Seeing the Sun

Oh, right... Chapter 10.

A/N: You know, part of me wants to write part 4 of her past right now. But the bigger, more vulgar part of me tells me to let you guys wait. Well... vulgarism always wins.

Jo's Past:

Part 2

"That's a lot of medicine," says the store owner, surprised. "You a doctor or somethin'?"

"No," replies the woman, looking down. "It's nothing."

"Not a lot of people buy this much."

"Look, just give me my receipt and my medicine so I can go, alright? I have to get home fast." She glares at him with dark eyes, but there's desperation behind it. She needs to go back. She needs to go back very soon.

"Alright, kid. I won't ask questions." He hands her the bag. "Just don't overdose or anything."

She quietly thanks the clerk before walking out. Once on the streets and in the dark cover of the night, she runs. She reaches an abandoned parking lot and slows, going into it. It's in a dark, forgotten place of the town. Up ahead, she sees a familiar structure that looks like something that should be in a dump. A shit-brown, rusty car sits next to it, only half it's size.

It's a trailer, and a big one at that. They found it (in the same dump that they found the car) and saved it, patching up the holes and getting rid of most of the vermin. She swings open the metal door, hearing it crash behind her. As she turns into one of the three rooms, she gently sets down the medicine bag before walking to the side of the room and sitting on a beat-up chair next to the sickly girl.

Jo lies on a makeshift couch, body warm with fever. She's had a fever for the past week. In her sickness induced sleep, she shifts a little, moving her head to face Sei. It's almost like she's aware that her sister is there. But she's shivering. Tears stream down her face and her breathing is ragged and labored. She's never looked more weak than she does now.

"How was she while I was gone, Amy?" asks the older sister, worry in her voice.

"She's been having nightmares." Amy answers as she walks in. She looks sad, and it's easy to tell why as she joins Sei next to Jo's side. "She's muttering some things about her past, I think. I can't make it out, though."

"Well, now's not the time to try figuring her out," snaps Sei. Amy looks down in embarrassment. "If she gets worse, we might have no choice but to take her to the hospital."

"But Sei, you know the police are still looking for her!" cries the small brunette.

"I do know. But that's better than her dying-"

"She's Jo! She won't die!"

"She won't. But there's a possibility that she can."

Amy blinks away tears as she tries to accept that. At this moment, Jo opens her eyes. Before either of the girls can say anything to her, she screams.

It's a scream full of pain, sorrow and... agony. Jo grabs at her left arm as if she wants to pull the whole thing off, but can't. Smoke is coming from the scars. Jo's eyes open, the startling red seeming to glow. She tries, shakily, to get up.

Sei and Amy both try pushing her down, only to recoil once they touch her. Her skin is burning. They try again, but Jo pushes them away. There's uncontrolled anger burning in her eyes. Anger for something that's not even there. She looks into space, her eyes going from glowing crimson to completely blank as she looks into nothing.

She mutters some things before running out of the trailer, eyes still blank as she grabs her jacket.

"Wait, Jo!" screams Sei, worried.

They try going after her, but she's running too fast. Sei gets into their peace of shit car, gesturing for Amy to follow. They drive in search of the silver-haired gunslinger. She's still sick. She's still sick and she's alone in the night.

They drive for an hour before they see the fire up ahead. After pulling over, they slowly walk towards it. There's a group of people surrounding something, or someone. Sounds of quiet conversation are heard.

"It's her."

"She did this?"

"The markings are interesting... and that power..."

"She would make a good addition to the syndicate."

Sei pushes her way through, seeing Jo on the ground, unconscious. She's about to try checking on the girl when two pairs of arms hold her back.

"Miss, what are you doing?" asks one of the men.

"Trying to help her. She's my sister. She's sick. Let me go."

"I'm sorry, but we'll be taking your-"

"What are you doing to Sei?"

Jo's eyes are open. Rather than the uncontrolled rage from before, they hold a calm, controlled anger. Sei can't decide which one is scarier. Jo gets up, still a bit drowsy. Her left hand twitches as she looks at one of the men holding Sei.

The man falls to the ground, yelling in shock as he holds his jaw. Jo stands there, jacket charred and forgotten on the floor behind her. The other one is met with a kick to the stomach, paired with another to his... more sensitive area. Jo takes a fighting position as she looks at all the other people around her.

"Wait," says one of the men. He makes his way to the front. "Hello, Jo. My name is Katsumi, of the crime syndicate known as Bai Lan. We would like to recruit you into our proud group."

"Piss off."

"Oh, so that's how you're going to play? Well, Jo... we can give you the medication to control your little... gift there. Life in exchange for your help. What do you say?"

"Only if you recruit my sisters. Sei is a good person to have at your side and Amy is the best hacker I've ever seen. Either agree to this, or I don't give a fuck if I die or not." Jo looks at him with piercing eyes.

"Well then, Jo. It seems we have a deal."

A/N: Done! Btw, the whole "blank eyes" thing is what Jo looks like in that state. Katsumi is an OC, his name meaning self-control. I thought it would be almost comical that he met Jo when she was like that and had that name. But whatever. This is how they were recruited into Bai Lan. Meh. This was up faster than expected. I thought it would be up 12 hours later. Fell asleep in the middle.