His father always said ¨ Keep your friends close but your enemies even closer. ¨ It was a buzzword that everyone said and also that other ¨The enemy of my enemy is my friend. ¨ All these phrases had been used a thousand times in different movies where the good guy who acts like a bad boy accepts an alliance with the good guy who acts as such ... At the end the good guy gets the pretty girl.
Koga had something with Katrina, or attempted at some point. So to keep an eye on him was better because although Fausto had the idea of giving up in being something more than friends with her it could be wise to kept a little of hope .Always is needed that glimmer of hope so even though he might not want anything more with Kat at the moment , that feeling would be saved for later .

¨ Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. ¨

What glorified the spirit was justice, to execute justice. To know that you are changing the world or a piece of it with every act of justice you achieved.
Revenge called him again, he had a new job. To find and delete this weird and psychotic guy, it would be difficult, even dangerous, perhaps fatal, but he must do it. What would happen with Katrina if he died in the attempt or hopefully doing it , as almost happened when he avenged his parents? Fausto should leave someone in charge of her, always looking after hers needs.
That baby lizard adapted so well to the life with one arm , he could become useful, Fausto secretly admired him for his courage and decision. It should be very hard to live with one arm ... and the cold blood , with the cold that some days ago hit NY. How could admit that he need his help or that for example Koga could become a good team to fight evil? Having a partner on the path of justice sounded so promising but it would destroy his pride by admitting that he needed that little gecko , it was not in his plans.

His plan were other different things, an unfortunate event, a lucky one and he would be in the way to his goal without Koga suspecting anything.
It was not difficult to find the main pipe carrying water to his small but useful personal bathroom, Fausto had heard that not everyone had one, for example Katrina seemed to not have it. Nor was difficult to dissolve the thin layer of concrete, then the metal to leave that precious substance ran freely in his room. veins and arteries of the room bled like a fountain, like oases in a vast wilderness that sprang to simply stop the quiet sea of sand. One, two, three, four pipes melted spitting water everywhere .
It had been more difficult to explain what had happened there and why all his things were out of the room when that happened and away from the reach of the voracious substance. They did not believe he was cleaning his room when several pipes exploded for no reason ... ¨ don't tell me you cleaned your room and fell asleep on the wall with your mouth open.¨ they laughed at him but they had no option to assign another room for the unlucky boy . Not before asking if he wanted to go to one in particular.

Fausto hated that door, though it was like all the others he did not feel comfortable being on that side of the door. If he waited on that side he felt that something important was happening inside and he was missing it , nor standing under the door was comfortable for him because a lot of painful memories came to his mind, as vivid as if it had happened a few hours ago. His hand touched the cold doorknob, for a moment Fausto hoped to watch everything that had happened there before , but nothing happened. As expected the room was not closed, he also hated that. While he walked into the room slowly he saw the person he was looking for, the owner of the room, and Iron smiled, he could not help it. He smiled from ear to ear as he feared he would cut his head in two, when he spoke he did it in a malicious tone but also pleasant.

¨ I was assigned to your room, my palace just ...accidentally... flooded. ¨

Koga turned up the heat a little as he shed his shirt again he did so with ease. He dropped to the floor both of his hands hitting the floor. He had to thank Katrina and that Slate guy that looked like Calley but acted nothing like him. He had to find a way to thank them both, something that Katrina would interpret as a friend’s thank you. Not a romantic gesture…he never did get to play the song he composed for her on his violin. He shifted the majority of his weight to the arm that was reborn…regrown. He enjoyed the freedom of having two arms, loved having two arms. He appreciated his arms more than any one that never lost one could. He pumped them for all they were worth. He would treat his body as the tool that is was, even more than he already had, he would hone it to a dangerous level, that any foe would tremble before.


“200….201….202…203.” he kept count almost silently as he neared the floor and rose again.


He heard foot steps and noted the shadow by the door, it hesitated there…how he hoped it was Katrina, not that he had taken his shirt off for the precise reason. He waited to see what would happen. Someone touched the door knob so he went ahead and called out.

“Come on in.” Koga said with little breath.

~~¨ I was assigned to your room, my palace just ...accidentally... flooded. ¨


He forgot what number he was on when he saw it was Fausto, so he decided to go ahead make it something impressive. “oh? …..498….one sec…499…500.” He pushed him self up onto his knees and then stood.

He noted the glare that Fausto was giving him and ignored it. if they were going to live together they were going to get along. “That is wild, somebody trying to figure out their powers in your room or something?”

