Theory of a live man
The next day, Shane took Jade and Rike shopping at the local mall. It was Christmas time again and people were out buying gifts and the kids seeing Santa. Rike didn't like shopping much, the reason is people keep bumping into him and another reason is pickpockets. Rike kept his hand's firm in his pants' pockets holding on to whatever they held. No way was he going to be robbed.
Jade looked into a window into the Health Is Everything Store. Inside many different foods, tea, coffee and natural foods and treats. Rike looked in as well and was pulled inside by Jade, Shane waited outside the store, within five minutes Jade came out with a small bag and Rike carrying seven big bags.
Shane points to a toy pull cart and Rike fills it up. He then laughs at it, him carrying massive bags and Jade a small one. They continue down the hall looking at each store, Rike looks at the Kandy Is Sweet Store but Jade pulled him along saying that eating to much sugar is bad for you and many other facts about man made sugar. She even told him that natural sugar is the best to have.
The further they went more and more Christmas songs were played from each store, Carol of the Bells over came them all. Jade smiles and points at the sight, Santa Claus was sitting there in the middle of the hall. Jade pulls Rike along fast and Shane followed close behind, soon they both waited in line. After two minutes of waiting Rike place Jade on Santa's lap.
"Hello Jade, Rike."
Rike looks at Santa more closely.
"Huh?"
Santa pulled down his beard a little to show who he was. He scares Rike and Rike was ready to jump off the small platform and grab anything to use as a weapon. Jade hugs Santa and looks at Rike, Santa laughs and ho ho ho's.
"Yes, it's me. Beast."
Shane could be heard laughing in the background and soon Rike joins in, in a rude way. Beast and Jade share a few laughs as well, he looks at Jade.
"And what do you want for Christmas Jade?"
"Hmm... ah." She leans closer to his ear and whispers to him.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas to you Jade, Rike and Shane."
Beast sat Jade down, she hugs him before walking off the platform and receiving a candy cane. Beast waves to them and gets back to work. Rike's face was completely red of embarrassment, Jade pats Rike on the back.
"It's okay Rike, you didn't know that he plays Santa during this time of the year."
Rike beings to mumble in Spanish while keeping a low-profile. Shane shook his head and looks in a store window.
"Hey Rike, this might cheer you up."
Rike looks at Shane and the store, his eyes widen and glisten with joy. Soon his face was glued to the window looking in Hunting Wild Store. Inside the window was a new class crossbow and many other bows.
"Dad, I don't think we brought any nail polish remover." Jade joked.
"Come on Rike."
"I like that crossbow!"
Shane pulls at Rike, Rike wouldn't budge.
"Come on Rike!"
It took Shane with Jade's help ten minutes to make Rike let go. Shane then told Jade to take Rike to another store while he buys some gifts. Rike followed Jade like a dog that was kicked, he was upset.
"I really liked that crossbow."
"I know, but hey if you ask Santa maybe he'll get you it."
Rike stops dead in his tracks and looks at Jade.
"Brilliant idea Jade, come on!"
Rike gives Jade a piggy back ride as he ran all the way back to Santa Beast. Rike sets Jade down and hops onto Beast's lap.
"What the? Rike? What are you doing?"
"Jade said to tell you what I want for Christmas and that I might get it!"
"Hey buddy, my kid was here first!"
Rike looks at the man and curses at him in Spanish and looks back at Beast.
"I would like that high grade.."
Rike spoke so fast in Spanish about that crossbow that it took Beast awhile to register what Rike just said.
"You got all that?"
"Aaa...I think so."
"Great!" Rike gets off and gives Jade a piggyback ride back to Shane.
Shane looked up and down the hall wondering where they went.
"Dad!"
Shane turns around and looks at Rike, he was smiling ear to ear.
"Rike, did you take something illegal?"
Rike lets Jade down.
"Nope! I just got something off my chest."
Jade looks at Shane.
"He went and spoke to Santa about what he wants for Christmas."
Rike face turned beat red, Shane starts laughing.
