Fallen 1: Berlin

Chapter XVIII: Sullies in The City

Sage was not prepared to be that surprised but she always thought everything was a dream for her. Her mother always told her what an overactive imagination she had when she was younger and she thought all that she was experiencing with War and Berlin were scenes from her mind. Berlin and War were very attractive men so any woman would dream about them including herself.

However, as she sat there and stared up at the man who was laughing at her with his eyes, she couldn't help but feel humiliation douse over her like cold water. She felt out of control as she kissed Berlin. Though she was able to break away from War and stop him before he went further, that was not the case with Berlin. She felt that if Berlin had not stopped her and had not walked out of that car that she would have allowed him to do whatever he wanted with her. Her breasts tingled and her core tightened inside her and Sage found herself crossing her legs and color darkened her cheeks. She was going on w***e-mode and Berlin's reaction wasn't helping.

"There must be some simple explanation for everything that had happened," Sage muttered lightly as she tried to gather all her thoughts. "I mean how can War know where I live and how did he get into my house without me allowing it? How was he in my bed?" Nothing made sense and everything that had happened to her felt surreal, like in a movie.

"War can enter any place he wishes to enter. All he has to do is to capture your scent. He is like a hound--we all are." Ottawa tried to explain but Sage felt like she was confusing her even more.

"He told me that he had my scent and that he could find me anywhere. What does that mean?" Sage looked from Berlin who still stood in front of her with his hands in his pockets to Ottawa who sat on the arm of the chair beside Sage's.

"Everyone has a unique scent, just like a fingerprint. There are animals like dogs that can associate the different scents with specific people, objects, or places. War has the same ability." Berlin tried to explain to her and when he spoke, Sage's body reacted again. It was as if he was able to control her using his voice.

"So you are telling me that War is a dog?" Sage's eyes widened in shock.

Ottawa chuckled. "Well, not in the literal sense but yeah, he is a dog. He is someone that was built to find people and make things happen in order to fulfill his mission."

"And what is his mission? Is he part of the military or something?" A frown of confusion marred Sage's face.

Ottawa nodded and replied. "We could say he is part of a military team to a point. His mission is to make sure everything is in place for the next fifteen years."

"So, you are telling me that the things that are happening in this world that I might not know about have something to do with the military? Then that makes sense. It makes sense that War could enter my house without making a sound. Is he in some special operations team?"

Sage saw the way Ottawa and Berlin looked at each other then Ottawa turned to her and nodded.

"I knew it would be easy for you to understand, Sage."

Finally, things began to make sense. War was a trained soldier and he was on a mission...but that didn't explain what he wanted with her. Why did he search for her and who were Maxiel and Artemon?

"Sage, I know you have a lot of questions but we need to make sure you don't pass out again so would you like to eat something?" Berlin interrupted the confusing chat that she was having with Ottawa.

Sage's throat was parched and it felt as if she hadn't eaten in ages. "Yes, please."

"I'd also advise that you take a few days off from work so that you could recuperate," Berlin said and Sage quickly shook her head just as a large man with thick and disheveled red hair and intense eyes entered the room.

"I just need to rest today but I will be fine by tomorrow. I promise. I just don't want the other workers to think that you are favoring me in any way." Sage stammered through the words and watched as the new member stood behind Ottawa and curiously looked at her. He wore a black t-shirt that snuggly fitted around his torso and a pair of black jeans.

"How's your neck?" He asked and his voice surprised Sage because it was nothing compared to his outward looks. It was soft and gentle.

Sage's instinctively touched her neck nervously and her eyes darted between Ottawa and Berlin. "It is a little stiff but much better." Why was everyone worried about her neck? She must have hit herself on something when she passed out and got everyone concerned about her.

"This is Bucharest." Berlin introduced the man to Sage and she frowned in confusion.

"This is your other brother, Berlin?" Sage asked him

Berlin nodded.

"Mind me asking but were you all adopted from the different cities that are now your names?" Her little curious mind could no longer stop her from overthinking.

Berlin, Cairo, Ottawa, and Bucharest were completely different but as they all stood together, Sage could tell that Berlin was the older brother because when he spoke, the others listened.

