Well, I had wanted to change the storyline a little more, but I probably have to stick more to the original than I had planned. -_- I simply have no time any more. Actually, depending on how my schedule continues, this may or may not have to be my last fanfic (though hopefully not.)
Jun led Yoh from the kitchen, through the room of Potentials (Amidamaru and Mosuke waved an upbeat goodbye), and into the place where Manta waited. His heart sank when he saw his friend and remembered the newly shared prophesies, but Manta was first to speak. "You don't have to tell me anything," he said solemnly as they left the room. "I already know what she said."
Yoh paused. "You…do?"
"Yes. I brought it so that you could hear it yourself. I knew it would help." There was a surprising peace in the youth's eyes, but it unnerved Yoh. He took another bite of his cookie instead of replying.
"No one will ever ask you, because it is a gift from her to you and you alone," said Manta.
But did we hear the same thing, Manta? thought Yoh.
They reached the elevator, and he shrugged, swallowing the last bit of cookie.
*
"Here they come," said Anna, putting away her MP3 player as she caught sight of Manta and Yoh.
"Yep," replied Ren, turning on the car. "Let's go."
"What do you think Tamao said?"
"Whatever it was, you've gotta admit she's got a way of Seeing things."
"True." She slid over on the car seat to make room for Yoh, who sat down with a subdued, but unperturbed air.
They rode the rest of the way to the hotel in silence.
*
Silva watched the main screens, Chrom helping with the secondary controls. "Odd," muttered the former to himself.
"I know," replied Chrom. "There's never been so much activity in this area."
*
The two waiting in room 1313 jumped simultaneously as Horohoro's cell phone rang. Quickly flipping the object on, the boy put it to his ear. "Helloo~o!"
He could hear Silva sigh audibly, not quite sharing the boundless energy the blue-haired boy seemed to possess. "They're on their way."
"Okay!" He snapped the phone shut and stuffed it in his pocket as he turned to Faust. "Let's get to work!"
*
Only Lyserg noticed the unmarked white vans gathering inconspicuously around the building. He could feel his heart sinking; everything was going exactly according to plan.
*
Marco turned to Jeanne, who was quickly typing on the keyboard in front of her. "All set?"
"They don't stand a chance," she said quietly. "The police are already moving in."
"Then let's go."
"Yes, Marco."
*
Bringing up the back of the line, Yoh followed Anna, Morpheus, and the others up the stairs to room 1313. Turning the corner to reach the next flight, he glanced at the doorway to the twelfth floor and found his gaze returned by a cat that appeared to be walking serenely down the hall. It was a large feline of a yellow-orange hue with dark stripes, but its unusually sentient eyes caught Yoh's attention (not to mention the fact that it was dressed in traditional Japanese garb, was walking on its hind legs, and had two tails.) They locked gazes for a moment, and then the cat seemed to shrug and move on.
Yoh blinked a few times as he turned to walk up the stairs, when he chanced to look back. Another cat, looking uncannily familiar, had just walked into view, stopped and looked at Yoh, gave something of a shrug, and strolled on.
Yoh's mouth dropped open and he shook his head a couple times. "Weird. Déjà vu."
The entire group ahead of him froze.
"What?" asked Anna, her voice tense.
"Oh, nothing. I just saw a cat walk by, and then another cat followed it that looked similar."
"Was it the same cat?"
"Oh, I dunno. It could have been."
The tension in the air tightened around them.
"What is it?" asked Yoh, wondering why he felt suddenly frightened.
"Déjà vu is caused by a glitch in the matrix. It usually happens when they change something."
Everyone paused, silent, listening to the throbbing of helicopter blades through the air above them, growing ominously closer. Manta tensed, then bolted up the stairs. "Come on!"
*
Silva's eyes widened as he watched the matrix, his hands freezing over the keyboard. "No…"
"It's a trap," breathed Chrom, his breath hissing through his teeth.
*
"Did you just feel something weird?" asked Faust suddenly, looking up.
"Yeah…" Horohoro stood and threw back the nearest curtain only to find the window had turned into a solid brick wall. "Oh no…"
They were suddenly aware of the thudding of many feet rushing threateningly down the hall toward their room. "Visitors." Calmly, grimly, Faust pulled out a pair of handguns from within his long, flowing coat, flipped off the safety, and waited.
