Phoenix Fading

Prologue

Life couldn't be better for Phoenix Squad. They had broken the cycle of the Elemental Curse - as they had dubbed it - and reversed another issue caused in past battles - the banishment of the Time Twins. They could live their lives normally, slowly but surely sorting out former Anacondrai members.

What concerned Lloyd as he looked through reports was that a majority of the opposing group were turning up dead. Many were unharmed in any way, shape or form. They just... collapsed.

He sighed softly as the door opened. The smell of coffee filled the room and he looked up, gaze quickly softening when he saw who was at the door. Morro shot him a small smile as he walked closer, setting a mug of coffee on the blond's desk. "Hey. It's past ten. Figured you'd want some; Jay's working on some of the other reports."

"I just don't get it," Lloyd muttered, cradling the mug in his hands and sipping at the beverage inside. He could taste a hint of cream and just enough sugar; Morro knew him too well. "They're dropping like flies. But none of the main members. Not the Overlord, or Captain, none of them. They're picking off the lower members... But why?"

Morro leaned against the desk, leaning over it to look at a few of the papers. "Clouse would know more than me. He was there for longer. But I heard Khan one day when I was late for training; he said something about a 'switch'. Got yelled at when he saw me, but I kept wondering what he meant. I think it's some sort of kill switch. They're compromised; Clouse, Tamine and I no longer work for them, not to mention Ronin. They've no reason to keep the lower members. They're... canon fodder, I think is the term. Better to kill them instead of risking them being caught."

Lloyd's eyes narrowed in thought. "It makes sense. It really does. It's just... They're not trying to hide it."

"Would you? It's not only silencing those people from revealing secrets - not that they have many more, after Zaga - it's to threaten those who've left them. Clouse and I especially. We tricked them, and they're not happy."

The blond hummed in thought. He stared down at the papers a few more moments before rubbing his eyes. "Morro, did you ever learn much about Khan? I read his file, but there wasn't much in it."

"Not really. Both he and the Overlord kept to themselves. They're leaders, not servants that complain about how good their lives were. For all I know, they could've been kings. Or they could've been on death row, and joining the Anacondrai was their last choice. None of the Anacondrai knew them. Sure, they spoke with them, they trained with them, but they didn't know them. At least, never Khan. He's the oldest Anacondrai member aside from the Overlord, so no one knows his past but him. We all know the Overlord is just... merciless."

"Did he ever hint at it? A word, an action?"

"No." Morro shook his head. He'd pulled his hair back into a ponytail, and it swished from side to side, gently smacking his cheeks. "His mask is better than any I've ever seen. Nothing breaks it. Or him."

"Maybe because he's already broken."

Morro looked over at him, tilting his head. "Eh?"

"Y'know. Breaking someone's spirit. Making them a blank slate that'll obey anything. They show emotion, but it's forced. It's masking the fact they're not really feeling emotion." Lloyd sipped at his coffee again. Suddenly, it tasted bitter, and he set it down with a grimace. "You remember.... You remember how I was back in high school?"

"...Yeah. I do."

"Since then, you, dad, pap, and everyone else have fixed me. But I'm more fragile than if I hadn't been broken. It doesn't seem like the case with Khan... From what pap's said, he showed coldness all the time. Shoot first, ask never. But he said there was one time... One moment where he showed emotion. It was when pap mentioned Misako; mentioned how he hoped she was safe. He said Khan froze up, just stopped responding. And when he asked what was wrong... He said Khan started crying."

Morro whistled softly. "Hella different than the man I trained with."

"Eh. Pap said it was a few years back. But... His mask isn't perfect. And Misako's part of the reason why. I just... Don't know how."

Morro had opened his mouth to reply before something caught Lloyd's eye. Faint alterations in the light - and when he took a breath, he understood. Dust. So that's why his coffee was bitter instead of sw...

Why was dust falling?

He could hear the beginning syllable of the first word leave Morro's mouth before everything collapsed.

[Welcome to Phoenix Fading, the sequel to Phoenix Squad! If you read the teaser at the end of the previous book... heh, you'll understand a hella lot more than Morro and Lloyd.

This is only the Prologue; the first chapter will be up hopefully this weekend. And it'll be more than 855 words...

Hope you enjoyed this little tidbit, and I'll see you soon for the actual story!]