Jessie was soaring above the clouds.

Well, fairly, they weren't any better off, and in the daylight, after some sleep, their task seemed even more impossible as a million other issues presented themselves. Like who were they even facing, because she didn't have a clear answer to that.

But Jimmy was back and loved her. She hadn't even known how much she'd missed kissing him until it finally happened.

She wanted to kiss him again, wrap herself in him. Give herself away, heart and soul and body.

Instead, she had an annoyed Kato to deal with.

He was silent as Jimmy moved over to the shed, picked up his first log, put it on the designated stump and cracked it in half with a single swing of the axe. Kato hummed, obviously realizing something was not normal.

But he said nothing and returned his attentions to her. "Let us see you fight."

She just stared. Fight who? But after a second in which no one appeared to challenge her, she bent her knees and raised her fists to protect her torso to show him she was willing.

Kato moved towards her, a thoughtful expression on his wrinkled face. He nodded as he took in her knees, her back and the position of her arms.

"Good," he said. "Now hit."

Air, she assumed so she did a little acrobatics. Punch, punch, high kick, low kick, trip, uppercut. Each move got her a nod and a mumbled "good" from Kato.

"You trained well," he concluded once she straightened. "Need to see more. Go put on gi."

Even if his request seemed useless and was a bit confusing, she obliged and headed to her room where she assumed he'd left the equipment. She wasn't wrong. A dark blue gi, similar to the one Kato wore, awaited on her bed, neatly folded.

She replaced her jeans and hoodie with the new outfit, but kept her t-shirt underneath because, even if a little warmer than the previous day, it was still cold out. The material was a lot more comfortable and allowed a freedom of movement she was only too aware would never be there in regular clothes. That was the reason they'd all always avoided fancy equipment and outfits. They never fought in organized settings, so they'd always trained in their street clothes.

But now, maybe the training Kato had in mind required this particular suit, so she was more than willing to appease him. Plus, it looked really cool.

Once out, Kato nodded once again, satisfied with her fashion presentation.

"Good. Now come fight."

"You?" The word was out before she could help it.

The raise of the man's bushy eyebrows confirmed her blunder, but she still felt uncomfortable. He was a fairly old, short man, even if he was a master. And she'd gone way beyond technical training and actually punched and kicked people in real life with the clear intention to harm.

"Yes, me," he said. "Lesson number one. Never be fooled by appearances."

Two thoughts came to the forefront of her mind at the same time. How Jimmy had misjudged her when they'd first met, thinking he should take it easy on her just because she was a girl. Then how Snitch Gravel was a better fighter than any of them gave him credit for and hid it so well.

Yes, appearances were deceiving. Maybe this man would whoop her ass. So she nodded and charged at him, aiming a couple of purely technical hits.

He successfully blocked them both, but she made sure not to leave herself open and give him the chance to attack.

"Good," he said.

This wasn't helping her, but she continued with a textbook attack. He avoided and parried, but each time he made a move of his own, it was easy to anticipate and block. Kato was very good and she could tell. On a scholastic level at least.

She straightened and stopped her attacks. Her slight panting was accompanied by the sound of cracking wood. She wondered for a second if Jimmy still knew how to fight. Probably did since he could still hotwire cars and encrypt equipment.

"Why you stop?" Kato asked, his breathing a little labored as well.

"This isn't proving anything. Maybe you should come at me and set the pace."

The man raised his eyebrows. "What makes you think you have the upper hand?"

She wanted to say experience, but since Kato actually had white hair, she doubted the answer would go over well. So she just shrugged instead.

"That would be the fastest way to gouge my expertise." She bent her knees again and made a come-hither motion. "So come at me."

Kato tilted his head for a moment, then gave a curt nod and charged at her. His hits were faster, harder, but she could block without difficulty and take note of his style. He was well organized and meticulous, but he relied a little too much on his left swing. So she ducked under his arm once he aimed a punch at her face and hit his side.

He grunted, but didn't pull away, so she continued her attack, pushing him back with every hit. He was good. Really good actually, she had to give him that. His only fault was the predictability which came with either fighting students under his level, or fighting in an organized setting.

With a final kick to the chest, Jessie sent him to the ground. He pushed up on his hands, his breathing coming out in sharp gasps.

"You are very good," he said. "Fast, strong and precise. Who taught you?"

She straightened out of her combat position. "Necessity mostly. I mean I've learned the basics when I was young, but then I just had to adapt."

Kato got to his feet and pulled at his beard. His gaze drifted to Jimmy who was still chopping firewood.

"Is he just as good?"

"I'd say better." More strength and stamina did that.

Kato hummed to himself, stroking his beard faster. "I see."

