Part 58: Guilt, Grief and Revelations
Pasenderos gripped his sword tightly and was about to raise it when a he felt a weight along its length. Looking up, he could see a black clad figure looking down on him with concealed eyes.
"Don't even think about it," Oni threatened as he pointed the barrel of his trumpet blaster in the Arrancar's face. Pasenderos' eyes went wide. How had the Vizard gotten here so quickly?
Ryuki was just as surprised as Pasenderos, "Sempai."
"CLOCK OVER!" echoed through the air and Jinx appeared suddenly by his side, supporting him.
Mammoth and Gizmo arrived moments later. The big guy carried Juniper in his large hands. She groaned a bit and started to stir.
"Jinxy-chan? Minna?" Ryuki asked, bewildered, "What are you all doing here?"
The Scarab Inzecter detached itself from Jinx's belt before flying off, taking her armor along with it. She answered, "We saw the explosion and decided to check it out."
"And what an explosion," Gizmo added, slightly impressed, "Even in the old days we could never do this much damage." Jinx glared at him. "What?"
"Take June home," Jinx ordered curtly.
"Okay, fine," Gizmo grumbled as a pair of mechanical claws came out of his back pack and gently took hold of the Te Xuan Ze. Helicopter blades sprouted out and then spun around before taking him into the air.
"What about him?" Oni asked, his weapon still trained on the defeated Arrancar. He still had some of his mask fragments on his head but they were scattered. Looking closely, you could see scales on his arms. "A natural Arrancar, I see," Oni surmised.
"What?" Jinx asked. "What do you mean 'natural'?"
"The Arrancar in the past were Hollows who attempted to attain Shinigami powers on their own but the change wasn't very significant so they still had some features from their old Hollow forms on their person. Those are usually Hollows with low intelligence. Nowadays, Aizen uses the Hōgyoku, Orb of Distortion, to make more perfect looking Arrancar that look totally human. The only hint of their past Hollow forms would be the mask fragments and the hole. He usually chooses those from the Menos class to become his Arrancar."
Jinx would need to ask more about Hollows one day but for now she needed to support Ryuki.
Pasenderos diverted his eyes with a scowl on his face. Oni addressed him, "You were just a normal Hollow, weren't you? I mean, you were never a Menos just a normal Hollow that decided to become an Arrancar one day, right?" Pasenderos did not reply. "You don't serve Aizen either, do you? The clothes you wear aren't the same colors the Arrancar that serve him wear either." Pasenderos refused to say anything. "Come on, out with it!" Oni insisted, ready to blast the guy.
"Sempai," Ryuki said in a pleading voice, "Yamette kudasai." He had just said, 'Stop, please'.
"Ryuki," Oni said, surprised at the mercy he was sensing from Ryuki.
"Let me talk to him," Ryuki requested, "onegai."
Oni gave a distrusting glance at the Arrancar before he relented. He took away his blaster but still kept his foot on Pasenderos' Zanpakuto. "No funny business."
Ryuki stepped forward towards Pasenderos and kneeled down in front of him. He then asked, "Daijoubu desu ka?" Even now Jinx was surprised by the sound of kindness in Ryuki's voice. This had been someone who was out for his blood and he was treating him like a friend of all things. However, seeing that he still regarded his own sister as family, it didn't surprise her one bit. Ryuki…was a forgiving person, willing to forgive anyone easily. He'd forgiven her for her past mistakes and gave her a chance. It still surprised her how anyone could be so forgiving.
Pasenderos just looked at him, strangely, as a cloudy haze cleared up in his mind. He questioned, "Why do you ask that when I tried to kill you?"
"Because," Ryuki began, taking the goggles off his head and presenting them to Pasenderos, "We are brothers. You told me that yourself, remember?"
Pasenderos' eyes gazed upon them. He remembered them. They sparked a memory.
The voice then screamed in his mind. 'He's close! Now your chance! Kill him! Kill him! Make him pay!'
