Part 45: Challenging Fate
"And now that I have my prize," Ryuga said with sinister glee, "I'll be going back to the future. Once I get there I'll bring my past self here, so that he'll turn into ME!" Ryuga slashed a portal through time and space and was ready to jump in when a black and red blur burst out of it, slamming him in the face and grabbing the unconscious form of Jinx away from him. Ryuga held his face and snarled before turning his attention towards what had hit him. His jaw dropped, and he was not the only one who was shocked. The Titans and Copycat's collective jaws were agape, with the exception of Shadowcobra, who was smugly smirking victoriously.
"Oi, Jisan!" Ryuki laughed, "Get ready for a blast from your past, because I'm back!"
Ryuga snarled. "HOW?" he demanded.
Jinx began to stir and looked up to see a pair of gentle green eyes boring down on her. They weren't the eyes of a disguised Ryuga, these were the eyes of her one true love. "Ryu…ki…?" she said softly.
"Hai, Jinxy-chan," Ryuki nodded, smiling. "Tadaima (I'm home)." He set her down gently. "I need to take care of something first, kay?" Jinx nodded. "Don't worry, I promise you, I won't ever turn into him." He added firmly, "I swear."
Ryuga got back up. "Now then, you're back." He smirked. "How did you do it?"
Ryuki glared. "I had some help."
"Well, no one will help you now!" Ryuga roared as he lunged at Ryuki. The two of them began fighting, their high speeds causing a dust cloud to form around them. The Titans watched as only parts of their bodies were barely visible amongst the dust, yelling, and snarling at one another in combat.
"Alright! Alright!" Copycat shouted. "Break it up!" The two of them did, oddly enough, and now sitting in front of the Titans were two identical Ryukis. "Okay…which is which again, here?" Copycat began scratching her head, thoroughly confused.
"He's Ryuga! I'm the real Ryuki!" one Ryuki shouted out.
"No, he's lying! I'm Ryuki!" the second Ryuki shouted.
Robin turned to Raven and Shadowcobra but the two psychics could only shrug.
"Robin, Orphenochs have natural and strong mental shields. On top of that, they're also immune to psychic powers. Even I can't tell them apart," Shadowcobra explained.
"What he said," Raven added.
"There's only one way to find out who's the real McCoy!" Pluto marched over proudly. "Only the real one would now the answer to this question: Ryuki, when is my birthday?"
The two Ryukis looked at each other and then looked back at Pluto before shaking their heads and shrugging. Neither of them knew. Pluto looked really disappointed right now.
"Geez, Ryuki, I thought we were really good friends," Pluto said sadly. Blackfire went to comfort him.
"Baka!" Copycat snapped. "If one is from the future then they're the same guy so neither of them knows anyway and even if we ask them anything they'll know, or not know, the same exact thing. That's not the right way to see who's who!" Copycat said to him.
"Any better ideas?" Cyborg asked.
"Just one," Copycat then suddenly punched one of the Ryukis in the face.
"Oneechan!" the Ryuki she punched exclaimed, holding his bruising cheek.
"He's Ryuga," Copycat pointed to the one she didn't punch. The Ryuki she was pointing at then narrowed his eyes, and they glowed a telltale red.
"How…?"
"You'd be on me just as soon as I punched you."
Ryuga smirked and chuckled, "Smart move. I knew there was something I liked about you before I tore your head off!" the Orphenoch exclaimed before he lunged at his prey. He was stopped in his tracks, however, when Ryuki stood in front of him and used his fists to halt Ryuga's advance, planting one in his stomach and another one in his face. Ryuga staggered back. "You!"
"Don't you dare hurt my oneechan!" Ryuki shouted at his future evil counterpart.
"Well, how about this then?" Ryuga took out the Dragon Zodiac Deck and slid it into the belt. "EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON!" The Dragon armor encased him, but it wasn't the normal color. This time it was all black. The red eyes glowed menacingly under the grilled visor. "Now then, this will be quite fun."
"Oh really?" Ryuki challenged as he brought up his DRA-Phone that was shaped like the grip of a gun. There was a fast buzzing sound as something flew towards Ryuki. It was a red Inzecter that was modeled after a dragonfly. The Dragonfly Inzecter lowered itself onto the grip and Ryuki said, "Henshin!"