Jessie wasn't exactly sure what he was seeing, but she focused Jimmy as well. The moment her head turned, something hit her in the stomach. She oomphed and stepped back, returning her attention to Kato. He'd picked up his stick and was in the process of raising it to bash her over the head with it.

An axe flew through the air and cut the tip of the staff before it could touch her. The blade sunk into the wooden wall of the house.

"Touch her again and next time, the axe goes through your head," Jimmy called, already striding over to them.

Kato turned and swung the rest of his staff at Jimmy. He caught it in midair and pulled it out of the old man's grip. Before Jessie could open her mouth, Jimmy twisted the weapon between his fingers and dove it into Kato's stomach.

He groaned and fell over. She grabbed the staff before Jimmy could do more damage. The moment she did, he fell to his knees, one arm wrapped around his middle.

"Ah, crap," she breathed.

Sweat dripped down the sides of Jimmy's face and she realized he'd probably overexerted himself for hours without hydrating. He needed water and food.

"What happened?" Kato asked, siting up, seeming completely unaffected by the fact that Jimmy had just floored him.

"He needs water and food." And maybe rest. It was so easy to forget that he didn't magically get better. "Help me get him inside."

Kato obliged and the two of them got under Jimmy's arms and more like dragged than helped him walk towards the house. Good thing he's room was right across from the entrance. They dropped him in bed and Kato left the room immediately.

"Where does it hurt?" Jessie asked, pulling his hoodie over his head.

"Everywhere," he breathed, his eyes tightly shut.

"You should drink more water and take better care of yourself," she mumbled, lifting his tank top and prodding his abdomen.

"Agreed." He winced at her every touch, his breathing becoming more sharp even if he was now lying down.

Strangely, his insides felt less swollen, which should have been a good sign.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Valium."

She rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha. No drugs, I already mentioned that."

He groaned and tried to move higher on the pillow. "Another painkiller then. Or just knock me out. I know you can do that."

She didn't want to knock him out. She wanted to hug him, keep touching him. But that wasn't even an option and it would only help her, not him.

Kato returned to the room holding an ancient looking thermos. He frowned at them, but walked over to the bed and pulled Jimmy's top down. Then he forced the thermos in his hand.

"Drink this."

His eyes a little glazed over, he watched the old man before he unscrewed the top of the thermos. Whatever was inside smelled bitter.

"What is that stuff?" Jessie asked.

"You said he is in withdrawal. This will help eliminate toxins."

Both her and Jimmy raised their eyebrows. She didn't buy this, mainly because Kato could've helped with this yesterday. Plus, she had no idea if whatever was in there would react well with the serum.

"Let me taste it first." And without waiting for an answer, she yanked the thermos from Jimmy's hand a took a swing.

The liquid inside was hot and extremely bitter. It took all her will power to down it and not spit it out.

"Not tasty, huh?" Jimmy asked, his voice laced with pain.

"Not really," she said. "Just... Give me a second."

"It is not poison." Kato sounded impatient now, which only made Jessie believe it could be poison.

But her stomach didn't heave, and except for the crappy taste in her mouth, the liquid seemed harmless. After a few moments, even the bitterness faded, leaving behind a mild taste of black tea. So, even if she didn't really want to, she gave the thermos back to Jimmy. After all, it was most likely a traditional drink meant to help him flush out toxins or something.

He took it, still watching her warily, but since she didn't stop him or die, he put the thermos to his lips and knocked it back.

That's when it happened.

Everything around Jessie seemed to sharpen and her heart started beating frantically. She had to knock that thing out of his hand, but she felt paralyzed. Instead, her mind started spinning, going into overdrive, touching on all the things she'd been trying to delay thinking about.

An image of the castle came to the forefront, complete with every tiny thing she'd noticed about it, from layout, to access, to the crumbling condition. And yet, she was almost sure her friends were being held there. Then, the thoughts veered to the matter of who took them. Her immediate guess had been Snitch Gravel, but what if it wasn't true?

What if this was a repercussions of her actions? After all, it happened right after she blew up the lab and rescued Jimmy. What if the Agency decided that they were done with them and it was time to take them out?

They would've killed them in Chicago and made it look like an accident. Why bring them here?

As the pieces started falling into place, the answer became clear. One of the jewels. It had to be in that crumbling castle. But why? And did that mean Snitch Gravel or the Agency?

Her vision tunneled and all she could see was the bridge leading to the stairs. The impressive number of steps that went up to the entrance into the castle.

You can't see what's before you.

The thought was startling. What had Kato given her? She was rendered completely defenseless. Had Phillip sold them out? Was he untrustworthy as well? Were they truly alone?

