Eli: This might take a while. Lazar is still around watching all. Dominic
Carver is his own man, boy, whatever. Let's just say when you learn why
he's there at school with them I leave you with this: History repeats
itself. Enjoy.
"Class." Trisha called her little ruffians to settle down. When they were as quiet as they could be at the moment, she continued. "We have a new student here with us. Meet Dominic Carver."
A black clad little boy entered the room. His hands were clasped behind his back and he kept his head down. His eyes flashed up quickly to take in his surroundings. His eyes were as blue and cold as ice. His actions partly scare Trisha.
"Uh, Dominic? Care to take a seat?" She motioned to an empty desk. Dominic nodded and sat down. Across from him, he faced the two Woo twins. The two maniacally smiling boys both put their hands out to him.
"Hi, I'm Chris."
"And I'm Nicky." Dominic looked at their faces briefly before taking both their hands in turn.
"Hello Nicky," He turned to the next one. "Hello Chris." He hid a smile at their stunned faces. Nicky turned to Chris.
"How did he know?" Dominic suddenly looked up.
"I know that and so much more." The two boys were startled by Dominic and made their best attempts to ignore him for the rest of the hour.
-Recess-
"I'm telling you guys, the kid is scary." Said one terrified Chris. The six of them sat in a corner of he play ground. Nicky, Chris, Teresa, Gracie, Jamie, and Bethany. Jamie sat in his sister's lap. Gracie was like him in sitting in Chris's lap. Teresa and Nicky preferred to stand.
"You are just paranoid." Bethany said coolly, not one to scare easily. Then again, when you can take down three grown men and know it, you wouldn't be fazed by much either.
"What does paranoid mean?" Gracie asked, as she made Chris wince by bouncing up and down.
"It means worrying too much too quickly."
"No, Bethany. I am dead serious. This kid is dangerous. Has a grip like Iron."
"So do I. He's harmless. If you are worried he would hurt you, I'd kick his butt before he even touched you." She looked all of them separately in the eyes. "Any and all of you. I'm the only one around here truly trained and despite my father's, your Uncle Ian, warnings."
"Bethany, get ready to fight. He's on his way over now." Bethany looked up to see a boy dressed up in as much black as she was. She stood up, knocking Jamie out of her lap doing so. Dominic looked at them and stood far across from Bethany.
"Teresa Bowman, best hacker under the age of ten." He said smoothly as he then continued on. "Nicholas and Christopher Woo, we've already met. Gracie Po McCartney, Havoc of the F.B.I." He turned from Gracie to Jamie. "James Nottingham, youngest darkling child." He stopped and looked them over.
All five of them backed off. Bethany alone stood her ground. Her face now showing the stoic face she inherited from her father. Dominic finally turned to her. He closed up some of the space between them. She tilted her head to the side.
"What about me? You know so much, who am I?" He smiled at her and gave her a slight bow.
"Bethany Marie Nottingham, but that isn't all of it, is it?" He then quickly went straight up to her and whispered right into her ear. "You are also the next wielder of the witchblade." Bethany eyes went wide. She then pushed him away from her. She looked him over and looked up to him.
"If you wish to keep your life you will keep that to yourself." She then turned and walked away.
-That night-
He called Dominic to him. Dominic kept his head down and waited for his interrogation.
"Have you seen my granddaughter?"
"Yes, sir."
"How is she? What is she like? I have met her only once in person and she was but an infant."
"She is strong, independent. Looks a lot like her father, sir."
"No trace of her mother?"
"Her eyes are green, sir. Besides that, none. The younger one greatly takes after his mother, sir."
"I care not for my grandson. What of her? How did she treat you?"
"Like a bad ass, sir. Very sure of herself."
"She would carry on the stubbornness. Tell me, Dominic. Do you like her?" He thought for a moment before answering.
"Yes, sir. I like her strength."
"Then you accept your role?" Dominic looked confused.
"What role, sir?" Irons reached out and smacked him.
"To remind you: You were brought to me, abandoned at my door step with a scroll. On it read a message in Greek concerning the witchblade. It said how the next chosen wielder would be the first female child of the true wielder and true protector. Bethany is that child. It was written that she not only would wield it at a young age, but would be able to do so while it still resided on her mother's wrist. That the world now called for two wielders. And with two wielders, two protectors. You." He turned to look down upon Dominic. "You will protect my granddaughter. You will do so unto death. I tried to block the path once and it cost me dearly. Exposing you to each other now will keep you apart. You will forever be the freak follower. Watch her well, protector. For, if she dies, you die. That is all, Dominic. Go to bed."
