 
That Which is Unexpected

Book 1 of The Gods' Executioner Series

That Which is Unexpected

By A.L. Bridges

Copyright 2013 A.L. Bridges

Smashwords Edition v4

Cover Art

By Fading Sky Studios

March 2013 ©Fading Sky Studios

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be sold or given away to others. If you would like to share this eBook, please purchase another copy for each person. If you are reading this eBook and did not purchase it, please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this and other indie authors.

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means; whether it is electronic, mechanical, or otherwise; without prior written consent from the author.

This novel is a work of fiction. All likenesses of people, organizations, or events are purely coincidental. All characters, organizations, events, and places are used in a fictitious manner.

Disclaimer: I would just like to say that I do not advocate underage drinking; however, if you believe that it doesn't happen then you are only lying to yourself. Besides, if you're from any country besides the US, then you probably don't consider the age of 18 to be a candidate for underage drinking. Hell, in Denmark you can start drinking at the age of 16.

Other Books by A.L. Bridges

The Gods' Executioner Series:

  1. That Which is Unexpected

  2. Mania and the Executioner

  3. Feros and the Underworld Prince

  4. Cole's Haunting Melody

  5. An Imperceptible Ruse Indeed

Visit albridges.blogspot.com for links to the other books and updates on the latest releases.

Table of Contents

Prolegomenon

Chapter 1: Pinch Me

Chapter 2: What a way to start the day

Chapter 3: Reminiscence

Chapter 4: Do we even like Funions?

Chapter 5: At least be professional about it!

Chapter 6: IT'S BACOOOOOOON!

Chapter 7: The Saga of the Pretzel Baroness

Chapter 8: First Words

Chapter 9: He's a zombie!

Chapter 10: Knocked that asshole into a coma

Chapter 11: Meth Addicted Bunnies

Chapter 12: Painful Memories

Chapter 13: A Surprise Awakening

Chapter 14: Rays of Sunshine

Chapter 15: Is this heaven?

Chapter 16: That Which is Unexpected

Chapter 17: Mistress of Schadenfreude

Chapter 18: No cellphones during class!

Chapter 19: The birth of a weapon

Chapter 20: Happy Birthday, Jazz Style

Chapter 21: The Attack of the Merrywidows!

Chapter 22: Jewelry can be Messy

Chapter 23: Party Crashers

Chapter 24: The Beginning of Madness

Chapter 25: Wait...What?

References

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Excerpt from Mania and the Executioner:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Prolegomenon

I'd like to acknowledge something that seems to confuse some of my readers. Whenever you encounter four stars centered on their own line like this:

****

The book is going into a dream sequence or memory or a dream sequence that is a memory. I'm not a fan of completely linear storylines so I use with this format because it allows me to explain the background and character history without dumping all of the information at the beginning and skipping forward by years in time. You will also notice that there is a shift in narrative from present to past tense for these situations.

When the memory or dream ends and the book returns to the main story, you will see the four centered stars again and the narrative switches back to present tense.

You will also sometimes see centered ellipses like so:

...

This is to indicate a skip in time, usually in between chapters, or to skip mundane events.

Now that the explanations are out of the way, on to the story.

A.L. Bridges

Chapter 1: Pinch Me

Usually, I'm not the party going type.

Usually.

That is unless my best friend Jason drags my ass out of our apartment. He tells me about a party that he got invited to by some sorority chick that is in his English class. The party is at the girl's friend's house on Lake Washington.

No sooner than I am contemplating going, Jason and I are suddenly there, ringing the doorbell of the house. Sorority chick answers the door and we follow her into the large living room where she introduces us to the hostess, Natasha. Natasha is cute with eastern European features and a great body that is 5'4" and slender, with clear green eyes and blonde curls that stop just above her shoulders. As sorority chick is talking, something about Jason and English class, Natasha can't keep her eyes off me.

Now, I don't consider myself to be an unattractive guy. I'm twenty years old and while I'm not entirely sure what ethnicity I am, my skin is naturally tan and I have the facial structure of a Caucasian male. I'm just over 6'1" and 175 lbs. of toned muscle, but not exactly ripped; straight brown hair, and hazel eyes that are complemented by my long eyelashes. My nose is average size, my cheeks and jawline aren't exactly chiseled and, much to my fervor, I often get mistaken for being younger than I actually am. At this point some of you may be saying, "Why Cole, it sounds like your features could be described with two words that would compare them to an infantile state," Yes, I know. Don't say it. I am completely aware and I can't stand being described by those two words. Jason has always called it my "Cougar Trap" and gave me the nickname CT. Given that my name is Cole Treyfair, the nickname is entirely appropriate. Only a handful of people know the true meaning behind it. I just thank god for fake identification so that I can follow Jason into bars. Despite the fact that we are the same age, Jason never gets carded... Bastard.

While I may not be unattractive, I have hardly had the luck with women that Jason has, which is understandable if you take into consideration the fact that he looks like a blonde, blue-eyed, 6'4" version of Mark Antony (you know, minus the self-evisceration and before that harpy Cleopatra got a hold on him); i.e. curly hair, sharp regal features, and a face that looks like it was carved from stone. Jason has been my best friend since we were fourteen so I have been around for his entire sexual career, a career that is in the high double digits. He likes to claim that it all started with my uncle's maid Lupita when he was fourteen and that he "seduced her without so much as a word," because he doesn't speak Spanish. 'Claim' being the keyword in that sentence as my uncle didn't have a maid named Lupita. My uncle has only ever had one Hispanic maid named Tia and, as far as I can tell, she only speaks English.

Despite having such a high count, Jason isn't the, "she was blackout drunk and didn't know what she was doing so she slept with me," type of guy. He is more of the "I'm going to walk down the street and steal your girlfriend/wife," type of guy. Jason always has my back as a wingman, which is why I found it strange that, when he noticed Natasha's gaze, he desperately dragged out the conversation. Natasha starts leading me out onto the back patio until I hear Jason desperately call out, "Cole, wait!" Natasha stops, slowly turns, and gives Jason a malicious glare.

Natasha and I suddenly appear on a swinging outdoor futon, gazing up at a vast amount of stars with hues of blues and greens that I've never seen before. The only sound is that of soothing background music that I can't quite identify. I feel the warmth of Natasha's body emanating on my right arm. I turn my head towards her and give her a soft kiss, noticing our lack of clothing in the process. As I start to question it, Natasha kisses me back and I'm strangely overcome with a wave of joy and relief.

"Are you having a nice time?" Natasha slyly asks.

"Yeah, I am," I reply. "Everything just feels right with you in my arms,"

"Well, I'm glad," Natasha tells me with a grin, but then her face contorts to a look of concern. "But you know, you can't run from reality. Despite the things that have happened and even if some really unpleasant things may be in store for you, you can't run away,"

"What do you mea—" I start to ask when the background music became clearer and I finally hear it.

The song 'Pinch Me' by the Barenaked Ladies is playing.

****

Chapter 2: What a way to start the day

I'm startled awake by my phone, the ringtone coincidentally being 'Pinch Me'.

That's right...

Jason is dead.

I should have realized that was a dream long before now. I sit up and swing my legs over the side of my bed. I wake my phone from sleep mode to see that it is 11:15pm on Wednesday, May 1st. I have a new message and a missed call, both from Sara. I reach for the highlighter orange bottle on my nightstand, tap out a little blue pill that I have taken for ADD since I was a kid, and pop it into my mouth because I know that I won't be getting back to sleep. I know it is just a psychophysiological response based on the color, but I swear it tastes like blueberries. I grab the bottle of vodka off of my night stand and take a swig to wash down the pill.

I reach for my phone to call Sara back and it starts ringing the moment my fingers brush against the screen. That same damn ringtone... I'll have to remember to change it later.

"Hello?" I ask, already knowing that it's Sara.

The moment she starts talking I immediately become alert, mainly because she is crying so hard that she is hyperventilating so I can only make out every other syllable.

"C..le? Un.. Eri.. is ..ed, ..le," the strangled sounds coming from Sara make it hard to tell that it is even her.

"Sara? I can't tell what you're saying. Slow down, breathe and then try again," I tell her. I listen to her breathe deeply over the phone for a few seconds before she continues.

"Cole, Uncle Eric is dead," Cheza manages.

The phone slips out of my hand and thumps onto the floor.

Well, this day just keeps getting better.

...

Chapter 3: Reminiscence

"I've already changed your flight home in two weeks for Rei's graduation and birthday to a flight for today at 1 am," Sara tells me after taking the phone away from a crying and choked up Cheza.

"Alright I'll see you soon," I reply while hopping around, trying to put on my jeans.

"Wait!" I shout into the phone while falling over.

"COLE!? COLE!? ARE YOU ALRIGHT!? TALK TO ME COLE!" I hear Sara frantically yelling through the speaker. "I'm fine Sara. I just fell over trying to put on my jeans."

"Thank the gods. If they had gotten you too..." Sara says before trailing off. What the hell does she mean by that? "Anyway, do you need something? You said wait just before you fell over putting on your jeans, probably while hopping around like an idiot."

She knows too much...

"Is Kira there?" I ask.

"No, she is flying home tonight from Peru," Sara replies.

No big surprise there. Kira was rarely home despite being married to Eric. I could probably count the number of times I'd seen her on one hand.

"Alright, I'll see you guys in a few hours," I say and press the end call button on my phone.

I get up and walk to the front door, pausing for a few moments in front of the room that has been vacant for nearly five months. I'm unable to shake thoughts of Jason or the memories of that dream from my head. I'm out the door (wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, and my grey leather jacket that Cheza gave me for my eighteenth birthday, which is my favorite jacket despite having a broken zipper) with a duffle bag full of clothes and at SeaTac airport in less than an hour—just one of the benefits of having an apartment in north Seattle.

When sitting at the terminal waiting for your flight without headphones because your stupid ass forgot them, there is not a whole lot to do. I pull out my phone and look at the text I had received nearly two days ago:

Happy Birthday Cole! Sorry for the text but the reception is shit here in Greenland. I'll see you in a few weeks for Chezarei's birthday and graduation.

–Uncle Eric

****

Uncle Eric was in his early forties, Hispanic, about six feet tall with green eyes, short black hair, chiseled good looks, and a physique that implied he should be acting in a Bond film instead of working as a journalist. He looked enough like the character Nathan Drake from Naughty Dog's Uncharted series for me to think that a video game had been released based on the exploits of Uncle Eric's secret life. I first met Uncle Eric at my mother's funeral when I was five years old. I don't remember it all that well, but I do remember him walking over to where I sat quietly in the corner. He handed me an assorted bag of candy while telling me that everything was going to be okay and that I was going to live with him.

Eric Vaele wasn't actually my uncle. He was just a friend of my mother's and my godfather. I never met my father so Uncle Eric was as close to a father as I was ever going to have, and he knew it. The only reason I called him Uncle Eric is because he insisted upon it after I called him dad once and he freaked out.

In addition to playing the part of dad/uncle, Uncle Eric was also my sword fighting instructor and we would fence semi-regularly in the basement. Despite being really busy working as a journalist for Natural Geographic, he always tried to make time for me and my younger sister Chezarei (whom I call Cheza). Now, Cheza obviously isn't my real sister. She came home with Uncle Eric after one of his business trips when I was ten years old. While Uncle Eric only took over as a guardian for me (allowing me to legally keep my last name), he adopted Cheza so she took on his last name of Vaele.

Despite being a journalist, Uncle Eric was quite well off financially (which only added evidence to my 'secret life' theory). He lived in a large modern style house that had been built against a cliff side in an L-shape with the small end touching the cliff face. Although the house sat on a fifty acre plot, only five acres were fenced in with six foot high brick fencing that opened only for the wrought iron gate that separated the one hundred yards of driveway from the rest of the road.

Eric employed two maids: Tia and Sara. Tia was the head maid and ran the house, while Sara was more of a nanny and acted as an older sister to Cheza and I. Sara took care of us and even tutored us if we needed it. She's still serious, but tends to geek out about some things. Sara is half Scottish, half Indian, 5'6" tall, slender with black hair that stops at mid-neck level, and green eyes that are noticeable through her square-frame glasses. At a 32A, Jason described her as "a little lacking in the bust department, but she more than makes up for it with that 'Onii-chan' feel."

"I think you mean 'Onee-chan', not 'Onii-chan'," I told him.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's Onii-chan," he said.

"Oh really?" I replied. "Because last I checked, she is female and according to Yuuko-sensei, Onii is used for older brothers."

"I thought oni meant demon..."

Jason has this... had this rather extraordinary ability to remember bits about everything he came across but he didn't have the attention span to get the details. I always described him as a jack of all trades but a master of none.

Sara was also like a substitute mother for me when I first moved into my uncle's house. Hard thing to ask of a sixteen year old but looking back, I say she did a pretty good job. I used to tell people that she was my mom, just to see the looks on their faces when they work out that Sara can't be more than eleven years older than me. She became the caring and supportive older sister that she is today, when I was seven years old.

****

"Flight 303 non-stop to Phoenix is now boarding those with 'preferred members' cards."

Chapter 4: Do we even like Funions?

After settling into seat 5C, I start to think about my Uncle Eric and my family again.

****

In addition to being head maid, Tia was also my and Cheza's close quarters combat instructor in the fully padded gym that is in the house's basement. I say my and Cheza's but it's really more like she is just my combat instructor. As far as I've seen, the only thing Tia instructs Cheza in is cardio kickboxing, while my instruction is more the 'full contact sparring' type of instruction. This sounds like an awesome situation, especially if one takes into consideration the fact that Tia is a Latina bombshell. Tia looks to be somewhere around her early thirties, 5'7" with long legs, brown eyes, black hair that falls in a sheet that hits her shoulder blades, facial features that look almost regal, and a seductive smile that is almost constantly on her face. With her looking like Penelope Cruz with longer legs and darker hair (bust size at a 34C is about right though), it is understandable why Jason lies about having slept with her... lied.

So full contact sparring sounds great right? I mean, it's like a teenage male's wet dream to be able to have full body contact with a woman like that, while getting all sweaty and possibly rolling around on the ground, right!? Wrong. It would only be great if I was a hardcore masochist, but then I'd lose consciousness five minutes into the lesson with a large amount of fluid covering the inside of my pants.

"But it is full contact sparring right? Like FULL contact?" Jason asked me while we were on the subject one day when we were fifteen.

"So just grab her tit! She seemed to enjoy it when I did it!" He told me.

"I thought you slept with Lupita," I sarcastically replied.

"Right, her too!" Jason exclaimed. "Anyway, just try it!"

So of course being a hormone driven fifteen year old male, I tried. I thought I'd be smooth and act like I tripped in front of her with my hands out stretched.

'Great in theory, terrible in execution,' I thought as she glided to the side and dropped an elbow into my back.

As I rolled over and stared up while trying to work out a hostage negotiation with my lungs to exchange wind for CO2, she just smiled down at me with that seductive little smile of hers and said "I'm sorry, I thought you were trying to get a jump start on today's lesson!" Tia sat me up and started tenderly rubbing the spot on my back that her elbow had recently impaled, while saying "You poor thing. There we go. Feel better?" leaving me with the assumption that maybe she didn't know what I was up to.

I told Jason the next day during biology class and he whispered back with "Okay new plan! While sparring, start to go in for a single leg sweep and when you go to grab her shoulders, just move one of your hands down a few inches and boom! Enterprise, we have made contact with alien life... wait, I don't think they ever said that in Star Trek... let me try again. Just move one of your hands down a few inches and boom! These are not the droids you're looking for!" Jason exclaimed.

"THAT'S NOT EVEN THE SAME SERIES!" I shouted back at him before realizing the setting of our conversation. Mr. Lewis just looked at us with an incredulous stare, jaw agape until he sighed and shook his head slowly.

"Mr. Treyfair, you are correct, that is not the same series. Thus, on the next test, you get two bonus points while Mr. Mathews gets docked two points regardless of his actual score. Congratulations Mr. Mathews! You have the unique opportunity to actually get an F- on the next test! I'm honestly hoping that you don't show up that day so I can be the first teacher to ever give a student an F-!" Mr. Lewis said.

Jason responded by standing up and taking a bow while I was too fazed by the fact that Mr. Lewis could hear us over the sound of his voice when we were whispering in the middle of the room. Come test day, Jason actually did get an F- and he celebrated by having the test and a copy framed. Mr. Lewis still had that test hanging up on his wall when we graduated.

The next day I tried out Jason's plan and it worked! The only problem was that I was so focused on grabbing Tia's right breast that I missed her left fist flying straight towards my temple. That was the one and only time I had ever been knocked out while sparring with her.

I regained consciousness to a pounding head, a cold, wet sensation on my forehead, a warm wet sensation on the back of my head, and a melodic sound nearby. As I took stock of my surroundings, I realized that the cold sensation was a wet towel, and the warm sensation was... sweat? I cracked my eyes open enough so that I could just barely see, but not enough to be noticeable to most people. I realized that my head was in Tia's lap, the sound was her humming something that sounded like a folk song, and she was stroking my hair while looking down at me with her seductive little smile.

"You're getting better at this," Tia told me. "If I wasn't looking right at you, I wouldn't be able to tell that you are awake. Now tell me about your situation."

"Well I was knocked unconscious, there is a wet towel on my head, my head is in your lap, you are stroking my hair, and you were humming something earlier... A folk song?" I asked.

"Very good! You are right on most accounts, but it seems you are missing the most important detail!" Tia informed me, her smile slowly broadening.

I was proud that I had grown up a little bit that day because it was the first time I realized that Tia is a psychological sadist. Then I realized what I was missing.

Tia wasn't wearing the yoga pants she was sparring in.

I suddenly thought that maybe I had grown up too fast, my mind reeling with the idea that the moisture on the back of my head might not have been sweat. Of course fifteen year old me's libido driven brain immediately got excited at the possibility. That is, until I realized a very important fact caused my heart to start racing even faster and not in the good way: Tia's seductive smile can instantly change into her predatory smile.

My thoughts had immediately split and then started scrambling into eight different directions with common theme of "Holy shit, Holy shit, I'm about to get raped." The thoughts went something like this:

Me 1: "Holy shit, Holy shit, I'm about to get raped. Where is my rape whistle? HAS ANYONE SEEN MY RAPE WHISTLE!?"

Me 2 @ Me 1: "You don't have a rape whistle, you jackass!"

Me 3: "Quick! What's the number for 911?"

Me 4: "Where's Chris Hansen!? SOMEBODY GET ME CHRIS HANSEN!"

Me 5: "Quickly, somebody get me some snacks! I heard predators love snacks! We have to stall until Chris Hansen can get here! WE NEED COOKIES AND LEMONADE!"

Me 6: "Holy Shit! CAN SHE TURN INVISIBLE TOO!? AND WHO THE HELL IS CHRIS HANSEN? SHOULDN'T WE BE CALLING ALIEN INSTEAD!?"

Me 7: "HOW THE HELL IS ALIEN SUPPOSED TO USE A PHONE WITH HIS VELOCIRAPTOR ARMS AND TINY INSIDE MOUTH THAT I ASSUME DOES ALL THE TALKING? WE NEED THAT AUSTRIAN GUY! YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA!"

Me 5: "NOT THAT KIND OF PREDATOR YOU DIPSHITS!"

Me 7: "ARNOLD SCHWARTZENEGGER!"

Me 8: "Why are you guys yelling? I don't know why you are all freaking out. This might not be so bad! Just think about it... How many people can honestly say their first time was with a girl this hot?"

Me 1-2 & 4-7: "You're right!"

Me 1: "Does anybody remember the proper way to put on a condom?"

Me 2: "Does anybody here actually even remember health class?

Me 4: "No... If you start to put it on backwards can you just flip it like a mini trampoline or do you scrap it and get a new one?"

Me 5: "WHO ARE YOU, DANE COOK!?"

Me 6: "WHICH JACKASS TURNED ON THE DAMN BLENDER?"

Me 3: "HEY GUYS! I'M MAKING SMOOTHIES, DOES ANYBODY WANT ONE?"

Tia laughed, snapping me out of my inner monologue.

"You look like a mouse that has been cornered by an anaconda!" Tia choked out while still laughing. Nice analogy, Tia. I started to get up but she pushed my head back down.

"Relax cherry boy! You have a concussion, the wet thing on your forehead isn't a towel, it's an ointment pad to help the concussion, and the reason I'm not wearing any pants is because you puked all over them," Tia informed me.

"I guess that is a pretty good reason to stay still," I conceded.

"Who said anything about that? I just want you to keep your head where it's at because it feels good!" Tia teased, and then started laughing when she noticed my nervousness.

"What? Would it have made you feel any better if it had been Chezarei in my place?" Tia asked while gesturing to the other bench where the silver-haired girl that I call my little sister sat with tears in her radiant blue eyes. "She's been like that ever since she came down for her lesson and saw you unconscious."

Me 3: "Now how many guys get to say that their first time was with their little sister?"

Me 7: "Insert 'The South' joke here and, according to Jason, like half of Japan."

Me 8: "That can't be right..."

Me 3: "JAMN strikes again!"

Me 8: "JAMN?"

Me 3: "Jack of All, Master of None equals JAMN."

Me 1: "When the hell did Jason get here!?

Jason: "Hey Coles, you should really try these smoothies! They're awesome!"

Me 3: "No way bro! You are totally not eating all my Funions!"

Me 2: "So that is what your brain looks like on drugs."

Me 5: "Do we even like Funions?"

Me 1,2,4,6,7,8: "No"

****

Chapter 5: At least be professional about it!

I must have dozed off because my eyes are closed and I'm stretched out when I hear the gunshot, followed by the screams.

"Everyone stay seated or this pretty stewardess's pretty brains are going to paint the pretty walls! Now here's what's going to happen" blah blah blah I'm a stupid, politically incorrect terrorist. They're called flight attendants, you jackass!...wait a second, why am I not more concerned by this? I crack my eyes open the same way Tia taught me to and survey the situation. Mr. Terrorist walks by, dragging the flight attendant towards the front of the cabin. When he is about six feet from the cockpit door, he stops.

"Actually, a passenger will make a better hostage. SIT DOWN!" He screams at the flight attendant while tossing her into an empty seat as she yelps. He looks at one of the passengers and starts walking toward them without breaking eye contact.

Teenage female, 5'5", blonde, blue eyes, body type: slim, Seat position: 3 back 1 right.

Huh? Okay, that was strange. How did I know that?

Mr. Terrorist is twenty feet away from me, walking towards his target with a nonchalance that does in no way suggest that he is holding a gun, or that he is spinning said gun around his right index finger. It certainly doesn't suggest that he had threatened to blow open a flight attendant's head with said gun less than a minute ago, and he is likely to threaten the girl behind me in the same way. Who the fuck does this guy think he is? If you are going to threaten people with a gun, take hostages, and attempt to hijack a plane, at least be professional about it, asshole!

...No, wait. That's not the issue here.

It is a testament to how fucked in the head I am that I'm more angry about Mr. Terrorist's nonchalance than about his attempted hijacking.

I somehow feel that the girl knows that he is headed for her now. All of a sudden, I see myself lifting Mr. Terrorist off of the ground with my left hand and squeezing his face as his eyes explode and goo runs down my hand.

No.

This isn't happening again.

Not here.

Then it's over and Mr. Terrorist is fifteen feet away. I formulate a quick plan, noting the slow and steady rotation of the gun around the index finger of his hand that is closest to me. When he is five feet away, I execute.

Playing the part of the sleeping passenger, I fake a muscle spasm and sprawl my right leg out into the aisle way, effectively tripping him. I follow up by flailing my right arm out with a groan, grabbing the back of his head and slamming it into the arm rest thrice. I go back to pretending to be unconscious, sort of like Mr. Terrorist, who is currently in the aisle with blood gushing from his head.

I hear the passengers start to cheer as I continue to feign being asleep. The passenger on my left pats my left shoulder and I, as limp as a sack of potatoes, fall into the aisle onto the bleeding guy as everyone falls quiet. I stay on him for about two seconds before jolting awake and quickly standing.

"Huh? Wait, what's going on?" I ask the stunned passengers.

"Whoa what happened to this guy? Somebody should help him, he seems to be bleeding a lot and—WHOA WHERE DID HE GET A GUN!?" I shout to the passengers, who are still completely stupefied by my little act.

"Hello?" I ask turning towards the former hostage target, and I hear her gasp in response.

"What?" I inquire.

The girl simply points at my stomach and covers her mouth with her other hand as a concerned look plagues itself across her face. I look down to see a red ink blot expanding under my plain white t-shirt. I replay the events in my mind and realize that I had completely missed the second gun shot.

When I was twelve I read a book of famous last words and that day I promised myself that my last words were going to be book worthy, or at least amusing to put on my headstone, because who doesn't need a good laugh if they're in a cemetery?

"Oh... Shit... Well, somebody tell Hanes that they can't check off bulletproof on the list of features for their new t-shirts."

I was only vaguely aware of my body hitting the floor, thankfully away from the possibly dead terrorist guy. I really didn't want the last image of me that the passengers were going to see, the image that would be burned into their minds, to be of something that appears to be a cross between necrophilia and prison rape, to a third party.

Small miracles, right?

****

Chapter 6: IT'S BACOOOOOOON!

I first met Cheza when I was ten years old, after Uncle Eric returned home from a business trip up north.

"Cole, this is Chezarei. She's eight years old and she's family now so I want you to treat her as such, okay?" Uncle Eric said after I had welcomed him home.

I remember looking at that pretty little girl with a pale complexion, seemingly uncut silver hair that flowed down to her lower back, and glazed over icy-blue eyes. I thought that she was a doll. It turned out that my first impression of her had been pretty accurate because that girl practically was a doll. She didn't speak, always had a blank stare, and her movements seemed lifeless. Overall, she was very interesting to me, and familiar in some way.

"Cole can you please take Chezarei to her bedroom, the empty guest bedroom next to your room? I need to discuss some things with Tia and Sara," Uncle Eric requested.

"Sure," I replied.

"Hi, I'm Cole," I said to that girl, eliciting absolutely no response, so I grabbed her hand and led her towards the guest bedroom that shared a wall with my room.

I felt that I couldn't leave her alone so I turned on the small TV that was on the dresser, changed the channel to Nickelodeon, and sat with her on the bed. Twenty minutes after that, Sara entered the room, said "Hi Chezarei, I'm Sara. Let's go shopping to get you some new clothes and things," with a pitying look that was just noticeable to me underneath her warm smile, and led Cheza to the car by her hand. I turned off the TV and left the room when I heard the front door close. I had a question for Uncle Eric.

"What's wrong with Cheza?" I asked when I located him (this was the first time I had called her Cheza. I don't know why I did, but it just felt right so I stuck with it). Although I was rather astute for my age (I actually knew what astute meant then), it was hardly necessary to tell that something was very amiss with this girl.

Uncle Eric sighed, turned toward me with a grim expression, and said, "Her parents were killed in front of her Cole. She's like you." He didn't need to say anything else. It was enough of an explanation for her behavior. After all, I had been the same way five years prior.

"Okay," I said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I know what to do."

Uncle Eric just looked down at me and smiled, completely aware that I wasn't going to 'wake her up' using the same method that was used on me.

...

I don't remember much about my mother being killed, but I do remember retreating into myself for the two years that followed. Sara had been homeschooling me so I wouldn't fall behind, although she overdid it a bit and I ended up about three years ahead (because of my ability to soak up information like a sponge. It seems to be pretty easy to learn when you don't have very many stray thoughts in your mind) with an extensive knowledge for mythology, of all things.

"Mythology was the only subject that caused your eyes to become slightly more focused when I was teaching. Other than that you were completely unresponsive," Sara told me when I asked her about it some years later.

About nine months after I arrived at the house, Tia started training me in close quarters combat. Training while in my doll-like state wasn't nearly as effective as my homeschooling had been. A week after my seventh birthday, Tia had finally had it. I had already learned forms by watching and being thrown, kicked, and punched, and she had nothing else that could be taught without experience, so she told me to attack her. The most she'd had me do before was punch a bag (which I had done in a very doll-like fashion of moving my arms back and forth while the rest of my body was perfectly still), so I had no idea what she was talking about. I just stood there in response.

Tia became exasperated and stormed over to where I was standing. She stopped and stood there silently in front of me with a blank expression before suddenly punching me square in the nose, one of those nice hits that cause the person receiving it to tear up uncontrollably. Those tears that rolled down my face, a face that had been otherwise emotionless for two years, broke the floodgates. I dropped into a pile on the ground and started bawling for over an hour. Tia simply sat down next to me and held me for the duration. Over the following three months, I slowly came out of my shell and went to school for the first time.

...

Cheza was going through the same thing I did and I wasn't about to try and break her nose to see if she would snap out of it. With no alternatives, I simply fell into the part of the dutiful big brother. A few days later I asked Uncle Eric about her hair, having never seen that color before. "She has Waardenburg syndrome. It is characterized by her hair color and blue eyes," Uncle Eric said and that was enough of an explanation for me.

After about six months, Cheza was moving around and her eyes appeared alert, but she still didn't speak or show any emotion. To try to counteract this, Sara told her to write down the things she wished to say in a notebook, but it didn't take. My guess is that Cheza took what Sara said too literally and she didn't have anything she _wished_ to say so she didn't write the things that _needed_ to be said.

Then one night, eight months after she'd arrived, I awoke to find her standing in my doorway wearing sky blue pajamas with white clouds and holding her pillow. Tears were streaming down from her terrified blue eyes as she hyperventilated. I got out of bed (finding the house to be a little chilly for a t-shirt and basketball shorts), and hugged her until she calmed down because I was too tired to show any other form of concern. After that, I went back to bed.

A few moments later, I felt a tug on the sleeve of my t-shirt so I turned over to look at Cheza, who was holding her pillow to her chest. I caught on a few seconds later so I moved over to make room for her and then turned away from her to go to sleep, but I ended up staying awake until I was sure she was asleep and alright. That night repeated itself as I felt Cheza tug on my sleeve every week to two weeks for the next few years, slowly decreasing in frequency. Cheza started to show more facial expressions, but she still couldn't speak. She had, however, started to write things down.

A week before her twelfth birthday, Uncle Eric asked "What do you want for your birthday, Chezarei?"

Cheza got out her three by five inch aluminum covered notebook, which I had given her as a birthday present the previous year, and wrote 'I want to go to school with Cole'.

I was finishing middle school in two weeks, after having turned fourteen a week prior, on April 30th. Since I would be starting high school, normally there is no way Cheza and I would have been able to go to school together, considering that she could start in seventh grade at most.

Uncle Eric knew this, and he knew that I knew because there was no way I was concealing the sadness in my eyes about crushing this girl's birthday wish, yet he still said "I think I might be able to arrange that."

I watched in horror as Cheza's face lit up like it did when she watched fireworks, and I pictured the fall from her high that would happen when she eventually discovered the truth. Uncle Eric looked at my horror-stricken face and smiled which immediately made me think that he knew something that I didn't know, so I remained hopeful. The next night when Uncle Eric said "I'm sorry Chezarei," I cringed in response.

"I talked to the school and there isn't any possible way for you to be admitted at Cole's school, but if you attend school this year, you can be transferred to his school next year," Uncle Eric told her.

Cheza looked downtrodden, wrote "Okay," then she turned to me and wrote "At least we get to go to school together next year!" The combination of her misguided hope and poorly concealed disappointment caught in my throat, so I just smiled and nodded. Cheza retreated to her room and I became furious at Uncle Eric.

"Eric," I started through gritted teeth, leaving off the Uncle part of his name to demonstrate my seriousness. "Would you please explain to me what in the hell you think you are doing!? Lying to her twice when both times you've known damn well what the situ—"

"Do you love her?" Uncle Eric interrupted.

"—ation is," I finished. "Of course I love her, she's my little sister!"

Uncle Eric smiled at my response. That knowing little smile was really starting to piss me off.

"Would you go to school with her if you could?" Uncle Eric asked.

"Absolutely, but it's impo—"

"Good," Uncle Eric interrupted, stood up, and walked over to the hall closet by the front door. "It's a private school that covers grades seven through twelve. Here's your new uniform and your class schedule is in the breast pocket."

The new uniform that Uncle Eric displayed for me was a beige coat, beige slacks, white dress shirt, and a red plaid tie. I just stared at him for a moment before asking, "Why?"

"The more disappointing the purposed outcome is, the greater the surprise. All you have to work on is the presentation! Besides, I already bought her a smartphone to match yours," Uncle Eric told me as he started to walk away.

_"And your sacrifice to her will mean more than anything I could do..._ " I thought I heard him say as he walked away, and then he stopped. "Oh and by the way, the girl's uniforms... the skirts..." he said before pointing at mid-thigh.

"Seriously!?" I asked, suddenly ecstatic about my new transfer.

"HAHAHAHA NOOOOOOOOPE!" he responded while walking away.

'Well it's nice to see that he's having so much fun at my expense!' I thought.

I'm not sure how Uncle Eric managed to get us into a private school without any sort of testing, but I assume he made it possible through his connections with the school. That or he just had Tia go and threaten the school's board.

It had never been clear to me what Tia did before becoming a maid for the Vaele household, but given her extensive combat training, I think it is safe to say that she was some sort of bear assassin...or at least that's the only explanation my mind came up with to explain why, every time I'd gone to the zoo with her, the bears are never in sight. And I mean all bears: black, brown, Kodiak, polar, panda and even red pandas which aren't actually even bears! They're a type of fox! But obviously they didn't want to take a chance at being mistaken for their name-sharing cousins, by the bear assassin!

It was August and time for Cheza's first day of school. I exited my room to find her already awake and sitting at the kitchen table dressed in her new uniform that included the standard knee-length pleated skirt. Mid-thigh skirts... Pfft! How the hell did I fall for that? The red plaid skirt and tan blazer didn't exactly suit her 4'9" frame, or her chin-length silver hair. I went into my bathroom for a quick shower and walked out of my room fifteen minutes later. Dressed in my new uniform, I walked toward the kitchen where sweet smell of bacon was waiting.

Uncle Eric was at the stove cooking bacon, wearing an apron and basketball shorts. He liked to cook breakfast for everyone when he was home. He glanced back at me and winked as I entered the kitchen before turning back to the stove. I sat down and started eating after glancing at Cheza's barely touched food, and I waited. I counted to nine (while eating three strips of bacon) before I saw Cheza do a double take out of the corner of my eye and heard the sound of wood sliding against tile as she quickly stood up. I looked up at her and gave her my best 'why, whatever could be the problem, sister dearest?' expression in response to her shocked face. She responded with a glare before punching my left arm so I stood up, hugged her, and softly said "Surprise!"

"Whoa, look at the time!" Uncle Eric exclaimed. "You two need to get going or you will be late! Chezarei, grab your English muffin. You can eat it in the car. I won't have you going to your first day of school on an empty stomach!"

While Cheza quickly grabbed her muffin, I started towards the plate of bacon. I got about half way before Cheza, muffin protruding from her mouth, grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards the door. I stumbled backwards while fighting against the ninety-pound tractor beam that had me in her grasp. With my hand outstretched towards the plate of bacon, I prayed to the bacon gods that they would magically deliver the bacon into my hands. I stared unblinkingly as two strips magically floated off the plate and started slowly traveling towards me before plummeting to the kitchen floor. All of a sudden, a golden retriever came out of nowhere and scooped up the bacon in his mouth before bolting off while shouting something about not having thumbs.

I blinked several times before realizing that it was just my imagination. Man... Fuck hallucinatory golden retrievers!

Chapter 7: The Saga of the Pretzel Baroness

The private school was about thirty minutes away so Sara gave us a ride. Thankfully neither Sara nor Tia wore maid uniforms so we didn't attract unnecessary attention to ourselves like poor Alicia Snyder, Pretzel Baroness.

Actually, I had no idea about the Pretzel Baroness thing because I'd never said a full sentence to the girl. That was just the only rich Snyder family I could think of and there is a Snyder factory in Goodyear. I also like the pretzels that her family purportedly makes.

Actually, I had no idea what her name was, but the large braided loops in her hairstyle did remind me of pretzels and she did have maids in uniform.

The school was modeled in an H-shape of sorts, and was easy to navigate. Grades seven through nine in the left wing, ten through twelve in the right with classes numbered sequentially from front to back, even numbers on the left and odd numbers on the right. The administrative offices, cafeteria, and gym were in the center of the H and the football, baseball, and grass fields covered the back the school, moving from left to right respectively.

I walked Cheza to her homeroom class, mainly so I knew where it was, and then I went off to find my own class. I'm not much of a people person so I didn't really make any friends and just looked forward to my lunch period, which I shared with Cheza because her homeroom teacher's name was in the same lunch bracket as mine. I wanted to make sure that she was doing alright.

Four hours later, I went to the cafeteria and looked for Cheza. I heard "Rei, how do you like school so far?" come from my left. I looked over and saw, much to my relief, that she was surrounded by classmates and that (also to my relief) most of them were girls. Not really all that surprising—pretty people tend to be popular. She seemed to be doing just fine and was scrawling down what I assumed were the answers to questions.

Despite the fact that I was famished, mainly because pretzel girl was sitting in front of me for three of my past four classes, I decided to skip lunch and headed for the grass field instead. Her name wasn't actually Alicia Snyder, it's... see what I mean? Not a people person. I'm terrible at remembering people's names which is a shame because she was really nice and actually cute enough to the point that I would be interested if it weren't for the fact that seeing her made me hungry and let's be honest, no relationship can come of that. It will just lead to impotency or some strange fetish that makes me orgasm whenever I see an oven or hand rolled dough and god forbid I ever get cum in her hair. I'd end up driving to the nearest AMC Theater to get a Cinnabon pretzel...because her hair looks like a pretzel and Cinnabon icing looks like jism... Oh, no explanation was necessary? Then that's my bad.

The grass field was a deep green and quite soft, which sounds weird until you take into consideration that Phoenix is a desert and water can get expensive. There was a small hill off to the side so I went over to lie down, deciding that I would take a little nap. I enjoyed the smell of fresh cut grass as a nice cool breeze drifted over.

'Tomorrow, I'm totally not wearing the jacket.' I thought.

