Author's Note: Hi everyone! Welcome to the new chapter which is definitely long. As always, thanks for reviews, follows, and favorites. They are always much appreciated.
Just a few things to cut down on confusion. Italics typically indicate thoughts. The Italics inside the brackets are a flashback. The symbol between pauses indicate the passage of a few minutes to several hours. Taken in context I do hope all of this makes sense.
If you don't know who Don Quixote is, please look it up to put the full comic value on that reference. Also as an aside, I wrote this chapter before watching episode sixteen of the anime which after the obscure Don Quixote remark made Arthur's scenes in the episode so much funnier.
So here we go. Please enjoy.
Phoenix sat in the office by herself sorting through the day's paperwork. She had gotten up early, worked out by herself, and came to the office to begin working without eating breakfast. Last night's sleep, or more appropriately, lack of sleep, was worse than usual.
Anxiety and nervousness had plagued her since Captain Obi informed her she would be going to the Captain's conference. There would be people in attendance she did not want to see. Several Captains she did not want to see as a matter of fact.
Waking up early, pretty much having the Fire Cathedral to herself, had given her a sense of tranquility she sorely needed. The quiet soothed her jangled nerves. She took solace in the predictability and dullness of routine. But her time of peace and quiet was about to come to an end.
"AHHHH! DAMMIT!" Captain Obi roared in anger.
"Oh, no, not again," she murmured, already rising from her chair.
"Phoenix, come here!" he bellowed.
Judging by the distance and echo of his voice, she guessed him to be in the men's locker room. As she exited the office, Arthur appeared in front of her from where he had been standing by the door. Had he actually been standing guard or something?
"My Queen!" Arthur exclaimed, immediately dropping to one knee with his head bowed.
"Are you going to do that every time?" she inquired.
So far, he did. Every time he spoke to her directly he either bent down on one knee or bent deeply at the waist. He seemed to prefer the bended knee royal bow which never ceased to embarrass her.
"It is my duty as a knight show you the utmost respect, your Highness," he told her - just like he had every other time he trapped her in this awkward situation.
"Sir Knight, please rise," she patiently bid him.
"There is something I would like to ask of you, My Queen," he began as he rose to his feet.
"Duchess! Where are you?!" Captain Obi hollered, cranky as hell.
"Later, Arthur," she said, side stepping him. "I gotta go!"
"I'll be waiting right here!" he called after her.
"Yeah, I'm afraid of that," she muttered as she literally ran away.
Phoenix ran to get to the locker room on the second floor before Obi could yell again. She rounded the corner and slid on the tiles in her stocking feet narrowly missing hitting her knees on the bench before bringing herself to a halt. He stood in front of his locker which had been vandalized quite a few times in just the last two days. Peering into the locker, she saw the decapitated head of a gorilla and screamed.
"This shit needs to stop," Obi grumbled, grabbing the frighteningly lifelike gorilla mask hanging on the hooks.
"Are you sure she did it?," she asked despite being one hundred percent positive this was yet another one of Hibana's tricks.
He snatched off the note attached to the bottom of the mask and handed it to her.
"Recognize the handwriting? You should. We've seen a lot of it lately."
GIVE SHINRA A RAISE, YOU BIG GORILLA! The note demanded in frilly handcrafted letters scrawled across a torn sheet of yellow legal pad paper. Yes, she knew this large, ostentatious curly handwriting well.
Princess Hibana had certainly stepped up her harassment game from merely hiding notes in Obi's desk for him to find at random to violating the sanctity of the man's locker with nasty surprises. The Princess was going through great lengths to torture Captain Obi in order to make him give Shinra what she believed he deserved. She presented such demands as give Shinra a raise, give Shinra his own office, give Shinra his own bedroom, she planned to annoy Obi into giving Shinra whatever she wanted.
"Talk to that woman before I kill her," he growled slamming the locker so hard she feared it might never open again due to being irreparably bent.
"Yes, Sir," she agreed, although she would rather not talk her for any reason.
She had actually become quite adept at avoiding her former captain.
"Captain Obi, about the Captain's conference - "
"You're going," he cut her off. He turned to face her with his big hands planted on his narrow hips. "I've already told you once, you're going to face your past at some point. What are you so afraid of? According to you, Burns doesn't even know you're his daughter so what's the big deal?"
"I'm more afraid of the emotional implications for myself, Sir. I know I'm his daughter. But I'll suck it up and deal, Captain," she sighed, absolute defeat making her shoulders sag.
"That's my girl. Don't forget we leave first thing tomorrow morning."
"How could I forget? You won't let me."
"I'm off to work out. Want to come?" he asked.
"No, Sir. I have to prepare for tomorrow," she replied, turning around and walking away from him.
Not only did she need to confront her past, Phoenix would have to confront her present as well. Captain Hibana was another one of the Captains she wanted to avoid by not going to the conference.
Despite adamantly denying her crush on Shinra, the Princess could not be more infatuated with him. Hibana had never shown a sincere interest in a man. Why now? And why Shinra?
How would the greedy Captain react if she found out about Shinra's relationship with Phoenix? The possibilities made her shudder. Princess Hibana was not a woman who tolerated being told no - especially by a man. She also enjoyed crushing her competition under her spiky stiletto heels.
On her way down the hall, Phoenix was passed by a virtually naked Tamaki, panicked and crying, dressed only in a pink frilly apron. Freezing in her tracks, she glanced behind her to see the girl's bare white backside before she disappeared into her room.
Deja view - it seemed like she had seen this somewhere before. Just last night, Tamaki had committed the same fashion faux pas when preparing dinner. She shook her head and continued down the hall to the stairs. At the foot of the staircase, she met Maki.
"Hi, Phoenix. Have you seen Tamaki?" she asked.
"She ran into her bedroom. Cooking adventures again? Did she forget to leave her clothes on this time too?"
"I'm afraid so. We were going to make breakfast, but, well, I guess that idea is out of the window now. Would you like to go try the bakery? Have a girl's morning out?" Maki suggested.
"Sure. Sounds great to me," she replied. An escape from the ongoing lunacy here would be a welcome break.
"Great! Let me get her calmed down and dressed so we can go."
Phoenix stepped off the bottom stair onto the first floor where Hinawa met her with a clipboard in his hand.
"Phoenix, where's the Captain?" Hinawa asked her, his pen hovering over the paper.
I really am his keeper. She sighed grasping at the shreds of her patience.
"On the roof. Time for a work out," she answered succinctly preparing to make her way back to the office.
"What was all of the yelling about earlier?" he inquired as she passed him.
"Captain Hibana left a surprise in his locker for him," she replied without turning around.
"Another one? This really needs to stop. Can't you talk to her?" he requested.
Since when am I that woman's handler!, she wanted to yell at him. Instead she clenched her teeth to hold in the words and continued on to the office.
"Phoenix?" Iris called to her as she passed by the open door leading to the garden.
"Good morning, Sister," she greeted her with a bow.
"Good morning," she returned with a smile on her lips and in her kind blue eyes. "Did you see Maki?"
"I did. She was following Tamaki to her room."
"Oh, I wonder if we're still going to the bakery. Did she say anything to you?"
"As a matter of fact, she said as soon as she gets Tamaki ready, we will go," Phoenix said.
"Great! Sounds fun."
"It does, doesn't it? I can't wait."
"Well, see you soon. I've got to go get ready," Iris announced with a wave before scurrying away.
