Hey everyone, here's chapter 33 of Rise of Zeo. Enjoy.
It was beautiful day in Bonesborough and Zeo was on the roof, eyes peacefully closed, meditating with only the sounds of nature to occupy his senses as the morning Sun got higher into the sky.
"I think today is going to be a good day," Zeo says as he opened his eyes to conclude his mediation as he stared out into the far distance of Bonesborough barely a few minutes' ride.
"And starting the day off with a view of the land means it's definitely going to be a good day," Zeo said as he went back through the window to his room as he headed towards the kitchen.
"What's up, sport. You're in a good mood today," Eda asked as Zeo took a seat at the table.
"Just taking in the lovely air outside. Gives me a reason to get out of the house," Zeo commented with a smile as he grabbed a fruit from the bowl.
"Good to hear because Luz and I are going on a personal mentor and student only quest to help Luz in her latest lesson of spell-casting. So, it's only going to be you today," Eda addressed, making Zeo slightly frown.
"What about King?" Zeo asked, pointing to the sleeping demon.
"He's helping me as my assistant today while I train Luz," Eda commented, making King immediately wake when he heard that sentence.
"Yes!" King says, feeling more important than Zeo, making the young, male Clawthorne a bit jealous.
"Okay, Eda! I'm ready," Luz said coming down with a big backpack of miscellaneous things that may or may not have to do with spells, eyeing the now frowning Zeo.
"...And I'm sorry Zeo for not telling you sooner," Luz added seeing Zeo in the kitchen, despite not telling him about this outing sooner.
"It's fine. You need a solo adventure without me anyway to become a strong witch. Otherwise, you won't be strong enough in any battles or duels, and I won't be able to protect you should I become unavailable in a fight," Zeo commented with a slightly depressed tone as Luz gave him a quick peck on the cheek and hug.
"I knew you would understand," Luz said as he hugged her back. "See you when we get back. Maybe you could go on an adventure of your own today," Luz said, kissing his cheek one last time before heading outside with Eda coming behind her.
"Try not to get into too much trouble while we're away," she joked before Eda held his head in her hands and gives him a kiss on the forehead as she too went outside.
"I won't," Zeo added as he stepped out in front of the house to see Eda, Luz and King fly off on Eda's staff, leaving the young Clawthorne by himself.
"Looks like it's just you and me, Zeo. We can spend the whole day together, just talking and bonding," Hooty said, pressing his face up against Zeo's.
"Fat chance, Hooty," Zeo said with a deadpanned expression as he pushes Hooty's face back and summons the Drago-cycle.
Zeo then hopped on his bike and drove off into Bonesborough. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to an annoying bird tube all day.
The question was though, what would he do all day?
Bonesborough…
The moment he arrived in town; he saw a few contracts. One of them was for another criminal escapee from the Conformatorium.
"That place really needs better guards," Zeo muttered to himself as he read the contract while remaining seated on his bike. "Eh, I've got nothing better do. I guess this'll be a good way to kill the boredom. Not to mention get a little money on the side" he said.
The only thing he had to figure out was where to find the son of a bitch. In a town like Bonesborough, he could be anywhere.
And as Zeo reviewed the contract of whomever the person was at large, he knew this one was going to be an interesting contract as well as one of the most difficult contracts to date.
"Yo, Drago," Zeo said to his dragon bike, who gave a growl back in response.
"This escapee were hunting has no name of reference except he goes by this title, "The Face-Stealer." And don't be worried, he's not going to literally steal my face, leave me faceless and take you for a joyride, but apparently, he uses illusion mirror magic to get a still picture of a person's face and copies it onto his own head and, depending on how much mana he uses to maintain or change the features on his own face, the face itself can stay on him all day, making him one of the hardest people on the Boiling Isles to track since I bet he picks his victims out at random," Zeo explained as Drago just looked back at his rider with an emotionless face.
*Growl* "Really?" Drago says back as if he was a joking about the escapee's abilities.
"You know I don't lie about contracts, right?" Zeo said back as he went through his deck and had Night Howler in hand.
