SetoKaiba 46 and SAiSAiciAngel... yes, Sai should be 19 or 20. But frankly, Sai just doen't seem 16 or 17 during the 13th tournament, (not just the gary coleman-like shortness, he seems to act a little less old that a 17 year old) and since I can, I've made him only 17 here (and tall!). I didn't want all of the relationships in the fic to be about adults, so keeping Sai and Cecil young just worked out better. As for the plane thing (SetoKaiba 46)... well, just pretend the temple is far, far away across China so they need a one. ^_^;
As you can see, I changed the spelling of Jorge back to George. To those people who got pissed off by my spelling of Jorge, know that the 'J' version is how it appears on the official artwork, so it's actually the way it's supposed to be spelled. But heck, if it's what you want then here ya go.
Black Joker Lady, I put the 'S' in Nastasha. Still, I'll probably spell it wrong in a few places on accident!
On one last note... I don't like flames, so don't write them. Critiquing I like, but when someone reviews and says something to the effect of 'you suck'... well that isn't critiquing, that's PMSing. If you don't like it, don't read it.
I'm all done ranting, on with chapter 3!!
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Cecil sat on her bed, combing through her ocean blue hair as she watched her image in the mirror. She had taken it out of the girlish ponytails she usually kept it in, and noticed that it looked nice left down. It made her look a bit older.
"About half an hour to go... but where could Hans be?" Cecil asked herself. She had left Sai's place a few hours ago and come home, getting ready for the dinner that Sai had insisted on making for her and her brother.
"Now, you go home so I can go out and buy all the things I need!" Sai had said as he urged her towards the door. "I'll have to get to your place early so I can cook most of it there, that way it'll be nice and hot."
"That'd be great, I'd love to have you cook for us," she said with a smile. "It's been a while since I've had your cooking!"
"Then I'll be there at six. Seeya then!" Sai said as he waved her off, then grabbed some money and ran out the door to do his shopping.
Cecil sighed as she watched the image in the mirror fasten two silver-studs in her ears.
"I hope this isn't too dressy..." Cecil said as she looked over her attire. She was wearing an oriental dress, pure white, and decorated with huge, soft pink flowers. The lines that ran around the collar and the slit on the side of the leg were a shade lighter than her hair, as was the diagonal line that ran from the collar under the sleeve.
"Hans... where could you be?"
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"Ok, no panicking, I just need to get there and I'll be fine!" Sai encouraged himself as he walked down the darkening street, holding the supplied and anything he had already prepared in a large shopping bag. He had traded in his usual yellow outfit for a sleeveless, fire-red oriental shirt, and black pants.
"Hmmm... I wonder if this dinner thing counts as a date?" he thought outloud.
"Chibodee said there were signs that could tell you for sure... what were they again? I think one was 'If she's dressed up', another's 'if she lets you pay for stuff'... well wait that one won't count... and plus Hans is going to be there, so what does that... ouch!"
Sai said as he bumped into someone. The bag he was carrying fell to the ground.
"Hey bro, sorry bout that... Hans?!" Sai suddenly said as he looked into the face of the man he had bumped into. It was Hans alright, the ocen-blue hair was a total giveaway.
Hans looked back at Sai Saici with a stange mix of fear and surprise. His eyes weren't their usual cerulean color, but a duller, more foggy one. Almost the color of the sky on a cloudy, rainy day.
"Sai Saici..." he said with a strained voice. Hans grabbed the front of Sai's shirt as he began to sink to the ground, shaking as he did so.
"Hans, whats goin on, whats wrong??" Sai asked in alarm as he bent down to help Hans back up. But Hans pushed Sai away.
"Cecil... go get Cecil!" Hans pleaded to Sai. "P-please... you need to k-keep her away f-from me!" He shouted.
"Hans, whats going on?!" Sai said as he grabbed Hans by the collar, accidentally ripping it a little.
Suddenly, a blood red light sept from Hans' eyes as the aqua-haired man looked up at Sai. "...Bro?" Sai asked, his voice darkly cautious.