"You sat on Santa's lap? I bet that was a hoot!"
"Shut up!"
Shane kept laughing and Jade kept giggling as Rike's face got even more redder. A man in the background watched them, he speaks into the radio on his chest.
"They're leaving."
"Copy that."
Outside Shane unlocked the H3, as he placed their items in the back along with the toy pull cart, Jade and Rike got in and got comfortable. Soon Shane closed the back and got into the drivers seat.
"Jade what's next?" Shane asked looking at her in the rear view mirror.
"We need a tree."
Shane pulls out the mall parking lot and back onto New York's busy streets, he stopped at a red light letting a man in a red hat to pass. Rike watched the man even as they drove away.
"That man looked familiar."
Soon afterwards of driving a song came on the radio, Carol of the Bell vocals. Jade bobbed her head to the music, Rike looked at the mirror on his side and notices a black SUV followed close behind.
"Shane?"
"Yeah, I noticed. They've been following us since we left the mall."
"Umbrella?"
"I don't know."
"Can you lose them?"
"Easy."
Shane turns off into a wide ally way, the SUV stops at the entrance and the men inside watch as Shane pulled into a garage.
"We have them now."
They pull into the ally way and into the garage. They look at all the vehicles and couldn't find them at all.
"Report." A deep Russian voice said over the radio.
"We lost them."
As they left and got back on the busy streets, Shane drove out of the garage in a H2. Rike shook his head as the H2 flips the H2 logo back to H3 and the color goes back to the way it was.
"You and gadgets." Rike said in a laughable way.
Shane smiled and shook his head as they went down another street. It still snowed as they pulled off and got out at the tree lot. Jade pulled Rike along as Shane checked his wallet.
"Come on Rike, we need to find a really good tree!"
Rike picks Jade up just before a teenage boy fell in front of them.
"You okay sir?" Asked Jade.
The teen looks up at them and quickly gets to his feet. He brushes the snow off his clothes.
"Sorry."
He then walked off, Rike watched him with a curious look on his face.
"You can put me down you know." Jade said crossing her arms.
"Oops, sorry."
Rike and Jade continued to look around, Shane on the other hand couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. He looked at every bodies face as he walked. He then bumped into someone.
"Watch it kid."
Shane knew that voice.
"Kevin?"
The man looks at Shane and tilts his head.
"Shane? Is that you?"
Shane smiles and nods.
"Long time Kevin. What the hell are you doing up here?"
Kevin rubs his head and chuckles.
"Heh, silly thing you should ask. I'm...uh, on vacation."
"Vacation, up here. You nuts? What about Miami?"
Kevin looks around and sighs.
"Well... it got a little boring down there since Sofia died and all. I've been trying to find you the past twevle years but for some reason I couldn't find you."
Shane puts on a guilty look.
"Ha ah, I can change my looks you know. That's prolly why you couldn't find me."
Kevin punches Shane on the shoulder.
"You ass."
"Dad!"
Kevin and Shane look at Jade, Rike was carrying the tree. Kevin throws a confuse glance at Shane.
"Who this?" Kevin asked pointing at Jade.
"Uncle Kevin you know it's me."
Kevin looks at Jade and smiles.
"I know, just teasing ya. This guy work for ya?"
Rike puts the tree down and sneezes.
"Hey Kevin. The names.."
"Rike, I know. How can I forget the kid that tried to kill Beast?"
"You're friends with Beast too?"
Kevin is confused.
"Friends with Beast? That Tyrant? You nuts? It died twelve years ago."
Shane clears his throat.
"Technically..."
Shane explains everything to Kevin which caused him to scream making everyone in the lot look at him.
"It's still alive?!?!"
"Uncle Kevin, calm down. It's not the end of the world!"
Kevin hyperventilates while Shane is lost in deep thought.
"There's another reason why you're here, isn't there?"
Kevin looks at Shane and sighs again.
"Well, I got word that the government is looking for any survivors of Raccoon to come and add more testament to the incident that Umbrella was involved in."
