Well, it seems I'll be updating a little earlier than usual this time.

Rebecca: For you maybe, but hey, I'm not complaining.

… Sure you're not. Anyway, I don't own anything mentioned in this chapter except for what I do own. Which is just the story and OC's. Anyway, enjoy the story!

Shad's PoV, After school (2:30 to be exact)

"I already told you, I'm sorry!" I shouted at Rebecca, who was giving me a cold look. We were walking over to the Little Sister's building to pick up Sapphire and meet up with Rose at the gate. The blonde who had devoted herself to me was mad since I worried her over nothing. No matter how many times I apologized she wouldn't forgive me. Not that I'm complaining though, since when Rose gets mad at me, she tries to knock my head clean off my body. Then I remembered how I got her to forgive me in those situations... if she didn't knock me out first. "Look, if you're that mad about it, then why don't we go buy something for the new place we just got?" That seemed to put a spark in her eye.

"I would love to, Shad!" Rebecca exclaimed and latched onto my arm. Not wanting to upset her again, even if it were to a lesser extent, I let her have her way as we walked, drawing more than a few glares from the Big Brothers and male splicers. "I've been meaning to ask since yesterday, but what's your relationship with Rose and Sapphire? From what I can tell, you didn't even know you were a Big Brother till you came to this school."

I chuckled lightly as I recalled my meetings with Sapphire and Rose. "Well, I met Saph after some douchebag wrecked a drug store I was visiting to pick up a friend's prescription. I got knocked out in the crossfire and apparently her Daddy was killed somehow, but he took the guy with him though. I took her in as my own immediately after the incident and I've been keeping an eye on her ever since. She has a high regard for Rose, yet seems to follow my example regardless."

"Now that's curious," Rebecca cut in. "Little Sisters usually follow their Big Sister's example instead of their Big Brother's… but then again, you're an enigma in and of yourself."

"Rude much?" I asked with a joking edge to my voice.

She laughed at the joke and continued with a small smile on her face. Her laughed sounded beautiful I ended up noting subconsciously. "All I'm saying is that you've blow most of what this school's known in a day and it's just the start of the year. Who knows what's going to happen in the future for all of us with you involved?"

"Fair point, but consider this. Would you honestly have it any other way?"

"Touche. Now how about Rose, how'd you meet her?" She looked especially interested in my meeting with our resident red head. I smiled sheepishly before answering her with, "I knocked her out." When she gave me a confused look, I decided to elaborate.

"I was bringing Sapphire home from school one day when Rose jumped us in an alley the two of us typically used for a shortcut. Naturally, I fought back and ended up knocking her out with a few rather nasty burns on her part and a few cuts on mine being the only evidence of the fight at all. Sapphire wanted me to spare her life after the fight so I did, not just because she wanted me to spare her, but because I was curious as to what she was. I'm glad I did." Rebecca had a pensive look on her face before looking at me seriously. "Did she hold back at all?" she asked me seriously.

"I think she held back a lot actually," I answered nonchalantly. "Is there some significance of doing that or something?"

"Well, it typically means she was curious of what you were and wanted to merely test your power, not kill you." A light blush made it's way on to my face at the semi glare she was giving me.

"When your fight or flight instincts kick in, you tend to either go overboard or not care entirely," I defended. She kept up the glare for a little longer before breaking into a her beautiful laugh again. I ended up joining her as we walked on towards the Little Sister's school, the more rational part of my mind beginning to chew me out as we went.

'The hell am I thinking?! I mean, I know she likes me and all, but how is my mind going down this sort of road lately?!"

"One word buddy; hormones," I heard Kuri say in my mind. "Being around so many Big Sisters is bringing the Big Brother in you out, even if it's subconscious." I simply ignored her as I took in the information. It'd certainly explain a lot. "Helloooooo? Is there a reason you're ignoring me?"

'Other than the fact you made my childhood a living hell? I know you can just read my thoughts anyway.'

