Chapter 4

Chaos sat on the grass watching Chase meditate. She bit at her nails and fidgeted with her hair and tail. She couldn't relax enough to enjoy the sun or the slight cooling breeze.

"Why are you fidgeting so much young demon?" Chase asked, not moving an inch.

"Nothing. I'm not fidgeting." She replied quickly sitting on her hands.

"You are! Do not lie. I can sense the tension in your body."

Chaos sighed. She had to confront him and deal with his reaction later, Jack's life was at stake. Woman's intuition told her that if the problem wasn't at least slightly resolved soon, Jack would insure that he went out with a whimper.

"It's about Jack Spicer." She took a deep breath, "I think he is destroying himself and I am afraid that he could die if we don't do something." She squeezed her eyes shut and pricked her ears waiting for the dragon lord to reply.

"Spicer has been avoiding us so that he can lie at home all day and become a social recluse – not because he is harming himself in any way." He snapped.

"But I have been watching him! I have seen him. All he does is sleep, build his damn contraptions and hurt himself. He doesn't eat or go out." It pained her to hear such lack of compassion over the young man.

Chase gave up on his meditation and shifted his body so he was facing his young apprentice. The look on his face told Chaos just how annoyed with her he was. His golden eyes were narrowed and his teeth were bore into a snarl; the boy obviously wasn't his most favourite of people.

"Chaos. You are speaking nonsense! Spicer is just a lazy boy who wants nothing more than to gain attention from others. If he is doing what you say he is doing – It is most likely for this fact and this fact only!" He exclaimed, "Excuse my lack of care over the boy but I have had it with his games. He thinks he is of any use to me, that I actually acknowledge or care about his very existence. I tell you, young Chaos, a tomato serves more purpose to me than that blundering idiot."

"Attention? You think what he is doing is for attention. Chase. Have a heart. Jack is suffering in silence, he is not broadcasting his misery to the world and he is not grovelling at people's feet to notice him. This is a cry for help not a cry for attention and we have to give him the help that he needs!" Tears ran down Chaos' cheeks, she was on her feet with her fists grasped at her side, "Before he dies. If you think this way of him, what must you think of me? I have barely been in your team for a month. Do I serve any real purpose or am I just here so that you have another to use and abuse?"

Terror and anger ran through her body in waves. How could Chase be so cold? If he didn't help who would? She couldn't do this alone because she barely knew Jack and for her to jump in and randomly accuse him of self – mutilation wouldn't work at all. She needed someone that knew Jack. And it was ether Chase, that bitch Wuya or the monks and she had thought that Chase would be her safe bet. Obviously she was wrong.

"You are over reacting." Chase's expression had changed, he was calm and collected, "The boy is fine. He will listen to my requests for his assistance soon – wait and see. As for you. You have great power and you are in no way a pain to be around. You are artistic, logical, quiet and social. A very rare thing to find all at once if I say so." Chase smiled, "and experience in the field."

"Is that all I am to you? A warrior?"

"I allow you to use my home at your own free will. To go where you please, take what you like, do what you want. I do not allow my warriors to do these things. You are much more than a simple fighter, Chaos, you are a unique vessel, one that should be valued and appreciated."

With that Chase stood up and left the garden. His tiger warriors fallowed, growling at Chaos as they left. She placed her head in her hands and cursed herself. What was she to do?

Chase paced through the halls towards his living chamber. He needed Spicer to start getting his act together and, whether he wanted to admit it or not, it was mostly due to the fact that he made the best contraptions Chase had ever seen. That and he was disturbing his most prized team member. His attention seeking behaviour would have to cease. It was no mystery that this was all down to his parents and their lack of discipline on Jack. They let him run riot of the mansion and leave him to do god knows what for months at a time. An adolescents dream! What Jack chose to do with this freedom was naïve. That is if the wolf demon was speaking the truth, which he doubted.

The dragon lord swung back the door with such force that it crashed against the wall behind. His tiger minions stocked behind him. Chase feel into an arm chair, opened a novel and tried to read. But Spicer was still turning over in his mind. Damnit. He knew that Chaos wasn't one to make up stories but it just wasn't logical. Spicer had nothing to have a mental breakdown about. Nothing.

Chase gritted his teeth and shook his head. He banished the thoughts from his head. There was no point in fussing about it, the boy would be fine. Even if he was 'depressed' he would never have the balls to check out early. Satisfied with his conclusion, the dragon lord continued to read his novel.

Alight flickered on and off from Jack's shen-gong-wu finding mechanism. Poking his head out from under the duvet, he sighed heavily and rolled on to his side. This time, he had to go. There was no avoiding it. Solemnly, he got up and dressed quickly into a pair of distressed jeans, heavy black boots, a black t-shirt and his trench coat. On his arms were bandages, from his hands to just short of his shoulders. There was no getting round it. He lifted the machine and slung his helli-pack over his shoulders.

"Fan-fucking – tastic."