A/N: Are you guys getting bored with the plot or the pace of the story or something? Because I haven't really been getting a good response these past couple of chapters and I'm not sure what the reason is. So yeah, if there's something you guys don't like, tell me so that I can fix it. I like hearing what you think.
Okay, ranting time over. It's time to reveal Fai's fate. Along with a few other surprising revelations. See if you guys can pick them all out. Enjoy~
Kurogane had to say that he was impressed by the mage's opponent. Despite the years that they had spent traveling and getting in and out of danger together, Kurogane had never seen the idiot go up against someone capable of pushing him on the defensive the way La Lupa was. The Unnatural gave him no time to counter as she continued her attacks. But Kurogane wasn't worried. Despite what Nixon had claimed, Kurogane was confident that the mage would be able to survive.
It wasn't until the idiot tried using magic that Kurogane realized the true extent of the danger he was in. Strings of magic poured from the mage's fingers as he wove his runes through the air, but instead of launching the attack, the mage abruptly cut off the spell and dodged out of the way with his vampire speed. Moments later, the spell-work turned into fire that blasted away both the mage and the Lupine. The picture shook and grew blurry from the force of the explosion.
Was that supposed to happen? He wondered, shifting closer to the holographic screen without even realizing it. The gladiators were already on their feet, circling each other as the image came back into focus. The mage cast another spell, the glowing runes transforming into lances of silver energy that shot towards the Lupine.
"And will you look at that? 224 has finally decided to show us what it's made of." Primera's voice rang out over the speakers even as Lupa cursed and dodged around the spells. The camera focused on Lupa's face, zooming in to show the cut on her cheek before zooming out once more. "Whoa, it looks like 224 has managed to draw blood first. Things are certainly getting exciting here, and wait- what's this? I hear that the directors are debating on the outcome of the match."
"They must really like him," Nixon said from his spot next to Kurogane, sounding awed, "or hate him, maybe. Depending on how you look at it. But I've never heard about those guys changing their minds about a match after it's begun."
Kurogane grunted in response, his attention fixed on the mage as he cast his next spell. A halo of blue enveloped the idiot right before bolts of lightning shot towards the ground, aimed at where he'd been standing moments before.
What the…
"What's the matter, stutter-boy?" Lupa scoffed. "Too damaged to even control your own spells?"
"Damaged?" The mage repeated and Kurogane frowned as all color drained from the idiot's face. Lupa followed her taunts with a punch that the magician was too stunned to block. Kurogane winced at the sickening crack, but the idiot didn't even seem to notice. He blocked Lupa's next hit, catching her fist before it could connect, though he still didn't appear fully aware of what was happening. As such, the mage missed the kick she aimed for his ribs and immediately went down when the hit connected.
What are you doing, you idiot? Kurogane would never admit it, but he was starting to worry for the mage. Something was wrong, but the moron was only now realizing it. Move! He yelled at the mage inside his head, trying to will him into avoiding his throat ripped out.
As if he had heard Kurogane, the mage moved out of the way at the last possible instant, unleashing his vampire claws as he shot towards the Lupine. Kurogane's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the sudden display of ferocity as the mage screamed, claws slashing through the air without any signs of letting up. Kurogane could only watch in shocked silence as Fai attacked Lupa relentlessly, screaming all the while.
Uncaring of how many hits he took, the mage knocked Lupa to the ground and Kurogane felt a knot of discomfort forming in his gut. What the hell is wrong with him?
"I take back what I said. Your friend can definitely take care of himself," Nixon whispered as the mage straddled Lupa, his fingers wrapped around her throat in a strangling grip.
This isn't like the mage…
"Will you look at that, folks?" Primera's voice blared through the speakers. "224 has abandoned all pretense of grace, choosing instead to kill Lupa with its bare hands. And the crowd is loving this! No one has ever come close to doing what we're all witnessing here. Can you hear them chanting?"
Primera fell silent and the screen shifted for a moment to show the crowd of spectators sequestered safely behind the one-way glass that surrounded the arena. "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Their voice rose in a crescendo until that was the only word ringing through the air. Kurogane's insides twisted as his thoughts strayed to his time in Nihon before he was exiled. That Kurogane would have loved the idea of this tournament filled with senseless bloodshed. Did Tomoyo ever feel this disgusted?
The camera's focus moved back to the mage. Lupa's struggles grew sluggish, and Kurogane clenched his fist, ignoring the sinking feeling in his gut. Come on… just get it over with, he thought, trying to mentally coax the mage into finishing the job. With a gasp that had Kurogane gritting his teeth in frustration, the mage slackened his grip on Lupa.
"Should have killed me when you had the chance, leech." Lupa snarled, flipping their positions in a sudden move. Her pretty face morphed as she transformed, her jaws elongating till they resembled a wolf-like snout. The whites of her eyes turned black, making the luminous amber of her irises stand out even more in contrast. Baring sharpened canines, she didn't give the mage any time to react as she began tearing into his flesh.
