His creators had been accurate, save for a few minor faults. The two were the exact same height, the exact same build, their facial features identical. One could easily mistake them for twins. The only difference between the two was that their colors were off; hair, eyes, even their uniforms.
They stared at each other a long moment, the blonde a few paces across from him standing there with his mouth open. It was as if he had to take a moment to figure out what was standing before him.
Ky thought about bolting, his leg muscles already flexed and poised, but his original pointed a finger at him before he could make an escape. "You!" he snapped. "What are you doing here?"
Ky swallowed hard and let his crimson eyes dart before he let them settle on the agitated man's face again. By the tone of his voice, it sounded as if he were already been familiar with him, like he had been looking for him.
Had he? Had he finally found out about his secretive existence? Was it why he was here?
"Answer me!"
"I—" He shook his head. What was he supposed to say?
As he opened his mouth again to answer, he paused, hearing voices in the street. His keen ears tuned towards the sounds past his original. "I think I saw him go this way," a faint voice said in the distance.
His face ran hot a moment at the sound of those words. Even his original turned his head over his shoulder towards the voices, then looked at him again. "Why are they after me?" he asked with his eyes narrowed.
"They think you're me."
"I know that now," his original grumbled. "What did you do?"
Ky waved his hands in front of him and shook his head. "There's no time to explain. We've got to get moving before they do find us. They've already got mobs in the street looking for me."
He paused then. Wait, did I just say we?
"I know," his original said and glanced over his shoulder again.
"Well you can stand in this alley all you want," Ky said. "But I'm getting out of here before they find me."
He began to start off, but with one quick movement, his original stepped after him. He grabbed him by the arm in a hard grapple. His fingertips dug into his arm where his heavy gauntlet didn't touch. It almost hurt the way he had his hand wrapped around his forearm.
"You're not going to run off like that," his original said with a slight up-curl forming on his lips. "I'm going with you."
"Then start running," he said, and started down the alley, pulling his original along. The blonde's grip remained around his arm and didn't let go until a few more strides.
The both of them slunk into the streets like a pair of tomcats, with his original right at his side. He could see him staring at the side of his face through the corner of his eye time to time. It was nerve-wracking, but Ky managed to keep himself under control. Considering the circumstances, he wasn't sure how he was doing it.
They slipped into another alleyway, trying to distance themselves from the approaching mob. He could sense them, but they were far away enough to keep them from being spotted. But he knew he couldn't do this all night. He had been doing this for a couple of hours now.
He ducked a metal latter hanging above him against a wall, with it coming inches from hitting him in the head. He didn't need another strike to his skull. But he paused after he passed under it and looked behind himself at the object. The blonde behind him had to take a step back to avoid it as well. Ky although kept his eyes on the weathered latter that lead the way up to the roof.
He looked left and right. "Up here," he whispered, then hoisted himself up, with one hand gripping the first bar, while the other held his sword. He adjusted the weapon in his right hand so he could grip the edge of the latter with a few fingers.
Slowly, he climbed up it. Kiske followed soon after the same way.
As they climbed, he could hear the voices of the men in the street, and then the thunder of footsteps moving into the alley. Ky didn't force himself to rush though, he didn't want to drop Furaiken and he didn't want to drop himself, either.
He nearly threw himself onto the rooftop once he found the last bar. By the time his original pulled himself over the edge, a small mob of men, with lit torches in a few of their hands passed under them, completely oblivious that the one they were looking for were right above them. Ky watched and smiled.
"They'll never figure to look up," Ky said as he watched them. "One thing about mobs is that they're not that bright. They lack the organization." And with that, he turned, heading for the other side of the roof. His original, though, didn't seem too pleased that he was getting away from him.
"You!" the man snapped. "Stop right there!"
Slowly, Ky stopped and looked over his shoulder at him. "My name isn't you by the way."
His original's lips turned down. It was a look that could send chills down another man's spine, but Ky didn't feel a thing over the man's icy stare. "Then what do you expect me to call you?"
"Ky," he said. "Just call me Ky."
His lips curled. "I will not."
Ky rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine then. Call me you for all I care." He shrugged and turned his back on the man and continued his way to another side of the roof. He laid a hand upon the cold stone of the three foot barrier while the other held the handle of his Furaiken tightly. He drew it closer to himself as he looked down on the empty streets below.
"Where do you think you're going?" his original said, coming closer.