"Ugh...what a morning," Phoenix mumbled to herself as she practically ran to the office before she met anyone else in the hallway.
Unfortunately, true to his word, Arthur waited for her beside the door of the office. He practically bent in half at the waist.
"My Queen!" he hailed her loudly.
"Holy fu-" Phoenix stopped herself before she used language not befitting of royalty.
"Would you permit me to be your knight? I will take up arms in your name. Carry your banner as my liege. I will be your sword, your protector," he offered in an extremely formal and chivalrous manner. "I will be your humble and loyal servant."
Oh, I'd rather you didn't, she thought to herself as he lowered himself down to one knee. Dammit, stop that.
"My good and noble knight," she began deciding to play along with him in his fantasy so he might understand. "I fear I have already chosen a knight. Not only does he carry my banner, but he holds my heart. He is my one and only knight, most dearest and true. I apologize and beg your forgiveness gentle knight that I have chosen another," she proclaimed in a lilting voice. Then she added in a stern voice, "Now, please, stop this silliness."
"My lady, you are still my Queen no matter who your knight might be. I chose you and even you cannot sway my mind," he returned, taking her hand to bring it to his lips and press a kiss to the back. "I sworn to myself to serve you and you alone. I shall protect you and pledge my undying loyalty to your Majesty irregardless."
"That's not a proper word," she muttered. "It's just regardless."
A gentle pulsing began in her back. Her heart beat quickened. Then his fingertips touched her back giving her definitive proof of his presence behind her before he spoke.
"What's going on here?" Shinra questioned Phoenix.
"Don Quixote is at it again," she muttered, hooking her thumb at Arthur.
"Don Quixote was a fool living in a fantasy world. He was no knight," Arthur countered, his tone indignant.
"Uhm, yeah, I think that's her point," Shinra countered.
"I assume this is your champion of choice?" he inquired, his voice thick with annoyance as he cast a glimpse at Phoenix for confirmation.
"You assume right, Knight King," she answered using the name Arthur often referred to himself by.
"Are you sure that you have chosen a worthy knight? If you were worried I would not ask to be in your service, you are free to change your mind."
"All right, you royal pain, that's enough," Shinra muttered as a warning.
"What are you going to do about it, you createn?"
"It's pronounced cretin, you moron," Shinra corrected him.
"Who are you calling a moron, you idiot?!" Arthur retorted, raising a fist.
"Why you - " Shinra rushed forward, one fist held in front of his chest ready to block or hit and a fist held back and raised high ready to deliver a good old fashioned haymaker punch to Arthur's almost pretty face.
Phoenix wanted no part of this encounter. She immediately extricated herself from the situation before she got caught in the crossfire. She was not going to stop it either. If those two wanted to fight, let them. They could duke it out and get over it - like men do.
"Oh, there you are!" Maki exclaimed at the end of the hallway. "We were just looking for you. Let's go!"
Thank goodness for small blessings. Whatever higher power had intervened and seen fit to rescue her, she was grateful.
Tamaki and Maki walked ahead of herself and Iris. The two romantics at heart chattered enthusiastically about romance novels and movies. She and Iris said nothing. Phoenix found the quietness of the nun pleasant and comforting. For the first time since receiving her orders to attend to the Captain's conference, she felt like she could breathe.
"Phoenix, are you all right?" Iris asked when the other two got way ahead.
"I'm fine. Why?" she rejoined hoping she did not sound defensive.
"You've just been really quiet, not yourself. I was wondering if something was wrong."
"Not really. I just have a lot on my mind."
Phoenix sighed. She wouldn't necessarily call it something wrong. Just wrestling with demons she would rather not face. One Captain should be a non issue considering he did not even know he was her father. But that fact bothered her. Her worst problem was, way down deep, she actually wanted him to know. However, the fear of the rejection that would most likely come from the unwanted revelation prevented her from speaking to him.
She had a former Captain to confront because Hibana was harassing her present Captain. Not that Akitaru Obi could not handle the Princess himself. He just seemed to think she had some kind of personal connection, a special bond with the woman that would make Hibana listen to her. Maybe she did. But if the Princess found out about her and Shinra...well, her guess was as good as anyone's what the jealous woman might do.
Then there was the matter of her twice former Captain Benimaru Shinmon. Not only was he her Captain before Hibana, he also became her ex-boyfriend. He never said a word to her the day she left. As a matter of fact, he had not even bothered to show up to see her off. He had been at a bar getting drunk with Kantaro.
When she had first told him about Hibana's offer, he simply said, "Do what you want. I don't care." He had made it easy to leave even in the end which only confirmed that she had made the right decision. If he cared no more for her than that, she was right to go.
"We're here!" Maki announced.
Phoenix saw that they stopped in front of the little bakery with a red and white awning and flowers boxes full of deep red geraniums under the multi-pane wooden framed windows. This was one of the places she and Shinra had been interested in going to eat and spend time together but it had been closed at that time.
Maki opened the door and the most heavenly scents drifted out. Fresh baked bread, coffee, and the sugary aroma of pastries, cookies, and cakes. All of the girls filed inside to stand in front of the glass display cases to choose their treat. There were also more glass cases along the walls behind the counter containing doughnuts, whole pies and cakes, and whole pieces of fresh fruit.
In addition to baked goods there was also a case dedicated entirely to fancy little chocolates. Some bore exotic flavors such as chili or lavender. Others were decorated extravagantly with bits of gold or silver leaf or intricate designs piped on by hand.
"Wow," Phoenix marveled, staring into the case of beautifully decorated treats and happy about the fabulous distraction from her never ending thoughts. "This place is amazing, Maki. But there's so much to choose from. What would you suggest?"
"The eclairs are to die for. The lemon curd filled doughnuts are delicious if you're looking for a tart kick. Personally, I prefer the simple cream horn. Puff pastry filled to the brim with whipped buttercream icing," she rattled off, successfully becoming no help at all.
"May I help you?" the woman behind counter asked.
"Ahhh..." Phoenix was too overwhelmed with options to decide.
"First time here, huh?"
"Yeah. Everything looks so good. How do I decide?"
"What about this?" the woman suggested, pointing to a small round tartlet in the exact middle of the case in front of her. "The tart has a puff pastry crust, a lemon curd cream, fresh fruit on top and whipped cream sprinkled with chocolate shavings. That's almost a little bit of everything in the shop."
"Sounds good to me," she agreed.
"Coffee?"
"Yes, please." She had not had her coffee yet and her mouth watered from the aroma. She hated to admit it but she believed she was a coffee addict.
After paying for her pastry and coffee, she joined the other girls at a big table in the corner positioned in front of the sunny window where they could watch people go by the sidewalk.
They talked about clothes and make up, food and diets as they sat eating their sweet treats. Eventually, as it always does when a group of women are together, the conversation topic of men came up.
"So, Duchess, what's the deal with you and Shinra?" Maki asked casually.
Phoenix's chest contracted squeezing her lungs. She forcefully swallowed her gulp of coffee to keep from choking or spewing it all over Iris sitting across from her.
"Duchess? Why did you call her that?" Tamaki inquired.
"That's what the Captain and Lieutenant call her. I kind of like the nickname. We could call her Queen like Arthur," Maki teased, giggling afterwards.
"Ugh, please don't," she requested, stabbing the tart and shoving a piece in her mouth. So good. She forgot about Maki's question but unfortunately for her Maki did not.
