Without Consent
By: Lady Kuroi Bara
Disclaimer: I know I've already stated I don't own Bloody Roar… but disclaimers are fun to write… because I can rant and make you waste your time reading it… like I am now. :P
Sorry I haven't updated in months. Our computer hasn't been letting me sign in, so I could never update my story. Just recently, I guess it began to like me for it let me sign in and stay in. I've forgotten much of what I had in plan for this story, but hell. I'll remember.
And so Chapter Three begins…
"Drag me by my arms… I beg you." Alice grumbled as the group walked, "How far have we walked anyway?" Not only was the path filled with rocks and debris, the storm made it even more difficult.
Yugo shrugged, "I think we're pretty close. We're in the brush Long was talking about." Looking ahead, he noticed a dark hole carved into the rock's surface, "Hey guys! Look! Is that a cave?"
Joy spread throughout the group, "I hope!" Uriko cried, clapping her hands together. Now power walking, the group quickly pushed the brush out of the way. "Almost there." Uriko murmured to herself.
Yugo pulled out the brush that lay in front of the mouth of the cave, "It IS a cave." With relief, Yugo stepped aside, "C'mon in." Kenji walked in first, followed by Alice then Uriko with a flashlight.
Alice's face became solemn, 'It doesn't feel right in here…' Looking from side to side, she noticed Yugo had realized that as well. Locking eyes with each other, they knew they were thinking the same thing.
"Kenji, Uriko, how about you two just sleep? Alice and I can take turns standing watch." Yugo smiled, trying not to frighten them. Kenji arched an eyebrow while Uriko cocked her head to the right.
"What is it that you have realized, Yugo?" Kenji asked, letting Yugo know he was not going to take this bull. 'They have also realized something is wrong here.'
'The air is thick… this cave has a menacing feeling to it.' Uriko thought, "Yes, Alice, what is it that you don't want us to know?" The two ganged up on Alice and Yugo, knowing the answer already.
"Okay, call us crazy," Alice began, folding her arms across her chest but Uriko cut in, "I already do." She whispered under her breath. "Go on!" Uriko smiled. At least the heavy tension in the air wasn't putting Uriko down. "As I was saying," Alice began, looking at Uriko, "The air here is unusually thick. A nauseating feeling."
"Yugo, what are you doing?" Uriko asked, looking past the form of Alice. Yugo had occupied himself, using the thick brush and shrubbery to his advantage. "I'm putting brush in certain places, and in front of the cave to ensure the fact that we're safer."
"Good thinking, Yugo." Alice complimented, moving herself to the cave's mouth to help with the moving of shrubbery.
Kenji himself sat against the cave's wall, lost in deep thought. His eyes were fixated at his feet, his hands beneath his chin, which rested atop his knees. 'Busuzima… that bastard. What's he up to now? Could it really be Busuzima? If so, what is the motive? What's the point of making zoanthropes temporarily losing themselves? He seemed rather fond of keeping them as pets.' His eyes narrowed angrily, and Uriko couldn't help but to notice.
'Everything's so tense.' She thought, holding the flashlight in her hands. Relaxing her body against the wall, her eyes sagged down lazily, drifting in and out of a slumber.
The next time her eyes opened, it was dark, and frightening. 'Gah!' Uriko cried silently, sitting up, 'I've fallen asleep for too long! Where's everybody?! M-my flashlight? Where'd it go?!' She stood up cautiously, hoping not step on the sleeping bodies of Alice, Yugo or Kenji.
No moonlight could peer through the heavy clouds. The storm had subsided for now, but that was probably the calm before the real storm was to hit. But… there was a light that called out to Uriko. A bright light, one that had no reason to burn so brightly.
Where was it coming from?
Uriko squinted, wondering of maybe Yugo went to explore and took her flashlight. But her flashlight did not emit light of such a color, or so brightly. In fact, it looked like a light which streamed from a window. 'I… I bet that's a light from Busuzima's head quarters! But then, this cave is dangerously close. Could they possibly… use this cave for their own gain? Then…' She turned, hoping to use the dim light borne from the hidden building to find her flashlight.
Crawling over to where she had once lay, Uriko searched for her light, pastel colored flashlight. Crawling on the ground proved useful, for she found it had rolled away during her sleep. Turning it on, Uriko explored the cave from a standing point.
Alice was sleeping against a rock, snoring lightly. Opposite the wall from her, Kenji was leaning against the wall, cushioning his head with his hands. But where was Yugo?
"Y-Yugo?" Cautiously, Uriko pointed the flashlight to the back of the cave. It was a dead end cave, going only so deep. 'He must have gone outside.'
Stepping out into the somewhat misty atmosphere, Uriko pointed the beam of light downwards, turning it off.
