Chapter 1
He could hear Jade's base as soon as the transportorlizator dropped him on her balcony. Dave had to step over potted plants as he slid the unlocked door open. The room was well lit and the TV was on. Jade wasn't looking at it as she sat with her back to him in a threadbare armchair; her base cradled in the arm with the mark that looked like a dog's head than a batch of skin. In fact, it looked like that devil beast's head who at the moment wasn't growling at him. Only because it was nowhere to be seen: damn mutt wasn't even a goddamned dog, it was probably one of those lucus-thingy that take care of trolls, after all hell murder island was crawling with them.
"Hi Dave!" She greeted, two froth teeth prominent in her smile.
"Hey" He took a seat on her couch, Jade stared at him, her smile falling.
"Dave, when was the last time you eat?"
"Today, had a big ole bowl of..."
She growled at him "No! You know what I mean." She paused as Rose had just knocked on the door, "I need to talk to you after the meeting." Because yes, Rose to the rescue.
He spoke too soon because Rose wasn't a source of rescue, she was further damnation. She floated over the potted plants, closed the door behind her, greeted Jade and him before taking a seat next to him on the couch. Once his cousin was settled, she pulled out a notebook and pen, turned to him and proceeded to psychoanalyze him with bullshit psychology that probably wasn't in her textbook. Jade sat back giggling at the situation as if it were a goddamned sitcom. Where the shiny blue fuck is John so this can be over with. He can be chewed out by Jade, go home, work on his comic and go to bed. And why da fuck was she asking him about Freud? Wasn't he discredited or some shit? He picked up the remote and surfed the channels until he found something he at least pretend to watch.
"Sorry I am late guys." Oh thank whatever flying spaghetti is listen because the of man the hour in here and this shitty show can get on the road. After he took a seat at the breakfast bar, Rose started with the updates. "Roxy is still working on the return node network and transportorlizators systems. Mixing magic and all the myriad of science that go into teleportation are not her specialty."
"Oh, I can help with that." Jade offered, Rose nodded.
"Construction on the island is ahead of schedule." Jade continued, "Skaia's headquarters should be really to go by summer next year."
"Little under a third of Prospit is now with Skaia."John reported, "Which is surprising but I guess a lot of people are tired of this war. But how will Broderick react when he finds out a third of his men defected?" All three of them look at Dave for a prediction and all hell he did not have an answer
"Not sure but I say we cross that bridge when we come to it."
"What about the bridge of Derse?" Rose asked
"That too." He didn't quite mean that.
"Dave!" Jade scorned
"What? The asshole is being uncooperative."
"Apparently he isn't the only one." Rose stated
Dave leaned farther back into the couch, "Look. I'm working on it and if Roxy is so close to him, Rose, she can work out the alliance with Derse."
"Rose, how's everything with the Heiress going?" Once again, thank you, John.
"Good actually, at the moment all we're waiting for is an exact date and preferred location."
Dave found himself surprisingly quiet as the meeting ended; Jade made everyone a list of objectives for the next month, matching her own with a set of colored rubber bands on her fingers. He didn't really need a list. All Dave had to do was reconcile fifteen years of embitterment with his brother, at least enough to make a reasonable agreement to form a reasonable alliance between Derse and Skaia. Wonderful. John and Rose cleared out quickly, both having 'early morning engagements' as Rose put it, leaving him alone with Jade which usually wasn't a bad thing except she was looking at him like a teacher about to call his parent. Like he'd just kicked another kid down a flight of stairs and was laughing about it. She set the base down and came to stand in front of the TV. Dave looked up as Jade pressed her lips to his.
He would have been pissed were it not for the sharp electric feeling of her kiss that made his stomach growl. She tasted super charged; warm and sweet like earth and growing things. The burst of power pushed back the fatigue he'd been feeling for the last few days but only slightly. She pulled away, leaving an inch between his lips. The space was filled with the sweet green mist that blurred out any thought that wasn't food and it's source that was so close. More, more; his hands reached for the source of his intoxication, he definitely needed ...and fuck no this was NOT happening.
Dave handled his arms out, pushed her away. He stood. Jade sat. "You promised me you wouldn't do that again!" He hissed, pacing away from the couch. Jade pulled her legs up until she sat with her legs crossed. "And you promise you'd take better care of yourself and eat when you're suppose to! Yet look what you haven't been doing!" She snapped back. "And don't tell me you have been eating because if you had, you would not have lost control like that!" She glared at him over her thick framed glasses.
"Jade, when I eat is not your problem."
"It is when it puts others at risk! When it puts your health at risk!" The two glared at one another for a few moments longer before Dave relented.
"I was planning to go tonight and I'll try to eat like should OK?"
"Don't say you'll try. Try implies failure."
"OK. I will eat when I should. Better? Can I leave now?"
"Yes, yes, you can." He was standing at the balcony doors before Jade spoke again "And Dave I 'm sorry I broke my promise to prove a point." He nodded in response.
The transportorlizator him standing on the roof of his shitty apartment as the wind chilled him to the bone. Dave really wasn't in the mood tonight, but he really needed to eat. The club, he headed to, wasn't far from his apartment so Dave took the scenic root in other words he jumped from roof top to roof top until he landed on top of the club. He landed on the rooftop of the building, the music from the dance floor thumped though four floors. The four floors were an arcade full of patrons, more humans than anything else, but the night club was full of trolls and dersites. Roxy's establishment, which was all he could really call it; like what do you call a night club and an arcade all under one roof, a barcade. Naw. A game club. Maybe. Anyway, Roxy's bar was appropriately named 'The Neutral Zone' as it was a neutral area where the three races weren't at each others throats every damned second.
