============
Chapter nine:
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Impossible!" I-No gasped, "Zato?"
"Ah, Inou, it's been so long, I almost forgot how ugly you were." The black, ruby-eyed beast hissed, broad black wings flapped once as he landed atop a crate.
I-No edged back, frowning, "I thought you were dead."
Eddie, who was known as the Assassin guilds past leader, Zato one, perched atop the rubble he had cause just a few minutes ago, he had crashed through the ceiling and brought chaos into the guild hidden base. Eddie's brilliant ruby red eyes lazily scanned the base, his muzzle wrinkled in disgust, he growled deep, a rumble was audible to all who were around.
"I can see that you have ransacked the place, no?" he hissed, "Such a mess." he sneered.
"Why are you here?" I-No, hissed, her follower stood behind her with a metal bar.
"Want me to finish him off, boss?" the mobster growled.
Ginger, the little white mouse was nowhere in sight, it had the red-clad woman worried; "No." I-No muttered, "Not now."
There was the sound of metal-toed boots as a few people ran down the ward.
"What is going on here?" the blue eyed, blonde rookie rasped, but when he laid eyes of the giant black beast, he gasped and almost toppled back in fright, "Ah! What the hell is that?"
"Master Zato!" the man with the eye patch gawked, now standing behind Raphael, "You're alive!" he smiled, but it was confused, "But- how? We heard that you were annihilated!" he reasoned.
Eddie eyed him, he sighed and rubbed his temple with his fine, thin fingers, "You ignorant human, I am no longer Zato One! I am now Eddie! This body you see me weld is merely a walking corpse! He and I are two different creatures." The beast explained, his broad wings sprouted from his back and hoped off the mountain of crates and rubble, landing gracefully and almost silently on the floor.
Venom arrived, now walking slowly out of the ward's dark spot, his ruin, the blue eye-shape that was drawn on his hair widened a bit before he forked away a few bangs, he eyed the black beast, the one with the brilliant red eyes. it was brilliant red versus brilliant blue. The master stood against her past teacher. Venom did not want it to be that way, but apparently, Eddie controlled Zato's corpse, meaning that Zato is really, after all dead.
"I see." Venom hissed, his billiard pole gripped tight to the point where you can hear his gloves squeaking with the tight force.
Eddie's brilliant white fangs shined as he grinned, "Ah! If it isn't the puppy! I haven't seen you in a while." He chuckled, now daring a step closer to the group of humans before him, "You haven't changed much, though, still as scrawny as I remember."
Venom posed for the upcoming battle, he released his hair and left it drape over his face.
The man with the eye patch pulled out his nun chucks and readied for the fight, but Venom motioned for him to step back, so he did as told.
I-No and the mobster stood back as well.
Raphael stood up and brushed his seat, he eyed the beast as he came out closer and closer. Brilliant blue eyes widened as the ruby red pools suddenly turned to him, staring at him dead in the eye. Eddie turned his beastly face to the blonde youth and Raphael found himself frozen, not with fear, but with alertness. Eddie's clawed hand reached out and stroked the boy's pale face, and then grinned wider.
"I see you have grown as well, no?" the beast lifted the boy's chin and gave his face a good look, "She'd be proud of you, seeing you here."
Raphael's eyes blanked, "You- ?"
Eddie laughed as he tossed away the boy with a playful shove, "And you actually think I'm dumb to not notice the resemblance?"
Venom lowered his pole, confused and alarmed, "What do you mean?"
Eddie glanced at the Assassin's current leader before turning to the youth sitting on the floor, "Have you not noticed it, pup? Strange, I thought you'd be the first to realize the critical state you are in."
Raphael stood up and brushed his seat again, he glared the black beast and then drew a step back, "I have no idea what you're talking about!" he argued.
Eddie was about to reply, but then he laughed and eyed the opening he had caused in the ceiling, "The answer is right there, whelp." He pointed to the top.
