Part 27: An Endless Maze

"Where is Jinx?" Draco snarled at the girl.

The girl wagged her finger, "Temper, temper. I'll tell you if you ask me nicely." She smirked. Draco gritted his teeth.

The girl had long black hair that went down to the small of her back. She wore a black bow ribbon in her hair and was wearing a black, backless, turtleneck top and a denim miniskirt. She also wore black fishnet stockings and brown cowgirl boots. On her arms, up to her shoulders, were black fishnet gloves. Her storm blue eyes shone with innocence, and malice.

"Again I ask: Where is Jinx?" Draco growled.

The girl giggled, "You must really love her, don't you Leo?"

Draco narrowed his eyes, "I don't care even if you're my sister, Kat. If you hurt Jinx, I will hurt you more," he swore.

"Really, brother? Are you really sure you can back that up or are you just all talk?" Kat taunted.

Draco took out his Zodiac Deck, "Want to find out?"

Kat took out her Cat deck, "Bring it on, Dragon!"

They stood in front of the mirror and summoned their armor.

"ZODIAC FORCE!"

"DRAGON!"

"CAT!"

Draco's crimson and silver armor encased him in a pillar of flames. At the same time, violet flames licked over Kat's body to form a familiar suit of black and red body armor.

Kat was really Zodiac Knight Copycat.

Copycat cracked her neck. She turned to her brother and adversary, "Ready, brother dear?"

Draco spat in disgust. His normal green eyepieces were unusually blood red. They both ran into the Mirror.

Exiting their Knightriders and stood opposite each other. They both drew out their cards and inserted them into their respected Readers.

"Sword Vent-Dragon Flame Saber." Draco grasped the materialized sword tightly in his hand.

"Strike Vent-Feline Claws," Copycat purred as her large black clawed gauntlets attached to her arms.

Draco was the first to move. His battle cry was a feral roar as he charged forward and swung his sword. With agile reflexes, Copycat flipped over the slash and landed behind Draco to land her own strikes. Draco grunted, and retaliated with reverse spin kick into Copycat's midsection.

Copycat then swung her arms down, but was blocked by Draco's sword. They struggled against each other. Pushing each other's weapons with all their strength. A mutual telekinetic blast flung them away from each other. They flipped through the air before landing back on their feet.

With another loud battlecry, they were upon each other again. Sword met claws, claws met with sword. At often times it was dead lock with neither of them able to land any blows.

"You have grown," Copycat grunted, "Stronger."

"So have you. Too bad you're going down!" Draco replied.

"Really?" She kneed him in the stomach before slashing him straight in the faceplate, sending him reeling to the ground. He did a sweep kick under her legs to knock her down. However, she somersaulted back and grinned under her helmet. Draco held up his hand and touched the large cuts on his faceplate. Not good. He got back to his feet again.

She licked her claws after her faceplate opened, "Looks like I drew first blood." She smirked.

"Not yet you haven't," Draco remarked as he dropped his sword and drew another card before he inserted it into his gauntlet. "Shoot Vent-Dragon Cannon."

"Uh oh!" Copycat sweatdropped.

"Hiyah!" Draco cried as he sent a fireball at Copycat.

"Hey!" Copycat shouted, "No fair!"

Draco retorted, "All's fair in love and war." He continued to blast fireballs at Copycat, only to have her effortlessly dodge them. "Stand still!" he snarled.

Copycat grinned in mid air, "You didn't say please," she drew a card and inserted it into her whip. "Copy Vent!" and exact duplicate of Draco's Dragon Cannon appeared on her arm. She blasted a stream of flames at Draco.

"Remember Kat," Draco said, "I can manipulate fire!" he waved his hand and the fire whirled around him, not touching him.

"But I can too, remember?" she shouted as a tower of flames transformed into a dragon of flames and attacked Draco. It clawed and slashed at our hero, leaving burned cuts in his armor.

"Gah!" Draco reeled as the fire dragon disappeared. "Note to self: She can copy powers." He got up and scanned the area. "Where the hell is she!" he yelled in frustration. Suddenly, a whip lashed out from behind, ensnaring his neck, catching him off guard. "Ugh!" he grunted, pulling at it.