Hans suddenly grabbed him by the collar, causing Sai to release his own grip on Hans. He tossed Sai into the air then kicked him in the side, sending him flying to the ground until he skidded to a stop. Scrapes and bruises appeared on the fighter almost immediatly.
"Hans, what the hell are you doing?!" Sai shouted. But Hans had already taken off running in the direction of his hotel. As he ran, Sai noticed a silvery glint on his shoulder, in the place where his collar had torn...
'DG cells... those are DG cells!' He thought in alarm. 'He must've been warning me to protect Cecil, from himself!'
Sai took off running towards her hotel, leaving the bag of food spilled on the road. 'Cecil, just hold on till I get there!'
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Cecil looked up from the shoes she was putting on as the door to the hotel room opened and shut loudly, and quick, heavy footsteps came her way.
"Hans, that you?" She asked as she set down her hairbrush and walked to the door. But instead of being met with big, happy blue eyes, she was staring into a pair of burning, blood red ones. Her eyes widened in horror, and before she could even gasp, Hans grabbed her by the throat and held her up against the wall, strangling her. His eyes were still glowing red, but tears were leaking out from them.
"Big... Brother...?!" Cecil gasped as he tightened his grip around her throat. Her vision began to blur, and just as she thought she was going to faint, a bright red figure slammed into her brother, causing him to let go of her.
"Cecil, can you stand?" the voice rang out as her brother attacked it. Cecil rubbed at the finger marks on her neck, staring at her brother, and the now-clear Sai Saici in awe.
"Hans... Hans this can't be true..." She whispered as she tried to regain her breath. She could tell her breathing wouldn't be normal for a little while- her throat felt like it had been crushed.
"Right now, this isn't your brother." Sai said gravely as he dodged a punch. "Someone's infected him with DG cells."
Cecil gasped, tears streaming from her face. Her brother, infected with DG cells? But how could it be?!
Sai kicked Hans into a nearby wall as Cecil tried to stand up, but as soon as she did her vision spun and she lost her balance.
"Cecil!" Sai shouted as he jumped between her and the floor, catching her in his arms.
'This is no good... those cells have made him so much stronger. He's taking my hits like their nothing! We've got to get out of here, now...'
Sai stood up with Cecil, then ran to the balcony of the hotel room and jumped off, even though it was a few stories up.
"Sai, wait..." Cecil said weakly as they cut through the air. "we can't just leave him like that..."
Sai landed perfectly on the ground and took off for his hotel.
"There isn't anything we can do for him right now, and he's too strong an opponent for me to handle." he said gravely. Cecil laid her head against Sai's chest as he spoke, he eyes welling up.
"We're going to go back to my room... does he know where I'm staying?" Sai asked as he sped through the side-streets and alleys of Neo Hong Kong. Cecil shook her head slowly.
"He doesn't know." she quietly replied. Sai nodded as they approached his hotel. He jumped into the air, landing onto the balcony of his own hotel room, then opened the sliding door cautiously to make sure no one was waiting for them. He set Cecil down on his bed, then took a seat next to her. She looked very upset, and kept touching the marks on her neck.
"Cecil..." he started, taking her hands and moving them from her neck. She looked back up at him with a dazed, sad expression, but then squeezed her eyes shut and opened them back up, returning the life to them.
"Sai, you're all bruised and cut up." she said suddenly, lightly touching one of his bruises as he flinched. "Did... did Hans do that?" she asked quietly. Sai nodded.
"He knew what was going to happen, he told me to go get you before the cells kicked in. I'm sorry I didn't get there earlier..."
Cecil put a finger over his mouth, then made him turn around so she could look at his back. His shirt had ripped diagonally, and a long scrape shone red against his dark skin. Cecil slowly walked into the bathroom, so she wouldn't loose her breath, and got a towel and a dish of water. She wet the towel, then pressed it against the scrape. She finally noticed his new attire, and smiled to herself as she looked it over.
'He got all dressed up... and even though it's all torn up, he looks so handsome in it...'
