World Walker Personal Grounds Part 3: Story 6

(A/N: As I said before, this one will be different in comparison to the other World Walkers. This is to be (what TV Tropes would call) a breather episode. Also I think this is (unless I'm wrong, then please tell me) the first Slice of Life story. And do I detect a bit of Romance? Maybe. Well I hope this turns out well, and I hope you all enjoy. PS: The Personal Grounds saga might be a little bit longer then origianly thought. PPS: This takes place after Clash of the Gods and Mortals)

Johanna was walking to Todd's house, as she normaly did. As she made it up the stairs, she noticed both cars were missing. This was strange, since Todd didn't say anything about his father delievering things to the men over seas, and Mrs. Simmions had a stay at home job, working with taxes or something like that. She took out the key Todd gave her and unlocked the door.

As soon as she steped in she could hear a weird form of music, and it was coming from the basement. It wasn't loud, but it definitly stood out, since it wasn't the usual music Todd's family to listen to. She has never been in Todd's basement. Johanna turned the knob and opened the door. She flipped the light on as she walked down the creaking steps. When she made it down stairs she saw, a laughibly beleiveable sight, Todd sitting on a beanbag chair in his pajamas, (which was no more then a pair of pajama bottoms and an a-shirt) playing Mega Man on the NES. The music was the boss battle theme.

Todd noticed Johanna out of the corner of his eye, paused his game, faced Johanna and smiled, "Hello Johanna, when did you get here?" Johanna answered, "Just got here. So where's your folks?" Todd answered, "Well Dad has been called to train new recruits over in Vermont, and Mom's tax client is in a legal bind, and has to be in New Hampshire for while."

Johanna raised an eyebrow, "And they just left you here...alone?" Todd shrugged his shoulders and answers, "Well I am responsible. Plus they left a nice sum of money in case food runs low...but since I can create such things, I have to find a way to make the money "disappear" to not arouse suspition." Johanna was embarrased considering asking Todd for some of the money, but money's getting tight with her and her mother. She swallowed and said, "Well, I'll take some of it. I mean, m-my Mom and I aren't really getting a lot right now when it comes to money..."

Todd smiled and said, "Of course, it's in the jar on the dining room table." Johanna was surprised. Granted Todd is her best friend, but she never would have thought he'd actually let her take some of the money. "Thanks. I'll just get it later." Johanna then chose to change the subject, "So, I didn't know you played NES. I thought your family bought an X-Box or PS3 or something."

Todd replied, still smiling, "Well, that's for a more "social" gaming, like playing with people across the world. But the NES, Sega, and Atari is for us." Johanna nodded. Todd turned off his game, picked an Atari controller and handed one to Johanna and asked, "Wanna play Pong?" "O-K." Johanna said. Like 99% of the people on the planet, she knew how to play Pong, but she didn't give any indication that she wanted to play, well anything.

But it's been forever since she's played Pong, and Todd has played this game for forever, so he's probably be a good opponent. Todd moved from his seat and offered it to Johanna. "Oh, thank you." Johanna sat down. "Ready Johanna?" Todd asked, with a smug smile. "Yep." Johanna smirked. The first round was short...as soon as the ball was on the screen, Todd bounced it over to Johanna's side.

"Hey!" Johanna laughed. Todd gave a competative smile and said, "Best 3 out of five?" "You're on!" As luck would have it the game became a draw, 2 for Todd, 2 for Johanna.

"Final round." Johanna commented. "Yep. GO!" Todd said, starting the next round. Todd's paddle moved up as the ball bounced off Johanna's paddle from the middle of the screen. The ball bounced off the paddle and went to Johanna's side, only for her to bounce it back towards the middle of the screen...and it went like this for about an hour.

By that point, Johanna and Todd had their paddles in the middle of the screen and watch the ball bounce back and forth. "Wanna just call it a tie?" Todd asked. "Oh yeah." Johanna replied, bored. Todd turned off the Atari and asked, flushing, "So, Johanna? Would you...maybe, like to...hang out?" Johanna was slightly surprised. Todd was always shy, but this was strange, they always hung out, why be so shy about it now?

