Hello, and welcome to chapter 8 of Operation: Terry Bogard Must Die! I left the fic for a while, unsure of where to take it, but with help from Miyama ayane, I've gotten back on the road to working on this! And thanks to said help, I've already got things planned from this chapter until the end! I hope you enjoy this fic once more!
Oh, and incidentally, I researched some stuff, and came across "The King of Fighters: Kyo" again and have discovered Saisyu used the whole lamppost thing, tying Yuki up there… Oops! Forgive me!
DISCLAIMER: As you know, I do NOT own King of Fighters, Rock Howard, Terry Bogard, Kyo Kusanagi, Ash Crimson, Yuki Kushinada and so on. They belong to SNK Playmore. Little ol' Sam is mine, though!
Chapter 8: Emergency
"Yuki! No… NO! This can't be… this can't be happening!" I choked as I fell to my knees, a salty sheen spilling on my cheeks. Aside from the accident yesterday, things were going so well… until now. "What if she… what if she's… I don't know… I don't know what I'll do!"
"Get a hold of yourself!" Rock cried out nervously as he kneeled down until we were eye level, and gripped onto my shoulders, shaking me lightly.
"I can't… I can't… It's my fault she was killed! If it wasn't for me… if only I were the one to get killed instead, then-!"
Rock's crimson eyes flashed furiously as his grip on my shoulders tightened. I let out a yelp as his fingers pressed hard, but he didn't loosen up even a bit. "Don't you dare finish that… I've had enough of people getting hurt… enough people dying! Now listen to me… she might not be dead! She may be alive! You're the only one that can save her…"
"What if she is dead?" I started shaking violently, my lips quivering. "It's my fault! I don't deserve your sympathy!"
Rock's eyes widened considerably as he moved his hands up to the fabric on my neck. He gripped the collar of my body suit tightly, pulling me closer. It seemed as if he were shaking, like he was completely enraged. "Then what the FUCK do you consider your time with me and Terry? Are we really just "roommates"? that you would hold no sort of care for? That you wouldn't consider our feelings as well? His breathing quickened as he inhaled harshly and exhaled heavily, his shoulders rising and falling quickly. "Aren't we friends? Who the hell would even think to feel that way around them?"
Tears fell quicker as I tried to look him in the eyes. I held onto his hands briefly, then wobbled onto my feet slowly. I could only look at the lamppost where Yuki hung from, rope around her body. "I'll bring her down… Will I have to take her back with me as well?"
I could hear the relief in Rock's voice as he muttered "Good…". I continued to look at the lamppost, afraid that if I looked at him, I'd cry hysterically. I did not deserve his care I so selfishly craved for. I continued observing the older woman for some moments, thinking of all the wonderful times I shared with Rock and Terry. Getting angry… Sad… Crying, screaming, laughing and smiling…I realized how foolish I had been, willing to throw it all away for a ridiculous reason. I just couldn't bear to face one of my sources of happiness when I knew just how wicked I truly was. "I'll carry her back, you just bring her down. I'm going to give you a boost up. When I do, use your aero kinesis to get maximum height. You should reach, right?"
I nodded, finally looking back to the blond. "I should." I started taking steps back, preparing to run, so the plan would work. "Ready?" I asked as Rock joined his hands together, almost looking as if he were praying.
"Yes! Go!" With that, I ran towards Rock, wincing a bit from the left over pain the crash caused. I leaped, my soles coming in contact with hands. Once he fought off the weight I pushed onto his body, I used a strong gust of wind to push me up. I looked down as I soared, seeing Rock on the floor rubbing his arm. He quickly shot me a thumbs up to show he was alright, for the most part. "Go get her!"
"Right!" I scaled up quickly, reaching the light in within seconds. I grabbed onto a part of the post , pain shooting up my arm. I flinched, then recovered my attention, now looking at Yuki. Tears threatened to fall once more as I saw the scars and bruises she received, when she did not deserve it. I felt relieved when I noticed she was breathing, and even more so when I noticed an important detail. She has no burn marks, and her clothes were not singed! "Coming down now!" I yelled as I cut off the rope tying Yuki and wrapping my arms around her, slowly beginning to descend. As we fell towards the ground, I began releasing bursts of wind, beginning to fall at an incredibly slow rate, coming close to Rock's outstretched hands. Yuki was placed into his arms carefully as my feet tapped the floor.
"You did an amazing job!" Rock praised me as he heaved a sigh of relief. "Now let's-"
"COUGH!" As I figured happened, I used up too much energy. I clutched my chest as I fell to ground, coughing harshly. "I… I'm o-COUGH!" I held out my hand as I let the last rough cough out, blood splattering all over it. I placed my palm on the pavement quickly so Rock wouldn't see it. "I-I'm okay. I promise." I smiled briefly, my lips forced up and quivering.