Pasenderos had listened to that voice and succumbed to it. Loosening the grip on his Zanpakuto, he softly whispered, "No." The voice screamed out but then silenced. It just went away.
"Nani?" Ryuki asked. His sharp ears had caught it.
"It's nothing," Pasenderos shook his head.
"What happened to you?" Ryuki asked. It was a stupid question with an obvious answer.
"I died."
Flashback…
Tazuka found himself in a void. He couldn't see, hear or feel anything. He desperately reached out for something, anything, but there was nothing but a murky darkness in front of him. He heard rattling. It was so close. He groped around him, in search of its source before resting to his chest. He gripped it and realized that it was coming from his chest. He opened his eyes and saw…
His body, covered in blood as Ryuki held him. He then realized that was going on.
"I'm dead," he said to no one but himself.
He could hear Ryuki begging for him to wake up. Tazuka reached down but his hand just passed through him. Couldn't Ryuki see him? Was he not meant to see him?
Tazuka stood there, keeping his distraught 'brother' company until the ambulance came to pick up his body.
The funeral had been a sordid affair. Friends and family came to pay their respects, Ryuki and the other two Knights, Takada and Ichijyo among them. They let out a prayer and then slowly began to disperse as rain came down. Ryuki stood in front of his grave, kneeling, muttering, "Gomen nasai, I failed you…Gomen nasai…I couldn't protect you."
It took his mother's urging before he would leave the rain.
"SURVIVE!"
Flames danced all around as Draco changed into his Survivor Mode, standing defiantly in front of Scorpios, the one who had taken his life.
The scorpion Knight taunted, "Did you cry when he died? I bet you did." He let out a chilling laugh.
Draco did not laugh and said, "I'm going to make sure you're put away for good."
"You need to beat me first," Scorpios challenged.
"Gladly."
And with ferocious cries of battle, they charged at one another.
The fight had been hard, but Ryuki won. Asakura was now back in a cage like he belonged. Ryuki gave it his all, for Tazuka. The spirit watched, seemingly invisible to the young Dragon Knight as he stood in front of the docks. In one hand was Scorpios' deck and in the other the remains of Tazuka's deck.
Looking towards the water, he threw the contents of his hands in it, letting them sink. Ryuki then turned away and left without a second thought.
Tazuka continued to watch Ryuki as he tried to live his life but the death of his dearest friend still affected him. He didn't go to Tazuka's grave to offer prayers or anything since the pain was too much for him to even go there. He felt that he didn't deserve it but Tazuka wanted to tell him otherwise. The chain was growing shorter, corroding.
Ryuki ran, ran far and fast. Finding out his sister was the evil Copycat had been the last straw. No more! He couldn't stay anymore! People close to him were getting involved in the Zodiac War. He couldn't allow that to happen! So, he ran…all the way to Jump City.
…End Flashback
"You've been watching over me all that time," Ryuki realized. How could he not have sensed Tazuka. Was it because his spiritual power was work or did his grief get in the way. Pasenderos nodded. "But how did you end up a Hollow?"
Pasenderos continued his tale, "It wasn't by choice."
Flashback…
Tazuka's spirit stared horrified at the creature before him, the white mask staring at him maliciously. Its hand darted forward and grabbed the chain attached to his heart before pulling it away, leaving a gaping hole.
Tazuka let out a scream that turned into a howl as his entire body felt like it was being ripped apart. Some sort of liquid was flooding out of the hole and began to cover him as something white flooded out of his mouth to cover his face and head. His skin morphed into scales as his legs fused together to become a finned tail. Fins grew out of his shoulders and forearms. The scales turn aqua blue and then finally the white substance covering his entire head reshaped itself into a skeletal mask wit a fin on top his head and with two more flanking his head. He then let loose a howl into the heavens.
…End Flashback
Oni summarised, "Another Hollow made you one."
"Then what?" Ryuki asked.
"I began to search for you," Pasenderos said. "I was also hungry for spiritual energy. For some reason I never went after living humans, just random spirits I came across. I had the need to fill up a void inside of me."