Ottawa and Bucharest looked at each other and chuckled as if they recalled a personal joke.

"Something like that." Ottawa must have been the person with the vaguest answers in the city.

Though she spoke a lot to Sage, she still left her confused as f**k! If War was in the military and he was their childhood friend, did it mean that Berlin and his siblings were also affiliated with the military? Was that the reason why Berlin was able to establish a security and technology company? As she looked at Bucharest closely, she could tell that he was trained in the military so he was a soldier like War.

"Come." Berlin extended his hand to her to help her up.

Sage timidly accepted it and the four of them made their way to the kitchen.

"Oh wow! How is it that your house looks like it had been downloaded from the 'ideal homes' catalog?" Sage asked when they entered the modern and spacious kitchen. Right in the middle of the kitchen was a large island where Lucian was situated with his laptop, a pair of earphones on his ears, and a glass of wine.

He looked too comfortable in his boss' house, Sage thought.

Berlin approached him and removed his earphones. Lucian was about to react but he sensed the others so he clamped his mouth and turned to Bucharest, Ottawa, and Sage.

"Sage! You are awake? How are you feeling?" He got up from the chair he was sitting on and turned his entire attention to her.

Sage was a little overwhelmed by everyone's concern. "I'm fine. I am sorry just that ruined the meeting today. I will work extra hours to compensate for it.

"Work extra hours to compensate?" Lucian chuckled. "What are you talking about? You should think about your health first. Anyway, I have a lot of work to do so I will be in Berlin's home office if you ever need me, okay?"

Sage nodded. "Thank you."

Lucian smiled and made his way out.

Berlin made his way to the large double-door fridge and that was when it discerned to Sage that Berlin didn't have a housekeeper and he was planning on making the meal for her personally. Sage's face paled as she flailed her hands around to stop him.

"Come to think of it, I'm not even that hungry. I will just grab something on my way back to my place!" She tried to stop him but he completely ignored her.

"Cai was right, she kind of reminds me of a little mouse," Ottawa commented and rendered Sage speechless. How did she even resemble a mouse in the first place? She didn't know whether to be offended or take it as a compliment.

"Are you two eating as well?" He asked his brother and sister as he started removing different ingredients from the fridge.

"Yeah." Ottawa and Bucharest replied together.

Berlin smirked and stepped back. "Then the kitchen floor is all yours."

"I knew it was too good to be true," Ottawa grumbled as she made her way around the island.

"f*****g slave-driver," Bucharest muttered under his breath but Sage caught the words and pursed her lips to prevent herself from smiling.

Though they protested and complained they went straight to work as Berlin moved around the island and settled beside Sage. Her face stained with color because every time she looked up at him, she saw his lips and recalled what happened in the car.

"What is that little head of yours thinking about?" He asked her when he saw the way she averted his eyes.

"Berlin..." Sage started but stuttered because she couldn't find the right words to express herself without sounding like an i***t. "When I kissed you, why didn't you stop me?"

Berlin gave a shrug. "Why would I?"

Sage's mouth dropped open at his answer. She closed it again and ran her hand through her black coils. "It was practically s****l assault and I should be reported to the gender department for discipline."

Berlin chuckled and shook his head. "It is not s****l assault if the second party consented."

"Why would you consent? You are a very attractive man, Berlin. In fact, I have never met anyone as good-looking and alluring as you but that doesn't give me the right to sexually attack you. And how is it that you are not angry with me?" Sage spoke in hushed tones but Ottawa, who was busy marinating the meat laughed and Bucharest smirked and Sage knew she caught her conversation with Berlin. She didn't expect to meet his siblings in that manner but she knew her first impression on them was not the best.

"I don't know whether to be flattered or offended, Sage. You didn't attack me in any manner. Do you actually think that you could overpower me, Sage?" He asked her.

Sage turned to her fingers and nervously played with one of her nails. "Either way, I am sorry for what happened and I want to assure you that it will not happen again. Please don't fire me. This is the only job I can hold right now and I know that I have been a burden to you from the beginning but I will try to do better--"

"Sage?" Berlin called her.

"Yes?" She looked up at him.

