Hey again. Yea, AAZ, I know it was a "repeat." I had to break up the chapters because with 4 hours of homework a night so far, I can't type as much, so I split the chapters in half. Here ya go buddy.
CHAPTER TWO: GIVE ME WINGS, O ORACLE OF MINE
"At least we won't need air conditioning," Ky commented dryly.
"Why the hell are you here?" Kai asked stupidly.
"Let's think, Sherlock. Because a girl was murdered—not that that's a bad thing, mind, considering who it was—ans someone saw us all in the park where she was killed," Tala replied venomously.
"No shit, Watson," Kai retorted, regaining a few more of his wits, "I meant why are you here? I thought we wiped out you scumbags."
"Obviously not because I'm standing here in front of you. And you were on our team for a majority of the time, so you can't talk. Oh, and if you call me a scumbag again, I'll throttle you with my bare hands," Tala growled.
"Scumbag," Kai said in a taunting voice.
Ky was now leaning against the back wall with a slight grin on her face. Watching these two was as good as any dinner show, and better, they were providing the fireworks without any provocation from her. At the moment, Tala was desperately trying to keep himself from becoming a real murderer. His face was nearly as red as his hair and he appeared more like a rabid animal than anything human. Kai was smirking like the devil at his "friend's" struggle, daring the redhead to do his worst. Both were so caught up with each other that they'd forgotten Ky's existence entirely.
She was just fine with that, because it was only a matter of time until at least one of them realized that she was the killer. Not without reason, of course, but the fact still remained. As far as Ky was concerned, the longer they argued the more time she had to come up with a plausible excuse that wouldn't turn them against her and that they would accept. Or, even better, put them off the trail completely. Yes…that was perfect.
Tala finally managed to calm himself down enough to merely glare at Kai, who crossed his arms over his chest and muttered to himself in a voice easily loud enough for Tala to hear.
"Scumbag."
Tala clenched his fist and was swinging it back to slug Kai when Kylvren intervened. She stepped forward and snatched his fist in a rock hard grip, grabbing a handful of hair for good measure. All was completed in one fluid motion. Meanwhile she addressed Kai in the same deadly tone he'd used on her the night before.
"Kai, if you do that again, I will be forced to give you the same treatment I'm giving Wolfboy here, and I will tie you both to the walls. We can't afford to antagonize each other when we should really be planning how to get out of here," she said, letting Tala go, "If any one of you have even the least ideas of a plan, voice it now."
"Why should we have to get out? I'm not guilty and there's no evidence saying I am, so why do we have to? They'll just hold us for a day and let us go until something's proven," Kai said, "Would this be a…subtle…reference to your good sense of self preservation?"
"Yes, bastard, it would be. At least Red here doesn't act like a total idiot—"
"…which is merely disguising his true nature…"
"—like you. I suppose it'll never change—"
"…damn right…"
"But we have to get out of here before they do health exams and question us. Personally, I don't feel like being interrogated by those sorry sadistic excuses for officers," Kylvren finished.
Kai remembered the conversation he'd had earlier and shivered. Tala blanched; apparently he'd gotten the same talk. Kylvren looked paler than usual, something Kai wouldn't have thought possible. Looking at the circumstances, they were in a bit of shit. Still, there was a justice system.
"Oooookaaayyy…so now we know why we don't want to stay. But think about it, we're juviniles. What can they do?" Tala asked shakily.
"Oh, yes, they'll treat us like guests," Ky snarled sarcastically, "Do you realize what shit we're in? We are under arrest for the murder of a fucking celebrity. Meaning publicity. And no offense, you two, but both of you have reputations for being—um—shall we say emotionless killing machines. As for me, I'm not the most straight line person around. Face the music people, we all have our little…secrets…we can't afford to have exposed."
"…I forgot about that," Tala muttered, "Shit. Kai, if they look bac through the BioVolt records, well, look through them since they still haven't gotten around to it yet, we're toast. Burnt, carbonized toast."
"Fact still remains that we're minors," Kai argued, "Worst they can do is a few years in juvie hall."
"Listen, Kai," Tala said seriously, "You're almost seventeen, I'm near eighteen. Trials can—and usually are—prolonged for a year or more. You know what that means? No more hiding behind juvie age. A scene like this, innocent or not, our careers are over. Done. El Fin. Publicity, media, they blow it all out of proportion. And what else are we good for that we can make a living off of?"
