Part Two, Chapter Four: Eyeless


Insane, am I the only motherfucker with a brain?/ Hearing voices but all they do is complain!// How many times have you wanted to kill?/ Everything and everyone -say you'll do it but never will!/ You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes!/ I am my father's son/ Cuz he's a phantom, a mystery and that leaves me NOTHING!! / Slipknot, Eyeless






Margarete was confused, to say the least. She had been at the hotel, waiting for Zhuzhen, Alice and Yuri to return, but they'd taken so long. She remembered Zhuzhen saying that he wouldn't be late, so she'd gone to look for them. And when she found them . . .They were in a bar, with three people she hadn't seen before. There'd clearly been a fight- Yuri standing victorious by a man she didn't know,who was dressed in red. Zhuzhen had been kneeling on the floor,disheveled and battered. The two other strangers, she picked up from hurried snatches of conversation, were an old friend of Zhuzhen's, Mr. Zhen, and his daughter Quihua. And as if that scene hadn't been bizarre enough, the group- or Zhuzhen, to be precise- decided they should go back to the hotel, where they could sort things out. What had to be sorted out? What was going on? Margarete assumed she was about to find out, and kept quiet, paying attention to the conversation. Now, back in the hotel room, she realised that not only was Mr. Zhen an old friend of Zhuzhen's, he'd known Yuri's father. . .


Yes, when I was in Tongliao, your father saved my life. Ever since then I accompanied him on his travels. We opened a shop in Shanghai because he said we should make this our base of operations. But in fact, he did it out of concern for young Quihua.'

Quihua blushes slightly at the mention of her name. She looks like she'd rather not be here, she feels she's getting in the way. Yuri casts a glance at the ground, saddened by the memories being called up.


Each summer, father left the village for work. Then he returned just before winter began. But there was that one year. . .' Is he trying not to cry? . . . A cold winter arrived and snow was falling. . . But no sign of father. . . And instead, what came to our village was. . .' Inwardly Yuri shudders, sickened by the recollections juddering through his head. . . .Hmph. . . Forget it.'



Mr. Zhen continues his reminiscing. I heard that the Colonel had a young Russian wife and that they had a young son. But. . .I had no idea. . . That they'd be alive. . .'


My mother died. . .' Yuri mutters bitterly. He laughs with no happiness whatsoever, a sarcastic, regretful, even spiteful sound. Just my luck I had to outlive them.'


How can you say that?' Surely Yuri can't wish he died before his parents, Mr. Zhen thinks. If Quihua died before him. . . And anyway, Yuri himself being alive, wasn't that almost a miracle? I haven't been so thrilled in my life! And how happy Zhuzhen must be as well!'

Oh, that sounded callous! Zhen, can't you think before you speak? You've really put your foot in it!

Yuri turns angrily on Zhuzhen. Old geezer. . . You knew everything from square one, didn't you?? But you kept quiet the whole time!! Whether it's about my father or anything else!!'

Zhuzhen is lost for words. What, he wonders, can I say to that? I can see how the kid feels, but. . .


Why is everyone so damn secretive?!' Yuri spits accusingly. Why?? Tell me, you stupid old man!!'

Alice blinks into Yuri's face, her eyes wide with concern.

Yuri, stop it! Zhuzhen was agonising over it all this time. He didn't know how to tell you. So, please. . .!' She trails off, unsettled by the cold look in Yuri's eyes.

Zhuzhen knows now he has to say. Tell him right now, no more putting it off. How can he, though, which words? There is no conceivable way to soften the blow. But Yuri needs to know. Too late not to say, at any rate.

I was the one,' Zhuzhen sounds braver than he feels. I was the one who killed Hyuga.'



Stunned, shocked silence.

Zhuzhen!' Mr. Zhen cries out in horror.

Bloody hell, Zhuzhen killed him? What's Yuri gonna do?


Yuri has gone pale, almost completely white. He's shaking in rage. What did you say?' He knows damn well what Zhuzhen said. Those could be your last words!'


I'd better explain, Zhuzhen thinks. Who can blame him for being angry?

I first met Hyuga fifteen years ago here in Shanghai. Hyuga was a special assassin sent by the Japanese Army to China when they realised Dehuai was up to no good. We then spent much time tracking Dehuai. Finally we realised what the Demon's Gate Invocation was. We hit Dehuai's fortress, the Kuihai tower, and finally defeated him. It was a fierce battle. . .'

So then. . .' Yuri sees tiny pieces of the past fit together. The man you told me about in Dalian was. . .

That's right. I was talking about your father. Hyuga put his life on the line and stopped the cursed Valorisation.'


Then. . .my father died, eh?' Yuri's still finding it hard to keep his voice even, not break into yelling.

Yuri,' Mr. Zhen pleads. Please forgive Zhuzhen. . . Zhuzhen didn't want to get involved with the same fight your father got pulled into. I can fully understand Zhuzhen's feeling. If i was him I would have done exactly the same thing. . .'

Yuri aims a furious, violent kick at nothing in particular, uttering a cry of frustration. I know!! I know. . .'

