This chapter may seem kind of pointless but I think it's important. Seeing the story from all angles and all that, you know?


The Files of Kazdan Kalinkas

Book One: Not By Choice

Chapter Seventeen: Interlude—Tom, Peyton, Sarah


UnderWorld Rule #17: Alliances are easily made and just as easily broken. So you can gather from this…that there is no such thing as trust.


Peyton pushed his breakfast around his plate without eating it, looking dejected. And it didn't go unnoticed. Peyton not eating was like Happy Days without "The Fonz".

"Peyton, you okay?" His mom asked as he shoved his half-eaten food away from him.

"Yeah." The boy said. Then, "No."

"Want to tell me what's wrong?"

Peyton struggled with himself. He didn't tell anyone about Chaotic being real; he had enough sense to keep his mouth shut about that; but how to explain why he felt like he did without revealing it?

He opted for vague, depressed details,

"One of my friends…he…he's in a lot of trouble and I don't know what to do." Peyton stared at the tabletop, not knowing what else to say. His mother patted his shoulder, encouraging him to continue, "See, another friend of mine told me that his friend had gone missing four months ago and that the police couldn't find any trace of him. But then a little while ago, we—my friend found out that his friend was in a lot of trouble but he couldn't do anything to help and neither can I…so…I guess I feel…a little useless…"

"You are never useless!" His mom said solidly, "You tell this friend to somehow let his friend know that he can't give up! Okay!" She forced a smile. Peyton returned one waveringly.

As soon as she'd turned her back, he let it drop.

He left his breakfast cooling on the table, snatched up his school bag, and walked out the door.

Adults…

They never understood how teenagers felt.


Peyton held out until lunch time.

He didn't so much as look in the direction of the pocket in his school bag where his Code Scanner was stored.

Until lunch.

He couldn't take it anymore.

He sat on the grass under the shade of a tall oak in the school courtyard, ignoring the shouts and laughter of his fellow classmates, and pulled out his Scanner. He stared at his reflection in the black screen from a second or two and then pressed the button. His Transport Code briefly lit the screen and then faded away.

He was going to Chaotic.


Tom and Sarah were already there, waiting for him.

"How long have you two been here?" He asked as he walked away from the Transport Center.

"A couple of hours." Sarah said with a dismissive shrug, "We weren't going without you."

"Awwwww, sweet!" Peyton joked and Sarah rolled her eyes. Tom sighed, a ghost of a smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

"Come on, let's go," The black haired boy said, gesturing with his hand, "Kaz is probably waiting for us too."

They set their Code Scanners to the Location inside the basement of H'earring's house, what Kaz had called his 'training room', and ported out…

…Reappearing after a slight sense of vertigo in a darkened, rock-walled room that smelled of sweat and heated stone. Tom looked up at the ceiling, hearing footsteps walking around up on the top floor, and headed for the stairs. As the trio reached the bottom step, the door at the top opened and a familiar figure appeared.

"Hey Kaz!" Sarah called and Kaz jumped, tripped over his own feet, and fell the rest of the way down to lay sprawled on his back on the floor. Peyton grinned and Sarah bit back a laugh. Tom still had his Code Scanner in his hand, chuckling, having just started recoding a video with it. They all leaned over their best friend, smiling down at him.

Kaz was looking up at them all with an expression that said he didn't quite understand what was going on. That quickly shifted into one of absolute horror. He jumped to his feet with surprising agility and started pushing them in no apparent direction, saying, "You can't be here!" in a voice flooded with panic.

"What!?" All three of them shouted at the same time; Peyton in shock, Tom in indigence, and Sarah in disgruntled wonder.

"Chaor! It's Chaor! You have to leave!" Kaz was frantic, his chocolate eyes blazing behind his shaggy redish bangs, "You have to—!"

He didn't see the orange skinned Creature named Cherri come up behind him quietly and touch his shoulder. Kaz spun around, grabbing Cherri's wrist and tensing as if to throw her. When he realized who it was, he quickly released her. Cherri pointed towards the ceiling, looking upset and frightened.

"Ka—?" Tom began but Kaz waved a hand at him and put a finger to his lips.

"Shhhhhh!" He turned away and tilted his head towards the ceiling, listening. None of the humans needed super hearing to hear the voice rumbling down from above.

"Where's Kaz!?"

"H-he's downstairs! In his room!"

The second voice was H'earring's but the first had been to low for Tom, Sarah, or Peyton to distinguish completely. But Kaz had obviously recognized the it because the white's showed around his eyes and he paled dramatically beneath the tan on his face. He looked around at Cherri.

