Gaping Flaws

[Padfoot]

This is something I'm working on while I try to keep getting ideas for TTW. This book came to me after reading a couple of mangas. So...Enjoy.

Inspiration:
Mangas: Bleach, The One, Ouran High School Host Club, Godchild, Kateikyou Hitman Reborn.
Animes: Bleach, Ouran High School Host Club, Phantom: Requiem For The Phantom, Kateikyou Hitman Reborn.



Gabriel isn't known by many. He is a solitary individual that keeps himself to himself. He has one precious person in his life, but she gets taken away from him every time.
 This book follows the lives of a boy and a girl as they meet friends and enemies along their way to happiness. They are destined to be together but obstacles block the route, one of which is goes by the name of Xavier Lasron.

What will Gabriel do to end this madness?


Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight

[Padfoot]

Thanks C'ren and T-Bird.
And Hayley, think about it more. If they angle it correctly, it will hit. I just confirmed it with my dad and brother.

[Panda-Brain]

You're going to have to show me what you mean. =P

[Padfoot]

I shall when I see you 

Working on Chapter 9 now guys. Page 2 already.

[Padfoot]

   All of the colour had left Gabriel’s face. The Company experimented on humans? He didn’t want to believe it. Was it DNA altering or something worse? A shiver ran down his back. His eyes fell on Thorn’s hands. They were clenched into fists, the tendons tight and pronounced. The tattoo of the scorpion rippled as if it was alive.

   “On humans?” Thorn asked, his voice quiet. Kazuki nodded before rubbing his temples slightly. “How do they do that?”

   “I don’t know.” Kazuki sighed, “But we need to stop them. We cannot let humans get treated on. It’s wrong. It’s sick.”

   Gabriel leaned back in his seat, taking it all in. So that’s what Xavier assassinated for. He wondered if his cousin knew who he worked for. Thinking this, Gabriel turned to Kazuki. “Have you found out anything about June Frai?”

   “Sort of. All I know is that she is the leader of The Company. The whole human experiment thing is probably her idea.” Kazuki said.

   Thorn stood up suddenly, startling both Gabriel and Kazuki. “We’ll train. We’ll train for today and we’ll leave tomorrow.”

   “What?” Gabriel’s jaw dropped down. “I’m not ready to face my cousin again.”

   “Don’t worry. I’ll train with you. I’m stronger than Endo here,” Thorn nodded to Kazuki, “plus I know how to fire a gun so we can practice your shooting as well.”

   Gabriel nodded, trusting Thorn. There was something about the older man he liked. He didn’t know if it was his rebellious appearance, or his attitude to life, but he seemed to click with the 169 year old male.

   “Go to the dojo first.” Kazuki said, standing up, his maroon hakama moving swiftly with his body. “Thorn, give Gabriel what is his.” And with that, he left for his study.

   Thorn looked at the still seated Gabriel and smiled, before grabbing the wooden box he had entered with. “Come on then. You’ll like your gift.”

   Gabriel stood up and followed Thorn out of the kitchen and towards the dojo. The box that Thorn had picked up reflected the sunlight, the deep mahogany was beautiful. The sun landed on Thorn’s orange hair, making it a vibrant colour. As he walked, his hair swayed slightly. Gabriel wondered how long it had taken him to grow his hair that long.

   Thorn slid the door of the dojo open and stepped in, removing his shoes. He made his way to the centre of the dojo, followed by Gabriel. They knelt of the cold floor, legs crossed. The box lay between them with Thorn’s hand resting on it.

   “Before I open this, take off your crystal and remove it from the throng.” Thorn said, watching Gabriel with his black and red eyes.

   “Why?” Gabriel asked, his hand closing around his smoky quartz crystal.

   “You’ll need it in a few minutes.” Thorn said, flicking the clasps that kept the box shut, up so he could open it.

   Gabriel tugged hard on the necklace and it snapped at the back, The crystal was set in a small silver frame to attach it to the leather throng. He removed his and held his crystal in his hand, the familiar warmth seeming to caress his hand.

   Thorn nodded and opened the lid of the box, It was lined with a jet black silk, and a katana rested in the middle of it. The hilt and sheath were a brilliant gold colour, the same colour of Gabriel’s eyes. Thorn handled it gently, as if it were a newborn baby. Embedded in the hilt was a small blue stone, that Gabriel recognised as the crystal he had taken from Inferno. There was small gap at the end of the hilt, the depth of which was the length of his own crystal. Slowly, Thorn slid the sheath off to reveal the blade. It was a gleaming silver, with a design running down the middle of the blade. The design was a line of pure gold fire, running from the guard to the tip. Gabriel’s heart leapt into his throat as Thorn slid the sheath back on and held it out to Gabriel.

   “It’s yours.”

   Gabriel extended his hands and lightly took the katana. The weight of it automatically felt familiar. His fingers glided over it softly as he rested it in his lap. It was a magnificent piece of work.