"It doesn't mean I don't like talking with you though…" I swear to whatever deity/ies made us humans that I could somehow hear her pout.

A small ways before the two of us finally arrived at the school though, I heard the sound of Sapphire struggling, so I broke Rebecca's grip and charged forward, ignoring her protests and calls to slow down. Sure enough, the Knight from earlier was trying to pull her away from the school. Running on instinct, I sent a kick to his arm and shoved him away from Sapphire. A low growl escaped my throat as I drew my knife and got into a combat stance.

BGM: HYPNOTIK- Parasyte

"What the- you!" the Knight yelled at me in confusion and anger. "I don't know how you managed to get here so fast, but I promise you I'll make you suffer for trying to interfere with a bonding process!"

"Didn't look like you were branding her," I snarled, my vision rimming red. "More like you were trying to drag her off."

"So you've learned some of our customs then?" he chuckled. "Impressive… but not enough to save you now!"

He lunged at me with an open hand, brimming with electricity. Remembering Tyler's lessons about their lesser mobility, I swept around him, made a deep slash in his armor and followed up with a fire accelerated kick, sending him flying back. I gave him no room to recover and jumped up, slamming my knife into the cut I made in his armor as I fell. Normally, this would shatter a hunting knife but Jake has been strengthening and upgrading this thing for two years, this knife can stab through concrete if I need it to and it wouldn't even dent. As such, barely half an inch of already weakened metal held no resistance for my knife's blow. A scream escaped his throat as my knife hit flesh. I abandoned my blade and bond his limbs to the ground before slamming my foot into his helmet, denting the exterior.

"Really now? Getting cocky seems to have you in a difficult position now, doesn't it?" Rebecca had pushed through the crowd that formed around me and gasped. I gave her a quick smile before checking on Sapphire, who was only a few feet away from me. "You ok sweetie?" Sapphire gave me a fierce nod and beamed at me. "Good. Now as for-" A swift punch directed at my chest sent me reeling, blood spewing from the new cut in my chest and miraculously avoiding my trenchcoat. I immediately took off my favorite piece of clothing and tossed it to Sapphire, who deftly caught it and scurried over to Rebecca.

"What was that about being cocky?" the Knight taunted, getting back into a boxing stance, the blades on his knuckled stained in my blood. He was still bleeding heavily from the hole in his armor, yet seemed like he wasn't even phased by it. I growled and tightened my grip on my knife, drawing my sidearm as well. "A pistol? The hell's that gonna do to my arm-" I fired five shots at him and sped to his side to flank him, unleashing a flurry of cuts before jumping away from a punch aimed for my temple. Those five shots were specially made for armor and tougher enemies, and I got clips full of them in my coat. I smirked and snapped my fingers at the Knight, relishing in the explosion that followed. Jake had made those bullets to work like C4 with my Incinerate as the detonator. They were small, powerful, and highly lethal to armored foes. Not only due to the explosion, but also from the shrapnel from their own armor going into their skin.

I sighed and glanced at my watch incase the Knight was still up and going. I was at 89% health and climbing thanks to my ADAM healing my wounds as the fight went on and I had about 80% of my EVE left to use. I got back into a combat stance to find the Brother I was fighting was already down for the count. He was bleeding heavily and whatever armor wasn't gone was warped beyond all recognition. Just as another Big Brother cracked his knuckles to take me on with a few friends of his, a familiar voice rang out from the crowd and stopped them cold.

BGM: End

"Hi Shad!" Orin yelled over to me, the crowd parting to let her through, murmurs about how I could possibly know her passing through the crowd. "Someone told me there was going to be an undertaking here, didn't think it'd come from you this early though. Works out for me though, I needed to pick up Tyler's Little Sister anyway." A blonde haired girl in a black dress that looked no older than Sapphire came out from the crowd and pulled on Orin's dress. "Oh, here she is now! Shad, meet the Little Sister Tyler is bound to, Rumia."

"Hello!" the blonde child greeted cheerfully. "Why are your eyes still red if you beat the Knight though?"