Venom forked a few silver bangs from his face before he frowned, a giant, golden winged creature had just swooped down through the ceiling, it landed right besides the youthful rookie, the wings limbed and landed on the floor with a soft thud, it scattered into many outstretched bangs, revealing itself as long, twitching blonde hair; it framed a mellow face with sky-blue eyes and a short white-blue battle uniform.
"Millia!" Venom rasped, he eyed the youthful rookie and then the ex-Assassin woman, "Raphael!"
"Are you alright, brother?" Millia's soft Russian voice spoke, "Have they harmed you?"
"I'm fine, Sis." Raphael smiled wearily, "Are you alright? You took awfully long to get here."
Millia eyed the black beast before the tiniest smile curled on her lips, "I just needed to call in some help." She eyed the ceiling.
Three bodies jumped from the ceiling to land gracefully on the floor. well maybe except one who fell on his butt.
"Ouch!!" Axl Low stood up and felt his rear.
Sol Badguy shook his head, eyeing the British youth with a huge sweat drop, "Che. a guy can't find good help these days."
Ky Kiske comically gained a sweat drop, he sighed and eyed the Assassins leader, Venom, "Listen here! I came for Lady Baiken! You had better not have hurt her!" he pulled out his thunder sword, Fuuraiken, it started buzzing with the running energy.
Sol licked his lips and readied for the upcoming fight, pulling out his fire-sword, Fuuenken, "Let's rock!"
Axl stood upright and pulled out his sickles, "Yahoo~! This had better be fun!"
Millia sighed and shook her head, "Then again, maybe that wasn't such a good idea." she comically gained a sweat drop.
Raphael arched a brow, the trio's entrance wasn't very encouraging.
I-No looked away at the bounty hunter then at the blonde woman, "How the hell did you release him? The prison cell were electric!"
Millia didn't bother looking at her, "I have my ways, besides, the control panel wasn't water proof!" she now spared the red-clad woman a smirk.
"Enough!" Ky barked, "Where have you taken lady Baiken?" he dashed to the red-clad woman.
I-No grinned and jumped back, she reached back and pulled her guitar in front of her, "Take this, boy!" she played a loud beat that caused vibrations across the room, everyone closed their ears, even Eddie.
The black beast gave a sky shattering howl as he flew up and swooped across the humans towards the ward Venom had came from earlier, "That woman is mine! She'd make a better vessel than this weathered body I weld!" he laughed, his voice deep and thick in the echoes.
"Wait!" Venom was about to leap after him when the blonde woman came in his way, "What- ?"
"Badguy," Millia called loudly, "Go after Eddie, I'll handle this one."
"Gladly!" Sol laughed and dashed after the black beast.
Axl and Ky were in the challenge against I-No and her follower.
Millia was against Venom, and Raphael was against the man with the eye patch.
"Che. Traitor!" the man with the eye patch sneered, "I knew you were too good, the boss was right when he said to be careful around you."
Raphael shrugged and pulled out a whip, it had a sharp knife-like head at the end, "Sorry, but my sister and I have issues here."
The man with the eye patch gritted his teeth and readied his nun chucks, "Che.. fine then! I'll finish you here and now!" he sprung towards the youth.
"Just try!" Raphael leaped towards them, and the battle began.
Venom eyed his follower and the blonde rookie fight, he eyed the ward where Eddie and Sol had vanished, growled and turned to the woman, "Of all times, why did you choose now?"
Millia's cold, sky blue eyes flattened, "I have my reasons, and you are one of them." He hissed, her hair transformed into a giant hand with claws, "That is why I need to get rid or you before finishing off Eddie."
"To kill him? Is that still your goal?" Venom hissed and brought down his pole, aiming a hit, but she dodged it.
"Zato is already dead!" she snapped back, "What I wish to do now is to destroy Eddie."
"They are completely different people!" Venom reasoned, "Zato had died, there is no reason why you should hunt a walking corpse!"
"By hell I do!" she sneered and dashed at him.
There were four battles. too confusing to follow them all.
