Chapter Two- Angelic Light

            - New Beginnings and Old Ends -

         Fiona sat up, rubbing her head. It hurt! She opened her eyes and looked around. Where am I? she thought.
         “Well hello... you must be her.. Elise. It’s lovely to see you here.”
         “.. er- hello.. where is here? And do I know you?” it was a dumb, but reasonable question.
         “Yes, your name is Elise. And I'm Lythadane I doubt you'd remember me... To answer your question, we are in Hydrat. A place that you also may not know.”
         “I’ve never heard of Hydrat...”
         “It will all make sense eventually. But for now you must sleep.” she whispered a few words that Elise couldn’t make out, and began to feel incredibly tired. She didn’t even remember laying back down.
         Remo and Rey, two members of Sinerta Corp’s Sretnuhs, walked along the river that separated the territory of Hydrat and Syla.
         “Hey Rey, did you hear about the murderers responsible for killing a few of Sinerta’s employees are supposed to be here?” he asked. Rey just shrugged his shoulders as if he was unbothered.
         Remo began to ramble about stupid things, such as why Sinerta Corp: can’t give them more time off, or more pay, or better benefits, or-... until Rey got so annoyed that he finally decided to talk back.
         “No Remo. I didn’t hear about the murderers. Suri just said to go with you and that you would fill me in on everything.”
         “Oh, well now you know. The murderers were supposedly seen around here. Our orders are to stop them. Good enough?” Rey nodded and continued to walk.
         A quiet ten minute walk brought them to an over-sized rock. A rock in the middle of a forest? Remo thought. Odd...
         As he circled the stone he saw a naked female figure curled up near the large boulder. He motioned for Rey to follow him and slowly walked to the girl, completely alert, he kneeled before her.
         “Hey... she’s still alive...” he said cupping her cheek in his hand.
         “You don’t think she’s-” he was cut off abruptly by a man who jumped from behind a nearby tree, and before Remo could stand had a knife to his throat. Rey who had reached for his gun in that instant was immediately soothed by the dagger  placed against his neck by another man.
         “Aww, guys.. can’t we all just get along?” Remo asked cutely. His captor pulled him to his feet, and tilted the knife ever-so-slightly toward Remo’s throat. A trickle of blood began to flow down his throat as yet another man walked from behind a different tree. The newcomer grinned at Remo as he walked over to him.
         “Remo... it’s great to see you again... all dressed in your Sretnuh uniform. You look so cute.. one of the Sinerta now, eh? What’s it been? Some... five years? Your about twenty-five then, huh?”
         “Yeah.. cute all right... It’s good to see you too... Welson. But why like this? Don’t trust an old friend?” Remo asked, smiling convincingly.
         “We want the girl Remo. You understand why, being the ex-street rat that you are?” the newcomer asked the red-headed Sretnuh.
         “Oh yeah, sure. I understand. She’s one beautiful catch... where’d you get her?”
         “Cut the crap Remo, you’re not in your territory anymore. No more gangs to protect you... our gang, the Vipers stopped caring for you ever since you left to join Sretnuh.. leaving all of us.... they all hate you now.. but looking at the scene before me, I see that you haven’t changed much. Still skinny," he listed off, counting on his fingers, "Still pale, fire-haired. Still sloppy with your hair, and your suit obviously... still playful. Still foolish. Still weak. Where is the other one? The black-haired Sretnuh. Your superior? I heard he’s really cute, good aim too. Your superior, another of Sinerta’s dogs couldn’t save you now.”
         “I don’t need to be saved.” Remo kicked backward, his leg hitting the tender spot between his captor’s legs. His captor fell, holding his waist, his face twisted in pain. Welson rushed forward, giving Remo no time to get his balance as he forced another blade to the Sret’s throat.
         Rey, being the more sensible of the two, knew when to stay silent, (which he usually was anyway...) and when to speak. When to act and when to do nothing.
         “Think you’re so wise? So complex? I can read you like a book. You’ll never change. Street-rat.” Remo growled, wishing he would have stayed home... later he would ask Suri why they got so little pay for these jobs.
