A/N: Thanks to my beta Azzie(Inkfire) for looking this over for me! My first TMM fic, set after the anime! Please review and let me know what you think! :D Chapters dedicated to those who do! =P
We're Human Too!
Chapter 1: Disaster Strikes:
A warm summer breeze drifted across the parking lot. Clouds wafted across the clear blue sky, small, white, and puffy, with little threat of rain to ruin this beautiful day.
A gun shot went off, smoke spreading across the red track while people in the stands started screaming, cheering for daughters, sisters, friends, and girlfriends as they broke from the start, all falling into line around the curve, hugging the inside.
Except for one. She swung wide, her long legs stretching out and eating up the ground, passing several people. This was her second year in track, fourth competition season running. She loved it. She'd improved so much.
"Keep going, Dawn!" one of her teammates gasped. The girl nodded slightly, forcing her breathing to stay nice and even. That was her biggest defect-her weak lungs. If it weren't for her lungs, she'd be running varsity now!
Don't think about that, just run! She scolded herself mentally.
A little over seven minutes later, she crossed the line. Glancing at the clock, she panted out a small, tired, yet triumphant noise. 7:20! a new PR!
The distance coach came up behind her. "Great job, hun! You've improved so much since that summer, don't you think?" They shared a laugh.
"Go cool down, you're done for today." the coach ordered. "Get a drink while you're at it." She passed the girl a handful of Lemon Heads, proven by their team to help with runner's cough and raw throats. Teammates high-fived the girl as she trotted off the track.
"Yeah! Blow 'em off the track!" someone yelled in her face, and they all started laughing.
Her boyfriend, Zack, held out a Gatorade as she jogged over. "You looked amazing, sweetheart." he told her, reaching out to hug her, but she backed away, taking the Gatorade with her.
"Oy! You know how it is!" she scolded, smirking before she jogged off to join her friends to cool down.
"I don't care." he whispered. He knew she could get kicked off the team for PDA at a meet, and that she didn't generally like non-runners touching her after she'd run. But it didn't stop her from being beautiful in his eyes.
Four girls started out jogging around the outside of the track, congratulating each other on a good race when the earth shook, a low rumbling noise coming from beneath their feet. The girls looked at each other and sprinted back to their coach, who was helping get everyone out of the stands. People screamed. The structure started collapsing, and those who weren't already off began jumping and throwing children to people on the ground. Everybody ran for the field where the throwers had been competing until a few moments prior.
Above the chaos, a lone figure hovered, smirking. "This is just the beginning." he whispered before disappearing. Dawn looked up as his body rippled, and only caught a glimpse of his eyes before he was gone completely. Her strawberry-blonde hair blew in her face, just a shade redder than his golden eyes, which pierced straight through her like nothing she'd ever heard of before. Then he was gone.
All over the US, the same thing happened. That night, all at once, a massive quake shook the entire continent. Buildings collapsed, and fire reigned supreme. Explosions could be heard from long distances, and pieces of earth flew high into the sky.
The Dawn had been out with her team and her boyfriend celebrating their victory-and select members' advancement to State competition. As the quakes started, everyone ran outside. Hovering in front of the ice cream store was the man-no, boy-from before. She could never forget those strange golden eyes. With cat-like pupils and a slight orange tint, she was pretty sure they didn't belong to a human. The large, elf-like ears and apparently natural green hair color helped prove this theory. Glancing around, Dawn noticed her friends and Zack running for Kelly's car. "Hurry!" Angel yelled across the parking lot.
"Oh, no, you don't!" the green-haired boy yelled, raising his palms. Electric bolts slammed into the car, and it burst into flames, several of Dawn's friends trapped inside.
She sprinted over to the car, dodging chunks of cement from who knew where, and throwing herself to the ground and closing her eyes to pray as another car came flipping towards her. Strong arms encircled her waist and she felt herself being lifted. She heard Zack's voice start screaming with the others, and cracked one eye open to see him staring up at her in pure terror. Then he turned and ran.
"Some boyfriend." the green-haired boy snickered. "I could do a lot better."
"Who the hell are you?" Dawn gasped, his grip was constricting her lungs, and the smoke all around them caused her to start coughing.
Damn! Blood appeared on her teeth, and as the strange boy set her down, he noticed. "Aw, don't be like that honey," he said with a strange, lilting accent.
