Chapter 12 - Spiritual Discussion

Cassie

I was still glaring at Vic with all the anger I could muster as he started to walk over. I had woken up at around one in the morning to get a glass of water and use the bathroom and I saw that he wasn't there. I had immediately contacted Fujin and he too didn't know where Vic was but suggested I come over for safety. I did so and he and I used every resource we could in order to find Vic. That was when his sister called me just a few minutes before Vic's other Uncle, Raiden, brought him home.

"CASSIE!" Kimi shouted when I picked up the phone.

"Yes," I had answered. "Jeez Kim, you're lucky I'm already awake looking for your stupid brother who I love." I had intended for her to question that statement but instead I was hit with quite the deviation.

"I know where he is," Kimi said angrily. "Kabal just told me Vic viciously attacked him when he got home from work! Apparently our uncle Raiden stopped Vic from actually wounding him!"

"Excuse me, he did what?!" I exclaimed loudly. That's the point where Raiden had knocked on the door and brought Vic inside.

"I'll make him call you later Kim. Raiden just brought the moron home," I said through gritted teeth. I was so angry at him right now I could barely function! I knew it! I knew he was out chasing that cult on his own! That moron! What if I actually fucking lost him this time?!

"Cass, give him a punch for me…those poor kids," Kimi muttered before I hung up. That made me even angrier at him. He had interrogated a man in front of his family?! WHY?! I silently walked over during Vic's rant about his mom and stood there waiting for my moment. I didn't have to do anything because the spirit of Mrs. Harris appeared in front of me. I let out a small gasp when I recognized her. She was wearing her almost trademarked red flannel and jeans. Plus that radiant smile. She looked at me and then motioned to her son. I nodded. Oh he would get more than just a stern talking to, that fucking…IDIOT!

Now, back to current events. Vic stopped in front of me and sort of looked at the ground.

"Up here dumbass," I growled. Vic moved his face towards me.

"What the fuckshit is the matter with you!" I shouted.

"Nothing," Vic muttered. Typical.

"STOP LYING TO ME," I shouted back and grabbed his jacket. He didn't object.

"You don't get it," he muttered again and tried to shove my hands away. I held on. I even summoned a Shadow Cassie…but this one was colored red this time. Damn, I must be really, really mad on the inside too. I silently commanded the Shadow Cassie to stand behind my dumbass boyfriend who I still loved and stop him if he attempted to run away.

"WHAT?! WHAT DON'T I GET VIC!" I shouted again. "THAT THERE'S A VIOLENT CULT OUT THERE THAT WANTS YOU DEAD?! AND YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD WAGE A ONE MAN ARMY AGAINST IT?!"

"IS YOUR MOTHER DEAD CASS?!" Vic shouted at me. "IS SHE?!" Oh…oh no…This…this might be why. He wanted to get revenge for what happened to her now that he knows who actually did it.

"No," I began but I was cut off.

"THEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON WHO KILLED YOUR FAMILY IS STILL OUT THERE!" Vic shouted. "EVERY. FUCKING. NIGHT. I SEE HIS FACE. I SEE HOW HE KILLED MY DAD! I SEE HOW HE NEARLY BEAT MY MOM TO DEATH! HOW SHE HAD TO KILL HERSELF TO STOP HIM! AND YET HE'S STILL FUCKING ALIVE! HE'S THE REASON I DON'T HAVE ANY PARENTS!" I could see him breathing heavily and I knew he was on the verge of tears. Something I haven't seen him do since we watched a movie where Superman died at the end of it. Vic loved Superman as a kid according to Kimi. He was even wearing a Superman shirt when I first met him. Right now however, Vic was not understanding that he needed us.

"WHAT PART OF WE WANT TO HELP YOU ARE YOU NOT GETTING?!" I yelled back. "I WANT TO AVENGE YOUR PARENTS AS MUCH AS YOU DO! I LOVED THEM! LAUREN AND DANTE WERE LIKE MY SECOND SET OF PARENTS!"

"THAT'S THE PROBLEM!" Vic shouted back. "I NEVER WANTED YOU INVOLVED! YOU ARE LITERALLY THE ONLY GIRL I HAVE EVER LOVED! I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH MYSELF IF WHAT HAPPENED TO JACQUI…happened again…to you…or Kimi…or Fujin…or anyone else I care about," Vic's anger went away when he said that last part. I could see the tears now. He had gone through so much.

