Chapter 3!
I really like writing this story. It is fun.
I forgot this before hand(I'm horrible at remembering it), but
I DON'T OWN KARNEVAL! I'm kind of glad I don't because Karneval is pretty cool how it is.
Anyway, please enjoy!
Gareki stared up at Karoku's look a like in horror. The look a like nodded his had as if Gareki had just made a good point in an argument.
"I understand it might be hard for you think of me as 'Karoku.' I'm technically not Karoku, but he is the reason I look like this. Call me Roku." Roku said, smiled a soft smile that didn't match his hard eyes or scarred face. Gareki wriggled a bit in discomfort.
"You aren't getting out there." Roku stroked Gareki's face. "I find it appropriate that you have this scar now. We are a pair you see." Roku held up a mirror. The mirror was angled so Gareki could only see the right side of his face and the left side of Roku's.
"Damn you!" Gareki finally spat out. He didn't look into the mirror. Roku clicked his tongue as he shock his head.
"Now, now, let's keep that attitude in check." Roku put down the mirror and began attaching probes to Gareki's forehead, neck, and bare arms. This reminded Gareki of the uncomfortable fabric on his shoulders. He was shocked when Roku ripped the sleeves off.
"You are so much like your mother." Roku commented. "In looks and preferences." Gareki was confused. He could only think of the portly, conservative woman who had sold him while he watched.
"I mean your birth mother. You see, the Circus may guess and wonder all about you, but I know everything. I know why you were born, how, and who your parents are." Roku slid some probes onto Gareki's chest. "You see, I'm a little older than I look. When I was severely ill, I had Karoku save me, he was a little unwilling, but he came with us. Then, fusing my destroyed cells with Karoku's and some Varuga cells, I was healed, but look at me. I have more of Karoku's cells him me than my own, so my looks have been compromised. I'll be using you to fix that, and a few others experiments as well." Roku chuckled. Gareki snarled.
"I would never help you!" He snapped. Gareki knew he was in a compromised position, but he had to keep this guy distracted, he had to wait for Circus!
"I feel you would have a family obligation to do so." Roku sighed sadly. Gareki paused in his struggling. Roku walked over to a lever like thing and rested his hand on the lever.
"What?" Gareki asked. Roku smiled.
"Gareki, your mother was my little sister; I'm your doting uncle." He pulled the lever and Gareki screamed as electricity ran through him.
Karoku ran through the halls of the ship until he made it to Hirato's room. He pounded on the door until Yogi and Nai caught up. Hirato opened the door.
"What is it?" Hirato asked.
"I just remembered something vital!" Karoku panted. Hirato escorted the three into his room. Akari and Tsukitachi were also in the room. It looked like they were trying to figure out how to find Gareki.
"What did you remember?" Akari asked. Karoku swallowed nervously.
"When I was taken from Nai, from Niji forest, there was a man with a horrible condition that had disfigured him. He demanded I use the same technology I used on Nai to heal him. I refused and was taken by force. The man himself was a genius. He found a way to half-way replicate the technique I had perfected from my parents. His method involved welding healthy cells with varuga cells onto one's own cells. So, in a sense, two-thirds of an original cell got replaced. This method is what injured me so much back when you guys saved me. Getting the cells needed is long and painful. This method had a side affect as well. If two thirds of your cells are replaced, you change dramatically. The man became almost my clone in appearance." Karoku explained. Nai's eyes lit up as he remembered the evil feeling Karoku from the garden.
"Why would he want Gareki?" Tsukitachi asked. Karokue sighed and walked to the computer. After a few clicks, screens that none of the Circus members recognized popped up.
"I remembered some of the things my parents used to say. I found that I knew enough to hack into some old Kafka files. While we can't guarantee without a DNA sample, I believe Hirato's theory is accurate. Gareki's mother was able to contact Kafka at the time because of her own connections to the organizations. I appears one of the head managers of that lab was her older brother. If Gareki is related to this man, and this man is the same who kidnapped me, I believe that he will use Gareki to restore his own appearance somewhat, and this method isn't as perfected as mine. It is temporary. Cells reclaim themselves. Since not all the cells were welded, they will eventually absorb the foreign parts of cells." Karoku said, turning back to the group.
"What?" Yogi asked, scratching his head. Nai looked confused too. Akari was the only one who appeared to grasp all that Karoku had just said.
"He means we need to et Gareki soon because otherwise Gareki will be used by the person who kidnapped him to create a stronger body, and in more simple terms, this man is planning to use Gareki as fuel."
"Fuel?" Nai asked. Akari opened his mouth to explain but Yogi, who understood the metaphor, quickly intervened.
"Let's get a part out to look for him!"
"The information we got a Smokey Mansion…" Tsukitachi offered. Hirato thought hard for a minute.
"A lab big and advanced enough to follow this procedure. That is the first thing we need to look for. Smokey Mansion will be under watch, but to do something there twice… I highly doubt it." Hirato said finally.
"Yanari might help." Nai offered. Everyone turned to the teary-eyed boy.
"How?" Yogi asked.
"He said that a girl that often talked about Karoku was happy that she was going to her summer house." Nai said, looking away shyly. The Circus members went into action.
