.Chapter VI: Thoughtless

Dys: Okay, this chapter was inspired by a KORN song named Thoughtless, and some lyrics will be seen in it. I do not own the song or the band that created it. However, I am their biggest fan.

Dartz: Yes, you have every CD, you have every poster, every knickknack, everything that has their name on it.

Dys: Shut up! I'm not that obsessive!

Dartz: But you are obsessive over them…and even more over Evanescence.

Dys: Will you just shut up!

Thumbing through the pages of my fantasies

Pushing all the mercy down,down,down

I wanna see you try to take a swing at me

C'mon gonna put ya on the ground,ground,ground

"G'morning, FD! My, what a cute outfit!" Kiniko pronounced as FD walked through the door. FD was dressed in her usual black attire, but the style was completely different now. A black tank top that was low-cut just enough to see below her chest under a black leather jacket, as well as a black, leather mini-skirt and black boots that reached up her thighs. She looked hot that day.

"Thanks, Kiniko, I wanted to try something new. What does this outfit say?" FD asked her, turning around several times for her.

"Um…it says 'Hello, world, I'm a hot, rough, and tough diva ready to kick some ass!' " FD laughed at Kiniko's response. FD was now starting to worry someone was going to come up behind her. Sure enough, the thin, invisible hairs on the back of FD's neck shot up as a well-known voice spoke from behind her.

"Well, well, well, Miss FD, don't you look a little too casual," it chuckled. FD gasped as she stumbled over her own heel and fell to the tile ground below. She turned around, and saw Dartz staring down at her, his eyes completely withdrawn from any emotion. FD was now starting to regret coming to work dressed like that.

"Um…Master Dartz, I'm so sorry…." Master? Where did that come from? Usually she said Mr. or just plain Dartz, but master? Why did she say that? A small smile crossed his face as she spoke the word, and then he just shrugged beneath his violet suit.

"It's alright. This will definitely bring more attention to the company," he smiled, closing his discolored eyes. FD didn't know whether he meant her finish on the building or her outfit. She really hoped he meant her work. It was finally finished after only two days, and now she and the boys had to start on the upper levels.

"Um…" FD was speechless now. She stood back up and tried to act as calmly and sincere as possible. However, that seemed impossible when she saw Amelda and Varon by the front entrance, snickering and blushing while they stared at her. That was really pissing her off.

"Cute outfit, Sheila!" Varon teased. FD growled low in her throat as her face turned a horrible crimson.

"I think it's rather adorable," Dartz said, tilting her face back so she looked into his eyes. She nearly fell on the spot when she saw that smile. "You actually resemble a raven now. Good."

"What?" FD pulled away by his comment. A small shudder ran through her body. A raven? He had been calling her that since she started this job. Why? Did she look like a raven to him? His hand moved forward and his fingers ran firmly through her hair. She didn't welcome this by pulling away. For some reason, she didn't want him to touch her.

Why are you trying to make fun of me?

You think it's funny

What the fuck you think it's doing to me?

You take your time lashing out at me

"Why do you cower?" Dartz asked. FD ignored his question. She turned and walked towards the elevator in complete silence. She couldn't look at him now. Why? She knew she didn't have feelings for him anymore. So, why was she so shy around him still?

"Master Dartz, I don't think that was really appropriate to do. Are you trying to get her on our team?" Amelda asked. He looked at Dartz, who was sitting in the navy blue chair down across from him on the table. Dartz had his arms folded over his chest and his eyes closed. In the center of the table sat Varon, sitting across from Rafael, who was standing.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do, Amelda. Young Miss Rika has a great strength in her, and I want you to see it firsthand. The young girl is brilliantly beautiful, yet because of the stress she went and is still going through, that strength hides inside her and seeks shelter," Dartz explained.

"A strength? You mean like ours? A dueling strength?" Varon asked.

"No, this is different. This one is powered by her anger and pain, but it's torn, like Rika's heart. She seeks companionship from a friend, while she seeks guidance from a parent. She has neither, so she lashes out at herself," Dartz explained. "Her mind and soul are stressed from the strain she puts on herself."

"But I don't understand, Master Dartz. How are you going to see it firsthand?" Amelda asked. A small, sinister smile crossed his face.

"I've seen it once before. Several times, actually. It made its first appearance, though, when I confronted her about her parents a couple of days ago. She lashed out at me, and her eyes held a glow to them. Not visible, but enough to tell me. I can also feel it in her artworks and masterpieces," Dartz explained.