Alice puts one hand gingerly on his arm, an attempt to reassure him, soothe him, calm him down. Yuri. . .' she nervously begins.

She never gets any further. It's too much.

Yuri feels trapped. Why is everyone staring at him, he's scared, what the fuck is going on? Zhuzhen you BASTARD! Why did you kill him? oh fuck. . .


Something inside was keeping his rage in place, and it's been so bloody frayed lately, it can''t hold all this in!!

Yuri cries out wordlessly in a mixture of claustrophobic panic and irate fury.

Get the fuck away from me!' he shouts. Suddenly his arm whips up, seemingly out of control- oh, was it really?- and hits Alice in the face. She staggers backwards. That was a powerful punch.

The room goes silent. Quiet like a fucking grave! Yuri blindly rushes to get out, shoving Margarete roughly out of his way to the door.




Of the stunned group, the first to move is Margarete. She rushes over to Alice, whose nose is gushing copious amounts of blood. Are you OK?' she asks, astounded at what Yuri had done. Alice can't reply, as Margarete is pinching her nose tightly to stop the blood.
Anyone got a handkerchief or something?' Margarete calls to the remainder of the group. Quaking nervously, Quihua produces one from her pocket and brings it over.

Thanks,' Margarete says distractedly, immediately beginning to wipe the blood from Alice's face. I don't believe that bastard!'

He isn't,' Alice protests weakly. Dizzy, she sits down on one of the beds.

I don't believe you either!' Margarete exclaims, sitting down beside Alice and putting an arm round her. She was trembling like one of these autumn leaves, the ones for which you can't see any explanation as to why they're still attached to their tree. They always fall sometime. Look what he did,' Margarete speaks as gently as she can, it's a challenge to keep her voice level. How dare Yuri? Alice is the only one who'd never wish him harm! OK, so he didn't plan it this way, but. . . God, that kid needs to learn some serious anger management! And how can Alice not be angry?! She hardly even seems to mind!!

He didn't mean it,' Alice murmurs, searching for explanations- she doesn't understand this, but if she stops believing that Yuri is her protector. . .well, she's basically alone in this world. He was overcome with emotions. . .I can see why. . .'


Oh, why didn't he hit me then?!' Zhuzhen is exasperated with Yuri. It would have made a lot more sense. . .'


I suppose,' muses Mr. Zhen,'that it's just because Alice was closer when he snapped.

Margarete sighs. Where did he go anyway? I'm gonna go and find him. Talk some sense into the idiot.' seemed like unnecessary self-censorship to her, but she didn't want to upset Alice any further. She gives a last reassuring hug to the trembling girl and stands up.

You'd better not mean you're going to shoot some sense into him,' warns Zhuzhen. I don't think it's a good idea that you go at all. Don't you think he'll need some time to himself?'

Yeah, but look, think what he might do!' Margarete protests. I mean, he could be out there right now on a big killing spree or something!'

Zhuzhen sighs. If you must insist on going, be careful!'

Hey, don't worry, I'll be fine!' And with that, Margarete turns and walks to the door. As she leaves she can hear Zhuzhen sigh.








Okay, that was a very short chapter, but I don't have time to type up the remainder of that chapter right now, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to upload *something*, even if it is only three inches of text. I may not upload anything for ages, cos I keep getting exams chucked at my head asking stupid questions like How many ions are in a polar bear and how can you use this to find the area of a chicken's tooth while incorporating trigonometry and standing on your head reciting reflexive French verbs in Italian, oh, and by the way, turn some base metals into gold while you're at it. I really really failed that O_o;;

Bacon: Have I taught you nothing? Any idiot should be able to transform base metals into gold by the age of fourteen!

Yep Bacon, y'know what you taught me? Bring the elements into balance and then will you have it. And *that* makes less sense than some of my fanfics, so don't you start.


Bacon: It's a riddle! So only the worthily intelligent shall discover the secret of eternal life!

It REALLY doesn't help the unworthily stupid try to write a fic about you though.

Thank you all the people who reviewed last chapter! aegis, Zhuzhen *did* say He was so handsome, he nearly had ME swooning

. . . O_o;;;;; That. Is. Not. The. Kind. Of. Picture. I. Need. In. my. Head.

Well, you can see how Yuri was. . . Obviously if he totally snapped he'd kill everyone and there'd be no rest of the story, so I had him snap a teensy bit.



gutterfiend, I already have Itakura's future planned out. You may or may not be right, but his fate was sealed from the minute he came into this story. And as for Breaking Mirrors. . . Yes . . I cannot write for Alice. What was gonna happen was that she found out Ruth had had an affair, and that morris wasn't her real father. That's where the magic came from. Ruth had told Naomi and Naomi was getting a little screwed up about it. . . . But it wasn't going anywhere, so it had to stop.

Nights Mistress, well, like I said, before : O_o;;;; Still. . . It *is* a possibility. Okay, who's gonna write *that* one then? ^^


I'm using the little asterisks round a word way too much. I had *really* better give it up. -_-