"What is it?" Akilah asked Jason as he set the box on the floor.
"It's my weapon from before I quit missions. I used it all the time, so it has a lot of Spirit inside it. It should transfer ownership just fine." Jason pulled an O-Katana out of the box. It had the classic black Japanese-style handle.
He held the blade in a combative stance, away from Akilah. Jason raised the sword, its blade beginning to glow red.
Shing
The sound of a slice echoed as the sword came down, even though there was nothing in its path.
He turned the handle towards Akilah.
"Are you sure?" Akilah asked, staring at the handle.
"Of course! I'll train you, of course. Let's get the posture down while we're here." Jason gestured to the sword, prompting Akilah to grab it.
She held it awkwardly. She barely trained physically, let alone with a weapon.
"Are you sure this is for me?" the girl asked, holding the sword away from her body in fear of accidentally cutting herself.
"Yeah, just trust me. By the time the mission rolls around, you'll be able to defend yourself if you have to. You shine when you can out-strategize the enemy. If you could add yourself into the equation, you'd be unstoppable. Here, you hold it like this." Jason grabbed a wooden stick, holding it from the bottom half like a sword as he continued.
"Spirit weapons are manifestations you strengthen by pouring Spirit into them through use." Jason's explanation clicked with Akilah.
"That's like Hendrix's guitar or Shezmu's mask," Akilah thought as Jason continued.
"When a Spirit weapon is transferred, it can be alright off the bat, but it really comes into its own when you combine it with your own Mode." Jason finished.
Akilah's mind stirred. Jason could see her brain working through her expression.
"So, what'd ya think? We could train for as long as you need. We'll start off with dummy swords, but I promise you'll be ready by the time the mission day arrives." Jason raised his brows, awaiting an answer.
Akilah pondered, "This could be it, my chance to stop being a burden. I don't want my friends to die trying to rely on me." She thought. Akilah nodded to the red-head, who nodded back as he smiled.
"Alright, then let's start with a basic swing." Jason ran back to the closet, emerging with two wooden sticks in the shape of blunt swords.
Back in the cafeteria, the subject of the kids' conversation had stayed on Akilah, and what Jason could have possibly wanted with her.
"I really hope she'll be okay on this next mission. I know we all get excited for them, but they can get scary." Amora remembered her own fear like a reflex. The image of Chase on the verge of collapse stayed in her mind until someone else spoke.
"You're not wrong. People can get seriously hurt on these missions, sometimes worse. We're up against people who want to wipe us off the face of the earth. It's a good thing they're regulated, at least somewhat." Hardy chuckled, "Anyways, I just dropped by to introduce myself. I'll be at the record store until the day of the mission. Those vinyls won't dust themselves. I'll see you kids later." He waved goodbye as he turned the corner towards the front entrance, the kids waving back.
"Yeah, these missions are cool. I just wished we had cooler masks, like superheroes. Those black pieces of cloth look stupid." Chase lifted his pizza slice to his mouth as he finished talking.
"We're fighting the government and you're talking about superhero masks?!" Vida let out a chuckle.
An idea popped into Hendrix's mind.
"What if… I did something about that." Hendrix thought. Maybe they would forgive him just a little more for the ordeal yesterday if he helped with their masks. He knew how to sew, after all. Or his version of it.
He looked down at his pants. Most of his jeans had band logos stitched into them, crudely as the handiwork was. He always liked fixing up his clothes. Throwing them away felt like a cruel act of abandonment, one him and his friends knew all too well.
Hendrix stood, realizing he'd accidentally drawn attention.
"Where are you going?" Vida asked, looking up at the boy.
He debated keeping it a secret, deciding to hold off on telling his friends until they were finished.
"I- I'm gonna ask Alex if she can drive me to the store. I need some stuff for my pants." Hendrix nodded nervously, trying to pass off his story.
There were always signs that Hendrix was lying for anyone who looked closely enough. Vida noticed the boy messing with his guitar strap, tightening and loosening it repeatedly.
"Why is Hendrix lying to me? Especially after yesterday." Vida thought as her eyes narrowed.
"Alright, see ya later-" Chase was interrupted.
"I'll go with you!" Vida exclaimed excitedly, standing up.
Hendrix knew what Vida had noticed. He sighed, "Alright, let's go ask."
