Part 23: Tagged

Ryuki, Ichijyo, Vic, Gar and Tim were at the camp site. The sun had set and the stars twinkled in the sky. The campfire had been lit (by Ryuki with his powers since they forgot to bring matches or lighters) and the 5 of them sat around it. The others chatted amongst themselves while roasting marshmallows. Ryuki was silent as he watched his marshmallow turn golden brown. Ichijyo noticed this and said to his friend, "What's wrong?" he was talking in Japanese

Ryuki was shocked out of his reverie as he made eye contact with Ichijyo. He smiled, "Oh, nothing's wrong, Ichijyo-san," he replied. "Why'd you ask?"

Ichijyo knew he was lying. He then pointed out, "Well, your marshmallow is on fire by the way." Ryuki's eyes widened as he dropped the flaming marshmallow and stomped on it frantically, trying to put out the fire. When the fire had been put out, Ryuki picked another marshmallow out of the bag, stuck it to another stick and began roasting again. "So, what's wrong, really?" Ryuki sighed. "Is it about Mortuary?" He nodded.

"Well, I'm glad we have another Knight on our side, but…" Ryuki trailed.

"But?"

Ryuki continued, "It's just that, I know Mortuary enough to know what he's going to use that power for."

"Judging from the first time we met him, we all know what he's going to use that power for."

"Exactly. What if he starts killing off Orphenochs?"

"And is that a bad thing?"

"It depends. I know some Orphenochs may deserve it, but I know that Mortuary hates Orphenochs enough to not care if they were either good or evil."

"What about you? He seems to accept you."

"I think he only accepts my human side."

"Hey, dudes," Gar said to them. "What are you guys talking about? We can't understand you!"

The two Knights looked at the confused and disguised changeling. Ichijyo smiled, "Nothing Gar, just reminiscing. However, we often get so caught up that we start talking in Japanese."

"Gomen," Ryuki apologized.

"What does that mean?" Gar questioned.

"I'm sorry," Ryuki replied.

"Yeah, what did 'Gomen' mean?" Gar asked again. He thought when Ryuki said 'I'm sorry' he was asking Gar to repeat the question again.

"I'm sorry," Ryuki repeated.

"Yes, what does 'Gomen' mean?" Gar repeated in exasperation.

"I'm sorry," Ryuki said again.

Gar was about to ask again but a hand slapped on his mouth. It was Ichijyo's and he explained, "Gomen is Japanese for 'sorry'." He removed his hand from Gar's mouth.

"Oh…Why didn't you say so?" he asked Ryuki. Ichijyo shook his head in frustration.

Tim checked his watch and looked at the T-Car, more specifically the windows. "Shouldn't Takada and Craig be back by now? How long are they going to train?"

"You know, Tim, I've been wondering that too," Vic added.

"Hold on, I'll go check," Ichijyo said as he stood up and looked into the windows. As a Zodiac Knight, he had the ability to look through the Mirror Portals and see the Mirror Dimension on the other side.

(Mirror Dimension)

"This can't be good!" Mortuary complained to himself as he had run into the forest to avoid from ARMS' shots. The heavy armored mercenary followed after him and aimed at Mortuary with his deadly submachine-gun (or SMG for short) and began shooting at him rapidly. Mort used his newly gained agility to avoid the shots, which hit the trees instead. Mort hid behind the trees and looked over to see what ARMS was doing. A shot went over the Knight of Aries' head. "That was close." He whistled. He reached for his Death-Buster gun that was attached to his belt. "At least I still have my gun. This guy's too dangerous with his gun to fight head on and he's too fast with the trigger for me to charge necroplasm in time." He drew the gun. "Time for an old fashioned gunfight." He cocked his gun and spun into ARMS view.

"EAT LEAD!" ARMS laughed as he fired at Mortuary with his gun. Mortuary hid behind the tree again and shot at ARMS from a distance. ARMS got shot in the leg. He groaned and leapt behind a large boulder to avoid another shot from Mort. He said, "So, you like to play with guns too, huh?" ARMS drew a card from his belt before sliding it into his gun. "Shoot Vent!" Mortuary looked and saw ARMS aiming at him with a large rocket launcher. ARMS fired. The rocket hit the tree and it exploded, sending Mortuary flying. ARMS aimed at the airborne Knight of Aries. "Bye, bye."