"The emptiness in your heart," Oni concluded. He knew that feeling well. His hand touched the skull emblem on his chest.
"Then, one day, I decided that I wanted more power and that's when I changed," Pasenderos continued. "First I began to tear off my mask, bit by bit and my body began to change. I then created these clothes to cover my scaly skin. Then, I was ready but my mind was all focused on you." His eyes narrowed at Ryuki. "You…let me die…"
Jinx was about to protest but then Ryuki nodded, "Hai, I did." Pasenderos was surprised by this admittance.
"Ryuki," Jinx spoke up, "But you said-"
"He died protecting me," Ryuki interrupted, "He took a hit meant for me and it killed him. If I had been a little stronger…he wouldn't have…he wouldn't have…" Tears began to water his eyes and drip to the ground. "In a way…I was the cause of his death."
"Ryuki…"
Pasenderos lay there, stunned. His hand let go of his Zanpakuto and he slowly approached Ryuki, even on his hands and knees. Oni was about to take out a weapon but then he stopped when he saw what Pasenderos was doing…
The Arrancar's arms were wrapped around the Knight in a hug.
"Niisan…?" Ryuki spoke up.
Pasenderos said, "Just let it out, Ryuki-kun."
"Gomen…"Ryuki sputtered before he began to cry. All the pain, grief and guilt over Tazuka's death began coming out at long last.
The whole time that Ryuki cried and mumbled out apologies, Pasenderos felt the Hollow within his mind become more and more desperate as his voice became quieter and quieter.
"Just let it out, otouto," Pasenderos whispered
Everyone returned to Juniper's house. Pasenderos even came with them, but Ryuki had Zanki at his side, ready to use it on him should the Arrancar prove to be trying to trick them again. Pasenderos had miraculously fixed his clothes, hiding his scaly skin but he hadn't repaired the mask yet.
It was a quiet home which everyone entered. Not that Monroe wanted to be quiet when he saw Pasenderos enter the house with his friends. Jinx was attached to Ryuki as she led him to a room where he could sleep.
No one spoke while they waited for the hex mistress to finish helping her boyfriend. After a few moments, she was seen coming back into the room
"As soon as he touched the bed he went out like a light," Jinx reported as she walked into the living room. "And June's asleep too. Whatever Jasmine gave her worked."
"Good," Monroe nodded, "So, can you explain to me why there's an Arrancar in the house? The same one that tried to kill us, even?"
Pasenderos eyes Monroe and said, sarcastically. "It's good to see you too, Monroe." Monroe growled.
Jinx shrugged, "Ryuki wanted it that way."
"And if he tries to kill us?" Monroe asked.
"He won't," Jinx assured him.
"I won't," Pasenderos repeated.
Ryan was leaning against the wall, looking at the Arrancar with distrust and hate.
"When you became a Hollow, you haven't been following up on what's been happening to Ryuki up until now, have you?" Jinx asked.
"No, I haven't," Pasenderos said regrettably, "All I've been doing was training and thinking of my revenge."
Jinx had to tell Pasenderos everything then, "Okay, here it goes." She then told him everything that had happened to Ryuki and I mean EVERYTHING.
"He…died?" Pasenderos questioned.
"You sound surprised," Ryan spoke. Pasenderos glared.
"And now he's this Orphenoch thing?" Pasenderos added. Jinx nodded.
"He's afraid of it," Jinx told him. "It's like a wild beast that he can't tame, at least not alone. He wears an inhibitor to keep it under wraps, for now."
"And he's dying because of it?"
Jinx nodded, eyes saddened by that fact, "Even with the serum he only has a few years left."
"Isn't there any way to save him?" Pasenderos asked solemnly.
"We have a temporary fix," Jinx explained. "But the only way to actually save him is with the Orphenoch King."
"An Orphenoch King?" asked Pasenderos asked confusedly.
"A supposed perfect Orphenoch," Jinx tried to explain. Her knowledge was somewhat limited sometimes. "He has the ability to fix the imperfections in other Orphenochs. The problem is that no one knows where to find him."