"Now, he has a reputation of stealing and verbal manipulation to get what he wants and sometimes bribery to keep the heat off of him, so I could use Night Howler for this one. But then we'd need to get conformation on this guy's face, his location and a piece of his fabric in order for her to have a chance to track him down. But at least, she can track him anywhere across Bonesborough, so he wouldn't have anywhere to hide," Zeo said as began to think about the possible places the escapee could go.
"Hmm. Let's start with the park. Lots of people there, both young and old, because if I was a "face-stealer," I would go for the cutest, prettiest, most handsome and/or beautiful face(s) that anyone would adore and stare at for minutes on end to the point that it would be considered stalking. Well, just long enough for someone to get their stuff unknowingly taken or ripped off," Zeo said as he drove towards the park area.
The Park…
Zeo rode into the park, looking at the groups of people all around sidewalks. Finding this escapee wasn't going to be easy. For all he knew, this guy could be anyone right about now. How was he supposed to find someone that could change their appearance to look like someone else? It'd be like trying to find a needle in a hay stack.
"And here I thought illusion magic was useless. Guess I shouldn't underestimate Gus and the twins in the future. Well, mostly Gus and Emira at least," Zeo thought to himself. Wait a minute, illusion magic?
"That's it," Zeo says as he pulled out the best card for this situation. "Joke Star, arise," he shouts as he tosses the card on the ground, summoning the jester creature, the one creature in his deck based off the Illusionist track...albeit unintentionally.
"Joke Star, I'm tracking someone down. You'll be able to sense them out if their disguising themselves with illusion magic, right?" he asked, to which Joke Star nodded with a tip of his hat. "Great," Zeo says with a smirk.
Joke Star reached into his hat and pulled out what appeared to be a kaleidoscope. It may look like a kaleidoscope, but what it really does was allow the user to see through illusions.
"Hey, Zeo. Hey, Joke Star," They heard a voice. Zeo looked beside him to see Willow with Grimrose perched on her head approaching from afar.
"Oh, hey Willow. Hey, Grimrose," Zeo greeted his friend and their pretend daughter. "What're you doing here?"
"I thought Grimrose could use some fresh air and stretch her limbs, so we decided to come here, so she can play," Willow said while affectionately scratching the plant creature. "What're you doing here?" she asked the summoner.
"I'm doing a contract. I'm searching for this illusionist criminal or something, and Joke Star's helping," Zeo replied.
"Seriously? They really need better guards at the Conformatorium," Willow commented with a dumbfounded.
"I know, right?" Zeo added as Joke Star looked through his kaleidoscope at every individual within the radius of the park's grounds until he spotted a lone figure with his cowl covering his head looking around, before landing on a specific couple and people who were alone just relaxing and talking to each other, all of which were young adults, fairly under 30 to people who we're just around Zeo and Willow's age.
Joke Star gently twisted the scope to focus more on the individual until a couple of teens nearby separated and went their separate ways. When the individual was sure that they were gone, he removed the cowl and sported the face of the boy that previously left the park with a sinister smile. Joke Star gave a haunting laugh to Zeo and pointed out the face-stealer, who quickly got up from the place he was sitting and began to leave the park.
"Good job, Joke Star," Zeo said to his summon as he eyed the target.
"We're only going to get one shot at this," Zeo said as he eyed some Coven guards doing their patrolling around the park and then to his surrogate daughter perched on Willow's head and formed an interesting idea of a plan.
"Willow, I need Rosie's help," Zeo said as he gently grabbed Grimrose and lifted her off of Willow's hair.
"Just be careful, Zeo. That's our daughter you are about to bring with you to fight a criminal," Willow warned with a small frown and glare, making Zeo slightly uncomfortable.
"I promise, she won't get in harm's way. The plan is simple; while I distract him, Grimrose shoots him with her thistles to paralyze him while you go get those Coven guards over there," Zeo said as he pointed over shoulder with the same guards from before taking a break from walking.
"Okay, let's do it," Willow said.
"Okay, Grimrose. Ready to help daddy stop a bad guy?" Zeo asked as Grimrose chirped in agreement.
"Joke Star, hide and watch my back. If things get out of control, come join the party," Zeo ordered as his clown summon clapped his hands with glee as he hopped up and down, eager to join the party as Zeo and Grimrose already following the criminal with Joke Star following his master's lead.
The Face Stealer was walking down a trail to exit the park until he heard a voice come from behind him.
