Ai No Kusabi Fan Fiction ❯ Forever Caged ❯ Chapter 31 ( Chapter 31 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Ai No Kusabi nor do I make any money from this fanfic. But I do own all the original peeps that I've chosen to invade the AnK world.
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Iason/Riki, Raoul/Katze, Original characters and novel character pairings.
Parts: 31 of ?

 

Edited by the lovely Scarlet Tigress

 

 

~~**Forever Caged**~~

Niko glowered from his respective corner at the smug overbearing Blondie that sat eating the breakfast he had been forced to re-cook three times before the perfect bastard was satisfied.

It's bad enough that I'm invading another Furniture's territory, Niko thought as Sir Gabriel's Furniture glared at him from the kitchen doorway. Niko didn't like dealing with the older generation of Furniture. The life expectancy of Furniture depended largely on how well they were able to kiss, not just their master's ass, but that of the pets their masters kept. Considering how ill mannered and spoiled most pets were and how much they usually loved to get innocent Furniture in trouble with their masters, his people were disposed of rather quickly. The ones that had been able to last managed to do so with a gargantuan superiority complex. They loved to lord over the younger Furniture, just like Sir Gabriel's Furniture had done to him since he entered the Lazan household last night.

Yesterday, Niko had been surprised and horrified when he had seen the perfect aristocratic face of Sir Gabriel on the other side of his master's door. He had even stood there in a stupor, starring at the Blondie, until Master Raoul came to see why he hadn't announced the Blondie's presence.

“You'll be working in Sir Gabriel's household for two months Niko. You'll sleep there as well and have all your meals there.”

Unable to refuse, Niko had tried to plead with his master using his eyes…any way to make him understand that he didn't want to go. He wasn't sure what he had done to warrant such a cruel punishment. The little mischievous things that he had done, without his master knowing, were minor. He had never done anything to merit calling Sir Gabriel down upon his head. His eyes filled with well-practiced tears, Niko had turned to look at Katze for help… Unfortunately that same morning he had thought it would be fun to hide all of the mongrel's shirts with the pretence that they were all being laundered and replaced them with frilly blouses. The red-head, to say the least, had not been pleased with his little joke…so he had no help from him, not that Katze knew how much of a hated foe Sir Gabriel was to him.

Master Raoul hadn't seemed pleased about the change, which made Niko happy. The quiet cold indifference his master showed would have been convincing to everyone except for him. Unlike the great majority of Elites, Niko was proud to say, his master was a very passionate person. If Raoul was acting so cold, it had to mean that Sir Gabriel had done something for Master Raoul; something to force his master to appease the Blondie…Niko just wished that the price hadn't been him.

The look of smug victory had Niko wincing, thinking about what the Blondie could do to him now that he had him in his clutches. All the “accidents” that had befallen the Elite, all while he had been around…Niko sighed. The Furniture was sure he would be hurting at the end of the two months, that was for sure.

Luckily for him (well if you could call it luck considering he was going to actually be living with the prig), Sir Gabriel had been called away by his Excellency almost as soon as they had arrived at his apartment. Thankfully the call came before the Blondie could start laying into him and the Elite had not returned.

“Is it common for you to ignore your master while he dines? A Furniture's duty is to always give their full attention to their owner.”

Bowing deeply Niko made a face at the Blondie. “You're correct Sir Gabriel, and with that correction I respectfully request leave so that I may attend my master.”

The clank of silverware being thrown down and the sound of a chair being shoved back forced Niko to look up and straighten. He fought not to sigh as the irritated Blondie strode up to him. Lowering his eyes, Niko took up a submissive stance.

Gabriel looked down at Raoul's Furniture angrily. For nearly eight years, since the boy was first introduced, he had an unnatural fascination with Niko. From their first meeting, when he looked into those deep blue sapphire eyes, the boy had angered him. Niko had done nothing to warrant such anger, but anger him he did.

Wherever Sir Gabriel was, it seemed that Niko was there also. Even if he didn't see him, Gabriel thought about him. Their silent little war infuriated him, but also made their next meeting even more exciting…made him anticipate it, which angered him more. His anger grew little by little as the days and years passed, especially when his requests to purchase Niko from Sir Raoul were continuously rejected. The sneaky little Furniture's constant reminders that he didn't belong to him only served to add fuel to the already raging fire within him.