Dave approached the bar, tonight's tender was someone he recognized and slid him a nice cold unopened bottle of apple juice. He popped the top and surveyed the dance floor and the woman at the end of bar checking him out. A warm wiggling weight hit him like a freight train slamming into Grand Central station. Walls collapse and rumble went everywhere. And by rumble he meant apple juice since he had chosen that moment to take a large gulp of juice. The freight train wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. She gave great hugs and her energy tasted spicy " You finally showing your face around here after all this time. We missed you Davey." She unwrapped herself from around him taking the stool next to him. Roxy was tall, almost as tall as Jade: slender and athletic, with blonde stringy hair and eyes that may have been too large for her face. The bar tender glared them, Roxy smiled apologetically "Sorry Mich" She called as he walked away. "Anyway," she turned her attention back to him, "When are you gonna DJ for me again?"
"When ever you clear a space for me." He responded, finishing off the bottle.
"Next Saturday cool?"
"Yup. And stop telling Rose whats going between me and Dirk. If you think you can get this alliance going faster you can always give it a shot."
"Dontcha think I've tried. Jeez, both of you are so fucking stubborn!"
"Just stop giving your sister updates."
"Whatever you say." She stood, leaving him alone. Dave stood, striding over to the of the bar. He took the seat next to the woman sitting there and greeted her with his best grin.
Dirk
The pulse died with a smooth hum as the convention attendees left the carpet dance floor for the row of doors that made up the exit. The colored strobe lights went off and the normal ones flashed on. A group passed by the stage, gossiping about how great the show was . Dirk smiled despite himself. The smile turned grim when the room cleared enough that he could see into the back of the room. In the corner stood a short man with a pale face and a sour expression that seemed permanently ingrained in his face was little deeper than usual. Oh yeah, he was in a hell lot of trouble, but a least it was the youngest Noir brother walking towards the improvised platform that made up the stage. He could bargain with Jack, who was climbing the stage, "Would it kill you to let someone know where you're going. Just so we don't get the idea that somebody's dropped you in the middle of the street."
"It might. I'd never go anywhere if I did." Dirk didn't look up as he began to pack up the small items his equipment. The convention's sound crew hadn't started with their own yet.
"You don't even tell Roxy no more"
"Nah, she'd tell you." Jack growled at that.
"What happens when Condy or the black queen hears you out with no one to guard you."
"I'll be fine, as I don't really need a guard, but you're here now so it doesn't really matter now."
Jack crossed his arms over his chest "I'm not here to guard your stupid ass. I'm going to drag you back." The sound crew started packing up, Dirk lowed his voice. "Oh come on. You're here now and I already have a three day pass and I'm working the rave tomorrow." Dirk showed him the three day pass. Jack's expression did not change. "Beside I have dinner waiting." You can eat at home, your highness." Jack snarled, this was not going well.
"Look, I'm sorry for making you worry and I'm sorry for sneaking out again, but I am twenty five years old. I'm not a child anymore and can keep myself safe for a night or two without someone breathing down my throat."
The muscles in Jack's jaw bunched, but he uncrossed his arms "Fine, do what you want." He grunted and dirk could have hugged him. He didn't, of course, instead he slid Jack his room key, telling him the room number of the room he'd be in before the dersite stalked off grumbling about spoiled coffin stuffers- a term the brothers reserved for Dave, Roxy and himself; an endearment of sort- that meant he was still in for a lot of trouble. Oh well.
Dirk left his equipment in a storage room and followed the crowd up the stairs. Most people exit the staircase before the tenth floor, but as he wasn't lazy or hungry enough to brave the dangerously packed elevators Dirk walked up to the twentieth floor. The door opened before he could knock twice r. The room was messy with clothes and stuff brought from the convention and empty besides the dude who opened the door. He sat on the bed. "How was the rest of your set?" Stefan asked, stunting over to the bed stopping in front of Dirk.
"Awesome as usual" Dirk remarked, laying his hands on Stefan's hips. There was a knock at the door, but the human in front of him ignored it in favor of leaning down to press his lips to Dirk's. Dude tastes like oranges. Dirk pulled him down until his back is pressed to the bed. The knocking continued slamming, against the door so hard it shook the hinges. Dirk pulled away, letting him sit up. Stefan opened the door, grumbling something that sounded like can't you see the sign. The voice that answered back made Dirk groan. He was up and trading places with Stefan before he was called. Jack stood just outside the door, his body stiff. The man looked like spontaneous combustion was imminent. "The palace is under attack." he hissed.
They take a return node instead of flying reappearing in the part of the palace that was once a greeting room but now it was just on fucking fire. Dirk beated Jack out of the room, sword appearing at his side already drawn. Two expedience charge at him, weapons drawn. His wings tear out of his flesh quickly and seamlessly the tickling sensation disappearing quickly as his feathers harden. He clears his way with a sweep with of his wings impaling enemies in their reinforcements. Dirk flew though his home in a rage, slaying any Prospitian that wasn't already engaged with one of his men. Jack wasn't far behind them.
They flew passed Becquerel Noir, bloody from battle with gaunt features twisted into a snarl as he kick a dead Prospitian off his sword. "Spades! The juju!" He snarled up to them before cutting into another Prospitian. Dirk changed directions, flying head first into his throne room. Three people were inside; Broderick, Prosit's leader, flipping out of the window leaving broken glass in his wake. Dirk would have gone after were it not for the petite round women kneeling on the floor with her blonde hair so caked in blood it was no longer blonde. Her whole body trembled as she tried to press her hands into the bloody chest of Spades Slick.