"Are you two dating or something? That sure happened fast," the girl in love with being love continued without even getting an answer to her question.
Tamaki folded her arms over her chest leveling her glowing yellow eyes on Phoenix. "Yes, do tell Duchess, what's going on between you two?"
Jealous much?, Phoenix wanted to ask but digressed. Unlike Shinra and Arthur, she had no desire to fight. Besides, women fight dirty. Pulling hair, clawing, biting; it truly is a cat fight between two women. Me-Yow! No thank you.
"Shinra and I are...uhm..."
What the hell are we again? she asked herself, wondering how to explain it.
"We are definitely interested in each other. We're getting to know each other to see what happens," she explained.
Her explanation was an understated oversimplification of what was going on between them. Hell, the two of them had yet to understand what was going on and they were directly involved with the feelings. How could she ever explain it to these three?
Phoenix picked up her coffee cup to take an excessively long swig so as not to have to continue talking.
"I don't understand," Maki returned.
"Well, it's their relationship. It's not for us to understand," Tamaki interjected shutting down the conversation.
Sweet Iris, said nothing, sipping her tea as her gaze bounced back and forth between her companions as if watching a tennis match.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tamaki Kotatsu. All if forgiven for the accidental groping incident, Phoenix thought to herself, digging into her tart with a new found gusto.
"So is this place great or what?" Maki asked, leading them down another line of conversation.
"It's wonderful. I want to come back as soon as possible. Is tomorrow too soon?" Tamaki asked.
"Well, they will be leaving in the morning for the conference," Iris reminded her.
"Oh, that's right," she groaned in disappointment.
"We should come back again soon," Phoenix heartily returned, receiving a smile from Tamaki.
Phoenix believed she had found an unexpected ally in Tamaki Kotatsu.
~\'/~
Just as everyone settled down to put the finishing touches on their official reports about the incident at Company One in preparation to leave for the tomorrow, the telephone rang. Iris took the call. Everyone sat on pins and needles, staring at her as she uttered only a few words.
"Yes...yes...I understand...We'll be there in a few minutes, please hang on and do your best," she said before hanging up the phone. "We have an Infernal in an apartment building. The fire has been contained to a single apartment but all of the tenants have been evacuated for their safety."
"Just one Infernal?" Captain Obi asked as everyone stood up to go suit up.
"The fire fighters haven't confirmed. One victim for sure though. The Infernal is...missing," she said hesitantly as they rushed to the garage.
"Missing?" he muttered. "What the hell does that mean? How do you lose an Infernal?"
Soon they were all sitting in the back of the Matchbox, Maki, Iris, and Tamaki on one side while Phoenix sat wedged uncomfortably between Shinra and Arthur on the other side. As seemed to be the custom, Hinawa was in the driver's seat and Obi in the passenger's seat manning to radio to call in that they were on their way.
"That uniform is quite flattering on you, My Queen," Arthur complimented her boldly.
"I swear to Sol if we weren't on the way to a call, I'd - " Shinra threatened, cutting off his own words when Obi cast a withering glare at him.
"The fire is out, but fire fighters are standing by just in case," Captain Obi informed them. "They did a cursory search of the apartment, however, they're leaving the in depth search to us. When we get there, I'll go in first and survey the scene. We're pretty much going in blindly, operating on the assumption that there is only one Infernal. Once I give the all clear of the initial scene, I want you all to go in and find that Infernal. We need to lay them to rest, put them out of their misery. Understand me?"
"Yes, Sir!" everyone replied in unison.
The apartment building was small; only two stories with three individual apartments on each floor. The apartment supposedly holding the Infernal was on the second floor in the corner. Lucky break for everyone involved making it easy to contain and cut off from the rest.
Captain Obi met the Chief of the fire fighters at the door of the apartment to see if any further information had been obtained.
"We've identified the victim. Mei Takahashi. Housewife and mother. She was home alone with her child," the man said, pushing back his helmet to wipe the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
"What about the husband?" Obi asked.
"Hiro Takahashi. He was called at the office and informed of the incident. He's on his way." The Chief fire fighter grew increasingly uncomfortable. "The child, a girl, Rena, is unaccounted for. We believe she is the Infernal."
"No," Obi groaned, hanging his head. After allowing his humanity to show momentarily, he inhaled a deep breath through his nose and raised his head. "I'm going in. Hinawa, stand by out here with the crew."
"Sir, are you sure?"
"Yeah. Just give me a minute to confirm and survey the scene."
Company Eight waited nervously, shifting from foot to foot, twiddling their thumbs, or looking around the surrounding area to occupy themselves while they were forced to stay put. No one breathed a word. The silence hung heavy in the air like the odor of scorched wood, melted plastic, and singed flesh.
Banging erupted making everyone including the Fire Chief and his men almost jump out of their skins. Only Hinawa remained unfazed, his sharp eyes never wavering from the door. More pounding ensued, this time deeper thuds like someone hitting a wall with their fist dispersed with colorful curse words among the noise.
Finally, Captain Obi reappeared, his face hidden behind the grate like mask. When his spoke his voice was even deeper than usual, reverberating behind the metal.
"Phoenix, come with me," he commanded her.
"Sir, should we - " Shinra started speaking.
"No," the Captain interrupted him. "All of you stay here."
Phoenix entered the apartment when Obi moved away from the doorway that his big body completely filled especially since he was in full fire gear.
"Captain, what - "
"You'll see in a minute."
Phoenix averted her eyes from the charred body on the floor in the middle of the living room. What little she had seen of it, the woman's body resembled a blackened mummy. It looked surreal, fake, like a movie prop. She swallowed back the vomit scorching her throat as it rose from her stomach when they entered a room that obviously belong to a child.
The entire interior of the room was black from fire and smoke. Water dripped from ceiling creating an ominous indoor rain shower. The gut wrenching stench of burned skin and muscle contaminated the air.
Phoenix covered her nose and mouth with her hand before she threw up. Some things you just can't get used to no matter how many times you see it or smell it.
Looking around the room, she saw a small bed mere inches from the floor. The sheets and mattress charred black, coated with white ashes that still smoked. Half melted plastic baby dolls and a torched doll house occupied the spaces on the floor where they had been carelessly discarded after play. A miniature tea set, most of the white porcelain still visible, sat on a blackened table in the corner.
"No," she gasped, gulping back more bile. The Infernal is a child. "No, no, no, no...this is too awful."
Captain Obi turned to her, flipping up his face shield. His face was completely covered with greasy soot except for the streaks on his cheeks that were washed clean by his tears.
"I'm sorry I had to choose you for this, but you're the only one who will fit. Everyone else's uniform is too bulky, and I refuse to allow anyone to take off their gear and put their safety at risk," he said, turning away from her toward the open sliding doors of the closet.
Phoenix stepped inside at his bidding, staring up at the ceiling where his gaze was trained. Once he turned on his flashlight, she could see the small square that had been removed. The entrance to the crawlspace between the ceiling of the apartment and the roof above that.
"I found the Infernal up here in the attic space," he announced, both of them looking up at the opening.
The Captain had hacked away at the wood with his ax, attempting to widen the opening to get through himself. Apparently he had lifted himself using the rod secured to the wall for the purpose of hanging up clothes. Little black footprints were stamped on the wall and the shelf above the rod where the child had climbed up. All of the clothes that had been hanging there had burned and were now nothing but muddy ash on the floor. Black marks surrounded the opening like a sinister starburst, incurred when the Infernal crawled through.