Mortuary fired at ARMS with several necrobolts. The bolts hit ARMS in the chestplate and arms, causing him to drop his launcher. Landing back on his feet, he decided to engage in melee combat with the heavy armored mercenary.

Meanwhile, Copycat had called on her Psycho Slasher and attacking Pluto for all it was worth. Pluto used his own Wing Lancer to parry her swings before. Their weapons clashed, sending sparks flying. They were fighting in the river, jumping from rock to rock as the fast current of the water moved beneath their feet. Despite her disdain for water, Copycat did not run. She let out a snarl and slashed at Pluto's chest. Sparks flew from the impact and sent the Dog Knight falling into the shallow part of the river. Copycat then jumped up and dropped back down, holding the tip of her spiked lance down to impale him. Pluto instinctively drew a card and slid it into his sword. "Nasty Vent!" Darkwing flew off Pluto's back and let out his Supersonic Screech. Copycat screamed in pain as the screech caused her to lose focus and she fell into the stream. She got up on one knee, propping herself up with her lance, and glared at Pluto who was standing on the riverbank. His hand was in the water and Copycat knew what was coming next.

"Crud," she groaned before Pluto let his electricity loose in the water, shocking her. She let out a shriek as electricity coursed through her body. He turned off the voltage and took his hand out. Copycat dropped her lance and fell face first into the water, her body smoking and crackling a bit from the electrical strike.

Pluto thought to himself, 'I hope I didn't kill her. Although she did deserve it, but she's still Leo's sister.' He carefully walk towards her prone form, Darkwing flying overhead at a same distance to make sure its Knight was safe. Pluto kicked over Copycat's body so she lay on her back. She wasn't moving. This worried Pluto since he knew that, despite her being evil, Ryuki still cared about her like family. Muttering something, he kneeled down and decided to jump start her heart.

That was a big mistake on his part.

Copycat's clawed hand thrust up and grabbed him by the throat. Darkwing screeched as it flew down to help its Knight, but was knocked down when it was tackled by a black armored monster wearing a metal hockey mask. It was Psycho-Rogue.

"Have a taste of your own medicine!" Copycat snarled before shocking Pluto with electricity. She knew he was immortal and would survive this, but it didn't mean he couldn't feel pain and that she couldn't enjoy inflicting said pain. She squeezed his neck harder, listening as he choked for air to breathe. She smirked under her helmet as she got up and strangled Pluto. She reached down to his belt and removed his Deck before dropping him. His armor dematerialized. Takada looked up, hand on his throat, as he coughed. He glared at Copycat who had his Dog Deck clutched in her claws. Without it, he would surely be trapped in the Mirror Dimension and, immortal or not, would surely vaporize and die without the protective armor.

"Give…it…back…!" he growled at her, but his demand was met with a swift kick to his solar plexus and another one in the gut, forcing him back on his knees as he held his painful midsection. She tilted her head to the side. She may have had some feelings for him, but that was all in the past. Right now, she just wanted to kill him.

"Sayonara, Takada-sempai," she said in mock pleasantness before she prepared to destroy his deck and kill him. But this would not happen as a shot from an unknown source knocked the deck out of her hand. She let out a shout and clutched her wrist. "Who dares?" she snarled. She looked up and to her surprise there was her twin brother sitting in his Knightrider with the canopy up and the DRA-Blaster aimed at her. He was in his black and silver armor and wearing the Excel Suit underneath. Takada used the chance to grab his Dog Deck. He felt a tingling sensation and he knew it wouldn't be long before he vaporized in the Mirror Dimension. He summoned the belt and slid in the deck, transforming once again to Zodiac Knight Pluto.

"You!" Copycat snarled at Draco as he dismounted from his vehicle.

"Takada, are you okay?' he asked his friend, ignoring his sister, which enraged her even more.

"Never better," Pluto replied as he drew his sword. "You're late, by the way."

"Gomen." Draco turned to his sister. "Oneechan, you've gone too far."

"Have I?" she swung out her cat-o-nine tails and the whip knocked Draco's DRA-Blaster out of his hand. "Not yet I haven't." she swung her whip again and allowed the knife tips of her whip to grab the DRA-Blaster before she pulled it back and deposited the weapon into her waiting hand. "Now, we're even." She threw it over her shoulder.

