A/N: Woohoo! I finally got this chapter out. Hope you enjoy.

Through Smudged Glass

By angelwings1

Chapter 11

For once in his life, the ex-gangster was glad to have the expertise of the professional fighter. If four-eyes hadn't been there, he wouldn't have gotten her to the hospital. He didn't even want to face the idea of what would have transpired if he had entered the church alone. Had he survived the bullets, he would most likely have condemned her to the pit of death. He wouldn't have realized she was still alive. He would have torn apart the church in overwhelming thirst, overlooking his one chance to save her.

Just like years ago, when they had threatened her life to his face and he was ready to step away and give up the chance to save her.

..

"He's waiting for you at 337 Grace Avenue, the old church. If you take too long he'll start chopping her into pieces to mail back to you." A demonic sneer was flashed in his direction before the drug infested man hastened around the corner. "I can't promise you he's holding back his knife already."

"Stop trying to piss me off!" Mugen shouted, unable to think of a more articulate comeback. His fingers were tight around his gun as stared at the empty alley.

He couldn't remember the last time he was so divided between decisions. He had one rule: think about yourself. At the present time, he wanted nothing more than to slaughter the haughty old man who they had seconds before been fighting. The stupid senior citizen had waltzed over and demanded a braw, but then played with the ex-gangster for the last hour, hardly honing up to the skills the geezer obviously possessed. It was infuriating. Mugen was going all out and the man slipped countless times out of his mark.

Mugen had tried every trick he had learned off the street, including his inventive break dancing fighting moves. Each was met with calm, infuriating evasion. Even his bullets were snickering at the ex-gangster as they grazed his flesh, purposely missing tempting flesh. Mugen could tell the man was a marksman by the way he handled his piece. The geezer was playing with him like he wasn't worthy of a real fight.

Mugen heaved in exertion, staring down the alleyway. He was man of instinct and gut reactions. Anger always overpowered his conscience, so he couldn't understand why he hesitated to turn to the old man.

"Go." Jin had commanded evenly, never turning his gun off the unnamed geezer, their assassin. Mugen looked towards his unofficial partner, confused. His hard eyes narrowed on the fighter's back.

How could his soul be split between two choices? He always had the urge to fight to live on the pumping adrenaline that made him feel the life hiding in his blood. How could he suddenly want to turn away from that urge to live?

"No, you go!" He commanded sounded oddly half-hearted. It was almost like he wanted to be refused.

..

How else should he have responded? The stupid fighter had wanted him to go after her when it was obvious something was between the two. He had no desire to save another person's girl. He was not a knight of honor. He was pirate. He did things for him and no one else.

..

His memory recalled the night before when they had camped under the railway. They had all intended to sleep before the big day when they would finish the last leg of their journey, but surprisingly, no one had slept.

Instead, his eyes had stayed open, watching Fuu discreetly stand from her sleeping bag and drift to the edge of the muddy river. When Jin had followed, Mugen decided to pretend he was still sleeping. He was curious to see what was becoming of his party.

They voices were too soft to distinguish what they were talking about, but they way her shoulders began to shake, the ex-gangster knew the small girl was crying. The world froze when the girl press her face into Jin's chest. To the ex-gangster, the sight was not surprising, just unexpected. She always kept her divided between the two fighters, never showing any more affection either one. Mugen guessed it was only a matter of time before she formed a girlish crush on one of them.

His eyes narrowed on the pair basked in the quiet moonlight. In the back of his mind, he knew she would turn towards the honorable knight for her choice. They always went for the knight. He might be seduction and danger, but a knight was the one who was dependable and self-sacrificing. All Mugen could be was a pirate, a man out for himself and his desires.

That night he accepted the truth of his fate: there would never be another chance. The only problem with his revelation was that he didn't know what that chance was.

..

Mugen cringed as he clutched the girl awkwardly against his chest. Why was his life flashing before his eyes? He wasn't the one bleeding to death.

The ex-gangster stared dully at the girl's pale face, watching the pain twisting across her face. He frowned when a particular wave of discomfort caused her to jerk her head and toss her wet hair. The dark tresses plastered against her cheek. His rough fingers immediately pushed them aside, but froze once he brushed the surface of her soft skin. He involuntarily He never thought anyone could feel so soft. Maybe it was her pure nature that reflected in her skin.

The car abruptly jerked to the left, forcing the ex-gangster to plant his hand against the window to steady him and their fragile cargo. "Damn it!"

"Sorry," Jin mumbled, eyes intently watching the road through the heavy sheet of rain. "The traffic's bad and this damn rain ain't helping."

"Whatever." Mugen snapped, shifting Fuu into a more comfortable position in his lap. "How much farther?"

Jin swerved right, tires squealing on the sleek road. "Two more blocks."

