Chapter 3
MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope you all liked the last chapter; as always the first chapters of my stories tend to be sorta choppy—for that I must say that I am sorry. Anyhow here we go with chapter 3! ONWARD TO THE BATTLE FIELD!
"U-uhm, excuse me…" A boy said walking up behind Mariko as she walked down the steps to her ride home. She turned to see a boy with shaggy brown hair walking up to her.
"Eh? You're shaggy boy who's been watching me the past few days." She said narrowing her eyes, the boy bit his lip.
"Y-you noticed?" he asked, Mariko nodded.
"What do you want?" She, the boy paused nervously.
"W-well, uhm…right; my name's Tony." He said.
"Tony? Boring name—next!" Mariko shouted walking off. The boy—Tony—followed.
"W-wait, Miss Mariko…" He said running to catch up to her. Mariko turned and looked at him uninterested, "I-I was hoping to maybe get to know you a little?"
"Oh?" she asked, Tony nodded.
"I-I heard you were looking for some smart people to help you with a project…" He said.
"Where did you hear that?" Mariko asked. Tony smiled.
"So it's true."
"So what if it is?" she asked, as her driver opened the door to her limo. Tony walked closer.
"I-I wanna help you; I can I know a lot of people here since you're still kinda new to Gotham Academy…" He said, Mariko smirked as a thought popped into her mind.
"You wanna help me eh?" she asked, Tony nodded as Mariko climbed into the car, "Get in…"
"H-huh?"
"Did I stutter?! Get in!" She shouted then grabbed Tony by his uniform tie and pulled him inside, "Driver take me home!"
"Are you sure Miss Mariko, about the boy…?" The driver asked hesitantly, Mariko glared.
"Shut up and drive! Savage-sama will understand." She said. The driver nodded nervously and then drove off. Tony looked to Mariko and blushed.
"S-so who's Savage-sama….i-if you don't mind me asking?" He asked, Mariko smiled happily and got very close.
"Savage-sama is my glorious leader!" She declared, "But you will get to know all that when we get to my new home."
"S-so this project…what are you going to be doing?" Tony asked. Mariko sat back on her seat, placing her arms behind her head.
"Oh you'll find out. Trust me you'll find out." She said. Tony nodded silently then looked at his surroundings.
"You'll be sorry, boy. She may look cute but she's insane." Klarion said appearing next to Tony. Tony jumped in surprise landing in Mariko's lap. She leered.
"Who're you calling insane Akuma-boy?!" she hissed, pushing Tony off her lap, "I'm a genius! There's a difference!"
"All looks the same to me." Klarion said dryly. Mariko huffed crossing her arms and looking out the window of the vehicle. Tony looked to Klarion and his strange looking cat from the floor of the limo.
"Wh-where did he come from?" he shouted, Mariko looked down at the boy who stared frightened at Klarion.
"Klarion the Witch-boy—don't mind him he won't bother you…so long as you remain entertaining." She said vaguely, "Klarion this is Tony, the shaggy boy I told you about—he's going to be my new assistant."
"Mariko Miko you hate assistants." Klarion pointed out, Mariko shrugged.
"True; I do hate them but this idiot may prove useful, and entertaining for you; Jigoku Shonen." She said. Suddenly Tony felt that he was in a very bad place.
~0~
"Robin…? Hello? Earth to Robin." Zatanna said. Robin, who was zoning a bit, snapped out of his daze and faced the rest of the team.
"Everything ok Rob? You look kinda out of it today?" Kid said, Robin shook his head.
"Huh? I'm fine." He said. The others stared giving the Boy Wonder a look of disbelief.
"Are you still thinkin about that last mission?" Zatanna asked, Robin shook his head.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still curious about it." He said, "I've never encountered anything like it; I want to find out who the person is who created it and why they're working for the Light."
"It would make sense to try and figure that out; but since then the building's been demolished and the people moved," Kid said. "There's no way you could find the person unless they show up."
"I don't know I've just got this strange feeling this person might be closer than we think." Robin said.
"Well let's not fret over it for now. If we come across this person again then it's meant to be; if not don't fret alright?" Zatanna asked, Robin nodded, though he wasn't exactly sure he was all that confident in that thought.
~0~
Meanwhile on the other side of Gotham Mariko spun around in a chair; laughing forebodingly.
"This has got to be my best work yet!" She shouted, "What do you think Jigoku Shonen?"
"I think you're getting rusty." Klarion said petting Teekl as he walked across Mariko's new lab. Mariko huffed.
