Chapter 2:

As the last bell rang Kalo made her way out of her classroom.

"Hey Kalo, wait a minute!" Taya yelled from behind her walking faster than normal to catch up. "What's wrong with you?" she asked placing a pawed hand on her shoulder.

Kalo rubbed her forehead with her wrist while she clutched a stack of books with on arm. "I don't feel well, I need to go and get some rest." she responded quietly.

"Want me to walk you home or something?" Taya asked.

Kalo shook her head. "Nah, I'll be fine. See you tomorrow."

"Alright then." Taya said before turning around and walking the other way down the hallway.

Kalo walked drowsily among the crowd of students leaving to go home before she knew it she was walking past the school soccer field, she didn't go past the place often but it was a quiet route she took home when she was felling stressed or when she didn't feel like waking on the streets. A noise caught her attention and she turned to see what it was. Some one was playing soccer, and the some one was Landon. She paused for a moment then stepped toward the short chain-link fence surrounding the field and balanced her books on the top carefully. She leaned onto the fence while staring at the boy, he was still wearing that cape of his as he maneuvered the ball around the field. After a while he noticed her watching him, picking up the ball he calmly walked towards her. She smiled at him.

"Athletic and smart, eh?" she asked rhetorically.

He just smiled. "So what are doing here?" he asked.

"I had a headache and I didn't feel like the noise." she said her smile staring to fade.

"I see. So do you want to play?" he asked.

She blushed lightly and shook her head. "No thanks. Rain check?"

"Okay." he looked at her for a moment. "Want me to carry your books?"

"Oh." she pulled the books off the fence. "No, I think.." One of the books slipped off the top of the pile and landed on the floor next to her feet. Landon jumped over the fence and picked it up.

"May I?" he asked politely grabbing another off the top of the stack.

Kalo blushed. "Thanks Landon."

When they finally arrived at Kalo apartment she dropped her bookbag on the floor and put her textbooks on the table Landon put the rest of them on the table. Kalo disappeared for a moment before showing herself once again and filling a glass of water from the kitchen tap. She gulped the water down along with an aspirin.

"Anything else I can help you with?" he asked.

"No, I'm just going to go sleep, but thanks."

Landon walked to the door. "See you tomorrow." he said before leaving.

Kalo climbed into her bed and drifted off to sleep.

"Kalo," Victor said as he knocked on the door. "Are in there? I'm coming in." Victor walked into her apartment which was unusually quiet. He looked around for a moment before slowly making his way around. He peered into her room to see her curled up in the sheets.

"What do you want?" she spoke gruffly to him.

"You scared me." he sighed. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I had a headache, I took a nap."

"You're going to have a long night."

Kalo sat up and stretched. "You don't need to remind me." she said getting up and walking past him. She made her way to the kitchen and filled a kettle with water then turned it on before sitting down at the table scratching through her books. Victor walked around sniffing the air noisily. "What's the matter?" she asked not looking up at him.

"Why was Taya's study buddy here?" he asked half growing.

Kalo sighed and stared at he pages of the book with a pencil in her hand. "He helped me carry my books home, is there a problem with that?"

Victor only grumbled at the statement. The kettle clicked off, Kalo started to get up. "Sit down." he commanded. Victor fumbled around the kitchen while he made them both a cup of tea. He placed the steaming cup in front of Kalo's books and sat across from her.

"Thanks." she said putting her pencil down and sipping the warm liquid. There was an awkward silence before she decided to break it. "Why are you so offended that there is another guy in my apartment?" she asked.

"Kalo, you have to stop being so liberal about these things. What if he's with..."

"He's just a normal person Victor, that's history, it's not going o happen again. You need to quit worrying so much." she shot back at him.

"You can't say something like that, he's going to want to 'check-up' on us sometime or another. Don't argue with me on that I know him better than you do. Besides its not like that manipulative bastard to trick someone into getting what he wants even if it is just a 'normal' person." Victor said calmly while he clenched his cup tightly not looking at Kalo. She knew he was probably right.

