Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ The Hope Diamond ❯ Magnopolis - 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Name: Androgene

Website: http://www.angelfire.com/space/noir13

Email: androgene@lycos.com

Title: The Hope Diamond: Magnopolis - One

Summary: It was said that certain gems are cursed and brings only misfortunes. What if these cursed gems are creatures of magic? Can one love a cursed gem and live happily ever after? YohjixAya/Ran, TakatorixAya/Ran.

Date of completion: 11 February 2002

Date of revision: 23 February 2002

Category: AU, fantasy, drama, angst, action, yaoi, shounen-ai

Rating: NC-17

Warning: Yaoi!!!

Author's comments:

This fic is directly inspired by these sources:

1) First and foremost, thanks to Lady Gackt's fan arts. Her renditions of Aya are so well drawn that I actually itched to write a fanfic. He looks both exotic and sexy.

2) The opening sequence for Weiss series, where we see Aya against the full moon, looking rather unearthly and coldly beautiful.

I thought he looks like a gleaming gem and coupled with what we know of his personality, I think he fits the description of a gem to a tee. Personification and analogy.

This is as AU as I can possibly get for Weiss. I didn't want them in a medieval world of magic. So this is what I came up with. A today's world of technology and magic. Believe it or not, this world was inspired by an episode of 'Crusade'. Making magic and tech stuff work believably together should be an interesting challenge.

This is also my first attempt at using the first-person voice. I have never done that and I really never liked it. But for some reasons, I keep seeing the story through Yohji's POV in my head *scowls at Yohji* (What? What did I do?) I'm unused to writing in first-person so Yohji may seem OOC and there are probably tons of tense and grammar mistakes as well. Please go easy on this ficcie; I'm still trying to get the voice right.

Disclaimer:

All characters belong to their creators. WeiB Kreuz™ is created by Takehito Koyasu and Project WeiB. I don't own them and I don't profit from using these characters.

Magnopolis

Welcome to the city of the modern world.

The most awe-inspiring and densely populated city in the world, it nestles between the majestic mountain range to the north and the vast ocean to the south, hugging the Three Sisters - rivers that snake through the city-country and breathe life even into the most desolated corner. Skyscrapers soar to the skies, as though to challenge the blue azure heavens for immortality. At night, the city lights blanket the ground like a generous scattering of precious gems threaded together by the gleaming silver of the Three Sisters.

This is the city that never sleeps, a melting pot of the fabulously rich and the despairing poor. The government rules at the sufferance of the three oligopolies - the Kritiker & Co, the Takatori Incorporation and the Estet Foundation. Corruption is rife as the oligopolies play endless games of politics and corporate intrigue. They are rivals and in their power games, they hold the entire city in their three grips.

Welcome to the city of science and magic.

Nowhere else in the world can one find a modern city so accepting of the magic crafts. It is a haven of some sort for the Techno-Mages driven from their homelands by people fearful of their talents. It is a city where its people and scientists are not only tolerant of magic but also flaunt their acceptance to the world.

This is a city that measures personal status not only by wealth but also by magical power. For the people of the city, to have a child gifted in the Mage Arts is a guaranteed ticket to a better lifestyle and higher-class level. The echelon of the rich and powerful families searches for and hires powerful Techno-Mages for protection and status symbols.

For the Techno-Mages, the symbol of ultimate power is the creation of Gems - the rarest and most beautiful of all magical creations, cursed but gives their creators immeasurable power. Only ten Gems were ever successfully created in the history of this world and the current Gem belong to Reiji Takatori.

Welcome to the city of decadence and intrigue.

Welcome to Magnopolis.

Chapter One

Morning dawns like it always does - a fog that had rolled in from the ocean during the night and now hangs low over the city. The fog will dissipate as the sun climbs higher but for now, I stand on the sidewalk, blearily soaking in the peace and quiet of the sleepy neighborhood of Lower Westend while having my morning smoke.

My name is Yohji Kudoh - Yohji to the female and a selected male population of Magnopolis, and Kudoh to the rest. If you are interested, I'm blond, twenty-three, good-looking and good in bed. This early in the morning usually finds me sound asleep in my bed, having my well-deserved rest after a night out with whomever I chose to accompany.

But not today.

Today, I have to open shop with Ken Hidaka, taking over little Omi who has a test in school today. Which is the reason why I'm up at the ungodly hour of eight in the morning. I yawn expansively, leaning against the broom in my hands. What I will not give for coffee right about now.

"You look like you need this."

