07:00 AM. The daily rhythm of the Big Apple had long before resumed its pace to fit its day dwellers, and the night creatures had retreated back to their hidden dens and center of operations. Most of them anyway.
On a chair on the side of the large elevator doors at the second top floor of the Metallium scraper, a man bearing the name of Wolfpack sat contently. Leaning back, holding the fresh newspaper, Wolfpack produced a big toothy yawn showing off an impressive set of canines. He continued to sniff to himself and turned a page, just as the elevator doors slid open with a low hush. The white-haired man looked up with an expecting expression from behind those ever-present dark shades. A wide dark grin spread itself over his face as the awaited scene played as usual on mornings like these.
The heavy mechanical doors slid open. A groan and a sigh were heard. Long slender legs pulled unwilling feet out of the cabin and into the corridor. Rick Grey grunted a second time, rubbed his eyes, cursed early mornings, wished for a cup of coffee, and cursed early morning once again before dragging himself down the corridor to the front door of Sel Metallium's apartment.
Wolfpack was left unnoticed and totally ignored, as all the mornings he happened to be present. The strange Metallium-employee raised a perfect white eyebrow and leaned his head to the side as he watched Rick pull himself towards the door. Now this was a new look. Wolfpack licked his teeth quite amused and his face split in a wide dark gleeful grin very much alike a certain Xelloss' own. Scratch that, a wide dark and gleeful grin EXACTLY like Xelloss'. Rick Grey could have sworn that he heard through his sleepy daze someone giggle when he opened the door to his boss' apartment and went inside. But, he was too grumpy to care. One does not care before one gets one's morning coffee, was Rick's general opinion on the case of early rises. So there. Out in the hall, Wolfpack held up a sign giving him an honorable 9.8 pointer for the more than generous display and made a note to himself to check in for breakfast a little later.
Soft... Warm... Calm... Safe... Sleepy... Can't remember, sleep... dreamless slumber upon golden mists. Yes... so soft... so light. Light... like white. Like air. Like... an even scale.
Opening his eyes just enough to let the light in, Xelloss Metallium... the darkness behind the frame of Sel Metallium the business lord, breathed in the scent of the finest soft sheets of deep white cloth and the tender touch of feather-stuffed pillows caressing his limbs and body. His fingers buried themselves deeper into the stuffing on own accord, waking up... testing the touch where he laid chest down in bed. Warm... Sensual. Fresh memories of joining echoed through deep memory banks. The touch of the heat, the power, flesh, and the breath. Groggy, was a fine word for it, but happily so. Xelloss nuzzled closer to the living breathing warm body by the side of his... Her. Living. Breathing. Like him. And total opposite and counterpart in so very many ways.
Knock, knock! Swung!
"... -- ey, any special requests today? The flakes are out, but there's lots of fresh bread in the pantry... eh, why are your eyes red, Boss? Aah! SORRY! SORRY!" the young man made a rocket-speeded U-turn on the spot. -- So much for that calm and romantic morning rise, Xelloss.
Many curses flew loudly around the room.... Rick dived out of the way of the pillow that came flying at lethal speed towards his head and scrambled in haste to the safety behind the nearest sofa, just in case. Xelloss groaned loudly. Of all the damn mornings... He huffed and attempted to bury himself back in the bed, exactly like he had lain the moment before. However, something seemed to be missing.
Laughing lightly like the sound of fine bells, Firia stood up and took the nearest T-shirt and pulled it over her head. Xelloss remained still in bed, trying hard to visualize nothing had happened to break the serene moment at all and eventually failed. Nothing ever last forever, sad as it is. And frustrating, so Xelloss visualized strangling Rick instead. It worked better.
"Good morning, Rick." Firia smiled as she sat down again on the bed's corner.
"M-morning, M-miss Conner!" said youth hesitantly called back, peering forth from behind the sofa. "I... I didn't see anything, I promise! I had no idea!"
Firia just giggled to herself, the look on the young man's face had been priceless. Perking up one eye to glare out through the open door, Xelloss twitched. "Oh for crying out loud...." he growled, bolted right up to sitting position, and threw another pillow... This one missed all the same but set the sofa wavering.
"... FIND YOURSELF A WOMAN!"