He walked over and offered to shake Fausto’s hand. “We’ll have to get facilitiesss to give usss the top bunk that goesss with the futon, I tend to keep it pretty warm in here, but I don’t mind bundling up…maybe we could trade off every other day or something, temperature wissse.” Did he mind this? He couldn’t be mad at someone for liking Katy that would be hypocritical, and pointless seeing as they got the same speech. Heck he could relate to the guy with ease. They looked about the same clothing size, so closet space could get confusing. “ my home isss your home, the only thingsss I’d asssk you to be careful with, isss my violin and my bladesss." He pointed to the shelf with the three blades he got from Kaz, and the violin that his parents bought him when he was five." Other than that, we look about the sssame clothing sssize, feel free to borrow or use whatever. Gamesss, tv, books whatever.”

He took a deep breath wondering what Katrina would think of this, It certainly meant that swiping a chance at sleeping comfortably next to her would be impossible to make happen in his room.

“ we can reorganize the room so your stuff has space too.” He wondered Idly if Fausto was clean as he was, he hoped so...

Fausto did not had a lot with him , just a old suitcase that belonged to his father in what fitted his whole world. There was not a lot , some clothes , also his few memories that remained of his family and home , like a beloved picture of his mother . He carried the others stuffs all the time, as the latest generation cell that received last Christmas from Cielle or the knife that Johnny had given him after a long day of training.
It was very sad to see how limited was his world, even when he tried to endeavor himself as unique and always in good humor , the problem with Katrina had made him thought a lot . Fausto knew he was not a semi god walking on earth but often he thought he really was one and also have delusions of grandeur, not always and not his fault, but often treated people inappropriately. Anyway his bad actions should be forgiven. The future conqueror of the world was entitled to treat his future possessions as he will , right?
No, he had no right since he was not the future conqueror of anything, not of the world nor the fragile heart of the girl he loved. Nothing belonged to him, nothing except the things in that suitcase. And that was very sad ... and he knew it.

Was it disappointment that glowed at Koga's face? No, that was what he saw in his own face with that evil smile that the lizard teenager did not deserve. He admired him for his hard will after the tragedy of losing an arm but now he had it again so he lost the respect that was given, How many tricks would have under his sleeve? A lot of gecko's tricks, as limbs regeneration . Fausto softened his glare to a stare, Koga's arm had regrew and he trained normally, perhaps excessively, judging by the amount of push ups that had counted, his muscles were larger than Iron's muscles that barely bulged in his skinny body. Whatever, as if Iron Mouth needed to train , his body was made to move fast, dodge and attack with speed, bite and retreat, circle the prey and bite again, like the coyotes. Training or not his body had not an ounce of extra fat more than the strictly necessary but he had not developed as much muscles as Koga . The mind dominates the matter.

When Koga asked, Iron replied with a simply shrug insinuating that he really did not know what had happened. Koga was really a nice guy.
¨ No, please do not worry. I'm just going to use summer clothes and done, no need for you to lower the temperature, you did not have to worry about your things neither . ¨
He thought for a second, analyzed his words before saying them, when his lips began to move, he closed then quickly and thought the words again, it was not like him to choice so much every word before saying them but one mistake and everything would end badly when he was really trying to patch things up and join forces with him .

¨ If we had met in other circumstances , we could have become good friends ... assuming that we are or we were rivals ... because ... you know ... Katrina ... ¨ He blushed when he used her name but continued even with his cheeks flushed. ¨ Let me introduce myself again, I'm Fausto Martense but sometimes i am also Iron Mouth, I think you know why ... ¨ Again , It was not like him to doubt at every sentence but he had changed so much lately ... Things changed him so much. He shake his hand tightly, and surprisingly with a smile on his face. ¨ I will not use much space, my whole life fits in a suitcase ... ¨ He said with his black eyes like onyx looking sadly at the old suitcase that always accompanied him during his travels.
¨ What's wrong with your room? It looks like a hospital room is so impersonal, you need a bit of chaos here . ¨

~~¨ No, please do not worry. I'm just going to use summer clothes and done, no need for you to lower the temperature, you did not have to worry about your things neither . ¨

“Well, ok, let me know if you change your mind though, jusssst caussse I had the room firssst doesssn’t mean it isssn’t ours now, it is yoursss asss much asss mine. I didn’t mean that you’d try to hurt them, jussst that thossse are the only onesss, that are actually important.”

~~¨ If we had met in other circumstances , we could have become good friends ... assuming that we are or we were rivals ... because ... you know ... Katrina ... ¨

Koga nodded lightly, he was trying hard not to be sore about Katrina. “I refuse to hold it against you that you are fond of her, too. I can hardly blame you can I?” His eyes looked to the floor for a moment.
“Perhapsss we can put off any rivalry for when ssshe decidesss ssshe needsss more than a friend? Until then, a friend of Kat’sss isss a friend of mine.”

