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The Epic	By : kyochan Category: +S to Z > Spiral Views: 1747 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Spiral, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Title:� The Epic

Chapter:� 6/ many

Authors:� Kyo-chan and
Koko-chan

Genre:� Shounen-ai

Disclaimers:� We do
not own the characters or the series.�
They belong to Kyo Shirodaira
and Eita Mizuno.� This fanfiction is
written by fans purely for the enjoyment of fans.

Author's Notes:� Here
come more Blade Children!�

~*~

�� Rio walked beside Ayumu, eyes and ears trained down the
dark empty hallways for any sign of life or opposition.� The fact that there had been none so far made
her wary.� The Hunter couldn�t have done
what she did alone, and Ayumu had spoken of assistants, if not fellow
Hunters.� So where were they?� And speaking of Ayumu...

�� Okay,
spill it, Little Narumi.� How did you
know that something was really wrong with Kousuke?� You said he told you there were other Blade
Children here, but I didn�t hear anything but declarations of betrayal.�

� �� Those declarations of betrayal, as
you call them, were nothing more than a mere program,� Ayumu said, gripping the
hilt of Eyes�s katana firmly.� He�d picked
it up from the floor of the roof before they�d re-entered the building.� Even if he didn�t know how to use it
properly, it was still better than being completely defenseless.� �From what I can tell
of this place, beyond the ill repair and small holding cells they�ve got, it�s
an experimentation facility.� The look of
Kousuke suggested that they may have conducted several tests on him.� One of those tests was to overwrite Kousuke�s
real personality and ambition with a fake one.�
As for how I heard the real one beneath, that I�m still not sure of
yet.�

�� Rio thought about that, and shuddered.� �Too close�that�s way too close to the Fate�� she whispered.� It gave her chills, just thinking that a
Hunter had found a way to artificially induce the state of killing dolls in one
of their kind.� And if
that information was somehow passed to other Hunters�� It was not to be thought of.� No wonder Kousuke insisted that all records
be destroyed.� And Rio
would do that, but she intended to get a copy of the logs to take back to Eyes,
as well.� It was best to know exactly
what the Hunter had discovered, so that they could guard against it in the
future.� Next time, they might not be so
lucky as to get back the programmed person alive.

�� Fate?�� Ayumu had
been hearing about Fate and Destiny since he�d met the Blade Children � hell,
since Kiyotaka had disappeared.� �I
suppose you�re going to say that I have to wait for Rutherford
to tell me what that is, aren�t you?�� It
was frustrating.� More and more, it was
becoming apparent that they expected him to play a key role, but it was like
being thrown into a production without being handed a script and the director
was away on vacation.� How was he
supposed to know what to do?� How was
logic and reasoning supposed to help him if he had no idea what he was up
against?

�� The
gray-haired girl looked up at him, her eyes grave.� �I�m afraid so.� But he�ll probably tell you soon, with the
way the last week has unfolded.� For now,
we should focus on the matters at hand.�
So is Kousuke still�connected?�
What exactly is that like, anyway?�

�� Ayumu
thought about that for a moment before answering.� What was it like?� He felt like he�d been straining, as if his
hands were actually reaching out for the other boy.� He�d felt�despair when the puppet had been
talking, a voice that sounded like Kousuke, but separate, deeper.� �I suppose it�s like when you hear a
high-pitched sound, and you feel it in the back of your head just as much as
you hear it with your ears.� Only this
was more like just the feeling of it in the back of my head.� What I was hearing with my ears were the lies
of the programming.� And then�when I
actually felt like I was grasping the real Kousuke, we were�somewhere quiet and
I saw something that looked like red light.�
Did I�pass out?�

�� Sort of.� You seemed
to be in some sort of trance state.� The
Hunter tried to make a grab for you then, but I stopped her.� So�can you still feel him in your mind?� Are you connected to Kousuke now?�

�� Vaguely�� that feeling is
still in the back of my head.� I think if
I wanted to, I could reach out to him again.��
Ayumu pondered that.� If he could
reach out for the redhead and take hold the way he had done before, did that
mean that Kousuke could reach him too?�
Was that really safe?� He frowned.�

�� So you
have a link to Kousuke, 24/7?�� She
thought about this, about how Kousuke acted and thought, both on his good and
bad days.� About all
his little quirks, eccentricities, and hidden insecurities.� �Are the gods you believe in mad at you for
something?�

�� You know,
I was wondering that myself.� If I were a
true believer in some god, I�d be building an altar right about now.�� Amber eyes scanned the areas they walked
through.� It was so quiet�

�� AND STAY
DOWN THIS TIME!� a voice screamed from one of the rooms down the hall.� �Believe me, the
last thing you want is for me to get REALLY pissed off!�� It was a girl�s voice, a little deeper than
Hiyono�s, a bit less shrill.� She sounded
like she meant business, especially when her words were accompanied by a rather
solid-sounding thud.

