PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! I realize this is rather cliche but I have everything drafted. It will work out! Trust me as the author and don't stop reading! I'm going to be switching male "leads." I've saved an important/ popular male character this whole time for chapter 31.
Chapter 29: Say My Name
Misaki and Usui climbed up the winding path to the top of the cliff. It was really a sight to be seen. Their position overlooked a huge part of the island. Misaki could even see the small town in the distance if she squinted hard enough through the mist.
"Can't we just wait for help here?" Misaki asked.
Gunshots in the distance answered that question for them.
"We have to try," Usui said, taking her hand. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"You're right," Misaki said, squaring her shoulders as she faced the bridge. "We can't wait for our own deaths," she agreed. "I'll go first," Misaki said.
Before Usui could argue, she stepped onto the frail planks. The rope was stiff and thin which made Misaki's palm sweat and her heart pound.
"Be careful!" Usui called.
"You too..."
Misaki gingerly eased onto the next plank. They slowly began to make it across the ancient bridge, one foot after the other. Eyes were kept straight ahead. Misaki thought she might throw up if she looked down. The rushing water threatened to swallow them both up.
Each step strangely made her relax more. Misaki's grip loosened from the ropes as she walked ahead. Eyes forward, shoulders back...
Misaki would slowly ease her weight onto each board. If the board could hold part of her weight, she then would slowly put the rest of her weight on it. Her ankle was screaming at her though. Misaki gritted her teeth and told herself to suck it up.
CRACK!
The wood underfoot splintered. Usui lost his footing and fell through the boards.
"Usui!" Misaki exclaimed, grabbing onto his arm. His weight dragged her down causing Misaki to wildly grab onto the ropes.
A drop of sweat slid down Misaki's face as the rope began fraying. A scream escaped her throat as it snapped and sent them flying to the other side. The bridge snapped in half but luckily they crashed onto the other side.
Misaki winced as she scraped against the sharp and rough rocks. Her hand was holding onto the remainder of the bridge so hard her knuckles were white.
"Are you hurt!?" Usui shouted.
Misaki shook her head. A piece of rotted wood fell down into the mist.
"This was a stupid idea..." Usui said. "This bridge is going to fall any minute now."
"It has already fallen!" Misaki snapped.
"I'm sorry, Misaki..." Usui said.
Misaki looked down. Usui was dangling over the unknown abyss. "What are you talking about, you idiot?" she said. "We would have died either way."
Misaki watched the rope swing back and forth in the wind. She really wasn't afraid to die. Her heart was pounding with adrenaline but that feeling of fear wasn't there. Misaki remembered the fear simulator back at the academy. Her blood turned cold and she felt like she was going to throw up. But that feeling wasn't quite there as they dangled there in the air.
They just dangled there, swaying in the wind. Misaki gritted her teeth and tried to climb upward. Another piece of rope snapped and they dropped another three feet.
"Its not use!" Misaki announced. "We're going to die..." Misaki looked down at Usui. His face was bruised and streaked with mud but somehow it still looked handsome as always.
A small smile touched Usui's lips. "You don't have to die..." he said. "You can still climb up to the edge of the cliff."
"I only have one hand- No...!" Misaki breathed. The calmness in her heart disappeared. Misaki felt the awful feeling start to fill her. It was like someone was slowly injecting ice into her veins. "I'm not letting you go! No, Usui!" she screamed.
"Misaki!" Usui yelled. "The rope is a thousand years old. Its going to snap from our weight. You're light enough for it to hold you."
"NO!" Misaki shrieked. "It will hold us both! I swear, Usui. We either get out together or both die."
"Let me go..." Usui said. His words were torn away by the water but Misaki could read his lips. She shook her head.
"Don't make me do this..." she whispered. Misaki tried to look up and blink away the tears but they escaped anyways. The hot teardrops streaked her face. "You promised..." she said in a broken voice.
Usui relaxed his hold on Misaki but Misaki only tightened her hold. Misaki kept shaking her head, the tears were running freely now.
