When You Least Expect It

*part 3

By Sakata Ri Houjun

AN: I know these chapters aren't exactly the longest in the world, but I'm trying my hardest to lengthen them because when I get to the main purpose for this story, the chapters will become extremely long.

And as I promised, Alex has gotten more screen time, as it were.

Plus a special thank you to the people who have reviewed this story, encouraging me to write more. I'm trying.

~***~

~Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think~

~***~

Alex was tired. No, exhausted, that was the word. But he was well beyond relieved now that he had finally found the mysterious residence where the spontaneous energy burst had occurred. Step 1 accomplished. His sweat dampened bangs hung limply against his hands as he continued to rub his palms against his eyes.

He then felt one gentle hand pat his shoulder in a very comforting manner, as though the owner could sympathize with his plight. He looked up at the sound of a broom sweeping across the floor, only to see the blue-haired man with a vicious scar lashing one eye shut cleaning.

Alex went rigid then, his spine straightening at the sight. Not so much the unusual hairstyle nor even the scar, but the man's attire was what caught him off guard. He was dressed similar to the Zen Buddhist monks he had seen, but his outfit seemed more... Out of place. That was the best way the normally articulate scientist could describe it.

Looking for an explanation, he glanced up at the fellow who had been patting his shoulder in sympathy, only to be taken aback yet again. This stranger wasn't nearly as unusual in appearance at the other, but the long dark hair and the flowing traditional Chinese robes brought the word exotic to his mind. Not to mention the ridiculously large glasses this man wore that seemed to take up half his face.

Alex had lived in Japan for a long time and thought he had seen everything in the way of people's fashion quirks, the youth of Tokyo acquiring the latest fashion trends that often looked ripped from some futuristic anime or video game. But this was the first time he had seen men dressed as though they stepped out of a history textbook. It must be the uniform enforced at this cafe, he thought.

"Are you going to be okay?" the dark-haired youth questioned, bringing Alex back to the present.

The blonde scientist blinked twice and then nodded vigorously. "Hai, hai. I think I'll be fine now, deshi."

"Would you care for something to eat, no da?" came the cheerful voice of the blue-haired man, pausing in his sweeping to smile at him.

A low grumbling sound erupted then from the gaijin's stomach, answering the question for him. Alex felt his face coloring in embarrassment. "Gomen nasai. I haven't eaten since I left for work this morning and I guess all that walking made me hungry, deshi."

"Well, you've come to the right place," the young man wearing the Chinese robes announced, nodding towards his companion.

"Indeed, no da," the other replied as he then held out his hand, a steaming bowl of ramen suddenly appearing out of nowhere. "I hope you like ramen, na no da."

No sooner than these words were spoken did Alex suddenly hear a rustling of cloth beside him, followed by a soft rush of air. A weighted rope came flying from his peripheral vision, startling and fascinating him all at once, and wrapped itself around the bowl. With a tug, the steaming bowl flew from the monk's grasp, landing in the hand of the owner of the rope, the raven-haired youth.

Alex blinked again, this time in shock of what he had just seen. He had been too fatigued to have noticed where the glass of water had miraculously come from. He smiled and nearly laughed right then and there. Seemed as though his job wasn't going to be too hard after all.

As the bowl was placed before him, Alex looked up gratefully towards the two men. "Arigato gozimashi*. You two have been extremely considerate towards me."

The cerulean-haired one laughed good-naturedly, his empty hand moving in a dismissing gesture. "Think nothing of it, no da. My name is Chichiri and my friend there is called Mousse, na no da."

Alex nodded once in their direction. "My name is Alexander Howell, but most people just call me Alex, deshi."

Mousse moved to join Chichiri, taking the broom to resume sweeping. "If there's anything all at that we can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."

"Actually," Alex interjected while reaching for a pair of chopsticks resting in the holder located in the center of the table. "There is something you could do for me, deshi."

"Oh?" Chichiri replied, tilting his head with a whimsical smile. "Don't tell me, you need more directions, no da?"

Alex shook his head, his long braid tossed over his shoulder with the motion. "Iie. I actually have a question, for the both of you, deshi."

"The both of us?" Mousse intoned, his brow furrowing behind his glasses.

The scientist nodded as he swirled the noodles around in the broth. "You see, I'm a scientist from Tokyo, deshi. I research various areas of science, but mostly I have been focusing on genetic coding."

Chichiri nodded in interest, not knowing what in the name of Suzaku the younger man was referring to. "Go on, no da."

Alex smiled, glad that he was catching the pair's interest. "I recently devised a computer program that would pinpoint various levels of energy activity throughout Japan, pinpointing the location of people with...possible...powers, I suppose you could say, deshi."

