There was a resounding crack as Tavores’ face was bathed in a sudden rush of blood. Seconds passed by sluggishly as if he were caught in some freakish dream. After a few minutes, he brought his shaking hand to his face, feeling the warm blood, which blanketed the bruised flesh. Breathing harshly, he slowly opened his eyes as he brought the red-stained hand before his face and stared in shock at the liquid flowing through his fingers. He was still alive? How could that be? Horrified, he hesitantly turned his head and moved his eyes to the side, taking in the sight of the his captor stretched out on the ground next to him, blood pouring from a fatal wound in his skull.

Confused, he became aware that his whole body was starting to go into convulsions, possibly from shock. He gripped his injured side and weakly dragged himself away from the fallen Chimera, pushing himself on his elbows. The sight of the dead man terrified him and he fought to get away from the body as quickly as possible. His breath caught in his throat as a deep chill encased his trembling form. A few beads of sweat trailed down his forehead and crashed to the ground as he panted. He was still only about a yard away from Lionelle’s prone form. Tavores grit his teeth and tried to pull himself even further away but he could feel his strength fading as his movements became slower and shaky.

As he moved his head to knock a stray strand of hair away from his eyes, which were starting to cloud over, he heard the faint rustle of grass as someone approached him. He gulped and looked up, his body tensing as he readied himself to attack whatever came upon him. "Not this time, friends," he warned, bracing himself on his arms.

Crimson eyes clashed with dark amethysts. Tavores’ widened in shock as his arms grew numb and he slammed into the ground. He struggled to push himself back up on his hands so that he could get a better look at the figure before him. It was Dominic. Tavores understood the boy’s reason for showing up. He had heard Lionelle’s previous taunt and now the Sun Guardian had come to take out his ex-partner before any more damage could be done. The red-haired youth was about to transform into the demon form and fight when a sharp command resounded in the back of his head.

<Don’t you dare touch him!>

Wonderful! Now, Lucian had decided to fight again. Where was he when he could have used him? How was he able to jump back into semi-reality anyway? Lucian wasn’t supposed to know what he was doing. Yet, it was clear that he did know this time. Not only that, he was trying to stop him from fulfilling the action he had in mind. This was not the time for him to interfere. Dominic had come to kill them. Couldn’t he understand that?

<Lucian, he’ll kill us! Why would he come here to help you when he swore that he would never work with the Guardians again? He thinks you betrayed Tyrell. Lionelle lied while he was chasing me. He has fooled Dominic. The Sun Guardian will shoot you too,> Tavores argued with his other self as an intense stab tore into his skull.

<I don’t care! Back off, Tavores!> Lucian’s conscience retorted, forcing its way back into control as Tavores shook his head as hard as he could.

<Didn’t you hear me? He’ll kill you! I’m not losing this body now. We just escaped from Lionelle. Are you that eager to die? I thought you enjoyed life.>

There was another rending sensation throughout his head. <I said BACK OFF! This is my body. I make the decisions.>

<Lucian, you can’t do this. Shira and Kathy….> the demon tried again, begging the other youth to listen to reason. He couldn’t let Lucian regain control. Dominic would kill him. Tavores wanted to either fight or run away. He knew Lucian would do neither. The reckless youth would wait and allow Dominic to make his final decision. That couldn’t happen. Didn’t Lucian understand that Dominic was no longer on his side? Whatever they had had before was gone now. They were no longer partners. Dominic had not come to help him at all.

<NOW!> his opposing ego fumed, sending a spike of splitting pain straight down Tavores’ skull. Tavores wailed in defeat and watched helplessly as his reincarnation’s conscience took dominance over their mind. His brown highlights vanished from Lucian’s blood-red eyes as the youth brought his torn shirt over his chest to hide his injuries as best as he could. It was a moot point since the whip had sheared off the lower half of the shirt anyway. He whirled around to his visitor and gave a fatigued smile.

"Hey, wolf-boy."

Before he could move, Dominic had rushed over to his side grabbing the fallen Guardian by the throat. Glaring angrily, he heaved him to his feet and slammed him against a nearby tree, creating an endless wave of pain for the younger boy. Lucian clenched his teeth tightly and tried not to faint as he felt the scratchy surface digging into the sores near his spine. He opened his mouth to speak but was immediately silenced as a dark object was suddenly shoved against his temple.

So Tavores had been telling the truth after all. Who would have thought? Dominic did plan on killing him. Well, he wasn’t in any real position to stop him. He was hurting too much to think straight. The fact that it was his ex-partner holding him at gunpoint was just making him even sicker. Dominic truly did hate him. He didn’t trust him at all. Dominic actually thought that he would betray the Keys. Was that what he thought of him? He was just a traitor in his eyes.

He had been so elated to set eyes on the other boy again and now this. All of his hopes had shattered just like his splintered spirit. Why had Tavores bothered to save them? Nobody wanted them. It made him want to scream. For weeks, he had imagined what it would be like if Dominic came back. Obviously, reality was way different than his fantasies. Still, he couldn’t say that he was that upset. At least, he got to see him again. So what if Dominic wanted to kill him, he was still here. Really here. He could be happy with that.

If Dominic believed he was a traitor, then maybe he really was. He had lost the trust of his charge and turned on his sister. Those were the actions of a traitor. If Dominic wanted to take his life, who was he to argue? He was but his ‘devoted lapdog,’ wasn’t he? That was what all the others had said. And Dominic’s jeweled collar still graced his neck, didn’t it? Thank goodness, Lionelle hadn’t taken it from him after that other guy had left. He was still wearing his mark of ownership as Tashira had called it. Though she had been wrong. Dominic wasn’t his master. Dominic was his god. Who was he to go against the one who held ultimate sway over him?

Everything blurred before his eyes. Perhaps, he was losing it. He had told Tavores that he was crazy. Maybe he hadn’t been lying. It didn’t matter anymore. He just felt so weak. All of the pain of his injuries was coming back with a new vengeance from his being manhandled. It all hurt. He was glad that he didn’t want to fight Dominic. Fighting would be stupid in his condition. Besides, he didn’t really want to hurt the older boy. What he wanted to do right now was lie down. There was so much pain. It was so hard to stay awake. He felt like he was dying. Hell, he probably was. How was he supposed to know with all the injuries he had received? Oh well. If he was going to die anyway, at least he could do it beside the only person that had made him feel whole.

As usual, the brilliance of Dominic’s eyes stood out amongst his fading vision. He looked angry. Maybe he would make this quick. He apparently wanted this to be quick. Why else would he have a gun? Did Dominic even own a gun? He had seemed like such a horrid shot the first time that he had seen him duking it out with Erik. Then again, he had taken out Lionelle so he couldn’t be that bad at shooting. In addition, not even the worst shooter could miss a target at point-blank range.

That reminded him. Wasn’t he supposed to be listening to the dark-haired boy at the moment? It was hard to work his hearing, but he could almost make out whatever Dominic was saying as he pressed him against the tree.

"What did you tell them?" Dominic asked in a low yet sinister voice, obviously trying to sound as detached as possible.

Lucian chose not to say anything. It was Dominic’s turn to talk for once. He needed to find out as much as he could about the other before he killed him. Dominic had a tendency to talk more when he was mad. So even if it meant being mean and insubordinate, he had to do this. Either way Dominic was going to kill him so it didn’t matter that much how he treated him until then.

