Disclaimer: I do not own Balem or the Jupiter Ascending universe (though I wouldn't mind owning Balem =D) but I do own Amoya whatever other characters that are in existence for this story.

A.N: Nice long chapter for everyone! Enjoy! And thanks for the reviews I've received this far! It's so exciting reading them!


Chapter 8: The Tide Turns

Mr. Night stood in the ship hanger of Jupiter as he watched an Aegis ship docked. Once docked the doors opened and a small crew exited.

The rat-splice stepped forward and sketched a bow, "Welcome Aegis, we have been expecting you."

A tall dark skin woman with her black hair pulled back, walked off the ship with a few crewmates. She stood erect in her Aegis uniform.

"I am Captain Tsing, here to retrieve the body of Balem Abrasax to take back to be properly examined", she stated briskly.

"Of course, Captain. I can appreciate getting right to business." Mr. Night gestured, "Right this way."

Captain Tsing inclined her head and the small group followed Mr. Night into the building. "It has been quite hectic around here since our lord's death", Mr. Night spoke.

"Clearly." Captain Tsing replied as various beings were running to and fro.

"We are in a bit of limbo right now, I'm afraid. We don't know where we're going to land. It's sad that our Queen is the cause of this. I had come to admire her in later years. Has she been captured yet?"

"You would have known if she had. The Aegis have been stretched to the limit trying to find her. We have not succeeded so far, but there is only so many places she can hide in the galaxies."

"So you don't have an idea where she is?"

Captain Tsing eyed the rat-splice. "We are working on a lead. That is why it has taken this long to recover the body of Balem Abrasax. Hopefully, his body will yield some clues."

"Clues?" Mr. Night's eyebrow raised.

"Indeed." The Captain voice was clipped, ending the conversation.

It took a few minutes of walking to arrive at the morgue. He lead them up to the cubby and opened it. Out slid the body of Balem Abrasax, covered with a black sheet looking the same as the last time Mr. Night had seen him.

"My poor lord", the rat-splice mourned before stepping out of the way.

Captain Tsing stepped forward, her eyes searching. Finally she looked up at Mr. Night who smiling pleasantly. "Is this a joke?"

"Pardon?!" Mr. Night blinked.

Captain Tsing reached out with her hand and passed right through the box. Mr. Night blinked again.

"This is a hologram."

"That's impossible!" Mr. Night cried before he too tried to touch the box only to find that his hand passed through. He gaped, "I...I don't understand."

Captain Tsing turned to a leopard-splice. "Shut down this building. We have a missing body." She turned, her dark eyes drilling into Mr. Night, "Do we?"

Mr. Night's voice pitched higher, "Of-of course! He's dead! A dead body cannot just up and walk!"

"I just want to know if I'm wasting my crew's and more importantly my time with this." There was a clear warning in the Captain's voice.

Mr. Night practically wrung his hands, "Captain, I swear, I saw the body myself the other day. He was here! He couldn't have just up and walked away."

"Hmm." Captain Tsing eyed him a moment longer before turning back to the leopard splice, "As I said, shut down the buildings, we have a body to find."

The crew filed out leaving Mr. Night wring his hands. His head was lowered as he muttered to himself, "Master's not going to be pleased. He's not."

Within a few hours all of Jupiter was shut down. More Aegis were called to patrol and search for the missing body of Balem Abrasax. The news made its way around Jupiter and once again the board of directors had something else to fight about.

Mr. Night had found a few moments to break away from the group, pleading that he needed a moment to tend to his growing headache. Once in his room, he laid down and shut his eyes, breathing deeply. Then he threw his mind, backwards.


"Master Camou, urgent business!" Mistress Thirty-three busted into the room where Ajay Camou was currently drawing on a low table on the floor.

Ajay climbed to his feet and followed Mistress Thirty-three out of the door, "What is it?" he demanded.

Mistress Thirty-three handed him a data pad. "I don't know, but Forty-seven pause his stream."

The duo got to a door and Ajay waved a hand over it. They walked down the long winding stairs, deep underground.

It was a large laboratory like room. There was no end that could be visibly seen. On one side housed coffins, many of which were empty but a few held bodies strapped in with wires coming out of them and out of the box they were in. In one such coffin held the body of Mr. Night.

Ajay walked up and surveyed the sleeping splice. Well, more like he was in a deep coma unaware of anything that was happening.

"How is the body?" he asked.

A short red-hair man with freckles on this face and green eyes wearing a dark green almost black lab coat walked up. He wore glasses that he continually pushed up on his nose.