"She's hiding?" Phoenix asked.
"Apparently, she's still sentient...which makes this ten times worse and more heart breaking. I'm sorry," he apologized again.
"We're fire soldiers. It's what we do, Captain," she sniffed, keeping her tears at bay that stung her eyes mercilessly. "I have to suck it up and do what I have to do."
"Phoenix - "
"Boost me up, Captain, before the roof ignites and the entire structure becomes a total loss," she said.
Obi bent at the knees, lacing his fingers together to form a step. She placed her hand on his shoulder to maintain her balance as she carefully inserted her foot into the makeshift step, taking care that she did not cut his hands with the sharp heel of her boot.
"Up you go, Fire Bird," he said, easily lifting her and pushing her upward.
Phoenix cringed at his use of that nickname. Only one person had ever called her that. But she had to concentrate. Now was no time to allow the past to cloud her judgment and thinking. Placing her arms on either side of the opening, she pulled her body upward, her hips scraping the wood on both sides as she cleared the extremely small entrance.
The child sat huddled in the corner of the tight space, curled into a tight ball with her knees pulled to her chest and her head down on her knees. With the flames writhing and moving around her, she looked somewhat like a picture perfect campfire. She made a low moaning, plaintive and pitiful, that devolved into whimpers while interspersing with a gurgling sound similar to crying.
Unable to stand, barely able to get up on all fours, Phoenix carefully traversed the rafters to keep from falling through the ceiling. As she approached, the child raised her head. Round black spots were located where her eyes and mouth should be.
Phoenix audibly gulped. Sweat ran down her face and dripped from her chin as the heat radiated from the child to her. Fear crept into her. There was a real chance she could die here should the child lose all sense of herself and decide to ferociously attack. She plunged ahead, coming closer.
"Want to see something cool?" she asked the Infernal that was once a little girl.
Despite the flames, the small figure seemed to maintain a child like appearance exhibiting innocence - and fear due to her present state. If the girl had become a mindless, rampaging Infernal this might be easier. Certainly less emotionally traumatizing.
The tiny remnant of the human child that somehow remained nodded. She wanted to see.
Phoenix slowly spread her wings taking great care not to contact any of the damp structure around her. Fire dribbled like water droplets from the two by four beams above the Infernal and began to pool around her. The wood despite having been soaked by the fire fighters was beginning to dry out and catch fire. She had to hurry.
The black hole of a mouth on what seemed to be the face of the Infernal formed a complete circle. The eyes enlarged as well creating bigger voids in the head as if the Infernal gaped in awe. The head of the bird gradually emerged from Phoenix's back. The wings and head extended to the child sized Infernal.
The heat evaporated the sweat from Phoenix's face as the two fires, hers and the Infernal's, met combing in strength and doubling in temperature. The nerve endings in her face and hands bared by her uniform sent a flurry of pain signals to her brain. She was burning.
The wings enclosed the child Infernal in an embrace. A single flame separated from the rest of the flaming body forming an arm and a hand that rose to pet the bird, stroking the waving, curled flames on its head that formed the crest.
Phoenix cried without shedding tears as images flashed in her head. At first they were singular pictures like photos, then they moved faster, streaking past her mind's eye like an old-fashioned flipbook that gave them a sense of animated movement.
{The little girl sat in her room on the floor wearing a pink dress, pigtails in her lustrous black hair secured with pink ribbons. The child played with a doll in her lap. Rising up on her knees, she waddled over to the table to sit the doll in one of the little chairs.
"Time for a time party," she announced, pretending to fill the cups from the miniature teapot.
A red spot formed on the back of the child's hand. It appeared like a bite from an invisible mosquito. The child dropped the teapot, exclaiming 'ow!' from the sudden pain. As she went to scratch the reddened area, a flame burst forth from her skin. The child screamed.
"Mommy! Mommy! It hurts!" the little girl screeched as more flames shot out of her skin up her chubby little arms.
The mother appeared in the doorway, wide eyed and horrified. She snatched the sheet from the bed, wrapping it around the screaming child in an effort to extinguish the flames. Instead of getting rid of them, the fire exploded, fully engulfing the child and setting the mother on the fire.
The shrieks of pain and terror in the realistic vision made Phoenix want to curl into a ball and cry. However, she continued to hold the Infernal no matter how much it hurt both physically and emotionally. The skin on her face and hands, reddened, bubbled, then turned black before flaking off revealing new pristine skin and repeating the process of burning and healing.
The mother, her clothes and hair on fire, stumbled from the room and down the hall. She must have been going to the phone in the living room. After picking up the receiver, before she could dial the emergency number, the flames overtook her and killed her. The phone, programmed to dial the number on its own if left off the hook, completed the procedure.
"Mommy? Mommy?" the little girl yelled, her voice deepening and becoming obscured as she turned completely Infernal. However, her attachment to her mother kept her tethered here, preventing her mind from completely going. "Mommy! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry, Mommy!"}
"No...no, no, no, no," Phoenix chanted, writhing in agony as she struggled to maintain her grip on her sanity. She could almost hear herself saying those words to her mother.
She opened her eyes, raising her head to look at the small Infernal who continued to gently stroke the phoenix's head.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" she asked to get the Infernal's attention. "It hurts...your body and your..." She had to pause to take several labored breaths. Her own body, her psyche, was bending under the pain and pressure. "Your mind. It hurts, doesn't it?"
The hole for the mouth closed, disappearing. Only the black voids of eyes remained. The little thing nodded.
Yes, it hurts. The reply came telepathically rather than through words spoken out loud. Please, help. Make it stop. Please, help. Make it stop. The request repeated like a drumbeat on her brain.
"I'll help. I wish...I wish Iris..." She panted open mouthed. It was getting nearly impossible to breath, to think, to function.
"Phoenix, I'm here!" Iris shouted from below. "Do what you need to do. I can begin the prayer."
"Are you ready?" Phoenix asked the child Infernal.
The child nodded. The bird raised its head, embracing the Infernal securely in its wings.
"The flame is the soul's breath..." Iris said.
Despite the intense heat and pain, Phoenix crawled forward, pulling the child forward into her own arms. Her skin heated and bubbled, the flames quickly burning through the layers and turning black. The torched nerve endings no longer sent pain signals to her brain because they were dead. Then the regeneration started and the pain came, sharp and so powerful it make her sick.
"The black smoke is the soul's release..." Iris's voice hitched indicating she was crying.
The head of the bird positioned itself over Phoenix's shoulder, waiting for her to release the child. "I'm sorry," she apologized.
"Ashes thou wert and art..."
The child's hand raised to pet the head of the fiery bird again, smoothing back the top feathers. A noise something like a giggle, ominous and sad, spilled out of the gaping black hole of the mouth.
The bird of flames lowered its head as Phoenix straightened making an opening between her body and the Infernal child. The Fire Bird thrust its beak forward, piercing the narrow chest to impale the core of the Infernal and extinguish the flames.
"May thy soul return. Látom," Iris finished as the last Infernal's flame died away in entirety.
Phoenix attempted to hold the blackened burned body but it crumbled and fell through her fingers, the ashes sprinkling on the warped and charred wood in front of her. Where the fire had seared her skin bore patches of black. The regenerated pain receptors registered the damage and resumed sending pain signals to her brain.