Grasping Niko's delicate chin in his firm grip, Gabriel lifted that lovely face and commanded Niko to look up at him. The thrill that shivered down Gabriel's spine by having those indigo eyes locked onto him made his hold on the Furniture's jaw tighten, causing Niko to wince in pain.

Releasing him Gabriel jerked his chin to the table. “Clean that up and then attend to me in my suite.”

Making another face at the Blondie as he walked away, Niko rubbed his jaw as he walked to the table and began to wipe the designer eggs (the ones he had made extra fluffy as demanded) from the table. The food had spilled onto the polished wood during the Blondie's tissy fit. Niko was halfway through the task when he was shoved out of the way by Sir Gabriel's Furniture.

Bad enough I have to deal with an abusive, pigheaded, Elite, but I also have to deal with his asshole servant too, Niko thought as Sir Gabriel's Furniture took the rag from him hand and wiped the table himself. The other servant never stopped glaring at him. Shrugging his shoulders, Niko took the dishes to the kitchen and set them in the sink.

“NIKO!”

“Niko, Niko, Niko.” Niko mimicked under his breath as the Blondie shouted for him. Waiting a few seconds, enough to piss off the Blondie, but not enough to get himself into trouble, Niko turned to leave. Just as he was about to walk from the room, he paused spying something interesting on the countertop. Grinning almost evilly at the thought that crossed his mind, Niko took the little bottle he had used on the eggs and hid it in his pocket.

Walking into the Blondie's master suite, Niko curiously looked around. While not as large or as grand as his master's, the rooms were elegant. Deep blue comforters and pillows covered the bed with the same color also used on the window treatments and furniture.

“Have you found anything of interest?”

Turning, Niko's eyes widened and were quickly lowered when the naked form of Sir Gabriel appeared.

“Strange reaction. Do you not assist Sir Raoul in his bath?”

“My master is very self-sufficient and has no need of my services in that area.” Which was true, Niko had never once in all his years of service been needed to assist his high ranking Blondie master in personal needs such as dressing or bathing.

Gabriel felt strangely at ease knowing that Niko never saw Raoul in his birth state, the faint blush on those high cheek bones further evidence. “Well I do want assistance. Go and prepare the water.”

Eyes still lowered, Niko made his way into the luxurious bathroom and headed for the tub, turning on the water. Niko smiled when he saw the line of shampoos and liquid soaps. Making sure the Blondie was no where in sight, Niko quickly took the small bottle from his pocket and poured the contents in a pricy bottle of body wash. He shook it so that it would mix, giggling quietly to himself as he did it.

“What is taking you so long?”

Standing Niko bowed. “Forgive me Sir Gabriel. I was making sure the temperature of the water was right.”

Gabriel narrowed his eyes and began to circle the bowed Furniture before stopping in front of him and tapping his chin to lift his eyes to his. “Put my hair up. I don't wish to wash it this morning.”

“Yes Sir Gabriel.”

“When you are in my presence your will refer me as your master, Niko. Is that understood?” Gabriel demanded as Niko went to fetch a clip on the vanity.

Beh. Niko turned and smiled. “Yes. I understand.” Making sure his eyes didn't wander any lower then the Blondie's muscular chest and then his back when he went behind the Elite, Niko moved to put up his hair. The young Furniture bit his lip when the Blondie did not lower his towering height so that he could effectively reach his head.

Trying real hard not to sigh disrespectfully, Niko walked over and picked up the small seat in front of the vanity. Standing on it, Niko gathered the silky threads and piled the hair on top of the Blondie's head and then hopped off the stool and put it back where it belonged. “If that is all I, again, beg your leave to attend to master Raoul.” Niko said.

Tucking an errand lock behind his ear, Gabriel glared at Niko. “As I said before you will assist me with my bath- do not bow again!” Gabriel hissed as Niko began to bend at the waist, suspecting that the sneaky little Furniture was hiding his face from him for a reason whenever he did so.