When the youth didn’t answer him within a few seconds, Dominic forced the barrel of the gun deep into his flesh, causing another pale blue bruise to blossom on the side of Lucian’s head. Then, he pressed Lucian even harder against the knobby surface, making the wooden base bite into Lucian’s torn back, cleaving through more of his injuries. The gun against his head and the irritation of his flesh was too much for the weakened Guardian to take and he let out a feral scream.

Dominic felt his hand quiver as he held the gun to the Hell Guardian’s head. The animalistic quality of the redhead’s scream horrified him. This was the exact same sound that he had heard pouring from the boy’s throat when he had burst upon the scene of Lionelle taunting him while slicing him with his claws. Seeing that despairing look in the Guardian’s eyes as Lionelle relished in making him cry out had snapped something inside of Dominic. Everything had faded out of view, including his purpose for coming after them. All he comprehended was that the Chimera was making the younger boy suffer with his cruel touch. He was hurting him. Dominic couldn’t stand the thought of anyone torturing the boy in such a way. Anyone who would do that to him deserved to die. In that split second, his entire vision had been washed in a sea of red.

He had barely noticed when he fired the gun, striking Lionelle in the back of his head. It was astonishing, considering that the gun was not his weapon of choice and he had been aiming from a rather lousy position.

After that, he had been scared. Although he constantly threatened to kill people, he had never actually done it. As Wolf, he killed all the time. But that was for food and survival. Humans weren’t supposed to kill. Tyrell’s words rang all too true. Was this what it felt like? It felt so dirty and disgusting. He felt like one of the Chimera. No! The Chimera killed for pleasure. He did it to save...Oh god, was the boy all right? Had he been too late? Lionelle had been holding that gun very close to his head when he had fired. Somehow all of his old initiative to kill the Hell Guardian had suddenly vanished in his rush to see what had happened to him.

Surprisingly, he had been almost relieved to see the youth trying to crawl away from the dead man. The Hell Guardian was okay. He hadn’t been hurt. That was good. He had been ready to run over and help the other to his feet. It was when he had looked down at his smoking gun that he had remembered what he had come here to do.

This was not a rescue mission. It was an execution. Why had he been so worried about the boy being dead? It would have saved him the trouble of killing him himself. Now there were all new doubts in his mind. Killing Lionelle had freaked him out so much. Wouldn’t it be the same with the Hell Guardian? Could he really go through that sort of thing again? But he had to do this. There wasn’t any other way. He couldn’t let anything jeopardize his charges. Aiden had assigned him to this task and it was his job to live up to his promise. He could handle the qualms about killing as long as it was to make Aiden proud. But would Aiden really be proud of this? Damn! Why couldn’t he make up his mind about anything? Why did that boy always do this to him? He never knew what to do around him. It had to stop. It had to.

Those words had led him back to his task and he had attacked the redhead. But the scream had cut through him like a sword. It was heart-breaking and shattered. What was that for? He hadn’t slammed him that hard. His old partner had usually been able to take minor abuse such as this. Yet, that scream was so piteous. The younger Guardian must have to have been really hurt to make such an awful sound. Forcing himself to maintain his frigid grip on the gun, Dominic allowed his eyes to wander over the redhead’s wounded form. For the first time, he was able to realize just how serious the Hell Guardian’s injuries were.

His neck was patterned in blue bruises and fingerprints caused by several attempts at strangulation. His wrists were raw and seeping blood from obvious retraint marks. Knowing what had happened to Tyrell, he knew that the boy’s ankles probably wore the same decorations. Moving his eyes, he observed that the shirt that the boy wore barely covered half his chest as it was torn to shreds and smeared with thick dark blood. His pants didn’t look any better, being tattered and slashed enough to allow one to see the painful welts on the pale legs underneath. As for the bare skin that Dominic was able to see, it was a mess, covered in countless lash marks and horrid bruises. There were more marks, which looked like they had been made from a very large cat, overlapping some of the injuries. Even the redhead’s face sported multiple bruises and hand marks from frequent slaps. Across his left cheek ran a long thin line that beaded crimson. As if all this wasn’t enough, his loose hair was saturated in blood, pasting it to his neck and forehead as red fluid ran from where he had been pistol-whipped on his temple.

"Oh my god," Dominic breathed in a voice so low that the other boy wasn’t able to even notice that he had spoken.

"If it isn’t the Sun Guardian. I never expected to see you here," the Hell Guardian replied softly with a casual drop of his glazed eyes as he winced a bit under the barrel’s pressure.

His voice forced Dominic out of his trance and he narrowed his eyes in enmity. "You shouldn’t sound so happy to see me. I didn’t come to help you. I came to..." began his companion, his voice developing an odd, almost broken, tone to it. What game was the Hell Guardian playing now? Did he think he could save his hide by pretending to be all nice and innocent? That wasn’t going to work anymore!

"I can guess why you came. So do it. Pull the trigger and show me what a big tough Guardian you are. You know, the kind that relishes the kill. "

"Bastard! Tell me what you said about the Keys? What information do the Chimera have now?" the dark-haired youth snarled, growing a bit frantic at the younger boy’s refusal to acknowledge his threat.

Those words. He had said that he liked killing. No, that he relished it. Is that what the other thought of him? Was he just a beast like he masqueraded as? No, he couldn’t think like this now. He had to finish this. It wasn’t that hard. All he had to do was think of the Hell Guardian as a traitor. A traitor. There, that was much better.

He released his hold on the Guardian’s neck and watched with feigned detachment as the boy slumped to the grass, unable to stand alone on his feet. The red-haired teenager shrieked in pain and then pushed his back against the trunk of the tree, using it to lift himself on his arms. His legs remaining folded as he laid on his side, his breath leaving him in uneven gasps. The boy’s eyes looked incredibly glassy and they brimmed with tears. Maybe he was close to losing consciousness. That wouldn’t be too much to assume considering the ghastly injuries he had acquired from his stay with the Chimera. Watching the boy with wary eyes, Dominic dropped to his knees in front of him, closing in so that their chests barely met.

It felt so odd to do this now. So much like that night. Stop it! He wasn’t supposed to think of that night from now on. Everything was different.

"What do you think I told them? You know me better than anyone for the most part. You can probably guess what they know," the younger boy chuckled lightly as Dominic’s hand began to tremble.

"Shut up!" the older youth hissed, slapping the redhead across the face with enough force to jerk his head to the right. "Stop playing with me! I don’t have time for your idiotic games! Tell me what you said, traitor!" His eyes wavered as his action left another blemish over the boy’s face.

For a few minutes, the other boy failed to respond, his head hanging limply to the side and the only sound accompanying the pair was the steady fall of blood. It deeply unnerved Dominic as he waited in the semidarkness for the Hell Guardian to admit his vice. He needed to hear it from his own lips. He knew that he had betrayed Tyrell and possibly the entire group, but that knowledge meant nothing without the boy telling him what he had said. Unless he admitted his guilt, Dominic could not feel absolution. Killing the other would not be justified. This would all be for nothing.

A hoarse racking cough interrupted his musings and Dominic noticed the other boy lift his head ever so slightly. Dominic brought himself closer to the boy, close enough for him to feel the redhead’s heart thudding heavily inside his chest. Was that fear? Or was it pain? Maybe it was both. What did it matter now?

