A/N: It is so crazy cold here. I thought it might be time to bring in Ray's 'friends' the Rooks. I want to do another one shot, I'm taking ideas and possibly requests if I like it.

Movie night: Rooks

"live by the wing, die by the talon." Ray recited before he took a deep drink from the ceremonial goblet.

Forest had been right it did taste like fruit punch. He felt the rush of the ability enhancer run through his blood and the calm that settled in after it.
He had been taking the 'ravens blood' for almost three years and after discovering that Archer had stolen what was apparently the key chemical ingredient of the ravens blood he was starting to get curious as to what exactly he was putting in his body. Not enough to leave the rooks of course. No one left the rooks of their own accord, well Archer, but he was more commonly known as Jeremy's vain mistake.

Ray was pulled out of his reprieve when Jordan the new Odin called the meeting to order.

"live by the wing, die by the talon." he repeated after Jordan taking a goblet from a fellow Rook. He raised it to the light and looked deeply into it as if it would tell him exactly what was going on before he drank another cupful of the potentially deadly fruit punch mixture.

"So it has come to our attention that our little Ray has finally gotten himself a girl, isn't that right." Jordan smirked as he sat in the ornate high back chair watching Ray grow red under the attention being drawn to him.

"You know it is Jordan..."Jordan quirked an eyebrow and Ray shifted his weight before he continued, " most exalted one."

Jordan was still a new instalment and everyone kept lapsing and forgetting that he was there leader now, especially Ray who had rushed with him.

"Yeah isn't Suki Sato?" another Rook's voice came from behind him starting a rush of chattering.

"Nice job Ray she's a total hottie." Ray turned and searched for the voice making a mental note of which boys he deemed a potential threat.

"Yes yes, very nice but you know the rules Ray. Is she worthy of a Rook?"

"Are you serious? I have to justify my relationship to you?" Ray waved his arms around in disbelief.

"Hey we all had to do it man." Jordan shrugged and motioned for another boy to bring a seat for Ray. When the seat arrived Ray refused to sit in it, he leaned grumpily against the tall back of the chair an watched as Jordan sighed and waved him on, "You can start anytime."

"I can't believe i have to do this... she's a Sato for Christ sakes her families name is written on everything here." He took out his PDA to reenforce his argument, there written on the back of the PDA on a shinny silver plate was Suki's name. Jordan nodded in agreement and waved his friend on.

"More..." he whispered profanities under his breath before he went on, "She's the top student in school, she's beautiful, she only laughs at my jokes when she thinks there actually funny, she's sweet and kind and gave me bacon at lunch today because she knows how much i love it, if anything I'm not good enough for her and I'm just hoping she doesn't notice."

Ray sat heavily on the chair he had been walking around and waited silently for his friend to rein down his judgement on his new relationship with Suki. If he said no to him dating her he knew that he wouldn't stay and frankly is Suki wasn't good enough to date a Rook than no one was in his eyes.

No manner of spiked fruit punch was worth giving her up before he had to.

Jordan stood from his seat and smiled down at his silent sulking friend, "There is no need to look so grumpy brother it is merely a formality no one here could think of a better girl for you."

"Why thank you most exalted one..." the sarcasm dripped off the words as Jordan wrapped his arm around Ray's shoulder.

"Come brother Ray we have other things to discuss."

"Oh we do?"

"Yes we do..." Odin shooed some Rooks away from the alcove where they kept the wooden box that held the paddle, goblet and chemical compound behind the 'raven's blood'. Jordan pulled the box out from under the table and opened it.

"Should I..." Ray tried to avert his eyes, normal Rooks weren't supposed to look into the box and see the magical ingredient of the 'raven's blood'. Jordan just laughed at his friend as he opened the smaller box and revealed the small containers to the brunet.

"You dating Sato is actually quite beneficial to us." he fingered the slot where a fourth container once lived, "I have no doubt that Archer took this and I would like very much to have it back as soon as possible with as little fuss as possible."

