[b][i]The Haunted Apartment Collaboration Post[/i][/b]

[@Spin The Wheel] [@Supertinyking] [@Letter Bee]

[hider=Part One]
As the poor boy screamed for assistance from Ken, another noise could be heard cutting through the scream. The sound of breaking boards, and shattering glass below them. Not only were there ghosts, but now a new creature had entered the building with them. A dull thump could be heard from further down in the bowels of the building, and a series of thuds gently shook the floorboards. Whatever it was, it was further down, and no doubt one of many new things entering this haunted place. Ken and Jeremy could feel deep in their stomachs, the situation both just got a lot worse, and a lot more interesting!

Ken, meanwhile, had gone back for Jeremy, and the latter could feel a rush of power coursing through him, increasing the potency of his Gifts. Now they can be of some effectiveness, as Ken fought to get several ghosts off his friend.

It was only then that the boy noticed the noise from underground, then said, "Should we go further down? Will you be okay?"

Jeremy's wizard hat-laden head peeked up fearfully from the dusty floor. Quick as ever, Ken had cut down the approaching spectres with ease. He breathed a sigh of relief, though halfway through it turned into a sputtering cough as he expelled the dust that had gotten into his mouth.

"I'm o-a-A-Achoo!" He sneezed.

Abandoning speech for a moment, He got to his feet and dusted off his uniform.

"I'm alright! Absolutely a-ok. We should probably check it out, right?"

He was trying to sound brave but it probably didn't sound compelling with the snot dribbling out of his noise. Jeremy took out his handkerchief and blew his nose into it.

Ken nodded and took out his Ankh of Life, an artifact that needed his aura to conduct more than minor healing. He then pointed the cross-like jewel at Jeremy, sending a surge of healing energy at him which ought to heal any injuries he had.

Then the boy said, "We should; let me take point once more. Also, as long as you're around me, your 'Pause the DVD' power ought to be more potent and your 'Put on the Tuxedo' ability might turn the Tux into an actual straitjacket. As for 'Fork the Tender'... Does it depend on your natural strength? If so, no offense, but even if that's empowered too, it'll be ineffective."

After that, the boy went forwards, expecting some sort of monster in the depths.

"I know, thanks Ken," Jeremy said sheepishly. He knew more than anyone how useful he really was. He followed Ken down the stairs, quietly mulling over scenarios in his head.

The undead follow the dynamic duo, but they linger behind, the sounds of twisted laughter echoing down the hall after Ken and Jeremy. Soon, however, they see a towering figure clad in a red hoodie, camo cargo pants, and black combat boots...

"Hey, I heard this was the place for the multi-school exorcism program. Am I la- ?" The tall, hulking fellow asks before a large blade suddenly slices into his face from above, cleaving in through his cheek and out of his jaw, into his throat. The large boy stumbles, before three figures, all seemingly living, emerge.

"Kenny, Kenny, Kenny...." One of the figures, clad in black combat gear with a hood that hides his face snickers. "Shame you dragged two more suckers into this. Kill 'em all." He declares.

The other two goons with him are a frog-like person, hunched over with one of his arms visibly pulsing with a dark purple hue while the other one looked like a plant human, with skin-like tree bark, and fingers like wooden spear tips. The both of them rush forwards, aiming to run down our intrepid heroes.

Ken lifts up Gimlé, his ring, and projected a golden barrier that reflected, in some small form, the glittering paradise which lay beyond the end of the World.

"Assassins!" the boy roared in rage as their charge was blocked by the shield of hardened light. "Who sent you? My Uncle, or some other sinister force?!"

The killing of his fellow student had appalled him, even if that student was not necessarily a fellow Laurel. And now Ken knew that blood called for blood, if only to make sure that such killings did not occur again. 

"Jeremy, stay behind me and try and trap one of the enemy using your powers!" Ken stepped sideways to shield his friend. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe..."

[I]I will not willingly break my word.[/i]

Shuddering in fear, Jeremy struggled to find a target, pointing a shaky finger at the assailants, his mind a mess of confusion and terror. Nonetheless, drawing some strength from the boy placing himself between Jeremy and the assassins, the young wizard points a shaking finger at the would-be-killers.