"HENSHIN!" the Inzecter echoed. The armor began to cover him, spreading outward from the hand holding the Inzecter and soon covering his whole body. The process took little to no time, and Draco was soon ready to charge into battle. The overall color of his armor was red. His chest-plate was in two layers of red with a green line dividing the two segments. Metal segmented bands ran down his arms into his gauntlets. His helmet was overall red, with large red flaps that had black horizontal lines for eyes. An air tube ran from his mouth, over his shoulder and into a pack on his back. The armor was worn over a black bodysuit with red plating on the legs and red armored boots. Around his waist was a metal belt with Smart Brain's emblem as the buckle. The Inzecter was his gun.
"Let me handle this," Ryuki told his friends. "This is my fight!" Ryuga took this speech as an opportunity to start his attack and ran at Ryuki before throwing a vicious punch to his slightly distracted enemy's face. Ryuki stumbled back and then brought up his gun to shoot Ryuga in the chest. Ryuga was forced back by shots as sparks flew off his armor. Ryuki pressed his advantage and charged at the Orphenoch, performing a crushing roundhouse to his head. Ryuga caught the leg in midair, but Ryuki countered by leaping up with his free leg and kicking Ryuga in the chest from an unexpected direction, forcing the Orphenoch to let go of his leg. Ryuki then began to shoot at Ryuga repeatedly, trying desperately to get his enemy to at least stagger, if not outright fall.
The Titans watched the battle, not daring to interfere. It was true, this was Ryuki's fight after all, and he was fighting his evil future for all the marbles.
Ryuga shot freeze rays at Ryuki in retaliation, but the real Dragon Knight leapt and dodged the assault before firing again at Ryuga. Concentrating, he continued his attack and brought up two boulders before dropping them onto Ryuga. Ryuga pushed them back but then the sole of a boot met his faceplate, sending him reeling. Ryuki ran over to him to press his opening yet again, but when he got just close enough Ryuga did a sweep kick that sent him falling. The Orphenoch followed this blow up by getting on top of his past self and punching him repeatedly in the face. Pausing in his onslaught, if only briefly, Ryuga grabbed Draco by the throat and stared him straight in the eye, his gaze cold as death itself. "You're weak!" He taunted. "What ever made you think you could beat me?" Ryuki's only response was to pull at a switch located at the end of his Inzecter's tail.
"C-cast off!" Ryuki commanded as the armor began to expand outwards and loosen as electricity traveled all over his body. Steam escaped from the joints and gaps.
"Oh no," Ryuga muttered.
"CAST OFF!" the Inzecter roared right as the armor exploded and threw Ryuga off of Ryuki. The Dragon Knight was left kneeling and massaging his neck, gasping for breath.
"CHANGE DRAGONFLY!"
Ryuki's new Speed Mode, after Casting Off from his Strong Mode, was red with armor running up his arms. His silver chestplate was styled after the wings of a dragonfly, while the left red shoulder guard was styled after its head. Ryuki's helmet had two large green eyepieces that looked like the wings of a dragonfly. The helmet had a silver streak of metal running down between the eyes, which acted as a mouthpiece.
Ryuga looked up and his eyes narrowed. He drew a card and slid it into his Black Dragauntlet. "Add Vent!" He summoned forth the red dragon, Dragonzer, and commanded it: "GET HIM!" Dragonzer roared and flew straight at Ryuki. Ryuki didn't even budge, standing stock-still as the red dragon came flying at him. Ryuga thought his victory was close at hand.
Suddenly, Dragonzer stopped its charge and began to inspect Ryuki like a curious pet. It looked at Ryuki with its eyes, and then growled. Ryuki brought up a hand and rubbed Dragonzer's nose, to which the dragon responded with something that sounded like a purr. Or, at least, as close as dragons could get to purring, anyway. Ryuga gaped at this.
"WHAT?" Ryuga yelled out, not believing what he was seeing.
"Gomenasai, Ryuga, but it seems that Dragonzer knows who its true master is," Ryuki taunted.
"I'LL SHOW YOU!" Ryuga dashed forward, but was then met with the jaws of Dragonzer, who roared out at him and fired a large fireball at its master's pathetic imposter. Ryuga ducked just in time and drew a card. He slid it into his gauntlet without looking.