The younger Guardian looked up at him with his dismal eyes as he gave him a twisted grin. "I guess we still get to play our old games, huh Ni-cky? I had been afraid that we wouldn’t be able to anymore," he rasped, putting a mocking tone into the familiar nickname while cringing at the flaring pain pulsing through his battered form.

"This is not a game!" Dominic thundered, rearing back his hand to strike the redhead once more, but the other boy just laughed in a defeated fashion.

"No, this is not a game. This is life. But this is also my life. Doesn’t that make it an endless cycle of play?"

"Did you betray the Keys?" the older boy pressed, feeling a strange coldness building up inside of him. He didn’t want to hear the other teenager continue to talk like this. The boy sounded sick and possibly on the verge of true insanity. What had happened to him during the last past month to make him say such psychotic things now? And why was he letting it get to him so much? This was all far too convoluted.

"Yes," whispered the injured boy in a pained timbre as he moved his crimson eyes to face Dominic. Instantly, Dominic’s hand had cocked the weapon and his finger rested lightly on the trigger waiting for the final confession. The Hell Guardian groaned as his head fell to his chest once more. He futilely tried to lift it as hot tears built up in his eyes. Giving up, he kept his head turned to the side, unable to face the look of hatred in his companion’s face. Choked sobs ripped their way from his throat as he shut his eyes tightly and stared at the ground. Dominic watched in dismay as crystalline tears slithered down the Guardian’s face.

"Yes! Yes, I betrayed them. I’m weak. I can’t protect Tyrell and I couldn’t even fight to keep the one who could protect him. I failed my calling. What sort of Guardian could a psychopath like me ever hope to be? I betrayed Tye. I betrayed Shira. I’m no Guar..." As he attempted to finish his explanation, a horrid bout of coughing overwhelmed his vocal chords, straining his throat and tearing at his larynx.

When he finally stopped, Dominic’s violet eyes widened at the sight of the blood speckling what remained of his green shirt. As his eyes took in the image, they also fell upon the rest of his injuries once again, reminding him that the other Guardian wouldn’t be able to talk to him much longer. That saddened gaze of garnet peering into his soul made him feel as if he was surrounded by blood. Dominic felt his stomach lurch and his head seemed to be spinning. A terrible queasiness was overwhelming him as he fought to maintain the pressure on the red-haired youth’s temple.

His eyes moved to the side and caught on an object that had been jingling during the other boy’s coughing spell. There was a spark of silver and a spray of violet peering from underneath the redhead’s ruined shirt. The younger boy noticed what Dominic was looking at and yanked it out of his shirt. Dominic was just able to catch a glimpse of the item before the Hell Guardian closed it in his hand and pulled it toward himself. But Dominic had seen enough to know exactly what it was. It was Selene’s ring, his ring, the one he had left the redhead when he had abandoned him that night. So Tashira had been telling the truth. Her brother really did carry around the trinket on his throat. Just like Nadia.

No! He couldn’t think of that now. He was just getting distracted.

"For what you’ve done you...you...deserve..." stammered the dark-haired boy, struggling to stay upright, despite the dizziness in his brain.

"Death? Of course, what else could await a creature like me? I’m useless. Nothing more than a pathetic toy for destiny. What good is a crazy like me to anyone? Go ahead, do it! I want you t.…"

The Hell Guardian suddenly doubled over as his whole body trembled as if he was going through some sort of seizure. He whimpered lowly and tried to squeeze his eyes even tighter shut as he gripped the ring in his hand.

Dominic’s eyes widened in bewilderment. It was almost painful to see the usually playful boy in such hideous torment. He had lost his mind. The boy was asking for death? Why? He knew the Hell Guardian as one who found the greatest pleasure in cheating death. What had happened to him over the last month to cause such a descent into madness? The Hell Guardian’s ever-present smirk had vanished and been replaced by a wretched grimace and dark red eyes glistening with falling tears. Dominic’s force on the gun weakened as he began to consider backing away.

What was he doing? This wasn’t just the Hell Guardian. This was Lucian Ambrose. This was his old partner. This was Lucian, the boy who had shown him a side of himself that he thought to have forgotten. He couldn’t seriously go through with this, could he?

The other youth weakly grabbed one of his wrists to pull him toward him. "Well, make your choice! Either shoot me or leave me. You can bet that one of the Chimera is bound to show up soon and you don’t want to be here for that. That means that it’s your favorite part of the game, Dominic. It’s decision time."

His companion winced under the formal use of his name. Normally, he would have been furious at the younger Guardian for using his real name in a combat situation, but at the time, his thoughts were elsewhere. All he could think of was that in all of the time that he had ever known Lucian, he had never heard him refer to him in such a mechanical manner. He had always used that childish nickname. But now....

Lucian must have truly hated him. Well, he was trying to kill him; he couldn’t exactly expect him to praise him for his efforts. But still, he wore that ring. Tashira had said that he wore it all the time. Someone who treasured an item of his so dearly couldn’t feel that much malice toward him. So why was Lucian acting all formal to him now? Maybe Lucian just didn’t want to think that it was his ‘Nicky’ who had the gun pointed at his head. Perhaps, he was just trying to delude himself so that it would be easier to accept. How could the younger boy still trust him so damn much?

These words were having an affect on his resolve, causing the barrel of the gun to slide against Lucian’s flesh as he tried to maintain his slippery grasp on the weapon. The younger boy shuddered under the cold sensation of the metal against his skin. Then, he tried to straighten himself, panting from his efforts due to the immense pain surrounding his body. Gulping slowly, Lucian tightened his grip on the older youth’s wrist before raising his eyes to Dominic to stare straight at him.

"You better hurry! You haven’t got much time. Make your choice!" Lucian warned in a voice that sounded severely strained. Dominic had to try very hard to actually understand what the Hell Guardian was saying. He could feel his finger falling away from the trigger. "What are you waiting for, you idiot? Do something! If you’re not going to shoot me, then run! I don’t want them to hurt you! Who’ll protect the Keys?" whimpered the Hell Guardian, liquid red eyes flashing with fear. A hysterical gleam still graced them, but he suddenly appeared more sober to Dominic.

Dominic was slowly beginning to understand what the other youth was getting at. Lucian didn’t care what he did to him as long as the older boy was able to escape. This sort of devotion was what he had denounced as an addiction? Dominic felt his heart sink. This was all just wrong. Everything he had believed was wrong.

He turned back to Lucian as the other mewled softly, the yelling having caused his side to ache once more. The red-haired boy tossed Dominic’s wrist to the side as he held his injury tightly with one hand and glared at his companion in fury. "Please!"

Dominic stared down at the gun for a moment and then slowly allowed his vision to drift back to his companion, amethystine eyes trembling as they once again met with the shimmering garnets of the younger Guardian. His breath caught in his throat and he could feel something thrashing against his chest. Regretfully, he realized that this time it was his own heartbeat.

Who was he kidding? He couldn’t do this. For all his bravado and boasts, he could never shoot Lucian in cold blood. He wasn’t a killer. Wolf may have been a killer, but Dominic was just a very messed-up boy on the verge on becoming a man. He couldn’t kill the one thing that made him want to remain human. Moreover, the condition of Lucian’s form was causing him to doubt whether his companion had even told Lionelle anything in the first place. The comment the Chimera had made had been rather ambiguous and his firebrand mind had just forced it to mean what he wanted at the time.