Rick nearly fell over.
"WHAT?!"
Firia stared in stunned amusement as Xelloss and Rick shouted insults at each other through the door. Xel, sitting butt naked among white bad sheets, red in face. And Rick, well he... was a second story all along.
"I am NOT sexually repressed!!!" the youth shrieked, "Get A LIFE!!" the adult hollered back. "HRGH!" the youth sputtered, "GET ME BREAKFAST!!" the adult proceeded to holler, "ALL RIGHT all ready!" the youth screamed and stomped off back to the kitchen.
Firia just stared. With a displeased moan Xelloss fell back on the bed. "Headache..." he muttered and sighed. The dragon lady had to laugh out loud. Xelloss smiled absently to the sound as he once again relaxed upon the soft madras.
"You seem relaxed." Firia stated the obvious and softly stroke a trace of hair out of his face. A face wearing no special mask, but calm.
"Hai." he breathed back. "Thank you." She smiled inwardly as his hand felt hers, and then came to hold her upper arm, gently but firmly demanding her back. Back to his side.
"No."
One lupine eye snapped open by the tone the female voice held. He stared at her, asking what? What did she mean? No? She gently brushed off his hand from her arm, strong and sure in her moves. Laying it back on the bed, she then redrew her own as well. Xelloss' body equally slowly obeyed its mind's commands and sat up. Firia stayed steadfast where she sat on the bedside. She turned her head away, as to move.
"No." He grabbed her arms so she turned back. "You can't, I need..."
Firia's face turned back to meet his. "You... NEED?"
Yes!
"Since when does the Trickster Priest, Xelloss Metallium, need anything, or anyone?"
A simple and plain question, but the ring gave the Mazoku bad chills. A sudden halt to the puzzle so carefully built and planned; there was something wrong with this piece here, it didn't belong! It belonged to someone else's puzzle. The sudden breeze from an open window knocked over the figures on the chessboard. An unexpected change of events.
"No." Firia voiced again warm but firmly, and drew back his hands from her. "No, Xel." He just stared at her wordless. The female stood up.
"Here's the end of this road, Xelloss. You'll continue down the way you've set out, and I'll go my way towards it." Firia started as she looked around for some of her other clothes. He just stared mute at her. "Sorry Xel..." Taking up her trousers in one hand she strode back and stroke his cheek with a finger. "But you can not expect of me to do what you wish for. It is against all what I believe in, and besides; it's against all what my RACE stand for."
Xelloss' eyes snapped open to a full.
"When we talked, I gave you my word to be your partner in this, to be the representative of Light that you would need to do what you plan: restore the old world's scale set. Yes, I agreed to that and I am going to stay true to my word." a silent minute passed through the room as the two 'business partners' looked at each other. "I will not help you destroy the world, Xelloss Metallium. No."
"'Cure' this decaying world back to the chaos of life which we used to inhabit, re-awaken the magic. No more just using up the world, give it back it's own offensive life. Yes. Recreate it as it were before the fall, the Final Battle, to let the Darkness win and the world finally die. No." Firia Ul Copt, Fanny Conner, Fi. Clad only in a T-shirt, her trousers in one hand by her side, Firia leaned back against a cupboard that stood about opposite tot he large bed.
"No matter what'll you eventually do, I'll always try for the continuation after the next war which will come, if we succeed. I you need me, there's where I'll be, on the other side of that War. On the road towards there. If you want me to give, you must give something in return."
True.
A small smile played across her lips as she looked at him now. Xelloss looked back at her once before his head slowly started to fall forward and his shoulder slumped down. Small shivers rocked the body of the man who sat silent and alone in the large bed. One after one, the shivers picked up and small noises escaped his form. Firia bit her lip, but her smile didn't fail. Throwing his head back, Xelloss Metallium broke into hysterical laughter. He laughed, laughed, and continued to laugh so hard it took him five full minutes to calm down and come back. Still giggling enough for his shoulders to rock, the Mazoku leaned slightly forward so his bangs covered his eyes and rubbed his face with one hand.
