Repaired Beyond Recognition

Chapter 28

"What exactly do you think this would accomplish?" The man shook his head at the girl. "If she's still alive she's probably in prison. Why are we wasting our time scavenging in the woods?"

"We don't know for sure if she was caught if she survived. They haven't and won't tell us anything!" Gloria shook her head. "She could have gotten away…and…maybe she's hiding since everyone thinks she did it."

"That…Is possible." The man mumbled. He looked among the trees and found something that caught his eye. "Mh. What is that?" He mumbled as he strayed from the track.

"There has to be something…" The girl kept venturing her own way, not realizing she was separating herself from her only chaperone. The woods had become increasingly dark as heavy clouds collected to hide the weary sun. Dead leaves crunched under her feet and her breath puffed every second. She heard a rustling in a nearby clutter of foliage. Her eyes would switch between looking for her lost relative to looking for the source of the shaking trail that seemed to draw nearer every time she turned away.

"Hal?" She would call occasionally as she moved. Her creeping fear increased every time there was no answer. Soon she found her legs struggling to take her away from the crackling nearing leaves.

"Hello!?" She finally stopped after she took a long jog. She thought she had lost her follower only for the sound to start up again just in front of her. How did it get ahead of her so fast? "Who are you!?"

"B-Bitte." She stood frozen in place as a figure emerged from the darkness. It was a tall imposing being holding its hands palms up. She thought this to be her stalker and that thought would lead her to the real enemy.

"W-What?" She gasped when she saw the young man's fancy clothes stained with what appeared to be blood. His indigo hair was also dripping with the fluid. His pure blue eyes appeared confused and concerned but she didn't notice that. "Stay away from me, please!"

"Bitte, bitte hilf mir." He continued to step closer.

In his mind ran a million loud lines of empty thought. They were far too fast to catch onto, those bits of knowledgeable ranging from advanced symphonic notes to the taste of chili pepper chocolate. He did his best to sort it out, but every time he grabbed a hold of it the information it would slip away before he could process it. All he knew was that there was someone here, right in front of him. He tried to ask for help but she seemed to misunderstand. Did he not say please three times? Why wasn't she helping?

"Leave me alone!" She turned to run away. She looked back to finally see the teen's saddened expression, but she was too scared to investigate now. She ran and ran, not thinking about where she was going only thinking she needed to get away from the seemingly madman. Bare branches and brush grabbed and scratched at her indiscriminately.

"Achtung!" His deep voice called out again as his once white glove grabbed onto his shoulder. "Ich habe dich."

"Get off! HELP!" She cried not realizing they were both inches away from a drop in earth with a forest crowded rotting fence below. "Let, go!" She snatched her arm away. This action caused her to loose balance and started to fall over the ledge.

"N-Nein!" He tried to grab for her, but was too late. She had fallen. He fell on his hands and knees with a devastated look on his pale red painted face. "Eh-. Es tut mir leid." He hung his head and felt darkness come over his mind again.

*Meanwhile*

"Harmo-Neechan?" The girl looked up to see the child standing just ahead of her.

"Ryuto? I thought you were watching a movie."

"I am, but I wanted something to snack on." He rubbed his tummy as it growled at the two of them. "Can you reach that for me?"

She followed his finger to a bag of small chocolate filled biscuits in a cabnet over her head. "Oh, sure." She reached out for it and cursed herself for having to get on her tippy toes.

"Thank you." He said with a cute smile. He then hesitated as she sat alone in the kitchen.

"Mh? What's up?" She noticed he wasn't moving and grew a little concerned.

"Do you want to watch the movie with us? It's really funny. I think you'll like it. It's not one of Kane-Chan's lame girly movies." He thought for a moment in contemplation of what would convince her to join. "I'll share some with you."

"Huh? …Um, OK." Harmony was perplexed as to why the boy wanted her to join him, Kuji, and Ryouko in the living room so bad but decided to go along with it. She kind of wanted to have company right now anyway, since a terrible feeling crept over her.

*Meanwhile*

The girl let out a shrill cry as she pulled her leg off a broken metal pole. She forced herself to stand up on the wounded leg and started to limp away, trying to get anywhere, to anyone that could help her. The pain was not as unbearable once her fear numbed her suffering. She was able to force herself to a steady but lagging jog. Her face streamed with tears as she tried to think about her situation and the solution that at the moment eluded her.

"S-Somebody." She weakly chocked out. Her voice harsh and meek. "Please, anyone? …H-Help M-." She saw a man in the distance in what looked like a long white coat.

"Oh, please!" Her voice found a whole new vigor. "Sir please!" There wasn't another moment before the man turned to her. The hunched figure brandished an object that emitted a loud bang and a sudden shock of pain flew threw her from her abdomen coursing through her whole body.

"Wh-Why?" She whispered as she fell to the leaf blanketed earth with a soft thud.

"Heh." The wretched creature walked closer and seemed a bit excited once he got close enough to fully see who it was he had slain.

"Y-You're not number four." He grew a wide grin. "But you'll make a fine replacement."

*Time*

"I hope you're staying a while." The young man suddenly burst out in the midst of another informative meeting with his old mentor. "It has been nice catching up these past few days."

"I'm glad to hear that since I did plan on moving here for some time…" He let out a content sigh from behind his teal colored scarf as he looked at the trees surrounding them. His old German Shepard, Kabuto sat tall at his feet. He was loyal to his friend as well as over protective at times and did not require a leash. "I always loved this place. The very spot I met Chiyu…" Hiyo looked at his mentor with a hint of surprise. He knew he was here before. He was just shocked the man mentioned his late wife. He held her name close and protected it like a precious jewel not wanting to over spend the magic it held for him.

"This very spot?" The younger mumbled.

"I grew up near here." He added. He loved the trees that grew in large portion of the area. He used to climb them when he was a child. It served as a practical sanctuary from dogs and other kids whom he tended not to get along with very well. Although at least after a while the dogs did warm up to him. Those were the memories he brought up more often as a little boy. He didn't hold as much value in those stories.

"Just a few towns over right?" The blonde asked. He made his way to bench his elder was sitting on by walking on a stone wall like a child imitating a tightrope walker. "It's still here right?"

"Mm. Not quite. I visited a few days ago. It fused with another town and lost most of the older buildings." He petted Kabuto as the animal growled at something he spotted in the distance in the trees. Mushi Doku looked up at the younger man hold both arms to the sides. "There's that old feeling again…" He shook his head, amused. "I feel like a baby sitter instead of a colleague…"

I swear I did not plan this... O.O