“Forgive me, I mean only to give you my respect. I did not mean to offend.” Niko said as he unbuttoned his cuffs and began to roll his sleeves up.

“On the contrary I do believe you mean to offend me.” Gabriel whispered as he watched Niko's actions distastefully. “Stop.”

Confused Niko looked at the Blondie. “Forgive me if I misunderstood…but I thought you wanted me to bath you?”

“Disrobe.”

Shocked Niko froze. “P-pardon?” Niko stuttered.

Unsure where that demand came from, but curious none the less, and not about to take back his words, Gabriel once again began to circle the young Furniture. “Tell me Niko what kind of Furniture are you?” Gabriel asked softly behind the boy, whispering his question into a delicate shell shaped ear.

“I don't understand the questions.” Niko said leaning away from the breath that blew hot air onto his neck.

“How old are you Niko?”

“I-I will be twenty next month.”

“Umm…” Gabriel leaned closer, crowding the boy. “So you could have been one of the first couldn't you?”

Niko gulped. “First?”

Turning the boy around to face him Gabriel smiled. “In the experiment of seeing if chemically castrating a Furniture is the same as physically castrating one.”

Uncomfortable with the topic Niko fidgeted, he was indeed one of those experimental Furnitures. Once a month he injected himself with a drug that eliminated his sex drive and lowered his testosterone, he also had an implant no larger a match stick in his arm that released the same drug. The implant was somewhat redundant, but it released the drug in lower dosages that needed to be replaced only once every three years. He was also examined every two weeks to make sure the level of the drug was where it should be.

Gabriel grabbed Niko's arm and shoved his sleeve higher up his arm and almost caressingly touched the skin just above Niko's elbow before pressing down firmly to feel the rod of the implant. “So I was right.” Gabriel chuckled darkly then turned away and stepped into the half filled tub of hot water. Facing the troubled boy, Gabriel arrogantly waved his hand. “I said to disrobe and join me or do you expect me to wash my own back?”

Gabriel's grin slowly faded as every button Niko released exposed smooth, unblemished skin to his eyes. Jolts of something he had never felt before affected his lower body. In the back of his mind, Gabriel was glad that the water was high enough to cover his reaction to seeing Niko's naked flesh. Panting quietly, Gabriel swallowed as Niko unknowingly teased him by striping his shirt off of his shoulders slowly. Leaning forward Gabriel's teal eyes raked down Niko's toned chest and stomach. Opening his mouth, about to command the Furniture to stop his delaying and remove all of his clothing, Gabriel was interrupted by his own Furniture's cough. “What!” Gabriel growled.

Pulling his shirt back on quickly, Niko held the ends together as he faced the Blondie's Furniture, knowing that his face must be red from embarrassment.

“Forgive me for disturbing you in your bath master Gabriel, but Sir Raoul is on the line wanting to speak to his Furniture. He is asking why he is not back to attend to him.”

With heated eyes Gabriel `tsked' when his prey bowed to him and nearly ran out of his bathroom, his own Furniture right behind him. It was also the same moment that Gabriel realized that Niko had not once called him master, or even Sir Gabriel, since he had commanded him to.

Grabbing the bottle of body wash, Gabriel tsked again at his throbbing member. Squeezing a little of the soap in his hand, Gabriel began to wash himself, wincing in discomfort as he did so. Lifting his hand to wipe the sweat from his upper lip Gabriel blinked at his hand and then again before leaping out of the water and looking down at himself.

Niko had just closed the door behind him when he heard the Blondie scream his name. The call Sir Gabriel's Furniture said he had received from Master Raoul had been false. Angered by the vast amount of attention he had been receiving, the Blondie's Furniture had been threatened and wanted him out. Niko had been grateful. Jetting as fast as he could to the elevators, Niko fearfully kept looking behind him and rushed into the lift when the doors opened, hitting the close button repeatedly. He sighed in relief when the doors finally did close and there was still no sign of the Elite.

Dashing out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened to his master's floor, Niko almost sobbed at the three seconds it took for his apartment door to scan the Furniture identification tags he wore on his wrist. He leaned thankfully against the solid, unbreakable, totally safe doors when they closed behind him. Only then did Niko start to giggle, apparently Sir Gabriel had not appreciated his little joke.

