A.N. I'm a listening' to Yu-Gi-Oh.. and typing. bad mix! XD

Don looked at his daughter is a sick, twisted grin displayed on his face as he walked around her.

"despondent, are you?" he mocked, laughing as he watched her blood pour from her body. He walked around front again.

"Want something else rat.. Or should I say orphan." Her eyes opened and she stared it him. The brown orbs were blurry and out of focus, but still tried to look brave.

"I wonder." he snapped his fingers and a loud shrill cry was heard from one of the long hallways leading to and from the room.

"You know. it was so rewarding getting payback. Seeing her blood, and seeing her fight me. Aah. she still fights me, but she'll never win. You see.. I want her alive.. I want her to suffer.."

A bloody woman was dragged in, in chains by two gruesome looking creatures from the outskirts of the netherworld. Cloud's nostrils flared as she caught the familiar scent, and the woman was thrown at her feet.

Don snarled at her and kicked her as she tried to get up. Her hair was tangled and mixed with only god knows what. She stunk awfully of waste, but Cloud could still smell the scent that was hers.

"M-Mom..." she let out a sob. "You monster! YOU MONSTER!" she tried struggling and bit back a scream as the wire made itself known once more. The woman hefted herself from the ground with her last reserves. She pasted herself to Cloud, crying.

"Sssssh, it'll be o.k. I'm here. I'm here.."

"Mom."

"I w-want to let you know s-something.." the woman was turning deathly pale.

"Mom.don't.." the woman smiled, and it was just as Cloud remembered. A warm jubilant smile that lit up everything in the room.

"Honey. I wanted t-to s-say. I-I'm s-sorry. and. and that I-I.. I love..you." the woman slid down the cross and Cloud opened her mouth, giving a wordless scream. Mia looked on with wide eyes, being able to do nothing except watch as the cruel man before her kicked the body away, splashing it with even more blood.

It was then that Mia noticed how cold it really was in the room surrounded by evil, and saw Cloud's blue lips a stream of blood working it's way out of her mouth. Mia wiped her own bleeding mouth and got up silently, grabbing the axe with her good hand.

Cloud's eyes held no life at all it seemed, and just stared at the ground emptily. Her body shook in little shivers, sending small drops of flying onto her abused skin.

"Sad.. are you?" the man laughed. Cloud looked up and saw Mia behind him, she let a smile grace her face.

"TAKE THIS!" Mia scream, plunging the axe as deep as she could with all her might..

It nicked his shoulder and he turned on her.

"Stupid girl." in a swift movement he had her pinned to a wall by her neck, cutting off her air. She struggled to push his hand off, clawing at it with her nails trying to get some air.

"Let me show you what happens to people who try to kill me.." he pushed harder and Mia cried out as her throat bent to his whims.

"s-stop." Cloud's voice was only a whisper.

"Please.. Stop it. I can't. I can't take this." Don looked over at her with a wicked grin, taking out another one of his many daggers.

"That so?" He turned back to his victim and poised the blade above her head.

"SAY GOOD BYE!!!" he started moving down, but the doors opened and he stopped, letting Mia sink to the floor grabbing her throat.

There stood Ryo, his armor steaming and fire coming from it.

"That's enough!" he yelled. As he started walking, the ground cracked and broke in his wake. Behind him stood the other three warriors. They too began walking after him.

"Sage, go to Mia. now!" Ryo ordered. The warrior of Halo nodded and ran over to Mia, taking her in his arms and moving her carefully form the battlefield.

"Sage."

"Ssssh, I'm going to heal you now. it'll be o.k.,"

"Kento! Cye! Get Cloud off of that cross, now! Be gentle."

"Right!" both replied, starting to go over to the cross. But they were knocked away by a large energy beam that sent them flying into a wall.

"You're going to have to get passed me!" Don laughed, he aimed another beam at Ryo and fired, but Ryo dogged with a flip.

"I'll finish you.. FLARE UP NOW!" Ryo sent his attack straight at Don, but the man jumped, and laughed.

"Is that the best you can do?" Ryo laughed, his voice not sounding happy.

"I misjudged you."

"and I you.." Don suddenly sent a sneak attack at Ryo, the latter went careening into the wall!

"Ha! Foolish mortal.." Ryo got up and wiped the blood form his mouth.

"Only losers use sneak attacks! A true warrior fights with honor!"