It had torn him up to believe that Lucian was just using him all the time. Dominic had wanted to escape all of that. It wasn’t healthy for either of them. He had thought that he wanted to be rid of the person that forced him to really look at his life. Moreover, he had thought that he wanted to erase all of changes that had come over him since their meeting. He had thought that he wanted to be able to return to his old ways. But now he understood, deep down he didn’t really want that at all. He wanted his family back. He wanted his friend back. There! Those were his answers. That was what he had been searching for all along. He understood now.

"No," the anguished undertone crawled from his throat as it was met by the metallic scrape of the gun against the tree as Dominic whipped it backward and smashed it against the trunk. Hearing the hiss of the metal against the bark, Lucian turned his head, tear-filled, puffy blood-shot eyes shinning with both perplexity and anxiety.

"What?"

"I don’t want to hurt you anymore. I...I c-can’t. You...."

"Dominic?" the redhead gasped as he watched the weapon slip from Dominic’s slack fingers and tumble to the ground.

Dominic stepped back from the confused Guardian, breathing slowly to calm down his sudden anxiety. He gazed over the boy, noting the unsteady way he was supporting himself on his hands as the remainder of his body rested on his side, chest rising ever so slightly every few seconds. Also, he noticed the thin droplets of perspiration that were forming at Lucian’s hairline, probably from the strain of holding his body upright for so long. He tried to hide his look of concern as he brought his eyes back up so that they met with Lucian’s.

"Give me your hand," he murmured softly as the Hell Guardian eyed him suspiciously.

"Huh?" the younger boy replied, lifting one hand to brush the teardrops from his face.

The older boy glanced up at the youth and motioned to the far side of the field with a slight toss of his head. "Can you still walk?"

"What? I don’t know. I can hardly move. That and I think my left leg’s pretty messed up. Probably broken. Why?" inquired Lucian staring at Dominic with a confounded expression.

"Can you manage with help?"

"I’m not sure."

"We don’t have much time. Let’s get out of here," Dominic continued as he rose to his feet and held down his hand to help the red-haired boy to his feet.

Lucian still seemed afraid to take it and remained on his legs, his hand still clenching the white-gold ring as he glanced up at his companion. "I don’t understand," he responded in a faint voice, pulling back as Dominic bent down and offered him his hand.

Dominic was aghast at boy’s refusal to see that he wanted to help him. He had dropped his weapon. What more did Lucian want? Preparing to berate the boy, he leaned forward. Then he noticed the apprehensive flicker in the redhead’s eyes as he backed further against the tree. Lucian had never before looked so nervous. The Chimera must have really done a number on him to reduce him to this hesitant creature that shunned the compassion of one who he had tried so desperately hard to befriend.

"What’s to understand? I’m going to take you home. You’re hurt and you need help. So give me your hand and I’ll help you," Dominic said in a thick voice, attempting to reassure the other youth.

But his efforts did nothing to ease Lucian’s suspicions. He struck Dominic with an accusing look and laughed in a dark and harsh tone. "Why are you playing me like this? Didn’t you hear me? I told you that I couldn’t get up. Why would you want to help me? I’m no use to you."

"It doesn’t matter. I came for you, not the Hell Guardian. I don’t care if you can’t fight now. You’re still injured. You need Tashira to look after you," urged the dark-haired boy, sickened by the denial in Lucian’s words. Why couldn’t he believe that he wanted to help him? Did he truly believe that he cared nothing for him? Sure, the gun situation had probably spooked him, but it was done now. Lucian had always recovered from these things quickly. This was just like the time that he had threatened to break his neck. Back then; Lucian had blown it off as a minor problem that he would discuss later. Why was he acting so cynical this time?

"Help me? You just tried to kill me! Why should I believe you?"

"I don’t really know what’s going on right now. You were with a Chimera and you yourself told me that you had betrayed the Keys. I reacted on instinct. It won’t happen again. You know I’m not very good with decision-making. But forget about that, it’s done with. I need to get you back to your sister," Dominic confessed, knowing just how stupid it sounded in his head. But it was the truth. He didn’t know what was going on with him. All he knew was that there was no way he could bring himself to hurt the other boy again.

"Why are you wasting your time? I said I couldn’t fight! Didn’t you listen to a thing I said a few moments ago? I’m crazy. I’m just a hindrance to our cause. Damn it! Why can’t you just let me be? Everything hurts and I can barely see straight. I can’t do anything for you! Why are you still here?"

"I can’t let you die."

"Those are my words. You can’t take them without permission," Lucian growled as a wave of pain forced his back to bow. He tried to hold back his cries, but both he and Dominic knew that he was no longer capable of that. The keening sobs tore free of his abused throat as hugged his shoulders and shivered. "See!" he spat, "I can’t do anything! I can’t even fight with you!"

Dominic placed his hands on Lucian’s shoulders and bore into him with his intense violet eyes. "Stop that! Don’t you want to go home?" His voice dropped and he reached out to touch Lucian’s jawbone. "You have to let me help you. You’re not insane, you just see things differently from most people. That’s what makes you who you are. That’s the person that Tashira begged me to bring back to her. Don’t make me break my promise."

"Don’t touch me!" the other youth screamed, slapping at Dominic’s hand and trying to pull away, but Dominic withstood his efforts. Hanging his head, Lucian allowed one last tear to cut a line down his face. "Why are you doing this? Do you enjoy torturing me this much? Do you even care? You must not because if you did, you would stop this cruel farce. If you’re not going to kill me, then run away like you always do. Don’t pretend to waste your first attempt at kindness on a worthless person like me. Stop trying to trick me! I just can’t take it anymore!"

"Listen to me! You don’t deserve to die. What I said before...I was wrong. And you’re not worthless, there are people who still need you."

Lucian tried to shrug him off but stopped as he felt the violet orbs upon him. The longing look returned to his eyes as he let Dominic’s words set in and he moved closer to the older youth. Then his fingers uncurled from around the ring and he reached up to swat some unruly bangs from Dominic’s eyes. For a brief moment, his usual zest returned to his visage.

"God, I missed you...Nicky," he murmured, wincing again at the protests his body made against his movements. "You and your wolfish appearance. I kept forcing myself to believe that you would come back. But...you never did. And now...."

The older youth was relieved to hear the softness coming back to his voice. He released the other teenager and gazed back at him. Lucian wasn’t really angry. He was just hurt and confused. Dominic could see that his philanthropic behavior puzzled him and the younger boy wasn’t sure how to react. He had been hurt badly and was wary of trusting anyone just yet, especially the person who had abandoned him. Maybe, it would be a good idea to see how bad Lucian’s injuries really were before he tried to convince him to go back to Tashira.

He grasped Lucian’s hands and held them away from him. "Ssh! Listen. I need to see how bad you’re hurt. Then, I’ll be able to help you better than I am doing now, which is obviously just bothering you. So show me," Dominic insisted as Lucian tried to turn his head. The dark-haired boy caught him again by the side of his cheek and brought his face back to him. "Show me."

His eyes flickering with shame, Lucian clutched the bottom of his shirt and lifted it all the way so that Dominic could view both his chest and back. He flung his head to the side as he saw Dominic cringe in revulsion as the action revealed the vicious slashes racing through his skin and seeping thick red blood. They covered most of his back as well, staining the pale skin red and blue from various bruises left by the whip. Dominic coughed under his breath and turned away as Lucian dropped the clothing back over his skin, wincing as the fabric rubbed against his injuries.

