***Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star or the characters...
Konnichiwa minna-san! I'm sorry for neglecting this fic, but I finally wrote this chapter, so that's good news! I hope you guys like it and please review!
Chapter Eleven
It was raining hard by the time Gene arrived at the graveyard. The ground was wet and slick, and he could smell the mist floating in the cold air. His hair and clothes were drenched as they clinged tightly to his body. He sat outside the iron gates of the graveyard, waiting for Jim to come.
His heart was beating wildly, almost to the point of it bursting through his skin. Adrenaline was racing through his veins. He was ready. He wasn't sure what destiny had planned for him-though, he hardly cared-but he was sure that either way, Melfina would be and stay alive. He already lost someone he cared deeply for; he didn't want it to happen again.
He could still remember the way he would do anything for Hilda to protect her, even risking his own life in the process. "You take life for granted, Gene," she would say as they sat in a dim tavern. "One of these days it will turn it's back on you and strike you with full force."
"Life…" he whispered, staring at the dark gray sky. The sky looked like smoke rising from a magical genie's lamp, a lamp that he never got to wish on. "Life is short, too short."
Suddenly he heard feet shuffle in the wet mud with their shoes. He looked up to see Jim standing with Aisha, staring at him with sadness reflecting in their eyes. "Gene…" Jim said quietly, lightly squeezing the leather handle of his back. "A-Are you all-"
"I'm fine," Gene said defensively, removing the sorrow that once occupied his face. "I was just thinking about something, that's all."
"Okay," Jim said, and exchanged looks with Aisha. "We brought the stuff you wanted."
Gene took the bag from Jim's tiny hands and zipped it open to reveal guns and bullets. He brought out is gun from his holster to load it with bullets. He then took an extra gun from the bag and ammunition and put it on the other side of his holster. He exchanged looks with Jim as he clicked back his gun. He couldn't believe the look of anguish that was on Jim's small face. He wanted to smile to reassure him that everything was all right, but he couldn't. So, he nodded and walked past the iron gates, the gates to his destiny.
Jim shook his head, muttering, "What a fool," under his sullen breath.
Aisha placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about him, Jim, he knows what he's getting into and he knows he can get out of it, too. Just believe in him."
"I wish I could," he replied, and watched as Gene walked into the tall, dark cathedral. "But now, we have to wait. I just wish I knew for what."
"Jim, do you know why the Catarl Catarl can get through everything with victory?" she asked.
Jim wringed out his drenched T-shirt and looked up at her. "Why is that?"
"The Catarl Catarl stick together and we don't believe in defeat," she replied, and smiled. "And you shouldn't believe in it either. You should believe in triumph and in Gene."
Jim sighed, as he watched his friend left everything behind, to look for something that he might not get to find, and Gene knew that. But Jim wanted to know why he went even though he knew he knew he might not find it? Then, a thought came to him. "Maybe Gene believed in himself and in everyone else, even me," he thought to himself. "And maybe I believe in him, too."
"So, what do you say, Jim?" she asked. "Should we go in there and help him or stand out in this cold rain, getting drenched?"
Jim shrugged away his doubts and looked up at her. "Let's go…we have to help Gene," he said, and smiled. "He can't do everything by himself."
They then started to run toward the marble steps of the cathedral, when two guys in black trenchcoats stepped out in front of them. They lifted up guns to their heads, grinning wickedly.
"And where do you think you're going?" one of the guys asked, clicking back the gun.
Jim and Aisha started to back away, but stopped when they heard a gunshot go off. They turned around to see one of the guys with his gun in the air, as smoke rose from it.
"Don't move," the guy said. "I won't purposely miss you the next time."
Jim swallowed hard as he traded looks with Aisha. "Aisha, I don't think Gene's the only one who needs help."
"Yeah, I can see that, Jim," she said, and looked the guys over.
"Stop chatting and start walking," the other said, motioning his gun to the side. "Now!"
Jim and Aisha started to walk down a long cobblestone path that led to a stone building. They finally reached it and the guys opened the door that opened to a dusty, abandoned tomb. Cobwebs strung from corner to corner and water ran down the stone walls like a waterfall.
"Get in there," the guy said, pushing them in. They fell to the floor, getting them dirty with ash and soot.
"Asshole," Aisha murmured, wiping off her face.
"Such nasty words from a pretty girl," one of the guys said, shaking his head. "It's just too bad that you're going to die soon."
"It's just too bad that when I get out of here I'm going to rip your revolting face off with my claws!" she shouted back.
They laughed and got ready to shut the door. "Don't count on it," he said, and closed the door. They locked it and walked away, leaving them to die.
Aisha shot up and ran over to the door, clawing at it. "Open the damn door! Open it now!" she shouted. "Damn cowards!"
"Aisha," Jim said, pulling his knees to his chest. "It's no use. They won't let us out."