Draco clutched his hand. Those knives on her whip tips were sharp and if he was unarmored he knew that he would have a few less fingers now. Draco looked at Pluto. Despite getting back into his armor, the Dog Knight of Invincibility was still starting to vaporize. The armor bought him some time, but if he stayed here too long…

"Takada, you should get out of here," Draco said to him. Pluto started to protest but, looking down at his fizzling hand, he knew Draco had a point. He sheathed his sword and gave Copycat one last dirty look before walking back towards the nearest Mirror Portal. The reflective surface of the water would do just fine. He then disappeared and reentered the real world.

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about the mongrel," Copycat remarked. She drew a card and slid it into her whip. "Strike Vent!" her Feline Claws equipped themselves to her forearms. "Let's fight!"

"Oneechan, we don't have to do this. Like me you can leave Slade and-" Draco was unable to finish as his sister lunged and swung down her claws. He dodged to the side and a rock was sliced to pieces.

"Stop talking and fight me!" She roared before charging again, swinging and thrusting out her sharp and powerful Feline Claws. Draco dodged the vicious slashes and stabs before somersaulting away. He landed away from her and drew a card before sliding it into his Dragauntlet.

Meanwhile, Mortuary was having troubles of his own. ARMS may have been slow with his heavy armor, but what he lacked in speed he made up for it with endurance. He did knock away ARMS' Giga Launcher, but despite activating both of his Strike Vents (Gazelle Stabber and Horned Greaves), ARMS was overpowering the necroplasmic powered Aries Knight. Mortuary knew that he had a Zodiac Power, but he had no idea how to use it. Mortuary's drills stabbed into ARMS, but ARMS grabbed the spinning drills in his hands and broke them with little effort. Mortuary reached down to draw a card, but was grabbed by the wrist. ARMS gave him a vicious head-butt, followed by another one and another one. Mortuary would probably get a concussion as well as a splitting headache from this. ARMS got out his gun and shot Mortuary in the chest, sending him flying into a tree. It broke in half from the force of the impact. He groaned.

"Time to finish you off," ARMS said as he reached for his deck.

"Damn…" Mortuary groaned as he struggled to get up. He then felt a strange tingling sensation. He looked down at his hand and found that his armor was fizzling. "What the hell?"

"Speaking of Hell," ARMS paused, "That is where you'll be going." He activated the card. "Final Vent!" Gigataurus rose up in front of ARMS. The Knight of Taurus placed the barrel of his gun behind his Zodiac Beast and it revealed its hidden cannons and missiles. Mort saw this and struggled to get up, but began coughing. He was having another necro-sickness attack as he coughed violently. "See you in the…" ARMS pulled the trigger, "….END OF THE WORLD!" Gigataurus fired ALL of its cannons, missiles and lasers at Mortuary. This was it for Mortuary…

Or was it?

Rose and Joey were looking at the RV windows intently, clutching their Zodiac Decks. Cathy used her finger to at least touch Rose's deck. It was a known fact that anyone that had direct physical contact with a Zodiac Deck could see into the Mirror Dimension. Right now, they watched as Copycat fought with Draco.

"Mama…" Cathy said worriedly as she watched her 'mother' fight for her life.

Ever since she could remember, Kat was there for her. There was also Papa Slade, Uncle Grant, Uncle Joey and Aunty Rosie. Cathy did not understand why she had a tail, but her mama had told her that she was special because of it. Her mama had been nothing but good to her. She wanted to be strong like her mama and help her fight the bad people (Titans). She did not want her mama to leave and she did not want Rose to be sad.

"Mama…please be careful."

The two Hasuma twins were fighting each other hand to hand, or should I say claw to claw. Activating his own Strike Vent card, Draco had summoned the Black Lion Claws of Razorclaw the lion. Despite being smaller than Copycat's Feline Claws and only covering his hands and not the entire forearms, they were still as tough as hers.

The twins slashed and stabbed at each other while blocking the other's hits with their claws. Sparks flew as the claws clanged against one another. They snarled and roared at each other, fighting both viciously and expertly. None of them traded words as they fought; they were letting their hands do ALL the 'talking' they needed. A direct, powerful and precise swipe of her claws made contact with her brother's chestplate, sending his flying as sparks flew. He crashed upon a boulder, breaking it into several pieces. He shook his head. Focusing his Power of Capricorn, he threw the boulders at Copycat with geokinesis, but the Cat Knight sliced the boulders and rocks apart with her powerful Feline Claws.