"P-P-Pause the DVD!" He yells.

The plant human freezes in place, halting its approach immediately, cutting down the approaching threats to 2. The boys wouldn't be able to harm him, and he would unfreeze soon, of course...

The frog-like human slammed its hand into the glittering screen, and a sickening purple substance began to work its way through the glittering wall, soon causing it to crumble and break apart. It simply let out croak-like laughter, smoke erupting from point of contact that filled the hall past the screen. This made it all the more alarming when the hooded assassin appears between Ken and Jeremy, blade raised to come down on Jeremy as the assassin grins with malevolent glee, only for the blade to sink into an arm that interjects itself between Jeremy and the hooded figure's kris. The hooded figure looks up to see the lumbering man from earlier, who seems that despite being stabbed in the face was still mobile.

"Fu-" The man in red began, before the assassin moved with an unnatural speed, cleaving off a large portion of the side of the man in red's head, and leaving several blades stuck within his body. To anyone with a simple understanding of the human body, each of the embedded weapons should be a death blow, let alone the brain damage which could be described as nothing more than the utmost over-kill.

Then Ken could tell what was wrong, for there was the spray of something warm, and the smell of iron erupted from behind him. The teleportation, the brutalization of the man in red, it had all taken less than a moment, less than a fraction of a second. All those there, now knew what they were in.

A fight for their lives, where sacrifices must be made, and most likely not all of them would walk away from this.

[i]An immortal?[/i] Ken thought about the Man in Red, before saying to the latter, "Keep Jeremy safe, Mr. Immortal!"

Then he cut at the air in front of the Frog-man, letting loose a blast of gale-force wind strong enough to flatter him against the nearest wall, before turning back to the hooded figure as he continued to fight against Jeremy and 'Mr. Immortal' and rushing at him, his own body glowing with an aura of light from Gimlé.

His intention was to tackle the man and bring him down to the ground, helped by the glimmering shield covering him. Then he'd thrust his blade into the man's neck, hoping that adrenaline and selective obliviousness would allow him to drive the sword home and give him his first human [i]kill[/i].

Jeremy, for his part, fell backward and scrabbled away some distance. He was acting on pure, terror-driven instinct as the student in front of him was brutalized (again). He didn't understand the situation at all, but as soon as he could, he pointed at the hooded assassin and said the first spell that came to mind.

"Put on the Tuxedo!" The garb that appeared to surround the assassin was, bizarrely, simultaneously too large and too small, tight in the pants and loose on the upper body, heavily impeding his movements.

"What the fu-" The assassin begins, before he feels the force of Ken's body slam into him. However, as Ken goes to bury his blade into the man's neck, he vanishes in what amounts to a visual disruption similar to the visible movement of heat coming off of the blacktop. The assassin appears above Ken, a blade driving down towards the base of his skull for a singular killing blow, but the blade sparks against the shield surrounding Ken, before it shatters as the loud clap of gunfire causes everyone's ears to ring. Looking where the noise came from would reveal Mr. Immortal standing with a handgun clutched in his hand.

"Missed me!" The assassin snarls, before gargling gave away that he was not the intended target.  The froggy human stumbles, clutching his chest as it seems Mr. Immortal poked a hole in one of their lungs. "Fuck, they got Roggie!" The tree man yells, before grabbing his friend and pulling them away. Mr. Immortal, however, seems to not be interested in letting his enemies get away. He begins to fire at the Tree Man who's pulling the dying frogman, blowing off one of the Tree person's arms. "I'm going to use your bones for scrimshaw." Mr. Immortal gurgles out, and despite what Ken had been thinking before, it seems like he was very much not immortal. Without some sort of assistance this stranger would perish from his wounds, and no doubt soon.

Jeremy while on the ground can notice something strange, there was a shimmering on another part of the floor like what happened when the assassin had vanished, and it was right beside Mr. Immortal!
[/hider]

[hider=Part Two]
Ken then sacrificed a chance to attack, to regain the initiative, to draw his Ankh of Life, point the small carved item at Mr. Immortal, and send a surge of healing energy, hoping that it worked for the other youth. Hopefully, his own barrier can stand for long enough to hold against a counterattack.