"Cherri, go hide in my room, stay quiet, and don't come out no matter what!" Kaz whispered harshly. Cherri didn't move, "Go! Now!" She bolted and vanished into his bedroom. Kaz rounded on the trio behind him, radiating dread, just as Peyton pulled out his Code Scanner, ready to port if there was trouble. Tom was still holding his in his hand, aiming it at Kaz. Kaz grabbed Peyton's arm, stopping him from pressing the button, "No! Don't port! He'll hear it!"

Kaz looked past his friends, brown eyes darting from spot to spot in the room. Tom shared a glance with Sarah. Kaz in a panic was never good; he was very likely to faint. But it seemed Kaz managed to keep his wits about him because a light suddenly came on behind the alarm in his eyes and he started pushing Tom, Sarah, and Peyton towards a seemingly solid rock wall,

"In there!"

Sarah made a noise but the cold glare Kaz gave her stopped the words she'd been about to say. She'd never seen Kaz give anyone a look like that. The ferociousness of it was doubled by his gleaming armor.

He flicked his gaze away from her, reached out, and pushed some of the rock aside. Almost as easily as if it were a pile of leaves. And as the three of them ducked into the opening he'd created, they found that it was almost exactly that. There was a shallow opening in the stone where they could hide in shadow and covering the opening was a mass of twisting and curling vines. From the outside, they looked like part of the stone but from this side they were translucent and smoky.

Tom swallowed, looked at Sarah and Peyton, and aimed his Code Scanner to look out at the training room beyond. From their position, they could practically see the whole room. They watched as Kaz grabbed a heavy looking sword-like Battle Gear from the rack of weapons against one wall and spun it in his hand with amazing skill. It looked impossible, their scrawny friend Kaz handling a weapon like that. But there he was, spinning it in tight circle with practiced ease. It was like an extension of himself.

A door slammed open overhead and they all jumped. The rank stench of sulfur and burnt timber drifted down into the room.

The panicked expression on Kaz's face reappeared and then just as quickly faded into a mask of cold blankness that was chilling to see on a person as charismatic as he. Kaz lifted the sword to his head and Peyton's eyes got as big as the screen on his Code Scanner. Kaz set the blade against his cheek and Sarah made to move. Tom grabbed her arm and held her back, Code Scanner still in his hand. Kaz drew the sword across his skin in a quick flick and a red line appeared, blood dripping slowly down his face. He smeared it around with the back of his hand.

Someone was stomping down the stairs and through the tiny fore-room.

Kaz tensed and started moving about with the sword as through he was fighting enemies. It was a wondrous thing to watch. He moved from one form to the next with easy, fluid motions that had certainly come from the three months of brutal training. The look on his face made it eerie and beautiful; a cold, calculating, uncaring expression that showed no sense of emotion whatsoever. The three friends saw Kaz in the bloody light he'd been forced into and were shaken by it. This was not the same boy who had disappeared four months ago.

That's when Chaor burst into the room, all but glowing with fury.

He stormed up to Kaz and swept a hand out, knocking the sword from Kaz's grasp. It clattered to the floor and spun a distance away. Kaz moved backwards a bit and looked up at Chaor. Tom felt a lump in his throat that was making it hard to swallow but he was frozen. He couldn't move.

"Where are they, Kaz?" Chaor's angry voice was like distant thunder. The trio felt it vibrating in their chests.

"Who?" Kaz said with an air like he didn't have any idea what was going on.

Chaor lashed out so quickly none of them quite saw what happened. Kaz was fumbling backwards, wincing, and a red spot had bloomed on his cheek, smearing more blood. It looked as though Chaor had hit him.

"You know who!" The UnderWorlder roared and Peyton flinched at the volume of his voice. None of them had ever seen Chaor like this, "Where are those slimy friends of yours!? I know they're here! I know they are! WHERE ARE THEY!?"

Kaz straightened, not even moving to touch the injury on his face, and said in a voice cold enough to match his expression, "No one's here except for me, you, and H'earring." There was a touch of angry ice in the next words, "So piss off."

They'd never heard Kaz talk like that either.

"Lies! All lies! You think you're better than me, Kazzy!?" Chaor snarled, stomping towards Kaz again. Kaz stumbled backwards, displaying a terror in his body language that did not reveal itself on his face or his speech, "You think you can stand up to me!? Then fight me and prove it!"

"And risk my neck for your pleasure!? No thanks!" Kaz snapped, standing his ground suddenly. His fear had turned into anger. Three pairs of worried eyes stared out through the hazy vines at the scene playing out before them. Peyton looked like he was trying his best not to scream his lungs out at Chaor.

