chest and took a deep breath of air as he staggered backwards and fumbled to take a breath. Sikowitz slowly shook his head and looked upon him with sad eyes. "Why Seth? Why did you go the route you went? Was it for power? Wealth? Jealousy? Greed? What? What was it?"

"I was sick of being the lesser student!" The words struck him cold as Seth glared upon him with a virulent anger. Seth's hand sailed through the air as his breathing grew heavy and sweat started running down his body. "You always got the glory! Always! You were the fucking star student, and nothing I could do, could ever grant me the Master's affection! Nothing!" Sikowitz's heart sank and he slowly bowed his head.

"I see. Envy. Truly the worst monster. I will pray for your soul, Seth."

"I couldn't care any less what you do for me!" One final charge, one final attempt at this man's life. Sikowitz turned his back to him and dropped his stick to the ground. Closing his eyes, he put his hands behind his back and recalled the one cheap trick he'd learned from his master. Jason's eyes widened and his lips grew into a grin, he knew this trick well.

Sikowitz quickly side stepped towards the right. Seth screamed as he started to pass his target. Sikowitz extended his leg out to the side, colliding it with Seth's leg and toppling the man. Seth let out a powerful yell and fell towards the ground. Thinking fast, he reached down to pick up his walking stick, spun in full circle, and slammed his stick down into Seth's lower back. Seth let out an ear piercing scream as Christy and Jason reached down to pin him.

"Now Seth…you do not deserve a death in battle, that is only for an honorable warrior. You will be denied that right. Jason, hold him down with my stick." Jason nodded and grabbed the stick while Sikowitz slowly moved towards Cat. He glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes. "You will spend a lifetime in prison, I am sure. First, before I order you unconscious, tell us where your boss is."

"The casino!" Seth exclaimed just as Trina came rushing into the room. "The Hustler Casino on Redondo. Damn it Sikowitz!"

"I am pleased. Jason, feel free to put him out of commission." Seth screamed as Jason slammed his head with his hand, knocking him out. Sikowitz closed his eyes and breathed out as Trina started moving slowly towards him. He finally felt at peace with the world. His Master, avenged.

Well, what did you guys think of this? I almost felt bad for Lane, but wasn't Sikowitz's fight epic?