"Can't summon, sir. He says their collective will is gone."
The tall older man stood facing the clear glass window; it took up the entire space of the eastern wall. He looked down at the dark, glittering city of Mecka Allo, the view from this zenith like God looking down from the heavens.
"What did the medical division say?" He did not look away from the window, but clasped his hands behind his back.
"The normal flux of brain activity he exhibits as a result of communication with the beasts have ceased. Other then that nothing is physically or mentally wrong…however," the younger man stood across the room from the window, folding each arm in such a way that each hand cupped the opposite elbow.
"If you have something on your mind Tenth…"
Tenth's voice took on a serious air, "I saw him lose total composure in front of a summoner child moments before he lost the ability to summon. I'm not worried about him becoming traitorous, I'm more concerned with training breakdown."
Meth turned away from the window, "What's your take on the matter?" Sitting down behind a large mahogany desk.
Gracefully, the dark clad young man glided to the desk, sitting on the edge between two crystal lamps at each corner of the desk. The gold light emitting from the lamps illuminated his face making visible the smile on his lips, "Training or not, the fact is without his ability to summon he's basically useless to us."
The older man pondered for a moment in silence then slowly leaned back in his creaking leather chair; "We'll cut our losses then. Tell the Ghri that he died in battle, to save face."
"And what about the money? Will they still give the grant they promised if your subject is dead?" asked Tenth as he whimsically lifted the corner of a file taking a peek at the contents.
Meth dropped his wrinkled hand on top of the file, closing it on Tenth before he could see too much and dragged it towards himself, "I'll deal with the Ghri. You can take care of our other problem."
"How very generous of you…" Tenth sounded amused, "But I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer, if I may?"
"You may…I assumed you above all would enjoy this task."
"Don't misunderstand my dear Director Meth, but everything has its proper place and time," His gaze shifted around the shaded office. Vast and richly decorated in deep violet curtains with dull gold cords, mahogany bookshelves leaning against forest green walls, little trinkets like a wall clock or an antique bust added to the superior feeling of the room. "Besides, there are other who are more deserving of this task then I."
"True… there are others," he gazed at the young man with curiosity. Knowing full well that this was all some little game in the mind of the black MAGE. However it didn't matter to him as the long as the job got done, the process in which it was handled was of no concern. "All right Tenth…have it your way."
"Thank you sir, I plan too," Tenth smiled warmly as he slid off the desk. He started to head for the door; "Shall I fetch him so that you may tell him personally?"
"Yes…do that."
The young man let out a small chuckle at Meth's business-like inhumanity, "Sometimes Meth, you are too cruel."
"That's how I got where I'm at today, Tenth." He slid on thin rimmed reading glasses and begun to read from the file, "You would do well to remember that."
"Yes sir…" Tenth left the office smiling.
~***~
Water rained down from faucet above, hot and steamy. Gently drumming his snowy head, drowning his hardened features. Mentally he knew how vulnerable he was like this, here in the white tiled shower room. With word out about today's incident anyone and everyone would be out for a piece of him. Though anyone who tried would be very sorry, Ashen was still a force to be reckoned with even without his destructive powers, and today was not the day to start shit with him.
Today…the word alone started the reel of events to replay in his mind. Slowly at first then gradually speeding into a barrage of opaque mental pictures. The village, the fires, the sun smothered by black smoke, the summoner child squeezing her battered bunny, her large red eyes looking at him with such confusion. Words, "Why do you do this?" So innocent and child-like, yet profound enough to cut any normal man to the bone. However, Ashen was not a normal man, to most he wasn't even considered human…possibly not even to himself.
Pain…he remembered the excruciating pain. The memory itself brought back a twinge, though vastly inferior to what ravaged him earlier. Even still he cringed; his outstretched arms braced the cold tiles just to keep upright. Was this when they left? Yes of course it was…but why? Why leave?