�� Rio raised an eyebrow, and ran to the sound of the
yelling.� It seemed that they�d just
found their first target.� �For your
information, Little Narumi,� she said as she passed the brunette, �Kousuke is
not-so-secretly obsessed with international music.� And it gets stuck in his head.� A lot.�

�� Great,�
Ayumu muttered under his breath, taking off after Rio.

�� What they
found at the end of the hall was a rather dazed pile of bodies, some that Ayumu
recognized as the guards who�d been in charge when he and Kousuke were
imprisoned.� Standing over them was a
much-disheveled young woman, panting and glaring over them with her hands
clenched into fists.� Long, wavy black
hair was haphazardly tied back from her face with a torn scrap of fabric, and
her jeans and shirt looked a little scuffed.�
Her head snapped up at their arrival, and the eyes that fixed on them
were violet� with a very distinct slit to the pupils.

�� C�mon!� How many more of you
bastards ARE there?!�

�� Not that
many, thanks to you.� I was wondering why
we weren�t meeting any opposition, even though I�d just gotten rid of their
superior.� Rio replied, looking up to meet
those violet cat�s eyes with her own dawn-gray ones.� �I�m Takeuchi Rio.� We�re supposed
to be rescuing you, but I guess you moved without us.�

�� Damn right
I did.� Do you know what that woman was
planning to do to me?!� And using such
stupid guards as this to try and keep me hostage!� The nerve!�� She looked quickly around the room, making
sure one last time that everyone was down before relaxing her stance a little
and putting her hands on her hips.� She
blew a stray curl out of her face and looked them up and down,
recognizing Rio�s eyes much like her own were
recognized.� �Riku Sorashima.� Were you captives here
too?�� Riku was looking at Ayumu
as if she didn�t know what to make of him for a moment.� After all, he was human.

�� I was for
a little while, but let�s just say that you and I had something in common about
wanting to get out of here as soon as possible,� the Ayumu replied.� �Are you injured?�

�� Not
really.� A little bruised, but that won�t
last long.� �Who are you?� You aren�t one of us.�

�� No, he was
taken here as a hostage.� Rio replied.� �This is Narumi Ayumu.� The Hunter took him to ensure the good
behavior of another of us, Asazuki Kousuke.�
We just got him out, and he asked us to get you and whoever else is in
here, and to erase the Hunter�s findings.�

�� The other
one would be Jhette.� We might have a
little bit more trouble getting him out than just walking out.�� She sighed quietly, and then shook her head,
fixing her gaze on Ayumu again.� �I
should know the name �Narumi��

�� Ayumu
rolled his eyes, his expression very long-suffering.� �Yes, you should.� I�m the less-than-comparable little
brother.� Let�s save that tired exchange
for after we�ve gotten out of here, okay?�

�� Rio wanted to kick him for that last statement, but
restrained herself.� This wasn�t the
time.� �Which is closer, the place where
the data is kept, or Jhette-san?� she asked Riku instead.

�� Riku shook
her head.� �Last time I saw the pathetic
excuse for lackeys, they were carrying boxes and files to the hangar where
Jhette is.� They�re probably trying to
get the records out of here.�

�� Why are
they keeping a Blade Child in a hangar?� Rio
wondered, then shook her head.� �Never mind.� Can you lead us there?� We need to catch them before they escape with
that information.� I wouldn�t put it past
that Hunter to have given Kousuke some booby traps, just in case of
failure.� We need to look at those
records.�

�� Got it!� And about
Jhette�well�I�ll explain when we�ve beaten up the rest of those jerks.� C�mon!��
With that, she started running towards the back end of the building,
where she�d been shown the hangar only once.�
She only hoped they weren�t too late, listening for the sound of any
engines, because the way they would be getting out would certainly make a lot
of noise.

�� They got to
the hangar to see a sight of panic and chaos.�
The lackeys were running around like a nest of disturbed ants, piling
files of both paper and visual into a sleek dark green jet.� To one side stood a boy of about their age,
but he looked odd�like an old photograph that had been left out in the rain,
and the color had washed out.� He was
thin, and wore only a plain white t-shirt that was too big for him and a pair
of worn pants.� His feet were bare, his
skin pale.� Light brown hair was cut to
jaw-length around his thin face, and cat-slit eyes of the same color watched
the commotion with an odd faded sort of confusion or puzzlement.� He made no move to stop or fight the people
around him, and the people acted as if he wasn�t there.

�� Ayumu was
wondering just how he was supposed to use the sword to stop the lackeys, but
found out that he really didn�t have to worry about it.� Riku was already about five steps ahead of
him, plowing through the hapless men like an unexpected whirlwind.� They yelled and scattered, but few missed her
notice and those that did, the younger Narumi was able to trip one or smack
them with the flat of the blade he held.�
His keen eyes were on the boy in the corner quite quickly, however, and
he took hold of Rio�s sleeve.

�� Hey�do you
see that?� he asked, pointing.

