Chapter 9: Derryk's Zakamon Progress
Just like Karin said before, leaving Derryk for just this VanoDragon issue was the perfect opportunity for Derryk to keep his focus on hunting down and humanely keeping zakamon at his own pace along with helping his father out at the supermarket in any way he can. So far, it was working. Ever since Karin announced that she would be leaving Derryk for a while, he has caught nine more zakamon adding to Kyxxtone, Britt the IQ, the vyper, and the tackalés. The additional nine zakamon that he has caught are the following:
1.) Dymondz
2.) Skyaps
3.) Kunixx
4.) Eggocrox
5.) Zonos
6.) Zanas
7.) Spiral Earvixx
8.) Ferriklawzz
9.) Puppiishi
Shortly after catching the Puppiishi after work, Derryk remained in his lab and looked at his sentimental valued creatures with pride in his heart. He couldn't believe that he already has thirteen zakamon captured since he met Karin, but he didn't stop there. He still hasn't caught the kunimito yet, but he decided to shrug it off with a little conversation with Kyxxtone.
"Derryk?" Kyxxtone started from his chamber.
"Yeah, man?" Derryk replied, leaning back in his chair in a relaxed manner.
"How do you think Karin's doin'?"
"Oh, man… she's doin' great. I know it. I just saw some police cars head for that park where that epic battle was befo' I caught your Puppiishi friend over there. She got some leads, man!"
"That's great, but don't you feel a little worried about her?"
"A lil' bit, yeah. But I'm prayin' fo' her safety as we speak, man."
"Good. Any luck findin' Kunixx's cousin yet?"
"The kunimito?"
"Yeah."
"Naw."
"Good." Kunixx replied with anger in his deep voice. "He's far more superior than me and that really pisses me off."
"I'm sure you two could get along just tine if you gave him a chance."
"Not likely. He's always one step ahead of me at everything, including solving a math problem."
"Do you know what other zakamon is better than my second evolution: Babocrox?" The eggocrox named Gregory asked in a cute Stitch-like voice. Derryk shook his head in response. "The reptilio. I heard that he's an excellent fighter."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Have you found him yet?"
"Naw, not yet. I'm sure Karin will help me find them along her path to overthrowin' VanoDragon's greedy asses."
"How come you're always making negative remarks about this company called VanoDragon?" The female baby kynkajou-like zonos named ZeKaia asked in a smart tone of her innocent female voice. "What have they done?"
"Oh, you newly found zakamon haven't heard about them, huh?"
"No, not really." The male wolf-cub like zanas named TeyShawn replied in a comedic male voice. "Enlighten us, would ya!"
"Well, they're responsible for the upcoming bankruptcy of Karin's Zaibatsu and they also know about dis alien she's keepin' named Link. They knew he's worth a whole lot of money and da only way they can shut the hell up is if they actually obtain him, but dat will neva happen because Ibuki and Karin are really workin' hard to stop 'em."
"Yikes." The tackalés commented in a voice that was similar to Cecil Turtle. Speaking of Cecil, that's the tackalés' name as well. "What a story, but… hold it! Did you say… Ibuki?"
"Yeah. She's this ninja girl in Street Fighter who just became a best friend to Karin. Why did you ask, Cecil?"
"There is knowledge of a zakamon that has her exact likeness, except its like she's been reincarcinated into a two-footed tanuki. Zak calls it the Ibukyxx²." This facinated Derryk immediately.
"SAY WHAT NOW?"
"Yes." Kunixx replied. "Our master has an extremely big fandom towards famout kunoichis, including Kunimitsu for Kunavoxx, my kunimito nemesis, and I. Ibuki was his newest trial and error experiment and it worked. He just delivered it here to Earth. By the way, just to make it fun, the Ibukyxx² is one zakamon that is only female, no matter what the personality or nature."
"Well, damn! I better start lookin'! Thanks, Kunixx!" After that was said, Derryk quickly gathered his zakamon catching supplies before he dashed off to search for the Ibukyxx². The skyaps, a beautiful flying komodo dragon – seamonster mixed dragon named Terrance, applauded the snow white Kunimitsu look-alike.