The black dragon known only as Dragblacker roared as it was summoned into the physical realm, and then it quickly proceeded to do battle with its red counterpart. Unlike Dragonzer, Dragblacker was a dragon of darkness and ice and once belonged to the evil Black Zodiac Knight King. As the dragons bit, clawed and grappled with one another, Ryuki and Ryuga continued their fight. They punched and kicked at each other. Ryuga got Ryuki in the stomach and he doubled over before Ryuga clasped his fists and brought them down on Ryuki's back. The Orphenoch wasn't about to stop at that cruel blow, though, and he lifted up his leg and stomped hard down on Ryuki's back, forcing the Dragon Knight facedown on the ground. He then flipped Ryuki over and kept his foot on his chest, pinning him down. In addition, Ryuga knocked away Ryuki's weapon, which caused the Inzecter to fly away, leaving the true Dragon Knight helpless as his armor disappeared as well.
The Titans were ready to help but Shadowcobra resolutely blocked their path. "This is his fight, not ours. We cannot dishonor him by interfering." There were a lot of objections of course but they were silenced by Shadowcobra's cold gaze.
"What are you going to do now, kill me?" Ryuki asked. "What happens to you then?"
Ryuga then lowered himself down to meet Ryuki's glare. The Orphenoch spat out condescendingly, "You don't get it, do you? I'm still here, I still exist, which means sooner or later you will turn into me. Present, past, future, it's all written in stone. Just like the future is inevitable, I'm inevitable. What makes you think you can change a damn thing?"
"Because I made a promise," Ryuki responded calmly.
Ryuga then threw his head back and laughed. "You promised? You are such a naïve child! You promised? Don't be ridiculous! Words count for less than nothing. Actions are everything!"
Ryuki answered the only way he could. He reached up with his hands and fired an immensely powerful fireball that caught Ryuga completely by surprise, even going as far as to dislodge the deck from his belt. Ryuga was sent flying by the force of the explosion and into the rubble and remains of the lab. Ryuki stood back up and grabbed his deck before walking over to his friends.
It was all over.
Or was it?
There was a loud and ferocious roar and Ryuga came flying down in his Orphenoch form, not looking entirely pleased. Ryuki rolled out of the way of the attack and snarled, morphing into his own Orphenoch form as well. It was at that time that the Titans realized that he was not wearing his inhibitor. Draco looked over his shoulder at his friends and said, firmly and determined, "I'll never turn into that monster, count on it."
Ryuga landed and his wings disappeared. He began to growl as a blue glow enveloped him. His body began to change as well. His organic armor had been replaced by classic samurai armor made of midnight-black carbon steel with bone veins running through it and two gruesome fangs embossed onto the center of the armor. The shoulder plates of the armor each had a huge spike curving out of the top of it, long enough to impale a body on if the wearer of the armor wished it. His legs were clad in greaves that were a reverse of his chest armor, bone with veins of carbon steel running through them. It was his actual physical appearance, though, that had undergone the most drastic of changes. His feet were now lion's paws with hooked, black claws as long as a grown man's fingers. His hands had changed to become lion's paws, with claws of a similarly frightening magnitude. His face, though, was truly terrifying. It was a humanoid face, but with the features of a lion as well; he had a mane that flowed down past his shoulders and pure blood-red orbs for eyes without any discernible irises or pupils. His canines were longer than a normal human's or vampire's, suitable for rending the flesh off of unfortunate prey in huge chunks. To complete the image of fearsome war machine, two ram horns grew from Ryuga's forehead, curving slightly at the top and pointy enough to gorge someone on.
This was Ryuga's Demon Orphenoch form, a befitting title and a form fit for the Orphenoch King. He let out a roar and charged. Ryuki charged at him as well and the two Ifrit Orphenochs battled with great ferocity and brutality. They clawed, bit and slashed at each other, spilling sickening amounts of blood and making grievous wounds on one another. Ryuki's teeth dug into Ryuga's shoulders while Ryuga's claws were digging deeply into Ryuki's back. Both Orphenochs struggled against one another, neither one giving up until the other wound up either down for the count or just plain dead. Ryuki then fired an energy blast at point blank range as Ryuga did the same. They sent each other flying and reverted back to their human forms, Ryuga now looking as he did when the Titans first encountered him.