"Of course Todd. Why so shy about it?" replied Johanna. Todd jumped a little, turned a deeper shade of red and answered, "W-well I didn't know if you had any plans, s-so I didn't want to make you stick around if you had something to do." Johanna replied, "Todd, you just need to relax sometimes." Johanna got up and helped Todd up. They went upstairs and to the dining room, originally to get a snack. But Todd remembered, "Wait." he walked to the jar of money and asked, "How much do you need?"

"Oh, right. If it's not too much, $50..." Johanna answered, embarressed to ask her best friend for money. "No problem." Todd replied, taking out two 20 's and a 10. He handed them to her, "Here. Fifty bucks." Johanna reluctantly took the money from her friend's hand and put it in her pocket. "So, for hanging out, what did you have in mind?"

"Er, well I kinda found a...hot spring in the woods..." Todd answered, rubbing the back of his neck, looking at the tiles. "Really? Didn't think those would form here, you know since where the city is located and all..."

"Well, "find" isn't totally accurate..."formed", perhaps would be a better...word." "You...created a hot spring? Well my mind has been blown." Johanna answered nonchalantly. She then quickly became embarrased again, "One problem, er, I didn't bring a swim suit." Todd responded, "Er, well if you tell me your measurments, I can create..." "No way Todd!...Too personal."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't..." "L-look, let's just go to my place, I'll grab my swim suit." "Alright." Todd said, snapping his fingers, teleporting them there. The two of them were in in the hall of the upper level of the house. "OK, I'll be back, I'll change, and we can go to your...hotspring." It was still a little weird for Johanna to get used to the fact her friend literally created a spring from scratch. She went to the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Todd went down stairs and sat on the couch, waiting. He picked up a newspaper and skimmed through it. After a few minutes Johanna asked, "Well Todd. How do I look?" Todd looked up from his paper and fought the urge to have his jaw drop. She was in a black and white two piece. "Uh...wow." Todd hated himself for not thinking of something half-way intellegent, and sounding like a pervert.

"Thanks Todd." Johanna flushed. "Well let's go." she urged. Todd snapped his fingers and he was in a pair of grey swim trunks. He offered her his arm, so they could teleport together. Johanna gentley grab hold of his arm. And with that the two vanished from the house. When Johanna opened her eyes, the two of them were in the woods.

Todd breathed deeply and formed the pit. He snapped his fingers and water floated from the bottom of the hole and filled it up. When the pit was filled up Johanna slipped into the water first, as Todd hung up their towels.

Todd then slid into the pit, parallel of Johanna. The steam loosened up tension between the two. Prehaps a bit too much. Todd didn't realize it yet, but the magic he used to create the spring actually affected the water this time around, relaxing them beyond what they would normally, letting their guards down, and lowering pshycological "walls".

The two sighed, now relaxed. Johanna looked towards Todd and said, "I was scared Todd, when you got your heart attack." Todd looked up at her and said, "I know..." Johanna then cut him off and said, "More then you'd think. I mean, y-you're my best friend Todd. You, you're everything to me."

Todd sat there quietly for a bit and replied, "You're everything to me too. How long really, have we known each other?"

"We interacted ever since we were newborns, but we were actually aware of each other in kindergarten."

Todd nodded, "Always together. That's what the teacher said." Johanna laughed. "Hey Todd, you know how you said I was pretty the other day?"

"Yeah?"

"Well Todd, I think you're pretty cute." Johanna giggled. Todd was slightly surprised (his surprise was limited mainly due to the magic in the water) and responded, "Well, thank you Johanna. That, that really means a lot to me."

Johanna raised an eyebrow and asked, "How come?" Todd begun, "Well Johanna. In all perfect honesty, I l-."

The effect of the magic was now subsiding, their minds rebuilding their "walls". After a few minutes of silence, the two finally began to blush at their previous comments.

Johanna, hoping what Todd had to say would be a good change of subjects asked, "Er, y-you were saying?" Todd flushed even deeper and studdered, "N-nothing! Nothing!" The two spent the rest of their time in silence.

When they decided it was time to go, they got out and grabbed their respective towels and dried off. "Well," said Johanna, "That was fun. Sort of weird, but fun."

