Chapter Two

The current Guardians are enjoying their peaceful lives until�

 

"Hey! Cut it out!" Asha yelled standing to her feet. She, along with the others, was sitting within a fast food restaurant eating lunch. However, Asha was glaring irritably at her friend Jade whom only remained seated, sipping at her glass of cola. "I told you already! I do not like him!"

Jade looked up to her, placing her cup onto the table before resting her elbows on either sides of the glass, resting her chin on the backs of her folded hands. "You may say that, Asha," she allowed a cool smile to cross over her typically calm features, "but I can tell that you really do like him."

Asha groaned angrily as she hit her hand off the table. "I do not like Zack!"

"Asha will you calm down?" Rose questioned grabbing hold of her friend's arm firmly. "People are looking at you!"

Asha's fury soon subsided as she looked around the room. Everyone seated within the restaurant was staring back at her, each with their own expressions of amusement or vexation crossed over their faces. She smiled slightly as her face began to blush a bright red. "I'm sorry everyone!" She quickly sunk to her seat, burying her face within her hands.

Tygra and Drake couldn’t help but laugh. "How many times are you going to let her get to you Asha?" Tygra questioned with another laugh. "She's only kidding around."

"Yeah Asha," Drake chipped in, "There's no reason to get all bent out of shape." He then looked from her to Jade who still had a smile on her face. His gaze went back to Asha, his brows raised. "Unless you-"

"I think he is cute ok?" Asha said loudly as she lowered her hands. Her face grew even redder as she laid her head down to the table, making a loud, audible 'smack' as her forehead hit the smooth wooden surface.

The group watched each other for a moment before they laughed once more, all except Jade who remained smiling as she began to sip her drink nonchalantly and Asha whose reasons where explainable all in itself.

Rose placed a hand onto her unfortunate friend's back. "Oh, it's ok Asha! It's not that bad!" She said laughing all the while.

Asha gave her a sideward's glance. "Traitor…" she muttered as she sat back in her chair looking to Jade. "I can't believe you did that to me. Now everyone is going to know I think Zack is cute."

Jade placed her glass down once again, looking to Asha innocently. "I didn't do anything. You're the one who blurted his name loud enough for everyone to hear."

Drake looked to Asha and tsked. "She has a point there Asha."

Asha groaned loudly, laying her head back onto the table as everyone laughed, this time Jade joining in with the laughter. She soon stopped however, placing a hand to her head with an abrupt 'Ow'."

Tygra looked to her curiously. "You alright?"

Jade gave her a sideward's glance. "Y-yeah." She said slowly as she stood to her feet. She took a vigilant look around the room but when nothing of interest caught her eyes she sat back down. "Just a headache is all, I guess."

Asha was already sitting with her back against the seat, smiling. "That's what you get for teasing me."

Jade looked to her. "I can't help you are so easy to set up."

"I am not!" She looked to the others in the group, stopping at Rose.

Rose laughed slightly. "Sorry Asha but you kind of are."

"Traitor." Asha said with a huff crossing her arms out before her. She looked to Jade who was rubbing lightly at her temples. "Are you sure you are alright? Jade?"

Jade jumped slightly as she looked to the others. Their attention was now on her. "What?"

Tygra looked to Drake. "Maybe we should all head to your house for that movie, right Drake?"

Drake looked to her. "Uh yeah." He agreed getting to his feet. "Let's go."

Everyone stood to their feet, placing money down for tips; the bill already paid.

There was a loud crash at the other end of the restaurant, right before they reached the door. "What the hell are you doing?"

The group turned to see a table turned over; food and dishes littered the once clean, red carpeted floor. A man stood, clutching another man by his shirt's color.

Asha tsked slightly, taking a step forward cracking her knuckles. "Looks like he needs a time out."

Jade placed a hand to her shoulder as she looked to the two men. A small group had surrounded them on looking the brawl. "There are too many people; we can't afford to do anything rash."

"Oh come on Jade!" Asha began to protest when the man threw the other man across the room into another table turning it over topside with a loud thud. More screams could be heard as the man turned to a middle-aged woman. His face was contorted in a mask of hate and rage, though his eyes were dull and blank as he stared the woman directly in the eyes.

"W-what do you want?" The woman screeched raising her hands up to her face in an attempt of protection as she backed away from the crazed man.