"Nowhere," he said as he looked down. "Yet."
He felt the man standing behind him, staring at him with those icy blue eyes. He saw them at the back of his mind.
"Put your weapon down, and step away from it," he heard him command.
Surprisingly, Ky didn't give up much of a fight. With a sigh, he released his hand from the warmed handle of Furaiken and let it clattered to the ground. But he didn't step away from it as Kiske wanted. He stepped on the blade instead so the man wouldn't take it away from him. He still needed it. He needed it to fight for Dizzy.
"I said stop away from it."
Ky looked over his shoulder and shook his head at him. "I still need it." He then pressed both hands against the stone in front of him and leaned forward, his shoulder blades pushing out. He felt the wind brushing up against his capelette and skirt.
For a long moment, the two were silent. His original didn't speak, didn't try to get anything out of him as he watched him. He felt him watching him.
"Explain yourself," he finally said.
Ky dropped his shoulders and head. A thick layer of hair went in his face, tickling his chilled skin before he began to pick his head up again. "Of course you want me to. How can I get out of this without you wanting to know who or what I am?"
"I know what you are," he said. "You're just different."
Ky soon turned his head and looked at him past his shoulder and collar. "You do?" Well, he wouldn't expect to take him as an idiot, that was for sure. He let a light grin pass his lips as he snickered. "Of course you do. And I suppose you want me to tell the whole story, don't you?" He looked down below him and watched a group of men pass under. Two torches flickered below like a pair of menacing amber eyes. "Alright, I'll tell you." He turned around and sat down on the stone edge, hoisting himself until his feet were no longer touching the roof or his sword. He sat facing his original.
They stared at each other as Ky took in a deep cold breath through his nostrils. The moment of truth, the moment of revelation.
He lowered his head, staring at the ground and began.
"Where do I start?" He sighed. "I was created eight years ago during the Crusades in Paris. It was a secluded place, somewhere you would never expect to find a plot against the new leader of the Sacred Order, but there it was, just a distance from the city, from the Sacred Order's headquarters no less."
"Is it still there?"
"Don't interrupt me," he said, and continued. "Somehow, these people got a hold of your DNA, possibly in the battlefield. I'm sure you were injured in battle eventually. Right?" He finally cast his eyes up past his brows to glance at the blonde across him. He watched how he stared at him, those blue eyes locked and fearsome. Slowly, the blonde nodded. That lead Ky to duck his head again and return his eyes to the ground. "The first thing I remember in my life was pain. That's all I could remember from those early days with them. Pain. Do you know why? They were altering me. I was born human, just like you, even though I didn't have a mother or father. The first day I was. . .born, they injected me with another form of DNA. I guess they needed the assurance that I could face you just a step ahead and a level above. It also sped up my aging, so within a year, I looked your age, an eighteen year old boy. By then, I was ready, and they were ready. I mastered my magic quickly. They trained me hard, they taught me everything about you. They taught me everything about the Sacred Order I needed to know to be convincing." He looked down on one of his gloved hands. He turned his palms up with his fingers half curled.
His original interrupted again. "So, they wanted you to play me."
He nodded. "They wanted me to kill you and mislead your men. But their plans didn't go as planned. One night, I felt it in the air—the Gears raided the laboratory. They killed every man there. I could hear them screaming for their lives. It was loud, and I listened from one of the rooms as they killed them. But the Gears never touched me. They sensed what was in me, even if it was diluted by human blood. They saved me, Kiske, they freed me from that place and their plans. But I'll tell you this, my life became even more sinful because of the Gears. I killed, I raided with them, I played their decoy. There are many things I would rather not explain to a man like you while I lived with that band." He went silent a moment. "But that life ended in one night of a raid. I was caught off guard by a woman after I killed her family. She fought back. She was the only who fought back like that. And when I did manage to get away from her, I found that your men made it into the town. I fled, and that was it. That was the end. I've been looking for an absolution ever since. I haven't killed another person in seven years, but. . ." He glanced over his shoulder and looked into the town. This place, although, he would kill for Dizzy if it ever came to that. There was no questioning it.
Soon, his original spoke. "You mean, you're not— That DNA they injected you with," he said slowly. "What was it?"
Ky turned his head back to his original. The man looked paler than he last glanced at him. His eyes were wide. His left hand was bunched. Ky stared at him with his crimson eyes. "You don't see it?"
