Author's Note:I do not own any of the Escaflowne characters (although I wish dearly I did Van, meow!) and nor do I claim any credit for the anime's storyline - although, that's not really relevant, as this storyline has not much to do with it. But this is my version of Escaflowne in a single Oneshot. Don't like it? Don't read it then - I will not tolerate pointless flames.
Oh, and yes, this is a songfic inspired by the legendary Sting and his song "Stolen Car":
"Late at night in summer heat. Expensive car, empty street
There's a wire in my jacket. This is my trade
It only takes a moment, don't be afraid
I can hotwire an ignition like some kind of star
I'm just a poor girl in a rich woman's car
So I whisper to the engine, flick on the lights
And we drive into the night..."
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She came up the dainty set of steps with the flowery garden helping to keep her hidden. It was so much brighter on this side of the city than where she had come from, although just as cold. Running, her boots patted on the steps as she danced her way up, up, up towards her hearts desire, up to where nothing seemed impossible.
The last step approached.
The girl stopped behind a rose bush to scan the area warily. All was quiet, aside from the distant sound of another explosion that came back from her side of the City. Sirens were wailing. It was not a distracting noise - she was used to it. The girl licked her bottom, cut lip and cautiously slid out from her cover like a cat ready to pounce in its victim. She strolled up the drive, and it wasn't long before she was struggling to stay focussed, as her impressed and dreamy eyes couldn't stop admiring the gorgeous estate on which she was trespassing.
"So this is what sits at the top of the hill..." She whispered to herself, amazed; her voice seemed slightly husky, as though a strain had been inflicted upon it.
Her breathe escaped her lips in a thin, white vapour that rose into the air and eventually faded, just like the ice around her heart did. Just for a small moment. Just as she stood there, scruffy hair, boots, torn, tight trousers and a simple waist-coat; it would only take a second of a glance to understand what side of the city she had come from. But she had adapted to the cold.
The beautiful, glass house before her had stolen her breath away. Even the walls existed of such an aquamarine glass, and she could see straight through into the Maze-like construction where leather sofas and beautiful flowers in marble pots made her heart sink. She suddenly snorted to herself and looked away indifferently.
"Snobby rich kids. As if there aren't enough flowers in the world, they need to go tearing them outta' their roots and shoving them in cages." She sneered.
And just like that, her old self was back - perhaps only because she had forced her hard shell back over her emotions, or just because she knew she had a task at hand. No, not a task, it was her dream, her life.
The girl turned and smiled at the sight of a wide, silver door that stood out of the marble and glass castle like a white rose in a patch of weeds. She rubbed the back of her leather gloved hand against her cold nose, sniffed, and approached the door. When she arrived, she pulled out a single, copper hair-pin from above her ear and stuck it into the lock of the garage door. Rattling, twisting, picking, and then lift - it clicked. The girl smiled.
After throwing the pin away, she carefully pushed the door up by just an inch, an inch enough for her to take out her next weapon, a small pair of pliers from her belt, and slip her arm through the gap in the door to cut its thick cords that held its weight. The girl was given less than a second to retract her arm before the garage door swung upwards all by itself without any forced elevation necessary. She was quick, but it was still a close call.
The girl whistled to herself in shock and then laughed.
She switched the pliers with a tiny torch that she had kept in her right boot. It flicked on. And there, sitting before her, a creature so magnificent that it almost aroused her.
"I never thought I could fall in love again..." She whispered, almost inaudibly.
The girl walked at a patient, tender pace along the side of the silver, two-seated sports car while stroking her bare finger tips along its body. It was freezing to the touch, but so smooth. Not a crack or scrape in sight.
The girl closed her enchanted eyes, "... Flawless."
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45 Minutes Ago
Eerie fog floated through the damp, shimmering streets of Angel City. Heh, what an ironic name. For a City so bleak and damned, how could it possibly own a name that suggested the heavens were watching over it?