"Cass…It's not fair…" he said and wiped his eyes. "Why does he get to be alive but not my parents? All my mom did…was love me, Kimi and my dad unconditionally…" Seeing him start to cry made me lose it too. I was mad at him yes…but that was because I loved him so fucking much and I didn't want to actually watch him die. I let go of his jacket and gently wrapped my arms around him and he lost it. For the first time in years. Probably since he saw the bodies of his dead parents. He needed compassion from more than just his family and I was more than willing to give it to him. Over his shoulder, I could see Fujin and Raiden standing there…next to Lauren and Dante. Vic's dad. Vic inherited more of his father's genes in terms of looks except I remember Dante having brown eyes alongside a full beard and red hair. Vic had his mom's blue eyes and brown colored hair. Dante's arm was on his wife's shoulder. Dante gestured to me. I knew what he meant. Vic always liked to hear he was loved and worth something. There was a teacher we had in middle school that essentially told him he was worthless and that destroyed him for months. I witnessed what turned out to be the final exchange between them and Vic and got detention for defending Vic. Most of that class did honestly. That teacher was a prick. Vic had even waited outside for me afterwards and then got root beer floats that afternoon. You should have seen Lauren's face when Vic admitted that to her when we got to his house. The teacher was fired following Lauren's tirade against them. The whole school heard her shout "YOU DO NOT CALL MY SON WORTHLESS. YOU HAVE FAILED AS A TEACHER!" I also remember glaring at people who tried to make fun of him for getting his mom involved. Vic was worth something. He was worth everything to me. I took his wet face between my hands.

"Listen to me," I said through my own crying. "I can't lose you again. Not again. I won't do it. You don't realize how happy I was when you saved me on my birthday. It was the best present I could have asked for. I'm so glad you're safe now. You are so loved. You mean everything to me." I kissed the top of his forehead.

"Cass," Vic began but I stopped him by pressing my finger to his lips. I turned him to face his family. I heard him gasp when he saw his mom again. She had her radiant smile across her lips.

"Look at them," I instructed. "Your uncles. Your mother's brothers. They want to stop the cult as much as you do. I know you can see your parents too." Both Raiden and Fujin nodded. Lauren and Dante smiled over at their son.

"But…Jarek," Vic began again but I kissed him on the cheek softly and took his shaking hands in my own.

"Don't be Thrash tonight. Be Victor Harris," I told him softly. "Be my Victor Harris."

"Right…right…" Vic said before he pulled his hands away from mine. "I'm…I'm a monster. I'll…I'll…" Pretty much everyone in the room objected to this. Even the spirits of his parents.

"No you aren't," I said firmly and grabbed his hands again.

"I'm no better than him for what I did," Vic said and averted his gaze from mine. "I traumatized those kids by attacking their father. I intended to kill him."

"Vic, you were going to miss him by a mile with that sword. He was ready to parry before I intervened," Raiden began. "Take it from Fujin and I when I say that if one of us perished, Hikari would have done the same thing. She would not have rested until our hypothetical killer was brought to justice. Imagine what she would have done if her sweet boy was taken away from her." Raiden glanced at Lauren who nodded in appreciation. Raiden had a point. If Vic was the one that died in that attack, Lauren's rage would have been legendary.

"I just finished speaking with Officer Kabal," Fujin added. "He understood where you were coming from. His past looks rather shady but he can assure you he's a good person. His wife and kids are a little scared of you, yes, but Kabal and Kurtis have spoken highly of you ever since you revealed yourself as Thrash. You didn't damage anything that couldn't be easily fixed. I can tell you that Kabal assisted me in arresting Jarek. Gained him a promotion too."

"He…he doesn't hate me?" Vic asked. "Do…any of you?" I took his face in my hands again.

"Nobody in this room hates you," I stated. "We love you. You may have given Raiden a bad first impression though."

"Not true Miss Cage," Raiden said and smiled. "I remember him when he was a little one. Called me 'Way-den' and liked it whenever I pranked his dad." I watched Dante's spirit roll his eyes and Lauren laugh behind her hand. I smiled when I pictured that interaction.

