Chapter Seven !
Note: So, I'm sorry it's been taking so long to update! But I've been busy lately, and it doesn't help that exams are starting soon. Not to mention I've had no ideas whatsoever lately, but I was in the mood to write tonight, so ... this is what came out of it.
Everyone has a weakness, whether it's obvious or hidden deep within. Something that will bring you to your knees, that could send you into your darkest moments, something lurking deep within you, a constant reminder that you're never as strong or perfect as you would like to think.
Of course, Mid was yet to find Mello's. He didn't seem to have a weakness, unless you considered it the chocolate he constantly ate. He didn't fear the dark, he was strong enough to fend for himself and Mid, he didn't care for family. The only thing that seemed to get to him was when Near beat him. But Near wasn't around. It was just Mid and Mello, two run-away's on their to way to... anywhere.
Mid constantly thought, debated, contemplated what it might be. Never once did it occur to her that it might be her. She always thought of herself as not good enough. In her own mind, she wasn't strong like Mello, pretty like other girls, smart like the other gifted orphans.
Yet, here she was, travelling down a dusty, abandoned path, side-by-side with Mello himself. He had been strangely subdued since they left that little town that morning, hardly muttering a word, the only noise to be heard being their footsteps.
In the distance, Mid could see a dark form, which she thought was a tree, since it didn't seem to be moving. She looked to Mello, who was staring straight ahead. If he thought the figure was anything to worry about, he certainly didn't show it. So Mid turned her head forward again, and continued trudging along. She kept her eyes glued to the dark figure until they were close enough to see it was a person, not a tree at all. So, this was strange. The path was starting to grow over with weeds and grass, being long abandoned. How Mello knew of it, Mid had no idea.
"Mid..." Mello whispered.
"Mm," she kept her gaze on the man in front of them.
"Be careful. I don't like the fact that he's-" Mello's voice stopped as they both heard the sound of a gun being shot off. A bullet whistled past Mid's head. She stopped, her eyes going wide, her mouth falling open as she turned to Mello, who had now taken a defensive pose in front of her.
"Careful, Blondie, or I'll have to shoot you, too," the man said, his voice deep and rough.
Mello straightened his body, looking the man up and down.
"We're both blonde, genius," he said bravely, and Mid could picture him rolling his eyes.
"Mello, don't!" Mid whispered furiously to him.
The man stretched his arm out, finger poised on the trigger.
"I'll ask you to move again," the man's voice held a dangerous warning.
"And if I don't?"Mello asked, his voice tight.
"Then I'll shoot you."
"What are you after, anyway?" Mello backed up an inch, his back pressing into Mid.
"The girl," the man said simply.
"Hunh, why?"
"The Boss wants her. I'm just here to collect her."
"What does he want with her?"
"He has some... experiments... he needs to complete."
"How does he know her?"
"I don't know, you'd have to ask him, but I'm afraid you won't get to see him."
Then there was another gunshot from somewhere in the trees, followed by a painful shriek from Mid, as she hit the ground. Mello spun around, turning his back to the man, and lowered himself to the ground, his eyes wide and filled with panic.
"Mid!" He searched her body for a wound. He found it, the blood already seeping through her blue sweatshirt. It was in her left shoulder, dangerously close to her neck. Her eyes were shut tightly, her hand over the wound, full of blood.
The man broke the silence, shouting, "You idiot! You shot the girl, not the boy!" He was looking in through the trees.
"Mid, baby, speak to me," Mello whispered desperately to her.
There was no response, only Mid's breathing gradually growing quieter. Mello's mind began working double speed. She needed a doctor, and quickly. But he wasn't going to get rid of this goon or his partner in the trees easily. He turned his head as the second person, this one a woman, emerged from the trees, her gun raised at Mello. Of course Mello didn't have a gun with him. Not only was he not able to protect himself, but he couldn't protect Mid.
He stood slowly. He needed to do something, and quickly.
"The Boss ain't gonna be happy," the woman said with a smile. A smile. Mello grit his teeth together.
"Nope, he won't be," the man said, seeming more concerned than the woman.
"Go pick her up, I'll take care of this kid," the woman said, eyeing Mello.
Think, think, idiot! Mello chanted in his head. Maybe if I pretend to have a gun...? No, no, there's two of them with guns... God, this is bad!
The man took a step toward him, but was stopped in his tracks when another gun went off, this bullet getting him in his side. He fell to the ground, gasping for air as his hands cradled his side. The woman whipped her head around to where the bullet had come from, just in time to get shot in the arm, then in the stomach.
What the hell is going on? Mello thought as he looked around for this other person.
"Mello! Pick Mid up off the ground already!"
Is that...is that Matt?Mello wondered incredulously before turning and picked Mid's limp body up. Her head lolled lifelessly back before he placed his hand there to hold it up. This is bad. She's really hurt, he was beginning to panic.
"C'mon, we don't have much time!"
It is Matt!
"Matt? Not that I'm complaining, but what the hell are you doing here?"
"I'll explain later! Now come one, idiot!"
He looked further up the path to see Matt's figure standing, waiting for him. He sprinted up to the other boy, careful not to jostle Mid's body around. Matt looked at the lifeless girl in Mello's arms.
"This isn't good," Matt murmured as they began walking quickly up the path.
Mello looked down at the pitiful form in his arms. Her face was drained of colour, taking on a sickly gray shade. The fatality of the wound finally sunk in on Mello. Here it was, his only weakness, limp and lifeless in his arms.
"...and there's a clinic in that village, too. We can be there in fifteen minutes if we hurry."
Mello nodded, still out of it. The thought of losing Mid in such a permanent way scared him, badly.
"...so he might be in today," Matt was saying.
"Who?" Mello asked.
"The doctor!" Matt replied.
"Right."
Matt looked down again at Mid.
"...Looks pretty serious."
Mello nodded.
"Hope she lasts long enough to get to the village."
Yeah, that's all I'm hoping for, Mello thought.
