Chapter 22 - Broken

Eric, better known as Eighty-eight, took a deep breath as his arm stretched across his bed. He frowned as the only thing that came in contact with his fingers were the sheets itself. He yawned as he opened his eyes and set up within his bed. His frown deepen as he realized he was alone with his quarters. “Kaden?” he called out nonetheless to Eighty-nine.

“Yeah?” was the response he received as he turned his head and saw Kaden step out of his private bathroom.

Eric then reached for his alarm clock, which was above his bed on a self. “Yo, you have got to be kidding me,” he said irritated as he saw it was little pass five-thirty in the morning. “The sun isn't even up yet,” he informed the other.

“I have things to do,” Kaden told him as he tried to find his clothes which littered the floor along side Eric's.

“Like what?” Eric demanded to know.

“Well, for one thing,” he began, as he slipped on his pants, well aware of the way the other watched him. “I have to finish up my lesson plan for the day. My class starts at seven.”

Eric let out a light chuckle. “No wonder your students walk around like the living dead.” He laid back down on his bed and tucked his hands under his head.

“And what time do you meet with your students?” Kaden asked.

“A little before noon. No reason teaching, if they aren't awake for the lesson,” Eric pointed out.

“I suppose you have a point,” Kaden replied. “Maybe I should rethink my lesson time.” He found his shirt and slipped it on before starting with the bottom button and working his way up. “So what are you teaching today?” he inquired.

“A few of the younger cadets have never seen a dragon up close. I'm taking them down to the dungeon and showing them the one we caught last night,” he explained. “You know, point out the weakest parts and maybe a little demonstration.”

“Demonstration?” Kaden's fingers paused at one of his buttons as his face paled a little. “Your youngest cadets are five, you don't want to traumatize them.” He quickly recovered.

“He's in a cage, man. Besides, the younger they are when they're exposed to them, the less afraid they will be later on.” He then chuckled again. “I mean, do you remember the first time we ran up on a pair of dragons?”

Kaden laughed along with him. “We ran around like chickens with our head's cut off,” he remembered.

Eric's smile soon faded. “Dragons are more dangerous than they used to be. We were captured so easily. The cadets need to be prepared,” he said seriously.

Kaden nodded his head to agree before he made his way back over to the bed. He bent down, a ghost of a smile on his lips as Eric etched his head up to meet him. “Whoa!” Kaden suddenly yelled out in surprised as Eric had quickly wrapped his arms around him and brought him back down onto the bed.

“Now, I don't know why you got dressed,” Eric asked him. “When you knew I wasn't going to let you leave this room,” he informed him as he placed himself on top. Kaden then reached up and cupped Eric's face in his hand before he gently pressed his lips against his. Eric seemed to visibly relax with the gesture. The taller of the two then heard the last words he ever thought he would hear from the other boy. “I love you. . .” Eric confessed softly as he looked into Kaden's eyes, which had grown wide.

“I- uh,” he stumbled, now unable to keep eye contact. “Wow, um. . . Eric, I- you know- Oh, boy.” Her chuckled nervously.

Eric slightly shook his head as Kaden struggled with his words. “Forget about it,” he finally told him as he got up. “It's not that big of a deal,” he tried to brush it off.

“Eric, wait. You're my best friend, you know that,” Kaden began as he rose out of bed as well. “But we've talked about this. This.” He pointed back and forth between them. “You know this can't work,” he told him. “Not like this.”

“And tell me why again,” Eric crossed his arms over his chest. “Because I love hearing it.”

“Well, because,” Kaden stood a little straighter, “I'm not gay.”

“Uh-huh,” Eric replied sceptically. “And what we did last night, or for the first time last month, what would you call that?” he asked of him, anger lining his words.

“Hormones,” was his simple response.

Eric stared at him for a moment, his mouth slightly opened at the disbelief of the other's deep, deep denial. “You uptight, motherfu- Get out!” he yelled out of frustration.

“Eighty-”

“Out!” he demanded again, not believing the balls he had to began addressing him by his codename.

“Fine!” Kaden yelled back before marching towards the door, where he slammed it shut behind him.

“Ahhh!” Eric screamed, before reaching for the nearest object and throwing it towards the closed door. Kaden slightly jumped as he heard the sound of shattering glass. “You homophobe!” Were the last words Kaden heard before making his way down the hall, hoping no one saw him coming out of Eric's quarters.



