Chapter 3
Yuki glanced over at Tohru. She was smiling, her eyes lit with excitement. It was obvious that she could barely contain herself, her body almost vibrating with energy.
They were about to meet their new partner. Akito had summoned them only a few moments ago. They'd been told to wait in the small room, which held only two couches and a table. Yuki had never been in this room before. It appeared to be some kind of leisure room.
Personally, Yuki couldn't bring himself to be excited. Or even happy. He had been trained all of his life to work on his own. To be a master of silence and computers and, if necessary, killing. Unlike Tohru, who had only been introduced to the silence and computer part, he's spent his whole life training to become the best soldier of Souma Enterprises.
It was insulting, to be partnered up with another soldier. Even more so, since he had been told that the other was more skilled in the field than he was. Whoever this 'Kyou' was, he hadn't even been out on the field before! Besides, unless he possessed the same transformation ability as Yuki, he would be useless!
It was then that the doorway slid open and Akito appeared. Yuki supressed a shudder, as he always had to, when his eyes met those of the other person. Unwillingly, the youth remembered the more harsher of his lessons, the ones that Akito had given him. Although they had hardened him into the perfect spy that he was, it still chill down his spine when he met those angry eyes. Akito's eyes always looked angry, or they had no expression at all.
He knew nothing of Akito, other than the fact that he was the head of Souma Enterprises. And that he had a harsh way of dishing out punishment. In fact, everyone that Yuki had ever spoken to could tell him no more than what he already knew.
Yuki and Tohru stood at attention as Akito came into the room. Only once he was sitting did they relax their positions and take their seat once again. "You know why you are here. I've brought your new partner," Akito began.
"As you know, his name is Kyou. He has a similar ability to you, Yuki. However, he had been trained differently. I think that the two of you will be able to work well together, since you've been trained to fill in where the other is weak," Akito continued after a few moments of silence.
"Where I fall weak?" Yuki echoed, disbelieving.
Akito gave him a sharp look and Yuki looked away quickly. He had spoken out of turn.
"Yes, where you fall weak," Akito repeated. "He's been trained to carry out the same missions as you do without having to transform. Of course, on your missions it will be easier to enter a building with the animal guise. However, because the duration of the transformation is random, he has been trained to get in and out of secured buildings without having to transform."
That answered many of the questions that had been circling around Yuki's mind. All of the teams worked well together, but relied on their transformation ability when on the field. Kyou would be the first to be trained differently.
Tohru raised her hand. Akito nodded to her, letting her know she could speak. "I was just wondering if we would be trained simularily, with him as our partner," she asked.
Akito shook his head. "Think of this as an experiment. Kyou knows nothing about working in his animal form. While Yuki knows nothing about working without depending on his animal form. If things work out as I've planned, they will be able to carry out their missions well by depending on each other. Tohru, your part in the group will not change," he explained.
Yuki lifted his hand. "Can we meet him now?" he asked.
Akito nodded, making his way back over to the door. Again, Yuki and Tohru stood as he walked by. The door slid open and Akito motioned for someone to enter.
Yuki's first impression of Kyou was none at all. He looked like an ordinary Seeker, dressed in the same black bodysuit that they all wore. What caught his eye first was the mop of fiery orange hair falling around his forhead and ears. However, what kept his gaze on the other was his eyes. The two of them locked gazes, and Yuki felt something inside of him jolt. He'd never seen anyone with red eyes before. Eyes that held the same emptieness that Akito's usually held.
The youth, probably about the same age as Yuki and Tohru, came into the room and stood at Akito's side. His eyes travelled down Yuki's body before turning to Tohru and studying her as well. Whatever he was looking for, he didn't seem to find it. With a dismissive shrug, Kyou turned his attention back to Akito.
For a brief moment, Yuki felt angry. Something about Kyou had shocked him, made him tense and on guard. How dare Kyou not feel the same?
Quickly, he pushed the foolish thought asside. It was then that a troubling thought came to mind. There were twelve Seeker teams. As a child, Yuki had been told the legend of the twelve zodiac animals, had been told that it was their spirits which caused his and the other's transformation. If this person was able to transform as well, what animal could he be?
Raising his hand, Yuki asked the question once he was given permission.
Akito gave a strange smile, and Yuki saw Kyou tense. "Kyou has been cursed by the spirit of the cat," Akito announced.
"There is no cat in the zodiac," Yuki said, his surprise keeping him from holding the question back.
Akito didn't seem upset with the outburst this time. His eyes slipped into their unreadable expression as he turned his attention to Kyou. Kyou was looking at the floor, his face twisted into anger and shame.
"I told him on the way over here, the unfortunate story of the cat," Akito said quietly, his tone odd. "How it was tricked by the mouse and missed the important dinner with Buddha. That's why we've trained him not to use his transformation. It is a mockery of the Seekers and their power."
Kyou's fist clenched. "That's why I was treated differently than the other teams," he said. There was bitterness in his voice, like Yuki had never heard before.
Yuki felt his stomach drop. He had known that something was going on behind the sceens. There had to be, with the way Akito had been dancing around with his words.
As he'd feared, Akito's eyes landed on him. "Why don't you let Kyou know what animal you are cursed by?" he questioned.