Ryuga spat out some blood. He had some deep gashes, wounds and various other injuries. Despite his wounds, though, his pride was intact and he glared arrogantly at his 'weaker' younger self. The Orphenoch King got back to his feet and advanced on him. Suddenly, he was stopped in his tracks as the Scarab, Dragonfly and Fire Inzecter flew around him and began to attack him in a random pattern. They scratched at him and he attempted to swat them away, but they kept coming at him all the same. The Cutter Inzecter crawled on the ground and bit him in the leg. He let out a yelp and tried to throw the Inzecter off while jumping on one leg. The Titans and Copycat laughed at his expense.
Ryuki began to recover. He had only one chance at winning. The Knight performed a few hand seals and his body began to glow. The Titans' and Copycat's attention turned towards him at this unexpected outburst of power.
By this point, Ryuga had successfully swatted the Inzecters away. "Miserable pests!" he growled. He continued on his way towards Ryuki, reassuming his Demon Orphenoch form and intent on wreaking death and destruction, but was stopped in his tracks yet again. He just couldn't believe his eyes.
Standing side by side were Ryuki, Ifrit and Yaminekoryu. This just had to be a trick!
"What is going on here?" Ryuga demanded.
"Your funeral," the black haired Ifrit said to him with an arrogant grin. "Say sayonara, sucker!"
"That's right! You will never beat my aibou as long as you have us to deal with!" Yaminekoryu announced as the hybrid demon rubbed his whiskers.
"Your end is near, Ryuga! Prepare yourself!" Ryuki said. Suddenly, a blue portal appeared. Everyone's attention turned to Pluto, who could only shrug.
"It wasn't me," he said.
Ifrit, Yaminekoryu and Ryuki watched as a new silver and blue armored warrior entered the battle through a swirling blue portal. They didn't know who he was, but for some reason he seemed strangely familiar to them. The mysterious person's green eyes flashed ever so slightly before he turned to look at them.
"Who are…?" Ryuki began to ask but the new armored warrior stopped him.
"Libra-sama sent me," was all he said. "Alright, let's kick some demon butt!" He drew a card from his sword and slashed it through his sword. "GEMINI!" A clone of the warrior was created out of thin air.
"Alright, let's fight!" the clone shouted out as he charged. "I'll distract him!" the silver and blue armored warrior offered. "Henshin now!" Ifrit gripped the Black Dragon Deck, Draco gripped his Red Dragon Deck and Yaminekoryu was holding the DRA-Phone with the Dragonfly Inzecter attached.
"EMPOWERMENT OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON!"
"EMPOWERMENT OF THE DARK ZODIAC DRAGON!"
"HENSHIN!"
Zodiac Knight Draco was back, much to the Titans' happiness.
Ifrit and Draco were now clad in their respective black and red dragon armors. Yaminekoryu was now wearing the Dragonfly Inzecter suit. He pulled at the switch and at the announcement of "CAST OFF", he was in Speed Mode.
Draco drew and slid in the Evolution card into his Dragauntlet, "EVOLUTION!" his cards flew around him and slammed into his armor to form new armor and completing the transformation to Emperor Mode.
Ryuga knocked the two warriors back and the clone disappeared. The original did a flip and landed back on his feet. He drew two cards from the blue dragonhead device on his left forearm and slid the first one in, "ABSORB QUEEN!" before he slashed through the second one, "EVOLUTION KING!" Like Draco, his cards flew out of his sword and then merged with him to form a nearly identical suit of armor like his Emperor Form. His armor was gold, sapphire and bronze with depictions of creatures on parts of his armor and a fearsome dragon rested in the large sapphire gem on his chestplate. His eyes turned red as two more horns extended from the side to the back of his helmet. A golden broadsword with a blue hilt appeared. It had his golden symbol of spades emblazoned on it.
Ifrit started his attack by activating his Final Vent. "Final Vent! DRAGON FREEZING KICK!" Dragblacker launched him with a blast of frost and Ifrit smashed into Ryuga with a freezing flying kick. He then began attacking the Orphenoch with incredible ferocity while Yaminekoryu hung back and shot at the evil Ryuga.
Yaminekoryu grabbed the wings of his Inzecter and pushed them together before pulling them down to form a scope. He locked onto Ryuga and pulled the switch again. A red ball of energy began to form at the barrel of the gun and Yaminekoryu let it collect a bit before he pulled the trigger. "DRAGONFLY CANNON!" the Inzecter announced and the ball of energy flew straight at Ryuga while Ifrit slyly moved out of the way. The ball exploded and sent Ryuga flying before landing roughly on the ground.
