IMPORTANT: Yeep...once again... I got the whole CIA thing wrong. -_-' Let's just say this: Eriol got a job in America; trained there to become a CIA agent, returned back to England for his mission in finding Aleron 'cause that's where he last was, and then he went to France when finding out Aleron moved there.
^_^ I guess that just about clears everything up, ne? ^^; Anyway, onto the chapter.
Don't Say You Love Me
Chapter Nine: Bang
By: Enchantress Azure
Tomoyo stared at the being whom she's ran away from for years; the man that continuously haunts her in her nightmares; the one man who she fears...
Aleron.
The last time she saw him was that one night when she was first reunited with Eriol. And since then, she was hoping never to have to see him again. But there he was, a few yards in front of her. A shiver passed up her spine when his cold indigo eyes locked with her own amethyst orbs. A sinister smirk crossed his pale face and Tomoyo couldn't help but take a cautious step back.
'Why, Kami-sama, why!? Why does Aleron continue to bother me?' Tomoyo questioned mentally, half expecting an answer. 'Why can't... Why can't he just leave me alone?'
"Tomoyo..." Her name rolled smoothly off of his tongue. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
Regaining her composure, her once bright violet eyes flashed a darker shade as she narrowed them and sneered, "Whatever, Aleron. Just cut the crap and leave me the hell alone!"
He tisked her, an amused look clearly evident on his face. "Temper, Miss Daidouji, temper." Tomoyo's glare simply intensified.
"Why don't you listen to the lady and just SCRAM!?" the man who once had a cap and sunglasses spoke up. He snarled venomously at Aleron.
Romare stepped out of the crowd of men and stood next to his boss. "Hey, ain't you that one guy? Um...what's your name again? Rei! What are you doing with THEM you traitor!"
Eriol and Tomoyo turned their attention to the mysterious figure, and their eyes widen when finally realizing who it was.
A lazy smirk adorned his features as he replied back coolly, "Hm. I never worked for Thorn in the first place. And second: my name's not Rei..." He dug into his pockets and flipped out his badge. "I'm F.B.I Agent Li, Syaoran." While holding out his badge, he lifted up his gun and aimed it steadily at Romare's head. "And by law of the United States, you, along with Aleron Thorn and the rest of his men, are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you..."
Romare broke into a humored chuckle, his laughter echoing throughout the streets of Paris. "You nor Hiiragizawa are in any position to be making arrests..."
Having regained over his shock, Eriol mimicked Syaoran's smirk and aimed his own gun at them. "Actually, we are."
"Those guys have to be CRAZY to think they can take on a whole squad of armed men," one of Aleron's rookies mumbled to an associate.
"They're not CRAZY, they're INSANE," his companion replied back in the same low tone.
Aleron cleared his throat loudly, and the two men instantly went silent. He ignored Syaoran and Eriol and said to Tomoyo, "If you value these two idiots' lives, then you'll simply hand yourself over or I'll be forced to show them how wrong they are..."
She crossed her arms over her chest and replied back calmly, "Whatever, I don't really care. There's no way in all the world that I'm giving myself over to YOU!"
Aleron looked completely baffled... wait... no... dumbfounded by her answer. "W-what!? Don't you care about your own friends!?!"
"Of course I do," she retorted, as if that was the most obvious answer. "But in the end, I know I don't have to worry about them."
"You're a fool, Tomoyo," Aleron sneered. "You AND your idiot friends are fools."
"Call us what you wish," Syaoran spoke up calmly. "Words and insults aren't going to save you from prison."
"I'm not going to prison!" he spat. "I ain't gonna let you take me!"
On instinct, Eriol reached out and grabbed Tomoyo's hand, sensing what's about to happen. He started to lead her to the side of the street, and Syaoran gradually followed them. Aleron's eyes gleamed in a crazed manner as he shouted to his men, "FIRE!"
Gun shot after gun shot rocked the still winter air of Paris. Eriol pulled Tomoyo in front of him and all three ran behind the protection of a car just as a bullet grazed Eriol's shoulder; the same shoulder he was shot at back at the restaurant a while back. He winced slightly and crouched next to Tomoyo, Syaoran on her other side.
"You alright, Eriol?" Tomoyo questioned softly once the shooting ceased.
He nodded his head in response. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's just a scratch."
Aleron stared at the car which they took protection from. Bullet holes were everywhere on it and its windows were completely shattered and scattered about. He waited a while before gesturing at one of his men to shoot. The man instantly took aim with his machine gun and began firing. Eriol mumbled something under his breath, and Syaoran couldn't contain a smirk when seeing an invisible barrier surround all three of them.
"So, you still got it in you, huh?"
Eriol lifted his head up, his own grin creasing across his face. "Yeah. But it's only a temporary shield. I haven't recovered most of my powers yet to keep it up long." Tomoyo's head perked up when hearing the sound of bullets colliding and bouncing off of something that concealed them. She smiled, knowing that Eriol was protecting them.
"We can't stay here then. The car's not thick or strong enough to keep us safe..." Syaoran remarked, peeking around the front rear of the car. He instantly pulled away just as someone shot where his head once was. They stood on their feet, but stayed low. When the gun fires came to another pause, he broke into a run towards another car. "Run! Hurry!" Tomoyo and Eriol immediately followed him, ducking behind the car when bullets were fired in their direction. The firing stopped.
"IF YOU COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP AND YOUR WEAPONS ON THE GROUND, WE'LL SPARE YOU," Romare's voice echoed throughout the streets. "AND IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO COOPERATE WITH US AND HAND OVER DAIDOUJI, WE'LL BE FORCED TO KILL BOTH HIIRAGIZAWA, AND LI."
Syaoran smirked grimly as he fiddled with something around his neck. Tomoyo instantly recognized it as the orb she remembered from years back. "This is going to be fun messing with them for a while..." Syaoran mumbled lowly, amusement in his eyes and voice.
Eriol shook his head in humor. "You were always the daring one..." then he added with a smirk, "my cute little descendant." Syaoran scowled at him.
"You still call me that!?!"
"What can I say?" Eriol's smirk widen as he shrugged. "It's a habit. You can't get over a habit easily..."
"WE'RE WAITING!" Romare exclaimed, impatience clearly mingling in his voice.
"So what do you say we go out there and give them what they asked for?" Tomoyo questioned, smiling.
"Alright then..." Eriol agreed, the same mysterious look and grin he use to wear back in their childhood days, making its way across his face. "As long as Syaoran here informs us everything that's been going on in his life once all of this is over with."
"I can agree with that," he replied.
"Okay then!" Tomoyo exclaimed, her fear obviously long gone. An eager look was plastered on her features. "Let's go out there, shall we?"
They nodded their heads and all three long time friends abandoned their hiding place. All guns and gazes were aimed at them as Eriol and Syaoran dropped their guns; Tomoyo having hers pocketed in the back of her pants, her shirt concealing it from view. They lifted their arms in surrender.