"feh, your all talk wildfire!"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah you son of a-"

"FLARE UP NOW!" Ryo's ultimate attack hit Don head on, and Ryo was surprised as Kento's, Cye's, and Sage's careened into Don too. He had thought they had been busy, when really they were just setting up! He looked back to see Mia supporting Sage, tears working their way out of her eyes still. He turned his attention back to Don, who laughed, near hysterics as he staggered back, his arm clearly broken.

"If I can't have her... we all die together!!!!!!" he let out a loud laugh and showed them a flaming torch. He threw it at the ground, and immediately fire sprang up.

Ryo's eyes flared gold and he charged foreword, ramming a katana into the man's back. He jerked it around to make it extra painful, then slid it out, making sure to wipe the blood on the man's shirt.

Don looked up at Ryo and chuckled.

"Better hurry wildfire.she's fading fast and you'll never make it.." Ryo scowled angrily.

"Shut up."

"oo..you're.an.gry.." Don's eyes began to close, and the blood reached its ultimate flow. "You'll.die.here.." and then the breathing still to nothing. At that, the man known as Don began to turn to dust. Ryo scowled again and kicked it; causing it to break into dust and blew away.

"Ryo!" Ryo turned at the urgent call form Cye.

"I'm all used up, we can't stop the fire, and we need to get out of here!"

"Not without Cloud!"

"I know, Kento is working on it, he needs help!" Then their armor shimmered, leaving them in sub armor. Ryo cursed under his breath and raced to the cross where Kento was trying to break the cords and wire as easily as possible, and Sage was sitting, healing Mia as best he could in his condition.

Ryo ignored everything else except Cloud. He got up to her as Kento began nearing the finish; he hadn't even tried pulling the piercing wires out. With a last snap he was done.

"Done!"

"Let's get out of here!" Cye yelled, watching as Cloud slid into Ryo's arms, whimpering and crying.

Kento gave no second thought as he picked sage and Mia up, sparing them no modesty as he flung them over his broad shoulders.

"Don't you dare start complaining hair boy!"

"I was going to say thank you.."

"COME ON!" Cye urged, then gently took Mia from Kento's shoulder, so Sage could be carried more comfortably. Kento flashed him a grin before taking off, Cye and Ryo after him, both much more courteous with their cargo, but still traveling fast enough to escape the flames that seemed to surround them.

The heat scorched them, and bit at their heals the whole way through the castle that was falling into ruin. Never once did they slip, fall, or get burnt to a crisp. They may have gotten a few burns, but they finally made it out in one piece.

"That *pant* was *pant* hard." Kento said between gulps of air.

"No *Pant* duh!" Cye replied in the same manor.

HONK!

HONK!
The group looked up startled as a familiar jeep swerved next to them, and came to a stop. The door opened and a familiar blue haired teen smiled wearily at them.

"H-hey.."

"Rowen! Your not supposed to be out of bed!" Sage said, alarm in his voice for his best friend.

"Your in deep trouble mister! We're so going to have a long talk when we get home!!"

"But.."

"No buts!" Mia got down form Cye's arms, most of her injuries already healed. "Scoot over! I'M driving!"

"Yes mam.." Rowen Scooted over to the passenger side and promptly buckled himself in, and then in leaning back he let his weariness close in as he passed out into a deep sleep.

Kento opened the back door and Cye scooted in near the window, Sage then crawled weakly into the very back and fell asleep in a flash.

Then Kento helped Ryo get a trembling Cloud to lie across them, her head neatly nestled in Ryo's lap, and her body short enough for her feet to end near the door. She tossed her head in a brief struggle, her eyes tightly shut.

"Cloud! Cloud calm down! ssssh.you'll be fine! Just calm down!" Ryo held the struggling teen, and bit his lip as the wire dug painfully deeper into her already tortured skin. She stopped as soon as that happened.

"R.yo." she managed through cracked lips.

"We should try and get the wire out." Cye commented from the other seat next to Ryo. The blue eyed teen looked and Cye and nodded. He unconsciously ran his fingers through Cloud's hair.

"I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.." he murmured, taking a piece and gently pulling at it, Cloud whimpered pitifully, and began to squirm, he stopped.

"We can do it at home then Ryo. we have a few local anesthetics there.." Mia commented from the front, wincing at her throbbing hand as she made a swift turn through the dimensional gate.

Ryo gently petted Cloud's head, tears threatening to spill form his eyes as a choking sob came form her throat and a small trickle of blood was forced to flow out of her mouth.