"Stop blathering." He commanded her.

"Okay," Sage answered unconsciously and turned back to her nail.

~~~~~~~~

Berlin found himself reaching forward and stopping Sage from assaulting her fingernail. "You are going to hurt yourself if you continue doing that. You don't have to be nervous when you are around me, Sage. I don't mind the mistakes that you make because I know you are learning. I am a very patient man and I will never fire you because of some silly mistake every person can make in their lifetime. It is all in the process of learning and growing."

When Berlin hypnotized Sage, he felt a push against her mind that tried to overrun his command. Sage had a very strong mind and it was the reason why she was able to withstand their allure more than most humans. Sage never passed out when she first saw him smile. His presence did not affect her the same way as it affected most of the workers at his company. She was able to withstand the power of three guardians at the same time in that house without blacking out. That was the reason why Lucian fled the kitchen.

Berlin was glad because it made their work together easier. However, the push from an awakened guardian like himself should have completely taken root in her mind and she should have been at his mercy but that wasn't the case. Not only was she able to break free from his control but she was able to remember what happened.

"You said you didn't want to kiss me again. Was it that bad?" Berlin teased her and saw the way her eyes widened as she started moving her hands again.

"No! It was not bad. You are not a bad kisser, Berlin. I mean I shouldn't have done that!" She started blathering again but it was entertainment to Berlin seeing how flustered she was. "It's just that with everything that is happening, the last thing you need right now is a misbehaving employee."

"Have heard me complain about it?" He asked her.

When Sage shook her head, her coils bounced around her face and shoulders and Berlin had to fight the urge to slip his fingers through them. Ever since he marked her to counteract the mark War had left on her, he had been feeling a certain pull towards her. It was also peculiar that Ottawa and Bucharest no longer felt the need to challenge him the way they did when it was War's mark. He didn't understand what it was but there was something about Sage that they were all overlooking.

"I have had people do worse." He assured Sage.

"Uhm--mind me asking but why did you break up with Miss Ferry. I thought you two made a great couple."

Once upon a time, Berlin enjoyed Elise's company. They met at one of the events his security company was overseeing and Berlin thought she would make a great partner for a little while. The guardians were not affected by emotions as humans. It was the reason why the Power was surprised when Berlin and his team refused to destroy mankind. They could not have made such a decision if they did not feel in some type of way.

To Berlin and his team, it was not about catching feelings, it was about chasing away the loneliness.

However, Elise became possessive, like every other partner Berlin and the rest of the team had. To Berlin, he was not going to marry any of them because he couldn't be with someone who was going to grow old and die in less than a century. He had to move every once in a while to stop people from suspecting him and that had happened also for Ottawa, Bucharest, Nebraska, and Cairo.

"Elise and I were not in a relationship. She was the one who believed we were. We enjoyed each other's company but that was as much as I could give her." Berlin didn't know why he was explaining himself to Sage but he did not want her to misunderstand him.

"I don't think you understand your position, Berlin." Sage looked up at him as if she felt sorry for him. "You are a young single guy who makes millions while sleeping. Not to mention you take care of your body and you unconsciously take care of those around you. You care about your family and are very handsome. Which woman in their right mind would let you go once they ensnare you?"

"Does the same formula apply to you too, Sage?" Berlin asked her pensively. Somehow, Sage's thoughts about him mattered greatly. He wanted to know how she saw him and what she thought of him.

She was very different from the women he had been around. She was able to speak her mind though she timidly did so. She never gave up and she believed that her future was going to be brighter. She didn't want to rely on him. She just wanted to be given a chance to prove herself to him that she was useful.

"Uh--"

"Would you like something to drink while you wait for the food, Sage?" Ottawa came to interrupt them as she placed a glass of juice in front of her.

Sage nodded and took the glass while Ottawa stared daggers towards Berlin.

"You are going to scare her away." She mouthed as she went back to what she was doing.

Sage kept her mouth busy with the juice and never went back to reply Berlin's question.