I smell the offering before I see it - a steaming mug of coffee held in Ken's hand. Oh bless his soul for knowing my craving. How can anyone stay awake this early in the day without caffeine is incomprehensible. I must have a really comical expression of relief on my face for Ken is grinning.

"You're welcomed," he tells me.

"I hate mornings."

"You kidding? It's the best part of the day!"

I glare at Kenken from behind my shades. "You're a freak, you know that?"

"Sure I do," Ken answers easily.

And it's not a lie.

Although Kenken looks human on the outside, save for his sheathed claws, my brunette friend is actually a Crossbreed - a child of the human world and the Otherworld. Such unions are rare and usually end tragically; Ken's life is no different. His parents died mysteriously and he grew up in a human orphanage that hardly knew how to deal with a Crossbreed child, especially if the child has Hunter blood in him.

The Hunters are an elusive and dangerous race that lives in the Otherworld. They are very fierce and very territorial, notorious for killing anyone who strayed into their lands. They are a proud people and hold little love for other races, in particular humans. So Ken's existence is not only an oddity but also a scandal among them.

Ken's life is more difficult than most Crossbreeds. He didn't know who his human family was and the Hunters refused to acknowledge him. That bred a lot of confusion and rage in a young emotional boy who already lacked the necessary guidance for his feral Hunter nature. He told me that he often got into trouble when he was a boy, venting his rage and frustration on everyone and everything around him. Once he even almost beat the school bully to death.

But that was before Persia took him in and taught him how to check the ruthless bloodthirsty nature of the Hunter with his kinder gentler side. Persia also trained him to be a Weiss assassin, giving him that necessary outlet for his bloodlust, yet making sure he stays under control.

Compared to him, I had it easy. My mum was a drunk and my father ran off with another women when I was five. I spent my childhood fighting in the 'hood. I considered myself lucky to be spotted by a mage who sponsored me to a mage school. He effectively gave me a way out of poverty. Not many from the 'hood are so fortunate.

Coffee in hand, I sit down in one of the picnic chairs we have outside our shop. A look at the broom in my hand and a quick muttered word, and soon I'm relaxing while the broom springs into action, sweeping the sidewalk without aid.

"That's a flagrant use of magic," Ken observes.

I smirk at him. "Hey, why work when you don't have to?"

He rolls his eyes.

For a Techno-Mage, Class-A, the highest level in the mage society, this is indeed a blatant display of power. Even for a Class-G, the lowest ranking level, it is still excessive. But I'm Yohji Kudoh - excessiveness is my middle name. And because I'm an assassin in the dark, I'm required to downplay my powers, dampening it so much so I will read as an insignificant Class-G. So how else am I going to flaunt my talents? Dampening my powers is a hassle, but I don't mind. I'm not like those Class-As who use their powers only for the very rich and charges exorbitant prices for their services.

"Mou," I look up as the youngest of our trio exits the shop, wearing his uniform and schoolbag in hand. Omi Tsukiyono gives me a disapproving look. "Yohji-kun, you're supposed to sweep the sidewalk, not get the broom to do it for you."

"What's the difference? The broom still gets to be used."

Omi sighs. "You're incorrigible."

"Thank you."

"How's your head?" Ken asks him.

The fifteen-year-old (too goddamn young to be an assassin, in my opinion) boy smiles brilliantly at Ken. "The migraine's gone. Thanks for last night."

"Just don't push yourself so hard next time," Ken warns. "We may not be around to take care of you."

"Hai."

Omi is a Techno-Mage as well, Class-C, though I suspect he will reach Class-A when he grows older and his power matures. The boy is also a Jack (short for Jack-of-all-Trades). He has the talent to learn new skills fast and use them very well. Which is why in Weiss, he's our mission leader and strategist, plus hacker and main shareholder of the flower shop. To add to his resume, he's also a boy still schooling. His Jack ability comes with a price, however. Omi has crippling migraines when he pushes himself too hard and too much.

"Got to run," Omi said as he wheels out his motorbike. "See you after school. Bye!"

Both of us watch as the teenaged boy takes off on his birthday gift from the both of us. Sure he is under legal age to ride a motorbike, but Omi can drive a goddamned trunk with no problems. Legality is simply a matter of rules (just break it with a fake ID), maturity on the other hand…let's just say Omi is a more responsible driver than some adults out there.

That boy is our little pseudo-family's pride and joy. If there's someone who can keep smiling and be optimistic even in the worst of times, then Omi Tsukiyono is your man, or kid, whatever.

