Ch 9: Warning Via Beating

As the door closed, Celia spun on the spot and threw her vectors out menacingly in front of Torino. The latter raised his head, and gave an audible grunt of displeasure before taking another casual sip of the wine in his hand. "You've got some nerve coming here!" Celia said, her expression dangerous. "Did it ever occur, you insufferable bastard that we have all had enough of you? It's over, I'm sick of you! I'm sick of you getting in my way. I'm sick of you getting in my life and ruining everything. Don't you dare come here again, I don't care what you have to say, I don't…"

Torino was looking intently at her. His eyes unmoving as if he was taking in every word she was saying. Hardly. "Thank goodness the voices in my head or roaring right now." Torino thought to himself, as Celia yammered on indiscriminately. "I can only imagine what she's bitching to me about now." After what might have been a full minute, there was a pause in her mouth movement and Torino took this moment to speak.

"I'll assume you're done, and if not, too bad. Now I have important news to tell both you, Lucy and the others. Speaking of which where are they?"

"Like hell I'll tell you anything you fucking…"

"My God, you Diclonius really piss me off!" Torino said, rolling his eyes. "I asked a simple question, where are Lucy and the others? This is important, and if you value the lives the ones you love, I suggest you answer!"

But Celia wasn't finished. This man had killed her parents, destroyed her friends and made her live in a world she hated completely. He sat there as if none of that matter and dammit if she'd let him get away there. Fuck his regeneration, he'd feel this! One of her vectors flexed and Torino growled before getting up. Apparently the news wasn't that important for both beings began a slow walk to each, their faces rapt with intensity. Celia pulled back a vector, the hand closing into a tight fist. Likewise the white suited man's side rolled out and formed into a thick hand of his own.

The fists connected. Celia leaned over, gasping and clutching her stomach from the blow. Torino staggered backwards, the right side of his face literally pressed into itself. The blood and skull exposed, his teeth grinding. "You just don't know your place do you!?" He roared, his body moving forward in a fast rush. Celia was ready at that moment as well. Another crash of fist and vector.

Celia collapsed to one knee, her right side throbbing with incredible pain, blood spitting from her mouth. Torino again staggered behind, his face now a completely bloody mess and the back of his head exposed and reforming. They struggled where they were, Torino's eyes reforming and glaring at the young girl. They got up, blood dripping from their wounds, their body shaking but still working. As they prepared to attack again, the door opened revealing Lucy, Nana, Kouta and in the back, Jericho. They stopped their attack, and looked at them. The etch of surprise was apparent on all of them and even Jericho narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Torino looked at them, then straightened himself up and completely regenerated his body. "I…didn't come here to fight. Not yet." He said, allowing his arm to return back into his body. His white suit formed inside of him, so that the red blood was off of him.

"Well…ummm…" Nana spoke, not sure how to address the situation.

"Jericho has told us that something bad has happened." Lucy said, looking between Celia and Torino. Torino brushed himself off, he didn't look as if he regretted his actions but he seemed to regret having gone so far when he indeed had more pressing matters at hand. "This isn't over girl." He said to the young queen, whose dark expression said exactly what she was thinking. He did however turn his attention to the others, taking another sip of wine.

"Brutus may be trying to influence the Japanese government. He certainly has the power to do so, but I believe he is working in the shadows. This is bad, because if he can influence the government, he can influence the entire country of Japan and perhaps even farther. Until more happens that's all I can say."

He got up, as if about to leave and Celia screamed at him. "You come here and waste my time telling me this shit!" Her vectors exploded out of her, her rage exploding. Torino bowed his head and brought up a hand, his forefinger, middle and thumb together. "Try me, I don't do this for your own benefit. I do it because I despise Brutus, now back off you rejected piece of crap."

*BAM!*

They all backed away except for Lucy who went to rush in but was blocked suddenly by Jericho who held his pistols in front of her. Meanwhile Torino found himself covered in soot and blood again, as Celia had sent him hurtling out of the house. Actually leaving a massive hole in the wall. "Get out of my way." She said to the black coated man, who merely cocked his guns dangerously. "Do no interfere Elfenliar, this doesn't concern you."

