Chapter 5

 

Jade got a start when she walked into the kitchen the next morning. Timmy was eating what looked like a huge buffet breakfast. "Timmy . . . how did all of this get here?" she asked incredulously.

Timmy looked up and smiled in greeting. "You'll never guess who's cooking."

Just then Gabriel walked in. "Hello." He gestured at the table. "I made a lot. Go on."

He was different. His eyes were blank but endless, no longer holding the icey look. His body seemed more relaxed somehow, and his expression was also blank, but wore a slight sign of confusion.

"Gabriel?"

"He doesn't know his name," Timmy murmured.

"What?" Jade looked from the short boy to the taller guy. His bleached black hair was messed from sleep. "Gabriel?"

"Gabriel?" he repeated, looking really lost.

"Your name is Gabriel Matthews," she explained.

He looked right into her eyes. He never had before, and it startled Jade. "Gabriel Matthews . . . I'm Gabriel Matthews? Then who are you?"

"I'm Jade. And that's Timmy."

"Jade. . . ." he said softly. "Jade . . . you have pretty eyes."

Timmy snickered and Jade was startled yet again. "Um . . . thank you." She frowned slightly and reached out and brushed his messed hair back to normal with her fingers. "There. Much better."

Gabriel touched his head and looked confused. "There was something on my head?"

"No. Your hair was messed up." Jade saw the look on Timmy's face. "Don't you dare confuse him," she warned.

"Aw, but it's the perfect oppurtunity to get a boyfriend," Timmy whined.

"No," she said.

Timmy shrugged. "All right. Hey, where's Blaise? I wanna see if I can gross her out some more."

"I haven't seen Blaise since last night."

Joshua came in then. "Th' 'lil bitch ran off 'gain. Damn it. She needs ta stay 'round the base, th' damn bitch." He pulled out a seat and sat, cursing Blaise under his breath.



Blaise frowned slightly. "I don't like him. . . ." she muttered. She kept watching through a window, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

"Hey."

She turned and felt something sharp being driven into her back. She screamed in pain and fell over, blood streaming out. There were noises from inside, running feet. They had heard her.

"No one shall interfere with Jade's destiny," a light, musical voice said. Blaise looked up, coughing up blood.

The figure raised her glaive and drove it straight through Blaise's heart, then through her brain.

And right before she died, she noticed the figure had long, silvery-blond hair and lavender eyes.



"Oh, my God. . . ." Jade whispered. "Who . . . who could have done this?"

Joshua bent down to Blaise's body, his face grim. "Dead. She's dead."

"Well, that much was obvious. . . ." Timmy muttered.

"Who was she?" Gabriel wondered.

Suddenly Jade broke down into sobs. She ran inside and you could hear her crying hysterically. "Nothing's right! Nothing's happening the way it should be!" her cries rang out.

Timmy stood and turned to Gabriel. "That was Blaise. Not one of my favorite people, personally. Actually, she really wasn't anyone's favorite."

"Then why does Jade cry?"

Joshua looked annoyed, but Timmy ignored it. "Jade loves just about everyone. She even loves one of our enemies. She's soft."

"That's not import'nt," Joshua said, his voice clipped. "Look. Lookit her. How th' hell did she end up like this?"

Timmy blinked and bent down to get a better look. "Hey, she looks anorexic."

"She didn't b'fore last night. That's th' point," their leader said harshly. "Stokar must have gott'n to her."

Something flashed in Gabriel's head and he fell over onto his back. "What's wrong with you?" Joshua shouted.

"I . . . I don't . . . a mission. . . ." Gabriel whispered.

Timmy's eyes widened. "I remember! That mission we had a couple months ago! Stokar had this huge cylander-shaped machine, and I remember seeing some files later on what it did. It transforms one's body so that they can become faster, stronger, more graceful, and sexy."

Joshua growled. "Leave yer 'lil comm'nts out if it, bi boy."

"No, that's what the document said!" Timmy protested.

"So she was on Stokar's side b'fore she died." Joshua shook his head. "Traitor."

"Stokar can be very persuasive," Timmy commented dryly. Then he grinned. "And cute." Same old Timmy.

"But who could've killed her?" Gabriel asked.

Joshua shook his head. "Th's is so damn scr'wd . . . w're droppin' one by one, and we ain't doin' one damn thing 'bout it!"

Timmy snorted. "Well, what do you expect us to do? They keep sneaking behind our backs, killing each one of us. Then they're gonna get Jade, turn her evil, use for her domination, and when she gets to be too much of a problem, they'll kill her. And you expect us to do something about it?" He shook his head. "Believe me, Josh, I don't think we can. I don't think we're able to-"

The leader grabbed the boy by the collar, shaking him. "You loosin' yer faith 'lready, boy? Thinkin' we ain't capable of stoppin' them?" He tossed him to the ground. "Well, you just keep thinkin' that way, boy. But I for one ain't lettin' 'nyone or 'nything get t' Jade. 'Nd if yer gonna quit, th'n get lost."



Jade watched all this through the window, and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "I hate to see them fight like that," she whispered.

Francesca walked in. "Jade?" She turned to the short blond. "Um . . . what's going on, Jade?"

"Blaise is dead," she said softly, sounding almost dead. "And Timmy and Joshua are fighting again."

Francesca shook her head. "Those two fight way too much. More than Timmy and Gabriel. So, Blaise is dead, huh? That's too bad." Jade couldn't detect a hint of sympathy, sadness, or anger. "Well, she wasn't my favorite member of Silver Blood. Who do you think killed her? We have to make sure they don't come after you."

Jade blinked, staring at her friend in disbeleif. If she wasn't mistaken, Francesca seemed happy Blaise was gone. "How can you be so heartless?" she whispered.

"Huh?"

Jade stood, her almond-shaped green eyes reflecting anger. "Blaise is dead now, Francesca! Dead! She's never coming back. You should be angry, or sad, or aympathetic or something besides happy and detached!"

The blond blinked, startled. "Jade-"

"Just leave." The red-head's voice lowered dangerously. "Now. Francesca, I mean it." The shorter girl looked at Jade, then ran out. "How can she feel so . . . happy?" Jade murmured, tears spilling out again.

"How?"