Meanwhile, Jeremy looked up,  then down, then up, and then down again. He wondered whether he should pick up the shiny object or not. He wondered whether he should if it was right to do it if he would get stepped on by the somewhat violent gun-wielding stranger... Deciding that finders were keepers, he crawled forward and picked it up.

As Jeremy put his hand onto the shimmering spot, it was like touching a ripping hot skillet, however, it caused the assassin who was still wearing the ill-fitting tuxedo to appear as he goes to slash Mr. Immortal as the Ankh was mending his wounds, leading to the large boy to slam a fist into the Assassin's chest, putting them through the nearest wall into one of the abandoned apartments. Both Ken and Jeremy could see the fiend try to move out of the way, but the Tuxedo binds his movements enough to allow the lumbering lug to launch him. 

"Thank you." Mr. Immortal says to Jeremy, before shooting into the room after the assassin. 

The other two assassins are slowly making their way backward, Tree-man kicking in a door to pull his friend inside leaving a trail of purplish blood along the floor. Then, the screaming began as the two assassins let out a horrifying noise. Ken and Jeremy see one of the ghosts from before descending from the roof above and pass into Mr. Immortal, who begins shaking violently.

"Damnit!" Ken swore as he pulled out the last of the exorcism talismans he had bought for this situation. Not knowing if these had any real power, he walked towards Mr. Immortal to try and stick the talisman on his head, already having an inkling that the guy would refuse, maybe even lash out before explaining why it won't work.

Jeremy wrung out his singed fingers and looked around quickly, wondering what to do. The assassins were in a bad spot, most likely, but he didn't think he wanted to know what made them scream. Meanwhile, the large student was having his own issues, and Ken was helping. Being with them was probably the smarter choice, though he had no idea what he could do.

Still nursing his fingers, Jeremy nervously jumped through the wall the first assassin had been punched through. "Um, Ken, is everything ok?"

Jeremy sees the assassin laying there, two holes leaking red through the tuxedo as they slowly pick themselves up. He draws a knife from up one of the baggy tux sleeves and moves towards Jeremy, but the wounds are slowing them down, as is the clothing. 

"Why...can't..this...be...easy..." 

Mr. Immortal's body seizes for a moment as the talisman is placed on his forehead before he grabs it and looks at it. "..What the fuck is this thing?" He asks, his voice sounding different. "Was this supposed to do something?"

Ken says, "Oh, I thought a ghost was possessing you and that I should exorcise it."

Then he continued, "Wait, [i]is[/i] a ghost possessing you?"

Then the boy turned towards where Jeremy was, and with a flick of his sword, sent a gust of wind at the assassin, a gust strong enough to knock him off his feet and to the floor.

The wind rushing past the boy seemed to wipe something away, and it was as if he could see more clearly now. Jeremy stared at the assassin on the floor numbly, as the red stain grew wider on the white dress shirt, dripping down onto the dusty floor. He turned his head to the large student, who even now, was covered in horrific wounds. He found himself staring at the hole in his head, wondering how it had felt, wondering at how unphased he was with such a large wound.

And then, abruptly, he felt bile building in the back of his throat as his breakfast came up to meet him. In a haze of emotions, Jeremy ran back out to the hallway and promptly threw up, gasping and retching as his stomach emptied itself, taking his emotions with it. After it was done he felt... worse, but also a little better.

Mr. Immortal looks at Ken for a good few seconds, as though he was wondering how to reply to him. The assassin was knocked to his ass by the wind gust, but slowly once again began to rise up, blade in hand like some sort of horror movie slasher. "It'll...take..more than...that..." He began before Mr. Immortal looks over and raises his weapon toward the assassin. "Should I?" He asks Ken as if trying to divert the conversation away from if he's possessed or not.

Ken shook his head and said, "We need to interrogate him first."

He then said to the assassin, "Who sent you? My Uncle? It seems he's gotten tired of sending Ninja..."