"Why... you... bitch!" He managed to get through between exhausted chuckles. He slammed a fist to the madras and threw his head aside. "You... you, TRICKED ME on purpose!" Xelloss breathed out a by now tired laugh and gave her an accusing glare. Firia couldn't help it but had to grin wide hence it was -- yes -- an accusing look, but never the less an honestly amused one as well. Taking the few steps back to the bed with light steps, Firia leaned down half on the bed and reached out with a hand to the man's chin. She grinned with triumph. "Aye, I tricked the Trickster, didn't I?" she whispered and winked one sapphire blue eye at him.
Xelloss gave her a low look in return. "Blasted lizard." Firia put her hands on her hips and glared back. "Hey!" she exclaimed, and exclaimed it once over as he grabbed her and in one hasty movement dragged her down on the bed again. "I will eat your SOUL for this!!"
"Oh, really?" She said doubtful, and tried to get up and out of his grasp. "YES!" He answered. Firia screamed as a set of teethes sunk into her... bottom.
"XELLOSS!!!"
The trickster just laughed evilly as he pried the elbow out of his stomach and sat up. "Oh well, maybe I could re-convince you and get lucky, ne? You haven't called me Namagomi or else even once, throughout the entire morning."
Firia retrieved her elbow, and proceeded to 'bonk' it down on his head instead. "Namagomi."
Xelloss pouted, looked to the side and snapped his fingers. "Drat."
Sexually-repressed-how-dare-he-that-bastard-I-aoughta-hmpf-grumble-grumble... Rick Grey growled to himself as he turned the bacon in the frying pan. He was NOT in desperate need of a girlfriend! He handled things very well on his own, thank you! (no not that, you perverts) He was a very happy bachelor, so there! Rick grumped and stared to slice up the morning bread meanwhile the tea brewed and the bacons heated up.
"No, you're not getting any today." the black and purple-haired young man said without giving the animal by his feet a second look. The middle-sized black dog gave him a huffing sound in return and jumped up on it's hind legs and leaned up on the kitchen counter, giving the slices of ham an adoring look. The animal leaned on Rick's side to urge him on to better thoughts. However, said human was all to busy imagining he was slicing Xelloss instead of bread to take any notice. The 'dog' eventually gave up and seated himself on the floor again, where he just simply enjoyed the view instead.
"Oh, what is it NOW?!" Rick cursed out loud by the sound of the doorbell. Slamming the knife down and taking his cup of coffee, he stalked out of the kitchen to answer the call.
So, I'm lonely, but that's the way I LIKE it! How dare he accuse me of being...! Of all the perverts this world had to produce! God, my life sucks. Ok, a girlfriend wouldn't hurt, but a man's gotta think of his freedom these days. Besides, all pretty gals are either taken, or have an IQ based upon how smart looking they managed to make their make-up look that day. Or, they just love yer wallet. And I don't HAVE a wallet... so no go there. I swear they're all aliens in this global conspiracy against guys like me. Hah! Wouldn't mind having a nice one walking around, though.. I'm not picky. A pair of ok legs, nice hips, and... and a nice cleavage. Yea, something like that there. Nice blouse too, and...
After about three minutes, Maggie Milage silently agreed with herself that indeed, boys were all aliens. Weird aliens too boot. Maybe I should take it as a compliment, she figured. The new blouse seemed to be a-ok approved, judging from the funny look on his face at least. Giving the young man in the door a long look, Maggie grinned.
"New shorts, Ricky?"
"Eh?"
Ricky blinked and looked up from his personal thoughts. Standing in the slightly open door looking out, he came across the smiling face of Fanny Conner's friend and assistant, Maggie Milage. New shorts? Rick thought and looked down on himself confused... and looked up again, blushing beet-red. Showing a face of utter pain, he then stepped aside, letting the girl pass inside and then closed the door.
"I hate mornings..." Rick whined and held his face with one hand while mumbling multiplied excuses. Maggie laughed quietly and gave the interesting boxer shorts a second look. Small all-too-cute chibi Winnie the Poohs were running around on a silky baby-blue background. And, the open large nightshirt matched very well too, though it was not helping much more on the cover-up department. Trailing back to the kitchen, Rick was so embarrassed he didn't even bother to use the shirt to cover himself more. Maggie just laughed. This day was just getting more interesting and even more interesting.