The two of them walked up to Alex and Bloom's room, where they found them watching an old movie from the VHS tapes the compound residents had been collecting.
"Um. Do you think you could take us into the city? We need to buy some supplies for Hendrix's pants." Vida asked from the doorway, Hendrix peeking out over her.
Alex and Bloom looked at each other, then quickly looked back at the kids.
"Yeah, why not. As long as we stay with you." Alex stood up, helping Bloom out of the bed as well.
"Bloom's coming too?!" Vida asked excitedly.
"Yeah, it's like a little double date!" Bloom chuckled.
Hendrix and Vida looked at each other, their eyes widening.
"No- I- We." The two teens stammered over their words as the two adults chuckled.
The four of them piled into the black van, making their way into the city on the lookout for a craft supply store. Ads flashed by on giant screens plastered to the sides of skyscrapers. The sight of the city never got old to Vida, nor Hendrix.
Once they found one, they quickly parked, entering the quaint little shop.
The faded blue carpet matched the atmosphere, a thrifty feel filled the air inside the establishment.
Hendrix walked over to the thread section, knowing exactly what he needed. Vida tailed him, looking at the vibrant colors of every material stocked upon the shelves.
Bloom and Alex walked around the store, wandering with no real objective but to waste time.
"Here it is!" Hendrix grabbed thread of every color, stacking them inside his basket.
"What's it for?" Vida asked. She stared at Hendrix's expression as she awaited an answer.
Hendrix paused. He sighed before deciding it was too much of a hassle to keep a secret from the person who knew him best.
"I'm gonna make some custom masks for everyone. A little gift after yesterday." Hendrix grabbed a sewing needle off of the shelf.
"Oh, Hendrix. They all forgave you the second you came back alive." Vida smiled. Hendrix's brows furrowed.
"They…? What about you?" Hendrix's gaze didn't leave the shelf. He browsed the array of colors.
Vida went silent, finally making Hendrix look at her.
"Why… Why do you always do things like that…?" Vida muttered weakly, like she wasn't sure she wanted him to hear. But he heard it.
The boy stopped browsing. He looked at the girl next to him, whose head was now hung low.
"I… I don't know…" Hendrix couldn't find a comforting answer that wasn't a lie.
"If you die, I'll never forgive you. Just remember that." Vida said.
"I will. I promise. After all, every time I think about the end, I think of you. I push past for you." Hendrix grabbed the last color he needed, turning to leave the aisle. He stopped when he noticed Vida's tears.
She was on the verge of sobbing, wiping her tears away as fast as she could.
"What's wrong? I'm sorry. I-" Hendrix's face matched his concern.
"Don't be. Thank you, Hendrix." Vida smiled at the boy, who smiled back.
"Yeah. You're my best friend after all." Hendrix smiled. Vida's smile contorted into a frustrated, almost pained look. She stormed down the aisle, waiting at the register.
"What did I do-" Hendrix was interrupted.
"You're an idiot!" Vida snapped. Hendrix stood there, confused as ever.
Hendrix bought the supplies he needed, exiting the store with the three women that had accompanied him. Vida stormed to the van in front of the group, out of frustration and an attempt to hide her flustered expression.
The car ride home was quieter than the ride into the city. Hendrix made random glances at Vida to see if she was alright. Vida noticed, but tried to act oblivious.
"Hendrix. I think… Because of how I felt after you called me your best friend, I can say it for sure. I… I think I like you, Hendrix." Vida admitted to herself as she covered her face with her hands.
"Are you alright-" Hendrix was interrupted.
"I'm fine!" Vida spoke through her hands. Hendrix flinched at the response, going back to looking out the window awkwardly.
Bloom and Alex looked at each other, trying to keep their laughter silent.
Once the four of them got home, Hendrix thanked Bloom and Alex, heading off to his room.
Vida watched him walk up the stairs. She went off to the garden she had seen while heading to the kitchen that morning. She hoped the smell of fresh flowers would clear her thoughts. The wind swayed the plants from side to side, following her long locs.
In his room, Hendrix pulled out his friends' gaiters. He had picked them up from their rooms on the way to his.
"Alright, time to get to work." Hendrix pulled his sewing needle out.
That boy didn't know the importance of the symbols he would create that night.