PA100 Arc: Inner Desire

Riley and Cody hurriedly ran back towards the inn. Riley tried his best to avoid any body of water large or small. Cody looked at the dark haired boy with confusion, "What...are you doing?"

"I'm trying not to make contact with water," Riley explained. "Since I'm a Fire User it'll weaken me. And I can't have that happen before we get back to the inn!"

"That's not how it works..."

Before Riley had time to respond, a strange slim man with light brown hair walked up to the two. He stared Cody down from top to bottom.

"Uh, Mentor Cody," Riley started, "I think that dude has a thing for you..."

"I know you have the PA100," The brown haired man said ignoring Riley's comment.

Cody placed his arm in front of Riley in a defensive manner, "So what if I do?"

"If you value your and that boy's life you'll give it to me without a fight."

Cody whispered to Riley, "Listen, if things get too tough for you, eat as many of the Fire Fruits as you can."

The Fire User whispered back, "How come?

"I don't have time to explain it. Just make sure that no matter what, under any circumstances, you don't eat any of the other fruits," Cody ordered with a dead serious voice.

Riley nodded, "Uh, sure. Alright, then let's take this guy down!"

Cody's jaw dropped, "Don't say it out loud you numskull!"

The man placed his hands on the ground, "Aqua Bullets." A barrage of bullet shaped water drops came at Riley and Cody.

"Wind Shield," Cody called as a force field of wind instantly came to his aid, stopping all the bullets. "Now Riley, go!"

"Right!" Riley shot forward and shouted, "Fire Kick!" His leg was immediately covered in flames as he swung it forward.

The man simply grabbed Riley's leg, letting his hand become burned as he slammed the boy onto the ground. "Needle Shower," The man said as needles of liquid rained down from the sky impaling the Fire User.

Riley eye's widened in shock, "Ah, I've been hit by water! My...power...is...fading..."

"I told you that's now how it works!" Cody shouted at the fallen boy. "Wind Palm!" Cody thrust his palm forward as a blast of wind escape from it, knocking the Water User back.

The brown haired man sighed, "Look, I could take care of just this boy now sweat." He lifted Riley up with his foot and kicked him back to Cody. "But it's clear that fighting you will take a while. And I'd prefer to get this over with as quick as possible."

Cody grunted, "So you'll be leaving then?"

The pony tailed man simply shook his head, "Oh no, I'm not leaving without the PA100. So if you don't hand it over, I'll kill that little boy." He rose his hand up and said, "Sharaka's Hands." Two bony looking hands with hundred of fingers erupted from the ground, ready to grab Riley.

Cody's grimaced as he turned to face the hands, "Sharaka's Hands...that's a pretty advance technique you got there." The Ovala King then glared back at the strange man, "A forbidden one at that."

The brown haired man rolled his eyes, "Forbidden is just a word morally obsessed people like to tags onto things. I am a Water User so it's only natural that I want to use every Water technique there is.

Cody scowled, "Even ones that come from a demon?"

A wide grin was suddenly etched onto the man's face, "Especially ones that come from a demon."

"No way," Riley muttered as he reached for a Fire Fruit lying in the cart. He quickly grabbed a hold of of a round red fruit and stuck it in his mouth. His injuries receded and he suddenly felt an immense amount of power surging inside of him. "No way...am I gonna let myself become a hostage!" The determined boy rapidly threw more and more Fire Fruits into his mouth until the cart was completely depleted of them.

Cody's jaw dropped, "He actually ate all of them..."

The man eyes widened in shock, "Is that boy insane?! He can't properly digest those all at once!"

"Joke's on you," Riley smirked as a huge amount of intense fire swirled around him. "I love to eat, so a bunch of random fruits is nothing!" He pulled both his hands back and shouted, "Fire Ball!" He pushed his hands forwards as a flaming ball was hurled towards the man in a split second knocking him off his feet.

Riley appeared right in front of the airborne man and sent a barrage of blows his way. He kept up the assault until they were near the ground and then, "Fire Kick!" Riley swung his blazing leg causing the man to skid across the ground.

Cody grinned as the Water User landed right next to his feet, "Wind Kick!" His leg was surrounded by wind as he kicked the man back to Riley.

"Fire Punch!" Riley slammed his flaming fist down on the man causing the ground to break apart with rocks flying up in the air. Dust blew around in the area where Riley's powerful attack had occurred.

Once the dust cleared up, the bruised and battered man glared at Riley, "I'll make sure you pay for that you, little brat. Sharaka!"

Riley and Cody both gasped as they realized what would happen next. Cody was still standing in the same spot, so the demonic hands latched onto him instead. Riley stared up at the huge aqua bony hands as they squeezed his mentor's throat tighter and tighter, "Mentor Cody!"

***

Ashley looked at Junko with worry in her eyes, "He can't talk anymore..." The worried girl turned her head away from the fight, "Hmph, I told that idiot not to get involved." Her eyes then traveled back to Junko against her will, "But still...I want to help him." Ashley didn't want to get involved in this fight but she still had to help Junko because at this point it was obvious that he didn't stand a chance alone. And he's called her her friend so many times now, the least she could do was be the one to try and help him for a change.

But helping people...that goes against what she's supposed to be doing. That goes against her purpose. Ashley sighed, "You really do make it hard to like this, you loser." She slowly pulled a shuriken out of her weapon pouch as Louis' feet continued to dance on Junko's abdomen. And she chucked the weapon which nicked Louis in the ear.

Louis' gaze sharply jolted to Ashley, "I'll make sure you regret that, little girl."

Ashley pulled a kunai knife out next and charged for the bald man. The knife was easily knocked out of her hands as she swung it. A spin kick to the ribs sent Ashley back to her starting point.

Junko now free ran back towards Ashley, "Hey thanks for your help."

"Don't thank me, you're my teammate so I saved you," She said while keeping her head turned away. "I didn't have a choice. It's not like I wanted to help you or anything.

"But I'm pretty sure I remember hearing you say you wanted to help me before you threw the kunai."

Ashley's face lit up as red as a tomato, "Well then you were hearing things!"

Louis scratched his head, "Why is it that all of these inns have some sort of ridiculousness going on...? I don't think they ever take me seriously."

"Hey, Mr. Baldly sir, why are you scratching your head?" Junko asked with concern. "Do you have lice or something?"

"I'm bald! You just said it yourself ya dingbat!" Louis sighed as he reached into his holster, "I guess they really don't take me seriously. So then, are you little twerps ready to give up now?" Louis pulled out his gun as he finished his sentence. He aimed it at Ashley's forehead, "Move a muscle and the girl dies."