If only he didn't.

CHAPTER 12, JAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW

"I still don't remember, I'm sorry, okay?" HERO apologized to AUBREY, OMORI and KEL as they all walked to the elevator.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. HERO, you almost killed us! Actually, you did, thank god OMORI had LIFE JAM!" KEL shook his head and patted OMORI on his head.

"...I'm sure you guys forgive me, though, right?" HERO smiled nervously.

"I do! We didn't really want to fight you, though. You made us fight you." Aubrey skip-walked and got inside the elevator in glee.

"Wait 'till MARI hears about this! Ooh, you're in trouble!" KEL snickered and stepped into the elevator.

"She is NOT going to be happy, I know that. OMORI, promise you won't tell?" HERO put his hand on OMORI's back as OMORI stared back. HERO, avoided contact and pressed the elevator button.

"Mmm." OMORI nodded.

As the elevator quickly went down, the group silently looked at each other. They also, even more silently left the elevator and walked to the other one.

"At least...We're rich, right?" HERO looked at OMORI's pocket.

"HERO, we ALREADY WERE RICH! We're just more rich." KEL took 2 handfuls of clams from OMORI's pocket and showed them to HERO. "2 handfuls = 100, o-or something. I don't know."

"You're right!" HERO pressed the other button and looked at AUBREY "Will you tell MARI?" 

"Maybe, but don't worry, HERO! I'm sure MARI won't be mad." AUBREY exited the elevator with everyone as the elevator finished getting down.

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"Hey CEO of handsomeness! How was the new job? I hope you liked it. Nice tie you got there." MARI smiled and held HERO's hand.

"Hi...Ah...MARI! The job is difficult, but I can handle it. Always ready for responsibility, right?" 

"I like that about you~ So...Responsible." 

"You won't call him responsible when we tell you that he hurt us!" KEL snickered as HERO stared into KEL's soul of out pure fury.

"You-...HERO, is KEL right? Oh I hope not. I'll be mad if it's true, so...So mad." MARI frowned. 

"He's is...Right! B-But, you gotta hear me out...It's not my fault."

"Oh his fault it is!" KEL grinned proudly as AUBREY hit him on his side.

"Well, what's the reason, CEO of explain-to-me-absolutely-right-now?" MARI stared at HERO sternly.

"You see, my dear. I was hired as boss, by my boss. T-then I got a tie. I put it on and I suppose...Was consumed by power?" HERO handed her the tie.

"The texture's definitely not like something you'd wear. It smells of STRONG cologne. It's nothing like you, HERO." She closely looked at the tie.

"Just don't put it on, trust me. You heard KEL, didn't you?"

"Oh, I won't!" MARI put off the red cloth from her collar, as she silently put the tie on.

"MARI, I don't think you should've done that." AUBREY slowly took her bat.

"Very much. You shouldn't have done that." KEL took his ball and dribbled it.

OMORI stood there, quickly shaking his head, not wanting to fight MARI.

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"..." MARI looked at her fingers and stared into her tie.

"You're feeling fine, sir-...Ma'a-...MARI?" HERO held on her hand and rubbed circles on her back.

"I feel great. I feel wonderful. I-I feel brilliant! I FEEL MAGNIFICENT!" MARI shifted to MR.JAWSUM's personality.

AUBREY looked at OMORI and got closer to him. "OMORI, are you okay? We'll fix this, don't worry. Just trust me. Trust us. MARI will be fine. I have an idea. You just need to trust us." 

"We-We won't hurt her! HERO will just take the tie, like a cool guy. We'll be fine too. We have the healing and the basket. It'll be okay." KEL hid his ball behind him. 

"I AM MAGNIFICENT!! JAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAWHAW!! 'HEARD YOU ALL GOT CAUGHT UP ON SOME BUSINESS!! GET IT?? OF COURSE YOU DON'T! JAWHAWHAWHAWHAW!!" MARI laughed and stood up as HERO tried to stop her.

"MARI, dear. Calm down. It worked for me, it should work for you." HERO stood up with her and gently stroked her hair.

"I THANK YOU DEARLY, MY HENRY! JAWHAWHAWHAWHAW! IT APPEARS WE'RE AT A PICNIC!! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU PAY FOR THE FOOD! 1000 CLAMS, EACH PIECE! A BARGAIN, IF YOU ASK ME!!" She laughed and rustled her hair as KEL and AUBREY just stand there, OMORI shook his head rapidly and HERO try to take the tie off her.

"1000 clams each? Wow, MARI. You're really suffering with the inflation..." KEL told himself such words under his breath. 

"KEL, knock it off. MARI, we're not going to fight you. We trust you. Even OMORI wants to help." HERO pointed to OMORI.

MARI stared at OMORI in horror, immediately going silent as her gaze resembled...SOMETHING

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MARI soothingly hummed and braided AUBREY's hair, smiling softly while everybody were laying on the blanket. 

"MARI, you braid hair really good! Why don't you braid yours, though?" AUBREY slightly motioned her head to look at her.

"Why'd you braid mine...Though?" KEL touched his teeny tiny, braids.

"You braided mine too! Aw...MARI!" HERO stroked his short braid, it wasn't that interesting but he loved it.

As something flew in the wind, OMORI quickly caught it and stared at it deeply; a red tie.

"What are you looking at, OMORI?" MARI quickly peeped at his hand and changed her expression.

"Ooo! A tie! Is it yours, OMORI?" AUBREY giggled and reached for the tie.

"No, AUBREY. It WOULD fit OMORI, but it's mine. I don't remember wearing it though." MARI took the tie instead and hid it in her basket.  

"Hm...So that means you were a business lady before?" She imagined MARI looking professional.

"Maybe I was, I don't know." MARI though, imagined her corrupted self. 

"You'd be the best business woman I'd know, MARI. Would you sell cookies?" HERO took one of her cookies and quietly nibbled on it.

"Maybe! Is that a good job? I'd sell it pretty cheap though. That way, people can have my delights, cheap." 

"Good idea! I'd like to be your first customer!" AUBREY sat up gently. 

"Me too! I'd brag about it to PLUTO!" KEL grinned.

OMORI nodded silently.

"It doesn't sound like a bad idea. But it's best in packs." HERO looked in OMORI's pocket. 

"Alright! A pack of COOKIES is 500 CLAMS!" 

"What?!" 

MARI giggled, being amused "Of course not!" 

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Heyy...I'm so sorry for not being here often, I'll probably get a writing rush today. I'm sorry this took long or this series is to become boring. It's for fun, really. HI THEO, HI ZEN, HI FRIENDS!!

                                                                                                                                            -LEAF