"One of the rules of battle, big brother," Copycat said from behind him, "Never turn your back on an opponent!" She tugged at the whip, threatening to choke the dragon Knight.

Draco grunted and attempted to pull or tear of the whip, but to no avail. It was getting tighter. Choking him. Suffocating him.

"Another rule of battle!" a new voice sounded and with a quick slash, the whip was sliced to ribbons. A black shape dropped down aided by bat wings. "Always have backup!"

"PLUTO?" Draco shouted.

"Pluto…" Copycat snarled.

Pluto turned to Draco, "I'll handle the kitty cat." He was fully armored and he held his sword. "You go find Jinx!"

"But…" Draco protested.

"Listen to the mutt, fire breather," hissed Shadowcobra as he walked out of the shadows and helped Draco up. He was in his purple and silver armor. "Jinx maybe in the Mirror Dimension too. Let's go. She doesn't have much time."

"Right!" Draco nodded. They both ran off.

Copycat glared at Pluto, "You ruined my fun."

"Listen you crazy bitch!" Pluto began.

"Tabby."

"What?"

"A female cat is called a tabby. A female dog is called a bitch," she explained before looking him up and down. "But I guess the latter is true for you." She cackled.

Pluto fumed, "Alright! That's it! I've had enough of the dog jokes from Shadow, but I won't stand them from you!" he charged forward.

Copycat's claws extended. "Bring it! Bitch!"

"Are you alright?" Shadowcobra asked.

"I'm," Draco gasped, "Fine!" he panted.

"You don't look too hot to me."

"I'm okay!" Draco snapped.

"You should listen to your friend, Dragon Knight," said a deep calm male voice. "He is of course worried of your condition."

Shadowcobra and Draco stopped and scanned the area. Their eyes narrowed.

"Show yourself!" Shadowcobra shouted.

"As the saying goes, 'ask and you shall receive'…" The stranger who owned the voice walked into view. "Greetings Zodiac Knights."

They looked the person up and down. He was clad in black armor with some silver plating on his arms and legs. His face was concealed behind an orange and black mask with only one eye slot. A demonic, blood red, 'S' rested on his forehead.

"Who are you?" Shadowcobra asked calmly as Draco began to tense up. Shadowcobra was getting tensed too. Sweat rolled down his face and it wasn't because it was hot.

This man, Shadowcobra thought, His aura is unusual. He doesn't look as he appear…

The stranger answered, "I am known as Deathstroke by many, but you may call me," his eye narrowed, "Slade…"

Both Knights' eyes widened.

Slade.

This was the man that plague the Titans' lives.

This was the man that brought fear to Terra and Robin.

This was the man who was the monster.

"Slade…" Shadowcobra hissed with pure hatred.

"You're…" Draco gulped, "You're Slade?" Draco was afraid. Why was he afraid?

"I see the Titans have," he began, "Enlightened you of my identity." Shadowcobra hissed. Slade shook his head and laughed, "A feisty one, aren't you?"

"Look…Slade," Draco said, "We don't have any time for this!" Draco went forward but was stopped by Shadowcobra. "Shadow?"

"I'll take care of Slade. You go find Jinx. She's running out of time," he told him, "Go!"

"Right!" Draco ran past Slade before turning his head. "Be careful," he said, barely a whisper.

"What do you want, Slade?" Shadowcobra asked.

Slade created a sword of fire, "I wish to test you."

Shadowcobra created his own sword, but this time from the very shadows. "Well…You might realize that I am more difficult a challenge than Robin or Terra will ever be…"

"Interesting," Slade said. "En guarde."

"Touche."

"Why!" Copycat shouted. "Won't!" she slashed. "YOU DIE?"

"Immortal, remember?" Pluto retorted as he took Copycat's claw slashes with his lance. "And that I'm kicking your butt!"

"SHUT UP!" She snarled as she did a reverse spin kick, but only to have him fly up and then dive bomb her. She leapt out of the way and dragged herself back to her feet.

"Grrr…" she growled.

"Who's your daddy?" Pluto taunted in the air, "Come on! Who's your daddy?"

"I'LL SHOW YOU DADDY YOU STUPID BITCH!" She snarled as black bat wings appeared on her back. "I'm called 'Copycat' for a reason!" she flew up and chased after him.

"Yikes!" he dodged her trying to slash him with her wings. "Close call!"