"Alright. If he does anything fucky, he's getting one between the eyes." Mr. Immortal says, moving to gently pick up Jeremy with his free arm, holding the poor boy's underarm like a sack of yams.

"You've got a few people out for your stupid head. I figured, hey, spoiled little shit, easy paycheck." The assassin says, glaring at Mr. Immortal the entire time. The two are locking eyes, looking for any sign to strike the other.

Ken retorted, "I'm not [i]that[/i] important to have multiple people after me; don't flatter my 'spoiled' little head. But go on; tell me who issued the paycheck - I might let you and the rest of your merry little band live."

The boy tried to keep his face an even mask, hoping against hope that the assassin would not realize that he didn't plan on killing except in the heat of battle.

Ken held out the Ankh of Life, made of semi-precious malachite, in front of him, and said, "I can heal you. Not enough to get you in fighting shape once more - I'm not that foolish, but enough to save your life. Unless of course, someone has taken steps to ensure that you die before telling me anything..."

[i]Which is probably the case,[/i] the boy thought, suddenly aghast.

The assassin laughs. "So you can toss me in prison? No..thank you...But I will give you one final bit of advice...Should have let your big friend shoot m-"

[b][i]BANG[/i][/b]

Mr. Immortal's firearm fires, but the assassin vanishes from sight. "FUCK!" Mr. Immortal yells, looking around. He begins to stomp off towards the room with the other assassins, carrying poor Jeremy around with him to make sure that Jeremy is fine.

Ken followed Mr. Immortal, looking apologetic and yes, guilty about how he had gotten himself and other people in trouble.

Mr. Immortal rounds the corner and takes a step back. "Oh, that's nasty." He says, before closing the door to the room the assassins were in. "Uff. I don't think you wanna see that buddy. They're, uh, not gonna be a problem. We need to head to the basement." Mr. Immortal begins, as he begins to make his way toward the stairwell.

Ken nodded, before asking, "So, if I may ask, how did you survive being so injured? Do you have an undead physiology?"

"No, no, it's complicated. I... can't really explain it." He says, seeming a bit shifty about avoiding death as he begins going down the stairs. Each of his steps causes a board to bend and warp slightly, with loud creaking and the faintest of cracking noises being heard with each step.

The boy nodded again, before he said, "I feel bitter about not checking for assassins. And also getting multiple bounties on me."

[i]And feeling [b]flattered[/b] by all the attention, even if it's negative[/i], Ken thought. [i]I hate my ego when it leads me wrong or is poised to lead me wrong.[/i]

He knew that what he had said to Doctor Nightman was right, that he had an 'ego problem', an ego problem that he was failing to address. And his allowing his ego to hollow out his psyche and create a pus-filled abcess where a stable mind should be has brought him closer to perdition.

[i]But Gods! It felt so good![/i]

"It'd be sorta hard to check for assassins. Don't beat yourself up, I have enemies too." Mr. Immortal says, as they come up to a door barring them from the basement.

Mr. Immortal looks at the door, looks to Ken, looks to the door, looks back at Ken, and then slowly lifts up his gun while still looking at Ken for approval.

Ken gave it by saying, "Shoot."

"Um, can you put me down first, though?" Jeremy interjected. "Please?"

"Oh, right. I honestly thought after you barfed you passed out." Mr. Immortal says before setting Jeremy down on his feet, dusting him off slightly.

"Thank you for the manners. Now, please, both of you cover your ears." He says before he aims at the door with his gun, giving just enough of a pause to let his newfound allies put their hands on their ears.

Ken did so and used Gimlé to project a golden barrier around his head as well. Jeremy crouched down next to him.

Mr. Immortal puts three shots in the door, two in the hinges and one at the seem where the lock goes into the door frame. He then kicks it, sending the door flying backward, and he stomps in. He starts looking around as if trying to find something, which was very strange. "It's got to be here still..." He mutters, a wild look growing in his eyes.
[/hider]

[hider=Part Three]
The other boy realized that there was a potential danger somewhere, and so waited, positioning himself protectively before Jeremy before asking, "Mind if I ask what you're looking for?"

