Curiosity caught the cats (2)

Frank had never seen Charles so panicked before. What could category P possibly mean?

"Leave now." Charles repeated.

"I refuse until you tell me what's really going on, is Qi Zhou in some kind of trouble?" Frank replied obstinately.

Charles snorted, "Rather than her being in trouble it's more like she is the trouble. So, it's best if you don't get involved with her and leave now."

"Is she that dangerous, is category P something highly classified? Will you get in trouble for telling us about it?" Zhao Detong asked.

"Yes, I would get in trouble, but you would be in more trouble. Once you learn about things like this, you'll never be able to live a normal life again. You'll be pulled into a lot of danger. Danger that I will never forgive myself for dragging any of you into.

That's why I want you to stop, leave now and forget about any of this. Okay."

Fei Bing Bing stepped forward, "Charles, we weren't entirely honest with you. We are already involved in this dangerous world. We aren't just looking for Qi Zhou because she ran away from Detong but because she has some answers that we're seeking."

Charles frowned, "What do you mean?"

Frank interrupted, "At high school I had two best friends, one was Zhao Detong and the other was this naive-stubborn-nice guy named Mao Lu. A few months ago, Mao Lu began disappearing and becoming hard to contact. Suddenly he got a lot of money and became an executive of a company. A mysterious man is with him almost all the time, and the recent terrorist incident in Chaoyang…" Frank explained in further detail all the strange things that had been happening around Mao Lu. "We believe that he's in some kind of danger and we want to find out what it is? I want to know what's going on."

Charles went silent, "Mao Lu, it is a common name, but I've heard it recently…. No, no it couldn't be." Charles's heart began to race.

Aloud he asked, "Your friend, Mao Lu, was his former name Zhang Lu, by chance?"

"Yes, he changed his name due to personal reasons… Wait how do you know that?" Frank's eyes widened.

Charles shook, that boy was the new- the 888th- Gatekeeper of this realm.

"Then forget about your friend, he can handle himself a lot better than you think. You guys getting involved won't help him, it will hinder him."

Charles opened his front door, "Now leave." he said with a commanding and final tone.

Frank could tell from his expression that they weren't going to get any more out of him. He sighed, "Guys let's go."

They all walked out of the apartment; Fei Bing Bing was the only one who lingered behind. "Mao Lu may be in some life-threatening danger, all we want to do is help him. Can't you tell us what's wrong, please."

Charles chuckled darkly, "He's not in danger. Trust me when I tell you that nobody sane or normal would dare hurt your friend. And if they did dare, then that person isn't someone you can deal with. You're the ones who will get hurt, not him."

Charles pushed Bing Bing out of the flat and slammed the door in her face.

Zhao Detong sighed, "What do we do now?"

Frank slumped against the wall, "I don't know. I never expected Qi Zhou or Mao Lu to be involved in some top-level government secret. I think we are in way over our heads….

From what Uncle just said… Whatever this is, it seems like Mao Lu can handle himself but it's us who will become burdens to him, by the end of this. Maybe we should do what my Uncle said, let's just go home and forget about all of this."

"But how do we possibly forget any of this. Mao Lu is deep inside some type of conspiracy!" Fei Bing Bing shouted.

"Yeah but we can't do anything!" Tanaka yelled at her, "We have no power we don't even have the clearance to know what's really going on here. I agree with Frank. We should just go home before we get dragged into this too deeply. Next time we see Lu, even if he can't tell us about it, as long as he's okay that's all that should really matter."

"What! So, you're saying you're no longer curious!?" Fei Bing Bing shouted hysterically.

"Bing Bing this shouldn't be about satisfying our curiosity; it should be about Lu's safety. I agree with everyone else, there's nothing we can do let's just go home." Zhao Detong said softly as patted her shoulder.

Fei Bing Bing grumbled, "Fine let's just go."

_________

DUNGEONS OF THE WESTERN WITCHES, SCANDANAVIA

"Wow look how far the mighty has fallen. " came a mirthless voice.

Crisp clip boots could be heard against the stone ground.