"Hey, you," Zeo said, coming up from behind him, wanting to get his attention.
"Haven't I seen you somewhere before," Zeo asked, keeping him distracted.
"No," the disguised escapee answered, fearing he may have just got busted.
"Nah, I've seen your face before. I'm certain. Tell me are you an actor," Zeo asked, wanting to strike up a conversation.
"Well, maybe," the guy answered uncertainly. He feared that this stranger may have seen this face before.
"I knew it! I knew you looked familiar. I just forgot your name as all, but that doesn't matter," Zeo said as his tone became serious. "So, tell me are you going to take off that false face off or am I going to have to peel it off of your head?"
"Busted," the escapee shouted in his head.
"How did you-," the escapee asked, but Zeo just cut him.
"The guy with that exact face left the park already and I saw you take your cowl off with a similar face. So, unless you are his twin, I suggest you come clean right now because I hate people who steal other's belongings, specifically, their lives," Zeo warned as the guy just smirked and drew a big circle in front of him, between him and Zeo.
As the circle dispersed, there standing in front of Zeo was... well... Zeo.
"Now who's that good looking guy," Zeo rhetorically asks himself with a smile as Grimrose was slightly surprised at seeing her father right in front of her, despite being on Zeo's head this whole time.
"Um, you," the Face Stealer answered as Zeo just snorts with amusement.
"Thanks. It's too bad with your mindset and reputation, you'd ruin that face before you did any good with it. Speaking of which...," Zeo said as he eyed Willow bringing the Coven Guards over. "It's time for you go back to prison now," Zeo said as the Face Stealer just realized he just got played into a trap via distraction.
"Grimrose, Thistle Launch," Zeo said as Grimrose, without the need for an ability card, launched a couple of thistle thorns into the convict, one into his neck and the other in his shoulder, forcing the Face Stealer's body to seize up into a paralyzed state with his eyes open and unresponsive.
"Well, that was easier than expected, but then again, you never know about these escapees from the Conformatorium," Zeo said to himself as Joke Star jumped out of his hiding place, in a nearby tree overlooking his master as he walked over to the pruned criminal and checked his pulse. He gave a small chuckle and a thumbs up.
"That's good. He's incapacitated... with minimum collateral damage. Joke Star, return," Zeo said as the clown goes back into his card. "And good job, Grimrose, " Zeo said, taking Grimrose off his head and giving her a hug.
*chirp* "Thanks, dad," Grimrose said as she purred into the hug as Willow came over with the Coven Guards.
"He's all yours, officers... and don't worry, it's me. He managed to copy my face... but we stopped him before he could get away," Zeo said as the Coven Guards checked the guy laid in front of him and saw his false Zeo's face slowly disappeared into a white mask that covered his entire unrecognizable face. Zeo pulls out the contract flier that was posted on the board and it was a positive ID match while slowly pulling the thistles out of his neck and shoulder, so he could move later.
"Well, what do you know? The kid wasn't lying. This is the Face Stealer who got out of the Conformatorium last month," the Coven said to his buddy.
"We really need to talk to the Warden about upgrading the security at that place," the second guard told his partner as he grabbed the Face Stealer's body while the first guard took the bounty flier from Zeo and gave it a stamp saying, "Completed."
"That's what we said," Zeo and Willow said unison to the two Coven guards, who only looked at each other, then shook their heads in amusement. It was like a merry-go-around.
"Anyway, go to the nearby bank to cash in and receive your reward for the contract," the Coven Guard said as he and followed his partner to get their prisoner back under heavier security.
"Gotta say, these kids are making our jobs easier when it comes to rounding up all of these escapees," the first guard says as they walk down the street to a local precinct.
"But it never gets any easier," the second one answered back with a shrug.
"Well, another contract done. And since I'm about to get paid, how about a little family outing; you, me, and Grimrose at Applebeast's? My treat," Zeo suggested.
"Yes, please," Willow pleaded with a smile at the idea as Grimrose chirped in agreement.
Applebeast's…
After Zeo had received payment for the contract, he, Willow, and Grimrose headed to Applebeast's on the Drago-cycle.
"Alright, here we are, girls" Zeo said as they got off the bike, recalling it back into its card form.