"Jim, I can't be locked up in this cell!" she shouted. "I need to get out of this place!"
"Don't you have special Catarl Catarl powers that can get us out of here or something?" Jim asked.
Aisha leaned against the door and growled in anger. "Yeah, but I sort of…well, been suspended to use them," she said, fidgeting with her fingers.
"What?" Jim asked, his arms falling to his sides. "How could they take away your powers?"
"Well, I sort of displeased the Catarl Catarl empire," she explained, "and so, they took away my powers temporarily."
"Perfect, just perfect," Jim complained, and leaned against the cold wall. "I guess we just have to wait until someone finds us."
Aisha walked over to him and pulled him up by his shirt. "Are you just going to give up so easily?" she asked, her face close to his. "Are you going to let them win and get what they want?"
Jim stared at her with shock in his eyes. Her fortitude and determination surprised him. "I-I guess not," he replied.
"You guess?" she repeated. "It's not a hard question."
"No, I don't want to give up and let them win," he said.
"Good," she said, putting him back down on the floor. "Now, let's find a way out of this place."
"All right," he agreed, and began to search for an exit.
--
Gene wandered around the cathedral, searching for Harry. He walked down a long, dark hallway that was tainted by the stained glass windows on the wall. His soggy boots made obscene noises as he walked and his hair trickled water down his face. He was drenched from head to foot.
His pace quickened once he saw light at the end of the hallway. Once he reached the end, he pulled his gun out of the holster and looked into the room. It was empty, with not a single person in sight.
He walked in and looked the room over. "Where are you, Harry? Where are you hiding?" he asked, but no answer.
Then, suddenly a loose board started to creak. He quickly turned and saw Harry, grinning viciously. "I'm right here, Gene," he said. "I see you finally came to defeat me. Well, I don't want to burst your bubble, but you're not going to succeed at what you've come here to do."
Gene smiled and aimed his gun at Harry. "Harry, you just don't get it, do you?" he asked. "In life, not everything comes as easy as you might want it to, especially when it comes to fighting me."
"Well, I guess we have to see about that, Gene," he said, and pulled out a gun from his pocket.
"Guess so," Gene said, tightly gripping his gun. "Are you ready?"
"I'm always ready," Harry replied, and clicked the hammer back on his gun. "It's time to die, Gene Starwind."
--
To Be Continued... (only one more chapter to go!)
Please review!
Konnichiwa minna-san! I'm sorry for neglecting this fic, but I finally wrote this chapter, so that's good news! I hope you guys like it and please review!
Chapter Eleven
It was raining hard by the time Gene arrived at the graveyard. The ground was wet and slick, and he could smell the mist floating in the cold air. His hair and clothes were drenched as they clinged tightly to his body. He sat outside the iron gates of the graveyard, waiting for Jim to come.
His heart was beating wildly, almost to the point of it bursting through his skin. Adrenaline was racing through his veins. He was ready. He wasn't sure what destiny had planned for him-though, he hardly cared-but he was sure that either way, Melfina would be and stay alive. He already lost someone he cared deeply for; he didn't want it to happen again.
He could still remember the way he would do anything for Hilda to protect her, even risking his own life in the process. "You take life for granted, Gene," she would say as they sat in a dim tavern. "One of these days it will turn it's back on you and strike you with full force."
"Life…" he whispered, staring at the dark gray sky. The sky looked like smoke rising from a magical genie's lamp, a lamp that he never got to wish on. "Life is short, too short."
Suddenly he heard feet shuffle in the wet mud with their shoes. He looked up to see Jim standing with Aisha, staring at him with sadness reflecting in their eyes. "Gene…" Jim said quietly, lightly squeezing the leather handle of his back. "A-Are you all-"
"I'm fine," Gene said defensively, removing the sorrow that once occupied his face. "I was just thinking about something, that's all."
"Okay," Jim said, and exchanged looks with Aisha. "We brought the stuff you wanted."
Gene took the bag from Jim's tiny hands and zipped it open to reveal guns and bullets. He brought out is gun from his holster to load it with bullets. He then took an extra gun from the bag and ammunition and put it on the other side of his holster. He exchanged looks with Jim as he clicked back his gun. He couldn't believe the look of anguish that was on Jim's small face. He wanted to smile to reassure him that everything was all right, but he couldn't. So, he nodded and walked past the iron gates, the gates to his destiny.
Jim shook his head, muttering, "What a fool," under his sullen breath.
Aisha placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about him, Jim, he knows what he's getting into and he knows he can get out of it, too. Just believe in him."
"I wish I could," he replied, and watched as Gene walked into the tall, dark cathedral. "But now, we have to wait. I just wish I knew for what."
"Jim, do you know why the Catarl Catarl can get through everything with victory?" she asked.