"I just..." she said quietly staring into her cup. "I just want to forget about all of that. I never wanted to be like this..." her voice had started to shake. "All the time I'm reminded about how different I am, I ... I want to be normal, Victor." a single tear dropped from her eye making a wet spot on her book. "I want to be normal and have a normal family, just like everyone else."

Victor put his hands around hers. "I'm sorry."

Kalo leaned her head back against the faded railing that bordered the edge of the third floor of the school. She stared up at the sun momentarily blinding her and relieving the throbbing pain in her head for the smallest second. She shut her eyes tightly.

Some one was shaking her shoulder. "Kalo, are you alright?" it was Taya.

"Yeah." Kalo mumbled opening her eyes slightly.

Taya sat down on the metallic bench nest to her. "You don't look so well."

"I don't feel well." she grumbled.

"Was Victor there again? He kept you up all night didn't he?" Taya sighed.

"Why do you ask me questions you already know the answer to?" Kalo asked rhetorically. "No, he didn't keep me up." Kalo pulled her head down and placed her palms on her forehead. Her elbows rested just above her knees.

"Go home if you don't feel good then. And besides you shouldn't hang that guy anyway, not to say tat he's actually apart of the human race. How can you with a shnoz like that..."

"Taya. Shut up about Victor already." Kalo said to the floor.

"Hey, Kalo." a male voice said. Taya and Kalo looked up simultaneously, it was Landon with a big smile across his face. Taya got up and left silently.

"Hi Landon." Kalo said.

Landon's smile vanished as he sat down next to her. "You look sick. Is something the matter?"

"Uh, no just a little tired." she smiled.

"Oh, well then if you're that tired you should go home." he said standing up.

"That's the second person that's told me that today." she mumbled, lazily staring up at him.

Landon replied with a laugh. "Well then maybe it's true." The warning bell to get to class rang. "See you." he said before turning to leave. Kalo picked up her book bag and a surge of pain entered her head, she closed her eyes and grabbed the railing to steady herself. Something clicked and she felt herself falling. She opened her eyes quickly and before she could steady herself she realized she was falling off the building.

"Crap." she spoke.

Landon spun around. "Kalo!" he ran towards the edge of the building pulling his cape off and dived towards her. He gabbed her and pulled her body towards himself before spreading a pair of slate grey wings and gently glided to the ground throwing up a small cloud of dust. With Kalo in his arms he fell to his knees on the dusty ground.

"Kalo, Kalo, are you alright?" he said loudly in a panic.

Her eyes opened slightly. "Oh, hi Landon." she smiled. "Are you dead too?" she asked dazed.

"Kalo?" a crowd has started to gather around the two.

"You look like an angel." she stated staring up at him as if she were drunk. "Those wings make you look hotter than normal." she kept on going in a dazed stupor now playing with his wings.

"Uh Kalo?"

"Such pretty..." Landon pinched her arm sharply. "Ouch! What the hell was that..." Kalo looked around for a moment.

"You're not dead." Landon said with a confused smile.

Kalo cover her face and blushed brightly. "Oh no." There was a large crowd around them at this moment.

Comments started flying around him. 'Look at those wings!' 'Do you think they're real?' 'I'm going to fall off a building next.'

Landon had stared to blushed. He stood up and lifted a shaken Kalo to her feet, who had turned a bright shade of red.

"Ahem," Taya coughed, handing Landon his cape and turning around facing the crowed. "Okay everyone, nothing to see here! Keep it moving!" she said directing people away from Landon and Kalo.

Kalo stared at Landon for what seem to be a long time. "Uh... th-thank you." she forced the words out but nothing else would part from her mouth.

"We better get to class." Landon said as he tied his cape around his neck. Kalo nodded in reply and hurries off to her class.

