Chapter 31
Disclaimer: I do not own the song, I am All of Me.
Author's note: I'm surprised I didn't use it sooner honestly. I will be changing lines of it so it's not just one to one.
Days had passed, and the three villains had found themselves in an argument.
"Shut your mouth before I rend it from your goo covered face!"
"Don't get snippy with me Jack, you're the one who failed to capture the boy." Naraku chuckled.
"Enough, both of you." The lich added reaching his arms into his glowing well of power.
"Perhaps we would have better luck if you assisted us." Jack pointed out.
"He's too busy. He is the one preparing the spell after all." Naraku spoke again. "Perhaps you shouldn't make excuses."
Just as the masked Bisharp stepped forward ready to attack a green circle appeared between them. Within the circle was a view of Blade surrounded by his friends.
"Bickering will do you no good, least of all now that they are all together again."
"He's right." Jack smirked beneath his pale mask. "I shall fix this, and finish what I started."
"And what would that be?"
"Each time that darkrai entered a mind I inhabited, I left anchors within his mind, even if my physical body dies now, I'll simply force my mask upon his, and grow more powerful than ever." Jack let out a maniacal laugh and teleported out of the chamber.
*With Blade*
"So why haven't we left yet?" The sneasel looked up at Shadow. "We got Ivy back, shouldn't we head home?"
Shadow looked down at him, the sneasel looked rather cute in the hoodie he was wearing. "No, we are not leaving until Jack of Blades is dealt with."
"I'm guessing you've got a plan for that then?" Rai asked, stretching to test his now recovered body.
"As a matter of fact I do. Something he said when we met stuck with me. He knows everything that happens in his city. So we need to bait a trap." He looked to Blade. "In court, he tried to take you. I cannot say why, but if he wanted you once, I am certain he will try again."
Normally being used as bait would be a problem for anyone, but the sneasel nodded. "Okay then, I'll be the bait. That jerk is going down."
"Good, I already have a plan to keep him from escaping. And if need be, I possess a trump card." Shadow spoke confidently. "Jack of Blades ends tonight." He beckoned the others close.
*Later That Night*
Blade sat alone in the Mcdandy's, a rather unassuming place for an ambush, but it served it's purpose.
The workers had left, and as far as could be seen Blade was truly alone. And Jack appeared before him.
"All alone, that lover of yours is smart to use you as bait, but it's a mistake." Jack raised his hand as that crossbow appeared in his grasp.
"I'm not scared of the pussy who keeps running." Blade spat the words. "And I'm not alone!"
Glass shattered beside them and the projectile weapon was sent flying from his hand. Standing between them, was Rai. "Sup."
"Hahaha, You really have a death wish don't you hero?"
As the masked being lunged, Rai jumped, landing gracefully on his attacker's now outstretched arm. "You caught me off guard last time. This time, I'm ready for you. Blade, run!"
The sneasel jumped toward the window only to be kicked in the face and sent against the floor.
Rai jumped and slammed both feet into Jack's torso, drop-kicking him back. A wave of energy sealed the room, trapping them inside with him. "Nowhere to run, hero." Jack rushed forth, letting off a flurry of slashes with his sharp hands. Rai weaved and slipped by several attacks, but couldn't avoid them all, he still wasn't up to a hundred percent again yet. His left leg and right arm were cut, slowing him down greatly.
Rai stumbled back, standing between Jack and Blade. The masked figure loomed over the raichu preparing to strike, only to suddenly be sent flying into a support beam. Looking up, a pangoro had managed to hit him. Russ was there to assist his boyfriend.
The raichu stretched and stood beside the pangoro before bolting forward. Jack reacted fast enough to side step the mega kick that landed where he had been. And he retaliated with a slash, but Rai managed to twist his body in mid air, narrowly avoiding it. And it happened, Russ slammed the bisharp into the beam again.
Jack retaliated by lunging at the pangoro, only to get kneed in the face by Rai. He turned to swing at the raichu, but was slammed into the beam by two hard hitting punches from Russ, nearly embedding him into the support. He pulled himself off the support and immediately lost balance. Rai had yanked his leg from under him with his tail, and Russ punched him square in the face, leaving a small crack on his mask.
"Enough!" A sudden wave of dark energy sent the two flying back, with Russ catching and covering Rai as they hit the ground.
Before he could make another move, heat spilled over his body from a gut punch, looking down, Pyre, when did he get there? How had he not noticed them. Jack stumbled against the support and tried to teleport only to slam into the ceiling.
"You cannot escape any longer." Shadow spoke revealing a veil of dark energy emanating from him. "Teleport is a psychic move, psychic moves have no effect on dark types. By projecting this veil, teleportation is impossible."
"You haven't joined in yet, so I'm guessing," Jack slammed Pyre face first into the ground. "You need to focus to hold that barrier up."
Jack made his move slashing at Shadow. But the darkrai simply dodged the attacks with ease. "Pyre, do get up, this is tiresome."
The charmander jumped, slamming his tail against the back of Jack's head. The masked bisharp spun around kicking the charmander only to suddenly tumble to the ground. He hadn't noticed that Rai had jumped back into the fight, sliding under him to knock his legs out from under him.