Rotting buildings towered into the navy sky. No stars existed anymore. The mist outstood their beautiful forms - it was more than just rare to see a tender twinkle.
Windows smashed away, balcony railings orange and rotting, apartment ladders hanging down in the random alleys here and there, large dustbins crusted and splitting with their rubbish flooding the sidewalks, graffiti everywhere, and no innocent, warm souls about. It was usually quiet, but not because of it's lack of life - oh no, not that at all. Angel City was full of life, but just the wrong kind, particularly on this side of Angel's wings.
The signal song had been played on the radio at seven and, as usual, announced to all those who wished to stay out of harms way that then was the time to hide away until the next evidence of sunlight. Now, Angel City was under darkness, and the creatures lurking in its shadows were out to play.
The right side of Angel City was ruled by gangs. Whatever names, dress codes and loyalty policies, it didn't matter. Gangs were a way of survival, now, whether people liked it or not. But the wise chose to stay behind closed curtains, bolted doors, and loaded guns, or spent their lives trying to worm or earn their way into the better side of Angel City - The East, they called it, in its own magnificent self.
A wicked explosion erupted from Prince Street and a cloud of golden, thirsty fire swirled into the air and swept up a couple of stray, rotting cars in its path. They jumped and crashed back down onto the cracking earth. The windows of the buildings on either side of the street were blown in and, as the raging fire settled, a shower of dainty glass sprinkled across the damp, glossy concrete road; it was nearly always raining in this City. These buildings had been deserted long ago. No one on the bottom floor dared risk their lives to maintain ownership.
Crazy, wild laughter followed shortly after the explosion, and several hyper bandits skipped and danced out into the open road as to admire and celebrate their pointless vandalism. Yes... these were the typical events that took place now, in Angel City, a place that once stood in grace and earned respect from others.
But not now.
The moon, weeping, the sun, grey. Nothing was the same, anymore. In fact, no one could remember the last time they saw a child playing happily in their own garden. This was the result of a ruler who had a "vision" for the future - others simply called it snobbish arrogance. If you didn't have enough money to be able to blow your nose in a ten pound note, you weren't worth it. You deserved to be in The West. The darkness. The war-pit.
But it wasn't long before the brutal gang were interrupted by some new company. Their cheering faltered. Whistles stopped. Weapons were fetched from their belts and the insides of their tough, leather jackets. All of their eyes were locked upon the seven, dark figures that were marching towards them through the dying flames that had spread on both sides of the broken street.
"Well, well, well," The leader of the gang chuckled, "If it ain't the dusty Merchant's from Between Street. Looks like they've finally come out to loosen up their rusting."
The guy speaking was actually rather normal-looking for a gang leader. Most would expect the stereotype of huge muscles, missing teeth, bald head, covered in tattoos. But not this guy. Aside from the biker clothes, the bandana, the spiky bracelets, the murderous chain hanging from his clenched fist, he seemed like a pretty normal guy. Blonde spiky hair, beautiful blue eyes and pale skin. He was seriously on too many drugs.
"You know, for the leader of the Gladiators, I expected a little less talking... and a little more action." Another, deeper voice sneered back.
It was Logic. A tall, dark-skinned man stepped out of the shadow and came into the light of the sizzling flames on either side of the street. His gang members filed up behind him and held their stances, watching intensely. Their leader fitted his role much better, with muscles, huge earrings, tattoos and a look of superiority in his eyes compared to the head of the Gladiators; he snickered at his comment, looking around as to concentrate on comforting his bruised ego, but then his eyes found the glowing, pale face of a familiar girl.
Brown, messy hair parted to the side, slender frame, stubborn look across her dirty face. She held a crow-bar in one hand by her side, while the other rested on her hip. She had such attitude.
"Lookin' good, Tomi..." He smiled suggestively.
The girl, Tomi, rolled her eyes slowly, "... It's Hitomi to you, Dilandau."
Dilandau smiled all the more, his head tilted to the side and back, "That's not what you used to let me call you... remember kitten?"