The next hour and a half of her last class dragged on for what seemed like forever. When the final bell rang Kalo shoved all her school necessities in her bag and hurried out of the room to look for Landon. When she found him he was surrounded by a swarm of ecstatic girls. Kalo pushed her way through muttering the occasional 'excuse me' or pardon' at who ever got in her way. She dragged Landon away from the group but they still followed the winged male.

"I need to talk to you." she growled, dragging him along and obviously getting annoyed at the group following them.

Landon turned around. "Ladies," he spoke in an embarrassed tone. "I'll talk to all of you later, right now I would just like to talk to Kalo." the girls let out a disappointed 'aw' and started to scatter. They walked together for a few moments, neither of them speaking a word to each other. Kalo had drooped her head and was clutching a heavy textbook in her arms.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you this afternoon." Landon said.

Kalo remained quiet, not giving his statement an answer. She then turned her head slightly. "I-its alright."

Victor walked down the hallway to the apartment where Kalo stayed. He pulled at his gloves in annoyance, something didn't smell right. He arrived at Kalo's doorway and lifted his hand up to knock. Pausing for a moment his ears pricked up and he could hear Kalo talking and giggling as well as someone else in the room. It sounded male and from the smell of it, it was Taya's supposed study buddy. Victor sighed and knocked on the door, he heard Kalo yell that she would be there in a second and a moment later she opened the door her hair in a scruffy ponytail.

"Oh hi, Victor." she was smiling as if she had just heard a good joke.

He flattened his furry ears against his head. "Is someone there?" he asked more rhetorically then interrogative.

"Yes, come in I want you to meet him." she smiled grasping his arm and pulling him inside the room.

Victor stood staring at Landon for a moment. He was putting on his dark blue shirt and pulled his wings through the slits on the back of his shirt. Landon turned to Victor.

"Victor, this is Landon." she said motioning towards Landon. "Landon, this is Victor."

"Nice to meet you." Victor said stiffly and shook Landon's hand.

Landon glanced toward Kalo for a second then turned back to Victor. "Kalo has told me a lot about you."

A grey haired man walked down an austere off white hallway lined on wither side with the same steel grey door. His wore a black military uniform trimmed in white with a pair of black pants that were tucked into a pair of dull black combat boots and he carried a brown folder under his arm. He pushed open a steel door at the end of the hallway and walked into a room full with activity. Two long desks lined either side of the large room and the people who where sitting quietly at their computers stood up and saluted the officer. At the end of the room a man with jet black hair stood up and saluted the officer before him. He wore a military uniform similar to the man that had just walked in the room and so did the female that stood at his side.

"Good evening Colonel Hutsko." he turned his head to the rest of the room. "At ease and back to what you were doing." he said.

"Evening General, sir." Hutsko spoke putting his saluting right hand to his side. "I wasn't expecting you."

As the grey haired man chuckled at Hutsko the semi-reflective black tag with the word the name 'Masurao' glinted in the fading day light coming from a window behind Hutsko. "I wasn't expecting you to but I wanted to come and congratulate you and Captain Dakota on you promotions." Hutsko nodded and the woman next to him muttered a small thanks. "Also," the general started. "I've got a new 'mission' for you." Hutsko's deep green eyes gave a small flicker of eagerness. "This just came in a few hours ago," General Masurao continued dropping the brown folder onto Hutsko's half clean desk. "Sorry to say it's not another field mission but it should keep you amused for a while. Well then good luck Hutsko." the General said before tuning around and walking out the door.

Hutsko sank back down into his chair and gave a defeated sigh while reaching across his desk for the folder. "Let's see what we have here." he muttered pulling out a stack of papers and flipping through them quickly. "Supposed genetic experiments?" he muttered to himself as he skimmed over the contents of the first page. "Ah crap, I get a promotion and get handed the bull-crap that this place just happens to find." Hutsko said flipping through the papers. "Look at these, low quality, probably photo manipulations." He threw the papers back on the desk and leaned back in his chair putting his arms behind his head.