Tomoyo heaved a fake sigh of defeat. "You win, Aleron... It's pointless fighting against you any longer."
Eriol glanced at Tomoyo and had to contain the smirk that tugged at his lips. He hid his amusement as he commented to himself, 'She's a good actor... She even has me fooled...'
"She's right," Syaoran inputted, looking somewhat downcast. "Me and Hiiragizawa are only two agents. What can we do against you guys?"
Eriol nodded his head in agreement, a solemn expression on his face. Romare gazed at them in triumph and satisfaction, lowering his gun to his side. A smug grin played its way across his lips. "I'm glad you see it that way..."
Aleron on the other hand, wasn't the least bit fooled. He smacked Romare upside his head before directing his enraged glare at them. "Idiot! They're just faking it. They have something up their sleeves..."
His employee looked rather upset as he rubbed the back of his head. "You didn't have to hit me, boss..."
"Quit acting like a baby!" Aleron snapped in annoyance.
"Now why would we be faking all this?" Syaoran asked in a dense manner. "We're serious! We SUR-REN-DER! What? You need me to spell it out for ya? S-U-R-R-E --"
"Oh shut up!" Aleron spat venomously. The amber-eyed man did just that. The owner of Thorn Corporation glared from Eriol, to Syaoran, then to Tomoyo. "Why should I believe you guys?"
"Hm, that's a good question..." Eriol mused aloud. "Why should you believe us? Well... sure... me and my cute little descendant -"
"Your what!?" Aleron scoffed with a skeptical look.
The blue magician simply waved a hand and said hastily, "Nothing, never mind. What was I saying again before I was RUDELY interrupted? Ah yes... sure... me and my cute little descendant here have been diggin' up some dirt on you and what-not... and... so what if we're out to put you to jail? You have all the right to trust us 'cause we're trustworthy men that keep their word!" He sent Aleron a cheesy grin and nudged Syaoran. "Right, Syaoran?"
"Wha-?" Syaoran coughed and cleared his throat. "Huh. Oh, um, yes. Trustworthy men. Mhm. That's what we are."
"See, Boss!" Romare exclaimed in a whisper so only Aleron can hear. "The Daidouji girl is as good as yours!"
"I still don't trust them..." he mumbled, eyeing the trio darkly.
"Oh c'mon, Boss!" Romare continued to persist. "It's two unarmed agents and a helpless woman, against us and a bunch of armed men. What possible chance do they have against us?"
"Still..."
"Think of it this way: they saw they couldn't stand a chance against us so they decided to surrender 'cause that's the smartest thing to do."
"Whatever..." was Aleron's simple response. "But still, we can't take chances. I don't know what it is... but those two agents seem... odd. Different from regular ones. I don't know how, but that's what it seems like."
Romare sent him a skeptical and odd look. "Er... Yeah... Whatever ya say, Boss."
Silence swept over everyone present, the sound of a gust of wind breaking through the thick air of the awkwardness that broke out, could be heard. But all in all, they were all calm and composed. Both sides thought: Hey, there's nothin' to worry 'bout. For one side, at least, there was nothing to worry about, but for the other... well... that's a different story.
"Okay," Aleron spoke up, breaking the silence with an inhale of oxygen. "If ya'll ain't fuckin' around, then give me Tomoyo right now."
She glanced at Eriol and he gave her a slight nod in response. Taking in a deep breath, Tomoyo took slow and cautious steps towards Aleron and his men. Her head was held high. Her posture was straight and firm; no signs of fear what-so-ever were evident on her face nor her eyes. Everyone watched her come to a halt ten steps away from Aleron. Eriol furrowed his eyebrows as he mumbled incoherent words beneath his breath. Romare's usual smug and confident grin creased across his features.
"Told ya, Boss," he remarked, walking towards Tomoyo. "She's -- OW!" Romare found himself coming to an abrupt stop when feeling himself collide against some sort of invisible wall. He placed a hand over his throbbing face. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?!!?!" Rubbing his cheek, he lifted up both hands and started to run his palms against the wall that was supposedly in front of him, but out of eye shot. "There's somethin' here!"
'What a baka...' Tomoyo commented mentally, stifling her laughter. 'He looks like a mime when he's doing that. A really stupid mime, that is.'
"You idiot!" Aleron snapped. "This isn't the time to be playing games!"
"But Boss!" Romare continued to persist. "There's somethin' here! Honest!!! See, look..." He took his gun and tapped the edge of it against the air, but it sounded as if it were hitting metal, or something close to it. He took a step back and aimed his pistol before pulling the trigger. The bullet collided against the barrier, but it bounced off the shield, making Romare and the other men duck to avoid the bullet as it flew above their heads and disappeared.
"What the hell is going on here!?!" Aleron bellowed, clearly outraged. He glared at Eriol and Syaoran who fought so hard to contain their laughter. He pointed an accusing finger at Eriol. "This is YOUR work, isn't it, Hiiragizawa!?"
Biting on his bottom lip, he forced an innocent look on. "What? Little ol' me? Now how can I be capable of something such as that?"
His anger only increased. "This happened before on our last encounter at the ally way. I don't know how you did it, but this is the SECOND TIME it's happened!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Eriol denied. "Are you suggesting that I have some sorta... magical abilities?"
"Yes! No! I don't know!!!" Aleron exclaimed, unsure himself.
His sapphire orbs glinted in amusement. "Well, Thorn, you have one wild imagination of a five year old. Me? Having magic? That's an absurd thought!"
"I NEVER SAID I THOUGHT YOU HAD MAGIC!!!!" he shouted, fuming in anger.
"Yes you did," Eriol shot back.
"NO I DIDN'T!"
"YES!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"NO!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"Haha, gottcha there!" Eriol pointed out, smirking.
Aleron tugged at his hair. "AAHH!!!"
Syaoran, Tomoyo, Romare, and all the other men stared blankly at Aleron, one thought running through their mind, 'Man... He's seriously gone loco.'
Romare took a step back, a "precaution" step. "Er... Boss... calm yourself!"
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM MYSELF!" Aleron roared. "I HAD ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS... MEN... READY YOUR GUNS!" They did just that and aimed their weapons. "READY... SET... FIRE!"
Bullets pierced through the air, sending a booming sound echoing continuously throughout the city of Paris. It reminded Tomoyo of the sound of thunder striking the sky. She ducked down and clamped her head between her hands to block out the ear splitting sound. Eriol clenched his fists and grit his teeth, his skin looking oddly more pale than usual. His midnight blue aura wavered weakly around his form and he found it hard to keep his magical barrier up to block the bullets. Syaoran's eyes slightly widen when seeing the invisible force shield flicker slightly, one bullet making its way past it and entering through a shop window. The glass shards shattered into pieces and scattered across the side walk and the inside of the building. Tearing the orb from around his neck, his amber eyes narrowed intently.
