Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. They've never been mine, and they never will be. Unless Maxwell Atoms says so, because he owns them.
AN: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! In this chapter it is revealed that Broxas is Decarabia's elder, in case you don't catch it. Just to let you know.
Chapter 10
It wasn't exactly a dinosaur, but it looked a lot like one. Mandy only caught one quick glance of it before returning her attention to her bleeding comrade, but it was long enough to see a plain difference; this creature had not one, but two heads emerging from a single neck. One was covered with scarlet scales, while the other glittered a bright gold. Its body remained the expected greenish-brown color.
Other than that, it could be probably be mistaken for a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Right.
"Billy, get up!"
The reptile behind the duo opened its jaws wide as though it were about to eat them, but made no move to snap the two teens up.
HHHHHRROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRR!!!!!
The thunderous roar was enough to break an eardrum, as there was double the amount of mouths, and Mandy had to fight to stay planted on the ground; such power almost knocked her off her feet. The beast waved its heads back and forth while the two Jutanios looked on with interest. After all, the dinosaur was at least as big as them, if not larger.
"Look, Broxassss. Something else to destroyyyy."
Their cheerful attitude was short-lived, as the red and yellow lizard snarled at them again. It took one gigantic step in the direction of the fiends, baring its teeth as it did so. Only then did the supernatural beings decided that perhaps defeating their prey would be more difficult than expected.
KEEEEEERAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Both birds vocalized in sharp, high-pitched shrieks. They were like a hawk's cries tenfold, and seemed to slice through the very air itself. As they screeched and hollered, they flared their wings and fluffed their feathers, creating the illusion that they were much bigger than they actually were. The bi-headed beast made no move to back down, though, and continued to puff jets of rank breath from its four nostrils.
"Hurry, while they aren't paying attention."
Mandy head was still throbbing from the colossal bellow, as was his.
"Owww…." Billy complained as she half dragged, half walked him through the underbrush.
"Quiet." She snapped, in an oddly calm way.
A bluish-orange fern provided shelter for the moment, and it was there Billy began to whimper and scrape at his back. Another pool of blood began to form where they stopped, as more of the red liquid gushed from his hindquarters.
"You can't move any farther than this, huh?"
The blonde roughly propped her companion up against the bushes, and sat down next to him. Her arms were still kept ready to help her get up if anything unexpected happened. After all they had been through, she just couldn't tell what was possible or not anymore.
"We'll just have to wait here for the moment and see what happens next."
The cut redhead nodded wearily before leaning into her. And for once, she did not push him away. No, in such a desperate situation he would be allowed to use her shoulder as a headrest as they huddled beneath the shrubs, unsure of who to root for.
Why then did she feel such comfort in his warmth?
"Mmmpppgll…."
She turned away slightly as a wet bubble began to form on the edge of his lips. A ways away, more screaming could be heard. Action had begun in the opposite direction, and the girl did not want to miss it.
"Sssssstupid creature. Back down!" Decarabia demanded.
The Jutanios started to circle around their prey, quivering with fury that threatened to explode from within.
"Quiet, brother. Thisssss beast probably isn't even sentient. Jusssst a dumb animal, so do not heed its lack of response. Take the opposite sssside."
Broxas kept to the front of his reptilian opponent, tail swishing lazily from side to side. He eyed the double-headed animal hungrily before quickly flicking his neck.
The blue-eyed bird sprinted across the purple grass and leaves towards its meat, leaving huge toe-nail marks in the earth as he ran around. He stopped directly behind it and flapped his wings, fighting to gain altitude.
One head swiveled around in time to see the Jutanio make its move, while the three other beady eyes burned a hole into Broxas.
Mandy watched intently as the dinosaur appeared trapped. There seemed to be no way out for the lizard, and she feared the time when Billy would have to move again was drawing nearer.
It did not, however, seem to realize the trouble it was in. The beast only took a step closer to the elder of the brothers, who was still on the ground. Shaking its tail and leaning inwards, it blasted out another mighty roar. Decarabia missed a beat for a split-second, and wavered in the air. After he had steadied himself out again, though, his legs were brought up in a fighting stance.
"ATTACK NOW!" Broxas commanded.
He charged from in front, his beak snapping and clicking wildly as his legs became a blur. From a higher angle, his partner plunged towards the lizard's scaly back.
"Heh."
Amazingly, their foe let slip a sort of muffled chuckle. It was low and guttural, with hardly any emotion seeping through, but it was still a laugh. Both attackers were caught off guard, allowing only a second's time for reaction: but that alone was enough to come up with a battle strategy.