   “Take the sheath off, then take your crystal and put it in that slot at the end of the hilt.” Thorn ordered. Gabriel removed the sheath, took his crystal, and slid it in. Then, something happened.

   The gold fire engraved in the blade shone brilliantly. Gabriel felt heat radiate from the blade as it grew brighter. He picked it up by the hilt, watching as the two crystals, his own and Inferno’s began to pulsate with light. Standing up, he swayed as a wave hit him. A ringing sensation filled his ears and he stumbled slightly. He didn’t know what was going on. He looked at Thorn, who was watching carefully.

   The heat from the katana changed. Looking down, Gabriel saw that the blade had dulled back to its original colour, but was now surrounded by something. He held the sword straighter and whatever was around the blade, intensified. They looked like gold flames. They flickered slightly but never went out, even when he blew on them experimentally.

   Thorn stood then, walking over to Gabriel with a grin on his face.

   “Welcome to the true magic of the crystals.”


   There was blood everywhere; on the walls, floor, curtains and ceiling. Tabby stood beside the body of the murdered Russian, Serge Sokolov. Her sword glistened with the red liquid. Her sword was a Szabla, with a ruby red hilt and sheath. Her mask still hid her face, only allowing her cold eyes to show.

   Xavier stood in the doorway that led into the Russian’s kitchen. His arms were crossed, watching as Tabby wiped the blade clean and slid the Szabla back into the sheath. He had to admit; she was fast. She really could kill within a blink of an eye.

   As soon as they had entered the house, Xavier had left it completely up to his new partner. He had allowed her to enter first, to see the first look of terror on Sokolov’s face. Xavier had taken great pleasure in watching the blood drain from his face. He relished in how Sokolov had trembled in fear when he realised what he had done. The last thing that Sokolv had ever seen were the two masks of his killers; one white, one black.

   Xavier was slightly pleased that his new partner had done so well. He walked over to her slowly, his footsteps echoing slightly as his boots met the linoleum.

   “We have our true job now.” He said to her, his voice electronic from the mask. “We have to find something very important.”

   “What is it?” Tabby asked, looking up at him.

   “You don’t need to know that.” Truth be told, Xavier didn’t trust her one bit. She didn’t need to know about the crystals. Not yet, anyway. Not until she proved that she was trustworthy. “All you need to know is that you follow me no matter what. You might come in handy.”

   Xavier turned his back to Tabby and made his way to the door. He heard the small footsteps behind him, which told him that Tabby was following suit, just like he had told her to.

   “Where are we going then?” She sighed, catching up with silver haired man. “Won’t you tell me that? I mean, we’re a team now. Partners. I should know about the job we’re going on!”

   Xavier rolled his eyes behind his mask and cursed under his breath. Already, he didn’t like her. Yes, she was a good assassin, but God he hated her. All the questions and witty comments were drilling into his head and he had only been with her for a few hours. If he had to work with her for another week, he would kill himself. Either that, or remove her tongue. He preferred the latter.

   “Just shut up.” He growled as the cold night air hit him, making him tap into his crystal’s energy for warmth. He saw Tabby pull her shirt closer around her small body. “You talk too much. Assassins should be quiet.”

   Tabby glared at him, before looking away. He smirked behind his mask. If he could get her to hate him, she might ask June Frai to be partnered with someone else. Or, he could just shoot her and leave her for dead. Again, he preferred the latter. He would get a new partner either way.

   “You’re not going to tell me anything about this job, are you?” She muttered, placing her sword upon her back.

   “Not a damn thing.” Xavier removed his mask as they approached a bend in the road. There were walls running along either side of them now. He reached up to the top of one of them and brought down his bag. He placed his mask inside it and took out the roll of bandages he always carried with him. Silently, as they walked, he fastened it around his forehead and the auras vanished for the second time that night. His eyes dulled down to their natural colour as Tabby took her own off. He still couldn’t get over the colour of her hair.

   “Is that your natural colour?” He asked, pointing to her head.

   Tabby scowled. “No, it’s not. I’m a brunette.”

   “Really? I was thinking that you were more of a blonde.”

   Tabby glared at him once more, “What’s that meant to mean?”

   “Oh, nothing.” Xavier smirked, sticking his hands into his pockets once he had slung his bag over his shoulder. His thoughts wandered back to where the crystal could be. He remembered where Hayden had went; Gabriel’s flat.

   “Come on.” Xavier muttered, walking away from Tabby, down the alley. “We’re going.”


   “What is this?” Gabriel was shocked; he had never seen anything like it before. Not even heard of it. The golden flames had lowered themselves to miniscule sizes, making the entire blade seem to shine.

   “That’s only it activating. You can make it do different things.” Thorn put his hands behind his head. “Depending on how you feel, the crystals will react differently. If you’re angry, something will happen. When you’re sad, another thing will happen.”

