Second Chance
Disclaimer: Nope don't own them, but darn it if I did, I'd share with everyone
Warnings: New charas, AU, cursing
Rated: PG-13 Just to be on the safe side
Archive: Here, that's about it. If any one wants to, they can put my story up on their site, as long as you e-mail and tell me, so I can visit and check it out.
*Notes* An AU that takes place after the series and Aya's sister has not awaken from her coma yet.
Feedback: Most definitely welcome, flames will be looked at, laughed at, and kept for those long cold winter nights with Aya and Omi (Gets that far away look) *Giggles*
blah blah' - indicating thought
~^~ * ~^~ - indicating a memory or dream
By the time the two had returned, the flower shop was nearly empty, except for a few of the schoolgirls that acted like they didn't have a home to go to. Yoji was at the counter, talking to one of the girls that looked over the legal age. Ken was being bugged by a short blond who kept asking him the same question over and over again and Omi was no where to be seen.
Immediately Aya was glaring at the schoolgirls that had turned their love crazed eyes to him. Ken looked up and smiled when he saw the two enter but said nothing as the girl again distracted him. Yoji on the other hand grinned broadly and made his way to the two.
"My my Aya, look what the cat dragged in. A sexy mouse," he teased mercilessly and Yoshi unlinked her arm from Aya's, an embarrassed blush settling across her pale features.
"Shut up Yoji," Aya replied in an icy growl.
"Hey," the blond said putting his hands up defensively, "Take it easy, I was merely playing around. Sheesh no need to bite my head off."
"Aya!" Omi called from the doorframe of the storage room. "Could you come here for a minute I need to talk to you."
The red head glanced at Yoshi who sat down at the table, already preoccupied with arranging some flowers. Aya made his way to back and the teen disappeared. Closing the door, he was met with a deathly glare that could rival his own.
"How could you Aya," the teen blurted out, anger tumbling with them.
"How could I what?" the man asked coolly.
"You know what I'm talking about. Yoshi may be just some street trash to you but she's a living being, with feelings. You've been nothing short of a jerk to her since she first came here."
"I know," Aya said quietly, but the angered teen didn't hear him.
"You have no right to play with her feelings like that. I saw you at the park."
"You were spying on me?," the man asked, his tone rising a little.
"I went looking for Yoshi, I was worried about her. I saw the way you ignored her. God Aya, have you idea what you're doing."
"No I don't."
"Yoshi deserves better then you."
"You then?"
Omi's eyes widened with surprise. "Well . . .I was . . . that is." Damn, what do I say?'
"You think you're any better then me. You think she'll love you because I'm a iron bastard and you're not."
"Yes," the teen blurted out. "Aya you're nothing but jackass. You haven't a clue on what's best for Yoshi."
"And you do," Aya's voice had hardened and was close to a shouting pitch.
"Stop it," a voice pleaded from behind the closed door. It opened and Yoshi appeared. Tears in her eyes, she stepped between the two. "Stop fighting."
"Yoshi," Omi said, surprise clear in his tone but the anger returned when she stood next to Aya. "Aya tell her you don't love her, tell her." The red head said nothing.
"I said tell her!," Omi shoved the older man against the wall and found he went willingly. "You'll only destroy her," he whispered.
Aya's violet eyes narrowed and before he could think, he swung his fist towards the teen. A blur of silver moved between them and the man halted his fist before he hit Yoshi who stepped in the way. She flinched slightly but stood her ground.
"Stop it," she begged, "Please Aya." The woman reached a hand out to touch the man's face but he jerked away, heading out the door and was out of the flower shop before Yoshi could put her hand down.
Her fingers trembling, she curled them into a fist and pressed it against her heart and bowed her head.
"Yoshi," Omi's caring voice called to her. A hand rested against her shoulder, squeezing gently.
"Omi," the woman said turning around to face the teen. Her face was like an open book to him, he read all he needed to and lowered his head. "Omi you mean a lot to me and so does Ken, Yoji and Aya. You guys saw me when no else did. I don't have any family I may have only known you for a few days but I consider you my family."
"And Aya?"
The silver haired woman bit her bottom lip. "I don't know Omi. I feel different about him then I do you."
"But he's treated you badly."
"No, he hasn't. There's another side of him that you don't see. He cares a lot, even though he doesn't show it."
"You love him?," Omi couldn't help but asked, shocking the woman by his blunt question. She cast her eyes to the floor and said nothing. The teen nodded his head silently and smiled sadly. He brushed past her and exited to the room leaving Yoshi and the little puffs of white air that floated around her in the cold.
She didn't know how long she stood there but she was shivering by the time she got a hold of herself and turned, leaving the room. She looked up and saw Ken and Yoji sitting at the table. Ken looked up as she entered the shop, he looked as though he wanted to say something but Yoji shook his head slightly.