The majority of the other students weren't either because Phoenix in August is too damn hot to wear a blazer. My peaceful rest was interrupted by the sound of three guys smoking off to my left. I cracked my eyes open and peered over to what looked like two gentlemen and an ogre. He must've been a linebacker, or should've been considering that the guy was about 6'7", 250 lbs of not-exactly-fat. I did my best to ignore them for five long minutes, until they started to walk back towards the school.

"Finally," I muttered to myself. I could go back to napping before the lunch period was over.

Or at least that had been the plan.

For about ten seconds.

Until I heard ogre yell "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, YOU DUMB BITCH?"

I looked over and I saw Cheza with a slice of pizza stuck to her blazer. I jumped to my feet and started quickly walking over. What was she even doing out here? Less than ten minutes ago, she was 'chatting' with her new friends so I slipped out, not wanting to disturb her, without... without getting any lunch. She must have seen me leave without getting any so she decided to bring some to me.

"YOU SPILL PIZZA ON SOMEONE AND YOU DON'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING!?" Ogre yelled and then he pushed Cheza to the pavement.

I started running towards them. By the time I saw the blood on palms I was close enough to shout "Hey! What the hell do you think you are doing!?" stopping about ten feet from them.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE, DIPSHIT?" Ogre snarled. At that point I was no longer sure if he is actually yelling or if his voice was naturally that loud.

"I'm her brother, asshole!" I exclaimed. Ogre snarled in response and was about to say something when he smiled.

Little warning bells went off in my head as the memory of Tia's voice chimed in and said "When fighting multiple opponents, try not to let them get behind you."

Just then, one of the two 'gentlemen' put me in a full nelson, or a double shoulder lock, from behind. Ogre took a step towards me and punched me thrice in the stomach before giving a quick nod to his friend, who then dropped me and my face into Ogre's uppercutting fist.

When I hit the ground, my nose and lip were already bleeding and I was pretty sure my nose was broken, but at least my ribs didn't feel too bad. Then the two gentlemen's feet made contact with my ribs and I discovered the need to re-assess my injuries. They stopped kicking me and I found myself thinking, 'This is a bit gruesome for a school fight, especially a school that has security cameras everywhere.'

I looked at the overhanging roof and realized that the reason Ogre and his friends were back here in the first place is because there were no security cameras covering this area. I looked over at Cheza, who was on the ground by the wall, 25 feet away, looking at me with tears running down her face.

I wanted to make these assholes hurt for making her cry. I rolled over onto my knees, and then I heard it.

"Say goodnight, big brother," Ogre said as his foot flew into my face.

Oh... so I guess he was yelling before.

****

Chapter 8: First Words

My head is fuzzy. I hear voices to my right and for the love of god, would one of them please turn off whatever is making that constant beep. Off to my left I hear Cheza scream my name.

"COLE!"

****

Something about hearing the high pitched, almost melodic voice that reminded me of the sound that ice crystals make when shattering on a frozen pond, made me open my eyes. Was that Cheza?

"OH, SO NOW YOU CAN TALK!?" Ogre was back to screaming again as he started walking toward Cheza.

'Cheza. Cheza spoke, and her first word was my name! This must be how a father feels the first time their daughter says daddy!...or not,' I thought as I realized that now was not the time to be worrying about this.

I watched from the sidelines as I pulled myself to my feet, something besides my consciousness compelling my body to move.

"OF COURSE YOU CAN CRY FOR YOUR BROTHER, BUT YOU CAN'T SPARE ONE LITTLE APOLOGY FOR ME!?"

I charged at Ogre, who was too busy yelling with his back turned to notice my approach. When I was about five feet from him, I jumped and threw an elbow into the back of his head. While I hit the ground, Ogre easily covered the seven feet to the wall, but he managed to get his right hand out in front of him to try and stop himself. The sickening crack of his arm told me that he succeeded... sort of. Ogre was on his knees cradling his arm as I rolled back onto my feet and cleared the short distance between us. After a knee to the side of his head, I followed him to the ground. I kneeled down on his rib cage, restricting the movement and practically choking him while I repeatedly punched him in the face. At some point, Ogre lost consciousness.

I heard a new voice saying "I wouldn't do that, he might accidentally hit you. Besides, that guy is an asshole and it's really fine by me if your brother kills him. Everything will turn out fine if he does because I've got videograffitical...that's not right... Videophotographical? No... Geographical! Wait, that isn't right either... Look, I took a video with my phone of that guy beating the shit of your brother so a self-defense plea would totally pass, especially since the two lackey's are in the video kicking your brother and they're the only ones that could stand as possible witnesses, but my video and a testimonial as a character witness would totally trump their testimonials."

When the new voice said the word videograffitical, I realized that I was consciously moving my body again. I stopped punching Ogre, took my knee off of his chest, and turned on my knees toward the new voice. The blonde guy that the voice belonged to was a little taller than me, but much thinner and without an ounce of muscle on him.

I saw Cheza standing off to my left, closer to my position than she had been. I took stock of the fact that she had splatters of blood on her right cheek and on her clothes. The new guy had been looking up at the sky until he finished his little word game and looked down at Cheza. By the time he finished his rant, I couldn't decide whether he was a confused dumbass, an inarticulate genius, or something else entirely. Judging by Cheza's expression, she was having trouble deciding as well.

He finally realized I was looking at him, turned to me, and said, "Hey buddy! How ya doin'?" with his voice rising in pitch at the end of each sentence in a kind of singsong fashion.

"I'm Jason," he said while holding his right hand out for me to shake it, and then reconsidered when he looked at my bloodied hand.

Well he was polite and offered his name so I pointed to myself and said "Cole," then pointed at Cheza and said "Rei," single syllable words being all that I could manage through my strained breathing.

"Alright boys break it... Whoa! What in the hell happened here!? I got reports of a scuffle not a fight club!" said a person off to my left, whom I assumed was a security officer that came around the same corner that Cheza had a few minutes ago. I realized that I could no longer see Cheza and that my vision was blackening rapidly.

"Why hello Officer! Interesting story. You see, this fine chap right here—" Jason started to say, suddenly talking with an Oxford accent. I chuckled slightly at Jason and then heard wind rush past my ears.

"And he's down," Jason added, his accent back to its normal American level, but muffled. "He probably needs an ambulance," Jason continued, sounding like he was in a different room as I heard Cheza scream, "COLE!"

"So does the other guy, but he's probably a lost cause... don't worry though! I've got videographic evidence that Cole acted in self-defense in case Cole killed him... videographical? Videograffitic? Video—" Jason continued, sounding like an adult from Charlie Brown by the end.

I heard Cheza's voice clearly as she screamed, "COLE!"

****

Chapter 9: He's a zombie!

"COLE! COME ON, COLE! SPEAK TO ME!"

"I'm sorry miss, he's gone..."

"Rei, please calm down."

"Cheza? Sara?" I ask the blanket of white. "Cheza, when did you start forming complete sentences?" Did her voice suddenly get deeper? "And can you please do something about that infernal beep?"

"HOLY HELL! THIS GUY IS STILL ALIVE! DOCTOR!"

"COLE!"

I feel Cheza grab my left hand as the world flashes so I close my eyes.

"Thanks" I say as the beep stops.

I open my eyes, slowly realizing that I'm in a hospital bed. I look over at Cheza (who is wearing a pair of light blue short shorts, and a white shirt with a glittery star on the front), with Sara (wearing jeans and a pastel yellow t-shirt) standing over her left shoulder.

I notice that Cheza is now 5'2", has grown out her hair so that it reaches her shoulder blades and is swept from the right to cover her left eye. I look at her button nose, pouty lips, small icy-blue eyes, flawless cheeks, and finally her 34B bust, and I realize that the previous Cheza was just a memory.

"Alive!? What do you mean alive?" The doctor asks while walking down the hall. Sara smiles at me before turning and quickly walking out the room's door to my left when she hears the doctor. The doctor enters the room and stops when he sees me moving while I try to comfort Cheza by grabbing her hand with both of mine. In one urgent motion, the doctor rushes up, grabs the bottom of the sheet that is covering up to navel level, and rips it clean off the bed before I even know what's happening.

I watch as Cheza's head turns left, towards the doctor, and then slightly down. Cheza's eyes grow really wide, her face turns red (which is really obvious given Cheza's pale complexion as a backdrop), and she quickly forces her head back in the direction of my face. She looks like she is trying really hard not to look back in that direction by the way her eyes are flicking spastically back and forth. It finally dawns on me that I'm completely naked.

"GOD DAMMIT DOC! THE SITUATION THAT I HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY AVOIDING FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS HAS FINALLY BEEN BROUGHT TO FRUITION BECAUSE OF YOUR CARELESSNESS!" I yell at the completely distracted doctor.

"This just can't be! How can this young man be alive? The doctor that was on the plane said his wound stopped bleeding and that his heart rate had become undetectable less than 5 minutes after the incident!" the doctor mutters to himself

Just as the doctor was starting to head into a full meltdown mode that included crying into the corner in the fetal position with the possible addition of him smearing fecal matter on the walls, Tia strides into the room in black stiletto boots, tight fitting jeans, and a burgundy camisole. Sara follows her in as Tia digs through her purse, walks over to the doctor, and then smacks him across the face with a stack of $100 bills hard enough to leave an impression of Ben on his cheek. She looks at him for a moment before she takes the stack of bills and smacks him on the other cheek for good measure.

Tia stuffs the stack of bills in his agape mouth, before saying "Just dig the bullet out of his stomach, stitch him up, and stop asking stupid questions."

She leans in close and whispers into his ear, "the kind of questions that can completely destroy the lives of you and your loved ones."

I find it a little strange that I can hear her whispering across the room, as though she were whispering in my ear instead. Tia turns to me with a smile, flicks her gaze downward and then flicks it back up to my face while wearing her predatory smile.

"Well, well, well. Here's someone I haven't seen in a while," Tia says, still wearing her predatory smile and leaving me completely uncertain as to whether she is talking about my penis or not.

"Is it just me or have you gotten bigger?" Now I'm about eighty percent sure she is talking about my penis.

"Hurry and cover up! You're distracting Chezarei, you naughty boy!" Tia says as she rips the sheet from the still stunned doctor and tosses it over my lap.

Now I'm almost positive that last one was directed at my penis. I look at Cheza to find that she has completely turned away from me and is apparently trying to count the bubbles in the ceiling tiles. Is that like baseball statistics for women? When I look back, Tia just winks at me and walks out of the room.

Yep, that was definitely about my penis.

Chapter 10: Knocked that asshole into a coma

"Alright miss, we need to take him back for surgery now," the female nurse says while trying to stifle her laughter.

The nurse seems to have recovered much faster, taking charge of the situation while the doctor is still in a state of shock. Jeez! Based on his reaction, you would think that this doctor has never been slapped with a stack of $100 bills!

"Okay," Cheza sniffles. "I'll be here when you wake up, alright?"

I smile and nod at Cheza to reassure her that I am indeed going to wake back up. She returns the smile and walks out of the room. As the nurse starts prepping the IV on my right hand and as the anesthesiologist comes in to inject anesthesia into my IV, I start to remember the situation similar to this one that I had been in before.

****

I came into consciousness to a pounding headache and a steady beeping noise (the latter not helping the former). The sound of two people talking in the room grabbed my attention. Since I was unable to open my eyes, I listened in on the conversation.

"Then Rei screamed Cole—" Jason said before being cut off.

"But Chezarei doesn't speak," Tia said, interrupting Jason.

"Well, she was earlier," Jason continued.

"She screamed his name a total of three times, usually after bouts of moaning," Jason paused, as if remembering that Cheza and I are siblings, and then he said, "Sorry. I make stupid jokes when I'm nervous around pretty girls."

"Well he might be stupid, but at least we know that he's honest and has great taste in women!" Tia exclaimed and Sara scoffed, making her presence known to me. Based on Uncle Eric's lack of laughter, I take it that he took Cheza home.

"Umm... Thanks?" Jason replied. "Anyway, Rei shouted his name three times, but the first time was most important. I had stopped the video after Cole got knocked out because it didn't look like he was going to get back up again and I had all the evidence I needed. I moved from my spot underneath the tree and started to run towards the security room. Then I stopped when I heard Rei scream Cole's name and Dwight started shouting at her."

Ah, so that was Ogre's real name. Jason continued his recalling of events.

"I was torn between running to get help and intervening to increase Rei's chances of not getting hurt. Suddenly, Cole gets to his feet as if he were a puppet suspended on strings and he charged at Dwight like a man possessed. I stood there, stunned by the total badassery, as Cole flew through the air and threw an elbow into the back of Dwight's head, forcing Dwight into the wall. Then Dwight was on his knees, screaming and holding his arm, and then there was this blur and Cole was kneeling on Dwight's chest pummeling his face into the ground! It was great! Specks of that asshole's blood were flying everywhere, hitting the wall and a bit even reached Rei! I started to run toward them to make sure Dwight's two cronies didn't finish Cole off. When they turned and ran, scared shitless and covered in specks of Dwight's blood, I slowed to a jog.

At that point, Rei stood and started to get closer to stop Cole so I called out to her and warned her to stop in case Cole caught her with a reeling elbow from his punching. Then Cole turned around and looked at me so I introduced myself and he introduced himself and Rei. Then the security officer came around the corner and blah, blah, blah, Cole collapses on his face, Rei screams. The ambulances comes and the EMT's load Cole into one of the ambulances. Rei starts in after Cole but the EMT is all 'No I'm sorry miss but you can't ride with him' but Rei wasn't having any of that. The look on the EMT's face was priceless! Understandably too. I mean, if I had a girl with specks of blood on her face staring icy daggers into me like that, I'd get the hell out of her way too haha! I followed into the ambulance after her while the EMT was still stunned, and here we are."

"Thank you, Jason. You have been very helpful. I just have one last question: why do you hate this Dwight boy so much?" Tia asked.

"During orientation last year, he purposely tripped me down a flight of stairs, breaking my arm, and then just laughed in response," Jason explained.

"Thank you, Jason. You may leave now," Tia said making it sound a lot more like an order than an option.

"Alright cool... Well, I'm going to the cafeteria to get something to eat. I guess I'll come back in like an hour to see if he's awake and then I'll rethink my options," Jason replied.

"Isn't there someone that can come pick you up?" Sara asked, warmth and concern emanating from her voice.

"Nah, my mom is always away on business and my dad isn't around. I just walk to and from school. I only live about two miles away. Anyway, need food," Jason replied sounding a bit uncomfortable, and then he left the room.

"Tia! Did you notice that kid!?" Sara urgently whispered. "And it sounds as if Cole—" Tia cut her off, making a tsk sound by sucking her teeth.

"Just get some rest Cole," Tia said to me.

As sleep took me, I heard Sara say, "Damn he is getting good at that!"

...

I awoke some time later to a pounding headache, a steady beeping noise (the latter still not helping the former), and a warmth on my right hand and leg. I looked over to investigate the heat source and saw Cheza holding my hand, resting her head and shoulders next to my leg from her seat at my bedside. She was wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt, confirming my earlier hypothesis about Uncle Eric taking her home. A familiar fruity smell was permeating the air that I quickly recognized as Cheza's hair. The smell reminded me of frozen mandarin oranges for some strange reason.

I quickly scanned the room and noticed the bathroom to my left, diagonally from the door to the right of my bed. I moved slowly so I wouldn't wake Cheza, and then made a brisk walk towards the bathroom. I didn't feel too bad, all things considered.

"Well, you have certainly gotten bigger since I last took a bath with you seven years ago!" I heard Tia say, knowing that seductive smile was on her face because of her tone. I froze and slowly turned, suddenly aware that I was completely naked. Tia was sitting in a chair with a book face down on her lap, wearing white shorts, a blue t-shirt, and matching blue sandals that just screamed 'Athens' to me. The reason I hadn't seen her is because the chair was blocked by the folded privacy curtain on the wall.

"Here, put this on in case Chezarei wakes up," Tia said and tossed me a gown that was on the table to her right.

"Thanks," I muttered and then hustled to the bathroom to do my business and get dressed.

I exited the bathroom to find Tia reading her book and Cheza still sleeping. Not surprising considering the rough day that she had, what with the getting covered in blood while her brother nearly beat a guy to death after watching her brother get the shit kicked out of him. Wait, I'm that brother.

Cheza snorted slightly before whispering "Cole" on the exhale. I started to wonder if she could say anything else.

"As far as I can tell, that is the only thing she can say so far," Tia said, interjecting on my thoughts. I looked over to find that she hadn't even looked up from her book. I didn't reply while I carefully climbed back into bed.

"You just missed Jason. Sara is giving him a ride home right now," Tia informed me in a hushed tone.

"Am I expelled?" I asked.

Tia snorted in response. "No, I had an associate of mine take care of it."

Tia's response immediately made me think that my earlier assessment of her previous career had been a little off. I don't think she was a bear assassin... I think she trained bear assassins! And I don't mean people who assassinate bears—I'm thinking of bear assassins. An elaborate montage of scenes flashed into my head:

Four different species of bears sitting around a table in a dark room that is lit only by a _Pixar_ style lamp that is shining directly on the dossiers of their targets. There's a bear sitting at a café wearing a brown fedora and matching trench coat, reading a newspaper while watching one of the school's board members order his coffee. The next day, he is working there as a replacement for the regular barista who is 'sick and totally not tied up in the trunk of his car'. When the board member comes up and orders his regular, non-fat latte with caramel, BAM! Poison!

Another bear is running surveillance on another board member, making notes of the times she goes to work each morning. A team of two other bears hides in the bushes in the dead of night while wearing night vision goggles. They rush over to the second board member's car that is parked in her driveway and rig a pound of C-4 to the ignition block. The next morning when she turns her car on, BOOM!

All four bears are sitting around the table, which now has stacks of magazines on it, looking ridiculous as they cut out letters for an anonymous threatening letter to the third board member that says "If you don't want to end up like the other two, then do as we say! Bring two million in non-sequential bills to this address. OR, leave the affairs of *undisclosed* private school to the school's principal," Finally, Tia talks with the school principal to seal the deal.

"But you do have to see the principal once you go back to school," Tia finished.

I stared at Tia, still horrified by the thought of her team of bear assassins.

"Don't worry! That guy isn't dead. He is just in a mild coma. I am tempted to send one of my associates to persuade him to assure that he never messes with you or Chezarei again. You know, when he wakes up... or if," Tia said while completely misjudging the look of horror upon my face.

A picture flashed into my head of two bears holding down Dwight's arms, his ass sticking up in the air while a third bear rips down his pants and carves 'I WILL NOT FUCK WITH COLE OR CHEZAREI' into his ass with a shank, followed by an alternate picture of a bear holding a pillow down on Dwight's unconscious face.

I just looked at Tia with my mouth agape after snapping out of my montage, and said "Don't do that."

Tia laughed in response and said "I'm going to go get something to drink," as she stood up and started for the door. When she reached the doorway, Tia turned around, walked over, and hugged me.

"You did well, Cole... protecting Chezarei like that," she whispered into my ear, causing me to become officially freaked out.

Tia broke away from the hug and gave me a warm, tender, smile while resting her hands on my shoulders, a gesture that had seemed almost impossible from Tia.

"Get some rest, Cole. You've earned it," Tia said

I was officially convinced that this was all a freaky dream so I allowed unconsciousness to reclaim me, hoping that it would wake me up.

****

Chapter 11: Meth Addicted Bunnies

I open my eyes and see full-sized Cheza sitting to my left, smiling warmly at me.

"How do you feel?" she asks. Something is off, but I can't quite place it.

"Like somebody has been digging around in my stomach for the past few hours, but other than that, good," I answer with a smile. I just can't shake this feeling...

"That's great! _This means I can interrogate you without feeling bad_ ," Cheza mumbles.

'Did she just say interrogate? Nah, she couldn't have. My little sister doesn't go around interrogating people!' I think, smiling to myself.

While still warmly smiling, Cheza stands up, hops onto my bed, and sits on my legs, effectively trapping me. I feel my heart rate pick up.

"So... who's Amy?" Cheza asks while still smiling, but with a slightly homicidal glint to her eyes.

"To whom might you be referring?" I ask nervously.

I have a really bad feeling about this. My heart starts beating a little faster. Cheza reaches behind her back and pulls out a small gift bag and hands it to me. Not daring to take my eyes off Cheza, I reach into the bag and feel a small cloth bundle.

Oh dear god no.

I close my eyes and pull out the small bundle. I'm almost too afraid to open them to confirm that this bundle is what I think it is. I open my eyes and immediately wish I hadn't. Currently clutched in my hands is a pair of white and turquoise striped, cotton panties. I unfurl them and a business card sized piece of paper slips out that simply says 'Amy' with her phone number. My heart monitor suddenly goes off and starts beeping loudly. I guess it was on silent mode and set to beep when it gets above or below a certain rate. I look over at the annoyingly loud box and see that my heart rate is currently at 192 beats-per-minute. A brunette nurse wearing pink scrubs rushes into the room, then stops and gives me a surreptitious smile.

"I was wonderin' what had yer heart rate jacked up like a meth-addicted bunny in a rattler's cage, but I see what's goin' on. Let me just unhook ya' from this for a li'l while. Now, don't be too rough with him dear. Ya' don't wanna rip his stitches and have blood squirtin' everywhere, ruinin' the mood. Oh and please clean up after yerselves so we don't have to. Have fun!" the nurse says with a twang to her voice while having completely misinterpreted the situation and my pleading eyes.

During the nurse's little speech, Cheza had been looking at the ground with a smattering of embarrassment across her face. The second the nurse leaves the room, her switch flips back and the interrogation begins once again.

"So who is she?" Cheza asks.

"W-Who?" I answer again, stuttering from my increasing nervousness.

"Amy. You know, blonde girl with blue eyes, about three inches taller than me and probably about sixteen? You know, the girl willing to give you her panties and phone number as a 'get well soon' gift and asked me to tell you to call her!" Cheza exclaims, her voice getting increasingly louder

"Oh, yeah. Her. Funny story, actually. I kind of saved her from becoming a hostage at gun point. The crazy terrorist guy was going to take her as a hostage, right before I smashed his face into my arm rest repeatedly," I respond to her question.

Something still isn't sitting right with me. I look at Cheza and finally notice what it is. Through Cheza's white, glittery star t-shirt, I can see her bra: a white and turquoise striped bra. Still at little confused as to the why, I press the issue.

"What does it matter to you if she gave me her panties or not anyway!?" I sternly ask, making full use of my deep voice to sound loud and authoritative. Cheza flinches and then comes back with more fire than ever. Uh-Oh. Looks like I made the wrong move.

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT MY STUPID BROTHER TURNING INTO A LOLICON!" Cheza shouts at me.

"A what?" I ask.

"A PEDOPHILE!" She yells as I remember what she is talking about.

I never should have let Jason introduce her to anime. It was bad enough when he got her that book for her thirteenth birthday. She went on and on about sparkly vampires for months. It took so much willpower not to interrupt one of her rants and scream 'VAMPIRES DON'T SPARKLE DAMMIT!' Thankfully, she got bored of it quickly.

"I ALSO DON'T WANT HIM TO GO TO JAIL FOR STATUTORY RAPE!" Cheza adds.

"WELL THEN, MAYBE I WILL JUST CALL HER, TAKE HER BACK TO THE HOUSE, AND HAVE HER SHOW ME A GOOD TIME FOR SAVING HER! MAKE SURE TO WEAR EARPLUGS OR YOU MIGHT NOT GET ANY SLEEP!" I yell, a little insulted that she expected I would do something like that.

"FINE! GO AHEAD!" Cheza screams with tears forming in her eyes. I nearly crack, but I stand strong to teach her a lesson.

"FINE!" I shout grabbing my phone from the table to my left, and the slip of paper with the number.

With my face expressionless, I act like I'm dialing the number, but I go over to my favorites list instead. I look up at Cheza, whose tears are close to falling. This damn phone better hurry up or I'm going to feel like shit later. A cellphone starts ringing a moment later and it takes Cheza a few seconds to realize it's hers.

"You should probably put these back on or you will catch a cold or something," I tell her expressionlessly and hand her back her panties when surprise registers on Cheza's face.

I'm aware that she can't get a cold by not wearing panties, but that explanation is easier than telling her that I don't want to take the time to think up the female equivalent of free-balling... Free-petaling...? Free-lipping...?

"How did you know?" Cheza sniffles, back to her usually quiet demeanor.

"I can see your matching bra through your shirt. Since you obsessive compulsively match them when you fold your laundry, I figured that the chances are pretty good that you also match when wearing them," I explain. "But this was pretty elaborate. I mean going to buy a bag specifically for this... it's not something you usually do."

My eyes are drawn to the door where I see Tia standing with the door cracked, holding a video camera and trying really hard not to laugh. I don't remember her owning a video camera, which means she went out and bought a video camera specifically for this, but where in the hell did she get a video camera at six am...? Oh fuck you, Walmart!

When Tia sees me staring at her, she just starts laughing and then enters the room.

"YOU'RE BEHIND ALL OF THIS AREN'T YOU, TIA!?" I scream. "HAVE YOU JUST BEEN CORRUPTING HER WHILE I'VE BEEN GONE!?"

"Please, she's a grown woman! She was mad about that cute little piece of ass and wanted to get back at you, just like before," Tia responds, presumably referring to the time I learned that I shouldn't try to date my little sister's friends.

****

When I was seventeen, I flirted with one of Cheza's friends, one that had a crush on me. Cheza got angry and then Tia helped her set up an elaborate revenge plot that involved getting everybody drunk, slipping me a roofie, Jason hooking up with Cheza's friend because he's an opportunist, and a hungover wake-up call that meant Cheza shouting at me saying that I got trashed and then raped her friend who was now in her bathroom crying and wouldn't come out. She continued by saying "What the hell is wrong with you!? You don't flirt with your sister's friends and you certainly don't rape them!"

Naturally, I started freaking out and asked Cheza what I should do. She responded by saying, "You should learn your lesson and stop flirting with my friends so I don't have to set up this elaborate fake rape plot again!"

Jason started dying in the hallway saying, "CT, you should see your face!" along with Tia, who was laughing so hard that she just kept repeating, "I can't breathe! I can't breathe!"

****

Cheza had gone to the bathroom to return her panties to their rightful place and had come back while I was lost in my memory.

"Wait, so how much of this was just you guys?" I ask.

"Well, she came by with a card and asked me to give it to you and have you call her... the card got misplaced though..." Cheza quietly says.

"*Sigh* That's fine. I'm not really partial to girls that are four years younger than me anyway," I say to her.

"At least not for another two years..." I'm tempted to add, just to annoy her.

"Anyway, get dressed and let's go home. Sara's getting you discharged now," Tia says as she walks out into the hall.

Tia returns with a wheelchair and helps me out of bed. I walk into the bathroom with my bag of clothes and change before exiting and taking a seat in the wheelchair. Cheza wheels me out of the room.

"Mr. Treyfair, you've already been discharged so you're free to leave, but you may want these once the anesthesia wears off," the first nurse says as Cheza wheels me past the nurses' station.

"Thanks," I reply as she hands me a bottle of pills that say 'Hydrocodone 5mg /500 mg,' which I immediately slip into my pants pocket.

"You're welcome. Take care!" the nurse exclaims as we leave

We exit the hospital and Cheza helps me into the back seat of the Mercedes GL SUV that Sara has waiting in front before Cheza goes around the car and gets in.

The ride home is silent, thankfully so, as I'm still peeved at both of them and don't feel like talking. Plus, my stomach still hurts and a forty-five minute car ride doesn't help. Sara pulls into the three-car garage and I gingerly exit the Mercedes. I carefully walk from the detached garage, across the asphalt driveway, and up to the front door.

"Okay, so Cole! We have a lot to talk about, but that has to wait until tomorrow when Kira gets here," Tia says as we walk through the front door. That's fine by me because I really don't feel like talking.

I walk through the carpeted living room to the right, in between the eight-person couch that borders the perimeter of the room and the seventy inch flat screen, barely staying upright in the process. When I reach the threshold of the tiled hallway, I stumble and slam my left side into the basement door, causing the pill bottle in my left pants pocket to rattle.

"Ouch," I calmly say through gritted teeth.

Cheza rushes over and helps me upright. She walks me past her bedroom on the right, the guest bathroom on the left, and finally into my room on the right.

"I think I can handle it from here," I say once I sit down on the bed.

Cheza manages a smile through the barely contained sadness in her eyes. She turns and walks to the door, stopping at the threshold.

"Sorry," Cheza quietly says and leaves, shutting the door behind her.

Well that's just great! Suddenly I'm the bad guy and I have to feel like shit about it when I'm actually the victim! I strip down to my boxers and carefully lie down in bed, every movement sending shards of pain through my stomach. I retrieve the bottle of Vicodin from my pants pocket and pop a handful of them into my mouth. Probably not all too safe but fuck it. I need some sleep free from this whole mess.

The Vicodin fairy grants my wish of sleep, but I guess I should have been more specific because instead it gave me the one dream I fear most: the memory of the night of Jason's death.

****

Chapter 12: Painful Memories

It was Friday night. Jason and I were out celebrating, having finished our finals from our second fall quarter at the University of Washington. Jason was wearing jeans, a red flannel shirt, and a peacoat, which is appropriate dress for thirty-five degree weather. I was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, and my favorite leather jacket with the broken zipper, which is not exactly appropriate dress for the weather for most people. It's not a problem for me because my blood runs a few degrees colder so it takes quite a bit to make me feel cold, whereas I get hot fairly easily, which is not ideal for Phoenix weather.

(I know what some of you, who have read the 'sparkly vampire' type books are thinking: "that's not right! Werewolves have higher temperatures than humans so they don't get cold," which anyone who has had a temperature of 103 can tell you, is asinine. When your body temperature is that high, the air around you feels colder because of your hypothalamus and relative skin temperature. That is why when people have high fevers, they feel cold. The author just wanted the hot werewolves to be topless, plain and simple.)

Jason and I were walking home from a party, and we were still pretty drunk. We were joking around and having a good time when some asshole stepped out from a dark alleyway and tried to mug us at knife point using a dirk. I mean an actual naval thrusting dagger, dirk. I immediately sobered up a bit, recognizing it as a threat despite the stupidity of it. Jason however, saw the dagger as a giant joke.

"Dude seriously? What fucking time frame are you living in?" Jason asked after taking one look at the thing.

"Jason what the hell are you doing!? Now is not the time for jokes!" I said to Jason.

The mugger didn't appreciate the joke and herded us into the alley, making several thrusts in our direction. I held up my hands and slowly backed into the alley, trying to decide if I was too drunk to fight him without getting stabbed. Jason just trundled along like a reluctant child whose mother just told him that he couldn't get any candy.

"Seriously, if you are going to try and rob somebody, at least use a weapon that they can actually recognize as a real threat like a butterfly knife or a switchblade or better yet, a gun!" Jason joked again.

That turned out to be a bad idea. I saw the look of malevolence in his eyes as the mugger stepped toward Jason and I realized he was about to stab him. I wasn't about to just watch as my friend got stabbed so I sprang into action. The only problem was that I was too drunk to remember any disarming techniques so instead of positioning myself in front the blade to disarm the guy, I just ended up in front of the blade, watching as the knife plunged into my navel and then was drawn out.

One of my favorite comedians, Nick Swardson, said, "I don't care if I go through life and don't help a lot of people or save a million lives, I just don't want to get stabbed! If I can get through life without getting stabbed, I win."

It looked like I just lost.

I crumpled to the ground at Jason's feet in shock as he screamed "COLE!" Jason punched the guy who stabbed me and started fighting him while dodging stabs. I just sat there holding my stomach and watching as blood seeped through the cracks of my overlapping fingers.

"AH!" Jason grunted as the knife swiped his left bicep.

Suddenly, the blood seeping through my fingers stopped.

'Oh this is just fantastic! This means that my heart stopped which means I will be dead soon. What is it, like 6 minutes until brain death?' I thought.

Then I felt my limp body rise to my feet, something other than my consciousness compelling my body to move. Jason watched me rise to my feet in the bizarre, puppet-like, fashion he had seen five years ago, before I put Dwight into a coma.

"Oh you are so totally fucked dude!" Jason informed the mugger.

I watched as my body rushed forward faster than I thought possible and picked the mugger up by his face using just my left hand. I slowly squeezed his temples until my fingernails broke his skin. Then something strange happened: the mugger's eyeballs exploded, leaving blood and goo trickling down my hand. When blood started trickling in a fine stream from his ears, I heard Jason call out to me.

"CT? CT can you hear me? Cole? You can stop now, I'm pretty sure he's dead. Cole? COLE STOP!" Jason shouted while grabbing my right shoulder.

I just sat there—the helpless spectator—watching as I spun and grabbed Jason's left bicep with my right hand, while I tossed the mugger to the wall with a squishy sounding 'thunk'.

Jason looked at me with shock and fear in his eyes. When his body went slack, I let go of his arm as he fell onto his left side. I was standing over him with my face emotionless until I regained control and immediately fell to the ground beside Jason in shock at what I had done. At the end, Jason gave a little half smile and made a "heh," sound, as if he were trying to chuckle. As he closed his eyes, blood started to trickle out of the left side of his mouth.

I was too stunned to move as blood gushed out of my stomach. I sat there knowing that Jason was dead... knowing that there was nothing I could do about it... knowing that there was nothing anyone could do about it... knowing that I was responsible for killing him.

I slumped over and my vision faded as I heard sirens in the distance, part of me hoping they would get there too late to save me.

...

I usually wake up after this part, but this time was somehow different. Jason suddenly appears in the darkness and says "Finally! Okay, listen, I don't have much time. I'm still alive, in a sense, and I need you to go t—" before my dream flashes white.

A naked Natasha walks up and says, "You can't delude yourself, Cole. Jason is dead. This is the reality of it... this is the reality of what you did."

My dream flashes again and a scene comes into view that I recognize as the events following Jason's death.

...

I woke up in a hospital bed. My stomach should have hurt, I could feel the stitches from surgery, but it didn't—nothing did. I was completely numb, but not because of painkillers.

Tia walked in the room wearing jeans and a black turtleneck sweater, leaned against the foot of my bed and asked "How do you feel?"

I responded by giving her a glazed over stare, not exactly by choice.

"*Sigh* Don't worry. I've taken care of everything. Let's go home," Tia said.

I hung my feet off the side of the bed, stood up and retrieved my clothes from the bag at the foot of the bed. I slipped the hospital gown off and got dressed, not caring if Tia saw me naked.

We were home in seven hours: five hours spent at the airports or flying and two hours for travel by car. I spent the time focusing on anything and everything that would keep my mind off recent events, things like counting the number of alcoholic drinks ordered on the flight. Answer: 116. I assume that some people ordered multiple times because the plane could only seat 180 and it wasn't a full flight.

We pulled into the driveway, got out of the car, and walked inside the house. The moment I entered the door, Cheza rushed up and hugged me tenderly. Still numb, I just stood there not hugging her back. Cheza pulled away, brow furrowed and pouting until she saw my expression. Her expression immediately changed to one of concern, but she didn't say anything as I walked to my room and fell face-down on my bed. In the back of my mind, I was aware that it hurt and that it wasn't a good idea to lie down on a recently opened stomach wound, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

For the next five days I was a ghost—a shell of a person. I floated around the house, not speaking and barely eating. Then the day of Jason's funeral came. I got out of bed at noon, showered, dressed in a black suit, and joined the girls at the kitchen table while they ate lunch. Cheza and Sara were dressed in appropriate black attire. Tia, on the other hand, was wearing a strapless 'little black dress' that ended at mid-thigh level. I should have said something, but I left it alone.

After I entered the car, I just shut down, few outer stimuli making it to my brain. I felt the car stop. I heard Cheza open my door and felt her grab my hand, indicating I should get out of the car. I allowed Cheza to take me to where ever it was we needed to go. Few details from the funeral made it to my memory besides the fact that Jason's mother had requested that he not be embalmed. I also remember seeing Jason's mother, Ms. Mathews, for the first time.

Ms. Mathews was in her early forties with a pale complexion, straight dark brown hair that was almost to her shoulders, about 5'6" tall, and slim. The thing that seemed off to me was her indifference to the death of her son. It looked like it hadn't fazed her a bit—like her son wasn't really dead. Then again, Jason and his mom had hardly had an outstanding relationship. There were only a few other people at the funeral and none that were recognizable.

Nobody said anything as Jason's casket was lowered into the ground. I saw out of my peripheral vision as two tears fell from Cheza's eyes as she whispered, "Goodbye Jason, my other brother," I could tell that she was holding back her tears for my sake.

We got home and I went straight to my room, stripped off everything but my boxers, and went to sleep early. The problem is what happened while I slept. My dream had been recreated from my memory, forcing me to watch once again as I killed Jason. I jolted up right upon awakening, yelping and breathing heavily with my body covered in sweat. I swung my legs over the side of my bed and tried to throw up into my bedside trashcan, but nothing would come out.

I sat there for a few moments, elbows resting on my knees while the blue glow of my alarm clock told me that it was 1:13am. I heard my door creak open as Cheza walked in (wearing a large white t-shirt that might have been mine) while I realized that she had probably been watching me the whole time. She silently walked over to me and stood in front of me for a moment before she grabbed my head and brought it to her chest.

I just unloaded on her. Everything that I had been holding in for the past week hit Cheza's chest. I cried and cried while grabbing the back of her shirt tightly, as though my whole world would crumble away if I didn't hold on.

"It's my fault. I killed him... I killed him. It's my fault that he's dead. I'm sorry, Jason. I'm so sorry," I sobbed, my voice muffled by Cheza's shirt.

"Shhhhh. Shhhhh," Cheza whispered as she stroked the back of my head while resting her cheek on top of it.

"Get in bed," Cheza softly said.

I complied and swung my legs onto the bed, not bothering to scoot up despite the fact they were hanging off the foot of the bed. Cheza climbed in after me and snuggled up next to my side, her arms wrapped around my head as tears streamed down my face. Despite the fact that I was no longer crying, tears just continued to fall. Had I been thinking straight, I would have said something about how she was too old to be sleeping with me anymore, but honestly, I was just glad that she was there and not turning away from me in disgust from the fact that I had killed my best friend and the guy that was like a brother to her.

