A/N: OK, here we go again. Gomen nasai for the long wait! Mild writers block/school/friends/You spend to much time online lectures, you know the drill. Eeks, well, action chapter, which much like romance isn't my strong point, but hey, I tried. Well, anyway, thanx so much again to those who've read and reviewed so far! And now on to part 3! please r/r ^_^
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Bounty Hunted
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Part III
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Gene frowned at the sight before him. 'Pirates' He thought bitterly. He knew it was them, that much was made clear by their brutish appearance, and their obvious lack of hygiene. "Melfina get out of here!" He shouted to the surprised girl on the bed causing her to snap out of the current state of shock she was in. The Man who had spoken before merely sneered at this as Melfina pondered over what to do.
"Go ahead." He said addressing Melfina. "Runaway, we'll catch up with you as soon as we're done with him." Gene stiffened at this, and pulled out his knife on reflex to the mans words.
"If you get the chance." He grinned confidently at the brood before him, and they simply chuckled, apparently finding his threats to be rather amusing.
"Oh we'll get our chance." Another of the men spoke up, taking a step in front of the others as he too took out his knife. And with that said large man lunged at Gene, his blade stretched out in front of him as he attacked.
Gene merely sidestepped the attack and knocked him down, sending his own knife plunging into the other mans back. "Well, that's one." He said mockingly, a grin upon his face that practically said "Bring it on" as the wounded man lay on the ground at his feet.
Another of the men came at Gene almost instantly, to which he could have laughed as he too was done for, almost as soon as he'd charged. But instead Gene just looked up skeptically at the three remaining men. Had these morons actually been sent after him? They were to say the least, quite pathetic, and from what he'd seen so far they defiantly seemed to be lacking in fighting skills. And they were defiantly losing. So why was the first of them still smiling?
Gene just shrugged it off and awaited the next attack, this time it was a tall dark haired man who came at him. And was beaten just as quickly as the others. If Jim had been here he'd have thought something was up, Gene knew that. If he were here. But he wasn't and Gene was pretty sure that he wouldn't have listened to him anyway. He rarely did. In fact, all of them rarely did. Maybe that was what was wrong...
"Gene, look out!" Melfina, who was still there, suddenly exclaimed bringing him out of his thoughtful state and back into the reality of the all to simple fight he was engaged in. He blocked this next attack just in time, but this fourth man didn't go down quite as easily. Still, it was only a matter of punches and kicks before he was out of it too.
Melfina simply gaped at the scene unfolding before her. Something had to be wrong here. There had to be more to this then she could see. However Gene was smiling again, apparently he wasn't all that worried anymore, but Melfina knew better then that, and now that handsome smile upon his face which she usually enjoyed completely only worried her more. 'Don't underestimate them, Gene.' She begged him mentally. 'Please, please don't let them hurt you.'
"So," Gene began, staring confidently at the remaining man. "You care to try your luck?"
"My, my, aren't we the cocky one?" He said, unaffected by Gene's little statements. "They said you were good."
"They weren't lying." Gene replied with ever present pride.
"Apparently." The man laughed, and Gene's smile disappeared as that of the other man grew. "That's why I came prepared." And his grin remained as he quickly drew his gun and aimed it at Gene's head. Gene gasped as the man pulled the trigger, doing what he could to get out of the bullets path, and hitting the floor with a thud as it connected cleanly with his left shoulder.
"GENE!" Melfina screamed as he hit the floor, blood spilling relentlessly between his fingers as he grasped his wounded arm.
"Melfina stay back!" Gene exclaimed as he noticed her moving towards him, groaning in pain as he pushed him self into a sitting position. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eye's consumed in worry and fear as she stared down at his now sitting form. And the man looked down at the two slyly as he again aimed the gun at his new found enemy.
"So," He said, his face suddenly becoming very serious. "Where's the kid?"
"Huh?" Gene said still dazed from his wound. (Well duh...^_~)
"Hawking!" The man demanded fearfully. "Where is he?"
'Jim?' Gene thought to himself, not quite sure of what to say. 'Why would he be after...'
"Well?" He inquired as he advanced on Gene. "Where the hell is he?"
"What do you want Jim for?" Gene asked, frustration and annoyance evident in his voice. He just couldn't see any reason for these men, these pirates to be after his young partner. What could they possibly want with Jim?
Melfina was wondering this too. Had Jim crossed path's with these monsters before? Had he done something to make them mad? Anything besides the things they'd done together? And yet any sensible explanations seemed to elude her at this time. Any sensible ones that she wanted to believe anyway.
"Well?" Now it was Gene who sounded impatient.
"That's really none of your concern." He replied icily, to which Gene could only sigh. This was getting very, very annoying. "Just tell me where he is!"
"I have no idea." Gene told him honestly, not that he would have told a pirate of all people where Jim was anyway.
"Like hell you don't!" The man apparently didn't believe him. He was standing right over top of Gene now, his dark hair falling in his eye's as he looked down at the outlaw with a sinister glare.
"I don't." Was all Gene told him again.
"Dammit!" He exclaimed, kicking Gene back and grinding his boot firmly into the others chest. "Do you really want me to kill you?"