The woman lowered her head feeling her eyes stinging with tears and fled to the apartment upstairs. Ken stood as she ran but sat back down when she disappeared up the stairs.
"Dammit," he swore to himself. "I don't understand him. I wish I could do something."
Yoji looked up. "You can't fix everything Ken. Some things are meant to happen. Fate always has her hand in things. And this is fate."
"I say the hell with fate."
The blond man chuckled. "You're beginning to sound like me." He pulled out a hidden packet of cigarettes and grabbed one bringing it to his lips. He found his lighter and lit the stick, pausing. "Here," he offered it to the brown haired man. "You need this more then I do."
~+~+~+~+~
Yoshi's eyes stung as she tore open Aya's bedroom door and barreled inside. She yanked at her dress she wore and threw it across the room. Digging into her green backpack she found the clothes she first arrived in, washed. She quickly put them on, pausing to run her hand along the scars on her shoulder that spelled her destiny.
She yanked the new clothes that Omi had bought and Aya's orange shirt from her pack and was about to throw them across the room when she crumpled them to her chest and sank to her knees.
Her small shoulders shook with silent dry tears. Why am I doing this. I don't love them, I never did. I'm simply fooling with their minds. That's all. They don't mean anything to me. They mean nothing. Nothing. Then why does my heart ache. I feel all warm every time I'm around them and then him. I get dizzy and it feels like my stomach has a million butterflies trying to get out every time I'm with him. It's a good feeling but I can't.'
"I can't do this," she shouted, rising to her feet. She quickly folded the clothing she held and placed it neatly on the bed. Finding her tattered shoes, she traded them with her new ones and grabbed her backpack, causing the photo of her family to flutter out.
Her sharp gaze the movement and she scooped it up. More emotions swept over her. Mother, Father, brother. I promise I will find the one who did this and finally you souls may rest in peace for all eternity.' Yoshi slipped the photo into her pocket and dug out the golden locket from her pack. Using the pocket knife, she pried open the locket to reveal a tiny photo of a man and a girl with sliver hair. The man had light blue eyes and blond hair, although he seemed to blend in with the background. On his right shoulder of his sleeveless tee shirt was what looked like writing, etched into his skin with a knife. The girl too had writing on her left shoulder. They both looked as though they had just been through hell and back.
Yoshi left the locket open and placed it on the pillow of Aya's bed. Zipping her backpack closed she moved to the door and pressed an ear to it. She heard Yoji's voice and moved back to the window. Prying it open she hopped out onto the emergency staircase.
"Good luck Omi, Ken, Yoji, Aya. This won't be the last time I see you. I pray you live a long life filled with happiness." and with that, Yoshi was gone.
~+~+~+~+~
"What do you mean she's gone!" Ken awoke to the sound of Omi's angry voice coming from the kitchen. He shot up and before he was fully awake he was in the kitchen with the Aya, Omi and a half asleep Yoji.
"What the hell are you yelling about at this god forsaken hour," Yoji asked. "It's 5:54 in the morning. Half the world isn't up yet."
"Yoshi's gone," Aya said leaning against the counter.
"What?," Ken said, making sure he heard that right.
"I came home this morning and Yoshi's wasn't here. Her stuff's gone as well."
"Wait a minute, you just got here," Ken said, "What were you doing this whole time Aya?"
The man didn't answer him but Omi did, "Probably out getting drunk."
"No I don't think so," Ken said watching Aya leave the kitchen. "That's something Yoji would do."
"Hey, leave me and my drinking out of this," the blond said. "Besides it wasn't me who caused Yoshi to run away."
"Are you saying it's my fault," Omi challenged.
"No, I'm saying it's yours and Aya's fault. One, you need to know how to approach a lady and you screwed up kid. Two, you should have gone to talk to her but instead you left and didn't get back till one in the morning. How did I know this, you make a lot of racket for a assassin."
"God it is my fault," Omi sank into a chair and buried his head in his arms.
Ken exchanged glances with Yoji and bent down. "Hey Omi, it's not your fault. Sometimes things like this happen, its called fate."
Yoji couldn't help but raise an eye and Ken gave him a look to go check on Aya.
"That's pathetic Ken," the teen said, his head still buried in his arms.
The brown haired man sighed and placed a hand on the Omi's shoulder. He was out of words, he didn't know how to comfort the teen. "I know. I don't know what to say, except I'm gonna miss her."
"Hey Omi, Ken, get your ass's in here," Yoji's voice yelled from the living room. The two exchanged confused glances but obediently stood, Omi trailing behind the athlete.
"Manx," Ken said, spotting the famous flaming red hair. "What are you doing here?"
The woman turned her attention to the two. She held up a folder in her hands. "I've got a mission for you."