She stayed with me through the night.

****

Chapter 13: A Surprise Awakening

I awaken from my dream while lying on my right side, facing away from the door. I feel Cheza lift up the covers and crawl into my bed. My stomach hurts every time she moves the bed so the painkillers must have worn off.

"Cheza, you're too old to sleep with me. You're not a little girl anymore," I mumble without turning over. There, I may be five months late, but I finally said it.

"Exactly. I'm not a little girl anymore, Cole," Cheza responds.

What the hell is that supposed to mean? I turn over to face her...and then I freeze like she is some sort of velociraptor that won't see me if I don't move. I don't even dare to breathe while trying to process what my eyes are seeing. Cheza is wearing a hot pink babydoll that is see-through below the chest while hips and below are covered up by my bed sheets. I'm not entirely sure how babydolls are supposed to fit, but this one looks a little tight in the chest.

"Umm, Cheza? I don't think I can handle any more pranks for today so if you want to give me a few weeks and try again –or better yet, not at all— that would be good!" I say to Cheza, my voice sounding increasingly nervous as I sit up in bed.

"This isn't a joke Cole," Cheza replies while sitting up and moving in to kiss me.

I put my right arm in front of me to block her, in much the same manner that someone would block a zombie that was about to tear their jugular out.

"Cheza... I... We, can't do this! You're my little sister!" I exclaim.

"But I'm not actually you're sister, Cole," Cheza reminds me as my resolve falters.

My arm weakens as my mind compartmentalizes all the memories of her from the past decade until I start failing to see my sister and instead start to see an incredibly attractive girl with long silver hair, which seems to sparkle in the moonlight that streams in through the window that faces the foot of my bed. My arm falls to my side as Cheza moves a little closer, stopping about six inches from my face as she closes her eyes.

I walk up to the ledge.

I look over the cliff.

I step one foot off the edge

...and then I stop. Over the sound of Cheza's breathing and my heart beating in my ears, I hear "Yeah! Do it! You know you want to!" loudly whispered from the hall.

Cheza jumps, grabs the bed sheet, and rips it up to her neck. I'm glad to see that Cheza hasn't changed too much and still has a sense of modesty. I look over at the door and what do I find? Tia, wearing yoga pants and a black tank top, doubled over in the door way with laughter and tears in her eyes while holding her stomach with one hand and her video camera in the other.

"DAMMIT TIA! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME!? YOU SET CHEZA UP IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR WHAT!? YOUR AMUSEMENT!?" I yell, gesturing to Cheza who's glaring at Tia.

"You think this is easy? I was waiting in the guest bathroom for four hours after I overheard Chezarei asking Sara if she could borrow that babydoll!" Tia responds while laughing.

"Whatever... Just get out... both of you. My stomach hurts and I want to get some sleep," I quietly tell them, reaching around Cheza to grab the bottle off my bedside table.

Tia stops laughing. The joke suddenly isn't so funny for some reason. Cheza gets out of my bed with tears in her eyes and walks toward the door. Tia follows her out, closing the door behind her as I pop a pill into my mouth.

"Why!? What in the hell is wrong with you!?" I hear Cheza ask from the hallway, sounding as though she is crying.

"I'm sorry, Chezarei. I wasn't—" Tia replies as Cheza slams her bedroom door shut. "—thinking."

I can hear Cheza quietly crying through the wall that our rooms share as I cycle the recent events through my head. What had Tia said? That she overheard Cheza asking Sara for the babydoll? Does that mean that Cheza wasn't a part of it? That this wasn't a prank?

I feel like I have something stuck in my throat... it's probably just the Vicodin I swallowed dry. I get up out of bed, open my door, turn left, and walk down the hallway, towards the kitchen. I reach the entrance of the living room and stop upon hearing voices.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" Sara asks in a loud whisper, her words sounding spiteful. "You know how important it is that they get along! Yet here you are, fucking up Rei's apology when it's almost time!"

How can I hear her whispering from more than fifty feet away? It's like she is right next to me... And what the hell does she mean, 'almost time'? Time for what?

"I know, I just—" Tia starts whispering, but stops.

"Come and get your drink, then go to bed, Cole," Tia whispers in my direction.

"What? There's no way he can hear you, Tia," Sara whispers as I walk across the tile flooring, past the living room, past the kitchen table, and over to where Tia and Sara are standing, in the entrance of the hallway that leads toward their rooms.

"What did you mean, 'It's almost time'?" I ask confrontationally. Sara gives me a baffled look.

"Cole, how could you hear us from so far away?" Sara asks.

"I don't know, but I want answers!" I demand as my eyelids become heavy. It's probably just a side effect of the Vicodin.

"There will be time for that later. Now get some rest Cole, we have a big day tomorrow. A day that has been a long time coming," Tia says as my eyes close and I start to feel like I'm falling.

...

Chapter 14: Rays of Sunshine

I wake up in my bed, lying on my back. The sunlight streaming through the window indicates that it is morning. My memories of last night are fuzzy. I stand up out of bed and start pacing. The harder I try to remember them, the more they slip away, as though they were from a dream. One thing does stick in my mind though: Cheza wearing a pink babydoll with her silver hair sparkling as her face moved closer to mine.

Now I'm really confused. Is that an actual memory? Did Cheza actually crawl into my bed last night in a pink babydoll? Or was that a dream? If it was a dream, then that means I'm having dreams about my little sister wearing lingerie which means I... I...

I proceed to the wall that my room shares with the hallway, and I start repeatedly slamming my forehead against it in a futile effort to drive thoughts of my little sister from my mind. Sara and Tia are suddenly standing in my doorway, watching me.

"What the hell did you do, Tia? Scramble his brains?" Sara whispers to Tia.

"What? No, I just purified his mind a little! He shouldn't remember anything!" Tia whispers back. "It's better this way, like hitting the reset button!"

"Cole? Cole! What's wrong!?" Cheza asks with concern.

I stop beating my head against the wall when I hear her voice. I feel blood drip down my face as I slowly turn towards her.

All I see is that pink babydoll.

"AHHHH!" I scream at the sight of her and smash my head into the wall, really fucking hard, letting myself fall backwards to the floor on the recoil. I keep my eyes firmly shut as I lie there.

"YOU CALL THIS BETTER!?" Sara screams at Tia.

"Well...obviously not this," Tia scoffs.

"CAN ONE OF YOU PLEASE DESCRIBE WHAT CHEZA IS WEARING FOR ME?" I scream from my position on the floor.

"She is wearing my pink babydoll that is see-through below the chest and is about three inches too long for her," Sara calmly replies and I open my eyes.

"Yeah, but over an inch too small in the bust," Tia mumbles right before Sara punches her in the arm.

I look at Cheza, who is staring at the ground away from me with a flushed face.

"So last night actually happened? It wasn't a dream?" I ask, starting to feel relieved.

"What wasn't a dream?" Cheza questions, making me realize that I had felt relief prematurely.

"After we got home, we all just went to bed, Cole," Tia replies, causing my stomach bottom out.

"So... what was this dream about?" Tia asks with her 'signature' smile.

I start to panic, trying to think of any dream that I would be worried about and included my little sister in lingerie, but didn't involve incest. I'll just say I don't remember! No, that won't work because even if I don't remember, incest will be implied! Then it hit me.

"I had a—"

"Anyway we don't have time for this so Cole, Cheza, get dressed and meet me in the hall," Tia interrupts.

I almost continue, just because I had put so much work into coming up with a lie, but I do the intelligent thing instead: I shut up and grab some clothes from my dresser as the girls leave. I walk through the door to the right of my dresser and into my bathroom for a rushed shower, thinking that I kind of need one to help clear my mind after everything. After stepping out of the shower, I towel off, and put my boxers on, quickly followed by my jeans. I'm about to put on a white t-shirt when I stop, remembering my head wound.

I look at my reflection in the half fogged mirror and see no head wound. Out of curiosity, I rip the waterproof foam-rubber bandage off my chest only to find that the wound is completely closed. In fact, I can barely even see a scar, just the stitches. I cut the stitches using my trimming scissors and remove the sutures using a pair of tweezers. I throw the t-shirt over my head, thinking that I can work out this mystery later. I walk out my door and see Tia waiting for Cheza and me. I lean against the wall and wait with her.

"So, where are we going?" I ask.

"You will find out soon enough," Tia replies and ends our conversation as I hear Cheza's shower turn off.

The next thirty minutes go by in silence before Cheza comes out in jeans and a light blue t-shirt. I look at her as she looks down and to her left to avoid my gaze.

"Let's go," Tia says.

Cheza and I follow Tia to the end of the hallway, past the master bedroom on the right, and into Uncle Eric's office. At a young age Uncle Eric made it apparent that his office wasn't some place to play. As such, I have only ever been in Uncle Eric's office twice and both times were because Sara or Tia told me to fetch him for dinner, so this was really my first time getting a good look at his office. In front of the window on the back wall is a bare Victorian style desk and a matching Victorian chair behind it. There are four full bookcases that cover the right and left walls, with nothing else in the room.

Tia walks over to the left bookcase closest to the door, pulls out the book farthest to the right on the bottom shelf, and reaches up underneath the shelf above it. There is a loud click and then Tia stands up, grabs the inner edge of the bookcase, and pulls it out, revealing a winding stone staircase leading down.

Really Uncle Eric? Really? A secret room hidden by a book case? What is this, fucking Scooby Doo? A Bat Cave is next right?

We follow Tia down the unlit staircase.

Again, really Uncle Eric? You spring for a secret room and elaborate lock, but you don't install lighting?

I start to stumble, but I catch myself on Tia's shoulder. We continue down the staircase and I feel Cheza grab my hand for support. After what seems like an unusually long time, we reach the bottom of the stairs. We stop for a moment, and suddenly everything is blindingly bright.

When my eyes finally readjust, I see that we are standing on a raised, yellow, sandstone-brick platform that is roughly a hundred yards long and fifty yards wide, bordered by six sandstone pillars on each side. Over each side and hundreds of feet below, there is a tropical jungle that stretches to the horizon. Cheza squeezes my hand and I go into protective brother mode to become the rock she needs me to be. I look back at her and smile before seeing what's behind her, facing forward again, and letting my face fall.

The staircase that we just came down is gone.

My inner voice starts screaming "IT'S A TRAP! EVERYBODY PANIC!" but I keep my head, knowing that any indication of me freaking out would scare Cheza. Tia starts walking towards the opposite edge of the platform so I follow with Cheza attached. We are about twenty yards from the opposite edge when I start to question our direction. In the time that it takes for me to blink, a step pyramid is erected at the edge of the platform.

I just keep an "Ah yes, I deal with magically camouflaged stone pyramids on a daily basis too!" expression on my face and follow Tia up the steps. Thankfully, Tia keeps a slow, steady pace going up the 137 steps. The pyramid levels off... into another platform just like the one before and in the distance, there is another pyramid. Oh don't tell me. I look behind us... and see that the stairs and platform from before are still there. Well that was anticlimactic.

Tia keeps walking until we are exactly half way in between pillars four and five. Tia turns ninety degrees, walks to the left edge, bends down and then something that I can only describe as the smell of ozone fills the air. I hear Cheza giggle behind me. I look back and see the tips of her hair floating upward and assume that mine have done the same as my skin starts to feel tingly.

"What is this?" I ask Tia.

"Oh, that's just a security mechanism," Tia stands up and walks over to the fifth sandstone pillar, keeping her balance along the edge the whole time, and presses her thumb against it.

"A security mechanism against what?" I ask with a pit growing in my stomach.

"A security mechanism against you, Cole," Tia says without turning back to look at me.

Cheza grips my hand tighter. Why would anyone need a security mechanism against me? I don't even understand how this is a security mechanism to begin with. It isn't restricting my movement or anything; it just makes my skin tingle.

The pillar begins pulsing red from the top downward, in increasingly short intervals. Now, having grown up playing video games regularly, I know that when something starts flashing red, there is a decent chance that you are about to die. I feel relieved when the pillar starts flashing green and makes the same noise that a correct answer receives on Jeopardy.

"So what would have happened had we gotten the Double Jeopardy question wrong?" I ask Tia.

"Firebomb? Depending on the threat, the place we are going to might have just ejected while sealing the exits behind it as this place imploded," Tia replies. Brings a whole new meaning to the word Jeopardy...no wait, actually that was the original meaning.

Tia walks back to where she started and then jumps off the cliff, or at least that is what should have happened, but she just stands there in midair. I look closely and see that she is standing on some kind of bridge that I can only describe as what a ray of sunshine looks when it is shown through a really dusty room. It is about six feet wide and three hundred feet long, but it might be longer.

Tia keeps walking so I pick up the pace, Cheza in hand until we are ten feet from the edge. I drop her hand as I jog towards the edge to jump to the sunshine-ray-bridge-thingy™.

When I'm about three feet from the edge, Tia stops walking and says "I forgot to mention the gap," while turning around and screams, "COLE!" when she sees my body leave the main platform. She looks surprised when she sees me clear the gap, as if she had been expecting me not to.

"You can see the bridge?" Tia asks incredulously.

"Umm... yeah? Cant everyone?" I reply.

I hear the slapping sound of shoes on stone as Cheza runs towards the edge. I turn around and see that something is holding her back. She won't make the jump that she starts two feet before the edge. The instinct to not jump into thin air and onto something that she can't see must be what is keeping her from reaching full speed. She screams as she jumps with her right arm outstretched (doing a great impersonation of the Air Jordan logo) and looks at me with fear in her eyes while I watch as her feet pass under the bridge.

Something inside me snaps and pain explodes in my head as I'm launched from the driver's seat of my body. My perceptions speed up as the pain fades. The outline of Cheza's body starts to glow silver as an orb on the inside of Cheza, over her navel, starts to glow light blue with a frosty white encroaching from the outside. Cheza's body starts to slow down while my body remains at normal speed. I sprint to the edge of the bridge, ten feet away, and see that Cheza has only fallen to knee level. I lean forward while I throw my left arm under her right, and wrap it around her back as my right hand extends further forward to reach under her left arm. When I have a good grasp on her, I quickly pull her into me.

"AHH-oomf!" Cheza screams as she hits my chest.

She looks up at me, her eyes looking slightly startled when she sees my face. I hold her close to my chest and move back until we're six feet from the edge of the bridge.

"Cole. Shut it down, Cole. Cheza is safe so it isn't needed anymore," Tia urgently says before her face takes on a perplexed expression.

"Can you not feel anything?" Tia asks. My head tilts to the side in confusion.

"Umm... Cole? You are kind of... Umm... squeezing my breast," I hear Cheza say from my chest.

I look down and see that her breast is fitting perfectly in my right hand. I freeze for a moment and then snap back in control of my body. My right hand immediately flies off her breast and up into the air.

"Oh shit, I'm sor—AUGH!" I scream as the pain I felt from before comes back in full force, plus interest. I crumple to the ground, my left side hitting down near Cheza's feet as I face towards Tia.

"COLE!" I hear Cheza scream as she kneels down beside me and puts her hand on my right shoulder.

"TURN IT OFF! TURN THE SYSTEM OFF!" Tia screams.

"WE CAN'T TURN IT OFF WITHOUT TURNING OFF THE BRIDGE TOO! THEY'RE ON THE SAME NODE!" Kira's voice booms from somewhere unseen, most likely the sunshine-ray-bubble-thingy™ that is at the other end of the bridge. Every muscle in my body feels like its clenching together and then releasing violently. Whom is that I hear screaming...? Oh wait, that's me.

"Shit!" Tia swears. "Chezarei, hurry up and help me drag him!"

Cheza grabs my left arm as Tia grabs my right. Whoever is screaming really needs to stop—they're giving me a massive headache... no wait, that's still me.

After fifty feet have passed, I start seeing stars and the edges of my vision darken.

After one hundred feet have passed, the range of my vision is at less than half.

After one hundred fifty feet have passed, the muscle clenching turns into convulsions.

After two hundred feet have passed, my vision goes black as I smell something burning.

But, just this once, I would like to believe that's not me.

...

Chapter 15: Is this heaven?

I wake up on one of those couches that seem to be in every therapist's office with a crackling fireplace to my left and a bottle of Perrier being poured into a chilled glass on my right by... Cheza? In a bunny suit? You know the ones: corset with black stockings, high heeled shoes, bunny ears, and to finish it all off, there was even a little poof ball on the ass. I see that Tia is dressed in one as well as she stands over by the fire, speaking to an older, red-haired gentleman. He is sitting in a plush chair to the right of the fireplace, wearing a dark maroon smoking jacket with a purple ascot while gently swirling a goblet of scotch in his left hand.

"Oh, I get it!" I loudly exclaim.

"I died and I'm in my own heaven that was recreated using my recent memories! I have to say that the bunny suits are a nice touch. Cheza looks pretty damn good in one of those things! Tia does too, I suppose, but it's not quite the same... I just get the feeling that this isn't her first time wearing one. Anyway, Cheza, can you get me a glass of scotch, please?" I ask, smacking her on the ass as she passes by, just for the hell of it.

"Man this is great! I never thought I would enjoy being dead so much!" I exclaim as Cheza scampers off.

"HA HA HA! I thought you might like this, boyo!" the gentleman Tia was talking to belts out, speaking with an almost stereotypical Irish accent.

"So God is Irish... whatever! Works for me! So I suppose what's next is the pool party involving waterfalls and some sort of grotto?" I ask.

"You mean like this?" God asks while snapping his fingers. Suddenly Tia and Cheza are wearing bikinis and I'm wearing swim trunks. A large pool that includes a waterfall off to the right, with the entrance to the grotto hidden behind the waterfall, stretches out before me.

"Or perhaps somethin' a little different?" He says while snapping his fingers again.

Now we are in a booth at an underground jazz club. I can make out Frank Sinatra through the smoke as he belts out 'Fly Me to the Moon'. I'm wearing a white tuxedo; to my right, Cheza is wearing a pleated navy skirt, with a matching halter top that ties behind her neck, black cat ears, and a matching tail; and to my left, Tia is wearing a similar ensemble with the exception of a tube top and hers is dog themed.

"Yeah this works! Their outfits don't really match the atmosphere, but I like them!" I tell God.

"Okay. That's it. I'm done," Tia says while standing up. I watch her, puzzled by her actions.

"Oh come now, lass. We were just havin' a bit o' fun!" God tells her.

Tia narrows her eyes at him, and then snaps her fingers. Everyone's clothes turn back to normal as the room shifts around until it contains a rectangular conference table with eight chairs around it, all on a circular sandstone platform. Off in the distance to my right, I can see the large platforms and step pyramids that led to the bridge.

I am standing at the end of the table with Cheza to my right as she looks down at the table with her face a deep shade of crimson, and Tia sitting to my left. The only other people in the room are Kira and the older red-haired gentleman, who are sitting to the left and right of the empty head of the table. Kira is a Hispanic woman in her mid-forties, about 5'3" tall, heavyset with white hair and milky white irises. It suddenly dawns on me that this is not heaven, and I am still very much alive.

"Aw... Can I go back to thinking that I'm dead instead of just wishing I was?" I groan.

Cheza looks at me with profound sadness in her eyes. I smile apologetically at her, knowing that she'll understand that I'm apologizing for wishing I was dead. I'll have to apologize for the whole ass smacking thing later.

"Never mind. Can someone please explain to me what in the hell happened back there?" I ask the table.

"I guess I'll start at the beginning," Tia says while swiveling her chair toward me. "Sara taught you about mythology when you were younger right?"

I nod, thinking back to the time before I started school when I was a functioning vegetable.

"Well they aren't exactly myths. That is Dagda. My name isn't actually Tia, it's Tlazolteotl, but continue to call me Tia because you will just butcher the pronunciation anyway and it would feel weird after you've been calling me Tia for three quarters of your life. And Kira is actually Mama Quilla," Tia says as I process the names.

Dagda (the Irish gentleman from before) is the 'All-Father' of Celtic mythology. I vaguely recall Tlazolteotl as being a goddess of lust, and purification from Aztec mythology. Mama Quilla is goddess of the moon in the Incan mythos. She is also the wife of Inti, the sun god and head honcho of the Incan pantheon, which means that Uncle Eric was... Wait a second, I vaguely recall hearing Kira calling Eric, Indy.

"Wait, so when I heard Kira say 'Indy' in Eric's bedroom one night when I was thirteen, it wasn't an elaborate Indiana Jones sex play and she was actually saying Inti?" I ask, causing a bit of snickering from Tia and Dagda.

"That is correct, Cole. I was simply addressing Eric using the name that I was most familiar with," Kira replies. Wasn't Mama Quilla also Inti's sister...? Probably not something I should bring up at the moment.

"Cole, you are a special type of warrior that has the ability to control his own blood. That type of warrior has been imprinted with three Drives: the Adroit Drive, Survival Drive, and Protector Drive. What happened a few minutes ago was your Protector Drive reacting to Cheza's jeopardy, just like it did with that Dwight boy six years ago. The security system is set to target anyone that enters a Drive state and use electrocution to subdue them. Electricity happens to be a bit of a big weakness for you because it interrupts your control over your blood. Your Survival Drive is what activated when you were stabbed five months ago, when you were in mortal peril. In addition to killing anything that is deemed a threat, your Survival Drive would also kill anything that tried to, say, pull you roughly off someone you were killing. I assume that is why it killed Jason, which is really too bad. I would have loved to have another go with him to see how much he had improved since he was fourteen. Did you know that I'm the reason he started working out?" Tia informs me.

My knees hit the floor and my eyes are wide in shock as my world corrodes around me.

"My whole life has been a lie. The basis for all my values has just crumbled into dust!" I say with my voice cracking at the end as a few tears slip down my cheeks.

"Cole..." Cheza softly says while kneeling down to hug me.

"Looks like the shock was just a bit too much for the boy," Kira says.

"I mean... YOU ACTUALLY HAD SEX WITH JASON!? HE WASN'T LYING!?" I ask Tia.

Cheza pulls away from me before studying my face incredulously, as if to say "That is what you're worried about? I'm concerned that there may be something wrong with your head."

I bury my face in my hands as I reconsider everything I know as true. The sun is hot? Check. Rocks are hard? Check. Gods exist? Sure, why not. Five hundred years ago, people didn't know that microorganisms existed either even though they have been here the entire time. Jason never had sex with Tia?

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S REAL ANYMORE!" I scream towards the sky.

Then Cheza pimp slaps me. I sit there stunned for a second before I realize that something is on my face. I reach up and touch my stinging cheek before pulling it away to look at my hand. There is a white powder on the tips of my fingers; I smell it, and then I lick it. Powdered Sugar? Where in the hell did Cheza get powdered sugar?

I hear Tia trying so hard not to laugh that it sounds like she is recycling her own air, making a kind of squeaky honking sound in the process. Cheza sets the sifter of powdered sugar on the table and slides it over to Tia, who puts it in her purse. What does she keep in there!? I imagine myself storming over to her, ripping the purse of out her hands, opening up the purse to look at the contents, and then my face gets melted off like I looked at the Ark of the Covenant.

"Anyway, let's continue," Tia says with the laugh still in her chest, causing slight distortions in her voice.

"Where was I? Screw it. I'll just start back towards the beginning. So you know how the Aztecs and the Incans were really big into human sacrifice? Well, we aren't too sure where the Incans got the idea, but for the Aztecs, it involved Huitzilopochtli getting drunk with some priests, joking around and boasting something about blood being needed to postpone the end of days," Tia says as I process that she is talking about one of the four main gods of the Aztec pantheon.

"He woke up the next day to find his temple had been flooded with blood. The blood just kept coming and coming so Huitzilopochtli took the blood, compressed it down, and made people with it," I look at Tia, raising a single eyebrow in disbelief.

"What? Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe that their god made everybody out of clay, but you can't possibly imagine that we could make a few people out of blood, which you actually have in your body?" Tia asks. Not waiting for an answer, she continues.

"It took about twenty sacrifices worth of blood to make one of these people. The people Huitzilopochtli made were given control over the blood in their bodies, which allowed them to do things like fortify their muscles to make them stronger and faster, heal quicker, and keep their blood from leaving their bodies when wounded, making them the ultimate warriors. They were made 'Shorn Ones' and wore blue and red face paint to distinguish themselves from the other 'Shorn Ones,' who wore blue and yellow. Human scholars on the Aztecs are partially right and the Shorn Ones were the most prestigious warrior society, but there is something that was incorrectly translated. They say that Shorn Ones had taken an oath not to take a step backwards in battle on penalty of death when actually it was actually the other soldiers, including the yellow Shorn Ones, that had taken an oath not to step in front of blood Shorn Ones on penalty of death as the blood warrior's Drives made them likely to kill anything in front of them. This also made them much more likely to kill each other, but they were seen as expendable. After all, there were always more sacrifices. After the Spaniards destroyed the empire, there were few blood Shorn Ones left, so they fled and we didn't bother tracking them down. We believe that you are descended from one of those lines or from one of the few Incan blood warriors," Tia finishes and sits down.

"But that's unlikely given that we kept relatively good track of the Incan blood warriors, and their lines seem to have died out in the late 1800's," Kira adds.

After the rather unexplainable happenings of the last few days, and the crazy events of my life overall, I'm not at all reluctant to accept any of this, or really that surprised.

"Why has it been acting up so much recently?" I ask.

"Well, you know those pills you take for ADD?" Tia asks. You mean the ones that I left on my night stand at my apartment? I nod the affirmative.

"They're not for ADD. You don't even have ADD, which is a good thing because mixing amphetamines and large quantities of alcohol isn't a good idea. The pills were to keep your Drives in check. Eric adjusted the dose after the Dwight thing without you knowing and the situation was fine for five years after that," Tia replies.

"Well, why have they stopped working?" I ask.

"It might have something to do with said 'large quantities of alcohol,' but it is most likely a natural tolerance that built up," Tia answers. I'm about to complain, but Kira stands up and interrupts me.

"Now to get to the current situation. The Norse are trying to bring about Ragnarok to destroy the world so they can create a new one as they see fit. I say the Norse, but intelligence suggest that Loki is now running the show as both Odin and Thor are dead. Illapa betrayed us and gave Loki certain sensitive information, the location of this base for one, in exchange for Thor's old position as the new Norse thunder god. He is also the reason that Inti/ Eric is dead. There is most likely going to be a bit of a power struggle in our Faction now that the head is gone, which is exactly what Loki wanted, and that is exactly what he is going to get. Now, none of this next part leaves the room," Kira says.

"What makes us trustworthy? Why would you trust anyone when one of your own already betrayed you?" I ask Kira after remembering that Illapa is the Incan thunder god.

"I trust Dagda because the Tuatha De Danann have had this feud with the Norse since the 900's and because Loki can't offer him the same thing he offered Illapa. Loki didn't off Odin only to have him be replaced by someone else. He wanted power. As for Tia, Eric trusted her with your and Chezarei's safe keeping so I trust her too," Kira answers in a business-like tone.

"Moving on. We are going to simulate a power struggle. Tia, as the Aztec pantheon's representative, I need you to contact Huitzilopochtli and let him know about the simulated power struggle. I trust him for the same reason that I trust Dagda, Cole. He needs to come to the new base's location before anyone else arrives and sit in the head chair. This will make it appear that he has decided to take power of The Faction. I will storm in after several people are here and start arguing with Huitzilopochtli. This will look like a natural result of Inti's death. Dagda, I need you to come in last like you always do, and ask someone what is going on. Once someone tells you that it's a power struggle, I want you to throw your hat in, figuratively speaking. This will create the illusion of one giant mess that should make Loki underestimate us, lulling him into a false sense of assurance and giving him the illusion that he can easily obtain Chezarei so he will be less likely to come for her in force."

"Whoa! What does any of this have to do with Cheza?" I interrupt.

"She's the key to Ragnarok, Cole," Kira replies.

I look over at Cheza as her eyes go wide in surprise. She looks up at me with an expression that says something like, "Aw, I'm the key? I don't wanna be the key! Can I not be the key, Cole?" While staying quiet like she normally does around people she doesn't know well.

"What do you mean, Cheza's the key?" I ask Kira warily.

"We don't know the details, but Chezarei has to be killed in a certain location on the tenth of June to start Ragnarok," Kira says.

"That means we have just over six weeks to get you trained to the point where you can protect her, Cole," Tia says.

"Why am I going to be the one protecting her? Wouldn't it be a smarter idea for another god to protect her?" I ask.

I'm not at all reluctant to help Cheza, but I don't know how much good I will be in a fight against a god...

"We'll have all hands set up to protect her once it gets closer to the date. Loki is most likely planning on taking Chezarei within a day of the tenth so that we won't have the time to wage a campaign to get her back. He probably won't come for her before then because it would make killing off Inti completely pointless as we would put a pin in the political bullshit to get Chezarei back. It only makes sense for him to have The Faction in turmoil up until it's too late for us to do anything about it," Kira explains.

"Of course, but you can still help once you've been trained. We just need to get you to the point where you can fight the average soldiers on an equal level," Tia adds.

"Well, can't I just rely on the Protector Drive? It always seems to kick in whenever Cheza is in trouble," I point out while looking at Cheza, who seems to have blanched, but it is hard to tell against her complexion.

"No! You can't do that!" Tia exclaims. "Every time you use a Drive, it slowly takes over your mind. We don't know exactly how many times, but using any Drive too many times isn't safe."

I glance over at Cheza, who is looking at me with concern etched across her face.

"What do you mean not safe?" I ask, knowing that in a few moments, I will most likely wish I hadn't.

"That depends on the Drive. I'll skip the messy details, but both the Adroit and Survival Drives end in your death. If the Protector Drive is used too many times, you become loyal only to what you were protecting last and completely devoid of free will," Tia says.

"What, so I'd turn into some kind of puppy?" I ask as I imagine myself on all fours, naked except for a dog collar, while my face is in the silhouette of an ass.

"No, more like an obedient little love slave," Tia says with her seductive smile plastered on her face. I imagine myself on all fours, naked except for a dog collar, while my face is in the silhouette of an ass... wait a second, nothing changed!

I look over and see Cheza gazing slightly upward while her head is tilted about fifteen degrees to the right, smiling with her mouth slightly agape as she giggles quietly to herself. I hear Tia squeak in her effort to hold in her initial laugh.

"Umm... Cheza?" I ask.

I can practically hear her thought bubble pop. As Cheza looks at me, her eyes widen, her face turns red, and then she suddenly takes an extreme interest in her shoes. Tia can no longer contain herself as she starts cracking up, bending backward over her chair to laugh fully.

"HA HA HA! WHEW BOYO! YOU'RE IN SOME REAL DANGER THERE! BE CAREFUL OR YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF HANDCUFFED TO YOUR BED!" Dagda roars.

"SHHH... HAHA! YOU'LL... HAHA! GIVE HER... HAHA! IDEAS HAHAHA!" Tia exclaims in complete hysterics.

"Well, that is all that is going to get handled today. The meeting will be held one week from today, on May 10th. Dagda, I will notify you if there is a change in plans. Tia, start training Cole and tell Harry about the plan. I'll be expecting reports on his progress," Kira says while standing up.

Kira snaps her fingers and disappears along with the bubble. The world around us gets ripped to shreds as the force moves quickly inward, towards us. The roar caused by the force gets louder as it closes in. Once it reaches us, everything fades to darkness and silence.

Chapter 16: That Which is Unexpected

I open my eyes to find that Cheza, Tia, and I are lying on the floor in Uncle Eric's (or should I say Inti's?) office.

"Cole, Chezarei will probably be asleep for a while. The transition does that to some. Could you please carry her to her room and put her to bed? Then meet me in the basement wearing tight fitting shorts and a tank top," Tia says as she hops to her feet.

I nod and scoop Cheza up in my arms. Wow this girl is small. In addition to being only a few inches over five feet, she can't weigh much more than a hundred pounds. I walk down the hall and into Cheza's room. I am about to set her on her bed when I stop. I can feel Cheza softly breathing in my arms. It isn't like this is the first time that I've carried my sister while she was sleeping, but for some reason, I'm hyperaware of her.

I look down at her heaving chest before moving my gaze toward her face. Her lips are slightly parted and inviting in a way. I start to move my face down toward them. I'm about six inches away when her eyes flutter open and stare up at me almost expectantly. Cheza closes her eyes and moves her face forward slightly as I continue my approach. I stop about an inch from her mouth, feeling her breath softly brushing my lips.

"I... I..." I stammer.

Then I freak the fuck out, drop her, and run out her door screaming "I HAVE TO GO!"

What in the hell was I doing? I was about to kiss my little sister!

_"But I'm not actually you're sister, Cole,"_ The memory of Cheza's voice from my dream whispers in the back of my mind.

Ugh! It's all that stupid dream's fault! It won't get out of my head and now it's infecting my brain! I run into my room and quickly change into a pair of black, tight fitting, athletics shorts and a black tank top. I open my door and walk to the entrance of the living room when I hear Cheza's door open behind me.

"I wouldn't have minded, you know?" Cheza quietly says, and then she shuts her door.

What did she mean? I open the door to my right, walk down the steps, and turn left into the basement. I look around at the familiar training grounds from the entryway on the right wall (relative to the house's position). In the thirty feet to the left of the entrance is all the workout equipment: elliptical machine, tread mill, leg press, a Bowflex, etc. To the right of the entrance is a 50' x 50' vinyl-padded training area that extends to the back and left walls. Along the right wall are two, six-foot long, wooden benches. In the back right corner is a weapon rack that holds the swords I used when I fenced with Uncle Eric. The back wall is covered in panes of mirrors, each one a square foot, and completes the whole 'gym feel' of the basement.

I see Tia standing in the center of the padded area wearing her usual black tank top and yoga pants. She has her arms crossed underneath her chest and a look of satisfaction on her face. It looks like everything has gone according to plan for her.

"Is everything alright Cole?" Tia tauntingly asks with mock concern. I glare at her in response.

"Whatever, let's just get started," I snidely reply.

Tia walks over to the training weapons, looks at them for a moment, and then shakes her head.

"These just aren't going to work," Tia says while picking up a longsword that is coated in a silicone gel-like substance, same as all the other weapons. Uncle Eric coated them in the gel so that he could train me to use them with full contact while I also became accustomed to the weight of a real blade, which I thought was pretty cool when I was younger. How many kids can say that their parents let them use real swords? I can't see what any of this has to do with training me to use my power though.

Tia sets the longsword back down and puts her hand flat on the mirror pane above the rack and a few seconds later, something interesting happens. The middle of the back wall, a section that is seven panes high and five panes wide, moves silently forward and to the left. Another secret room? Tia walks through the door while motioning for me to follow her. As I pass through the doorway, I look at the door and find that it is steel plating that is six inches thick, along with the rest of the rear wall, before turning my attention forward.

I hunch over as I give out a dramatic sigh and squeeze my eyes shut, bringing my right hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose in response to the sight in front of me. Seriously? A bat cave? I now feel as though my life is just a bad joke.

I look closely and see that this bat cave is more of an armory, complete with a gun range further in. Tia walks over to the left wall, which holds the largest collection of melee weapons that I have ever seen. They're made from half a dozen different metals and from dozens of regions. The opposite wall has a large collection of guns.

Tia tosses me a Spanish rapier, the style Uncle Eric had me use when he was teaching me to fence. The 'cup hilt' of the Spanish rapier may not have been as pretty as the 'swept hilt' of the Italian rapier, but it was more likely to allow me to keep my fingers. Tia grabs an ivory-handled kukri blade: the kind of blades used by the Nepalese Gurkha. I also think they might've been used by Alice in the Resident Evil movies.

"Umm... Tia, shouldn't you use sword instead?" I ask, thinking of her safety.

"I can't have too much of an advantage!" Tia exclaims as she smiles at me. I don't think I'm going to like the connotation associated with that. Tia starts walking back into the gym area as I follow her.

"Okay, since we are short on time, we're going to work on three things at once! We are going to work on: heightening your senses to the speed they are at when you are in a Drive state, control of your blood to reinforce your muscles and to keep your blood from leaving your body, and the last thing we are going to work on is control of your Drives so you don't overuse them and end up dead... or as Chezarei's obedient little love slave," Tia states with a sly grin and motions for me to stop where I am while she keeps walking.

I imagine Cheza sitting on her bed with her legs crossed, wearing a black lace corset with matching panties, as I'm on all fours while she tells me to lick her foot.

"FOCUS!" Tia shouts, snapping me out of my little fantasy.

"We don't have time for you to be fantasizing about Chezarei wearing a corset as she drips hot candle wax on your chest while riding you and having you smack her on the ass with a riding crop!" Tia exclaims.

Is _that_ where my fantasy was going?

"Now let's start," Tia says.

She clears the thirty feet between us almost faster than I can see and cuts into my right bicep. The incision isn't very deep, but it starts bleeding immediately and it sure as hell hurts. Tia is now back where she started, thirty feet away. She smirks as she blurs forward again. I get the rapier up in time to block the initial strike, only to have her dance around behind me to slice the back of my right calf. She goes back to where she started once again, still broadly smiling.

Tia seems to be slowing down because I manage to parry three of her swings on the next attack until she cuts straight up the length of my left bicep. Tia's smile isn't as broad when she returns to the starting position. Tia now appears to be moving at her normal speed. There is a gold light around Tia's body as I block seven of her next swings, until she gets in a slash across my left thigh, a little deeper this time. I respond with a sharp intake of air through gritted teeth as blood drips trickles down my leg. Tia isn't smiling anymore. I block Tia ten times before she cuts deep into my right forearm.

"AUGH!" I scream, but manage to keep a hold on the rapier.

Something is wrong. Tia is faster this time as she presses her attack without returning to her starting position. My body can no longer keep up to block her as she slices deep into my right side, cutting the width of my rib cage before carving a X into my back. I feel a Drive activate, only this time I am simply made co-pilot instead of being jettisoned from the cockpit entirely.

Okay, a junior co-pilot who isn't allowed to touch anything, but is informed of what is happening.