"Karoku, the girl, Elyska, she might have spread word about our move to the summer house. Prepare to pack up quickly." Uro's voice over the intercom announced to the deep cellar.
"Thank you Uro. Please hide yourself again, it would be inconvenient if you were caught and tried." Roku replied, washing his hands. Red water ran down the sink. Roku turned around and looked at the surgery table.
Gareki's pale face glimmered with sweat. Roku had just finished scraping cells off of Gareki's heart. He finally had enough to finish his operation. All the cells were safely in a fridge for storage and transportation. Gareki's chest had just been stitched closed and was still bare under the bright light.
Roku walked to a cabinet and grabbed a chemical. He filled a syringe and administered a dosage into Gareki's heart. Gareki jerked awake and immediately gasped and contorted his face in pain.
"How are you Gareki? The worst is over. For you. I have to go through the process of getting these heart cells onto my heart." Gareki groaned and his head lolled.
"Don't worry! I didn't so many cells that you'll ever be as hurt as Karoku had been. I wasn't quiet sure how much I needed then. And, you're my kin. I shouldn't need as many. Gareki didn't respond.
Roku walked around the room, pressing certain buttons.
"I must leave. I had hoped to keep you. In case I needed more cells, but it appears Circus is on my tail. My pretty little angel has quiet a loud mouth. Soon, I won't need to trouble such an innocent face.
"Why…me?" Gareki croaked, his voice weak and rough, like he had been screaming for hours, which he had prior to being put under.
"I'll admit, I have a thing for blondes. Karuko's mother… I had originally wanted to create a child like you with her. She was so beautiful. But, she was loyal to her husband. The best I could do was my foolish, desperate sister and that second rate scientist Arumerita! Anyway, Karoku and Elyska are distant cousin, and Alyska is fortunate to have a similar appearance to Nie."
"You, perv…" Gareki couldn't say anymore as pain exploded from his temple. Roku had hit him with some metal tool or another. Gareki groan as he drifted just on the edge of consciousness.
"Gareki, I'm sorry about this. But Circus is bound to be here soon, and I think I deserve some fun." Roku grabbed another syringe; this one had dark black goo in it. He injected the liquid into Garkei's vein on his arm. "In a couple of hours, you will start reacting with the inkuyaru, or condensed varuga cells. It appears your heavy exposure to varuga essence as an infant has made you particularly resistant to it, and your body reacts violently when you ingest it, similar to an allergy. I'll be observing your reactions from afar. If you survive, find me. I'd love to meet my varuga nephew, who will be undoutably loyal and obedient." Roku laughed quietly as he turned off the light and opened the door to leave. He stopped as the room began to shake. "They're here. Too late." Roku disappeared and Gareki groaned alone in the darkness.
The circus members fought off the servants that became beastly varugas. A dark cloud appeared and the two ships struggled with it, seeing the ship fly away, but unable to pursue.
"Someone just left!" Yogi shouted.
"I have just one heat signature from the ship." Akari reported over the comm. units.
"Gareki must still be here!" Tsukumo reasoned. The two ships fought harder and soon the varugas out side were vanquished. The Circus troupes raced through the house. A couple more varugas jumped out, but the furious Circus members were ferocious.
"That way!" Nai shouted from his position on Yogi's back. Yogi turned down a hall and followed Nai's finger. They came to a dead end.
"Nai?" Yogi questioned. Nai jumped down and cupped his hands around his ears. He twisted and turned listening.
"This is a dead end!" Kiichi complained. She was shushed by Jiki. Nai's noise twitched.
"No, Gareki, no!" Nai's eyes snapped open and he ran straight into a wall. Thw wall was solid, so Nai bounced off. Before he could react, Yogi destroyed the wall with Tsukumo as they both kicked down as hard as they could. The wall crumbled and the side of a staircase came into view.
"The door down must have been a floor up." Jiki commentated. Yogi grabbed Nai and jumped down, followed by Tsukumo and the rest.
The group came across a door. It was locked. Nai scrunched his eyebrows.
"It's making a funny noise." Nai muttered. Yogi and Tsukumo didn't hesitate. They both attacked the door. As the door disappeared, a loud explosion filled the room they were trying to get into.
"GarekI!" everyone shouted. Nai dived into the smoke first. Kiichi used a swing of her scythe to clear the smoke. Nai was kneeling by an upturned metal table. The table was smoking and dented horribly. As the group walked in slowly, hundreds of small animal varugas raced past the Circus troupe. Nai stayed kneeling by something just behind the table. He was crying.
"Nai." Yogi swallowed hard and walked over. Nai bent over and lifted the top half of a body into his arms. Gareki's raven black hair was recognizable, and his skin was almost pure white. The bright red blood on his face was evident and a large puddle was seeping past the table.
"Nai. "Tsukumo raced over and put her fingers to Gareki's neck.
"He's alive!" She exclaimed. The Circus group was quick to react. In record time, they collected Gareki and everyone raced back to the med bay. Eva and Kiichi, along with Jiki stayed behind to clean up and collect evidence.
Everyone else raced to the ship, a trail of blood marked their route.
Sort of a cliffy. Please review!
Love, Burning Bright