I had arranged a meeting between the Ninja and Theresa for Thursday after school. When I told her this during the passing period, she had wondered how I got ahold of the Ninja so fast. I shrugged and switched topics, realizing how hard it would be to pull this off. I don't actually know where Julian is, probably with the Sorcerer, but can I really tell her that? I definitely don't want to worry her when I don't know all the facts.

Julian could be doing just fine, hiding out wherever creepy goths hide out at. Caves? Abandoned buildings? Gaveyards? No idea, but probably unlikely. He had disappeared in the trademark green smoke… I replay the scene.

Howard and Dave holding off the Chimeras, Julian and I struggling, my hands around his throat… Then he disappeared.

Wait.

Julian didn't even have the orb at the time. I had been too distracted that night, but the more I think of it now the more confident I am that he had dropped it. That means the Sorcerer must have recalled Julian. If so, then what happened to the orb?

Eh, nothing has come of it so far. Maybe Slimovitz is using it as a lawn ornament.

That aside, all evidence points to Julian and the Sorcerer being together. I still don't want to tell Theresa though. And then adding McFist into the equation? Theresa and Debbie are friends after all, this would make a great story; I trust Theresa, but I trust Debbie's interrogation skills more. Best to say the Ninja has everything under control and that he would find her friend ASAP. It's to the point, impersonal… safe.

I shut my locker. Alright, I gotta get out of here before-

"Hey. Cunningham."

Howard.

"Heeey buddy. Was'up?"

"What's up?! Were you trying to ditch me?" He squints suspiciously at me.

"No!" I sigh. "I just have a quick thing to do and then we're still totally on for Charlie Cluckers." Howard had found a coupon yesterday for the diner that expires today so he figured we might as well use it.

"I'll come with you then," he says matter of factly.

"I have to do this alone, I'll be right back I swear." Ignoring the look of hurt in his eyes, I join the mob of students, rushing to the door that will take me to the back of the school.

Rounding the corner, I see Theresa is already waiting for the Ninja. Stepping out of her line of sight, I concentrate on my wings. Like a person awakening from slumber, they unfurl slowly.

With a quick addition of the Norisu scarf, the Ninja leaps into the air and onto the neighboring school. How should I make my entrance? Casual, dark and mysterious, or a little on the showy side?

The decision is made for me as a cloud drifts away from the sun. The light hits me from behind, my shadow's outstretched wings cast right in front of Theresa. Dramatic entrance it is then.

She whirls around to look up at the source. "Ninja!"

"Yes, it is I! The-" Ninja of Norrisville! A gust of wind catches me unaware. "Holy cheese!" I practically fall off the roof head first, but I manage a shaky landing that I pretend was purposeful. She covers her mouth, barely stifling a giggle.

I cross my arms, looking anywhere but her. "I meant to do that."

Theresa hums. "Of course."

"Anyway," I draw the word out, "This kid…um… Randy said you wanted to talk to me?"

Her posture straightens. "Oh yes! I think… I know who was responsible for students turning into monsters."

"Chimeras."

"What?" Theresa tilts her head slightly.

"Sorry, I call them that sometimes…" Ugh. I'm really screwing this up.

"Like from mythology? Cool." Theresa tugs at the hem of her dress. "If I tell you who it is, you won't hurt him, right?"

I doubt I could really hurt him at this point. Julian may look like a dweeby shoob, but he's bound to have increased in power since I last saw him.

"I swear on my honor as a Ninja that I will settle this issue as peacefully as possible."

Pausing a moment before answering, she nods. "His name is Julian Magico" (mah-hee-co)

"And Randy said you wanted me to find him?" I need to speed this along, Howard is gonna flip if I keep him waiting much longer.

"He told you? That is, if it's not too inconvenient… Julian didn't do the robots though. I think he got involved with the wrong crowd… Please don't hurt him." The last words were choked, her voice wavering.

"Shh, it's okay. I have this under control," I lie. "Just stay calm. Your information has been very helpful." I resist the urge to lay a hand on her shoulder.

"Really?"

"Yup, and you're right. This plot is bigger than him." This seemed to please her. "So tell that Randy guy if you learn anything more, okay?"

"You can count on me!" Her smile is forced. It makes me all the more determined to get to the bottom of the Sorcerer's scheming. I mean honestly, what is he even accomplishing? Terrorizing a high school? I suppose he wants his revenge on the Ninja for locking him up.

"Good. Smokebomb!"

Back on the school's roof, I change back to my normal outfit. The Sorcerer has to reveal himself soon! This 'game' has gone on long enough as it is.

"So that was your 'quick thing' hm?"

"Wha? Howard how did you get up here?" I exclaim.

"There was a ladder." He nods in its general direction.

"Hm. But yeah, Theresa wanted to talk to the Ninja. Ready for Charlie Cluckers?"

"Duh! And by the way, you're paying."

"Don't I always?" Mom gives me ten bucks a week, plus I have generous relatives that give me cash on the holidays. Apparently this makes me Howard's personal piggy bank. I don't mind though.

That moment, a colossal roar seems to shake the Earth.

"Honking juice! The cheese was that?!" Howard covers his ears.

"If I didn't know better I would say it was a dinosaur." Faint screams could be heard from the lake a ways behind the school. Lake LaRusso is hidden by a row a trees so I can't confirm it. "Howard I need to check this out first."

"C'mon! Stop NSSing and leaving me alone!" Howard pouted.

