Chapter eight: First Hint of upcoming Sorrow (Normal POV)

"Why are you here, Nue?"

"I was worried because of your behaviour last evening."

Spitfire sat on the kitchen table, leaning back on his chair across from Nue who had a cup of tea standing in front of him. Hot steam raised from the green liquid in the cup.

A delicate smile grew on the red-haired man's face. His eyes narrowed a bit, focusing his friend intensely.

"You were worried? How cute, my dear friend."

Nue realised what he just had said and a small blush rose on his cheeks, he turned his view away and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Oh, shut up. You did sound like a . . . a – whatever, you didn't sound pretty good, so I decided to visit because I have no school today. That's all, 'kay."

"Sure."

The upcoming silence were broken by Nue's snort.

"Fine, think whatever you want, but I guess we've got other things to discuss . . ."

He took a deep breath and looked back at Spitfire to see if the Flame King had abandoned that damn smile from his face – He hadn't.

"Damn, Spit, just get rid of that freakin' smile – it's absolutely driving me crazy!"

The smile stayed.

Nue's gaze became annoyed.

"You know that it's getting on my nerves when you're acting like that and that's the reason why you're doing it, right?"

The smile grew bigger; the Thunder King rolled his eyes.

"Whatever . . . Am I right that your behaviour of yesterday has something to do with that Toast-Freak?"

The smile dissappeared within an instant.

"Come on, Nue, don't be rude . . . her name is Phoenix and she just haven't seen a toaster before – that's all."

A serious expression lit up in Spitfire's eyes which made the light-hearted tone of his voice seem to be played. Nue's face hardened.

Meanwhile Phoenix did inspect the balcony and the TV in the living-room so the two Kings were sure that she couldn't hear anything of their conversation. The door of the kitchen was closed too.

"Since when is she living with you."

"Yesterday afternoon."

"Really?"

"Something wrong with that?"

Spitfire's voice became rough and he almost glared at the surprised Thunder King, but than a knowing smile appeared on Nue's lips and his gaze also changed.

"So you already taking her as a part of your team?"

The Flame King had always been a bit overprotective everytime it came down to his teammates and the same way he did act now when it was about that girl he just met the day before.

"She has nothing to do with with Genesis, neither the Tropheaum or something else."

"You don't want her to, right?"

Now Spitfire had to defend himself against Nue's reproachful look.

"Come on, Spitfire, you don't really think you can keep her out of the world of ATs for long."

"Maybe, she isn't even interested in the whole AT-stuff."

The Thunder King grinned widely.

"Hope dies last, my friend."

"Shut up."

In the living-room Phoenix finally had discovered how to switch on the TV. Now she was sitting infront of it and zapped through the several channels until sje suddenly stopped because something caught her interest.

"The new long awaited model of ATs is fiinally released and can be found in every AT-shop. So, everybody who loves wall-riding, go and get the -"

Phoenix didn't listen to the voice of the young woman. She just observed the pictures of teenagers jumping through the air and moving on pretty fast over the rooftops of the highest builings.

"Only the sky as their limit-"

Light sadness entered the look of her eyes. "Sky . . .", she whispered while carefully touching the screen.

All of a sudden Phoenix remembered the weird shoes she had noticed when she hasd first entered the apartment. Her view flew towards the passage which lead to the hallway. So Spitfire did use these ATs. Hope raised in Phoenix' chest.

Was it possible that Spitfire maybe could bring her back to the sky where she had been flying such a long time ago before the men with the white jackets had been there and before they had captured her. Her throat became tight and she felt how her eyes started burning.

Please, please show me a way back to the sky . . . help me to get rid of these damn, heavy chains which are pinning my wings on the ground.

She knew tha she had decided not to bother Spitfire with any story of her past anymore, but maybe . . . maybe these ATs changed the situation.

Phoenix looked back at the TV, but now there was a woman on he screen who had red lips and weird blue colour above her eyes. (She doesn't know pretty much about make up yet. ^^) She didn't like that woman, she made a grimace and changed the channel.

I'll ask him, after that Nue-guy is gone.

"So, you don't have the intention of teaching her riding ATs?"

"Not really, I mean . . . she's still very young."

Nue raised an eyebrow and Spitfire sighed.

"'Kay, I got it, bad argument. Fine, I just decided that I'll teach her how to use ATs if she tells that she wants to learn it."

"Do whatever you want to, but I want to remind you of your duties as a king, kay. Don't get into that stuff too much."

"Getting into WHAT too much?"

"You know, that helping-stuff. Yeah, she's an orphan and she is homele- sorry, she was homeless till yesterday and I hardly believe that you can keep her out of the AT-world for long, but by taking her into this world, you are also making her a target for your enemies-"

"Oh, shut up, Nue, you know that you are talking bullshit, do you?"

"I'm not talking bullshit, I just wanna remind you of the fact that the japanese world of ATs on the side of one of the eight kings isn't a playground for little kids."

"And you're the one to talk-"

"My case is different because I haven't been the favorite-student of a king."

Spitfire went silent, but ept staring at the Thunder King. He was angry, he was angry at himself because he had to admit that Nue wasn't talking bullshit at all, but still . . . still . . .

"Okay, I'll think that through . . . but I won't toss her back into the streets. Got that?"

Nue raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "Sure."

"But could you do me a favour?"

"Maybe . . ."

The Thunder King had been about to stand up, but then suddenly stopped moving and looked at the Flame King in surprise.

"Could you research something for me?"

"I guess that'll be possible."

"I'd like to know a bit more about a house or organisation called 'Sleepy Hollow'."

"Sleepy Hollow? That's a movie . . ."

Spitfire shook his head.

"No, Nue, it's much more than a movie . . . could please do a research on that name?"

Th Thunder King hesitated a little moment before answering.

"'Kay, I'll see what I can get to know about it; but wait you've mentined it yesterday evening, too, does it have something to do with that . . . girl?"

The red-haired man's look became dark again and he didn't answer. Nue shrugged and finally stood up completely. He turned around and left the kitchen, followed by Spitfire.

Phoenix raised her view when the two men left the kitchen and entered the living-room.

"You are going?", she asked Nue who just nodded and then walked on towards the door. Spitfire stayed in the living-room with a serious expression on his face leaned against the wall.

When Nue almost had reached the door, Phoenix suddenly jumped on her feet and followed the Thunder King. She grabbed his dark-blue sweatshirt and looked up at Nue a that look in her eyes which doesn't seem to fit her childish appearance at all.

"What's up?"

Phoenix answered with a calm, serious voice; more like the one of a teacher than a little, young, homeless girl.

"Liking toast very much doesn't make someone automatically a freak, you know?"