It was nearing nine as Eric looked at his alarm clock. After Kaden left he felt a little light headed and decided it was probably best to go back to bed for a few hours, but sleep did not return to him. He honestly, didn't know why he put up with Kaden the way he did who had been denying what Eric knew he felt since the beginning. And although things had progress since then, Kaden still refused to give into the fact that maybe he just wasn't into girls. Eric was about to turn back over and dwell on the faults of his partner, who would never consider him his 'partner', when he heard knocking on his door. “What?” he barked out.

“I'm sorry to disturb you, Huntsman, but the Huntsqueen wishes to see you,” informed the child.

“Tell her I'm on my way,” he replied as he got out of bed.

“Yes, sir!” was heard before Eric heard running.

He then took a quick shower before dressing in Huntsclan attire. He then made his way down the hall and to the elevator where he stepped inside. “Destination,” spoke a computerized voice.

“War Room,” he said holding on the rail as he went down. When the door opened he looked up and realized he hadn't reached his floor yet. Several of the older students, ranging from eleven to twelve, entered the elevator. “Morning, cadets,” Eric greeted him, his voice authoritative.

“Morning, Huntsman Number Two,” the four said together.

Eric than eyed them curiously as the elevator once again asked for a destination and one of the them gave the same answer he did. Eric then realized he didn't recognized them. “Were you all recruited by Number One. You're all his students?” he asked.

Three of them nodded, indicating that he was right. “I was recruited and trained by the Huntsqueen herself,” one said proudly, almost as if she were better than everyone around her. “Ranked first in the school. I'm Cadet Number One.”

“You're real proud of that, aren't you?” said the only other female cadet among them. “Of course, the Huntsqueen, was going to pick one of her own students to be Number One. It means nothing more than that you were the biggest suck up in your class. Because I'm Cadet Number Forty-two, but it ain't nothing but a number, because I'm sure I could still kick your @$$,” Number Forty-two said with a smirk.

Number One growled as she took a step towards the other cadet. She gasp slightly, when a hand found her shoulder. She looked up to see Eric, who said nothing, but shot the two a warning look. As Eric took back his hand, he wondered why female Huntsclan members were always the aggressor. He rolled his eyes as he thought, This is why I stick to boys.

Then to his relief the elevators finally stopped. “Entering War Room: Voice Authorization Password Required,” the computer spoke.

“Purple Dragon,” Eric spoke and the doors slid open. As they entered a long rectangular table that sat sixteen. At the end of the table sat Rose, better known as Huntsqueen. She stood as the five man party entered the room. “You summoned us?” he spoke.

“Yes,” she replied. “Please, sit.” Eric sat on the opposite end, while the the cadets sat between. Numbers One and Forty-two also sat opposite of each other.

“I have gathered you all together for a very important mission.” Rose raised her scepter, taken before the Academy was reopened by her, Eric, and Kaden, when they took down a very powerful wizard. She continued to speak as a huge screen lowered from the ceiling. “This mission calls for sheath and discretion, which means nothing that has been said here will leave this room. Understood?” she asked and was satisfied with their nodding heads. “Good.”

“I believe that we may have a traitor amongst our ranks. This person must be found and brought back to the Academy immediately,” she informed them.

“Do you wish for the traitor to be killed?” asked one the male cadets.

“No, Number Twenty-four, he must be brought back alive.” Rose gave a soft sigh, “Even traitors have the the right to tell their side of the story.”

“Huntsqueen,” Eric called to her. “I have no problem with this mission, but shouldn't we wait for everyone to get here before you go into more detail?” he wondered.

“This will be the mission party, Number Two,” she told him.

“Number One has been my partner for years, and though I could do this without him, his input maybe valuable on something of this importance,” he let his opinion be known.

“Any other time I would agree with you, but I need you to do this without Number One,” she asked of him.

Eric frowned. “Why?” he asked.

Rose said nothing at first as she turned around and waved her scepter across the screen. “This is why.” The lights dimmed in the room as an image of the dungeon appeared on the screen.

In a small cage laid a handsome blonde headed boy about nineteen years of age by the name of Fred Nerk. Everyone in the War Room watched with extreme concentration as Fred picked up his head at the sound of the dungeon door coming open. “You shouldn't be here,” Fred warned to a figure in the shadows.