"Mr. Night is fine, however, Forty-seven urgently needs to speak directly with you."

Ajay nodded and followed the man to the other side of the room where there were many computers and TV screens. There were other beings splices, robots and human monitoring everything.

"This better be good Forty-seven", Ajay spoke looking at a large computer monitor, "Why did you pause your stream of Mr. Night's consciousness? You've never broke consciousness before like this."

Onscreen was a young man. He was albino like Miss Forty-four with short white hair that framed his face and fell as wisps into his eyes. Like most, his eyes were a vibrant reptilian green. His face as rectangular with defined cheeks that almost looked like he had dimples.

"Forgive me, Master but I bring grave news."

Ajay's eyes narrowed, "What is it?"

Forty-seven paused a moment.

"You did not come back this way to get tongue-tied now. Speak!" Ajay snapped.

"Balem's body is missing." the chameleon spit out quickly.

Ajay blinked slowly, much like a reptile. "Excuse me?" he asked airly.

Forty-seven licked his white lips nervously, "I don't know what happened, but the Aegis came to claim the body and...it was a hologram."

Ajay breathed through his nose, his mouth tight, "Okay. So...where is the body?" he asked mildly.

Forty-seven's eyes darted around before he shrugged helplessly. "The Aegis have shut down Jupiter to search for it. They even suspect we are wasting their time."

Ajay's eyes narrowed. His voice lowered and he drawled, "You are part of the Forties of my chameleon-splices. You are the best batch and you come back to tell me, that you lost a body?"

Forty-seven gulped. "It wasn't my fault...I..."

"Silence."Ajay hissed holding up his hand. Forty-seven quieted. The room had stopped to watch also quieted. "For your sake, you better hope this can be savaged." he hissed.

"Yes master", Forty-seven inclined his head.

Ajay brought his hand up to his chin. "This information is not to get back to Lady Amoya." Here he paused again. "I must alert our conference about this. Continue as Mr. Night, Forty-seven. Update as you see fit, but find that body!"

Without awaiting an answer, Ajay spun on his heel and walked out.


Amoya lifted her head from her arms as a knock resounded on her door. She was still in her temporary bedroom, sitting on the floor, leaning on her futon.

"Come in", she croaked. She cleared her throat as the door slid to the side.

"Lady", Twenty-one and Twenty-four intone, bowing.

"Twenty- one. Twenty-four." Amoya grimace inwardly at calling someone a number, "What can I do for you?"

"We were asked by our master to sit with you for a bit. Apparently there is some urgent business going on and he wants you to be safe", Twenty-one replied taking a seat by the door, crossing his legs.

The two had been told about the latest development and was assigned to Amoya to make sure that word did not reach her. Ajay had to alert the conference and he didn't want Amoya wandering around and into something she had no business.

Twenty-four came further into the room before sitting cross legged on the floor. She gave a small nod and smile to Amoya.

Amoya didn't say anything. What could she say? She only sighed. Silence floated for a bit before she realized that Twenty-four was trying to inconspicuously study her. Twenty-one had his eyes close in a meditative state.

"I know I don't look my best right now." Amoya finally directed to Twenty-four.

Said woman snapped back and shook her head. "You look fine, lady." she tried to stiffen up.

Amoya gave a humorless laugh. Her makeup was still smeared as she didn't bother to wash it off. Her clothes were on sloppily. Her hair...she shuddered. She couldn't help but run her hand through it, in morbid fascination. It didn't even feel like her.

She guessed it was just as well.

She has felt lost as of late, unsure of where to turn.

Amoya shook herself. She need to get a clear head. She glanced at the duo. "So, tell me about you guys", she asked, turning around so that her back was up against her bed. She may as well try to learn the rules of this new world she's was in.

Twenty-one opened his eyes and stared at her. Twenty-four's eyebrow shot up. They were both silence for a long bit.

"Well?" asked Amoya.

"There is nothing to tell, my lady", Twenty-one stated shutting his eyes again.

Amoya snorted. "I doubt that."

"We are no-one", Twenty-four said.

"If you were no-one you wouldn't exist."

Twenty-four seemed stumped at that. Amoya looked at her. "Let's try something simple. What are you guys? I mean the eyes...are you splices?"

Twenty-four glance at Twenty-one whose eyes were open and on her. "We are...chameleon splices." He offered after a moment of silence.

"Interesting. So what does that mean?" asked Amoya.

"Mean?"

"Yea, what does it mean?"

The chameleon splices glanced at each other. Amoya was beginning to see that such questions were going over their heads.

"You don't have names. You have numbers. You are chameleon splices and you claim you are no-one. What does it all mean?"