"May I sir?" the woman behind him asked, the slightest bit intrigued.

"Sure." he groaned closing his eyes.

She picked up the papers and looked over them a moment brushing a stray blonde lock that had worked its way out of the bun tied at the back of her head. Her blue eyes read over the text of the pages as she quickly flipped through them. The name tag on her uniform read 'Dakota'. "Disregarding the images the state might be onto something." Hutsko opened and eye and looked at her. "But I thought the state outlawed experiments of this kind years ago."

Hutsko shifted in he chair. "It is." he stated plainly barely opening his eyes.

Kalo pulled the pony tail out of her hair which wasn't hair but feathery plumes. Landon stood speechless.

"Kalo, what are you doing?" Victor growled at her.

"Victor we're the same as him, don't you see?" Kalo shot back as she pulled off her gloves. "And I'm sorry to say, but," she lifted her hands which were covered in yellow scales and her long black fingernails which looked more like daggers. "I thought should know before this relationship escalated any further." she bowed her head.

Landon pulled her hand into his. "You're afraid I won't like you because you're weird or different aren't you?" Kalo turned her head away not answering him.

"It's not like we have friends that are exactly trustworthy." Victor scoffed crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Victor, please, stop it." Kalo shot to him. Victor sighed and walked into Kalo's bedroom and closed the door.

"Is he always in a bad mood?" Landon asked innocently letting go of Kalo's hand and putting his cape back on.

"No." Kalo said scratching the back of her head. "Only when we have company I suppose. He doesn't like me inviting people in and sharing our 'secret' I suppose is what you call it."

Landon smiled and picked up his bag. "Maybe next time will be better then? I'll see you later then."

"Maybe. See you." Kalo said following him to the door.

"So what did you do today?" Victor asked Kalo sipping a can of soda at the table.

"Um . . . . nothing of any interest . . ." she smiled not wanting to tell him about what had happened earlier on.

Victor's ears twitched and he was quiet for a moment. "You're not telling me something." he stated. "It's got something to do with that Landon character doesn't it? That's why you brought him here, isn't it?" Kalo's face started to go red. "What happened Kalo?"

She was quiet for a moment trying to pick the right words but she knew he would be angry anyway. "I sort of got sick." she started. "And I blacked-out at school."

"Aren't most of our classes on the higher levels?"

"Y- yes." she said not looking at him.

"You fell of one of the higher floors and he prevented you form dying didn't he? He flew with his wings and he saved you. Great Kalo now you know who will know exactly where we are and the fed's will probably be after us too." he growled standing up and pacing around like an animal. "Kalo," he put his hand to his head.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it you know . . ."

"You know that I told you when ever you think you might do something like that to stay!" he interrupted. "Dammit what are we going to do now?" he muttered angrily to himself.

Kalo looked to the floor. "You can go."

"What"

"You can go." she restated. "But I'll stay. That way if he starts tracking us then he can find me. This is my fault anyway, right? I've finally found friends that won't abandon me because I'm half animal or what ever they want to think I am. I want to be around my friends as long as I can, even if it means having to go back."

"Kalo."

"Victor," her voice had started to quiver. "I haven't felt like this since . . . . since . . ."

Victor smiled, his anger apparently gone. "Since you met me." He spoke kindly looking at her and thinking back for a brief moment.

"Kalo, are you listening to me?" Taya whispered to her from across the desk. They were partnered together for an assignment.

Kalo looked to Taya with an attentive expression. "Yes.' she said quickly scribbling something on her paper.

"You sure about that?" Taya nudged. "I bet you're thinking about Landon."

"No,' she shot back. "Not really."

"Not really, eh?" Taya smiled.

"No," Kalo replied not looking up from her paper. "More of a Victor and Landon thing."