You never should've accepted anything from him. Now he can kill you both.

He could've killed us in our sleep last night. This is just overly complicated. Ocam's razor.

She knew it to be true. Kato could've killed them in easier ways. This was nothing but a reaction to that tea or whatever it was and it was starting to fade.

Black spots appeared in her vision and the castle disappeared. Instead, the spots turned into light and then the room and Kato's face. He was watching her with rapt attention.

"What did you see?" he asked.

Jessie ignored him and turned to Jimmy instead. Her mind was still spinning, bringing forth a ton of information she had to appropriately label and throw back to avoid going insane. She could only imagine what it did to Jimmy and the mess inside his head.

He sat with his back against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest, head in his hands. The thermos was on the floor, empty.

"Jimmy?" she said softly.

"He cannot hear you. Let's go to the kitchen. He will follow whenever he is ready."

She turned and glared at him. "No! I can't just leave him."

Kato shrugged. "There is nothing you can do for him now."

That wasn't true. She could get in bed with him and hold him, wait it out with him. But she already knew Kato wouldn't allow it and the logical part of her was aware he had a point.

So, throwing one last look back, she exited the room and followed Kato into the kitchen. She sat at the table while the man busied himself in front of the stove again.

"What was in that drink?" she asked.

"It will help," he answered insisted. "Eliminate drugs."

He'd already mentioned that, and Jessie believed it. After all, certain plants had been proven to help in the detox process. They could help Jimmy's kidneys and his liver recover. But that didn't explain why everything was still in sharper contrast, why her body buzzed with foreign energy.

"Are you sure it will work?"

The man raised his eyebrows as if realizing how loaded the question was. So he turned with two new cups of weird brown liquid and sat across from her.

"There are a few issues here," he said, his voice holding a dreamy quality which spoke of the lengthy speech to come. "One would be the drink, and I believe I will start with that." He sipped his own tea.

Jessie did the same. Fortunately, this one wasn't bitter, just refreshing, with a slight minty tinge.

"The herbs are meant to help his body recover. I also added a little extra for his mind. He seems to be having some issues there."

"How would you know?" she asked, a little shocked. She tried to remember if they'd talked in front of him, but wasn't sure.

"You are very tense and guarded, even if your relationship seems to be one of..." He trailed off for some reason.

"You can say it. Love." Why was the word such an issue for the man?

He just nodded and focused on his tiny cup. "I do not know what happened, and it is not relevant--"

"He was in a drug trial for over a year and they pumped him full of the craziest stuff. It made him lose himself. He's trying to get himself back."

Silence followed her statement. Kato drank his tea and gazed out the window to his left. Jessie drank some more tea as well, but the calming effect was lost on her this time. She hated this so much.

Everything. The Agency, Snitch Gravel, all the insecurity in her life. The absence of any plan or hope to successfully rescue everyone. She would fight it. She would do her best to overcome everything and come out on top. But that didn't mean she couldn't hate it.

"This trial," Kato finally said. "What was it for?"

"He tore your car door off with one hand. Take a wild guess."

The man nodded, and his narrowed eyes returned to her. "Are you afraid the effects will disappear once the drugs leave his body?"

She huffed. If only. "They won't. The trial was unsuccessful. He was like this before they committed him. I doubt whatever you gave him will flush that out."

"I see..."

What was weird was that he did seem to see.

"What about you?" he enquired. "Your strength is impressive as well."

"Yes, I have some of that too, but not as much and not as drastic." He was lucky he didn't ask how she got it, because she would've told him with cruel bluntness. This conversation was beginning to annoy her.

He hummed some more. Jessie just wanted to scream. What was he even doing with this information? He didn't seem the kind to chat just for the sake of it.

"You will be training with him," he said. "You would probably be more equal partners. I will, of course, supervise."

That seemed so useless.

"We will have a daily schedule--"

"Wait. Exactly how long do you think we'll be here? We don't have time for daily schedules and practice-fighting."

Kato actually smiled at her affirmation and it made her want to thump him.

"What did you see?" he asked again.

Jessie huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "What does it matter? And how did you even do that?"

"There are certain herbs that improve inner perception."

And cause life-altering hallucinations. Yes, she'd heard about that, but these ethereal experiences usually happened in Peru. Then again, it wasn't entirely impossible for hallucinogenic plants to be found somewhere else.

"So what did you see?"

"The castle," she answered.

"What about the castle?"

She swallowed heavily. "The entrance."

Kato nodded as if her answer was satisfactory. "Only way in. Only way out. Easy to survey."

Yes, she'd figured that out, too. No way would they have the element of surprise.

"You cannot hurry in. If you hurry, you will die."

