Here it is, Chapter 6! And thank you all for your feedback! To The EMPRESS and others who are wondering how I get these chapters out so fast, it's because I'm actually somewhat farther then what I post up at FF.Net. But that may not always be the case, provided that schoolwork doesn't bog me down. :b
To Chaos and other Bit/Leena-shippers: Sorry to dissappoint you all! I'm just glad the more "rabid" B/L supporters aren't flaming me. I'm glad you all will continue reading and keep an open mind. Besides...ya never know what surprises I have in store!
And to SuperKat and others who are wondering: You'll see how poor Jamie's doing soon. Just be patient! ^_~
Anyway, the warning in Chapter 5 applies to this as well. And I would _really_ like to get reviews and feedback for this one. It's probably one of the most dramatic stuff I've written. Enjoy! (at least you had better enjoy...:b)
-------------------------------------------
"I wonder how Leena's doing," Bit thought out loud.
"Shouldn't you be wondering about Jamie?" Leon asked. They were sitting in the lounge room of the Tauros base, enjoying a cup of coffee.
"I wonder how he's doing, too, but Leena's really beginning to worry me," said Bit.
"Why?" asked Leon, putting down his cup.
"I don't know. I guess, it's 'cause she hasn't said more than two words since we got home from the hospital yesterday. I understand how she feels terrible for Jamie. We all do. But she's acting like if Jamie dies, she'll just kill herself. I want to be there for her. I want to comfort her and be a shoulder to cry on. I just...I don't know," Bit said looking away. Leon smiled.
"Awww," he said, ruffling Bit's hair, "Does wittle Bit have a wittle cwush on my wittle sister?"
"Get your stinkin' paws off me!" Bit pushed his hand away, blushing a deep crimson red. Leon laughed.
"I do not," Bit huffed in his defense.
"You act like you're twelve," Leon teased. Suddenly his face softened.
"Twelve," he repeated, "That's how old Jamie was. When he helped me see the light."
"'See the light'? What are you talking about?" Bit questioned.
"Sit for a spell, Bit Cloud. What I'm about to tell you, may change your whole perception of me," said Leon. Bit raised an eyebrow.
"I already don't like where this is going," Bit replied. Leon cleared his throat.
"Bit, I haven't always been this honest, hard-working, always-doing-the-right-thing kind of guy, you know."
"Are you telling me, that you used to be...bad? Don't make me laugh!"
"It's true. When I was younger I was part of a gang called Los Diablos."
"You're kidding."
"No. I was a delinquent. I didn't care at all for my father and my sister. I was a complete wreck after my mother died. But long story short, I joined Los Diablos. Bit, we did terrible, questionable things. We didn't kill anyone, but we sent plenty to hospitals. We stole and spent many nights getting drunk and......look, maybe I should just skip to the part where Jamie snaps me out of it. A lot of those memories I don't want to relive."
Bit didn't say a word. He just looked at Leon, attentavily.
*Flashback: 5 years ago*
A dark Friday evening. Dr. Tauros was pulling in another late hour, working. Leena was sitting in the living room playing a Zoid fighting video game with Jamie. Ever since the incident last year, Jamie had always suggested spending late evenings with her whenever she was home alone. Leena didn't like being treated like a little girl ESPECIALLY by someone who was younger than her.
But, she had to admit, she enjoyed the company. And she felt safe.
"HA! Beat you again!" Leena yelled after her D. Bison totally destroyed Jamie's Iron Kong. She flashed a "V for Victory" sign and shoved it in Jamie's face. "I'm number one!"
"You know, I just let you win," Jamie grumbled.
"Suuure," Leena scoffed and cackled. There was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it," Jamie offered, "Who is it?"
"Tsurugi," yelled a voice from the other side. Leena opened the door. A tall, dark man wearing a long, brown trenchcoat and had long silver hair stood in the doorway. One of Leon's gang members, no doubt.
"Is Leon here?" he asked in a dark, raspy tone.
"Uh, no," Leena said nervously.
"Blast," he muttered quietly under his breath. Then in a louder voice, "Well as soon as he comes home, tell him this: The wolves will howl at the moon at midnight."
"Huh?" Leena scratched her head.