A high pitched keening filled her ears. A howling like a wolf baying at the full moon followed. Where was that awful sound coming from? Recognition dawned that it was her making the terrible, mournful sound, but she did not stop.
The skin on her back prickled and barely perceptible vibrations, muted by her already wildly beating heart spread through her chest.
"Phoenix?" Shinra called to her from below. "Phoenix, come down!"
"I - I c-can't," she stammered, at last able to cry.
She wailed and bawled but there was an absence of tears. Dehydration. She had pushed herself too far, and she knew it.
"I can't...I can't move! I need help!" she howled, dropping onto her belly.
"Arthur!" Shinra yelled.
"I'm on it! I'll save you, my Queen!"
A blue light burst through the burned wood near her face. Through her bleary eyes, it took a minute for Phoenix to realize that light was Arthur's plasma sword cutting a hole through the ceiling under her. The weakened rafters cracked and bent, spilling her out below before he had cut a complete circle.
As always, Shinra was there, ready to catch her when she fell. She landed safely in his arms. Him being there, touching her, seemed to dull the pain, but only a little. However, any relief from this crushing emotional burden was welcome. The physical trauma no longer bothered her since the pain receptors had once again repaired themselves and were no longer sending out pain signals. However, she was overheating.
She had never encountered a child Infernal before despite how many fire calls she had attended. It was even more sad and heart breaking than seeing the others suffer which she did not think possible.
"Oh, Shinra," she sobbed, turning her face to bury it in chest as she cried.
His arms enclosed her body. She felt like he was the only thing keeping her from completely falling apart, from dissolving into tears and ash. She sobbed and wailed, pouring out her grief while he held her.
His chin rested on the top of her head as he embraced her tightly, pressing her face into his chest over his heart. The fast but rhythmic heartbeat comforted her, calming her down. Rocking her back and forth, he started humming which vibrated his chest under her cheek. His hand stroked her head.
"My mom used to do this to me when I would cry," he said in a low voice as if to explain his actions.
There was no need to explain. Phoenix sighed as he continued to console her. His voice and touch soothed her. A sensation like warm water being poured over head flowed down her entire body. Soon she sat quietly in his arms, clinging to him with her eyes closed.
The destroyed black skin began to flake and fall off revealing new, raw, red skin below. In the absence of flames, she began to sweat, all of her skin turning red as her internal temperature soared.
"Shinra, come on," Captain Obi ordered him. "Get her to the Matchbox. We need to go. We have to get her back to the Fire Cathedral and into an ice bath."
"What? Why?" he asked, sliding one arm under her legs while leaving the other hooked around her shoulders.
Obi assisted him with getting to his feet from the floor with the woman in his arms.
"If we don't, she runs the risk of overheating. Possibly dying. Let's go before we run out of time. Before she runs out of time."
~\'/~
Phoenix awakened to the beating of a drum which was actually her heartbeat in her ears. Forcing her eyes to open, blinking in the excessively bright light bouncing off the white tiles of the bathroom, a silhouette hovered above her. The ceiling light behind his head created a halo around the dark, spiky outline of his hair.
Once her eyes adjusted, she could see Shinra hovering over her. Then she became aware of the towels and ice covering her body as she lay in the tub in nothing but her underwear. She groaned and tried to move, the ice cubes clinking against the side of the tub.
"Don't move. Be still," he commanded her gently, sitting down on the seat of the chair. Opening a bottle of sports drink, he pressed the bottle to her lower lip to entice her to take a sip. "Drink this."
"How long was I out this time?" she asked, taking the bottle from him and willingly imbibing the entire contents in a few gulps.
"This time? How often does this happen?" he inquired, his eyebrows forming a single line of worry as they met over the bridge of his nose.
"It's happened twice since I've been here. The same amount of times it happened in the entire year I was at the Fifth. I think it only happened once when I was with - " She cut herself off before finishing her sentence. "Can I have another one of those drinks? I'm very thirsty."
"Here," he said, opening another bottle and handing it to her. "Were you with another Company before the Fifth?"
Phoenix wanted to drink the second bottle more slowly to avoid answering his question but her excessive thirst would not allow her to take her time. After draining the bottle, she sighed loudly. He would find out sooner or later especially if ALL Captains were in attendance tomorrow.
"I was with Company Seven. Hibana heard about me due to my involvement with the Seventh, and she recruited me from them," she said, leaning back against the tub and closing her eyes. Her teeth chattered involuntarily due to her body being submerged up to her neck in the frigid water.
She had been with Company Seven when Captain Hibana found her in a sweets shop in Asakusa. Beni was pissed when he discovered another Fire Company Captain invaded his territory. Then he quickly became indifferent when Phoenix said she would be leaving, accepting the offer of the Princes of Company Five.
Konro said nothing only looked sad and hurt. The twins called her a traitor. Beni ordered her to leave immediately since she was betraying him to become an Imperial lap dog. That was far from the truth. She had ulterior motives, reasons beyond herself, but she did not bother to explain. He didn't want to hear it anyway.
Phoenix exhaled noisily, covering her eyes with her hands. The cold felt good on her aching eyeballs. Since the Seventh never mingled with the other Fire Brigades for any reason whatsoever, she figured she would never have to see Benimaru Shinmon again.
Although Company Seven kept to themselves, choosing to segregate themselves in Asukusa and barring the outside world from entering, Phoenix knew, she just KNEW, with absolute certainty that Benimaru Shinmon would appear at the Captain's conference.
The man liked to be unpredictable, doing things no one expected him to do only to catch them by surprise, giving him a public forum in which to display his contempt for the empire and conduct himself in the most disrespectful manner possible. He would definitely show up to the conference if for no other reason than to insult the emperor himself and bid a fond fuck you to empire.
"Phoenix, will you tell me everything? I can tell there's more. I want to know," Shinra said, reining her back in from her musings.
"Are you sure?" she asked, lifting her hands from her eyes and cracking opening one eye to gaze at him.
Shinra sat upright in the chair beside the tub, his back stiff and straight. The worry across his brow had been replaced with a stern determination reflected in his red irises that stared straight ahead. His hands resting on his knees curled into fists.
"Tell me everything," he said with firm resolve, his eyes shifting toward her. "I'm not a little kid. I'm not stupid enough to think I'm your first boyfriend."
"Are you also assuming you won't be another first?" she inquired with an unexpected forthrightness. "You know what I'm getting at. I know you're thinking it."
"It doesn't matter," he insisted, keeping his eyes leveled on hers.
"When that time arrives, when we reach that point in our relationship, you'll be the first Shinra Kusakabe," she informed him.
Phoenix watched as his shoulders relaxed. His chest rose with a deep inhalation making her wonder if he had been holding his breath.
"You'll be mine too," he confessed, a small smile curling up the corners of his lips while a light pink blush tinted the tops of his cheeks under his eyes.
"I find that hard to believe. I can't believe some girl didn't want to make you her own before now," she said, reaching over the side of the tub to touch the back of his hand.
"Ah, you're freezing," he gasped, wiping the icy water off the back of his hand onto his pants. "Are you ready to get out? I can leave."
"No. Not yet. A little longer," she said, inhaling a deep breath. "Yes, I was romantically involved with the Captain of the Seventh. We never got around to having sex because our relationship was too damn dramatic to allow for it."
"That's good," he sighed before catching himself.
"Excuse me? I don't think I heard that right."
He sat up straighter, that bizarre Cheshire Cat grin of unrelenting stress stretching his mouth.