�� Rio nodded, her brows furrowing.� �Why isn�t he doing anything?� If he�s one of us, he shouldn�t just be
sitting there, looking confused.� He
should be trying to strike back or escape.��
Letting Riku deal with the rest of the lackeys�or, more accurately,
deciding not to interrupt her�she slowly approached the second Blade
Child.� �Anou�are
you okay?�

�� The boy
looked at her, his face curiously still as he did so.� It wasn�t the �I�ll be emotionless or die
trying� sort of stillness that Eyes managed, but more the complete absence of
anything but the most obvious facial movements.�
His eyes gazed at her for a long moment, and Rio
noticed with an inward shiver that the slit pupils never widened or
narrowed.� It was just a slit of black
amidst the brown.� And then he
spoke.� �Voice and facial identification
not found.� User
unknown.� Please identify.�� The voice was soft and breathy, a light male
soprano, but the tone was that of a computer.

�� What the-?�� Ayumu
had heard the words, and they were nothing natural that would come out of a
normal human being.� Computer�� It all felt like�a machine.� He answered before Rio
could.� �User
identification, Narumi Ayumu.�� It
was worth a shot.� After all, if he
turned out to be under the same influence Kousuke was, he had the distinct
impression that he wouldn�t attack by physical force.�

�� Processing
user:� Narumi Ayumu,� that mechanical
voice spoke, sounding even more like a computer for using the exact tonalities
that Ayumu had used on his name, as if he was merely playing back a recording.� His eyes closed for a moment, then
opened.� �File name:� Narumi Ayumu.�
Subject is desired for mental experimentation to attempt duplication of
skills, in the hopes of creating living weapons to destroy the Blade
Children.� Once experimentation is
complete, terminate.� Narumi Ayumu is not
authorized to make use of subject Jhette's
functions.�

�� What is this�?� Rio
whispered, feeling mildly freaked out by this strange
boy.

�� Ayumu
wasn�t feeling all that comforted by the �boy�s� words himself.� He took a step back from it, already having
had enough with people that were out to �terminate� him.� While they were busying themselves with
trying to figure out what was before them, Riku had stopped any of the escaping
lackeys from succeeding in getting away.�
She dusted her hands off with a triumphant, �Hmph!�
and headed over to them.

�� Jhette!�
she called out, seeing the way that Narumi had backed off.� �User login.� Riku Sorashima.� Access alternate profile
login.� Username:� Samantha Gray.� Password:�
Crucifixion.�

�� Processing user:� Riku
Sorashima, alternate profile, Samantha Gray.�� There was another long pause as those
washed-out eyes closed, processing the information.� Then they opened again.� �Password accepted.� Basic personality functions
reactivated.�� There was no outward sign
of any change, but the strange boy suddenly gazed at Riku and gave a tiny
smile.� �Hello, Riku.� I see you have made good on your promise of
chaos, panic and disorder.� Is your work
here done?�

�� He shifted
a little, changing his stature from ramrod straight to just the slightest
slouch of the shoulders.� As his arm
moved, it brushed against, then straight
through Ayumu�s.

�� The teen
couldn�t help but let out a yelp of surprise, stepping back even more.� He was highly unnerved by this Blade Child,
and he didn�t see any point in masking it at all.� He moved as close to Rio
as he could get without touching her or looking like he was hiding behind
her.� His expression was wary, as it
probably should have been.

�� It will be
once we actually leave,� Riku said with a grin.�
She seemed very proud of what she�d done here.� Her eyes turned to the jet.� �However�.getting you out of here might be a
little difficult.�

�� Jhette gave
a shrug in acknowledgement before turning to look at Ayumu.� �Forgive me.�
The form you see here is a hologram, not my real body.� I am unsure as of yet what the proper
parameters are for the image, as it is based on my personality, which was until
recently turned off so that Hunter Samantha�s associates could load me for
takeoff.�

�� Hold on a
second here�� Ayumu held up his hand, a
genuinely confused look on his face.�
Reprogramming, he could understand.�
He�d just seen what it could do to Kousuke.� But the hologram�and the implications that
Jhette was actually the jet was a
little beyond his comprehension.� �You
mean to tell me that you�re really�that?�� He pointed to the aircraft that sat waiting
to take the records somewhere else.

�� You could
say that,� Riku answered with a shrug.�
She didn�t seem surprised, though if she knew where to find the other
Blade Child, she likely knew at least a little of what to expect.

