She felt the lines of his face, every contour, every inch, one fingertip swirling around the thick drops of blood that had fallen on his ivory skin. And then she kissed his torn forehead and closed his wide, staring eyes, apologizing silently.
Ebony rose from Anthony's side, eyes still trained on his body. She looked over to Meryl, laying on the ground with her eyes still closed. After a few seconds of silence, They fluttered open. The slate-grey irises were clearly confused and they sought out the cobalt depths of Ebony's almost instantaneously. They stared at each other for a moment, messages of emotions passing between them before Ebony sighed and brought her gun up to her face.
"Only one bullet left. And I'm afraid that bullet has your name on it, Rabbit."
Why did you shoot him?" Meryl whispered, wincing before rolling herself back onto her stomach and painfully pushing herself up to her hands and knees. Ebony scoffed and rolled the revolver around her fingertip.
"Anthony? My brother never meant as much to me as Rosemary meant to you. We were raised to be each other's enemies, not each other's friends. That was me being weak, releasing him from his pathetic hold on a meaningless life."
"No life is meaningless." Meryl growled. Ebony chuckled airily, her smile turning into a sneer as she turned to face the dark-haired girl head on.
"I suppose you're going to tell me that Rosemary taught you that."
"Yes."
"Heh. Rosemary is dead. You only prolong your own suffering by holding on so tightly." She raised the silver revolver and leveled it with Meryl's forehead. But Meryl didn't flinch, didn't back away, only kept looking deep into Ebony's eyes, as if searching.
"What are you looking for, Ebony?" There was a long pause where Ebony sighed inwardly and closed her eyes for a split second. When she opened them, Meryl could see the steely resolve in them.
"I don't know yet. But when I find it, That's when I'll know." Her finger enclosed on the trigger, pulling against the weight that was there. "You can thank me when we see each other next." The gun shot resounded in the ceiling leaving the sharp echoes of a lost cause.
*~~~~~~~~~*
Wolfwood and Millie flew through the tunnel, dimly lit by small lights embedded into the uppermost wall. They didn't slow at any corner, didn't hesitate when they came across one burnt out light, just kept running. Their footsteps echoed like knives in the silence, two pairs edging forward into pivotal darkness.
Millie glanced out of the corner of her eye at Wolfwood. He looked just as determined as she felt, Cross Punisher hoisted on his shoulders, ready to be unleashed upon anyone he chose. She couldn't help but smile a little at his prescence, which made her feel a lot more hopeful. But still, it had gotten so quiet after that last gunshot, and all their cries for Meryl had been in vain. Closing her eyes tightly, Millie hoped and prayed that they weren't too late.
Suddenly, Wolfwood halted, skidding on the dirt floor and she yelped and abruptly stopped, her speed sending her forth into a heavy metal object. She felt it fall away from her, leaving her to fall to the floor with a short 'oof'. Millie realized that the thing she had run into had been a doorway and she looked up hurriedly when she realized that this door had to lead to where they wanted to get too. Behind her, Wolfwood took a sharp intake of breath and as she looked up at the rest of the room, she couldn't help but gasp as well.
"Hey guys, wait for-" Vash came running up to the door behind Wolfwood, his red coat flying past his legs and his gun shining in the newfound light. He stopped short as his eyes fell upon the disastrous contents of the room. There was blood almost everywhere, soaking into the carpet and running like painted waterfalls down the walls. Four bodies lay total, their heads all torn and bloody and their red contents spilt on their body and clothes.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph..." Wolfwood muttered. Vash silently agreed but thanked God that those four bodies weren't Meryl's. His two other companions realized this too and they eyes averted from the gruesome sight up to the two last remaining people in the room.
Ebony stood before a crouching Meryl, a smoking bullet-hole on Meryl's right side. The two girls were glaring at each other like mortal enemies and Vash was about to break the silence when suddenly Meryl lunged forward, connecting with Ebony's torso in a crushing tackle. Both girls were knocked to the floor, Ebony's back connected with the corner of the endtable. She let out a choked cough before Meryl delivered a jaw-snapping punch to Ebony's face. The ivory haired girl reeled for a second before baring her teeth. Unmercifully, she brought her knee up and slammed her boot into Meryl's stomach, sending Meryl rolling backwards. Before the dark-haired insurance girl could attack, Vash had leapt in between the warring women. He caught Meryl head on, taking a step back to balance himself against her pushing.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Finally, Meryl went limp in his unrelenting embrace, burying her face into his chest and letting out gut-wrenching sobs. Ebony lay behind the two, staring at Vash's red-clad back before shaking her fuzzy head and scrambling to get up. Her hand clutched onto the papers, the money that would deliver her soul, and taking off for the door.
"Hey! She's getting away!" Wolfwood moved to pursue her but Millie stopped him, shaking her head.
"We got what we came for. It's time to leave now. Meryl can't stay here." He hesitated before relaxing and nodding his head. The two stood and watched as Vash soothed Meryl, her sobs filling the deadly emptiness of the stained room.
A/Notes: Wowees...Such a response!! lol I spose I owe everyone an apology for taking so long...Forgive me!! It's just that life hasn't been what it used to be and I kinda went on a vacation. So..Here's the second to last chapter and THANK YOU to all who stayed with the story for such a long time and through all of my uncomfortable silences...^_^ Ciao!