When food was ready, they all sat at the kitchen table and ate while Ottawa spoke about her city and what she was doing. Sage was completely entranced by Ottawa's adventure stories. Berlin was glad that she was momentarily distracted from what happened that morning by the stories.

"So, how long are you going to be here?" Sage asked Ottawa and Bucharest as she savored the meat that Ottawa made. Berlin could tell that Sage enjoyed Ottawa's company.

"We have work to do here as well so we will be here for a little while. We also need to make sure that Berlin doesn't collapse again." Ottawa assured Sage.

Sage turned her bright eyes at Berlin and chuckled. "Well, I am happy that he gets to taste his own medicine. I am glad that you will keep him busy by fussing over him so that he leaves me alone."

Ottawa laughed softly as Cairo entered the kitchen. The moment Berlin saw his solemn face, he knew that something was wrong.

Cairo disappeared the previous day without so much as a goodbye. Berlin understood that he was there for work as well but he couldn't help worrying over him since he was the most impulsive team member they had. Berlin didn't want Cairo to further anger Seoul and War and get the Power to retaliate. Berlin wanted to stay out of their way and let them carry out their orders from the Power without anyone from his team intervening. However, he hoped that the orders that they got from the Power had nothing to do with Sage because Berlin was not going to stand back if Seoul involved her.

As it was, Berlin was not sure why War marked Sage in the first place. He could have been provoking Berlin or he could have reacted to the attraction that every guardian seemed to have toward her, Berlin didn't know, but he didn't care as well. He didn't need War to provoke him any further when it came to Sage because he was not going to be able to handle Berlin's wrath and fires of judgment.

"So, you finally decided to show your face. Where have you been?" Bucharest asked Cairo who pulled a chair and sat adjacent to Sage. He grabbed a plate and dished out some food before he began eating.

"I was out hunting." He spoke after he had his first bite.

"Hunting?" Berlin asked pensively. "Out hunting what?"

"Sullies." Caire replied grimly as he stabbed his meat then looked up and said. "I managed to intercept three but was not able to send them home because they had no names."

Berlin stiffened because it was the same situation he got yesterday with Lucian. "When was this?"

"Yesterday evening I intercepted two and this morning I intercepted one," Cairo replied.

"What are sullies?" Sage asked suddenly and Cairo turned to her before he smirked.

"Traitors." He replied and Berlin let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. A guardian was killing innocents and leaving Berlin and his team to clean up after him. Although he did not want to get involved with Seoul and War, he had to because if that continued and the sullies brought problems in his city, Berlin was not going to take it sitting down.

"Cairo, find a way to contact Seoul. I want to know if it is him or someone else in his team that is bringing the traitors into the city." Berlin commanded and Cairo gave a nod. "I will check on War."

Ottawa and Bucharest looked like they were about to protest but Berlin didn't want to hear it. He had warned War to stay away from Sage the night of the professor's party but that little s**t didn't take him seriously. That only meant one thing. War was going to have to learn the hard way about not messing with Berlin's people.

Cairo sniffed lightly and rubbed his nose but when he sniffed again, his head snapped towards Sage who jumped in surprise.

"What?" She asked anxiously.

Cairo eyed her for what it felt like an eternity before he shrugged and said. "Nothing...it's just that, you have an interesting perfume." Then turned his eyes towards Berlin and Berlin saw the way they swirled with power. "It smells familiar."

Sage sniffed herself and asked. "Does it smell like roses?"

"No, it smells like something possessive and annoying." While he spoke, he didn't take his eyes off Berlin.

Cairo caught on but Berlin wasn't fazed. The urgency to remove War's scent on Sage had him on auto-drive. The guardian was on offensive mode and it took every ounce of discipline to keep himself from searching for War and decapitating him. He didn't care what Cairo thought.

"Really?" Sage looked up at him in surprise. "You can tell that from smelling my perfume?"

Cairo nodded as he turned to his food. "Yep. It is a scent that doesn't match with you, Sage and I think you should change it."

Ottawa and Bucharest sighed tiredly while Sage couldn't stop sniffing herself mumbling that it was a perfume she always wore so she couldn't understand how it changed. Cairo surely knew how to ruin a moment. Berlin wanted to introduce him to the awoken guardian but he had bigger things to think about... such as the sullies in his city.