"Er, yeah." Todd stuttered. Johanna attributed this since he just left the warm water for the cooler air. But for Todd, it was a feeling of what he was about to say.

'I love you.'

Todd gulped and grabbed his towel. Johanna looked back at Todd and noticed he was a bit pale now, "You OK Todd?" she asked. Todd nodded Johanna dried her hair a little and then asked, "When we get dressed, want to get a bite? I'm starving." Todd turned to her and said, "Uh, sure. Of course." Todd and Johanna then appeared back in Johanna's house. "Be right back Todd," Johanna said, walking up the stairs, the towel wrapped around her.

Todd slumped into the chair, holding his head slightly. The fact he nearly revealed that little secret was giving him a headache and caused his heart to pump faster. "Gotta calm down." he said. He created a cup of tea from nothing and drank it...only to yelp because it was insanely hot. "Not helping!" he said, leaping out of the chair. After a few minutes Todd decided a sip was the appropriate amount to drink, rather then a gulp. It acted much quicker than he anticipated.

After about a half hour, Todd wondered, "What's taking her so long?" He went up the stairs, to Johanna's room and knocked on the door. "Johanna? You in there?"

"Huh, yeah I'm hear. Just trying to find something to wear, need to look presentable."

Todd chuckled, "Johanna, you're going out to eat, not get a second job." Johanna laughed slightly, "OK, ok. Just don't want people to think you have low standards or anything." This statement caused Todd to sigh. "Nothing you own can make it look like I have low standards." he replied, before muttering to himself, "The only thing low here is your self-esteem."

After their meal the duo decided to go for a walk. "So, Johanna," Todd begun. "Yes Todd?" Todd took a deep breath. He decided that he'd tell her. His reason, the fact that it's now a pain to hide it and, well, he ain't gonna live forever and neither is Johanna. Todd was about to say something when, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw two fimiliar flashes of red in an alleyway.

"Elliot!" he muttered. Todd sprinted towards the alleyway, Johanna following closely behind him. As he said, it was Elliot, with a thug's corpse on the ground his throat slit open. "Ah Todd, Johanna, what an unexpected surprise...had I known you'd be out and about, I'd have started running by now." Elliot joked, smiling slightly. Todd created a tornado in his hand and tossed it. Elliot forged a shield of darkness, blocking the tonrado. But to his shock, his shield formed a spike, nearly impaling him. He looked up and noticed Johanna smirking.

"When the hell did you have powers?" he demanded. Johanna replied, "Don't know. But I got them!" From nowhere a chain wrapped itself around Elliot's arm. Elliot struggled to free his arm, but everytime he tugged he could feel his sinews tearing. 'Damn it!'

Todd then said, "You're under civillian's arrest. Anything you can say or do..." Elliot then threw in, "That's not quite how it works Todd, and like hell!" Suddenly a burst of green flew from the chains, acid. Johanna created a blunt instrument with darkness, as Todd created a net to catch Elliot and hold him still. Elliot then smirked, "There's a reason I attacked from behind."

When the two where a few feet away from him, he burst into a gigantic swarm of locust, to their surprise. Todd and Johanna created shields to defend themselves with shields, as the locust caught the attention of everyone on the streets. When everything cleared up, Todd said to Johanna, "Something tells me that'll be in the news tomorrow, if not this evening."

The two sighed over missing their opprotunity of catching Elliot, but agreed they'd continued their walk. Todd breathed deeply a few more times. Johanna questioned, "You alright Todd? Are getting a heart attack?" Todd shook his head, "No, no, nothing like that. Just collecting my..."

BBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

The stained glass windows of a near-by church exploded. "The hell was that?" asked Johanna. The two raced into the church and found it in ruins. People hiding under pews, statues of saints destroyed, clawed or covered in blood, crosses inverted and a large upside-down star burning in the background. A large demon with curled up ram horns, ash-colored skin, and long claws picked up a child by the back of his shirt. The kid couldn't have been more then 5 or 6 years old.

The demon looked into the boy's eyes and said, "Saddened are the ones who witness my supper." The child let out a soul shattering scream. The demon raised his arm up, about to slice.

