I could feel them behind me. I could hear their taunts about killing him, but he wasn't dead. I just knew he was still alive. The hotel was in sight and I bit my lip hoping to keep up my pace a bit longer. Sadiq's voice faded and and I sighed in relief. Even he knew just the two of them couldn't take on our little army.
Feliciano was walking up the stairs when he saw us, "Fratello!" I let myself fall against the ground, trying to be careful of Antonio's wounds. The other ran out and Francis immediately set to work on healing Antonio. Feliciano summoned his energy and placed them over my wounds, but I pushed him away, "Him … heal him …" I breathed heavily. Feliciano nodded and began helping the Frenchman.
"What the hell happened?" Gilbert looked at me.
"Sadiq and Gupta … attack us." I huffed, crawling to Antonio's side and grabbing his hand. Fuck everyone else. I didn't care that they could see my tears. He'd risked his life for mine and I was useless to be of any use to him. Femke came running out with Michelle at her side, "Oh, god Antonio!" She knelt down as well and also began healing him. I swore if he didn't get better I was going to kill him.
"Chelle, go find us some water, we'll 'ave to clean 'im up. The wound is almost closed. 'Ow are things for you, Feli?"
"Ve~ Fine, he's going to be okay." I sighed in relief and squeezed his hand. Michelle brought back the water and they cleaned up the wound. Feliciano fell back on the ground and smiled, "Just fine." he then turned to me and offered to heal my wounds while they took Antonio to his room. I frowned, not wanting to be separated from him, in case he woke up, but knew Feliciano was right. He took me to my room and slowly worked his hands over the cuts and bruises.
"Fratello?"
I looked at him.
"Big brother Tonio is going to be just fine. He just needs rest. That's all." his smile wasn't very reassuring but I knew he knew what he was talking about. I nodded and closed my eyes for what I thought was a split second, but when I woke up, I was alone in my room. The sun was shining through the window and I began to panic.
Where the fuck was my – I mean, the – tomato bastard? I winced, sitting up. I guessed Feliciano hadn't been able to heal all the deeper bruises. I pulled on an old shirt, I think the one Heracles let me have, and ran outside and down to Antonio's room.
I knocked on the door and a tired looking Francis opened the door, "Oh, mon ami, you've come just in time. Antoine was just asking for you~"
He let me in and I walked over to Antonio. Francis left the room to give us so alone time.
"Mi tomate~!" he whispered, "You saved my life~!" he brought his lips to my forehead, "I was afraid I was going to lose you, Lovi~"
I rolled my eyes and tried to blink my tears away, "You're such a bastard! You could have died!" I poked his chest.
"My Lovi worried about me~?" he laughed, "That makes me happy." I glared, "No, I was not! I was worried about my own skin! If you died, who would have distracted Sadiq while I got away?"
Antonio kissed my hand, "I love you, Lovi~"
"Shut up, bastard." I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes, "Stupid bastard."
The Spaniard fell asleep and I sighed, getting up. I was going to see Sadiq defeated for this. No one hurt the stupid jerk but me.
I rose from the bed and muttered a soft good-bye to Antonio and kissed his cheek. Stupid Antonio. I walked from the room and ignored Francis asking me some stupid question. I needed to find Heracles and get him to tell me if he knew where they were hiding. Even if I had to die, I was going to make him pay.
I knew I was being followed by my idiot brothers and that potato bastard, but hey, the more the fucking merrier, right? They didn't dare try and talk to me, only kept an eye on my from a distance. I entered the shop and saw Heracles handing a woman some tea.
Kiku was behind the counter, smiling happily, so I guessed the two had made up? Then again the smile became a blank look when he spotted Heracles watching him.
"Oh, Romano … you're back again?" I nodded, "I need you to fucking tell me where the hell that masked bastard is hiding out. Even if I have to burn the city to the ground, I'll find him, so just make it easier for me."
Heracles tilted his head slightly, "Romano, I think you should be calm about this."