“I had to see how you were.” Eric gasp so loudly that it was heard by everyone in the room, but no one turned to look at him as the realization of whom he had heard donned on him. “I swear, I didn't know he was going to stab you.” Kaden got down on his knees and reached into the cage, but Fred turned from his touch. “Fred. . . please.”

“You should have told me. I trusted you,” Fred began. “And you said nothing.”

Kaden held on to the bars as he rested his head against them. “I know, and I'm sorry, but please, understand, if I told you I was Huntsclan. . .” he shook his head back and forth slowly. “I would have lost you.” He looked back into the cage. “And I couldn't risk that.”

“What does the Huntsclan want with me?” Fred wanted to know, ignoring the other's apology.

“It's not you that they want, but someone you know. Someone the Huntsqueen needs to keep tabs on,” he explained.

“Who?” Fred asked.

“Who else?” Kaden thought the answer was obvious. “The American Dragon.”

“Sorry, but I've never met him,” he lied.

Kaden narrowed his eyes. “You fool!” he barked suddenly. “They will kill you, if you don't give them what they want!” He then took a moment to calm himself. “Just tell the truth and I will do all I can to make sure you get out of this alive,” he promised.

“Or,” Fred placed his hand on over Kaden's, which was still wrapped around the bar. “You can help me escape, before they question me at all.”

Kaden shook his head. “And what if I was found out?”

“Then come with me,” Fred suggested. “Throw yourself at the mercy of the World Dragon Council, they will protect you. And all you would have to do is give the names of those within the Huntsclan.”

Kaden only looked at him. “Betray my clan. . . my family?” That didn't sit too well with him. “I can't do that.”

“I know that seems hard, to betray everything you've ever known, but in your heart you know you don't hate the Magical World. You can't help, what you have been born into, but the choices you make, are your own. I just hope it's the right one,” Fred asked of him.

The fabric of Kaden's mask became wet underneath his eyes. “My life doesn't allow me a lot of choices, Fred, but of the ones I have been able to make, I know you were the right one. So I will have faith, and do what needs to be done.” The Australian Dragon smiled at his words, who gave him one in return. “I love you,” came the whisper from Kaden's lips.

Eric felt his chest tighten as he continued to watch the screen. He then suddenly found it a little harder to breath and then a moment later found he had completely forgotten how to as he watched both Kaden and Fred lean into each other to share a kiss. The kiss was tender and heartfelt. A kiss Eric knew Kaden had never shared with him.

It was then that Eric noticed the date and time in the corner of the recording. It was a little pass midnight, that morning. He had been waiting in Kaden's room at that time, like some lovelorn idiot. Then things had ended up in his room where he and Kaden. . . for the second time that day, Eric felt light headed, as he finally saw the truth, that Kaden had never been in denial about his sexuality. . . and that maybe what he thought was a relationship was nothing but a lie.

Then as Fred told the dragon slayer, who was three years his junior, that he loved him as well, Eric lost it. “Lies! That's not Kaden!” He stood from his chair and yelled. “Turn this shoot off!” he demanded. “You.” He directed his attention towards Rose. “What the hell are you playing at?” he asked her.

“This isn't a game, Huntsman,” she told him. “And this footage is no lie. I mean, do you really think I want to believe that one of our own could do this. . . repeat the same mistake I made?” She turned back towards the screen to see the dragon and the dragon slayer, born enemies, defy the logic that bound them. “I know how close you and he are,” she regarded Eric. “That's why you're need on this mission. He's more likely to let his guard down around you.” Rose than made her point quite clear. “He needs to be brought in, and short of death, by any means necessary.”

“I'm sorry,” Eric stepped away from the table. “But I can't do this,” he told her as he made his way to the elevator. It opened and he stepped inside.

“Destination,” came the computerized voice, but it went unheard my the one who stood inside. Eric stared at the ground, but all his mind could see and hear were Kaden as he confessed his love to someone who wasn't him and as it got louder and louder, Eric's heart arched more and more until suddenly, in the blink of an eye, it didn't hurt at all. For it had done the only thing it could when surround by so much pain. . . it had broken.

To Be Continued. . .
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A/N: Well, it seems my Rose storyline has taken a backseat to my unexpected 88/89 storyline. . . sorry. But don't worry, the current storyline is leading into the Rose one. I promise.

I was going to do the unthinkable. I was going to have Eric and Kaden have a healthy relationship, which is something I've never written before. I then realized. . .

I COULDN'T DO IT! -Cries like a baby- I'M SORRY!

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