"I mean...what I meant to say was...that's not what I meant...I, uh, uhm...how do I put this?"
"It's okay, Shinra. I'm messing with you," she said after allowing him to flounder a bit. "I'm not angry. I'm kind of relieved myself that he wasn't my first to be honest. Because I met you."
"You should get out of that cold water. I think your body temperature has been lowered enough. I'll leave."
Phoenix watched him walk away. When he was gone, she slowly stood up and wrapped one of the towels around her body that he left behind on the chair. Massaging her body as she dried off, she stimulated the blood flow back to her skin which turned its deathly white pallor back to a healthy pink. Eventually she would regain her glowing tan.
After getting dressed, opting for yoga pants and a t-shirt rather than her usual nightwear, she left the bathroom to find Shinra. First she checked the sitting room to see Hinawa browsing through a gun magazine, Iris studying a book of prayers, and Arthur playing a video game. All of them gazed at her anxiously when she appeared, but none said a word, not moving a muscle from their seats.
"I'm fine," she assured them before anyone even asked.
"Shinra is on the roof," Iris informed her before going back to reading her book.
Both Hinawa and Arthur cast quizzical glances at Iris then prepared to ask Phoenix questions but she was gone.
Walking past the office, Captain Obi looked up from his paperwork in time to catch a glimpse of her. He called for her to come into his office.
"Are you all right?" he questioned her.
"I'm fine," she replied automatically.
"Sit down, Duchess."
He waited for her to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk before speaking again. He eyed her momentarily as if trying to ascertain her true mental state more so than her physical condition.
"I'm asking you...are you all right?" he repeated more slowly this time as if she did not understand the question the first time.
He was not going to allow her to dodge the question. Phoenix's eyes slid away from his as he continued to give her a penetrating stare, not with anger or doubt, but with genuine worry in his kind brown eyes.
"No, Sir," she confessed, the tears instantly filling her eyes.
"Talk to me. Tell me what happened."
"I have never...ever...experienced anything like that. A child...a child, oh, holy fu-..." She stopped herself again before cursing, inhaling a shaking breath that steadied her fraying nerves. "I'm sorry. I've just never...never witnessed anything like that. The Infernal was in control of herself, aware of her pain, which made it even worse." After another pause to gather her wits, she said, "I'm sure that child was turned into in an Infernal by one of those damn bugs. I had a...a vision."
"A vision? So the Adolla Burst goes beyond just a connection between you and Shinra?" he questioned her, one eyebrow inching upward toward his hairline.
"When I touched the Infernal, held her, I could see everything that happened before she turned. What looked like a bug bite appeared on her hand, then...well...it happened...the spontaneous combustion. I watched that child - " Her voice lowered into a hoarse whisper until it deserted her completely, leaving her swiping at a fresh batch of tears with the back of her hand.
Captain Obi stood up from his chair, walking around his desk. Squatting down in front of her, he wiped the tears from her eyes with a pristine white handkerchief. He handed her the soft square of cloth and stood back up to lean against his desk.
"Tamaki witnessed a child being turned into an Infernal right before her very eyes. By Rekka Hoshimiya no less, a priest and Lieutenant of the First, using an Infernal bug. So she understands what you're dealing with seeing that happen to a child herself," he said.
"I can't even begin to imagine what that was like for her," Phoenix mumbled in a warbling voice which could fail her at any second.
"I don't think any of us can," he exhaled, rubbing his hands over his face in exhaustion and frustration. "You're going to be okay. We're a family here. We're going to help each other get through this. We stick together. Do you understand that?"
"Yes, Captain Obi, I do."
"This thing with you and Shinra," he began, giving her a hard stare that was not so friendly and demanded the truth. "I am referring to your romantic relationship not the other part so don't try to distract me by bringing it up."
Phoenix felt like a child being scolded by her father. She sat with her hands in her lap, anxiously lacing and unlacing her fingers while tapping the pads of her thumbs together. Were they in trouble? Hinawa had given her a very stern warning the first day about no fraternizing among brigade members.
"I don't know what to make of it. I can't tell you two not to feel anything for each other. I'd be too late on that anyway. All I can say is you two need to hold your shit together, conduct yourselves like adults, and refrain from tearing this company apart. Do you hear me, Duchess?"
"Loud and clear, Sir. That is exactly how we planned to proceed. That's why we haven't told anyone yet."
"Go," he ordered her, running his fingers through his hair. "I've already had this talk with him. He's waiting on the rooftop for you so just go."
Relief washed over her. She nodded mutely and stood to her feet.
"Oh, Captain, I forgot to talk to Princess Hibana. I'm sorry. I'll call her tomorrow," she assured him.
"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it tomorrow. You just go and relax while you can. I'll see you in the morning."
Phoenix bowed before hurrying out the door. She took the stairs two at a time in her rush to get to the roof. Before bursting through the door in hasty desperation, she paused taking a deep breath and calming herself before pushing open the door to step out onto the roof.
Shinra sat on the wall, his head held between his hands. When the hinges on the door creaked, he looked up, his sad eyes meeting hers.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"No," she whispered, willing to admit the truth for a second time.
"Come here," he beckoned her, opening his arms.
Phoenix ran straight into them, pressing her face to his shirt over his heart. His heart beat fast but steady, managing to calm her erratic heartbeat. She cried, pouring out her grief in tears and wails in a way she tried but couldn't at the scene today.
Releasing her tears, feeling them slide down her face and fall from her chin, washing away the pain. Setting her mourning free with each loud sorrowful yowl was cathartic, ridding her of the grief threatening to grind her to dust under its heel.
"You're going to fine. It's going to be okay. We'll be okay," he murmured in her ear so she could hear his words of comfort over her caterwauling.
Tears dripped from his face and splashed onto her cheek as he cried along with her to help her bear the anguish. Each one of his kisses that he pressed to her forehead, her cheek, the tip of her nose, further soothed her.
A warmth sparked in her chest, growing, spreading outward, filling her to the tips of her fingers and toes. This feeling had nothing to do with the Adolla Burst. This feeling had everything to do with being in love.
Phoenix angled her face upward, her hand resting on the nape of his neck to bring his lips down to hers for a kiss. Seeking solace, to give and receive, her lips met his. Then she cuddled up close to him, content to hold him and be held, her face nestled against his neck.
Shinra had witnessed the Infernalization of his mother, borne the entire thing alone as a child including the blame for her death. It was so unfair. So incredibly unfair. At least she had escaped that terrible burden.
If only I could take away your pain, I would gladly bear it as my own. Because I love you that much, her inner voice said as she pressed her cheek into his neck.
"I feel the same," he whispered, his chin bumping her head lightly where it was propped.
"What?' She pulled back from him to stare in awe.
"What you just said. If only I could take away your pain, I would gladly bear it as my own. Because..." His eyes held hers, delving into them intently as if he wanted to see her very soul. "Because I love you that much."
The warm feeling burst inside her chest. For a moment she couldn't breathe. Her fingers and toes tingled and her head became light as if it might float off of her shoulders.
"I didn't say that out loud, Shinra," she told him, watching his eyes widen as they stared into hers.
"Oh," he gasped. "Isn't this an interesting new development?"
"I suppose so."
Brushing the tip of her nose across the tip of his after the kiss on his lips, she scattered loving pecks across his forehead, his cheeks, his chin. Licking her lips, she tasted the remnants of his salty tears. Her arms encompassed his shoulders, hugging him to her as hard as possible.