The Drive instantly stops all blood flowing from my body and heals the minor cuts, accelerating the healing process by speeding up the fibroblasts that restore the damaged capillaries and then saturating my blood with oxygen before pushing that through the newly restored capillaries, or so I theorize. I start to repair and reinforce my leg muscles while reinforcing the muscles in my right arm. Tia comes at me again from the front before suddenly slowing to a walk.

"Good job, Co—" Tia starts to say and then freezes when she meets my eyes.

"OH SHIT!" Tia screams right before I slam the rapier through her foot, pinning her to the floor. Tia yelps in surprise and pain while I'm sprinting for the armory, moving at a normal speed for some reason.

"EIN NYET!" Tia yells before I reach the armory door. I enter the armory and move to the right wall.

"ZWEI NYET! DREI NYET!" Tia shouts from the gym.

The Drive eyes a hand gun on the bench in front of the right wall, expecting that it was fired last so it may still have some rounds left in it. I pick up the gun with my left hand and know by the weight that my expectations have been met. The 'pilot' tells me that there are six rounds left in the magazine of this Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm. I reach the armory's door as Tia yanks the rapier from her foot. Moving at full speed, the Drive aims to fire all six rounds into Tia's chest.

I rapidly fire three shots before the other three get cut off by a kukri handle knocking the gun from my hand as the blade sticks into my forearm, in between my radius and ulna. Tia must've thrown it right before the shots hit her. I pull the kukri from my arm and throw it at her as she is getting to her feet. She sees it coming and rolls under it while grabbing the rapier with her right hand in mid-roll. After rolling to her feet, Tia sprints toward me.

I'm unarmed so I'm pretty sure I'm fucked, but I can almost feel the Drive smirking as it reinforces the muscles in my right arm, shoulder, and chest—it has a plan. Tia is about ten feet away, making her about five feet out of stabbing range, when I feel my right hand grab my bleeding left forearm. The Drive starts crystalizing my blood by somehow stripping individual atoms from it, making it into a double-edged blade that is one inch wide with crimson in the center, black around the center and a thin strip of clear crystal along the edge. The blade rounds off into a cylindrical handle with no cross guard.

Tia is four feet away when she starts the stab towards my stomach. I dive to my left to dodge the incoming rapier stab while pulling the eighteen inch blood blade from my left arm and swinging it into Tia's right forearm, knocking the rapier from her hand. The amount of strength I put into that swing should have chopped her arm clean off, but I suppose she is a goddess; nonetheless, the blade sinks in, stopping at the bone. I use the force and momentum of the swing to stand up and push Tia back as she screams.

Tia is surprised and her face starts to show hints of fear as the blade moves slightly into her bone, and by slightly, I mean maybe a millimeter. I use her surprise to trip her and follow her to the ground, keeping pressure on the blade. I'm straddling her while trying to drive my blade in deeper, when I hear:

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?" Sara screams from the doorway, twenty feet to my left.

I turn my head to look at her while leaving the pressure on Tia, but not increasing it. There is a bit of gold light emanating from Sara's outline and red from the orb inside her, over her navel.

"First the screams and then Rei bursts into the living room, bawling, saying that you are killing Cole! And THE GUNSHOTS!?" Sara continues her rampage until she gets a good look at me, cocks her head to the side, and asks, "Why are Cole's eyes silver?"

"COLE IS STUCK IN HIS DRIVE! GO GRAB A TASER FROM THE ARMORY!" Tia shouts from beneath me. Sara starts to move toward the armory and then Cheza steps out from behind Sara with a tear-stained face and a silver glow.

"Cole?" Cheza asks, her voice cracking slightly.

The Drive suddenly hands back the controls and the lights around everyone fade. I remove the blade from Tia's arm and step away from her.

"It looks like that won't be necessary," Sara says. I suddenly feel dizzy and fall to my knees.

"Cole!" Cheza exclaims while rushing to my side.

"I'm alright Cheza, I'm just really dizzy," I tell her.

"Well duh! Your blood is all over the place!" Cheza replies with a teary-eyed smile and some sniffling.

"Rei, can you run up to the kitchen and get Cole a sandwich and something sugary to drink?" Sara asks.

"Sure. I'll be right back, okay Cole?" Cheza says while leaving, but looks like she'd rather stay.

"Alright, talk," Sara commands once she hears the upper basement door close.

"Well Kira told me to train him, so I brought him down here, showed him the armory, and tossed him a rapier while I grabbed a kukri," Tia starts.

"That one?" Sara interjects, pointing to the blood blade that is in my hand.

"No, I'll get to that in a second. I mean that rapier over there," Tia replies and points to the back wall of the gym, where the Spanish rapier lies.

"Anyway I told him that we were going to work on control of his blood flow, speeding up his perceptions, and control over his Drives. We started dueling and his perceptions started speeding up so that he could keep up with my body movements, but I kept my swings slow. He was still bleeding from the small cuts I gave him so while trying to get him to subconsciously control that, I kinda sorta took things a little too far," Tia explains.

"A LITTLE?" Sara yells incredulously. "Tia, there are over two liters of blood over there! That's enough to kill an average man!"

"It could have also been the fact that I was a little peeved about Cole's comment when I was wearing the bunny suit..." Tia says as an afterthought.

Just then, Cheza opens the basement door, comes down the stairs, and hands me my sandwich and a liter of Mountain Dew Voltage: four layers of honey smoked ham and pepper jack cheese on wheat with mustard on both sides, just how I like it. Cheza, you know me so well I should just marry you and get it over with... I really didn't just think that, did I?

I'm guessing that, based on my facial expressions, Tia discerned what I was thinking because she starts giggling... or gods can read minds...

"No, Cole. Tia can't read minds. It's just really easy to tell what you are thinking," Sara explains while smiling.

"Alright so, where was I? Right, so Cole snaps into a Drive state and then he throws the rapier into my foot, pinning me to the floor, before he makes a break for the armory. Since his eyes were silver, I had no clue what Drive state he was in, but since he threw away his only weapon for a tactical advantage, I knew it wasn't Survival and there wasn't anything in the vicinity for him to protect, so I figured it had to be the Adroit Drive. So I shouted the override command, but instead of dropping like a ton of bricks, he just kept going. So I shouted Zwei and Drei next, but the only thing that happened was him coming back with a 9mm and proceeding to blow three holes in my chest," Tia says while poking at the holes in her tank top before Cheza interrupts.

"Cole's eyes were silver when he rescued me earlier too," Cheza says.

"They were? Huh..." Tia responds, mulling over the new information.

"What's all this about an override command?" I ask.

"Harry, I mean Huitzilopochtli, came up with it as kind of a failsafe for the gods. They have the power to take a Shorn One into or out of a Drive depending on which command is used. He took words from Russia and a Germanic tribe, and combined them for the override commands, thinking that there was no chance that someone would say words from two different languages in that order by chance and so, there was no chance of some random person accidentally activating a Shorn One's Drive. Ein was used for Adroit, Zwei for Survival, and Drei for Protector," Tia explains.

"Wait, so why didn't you use that on me when you were talking me down out of the Drive on the bridge?" I question.

"Because the override commands drop the person like a sack of rocks for up to six hours afterward. Not something that would be productive for a meeting. Anyway, I stopped the rest of the bullets by throwing the kukri at his gun. Only problem was, the kukri flew through his forearm after it disarmed him, which put a slight damper on my recovery plan for Cole. I was getting to my feet when I saw the kukri flying towards me so I rolled under it while grabbing the rapier that had previously been pinning my foot to the floor, with my right hand. I started sprinting towards him, figuring I would run him through and then pin him to the floor until he snapped out of it or lost consciousness from blood loss," Tia says.

"I thought I was able to seal my wounds so how would I pass out from blood loss?" I inquire, interrupting again.

"You can seal wounds after they are sustained, not while you are sustaining them. For example, a rapier through your stomach, if left there, would cause you to bleed; however, a bullet will not and the same thing goes for arrows so long as you take out the shaft. Granted, it would take a long while for you to bleed out. Shorn Ones usually have up to a liter more blood than an average man. Where they put it, I don't know. In addition to that, you also recover blood much more quickly. You reacted in the same way a normal man reacts if they were to lose less than half of the blood that you did, so you might've regenerated some blood in the time we spent fighting," Tia explains.

"Anyway, as I'm charging him, Cole grabs his left forearm. I go in for the jab and he rips his right hand across his left arm, pulling out that blade, which he then used to get into the position you saw us in," Tia finishes.

"He solidified his blood?" Sara incredulously asks.

"I was getting fed bits of information from my Drive and even it didn't seem to know exactly how it was making the blade, but I have a theory. Tia, am I right in assuming that gods have very dense bones?" I question.

"Yeah. We have normal skin, but we heal almost instantaneously and our bones are really strong. They are supposed to be impossible to cut and impossible to crush without some sort of incredibly large boulder dropped from a really high place," Tia nods and replies.

"Yet I cut into it with this blade, right?" I ask.

"Yes, but only a very slight amount that would barely constitute a scratch," Tia confirms.

"I think that I am taking silicon atoms and carbon atoms from my blood, along with some iron atoms, and combining them to make silicon carbide. It's a black, diamond-esque, crystal substance that they use to make ceramic tank armor out of. Iron impurities in silicon carbide give it a black hue, which explains the black in between the crimson center and clear edge of the blade. It's the only artificial substance I can think of that would be hard enough," I explain.

"Sara, you know that we can't tell anyone about this, right?" Tia proclaims.

"What is the big deal? I only created a short sword," I reply.

"Cole, you shouldn't be able to do this. Manipulating blood that is outside of their bodies isn't something Shorn Ones could do. Only one warrior ever could and I didn't tell you about him because I didn't think it applied, but now it seems necessary. When the Spaniards came with guns, we found out that the Shorn Ones weren't a match. In response, Huitzilopochtli took the remaining blood that had stored up over the years, about the equivalent of 50,000 people or 2,500 blood warriors, and compressed it down into a single warrior. With the new warrior, we won the next several battles because this warrior could manipulate his blood regardless of its location, in addition to being faster and stronger than the other Shorn Ones. He was also much more difficult to kill because he healed at a much faster rate than the others, and he could even mend broken bones and organs when in battle. We thought we had found the answer to the Conquistadors, but the only disadvantage was the massive amounts of sacrifices it took to create even one of these warriors. So we demanded a few extra sacrifices at the next festival. The Aztecs would often sacrifice prisoners so that they didn't have to sacrifice our subjects, which was a practice that worked well up until that day. It turned out that our ultimate warrior had fallen in love with a missionary prisoner. He would go visit her every night and he grew attached. When she was about to be sacrificed on the alter at Tenochtitlan, he rushed in and killed the priest. Huitzilopochtli saw this, so he sent three gods down to stop our warrior. Tonatiuh, a sun god; Tlaloc, a thunder and water god; and Metzli, a Moon Goddess; flew down and shouted the override commands. It stopped him, but it didn't incapacitate him like it should have so they ran him through with three spears: one through each side of his torso at an angle and one through the center. Then the warrior died in a massive explosion, killing the three gods and the hundreds of thousands of Aztecs in attendance. The only one who wasn't killed was the missionary, who had somehow been saved from the blast. The majority of the Aztec force was decimated, and Hernan Cortes was able to take the capital with ease," Tia says, finishing the story.

"Looking at you, I believe the missionary could have been pregnant and that you are his descendant," Tia speculates.

"Cole, what's important about this story is that it showed every god that they could be killed by blood warriors. This scared them so they have been hunting down people like you ever since, especially Loki's son, Jormungandr. Jormungandr and his children have been hunting those like you for your blood and we also suspect that they are the ones that killed your mother," Sara explains.

"Who are his children?" I ask.

"Vampires, Cole," Tia seriously replies.

Oh come on! I plan on tracking down my mother's killers, but if at any time those bastards start sparkling... I will probably just kill myself because there is no way that my world is that ridiculous. I mean, really! What do you think Peter Parker would have done if he caught up to that mugger that killed his Uncle and that fucker started sparkling!? Not that I'm comparing myself to Spiderman, but it's the whole revenge thing!

I'm too tired to deal with this shit so I sigh heavily and say, "I'm going to bed."

I stand unsteadily to my feet and walk up the basement steps, down the hallway, and into my room. After stripping down to my underwear, I flop down onto my stomach. I focus when I hear whispers coming from the vents. I can feel Cheza's heartbeat in her room by the time I can hear the whispers clearly.

"We have to handle this carefully, Tia. If Kira or any of the other gods get wind of this, they're most likely going to kill Cole on the spot," Sara says.

"Yeah I know! I would feel threatened by him if I ignored the fact that he has been like a little brother to me. Even so, he still scares me a little... I mean, what do those silver eyes mean? The Drives change eye color when active, but none of them are silver, and the override commands didn't work Sara! The gods no longer have an ace in the hole with which they can stop him! If they find out about this, forget most likely, he will have every pantheon gunning for him! Harry might even tell me to do it! I don't want to kill Cole, Sara!" Tia exclaims, followed by the sound of a smack.

"I KNOW TIA! I know... from what Cheza said earlier, it sounds like Cole's eyes turned silver when he used his Protector Drive too. This is just a hypothesis, but it could mean that Cole only has one Drive that assumes all the functions of the other three, and it might even have some new features that we don't know about... Anyway, send me all of your reports before you send them to Kira. I'll read them to make sure that they're believable so she doesn't have any cause to come down and see for herself. In the meantime, I'll ask my mother some things to see if I can come up with a contingency plan in case the other gods do find out," Sara says.

"How are you going to ask your mom? Saraswati will know immediately if you're lying! She's the Goddess of wisdom!" Tia exclaims.

"By not asking her directly of course," Sara replies.

That does not sound too good.

****

Chapter 17: Mistress of Schadenfreude

Jason and I were sitting in chemistry class the day after the whole 'fake rape' fiasco, while our chemistry teacher, Mr. Barker, prattled on about military something-or-other.

"Silicon Carbide is this amazing diamond-like substance that has many commercial uses, but it is also used as composite armor on armored vehicles and tanks. Actually, the best body armor in the world is made by overlapping two inch discs of silicon carbide that are only a quarter of an inch thick! This provides for excellent maneuverability and lighter weights while providing the same level of protection as the Kevlar and steel plate body armor that I used in the army. Silicon carbide is rarely produced without iron impurities, which is why silicon carbide has that blackish hue to it..."

I was only half listening as I debated the ethics of the whole situation from two nights ago.

"It's just kind of messed up! I mean, that was a huge overreaction right? Faking a rape because I flirted with one of her friends a little while you bone the same friend on our couch, and you get a 'Thanks for your help last night Jason!'" I said to him.

"You really don't get it do you? You poor, dumb bastard..." Jason sighed.

"It's obviously because I'm prettier than you!" Jason said with a beaming smile as the picture fades out.

****

[May 4th]

Tia bursts into my room, her face expressionless as she jumps onto my bed and straddles me. She pulls a knife from behind her back and raises it above her head. Wow, that was fast! The gods sure do catch on quick! The knife starts to plunge down toward my chest, but Tia stops it with an inch to spare.

"Why aren't you defending yourself?" Tia asks, perplexed.

"Well it's not like you have a choice, right? Since I'm going to die no matter what, I'd rather not hurt you in the process," I tell her. Tia hangs her head in response, hiding her face with her hair. I feel two drops of water hit my chest and my mind goes blank.

Was Tia actually crying? Tia, the one that was able to emotionlessly punch a small child in the face and then comfort the same child without changing her expression? Tia, the one who practically tokened the phrase schadenfreude with the amount of sadistic pleasure she gets at seeing other people's misfortune, especially mine?

"You idiot... You heard us last night didn't you?" Tia asks, her voice barely above a whisper as a few more tears fall onto my chest. "I'm not going to kill you... I can't."

Cheza suddenly runs into my room and screams, "TIA NO!" while diving at Tia.

My perception speeds up and Cheza slows to a crawl as Tia goes from straddling me to flipping backwards off the foot of my bed. Everything goes back to real-time and Cheza flies on top of me, kneeing my testicles in the process. My eyes squeeze shut while I yelp at a pitch that only dogs could respond to as Cheza bounces to the other side of my bed.

"Cole, are you alright?" Cheza asks. I roll away from her and onto the floor while grabbing my crotch.

"Cole?" Cheza asks again as I crawl to my trashcan and puke into it.

"Yeah, I'm just peachy Cheza," I finally say after opening my eyes and sitting up. Tia's knife flies past my arm, cutting it before sticking into the wall.

"TIA!" Cheza screams before moving between Tia and me.

"Good, Cole," Tia says while pointing to my arm, which hadn't bled at all. "I've been trying to surprise you to see if you were doing that subconsciously now, but Cheza hasn't been letting me near you. I suppose throwing a knife at you works just as well."

"It's alright, Cheza. I trust Tia so don't worry. I'm going to take a shower. Meet you in the armory?" I ask Tia, who nods in response.

I shower quickly and then meet Tia. Since we can't work on Drive control now that Tia doesn't have a way to snap me out of it when things get dangerous for her, we work on controlling my blood to speed me up instead. Tia and I duel with her using some type of short sword while I use my Sic blade (silicon carbide is abbreviated SiC). Tia keeps the cuts to a minimum this time to avoid my Drive, and slows down to account for my skill level. I find that, when out of my Drive, I can only reinforce all my muscles, which doesn't improve my strength, agility, or speed by all that much. However, I'm able to narrow it down to upper or lower body and then right or left side as we spar. Tia tells me that I will get more precise with practice.

We discover something interesting when Tia starts thinking about how the Aztecs' ultimate warrior had to cut open his body to utilize his special skill because his body wouldn't instantly seal any self-inflicted wounds. During our break, Tia takes my Sic blade and tries to cut my arm. When the blade makes contact with my skin, it melts into a gelatinous substance and slithers down my arm like a snake before reforming as the Sic blade in my hand. Tia tells me to try cutting my hand open with it, but nothing happens. Tia goes into the armory, comes back out, and tosses me a spring-loaded switchblade until we find something else that'll work. I flip it out and cut my hand with it to make sure that I can. My hand bleeds, but I find that I can still will the bleeding to stop.

That night, I remember my dream from last night so I research silicon carbide using my laptop that sits on the desk below the window at the back of my room. I'm able to find the armor that Mr. Barker had mentioned two years ago. Dragon Skin, created by Pinnacle Armor, utilizes .25" thick, 2" discs, just as I remember in my dream. There's even an x-ray of the armor showing how the plates overlap. I continue reading and find that the armor had stood up to a .308 sniper rifle bullet, thirty rounds from an MP5 submachine gun from five feet away, various assault rifle fire, and even the point-blank detonation of a frag grenade in testing. The vest was destroyed after the grenade, but it still didn't let anything through. I take out my switch blade, slit my wrist, and try to create five of the discs. It takes a great deal of concentration at first, but by the fifth one, my blood seems to have figured out what I want and forms to the shape rather easily.

...

[May 5th]

The next day, I tell Tia about the armor and inform her that I want to test the five discs that I already made.

"Sure! We needed to start you on small firearms training soon anyway!" Tia replies.

We proceed down into the armory and around the Plexiglas window on the back wall, entering the gun range. Tia hops over the cement wall/ shooting bench that divides the firing platform from the range, sets up the five discs on a metal stand thirty feet away, and then hops back over.

"Wait here," Tia says and goes into the armory. She comes back out with the Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm that I used the other day, and another handgun.

"This is a Glock G34 9mm pistol. It holds seventeen rounds and fires with a velocity of around 1200 ft/s," Tia informs me as she hands me the G34 and gestures for me to shoot the discs. I take the gun in both hands and fire three rounds at one of the discs, missing with all three. I speed up my perceptions and try again, firing the remaining fourteen rounds without a single hit.

"Damn, you suck!" Tia exclaims.

"I'm confused... it was so easy two days ago," I reply.

"Here, try again," Tia tells me while handing me the M&P.

I instinctively reach for it with my left hand despite being right handed. Something clicks into place in my mind. I turn and fire five rounds, one at each disc, and all of them hit.

"Now I'm really confused," I tell her.

"The Adroit Drive embeds the user with extensive knowledge of any weapon that they pick up. The only downfall is that it will only count for that weapon specifically. That's why you're an expert shot with the M&P and a novice with the G34 despite them being the same caliber of gun. In other words, we need to work on your marksmanship... but first, let's check those discs," Tia explains.

Tia hops over the shooting bench and checks the discs before running into the armory and coming back with an arm load of guns. She goes quickly through them: M16, AK-47, MP5, and M24 sniper rifle.

"Cole, go grab the disc that is farthest to the right," Tia tells me and I comply, hopping over the shooting bench and jogging to the metal stand.

"Now lick the back of it, stick it to your palm, hold out your hand, and hold still. Don't forget the last part!" Tia shouts.

I do as she says, knowing that she has a good reason for it. Tia uses the Heckler & Kosch MP5A2 and shoots me in the hand. The disc stops the bullet and I can barely feel it.

"So what was that for?" I ask.

"What?" Tia responds.

"What were you trying to discover?" I reiterate.

"Oh... nothing. I just felt like shooting you in return for the three you hit me with the other day," Tia answers and I stare back incredulously.

"Come on! Don't look at me like that! I knew the disc would stop the bullet... probably. I mean, I did pick the gun with the lowest stopping power!" Tia exclaims.

"Well, at least it wasn't for nothing," I say while walking towards her. "I couldn't even feel that bullet hit."

"Let me see," Tia says.

I'm holding my hand out about three feet away from her when she snaps the MP5 up and fires.

"What the hell, Tia!?" I yell. That one I did feel, but it was more surprise than pain.

"I see. You know how we found that your Sic blade couldn't cut you? Well, the discs work in the same fashion. The edges, and presumably the back, of the disc turned into a gel-like substance at the moment of impact to cushion the blow. It should technically work with melee weapons too... Cole, show me that dragon armor you were talking about," Tia says. I'm glad she has godly vision because I wasn't able to notice any of that.

I take her up to my room and show her the page on my laptop. After looking at it for a moment, Tia calls out to Sara to come to my room. Sara sits down and looks at the page, the x-ray scan of the Dragon Skin armor, and then at the five discs.

"I think I can stitch this into a jacket. Stitching it into some jeans would be good too, just in case. With the amount of fighting that may be coming up, having some clothing that will stand up to small arms fire could prove invaluable," Sara tells me.

"Could you stitch it into the leather jacket?" Cheza asks from behind me, poking her head around my bedroom door.

"The jacket that you gave me for my birthday? No, Cheza it will get ruined!" I say while turning to face her.

"Please Cole? It makes me feel better knowing that something I gave to you will protect you... it'll make me feel like I'm helping," Cheza asks with tears brimming up in her eyes while she walks in my room. How do I say no to that? Sara looks at me, smiles, and continues as if I'd said yes.

"Alright I'm going to need around three hundred for the jacket, assuming that you want the biceps and forearms covered. The elbows have to be open of course; otherwise, you will be useless in a fight. I'll need roughly as many for the pants as the jacket, and about twenty of those to be twice the thickness for the crotch area... I assume you want to protect that. Ideally, you would want to halve the thickness of the discs to allow for maximum maneuverability. This will actually be a good test to see how much blood is used when you create the silicon carbide," Sara informs me and then rereads the page.

"I should theoretically be able to make pure silicon carbide by removing the iron, which would make it stronger, but the process would probably be much slower and I doubt that I can do it with my current level of control. The only reason I can make it now is that my Drive showed me how and when it got passed through my mind, I was able to apply chemistry to what was happening," I inform her.

"HE REQUIRES MORE TRAINING!" Tia shouts and starts to drag me off but then stops, whips out a combat knife from somewhere behind her back, and hands it out for me to slice my left wrist open.

"Oh, but first pop out twenty of those discs and this time put a sewing needle sized hole on the edge. Sara, take these and sew them to the inside of one of Cole's white t-shirts. I have a theory that we need to test," Tia announces as I hand her knife back.

"Aw, is this theory going to involve me getting shot again?" I ask as I start sliding the discs out of my wrist. Cheza looks at me with concern.

"Yes, but I won't be shooting you just for fun this time. I actually have a theory!" Tia exclaims and Cheza stares at her, eyes wide and mouth agape. Cheza grabs onto me as I slide the last disc out and squeezes, like crazy hard for a girl who only weighs one hundred pounds.

"Try to have that done within the hour please, Sara," Tia requests.

Tia takes one look at Cheza, who is still crushing me, and shrugs. She grabs my right arm and sweeps out both Cheza's legs and mine. Tia starts dragging me out of the room by my arm as Cheza straddles me with both her hands on my chest.

"This is part of your training Cole! Reinforce your back muscles!" Tia calls back.

Tia drags us all the way to the basement stairs and I think that she is finally going to stop.

"Now reinforce your back, neck, and ass muscles! And keep your chin to your chest!" Tia calls out.

Cheza still looks a little bewildered, but otherwise seems to be enjoying herself. That's great! Yeah, just ride your brother like a sled down a flight of stairs!

It dawns on me that Cheza will hit her knees and shins on every step. Tia is already in the process of throwing me down the stairs so there is no time for Cheza to get off. I speed up and do the only thing I can think of:

'I'll try to get her repositioned so that her knees are on my stomach! Yeah that will work! How am I going to do that? Oh, I know! I'll thrust my pelvis up into the air while I push her forward with my thighs!'

It only occurred to me after the fact—after I hear Cheza simultaneously yelp and moan—that what I was essentially doing was dry humping my little sister so forcefully that she flies onto my chest, as she rides me down a flight of stairs. Oh no... Tia is so going to give me hell for this. I know my expectations are about to be met when I hear her laughing her ass off at the top of the stairs.

"Hey Chezarei! Did you break anything!?" Tia shouts down.

I'm pretty sure she isn't talking about bones. Cheza has collapsed on my chest, panting with a flushed face, which is probably just from the adrenaline of going down the stairs and embarrassment at what Tia said... yeah, I'm sure that's it.

"Cole! I think you might have ruined her for marriage! You'd better take responsibility!" Tia yells and then doubles over because she's laughing so hard. Cheza stands up unsteadily.

"Alright Cheza, how about you go upstairs while Tia and I train. When Sara is finished, you can bring down the shirt and supervise the part where Tia shoots me. Sound good?" I ask Cheza. She thinks about it for a moment and then nods, but her face tells me that she doesn't like it.

I spend the next twenty minutes sparring with Tia while working on refining the reinforcements of my muscles. Cheza comes down with a white t-shirt and hands it to me. We walk into the armory and I go about ten feet out into the gun range. Tia tells me to take my shirt off and put the new one on.

"Alright, let's start with this," Tia says snapping the MP5 into position.

I enhance my perceptions as much as I can while she unloads twenty rounds into my chest where the 7.5" x 6" plate is. I'm able to count out every bullet that is fired, since it sounds like the gun is firing three rounds every second with my senses heightened.

"How was it, Cole?" Tia asks.

"Fine, but I think the shirt is toast. By the way, what's the fire rate on an MP5?" I ask while looking down at my shirt that is strewn with holes.

"Ah! My theory was correct! And about fourteen rounds per second," Tia informs me. Meaning that the rate at which I perceive things is nearly five times faster than normal. Now, if only I could get my body's speed to do the same.

"What theory?" I inquire.

"Look closely at your shirt, Cole. The plates should have fallen when the stitching got shot open," Tia says. I look and find that she is right. The discs were sewn into the shirt, but they don't connect to each other so individual ones should have dropped as the threads that were holding them were destroyed.

"Cole, try bending, twisting, and then roll forward," Tia requests. I do all of those and the discs just stay where they are. I can barely even tell that they're there.

"That's what I thought. The discs became like a second skin when they came into contact with you. Now one last thing..." Tia trails off.

Tia grabs the M24 sniper rifle off of the table, aims carefully, and fires, all at a speed that was too fast for Cheza to comprehend. The .308 caliber bullet hits me in the chest and knocks me on my ass. It seems like the discs connected together, forming a plate to compensate for the extra force, but a 7.5"x6" plate wasn't quite enough against the rifle bullet.

"TIA!" Cheza screams.

"I'm alright, Cheza. It seems like the discs disperse force between them when faced with a higher caliber bullet," I say, the last part directed at Tia as I rise to my feet.

"Oh really... stay right there," Tia says and runs to the armory. I see her grab a step ladder and reach for a gun that I can only identify as an anti-material rifle (thanks video games!).

"NOOOOOOOPE!" I shout to Tia and she starts laughing.

"Let's pick up the training tomorrow. It's getting late and Cheza, you have school tomorrow," Tia says. Cheza glares at her with a 'But Mooooom!' look.

"There are only two weeks left!" Tia responds. All three of us walk up the basement steps and find Sara waiting for us in the living room.

"So, how was it?" Sara asks Tia. Sara's jaw drops when she finally sees me and then her head cocks to one side. "How are those staying on?"

"That's what we found out. Once the discs touch his skin, they stick to it like glue," Tia replies and Sara thinks about it for a moment.

"I think I can work with this. Cole, make more discs while I make dinner," Sara says.

I head for my room while Sara heads toward the kitchen. I sit down at my desk, push my laptop out of the way, slice open my left wrist, and get to work. I've made about fifty discs when something in my head just clicks into place and information is whispered in my mind:

(You have 5.8 Liters of blood in your body at capacity. You currently have 5.3 Liters. You can reach 2.8 Liters before you start to experience symptoms of anemia. At 1.8 Liters, your body shuts down. 1.3 Liters: Death. You replenish the red blood cells in 0.5 Liters of blood in five minutes, but that doubles for every 0.5 Liters lost. Meaning that if you stop once you experience symptoms of anemia, it will take five hours and fifteen minutes to regenerate. If your body shuts down, it will take just over twenty-one hours to regenerate the blood if your unconscious body is provided with fluids. Your blood doesn't regenerate at all if you're consciously using it in any way. Sealing and healing your wounds does not count, but reinforcing your muscles and creating objects does. Each disc uses up .01 Liters and the Sic Blade used up .25 Liters)

I stand up, walk to my doorway, and call out, "HEY SARA?"

_(5.4 Liters)_ my inner voice tells me.

"Dinner will be done in about ten minutes!" Sara shouts from the kitchen.

"DO WE HAVE THE STUFF FOR YOU TO SET UP A SALINE DRIP?" I yell.

"Yeah, we do... wait, why?" Sara asks.

Limits were made to be tested. I don't have much time so I quickly slice open the length of my left forearm while enhancing my senses and speeding up my upper body. I start quickly creating things out of my blood. I make a hundred discs _(4.4 Liters)._ I make a second short Sic blade _(4.15 Liters)._ I pull out another Sic blade, but this one is three feet long and one inch wide _(3.65 Liters)._ I've always wanted a seven foot katana like Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII, so I try to make this next. It is a bit of a challenge because the most I can get is three feet before I run out of arm space. I point the blade forward and my blood just trails along with it, streaming to the end of the blade to build more length until it reaches six feet and then it slows down, adding detail to the cross guard and hilt for the final foot. I guess my blood works through mental imagery.

_(2.4 Liters)_ my inner voice says as my face hits the floor.

What the hell? I should still have over half a liter until this part!

(Rapid blood draws will result in shock and premature incapacitation)

So now it tells me. That's like when a GPS tells you to turn left as you are passing through a light. Now that I'm thinking about it, the voice sounds like a GPS. Well, if this bitch ever says 'Recalculating,' she's going out the window. Actually, the voice sounds more like the voice navigation in a certain popular smartphone... I'll call her Airi.

"COLE! WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THIS!?" Cheza screams. She must have come to investigate my shouting. Damn, I got all this done quickly!

"SWEET! IT'S SEPHIROTH'S KATANA!" Sara shouts, totally geeking out. "CAN YOU DO CLOUD'S BUSTER SWORD TOO!?"

I hear Tia sigh at Sara's response and say, "I'll go grab the crash kit," as I lose consciousness.

...

Chapter 18: No cellphones during class!

[May 6th]

"No! I'm not going to school with him like this!" I hear Cheza exclaim as I regain consciousness.

"Rei, you have to go to school! Don't worry. We'll take care of him," Sara says.

"NO! I'M STAYING WITH COLE!" Cheza yells.

"Cheza, I'm fine. You're going to school," I mumble with my eyes closed, still not fully awake.

"COLE!" Cheza screams and then starts coughing. "Cole, if you keep making me scream your name like this, I'm going to lose my voice."

"HAHAHA THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Tia shouts.

It's nice that either Tia or Sara is always in control of the situation, although most of the time it's Sara. I open my eyes to see that everyone is in my room and Cheza is wearing her uniform. I look over to my left and find a saline bag hanging from my bed post.

"Really Cheza, I'm fine. I just went a little overboard last night testing my limits," I say while sitting up in bed.

"Why did you make Sephiroth's katana? Ooh! Ooh! Can you do the Buster Sword too!?" Sara asks while bouncing on the balls of her feet. I always find this side of Sara to be slightly endearing.

"And what did you find?" Tia asks, grabbing the baton of responsibility from Sara without missing a beat.

"Because a seven foot katana is badass despite its complete impracticality in battle and I might try later, but it will probably take too much blood," I tell Sara before turning to Tia.

"Well, last night while I was making the discs, something suddenly clicked and I heard the total volume of my blood and the current volume; when I would experience anemia, body failure, and death; and the amount of blood I was using, all whispered into my head," Tia's eyes grow wide at this part. Sara notices and takes it as a hint to usher Cheza away before she can notice Tia's face.

"Alright Rei, it's time to go. Come on, I'll give you a ride," Sara says while pushing Cheza out my door.

"But... fine. Make sure you rest, Cole! I had better not come home and find you unconscious again!" Cheza says from out in the hall. Tia waits until she hears the front door shut before she sits on my bed.

"Cole, have you heard that voice since last night? Has it told you to do anything? Have you had any strange feelings since you woke up?" Tia asks.

"No on all counts. As far as I can tell, the voice is purely information, like a GPS. It even kind of sounds like a GPS and it sometimes gives me the information I need after I need it, just like a GPS," I tell her.

"Okay... we don't really have a manual for you Cole, but with the Shorn Ones, hearing voices was the first sign of Drive overuse. Just be careful, okay? Hearing voices is rarely a good thing, regardless," Tia says, placing her hand on my knee. "Alright, let's get to work!"

"Hey, do you mind if I try out the katana?" I ask.

Tia shrugs and says "Sure. Bring the longer Sic blade too."

I unhook the saline bag and remove my IV before leaving my room. Tia and I go down into the basement where I try using the seven foot katana for a round. It ends in less than a second. I had to enhance my whole upper body to swing the sword with any sort of finesse and Tia was still able to move in for a kill shot using a combat knife at standard speed.

"Alright, moving on," Tia says with the knife at my throat. "Now use the three foot Sic blade,"

During our sparring with the long Sic blade, Sara comes home and makes a phone call. I enhance my hearing to listen in.

"Hey, this is Sara... Oh, nothing much. What about you?"

I'm starting to think this is just going to be a boring conversation between friends.

"That's nice. Say, have any of The Agency's people been around the house lately?"

The Agency's people?

"Oh it's just something that Cole said that made me wonder if a psy-ops division had been around... What? No, no trouble. At least not yet..."

My eavesdropping is interrupted with a crotch to the face, specifically Tia's crotch as she pulls some sort of ninja move that involves her rolling forward and throwing me with her legs. As I lie on my back about fifteen feet away, wondering what in the hell just happened, Tia bends over at the waist to smile down at me.

"Clever little boys don't try to eavesdrop while they are getting attacked by a predator with a knife," Tia says. I can't tell if she is using her seductive smile or her predator smile when I'm viewing her upside down.

"What's The Agency?" I ask her in a straight-forward manner. Tia sighs in response.

"It's a government organization that was splintered off from the CIA Stargate Project in 1994 to deal with paranormal issues. The government has been aware of the supernatural for much longer, but they didn't have an official agency for it until recently. They work with us because they want to stop Loki from starting Ragnarok. The only thing they aren't aware of is the 'how' of Loki's plan, but their director knows it has something to do with the members of this household. She is the reason that none of your stunts have warranted authority or media attention," Tia explains.

I thought that was weird. I am pretty sure that hospitals are required to report gunshot wounds, even though police would have probably already been there to take a statement for an attempted hijacking.

"That's who Sara was just talking to. The director is a friend of hers," Tia adds.

"About Sara, when I saw Sara while I was in my Drive state, she had this gold light around her. It was similar to the light that was around you, but not quite as vibrant," I state.

"Can you see it right now?" Tia asks.

"No, I've only seen it twice. The other time was when we were on the bridge and I saw a silver light around Cheza," I explain.

"Cole, I think you have the ability to see life energy, or auras. I've been wondering how you were able to see the bridge back then because only gods should have been able to. It will most likely turn out to be useful in the future, but it is definitely something we will be keeping secret," Tia informs me.

We continue sparring for about an hour when I hear my phone ring up in my room.

"Go ahead," Tia tells me.

I run up to my room and grab my phone. I start walking back towards the basement as I unlock my phone and see that I've received a text from Cheza:

R U OK?

Yes I'm fine Cheza :) Now pay attention to class!

I reply and start walking down the stairs when I get another text:

Don't wanna :P Alright... but I'll probly text u again in like a hr and if you don't respond, I'm gonna assume Tia killed u and call the cops... or Sara... probly just Sara...

You know, if Tia did kill me, she could just use my phone to impersonate me.

I hit send and immediately regret that decision, realizing that Cheza is already worried enough. I walk into the basement and see that Tia is waiting for me when my phone suddenly starts ringing. I look at the screen and I see a picture of a sleeping Cheza wearing the pink babydoll. I would have done a spit-take had I been drinking something. Tia starts giggling.

"Really!?" I ask her and then I answer the call.

"Hel—"

"ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME A NERVOUS WRECK!?" Okay, Ouch.

"Cheza, aren't you in cla—" I start to ask.

"Ms. Vaele would you please sit down and get off your phone?" I hear in the background.

"SORRY MR. FLINT BUT MY BROTHER WAS SHOT A FEW DAYS AGO AND HE WAS JUST JOKING ABOUT DYING **WHICH ISN'T VERY FUNNY!** " Cheza screams, directing the last part at me in a pitch so high that I'm pretty sure she cracked a few windows.