"Get up, Yohji. Time to open shop!" Ken declares cheerily.

"Just a few more minutes." I'm not moving until I grab some doze time.

"Yohji, you wouldn't want to disappoint the girls now, would you?"

Damn him for using my weak point against me. It's not my fault that I can't help flirting with a female when I see one. Well, I do flirt with guys that I find extremely good-looking too (hey, I'm bi, so sue me), but I always have to be careful with men. Some men, even if they are gay, take offense to such advances.

"Up, Yohji!"

"Alright, alright." Who knows Kenken can be such a drill sergeant. A snap of my fingers and I de-magick the broom, taking it in with me.

Koneko no Sumu Ie opens at nine on the dot. The name actually means 'Kitten in the House'. Fun name for a flower shop but you have to ask Omi why he chose that name. Like always, our shop is rapidly filled with the usual bunch of schoolgirls all eager to flirt with their favorite florists. Think boy bands and their screaming fans and you get the picture. I'm flattered with all the attention, really, though I wish the girls were older. Yohji Kudoh does not date girls under eighteen. They make me feel like a cradle-snatcher.

It is nearly eleven when I see Michiru-san, standing outside our shop with a friend, looking so lost and so heartbroken that the chivalrous me feels compelled to help her. I push my way through the crowd to her side, wondering what could possibly hurt a cheerful girl like her so much.

"Ohayo, Michiru-san. Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Her boyfriend Masato died in a terrible car accident a few days ago," Michiru's friend explains quietly. "This car came out of nowhere and crashed into his bike right in front of her."

Damn…what a way to lose that special someone in your life. I too have lost someone special to me under terrible circumstances and I could empathize what Michiru-san is going through. I met Michiru's boyfriend before and I liked him. He was so good to her that it made me wondered if I would ever find someone special again. I'm no stranger to painful loss and if my experience is anything to go by, Michiru-san is most probably still in shock and despair.

I gather a tiny amount of magic and with a sleight-of-hand, produce a bunch of snowdrops for her. She blinks at the sight of the fully bloomed flowers, as though snapping out of whatever gloomy thoughts she had been immersed in.

"For you," I say with a charming smile. "To lift your spirits."

Slowly, Michiru-san accepts the flowers, smiling if still somewhat sadly. "Arigato."

"Mou, why is Yohji-kun giving her flowers?" I hear a schoolgirl asks jealously behind me.

"Michiru-san is a regular customer of ours, unlike those who only came to look," Ken's answer is pointed. "Don't you girls have to go to school?"

* * *

The rest of the day passes uneventfully - if one can call being harassed by starry-eyed under-aged schoolgirls throughout the whole afternoon uneventful. Nevertheless, with Omi returning (finally!) to work the noon shift, we have the crowd under better control and the day passes quickly enough for us poor harried florists.

I lean against the counter, eyeing Ken as he slumps into a chair while Omi gently chases out the last of the reluctant schoolgirls.

"At last," he sighs. "I thought they would never leave."

"Tired already, Kenken? What happened to that vaunted Hunter stamina?" I just have to rub it in, giving him my come-hither suggestive look. "Or do you need something to perk you up?"

"Yohji!" Ken blushes a bright red at my innuendo even though after three years of working and killing together, he should be used to my ways by now.

But I have to admit, getting a rise out of Ken is always fun.

"Ciao people," I take off my apron and heads for the back staircase that leads to our shared apartment. "I have a date tonight."

"Good riddance," I hear Ken said under his breath. Then louder, "Don't call me Kenken!"

"Yohji, matte." Omi calls.

I turn back and see the red-haired woman dressed in a red skirt suit standing behind Omi, and I know at once all my plans for tonight is shot to pieces.

"Good evening, minna."

Her name is Manx, one of the many secretaries for our boss Persia, head of Kritiker & Co. She is the contact for Weiss - the real identity of this bunch of florists. Don't underestimate this sophisticated lady. She may not have any mage talents but she is still one of the most dangerous females I have ever come across.

I sigh but nevertheless change direction to the basement mission room. "You have lousy timing, Manx."

Minutes later, we have made ourselves comfortable in the mission room. Manx distributes the mission packages and slips a tape into the VCR. We watch the usual silhouetted figure of our boss briefing us through the tape and flip through our mission packages.

It's a straightforward mission.

