Chapter 7: Test

Ja walking out the bathroom, with his all black sweatsuit looks at everyone on the couch, Doing a pose as he flexes his arms. “How I look?”  he asks. Everyone looking at him does a different reaction, Morales smirks, Ronin does a slight nod, Tess smiles, putting two thumbs up, and Merissa crossing her arms looks unamused. “You look basic,” She says. Ja frowning at her, “yeah you would know what basic is since THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE” He replies to her. Merissa and Ja both making an angry face ball up their fist. Getting in between them, Morales begins to stop them but as he begins to stop the rampage from beginning he becomes distracted by someone at the door. “Hello Morales….I’m here!” Bashiru yells standing on the other side of the door.  Walking to the door opens it, and to his surprise Bashiru is already inside sitting next to Ronin. “So you're one of the boys” He says to Ronin. Morales turned around in shock, but it slowly turned to joy. “Always full of tricks Bashiru” He says to him as he walks towards Bashiru. Ronin putting his guard up slowly lowers it seeing, Bashiru and Morales hug. “How long has it been, old friend?” Bashiru asks Morales as they back away from each other. “Too long,” Morales replies. Bashiru has a darker tone of skin, standing 6 '1, skinny, and wears big glasses. Morales, looking at the boys tilts his head, signaling to follow him. “Go with Bashiru i'll meet up with you guys” Morales says to them as the three of them walk out the room. Merissa walking out the room sighs, “Don't think I forgive you Morales” She says to him right before leaving the room, and shutting the door. Morales putting his arms behind his back looks down at the ground trying to come up with something to say to Tess. Looking at her face he draws a blank, feeling like a teenager again seeing his crush for the first time. “Tess…I” he whispers as Tess gets up from the couch and stands in front of him. Putting her finger on his lips she leans closer to him. “Just come back this time,” She whispers before walking past him. Morales standing in the room alone looks out the window seeing Ja, and Ronin standing near Bashiru cars. “Damn,” He whispers to himself. 

Walking out the back door Morales rubs his neck, seeing Bashiru play catch with Ja. “You boys ready?” Morales asks them. The boys nod their heads as they dash over to the car. Bashiru smiles while walking over to the boys in Morale's car, “What are you in a car for?” he asks Ja and Ronin as they both look confused, “Aren't we going to your lab?” Ja replies. Morales smirks, hearing Ja confused. “Show them.” He says to Bashiru, putting his hand on Ja, and Ronin shoulders he teleports away with them. “What the fuck!” Ja yells  wobbling back and forth trying to hold his balance, While Ronin stands straight up with his arms out trying to hold his balance. “When will we get used to this?” Ronin asks, leaning against a wall. Bashiru teleports back to the room with Morales. “It takes a little time, but you will get the hang of it.” Bashiru says with a big smile on his face. Morales pats Ronin on the back as he walks past him towards Ja. Picking Ja up, They begin to walk towards the lab door. “ shall we begin” Bashiru says, revealing all types of computer screens showing different abilities being used, weapons on tables giving off different energy, and a mask of a Ronin hanging above his main computer screen. Ronin, walking over to the mask, looks at it in more detail while Ja is running all around the lab looking at everything. “This mask…Whos does it belong too?” Ronin asks. Hearing his questions Bashiru walks over to Ronin, “This mask belonged to a really strong shaitan back in the day ... .But after he killed 50 disciples, he disappeared, and all that was left was his mask.” He says to Ronin. Continuing to look at the mask Ronin feels a connection to it hearing a voice call out to him in a whisper. “Shi no Ai” Ronin whispers as Bashiru walks away. Stopping in his tracks, Bashiru turns around in shock hearing Ronin utter that name. “Who told you that?” He asked Ronin. Turning around, Ronin looks at him, and shrugs his shoulders, “Kinda just came to mind,” he says as he walks over to Ja. Bashiru stares at Ronin as his curiosity grows bigger than ever before. “Can I see your bat, Ronin?” Bashiru asks him as he walks over to his table. Ronin looks at Morales before opening his hand. His eye turns a bright red as he holds his hand out, and the bat flies towards his hand. Catching the bat, red energy flows through his arm up to his face, looking like electricity.  Ja, staring at Ronin is in awe, never seeing that much power flow through Ronin before. “Has this ever happened before? Morales asks Ja as they stare at Ronin calm down. “No, not this crazy before” Ja says, as Ronin walks over to Bashiru and lays it down on the table. 