Jack shielded his masked face as his back hit the ground. Rai jumped up, landing hard on the bisharps stomach as both Russ and Pyre let loose a flurry of strikes against his arms as they were raised to protect him.
Jack kneed Rai in the back, hooked his legs around the raichu and tossed him back. Russ, reacted on instinct, catching Rai, but that freed Jack long enough to catch Pyre and slam him to the ground.
The charmander reacted instantly headbutting the mask, cracking it further. Jack let out a shout as another wave of energy burst out of him sending them all back, except Shadow.
He was losing this fight, he could tell that much, he needed to escape, but with Shadow preventing it, how could he? He needed to break the darkrai's concentration. Break their morale. He looked over and snatched his crossbow, immediately firing it at Blade.
Shadow, lost focus diving in front of Blade, only to feel not just the bolt but a long and sharp blade piercing through him, stabbing through him and into Blade's chest. As the weapon was pulled back Shadow collapsed, catching Blade.
This was his moment, Jack grabbed Russ and Rai teleporting them before coming back. Pyre was over Blade, letting his aura flow into the sneasel. He had turned the tide, just not as he had hoped.
Shadow slowly turned to face Jack, his single red eye burning with hatred. "I see and hear your evil. The writing is on the wall. You hurt so many places, one by one they fall. Black hearted evil. Brave hearted hero. I am all." Shadow vanished in a blink and slammed Jack into a wall then the floor shattering the tile.
Jack jumped to his feet and dodged two swipes of Shadow's claws.
"Go ahead and try to see through me, if you dare. One step forward," Shadow stepped forward. Jack stepped back twice. "Two steps back. I am here."
Jack, took his chance and teleported away, landing in a room full of his underlings.
"Sir you're…" one of his underlings was cut off.
Looking back, the entire room was splattered in blood, with Shadow standing behind him.
"Can you see all of me?" The darkrai stabbed the masked bisharp with a claw and let him stumble back falling out of a high window. Jack teleported landing on a secluded roof. "Walk into my mystery., step inside and hold on for your dear life." Shadow slammed his heel into the back of Jack's head. "Do you remember me? Will not capture you. Never set you free." Shadow lifted the bisharp and tossed him through the air. Jack began to frantically teleport across icekey city, each time Shadow struck him hard. "I am all of me."
Jack teleported and spun, swinging his bladed arms around hoping to hit the darkrai. And he did, slashing the darkrai across his chest. "Stay back!" Jack had no choice, Shadow was relentless, he didn't even know how the darkrai was following him, he'd have to just take that body instead.
"I see and feel your evil." Shadow grabbed the bisharp by his wrists and squeezed trying to crush the metallic arms. "These hands shall crush them all. I can see you search for answers. I will laugh as you fall." Shadow threw him to the ground and Jack teleported, trying to wear Shadow but before trying to take over.
And Shadow pursued, striking him again and again, the blood soaked darkrai was relentless. "Black hearted hero, brave hearted evil. I am all." Shadow punched Jack in his face, further cracking his mask. "Try to see through me if you dare. One step forward, two back. I am here."
Jack failed, swinging his broken arms at Shadow. "Die!"
"Can you see all of me? Stepped into my mystery. Now hold on for dear life. Do you remember me. Captured you, but never set you free." Shadow slammed him to the ground teleporting them back to Mcdandy's Mcdandy's grabbed his mask. "I am all of me."
Suddenly they were brought into Shadow's mind. Corridors of memories with Blade and the others surrounded them.
"Hahahahaha you fool! You've fallen for my trap!" Jack couldn't help his triumphant laugh echoing throughout the whole of Shadow's memories. "I told you. I am the mastermind!" Jack laughed again. "I anchored myself into your mind. Any moment now your body will wear the mask, and I shall have your body!"
"Ha. Is that not adorable." Shadow chuckled as the corridors of memories faded away. "I am the mastermind." Shadow snapped his fingers. Jack suddenly collapsed to his knees. "And here, I am the law. I have ruled this endless dark, since long before your filthy anchors spawned." Jack was pinned on his back as Shadow grabbed his mask again. "So you see, next to me your master plan was oh so small. Like little mice. When you hurt my Blade, you pay the price!"
The darkrai lifted the mask, crushing it to dust in his clawed hand.
Shadow stood up from the bisharp, both back in the real world. Gambit, if he could still be called that, withered in seconds, his body turning to ash in an instant.
*The Next Day*
"So, how did you do that? Ya know, chase him down?" Pyre asked as he sat across from Shadow, they were on a plane back to Firelink Town.
Shadow had Blade held close to him. "After the second time, I noticed Jack was trying to anchor himself in my mind. So when the last link was made, I anchored myself in his. I could feel him anywhere he went. And I could follow with perfect precision. And when I did I discovered Jack was simply the mask, not the one wearing it."
"That's why you broke the mask?"
"Yes, and any remnant of him I forced back into his mind before I broke it." Shadow relaxed in his seat. "So yes, Jack of Blades is dead."