Chapter 2: Why? How?
Review Time-Tasha (and Halloween), Cooga, Tarras, and Xing are sent off to locate, and observe circus performers who have the same exact faces as the WH members, orders from White Class-Vihyungrang. They team up with Ryuhwan when they get to the sight. As they observe the performers, a shadow figure appeared out of nowhere a kissed Cooga.
*Note: This is where the twists and turns begin…Enjoy. Again, I don't own anything, just this Fanfic.
After what happened at the city's square and with Cooga in shellshock. The WH members retreated to a near by inn, where, fortunately, there was a single room available. Cooga slumped down onto the single bed and his head hung low, trying to collect himself and regain a proper footing.
"Who was he? Why did he…?" Cooga placed a single finger onto his lip, as if he can still feel the other's lip on his. He still could not find an answer, and stayed silent, ignoring the rest of the group's conversation.
"Alright, what we have is not much", stated Xing, "All we know for sure is that the name of their 'performance' group is called the Circus of the Future and one of the imposters has a thing for Cooga, but we don't know who he is and why he is infatuated with him, and why they call themselves Circus of the Future."
"When that figure appeared from the ground and returned to the center of the ring, I only picked up a minute trace of a different source of magic, but the scans couldn't tell me what it was." Tarras chimed in.
The conversation stalled. No one was able to piece together the facts that they already know.
"Ah~ this is getting us no where" Halloween said, breaking the stall, "Let's go back and keep observing. With the limited facts that we have now, we should be back on the field and observing. That's our mission isn't?"
All heads turned to her, as if everyone was head-slapped at that moment.
"She's right, we should get going. Cooga, you done with your shellshock yet?" Tasha asked, getting up and ready to go.
Cooga finally lifted his head up and gave a slight nod, not a complaint came out of his mouth.
"Alright then, lets move" Ryuhwan said.
The group checked out of the inn and headed back to the square. As they walked up the path towards the circus act, the audience grew thicker than when they first arrived. Large explosions could be seen all the way back of the crowd, accompanied by the sounds of clashing swords and high pitched screeches from the audience. By the time the team was able to get to the inner ring, a man wearing a black suit, a silver mask that only covered his eyes and long white hair, with a caped assistant stood at the center of the ring, the rest of the circus members had disappeared.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," the host's voice boomed, "it seems like we have an eager guest from the audience that wants to join the act. Lets give her a hand!"
The crowd cheered, not realizing that the girl that "joined the act" was actually attacking the performers; a witch. She whispered a spell on the daggers that were placed at her hilt and sent them flying after the host and his assistant. But with cat-like agility and poise, the two were able to avoid the attacks effortlessly.
"Whoa~ there little lady, we haven't told you what you are supposed to do yet" the host joshed her, and returned his attention back to his audience. "Ladies and Gentlemen, our guest here is going to help us with our grand finale."
On cue, the host's caped assistant rolled over a small dresser, a rope, a large chain and a rack of swords out of nowhere, and place them behind him. He then continued.
"For our final trick for today, this young lady here will step into this dresser, cuffed with this silk rope and I will lock her in. Then my assistant Ai here will throw these sharpened swords into the dresser."
The crowd gasped and muttered amongst themselves, thinking that it was impossible.
"Do not fret, my friends. I will make sure that she comes out safe." The host added in, which gave the audience a sense of ease.
"Now then," he continued, "lets begin."
He quickly wrapped the witch with the rope, before she can retaliate, and pushed her into the dresser, wrapping it with the large, heavy chains, in order to prevent her escape.
Once everything was safely secured, he signaled Ai with a wave of a hand for her to begin.
Ai began her assault, throwing and shoving each sword into the dresser in every direction possible with all her might. Each time a sword went in a gasp or a scream would be heard from the audience. The act even shocked the WH members. When all the swords were in place, not a single sound came from the witch inside the dresser, the crowd held collective breathes, anticipating what will happen next. The host unchained the dresser and opened it up, revealing nothing in there, just the rope that once held the witch.
"Oh? Where did our guest go I wonder?" the host feigned innocence, "Oh wait, maybe…"
He pulled out a ball, the size of a fingernail, from his jacket and threw it to the ground making a smoke screen appear. After the smoke cleared out, the girl was standing there, but without her hat.
"What the? Her magic, I'm not picking up any energy source from her." Ryuhwan noted, his goggles continued to scan and re-scan the host, his assistant and the witch.
"There you are. I was a little worried about you" the host continued, "Folks, lets give her another round of applause."
The crowd cheered and applauded as the host and Ai bowed. The witch ran from the center of the ring, disappearing within the crowd.
As if the witch never existed, the host retook his place at the center.
"Thank you ladies and gentlemen, you all have been a wonderful audience. Thank you all for coming, and good day." He pulled out another ball from his jacket and threw it to the ground, disappearing within the smokescreen along with the dresser and chains.
The crowd slowly dispersed after the show was over, leaving the WH looking at a somewhat less crowded square.
"Alright, lets split up into pairs and go look for the performers." Tasha suggested, "And I think it would be best if someone stays with Cooga, just in case that shadow figure shows up again."
"I will," said Xing, "Tarras will have to work alone."
"Fine by me," Tarras answered, confidant that he didn't need any help.
Cooga didn't reject the offer and followed his partner.
The group spread out in different directions. Tasha and Halloween took to the North, Ryuhwan and his Halloween to the South, Xing and Cooga to the East and Tarras to the West.
Xing and Cooga searched the streets in the eastern division of the city for several hours after the group took their designated routes. After searching for a bit longer, there was no sign that their target was anywhere in sight.
"Lets call the others and tell them to report their findings," Xing suggested.
When no response was heard, he turned to Cooga, only to find him deep in thought.
"Hey are you listening?" Xing poked Cooga's forehead to get his attention.
"What was that?" was Cooga's only response.
"Are you still hung up on that kiss from earlier today?" Xing questioned.
"Not particularly." Cooga said, trying to feign nonchalance
"Well, lets rendezvous with the others and call it a day," Xing replied, not pushing for anymore answers
"Yeah, sure." Cooga replied back.
Just as they were about to pull out their cell phones and call the other members to report, two figures walked out of a nearby alley way and stood in front of them. One wearing the hood and the other uncloaked, showing Xing's face.
"I see you are doing well, brother" one of the figures stated.
Xing turned and froze at the sight of the man with his face, but the man was no imposter.
"Xing? Is that you?" Xing (now Yue) asked.
"Huh, what are you talking about?" Cooga raised an eyebrow to his partner and then turned to the see the dark figure that kissed him earlier that day, standing in front of him.
"You!" Cooga exclaimed
"Xing how is it that you are alive. Lee, he, stabbed into you, and-" Xing, more confused than ever in his life, couldn't get the right words out of his mouth.
"Its nice to see to you, Yue", Xing replied with a slightly sarcastic voice, "Yes, you are correct. Lee did stabbed into me, but he couldn't get himself to completely finish me off back then."
The real Xing then lifted his cape and the shirt he wore underneath to reveal the starburst shape wound on his chest.
Speechless, Yue couldn't believe what he was seeing and Cooga was too confused on why this shadow figure kissed him earlier.
Yue and Cooga could only ask one thing,
Cooga: "Why?"
Yue: "How?"
***Sorry, I forgot to mention this at the very beginning, if you are following the Manhwa, then you should know that the real Xing died at the end of Chapter 72, so this AU is taking place after that.
I apologize for any confusion that I may have caused at the end
Reviews and comments are welcome. (Please be honest, truthful and somewhat blunt. I want to know how to improve my writing.)