The new dragon warrior summoned five cards into his hand and slid them into his giant broadsword. "SPADE 10, JACK, QUEEN, KING, ACE!" the sword announced, "ROYAL STRAIGHT FLUSH!" Projections of all five of his cards aligned themselves in front of him, and the warrior rushed forward. His sword was charged by the cards' energy, and when he reached Ryuga he jumped up and slashed down with his now-energized blade. Ryuga, who had just gotten back to his feet, was sent flying, yet again, by the force of the attack.
Draco took this chance to call forth his Zodiac Beasts, "BEASTS OF THE ZODIAC DRAGON, TO ME!"
All of Draco's Zodiac Beasts (Dragonzer, Dragblacker, Wildcat, Razorclaw, Brainstorm, Hardhead and Overbite) appeared, summoned forth by their master's will. Ryuga watched this in shock.
"Im…Impossible…" The evil Orphenoch King from the future rasped out.
"Nothing is impossible as long as the will, heart and spirit are strong, Ryuga," Draco remarked calmly as his Zodiac Beasts all glowed with a magnificent golden flash. "That's something you forgot a long time ago, sadly, and something I intend to remember forever." They transmuted into energy of their corresponding colors and whirled into one another before fusing together. There was a bright explosion of light that forced Ryuga and the observing Titans to cover their eyes. What came forth from the flash was a magnificent golden dragon known as…
"IMPERIAL DRAGONRIZER!" Draco announced. The dragon was a powerful looking European Dragon with powerful sail-like wings and covered in golden scales. It had a set of impressive looking horns and rows of powerful razor sharp teeth. Its eyes were the brightest of sapphires. It remained airborne a good foot off the ground as it hovered next to its master. After a tense and silent moment it let loose a powerful roar that shook the area to its core.
Ryuga decided to end this and charged foolhardily. The combat was over before it had even begun.
"SUPREME FINAL VENT!" Draco called out before jumping up and landing on Imperial Dragonrizer. The golden dragon roared and flew straight towards Ryuga. The magnificent beast, like Dragonrizer, went through a series of transformations before assuming the form of a powerful looking motorcycle with Draco riding on its back.
"EMPEROR DRAGON ANNIHILATION!" Draco shouted, before he revved up the engine and picked up some serious speed. The Golden Dragon Bike accelerated and went straight towards Ryuga. Ryuga, still weakened from Draco's previous assaults, was unable to withstand this attack. Draco actually smashed right through him and his body erupted into blue flames before exploding into a mass of ashes. Draco pulled over and looked back at what he had done. With a sigh he finally said, "It's over." Ifrit and Yaminekoryu were reabsorbed into his body and the warrior that had helped them vanished, his purpose now fulfilled.
The Titans' and Copycat's mouths were agape. How could Draco had gained so much power, and in such a short time as well? Draco dismounted from his vehicle and allowed his armor to shatter off his body like glass. He smiled at them. Since his braid had been ripped off he now sported a shorter hairstyle, but Jinx didn't care as she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She sobbed into his shirt and mumbled, "You're…back…" Tears streamed from her eyes as she felt Ryuki's hand on the back of her head, stroking her pink hair. He rested his head on her shoulder and whispered something into her ear that was barely audible:
"Aishiteru..."
It was in Japanese but Jinx knew what it meant. She replied, trying to hold back tears of joy but failing, "I love you too..." Nothing could ruin this moment, nothing...
"Gomenasai…Jinxy-chan," he apologized, much to her surprise, before his own body erupted into blue flames, much to her horror. The others were horrified as well and they rushed over, not knowing to either feel sad, shocked, or both. "Sayo…nara…"
"RYUKI!" Jinx screamed, stricken and overcome with grief as Ryuki's skin began to slowly turn ashen gray. As soon as it had begun, it was over. Whatever the Titans could or would have done would have been too little too late as the Dragon Knight's limp form disintegrated into ashes. Copycat was silenced by the sight. She didn't know what to say.
"He used…too much power…" Shadowcobra surmised, trying to fight the tears forming. Jinx dropped to her knees and looked at her hands, which were holding his ashes. The ashes fell through the gaps between her fingers. The others were also grieving intensely, mourning their dear friend's valiant sacrifice.
"He's gone…" Mortuary said.
"I can't believe it," Beast Boy said, shocked.
"Our friend…he has…" Starfire began to cry and hugged Robin for support. He tried to comfort her, but it was no use as he began to cry as well.