"Her art? What's that got to do with anything?" Varon asked. Dartz didn't answer. He just opened his eyes and stared down.

"How are you going to see it?" Rafael asked.

"By getting close to her. I'll take her out, spend some time with her, see what changes have come acrossed her. Her true strength lies in her emotions," Dartz explained.

FD was found on one of the sofas in her office, curled up in one of the corners, her face hidden by the stuffed pillows on it. Dartz smiled at this. She definitely resembled a raven, all black and silent, so many secrets she kept from them.

"That looks comfortable," Dartz teased. FD didn't respond to it. She just laid there, her breathing soft and calm. Was she asleep? "FD?"

Dartz touched her shoulder firmly, and she jumped as a sharp jolt ran through her body. He released her, and she began trembling. He scared her. He knew he shouldn't have done that. Quickly, he leaned down, and began stroking her arm gently to comfort her. She began to whimper, and he instinctively spoke to her in a caring and concerned voice.

"Shhh…It's okay now. I'm here. Don't be afraid," he comforted. She calmed down a little, and turned over to meet his face. Her cheeks were tear strained and a few tears remained in her eyes. Now she looked like a child, scared and frightened, but why?

All of my hate cannot be found

I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming

So, you can try to tear me down

Beat me to the ground

I will see you screaming

She sat up and wiped her tears from her eyes. "I was just tired and thought if I laid down for only a few minutes, I'd be fine. I must have fallen asleep," she confessed. Dartz knew she was lying. He could tell by her eyes. They had that distant, scared look in them.

"It's alright. I just came in here to tell you something. You can take the rest of the day off. You deserve it for the hard work you did," Dartz explained.

"It wasn't just me. Amelda and Varon did it, too," FD explained.

"I know, but they agreed that you should take the day off," he insisted. "Come on."

He took her arm and got her up on her feet. "Because you are so stubborn, I'm going to force you out today," Dartz said. He looked like he was about to say something else, and FD knew what it was somehow.

"Please, don't say…" she muttered, but he did say it.

"I guess you could consider it a date," he said with a smile. FD choked on her own breath as her face flared red. She doubled over, hacking into her hand. She was stunned by this sudden offer. She didn't have any feelings for Dartz anymore…but no one had ever asked her out before. This was a total surprise. She didn't know what to do.

"Um…uh…sir, I'm not so sure about this…." FD murmured.

"Nonsense! You need the day out, and because of how stubborn you are and how you insist on staying, I'm taking you out," Dartz explained. He grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the elevator, and then out of the building. His grip was so tight it caused her to wince in pain.

"P-please…let go…please…" she whimpered. He looked at her, and then smiled as he released her wrist. He then snapped his fingers, and a pitch-black car pulled up the side, resembling that of a limo. Damn, this guy is filthy rich, FD thought, but shook it out of her head. She still couldn't help but stare at it.

"Get in," Dartz demanded, opening the door to her. FD felt strange inside. She wasn't scared, but worried. About herself? Maybe. Dartz was seriously older than her, and she was only sixteen. If they were going on a date, wasn't that illegal?

"Do you see him?" came a voice in the back of FD's head. See who? She looked up and down the streets, but saw no one she knew. She got inside the car, and Dartz followed her in. He spent the whole day with her, but she was mostly quiet the whole day.

Dartz treated her to lunch and dinner that day, offered her to go shopping, but she rejected each one. He didn't know what to do. She seemed so distant from him, so far away.

Thumbing through the pages of my fantasies

I'm above you smiling as you drown, drown, drown

I wanna kill and rape you the way you raped me

I pull the trigger and your down, down, down

Dartz took her to a beautiful Italian restaurant for an early dinner, and they sat in a booth beside a window. Dartz sat there, his arms folded on the table's surface, watching her features, while she just stared out the window, her chin in her palm, her elbow propped up and resting on the table. She seemed so distant at that moment, her silver eyes just staring into the streets outside, watching the people walk by.

"You know, you hardly said a word to me today since we left Paradias. Anything wrong?" he asked. She looked at him, and a small, emerald glimmer appeared in the darkness in silver before vanishing. She answered.

"I'm just nervous. I've never went out with anyone before. The last time I did was with my dad, but that was when I was eight, and he took me to a basketball game," she answered.

"You like basketball, huh?" Dartz asked.

"I love it. I used to play it everyday, but now I hardly ever do," FD confessed. Her eyes still held that distant gaze in them.