"There’s more," he added, holding out his right arm to show Dominic the gaping slash that Lionelle had carved into it time and time again. It was swollen and inflamed, most likely infected. Then the boy waved his hand over his side just below his ribs, displaying the brutal way that the Chimera had drove into his flesh with Lupe’s knife.

Dominic was starting to feel nauseous. His companion had suffered through all this and still not told the Chimera a thing. He knew that now. There was no way the Chimera would have inflicted so many appalling injuries on his body if he had given them at least some hint. Lucian had said nothing. And he, Dominic Solanis, had had the nerve to aggravate his injuries further and hit him! He had accused him of being a traitor and had threatened to kill him. Lucian didn’t deserve any of that.

Yet, he hadn’t denied a thing Dominic had charged him with. The boy had continued to allow the older youth to abuse him and curse at him and say such hateful things about him. And all the time, he had been innocent! Tashira was right as usual. Lucian would never betray Tyrell. He truly would die before he allowed someone to endanger him. Lucian was a true Guardian. As for Dominic, he knew that he was just a cold-hearted bastard who had allowed Lionelle to manipulate him into thinking that Lucian could ever become a traitor.

But Lucian had even lied about betraying the Keys. Why had he said something like that? Did he really believe that? How had he betrayed them if he hadn’t said a thing to the Chimera?

The dark-haired boy no longer knew what to say to the younger teenager. He had treated him so unjustly; no wonder Lucian was acting skittish around him. All those wretched injuries seemed to leer at him. He couldn’t look at his companion any further for fear of becoming violently ill. Dominic lowered his eyes to the ground and snarled the only word that came to his mind. "Damn!"

Lucian cringed under his curse and fumbled with the ring hanging from his throat. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone alone. I shouldn’t have turned on Shira. I should have fought harder. I shouldn’t have forced you to come. I...."

Why couldn’t he just stop talking? Didn’t he realize that all that was pointless? How could he possibly think that any of this was his fault? What was wrong with him? Jerking his head up from its drooped position, Dominic glared at the redhead.

"Shut up! This isn’t your fault. You couldn’t have helped what happened," he roared, too frustrated to realize that his method was having an adverse effect on the other youth.

"I’m sorry," Lucian repeated in a more dejected tone.

"Stop saying that! Look, I’m not mad at you! Now give me your hand! I want to get out of here right now!"

"What?"

Dominic took a deep breath and sighed as he reached out to the red-haired boy one final time. "You once told me that you trusted me. Do you still?"

The injured youth stared at him for a moment, still deliberating over whether or not to accept this unusual generosity. A tiny flame of hope danced in his eyes. "You’re really going to take me with you?" he asked, trying to keep from falling over as another coughing spell overtook him, leaving him looking dizzy and disoriented.

" I promised Tashira that I would find you. Besides, you are still a Guardian even if you are no longer my partner. I meant what I said about people still needing you. You can’t let them down," Dominic assured as he attempted to grasp the redhead’s hand.

Before he could, Lucian pulled it away as with before, still appearing unsure about this whole thing. "But Nicky…."

"Don’t...Don’t say anything. Just come on. If you ever truly trusted me, then let me help you."

Something about the words seemed to strike a different chord in Lucian. The manner in which they were spoken was as nasty and vicious as most of Dominic’s statements were. But these seemed to be hiding something as if Dominic was trying to keep from getting too upset. Dominic could see that Lucian was starting to acknowledge that he was truly worried about him.

Fear and confusion flickered in Lucian’s eyes for a split second before being replaced with genuine faith. "I still trust you, Nicky," he said as he offered Dominic an appreciative smile and grabbed his hand.

Startled by the smile, Dominic stumbled a bit while trying to lift Lucian to his feet. He had seen Lucian shoot him those jibing grins many times during their time together. Whenever Lucian was trying to infuriate him, he would always compliment his cynical jests with one of those crazed grins. But this wasn’t like any of those had been. It was more like the smiles he had seen the younger boy show to Tashira and on rare occasions, Tyrell. This was the same smile he had shown him just before he had kissed him that one night. It was plain but content. A real smile. Lucian really did trust him. Maybe the younger boy wasn’t as far-gone as he had seemed.

"Can we go home now?" Lucian asked as the dark-haired youth started to pull him up, trying to ignore Lucian’s gasps of pain that resulted from the action. The redhead tried to hide his anguish, pushing his disheveled hair away from his face and griping, "I haven’t eaten in days. I could really go for one of Shira’s home-cooked specialties."

"Yeah, we can go home," Dominic agreed, trying to keep the mirth from his voice as he recognized a hint of Lucian’s exuberant charm in the boy’s words. Lucian would be okay now. He could take him back to Tashira and she would heal his wounds. Then the redhead would be just as chipper as ever. But then what? Should he stay? He had told himself that leaving was best for the Guardians because they would just get hurt around him.

Yet, Lucian had still gotten hurt even though he had left. Did his presence really matter? To make matters worse, he was having doubts over whether or not he would have the courage to walk away from the other youth once more. Last time had been too much. It had been like losing Aiden, all over again. Maybe Lucian would never be Aiden, but he was the closest thing that he would ever find. He could get used to that.

Just as he was trying to draw Lucian close enough to support him on his shoulder, he felt the boy stiffen in anger. Lucian was looking past him at something he couldn’t see. He tried to turn his head, pulling Lucian even closer to his body. "What’s wrong? Is it a Chimera?"

Lucian’s eyes darkened as he forced the other boy to the ground. "Get down Nicky!" he ordered." The moment his back made contact with the ground, Dominic felt the intense fiery sensation that swept over them. But Lucian himself hadn’t been able to duck in time. The surge of heat caught him in his torn side and tossed him off the older youth. He gasped as he hit the ground, shock overcoming him and making him pass out just as a single word followed his collapse.

"LUCIAANN!"

Suddenly, Dominic was more terrified than he had ever been in his life. Forget the Chimera! He threw himself to the ground and tried to gather the younger boy into his arms. Lucian remained motionless. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook him hard. "Lucian! Please open your eyes, Lucian! Don’t do this to me. Not now," he urged as he could hear his voice choking from his fear. The youth barely even realized the way he was addressing his old partner in his hysteria. "Lucian! Lucian!"

"Aren’t you two sweet? I almost wish me and Lionelle could get along so well," cooed a voice as its owner trotted up to him. Fang twirled his sword in his hand in his distracted and playful fashion. He stared at the dark-haired boy who supported the Hell Guardian’s head on his knees. "Is he dead yet?"

Hatred boiled in Dominic and he charged at the youngest Chimera with a snarl, tearing his amulet from his neck and creating Aurora as he ran. Fang was ready for him. He countered the Sun Guardian’s sword with his own, the fire on its blade merging with the orange energy on Dominic’s. The two fought for the upper hand as Fang spun around, Aurora mirroring his movements perfectly.

"Look, you don’t have to get all pissy about this. It’s not like I personally have a death wish against your partner. I’m just cleaning up Lionelle’s mess. He can never do things by himself. And if I bring the Hell Guardian back to Vincient, he will be most happy with me. Maybe he’ll make the others stop mocking me for once," Fang chattered as Dominic pushed even harder against his sword.

