Chapter 8
Blade and Nagi stepped out of the limousine. Only an hour prior Blade was discharged from the hospital.
"Master Shadow asked that I await your return. Collect what you need for the day." Codsworth spoke calmly.
"Thanks Codsworth, we'll be quick." Blade nodded as the two ran to their apartment.
"Hope Dad isn't here." Nagi said as she opened the door.
Shard was sitting in the kitchen looking over both the battle club permission slips. "Oh, good, you're both back," she waved them over, "Blade, one of your friends came by yesterday asking if you would join the battle club, I was waiting to sign it until after I talked to you."
"Oh, uh, well I guess yeah, that would be pretty cool. But uhh…"
"Don't worry sweetie, I called the academy about it when your friend gave me the slip, you can attend two clubs at the same time, you just have to keep the club presidents up to date on if you'll be attending or not." Shard spoke softly.
"You're already in a club?" Nagi asked.
"Umm…" Blade blushed, "yeah, I'm in the dance club…"
"That explains why we couldn't find you on club days. Didn't know you were in a club." Nagi seemed surprised.
"Well, here you both go then." Shard held the two slips of paper out, having just signed them. "I hope you both have…"
"What the hell is this!?" Cleave practically stampeded through the door, snatching the permission slip from Blade's hands. "You trying to fight someone boy?!"
They all seemed suddenly paralyzed with fear. Blade most of all, found himself frozen in place.
Cleave made a motion to tear it in half but stumbled back suddenly dropping it. His face filled with rage he glanced down, Nagi had sunk her fangs into his arm. Cleave shook her off, slapping her across the face, before abruptly grabbing Blade by his neck and slamming him into the wall. "Explain yourself, faggot."
Blade felt his mouth go dry as tears immediately welled up in his eyes. He didn't know how to respond, his mind couldn't.
Shard suddenly shoved Cleave. "That is enough, I'm not letting you hurt our kids anymore! Kids, outside, now!"
As Blade went to rush by, Cleave reached out, cutting the back of his neck as he ran. Within moments they rushed out the door and to the limousine, as the door opened they saw Shadow waiting for them. They climbed inside quickly.
"Ah, my dear, I see you are…" Shadow began as he pulled Blade close. He caressed the sneasel's head, his claws hand brushing his fresh wound.
"Ouch…" Blade reeled.
Shadow pulled away sniffing the air, then pulling his hand back. Blood, Blade's blood, was covering his palm.
In the blink of an eye Shadow was outside the limo and in front of the apartment building, the only thing preventing him from entering was Codsworth. The lucario had moved with equally blinding speed.
"Step, aside, now."
"Master Shadow, control yourself."
"I am going to tear his throat out through his ass!" Shadow tried to move past the fighting type.
"Master Shadow," Codsworth spoke again. "Do not waste your energy on him."
"Move. Now." The Darkrai seemed to radiate an intense cold and terror.
But the lucario before him was unaffected. "Shadow!" Codsworth spoke with surprising authority, giving the Darkrai pause. "Blade needs you, more than his father needs your ire."
Shadow bowed his head. "Yes, you are right. Thank you Codsworth. Your counsel, as usual, is invaluable." Shadow stood in front of him silently. "I am not letting Blade stay here any longer. Would you kindly retrieve Blade's belongings, and offer his mother a place with us as well."
"Of course master Shadow." Codsworth turned. "And what if the young lady?" He pointed behind Shadow, Nagi was standing there.
"I uh, I'll help him get Blade's stuff."
"Collect your own as well." Shadow spoke. "If you mean what you have claimed, that you do care for him, I will not leave you here either." Shadow turned back to Codsworth.
Nagi nodded and stepped past him, "this way."
"Master Shadow?"
"Go, I have a call to make." Shadow looked over the building as he took his phone out. "And Codsworth, do not hesitate to hurt Cleave." The darkrai straightened his suit as he returned to the limousine, sitting beside Blade.
The sneasel practically dove into his arms. "I was so scared…"
"I know, but you need not be afraid any more. You will never have to see him again." The darkrai held him close. "I am inviting you formally, to live with me."
"But, what about…"
"I have extended the same invitation to your mother and Nagi."
"Well, I'd like that…" Blade sounded more comfortable now, nestling close to Shadow.