"I...we are just..." Twenty-four shrugged.

Amoya smiled lightly at her. "I noticed that Mistress Thirty-three is a number as well. Only Ajay has a name."

"Master Camou is an Entitled. A human. We are chameleon splices and defective at that."

"Twenty-four!"

Said woman jumped and looked at Twenty-one who was giving her a warning look.

"No, it's okay. Really. I want to know.", Amoya soothed.

Twenty-one looked at her in surprised.

"Know what my lady?" Twenty-four asked.

"Well, why the numbers and why you consider yourself defective? You look okay to me." Amoya smiled once.

Twenty-four blinked and looked down at herself. Twenty-one just looked confused. Amoya laughed once. These two were kind of adorable. They reminded her of children.

Twenty-four looked up at Amoya's brown eyes who looked at her kindly. Who was this woman? They had been told that this lady was a bad person. Before they took the job they were briefed as all chameleon's splices are before they are sent on assignment. They were told the universe would be better with Amoya under their control because she lacked what was required to run the universe properly.

But looking at Amoya's kind face, Twenty-four was beginning to get more and more confused. She already felt bad about the job they performed, when they aren't suppose to, but looking at the tear-streaked makeup smeared woman before her, she wondered why she as taking time to be nice to them.

Twenty-four opened her mouth, "We..."

"Twenty-four..." came the warning.

Said woman glanced over her shoulder at Twenty-one. He was better at controlling these feelings than her. She was far more curious. She always wondered if her curiosity would get them killed one day. But it would be far worse than death.

At least that is what they were told. That there was a fate far worse than death but now that Twenty-four was thinking, what was worse than death?

Neither of them ever questioned it.

"It's okay", Amoya waved away trying to dispel the tension, "However, personally I feel weird calling you numbers to your face. May I give you names?"

Both Twenties were shocked into a stupor. Twenty-four recovered first. "A name? You mean like you?" she asked.

Amoya saw her eyes shining at the prospect.

Amoya smiled and nodded, "Yes."

"What would you name us?"

Amoya looked up at Twenty-one who looked at her curiously. She saw he was trying to be indifferent but he prospect made him curious.

"Well..." Here Amoya paused to think. She turned to Twenty-four, "I've always like the name Dalila."

"Does it mean something?" Twenty-four asked her eyes wide.

"Swahili for gentle."

"Swahili?"

"It's an African name. Africa is a country on my home planet."

"Dalila." Twenty-four mused. She gave a brilliant smile, "I love it."

Amoya nodded once and turned to Twenty-one who was trying not to look excited. "Naveen. It's an East Indian name, means new."

Twenty-one inclined his head before lowering it but not before Amoya saw the smile.

"Does your name mean anything?" Twenty-four asked.

"Closest to Amoy, which is an Jamaican name meaning beautiful goddess."

"How do you know these meanings?" Twenty-four asked.

Amoya smiled once. "I was once obsessed with name meanings. My name was not given to me by my parents."

"Parents?"

"Like a splicer. The one that created you. Though we call it birthing you. My name was chosen for me by..." Amoya trailed off .

Twenty-four looked at her curiously, as Amoya's eyes clouded for a few moment before she seem to snap back. With a shrug and half smile she added, "So because of that I was obsessed with name meanings."

Twenty-four nodded once.


Mr. Captiosus eyed the commotion on Jupiter. Everyone was running around trying to find the missing body of Balem Abrasax. He had managed to break away for a few moments, using his hologramed look to make his way back to the storage.

Entering the hidden compartment, the lights were already on. Once his foot touched the ground he spoke, "I only have a few minutes my lord. As you can see, its chaos up there."

He walked around the stairs to the bed. The computer monitors were on, showing various location of the palace. There were three however that were...of an odd sort of picture. It wasn't all the way off.

And Balem Abrasax, first primary of the House of Abrasax sat on the bed facing the monitors dressed in nothing but slacks and a long sleeved shirt. He didn't even have his choker on. It seemed foreign to see him without it, even to Mr. Captiosus's eyes.

Balem's hazel eyes looked up to Mr. Captiosus. "This better be worth it." he hissed. He absently rubbed his stomach before looking back at the monitors.

"How do you feel?" the owl-splice asked.

"I'm sitting in a storage room while those fools are searching for my "missing dead" body. How do you think I feel?" Balem snapped.

"I know my lord but this is going to work."

Hazel eye's held his, "Anything that happens to her. I don't care what she signed allowing this, you will pay."

Mr. Captiosus inclined his head.

TBC...