Disclaimer: I don't own any ccs characters. :( They all belong to CLAMP.
a/n: sigh...I luv you guys...My day (starrting at 1:30) started going down hill...now I'm really tired...I had forgotten how tired I get after I get really super angry....I usually don't because usually there's nothing to get angry about and I'm not the kind of person who gets angry easily...just thinking about it maked my blood boil...but I don't have enough energy to deal with it right now....enuf about me...
Tomoyo watched Eli very closely whenever she saw him. She wanted someone's help and something inside her screamed Eli. She hoped it wasn't her feelings getting in the way, but there was no one else, so she had to go with Eli. The two men who had been following her had been tagging her more closely than before and just today, she had seen one of them holding a piece of metal. A knife perhaps, she wasn't paying attention, she just wanted to get out of the Underground.
Tomoyo had been able to get out of the house more because her mother was planning a not so secret surprise birthday party for her nineteenth birthday, five months away. Sonomi Daidouji was awful at keeping secrets.
She has wanted to enlist Eli days ago, but she had to do it quietly so those two men wouldn't notice. Tomoyo hoped that she would have the good luck of bumping into Eli outside the Jester, but so far, no such thing. So, now she had to risk him by openly associating with him.
Tomoyo flew over the Underground district that day, looking for the fastest route to the Commons district, where the middle class lived. It would be a risk for her to go into the Commons district, but it was a chance she was willing to take. She entered the bar. Eli was already there. She only half listened to his conversation. Finally, she looked him straight in the eye and said, "Come, take a walk with me." Tomoyo turned and left, Eli did not follow her immediately. "That was not a suggestion Eli," Tomoyo said, stopping.
Eriol caught up with Phoenix before she started walking again. Eriol wondered what the Phoenix could possibly want with him. He also kept an eye out for the two men he felt sure would follow him. Barely five minutes later, he saw those two men following them. "You know we're being followed right?" he asked quietly and quickly.
"Just pretend you don't know they're there," Tomoyo responded in an equally quiet tone. She speed up the pace. "This is the quickest route to the Commons district. What I need to say to you I'll say when we get there. I'm sorry in advance." Eriol was confused by that last part. What was the Phoenix sorry about?
They reached the Commons District. Tomoyo turned around, facing Eli and the Underground. She could see movement behind them that told her the two spies were still there. "Eli. Those two men who are following me have been doing so for many months now," Tomoyo said quietly. "I think they are getting ready to strike." She hesitated for a moment.
Eriol guessed what she wanted. "So you want me to help you?"
Tomoyo nodded. "Look here," she got his attention and pulled out something from her sleeve, being careful to block what she was taking out from the view of everyone but herself and Eli. "This knife. Be very careful with it. Keep it sheathed unless you want to kill yourself. See the colored edges? Poison. Instantaneous effect. Very expensive. Here's two. Show them to no one. Hide them in your sleeve for now." Tomoyo handed the knives to Eli, who didn't take them immediately. She looked up at him. "Unless you don't want to help..."
"Oh, no, I do. I do want to help you. I was...I was just wondering why me?" he answered taking the knives.
"I like your style," she said winking. "Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Oh, one more thing. This is dangerous. You can't attack them unless they attack first because you're new."
"So, why don't you just kill them now? They're right there," Eriol said.
"Phoenix never attacks unless she is provoked," she said icily. "Don't do anything stupid." Tomoyo walked quickly away, melting into the crowded Commons District. Eriol watched her disappear before he headed for the Parks district to find a cab. Tomoyo found a secluded spot and shifted into her bird form, flying home.
Eriol sat in his room that afternoon exuberant. Phoenix had winked at him. She had asked for his help. She liked his style. He sighed to himself. Yes, he was a privileged man to be working with Phoenix. He played that scene over and over again in his mind. Eriol wanted to make sure he would never forget that. Suddenly, he remembered the knives Phoenix had given to him. He looked at them carefully. The hilts were plain but the metal of the blades were of the highest quality, and if what Phoenix had said about the poison was true, then just these two would have cost even an Elite a pretty penny. Of course, one would naturally expect someone like Phoenix to be extremely wealthy.
He locked the two knives in his personal safe. Even his parents didn't know he had a safe in his room. It was in his closet, disguised as a row of shoeboxes. He pressed his forefinger to the sensor and the lid popped open. Next time he went to the Underground, he would be sure to carry these with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU COULDN'T HEAR WHAT THEY WERE SAYING?????" Spiral roared at his two henchmen, Shrimp, the big one, and Guy, the small one. It was late at night, the patrons had left and it was time to find out what information these two buffoons had found. Too bad they didn't find any
Guy shifted in his seat, his constant movement annoyed Spiral. "Hey, we didn't wanna risk it. She keeps weapons concealed and at the ready."
Shrimp dimly added, "Yeah, we didn't wanna risk it."
"That's not an excuse. You know I expect top work from the two of you."
Guy laughed. "Spiral, you're stupid. You're crap. If you wanted to get top work you should have hired someone else." He laughed again. "Oh wait, that's right, you're too damn poor to hire anyone but us!" Guy almost fell off his chair laughing. Shrimp, not understanding why Guy was laughing, laughed along anyways.
Spiral turned reddish-purple. "Shut the hell up. How to you know I don't have a secret stash hidden away from prying eyes?
"Come on Spiral. Don't be dim, we investigate all our employers," Guy said. Spiral was furious. Shrimp looked like he was thinking.
"Um...I think she gave something to him and then she winked at him," Shrimp said after much thought.
"She what?" asked Spiral, not quite believing what he was hearing.
"Yeah, she did give him something, and then she winked at him. Good observing Shrimp." Guy patted his not so bright accomplice's back. Spiral's expression looked like he had just ate a bag of lemons. "Hey, cheer up Spiral. The kid's probably just a client."
"A client that's getting too close for comfort," Spiral muttered.
"Who made you her keeper? Why are you so damn interested in Phoenix anyways?"
"None of your business. I hired the two of you to watch her, not to pry into my life."
"You're flirting with death, Spiral." Guy had said this almost every time he reported back to Spiral. Spiral never listened. "C'mon Shrimp, let's go."
As the two left, Sprial slumped back into his seat. This was depressing. Sure the Eli kid could just be a client, but either way, Phoenix was treating Eli too nicely. Things just weren't fair. Five years of trying to get close to her and all he had gotten was orders. If Eli got any closer, he would have to be eliminated.
a/n: feel free to make suggestions on what you think should happen, because I know how I want the last half of the story to go, but i'm suffering severe writers block on the first half...hehe