"Oh please like you're not totally loving this; and with my new little assistant I'll be able to do my glorious field mission from Savage-sama and my own little side project." She said turning towards the keyboard behind her. Klarion cocked an eyebrow as she flew over to linger over her.
"Oh and what might that little project be?" he asked, Mariko looked over her shoulder at the curious Witch-boy and grinned.
"I want Robin." She said, "He's the only person who has ever been able to get inside my computers. I'm going to use my superior computer skills to capture the little hacker, not everyday someone can come close to matching my intellect."
"And you're new little assistant?" Klarion asked looking toward a tank that held the boy Mariko picked up from Gotham Academy. He was unconscious thanks to blunt force trauma to his head induced by Mariko. She had knocked him out while he was riding in the limousine with her and Klarion. "I still don't see why you wouldn't let me use a spell on him."
Mariko leaned back in her chair.
"The crack in his skull made it easier to access his brain. Though I suppose I'll have to explain everything to him when I finally let him wake up." She said, "He won't be happy with me, that's for sure."
Klarion looked at the boy who floated in the tank with the strange liquid with an amused smirk. Mariko—as always—managed to once again find him some entertainment. He was right to stick around the girl.
"So what now?" He asked, Mariko shrugged.
"Well I've debated two options. Once; I set Tony-boy loose on Gotham and let him wreak havoc until Robin shows up," She began, "Or two; I waste the time and effort I put into reprograming his body to work for me and have him help me with Savage-sama's mission."
"and your decision?" Klarion asked, Mariko sighed with boredom and spun around in her chair once again.
"I dunno! I think I'll use him for both." She said. "It's not like he's incapable of doing both. I'll decide when he wakes up."
Klarion pouted; then looked back to the tank as the boy's eyes began to flutter open. Klarion smirked and nudged Mariko.
"He's waking up." He said.
"So he is." Mariko said. Tony opened his eyes, and began to panic. He looked around to see a smirking Mariko and an amused Klarion. Teekl meowed up at Klarion.
"Oh yeah; hey Mariko how do you plan on telling Vandal Savage all this?" Klarion asked, Mariko paused.
"When he shows up; it'd be easier than contacting him." She said, then walked to Tony who stared down at her with fear and confusion.
"I bet you're confused on how you got there aren't you boy?" she asked, Tony nodded, "Try to remember; you were stalking me in the halls, followed me to my car."
Tony went to speak only for his oxygen run out and bubbles to form in the tank. Mariko made an 'oops' face.
"Whoops; you can't really talk without air can you?" She asked, Klarion snickered, as Mariko pressed a button on her desk, letting the fluids drain out. Once free from the strange fluids Tony gasped for air.
"I wasn't stalking you!" he gasped pressing his hands against the glass on the tank he was still in, Mariko shrugged.
"True your intensions were more pure than most." She said walking toward him and tapping on the glass. "But you still climbed into a car with a complete stranger."
"H-how was I supposed to know you'd knock me out!?" He shouted, "Wait you could cracked my skull!"
"Actually I did; it was extremely helpful in the end for what I was planning to do." Mariko said sweetly. Tony stared.
"What did you do to me!?" he shouted, Mariko smiled.
"I made some improvements on your body." She said,
"Improvements?" Tony repeated, Mariko smirked evilly as Klarion stood beside her.
"I did warn you." He said plainly. Mariko chuckled darkly.
"Now quite laying around and let's get to work!" She shouted with a wide eyed grin, "I've got a lot of work to do."
"Wait what?" Tony shouted, Mariko nodded.
"You did say you wanted to help me. Right?!" she asked. Tony was hesitant, then nodded.
"I don't suppose I have much of a choice anymore do I?" He asked, Mariko paused.
"Not really. Now hurry up and put some clothes on." She said turning around and pressing another button which opened up the glass, "We've got school to get to."
Tony looked down and realized he was wearing nothing but his underwear. He let out a yelp and looked around for a pair of clothes. Mariko sighed and pointed to the table beside him.
"Uniform's over there." She said, "Klarion help him out."
"You can't tell me what to do." Klarion huffed, Mariko rolled her eyes.
"Whatever witch-boy. Hurry it up, Savage-sama will have sent the car over already and if I'm late I'm gonna make you wish you were never born."
"Y-yes ma'am." Tony mumbled then went for his uniform.
Well here's the 3rd chapter, how do you like Mariko now that she's kidnapped a boy in her class. Anyway this is the end for now. It's a good place as any to stop right? And isn't it just an awesome day?! Christmas, the one day of the year we all get to hang out with our family and stuff our faces with food and talk about everything that's happened throughout the year. So Merry Christmas! And review if you're able. 'See you later armadillos—unless I see you first.' Hahaha!