Jim wringed out his drenched T-shirt and looked up at her. "Why is that?"
"The Catarl Catarl stick together and we don't believe in defeat," she replied, and smiled. "And you shouldn't believe in it either. You should believe in triumph and in Gene."
Jim sighed, as he watched his friend left everything behind, to look for something that he might not get to find, and Gene knew that. But Jim wanted to know why he went even though he knew he knew he might not find it? Then, a thought came to him. "Maybe Gene believed in himself and in everyone else, even me," he thought to himself. "And maybe I believe in him, too."
"So, what do you say, Jim?" she asked. "Should we go in there and help him or stand out in this cold rain, getting drenched?"
Jim shrugged away his doubts and looked up at her. "Let's go…we have to help Gene," he said, and smiled. "He can't do everything by himself."
They then started to run toward the marble steps of the cathedral, when two guys in black trenchcoats stepped out in front of them. They lifted up guns to their heads, grinning wickedly.
"And where do you think you're going?" one of the guys asked, clicking back the gun.
Jim and Aisha started to back away, but stopped when they heard a gunshot go off. They turned around to see one of the guys with his gun in the air, as smoke rose from it.
"Don't move," the guy said. "I won't purposely miss you the next time."
Jim swallowed hard as he traded looks with Aisha. "Aisha, I don't think Gene's the only one who needs help."
"Yeah, I can see that, Jim," she said, and looked the guys over.
"Stop chatting and start walking," the other said, motioning his gun to the side. "Now!"
Jim and Aisha started to walk down a long cobblestone path that led to a stone building. They finally reached it and the guys opened the door that opened to a dusty, abandoned tomb. Cobwebs strung from corner to corner and water ran down the stone walls like a waterfall.
"Get in there," the guy said, pushing them in. They fell to the floor, getting them dirty with ash and soot.
"Asshole," Aisha murmured, wiping off her face.
"Such nasty words from a pretty girl," one of the guys said, shaking his head. "It's just too bad that you're going to die soon."
"It's just too bad that when I get out of here I'm going to rip your revolting face off with my claws!" she shouted back.
They laughed and got ready to shut the door. "Don't count on it," he said, and closed the door. They locked it and walked away, leaving them to die.
Aisha shot up and ran over to the door, clawing at it. "Open the damn door! Open it now!" she shouted. "Damn cowards!"
"Aisha," Jim said, pulling his knees to his chest. "It's no use. They won't let us out."
"Jim, I can't be locked up in this cell!" she shouted. "I need to get out of this place!"
"Don't you have special Catarl Catarl powers that can get us out of here or something?" Jim asked.
Aisha leaned against the door and growled in anger. "Yeah, but I sort of…well, been suspended to use them," she said, fidgeting with her fingers.
"What?" Jim asked, his arms falling to his sides. "How could they take away your powers?"
"Well, I sort of displeased the Catarl Catarl empire," she explained, "and so, they took away my powers temporarily."
"Perfect, just perfect," Jim complained, and leaned against the cold wall. "I guess we just have to wait until someone finds us."
Aisha walked over to him and pulled him up by his shirt. "Are you just going to give up so easily?" she asked, her face close to his. "Are you going to let them win and get what they want?"
Jim stared at her with shock in his eyes. Her fortitude and determination surprised him. "I-I guess not," he replied.
"You guess?" she repeated. "It's not a hard question."
"No, I don't want to give up and let them win," he said.
"Good," she said, putting him back down on the floor. "Now, let's find a way out of this place."
"All right," he agreed, and began to search for an exit.
--
Gene wandered around the cathedral, searching for Harry. He walked down a long, dark hallway that was tainted by the stained glass windows on the wall. His soggy boots made obscene noises as he walked and his hair trickled water down his face. He was drenched from head to foot.
His pace quickened once he saw light at the end of the hallway. Once he reached the end, he pulled his gun out of the holster and looked into the room. It was empty, with not a single person in sight.
He walked in and looked the room over. "Where are you, Harry? Where are you hiding?" he asked, but no answer.
Then, suddenly a loose board started to creak. He quickly turned and saw Harry, grinning viciously. "I'm right here, Gene," he said. "I see you finally came to defeat me. Well, I don't want to burst your bubble, but you're not going to succeed at what you've come here to do."
Gene smiled and aimed his gun at Harry. "Harry, you just don't get it, do you?" he asked. "In life, not everything comes as easy as you might want it to, especially when it comes to fighting me."
"Well, I guess we have to see about that, Gene," he said, and pulled out a gun from his pocket.
"Guess so," Gene said, tightly gripping his gun. "Are you ready?"
"I'm always ready," Harry replied, and clicked the hammer back on his gun. "It's time to die, Gene Starwind."
--
To Be Continued... (only one more chapter to go!)
Please review!