"No!" Kurogane wasn't even aware of the scream that escaped his lips as he jumped to his feet, flying at the holographic image of the blood-drenched Lupine. His fist flew through the projection, serving no other purpose than to make him look like an idiot. He knew it was just an image, but he couldn't just sit back and watch as Lupa ripped apart the mage.
"Hold on a second, La Lupa has just gone down," Primera's exclamation gave Kurogane pause as hope flared in his chest. Could the mage have survived that? "I can see Handler Kyle walking into the arena. There are new instructions coming in from the directors, stating that their decision to keep this a death-match has been rescinded. Lucky for 224, they're just in time. 224 appears to be still alive and there are medics walking out now. La Lupa isn't looking pleased with the change, but is dutifully following its handler out of the arena.
"We'll be having a short break while 224 is patched up, but don't go anywhere, folks, because we'll be receiving the results as soon as we get back."
"Wow, he is one lucky son of a— actually you know what?" Nixon shook his head as he turned down the volume with a lazy wave of his fingers. "I'm still not sure if it's lucky or unlucky that they let him live. If they decide to put him in the final events, he's going to be up against a lot more than just Lupa."
I can't let the moron stay there, he thought, watching The Company's logo flash across the screen before an advertisement replaced it. I failed the kid, but I'm not letting the mage die this way. Mind made up, Kurogane turned to fix Nixon with a narrow-eyed stare. "What was that plan you were spouting about earlier?"
-0-
"Well," Touya drawled as he turned to Syaoran, switching off the volume once the commercials started running, "I didn't see that one coming."
"224 is more skilled then the commentator made him out to be," Syaoran replied, swallowing thickly as he tried to push the image of blood from his mind. He really hadn't been able to see why he'd have enjoyed the gladiator matches before losing his memories. At least, not until he'd seen the blood fly through the air. The back of his throat burned with hunger, his stomach twisting into knots as his feral side tried to fight to the surface. But for some strange reason, instead of being horrified over getting so excited about bloodshed, Syaoran discovered that he rather enjoyed the feeling. Is this what Touya has been talking about? he wondered, thinking back to how excited Touya had gotten while explaining the point of the televised matches to him.
"So it would seem," Touya conceded. "Although, he would have been dead had the handler wasted even one more second in getting to Lupa." Syaoran did not miss Touya's use of the pronoun 'he' when referring to the Unnatural, even though the show's host had referred to 224 like an object rather than a person. I guess Touya knows the distinction between the two. "Judging by the way your eyes have started flashing, you must be enjoying the match."
Feeling embarrassed at his lack of control, Syaoran quickly averted his gaze. "S-Sorry."
"It's only natural," Touya gave a hearty laugh, thumping Syaoran on the back once before dropping his hand. "Tell you what: once the results are announced and we know for sure that Lupa's won the match, we'll grab you something to eat, hmm? I only gave you enough blood to wake you up."
"Good idea," Syaoran agreed, deciding against pointing out that 224 had just as much of a chance at winning as Touya's progeny. Something told Syaoran that Touya would disagree.
A soft knock sounded on the door and the grin vanished from Touya's face as he turned in that direction. "Come in," Touya said, all warmth suddenly gone from his voice. Syaoran wondered what could have brought on such an abrupt change in his mood. Feeling more than a little curious, Syaoran turned to face the person who entered the room. It was a woman with wavy golden hair that fell all the way to her knees. Her blue-eyed gaze lingered on Syaoran for a moment, though her attention quickly shifted to Touya. Syaoran watched as she glided across the floor to reach them.
"I am sorry to interrupt, but I came to inform you that the new energy sources have stabilized," the woman said in a soft, lilting voice which, combined with her formal speech, made Syaoran think she belonged to another time period. He caught sight of fangs peeking out from under her lips once or twice, belatedly realizing that she was a vampire. Vampires live for a long time. So maybe she does belong to another era."The sources have fully integrated with the spell matrix, though it is too early to tell if the strengthened spell will have the desired effects."
"But it has improved the chances of recovery?" Touya pressed and Syaoran was surprised to catch the note of anxiety in his tone.
"It is too early to say," she repeated.
"I see," Touya pursed his lips. "Thank you for updating me, Emeraude, though I would suggest that next time you come to find me when I'm alone. You can go."
"My apologies. I assumed you would like to be notified as soon as possible." Emeraude inclined her head as she turned to leave, briefly pausing near the door to glance at Syaoran. "It is good to see that you are better, Syaoran." She left before Syaoran even had a chance to say thank you.
"She seemed in a hurry to leave," Syaoran muttered, frowning at the door as he tried to comprehend what had just taken place. He had a feeling the exchange between Touya and Emeraude had been important in some way, though he had no idea why.