Pluto held his head low, eyes shut. Yet another person he cared for was gone. Blackfire took hold of his hand and rested her head on his shoulder, trying to hide her tears.
Terra kneeled down, lost. She had attempted to comfort Jinx but, there was nothing she could do for her friend, not right now at least. Renia was about to attempt a human transmutation but Shadowcobra held her hand back and shook his head sternly. There was nothing she could do, but she just couldn't bring herself to believe it as her blue eyes welled up with tears. First her parents, and now one of her friends? How many people would she let die? How many people couldn't she save?
Jinx was the most deeply affected, feeling oblivious to absolutely everything. She looked down at the Promise Ring on her finger and spoke, in incredible pain, "You lied…you promised you'd always be there for me…Ryuki…" She couldn't take it anymore as she fell to her knees before his ashes and cried out her pain.
Copycat gritted her teeth and gripped her fists. How could he die before she'd proven her superiority? It just wasn't fair! She let out a loud scream as well.
Suddenly, everything slowed down and froze, as if someone had pushed the pause button on a VCR. Libra walked over to the scene and shook his head. He knew he wasn't supposed to do this because of the rules, but in his mind he thought, 'Screw the rules.' He drew a card and slid it into his staff to activate its properties.
"Time Vent!"
Ryuki suddenly jolted awake. He yawned and looked at his alarm clock. " 3 am…?" He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Still too early." He wanted to go back to sleep, but he needed to get a glass of water. He got out of bed and walked towards his door, walking past a mirror. The Knight did a double-take and backpedaled to look into the mirror. Much to his surprise, the face staring at him was none other than Libra's.
"Ohayo!" Libra greeted.
"Libra, what are you doing here?" Ryuki took a defensive stance.
"Just wanted to know if you've been having some rather… interesting dreams."
"Interesting dreams? What do you…chotto matte (wait a moment)!" He looked at Libra seriously, "That wasn't a dream, was it? And it wasn't a vision either. That all really happened." Libra nodded. "That means that I…"
"Died? Pretty much," Libra confirmed.
"Then…you decided to turn back time," Ryuki stated.
"You got it."
"Why?" Ryuki questioned.
"Why not?" was the response Libra gave him before explaining, "Let's just say it was for rather… personal reasons that I decided to help you."
Ryuki said, thanking him and feeling grateful, "Arigatou." He then asked, "Who was that warrior you sent to help us?"
Libra chuckled and said, "Let's just say that you and he have a whole lot in common."
Ryuki then asked, "Is that my destiny?" He was referring to Ryuga.
"It depends." Libra shrugged. "Destiny is like a road with many routes, some converging, others diverging. After that experience, what is it you have learned?"
There had been a lesson in it, and Ryuki answered, "Sometimes, inevitability isn't the only route there is. We can actually fight our own destinies and forge our own paths."
"Exactly," Libra nodded. "Ryuga was an example of what would happen if you walked down the wrong path."
"So this whole thing was just a test?" Ryuki asked, his anger rising.
"More or less. Actually, it was a more of quest, an experience to allow you to search within yourself and learn. Originally, the Observants wanted me to destroy you, but it was also stated that this was to make sure that dark future would never happen. Seeing you now, I know for a fact that the future has been changed."
"What makes you so sure?" Ryuki looked worried.
Libra rolled his eyes. "Didn't you learn anything? Anyway, I wish you luck in the future and to take care of yourself and your lover, alright? You may not be with her forever, so cherish what time you have with her." Libra then gave a salute and vanished.
"Oi, chotto matte!" Ryuki shouted at the mirror but saw his reflection staring back at him. He then sighed. "Arigatou…Libra-sama.
'You're welcome, my son.'
When an alarm clock in the shape of a dragon's egg began ringing loudly, the current occupant of the bed, who was huddled under the covers, reached out to try to shut it off. He felt around for it a bit and found it. He didn't have the patience to turn it off, though, so he chose to create a mallet made of solid ice and SLAM it down on the alarm clock, repeatedly, smashing it to pieces. He banished the mallet and threw off his blanket before making his way to the bathroom to take a shower. After he took a shower he went to the sink and brushed his teeth. It was then that he took a good look at himself.