"Fuck off Max!" Qi Zhou shouted weakly

Max was a handsome Warlock (male mage), dressed in a black reaper suit. He had silver coloured eyes that shone like moonlight.

He laughed mockingly, "I bet you never thought Lady Winter would cripple you. You arrogantly believed that as her precious student she'd be especially lenient on you. But you took it too far. Offending the Gatekeeper can affect the entire Coven, with a blink he could kill us all if he wanted to.

Many of the elders were demanding your death, Lady Winter crippling you is a merciful act in comparison. Now you can live out your remaining days as a mortal. And you can forget about all your lofty dreams."

"Just leave Max, I get it. My life as a witch is over. My dreams of becoming a Grand Mage are over!" She cried, bitter tears dripping onto the stone floor below her, "So just leave. Leave me alone!"

"Do you think I came here just to taunt you? Although it is admittedly fun, actually I was ordered to throw you out. Knowing Lady Winter, she'll probably keep you on as a mortal servant or something, but the other Elders want you gone. Especially Elder Morgana, I'm sure you know how much she despises you. She and the other Elders have come to a consensus, and the result is that from here on you are exiled from the Coven."

Qi Zhou's already pale face became ghostly, her expression contorted in horror. "I've already been crippled; exile is too much!!! You can't make this decision without Lady Winter!"

Max smiled, "It's a majority rule, even if Lady Winter opposed it, it would make no difference."

"You can't, a crippled Witch who is exiled from the Coven is a worthless outcast in the magic communities. No other group will accept me. I won't even have the opportunity to marry into a magic family and continue my bloodline. Being crippled like this will make me helpless against those witch hunters. You're sending me to a fate worse than death, I won't last two weeks without the Coven's backing. Please Max don't do this to me. Long ago weren't we friends?"

Max's smile faltered, "Ha! Friends. That was a very long time ago. And sadly, the decision can't be changed."

He snapped his fingers and the magic suspending her in the air disappeared. She fell into his arms.

"For old times’ sake I'll take you wherever you want to go in the Mortal world. And after that we shall have no connection."

Qi Zhou's eyes burned with anger, helplessness, and a desire to survive, "Then there is a place I would like you to take me."

_________

As Zhao Detong began driving, there was a sombre mood in the car.

No one really spoke. Except for Tanaka who hated awkward silences…

"It's Christmas tomorrow guys, I can't believe this year is moving so quickly. Any of you have any plans? Bei Lao and I were just planning on watching movies all day and opening gifts in our pyjamas."

"Opening gifts…" Fei Bing Bing looked out the window, "This will be the first Christmas where I haven't been able to give Mao Lu his present, and this is the first time I haven't received one from him. No matter how busy he used to be or what he was going through, he was always adamant in getting us all gifts. And he'd always spend Christmas with Detong and I. Yet now…. Well he's probably continuing his new dangerous life and leaving us behind this Christmas." she said.

The atmosphere became even more strange.

"Honestly, I was trying to start a normal conversation and you had to twist it. Bing Bing stop being so annoying!" Tanaka snapped.

"Being annoying! I'm just stating the facts!" Bing Bing snapped back.

"Oi both of you shut up! Why the hell are you fighting! Are you children?!" Detong said angrily as he swerved towards the entrance of Frank's building. But he quickly stepped on the brakes.

There was a crowd forming around the entrance, making it impossible for Zhao Detong to drive in.

Frank frowned, "What's going on?" he jumped out of the passenger’s seat.

Zhao Detong was also curious, and he didn't want to stay in a car where Tanaka and Fei Bing Bing looked like they were about to start wrestling, so he followed Frank.

When they came near the small crowd, they could hear people muttering, "Who is she?"

"I don't know, perhaps she lives in the building."

"Did anyone call an ambulance?"

"Yeah, they just did, it's five minutes away?"

"Someone should probably call the police too."

"Who the heck would do this to a person?"

As Frank came to the front of the crowd, he saw a female figure on the ground in front of them. She was lying in a growing pool of blood.

Her back was exposed showing several deep stab wounds across it.