"Are you sure?" Rock had a concerned expression as he looked down at me. "If you're not, we can call an ambulance-"
"I'm fine!" I emphasized as I wobbled back onto my feet. "S-so let's not…" With slow, uneven steps, I began leading the way. "Yuki needs first aid so don't worry…"
The concerned blond hesitated for moments before beginning to walk forward, taking careful steps to not disrupt any of Yuki's or his own injuries. "You better be sure…"
Worried that Rock could take too long and tire himself out, I started hurrying up. "I am, I'll go on ahead and get Terry!" Trying to not look back, I rushed on a head, grinding my teeth every time I touched the floor, my energy almost depleted. Forcing what little chi I had left, I moved quick, reaching our residence. Terry's residence. Bursting into the building, not losing momentum in fear that I'd collapse at that moment, I shot up the stairs, letting out a blood curdling scream after skipping 5 steps and landing roughly, then letting out smaller groans with every landing.
The door to Terry's apartment blasted open, then blond coming into view. "Sam? Where the hell have you and Rock been? I was worried!" His eyes widened as I jumped towards him, grabbing his arms, my left hand still slightly moist from the drying blood sliding up a bit. "What happened? Are you okay? You seem badly injured!"
"Go to Rock, please… Please! He's down the block… he's injured and he's carrying another unconscious girl… He'll probably get tired… So… please…" I urged, my chest burning my consciousness blurring.
"But what about you? You seem really hurt!" Terry urged as he walked me inside.
I shook my head lightly, trying not to make the dizziness worse. "I rushed… over here to get him help… So please… don't worry. Ask my mom to… call my private doctor for the girl… I'll talk with my mom… about paying her back. Please! Go!"
Terry lingered for some moments before running off, shutting the door behind him. As I could hear his footsteps become faint, I fell to my knees, holding myself up with an arm, clutching my chest with the other. I let out one last loud cough before falling to the floor, everything blacking out.
I've reached my limit…
…
3rd Person P.O.V.
"Jesus, Rookie! It looks like the both of you were attacked by a friggin' bear!" Terry complained as he effortlessly cradled Yuki in his arms. "Sam especially! She put blood prints on my arms! I'm sure people are going to think I killed this young lady!"
"Sorry…" The younger blond apologized as he continued limping forward. Rock rubbed his head with a hand. "We had this run in with some crazy man, and then had a… motorcycle accident…" Rock looked away, afraid of the stern look Terry would give him.
And Rock's intuition was correct. Terry eyed him with an astonished expression. "Are you serious? Arent' you amazing at riding a bike? Are either of you suffering serious injuries? How about this young lady? How your bike?" Terry began asking question after question.
Rock sighed heavily. "To my knowledge, we both sustained minor scrapes and bruises. We should be fine. The bike, thankfully is in good shape. As for this woman… I have no idea who she is. It seems Sam knows her though." He then eyed the unconscious Japanese woman. "I am glad she's okay though."
"So you don't know what happened to her?" Terry questioned, an eyebrow raised.
Rock shook his head in dismissal. "I doubt Sam knows either. Seems like she was attacked and tied onto a lamppost."
"That's cruel…" Terry mused as he motioned for Rock to open the door for the hallway. Rock held it open while Terry passed through. "I could imagine how her family's gonna feel…"
"It'll be difficult to break the news." Rock slowly scaled the stairs, gripping tightly to the hand rail and fiddling with his keys in his free hand. "I'm sure Sam will need support for this. I'm not sure if I'm any good…"
Terry pat Rock's back a little roughly, causing the teen to yelp. "If it's anyone she listens to, it's you. So do the best you can for her, alright?"
"…Alright. You didn't have to hurt me to tell me…" Rock weakly grinned as he reached for the door knob, pushing it open and revealing the apartment and Samantha, laying on the floor. "S-Sam?" Rock ran towards the slightly younger girl, wincing from every sudden movement. He dropped to the floor and reached a hand towards her face, moving it gently. Seeing the scarlet substance as thick as grounded coffee still in the crook of her mouth and on the floor, the teens eyes rolled back as he crashed against the ground.
Terry gasped as he ran towards the couch and put Yuki down, rushing towards Samantha. He reached for her neck and placed two fingers on it. He let out a sigh of relief. "There's a pulse…" He then eyed the three ailing, unconscious people within his apartment. He slapped a palm against his forehead, exasperated. "Aw c'mon! You gotta be kidding me!"
….
"Yeah, she's still unconscious… He's okay, he woke up after the 15th hour… Doctor didn't find anything wrong with her… You're a busy woman, you don't have to… Yeah, he's still there… Alright, Mrs. Walker. I'll let you know if there's any change."
I could hear a voice, very faintly. I could discern that it was Terry's. My eyelids were heavy. It was almost like a battle, but finally, I could see a white expanse- the ceiling. My body throbbed all over, and I certain didn't feel like moving even an inch. After debating to look around, I slowly attempted to rise, until I realized there was something tugging at my right hand. I looked and saw a sleeping Rock holding on tightly. I reached over with my left hand and played with his hair for a bit, smiling to myself. Finally mustering up the will to wake him, I started to shake his shoulders gently, calling out to him. "Hey, Rock. Wake up."
He struggled a bit to open his eyes, but when he did, his crimson eyes laid on me. He didn't look away, not even for a second. It almost seemed as if his lips quivered as he reached his free hand towards my back, pulling me into a hug. He held me tightly, almost painfully. "You idiot… You IDIOT! Do you know how worried everyone has been?"