   Gabriel looked from the katana to Thorn, “Will you teach me?”

   “That’s why I’m here!” Thorn laughed. “I have something similar, but not with crystals. I have my own powers.” He moved back over to the box that had held the katana. Slowly, he lifted up the black silk, to reveal a new weapon.

   It was a combat knife. It had a grey leather hilt,, with a small ring under the silver guard on the blade’s blunt side. There was a small piece of black fur wrapped around the base of the hilt. The blade had been polished to a gleam and looked razor sharp. Thorn picked it up, and spun it around his right index finger by the small ring. He grabbed the hilt and smiled at Gabriel.

   “This is my weapon. It has a name as well.”

   “Why?” Gabriel asked.

   Thorn smirked, “You‘ll find out in a minute. Anyway,” his eyes met Gabriel’s, “You want me to teach you, don’t you?” Gabriel nodded a reply, before Thorn continued.

   “There are several things you need to know about your katana. First,” Thorn held up his index finger on his left hand, “You need to give it a name. When you do, the glowing will vanish. Second,” He held up another finger, “When you channel an emotion into it, a different power will appear for each emotion. Third,” Another finger went up, “You need to take care of it and train with it everyday otherwise it will not channel.

   “I’ll help you channel an emotion, and then you can train on your own. Gabriel,” Thorn’s smile faltered, then disappeared, “We don’t know if or when Xavier will show up, so you need to train hard. You need to master this quickly. It won’t be easy and you will feel your energy weaken everyday. But listen to me,” He placed a scarred hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, “The energy will be returned when you need it.”

   Gabriel didn’t understand any of this. What did Thorn mean? Where did the energy go? How did he get it back? And channelling emotions? How was he meant to do that? He looked at the katana he held. A name? He was to name it? What name was suited for such a beautiful sword? He turned it slowly, the light reflecting off the polished blade. This sword would spill blood. Yet, how could something as beautiful as a princess do something so violent?

   A name clicked into his head.

   “Thorn, what’s Japanese for ‘Blood Princess’?”

   Thorn frowned, “Well, blood is chi. And princess is hime. So, it would be Chi Hime.”

   Chi Hime. Pronounced Chee-Hee-May. It fitted.

   “How do I name it?” Gabriel asked Thorn. “Do I do something, or what? I have no clue what I have to do.”

   Thorn chuckled slightly, causing Gabriel to frown. “Don’t worry. Just say “I name three” and then say the name.”

   Gabriel looked down at the katana. He was about to make the first step. “I name thee…Chi Hime.”

   The sword erupted with light. Gabriel shut his eyes quickly from it. It was as bright as the sun. A high resonating sound filled his ears, making him grit his teeth together. A surge of heat came from the hilt, travelling up his hand, arm and down over to his chest, where it rested above his heart. The sound continued as the heat seemed to sink into his body, down into his very core itself. It began to itch slightly as the heat subsided. Gabriel cracked his eyes open to look down at his chest.

   Above his hakama, situated over his heart, was a golden flame. It burned brightly and dance wildly, as if wind was throwing it side to side. It began to dull slightly, as did the blade itself.

   Once there was silence and the light had gone, Thorn scratched his head slightly. “I forgot to mention one thing… That flame that was over your heart…You might want to look at your chest.”

   Gabriel’s eyebrows knitted together and panic ran through him. Surely it couldn’t be anything that bad. He didn’t know what to expect. With one hand, he pulled his hakama to the side, to reveal the left side of his chest.

   Resting over his heart, was a sign that he had never seen before. It resembled a musical treble clef and a bass clef  joined together. Gabriel’s fingers lightly traced it; it looked like someone had branded him. It was the size of credit card, and five shades darker than his pale skin tone.

   “You’re now connected with Chi Hime.” Thorn stated. “Chi Hime is now engraved on both your sword and your heart. Now, you cannot part.” He looked off to his side, as is losing himself in his thoughts, before quickly returning his attention to Gabriel. “I promised to teach you, didn’t I? Well, now I will.” Thorn walked away from Gabriel, his vibrant orange hair such a brilliant contrast to the black that lay beneath it. It moved like a curtain down his back, as if hiding something that didn’t want to be seen.

   Thorn turned back to face Gabriel and held up his combat knife. “I mentioned that this knife has a name. Now, yours has one. Once you give your sword a name, you also give it an identity, flesh, blood, bone, everything that makes a being. You create them.” Gabriel frowned and opened his mouth to ask something, but Thorn quickly silenced him. “In time, the image of your sword will appear to you. Then, to others. Both Endo and myself can conjure our swords - basically, we can make sure other people can see them.

   “I’ve spent the last 100 years with my sword, and throughout those 100 years I’ve learned things I never thought I would learn.” Thorn’s eyes grew dark, “Your sword’s name is Chi Hime, which means Blood Princess in Japanese. The name of my sword is Norse for Mythical Monster Wolf - Fenris. When I say so, I can make my sword materialise, so you can see him.”

