Globe Tracers 1: The Case of Thomas Crain

Chapter 21: Xao

Kyle:

"And don't think we're happy to see you either."

"Well if the word of Darius is worth anything, that's not a surprise." Xao's eyes widened as I'm sure he felt the two blades pushed into his side.

"So you know Darius?" Jessica asked beside him with one blade to his chest and the other to the side of his gut.

"Well," Xao raised his hands, "We're not friends at the moment if that's what you think. He just thinks I'm a little different. And if you know him well then you know..."

"Guessing he won't leave you alone," Jessica said, pulling her weapons back.

"In a sense. He can't make me a deal, but that doesn't keep him from being creepy."

"Probably second nature for him," Jessica commented.

Xao chuckled, "You DO know him." He shook his head. "Well look, he told me about you two. You're trying to find a kid right?" Jessica nodded, her weapons still out, but not pointed. "Really you two, I'm unarmed, can you please put those away?"

"What, afraid you might say something I don't like and get shish kebabed?" Jessica asked. Not that I personally had any idea what shish kebab meant but I could venture a guess.

"Yes," Xao said, nodding with a plastered nervous smile. Jessica grinned, putting her swords away. He visibly calmed. "Look...you could say I actually got a soft spot for folks in trouble. So I tracked you down." He pulled out a DNA tracer of his own.

"How'd you get our DNA?" I asked.

Xao chuckled. "Beats me, it's not my tracer. But let's say don't go back to that tower for a bit and you shouldn't have to worry about Darius for a while." He tossed the tracer in the air and caught it. He paused and looked at me. "Listen, I don't want you to judge me by that freak alright? I want to help you."

"For a price?" I asked, folding my arms.

Xao chuckled, folding his arms, but standing to the side like he was relaxed. "You really don't know anything about tricksters do you? You really think our society is built by only the sick and depraved? What power could we ever then have? I make up the terms of our deal however I want. If I don't want to hurt you, then what I ask for won't hurt, it's that easy. I can make you ANY deal I want."

Still leery, I waved for Xao to go on. He continued. "Here's my deal," the boy held up his right wrist, displaying a small band on it with a strange device attached to it. "It's a redirection module, my own design. I use it to redirect any electric attack used on me into a concussion blast, like this," Xao directed his hand off from the two of us, a blast of energy almost visible to the eye ushering forth from his hand and hitting a pile of nearby trash sending the complied waste in all directions. "It's more controlled than electric blasts, and not necessarily lethal. I know that in time I will have to fight, I just like to think that that day I'll have a choice not to take another man's life. Sometimes you feel like you have to..." Xao said but shook his head.

"But sometimes it's not worth it," Jessica replied.

Xao nodded. "You see, when I heard about Jessica, I realized the ultimate trial for my device was in reach. If I can redirect the power of the most powerful of all Pharaohs, then this weapon... well I'll be honest I just want to see what it will do."

"So what exactly are you wanting?" I asked. Xao snapped his fingers and I felt the air around me start to swirl around as a plume of smoke enveloped me. I panicked and threw out my arms to force it away, feeling myself overwhelmed and wondering if it would suffocate me. A bright light flashed around me and for a few moments, I couldn't see anything.