Trust is just a Five-Letter Word

Disclaimer: I don’t own Candidate for Goddess…and you know the rest.

A/N: I have been getting complaints from Dryad Chick about my poll on which Pilot/Repairer is the least favored. Let’s get one thing in cleared up. I asked the audience whom they disliked, and they have the right to dislike any pilot they want. Further more, it does not guarantee that your precious Gareas is going to be the one I choose. And last, I am not going to "diss" any of the pilots. (Well, maybe Teela.) I have a different plan in mind for the unlucky winner, but they are not going to be dissed. Get it?

On a further note, polls are still open. This chapter is a bit boring in my opinion, but read it. It’s important.

Chapter Eight: Blood Ties

Reiko stood there, shocked and completely frozen. Then she smirked and her British accent showed through. "So you figured it out. How?"

Tak threw his head back and laughed cruelly. "Please, little sister, don’t mock me! You know that I have the ability to talk to spirits and demons. Master Chaos told me about you long before you even got here."

"Master?" Reiko’s jaw dropped. "Tak…you’re on his side?"

"Does it surprise you?" Tak said, his voice still holding traces of the cruel laughter. "You knew me better than that idiot Thomas did. You used to know how I think, how I act. You used to know everything about me Reiko, yet you find this hard to believe? Guess you don’t know me very well after all…"

Hissing, Reiko drew out the gun she had hidden in her pants leg and pointed it at Tak. "And I guess you never knew me at all."

Tak was astonished at first, and he backed away. But soon a insane grin slowly spread across his face. "You won’t do it."

"Like I said, you don’t know me at all."

"You can’t do it. We have blood ties Reiko. And they forbid you from even laying a finger on me."

Reiko scoffed. "After disappearing for eleven years, you bring up old traditions now? You bastard. I hope you enjoy your trip to hell!" She was about to pull the trigger, but Tak motioned for her to stop.

"Can’t I say a few words first?" He asked, and Reiko groaned.

"Fine," she snapped. "But make it quick."

"Thank you," Tak said, and his insane grin became wider. "Ikhny, stop her!"

"What?!" Reiko yelled in surprise as something heavy slammed into her back. Reiko crashed to the floor, and her gun went skidding across the floor to Tak’s feet. He quickly picked it up and pointed it at her as she sat up. Ikhny stood obediently next to Tak. Her eyes were clouded and the red glow was stronger than ever.

"Now do you see," Tak whispered as he aimed the gun at Reiko’s head, "how futile it is to resist the power of Chaos? It turned a weak, defenseless little girl into a fighter, whose only job is to destroy all those who oppose it."

Reiko growled and tried to get up, but her back was groaning in protest.

My back’s broken, she thought in dismay. This is perfect timing…I must stall him.

"If Ikhny’s job is to kill," Reiko said quietly, "then why hasn’t she killed me yet? Why are you holding the gun instead of her?"

Tak shrugged. "She’s not fully trained yet. When she is, she’ll be ready for Chaos."

"No! She’s a child!" Reiko tried to lunge at Tak in a desperate attempt to stop the madness, but he fired two bullets into her right arm. Reiko collapsed, and she cried out in pain as blood gushed from her arm to the floor. Tak watched all this with amusement. He bent down and cupped his sister’s face in his hands.

"I won’t kill you yet," he said softly as he stroked Reiko’s cheek. "If I killed you now, people will get suspicious, and we can’t have that, now can we? But you know too much, so I can’t let you out of my sight…"

Reiko tried to push him away with her good arm, but she failed miserably. Tak smiled and plucked out one of Reiko’s hairs out, making her yelp.

"This should do it," he said. Then his face turned serious as his eyes began to glow. Then, before Reiko’s eyes, the hair grew and began to take her shape…soon, a exact duplicate of Reiko was standing in front of them. Tak looked over his work.

"Not bad," he muttered, and then he smiled again. "It’ll do. Now as for you my sweet baby sister…sleep. Sleep and forget everything."

Tak’s eyes began to glow once more, and Reiko felt herself grow more and more tired as she felt into empty darkness. ______________________________________________________________________________________

This was not what he expected.

Hiead had not expected Kizna to be crying as he walked into the girls’ dorm. But there she was, clutching her cheek and weeping. The other girls were trying to console her, and they glared at Hiead when he entered.

"What do you want?" Saki said angrily. "Can’t you see we’re busy?"

Hiead ignored her and walked over to Kizna. He stared at her for a while with a mixture of disgust and pity in his features before moving her hand away from her face.

"Don’t touch her!" The girls yelled, but Hiead hardly heard them. He stared at the huge bruise on Kizna’s cheek, and his eyes widen with shock. He turned to Saki.

"So it’s true, isn’t it? Allecto did this."

Saki opened her mouth, but quickly closed it and narrowed her eyes. "Yes. She did it…and no one knows why! I mean, distancing herself from us was freaky enough, but when she started to act like you…Ooh! This is all your fault!"

Hiead grew angry. "My fault? How is this my fault?!"

"You’re the reason she was so miserable during the whole semester! She would never have transferred if it wasn’t for you!"

Hiead lost it. He walked over to Saki and slammed her against the wall. Saki was shaken slightly, but her eyes were still angry.

"Go ahead, Gner. Beat me up. But you know it’s true!"

Hiead growled, but Saki’s words had hit its mark. He couldn’t do anything. He released Saki and he quietly left the dorm.
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End of chapter eight. Reviews are appreciated, but senseless flames are intolerable!

Next time: Hiead finds the fake Reiko, and a simulation battle is arranged for him and Ikhny. Also, a huge fight takes place between the Ingrids and the VICTIMS…wait a minute, what are these new creatures? WHAT? They’re invisible? The title: Arrival of the STRIKERS…Hiead vs. Ikhny!