Horohoro looked about hurriedly and then followed suit, his hand shaking as he reached for his own weapon. He was dropped quickly by a blow from behind. "For you own good," said Faust quietly, placing Horohoro's limp form behind a few boxes and some old furniture where he would be mostly protected from stray bullets. "You're much too young to die."
Faust was kneeling ready in plain view, shielded just adequately by two equipment chests, when the cops broke down the door. He fired, a gun in each hand, taking out two of the intruders and making the others duck back into the hall for cover. Several bullets hummed angrily past, one nicking his left ear while another hit the brick that had been windows behind him. He winced, feeling the flying shards pierce his coat, but there was no time for pain. He had to hold out as long as possible.
He could hear other policemen passing by, heading toward the stairs. "Morpheus!!" he shouted, hoping against hope that the others would hear and find another way out. "It's a trap!!"
His guns empty, he tossed them toward the police for something of a momentary diversion and pulled out Horohoro's weapon. A shell slammed into his shoulder, but he still did not waver. There was nothing but the rush of adrenaline and resounding cacophony around him as he fired until…
Click!
There was no response to his pull on the trigger. His mouth twitched slightly, as if he were not sure whether to laugh or weep. He had known it could only last so long. He stood, his eyes raised to heaven, his hands spread empty at his sides. "I'm coming, Elisa," he whispered; the police opened fire.
*
Silva looked back at Faust's form, plugged into the system. The body jerked as he was ripped apart in the matrix, blood spurting from between his lips, red on the black of the makeup he had worn since Elisa had died. The life monitors registered no response; all the screens above him displayed unchanging flat lines.
*
Marco touched his earpiece, listening to the report. "One down," he said with slight satisfaction.
*
Hearing the gunfire from upstairs, Manta turned, hurrying the others back down. He froze suddenly, hearing the police swarming downstairs. Taking a sharp turn, they fled down the hall of the eighth floor.
"We're trapped," gasped out Lyserg, his eyes wide. "There's no way out."
Manta turned to Anna. "Give me your phone."
"They'll be able to track it," she responded tersely.
"We have no choice." He dialed, his fingers shaking, and put the phone to his ear. "Silva," he said, "find a structural drawing of this building and fast."
Everyone tensed involuntarily as they heard the sound of police running down the hall a floor above them.
"Got it," came Silva's voice.
"I need the main wet-wall," said Manta, his voiced hushed and hurried.
*
Outside, Jeanne paused, a slender hand to her earpiece.
*
"…and go straight down the hall. Got it?"
"Great," said Manta, hanging up and handing the phone to Anna.
*
Horohoro stirred, his head throbbing. What had happened? He remembered sitting in the room…a trap… He sat upright; the police had been coming, but now all was eerily quiet. Gingerly, he sat up, noticing the bullet casings littering the floor. How long had he been out? His eyes traveled farther around the room, taking in the pockmarked walls and the shredded curtains, one of which had been pulled down and thrown carelessly over something on the floor.
The boy's hands clenched as his heart jolted suddenly. Protruding from beneath the bloodstained cloth was a pale hand and a fringe of white-blond hair. Faust. Crimson had pooled beneath him, drenching the edges of the curtain so that they stuck to the dingy carpet.
Horohoro swallowed, noticing his own gun lying on the floor beside the hand. "Thank you," he whispered, knowing full well the corpse could not hear him. "Hope you're happier wherever you are." He bit his lip; it was no time to mourn. "Say hi to Elisa for me."
So saying, he forced himself to stand, and carefully made his way out the door. He could hear police hurrying to and fro just a floor below him, and paused, leaning against the wall as he tried to come up with a proper escape plan. If he could find his friends, maybe they could help each other get out.
Then something caught his attention. It was a soft, sporadic sound behind the plaster and thin wood on which he leaned, sometimes scraping and sometimes faint thumps. He grinned to himself. He had found them.
*
"Eighth floor," reported Jeanne, turning to Marco, who nodded approvingly.
*
Descending through the jungle of pipes, the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar carefully picked its way down floor by floor, trying not to slip or make a sound. All had shed their coats, knowing how cumbersome the extra material could be on the climb. They were glad of the decision now, sweating as their aching arms lowered them gradually down closer and closer to safety.