"I thought—you were—"
"Gear," Ky then whispered, tilting his head back a bit. And the very moment he spoke that fearsome word, he saw the corners of his original's lips tick back.
"You're a—"
Ky nodded. "I'm your devil. I thought you already had it figured it out."
His original shook his head. "I was expecting something else—"
Ky grinned. "Like what?"
His original looked around himself, as if he were unsure how to explain. "I—there were—"
He laughed and stood. "Excuse me. Now that I explained myself, I have to—"
Something suddenly seemed to click in the other man's brain. A realization perhaps, an idea. His original then pointed a finger at him before he could get anywhere, his eyes narrowed. "You're under arrest!"
Ky halted. "What?"
His original began to walk towards him. "As officer of the IPF, you're under arrest for fraud, conspiracy and war crimes."
Police officer? Shit.
Ky began to back up but the back of his legs hit the stone barrier behind him. He stared at his blonde double as the man advanced, then looked down on his sword on the ground. His eyes met his original's again.
He wasn't going anywhere with this man. Not without Dizzy. It wasn't over until he found her.
He shook his head slowly. "Not yet, Kiske." He sidestepped out of the man's path, feeling his boot slide over Furaiken's blade. Now, his original was truly an enemy again. He would lash out if it was his only choice to get back into the streets and back on his search. "If you want to arrest someone so badly, arrest the hunters here. Arrest them for kidnaping."
"Kidnaping? Who? You?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"No," he flatly said. "They kidnaped a friend of mine. They used force." He looked over his shoulder. "I'm not even sure if she's alive."
He couldn't believe he said that, but he did. It was true. His ambient felt so quiet. That calling that drew him to this town seemed to just fade out like that shred of hope was being blown away.
Then, he slipped his hand into his pocket, with his fingers finding one of the feathers he had found on the street.
"Friend?" Kiske asked, closer now. He was in arm's reach. "Who's this friend?"
Ky turned his devilish eyes to his double. "I won't tell you. I know how you feel about Gears."
"Oh, do you?" his double said in a matter-of-fact tone. He placed a hand on his hip and leaned towards him, his lips pursed together tightly. "It's been eight years since your training. Are you sure they're up to date?"
Ky looked at him from under his brows. He felt a bit small for that moment as he stared into the blonde's eyes. The man's point was taken, and it had proved him right. He had no knowledge of Kiske to this present date. He didn't even know he was a police officer until now, although it did suit him well. He inhaled a breath through his nose. "What are your feelings towards Gears?"
"Tell me who this friend is."
Ky frowned. Pushy, wasn't he?
His original suddenly lashed out and grabbed a hold of his wrist. He barely saw it coming and by the time he knew he grabbed him, it was too late. The man pulled on his hand that clutched the feather and examined it. "What's this?" He tried to remove it from his hand, but Ky managed to pull out of his grip.
"Don't touch it!"
The back of Ky's legs hit the stone barrier behind him again once he freed himself. He bent down as he grabbed his black and red Furaiken on the ground and began distancing himself from his blonde double. He didn't take his eyes off him, and neither did his double.
"Is that a feather?"
"You're wasting my time!" Ky snapped at him.
"Your friend," he then said. "Is her name Dizzy?"
Ky suddenly froze in mid-sidestep, staring at him. He didn't say anything for a long moment. His hand continued to clutch that feather, while his mind was torn in telling this man. What if he did? Would this man continue to be an enemy? Another threat to Dizzy's fragile life?
His heart was pounding.
"Is she here? Is she the one they kidnaped?"
Ky's eyes wandered off to the side, as if pretending he couldn't hear him. He didn't want to answer.
"Well?"
Slowly then, he returned his attention to the man. "What are your feelings towards Dizzy?"
"She's not an enemy," he said softly, as if trying to comfort him. It worked.
Ky relaxed his face a bit but still didn't take his eyes off him. He slowly nodded to the blonde. "She's here. And I need to find her before those hunters kill her." He took a breath in, with his chest puffing out. His jaw tightened. "I'm wasting my time here! I've got to save Dizzy!" He turned his head, then returned it back to Kiske, and pointed a finger at him. "I'll make you a deal. After I find Dizzy, then you can arrest me!" His legs then got moving, with that unbreakable urge coming back to his cause. It was like she was calling him again, and this time, it was louder.
He leapt on the edge of the roof, and without considering his own life, body or even his double chasing him, he jumped down into the two-story descent.
His double didn't try to stop him.