the rise of the metal dragon

right and wrong

(While writing this chapter, I just kept on listening to the little nightmares soundtrack so that definitely messed a little bit with the tone)

~Back in the cyber city~

"He stole a key?" Raimundo says, confused as the mayor stands there with a broken arm but not too badly damaged.

"Yes, he came and took the key." He says as if it's obvious. Everyone looks at each other just confused. Jack sits there getting stitched up by an EMT thinking Biscuit by his side.

"What does this key do?" Kimiko asks with a raised eyebrow. The mayor just stands there thinking.

"I don't really know." He says awkwardly, shrugging. Everyone just looks at him, blank faces not really knowing how to react. Jack's face palms hard.

"NO ONE TOLD ME. I WAS JUST TOLD THAT THE KEY WAS IMPORTANT BY THE OLD MAYOR!" He yells, defensively waving his hands around.

"Okay, so great. The bad guys have a key that must be important. We just don't know what it's going to do!" Kimiko says angrily, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Should we just hope it's not too bad and keep on going for the weapon?" Jack says, rubbing the back of his head, not really knowing what to do now. Chase chimes in

"I guess it's the only choice we have right now, but we have to be careful now, and that means putting down a ground rule. The rule is nobody can be left alone or go running into danger without telling anyone." He looked directly at Jack with that part. Wuya steps up

"We also can't keep secrets from each other, so does anyone have something to tell everyone?" she says in the tone a mother might use on her children to find out who secretly broke the vase.

"Nope." is all that Jack says, looking away. Wuya is about to say something but Chase grabs her shoulder. Everyone else seemed to be freaking out a little inside.

"Well, I don't have any secrets." Kimiko says, looking away, fidgeting with her sleeve.

"Me neither partner." Clay pulled his hat down.

"Yeah no secrets, I am an open book here." Raimundo says, giving finger guns to everyone.

"I made doll's of everyone for Christmas!" Omi yells at the top of his lungs. Everyone just looks at him confused.

"It's June?" Jack says, concerned, as the lady finishes patching him up.

"I wanted a head start." is all Omi says, looking like it was the most obvious thing.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Jack says, looking at the ground and thinking about what happened.

"I guess we should leave and continue on the path," Raimundo says. No one wants to say it but they are all scared. They don't even know what Kabaneri has or how they are going to use it and with Jack's brush with death. They all start to leave the city on the way out when they are stopped by a small voice.

"Hey mister hey!" They turn around and see the little boy Jack saved.

"Um I wanted to thank you for helping me and my sis, so here." He says, lifting up his hands, revealing a little dragon plush.

"Oh. Thank you, you know you are a very brave kid. You managed to not freak out when those things were attacking everything you're a good kid." Jack says awkwardly, grabbing the plush. Looking at it, he smiled a little.

"It actually does something cool just squeezes the head." Jack does what he says and the eyes of the dragon light up, becoming a sort of flashlight.

"This might come in handy, nice work kid." He says, messing with the kid's hair, as Biscuit licks the kid's hand. They all go and as they leave, Jack looks at the toy with a little bit of hope. If that kid believes in him, then he should believe in himself.

~in a deep cave ~

Victor and Kabaneri walk down a long swirling staircase carved into the cave. Victor looks down gulping at how bottomless it looks. In the darkness he can't help but hear humming from voices unknown.

"What are we doing here Kabaneri?" He asks looking up trying to stay calm. They just laughed.

"Oh we are just getting it." They say smiling hands touching the wall. "Soon I'll have it all." They hum happily.

"What is it?" Victor can't help but ask but before they can answer they come up to a door covered with glowing flowers. Kabaneri opens the door to a big old worn down room. symbols on the wall as if they're telling a story. Looking at some he sees a person with a dragon flying around them. Two people, one of them reaching out as darkness surrounds the other.

"I found it!" Kabaneri says removing some vines to reveal a keyhole. Putting the key in and turning it makes the wall open into a pitch black room. Kabaneri walks in as crying can be heard from the darkness. After what feels like eternity Kabaneri comes back out with a crystal ball in their hand. As the two leave he looks back at the wall, eyes going wide. A symbol of a person and what he can only guess is the crystal. The crystal seems to be taking something from the person.

"Beware of the truth." He hears whispers into his ear by an unknown voice. He turns around but sees nothing.

~Back on the path~

The group walks down the path as the sun starts to go down. Wuya seems to be upset, Chase is staying near Jack as he looks into the tree line. Kimiko is quietly talking to Clay. Omi looks at the sky as the stars appear.

"Should we set up camp?" Raimundo asks, looking at Chase.

"We don't know how much longer we have until Kabaneri makes a move. We can't waste time. We also wouldn't be anymore safer since there is nowhere to hide, so we might as well stay alert." He says as the sun fully set. Looking up at the moon, Jack couldn't help but notice that a little bit of it is red.

"I guess that is to show us." He mumbles as everyone looks at it.

"I guess that the night it's fully red is the." Kimiko can't finish her sentence, so Wuya does.

"end of the world." Jack picks up Biscuit and squeezes tight. It won't take that many days, probably five.

"Then we need to hurry." Rai says, grabbing Jack's shoulder.

~at the temple~

Dojo looks at the moon from his cage. Everyone sit in their own cell as katnappe looks at something she got yesterday.

~Yesterday~

"Am I on the right side?" Victor asked himself, not realizing she could hear him.

"What?" She says, looking at him as if he was stupid. He jumps a little, making her laugh a little before grabbing her side in pain where she broke a rib.

"Am sorry I thought you were asleep." He says, actually looking worried.

"Well I wasn't, but from the sound of it, you feel like betraying your boss?" She says with a smile.

"I do not!" He says, annoyed, before looking sad again. "Am just wondering if this is right."

"Hmm, capturing a lot of people and planning on taking over the world? Hmm, yeah sounds like the right thing." She says, mocking him.

"Ugg shut up, I mean! They saved me long ago and made me stronger and cared for me and now I am questioning am terrible them. I need to just shut up and do what they say." Victor slid his back against the bars.

"Didn't they you give you that black eye. It sounds like they are manipulating you more than caring." She points out.

The two just talk for a little bit before Victor decides something. He took something out of his pocket.

"I'm always carrying an extra one just in case something happens. Take it. It will help you hear what's happening every time they talk to the Minions or me you will hear. Now I am only giving you this because I feel bad for you." He mumbles, putting it in the cage before leaving.

~now~

Katnappe looks at the earring in her hand before putting it in.

"Let's figure out what is happening."