Alpha X

A few knocks at the door caused Raviel to get up and open it to find Jinsoku and Tara. Tara shoved Raviel on her way in. As a response, Raviel tripped Tara. The two usually treated each other in this manner. Tara laughed as she approached Kara.

“She’s the paralyzed one?” Tara asked, examining Kara. “This definitely was meant to wear off shortly. Won’t take more than a minute or two.”

“So Jinsoku Sensei, what is the plan for catching that mad man?” Noroi asked.

“I don’t have one.” Jinsoku answered.

“I do. We need to -” Raviel started, before being interrupted.

“We need to corner him and restrain him. Kobura can change bodies should he die, so he wont be afraid of a fight. We need to beat him down until he can’t continue, without killing him, and restrain him. The hard part will be transferring him back to a prison.” Karai explained, cutting Raviel off. Karai glared at Raviel. “And we need to do it without tripping over our own feet.”

“If you must know the floor was iced over. If you weren’t busy getting your ass kicked by Sirus you would have seen me catch myself and flip back to my feet.” Raviel explained, glaring at Karai.

“Doesn’t change the fact that you fucked up. If Sirus hadn’t used his wormhole to get us all out of there, who the hell knows what would have happened? We aren’t dealing with some thugs or a group of mercenaries! We’re dealing with the Band of Three! And let me remind you that the last time you fought one, Hitsugaya put you in the freaking hospital!” Karai exploded, approaching Raviel. “I don’t know why Jinsoku would waste his time with a nothing like you when he has talent such as myself. God, you’re more pathetic than Noroi!”

“Hey!” Noroi shouted.

“I’ll admit, I messed up. I slid on the ice. I should have been more aware of the situation before jumping in. I let my feelings cloud my judgment. However, correct me if I’m wrong, but you did the exact same thing when you went after Sirus.” Raviel responded calmly. A few coughs are heard, which caught Raviel’s attention. Kara sat up, coughing.

“Who are you people?” Kara asked.
“We are the group of soldiers that attacked Kobura’s palace. Sirus brought us all here.” Jinsoku explained, approaching Kara.

“Where is Sirus? I heard most of what was happening.” Kara questioned.

“He went home.” Raviel answered.

“Maybe you should go home too. We’d be better without you.” Karai snapped at Raviel. Tara looked at Raviel, then at Karai, then back at Raviel.

“I see what’s going on here. Sexual tension. Come on guys, let’s let these two get about two minutes of private time, should be more than enough time for Raviel.” Tara joked. Raviel glared at her. “Okay, okay, three minutes.” Tara said as she walked passed Raviel. Raviel lightly shoved her, causing them to both laugh.

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“Kobura let him go! It’s me you want, isn’t it?!” Sirus screamed, his anger boiling.

“Oh my my my look at this. Is big daddy getting upset that his precious son is in the hands of the next ruler of the world? Maybe daddy doesn’t want his son to live in such a world.” Kobura taunted.

“Don’t you dare harm him!” Sirus yelled.

“You just don’t get it, do you Sirus? This thing, between you and I? It didn’t start this morning when you felt me calling to you from outside the city. It didn’t start when you and I passed each other in the halls yesterday. It didn’t start when I told Mikoto that if he doesn’t give you to me then Slieza will retaliate. No no no my boy, this thing between us? This has been an entire lifetime that we’ve been destined to meet. To be…” Kobura looked up, pinching his fingers together. “…one.”

“You’re insane!” Hina yelled. “Your plan will fail! Sirus won't be your puppet!”

“Oh silly girl. Silly silly girl. You both don’t seem to realize that everything in Sirus’s life has led to this moment. I found you in the deserts nineteen years ago. I brought you here, where you would be under the discipline of Mikoto and your defiant attitude would take shape. This is where you would be denied any kind of companionship, and where your cold heart would grow. Hina, right?” Kobura asked, now looking back at the two. “Does Sirus love you?”

“Of course he does! We wouldn’t be a family if he didn’t!” Hina told Kobura, confidence in her voice.
“Oh really? Are you sure this…" Kobura lifted Akura by his arm, waking Akura and causing him to cry. “…insect isn’t the only thing keeping the two of you together? Do you truly think he loves you, or is it out of sympathy, knowing he got you outcast from your own home, and knowing your stuck with this vermin, that he stays?” Sirus was silent. “You see, my dear girl, if it wasn’t for this thing, Sirus could realize his full potential. Sirus could become a god among men, and deep down he knows it. I know that you know it too. You are holding Sirus back. The more you hold him back, the more frustrated he gets.”

Hina’s rage was at a boiling point. Her mind was swirling around this concept. Does Sirus really love her, or is it really because of Akura? They fight, but don’t all couples? Out of the corner of her eye, Hina glared at Sirus. After everything she had learned about Sirus today, maybe Kobura was telling the truth. People like Sirus are incapable of love. Hina closed her eyes as a tear dropped. Hina’s mind was reversed when she felt Sirus’s hand grabbing her own. She was letting Kobura into her head.

