Angel of chaos
Chapter two
The door hissed as chaos ducked into the small, dark interior of his room, leaned against the wall, and sighed.
"I'm sorry, KOS-MOS," he murmured. "I wish I could give you the answers you're looking for, but you're not ready for them. Not yet. Forgive me."
The room was dark, but the silver haired boy didn't turn on the lights as he moved from the wall to the window on the opposite side, placing a gloved hand against the glass. He liked the dark. It was always more comforting in the shadows, away from the light and action. It suited his quiet, aloof nature, and gave him a place to observe without intruding or being seen. Though he suspected that would change fairly soon.
There was a shimmer out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't turn around. In the polished surface of the glass, he could see her reflection perfectly.
"So," came the haunting voice of Nephilim. "You have decided."
chaos gave the reflection a single nod. "Yes. From this point on, I won't be holding back. I will use all my power to change the destiny fate has decided for them." He laid his forehead against the window and closed his eyes. "I will protect them," he promised, almost to himself. "I won't let anyone die." Especially her.
Nephilim blinked enormous blue eyes and put her small arms behind her back. "We were supposed to observe," she said gently. "We were supposed to remain neutral in this fight.
"I can't do that anymore."
"You've gotten attached." The girl's voice was soft, but hinted at disapproval.
"Yes," chaos replied calmly.
She was silent a moment. Then: "The balance of power has shifted." Though her voice was quiet, there was an ominous warning beneath. "I can no longer see a definite future. Be careful that your sentiment is not the ripple that overturns the ship."
chaos had no answer for her, but it didn't matter. She was already gone.
He didn't sleep at all that night, but lay awake on his simple cot, hands cradled behind his head, thinking. The next morning, tired and feeling a mite pensive, he made his way to the kitchen for some coffee. MOMO was there, talking with Ziggy near the window, and Shion was at a table reading a data pad, a steaming mug of said liquid perched precariously on the edge.
chaos poured himself a mug and took a sip, wincing as the horribly strong concoction made his eyes water. Must've been Tony's turn to make coffee, he mused, taking a seat opposite Shion, a resigned grin quirking his mouth. In all his time aboard the Elsa, the only days there was a drinkable pot of coffee in the kitchen were the mornings he did it himself.
Still, it was coffee, and it was strong, something he needed on this particular morning. He drank the hot engine oil without complaint and cocked his head at the woman sitting across from him. "Good morning," he offered to the top of her head.
She jerked upright, green eyes going wide, the datapad dropping from her fingers. chaos swiftly caught it before it hit the table and the coffee mug sitting untouched on the corner.
"Oh, chaos! Good morning. You startled me; I didn't see you sit down." Faintly embarrassed, she glanced at the datapad in his hands and blushed. "Um, thank you."
He gave her a cheerful smile and handed it back. "What are you working on?"
"Oh, this? Well, KOS-MOS asked me to run a complete scan of her systems the other night. Actually, insisted is a better word." Shion frowned momentarily, but shook it off with a wry smile. "She seemed positive her memory base was malfunctioning, but everything is running perfectly from what I can see."
"That's good to hear. Where is she now?"
"Recharging, at the moment. The fight with the patriarch took more out of her than we first thought."
chaos nodded. The fight with the patriarch had been hard on all of them. His own powers had been stretched to the limit, trying to shield his comrades from the worst of the man's attacks. The unholy energy coursing through that man's body was both frightening and disturbing.
Are you all right, chaos?"
He blinked, arching an eyebrow at the abrupt question. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, well…" Shion shrugged, embarrassed again. "I just realized that out of all our friends, I know the very least about you. I mean, I know why Jr. and MOMO and Ziggy are tangled up in this. I can't say the same for Jin, but he's family and I've never understood him anyway." She rolled her eyes, and chaos chuckled, wondering if Jin had ever told his sister they had met long before she ever became involved with Vector, the zohar, and the whole situation.
"But you," she continued, looking him straight in the eye, "Why are you here, chaos? You've never explained that. Jr. and the rest of the crew hold you in high regard, but none of them know why you're here, either."
chaos laughed softly. "And it's taken this long to realize this?" he asked, not unkindly. Shion blushed an even deeper shade of crimson, and he rose, shaking his head. "It's all right, Shion. I'm here because I want to be. I want to help in any way I can."
"That really doesn't tell me much."
"Chief!" came the high, worried voice of Allen, saving chaos a reply. "There you are! I wanted to talk to you about—" Tripping over his own feet, he pitched forward, flailing wildly and nearly falling into Shion's lap. In the general confusion, chaos quietly excused himself and left.
Shion, he thought, with a vague tinge of regret, KOS-MOS is changing, but not in the way any datapad or systems check can pick up. She is evolving into something completely different. All we can do now is guide her down the right path, and hope she chooses wisely.
chaos sighed, remembering the vision of KOS-MOS in her final, perfect form. Beyond that, everything was so hazy. Savior or Destroyer, KOS-MOS. chaos glanced down at his hands, remembering, and his eyes narrowed with determination. I will help you through the coming trials, but I can only do so much. The final decision will be yours alone.
Wilhelm sat alone at his desk and pondered the Compass of Fate.
"Well, Yeshua," he murmured, "I knew you would be taking the stage sometime, but not so soon. This will make things…interesting."
The red clad Testament standing before his desk bowed slightly. "Want me to take care of him?" he asked in his cold, droning voice. Wilhem chuckled.
"After his declaration that he wouldn't be holding back anymore? No, my friend. You have yet to see Yeshua's full potential. I don't want any mistakes this late in the game." Wilhelm gazed at the Compass again and smiled faintly. "No, I have something even better planned for my old friend," he murmured, almost to himself. "Let us see how dedicated you are to protecting your charge, Yeshua. Especially if you must protect her from yourself."
To be continued…
Yes, it's short. I apologize. I hadn't really intended to continue this, but all the wonderful reviews I received encouraged me to keep going, so I guess I will. There'll be more chaos/KOS-MOS interaction in the coming chapters, I promise.
Arigatou,
Silverkitsune