"First part of that sentence, ew, second part ,aww." Taya sighed. "So you going to the dance with Landon tonight?"

Kalo stopped writing and frowned. "Me? No."

"You mean even if he asked you, you would say no? I think you should you already told him about . . ."

Kalo quickly interrupted Taya. "If he asked me I would go but just because I told him doesn't mean that we're meant for life. I told him because I didn't want any secrets between us, especially when he risked himself like that." she paused for a moment. "Also I didn't want him to expect something from me that I wasn't."

"But Kalo, he saved your life and then you told him, it's a classic romantic moment Kalo!" Taya said with excitement in her voice and clasping her hands together. The bell rang and Kalo shot her a burning glare taking her paper and handing it into the teacher. Taya got up and followed Kalo through the crowded hallway.

"By saying that you are also saying that Victor and I should be together." Kalo said pushing her way through the mass of people.

"Disgusting Kalo, I don't know how you can stand that guy. The only thing I would support between you two would be you murdering him."

Kalo began to look for Landon. "Well he's helped me more than his fair share and he supported me for three years, that shows he cares for me."

Taya sighed at Kalo. "Kalo, if you're looking for Landon he's over there with the mass of girls swarming around him and, that's not the same alright? Victor's a loser."

Kalo stood on a metal bench on the side of the hallway and waved to Landon. He saw her and waved back and apologetically made his way through the crowd around him.

Landon put on a light blush. "Um, I wanted to ask you . . ."

Kalo put her gloved finger over his lips. "Later alright? When certain third parties aren't listening." she smiled as the bell rang. "See you soon Landon."

Taya and Shang were standing on the catwalk adjusting some stage lights. They were the only two in the auditorium right now since everyone else was at lunch. Taya had stayed first and then when Shang found she wasn't leaving; he of course volunteered to stay as well. Taya was currently running different colored slides over the light looking for the correct color the teacher had instructed her to put in. Shang was changing the bulbs of dead lights. He blinked looking at Taya as he did so.

"Do you always stare at people with an endless look of stupidity on your face?" Taya asked a bit annoyed.

"No, just you" he said winking.

"You're hopeless Shang." She said shaking her head as she put the other slides down and screwed the blue one in.

"It's not my fault I can't resist your charm." he said leaning against the rail.

"You're persistent I'll give you that." she said not turning away from her work.

Shang grinned as he picked up a screwdriver. He reached his arms around her from behind and began undoing the back of the light. He pulled out a little bit of the wiring with his free hand.

Taya blushed a bit. "You could have waited for me to move."

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't get to hold you like this." He said smiling as his arms pressed a little closer against her. "And I wouldn't get a chance to do this either." he nuzzled against her neck with his nose.

"Shang…" She said blushing.

"Shh" He pressed his lips against her collar bone. "I'm not gonna bite, yet." He said moving her neck slowly. Taya gasped quietly out of surprise she dropped the Phillips she'd been holding and blushed harder. Shang was moving his lips closer and around to the front of her neck. He was completely losing his concentration on the wiring he'd currently been working on before he had gotten to caught up in sexually harassing the woman of his choice. Shang didn't notice that the metal head of the screwdriver was reaching into electric field of a busted wire. His lips parted from her neck for a moment and just as he did he felt a deep painful shock running through his body. He pulled his arm quickly back his body stumbling he had jerked rather roughly. He continued stumbling and rammed right into the frail railing and broke right through it.

"Shang!" Taya yelled as she went to her knees at the edge of the broken railing. She looked down.

Shang was lying on his back looking up. The catwalk had been lowered considerably so Taya could work on the lower lighting so Shang hadn't gotten hurt to much.

"Why does this always happen when I'm having fun?" He questioned as his eyes shut. Taya shook her head smiling as she looked down at him.

"And here we have commanding officer Kanin Hutsko." and over excited twenty year old with a video camera said.

