"This is beyond a bad idea." Jewel looked between the three Angels. Takabi and Nana laughed nervously at the situation.
"He can't stay here with us. Did you forget he attacked Ariel and me a while ago? Even if I'm okay with it, that girl won't be. She's traumatized." Jewel kept her arms crossed, a slight scowl on her face.
"She seemed okay earlier," Nana said. "Saw her flirting with a guy in the arcade around an hour ago."
Jewel groaned loudly, laying flat on her bed.
"I'd say it's fine for a while. At least until we can figure out how to stow him away until we leave." And if Carlos isn't coming back to the room, I'd like to finish my alone time with my boyfriend. Getting blue balled isn't exactly fun. Nana thought.
"I apologize," Kairas said, getting to his knees and lowering his head apologetically. "I will uphold the utmost respect I can to make up for the mental damage I might've done to you and your friends."
Takabi watched his twin, arms crossed over his chest and eyes half open.
Jewel got to her feet, taken aback by the change in demeanor and shook her head. "No. No. Don't bow. It's… I mean… Oh man."
"Have fun," Nana said, taking Takabi's shirt hem and tugging it. "Come on, let's go already."
He waited a moment, then sighed and patted Kairas' back. "Pick your head up. Don't be weird, man." Kairas looked at his twin, then stood up straight and the couple left, shutting the door behind them slowly. Kairas looked around the room, noting how the style was the same as his brother's. The only difference was the strong scent of feminine perfume.
"So. Where do I sleep?" He asked suddenly.
Jewel blinked at him, looking at the couch and shaking her head. "The beds are big enough for two. You can share mine."
"Are you… Sure? I don't think your male friend would like that." He said calmly, removing his shirt. A single scar and a deep burn was on his back.
Jewel's eyes fell on the injury, and before she could stop herself, she said, "Blake you mean? He died. Takabi killed him. Accidentally." It surprised her at how easily the words rolled off her tongue.
"Ah. He must've reacted innately. My condolences." His tone was calm. Genuine.
"Yeah. I've been thinking about that. I forgive him though. He made it clear it was a complete accident…" She paused, looking at her fingers gripping the blanket, unbuttoning the top buttons to her blouse before saying, "Can I ask you something?"
He looked at her, and his face startled her for a moment. He looked just like Takabi, down to the T, and yet something about him made the two so different. There was a regal, prince-like and formal look to him, despite him wearing his brother's clothes.
"What is it," He asked her.
"Y-your scar!" She blurted out, face a bit red. "How did you get that scar?"
His face was somber, but he made his way around the opposite side and sat on the bed. He touched the burn on his back and exhaled. "I got this when I was a kid. Takabi gave it to me when he fought off our dad."
Jewel went silent, hesitant but nodded for him to continue, not that he noticed since his back was turned to her.
"It was only a moment, but it was thanks to that I had experienced death for the first time. It wasn't terrifying at all, for me at least, and when I came to, I was buried in a coffin. Dug my way out, my body healed aside from this ugly thing. I think it's still trying but I don't exactly feel it. That was arguably the worst birthday we've ever had."
"Birthday?"
"January 13th. A cursed day for us. The day we were born, the day our family was ripped apart years later because our Father turned his back on Mom for his own desires and ideals." Kairas bit his lip, holding back the tears.
Jewel reached over, her fingers hovering over his shoulder for comfort. She was hesitating, and wasn't sure what it was that kept her hand suspended.
Why was she nervous? It was her natural response to offer comfort to anyone, yet with him it felt different. The pain he was holding onto was engraved into every word that left his mouth, and that was something she knew she couldn't help, at least not right away.
Then again, I'm assuming he wants the help, Jewel thought.
"It's late," He said suddenly, looking back at her as she snatched her hand back and kept it in her lap. "You have classes I assume. Takabi told me this was a school trip. You should rest."
"What about you," She asked. "Don't you need rest?"
"I believe so, but I can wait until you're asleep. I'll know you're comfortable with me enough for that." Jewel felt her cheeks heat up, but she nodded and lay down, back facing him as she said, "If Ariel comes in, make sure you're not too visible so she doesn't call for a teacher or cop. She's the redhead who was with me that day, if you remember."
"Aye," He replied, slipping under the comforter and sitting against the headboard.