"She is the healer for our little group," Touya replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "She's always in a hurry. You get used to it after a while."
"Did I know her before?"Syaoran asked, drawing a blank as he tried remembering the blond woman.
"Only in passing," Touya said as he turned back to the gladiator broadcast before cursing explosively. "Damn it, she made us miss the live result!"
Sure enough, when Syaoran turned back to the holographic screen, all he could see were lines upon lines of Cavahall's written language rolling up over The Company's black and white logo.
-0-
Yuui watched the screen with wry smirk, refusing to acknowledge that his heart was beating a little faster than usual. He'd seen the Hybrid's blood fly through the air and splatter across the camera lens, but that did not mean he was worried for the man who wore his brother's face.
He had watched the start of the match with a detached sense of curiosity as Primera had waxed poetic about the two gladiators, mainly showering Lupa with praises. Lupa had walked out into the arena the way she always did, arrogance oozing out of every pore. Yuui thought he had been prepared to see the dimension-traveling version of his brother.
He had never been more wrong.
224- not his twin, never his twin because he'd been dead for a long time - had walked into the arena with a natural grace that seemed to have nothing to do with his being a vampire. When 224 had flashed that confident grin that was three-parts-charming and one-part-cocky, Yuui had to forcefully remind himself that no, it was not his brother facing the camera.
And so, he had resolved not to feel a single thing for the Unnatural. Yuui promised himself that he couldn't care less whether 224 lived or died. But then the fight began and his resolve shattered like brittle glass. Yuui couldn't help the way his heartbeat sped up or how he subconsciously shifted closer to the screen, watching in wonder as his brother dodged and wove around Lupa's attacks. Watching him in action had been something of a treat and Yuui had drunk in the sight of the man who was his twin yet not his twin at the same time.
He found himself silently cheering for Fai every time he successfully averted an attack, watching in awe as he cast a spell that shot silver lances towards Lupa. He couldn't help but grin in triumph when the camera zoomed in to show Lupa's bloodied cheek when she failed to dodge one of the spears in time.
Things went to hell a moment later when Fai lost control at Lupa's taunting and nearly strangled the Lupine before freezing up. And that moment of weakness was all Lupa had needed to gain the upper hand. Luckily for Fai, the directors had liked him enough to intervene before Lupa could tear him apart.
Leaning back on the sofa, Yuui scratched his chin in thought, only sparing a moment to glance towards his bedroom where Mokona slept soundly. It was a good thing he had given the Unnatural some medication to aid it in sleeping or the little thing surely would have been bouncing around the room, demanding they go get Fai.
Frowning at the credits that rolled up the screen, signaling the end of the live broadcast, Yuui took a moment to contemplate the outcome of the match. Despite how easily Lupa had managed to exploit his hesitance, the directors had named Fai the winner because he had drawn first blood. Beating Lupa in the qualifier meant that Fai would most certainly be participating in the annual matches. Which would become problematic for Yuui, since his 'twin' shared the same face as the antiquities dealer. It would be troublesome if his customers started to think there was a connection between Yuui and the gladiator, but Yuui couldn't just vanish from his shop without any notice. And his other personas couldn't take over that part of his work for him. They did have their own 'lives' to take care of after all.
I have to find some way to deal with this mess. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he glanced back towards the bedroom door. I can't let everything fall apart like this…
Nodding to himself, Yuui switched on the voice modulator and picked up his personal communicator. Switching it to an ID he rarely used, Yuui dialed The Company's reception.
"Thank you for calling The Company Reception. My name is Aria and I will be your personal dealer for the duration of this call. How can I be of service to you today?"
"This is Ashura Veda speaking," he said in a voice that was deeper and more cultured than Yuui's. "I would like to acquire the services of an entertainer for tomorrow."
"Please hold for a second, Mr. Veda, while I retrieve a list of your preferred entertainers," Aria said before he heard a beep and the line went silent. Already familiar with the routine, Yuui patiently waited for Aria to finish. Exactly five seconds later, a second beep announced Aria's return. "Thank you for your patience, Mr. Veda. You will be happy to learn that we have two of your preferred entertainers, 066 and 109, available for tomorrow. Which would you like for me to reserve?"
"109."
"Do you have any preference for the privacy packages?" Aria inquired. "Please note that the Exclusive package is now offered at an increment of 20% to the standard package. An additional 30% plus security will be required if you are interested in taking the entertainer off The Company premises. The entertainer will be equipped with a customized tracker that will allow us to monitor its behavior outside."
"The same as always," Yuui drawled.
"That would be the Exclusive package," Aria said and Yuui remained silent, knowing full well that Ashura's preference was registered on The Company's database. "What time should we be expecting you?"
"I should arrive sometime around nine."
"Very well, Mr. Veda. Thank you for doing business with The Company. We look forward to your visit."