"Hiiragizawa, drop the shield," Syaoran commanded firmly.
He looked at his descendant, then glanced at the orb in his grasp before nodding his head. Syaoran mumbled something and the orb slowly changed into the Li Clan Sword. He whipped out a small, rectangular piece of paper; something called an ofuda. Flinging it out in front of him, he rammed the flat of the blade against it. "ELEMENT, WIND!" A gust of wind erupted from that simple ofuda as it charged towards them.
Eriol flicked his wrist, and just as he did so, the magical shield disappeared and the magical wind blew over head of Tomoyo, making her raven locks fly wildly around as she crouched even lower. Syaoran's assault easily stopped the bullets in their tracks, making them fall to the ground. The wind knocked into the ranks of Aleron and his men. From the force of it, they slid backwards, some colliding against their cars, against near by buildings, others falling instantly to the ground.
Cries of surprise and confusion erupted from them as they one by one forced themselves onto their feet. Aleron slowly stood up, massaging his temples and shaking his head to regain his composure; Romare gradually standing beside him. Tomoyo stood up also and faced Syaoran and Eriol. Her lips tugged into a small smirk.
"What the..." Aleron mumbled, his, along with his companions' eyes widening when seeing Syaoran standing resolutely with a firm grasp on the hilt of his Li Clan Sword. Where had he gotten the weapon? They hadn't seen him holding it before. And how was he able to summon the wind that had attacked them earlier? He scowled menacingly at them. "I knew there was somethin' odd about you!"
"They're... They're..." Romare spoke up shakily, his face looking rather ghastly. "They're WITCHES!!!"
"._. ......." (Syaoran)
"...Witches?"(Eriol)
"Them!?" Tomoyo exclaimed, scoffing to stifle her laughter. "Now what gave you the idea that they were... witches?"
Romare glared icily at them, flushing in embarrassment at how they made him seem AND sound like a fool and an idiot. "What else am I suppose to think!?"
"I don't know, you tell me," Tomoyo said calmly, slowly taking backwards steps towards Eriol and Syaoran.
"I suggest you freeze, Tomoyo," Aleron inquired, returning back to his smooth and cool composure. Romare aimed his gun at her heart. Her amethyst eyes darted from her ex-fiancé, to his employee, and back to Aleron again. She was careful and cautious, trying to avoid any suspicion as she reached behind her for her own pistol that Eriol had loaned her. Coiling her fingers around the handle, she withdrew it and immediately pointed it at Aleron's head.
"And I suggest ALL of you drop your weapons or your boss gets it." When she emphasized all, she meant Romare and every single one of Aleron's rookies.
"You wouldn't kill me," Aleron drawled tauntingly. "You wouldn't even kill a fly."
"Don't go jumping to conclusions, Thorn," Tomoyo suggested, her amethyst orbs darkening and her eyebrows furrowing. "I've been waiting for this day for five years..."
Aleron's men made a move to lower their weapons to the ground, but he spoke to them, his gaze still on Tomoyo, "DON'T drop your weapons..." He spoke to Tomoyo now. "Then do it, Tomoyo. Here's your chance. Shoot me if you dare."
She applied some pressure on the trigger, but not enough to set the bullet off. Eriol and Syaoran glanced at each other.
"Tomoyo, don't do it," Eriol reasoned with her. "You'll be charged for man slaughter if you do. Let me and Syaoran handle this."
"Iie," she replied, changing her dialect to Japanese. "I got this under control."
"But, Tomoyo -"
"Eriol... you don't understand. I've been waiting years for this chance, and now that it's in my grasp, I can't let it go." Her tone was reasonable; calm. But in the inside, she was the farthest thing from calm. Her adrenaline rushed wildly at the prospect of being the one to destroy the man who haunted her since they first met. She held Aleron's gaze steadily and evenly, and he eyed her back. He understood what they were saying, but the rest of his men didn't since all they know how to speak is French. 'I want to be the one to end my own nightmares without always having help. I want to prove to Aleron that I'm not the same weak girl he use to know that wouldn't harm a fly. All I gotta do is pull the trigger and... he'll be gone...'
"You won't kill me..." he repeated again, smirking.
"What makes you think that?" she asked coldly.
"No matter what I've done to you, a part of you still loves me. Aren't I right?"
Her eyes widen, but she regained her composure and sent him her most deadly glare. "Wrong." 'He's right... Sure, he's done plenty of awful things to me, but I still can't help but remember the loving, and good side of Aleron who I fell in love with. But, I don't love him as much as I use to...' "I don't love you, Aleron."
"You're denying the truth, Tomoyo," he pointed out. "You love me, and I love y-"
"Don't say you love me when you know it's not true!" Tomoyo snapped angrily. Her body trembled, causing the gun to shake lightly. "You never loved me so don't you DARE say you do!" She turned the safety off of the gun, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm going to end this right here, right now! I've had enough of you, Aleron Thorn." She started to pull the trigger.
"Tomoyo!" Syaoran exclaimed warningly.
"Don't do it!" Eriol pleaded, both him and Syaoran running towards her.
Aleron instantly acted. Before Tomoyo could possibly pull the trigger and release the bullet, he knocked the pistol from her grasp before grabbing her wrist and bringing it behind her back. With his other hand, he pressed his gun against the side of her forehead. Eriol and Syaoran came to an abrupt halt, stopping immediately in their tracks when meeting Aleron's warning glare.
"I suggest neither of you take another step..." he threatened, "for the girl's and for your sake."
It was then that both sorcerers could feel the cold metal of a gun pressed against the back of their heads as they realized that some of Aleron's men had snuck up behind them and now had them helpless. Tomoyo gazed at them aplogetically and mouthed an "I'm sorry," for her foolishness she displayed a moment ago.
Sure, they were magicians, but also being agents, they knew that if they made any sort of funny or suspicious move they'd be shot before they could possibly summon an attack or shield. Besides, Eriol's last attempts of keeping up a shield drained him. Syaoran furrowed his eyebrows and concentrated intently as his green aura wavered around his body. He could feel their presence behind him as his aura circulated and calculated how many men were behind him and Eriol; where they were standing; how far they were from him. A plan formed in his mind. He had to do this cautiously and quickly before any suspicions were aimed at him, and before they could possibly react.
He met Eriol's gaze and the blue magician instantly knew what to do. With the slightest of nods, Syaoran took a deep breath. 'Here goes nothing...' "NOW!"
Both F.B.I and C.I.A. agents twirled around and knocked the guns out of their grasps before either punching or kicking the guy who had the pistols aimed at their heads. The two staggered back, joining the other six men who had snuck up behind the agents.
"Let me handle them, Hiiragizawa," Syaoran spoke up, whipping out an ofuda. He slammed the flat of his blade against the magical paper. "ELEMENT, WATER!"
