Chapter Seventeen

Banksy sat sulkily in his room, twisting open lock after lock. He had managed to free himself from Romeo's stupid sticky bomb and gone off in search of revenge, but the bastard had already left. And somehow, locking Romeo permanently out of his own room just wasn't as satisfying as punching him in the face. Oh well, Romeo was never going to be able to get that lock open without breaking down the entire door down.

Again.

Knock knock

Banksy froze.

Knock knock

"Romeo, I swear on all that is holy and unholy if you try to blow me up one more time..." He got up and pulled the door open. "Oh, Cross."

"He got you with a test bomb again, didn't he?" Cross said with a poorly hidden smile. Banksy glared at Cross and retreated back into his room. Cross followed. "You know, eventually you two are going to have to get over what happened."

"It wasn't my fault so he can get over it!" Banksy snapped, turning around and pausing as Cross pushed something into his face. Stepping back, Banksy accepted the small metal case. He turned it over in his hands. It was thin, maybe the thickness of his thumb. "What's this?"

"Orders, hopefully." Cross said, leaning against the wall. "Picked it off what I'm assuming were some Sons."

"In town?" Banksy said, dropping down to the floor and lifting the case to his ear. He rapped on it gently with one knuckle. "Were they after Lexi?"

"Not this time, so there is that, at least," Cross said. "Hopefully this will clear things up. Can you get it open."

"Of course I can," Banksy said as he put the case down. "It's going to take some time though. From the sound of it, this thing is designed to destroy the contents if it's tampered with. Probably some sort of acid release, that's what I would do. I won't be able to use a ring on it, too sensitive. I'm going to have to do it all by touch." He grinned. "Could take a few hours."

"Try not to sound so excited." Cross pushed himself up and headed towards the door.

"Hey, this is what I live for." Banksy said, already laying his tools out. His fingers, all nine of them, twitched in anticipation. "Alright baby, talk to me."

xXx

"Where have you been?" Makina snapped as Cross entered his room. She sat on his bed, a few of his books spread out in front of her. "You said you would only be gone a moment."

"I was only gone a moment." Cross said, grabbing a chair from his desk and falling into it. "What are you doing?"

"Reading." Makina flipped another page.

"You can't read"

"Well I can look at the pictures!" Makina's cheeks flushed. "I am hoping I will see something familiar. This world is far too strange for my liking. Furthermore, who are these horrid Sons?"

"I should be asking you that." Cross said, leaning forward in his chair. "You knew one of them, didn't you?"

"So what if I did?" Makina picked up a book and lifted it up to her face.

"How do you know him?"

"That is none of your concern," she said, turning the pages of the book rapidly.

"Makina."

"It is not proper for a servant to question his master. I fail to see how my knowledge of one simple mortals name constitutes such an invasion of my-"

"Makina!" Cross slammed his hand on the table. The young girl flinched and dropped the book onto the bed. Her eyes widened for a moment and her fingers curled into the sheets.

"I... I don't know how I know him, I just don't know," she whispered. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and her shoulders began to tremble. She turned her head away from him. "Leave me."

"Hey..."

"I said leave me! That is an order from your master!" Makina yelled. The air in the room seemed to bend for a moment and Cross felt a breeze pass over his face, ruffling his hair. He hesitated for a moment before nodding and exiting the room. Closing the door behind him he let out a sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I can't handle this." Cross said softly to himself.

"You've never been good with crying girls, have you?" Lexi said as she ascended the stairs and entered the hallway.

"Maybe if the girl I grew up with would have cried more I would be better at it."

"Maybe if the boy I grew up with was tougher he wouldn't have cried enough for the both of us," Lexi said, eyes twinkling triumphantly as Cross scowled. She pushed him away from the door. "The Mistress would like to see you."

"Any new information?"

Lexi shook her head. "Not that she told me. She's asked me to watch over the girl tonight though, in case there is a follow up attack."

Cross nodded, though his eyes lingered on his door. "She's scared. Keep her safe, Lex."

"I will," Lexi said as she walked up to Cross's door. She gave him a small nudge with her shoulder. "Go on. Don't want to keep the Mistress waiting.

"I'm going, I'm going." Cross shoved her lightly as he moved passed her. Lexi watched him amble away before pushing into his room. She was instantly met with a flying book that she nimbly ducked under.

"I said leave me!" Makina yelled. "When I require you I will... You're not Cross."

"No, I am not." Lexi reached back and tossed her dark hair into a more comfortable position. "My name is-"

"Alexis," Makina said, calming slightly. "But Cross calls you Lex and everyone else calls you Lexi. I shall call you Lexi as well. You may call me Makina."

Lexi picked up the book Makina threw at her and shut the door. She walked over to Cross's small bookshelf and neatly replaced the text before turning to Makina.

"I think I will call you Maki," Lexi said after appraising the young girl.

Makina bristled. "Maki? I am a Spirit Goddess! You would dare to reduce my title in such an undignified way?"

"As long as you act in such an undignified way," Lexi said, sitting down at the chair Cross had pulled out. "Besides, it's fitting."

"How so?" Makina asked.

"It's short and cute." Lexi said. "Like you."

"Oh." Makina faltered. Her anger evaporated as a slight blush crept over her cheeks. "Thank you. I suppose."

Lexi nodded, craning her neck slightly to look at all the books the girl had left half opened. "What are you reading?"

"I am not reading, I am searching for information," Makina said. "Though these books are completely useless, none of these pictures make sense."

"What are you searching for?" Lexi asked, reaching out and picking up one of the books. It was a guide to powder mixing. It was well worn with many of the pages dog eared and messy notes scribed in the margins. One in particular made her laugh.

"What's so funny?" Makina said, dropping the book she was holding and leaning towards Lexi.

"This book was a gift to Cross from the Mistress. He spent many months trying to perfect his own powder mixtures. He also almost burnt down the guild more times than I can count. Though Romeo has him beat by far. This is a warning from the first accident. He burned off his eyebrows."

"The men of this guild seem rather foolish."

"True, but they are all capable when they need to be, or when they are pushed to be," Lexi said with a shrug. She tossed the book back onto the bed. "So what is it you are looking for?"

"I'm not sure yet." Makina said. "But anything to do with the Spirit Gods would be preferable."

"Cross wouldn't have anything like that. He's not much into the history or lore." Lexi leaned back in her chair. "But I am."

Makina held out her hand. "I demand you give me whatever you have."

Lexi raised an eyebrow. "Try that again. Maki."

Makina's hands balled into tiny fists. "Mortal! I am the Spirit Goddess Makina. You shall give me what I require or I shall smite you! I shall smite you a thousand times over."

Lexi gave the girl an extremely slow blink.

Makina glared at Lexi.

Lexi blinked again.

Glare.

Blink.

Glare.

Blink.

"Urgh!" Makina let out a tiny scream before throwing all of the books off of Cross's bed, followed by the covers and the pillows before finally calming back down. Taking in a deep breath she turned back to Lexi and put in a very large and very fake smile. "Lexi, would you ple.... Would you please allow me to see the information you have on the Spirit Gods?"

"Of course... Maki" Lexi said standing up and beckoning the girl to follow.

"I am going to smite you," Makina muttered under her breath.