His cold eyes glanced up in the rearview mirror back at the ex-gangster. "How is she?"

Mugen shook his head as he looked to part of the jacket pressed against her chest. It was completely soaked dark with blood, looking almost black in comparison to the rest of its gray coloring.

"She won't stop bleeding." He replied bitterly, staring at the blood covering his fingers. He was surprised to notice her blood was just as dark as the blood of his enemies. He never thought she would bleed white, but his mind was having trouble working through the idea of her dying. The dark redness was cold evidence of a reality he never considered witnessing.

He faintly heard the sound of his friend turning on the car's blinker before a tight turn to the left. His jaw tightened with fury when someone blare their horn. He would love to face the asshole that had the nerve to honk at them.

Once they rolled under the overhang covering the entrance to the emergency room, Mugen pushed his car door open. He scrambled to lift the girl up to his chest as he went for the doors. A small group clumping at the glass door gasped when they spotted the bloody figure charging them.

"Move out of the f—way," he hollered, fully intent on trampling them if they ignored them. Luckily for the sake of their health, they hastily separated to let him pass. Flying through the self-opening doors, the ex-gangster's squealed to halt in the lobby, gaining the full attention of every nurse, security guard, and patient. His eyes darted between shocked faces, something he could only describe later as panic clawing up into his chest.

"I need a doctor!" He roared, heading towards the nearest nurse. Taking in the sight of bloody girl in his arms, the young brunette hastily slapped her hand on the nearby window, waking the first-year intern sitting by the intercom.

"Call Dr. Richard immediately!" she yelled, waving at the ex-gangster to follow her. The intern hastily grabbed for the white plastic phone and pressed in a set of numbers. In seconds her shaky voice filtered through the hospital intercom system.

"Dr. Richard to surgery! Dr. Richard to surgery!"

Reaching the side of a rollaway bed, the ex-gangster carefully followed the nurse's instruction and laid her out across the white cot. The red dots sprinkling across the canvas caught his eyes immediately, but he was pushed irritably away seconds after noticing by a new pair of nurses. Their gloved hands worked feverishly to undo the jacket and replace it with bandages. They each began shouted off different terms, most of which he couldn't follow except for the loud question: "Sir, was she shot?"

He nodded, dumbly. "Yea."

He one-word respond lacked the confidence he knew he had. He watched in confusion as a third pair hands hurried to shove some type of plastic balloon contraption into her throat. The head nurse began counting the unconscious girl's pulse as another pushed the bed towards a set of doors. One of the nurses raced to the walk and punched a set of numbers into the keypad, opening the way.

Mugen went to follow, but a newly arrived nurse stepped into his path. Raising both her hands, she blocked him from sidestepping her. "Sir! You can't go into surgery with her!"

"Like Hell!" he snapped, shoving her aside into the nearest wall. If he lost sight of her, then he knew he would never see her again alive.

"Security!" the banshee howled behind him. He raced for the closing doors, Fuu growing dangerously close to disappearing around the corner. He would have easily made it in if a pair of hands hadn't latched onto his forearms. The ex-gangster released a furious cry as he pulled to stop a few feet from salvation. He never took his eyes off the shrinking figures ahead as he easily flipped the cop over his hip. The pleasing sound of the large man slamming against the wet floor thrilled the ex-gangster as he sought a final, desperate attempt at slipping through the doors' narrow opening.

A new, thinner set of arms locked over his chest and drug him backwards, igniting explosive anger through his blood. Mugen clawed at his partner's locked hands as he grimly observed the doors closing.

"F—!" he shouted, immediately released from the man. Whirling on the nurse that had stopped him before, the ex-gangster yanked her up onto her feet by the collar of scrubs. "Open the f—door!"

"Mugen!"

"Sir, let go of the woman or I'll have to detain you!"

"Sir, only patients are only allowed in surgery!"

"Open the f—door!" he thundered louder, sending a wave of fear through the lobby. Automatically, his hand went for his gun, but Jin stopped his wrist.

Fiery eyes connected with cold calmness. "Don't."

Mugen flung his wrist away from his concealed gun, ignoring how the officer gave him a pointed look. The ex-gangster glared at his comrade. 'If you don't do something, then I will.'

Jin calmly stepped around the heaving fighter and confronted the disheveled nurse. "Is there anyway we can observe the surgery? Aren't there normally windows for visitors to see through?"

The nurse blushed, glancing nervously at the ex-gangster behind him. "Yes, but it is for immediate family mem—"

"We are her brothers, madam." Jin quickly seized the opportunity. "Please, show us the way."

Nurse glanced a second time at Mugen. If she doubted Jin's word, then she decided it was better to appease the shaking ex-gangster than challenge the unstable situation.

"This way." She instructed softly, her pace measured.

Jin gave Mugen a stern look before stepping forward. 'Don't try anything.'

..

