CHAPTER 3: MERE ILLUSIONS?
{I. . . I don't understand. . . Why is everyone. . . and everything gray? How come I'm the only one in color. . . What's going on?}
Darrell found himself on a street in downtown Tokyo. . . but things are just out of the ordinary. Everything was in black and white. . . and it totally freaked him out. However, he just found himself walking through the crowd of people around him, heading somewhere that even he didn't know. He couldn't stop. . . He just kept walking down the sidewalk that seemed to never end.
{This. . . isn't right. . . Huh?}
In the distance was someone in color. . . The only other being around with that ability. Darrell broke into a run immediately, racing to whoever it was. The figure didn't move as he got closer. . . until Darrell got within an inch of it. . . and gasped.
"It's you!" he yelled out, pointing at her in shock. "Uriko! The girl who robbed that restaurant!"
Indeed it was Uriko, in the same attire that Darrell met her with. Darrell tried to back away but before he could even move, Uriko kicked him hard in the stomach with her school shoe, knocking the breath out of him. Darrell dropped to his knees, holding his stomach with his left hand. . . then Uriko kneeled down and put her hand on his chin, making him look into her brown eyes.
"Please. . . Don't run. I'm not trying to hurt you. . ."
Darrell was shocked at this turn of events. He suddenly felt his energy drain out of his body and he sat on his legs, giving the black-haired girl a dull look.
"I. . . just want you to know. . . something. . ."
{Like I have much of a choice if I want to listen or not} Darrell muttered in his mind. Uriko got close. . . really close. . . and gave him a soft look. Darrell felt his face go red as he noticed how close her lips were to his. . .
"Wha. . . What are. . . you doing. . .?"
And then it happened. Uriko pressed her lips onto his. Darrell's body was overcome with shock as Uriko wrapped her right arm around the back of his head so that he wouldn't get away. Then. . . Uriko brought her tongue into his mouth and danced around in there. . .
Darrell tried to move. He didn't know why she was doing this out the blue. . . and he didn't want to. He tried to push her away and get as far away from Uriko as possible but he couldn't move. He just didn't have the energy to. Just as Uriko laid him down onto the ground, Darrell looked around. . . and his eyes went wide. There was a group of people surrounding the two. . . and they all were Sakura, giving stern looks. . .
{No. . . NOOOOO!!!} Darrell screamed inside his head. {SAKURA!!}
"How could you, Darrell. . ." all said at once. "How could you. . . cheat on me with that. . . that bitch!!"
{This CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!}
Uriko was gone; vanished into thin air. . . but Darrell still felt pinned down by her weight. He couldn't do a thing. . . then one of the Sakuras walked up to him. . . and kicked him HARD in the temple. . . and all Darrell could see was darkness. . .
---- ----
Darrell woke up screaming. Instantly, arms held down his shoulders and held him down, trying to get him to calm down.
"DARRELL!! Please! Try to relax! You were having a nightmare!!"
It took a while for Darrell to stop, collapsing into his bed from exhaustion. A sigh could be heard.
"Oh. . . What happened to you two. . .? I've never seen you two in the hospital before. . . especially in this condition. . ."
{That voice. . .} Darrell thought weakly as his eyes opened up for the first time and met the one who held him down. {Hinata. . .}
The Taiyo High student gave another sigh as she sat at his side. He was in a hospital. . . and he was in bad shape. He didn't have his school shirt on and his stomach had heavily taped up.
"Wha. . . What happened to me. . .?" Darrell asked weakly.
"Well. . . I don't know." Hinata answered. "I heard from Kei that you and Sakura were taken to a hospital two days ago because you lost a street fight with two students from Tengo High. . . You were knocked out ever since that day. . . I started to get worried."
"So. . . that's what happened. . ."
Sakura's tired voice came from the right of Darrell, where the body laid at. Kei was also there. . . as well as Sakura's dark sister, Sakura Satsu.
"How ya feel, sis?" the Satsu Sakura asked.
"Terrible. . . and my stomach is killing me. . . not to mention almost every part of my body." Just like Darrell, Sakura K's stomach was taped as well as her bruised treated. Kei just frowned.
"I told you not to go in there. . . Sometimes I wish you would listen to me. . ."
"Oh, please, Kei." Sakura K. replied. "Not now."
"Sakura. . . Listen," Kei let out as she went up to her friend's bed and gave a stern look. "I really hope this teaches you something. You just can't jump into everything and expect to rely on your fighting skills to bail you out. You don't even know how strong your opponent is and it's too dangerous. . ."
Sakura sighed and looked away. "Kei. . . I'd appreciate it if you spared me your speech of 'give up fighting and come back to the way you used to'."
"What??"
"Kei. . . Ever since I started street fighting every time I lost a fight or hurt myself during training you'd say to give it up. How would you like it if I told you to give up something you liked every time you mess up? You're just like my mom USED to be!"