The crimson snout cracked sickeningly as it turned on its base, until looking behind the monstrous body. Its lips curled into an eerie grin as Decarabia continued to plummet towards hungry jaws. Meanwhile, the other head remained turned towards Broxas, who, luckily, opened his jagged wings and slowed down before impact. Talons dug into the grass as the demon halted, and called out.
"Stop, my brother! SSSSSTOP!"
The unfortunate sibling had no time to flap his wings or rise above the rows of teeth before they clamped down. No time at all
"NO!"
The red half shook its head violently, sending the supernatural creature in a world of pain. Never had it been beaten like that, and the blue-eyed fiend had no idea what to do. His elder brother, however, was a fast learner.
"Llllet go!"
His horns rammed into the side of his partner's captor as it clamped down harder, sending a vile green and yellow fluid oozing down its haunches. The yellow head swiveled around to greet Broxas, as did short, but deadly arms. The younger brother was released as the animal stomped angrily, and he fluttered uneasily towards the ground.
"Never mind thisssss brute, Dec. Jussst get the children!"
The dinosaur continued to wave its arms and snarl as Broxas glided over to his younger sibling. Almost sympathetically he began to lick the cuts that scarred his brethren's body as it lay on the dirt.
"Come now; I'm sssssure you can get up."
Decarabia rose to his talons as those words were spoken, the gleam of evil once again in his eye.
"Yessss. I'm going to enjoy thissss."
Their former prey stood where it had been hit, seeming to wage war with itself. The red head stuck its tongue out stupidly and made faces at the yellow, which simply frowned and rolled its eyes. Any interest it had in defeating the Jutanios would be put off until it could regain control.
"Stand up Billy!"
Mandy shouted at the bleeding boy, and shook him impatiently. He only murmured and twitched in his slumber, still obviously in immense pain. Her pink outfit was stained crimson with his blood as she grabbed his back.
"Aaah…Mandy….It burns!"
Even the slightest touch to his back sent hot spears of pain coursing through him, so the situation would have to be handled delicately. There was no time for that, however, and the blonde scrambled to figure out what to do. Her conclusion was uncharacteristically irrational, but she had a good excuse. Plucking her befallen comrade from the ground, she ran towards the multicolored dinosaur. The two appendages still seemed to be arguing, but maybe there was a slim chance that they would provide enough of a distraction to give her some time to think.
Ferns and plants of all different shades and textures were crushed beneath Mandy's feet as she pulled Billy by his shaggy red hair, as gently as she possibly could without slowing down. As she neared it, the reptilian caught sight of her devilish hair and looked at her questioningly. The blonde silently demanded that it protect them, instead of killing them like everyone else seemed to want to.
Broxas and Decarabia were not far behind; as soon as the teens had begun to move, they had followed. Each shared a knowing glance before delving into the utmost of their supernatural abilities. Their armored exteriors shone a bright purple as an evil aura surrounded them, and their eyes blackened. Once they had relished in their powers for a moment, the brothers threw their horned heads back and shrieked again.
TSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRR!!!
The two teens had no hope of getting out of the way, and the blonde knew it very well. Twin arrows of darkness were shooting at them from above, gaining speed with each passing moment. Soon, they were nothing but a streak of color and fury as the time before contact grew shorter. And all Mandy could do was seethe in anger.
"Uh?"
"Unngh!"
Crimson and golden heads swerved around in time to see their former enemies dive towards the little ones. The less intelligent appendage stuck his lip out and widened his eyes, looking deeply into the eyes of the yellow. It sighed and punched the red's scaly nose before turning around. Its thick legs faced the direction of the children, who remained fixed to the spot.
"Mandy? Bye-bye…I'll miss you…" Billy mumbled from Mandy's arms.
His words sent a thousand jolts of electricity through her body. They weren't even dead yet, and he would miss her? It was almost enough to loosen her hold on her emotions.
"Not yet, idiot. We'll find out soon enough what'll happen when we die, but don't label yourself deceased until you are."
Her final words to him were chilling, but almost kind by her standards. They weren't necessary, though. Seconds before collision and certain death, a savior arose.
"GRAAH!"
Both heads bellowed in pain as dagger-like beaks and talons entered its body, tearing apart muscle and flesh. With a last groan of resistance the dinosaur clawed at the demons, who were struggling to free themselves from the mess. Mandy looked on for a moment as they flapped above the red and yellow heads, the heads that almost reminded her of something-one frowning and one quivering in fear and hurt. There wasn't a moment to be wasted, though, and as soon as she saw the fighting distract Broxas and Decarabia she took off through the underbrush, pulling her bloody friend behind her.