Pasenderos just stood there shocked at the revelation. Ryuki was dying and he didn't know about it. Even worse, any kind of cure was in one being and no one had a clue where to find it.
Pasenderos just stood there shocked at the revelation. Ryuki was dying and he didn't know about it.
Jinx wanted to tell him more but then remembered they had company. "Um…can you guys leave us alone for a bit?"
"What if he tries something?" Ryan asked, surprised by her request.
"I trust him," Jinx said. "Now, go. You too, Monroe."
The Scottish dog grumbled as he and the Vizard left the living room. Mammoth yawned and stretched as he walked behind them. Jinx waited until she was sure they were gone.
"What's so important that you needed them out of the room to tell me?" Pasenderos asked, although he had this feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.
Jinx sighed and told him, "A few months ago, something happened." She told Pasenderos about the time that was erased, when Ryuki encountered his evil future self and the future he had seen. Pasenderos couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ryuki? Evil? Those two words didn't fit the boy he came to love as his own brother.
"And I don't think he's completely recovered from that," Jinx finished. "He once even told me to kill him if he ever turned."
Pasenderos pondered over the information and asked, "Is that why he cut and dye his hair?" After his mind had cleared, he'd been surprised to see how much Ryuki had changed. The new hairstyle had been a big shock.
"Among other things," Jinx nodded.
"I wonder why I'm even surprised," Pasenderos sighed. "After Hueco Mundo, I really shouldn't."
"You've been to Hueco Mundo?" asked Ryan as he suddenly entered the room, earning Jinx's glare. "Now that is not a nice piece of real estate to visit."
"Had to go somewhere since the Shinigami were hunting me out here," Pasenderos sighed.
"Hueco Mundo?" asked Jinx. "What is that?"
"The home of all Hollows and Arrancar," Pasenderos replied. "Basically it translated to 'Hollow World'. Like we said; not a nice place to hang out."
…Flashback
Pasenderos wandered aimlessly through the white deserts of Hueco Mundo in search of…anything. All he really found was sand rocks, trees and more sand. It confused the new Hollow. He had felt the energy of other Hollows here, but there were none to be seen.
That is not to say that his search had been fruitless. He saw a huge building in the distance at one point. It gave him a very bad feeling. Definitely something that he didn't want to visit. It was odd though. All the other Hollows he had seen looked like monsters with white masks. These guys looked human with white fragments on their heads. Some were even missing their holes. It was odd.
Leaving the large place behind, Pasenderos went searching for someplace else. His hand would run over his face every now and then. Those guys at the fortress had their masks removed. Maybe he could do it too.
…End Flashback
"You saw Aizen's fortress?" Ryan gaped. Jinx glared at him for interrupting but decided to say nothing even if the Vizard had been eavesdropping. Monroe was no doubt doing the same thing but was at least smart enough not to come barging in.
"Who?" asked Pasenderos. "You mentioned that name before."
Ryan stared at him, "You don't know? He's that renegade Shinigami that's trying to start a war with Soul Society using an army of Arrancar!"
"A Shinigami with an Arrancar army?" Pasenderos said, staring. No way, he just couldn't believe it. Most Hollows hated the Shinigami. They were the enemy.
"Yup," Ryan nodded, "And what you saw was Las Noches, Aizen's stronghold."
"Well, when I looked at it I sensed a lot of powerful reiatsu," Pasenderos commented. "I never went too close, though."
"It's good that you didn't," Ryan agreed. "If you had you might've been killed for trespassing. Even if you are a Hollow, those other Arrancar will kill you because of their loyalty to Aizen."
Jinx was getting a little confused. Hueco Mundo? Las Noches? "Uh-hum!" she cleared her throat, earning the two hybrids' attention again, "We're supposed to be talking about Ryuki here." She looked at Ryan, "And, you; this was supposed to be between me and him."
Ryan rubbed the back of his head. "Right, sorry about that." He left the room once more but stayed at a range to listen in, just incase.