I can almost hear the teacher shying away from her in fear—that poor man. Seeing Cheza snap from her usual, quietly shy self can be quite a shock. I'd hate to be whomever she is actually angry at... wait, that's me.

"NOW, I'M GOING TO BE CALLING IN AN HOUR AND IF YOU DON'T PICK UP, I'M GOING TO COME HOME AND KILL YOU MYSELF!" Cheza shouts.

"But what if I want to take a shower?" I stupidly ask.

"I DON'T CARE!" Cheza yells and hangs up.

"HAHAHA! I am soooo glad that I let you get that!" Tia exclaims.

"Now let's switch things up and I'll use two blades. Oh, by the way, you can find a copy of that picture under the folder entitled _Spankworthy,"_ Tia says while using one of her hands to make an arc through the air above her head as she says 'spankworthy'.

We spend the next hour working on dual-sword fighting defense techniques, until we take a break so I can run to the bathroom. As I'm coming back down the stairs, I hear Tia on the phone, so naturally I stop and listen in.

"I'm sorry, there's been an accident," Tia says.

"What do you mean an accident!?"

"Well, we were testing the plating again—" Tia starts to say.

"YOU MEAN YOU WERE SHOOTING HIM AGAIN!?" I am pretty sure that Cheza is on the other end.

"Yes, and well, you see what happened was I shot him but instead of getting stopped, the bullet ricocheted off the plating, then ricocheted off the bulletproof glass, then ricocheted off the ceiling, then ricocheted off the floor and finally shot his dick off," Tia says.

"HIS DICK!? BUT I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO USE IT YET!" Cheza jokes... Yeah, I'm sure that's it.

I walk around the corner and see Tia holding my phone, which I remember leaving on the bench when I went to the bathroom.

"Hey Tia, who are you talking to?" I loudly ask.

"OH YOU BITCH!" I hear Cheza scream over the phone. Tia hands me the phone and then wanders up the steps. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST GOT ME TO SAY IN FRONT OF MY FRIENDS!?"

"No, what did she get you to say, Cheza?" I inquire.

"COLE!?" I hear Cheza yelp in surprise, followed by the sound of a phone clattering on a lunchroom table.

"Oh! Cole! Oh nothing, nothing, don't worry about it," Cheza says with female giggling in the background.

"Good to hear that you're still alive have to go now bye!" Cheza blurts out and hangs up

...

The next week is spent in the basement with Tia while Cheza goes to her last full week of high school. Sara comes down every once in a while to ask for more discs so I make them on the spot. The amount of blood necessary doesn't affect my training and it is usually followed by lunch or an extended break. As the week progresses, I notice that I'm becoming better at fortifying the individual muscles that I need for certain attacks or defenses to maximize efficiency.

Tia steps up her speeds on a daily basis as I improve. She teaches me how to fight effectively against a dual wielding opponent, and also against different types of weapons like maces, axes, hammers, etc. Tia tells me that she's going to train me to defend against any type of weapon because we don't know who I'll be facing or what weapon they'll be using. We also work on marksmanship for my non-god level enemies.

"What do you mean by that?" I inquire.

"For all fast enemies, like gods, vampires, etc. your Sic blade or short Sic blade will be best. For other enemies that are slow enough to shoot, like human soldiers, they will most likely be shooting at you so shoot them first," Tia answers.

"I'm going to be fighting humans too?" I ask.

"Well, most likely. Do you know how many mercenary groups there are in the world? Plus, there are always organizations like The Agency that are willing to side with Loki for false promises of power in his new world," Tia replies.

My marksmanship greatly improves, but I'm still best with the M&P. Tia starts having me use handguns with higher caliber rounds. The change is noticeable, but I quickly compensate for extra recoil and I'm back to shooting like normal in no time. In addition to shooting, Tia starts teaching me facts about various guns (which included average magazine size, muzzle velocity, and fire rate) because it may help against any gun toting enemies.

Sara finishes my armored jeans on Thursday. The following day, she comes down the basement steps and tosses me the shirt that we had tested before.

"Put it on over your t-shirt," Sara orders. I don't like where this is going.

Sara walks into the armory, motioning for us to follow her. I really don't like where this is going.

"Cole, go stand out in the range. Tia, pick a gun," Sara tells us.

Tia grabs the Glock G34 9mm, walks into the range, and shoots me in the plate. I can barely feel it, just like last time.

"So how was it?" Sara asks.

"About the same as before," I answers. Sara nods to Tia, who grabs a Glock 20 10mm and shoots me in the chest.

"I couldn't really feel that one either," I announce.

"Try moving around, same as last time," Tia says and I do.

"I see! Thanks!" Sara exclaims and then runs out.

"What was that all about?" I ask Tia.

"We just found out that the discs stick to you more like magnets than like glue. It means that you can wear a shirt underneath your jacket and still get full coverage," Tia answers.

"Now let's get back to work."

...

[May 13th]

The following Monday, Tia tells me, "Grab a gun and your Sic blade. Today we are going to try close quarters marksmanship!"

I go and grab the M&P. Tia nods and then runs to the gun bench below the wall of guns on the right side of the armory. She comes back a minute later and tosses me a new magazine for the M&P.

"This one is loaded with rubber bullets. Makes cleanup easier," Tia says, runs back into the armory, and comes out armed with two kukri blades.

We start out with a spacing of thirty feet. I immediately raise the gun and fire twice, but I might as well have been shooting a pellet gun with how effortlessly she dodges the bullets. She moves in and hits me with a flurry of attacks. I end up getting sliced a few times as I try to block her attacks with only one sword. Usually when we practiced dual-wielding stuff, I always had a short Sic blade in my hand (with the blade pointed down) to use as a companion weapon to block with. I make the mistake of trying to block with the gun on instinct, but thankfully Tia stops the kukri before she severs any fingers.

"This isn't working," Tia says upon stopping.

"Yeah, I know, and it seems kind of pointless because you can just dodge the bullets," I reply.

"I know!" Tia exclaims and then runs to the armory.

A few minutes later, she comes back holding a Glock 20 10mm pistol that I had used a few days ago when Tia had me start using higher caliber guns. We start again at thirty feet, but both rubber bullets hit her this time around. However, there is a significant amount of space between the shots because of the recoil. I guess that's just something that I will have to get used to.

"Oh, I see!" I announce remembering that the 10mm Auto rounds that the Glock 20 uses are about 1.5 times as powerful as the 9mm rounds the M&P uses. They also use them as a defense against polar bears in Greenland.

When I remember this little tidbit, I immediately think, 'Great! Now I have a defense against Tia's legion of bear assassins!'

We start again, but this time Tia offers instruction.

"When an opponent comes in close like this, block the first blade and then fire into the stomach as the second one comes in. This should stagger them long enough for you to make the kill with your blade," Tia instructs.

"I don't know. I mean, I do like having both a long and short range weapon at the same time, but I feel that if I can't block with my left hand, I'm sort of fucked," I tell her.

"Hmm... Yeah, I understand where you are coming from. I could probably order a custom Glock 20 so that it included a hand guard, but custom jobs can take months and we don't have that kind of time. Plus, well, look. Point the Glock at me," Tia responds. She takes one of her kukri blades and slices through the barrel.

"That was at full strength and speed. If you try to block using that against a god, you will just end up getting hurt. Hmm... Cole, hold out your Sic blade and strengthen for defense," She tells me.

I do as she says and Tia tries to slice through the Sic blade, but nothing happens except my hand getting hurt from the force. It's the same feeling you get after hitting a baseball, that kind of vibrating feeling you get in your hands. It doesn't exactly hurt, but it is a bit uncomfortable.

"Cole, how do you make things with your blood?" Tia asks.

"Well, I kind of just picture what I want in my mind and my blood goes there..." Oh, I see where this is going. "but, I haven't tried making anything intricate and any springs would be a total failure."

"Well, why don't you try making the Glock piece by piece? We can use this Glock for the internal parts to assemble one. All you need to do is make the body," Tia says.

"As long as I have a model for what I'm going to make, it shouldn't be too difficult. Let's give it a shot! Uh... we do have another Glock 20, right?" I ask while looking at the half of the barrel that is sitting on the floor.

"Umm... Let's go to the mall! Yay!" Tia exclaims while looking somewhat embarrassed. "Besides, have you already gotten Chezarei's birthday present? It's in two days, you know?"

Now it's my turn to look embarrassed.

"Let's go to the mall! Yay!" I reply, repeating Tia's tone and intonation.

I run upstairs, take a quick shower, and then we are on our way to Scottsdale fifteen minutes later. Tia pulls into the parking lot of Scottsdale's gun club and store. We walk into the store and Tia starts saying hello to all the staff by name. A tan Caucasian man in a suit comes up, takes Tia's hand, and kisses it. When they both start laughing, I ascertain that it is an inside joke.

"Tia! It has been too long!" The man says with a South African accent. I am contemplating the possibility that this man was an arms dealer at some time in his life, or still is, when he turns to me.

"And you must be the little brother Cole, whom she has told me so much about! She said she would bring you here when you were ready, and here you are! Ah, where are my manners. I have yet to introduce myself. I am Daniel Archer," Mr. Archer says while sticking out his hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Archer," I reply while grabbing his hand to shake it. His shake is firm, but not crushing. It is calculated, practiced. The perfect handshake to have if you are doing business with warlords that would just as soon kill you as pay you.

"Please, just Archer. So what brings you two here today?" Archer inquires.

"I need a new Glock 20. I sliced clean through the barrel of the last one," Tia says.

"How did you... No, I know better than to touch that one. I take it that this is for Cole? You will be wanting the 6" barrel modification that allows for a greater bullet velocity, correct?" Archer asks.

"That sounds great!" Tia replies. "I don't suppose you have one for left handed shooters."

"Actually, I do, but it is currently waiting to be picked up by the customer who ordered it," Archer says and Tia pouts.

"However, given our history and the fact that you rarely have time to wait on things like this, I will explain to the other customer that there has been a mix up with shipping and the manufacturer sent a right handed gun by mistake. Do you want me to swap the stock barrel for the modified six inch one?" Archer asks.

"Perfect! Yes, please do that," Tia exclaims.

"That's good. Now I can stop burning my right arm with casings," I say, even though that was more of a mild nuisance than a problem.

"Also, do you have any custom extended magazines?" Tia inquires.

"Yes, I have four 20 round magazines and two 25 round magazines as well as ten 15 round stock magazines," Archer replies.

"Good, we will take all of the custom magazines as well," Tia says.

"Okay, I will throw in five boxes of 200gr wide flat nose gas check rounds as well as five boxes of jacketed hollow point rounds," Archer says and then turns to me. "The WFNGC rounds are denser, increasing their odds of passing through bone, but at the cost of less velocity. The JHP rounds are good for stalling those giant wolves and tougher supernatural entities that you might encounter," Archer finishes with a wink.

"You know about the paranormal?" I ask him.

"I have been all around the globe and have seen much in my time, young man," Archer replies with a smile.

Tia and I thank him for all his help and say our goodbyes to Archer before heading to the mall. We shop around for a few hours with no real progress. I find a tan sweater that I think Cheza might look cute in, so I buy that.

"Ooh! Panties are on sale!" Tia exclaims as we pass by a Victoria's Secret, and runs into the store.

I'm not about to go inside, so I stand around for a few moments. There's a poster in the window for this corset looking thing called a 'merrywidow'. That's a strange name... Is that lingerie marketed solely to women that have pushed their abusive husbands into wood chippers and have gotten away with it? Is that why they're so merry, these merry widows?

Okay, enough of this. I walk over to a nearby pretzel stand and buy a pretzel, cheese dip, and a medium lemonade. I finish all of them and Tia still hasn't come out.

I consider going in after her when something in a jewelry store display catches my eye. I rush into the store and decide that I've found the perfect gift. It's a white gold pendant inlaid with seven small diamonds that wrap in two, mirrored and overlapping, S-shapes around a large ice blue sapphire that matches Cheza's eye color. It is a little pricey, but it can count as both her birthday and graduation gift. I buy it and walk outside to see Tia waiting for me.

"All set?" She asks. I nod, a look of satisfaction strung across my face.

...

Chapter 19: The birth of a weapon

We get home and I rush to my room to quickly hide my presents before Cheza gets home. I see that I barely made it as Sara and Cheza walk through the front door just after I exit my room.

"Hey! Welcome home Cheza! How was your day?" I ask, going for nonchalance.

"Umm... fine? Are you feeling alright Cole?" Cheza asks, making me realize that I fail at nonchalance.

"Yeah! I'm great!" I say, realizing that I sound like I've been in the bathroom snorting coke or some other sort of suspicious activity.

"Anyway, I have to go down to the armory. Bye!" I add and rush down the steps. I find Tia standing at the gun bench, disassembling the new Glock 20.

"Here, replicate the slide first," Tia says, handing me the top part of the gun.

I pull out my knife and slice open my left arm from elbow to wrist. I grab the slide and look at it from every angle, and then I close my eyes and feel it thoroughly until I have a solid picture in my mind. I slide my right hand over the cut and will my blood to take the shape of the image in my mind. I feel the slide solidify in my right hand and realize that I've never made something this dense before.

_(5.0 Liters)_ Airi says.

"Holy hell! It took nearly a liter of blood to make this thing!" I say to Tia.

"Did that voice whisper to you again?" Tia asks. I nod solemnly as she sighs. "Well, how much do you have left? Can you do it?"

"I have roughly two liters to use up before I feel anemic, another half and I'll pass out if I drain it all quickly. If spread over the next five minutes, I should be able to use up 3.2 Liters from what the voice said the other night," I tell her.

"SARA! PREP A SALINE DRIP AND BRING DOWN SOME JUICE!" Tia shouts.

"Alright, all you will have to make is the outer casing. The innards, like the barrel, we should leave as they are or it may affect ballistics. Now make the grip like this," Tia says and shows me a sketched blue print.

It's a Glock 20 grip, but a block-shaped hand guard flows from the trigger guard and connects into the butt, just above the base of the clip. That should adequately protect my fist when I'm wielding it. There's a space between the base of the magazine and the butt on the Glock 20, but this modified version includes a six inch blade jutting down from that space, which is a dangerous idea unless you consider the fact that the blade can never cut me. Finally, sticking out of the bottom of the trigger guard and running parallel with the barrel is a half inch thick bar.

"What's this bar here for?" I ask Tia.

"Ah! That is for catching your opponent's blade and disarming them. When an opponent swings a sword at you, just catch it in the space, wrench the gun counterclockwise, and it will twist the hilt of the sword towards their fingers, removing the blade from their grasp. It will only work if the sword is in their right hand however. Make sure to thicken the trigger guard to ensure its integrity against hard blows," Tia explains.

That actually sounds like a pretty good idea. I don't bother to correct Tia that I should be able to disarm swords that are in left hands if I turn the gun clockwise. I pick up the separated grip and run through the same procedure as I did with the slide. Once I have the inside of the grip firmly pictured in my mind, I move on to add the modifications to the grip. When I'm ready, I slice open my left palm and hold out my hand like the grip is already in it, allowing the blood to form inside my palm.

I start with the basic grip making sure to identically replicate the original. _(3.5 Liters)_

Next is the hand guard. _(3.0 Liters)_

Now for the blade. _(2.8 Liters. Warning, rapid draws will lead to shock and premature unconsciousness)_

At least she reminded me earlier this time. My head feels fuzzy as I start to feel the strain, but I keep my mind locked on the image. Next is to thicken the trigger guard. _(2.7 Liters. Warning, rapid draws will lead to shock and premature unconsciousness)_

My legs start to feel weak. I have to finish this quickly. Finally, the disarming bar. _(2.1 Liters. Stop now, you idiot, or death will be imminent)_

I feel the grip solidify in my hand as I fall to my knees. Tia supports me while gently pulling the grip from my hand.

"You did well Cole," Tia says while patting my shoulder and gently lowers me onto my side. "When you wake up, I'll have this finished."

"SARA, FORGET THE JUICE AND GET THE SALINE DOWN HERE NOW!" Tia yells.

"COLE!" I hear Cheza scream from the basement. I feel her roll me onto my back and then she tenderly caresses my cheek. "Oh, Cole..."

I'm sorry that I made you scream my name again, Cheza.

...

[May 14th]

I wake up in my bed with Cheza curled up beside me like an adorable little guard dog. Her knees are digging into my side and her arm is draped over my chest. I look over at the clock and see that it is 1:12am. I'm hungry, but it can wait until morning; the bathroom however, cannot. I try to unhook Cheza's arm from my chest, but that doesn't work out.

"No... Mine," Cheza mumbles in her sleep as she squeezes my chest tighter and puts one of her knees on top of my thigh.

"I guess the bathroom is waiting until morning too," I whisper as I drift back to sleep.

...

I wake up and find sunlight streaming in through my window. I look over at the clock and find that it is 7:05am.

"Cheza... Cheza, wake up. You have to get ready for school," I say while gently shaking her.

"No, I'm staying home with Cole and Jason," Cheza mumbles. Those eight little words just about kill me. I lie there frozen, unsure of what to do, when Tia barges into my room.

"Chezarei, get up. It is time for school. Stop rubbing yourself against Cole. I need to borrow him," Tia says.

"No. Every time you borrow him, he ends up hurt," Cheza says clearly with her eyes still closed.

"Come on, Cheza. I've needed to use the bathroom for the past six hours and I want to get something to eat," I say to her.

"Fine," she grumbles and gets out of my bed. I unhook myself from the saline drip, stand up, and walk to the bathroom, only to find that Cheza is following me.

"What are you doing?" I ask Cheza.

"I'm going to stand guard," She replies.

"No, you are going to get ready for school. Yesterday was something that needed to happen and it wasn't Tia's fault," I tell her.

"Why do you always take her side..." Cheza quietly pouts and leaves the room.

"Is she angry?" I ask Tia.

"She'll be over it by tomorrow," Tia replies.

"Now get ready and meet me in the armory. It's alive, Cole," Tia says with a maniacal grin.

What's alive!?

I quickly shower, remove my IV, and run to the kitchen for a quick bite before meeting Tia downstairs in the armory. She leads me over to the gun bench that has a cloth covered gun shape on the top. Tia makes a big flourish before removing the cloth and displaying my gun.

"I wanted to do a Frankenstein reference with the lightning and everything, but I decided it would be inappropriate to use your weakness to introduce your new weapon... that and waiting for a thunderstorm seemed a bit impractical. You did a great job getting all the holes and fittings perfectly. I was able to assemble it without any problems. I am glad that I considered the extra length of the custom magazines when telling you how long to make the blade. See? Even with the 25 round magazines, you still have three inches of blade. However, I forgot to consider what the decreased weight would do to the recoil. Look," Tia says.

Tia fires the gun thrice at a silhouette target thirty feet down range. I watch as her hand flies upward with each shot. She hits dead center with the first round, but shots two and three are way too high.

"This is a big problem... Let me see," I reply.

Tia hands me the gun and I find that it fits into my left hand perfectly. I fire at the same target. Shots one and two hit, but number three swings high. I frown and then I get one of those 'It's stupid, but also possibly brilliant' ideas.

"Tia, can I see your knife?" I ask.

Tia whips out her combat knife and hands the hilt to me. I use it to make a small, one inch incision in the palm of my left hand, and I pick up the gun again. This time, it feels different. The gun feels like an extension of my arm, which is what I was hoping for. I use my arm like a stock, take aim at the target, and unload the remaining nineteen rounds into the target without a single miss.

"Yeah, I think this will work," I smirk at Tia as she smiles back.

"Alright, let's get some practice in. Once you're comfortable using the gun in close quarters, I'll start going full speed," Tia replies.

I spend the next six hours adjusting to fighting with a gun as my companion weapon. I love this gun. The disarming bar works just as Tia described and I was able to disarm her right kukri blade multiple times while blocking her left with my Sic blade, ending the match with two rounds to her stomach.

"Good job, Cole!" Tia says while slightly out of breath.

"Thanks, but will this actually do any good against a god? I mean, when I shot you three times, you were still able to throw a blade into my arm and get back up in a matter of milliseconds," I say remembering the time when I lost it and tried to kill her two weeks ago.

Tia thinks about it for a moment, motions for my gun, then walks into the armory. She comes back and hands me my gun.

"Cole, we are going to have a real match next. I will be going all out and you will be using live ammo. We are only going to do this once because while the bullets won't kill me, they do still hurt," Tia says with a serious tone.

"What!? Tia, I can't shoot you!" I exclaim.

Tia responds with a full speed, full strength kick to my stomach. When she started moving quickly, my senses automatically sped up to respond, but she is still moving at a speed that is slightly faster than my senses can adjust for. I am able to see the kick coming with just enough time to reinforce my abs. So, instead of knocking me out, crushing my ribs, and making a mess of my organs, the kick just sends me flying back about ten feet. I land on my back and recover just in time to see Tia flying down towards me with her left kukri blade pointing down while the right is in a guard position across her torso. I roll to my right, narrowly avoiding the attack that would have punctured my right lung. She lands with her blade sticking into the mat as I strengthen my left leg and kick her across her face while spinning to my feet.

I always thought that that move was too flashy and had no real application, but I suppose it does have its uses. My kick sends Tia flying into the side wall, fifteen feet away. I guess she didn't see that one coming. She recovers quickly and charges at me. I block her first hit with the Sic blade and feel the vibrations in my hand. The second hit I try to get in the disarm bar, but she sees it coming so I end up having to block with the hand guard. The blow feels like it could have broken my wrist. I feel a subtle knock on the door in my head that leads to my Drive as I feel my eyes start to turn silver.

"Tia, we need to stop this!" I tell her, but she presses her attacks. I continue to block, but I'm having a hard time keeping up. Every few slashes, I'm unable to block so I have no choice but to divert them into glancing blows. My arms start getting sliced open.

_(Just give me control and we can end her)_ my Drive says in Airi's voice, as it warps to a lower pitch.

"But I don't want to end her!" I reply to it.

_"What if she kills us? Do you really want to make Cheza sad?"_ my Drive says, sounding quite similar me.

My resolve falters for a moment at the mention of Cheza and that's all it takes for my Drive to take the controls. The next thing I hear is a gunshot that misses Tia.

"Good Cole! Now we are gett—" Tia starts to say.

As Tia looks into my eyes, her face reveals that she is frightened. Tia steps it up and starts going for shots that will incapacitate me. As I block both blades at once, I start to rotate gun barrel towards her torso. Tia does a front flip over me, kicking me in the back of the head with her heel and knocking me to the ground in the process. Okay, that one hurt. While I am on my hands and knees, Tia runs up behind me.

My Drive anticipated something like this so when she gets close, I kick back and sweep her left leg. Tia goes down on her right knee as I spin around. Trying to recover, Tia gets her left knee parallel with the floor, but she isn't fast enough. I take my gun, jam the knife into her left knee, and fire six rounds into her abdomen. Tia is stunned as I pull the gun from her knee and slowly get to my feet. She looks up at me and the fear in her eyes is palpable as I bring my Sic blade across my body and begin to strengthen my right arm.

_"Gods may be hard to kill, but I bet she will die if we cut the bitch's head off_!" my Drive viciously exclaims.

Time slows down as my Sic blade travels toward her neck with all the strength I can summon.

She's going to end up just like Jason.

"NO!" I scream, stopping the Sic blade an inch from Tia's neck.

I collapse to my knees, dropping both my Sic blade and gun. My nose feels clogged as tears run down my face. I bring a hand up to the trail and pull it away to find that it isn't tears, but blood. The same goes for my nose, but they stop after I'm consciously aware that they're bleeding. Note to self: your brain doesn't like it when you make it fight itself. Tia crawls over and hugs me to her chest.

"I'm sorry, Cole. I'm so sorry," Tia whispers as I feel her tears hit my hair.

I hear the car door slam shut and I pull away from her.

"Tia! Cheza is home. We have to change, now!" I urgently say.

Tia's eyes widen, fully comprehending the danger that we are both in. She nods and we both race up the stairs at an enhanced speed. I thought Tia might be unable to because of her injury, but she isn't even limping—her knee is already fully healed. I run into my room whilst stripping, and jump into the glass shower as I hear the front door open. I hear Tia's shower turn on shortly before mine.

Water cold. I can't help thinking that I forgot something. I realize what that something is when I look at the mirror across from the shower and see Cheza standing in my bedroom doorway, staring at my reflection. Ah, that's right. I forgot to close my door... both of them.

Why did she have to see me while the water was still cold!?...Wait, that's not the issue here. My little sister seeing me naked at all is not good. The water temperature is irrelevant.

When Cheza sees that I have noticed her, her face becomes red and she looks down as she grabs my bedroom door and slowly closes it. I'm trying to decide if this situation is better than the situation I would have been in had Cheza seen my body cut up, and blood running from my eyes and nose... Well, at least she isn't worrying.

...

Chapter 20: Happy Birthday, Jazz Style

[May 15th]

After wishing Cheza a happy birthday in the morning before she leaves for school, Tia and I spend the day training with her moving at god speeds, but with a considerable decrease in the amount of bullets from yesterday.

"We need to work on increasing your reflexes. I noticed you were kind of lagging yesterday and that is going to get you killed if you have to face a god. There are quite a few gods out there that are faster than I am so I'm not going to feel at all comfortable unless you can beat me consistently," Tia says. I start to get used to her moving at her full speed so that I can at least follow her movements, but I can't get close to matching them.

"Alright, we are done for today. I still need to wrap your presents and mine before Cheza gets home," Tia says at 2pm.

"Why are you wrapping my presents too?" I ask.

"Because I don't want them to look like shit," she replies like it is already an established fact that if I wrap them, they will look like shit. Well, she is probably right.

I go upstairs to my room, lie down on my bed, and stare up at the ceiling. I'm not used to having this much free time since the past two weeks have been spent either training or in various states of unconsciousness. I decide to sleep for a bit so that I'm well rested for tonight.

****

I find myself floating in darkness. There is a silver structure off in the distance. As I approach the structure, I see that it is a large, silver double door that is slanted at the top with five spires equally spaced along the width.

_"Hey,"_ I hear my voice say from the other side of the Door.

"Who are you?" I ask it.

_"I'm just another aspect of you,"_ It replies.

"What do you want?" I inquire.

_"I wish to apologize for Jason. Those pills we were taking made things confusing so when I gained control, mistakes were made. If those same things would have happened today then Jason would have been fine,"_ It says.

"What about Tia? I ask.

_"She was, and still is, a threat,"_ It states.

"Either way, I still do not wish any harm to her," I say.

_"Alright. I will respect your wishes until her threat to our life is imminent,"_ It replies.

"I understand... Are you and Airi the same?" I ask after a moment.

_"No, you and I are the same. She is something else..."_ It responds.

"So, what do you think of Cheza?" I question.

_"You wish to ensure that we will protect her? Yes, we will protect her. So, do we love Cheza?"_ it asks.

"Of course we love Cheza!...like a little sister," I reply.

"Riiiiiiiiiiight."

****

"Cole... Cole... wake up, Cole," Cheza whispers in my ear. I turn over and look at her.

"What's wrong, Cheza?" I ask, not even remotely groggy.

"We are leaving soon. You need to get ready," Cheza softly says and then turns to leave.

I stand up quickly, turn her around, and give her a hug. She has a sharp intake of breath on step two of that plan... probably just from surprise.

"Happy birthday, Cheza," I whisper.

Is it just me or is it a little chilly in here for May? I find it kind of strange that Cheza hasn't said anything. The usual response would be 'thanks,' like she said this morning... unless there was something keeping her from talking... like shock. My face starts to fall.

No... Tia wouldn't do something like, oh I don't know, sneak into my bedroom while I was sleeping, strip off my clothing, and then send Cheza in here to wake me up so that she can film my reaction...

No... uh-uh... there's just no way.

Just then a breeze from the A/C blows across my bare ass.

DAMMIT TIA! Okay, look on the bright side: At least you don't have an erection!

Suddenly an image of that dream I had of Cheza in the pink babydoll pops up.

DAMMIT!

"Umm... Cole?" Cheza awkwardly asks. "Did you know that—"

"Shhh. I'm trying to think of a way out of this," I tell her.

"I think I can help with that," Tia says, offering a mercy killing. She covers Cheza's eyes and turns her out the door. "Now, both of you need to get ready or we will be late for our reservation. Oh and Chezarei, Sara has something special for you..."

This isn't over Tia. I pick out some nice clothes to wear, jump in the shower, shave, and put on some Kenneth Cole cologne that Cheza said she likes and coincidentally bought for me last Christmas. I put on my clothes that consist of a white button-up shirt, a black tie, a black sport coat, and a pair of nice jeans in a dark wash (because I don't do slacks). A total of thirty minutes later, I exit my room, walk out to the kitchen, and sit at the kitchen table to wait for the girls. I've waited for fifteen minutes when Tia comes out wearing a small, black, strapless dress and matching stiletto heels.

"Why?" I angrily inquire after glaring at her for several seconds.

"Hey, it happens. There's no need to feel embarrassed about it! There are a ton of pills that will fix that sort of thing," Tia replies.

"What?" I ask before it finally clicks. "I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT AN ERECTION!"

"Really!?" Tia asks, faking shock by covering her mouth as she pulls out her phone.

"I just assumed that's why you were holding on to Chezarei for so long!" she says while showing me the video.

"Delete it," I monotonously reply. "I ask again, why?"

"Well, I wanted to get Cheza a stripper, but the guys at my place had all been called away for some convention in Vegas," Tia answers.

I open my mouth to ask her what the real reason is, but I abruptly close it. Knowing Tia, that probably is the real reason. We wait in silence for another thirty minutes before I hear Cheza's bedroom door open. I hear the sound of heels clicking on tile as I turn around... and my jaw hits the floor.

Cheza is wearing a black, backless, low cut, halter top dress that has a slit on the left side that almost goes up to her hip. Her shoulder-blade length hair has been straightened to cover the right half of her face in one silver sheet. I'm almost convinced that I'm looking at a completely different girl, but then I see her walking unsteadily in her heels with a smattering of embarrassment on her face, and I'm reminded that this is indeed Cheza. Flats probably would have been a better idea, but that is hardly a dress you can wear flats in. Sara, whom I'm guessing helped Cheza, is wearing a simple black dress to the right of Cheza.

Between the three of them lies the capacity of the modern male's descriptive words to use when describing a woman's level of attractiveness: Cute, Sexy, and DAMN! I'll leave who is which up to interpretation.

"Umm... how do I look, Cole?" Cheza coyly asks.

"You... umm... you..." I say while simultaneously trying to stand and dislodge the foot from my mouth. I succeed at one.

"DAMN!" I shout as I trip on the table leg and fall face first into Sara's chest, knocking her down in the process.

"I bet your face hurts now doesn't it?" Tia asks while nodding.

"Bitch," Sara mumbles as I extract myself from her slightly under-cushioned bosom, not that I'm suicidal enough to ever tell her that.

"You know Cole, I bet that I wouldn't fall down if you fell into me. You would probably just bounce right off!" Tia adds while I help Sara to her feet.

Sara's expression tells me that Tia is only a few seconds away from getting slapped, and I'm only a few seconds away from having a major catfight on my hands.

"SO! Shall we go?" I loudly ask while trying to diffuse this situational bomb by grabbing Sara's arm and forcefully leading her towards the door. I open up the door for Sara, look back, and see that I may have inadvertently caused another situation. I hold the door open for Tia and a pouting Cheza before following Cheza out the door.

"You look beautiful by the way," I whisper into Cheza's ear as I pass by to open the car door for her.

I know that the second bomb diffusing is a success when I see Cheza smiling as I close her door. I go to the other side, enter the car, and we are on our way. I find myself repeatedly shooting glances over at Cheza. It's really hard not to.

NO DROOLING ON THE BIRTHDAY GIRL

I jump and yelp as _that_ lights up inside my mind like a giant neon sign. That damned Airi! I look around and see that Tia and Cheza have turned to look at me and Sara is looking at me through the rearview mirror.

"Sorry, I thought I just saw a bat fly by the window," I say as an excuse. This seems to satiate the other two, but Tia continues to look at me with concern. I mouth "Later" at her, which gets her to turn around.

We arrive at our destination: a jazz lounge in Scottsdale. I go around the car, open the door for Cheza, and help her out. I hold out my arm for her to take, not so much out of gentlemanly pride as it is for the fact that I'm not about to allow the birthday girl to trip and fall. Cheza takes my arm as I see Tia grab two presents from the back of the car. We go inside the restaurant and Sara tells the host of our reservation. He leads us back to a circular booth in the corner with a clear view of the band.

We order, eat, and then the band starts playing a jazz rendition of Happy Birthday. This rendition includes a three minute saxophone solo as the waiter holding the cake glares at the player. The waiter sets the cake on the table, grabs a bread roll and hits the saxophone player in the head, who then finishes the song five seconds later.

"I apologize for that folks. My friend Mikey tends to get a little carried away," the waiter says after Cheza has blown out the candles, as he is cutting the cake.

"No problem, it's better this way in fact. That was far more entertaining than just the song would have been," I tell the man, cutting him a bit of slack.

"Alright present time! These are both from Cole," Tia announces, after we finish the cake, while handing Cheza the presents over Sara. Cheza starts with the small box on top, unwraps it, gasps, and beams at me from across the table.

"Go on, Cole. Put it on for her," Tia says while digging her elbow into my ribs so forcefully that if I don't leave the booth, one of my ribs will probably crack. I take the pendant, bring it around her neck, and fasten the clasp. I feel Cheza shiver when my hand brushes up against her bare back. I return to my seat and Cheza opens her other gift.

Cheza flips the top of the box open and I hear her gasp as Sara looks in the box and raises an eyebrow at me. I guess she's surprised I could pick out women's clothing so well. Glad it's not Tia in Sara's position—Tia would have made some crack about cross-dressing. Cheza flips the box closed as she smiles. It kind of looks like her face is a little red, but that may just be the candle light.

"Alright, let's get going. I'm beat," Tia announces and rushes us out the door, stopping only to pay at the front.

The ride home is a silent one. We walk in the door at a quarter 'til eleven and head towards our bedrooms.

"Do you like your gifts?" I ask Cheza from the hall as she sets down the box with her sweater in it.

"Yeah... one more so than the other," She replies.

"Well cut me a little slack. I don't shop for women's clothing often... or ever, in fact," I say and walk over to give her a hug.

"Happy birthday, Cheza. Goodnight!" I say as I walk out of her room.

I think I hear her whisper, "it will be" as I close her door.

I head into my room, strip down to my boxers, and call it a night.

****

Chapter 21: The Attack of the Merrywidows!

I heard a car honking. I looked out the window and saw Jason in the driveway, sitting in the driver's seat of a white sports car, so I went out to meet him. He rolled the passenger window down as I approached.

"Birthday present from your mom?" I inquired.

"Yeah, kind of her way of saying 'sorry we haven't seen each other in two years.' I would still be angry, but this car is so awesome that she is forgiven," Jason replied.

"It is an awesome car, but couldn't you have come up to the door?" I asked.

"No, that's not really possible at the moment on account of my huge, throbbing, erection," Jason said.

"You said that like a normal person would say 'I can't because my foot hurts.'" I told him.

"My foot does hurt... from the lack of blood going to it. Anyway, go get Rei. I'll give you guys a ride," Jason replied.

I ran into the house to fetch Cheza and my backpack. Since the Saturn Sky is a two-seater, Cheza sat on my lap.

'It's fine if it's only for one day, right?' I thought as Cheza adjusted in my lap so she could sit comfortably.

Jason started driving to school. About ten minutes into the drive, Jason squeaked like he was trying really hard not to laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked as Jason's face turned red from lack of oxygen.

"What?" Jason questioned with his voice at a higher octave than normal. Jason looked over at me and started laughing his ass off.

"What's so damn funny!?" I practically yelled. Cheza grabbed her ears and gave me a look that clearly said, "Cole, small car, voice loud."

"Sorry," I apologized to her.

"Oh, nothing," Jason said as he looked back over at me, finally in control of his laughter.

I glared at him, but he didn't budge. The car was silent for the next minute with the radio off.

"How come I'm always the one moving!?" Jason said in the higher pitched voice he uses when imitating Cheza.

Cheza reached over and punched him in the arm while calling him an ass. It took me a few minutes before I finally got it.

"Oh you dick! She's my little sister!" I said while punching him in the arm.

"Aw same spot!" Jason said, switching hands and rubbing his arm with the hand that was previously on the steering wheel. He looked over at Cheza, who was sporting a disappointed little pout, and started laughing again.

'I guess she's disappointed that I didn't punch him harder, but he is the one driving.' I thought.

****

I wake up to the feeling of someone snuggling into my right side.

"Cheza, I know it's your birthday, but you really should be sleeping in your own bed," I say without opening my eyes.

"Your sister climbs into bed with you? That's interesting," I hear.

I open my eyes to find that it is Natasha who is snuggled up to my right side. She is smiling up at me while wearing a black merrywidow with black stockings attached to garter belts and black lace panties.

"Natasha? What are you doing in my bed?" I ask.

"We are in your dreams of course! Speaking of which, what the hell do you have me wearing? It's like crazy uncomfortable... but it sure does make my boobs look great though, huh? Ugh! So not important. Anyway, something bad is coming. Like really bad. I don't know exactly what it is yet, but be prepared for a fight... I think. I'll try and get some help to you as soon as I can... if I can," Natasha says uncertainly.

"Oh, and Cole?" Natasha asks.

"Yeah?" I respond.

"Make sure you protect her."

****

[May 16th]

I wake up in my bed with nobody snuggling into my right side.

However, there is somebody straddling my lap.

Aaaaaand that somebody seems to have handcuffed me to my bed with fuzzy handcuffs. I open my eyes and see that 'that somebody' is Cheza, wearing the same thing that Natasha had been a moment ago. Natasha's bust may have been bigger, but the ensemble looks better on Cheza.

"Why do my dreams keep doing this to me?" I sigh.

"This isn't a dream Cole," Cheza says before leaning over me and moving towards my face. Note to self: buy a door lock.

"Uh, dearest sister? What are you doing?" I whisper when her face is six inches from mine.

I realize that with both of my hands cuffed to my bed and with no way to 'Zombie-block' her, I am completely helpless. I can't even cut my wrists on the handcuffs to try and break free with my blood... damn, this is well thought out.