�� Correct.�
Jhette replied.� �When I was brought
here, Hunter Samantha fused my body into the jet as one of her experiments on
my abilities.� Now, my physical form remains
in suspended animation, and my mind is installed in the circuitry of the
machine itself.� So long as the program
made from my brainwaves is inserted into the security or operating system of
any area, I can use the hologram to interact, and the entire place under my
programming can become my weapon.� Hunter
Samantha has put up several defense systems of her own, so that my program
cannot move freely to cause her or others harm.�
I may only respond with force under her command, and Riku's when she is using
Hunter Samantha�s account.�

�� It�s not
very likely that we can fly this thing home,� Ayumu said, looking over the size
of it.� �What are we going to do?� If Jhette-san can indeed move within other
forms of circuitry, that�s fine.� But
it�s not like we can either take this with us or leave it here.�

�� Riku looked
at a loss.� �You�re right.� Going back into the city, there isn�t
anyplace even remotely close to being large enough to land in.�� And where else could we stash something this
size.� Any suggestions, Jhette?� she
asked the other.� �Possible suggestions?�

�� Affirmative,
Riku.� If you would remove the items
already loaded into my hull, I will change the outer form to that of a land
vehicle.� Trucks are not nearly so
difficult to hide in a city, and I am not especially large.�

�� Rio gaped at him before gritting her teeth in anger at
the Hunter who had done this.� �I should
have made her suffer more��

�� Riku gave a
mock-salute and grinned.� �Roger
that.� Narumi, want to give me a
hand?��

�� Uh�sure�� Ayumu blinked at the image a few more times, then went to help the girl start taking files out.

�� Rio also joined in to help, but couldn't help but read
some of the files in her hands. Ironically, the ones she had turned out to be
Kousuke's, and by the time she was done with just the first page, she was
shaking in anger. There were photographs with the file, and that only made it
worse. There were even thin panels that turned out to be portable vid files, but she was too afraid she'd break something if
she looked.

�� Ayumu
noticed her distraction and he came over, gently moving her hands to close the
file. "He's going to be all right now," he assured her.

�� Rio looked up at him, her eyes stormy as she handed him
the file for him to look through. "Will he? No, not completely. Not for a
very long while. He would never admit it, Little Narumi, but Kousuke has a
fragile heart under that annoyingly brash exterior. And they hurt him
here."

�� He knew
that. He knew that even by the little time they'd spent together at that place
in the back of their minds. While they hadn't tread into each other's business
anymore than they had to, Ayumu still knew from Kousuke's inner voice that even
remotely speaking betrayal to Eyes had hurt, and that didn't even touch the physical
damage.

�� The photos Rio had left the file open to didn't help matters. They
were horribly graphic things, showing how badly the redhead had suffered. Rio turned away to move other files, looking sad.
"Kousuke...is going to be afraid now. He won't show it, probably not even
fully to Eyes, but he'll be afraid. Our trust means a lot to him, and now he'll
question that for who knows how long."

�� Ayumu found
that a little hard to believe, at least on some levels. "But...you and
Rutherford will still trust him, won't you? He might be afraid, but as long as
you don't turn your back on him, that fear will have nothing to feed off
of."

�� "Of course not!" Rio
snapped, then forcefully calmed herself down.
"But...Little Narumi, you have to understand that not everything is
rational or logical. That goes double for the mindset of a torture victim. Especially one as emotional as Kousuke. So at least for a
while, there's going to be this horrible little voice at the back of his mind,
constantly wondering if we truly still trust him, or if we're just lying so
that we can keep a careful eye on him. I know, because I saw it happen before,
at the hands of a Savior."

�� The
brunette stared at her quietly. He wanted to react to her temper, feeling just
as on edge as she was. Half of it was from seeing what the Hunter had done, the other half of it was because he didn't know
everything that she was talking about. The lack of information was really
starting to get to him. But as she had, he maintained his calm, taking a deep
breath before he replied. He couldn't say that he understood exactly what
Kousuke would be thinking, but he did know that he'd be a little more wary of
any kind of gun after coming so close to death only a week ago. It was like a
very bad fall...sometimes, you wondered if you ever wanted to get back up
again. "Sorry. I can only go with what I know." He grabbed the last
set of files from the aircraft, peering inside to make sure it was empty.

�� Rio nodded. "And I'm sorry for snapping. I'm just
worried. Worried and angry at a dead woman, and likely to get
angrier as I read over all this stuff with Eyes. Jhette-san," she
said, turning to the other boy, who had quietly observed the whole thing,
"how many other Blade Children did the Hunter have here?" If there were still others in the compound...

�� Jhette
tilted his head slightly. "Records state that Hunter Samantha has had in this compound sixteen Blade Children up to date, including
newest acquisitions, Riku Sorashima and Asazuki Kousuke. Fourteen are currently
deceased, three terminated for resisting in transit, seven from
experiment-related complications, three terminated after testing was complete,
and one made not real and pressed into service."

�� Ayumu may
not have liked the Blade Children or some of their ways, but their deaths
here... It hadn't been necessary. It brought home the reality that Eyes and
Kousuke had been right. Kill or be killed, and it seemed that the death wasn't
even a merciful one. His fist clenched at his side, and he could only be thankful
that Kousuke wasn't one of those deceased statistics. As much as Asazuki
annoyed him, that was no reason to wish anything like this one him. Ayumu could
easily guess who the last one was.