"R-Ryo!" she whimpered, her eyes opening a bit more.

"I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.." he cradled her against his chest and let a few tears roll down his face. Kento looked at the two, then backup front, and his brow contorted in worry.

"we almost there?"

"Hai, just hold on guys."

"Can do Mia.." Cye said form behind the driver's seat. He looked at Ryo, "how's she doing?"

"I can't tell. at least she's calmed down a bit." he murmured quietly as Mia pulled into the familiar driveway.

"I wonder how Ro got past Blaze." Kento thought aloud.

"He likes bunny rabbits.." Ro murmured sleepily. Kento chuckled a bit and got out of the car.

'Here's how its gona go. I get Ro and Sage, Cye gets Mia-"

"But-" Mia interjected.

"No buts, Ryo gets Cloud, and then we take care of injuries."

"Wow..you CAN be smart."

".shut up. Anyway! Lets move people!" The burly teen opened the passenger side first, and hoisted Rowen onto a shoulder, then popped the trunk and got Sage. He grinned cheekily at Mia who glared from Cye's arms and muttered 'I can walk.'

Hearing a whimper he looked at Ryo who was trying to carry Cloud as painlessly as possible.

"How ya holding up?"

"I'm fine." their leader said paying close attention to his precious cargo. Kento smiled and bit and walked into the house, heading for the couch where White Blaze looked at them guiltily.

"Don't worry, we still love ya," Kento laughed, settling his cargo on each of the couches, leaving the more comfortable one for Ryo to put his.

Kento watched as Cye and Mia went upstairs for first aid and a few basins of water for cleaning. He sighed and stretched, changing into his normal clothes with a flash of light, several more flashes signaled the others did too. He looked over at Ryo and Cloud, wincing.

"I think we should try and get some locals into her." Ryo nodded sullenly, and took a pale hand into his own.

"Cloud.cloud? can you hear me? It's Ryo. look, we're only going to help, o.k.? I'm sorry if it hurts.." A hand was placed upon his back, the owner of I be Mia. She smiled reassuringly.. Or as close it was going to get to reassuring. She had her med kit beside her, Cye was patching up Sage and Rowen, and then he would work with Kento to get them comfortable for their rest.

The first thing the young woman did was check Cloud's temperature, she frowned.

"she has a fever."

"Is it bad?" Ryo asked, almost fearing the answer. Mia shook her head in a silent no. She then checked Cloud's pulse, heart, and vital signs. She then took a needle form the red and white case.

"I'm going to give her a local. and it may not be enough. Be warned Ryo." Mia slid the needle into Cloud's arm, and injected the serum with no more than a simple push.

The reaction was immediate in that Cloud's eyes blinked open as her body began to get heavy. Her eyes held fear.

"R-Ryo."

"sssh. I'm here.." he whispered. He glanced at Mia took a pair of pliers in hand and began taking out little bits of wire at a time. She tried jerking her arm away, but a large hand settled it once more. Kento looked down.

"Be strong, we're here for you." her lips formed words, but for a minute no sound came.

"p.lease.. Let go. I beg you." she whispered, her voice softer than before and filled with pain. Kento looked away as tears began to form in his eyes.

Mia began to move at a faster pace, and soon she was down to the legs. She worked in a constant pattern. Pull, bandage, pull, bandage, again and again. Already her fingers hurt, and her damaged hand was beginning to shake.

"Take a rest, I'll finish for you.." Cye said suddenly, coming up behind her. Mia turned.

"I-I'll be fine.."

"no. Go rest," Cye gave her a gentle push towards a cot her had personally set up by Sage and Rowen. "rest." He commanded. Mia nodded and lay down beside Sage, starring at his perfect face and letting his breathing lull her to sleep.

Cye smiled a bit, his face a bit weary as he began to work on the right leg, repeating the same process as Mia had, and wincing at each whimper.

Finally, it was done and he sat back watching Cloud's frail body tremble. Ryo gently slid under her head, resting it on his lap were he stroked her bangs.

"sssh, it's all over now Cloud. it's all over.. Ssssh, you'll be o.k. now. you'll be o.k." he didn't know if his words her right.. Or if he told truth. All he had now..was hope.

And then her breathing evened out, and he knew she went into coma.

A.N. Wow.. R&R

A.N. 2 : If you're wondering, they have local anesthetics because 1, Sage practices medicine, and 2, because I wanted them to.