"I don't know where he is!" Gene shouted through clenched his teeth. It was all he could do not to cry out in pain as the other continued to apply pressure to his chest. He had to stay strong though, he couldn't give up. But he had to admit it was pretty hard to stay strong when he could barely breath. 'Damn!' He exclaimed mentally. 'I seem helpless.' The thought was a bitter one. He really hated the way he was acting, it was so, unlike him. It was almost as though he were pleading with the dark man before him. Pleading, begging, words he previously didn't consider to be in his vocabulary, so why did he seem so helpless now? Why couldn't he fight back?
That thought in itself was enough to fuel his will and cause him to lash out violently at the dark man who nearly toppled over as Gene did what he could to escape his hold. The other raised an eyebrow at this, once again aiming his gun in the direction of Gene's face. "Not giving up yet, I see?" He said darkly, the grin coming back to his face.
Gene glared at the man. "Give up?" He said in a questioning tone, pain still noticeable in his voice. "Now why would I want to do a thing like that?"
"Maybe because your on the verge of death."
"Then I'll go down fighting." He said, allowing an accepting smile to form on his face. "Because Outlaws never goes down easy."
"Oh, Gene..." Melfina whispered almost sadly at the site before her. 'Gene, please...' Those last words worried her more than anything, and there were tears forming in her amber eyes as she let them replay over and over in her mind.
"Good-bye Gene Starwind." The man smiled as well, letting his finger run gingerly over the trigger. And then...
"Gene! No!" Melfina exclaimed, no longer able to bare the event unfolding before her eye's as she threw herself at the man and knocked him to the floor. She had never been a violent person but there was only so much that she could take, and standing there like some weak little girl while someone she cared about got himself killed was *not* one of them.
Gene's eye's widened at this, both out of shock and out of relief. "Melfina..." He whispered to himself, his voice holding some pride in her name. He'd never expected such a feat from her, she was so quite, so gentle, and apparently she was spontaneous as well. A thought that only made him like her more.
"Damn you!" The man exclaimed, throwing her aside easily as he stood to his feet. "I must say, I'm impressed." He added and then kicked her bitterly in the side.
Gene's eyes narrowed at the site as he too forced himself to stand. "You, leave her alone!" He demanded angrily, and the man continued to smile as he turned back to him.
"I'll leave you both alone." He said to Gene's surprise as he walked towards the door.
"What...?" Gene uttered, confused.
"The kids not here." He stated simply "No need to waste my time with you." And with that he was out the door, leaving Gene to stand there lost in his own confusion. "Oh, and one more thing." The Man peaked his head back in. "If ya see him, tell him that Dom's looking for him. I'm sure he'll be pleased."
"Gene?" Melfina's voice came out low as she got to her feet. "Gene, what is he talking about?"
"I don't know." Gene shook his head slowly. "But I'll find out. You can count on it!"
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The dark haired man sighed as he left the hotel and headed for the street. 'Mission incomplete.' He thought to himself sourly, running a hand through his thick black hair and taking a seat in the awaiting car outside.
"Well?" He was greeted by his employer as he climbed into the vehicle. "Where's the kid, Jack?"
"He wasn't there." The man, apparently Jack replied to the man in the shadows.
The man, whom Jack knew as Dominic, frowned at this leaning forward a bit into the light so that Jack could get a better look at him. It was obvious that he was tall and lean even though he was still sitting, with kind of a strange muscular build that appeared almost lanky. His hair was an unnatural shade of blond, almost white in fact, and his eye's, which now practically glared at Jack, were the iciest shade of blue. "And what of the others?" He asked referring to Gene and Melfina.
"They don't seem to know anything." He answered. "I figured that staying any longer would have been a waste of time."
"Right." The other nodded. "And your men?"
"Useless weaklings, sir. They're were all killed or injured in a matter of minutes." Jack recalled the events of their near defeat.
"Figures." Dom said, not at all surprised by what he'd just been told. "They were dispensable anyway."
Now it was Jacks turn to nod as the car began to move. "Yes, sir. That they were." Then after he thought a moment asked, "So what do we do now?"
"We find Jim." He replied, and Jack took on a look of surprise, it wasn't often that Dom called the boy by name. "That kids caused me more problems then I care to admit and it's time he paid for that. Do you have the detonator?"
"Here." Jack said holding out a small mechanical device, to which Dom smiled sinisterly.
"Good." He grinned. "And this, kid," He spoke the words as though Jim could hear him. "is only the beginning of what you deserve." And with that he pressed a small red button in the center of the device which held. Jack too grinned as he stared out the back widow, watching with intrigue as the hotel behind them was blown to pieces.
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"So which way do we go now?" Jim asked as they neared a fork in the road.
"Go right." Hilda instructed the boy from her seat beside him. "You know, Jim, you wouldn't have to ask so many questions if you'd just let *Me* drive." She reminded him, to which he simply shrugged.
"It's my car, Hilda." He stated in pride, smiling despite himself as he drove.
"Yeah, well you don't have any idea where we're going." Hilda said, trying to sound logical.
"Do you?" He smirked and she sighed.
"Yes." She answered the boy, shaking her head slightly in annoyance. "Which is exactly why *I* should be the one driving."
"But my Ehefrau likes me better." He said knowing perfectly well that he sounded like a five-year-old but caring little as he laughed lightly at the look Hilda got on her face.
"Right." She rolled her eye's at the boy in the drivers seat, to which he only laughed more. "Just keep your eye's on the road." She said as he was glancing over at her. Jim nodded and turned his attention back to the traffic and street signs.