Todd tossed a ball of plasma into the clawed hand. It flew off, bleeding out a green slime. The demon screamed in pain and moved it's soulless yellow eyes towards Todd and Johanna. Todd walked up and said, "Demons, never learn, always ignorant, always good as dead." The demon dropped the boy, who ran to his mother. The monstrosity replied, "And you hairless apes are much better?"

Todd smirked, "Where's you're left hand right now?" The demon pounced at the two, only for the duo to vanish and crash onto the ground. Todd then called out from the altar, "Pandora Hell, right? It's about time I found one of you." The demon stood back up, but Johanna noticed a metal pentagram on its chest. "What's that Todd?" she asked. Todd then looked at it and simply said, "Ah-ha! So that's how he's here."

The demon made a full sprint towards the two, only for Johanna to fire a bolt of darkness at the demon. It was sent flying backwards, struggling now to get up. Todd snapped his fingers, the flaming pentagram was out, and the church was spotless. Johanna stood over the demon, creating a club and sent it crashing down into its leg. The demon cried out in pain, "Insufferable child! How dare you treat a higher creature in such a manner!"

Johanna rolled her eyes, and said sarcastically, "Yeah, yeah, because eating a defenseless child is such a sign of bravery. Boy are you in for a beating."

The demon laughed, "From you?" Johanna smirked, "No, from Todd over there."

"Todd?"

Johanna smirked, "Yeah...the World Walker."

Fear flashed into the demon's eyes as Todd walked between the rows of the pews. Johanna stepped to the side as Todd loomed over the demon. The demon tried to drag itself away from the World Walker, only for Todd to slam his foot into the beast's chest, holding it still. It looked to the side, avoiding eye contact. "Look at me!" The demon then spat, "Your mother will rot in Hell!"

Todd responded, besides a knife to the groin, was "In Christ's name I command you to look at me!" The demon reluctantley looked up, but it could make eye contact, the way Todd was looming blocked a lightbulb, shillouetting his head, with only some light creeping around his head. Todd then said, "Much better." Todd charged his fist up and aimmed striaght for the chest.

The demon cringed and eventually felt a burning that was unbareable. Todd stepped off the demon and faced Johanna, answering, "That was a charm. An Infernal charm that protected it from Hallowed Ground." The demon was screaming and swearing and yelling blasphamies. Todd and Johanna shook their heads, filled their hands with Holy Water and pouring it down the demon's throat, killing the demon instantly. Todd picked up the body and walked out behind the church.

"What are you doing?" asked the priest as they left. Todd replied, "Making sure it ain't coming back." The mother then called out, "Who are you?" Todd stopped for a second and thought, before saying, "No one ma'am, just a World Walker."

Then he was behind the church and walked out to the forest. Todd then said, "We have to decapitate it and burn it." Johanna nodded, creating an axe and sliced off the head in one chop. Todd snapped his fingers and the demon and its head was burning. Todd sighed, and slid down a tree and said, "You know, this went completely against plan."

"How so?" Johanna asked. Todd looked surprised, "Er, what about Elliot and the whole demon attack thing?" Johanna nodded, "Well that's life for you...well us any way."

Todd then said, "I really wanted to tell you something, but I kept being interrupted..." Johanna kneeled and whispered, "Well you can tell me now..."

He flushed, then went on saying, "Well Johanna, I...I l..." Johanna's watch went off, "Oh my god! I have to get home!" Todd sighed again, and thought, 'Oh well, maybe next time.'

Todd stood up and gently grabbed Johanna's hand. The two then appeared in front of her door. "You know Todd," Johanna stated, "As weird as this day was, it was pretty fun."

Todd smirked, "Well, maybe we can hang out again soon." "Yeah."

Johanna and Todd opened the door, and noticed in the living room in the couch parallel to Wanda was an old face. Johanna was surprised, but happy just the same, Todd however was greatly upset by this man's appearence. "Dad?" Johanna asked.

To which Todd replided, "Oh, s-!"

Elsewhere is worlds unknown a race of Observants gathered around and sung a song:

''The girl once knew pain The boy will see through the claim What is this man's plan Is it Repentance or a Work of Mammon?''

(A/N: Yeah...Slice-of-Life needs a bit more work. So if you don't like it, then sorry. ZombieKiller123)