~+~+~+~+~
"Hunters of the Night," Persia's sullen voice echoed around the group. The television's glow cast odd shadows along the walls of the under dwellings of the flower shop. Four equally sullen faces stared back at the shadowed man portrayed on the screen.
"Your mission is to destroy Fatality. Kritaka found a source who leaked the whereabouts of your target here in Tokyo. An abandoned warehouse called the Shioni was the last place Fatality was said to have been. Use caution Hunters, Fatality is not to be trifled with. Deny this evil beast their tomorrow." The screen blurred and then powered down, leaving silence behind, except for the familiar click of heels.
"So," Manx paused, standing in front of the group, "Are you all in."
~+~+~+~+~
"Ah hell," Yoji cursed as he stumbled over a box. "I can't see a thing."
"It would help if you removed your sunglasses," Ken answered moving silently next to him. He pressed the earpiece tighter to him. "Bombay do you read?"
The teen sat cross-legged, using them to hold his laptop steady. "Yeah I read you loud and clear Siberian. Abyssian is already at his location. What about you and Balinese?"
"We're almost to the main entrance," Ken said, watching Yoji move effectively around a few boxes, his blacken glasses still on. He couldn't help but roll his eyes but quickly narrowed them, his attitude changing to a serious attire. He tugged at his leather gloves and crouched behind a giant box, waiting for his partner. Yoji moved behind him silently, the battle with the evil box forgotten in the moment.
"Hey Ken," the blond whispered. "Did you notice the name of this warehouse?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Isn't it kind of a weird name for a place like this. It's not everyday you see Devil's Death written five feet tall in blood red letters."
Siberian shook his head. "Come on Yoji, we have to move in closer." The brown haired man ducked between two crates and crawled over some rope nets, Balinese following closely behind.
"Bombay, we're at the main gate. Waiting for further instructions," Ken whispered into the black mouthpiece.
"Stay there. You too Bombay," Aya's voice answered him.
"What?," Omi said. "I thought we were all going in?"
"What gives Aya?," Yoji asked.
"This is too easy."
"A trap?," Ken said.
"Yeah."
"Well it's too late to turn back," Omi said, closing his laptop and standing. "We're a team and we go as a team. Aya? Aya?"
"Understood," Abyssian's voice said, "Move in."
"You heard our fearless leader. Let's move." Yoji slipped down from his cover and darted to the side of the building, pressing up against the rotting wood. A second later, Ken was on the other side of the door. Siberian nodded his head and Yoji checked the handle for any booby traps. It was only locked.
Balinese gestured for Ken and he released the blades of his bugnucks, slicing through the door's handle with ease. Falling to the ground, Yoji grabbed it before it could make any noise that could give them away. He gave the younger man a grin and pried open the door, peering inside for anymore traps. Finding none he opened it just enough for him and Ken to slip through.
~+~+~+~+~
"Shit!," Yoji's voice yelled over the com link.
"Balinese, Siberian are you all right," Omi exclaimed. "Ken! Yoji!! Damn, hang on guys, Aya's almost to your position." The teen scrambled across the roof, towards the metal stairs he had used.
"Aya! Aya can you hear me," Bombay yelled as he slid down the stairs, landing on the ground quietly. "Ken and Yoji are in trouble. I'm going inside." He reached for his cross bow that was strapped to his back and quickly loaded it.
"No Bom~~~ ~tay th~~e," Aya's voice broke over the com piece.
"Repeat Aya. I didn't get your last transmission. Aya?!?!" The teen tore the mouthpiece from him and headed in the same direction Ken and Yoji were.
Ducking inside, he saw Yoji's com piece on the ground, next to one of Ken's bugnucks. He scanned the darkness for any signs of movement. He bent down and took the glove in hand, eyes glued to the darkness, ears listening for anything.
Something skittered behind him and he whirled around, cross bow ready. Something large flew at him and the teen released his arrow, sending it into the dark. The black cat continued it's fleeing and Omi let out a shaky breath. Stupid cat.'
The back of his head exploded in pain and blackness hit him before his face slammed into the ground.
~+~+~+~+~
Aya listened to the static of Omi's last message and yanked it off his ear and dropped it. It made little noise in the warehouse Someone's jamming our radio frequency.' Abyssian's fingers wrapped around the handle of his hidden katana when the click of a gun behind him halted his movements.
Rae: Evil, evil, evil, evil, evil
Durandel: Good, good, good, good, good
Rae: Evil
Durandel: Good
Rae: Evil!
Durandel: Good!
Rae: EVIL!!!!! (Produces whip)
Durandel: GOOD!!!!! (Grabs gun)
(Shakes head) I'm evil in a good way o_O Erm, don't forget to review ^_^