Kei stared at Sakura K. for a very long time after that emotional burst. All eyes were on her. . . and she just calmly got up and left the room.
"Kei. . ." Darrell mumbled while trying to sit up, only to be laid back down by Hinata.
"Darrell. . . don't. . . You aren't in any shape to move. Both you and Sakura are going to be in the bed for like a week after your ass kicking. . ."
Darrell frowned as he looked at the door in front of him then at his girlfriend.
"Sakura. . . Why. . .?"
"I didn't want to do that, Darrell," Sakura cut him off in a soft tone. "I just. . . needed to say that to her."
Quiet went over the room as Sakura S. looked out the hospital window behind her and sighed.
{I know how you feel, sis. . . but was that worth it. . .?}
---- ----
"Uriko Naiko and Rei Shuu. Come here. . ."
Both looked at the dark figure in front of them as they stepping into the barren warehouse. In their grasp was the money which was rifted from their theft two days ago. Uriko in particular wasn't very pleased to be there. . . and when her eyes met the shadow in front of her, her frown intensified.
{You. . .}
"Do you have the money?"
"Yeah. . ." Rei muttered while tossing the case which held the units of yen that were stolen. "Now. . . are you going to let Uriko's mother, brother, and sister go or what?"
A pause, then. . .
"Relax. . . It will happen in due time. . . Now I have another job for you. . ."
{Now what does this sicko want?} Uriko asked herself.
"I want. . . a souvenir, sort to speak, from the Tokyo Water Port. There's a shipment in tonight. . . and whatever is on board that's of importance, I want it here the next day."
Uriko gave a disgusted look. "Do you have any idea how much security is going to be around that place?? We're only teenagers in high school! We aren't secret agents! We can't pull this off!! I WON"T. . ."
"Find a way. . . unless you WANT something bad to happen to your family. . ."
Uriko let out a low growl but Rei just held her from the back on the shoulder and said, "Come on. . ."
"But. . .!"
"Let's go. . ."
Uriko sighed in defeat and turned away, getting ready for their next hit.
---- ----
Uriko: I can't believe that freak. . . I'll find away to get my family away from him. . . I just know I will. . .
Sakura (just getting into the black room): What the. . .? What are YOU doing here!?
Uriko: Oh! Uh. . . (runs)
Sakura: Weird. . . Anyway, that's the end of Chapter 3. Keep your eyes out for Chapter 4. Let's hope that things don't get any worse for us. . .
{I. . . I don't understand. . . Why is everyone. . . and everything gray? How come I'm the only one in color. . . What's going on?}
Darrell found himself on a street in downtown Tokyo. . . but things are just out of the ordinary. Everything was in black and white. . . and it totally freaked him out. However, he just found himself walking through the crowd of people around him, heading somewhere that even he didn't know. He couldn't stop. . . He just kept walking down the sidewalk that seemed to never end.
{This. . . isn't right. . . Huh?}
In the distance was someone in color. . . The only other being around with that ability. Darrell broke into a run immediately, racing to whoever it was. The figure didn't move as he got closer. . . until Darrell got within an inch of it. . . and gasped.
"It's you!" he yelled out, pointing at her in shock. "Uriko! The girl who robbed that restaurant!"
Indeed it was Uriko, in the same attire that Darrell met her with. Darrell tried to back away but before he could even move, Uriko kicked him hard in the stomach with her school shoe, knocking the breath out of him. Darrell dropped to his knees, holding his stomach with his left hand. . . then Uriko kneeled down and put her hand on his chin, making him look into her brown eyes.
"Please. . . Don't run. I'm not trying to hurt you. . ."
Darrell was shocked at this turn of events. He suddenly felt his energy drain out of his body and he sat on his legs, giving the black-haired girl a dull look.
"I. . . just want you to know. . . something. . ."
{Like I have much of a choice if I want to listen or not} Darrell muttered in his mind. Uriko got close. . . really close. . . and gave him a soft look. Darrell felt his face go red as he noticed how close her lips were to his. . .
"Wha. . . What are. . . you doing. . .?"
And then it happened. Uriko pressed her lips onto his. Darrell's body was overcome with shock as Uriko wrapped her right arm around the back of his head so that he wouldn't get away. Then. . . Uriko brought her tongue into his mouth and danced around in there. . .
Darrell tried to move. He didn't know why she was doing this out the blue. . . and he didn't want to. He tried to push her away and get as far away from Uriko as possible but he couldn't move. He just didn't have the energy to. Just as Uriko laid him down onto the ground, Darrell looked around. . . and his eyes went wide. There was a group of people surrounding the two. . . and they all were Sakura, giving stern looks. . .
{No. . . NOOOOO!!!} Darrell screamed inside his head. {SAKURA!!}
"How could you, Darrell. . ." all said at once. "How could you. . . cheat on me with that. . . that bitch!!"