~~“Let me introduce myself again, I'm Fausto Martense but sometimes i am also Iron Mouth, I think you know why ... ¨ ¨ I will not use much space, my whole life fits in a suitcase ... ¨


He stated shaking his hand.

“Actually, I try not to learn about other’sss abilitiesss unless they want me too. Sssso Yeah I have heard about the codename, I don’t know why really, do you have metal teeth?” Koga glanced to the Suitcase. “ Well, we can change that if you like, I do a lot of chores for our neighbor’s the neighborhood is pretty full with rich people who like to throw away their money. I could use the help, some of them like to see power in action.” He shrugged.

“I’m Ryuichi Koga. I don’t have a code name really, I jussst go by Koga.” He said giving Fausto a traditional bow.


~~¨ What's wrong with your room? It looks like a hospital room is so impersonal, you need a bit of chaos here . ¨

“I am a bit OCD…I like everything in a certain ssspot, when it comesss to jussst me, but with you sssharing the room I will loosssen up.” He would more than likely have to, it’d be good for him. “ My parents were really strict about everything. Sssso I got usssed to keeping every thing to organized.” He then look like he had heard a joke, a laugh coming to his lips. “ You provide the chaos, I’ll provide the order.”

¨ I refuse to hold it against you that you are fond of her, too. I can hardly blame you can I? " ¨ I am in love with her, if you also feel the same then you'll understand that i did not choice to fall in love with her, our relationship was great as friends, we were almost as brothers but I love her and I told her ... but How could we avoid falling in love with those beautiful eyes? ¨ He spoke in plural, including Koga. How to not love so angelic beauty? He smiled trying to show that he was sincere in what he said but his smile seemed a silly grin of someone who does not know exactly how to smile as his eyes stared the space behind Koga for a few seconds, his eyes shined in a particular brightness , he really appreciated her a lot , he loved her , it was easy to list all her virtues . Was Koga feeling the same as he felt? Would Koga be able to give his life to get a smile from her ?

¨ Silly, i am not talking about these kind of things ... is not about material things, my whole life really fit in this suitcase. All my memories, all my dreams fit into this , the suitcase itself is a reminder of my father, and inside there are some memories of my mother too, I do not have a lot of both, I could not take many things before ... mmm ... before the house was burned. ¨

If they were to be friends should know a little of his history, to talk about his past had never hurt, but always brought nostalgia. Fausto hopeless wished to see his mother and father again, alive, watching him grow . But that would not happen ...
Fausto find very funny Koga did not know about his mutation, when he always tried to be on everyone's lips, he also had helped in a helicopter accident and although they did not put their names in the news , it spoke of a child who bit the door until they could open it ,Koga was goofing around, How dare him to being unfamiliar with the greatness of Iron Mouth? He tough Koga could go under the codename Gecko Gecko , it was funny but he did not say it .

¨ Do you think I have metal in my mouth? ¨ He opened his mouth to show all this teeth : All were very clean without a cavity, almost pearly white. His teeth were really well though he did not do anything to care for them, his saliva kept them as clean as it would use toothpaste all day. ¨ My mutation is based on my digestive system, although many will say it is just my saliva ... well my saliva is the most ¨visible ¨ of my mutations, it can melt anything ...¨ Except for glass with high-density or shielded like those used in laboratories. He did not say it , he never mentioned it. It sounded weird , it took away his mutation coolness ... ¨ I can eat anything except for ... " It is not the same as saying ¨I can eat anything. ¨ Absolutism gave it that touch of personality and power, that spark of awesomeness. Also if one lists his weaknesses to everyone ... ¨ Well and the rest of my digestive system is so developed that I can eat anything and get nutrients from it. For example in a desert i might live by eating just sand. ¨ The pride jumped of every word of his explanation , it was impossible not to notice all that self confidence and pride , He was proud of each piece of information he had collected about himself , each piece of information discovered by chance or experimented playing with his father. He missed him so much , he really missed Jane and his stories of pirates ...

