Madness

"Who is that?" Sho asked.

Jodi felt annoyed. "Damn…of all times…why come here? How did she even break into the ritual?"

"Like I know." Sho shrugged.

Elizabeth gave Jodi a cold stare. She jumped off of the building and landed between the two boys.

"Why are you here? How did you get in here?" Jodi asked.

Elizabeth ignored him and held eye contact with Sho. "You're a new one."

"I could say the same to you." Sho replied. Elizabeth turned towards Jodi. "Where's Joey?"

Sho remembered Elizabeth. "Oh, you're the girl who fought us before. Amazing. I'm surprised you actually killed that bastard, Xenon". Sho chuckled. "We should go again. This time, I won't start off slow." Sho raised his sword at her.

"No thanks. I'm not here for any of you. I'm going to kill Joey and Ahana. I'll all of this."

"All of what?" Jodi asked.

Elizabeth turned back to Jodi. "Your friend…Joey. He left me. He left me in a restaurant one night…there was a jinn. The jinn…never mind."

"Wait, no, tell me. We can…help you-"

"I don't need your help. I need to find Joey. Answer me…or else."

Jodi took a deep breath. (The jinn beast on her will cut you if you lie. You can't even dodge it. This'll be my first lie and I don't have long to answer. I'll take the first cut so I can think.)

"I don't-"

Jodi's neck was cut. His head almost feel off of his entire body. He fell back and focused on his jinn energy.

"That was a powerful one. I just can't wait to kill him." Elizabeth said while tensing her powerful arms. She looked at Sho. "Do you…know where Jodi is?"

(Tell her the truth!) Jiniki told Sho.

(I'd rather fight her. You're only telling me that because you want her instead of me, right? You can only take people from my family. You know that. So…why do you want her so badly over me, huh?)

(Wait, you…don't know?)

(Don't know what? That you have a crush? Yeah, I know, Jininki.)

Sho opened his eyes a let out a little chuckled laugh. "Joey is at the high school. Pretty sure it's where you went. He's there…probably fighting with Ahana or Kebushie. Either way, the kid is dead. Forget about it."

Elizabeth's creature did not attack Sho. He was telling the truth. "Thank you." She whispered. She turned around and began to walk away from Sho.

Jodi was laying in a puddle of his own blood…not moving a muscle. Sho believed Jodi was dead.

He could feel Jiniki moving in him. (Ask her for her name.)

"Wait, what's your name?"

Elizabeth stopped. "Elizabeth. That's all you need to know. What's…your name?"

"My name is Sho…that's all you need to know."

Elizabeth smirked and put her sword away. "I'll be ready for a rematch anytime. That is…is you survive."

Elizabeth disappeared. "Survive? Survive what? She already killed-"

Electricity surrounded Jodi's body. Rain poured inside of Sho's ritual. The ground shaked, winds blew hard, and lighting struck everywhere. Jodi lifted his head to reveal white eyes and his white hair. His hair was raising upwards towards to sky.

"Amaz-"

Jodi used his lighting and punched Sho. Sending across part of the town. (Lightings struck the ground…and he was in my face like that! That's…insanely fast.) Sho forced his body to stop. He lifted his head to see a white sword coming at him.

He quickly blocked it with his own sword. Sho held his other hand out to summon a shadow creature but, Jodi's lighting weakened his ability. (Damn it! The light is making it weaker!)

Sho jumped back and clapped his hands. A small creature emerged from the shadows to block Jodi's sword.

He continued his assault. Punching in barrages across Sho's body. The fist prints were left on his body where Jodi had landed punches.

He kicked Sho across the town with a powerful kick and immediately flew above him to punch him to the ground.

(I…finally get it now.) Jodi flew towards Sho with his arm back. "SHOO!!!!"

Sho opened his eyes and pointed at Jodi. "Shadow dragon blast!"

A giant mouth appeared above Sho. It shot powerful flames at Jodi. Jodi laughed, as he seemed to have become lighting and zoomed around the sky.

Sho reached in his stomach, where the black portal sat. He slowly pulled out a long spear.

He jabbed it towards the lighting. The spear had almost reached Jodi. He flipped in the air and pointed at Sho.

Sho ran across the street while dodging lighting strikes with ease.

Jodi flew behind him while shooting lighting. Sho and him moved around and through buildings at a fast pace. "That's it! Keep fighting!" Sho laughed, as he let out a yell and grew a pair of shadow wings.

He lifted in the air and flew higher and higher, all while dodging lighting strikes. (Why go in the sky?) Jodi stopped following Sho.

Sho kept flying in the air. "You're dead." Sho chuckled. Jodi's heart dropped. In the night sky,he could make out what looked to be a giant hand covering the entire sky. "Max output: Shadow Palm."

Jodi stared at the sight. The hand covered the sky and slowly approached him. (He's going to kill the both of us!)