Niko squeaked and jumped away when the doorbell began to chime repeatedly and a powerful fist literally shook the metal door with the force of its knock. Running further into the apartment, Niko stumbled when he saw Katze's frowning face seated in the living room. “Y-you- I-I wasn't here!” Niko hissed as he ran and hid out on the balcony.

Arching an elegant red brow, Katze slowly smiled as he saw that the sneaky little bastard's shirt was un-tucked and buttons crookedly mismatched. Tightening the belt of his silk robe Katze stood and walked to the front door, taking his time answering the person Niko had obviously pissed off. Whoever it was sounded like they were trying to break the door down the way they hammered at it. Opening the door, Katze swiftly got out of the way as an enraged Blondie stormed in.

“Where is he!”

Closing the door Katze, with his arm out stretched, silently invited the Blondie to venture further into the apartment. Little shit really did it this time, Katze thought as he studied the elevated coloring of the Elite before him. “Sir Gabriel Lazan, if memory serves me correct me is it not?” Katze coolly asked as he sat back down on his spot on the sofa and offered the Elite a seat and a cup of coffee from the pot on the table. Both gestures were refused.

“Tell me where he is!”

“Is it Sir Raoul you are seeking?” Katze asked again, using a calm tone.

“Niko! I want to know where his is!”

Oh that little shit is going to owe me for this, Katze thought as he picked up his cup and took a sip, assessing how to go about calming the Elite down. Sir Gabriel began angrily pacing about the room. “I'm afraid Niko has not come home yet, Sir Gabriel. May I ask what he has done to warrant your unsettled state?”

Gabriel drew himself up straight as he eyed the cold, golden eyed beauty. Some of Gabriel's anger faded when he recognized the long-haired redhead. “You're his Excellency's ex-Furniture. What are you doing here in Sir Raoul's home and dressed so scandalously?” Gabriel demanded then widened his eyes as understanding came as he simultaneously spotted fresh love bites on the man's neck, as well as the flash of the pet tags on his ears.

“What are you doing here Gabriel?”

Gabriel turned to see Sir Raoul coming towards him dressed in a robe and holding a towel in his hand. Looking back and forth between the redhead and the Blondie, Gabriel only then noticed that Iason's ex-Furniture's hair was also damp.

The rumors are true, Gabriel thought as he continued to stare at the both of them.

“I will ask again. What are you doing here? Where is Niko?”

Reminded about why he came in the first place, the anger rose back with speed. “Your Furniture has-“ Gabriel stopped when he remembered he had an audience.

Katze stood demurely and walked out to the balcony.

“He dyed my hair blue!”

Looking over his shoulder, Katze frowned in confusion at the Blondie's perfect Bismuth Yellow locks. He did not understanding the Blondie's anger until the Elite motioned to his lower body. Katze could barely hold back a snicker. Walking out onto the empty balcony and closing the glass doors behind him, Katze took a cigarette from the pack he had left outside on the table and lit it. “You've been a bad boy Niko.” Katze whispered to the lump in the canopy above his head as he took a drag and chuckled. “I don't want to know how you accomplished what it is I think you did or how you got up there.”

“Is he still here?”

Katze turned and watched as Raoul nodded his head at what ever the Blondie said and then walked him to the door. “Looks like he's leaving now.”

Wide, dark blue eyes peeked down. “You swear?”

“Would I lie about this?” Katze asked innocently then sighed when those eyes filled with tears. “Knock off the tears. I know they're fake.” Katze poked at the lump above him sharply. “Get down.”

“Niko get down now.”

Niko scrambled to carefully get down when he heard his master's voice. Bowing his head in shame, Niko bit his lip. When his master still said nothing Niko peeked up to see Sir Raoul with a hand over his mouth and his shoulders shaking in laughter.

Raoul struggled to control his laughter at what his troublesome Furniture had done to Sir Gabriel. “You-“ Stopping Raoul tried again to speak without the huge grin. “What you have done Niko was bad and you should be punished.”