   Gabriel was taken aback. There was no way that he had basically just made someone or something. It was impossible. Yet, Thorn looked like he knew what he was saying. Like he had said, he had had 100 years with his sword. Gabriel bit his lip. He wanted to see what happened when you materialised a sword.

   Thorn looked at Gabriel and smiled. “He won’t bite you. He’s basically like a hologram.” Thorn then closed his eyes and began to mutter something under his breath. The fur that was on the hilt began to glow slightly, before Thorn twirled it around his finger by the small ring. A trail of light followed the fur as it moved through the air. This trail sank down towards the ground in front of Thorn. Then, they touched the dojo’s floor.

   A deep growl rumbled through Gabriel’s entire being. Panic seeped into his bones, all of his senses telling him to run away, that this was unnatural, not real. Yet, he remained still. Nothing would move him. He needed to see this.

   Something began to appear where the light had touched the floor. Small pieces appeared in the air, out of nowhere, and fitted together, creating four paws. Each was three times the size of a normal wolf’s. Legs started to piece together after that, just like a jigsaw. The limbs ended just above Thorn‘s knee. The body appeared; a jet black in colour. Gabriel watched in awe as it came to life.

   Finally, the head and tail appeared. The tail was black like the body, but had a white tip, resembling a fox’s tail. The head was the length of Thorn’s elbow to the tip of his middle finger. The wolf’s lips were pulled back into a snarl, exposing the vicious canines.

   It was the wolf’s eyes that caught Gabriel’s attention when he saw them. They weren’t the golden colour of normal wolves. They were a startling, ice blue. They locked themselves on Gabriel as the ears finished appearing. The wolf reached up to Thorn’s chest level.

   “This is Fenris.”

   ”Who is this kid? God, he looks weak.” Fenris growled. The voice was coming from the wolf, he knew that, but at the same time the voice sounded like it was coming from speakers placed around the room. It hit Gabriel from all sides. Fenris’ blue eyes narrowed as they took in Gabriel. Gabriel admitted it; even though the wolf was just the same thing as a hologram, it frightened him. The fact that Fenris was larger than a normal wolf didn’t help the matter.

   “Fenris, meet Gabriel.” Thorn looked between the two of them. Fenris moved first. He padded forward slowly, as if he was stalking his prey. He lowered his head as he circled Gabriel.

   ”This kid got that sword? Are you kidding me?” Fenris sneered, sniffing slightly at Gabriel’s hakama, causing him to flinch away from him. ”See? He’s scared of me! A deep chuckle resonated from him as he made his way back to Thorn. He lay down and rested his huge muzzle on his front paws. ”You better make him a good student, Thorn. To me, he seems like a good for nothing kid.

   “I am not a good for nothing kid!” Gabriel exclaimed, tightening his grip on Chi Hime’s hilt. He hated it when people looked down their noses at him, as if they were better than him.

   Fenris’ eyes once again fell on Gabriel. ”Kid, until you show me that you can use that sword properly, you’re a good for nothing in my eyes.”

   Anger began to make its way into Gabriel’s body. The monster inside rose, pulling on the chains. He narrowed his golden eyes at Fenris.

   Thorn sighed. “Don’t fight. Seriously.” He rolled his eyes before he looked at Gabriel. “Come on. I need to train you.”

[Silme]

Wow    I am really enjoying this story Teichou.  I must admit that when you first introduced the supernatural/paranormal aspect I wondered if the plot was about to take a nose dive.  However, you've tied in the supernatural nicely by introducing it slowly and expanding the plot at a really nice pace.  Your character development is amazing.  It's no wonder you've been given the 'nod' for Moderators choice and Featured Story.  I can't wait for Chapter 10.

[Chinaren]

Finally managed to catch up.  Bloody work, I've been so farking busy.

Anyway, I echo Slimey's sentiments above, nicely done Kech! 

[Padfoot]

Awww thank you guys! =D

[Padfoot]

Hey guys. I am so sorry about the delay. Hopefully Chapter 10 should be up tonight.

[Chinaren]

Hey guys. I am so sorry about the delay. Hopefully Chapter 10 should be up tonight.

Level 37!  Yay!

[/Random drunk babble]

[Padfoot]

C'Ren, you worry me XD

[Chinaren]

Why, thank you!

L37 was in reference to your 'little people' in your sig, most of whom appear to be on that level.

[Padfoot]

Ahhh Primo and G.

[Padfoot]

   Kazuki was staring at his computer screen in utter disgust and horror. The pictures that were being displayed sickened him to the bottom of his stomach. He had began a more in-depth investigation into The Company, and managed to hack into their database. Looking for anything to do with them, he had stumbled across a folder named ‘Project Leon’. He clicked on it and was greeted by images of the most horrible thing he had ever seen.

