Fate (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 22

"What do you mean I should draw back?! You playing me off or something?!"

Jack was going on full rage towards Michiko as the concerned Geisha dragged him by the arm and away from the match lobby. The match doesn't start until three days, but the Ripper was always there, staring at the survivors' side with bloodlust eyes.

"Jack, you need to listen to me. You need to sit the upcoming match out. You-"

"What makes you think you have the right to stop me, Michiko? Just because you were the one who helped me the most doesn't mean I'm gonna bow down to you and obey everything you do. I am the Official of this manor and the matches and it is all in my hands to decide which is which!"

By now the Ripper started hyperventilating, his hands curling into fists. If only it wasn't for the mask covering his face Michiko would have noticed the excessive anger and rage drawn in him.

"Jack." The Geisha said, motioning the tall man to sit down.
"You still can't get that moment out of your head, do you?"

The Ripper stared at her, his head started spinning. Whatever Michiko had said to him is true.
Despite it being more than a few years already, he is still having a hard time believing that would happen to him.

***
"You know what, Jack? Wonder why people would bully your height. Having to be as tall as you is amazing! Look at me. My head doesn't even reach your shoulders! Gimme some of that height!"

Jack laughed as Naib kept on talking, the intention of getting all the sadness in him away.

Never in his early life had he smiled this wide.
Never in his early life had he laughed from his heart.
Never in his early life, had he been happy.

"Hey, Jack!" Naib said, his hands holding him a bracelet.
"Here! For you!" He said, smiling.

Jack stared at him in confusion.
"Is this.... for me?"

"Yeah! I gotta go now, it's gotten really late now. So here! Something to remember me by! And make sure you have that on your hands everytime you meet me, okay Jack?"

Jack nodded, wiping his tears. He then stood up, walking away.

"Okay, I'm going!" Naib said, heading to the streetway in front of him.

Little did Jack know that it would let to his biggest regret.

***
"Why am I such an idiot?!" Jack yelled on top of his lungs with Michiko right next to him. He had cried his eyes out, the memories going strong inside him.

"Jack, you're not. It was unexpected, okay? No one can exactly tell about when unexpected stuff will happen! Besides, his mind will eventually recover itself. Trust the process, Jack the Ripper."

To the utter shock of Michiko, the Ripper swung his claws at her direction, making her flinch as impact.
However, it was too late since he now had her pinned against the wall with his claws aimed right before her neck.

"Recover itself? Trust the process? That's the most fucking bullshit I've ever heard you demonic freak. You're lucky I owe you one single debt or I would've ended you right here. Now stop interfering with my plans."

Jack released his grip off the Geisha before leaving, slamming the door shut in the process.

Tears streamed down Michiko's eyes as she sat herself down, trying to get herself together by taking deep breaths.
She could not even comprehend what had gotten into the Ripper.

She had it pretty clear in her head the moment the Ripper was still his usual self and didn't think of any violent acts despite him being one of the strongest. She remembered the moment Jack was being friendly to everyone.

But now, all his feelings had gone into the lust for blood.

"Jack".." She muttered.
"What happened to your human side?"

***
Bang!

The sound of gunshot rippled through the streetway.

Jack dismissed it as someone doing random shots, but the sound of one's body falling to the floor made him unable to resist the urge of going back.

"Please don't let it be Naib... please!" He muttered, pushing his way through the crowd of people surrounding the perimeter.

He kept on running, the feeling of concern he had in his heart being the source of adrenaline. He could feel his legs burning despite how tall and built he is, but he ignored it.

It was when he approached the scene that made his heart wrench.

The man in the ground, with blood pooling in his head and now surrounded by paramedics, was his first friend Naib Subedar.

***
"Ripper-Bro?" Hastur said, poking his uncloaked head through Jack's room in which the latter is seen to be sitting on the bed with his mask and hat off.

The Ripper said nothing. He just stared at the wall.

"I came to check on you. You haven't been yourself ever since BlackJack finished. I'm concerned. Match officials should be in their prime-"

"Shut up." The Ripper interrupted.
"And leave me the fuck alone."

Hastur felt a chill go down his spine as Jack said those words. His voice had always been heavy, but at the recurring moment it was something different. Something he couldn't comprehend.

"O...okay.. just tell me if you need anything...." the Feaster said, closing his room door.

The Ripper smiled a psychotic smile the moment his partner left.
He stared at his papers, which is now full of red markers and horrifying drawings.

"It is about time, Jose."
      
                                ***
"Say what?!"

"Joseph! Quiet down! I can't let him hear me talking to you this way!" Michiko said as she dragged the Photographer into the lounge and locked the door.

"Don't you realize how weird he has been?" The Geisha asked, motioning Joseph to sit down.

"Well.... I do find something fishy in him everytime he talks to me..."

"Right. And how long have that been?" The Geisha said, an uneasy feel go down her spine. She had known when everything had started. She only wanted to know everything from Joseph's perspective.

"Ever since I met Aesop."

The Geisha bit her lip, knowing that it is what she wanted the least as an answer.
But on the other hand, she is glad that the Photographer is aware of that. This means, she doesn't need to worry as much.

The Photographer shook his head. Lots of things had happened inside him. Claude's loss. His even more awful past that went on for years after that. His feelings towards the embalmer that grew even stronger. And now? He should be worrying for a soon-to-be psycho?

"There's not much that I can do right now, Joseph. But I just want you to be careful of Jack, okay? Please take note of this."

Joseph nodded before finally mustering up the courage to ask the Geisha the one that has been bothering him the most.
"Michiko, mind if I ask.. but what happened to Jack before? I assume it has something to do with his past..."

The Photographer's memory on the Ripper taking off his mask and revealing his face towards him is still clear, and it actually bothers him up until this day.

The scar.

"This is what I've been wanting to tell you, Joseph." She said, taking a huge breath.

"Jack had once fallen in love with Naib Subedar."

A/N:
Merry Christmas peeps!🎄🎄🎄
Hope you all enjoy your holidays!
圣诞节快乐!
メリークリスマス、みんなたちわ！