A powerful burst of water erupted and knocked forcefully against all eight of them. They flew back and collided against buildings, lamp posts, or crashed through shop windows, sending glass shards shattering everywhere. Eriol picked up a fallen gun as him and Syaoran turned around to see ten more men walking swiftly towards them. They started firing just as the agents took cover behind two seperate vans. When their shooting came to a temporary cease, Eriol stood up and shot at them before ducking back in cover, two of Aleron's men going down. They resumed firing, and when they stopped again, Syaoran caught Eriol's gaze and they nodded to each other. With their weapons ready, they ran from their protection and towards the eight men who assaulted them.
With his gun in hand, Eriol smacked it against someone's cheek before giving him an upper-cut and ending his life with a single gun shot. Another three charged at him at the same time, but he took them down with ease. Kicking one square in the chest, he elbowed another in the face then sent a round-house kick at the third. Eriol aimed his gun at them.
Bang, bang, bang.
Syaoran knocked a man's pistol from his grasp before lashing his sword out, giving him a clean, deep gash diagonal across his chest. The man gagged, falling to his knees. With a final gasp, he collided to the ground, dead. Syaoran ducked and rolled across the snow covered street as someone else shot at him. Rolling back up in a crouching position, he pushed back on his legs as he stood up and rushed at him, ending his life with a single swipe of his deadly weapon. Taking the third man's life with the Li Clan Sword, he picked up a fallen gun and aimed at the last man standing.
Bang.
Tomoyo had her eyes closed throughout the whole time, not wanting to see two people she's known since childhood, kill people when years ago, they would never take away a single life. She remembered what she said a while back when she was reunited with Eriol:
Things change over the years...
'Things change... People change... I changed...' she thought to herself sadly. 'I wish we could just go back to the old days. To the happy, carefree days when all we had to worry about was Sakura-chan capturing the Clow Cards and converting them under her name. Why? Why do things have to change? Why did time have to go by so quickly? ...Why?' When the gun shots stopped, she slowly snapped back to reality and parted her eye lids.
Eriol and Syaoran stood side by side, glaring at Aleron, Romare, and his remaining men. They all looked surprised, completely dumbfounded that those two were able to take down eighteen men without getting hurt. But Aleron, no, he didn't look shocked, he looked pissed that his men couldn't kill two damn agents. He glared at Syaoran and Eriol as he sneered at his remaining force,
"Take. Them. DOWN!"
The twenty or so of his men charged at Eriol and Syaoran, their guns, knives, and whatever weapons they were carrying, ready. Syaoran slid down in a defensive fighting stance while Eriol adjusted his hold on his pistol. Then, a fight broke out.
One of them lashed out his chain at Syaoran, who lifted his sword up to protect himself. It wrapped around the blade as the amber eyed man tugged on his sword, pulling the man towards him. Ramming his fist into his stomach, he pushed him away as a dozen or so of Aleron's rookies advanced towards him. Pulling out an ofuda, he rammed the flat of his blade against it.
"ELEMENT, FIRE!"
A burst of bright flames erupted, catching five of them on fire as they ran around, screaming and yelping in panic. Two of them did the smart thing and stopped, dropped, and rolled, but the other three ran around, burning to death. Eriol, meanwhile, jabbed someone square in the face, earning a cry of pain from him. Turning around, he dodged another person's reckless punches with ease and swift agility. He kneed the guy in the stomach. Aiming his gun at someone, he fired. Others started to shoot at him and he ran behind a mustang convertable for protection. Once in a while, he would stand up and shoot at them, each one of his bullets always hitting a target.
Eriol caught sight of Syaoran and his eyes widen in alarm when seeing someone sneak up behind him. "SYAORAN! WATCH IT! BEHIND YOU!"
But before Syaoran could react, the guy slammed his gun against the back of his neck, making him fall down to his knees with a hand against the back of his neck. He fought the urge to cry in agony when the man started kicking him, and more of Aleron's men came to help as they beat Syaoran. Eriol ran from his cover and started to fire at them. Some of them ran out of his range, and the rest, well, they weren't so lucky. Digging in his pocket, he reloaded his gun before crouching down next to the beaten Syaoran.
"Syaoran, daijoubu desu ka?" Eriol asked, helping him up.
He grunted while wiping away a trail of blood leaking down his chin. "Hai, daijoubu."
Eriol helped him up to his feet. Aleron's men had them both completely surrounded now. Tomoyo creased her eyebrows in concern and fear. "Thorn, please, call them back!"
"No," came his flat reply.
"Please!" Tomoyo continued to plead, her tone desperate. "Don't kill them! Call your men back!"
"KILL THEM!" Aleron barked at them.
They readied their guns and aimed it at Syaoran and Eriol.
"NOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Tomoyo screamed, struggling in Aleron's hold. She elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to release his hold on her. When she was free of his clutches, she broke into a mad dash towards Syaoran and Eriol. Romare, not thinking twice, lifted his gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger.
Bang.
Everyone's eyes widen in surprise as their attention turned to Tomoyo. All color was drained from her face, her expression being the most shocked. Eriol and Syaoran paled as they stared at her in horror.
"Tomoyo..." Eriol mumbled, meeting her wide amethyst orbs. Tears stung his eyes. Everything suddenly seemed out of place. She dropped to her knees, her blood staining her clothes. "No..." She collapsed on the ground, her eyelids slowly drooping over her orbs. "TOMOYO!!!!!!" His shout sounded oddly faint to her ears, as if he were shouting from a distance. But how can that be when he wasn't that far from her? It felt as if she were being pulled away from reality, darkness gradually engulfing her vision. It was silent, mute to her ears. Then, a distant gun shot could be heard, followed by another one.
Bang... bang.
"That's all it takes..."
Five year old Tomoyo Daidouji looked up at her father, a police cop for Tokyo, Japan. One of the top policemen in his division to be exact. They were in his office, him sitting in his chair studying his gun, and Tomoyo standing next to him while looking up at him with innocent amethyst eyes.
"That's all it takes to take away someone's life..." Mr. Daidouji continued to speak. "One shot..." He lifted his gun up and pointed it at the wall, "...one bang and you're dead." She looked at the gun and watched him cock it, as if pretending to fire and release a bullet.
One shot...
That's all it takes.
Bang.
You're dead.
To be continued...
A/N: So... ya like? ^^; Anyway, as you can tell, it took me quite a while to type this chapter up 'cause I kept on gettin' writer's block and my inspiration level was quite low. But then hey, at least I'm finally updating :D Welp, I'm hopin' for the next chapter to be the last and final one. I can't believe this fic is sooo close to being finished ^_^ Oh yah, as you can tell also, I changed my pen name from Azure Rosas to Enchantress Azure. Hehe. Oops, nearly forgot, lemme thank these people for reviewing the last chapter:
Jae
Tomoyo-chan
Inni-chan
Megami No Hikari
Devils Sanctuary
KawaiiSakuraAngel
Kari Y. Yokhosama
fefa-chan
Syvonair
kawaiiaznangel36
starquestor
KyteAura
Thank you all ^_^ Anyway, hope ya liked this chapter. Plz, don't forget to leave a review! Ja! ^_-
^_^ I guess that just about clears everything up, ne? ^^; Anyway, onto the chapter.