"Oh yes," Fujin added and chuckled. "Dante fell for the 'joy buzzer' move every time didn't he?" Raiden nodded and I saw Dante roll his eyes again. Vic still didn't look convinced that he wasn't a monster. I knew what he was about to do. He turned to his parents.

"Am…am I a monster?" he asked. As I expected, Lauren floated over to him and "kissed" her son on the forehead and shook her head. Then she did the gesture she had started doing when Vic hit high school age. One hand over her heart and the other over that hand. It was her way of telling Vic she loved him without actually saying it out loud.

"Mama…" he said softly and started crying silently again. Then Lauren and Dante faded away.

"No…" Vic whispered. "Come back. Please…" I hugged him tightly. I felt him hug me back…with almost the same amount of energy he would have if I was his mom. I'll take it. I knew no one would ever love Victor Harris more than his mother. I love him more than Kimi does though. I'll fight her on that one.

"Come on sweetie," I said. "Let's go to bed." Vic looked up at me when I called him sweetie. I knew he loved that. He still motioned toward the couch though. Yeah right.

"Not on your life sport," I responded and began to lead him upstairs.

"Guest room is across from Vic's," Fujin said and walked in the direction of his bedroom.

"Fantastic," Raiden said and followed us upstairs. "Vic, I can assist you with controlling the rage inside you. I too learned from the Shirai Ryu for a few years. We can discuss it in the morning." Vic nodded and watched his uncle go into the spare bedroom on the top floor.

"Ahh, good. Lord Liu Kang decided to send over my belongings!" Raiden said as the door closed.

Vic and I walked into his bedroom and I helped him undress. He stood there in his undershirt and…Batman symbol boxers. Dork. But still, he needed me now more than ever.

"Come on," I said and tugged on his hand. He laid down on his side of the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Are…you angry," he asked in a small voice.

"I was," I answered. "But not anymore. Double promise." I took his hand and kissed it. Vic sat up quickly which startled me a little.

"Kimi!" he said. I eased him back down on the bed.

"Fujin most likely took care of it," I said. "Vic, please please go to sleep. You are exhausted." I watched him close his eyes and drift off to sleep. Before I did so myself, I decided that I needed to find a way for Vic to actually converse with his mom. He could benefit with her guidance.

The Next Morning.

Despite having quite the hectic night, I managed to get some good sleep…until I woke up and saw that Vic wasn't there. Fuck. I swear to GOD, if he waited until I was asleep to go out again…this time I wouldn't be so forgiving. I decided to check my phone first which turned out to be the best idea. Because I have a message from both Fujin and Vic. Fujin's read "Vic's in the house. He's with Raiden at the moment," and Vic's read "With my uncle downstairs, I just finished making you breakfast." Both messages were timestamped about 5 minutes ago. Huh…lucky timing I guess. Also…he made me breakfast?! What a sweetheart. He must think I'm incredibly angry at him. I mean…kinda? I'm way more happy that he'd been found by Raiden last night. You know speaking of Raiden, I wonder if he or Fujin knew someone who could talk to spirits. I mean, it's not the weirdest thing that could exist at the moment. I got out of Vic's bed and put on one of his old hoodies. It still smelled like him too. It felt that he was right there hugging me at all times. I sent a few messages to Kimi and my dad on the way downstairs basically telling them that Vic was still home.

I turned the corner into the kitchen to see Fujin sitting there listening to music on his phone and reading. There was another plate on the table. Piled high with one of my all time favorite breakfasts. Cinnamon french toast with strawberries and a side of bacon. I smiled and sat down at the table. Before Fujin realized I was there, I could hear the song he was listening to. It sounded like…what's that band with the 17 minute songs? Dream Theater? Yes. That sounds right. I knew that guitar riff. Count of Tuscany I believe. Fujin looked up when I sat down. He smiled down at the breakfast Vic had made for me.

"He informed me it was your favorite," Fujin said. "He made it. Don't get the wrong idea. Also don't worry, he's currently with Raiden downstairs."

"Does Raiden intend to stay?" I asked while chewing on some bacon. That too was perfect. A combination of not too crispy and not too chewy. Fujin nodded.