Ebony rose from Anthony's side, eyes still trained on his body. She looked over to Meryl, laying on the ground with her eyes still closed. After a few seconds of silence, They fluttered open. The slate-grey irises were clearly confused and they sought out the cobalt depths of Ebony's almost instantaneously. They stared at each other for a moment, messages of emotions passing between them before Ebony sighed and brought her gun up to her face.
"Only one bullet left. And I'm afraid that bullet has your name on it, Rabbit."
Why did you shoot him?" Meryl whispered, wincing before rolling herself back onto her stomach and painfully pushing herself up to her hands and knees. Ebony scoffed and rolled the revolver around her fingertip.
"Anthony? My brother never meant as much to me as Rosemary meant to you. We were raised to be each other's enemies, not each other's friends. That was me being weak, releasing him from his pathetic hold on a meaningless life."
"No life is meaningless." Meryl growled. Ebony chuckled airily, her smile turning into a sneer as she turned to face the dark-haired girl head on.
"I suppose you're going to tell me that Rosemary taught you that."
"Yes."
"Heh. Rosemary is dead. You only prolong your own suffering by holding on so tightly." She raised the silver revolver and leveled it with Meryl's forehead. But Meryl didn't flinch, didn't back away, only kept looking deep into Ebony's eyes, as if searching.
"What are you looking for, Ebony?" There was a long pause where Ebony sighed inwardly and closed her eyes for a split second. When she opened them, Meryl could see the steely resolve in them.
"I don't know yet. But when I find it, That's when I'll know." Her finger enclosed on the trigger, pulling against the weight that was there. "You can thank me when we see each other next." The gun shot resounded in the ceiling leaving the sharp echoes of a lost cause.
*~~~~~~~~~*
Wolfwood and Millie flew through the tunnel, dimly lit by small lights embedded into the uppermost wall. They didn't slow at any corner, didn't hesitate when they came across one burnt out light, just kept running. Their footsteps echoed like knives in the silence, two pairs edging forward into pivotal darkness.
Millie glanced out of the corner of her eye at Wolfwood. He looked just as determined as she felt, Cross Punisher hoisted on his shoulders, ready to be unleashed upon anyone he chose. She couldn't help but smile a little at his prescence, which made her feel a lot more hopeful. But still, it had gotten so quiet after that last gunshot, and all their cries for Meryl had been in vain. Closing her eyes tightly, Millie hoped and prayed that they weren't too late.
Suddenly, Wolfwood halted, skidding on the dirt floor and she yelped and abruptly stopped, her speed sending her forth into a heavy metal object. She felt it fall away from her, leaving her to fall to the floor with a short 'oof'. Millie realized that the thing she had run into had been a doorway and she looked up hurriedly when she realized that this door had to lead to where they wanted to get too. Behind her, Wolfwood took a sharp intake of breath and as she looked up at the rest of the room, she couldn't help but gasp as well.
"Hey guys, wait for-" Vash came running up to the door behind Wolfwood, his red coat flying past his legs and his gun shining in the newfound light. He stopped short as his eyes fell upon the disastrous contents of the room. There was blood almost everywhere, soaking into the carpet and running like painted waterfalls down the walls. Four bodies lay total, their heads all torn and bloody and their red contents spilt on their body and clothes.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph..." Wolfwood muttered. Vash silently agreed but thanked God that those four bodies weren't Meryl's. His two other companions realized this too and they eyes averted from the gruesome sight up to the two last remaining people in the room.
Ebony stood before a crouching Meryl, a smoking bullet-hole on Meryl's right side. The two girls were glaring at each other like mortal enemies and Vash was about to break the silence when suddenly Meryl lunged forward, connecting with Ebony's torso in a crushing tackle. Both girls were knocked to the floor, Ebony's back connected with the corner of the endtable. She let out a choked cough before Meryl delivered a jaw-snapping punch to Ebony's face. The ivory haired girl reeled for a second before baring her teeth. Unmercifully, she brought her knee up and slammed her boot into Meryl's stomach, sending Meryl rolling backwards. Before the dark-haired insurance girl could attack, Vash had leapt in between the warring women. He caught Meryl head on, taking a step back to balance himself against her pushing.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Finally, Meryl went limp in his unrelenting embrace, burying her face into his chest and letting out gut-wrenching sobs. Ebony lay behind the two, staring at Vash's red-clad back before shaking her fuzzy head and scrambling to get up. Her hand clutched onto the papers, the money that would deliver her soul, and taking off for the door.
"Hey! She's getting away!" Wolfwood moved to pursue her but Millie stopped him, shaking her head.
"We got what we came for. It's time to leave now. Meryl can't stay here." He hesitated before relaxing and nodding his head. The two stood and watched as Vash soothed Meryl, her sobs filling the deadly emptiness of the stained room.
A/Notes: Wowees...Such a response!! lol I spose I owe everyone an apology for taking so long...Forgive me!! It's just that life hasn't been what it used to be and I kinda went on a vacation. So..Here's the second to last chapter and THANK YOU to all who stayed with the story for such a long time and through all of my uncomfortable silences...^_^ Ciao!