He made a persuasive argument, except... "If we don't hurry, they could die."

"They will also die if you hurry and fail."

She hated that he was right, that if they wanted even an inkling of a chance, they had to wait. What was happening in there? Were her friends still alive? Hurt? To be fair, if whoever had taken them there wanted them dead, they'd be dead by now. They'd had enough time to do it. But she couldn't think about it. She had to focus on what had to be done.

"So, what do you suggest?"

"You will train with Jamie."

"Jimmy," she corrected automatically.

"And I will provide a different kind of training."

This finally got her attention and she sat up a little straighter. "What do you mean?"

"You..." Kato stood and walked back to the sink with his cup. Then he turned to face her and crossed his arms over his chest. "You have something inside you that you cannot reconcile. I have seen your fear, the anger... But what you do not realize is that you can bend it to your will."

Jessie tilted her head. "Bend what to my will?"

"This power inside you. This rage. Your body does not control your mind. Your mind controls your body."

That sounded very reasonable. Except that the serum knocked out their mind and took over their body. But, like Kyle had learned to control it and only let it out when he meant to, maybe there was something more. A next step in which they wouldn't lose themselves.

And maybe if they managed to master the serum, they had a chance to get the others out.

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea."

Kato nodded, his expression showing that he hadn't expected any other answer.

"What's a good idea?"

Jessie turned towards the doorway where Jimmy stood, leaning his forearm against the jamb. She scurried to her feet and then to him.

"Are you alright?"

"I don't know."

"What did you see?" Kato interjected.

Jimmy looked past her, at the old master, his eyebrows drawn together. The same questions she'd had probably ran through his head as well, but he didn't voice them. Instead, he frowned and winced.

"Space," he finally said. "I saw space and I'm not sure what that means."

"Not the castle?" Kato insisted.

Jimmy shook his head. "No. Just... void."

"He was in space," Jessie said. "Literally." Then she turned to Jimmy again. "Can you remember what happened up there?"

He shut his eyes tightly, as if trying to bring forth the information he needed. "I did something bad. I... But I can't...There's too much. So much inside my mind and I can't grasp it."

"I will help you grasp it," Kato said. "I will help you master yourself. Mind and body."

The corners of Jimmy's mouth rose the tiniest bit. "That does sound like a good idea."

Kato gave a curt nod. "Come. Sit. You need food. You need strength." And he turned back to his kitchen and started searching for food in the ancient looking refrigerator.

Jessie helped Jimmy over to the table and leaned his back against the nearest wall. Even if she knew it was silly, the contact warmed up her entire body.

He gave her a small smile as she pulled back. "Nice outfit. Sexy."

Even if it was just a throwaway affirmation, her cheeks heat up. "I bet you'd look great in one, too."

"No, no." Kato dropped a bowl of rice and some fish on the table, a disapproving frown on his face. "None of this." He wagged his finger from him to her.

Jimmy raised and eyebrow. "None of what?"

Kato said something in Japanese then pinched the bridge of his nose. "Cutsey, cutsey. If I am to train you, you will be working with your inner energy. You must not interfere with your individual energies by..." He waved his arms some more as if scaring of chickens. "Your ki is very important."

"Nice explanation for not liking PDA," Jimmy mumbled.

Kato shook his head. "You may be good at fighting, but the inner strength and philosophy is foreign to you."

Jessie agreed. She'd always been careful with her breathing and keeping a clear head, but she'd learned fighting techniques, not philosophy.

"Not true," Jimmy said, surprisingly. "I know about aiki, kokoro and even bushido."

Kato gave a small start, but then his eyes narrowed again. "Did you ever try applying them to your little... problem?"

The slight sag in Jimmy's posture was an eloquent enough answer. "Not really."

"That is what we will be doing. Now eat."

Obedient, Jimmy scooted next to the table and started on his meal. Jessie wasn't hungry, so she let him have it all while her mind wondered.

Could Kato be right? Would bringing philosophy and meditation to their training be the edge they needed to at least stand a chance to rescue the others?

As she watched Jimmy, she wondered if all of this would help him with the confusion he felt, the black hole inside him.

One thing was certain. If they wanted to do this, they needed to bring the old, stable Jimmy back.

🏯🏯🏯

Well, this chapter is pretty slow. And if I think about it, maybe the slowest chapter I have. It does however hint at ways in which training could get interesting because some people have to look inside their heads more.

So maybe this will help Jimmy. Or drive him completely insane. I'm just not giving the guy a break.

Anyway, things will be getting a lot more interesting in the next few chapters seeing as we have some characters to catch up to.

Don't forget to vote for support and comment for me to love you.