"Thank you for mentioning her." He said with a smile in a Russian accent. "She has been wondering around aimlessly for a few hours after her landing. She seemed so lonely."
"No problem." Kunixx replied with the same smile. "I just hope she's okay."
Meanwhile, at Kunavoxx's ambushed hideout…
Ibuki just managed to fight and kill the next nineteen snipers before she dashed back into her hiding place with Kunavoxx, who just finished making the final adjustments to his latest trap.
"(pant, pant)… Are you done yet?" Ibuki tiredly asked. "I'm… I'm getting exhausted…"
"I'm just about finished." Kunavoxx replied, but before he could reveal his trap to her, it was immediately destroyed right before their eyes and they were blown out of the vents, landing on their backs hard. "Aaaaah! What the…?"
"You ain't unleashin' nothin', man!" A deep, but comedic male voice taunted from out of nowhere. Kunavoxx looked at where the voice came from and up in the area where the last remaining snipers were stood an anthromorphic day gecko at a height of only two feet and eight inches tall. His long and thick muscular arms were already up and ready for anything. All he wore was a pair of blue baggy jeans with a black leather belt. Ibuki just took a good look at him and nearly drooled in the back of her mind about his impressive muscle capacity. "That was piece of crap anyway, punk!"
"Reptilio…" Kunavoxx muttered witn anger. "…what the hell are you doing here?"
"What? Oh, yeah. I'm here on behalf of VanoDragon along with these snipers! I see you already killed off most of them! How could you do that AND build your trap all at once?"
"Ibuki did the damages."
"Who?" Reptilio paused as he finally eyed Ibuki, who was blushing beneath her mask. Reptilio was shocked. He looked at how brutally murdered the other twenty snipers were and then, back at her for the next two times and he took a step back with extreme surprise. "HOLY SHIT! You… you're Ibuki?"
"Yeah." Ibuki replied with confidence, keeping her mask on to hide her blushing.
"(whistles) Damn, girl! Your ninja skills never cease to amaze me! That doesn't matter, though, 'cause I'm here to kill you two."
"WHAT? Marshall ordered you to do this, didn't he?"
"Yeah, ninja babe." Reptilio paused before he gracefully leaped off the wall's edge and landed just as gracefully right in front of Kunavoxx and Ibuki. "Ya see, Marshall's had the strangest feelin' that ya'll were on to him since this whole fiasco began and he wants nothin' but Link's location. Then, he'll shut up just to make ya'll happy."
"So, what does the 'killing us' part play in?" Kunavoxx dared to ask. Reptilio chuckled.
"Ain't it obvious? If ya'll don't comply with da info we need, then… well… ya know da rest. Now, any last words before I freeze time and kill ya'll?" At that last statement, his yin-yang tattoo on each arm started glowing, preparing for his special ability called Meditation. Ibuki removed the blush before she showed her game face with Kunavoxx.
"You'll regret this for even trying." Ibuki muttered with anger before she prepared her kunai for an attack. Same for Kunavoxx with his sharp claws. Reptilio scoffed with confidence before he got into position, but before he could unleash his time freeze…
"Oof!" Reptilio grunted as he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck before the poison on the mysterious kunai got to him and he fell facefirst right at Ibuki's feet, rendering him unconscious. This shocked both Kunavoxx and Ibuki as they immdiately let their guard down.
"What the hell…?" Ibuki asked before she looked up at where the attack came from and she gasped with extreme shock. What she saw above her with the five snipers, who just died from the same poison, was herself reincarcinated into a two-footed tanuki with huge paws and legs, looking as though the creature could barely walk. "HOLY SHIT! What IS that? It… it looks just like me… as a tanuki." Kunavoxx smiled as he saw the same creature as well.
"Ah, Ibukyxx²! You came in the nick of time." Kunavoxx greeted with a sigh of relief. "You've been wandering around this city aimlessly for the past few hours since you landed here. How did you find us?"