~* Sol? *~
The riot bandit ran across the ward, following the black beast that gracefully soared through the building, Sol grinned and tried to smother it, that chase was really getting him on edge, he had fought many people throughout his life, but knowing that Eddie was a beast, not a human nor a Gear, it gave him a good reason to fight, Sol Badguy wanted to prove that he is the best even when he's not doing his best!
Will he be able to prove that?
Sol stopped at a ward, Eddie had stopped his flying and stood at the end of the ward, besides him was a door, it was broken to bits and pieces as if something forced itself out, seemingly, Eddie had just bashed it open before the hunter got there. The black beast sneered and turned to the hunter, a very weary smirk on his face. Sol stopped and readied for the fight, Fuuenken tight in his hand, he popped the knots in his neck and chuckled.
"What's the matter? Looking for a lavatory?"
Eddie didn't seem impressed by the jock, "She is not here." He informed, "I can track her easily, but I have to get rid of you first." The beast outstretched his arms, "Are you ready to die, human?"
"Some other time maybe." Sol grinned, now dashing to the beast with flames sent alongside him as if he had dashed over water, "Tyrant Rave!" he cried, surprising the beast.
Eddie yelped and jumped, but he was met with the low ceiling, so he dashed into the room with the broken door.
Sol laughed and followed, "What's the matter? Turning yellow?"
"Charging up, actually." Eddie hissed, now dashing with his wings spread at the hunter.
Sol brought up Fuuenken, defending.
"NOW!" a woman's voice cried loud.
"HA!!!" a broad body leaped over the beast, grabbing the beast's wings, flipping them upwards.
Eddie screeched with pain and flipped around, now falling on his back.
Sol widened his eyes as Anji Mito was sent slamming to the wall besides him with a threatening crack.
"Gah-!!" Anji was knocked out breathless.
Eddie felt his injured wing, the bone was disconnected, he could push it back in place, but even though he wont be able to fly for a fair few months, he snarled and thought of an attack on the knocked-breathless man, but before he could move a vase slammed his head, it smashed hard, causing blood to trickle lazily between his eyes all the way down to his muzzle.
"Baka!!!!" a redheaded woman cried, now throwing another vase at the beast.
Sol eyed the beast snarl and leap at the woman, dodging the vase, "Sh**!"
Anji caught some breath and dizzily looked up, watching the hunter scoop the redheaded woman out of the black beast's reach, the ebony haired man struggled a bit for balance, finally managing to standup straight, "Sol? Gee. took you long enough."
Sol tossed the woman over a bed as he twisted around and kicked the beast in the chest, sending him back, "Sh**! Shut up, stupid!" the hunter brought down his sword on the beast's head but the beast dodged it.
Baiken bounced on the bed a few times before jumping away, Eddie had crashed into it's side and broke the wood, "Badguy! How'd you get here?" she asked, confused and startled of the giant black, lifeless puddle that formed on the floor, "Is it dead?"
The puddle formed waves on the surface.
"Watch out!" Anji cried, now leaping at his woman, he pushed her away.
Baiken toppled back and fell on her soft behind, she felt her head and frowned, "Hey? What's the big i- !!" she gasped, ending her sentience.
". Gah-!!!" Anji's eyes were plain white orbs and his body fell limbless as Eddie's whole arm went through his gut.
"Anji!" the redhead screamed, her face twisted with horror, "Anji!!!" she screamed again and dashed to her man.
"Don't!" Sol jumped in her way, grabbing her by the shoulder.
Eddie laughed, he grabbed the Asian man by the shoulder and pulled out his arm, now he started licking the blood that soaked it whole, "Hrrr. this feels pleasant." He hissed, "This human has a soul stronger than yours, woman, he might make a better vessel than you." He brought down Anji's limb body and stroked the Asian man's neck, feeling the base of his neck for a pulse, "Wonderful! He'll live if we merge now."
"Over my dead body!" Baiken screamed, pushing away Sol, now she grabbed a stool and sent it square on the beast's head, the crashed upon impact and scattered sending splinters everywhere.
Sol almost toppled over from her sudden shove, he turned around and managed to cover his face, protecting himself and his sight from the flying splinters.