Looking at him, Dawn noticed he seemed to be about her age, maybe a little older. He was wearing a brown, puffy-sleeved, V-neck top that exposed his midriff with some kind of short black undershirt. He wore dark, baggy pants that went just below his knees and had tight red bands on the waist and cuffs. Long strips of cloth fluttered behind him, mimicking some sort of cape of doom. Brown rectangles of fabric hung in the front and back of his pants. His green hair seemed short in the back, and his bangs hung low over his golden eyes. The front was longer and pulled into something resembling low pigtails in front of his large, elfin ears, with little red bands. Well, not Legolas-style elfin, but what else? Dawn wondered, smiling to herself.
"That's my little spark." The boy said, drifting closer.
"In case you hadn't noticed, I have a boyfriend. Not interested." Dawn retorted.
"Too bad. And I believe the term is had, darling. Or in case you hadn't noticed, he just abandoned you to an unknown and rather questionable fate."
Dawn looked around, her amber eyes flitting from side to side until she spotted a thin pole nearby, about six feet long. Perfect.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, honey. Although I'm not sure what you expect to do with a skinny little pole like that."
"You'll find out in a moment." Dawn smirked, lunging backwards, away from the pole. The boy, paused, frowning, and that gave her the instant she needed to lunge back forward. This time he reacted, lifting his hands. Two long swords, each with one long blade and a shorter one on each side materialized in his hands.
Freaking alien! Dawn's mind yelped. She didn't stop, simply tucked her body into a ball and neatly flipped over his head. He rose, reaching out for her, but was a moment too late. One of his swords lightly grazed her neck, leaving a trail of blood in the air.
Shit!
"Now look what you've done, birdy." he murmured, actually looking concerned as he approached her. "Your beautiful neck is all ruined."
"How is that my fault?" Dawn squealed indignantly. "I'm not the one waving swords around like a maniac!"
He cringed. "Come now, honey, don't be like that..." he began again.
As he closed his eyes and shook his head sadly, Dawn reached out and grabbed the pole. Letting a year of color guard training take over, she whirled the pole around her head, on instinct bringing it out instead of keeping it close to her body as she usually did. It smacked the boy on the ribs, causing something to crack loudly. Dawn didn't know if the pole or his ribs made the noise, but she kept spinning. The next time, she hit the side of his head as he lunged towards her. She could swear she saw blood on the end of her makeshift staff this time.
He hissed in frustration, and lashed out with a sword. It sliced cleanly through the pole, narrowly missing cutting her hand off. He flipped the other sword in his hand, and it disappeared. He used his now free hand to grab her wrist, pulling her close.
"Don't be like that sweetheart. Isn't it polite to at least introduce yourself before attacking someone?" he whispered in his smooth voice.
"Isn't it rude to kill someone's friends before introducing yourself?" Dawn retorted.
He shrugged. "Touche. I'm Kisshu."
Dawn gaped at him. "What the hell?"
"And you are?" he asked, smirking again.
"Your death." she snapped, leaping towards him. He sidestepped her punch and grabbed her arm, swinging her around to face him. "Come on, honey...All I want from you is your name, love."
"I'm not your pet!" she yelped. "And I don't appreciate being toyed with!"
"Feisty, aren't you? All the more fun." he laughed. Then he grew serious. "Either give me your name and live, or resist and die, human!" he yelled, clearly frustrated.
He lunged for her again, and Dawn easily sidestepped. He had completely lost control now. Not like giving him my name would hurt.
"Dawn." she said calmly. He turned, staring at her with a blank look. "Dawn..." he murmured. Then he smiled. "Beautiful, strong name. For a beautiful, strong girl." He drifted closer, taking her chin in his hand as he smiled down at her. "Ja-ne, Dawn." he whispered, his breath warm on her face. Her heart jumped, and he suddenly leaned in and kissed her, pressing his lips lightly to hers. Sparks rushed through her body, and she stumbled backwards, shoving him away. Her eyes narrowed, but before she could say or do anything, ripples spread out from his body and he vanished in a streak of color.
Numbly looking around, Dawn prayed Zack hadn't seen anything, before the destruction really hit her. She ran towards her home, and found it collapsed. She dropped to the ground, shaking.
"Dawn?" a weak voice called from the ditch across the street.
"James?" she called back shakily, standing with some difficulty.
Her little brother appeared, their dog, Sierra, beside him. He was crying as he ran into her arms.
"The ground started shaking, and Daddy said to go to the basement, he made Momma go, but I didn't think that was right and Sierra jumped out the window so I followed her here and I turned around and the house fell apart, and Momma was screaming and I couldn't get in and she...she sto-" his voice was completely broken, and he fell to the ground sobbing. Dawn knelt with her arms around him. "At least we've got each other." she whispered. Grateful that someone, anyone, had survived. And she had no doubt that Kisshu was behind this.
"Damn you, Kisshu." she whispered into the darkness.