Takabi pulled into his driveway, stepping out of the car and closing the door. Nana moved up the steps and into the home as Takabi locked the door and leaned against his car.
Another one.
Another gem was so close, and yet he never realized it. Aqua, this girl, she was chosen as he was to have a God Gem. A young, orphaned child.
"She got unlucky to have one." He touched his chin, picturing Aqua's face and letting his thoughts race. "Who is she? She looks very familiar but I can't place my finger on why."
"Trouble," Jewel asked as she approached him. She was dressed in a pink robe in bunny slippers. Takabi scanned her outfit up and down, before laughing. "That's not exactly the best type of clothing to wear outside at night."
"I saw you and Nana pull up. You look a little disturbed, so I hurried over." She leaned against his car. "Everything okay?"
"I… Don't know. I feel like there's a storm brewing right around the corner." He muttered. "Is that odd?"
Jewel shrugged at him yet remained quiet at first. The longer they stood in silence, the thicker the air grew with tension. She glanced at him about to speak until Nana kicked open his front door. She was out of breath and looked frantic.
"Bunker. Now!"
"What happened," Takabi asked, moving up the stairs and past her through the house. Nana and Jewel followed behind him as he entered the backyard. Nana didn't say anything, but there was a glint of excitement and fear in her brown eyes.
Down the staircase their feet carried them, the familiar metal walls of the Bunker now decorated with murals to those who had died several years prior. After the loss of Riki, Shink, the Bunker leader and elder, insisted they honor those who had fallen to protect their secrets. Takabi offered them silent prayers, before opening the main door and stepping into the facility.
The second he touched the floor, he felt an overwhelming surge of heat wash over him. His body felt like it was burning from the inside out, and his brain was at the center of it. He dropped to his knees, Nana laughing a little at him before grabbing one of the nearby water containers and pouring it on him.
Soaked, but cooled off enough that he wouldn't pass out from heatstroke, he looked at her and asked, "WHAT. The hell was that!"
"It caught me by surprise too," She said, helping him stand. Jewel looked between the two in confusion, her eyebrows raised and arms crossed as if she was trying to comfort herself in a hug. "Side effect of being so close to these guys unprepared."
"These guys, huh?" He looked around. Most of the people inside were going about their usual business, laughing, eating and drinking for the older members. Takabi leaned against the railing, his eyes scanning over the Cafeteria, before moving to the training and computer rooms. "I don't see any new faces."
"Ah, there he is," Shink said as he approached the three. He was dressed in black silky robes, with a golden stitching on the back. His face was freshly shaven, tired eyes now rested yet holding faint bags. His skin seemed a little paler, but overall he looked healthy for an old man. "We've been waiting for you, my Son. What kept ya, Takabi?"
"A lot happened tonight. That's actually why we're here now." His face turned serious for a moment, and he lowered his voice. "We found another one."
"Another one?" Shink watched Takabi's eyes, mulling over what his words could mean. "Another Fallen Angel? They're rare nowadays, but not impossible to run into. The sealing didn't get them all, and plenty can still be born."
"No," Takabi said a bit louder than he wanted. "I mean… Come with me." He said, leading the group into the board room. When he stepped inside, he stopped walking and watched the three at the table.
Garuga looked at him first, smiling suddenly. "Speak of the devil."
The second man looked at Takabi next, his yellow eyes sizing him up and a scowl touching his face. His hair was shoulder length, bangs hanging in a mess in front of his forehead. A red long coat, with white buttons and a silver zipper running down the length. Black jeans and dark red boots. Basic T-Shirt that read Kiss My Scaly Ass. His skin was light with a red tint, face holding a thin five o clock.
The third person was a woman. Her long white hair draped over her creamy snow white skin. She had a roundish face, but her body was built like an athlete from what Takabi could see. Her biceps and triceps protrude through her long sleeves visibly, and her tight shirt hugged her abs to highlight how hard they were. Her bust wasn't very large, but there was a strong thickness to her overall body. Beautiful and strong looking. A deadly combination.
Garuga stood up and walked towards Takabi, slinging an arm around his shoulder and pulling against him tightly. "This is the little shit I've been training for the past few months."
"HE took down Erodon? I don't believe that." The man placed his feet on the board room table. He definitely had a strange personality. A tough exterior, but would that make him soft on the inside? Takabi had serious doubts about that. If he didn't know appearances didn't mean a lot, he'd say this guy was a bum from out of nowhere. "He's a wimp."
"Come now, Porrelth," The woman began. "You shouldn't judge him based on his appearance alone." She grabbed the mug in front of her and sipped from it slowly, her eyes locking with Takabi's. Uncomfortable with the atmosphere, he looked at Garuga and asked, "Who are they, and why shouldn't I break the red one's jaw?"