Days ago, a four-men gang by the name of Sukaruku murdered a group of journalists who had stumbled upon some industrial secrets. Investigations indicate that the Sukaruku is currently targeting a computer whiz whose boyfriend - an innocent bystander - had been accidentally killed during a vicious car chase. Their goal is to retrieve information that seemed to have fallen into her possession. And catch this, the computer whiz turns out to be our Michiru-san. Small world, eh? Weiss' mission is to kill the Sukaruku, make sure Michiru-san stays safe and the information is delivered to Kritiker.

Simple really. Easy too. We should be able to get this case wrapped in a week.

"So are all of you in?" Manx asks.

"Of course," Ken says.

"It looks like a simple mission. But don't be fooled. They may be just hired murderers but the people behind them are the ones with the power and resources. And chances are their clients are Kritiker's rivals. Watch out for surprises."

"Understood." From the sound of his voice, Omi is clearly elsewhere in his mind, already plotting out our mission plan.

"Good luck." Manx heads for the stairs. "I'll let myself out."

I don't think Omi has heard her leave. He looks up at us and says, "We need to put surveillance on Michiru-san."

"Leave that to me." Surveillance is my forte. I have a mirror in my bedroom made especially for that purpose. "They need to pay for making a pretty girl cry."

* * *

After three days of surveillance, Weiss finds out why the Sukaruku had not carried out their gruesome task yet. It's the usual double-cross game - make use of Michiru-san to hack the contents of the disk and then use the information to blackmail their employee. I give them points for creativity but not intelligence. These people have no idea who they are up against. Then again, neither does Weiss but the point is we're not the ones planning the double-cross.

"So what's the plan?" I ask Omi while still keeping an eye on the scene inside my mirror. "That Kimura will not leave her alone until he gets what he wants."

"Don't forget the other three are still hidden," Ken reminds.

"We have to bait them," Omi decides. "Somehow lure them to an isolated area where they will not hold back."

I look at them and they look me. I don't know about the look on my face but both Ken and Omi have the same 'light bulb' expression. I smile benevolently. "Look like I can look forward to an unscheduled holiday."

* * *

An accountant living in Eastside ostentatiously owns the log villa up in the mountains. In reality, it is co-owned by the three of us. We couldn't put our name on the title deed since we are legally dead. Since it's nearly a year we last vacationed there, we had to stop at the town at the foot of the mountain to buy supplies in the supermarket. At least Ken and Omi are; I'm simply waiting by the magazine racks. If I have to cook, it's for my date.

I glance over the racks of magazines, noting in particular the latest Playboy and FHM issues. Very eye-catching models on the front cover. How in the world they manage to keep those flimsy pieces of cloth half-on their bodies without straps or ties boggles the mind. The world of women's fashion is magic in its own right.

Then I see him.

At first it is just a glimpse of orange from the corner of my eye. When I turn my gaze to follow the color, I see the most beautiful man I have come across in some years.

Tall but not too tall, lithely built and compact muscles - muscular without bulging and still sleek in form, at least from what I can see despite that horrid orange (argh!) sweater and blue jeans. His short hair is this rich dark red color that set off very nicely against his fair skin. Funny eartails but it suits him somehow. Nice features too, masculine and delicate at the same time.

Beautiful, just…beautiful and Yohji Kudoh is a connoisseur of beauty.

I watch him for several minutes, noting his grace and economy of movements. The man makes grocery-shopping looks like a dance and I am getting too curious to watch him dance alone from afar. What he needs is a partner and I'm more than willing to volunteer. I follow the man to the fresh fruits section, timing my movement to his so as to 'accidentally' reach for the same apple at the same time.

"Sorry," I smile apologetically.

The man glares at me. Itai. Such a fierce cold glare but it gives me the chance to notice that his eyes are an odd but beautiful shade of purple. I also notice the long slim piece of gold earring dangling from his right ear. I judge that he's roughly about twenty to twenty-one.

"Here, you can have this one." I offer the apple. "There's plenty more to choose from."

To my surprise, he looks offended by my suggestion. Instead of taking me up on my offer, he chooses to select another apple instead. By this time, he has my interest firmly hooked. He rebuffs me and that, coupled with his looks, only draws me on further. I like a challenge and he's turning out to be an intriguing one.

"My name's Yohji Kudoh. You can call me Yohji. What's yours?"

He ignores me.

"You going up into the mountains?" I ask casually, polishing the apple on my sweater.

The man gives me a wary look. "Hai."

I like his voice instantly. It is this rich deep voice that I'm sure make very sexy sounds in the bedroom.