�� Riku shook
her head. "Wish I'd killed that bitch."

�� Rio let out a soft growl, kicking at one of the boxes of
files. "I wish I'd made her suffer more. Three little bullets seem
too merciful now." For a few seconds, she wished she had the same skill
with knives that Kousuke had. She knew he would have dismembered her piece by
piece for all this, slowly and painfully.

�� Ayumu took
one look at the angry young woman and shook his head. On some levels, he was
very glad that she hadn't had anything other than the gun. He didn't think he'd
be able to watch, but probably would have been too caught up to look away. He
shuddered and turned to Jhette. "Well, now what...?"

�� Jhette
simply shrugged and pointed to the jet that was his real body. Now that it was
empty, it was already changing. It was a fascinating, if rather odd sight.
Wires and metal components disengaged and rearranged themselves seemingly on
their own, even the engine coming apart to reassemble itself into something
with a power level more suited to ground than air. Everything moved around a
central point, but that point itself was obscured by all the floating debris.
It was, however, the exact size of a smallish teenager.

�� "Forgive
me for not displaying my Core," Jhette said in that breathy computerized
voice, "but the original body is...not pretty. And all of you are already
in states of distress."

�� "That's
one word for it," Ayumu whispered, his eyes wide as he watched the
transformation.

�� Riku shook
her head, a seemingly irrepressible smile on her face. "It's all right,
Jhette. The Hope of the Blade Children isn't going to judge you here."

�� That caught
Ayumu's attention. His amber eyes drifted over to her, and he was met with that
smile, but given no explanation.

�� Jhette
slowly blinked. "Title 'hope of Blade Children' not found. All related
information classified under Hunter code number 46275. Determined
of no relevance for Child that does not exist."

�� "Relevance
to be discovered once the system receives updated information," Riku
replied with a wink. "All aboard! Anyone know
where we're headed?"

�� Rio gave her the address of the building where they were
all staying. "Eyes prefers we stay together,
since there's so few of us right now." Before she got in the truck, she
made a point of reloading all the files. She wasn't kidding about taking them
to Eyes for review. She wanted to be doubly sure that there were no other
problems to expect for Kousuke. "Jhette-san, does this place have a
self-destruct program?"

�� "Affirmative. I can activate it from a maximum distance
of one mile."

�� "Great.
I want this place off the map."

�� "Request unclear. Geography has little to do with
explosives. Please clarify."

�� "Oh,
for the love of..."

�� Riku waved
her hand to quiet Rio. "As with every
person, the way you talk affects what they can understand. Jhette, accessing
facility self-destruct functions. Eliminate target location in five minutes.
Repeat: Access facility self-destruct functions. Eliminate target location in
five minutes." She climbed into the truck, settling herself into the
driver's seat.

�� The
hologram nodded and vanished, but the voice still came from a small speaker on
the dashboard. "Acknowledged. And for the record,
I am not letting you drive."

�� "Aww, c'mon, Jhette! I have a
permit! I haven't broken any traffic violations yet!"

�� "Negative.
To use something from my slang dictionary, you are psycho. Remove hands from
the steering wheel. I will drive myself."

�� Rio didn't know if it was really all that funny,
but with all of the tension of the day, she couldn't help but let it out in a
burst of giggles.

�� Riku huffed
and flopped back in her seat, arms crossed. By that point, Ayumu was settled
into the back with the files. He leaned his head back, somewhat distanced from
the banter. He was slipping into the mindset of only wanting to go home and end
this horribly long week.

�� Rio glanced over at him and thought of something.
"Ne, Little Narumi? If you like, we can drop you off near your home,
but...do you want to stay one more night with us?"

�� The thought
of going home was tempting. Very tempting. But he
wanted to make sure that Kousuke was all right, see everyone where they should
be before he went to where he should be. Besides, it would be easier to sneak
in if Madoka was already at work. He wasn't in the mood to get nagged by her
now. It only recently occurred to him that he hadn't been home in a little over
a week, and with his luck, she probably had every cop in the city looking for
him. The lecture was not going to be pleasant, and he would have
preferred to have a good night's sleep under his belt first. "I'm coming
with you."

�� Rio nodded, hiding a small smile behind her hand. She
would get Ayumu together with the other two yet. Now if her
luck just held out and Riku-san would be willing to help. She hoped that
the girl didn't end up taking one look at Eyes or Kousuke and going into
'drooling fangirl' mode. That would be bad.

�� Ayumu laid
his head against the glass window, holding Kousuke's folder in his lap. He'd
seen enough from when Rio had looked, and he
couldn't help but be as angry as she was. But his anger was dulled by his
exhaustion. He'd insisted on getting to the complex as soon as he was able so
that they could get Kousuke out as soon as possible. He was tired.

�� The trip
back was fairly quick. Once Jhette had the address, it seemed he had no real
need of directions. When asked, he explained that one of his various programs
was a satellite global positioning system, so he always knew where he had to
go. And true to his word, he did not drive himself like a psycho.