"ARE YOU INSANE?!?!" Jodi held out his reptile arm and began to build up lighting. "My sword won't do a thing. I have to try and destroy it! Before it touches the ground!"

Jodi threw a ball of electricity at the hand. The hand kept on coming. "It had no affect?!?"

Jodi gathered all of the electricity in the area and stored it into his body. "Jinn…I need your energy. Give it to me, now!" Red energy combined with his blue energy. He held out his hands, as the hand was approaching. Buildings were blown away, the street lifted from the ground, and heavy winds.

(I'll push it back! And once I have an opening…I'll kill him in a single stroke! I have to do this!)

"COME ON!!!" Jodi yelled, as the hand slammed down on his two hands. Jodi could feel the weight. (It feels…l-like I'm about to be rushed under the weight! Push! Push!"

******

Sho floated above and watched, as the hand caused devestation to the surrounding area.

"I went in close and cut a small opening through the hand. Large enough to fit. Now, all I have to do is watch. This fight is over. You did well, Jodi."

Lava appeared, as Jodi held the hands back. He could feel his legs starting to weaken. "I…can't…do it. I'm gonna let evryone down! Jackson, Joey, his mother, and…and Lily!" Jodi felt his back touching the hit ground.

"Damn itttt!!!"

******

The jinn stepped from the darkness of Jodi's vision.

****

"I…remember now! It was you!" Jodi's arms grew in size. "TRAITOR!!!!" Jodi pushed the hand back and off of the ground.

Sho was shocked. He quickly held out his hand.

With speed faster than sound, Jodi quikcly flew through the opening where Sho cut to escape the hand. He flew towards Sho and held his sword beside his head.

"Lighting strike…equinox."

******

Nebula dropped the baby off at the door. A tall man and woman picked the baby off of the ground. "Please, take care of him. I'll be back someday."

I was raised by two normal humans. My mother left me. I waited and waited. One day, the two left me at a park, because of my sickness and that's when I meant you.

A tall man with long grey hair. "Why's your hair grey?"

"Nice to meet you, kid. An old friend of mine liked grey hair. I did this color in honor of her. Where are your parents?"

"I don't know."

Ever since then…you've been like a father to me and trained me. Not long…a random jinn attached itself to me. I thought I was special. You taught me…that cursed people are the special humans. I think it's just like life. Unlucky.

I still don't know where my mother is. She may as well be dead. But…I won't stop.

That's what I told myself. All of the rage and confusion made me the killer and pathetic trash that I am. I didn't choose the jinn life. It chose me.

******

Sho looked down at the building he was on. He realized that both of his arms and one leg had been cut clean off.

The ritual was destroyed, the hand print was i graved in the middle of the area, and the part of town was destroyed.

Jodi stood over Sho and pointed his sword at him. "It's over."

"Over, huh? Heh. When I was younger…I never beloved in those words. I always…tried not to quit. But sometimes, it's best to quit when you know things aren't destined."

Sho smirked and looked off in the distance. "My mom told me she'd come back for me when I was younger. Can you believe that? I was a kid…not wanting to quit on that. Hehe…a kid believing in a damn fairytale." Sho said, as his eyes turned red.

"I don't know my parents either. I understand."

"Heh…I used all the shadows I have left. Do as you please."

Jodi raised his sword. Sho closed his eyes, accepting his fate. Jodi shoved the sword in its holder. "What are you doing? Finish the job!" Sho yelled.

"I've used all my strength. If I were to swing my sword…it wouldn't even cut your head." Jodi said. He fell to a knee and gasped for air.

"We both…were tricked. I remember…I remember the jinn that walked in."

Sho looked at Jodi with intensity in his eyes. A smirk appeared on his face. (Madness), he thought.

The two passed out.

******

"Don't you get it?! I do what I do for the sake of the world!" Kebushie yelled.

Joey dodged the dragon's attacks. (I can't do damage. The damn thing adapts to all attacks)

Joey jumped back and pulled a piece of brick from the wall. He threw it at Kebushie. Kebushie clapped his hands and the dragon teleported in front of him as a shield. "You don't know how long I've waited for this! These people are nothing to us, Joey! We're the special ones! Evryone will be given a fighting chance in this life! Everyone!!"

While dodging objects, Joey yelled. "You can't force jinns inside of everyone! Not everyone is like you, Kebushie! (Ducking to dodge the dragon's flames) "Some people don't need to have that power! Someone or something is minipulating you! The jinns just want humans so they can take over the world! Don't you get it?!"

"Without humans, jinns won't thrive! You people need to open your eyes! The slayer corporation is corrupt!"

Kebushie pulled his dragon back. Joey and him sprinted towards each other l, ready to clash. Suddenly, Elizabeth jumped through the school window.

Joey and Kebushie halted. Elizabeth turned to Joey and smirked. "Been a while, Joey Castle."