Mr. Immortal walks around until he hears a creaking noise before he lifts his foot and kicks down, a piece of metal bending around his foot as he does. He stumbles backward, kicking that leg until the metal bent sheet goes flying. "That." He says, pointing down. If the two boys look down in the hole, they would spy what looks like a hidden space with some mementos inside, teeth, tied bows made out of hair, and several photos.

The photos are of numerous people, ranging in age, the hair colors in the photos being the same as the bows of hair placed with them. To those drawing conclusions, it'd be quite disturbing.

"Is it a curse of some sort?" Ken asked.

"Trophies." Mr. Immortal says, before kneeling down and looking further in. He reaches over and pulls out some sort of device that looks like a laser pointer.

"I'd say whoever put this here knows we found out." He begins before he starts looking around. "Help me find something to burn all of this."

It was a good thing Jeremy had emptied his stomach beforehand. Turning away from the macabre scene, he swallowed down the bile building in his throat before speaking. 

"There was a kitchen, back there. I'll go look through it." He set off at a nervous lope down the hall, going into a jog, and eventually breaking into a sprint. The sooner he got there, the sooner they could be rid of this place.

Ken nodded again and said, "I'll accompany Jeremy," before going to do so.

The two boys set off to find a kitchen, and inside it's easy to rustle up all sorts of flammable materials. Grease, oils, cleaners, the works. However, if the boys needed to discuss something away from Mr. Immortal now might be the time...

"Um, Ken," Jeremy said suddenly. He was carrying some of the things they had found when a thought suddenly occurred to him. At the same time, he was reluctant to voice his opinion. "Are you... sure that we can trust that guy?"

Ken frowned a little and mused, "Somewhat, but not fully. He has his own agenda but it does not involve killing us, otherwise... I feel he would and could have done so by now."

Jeremy scratched his head. That was true enough, he supposed. And the large student had done quite a lot to help them. Probably more than what was reasonable. But still... "I mean, it's just... I wonder how he knew about that room. The bounty didn't mention it, and none of the adults seemed to know about it either."

The boy shared his speculation, "I think he's an undead of some sort and this is tied to his previous life."

"I guess that makes sense..." Jeremy said absentmindedly. "Wait, huh?" He stopped in place and tried to process what he was hearing. "So he's... a ghost or something?"

Ken shook his head and said, "Zombie of some sort."

Jeremy's mouth opened and closed. That would explain a lot.

"I don't know anything about zombies, but I guess so." He said. He had never been fond of zombie movies. "Anyway, let's get this stuff back to him."

They should probably do their job first. There would be time to think it over later.

After another set of nods, Ken began carrying flammable materials back to 'Mr. Immortal', hoping that Jeremy followed him too.

When the boys return, they find Mr. Immortal looking at a picture as his head jitters on his shoulders, the movements highly unnatural. After a few moments, his head snaps towards them with a slight crunching noise. "Oh, good, you're back. Just, uh, come here with those." He says, looking over what was gathered, hunching down to do so. Jeremy is able to get a good view of the photo Mr. Immortal is holding, and it looks familiar like he'd seen it recently...and it does not look like Mr. Immortal at all.

He wonders if he should ask. He probably shouldn't pry, but if he doesn't ask now, then when would he?

"Um, is that -" Jeremy starts. He's not sure what to ask. Is it his brother? Father? Himself? He knew so little that it was difficult to know what he wanted to know.

"Is that your friend in the picture?" He says, finally.

Ken listens in while at the same time putting down the flammable materials he carried in front of Mr. immortal before saying, "I echo Jeremy's questions."

Mr. Immortal slowly looks over at the two boys. "A friend, yesssssssssss....a friend." He repeats, before picking up some of the flammable items. He begins to pour them into the pit, and around the room, making a hell of a mess. "You two might wanna...head outside..." He hisses, and his movements become more erratic and violent as he pours and moves.