"Mekaja tori haba fujakar!" Ibukyxx² replied in a higher-pitched version of Stitch's voice in her own unique language that only Kunavoxx can translate. Kunavoxx nodded in understanding.
"I see."
"You can understand her?" Ibuki replied, still keeping her shocked face glued.
"Yes. She's speaking Zakarravonian." Kunavoxx replied. "It's a special language that only we zakamon can understand. Not very many zakamon can speak this special language, though."
"Weird…"
"Isa Ibuki ka voko?" Ibukyxx² asked with shock. Kunavoxx nodded.
"Yes, this is Ibuki you see before you. You are her exact copy." He replied. Ibukyxx² squealed with happiness before she dashed down towards Ibuki and tackled her, snuggling under her chin with appreciation. Ibuki smiled as she took off her half-mask and embraced her in return. "Awww, she likes you already. Oh, and for the record about what she said earlier, she said that she heard the sniper's gunfire a few minutes ago. That's how she knew we were here."
"Oh, okay." Ibuki replied as she slowly sat up with Ibukyxx² still cuddling under her chin. "Awww. She's actually kinda cute, just like Don. I still can't believe she has the exact same features of my unique hairstyle on her. Even her mouth is covered, too."
"She actually has a mouth on the outside. It's just very well hidden when she's not talking, so it seems like it really is covered."
"That's awesome! Well, looks like I have three zakamon with me. Won't Derryk be proud?"
"Derryk?" Kunavoxx asked with curiosity. Ibukyxx² was just a curious as she remained quiet.
"Yeah. He's Karin's boyfriend… something that I've been desperately looking for."
"You do look like you really need to get laid… BAD."
"Ugh! No kidding!" Ibuki stood up after that was said with Kunavoxx on her left shoulder and Ibukyxx² on her right shoulder. The kunoichi turned towards the still unconscious Reptilio and gently picked him up before she walked out of the hideaway, leaving the numerous dead snipers in the disclosed room to rot.
Meanwhile, at Vargasuki National Park…
"Thanks for helping us catch this spy, Karin." A police officer thanked as he handcuffed Vancutter. Karin stood next to the officer with confidence with her arms crossed. "Did you get any leads about this whole fiasco?"
"Plenty." Karin replied. "He told me that the only reason why their trying so hard to obtain Link is because they are just selfishly using what money they've stole from my Zaibatsu to pay it all back to my father, which just doesn't make any sense to me. If they wanted to do something like that, why don't they just come back to our sponsorship circle?"
"Marshall's impressive reputation of being the completely egotistical bastard he's already been for most of his life. We've known him for years and we know his plays like we know the back of our heads. You do know this is all a sign of complete envy and greed, right?"
"A very bad combination, yes." After that was said, her cell phone rang. She got it out of her "special" pocket before she answered it. "Hello?"
"Karin, I'm out!" Ibuki cheered from the other line.
"I knew you could pull through, Ibuki. Mind me asking, though, how did you escape from 25 snipers?"
"Three zakamon helped me out."
"You're counting Reptilio?" Kunavoxx exclaimed from the distance.
"Yes. He distracted the snipers while he wasted his sweet time talking us into being suicidal!"
"Okay, okay… just asking."
"Who was that?" Karin asked.
"That's the kunimito Derryk's been lookin' for." Ibuki replied. Karin gasped with extreme happiness.
"YES! Wow, Ibuki. You're really catching on to this Zakamon business. I shall make your eventual payment tripled for this objective."
"Ohhhh, yes. Thank you so much, Karin. How about you and that spy?"
"The police came as soon as they received word from me. They've captured him already and he'll be in prison for life."
"You go girl!"
"Heh… I can say the same about you. Now that you've cut Derryk a break in finding those zakamon, bring them to him immediately. I have some more business to take care of and I'll take care of them on my own. I'm on a roll."
"Are you sure? You don't need me for back-up or anything?"