"So, Ryuki saw his evil future self," Pasenderos attempted to start off where they'd left off. "How did that go?"
"He was able to beat that creep Ryuga," Jinx told Pasenderos. "But, as I said he's been affected by it."
"Ryuki-kun's always been vulnerable to traumatic events like that," Pasenderos told him. "It took him awhile to get over the people he couldn't save from the Mirror Monsters." Pasenderos remembered when he would see Ryuki breaking down and crying after fighting a monster that had successfully gotten its next meal. It pained his heart back then to see someone who cared so much for others forced to fight in this war. It didn't seem fair to him, even back then.
"It's worse when he kills too," Jinx said, which surprised Pasenderos.
"He's…killed?" Pasenderos asked. Just how much had his otouto changed?
"It was a bit after he died the first time that he was starting to act a bit weird," Jinx told Pasenderos. "His temper would explode, especially if I was ever in danger. Even before that he would get angry if anyone hurt me."
"That's the way he is. He puts others before himself. He has this need to protect the people around him that it hurts when he fails."
Jinx nodded, agreeing with those words, "One time, a guy named Adonis ripped up my dress and molested me. Ryuki went totally ballistic. Would've killed the guy too, I saw it in his eyes, but Shadow was able to stop him." Pasenderos didn't press further as Jinx continued, "The first time he killed…was when I was kidnapped by…" Jinx hesitated. Bringing up that name again would be like bringing up all the time that…monster had done things to her, forced her to service him. She still had nightmares but with Ryuki with her she had someone to hold onto in her times of vulnerability. But, she had to tell Pasenderos about everything Ryuki been through, the good and the bad. She continued, "By my old teacher, Brother Blood. He used me to get to Ryuki, trying to gain his Orphenoch powers, but it backfired."
Pasenderos logically concluded, "Ryuki killed him." Jinx nodded.
"I was unconscious at the time but the others told me he just tore into Blood. I don't want Ryuki to know this, but I'm glad Blood is dead. I hope he's rotting in hell."
"Ryuki must really love you then if he's willing to kill for you," Pasenderos told her.
"I don't want him to," Jinx said, grimly, "I don't want him to kill for me, it's just not right, but he's changing and I know it. He's killed a few times, some of them were because he couldn't control it or wasn't given a choice. He almost gave up on being a hero a few times."
Pasenderos was surprised to hear that. Ryuki had told him that a hero all he'd ever wanted to be. To have that change in him was shocking. Hearing that Ryuki'd kill was also a surprise but at times that was unavoidable. You had to fight to survive after all and it was either kill or be killed.
"It hasn't been all bad though," Jinx brightened considerably. "He was so sweet with me when we first met. Even though I was breaking the law and all that, he didn't want to hurt me. He even said I reminded him of a cat."
"Cats are his favorite animal," Pasenderos chuckled. "I'm not surprised you two hit it off because of that."
"Yeah," Jinx smiled dreamily. "His mother really likes me too. She's really nice. We got along very well."
"You met his mother?" Pasenderos blinked. "Wow. Only Alex got to meet Emiko. Even then it was only a passing meeting."
"Alex?" Jinx blinked. "Who's Alex?"
"Oh, she's a former girlfriend of Ryuki's," Pasenderos shrugged.
"What?" Jinx blinked in shock. "Are you sure? I mean, I thought Eri was his only ex. You know? Venus?"
"You thought Eri was his only girlfriend?" Pasenderos chuckled. "Well, I'm not surprised he didn't tell you. It is rather rude to talk about your exes unless your current partner asks."
"So he has dated other girls?" Jinx asked while leaning closer. She didn't get to hear about this side of Ryuki's life.
"Sure," Pasenderos nodded. "You honestly don't think someone like Ryuki stays single for long, do you?"
"Well, he is kind of oblivious and he seemed insecure when we started dating," Jinx shrugged.
"All this time and he still doesn't have confidence with women," Pasenderos chuckled. "Okay, we'll start with Caitlin."
"Caitlin?" asked Jinx.