Hitomi swallowed down the memories, "I try not to."
"Wanna' try it again sometime?" Dilandau teased.
"You look like shit, Dilandau," Another man, Barkley, sneered, "What the hell've you done to yourself... you used to be a half-decent dirt bag."
"You like the new make-over?" Dilandau laughed and turned on the spot while holding his arms out.
His gang members laughed at his taunting behaviour, while The Merchants just stood and watched stiffly without reacting. Although, Hitomi's friend, Hicks, was clenching his fist so furiously that it was trembling by his side.
"Like I said, Dilandau," Hitomi's leader, Logic, interrupted, "You talk too much. Why not show us the true form of that ego you wave around so proudly?"
Hitomi snickered at this comment, "It's not much."
Dilandau turned angry, "Bitch!"
"Come OOONN!" One of The Merchant's roared.
And then it kicked off. The two gangs whipped out and started waving their weapons determinedly and they collided in the center, where another mundane battle broke out in Angel City. As fists swung, blood spilt and the air filled with the music of hatred, grey, gloomy faces appeared at the windows of the apartments that looked down upon the street from such height. The innocents of Angel City watched from their safe peak, frowning, holding their children close. It was nothing new to them.
Hitomi spun and cast a pretty nice kick to one of The Gladiator's' ugly face, but as he jerked away, he grabbed her ankle and swung her round. She twisted round onto her front with her hands on the ground, and her weapon now in her mouth, and she used his chest to kick her other foot up and smack it right into his face. Both feet slammed into either side of his head, then his nose, then his neck, and he was on the floor quicker than Hitomi could recompose herself. By the time she stood, he was down and trying to keep himself from falling into unconsciousness.
Crack
A fist came out of nowhere and caught Hitomi off-guard, catching her square in the lip. She stumbled backwards and looked over to see Dilandau smiling sadistically at her, also bearing a few new open cuts of his own. Hitomi glared while licking the blood from her lip.
"Come on baby - let's play, for old time's sake." He provoked her.
Hitomi let out a soft, angry growl and charged at him, swinging her long, trusty pole back and forth in her hands. Dilandau skipped backwards and dodged each swing until he came to one of the burnt, ruined cars that had been caught up in their pointless explosion earlier that night, and he artfully jumped up backwards without needing to look back and landed safely on its hood. Hitomi swung her pole and he jumped, she did it again, but this time his foot landed on it and caught her in a stick.
He suddenly lashed his chain out and wrapped it around her neck; it pinched her skin and nearly cut off her breathing completely. She gasped, her hands flying up to try and rip it away, but Dilandau pulled her towards him like a dog and leant down to hold his face to hers.
"We could've been perfect, Tomi... you and me... the King and Queen uh' this place." He whispered against her lips whilst observing her face like a dazzled snake.
Hitomi stared up at him through her watery, red eyes, "... Stop..."
Dilandau smiled and suddenly pressed his lips to hers. Ugh, the taste of him brought back so many memories. It was so confusing. Once upon a time, Hitomi had loved this man, it was true... but he changed. For the worst. Hitomi still had a scar from the amount of times he had began burning her - he was obsessed with burning things... obsessed with fire, and demolition.
Hitomi's free hand managed to pull out the pliers that were sticking into her belt at her back, and wham, she bashed the handle of it against his cheek and he broke away from her with a strange spasm attack. He released her, and Hitomi was able to pull the chain from around her neck and gasp for air once more.
And then came the sirens. It wasn't often that the Police bothered to come out and break up such a violent fight, but Prince Street was one of the few streets left in The West that hadn't been completely corrupted yet. They still had something to fight for.
"Hitomi!" Logic roared through the battle.
Hitomi swirled around, still rubbing her soar throat, and blinked through the smoke and fog to see Logic wrestling with another Gladiator. He looked over his shoulder and nudged his head up through his struggle.
"Now! Get goin'!" He shouted.
"What about you?" Hitomi called back, although her voice was now breaking from the strain on her windpipes.