"You will not touch that boy!" shouted the dark-haired youth, making Fang’s eyes widen in amusement.

"Why not? Is he your property? I didn’t know you two were like that."

"The Hell Guardian is under my protection. If you try to hurt him, I will kill you," Dominic replied, amazed that he had no problem saying the words even after what had happened. He meant them. There was no way he would let anyone else abuse the younger teenager.

"Really? How about I hurt you then?" giggled Fang, making the fire on his sword engulf the blade and cause the other to stagger back to avoid getting burnt. Taking one hand away from his hilt, the Chimera grabbed Dominic by the arm and flung him backward a few yards. He hit the ground on his back and struggled to roll onto his stomach.

Fang used the downtime to hurry over to the unconscious Lucian. He scooped the boy up in his arm so that the youth’s head dangled over it. Just as he was about to use his ring to vanish, a surge of solar energy from the limping Sun Guardian caught him on the side. Dominic held out the blade to perform the spell again as Fang hefted his sword to one side and held it close to Lucian’s throat.

"Ow! That hurt! Maybe I should make him hurt the same way," the Chimera threatened as the older youth paused in his spell. Fang ran the blade along the curve of the Hell Guardians’ throat as he hummed to himself. "He must be a real lady-killer. It seems such a shame to give him to such a nasty boy such as you."

"Let him go! He can’t hurt you. He’s hurt badly. Just let him go," Dominic pleaded, knowing how pathetic he sounded to his enemy. It didn’t matter. He couldn’t help feeling so weak at seeing the prone body of the redhead being held by that wretch. Fang was going to take him back to the Chimera. Lucian wouldn’t be able to survive another round with them. They would kill him this time. He was willing to do anything to make sure that that didn’t happen. Even if it meant sounding like a child. Just like the child begging to change the impossible four years ago. A child wanting to alter fate. One who waited in the cold rain as the thing he most loved was taken from him in a flash of fangs and blood.

"Sorry, no can do. Vincient wants his new pretty. And we still need to ask him about the Keys."

"He’s not going to tell you anything. He’ll die first!" argued the dark-haired youth as he stepped closer to Fang, thinking of the spell that he was going to use against him. Fang perceived his movements and brought the blade of his sword closer to Lucian’s throat, a sluggish pulse still throbbed underneath the mottled flesh. Dominic froze again as he saw a tiny current of red appear beneath the edge.

"Keep moving and I cut deeper," Fang announced, seemingly somewhat afraid of the Guardian approaching him.

"But what about your boss? Won’t he be angry if you mess up his guest?"

The Chimera glanced over at Dominic with his dancing blue eyes. They darkened a bit as a cruel smile graced his visage. "He won’t be that upset if I manage to get him another," he sneered, sizing the other youth up with his eyes as he laughed to himself.

"Fine. Hurt me. Just leave the Hell Guardian alone," bargained Dominic, releasing his sword and setting his hands behind his head. He wasn’t really planning on a trade. There was a much better idea forming in his head. He would convince Fang that he surrendered and when the Chimera came over to get him, he would beat the crap out of him. That plan sounded reasonable to him. Either way, Fang would drop Lucian and he could get to him.

"Maybe later. Vincient is picky about his tastes. He might like your violet eyes, but he tells me that this one reminds him of his old servant. The one he killed a long time ago. And to tell you the truth, I’m really not up to a big showdown. I’m just playing delivery boy for now."

Dominic was getting frustrated. Fang was too smart for his tricks and Lucian needed to get help soon. Those injuries look like the bled a lot. There had to be some other way of getting around Fang’s defenses. Obviously, Fang was a little scared of him otherwise he wouldn’t freak out every time he tried to get close. He knew that he couldn’t fight and hold onto his captive. Maybe he could reason with him. Fang was the youngest of the Chimera. He couldn’t be as messed up as the rest of them.

Shifting his eyes to the young man, he took in the bemused expression on his face. "Fang, listen to me. The Hell Guardian is just a kid. He’s not that much younger than you...."

"Did this work with the Key? No. Better try another plan," mocked Fang as he tried to reach the ring on his hand with all the weight he was holding.

"You will kill him! He’s no use to you. Look at him! Does he look like he’s any danger to you anymore?" the Sun Guardian roared, taking a step toward the pair.

Fang tightened his hold on his sword and tipped Lucian’s head back with the edge of his blade, his eyes looking nervous and confused "Shut up! Don’t come any closer! What you say doesn’t matter! It doesn’t! I’m a Chimera. This is my job. Maybe if it weren't, then things would be different. But they’re not! I have to help my brother. That’s the only re...No! I like this. I like hurting people. It’s what I do. You hurt people too. You should understand!"

"Fang, I can’t let you take him. He’s my...partner. He means something. I’m not going to let you take that away!"

"I said stay back!" hissed Fang as he looked down at the limp figure on his side. For a second, his cornflower eyes filled with doubt and he shook his head fiercely. "You’re just trying to trick me! I know what I’m doing!"

"I swear I won’t fight you. Just give him back to me," the Sun Guardian posed as his eyes flickered over the other figure. "You know you don’t want to let this Vincient have him."

"Stop talking to me! You don’t understand anything. I don’t have a choice! Lionelle would kill me!" snapped the orange-haired man as he began to shake.

"Lionelle can no longer control you," murmured Dominic as he thought of the golden-haired Chimera lying in a pool of his own blood not too far from him. Fang was on his own now. He didn’t seem like he really wanted to kill anyone. It was just as he said. He was a pawn of his gang. Being the sibling of the second-in-command had forced him into the fight. There was no way he could resist. If he hadn’t been pressing a blade against the Hell Guardian’s throat, Dominic might even have felt sorry for him. But as things were, he was too angry and worried to feel anything for the Chimera.

"What did you say?" demanded Fang as Lucian began to stir in his sleep. He moaned miserably and the Chimera’s eyes glistened in fury. "You’re just making this worse." Lucian cried out again as peace evaded him even in his repose. The crying caused blood to drip from his mouth as his cracked lips opened under the strain. Fang shook his head again as a wild look appeared on his face as if he was suddenly lost at what to do. "Stop it! Stop making that noise! I’m still taking you back to Vincient. I’m a Chimera. I hate the Guardians. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. It doesn’t matter if we’re close to the same age. You’re the enemy. If you suffer, it’s not my problem," he whined to the tossing boy.

Lucian whimpered even louder and jerked upward, almost slicing his neck on the blade. Fang jostled him and hit him lightly on the cheek. The Hell Guardian made another noise and Fang all but lost it.

"I said stop it!" he screamed as he slapped Lucian in the face as hard as he could. The Hell Guardian’s head fell to the side and he stopped mewling.

Seeing the Chimera strike the boy caused time to freeze in motion for Dominic. Fang had hurt Lucian just like Lionelle. He had hurt him when he could clearly see he was suffering. Someone like that didn’t deserve to live. All thoughts of talking his way out of this left his head in an instant. He had the perfect way of dealing with Fang. The Chimera would be taken care of the same way he usually took care of things that posed a problem to him. No more of this playing nice crap!

He traced his finger down his sun amulet as he summoned the beast inside him. His eyes drifted up to Fang and he glared at him in passionate anger. "If you don’t let him go, I’ll rip your throat out," he snarled in a voice thickened by the change.

