Jimmy knew there was something wrong the moment he stepped off the mountain path and back into what he'd come to consider Kato's yard. In the few seconds before he heard the call, his entire body tensed and the part of him that liked reveling in chaos perked up.

"Jessie! Jessie, where did you go?"

Before Kato came around the greenhouse holding his bo staff, Jimmy was halfway there, the tension already morphing into a terrifying feeling of rage mixed with dread.

"What happened?" he asked as he went.

Kato narrowed his eyes, but continued his way towards Jimmy as well. "Where have you been?"

"Up in the mountains. I needed to burn some energy. Where's Jessie?"

They both stopped when there was less than a foot between them, at the corner of the house. Kato didn't answer, just took him in, his eyes still narrowed.

"You've ruined everything," the old man said.

Jimmy saw it coming, but didn't block the blow to his side. He knew what it was for and he'd accepted the consequences the moment he decided being with Jessie was more important than their training.

"I told you not to do it, to mix your energies, drain them--"

Every word was joined by a swing of the staff. Jimmy started blocking because the hits were hard enough to actually cause some damage.

"Now she is gone, your energy is ruined and we have no time!"

Jimmy grabbed the staff and yanked it out of Kato's hand. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"There is no place she could have gone that I have not looked!" The old man looked more harassed than Jimmy had ever seen him.

In that one moment, so many things bombarded his mind, it felt like a delve back inside the black hole. Kato cared for Jessie, that much was obvious. Jessie was gone and it didn't take a genius to figure out the only place that she could be. And the energy... Kato would be right and Jimmy would hate himself for his weakness and the inability to keep it in his pants if he didn't feel so full, so ready to take on the world.

"I think you're wrong about my energy." The words came out neutral, robotic even as he turned all his focus inward, trying to reconcile that Jessie was gone and that he couldn't go all murderous.

He needed to focus. It was too hard when she was his anchor and she was gone. Like divine revelation, he understood the whole murder concept she and the old man had been trying to push on him. His body literally ached with the need to whip around and head for the castle, destroy everything in his path to get to her.

A touch on his wrist snapped him back to the present. Kato was actually touching him, as if trying to take his pulse but sucking at it.

"Come!" He strode past him and rushed to the house.

Jimmy followed for something to do, the staff held tightly in his hand. As they went, he scanned the surroundings, hoping beyond hope he'd catch a glimpse of orange curls. There was nothing.

"We were both looking for you, actually," Kato mumbled as he skipped over the steps to his door and headed down the hall. "I noticed something was wrong and I needed to see how bad it was." He entered the dojo and whipped around to face Jimmy. "I could have been wrong."

"Um, what?" Jimmy dropped the staff, his entire body still jittery. It was hard to process words when he had no idea what to do.

"Sit. I shall return." And the old man just left him there, heading back into the kitchen.

Jimmy couldn't sit. He started pacing, his mind focusing on the castle, on what they've gathered from watching from afar. But something else kept intruding. How did it happen? How had they managed to grab Jessie so fast and quietly? And was it his fault? Should he have never left? But it wasn't the first time, and he'd needed to burn the excess energy more than ever. He'd been so happy, so full of life, higher than a kite. But now the wind was gone and he was crashing down from the incredible height.

Kato reentered the dojo, the familiar thermos in his hand. He faltered once he noticed Jimmy was still standing.

"There is no time to lose."

"I agree. So what's the point of that?" he nodded towards the thermos. "I should be making an assault plan."

"You need to listen." Kato took in a deep breath. "This will accelerate your training beyond everything we have done so far."

"And why do you think it will work now? You kept saying I'm not ready, that I suck at this whole mind's eye thing."

The old man shook his head and Jimmy was a little unnerved by how desperate he looked.

"You listen to me, and listen well, Jimmy." Kato forced the thermos in his hand. "You are, by far, the student with the highest potential I have ever had. Your difficulty comes from everything you have been through. I did not want to force you through more than I thought you could handle. I was wrong."

Jimmy had no idea if he should be flattered or not. Confusion was hard to shake off. "So now you're going to force me?"

"Hai." Kato sat cross-legged. After a second of hesitance, Jimmy did the same, still clutching the container. "You must understand something. Your body can do incredible things. I have witnessed them myself, at least in part. You have the skill, the speed and the focus necessary. But I do believe, given your threshold for pain and your outer strength, that you can be much more. Your body is only as strong as your mind.