"He'll know what you mean. Good night," said Tsurugi and he left as quietly as he came. Leena shut the door and gave Jamie a questioning look. He just shook his head and shrugged.
Shortly after, Leon made it home, looking tired and beat. He didn't even greet his sister, but it was okay. Leena was used to not being acknowledged by her brother. Hell, she wouldn't have even talked to him if she didn't have a message to deliver.
"Tsurugi came by," she said, not taking her eyes off the game.
"Oh? What'd he want?" Leon asked.
"He wanted me to tell you: The wolves will howl at the moon at midnight. He said you'd know what he meant." No response. Leena turned back to her brother to see he had froze.
"Oh, shit," he cursed under his breath, "Tonight."
"What? What's going on?" Leena asked. Leon quickly darted to his room. Leena followed him. Something was definatly up.
Once Leon was in his room, he looked around to make sure noone was watching. Once safe, he opened a drawer and took out a metallic weapon. The gun glistened in the night. He loaded the cartridge into its slot.
"Oh my god!" Leena screamed. Leon turned around and saw she had been watching.
*SHIT!* he cursed in his mind. He had been so blind, he forgot to close the door. Idiot!
"Listen, Leena, you will NOT tell Dad about this nor will you follow me!" Leon said.
"What is going on? How long did you have that gun? And what the hell do you plan on doing with it?" Leena demanded.
"Damn you, Leena," Leon said raising the hand with the gun as if to hit her, "If you value your life whatsoever, you will stay out of my business!"
"But I value _your_ life, Leon," Leena said, this time in a soft voice. Leon face softened for a second after hearing his sister's plea. But he quickly shifted back into his personality. He pushed past her and headed out the door. Jamie's eyes grew wide.
"Did he have a gun?" Jamie asked incredulously. Leena nodded.
"Now you know what _we_ have to do...."
Five minutes to midnight. Los Diablos members were in a dark alley near an abandoned Moonbay, Inc. factory. The members were getting restless. Some loaded guns, others twirled their knives, and others just stood still, waiting patiently.
"Well, tonight it all ends. The big showdown," said Tsurugi. Leon licked his lips.
"I'd be surprised if any of them show up," he mocked. But he knew they would.
"It should be anytime now," Tsurugi said, "Just promise the pack that you won't get killed. It won't be much of a victory, if you die."
"Don't worry. What happened to our old leader won't happen to me."
"Hey look!" yelled a Diablo. Everyone tensed up.
"Is it one of those freakin' Hellcats?" asked another Diablo.
"No, it's some broad with a kid!" he answered.
Broad? Kid? Shit.
Leon saw Leena and Jamie on their bikes, standing a good distance away from them.
"What are you guys doing here?" he demanded.
"We're going to take you home," Leena said sternly.
"Uh, yeah," said Jamie, but he was scared out of his wits. A bunch of guys with guns and knives were glaring at them. Memories of Rick were becoming all too clear.
"Leave, now!" Leon ordered, "Do you want to get yourselves killed?!"
"Isn't that why you guys are here?" blared a voice. The rival gang had arrived. The leader loaded his gun. "Tonight, you're goin' down."
Guns were blazing. Knives were being thrown and were plunging deep into their enemies' hearts. Leon ducked under a garbage bin. Leena quickly grabbed Jamie, covered his eyes, and slunk away into the darkness. Leon looked over the bin and fired. He heard the scream of an enemy. Tsurugi came by and sat next to him. Leon noticed fresh blood on his knife.
"They've brought more men then we did," he informed. But he smiled, "But we out-gun them. Some of our guys brought sub-machine guns. They'll be able to take out a good chunk of 'em."
"This place will be drenched with Hellcat blood when we're through," Leon said, smirking. But his smirk quickly faded. "But my sister, I gotta get her and Jamie outta here."
"Leave them to me," said Tsurugi as he vanished from behind the garbage bin. Leon dashed and rolled away from the bin and fired at will. He shot four guys, but not in vital areas. They could live. If his friends didn't finish them off. Leon stood up to see if he could aide any of his gang-mates. Most had run out of ammo and we're hand-to-hand fighting or using knives. But there were still some with guns. He heard two more gunshots followed by screams. He looked in the direction of the target. His eyes grew wide. Tsurugi clenched his left shoulder with his right hand. Blood seeped through his fingers.
