Well... I can't get the text color changes to work... so its labled flashback. If anyone knows how to get the damn font color changes working, please tell me... Used to BBS not HTML...

Ean tapped the leather steering wheel as he waited in the heavy New York City traffic. He absolutely hated it. Even at night, there were so many bloody people. He sighed, as the light turned green, and the cars in front of his slowly began to move forward.

His katana was in the back seat of the Charger along with his trench coat. He had taken them off while waiting for one of the many lights to change. He now sat at the wheel, trying to get back to his house that also served as his antique shop. He chuckled. Most immortals started antique shops. It was the easiest way for them to explain all of the items that they collected throughout the years. That's why there were so many… Every Immortal eventually got that idea it seemed like.

"Ah, come on already…" he muttered as the car in front of him slowed down, letting the stop light change to red. He sighed. "I guess this is as good a time as any…" he muttered to himself, grabbing the black cell phone that was on the passenger seat. He flipped the cover up, and held down the number two button until it dialed. He brought the phone up to his ear, and waited.

The phone rang four times before a voice cut into the dial tone. "Hey, this is Kudo."

"Excellent! It's been awhile Jim, hasn't it?" Ean asked, excitement plainly audible in his voice.

"I can't pick up the phone right now. You know the drill. Leave a message," the recording of Jimmy Kudo said.

Ean sighed as the message ran. After the beep, he started to speak. "Jimmy, this is Ean. Remember that offer? Well, I'd like to take you up on that. Call my cell whenever you get this Jim." He closed the cell phone, and threw it back into the passenger seat.

Jimmy Kudo was one of Ean's oldest friends. He had met him in the mid fifteenth century in Britain. Why Jim was in Britain, and with a sakabato, a katana that had its blade on the opposite side, was anyone's guess. Ean and Jim had met each other because of the Buzz, and were relieved when neither had wanted to fight, just to see who was causing the feeling.

They had become friends quiet quickly. Jimmy was also a wanderer, and it was obvious that he had spent most of his life in the Far East by his mannerisms. But, he did not look Asian in the slightest. Where he was born and how old he was remains a mystery to all but him. But, it was believed that he is the oldest Immortal still within the Game.

Ean couldn't believe he had survived as long as he had. When he had found out that he was an Immortal, he had been a pacifist and a priest in training. That all changed once Caitlin had entered his life….

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((Flashback))

Ean sat at his wooden desk in his small room within the Cathedral. He was in Constantinople, the capital of what was then known as the Romanian Empire. Now it was known as the Byzantine Empire.

He sat, studding many religious texts. He was to become a priest within the Cathedral soon, and he needed to be as knowledgeable as possible. It was the year 1204, and Ean had been inside the church for most of his 21 years of life.

A knock on his thick door made him rise, as he straightened his long black cassock. His room was small, only holding a bed, a desk, and a small table with a basin of water sitting on top. Books and loose papers were stacked chaotically within his room. They filled up most of the floor space, and half of the small bed.

The knock repeated itself, a bit louder. "I come." Ean said, avoiding the large stacks of books to get to the door. He gripped the ordinate iron doorknob, and swung the door open.

His brows raised in surprise. "Erm… yes? What is it that you need or require?" A girl, who looked the age of twenty if he was right, stood before him, her bluish-gray eyes cast down on the floor. Se brought a up a small hand to brush her long blond, almost silver hair out of her face before looking up at Ean. "Father? If I may step inside?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to the left.

Ean hurriedly moved out from in front of the door, motioning for the young woman to step inside. "I am not yet a priest, my lady…. But… if you still wish to speak?" he said. She smiled at him before entering the room, her divided green skirts rustling softly.

Ean walked back to his desk, settling himself to look at the girl as she looked at him as if to ask to sit on his bed. He nodded. She smiled softly at him, before sitting down.

She was quite beautiful. She was clothed in a green traveling dress, slight blue embroidery running up her sleeves and sides. She slowly took off her green dusk cloak, laying it beside her. She looked modest, the neck of her dress going high under her chin in a style that Ean had never seen before, although… her dress did fit her form a touch too much around her bosom and hips… Ean shook his head, and focused on the bundle of books and papers in her left hand.

"Excuse me… I thought that you would be a priest by now, Ean Michael Farrell." She said, her voice melodious. He had never heard a voice nor accent quite like hers either.

Ean held up a hand. "Oh, that is quite alri…" He trailed off, as her words connected in his head. How had she known his full name? His full name was in the directories, true, but only those with permission from the Archbishop could access them. Only his last name was ever used or known within the Cathedral. "How… how do you know my name?"