Mousse pondered that last statement, slowly beginning to understand why Alex had had such a reaction upon entering the Nekohanten even though he hadn't the faintest idea really what he was rambling on about with genetics and computer programs. "So let me see if I have this right. You came here because...?"

"Because earlier today, there was a concentrated burst of energy right here at this location, which I've been sent to investigate, deshi. And after witnessing your powers, I can assume that you both are descendants of Tennyo?" Alex's eyes gleamed with excitement and delight, thinking that he had found not one, but two possible C Genomes, which would certainly put him back in Kagami's good graces.

Mousse and Chichiri exchanged a look, both not quite understanding all of this, but both knowing full well just what this large energy 'signature' had been.

The monk was the first to face the young scientist, his expression reproachful. "Gomen nasai, but I don't think either of us are who or what you're searching for, no da."

Alex's face fell slightly, his head tilting more in confusion rather than disappointment. "But, the energy signature? It was right here, I know it, deshi. My program in infallible in its information."

Mousse grimaced. "What you've been chasing is actually a rather unusual story, one I'm certain you'd probably never believe."

"But how else would you explain your powers, deshi?" he protested jabbing his chopsticks at the pair.

Chichiri sighed and pulled out the chair facing opposite Alex, Mousse retrieving another chair from a nearby table and following suit. Both men sat before the blonde scientist, the monk starting.

"Well, there is a logical if not lengthy explanation for this, no da..."

*~~~*

Alex placed his bowl on the table, having just finished draining the contents. His stomach was full and digesting, and his mind was full too, full of questions over what he had just heard.

"So you, Chichiri, are a servant to an ancient god, one who's divinity only seems to exist inside a book, deshi?"

The cerulean-haired man nodded once, smiling. "Hai, no da. The Shi Jen Ten Chi Sho, no da, which I had been displaced from."

"And your powers are stemmed from an inborn talent, fueled by you ki?"

Again, he nodded. "Hai, no da. A gift from Suzaku for being one of the protectors of his Miko, na no da."

Alex then turned towards the young Amazon. "And you, Mousse, are a resident of China, member of a legendary tribe secreted in the mountains, deshi?"

Mousse nodded in affirmation. "That is until recently, but correct nonetheless."

"And your power is more skill and talent than actual magic?"

Again, he nodded. "Correct unless you count the Jusenkyo curse I have."

Alex folded his hands on the table, focusing on them entirely as he rolled this information over and over in his mind. "I don't believe it, deshi."

"You don't believe us, no da?" Chichiri questioned, afraid that might be the truth despite their careful explanations.

Alex shook his head. "It's not a matter of disbelieving your stories, because that would explain your manner of attire among other things. It's actually more of a dilemma of how I am going to explain this to my boss, deshi."

Mousse smiled sadly, reaching across the table to place his hand over the scientist's. "I'm certain he'll be understanding. It's a mistake anyone could have made."

The gaijin shook his head again, more vigorously this time. "Iie. It's not that simple. You don't understand Kagami the way I do, deshi. And I have less than twenty-four hours to give him my report too."

Chichiri moved his hand to cover both of the younger men's. "Don't worry, no da. I'm certain that between the three of us, we'll figure out something to help you out, na no da."

Alex looked up, meeting first the monk's lone mahogany eye, then Mousse's piercing blue gaze, both sincere. "Hontou?" he inquired, not wanting to believe that this pair of virtual strangers could be so generous towards someone they had just met.

Mousse smiled, giving Alex's hands a squeeze. "I'm certain that if Chichiri asked, Cologne wouldn't mind your staying the night, even if she is such a loathsome ghoul."

"Besides," Chichiri interjected, drawing the gaijin's amethymist eyes towards him. "It is my fault indirectly for putting you into this mess to begin with, no da."

The blonde smiled in relief, moving both his hands to grasp Chichiri and Mousse's individully. "Arigato gozimashi. You have no idea what that means to me, deshi."

Mouse shook his head as he chuckled. "Don't thank us yet, you haven't met Cologne."

Chichiri joined in on the laughter. "Well, let's certainly hope that you can cook, na no da."

~***~

*For those of you not familiar with Alexander's peculiar speech pattern, here's a brief explanation. 'Deshi' isn't a cute form of 'desu' like Chichiri's 'no da'. Actually, it's his thick Scottish accent, which maintains a variant on 'desu' and 'masu'. So, normally when someone would use those verbs in context, this gaijin speaks them as 'deshi' and 'mashi'.