"Worried?" I questioned, slightly adjusting my head. My face was buried against his neck, and his hair tickled. "How long was I out for?"
"Today makes the 6th day…" Rock's grip tightened. "I thought you weren't going to come to…" I let out a squeak, his hold being way too strong for my still weak body. He reflexively moved back, but I clutched his shirt for the back, burying my face in his chest. "Sam…?"
Biting my lip, I held back the tears. "Please… just a few more minutes…" I couldn't face him quite yet. I couldn't face Terry either without some time.
I couldn't see the alarm clock but I knew quite sometime passed.
"Rock, c'mon out. You need to eat. I'll keep watch on her for you if you'd like, just incase she wakes up." The door opened, and I could hear Terry come into the room. "Rock, you shouldn't move her like that!"
"It's okay." I mumbled as I peaked my head through Rock's arms, giving Terry a wry smile.
"Sam! I'm glad you're okay!" Terry ran over to us and put his around our shoulders. "Rock here's been too depressed to make dinner, and I bought food enough for only 2 from the burger joint. You two can have 'em." Terry smiled.
"Terry! I… I wasn't depressed… just uh… worried…" Rock blushed as he swatted at the older man.
I thought for a moment, before looking at the two men, gaining their attention. "There's something I have to tell you two… soon, not yet though." I had a serious expression. I planned to tell them about my plots to kill Terry, and how Rock was endangered because of them.
"Let's not worry about it then! C'mon, Rock! Bring her for your 'romantic date'!" Terry emphasized with air quotes as he left the room.
"Well then, let's go." Rock said as he stood up and held a hand out for me.
"Okay…" I placed my hand into his, allowing myself to be assisted up. His hand. The one that held me for so long, without me even knowing it.
"Currently the reason for the fire is unknown…"
Rock and Terry were frozen in their place as they watched the television, looking at the building burning in the news report. "What's wrong? Is it familiar?" I peaked over Rock's shoulder, my eyes widening once I saw the headline.
Walker Martial Arts Institute Ablaze?
"…It seems the owners Magdaline and Robert Walker are still within the building, evacuating students!
My knees shook violently as I stared. "B-but Terry was talking to her… everything was okay… What can I do…" I ran towards the doorway, stopped by Rock grabbing onto my arm.
"Are you crazy? You just recovered! Are you planning to get KILLED?" The blond looked incredibly worried. "I know this is your family, but-"
"They're family, just as you said… I'm sure you'd go to help Terry, no matter how battered you were… I have to go…"
"Then wait!" Rock dragged me into the room, sitting me down and placing my blue and black sneakers on my feet. He then slid on a black leather jacket. "You're crazy if you go somewhere like that barefoot. Besides… let me go with you." He then put one of his red leather biker jackets over my shoulders as I pulled my hands through the sleeves.
"You can't…" I begged. "I could never forgive myself if you hurt yourself!"
Rock then seized my shoulders, shaking me lightly. "And if you die? How would I feel? Did you already forget?"
"Don't you think you should let him go? You're killing valuable time. Besides… he can drive you." Terry pointed out.
I looked between the two men before nodding, and the two of us running out.
We quickly geared up for the ride and hopped on Rock's motorcycle, blazing through the town. "You can't do anything stupid, got it? You're not in physical condition to do this."
"…I couldn't even find out how Kyo and Yuki were doing…" I gripped onto Rock's abdomen tighter.
"You mean that lady? She's unconscious, but the guy who picked her up is grateful that you helped her in time."
"Mm…" We continued to zip through traffic, sometimes making illegal turns, thanks to the chaos the fire caused. When reaching the site, I could see someone standing off to the side. I stopped once I reached close enough to distinguish who it was. "No.."
"Sam, are you okay?" Rock asked, placing a hand around my shoulder. "It must be hard coming here… if you're not ready…"
"N-no… that's not… no…" I began shaking my head in disbelief, not wanting to accept the facts. "No!"
"Sam!" Rock then stopped us and placed his hands around my face. What's wrong? If it's not the fire…"
"Sam… you mean Samantha Walker?" The person turned around, then began stepping forward. "I'm glad you made it in time. The fire hasn't gotten out of hand yet."
"Why? So I could watch! Dammit…. DAMMIT! I BELIEVED IN YOU!"
Ash Crimson merely stared back at me with his azuline eyes, flicking his silver hair out of his eyes. He looked at me, faux confusion, standing near the burning building… once my home and dojo…
I knew someone was out to harm Kyo and I… But for it to be Ash…
It hurt.
-End Chapter 8: Emergency
This was originally supposed to be longer, and everything was supposed to happen, but that would be SO chaotic. So it's shorter than it should be. It kinda lacks at the end in my opinion. Baaah. Well, next chapter is already on the works. Let me know what you think! I know it's kinda all going all out and down hill. And this chapter is kinda short in comparison to most. But O:TBMD is about to/just about is on the halfway point! Wooo!
Catch you all next chapter!