Chapter Nine: Bang
By: Enchantress Azure
Tomoyo stared at the being whom she's ran away from for years; the man that continuously haunts her in her nightmares; the one man who she fears...
Aleron.
The last time she saw him was that one night when she was first reunited with Eriol. And since then, she was hoping never to have to see him again. But there he was, a few yards in front of her. A shiver passed up her spine when his cold indigo eyes locked with her own amethyst orbs. A sinister smirk crossed his pale face and Tomoyo couldn't help but take a cautious step back.
'Why, Kami-sama, why!? Why does Aleron continue to bother me?' Tomoyo questioned mentally, half expecting an answer. 'Why can't... Why can't he just leave me alone?'
"Tomoyo..." Her name rolled smoothly off of his tongue. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
Regaining her composure, her once bright violet eyes flashed a darker shade as she narrowed them and sneered, "Whatever, Aleron. Just cut the crap and leave me the hell alone!"
He tisked her, an amused look clearly evident on his face. "Temper, Miss Daidouji, temper." Tomoyo's glare simply intensified.
"Why don't you listen to the lady and just SCRAM!?" the man who once had a cap and sunglasses spoke up. He snarled venomously at Aleron.
Romare stepped out of the crowd of men and stood next to his boss. "Hey, ain't you that one guy? Um...what's your name again? Rei! What are you doing with THEM you traitor!"
Eriol and Tomoyo turned their attention to the mysterious figure, and their eyes widen when finally realizing who it was.
A lazy smirk adorned his features as he replied back coolly, "Hm. I never worked for Thorn in the first place. And second: my name's not Rei..." He dug into his pockets and flipped out his badge. "I'm F.B.I Agent Li, Syaoran." While holding out his badge, he lifted up his gun and aimed it steadily at Romare's head. "And by law of the United States, you, along with Aleron Thorn and the rest of his men, are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you..."
Romare broke into a humored chuckle, his laughter echoing throughout the streets of Paris. "You nor Hiiragizawa are in any position to be making arrests..."
Having regained over his shock, Eriol mimicked Syaoran's smirk and aimed his own gun at them. "Actually, we are."
"Those guys have to be CRAZY to think they can take on a whole squad of armed men," one of Aleron's rookies mumbled to an associate.
"They're not CRAZY, they're INSANE," his companion replied back in the same low tone.
Aleron cleared his throat loudly, and the two men instantly went silent. He ignored Syaoran and Eriol and said to Tomoyo, "If you value these two idiots' lives, then you'll simply hand yourself over or I'll be forced to show them how wrong they are..."
She crossed her arms over her chest and replied back calmly, "Whatever, I don't really care. There's no way in all the world that I'm giving myself over to YOU!"
Aleron looked completely baffled... wait... no... dumbfounded by her answer. "W-what!? Don't you care about your own friends!?!"
"Of course I do," she retorted, as if that was the most obvious answer. "But in the end, I know I don't have to worry about them."
"You're a fool, Tomoyo," Aleron sneered. "You AND your idiot friends are fools."
"Call us what you wish," Syaoran spoke up calmly. "Words and insults aren't going to save you from prison."
"I'm not going to prison!" he spat. "I ain't gonna let you take me!"
On instinct, Eriol reached out and grabbed Tomoyo's hand, sensing what's about to happen. He started to lead her to the side of the street, and Syaoran gradually followed them. Aleron's eyes gleamed in a crazed manner as he shouted to his men, "FIRE!"
Gun shot after gun shot rocked the still winter air of Paris. Eriol pulled Tomoyo in front of him and all three ran behind the protection of a car just as a bullet grazed Eriol's shoulder; the same shoulder he was shot at back at the restaurant a while back. He winced slightly and crouched next to Tomoyo, Syaoran on her other side.
"You alright, Eriol?" Tomoyo questioned softly once the shooting ceased.
He nodded his head in response. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's just a scratch."
Aleron stared at the car which they took protection from. Bullet holes were everywhere on it and its windows were completely shattered and scattered about. He waited a while before gesturing at one of his men to shoot. The man instantly took aim with his machine gun and began firing. Eriol mumbled something under his breath, and Syaoran couldn't contain a smirk when seeing an invisible barrier surround all three of them.
"So, you still got it in you, huh?"
Eriol lifted his head up, his own grin creasing across his face. "Yeah. But it's only a temporary shield. I haven't recovered most of my powers yet to keep it up long." Tomoyo's head perked up when hearing the sound of bullets colliding and bouncing off of something that concealed them. She smiled, knowing that Eriol was protecting them.
"We can't stay here then. The car's not thick or strong enough to keep us safe..." Syaoran remarked, peeking around the front rear of the car. He instantly pulled away just as someone shot where his head once was. They stood on their feet, but stayed low. When the gun fires came to another pause, he broke into a run towards another car. "Run! Hurry!" Tomoyo and Eriol immediately followed him, ducking behind the car when bullets were fired in their direction. The firing stopped.
"IF YOU COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP AND YOUR WEAPONS ON THE GROUND, WE'LL SPARE YOU," Romare's voice echoed throughout the streets. "AND IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO COOPERATE WITH US AND HAND OVER DAIDOUJI, WE'LL BE FORCED TO KILL BOTH HIIRAGIZAWA, AND LI."
Syaoran smirked grimly as he fiddled with something around his neck. Tomoyo instantly recognized it as the orb she remembered from years back. "This is going to be fun messing with them for a while..." Syaoran mumbled lowly, amusement in his eyes and voice.
Eriol shook his head in humor. "You were always the daring one..." then he added with a smirk, "my cute little descendant." Syaoran scowled at him.
"You still call me that!?!"
"What can I say?" Eriol's smirk widen as he shrugged. "It's a habit. You can't get over a habit easily..."
"WE'RE WAITING!" Romare exclaimed, impatience clearly mingling in his voice.
"So what do you say we go out there and give them what they asked for?" Tomoyo questioned, smiling.
"Alright then..." Eriol agreed, the same mysterious look and grin he use to wear back in their childhood days, making its way across his face. "As long as Syaoran here informs us everything that's been going on in his life once all of this is over with."
"I can agree with that," he replied.
"Okay then!" Tomoyo exclaimed, her fear obviously long gone. An eager look was plastered on her features. "Let's go out there, shall we?"
They nodded their heads and all three long time friends abandoned their hiding place. All guns and gazes were aimed at them as Eriol and Syaoran dropped their guns; Tomoyo having hers pocketed in the back of her pants, her shirt concealing it from view. They lifted their arms in surrender.
Tomoyo heaved a fake sigh of defeat. "You win, Aleron... It's pointless fighting against you any longer."