   The first was the only normal one. It was of a boy who looked not much older than 10. His blonde hair was shaved off, and his brown eyes held none of the sparkle that belonged to young children. They looked dead. All he was dressed in was a pair of cargo pants that had once been white. They were now a dirty grey in colour. Kazuki’s jaw dropped when he noticed that he could count all of the boy’s ribs. It was wrong.

   He opened another image. The boy was now lying on an operating table with wires, tubes and needles going into his small body. A mask covered his mouth and nose as three men in white coats stood around him.

   It was the next one that sickened Kazuki. One of the men had removed the boy’s hands. The bone was exposed as well as the muscle and tissue. Kazuki hated to think about what they had been planning. The blood didn’t flow from the wound; Kazuki thought that they must have stopped it with a drug.

   Another image. This one made Kazuki want to be sick. They had replaced the boy’s hands with the paws of a lion. They were now stitched onto the boy’s arms. The horror of it filled Kazuki. It was sick. What were The Company doing? He knew that they experimented on humans, but this was on a whole new level. They were modifying the boy. He didn’t want to keep looking but he forced himself to.

   Kazuki clicked on another. In the image, was blood. It was coming from the boy’s mouth as a man in a white coat stood to the side of him, holding something in his outstretched palm, towards the camera that was taking the pictures. Kazuki frowned as he tried to make out the small white objects on the white glove that was covered in blood. Teeth. They had taken out the boy’s teeth.

   He had to force himself to look at another. The boy’s teeth had been replaced with the canines of a lion. They stuck out of the boy’s mouth horribly, the top two reaching down to his chin. Blood covered the majority of the teeth.

   Kazuki stopped there. He refused to go on any further; he had seen enough. The Company had to be stopped and only they could stop it. He shut down his computer and glanced at the sealed envelope that lay beside him. He had to send that to it’s destination, but before he did, he had to tell Thorn and Gabriel what he had found.

   He got up slowly, his legs threatening to give way beneath him. In all of his life, he had never seen anything so horrid, so heart wrenching, so gut churning. Grabbing the envelope, he tucked it into his hakama and made his way to the dojo to share his sick discovery with the other two Immortals.


   Kaitlyn leaned back from the banner she was working on and sighed. The Valentine’s Day ball was fast approaching and the banner was only half done. April and Eva were blowing up the balloons and finishing off the posters that would cover the walls of the hall, leaving her to finish the 30 foot long banner herself. She was only half done and it was meant to be finished by the end of the week. It was now Wednesday and the end of January.

   Placing down her paintbrush, she stood up and yawned. Looking at the clock on the sandstone wall, she noticed it was 5pm.  Michael would probably be out shopping and she knew that he didn’t mind her staying at the school late, as long as she phoned to let him know and that someone else was there. She texted him then, to let him know she was going to stay and try and finish the banner.

   The doors at the end of the hall opened wide and Daryl strode in, with someone following behind him. It was a girl, who looked about average height. Her head came up to Daryl’s shoulder and her hair was dark blonde, and pulled back into a ponytail. She was dressed in a band hoodie that had the sleeves rolled up to reveal arm warmers that stopped half way between her wrist and elbow. Black baggy jeans completed her look with starry skaters shoes on her feet. Her blue eyes were fixed on the floor as she followed Daryl over to Kaitlyn. Eva and April watched them as they crossed the floor.

   Daryl ran a hand through his blue-black hair and stood beside Kaitlyn. “You have a visitor.”

   Kaitlyn looked at the girl. She had never seen her before. The blue eyes of the stranger met hers and Kaitlyn automatically knew she had to speak to her.

   “Thanks Daryl.” Kaitlyn smiled at him before he nodded, and walked over to Eva and April.

   “What’s your name?” Kaitlyn asked, giving the newcomer her whole attention.

   “My name’s Teras.” She said, sticking her hands into her pockets. “I have something to give you from Kazuki Endo.”

   “Who’s that?” Kaitlyn asked.

   Teras fiddled with a silver chain that hang around her neck. “He’s Gabriel’s mentor. Here.” She held an envelope out to Kaitlyn, who took it gingerly. There was something inside it.

   “Don’t open it here.” Teras said. “What you want to do is this; go to the graveyard at 9pm, where you saw Gabriel and Xavier and find the stone that Gabriel was standing at.” Teras looked at Kaitlyn once more, went to say something, but turned away before she did.

   “What’s going on?” Kaitlyn stared after the blonde as she began to walk away.

   Teras turned slightly when she got to the doors. “You’ll know everything by the end of tonight.” Then, she left.

   Kaitlyn was in a daze. Who was that girl? She had mentioned Gabriel. Come to think of it, where was Gabriel? She hadn’t seem him for days. Plus, Xavier hadn’t been at school for the past few days either. She wondered if something had happened between them.