"The hell it doesn't! You people come in thinking you can control our lives. You don't even explain anything to us! I said get out of my way!" Lucy was concentrating, her vectors appearing. "I won't give you a second warning Jericho, move out of the way or I will kill you." Lucy was just as serious as Celia was. She was tried of this, she was tired of not getting clear answers. Jericho didn't budge. "I have no intentions of hurting you Elfenliar but…"

She struck, her vectors shooting out and aiming for his chest. He took his pistol, and with perfect aim deflected the incoming arm with a bullet, pushing Lucy back who looked at him surprise. He starred coldly at her, his gun now pointed directly at her forehead. "I already told you I have no intentions of killing you. But if you attack me or Torino…I will."

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"Bitch…" Torino growled, pushing himself up as Celia hovered above him. She flew down, and then collapsed as he snapped his fingers. Her guts burned, her mind ached. It was awful, this hideous feeling. Torino brought his fist back and nailed the girl across the cheek with it. He slammed it into her gut, sending her reeling. He brought his arm back once and more, and with a sickening rip it was torn right off. He yelled, clutching his stump. Another vector zipped out and he was suddenly bisected at the waist. His upper body fell down and the sinews of his skin reached out and began to reconnected with his lower body. His arm also reforming at the same time but that didn't stop Celia from nail him across the side of the head with one of her vectors. He smashed into the ground multiple times, rolling over and then catching his balance. His read reformed but this time instead of two eyes, his cranium was covered with six slanted irises.

"I should have killed you long ago, you wretched girl." Torino said. "Too bad." Celia muttered, her vectors wrapping around her. The man gave another snap of his fingers and Celia fell again, trying her best to succumb to the feeling that overwhelmed her. She felt something wrap around her body, and was forcibly thrown into the house again.

"Celia-chan!" Nana shrieked as the young queen landed with a loud crash near them. Lucy starred in shock and anger. Some help these people were being. Torino came in, their faces turning as they saw his monstrous reflection. Celia however was not down yet, never against him. Never against her mortal enemy. She flew at him so fast, that he was caught momentarily surprised. He grunted in pain as he felt the vector drive into his gut and then out of his back. Another hand zipped in, ripping into the base line of his neck. With a sickening slice, he was bisected and decapitated, his body falling limp.

"You damn piece of…" Torino's head muttered, blood spitting out with each syllable he spoke. It was quite freaky to see a disembodied head talking, but that didn't stop Celia from smirking. "Too much for you, bastard." She said, spitting on his face. His body reformed, although perhaps slightly slower than before. He pulled back his swollen arms and was about to continue the fight.

"Torino!" Jericho said, stopping the man. Torino looked at Jericho, who merely starred. He turned back to Celia and seemed to realize how far out of hand he had gotten again. His arms went back into his body, and his slanted eyes twisted and sunk into his face until he had only two normal eyes. Giving a quick grunt, he walked out the door, which was probably good lest the two continue to beat each other to a bloody unrecognizable pulp.

"Mr. Jericho?" Kouta asked, his body shaking. Quite a bit had happened. Yet, despite the violence he seemed to understand that there was a bigger problem. "This, Brutus guy…what kind of threat is he to us?"

"As of now, since Torino can't sense what Brutus may be doing, we can only go on simple facts. If he's trying to control the government he could effectively have control over many of the lives in Japan in the long term effects. However this is merely guesswork. It's important to Celia because as the Queen, he is seeking her."

Celia turned, noticing her name. "What does it matter if he wants me?"

"Celia, you have affectively made the human and Diclonius race a unison. That has never happened before. You are more special in that case than any of us could ever hope to become. You are a beacon in this world that people look towards. The young Diclonius, who went from being a murderous woman hell bent on killing all humans. To a lovely woman, ready save all humans and Diclonius.

If he can manipulate you in anyways, it could mean the end for all of us."

"Well then, that won't happen." She said seriously. Jericho didn't answer, but gave a curt nod to them before turning. "I apologize for the way this meeting ended up." He left.

Celia watched him leave. No matter what he said, she would never understand why he worked for that son of a bitch Torino. She didn't have much time to contemplate the issue for her wounds rushed into her, and she collapsed onto the ground in a faint.