Disclaimer: Y'know, it must have taken me almost a year to think of what to write for this chapter. But, I finally a figured it out. So, have fun.



Written in Blood



Chapter 6

Soccer balls are weapons?



'An' then she goes "SLAP!" an then I run outta there.' Taichi said.

The bartender blinked. 'Just like that?'

Taichi nodded. "Just like that! Not even one of her annoyed 'Shut your damn mouth, Taichi!" or her motherly "are you listening to me, young man?" questions. Y'know what I'm saying?'

The bartender nodded. 'I get the same jazz from my mom.'

'What's even worse about it is she LOVES this guy.' Taichi said, leaning agenst his hand. 'Y'know, I'm not gonna hate her if she loves someone else. I mean, I'm her friend right? I was just kinda hoping, Y'know.'

'You could become more then friends?'

'Well, yeah.' Taichi said, blushing a little. 'Let's face it, I've got a weakness for cute girls. And Sora, well, she's not just cute. She's like a mega-babe. She's been asked out more then that bitch-ass Taikaru. And considering some of the guys she turned down, her standards must be pretty high. But I never figured Yamato would have reached them.'

The bartender raised an eyebrow. 'Yamato, huh? I think I know that kid.'

Taichi's head shot up. 'You, you what!?!?'

The bartender simply nodded. 'Well, the kid usually preformed here on Saturdays. Actually, he was here the day he dissapeired. He was the lead singer, right?'

Taichi nodded frantically. 'You wouldn't happen to know where he went by any chance, now would you?'

The bartender shook his head. 'No clue. The kid was always real quiet. Always keeps things to himself.'

Taichi sweatdroped and sighed. 'Tell me about it.'

The bartender eyed Taichi suspiciously. 'Hey, come to think of it, I know you too, don't I? Used to be part of that soccer team, what was it, the Terrace View Nova's?'

Taichi scratched the back of his head. 'Yeah, keyword being "used to be".'

'Yeah! And you got kicked out for using some super-shot that always went through the net? I hear it broke some kids whole arm and it only touched his fingers!'

Taichi sighed and place his head between his arms. 'Yeah, the media posted it in the newspapers and everything.'

'I know!' The bartender said. 'Just for breaking a kids arm, though? I thought that happened all the time!'

Taichi shook his head. 'I didn't break the arm.'

The bartender looked at Taichi puzzled. 'Ok, then what DID you do?'

Taichi was silent for a moment as the bartender looked anxiously for an answer.

'Come on man. I hear about 50 sob stories from guys the whole day. Yours can't be different. So what'd you do?'

He heard a sigh from beneath the folded arms. 'I severed the whole arm. Blew the fingers clean off. The poor guy has to now go through life with his pinky toe as a replacement for his pinky finger, and God knows what he's using as that index finger. I just know that the index and pinky were too damaged to re-attach.'

The bartenders look went from curious to blank. 'That must have bin one hell of a shot! What did you do to pull that off? Steroids? '

Taichi didn't reveal his face from his arms, but he shook his head from beneath them. 'No drugs. I've just bin working on that shot since I was 3. And that's nothing compared to my new shot. I've managed to nearly put a hole in a concrete wall and it's not even finished yet.'

The bartender's blank face went to a confused look that wondered if Taichi was a Sadist. 'Um, exactly why are you focusing on the brutality of soccer?'

Taichi placed his head up from his coffin under his arms and looked at the bartender with weary eyes. 'It's not really for soccer. I mean, after spending nearly a year in digiworld, and all, you eventually get an idea for a way to defend yourself in case you can't find Agumon again.'

The bartender's confused look went from wondering whether Taichi was a sadist to doubting his sanity completely.

Taichi shook his head. Of course, he thought, he'd have to use the same excuse he always used.

'Digiworld was a Cuban resort in Zimbabwe, and Agumon was the Zarcinian tour guide.'

The bartender nodded in understandment. But in truth, Taichi knew he didn't have a clue what he just said. Nether did Taichi. He didn't even know if Zarcinian was an actually culture, and there was no way in hell Zimbabwe was in Cuba. Fortunately, this guy seemed to have the IQ of cheese.

'I understand where you're coming from, kid.' The bartender said. 'I've seen guys coming into this bar with bruises, broken bones and stab wounds. It's a dangerous world out there. Even in Zimbabwe.'

Taichi raised an eyebrow. 'Sure it is. So, can I have a drink now?'

'Like hell you can. Didn't you hear what I just said?'

'Yeah yeah. Dangerous world. Now pass the Jack Daniel's!'

'Drinking is dangerous, too! Now step off!'

'Oh for God's sake! I'm old enough to drive! I've got I.D. and a car outside to prove it!'

'There you go! Your cars outside! Your not drinking and driving in my bar!'

'Ha! Some company you are! Maybe you'd prefer it if I went and screwed your hot ex-wife in Chicago?'

'That's it! I don't care if you're 8 years younger then me! I'm gonna beat you.'

'Oh yeah. You're a 5'1 fighting machine are you?'

'Oh yeah? What are you gonna do? Kick a soccer ball at me?'

'Don't give me any idea's.'



'Jyou?'

The constant raining rolled incessantly on Jyou's face. His blue business suit was soaked, muddy and torn. His glasses were broken in two. His face not only showed bruises and minor cuts, but his complete exhaustion. He stood there, cooped up in the tiny telephone booth, trying to hear the phone over the constant pounding of rain outside.

'Yeah, it's me. Hey Mimi.'