She smiled at him, before putting the bundle of books she had brought next to her on the bed. "Oh, I know just about everything there is to know about you, Ean." She said, spreading her skirts about her. "Have you found your mother yet?" she asked, almost casually.

Ean stared at her, wide eyed. After a few moments, he started slowly, "I don't know what you are…." She cut him off.

"Oh, don't lie to me. Your mother was kidnapped not but a mile outside of the city while you were six. You were attacked as you both tried to reach the capital between raids. The city guards had just been though the area. You were tossed aside as the men took your mother. The landing knocked you unconscious. When you awoke… no one was in site. You continued to the capital, desperate for someone to help you find your mother. But, you could not speak after the attack. One of the priests took you into the Cathedral. You did not start to speak until you were about eleven. None of the priests asked why you came alone. All they know is that it left you unable to speak." She didn't look up at him. "See?"

With each word, Ean's eyes had grown wider. He just simply stared at her for a few minutes. "Ho… How did you know all of this!" he almost demanded. He had not told anyone of that, not even the priest who had taken him in, now the Archbishop Procyk!

She looked up at him and smiled playfully, before standing up and walking closer to where he sat. Ean pushed himself back away from her. "Because…" she said, coming closer to him, "I follow as many of the actions of other Immortals as I can."

Ean scooted his chair further away from her, until the chair hit the wall behind him. "This… this is ridiculous!" he scoffed, standing up from the chair. "There is no human who is immortal!"

The girl grinned as a knife appeared in her hand, hidden somewhere within her sleeve. Ean raised his hands as the girl flourished the blade. He opened his mouth to say something, but never got the chance. With a smile, the girl slammed the knife into her chest.

Ean could only stare as crimson began to quickly appear on her dress and as she fell limply to the floor. He was frozen for a few moments, before he could shake himself and ran to the door. He was slowed by both the many books on the ground and the woman's body in the middle of the floor. He reached the door, and was about to fling it open and call for help, as a voice behind him said. "No."

Ean turned slowly, his eyes wide. The girl was slowly and shaking pushing herself up off of the ground, the knife lying in a small puddle of blood. He rushed over to her, to help bring her to her feet. She waved him off, before getting to her feet, and straightening her dress. "Who… or what in God's name are you?" he asked her quietly.

She smiled softly at him, before picking up the knife and wiping the blood off on a rag in her sleeve, returning them both to it. "My name is Caitlin Keiran… and I am what you shall be… an Immortal."

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((End Flashback))

A long series of beeps from the car behind him brought Ean back to the present. The stoplight had turned green, and he needed to go though it. He pressed down on the accelerator, thinking about her.

Caitlin had explained to him much. She had told him why she had looked so young, even when she was really almost a hundred. She explained how Immortals stopped aging after they got their first mortal wound that should have killed them. She also told him how she had known that he was an Immortal, even though he had not died yet. Half of him believed her, and the other half of him laughed at the crazy things she seemed to tell him.

Everyday she had visited him for hours at a time, teaching him about the Immortals, about the Game. She warned him of those, both human and Immortals, which would try and kill him once they knew what he was. The books she had brought with her were full of stories and 'proof' of what she was telling him.

He listened intently to her every time she came, but that did not lessen the amount of doubt he had of what she was saying. If anything, half of him believed her to be possessed by the devil. Yet… he didn't want her to leave.

His doubt was soon dismissed however. For, after two weeks of Caitlin's visits, on the eve of his becoming a priest, he found himself brutally thrust into the Game.

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((Flashback))

Caitlin pulled the door shut behind her as she entered Ean's room, smoothing her wool blue divided skirts. She eyed him warily. "Are you sure that you wish to do this? I have told you… they are becoming suspicious… I believe they have been listening into our conversations." She urged.

Ean smiled, looking up from the book on his desk. "They would not do that. They are my family! They believe what I have told them. You are my sister, who visits me to help me study and encourage me as I train to become a priest." He stood, his black cassock covering his feet. "Besides, my duties to God come before most else."

Caitlin sighed, moving a strand of hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't be too sure…" she stared, before Ean's door flew open.

Ean slammed his hands on the desk. "What is the meaning of this!" Ean shouted outraged as one of his fellow priests in training, a Brother, lowered his foot, grinning. He flew into the room, and grabbed one of the books on Ean's bed.

"Here is all the proof that you will require, Archbishop." Brother Eric said in his nasally voice.