"It usually takes a minute for my eyes to go back if I don't kill the target," I explained. By this time the crowd dispersed, the fight being over now that the undertaker was here. I put my jacket back on as well since the blood flow stopped.

"Is that so?" the girl asked me mischievously. I gave Orin a confused look as she dumped the body into her wheelbarrow. Looks like I either really did kill him or the ADAM shot I saw Orin give him didn't wake him up.

"She does that a lot," Orin began, picking up the end of the barrow to transport the body. "Just say 'that is so' if it starts annoying you."

"Hey!" Rumia whined offended. "It doesn't annoy Tyler, Eleanor and you!"

"That's because we're used to it," Orin argued as she begun heading to the nurse's building. "Now, just follow Shad to our new home, he knows the way." Wait… don't tell me…

"I have a feeling that it's true."

'And somehow, I feel that you're the cause.'

"Meanie."

"OK then!" Rumia cheered, grabbing Sapphire's arm. "I call staying with the black haired girl!"

"I'm just telling you now, you're gonna better off staying with Orin," I sighed. "Not that I mind, it's just I promised her that we'd go shopping." I pointed at Rebecca as I said this, the angry look she was giving me telling me that fighting that Brother was a bad idea. Looks like I'm gonna be getting more than furniture to calm her down.

"I don't mind!"

"See ya at home Rumia, no eating people until dinner or I'll have Tyler bar you from dessert tonight!" Orin shouted over her shoulder. Rebecca and I blanched at the statement, and it didn't help Rumia said "Dang it!" after, blowing any idea of an inside joke out of the water.

The minutes following the walk to Rose were filled with silence until we arrived at the gate. "Hey Shad, what took so-"

"Shad fought another Big Brother," Rebecca deadpanned, cutting Rose off in the middle of her question. I took the precious few seconds it took Rose to process what was just said to brace myself for what was to come. As expected, a rage and psychic fueled punch from Rose blasted me clear across the campus, my world going black as soon as the blow made contact.

Shad's Columbia home, 9:00

"That took way too long," Sapphire stated blandly as we approached the front door of our house. Rumia had long since detached from her arm, still sticking to her side but no longer clinging to her.

"Would've been shorter if the ticking time bomb hadn't knocked Shad out," Rebecca huffed, carrying a new bag of clothes in her hand. Why wasn't I the pack mule you ask? Because I was already carrying the rest of the stuff she bought (mainly clothes and other such things), some booze Rose got and a bit of the new furniture.

"He had it coming for doing something so stupid," Rose countered. At least she was merciful enough to carry the heavier stuff with her Telekinesis.

"Yeah, you hit him, not knock him out for it!" Rebecca shouted. Sapphire opened the door for me and took the fragiles for what was about to happen. I dropped the load on my back and arms to the ground and collapsed on the couch, right next to Geo.

"She worked you like a dog didn't she?" the rock user asked me. I feebly nodded and rotated my shoulders, trying to ease the tension. The two Big Sisters were still arguing with each other, starting to send insults at each other.

BGM: I Just Had Sex- Lonely Island *

Tyler entered the room with Eleanor, both with disheveled hair and clothes looking like they were hastily put on and smiles that could light up a stadium. Did I mention that both of them may as well have been floating?

'Oh dear God... they didn't!'

"Sadly, I think they did. I mean, why else would he be smiling that much?"

BGM: End

"So, what took all of ya so long then?" he asked cheerfully. He took one look at me and winced. "That bad?"

"Wasn't at first, she did forgive me as we were walking to the Little Sister's school, but then a Knight tried taking Sapphire and I ended up putting teachings to practice," I explained.

"That explains the extra luggage but not the shiner that's still healing," Tyler quipped. Rose's hit gave me a record breaking black eye that, while it was nothing more than a small mark now, it was painful as fuck at first and looked it too.

"That was Rose."

"Yikes. Remind me not to piss her off."

"I'm probably going to regret this, but where's Orin?"