The man said nothing as he came towards her however stopping short as two bystanders placed firm hands onto each of his shoulders. "Alright fella. Enough is enough." The one, older man said in a gruff voice. "Don't you think it is time you quit this nonsense?"

The man pulled away from the two men's grasp as he leapt forward. The woman screamed once more as she fled to her right out of the man's way as he turned to face the men who had stopped his rampage. His jaw was set tight as he glared wildly between the two men; still any sign of recollection was missing within his gaze.

He then charged them, swinging out his left arm, hitting the dark haired man accompanying the older one hard across the face. As he fell to the floor the man turned to the other and jumped at him knocking him to the floor. His hands soon grasped around the older man's throat as he began to strangle the life out of him.

"Jade!" Asha cried as she looked to her, but she was already gone.

"Get off of him!" The group looked to see Jade now standing before the deranged man. As he looked up at her she kicked him hard just under his chin, causing him to fall back to the floor where he remained, out cold.

The older man stood to his feet shakily as he looked down at his attacker with disbelief. "That guy's crazy!" He managed to choke out as he rubbed gently at his throat.

"Jade?" Tygra called as she and the rest of the group came to her side.

They looked down to the man as he rolled onto his back, dazed, blood dripping from his now broken nose after the force of impact from the floor.

"What the hell was that about?" Asha yelled at Jade. "I thought you said not to get involved!"

"Alright clear out. There is nothing to see here." The group turned to see two policemen coming towards them. They looked to Jade then the man on the floor. They looked back to her. "Are you the one who started this mess?"

"No!" Rose said coming forward. "She's the one who stopped that maniac from hurting anyone else!"

The police looked back to the man as he groaned out in pain. The officer on the right bent down grabbing the man's arm and yanking him to his feet. "Alright, you are coming with us."

The man looked around, the fury gone from his features and light back within his eyes. He cupped a hand under his nose as the blood began to pour. "W-what?" He began as the policeman dragged him away. "What's going on?"

The other officer turned to the rest of the group. "I would like to ask some questions-"

"Sir if I may," A middle-aged woman from before began as she stepped out in front him. "These young people helped me. You see, that man came and attacked my husband." She looked to the man who was her husband, now standing painfully to his feet with his right arm cradled against his chest. She then looked back to the officer. "She stopped him from killing that man over there."

The older man nodded as he came towards them. "It's true."

The officer then looked to Jade. "Alright then, you are free to go."

Rose let out a sigh of relief as she patted Jade on the back. "Alright Jade. Let's go before he changes his mind."

The group began to walk away as the officer turned back to the woman. "Do you have any idea why that man attacked your husband? Was he an ex of yours?"

The woman shook her head as she placed a hand to her husband's shoulder. "I never saw him before today."

 

"Well that was a bust." Asha said with her hands resting behind her head. "I mean, you took that guy without a problem! I was expecting something more."

"Jeez Asha," Tygra began, "that guy was a normal person." The group had made their way back to Drake's house where he was now fuddling in his pockets for the key to the front door. She turned to her. "Did you really think he would be a challenge to a Guardian?"

"Yeah, but what ever the case, something was definitely up with that guy. Aha!" Drake pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He pushed it open then turned to the girls crossing his arms before him. "His eyes were all weird."

"Yeah, he-" Rose began in agreement as Jade pushed past her into the house. "Jade?"

"I thought you were here." The group quickly glanced to one another as they heard Jade's voice sound from the living room. Who was she talking to?

They each filed into the house and down the hall to the living room. Drake stopped just before the doorway, Tygra at his side; the two blocking the view of Asha and Rose.

"What the hell?" Asha complained trying to see over their shoulders. "Why'd you stop?"

"Chosen ones…"

Asha's mouth dropped at the sound of the voice as she looked to Rose, seeing the same thought had came across her mind. Drake and Tygra moved slightly to the sides allowing the two to see clearly into the room.

There stood Jade with a young girl standing before her. She looked to each of them with worried hazel eyes; a cloak made of dark purple cloth was wrapped tightly around her quivering body. Platinum blonde curls fell over her shoulders in an un-groomed mess.

"Oh, Chosen Ones." She sobbed once more with fresh tears in her eyes. "I'm afraid I must call on your assistance one more."