Dominic nodded his head and did what he was told.
-School-
Dominic watched Bethany and Jamie climb out of their father's car. He watched as she escorted her brother to the kindergarten area before going to class. He was amazed at the view you can get from the roof of the school. He heard the bell and then jumped down from the roof and went to class.
-End of School-
Bethany had one hand on her brother's shoulder as she led him through the jungle that was their school. Jamie then whispered that he had to use the bathroom.
"Hurry up. Daddy hates it when we're late." She shoved him towards the bathroom, which took stairs down to get to. Bethany shoved him a little too hard and he stepped backward down the stairs and began to fall.
"Jamie!" Bethany cried out as she rushed forward and prayed he was alright. She looked down to see Jamie, safe and sound, sitting down a bit dazed with Dominic by his side. Bethany ignored Dominic and hugged Jamie.
"Oh gods Jamie! I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
"It's alright Beth. I'm okay. Dominic stopped me from falling." Bethany's eyes flashed up briefly to Dominic and then back to Jamie.
"If you still have to use the bathroom, use it now." Jamie nodded and went to the boy's bathroom. Bethany then stood up and looked at Dominic. She was one step higher than him, but was able to look him in the eye sense he was taller than her.
"Why did you save him?"
"Because it would hurt you."
"So? Why does it matter to you?"
"I am your protector."
"I don't need protection."
"You will. One day, you will. And when it comes you will be grateful I have your back." He lowered his eyes at this point. Bethany then saw a flash.
~Yes, of course you did. You and I are alike. More than any two on this earth. I want us to be friends. Protecting you now would be a matter of honor, for me.
I don't need your protection.
Maybe not now, but some day." The man then lowered his eyes. ~
Bethany recognized that man. Recognized those hazel eyes. Her father's hazel eyes. The same down trodden way they were lowered. There was only one man who could instill that habit into people. Jamie climbed back up the stairs and waited for Bethany. She turned to go back up, but sent Dominic one more side ways glance.
"Tell my grandfather to give it up. To not train another protector. You do not want to go through it, trust me. Tell him that." Bethany and Jamie then left. Dominic stood on the stair a moment longer. Then he shook his head and went on.
"Sorry, my lady, but destiny is destiny."
Coming Attractions:
One Saturday Morning
"Class." Trisha called her little ruffians to settle down. When they were as quiet as they could be at the moment, she continued. "We have a new student here with us. Meet Dominic Carver."
A black clad little boy entered the room. His hands were clasped behind his back and he kept his head down. His eyes flashed up quickly to take in his surroundings. His eyes were as blue and cold as ice. His actions partly scare Trisha.
"Uh, Dominic? Care to take a seat?" She motioned to an empty desk. Dominic nodded and sat down. Across from him, he faced the two Woo twins. The two maniacally smiling boys both put their hands out to him.
"Hi, I'm Chris."
"And I'm Nicky." Dominic looked at their faces briefly before taking both their hands in turn.
"Hello Nicky," He turned to the next one. "Hello Chris." He hid a smile at their stunned faces. Nicky turned to Chris.
"How did he know?" Dominic suddenly looked up.
"I know that and so much more." The two boys were startled by Dominic and made their best attempts to ignore him for the rest of the hour.
-Recess-
"I'm telling you guys, the kid is scary." Said one terrified Chris. The six of them sat in a corner of he play ground. Nicky, Chris, Teresa, Gracie, Jamie, and Bethany. Jamie sat in his sister's lap. Gracie was like him in sitting in Chris's lap. Teresa and Nicky preferred to stand.
"You are just paranoid." Bethany said coolly, not one to scare easily. Then again, when you can take down three grown men and know it, you wouldn't be fazed by much either.
"What does paranoid mean?" Gracie asked, as she made Chris wince by bouncing up and down.
"It means worrying too much too quickly."
"No, Bethany. I am dead serious. This kid is dangerous. Has a grip like Iron."
"So do I. He's harmless. If you are worried he would hurt you, I'd kick his butt before he even touched you." She looked all of them separately in the eyes. "Any and all of you. I'm the only one around here truly trained and despite my father's, your Uncle Ian, warnings."
"Bethany, get ready to fight. He's on his way over now." Bethany looked up to see a boy dressed up in as much black as she was. She stood up, knocking Jamie out of her lap doing so. Dominic looked at them and stood far across from Bethany.