"As would I love." Shadow hugged him close, and a strange energy enveloped them, emanating from Shadow. The glow was a light red, and as it surrounded them, Blade felt his fresh wound sealing away.
"Woah…" just as quickly as it began, it ended. "What was that?!"
"I do not know. It looked reminiscent of aura. I have only seen Pyre and Codsworth utilize it however." Shadow held him close. "At any rate, rest now love," Shadow typed a number into his phone after finding it. "I will simply be making a rather boring call."
*Iceson Residence*
The moment Codsworth stepped through the door Cleave lunged at him, only to very abruptly be slammed head first into the ground by a single swift kick.
"Madame Shard," he stepped over Cleave. "Master Shadow has extended an invitation of residency to you and young lady Nagi, as well as young master Blade."
"What?"
"Shadow invited us to live at his place, away from him." Nagi practically spat at Cleave. "I'm helping grab Blade's stuff and mine, cause I'm not staying here anymore either."
"What?!" Cleave shot back to his feet and lunged at Nagi, only to suddenly cough and splutter. Codsworth had jabbed him carefully in the throat.
"Please collect whatever belongings you require, we will be departing soon." Codsworth nodded as Nagi led him into Blade's room.
"He wasn't allowed to have much, buuuuut," she slipped under Blade's bed. "All his important stuff is in here." She pulled a box out. "We teased him about it, but I've never actually looked inside. I'll put however much of his clothes in here as I can."
"Then collect your belongings. If you will excuse me." Codsworth stepped out of the room to catch Cleave by his head crest. The weavile was thrashing trying to slash Shard. Codsworth tossed him into one of the spare rooms.
Moments later Shard and Nagi rushed out the door clutching several boxes close to them.
"I will not let some stuck up Darkrai and his lapdog take my shit from me!" Cleave stepped back into the main area of the apartment only to see Codsworth shutting the door.
Cleave felt a thrill of fear shoot up his spine, the elderly lucario was glaring and ready to fight, like a parent protecting their children.
Codsworth took his time locking the door, seeing it had multiple locks. "Manners." The first lock closed. "Maketh." The second lock followed suit. "Mon." the fighting type straightened the sleeves of his shirt, and adjusted the vest he was wearing.
Cleave rushed forward, slashing upward with one claw and sweeping down with the other.
Codsworth lifted one leg, slamming it down, pushing Cleave's sweeping claw to the ground as he simply caught the other. In an immaculate show of balance and skil, Codsworth stood on one leg, keeping Cleave's claw pinned, and kicked him in the face three times. Then he stepped back and released the weavile.
Cleave shook his head, it was spinning from the surprisingly powerful kicks. He stepped forward slowly, before twisting his body and spinning like a top, trying to push the aged Lucario back.
Codsworth simply reached out and lifted Cleave by the head vrest again.
"Childish moves, for a childish man." In a blindingly fast motion, Codsworth let go, and slammed his free paw into Cleave's gut sending him tumbling back.
Rhe weavile rushed forth again closing the distance immediately and growling at the Lucario. Codsworth simply held out one paw touching two of the digits to Cleave's chest. The ice/dark type was confused for only a moment. The fighting type made a fist and thrust it forward, despite the short distance from his digits to Cleave's chest the impact knocked the air out of the weavile.
And with that, Codsworth straightend himself out, unlocked the door, and calmly walked outside.
As he slowly approached the limousine Cleave stumbled out the door. "You can't take my family! And attack me! In my own home!"
Codsworth looked through the window and saw Shadow nod. The Lucario smirked turning back and stroking his beard fur. "I did no such thing. I am afraid you were trespassing on private property, and assaulting residence and workers alike."
"What in the distortion world are you on about?!"
Shadow stepped out of the vehicle. "As of five minutes ago, this apartment building is property of the Nightshade family. Is it not incredible how quickly wealth can expedite something like that?" the Darkrai too smirked. "You are not welcome here, you are trespassing. And," he seemed to blink away only to appear in front of Cleave. "As of one minute ago," he let out a dark chuckle as he teleported back to the limousine.
Before Cleave knew what hit him he was tackled to the ground by several police officers. One of them being Ember Igni. "Cleave Iceson, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you do not have an attorney one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you?"
Shadow and Codsworth took their seats inside the limousine. "Let's get you all settled in at the manor. Take us home Codsworth."
"Certainly sir." The Lucario did as instructed and started the vehicle, driving away, to Nightshade Manor.