"They're not here?" There was cynicism in the UnderWorlder's voice as he loomed over Kaz in something similar to haughty disdain.

Kaz was visibly shaking and when he spoke, his words wavered, "No one's here you stupid jerkwad. You've kept me away from my friends…you're just trying to hurt me again!" Kaz's voice had gotten steadily louder and now he was screaming at the top of his voice, "You're teasing me, saying my friends are around, saying they're coming for me when they're not! I'm not stupid, Chaor! I know they're not here because I'm not worth them risking their Code!" Kaz's voice cracked and he screamed as loud as he could, "I HATE you!"

There was a heavy, dangerous silence between the two in the middle of the room. In the hidden alcove, Tom, Sarah, and Peyton all held their breath, terrified they might be found but desperate to help their friend.

Then Chaor said something in another language, one that none of the hidden humans understood. Kaz's eyes narrowed and his whole body seized up as though expecting an attack. But Chaor simply turned and walked away.

Kaz breathed out a sigh of relief, relaxing and unclenching his fists. It was over. Chaor was leaving. He hadn't found them. He hadn't hurt—.

There was a sickening sound and Peyton clamped a hand over his own mouth to stop himself from crying out. Sarah grabbed Tom's free hand without thinking, eyes wide with trauma. Tom's hand still supported the Code Scanner but it was quivering slightly. He couldn't tear his gaze away from what he saw.

Kaz, his best friend in the whole world, standing in the middle of the room with a sword through the middle of his chest.

Kaz coughed and blood sprayed out of his mouth. He was feebly pulling at the sword, trying to get it out of him, but it was lodged in deep enough that the tip was protruding out his back. I was a horrid sight and it made Tom sick to look at. But he couldn't move; his terror held him rooted to the spot, staring.

Chaor grabbed the hilt of the sword he'd just thrown across the room and moved it up and down. Kaz's scream became a stomach-turning gurgling wheeze as blood frothed out of his mouth, dripping down his chin in a crimson gush.

"I know you're lying to me, Kaz." Chaor said in a low, dangerous voice. Kaz looked as though he was trying to say something, mouth opening and closing in a fruitless effort to try and speak. Chaor leaned forward, "I know you've seen your friends and if I ever catch them in the UnderWorld…well, you know." Chaor shoved the sword deeper into Kaz and it split out the boy's back like a stiff, blood-stained silver wing.

Kaz's eyes widened, his mouth hanging open, red liquid everywhere. Peyton felt dizzy and nauseous, hand still over his mouth, shivering with fear. Beside him Sarah was swaying on her feet. He put an arm around her, stepping closer. The three of them huddled in their hideaway, watching, Tom's Code Scanner record the whole thing.

Sarah nearly screamed when Kaz's body wavered, turned transparent, and slid off the blood covered weapon in Chaor's hand to collect in a puddle of water on the floor. This was in the instant regeneration that he'd told them about. But seeing it happen…

The puddle rippled as though someone had thrown a pebble in it and a head rose out of it, made of the same, clear liquid that created the pool on the floor. The head was followed by shoulder with spiked shoulder guards and then the figure pulled their arms out of the puddle, reaching for dry land. Kaz—for they knew that's who it was now—hauled himself up, water cascading down his back to form his thighs, his calves, his feet. He struggled upright…

…Just in time for Chaor to punch him.

Kaz's cry of dismay sounded like it came from underwater and then it was cut off as his water-based body was splashed to the floor. Chaor glared down at the drops glistening on the stone as they began to pull back together again. This time, Kaz only got half-formed before the UnderWorlder kicked him and sent him splattering again.

Sarah hid her whimper by burying her face in Tom's shoulder. Peyton, one arm still around Sarah, put his other arm around Tom. Tom's eyes were glistening, tears running down his face, teeth gritted in anger, Code Scanner quivering in his hand. They were all in this, now.

He'd never forgive Chaor.

Ever.

Kaz tried to crawl away from Chaor as he regenerated again but Chaor stomped a foot down on top of him, sending water splashing across the floor in a single wave.

Again and again and again Chaor stopped Kaz's regeneration by smashing him into globules of shimmering liquid before the boy could recover completely.

Again and again and again the three friends felt their hearts wrench and their guts twist as their best friend cried out in agony. They were useless, unable to help. And it hurt.

Finally, Chaor stopped. Kaz was regenerating at an excruciatingly slow pace now. Chaor leaned down and said something in a voice that was too soft for the three of them to hear. Then he turned and left. The door slammed shut but none of them moved, holding onto one another as though it was a matter of life and death. Tom's fingers were gripping his Code Scanner so tightly that they'd turned white.