"Tsurugi!" he cried out. But Tsurugi shook his head. He forced his wounded arm to point in another, more important direction. Leon's heart stopped cold. There was Jamie looking down with tears in his eyes. Leena. Lying on the ground in a pool of blood. The target of the second gunshot.
Leon quickly ran over to her body, avoiding every attack. He knelt down and touched her neck.
"Look what you've done! Look what you've done!" Jamie cried through tears.
"Get her out of here!" Tsurugi yelled.
"But what about you guys?" Leon asked.
"What in the world is WRONG with you? You're sister's been shot and you're thinking about us?! Get her help now!" Tsurugi yelled.
"What do I tell my dad?"
"Idiot! She's dying!"
Leon knew there was no way out of this one. None whatsoever. He carried her in his arms and quickly ran out of that bloodbath. He hoped Tsurugi would live long enough so he could thank him the next day.
Leon was in the city hospital later that night. Dr. Tauros was pacing up and down the waiting room. Jamie and his parents were sitting with worry on their faces. Nobody looked at Leon.
Leon remembered what his father told him, after he had explained everything just a few minutes before: "If Leena dies, if the only other important girl in my life dies, I will never want to see your goddamn face again."
"Yes, sir," was his quiet response.
Leon clenched his fists. He was filled with blind rage and flaming fury. But he was surprised by what happened next.
"I know what you're thinking," Jamie said to him after a long period of silence. But it's not like Doc, Oscar, and his wife were paying attention to them, anyway. "You're thinking about revenge. You want to get the rival gang member who shot Leena and make him pay for what he's done."
"You're very perceptive for a twelve-year-old," Leon smirked. Jamie glared at him.
"I bet _how_ Leena got here in the first place, isn't even crossing your mind!" he said.
"Are you saying it's _my_ fault Leena's in here? I told her not to follow me."
"You idiot. You didn't realize the only reason she followed you is because she cares about you? Even though you've treated her like garbage for the past few years, not paying any attention to her, not acknowledging her existence and not even defending her when she was in trouble, she still cared for you and thought of you as her 'great big brother'? Even though, you got mad at her for calling the cops on Rick for attacking her instead of being mad at Rick for attempting force on your sister and let's not even talk about how she runs to you for help before anyone else even when you tell her to screw off and she knows that's all you're going to do. She always had a glimmer of hope that you'd turn around Leon. And so did I.
Now, look. She even followed you to your gang war and ended up taking a bullet. And I bet she won't regret anything if you quit those stupid Diablos."
"Shut up. I don't have to take this from a kid," Leon replied. Jamie let out an "urgh!" in frustration.
"Is that all you have to say?! Don't you know how far Leena will go for you? She'll die for you, Leon! She'll die if that's what it takes for you to turn around. She'll die and...and...I don't want to see her die..." Jamie's eyes began to water. Leon couldn't take it any longer. He embraced the young child, and lost his cold, hard look. Jamie cried in Leon's chest as he stroked his back. Leon forgot this feeling. He forgot ever giving this feeling. And he promised himself never to forget again.
*End Flashback*
"...and that's when I quit. Obviously, Leena survived and from that day on I was clean. If you're wondering, yes, Tsurugi survived so I was able to thank him the next day. But I haven't seen him since, most likely because of jail. But I'll never forget what Jamie said to me that night nor will I forget Leena's 'could-have-been' sacrifice," Leon finished. Like Naomi to Leena's story, Bit was speechless. But his look of awe, soon became a look of approval.
"Well," he finally said, "I'm certainly seeing you in a whole new light, Leon Tauros. I...I honestly don't know what to say."
"Say nothing, Bit."
"Okay. 'Nothing'. How was that?"
Leon laughed. "What I meant was, you don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know the trials I went through and how Jamie fits into my life."
"Well, I can tell you that I respect you on a whole new level, Leon."
"What's going on in here?" asked Brad who had just walked into the room.
"Leon was just telling me a tale," Bit said.
"Oh," said Brad, "Well, the Doc sent me to get you guys. It's time to visit the hospital and see how Jamie's doing."
End Part 6
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids/Zero or its characters. They all belong to their respective creators. BUT the characters of Tsurugi, Rick, and...uh...that hospital receptionist are mine. And the doctor too! So don't use 'em without my permission!...not like anyone would want to use 'em. :P But ya know...just in case...