Ean's eyes widened in horror. The Archbishop was standing outside his room, dressed in his ceremonious white cassocks, heavy gold embroidery running up and down it, a large three barred cross hanging on a thick chain around his neck.

Ean looked at the book that was now in the Archbishop's hands, his worst fear realized. It was one of the books that Caitlin had brought, and it explained about the Immortals, and their powers.

Ean sunk into his chair, his eyes downcast. Caitlin was in likewise horror. She looked at Ean, before moving for the small window in the back of the room.

The Archbishop looked up from the book, and seeing the woman run for the window, yelled, "Stop her!" Eric grinned, a knife appearing in his hands as he ran at Caitlin. "Not like that!" Procyk yelled.

The knife stayed in the Brother's hand as he raced towards Caitlin, murder on his mind.

Ean's chair flew back as Caitlin hit the window opened. Ean stood, fire in his eyes, as he stepped in front of Eric's path. "You. Will. Not. Touch. Her." He said simply.

The Brother snarled. "Get out of my way, blasphemer!" Eric snarled, jamming the knife into Ean's stomach. Ean's eyes widened as his body bent forward. He coughed, blood flowing from his mouth.

"No!" both sides of the room seemed to shout. Ean could not tell which was up or down, let alone who had yelled. All he knew was he was dieing… He guessed he'd find out if Caitlin was telling the truth or not. He just hoped she had made it out. He laughed, causing more blood to emerge from his mouth.I guess I have fallen in love…he thought, as his vision faded into darkness.

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To Ean's surprise, he could feel his body. He would have rather been dead. He raised a hand to his eyes, and rubbed.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to take in his surroundings, and gasped. He was laid out in a wooden coffin, the lid of which was propped. He turned his head, and saw the Archbishop looking down at him.

He should have been dead. That was all there was too it. He had been stabbed in a vital place in his stomach, and he should have died. Why hadn't he? Unless… The little doubt he had about Caitlin's story faded away from him.

"So… it is true." The voice of the Archbishop startled Ean. "You are not dead." Ean looked up at the Archbishop, fearing the very worst "Many think that you have been possessed by Satan, you Ean Farrell…"

Ean sat up and touched his cassock's collar, surprised that it was white, but ignoring the fact. Finding his cross, he held it up. "I am not…" he started, but the Archbishop interrupted him.

"I… on the other hand… I believe that God is not yet done with you…. You have not enacted the role that He has set up for you to enact…" Procyk smiled, touching Ean's shoulder. "I believe you and your… sister… to have roles to play as of yet… that no one, not even yourself, understands."

Ean sat in the coffin, stunned. He opened his mouth to speak, but found that once more, he could not.

Procyk just smiled. "I see you have lost your voice once more…" He stood, his old face still smiling, a small hat covering his gray hair. "It is not safe for you to be in this Cathedral any longer… no matter how much it saddens me. Far too many believe the worst. If they find you alive…" He shook his head. "They are fools. I am shipping you and your coffin outside of the city for burial. You must go somewhere away from the city… They will be at your funeral, so you must escape before then… You will leave in an hour… You have been out for two days, so I have brought food." He motioned to a tray sitting on a chair besides the one he had been sitting in.

Ean couldn't believe it. The Archbishop… was helping him? Even after saving him, he figured that after what had happened… Tears had begun to well up in him, as he bowed his head to show Procyk his thanks.

"I remember you coming to the church… I tried to be like a father to you Ean Michael… I'm sorry for not being around. May God be with you to watch you, and to protect you." Procyk hugged Ean, tears leaking from his own eyes, before leaving the small room.

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((End Flashback))

The cell phone rang next to Ean as he pulled next to his shop. He quickly grabbed it, and flipped the cover open.

A familiar voice greeted him. "Ean? This is Kudo. You there?" Jimmy Kudo said in an accent that was just like Ean's; accept his voice was slightly deeper.

Ean smiled ear to ear. "Yeah, its Farrell. Its good to hear from you, my friend."

"Ean, I don't have long. There's been a Buzz since I got here… But, are you sure you want out of the Game?"

Ean's smile turned grim. "Jim, I am so tired of this… I just want out of this Game… Nothing in this world would make me happier."

Jim chuckled. "I can think of one thing…." He paused, his voice turning serious. "Not a thing… a woman, actually."

Ean sighed, leaning back against his seat. "Please don't go there Jim… Caitlin is dead… just… don't talk about her."

Well, it's a week late. There were many circumstances that I couldn't control… anyways, I'll update a rant later. Too tired, and I'm not even supposed to be on right now. Ee.