They hadn't been driving long yet, not even an hour, but to Jim it seemed forever. He still didn't like the idea of leaving his friends in order to keep himself safe, and yet from what Hilda had said it was really the best for all them. He couldn't help but doubt it though. How could their separation be a good thing? Even under the current circumstances?
"Jim, Pay attention." Hilda said suddenly, bringing the boy out of his pensive state.
"Huh? Uhhh... Yeah, sorry." He mumbled, his words coming out almost shakily as he spoke.
"You, okay?" Hilda asked a little worried. He'd been fine a minute ago.
"Yeah." He replied, sighing as he did. "I'm just thinking is all."
Hilda wasn't surprised by this. Jim had been in and out of thought all day and she knew that it couldn't be helped. The day had been a dark one for her young friend, and he wasn't the type to run away from his problems like this. "About what?" She asked simply for conversational prepossess.
"About Gene." He replied with the words she knew he'd use. "We shouldn't have left them."
"Jim, you didn't have a choice." She reminded him for what seemed the millionth time that day.
"You keep saying that." Jim said frustrated. "It really doesn't make any of this feel any better."
"Well, sorry for trying." Hilda said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Don't be." Jim said softly. "I know your just trying to help, Hilda, but this whole situation is just so...." He trailed off with a sigh, letting his shoulders slouch as he did.
"Look," Hilda began her reply. "I know how hard this all is for you. I know you didn't want to leave the others. But Jim, you have to understand, that it was for the best and worrying about it isn't going to help anyone and neither is feeling sorry for yourself."
"But what about Gene?" Jim asked, worry still evident in his voice as well as his azure eye's. "How can I tell him? What if something happens to him?"
"Gene'll be fine." She answered him confidently. "And as for telling him, he'll understand. I know he will."
"Okay." He said, still skeptical. "It's just that Gene's like a brother to me. I don't know what I'd do if..."
"Stop it Jim." Hilda cut him off sternly. "Your only going to make things worse if you think that way.
He nodded. "Yeah, I guess." And then...
*Boom*
Jim barely had time to gasp as the ground behind them was blown apart, and he could feel the car spinning uncontrollably underneath his now dizzy body. "Whoa...!" He exclaimed as they spun, nearly colliding with a nearby building. And for about a minute everything went black....
"Jim?" Hilda shook the boy lightly as his head rested on the steering wheel. And then upon seeing where the blast had come from, she shook him a little more. "Jim, wake up! We have to get out of here!"
"Huh...? What...?" The boy sounded dazed.
"Jim, come on!" Hilda continued to shake him awake.
"Huh? Hilda, what happened?" He sounded confused, glancing around as he opened his eye's. "Oh my God! My car! Ehefrau!"
"Your stupid cars fine!" Hilda assured him. "Now we have to get out of here before we get ourselves killed!"
Jim looked up rather quickly at this to see just what Hilda had been talking about and was surprised to see a rather large black car advancing on them. "Pirates!" He exclaimed, recognizing the car, as he sat up immediately and started the car back up.
"Hilda glanced back at them as they began riding away. They looked pretty well off for pirates, for the car they were in they looked more like your average wealthy people did. But there was something about them that told her Jim was right. Aside from the fact that they were attacking them.
They were off in a flash, the other car trailing behind them quickly as they did, shooting at them every chance they got. "What's going on, Hilda?" Jim asked confused and worried. "I thought you said they wanted me alive!"
"They do." Hilda replied.
"Oh yeah?" He said spinning the steering wheel fiercely to the right as he swerved out of the way of an on coming car. "Well, they sure have a funny way of showing it! They're shooting at us!"
"Yeah, you noticed that to, huh?" Hilda said sarcastically, still glancing back at their pursuers from time to time.
"Cute." Jim rolled his eye's at her. "Real cute. Where being chased by some psycho path pirates who are trying to *kill* us, and your making jokes." He chuckled despite himself. "Funny..."
Hilda sighed at this, she hadn't really meant it sound like that, but it was just the way she was. Strait forward, and if that meant being sarcastic, well then that was her too. "Isn't it though?" She turned back to the boy, who was driving furiously himself, barely dodging the people, cars and buildings which were in his path. 'Why couldn't he just let me drive?' She mused as they made a rather sharp left, followed by a right and another left. "Ummm... Jim, Where are we going?" he asked the question that he'd been pondering earlier, to which he just shrugged.
"Anywhere that they're not!" Was his reply as he made another left, the pirates still tailing them, but not as closely.
"We're losing them." Hilda announced as they swerved dangerously to the right, coming all to close to the corner of a tall brick building at their side.
Jim nodded. "Good." He said, making yet another left and speeding past some rather shocked pedestrian's.
"You know, Jim, I really *Don't* think you know what your doing here." Hilda informed the boy who'd just barely made it out of yet another near collision with a passing car.
"Well, you try driving under this kind of pressure and see how well you do!" He replied seriously, as gun shots could still be heard in the background.
"I wish I could!" Hilda shook her head slowly. "But a certain *Someone* wouldn't let me drive his precious 'Ehefrau'"
Jim rolled his eye's as they turned another corner, choosing not to say a thing about his friends little statement. He had bigger things to worry about right now. "Hey, Jim, turn in there." Hilda instructed, pointing to a small dark alley way on their left.