Seating herself by the kitchen table, Maggie surveyed her surroundings and accepted the cup of coffee that Rick so nicely served her, still blushing.
"So, what's up?" the young man asked while he got back to slicing Xelloss... err, bread. Maggie looked back at the animal that sat on the floor and seemingly sized her up.
"Oh, something's come up. They called from R#8 with urgent news but I couldn't reach Fanny, and so figured she might be here. Or at least your Boss might know where she is, they're sort of business partners now, no?"
"Business partners...." Rick quietly mimicked in a cynical tone that could have cut through iron. "You don't say?" With that he huffed and turned to the fridge. Maggie just looked at him. ...?
"So she's been here, or is? I knew she can wake early, but whoa. Taking the sub or bus here from the hotel takes more than an hour. By car the same." Rick didn't answer, just seemed to concentrate even harder on really, REALLY frying those bacons and eggs. Maggie furred her brow but gave up on it after a moment or two. Aliens, remember? Then the young female smiled over her coffee.
Rick looked up and gave her a questioning face. "What?" Maggie nodded to the side.
"Whatever you're so pissed over, at least someone seems to like you."
Rick blinked and then looked down to the side, noticing the black dog again. It sat and watched him do breakfast patiently licking it's lips now and then. Shaking his head with a smile, Rick chuckled.
"Perhaps so, huh. Okey, okey... here." He hunched down and gave the animal one of the raw bacon slices, which it accepted with joy and consumed in a matter of a second. Both assistants smiled as the dog wagged it's tail and jumped slightly at Rick and gave him a nice sloppy 'kiss' all over his face before skidding over to the table and jumping up on a chair and seating itself across from Maggie.
"Yuck." was Rick's only comment to that, all though he grinned as he dried his face.
Maggie eyed the funny animal as it sat on its hunches on the chair with both forelegs and half chest/belly up on the table. "Interesting animal." She commented. "Is it yours?"
"Hell no." Rick answered behind the counter. "I don't know who it belongs to. All though I assume it's the Boss'. It just comes and goes now and then, mostly in the mornings like this." He shrugged. "Dunno."
"Weird." Maggie commented and sipped her coffee, eyeing the all black animal, save for some white marks on the tips on one of it's ears. "Never seen one like it before. It almost looks like some kind of wolf."
"A wolf?" The doubtful voice of the other came as a reply. "One big wolfie then." he chuckled, and Maggie shrugged.
"Ohoyah! Guests!"
Maggie almost jumped off her chair in surprise as none other than Xelloss' head popped around the doorframe into the kitchen, smiling as wide as ever. Rick spiked a couple of bacons on a fork.
"GOODmorning! How nice of you to drop by, Miss Milage!" Maggie smiled slightly shocked still, as the man jumped into the kitchen clad in a pair of cream-beige night-shirt pants, plus those pink bunny-slippers with matching pink bathrobe from chapter one. The one and only owner of the apartment, skyscraper, and other things better left alone... proceeded to smile and help himself to a cup of tea. Meanwhile the suddenly overly genki Mazoku was occupied with choosing what tea he wanted today, another figure appeared in the door.
"Why hi there Maggie, this is a surprise."
By the sound of her friend and boss' voice, Maggie smiled and turned to her, ready to say good morning and ask where'd she'd been. However, Maggie was a smart gal and upon seeing her boss clad only in her underwear and a over-sized T-shirt decorated with the silliest little pink chibi wolf in a New York Yankees cap, she made a quick equation and decided she could imagine the answer to that. So she settled for just saying "Good morning, Fi!" instead. Firia just smiled and returned the knowing glance her friend gave her while leaning on the bench beside the door.
"My, my, Ricky! Perhaps I did misjudge you! Maybe you're not THAT repressed huh? Hanging out here in the kitchen all alone with a nice available gal and showing flesh like that! Atta' boy!" Xelloss grinned from ear to ear meanwhile digging through the pile of different teas on a shelf. Rick almost dropped all the plates and glasses he was putting down on the table.
"Oh, shut up! All my other stuff's in the laundry!" the young man snapped back low, back to blushing. Firia grinned. Rick noticed and hugged the shirt around himself and retreated behind the counter again.