"Shaw put that damn thing away." Hutsko snapped at him from his desk, his arms crossed against his chest. He was dressed differently from when he had last been seen with and now wore a grey camouflage uniform.

The brown haired male snapped the view finder on the camera closed and pulled a chair up to the desk. "So, what's the plan?"

Hutsko sighed and fell back into his chair and scribbled some circles onto a piece of paper. "We wait," he said in a bored tone. "We're going tonight."he paused for a moment. "What a load of bullshit." he muttered to himself.

"Now you know that it's your duty to investigate every case you get and to the very last lead." Dakota said appearing behind Kanin.

He smiled and looked behind him. "I know, I know. Guess I shouldn't complain, but it's times like these when I wish I was back in the field." he muttered to himself, glancing at the clock he got out of his seat and left the room with his report in hand.

"Jamie, this is your doctor, Dued Wielder." a silver haired female smiled at a

little girl with rabbit ears attached to her head. "He is the only person I know that fits your needs." She said putting an arm around the teen in a lab coat standing next to her. "He's the only person I trust with your health."

"Oh Zilla! She's saying nice words about me .She said something nice about me!" Dued thought to himself practically floating in mid air.

"Some times I wonder..." Zilla muttered to herself.

"This way Jamie." he said punching in a code at the side of a metallic door.

"Yessir." Jamie responded in a cute voice.

Dued turned around to look at Zilla who had started to walk away from them.

She looked at Dued who was leading Jamie into the medical room. "Yeah?"

"I got your results in this morning. I thing you'll be glad to know that the results were favorable."

Zilla looked at him a bit surprised. "Dued…"

"You'd make a good mother, Zilla. Not to mention you can breed with humans and metahumans." He smiled looking back to her.

"Good to know I have options." She smiled and turned away from the two.

The child sat down on a small chair. "What do you need to do, Mr. Dued? Colonel Brisk didn't tell me." She asked innocently swinging her legs under her.

Dued pulled a paper out of his lab coat pocket. "Well," he smiled at Jamie, "we'll just see…" he stopped in mid sentence giving a short gasp.

"What's wrong, Mr. Dued?" she asked watching as he crumpled the paper in his hand.

"No." he spat. "I refuse." He turned towards the door throwing the paper in the rubbish bin on the way out. "Stay here."

The half rabbit girl slid off her chair and pulled the note out of the trash can.

Dued took off his glasses and rubbed them with the sleeve of his coat before continuing part of the way down the hall before being stopped.

"Excuse me are you Dued Wielder?" he asked looking down at a paper then looking back at Dued.

"Yes, sir." he responded with a half irritated sigh. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I'm Colonel Kanin Hutsko." he said offering his hand out in a friendly shake. "I got a report yesterday about these metahuman things." offering him a copy of his report.

Dued started down the hallway whilst looking at the papers Kanin had given him. "And by the way they aren't 'things' they're people. Now if you'll excuse me I have to talk to Colonel Brisk." he handed the papers back to the Coneol

"What? You're just going wave it off like that?" Hutsko shouted trailing behind him.

Dued turned around to him and spoke to him in an irritated voice. "Sir this isn't the most uncommon thing around here. That is why UNI was created. If you would like there are other operatives around here that you can commission but right now I'm busy trying not to let some idiot who thinks he can do anything turn a child into a monster." he spun around and continued on his way.

"My I could offer you some help." the colonel said not moving but Dued kept walking. "One of my subordinates has done a little digging and he found that one of these 'metahumans' as you call them is an original." Dued stopped and gave a sideways glance at him he then went back and snatched the papers from his hands. Dued then pulled on the sleeve of Hutsko's uniform and dragged him to Colonel Brisk's office.

Colonel Brisk was fat man and always had a cigar in his mouth. Dued walked into his smoke clouded office, it smelled sweet like the cigar he had just lit. he flicked a glance at Dued and the colonel. "What's the matter?" he said pulling out the cigar and blowing a puff of smoke into the air.