"That the best you can do? She taunted as she lunged at him.

"No," his eyes glowed. "But this is!" A geyser of water sprung out in front of Copycat and formed into a dragon. This was new, even to Copycat.

"How?" she demanded, shocked at her brother's new ability.

"Slade taught me a thing or two about my powers. I can generate ice and manipulate it and as long as I thought of water as melted ice…well, I think you can guess the rest." He sent the water dragon after her and she ran away, not wanting to be eaten by the blasted thing.

"I HATE WATER!" she screeched, running from the water dragon's snapping jaws.

A destructive and powerful explosion erupted due to ARMS' End of the World Final Vent. Trees were destroyed and small embers littered the ground. Smoke was everywhere. The spot where ARMS attacked was now a clear field of nothing more but grayish soil where trees had been. ARMS cockily thought that he had finished Mort for good and turned around to walk away.

"Leaving so soon?" a familiar voice hissed causing ARMS to freeze in his tracks. "I thought you wanted to fight. I guess I was wrong."

ARMS whirled around, "YOU!" he exclaimed. When the smoke started to clear, standing before ARMS was none other than Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra, already with his activated Excel Suit. He held the Cobra Hood Shield in his hand. Mort was standing behind him, completely unharmed. Of course, Mort's armor was still vaporizing.

Shadowcobra turned to address Mortuary, "You better get out of here or you'll die. I'll take care of this trigger-happy-idiot for you." ARMS fumed at the insult.

"But…" Mortuary started.

"I said GO!" Shadowcobra shouted at him. Mortuary knew that Shadow meant business and quickly ran to find the closest exit portal into the real world. Shadowcobra lifted up his shield to block a gunshot from ARMS. He turned to glare at the Knight of Taurus, "It's been a while hasn't it, ARMS?"

"Not long enough!" ARMS went to attack but was suddenly slashed in the chest by a fast moving blur. The blur then slashed Shadowcobra across the chest as well before leaping away. It didn't take a genius for them to realize it was a monster.

"Bothersome monster," Shadowcobra said in annoyance before pushing a button on his SB-Watch. "Clock Up!" The Watch exclaimed, "CLOCK UP!" activating the Clock Up system. "Excuse me," he said to ARMS before vanishing.

It took Copycat several minutes of running before she remembered her ability to copy powers. Now, there were two water dragons wrestling with one another, biting and snapping at one another with their powerful jaws and razor sharp teeth. Both Copycat and Draco controlled the dragons before the beasts smashed into each other. There was a powerful crash and eruption of water. The two water dragons had destroyed one another, causing droplets of water to rain down on the Knight of Dragons and the Knight of Cats.

Copycat snarled and ran at her brother, slashing with her Feline Claws. Draco then fired a freeze beam at her claws before shattering them with a powerful roundhouse kick into a nearby wall of earth. She slowly picked herself up. She felt the tingling sensation and did not need to check if she was vaporizing or not. She already knew the answer to that.

"Oneechan, you better stop. You're running out of time," Draco said to her, but his words fell upon deaf ears as she drew her whip.

"SHUT UP AND FIGHT ME!" she screeched before lashing out with her whip. The knives on the tips gleamed as they rushed towards Draco. The knives slashed at Draco's armor but he caught the whip in his grip. He then activated the Dragblade, the blade popping out of his Dragauntlet, and brought it down on the whip, slicing it in half. Cat pulled back a ruined whip as the half with the knife tips fell by Draco's feet. Despite slowly vaporizing, she was too stubborn to give up. Dropping her now useless weapon, she rushed at Draco with her fingers bent and claws out. In her rage, she did not notice that Draco had pulled the DRA-Blaster into his hand telekinetically. However, before he could do a thing, her claws imbedded themselves into his chestplate. He grunted. She was beginning to vaporize faster and if he didn't do anything to get her out of the Mirror Dimension soon…

"Gomen, Oneechan," he said to her before shooting her with a stun ray from the DRA-Blaster, knocking her out. Her body became rigid and then went limp before she fell into his arms. There were slash marks on his armor. Shaking his head, he took her to the closest exit portal before she ceased to exist.

To Be Continued…

Next chapter: Mortuary is going to find out a little more about being a Zodiac Knight and the Mirror Dimension. Also, Tartarus is planning on ambushing the Titans. Will the Titans survive the night? Stay tuned for the next chapter. Part 24: Ambush!