"Okay, its time to give her back."

"The f—we will." The oldest brother yelled, swinging his gun back to her head. "You still don't get it. We're in this to make you suffer!"

The ex-gangster took a slow step through the door-less front entrance, the shadows creeping over his wet form. Even though blood was trailing down a bruised cheek, Mugen didn't appear the least bit tired. Every muscle in his body was worn and stretched, but he wouldn't let them know it.

Fuu's large brown eyes were frozen on him, disbelief evident in their depths. He could not bring his anger forth to challenge the lack of trust she held for him. He was even surprised his feet had led him to the abandoned church.

"Who are you?" he questioned, voice low and unreadable.

"Who are we?!" the druggie shrieked, his grip tightening on his gun. "You might have forgotten us, but we haven't forgotten you. Every minute of our lives has been dedicated to seeing your torturous death."

The ragged man lifted his free hand to his eye patch. "We three bother's have been marked by you. Don't you see?"

Mugen didn't reply.

The druggie gnashed his teeth together. The heavy dose of crack he had inhaled was beginning to hit its climax, causing a violent tremble through his limbs. His free hand instinctively went for the stash in his pockets. "You might have failed to pull a heist on that bank years ago, but you still survived. Unlike ourselves."

Mugen's eyes slowly widened as he remember the heist. It had been the time when Mukuro had suggested to hide in one the bank's vehicles. Everything had gone well until Mugen's traitorous partner unknowingly double-crossed him and left him in police custody. The ex-gangster had barely survived execution from the syndicate that owned the bank.

"We lost our security jobs, our reputations, may I not forget to mention my eye."

Mugen looked at the man, trying to recall his face. It was so long ago and everything had happened in mere seconds.

"It was my brothers that suffered the worse." The nameless man smirked, wickedly. His chest heaved with drug based adrenaline.

"They lost their minds."

Mugen's eyes snapped to the shadowed figure slumped in the wheelchair. The second man had blood shot eyes and his head lolled forward. The odd expression of defeated acceptance made him appear like a patient at a nursing home waiting for death.

The ex-gangster returned his blank stare to the leader of the brother's. A cold smile crept up his blood face. "Well, that one brother of yours. I already sent him to the bottom of the river."

"You, asshole!" the man screeched, pushing the gun closer to his captive. "You best understand that we don't care about this girl's life!"

"Wait."

..

Mugen could feel the blood crusting stiffly on his shirt. In the back of his mind, he knew he would have to throw it away. As he watched the white coats surround the bed on the other side of the smudged glass, every small detail pushed to the forefront of his attention.

Like how for such a clean place, the janitors had overlook the fingerprints marring the window.

Or how Jin never showed a lack of control.

Or how there were three male doctors versus two females.

Or how the blood reached for every blank patch of white.

Or how age hadn't changed the childlike features of her face.

Mugen wasn't sure what to do, how to act, or even what to think. He just stood there hanging on the minute after the next. His sanity was writhing under the surface of control, threatening to erupt towards a dark direction. His fists clenched tighter at his side, attempting to hold onto some invisible leach that connected to his soul.

He swallowed when he saw one of the machines began to blink wildly. The erratic movement over her still form was disturbing to watch. His instincts demanded him to burst inside, to fight in her stead, but this wasn't a fight of strength.

Not the strength he possessed.

Another machine began to pulse with faint noise. A hand waved to an attendant. A body moved into view, blocking all sight of the boxer except for her sleeping face. The ex-gangster realized they were pulling off her shirt. Electronic paddles were soon rolled forward and all the doctors grew still. The paddles disappeared from sight and suddenly Fuu jerked.

Mugen took an involuntarily stepped forward. His gut became lead when he saw the heart monitor slip into a straight line.

Again the paddles disappeared behind the white coats and the girl jerked again.

The line jumped twice before dropping back to flat.

Again the paddles, except this time, Fuu barely flinched.

The line didn't stir.

Mugen heard Jin suck in a harsh breath.

After another unsuccessful attempt to restart the girl's heart, the doctors slowly straightened. Gloves were coming off and Mugen felt his heart pick up.

"Wait." He mumbled, unable to believe they were giving up.

..

"Wait. I'll give up my gun if you let her free."

..

The ex-gangster glanced to his friend, gauging his reaction. The fighter's eyes were close, his jaw tight and controlled.

"Wait!" the man exclaimed louder as he saw the doctors begin to turn away. Jin shifted beside him as he slammed both hands on the glass. Heads snapped up and he began to pound feverishly. "Wait!"

"I'm sorry, sir." The words crackled over the intercom. "We weren't able to save your sister. We're sorry."

'Wait.'

His fists connected over and over again, ready to break through the glass as if it would help the situation. Mugen grunted out his fury, his anger, his breaking barriers. He didn't know any other way to express the undistinguishable riot bursting through his soul. He fell back on his fists, trying to beat away everything he didn't want to face.