{This CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!!}
Uriko was gone; vanished into thin air. . . but Darrell still felt pinned down by her weight. He couldn't do a thing. . . then one of the Sakuras walked up to him. . . and kicked him HARD in the temple. . . and all Darrell could see was darkness. . .
---- ----
Darrell woke up screaming. Instantly, arms held down his shoulders and held him down, trying to get him to calm down.
"DARRELL!! Please! Try to relax! You were having a nightmare!!"
It took a while for Darrell to stop, collapsing into his bed from exhaustion. A sigh could be heard.
"Oh. . . What happened to you two. . .? I've never seen you two in the hospital before. . . especially in this condition. . ."
{That voice. . .} Darrell thought weakly as his eyes opened up for the first time and met the one who held him down. {Hinata. . .}
The Taiyo High student gave another sigh as she sat at his side. He was in a hospital. . . and he was in bad shape. He didn't have his school shirt on and his stomach had heavily taped up.
"Wha. . . What happened to me. . .?" Darrell asked weakly.
"Well. . . I don't know." Hinata answered. "I heard from Kei that you and Sakura were taken to a hospital two days ago because you lost a street fight with two students from Tengo High. . . You were knocked out ever since that day. . . I started to get worried."
"So. . . that's what happened. . ."
Sakura's tired voice came from the right of Darrell, where the body laid at. Kei was also there. . . as well as Sakura's dark sister, Sakura Satsu.
"How ya feel, sis?" the Satsu Sakura asked.
"Terrible. . . and my stomach is killing me. . . not to mention almost every part of my body." Just like Darrell, Sakura K's stomach was taped as well as her bruised treated. Kei just frowned.
"I told you not to go in there. . . Sometimes I wish you would listen to me. . ."
"Oh, please, Kei." Sakura K. replied. "Not now."
"Sakura. . . Listen," Kei let out as she went up to her friend's bed and gave a stern look. "I really hope this teaches you something. You just can't jump into everything and expect to rely on your fighting skills to bail you out. You don't even know how strong your opponent is and it's too dangerous. . ."
Sakura sighed and looked away. "Kei. . . I'd appreciate it if you spared me your speech of 'give up fighting and come back to the way you used to'."
"What??"
"Kei. . . Ever since I started street fighting every time I lost a fight or hurt myself during training you'd say to give it up. How would you like it if I told you to give up something you liked every time you mess up? You're just like my mom USED to be!"
Kei stared at Sakura K. for a very long time after that emotional burst. All eyes were on her. . . and she just calmly got up and left the room.
"Kei. . ." Darrell mumbled while trying to sit up, only to be laid back down by Hinata.
"Darrell. . . don't. . . You aren't in any shape to move. Both you and Sakura are going to be in the bed for like a week after your ass kicking. . ."
Darrell frowned as he looked at the door in front of him then at his girlfriend.
"Sakura. . . Why. . .?"
"I didn't want to do that, Darrell," Sakura cut him off in a soft tone. "I just. . . needed to say that to her."
Quiet went over the room as Sakura S. looked out the hospital window behind her and sighed.
{I know how you feel, sis. . . but was that worth it. . .?}
---- ----
"Uriko Naiko and Rei Shuu. Come here. . ."
Both looked at the dark figure in front of them as they stepping into the barren warehouse. In their grasp was the money which was rifted from their theft two days ago. Uriko in particular wasn't very pleased to be there. . . and when her eyes met the shadow in front of her, her frown intensified.
{You. . .}
"Do you have the money?"
"Yeah. . ." Rei muttered while tossing the case which held the units of yen that were stolen. "Now. . . are you going to let Uriko's mother, brother, and sister go or what?"
A pause, then. . .
"Relax. . . It will happen in due time. . . Now I have another job for you. . ."
{Now what does this sicko want?} Uriko asked herself.
"I want. . . a souvenir, sort to speak, from the Tokyo Water Port. There's a shipment in tonight. . . and whatever is on board that's of importance, I want it here the next day."
Uriko gave a disgusted look. "Do you have any idea how much security is going to be around that place?? We're only teenagers in high school! We aren't secret agents! We can't pull this off!! I WON"T. . ."
"Find a way. . . unless you WANT something bad to happen to your family. . ."
Uriko let out a low growl but Rei just held her from the back on the shoulder and said, "Come on. . ."
"But. . .!"
"Let's go. . ."
Uriko sighed in defeat and turned away, getting ready for their next hit.
---- ----
Uriko: I can't believe that freak. . . I'll find away to get my family away from him. . . I just know I will. . .
Sakura (just getting into the black room): What the. . .? What are YOU doing here!?
Uriko: Oh! Uh. . . (runs)
Sakura: Weird. . . Anyway, that's the end of Chapter 3. Keep your eyes out for Chapter 4. Let's hope that things don't get any worse for us. . .