He pushed the question out of his mind it didn't matter anymore. If they wanted to leave, screw them, he didn't need them anyway. Maybe now he could finally finish a cigarette. His head slumped forward letting the water flow down his back before turning it off. Grabbing a towel from the rack and wrapped it around his waist. Eyes watching his hands securing the towel, paying no heed as he turned to leave. Quite abruptly he stopped, shock briefly flashing in his red eyes.
Tenth leaned against the doorpost in his normal fashion. The back of his head rested against the steel framing, slowly his face turned to Ashen, his two almond shaped eyes opened revealing their dark nature. Silence engulfed them, both curious to what the other was thinking; though deep down they both already knew the answer to their questions. The faucet dripped in the background, echoing loudly in the empty room.
Ashen's eyes narrowed, "He wants to see me, doesn't he?"
Amused Tenth smiled, "I didn't even have to tell you…" Languidly he walked away, "See you later, Ashen."
Ashen just stood there, something pinched the inside of his stomach as he watched the man leave.
~***~
Night was alive with city life; glittering lights, car horns blazing, idle chatter from people occupying crowded sidewalks. Ashen ignored it all, floating by with his hands stuffed in his pockets and a cool breeze playing in his hair. He was followed three men in black with big metal bracers on their wrists, making it look like they were a bunch of Dynasty members out for a beer, but in truth this wasn't the case.
What happened moments earlier played over in Ashen's mind. He was in Meth's shaded office, standing before his desk. It took the other man awhile to look up from his paperwork, taking off his reading glasses in the process then resting his elbows on the mahogany surface. His face was as emotionless as Ashen's.
"You wanted to see me?" asking to keep up the illusion of ignorance to what Meth's intentions were.
"Yes," He interlocked his hands and rested his chin against them, "As of seven-thirty this evening, it has been decided that you are to be executed."
"By the Ghri's orders?" Ashen for once asking genuinely.
"No, by mine," His eyes locked onto Ashen's, "What happened today and your apparent inability to summon has endangered the financial security of this project. Your death is to save face."
"So I'm to be a martyr for Dynasty?"
"If you would like to think of it as such," humor graced his voice briefly, "Ghri does enjoy the classic heroic death."
Ashen was silent his face remaining the same stoic expression since he had first entered.
"I trust you understand the importance of these orders, Ashen?" the youth nodded, "Good, very good…"
Heavy booted footfalls made known a new presence entering the room, accenting the arrival with the sound of knuckles cracking. Ashen turned his head slightly over his shoulder glimpsing the large shadowy figures behind him. He knew them to be with MAGE, he knew they also didn't like him very much, but not many folks did.
"These men will be your executioners, they will take you from here. You are dismissed, Goodbye Ashen," with that the Director slipped on his glasses and went back to his papers.
Suddenly a large hand gripped his shoulder tearing Ashen from his memories into the present. He stopped to see his reflection in the black curvaceous shades belonging to the large dark skinned man hovering over him.
"This way," He ordered in a deep baritone, shoving Ashen slightly into the dark alleyway.
At the end of the alleyway was a metal ladder leading up to a big hole in the iron gate the surrounded the entire city.
"You go first," the same man bark out. Ashen eyed him for a second before obeying
The spiraled tube was damp and smelled foul. A few inches of water lapped over their boots as they walked to the end of the tube. The sound of rushing water beckoned Ashen to look over the edge; either side of them was dirty water cascading into the sewage filled moat far below them. He remembered a rumor that the sewage leaked into a river that lead into Frontier territory, now realizing what they had in mind for his body.
He turned around only to be greeted with a heavy-handed fist to his gut, slumping to his knees he coughed to get back the air that was knocked out of him. That's when another brick-like fist connected with the right side of his face slamming him into the wall of the tube. He laid there trying to regain the strength to rise, his face half consumed by the foul water. The taste of salty blood in his mouth from a fresh cut on his lip. A rough hand gripped the back of his scalp forcing him to face his attacker. He clenched his jaw not letting them have the satisfaction of seeing him crying out in pain.