"Then why are you up here?" Rike asked leaning against the tree, but soon fell over with the tree when it moved on the snow.
"I also got word that Umbrella is looking for you again."
Shane chuckles and Jade giggles.
"They're always looking for me."
"Yes, but they know you're here in New York."
Jade pushes Shane and Kevin.
"Enough boys. It's Christmas, lets go home and get ready. You are also coming with us Uncle Kevin."
Jade then walked over to the tree and drags it back the H3, Rike looks up at Kevin and Shane.
"Let's go. It's getting colder."
They all soon left the lot and headed back to the apartment. Rike and Jade took the stairs as Shane and Kevin took the elevator.
"I hate this!" Rike complained.
"It's best for you health, after all Rike, you're out of shape." Jade teased.
"But why do I have to carry all this!?"
Jade looks down at him and points to herself.
"I'm just a kid and I don't have a lot of strength. You are a grown man and have plenty of muscle so keep moving."
Rike shook his head and complained in Spanish all the way to the room. Soon they had everything laid out and Jade got to work fixing the tree while Shane showed Kevin around.
"Dude, the couch is mine." Rike said plopping down on it.
"Kevin has his own bed Rike." Shane said pulling the backing out of the couch. It folds out into a bed.
Rike mumbles in Spanish again.
"Rike I know what you are saying and it's not nice." Jade said peeking around the decorated Christmas tree.
Hours later they had everything ready, gifts under the tree, dinner ready and Shane was expecting on more guest, Beast. Soon a knock at the door sent Jade running to it, she opens it to see Beast holding a big red cotton bag like Santa uses. She lets him in and Kevin stares at Beast.
"Beast you remember Kevin?" Shane asked.
"Of course. He helped you escape with Rike's help. Kevin, for that I am thankful."
"Phtt. Whatever, let's eat."
After eating and Beast putting Jade to bed, the boys hanged out and chat for thirty minutes to catch up on what they missed and soon enough they all went to bed. Morning came and Jade was yelling her head off.
"Get up!!"
Rike rolled onto his side and soon fell off the couch to the floor.
"Ouch..."
Jade comes running into the room and starts bouncing on the couch, doing flips and spins. Beast soon caught her as Shane came out yawning. Rike rubs his head and sits up.
"I can't see how you can live alone with a kid."
Shane looks at Rike and points to Beast.
"I have help you know."
Beast sets Jade down and she ran to Kevin. He was in a very deep sleep and mumbling something.
"...Man eating plant...ax murder..."
Jade giggles silently and gets close to Kevin's ear. She makes her voice deep.
"Kevin, wake up."
"Mark? ...what now?"
"Get up soldier before I cap your butt!"
Kevin opens his eyes and sees Jade smiling at him.
"You got that officer?" She said in that deep voice.
"Nice try Jade."
Jade shrugs and runs to the tree. She looks at all the presents and then tosses them to everyone.
"Rike, dad, dad, dad, me, me, me, Kevin, huh? Beast you have one, two,...! six gifts under here!"
She tosses all of Beast's gifts to him and she then whistled.
"Open!"
They open their gifts. Clothes, shoes, gloves, coats, health items, books, toys, games, pillows, and weapons.
"I got a knife. That's it?" Rike hangs his head.
Beast taps Rike on the shoulder handing him a big and long gift. Rike takes it and shakes it.
"It's from Santa." Beast said with a grin.
Rike rips off the fancy ribbons and the wrapping paper to behold what he asked for Christmas, that high grade, high class, crossbow with special features. Rike yells in joy and hugs his new crossbow. Another gift hits the floor and Rike looks at it and read the tag.
'To Rike, that's you.'
Rike puts his new crossbow down and opens the box to find arrows for the crossbow and other trinkets for it.
"Yay!"
"Merry Christmas Rike."
Merry Christmas Everyone! Have a blessed day and a good New Year too. Don't drink and drive, be safe this season of joy and happiness. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Please review and don't worry, another character will appear soon, one who suggested him was Shadow or TSS. He's coming so don't worry, heh heh heh. Thanks for reading!