To Chaos and other Bit/Leena-shippers: Sorry to dissappoint you all! I'm just glad the more "rabid" B/L supporters aren't flaming me. I'm glad you all will continue reading and keep an open mind. Besides...ya never know what surprises I have in store!
And to SuperKat and others who are wondering: You'll see how poor Jamie's doing soon. Just be patient! ^_~
Anyway, the warning in Chapter 5 applies to this as well. And I would _really_ like to get reviews and feedback for this one. It's probably one of the most dramatic stuff I've written. Enjoy! (at least you had better enjoy...:b)
-------------------------------------------
"I wonder how Leena's doing," Bit thought out loud.
"Shouldn't you be wondering about Jamie?" Leon asked. They were sitting in the lounge room of the Tauros base, enjoying a cup of coffee.
"I wonder how he's doing, too, but Leena's really beginning to worry me," said Bit.
"Why?" asked Leon, putting down his cup.
"I don't know. I guess, it's 'cause she hasn't said more than two words since we got home from the hospital yesterday. I understand how she feels terrible for Jamie. We all do. But she's acting like if Jamie dies, she'll just kill herself. I want to be there for her. I want to comfort her and be a shoulder to cry on. I just...I don't know," Bit said looking away. Leon smiled.
"Awww," he said, ruffling Bit's hair, "Does wittle Bit have a wittle cwush on my wittle sister?"
"Get your stinkin' paws off me!" Bit pushed his hand away, blushing a deep crimson red. Leon laughed.
"I do not," Bit huffed in his defense.
"You act like you're twelve," Leon teased. Suddenly his face softened.
"Twelve," he repeated, "That's how old Jamie was. When he helped me see the light."
"'See the light'? What are you talking about?" Bit questioned.
"Sit for a spell, Bit Cloud. What I'm about to tell you, may change your whole perception of me," said Leon. Bit raised an eyebrow.
"I already don't like where this is going," Bit replied. Leon cleared his throat.
"Bit, I haven't always been this honest, hard-working, always-doing-the-right-thing kind of guy, you know."
"Are you telling me, that you used to be...bad? Don't make me laugh!"
"It's true. When I was younger I was part of a gang called Los Diablos."
"You're kidding."
"No. I was a delinquent. I didn't care at all for my father and my sister. I was a complete wreck after my mother died. But long story short, I joined Los Diablos. Bit, we did terrible, questionable things. We didn't kill anyone, but we sent plenty to hospitals. We stole and spent many nights getting drunk and......look, maybe I should just skip to the part where Jamie snaps me out of it. A lot of those memories I don't want to relive."
Bit didn't say a word. He just looked at Leon, attentavily.
*Flashback: 5 years ago*
A dark Friday evening. Dr. Tauros was pulling in another late hour, working. Leena was sitting in the living room playing a Zoid fighting video game with Jamie. Ever since the incident last year, Jamie had always suggested spending late evenings with her whenever she was home alone. Leena didn't like being treated like a little girl ESPECIALLY by someone who was younger than her.
But, she had to admit, she enjoyed the company. And she felt safe.
"HA! Beat you again!" Leena yelled after her D. Bison totally destroyed Jamie's Iron Kong. She flashed a "V for Victory" sign and shoved it in Jamie's face. "I'm number one!"
"You know, I just let you win," Jamie grumbled.
"Suuure," Leena scoffed and cackled. There was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it," Jamie offered, "Who is it?"
"Tsurugi," yelled a voice from the other side. Leena opened the door. A tall, dark man wearing a long, brown trenchcoat and had long silver hair stood in the doorway. One of Leon's gang members, no doubt.
"Is Leon here?" he asked in a dark, raspy tone.
"Uh, no," Leena said nervously.
"Blast," he muttered quietly under his breath. Then in a louder voice, "Well as soon as he comes home, tell him this: The wolves will howl at the moon at midnight."
"Huh?" Leena scratched her head.
"He'll know what you mean. Good night," said Tsurugi and he left as quietly as he came. Leena shut the door and gave Jamie a questioning look. He just shook his head and shrugged.