"Hold on, Zeo," Willow said, pulling the back of his shirt, effectively stopping him at the foot of the door. "This is our first outing as a family, so I think Grimrose should be in her evolved form for this," she said, placing the botanical creature on the ground. She then pulled out the evolution card and used it to transform Grimrose into her evolved form.
"You sure about this, Mom?" Grimrose asked fluttering her wings a bit.
"Of course, dear. This is one of the few times the three of us get to spend alone as a family. Might as well make the most of it," Willow told her with usual sweet expression.
"Ok, Willow's really taking this motherly parental role a little too seriously. She does know we're only pretending to be Grimrose's parents, right?" Zeo said in his head as he looked at the pseudo mother-daughter duo with a raised eyebrow. "You ready now?" Zeo asked them.
"Ready," they both replied in unison.
The pseudo family of three then entered the restaurant and took a seat in a nearby booth. It didn't take long Viney to arrive to take their orders.
"Hey guys," Viney greeted three of them, "The usual? A burger and a side of fries?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," Zeo and Willow nodded.
"Can I get a plant-based burger?" Grimrose asked innocently while Viney stared at her with shock. "What?" she asked, confused while Zeo and Willow looked at Viney, then to Grimrose, then back to Viney, who still sporting the same shocked face.
"What's wrong, Viney? You guys don't have veggie burgers? Cause I could've sworn I saw it on the menu last time I was here with the guys," Zeo asked, bringing up guys' night.
"No, we have veggie burgers, it's just... who is this? Willow, you didn't tell me you had a twin," Viney asked in surprise, seeing double of the same plant witch in front of her.
"I don't have a twin. This is my daughter, Grimrose, in her evolved form. She just happens to look exactly like me when she evolves," Willow answered as Grimrose silently waved at Viney, showing the differences between them.
Viney almost felt her heart crack when she heard the word, "daughter" exit Willow's mouth until she said her daughter's name.
"Wait, Grimrose? That little plant creature of yours that's always on your head around school?" Viney asked.
"Yep. I grew up a bit thanks to dad's evolution card," Grimrose answered, grabbing Zeo's arm while Zeo just shook his head in amusement.
"I see. So anyway, per the usual, two regular burgers, one veggie burger with three sides of fries. Right?" Viney asked, changing and updating the order to fit the trio of family members, in which Zeo gave her a thumbs up. "Okay, then," Viney answered as she directed them to a booth for their meal. "Now, just wait here and I'll bring out your meals," Viney instructed.
"Thanks, Viney," Zeo said as the three took their seats with Zeo on left, Willow on the right and Grimrose in the middle.
Before long, Viney delivered the burgers and fries, and the three chowed down with Willow and Zeo showing, telling and teaching Grimrose basic and proper table etiquette.
The Owl House…
Late in the afternoon, Zeo pulled up to the house on his bike, stopping with a skid just inches from the front door. Funnily enough, that's when Eda, Luz and King descended from the sky on Eda's staff.
"Hey, Zee-Zee. Did you have fun today?" Eda asked as she and Luz hopped off the staff, King asleep on Eda's shoulder.
"Actually, yeah" Zeo replied as he recalled the Drago-cycle back into its card form, "I did a contract and returned a criminal to the Conformatorium, with Willow's help, and then we had lunch"
"Heh. You manage to have adventures no matter who you're with, huh?" Eda said, ruffling his hair as she walked past him.
"So, how'd your training go, Luz?" Zeo asked his girlfriend as they stepped through the door.
"It actually went pretty well. My glyphs have gotten stronger, especially the ice glyph" Luz informed him.
"That's good. That's means you be able to defend yourself better when you're on another quest where I'm not around and you can't merge with Luzura" Zeo replied.
"Yeah, but for now…" Luz hugged him from behind, stopping him on the spot, "I could use a little fun of my own"
Zeo looked over his shoulder, seeing her give him that look. The summoner chuckled at what was next to come.
Alright, that's the end of this chapter. This chapter was co-written with Clock King 10. There was going to be more with the Zeo and Willow part of the chapter, but I'll be saving that for the one-shot collection. Funny how I was able to post this chapter a day before Season 2B comes out
Next chapter will be an adaptation of the episode Wing It Like Witches.
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