Originally, this was at the end of The Crying Clown. But I thought the chapter was getting too long, and separated it, allowing me to expand on it.

Chapter 11

Inner Strength

Jason stepped back as one of the heads snapped at him. He quickly slashed at it, taking out a few scales.

The head retaliated by going around, trying to get him from behind. Jason turned, pulling out his card. "Agi!"

Sigurd appeared, and the fire flashed, driving the head away from him.

"Jason, behind you!" Jennifer yelled, and Jason whirled to find Kevin standing there, an arrow pointed at his heart.

"It would be so easy to do it, you know," Kevin said, his voice low. "Just one little twitch of my fingers, and you would die."

"Would you really, Kevin? Could you do it?"

Kevin's red eyes narrowed. "Are you willing to take the chance?"

Jason never got to answer, because at that moment Romulus got a solid hit to Hydra's middle head, making Kevin stumble. Jason used the moment to push past him, and tackled David as another head went for him.

"Get off me," David said as he pushed Jason off of him.

Jason got up to see Kevin back on his feet, Hydra poised next to him.

"You should have taken him out when you had the chance."

Jason shook his head. "And let you get hurt? I'd never willingly do that."

David just shook his head in frustration. "That idea's going to get you killed. In the end, it's every man for himself." David whirled his daggers and charged again.

Jason went after him, diving into the flurry of heads. As he dodged and slashed, Jason felt something graze his side.

Looking down, Jason saw a gash through his shirt, and a fang with blood on it. "Damn, it got me," he said, and began to feel weak.

Another head came in front of him, and Jason barely got his sword up. I'm so tired, can't block.

Jennifer watched as Jason went to help David, and nearly jumped in as she saw him get grazed by one of the heads.

She felt Sam's hand on her arm. "You can't, Jennifer. Jason asked you to stay back. For our safety."

Jennifer almost agreed, until she saw Jason being affected by something, and the incoming head. "I can't!"

Tearing her arm from Sam, Jennifer dove in front of Jason, blocking with Nothung.

"But Jennifer, you can't..." Jason tried to say. He sounded exhausted.

A quick slash sent away the head, and Jennifer pulled out her card. "I hope this works. Brunhilda, Nervundi."

Brunhilda appeared, and a light enveloped Jason. He instantly looked more alert. "Thanks, now..."

Jason was interrupted as the same head came back for them. "Move!" he shouted, and pushed her.

The head missed, but twisted and slammed her with its serpentine neck, sending her into a wall.

The sight of Jennifer's crumpled body made Jason instantly see red. He heard the roar in his mind, and looked to see the red card in his hand.

"Why do you hesitate, Jason? Call for me."

Jason heard the voice in his mind, and part of him wanted to do it.

'Your beast persona is triggered by seeing Jennifer hurt. You're afraid of losing her, and in your mind, someone hurting her is taking her from you.' Sam had explained this to him after his fight with Wesley in the office. That was his emotional trigger for his beast persona.

"Do it, Jason! Crush the card, and show that fool that no one will take her!"

No, Jason said in his mind. I won't hurt Kevin. He's my best friend.

"He's a foolish joker, never taking anything seriously. And he makes you look like a fool when he's with you."

'You can either laugh or cry and crying takes too much energy.' That was Kevin's motto, his belief in life.

Kevin's been through more than I ever have. His humor is his armor. He chooses to view his life with a smile, and I will not hurt him!

With a roar of effort, Jason threw the red card away, and collapsed to his knees.

He was immediately surrounded by three serpentine heads, poised to strike. Unable to move, Jason just watched as they all struck.

There as a slash, and two of the heads screeched, while a third struck. David rolled away, holding his side. "You really are a dumbass, Jason," he said through clenched teeth.

Jason struggled to his feet, and found Kevin in front of him, pointing an arrow again. "Back to where we started. Do you still think I won't do it?"

Jason's gaze never wavered. "Yes. The Kevin I know would never do it. Not the Kevin who can look at his life and smile at all of it. Not the Kevin who worships his mother and all she's done for him." He stumbled foreword, and put a hand on the bow, pushing it down. "And not the Kevin who made a stick-in-the-mud like me laugh."

The red seemed to fade from Kevin's eyes, and a shadow of his usual smirk appeared on his face. "It took you long enough to do that, too."

Hydra slowly disappeared, and Kevin fell into Jason's arms. "When did you get so heavy?"

Kevin chuckled weakly. "You should work out more."

Jennifer went over to David, who was writhing on the ground. She could see the hole in his jacket where the fangs had gone in.

"You've been poisoned, David. I have to see the wound so I can heal it," she said, trying to pull his shirt and jacket off.

David pushed her away as he struggled on the floor. "Leave me alone."

"Please, David. I just want to help." She tried again, but he pushed her away again.

"Problem?"

Jennifer looked behind her to see Jason supporting Kevin over his shoulder, Sam behind them. "He won't let me see the wound."

Jason handed Kevin to Sam, and knelt down next to David. "Sorry, David. But we have to get you healed."

He grabbed David's arms, and Jennifer pulled up his jacket and shirt, revealing the wound. But all around it were several other bruises. "Those can't be from the fight. They're older than that."

With a deep roar, David pulled his arms from Jason and shoved Jennifer away. "Why can't you leave me alone!" he roared, the red appearing in his eyes.

"Oh," Kevin said, his voice weak, "this is not good."

David got slowly to his feet, a dagger in his left hand, a red card in his right. "I just wanted to be left alone. I didn't want anyone to see."

David brought the dagger to his card. "You just couldn't leave it alone. And when you're gone, I'll be as alone as always."

"Fenrir!" David called, slashing his card. The scream sounded, and the red mist swirled into an enormous silver wolf, its jaws wide. "Devour them."

Jason tried to fight, but Gram felt so heavy. He saw Kevin try to draw an arrow, but the string wouldn't bend.

David looked to Jennifer, the only one of them that could fight. "You first."

"No!" Jason screamed, trying to rise. He had to get to her.

Something white and red flew through the air, slicing the air in front of David and Fenrir.

It stuck in the ground, and Jason saw it was a playing card, though the edges gleamed razor sharp.

There was the swishing of a cloak, and the stranger that he'd been told about was in front of them. He looked at them, his face hidden by his hood. "I wasn't too late," he whispered, so quiet Jason wasn't sure he'd heard him.

He looked at David and Fenrir, and pulled a blue card out of his cloak. He has a persona!

"Loki," he said, throwing his card to the ground. From the ground emerged a tall, thin man with short dark hair and a pointed beard.

The persona raised his hands, and a wheel appeared in them, and started spinning. It stopped, landing on a green image. "Garula," the man said, and the green wind blew from Loki, shoving David back.

David snarled, and Fenrir charged foreword. Loki reappeared, and the wheel spun again, landing on white. "Megido."

A bust of light shot from Loki, and impacted David directly, knocking him back and out, Fenrir disappearing.

"Why...did you help us?" Jason asked.

The man turned slightly. "Because you are not yet ready. And I need you alive."

"What do you mean, and who are you?" Sam asked, going over to Jennifer.

The man turned away. "My name is Vega. As for why I need you, that is a game, we have yet to play."

He walked away, leaving the all in silence.

Intrigued? Well, you'll have to wait to find out what Vega means by "game"

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