For Jessie, it is a bit different. She has managed to find her inner strength, but her body can only take so much energy flowing through it. You, on the other hand..." He continued with something in Japanese. "I must push you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, push away." Because Kato was right. He needed to be his best self and then get Jessie and everyone else out of there.

"If it becomes too much... Just push past it."

Jimmy smirked. "Is that what you told Jessie?"

Kato shook his head, misery etched on the lines of his face. Jimmy tilted his head. There was something about his behavior to Jessie that had seemed almost... fatherly. Something that had never been directed at him as well.

"You really care for Jessie, don't you?" he asked.

"She reminds me so much of my Maya," Kato whispered.

Jimmy didn't need to ask who Maya was. The girl in the photograph. Kato's daughter. And by how the old man spoke of her, it was obvious she was gone.

"I'm sorry."

"I could not save Maya. But I can save you and I can save Jessie." Kato straightened his spine and nodded towards him. "Drink."

Jimmy obeyed and took a long swing. He'd gotten used to the funky tea by then, but this one felt more bitter than ever. The effect was also immediate, plunging him not into darkness, but bringing forth the image he wanted to see most.

The castle. The bridge. The stairs. The snipers. There was no way to get in other than the bridge, but that posed the danger of being struck down before he was halfway there. And even if he wouldn't be shot, the element of surprise wouldn't be there.

His mind formed a plan and saw it in action. He could avoid shooting if he took swords. Then, according to Snitch Gravel's rules, his men wouldn't shoot Jimmy. Maybe he'd manage to fight his way across the bridge, then up the stairs. The inside of the castle was a mystery since he had no idea about the layout. Regardless, the chances that he'd get overwhelmed once inside were almost certain. He could see the bodies piling around him, feel his own powerlessness as he tried to break through. He would die or be captured before he managed to get to Jessie.

"I can't do this alone."

"You won't be alone. I will be there with you."

Kato's voice shifted the image inside Jimmy's head. If they could both get to the castle, there was hope. And he'd protect Kato on the way there, make sure he wouldn't get shot down.

"But once we are in," Kato continued, "what will you do?"

Jimmy knew what it meant. It was all about containing the serum, bending it to his will like Jessie had mentioned. If he couldn't pull that off, they really were doomed. Both because he wouldn't be strong enough and because he wouldn't be able to control it even if he were.

She said she imagined it as a dog she was trying to befriend. Jimmy forced the same image to form in his mind.

The stone hallways were replaced by complete darkness once again. And in that darkness, he focused on the serum and tried to force it to take a shape. A familiar shape he could work with. A dog.

The thing that came out was huge. The size of a bear with black fur sticking on end, hungry red eyes and rows upon rows of fangs.

Even inside his mind, Jimmy took a step back, his heart thumping with fear as the monster grew in size with every second. How was he supposed to control that? How, when it kept snarling at him, looking ready to devour him if he moved?

It wasn't real, he knew that, but it didn't make it look or feel less real. The horror inside him froze every muscle, numbed his mind and all his senses. It would end him like he'd always known it would.

"I can't do it," he whispered, his voice coming out terrified.

"What do you see?" Kato asked, his voice so distant it was barely audible.

Jimmy couldn't answer, couldn't take his eyes off the monstrosity he'd created, how it continued to grow, the red eyes glistening, saliva dripping between the fangs. He was sure his heart was going to burst and he'd drop down dead. There was no controlling the serum. It was going to tear him to pieces.

There was a sound from somewhere, maybe a voice calling out his name, but nothing could get past the hold the monster had on him. It stepped forward, its paws larger than trashcan lids, the maw big enough to snap his body in two with just one bite.

When it pounced, he felt the shaggy body collide with his. He hit the floor and something smacked him across the face.

He blinked and came face to face with Kato. There was a worried frown on his face.

"You cannot let it control you."

"Control me? It's trying to kill me!" He sat up again, panting his lungs out.

"It also saves you. Did you not tell me it saved your life?"

"Well, yes..." But that was before it took over and made a home inside his veins.

"Again." Kato nodded towards the thermos.

Jimmy swallowed heavily, but complied. He had to do this. For Jessie and for everyone else he loved.

🏯

As much as he tried, he couldn't get past his fear. Every time Kato slapped him awake, Jimmy felt more drained, more tired, more hopeless. The light outside their window dimmed into dusk, and yet he couldn't morph the serum into anything else but that terrifying beast as much as he tried.