"Well come on then!" McFist probably made another robot. I think the Wave Slayers were practicing at the lake today. Though ski season isn't until after winter, the team likes to get a head start despite the chill. That dedication is why they always win- or so I've heard. I've only been to one of their races.

Without a second thought, I jump right off the roof, changing once again as I go.

"Cunningham!"

He'll catch up. Eventually. There's just something exhilarating about jumping off a mcfreaking building and then flying at a speed faster than I could ever run to battle something straight out of science fiction.

Howard will be fine taking the slow way. Alone…

He's right. I kinda do ditch him a lot. (Though I'm sure if he could do this he'd ditch me too.)

I bet five bucks I'll finish off the robot before he even gets there. Then we will have some quality bro time at Charlie Cluckers.

Clearing the tree tops, I nearly fall out of the air in shock.

A Chimera.

Either that or Nessie is real and is living in Lake LaRusso. The chimera is the ugliest shade of green with an equally awful shade of yellow for the webbing on its four arms and spikes on its back. Dirty blond hair drips down its (his?) pointed face. Teeth sharp as a shark. He's also ten times my height in length.

The Wave Slayer team is cowering under picnic tables, behind trees. I land on one of the said tables.

"Have no fear! The Ninja is OOOF!" I gasp as the chimera's webbed tail smacks me to the sand. I forgot how much more chimera battles hurt since I can't kill them. My hand wipes the grit off my face, coming back with a smear of blood. Destanking this one is going to be tricky.

"Ninja chain sickle!" I yell, swinging it at the incoming three-fingered limb. The chain wraps around his wrist. I duck under the other arm from the same side. His frog-like arms are so long they can reach me on the beach even though he's in the water!

With sudden inspiration, I keep hold of the chain sickle, flying onto the chimera's back in between two spikes.

"Yoohoo! I betcha can't get me!" All four arms wildly reach for me and fail because they are not flexible enough. Arms as close as they will get, I fly around the remaining two wrists and back again. Wings straining to oppose the chimera's mighty force, I yank on the chain. He falls backwards, limbs effectively tied together.

Unfortunately, I go down with him, shocked by the cold water. The lake is murky from the stanked student's thrashing and my wings are heavy, out of their element.

Which way is up?

A sharp pain jolts through my leg and I'm abruptly in the air again. Too stunned to flap, I fall on the shore like a regular human. The chimera's bloody maw leers mere inches from my face.

This is the end.

"I command you to stop!"

I weakly flop my head to look in the direction of the voice. Howard is holding up a smallish drawstring bag.

"Stop!"

Looks like I lost that five bucks.

When the unnamed chimera doesn't move, he reaches into the bag and carefully pulls out… a green ball? The chimera jerks away from me, green mist flowing out of him. Shrinking like a deflating balloon, the aquatic creature becomes a well-built senior. I think he's the captain of the Wave Slayers.

The mist is absorbed by the ball and Howard replaces it in the bag.

"Cunningham! Oh my cheese oh my cheese oh my cheese no no NO!" Howard hyperventilates, gripping my hand.

"Howard… what was that?" I ask. It seems really important, but I can't quite remember why. My leg hurts.

"Never mind that! You're going to be okay." His voice is shaky and is not reassuring. Déjà vu much. Because… this happened before right? Howard is just a worried mother hen who freaks out over any injury. Though, I swear if it broke my leg I'm gonna sue. I try to push myself up to see the damage.

"Don't!" Howard pushes a hand in front of my eyes, but it's too late.

"The scarf can fix it… Tell me it can fix it." I keep my voice calm, the reality of the situation eluding me.

Half my leg is gone. Bit off below the knee.

Gone. Not there. Absent. Missing.

I grip the scarf around my face, as if to squeeze the magic out of it.

"The scarf can fix it," Howard repeats. I close my eyes, feeling the darkness coming to claim me. He lets go of my hand.

"Don't leave me," I mumble faintly.

"I'm not! I just have to stop the bleeding!"

The darkness moves. It is not the metaphorical darkness of a life ending, but something tangible. A familiar itch replaces the pain in my leg. I panic, finding enough energy to open my eyes. Howard, with his shirt half ripped, and I watch in horror as the bloody stump turns black. Black bones erupt from the gaping wound and are agonizingly coved by black muscle.

I can't watch. My nails dig into my best friends arm. I bite my lip until it bleeds too.

The process ends and whatever is there now is definitely not human. Still human shaped, the skin is rough and scaly and its foot is clawed.

"We need to get out of here." Howard states. So far we have miraculously not been spotted by the Wave Slayer team.

I stand up. The demon thing supports my weight. I spit in disgust, removing the scarf.

"Agreed." My McSkinnies didn't recover from being bitten off, so I wrapped the scarf around the leg to hide it. "The Ninja magic didn't do this."

"You mean the Sorcerer?" Howard asks meekly. Poor guy has a weak stomach; I'm surprised he didn't puke.

I nod. "I have to talk to the Nomicon. I'm sorry, but Charlie Cluckers is cancelled."

"I'm coming with you! You're in no shape to walk home by yourself," Howard says adamantly.

I was wrong. Howard would never leave me like I leave him.

a/n Thanks for waiting! School has been terribly busy. Tbh this chapter was a little rushed. Credit goes to LilianaDragonshard for Julian's last name. And check out the poll on my page for the options for my next fanfiction! I plan to wrap this up by june 17th