"It's NOT funny." he muttered. Xelloss looked up with a pained watery-eyed look.
"Whaaat! What's wrong with those boxers? You don't like my Christmas gift??!"
Rick felt ready to jump off the Golden Gate, the two females took one look at the boxers, Xelloss, and then at the same time thought "Figures".
Deciding not to push the subject further, Firia instead turned to Xelloss. "Got a cup there for me?" Xelloss cut his teasing of Rick and looked at her instead. He broke out in a smile. "Why, of course Fi-chan! What would you like? There's Earl Gray, Earl Gray Black, Lady Gray, Breakfast, Green China, T -- "
Ten minutes later Firia had made herself one on her own and stood sipping it by the side.
" -- Rose Garden, Fruitcake Yuletide Pot, Turkish Apple Tea, Jungle Mix,..."
"The Jungle Mix is out." a tired comment from Rick came from a corner. The Mazoku blinked and peeked into the bag.
"It is? How interesting. I never drink that. Who drinks that? Maybe it's WP-kun..." he trailed off. Everyone sweat-dropped.
"I'll just settle for my usual." Firia said and cleared her throat, to which Xelloss just answered OK! and took up one of the morning papers while still pondering the mystery of the Jungle Mix Tea.
"What a cute dog." Firia said as she sat down by the table and accepted one of the sandwiches from a plate which Rick just put down. The two youths agreed and Maggie let her friend in on the previous conversation when the lord of the house also happened to notice said animal.
Suddenly, a cute little pink bunny-slipper came flying and hit the dog/wolf front-square-center in the face with a loud smack. The animal let out a loud YIPE! as it tumbled to the floor when the chair fell backwards.
"WOLFPACK!! NO PAWS ON THE TABLE!!!" Xelloss hollered and threw his fist in the air. The wolf scrambled to its feet and dashed out of the kitchen, its master following close behind while cursing loudly. The three others stared at the door.
"And how can you drink that tea? It's DISGUSTING! Aren't you supposed to be doing something USEFUL, like assassinate someone, or at least BUGGING THE MAJESTIC?!" [11]
Some barking echoed back though the flat from the corridor.
"W-w-w-olfp-pack?" Rick managed to choke out as he leaned heavily on the counter. Then he turned green. Turning a shade of blue, the young man slowly sank down behind the counter. After a second or two, a loud moan could be heard. "My... life... suuuuuuuuuuucks!" Rick whimpered.
Firia felt confused, but suddenly Maggie giggled. "Guess you WERE right about his motives!" [12] She buried her face in her hand. Xelloss reentered the kitchen with an irate look. He put his hands on his hips and looked at Firia.
"There you have it! Youths today; NO sense of manners at all! What IS this world coming to?" Hmp-ing, he shook his head and returned to his tea. Taking a bite from her cheese sandwich, Firia sighed.
9:30 AM. Meanwhile the radio happily sang "Hey there, I'm Bobby Brown.." breakfast were proceeding at a steady pace in the Metallium scraper -- with the excused exception of a certain Mr. Wolfpack who were elsewhere, occupied with something uh, secret. And all across the globe, people where doing the same. - Minding their own business, as usual. Walking in a light rain beneath Notre Dame, a young girl were running late for evening class, while in a dark training hall beside the neighborhood 24h store in Chicago, two young men were busy dueling like there were to be no tomorrow. While the Big Apple kept rising along with the sun, another young man ignored it all and kept his green aqua-colored hair and head tucked safely between his knees, where he sat half asleep in a corner of a subway station. And somewhere completely different, a girl in front of her computer were asking herself what the HELL she was doing...
"Oh! Oh! Burning bacon, burning bacon!"
"Namagomi no baka, if you cut out bugging Rick I'm sure he would be much better at watching the food."
"But Fi-chan, it's so funny. He's just like Zel!"
"Don't push it. Pass me the biscuits... Thankx Mag."
"No problem. Btw, I thought you said Rick was like... like this other guy, what was his name; Re... Re-something? And, who's Zel?"
"Oh, Rezo? Ah, hai! Rezo-sama! Very nice guy I might add. Liked him. Zel? Oh well, he's just a stoned guy with an attitude problem. Oh yea, and he's the other one's great grandson."