"I refuse to follow your order." Dued spat at him. Brisk looked at him questionably and turning slightly in his chair. "The order to splice that girl with some predatory will be like sending her to the firing squad. The mental and physical repercussions could be fatal for her."

Colonel Brisk laughed realizing what Dued was talking about. "Mr. Weilder I'm not sure you understand your purpose here. I give an order and you follow it." he said before looking over to Hutsko and his small grin disappearing. "What's he doing here?"

Exactly what I'm wondering, Colonel Hutsko thought to himself.

"I will bring you one of the original experiments done by Professor Amathist Suniya, himself," Dued said pointing to Kanin, "and I will show you why this is dangerous." he paused for a moment. "And Colonel Hutsko knows exactly where to find her."

Taya and Kalo were walking down the hallway together as the last bell of the day had sounded. Taya watched Kalo half skip as she walked along.

"Why are you so happy?" she asked a bit weirded-out by Kalo's overly happy mood.

Kalo gave Taya a huge grin. "Landon asked me to dance!" she squealed with excitement, jumping up and down despite the heavy load in her book bag.

"Aww how cute!" Taya cooed. "Next you'll be at a nice restaurant together and you'll get engaged and then you'll take his virginity, then..."

Kalo gave a glare to Taya. "Thanks," she interrupted. "You just ruined my happy moment. I knew I shouldn't of told you."

Taya chuckled. "That's what best friends are for Kay."

Kalo rolled her eyes. "Are you coming tonight then?"

"Of course!" Taya replied. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"So who are you going with then?" Kalo asked ignoring her friends last comment. "That Shang guy."

Taya shot Kalo an angry glare. "You've got to be kidding me. You couldn't pay me to with him."

Kalo giggled. "Okay then, I'll see you later." she said waving as she left for her apartment.

Victor knocked on Kalo's door and waited impatiently for her to answer. He started to knock again before she answered.

"Hi Victor, come in." she smiled pleasantly.

"You're awful happy aren't you?" he asked as Kalo walked to her room and he picked up a glass of water from the counter.

"Yup," she nodded. "Landon asked me to go to the dance with him tonight."

Victor spewed the water he was drinking over the counter. "What?" he yelled.

"I know you heard me."

"You're going on a date with that guy?" he yelled at her again.

"It's not a date." Kalo muttered through the bedroom door. Victor crossed his arms in front of him and grumbled at her. Kalo walked out wearing a black skirt with a red shirt and sporting her black gloves. "So what do you think?" she asked spinning around. A knock came from the door and Victor opened it then slammed it back closed when Landon appeared in front of him. "Victor!" she growled at him opening the door and apologizing to Landon.

"It's alright," Landon said unfazed by Victor's actions. "So you ready?" Kalo nodded then said good-bye to Victor and left.

"So is Shang tagging along?" Kalo asked trying to strike up a conversation.

Landon laughed at her. "Yes, he thought since you we're going with me, Taya would come along too." He paused for a moment. "Please tell me she's not coming so we can have a peaceful night."

Kalo grinned. "Negative." She sang. As they entered the gymnasium, they heard music blasting and Taya ambushed them with her fingers formed into a picture frame.

"Aww, look at the love birds!" she exclaimed.

Kalo pulled Taya hands down. "Very funny."

Landon bent down and whispered in her ear. "Three, two, one."

"Taya!" Shang came running seemingly out of nowhere. Taya stepped back as Shang jumped in the air expecting himself to land next to his prey he landed on the cleanly waxed floors of the gymnasium putting a greasy face mark on the shiny wood.

Kalo giggled. "Hello, Shang." Taya said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Such impeccable timing you have Shang." Landon said helping his friend up.

"Thanks Landon." Shang replied taking the compliment as he turned his eyes back towards Taya and she replied by rolling her eyes and walking away from him. The group wandered around mostly sitting on the bleachers and only dancing when the rest of the masses did also. The music started pumping and Kalo dragged Landon down to the floor. As she was dancing someone pulled her onto the side room next to the gym where the concessions were being sold.