Eddie howled with pain and jumped away, leaving Anji's body to fall on the floor.
Baiken slid on the floor and touched the man's pale face, "Anji? Anji, can you hear me?" she whispered, a clear crack in her voice, "Anji! Please answer me!" she wept, gnawing on her lower lip she gripped a fistful of his collar and shook him hard, "Wake Up Damn You!!!" she screamed.
Eddie felt his injuries, now finally clicking his dislocated bone back in place, he walked back into the room and eyed the weeping woman, his ruby red eyes eased, realizing what she was experiencing, "You wish to see him alive?" he suppressed a grin, "Calling an ambulance would only waste time, let me take him here and now and he will live longer."
The redheaded woman shot her lonely peach glance at the beast, her teeth were gritted tight as tears trickled down her face, "I'd rather die, you freak!" she hissed, now looking at her beloved's face, she stroked his pale cheek.
Sol stared for a minute, he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, he frowned and glared up at the black beast, "It looks like the fight is between you and me now." He growled.
Eddie's face released a grin, "Not that I want to fight a weeping woman anyway." He waved a hand, "Not even fun!"
Sol snarled and leaped at the beast, "Oh Shut your trap!"
Eddie leaped back and blew a hole through the wall, now flying away.
"Oh no you don't!" Sol growled and jumped after him, he landed on the beast's back and they both fell down like a tossed rock, Eddie fell on his chest while Sol bounced off before impact with the floor.
Right then, the Assassin's were watching the four fights. Ky and Axl versus I-No and her mobster. Millia and Raphael versus Venom and his comrade. Right out of the sky, Eddie landed with Sol following, making it three double teams. While the three teams fought out to the end, in the room above, Baiken was weeping over her man's body. She tried her best not to be loud, she tried to stop herself, she wanted to stop her tears and compose herself, but the pain and sorrow were too great, too brutal and too sudden, she didn't know how to force it back.
"Anji. please answer me." he moaned, barely audible from her tears, for the pain was stifling her words and chugged them in her throat.
"Bai. ken. san." Anji's voice whispered, wheezing, his cold hand reached up to feel her lonely hand on his face, "I. I-."
Startled of his voice, the woman gazed into his dim brown pools with the faintest relived smile, she pressed her finger to his lips, shushing him, "Shh! It's alright! You're alive! Everything will be alright!" she smiled wider.
Anji smiled wearily, he shook his head, "I. was hit. in a- critical point."
"Shut up!" she yelled, "I said you'll be alright!" she argued, "We just have to put a few stitches here and there and you'll be just fine!" she smiled despite the deep red, pool of blood that was soaking her and her man's clothes.
Anji's eyes dimmed a little more, "I. I'm sorry, Baiken." he swallowed a knot in his throat, "I can't be here- with you. but," his hand forced itself to her head, stroking her hair, "I. have always loved you. and I just want you to know that. weather you see me or not. I will always be here. with you."
More tears trickled down her face, "Baka! Don't say that! You'll be fine!" she stroked his face, "Sol is here! I'm sure Chipp will come and find us! You just have to hold on till they get some help!"
Anji managed a weak laugh, "I like it when you play tough," he grinned, "but you have to learn to let go. you shouldn't love a dead man."
Baiken eyed him silently as his face eased and his lips parted, he was trying to say something else but his voice was fading, she collected her thoughts and touched his pale, thin lips, more tears trickled down as she leaned down and kissed him.
Anji's face lightened a bit as his face eased more and his lips curved in the tiniest smile.
"Ai shitaru, Mito-san." She whispered, resting her head on his chest, "I will always remember you." Her voice broke into a weep.
It took a moment.
Her man was dead.
But her weeping was lost by the sound of battles outside.
"Uh OH!!!" Axl yelped, he jumped from the red-clad woman's guitar and ran a few feet, "Chief!!!" he cried urgently.
Sol landed on his two feet before sending his Gun Flame attack, "What?" he cried in annoyance.
Eddie received the hit and was sent back slamming into a wall, but he quickly recovered and jumped into the air despite his hurt wing.