"Yeah," Pasenderos nodded. "She worked at a mall me and Ryuki were sent to close mirror portals in. It was in Canada so we were fairly new to the place. They actually met when she hit Ryuki in the face with a lemon she threw by accident."
"Oh…really?" Jinx snorted with laughter. Even Ryan had to chuckle a little at the admission.
"Yeah," Pasederos nodded. "They hit it off though. She was instantly smitten and Ryuki just kind of gravitated towards her. Things were actually okay between the two of them. They were still on good terms last I remember."
"What about this Alex girl?" asked Ryan.
"She was something else," Pasederos smiled. "She and her two best friends worked for this agency called WOOHP which is something I don't think I can talk about without repercussions falling on someone, even if I am dead already."
"What was she like?" asked Jinx.
"Trendy, fashionable, very kind, but she was a little goofy in her own way sometimes," Pasenderos recalled. "But she was definitely cute and Ryuki and her hit it off as well. Maybe it was because we were all heading in to save Emiko. The chemistry just created itself. Didn't stop Takada from flirting with them, though."
"How close was he to them?" Jinx asked, wondering how she ranked against these girls who obviously had some experience with her current lover.
"Well," Pasederos pondered. "They only called him Ryuki rarely, sticking with his nickname Leo. Only people who were really close to him call him that, like you."
Jinx blushed. Inside, she was rejoicing that she was already ahead of the exes.
"Your aura is way more saturated with his though," Pasenderos observed. "I mean, kisses can place an imprint, but to have this level you must have…oh."
"What?" asked Ryan, who was oblivious to the hidden meaning, as he stumbled back into the room. Jinx quickly caught on before blushing furiously.
"Looks like Jinx has made my little brother into a man," Pasenderos laughed. "Now I know I've been gone for a long time."
Jinx was shocked out of her embarrassment when she heard barking as Brimstone dashed into the room. Pasenderos looked surprised at the demon dog as he grabbed onto Jinx's sleeve with his jaws, tugging as if he was urging her to go somewhere. Jinx then found out what it was then they heard a loud roar.
"What was that?" Pasenderos yelled out. It sounded almost like a Hollow. He had his hand on his Zanpakuto's hilt.
"It's Ryuki!" Jinx realized as she got up. Brimstone let go of her sleeve before she rushed towards the room. Ryan and Pasenderos followed close behind as did Brimstone.
Mammoth was holding down Ryuki as the boy was shifting between his human and Orphenoch forms, trying to break free. Jasmine was there too as was Monroe. Dennis and Ray Ray were either confined in their rooms, very heavy sleepers or a spell had been cast to make sure they wouldn't awake from the noise. It was possible that it was all of the above.
Gizmo was trying to administer the serum but Ryuki wouldn't let him. Not only that his telekinesis and pyrokinesis were getting out of hand. A lamp had caught on fire earlier and so did the curtains. Anything that wasn't nailed down was floating and flying around fast. Jinx entered the room, ducking a lamp that smashed into a wall.
"What's going on?" Jinx shouted out.
"He just went psycho, that's what!" Gizmo blurted out as he nursed a nasty looking bump on his bald head. "I tried to give him the serum and he decked me with a book!" In his hand was the injector gun with a tube of serum already loaded.
"Give it to me," Jinx ordered and Gizmo handed the injector to her.
Mammoth was having trouble trying to hold the raging boy down. He was a lot stronger than he looked and it was by a sheer miracle that Mammoth wasn't flying across the room. When Ryuki was changing into human form, his skin turned grey and blue flames were licking all over his body as small particles fell off him. Jinx went over, carefully, and then spoke to Ryuki.
"Ryuki, please…calm down," she pleaded, desperately. "Just, please, calm down…"
"Jinx…" Ryuki let out as he started to calm down at the sound of her voice. "It…hurts…"
"I know it does," Jinx said. She saw the crack on his watch where the inhibitor was installed. No wonder he had been changing in and out of his Orphenoch form. "I'll take care of it. Can you stay still?"