"You got all dressed up." Sai suddenly said, repeating her thoughts. Cecil blushed slightly and nodded, dabbing the cloth into the water and reapplying it. 'Heh, guess it sorta was a date...' Sai thought with a grin.
"You look very handsome, Sai." she replied. Sai's face was the one to turn red this time.
"But I'm all bruised up..." he started, swallowing hard. Cecil turned him back around so he was facing her.
"Doesn't matter. If you were in a full-body cast, you'd still be handsome." she replied with a soft smile. Sai smiled back at her as she pressed the cloth against a scrape on his shoulder.
The phone suddenly rang, startling them both. Sai got up and slowly walked over to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Sai, that you? Are you alright? Where's Cecil, is she with you? Is she alright? Have you guys had anyone visit?" the mature, but stressed-sounding voice of Domon asked over the phone.
"Whoa whoa, chill out bro. We're both fine, for now at least. How did you know she was here?" Sai asked.
"Call it a hunch." Domon replied with a strangely grave tone. "So I take it you two have been attacked already."
"Yea." Sai said in a low voice. "It was Hans, actually." he paused for a moment.
"Domon, we've got a big problem on our hands..."
"DG cells, I know. We've all been attacked as well. All of us were at Chibodee's place when we were attacked. Argo tried to get a hold of you but he didn't know where you were staying. Right now, we need to get you and Cecil over here. The plane's already been arranged, come up to Argo's ship when you arrive." Domon replied. Sai was shocked to hear that he knew about the DG cells.
"Domon, does this mean the Devil Gundam...?"
"No. We thought that at first, but there's no way."
"Then who sent the DG cells to infect people, and who's controlling them?"
"I've got a pretty good idea on that, and on what this all is about. We're going to discuss it when you get here. Your plane leaves in... an hour and a half, your time." Domon replied. "I gotta get goin, Rain wants me to talk with Chibodee."
"Alright, seeya later bro."
Domon paused for a moment before saying goodbye.
"Hey, Sai..."
"Yea?"
"Keep a close eye on Cecil, alright?"
"Yea... I will. Seeya Domon."
The two hung up the phone, and Sai walked back over to the bed and sat down by Cecil, who was lying on her back and staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes were shiny and red
"Who was that?" she asked, wiping at her eyes. Sai frowned a little- she had been crying about her brother, most likely.
"That was Domon." he replied after a moment. "We're heading to Neo America."
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"They're on their way. They should be here by tomorrow morning." Domon said as he hung up the phone. He and Rain were standing in the room that had been designated as their own while they were on board the ship.
"Are they alright?" Rain asked with her trademark soft voice. Domon nodded.
"Yea, they're fine. Though I bet Cecil's really shaken up over it. They infected her brother." Domon replied in his serious voice. Rain held her arms at the elbows and looked down at the floor.
"I'm worried." she said as she bit her bottom lip. "If whoever is controlling the DG cells was able to infect Hans, then I'm sure he's infected other pilots as well. Also, there were at least 50 men at the warehouse. If that many people could be infected that easily, there are sure to be more."
Domon nodded as he walked up behind her, hugging her around the waist.
"It'll turn out ok," he spoke as he held her tightly. "We just need to lie low for a while, until everyone recovers."
Rain nodded, turning around in his arms so she was facing him. She laid her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso. No matter what the situation, Domon could always made her feel safe.
"We'll need a few days, at least, before we can show our faces. Nastasha's ankle will be fine by then, and your chest wound will be healed completely. George is recovering a lot faster than I thought he would, he should be good by then as well. It's Allenby I'm worried about. The poison is slowly being removed, but I can't get it all out. Her body will have to fight off whatever remains. I don't doubt that she'll be fine, but it may take a little more time than I anticipated. Also..." she started, peering out the glass window of their steel door. Chibodee could be seen in the room across from theirs, pacing back and fourth in front of Allenby's bed.
"I'm worried about how Chibodee is doing. He keeps blaming himself for what happens, but he had no control over it. I think you should go talk to him."