"Right." Jim nodded making the turn and letting the shadows devour them. "Now stay quiet." He reminded her as he turned off the ignition and put a finger to his lips. Hilda gave him an 'I was planning on it' sorta look and he smiled at thought.
They watched carefully as the black car flew by still in search of them and sighed in relief as it passed them without so much as slowing down. "Well, that was a close one." Hilda stated in her usual cool tone.
Jim's smile however was gone quickly as watched the other car disappear from their view. "I don't like this, Hilda." The boy muttered darkly and Hilda's eye's wandered over to him, narrowing slightly at the sight of the boy in the shadows.
"What's the matter with you?" She asked, figuring he'd be happy that'd they'd escaped with their lives.
"We have to go back with Gene." He stated simply.
"Oh, not this again." She sounded almost annoyed.
"Yes!" Jim emphasized. "This again!"
"Jim, how many times do I have to tell you, we'd be..."
"Better off this way." He completed the sentence he'd heard oh so many times before. "Maybe so, but it doesn't seem to be helping a damn thing!"
"Jim..."
"We need to be together." He cut her off again. "And we're going to be! I don't like this situation one little bit, and I'm sure Gene's not taking it so hot either, and I'm *not* going to just run away when my friends might need my help!"
"Fine." She sighed.
"And further more..." He trailed off, glancing at her. "Fine?" He asked. "You mean it?"
She nodded. "Yes, Jim, I mean it."
"Really?" He smiled. "Good! Cause I was gonna go anyway." Hilda rolled her eye's at the boy as he started the car up again. "I was." He repeated. "Really..."
"Lets just get going." She told him simply as they pulled out of the alley. And then added with a grin, "Before I change my mind." Now it was Jim's turn to roll his eye's as they made the appropriate turn and headed back in the direction of the hotel.
It took little under an hour for them to reach their destination, at first having a hard time deciding which way to go after their little 'Car chase' incident. Jim smiled at the thought of seeing his friends again, it hadn't even been a day since he'd run off, and yet it seemed so much longer. Painfully longer. And unlike before, he had no doubt in his mind that Gene would be worried about him. It was one thing him to leave, but to take his stuff along with him? That was quite another, and he knew it. Gene probably thought he was gone for good.
Hilda on the other hand, didn't look so thrilled. It had been one thing to see Jim again, but Gene? Well, that would be quite interesting. It had been awhile since they'd last seen each other. Since she'd supposedly died, and to see him again just seemed like it would be hard. On both of them. She made no secret of the fact that she had some feelings for the guy, she hadn't when she was "alive" and she sure as hell wouldn't now.
But things had changed since then, she knew. Hadn't Jim mentioned something about Gene liking Melfina? She was sure he had, a statement that really hadn't surprised her. Melfina was good for him, sweet, kind, safe. Gene could love her and know that it would last. Melfina was someone he could trust. Not that she couldn't be trusted, she knew very well that she could, but actual relationships really weren't her thing. Of course after meeting Gene, that had complicated things a bit.
"We're almost there." Jim announced coolly, doing his best not to express his excitement as they neared the last turn off on the way to the hotel. Hilda nodded, not saying a word as they approached their location. She let her head droop down a bit, both out of fatigue and out of the worry that still lingered in the back of her mind. And yet she let herself block the thought from excelling any further, closing her eye's as she did, doing her best to relax.
She had nearly nodded off when the Jim stopped the car with a sudden gasp, causing her head to pop back up immediately. "Gene..." He said the name of his friend slowly, his eye's wide in fear and disbelief.
"What is it?" Hilda asked, staring over at the boy before letting her own eye's wonder to that which his were locked. "Oh, my..." She trailed off as she saw the pile of rubble and brick before her, her face taking on an expression not unlike that of the boy beside her.
Jim was out of the car in a second as he stared in bewilderment at the debris before. "Gene!?" He screamed running towards the hotels ruins. "Gene! Melfina! Where are you?! Gene!?"
"Gene?" Hilda called as she too got out of the car, much more slowly then her young friend and stood there in shock of what she saw.
"Gene?!" Jim's cries were much more pleading, as his breathing became shallow. "Melfina?! Please! Gene?! Where are you?"
"Jim..." Hilda could barely utter the boys name as she watched him search for his friends, from what she could see, on the verge of tears. She couldn't help but feel guilty, after all this *was* her fault. If only she'd brought him back sooner. If only she hadn't been so stubborn. If only she'd come back sooner...
"No!" Jim exclaimed turning on her. "It's not supposed to be like this, Hilda! We came back. We came here to help them. It's not supposed to be like this. It's not!"
"I know..." She said so low that he could barely hear her. "I know, Jim, I'm so sorry..."
And as the sunset behind him Jim could hold his tears in no longer. "Gene..." He whispered, turning away again, an almost overwhelming sense of defeat rushing over the boy as his lingering tears fell freely. He shook his head again, in disbelief and fear of the site he saw, of the answers he didn't receive, of the loss that was his own. And his small body was shacking uncontrollably as his screams filled the evening air. "Gene?!" He called into the night, his chest heaving painfully beneath his shirt as his heart pounding and his chest. "Aniki....?!"
To be continued...
A/N: *Grins* I'll bet by now you guys are starting to hate me. To many cliffhangers, I know, but I'm just full of them! Besides they do tend to build up the suspense ^_^ OK, so how did you like this part? Did it make sense and stuff? *Fingers crossed* Hope so! Hmm ... perhaps I'm to critical of myself, ne? Oh well, thanx for reading! Until next time....