"This," Cheza whispers just before she sticks her tongue in my mouth. How can something that feels so good ever be bad? When it's someone you consider a little sister so you're fighting yourself while it's happening, that's how! She breaks away after a minute or so.

"Cheza—" I start to say, but she cuts me off.

"Cole, I'm not your sister. Right now, I'm just a girl that wants you—an eighteen year old girl. Isn't that enough?" Cheza asks. I stay silent and think for a moment.

"Cheza... are you sure?" I ask. Cheza smiles warmly at me.

"You're it, Cole. You're the one. You have been ever since I was that nine year old girl that came into your room crying after having nightmares about watching her parents being torn to shreds by wolves," Cheza says and then kisses me again.

I'm about to reaffirm her feelings when

PULL. YOUR. HEAD. OUT. OF. YOUR. ASS!

flashes in my mind. Airi again, but I'm not mad at her this time because she's right. This can't happen. Not right now at least, but what am I supposed to say?

DREAM. TIA. WAIT.

I've got it!

"Okay, but not tonight. I just had this pretty fucked up dream that I need to tell Tia about so all this is going to have to wait," I say to Cheza. She looks a little disappointed, but she also looks concerned.

"Alright... but you're going on a date to make it up to me," Cheza replies.

"Great! Who with?" I inquire. Cheza punches me softly in the chest while smiling, before getting off of me and heading towards the door.

"Um, Cheza? Can you un-cuff me please?" I ask.

"But your note told me not to," Cheza says.

"What note?" I question.

"The note that was in the gift box? It said 'Come to my room at midnight and quietly handcuff me to the bed. If I struggle and ask what you're doing at first, don't worry it is just part of the act. If I accept the situation, then feel free to un-cuff me.' I assumed that you wanted me to wear this too, seeing as it was with the note and two pairs of handcuffs," Cheza replies.

"Right, that note. Well the situation has changed since I wrote it so un-cuff me, please," I tell her, not wanting to embarrass her by saying I didn't write it. Cheza grabs the key from my nightstand and unlocks the cuffs.

"Thanks. That merrywidow looks great on you by the way," I say.

How do I even know what that is? I vaguely recall seeing a Victoria's Secret poster for one... suddenly all the pieces click in to place: The Victoria's Secret run. The wrapping job. The well thought out restraining device. (Why is this starting to sound like some sort of heist?) The reason for there being only two presents. Cheza's gasp and possible red face. The quizzical look Sara gave me. The words Cheza spoke before I closed her door. They all point to one thing: Tia.

Tia and I have some things we need to discuss... tomorrow.

...

Chapter 22: Jewelry can be Messy

'It's amazing what you will notice about someone that you consider a little sister, and therefore not really a girl, once they've had their tongue in your mouth.' I think the next morning as I watch Cheza bend over to pick up a spoon that she dropped.

"Tia, you and I need to talk about something," I whisper to Tia.

"I agree. Let's go into the basement," Tia whispers back. We walk down to our usual area and sit on the benches.

"I want to be angry, but I just can't. Your prank was too damn elaborate this time," I admit.

"What...? Oh right, the lingerie thing. So how was it? The sex with Chezarei?" Tia asks.

"What? I didn't have sex with her!" I reply.

"Wait, let me get this straight. She had you handcuffed to your bed, completely defenseless, and nothing happened?" Tia asks incredulously and I think back to last night.

"Ah, so something did happen," Tia says with a sly smile. My expression must have given me away...

"Good! I feel this partially makes up for the complete mess I made of her first opportunity," Tia adds.

"What!?" I shout as I rise to my feet. "You guys had me convinced that that was all a dream! Why!?"

"Well, Chezarei was embarrassed and you gave her an easy way out. I went with it so I wouldn't embarrass her further," Tia replies.

"What did you do with the sweater I was going to give to her?" I ask.

"I gave it to her instead. She seemed to like it. You did a good job. Anyway, on to what I need you to talk to me about: the thing last night in the car," Tia says.

"Right. Well, it started yesterday while I was napping. I had this dream where I was talking with my Drive through a large silver door in an area covered in darkness. He told me that he wasn't the same as Airi—that's what I call the voice that whispered in my head that I told you about before. Well, yesterday when we were in the car, this sentence suddenly flashed in my mind in a similar fashion to turning on a neon sign in complete darkness," I tell her.

"What was the sentence?" Tia asks, looking and sounding worried.

"No drooling on the birthday girl," I reply.

"Hahaha! I think I like this Airi!" Tia exclaims and then regains her composure. "However, that is technically her telling you to do something. We need to be really careful, Cole."

"Yeah about that, I had this other dream last night and this girl told me that danger was coming and to be ready for a fight... possibly. Airi told me to tell you about this last night when I was searching for an excuse to stop Cheza's advances for the night," I tell her.

"Hmm..." Tia thinks about this information for a moment. "Training. We need you to be ready, just in case. Also, I want you to take six magazines to your room, and take your gun and Sic blade there every day after training. Grab a 25 round JHP magazine and two 20 round JHP magazines, along with a 25 round WFNGC magazine and two 20 round WFNGC magazines. You need something to carry all this stuff if you need to go into battle... I'll have Sara see what she can do. Alright, let's get to work. We need you to be faster, stronger, and we also need to lower your reaction times."

I spend the rest of the day having Tia beat the crap out of me. I have never been gladder that my body heals quickly.

...

[May 17th]

"There's something I've been wondering," I say to Tia during our break.

"I'm guessing that Loki has known about Cheza for ten years, assuming that Eric had heard that Loki would be going for this girl so he went there first to explain the situation and relocate her family. Only, he arrived too late to save her parents so he killed Loki's agents, took the cowering little girl from her hiding place, and brought her home with him and said, 'I got you a little sister while I was out, Cole! Take care of her and oh, when you realize what you are in ten years, protect her so the world doesn't end. Thanks!'" I sarcastically exclaim.

"So what's your question?" Tia asks.

"Oh, right. If Loki has known about Cheza for so long, why hasn't he come for her before?" I ask.

"Simply? Because he didn't know where she was, but that changed with Illapa's treason. The more complicated version? I think that Loki knew where she was all along. Had he truly needed Chezarei, he would have come for her right then. No, I think something is up. He left Chezarei here on purpose because it either didn't interfere with his goals, or it furthered them somehow. Trickster gods are... well, tricky. I should know. I dated Coyote for a while and he was always pulling tricks in bed, like the 'Let's leave the lights off,' and then 'It's so dark that I accidentally stuck it in the wrong hole, my bad!'" Tia exclaims, finishing her rant. Something suddenly dawns on me that I've never considered before.

"Did Uncle Eric tell you to train me in close quarters combat because he knew that I would need these skills someday? Did he start teaching me about swords and fencing when I was ten because he knew I would be needed to protect Cheza? Is that the reason he set her up to be like a little sister to me? So I would have a stronger connection to her and thus be a better protector?" I ask as these questions just overflow from my mind.

"Once you start thinking like that, paranoia will take over your life, Cole. Eric wanted me to train you so you could defend yourself and so you wouldn't get fat and lazy like the majority of America's youth," Tia replies.

Sara comes in before I can ask about the other questions.

"Cole, your jacket is all done, come try it on," Sara says.

I jog over to her and try it on. The moment I do, it clings to me no matter which way I twist or bend. I raise my arms up and I find that it's limiting my motion a bit, but the second I think that, the plates adjust to slide down my arm as needed. I rotate both my arms in full circles to test it. The plates still cling, but they do so while sliding. Now my motion is only limited by the jacket itself.

"Tia helped me with the design and had the forethought to attach the plates to an inner layer sewn into the jacket. That way, if the jacket gets shot full of holes, we don't have to start all over. All we have to do is cut out the inner layer and sew it onto a new jacket. I even managed to fix the zipper," Sara tells me with a prideful look on her face.

"This is awesome, Sara! You're amazing, really," I say while zipping up the jacket, finding that the plates on either side overlap behind the zipper to provide coverage. Sara was doing one of those 'Oh, stop!' things that really means for you to keep going with compliments, when Tia screams:

"HEY COLE! THINK FAST!"

As I turn, I take a war hammer to my chest. I fly and hit the opposite wall thirty feet away. Note to self: concrete walls are not your friends. The jacket cushions my blow against the hammer pretty well, but the air is still knocked out of me and it feels like one or two of my ribs have cracked.

_(Six and sternum. These will be mended by morning)_ Airi says.

"...Thank you, Airi," I think.

I was able to fortify my neck as I sailed through the air so my head didn't hit the wall, rendering me unconscious. I slide down the length of the wall, and hit the floor.

"TIA! WHAT THE HELL!?" Sara shouts.

"What? We had to test it somehow and bullets would have ruined the jacket!" Tia expounds.

"I'M ALRIGHT*cough*... PROBABLY!" I yell across the room from my position slumped against the wall, my chest hurting slightly from yelling.

"WHAT IF THE JACKET HADN'T WORKED!?" Sara asks.

"Oh a hit like that would have turned a normal man into paste... but I was confident in your skills as a seamstress..." Tia replies with uncertainty in her voice.

"HOW MANY RIBS ARE BROKEN?" Tia yells to me.

"NONE!" I answer.

"There, you see!? He's fi—" Tia starts to say.

"BUT AIRI TELLS ME THAT SIX ARE CRACKED *Cough* AS WELL AS MY STERNUM!" I shout back, interrupting Tia.

"There, you see... that's only a quarter of his ribs..." Tia says to Sara, looking downtrodden.

"And his sternum," Sara reminds Tia with a stern tone.

"And his sternum... Okay, so maybe I went a little overboard... TRAINING IS DONE FOR TODAY COLE! DO YOU NEED HELP UP?" Tia yells.

"NO..." I answer, not entirely sure of myself. I try to stand using the wall for support, but my ribs are yelling in disagreement as they force me to slide back down.

"...YES," I shout back, much surer this time around. Tia and Sara walk over and help me stand.

"Oh, before I forget, I finished your holster," Sara says. "Come try it on and tell me what you think."

Sara runs upstairs as Tia supports me up them with one arm while holding my Sic blade and gun in the other hand. Sara meets us in the living room, holding the holster in her hands. It's a synthetic fiber holster with two straps and a pouch at the bottom (so that it looks like a D and its reflection) that she has me put on like a backpack. There are two of my discs on the back (one where the straps meet between my shoulder blades and another at mid back level) and two on the pouch. Great, now she's using them as friggin' magnets. The strip of material that leads down the center of my back has a strap for my Sic blade that is slanted so that the handle will be over my right shoulder. The pouch has a holster for my gun on the left side.

"This is great Sara, but where do magazines go?" I inquire.

"That's what the pouch is for," She answers.

"What about different types of rounds?" I ask.

"...Well put them in your pants pocket or something, I don't know! Look, I'll work on another one when I find the time, but this will work for now, right?" Sara asks with minor annoyance.

"Of course. Thank you for everything Sara! I'd hug you, but I'm pretty sure that action would be quite painful at the moment," I tell her.

"You're welcome. I enjoyed doing it. It has been a really long time since you've come to me for help. I was starting to miss it," Sara smiles at me.

I look at the clock. "Sara, don't you have to pick up Cheza?"

"No, Rei said she was going to get a ride from some friends because they were going somewhere," Sara responds.

Just then, Cheza comes through the front door, home from her last day of school and excited about graduation tomorrow, as well as her subsequent grad party. She goes into her room, and then comes back out wearing jean shorts and a yellow tank top. Cheza starts heading for the door, saying that her friends are waiting in the driveway.

"Bye Cole!" Cheza says while excitedly giving me a hug.

I try really hard to keep it together, but six cracked ribs can make a pretty loud objection when they're squeezed tightly. So, despite my best efforts, I flinch, causing Cheza to quickly pull away.

"Cole? What's wrong?" Cheza asks, looking concerned.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Go have fun with your friends," I tell her while trying to smile, but ending with a grimace.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," Cheza says, the level of her voice increasing.

"Cheza, nothing is wrong!" I reply, standing firm.

"Well, alright... Bye!" Cheza exclaims while moving in for another hug.

I really should have seen this next part coming from the moment that she agreed with me, but I didn't notice until I was hugging her back. She starts squeezing really hard.

(If this continues, one of your ribs will break from the strain)

"THANK YOU, AIRI!" I shout sarcastically. Cheza jumps back, startled.

"Airi? WHO IN THE HELL IS AIRI!?" Cheza screams.

"The voice in his head," Tia answers while being the epitome of nonchalance.

"I'm guessing it said something about ribs breaking?" Tia asks while looking to me for confirmation. I nod in response.

"Voice in his head!? Ribs breaking!? WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Cheza screams, completely hysterical.

"I gave Cole his newly armored jacket and Tia wanted to run a field test without ruining the jacket with gunfire so she grabbed a war hammer and hit Cole in the chest so hard that he flew into the wall thirty feet away, cracking six ribs and his sternum in the process," Sara bluntly states.

Cheza just looks at Sara in shock until she slowly recovers, silently takes my hand, and leads me to my bedroom. She helps me take off my jacket, hangs it on the door, and points to my bed, indicating that I should lie down in it, before she leaves my room and shuts the door. I focus on enhancing my hearing and listen as Cheza walks out the door and over to her friend's car.

"Sorry, you guys. My brother cracked six ribs and his sternum a little while ago so I'm going to stay here and take care of him," Cheza says.

"No problem, Rei, but before you go, who's Airi?" one of Cheza's friends asks. I assume she is the one driving because of her leader-esque speech pattern and the leader is usually the driver.

There are a few seconds of silence before Cheza says, "The reason six of his ribs are cracked," sounding slightly louder than before, indicating that she had been walking away as she said it.

Her tone was the sort of tone that she would use if I was her boyfriend and she had just caught me cheating on her, causing her to go to town on my ribs with a baseball bat.

"See you guys tomorrow at the ceremony!" Cheza cheerfully exclaims before entering the house.

"Man, that is so totally not irie," a second friend of Cheza's says, making a pun.

"Oh, so you know her?" a third friend asks, completely missing the pun.

Cheza walks into my room with a large glass of lemonade.

"Drink," she says handing me the glass.

Cheza's tone frightens me. I think she might have snapped. I suddenly get this image in my head of me, bound and gagged to my bed as Cheza sticks a 2x4 in between my ankles, raises a sledgehammer over her left shoulder, and takes a swing. I do as she says and drink because I like my ankles being in their current, not-broken state.

I set the glass on the night stand and then Cheza throws her arms around my neck.

'Oh Gods, can this really be the end!?' I think.

(Cease your melodramatic tendencies)

I'm about to snap at Airi when I feel droplets hit my right cheek and ear.

"Please," Cheza whispers into my right ear.

"Please, stop this... Or you're going to die... and it will be my fault..." Cheza quietly sobs.

"Cheza, my death will never be your fault... and I promise that I'm not going to die anytime soon," I reply as I wrap my arms around her.

(Actually, the chances of your mortality—

"I don't want to hear it Airi! I'm trying to delude myself so I won't feel like I've lied to Cheza!" I think loudly.

"Really?" Cheza says, sniffling as she pulls back to look at me. "I didn't realize the man I love is immortal..."

"YEEEES! BOW DOWN BEFORE ME, PUNY MORTAL!" I shout.

(I think you are missing the important part... master)

"Not now, Genie."

"Ooh can I join? I love this role-play!" Tia exclaims while barging into my room with a huge grin. When she sees us, Tia's grin changes to a look of profound disappointment before she sighs heavily while hanging her head and trundles out the door.

"Well, if you need anything, just text me," Cheza says, looking away in embarrassment as she gets up to leave the room.

"Hey Cheza, this is something I've wondered for a long time: why do you have everybody from school call you Rei? Do you dislike it that I call you Cheza?" I ask and then I realize that this might give away my extrasensory hearing... I really hope it doesn't.

"No... you're just the only one that gets to call me Cheza," Cheza quietly replies without turning around and then she leaves, closing the door behind her. That actually makes me feel kind of special.

I watch TV for a while, but that gets boring quickly so I turn it off, close my eyes, and start eavesdropping. Cheza is in the living room watching TV, Sara is in her room on a sewing machine, and Tia is in the shower. I stop my hearing there and I'm about to shut it down when I hear, "Ah... Cole... ah... ah... Cooole... mmm!" in a high pitched, sultry voice. No way... she's not... I listen in a while longer to, you know, confirm that I'm mistaken.

"Cooooooole!...What have I told you about eavesdropping Cole?" Tia says in her normal voice. I know she's been fucking with me the whole time when she starts laughing. She really had me going there for a moment, but how did she know I was listening?

Cheza's phone rings and my hearing zeros in as she answers.

"Hey Katie, what's up?" Cheza answers.

"Hey, how's your brother?" I identify the voice as the girl who was possibly driving.

"He's better now that I got him to lie down. He's still an idiot though. Sorry I couldn't come with you guys," Cheza replies.

"No you're not. We all know how much you love your brother, Rei. Is it weird for me to still be calling him your brother or is he something more now?" Katie teasingly asks.

"What!? How do you know about that!?" Cheza asks, practically screeching.

"Please, Rei. I've known you for six years and the only boy I've ever seen you show even a lick of interest towards is Cole. Plus, you shouted about how you hadn't gotten a chance to use his dick yet in the middle of a crowded lunch table only an hour after you went off on Mr. Flint, shouting that your brother had been shot and then screamed at your brother that you were going to call him in an hour. We aren't that dense, Rei. I know your home situation is complicated and he isn't actually related to you, which is the only reason why I haven't tried to talk you out of it," Katie states in a straightforward manner.

"Oh yeah... I had kinda hoped you all had forgotten about that..." Cheza quietly replies.

"By the way, why does your brother get hurt so much?" Katie asks.

"Because he worries about others more than he worries about himself," Cheza says in a haggard fashion.

"Haha... he sounds like a great guy," Katie responds.

"Yeah, he is," Cheza quietly replies.

"Anyway, I need to hang up now. I found a necklace that daddy is getting me as a grad gift in addition to the car!" Katie exclaims.

"Alright see you tomorrow!" Cheza responds and ends the call.

I wish I had something else to give Cheza for graduation...

(You rang, master?)

I laugh out loud. "That was pretty good Airi!" I think to her.

(I try. The answer to your dilemma is to make her something)

"Like what? I haven't made anything besides weapons."

(Create jewelry using the same process)

"But black and red isn't a very good color scheme for Cheza."

(Pure silicon carbide is clear)

I'm not too sure I can make that, but I'll give it a shot. I stand up slowly, my ribs protesting with the movement, and walk to the bathroom. After I finish, I lie back down in bed, grab my knife from my bedside table, and hold up my left wrist.

(If done successfully, the draw will likely impede your recovery time until tomorrow afternoon and/or render you unconscious. Do you wish to continue?)

I slice into my left arm as a response. I'm about to start the draw when I realize something: I have no idea how big Cheza's finger is. Suddenly an image of our hands pressed together flashes in my mind.

(Using the width just above the second knuckle on your little finger as a model would be a smart decision)

I hold my up left little finger and will a pure silicon carbide ring to form just above the second knuckle. I almost break my concentration when blood starts spilling from my fingers and onto my chest.

"Whoa! What's happening!?" I frantically think.

(The blood is being stripped of its silicon and carbon atoms and then is being expelled)

"What? Why doesn't this happen when I make blades or discs?" I ask.

(The red blood cells make the red pigment in the center. The water in your blood evaporates when making normal silicon carbide. However, now it is leaving the water alone so it is easier to expel the red blood cells)

I accept Airi's answer and continue the draw. Five minutes later, the band is almost halfway complete when Airi says _(4.3 Liters)._ I look down and see that a liter of blood has spilled all over my bed.

"Tia, I need you to come over here, but don't alert Cheza," I whisper hoping Tia will hear me. I would expand my senses to check, but I feel that it would break my concentration and the ring would fall apart. I wait a few minutes and then I see Tia taking off the screen of my unlocked window. She climbs into my room before she looks at me. She makes eye-contact and nods, understanding the situation. She leaves back through the window. I finish the band _(2.8 Liters)_ and start to work on the gem and bracket.

Shit! A clear gem on a clear ring is just going to look tacky. A black diamond would look nice though. Hey, I solved that one all by myself!

_(They grow up so fast)_ Airi says, even more monotonous than usual.

I stick with pure silicon carbide for the bracket but I throw in iron atoms to add black pigment to the silicon carbide diamond _(2.6 Liters)._ I finally finish the diamond and solidify the ring, for a total time of fifteen minutes.

"Tia, it's finished," I quietly announce.

Tia comes in from the window by the time I finish the sentence. I guess she had been waiting out there so she wouldn't break my concentration. Tia is holding a new set of sheets, even though the mattress is completely unsalvageable, and a 32 ounce Cool Blue Gatorade.

"Here, drink this," Tia says while tossing the Gatorade.

Tia goes through my dresser and pulls out a new pair of black basketball shorts and a new white t-shirt. I'm glad I wear plain white t-shirts at this moment. I can just throw a new one on and Cheza won't notice. Tia continues to pull out a pair of light-wash jeans and a hot pink polo. I assume she means for me to wear that ensemble tomorrow. She walks over, takes the ring off my pinky, and puts it in the seed pouch of the front right pocket of the jeans (it's what that little pocket above the right pocket on jeans was originally for back in the 1800's).

I see Sara come in through the window with a bunch of cleaning supplies to help with the floor and the mattress, even though I'm pretty sure it's a lost cause.

"Go take a quick shower and change," Sara commands.

I do so and by the time I get out, you can barely tell that anyone had just lost several liters of blood in here.

...

Chapter 23: Party Crashers

[May 18th]

I wake up the next morning to the sound of workers setting up for Cheza's grad party. My ribs still haven't healed, but I hurry and take a shower, before changing into the clothes Tia had laid out for me the previous night. I go out to the kitchen and have breakfast. Cheza comes out a few minutes later wearing her gown.

"So, how do I look?" Cheza asks while giving me a twirl. I stand up and hug her.

"You look great," I tell her.

The four of us pile into the car and arrive at the Graduation Hall at nine. Like all graduation ceremonies, it takes forever. We finally get to leave at 2pm. Since the party doesn't start until six, I decide to take a nap.

...

Cheza comes into my room and wakes me up when guests start to arrive. She is wearing a black, V-cut party dress that flows into a short, pleated, skirt-like style. Her hair is styled in the same fashion as the other night, but thankfully unlike the other night, she is wearing black flats instead of heels. She is also wearing the pendant I gave her. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not sure that she has taken it off since I put it on her.

"You look amazing," I tell her before she can say anything.

"Thanks" Cheza says while blushing and looking down.

We head outside and I notice that my ribs feel great now. Only about six people have shown up so far, just Cheza's close friends. There is a stage set up off to the side with what looks like a band from school setting up. The left quadrant of the yard contains the food. I make my way over there while Cheza is talking to her friends. There are mini slider cheeseburgers, pizza, tacos, assorted kinds of pop, beer, wine coolers, and then there's the main event: a chocolate fountain. The chocolate is running up through and down the sides of some ice sculpture of a moose... only Tia would come up with such an elaborately stupid pun. What I want to know is how the ice keeps from melting with the warm chocolate running through it.

The party is in full swing by seven, with the band playing and people drinking. I mingle for a while, and then I head inside. I've said it before: I'm not a people person. I've never had many friends—I had Jason and Cheza and that's all I needed. I had acquaintances more than I had friends so dealing with a large crowd of people is not something I really enjoy doing. I decide to lie down in my bedroom and keep a watch over the party with my extrasensory hearing.

I expand my senses and about ten minutes later, two drunken fellows start some trouble. I exit the house and walk towards where they're located in the backyard. There's some girl behind the house who was probably looking for the bathroom when the two drunken fellows hit on her. When she rejects their advances, one of them grabs the right shoulder of her dress, pulls it down, and pushes her to the ground. I see a possible rape in the near future, so I step in.

"Oi! What in the hell do you two blokes think yo' doin!?" I ask in a cockney accent that has been tailored after Vinnie Jones, just to switch things up. This completely throws off one of the drunken fellows, but not the other one, who happens to be responsible for pushing the girl to the ground. She looks a little drunk, but mostly scared.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU SPOSED TO BE!?" The manhandling fellow asks. I'm getting this odd sense of déjà vu.

"This is my fockin' garden that yo' standin' in, THAT'S WHO THE FOCK I AM! Now, I'm askin' you koindly, to leave," I say.

The drunken fellow walks away from the lady and I think, 'Terrific, progress!' Then he takes a swing at me, which turns out, wasn't such a smart idea. I quickly dodge, form a loose fist with my right hand, and backhand him across the jaw so hard that he turns around. I hear the 'FINISH HIM!' from Mortal Kombat, which I think was Airi. I get the urge to shout "HADOKEN!" as I deliver a punch to the back of his head.

K.O.!

The letters flash in my head with the sound from Super Smash Bros. and I know that one was definitely Airi. The drunken fellow falls to the ground, unconscious. I turn my attention to the second drunken fellow, who stupidly takes a cheap shot at me. I enhance my speed, grab his outstretched wrist, and pull it towards the ground. He's completely off balance now with his head near my stomach, so I finish him with an elbow to the top of his head. I look at the two unconscious guys and then at the girl, who is sitting on her knees and looks close to tears.

"Wait here, I'll be right back," I slowly tell the girl.

She nods as I grab an arm from each of the unconscious fellows and drag them around the front. Most people stop what they're doing to watch me as I drag the two sacks past the iron gate and drop them face down. I put my right hand on my chin and my left hand on my elbow as I study them for a moment.

(They did nearly rape that young woman. Death Penalty?)

"A little too harsh, Airi."

(Humiliation?)

"Much better."

I grab the first fellow's pants and underwear, and rip them down to his knees before I do the same to the second fellow. I drag the second fellow on top of the first fellow and align them.

"They're all yours. Take pictures. The goal of this game is humiliation," I say to the partygoers as I walk back past the iron gate.

Several of the partygoers are smiling and several are looking at me like I'm mentally unsound. Well, considering that a voice inside my head told me to do it, they may be right.

(I hope that you accidentally put them on that nest of fire ants)

"That is pretty brutal, Airi!" I think while chuckling to myself.

I walk back around the house to the girl, who is still in shock. I pick her up and wrap an arm around her shoulders, thinking that it's the right thing to do since I don't have a blanket.

"Do you want to clean up in the bathroom?" I ask.

She nods in response. I take her around the house and through the front door. We get some looks from the partygoers, but I ignore them. I take her to the hall only to find that the bathroom is occupied and there are five people standing in line. I take her to my room instead and show her my bathroom, which I thankfully keep clean because I'm obsessive compulsive about that sort of thing.

"Here, you can use my bathroom. Take your time," I tell the girl and then shut the door.

I walk over, sit down on my bed, and lean back, looking up at the ceiling as I put my arms behind me to prop myself up with my elbows. A minute later, I hear the girl walk out. As I move to sit up, the girl comes over and sits on my lap... completely naked. I take a good look at the girl and notice that she has curly brown hair and eyes that are a red-tinged brown color. My brain kind of freezes for a moment, a little shocked at the unfamiliar site of a completely naked female in my lap. I immediately think of how Cheza was in that spot a few days ago... and then my door opens up.

"Hey Cole, is everything alr..." Cheza says, her voice trailing off as she looks at me and then at the naked girl, and then back at me with her face looking statuesquely expressionless.

"Cheza, this isn't what it looks like," I slowly explain.

Tears start to fall down Cheza's expressionless face as she slams the door shut.

(Smooth)

"Oh you shut up!"

The girl pushes me down on the bed with a surprising amount of force and pins both of my arms to the bed. Suddenly, I can see her aura: it's a swirl of colors on the inside with a white outline around her. She starts nibbling on the left side of my neck and I realize that she is drinking my blood. What kind of creature drinks blood...? A Werebat!

(She's a vampire)

"Right... that makes more sense."

The silver door in my mind cracks open as my Drive takes over. I grab her right wrist with my left hand and use my blood that is in her mouth to make her head explode. Now, I don't know how many people out there have made a girl's head explode near their face, but I can tell you that it is very messy and my Drive didn't want any part of it. He retreats and shuts the silver door in my head. My Drive is going to have to explain to me how he did that sometime as it happened so fast that I couldn't tell.

I wipe some of the brain matter and gore from my face before I hear the screaming. I quickly go to my closet to fetch my weapons. My hearing hones in on Tia's yelling automatically as I slip my holster on:

"Cole, we've got vampires, roughly fifteen. Illapa is here with them. Sara is trying to lead people down into the basement where it's easily defensible. She has an AA-12 automatic shotgun with a 32 round drum so she'll be fine. I'm going after Illapa. Find Cheza and protect her, Cole! Oh, and use the WFNGC rounds. Too many vampires. Aim for the head and the heavier rounds should do the rest. Remember that they are fast so don't fire from too far away or the lower velocity rounds won't connect."

I load the 25 round WFNGC magazine into my gun and walk out into the hallway. It is pretty much pure carnage. I see a dead person in the middle of the living room. There is color in the inner orb, but no color in the outline of the person's aura.

There is a girl being attacked by a vampire down the hall, which I can tell by the swirl of colors in his aura versus the solid green in the victim... well, that and the fact that he is attached to her neck. I speed up, and sprint down the hall as my right arm unconsciously strengthens to slice the vampire's head off with my Sic blade. I spin around and see another color swirl as a vampire is sprinting towards me. She's moving about as fast as I can, but I see her in time to raise my gun and double tap.

'Those WFNGC rounds are really something'! I think as the vampire's head just splits open while I side step her momentum propelled body.

I scoop up the girl (who is in shock) with my right arm, being careful to keep my Sic blade away from her body. I put her in a fireman's carry as I move down the hall towards the basement door. I sprint down the steps at increased speed and I almost get my head blown off for it by Sara. I notice that there are three dead vampires at the base of the steps with giant holes in their bodies and heads. They have color swirls like the others, but no white outlines.

Sara (who is sporting her usual gold outline with red inner aura) is protecting a huddled group of about twenty people out of the fifty or so that are at the party. I set the girl down by the others. I suddenly realize that the colors must have something to do with blood, which explains why the vampires have a swirl, while the outer color indicates life signs. I double check everyone in the room for different solid colors to confirm that none of them are vampires.

"She's fine, just in shock and perhaps low on blood. I'm going to find Cheza. I'll redirect people as I see them," I say to Sara and sprint up the steps, not waiting for a response.

I move to the kitchen and find a girl in the corner by the door to the laundry room, holding a shaking kitchen knife with both hands as two vampires laugh at her. I quickly make their heads explode: 19 rounds remaining.

"Go into the basement. It's safe there. It's that door over there," I say to the frozen girl while pointing to the basement door.

"NOW!" I scream to snap her out of it.

I don't have the time for delicacy at the moment. I move down the kitchen hallway towards Sara's and Tia's rooms. I find three people huddled in the bathroom of Tia's room and redirect them to the basement. That accounts for twenty-six guests and seven vampires, roughly half for both. I move outside and see three dead guests less than ten feet from the door.

(Ooh... so close)

The band is on the stage to my left, trying to fend off three vampires with their guitars as the vampires slowly advance toward them. I sprint over, shooting two of them and slicing the head off of the third: 15 rounds remaining. I quickly ask the band if they have seen Rei, the girl with silver hair. One says he might have seen her by the chocolate mousse. I thank them and direct them towards the basement. I run towards the food area and see seven more dead guests along the way. I get over to the food tables by the ice sculpture. I look under the tables and find five people.

"I need you guys to go to the basement. Go in the house, take a right, and it's the first door on the left. It's safe th—" I say as a vampire ambushes me with two swords. The vampire is Asian and the first thing I think is "Ninja Vampire!" Is that racist?

He gets my left arm and leg pretty good before I'm able to react. I try to fire at him with my gun, but he severed my bicep and hamstring, practically immobilizing my left side. I try to fend him off as best as I can with just my Sic Blade. However, the best I can do is to turn his shots into glancing blows as I continue to sustain cuts to my arms and legs.

The Ninja Vampire starts to move in for an attack that I can't block with only my right blade (as I've learned through experience with Tia). Luckily, I regenerate enough muscle to block his right sword with my gun. I fire two rounds into his stomach, slice off his left arm while he is staggered, and then I finish with a beheading: 13 rounds remaining.

"MOVE NOW!" I shout at the group under the table.

They start sprinting for the house when I notice a color swirl in one of the girls. I raise my gun to BOOM HEADSHOT! But sprint towards them and slice off her head instead, as I am unable to make the shot without collateral damage. The guests all hit the deck and cower like I'm going to kill them next.

"Don't worry, I'm not going postal or anything. That one was a vampire!" I exclaim, trying to sound as reassuring as possible while still holding a sword that was just used to decapitate someone... not to mention my 'covered in blood' status...

"Oh fuck it. I don't have time for this!" I announce, realizing that the situation may be unsalvageable so I abandon it and run towards the garage.

I sweep the garage and see a girl hiding beneath two dead guys in the corner.

"It's okay, you can come out. The vampires should all be dead now," I gently say as she pushes the dead guys out of the way. "I need you to go to the basement. It's safest there."

She nods at me with a determined look on her face. She is handling this situation surprisingly well. I leave the garage and see a lightning bolt strike in the back yard. I quickly sprint through the front yard and around the corner. I see a suave looking Latino man wearing a business suit and an Incan head dress, looking completely mismatched, flying off with an unconscious Cheza thrown under his right arm like a package—Illapa.

"OOH, JUST A LITTLE TOO LATE BOY HA HA HA!" Illapa thunders with a deep bass voice. "IF YOU SURVIVE, MEET ME ON THAT CLIFF OVER THERE AND WE'LL HAVE SOME FUN. IF YOU DON'T, I MIGHT JUST HAVE SOME FUN WITH THIS LITTLE LADY HERE HA HA HA!"

Illapa flies off. Three dual-wielding ninja vampires charge at me in a V formation. None of them are Asian. One is black and the other two are white so it would be more appropriate to call them vampire soldiers or warriors, but I'm officially pissed so I don't care.

I double-tap the right vampire in the stomach at fifteen feet: 11 rounds remaining. The front ninja gets in a glancing slice to each of my arms before I disarm his right sword using my gun, jab with the Sic blade to block his left, and rotate my wrist to send his left sword flying as I cut off his hand. I follow up by pistol whipping him so hard that he flies twenty feet into the wall with a sickening splat, painting the wall red.

The left guy is slightly discouraged and loses momentum. I take this opportunity to duck under his horizontal, scissoring, cross slash, and give him a spinning slice through his torso. As he falls to the ground in two halves, the right ninja vampire recovers and springs towards me. With the amount of trauma to his stomach, the right ninja vampire is moving quite slowly. I flip my Sic blade over so that the tip is pointing down, and then charge at him. I take to the ground feet first like I'm sliding for home, slicing off his right leg at the knee as I pass. He falls to the ground with a loud groan as I stand. I think he is immobilized, but I blast through his other kneecap with my gun, just to be sure: 10 rounds remaining.

Both vampires are still alive, but no longer a threat. It might be useful to get information from them later. I survey the back yard and see Tia in the middle of the back yard, still smoking slightly with a sword sticking into the ground beside her. I holster my gun, stab my Sic blade into the grass, run up to her, and gently turn her over. Her right hand is crushed and her left leg is bent forward at the knee. She isn't breathing... No pulse either...

"DAMMIT!" I scream at the blackened sky as I allow my rage to break through.

Behind me, I hear a groan from one of the vampires. You know what? Fuck information. I walk over to the bisected vampire and I use my Sic blade to crack open his rib cage like a lobster. I reach into his chest, rip his heart out, and crush it as blood oozes through my fingers.

I walk over to the legless vampire, crush both his hands under foot, and kick the swords out from each of them as I stab my Sic blade into the ground. I strengthen my right arm and pick up the vampire by his temples, slightly crushing his skull in the process as he screams. I use my left hand to grab his shoulder and pull his torso down as I continue to pull up with my right hand. The vampire continues to scream until his head separates from his body, taking several vertebrae from his neck with it. I take his severed head and throw it as hard as I can at the wall, where it splats next to the other vampire's body. That wall is starting to look like some sort of sick and twisted expressionist painting. Breathing heavily, I turn around and see Sara standing there, gazing at me in horror.

"Tia is dead. Illapa has Cheza and I'm going after him," I say to her as I pass by while avoiding her eyes, knowing that I wouldn't be able to bear it if I saw fear in them.

"Cole..." Sara starts to say before I sprint at full speed toward the cliff, two miles away.

I stop half a mile from the cliff to reload my gun with the JHP 25 round magazine. Illapa killed Tia and I'm not as good as she is. I'm not going to be able to do this... not without a sacrifice. I breathe deeply and close my eyes.

****

I'm floating in the darkness again. I see the silver door and float over to it. I wrap my hands around both handles and pull.

_"What are you doing?"_ My Drive curiously asks.

"Only what I have to," I answer.

_"If you open this door, it will never close again,"_ My Drive informs me.

"I know," I reply.

_"I will most likely take over completely, causing you to fade away,"_ My Drive says.

"I know," I respond.

_"Are you really okay with that?"_ My Drive questions.

"Yes. For Cheza, I am fine with ceasing to exist... As long as she's safe," I answer without hesitation.

_"Okay... Let's do this,"_ My Drive says as I feel him push against the doors.

****

Chapter 24: The Beginning of Madness

I instinctively know that my eyes are silver as I open them. Everything feels different: I feel Euphoric. Vibrant. Powerful. I sprint towards the cliff faster than ever, possibly even faster than Tia. I reach the slope, knowing that I still have a little ways to go so I tone it back a bit to make sure that I don't accidentally run into a trap. I reach the top and see Cheza lying against a large rock on the ground next to a mesquite tree. I can feel her steady heartbeat, indicating that she is unconscious, and I can see her silver outline with her frosty blue central aura. The sight of her gives me strength and makes me feel somehow complete. I make eye contact with Illapa and notice that he is holding a macana, an Incan club/staff with a stone star at the top used for crushing bones.