"Oh you ain't get'n off that easy punk," the man's voice dripped with venom, "You're gonna be fightin us just like you did with 9-ner!"
"Meth ordered you to kill me, so just get it over with," Ashen managed to rasp out.
"Did I say you could talk punk?!" he tugged hard on Ashen's hair, "Besides, Director Meth only said ta kill you, he didn't say how."
The man threw Ashen's head down. On his hands and knees Ashen began to notice pressure in his chest causing him to breathe harder then normal, it occurred to him that that first hit may have broken a rib.
"And who will kill me if you're all dead?"
Anger filled his voice, "Don't be so cocky punk! It's three against one and you're already fucked up!"
The bulky man moved to kick him in the ribs, but Ashen swiftly intercepted it. Quickly twisting it till a snap was heard then shoving him into his two companions. The man cried out in pain as Ashen slowly rose to his feet.
"Never underestimate me," He advised them with an icy glare.
"Gahh!" The man screamed holding his ankle, "Go GET HIM!"
The two other men rush towards Ashen, their fists streaking with blue flashes of electricity. Ashen moved his head to avoid the punch, grabbing the man's exposed arm at the elbow, and bent it in the wrong direction till it popped. Disposing of him with a merciless elbow to the kidneys sending him reeling into the wall of the tube, narrowly missing his comrade racing to the snowy-haired youth. The new assailant's hands were clasped high over his head ready to thrash on Ashen with their brute force, however the youth surprised him by dropping down in a sweep for his legs. The next thing he felt was pain as his head hit the hard rigged floor of the tube.
In his ears Ashen could hear a M.A.G. unit generating mass amounts of energy. Instantly he pounced on the chest of the man he had just knocked down, letting no limb of his own touch the ground. Quickly taking hold of both the man's arms and holding them down in the water. Each of the men, save Ashen, screamed in pain from the electrocution, passing out shortly after the energy went out in the M.A.G. units Ashen was controlling. Ashen would have been satisfied if it wasn't for the realization of what he did. For the dark skinned leader was gearing up for an ultimate strike against the youth, his hands glowing with prismatic light, but when unconsciousness over took him control of his unit was lost. Ashen could only watch as the light seared along the roof of the tube, eating away at the metal even after the energy in the unit was gone.
Things were quiet after that. Ashen cautiously got off the chest he was on, the other man who's elbow Ashen broke gingerly getting to his feet. Neither moving nor speaking for about a minute, then thinking it was safe the man took a small step towards Ashen. A loud creaking echoed in the tube as it lurched underneath them, but quickly stilled again. Ashen stood still breathing lightly his eyes slowly scanning the tube when his eyes fell on the man he had just stepped off of; he was sliding gradually towards the end of the tube. The other man must have seen it too because he took off running for the opening on the opposite end.
Suddenly the tube shook violently; creaking loudly crying into the night as it broke away from the iron gate. The world seemed to tilt at an angle; the two downed men fell past Ashen. The other man tried to grasp onto the tube fruitlessly, he was screaming but Ashen could not hear him. He was lost in the surreal weightlessness, like he was not a part of this at all. An alien watching an unfamiliar sky get further and further away.
Upon the rim of the iron gate stood Tenth, his raven locks waving in a cool breeze. An angel gazing at the destruction with a passive smile. Chunks of the flimsy metal tube fell away as it crashed into the grotesque waters. Water lapped at the debris after the splash had calmed.
He was there for awhile watching the bodies bubbling up, minus one. His dark eyes did not see Ashen's remains, which meant he was either pinned to the bottom…or. The prospects of a second option made him laugh secretly. He decided to leave before the noise caused by the crash drew a crowd. Softly he walked, his boots clanking lightly on the iron rim. He did not look at the debris again.