�� Riku was
almost disappointed, but she got over it as soon as she saw where they'd ended
up. "Damn...that building is huge... you live here, Rio-san?" She
stared up at the multi-story building and the glass tower.

�� Rio shrugged. "Sort of. The
building actually belongs to Eyes, but he has us stay there for safety. Since neither Kousuke or I have parents, it doesn't really matter
to us where we stay." Well, except that lately Kousuke probably would
refuse to stay anywhere else...

�� "I
detect a sizable garage under the building. Am I cleared for entry?"
Jhette asked, already driving towards the driveway, already knowing the answer.

�� "Hai." Rio said.

�� "I
think staying here is going to be much cooler than the lab!" Riku said
excitedly, leaning forward in her seat. "There's a back elevator, right?"

�� Rio nodded. "Though honestly, I think the best way
to deal with Jhette is to just take his program up to the security room and
install him right away. It'll save time. That is, unless...Jhette,
did the Hunter add any booby traps to your program to stop someone from
installing you in places other than her lab?"

�� "Negative.
Hunter Samantha moved a lot. Such precautions would have been impractical and
decreased productivity by 32.7 percent."

�� "Good."
Riku slid out of the front seat and reached over Ayumu in the back to get to
the files. The young man had dozed off, but immediately snapped to attention
when

�� Riku
reached over him. "Rise and shine, sugar."

�� "Mmm? Sorry...I'm
awake." Ayumu slid out, stacking some more files on top of Kousuke's.

�� Rio smiled and turned back to the dashboard. "Can
you give me something I can use to download you into our system?"

�� "Affirmative. Please stand by." There was a
whirring sound, and then a small disc popped out of a slit near Rio's hand. "Insert that into your main security
systems. I will change it to suit."

�� "Right." Rio
said, and climbed out of the car. She led everyone over to the elevator, and
herded them in. Except for the quick stop at the security room to enable Jhette's image to walk beside them, they went straight to
the penthouse, where the bedrooms were.

�� "It
figures that you all would be in the penthouse. You're led by Eyes Rutherford,
aren't you? I'm sure he has the money for such a place, easy." Riku stared
out at the city as it slipped away beneath them.

�� Jhette
watched the panorama of the city with an odd expression. On a living face, it
might have been longing. "I hope there are more windows here than in the
hangar."

�� "The
entire top floor is mostly windows from what I remember," Ayumu said, yawning.
"You'll be able to see a lot."

�� Jhette
nodded, not taking his eyes from the scene outside the elevator. "Ah. Yokatta."

�� Rio gazed at him sadly. "You liked the outdoors
before the Hunter got you, huh?"

�� Jhette
paused, his expression going still. "Information classified. Memory data
of subject Jhette sealed until proper measures for complete erasure can be
found."

�� Rio shuddered and thought again that she should have made
that woman suffer more.

�� "Hey Rio..." Ayumu murmured as the elevator reached the
top floor. "Is Rutherford going to be
okay with all two more strangers?"

�� Rio shrugged, stepping out. "He was okay with me and
Kousuke, when he first found us. And really, the only one who's going to take
up any space is Riku-san. Something tells me Jhette-san doesn't eat or sleep,
or even require a room."

�� "Correct."
Jhette replied. "My program is now in the building, so I may go anywhere
and observe anything. But I do not eat or sleep, for I am not a real
being."

�� Rio raised an eyebrow. "Of course you are. You have
a body and a mind."

�� "Negative.
My body is merely a bit of meat held in suspended animation. My mind is a
computer program. According to Hunter Samantha, subject Jhette is not a real
person, and has not been since his creation."

�� Ayumu himself
was beginning to think that the Hunter should have suffered more. He followed Rio into the penthouse with the others in tow, finding
the first available table to put the files down on. It was awfully quiet. He
glanced around to see if anything looked out of place, but it just seemed that
the other two Blade Children might already have been asleep.

�� Rio put a finger to her lips to signal silence to the
others, just in case. Kousuke, she knew, could sleep through a hurricane, but
she wasn't sure about Eyes. If he had also gone to bed, she didn't want to wake
him. However, it didn't stop her from going straight for the bright red
biohazard sign on Kousuke's door, wanting just as much as Ayumu to make sure
the redhead had gotten home safe and was resting.

�� The moment
she was within view of the doorframe, there was a hurried sound of movement. A
flash of blue orbs reflected in the light from the hallway, along with the
glint of a knife blade. Eyes had immediately pinned Rio
with his gaze, skimming her over once to make sure she wasn't an unwelcome
intruder before he lowered his blade.

�� Awww...he was standing guard. How cute!
"It's just us, Eyes," she whispered, "Little Narumi and I got
the two other Blade Children, and just stopped by to see how Kousuke was before
getting people settled. Can we come in?"

�� There was a
slight nod, and Eyes slid off the bed, keeping the knife in hand. He was very
careful to try not to disturb Kousuke as he padded over to the doorway.

