Fall of the Spectrum

Chapter Twenty, Part One

"Cheer up, will you?" Cife visibly flinched when he spoke, though neither Kizah nor Misa did more than glance his way. "I'm just as disappointed as you are, but look at it this way—he may not be able to restore them like the girl can, but at least we have a tracker of our own."

"Yeah, except now that the council's used whatever mumbo-jumbo they have to hide the ones we didn't get to steal from them, he's pretty much useless." Misa leaned against the temple wall, folding her arms across her chest with a scowl. "I don't get it, boss. What's the point in keeping him around? Unless... You're not actually going to give him what he wants, are you?"

He shot her an annoyed glance, then tilted his head to the side, considering. "I haven't made up my mind just yet, but possibly."

"But why?" Both Kizah and Cife shied away when Reeves turned his burning glare on Misa, as if to distance themselves from their more foolish counterpart.

"As I recall, Misa, you answer to me," he growled, "not the other way around. If I decide to honour Lucas's request, then it's because I find it to my benefit. The only thing you should concern yourself with is your usefulness to me. What do you suppose would happen to your brothers if I were to rid myself of you?"

Iridescence danced across the surface of Misa's inky black skin, gold-flecked violet eyes widening fearfully, though the heavy scarring of the right prevented it from being more than half the size of the left. She wasn't the only one to react to Reeves' veiled threat. Kizah made a choking sound in the back of his throat, Cife cowering behind him with a muffled whimper.

Misa visibly swallowed, her throat working repeatedly as she struggled to get words out, but they never came. Reeves let her sweat a moment or two longer before deigning to speak again.

"Fortunately for you, I do require your services still." He didn't bother telling either of the three Akuma that the threat had been empty; that even after their strength and skills were no longer needed, he wouldn't do away with them. After all, who knew what the future held? Even if ("when", he corrected himself) he and Iris succeeded in their plans, there would always be others vying for power, for control of the very things they had fought so long and hard to take for themselves. If and when that day came, having loyal servants already at his beck and call would come in handy.

"I-I'm sorry, Master Reeves." Misa dropped to one knee with her head bowed, her voice quavering. "Forgive me. It won't happen again."

"Humility, Misa? How very unlike you." Reeves allowed himself a small smile when she glanced up, noticing the subtle trembling of her lower lip. "I could get used to this, but I know it won't last long. All right, get up. Just remember who's calling the shots here, and we'll get along just fine. Got it?"

Misa started to reply when a swirling mass of black suddenly appeared, drifting in and around the temple at hurricane speeds before coming to a stop directly in front of Reeves' throne. Waving Misa off to the side, Reeves got to his feet, red tinting his vision for but a moment before clearing again.

"Took you long enough," he reprimanded the shadows. A dozen or more crowded in front of him, shoving one another in their eagerness to be first in giving him their news. "Well? Did you find them?"

One of the larger shadows, rotund as the middle-aged man Reeves had stolen it from, made its way to the front of the jostling crowd. "No, master...but news...Sitri's forces..."

Reeves listened to the shadow's fragmented hissing a moment longer, frowning. "Members of the Fifth Unit? When? Where?"

"Yesterday...within the borders of Ohio. Possible gateway to another realm...intercepted with artifacts..."

Fragmented as the shadow's speech was, it didn't take much for Reeves to piece it all together. It was obvious that the council had intended for their operatives to hide the restored artifacts from him, though whether they knew exactly what he would do with them once he got his hands on them was unclear.

Nor did it matter. The only thing that did matter was that, in their attempt to thwart him yet again, they had forgotten one simple fact: Iris and Reeves weren't the only ambitious generals in Apophis's army.

Of course, this didn't help Reeves, either.

The last thing we need is Sitri interfering in our affairs. He released a long, slow breath, then asked, "So not only has Sitri captured Fifth Unit operatives, but he has the artifacts as well? You're sure of this?"

"Affirmative," the shadow replied, the others behind it surging and writhing with impatience. "We saw it with our own eyes. The five artifacts are being guarded by Sitri, himself."

"There's more, master." Three more shadows tumbled forward, rolling up the steps toward him like an oily wave. "The guardian...and girl...coming here."

Reeves perked up at this, studying the shadowy mass with renewed interest. "Oh they are, are they?" He cast a meaningful glance at the three Akuma, Cife still cowering behind Kizah with Misa just off to their right, not daring to meet his gaze. Feeling the corner of his lip twitching upward, he returned his attention to the shadows. "It seems we didn't hide our trail as carefully as we thought. I suppose it was only a matter of time, but no matter—we can play this to our advantage."

He snapped his fingers twice, the gathered shadows retreating a few steps on either side in order to let the Akuma pass, all three standing at attention.

"Kizah, go fetch Lucas. It seems we have further use of his talents today, after all."

The large Akuma gave a deferential bow of his head, and with barely a rustle of his long coat against stone steps, he vanished into thin air.

Reeves turned to Cife next. "I want you to go to each one of the guard posts. Inform them that they aren't to raise the alarm when they see the girl and guardian approaching. I want them on standby." He flicked his fingers at six of the shadows nearest to him. "Accompany him. As soon as the girl has made it beyond the second gate, send word to me at once."

Cife stammered a "Yes, sir!" and took off like a shot, vibrant red hair trailing behind him like a pennant as he disappeared through the copse of trees bordering the left side of the temple, all six shadows following close behind.

Giving the rest of his shadows a dismissive wave with the order to return to their stations, he turned to Misa. Short, platinum locks fell across her scarred eye before she brushed them aside, her gaze caught somewhere between apprehensive and expectant.

"No need to look so worried, Misa." He gave her a wry grin. "I have a very special job for you, little hellcat. Do it right and I'll see that Lady Iris rewards you and your brothers well."

Misa seemed to perk up a bit at this, the wariness in her eyes giving way to a hungry gleam. "Of course, Master Reeves. What are your orders?"

Reeves told her. In the blink of an eye, Misa was gone, leaving Reeves to stare up at the storm clouds overhead, his mouth pulling into a wide grin at the first growl of thunder.

Get ready, you council dogs. There's a storm coming. He chuckled grimly and closed his eyes, savouring the feeling as the first icy droplets of rain struck his cheeks. And once it's here, not even your all-powerful Zeus will be able to stop it.

*