Logic head-butted the man in his large arms and he fell back, just for a moment. But the moment was long enough for Logic to put his point across to Hitomi.
"It's now or never! Get up that hill, we'll distract the City!" He roared authoritatively.
Hitomi admitted defeat and gave in with a nod of understanding. In her eyes, Logic could see that she was wishing him luck and safety, and he did the same right back at her. Turning, Hitomi cast Dilandau one last look, who was only just starting to steady himself again, his hand to his bleeding cheekbone.
She turned and fled into the darkness. Now that their plan had worked, the fun part had started.
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Meanwhile... At the top of The Hill
The front door slammed and echoed through the very modern, exquisite glass house. The Mother of the household flinched for the fear of her precious windows smashing under the pressure, but they didn't even shudder.
"Van! Van, don't you walk away from me while I'm talking to you! I am your father, you will show me some respect!" A stern man barked as he marched down the passage steps and into the open living room.
He unwrapped his scarf from around his neck and threw it onto the arm of the sofa quite carelessly; his eyes were fixated upon the young man in his handsome Tux before him, who was undressing his own Winter accessories in his own patient, sulking manner.
"Well? Don't you have anything to say for yourself, son??" He shouted at Van.
Van rolled his eyes, "What is there to say? We both know what I think."
"You showed me up in front of all of my friends," His father growled, "You embarrassed me. I'm damn ashamed."
Van snickered and jumped back angrily, "Friends? They're not your friends! They're a bunch of wet fish that dress up in smart clothes and kiss up to each other. And what, that gives them the right to call themselves classy and worthy? ... You're just like them."
"Van!" His mother gasped emotionally, clutching to her pink pashmina.
The brow of Van's father creased darkly, "... What did you just say to me?"
There was a sudden echo of a deep explosion from somewhere on the West of Angel City, and from their position at the top of The Hill, Van and his parents were able to see a dot of fire from down in the slums. There was another crazy battle taking place, as usual. But this only distracted the Fanel family for mere seconds. There was something a lot more serious at hand to be dealt with.
Van was the first to get back on track, "You heard me," He confidently growled, "Dad, you're just as fake as the rest of them, but what's worse is that you're a tyrant, and I have no choice in my life! Sometimes I think Folken had some sense in leaving this place!"
Smack
Silence filled the air, and the atmosphere was suddenly very heavy. Van's head was turned to the side, his cheek throbbing painfully, and his father's hand still hovered in the air from where it had collided. Van's mother watched in shock and her eyes began to water.
After a long moment of intense awkwardness, Van's father lowered his hand and wiggled his black bow sophisticatedly, clearing his throat. It was as though it had never happened.
"The Law's have invited us out for lunch tomorrow. You will join us, Van, and you will, get to know his daughter. And that's final." He stated.
Van didn't even look at his father, "... I won't marry her."
His father stared at him, "... We'll see."
And with that, his father stalked off to his drawing room to have some privacy. Van's mother didn't know whether to comfort her son or cry, or just follow her husband. His strict parenting was for Van's own good, after all. Wasn't it?
"Van..." She began-
But no, Van wasn't hearing any of it. He threw himself away from her as she approached with an extended, gentle hand, and he marched out of the large living room towards the porch area at the side of the house. He rebelliously began feathering and roughing up his neatly-combed hair, and what was once an impressive style was now a black, loose mess. It suited him better.
He ripped his bow from around his neck and, as he passed through the dining hall, he swiped up a crystal bottle of whiskey and a small glass. Just one. He intended on washing away his stresses, and there was only one place he liked to be best when times were tough on him. Escaflowne.
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Present Time
Hitomi walked at a patient, tender pace along the side of the silver, two-seated sports car while stroking her bare finger tips along its body. It was freezing to the touch, but so smooth. Not a crack or scrape in sight.
She closed her hazel, enchanted eyes, "... Flawless."