Recovering from his episode, Fang peered at him quizzically and gave a short laugh. "Uh huh. That would be interesting to see."

"So would this," Dominic rasped as the words turned into guttural growls. His transformation took over him and before Fang could even figure out what was happening, Wolf was staring at him in a maddened rage. He could see nothing around him but Fang and Lucian. All he knew was that the orange-haired one had endangered his pack. He was a threat. Such a threat had to be eliminated. He snarled as his tongue slid across his set of deadly fangs.

"What the hell! It’s you! The black wolf! You’re the one who...."

Wolf lunged at him in his thirst for vengeance, hitting him in the lower chest and bowling him against into the tree that he had backed into in his attempts to move away from the Sun Guardian. His head ricocheted off the bark and he slumped down the trunk as a metallic object slipped out of his pocket and onto the grass. The Hell Guardian fell from his hold and rolled onto his side. Wolf gazed at his downed prey, watching the Chimera’s throat move with his breath.

It would be so easy to break through that weak flesh. To dig into that warm cavern and sever the fragile bone connecting the head to the spine. The blood would taste just as fresh as the rabbit’s had. It would coat his tongue and trickle down his throat like a delicious elixir. The elixir of life. What was he waiting for?

Something prevented him from sinking his fangs into the smooth flesh. A persistent voice in the back of the head that kept telling him that this was wrong. Fang was trapped in a world he could not escape. That was how he had been brought up. He didn’t know any better. One couldn’t condemn another for adapting his nature to suit his way of life. Killing Fang would be wrong.

Great! Since when did the conscience that Dominic didn’t even know he had start interfering with his actions as Wolf? He had definitely changed from when he had first met any of the youths whom he had grown used to spending time with. It had taught him that vengeance wasn’t always the answer. He had believed it was for so long. That was why he fought. Yes, it was mostly because of his promise, but part of him also had wanted to avenge Aiden for what had happened to him. He wanted to make others hurt like he had. Now he knew it was meaningless. Death didn’t undo death. Aiden was gone and no matter how many he fought or took down in his name, it would not bring him back. It was time to stop fighting like this.

Not that he wouldn’t fight, he would just no longer fight like a savage. He was a human. It didn’t matter how much he wanted to be just like the wild beast whose form he shared, he was still a human. When fighting, one had to think things through. Death wasn’t supposed to be the answer. That must have been what Aiden had tried to teach him so long ago.

He knew he would have to let Fang go. Sighing at his inability to embrace his fearsome blood lust, Wolf leapt from the Chimera and padded over to the still form of Lucian. He pushed against him chest with his nose and was horrified to see that it was immediately covered in blood. Even more blood stained the ground underneath the boy. Frightened, he bit the youth’s shirt and tugged on it, trying to get him to show some response. He had been moving a few minutes ago. What had happened? Had he gone into shock? Wolf pulled even harder as the other refused to move. It was hard to tell if he was even breathing.

Understanding that Wolf was useless in a situation like this, the animal released one of his shuddering howls and allowed the teenager to return. Dominic nudged Lucian with his hands and flipped him onto his back as he tried to feel for a pulse on his neck. It was there but extremely faint. Lucian needed to be taken care of fast.

"Lucian. It’s me, it’s Dominic. Nicky. Come on, give me something here. I don’t know what to do. I can’t carry you all the way to Tashira. You won’t make it. You have to wake up. Lucian please," he rambled, pulling the boy closer to him and resting his body against his chest.

Within moments, his shirt was soaked in Lucian’s blood and he almost was moved to push the youth away from him. But he didn’t. Instead, he stroked his bleeding cheek with his fingers and pushed tangled crimson strands away from the teenager’s face.

This was his fault. He had run from the boy hoping to keep him from getting hurt and it had happened all the same. It was too late. He should have never agreed to stay with the Hell Guardian. Still, he did not regret it. Not knowing Lucian would have been the worst thing in the world. Yet, because of his ignorance and pride, Lucian was in this condition. Lucian had depended on him and he had let him down. Just as he always let people down. Just like Aiden.

He leaned closer to the redhead as his chest began to hurt. "I’m sorry, Lucian. I messed up. I thought I could keep you safe this way, but I failed. I always fail! I can’t keep anyone safe! I’m no Guardian. I know I always told you that you didn’t deserve to be one of us. That you were too carefree and clueless. I didn’t mean it. You are a Guardian. You’re a much better Guardian than I’ll ever be. You deserve more than this."

It was true. Lucian did deserve more than this. He deserved to get better. Dominic promised himself that he would make sure that he did. Maybe he was horrible at saving anybody. Maybe he had lost one person to his helplessness. But it wouldn’t happen again! Not this time. He wouldn’t be helpless. Aiden could never be saved, but Lucian could. He would not lose another person the way he had lost Aiden. He would not!

That was when he noticed the clump of metal beside Fang’s body. Keys? Then he remembered that he had picked up the faint scent of gas when he had been Wolf. It had crossed his nose just before he returned to Lucian. Would Fang be crazy enough to drive his car through a field? Setting Lucian on the ground, he got up, snatched the set of keys and raced further down the field. Sure enough, there was a dirty black car. It looked fairly new but there were signs of repeated abuse. Apparently, Fang wasn’t too kind on his vehicles. Fortunately, it still looked like it was able to drive. But they were still really far from Lucian’s place. Driving all the way back could be risky. He needed somewhere closer.

"Aiden, give me a hand," he moped as he spread out his arms to the air.

Aiden? That brought someone else to mind. Lorelei! Lorelei had been Aiden’s best friend. He had mentioned her in his letter and had even taken him to see the older lady a few times. According to the letter, not only was Lorelei familiar with the Guardians, having discovered Aiden’s secret, she was also a practicing doctor. She might be able to help the Hell Guardian. The fact that her place was way closer than Lucian’s made the suggestion even more viable. He hadn’t seen her since he had lost Aiden, but he was sure that she would remember him. He even had a fairly decent memory of where her house was since Aiden had driven him there every so often.

Scurrying back to Lucian, he lifted him into his arms, surprised at how heavy Lucian seemed when he was carrying him on his own. Odd, he had always thought Lucian to be more of a lightweight. His appearance seemed to point toward that. Well, appearances could be deceiving and the other was also a seventeen-year-old boy. A little weight was to be expected. He carted his companion back to the car as fast as he could manage.

Then he laid Lucian down on the back-seat and climbed into the front. Shoving the keys into the ignition, he backed up the vehicle and headed off in the direction of an actual road. Checking on the youth through his rearview mirror, he saw that his ring was draped over the seat since Lucian was positioned on his side. The amethyst stone sparkled at him from its location and Dominic averted his eyes, looking back at the road.

"Don’t worry, Lucian. You always took care of me. For once, I’m going to do something for you."

Upon waking up, Fang realized that he had one hell of a headache. That wolf had really nailed him good. To make matters worse, he and the Hell Guardian were no were to be found. That meant that he was as good as dead. Lionelle would slaughter him while Lupe stuck around for a couple of laughs. Lupe always did like to see a good beating. How could he have been so stupid as to fight with the Sun Guardian for so long? If only he hadn’t have said all those bizarre things. What were they supposed to mean anyway? Of course, he understood what he was doing. He was doing what he had been trained to do. His mission was to do his very best to surpass his older brother.