Jeremy complied, walking back the way they came, trying to remember which hallway was which. Before he left the room, however, he looked back at the immortal student. He felt that he should remember this scene. He felt like he should watch until the end. But, he probably didn't have the right to do that. It seemed rather personal for the giant student, and it felt wrong for him, a complete stranger, to intrude on it. Jeremy turned away.

Ken turned away as well, following Jeremy. It was time for them to go, and maybe collect their rewards. He feared for 'Mr. Immortal', however; he felt as though the other youth might do something which can hurt himself, but what?

Then it hit him - His exorcism tag had failed but he had no other method for exorcism... That didn't mean that he shouldn't try.

So he told Jeremy, "Jeremy, go ahead of me - Collect your share of the reward and if we don't return in 24 hours, [i]our[/i] shares. I have to do something."

Then the boy hurried back to where 'Mr. Immortal' was.

Mr. Immortal stood above the pit, the room now awash in flammable materials. He looks over toward Ken and frowns. "What do you want?" He asks, thumb ready to flick open a lighter in his hand, a moment away from fiery oblivion.

Ken asked bluntly, "Are you possessed? I saw that ghost enter you, which either implies possession or... consumption."

"....No?" He asks in reply, as if unsure. It wasn't a very convincing statement, all things considered. "Why do you ask?"

The boy was plain as day when he replied, "If you're possessed, I can't just allow the ghost inside you to kill you in a fire. My exorcism tags might be useless, but I have... Other measures."

Ken faced Mr. Immortal and said, "Two options. One is negotiation, the other is brute force. I'm trying the first option, by the way, so tell me; why do you want this building to burn?"

"Tell me, how do ghosts form? Demons, normally, but not all the time. You saw the crawlspace, you saw the trophies. Fill in the gaps." Mr. Immortal says, fist clenched on the lighter. The moment was tense, for Ken knew if that lighter sparked, the entire room would go up in flames.

Ken nodded and said, "There was a serial killer here. He caused the ghosts. You're a legitimate spirit of the dead."

His lip slightly curled a little upward, "So, is the serial killer, who may or may not be also an occult ritualist, dead as well, and if not, why don't we try and find him? Alternately, if the real problem is that his 'trophies' are keeping you tethered into this world, we can find another way of destroying them without fire..."

"I'm tired, little man. I've been where a while, gathering strength. I don't know how long it'll take for me to do something like this again. I just want justice. This was his building, he had all the keys. How was I supposed to keep safe?" Mr. Immortal speaks, but it doesn't sound like him anymore. It sounds like a woman, distraught and reeling. "How else will you let me out? I'm stuck here until it's all gone. The others too, who're currently using those two goons as meat suits who tried to kill you."

Ken nodded and said, "A fire will spread, and innocent people might be hurt. Plus the person you possessed might die, and his death is [i]not[/i] desirable."

He drew his sword and said, "If destruction is what's needed, there is a better way than fire. It's going to take a lot out of me, but I can collapse the building with wind if there isn't a risk that said wind would just spread and fan what fires there are."

Facing 'Mr. Immortal'/Ms. Ghost, Ken said, "Here's my counter-offer - I'll let you into [i]my[/i] body, and we can destroy the building together without fire. If you reject this, I'll just use brute force despite the fact that brute force is dumb most times."

"Really? You'd take that on yourself?" They asks, extending a hand for Ken to take. "Fine, then we shake on it." They offer.

Ken can feel the air grow cold, as the offer is made. Is he ready for what comes next?

Ken shook on it, very deliberately leaving his mind open for the woman's soul, but keeping a reserve of willpower just in case he needed to force the ghost out of himself if there was any treachery planned.

It was like feeling the creeping ice of death crawl into his veins, and soon Ken felt like he was living in a haze.

"What interesting powers you have. Your mind is a cluttered place, boy, but roomy. Much roomier than the big lug, he has so much, and all in order, filing cabinets for days." She speaks, her voice like cold winter rain dripping down Ken's face. What happens immediately after is a daze, Mr. Immortal being escorted out of the building to sit down where he could rest. Then Ken, or both of them, turn to face the building. "We could combine our plans. Light it ablaze, but use your winds to keep it contained. It'll burn to cinders without anyone else being harmed." The Voice speaks, making Ken feel ill as they do. Possession was not a pleasant experience.