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Bounty Hunted
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Part III
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Gene frowned at the sight before him. 'Pirates' He thought bitterly. He knew it was them, that much was made clear by their brutish appearance, and their obvious lack of hygiene. "Melfina get out of here!" He shouted to the surprised girl on the bed causing her to snap out of the current state of shock she was in. The Man who had spoken before merely sneered at this as Melfina pondered over what to do.
"Go ahead." He said addressing Melfina. "Runaway, we'll catch up with you as soon as we're done with him." Gene stiffened at this, and pulled out his knife on reflex to the mans words.
"If you get the chance." He grinned confidently at the brood before him, and they simply chuckled, apparently finding his threats to be rather amusing.
"Oh we'll get our chance." Another of the men spoke up, taking a step in front of the others as he too took out his knife. And with that said large man lunged at Gene, his blade stretched out in front of him as he attacked.
Gene merely sidestepped the attack and knocked him down, sending his own knife plunging into the other mans back. "Well, that's one." He said mockingly, a grin upon his face that practically said "Bring it on" as the wounded man lay on the ground at his feet.
Another of the men came at Gene almost instantly, to which he could have laughed as he too was done for, almost as soon as he'd charged. But instead Gene just looked up skeptically at the three remaining men. Had these morons actually been sent after him? They were to say the least, quite pathetic, and from what he'd seen so far they defiantly seemed to be lacking in fighting skills. And they were defiantly losing. So why was the first of them still smiling?
Gene just shrugged it off and awaited the next attack, this time it was a tall dark haired man who came at him. And was beaten just as quickly as the others. If Jim had been here he'd have thought something was up, Gene knew that. If he were here. But he wasn't and Gene was pretty sure that he wouldn't have listened to him anyway. He rarely did. In fact, all of them rarely did. Maybe that was what was wrong...
"Gene, look out!" Melfina, who was still there, suddenly exclaimed bringing him out of his thoughtful state and back into the reality of the all to simple fight he was engaged in. He blocked this next attack just in time, but this fourth man didn't go down quite as easily. Still, it was only a matter of punches and kicks before he was out of it too.
Melfina simply gaped at the scene unfolding before her. Something had to be wrong here. There had to be more to this then she could see. However Gene was smiling again, apparently he wasn't all that worried anymore, but Melfina knew better then that, and now that handsome smile upon his face which she usually enjoyed completely only worried her more. 'Don't underestimate them, Gene.' She begged him mentally. 'Please, please don't let them hurt you.'
"So," Gene began, staring confidently at the remaining man. "You care to try your luck?"
"My, my, aren't we the cocky one?" He said, unaffected by Gene's little statements. "They said you were good."
"They weren't lying." Gene replied with ever present pride.
"Apparently." The man laughed, and Gene's smile disappeared as that of the other man grew. "That's why I came prepared." And his grin remained as he quickly drew his gun and aimed it at Gene's head. Gene gasped as the man pulled the trigger, doing what he could to get out of the bullets path, and hitting the floor with a thud as it connected cleanly with his left shoulder.
"GENE!" Melfina screamed as he hit the floor, blood spilling relentlessly between his fingers as he grasped his wounded arm.
"Melfina stay back!" Gene exclaimed as he noticed her moving towards him, groaning in pain as he pushed him self into a sitting position. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eye's consumed in worry and fear as she stared down at his now sitting form. And the man looked down at the two slyly as he again aimed the gun at his new found enemy.
"So," He said, his face suddenly becoming very serious. "Where's the kid?"
"Huh?" Gene said still dazed from his wound. (Well duh...^_~)
"Hawking!" The man demanded fearfully. "Where is he?"
'Jim?' Gene thought to himself, not quite sure of what to say. 'Why would he be after...'
"Well?" He inquired as he advanced on Gene. "Where the hell is he?"
"What do you want Jim for?" Gene asked, frustration and annoyance evident in his voice. He just couldn't see any reason for these men, these pirates to be after his young partner. What could they possibly want with Jim?
Melfina was wondering this too. Had Jim crossed path's with these monsters before? Had he done something to make them mad? Anything besides the things they'd done together? And yet any sensible explanations seemed to elude her at this time. Any sensible ones that she wanted to believe anyway.
"Well?" Now it was Gene who sounded impatient.
"That's really none of your concern." He replied icily, to which Gene could only sigh. This was getting very, very annoying. "Just tell me where he is!"
"I have no idea." Gene told him honestly, not that he would have told a pirate of all people where Jim was anyway.
"Like hell you don't!" The man apparently didn't believe him. He was standing right over top of Gene now, his dark hair falling in his eye's as he looked down at the outlaw with a sinister glare.
"I don't." Was all Gene told him again.
"Dammit!" He exclaimed, kicking Gene back and grinding his boot firmly into the others chest. "Do you really want me to kill you?"
"I don't know where he is!" Gene shouted through clenched his teeth. It was all he could do not to cry out in pain as the other continued to apply pressure to his chest. He had to stay strong though, he couldn't give up. But he had to admit it was pretty hard to stay strong when he could barely breath. 'Damn!' He exclaimed mentally. 'I seem helpless.' The thought was a bitter one. He really hated the way he was acting, it was so, unlike him. It was almost as though he were pleading with the dark man before him. Pleading, begging, words he previously didn't consider to be in his vocabulary, so why did he seem so helpless now? Why couldn't he fight back?