Ever since they had been young, Lionelle had always gotten the best of everything and everyone revered him because he was smart and manipulative. They had never shown him the same attention. Fang had always been the throwback. Even changing his name hadn’t got him any attention. He had figured that Fang would be slightly more crowd-pleasing than Alaric. But it had changed nothing. To everyone else, he was still nothing more than a snippy punk tagging along big brother’s heels. It hadn’t gotten any better when Vincient had recruited Lionelle into his little group along with Lupe. As to be expected, he hadn’t granted the invitation to the youngest man. Lionelle had not chosen to put in a good word for him either.

The mere thought that Lionelle had found yet another thing to rub in his face had driven him to do the craziest thing he had ever done in his life. He had sneaked into the group and presented himself to Vincient in private. Though Vincient too had shown that he saw little promise in the man, he had noted that he was willing and ready to do anything to outshine his sibling. Vincient had said that such determination was just what the Chimera needed. Against Lionelle’s wishes, he had allowed him to join. Lionelle had been very bitter after that.

His bitterness had never left him either. He was constantly pushing Lupe into reviling his brother and using every opportunity to prove what a screw-up he was. Even when their new recruit had shown up, Lionelle had taken it upon himself to show the member the ropes. Whether or not he had been successful in his training would be determined later. Then when the Keys and Guardians had shown up, he had taunted Fang with the information that he was to be the first to confront them. He would have to be second. He had always been second. Being second sucked!

After Lionelle had failed, Fang had jumped at the chance to show Vincient how much better he was. His plans had been more crafty, but in the end he had been defeated as well. That should have put him on the same playing field as Lionelle. Yet it hadn’t. Lionelle was still given the task of formulating all the attacks and having first shot at the Key. Fang had always been left with the Guardians. He kept telling himself it was because his brother knew that the Key was weaker than the Guardians and wanted to avoid a real fight. Lionelle was a chicken. But after his fourth time of getting his ass handed to him by the Guardians, he was beginning to realize that it didn’t matter. Lionelle would still force the hard stuff on him while he got to go for the main prize. Ironically, Lionelle wanted the lion’s share.

That was another thing that he hated about his older brother. Lionelle had the power to shape-shift. Vincient had blessed him with it. He had also given the power to Lupe. But had Fang been given such an advantage? No! He had been given a lousy sword. A stupid fucking sword! Probably, Lionelle had convinced Vincient that Fang would just be unmanageable if he had the power to change into some sort of animal. Fang knew the truth though. Lionelle just wanted a reason to claim that he was better than him.

Now, Lionelle was going to punish him for losing Vincient’s prize. He wasn’t sure why Vincient seemed so insistent on getting the youth back, but listening to the man as he told him to retrieve the boy had told him that it was highly advisable to get him back as soon as possible.

It was still stupid. How had the Guardian even escaped? He was supposed to be trapped with Lionelle. Lionelle had bragged about how he was going to torture him upon their returning with their captive. He had even taken most of the credit for the catch even though if it hadn’t been for him, the Hell Guardian would have zapped him with his power. His sword had prevented that. Wasn’t he entitled to any praise?

Still, it did bother him a little to know what his brother was going to do to the youth. The fact that his brother was a sadistic bully was not lost on him. He had experienced Lionelle’s rage himself more than a few times. It almost made him feel bad for the Guardian. That hadn’t stopped him from going to get him. Then, that other one had to mess with his mind with those stupid pleas. He had confused him and then attacked him like he had probably been planning to do all along. Damn Guardians couldn’t be trusted for a second. Even if they just a few years younger than him, they were still evil. And hey, he was getting paid for his services. Money paid for the better things in life such as cars, drugs, and girls. He wasn’t complaining there.

Reaching into his pocket, he found to his horror that he had lost his keys. Crap! That dark-haired Guardian must have swiped them. Most likely, he had taken his car as well. There went three months of work down the toilet. Damn! Today was just not his day. And it wasn’t even over yet. Awaiting him was the oh-so fun concept of detailing his failure to Lionelle. Then dealing with the...consequences.

He stomped back through the field to get ready to leave their temporary hangout. As he did, he noticed a dark red pool not far from the tree. Curious, he ran over to check it out. What he saw made him fall to his knees as his breath stopped completely.

Amongst the circle of blood laid his brother, wavy golden hair dyed a deep crimson as it moved against the wind. His gun was still clutched in his hand and his claws were also tainted with blood. Fang assumed that it was not his own.

In a trance of disbelief, Fang limped over to Lionelle and kneeled down by his side. He could see where the bullet had struck him in the head, shattering the back of his skull. Lionelle had no other mark on him, indicating that this had been a sneak attack. Not able to fathom what had happened, the youngest Chimera reached over and turned his brother’s head to the side. One of his eyes had been ruined by some sort of slash mark. The other golden eye was sightless and trapped in a state of shock. Even devoid of all life, his sibling still seemed as charismatic as ever. No wonder so many glorified him.

"Lionelle," Fang whimpered, not knowing what to do.

Then it all came to him in a flash of light. Lionelle was dead. He was gone from him forever. Never again would he have to live in his shadow. He could do whatever he wanted and be praised in his own right. It was wonderful. Wasn’t it?

But Lionelle was dead. As much as he hated his brother, he was still all the family he had. He had taken care of him all these years. Even if he treated him like shit, he had made sure that he survived. He had cared for him in his own twisted way. Lionelle had been his brother. All his hatred for him had not been able to kill his love for him. It was sick. It was demented. But it was true. He loved his brother as much as he hated him. Lionelle had made him what he was. Now Lionelle was gone.

"Lionelle! LIO!" he shrieked, referring to his sibling as his childhood nickname for the first time in a long while. His brother had always hated when he called him that. He had said that it made him sound weak. Repeats of the name had just earned him beatings. Those would never occur again.

Lionelle was gone. He was truly gone forever. Fang would never see him again. He would never again hear his arrogant voice or feel the pang at knowing that Lionelle had once again defeated him. And to his surprise, it hurt to know that. It hurt a lot. He was alone.

Fang threw himself on his brother’s unmoving chest as he felt the disgusting tears roll down his face. He was crying. Pathetic. He was crying over his brother. Even more pathetic. Only he couldn’t stop. This was unreal. It was impossible. How had this happened?

As the answer pried its way into his head, he clutched at the shirt Lionelle was wearing. The Hell Guardian! Of course, he had been the one with Lionelle. He had already blinded him. Somehow he must have gotten a hold of his gun and shot him with it. That little son of a bitch! And he had felt sorry for him! He had almost been willing to let him go. Vincient’s toys were not treated well. He had considered saving the Hell Guardian from that fate by simply killing him. And the whole time the boy had killed his kin in cold blood. He had murdered his only family. The Hell Guardian had deserved to not only be subject to Vincient’s whims, but to die a slow and painful death. Fang wanted to insure the latter himself. But the boy had escaped with that other brat.

He would show them. They both would pay for what they had done to him. Vincient could have his damn Keys. Fang wanted the Guardians. He would make sure they suffered terribly before he killed them. It would be more fitting to kill them together. They seemed to care about each other so damn much. Perhaps, he would make one of them watch as he finished the other. Then they would know what it was like to lose someone special to them. Oh yes, he would make them hurt.

The youngest Chimera lifted himself from his brother and stroked his matted hair in an almost tender fashion. "I will avenge for you, Lio. I swear it."

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