10. Till there's nothing left here to rescue.

Bullets- Data Romance

"Um Bel?"

The blond whirled around to face Natalie.

"Did you tell Fran?" She fidgeted, "About you know?"

"Yeah."

"Then why hasn't he brought it up?" She looked nervous.

"I don't know… maybe he hasn't had the opportunity?"

She looked around the corner at their table where Fran sat sipping a drink. "I'm not sure… I mean he did invite me here tonight."

The three were at a local club, which Bel agreed was very un-Fran. Natalie usually had to drag him to these things. Maybe now that his mission was over he wanted to have some fun.

"Or maybe he's forgiven you."

"Why would he do that?" The girl eyed the blond for an explanation.

Bel simply shrugged, "He's strange like that."

They stood there for a while in silence except for the vibrations from the poppy techno music Bel disliked so much. The night prior came back to him; Fran had acted as if it never happened per usual.

Although he never understood his reasoning behind that, he was surprisingly fine with it. He figured it was Fran's way of coping.

"I'm going to go back." He said, he had come out to the balcony to get some fresh air, but he was all good now.

"Ah yeah me too," Natalie had been in her own little world, "I'm just going to go to the restroom real quick."

Fran had been staring off into space when he felt Bel sit down across from him.

"She's confused." He noted, "I'm confused, why are we here again?"

It took him a second to respond, and when he did he shrugged, "To relax?"

"Is this really what you find relaxing?" He motioned to their chaotic environment.

"No." Fran smiled to himself, "Not at all."

Bel smiled too, unconsciously, "So?"

"Just felt like doing something different."

"I'm back." Natalie smiled meekly as she took the seat next to Fran.

"You want another drink?" He asked her kindly.

"Uh no I think I'm good." She paused thoughtfully, "Hey do you guys know those guys?"

She motioned to two men sitting a couple of tables away casually conversing.

"I don't think so," Fran glanced at them and returned to give Nat a curious look.

"The one in the light blue dress shirt asked me about Bel."

They looked at Bel questioningly. He shrugged, "I don't know them."

"What he'd ask you?" Fran investigated.

"First if I was with you guys, and then if your name was Bel." She looked back at the man, who was now looking at the trio.

"That's weird why would-" Fran cut himself off, as both he and the blond came to a sort of epiphany.

"Nat stop looking over there." The young mafiaso muttered quietly but sternly.

"Why?"

"We have to leave." The prince concealed a knife or two in his palm. "Now."

"Okay?"

"You go first," Bel said, "then Nat and then I'll follow."

"You guys are scaring me, should I be scared?" Natalie felt her fingertips get cold. Fran grabbed her hand to help her up.

"Relax, we have this under control." Fran assured her, pulling her behind him, through the crowd of hot sweaty dancers.

"Fran?" Natalie didn't know what was going on, but something was wrong despite Fran's words.

Bel followed from a distance, eyeing the men in the corner from his peripherals. They didn't move, but he was sure that the second they were out of the door they'd be right on their tail.

And he was right.

The moment Bel stepped outside, the men leapt up from their seats and rushed out a back entrance, and into an awaiting vehicle.

Fran slid Natalie into the front door and quickly placed himself behind the wheel. As he started the car, Bel slid in on the other side of Natalie. He hadn't even closed the door before the car shot into motion.

"How did they find us?" Bel asked Fran looking back to see that they were being followed already.

"The warehouse was a set up." Fran now realized, he turned on to a less crowded street. "They were decoys, I was wondering why they didn't put up a fight. This." He threw a necklace at Bel.

Bel caught it and observed it. It was simple, a small silver cross with a couple of tiny green emeralds placed at the center and four corners. He flipped it over to an engraving, Mi principessa Esmeraldi. The blond figured it was his mothers. Must have been what Fran found at the warehouse.

"Get rid of it. It's bugged." Fran said shifting over a couple of lanes.

Bel snapped it in two and tossed it out the window and into a river, as they were crossing a bridge. They were getting farther and farther from civilization fairly quickly.

"Fran what-"

"We're in the mafia." The younger assassin cut her off. "I'm sorry I didn't intend for this to happen."

Bel looked at the redhead to see how she was taking it, pretty good it seemed. It made sense though, she was smart.

"And those men?"

"Are trying to kill us a little bit, but don't worry we'll get you somewhere safe."

"Are you sure?" Nat turned to look behind them, the car from earlier was gone instead two motorcycles followed at a distance. "Maybe you should slow down, I think those are cops."

They were speeding by a good chunk, but Fran wasn't going to slow down. "They're not cops, they wouldn't be able to see us if they were."

Natalie was confused but decided it was better not to say more. Bel understood though. It was a common trick. Fran would hold an illusion over their vehicle so that the police and civilians wouldn't be able to spot them. The only reason their pursuers could see them was because it was likely that they had their own illusionist on board or they were prepared for these illusions. Either way it made it clear that the people following them were not cops at all.

They were climbing; Natalie could feel the elevation rising as they went further. She didn't understand why since it appeared that they were no longer being followed. Again, Natalie didn't understand the concept of illusions.

"Fuck." Bel swore, Fran did too on the inside. They were trapped, surrounded, they didn't know how it happened but it did. Natalie wondered if it was over. This was the Varia we're talking about so it was far from over.

Fran sped up, and at the next fork he veered left and into an underpass that cut through the side of the mountain they were on. Most of the lights were out, and it seemed like they were in there for some time, even with Fran pretty much flooring the gas pedal.

"Fran…" Bel muttered as an opening began to materialize on the horizon.

The assassin behind the wheel didn't budge.

"Fran…" Bel tried again a couple seconds later.

"We're going really fast." Natalie squeaked from her seat.

"We're not going to make it Fran." Bel couldn't deny being a bit terrified. "Don't do it."

Still the younger man didn't respond.

As they approached the exit, it became more evident what was going to happen. A turn that sharp would be impossible to do at the speed they were going at. Fran knew that, and so did Bel, and so did Natalie.

"FRAN!" Bel now positive that it was playing death to consider doing this, let alone attempt it.

Natalie was trembling in her seat; she was going to die…

"WE CAN'T FRAN-"

"I KNOW BEL OKAY?!" He snapped suddenly, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME AGAIN!"

Natalie whimpered.

"It's going to fine." Fran assured the two. But who was going to assure him?

They were feet away from the edge when Fran turned sharply to the right, throwing the two other passengers into him. The car curved with the turn, edging slowly to the outside of the turn. They were going to skid off, Fran had known that, but it was all he could think off at the moment. It was going to work; he was sure, for the most part.

He didn't know if Natalie had been screaming the whole time, if so Fran had just noticed it. Her shrieks got louder as the car started to grind against the road guard creating sparks. The car was going far too fast but Fran didn't move his foot from the gas. The car broke through a rusted part of the guard, flying off the ledge and into the wilderness below.

This one is quite the nail biter, I hope you guys enjoyed it :) I'm quite liking where this is going, but I'm still trying to figure out the chapters after the next one, so it might be a while before I update chap 12 (don't worry chap 11 is already typed up). DOUBLE BUT, I've posting his nice little one shot I've been working on pretty soon ^.^

To everyone that has been reviewing/reading thank you for reading, I forget to do that but it really makes me happy that people are reading and (hopefully) enjoying the story :)