"Stoned? He's on drugs?"
"No Mag, he's just STONE. Sort of."
"STONED?... Bwahahahahah!"
"Stone? Oh... Hey Fanny, that reminds me why I came here! They called from... -- "
"Rezo? -- My name is RICK! R-I-C-K! Which part of that is so hard to comprehend?"
"Geesh. You really are like 'em. All of them. Maybe it's the coffee and the lack of women. No breakfast but just sipping that darn coffee, and obsessive behavior to scare off all gals. Poor, poor boy, Ricky-kun! I SO do feel your pain with you! Really lovely it is, too."
"Hm? What'd you say Maggie, who called?"
"I can't believe I'd forget! They called from.. -- "
"STOP THAT! I'm NOT some Rezo-guy. My name is Rick. Rick! Got it? RICK!"
"My my, R-kun, hyperventilating is bad for you. Really. Then again, tearing at your hair ain't that good either..."
"What is with this morning! Why is everybody and everything AGAINST ME? To the Nine Hells and back, the Devil HIMSELF must be -- "
"Yes?"
.... A second of frozen silence. Then, the troubled young man carrying the name of Rick Gray screamed and whirled around to face the sudden interrupt, his heart doing a triple summersault with a twist and half a polka step inside his chest. He was met by the calm and waiting face of a youthful fair-skinned man with black hair and a hint at a well-trimmed beard framing his sharp chin. Yellow slitted eyes blinked and looked wondering at Rick, from behind a pair of shock-red John Lennon sunglasses. Twirling lightly at the handle of the open and scorn umbrella which was slung over his shoulder, the man stretched up slightly where he sat, making the interesting suit he wore even more eye-catching. -- Pitch-black, decorated with little neon-green glowing dollar marks and neon-red anarchist-A:s. He also wore a nice red cravat, gloves, and nice black shiny shoes. Oh yea, by the way, he was also sitting in mid air. Indeed, the author agrees with Rick; a strange morning.
"I must be what?" the weird man asked, politely with a sharp-fanged smile.
Rick just stared. Firia just stared. Maggie just stared. Xelloss flipped up his personal pocket agenda and looked through it, scratching his head.
"Ano.... It's not Sunday today, is it?" Mr. Metallium asked a bit confused. Firia looked at Xelloss, hesitantly.
"It's Monday." The weird black-haired man agreed cheerily and Xelloss gave him a strange look.
"Monday? Oh! Goodie, I thought I had missed something." He snapped his finger and then happily resumed his smiling again. "Can't wait 'til next Sunday, Hell-kun?" Everybody except Xelloss and the new guy gave exchanged strange glances and looked from said business lord to strange new guy, and back again.
"Oh, I was just passing by. And you know, -- Speak of the Devil ..." 'Hell-kun' grinned and threw a thumb in Rick's general direction. As a reply, Xelloss giggled merrily.
"Why, Mei-ou-kun! You naughty boy, you almost scared poor Rick to your domain and back!" both men laughed merrily again, and Rick who was standing between the two felt righteously nervous. Firia fell off her chair with a loud THUD.
"Mei-ou? MEI-OU?!" [13]
Now everybody stared at Firia instead. "Hai?" Xelloss asked. "I need some people on post, you know. Can't do everything by myself Fi-chan. I'm not as young as I used to be, ne?" By the last statement the Mazoku sniffled and got a wicked sentimental expression. "And sure ain't getting any younger either." He sighed and proceeded to stare down his teacup with a worn face. Putting the whole I-feel-old-scene on ignore, Firia commenced to glare at Mr. Hellmaster 2.0 instead. He just smiled disgustingly sexily innocent at her and waved back.
After a while, Xelloss was still stuck in the sentimental state of pondering his existence (a.k.a. mentally making notes to check for gray hairs), Rick was still standing by the stove not knowing what to do, Mei-ou 2.0 sat smiling in the air, and Firia and Maggie were drinking their tea respective coffee by the kitchen table. Hell-kun checked the watch on his wrist. He blinked out, and blinked in again behind Xelloss. This time standing upright, on the floor. He tapped the other Mazoku's shoulder.