"You do not have to apply the same method as Jessie," Kato said, his voice filled with exhaustion. "It could not work for both of you the same. And while I agree that I would have recommended her method, maybe... Maybe I am wrong about this as well. You have not been responding well to my teaching methods."

"What do you mean?" Jimmy asked between pants and drinking water. His entire body ached and he couldn't remember when he'd last felt so exhausted. Under any other circumstances, he'd have long asked Kato for a break.

"Everything that usually works for my students does not seem to apply to you." The old man waved his hand in a circular motion to indicate the room. "You pick up very fast on any physical skill, but your energy is chaotic, your mind unresponsive. You have no peace."

"Hard to have peace when everyone I love is in danger," he mumbled.

"Peace within yourself."

Yeah, Jimmy had known he meant that, but it still annoyed him. "You don't let me have peace inside myself because you keep telling me I should kill Jessie."

"And here is where I believe I am wrong." Kato heaved a long sigh. The dying light stressed the lines on his face. "You broke my rules, but it did not seem to have affected you in a negative way like I anticipated. Everything I anticipated about you is wrong. So maybe it is time to do it your way." He nodded towards the thermos.

Jimmy had never thought such a simple gesture could fill him with so much dread. But he also knew he had no choice or time to cower in a corner. So he drank the last of it and plunged into the darkness once again. He was well versed in accepting all the bad things in his life, so he found himself right at the end, in the present where his last fear was the beast inside him.

The darkness swarmed, twisting into the shape he had come to fear.

"Go to your happy place."

"What?" 

Kato's voice managed to interrupt the creation of the beast. It was the last thing he'd thought about and he wasn't sure he could pull it off, but he focused on Jessie with all his power. Her smiling face appeared before his eyes, and the fear inside him dimmed, but didn't leave. It pulled everything like a vacuum, locking Jessie in a tiny cage she couldn't escape from.

"Defeat it. Purge the fear, the uncertainty. It is yours and you control it. It is the only way to help Jessie."

That was his job, to get her out of there. And for that, he needed every last dark corner of himself to come together and fight. She needed him. They all did.

It felt like his skin was on fire, and as he watched his hands, something bubbled beneath, so hot and overwhelming that it seared his skin. It felt like lightning ran through his veins, taking over, singeing him from the inside out.

That's what I have. The power I have to use.

So he focused with everything he had to harness it, control it, direct it into a hit so powerful and destructive that it would ruin the cage Jessie was kept in. He focused on the bars and hit them as hard as he could.

The unload of energy had him stumbling back. His skin shone as if sunlight surrounded him, but it no longer burned. He was flame now, the sun. The cage was broken, Jessie was free, and she smiled at him, shining as well. As if she were his reflection. Or he was hers.

Sunshine.

She was like the sun, and he could be as well. Light flickered around him, morphing into something that made sense. The dojo. His entire body shivered on Kato's floor. It was so dark after the light inside his mind, he could barely see anything. Once his eyes adjusted, the old man came into view.

"I... I think I did it," Jimmy panted.

Kato stood like a statue for a few moments, then nodded. "I think so, too. You broke down my wall."

"What?" Jimmy looked past Kato, at the wall between the dojo and the kitchen. There was a large hole in it, as if someone had tried to cut a window but gave up halfway through. "Shit, sorry about that."

Like the complete madman that he was, Kato grinned. "This is what I am talking about. The next step is to manage to channel this outside the trance, into your training."

"I'd like to do it inside the trance one more time, though." He felt like that light was something he could work with, direct it even if it hurt at first.

Kato looked at the thermos which was lying on the floor, tipped and empty. "We could take a break."

Jimmy shook his head and stood. His knees were insanely wobbly. "No, we don't have time."

Kato raised an eyebrow. "You are more resilient than I gave you credit for. I like you."

Jimmy tried to grin, but he was pretty sure it came out like a grimace. He leaned his hand against the wall. His palm stung and he left behind a trail of blood. Even if he hadn't felt the hits, his knuckles were raw.

"I need to make more tea," Kato said. He half-turned towards the kitchen, then froze.

Jimmy did too, holding his breath. It didn't help much. The pulse thundered in his ears, making it hard to hear whatever sound had drawn Kato's attention. The old man put his finger to his lips and moved towards the wall. He took off two swords and passed Jimmy one, then also picked up his bo staff.