Koga sighed slightly before realizing that it was a little weird that they were as ok with each other as they were…I guess it helped to both be rejected…perhaps if one of them had gotten the girl then the other could brood properly. but with both of them scorned…well, misery loves company and there is no misery quite so fine as the rejecting of ones heart.


~~~¨ Silly, i am not talking about these kind of things ... is not about material things, my whole life really fit in this suitcase. All my memories, all my dreams fit into this , the suitcase itself is a reminder of my father, and inside there are some memories of my mother too, I do not have a lot of both, I could not take many things before ... mmm ... before the house was burned. ¨

“hmmm, well We will have to sssee to it that your sssuit cassse over flowsss asss well. My parentsss are ssstill alive but, they were ready to sssend me away the morning I woke up like thissss, ssso instead of letting the police take me, I made a run for it and ended up here.”

¨ Do you think I have metal in my mouth? ¨

Koga leaned forward qith a question in his eyes, shrugging he replied. “ sssome people like to go with the obviousss. Ms. Ghossst for inssstance. Ssshe can ago all breezy..or ssso I hear.” He didn’t pay way too much attention to Ghost.

¨ My mutation is based on my digestive system, although many will say it is just my saliva ... well my saliva is the most ¨visible ¨ of my mutations, it can melt anything ...¨ Well and the rest of my digestive system is so developed that I can eat anything and get nutrients from it. For example in a desert i might live by eating just sand. ¨

“Nice!” Koga exclaimed not realizing the down side to such a power. Koga reached over and grabbed a piece of petrified wood off of a shelf; it had survived hundreds of thousands of years all to come down to this moment to end up in a boy’s mutated stomach. “ You sssound pretty proud, would you mind a demonssstraion?” even as he tried to hand Fausto the older than dirt petrified wood he started talking about his own abilities. “ I can camouflage and climb walls, I can also constrict like a boa.” He said the later half like it was a well kept secret, when in reality it was the only one that didn’t really show.

The teenager listened patiently to Koga, recently he was having too much patience, much more than ever had before. He nodded when he told him about filling the suitcase of memories, awkwardly it made him remember two lovers who know they have to be away from each other for a long time ... He shook his head in denial when he heard that his parents were still alive but did not care about him , many mutants had no parents for one reason or another.
¨ This is very sad ... if my parents were alive , i will share them with you . You are really nice so I would not mind sharing, unfortunately they are not here. ¨ A smile shyly showed on his face for a few seconds as he recalled his father's face, and his mother too. He would give everything he had, which was not much, to have them back. Unfortunately you can not revive the dead.

Again, that pride, that complacent tone the used to explain something he knows and the others ignored. But anyway that only confirms his superiority.
¨ Ya heard well, Ghost can transform into strong winds, not just a simple breeze. I also helped in the helicopter crash ... she did most of the work moving the air so strong that stabilizes the fall. Otherwise the crew would had died ... ¨ He liked to recall that day, because despite the tension and problems that could have generated all ended well, the mutants saved the day. That day Fausto was a hero.

Fausto took the piece of petrified wood. And looked at Koga seriously ¨ Are you sure you want to lose this? It seems important ...¨ While the boy shrugged he started licking the wood while listening to the explanation about Koga's skills. The wood pretended to be a ice cream that melted with every lick of the young singer while eons danced in his mouth for a few seconds before dissolving completely. ¨ I thought you were a lizard, not a boa ... You have an interesting range of skills. We could ...¨ ¨ We could form a very good team ¨ He though when he gave another lick to wood , that lost mass considerably faster. ¨ You could be very useful if we ever get in trouble. ¨ Using the remnants of petrified wood as a candy, a few seconds and it was swallowed entirely . ¨ Are your arms capable of breaking bones and strangle with constriction ? ¨ He swallow the corrosive substance that seconds before had attacked the petrified wood.
¨ Fortunately you are on my side. ¨

~~¨ This is very sad ... if my parents were alive , I will share them with you . You are really nice so I would not mind sharing, unfortunately they are not here. ¨

“ I appreciate that.” Koga said soberly. “ I dunno, sssometimesss I think that I am better off thisss way, I haven’t ever been happier.”

~~¨ Ya heard well, Ghost can transform into strong winds, not just a simple breeze. I also helped in the helicopter crash ... she did most of the work moving the air so strong that stabilizes the fall. Otherwise the crew would had died ... ¨


~~¨ Are you sure you want to lose this? It seems important ...¨

“I can’t think of a better purpose then the one it isss about to fulfill.”

~~¨ I thought you were a lizard, not a boa ... You have an interesting range of skills. We could ...¨ ¨¨ You could be very useful if we ever get in trouble. ¨


Koga grinned, he liked how blunt Fausto was being, some people didn’t say what they thought, tip toed around anything that might offend. But not Im, he thought he was a lizard! “ Yeah, I train a lot with the guys as much as I can I want to be a trainee, I have some ideas about why I could, stuff I haven’t talked to the staff about but. I dunno.”

~~¨ Are your arms capable of breaking bones and strangle with constriction ? ¨ ¨ Fortunately you are on my side. ¨

“I haven’t tried to break anyone’s bones…I might be able to if I had a hold on someone long enough, really though I just use it for knock outs..its not like a lot could present you with trouble one bite, and I am sure who ver was messing with you would run like heck.”

He leaned over making it so the futon turned into a couch, the metal click and he adjusted a knob so it would stay that way.