"Fuck being calm." I glared, "That bastard nearly killed An- me, nearly killed me, and I'm not going to sit around and wait for him. I want him now."
"Say please?" I turned. Did this guy just have a knack for showing up unwanted right at the perfect fucking moment? Gah! I mean seriously? This was the third time? Fourth?
I summoned my weapon, much to the surprise of the normal humans in the shop. Kiku frowned, "Heracles-san, do something, please?"
Heracles nodded and each one of the human fell asleep, one by one. When they awoke they would probably not remember any of this.
The potato and Savino summoned their weapons as well, while Feliciano brought out his flag and ran to hide behind Kiku.
Sadiq smiled and ripped his shirt from his body, "Now these are odds I'm willing to take." Gupta readied himself for the battle as well. Sadiq pushed forward, using his wings to add power to his kick. The kick sent my little brother flying across the room. Feliciano ran to his side and I looked back at Sadiq. Somehow, I felt much less powerful with him there standing before me.
I raised my sword, but it was useless. He backhanded me and sent me to the ground. The potato sucker was trying to fend off Gupta, and that fight quickly was going in the potato's favor. That fight took to the outside.
I looked up at the Turkish dark angel, who smiled down at my from beneath that mask, "I wonder what that Spanish brat will say to me when I serve him your head upon a silky pillow, a smile on your face and my name carved into your cheeks." he slashed down with his blade, but I blocked it.
Heracles pushed him off and glared, his cat turning into it's huge form. "You want some, too, old friend?" Sadiq laughed, cutting at the cat, who leaped back and hissed. Heracles helped me up, "I sent your brothers to the back room for now. The flag waving one said he'll try and heal the other's wounds but he has several broken ribs." I nodded and rejoined the fight against Sadiq.
The man was quickly able to dodge all three of the attacks coming his way, but I managed to catch him off guard and delivered a blow to his side with the hilt of my sword. My victory didn't last long because he returned the favor with his knee. I fell to the ground and began wheezing. Pain erupted in my side and I saw spots across my vision.
"That … fucking … hurt … you … bastard!" I pushed myself up and shot at him, knocking him through the window. The man punched me in the face and sent me to the ground. Tiny cuts spread across my body as I rolled over the glass. He rose above me and raised his sword to drive it through me, but he was knocked back by the cat.
"Romano, get up!" I growled and pushed up off the ground. How could an angel be this strong? Of course, he spent most of his days on Earth training and what not while I usually lazed about the courtyard doing nothing.
I regretted that most of all. Maybe if I'd tried harder, I could beat him, but I wasn't strong. I'd been so useless. Even now, Heracles was doing better than I was.
Each time I tried to attack Sadiq, he blocked the attack with barely more than a scratch. I would be sent flying back and I would end up in intense pain. I was sure my right wing was broken in two places and that hurt beyond belief, as well as the deep gash in my side that was bleeding profusely.
The potato slammed Gupta into the wall beside me, knocking the Egyptian out cold. "Romano, are you okay?" I scoffed, "Either help us with him, or go protect my brothers!" I stood up and covered my side with my hand. Blood dripped from the wound. Part of me screamed to just run and join my brothers, but the other half remembered the sight of Antonio falling from the sky and hitting the ground hard.
I glared at Sadiq, who jabbed his blade into the huge grey cat. The cat fell and Heracles looked up, and for the first time, I saw anger cross his face. He pulled a hidden dagger from his boot and rolled beneath Sadiq and slid onto his feet behind him. He lifted the small blade and managed to cut the Turkish angel in the side, before Sadiq managed to move, "You're quick when you want to be, Heracles," he chuckled, wiping the blood from his side, "upset I hurt your little kitty?"
The Grecian said nothing, but instead took to another attack. Sadiq blocked attack after attack but the usually slow and lazy Heracles was unusually fast when angered. Sadiq was having trouble blocking properly and had little to no time to attack the man back.