"Oy, Juu-sama. You know what they say, -- the best wines are those who only get better and better for every decade. And this is for you; finally tracked down those runaways." The black-haired Mazoku ginned as he handed over an envelope to his master... or whatever. Xelloss blinked his eyes back to reality and squinted at the gift.
"Khan were running around in western Germany for no apparent reason at all, ol' Jack we found transfixed in the back of a stripper's bar in SoHo, London. Figures, ne? And good ol' Alex were haunting NASA... Guess he still can't give up on conquering the stars, tehe." [14]
Breaking out in a wide grin, Xel patted Hell-kun on the head. "My, good work!(for once..)" The younger man grinned and took a bow.
"Next Sunday then!"
Xelloss smiled and waved. "Hai! And boot out dear Count Dracie, okay? He always cheats when we play Bridge!"
"Will do!" And the Hellmaster 2.0 disappeared in a puff of smoke, no less.
"Aw. My tea's cold." Remaining Mazoku commented out of the blue.
Weird, weird, weird. Three words to describe this morning. And by the looks of things, if wasn't about to get any better. No, we couldn't have that -- NORMAL stuff happen, now could we? After the interesting encounter with the weirdo with the burnt umbrella, nothing more unexpected had occurred and Maggie had finally been able to say what she came to tell. Apparently, someone over at R#8, the secret -- or at least not official -- science-laboratory-whatever, had tried to reach both Mr. Metallium and Ms. Conner, but came up zero on both. (and we know why, don't we) Eventually, the hotel personal at Firia/Fanny and Maggie's hotel had contacted Maggie instead when Ms. Conner was nowhere to be found. The personal at R#8 had some interesting news to deliver. The recovered artifacts of the Conner/Atlantis-dig had been securely taken care of, and the strange blocks of black stone which were brought back, were showing remarkable progress. As wanted, they had melted. The resident patient locked in room 7 had also shown progress, and was thought to be able to awaken safely whenever it suited best.
Not that either Maggie herself or Rick understood anything of that message, it sounded interesting. The both of them had by Firia been let in on the whole story of the Mazoku, Ruyzuku/Dragons, the Kouma Wars, the Last War, and all the rest, so that they would understand their "boss'" behavior a little better. They had NOT been told just WHAT the two ancient beings were after with the dig though, except for helping the world back on its feet more or less. Xelloss' only comment had been "Every war and epic story needs its Heroes! Ne, Ricky-kun?". In either case, when they had finally got the message, panic had arisen. A short while. After the first two minutes of screaming, both Mazoku and Dragon united in departing to said research center in about an hour, so each person would have enough time to get ready.
Weird, weird, weird. Wrapping the white luxurious towel around his hips, Rick threw those cursed boxer shorts in the laundry basket. Peeking out from his little servant's quarters inside the Metallium Flat, he checked if the coast was clear. Making his way through the living room to the shower, a voice interrupted him.
"See? That's a nice body. Can you imagine why he can't get any girlfriends?"
Rick froze. And turned... to see Xelloss sitting merrily and newly showered in the sofa, and the two females sitting by a table fully dressed and ready to go. Not that Rick was a slow-go at getting ready, but Xelloss had prompted in occupying the bathroom/shower twice as long as usual. At least it left Rick with some time to get some clean clothes ready. Xelloss greeted his young assistant with a cheery grin.
"My god, he's blushing so hard and is so angry it looks like he's glowing red." Maggie said quietly in stunned awe.
Firia twirled her glass of soda slightly nervous. "Let's hope that's what it is...."
"My, Rick. You really should watch your blood pressure. One of these days you'll have an heart attack."
"I'LL DIE OF INSANITY BEFORE THAN, BECAUSE OF YOU!!"
Firia sighed and massaged her temples. Xelloss sure was all back in his best annoying mood all right.
"Did I upset you? Aw, but I was just asking a sincere question to the ladies!"
"I. So. Hate. You!"
"Really?" Xel blinked and then broke out in a sugar-cute smile and twinkled his eyes. "Aw, Ricky-kun! Hate is the backside of LOVE, I'm SO happy!"
"FLAAAAARE ARROW!!!!!!"
BLAM!
"Weeee! Ssssmookin'!"