   Daryl walked over at that point, his blazer tails floating out behind him. “Did you know her?” he asked, folding his arms as his green-grey eyes looked at Kaitlyn.

   “No…” she slid the envelope into her pocket. “…It was weird. But it doesn’t matter. Daryl, can you come with me somewhere tonight?” Teras didn’t say that she couldn’t bring someone. If something was going on, she wanted someone she trusted there.

   Daryl raised an eyebrow. “I don’t see why not. Where are we going?”

   Kaitlyn looked at him, his eyes more green than the dark grey. “Meet me at the cemetery gates at nine tonight.”


   “They do what?!”

   Chi Hime fell from Gabriel’s hand after Kazuki had told him. It was sick, twisted, horrid and wrong. “They actually replace body parts?!”

   Kazuki nodded. “What I saw was them removing the boy’s hands and teeth, and replacing them with those of a lion. We need to stop them.”

   “Damn right we need to stop them!” Thorn exclaimed, tucking Fenris into his boot. “Where is their headquarters?”

   “I don’t know.” Kazuki ran a hand down his face. “We need to get more information on them.” He glanced at Thorn, “I gave Teras that letter. It should have reached its destination by now.”

   “What letter?” Gabriel asked. “Who’s Teras? Will someone please fill me in on what I’ve been missing?”

   “Teras is a friend of mine.” Thorn said. “I introduced her to Kazuki before you met him. She runs errands for us when we can’t. She sometimes trains with us too. You know how we have powers? Well, she has her own.”

   Gabriel raised his eyebrows. “Do I get to meet her?”

   “You will tonight.” Kazuki replied. “But first, train more. I need you to be able to handle Chi Hime like an extension of your arm before nine tonight. Ok?”

   “Why?” Gabriel felt like they weren’t telling him the whole story. “Is it something to do with Xavier?”

   “Not exactly. We’ve given something to someone.” Thorn stated, scratching the back of his head. The vibrant orange looked dark brown in the shadows of the dojo. “We need to go sort things out and tell them what’s happening.”

   Kazuki nodded. “It’s five o’clock now. You have four hours to perfect Chi Hime. I’ll leave you two to it.” And with a small swish of his hakama, Kazuki had left.

   Gabriel sighed and fell to the ground. He had four hours to master a sword. Something he had never done before. Sure, he could use one, but to perfect the art of it? He’d rather take a gun. He voiced these thoughts to Thorn, who lowered himself down beside the younger male.

   “Sure, you could take a gun with you, but being able to wield Chi Hime is something you’re going to have to master anyway, no matter what way you look at it. It’ll help you. Not everybody that we’ll come across will fire a gun. Some will hold a sword. Some might even work with magic.”

   “Magic? Like a wizard?”

   Thorn chuckled, the sound rich and deep. “No. We don’t called them wizards. We call them magus. They can use spells, potions, everything that you read in books and see in movies. I’ve only come across one in my life and he left me with a scar.” Slowly, he lifted up his skin tight turtle neck top to reveal a ragged scar on his abdomen, marring the pale skin. It ran all the way across, and moved as he breathed.

   “How did he do that?” Gabriel whispered, the shock of it sinking into his bones.

   “He fired a bolt of lightning at me. I passed out because of the pain. The next thing I knew, Chloe, the second oldest Immortal, was leaning over me, telling me I had healed. I had been unconscious for more than a week.”

   Gabriel’s eyes grew wide. More than a week? He was in utter shock now. “I hope I don’t meet a magus.”

   “Trust me, you don’t want to.” Thorn’s black and red eyes fell on Gabriel. “Tonight is going to be a serious night. Do you think you’ll be ready for it?”

   Gabriel looked at the older Immortal. He was becoming like a big brother to the auburn haired teen. He admired Thorn. His strength, resolve, will to help others, personality, everything.

   His face was grim when he answered Thorn. “Yes.”


   There was no wind as Xavier stepped out of the abandoned flat. The only thing he had found was the body of a girl and blood. Plus the trashed furniture. He sighed. There was no clue as to where they had gone.

   “Where are we going now?” Tabby asked, crossing her arms. “We have no leads.”

   Xavier sighed and stuck his hands into his pockets. He wondered where Gabriel went. He doubted that he would have gone to Kaitlyn’s. “I don’t know. I need to go for a walk.” He had to urge to rip his bandage off, put his mask on, and go on a killing spree, yet he suppressed it.

   They began walking, Tabby trailing behind the older male. Xavier let his feet lead him. He didn’t know where he was going.

   “Have you told the boss we’ve done the job?” Tabby asked. Xavier shook his head. He had deliberately broken his cell phone so June Frai couldn’t contact him. It was the seventh one that month.

   The wind picked up slightly as they walked down the deserted streets. Xavier wondered why there was no one out on the streets. There weren’t even any teenagers he could pick a fight with.