He nodded. Jinx pierced his arm with the needle, causing him to wince, before pulling the trigger and allowing the serum to flow into his bloodstream. He then relaxed as his normal skin tone returned and the flames vanished. Jinx wiped the sweat off her brow as Brimstone climbed onto the bed and licked his master's sweat soaked face.
Pasenderos could feel it. He could feel all the pain Ryuki was going through. No doubt it was because he'd lost his humanity. Jinx was lucky to have packed the serum just incase it happened.
The serum was one part DNA stabilizer and one part tranquilizer. It was necessary since at times Ryuki would go into a rage when he was starting to disintegrate. She removed his watch and gave it to Gizmo. "Fix it," she told him, with a tone that didn't leave any room for argument. Gizmo nodded, grinning slightly in glee as he looked forward to taking the SB-Watch apart and seeing what made it tick. He left the room followed by Mammoth who yawned and stretched. Jasmine and Monroe left too, to give them some privacy.
Jinx sat down on the bed, hand on Ryuki's cheek. Brimstone leapt off and looked just as worried.
Pasenderos stepped forward and put a hand on Jinx. The pink eyed witch looked at him and asked, "So, what are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to be what I was when I was alive; his brother," Pasenderos told him.
Ryan quirked an eyebrow skeptically, "You're joking." The Arrancar shook his head.
"I've never been as serious as this in my afterlife," Pasenderos spoke. "Kami knows he needs me right now."
"So, you're not going to kill him?" Jinx asked.
"The reason I wanted him dead was because I believed he allowed me to die when it was in fact because my memories were messed up once I turned into a Hollow." Pasenderos sighed. "And vengeance doesn't change a thing."
Vengeance. Jinx had to tell Pasenderos about that.
"He visited your grave when he avenged you," Jinx said. Pasenderos gaped in shock at what she said and at her.
"What?" he asked. "What did you say?"
"Ryuki, he went after Scorpios…Asakura," Jinx explained, "To avenge you."
"He didn't have to," Pasenderos said. "He couldn't have."
"He told me he left Asakura for dead," Jinx continued, "But then…" She hesitated. Could she tell Pasenderos what happened after? "Asakura came back as an Orphenoch too and he wants Ryuki dead."
Pasenderos was stunned. How much had happened since his death.
"Next you'll be telling me Ichijyo's engaged and Takada finally has a steady girlfriend." He laughed. Jinx looked at him and he stopped laughing. "No way!"
"Thought you used to be a fortuneteller," Ryan jeered and Pasenderos glared.
"Even I didn't see any of this coming," was the reply he got. "I have been out of the loop for too long."
Jinx yawned and suggested, "We're all tired here, so why don't we get some sleep?"
Ryan nodded, "I agree, but what about him?" His thumb was pointed at Pasenderos.
"I think I'll be leaving now," Pasenderos said, surprising both Jinx and Ryan.
"Why?" Jinx asked. "When he wakes up he'd want to see you."
"If he wants to see me, tell him to come to my grave," Pasenderos told her. "I need…to think. Goodbye." He suddenly vanished out of sight, like a ghost.
"You let him go," Jinx observed, looking at Ryan. "You seemed pretty hell bent on wanting him dead before."
"He's not exactly what I come to expect out of an Arrancar," Ryan said to her, "To be honest I thought he'd be more murderous."
"People can surprise you when you give them a chance," Jinx said, looking down on Ryuki.
"Because Ryuki gave you one, huh?"
Jinx nodded. "That's just the way he is."
"Goodnight, then," Ryan said as he left the room and shut the lights. Jinx laid down, her head resting on Ryuki's chest as she wrapped her arms across his chest. She closed her eyes and muttered, "Goodnight," as well.
Jericho and Venus, in their civilian guises of Joey Wilson and Eri Takada walked through the park in Steel City. It was quiet and peaceful and with the lamps shining was a beautiful place. With Titans East protecting the city, crime had gone down and after the Brotherhood of Evil had been locked up they'd had very little super villain trouble.