Axl nervously sweat, "I'm getting tingly!!" he cried and dodged the mobster's attack.
Sol's eyes bugged out, he jumped away and ran to the kid, "Now? Can't you wait till after this is over?" he yelled.
"It's not my choi-eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!" Axl squeaked as the portal opened below him and sucked him in.
Sol eyes the hole and growled, "Aw sh**!" he glanced at the people busy fighting and cursed again, quickly jumping in before it closed.
~*~*~*~*~
Are we there yet?
~*~*~*~*~
It was a lovely afternoon, it was a restaurant where two men and a woman centered a table where a beautiful cake awaited cutting. In the middle, between the two men, was an embarrassed redheaded woman with bright pink cheeks. The redheaded woman was merely glaring at the cake, her head down and the two men were grinning at her like idiots.
"C'mon!" silver hair bounced when Chipp laughed, "Blow the candles and make a wish!" he grinned while pointing at the beautifully decorated cake.
"But it's not even my birthday!" Baiken argued, still blushing hard, "What's the occasion, anyway?" she eyed the other man by her other side.
Ebony hair danced as the Asian, Zessin-welding man chuckled, "We just wanted something to cheer you up, Sis!" Anji grinned, fanning himself, "Now blow out the candles and make a wish!"
Baiken sighed, "Is this necessary?" she whined, now eyeing the Japanese-wanna be ninja
"If you don't blow out the candles, you might get bad luck!" Chipp instructed, "Besides? What could possibly happen?"
. that was a forbidden question.
Right at that moment, Sol Badguy and Axl Low's portal opened above the trio, so the two time-slip travelers fell right on the cake, spluttering it on the sitting trio. First reaction was Axl's yelp in pain, his landing sent him bouncing off the table while Sol's landing actually broke it. Axl got off the floor and felt the strange sweet matter that was smeared to his face and back; as for Sol, he got off the broken table only to lock eyes with the trio.
Sol's first reaction, a few confused blinks, followed by a frown, the faintest blush on his face, then followed by snarling scowl at the trio, "What The F*** Are You Staring At?" he muttered curses under his breath and stood up, brushing away the cream and icing.
Baiken's lonely hand reached up to flick the icing from her nose, Anji's reflexes were fast enough to use his fans to protect her from the attacking cake, she barely got stained, she glared the ninja, "You just had to ask, didn't you?"
Chipp licked the icing from his face and chuckled nervously, "Heh. Gomen."
Anji's face stained with icing allover that was also on his clothes, bare-chest and hair, "Oy! This was not my idea of a surprise!" he weakly smiled.
Axl got off the floor and eyed around, he rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled, "Heh, sorry!"
"Well there goes the cake!" Chipp grumbled, he eyed the British youth, blinked then eyed the Asian dancer, "You know this guy?"
Anji tried to brush away the cream and icing, but only found himself smearing it over himself more, "Err- yes." he smiled, "Sis, Zanuff, this is a friend of mine, Axl Low." He began, ignoring the hunter behind him, "He and I met a few times before."
Axl eyed the ninja with a smile before grinning at the redhead, "A pleasure!"
Baiken's gaze said one thing, 'F*** off or I'll kill you!' she ignored him and started brushing away the icing and cake-remains from her lap and kimono.
Sol brushed away all the cream but he still felt oily because of the cream, he glared up at the redhead, realizing that he and Axl must've gone back to their own world and were not sent to some other place-time.
'Forget about that, at least she's showing her boobs here.' He barely grinned.
Baiken sighed, now looking at the cake, she didn't say anything but slight loss was clear on her face.
Anji grinned at her and playfully tapped her head with the cream stained fans, "Relax, Sis! Chipp and I can buy you another one!" he comforted.
The redhead blushed a bit more and shoved him away, "Screw off! I never said I wanted this stupid cake, anyway!" she hissed, her lonely hand swung to the nearest, biggest chunk of cake she could find and slammed it into his face and then stomped away, leaving them behind, "I'm going back to the hotel, you had better not follow me!" she threatened before slamming the door behind her, threatening to break the glass.