The moment his fingers tightened around the hilt of the sword, Jimmy heard it too. Footsteps outside the house. He wasn't crazy enough to believe it was Jessie coming back. They'd probably come to take him, too.

"You should stay here," he whispered to Kato.

The old man shook his head. "You are exhausted."

He could still pack a killer punch. Plus, he had adrenaline now, coursing through him, tightening his muscles and sharpening his reflexes. So when he twisted the sword to judge the weight, the old man didn't protest. The two of them tip-toed their way towards the door, listening for any signs of movement.

There were a lot. The people who'd come to pay a visit weren't bothering to keep it down. Kato stopped in front of the door and put a finger to his lips. Jimmy didn't need to be told to keep quiet. For a few moments they just listened, and he could already pinpoint where everyone was.

"You take the ones on the right and I'll take the ones on the left," he whispered.

"Hai," Kato whispered back.

The two of them burst through the door and into the yard. Jimmy hadn't been wrong. There were five burly men on his side. A quick glance showed the four on Kato's side. Without giving them time to react, he swung his sword and cut into flesh. As one of them came for him, Jimmy kicked him away, spun, and cut the stomach of a third.

It was so easy to move, to avoid their clumsy attempts, hit them hard enough to throw them to the ground, only cut when necessary. One of them took a pistol out, but Jimmy had no trouble dancing out of the way to avoid the bullet, twirling and slashing him to make him drop the weapon. He wasn't exhausted, he was lighter than air, and in a matter of minutes, all five men were crawling away from him, holding on to various wounds.

A gunshot echoed through the night. Jimmy jumped and turned towards Kato. None of the men he was fighting had a gun out. Three of them were already knocked to the ground, moaning in pain, while the fourth was getting pummeled with the bo staff. The old man moved with impressive speed and precision, obviously unbothered by the pathetic attempt to subdue him.

Jimmy turned from him and squinted, trying to figure out where the shooting was coming from. He turned back to Kato just as the old man knocked the feet out from under the last goon with his staff. He raised his eyes to Jimmy and grinned. A second later, another shot rang around them.

Something whooshed past Jimmy's ear and hit Kato directly in the chest. The old man stumbled back, the grin fading and his eyes moving past Jimmy's shoulder.

"No!" 

Jimmy spun around, his brain finally catching up to him. They had a sniper somewhere. Half of him wanted to tend to Kato, but he couldn't be a sitting duck before someone with an actual sniper scope. So, instead, he charged towards the house and up the mountain, to the platform he and Jessie had used so many times to spy on the movement of the goons.

In less than thirty seconds, he reached the platform and came face to face with the sniper. He swung around, rifle pointed, but he'd heard him coming too late. Before he could pull the trigger, Jimmy grabbed the barrel of the gun and thrust the weapon against the goon's face. The sound of crunching bones filled the night. The man fell over and Jimmy yanked the gun out of his hands and kicked him in the stomach. With a grunt, he rolled over the edge of the platform and out of sight, leaving a trail of blood behind.

Jimmy wiped the scope with his sleeve, brought the rifle to his eye and pointed it around. It was much easier to see now, especially because the weapon was equipped with night vision.

Kato was on the ground and the men they'd beaten up were crawling away, but Jimmy continued to search the surroundings until he found him. Another man with a rifle placed on the cliff opposite his. He took aim and fired. The man's head snapped back and he fell over, dead.

Another few seconds revealed no other snipers, so Jimmy focused on the retreating men. His finger pressed against the trigger, but stopped halfway before the bullet would be released. They were hurt and retreating. There was no point to waste bullets on them. So he swung the chord of the rifle over his shoulder and hurried down to Kato.

By the time he reached the bottom, the men were too far away to be seen in the darkness. The old man, however was oddly visible and cold sweat ran don Jimmy's back. Still, he pressed on, hurrying by his side. There was so much blood, but his chest rose and fell.

"You'll be alright," Jimmy mumbled, taking off the shirt of his gi and pressing it against the wound.

Kato clawed at him and managed to grab his elbow. "You can do this," he whispered.

Jimmy shook his head. "Not alone. Not without you."

"You...can do anything. Jessie..."

"I'll get her out. I'll make sure she's okay. I'll--" He had no idea what to say. Kato's eyes were glazing over and it brought so much pain to Jimmy, bringing him down worse than anything had in a while.