"Teresa Bowman, best hacker under the age of ten." He said smoothly as he then continued on. "Nicholas and Christopher Woo, we've already met. Gracie Po McCartney, Havoc of the F.B.I." He turned from Gracie to Jamie. "James Nottingham, youngest darkling child." He stopped and looked them over.
All five of them backed off. Bethany alone stood her ground. Her face now showing the stoic face she inherited from her father. Dominic finally turned to her. He closed up some of the space between them. She tilted her head to the side.
"What about me? You know so much, who am I?" He smiled at her and gave her a slight bow.
"Bethany Marie Nottingham, but that isn't all of it, is it?" He then quickly went straight up to her and whispered right into her ear. "You are also the next wielder of the witchblade." Bethany eyes went wide. She then pushed him away from her. She looked him over and looked up to him.
"If you wish to keep your life you will keep that to yourself." She then turned and walked away.
-That night-
He called Dominic to him. Dominic kept his head down and waited for his interrogation.
"Have you seen my granddaughter?"
"Yes, sir."
"How is she? What is she like? I have met her only once in person and she was but an infant."
"She is strong, independent. Looks a lot like her father, sir."
"No trace of her mother?"
"Her eyes are green, sir. Besides that, none. The younger one greatly takes after his mother, sir."
"I care not for my grandson. What of her? How did she treat you?"
"Like a bad ass, sir. Very sure of herself."
"She would carry on the stubbornness. Tell me, Dominic. Do you like her?" He thought for a moment before answering.
"Yes, sir. I like her strength."
"Then you accept your role?" Dominic looked confused.
"What role, sir?" Irons reached out and smacked him.
"To remind you: You were brought to me, abandoned at my door step with a scroll. On it read a message in Greek concerning the witchblade. It said how the next chosen wielder would be the first female child of the true wielder and true protector. Bethany is that child. It was written that she not only would wield it at a young age, but would be able to do so while it still resided on her mother's wrist. That the world now called for two wielders. And with two wielders, two protectors. You." He turned to look down upon Dominic. "You will protect my granddaughter. You will do so unto death. I tried to block the path once and it cost me dearly. Exposing you to each other now will keep you apart. You will forever be the freak follower. Watch her well, protector. For, if she dies, you die. That is all, Dominic. Go to bed."
Dominic nodded his head and did what he was told.
-School-
Dominic watched Bethany and Jamie climb out of their father's car. He watched as she escorted her brother to the kindergarten area before going to class. He was amazed at the view you can get from the roof of the school. He heard the bell and then jumped down from the roof and went to class.
-End of School-
Bethany had one hand on her brother's shoulder as she led him through the jungle that was their school. Jamie then whispered that he had to use the bathroom.
"Hurry up. Daddy hates it when we're late." She shoved him towards the bathroom, which took stairs down to get to. Bethany shoved him a little too hard and he stepped backward down the stairs and began to fall.
"Jamie!" Bethany cried out as she rushed forward and prayed he was alright. She looked down to see Jamie, safe and sound, sitting down a bit dazed with Dominic by his side. Bethany ignored Dominic and hugged Jamie.
"Oh gods Jamie! I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
"It's alright Beth. I'm okay. Dominic stopped me from falling." Bethany's eyes flashed up briefly to Dominic and then back to Jamie.
"If you still have to use the bathroom, use it now." Jamie nodded and went to the boy's bathroom. Bethany then stood up and looked at Dominic. She was one step higher than him, but was able to look him in the eye sense he was taller than her.
"Why did you save him?"
"Because it would hurt you."
"So? Why does it matter to you?"
"I am your protector."
"I don't need protection."
"You will. One day, you will. And when it comes you will be grateful I have your back." He lowered his eyes at this point. Bethany then saw a flash.
~Yes, of course you did. You and I are alike. More than any two on this earth. I want us to be friends. Protecting you now would be a matter of honor, for me.
I don't need your protection.
Maybe not now, but some day." The man then lowered his eyes. ~
Bethany recognized that man. Recognized those hazel eyes. Her father's hazel eyes. The same down trodden way they were lowered. There was only one man who could instill that habit into people. Jamie climbed back up the stairs and waited for Bethany. She turned to go back up, but sent Dominic one more side ways glance.
"Tell my grandfather to give it up. To not train another protector. You do not want to go through it, trust me. Tell him that." Bethany and Jamie then left. Dominic stood on the stair a moment longer. Then he shook his head and went on.
"Sorry, my lady, but destiny is destiny."
Coming Attractions:
One Saturday Morning