Yoh paused, catching his breath, when he felt a shower of dust sprinkle itself on his head. He looked up and felt some real consolation for the first time that day. Rapidly but silently, Horohoro was descending to join them; he had managed to survive. Yoh was so relieved, in fact, that he failed to concentrate for a split second.
His grin vanished as he realized his foot had slipped, becoming wedged between two stubborn pipes. Annoyed with himself, he tried to free himself, but found the space to narrow to reach his trapped limb with his arms. If he didn't move, Horohoro would never get past him, and the Agents would find them eventually. Thinking fast, he found a quarter in his pocket and dropped it carefully.
It bounced off the top of Anna's head. She looked up with a murderous glare that made him freeze, but he managed to point weakly at his ensnared foot. He could almost see her roll her eyes, even in the dim light, but she carefully climbed up to free him. As it was, he turned out to be spectacularly stuck, and Anna had to brace her feet against the wall with all her might as she tried to prize the pipes apart just a little.
Yoh managed to finally pull himself free, and just in time. Anna's hands, already damp from nervousness and the confined air between the walls, slipped, and for a moment, she fell back, hitting the wall behind her. Yoh winced, sensing plaster cracking, even as he caught her arm to keep her from plummeting further.
"They're in
the walls!" called a cop's voice from within the building.
Horohoro had only time to
mutter a curse before a shower of bullets perforated the wall, spears of light
piercing the shadows around them. Anna
winced, feeling a projectile snick her hair.
"Down!" she shouted, yanking sharply on Yoh's ankle, pulling him down,
almost out of control. Silence was
useless, and now speed was their only priority. She let Horohoro by as well, ready to take up the rear and make
sure everyone else made it out.
Looking down, she gritted her teeth. Stupid Yoh. He was slowing down, waiting for her, not hurrying like he was supposed to. Contemplations of knocking him out and dropping him the rest of the way down began forming in her head, when a section of the wall just below her gave way. A gray-gloved hand reached through the breach, its fingers closing without hesitation around Yoh's right arm.
She slid down, a little closer, her hand reaching for her gun strapped to her waist. She couldn't fire at the hand or arm for fear of hurting Yoh as well in such close quarters, but she instead shot through the wall, hoping to hit the Agent on the other side or at least distract him enough to get Yoh away.
It was to no avail. She could see Yoh being visibly dragged through the wall, the Agent all but oblivious to her efforts.
Lyserg looked up, slowing his descent for a fraction of a second, his eyes taking in Marco's hand doggedly refusing to let go of Yoh. "Not him!" he cried on impulse, knowing how much the boy's future meant to Manta.
Yoh slipped backward as the Agent's grip loosened abruptly. Before he had adequate time to recover, Anna had planted her booted foot on his shoulder and shoved down, obviously reasoning that he was better of bruised than dead. She was about to follow when a sharp pain to her head stopped her.
Marco, having lost Yoh, was determined to capture at least one rebel against the system. His fingers had closed roughly around a thick lock of Anna's hair. He had far too strong a grip for her to yank away, so she dropped her gun to free her hands for a last-ditch effort to pry his grasp from her hair. There was another explosion of plaster as his other hand smashed through the wall and closed around her neck. She gritted her teeth, struggling to breathe, the pressure increasing unbearably on her windpipe.
It was too much. She could feel the jagged edges of the shattered wall tearing her skin as Marco slowly but surely extracted her, pulling her away from her friends and any chance of escape. She caught sight of Jeanne behind him, watching the struggle emotionlessly. "I don't need help with this one," she heard him say. "Go down a few floors and…"
I have to make sure she doesn't go after the rest of them…
Jeanne was about to turn down the hall when she heard the sound of shattering brick and wood. Anna had propelled herself into the Agent, shoving Marco backward and into the opposite wall with inhuman force. She was now in the middle of the room, bleeding and so humanly frail, but still standing. Marco picked himself up, unscathed but irate.
"Don't need help?" repeated Jeanne lightly.
He didn't answer, but gazed at Anna with a cold, murderous glint in his eyes.
She stepped back into a fighting stance. At least she would not die easily.
*
Within the walls, Yoh looked up momentarily, desperately. No one was above him.
Horohoro grabbed his wrist. "We have to leave her," he said quietly.
To be continued…Everybody's going to di~e! ^_^ No, not really, but I am annoyingly fond of killing off characters.