Shortly after, Leon made it home, looking tired and beat. He didn't even greet his sister, but it was okay. Leena was used to not being acknowledged by her brother. Hell, she wouldn't have even talked to him if she didn't have a message to deliver.
"Tsurugi came by," she said, not taking her eyes off the game.
"Oh? What'd he want?" Leon asked.
"He wanted me to tell you: The wolves will howl at the moon at midnight. He said you'd know what he meant." No response. Leena turned back to her brother to see he had froze.
"Oh, shit," he cursed under his breath, "Tonight."
"What? What's going on?" Leena asked. Leon quickly darted to his room. Leena followed him. Something was definatly up.
Once Leon was in his room, he looked around to make sure noone was watching. Once safe, he opened a drawer and took out a metallic weapon. The gun glistened in the night. He loaded the cartridge into its slot.
"Oh my god!" Leena screamed. Leon turned around and saw she had been watching.
*SHIT!* he cursed in his mind. He had been so blind, he forgot to close the door. Idiot!
"Listen, Leena, you will NOT tell Dad about this nor will you follow me!" Leon said.
"What is going on? How long did you have that gun? And what the hell do you plan on doing with it?" Leena demanded.
"Damn you, Leena," Leon said raising the hand with the gun as if to hit her, "If you value your life whatsoever, you will stay out of my business!"
"But I value _your_ life, Leon," Leena said, this time in a soft voice. Leon face softened for a second after hearing his sister's plea. But he quickly shifted back into his personality. He pushed past her and headed out the door. Jamie's eyes grew wide.
"Did he have a gun?" Jamie asked incredulously. Leena nodded.
"Now you know what _we_ have to do...."
Five minutes to midnight. Los Diablos members were in a dark alley near an abandoned Moonbay, Inc. factory. The members were getting restless. Some loaded guns, others twirled their knives, and others just stood still, waiting patiently.
"Well, tonight it all ends. The big showdown," said Tsurugi. Leon licked his lips.
"I'd be surprised if any of them show up," he mocked. But he knew they would.
"It should be anytime now," Tsurugi said, "Just promise the pack that you won't get killed. It won't be much of a victory, if you die."
"Don't worry. What happened to our old leader won't happen to me."
"Hey look!" yelled a Diablo. Everyone tensed up.
"Is it one of those freakin' Hellcats?" asked another Diablo.
"No, it's some broad with a kid!" he answered.
Broad? Kid? Shit.
Leon saw Leena and Jamie on their bikes, standing a good distance away from them.
"What are you guys doing here?" he demanded.
"We're going to take you home," Leena said sternly.
"Uh, yeah," said Jamie, but he was scared out of his wits. A bunch of guys with guns and knives were glaring at them. Memories of Rick were becoming all too clear.
"Leave, now!" Leon ordered, "Do you want to get yourselves killed?!"
"Isn't that why you guys are here?" blared a voice. The rival gang had arrived. The leader loaded his gun. "Tonight, you're goin' down."
Guns were blazing. Knives were being thrown and were plunging deep into their enemies' hearts. Leon ducked under a garbage bin. Leena quickly grabbed Jamie, covered his eyes, and slunk away into the darkness. Leon looked over the bin and fired. He heard the scream of an enemy. Tsurugi came by and sat next to him. Leon noticed fresh blood on his knife.
"They've brought more men then we did," he informed. But he smiled, "But we out-gun them. Some of our guys brought sub-machine guns. They'll be able to take out a good chunk of 'em."
"This place will be drenched with Hellcat blood when we're through," Leon said, smirking. But his smirk quickly faded. "But my sister, I gotta get her and Jamie outta here."
"Leave them to me," said Tsurugi as he vanished from behind the garbage bin. Leon dashed and rolled away from the bin and fired at will. He shot four guys, but not in vital areas. They could live. If his friends didn't finish them off. Leon stood up to see if he could aide any of his gang-mates. Most had run out of ammo and we're hand-to-hand fighting or using knives. But there were still some with guns. He heard two more gunshots followed by screams. He looked in the direction of the target. His eyes grew wide. Tsurugi clenched his left shoulder with his right hand. Blood seeped through his fingers.