"Vacation?"

"None of your business."

Any other people will have taken that as a hint to back off and go away but not me. The harder they try to get away, the more determined I am to get them. I fall into step beside him, noting idly that he's only about half a head shorter than me.

"I'm heading up to the mountains as well with two other friends. Maybe we can get together some evenings."

"Why would you invite a total stranger over?"

"Because it's no fun vacationing alone?"

It's a shot in the dark but apparently I seem to have hit some nerve. I watch in fascination as surprise, cold anger and suspicion flare in his purple eyes. Just as quickly, an ice wall slams down and I'm looking into an opaque gaze that remind me uneasily of cold hard gems.

"Relax," I say gently. "You just don't look the type to mix around. And the contents of your basket is a dead giveaway."

He gives me one last suspicious glare and moves off.

I follow him around the supermarket, making small talk and suggestions to his purchases, attempting to draw him out. Mostly he ignores me but that doesn't faze me in the slightest. Some people just need a little more working on than others. For some strange reasons, I can't seem to keep away from him. He is simply fascinating. Aloof, graceful and beautiful, shrouded in mystery and ice, he has my complete attention.

"There you are," Omi suddenly appears from out of nowhere. "Come on, we got to go already!"

"Five minutes more. I'll meet you at the car."

"Mou," Omi pouted but the smart boy spots the focus of my attention and knows at once he is intruding upon a 'Yohji-at-work' moment. No doubt he also remembers the last time he interrupted me. Wisely he retreats.

The man gives me this inscrutable look and turns back to the shelves of pasta. "Your friends are waiting."

"They can wait," I shrug carelessly. I lean against the shelves and flash him my killer smile. "I haven't got your name yet."

"I don't mix with strangers."

"Now that can't be applied to me. After all I introduced myself to you."

The man sighs, one delicately shaped hand reaching up to massage the bridge of his nose. Bingo! I got him. The Yohji's charm never fails.

"If I tell you my name, will you leave me alone?"

"Sure." I'm more than fine with the exchange. There's no way I'm going to push it further than that. I'm on a mission and it's stupid to involve innocent bystanders. "So what's your name?"

"…Aya."

"Aya," I roll the sound, tasting it. What's he doing with a girl's name? But it does suit him. "Beautiful, just like you."

To my delight, a faint pink mount his cheeks though he still keeps his gaze firmly fixed on the shelves of pasta. Oh too beautiful, he even wears a blush well. Grinning broadly, I wink a goodbye at him.

"See you around, beautiful Aya."

I walk off, feeling very pleased with myself. The look on Aya's face when I call him 'beautiful' is worth the effort.

* * *

So far the first stage of the plan proceeded without a hitch. We manage to get Michiru-san and Kimura into our log cabin where we, or rather I, proceed to put them at ease by playing the perfect host. Now it's time for the second stage and we watch quietly from our hiding places the scene playing out before us.

I have to admit that Kimura is very convincing, telling smooth lies from behind the mask of a harmless bookish student. He almost had me believing in his sincerity if I hadn't seen him unmasked during one surveillance shift. It's remarkable how the dark and cruel emotions could twist that handsomeness into an ugly face of cruelty. There were times during my surveillance I was tempted to strike him through my mirror. Michiru-san does not deserve -

Grr…that Slimy. Manipulative. Bastard. Trying to steal a kiss while she is still emotionally vulnerable.

Unforgivable.

I watch and wait, seething a little in my hiding place. I dearly want to start the party early but as field leader, I have my responsibilities. I toy absently with my watch, feeling the power thrumming within it under my gloved fingers. While most Techno-Mages prefer staffs and canes, I use a watch instead. It's unobtrusive and common enough to be easily replaced.

Then it is time to spring our trap.

A quick word and the lights go out, casting the cabin into darkness. I point my watch-clad hand in the gang's direction and gesture. Immediately, a line of magic shimmers into existence and flies silently through the air towards one of the four targets. With ease, I garrote and hang him. Outside the balcony, Omi had cast an ofuda-bolt, taking down another. He leaps down from the tree and hurries over to Michiru-san's laptop.

"Is it the right one?" I ask him, scanning the horizon for Ken.

"Hai. All we need to do now is to deliver -"

Both of us feel the surge of magic at the same time Michiru-san's laptop suddenly dies.

"What the hell? Bombay!"

"I'm all right," Omi says tersely. "But Michiru-san's laptop has been wiped. Everything, including the information in the disk, is gone!"

Well, shit.