---------------------------------------
Takabi twitched. His eyes fluttered open, and he slowly pulled his head up from between Nana's chest, yawning and checking the clock. It was one thirty in the morning, and something in the dark had woken him. Tiredly, he pulled himself from the bed, standing and stretching wide, craning his head to remove any stiffness and cricks. Nana rolled on her side, messy blue locks draping over her face and lips.
He walked to the tea machine, pouring himself a cup from the pitcher and taking a deep sip.
He felt it then, even if it was only brief.
Something shifted in the room. He whipped around, eyes scanning the darkness but found nothing. Takabi placed the mug down, eyes continuing to search the room, despite the emptiness.
"Is my mind playing tricks on me or something," He muttered, touching his forehead. "No fever."
His feet carried him to Nana, the boy pulling on a pair of white shorts and blue T-Shirt. He knelt next to her, shaking her slightly until she groaned and tiredly opened an eye. "What is it…"
"Can't sleep. I'm gonna take a quick walk downstairs, okay?"
"Sure," She sat up, rubbing her eye. "Everything alright?"
He debated telling her he kept feeling something moving in the room other than them, but alarming her would make her worry. At least if it was in his mind, he'd know she'd be okay.
Takabi placed a swift kiss on her, before standing and leaving the room.
Nana yawned and lay back down, shutting her eyes. After a couple minutes, she heard the door open and close, and she tiredly spoke, "Forget something?" When nothing met her words, she opened her eyes and sat back up, noting the empty room. "Hello?"
---------------------------------
Takabi stepped into the lobby, surprised to see it lit up in the early hours of the morning.
A man was sitting behind the front desk, his dark hair combed back and tired eyes hanging open just enough so that he wouldn't fall asleep. Feeling sorry for the man, Takabi reached in his pocket, producing a dollar and slipping it into the vender by the waterpark entrance, taking the drink and walking over to the man. "Here."
He looked at Takabi, then the drink, blinking but taking it and opening it. "Thanks, kid. What are you doing up this early? Teenagers usually are passed out by this time aren't they?"
"I was at first, actually. Something woke me up, so I thought I'd take a walk and stretch my legs."
His tired eyes scanned Takabi as he sipped, placing the drink down and rubbing his eyes again.
"You go to the school that rented out some of the top floors. Un Ala, right?" Takabi nodded and the man smiled. "I had some of the best years of my life going to that school. Cherish the memories because if you don't find a plan for yourself, you'll end up behind a desk like this long after I'm gone."
"I don't think I have to worry too much about that," He said, laughing to himself. "Enjoy your night."
"You too, kid." He said.
Takabi made his way into the arcade, pulling out his wallet to grab some change for coins. Grabbing a foam cup and filling it with arcade tokens, he looked around at a couple of people at different machines.
Skeeball, a racing game, and a couple others like that. He settled on PacMan, slipping a token inside and beginning to play. From the first jerk of the analog stick to the next, his worries melted away quickly. By the time he realized how much better he felt, he had already completed a few games. It was simple, but thinking back, he hadn't played a video game since he left the orphanage. Not since the days of the original Playstation.
"Maybe I should invest in that again."
He paused mentally when the blue ghost caught him, looking around. The strange movement disturbed his concentration, and cost him a life.
His eyes moved from the people by the skeeball machine to the group by the racing machines. Exhaling, his gaze returned to PacMan, and he groaned when he realized he had run out of lives. Reaching for the cup to his left, his fingers found nothing. Looking down, jingling filled his ears, and he turned around, eyes meeting a strong yellow gaze that sent a chill through him.
"Hello, again, Fallen Angel."
Takabi went into attack mode on instinct. His fist was swallowed in fire in an instant, knuckles flying at the Huntress and striking her chest. She laughed as she smashed into the wall, sliding down as bits of the structure came down on her. The people in the arcade looked at him in shock, but he paid them no mind.
"That didn't do any damage. She's toying with me. Gotta lead her away before we cause the building to collapse." He muttered.
Turning on his heel, he rushed out of the arcade and towards the water park. As he slid under the gates, the Huntress rolled out the arcade on all fours, rushing after him like a hound in heat. He leapt over a couple lounge chairs, smashing through the doors to the outside, causing the alarm to blar loudly as he hurried into the trees.
The Huntress was hot on his trail, refusing to ease her quick movements. "Come back, Gems! Don't run from fate!"
"Screw your fate," He yelled, spinning around and digging his foot into the soil.