Hitomi was more than surprised not a minute later to find that the beautiful vehicle was, in fact, unlocked. The driver had foolishly forgotten to lock it up, or he was too obnoxious to believe that anyone could accomplish stealing such a thing. Hitomi snickered to herself as she opened the door and slid inside. As she sank into the comfortable, leather seat, she felt herself melt into the moment. She stroked the steering wheel, smiling, and smelt the air. God, that smell...
Hitomi had no idea what it was about cars that made her feel this way, but she knew that she had an obsession. The thrill of stealing it, and then being able to become someone else with each different seat she sat in. One night, she was a Company director, 2 kids and a wife, but there was a more complicated depth to his marriage... And then, another night, she was a single woman on her way to an audition - she was gonna' be a movie star.
Tonight, Hitomi felt like everything and everyone. There was something about this beauty... something different, that moved her deep inside.
Hitomi's fantasising was cut through by distant, muffled voices coming from inside the house, on the other side of the garage's side door. She gasped, eyes snapping open, and she looked out of the window at it in alarm. People were coming.
"Van! Van, where are you?!" A woman called worriedly.
"Time to go, Hitomi." She whispered to herself and slammed the door shut.
Just as she leant down, ripped open the board underneath the wheel and began fiddling with the wires, the door opened and a man stuck his head into the garage with the light pouring in behind him. He couldn't see anyone in the car. Why would Van have gone in there, anyhow?
He was considering the idea of heading back into the main house when - there - before his very eyes, the car's engine purred into life. Hitomi's heart shuddered, charmed, and she leant back, pulled on the gear stick, and then thrust her foot down on the pedal.
"Stop! Thief!!" She heard a voice roaring.
She pulled down the mirror and spotted a very distressed man sprinting along the road behind her. She laughed, although she felt she should at least pretend to have sympathy for the poor rich man. Hitomi turned the wheel and sped off down the drive that travelled all the way down the hill until it conjoined with the main road that led along the cliff-sides.
It took a few seconds for the reality of what was happening to hit Hitomi, but when it did, she suddenly burst out into excited laughter and slammed her hand on the steering wheel, cheering and singing as loudly as she could.
But out of nowhere, a disturbed snort came from the back seat, and before Hitomi could pull over safely, a young, dark-haired man shot up into view in her rear mirror and her laughing immediately changed to screaming. The young guy in his expensive suit reacted in just the same way and let out one of his own startled yells.
"What are you doing here?!" Hitomi shouted angrily.
"What are you doing here? And in my car?!" Van yelled back.
He let out a sudden hiccup, and as Hitomi steered around the bend on the road, a nearly empty crystal bottle rolled underneath her seat and knocked into her ankle. She spared it a glance. Alcohol. She then looked back at the confused, angry young man and frowned miserably.
"Great. All I need is a drunk, spoilt rich kid screwing up everything." She mumbled.
"Who the hell are you calling spoilt??" He barked.
Hitomi snickered, "At least you didn't deny the drunk part."
Van sat up straight and waved his arm out demandingly, "Stop the car right now, dammit, who the hell do you think you are? You're a thief!"
"Well done, sparky, you won yourself a second of respect from me," Hitomi sarcastically sighed; she was now concentrating on the road more than anything, "Just sit down and keep quiet, will ya'? This is as risky enough as it is, I don't need you screeching in my ear."
Van narrowed his eyes angrily, "Stop the car."
"I can't do that." Hitomi snapped.
"I said stop the car, NOW!" Van ordered.
"I told you, I can't do that!" Hitomi cried.
Without warning, Van suddenly leant forwards and grabbed onto Hitomi's arms. She screamed as she car swerved dangerously close to the edge of the cliff and Van quickly pulled the car away again.
"Pull over..." He ordered.
"Alright, alright! Just sit back, will ya'?! Geez, you rich folks are even crazier than I thought..." Hitomi huffed.