"Tsurugi!" he cried out. But Tsurugi shook his head. He forced his wounded arm to point in another, more important direction. Leon's heart stopped cold. There was Jamie looking down with tears in his eyes. Leena. Lying on the ground in a pool of blood. The target of the second gunshot.
Leon quickly ran over to her body, avoiding every attack. He knelt down and touched her neck.
"Look what you've done! Look what you've done!" Jamie cried through tears.
"Get her out of here!" Tsurugi yelled.
"But what about you guys?" Leon asked.
"What in the world is WRONG with you? You're sister's been shot and you're thinking about us?! Get her help now!" Tsurugi yelled.
"What do I tell my dad?"
"Idiot! She's dying!"
Leon knew there was no way out of this one. None whatsoever. He carried her in his arms and quickly ran out of that bloodbath. He hoped Tsurugi would live long enough so he could thank him the next day.
Leon was in the city hospital later that night. Dr. Tauros was pacing up and down the waiting room. Jamie and his parents were sitting with worry on their faces. Nobody looked at Leon.
Leon remembered what his father told him, after he had explained everything just a few minutes before: "If Leena dies, if the only other important girl in my life dies, I will never want to see your goddamn face again."
"Yes, sir," was his quiet response.
Leon clenched his fists. He was filled with blind rage and flaming fury. But he was surprised by what happened next.
"I know what you're thinking," Jamie said to him after a long period of silence. But it's not like Doc, Oscar, and his wife were paying attention to them, anyway. "You're thinking about revenge. You want to get the rival gang member who shot Leena and make him pay for what he's done."
"You're very perceptive for a twelve-year-old," Leon smirked. Jamie glared at him.
"I bet _how_ Leena got here in the first place, isn't even crossing your mind!" he said.
"Are you saying it's _my_ fault Leena's in here? I told her not to follow me."
"You idiot. You didn't realize the only reason she followed you is because she cares about you? Even though you've treated her like garbage for the past few years, not paying any attention to her, not acknowledging her existence and not even defending her when she was in trouble, she still cared for you and thought of you as her 'great big brother'? Even though, you got mad at her for calling the cops on Rick for attacking her instead of being mad at Rick for attempting force on your sister and let's not even talk about how she runs to you for help before anyone else even when you tell her to screw off and she knows that's all you're going to do. She always had a glimmer of hope that you'd turn around Leon. And so did I.
Now, look. She even followed you to your gang war and ended up taking a bullet. And I bet she won't regret anything if you quit those stupid Diablos."
"Shut up. I don't have to take this from a kid," Leon replied. Jamie let out an "urgh!" in frustration.
"Is that all you have to say?! Don't you know how far Leena will go for you? She'll die for you, Leon! She'll die if that's what it takes for you to turn around. She'll die and...and...I don't want to see her die..." Jamie's eyes began to water. Leon couldn't take it any longer. He embraced the young child, and lost his cold, hard look. Jamie cried in Leon's chest as he stroked his back. Leon forgot this feeling. He forgot ever giving this feeling. And he promised himself never to forget again.
*End Flashback*
"...and that's when I quit. Obviously, Leena survived and from that day on I was clean. If you're wondering, yes, Tsurugi survived so I was able to thank him the next day. But I haven't seen him since, most likely because of jail. But I'll never forget what Jamie said to me that night nor will I forget Leena's 'could-have-been' sacrifice," Leon finished. Like Naomi to Leena's story, Bit was speechless. But his look of awe, soon became a look of approval.
"Well," he finally said, "I'm certainly seeing you in a whole new light, Leon Tauros. I...I honestly don't know what to say."
"Say nothing, Bit."
"Okay. 'Nothing'. How was that?"
Leon laughed. "What I meant was, you don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know the trials I went through and how Jamie fits into my life."
"Well, I can tell you that I respect you on a whole new level, Leon."
"What's going on in here?" asked Brad who had just walked into the room.
"Leon was just telling me a tale," Bit said.
"Oh," said Brad, "Well, the Doc sent me to get you guys. It's time to visit the hospital and see how Jamie's doing."
End Part 6
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids/Zero or its characters. They all belong to their respective creators. BUT the characters of Tsurugi, Rick, and...uh...that hospital receptionist are mine. And the doctor too! So don't use 'em without my permission!...not like anyone would want to use 'em. :P But ya know...just in case...