Yuki glanced over at Tohru. She was smiling, her eyes lit with excitement. It was obvious that she could barely contain herself, her body almost vibrating with energy.
They were about to meet their new partner. Akito had summoned them only a few moments ago. They'd been told to wait in the small room, which held only two couches and a table. Yuki had never been in this room before. It appeared to be some kind of leisure room.
Personally, Yuki couldn't bring himself to be excited. Or even happy. He had been trained all of his life to work on his own. To be a master of silence and computers and, if necessary, killing. Unlike Tohru, who had only been introduced to the silence and computer part, he's spent his whole life training to become the best soldier of Souma Enterprises.
It was insulting, to be partnered up with another soldier. Even more so, since he had been told that the other was more skilled in the field than he was. Whoever this 'Kyou' was, he hadn't even been out on the field before! Besides, unless he possessed the same transformation ability as Yuki, he would be useless!
It was then that the doorway slid open and Akito appeared. Yuki supressed a shudder, as he always had to, when his eyes met those of the other person. Unwillingly, the youth remembered the more harsher of his lessons, the ones that Akito had given him. Although they had hardened him into the perfect spy that he was, it still chill down his spine when he met those angry eyes. Akito's eyes always looked angry, or they had no expression at all.
He knew nothing of Akito, other than the fact that he was the head of Souma Enterprises. And that he had a harsh way of dishing out punishment. In fact, everyone that Yuki had ever spoken to could tell him no more than what he already knew.
Yuki and Tohru stood at attention as Akito came into the room. Only once he was sitting did they relax their positions and take their seat once again. "You know why you are here. I've brought your new partner," Akito began.
"As you know, his name is Kyou. He has a similar ability to you, Yuki. However, he had been trained differently. I think that the two of you will be able to work well together, since you've been trained to fill in where the other is weak," Akito continued after a few moments of silence.
"Where I fall weak?" Yuki echoed, disbelieving.
Akito gave him a sharp look and Yuki looked away quickly. He had spoken out of turn.
"Yes, where you fall weak," Akito repeated. "He's been trained to carry out the same missions as you do without having to transform. Of course, on your missions it will be easier to enter a building with the animal guise. However, because the duration of the transformation is random, he has been trained to get in and out of secured buildings without having to transform."
That answered many of the questions that had been circling around Yuki's mind. All of the teams worked well together, but relied on their transformation ability when on the field. Kyou would be the first to be trained differently.
Tohru raised her hand. Akito nodded to her, letting her know she could speak. "I was just wondering if we would be trained simularily, with him as our partner," she asked.
Akito shook his head. "Think of this as an experiment. Kyou knows nothing about working in his animal form. While Yuki knows nothing about working without depending on his animal form. If things work out as I've planned, they will be able to carry out their missions well by depending on each other. Tohru, your part in the group will not change," he explained.
Yuki lifted his hand. "Can we meet him now?" he asked.
Akito nodded, making his way back over to the door. Again, Yuki and Tohru stood as he walked by. The door slid open and Akito motioned for someone to enter.
Yuki's first impression of Kyou was none at all. He looked like an ordinary Seeker, dressed in the same black bodysuit that they all wore. What caught his eye first was the mop of fiery orange hair falling around his forhead and ears. However, what kept his gaze on the other was his eyes. The two of them locked gazes, and Yuki felt something inside of him jolt. He'd never seen anyone with red eyes before. Eyes that held the same emptieness that Akito's usually held.
The youth, probably about the same age as Yuki and Tohru, came into the room and stood at Akito's side. His eyes travelled down Yuki's body before turning to Tohru and studying her as well. Whatever he was looking for, he didn't seem to find it. With a dismissive shrug, Kyou turned his attention back to Akito.
For a brief moment, Yuki felt angry. Something about Kyou had shocked him, made him tense and on guard. How dare Kyou not feel the same?
Quickly, he pushed the foolish thought asside. It was then that a troubling thought came to mind. There were twelve Seeker teams. As a child, Yuki had been told the legend of the twelve zodiac animals, had been told that it was their spirits which caused his and the other's transformation. If this person was able to transform as well, what animal could he be?
Raising his hand, Yuki asked the question once he was given permission.
Akito gave a strange smile, and Yuki saw Kyou tense. "Kyou has been cursed by the spirit of the cat," Akito announced.
"There is no cat in the zodiac," Yuki said, his surprise keeping him from holding the question back.
Akito didn't seem upset with the outburst this time. His eyes slipped into their unreadable expression as he turned his attention to Kyou. Kyou was looking at the floor, his face twisted into anger and shame.
"I told him on the way over here, the unfortunate story of the cat," Akito said quietly, his tone odd. "How it was tricked by the mouse and missed the important dinner with Buddha. That's why we've trained him not to use his transformation. It is a mockery of the Seekers and their power."
Kyou's fist clenched. "That's why I was treated differently than the other teams," he said. There was bitterness in his voice, like Yuki had never heard before.
Yuki felt his stomach drop. He had known that something was going on behind the sceens. There had to be, with the way Akito had been dancing around with his words.
As he'd feared, Akito's eyes landed on him. "Why don't you let Kyou know what animal you are cursed by?" he questioned.