�� Kousuke lay
half on his side, and at some point had kicked the blankets down to the foot of
the bed, the orange fabric still tangled around the lower part of his long
slender legs. The soft tunic he was wearing as a sleep shirt draped around his
lanky frame, showing off the leanness of his body to perfection. One arm was
draped over his narrow waist, and the other was spread out to the side, palm
up, as if reaching for a missing companion. The low collar of the tunic gave an
inviting view of the narrow but strong chest under it, rising and falling
slightly with his breathing. The dark green hue of the fabric
made the redhead's skin look like fine porcelain, shining softly in the
light from the doorway. His face was tilted towards the door, completely
relaxed in deep sleep. He looked softer in sleep, totally open and vulnerable,
and more like the seventeen-year-old he really was.

�� Ayumu
caught himself staring, seeing a different side to Kousuke than the arrogant
bastard. It was...strange to behold.

�� Eyes gave a
look back over his shoulder, checking one last time, then ushered everyone back
down the hallway to the main room.

�� Rio fell back to nudge Riku slightly. "Quit
drooling," she whispered to her, "If he doesn't have 'Property of
Eyes' stamped somewhere on his body, it's just from lack of opportunity."
Not that Rio was all that unaffected by the
sight herself. It was very rarely that she saw the redheaded Blade Child
looking quite that edible. And she was secretly hopeful about the
reactions it had caused in Ayumu. The look that had crossed his face was
promising.

�� Riku shook
her head, taking in her fill of Eyes as he came into the light as well. She got
the message really quick...they were not to be touched, but she was allowed to
think they were hot.

�� Rio gave a slight chuckle. "The sad part is they
really think they're hiding it. Now all I have to do is manage to get Little
Narumi past his own obliviousness somehow..."

�� "You're
trying to get all of them together?" Riku asked in a whisper.

�� Rio nodded. "What can I say? I'm a closet yaoi fan with a masochistic liking for hopeless causes. Buuuut, I don't think it's all that hopeless, from
the way Little Narumi was staring." She sighed. "I know Kousuke and
Eyes are already very interested in him."

�� "I
thought they were interested because he's the Hope..." Riku looked
confused, glancing back at them before going to take a seat on the sofa near
the piano.

�� "That's
how it started, yes," Rio agreed, sitting
next to her, "but it's changed a little since then. And of course, true to
male behavior, all three are totally oblivious about the full feelings of the
others. Kind of sad, really."

�� Jhette had
heard most of their conversation, but understood little, since most of the
relevant reference data was not in the directories open to him. So he moved to
the windows to stare outside again, admiring the lights of the city at night.
His memory was straining, trying to remember why the name Eyes Rutherford
seemed so important to him, even with there being no file in his data banks on
him.

�� Eyes moved
to the piano, where he usually sat no matter who was
there. He set the knife on the ledge for the sheet music, casually crossing one
leg over the other, his gaze circling the room. Ayumu took a seat in the chair
and leaned his head back, still very tired.

�� "Well,
Rio...give me the
abbreviated version." His blue eyes drifted over to the pile of folders on
his table.

�� Rio's face turned serious as she looked at Eyes.
"The Hunter had sixteen of us. Riku-san and Jhette-san are the only
survivors, next to Kousuke."

�� "Incorrect.
Subject Riku Sorashima is the only other survivor. Subject Jhette does not
exist, outside a constructed computer system." the brunette Blade Child's
mechanical voice responded.

�� "We're
not getting into this argument again, Jhette-san... Anyway, we got out of
there, detonated the whole area, and brought the files on what she did here. It
won't be pleasant, but we should probably know her results, just so we know
what to guard against in case she was in contact with anyone. I'd rather not see
anybody else in Kousuke's position."

�� Eyes took a
deep breath, his gaze still on the files for a moment before they drifted over
to the image of Jhette. His electric blue eyes narrowed as he pondered both the
words he'd said and the way he could almost see the setting sunlight through
him. "Sixteen..." That was sixteen too many, and he counted his
blessings that Kousuke was one of the survivors instead of one of the
casualties. "These two," he said, glancing at first Jhette again, then Riku, "they're willing to stand against Fate as
well?"

�� "I'm
really good at being rebellious, Rutherford-san," Riku answered before Rio could. "You'll find no objection from me."

�� Jhette was
silent for a long moment. "I...only barely remember what the fate of the
Blade Children was," he finally admitted. "It's probably with the
rest of the classified memory data. But I know I was scared of it, and that my
m-mother wanted to fight it...I think..." He shook his head.
"Regardless, I know Hunter Samantha was using her results from working
with me to try and induce a sort of 'controllable' version of our fate. So I
will fight it, just for that. No more should be made into objects."

�� Eyes
nodded. "For now, your word will have to do." His expression
sharpened a little, feeling colder than it usually was. "I don't take
traitors lightly, however. Be advised that I will be aware of what goes on in
this place."