Dammit, Tala's right, Kai thought, we can't afford people questioning our integrity anymore. We can't afford being labeled murderers. And we damn well can't afford to have our BioVolt records checked. Wait…
"And what about you?" Kai asked Kylvren suddenly.
He turned his discomfiting gaze on her. She jumped and an expression of surprise flickered across her countenance.
"Me? What about me?"
"You. How old are you? What have you done wrong?"
"Me?" she laughed tiredly, "I'm ancient."
The former D-boys waited, waited for some type of clarification, a meaning to what she'd said. She didn't offer anything up. The silence stretched from merely uncomfortable to strainingly tense. At last she spoke, staring off into space. Or possibly at something none of the rest of them could see, just like cats.
"What did I do? Haha," again the tired laugh that made her seem as ancient as she'd said, "It's more like what haven't I done?"
The slate and red-haired boys exchanged glances. Enemies they may have been, but they knew how to work together when there was a situation on hand. And this was just too weird to act alone.
"Another thing, why the hell are you diguised as a guy?" Kai demanded.
"Needed to be put in a cell with you two. Otherwise I would've been sent to another wing. Gotta have a crew for an escape plan."
"Ah."
Well, that made sense. Sort of. Only…how did she manage to pass as a male when they frisked her? It was worth asking. Only not now. And it would be…interesting to find out what happened when the guards finally came to give them their uniforms or whatever. And that wasn't even going into showertime…
Again there was silence. Meditation on what their fates might be. There was no evidence of the kiler on the body. It would be purely circumstantial evidence that would make or break them. Ky had managed that much, but there was a problem. These two weren't supposed to have been seen there. Speaking of which…
"Who saw us?" Kylvren asked out of the blue.
Tala and Kai jumped. They looked at her, shrugging their shoulders. It figured. Why would they know anyway? If you don't have anything worthwhile to say, don't say anything.
"Dammit. There was someone else there and they were there for a reason. Why did they turn us in and why isn't their sneaky ass in here with us in this fucking jail cell? Why are we here and he—or possibly she—just chillin' on the fucking streets? Strike you as odd?"
The two boys locked eyes, but it was easy to see that neither of them had a clue. So it was a fourth party deal. Not too bad. Just find out who turned them in and…
A door slammed, causing all three heads to snap up and around. Two guards, no; a guard and…the warden? Not. Good.
"You three, what do you know about the murder last night?" the Warden asked.
"…It happened…apparently…"
"What else?"
"…"
"We found another body. Lee. Same team."
The trio's eyes widened. Complete silence. The warden looked from Kai to Tala to Kylvren. Nothing but honest surprise and shock registered on those young faces. Hell, they were just kids, and no one was that good an actor. Something was odd about this case…
When no answer was forthcoming, the two officers left. The cell regained its eerie, deafening silence and held it long after they'd gone.
"Who do you think killed them?" Tala asked at last.
Ky stiffened. She looked from side to side, scanning the walls for a camera, microphone, any type of bug. Nothing. She made a quick revision of plans.
"The second one…I have no idea. The first…"
Tala and Kai gave her quizzical looks. She trailed off and looked away, not wanting to meet their eyes.
"It fucking figures!" Kai growled, "Tell me. Why?"
"Orders," she said shortly.
The boys nodded. They understood Orders. It was something they could relate to. You didn't disobey Orders. Fine.
Just a few last mysteries then.
"From whom?"
"Sergei Kuvetskenov."
The look the two boys shared was one that said damn, Russia again. Well, it all added up. Russia was where most of the world's raw power was, where most of the bitbeasts originated, and where most of the active gods resided. Where better to begin a regime?
"Situation understood," Tala said quietly, "So we do need to get out of here. Three foreign changlings in for the murder of a celebrity? We're done as soon as they do any health exams. Medical institutes, here we come."
Kylvren nodded. Kai looked from Tala to Kylvren and back again. His forehead was creased and he practically radiated puzzlement. Kylvren looked at Tala sharply. He shugged nonchalantly. Ky backed Tala up against the wall and jabbed a finger into his chest. Angry red eyes drew crystal blue ones so he couldn't look away.
"You never told him!"
"I was supposed to?" Tala spat back, "He should've figured it out for himself!"