Katze's jaw dropped when Raoul turned and walked back into the apartment. “Wait. Is that all you're going to say? “You should be punished” that's it?”

Raoul smiled evilly. “The way I see it, Sir Gabriel is getting his just deserts in taking Niko into his home and while I don't approve of what Niko has done…“

“While you don't approve, you also don't disapprove.” Katze shook his head and flicked his un-smoked cigarette over the railing. “And you said Iason spoiled me.” Katze mumbled looking at Niko's happy expression.

Niko mentally rubbed his hands together, thinking of all the things he planned to do now that he had silently gained his master's approval to “play” with Sir Gabriel Lazan. Maybe these two months didn't have to be as painful as he thought. Niko giggled.

oOoOoOo

Iason paused as he heard running feet from the shared hallway of Sir Gabriel Lazan. It was clear someone was running even from behind the door in Sir Mikhale's apartment. Knowing that Raoul's Furniture, Niko, was serving the Blondie Architecture department head, Iason concluded that the light patters of frantic steps were indeed Niko. As Iason followed Mikhale's Furniture deeper into the Elite's apartment his sensitive hearing also picked up heavier steps chasing the lighter ones and Iason gave an amused chuckle, a tired one.

His meeting with Mikhale had been interrupted yesterday before it had even started. The moment Raoul left, he had been hounded with calls that hadn't ceased until three in the morning.

If Jupiter thought to hold him back in his search for Riki and the truth by disappearing then she failed to truly grasp what his capabilities were. He was tired, worn out and desperately needed to rest, but he had the strength to go on forever if need be. This trial was making him realize that there was much more to his abilities than he had ever been able to test… but the price paid to gain this experience had been too high.

“Master Mikhale is taking his morning tea out on the balcony, your Excellency.”

Iason followed the Furniture's out stretched hand to the open glass doors and made his way to them. Iason's target sat to the side, seated at a small delicately crafted metal table with tea set up for two. Iason sat down and picked up the cup, sipping at the hot tea. Iason hadn't contacted Mikhale to say that he would be stopping by, not the first time nor this time, which meant the Elite had known that sooner or later he would be coming.

“I wasn't sure if you added sweetener or not so I left it to you to decide.” Mikhale said softly.

Iason studied the Blondie's profile as he lowered his cup. Mikhale still hadn't looked in his direction yet. Instead he continued to look over the railing, cup in hand, watching the bustling streets below.

“I was expecting you to appear yesterday Sir Iason.”

Iason smiled. “Unfortunately, I was detained.”

“Yes, becoming the first Elite ruler…Your time must be in much more demand than before.”

“It is.” Iason said inclining his head elegantly in agreement, but as much in demand as his time was Iason waited as if he had nothing better to do then relax out in the morning sun, drinking a fragrant cup of tea.

“You must have questions do you not Sir Iason?”

Iason lifted his cup and took a sip.

“Aren't you wondering why I was the only one not to have called you? Why I wasn't wanting answers on why our creator felt the need to bless Orphe instead of leaving him to be ripped to shreds by the vicious tongues if our brethren, as she would have normally let happen?”

Iason raised a pale brow at that. It was true. Jupiter condoned physical violence amongst her children. Still, only uneducated primates that couldn't use higher functions resorted to putting their hands on one another with the purpose if doing bodily harm. The Elites knew that one did not have to touch something to destroy it.

Maybe that's why Elites in general were cruel, cold people. Born to a mother that whispered to them while they were in their artificial wombs that they were kings, gods even…it gave them a superiority complex whether it was deserving or not. Their natural instincts to hunt and kill were trampled down by cold hard logic, but the urges remained the same. Conditioned to feel nothing for hundreds of years, Jupiter had created a lion's den full of trapped and hungry predators that attacked their own kind at the first smell of blood.

“I never realized that I was lonely until I met Lilly.” Mikhale said, finally turning to look at Iason. “If I said that…I loved him…Would you believe me?”

Iason closed his eyes as his heart squeezed painfully at the bitter sweet words Mikhale sadly whispered, the same words he had once spoken to Raoul. That conversation now seemed like it had happened a decade ago.

