The gifted

Chapter 1

His steps echoed through the damp gray street of district six. The night was at its darkest which left districts three to six completely void of any life. Everyone knew of the dangers that lied within the darkest corners of the broken down pipe filled alley ways of the outer districts. Dee knew the danger he put himself in walking here, he knew of the creatures that could easily and mercilessly rip anyone apart that happened past, of the thieves and criminals that would kill anyone that looked like they could at least five dollars on their person, and worse than that were the patrols that had a tendency to make people they caught walking around after hours "Disappear". But Dee never let that stop him from taking his midnight walks. Dee was never one to be told what to do, not to say that he wasn't cautious, in fact he learned in his short nineteen years of life which streets had the best nooks to hide in if danger was near. He leaned how to listen for the slightest of noise, and how to tense every muscle within his body till every movement he made was virtually silent. Above all that, Dee was quick. At school he was often called "the night panther". Truly, the name was fitting, with his lean muscular body that could run at speeds most could not accomplish and intense green eyes that adjusted incredibly well in the darkness of night.

The thought of his commonly used nick name (mostly used among the girls in his school) made his chiseled lips turn into a sly grin as he recalled the previous night's escapades. He remembered how he had Julie up against one of the coarse plaster walls that made up her small apartment. He loved the way her nails had dug into his back as she screamed and begged her "panther" for more. He growled against her soft mocha skin as his tongue trailed all over her long neck. As he bit down on her shoulder she let out a cry of pleasure that caused her body to tremble against him. He moved within her with a powerful force that shook the old wall he held her against. The sweet memories of her lustful cry's played in his mind. He could feel a sudden heat build within him.

Stop it Dee!, he snapped at himself. You must always remain focused out here.

Running his hand through his wavy dark locks he surveyed his surroundings momentarily. Everything was quite, which was good. Yet a small part of him felt like something had shifted. After all he wouldn't have left those sweet thoughts of his night with Julie for a simple half hard-on. His cat eyes look through the darkness, his ears ready for even the slightest hint of a disturbance. With slow caution he moved to the nearest tunnel of pips, he crouched low beneath them making his body one with the icy concrete.

He had been lying there for little over an hour before the voices started. Tentatively Dee lowered his hand to his large belt and unhooked the small knife from the hidden compartment within it. The voices grew louder.

Who could those voices belong to? He thought to himself. Who would be speaking so casually like this in fucking district 6! Did they have a death wish?

"I lost it." A deep overly tired voice grumbled.

"Well find it," Another man's voice demanded, but not in a harsh way. The voice was calming and had a sweet almost musical tone to it.

"I'm trying, it's like he disappeared!" the man kicked a pipe line only a few inches away from Dee's hiding space. Breath caught in his throat, he moved the knife up to his chest, prepared for the worst.

"Calm yourself Rose, getting angry will only make it hard for you to focus."

"This shit happens every time! I don't know why I can never sense him long enough to fucking catch him!"

"Shhh," The calm man's voice hushed the Rose guy softly. "That is not a reflection on you. No one has ever been able to catch him. You should feel accomplished that you can sense him at all."

"It's not enough Ryo, I can't take it when that bastard . . ."

The man named Ryo hushed him again; Dee heard a soft shuffle of feet and rustle of clothing. The man named Rose let out a soft sigh as his body relaxed. Dee twisted silently to peek through a small break between the pipes; he could see the shadowed outline of the two men embracing each other. Dee felt a burning rise in his face, he felt like he was spying on a very private moment. He tried to turn himself around, but as he did the handle of his knife clinked lightly against one of the many pipes.

"Did you hear something?" the man Rose said breaking their embrace.

""What did you hear?" Ryo asked, his voice lost a lot of its gentleness.

"There is someone near." Dee tensed holding his breath with his all of his strength. He didn't want to fight these men; there was something about them that Dee feared. Even though he didn't know what it was exactly.

"A civilian?" Ryo asked as his moved unknowingly closer to Dee.

"Maybe, but he has the gift. It hasn't been awakened yet, but I can feel it slightly."

"Are you sure he's near?"

"Positive."

A large rough hand grabbed Dee by the arm and threw him up in the air like a rag doll. It all happened so fast Dee was unable to full process what happened till his flailing form hit the concrete. Coughing and weaving he rolled off his cut up and injured back onto his left side. He groaned and gritted his as he struggled to prop himself upward. His green eyes stung with tears he refused to release as he meet the black eyes of one of the men. The pain that only moments before consumed Dee's entire form slowly faded as he found himself transfixed on the man. His eyes where blacker then the darkness that surrounded them, yet his skin was as white as the ash that filled the air of district 6 in the early morning hours. The man was older then Dee, if he had to guess he'd say he was in his mid to late twenties. He had a slim body covered in soft black fabric. And though it was difficult to make out in the darkness, he was pretty sure there were two scars that ran vertically down the right side of his face from his eye down to his chin.

"Rose you shouldn't have been so rough, he's very young." The man, Ryo spoke softly as he reached out his pale hand and touched Dee's face. Dee felt his face flush at the warm touch of the black eyed man.

"How was I supposed to know he was so young?" Rose huffed, crossing his arms. He hated watching the way people always looked at Ryo when they first meet him. It was part of Ryo's ability, Rose knew that. Rose also knew he didn't have any right to feel jealousy when it came to Ryo. Ryo wasn't his, Ryo wasn't anyone's.

"I'm not that young!" Dee snapped, it sounded childish but he felt like the Man Rose was talking down to him, he hated being talked down too.

"What's your name," Ryo asked in his soothing tone, drawing Dee's attention back to him.

"Dee," He answered, his voice sounded dazed.

"Dee," Ryo repeated, "Try to relax, this will only take a moment."

"What?" Dee questioned, before a sudden wave of warmth began to emanate from Ryo's hand that rested upon Dee's face. The warmth filled him as he stared deep into the man's dark eyes.

"Ryo!" Rose called his voice full of warning. "We have company!"