"No, but when I do need your assistance, I'll tell you as soon as I can. Okay?"
"Got it. Good luck, Karin… and be careful. Having Marshall send Reptilio to kill us if we didn't give him the crucal information was just suspicious to me. I mean, sure, the lizard said that he had a hunch that we were on to him, but I bet there's more where that came from."
"And you couldn't me more right. I'll talk to my family and see what they've got. See ya."
"Bye."
CLICK!
Karin hung up the phone and, with her game face on, she ran back to her mansion to ask more questions about this whole mess.
Meanwhile, at the Glade of Ninjas…
Link and Don were surfing the Internet on Ibuki's laptop, just having a good time together. Minutes later, Yuta just walked in to check on them and he smiled at how content they were.
"Hey, you two." He greeted. He had two Bento boxes with him when he approacjed them. "Figured you might be hungry, so I brought ya something."
"Tanka, Yuta." Link thanked politely before he gently took his box before Don took his. Yuta nodded with appreciation before he walked back out to leave the two newest best friends alone. "Don, how do you think Karin and Ibuki are doing?
"I know they're doing great." Don replied in a handsome male voice. "Knowing Ibuki, she doesn't give up so easily. Besides, nobody but Karin, Ibuki, and the rest of the Glade knows you're here, so you're perfectly safe."
"I know that already, but meega don't feel so comfy about one thing…"
"What?"
"I've recently read e-mail message from cousin Stitch while you were out using the bathroom. He said that he really felt bad about what he's done and hopes that Kuni will forgive him, but… he… never mentioned what he's done."
"Hmmm… awkward, but that's somethin' we need to monitior for Karin and Ibuki until the right time. For the time being, though, let's eat!"
Meanwhile, in the city limits of Tokyo…
Ibuki continued to run towards Derryk's secret lab with Kunavoxx and Ibukyxx² running next to her by her feet on the right and left side respectively while she carried the still unconscious Reptilio in her arms. After a few more miles, she spotted Derryk and stopped him before he got too far.
"Derryk!" Ibuki called from where she ran. Derryk heard her and screeched to a stop just before the park's entrance. "Wait up!"
"IbukI?" Derryk replied before he noticed the three zakamon with her. "Damn, girl. You're good. You actually helped me out here. I was just about to go fo' da kunimito."
"(pant, pant)…whew! No need to. I've got him right here along with Reptilio and Ibukyxx²."
"YES! Triple jackpot, baby! Thanks!" Derryk cheered before he pulled out three zakamon containment pods and gently took each of the three zakamon and placed them in their own container. "I was actually lookin' fo' all three of these."
"Awesome! I just called Karin before I got here and she said that she got some crucial info outta that spy she caught eariler."
"And?"
"They've been using the money they're siphoning off of her zaibatsu's account to pay her own father for his aquaintenceship."
"Damn."
"She's on her way to talk some sense into her father and see if he can break out the real info."
"Great. How's Link doin'?"
"Doing pretty good. He's safe with my Glade of Ninjas, so he's practically invisible."
"Good. I'm gonna go and take these three back to my lab while you go and check on Link fo' me."
"I know he's fine. I don't need to check on him."
"Please, Ibuki?"
"…"
"Since Karin's onto more important business, I really need you to check on him. I admit that I am a little overprotective, but it's for his own good, baby."
"…fine."
"Thanks."
Five minutes later, in the Glade of Ninjas…
"IBUKI!" Master Enjo called from the distance the moment he saw her dash through the entrance. "You have a visitor."
"I do?" Ibuki asked in wonder.
"Yes. She's waiting for you in your room. She said she has something very important to tell you."
"Huh!" The young kunoichi was still confused by what's happening, but she reluctantly went to her room, slowly slid open the door, and when she saw who was sitting on her bed with Link and Don in the person's lap, she was speechless and shocked all at once.
To be continued…
(Oooooh, cliffhanger! I just love writing those! Anyway, this story is far from over and I just wanna know what ya'll think so far. Please read and review… and as always, no flames please. Thanx.)