"No, no, no," she kept crying. She refused to let go of his even though he was slipping out of her grasp now. "Hold onto me you idiot!" Misaki screamed.
"Misaki..." Usui said. "There's still a chance to live"
"Together or no one!"
"I love you..."
"No!" Misaki screamed. She was on the brink of hysteria now. Her chest was heaving in choked sobs and blood was pounding in her ears. "If you fall, I will hate you forever," Misaki warned him. "If you let go...I will let go of this rope right too and fall with you."
Usui shook his head. "You're needed in the IA," he reminded her. "You trained all your life to do this. Don't throw it away for me." Misaki didn't even notice Usui tying a part of the rope around her waist.
Misaki shook her head. "I have realized the IA isn't everything to me. Please Usui, you mean more than eighteen years of training. You mean more than my own life!" Misaki was begging him now.
Usui smiled. His green eyes had that sparkle. "It means alot to hear that. I shall die a happy man today"
"I won't let you die!" Misaki yelled. "We will both survive this! We still have a long life ahead of us!"
"Hey Misaki..." Usui said. "Can...can you call me Takumi...? I want to hear you say my name..."
Misaki looked down at him. His handsome face streaked with dirt and sweat. His hair pushed back with a headband. "Ta...kumi..." she whispered. "I love you, Takumi..." she said. Each word felt like hot iron piercing her heart.
"I love you too, Misaki" Usui said. "Maybe we'll meet again in the next life?" he said in a light tone. Even as they were hanging hundreds of feet in the air, Usui still made jokes.
"Don't..." Misaki warned.
"Loved you at first sight. You are beautiful, strong, intelligent... I promise to watch over you no matter where I am." Usui said. He looked away and Misaki saw a tear escape the corner of his eye.
"Good bye" he said, looking up at Misaki. He completely let go of Misaki and fell. His eyes closed and his body quickly disappeared into the thick mist.
"NOOOO!" Misaki screamed. She tried to grab the empty air. "TAKUMI! TAKUMI! NO NO NO"
This was a bad nightmare. This was worst than a nightmare. This was pain beyond imagination. Misaki would take torture over this heart break. Misaki slammed her fist against the rocks over and over. Blood stained the stone but Misaki couldn't feel the pain. she could only feel the searing burn in her chest. She couldn't even feel her heart beating anymore. It was just a cloud of pain everywhere.
"No...NO" she kept screaming. Her voice grew hoarse and the words were mumbled. "Takumi..."
Misaki couldn't even see straight anymore. She let go of the rope wanting to die too. Instead of falling, Misaki was suspended by the rope. Misaki noticed the harness Usui had created out of the rope around her waist. Misaki jerked at the knot.
Another sob escaped her lips when she couldn't untie it. Those nights they spent together, Misaki showed Usui every knot she knew how to tie and untie. This knot he tied however, she had never seen before. Usui must have known...
"Misaki!" a voice called. "I found her!"
Misaki was barely aware of the people pulling up the bridge and hauling her onto solid land. She saw the familiar faces around her. Sakura, Shizuko, Kuuga, Kanou, Miss Bates and two women she didn't know.
"Everything's alright now" Miss Bates said gently. "Get her to the helicopter" she ordered someone.
"No!" Misaki screamed. "He's still down there!" she cried. "You got to save him..." she begged Miss Bates.
Miss Bates put her hand on Misaki's shoulders. "He can't survive that fall..." she said, softly.
Misaki jerked away. "No no no no," she kept saying. Over and over the words poured from her chapped lips."HE'S NOT DEAD!" Misaki screamed. She ran her numb hands through her tangled hair. "He can't be dead. No no... no..."
"Misaki-"
"She's traumatized and in shock. Get her on the helicopter now!" Miss Bates snapped.
"Let go!" Misaki yelled. "If he did this to me..." Misaki said through gritted teeth. "I'm going after him..." she turned and ran toward the edge.
"Ayuzawa!" Kuuga yelled, tackling her to the ground. "You can't!"
