Disclaimer; I don't own Outlaw Star or any of the characters or any of the other elements of the series. There, that pretty much covers it. However, I do own the original characters and situations presented in this and Boutou Hoshi. If you want to use them, please e-mail me and I'll probably let you do it. Please don't sue me! I've only got some old drawing books and empty pocky boxes anyway so you wouldn't get much. Okay, I'm done.
Dedication; This story is dedicated to the people who've stuck by me for the past three months, especially Jade S., Anime Angel, heehee, barbo-chan, and Trunks. Also, this is dedicated to my friends Legacy Lost, Bishexy no Miko, Tamahome no Miko, Shattered Stars, and (especially!) my sis Blayse! Thanks you guys! ^-^
Notes; GOMENASAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *bows low and begs for forgiveness at lateness of this chapter*
Review Responses;
Adrienne D. - Hiya! *hug* Arigato for the nice long review! Sorry that I took so long (I tend to do that, bad me). Well, if you were surprised by the last chapter then you'll really be shocked at this one! Thanks for sticking with this fic, that really means a lot to me. ^-^
me&spike4ever - ^-^ Thanks for the complement. Sorry about all the cliffhangers, but it's my trademark. ^^
Grand Theft Author Otaku - Aw, don't cry. Here. *hands over tissues* I'll try and work on your request. ^^
Julia - Okay, so you're not really a reviewer, more of just a good friend. Thanks very much for pestering me into getting my ideas back on track. I'm not sure if I'd have gotten to this chapter at all without you're influence. ^^ Arigato.
EVERYONE ELSE - Thanks for the reviews! I'll try and make up for the long wait for this chapter by making it really long with lots of plot stuff! ^-^
Tarian Ch.13: Desperate Measures
By; Adakie
The warehouse was cold. The nightly chill had settled into its old walls and the sun's warmth had not yet dispelled it. All in all, the makeshift safe house was calm and quiet until . . .
"I'm going."
Doctor Mark Rin had been bent over a table working on something that Gene knew for a fact was well beyond his own comprehension for hours without ceasing. Now he stopped entirely.
"What do you mean you're going?"
"Just that, I mean I'm going."
" . . . to the bathroom?"
"No you senile old man!! I'm going to rescue Jim and the others."
" . . . no."
He returned to his work. The signal was clear: he would not even listen to such foolishness. However, there was one thing he wasn't counting on. Gene wouldn't take no for an answer.
"I don't care what you say, I'm going."
Rin didn't even bother to look up.
"It's foolishness."
"So what?"
"Do you want to get killed that badly? Listen, just sit tight and, I don't know, play solitaire or something. We'll go in a couple of days." [1]
"How can you expect me do just sit here?!"
"I didn't say just sit here, I said play solitaire. It's not that hard, you just -"
"I know how to play solitaire!!"
Calm, dark eyes studied him carefully.
"Mr. Starwind, just calm down. We aren't ready yet. I still have to finish the preparations."
"I don't care about any of that. Listen, you don't have anyone you care about stuck in that hell. I do, and I know that every minuet I wait the odds that I'll ever see him alive again get smaller and smaller. You don't have to worry, the people you cared about are dead anyway. I think Jim is still alive. I don't know why, maybe it's just blind hope, but I think there's still a chance for me to save him. I won't give that up. I won't!"
With that he turned on his heals and stormed out the door. Rin did not bother to chase after him. Instead, he returned to his work.
"He'll be back."
~*~*~*~
"I can't take it anymore!"
All thoughts of rest abandoned Jim as he was roughly awakened from his uneasy sleep. Almost every eye was turned to a tall, thin wraith of a man who was standing against the right wall. A woman beside him reached up to touch his arm but he pulled away violently.
"You don't understand! I can't do this anymore! We aren't even human in their eyes. Why do we still try to survive? It's useless!"
His voice was harsh and cracked and he shook constantly. It was clear he'd been dealing with the disease, and the discrimination that went along with it, for a long while. Jim was about to dismiss the man from his thoughts when he did something startling and unexpected.
He pulled a small device from his pocket. A quick press of a button and a short blade appeared at the end of it. Jim knew what it was, he had used them himself. The blades were small in size but very sharp. They were made that way for easy use by mechanics and were actually very useful. He tried to think of what the tall man would need one of those for now.
All doubts as to its purpose were forgotten as he brought the blade to his neck. He spoke once more, his voice only a whisper.
"I just can't do it any longer."
All it took was one swift motion. A simple flick of the wrist and the blade cut deep into his throat. His body collapsed onto the dirt covered floor, those around him pulling away in shock and fear. Dark crimson sparkled in the dim light as it pooled around the fallen form. He was dead. That was a fact, terrible and frightening, but true none the less.
Jim shut his eyes, trying to block out the sickening sight, yet there was no escape. The gory sight seemed to have been burned into his mind's eye. He pressed his palms against his closed eyelids and tried to think of something else, anything else. The indistinguishable coppery sent hit him like a truck. He faintly heard the scrape of a body being dragged and he felt like he was going to throw up. He knew what was happening without having to see it.
He couldn't fight it anymore.
As the darkness closed in around him one thought rang clear in his mind.
'Gene . . . aniki . . . where are you?'
~*~*~*~
"Oh sh*t!"
Gene quickly pressed himself into a shadowed corner as the guards passed by. There weren't many people around the dilapidated old building, but the ones that were there walked the corridors often.
He knew he was close to the enclosure. It had taken a while to find his way through the maze of old halls but this time he was sure that he was on the right track. He tightened his grip on the castor and peered around the corner. There was no sign of the guards. He sighed in relief.
He went a little further down the corridor and a large metal door came into view.
'This is it, this has got to be it.'
His pace quickened. He was sure he'd found it at last. Suddenly, a loud growl caught his attention. He stopped dead in his tracks as a large black creature stalked out of the shadows. Feline eyes the color of fresh blood stared intently at him. A low growl resonated from deep in its throat. The thing knew he didn't belong there. It bared sharp, double rowed teeth at him and the growl became a bit louder.
'I can't let that . . . whatever that thing is get to me. It's no match for the great Gene Starwind. This will be a piece of cake.'
He crept forward cautiously, trying not to attract unwanted attention from the guards he knew were nearby. That's when the beast attacked.
Strong, razor sharp jaws sunk into his arm and it was all Gene could do not to scream. He kicked at the creature but was met only with sharp claws in his leg. It was clear that no amount of force could get it off. Desperate, he shoved the barrel of his gun into one of the red and black eyes. The black creature let out a loud roar and pulled back, blood trickling down its face. Gene heard alarmed voices and fast footfalls coming his way. The creature in front of him growled loudly, readying itself to spring at him again. He cradled his bleeding arm close to his chest.
'There's no way I'm going to get in there like this.'
He turned and ran. There was no other way out and he knew it. A chain rattled behind him and he knew that the beast was at least not going to fallow him. It broke his heart to leave but he knew it was the only way to insure his survival.
He sprinted, limping slightly, towards the only way out and away from the one person he'd been trying so hard to get to.
~Owarii~
There, that was nice and long. ^^ Well, what did everyone think?
~*Please be a responsible reader and review!*~
[1] - I love solitaire! ^^ *puts on brown trench and starts playing happily*