"Kalo we have to get out of here." Victor said in a harsh voice.

Kalo looked at him surprised for a moment. "Victor what are you doing here? Er . . . What do you mean we have to leave?"

Victor was wearing a black hat that was turned back to front. "I was following you," he growled at her. "We have to leave the feds are here." he said urgently.

Kalo dropped her head and fingered her gloves. "I . . . I'm sorry." she said, the feathers on her head flattened against her head. "I'll just be a couple of minutes." she said looking back up at him.

Victor sighed and looked towards the door distractedly. "Alright," he sighed. "We need to hurry though."

Landon popped his head through the door. "Kalo?" Kalo turned and pulled Landon back to the gym. "May I have this dance?" he smiled giving a short bow.

Kalo bushed as she noticed the slow music playing and saw Landon's formality. "Yes."

Landon put his hands around Kalo's waist and pulled himself closer to her. "What's Victor doing here? Is something wrong?" he whispered in her ear.

Kalo's arms were around his neck and she squeezed him tightly. "Maybe." she replied as she tried to distract herself by playing with his golden hair. As the couple turned around Kalo noticed between the similarly dancing people three out of place people standing on the far side of the gym. One of them wore a grey camouflage uniform and was talking to one of the teachers, another wielded a video camera and was dressed in a formal military uniform, the last was wearing a white lab coat with black pants and his hair was black with the ends tipped him brown. She became tense.

"Kalo, what's the matter?" Landon said pulling his head away from her slightly.

She let go of him and tried pulling away from him. "We have to leave." she said as if in a trance.

Taya looked at the couple from a distance. "Kalo what are you doing?" she muttered to herself. She turned around and Shang had appeared beside her. "What do you want?" Shang just grinned at her. Just behind Shang were the same three men that Kalo had spied. Taya gasped and pulled him towards Kalo and Landon.

Landon released Kalo and rushed into the side room where Victor was still waiting. He looked angry. "Victor we have to. . ."

"We can't, there's someone out at the exits already." he growled at her.

"I'm sorry Victor, this is all my fault. What are we going to do?" Landon walked in on the two.

Victor gave him an irritated glance. "We walk through the front door." Kalo looked at him sideways. He pushed her and Landon out where they met Taya and Shang.

Taya looked at Victor disapprovingly. "We have a problem."

"Could I have your attention everyone?" someone said in an unconfident voice. The group turned and looked at the person; it was the man in the camouflage uniform.

"Walk away slowly," Victor whispered.

"Could I please see, Ms. Taya Suniya, Ms. Kalo Hiaota, and Mr. Landon Shagrui." the crowd of students parted themselves to show the group. Kalo started to pull at her glove.

Victor grabbed her hand. "Stop it. If anyone's going to get their hands bloodied it's me." he looked over to Landon as the officer started towards them. "You, create a distraction or something. Kalo we'll meet you at the car."

Officer Shaw and colonel Hutsko handled the situation while he watched the scene unfold before him through the LCD screen of Shaw's shiny new digital. There was definitely something wrong with this scene, the group was acting too calm. All of a sudden there was a flurry of movement and chaos broke out in the room as students scattered as a gunshot when off. One of the males had thrown Hutsko to the floor and another that appeared to have wings had engaged himself in a fight with officer Shaw. The rest of them were making their way to the door. As they passed him Dued stepped out of the way and one of the females threw him a distasteful glare.

Dued looked over to Shaw and Hutsko. "Well then, that went well." the humiliated officers pulled themselves together and walked past Dued.

"Why didn't you do anything?" Shaw spat at Dued, snatching his camera from him.

Dued gave an apologetic bow. "Sorry sir but I'm not much of the combative type," he paused for a moment. "And I already knew that we weren't going to win."