Sorry this chapters so short! I'll try to make them longer from now on.
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Chapter 4
It had been half an hour since Tantalus split up, and the sun was setting in the horizon. Baku had scoured the Theatre District, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tailed boy. However, luck was not on his side.
The man sighed in frustration. Was it only a day since he had met Zidane? Seemed more like an eternity. Each member of Tantalus was exhausted, mentally and physically, and Zidane was proving himself to be one top-notch escape artist, as well as experienced thief. He didn't even want to know what he was like as a fighter.
He headed towards the Air Cab station. "Maybe my boys had better luck" he murmured.
It was pure dumb luck (or pure misfortune, depending on your view) what happened next. Baku had finished climbing the stairs of the station, when a blue and blonde blur crashed into him, sending them both down the stairs.
"AGGHHH!!" shouted Baku. His cuts and bruises from earlier were getting company. Apparently the human cannonball that hit him was suffering too. He was shakily getting up, obviously dizzy But as he took a better look at the figure, Baku's eyes widened in shock. Zidane! What a stroke of luck!
Zidane was still trying to see straight, when he felt a large rough hand grab him by the neck of his jacket. Instinctively, he started writhing and struggling, trying to get free.
"Hey! Leggo!"
Just then his captor opened his mouth, and a very familiar sound left it.
"HAH HAH HAH! Well look at what I found."
Zidane groaned as the face of Baku came into focus. He did not have time for this.
"Look Baku, if you don't let me go, we'll BOTH be in deep water. I don't even have your stuff on me!"
"Does it look like I care?" Baku scowled at the young boy. "I know several young thieves who have a bone to pick with you, and you're gonna."
"Hey, is that Baku?"
"I think it is. Now it makes sense!"
Baku turned his head to the two unfamiliar voices. He went to a new level of fear as the palace guards descended on him.
One of the guards smiled evilly. "So Baku, this must be your newest recruit eh?"
"WHAT! No way. I wouldn't let this kid into Tantalus if you paid me!"
The other guard laughed. "Yeah right, then how do you know him?"
"Uh, well." Baku started. "Arrgg, he stole from me, okay?"
The two guards stared for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Hah hah! Oh come off it. We're not that dumb!"
"If you're going to lie. At least make it a believable one!" snorted the other.
Baku growled. "I'm telling you this kid works on his own!"
"Oh" the first guard raised his eyebrow, then darted forward. Baku was too busy holding on to Zidane to stop him as he grabbed something from the leader of Tantalus' pocket. "Then why are you carrying this?"
Baku moaned. The Falcon Claw! He'd forgotten to take it out of his pocket! The guard must have seen the chain and grabbed it. How could this get any worse?
The second guard smiled. "We've been wanting to get you locked up for some time now Baku. This is all we need. You're under arrest."
Oh, that's how.
"Not without a fight!" Baku exclaimed, dropping Zidane and grabbing his sword. He hated to let the punk go, but he didn't have many options at the time.
Zidane however, seemed to have no plans for going anywhere. Drawing his dagger, he said, "they've been chasing me ever since I left your hideout. I'll help."
Baku smiled despite himself, and turned to face his enemies, only to have a small ball hit him straight in the face. A moment later, one hit Zidane.
The two guards watched as the two thieves coughed on the powder, and collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.
* * *
"Wow, that was easy" said the first guard.
"I know. I told you that those sleeping root bombs would come in handy!"
To be continued . . .
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Chapter 5 should (and emphasis on the 'should') be up pretty soon. Next chapter, Blank, Marcus, Cinna and co wonder what's happened to their boss, and Baku and Zidane are stuck with their biggest challenge yet, how to escape Lindblum Dungeons without killing on another! Watch this space!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------
Chapter 4
It had been half an hour since Tantalus split up, and the sun was setting in the horizon. Baku had scoured the Theatre District, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tailed boy. However, luck was not on his side.
The man sighed in frustration. Was it only a day since he had met Zidane? Seemed more like an eternity. Each member of Tantalus was exhausted, mentally and physically, and Zidane was proving himself to be one top-notch escape artist, as well as experienced thief. He didn't even want to know what he was like as a fighter.
He headed towards the Air Cab station. "Maybe my boys had better luck" he murmured.
It was pure dumb luck (or pure misfortune, depending on your view) what happened next. Baku had finished climbing the stairs of the station, when a blue and blonde blur crashed into him, sending them both down the stairs.
"AGGHHH!!" shouted Baku. His cuts and bruises from earlier were getting company. Apparently the human cannonball that hit him was suffering too. He was shakily getting up, obviously dizzy But as he took a better look at the figure, Baku's eyes widened in shock. Zidane! What a stroke of luck!
Zidane was still trying to see straight, when he felt a large rough hand grab him by the neck of his jacket. Instinctively, he started writhing and struggling, trying to get free.
"Hey! Leggo!"
Just then his captor opened his mouth, and a very familiar sound left it.
"HAH HAH HAH! Well look at what I found."
Zidane groaned as the face of Baku came into focus. He did not have time for this.
"Look Baku, if you don't let me go, we'll BOTH be in deep water. I don't even have your stuff on me!"
"Does it look like I care?" Baku scowled at the young boy. "I know several young thieves who have a bone to pick with you, and you're gonna."
"Hey, is that Baku?"
"I think it is. Now it makes sense!"
Baku turned his head to the two unfamiliar voices. He went to a new level of fear as the palace guards descended on him.
One of the guards smiled evilly. "So Baku, this must be your newest recruit eh?"
"WHAT! No way. I wouldn't let this kid into Tantalus if you paid me!"
The other guard laughed. "Yeah right, then how do you know him?"
"Uh, well." Baku started. "Arrgg, he stole from me, okay?"
The two guards stared for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Hah hah! Oh come off it. We're not that dumb!"
"If you're going to lie. At least make it a believable one!" snorted the other.
Baku growled. "I'm telling you this kid works on his own!"
"Oh" the first guard raised his eyebrow, then darted forward. Baku was too busy holding on to Zidane to stop him as he grabbed something from the leader of Tantalus' pocket. "Then why are you carrying this?"
Baku moaned. The Falcon Claw! He'd forgotten to take it out of his pocket! The guard must have seen the chain and grabbed it. How could this get any worse?
The second guard smiled. "We've been wanting to get you locked up for some time now Baku. This is all we need. You're under arrest."
Oh, that's how.
"Not without a fight!" Baku exclaimed, dropping Zidane and grabbing his sword. He hated to let the punk go, but he didn't have many options at the time.
Zidane however, seemed to have no plans for going anywhere. Drawing his dagger, he said, "they've been chasing me ever since I left your hideout. I'll help."
Baku smiled despite himself, and turned to face his enemies, only to have a small ball hit him straight in the face. A moment later, one hit Zidane.
The two guards watched as the two thieves coughed on the powder, and collapsed to the ground, fast asleep.
* * *
"Wow, that was easy" said the first guard.
"I know. I told you that those sleeping root bombs would come in handy!"
To be continued . . .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Chapter 5 should (and emphasis on the 'should') be up pretty soon. Next chapter, Blank, Marcus, Cinna and co wonder what's happened to their boss, and Baku and Zidane are stuck with their biggest challenge yet, how to escape Lindblum Dungeons without killing on another! Watch this space!