   As he rounded a corner, he found himself facing the cemetery. The gothic metal gates were closed but Xavier saw something move inside cemetery. He raised an eyebrow. Were there people in a cemetery at night? He never knew there were Goths in Foxburn. He smirked. Maybe he could start a fight with them.

   Footsteps alerted Xavier to people approaching. Quickly and silently, he grabbed Tabby and hid in an alley, lurking in the shadows. Tabby tried to say something but he covered her mouth with his hand.

   “Why are we coming here anyway?” Someone said. It was a male.

   “Because Teras told us to come.” Came the reply. Xavier automatically knew whose voice it was; Kaitlyn’s. He frowned. Where were they going?

   They passed by where Xavier and Tabby were. Tabby was struggling in Xavier’s grip, managing to hit her head off the wall. She gave a small cry of surprise. Xavier swore silently as Kaitlyn stopped and began to turn around. He tapped into his crystal’s power and muttered the words to make them invisible.

   “What was it?” The male asked. He came into view and Xavier recognised him as Daryl Haywood, the president of the student council. It was weird to see him in normal clothes; black skinny jeans and a dark blue hoodie that made his hair look more blue than black. Kaitlyn was wearing a purple coat with a fur trim on the hood and baggy dark denim jeans.

   “Nothing…” Kaitlyn frowned but turned back to Daryl. “That cemetery looks so spooky. Why did they pick here to meet?”

   “I dunno. Why did you even bring me with you?” Daryl chuckled. “Come on.” He started to cross the road and Kaitlyn followed. Xavier slowly uncovered Tabby’s mouth, watching them walk across the road.

   “Well? Are we going to follow them?” Tabby whispered, struggling to get away from Xavier.

   “Yes. But if you move away from me, you’ll become visible so stop fucking moving.” He growled. Tabby stopped then. Xavier loosened his grip on her. “Hold onto part of me, like my hand or sleeve.” She nodded and gathered a handful of his shirt’s fabric. “Right. Come on.”

   They slowly made their way out of the alley’s shadow and across the road. Kaitlyn had left the cemetery gate open and Xavier walked through it confidently, Tabby behind him. He wanted to stop her from touching him but he couldn’t afford to let her be seen. He swore that he would get Frai to give him a new partner.


   Gabriel shivered and tapped into his crystal’s powers, drawing out heat to warm up his cold body. Chi Hime hung from his waist and a 9mm pistol was tucked into his waistband. Thorn had given it to him before they had left. He said that after Gabriel had expressed his familiarity with guns, Thorn had found one for him to use. Now, it was beside Chi Hime’s handle.

   Kazuki’s eyes were focused on two approaching figures, one taller than the other. Gabriel rested one of his hands on top of Chi Hime’s handle, the other hanging by his side. Thorn was spinning Fenris by the small ring under the guard. As he breathed out, Thorn’s breath turned to mist. He shivered and pulled his black trench coat tighter around him with one hand.

   Gabriel leaned back to gently sit on Xavier’s gravestone. He didn’t care that some people would be appalled at the fact that he was sitting on a ‘dead’ person’s memorial. Xavier wouldn’t care.

   Kazuki stood straighter, making Gabriel look at the two people who had just arrived. His jaw dropped. “Kaitlyn? Daryl?”

   “Gabriel?” Kaitlyn’s eyebrows disappeared under her fringe as she and Daryl stood still. Daryl looked shocked. “What are you doing here?” Kaitlyn asked.

   “I was brought here by these two.” Gabriel stuck his thumb towards Kazuki and Thorn.

   “That’s not my fault.” Thorn grumbled, narrowing his eyes at Gabriel. He smirked, before Kazuki stepped forward, his face serious.

   “Were you followed here?”
   
   Kaitlyn shook her head. “No. Well, I don’t think so. I heard something in an alley but it was probably a cat.”

   Thorn stood up straighter. The wind picked up slightly, making his hair move out and away from his body, as if it was a cape. Gabriel saw him grip Fenris’ handle tighter, the fur moving slightly. “Did you check to see if anyone was there?”

   Daryl shook his head. “We thought it was nothing so we didn’t bother.”

   “Shit!” Thorn exclaimed, tearing off his trench coat. He let it fall to the ground before muttering a few words. Gabriel recognised the scene from before; when Fenris had appeared. The light once again fell to the ground.

   “What the hell?!” Daryl backed away slightly, his eyes never leaving the wolf being built before him. Gabriel looked on as Fenris finished materialising. This time however, the wolf looked more real. Life like.

   “Come on.” Thorn snarled, breaking into a run towards the gate. Fenris glanced at Gabriel and Kazuki before darting after his master. The black wolf merged into the darkness, as did Thorn.

   “What…was that?” Kaitln was shaking as she spoke. Daryl was staring in the direction that Thorn and Fenris had ran. Gabriel ran a hand through his hair and looked at Kazuki. His face was full of worry, concern and anger. He was the first to speak.