�� Jhette gave
something approximating a smile. "So am I. I am currently interfaced with
your security system. I will know everything and anything that happens on the
premises, and can report it immediately. And unlike a normal operating system,
I can make judgment calls. However, if this does not suit, my Core program can
be returned to where my actual body is currently sitting in the basement."

�� The
silver-haired man fixed Rio with an
admonishing look. He knew that she had to be the one that had gotten him into
the database before she'd come to get him. He would have preferred she asked
permission first, but there wasn't much he could do about that now. "No,
it should be fine, Jhette. You actually may be of better assistance than the
current program. Thank you."

�� The
hologram nodded, then tilted his head, as if listening
to something. "Wiring on third and sixth floors faulty.
Lighting at 87 percent. Fixing."

�� Rio sighed. "I assume we'll get used to him?"
she asked Riku.

�� Riku nodded
and smiled wistfully. "Yes. I certainly have. He freaked me out at first,
but once you understand what's happening and you keep in the back of your mind
what was done to him, it gets easier to tolerate."

�� Rio nodded and turned back to Eyes. "Have there been
any problems with Kousuke? I didn't find anything in his files that would point
to any serious lasting damage, but you'd know better than I would."

�� "A bit
of insecurity, but that's to be expected. Anyone to come out of that place that
isn't wary would have me worried more." Eyes lowered his head a little,
taking a deep breath. "Other than that, his wound should heal fine, and as
long as we keep an eye on him, I don't anticipate any problems."

�� Riku held
back a smile. "I suppose I shouldn't mention how ironic keeping.. 'eyes' on him sounds?"

�� Rio's mind, already in the happy yaoi
gutter, promptly gave her images that caused both a blush and a serious case of
the giggles.

�� Jhette just
looked mildly confused until his less-than-worldly programming caught up.
"Ah...word play. Such an example will be saved for future reference."

�� Eyes sighed
and shook his head. "Little Narumi, you decided to stay?"

�� Ayumu, who
hadn't been a part of the conversation until now, opened his eyes a little
again. "Mmm," he said in affirmation.
"Last I saw of Asazuki, he'd gone over a five story ledge into some cold
water. Needed to make sure I didn't kill the guy."

�� Rio looked at the brunette and shrugged. "Something
tells me Kousuke would survive just to spite you. If it's okay, Eyes, I think
we should get Little Narumi settled somewhere to sleep. He exhausted himself
today." She sighed regretfully. "It's a pity, though. If he was in
any better condition, I'd be begging him to cook."

�� "Maybe
breakfast," the brunette said sleepily.

�� Eyes got up
from his seat at the piano. "He can sleep in my room. I'll be staying with
Kousuke, just in case. Riku, you can either bunk with Rio
or have the couch." He looked over at Jhette. "I'm assuming I don't
have to make any special arrangements for you."

�� "I can
sleep on the couch..." Ayumu protested weakly, surprised that the offer of
having Eyes's room had even come up.

�� "Smile and nod, Little Narumi. Eyes is the rich one, so
he's got the gorgeous antique four-poster bed with the satin sheets that makes
me and just about any other person in the world squirm with envy when we see
it. In fact, the only one who didn't was Kousuke."

�� Jhette
blinked. "Why did Asazuki Kousuke not follow the norm?"

�� "He
said he didn't want it because it was too big to steal."

�� Jhette
blinked again. "Real people are illogical things."

�� "Yeah,
that pretty much sums up Kousuke."

�� "No
kidding," Ayumu agreed, leaning forward and rubbing his eyes. "If
you're really going to insist, then I guess I'll sleep there, but really, I can
take the couch."

�� "No no! Then I'll have nowhere to sleep!" Riku cried.
"And I couldn't possibly sleep in the bed of the famous Eyes
Rutherford! You simply must take the bed!" Never mind that she had
no intention whatsoever of taking the couch, unless Rio
didn't want her company. But she was banking on the fact that the young woman
wouldn't mind, especially if it got Ayumu into Eyes's bed. The musician
wouldn't be in there with him, but�
...baby steps, after all.

�� Rio shot her a look of endless gratitude. It was so nice
to have an accomplice!

�� Riku winked
back when the boys weren't looking.

�� "Come then, Little Narumi." He waved his hand towards
the hallway as Ayumu rose up from the chair, stifling another yawn. "This way."

�� Rio watched them go and gave a wistful little sigh. "So near, and yet so far. I need to start wiring these
rooms with cameras so I can watch the cuteness. And no, Jhette, I will not
clarify that."

�� Jhette
rolled his eyes. "No clarification needed. The term 'yaoi
fangirl' has already been inputted into my data
banks, courtesy of Riku."

�� Riku
nodded. "I teach him fast."

�� Rio smiled. "Oh, good. Then
maybe we can get him to help us. But for now, I think we both need sleep. To
copy Eyes, come this way."
- 5
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