"Still sleeping off the fun we had."

"Dude… TMI."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me, Rumia!" said blonde rushed over to Tyler immediately. "Dinner's in your room, please for the love of the Gods don't try getting Sapphire or anyone else involved."

"OK!" the blonde child cheered and ran for the new staircase in the foyer.

"You gotta admit, the guys I hired work fast, don't they?" Geo asked us.

"Definately."

"Agreed," me and Tyler answered in synch. A scream of rage interrupted the conversation and had our attention on Rebecca and Rose. Apparently, Rebecca went too far and got Rose mad again, starting a fight between the two. "You're not going to do anything?" I asked Tyler expectantly.

"They're your girls man, I'm not getting in the middle of that for obvious reasons," Tyler replied, a quick glance at Eleanor answering my next question. I sighed and began walking towards the waring girls. However, before I could end up getting a single word out, I ended up tripping over a piece of furniture and went down hard, my arms flying out to catch myself. I don't know how I managed to, but somehow I actually ended up hitting the floor instead of boob.

"Aww, and I had the camera ready and everything," I heard Orin whine from behind me. I picked myself up and sent a look at the two girls, both of which were rivaling tomatoes at the near accident, though Rebecca had a small pout on her face. I barely heard her mumble something about not minding and decided I had enough bullshit for the day.

"Well, I'm going to bed now, see you guys in the morning," I said off handedly with a wave. Before anyone could protest, I sped to my room and slammed the door, my already sore muscles screaming in agony. I swiftly changed into my pajamas (a black and white skull tee shirt and a pair of red sweats with a dark grey star pattern) and dove into my bed. I passed out in seconds.

And that's a rap for this chapter!

Shad: … You are a cruel, cruel man, you know that?

And I'm about to get crueler!

Rose: What?

Starting now, I'm going to try and do a quick omake at the end of the AN's to set a bit of foreshadowing for the story. Not saying I'll remember or do it all the time, but it will still happen.

Tyler: Well I certainly look forward to it.

Sapphire: Me too!

Well then, all you readers remember to read and review with feedback and I'll see you all in the next chapter!

* Kudos to RebukeX7 for the inspiration on that BGM, the man's a fucking GOD of writing.

Columbia High Discipline Committee Office, 3rd person POV

"So a first year Big Brother in the Splicer Class managed to beat down his superiors twice… and you want me to do what now?" a cold, female's voice asked a Big Brother.

"Well put him down obviously!" the Brother yelled at her. "That kid has already defied the hierarchy twice and somehow got Orin of all people's respect! I refuse to stand by and do nothing while that menace runs around beating the shit out of people! And to make matters worse, he cheated in his last fight! Who attacks someone while they're talking for Christ's sake?!"

A silence hung in the air for a few minutes before the woman spoke again. "You done with your rambling yet? Because if you are, you can get out of my office or taste the bottom of my boot." The Brother's face shifted from shock to outrage in a matter of seconds and was about to chew the woman out until she continued. "I have confirmation that he has started taking lessons from Tyler and his Sisters this morning and was defending a little girl who would have most likely been raped by that Knight had he not intervened. And as for his so called 'cheating', he simply used better gear at the opportune moment to end the fight as fast as possible. If anything, he's earned my respect and I'm frankly curious about this boy now." The Brother's face turned to that of horror at the last part. "And since I can't have such information being spread around the campus so early…" The Big Brother attempted to run away but was swiftly frozen and crushed by a pillar of ice.

"I'm afraid you can't leave this room alive," the woman smirked evilly. She sat down at her desk and looked at her computer, which was currently displaying a picture of Shad during his fight earlier and his records from his old school. "Kage Okami… or Shad Wolf to the public." She gazed at his picture with her blue eyes and brushed a lock of light blue hair from her eye. She noticed the plaque on her desk had been moved out of place, turning in a way that she could see her name in bold letters. Esdeath Partas. She moved her nameplate back into place and smiled mischievously. "I wonder how your school life this year will fair?"