"I'll go take a look at how he's doin, but if he looks like he needs to be left alone I'm not going to force him to talk." Domon replied. Rain nodded, and Domon walked out of their room and peeked through the window into Chibodee's room.
Allenby was lying on a bed with an IV hooked to her arm. he would cringe every now and then, then relax and drift back into an uneasy sleep. Chibodee had stopped his pacing as was sitting on a chair next to her bed, watching her with worry. He sat like that for a moment, and just as Domon was about to walk in, he laid his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze.
"Time for me to stop doting over this." he said out loud. "heck, you'll yell at me for doin it when you wake up, so I better quit while I'm ahead." He looked over his shoulder and stared right at Domon.
"Hey, Japanese, you can come in if you want." Chibodee said with a smirk. Domon's head jerked back from the window and he backed away, waving nervously.
"Eh... Just passing by!" he said quickly as he stuck his hands in his pockets and ran back to his own room.
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"Ouch! Don't do it so tight!" Nastasha protested as Argo carefully wrapped her ankle. He looked up at her with a smirk- an odd thing, coming from him.
"You usually don't complain this much when you're hurt." he stated as he wound the wrap around her foot.
"I'm just a bit cranky, thats all." she replied, looking down at the bed she was sitting on. Argo finished the job and fastened the wrap in place.
"You know," he began in his low, rumbling voice. "It isn't a weakness to need help from time to time." he said as he patted the top of the wrap lightly. Nastasha looked up at him, a small look of surprise on her face. Argo helped her stand, letting her use his huge shoulder for balance. He was about to stand up to leave, when she suddenly leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Thank you." she stated quickly. She gave him a small smile before she carefully walked out of the room, leaving the huge pilot alone, with a surprised look and red cheeks.
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George's eyes strained to open as he lie in his dark room of the spaceship. He could feel a cool, wet cloth over his forehead, and something heavy resting on the bed next to him. He slowly sat up, cringing at the pain from a headache, and removed the cloth, setting it back in the bowl of water on the stand next to his room. The object next to him shifted, making a small noise as it did so.
George smiled down at Marie as slept. She was sitting on a chair right next to him, and her head was resting on the bed by his side. She was still holding a second damp cloth. The dress she was wearing when the attack began had been ripped, so she was now wearing an oversized t-shirt which he recognized as his own, and a pair of jeans, probably an extra pair of Rain's, because they were big on her.
George gently removed the cloth from her hand and placed it with the other in the bowl, then leaned down and brushed a strand of hair from her sleeping face. She smiled quietly as he ran is fingers down her cheek, then sighed happily. George leaned down and lifted her into the bed next to him, then lay back down on his pillow facing her. He gingerly touched the mark where the fire extinguisher had connected to his face, feeling that he hit had given him a black eye and a good sized bruise along his right cheekbone. He looked back up at Marie, who shivered slightly, and pulled the blanket over the both of them.
'I'll just lie here for a moment, then I'll get up before she wakes up...' he thought to himself. Moments later, fatigue had invaded his eyes, and he was soon fast asleep, his arm draped over his princess.
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Thousands of feet above the Pacific Ocean, Sai and Cecil's plane sped through the air towards Neo America. The two were fast asleep, their chairs laid back and the arm rest between them pushed up. Cecil's upper body was lying on top of Sai's chest, and his arm was wrapped around her shoulders. They were both still wearing the clothes that they had on the night before.
The sun shone through the window onto Sai's face, who started squinted and started trying to swat it away in his sleep.
"It is currently 7 am. We will be landing in Neo America within the hour. Please fasten your seatbelts when the green light flashes, and enjoy the remainder of your flight."
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Next chapter, I promise I'll bring all the stuff I've been building up to out in the light! I wanted to finish up the Sai Saici and Cecil thing in this chapter and let everyone know how the shuffle boys are healing, plus I wanted to confirm to everyone that people are in fact being infected with DG cells. Next chapter should come along soon... REVIEW AND IT MIGHT COME SOONER! :-D