That thought in itself was enough to fuel his will and cause him to lash out violently at the dark man who nearly toppled over as Gene did what he could to escape his hold. The other raised an eyebrow at this, once again aiming his gun in the direction of Gene's face. "Not giving up yet, I see?" He said darkly, the grin coming back to his face.
Gene glared at the man. "Give up?" He said in a questioning tone, pain still noticeable in his voice. "Now why would I want to do a thing like that?"
"Maybe because your on the verge of death."
"Then I'll go down fighting." He said, allowing an accepting smile to form on his face. "Because Outlaws never goes down easy."
"Oh, Gene..." Melfina whispered almost sadly at the site before her. 'Gene, please...' Those last words worried her more than anything, and there were tears forming in her amber eyes as she let them replay over and over in her mind.
"Good-bye Gene Starwind." The man smiled as well, letting his finger run gingerly over the trigger. And then...
"Gene! No!" Melfina exclaimed, no longer able to bare the event unfolding before her eye's as she threw herself at the man and knocked him to the floor. She had never been a violent person but there was only so much that she could take, and standing there like some weak little girl while someone she cared about got himself killed was *not* one of them.
Gene's eye's widened at this, both out of shock and out of relief. "Melfina..." He whispered to himself, his voice holding some pride in her name. He'd never expected such a feat from her, she was so quite, so gentle, and apparently she was spontaneous as well. A thought that only made him like her more.
"Damn you!" The man exclaimed, throwing her aside easily as he stood to his feet. "I must say, I'm impressed." He added and then kicked her bitterly in the side.
Gene's eyes narrowed at the site as he too forced himself to stand. "You, leave her alone!" He demanded angrily, and the man continued to smile as he turned back to him.
"I'll leave you both alone." He said to Gene's surprise as he walked towards the door.
"What...?" Gene uttered, confused.
"The kids not here." He stated simply "No need to waste my time with you." And with that he was out the door, leaving Gene to stand there lost in his own confusion. "Oh, and one more thing." The Man peaked his head back in. "If ya see him, tell him that Dom's looking for him. I'm sure he'll be pleased."
"Gene?" Melfina's voice came out low as she got to her feet. "Gene, what is he talking about?"
"I don't know." Gene shook his head slowly. "But I'll find out. You can count on it!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dark haired man sighed as he left the hotel and headed for the street. 'Mission incomplete.' He thought to himself sourly, running a hand through his thick black hair and taking a seat in the awaiting car outside.
"Well?" He was greeted by his employer as he climbed into the vehicle. "Where's the kid, Jack?"
"He wasn't there." The man, apparently Jack replied to the man in the shadows.
The man, whom Jack knew as Dominic, frowned at this leaning forward a bit into the light so that Jack could get a better look at him. It was obvious that he was tall and lean even though he was still sitting, with kind of a strange muscular build that appeared almost lanky. His hair was an unnatural shade of blond, almost white in fact, and his eye's, which now practically glared at Jack, were the iciest shade of blue. "And what of the others?" He asked referring to Gene and Melfina.
"They don't seem to know anything." He answered. "I figured that staying any longer would have been a waste of time."
"Right." The other nodded. "And your men?"
"Useless weaklings, sir. They're were all killed or injured in a matter of minutes." Jack recalled the events of their near defeat.
"Figures." Dom said, not at all surprised by what he'd just been told. "They were dispensable anyway."
Now it was Jacks turn to nod as the car began to move. "Yes, sir. That they were." Then after he thought a moment asked, "So what do we do now?"
"We find Jim." He replied, and Jack took on a look of surprise, it wasn't often that Dom called the boy by name. "That kids caused me more problems then I care to admit and it's time he paid for that. Do you have the detonator?"
"Here." Jack said holding out a small mechanical device, to which Dom smiled sinisterly.
"Good." He grinned. "And this, kid," He spoke the words as though Jim could hear him. "is only the beginning of what you deserve." And with that he pressed a small red button in the center of the device which held. Jack too grinned as he stared out the back widow, watching with intrigue as the hotel behind them was blown to pieces.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So which way do we go now?" Jim asked as they neared a fork in the road.
"Go right." Hilda instructed the boy from her seat beside him. "You know, Jim, you wouldn't have to ask so many questions if you'd just let *Me* drive." She reminded him, to which he simply shrugged.
"It's my car, Hilda." He stated in pride, smiling despite himself as he drove.
"Yeah, well you don't have any idea where we're going." Hilda said, trying to sound logical.
"Do you?" He smirked and she sighed.
"Yes." She answered the boy, shaking her head slightly in annoyance. "Which is exactly why *I* should be the one driving."
"But my Ehefrau likes me better." He said knowing perfectly well that he sounded like a five-year-old but caring little as he laughed lightly at the look Hilda got on her face.
"Right." She rolled her eye's at the boy in the drivers seat, to which he only laughed more. "Just keep your eye's on the road." She said as he was glancing over at her. Jim nodded and turned his attention back to the traffic and street signs.
They hadn't been driving long yet, not even an hour, but to Jim it seemed forever. He still didn't like the idea of leaving his friends in order to keep himself safe, and yet from what Hilda had said it was really the best for all them. He couldn't help but doubt it though. How could their separation be a good thing? Even under the current circumstances?
