Chapter Fifteen: Fight
From his position he watched her, chin on his hand, purple eyes surveying her slender form. After she had passed out from the Ether attack, he had picked her up, mindful of her injuries. However, she would not stay unconscious for long; the pain from her broken ankle would make sure of that. So he had brought her to his lair, more or less, and laid her down on a table, his fingers lightly grazing her face. The urge to enter her mind was strong; he wanted to discover why she was able to have such a hold on him, why did she make him feel the way he felt whenever he was in her presence… However, he did not follow though, his fingers instead going down to her injury. A half-remembered Ether spell came to mind, one he hadn't bothered to use for a long time…one that he never needed to learn in the first place, but he had only done so for Rubedo's sake… Giggling madly at the memory, he cast the spell, watching as the ankle righted itself, the nanomachines reconnecting bone, tissue…soon only dried blood testified to the injury, and he had retreated back to his seat in the shadows, waiting for the moment his prey would awaken…
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Gaignun took in a shuddering breath.
I can't be like this; I have to get it together! I made a promise… His fingers fisted into Shion's jacket. I swore that I'd protect her… But he had no idea where to begin. Albedo would be guarding himself well, and it would take far too much energy to find and force a mind-link…not to mention that the way he was now, Albedo could win easily. He couldn't go to Jr., nor could he ask Mary or Shelley to help…
Wait. He looked down at the fabric in his hands. Maybe I'm focusing on the wrong person… His green eyes widened. Of course! He couldn't connect to Albedo, but he could connect to Shion! From that one mental link so many weeks ago in his office he had an inkling of what her mind was like on the mental plane… He lifted the jacket to his face, closing his eyes. Jr. had given him the key…something of hers would help him, make the link between them stronger once he found her. Inhaling deeply, he let her scent wash over him, then opened his eyes, the irises now a blaze of green fire.
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The pain was what awoke her, a low insistent throbbing that wouldn't go away. Groaning softly, she opened her eyes, feeling a hard surface beneath her.
"So you're awake at last." The voice had her eyes widening in realization, and she flew up to a sitting position.
"You!" A low chuckle.
"Did you have sweet dreams?" Fear warred with anger inside of Shion. Anger won.
"Why did you bring me here?!" Another chuckle, and then the sound of someone rising from their seat.
"Now, now…is that the way to treat somebody who helped you?" Footsteps.
"Helped me?" Shion repeated. Frowning, she looked down at herself…her eyes landing on her right ankle, which was now back to it's normal position, the pain not as bad as it was before.
He healed me?
"Yes." Startled, the brunette looked up. "Oh, you forgot about that ability of mine didn't you? Don't be so hard on yourself." From out of the shadows like a ghost he materialized, a devilish gleam in his violet eyes. Instinctively Shion moved backwards on the table, her own green orbs locked on the white figure that was slowly advancing, terror starting to displace anger within her system.
No, no! I won't. I can't let him…
"See me afraid." Albedo finished, a mocking grin on his face. "Don't lie to yourself, Shion. I can sense your fear." Coming next to her, he extended a finger, trailing it down her face. "I can hear your heartbeat…it's increased during the past several minutes." Hissing in disgust, Shion pulled her face away, but those fingers came back, curling around the nape of her neck, tangling in her hair…
"So soft…" The voice continued, dropping to a low mummer. "So warm…" The brunette could bear it no longer, and with a low scream she threw herself off the table.
"Keep away from me!" Her traitorous ankle refused to hold her weight however, and she fell once more, pain a thousand knives stabbing into her leg. "Aaahh!" That infernal laugh again, and then the sound of footsteps coming around the table, stopping by her.
"Now, now, mon ange…" Shion cringed as Albedo crouched next to her, one hand reaching up and brushing away several stray strands of hair from her face. "Don't. You'll only hurt yourself further." The fingers moved to the back of her neck, moving through her hair once more. Shion tried her best to move away but the fingers tightened, and she hissed in pain.
"What do you want with me?" She demanded. "I'm nobody special!" Albedo suddenly started at his, his fingers stilling…with grateful relief Shion pulled herself away, scooting sideways as best as she could. Her captor had fallen silent, those violet eyes hooded and locked upon her, an intense gleam in their depths…a chill racked Shion's body, one she couldn't hide. Every sense she possessed was on primal alert, she was in the presence of a dangerous predator, and if she wanted to live, she had to watch her every step…
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He tilted his head slightly, noticing the way how she had suddenly froze, her eyes locked on his. Her last sentence echoed in his mind, bringing forth curiosity and anger.
"Why did you say that?" The brown-haired woman shifted position slightly, her muscles tensing.
"Say what?"
"Say that you weren't anyone special." Shion turned her head to the side.
"Because I'm not." Albedo sensed her shove a half-formed thought to the back of her mind, angering him only more. There was something special about her, he knew it and she knew it.
"You're lying." This had her head whipping around to face his, was there panic in those green eyes? "Don't lie, mon ange. Angels aren't supposed to lie."
"I'm not!" Anger this time, with fear backing it. Albedo felt a thrill of triumph go through him. He had her, he had her… A cruel smile appeared on his lips, and he kneeled, putting his hands on the ground so he could see eye-to-eye with Shion.
"You're lying…" He sang softly, one hand reaching out to tuck gently underneath her chin. "I can see it in your heart…read it in your eyes…" Tightening his grip, he pulled her head closer to his. "You're not a good liar, Shion."
"Let me go!" Albedo's right hand left her chin, the fingers returning and tightening around the nape of her neck while the left hand gently rested on her right cheek.