"Mugen."

"Shut the f—up!" he hollered. "Don't give me that holier than thou bullshit!"

He wanted to rip up the hospital, to turn over beds and shatter mirrors. He wanted to drink and to find a wench. He wanted to turn away and ignore it all.

His energy quickly seeped out of his limbs, stopping his excessive pounding. His fists squeaked loudly down the pane of dirty glass. He choked on a swallow of air as his eyes narrowed on her face. She didn't look dead. She wasn't gone yet.

'Wait.'

They could still do—

'Wait.'

—something.

His eyes screwed shut when the dark voice of his soul told him otherwise.

'Wait… if you…'

He raised his fist a final time, drawing a line into the metaphorical sand.

'If you give her back…'

His bloody fist slowly fell towards the glass.

'If you give her back, you can have me.'

When his hand connected dully with the window, something passed through his heart, almost like a hand. Mugen snapped his eyes open at the ghostly feel. He almost didn't notice the doctors scrambling back around her cot. Their expressions of disbelief made him blink blankly while the heart monitor began to beat rhythmically.

Jin stepped closer to the window. "Is she—"

Before the question could be asked, a pair of brown eyes fluttered opened.

Mugen waited as her head gradually shifted in his direction. Her glassy eyes focused on him. He was surprise to see tears trailing down her white cheeks. The world abruptly became mute as the corner of her mouth flipped upwards. He gasped for new air, his body starved for oxygen. After he blinked, however, her eyes were closed and her face turned back to the ceiling as if she had never smiled.

..

Why should the nations say,

"Where is their God?"

Let there be known among the nations in our sight

The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.

Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You;

According to the greatness of Your power

Preserve those who are appointed to die.

Psalm 79:10-11

..

"We're not really sure how she survived. We had already recorded her death at 19:45."

"How is she now?"

"Considering that she died, she's doing fine."

"Just fine? Wouldn't that mean she was doing excellent?"

The doctor sighed and rubbed the back of his head. His eyes darted between the two attentive men. He had done his share of messenger jobs, but it didn't make it easier talking to patients' love ones. Ducking his eyes to his clipboard, the man pretended to read the information he already knew. "The bullet in her chest was in close proximity to her spine. In fact, we think the bullet should have passed completely through her back, but got stopped by her spinal column. It's a miracle in itself that the bullet didn't do any severe damage."

"What the hell are you getting at?" Mugen demanded curtly.

The doctor lifted his face, his features schooled. "Taking the bullet out proved…complicated. Some of her nerves…"

His words trailed off upon seeing the way their shoulders tensed. Drawing in a breath, the doctor continued softer. "She might never be able to walk again."

..

Mugen paced the stretch of hallway aid outside her hospital room. He was unable to enter, but he also couldn't be still. There was itching need to do something.

His mind was tangling in several looping thoughts, most of which circulated around what had happened two days ago in surgery. He was unsure of how to weigh the results of his recent pleas: 'If you give her back, you can have me.'

His hands rubbed at his pockets, seeking to duck in their confines while at the same time being too jittery to stay still long enough.

Jin had left to check on police activity. It was likely the entire force was out looking for witnesses of the slaughter left in the church. With all the spectators they had met on the square when they had departed, Jin was convinced the police would soon be on their heels. One simple search for a hospital report on a shot female would easily lead the force to their door.

It was poor excuse to leave her, but Mugen didn't care to challenge him. His mind was too busy trying to will his hand into turning her doorknob.

His eyes stopped on her door, infuriated that he was held back by a simple block of wood. His jaw clenched in determination and grabbed for the handle. The ex-gangster knew it only took a second to open the door, but it seemed like a full day passed before the room was revealed to his eyes.

More so, it took another hour to locate her. He thought she would still be kept to the bed. She had been in and out of consciousness, mumbling half-words. When he looked to the window, he was stock-stilled to see her sitting in a wheelchair, staring out the window with dull eyes. Her profile was one of somber ponderings.

He was faintly aware that he had closed the door and had crossed half of the room before stopping on the edge of her sight. An open Bible laid in her lap, her finger limps over its black letters. He wondered where she had been able to find one.

Whatever determination had driven him into her room was suddenly stolen by the panic plaguing his brain. He didn't know what would happen when she saw him. He had thought of his entrance, but not the moment afterwards. The man stopped breathing as he felt the end of some great path standing between him and her.

..

I love the Lord, because He has heard

My voice and my supplications.

Because He has inclined His ear to me,

Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.

The pains of death surrounded me,

And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me;

I found trouble and sorrow.

Then I called upon the name of the Lord:

"O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!"

Psalm 116: 1-4

A/N: Whoosh. The final chapter shall definitely be out before Christmas.