"We could use the assistance honestly," Fujin stated. "He and I intend to do some more recon of the area. Plus, I want to have a meeting with that Taven guy too. He seems to have the best morals of those Red Dragon guys. I do remember Hikari telling me about them. It was around that time she started to question Jarek's real intentions."

"Did…did Jarek…ever…" I began before Fujin held up a hand.

"To my knowledge, he tried to. But Hikari is a more gifted fighter than he was," Fujin explained. "I believe he also wanted to retain his non-existent honor. As soon as he laid an aggressive hand on her, the relationship was over. That's when she found me."

"Damn…Vic's mom really lucked out when she met his dad," I said and took a bite of the french toast. The taste? Heaven.

"Indeed," Fujin said. "Never seen her that happy before. How did you sleep?"

"Good honestly," I answered. "How did Vic look this morning?"

"You know, I expected him to look exhausted but he looked well rested," Fujin answered. "Did you perhaps cuddle with him affectionately?" I nodded and Fujin smiled. Then I remembered what I wanted to ask either him or Raiden.

"Hey weird question. Do you happen to know anyone that can speak to spirits? Or something like that?" I asked. Fujin frowned slightly.

"I think I have honestly," he said. "Other than those false psychics I see from time to time. Have you ever heard of the Matoka Tribe?" It was my turn to frown.

"They might have come up once or twice in history class," I answered. "I thought they were…well wiped out."

"I don't think so. There's a reservation a town or two over," Fujin said.

"Are we even allowed to go on private land like that?" I asked. I had finished most of my amazing breakfast at this point.

"Good point," Fujin said.

"There is a local restaurant near that reservation where there's always a healthy smattering of Matoka people inside," Raiden's voice answered. I turned to see him and Vic standing there. He was averting his gaze from me at the moment. I got up and gave Vic a hug and kiss.

"Thank you for breakfast," I whispered. I saw him smile.

"Vic's made some good progress so far, but I felt that it was time for a small break," Raiden said.

"Yeah ok, you just need a minute to nurse the neon infused sword slash I gave you," Vic said. Raiden looked over at him. I did catch Raiden's small wince and his hand jerked towards his leg.

"Hurts doesn't it brother," Fujin said and smirked. "I had a glowing cut on my forearm for days at one point. Here, let me show you how I have learned to treat it."

"Oh good, then you could also tell me who this Suchin person is," Raiden added. Fujin shot a glance at Vic who was standing there with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"Pay. Back," Vic said simply. Fujin and Raiden walked off leaving me with Vic. He still wasn't fully looking at me.

"Hey big guy," I said. "What's the matter?" He finally looked at me.

"I'm…I'm…You think I'm weak don't you?" he muttered. Fucking huh? Where the hell did he get that idea?

"Elaborate," I said and folded my arms.

"I…cried," he muttered. "Like a baby…" I rolled my eyes. This crap again. Remember when I said we watched that movie where Superman died? He was ashamed then too. No idea why. His dad was never hard on him for being soft. He often called Vic a doofus in an affectionate manner.

"And? Men cry Vic," I said. "Especially when they lose people as important to them as their parents. I've seen my own dad cry when he took me to a father daughter dance once. You think I'm going to use that against you in the future? Come on, I'm not a teenager. Plus, did I do that to you in the past?"

"...No," Vic answered.

"Then why would I do it now," I said and gave him a long kiss. I could tell that he could taste the cinnamon and strawberries because I heard him exhale and let out a little moan.

"I love you," I said to him after pulling away. "So much. You understand? It's you and me until the end." I took his hand in mine. Vic gave me a smile.

"I love you too," he said. "Am I coming with you to this Makota restaurant?"

Later that Evening. At The Coyote Grill and Pub.

Vic and I arrived in the brightly lit interior of the Coyote Grill and Pub and took seats at the bar. He and I ordered drinks and looked around the area.

"Why are we here again?" Vic asked and took off his sunglasses.

"I want to see if there's someone here that can help you actually speak with your mom," I answered.

"You do realize I can speak with my mom at the graveyard right?" Vic responded. I rolled my eyes.

"Not like that genius," I said. "Like speak with her spirit we see from time to time." Vic stared at me.

"You saw her again after I went to sleep didn't you," I asked him. "After going to the bathroom or something?" He nodded.