"Jim, Pay attention." Hilda said suddenly, bringing the boy out of his pensive state.
"Huh? Uhhh... Yeah, sorry." He mumbled, his words coming out almost shakily as he spoke.
"You, okay?" Hilda asked a little worried. He'd been fine a minute ago.
"Yeah." He replied, sighing as he did. "I'm just thinking is all."
Hilda wasn't surprised by this. Jim had been in and out of thought all day and she knew that it couldn't be helped. The day had been a dark one for her young friend, and he wasn't the type to run away from his problems like this. "About what?" She asked simply for conversational prepossess.
"About Gene." He replied with the words she knew he'd use. "We shouldn't have left them."
"Jim, you didn't have a choice." She reminded him for what seemed the millionth time that day.
"You keep saying that." Jim said frustrated. "It really doesn't make any of this feel any better."
"Well, sorry for trying." Hilda said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Don't be." Jim said softly. "I know your just trying to help, Hilda, but this whole situation is just so...." He trailed off with a sigh, letting his shoulders slouch as he did.
"Look," Hilda began her reply. "I know how hard this all is for you. I know you didn't want to leave the others. But Jim, you have to understand, that it was for the best and worrying about it isn't going to help anyone and neither is feeling sorry for yourself."
"But what about Gene?" Jim asked, worry still evident in his voice as well as his azure eye's. "How can I tell him? What if something happens to him?"
"Gene'll be fine." She answered him confidently. "And as for telling him, he'll understand. I know he will."
"Okay." He said, still skeptical. "It's just that Gene's like a brother to me. I don't know what I'd do if..."
"Stop it Jim." Hilda cut him off sternly. "Your only going to make things worse if you think that way.
He nodded. "Yeah, I guess." And then...
*Boom*
Jim barely had time to gasp as the ground behind them was blown apart, and he could feel the car spinning uncontrollably underneath his now dizzy body. "Whoa...!" He exclaimed as they spun, nearly colliding with a nearby building. And for about a minute everything went black....
"Jim?" Hilda shook the boy lightly as his head rested on the steering wheel. And then upon seeing where the blast had come from, she shook him a little more. "Jim, wake up! We have to get out of here!"
"Huh...? What...?" The boy sounded dazed.
"Jim, come on!" Hilda continued to shake him awake.
"Huh? Hilda, what happened?" He sounded confused, glancing around as he opened his eye's. "Oh my God! My car! Ehefrau!"
"Your stupid cars fine!" Hilda assured him. "Now we have to get out of here before we get ourselves killed!"
Jim looked up rather quickly at this to see just what Hilda had been talking about and was surprised to see a rather large black car advancing on them. "Pirates!" He exclaimed, recognizing the car, as he sat up immediately and started the car back up.
"Hilda glanced back at them as they began riding away. They looked pretty well off for pirates, for the car they were in they looked more like your average wealthy people did. But there was something about them that told her Jim was right. Aside from the fact that they were attacking them.
They were off in a flash, the other car trailing behind them quickly as they did, shooting at them every chance they got. "What's going on, Hilda?" Jim asked confused and worried. "I thought you said they wanted me alive!"
"They do." Hilda replied.
"Oh yeah?" He said spinning the steering wheel fiercely to the right as he swerved out of the way of an on coming car. "Well, they sure have a funny way of showing it! They're shooting at us!"
"Yeah, you noticed that to, huh?" Hilda said sarcastically, still glancing back at their pursuers from time to time.
"Cute." Jim rolled his eye's at her. "Real cute. Where being chased by some psycho path pirates who are trying to *kill* us, and your making jokes." He chuckled despite himself. "Funny..."
Hilda sighed at this, she hadn't really meant it sound like that, but it was just the way she was. Strait forward, and if that meant being sarcastic, well then that was her too. "Isn't it though?" She turned back to the boy, who was driving furiously himself, barely dodging the people, cars and buildings which were in his path. 'Why couldn't he just let me drive?' She mused as they made a rather sharp left, followed by a right and another left. "Ummm... Jim, Where are we going?" he asked the question that he'd been pondering earlier, to which he just shrugged.
"Anywhere that they're not!" Was his reply as he made another left, the pirates still tailing them, but not as closely.
"We're losing them." Hilda announced as they swerved dangerously to the right, coming all to close to the corner of a tall brick building at their side.
Jim nodded. "Good." He said, making yet another left and speeding past some rather shocked pedestrian's.
"You know, Jim, I really *Don't* think you know what your doing here." Hilda informed the boy who'd just barely made it out of yet another near collision with a passing car.
"Well, you try driving under this kind of pressure and see how well you do!" He replied seriously, as gun shots could still be heard in the background.
"I wish I could!" Hilda shook her head slowly. "But a certain *Someone* wouldn't let me drive his precious 'Ehefrau'"
Jim rolled his eye's as they turned another corner, choosing not to say a thing about his friends little statement. He had bigger things to worry about right now. "Hey, Jim, turn in there." Hilda instructed, pointing to a small dark alley way on their left.
"Right." Jim nodded making the turn and letting the shadows devour them. "Now stay quiet." He reminded her as he turned off the ignition and put a finger to his lips. Hilda gave him an 'I was planning on it' sorta look and he smiled at thought.