"Why don't you…" He murmured, straightening and taking the brunette with him. "Let me in here, hm?" One clawed finger tapped at her temple. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you." Shion's eyes widened, and then narrowed as she struggled against his grasp.
"No!" The fingers around her neck tightened, the nails biting into her skin. Shion bit her tongue, she wasn't going to cry out and give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream… Albedo's face turned from maniacal to almost gentle, his voice that of a parent gently reproving their child.
"Don't struggle so, you'll only hurt yourself." He cooed. "Mon ange, why do you keep secrets from me?" The hand slid up from the nape of her neck to the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair. "Is there something…you don't want me to know?" His eyes gleamed as he stared into the brunette's green ones. Shion let her body go limp, not even daring to think, even breathe…she truly had one last chance… Her fingers slid into the pocket of her pants, withdrawing a small computer pad pen she had absentmindedly tucked in there this morning. As Albedo's fingers tightened in her hair, she closed her eyes, gripped the pen, and sent it flying up, stabbing it through his left temple. The grip on her loosened and she fell down, opening her eyes to see Albedo stagger backwards, blood spewing from his wound. But as she scrambled to regain her balance, he was on her again, pinning her to the ground, his hands locked around her head, blood dripping from him onto her…
Pain. It slammed into the brunette like a tidal wave, leaving her breathless and disoriented. On the heels of that though, was the realization that he had succeeded, they were on the mental plane, no longer fighting physically but mentally…
Mon ange… With a scream, Shion turned and bolted down a path that had suddenly appeared, arms around herself, something telling her to run, run, get away…if he got to her she'd be dead… Behind her, mocking laughter and then the sense of some dark, evil creature pursing her, tainted white tentacles reaching outwards… the younger woman tripped and fell, Albedo suddenly materializing over her.
"Found you." He crooned, and suddenly Shion found herself unable to move…not even her body was obeying her mind's commands to fight. Helpless, she watched as one of those hands lifted, fingers flexing before descending downwards, violet eyes gleaming with hunger, a heartless smile and a cackle of delight… Shion closed her eyes, pain starting to knife into her…
CRACK
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The mental link dissolved in white fire. He didn't have any warning, one minute he was poised to tear at her, discover what she hid…and then all of a sudden SOMETHING had come out of nowhere, razor sharp claws tearing into his mind, a wall suddenly appearing, separating him from her, pain so great that it felt like his brain would split in two if he continued. Snarling like a wounded animal, he fell backwards.
A mental barrier!
She didn't know what happened. One moment she was a prisoner, pain extending its sharp claws, ready to tear into her tender soul and then suddenly she was free, regaining control of her body, her mind being forced back onto the physical plane. Pain followed her though, as she opened her eyes a thousand daggers stabbed into her mind…she hissed in agony and closed her eyes, slitting them open to see Albedo stagger backwards, howling…
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Gaignun started.
That was her! Barely no more than five minutes ago, as he stretched his powers to the limit, he had become aware of a battle, an unfair one…and he had known it was Albedo, starting to attack Shion mentally. Terror had gripped him, he wasn't going to make it in time…Shion would suffer terribly because of him, Albedo would see to that...she'd be treated worse than MOMO…
Then he had felt it. A power surge so strong that it made his teeth ache, and he wasn't anywhere near it…as he recognized what it was, hope flared into being. It was the mental barrier that had protected Shion from his mind-probe! He felt Albedo fall back, screaming from the pain, the backlash spreading, breaking his own link… Desperate now, he gripped the jacket once more, throwing himself back out onto the mental plane, tearing towards the ruined mind of his older brother, sensing his recovery…
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Shion screamed as Albedo lunged at her. Sobbing, she lashed out with her fingers, feeling the rake of flesh underneath her nails…and then screamed again, this time in pain as he grabbed her right wrist and twisted, bones snapping. They both fell, Albedo grabbing her mentally and pulling her back to him, something oily was wrapping around her limbs, dragging her down into an abyss…she didn't stop screaming, nor did she stop struggling, she had to break free, she had to get away…her body squirmed under his, her back pressing against his chest, trying to throw him off of her…
YOU ARE MINE! A knife materialized out of nowhere; rising high, ready to stab into her heart, her very soul…
And then Albedo's upper body exploded with extreme force on the physical plane. Shion found herself free once more, darkness appearing out of nowhere, wrapping its coils around her, pulling her away from Albedo's tainted mind… Her body came under her control and she pulled herself away from the remains of the white-haired U.R.T.V.'s body.
Shion, run! Don't look back!
Gaignun?!
RUN! Skidding on the blood-stained floor Shion struggled to obey, but her ankle turned once more, and she fell down. Gasping for breath, she propped herself up on her elbows, turning around. Several feet away, Albedo's upper torso, arms, and head reformed. Shion heard Gaignun curse, and the next thing she knew her mind was being enveloped by darkness once more, just as something threw itself at her, claws outstretched.
"Heh heh…Nigredo! So you've finally decided to do something, hmmm?"
Nigredo? Shion thought, confused.
This is between you and I, Albedo. Leave her out of this! Gaignun snarled.
"Au contraire, otouto." Albedo chuckled, a cruel grin on his face. "She has everything to do with this." On the Durandal, Gaignun's knuckles started to turn white from the strain of clutching Shion's jacket. His older brother wasn't willing to let Shion go without a fight, and Gaignun wasn't too sure he could hold out much longer. All he could do was now pray that Jr. would pick up on his mental signal and come in to help. Fast.