The door opened again and someone came barreling down the stairs. It was H'earring, looking frantic and upset.

"It's okay! He's gone! Chaor left!"

Tom, Peyton, and Sarah tore out of the opening and ran to Kaz who was on his knees, looking like living crystal the way his water-body rippled and refracted the light. Peyton reached out a comforting hand but Tom stopped him saying in a voice thick with emotions,

"No, don't touch him."

Kaz gasped as though he'd been under water for a bit too long and was finally coming back up for air. Then he slumped down, face hidden by his scraggly bangs. There were still dark red stains on the floor where his blood had been spilt. Tom tried not to look at them.

"Kaz?" Peyton's voice was careful and uncertain; strange coming from him.

"I…" Kaz's voice was broken and choked, quivering with feeling, "I…I didn't want you…to see…I didn't want you to see that. I didn't want you to see…wh-what he could d-do to me…!"

"Kaz, no one…" Tom paused as though trying to find out exactly what it was he wanted to say, expression distraught. His Code Scanner was dangling in his hand at his side, the recording light still blinking even though it was only getting a rock wall now, "I mean…we…I…"

"Dude…" Peyton whispered hoarsely, clearly upset.

"It's okay, Kaz. It's okay." Sarah knelt down and pulled Kaz into a hug. Kaz struggled a bit in her arms, whimpering that it wasn't alright and it was'n tokay but Sarah put a hand on his head and he froze, "Kaz," Her voice was soft and comforting. She was using tones neither Tom nor Peyton had heard before, "It's okay. We're here for you. It's okay to cry. Okay…?"

Kaz didn't move for a few seconds. Sarah looked up at Tom and he looked around at Peyton.

A gulping sob made them look back at Kaz.

He was shaking in her arms, huddled in her lap with his arms wrapped tightly around her middle and his face buried in her stomach. Raking sobs that almost came out in screams left him gasping and dirt smeared his face, mingling with his tears.

"Come on, we should move him out of here." Sarah gently pried Kaz's fingers apart and loosened his death grip on her shirt, "Peyton, help me will you?" Peyton silently conceded and he helped hoist Kaz up so the boy was propped up between himself and Sarah. Tom watched them vanish into Kaz's bedroom, feeling strangely empty. Peyton returned with Cherri at his heels.

"Sarah's going to stay in there with him until he falls asleep." Peyton said flatly. Tom nodded slowly in response.

"Maybe…you guys should come upstairs." H'earring said and beckoned them to follow. Cherri each gave them a gentle push in the back and the four of them—two Creatures and two humans—headed towards the upper levels, Kaz cries echoing in their ears.

Meanwhile, in Kaz's bedroom, Sarah was trying to calm her hysterical companion.

She didn't know what possessed her to act his way towards Kaz. It was a feeling of attraction or love or any of that, it was simply that he was a friend in need and she was there. She pulled the blanket that was bunched at the end of the bed in typical male fashion up and over so that it covered Kaz. He had his face buried in a pillow and was pretty much none the wiser. Sarah did what her mother used to do when she was little and didn't feel well.

She stroked Kaz stringy red hair, talked to him about fun times and nice things even if he couldn't hear her, and rubbed his back, sometimes feeling silly because this was her friend. But no one was around to see and Kaz didn't seem to care. In fact, it seemed to be helping him calm down.

He was hiccupping rather than crying now, tears drying quickly on his face. His eyes closed. Sarah, sitting next to him on the bed, waited until his breathing slowed and deepened before she slid quietly off the bed and headed for the door. She stopped, hand resting on the knob, and looked back over her shoulder at her sleeping friend. She chewed on her lip for a second and then whispered,

"'Night Kaz."

Then she slipped out the door and up the stairs.

Tom and Peyton were sitting around the fire in the main room of H'earring's upper floor. Cherri and H'earring could be heard mucking about in the kitchen. Sarah took a seat next to Tom by the fire. Why a Creature needed a fire in the UnderWorld was a mystery to her.

"How's Kazzer?" Peyton asked, poking a twig into the flames and watching the end darken. His usual boisterous attitude was slowly coming back but he was still in quite a bit of shock over what had happened.

"He's sleeping." Sarah answered, folding her hands in her lap. The back of her hand brushed the damp spot on her shirt where Kaz's tears had fallen. Anger and sorrow twisted her insides as she thought about what Chaor had done.

Tom was silent, staring into the fire. His expression was blank and his eyes didn't have their usual gleam of emotion. It was as though he died on the inside. He was sitting back against the wall with his knees drawn up to his chin and his arms wrapped around his ankles. He looked lost.