“So my question, Sirus, is do you know your own secret?” Kobura returned Akura to his left arm and cradled the child. Kobura approached Sirus and Hina. “It is obvious young Hina knows, probably from Mikoto telling her your secret.” Kobura told Sirus, putting his index finger on Hina’s chin and pushing up lightly. Kobura then stepped back to the crib. “Just read her mind, and learn what dear old Mikoto has kept secret from you for so long.”

“Sirus don’t! I promise you, I will tell you, but not now! Not while this mad man gets into our heads! All he needs is for you to let your anger get ahead of you! I promise you, I will tell you everything.” Hina exclaimed in a panic.

“Start talking.” Sirus said sternly, releasing Hina‘s hand. Hina, however, was silent.

“This isn’t something that you are ready to learn, not while Kobura is here.” Hina tried to explain. Sirus closed his eyes; his frustration obvious. Hina grabbed Sirus’s hand again. “Please…”

“Oh boy oh boy! So you mean I can ruin all of this by revealing a small little secret about Sirus? A secret that will, of course, change his whole life. Boy oh boy, maybe it’s time for you to learn a little more about yourself.” Kobura grinned.

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“So… Kara is it? Mind explaining what these are?” Jinsoku asked, approaching the table with the documents scattered across them.
“Well… I’m not a citizen of Lino Shi. I am a spy from Hisakata, sent here to gather intel on Lino Shi, incase a war is to break out.” Kara explained, approaching the table. “But my real purpose for coming here was for these.” Kara grabbed a few documents from the table about Kyoukei Udukei. “This man murdered my mother, and the majority of my family. Sirus gave me everything that Lino Shi has on Kyoukei, along with documents for Hisakata, so they don’t brand me a failure.”

“So doesn’t this mean we should arrest you?” Noroi chimed in.

“Slieza is afraid of war on two fronts. If I return to Hisakata early, they will know a war has broken out in Lino Shi. Hisakata and Slieza are mortal enemies, and that will unite our two governments, at least for the war. By letting me return to Hisakata, Lino Shi stands the chance of not only getting an ally, but a chance for survival.” Kara explained.

“Kara’s right. Slieza’s army is powerful enough to tear us apart. They proved it already in their first invasion. Even if the majority of the Lino Shi army wasn’t here, the fact still remains we got destroyed. Morale is going to be down and a lot of soldiers are already dead. We need Hisakata’s army.” Yuki said, stepping forward. Jinsoku looked down, thinking.

“Plus sensei, if we turn Kara in, we make Sirus into a wanted man for treason.” Karai said.

“We need Sirus for the counter attack. Sirus has worked with Kobura while under his control; he may know things about the army. More importantly, he may know Slieza’s offensive plans. If we imprison her, we will likely cause a war with Hisakata once Kara’s mission return date is over.” Yuki explained. Jinsoku nodded, showing agreement.

“We never saw anything here today, on the condition that Kara returns all the documents Sirus stole, excluding anything on Kyoukei.” Jinsoku said, looking up.

“If I return to Hisakata without anything, they will brand me a failure. I don’t know if they will back up Lino Shi without any intel.” Kara explained.

“That’s a necessary risk. Hisakata is a country founded on keeping peace. If you return, telling them Slieza is invading Lino Shi, they are likely to help us.” Jinsoku replied.

“Actually we may be able to finish this war quickly. With Sirus’s ability to wormhole small assaults, we can easily capture Kobura and slay the Band of Three.” Yuki explained.

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Kobura was looking down at Akura, cradling him. “Everything in your life has been by my hand, because I have wanted to mold you into the warrior you have become. I have, either directly or indirectly, influenced your every action. I brought you here knowing full well you’d blame Noroi for the death of your parents. However, Sirus, would you like to know the truth?” Kobura asked, looking up at Sirus. “When I found you, and all the power inside you, I killed your mother. Funniest part of it, she trusted me, as your godfather.”

Sirus was about to explode. Sirus ran at Kobura, whom quickly sidestepped as Sirus crashed into Akura’s crib. Sirus’s back was hurting but he didn’t let it bother him.

“I think it’s time for your control to end. Its time for you to learn a secret. On your back is a curse. It’s a little bit of my soul bound to your body. What does it mean? It means that when your rage gets to the point where you can no longer control your actions, that curse will take over. You will attack everything and everyone, as long as the curse controls you. Then, after just a few hours, you…” Kobura hissed. “…will be mine. There is only one thing between you, and me.”

Kobura held up Akura and pulled a knife out of his pocket quickly. Faster than Sirus could react, Kobura tossed the baby into the air and sliced his throat. The baby dropped to the floor. Sirus’s anger got to be too much, and his tattoo started spreading, down his arm where it was visible from under his shirt. Sirus couldn’t control his body anymore, and Kobura just stood back and smirked.