"You were like his brother! What kind of friend were you?"
"As good of one as I could be in the circumstances!"
Kylvren sighed and turned to the now even more puzzled Kai. She collapsed on the single bench and sat with her hands between her knees. Her eyes searched his, finding nothing but bewilderment, shock, and a hint of…was it fear? At least he wasn't past feeling emotions. She sighed again, unsure of how to explain things in a way that he would understand and believe. Before she began, she shot a death glare at Tala, who grimaced.
"Kai, Tala here never told you. You're a shapechanger. A…well, the word humans would use is demon, but that isn't it. You know Dranzer? He's why you're a changeling. Some bitbeasts…they're special. Dranzer is Fire. You were chosen by Dranzer because you're a channel for his power. It's genetic, either a mutation, like yourself, or bred in, like Rei, or…caused by some outside source, like me. You're an avian, Kai."
Slowly, ever so slowly it sunk in. She wasn't joking. He didn't need proof, he already knew what she and Rei were, and they were living evidence in themselves. His crimson eyes lit up with wonder, like he was a child again. He looked to Tala for confirmation. Tala grinned sheepishly. Or as much as a wolf in sheeps' clothing could.
"And what are you two? What exactly is an avian? How did you become a…changeling, Ky?" Kai asked curiously, his mind afire with questions.
"Me, haha, that should be obvious. I'm a werewolf, or what equates to one anyway. Essentially, I can change into a wolf, talk to any canines, lupines, vulpines, etc, and make them do what I want. Oh, and I have the senses. Nifty, eh?" Tala replied jovially.
"Vampire. Got bitten. Usual story. However, to offset the disdvantages of the Noble Dead, I can change into a wolf, a rat—which I only did once and do not plan to repeat—and a panther. And grow wings, though surprisingly enough I can't do a bat. At least, those are the shapes I've figured out. If they're stupid enough I can make people see or hear something other than reality. Comes in handy. You, you're an avian, meaning you can fly, become a bird, talk to all the little birdies, and you're a firestarter. Probably other things you can do too, you just have to figure them out."
"What exactly is one meant to say in a position like this?" Kai asked bemusedly.
"How about, you've given me wings?" Tala suggested mockingly.
"Too corny."
"I can fly!" Kylvren mimed a little kid playing fairy.
"Playtime's over," Kai said seriously. A door slammed.
Three guards with handcuffs stepped into the cell. The prisoners were told to face the wall and put their hands behind their backs. All three obeyed wordlessly and in two minutes they were being led out the door after another quick search for weaponry.
How dumb are they? If I had any weapons, wouldn't I have used them already when we were left unguarded and unobserved? Idiots, Tala thought.
Each was led into their own small room where there was a bench and an orange uniform laid out on it. They changed silently, the jeering eyes of the guards boring into the tops of their heads. The captives seethed; those eyes were calculating exactly how much they could do until something happened to bust them. Nobody made a move; not yet at least. Even Ky's "escort" didn't notice anything…abnormal. No questions…yet, but by the looks they were receiving, it wouldn't be fun when the time came.
That assumed they were still there.
Once again they were handcuffed and led into…a different cell block. Tala grew indignant. He turned angry eyes gone somehow clear to the guard behind him.
"Why another cell? We're suspects. You can't hold us on nothing! What gives man?"
"You're being held under charges of being out past curfew and destruction of public property."
"What now? What was destroyed? Enlighten me, by all means. And you were required to tell us of the charges earlier," Tala practically snarled back.
"Several bushes, a bench, and a section of, quote, decorative fencing. Why would you go and vandalize decorative fencing? Couldn't you have found something a little more manly?"
"Well, since he didn't do it, he wouldn't know," Kai commented, "So, how destroyed were these bushes? I mean, if the bushes were the ones I was trimming last night, they weren't destroyed, they were cut into neat little cell-like boxes."
"So you say, but the evidence never lies and it tells us otherwise."
"Fascinating, because I can show you the ones I trimmed."
"Not while you're in here you can't."
"But we have certain rights you have to give us…" Tala said.
"Newsflash. You're minors. Minors don't get rights."
"Well this sucks."
Okay, end of part one chapter two. Bear with me, this was kind of an explanatory/intro chapter. It had to be done, and there is (thankfully) more action for next update.
Tala Kismet, signing off.