"She…motioned to you. And I took that as 'don't lose her again'," he said. I smiled.

"It's going to take more than you waging a one man war on a cult to make me leave you," I whispered to him as our drinks arrived. The bartender was a Native American woman with a friendly smile.

"Sorry to eavesdrop, but I heard you were looking for someone to help you speak with spirits?" she said in a friendly voice. Vic said nothing but I answered.

"Yes," I said. "Do you know anyone that can help us?" The bartender smiled sweetly.

"I do," she said. "My daughter Blue Sky. Although she goes by another name now. Her late father bestowed it onto her when he passed."

"Oh my," I said. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," the bartender replied. "My husband, Grey Cloud, was a fierce and proud Matokan warrior. He died defending our lands from a female invader with an odd dragon medallion about 3 years ago now."

"Was this invader a red head," Vic asked. The bartender nodded.

"Kira I believe I heard her name was," she said and inhaled sharply. "She had a small group of followers with her. Grey Cloud and Blue Sky drove them back, but my husband succumbed to his wounds weeks later." Vic was about to mention how Fujin killed her in retaliation but I stopped him.

"What is your daughter's name now ma'am," I asked. "Can we speak to her?" The bartender smiled.

"Yes, you can. She's right over there," she said and gestured behind us. At another table sat a woman a little older than Vic and I enjoying her lunch. She was wearing a black sleeveless top with gray buttons. Her slender and muscular stomach was exposed under it. The blue jeans she was wearing had a red stripe going up the outside of her legs. An arrowhead necklace was hanging from her neck. Her face was painted with red and black warpaint that mainly covered her eyes and cheeks. Finally, she had a headband on her head with two white and red feathers attached to it. The woman looked over at Vic and I and gave us a friendly grin.

The bartender said "Her name…is Nightwolf."

At Nightwolf's Personal Camp

Nightwolf led Vic and I to her personal camp out in the woods nearby. She was very friendly but she still wasn't someone I wanted as my enemy.

"Who did you lose," Nightwolf asked as we walked.

"My…my parents," Vic answered. Nightwolf gave him a friendly smile.

"You and I have a lot in common then," she said. Easy there girlfriend. He's mine.

"Mine…were victims of murder," Vic said.

"Oh my," Nighwolf said. "Did you witness it?"

"No, but I've been told about it. My dad was killed but my mom managed to morally wound his killer before sacrificing herself," Vic answered.

"I understand why you would want some closure. Those who we truly loved are never gone from our hearts. My father Grey Cloud is always with me. Guiding me in every decision. Ahh here we are," Nightwolf said. We came upon a small campsite where a tent was set up alongside a small fire pit made of rocks.

"Give me one second," Nightwolf said. She reached behind her and pulled out a tomahawk made entirely of green energy. She held it up in the air, said something in her native tongue and hurled it at the fire pit where the wood ignited in green flames.

"Whoa," Vic said. "Cool." Nightwolf smiled at him and offered him her hand. He hesitated.

"I need to get in tune with your spiritual energy…Vic is it?" she asked me. I nodded.

"Yes," I answered. Nightwolf nodded once at me. Vic took her hand. Nightwolf placed her other hand over it and chanted in her native tongue again. Vic kind of stood there stupidly as she did so. After a few minutes, she let go of Vic's hand still with her smile across her face.

"You truly loved your parents didn't you? Especially Lauren," Nighwolf said. Vic gasped.

"How did you…" he began. Nightwolf held up her hand.

"Call her," she said. "She will answer." Vic looked around the area bathed in green flickering flames.

"Mom…" he whispered. In an instant the spirit of Lauren Harris appeared. She had a green tinge to her this time but I think that was Nighwolf's doing. She looked the same as she did last night when I saw her. Then…then Lauren actually spoke.

"Hello my sweet boy," she said with a slight ethereal echo. Vic almost lost it. It was the first time he actually heard his mom speak in over ten years. I couldn't imagine what was going through his mind right now. Especially because she called him her "sweet boy." I'll admit, I got a bit choked up too when I heard Lauren speak. Vic held up his hand and Lauren copied him. She pressed her transparent hand against his.

"Mom…Mom…I'm sorry," Vic stammered in a shaky voice. "I got so angry. You're ashamed of me."