Frank immediately took out his police badge and said, "Move aside all of you, I'm an officer!"

The crowd automatically separated.

"Everyone move away from the scene! Has anyone touched anything?"

People shook their heads, mumbling no.

Frank moved towards the bleeding figure, pressing his finger to her neck, he could still feel a pulse, although very weak.

He moved her hair away from her face to see if she was still conscious. When he saw her face he immediately gasped.

"Qi Zhou!"

_________

From a distance Max watched, he giggled at the scene. "This all happened to her because she messed with someone who is close to the Gatekeeper, but now she's doing it again to protect herself. Is she smart or is she crazy?" he laughed out loud as he faded into the shadows.

_________

FLAME STAR FORTRESS

Mao Lu stroked the silver ring on his finger. He wanted to take it off and see how Chàng Bo was doing.

He pressed his fingers against his lips and blushed as he remembered the kiss they had shared. Just the memory made him want to scream like a teenage girl.

He was so happy he could walk on the moon, yet at the same time he felt sad, "It hasn't even been that long, yet I already miss him."

"But I can't take off the ring, I need to train and become stronger. And to do that I need no distractions."

His eyes burned with determination, "I won't take of this ring until I've completed the Wielding stage" he vowed.

During his internal monologue, Argenti had walked up to him, watching him mumble to himself.

"What are you doing?"

Mao Lu jumped back in surprise and laughed in embarrassment, "Sorry, I was just talking to myself. It's a bad habit, I know."

"I see… Well your training chamber is ready; I will teach you in there and you will practice with no interruptions." Argenti said as she looked at Mao Lu's Gates, who was hovering near his shoulder.

Gates understood what she meant when she said, "No interruptions".

"I will not intrude in on Mao Lu's training. Actually, I wanted permission from Mao Lu to take some time off. I haven't met up with the other Gates in a while. I think it would be appropriate to do so now."

Mao Lu stared at Gates, all kinds of thoughts racing through his head, until he made his decision.

Telepathically he told Gates "I trust you since you're my Gates. Promise me that you'll be careful around the other ones, if you notice anything strange, please come back to me straight away and tell me."

If Gates could frown it would have, "Notice anything strange? Like what exactly, what's going on?" Gates asked.

"It's just that I and the other Gatekeepers believe some Gates may be compromised and dangerous. I trust you so I'm sure you're not one of them, that's why I'm telling you to be careful and keep a lookout."

Gates digested this information and was pleased by the trust Mao Lu had in it. "I'll report to you straight away if anything occurs." Gates replied before flying away.

Argenti had no idea about the mental conversation that had just occurred between Mao Lu and Gates.

When Gates flew away, she simply said, "Good, now that it's gone, we can be certain we're not being spied on. Come let's begin our training."

Mao Lu nodded as he obediently followed her into a chamber of white flames.

_________

TIANANMEN HOSPITAL

"Frank!" Lin Yang ran up to Frank and the rest who were outside the Operating room.

Lin Yang was in her uniform, and walking beside her was another officer in uniform named Yuanji Lyu.

"We've come to interview you about the case." Lin Yang said.

Yuanji nodded at Frank, Frank nodded back.

"These are…?" Yuanji Lyu pointed at Fei Bing Bing and the rest.

"My friends, we were coming back from a little outing when we came across the scene." Frank replied.

Yuanji gazed at all of them, "Do they know the victim as well?"

"Only slightly through me."

"Then we'll interview them later." Yuanji said curtly, "First come with us."

Frank went into a little room with them. Lin Yang felt a bit bad about interviewing Frank when he was probably worried about his girlfriend, but it was procedure for this type of case. They had to get information from all parties involved.

"This must be a shitty Christmas eve for you." Lin Yang began.

Frank agreed, "Yeah I haven't had one like it before, but hey at least I'm not working like you."

Lin Yang groaned, "Don't remind me, I wanted to spend the holiday with my boyfriend but since I'm not a Christian I have no reason to be taking time off apparently."

Yuanji Lyu coughed, "Enough with the small talk." He said bluntly.

"Ah yes, let's get to it." Lin Yang agreed.

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