"HA HA HA I HOPED YOU WOULD COME!" Illapa exclaims in amusement, his voice sounding like thunder itself.

"BEFORE WE GET STARTED I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SIX WORDS. EIN NYET, ZWEI NYET, DREI NYET!" Illapa booms and then waits while seeing that nothing is happening.

"WELL, WELL, WELL. ISN'T THIS INTERESTING! A SHORN ONE WITH AN IMMUNITY TO OVERRIDE COMMANDS!" Illapa says curiously, but with a twinge of uncertainty.

"LET'S SEE HOW YOU HANDLE THIS!" Illapa exclaims as I smell ozone and my skin starts to tingle. Seeing that nothing is happening, Illapa is more than a little surprised. I don't feel any pain like with the incident on the bridge. Does my Drive state offer some sort of immunity to this type of attack?

"Are you done with the parlor tricks? Because I would like to get to the part where I kill you," I say, noticing that my voice sounds slightly like its doubled and overlapping on itself.

I don't wait for his reply and launch my attack. I start by firing five rounds only to find that Illapa dodges all of them. He is much faster than Tia, meaning that he is also much faster than me. I continue firing as he gets in closer. Ten rounds later, I spring towards him with a downward slash of the Sic blade while firing five more rounds. Illapa moves quickly around to my side as I pass by him. I anticipate this and point my gun behind me and fire five more times as the slide locks back. I only hit him with grazing shots, but it is enough to stagger him thanks to the wider impact of the hollow points. After quickly spinning around, I launch myself forward. I slice downward, but Illapa is able to block with his macana. My Sic blade hits the macana's wooden staff and slices it in two.

Illapa recovers quickly and I barely have time to block both the macana's mace-like top and wooden butt that are in each of Illapa's hands—I think I might've just made things worse. I'm out of bullets and Illapa isn't going to give me any time to reload. I block the next flurry of attacks, not having enough time to counterattack. Illapa finally gains the upper hand when he's able to knock my pistol out of my hand. In my surprise at being disarmed, he spins and smashes the macana star into the top of my left bicep, shattering my humerus. I howl in pain as I jump back twice to put some distance between us. I really wish I would have remembered my jacket right about now.

Illapa doesn't allow me any time to recover. He presses forward and I block the macana star in his right hand with my Sic blade only to take the stick to my face. Illapa follows up with another spin hit. I'm able to get an upward cross slash into his back, right before he bashes my chest in with the star, breaking my newly healed sternum and possibly a rib. Reinforcing my muscles does nothing against blunt force trauma of this magnitude.

"COLE!" I hear Cheza scream and look over to see that she's awake.

As it turns out, that wasn't such a good idea. Illapa disarms my Sic blade with the stick and follows through with another crushing blow to my ribcage, which lands me on the ground a few feet back.

(Damage report: Sternum: Broken, 2 ribs on left side: Broken, 6 ribs on right side: Broken, Right lung: Punctured.)

Ah, so that's why I am having so much trouble breathing. My blood tries to repair the damage, but it's unable to dislodge the rib that is sticking out of my popped lung.

"I THINK IT IS TIME TO END THIS, DON'T YOU BOY?" Illapa thunders as he stands with his hands pointing skyward. Aw man! Don't tell me it's a Spirit Bomb

About twenty feet away Cheza screams my name again. The sky booms as a lightning bolt flies straight toward Illapa. Oh, I see. Illapa has to take the lightning into his body and then redirects it at his target. However, instead of hitting Illapa, the lightning hits the mesquite tree that is only about fifteen feet from him. The lightning bolt gets redirected, splits, and shoots out wildly towards my body, along with several other directions. Pain surges through me as the bolt hits my chest. I feel my heart almost flat-line, but it continues beating after a moment.

Something is wrong. I feel empty... hollow... doll-like.

I can no longer feel Cheza's heartbeat.

I feel my face and eyes go blank as I rise to my feet. I know that something is broken, I know that Illapa is the one who broke it, and I know that this bastard is going to suffer for it.

"OH! SO YOU HAVE SOME FIGHT LEft in y..." Illapa says, his voice trailing off as horror inflicts itself upon his face.

Out of my peripheral vision, I see several silver tendrils are wafting out of the gashes in my arms and legs. The tendrils surge forward and spear through Illapa's hands, shoulders, thighs and feet before they raise him up off the ground _(3.8 Liters)_.

Blood drips down my right arm and forms a cylinder in my hand. I watch as a silver light, which I realize is my aura, extends outward from the bar in string-like wisps while blood gushes from my hand. It floats out three feet away before it connects in a curved, wasp-waist, shape that reminds me of a gladius sword _(2.0 Liters)_. I understand now what it is now: pure silicon carbide molecules connected in a string formation. I think I just made a molecular cutter or nanocutter/ µ-cutter/ Mu-cutter. I walk over to where Illapa is still floating in the air, speared by my tendrils.

"What are you!? WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU!? AUGH!" Illapa screams as I bring the Mu-cutter effortlessly through his left arm.

The arm falls to the ground as the tendril in his hand retracts. The severed arm breaks apart into little gold flakes as the flakes start floating skyward.

"YOU FUCKING MONSTER! THEY'RE GOING TO HUNT YOU D—AUGH!" Illapa screams as I cut his pelvis in half diagonally, his right leg falling off with it. It does the same gold flaking thing as his arm.

"AHHH! YOU SON OF A BITCH! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL THAT LITTLE BITCH OF YOURS SLO—AAAAAAAAUUGHH!" Illapa screams as I stab the Mu-cutter into his torso and slowly twist it, grinding a hole through him and enjoying every decibel of his scream.

"She's dead because of you," I whisper to him, my voice once again sounding doubled and overlapped.

Illapa's entire body starts to slowly disintegrate and float towards the sky, no doubt as a result of having that hole drilled into him. I quickly slice off his right arm, left leg, and finally his head as I retract the tendrils and walk over to where Cheza lies.

I can still save her. Her heart has only been stopped for a short while. If I can restart it...

(Your body no longer contains enough blood for you to execute your plan and survive)

"I don't care. I'm not letting Cheza die," I say aloud.

I move to her right side and hug her to my chest. I take out my knife and slice open my jugular on the left side and I make a small cut into her neck. I let some of her blood drain out, and then I hold her close to me and will my blood to go inside her. _(1.7 Liters)_

I send it down into her heart. _(1.4 Liters, Mortality Warning)_

I make my blood fill her heart. _(1.2 Liters)_

I will my blood to pump her heart like an internal form of CPR. _(1.0 Liters)_

I feel her heart start to beat again. I give one last order to my blood to seal her jugular and heal her. I watch her jugular vein close as my eyes shut.

...

"Cole? Cole!? Wake up! Cole...?"

My eyes flutter open. I see Cheza looking down from above me, my head lying in her lap as her tears fall onto my face.

'Cheza, it's alright. Please don't cry.' I want to say, but no words will come.

I try to raise my left hand to wipe her tears away, but the most I manage is to bend it at the elbow. Cheza grabs my hand and grips it firmly with both hands.

Dammit! I want to do something for her, anything to reassure her that I'm fine with the way things played out—that I'm happy she's alive.

(Ring. Right pocket. Now or never)

That's right, the ring I made her. It's in the seed pocket.

I reach an unsteady hand into the pocket and pull out the ring. I hold it up. Cheza cries more, takes the ring, and slips it onto her left ring finger.

"Yes Cole, of course I will!" Cheza exclaims while choking up.

Wait... What?

(Mazel tov)

More tears fall from her eyes as my eyes slowly close for the last time.

"Cole...? COLE!" Cheza sobs as her voice trails into nothing.

****

Chapter 25: Wait... What?

I'm floating in the dark space again and see that the silver doors are wide open.

"Hello?" I ask as I float over to the doors.

_"We are the same being now, Cole,"_ I hear myself say as my voice sounds doubled and overlapped. _"This is goodbye. Your being won out and gained control. You are now We."_

"Wait!" I say with my voice back to normal.

The silver door shatters as the darkness around me cracks. The darkness begins to fall in large panes like glass, light streaming from the holes as it reminds me of an egg hatching. When the last pane of darkness falls away, I feel myself rush forward.

****

I suddenly find myself standing in a night club. The bass is pounding around me as I lean with my back against the blue and pink neon lighted, frosted glass bar. Laser lights bounce around on the walls and the dance floor that is over the railing to my right. It appears that I'm either on the second floor, or this club has a basement dance floor. I look over at the bartender who is smoking a cigarillo and mixing a drink in a shaker that he is holding over his shoulder. The place is pretty crowded, but it is still breathable. A large black man walks over to me wearing sunglasses and a black t-shirt that has BOUNCER stenciled across the chest. The shirt appears to be about two sizes too small. He looks familiar in some way.

"THE YOUNG MASTER REQUESTS YOUR PRESENCE," the man booms over the music and motions for me to follow him.

Why do I get the feeling that this guy has a pet mouse? I follow the man over to the back wall, away from the bar, and then towards a flight of stairs on the right. The stairs lead up to a small walkway that borders length of the dance floor, which is now over the railing on my right and about thirty feet down. Some of the people dancing look sort of familiar...

"WATCH YOUR STEP," the bouncer says before I stumble on a step, catching myself with the railing.

For some reason, this man has a kind of 'kingpin' feel to him. We walk into the hallway at the end of the walkway and the music starts to fade slightly so that it's only loud and not deafening. I suddenly get this flash of a memory that has the bouncer's voice saying, "Ricky Bobby, You are not paralyzed!"...Holy Shit! It's Michael Clarke Duncan

Before I can become star struck, I become dumbstruck instead as Michael Clarke Duncan directs me to a circular booth where I see Jason with his tongue down a blonde's throat while his arm is around a brunette on his opposite side. As I slowly walk closer, I see that his arms are around Audrey Hepburn and... Marilyn Monroe! Umm, yes... please excuse me while I pick my brain up off the floor.

"CT! It's been a while! Do you want a drink? I can't believe this is what it takes for me to talk to you. I've been trying to contact you for months, but that blonde-haired bitch kept blocking me out!" Jason says after extracting his tongue from Ms. Monroe. I just stare at him stupefied. "Ladies, can you please excuse us for a while? CT here is a little shy and I think he is star struck."

Audrey and Marilyn scoot out from the booth. Audrey just walks past me, but Marilyn stops, puts her hand on my shoulder, and whispers into my ear.

"Don't sweat it, sweetie. We're used to it," Marilyn says and then walks away. Now I'm officially star struck... dead star struck...

"What in the hell is going on!?" I ask Jason.

"You're dead!" Jason replies, a little too enthusiastically. Recent events flood my mind and I sit down to avoid falling over.

"I think I could use that drink now," I tell Jason. He snaps his fingers and a drink suddenly appears on the table: spiced rum and coke, cold with no ice. Jason knows me well!

"How'd you do that?" I ask as I grab the glass and take a drink.

"I can do lots of things now that you don't know about," Jason cheerfully answers.

I recall that the reason I don't know is because I killed him five months ago.

"Don't feel bad, CT. If I hadn't died then, I wouldn't have learned who I am!" Jason exclaims.

"And who are you?" I ask.

"I'm Hel's son," Jason says. I stare at him incredulously.

"Hel? The Norse goddess of the underworld?" I ask.

"One and the same!" Jason replies. "It's been great! I'm like royalty here!"

"So what have you been doing for the past five months?" I ask while finishing my drink. Jason snaps his fingers and the glass refills. This time it's a 7 and 7. That is such an awesome trick.

"I've been partying like twenty-four seven. Let me tell you, there is no time like trying out tons of drugs other than when you're kinda dead. I've been shooting up with Kurt Cobain, and doing speedballs with John Belushi. I've been getting super drunk going shot for shot with Ryan Dunn, and I mean super drunk, like even worse than that time I got us eighty-sixed from that bar after I started a fight with myself for pissing on my shoes... or did we get thrown out because I was taking a piss in the middle of the bar?" Jason asks while trailing off in thought. About a minute passes before he recovers and continues.

"I even had the chef start making candy and baked goods with drugs in them, which are awesome! Just stay away from the crystal meth cupcakes..." Jason says and stares blankly like he's stuck in a memory that is slightly unpleasant. He shivers when he snaps out of it.

"I even started my own harem! Marilyn and Audrey are in it, along with Jayne Mansfield, and a few other actresses like Katharine Hepburn. I always thought that Katharine was Audrey's sister so I thought it might get a little weird, but as it turns out, they aren't even related! Another great thing is you don't have to wear condoms down here! You don't have to worry about pregnancies at all! I think I might've caught a wicked case of the ghost clap though..." Jason says.

I think Jason may be trying to screw his way through JFK's 'little black book.'

"Do you cure that with ghost penicillin?" I ask and Jason laughs.

"Aw man, I've missed you, CT. I got a little worried for a while when you went all agro and started ripping guys' hearts out or tearing their heads off and throwing them at walls... funny thing about that wall, I bet if Andy Warhol could take credit for it as abstract expressionism and came up for some bullshit reason about existentialism to explain the dead guys, it would sell for a couple mil'...and then there were those awesome spike thingies coming out of your arms and legs! Ooh, and then you drilled a hole in that asshole Illapa! I couldn't see how you did it, but it was awesome!" Jason exclaims, completely missing the fact that his speech went from something of an ethics lecture to 'Bro, that was sweet!'

"Wait, how could you even see that?" I ask.

"Oh, I always keep my TV on the CT channel, bro!" Jason says as if that explains everything.

Jason's eyes glaze over for a second and then he snaps back a moment later.

"Shit! It looks like we're out of time, CT. I have to send you back now, but listen. I need you to go to that place. Rei knows the location. And make sure you finally admit that you love her!" Jason exclaims.

I open my mouth to ask him what he's talking about, but Jason doesn't give me the chance.

"I mean, she is your fiancée now," Jason says while trying not to laugh.

"MY WHAT!?" I shout as Jason explodes with laughter.

Then the club and Jason fade away.

[End of Book 1]

References

Have you come across something in this book and thought 'I know I've heard that before, but I can't remember where it's from'? Well that's what this section is for! I have marked down every reference in this book that wasn't self-explanatory so that you don't have to wake up at 3am and shout "Got it!" when you finally remember.

1: _Alien vs. Predator._

2: The Beggin' strips dog.

3: Hugh Hefner/ Playboy Mansion.

4: It's done with baby powder in the movie _How High_ , but supposedly actual pimps use a menthol powder because it stings more on the cuts that the bitches get from the pimp's rings when he slaps them.

5: _Misery_ by Stephen King.

6: Ryu's special attack from _Street Fighter._

7: _Dragon Ball Z._

8: The Michael Clark Duncan movies referenced are _The Green Mile, Daredevil,_ and _Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby._

Acknowledgments

I started writing this book as a distraction from the chronic pain I've been living with for the past three years. This book started off as being based on a dream where I was riding on the roof of a flying trans-Siberian express with a blue dragon flying alongside it. As you all can tell, I deviated from that plan a little bit. It took me just over a month to write the first and second books, but it has taken much longer for editing, cover art, formatting, and beta readers.

I'd like to thank my friends and family for reading the book and catching little things that I didn't in the stupidly vast amounts of editing I did. I'd also like to thank them for supporting my insane writing binges that kept me up until 5am and caused me to sleep until noon.

A friend of mine, who happens to be a successful author, told me that the key to writing is to never stop editing. She also affectionately told me to "stop dicking around. Normal people don't write 150,000 words in a month as a hobby!" I'd like to thank her for those words that really got me thinking about what I was actually doing. Without her, there's a decent chance that I never would have gotten around to publishing this book.

I'd like to thank Scott for his amazing work on the cover art. I imagine that some of you reading this probably wouldn't have given the book a second look if it weren't for Scott's hard work. If you are interested in hiring Scott, email me at albridgesauthor@gmail.com for his contact information.

Most importantly, I'd like to thank you, the readers. If you enjoyed this book, please tell your friends about it and write a review. The review doesn't have to be long or complex, just it being in existence helps me continue doing what I enjoy while providing some entertainment and a distraction from the lives of some who really need it.

Indie authors thrive based on reviews from readers so I thank each and every one of you that takes the time to write one.

About the Author

A.L. Bridges was born and raised in Washington state. He currently resides in Phoenix Arizona and wonders why in the hell anyone decided to settle in the middle of the desert when it is so stupidly hot there. In the year that he has lived in Arizona, he cannot recall a single instance when he has walked outside and not thought "Damn it's bright!"

A.L. Bridges is currently attending a university in Arizona, focusing on finishing his degree in biomedical sciences, and writing in his spare time.

Feel free to email him at albridgesauthor@gmail.com with comments, criticisms, or suggestions.

For updates on the latest books, visit http://albridges.blogspot.com

or follow him on Twitter @Albridgesauthor

Excerpt from _Mania and the Executioner_

Chapter 1: Introductions are in order

[May 19th]

I wake up and realize that both of my lungs are now inflating. I guess my blood can remove ribs from punctured lungs after all. I hear two voices next to the bed.

"Who are you?" Cheza asks.

"My name is Natasha. I'm with The Agency," Natasha replies. This is not going to be good.

"Why are you here?" Cheza asks.

I'm a little shocked that she is talking at all considering that she just met Natasha. It's very unlike her.

"I'm here to support Cole," Natasha answers. I can almost feel Cheza's glare.

"And how do you know Cole!?" Cheza asks, trying to keep her voice in check. Oh, this is really not going to be good.

"Our relationship is... complicated. I give him information... We've been naked in bed a few times... it satisfies me. Frankly, I'm the girl of his dreams! And you must be his little sister who likes to crawl into bed with him on occasion!" Oh, dear gods Natasha! Why!? I hear Cheza make this high pitched noise as she storms out of the room. I open my eyes and see the sun setting outside the window, meaning that I've been unconscious for nearly sixteen hours.

"WHY!? WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?" I whisper loudly at Natasha, who continues to give this sadistic little giggle. Wow... this situation just keeps getting worse. In addition to noticing that I'm in Cheza's bedroom, I just realized that Natasha is a young Tia! Tia... I don't remember seeing any gold flakes around her like there were with Illapa, so maybe she's still alive.

"How is Tia?" I say while trying to sit up, finding that I am unable.

"Easy tiger, you're still really low on blood. I'm just glad I was able to get some help here and thought to bring blood bags. You just had to be AB negative didn't you? Just turn that into a positive and we could have brought any blood... and which one is Tia?" Natasha asks.

(Actually, your blood cannibalizes any other blood that enters your stream, so it doesn't matter what type of blood they use. You currently have 2.8 Liters. Welcome back to the living... Master)

"Thanks Airi."

"Airi told me that you can use any blood type because my blood cannibalizes any other blood that enters my stream," I say to Natasha.

"Well, that's good to know... who's Airi?" Natasha asks.

"Don't worry about it. I have a few questions," I say.

"Shoot," Natasha says.

"What is going to happen with the whole vampire killings and stuff? There are about thirteen people dead. Is The Agency just going to cover that up?" I ask.

"Bottom line? Yes, we are and already did. We had the survivors sign confidentiality agreements with a heavy penalty for breaking it. The back story is that a butane lamp exploded, killing _twelve_ people. Sort of stupid, but so are the masses. There will be a memorial service in their honor and they will become a reminder of the dangers of butane lamps or some such bullshit that the media department will spin," Natasha answers.

"Okay, a little fucked up, but okay. What about the victim's families?" I ask.

"What about them? Someone they love is dead. Do you think they would care how they died now that the perpetrators are all dead?" Natasha replies.

"Point taken. Second question: Why did you block Jason's attempts to contact me?" I ask.

"I'm what's called an Oracle. I can see the future on occasion, but usually not very clearly, or very far ahead in time. However, my vision that involved you was different: it was like I was watching a movie. I saw a possible future where you go to meet up with Jason, Chezarei gets killed, and the world ends. When I saw you in a dream of mine, I realized that was how Jason would contact you. The next week I found myself in your dream, the one with the party, and I blocked Jason. I kept doing it every time I would pop up in one of your dreams. I'm not sure how I did it, but I did," Natasha tells me. I let that process for a few moments.

"Could you please go and get Sara?" I ask her.

"Yeah, sure. We can talk more later," Natasha says and exits the room. Sara opens Cheza's door a few minutes later.

"How's Tia? Is she alive?" I ask before Sara can even enter the room.

"I'm fine, Cole," Tia says from right behind Sara with a huge grin on her face.

"You did good, Cole. I'm proud of you. In fact, there is only one other situation that I can think of where I would be prouder. From what I hear, while Sara and that hot little number were driving towards the cliff, they could hear Illapa screaming," Tia says with Sara nodding in confirmation.

"What did you do to him? Wait, I don't want to know," Sara says.

"Yeah, after seeing your handiwork with the vampires, we can guess! I just hope you didn't sacrifice too much, Cole," Tia says cheerfully at first, before quickly becoming serious.

"What do you mean? What did I sacrifice?" I ask them. Sara and Tia look to each other, and then back at me.

"Cole, why are your eyes silver?" Tia cautiously asks, as though I was going to explode at any second.

"What!?" I say in surprise while Sara goes to Cheza's dresser and grabs the mirror off of the top.

"I don't understand. My Drive said that I won before fading away..." I say with confusion as my silver eyes gaze back at me through the mirror.

"I want to see something real quick. Tell me everything you can about this gun," Tia says while handing me an unfamiliar gun that she pulled from behind her back. I take it in my left hand.

"SW1911 made by Smith & Wesson. It's a .45 caliber pistol that is currently loaded with 15 FMJ rounds. The sight is off by an inch to the left at twenty feet," I say rattling off facts like I'd always known them.

"That's what I thought. Cole, I think that you are stuck in your Drive state but with full control of your mind and body," Tia says. So that's what it meant by 'You are now We'.

"So... why am I in Cheza's bed?" I ask.

"Because there is a dead, headless, naked vampire hooker in your room with the majority of her head exploded all over your bed and walls," Tia says in the same way one might report the score of a football game.

"Chezarei is super pissed at you by the way. She also seems to think you two are engaged..." Tia says, unable to contain her smile. "How did that happen?"

I explain the series of events, leaving out the tendrils and the Mu-cutter because intuition tells me to.

"After restarting Cheza's heart, I blacked out for a bit and when I woke up, my head was in Cheza's lap and she was crying. I tried to say something, but I was unable to and I couldn't make any move besides raising my arm at the elbow so I was unable to comfort her. Then Airi reminded me that the ring was still in my pocket and that I should give it to her because it was now or never. So I held it up for Cheza to take and she said 'Yes Cole, of course I will,' then I died," I explain. Both of the girls are giving me an 'Aw! That's so sweet!' look.

"Alright, and who is the other girl? Natasha?" Tia asks after snapping out of it.

"I've been seeing her in my dreams for the past few weeks, usually naked. She is the one that told me that something bad was coming my way," I tell them.

"Is she the reason Rei stormed out of here a few minutes ago looking really upset?" Sara asks.

"Yeah. In the last dream Natasha was in, I thought I had woken up and when I felt someone next to me, I thought it was Cheza so I told her that she should go back to her own bed. Natasha responded by saying 'your sister sleeps with you? Huh, that's interesting.' And just a few minutes ago, Cheza asked what her relationship to me was and Natasha decided to use that info. After Natasha said we had been naked in bed together and that she was the girl of my dreams, she said 'and you must be his little sister who likes to crawl into bed with him on occasion!'" I recant.

"Hahaha damn that was a good one!" Tia exclaims around fits of laughter.

"I like this girl, can we keep her?" Tia asks.

"Of course you like her! She's you!" Sara and I shout.

"Anyway, do you know of any Oracle class operators at The Agency that can contact someone by dream?" Tia asks Sara.

"No, and Carla said that she didn't know of anyone who had been near the house lately, or even in Arizona," Sara replies.

"Oracle class operators?" I ask.

"They're people that can see the future from time to time and operators are The Agency's name for their field agents," Tia replies and several moments of silence pass.

"So... while I was dead I spoke with Jason. It seems like he's alive, sort of, and needs me to go someplace. He said Cheza would know where," I say. Tia and Sara give each other a look of concern.

"Did he tell you about how his mom is Hel?" Sara asks.

"Yeah, he did," I reply.

"And you think that it would be a good idea to go to a place that the son of our enemy says to, with no consideration that it may be a trap, especially since Rei is involved?" Sara asks.

"I think it will be fine... probably... I mean, it's Jason, right? He wouldn't hurt Cheza," I say as my mind flashes to what he said about the lots of things I don't know about. "Okay, how about Cheza just stays here?"

"We aren't letting you go there alone Cole!" Sara exclaims.

"Fine! I'll ask Natasha to come!" I say. A mischievous smile slowly moves across Tia's face. Sara sighs when she sees Tia's expression.

"I'll call Carla and ask that Natasha be reassigned. Just remember that you brought this upon yourself," Sara says wearily and leaves the room.

"I'll send Cheza in," Tia says, still smiling as she leaves the room.

Cheza comes into the room a few moments later, sits on the bed, and glares at me.

"Cheza?" I ask. She continues to glare. A residual warning light, from a time when man was not the apex predator, suddenly goes off in my head and is telling me to run or I will be eaten. "Cheza, I know you're angry with me, but I need to know where Jason told you to go."

"WHY!? SO YOU CAN RUN OFF WITH BOOBZILLA!?" Cheza screams.

"Boobzilla? Really Cheza? She's a 32D at most," I say while trying really hard not to picture Natasha in a bikini, using her bust to knock over an ant farm model of downtown Tokyo.

(Fail)

"OH SO YOU ARE TRYING TO RUN OFF WITH HER!?" Cheza screams.

"I'm just trying to protect you Cheza, in case this is a trap," I calmly explain.

"YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ME AT ALL DO YOU!?" Cheza screams.

"Come on, Cheza. You know that isn't true. You're just being a little irrational," I tell her.

"IRRATIONAL!?" Cheza screeches in dolphin.

(Double Fail)

That was a mistake. I don't think I have ever seen Cheza this angry.

"TIA? COULD YOU PLEASE COME IN HERE? TIA!" I shout hoping that she gets here before Cheza stabs me and Tia walks in a second later. I should have known that she'd be right outside the door.

"Could you please help me convince Cheza to tell me the location?" I plead.

"Chezarei, tell Cole the location," Tia says.

"NO!" Cheza screeches.

Next thing I know, Shamu will come crashing through the window... or was Shamu the whale?

"Well, I tried!" Tia says while turning on the balls of her feet and walks out the door.

"THAT WASN'T TRYING!" I shout after her. "SARA?"

"I'M STAYING OUT OF IT!" she shouts back.

"Cole, there is nothing you can say that will get me to stay here," Cheza says in a pitch that is understandable by humans.

I look at her and I know that there's nothing I can do about it. I guess I'll just have to protect her again.

"Alright. Let's go," I say, resigning myself to defeat.

I'm glad that we are done arguing because I'm tired. The universe decides that it isn't done fucking me over as Natasha comes bursting through my door.

"Hey sweetie! My boss just told me that I'm taking a paid vacation with my new boy toy! So where are we going?" Natasha asks.

"AHHHH!" Cheza screams and then pounds my chest... and just happens to get one of the recently broken ribs to break again and poke a small hole in my recently popped lung. I simply close my eyes and let it all fade away.

"Cole? Cole, that's not funny... Cole? COLE!? SARA!" Cheza screams.

****

Suddenly I'm sitting back in the booth with Jason, who has two different girls sitting with him this time. I assume they're from his harem, but I don't recognize either the redhead or the brunette. Were it anyone else but Jason, I would have said the word harem sarcastically, implying that I don't think it really exists. However, Jason is one of the few guys that I believe could actually juggle a harem without losing his mind or dying.

"Wow! That was quick!" Jason exclaims while snapping his fingers and makes two flaming shots appear our hands.

"Bottoms up!" Jason says as we both extinguish the fire with our free hands and down the shots. "Well CT, it's been real but try to stay alive a bit longer this time," Jason snaps his fingers again.

****

I wake up to find my right side sliced open and Cheza on my mouth.

"Okay, you can stop now, Rei. It re-inflated," I hear Sara say.

I look over and see her holding a giant pair of tweezers in my chest. She pulls them out, taking a two inch rib fragment with them. I just close my eyes again and fall asleep.

...

Chapter 2: G5

[May 20th]

I wake up on my left side and notice Cheza sleeping in between my arms that I seem to have wrapped around her at some point during the night.

"I'm sorry I killed you again, Cole," Cheza mumbles as a single tear slips from her left eye to the bridge of her small nose. I reach over and brush the tear from her nose as her eyes start to flutter open.

"Cole! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Cheza cries while grabbing on to me.

"It's alright Cheza. I'm fine," I softly say.

"GOODMORNING YOU TWO!" Tia shouts while barging into Cheza's room. "Hurry up and get ready. I've got a jet waiting for you at Goodyear Airport, scheduled to leave at 10am. That gives you an hour."

"What do you mean you have a jet waiting? For that matter, where are we going?" I ask.

"Private jet and Honolulu, Hawaii!" Tia exclaims. "I've already made arrangements. There is some sort of convention in town so everything was booked except for one, three person suite for five nights. It's under your name Cole."

"I guess I'll go pack—" I start to say while sitting up.

"Already did it," Sara says while poking her head around the door. "Breakfast will be ready in five and then it's off to the airport. Natasha will meet you guys there."

"Why are we taking a private jet?" I ask as Cheza grabs her suitcase and starts packing clothes.

"Because you are going fully strapped and it makes things easier this way. I had Sara ask Carla to make you a badge and papers for The Agency in case you run into any trouble. Natasha has it with her," Tia whispers to me.

I head out to the kitchen to eat bacon and eggs with a large glass of orange juice in an attempt to get my blood back to normal levels. When I'm done, I walk to my room and head towards my bathroom while trying not the look at the complete mess that is still here. Well, at least the naked corpse is gone. I step in the shower and expand my hearing to try to pick up any hints about our trip.

"With Natasha in the picture now, you may need to be more forceful with Cole, Chezarei," I hear Tia say from Cheza's bathroom, over the sound of the shower running. She most likely knows that I'm listening in so I assume that I am supposed to consider this my warning.

"Tia, I don't know if I can do that..." Cheza says over the sound of the shower.

"Do you want to lose him, Chezarei?" Tia asks.

"I'll try my best," Cheza says after a moment.

This trip might be a little bit dangerous for me if I stick with the 'not sleeping with my little sister' plan. I exit the shower to find that my toiletries have already been packed.

"SARA! CAN YOU BRING ME MY TOILETRY BAG?" I shout.

A minute later, Cheza walks in my room wearing only a towel, and hands me my bag. She backs out of my room slowly, letting her eyes linger. I realize that Tia has been influencing her again when I see a copy of Tia's seductive smile on Cheza's face. I'm starting to wonder if the doors in the suite have locks.

I quickly get dressed in my standard jeans and a white t-shirt, but I remember my jacket this time. Five minutes later, Cheza (wearing a hot pink camisole, matching flip flops, and white short-shorts) and I are off to the Goodyear airport, which is only about twenty minutes away. I see Natasha near the gate wearing white short-shorts, a yellow t-shirt with matching flip-flops, and a floppy white sunhat.

"Alright you two, have fun!" Tia says like a mom dropping her kids off at summer camp, but her mischievous smile contorts the image.

Natasha hands me a badge and papers when Cheza isn't paying attention and the three of us walk to the private jet: a G5.

_(No more frequent flier bitch miles for my boy!)_ I hear a famous scientologist say, courtesy of Airi.

I laugh out loud, comprehending the reference. This causes Cheza and Natasha to look back at me in confusion.

"Something just popped into my head. Don't worry about it," I say with a smile.

We board the jet and I love what I see. There's a big comfy couch on the left side and two large reclining chairs on the right. I sit down in the center of the couch and rest my arms on the back as the girls look at the rest of the plane. With my blood levels still being low, I fall asleep in seconds.

...

I'm startled awake several hours later by Cheza, plopping down on my left side and scooting close to me. She grabs my left thigh and gives me a 'Tia' smile.

"We are going to watch a movie, care to join?" she asks as a panel on the wall opposite the couch rolls down, revealing a 42" flat screen.

Natasha grabs a remote from the compartment, sits down next to me, and scoots in while grabbing my right leg, just as Cheza had done and much to Cheza's ire. She starts flipping through the On-Demand movie list, stops on _Some Like It Hot,_ and hits play. That's funny. I just spoke with Marilyn yesterday. We watch for about fifteen minutes before Natasha says, "Wait a second... this isn't a porno!"

I chuckle, garnering a glare from Cheza that says she is going to destroy me, in addition to her digging her fingers into my thigh. What, so I'm not allowed to laugh now? Would she like me to put my balls in her purse too? The movie finishes as the plane hits the runway.

The three of us grab our bags and exit the plane. Natasha and I are stopped briefly at security until we flash government badges that explain the guns and the swords and the bullets. We go out front and catch a taxi to our hotel: The Kahala Resort. Pulling up to the resort, my breath catches in my throat. This place is insanely nice. Gotta love that 'We're with the Gods' package!

While entering the lobby and heading towards the desk, Cheza and I lose Natasha on the way as she goes over to look at brochures near the door.

"Aloha! Checkin' in?" the Samoan clerk asks with a Hawaiian accent.

"Uh, yes we are. It should be under the name Treyfair," I reply.

"Yes, here it is. Reservation for Mista' and Missus Treyfair for five nights. Here is your key. If you need any'tin, just ring the desk. Enjoy!" the clerk says, handing us a single key... Strange.

I enhance my senses, feeling that something is off as I press the call button for the elevator. I hear the clerk say, in accent-less English, "I really hate using that accent. It just feels a little too... stereotypical."

Natasha sees us and joins us on the elevator. We get off at the top floor of the resort and follow the hall until we reach the door on the left.

"1701 should be right..." My voice trails off when I read the placard on the door: 'Imperial Suite'

I put the key in the lock, turn it, and open the door. The entry hallway opens into a living space with a few plush leather chairs and a coffee table. A four-person dining table is in the adjoined room to the left, in addition to the full bar. Behind the bar is the door that leads to the bedroom –the only bedroom— with a California King Size bed... the only bed...

"This has got to be some sort of mistake..." I think aloud.

(Mr. and Mrs. Treyfair. A single key. Tia's mischievous smile)

This is no sort of mistake!

"HOW? HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS COMING!?" I shout towards the ceiling. I can almost hear Tia laughing her ass off from 1200 miles away... or something. Geography is not my strong suit. There aren't even any couches in this room! I walk over to one of the phones.

"I guess I'll call down to the... Tia said that this was the last room..." I say, my voice trailing off.

"And understandably too. This says that this room costs twelve thousand a night! And it also has its own elevator that goes directly down to the beach!" Natasha exclaims while holding a pamphlet that I assume she picked up while Cheza and I were checking in.

"Well, gods are as about as imperial as you can get," I say. I look over at Cheza who is dumbstruck with this wide grin on her face. I hear her giggling while whispering, "Mrs. Treyfair".

"Hey Cheza? Are you alright?" I ask.

Cheza snaps out of it, looks away in embarrassment and then nods. I notice a door behind her at the other end of the suite, next to a bathroom that includes a shower with wall-to-wall jets and a hot tub. I walk over and open the door. It's a secondary bedroom with a single double bed.

I can hear Tia laughing her ass off twice as hard now.

"How about we go get dinner, come back here and try out the hot tub, and then go to sleep. We can leave the visit to that place for tomorrow. By the way, where is it that we have to go?" I ask Cheza.

"Oh... I don't know... Jason just said to go to Honolulu and we'd know it when we saw it," She replies.

Great, thanks a lot Jason!

I put the phone on speaker and call the desk for restaurant recommendations.

"Hello, this is the front desk," the clerk says.

"Hi, this is Cole Treyfair in the Imperial Suite. I was wondering, what restaurants are nearby that you would recommend?" I ask.

"What type of food do you feel like having?" the clerk asks.

"What do you two feel like having?" I ask at Cheza and Natasha.

Natasha says "Hawaiian" as Cheza says "Italian". They start to faceoff with each other.

"You got to pick the movie so I'm picking dinner!" Cheza says.

"I ONLY PICKED IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS A PORNO!" Natasha shouts.

"We have a wide variety of pornography in the On-Demand menu," the clerk says, trying to be helpful.

"Reeeeeeally?" Natasha says with a sly grin. At the same time, Cheza shouts:

"WHY WOULD YOU PICK A PORNO!?"

"BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO SET THE MOOD!" Natasha shouts back.

"WHAT MOOD COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE TRYING TO SET IN AN AIRPLANE!?" Cheza screams.

"THE 'MILE HIGH CLUB' KIND OF MOOD!" Natasha yells like Cheza just asked a stupid question.

"WHA... heh, might actually not be too bad..." Cheza says and then both girls look at me.

My only hope for salvation is to make one of them angry...

"We'll go with Italian. Which place is closest?" I ask the clerk, hoping that it will be within walking distance so we can leave immediately. Any later than that and I'll fear for my safety.

"I'll have the complimentary four course meal sent up, is that alright?" the clerk says.

"I'm fine with that," Cheza and Natasha say.

"Okay, it will be there in about fifteen minutes. Have a good evening!" the clerk says and then it's nothing but dial tone.

My plan has backfired in a major way. My only hope is to get them arguing again... sleeping arrangements!

"Sounds like we have some time. We should figure out our sleeping arrangements and unpack," I tell them.

"Obviously I'm sleeping with you Cole!" Cheza says as though it were already pre-established.

"Well I want to sleep with him too!" Natasha says in a kind of singsong way that implies she is joking. I feel the argument already convening. I'm saved... for now at least.

Cheza opens her mouth to object, but pauses and says, "Cole, who do you want to sleep with?"

I am in a predicament here. On one hand, if I choose Cheza, there is a decent chance that she will try to have sex with me after what I said to her when I was handcuffed. On the other hand, if I choose Natasha, there is a decent chance that Cheza will murder me.

(Agree to sleep with both of them)

"What!?"

(Agree and then when the girls are getting prepared for bed, run to the guest bedroom and lock yourself in)

"That... just might work."

"Both of you," I say with a smirk.