Eriol glanced at Tomoyo and had to contain the smirk that tugged at his lips. He hid his amusement as he commented to himself, 'She's a good actor... She even has me fooled...'
"She's right," Syaoran inputted, looking somewhat downcast. "Me and Hiiragizawa are only two agents. What can we do against you guys?"
Eriol nodded his head in agreement, a solemn expression on his face. Romare gazed at them in triumph and satisfaction, lowering his gun to his side. A smug grin played its way across his lips. "I'm glad you see it that way..."
Aleron on the other hand, wasn't the least bit fooled. He smacked Romare upside his head before directing his enraged glare at them. "Idiot! They're just faking it. They have something up their sleeves..."
His employee looked rather upset as he rubbed the back of his head. "You didn't have to hit me, boss..."
"Quit acting like a baby!" Aleron snapped in annoyance.
"Now why would we be faking all this?" Syaoran asked in a dense manner. "We're serious! We SUR-REN-DER! What? You need me to spell it out for ya? S-U-R-R-E --"
"Oh shut up!" Aleron spat venomously. The amber-eyed man did just that. The owner of Thorn Corporation glared from Eriol, to Syaoran, then to Tomoyo. "Why should I believe you guys?"
"Hm, that's a good question..." Eriol mused aloud. "Why should you believe us? Well... sure... me and my cute little descendant -"
"Your what!?" Aleron scoffed with a skeptical look.
The blue magician simply waved a hand and said hastily, "Nothing, never mind. What was I saying again before I was RUDELY interrupted? Ah yes... sure... me and my cute little descendant here have been diggin' up some dirt on you and what-not... and... so what if we're out to put you to jail? You have all the right to trust us 'cause we're trustworthy men that keep their word!" He sent Aleron a cheesy grin and nudged Syaoran. "Right, Syaoran?"
"Wha-?" Syaoran coughed and cleared his throat. "Huh. Oh, um, yes. Trustworthy men. Mhm. That's what we are."
"See, Boss!" Romare exclaimed in a whisper so only Aleron can hear. "The Daidouji girl is as good as yours!"
"I still don't trust them..." he mumbled, eyeing the trio darkly.
"Oh c'mon, Boss!" Romare continued to persist. "It's two unarmed agents and a helpless woman, against us and a bunch of armed men. What possible chance do they have against us?"
"Still..."
"Think of it this way: they saw they couldn't stand a chance against us so they decided to surrender 'cause that's the smartest thing to do."
"Whatever..." was Aleron's simple response. "But still, we can't take chances. I don't know what it is... but those two agents seem... odd. Different from regular ones. I don't know how, but that's what it seems like."
Romare sent him a skeptical and odd look. "Er... Yeah... Whatever ya say, Boss."
Silence swept over everyone present, the sound of a gust of wind breaking through the thick air of the awkwardness that broke out, could be heard. But all in all, they were all calm and composed. Both sides thought: Hey, there's nothin' to worry 'bout. For one side, at least, there was nothing to worry about, but for the other... well... that's a different story.
"Okay," Aleron spoke up, breaking the silence with an inhale of oxygen. "If ya'll ain't fuckin' around, then give me Tomoyo right now."
She glanced at Eriol and he gave her a slight nod in response. Taking in a deep breath, Tomoyo took slow and cautious steps towards Aleron and his men. Her head was held high. Her posture was straight and firm; no signs of fear what-so-ever were evident on her face nor her eyes. Everyone watched her come to a halt ten steps away from Aleron. Eriol furrowed his eyebrows as he mumbled incoherent words beneath his breath. Romare's usual smug and confident grin creased across his features.
"Told ya, Boss," he remarked, walking towards Tomoyo. "She's -- OW!" Romare found himself coming to an abrupt stop when feeling himself collide against some sort of invisible wall. He placed a hand over his throbbing face. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?!!?!" Rubbing his cheek, he lifted up both hands and started to run his palms against the wall that was supposedly in front of him, but out of eye shot. "There's somethin' here!"
'What a baka...' Tomoyo commented mentally, stifling her laughter. 'He looks like a mime when he's doing that. A really stupid mime, that is.'
"You idiot!" Aleron snapped. "This isn't the time to be playing games!"
"But Boss!" Romare continued to persist. "There's somethin' here! Honest!!! See, look..." He took his gun and tapped the edge of it against the air, but it sounded as if it were hitting metal, or something close to it. He took a step back and aimed his pistol before pulling the trigger. The bullet collided against the barrier, but it bounced off the shield, making Romare and the other men duck to avoid the bullet as it flew above their heads and disappeared.
"What the hell is going on here!?!" Aleron bellowed, clearly outraged. He glared at Eriol and Syaoran who fought so hard to contain their laughter. He pointed an accusing finger at Eriol. "This is YOUR work, isn't it, Hiiragizawa!?"
Biting on his bottom lip, he forced an innocent look on. "What? Little ol' me? Now how can I be capable of something such as that?"
His anger only increased. "This happened before on our last encounter at the ally way. I don't know how you did it, but this is the SECOND TIME it's happened!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Eriol denied. "Are you suggesting that I have some sorta... magical abilities?"
"Yes! No! I don't know!!!" Aleron exclaimed, unsure himself.
His sapphire orbs glinted in amusement. "Well, Thorn, you have one wild imagination of a five year old. Me? Having magic? That's an absurd thought!"
"I NEVER SAID I THOUGHT YOU HAD MAGIC!!!!" he shouted, fuming in anger.
"Yes you did," Eriol shot back.
"NO I DIDN'T!"
"YES!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"NO!"
"NO!"
"YES!"
"Haha, gottcha there!" Eriol pointed out, smirking.
Aleron tugged at his hair. "AAHH!!!"
Syaoran, Tomoyo, Romare, and all the other men stared blankly at Aleron, one thought running through their mind, 'Man... He's seriously gone loco.'
Romare took a step back, a "precaution" step. "Er... Boss... calm yourself!"
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM MYSELF!" Aleron roared. "I HAD ABOUT ENOUGH OF THIS... MEN... READY YOUR GUNS!" They did just that and aimed their weapons. "READY... SET... FIRE!"
Bullets pierced through the air, sending a booming sound echoing continuously throughout the city of Paris. It reminded Tomoyo of the sound of thunder striking the sky. She ducked down and clamped her head between her hands to block out the ear splitting sound. Eriol clenched his fists and grit his teeth, his skin looking oddly more pale than usual. His midnight blue aura wavered weakly around his form and he found it hard to keep his magical barrier up to block the bullets. Syaoran's eyes slightly widen when seeing the invisible force shield flicker slightly, one bullet making its way past it and entering through a shop window. The glass shards shattered into pieces and scattered across the side walk and the inside of the building. Tearing the orb from around his neck, his amber eyes narrowed intently.
"Hiiragizawa, drop the shield," Syaoran commanded firmly.