Phoenix lay her hand over his heart, rubbing his chest lightly. She held her breath when his eyes rejoined hers and his big, gentle hands cupped her jaw. Her heart leapt for joy when his lips lightly brushed hers, a teasing kiss in passing before he stood up straight to stare down at her.
"Whether you want to admit it or not, you did something stupid," he said, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"Oh, yeah? And what's that?" she challenged giving him a lopsided grin.
"You tripped on some feelings and fell right into love with me," he said, smiling as if he had won some kind of battle.
"Mmmm, tell me something I don't know," she groaned, pressing her forehead into his chest. "I can think of worse things to fall into."
~\./~
The next morning started off with another big bang - and a shout like a roar from a rampaging Infernal.
"Duchess!" Obi hollered at the top of his lungs after the cacophony of noise.
Phoenix groaned, dropping the stack of papers she had been rummaging through to rush to the locker room to see what fresh new hell Hibana had unleashed today.
Apparently while they were out on the fire call yesterday, the Captain of the Fifth had infiltrated the Eighth's Cathedral and with help of a few of her lackeys gathered up every hand weight, kettle bell, and other small workout device Obi used to stuff them all into his locker. It was an amazing feat of engineering that they had been able to stack the heavy objects inside the locker and close the door, yet position them to spill out upon opening.
Phoenix would have been impressed if it were not for Captain Obi's fury which left him red faced and sweating, his shoulders heaving as he breathed heavily while staring into his locker at yet another note.
"What the hell am I looking at here, Phoenix?" he questioned her, glowering at the pile of workout equipment that had spilled out his locker with a great multitude of clangs and thudding earlier.
Was that a strictly rhetorical question? Feeling a bit suicidal today, she decided to offer a smart ass answer. If he killed her, she would not have to go to the Captain's conference.
"A mess, Sir," she helpfully supplied as an answer.
"Why you - " Then he stomped past her to go to the office where everyone sat finishing last minute paperwork. Bursting through the doors, he leveled his irate gaze on Shinra. "YOU!"
"Me, Sir?" Shinra whimpered almost choking on the chunk of karage in his mouth.
"What the hell are you eating?" he asked, distracted by the young man's cheeks stuffed full like a chipmunk's.
"That, you big dumb gorilla, is a lunch I made for Shinra myself," Hibana answered from where she stood behind him. "I'd appreciate it if you would shut up and allow him to enjoy his food peace."
"Oh, shit," Phoenix cursed under her breath as she walked into the room. She stood beside the door in case she needed to make a hasty exit if Obi's head exploded.
"What the hell are you doing here? Why are you always here when you have your own damn company to operate?" he demanded, glaring at the woman so hotly she should have caught fire. He would probably like that.
"Yes, but since I'm going to the conference anyway. I thought I'd tag along with you and Shinra," she said, flipping her pink hair over her shoulder.
"I'd rather you didn't," he rejoined through gritted teeth.
"And as for the lunch, don't go thinking something stupid like I have a crush on that kid or anything," she said, toying with the ends of her hair.
But you do, you idiot, and everyone can see it, thought Phoenix, rolling her eyes and issuing an exaggerated sigh of annoyance.
"I couldn't possibly care less," Obi remarked in return, returning his attention to his Shinra who was the only one in the room with a snack given to him specifically by Captain Hibana. "Shinra, tell her to cut this shit out. We don't have time, and I don't have the patience for her shenanigans."
"What shenanigans, Sir?" Shinra asked, shoving a bite of rice in his mouth with his chopsticks. "It's not like I asked for this. Captain Hibana is just being nice."
Nice, my ass, Phoenix groused internally, her anger mounting with speed and threatening to catch up with her new Captain's. How stupid can you be, Shinra? Can't you see she had ulterior motives. Dummy.
Captain Obi crossed the room and captured Shinra in a head lock while bending down to speak to him in a low voice.
"Choke him, please," Phoenix grumbled to herself.
"What's that?" Hibana asked, turning to Phoenix. She placed her hand beside her ear like an old lady who is hard of hearing. "Did you say something?"
"Not a damn thing, Princess," she growled.
"My, my, someone's testy this morning aren't they?" she shot back.
"Shinra, be a pal and help me out here. Make her stop the pranks, and I'll treat you to all the ramen you can eat," Obi bargained with his subordinate.
"I do love ramen, Sir."
At that time, Hibana had resorted to entertaining the girls by making fire flowers in the air like some sort of light show at an amusement park. They exclaimed happily and clapped with their hands with joy. Everyone loved the pretty fire flowers. Goddamn that woman.
Captain Obi stared at the display wide eyed, his eyebrows and lips twitching with fury. He looked like a ticking time bomb ready to blow.
"Hinawa, she's playing with fire inside the office," he said employing a tone something akin to a child telling on his sibling to his father.
"You handle it Captain. I'm rechecking the directions to Central to make sure it's the fastest route," he muttered, totally uninterested in the mayhem surrounding him.
Phoenix stood back from the chaos herself, choosing to watch from the sidelines rather than getting caught up on the mess.
"Oh, these people are going to drive crazy," she muttered.
The pièce de résistance was yet to be seen, but it was coming in short order. Shinra rose from his seat in preparation to take the empty bento box to the kitchen for washing. About that time, Tamaki rounded the corner of the table because she suddenly remembered something she needed to retrieve from her room.
Here it comes, Phoenix thought as she waited for the inevitable impact. Where would Tamaki's butt or boobs land this time? Three, two, one.
Tamaki bumped into Shinra, setting him off balance. In her hurry, she was unable to stop immediately. The momentum carried her along, pushing her into Shinra and knocking him down onto the floor. Tamaki landed on top of him, straddling his middle, his face smashed into her chest.
"There you have it folks," Phoenix announced to herself, backing out of the door. "I'm done here."
"Wait, my Queen! I'll come with you!" Arthur exclaimed suddenly awakening from his dream.
"Come on, Arthur," she invited him, waving him forward with a hand to follow her. "Come outside and wait with me until the havoc dies down and everyone is ready to go. You never know when a dragon might appear."
~\./~
A priest from the first stood outside the doors of the gigantic church as if waiting for them. He walked up to Shinra, offering his hand for a friendly handshake.
"Thank you for everything you did," he said.
"No, thank you," Shinra returned.
The man with sleepy eyes and gray hair styled in what appeared to be a flattened mohawk saluted the Captains and began introducing himself.
"I'm Lieutenant Karim Flam, a member of Company One."
Phoenix peeked around Captain Obi who she stood behind, shamelessly hiding.
"With your help, I want to find out why Rekka betrayed us," Karim said.
"Shinra speaks highly of you and your skills. I look forward to working with you to find answers to all of our questions and stop Infernals," Obi rejoined.
For some reason, Hibana lagged behind as the others entered the doors behind Karim. Noticing her odd behavior, Phoenix stopped just inside the doors where the shadows fell amid the candlelight in the dimly lit foyer.
Pressing her ear to the door, she heard a man's voice. It sounded as if he were talking through a tube or a tunnel. She recognized that voice. Giovanni, the sketchy Captain of Company Three. Already aware of the connection between the two subversive Captains, she was not shocked to hear his voice. Only curious and resorting to her secretive spy tactics to listen.