Scoffing at his words, Porrelth crossed his arms and let his hair drop in front of his eyes.
"These are the other two I told you about." He let go and walked towards the board, picking up the marker and balancing it on his finger. "The bum is Porrelth, the woman is Syrreth. Fire Dragon. Light Dragon."
"Fire. Oh, so you're the asshole that nearly turned my brain into mush," Takabi said, and Porrelth smiled.
"See? He can't even be around me without taking damage."
"Please. I just wasn't expecting…." His eyes scanned Porrelth, and he muttered, "That…" He turned to Shink. "Right, before I forget."
Nana sat at the table with Jewel. The two girls exchanged looks with one another and Nana spoke, her voice a bit distant. "We found another Gem."
A stunned Silence gripped the room.
Porrelth raised an eyebrow, taking his feet off the table. "Another? When did you find one to begin with?" He asked. His voice was holding back a strong anger.
Syrreth shifted in her seat, a smirk touching her face. Garuga pulled his collar and patted his pants. Shink averted the Fire Dragon's eyes and stretched his neck some.
"What," Porrelth asked loudly.
"Anyway," Takabi said, feeling a sense of hostility growing from Porrelth. "A little girl. Blue hair, blue eyes. We found her in the woods, and she looked pretty worn down. We left her with Michael and Mary. She was very skeptical, but I managed to convince her to trust us."
"Is there any reason she came to you? I mean, aside from the obvious," Garuga asked. Takabi shared a glance with him, speaking directly into his mind, "Which is the obvious? Because kids see me as a hero or because of my gems?"
Garuga coughed into his fist. "The second one."
"She just trusts me, I guess." He looked at his hands. "I know next to nothing about this girl, so don't quote me on that."
"There was also something else," Nana spoke. "A Huntress was chasing her," She said.
Shink slammed his hand on the table, yelling loudly. "ABSURD!"
Shocked, Takabi asked, "Why are you so shaken? I was the one who saw that thing naked."
Garuga glared at Takabi, speaking in a low tone. "Not sure why that's important, but why are you so shaken, Shink? Nothing ever indicated they were extinct."
Shink took a deep breath, collecting himself. His eyes told the truth, that he knew more than anyone in the room. "My friends, now isn't the time to explain all that. If a Huntress is roaming around, we MUST relocate that girl. Bring her here. We'll hide her, stow her away so no one is at threat." He looked at Nana. "Go collect her."
Takabi thought Shink was acting a bit strange, but decided not to call him out on it. He knew Nana was strong enough to push the Huntress back if they ran into her so that wasn't an issue.
Shink touched Takabi's shoulder as Nana left, and spoke into his ear. "Come to my study later. I shall explain more to you there." He left the room, leaving Takabi more confused than when he entered.
Now that it was only him and the Dragons. Jewel remained but kept to herself in her mind. Garuga bit his lip then took a deep breath. "Right. As for the reason you both are here. Let's get acquainted." He sat down, gesturing for Takabi to sit next to him.
Once the boy did, the Shadow Dragon began speaking. "As I said, I have been training Takabi for the past few months. Proudly, I can say he's quite capable now, but that's for you to judge." He looked at Takabi. "We're going to spar, so they can gauge you and decide if they want to take you under their wings."
"Wait, that's why they're here? To test me? What for?"
Garuga looked towards the door, before lowering his voice and muttering, "Don't tell Shink I told you this, but Erodon wasn't acting alone. We fear it may be a group effort."
"So your solution is to weaponize me in case it becomes a big fight, right," Takabi replied with a slight annoyance.
Garuga looked a bit taken aback at the bluntness of his words, but he nodded. "Yes. That's the gist of it all. You'd be our trojan horse when you're ready."
He gave a look of disapproval, but he understood.
From what he knew, the group was after the God Gems specifically, regardless of who it was that had one. He was a target. Aqua was a target. He had two, Aqua had one as far as he knew.
"Training me to be a weapon. Isn't that what my kind is for anyway?" He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly. "I don't exactly approve, but if these guys are as bad as Erodon was, and there's a possibility that they were the ones that sent the Huntress, I'll do the test." He turned on his heel. "Let's go then, you three. Canyon is the best place for testing right?"
Garuga stood, followed by the other two, but Porrelth spoke up loud. "Second thought, let's switch. Garuga, sit this out. He knows your battle pattern too well by now, if he's so good." He licked his lips, canines exposed and yellow eyes glowing. "I'll be the one to test him."
Takabi felt a cloud over his head, thunderous and intense. It was in his mind, sure, yet that didn't stop the feeling of death looming over his shoulder as the Fire Dragon pushed past him towards the Canyon elevator. Garuga exchanged a look with Syrreth, neither of which holding any pity.
"So… Should I be worried?"