Rescue and discovery

"KAIYA!" Twist screamed as she went flying, to land in a boneless heap on the rails.

He leaped over the edge and slid down the rubble, ignoring Eli's warnings.

As Twist knelt over her, he reached out with trembling hands. He saw, how she had charged headlong into the train, how she was thrown into the air at the slightest of a spark…

No, this can't be she's still alive she has to be please let her live I'll do anything she's so strong I still haven't told her how I fell oh gods she's not moving she's not breathing please be alive please be alive please be alive pleasebealivepleasebealive…

His head was a jumbled mess as Twist collapsed, throwing himself over her too prone body and oh gods why wasn't she moving she dead isn't she but she can't die they still haven't gone on that date at Healer Springs Cavern yet pleasebealivepleasebealive oh nononono she's not moving…

Something in him snapped.

All the pain he had caused others, all that suffering, was it coming back to bite at him now? By taking away the one that he ever had feelings for? Wet patches splattered against her too cold chest, covered in shades of red.

He was crying.

Twist never cries.

But then again, he wasn't Twist now. He was his original self, the one that used to flirt with the girls when he was 9, the one who happily laughed along with his father while bandaging the little bites from ghouls, the one who had died when Will Shane caused his father to fall off that cliff.

The Michael of then had died.

He was reborn as Twist, Blakk's right hand man, possible future heir of Blakk industries. The one who enforced the rule of Thaddeus Blakk under an iron fist; the one who carried a personal vendetta against the Shane family; the one who was personally responsible for carrying out every whim of Blakk's.

That Twist has died.

Michael Di Angelo has returned.

All his past memories of times with his father in Slug Caverns, of listening to stories of the days of peace, of the legends of the Shanes.

Those were the days when he would cry freely, laugh with true emotion, throw tantrums with real meaning; those were the days he lived.

Michael "Twist" Di Angelo prayed for a miracle, a way to save to save Kaiya, the one girl he ever has feelings for.

The slightest of shifts, the tiniest of heartbeats.

There were gods. They had listened, like they were pleased with his revelation.

There really were miracles.

Kaiya was alive.

He got up slightly, and cradled her in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open just the slightest.

He picked her up and gently whispered in her ear. "Kaiya, I'm so sorry…"

That's when her eyes shut. Eli, who had come down, paused in his walking towards Michael.

That faint heartbeat was barely discernible.

"Help her! Someone! Help!" Michael screamed as he suddenly felt all sensation leave him.

Collapsing to his knees, he gently laid her down. "Help…" he whispered.

The hooded figure watched from the air, his goggles zooming in on the two down below. That faint cry for help, the plea of letting go, the unsteadiness of the would-be boyfriend as he sobbed over her.

Lucifer couldn't take it.

Angling down, he shot through the air on his custom-built F4L-C0N-R. He knew a way to help, but it was… unholy.

He would have to sacrifice a life-force to save her, and in all likelihood it would be Michael's. He would give anything to save her, but his life was not the answer. Lucifer's upper lip twitched the slightest, like he was trying to smile.

Hope and happiness, these two never went together.

Because his healing… always caused others pain and sorrow.

Their initial expression of joy would be crushed in desperation.

A screech from Susan, his Peregrine Falcon Mecha announced his arrival. "Will you stop doing that, I never get to sneak up on anyone," he hissed.

Why should I stop? Besides, you hardly fit the sneaky type of person, Susan responded mentally.

"Never mind, but land softly, I'm fed up trying to fix your scratches."

Without me, how many would you have?

"…"

Ha! Another point to me!

"Whatever, just get me down there!"

Will do boss!

Another screech, and she burst out of the cloud bank.

Trixie glanced around nervously. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Kord replied, before an ear piercing screech rang out across the canyon.

Neither Eli nor Michael noticed it until Boom! A dust cloud burst into the air. In the blast centre was a large Falcon-like Mecha. It was covered in White Chrome Armor, with Green Edges. Blue intelligent eyes shone in its head, which turned slightly as it examined everyone.

Its rider slid off, landing with a soft thump. "Right, someone said they needed help?"

Michael "Twist" Di Angelo coughed out the dust and wheezed out, "She needs help," gesturing at Kaiya helplessly.

The stranger was wearing a black aviator jacket, with a grey shirt and black jeans. He spun a fedora in his hand as he stared at Kaiya's still body.

"Mm, this isn't good. Broken legs and left arm, right arm dislocated with right elbow shattered. Shattered kneecaps, one toe is mush, rib cage caved in, with two piercing her lungs and one in her stomach. A hairline crack in her skull, slightly dislocated spine, and that's just the internal injuries.

"Shrapnel in her chest is pressing against her heart; one in her cheek bone is dangerously close to her brain, two are in her stomach, one pressed against her lungs, the other buried in her stomach, and lastly a piece of shrapnel has cut off her left pinkie toe.

"Multiple gashes on her chest, one down her cheek, a gash down the right thigh, a cut on her lower leg, she's in critical condition."

With every word, Michael's face grew paler.

"In fact, she's gotten this far because of you, Michael."

That sealed the deal. Michael hit the ground on his knees, tears carving themselves a path though the dust on his face.