"No I'm not," Lauren answered. "I've never been ashamed of you. You were just misguided."

"Mom…I wanted to kill Kabal…" Vic admitted.

"I know my sweet boy. But as Raiden told you, you weren't going to. Even if your attack connected," she said.

"I'm still a monster. I'm no better than Jarek," Vic said. Nightwolf reacted to hearing Jarek's name. I saw her clench her fist in anger.

"My sweet boy is not a monster," Lauren stated firmly. "You never ever tried to lay an aggressive hand on Cassie have you? I saw how you saved her without a moment's hesitation." I inhaled sharply when Lauren mentioned my name.

"Fujin was right then," I muttered. Lauren turned to me and nodded.

"Why...why did you date him," Vic asked. "Why?"

"I was young and foolish too, my sweet boy," Lauren said. "Everybody makes poor mistakes when they are blinded by lust."

"Why did you never tell me Raiden and Fujin were my uncles," Vic asked. "Why did you not speak for many years?"

"I wanted you to grow up as a normal boy. I knew about your powers as soon as you were born," Lauren explained. "As for not talking to my brothers, Jarek forbade me from doing so as soon as we reached America. Me being a foolish young woman listened to his lies about them hating me forever. When I saw Fujin approaching me one night, I completely broke down in front of him and he forgave me at once. We were on speaking terms while you and Kimi were kids, they just kept their distance with Raiden and the White Lotus and Fujin studying various martial arts from around the world. Think my sweet boy, they have been there for most of the big moments in your life." I watched Vic go through parts of his life mentally and watched as he realized that Raiden and or Fujin had seen something significant happen to him. Meanwhile, JAREK! That son of a fucking bitch! Ordering Lauren around like that!

"I want you to listen to what Fujin and Raiden are saying to you Victor," Lauren continued. "They are your allies. They are your family. Kimi is your family. Kurtis is like a brother to you. Cassie will follow you to the end of the Earth. They want to help you take down the cult and Jarek. You need them." Nightwolf caught my eye and pointed at her wrist. Apparently, this only worked for a limited time.

"I…I miss you," Vic said to Lauren and tried to hug her. His arms went right through her. That must kill him internally. Not being able to hug his mom.

"I miss you too my sweet boy," Lauren said and started to fade away again. "But I am always with you." In a blink, she was gone.

Vic stared at the spot where his mother had just vacated for a few moments. Then he walked over to me and gave me a hug.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," both Nightwolf and I said. Nightwolf now had a blue spirit wolf next to her. The wolf walked over to both Vic and I. I was frozen in fear to be honest but the wolf seemed friendly. It sniffed Vic's pants, wagged its tail and nuzzled Vic's hand. Vic awkwardly started to pet the wolf.

"Kiba likes you Vic," Nightwolf said. "He can sense the warrior within you. As for you Cassie." Nightwolf pointed to a spot next to me. I turned to see another spirit animal there. This time it was a panther. The panther sniffed my hand, meowed like a cat and rubbed its nose against my pants.

"Xota senses your compassion as well as your loyalty to the ones you love," Nighwolf said. "She has never been wrong."

"What do you think of this guy Xota," I asked the panther. Xota looked at Vic, growled playfully and then rolled onto her back. Vic crouched down to rub her belly and Xota playfully batted at Vic's hands. Kiba meanwhile had walked back over and was sitting next to Nightwolf.

"I would like to join your crusade to end the Black Dragon if you were to have me," she said to both Vic and I. "They have been a constant threat to our lands for many years in the past. Trying to dig up any relics about this being called 'Onaga' as if we had any deity with that name that we worshiped."

"Sure," Vic said. "I can get you in touch with my uncles."

"Is your uncle Raiden the same one that Lord Liu Kang chose as Earthrealm's champion against Outworld?" Nighwolf asked excitedly. "I've heard about him many times."

"Yes," Vic said. "Welcome aboard the Anti Black Dragon Cult Association." Vic held out his hand which Nighwolf shook. Kiba howled. Vic looked over at me and I smiled warmly at him. Finally, he was seeing the value of having people help him.

And, he got to speak with his mom for the first time in ten years. She had firmly stated he wasn't a monster and I know he took her words to heart. Just like I knew he would.