Mikhale searched his leader's face and released the breath he had been holding once he found what he needed. Iason Mink didn't show any emotion or expression that could be read, but Mikhale felt that the Blondie did know what he meant. His leader, himself, had fought publicly to keep the wild black haired mongrel at his side, which was why he said it. It was also the first time he had spoken those words he had locked up deep inside himself out loud.

Mikhale returned his empty tea cup to its mate and folded his hands in his lap. “Twelve years ago I received a tip that an academy was conducting unregulated pet experiments. I had my people investigate this rumor and enough evidence was brought to me to show that they had indeed gone above what we Elites allowed.” Mikhale paused, but when Iason said nothing he continued.

“I acted swiftly and within half an hour all the pets, instructors and scientists were brought before me and executed on the spot, as we are taught to do if a human were to cross the line drawn for them. None in the group was worth sparing, so no mercy was given.”

That's were we would have differed, Iason thought. He would have first found out exactly what they were trying to accomplish by breaking the boundaries Jupiter set for all academies and pet scientists. He would have wanted to see how lucrative it would be if he allowed them to continue.

“…Correction, a selective few were kept alive for questioning. A merchant ship not bearing flight clearance had left Amoi ten minutes after I arrived…I failed to catch them.” Mikhale waited to see what his quiet leader would say to that. Failures, mistakes, those things weren't something that was tolerated amongst his kind. If it did happen, depending on the offence, Elites could explain it as a miscalculation and their perfect record would be black marked, but that was all the leeway they were given.

When Iason said nothing again Mikhale took a deep breath and continued. “Suffice it to say that I made sure no one found out about that failure. The two scientists and the Dean of the academy I kept alive for a whole day, but to the end they held tightly to their secrets… till the very end.”

“You say they kept their secrets to the end, but you discovered what they had been doing didn't you?” Iason asked setting his delicate cup down and waving away Mikhale's silent offer for a refill.

“I personally found and took the journals of all the scientists and the Dean's when I left the school.”

“Really?” Iason asked tilting his head to the side. “Shouldn't you have burned everything to the ground, with the bodies, to set as an example to everyone?”

“I should have…But I'm sure you of all people can understand that curiosity is a hard thing to shake off once bitten by it.” Mikhale said giving Iason a pointed look.

Iason chuckled. “Yes, indeed.”

Sighing Mikhale continued. “After I permanently did away with my prisoners, I stored the journals away. I had conflicted feelings, if could label it as such, and it took me two long months before I opened them and read what was jotted down.”

“And you discovered?” Iason pressed.

“A world that our creator hid from us.” Mikhale said. “A search for species we, or I should say the ones that came before us, and Jupiter had exterminated from this world. The details are vague on why we did such a thing, destroying three separate species of humans. I only know that Jupiter has guarded this secret, kept it from us, for hundreds of years. She has been lying about our history for hundreds of years. Any human that was suspected of having any blood relation to any of these three races was hunted down.”

“And you kept this from me!” Iason hissed angered that the Blondie withheld such information from him. If he had known he would have been on guard, he would have known who his enemy was from the start and he could have been able to protect Riki better.

Mikhale gave Iason a look of disbelief. “Would you have listened to me? You, the favored, beloved, golden child of Jupiter? Back then if you heard one hint that Jupiter's name was being defamed, for any reason, the accused would have been brought forth and punished.” Mikhale shook his head. “I was alone in my discovery.”

Iason calmed. Mikhale was correct. If Riki hadn't entered his life and shook his devotion to their creator he would have still been that man who followed Jupiter's every command blindly. “What else did the journals say?” Iason asked instead of telling the Blondie to bring them to him. Mikhale would have long ago destroyed them but not until after committing each and every word to memory.

“The Dean's journal was of every pet that showed high potential in becoming a Blondie's pet, but there were entrees of one pet that stood out. A-92713. It was this pet's strange identification number caught my eye.”

Iason nodded. Normal pet codes consisted of two letters and three numbers. “A” being the highest quality, a random selection of numbers and then the sex of the pet. Riki's pet ID started with a Z because there was no classification for him, he was a mongrel.