Even if he hadn't seen eye to eye with him on a lot of things, Kato had taught him more than anyone ever had. He'd truly been a Master in every sense of the world. And he'd had hope when he'd thought they were doing this together.

"You... can..." Kato rasped. "Just do it...your own way."

Fucking hell, he didn't want to do anything. Darkness clawed at his vision, at his mind, as rage took him over. At the unfairness, at the lost hope, at everything going to shit every time.

But he held it in. He forced it to obey and give him the strength he needed to keep pressing Kato's wound, stay by his side. He wasn't a fool. There were no hospitals for miles. He would die, and Jimmy would be damned if he didn't hold his hand through it all.

"Thank you," he said, taking Kato's hand with his free one and squeezing. "For everything, Master."

The sharpness returned to Kato's gaze and it seem to pierce Jimmy's very soul.

"I am proud to be your master."

Jimmy gritted his teeth, tears filling his eyes. The avalanche of feelings inside him made him weak and strong at the same time. Just like the serum running through him. The hunter and the prey. The host and the parasite. He was the sum of everything and Kato had made him understand that.

"Maya," Kato whispered. "Behind greenhouse."

"Of course."

Kato squeezed his hand one last time and then his grip loosened and he was gone. Jimmy couldn't let go or stop pressing on his wound, even if there was no point. But he needed to be there for another few moments, even as all life drained from Kato's eyes and he remained staring at the starry sky.

"Why?" Jimmy whispered. "Why does this have to keep happening?"

There was no answer. There never was. But Kato had taught him what to do with fear, with overwhelming emotions. They made him stronger and he was going to take this particular hit and turn it into his drive. This wasn't just for Jessie and his brother anymore. It was also for his master.

He had no idea how long he knelt there next to Kato's body, but by the time he stood, he had the strength he needed to put him to rest. Next to Maya, behind the greenhouse. So he picked up the body and headed that way. He'd never been there, but now it was easy to identify Maya's grave.

Under a tall cypress tree was a mound of carefully placed stones. Jimmy lay Kato next to them then went to the shed to grab a shovel. He got to work, his mind spinning, going over what he'd learned, potential strategies, what he had to do next.

He was alone and didn't have any more of Kato's tea. Getting back inside his mind to try and channel the serum was a no-go. He would have to do it awake and he had no idea how. His muscles ached and he was exhausted. And yet, the idea of delaying the rescue for even one more moment after laying Kato to rest felt ludicrous.

Could he do this alone?

The question bounced around his skull as he kept digging, sweat running down the sides of his face. The answer tormented him, even if it was irrelevant. It wasn't like he had a choice. The only decision he could make was whether to sleep first or not.

In what felt like no time at all, the grave was ready. Jimmy walked back to the house and returned with a clean gi shirt to replace the one drenched in blood, pulled it on Kato and then lay him to rest. He wondered if he should say something before covering him with dirt, but he'd never been one for fancy words.

"You're with Maya now."

It was all he had, but it was enough. So he started filling up the grave, then searched for enough stones to cover it so it would match his daughter's.

Once he was done, it felt like Kato had died all over again and the sense of loneliness was even stronger. This would've been much easier to bare with Jessie there. But then again, what if she had been shot and died? He would've lost it.

"You're not going to lose it," he said to himself as he headed back towards the house, rubbing his hands together to peel away the earth and dry blood. "You can do this, even if alone."

"You can't do this alone."

In a flash, Jimmy stooped and moved the sniper rifle from over his back to his hands, aiming it in the direction of the voice. It took him another second to realize that it sounded familiar.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

A shadow detached from the corner of the house and stepped into the open.

"What the...?" Jimmy was sure he'd lost his mind, because there was no way this was happening.

But even in the dim light of the stars, he could recognize the shape, the walk and the voice of his cousin. So he didn't pull the trigger and waited for him to come close enough to become fully recognizable.

The bitter smile on Billy's face was familiar, even if he now had a short beard and looked older.

"Hi, Jimmy," he said. "Can we go inside and talk, or are you planning to shoot me?"

🏯🏯🏯

Chapters are getting so big and I'm being such a butt and killing every bit of hope, but... BILLY! There you go! He's not dead. You were all right. Pat yourselves on the back.

So we're here now. Jimmy does need to go to the rescue but everything just got a million times more difficult. Take a wild guess. How will it go?

Next chapter, we're going back to tie up some more loose ends because we only have 7 chapters left to go.

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