Van reluctantly, but finally, let go of her elbows and started leaning back again. It was then that Hitomi took her chance and suddenly struck him hard in the nose with the back of her fist. He barked, jumped back, and clutched his nose passionately.
"You hit me!" He exclaimed, "Jesus, you crazy woman, you hit me! What kind of girl are you?!"
Hitomi bit her bottom lip; why wasn't he passed out yet?? And so, throwing her fist back again, she attempted to strike him a second time but he surprisingly caught her by the wrist and prevented her from succeeding.
"I despise liars." Van growled.
Ok, so maybe this spoilt rich kid wasn't as green and hopeless as he appeared. For just a split second, Hitomi glanced back at Van in the mirror above her, and right there in his dark, gentle eyes... she saw a whole world of trouble. A world that Hitomi seemed to understand and connect with. But just for that second. It only lasted like a sharp flicker of a flame.
But it wasn't that the moment merely passed, but the two of them were stolen from that intense situation by a sudden glowing light. It was coming from Hitomi, from a small, pink gem that was hanging from her left ear nearest to Van. His eyes grew, as did hers as she watched in the mirror.
"What the hell..." Van whispered.
Hitomi's jaw dropped. The metres along the dashboard in front of the steering wheel started flipping out like crazy, wagging from side to side, and the lights were flashing on and off, just as the radio flicked itself on and began to whiz through the numerous stations.
"What's happening?! What's wrong with your car?!" Hitomi frightfully shouted.
"There's nothing wrong with my car, you thief!" Van scolded her, "What have you done to it?!"
"Nothing!" Hitomi sincerely exclaimed.
The car suddenly lost all control. Hitomi wasn't strong enough to pull the steering wheel back over to the left. Even with the extra help from Van, who leant over her to help, they continued to gradually move towards the wooden fence that ran along the edge of the Cliffside. Hitomi and Van glanced down at each other, in such an awkward situation, and just like that the car suddenly broke through the fencing and zoomed over the edge.
Hitomi and Van both expressed their fear through their wild crying, but as Van's beloved Escaflowne soared out into the black night sky, something different happened.
The light on Hitomi's ear grew and grew until, at last, it was burst into full power and blinded the two passengers from seeing anything. The car started pounding and groaning, and they felt themselves shifting all about and being thrown in all directions. It all happened so fast, it was like a rollercoaster ride in the dark - or, well, the divine light. So bright. So warm.
Boooommmmm
Everything stopped.
It was silent. All but a strange, mechanical breathing, and the humming of a huge engine beneath Hitomi and Van. When they were brave enough to crack their eyes open, they found themselves in a twist with each other, with their faces inches apart. Hitomi gasped and jumped back right away.
"You perve!" She cried, blushing, and slapped his cheek.
Van bolted upright, "Jesus, will you stop hitting me?!"
As Hitomi started yelling on about how if he had just decided to get drunk in his house like a normal person then everything would have been fine... but Van slowly stopped listening, and his attention was stolen away. He was staring through a large, wide front window, where a panel of alight buttons, levers and switches existed, and covered the walls around them.
Van's jaw dropped. He stared straight ahead at the night sky through the front window as he reached out and grabbed onto Hitomi's jaw. She kept rambling on, but once he twisted her head round and she saw what they were in, she cut off instantly.
"Oh my god..." She exhaled, mesmerised.
It seemed a lifetime had passed for them as they both knelt there, gazing, gaping like brainless birds. Van finally found the courage to move.
"Don't!" Hitomi gasped, holding him back.
He sent her an odd look before tearing his arm out of her grip. Hitomi anxiously watched him crawl to the window. When he reached it, he looked down and saw a long, mechanical pair of legs, getting thinner with each inch they stretched down to the ground. His heart leapt into his throat and he spun away with a shudder, his eyes wide, sweat forming.
"What is it??" Hitomi whispered.
"It's a-... it's a..." Van stuttered.
Hitomi raised her eyebrows and shook her head impatiently, encouraging him to answer. Van gulped again.
"I think my car just transformed into a robot."