"Do it," Ken said. "I can always use my ring to put up a barrier should anything go wrong."

He felt like he was talking inside a dream, struggling with the weight of sleep and sickness. But he can endure this. He had to, or else he wouldn't be who he wanted to be - A good ruler. A hero. Someone who made sacrifices and didn't demand any that he would not make himself.

The next few moments were a blur, the building cascading into smoke and ruins, the glittering light a backdrop to hellish flames. As the building was consumed, the sickness began to lessen as the influence of the specter lessened, a grip released. "Good..for now, I sleep to recover. We will find him and kill him together. The one who did this. Then, I shall go, but not before giving a gift." The voice whispers, as Ken slowly began to feel himself again save for a pit in his stomach, what felt like a stone.

Ken nodded and said to himself, "It seems I got an obligation..."

[i]Did I just get a stomach stone?![/i] he thought incredulously.

In the background, almost drowned out by the crackling of flames, the sound of small footsteps quickly grew louder as Jeremy approached him.

"Ken, are you alright!? What the hel-" He skidded to a stop, panting half with exertion and mostly with panic. "What the heck happened!?" 
Contrary to the older boy's advice, it seemed he had opted to stick around. He looked around, seemingly worried that he couldn't see the immortal student.

Ken patted Jeremy on the head and said, "Got possessed. Willingly. I think I have new powers and responsibilities now."

Jeremy blinked at his statement. He looked at Mr. Immortal vomiting in the bushes and then back to Ken. He paused for a moment, and if one listened closely enough, they could probably hear the sound of gears clicking in his head as he put 2 and 2 together. He frowned, and then asked him again.

"Are you sure you're alright? You look... really under the weather, right now." Well, he was about 90% sure that he wasn't fine. But he knew Ken was stubborn, and Jeremy felt reluctant to pry. He seemed somewhat... determined.

"I'm....not fine, but I'll get there," Ken speaks, his own voice passing his lips without his command. His head slowly turns to look at Jeremy, a warm smile on his face as he pats Jeremy on the head again. "New responsibilities come with new issues, but I'll get past em. How about we go get our rewards?" He asks, Ken feeling like a puppet in these few moments.

"I second thaaat. I'm gonna go drink Rhea's supply of ginger ale to get over whatever the fuck this is...Uhhhhggggg...Note to self, create a spirit barrier so this can't happen ag...Again-.....BLUURRRGGGG-" Mr. Immortal begins, before upchucking again.

The Spirit laughs within Ken's mind. "You should watch that big oaf. His soul is rotten to the core, the exact kind of person you despise...the exact kind of person your Uncle utilizes. Maybe you could turn the tables and utilize someone like that yourself?" The Spirit asks Ken with a mischievous tone.

Ken nodded and thought back, [i]I could use the help, yes.[/i]

He then reasserted control of himself and spoke in his own voice, "So, Jeremy, Mr. Immortal, want to come with me to get some ginger ale once we get the rewards? I'm paying!"

An offer. Made with just the right words for 'social lubrication'. A bit cynical, but a start to his quest, a quest to become better than Chinami and Reverio... combined.

From the shrubbery, a hand shoots up, with a thumbs up. "Sounds..great..."

Jeremy opened his mouth, but then he closed it again. 

"Sure, I guess?" He said tentatively. That may have been against his better judgment. He was still unsure about the immortal student, and he was rather tired after everything had happened. But then again, maybe he shouldn't leave Ken alone right now, and Mr. Immortal had helped them out quite a bit...

Mr. Immortal follows, pulling himself free from the shrub he had been using as a resting spot. The boys are able to collect a bounty on the job, after explaining just why they had to burn down the building, Ken being surprisingly articulate thanks to some subtle nudging. Their payout is a whopping three hundred dollars, split three ways means for less than three hours of work, each boy made a fat stack of cash. 

"So, you said you were buying?" Mr. Immortal jokes, gently slapping Ken on the back, as the boys head off for some well-deserved rest and relaxation...

--FIN--
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