"I thought we shared a common bond, an unwavering allegiance to Haijima Industries. Am I wrong?" he questioned her, tapping his cane on the cement. "You're spending far too much time with the Eighth."
"Don't be an idiot. Never question my loyalties or my motives. I don't answer to you anyway, you bastard," Hibana shot back, unintimdated by the man who hid behind a plague doctor mask. "The conference is about to start. I'm going inside."
Phoenix slipped out of the shadows and away from the door before Hibana opened it. She took the outer aisle inside the sanctuary to insert herself into the straight backed pew beside Tamaki who was sitting next to Shinra. She would have had to walk down the center aisle to sit beside Shinra but did not want to bring attention to herself.
After Hibana entered and took her seat beside Captain Obi who occupied the pew behind them, Dr. Giovanni came in and took a seat across the aisle. The rest of the Captains representing the other companies were already seated, staring straight ahead as they waited for Raffles III, the Imperial King of Tokyo, to appear.
Phoenix glanced behind her at Captain Burns not allowing her gaze to linger too long. He never cast a glimpse her way. One Captain was missing. Benimaru Shinmon did not show. She was happy to be wrong. She dared to breathe sigh of relief. But her relaxing, thinking she was in the clear, was premature.
The doors opened, and there he stood. Looking as jaded and bored with life as ever. The man had an epic case of resting bitch face. An expression that told the world and everyone in it, 'I'm so done with your shit.'
But when he smiled, it was if Sol himself had smiled down from the heavens it was so rare and wonderful. She had only seen that smile a precious few times. He smiled a lot when he was drunk but that was different.
Presently, Benimaru Shinmon stood at the doors gazing bleakly ahead before coming into the room. He sat down in the pew across the aisle from Shinra. Propping his booted feet on the back of the pew in front of him and leaning back with his hands clasped behind his head, he closed his eyes as if he planned to take a nap. If he was going to be here, he was damn sure going to be comfortable. That was Beni.
Konro, his dutiful Lieutenant, sat beside him, respectfully bowing his head. He was devoted to the man, steadfast and unwavering in his dedication. Benimaru had a way of instilling that loyalty in his subordinates and every single person Asakusa.
Sometimes Phoenix almost felt sorry for him having to endure Beni's bullshit. She had always admired him for that and been smitten as well but on a completely different level.
"The Captain of Company Seven huh?" Captain Obi muttered, leaning forward and propping his folded arms on the back of the pew between Shinra and Tamaki. "Must be serious for him to show up. This isn't looking good at all."
"They say he's the strongest fire soldier there is," Shinra said, his voice heavy with respect and adulation.
"He is. And everyone loves him. The entirety of Asakusa worships him," Phoenix interjected into the conversation.
"You know first hand after all," Shinra remarked, trying and failing to eradicate the strained tone from his voice.
"For all that he is, for all the seems to be, Benimaru Shinmon a good, no, a great man," she retorted defensively.
"Okay something is happening here I don't think we want to be a part of Tamaki," Obi said to her as a warning, sitting back on his pew.
Tamaki raised up into a bent over crouch, sliding across Phoenix's lap to sit on the other side of her so she would not be between her and Shinra. Shinra turned his face away from Phoenix glowering at Benimaru.
"What the hell are you lookin' at ya snot nosed brat?" he snapped at Shinra.
Then Benimaru caught sight of Phoenix desperately attempting to hide behind Shinra. He leaned forward so he could get a better look at her. The corners of his mouth turned upward ever so slightly in the ghost of a grin.
"Hey, Fire Bird, how ya been? You're lookin' good. Real good, sweetheart," he complimented, one side of his mouth raising into a semi-lecherous smirk.
Phoenix knew he did that on purpose for the sole reason of humiliating her. It worked fabulously, and her face burned with embarrassment. She hoped she wasn't as red as a tomato, but she was sure she had to be.
The shriveled little old man, Raffles III, entered the side door onto the stage flanked by his young attendants.
Good guys don't always wear white, Phoenix mused as she looked at the geezer and his bodyguards. Regardless of her feelings, she stood, bowing her head and pressing her thumbs together and tenting her fingers like everyone else in the room - the exception of Benimaru, Konro, and Shinra.
"Hey," Tamaki hissed, elbowing Shinra. "Show your respect."
Benimaru leaned his head back his eyes closed. Konro continued to stare at the floor between his feet.
"The time has come..." the shrunken king began, his ancient vocal chords making his voice quiver with the effort to speak.
How can this old fart, this religious relic, rule an empire?, she pondered, sitting back down in her seat. Blah, blah, blah, was all she could here.
"I didn't come here to listen to you ramble about your sun god, old man," Benimaru proclaimed, finally taken an interest, although a rebellious one, in the man's long-winded and wandering speech.
"Shinmon Benimaru," bellowed the indignant captain of Company Two, Gustav Honda. Rising from his seat, he turned to glare at the ill-mannered fellow captain. "You will show respect in the presence of the king."
"He's not my king. Shut your mouth, Honda. I don't like hearing my name said backwards."
"You must be one of those proto-nationalists," sneered Captain Huang of Company Six derisively.
"All of you can burn in Hell or whatever eternal place of torment you believe in," Benimaru declared, standing to his feet in preparation to leave. "I don't recall swearing an oath to your sun god or your empire. The seventh is a group of independent vigilantes who stand for the people and protect them. We have no connection with you. I'm leaving. We're going to keep doing what we're doing. Without you."
Honda continued to yell as Benimaru and Konro headed for the door.
"Stop, Captain Shinmon," commanded Raffles III to be summarily ignored.
Benimaru did not even hesitate. He walked confidently to the door, head up and proud, allowing it to slam soundly behind him.
Phoenix smiled. One thing about Beni is he never changed. He is who he is and no one, not god or man, was going to make him someone he is not.
"What are you smiling about?" Shinra hissed in her ear.
"Absolutely nothing," she returned, lifting her head to look at him directly. "Even though you don't like him, for reasons I clearly understand, you have to admit, there's something to be admired about his attitude, of his ability to them exactly what he thinks."
"Hmph," he snorted like a grumpy old man. He turned away from her to face straight ahead, angry and almost pouting,his arms folded in front of him. "I guess you're right."
Phoenix scooted close to him, pressing her hip and thigh against his and laying her hand on his thigh. Taking advantage of everyone's being distracted by the swift and discourteous exit of company Seven's Captain, she leveled her lips next to his ear, getting close enough they grazed his earlobe.
"Hey, Shinra," she whispered, feeling him shiver when her warm breath tickled his ear.
"What?" he snarled, refusing to look at her.
"You know I love you, right? You heard it straight from my brain so it must be true."
He sighed, visibly deflating as he uncrossed his arms to allow them to hand limply by his sides. One of his hands fell into her lap. She took his hand between hers, squeezing it reassuringly.
"In all seriousness, you know you're the man I want. Don't waste time being jealous over something from the past." She kissed his cheek lightly but did not move away from him.
Raffles III started speaking again and everyone turned their attention to him. He wanted all of the companies to work together for the greater good, to seek out and find this Evangelist. Some companies already had that goal in mind, to destroy the Evangelist. Yet none of them intended to work together except so far for the Eighth and the Fifth.
As they were returning to the Matchbox after the meeting, Captain Obi said words she definitely did not want to hear.
"I think we should visit the Seventh, try to feel them out and gain them as allies. I believe that would be a huge bolster to our cause."
Shit.