'God, Jyou!' Her voice came out, high pitched and scared. Even over the static and pounding, her voice still could be heard like a foghorn. 'What happened to you!'

Jyou's eyebrow rose in suspicion. How does she know his condition?

'Um, excuse me?'

'I've tried to phone you on your cell, but you would pick it up! Where were you?'

Jyou laughed lightly, almost feeling stupid for his insane suspicion.

'Um, the batteries (got crushed) went dead.'

'Oh. Well, I came to tell you something.'

'Which would be?'

He heard her laugh in the background.

'Hello?'

'I lied! My flight wasn't really canceled!'

Jyou's eyes widened in horror.

'What.. Did.. You.. Say?'

'I was kidding when I said my flight was cancelled! I was just getting bored and decided to play a joke on you! So, are you surprised?'

Jyou shook his head. This was the worst possible time she could have come to the city. If what Kobusho-sama said was true, then she was walking right into a blood bath.

'Believe me, Mimi, if I woke up with my head sown to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised then I am right now.'

'Great! I'll be at the airport in an hour! See you then!'

An hour!? This is even worse then he thought. She was going to be walking into the greatest threat the cities ever faced in an hour, plus, he had nothing to wear.

'An hour? But, Mimi.!'

'What?'

Jyou was silent. It was too late now. Even a vampire can't stop a plane.

'.Nothing. Sorry. I'll pick you up then.'

'Jyou?' Her voice tone had changed dramatically to soft and innocent from loud and busty.

Jyou said nothing. He just wanted her to hang up. Maybe if he just stayed quiet.

'Are you OK?'

Damn, she called his bluff.

'Yeah. I'm okay. Why?'

'You sound.sad. Is it about me?'

Yes

'No. No, of course not. Just a little tiered.'

'Oh, I'm sorry. I could just take a cab to the hotel, if it's better.'

Great. That's the last thing he wanted her to do. Wander off into the streets alone.

'Please! What kind of gentleman would I be then?'

He heard her giggle over the phone. 'Your such a geek!'

'EXCUSE me?'

'Hehehehe! I mean, nothing! I'll see you their, hot stuff!'

'Hot stuff? Say wha.' but the phone went dead before he could finish.

Jyou hung up the receiver. This wasn't good. They had only a few days before the dark ceremony began. The heavy hitters wouldn't be here for another two days, and they had no idea what the sacrifice would be. But now he'd have to get Mimi involved in this. He wanted to keep her as far from this as possible, but now it looks as if he has no choice. With her hear, it would make at least make 6 of them.

So as much as he wanted to avoid this, it looks as if the 8 Hellions would have to be revived again.

Well, great going Taichi looks like you pissed everyone off today. Not only did Sora slap you, but now you just got punched by the bouncer. Brilliant move.

Well, not much to do now but just drive home. Which you should have done in the first place. Then you could have avoided this whole business with vampires, Sora, illegal drinking and the parking ticket. Maybe you can wake up and this will all be a bad dream.

WHOMP!

What the hell was that? Sound like something just landed on my roof. What the hell is wrong with this weather??!?

Now some kinda screeching noise? I thought a changed the damn oil a day ago?

Then I see them peering out. Two big claws poking out the sides of the roof. They look the same size as bear claws, only these are black. They grip themselves to the roof, and the screeching noise gets worse. But now I know what it means this time. But it's too late.

The roof rips open, shrapnel and glass flying across the car. The rain comes in like a waterfall, and all I can see through the darkness and the rain, is a big, black shadow, holding what used to be my roof in the air.

I feel my heart beat like a freight train. I know this shadow. It's different, but I've seen it somewhere. And just knowing this makes my fear even more intense. Everything else from my mind is blocked off. I can't move, scream, or even breathe. All I can feel is this fear, and this intense feeling of Déjà vu.

Then I crash.

I never saw it coming. With my focus on whatever that thing was, I could have never seen the parked car in front of me. I didn't even know I was going 94 Mph. I hit with a thud. The other car goes crashing into another. I feel myself getting rocketed forward, right into the remaining, pointed shards. But just before my face connects with what I think is to be my last sight, I'm suddenly punted up a foot higher, like something just lifted me. Everything's spinning too much to see where I'm going to land, so I shield myself with my arms, flex my muscles, and wait for the impact.

When I hit, it's a lot softer then I expected. But when I open my eyes, I realize I landed in garbage. I didn't fly that far. Maybe 20 feet. I can still see my car, but theirs this feint, red color emitting from the hood. I squint my eyes, trying to see what it could be.

Then I realize what it is. Fire.

'HOLY SHI..!' where all I could get out before my voice drowned into the explosion. And it wasn't just my car. There were 4 more cars where I crashed. Each went off in a chain reaction with mine. I covered my ears while the ground shook beneath me. Tiers, doors, and torso's of the cars flew everywhere, leaving only charred, baked, flaming bodies lying in the middle of the street.

My ears still shook, but at least I was alive. But in the middle of the flaming wreckage, a pair of red dots stood out among the fire. Maybe it was just because I was dizzy from the landing, but, as my vision was getting clearer, so was the figure. Finally, the details came through. Messy blond hair. 6'0. Every little detail of the figure perfectly matched that of one, certain person who I know so well. His crimson eyes were blinding. His black claws matched the one that ripped my hood off. And now I could tell that possibly one of my newest fears were a reality.

I was attacked by a vampire.

And that vampire was Yamato Ishida.





(Err, so maybe that wasn't all that worth the wait. But this time I'll get right on the next one. I'll finish it by the end of winter vacation. ^_^)