“The Dean's journal just continued with that pet's achievements, but the scientists told of how this particular pet had been created from a stolen specimen twenty-five years ago. The specimen had come from an unknown person and was hidden, almost as if for them. It even came with detailed instructions and information on how to create him, as well as warnings. It also said that the sample was stolen from a secret laboratory hidden under our very noses.”

The corners of Iason's mouth hardened. By trading his furniture for a limited time, or so Raoul thinks, Raoul had been able to get his hands on the blue prints of Jupiter Tower. Sir Gabriel's personal blue prints. The Blondie had expertly drawn the layout of an underground facility beneath the tower. It had to be the lab Mikhale spoke of. “This specimen, what was said about it?” Iason asked.

“It was from a race called the Alasozi. It said that under no condition should a female be attempted to be created…but from what I read whatever information they had on the females of this species excited them. They wrote that if certain precautions were taken in creating a male with female characteristics…the creature might be easier to manage. And safety measures were created in the pet, just incase the dangers these other people that stole the sample proved to be true.”

Iason frowned. “What kind of safety measure?”

Mikhale turned away and looked back to the streets below. “They made it so that when his body matured, he would need a constant physical and sexual connection to another human. First stage without it, the creature would become weak and sick. Second stage is unfathomed pain and agony. Third stage is that the female characteristics that held his male instincts at bay would be broken and his need would take over making him into a wild animal. They theorized that the commotion he would cause would make him easer to find should he run away.”

Iason thought back to Mikhale's pet and the long list of pet performances Mikhale subjugated his pet and himself to. “Lilly is the experiment.” Iason said, treading carefully, speaking in calm tones and still the Blondie hissed and whipped his head towards him.

“Lilly is mine!”

“And I am not challenging your claim.” Iason said softly, thinking about his anger before when Gideon reported to him about the scandal on Hilio and feeling the tension that he had carried since he heard finally leave him. Riki had not betrayed him by giving his body to another.

“Remember the words you told me Iason? About my not taking Lilly's body as my own?”

Iason nodded.

“I used to take these pills.” Mikhale held up a clear bottle of little red pills. “I chemically castrated myself to keep me from taking him…”

Iason's eyes widened. “Why?” Iason demanded.

“The one thing that was in the journals, was that Jupiter created a link to us so that if and when we become sexually active, she would know. Knowing that Lilly was marked, with the skills he was created with, to be killed… I could not take the chance of Jupiter taking an interest in him and taking him away.”

Iason stood. He had heard all he needed to hear and also needed time to process all the information. “Gideon left yesterday to go to a planet that Riki and your Lilly was spotted on. When I receive word from him I will contact you.”

“Thank you Iason and Iason?”

Iason looked into the burning eyes of a starved Elite.

“Soon, once I get my department in order, I request leave to start my own search.”

Wishing he could do the same Iason nodded. “Once you have gotten to that point come to me first.” Turning. Iason walked away. He had learned nothing of Riki in the things Mikhale said…but more damning evidence against Jupiter.

oOoOoOo

Jupiter frowned as she once again failed to connect to the Nanites that had been injected, unknowingly, into Riki's body. The electric shocks had been enough to damage and even destroy a great number of the microscopic machines. She could only hope that they repaired themselves quickly so she could resume her surveillance of her treasured little creature.

“Jupiter?”

Turning to the soft, genteel call of her servant Jupiter glided down from the impressive height in her dome-like sanctuary. “From the questioning expression you have, it seems that you have a need to ask something of me.” Jupiter said softly.

“If it would not offend.”

“I have kept you as my confidant for a great many years Yasu. You may speak.”

“Why did you allow Riki to leave Amoi if he is so important?”

Mercury eyes blinked slowly as that cold face smiled. “A long time ago, when Riki's people were plentiful, we conducted experiments. We found that when males are reborn in captivity they wither and die not long after, but if set free of their chain they become stronger than ever. By setting Riki free before his rebirth he will start to feel at ease, be able to breath better, deeper. I have insured that he will live. ”

“And Sir Iason Mink?”

“It is for Iason that I do this.” Everything was for her children. Everything.

 

TBC….