Chipp watched her leave before he grinned at the dancer, "Was that in invite?"
Anji chuckled and smacked him playfully on the head, "She's already upset enough, Shinobi. Leave her be." he shrugged and drew back his fans, he reached up and scorched the cake off his face before picking his messy glasses, he stared at them, "Hmm. I need to get these cleaned, wouldn't want to attracts mosquitoes now, would we?"
"This feels icky!" Chipp murmured, now he started brushing the cream off himself.
Axl blinked a few times before turning to the spiky haired hunter, Sol was walking away, so Axl excused himself and followed the hunter out of the restaurant.
"Hey! Chief! Wait up!" Axl cried, finally catching up to a very enraged Sol Badguy, "Er- on second thought, maybe I should just leave." He stopped and was about to haul ass outta there.
"Wait one goddamn minute, brat!" Sol shot, "Just what the hell happened? One minute we were in a fight, and all of a sudden we're in a restaurant sitting on a cake? What the f*** happened?"
Axl sighed, "That's why I'm Searching for That Man, Chief!" he argued, "I want to know why I'm stuck with a time-split I can't even control! Why me? why now? I just want to go back home to the twentieth century and see my girlfriend again!" he sighed, "You actually think I enjoy this time-slip? Hell no! I don't! I hate it, but damn it, I can't do anything about it either!"
Instead of earning an even angrier Sol Badguy, Axl received a troubled sigh. "Fine." Sol murmured, "Next time you get tingly, you'd better be miles away from me, Got it?" he stabbed his finger in the blonde youth's chest.
Axl yelped but smothered it with a chuckle, "Eh? Er- sure!" he laughed, now watching the spiky haired hunter walk away.
"Chief?"
"Yeah?"
"What do you think happened? I mean, do you think everything went fine?"
"Who knows." the hunter shrugged, "We have to be there to know, right?"
"I guess, and I wouldn't mind! The cute redhead was nicer at that place, anyway!" the youth chuckled.
"I prefer her just the way she is now." Sol shrugged, he stuffed his hand in his pocket in search for a cigarette.
"You like her?" Axl grinned, almost startled of that face, "Gee, I thought you didn't like short, hot tempered women!" he teased, "What? Did her attitude in the other world rub on you or something? Or are you just lonely?"
There was brief moment of silence.
Axl paused, "Er- Chief?"
Sol craned his irritated expression around to where Axl could see it, "Oh you are so dead!" he snarled.
Axl was terrified, "A- I was just goofing!" ye helped and ran off.
"Come Back Here!!!" Sol howled, running after the boy with the intention of a massacre.
"Help Me!!!!"
Ah. such a wonderful friendship. no?
~* The End? *~
A/N: Gomen Nasai-minna san~! @_@! I was thinking of inserting Ryuu again in this fic, but then thought that people might ditch it thinking that it would focus on my char so I left that to the untold part of the story :3 I was going to insert a tiny Baiken X Venom hint but it kinda rubbed off, my muses said it was too hard to swallow that idea so I ditched it too, then there was this tiny bit that nagged that I add Dizzy to the mix but I just could find a hole to shove her though, so that had to go too, maybe I'll put it in another fic; as for Axl, I like Axl, but not enough to give him a good role in the story, sorry Axl fans, I'd rather bash him really! (insert evil laugh)
And Malz, is it just me, or are you the only one reading my fics? (do you have an account here? Cuz I don't think I've seen it) I don't feel like anyone else here of ff.net cares about what I write ;_; And about that Testament X Baiken challenge you asked for, I'm half way though the plot, haven't written anything yet, still twisting it for the right shape so I'll know what to write, I'm working of four other fics for GG (3 Anji X Baiken and 1 Testy X Baiken) and I don't know if I'll ever get interest for ever putting them up. I had seven fics actually, (4 Anji X Baiken, 1 Testy X Baiken, 2 Sol X Baiken) but they all died on me, only three or four were still alive. my fiction-muses need something to refresh themselves for new ideas. help? : |