"Shit." Kebushie sighed. He released his dragon. Making it dissapear.

"Kebushie, teleport us away from here. Another nearby town would be nice."Elizabeth laughed.

"Wait, who…are you?"

Elizabeth ignored Joey and raised her voice at Kebushie. "Remember our little deal? Do it! You owe me this!"

Kebushie sighed. "I want my side of the bargain. You owe me that." Kebushie put his hands together and began to cast a spell.

(NO!! I have to stop him!)

Joey ran towards Kebushie and leaped towards him. Joey had face planted on the roof of a tower.

There was a red flag that blew in the wind. The sky was full of stars. "He did it." Elizabeth chuckled.

Joey's jinn energy shot in the air. "Who…the hell…ARE YOU?!? Do you have any idea what you're doing?!"

"Oh, I know what I'm doing. This is gonna be so satisfying…Joey". Elizabeth pulled out her sword. "You can't even recognize me? Take a good look at what you've done! It's me…Elizabeth."

Joeys eyes changed. They were filled with anger and immediately switched to regret and sadness. "W-what?"

"It's me, Elizabeth."

Joey thought about the girl he once knew. "You…aren't Elizabeth. You're not the girl I knew."

"The girl you knew?!" Elizabeth chuckled. "You know what, you're right! Oh, you're so right! I'm even better than the girl you knew!" Elizabeth laughed.

"This…this isn't you. What have you done?"

"Haha! What have I done?!? You're the one who left me behind!" Elizabeth yelled, as she circled Joey. "You did this to me"

"You did this to yourself! You chose this path! What…I don't even know you anymore."

"You left me!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Remember that night? We went to…that bastards burger spot. When you left me…terrible things happened to me. You…you left me with that…thing!"

"That bastard was your father. Don't speak-"

"He's dead! All of them are dead! There was a jinn in the restaurant Joey! You left me. I called out and you weren't there. You did this to me!"

Joey kept on thinking about the past. How he and Elizabeth would sit at lunch and talk about their dreams, life, the future, and regrets.

"Elizabeth…"

"I was…I was…I trusted you. I trusted you so much, Joey."

"I am sorry." Joey whispered. His hair blew in the wind and the two held eye contact. "I'm sorry for everything. That night, my grandmother had passed away. I was involved with jinns and everything. I was stressed and…I shouldn't have left you. I'm sorry. I should've talked to you about it instead of pushing you away. We can still make this right, Elizabeth!" Joey yelled.

Elizabeth grabbed her head. "It's too late for all that. I've done so much…all for THIS moment. I'm going to kill you. Then, I'm going to kill Lily, everyone else you care about."

"No, this wasn't how it was supposed to go, Elizabeth! Stop this! We don't have to fight! There's another way!"

"Bloodshed."

Joey stared at Elizabeth with anger and confusion. His eyes told a story to Elizabeth. "Have the same eyes I have. You aren't the same either."

Joey threw his sword to the side. "I'm not going to fight you. This isn't us, Elizabeth. Look at us!"

"I'm taking a good look. And I've got to say…it feels pretty damn good." Elizabeth laughed.

Joey clinched his fist. "What?"

"This power…it's amazing."

"I've lost too much." Joey whispered.

"Lost too much? What…what have you lost, Joey?"

"You're such a damn fool, Elizabeth! You…killed the two people who raised you like you were their own kid! I'd give everything to have my mother back! You still have a chance to fix this. Don't let this be the end, please!" Joey yelled out.

Elizabeth pulled her hair. (Don't listen to him!) a voice screamed in her head. "S-shut up! This is your fault!"

"I've lost my mother, friends, comrades, and many more. I don't want to lose you." Joey said.

"Did you even look for me- I mean what did you do…to find me?! Huh? What did you do?!"

"Nothing." Joey admitted.

Elizabeth walked around Joey and kept twitching her hand. "You knew." She said.

"You knew the jinn was in the building that night, didn't you?"

Joey fell into a silence. "I…sinced it. I also noticed jinn energy some days before. I'm sorry."

Elizabeth stopped walking and put her head down. "Hehe…you really did do this to me." She whispered.

Joey stared at Elizabeth with a straight face and determination in his eyes. His hair blew in the wind, revealing his cold eyes. "Don't do this. There are innocent people in this city. Let's go to the forest-"

"I don't think so. You've stolen my life and your dept…must be PAID.

(I couldn't protect another friend. I'm failing…left and right.)

Joey picked up his sword. Elizabeth smiled and slowly pulled hers out.

The two held intense eye contact. Elizabeth licked her lips. She had intense focus.

Joey squinted his eyes and took a deep breath.

The street light was red.

Joey moved his right leg out more.

The street light was now, yellow.

Elizabeth spreaded her legs apart and had a wide stance.

The light turned green.

Both of them took a running step towards each other.

Next chapter: Broken Bonds