He looked at his descendant, then glanced at the orb in his grasp before nodding his head. Syaoran mumbled something and the orb slowly changed into the Li Clan Sword. He whipped out a small, rectangular piece of paper; something called an ofuda. Flinging it out in front of him, he rammed the flat of the blade against it. "ELEMENT, WIND!" A gust of wind erupted from that simple ofuda as it charged towards them.
Eriol flicked his wrist, and just as he did so, the magical shield disappeared and the magical wind blew over head of Tomoyo, making her raven locks fly wildly around as she crouched even lower. Syaoran's assault easily stopped the bullets in their tracks, making them fall to the ground. The wind knocked into the ranks of Aleron and his men. From the force of it, they slid backwards, some colliding against their cars, against near by buildings, others falling instantly to the ground.
Cries of surprise and confusion erupted from them as they one by one forced themselves onto their feet. Aleron slowly stood up, massaging his temples and shaking his head to regain his composure; Romare gradually standing beside him. Tomoyo stood up also and faced Syaoran and Eriol. Her lips tugged into a small smirk.
"What the..." Aleron mumbled, his, along with his companions' eyes widening when seeing Syaoran standing resolutely with a firm grasp on the hilt of his Li Clan Sword. Where had he gotten the weapon? They hadn't seen him holding it before. And how was he able to summon the wind that had attacked them earlier? He scowled menacingly at them. "I knew there was somethin' odd about you!"
"They're... They're..." Romare spoke up shakily, his face looking rather ghastly. "They're WITCHES!!!"
"._. ......." (Syaoran)
"...Witches?"(Eriol)
"Them!?" Tomoyo exclaimed, scoffing to stifle her laughter. "Now what gave you the idea that they were... witches?"
Romare glared icily at them, flushing in embarrassment at how they made him seem AND sound like a fool and an idiot. "What else am I suppose to think!?"
"I don't know, you tell me," Tomoyo said calmly, slowly taking backwards steps towards Eriol and Syaoran.
"I suggest you freeze, Tomoyo," Aleron inquired, returning back to his smooth and cool composure. Romare aimed his gun at her heart. Her amethyst eyes darted from her ex-fiancé, to his employee, and back to Aleron again. She was careful and cautious, trying to avoid any suspicion as she reached behind her for her own pistol that Eriol had loaned her. Coiling her fingers around the handle, she withdrew it and immediately pointed it at Aleron's head.
"And I suggest ALL of you drop your weapons or your boss gets it." When she emphasized all, she meant Romare and every single one of Aleron's rookies.
"You wouldn't kill me," Aleron drawled tauntingly. "You wouldn't even kill a fly."
"Don't go jumping to conclusions, Thorn," Tomoyo suggested, her amethyst orbs darkening and her eyebrows furrowing. "I've been waiting for this day for five years..."
Aleron's men made a move to lower their weapons to the ground, but he spoke to them, his gaze still on Tomoyo, "DON'T drop your weapons..." He spoke to Tomoyo now. "Then do it, Tomoyo. Here's your chance. Shoot me if you dare."
She applied some pressure on the trigger, but not enough to set the bullet off. Eriol and Syaoran glanced at each other.
"Tomoyo, don't do it," Eriol reasoned with her. "You'll be charged for man slaughter if you do. Let me and Syaoran handle this."
"Iie," she replied, changing her dialect to Japanese. "I got this under control."
"But, Tomoyo -"
"Eriol... you don't understand. I've been waiting years for this chance, and now that it's in my grasp, I can't let it go." Her tone was reasonable; calm. But in the inside, she was the farthest thing from calm. Her adrenaline rushed wildly at the prospect of being the one to destroy the man who haunted her since they first met. She held Aleron's gaze steadily and evenly, and he eyed her back. He understood what they were saying, but the rest of his men didn't since all they know how to speak is French. 'I want to be the one to end my own nightmares without always having help. I want to prove to Aleron that I'm not the same weak girl he use to know that wouldn't harm a fly. All I gotta do is pull the trigger and... he'll be gone...'
"You won't kill me..." he repeated again, smirking.
"What makes you think that?" she asked coldly.
"No matter what I've done to you, a part of you still loves me. Aren't I right?"
Her eyes widen, but she regained her composure and sent him her most deadly glare. "Wrong." 'He's right... Sure, he's done plenty of awful things to me, but I still can't help but remember the loving, and good side of Aleron who I fell in love with. But, I don't love him as much as I use to...' "I don't love you, Aleron."
"You're denying the truth, Tomoyo," he pointed out. "You love me, and I love y-"
"Don't say you love me when you know it's not true!" Tomoyo snapped angrily. Her body trembled, causing the gun to shake lightly. "You never loved me so don't you DARE say you do!" She turned the safety off of the gun, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm going to end this right here, right now! I've had enough of you, Aleron Thorn." She started to pull the trigger.
"Tomoyo!" Syaoran exclaimed warningly.
"Don't do it!" Eriol pleaded, both him and Syaoran running towards her.
Aleron instantly acted. Before Tomoyo could possibly pull the trigger and release the bullet, he knocked the pistol from her grasp before grabbing her wrist and bringing it behind her back. With his other hand, he pressed his gun against the side of her forehead. Eriol and Syaoran came to an abrupt halt, stopping immediately in their tracks when meeting Aleron's warning glare.
"I suggest neither of you take another step..." he threatened, "for the girl's and for your sake."
It was then that both sorcerers could feel the cold metal of a gun pressed against the back of their heads as they realized that some of Aleron's men had snuck up behind them and now had them helpless. Tomoyo gazed at them aplogetically and mouthed an "I'm sorry," for her foolishness she displayed a moment ago.
Sure, they were magicians, but also being agents, they knew that if they made any sort of funny or suspicious move they'd be shot before they could possibly summon an attack or shield. Besides, Eriol's last attempts of keeping up a shield drained him. Syaoran furrowed his eyebrows and concentrated intently as his green aura wavered around his body. He could feel their presence behind him as his aura circulated and calculated how many men were behind him and Eriol; where they were standing; how far they were from him. A plan formed in his mind. He had to do this cautiously and quickly before any suspicions were aimed at him, and before they could possibly react.
He met Eriol's gaze and the blue magician instantly knew what to do. With the slightest of nods, Syaoran took a deep breath. 'Here goes nothing...' "NOW!"
Both F.B.I and C.I.A. agents twirled around and knocked the guns out of their grasps before either punching or kicking the guy who had the pistols aimed at their heads. The two staggered back, joining the other six men who had snuck up behind the agents.
"Let me handle them, Hiiragizawa," Syaoran spoke up, whipping out an ofuda. He slammed the flat of his blade against the magical paper. "ELEMENT, WATER!"