   “You won’t understand right now. Kaitlyn, do you have an envelope with you?”

   Kaitlyn nodded. “Teras gave it to me earlier today. Why?”

   Kazuki bit his bottom lip. “She isn’t here yet… Damn. I think I’m just going to have to explain it to you without her.”

   As Kazuki said those words, Gabriel heard someone approaching from behind them. He drew Chi Hime quickly, turning as he did. He found that the tip of the blade lay under the throat of a girl who was looking at him with both fear and anger.

   “Never mind.” Kazuki smirked. “She’s here.”

   Teras moved away from the blade, narrowing her eyes at Gabriel. He returned them. Even though she was an ally, he never sheathed his sword.

   “Kaitlyn. Daryl.” Kazuki said, turning back to them. “What I tell you is important information. You have to swear never to repeat it.” Kaitlyn and Daryl nodded. Kazuki rubbed his forehead. “Right.”

   Gabriel watched as Kazuki told them.


   Xavier led Tabby past gravestones, the long grass tickling his ankles. Up ahead he could see 5 small figures. With his eyesight, enhanced by the crystal’s powers, he could make out Gabriel, Kaitlyn and Daryl. The other two males he didn’t know. One was Japanese and the other had long hair down his back. 

   Suddenly, there was a small light coming from the male with the long hair. An animal appeared. Xavier made his eyes focus on it. It was a wolf but it was bigger than an average one. He glanced back at Tabby. She was squinting to see what was going on. He turned back to see that the wolf and the male who had conjured it were running in their direction. He swore loudly and pulled his gun out. He ducked down behind a gravestone, shoving Tabby behind another, making her visible.

   “Just stay quiet.” He growled at her, pressing his back against the cold marble. He could hear them approaching. Tabby glared at him before crouching down, pulling her sword out of the bag and it’s sheath. The metal shone slightly in the moonlight before the grass covered it.

   The sound of the male and the wolf approaching stopped. Xavier could hear the wolf sniffing around the gravestones two rows in front of them. He tightened the grip on the 9mm, feeling the cold metal calm him. He wished that he was enough time to put his mask on. All he was able to do was to carefully reach up and unwrap the bandage around his head. He let the material fall down to around his shoulders before looking at Tabby. She looked at him nervously.

   “Is there anything there? Something stopped you.” The male said.

   “I smelled something. And just now, I sensed a change.” That voice had to be the wolf, but it sounded to Xavier as if he was in a room with surround sound. It shook him right to his very core.

   “Look around a bit more. I cannot believe that she didn't check.” The male sighed. Xavier stiffened as the wolf crept closer. He was right in front the stone that Xavier was crouching behind. Out of the corner of his eye, Xavier could see that Tabby was shaking. He smirked. Stupid girl.

   The wolf growled, the hackles on its neck rising. “Thorn. We’ve got something.

[Silme]

Nice chapter!  The story and the suspense is building nicely.

[Chinaren]

Wow, that was some read, but finally caught up.

Nicely done too! The first part was very vivid, well done! 

[Padfoot]

Thanks guys. I want the next chapter to be a big fight scene. Is there anything you would want to see? This story isn't interactive, but I want ideas to kick start my brain.

[Silme]

You've already got the potential for sword play so I'm already happy there    Otherwise, it might be nice to see Kaitlyn with some ability to fight; maybe some martial arts training or inherent powers of her own.  It's always nice to the see the female lead being able to do more than look good and be fodder for the enemy. Looking foward to the next chapter!

[Padfoot]

Silme, great minds think alike :-D Just wait and see what's in the envelope

[Padfoot]

Right guys.
As you know, I'm taking a breather from my books.
But I've thought about this, and I've decided that when I have the time, I'm going to rewrite Gaping Flaws.

[Chinaren]

Looking forward to it Kech.

[Padfoot]

Some of the book will be kept the same, other bits tweaked, and others just simply removed.

[Silme]

Looking forward to the re-write and the subsequent re-read.

[Padfoot]

I shall try and finish the book first. If not, then expect the re-write.

[Phoenix]

I really should catch up with this... keep reminding me on msn until I give feedback. I've been giving more honest reviews lately.

[Chinaren]

I really should catch up with this... keep reminding me on msn until I give feedback. I've been giving more honest reviews lately.

This sounds... ominous. 

[Padfoot]

China, it does indeed sound ominous o.o
Phoenix, I shall remind you I'm trying to work on the latest chapter, but I'm failing badly at it ¬_¬ so I'm gonna write the new chapter of Forbidden, then come back to this. Hopefully.
XD

[Phoenix]

Sounds okays to me I should have time to read it tomorrow or something. I can access TC through my phone but I can't log in or access topics with too much information on them because it's too much memory or something. I'd suggest mailing it otherwise.