Having been thrown off their chairs by the explosion, Firia and Maggie stared wide-eyed at a very crispy-looking Xelloss as he smiled and puffed out some smoke before the sofa collapsed to burning ashes. Standing butt-naked save for a towel around his hips, Rick Grey breathed harshly and let out a growl as he reclaimed some posture. He threw out an arm and pointed at his Boss.
"Now that should teach you to -- " He trailed off as he for the first time seemed to actually notice what just happened. The crispy shape of Xelloss blinked and looked at him, the two girls stared at him... Rick Grey screamed and hid behind the nearest corner.
"Oh. My. GOD!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??!! HOW? WHAT? HELP! Did I? Did I just? I didn't? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE?!"
"Now, now, feel all better? See, it's good to let out some smoke now and then Ricky-kun." Xelloss said, still smiling wide. He wrinkled his nose and sneezed, spreading a little more ashes around. Rick who peeked around the corner looked helplessly lost. Firia decided to butt in.
"Why don't you just take that shower, Rick?" The young man hesitated slightly, apologized and started to sneak off towards the bathroom again. Firia and Maggie crawled up from the floor and the dragon lady gave her business partner a long accusing look. Motioning for her friend to go and make their stuff ready, she bent over to the Mazoku in the burning ex-sofa on the floor.
"You don't feel there's something you've forgotten to tell me, asshole?" She hissed, but only got a cheery "Hm?" in return as Xelloss motioned to his ears and all the ash there. Grumbling, Firia folded her arms and walked up to Maggie instead.
"Ahoya, Ricky, don't be sorry. I'll just pull this sofa from your pay OK?"
Rick who just was about to exit the living room on his way to that shower, made a screeching halt and paled.
"It's ok, really! I'll just get another one. Of course, it was an original, so it'll be kind of difficult I guess, but ah, I am not the one to bother my friends with that. Naw. Actually I WAS sort of planning on getting a new sofa anyway. I had thought I would give this one to you, Rick! It was a very nice sofa, ne? Chicks loved it, too. It could have been GREAT help for you, Ricky-kun! Then again, one of course have to invite of ladies home first, I mean, otherwise it doesn't matter, no? You never do that. Why'd you never do that anyway? You really SHOULD try getting some girls, I mean -- "
Firia looked at Rick, then at Xelloss. Then at Rick again.
"Xelloss..?" She tried nervously, but was totally overlooked by the babbling Mazoku.
Rick's eyebrow twitched in pace with Xelloss' talking. Enough was enough... His mind was one chaotic mess. One part were shocked beyond belief, another just mad as hell and imagining all the different ways it wanted to kill that crispy bastard, another were trying to figure out what actually going on. Oh well, he had started to listen, might as well continue down that suggested way now. Just a matter of choosing pathway. The left was tempting, but the right sounded more sane and less far-etched. Yes.
" -- really, really need to relax. One shouldn't let little experience stop oneself! Especially when one is in such a need of a grirlfr -- "
In all anime, there's this funny little sound effect sometimes that occurs whenever a character snaps a nerve. This is most often followed by that cute little red cross-mark on said character's head. This time, the sound effect went like a fire alarm and the cross on Rick's temple was almost larger than his head. To hell with sanity for now! Rick's self decided and shut down the whole idea of common sense and choose the left suggestion. Rick's boss grinned happily at him. Rick opened one angry yellow left eye and glared bloody murder back at him.
Wait a minute. A yellow eye? [15] Firia summarized the situation, grabbed Maggie, screamed "Holy shit! RUN!" and bolted for the front door in EXTREME haste.
The CNN's first guess explanation, was a terrorist attack. Those damn terrorists. What IS the world coming to?
[11] - well-discussed supposed 'secret agency' in the states, linked to everything from president-murders, cover-ups, and UFOs... X-files n' stuff.
[12] - chapter#8, Rick said to Maggie about Wolfpack: "It feels like he wants to eat me."
[13] - Mei-ou = Underworld King, a.k.a. Hellmaster. THE Hellmaster were Phibiritzo, who Lina/L.O.N destroyed at the ending of Slayers NEXT.
[14] - just some historical guys who perhaps would have gone to Hell for their deeds...
[15] - does the thought end of Slayers First Season, make any connections easier?