But that was before Copycat and Slade had gone and released them. The villains were back and plotting revenge, but what she'd heard about Copycat had shocked her. Copycat had killed two men, guards, without any sort of mercy. She couldn't believe how much her friend had changed. When she'd first met Kat all those years ago she had been a very good friend. They would hang out together and have fun…but that was before Kat became a Zodiac Knight and the Knight of the Cats no doubt. The one left behind in the Chinese Zodiac…the one whom felt betrayed.
Eri, as the Knight of Virgo, prayed that her old friend was still in that armor, but after also hearing about how Copycat was collecting Zodiac Powers, she feared the worst. She looked up at Joey's face who smiled down at her.
He had regained his Zodiac Deck and could transform into Zodiac Knights Scizzors again. She was glad, but then that feeling faded when she realized what that would mean. It meant Joey would have to fight and since she was a Knight as well, she was an enemy too.
She could sense it, how the tournament was drawing near. With each Knight that has fallen, there would be less competition and it would soon reach the point where they had to choose to either fight or give up their desires.
Eri desired, so much, just to revive their mother. Her brother, Yoshiyuki, felt the same way and as such they made a vow that if they were to meet each other in final combat, one of them would have to yield. Eri decided that she would be the one to do it. She hated fighting. It just wasn't in her.
She felt Joey's hand squeeze hers and looked up to his face. She could see it in his eyes. They were filled with concern for her. He spoke in her mind, 'Are you alright?'
She shook her head and said, "I'm fine."
He gestured towards a bench and they sat down. He took hold of the guitar he'd carried all night with him and played a song for her. Music had been one of the ways he could communicate, aside from his telepathy and sign language. He could only speak in his armor but that could only be because what he was thinking was being transmitted through his helmet. It was a good thing that he'd learnt how to think quietly when he was Scizzors or else they would have been a lot of embarrassing moments.
He remembered the day Slade had called him and his brother and sister. He wanted them to all meet someone. When they'd met Kat, she seemed quite violent but then they grew to trust her and they became friends. When she gave them the decks, they were curious about what they would do and she told them that the decks were the keys to their greatest desires.
Joey hadn't known what Grant and Rose's desires were, but he knew his. He touched his throat, the scar still there where he'd been slashed when he was a little boy. Slade, his father, had tried to save him but he'd been wounded and lost his ability to speak. He did, however, discover his latent talent of telepathy as well as his ability to possess people through eye contact, making him a perfect tool in Slade's plans. He would possess someone and use them to gain classified information on whatever it is Slade wanted before someone was sent to retrieve the item Slade desired. When he became Scizzors, he found himself useful in battle as he could now melt his body into a liquid metal form, changing his limbs into sharp weapons he could use in battle.
He met Eri one day and when he discovered she was a Zodiac Knight…he had to make a choice. Only when he met Ekelo had he decided his new path. Nobody questioned him, not even his father, but Grant was a bit upset with him…well, he was more than upset. He'd called him a traitor and a deserter but Kat had smacked him upside the head because of that. Joey thanked her for that but then gave him a warning that if they were to meet on the battle field she wouldn't be merciful. She would treat him as an enemy. Rose had said nothing but he could see it in her eye. He'd made his stand and left Slade and Team Tartarus, deciding to make a new name for himself, to use his powers for good…as Jericho.
It was by a sheer miracle that nobody knew about his past. Well, almost nobody. Eri and Ekelo knew but neither of them was going to tell anyone about it. It wasn't their place.
As Eri enjoyed the song while she rested her head on his shoulder, her communicator beeped. She did remember telling the others that she didn't want to be disturbed tonight. Grumbling, she took out her communicator, flipped it open and said, "What? What is it?"
The response she got chilled her to the bone as she got up in shock. She took out her Zodiac Deck and Joey knew that there was trouble.
To Be Continued…
Well, we'll continue with Shadowcobra's story in Part 59. Hope you enjoy that one too! Pls, read and review. Ten Faced Paladin helped put this together.