He took a deep breath, releasing a ball of fire from his throat. The Huntress leapt into the air, and that was when he got a clear look at her. She was still bare bodied, but had thick straps around her breasts that connected to a belt around her waist. Needles were hanging onto the straps around her thighs, and as her fingers grabbed the tips, she quickly tossed them at Takabi. Between his fingers, flaming stars formed and he quickly let them fly to cancel out the needles in a metal clank.
The Huntress landed, baring her canines and pounced on him, snapping at his throat while he tried to hold her back. Something was different.
She was stronger and quicker than before.
Using his knees, he kicked her into the air and flipped back to his feet. She came down, waving her hand to the side. He blinked, surprised when a sudden explosion knocked him off his feet.
"What the!"
Another set of explosions rushed towards him. He clapped his hands, a wall of fire shooting up to stop the barrage of attacks. The Huntress came through the resulting cloud, jamming a needle into his shoulder, suddenly expanding it and tearing it upwards through his flesh. Blood splashed in the air, Takabi screaming out in pain as the Huntress asked him, "Where ARE they, Angel!?"
Takabi brought his right knuckles back, striking the Huntress as his arm began to heal and close up. His shirt stained with blood, he ripped off the right sleeve and exhaled. "Why do you want these things so damn bad?"
"Goals.. Goals! Our Goals!"
"That tells me literally nothing." He said, taking a step back. He bumped into something thick and broad. When he looked back, large grey and burly arms wrapped around him and held him tightly, squeezing him of all his air.
"Gems!"
"A… Hunter… Too?!" He said between breaths. The Huntress slowly approached Takabi, drawing a silver blade and ramming it through his abs, the boy coughing blood as she began to pull the blade aside and watch as his intestines began to slowly ooze out. "Where are they?! Show me the Gems! Show me that blood!"
Black Ice shot up in thick pillars between the two. The Hunter dropped Takabi as air rushed by and struck his arm, cutting clean through the bone. It screamed in groggy, low toned pain and stumbled away from Takabi, Nana rushing next to him and rolling him over.
The light in his eyes was fading, and if she didn't do something he would die for sure. "Come on, come on! Hold on!" She yelled at him, Kairas rushing at the Huntress from behind and smashing her face into a tree. Steam rose from Takabi's wounds, but the healing process seemed slower than normal.
The Hunter's arm regrew and it ran at Takabi's twin. His eyes glowing a bright green, Kairas flipped and avoided the Hunter, willing electricity around his left fingers and jamming them deep into the Hunter's back. It screamed again, but the pain tolerance seemed stronger than the last one.
"Blast it," He growled, sending a massive surge of lightning through the creature.
The Huntress looked back. Throwing the blade, the metal caught Kairas' cheek and drew a bit of blood. He leapt back, sliding on soil that he froze on contact.
"Nana, make sure you get him away from here."
"Trying! Not so easy when he's bleeding out!"
The Huntress and Hunter kept their eyes on Kairas and Takabi, licking their lips. "Kill, and take their Gems!"
The Hunter ran forward, roaring as his feet stomped and sent what felt like earthquakes through the area. Kairas pulled his arm back to build up a spell, but stopped when he felt his side begin to burn. At the same time, Takabi cried out in a sudden pain, and the twins' bodies began to develop violet and green tattoos respectively, the markings stopping short with a feathered wing design on their collarbones.
The Hunter struck Kairas, sending him flying through the air until he was impaled on a tree branch. Kairas' mind went blank with intense pain, his eyes blurring and the boy quickly passing out.
"Kairas!" Nana picked up Takabi, careful to keep his organs inside as she leapt back, bringing the twins together and placing Takabi down at the foot of the tree. The two were breathing heavy, bodies struggling to heal as the markings glowed brightly. "Why now? Why both of you?"
She looked back, hardening her brown eyes at the Huntress and Hunter. Taking a deep breath, she put her hair into a ponytail, inching a foot forward, air beginning to gather around her. The wind coated her in a thick, greenish-white aura, the Angel baring her teeth at the challenge before her.
"You stand no chance, girl, you should know," The Huntress said.
"Whether I do or don't, neither of us will know if I don't try." She tightened her fists to the point her knuckles turned white. "As their guardian, I'll be damned if I let you get any closer to these boys. Heaven help you for the hell you've brought upon yourselves."