Eli, taken aback by the sudden arrival of the stranger, pulled out his blaster and leveled it at him, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"At ease, Eli, she may live, if you, Michael Di Angelo, can pass this test. I can heal her but at a cost."

"What is it, I'll do anything!"

"Anything? That's a big word, young man."

"Yes! I just want her to live, please!"

"I can heal her, but at a price."

"What is it, how much?" Money was something Twist was used to.

"A life."

Those two words carried a weight that hit Twist's shoulders hard. Was it worth it? To sacrifice himself for Kaiya? He'll never see her again, but she'll live. But he couldn't stand her pain should she live and find him dead. He guessed she had a feeling for him, but heartbroken? That was something he could never pin on her.

She was the smart ass, mechanic who would fix any problem with their Mechas, the one who he took out to Snowdance caverns, the one who he could count on anytime anywhere in Blakk's citadel. She was a rebel, reckless, no heed for safety, and would do anything to get her way. She was independent, and strong, and had a sense of humor.

Hardly anyone laughed in the Citadel.

But was it really right? Should he really die for her?

Up on the cliff, Kord watched through a pair of binoculars borrowed from Nicole.

"What's going on?" Trixie asked, anxious to know. In fact she would have been hopping from foot to foot if not for the fact she was on the edge of a cliff.

"Some guy in black is talking to Twist. If I could just hear it…"

"You big doofus, it's this button," Nicole cried out, as she punched a button in the center. Almost immediately, Eli's voice rang out, ""– what do you want?""

""At ease Eli, she may live, if you, Michael Di Angelo, can –" Beep!"

"Oh shit," Nicole cursed as she grabbed the binoculars. "Forgot to charge this last night, sorry." She whacked it hard on the side, and their voices picked up, ""bzzt! – heal – bzzt! – cost – bzzt! – wha – bzzt! – do – bzzt!"" There was a high pitched whining sound, and Nicole cursed as she tossed it away.

Down below, on the canyon cliff, a brilliant starburst of energy blew out half the cliff face.

"Erm… oops?"

Kord and Trixie glared at her pointedly.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry about that! Anyway, where's Pronto?"

That's when Trixie glanced around and noticed the missing molenoid, "Pronto?"

"Pronto?"

"Pronto!"

"PRONTO!"

"There!"

Pronto was standing on the edge, a dreamy expression on his face. "It really is him… the legends are true…"

"Pronto! Get back here!"

He ignored their pleas and the crumbling rock underneath his feet. "The Dark Healer…" all at once, he seemed to return to himself and his eyes unglazed.

"What is the Magnificent Pronto doing – AHH!"

That last part was due to the rock beneath his feet falling away and sending the overly rounded molenoid tumbling down. At the last moment, he realized he had his blaster and whipped around to fire it at the cliff face.

The Arachnet flew out, and latched onto the cliff face with a sticky web, with Pronto holding onto another length of webbing.

Trixie sighed as she pulled up the molenoid, "What in the blazes were you thinking?! You could have fallen!"

"The Magnificent Pronto never falls! He shall survive –"

A mighty smack rang out across the canyon walls.

"Oh shut up."

Trixie smirked as Pronto cradled the Nicole-sized palm print on his face.

"I'll do it."

Twist jolted in surprise. "Eli?"

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't hijacked the train, she wouldn't have come to stop it and get herself killed –"

"Don't say that! You can't just die for her! What about the others? Trixie? Kord? Pronto? They mean nothing to you for you to just throw your life away?"

"Since when did you care?"

"I… I guess… I… Well…"

Eli raised an eyebrow.

"Oh alright! I kinda liked fighting you… sorry?"

This time it was Eli's turn to be surprised. "Why?"

"Well… when you fight somebody, for an instant, you seem to have known them for life. You can read them, intercept them, counter them, like you're perfectly attuned to that person. Those times when I fight you… I feel like you could be my brother, a friend."

"Twist…"

"And, when I do, I get scared. That if I do get too attached to someone, I'll lose it if something bad happens to them. That's why I swore to be your nemesis. But in truth, I'm just pushing myself away by getting closer. Weird right?" Twist laughed nervously.

"Twist…"

"Then I met Kaiya. She was rude, frigid, and delighted in leaving me far behind. That's when I started running after her, to catch up, and I unknowingly fell for her. She was… perfect. She seemed like the other half of me that I never discovered. She's… an angel."

"Twist…"

"Now, with her almost dead… I don't know what to do. Should I just let her die, or give up my soul for her? I can't decide, and I know that she could go at any moment and I'm just standing here useless…"

"Twist…"

"I'll do it. So take me."

The Dark Healer smiled widely, but Twist doubted he was actually happy. More like one of those sadistic grins in those horror movies he and Kaiya had watched together.

He raised his hands, placing one on Kaiya's head, the other hovering above Twist's.

Kaiya, this is for you.

Then the hand rested on his head, and Twist's vision rapidly turned into black. One last sad smile.

Goodbye.

I had a ton of fun doing this, as it was my first time trying to do an angsty/romance type story. This includes some of Twist's history (which I made up) and my charactor, whose name I will be revealing some time later.

Is Twist alive? What happens next? Will the Dark Healer keep his word? These and other questions will be answered in other chapters. Please tell me of any thing you want answered in the reviews, and I'll answer in the next chapter!

Signing off, Nameless Slinger