"Not as close as this!" she cackled as she flew up and then dive bombed him.

"Oh sh-" But was unable to finish his swear due to Copycat grabbing him in midair and taking him with her as they made a free fall back to good old terra firma.

"This is gonna sting!" Pluto shouted.

"Jinx!" Draco shouted. "Jinx!" he ran around the maze looking for Jinx. Don't be dead! Just don't be dead!" He then found her. "Jinx!" he rushed forward.

And crashed face first into a mirror.

"Ouch!" he grabbed his sore head. "Okay. This place is full of mirrors. At least I know she's close by. The problem is that I need to know the right direction.

"The problem is kid that you're talking to yourself!" said an arrogant voice.

Draco turned, "YAMINEKORYU?"

The demonic spirit waved and grinned, "That's my name, don't wear it out!"

"What are you doing out?"

"Save the questions kid," Yaminekoryu told Draco, "We got a damsel in distress and you're the Knight to do it."

"Thanks. But how?"

"Try sniffing the air. You're part cat, remember?"

"Too bad I'm not part blood hound," Draco's faceplate slid open and he sniffed the air. "I…I can smell her."

"Good!" Yaminekoryu smiled, "Now go get her!" Draco chased after the smell. "Lucky kid." Yaminekoryu vanished.

"You are a fine young warrior!" Slade complemented.

"Thank you." Shadowcobra struggled.

Both combatants were stuck in a deadlock. Slade was unnaturally strong for a human being. But, was he really human? Shadowcobra was told that Terra threw him into the lava. What happened?

"It's a shame that I never found you earlier," Slade pushed, "You would have made a fine apprentice."

"Take a number!" Shadowcobra hissed, "I'm nobody's slave!" he yelled and pushed Slade back. The madman fell onto the floor, hard. His mask fell off, making a loud metallic clang as it dropped.

Shadowcobra had his shadow sword pointed at the back of Slade's neck. "Any last words?" Slade turned and Shadowcobra's eyes widened. He was horrified by the sight. "Can't be!" Slade took this moment of distraction to his advantaged and tackled Shadowcobra.

"Surprised?" Slade said.

"So that's how you survived!" Shadowcobra hissed.

"I may not look as good as I should but it does carry results!" Slade placed his hand on Shadow's faceplate. Shadowcobra squirmed, but felt a rush of dark energy. Slade felt it too, only coming from Shadow.

"Impressive." Slade got off him. "It seems you too have a secret. What power…"

"If it's about me being a half vampire, save it!" Shadowcobra yelled, "I won't become a pawn in your fiendish schemes!"

"Pity." Slade picked up his mask and fixed it over his face. "You would have made a fine apprentice, Shadowcobra. We will meet again." And he disappeared into the shadows.

Shadowcobra's shadow sword disappeared and he clenched his fists. With a cry, his fists smashed into a mirror, littering the floor with shattered glass.

Pluto shook his head, "Immortality hurts," he groaned. He looked around, "Where did that crazy bitch go?"
All three Zodiac Knights leapt out of the mirror at the same time. Draco had Jinx cradled in his arms. Their armors disappeared.

"I can't believe she gave us the slip again!" Pluto shouted.

"Believe it," Shadowcobra told him, "And so did Slade."

"Never mind those two. At least Jinx is safe," Draco smiled, "Thanks guys."

Jinx's yawned and opened her eyes, "What happened?"

"Uh…" Draco began, sweating nervously.

"You got lost and accidentally knocked yourself out by crashing into a mirror thinking it was Draco," Shadowcobra quickly covered it up.

"Yeah!" Pluto added. "What he said!"

"That would explain the headache I have," Jinx winched as she held her head. "Yeowch!" she leaned against Draco. "At least I get to rest in your arms," she purred.

"We'll leave you two alone," Pluto said, "Come on scaleface!"

"After you, mongrel!" Shadowcobra glared.

Both dog and snake knights walked out, shouting insults at each other.

Draco turned to Jinx and kissed her. She returned the kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked, blinking.

"Does there have to be a reason?" Draco asked, smiling

Jinx shook her head. "No," and leaned against him, still cradled in his arms.

Draco rolled his eyes. She my princess and I'm her Knight. He sighed.

To be Continued…