Both of the girls look shocked. Natasha gets this mischievous smile while Cheza's face lights up, becomes angry when she realizes that my answer includes Natasha, and then lights up again.

"Nah, actually I'll pass," Natasha suddenly says while looking at me. Her and Cheza's smiles grow larger as mine falls.

(Oh. This is unanticipated... Well, good luck!)

"You're just going to abandon me like that, Airi!?" I say aloud.

Natasha raises an eyebrow at me, but Cheza doesn't seem to notice from her perch on Cloud Nine while she takes her luggage to the bedroom from the hallway.

"What the hell am I supposed to do!?" I whisper to Natasha.

"Well you love her, don't you?" Natasha asks in a whisper.

"What makes you say that?" I ask.

"The way you look at her mostly. There was also the whole thing in the dream," Natasha says.

"Well, I know that I love her... I'm just not sure if I love her as anything but a sister..." I tell her.

(There is a joke about The Nile not being just a river in Egypt)

"Shut it, Airi."

"Oh... well, good luck wrestling with those feelings while you are sleeping with her tonight!" Natasha exclaims and takes her bag to the other bedroom.

I take my bag into the master bedroom and unpack five days' worth of clothes.

When I hear the knock on the door, I was expecting food. Instead, there is a chef, his two assistants, and two carts full of supplies. The chef walks in the room and goes over to a shutter-style door across from the bar that I thought was just a closet, but actually contains a full kitchen instead.

We have soup, pasta, chicken, and gelato. It is by far the best Italian food I've ever eaten. We also manage to go through two and a half bottles of white wine that are probably a couple hundred bucks per bottle.

"Let's get in the hot tub!" Cheza drunkenly exclaims, but I suppose that would happen if I weighed a hundred pounds... oh and if I hadn't spent the last five months living at the bottom of a bottle. As such, I was hardly even buzzed.

"Yeah!" Natasha shouts in agreement. She's also drunk, though not as much as Cheza.

"I'm going to pass. I'm tired and my body is still recovering," I tell them as an excuse.

"Cooooome on Cooooooole!" Cheza whines. I shake my head in response.

"Okay... I'll be in, in a little bit, alright?" Cheza quietly asks.

"Alright. Goodnight Natasha, and if I'm asleep by the time you return, goodnight Cheza," I tell her with a smile to let her know that everything is fine.

I walk into the bedroom, grab my toiletry kit from my bag, and head into the bathroom. I hear the jets come on in the other bathroom and then it occurs to me that they turned on a little too fast for the girls to have gotten undressed and then put on their swimsuits... which Cheza doesn't have with her because it is in the room.

'Well, they are both girls... drunken girls...' I think with an unsure shrug while brushing my teeth.

_"Lesbian experimentation is the reason girls go to the bathroom together,"_ Jason says in a memory that just popped up.

I walk back into the bedroom and climb into the left side of the bed, closest to the bathroom, and turn off the light. I'm sure it's fine.

(You have the capability to join them)

"I am not going to barge in on two drunken naked girls... I don't have a problem listening in though," I say out loud as I expand my senses.

"Oh my god Chezarei, this feels so good!" Natasha exclaims.

"I know! This feels great too!" Cheza says. I'm sure it's not what I am currently thinking it is.

(Or it is... and you are missing it)

"Sooo not helping Airi!"

"Ooooooooooh... that's nice," Natasha moans.

"I wish Cole were here..." Cheza says. Ugh! This is killing me.

"I know... These jets would probably feel great for a recovering body," Natasha says. Suddenly, this is killing me a lot less.

"So, how do you feel about Cole?" Natasha asks.

"I love him... I just wish he would see me as a woman instead of as his little sister. We aren't related in any way because Uncle Eric didn't adopt him. Really, only in his mind am I his little sister," Cheza replies.

Ouch, that stings a little. It makes me sound mentally unstable!

(Do not worry. You are not mentally unstable)

"Says the voice in my head."

"Well, I know of a few things you could try..." Natasha says and then whispers in Cheza's ear, whispers being the only thing I can pick up over the sound of the jets. Does Natasha know about my extrasensory hearing? Well it's time I stopped listening anyway...

"COLE!!" Cheza screams and I'm out of bed in a flash, grabbing my Sic blade from its sheath by the door.

I sprint full speed into the other bathroom, with a vague sense that I'm forgetting something... As I round the corner, I see Cheza standing up in the hot tub, pointing at something small on the wall. I say something small because I can't see it out of my peripheral vision and my total vision is focused on Cheza's naked breasts.

I would like to take a moment to review what a dumbass I am. I didn't consider the fact that I was running into a bathroom with a tile floor that was most likely wet because of the hot tub. I didn't consider the fact that when running on wet tile, it is difficult to stop at normally, let alone at much faster speeds. I didn't consider that walls are hard. All of these things were taken into consideration after the back of my head hit the tile floor, causing the blood from my mouth and broken nose to spurt almost comically up into the air before coagulating. Reminder number two: Concrete walls are not your friends!

"Cole!" Cheza screams as she splashes out of the hot tub.

"Chezarei, call Sara and ask what we should do!" Natasha shouts at Cheza, whose naked form is the last thing I see before everything goes dark.

...

Chapter 3: That was completely unethical...

[May 21st]

I wake up in the middle of the night, the projector clock on the ceiling telling me that it is 2:05am with an ambient blue glow. To my left, I see Cheza's naked back. After grabbing the covers and pulling them up to her shoulders, I slowly slide out of bed. I pad across the room and quietly shut the door behind me as I walk into the kitchen.

Ah yes, barkeep. I would like a snickers bar and something sugary to drink. Pineapple juice? Sure, why not. I finish off a glass and start to walk back to the room when I notice the light on in the other bedroom. I quietly walk over while carefully listening. I hear Natasha breathing heavily but nothing else (like the sound of a couple of batteries rattling around). Nonetheless, I knock softly on the door first, and then I open it slowly.

"Hey Natasha, are you alright?" I ask as I slowly peek around the door.

Natasha is sitting out of bed, dressed in a tank top and boys-shorts, blanched and covered in sweat.

"Hey Cole, good timing actually. Come in," Natasha says, still breathing heavily. I shut the door behind me, walk over, and sit to the left of her on the bed.

"What's got you all... at 2 am?" I ask while gesturing to her current state.

"Well there are a number of things that could have me sweating and breathing heavily at 2am, Cole," Natasha replies while trying to force a smile.

"Let's just say I had a bad dream... Cole, I need you to promise me that you won't go anywhere without your weapons for the next few days," Natasha adds.

"Yeah. Sure, Natasha. Do you want me to get you anything?" I ask.

"Well, could you help me with my shoulders?" Natasha requests while folding her right leg underneath her on the bed so that her back is facing me. "Could you grab my left shoulder and pull it back gently while you massage my shoulder blade?"

"I'll give it a shot," I say and I do as she instructed.

"Yeah Cole, that's it. That feels great. Now use your fingers to massage the tip," Natasha says. Is it just me or did that sound sexual?

"COLE!? WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Cheza screams while barging through the door wearing one of my t-shirts. Well, at least I wasn't the only one who thought it sounded sexual.

"Cheza, this isn't what it looks like," I calmly explain.

I'm suddenly very not calm when it becomes sexual as Natasha grabs my left hand, which had previously been pulling her shoulder back, and sets it on her left breast.

"I'm sorry, Chezarei, but he's just so damn good! I can't help myself!" Natasha exclaims while giving an exaggerated moan.

"FIRST A VAMPIRE HOOKER AND NOW YOU CHEAT ON ME WITH BOOBZILLA!?" Cheza screeches.

I would like to tell her that we aren't actually dating or anything so I can't cheat on her, but now doesn't seem like the time.

"No, Cheza! I was just—" I start to say.

"COLE TREYFAIR! IF YOU DO NOT TAKE ME INTO THAT OTHER ROOM AND HAVE SEX WITH ME, I'M GOING TO STAB YOU!" Cheza screams in complete hysterics.

"Airi, a little help here?" I plead.

(Avoid words like irrational)

"Thanks, I got that. Anything else?"

(...Do as she says)

"WHAT!?" I scream out loud.

"Perhaps you should just do as she says, Cole," Natasha suggests.

All of the women are against me! I know! I'll try to channel Jason telepathically! At least I know that he'll have my back.

"What should I do, bro?" I ask.

"You should... do as she says, take her into the other room, and sex her into a coma," my inner Jason replies. I should have known. Jason always has my back, just not in the correct way this time.

As if answering my prayer, my blood sings out to me... from within Cheza. I look at her completely furious face and I remember how she and Tia tricked me into thinking that the babydoll incident had all been a dream. Payback time.

I wave my hand in an arc at her eye level as I block the blood flow to her brain. When she starts to fall, I race up and catch her. I do a quick check to make sure everything is alright and that she won't suffer any ill effects from it.

"Good to go, except for one loose end..." I say as I cradle Cheza in my arms and turn towards Natasha, who looks slightly frightened of me.

"Can you do that to anyone?" Natasha asks warily. I lift my hand and wave it in front of her face as she tenses up and her eyes go wide.

"Haha no, I can't. I ended up having to give Cheza a blood transfusion so my blood is still in her and I just used that blood to block the oxygen flow to her brain a little. I'm hoping she'll wake up thinking this was all a dream," I lightheartedly say with a smile as Natasha relaxes a bit.

"So if you tell her about this, I'll kill you," I sternly tell Natasha after wiping expression from my face. I start towards the door and then stop in the threshold and turn.

"See! I can make jokes too, mine just aren't very funny," I say while smiling at a horrified Natasha who is now completely uncertain of me. Perhaps it's a little better this way.

(That was completely unethical... I enjoyed it)

I put Cheza in bed and then I close my eyes, take my shirt off of her, turn her on her left side, and pull the covers up to her shoulders. I open my eyes so I can get into the left side of the bed without killing myself. See, it's the little details that help you get away with shit like this.

(Shit like blocking the blood flow to your sister/fiancée's brain so you can manipulate her?)

"Well, it sounds bad if you put it like that..."

I can't believe I just did that... what came over me? I turn over to fall asleep, only to have a sex dream about Cheza. Natasha suddenly makes a guest appearance and things get a little weird... until I wake up. I get up and go out to the bar, finding that Natasha is already there and that she is unable to meet my eyes.

"What you did last night was... umm..." Natasha starts to say as I remember the terrible thing I did to her.

"Yeah, I'm... uh... sorry about that. You don't need to be afraid or anything," I tell her.

"Afraid? Why? It felt great! And you showed me a whooole new use for a ping pong paddle," Natasha says. Now it is _I_ that can't meet _her_ eyes. I guess the Natasha in my dream was actually Natasha...

"What are you guys talking about?" Cheza asks while rubbing her head and yawning as she walks in from the bedroom.

"Oh, nothing," Natasha says with a smile.

"How do you feel, Cole?" Cheza inquires with a concerned look.

"I'm fine, Cheza. What were you screaming about anyway?" I ask.

"There was a weird bug on the wall and Chezarei freaked out when she saw it," Natasha answers while Cheza looks away in shame.

"Hey, I need to go to The Agency's local office and check in so you two are going to be on your own for today," Natasha adds.

"Cole, if I remember correctly, I believe that you owe me a date!" Cheza exclaims while beaming. I vaguely remember promising something to that effect as she was straddling me while I was handcuffed to my bed.

"Alright, we can keep an eye out for whatever Jason was talking about while we're at it," I reply.

"Yay! I'll go get ready!" Cheza squeals and then runs into the bedroom.

"Cole, remember what I said last night. It may be a good idea to wear a bulletproof vest or something as well," Natasha whispers seriously.

I nod in response and walk into the bedroom to use the shower, only to hear that Cheza is currently using it. So, I gather up some clothes and start to walk back to the main room, towards the other bathroom. Natasha is standing in the doorway, smiles at me, and then laughs as she goes inside; however, she doesn't shut the door all the way. I think she is implying that I can a) take a shower with Cheza or b) take a shower with her. It's not like I can just wait it out or anything. Perhaps that was just wishful thinking on her part. I walk over and close the bathroom door without so much as a peek in.

"If only I had known that taking a peek would have saved the world from enslavement by the shark people!" I chuckle to myself. It's nice to know that something is so ridiculous that there is absolutely no chance of it happening. I sit down and have a glass of juice with half of a grapefruit.

Then three Shark people break through the front door. That's a shark head on a human body with the possibility of a dorsal appendage, I don't know, I'm a little preoccupied by the rows of teeth. My vision switches to, what I guess is, combat mode so that I can see their auras. Normal white outlines, but their centers are cyan and with a white shark's mouth that is open.

"OH, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!" I shout as I stand, break my drinking glass on the table, and use the shards to slice open my wrist.

I run forward and meet an advancing shark man in the hallway. After dodging the giant snapping mouth that was aimed at my head, I take the broken glass and smash it into his eye. It just occurred to me that sharks don't have necks, so if I can just get around him... I'd walk straight into another set of teeth. Stupid hallway!

While the shark man is preoccupied with the giant shard of glass sticking out of his eye, I form a twelve-inch Sic dagger and stab it into his other eye, wiggling it around to make sure I destroy the brain.

(Legs)

Airi says as a second shark man dives through his dead friend's legs. I respond by pulling the Sic dagger out of his friend, jumping, and spinning around. I slam the blade down through his skull with my landing. Thankfully, there is no dorsal appendage because my testicles would hurt right about now if there were.

(Scoot back one foot)

I obey and a set of jaws appears in front of my face as I notice shark man number three's right arm by my shoulder. I stab the Sic blade into his right knee as I grab his right hand with my left to throw him over my shoulder and into the table. Before he can recover, I launch forward from my crouched position and land on his chest.

"ALL! I WANTED! WAS TO ENJOY! MY BREAKFAST! WITHOUT! ALL THIS! CRAZY! SHIT!" I scream, stabbing him in the neck with each exclamation and consequentially getting red everywhere. "IS THAT! SO MUCH! TO FUCKING! ASK!?"

"Cole?" I hear Cheza ask.

I turn around and see her in only a towel, giving me a concerned look. Natasha is fully dressed and has her gun drawn, but she looks slightly shocked, most likely because of the blood that's everywhere, including on me. I get my first look at Natasha's aura, which I'm surprised to see is a lot like Cheza's. However, Natasha's aura is white on the outside instead of silver and the blue in the center is more of a navy blue, with the same frosty white encroaching from the sides.

"Natasha, cover the door while I go wash some of this red off of me. Cheza, I don't want you getting farther than ten feet from me," I order.

I walk into the bedroom, grab my holster, head into the bathroom, and throw the bloody Sic dagger in the sink.

"Cheza, get dressed in whatever, but wear shoes," I shout into the bedroom as I start stripping.

I quickly rinse the blood off of me and put on a pair of tan cargo shorts, my holster, and my jacket. I wash off the Sic dagger and stick it in the pouch of my holster as a backup, making clinking noises on contact with the metal magazines. Walking out of the bathroom, I see Cheza sitting on the bed wearing jean shorts and a light blue, checkered plaid button-up shirt that she has tied in a knot just above her navel. She is also wearing matching Converses. Good girl. I motion for Cheza to follow me as I head for the door.

"Natasha?" I call out from behind the door.

"Clear," she calls back and I walk out.

"But I don't think we will be getting our deposit back," Natasha jokes, but it's obvious that she's on edge.

"Alright, first thing's first: I need to call Tia. That's a stupid saying. Of course the first thing is going to be first; otherwise it wouldn't be the first thing!" I babble before recovering.

"Natasha, I need you to call down to the front desk and ask if there are any people waiting by the elevator and have them check the security cameras for the beach elevator," I tell her.

There's no way a hotel like this wouldn't have cameras covering the elevator used solely by their richest guests. I pull out my phone and hold the home button.

"Call Tia," I say to my smartphone's voice navigation that shares Airi's name, with the exception of a change in the first letter.

"Heeeeello?" Tia answers.

"Hey Tia, I need to ask you some—" I start to say.

"No Cole, you cannot actually sex someone into a coma. Chezarei or Natasha will wake up in a few hours," Tia interrupts.

"That's not—" I reply.

"IT WAS BOTH CHEZAREI AND NATASHA!? Way to go Cole! I had hopes, but they weren't that high!" Tia exclaims, interrupting again.

"Let me fini—" I try to say.

"You don't have to worry about something like that! It doesn't matter where you finished. Just call down to the concierge and have them bring you a morning-after pill, or two as applicable," Tia says and I nearly face-palm in response.

"The other thing I called—" I say.

"YOU GOT TO TRY THE OTHER HOLE TOO!?" Tia asks.

"WHAT!?" I finally got to finish one.

"What naughty girls! Was it Natasha or Chezarei? If she really is a younger me, then my money is on Natasha. But if it was Chezarei, I swear I didn't teach her that. The other things, however..." Tia trails off.

"I'm hanging up now," I reply.

"Glad I could help, Cole! Talk to you later! Oh, and if they don't wake up in a few hours, check for a pulse and then call me. We'll go from there. You might want to call down to the front desk and see how much bleach and lye they have, just in case things go south," Tia says as I hang up.

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. That conversation just raised far more questions than it answered. I'll call Sara, like I should have done in the first place.

"Uh, Cole? We might have a problem," Natasha announces.

"What kind of problem?" I ask with my eyes still closed.

"The 'beach elevator security camera is malfunctioning' kind," Natasha replies.

"I'll go check it out. Stay here and guard the room. Cheza, stay in the room," I tell them.

I step over the bodies, go out the busted door, and carefully head down the hall to the left. I get to the elevator and see that it is coming up. This elevator is exclusively for this floor and the floor below it so this could be bad... or it could be some rich kids and their mom. I decide to be prepared just in case, and then I get an awesome idea.

I pull out the Sic dagger and wedge it between the doors to pry them open. This way, if the elevator stops on sixteen, there's no problem. If it keeps going, however... It seems that luck is on my side as the door dings on the sixteenth floor. I'm glad that I can relax now.

"Shit for brains, it's the seventeenth floor, not the sixteenth!" someone in the car says.

Why me? The car starts moving slowly up to this floor and I execute my plan. As the top of the car passes by, I silently step on. I see the emergency hatch is at the back of the car: perfect. I quietly open it as the door dings. I peer in and see three men carrying P90 submachine guns. All I know about the P90 is from video games and in every one that I've played, it kicks considerably more ass than the MP5 and its magazine is also around twice the size. The stakes in this just got a little higher.

They move quietly out of the car as I drop down behind them. They cautiously head down the hall in a 'winner's podium' formation (2-1-3). I step up behind 'third place' near the right wall of the hall and I stab the Sic dagger through his cervical vertebrae, severing his spinal cord completely and cutting off all sound. I quietly lower his body to the ground and move towards my next target. While slowly and silently walking across the hall to the guy on the left, I find myself thinking that the leader is doing a shit job. Aren't there supposed to be hand motions or at least some confirmation that your team isn't way behind you, letting you go on alone to 'feel out the situation' while they smoke weed with some local strippers?

Of course, as I'm thinking this and closing in on second guy, the leader turns around and his eyes go wide with surprise. Now that stealth is out and I don't have to worry about noise or air displacement, I speed up and off number two. I grab the guy, using him as a shield as I rush toward the leader, until something catches me off guard. Looking over my shield's shoulder, I see that the leader has a shark head that I'm pretty sure wasn't there a second ago... I mean, I'd remember something like that, right? They must be were-sharks.

(Congratulations. This has been your redemption for the 'were-bat' fiasco)

The leader starts firing his P90 into his buddy. I throw the body towards him and then dive to the right, pulling out my gun and firing three times. I really wish I had a second gun right now so I could Woo-it-up... oh and some doves. You really can't forget the doves.

Mr. Sharky must not have expected this because his chest bursts from the surprise... or was that from the bullets? Either way, it finished the job and he falls over.

(The intelligent thing to do would be to retrieve the weapons and use them)

"Good idea, Airi!"

I rush back to the first dead body and grab the P90's strap, throwing it around my neck as I search his cargo shorts for extra magazines, finding two. Courtesy of the adroit part of my Drive, I now know that the P90 has a 50 round magazine and fires fifteen rounds per second at a velocity of 2315 ft/s under optimal conditions, which is almost twice the speed of the MP5. Heh, glad I had a shield. I'm finding the same with the second body when I hear Cheza.

"Cole...? COLE!?" Cheza shouts.

"Chezarei, wait! He told you to stay here!" Natasha exclaims.

I see both of them run out into the hall.

"Look guys! I found new toys to play with!" I reply while smiling and holding up a gun.

"COLE!" Cheza screams.

I spin and throw the Sic dagger in Sharky's open mouth and through the back of his neck; however, he still has time to squeeze the trigger. I probably could have gotten out of the way after throwing the knife, but I can't with Cheza behind me and in the line of fire. It just had to be a P90, with its 50 round magazine. The fire rate isn't all that much higher than an MP5. The difference is that in one second, the MP5 empties its magazine so there is no way I would take thirteen rounds to the chest from an MP5 that had been fired previously. Thankfully I'm wearing my jacket.

(That you neglected to zip)

"THAT WAS SO FUCKING NINJA!" I scream with my hands above my head.

(Three, stomach)

"Cole!?" Cheza asks, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm fine, Cheza! They all hit the jacket you gave me, so thank you!" I answer while dropping the guns and rushing forward to hug her, hoping that she won't notice the bullet holes in my stomach. With the blood seal being a maroon color and since I'm tan, it shouldn't be too noticeable and I can't let Cheza know. However, when I see Natasha's eyes widen, I realize that she definitely noticed.

"Hey Natasha, could you go collect the guns? I need to go wash some of this blood off of my hands before the police show up about the gun shots. Cheza, could you go as well? She probably won't be able to carry everything. Make sure to check that guy's pockets, I checked the other two already," I ask and then jog off to the room.

I think ahead and go to the guest bathroom because Cheza is less likely to go in there soon, or at least before I can clean up the blood that is bound to result from what I'm going to do.

"Alright, Airi. How do I get these bullets out?" I think.

(Jumping Jacks)

She says it so seriously that I almost do it. "Come on, Airi!"

(Fill your stomach up with blood. You will then be able to vomit the bullets out)

I'm about to object, but then I realize that it is actually possible.

"Hey Cole, are you alright?" Cheza asks through the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can you call Sara and ask her if she knows anything about were-sharks? My conversation with Tia before was less than helpful," I request, hoping that her phone is in the bedroom.

"Sure. I'll go give her a call," Cheza replies and leaves.

I enhance my hearing to make sure she is in our bedroom, and then Natasha walks into the bathroom.

"Cole, how bad is it?" Natasha asks seriously.

"The conversation? Oh, it was horribly uninformative but I learned that if you really are a younger version of her, then you like anal sex," I say with a smile but pain interferes. Natasha just glares at me so I get serious. "Three in my stomach."

"Cole! We need to get you to the hospital!" Natasha exclaims.

"No! If I go to the hospital then Cheza will blame herself for not listening and leaving the room. Besides, Airi says that I can get all three out by filling up my stomach with blood and then vomiting the bullets up," I tell her.

"WHO IN THE HELL IS AIRI!?" Natasha loudly whispers.

"Okay, I'll tell you but don't get concerned. She's this voice in my head that gives me useful information. She also has a wicked sense of humor. I named her Airi because she sounds like the voice from my smartphone," I say. Natasha thinks for a second, and then looks concerned.

"Cole, did Airi tell you to do that thing to Chezarei last night?" Natasha cautiously asks.

"Umm, no... that was kind of all me. Airi actually told me I should 'do as she says'," I inform her.

"Oh, okay... What about that thing with the ping pong paddle?" Natasha asks with a sly smile. "I'll go keep Chezarei distracted, but try to hurry."

(If that girl ever locates a ping pong paddle, you are going to have a dilemma)

Chapter 4: Oh right, that...

I walk out of the bathroom five minutes and 1.5 liters of blood later, as the room's phone rings.

"Hello?" I ask after hitting the speaker button.

"Hello, Mr. Treyfair? It's the front desk. We received a complaint about possible gunfire coming from the seventeenth floor. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, I do apologize for that. My friend was playing a very unfunny practical joke and tossed me a string of firecrackers in the shower—" I say and then Natasha cuts in, playing the part amicably from across the room.

"Sorry about that Cole, but they do say that payback is a bitch!" Natasha shouts.

"I'll cover any damages and I do apologize if we frightened and/or worried anyone and I'm sure my friend is sorry and won't be doing anything like that again—" I say before Natasha cuts in again.

"I won't, but you really shouldn't have done that thing with the ping pong paddle and the baby oil while I was sleeping, Cole!" Natasha shouts as Cheza starts laughing and I chuckle. Being smacked by someone with a ping pong paddle that has been slathered in baby oil would really hurt.

"And you shouldn't have been sleeping with your ass up in the air while not wearing any pants!" I shout back.

"I still wasn't able to walk right for a week! Although, I'm not sure if it was from your prank or that other thing..." Natasha shouts.

"What other thing?" I question.

"You know, that thing with the Belgian waffle mix and the funnel!" Natasha shouts. Cheza starts holding onto her sides while trying to keep her laughter at a dull roar.

"Oh right, that... Anyway, is there anything else you needed ma'am?" I ask the clerk.

"Oh, yes, there is a guest here to see you," the clerk replies

"A guest you say?" I repeat. Cheza and Natasha immediately stop laughing.

"Yes, shall I send them up?" the clerk asks.

"Yes please, and sorry again for the misunderstanding," I reply, ending the conversation.

"Natasha, P90," I demand and she tosses me one. I check the magazine and cock it.

"Okay, just to make sure, no one ordered pizza while I was in the bathroom right? I don't feel like ruining a pizza boy's pants," They both shake their heads. "That's what I thought. Natasha, how is your submachine gun training?"

"Sufficient at this range," She answers.

"Good enough for me. Cheza, I want you to stay in the bedroom," I say.

"No," Cheza simply replies while picking up the other P90. She inserts a new magazine and loads the chamber with seemingly knowledgeable precision.

"Cheza, we don't have time for this. Do you even know how to shoot that?" I ask.

"Aim low to account for recoil when firing on automatic but it would be a better idea for me to tap the trigger because of my size and relative inexperience with submachine guns... Sara would sometimes take me to the gun range in Scottsdale after school and this nice man taught me to shoot. His name was—" Cheza explains.

"Mr. Archer. Say no more," I cut her short. If Cheza ends up hurt because of that crazy gun-running South African, I will be paying him a visit.

"Natasha, I want you and Cheza taking cover behind the bar. I'll take this side of the hall so try not to shoot me," I say from the left side of the hall, near the bathroom door.

I hear the elevator door ding and I motion for them to get into cover. They do so while I rush to the front doorway now that Cheza can't argue. I enhance my hearing and listen for the footsteps of our guest, waiting for them to get closer. I'll round the corner and surprise them when they are about twenty feet away: Fifty... forty... thirty... twenty-five... stopped. Stopped?

"Cole, this is an example of you putting your hearing to good use!" I hear someone whisper.

"TIA!?" I shout in surprise as I round the corner.

"Hey Cole, glad to see you're safe, but it sounds like I got here a little late. Are the other two alright?" Tia asks as we walk into the room. "Looks like you got shot a few times."

My eyes go wide as Cheza shouts from the bar, "COLE YOU GOT SHOT!?"

"His jacket, I mean. Don't worry, Chezarei!" Tia covers, thankfully catching the hint. "So what's been going on? That anecdote I overheard was hilarious by the way. Nice thinking Cole!"

"Thanks. Well—" I say.

"I mean, it was very nice of you to coat the ping pong paddle handle in baby oil before shoving it up Natasha's ass in place of lube!" Tia laughs and Natasha joins her. I swear they have to be related.

"But I didn't know you were so kinky! Belgian waffle mix and a funnel?" Tia says with a questioning look.

"Tia, have you ever had any demigod children?" I ask.

"Why do you... Oh, don't worry Cole! Everything is the same down there," Tia says with a wink.

"Tia, how did you get here? I mean, Cole called you less than fifteen minutes ago," Cheza asks.

"Well, something in Cole's voice made me worried—" Tia starts.

"You mean you could actually hear me!?" I ask with overdramatic surprise.

"So I called Kira and asked if she could port me from the house to here," Tia says while ignoring me entirely.

"What's this 'port' thing?" Cheza inquires.

"It's like opening a dimensional rift or something. Only the heads of each pantheon can port to any plane, but all gods can port to their pantheon's respective planes, with a few exceptions, of course," Tia answers.

"Wait, if the heads can port, then is Loki able to do it now too?" I question.

"Perhaps in another hundred years or so, but a change in power like this has never happened before so we don't really know. He might already be able to," Tia answers.

"So, Kira ported to the house and then Chezarei called asking about were-sharks so Kira is having me audit the Hawaiian pantheon for perfidy and she wants Cole to assist," Tia finishes.

"How am I supposed to help figure out if a pantheon has turned traitor?" I ask.

"I guess I should have specified. Kira doesn't want you to help me with the investigation so much as she wants you to help by being bait," Tia explains. "Basically, you should just keep doing what you're doing and try to find Jason. Any traitorous gods on the islands should come and try to kill you and take Chezarei, so it will all work out!"

"YEAH, FOR YOU MAYBE!" I shout at her.

"Anyway, for right now you have already identified one traitor: Kamohoali'i, shark god and stupid brother to my friend Pele, whom I am taking you all to meet now. Oh and Natasha, you've been promoted to The Agency's official liaison to The Faction. Congratulations!" Tia says.

"Sweet! Do I get my own slave—I mean, assistant? Can I pick Cole!? Come love assistant, and bring the ping pong paddle!" Natasha orders.

"Hehe, I love this girl!" Tia exclaims. There is no way they aren't related.

"Hey Tia, can gods be cloned?" I ask.

"What is it with you and the weird questions today!? First with the sex comas and then the morning after pill and then about how tight I am and now you're asking if you can clone me to have as your sex slave! Cole, if you want to have sex with me, just say so!" Tia exclaims sarcastically... I think.

"NOW YOU'RE AFTER TIA TOO!?" Cheza screams. "COLE, I DEMAND THAT YOU HAVE SEX WITH ME!"

"Chezarei, we should wait until we get to Pele's, she will want to join too. Oh, and don't worry, Cole. Unlike the stories, she won't kill you post-coitus... probably," Tia says.

"I guess I'll join too. It is my job as the official _liaison_ ," Natasha says.

"Hehe nice pun Natasha," Tia comments.

"Why thank you, Tia! Nice job getting Chezarei all worked up. You should've seen it last night when Chezarei walked in on Cole giving me a massage. I took his hand, set it on my tit, and watched the fireworks!" Natasha replies.

"What!? Why don't I remember any this!?" Cheza asks.

"DAMMIT NATASHA! What did I say!? Now come up with a reason why Cheza would suddenly faint!" I yell as I block the blood flow to Cheza brain again. I'm worried that there might be some long term effects if I keep doing this... I catch Cheza before she hits the ground.

"And then he did that," Natasha says to Tia.

"Cole... how did you do that?" Tia asks, looking very worried.

"I told you how I had to restart Cheza's heart, right? Well, last night I discovered that I can control my blood that is still in her so I kinda blocked the oxygen to her brain a little. I was hoping that she wouldn't remember or think that it was a dream like you guys did to me," I explain while looking at the ceiling.

"Oh, okay. Good," Tia says in relief and I snap my eyes back to her in annoyance.

"Good!? I'm forcing her to pass out when having her conscious is too inconvenient! Tell me to stop or that I'm a terrible person or something!" I shout at her, not fully understanding why I'm angry.

"Cole, I thought you were manipulating other peoples' blood now. That would make the gods worried enough to destroy you no matter what. I'm relieved that isn't the case," Tia says, forcing the memory of her crying on top of me while holding a knife into my mind.

"The only reason that you are angry at me is because you're projecting the animosity you feel towards yourself for having done something like this," Tia explains with a gentle smile that seems misplaced.

"You're right..." I reply as I look down at Cheza's sleeping face.

I take her into the bedroom and tuck her in before walking back out into the main room and sitting down in one of the chairs.

"Hey Tia... if I could do something that I thought would make the gods worried enough to destroy me... would you want to know?" I ask and Tia suddenly looks very worried again.

"I should say yes so I can know if you are a threat, but I am saying yes because I want to protect you. Natasha, stop being liaison for the next few minutes," Tia says.

"Consider it done. Can I stay and listen though?" Natasha asks. Tia looks to me, I nod the affirmative, and Tia motions for me to start.

"Well, after Illapa struck Cheza and me with the lightning that stopped Cheza's heart, something weird happened. I just completely lost myself and all I could focus on is how I was going to make Illapa suffer. Then I noticed silver tendrils wafting from my cuts. They speared forward and lifted Illapa up off the ground, immobilizing him. I looked in my right hand and noticed I had made something that I'm calling the Mu-cutter. The Mu-cutter is basically a molecular cutter made of a string of silicon carbide molecules. I walked up to him, relishing in the horror on his face. He asked what I was before I effortlessly sliced off his left arm. Then he called me a monster and said that 'they' were going to hunt me down before I sliced his pelvis in half. Then he said that 'they' were going to kill 'that little bitch' of mine before I slowly drilled a hole through his stomach, getting a primal pleasure from hearing his screams of agony. His entire body was flaking away before I divided him into quadrants and got the idea to save Cheza," I explain, closing my eyes because I just can't handle being able to see what's on Tia's face right now.

"There, it's alright now, Cole," Tia soothingly says as she comes over and hugs me.

"Have you been able to create the Mu-cutter since that time?" Tia inquires.

"I haven't tried. From what Airi said, it uses up 1.8 Liters to make and the tendrils used up a total of 2.0 Liters for eight of them, I think," I tell her with my face against her stomach.

"Could you try and make the Mu-cutter now?" Tia asks while pulling away from me.

"I would, but I'm about a liter low right now. I had to fill my stomach with blood so I could vomit up the bullets and I've regenerated about half a liter since that time. Add another 1.8 Liters to that and I'll likely pass out before it's completed," I tell her.

"Let's try another time then," Tia replies while warmly smiling at me.

I feel that Cheza is waking up so I head into the bedroom.

"Mmm... Cole?" Cheza sleepily asks.

"Hey, how are you feeling? The fatigue must have caught up to you and you fainted," I lie.

"Cole... I know that you manipulated your blood that is in me to make me faint..." Cheza says.

"H-how?" I stammer, slightly afraid for my life.

"For the same reason that I know that you're a little afraid of my reaction, but don't be. I also know that you feel guilty about it, so I forgive you. And I also know that you are low on blood, which most likely having something to do with the reason there are three bullet holes in your stomach that are still healing. Cole, why did you lie to me about getting shot?" Cheza says quietly.

"I just don't want to make you worry..." I tell her.

"Cole, I love you so it's okay for me to worry. I just don't want to be in the dark anymore. Also... why won't you have sex with me?" Cheza asks.

"I, uh... how do I say this..." I stumble along.

"Still see me as a little sister and not as a woman," Cheza answers for me, looking downtrodden.

"I guess I'll just have to work on that," Cheza smiles, but it seems somewhat insincere.

(Can she hear me as well?)

As soon as Airi says that, I feel my mind connect with Cheza's.

"Whoa! Was that Airi!?" Cheza exclaims.

"Cheza, can you hear me too?" I think. Cheza eyes go wide as she nods in response.

"Stay here, I'm going to test something," I think as I race out of the room and down the hall to the elevator. "Can you still hear me?"

"Yeah... Cole, this is a little freaky," Cheza replies in my mind.

"Airi, can you close the link?" I ask and feel the connection between Cheza and I close. "Open it again, please."

"Cheza?" I think as I start walking back down the hall.

"Yup, I can hear you. That's good that we can close it. Being able to constantly hear each other's thoughts would get embarrassing," Cheza replies.

"Yeah it would! We should tell Tia about this," I think as I re-enter the bedroom. Tia probably should know and since this seems like a day for sharing things...

"Wow! That's what happened while I was out!?" Cheza asks aloud.

"What?" I ask.

"I just saw your conversation with Tia from your point of view," Cheza replies.

"Airi, close the link," I think as I shout "Tia!"

"What's up? My guess is that Chezarei can somehow hear Airi and you were testing to see if Chezarei could still hear her if you were far apart," Tia asks.

"Close. Airi can open a connection between us that allows us to telepathically talk to one another and Cheza was just able to see my memory of the conversation that we had a little earlier," I inform her. Tia looks a little shocked by the news.

"Okay, just one more thing that we are not going to tell anyone else, besides Sara," Tia says and then gets a mischievous look on her face. "Chezarei, I have something that I need to talk to you about. Cole, leave."

I really don't like the look on her face, but I do as she says. I'm tempted to listen in but I know that Tia will give me hell for it if I do... or worse: she will tell Cheza. Cheza knowing about my extrasensory hearing is definitely something that I don't want. I grab a glass of juice in an attempt to aid my blood's recovery while Natasha talks on her phone. Cheza and Tia walk out of the bedroom as Natasha hangs up.

"Tia, we may need to postpone that trip to see Pele. I just called The Agency's local office to inform them of what's happened, and they told me there have been indications that a coup d'état has been staged within the Hawaiian pantheon. Kamohoali'i is most likely the leader behind the coup," Natasha says. Tia pulls out her phone and starts texting.

"Okay, Pele just told me that they are having a debate to decide what side to go with in this war. Pele: head of the pantheon and goddess of fire and volcanoes, Hi'iaka: goddess of water and Pele's favorite sister, and Kahoali'i: god of the underworld, are firmly with The Faction. However, Kamohoali'i: shark god and Pele's brother, Ku: god of war and one of four Greater gods, Paka'a: god of winds, and The Poli'ahu: four goddesses of snow, are against us and are throwing their bid in with Loki and the Norse pantheon. This debate isn't just for the Hawaiian sect though. It's for the whole Polynesian pantheon. The stakes are high in this so Kira wants all of us to attend. She told me to text her to port us out if things start to go south," Tia informs us.

"Alright, so when is the debate?" I ask.

"Tonight, at Pele's home in the Halemaumau Crater."

Continue reading in Book 2 of The Gods' Executioner Series: _Mania and the Executioner_. Now available at most eBook retailers!

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