"Why don't you?" he asked.

"I don't know. For some reason, I've stopped," she spoke. Eight? Yeah, that was how old she was when she first met him. And then a year later….

"Rika, I-" FD cut off his sentence.

"Please, sir, call me FD," she begged.

"How about I start calling you raven?" he teased. She didn't laugh. She had that cold glare in her eyes, solid, firm, yet it sent shivers down his own spine. He didn't know why, though. Her looks used to be calm and collective, even innocent. But now they were cold and stabbing.

"I want to know why you applied for this job at my company." Dartz asked. There was that little life and light he wanted to see. It emitted from her eyes, and her face went calm and clear, a small smile crossing her face.

"I don't know why. I've been trying to get a job for a few weeks before I started here. I sent out my resume to like fifteen different job openings and yours just picked me up. There really was no real reason why," FD spoke. She had that innocent smile that he missed seeing. He felt it, though. A strong, comforting emotion, sensation that was emitting from her. It left him warm and relaxed in his place. He didn't dare move for the feeling could evaporate like water.

All of my friends are gone, they died….

Gonna take you down!

They all screamed and cried….

Never, never put me, never put me back against the wall

Never put me, never put me back against the wall

Gonna take you down….

Dartz took her home around seven, and he could tell she was getting exhausted. He walked with her to her house, and was surprised to see the sun setting at that time. The beach looked so beautiful at that moment, almost exactly like her artwork on the building.

"Thank you for taking me out today," she spoke softly to him. She unlocked the front door, and then looked at him. "Would you like to come in?"

He smiled. He walked up the steps and accompanied her over the threshold. The door closed behind him softly, and he saw a crowd of beautiful cats gathered on the navy couch, below them a small canine slept. He snickered at this scene.

"You don't want to wake them. Trust me," FD whispered to him as she made her way to the kitchen. He followed her, and then leaned over the counter to look directly at her.

"Why do you have so many animals?" he asked.

"I'm a lover for them, especially cats. I see one on the streets or in a store, it's coming home with me," she said. He laughed.

"Ironic. One who resembles a raven has a horde of cats for pets," Dartz laughed. She just smiled. Being this close to her, he could see an invisible line along her collarbone. He reached forward and ran his index finger along it. She blushed, and then looked away.

"How did this happen?" he asked.

"Um…you know, I really don't know. I've had it for years, but no one ever told me how I got it," FD spoke. Dartz looked up into her eyes with a soft smile.

"You're so innocent, almost exactly like a child," he spoke. She looked at him, and then looked away. He pulled his hand from her neck, and, for some strange reason, wanted to replace them with his lips. He shook that feeling out of his head, and smiled at FD. Her face held red around the cheeks. His body began to move instinctively.

He reached over and tilted her face back, then leaned over and met her at the lips. He felt her shudder beneath his touch, but it didn't matter anymore. Her lips comforted him, warm and soft, her breath cool, like ice. She moaned and shuddered again. She didn't want to kiss him, yet she didn't pull away. He held her for a moment in the passionate kiss, and then softly broke away. His index finger trailed along her chin, then cupped it once again. Her face was glowing a brilliant red, yet he didn't care. All he cared about was what to do next. His body had moved instinctively, he didn't even think of what he was doing. Her gaze captivated him, holding him, hypnotizing him. Those silver orbs were so beautiful, so endless, it was mesmerizing. He quickly pulled out of the gaze, but he felt it just then.

A strong, powerful sensation that aroused at that moment. It was strong and commanding, demanding Dartz himself to look at the girl. He refused to, but he felt it. That power. He was right. That power was inside her, but how? She didn't seem like anything special, just a beautiful, young girl.

A beautiful young girl…with scars…?

All of my hate cannot be found

I will not be drowned by your thoughtless scheming

So, you can try to tear me down

Beat me to the ground

I will see you screaming!

Dys: Okay, that's that chapter. I really enjoyed that song, Thoughtless, and was surprised by the fact Amy Lee tried singing it on their new CD, and even though she did it really good, she can't top the original.

Dartz: Um…the song had nothing to do with the chapter, though. How did it inspire you?

Dys: I was just wanted to put the lyrics in. Is that a problem?

Dartz: Yes, it proves you're the laziest writer I know.

Dys: SHUT THE HELL UP!

Dartz: Uh-oh, I think I made her mad.

Dys: NO DUH! (Starts chasing him angrily with a knife)