Chapter Three - Apprehension
Black Rock Shooter
I awoke in the dark. This was hardly cause for alarm; my own realm, covered in chains of my own making, shackled to torment and pain, was dark and lifeless. No, this darkness was different; it was warm. There were blankets covering me, and the feeling was foreign enough to wake me at once.
Flinging the coverings off, I sat up, observing my surroundings with a critical and battle-trained eye. I was nestled on the bottom of a two-tier bed, in what appeared to be a small dorm room. There was a desk nearby, covered with papers and pencil shavings. Getting cautiously to my feet, I noted that they appeared to be schoolwork, a few tests with exceptionally low grades lying discarded and half-crumpled in a heap. My suspicion settled slightly, but there was something off about all of this.
I was not in the Other World. That was something to be wary of already. Only one Other that I was aware of had ever been pulled into the Human world, but the force of that transition had marked her Human self, killing her Other. There were whispers that she had gone on to do truly remarkable things, free from the fear and doubt that plagued her compatriots, but it had cost her dearly, the highest price to be paid.
I was pulled from my unwelcome thoughts by that feeling again, the same that had shaken me from unconsciousness. It was at once familiar and comforting, but also cold and dangerous. It was the same feeling when one of the Others lost themselves, the same feeling I had experienced. It spoke of unrefined potential for violence and destruction, the slavering of shrouded beasts pulling against the bit, straining to break free. It sent a shiver down my spine, drawing on my energy. The door opened, and I spun to face it, drawing my hands up in preparation for a fight.
"Ah!" A disgruntled young man stood before me, face smattered with moles and thick glasses perched on his nose. He wore a fine uniform, dark and trimmed with white. A curious vial, patterned red and blue with silver embellishment, hung from his jacket as well, a thin needle emerging from the bottom.
Despite his tame appearance, I knew this boy was a warrior. Even if his current appearance belied him, there was a certain glint in his eye, a hardness to his body, that gave away his true nature. Two pistols, strapped close to his sides, raised my hackles, as his hands twitched closer to them. My face contorting into a snarl of defiance, I lunged for him. With any opponent, it was better to attack before giving them an opening to destroy.
He yelped as my palm struck his chest, knocking him back slightly. Sweeping low with my leg, I knocked his feet out from under him. Show yourself. His instincts and training kicked in, and he rolled, avoiding taking the brunt of the fall. As he stopped his momentum, his right hand plucked one of the pistols from the holster, training it on me with deadly accuracy. I stood slowly, eyes locked on his. He rose as well, holding my stare, never blinking, never looking away.
I began pacing across the room as he mirrored my movements. Circling each other, his gun never lowering, eyes following each and every slight twitch of my body, no matter how insignificant. Like any true warrior, know thy enemy. If able to predict the movements of an enemy, the warrior will be almost guaranteed a success. The converse was also true. If the enemy knew what the warrior were to expect, unpredictability could win the day. Drawing my hand through my hair, I flipped my longest tail. The boy's eyes followed the movement, his gun wavering away slightly, and I struck.
My sword was pulled from the Void, hilt materializing in my hand, followed by the brilliant silver of the blade. My adversary's eyes widened almost imperceptibly before he was blocking the thrust with the black barrel of his pistol. Calmly, my icy eyes met his, a startled blue chasm. Curious, I mused internally. You look like her. Like She did. His eyelids opened a fraction, exposing more of his intriguing gaze. I hummed quietly, as I withdrew my blade, standing still for a moment before lunging, aiming for his left shoulder. My attack reflected in his spectacles before he drew himself from his stupor.
Dropping the gun, he ducked quickly. Grasping my wrist in his hand, he twisting until the sword was drawn back to the Void from my unresponsive fingers. Shifting my weight, he dropped me to the floor, hovering over me, his other hand holding my throat. It was doubtful that he knew his true strength, I thought distantly, aware of a terrible pressure building in the layers of delicate tissue. Unable to physically speak, I turned to my only remaining form of civilized communication.
"Are you here to kill me, Warrior?" The boy pinning me shuddered visibly, eyes looking around for the cause of my whisper. "Come now, I believe you are too intelligent to act like such a fool. I speak to you, Warrior." His attention snapped back to me. I smiled slightly, empty of any emotion. "If you are here to destroy me, I recommend you do it quickly. Send me to my rest."
The boy blinked. "I'm… not here to kill you. Why would I do that?" His hand loosened ever so slightly around my throat. I drew a shallow breath of fresh air, difficult with his weight on my body.
Raspy coughs of laughter left me, mocking the boy above me. "Interesting way to show it, Warrior." He began to splutter, his face turning a strange shade of magenta. "I am a creature of war, Warrior. I have seen too many battles to not see the signs. I have slain others, and have escaped the edge of death many times. It seems you may have finally won the right to end my life." A true cough forced its passage out of my battered throat, tinged pink with threads of blood from my abused tissues. The Warrior's eyes widened at the sight, but he did not release my neck.
"I don't want to kill you. I don't want to hurt anyone." Even as he spoke, his eyes shifted. I smiled deprecatingly.
"Your eyes show your lies, Warrior. There is someone, something, that you desire to destroy, even if I am merely its placeholder for the moment. It's fine, Warrior. I have lived too long, anyway. Most Others live only half as long as I, if they are lucky." It was true – I was one of the eldest surviving Others at this point. I had had my fill of violence and death, of killing the other Selves who crossed the threshold into madness. Kuroi Mato likely did not need me to bear her burdens anymore. I closed my eyes. Darkness was encroaching on my vision, my body weak from little access to air.
And like that, in that shameful moment of defeat, the door flew open with such force that the wall was damaged. An exclamation from the Warrior above me drew my eyes to the new visitor. Blue. Blue flames. Ah, my fire… you have come to bear me away. My eyelids drooped, my mind spiraling into unconsciousness even as the weight vanished from my body and gentle hands lifted me. Take me away from here, and take care of her… of Mato.
A/N - Hello, hello! Two new works in one day?! What happened? Well, I attended a writer's retreat today and spent a solid 6-7 hours sitting in a chair, writing. No internet, nothing else to intervene. Funny what happens in that sort of time, hmm? Anyway, I was graced with good company and my muse decided to make an appearance, so here we are. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts, if you'd like to share them with me via review or PM. I've already started on the next chapter, so I may have that up soon. In any case, I will see you all next chapter. XOXOXO AT