         “Well, time to die.” The knife pushed slowly into the already opened wound and farther. Remo stared forward, not showing his pain. He was a Sretnuh! He couldn’t die like this! Not over some old gang-fight and a cute girl he had just met.. well not met. I just kind of saw her-sleeping? Unconscious?
         He became so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice that the girl had stood up.
         “Say outta this, woman!” Welson yelled, bringing him back to reality.
         Remo kicked back again, but Welson moved just in time.
         “Told you you’re easy to read...” he grinned, pushing the knife even deeper into Remo’s neck. He watched the blood run down Remo’s neck and chest and soak into the navy blue Turk uniform with it’s white undershirt.
         “Kai!” shouted the girl. She shouted another word, in a language that none of them understood and did a patterned movement with her hands.
         Everyone was staring at her, when the silver light began to come from her fingertips and encircle the three murderers. The two that were still standing fell down, screaming in pain, and the other swore loudly and flailed out with his arms and legs.
         Remo knew an opportunity when he saw one. In a second he had his gun out and had put one shot in every one of the three men that had once been his friends.
         Rey cracked his knuckles and watched as he let Remo handle his “gang-matter.”
Only when Remo lowered the gun to his side did Rey ask the most logical question.
         “You all right?” Remo touched the large gash on his neck.
         “Yeah, thanks. It could have been a lot worse...” he said, turning to look at the girl, shrugging off the fact that he had just killed three of his old gang-mates.
         “What’s your name?” he asked.
        She shook her head.
         “Did those men hurt you before we came?”
         Another shake.
        “Are you hurt at all?” he walked to her.
         Another. Her innocent eyes showed nothing that hinted she might understand him even a little.
        “Can you talk at all?” he asked grinning.
        Once again, she shook her head. Had Remo expected anything different?
         “What was that.. that.. silverish.. stuff?” He tried to imitated the movement she had done earlier, and only resulted in looking like a maestro trying to conduct.
         Tilting her head, she watched him for a moment before comprehension flashed across her face. She moved her hands again in a different pattern, as the silver light came from her fingers again. It flew to Remo’s neck, pushing itself into the opened wound and began to heal his broken skin immediately.
         Remo stepped back, startled as the silver light entered his wound. It’s freezing! he thought. It felt like someone had just dumped ice-water in his wound, and it was beginning to flow through his blood-stream.
         Remo reached a hand up, and gently touched his neck. No wound! No deep gash! No blood! She healed him? She had...?!
         “What was that?” he asked speechless.
         Rey walked over to him, and glanced at Remo's neck.
         “Not even a scar... magic?” he asked.
         “Where did you learn magic? From whom? The only ones who know magic like that are... President Sinerta, his lady wife who passed a few years back, and a woman by the name of Lythadane who visits the vice-president every now and then.”
         “Lythadane...” she muttered as if in a trance. Bending down, she scooped up one of the murderer’s weapons and slashed out, cutting Remo’s cheek. He stumbled back, caught completely off-guard. The girl came at him again, and as she slashed out again, but reading her movement he bent down and punched up, knocking her out instantly. Remo caught her as she fell, and gently laid her light frame on the ground.
         “Damn.. magic and knives... that sure was a change in attitude...” he said standing up with a sigh and rubbing his hands. Drops of blood began to ooze from his new wound.
        “If she knows Lythadane than we should probably take her to the Headquarters with us, Rey?” Rey nodded.
         “Let’s go.”
         “Uh.. wait a sec...” Remo knelt down, undoing the remaining two buttons on his jacket and wrapped it around Elise. Picking her up, and cuddling her against his chest, he looked down at her. Oh gods.. she’s as beautiful as any model..
         “Now we can go?” Rey asked.
         Remo nodded.

Hate it! I never liked this chapter, but it has to stay... unfortunately... i'll get around to re-writing it eventually.. >>