Misaki tried to fight him off. "What kind of friend are you?!" she demanded. "You won't go after your best friend. You were like Takumi's brother! You are just going to let him die. You know how Takumi is...he's the best of the best. This fall wouldn't have killed him right? You believe he's still alive right Kuuga, RIGHT?!" Misaki grabbed Kuuga by the collar and shook him. She had to make these people see sense. Usui wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead.
Kuuga swallowed hard. He opened his mouth but closed it. He looked at the sky or a moment and hauled Misaki to her feet. "We're leaving" he said.
"No, I'm not leaving without him" Misaki said. Her voice was cracked and now she was in complete hysteria. "You...should have came earlier..." she said. Anger and hurt were overflowing her.
"If you came earlier Takumi wouldn't be dead. He let go of my hand...he let go and just fell. He fell down there. We all let him fall. It is all my fault. Why did I have to walk first...it's my fault! I killed him. I killed him..." Misaki was practically just raving.
Sakura hugged Misaki tightly. "I'm so sorry" she said.
"It's not your fault" Miss Bates said. "Listen to me, Ayuzawa Misaki, it's not your fault. It's a sad truth that people...we lose people," she said.
Miss Bates decided that mentioning the word "death" might kill Misaki. The innocent girl had just watched her partner die. The first time is always the hardest...
Misaki covered her face. Usui was gone... "I don't want to go back...I have to find him" she said in barely a whisper.
Sakura took her arm and gently pulled.
Misaki screamed and jerked away. "I'm going to find him!" she screamed. "I'll kill anyone who stands in my way-" Misaki's body tensed up and then collapsed onto the dirt. Her broken body was sprawled out.
Miss Bates stood behind Misaki, shaking her head. She was putting Misaki out of her misery for a few hours.
"Get her in the helicopter. I will not say it again," she snapped.
Kanou kneeled down beside Misaki and gingerly picked her up. Shizuko and Sakura closely trailed behind as Misaki was strapped down onto a stretcher and loaded into the helicopter.
"You wouldn't have hurt Misaki more, right?" Sakura asked, quietly.
"Don't worry," Miss Bates said. "I just hit a pressure point. She'll be fine."
Sakura nodded and climbed into the helicopter with everyone else.
Miss Bates pulled out her phone and dialed. "Morgan here," she said. "I want the entire jungle scoured for those men. Load the bomb carefully."
"Yes ma'am," came the answer. "Targets have been contained and sedated. Bomb is currently fully loaded and ready for take off. We await your orders."
"Good," Miss Bates said. "I want a group to sweep through the jungle once last time before pulling out. I will personally see to the atomic weapon."
"Yes, Morgan. Signing off-"
"Wait," Miss Bates said. She closed her eyes and felt the wind ruffle her hair. The cool mist was refreshing unlike reality. Reality reeked of death at the moment. "I need you to try to recover a body," she said. "Japanese, tall, blonde, name of Takumi Usui...he should have his tag still."
"Should we have a search party?"
"No..." Miss Bates said in a soft voice. "Just check the bottom of the cliff after you've finished your duties. The current may have already washed him away. I expect a full report by tomorrow morning."
"Yes ma'am."
"Signing off..." Miss Bates said, hanging up.
She watched the helicopter full of teens take off. The wind of the choppers was loud and strong. Miss Bates waved half heartedly and turned back to her duties.
"Misaki, Misaki..." Miss Bates thought, shaking her head. Misaki reminded Miss Bates of Minako Ayuzawa so much. Miss Bates could still remember listening to the stories about Minako, the most legendary spy in the IA. One that might even compare to Grace Marshall. When Miss Bates closed her eyes she could remember watching Minako Ayuzawa leap out of a helicopter in all her glory. Back then, Morgan Bates had been so young.
Back then, she watched her biggest role model throw away her career and disappear. Today, she watched her star pupil succumb to the thing that ruined Minako...Love...
Like Mother...Like Daughter.