"You want me to get it from Archer for you?"

"No I want your girl to get it for us." Jordan smiled and Ray felt sick. Ray stood there feeling sick and a little numb watching his 'friend' put the boxes away, "As soon as possible if it wasn't too much trouble." Ray saw something in Jordan he had never seen in him before. A fierce and challenging light in his dark eyes. They dared him to go against him, they seemed to want a fight. Perhaps he hadn't been such an odd choice for Odin afterall.

Ray hung his head in defeat knowing that this was not a battle he could win and spoke quietly, "yes most exalted one."

"God boy." Jordan smiled and patted him on the back before he slunk away into the group of boys.

With the new Odin gone Ray slumped against the table and sighed heavily. Zack walked over with a hand in his pocket and the other around a glass of 'fruit punch'. He quirked an eyebrow before he leaned on the table beside him.

"Everything okay?"

"Could be worse."

"He ask you to get the stuff back from Archer using Suki?" Zack asked his voice surprisingly bland. He smiled when Ray looked at him incredulously, "Oh don't look at me like that. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why Jordan was so pleased that you were dating Suki. Sorry man that's rough."

"Do you think she's going to think I was using her?"

"I hope for your sake she doesn't." Zack pushed himself away from the table and turned to Ray before he left him to think alone, "I liked the part about her giving you bacon. Too bad you didn't really need to say any of it. Jor- Odin would have been fine with you dating her even if she was the ugliest, stupidest cow at Tower if it meant he could get the stuff back... but it was nice. Even if it did make you sound like a big girl."

"Shut up." Ray pushed Zack playfully away and headed to the door. Maybe if he told Suki what had happened she wouldn't be upset with him. But that meant that she would know he was a Rook. Ray laughed quietly to himself as he left the room to go back to the dorms. Like it was possible that Ian and Gabe hadn't told her he'd be shocked if she didn't know. This was going against the rules but he was sure if it got the chemical back Jordan wouldn't care if he had to murder for it.

Ray stood in front of Suki's dorm and checked his watch, it was still before curfew. Knocking he waited nervously for Suki to answer the door.

"Hi I'm sorry to- oh CJ." Ray was surprised to see the taller girl. He looked around her and saw Suki asleep on CJ's bed on top of the covers a laptop playing a video of something light up her face.

"What's the matter Ray?" she asked searching his face for tell tale signs. He just sighed softly and smiled to himself.

"It can wait until tomorrow." he walked into the room around a startled looking CJ. She stood at the door with both it and her mouth open wide. She watched him carefully wondering what he possibly thought he was doing in their room this close to curfew. It quickly became obvious what he was doing when he moved to Suki's bed and started to pull down the covers. CJ watched him gently tug the sheets away from there respective corners, smooth out the wrinkles and then move to her own bed. She felt like she shouldn't have been watching the way he picked her up off the bed so delicately seemed almost intimate. He walked easily across the room and placed her softly on the bed. Suki was still sound asleep as he pulled the blankets up around her and tucked her into bed.

CJ looked quickly away as Ray leaned down to Suki. CJ knew what he was doing. He was kissing her good night on her forehead. CJ looked back in time to see Ray smooth her hair away from her face.

"You don't have to tell her I was here. I'll talk to her tomorrow. Goodnight CJ."

"Night Ray." CJ watched him disappear down the hall before she closed and locked the door to their room for the night. CJ looked carefully at Suki as she slept and it was obvious that even thou she had been asleep she had known that Ray had been there. A gentle and calm look had washed over her features and there was a sad kind of love written in the way that Ray had moved her hair out of face.

It was really too bad that they couldn't take him with them. She didn't understand why they couldn't Ray would be a great asset. She thought as she moved Suki's computer off her own bed and got ready to sleep. Ray was strong and could handle himself in a fight and he obviously cared for Suki so deeply it must have hurt.

Hell watching the way he moved around Suki broke her heart.

Tomorrow she would start arguing Ray's case to Ian and Gabe.