Satisfied that his meeting had been arranged, Yuui didn't bother acknowledging her words. He disconnected the call and pulled the voice modulator from his throat. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he leaned back on the sofa with a tired sigh. Looks like it's time for Ashura Veda to make an appearance, he thought, not looking forward to triggering his transformation nanites.
-0-
Naba grabbed the glass vase off the table and flung it towards the holographic screen with a snarl. The vase passed harmlessly through the frozen projection and smashed to pieces the moment it hit the wall. Unsatisfied, Naba grabbed a second vase and flung it towards the screen. Like the previous projectile, the vase collided with the wall and shattered. Letting out a scream of frustration, Naba collapsed back into her armchair.
Breathing hard, she glared at the screen that showed her errant pet. She drank in the beautiful sight it presented, with blood flowing down 224's face, its expression twisted in agony. The rips in its upper torso that the Lupine had inflicted had yet to heal. The healers were supporting her slave, keeping the hybrid upright as the result was announced. Thinking about the way her slave had defied her made her fury return and she glowered at the frozen image.
I warned you about the consequences of defying me, my pet. Even though I tried so hard to save you from this fate, I suppose my lesson did not sink in the way it was supposed to. No matter. Naba smirked as she got to her feet and sauntered over to the screen. With a flick of her hand, she zoomed the image in on 224's blood splattered face. Still smirking, she reached up with one hand and slowly traced the holographic contours of its face. "You will learn what happens to slaves that defy their masters."
Titling her head to one side, Naba considered the projection for a moment. Her expression twisted into an ugly scowl as she narrowed her eyes. "The directors have put me on probation, and they've taken away 109. All because of that stunt you pulled. Do you know what I did to the last person who tried to take something away from me?" She paused, looking at the image for an answer that did not come.
That traitorous sympathizer that dared to call himself her brother had come to her all those months ago, asking her to release the Unnaturals she'd caught. The sentimental fool had tried to talk sense into her, had tried to bring her to his side when he was the one in the wrong all along. Naba had showed him, though. Just the way she had done with the monster disguised as her friend before that. They had all betrayed her, so she'd given them what they deserved. The monstrous bitch, now known as La Lupa, was locked away in the gladiator program. Even if it had managed to survive for three years, Naba was certain it would only be a matter of time before the Lupine got what it deserved for its betrayal.
Death was the only fate those traitors deserved. She'd made certain of that for her foolish brother when he had come begging to her. And she would make certain of it for Lupa as well.
Naba's scowl deepened as seconds ticked by, a part of her still waiting for the image to reply. Finally she spoke, her voice dripping with venomous honey. "I killed him and left his corpse to rot in the wastelands. Now the moronic Liberalists are without their precious Steel," she spat."If I didn't spare my own blood, what makes you think I won't destroy you? I might have liked you once, but I'm going to rip you apart and watch you burn."
"As fun as that revenge sounds," she heard Akira say behind her as she registered the sound of Akira's shoes clicking against the marbled floor. "I don't think killing 224 is the way to destroy it."
"How did you get in here?"
"The door was unlocked."
"No, it wasn't," Naba snapped.
"Probably not," Akira shrugged as she walked inside and sat down on the armchair Naba had been occupying. "224 doesn't seem to care much for its life. It could have escaped that day, but it chose to save a worthless clone instead."
"And you damaged it," Naba growled.
"I'm sorry?"
"You damaged 224!" Naba repeated, stomping up to Akira until she was towering over her.
"No, not really," Akira shrugged again.
"Then why is it stuttering?" she demanded.
"I was curious to see how keeping the neural pathways from reconnecting would affect a Hybrid like 224. It's nothing permanent." Akira waved her hand in a dismissive motion. "I introduced a blockage when I was taking samples of its brain tissue. All I need to do is drill another hole and remove the blockage and its Vampirosa healing will take care of the rest."
Crossing her arms, Naba continued to glower at her. "What do you want, Akira?"
"The same thing you do," Akira replied in a pleasant tone as she inclined her head. "For 224 to be in its proper place."
"What would you know about proper places?" Naba snarled.
"Not much, I'll admit," Akira acknowledged. "But I do know that the stunt 224 pulled was improper. Especially for an entertainer being trained by you." Naba bristled but Akira paid her no mind as she continued. "Now, I don't know about you, but reviewing the footage of his interaction with the breeder I lent you, I picked up on one of 224's weaknesses. If you're willing to listen to what I have in mind, we both might get what we want from 224 and you can deal with La Lupa at the same time."
Naba considered the researcher with a critical eye, her expression slowly morphing into one of interest as she nodded.
"I'm listening."
Akira grinned.
A/N: Who do you think is worse for Fai at this stage, Akira or Naba? Drop me a review and tell me why. ;) and I'd love to hear your comments on Steel's ultimate fate.