He stared at the mirror that was over the sink. "I have to change now," he told himself, "My image, everything." His tone was determined. In his hand was a pair of scissors. He reached behind his neck for where the braid began and with the scissors snipped it completely off. He watched as the braid fell to the cold wet floor of the bathroom, followed by several small and loose strands. He looked in the mirror: his hair now short, messy and spiky, like a combination of Robin and Beast Boy's styles. His mother would surely be shocked at him for doing something as drastic as cutting his hair, but this was something he had to do. Draco took a comb and some hair gel and began styling his bangs, turning them into a sharp lightning bolt shape. He then opened the medicine cabinet and took out some black hair dye. He eyed the item with scrutiny, but he had resolved to change his look, after all. He uncapped it and squeezed some of it into his hand before applying it to his hair.
Next was his wardrobe. A one piece black jumpsuit would surely not do, so he looked through his closet for something more… appropriate for his new look. He found a black leather sleeveless muscle shirt with a red stripe running down the centre and a pair of red straps and buckles running across it. He put it on and the buckles clicked together as he tightened the straps. He also put on a pair of black pants with kneepads, but not with the usual boots. He took out an old black jacket with red shoulder pads and elbow pads similar to his Smart Brain uniform but with a red dragon emblazoned on the back. He pulled it on along with a pair of red matching wrist length gloves that had hand and wrist guards. There were also leather straps around the wrist area. He looked for proper footwear and found it, a pair of red leather boots that could be worn hidden under the pants. There were straps around the ankles and the boots themselves appeared a little more sleeker then his usual pair.
He looked himself in the mirror and realized something was missing. He went over to his drawers and looked inside for the proper accessory and found a black studded choker. He strapped it on around his neck. He reached inside again and found a red mask. It was made to cover the upper half of his face and had two sharp point on the two lower corners made to look like fangs. It also covered the bridge of his nose. He put the mask on. Finally, the piece la resistance; the goggles. He strapped them to his head. He tapped them with his finger and then looked in the mirror again.
The first step to changing his destiny was to change himself, and he had just done that (at least in appearance). A new Draco was in town.
Everyone, except Draco, of course, was in the living room just hanging out. When the doors slid open and Draco walked in, everyone froze.
This was not the Draco they knew.
He wore a primarily black uniform now, made up of a strapped muscle shirt, an open black jacket with red pads on the shoulders and elbows and matching black pants with pads on the knees too. He wore a belt with his SB buckle on and there was a holster for his DRA-Blaster. On his hands was a pair of red gloves that reached his wrists. The gloves had wrist and hand-guards. He also wore a pair of red boots. Most of the boots were hidden under his pants' legs, showing off only the parts covering his feet. What was most shocking was his hair. It was now nearly completely jet black, with red lightning bolt streaks. His bangs had been styled to look like lightning bolts but still red. He also wore a red mask and on his head were his signature goggles. He no longer wore his scarf around his neck but instead a black studded choker/collar. His green eyes looked at the faces of his shocked teammates/ friends. None of them spoke for a minute.
Jinx was the first to speak, "Ryu-Ryuki…? Is that you?"
Draco smiled at her and made his way towards her. He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "It's me, Jinxy-chan. Do you like the change?"
Jinx's face began to heat up. Dear God, was her boyfriend ever hot!
Shadowcobra recovered and pulled down the collar of his black shadow cloak, speaking to his friend in a curious tone, "So, why the sudden change?"
"And you cut off your braid, dude!" Beast Boy piped up.
Draco shrugged. "I just thought it was time for a change," Draco said. His words held more meaning than the others could possibly realize.
Jinx ran her hands through his spiky/messy locks of hair. She grinned. "I like it. I'll miss the braid, but I like it."
"Arigatou, Jinxy-chan," Draco said, smiling at her. "So, what's for breakfast?" he asked.
Suddenly, the alarms blared.
"That will have to wait," Cyborg said, throwing off his chef's hat. "Time to kick butt!"
"And fight crime!" Terra added.
"For truth," Beast Boy piped up.
"Justice," Pluto continued.
"And the last slice of pizza!" Renia finished. You got that right.
Draco smiled. He had changed and now his future would be brighter. He would tell them of his experience when he was ready, but for now he was glad that he was in control of his own destiny. Fate could take a hike, as far as he was concerned.
Nothing is inevitable. The future can, and will, be changed.
To Be Continued…
Credits to Jazzpha for Ryuga's Demon Orphenoch form. Also, thanks to him for editing this for me and proofreading.