H'earring poked his head into the room and looked around at them all. Cherri leaned in too but he shooed her away. She made a face at him but backed off.

"You should leave." The little UnderWorlder said softly, "Chaor might send over a Battalion to make Kaz go on a mission and if you get caught in here—."

"We're staying." Everyone looked around at Tom but his gaze was still on the flickering red-orange flames in the pit, "We're staying and we're not leaving until Kaz wakes up."

And that was that.

Darkness fell quickly. They said very little, processing the events of the day in their own mind, silently for the most part. Kaz was still not awake by the time dusk fell but Tom stubbornly refused to move. Sarah and Peyton stayed behind; half out of concern for Kaz, and half out of the fear that if they left Tom alone he'd do something stupid like run after Chaor.

Sleep came upon them before they realized what had happened.


"Tom. Tom, get up." Tom made a half-hearted attempt to brush away whoever it was that was trying to wake him up from a rather fitful sleep, "Wake up!" Kaz's voice snapped in a playful whisper and Tom grunted as he was pushed over onto his back. He grumbled out a slur of insults under his breath as he got up and yawned loudly.

"What?" He ran a hand through his hair a couple of times and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. There was barely enough light to see Kaz crouching on the dark in front of him.

"You guys have to port out now, 'k?" Tom's eyes flashed brightly despite the gloom and Kaz scowled at the reaction, "Cut it out! You saw what Chaor did!" His voice trembled, even in the hoarse whisper he was using, "He'd do that to you too if he caught you here! So get out for now and come back tomorrow night." Tom opened his mouth to protest angrily but Kaz cut him off, "No Tom! Night! Understand me!? I might have a mission so I might be gone and there's no point in you guys hanging around with you liv—Codes in danger. Okay!?"

Peyton looked like he was pouting but nodded sullenly, Sarah uttered a quiet yes, and, after a brief pause, Tom agreed with a sharp jerk of his head.

Peyton's pout suddenly changed to an expression of realization and he grinned. He reached around behind him and pulled his bag forward, rummaging through it. There was a crackling of embers and a flurry of sparks as Cherri, whom none of the other had noticed was in the room, poked at the fire, trying to get it to restart.

"Here, dude, we couldn't get nachos but I'm sure you'll appreciate that!" Peyton handed Kaz a pile of goodies and smiled. Kaz's smile was shaky but it was there. He muttered a soft thanks.

Tom, suddenly overcome with emotion, threw his arms around his best friend and squeezed him as tightly as he could, "We'll come back for you, I swear it. And we'll get you out of her. I swear that too." He said in Kaz's ear and then sat back, tugging his Code Scanner reluctantly out of his pocket as he went, "I'll…Kaz, I'm gonna…go see your mom and dad."

Tom eyed Kaz's expression carefully, watching and waiting. Kaz flicked from blank surprise to hurt and then a wavering determination, "Okay. Just…" He clenched his fists, dull firelight gleaming off his armor in a lackluster red glow that made him see eerie and haunted, "I wish I could tell you to tell them that I love them. And that I miss them. A lot." Kaz's hand went to his face as though he was trying to keep himself awake, "But I can't…they'd just get mad at you…"

"They love you, Kazzudy." Peyton said unexpectedly but with a good dose of the energetic tones that made him who he was, "Parents always love their kids."

"Tomorrow night, we'll bring stuff for smores." Sarah said, tapping a fingernail on the screen of her Code Scanner with a light smile, "And we'll have a campfire." Her jade eyes caught the sight of the low burning cinders, "Inside."

Kaz chuckled and that lifted all their spirits.

"See ya' around, Kaz!" Peyton clapped his companion on the back.

"Bye Kaz." Sarah said with a smile.

"Good luck, buddy." Tom put in softly, a sad smile on his face.

Then they ported out.

The last thing they saw was Kaz's hurt and longing expression before they faded away.


There! That should keep you happy for a while! Heh ha…I'm good.

Though I do have to apologize for only having one chapter of Nice To Be Loved finished. I'm really, really sorry about that. I really am.

On the other hand, plenty of these chapters, eh? Yeah, yeah, plenty of angst. And heartfelt friendship! FRIENDSHIP! IT CAN SAVE THE UNIVERSE FROM DESTRUCTION!

Okay, not really. Well, maybe. But anyway…

I'm staying up too late and I'm getting weird. I'm going to bed before I start typing something really weird here.

G'night everybody! I'll see you…um…in the next chapter! Hoo-rah! XD