Bashiru looking at the computer tries to read its energy signatures, but can't seem to get an understanding of it. Trying to touch the bat the red energy bites at his finger, “It's almost like it's alive” He whispers to himself. The bat begins to float in the air, as it changes form to a Katana. Pausing in the air the Katana slowly falls back on the table, and lays there. Everyone frozen in place stands in silence for a moment. “Is it safe to move?” Ja asks as he peaks over the couch.  Bashiru slowly lowering his arms, is in shock seeing the markings on the sword. “These sword markings…They’re” Bashiru says before he is cut off by Arkham walking into the lab. “Sorry to interrupt your little lab project…..But Inori sent me to see you two about a potential mission” He says to Bashiru, and Morales. “A mission? I'm not leaving these boys he literally told me..” Morales says to Arkham. Rolling his eyes Arkham walks up to the two of them, and sits down. “Ever since your little encounter with these boys……a lot of shits been happening around the world” Arkham says as he pulls out a cigar. Bashiru looking at Arkham waves his finger back and forth. “No smoking in my lab” He says to Arkham, Shrugging his shoulders, Arkham puts the cigar back in his pocket. “Well anyways you two have to come with me, I'll meet you at Tess bar” Arkham says as he gets up, and walks towards the door. Morales getting up behind him “What you mean shits been happening” He asks as Arkham stops. Smiling Arkham turns around, to look at Morales, “Crazy shit…..shit you never would have imagined” he says as he dashes out the door in a blink of an eye. Everyone looking at the door swung back and forth, from the force Arkham left behind. “Well now what?” Ja asks. Morales looked at Bashiru then back at the boys, “The last time Arkham needed us…..it was something serious” He said to them with his back turned away. Ronin, walking closer to Morales, begins to get concerned. “What happened last time?” he asks Morales. Morales squeezing his fist filled with anger remembering the last mission he went on, “My brother died.” He says to them as the room goes quiet. 

30 min later: At Micheals wing shop. Cleaning dishes Micheal comes out to check on the customers. “Hey Micheal, ever catch the maniac who broke your door!” a customer asks him. Micheal, serving the customer's wings, smirks. “Not yet but when I get my hands on him ill….” He says but stops mid sentence as he turns around Seeing Morales, and the boys at the front door. “What are you gonna do?” Morales asks, staring at him menacingly looking down on him. Micheal smiles rubbing the back of his head, “He he he he nothing of course” He says to Morales. Iko then walks out the kitchen tilting his head, “Didn't you say you were going to beat him to a pulp” he says to Micheal. Slowly turning around Micheal eyes widen, completely in shock hearing Iko expose him. “NO I DIDN'T” Micheal says with a big smile on his face. Morales rolls his eyes, “It doesn't matter I need a favor from you…..I'm gonna be gone for a day or two, and I was wondering if you can watch the boys?” he asks Micheal. Looking at Ja, and Ronin then back at Morales, Micheal agrees to take them in. “I Can also see if they can go to school with Iko…A lot of parents struggle nowadays putting their kids in school, and Sister Maria at the orphanage teaches students of all ages, I'm sure she will take them in,” he says to Morales. The boys look up at Morales who does a light smile. “Thank you Micheal.” he says before he crouches down to the boys. “I'll be back before you guys know it” he whispers before patting them on the head, and walking out the shop, but as he walks out Ja follows him. Grabbing onto his jacket Morales stops to look back at Ja, “Please come back” he says to Morales. Seeing Ja look at him with worry, Morales takes off his chain, and hands it to him. “Keep it safe for me” He says to Ja before walking to his car, and driving off. Ja holding on to his chain looks at it hearing Morales drive off. Ronin comes outside behind Ja, and looks in his hand seeing the chain. “Is he coming back?” Ronin asks him. Ja smiles while he squeezes his hand. “I know he is,” Ja says with confidence. 

End of chapter 7