I scan the horizon again. A Techno-Mage is in the vicinity, no doubt about it. And in all likelihood, he is sent by the enemy to clean up the mess. Which means Ken, the only non Techno-Mage among us, is running into more danger than he knows.

"Never mind about that now," I tell Omi. "We have to back Siberian."

"But what about Michiru-san?"

Oh yeah, right. I almost forgot. "Put her inside a protective circle and join me ASAP."

"Hai!"

I take off, chanting a quick spell to enable me to run lightly on top of the snow. It will take time for Omi to erect the protective circle but I hope he will not take too long. We may need his power before the night is out.

Ken has been given the most difficult job among us three. Because of his superior Hunter physical attributes and preternatural senses, he was assigned the arduous task of luring the targets into the wilderness and finishing them off. I find Ken just when he is delivering the killing blow to the third target. Ken wears sleeveless for a good reason; both his clawed hands are bloodied to the elbows.

He looks up when I burst into the clearing. "What's wrong?"

"Change of plan. Enemy TM."

"So the last target stays alive?" he asks as we both run after said target.

"Yeah. He may know something important." Needless to say this catch will compensate for the loss of the disk too.

We emerge from the trees to see Kimura on the slope, confronting someone standing at the top of the hill. The full moon gives us a clear view of the stranger.

He is tall and clad in a dark maroon trench coat. The moonlight reflects off the buckles on his coat and the black sheath of the sword he carries. The lower half of his face is covered with a black metallic mask; the moonlight leaches the ruby brilliance from his red hair. He stares down at Kimura, seemingly unaware of our presence. I don't have to see his face to sense the cold contempt.

The mere sight of him sends shivers down my spine. He practically reeks of power - magic power raw and wild. I have never, never felt anything even close to this before. Wild magic burns; no Techno-Mage in his right mind would voluntarily wield wild magic. So who the hell is he?

With a growl that startles me from my momentary hesitation, Ken lunges for the target, trying to get to him before the stranger can. A beat behind, I head straight for the stranger, preparing an offensive spell. Still we are too late.

The stranger's speed is too fast to follow. One minute he is standing there, the next he has cut down Kimura. He spins round, bringing his bloody katana up to defend himself from Ken's attack. Ken is good in close-combat fights. But he is still vulnerable against a bare sword.

"Siberian, duck!" I hear Omi shout.

Ken promptly leaps out of the way as Omi launches several ofudas at the stranger. His paper-charms glow as they slice through the air. Slashes appearing in the stranger's trench coat as he crouches low to avoid the attack, and the ground around him explodes from the impact of the ofudas. I speak two words and gesture towards the stranger, feeling the surge of power in my watch. Several lines of power appear in the air, shimmering as I cast them at the stranger, binding him so tightly in their coils that he falls to his knees, katana clattering to the snowy ground. Since all our targets are dead and the disk gone, we will have to deliver this stranger to Kritiker instead.

"Don't move. Those lines cut."

Vivid gem-bright amethyst eyes glare at me from beneath the tousled ruby hair. Those eyes are cold and fierce, hard and glittering. And just like that, I know at once, whoever he is, he is not a Techno-Mage.

The magic surge is almost unsurprising. I sense the raw power rushing through my lines towards me and hastily released the lines in the nick of time. Sparks of magic flare in the night air, dying away quickly, as the stranger grabs his katana and springs to his feet. Before we can react, he takes a step sideways and vanishes into thin air.

We stare in silence at the empty spot for a long moment.

"Is everyone all right?" Omi asks finally. "Siberian? Balinese?"

I nod an affirmative.

"Who the hell is that?" Ken grunts, absently licking his clawed hands clean.

"A Techno-Mage?" Omi looks at me uncertainly. He must have felt the same strangeness about the man as well.

"Don't know." I refuse to say anything further. At least not until I have talk to Manx. Right now, all I know is the stranger is most definitely not a Techno-Mage, so let's leave it at that.

Author's postscript notes:

Confused? Feel as though you have stepped into the Twilight Zone? Don't fret; this is just the beginning. Things should get more interesting as we go along *grin*

I'm sure it's clear to all just who that stranger is and he is *gasp* playing for the opposing team. I'm having so much fun.

I have no idea what flowers Omi gave to Michiru in the first episode, so I pick snowdrops, which seem to have the right meaning. If someone could help me out there, I'll be grateful.

Ofuda - Japanese term for paper charms or wards, similar to Chinese 'fu'

Itai - Ouch