A powerful burst of water erupted and knocked forcefully against all eight of them. They flew back and collided against buildings, lamp posts, or crashed through shop windows, sending glass shards shattering everywhere. Eriol picked up a fallen gun as him and Syaoran turned around to see ten more men walking swiftly towards them. They started firing just as the agents took cover behind two seperate vans. When their shooting came to a temporary cease, Eriol stood up and shot at them before ducking back in cover, two of Aleron's men going down. They resumed firing, and when they stopped again, Syaoran caught Eriol's gaze and they nodded to each other. With their weapons ready, they ran from their protection and towards the eight men who assaulted them.
With his gun in hand, Eriol smacked it against someone's cheek before giving him an upper-cut and ending his life with a single gun shot. Another three charged at him at the same time, but he took them down with ease. Kicking one square in the chest, he elbowed another in the face then sent a round-house kick at the third. Eriol aimed his gun at them.
Bang, bang, bang.
Syaoran knocked a man's pistol from his grasp before lashing his sword out, giving him a clean, deep gash diagonal across his chest. The man gagged, falling to his knees. With a final gasp, he collided to the ground, dead. Syaoran ducked and rolled across the snow covered street as someone else shot at him. Rolling back up in a crouching position, he pushed back on his legs as he stood up and rushed at him, ending his life with a single swipe of his deadly weapon. Taking the third man's life with the Li Clan Sword, he picked up a fallen gun and aimed at the last man standing.
Bang.
Tomoyo had her eyes closed throughout the whole time, not wanting to see two people she's known since childhood, kill people when years ago, they would never take away a single life. She remembered what she said a while back when she was reunited with Eriol:
Things change over the years...
'Things change... People change... I changed...' she thought to herself sadly. 'I wish we could just go back to the old days. To the happy, carefree days when all we had to worry about was Sakura-chan capturing the Clow Cards and converting them under her name. Why? Why do things have to change? Why did time have to go by so quickly? ...Why?' When the gun shots stopped, she slowly snapped back to reality and parted her eye lids.
Eriol and Syaoran stood side by side, glaring at Aleron, Romare, and his remaining men. They all looked surprised, completely dumbfounded that those two were able to take down eighteen men without getting hurt. But Aleron, no, he didn't look shocked, he looked pissed that his men couldn't kill two damn agents. He glared at Syaoran and Eriol as he sneered at his remaining force,
"Take. Them. DOWN!"
The twenty or so of his men charged at Eriol and Syaoran, their guns, knives, and whatever weapons they were carrying, ready. Syaoran slid down in a defensive fighting stance while Eriol adjusted his hold on his pistol. Then, a fight broke out.
One of them lashed out his chain at Syaoran, who lifted his sword up to protect himself. It wrapped around the blade as the amber eyed man tugged on his sword, pulling the man towards him. Ramming his fist into his stomach, he pushed him away as a dozen or so of Aleron's rookies advanced towards him. Pulling out an ofuda, he rammed the flat of his blade against it.
"ELEMENT, FIRE!"
A burst of bright flames erupted, catching five of them on fire as they ran around, screaming and yelping in panic. Two of them did the smart thing and stopped, dropped, and rolled, but the other three ran around, burning to death. Eriol, meanwhile, jabbed someone square in the face, earning a cry of pain from him. Turning around, he dodged another person's reckless punches with ease and swift agility. He kneed the guy in the stomach. Aiming his gun at someone, he fired. Others started to shoot at him and he ran behind a mustang convertable for protection. Once in a while, he would stand up and shoot at them, each one of his bullets always hitting a target.
Eriol caught sight of Syaoran and his eyes widen in alarm when seeing someone sneak up behind him. "SYAORAN! WATCH IT! BEHIND YOU!"
But before Syaoran could react, the guy slammed his gun against the back of his neck, making him fall down to his knees with a hand against the back of his neck. He fought the urge to cry in agony when the man started kicking him, and more of Aleron's men came to help as they beat Syaoran. Eriol ran from his cover and started to fire at them. Some of them ran out of his range, and the rest, well, they weren't so lucky. Digging in his pocket, he reloaded his gun before crouching down next to the beaten Syaoran.
"Syaoran, daijoubu desu ka?" Eriol asked, helping him up.
He grunted while wiping away a trail of blood leaking down his chin. "Hai, daijoubu."
Eriol helped him up to his feet. Aleron's men had them both completely surrounded now. Tomoyo creased her eyebrows in concern and fear. "Thorn, please, call them back!"
"No," came his flat reply.
"Please!" Tomoyo continued to plead, her tone desperate. "Don't kill them! Call your men back!"
"KILL THEM!" Aleron barked at them.
They readied their guns and aimed it at Syaoran and Eriol.
"NOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Tomoyo screamed, struggling in Aleron's hold. She elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to release his hold on her. When she was free of his clutches, she broke into a mad dash towards Syaoran and Eriol. Romare, not thinking twice, lifted his gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger.
Bang.
Everyone's eyes widen in surprise as their attention turned to Tomoyo. All color was drained from her face, her expression being the most shocked. Eriol and Syaoran paled as they stared at her in horror.
"Tomoyo..." Eriol mumbled, meeting her wide amethyst orbs. Tears stung his eyes. Everything suddenly seemed out of place. She dropped to her knees, her blood staining her clothes. "No..." She collapsed on the ground, her eyelids slowly drooping over her orbs. "TOMOYO!!!!!!" His shout sounded oddly faint to her ears, as if he were shouting from a distance. But how can that be when he wasn't that far from her? It felt as if she were being pulled away from reality, darkness gradually engulfing her vision. It was silent, mute to her ears. Then, a distant gun shot could be heard, followed by another one.
Bang... bang.
"That's all it takes..."
Five year old Tomoyo Daidouji looked up at her father, a police cop for Tokyo, Japan. One of the top policemen in his division to be exact. They were in his office, him sitting in his chair studying his gun, and Tomoyo standing next to him while looking up at him with innocent amethyst eyes.
"That's all it takes to take away someone's life..." Mr. Daidouji continued to speak. "One shot..." He lifted his gun up and pointed it at the wall, "...one bang and you're dead." She looked at the gun and watched him cock it, as if pretending to fire and release a bullet.
One shot...
That's all it takes.
Bang.
You're dead.
To be continued...
A/N: So... ya like? ^^; Anyway, as you can tell, it took me quite a while to type this chapter up 'cause I kept on gettin' writer's block and my inspiration level was quite low. But then hey, at least I'm finally updating :D Welp, I'm hopin' for the next chapter to be the last and final one. I can't believe this fic is sooo close to being finished ^_^ Oh yah, as you can tell also, I changed my pen name from Azure Rosas to Enchantress Azure. Hehe. Oops, nearly forgot, lemme thank these people for reviewing the last chapter:
Jae
Tomoyo-chan
Inni-chan
Megami No Hikari
Devils Sanctuary
KawaiiSakuraAngel
Kari Y. Yokhosama
fefa-chan
Syvonair
kawaiiaznangel36
starquestor
KyteAura
Thank you all ^_^ Anyway, hope ya liked this chapter. Plz, don't forget to leave a review! Ja! ^_-