"Damn Karpusi!" Sadiq chuckled. I took advantage of them being distracted and lunged at Sadiq myself. I was hoping to end the fight, not a life.
Sadiq managed to block my attack easily, but I caught Heracles by surprise. The fallen angel stumbled back, losing his balance and hitting the ground. Sadiq kicked me in the gut and sent me into a light pole. When I regained my breath, my eyes widened to see Sadiq raise his blade to finish Heracles off.
The blade swung down and blood splattered across the street. I gasped. Standing above Heracles was Kiku, a huge slice from chest to hip. Blood spilled from the wound and his mouth. The Japanese man fell to his knees and back into Heracles's arms.
I watched in horror as Kiku died in his love's arms. It was all my fault. If I'd just let them fight … I mentally beat myself up and wished to take it all back.
If only I'd let them be. If only I'd dodged the kick, or something. Damn it! I couldn't save anyone, could I?
Heracles closed Kiku's eyes and kissed his forehead. He looked up at Sadiq with pure anger and rage. His wings tore through his shirt and he rose from the ground. The Grecian grabbed his dagger and the fight ensued. I was forced to watch the two men tear into each other, neither one gaining an advantage over the other. I crawled over to Kiku and found there was no way, even if Feliciano healed him, for him to be revived.
My vision began to blur and I looked up to see the fight. Neither was winning still.
"Ve~! Fratello!" Feliciano knelt beside me and began healing the wound in my side.
"Damn it … felici … ano … get out of here before he kills you."
"Ve~ Luddy is going to help. He won't let that man near us." I nodded and glanced up to see that the potato had indeed joined the fight and Sadiq was now growing weaker. I had kind of wish I'd have been the one to defeat him, but the fact I'd be going home soon made up for it. Feliciano and Savino were safe and that's all I could ask for.
Sadiq crashed to the ground before us and his mask lay shattered beside him. He was still alive, but pretty messed up, the un-masked bastard.
Feliciano stood up and ran to the potato and began healing his wounds. Heracles landed beside me and dropped his dagger to the ground before grabbing Kiku's body.
"I … I'm so sorry … I shouldn't have-"
"No, it's okay. He died protecting me … which means he still loved me … that make me happy. And," he looked at Sadiq, "his death was not in vain. After this, he should hopefully return to the egotistic dick he used to be." I don't know why but it was kind of good to see Heracles's passive, lazy face again, "Kiku was very special. So very brave when he wanted to be. I'll miss him dearly. Romano, my friend, don't take love for granted. Not everyone gets a chance at it. Unfortunately, it seems as though mine was not meant to be. Neither was Sadiq's. Your brother is lucky to have someone to himself like this," I looked over and saw their sickening love fest.
"Yeah, yeah, they love each other …" I gagged.
Heracles smiled softly, "I really was lucky to meet him." he kissed Kiku's forehead again. His cat limped up to him, the wound already healing. Spirit animals healed quickly as long as their angel partners were unharmed or not fatally wounded.
The cat mewled sadly and his partner rubbed his head softly.
"Ve~? What's that?" I looked up and saw three black cloaked figures coming in quickly. I prayed they weren't enemies, but something felt off about them. I summoned my sword again and stood.
"Feliciano, prepare to run when I tell you to." he nodded and gripped his white flag. Savino stumbled out of the wrecked shop at the worst possible moment, "What the hell happened?"
"Savino, stay beside Feliciano." I heard the potato bark. Savino nodded and walked over to Feliciano. The figures landed, and I couldn't help but notice they all had one black wing and one white. What the hell were they? Obviously they were angels, but I'd never seen any with wings like that.
"We've come to collect his soul." a male spoke in a thick German accent. He pointed to Kiku.
So that was it. They were the very same type of angel that took the souls from the dead and either reincarnated them or used them for angel material. I glared. It was their fault I was even like this in the first place.
"Lovi? Feli? Savi?" my eyes widened. I knew that voice.