They watched carefully as the black car flew by still in search of them and sighed in relief as it passed them without so much as slowing down. "Well, that was a close one." Hilda stated in her usual cool tone.
Jim's smile however was gone quickly as watched the other car disappear from their view. "I don't like this, Hilda." The boy muttered darkly and Hilda's eye's wandered over to him, narrowing slightly at the sight of the boy in the shadows.
"What's the matter with you?" She asked, figuring he'd be happy that'd they'd escaped with their lives.
"We have to go back with Gene." He stated simply.
"Oh, not this again." She sounded almost annoyed.
"Yes!" Jim emphasized. "This again!"
"Jim, how many times do I have to tell you, we'd be..."
"Better off this way." He completed the sentence he'd heard oh so many times before. "Maybe so, but it doesn't seem to be helping a damn thing!"
"Jim..."
"We need to be together." He cut her off again. "And we're going to be! I don't like this situation one little bit, and I'm sure Gene's not taking it so hot either, and I'm *not* going to just run away when my friends might need my help!"
"Fine." She sighed.
"And further more..." He trailed off, glancing at her. "Fine?" He asked. "You mean it?"
She nodded. "Yes, Jim, I mean it."
"Really?" He smiled. "Good! Cause I was gonna go anyway." Hilda rolled her eye's at the boy as he started the car up again. "I was." He repeated. "Really..."
"Lets just get going." She told him simply as they pulled out of the alley. And then added with a grin, "Before I change my mind." Now it was Jim's turn to roll his eye's as they made the appropriate turn and headed back in the direction of the hotel.
It took little under an hour for them to reach their destination, at first having a hard time deciding which way to go after their little 'Car chase' incident. Jim smiled at the thought of seeing his friends again, it hadn't even been a day since he'd run off, and yet it seemed so much longer. Painfully longer. And unlike before, he had no doubt in his mind that Gene would be worried about him. It was one thing him to leave, but to take his stuff along with him? That was quite another, and he knew it. Gene probably thought he was gone for good.
Hilda on the other hand, didn't look so thrilled. It had been one thing to see Jim again, but Gene? Well, that would be quite interesting. It had been awhile since they'd last seen each other. Since she'd supposedly died, and to see him again just seemed like it would be hard. On both of them. She made no secret of the fact that she had some feelings for the guy, she hadn't when she was "alive" and she sure as hell wouldn't now.
But things had changed since then, she knew. Hadn't Jim mentioned something about Gene liking Melfina? She was sure he had, a statement that really hadn't surprised her. Melfina was good for him, sweet, kind, safe. Gene could love her and know that it would last. Melfina was someone he could trust. Not that she couldn't be trusted, she knew very well that she could, but actual relationships really weren't her thing. Of course after meeting Gene, that had complicated things a bit.
"We're almost there." Jim announced coolly, doing his best not to express his excitement as they neared the last turn off on the way to the hotel. Hilda nodded, not saying a word as they approached their location. She let her head droop down a bit, both out of fatigue and out of the worry that still lingered in the back of her mind. And yet she let herself block the thought from excelling any further, closing her eye's as she did, doing her best to relax.
She had nearly nodded off when the Jim stopped the car with a sudden gasp, causing her head to pop back up immediately. "Gene..." He said the name of his friend slowly, his eye's wide in fear and disbelief.
"What is it?" Hilda asked, staring over at the boy before letting her own eye's wonder to that which his were locked. "Oh, my..." She trailed off as she saw the pile of rubble and brick before her, her face taking on an expression not unlike that of the boy beside her.
Jim was out of the car in a second as he stared in bewilderment at the debris before. "Gene!?" He screamed running towards the hotels ruins. "Gene! Melfina! Where are you?! Gene!?"
"Gene?" Hilda called as she too got out of the car, much more slowly then her young friend and stood there in shock of what she saw.
"Gene?!" Jim's cries were much more pleading, as his breathing became shallow. "Melfina?! Please! Gene?! Where are you?"
"Jim..." Hilda could barely utter the boys name as she watched him search for his friends, from what she could see, on the verge of tears. She couldn't help but feel guilty, after all this *was* her fault. If only she'd brought him back sooner. If only she hadn't been so stubborn. If only she'd come back sooner...
"No!" Jim exclaimed turning on her. "It's not supposed to be like this, Hilda! We came back. We came here to help them. It's not supposed to be like this. It's not!"
"I know..." She said so low that he could barely hear her. "I know, Jim, I'm so sorry..."
And as the sunset behind him Jim could hold his tears in no longer. "Gene..." He whispered, turning away again, an almost overwhelming sense of defeat rushing over the boy as his lingering tears fell freely. He shook his head again, in disbelief and fear of the site he saw, of the answers he didn't receive, of the loss that was his own. And his small body was shacking uncontrollably as his screams filled the evening air. "Gene?!" He called into the night, his chest heaving painfully beneath his shirt as his heart pounding and his chest. "Aniki....?!"
To be continued...
A/N: *Grins* I'll bet by now you guys are starting to hate me. To many cliffhangers, I know, but I'm just full of them! Besides they do tend to build up the suspense ^_^ OK, so how did you like this part? Did it make sense and stuff? *Fingers crossed* Hope so! Hmm ... perhaps I'm to critical of myself, ne? Oh well, thanx for reading! Until next time....