"Footprints." She murmured, seeing large prints next to her own. "Leaving the cave. Somebody was here. Or maybe Yugo left." She looked over her shoulder, confirming she had awoken nobody and that she had not been spotted. 'They lead to… the building.'
Hidden in a camouflage of tree leaves, shrubbery and brush, the building was a beacon of fear for Uriko. 'Yugo… came here?' Looking down, the girl noticed a vent. 'I… I bet I can fit in there and enter in!'
"What the hell are you doing?!" Came a loud whisper.
"EEE—" A hand wrapped around her mouth, two arms holding her down. 'I-I'm going to die!'
"U-Uriko, please! It's me, Alice. And Kenji!' Alice whispered, and Uriko came to less than a wiggle. "I'm sorry we frightened you, Uriko. But what the hell were you doing?"
Kenji nodded, "I concur. It's foolish to venture off on your lonesome." He folded his arms across his chest. Angrily, Uriko shook her head.
"Tell that to Yugo! He's gone!" She whispered, trying not to raise her voice. Alice blinked. "That's right! Yugo left! I was trying to find him, I thought he was outside."
Alice blinked, "Isn't that Yugo now? Over there?" She pointed her index finger towards the familiar body of Yugo.
Yugo came forward towards the group of three, blinking awkwardly, unsure of why they stood there. "What's going on? Why aren't you all in the cave?" He asked, whispering rather loudly.
"Uriko had awoken from her slumber to find you had gone missing," Kenji pitched in, "I assume Uriko felt a surge of worry for you and ventured alone in the woods only to be found by Alice and I only a short distance away from the mouth of the cave. Now, I speak for everybody, we'd like to know just exactly why you left the cave alone."
Yugo blushed a little, "H-hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go." He let out a small, humiliated laugh. Alice, Uriko and Kenji stared most awkwardly. False alarm.
Alice grumbled, "Well, not exactly how I expected this to end, but hell. I'll take a break any day. Hey, now that we're all here… should we intrude? I'm sure most of Busuzima's henchmen are sleeping on the job. It's almost 2 in the morning."
Yugo nodded, and Uriko pointed, "I noticed this vent. Do you think that could be a good way in?" She asked, hoping she could finally help in some way. Alice squinted, cocking her head.
"It's… a bit small, don't you think?" Yugo asked, "It'd be a tight fit." He ran his fingers against the cold, solid metal. The odor it emitted was foul, giving the sense of death. Then again, it WAS Busuzima's domain.
"I can't let you go alone, Uriko." Alice commented, "Maybe… Kenji can fit as well?" She turned to him, and bewildered the boy gaped at the tiny vent, "Me, Alice?" "Yes you, Kenji. You're as skinny as a twig. You put Mary-Kate Olsen to shame." Kenji growled at the last comment, but chose to ignore it.
"Fine, I'll try." Was all that he managed to say without sounding angry. Yugo fell to his knees, and began to inspect the sides of the vent. "Hmm… these screws don't seem so tough."
Beastorizing, Yugo decided to use his wolf side to his advantage. Using the fine tips of his claws, Yugo managed to unscrew, pull, and yank out or otherwise the screws loose. When he had loosened the last screw, the vent door came crashing on his bare foot. Wincing, Yugo turned back to his human self.
"Son of a-" He grumbled, rubbing his toes, "That hurt. Okay, Kenji, Uriko, go. Be careful. As soon as you go in, we lose contact. Alice and I will try to find a more convenient way in."
Alice nodded, "Take care of my little sister, Kenji, or I'll have to beat the hell out of you." There goes over-protective Alice again.
Kenji nodded, "I am not irresponsible, worry not." He waited, watching as Uriko slipped into the small vent. He looked to Yugo, and he nodded. "Good luck, you two." Kenji murmured, before getting on all fours and peering into the vent.
Alice and Yugo proceeded to go around the back of the building, "We'll find an unlit window." Alice murmured. Yugo nodded, "Not a problem."
Or so THEY thought.
¤
"Uriko, please remove your lower half from my personal space." Kenji groaned. Being behind Uriko was being a pain in the bottom. No pun intended.
"Look, I'm sorry, all right?" Her voice echoed eerily throughout the vents, "You came in second, it's not my fault. Just look down, and stop going so fast."
Taking this advice, Kenji looked down. Uriko moved slowly through the vents, taking in the smells, sounds, and sights.
"Hey… Uriko, look at this." Kenji murmured, grabbing her ankle to stop her from going any faster. From what it felt like against her ankle, Kenji was trembling. But why? Curling into a ball, and using her feet to as quietly as she could turn, peered through the vent at the room Kenji had indicated.
"Oh… my…" Uriko murmured, her eyes growing wide.
The gloomy looking room beneath them was slate gray, dungeon like. The room was bare, except for one disturbing thing. A large cylinder shaped object erected from the floor, a figure floated in the liquid substance. "That looks like…" Uriko began.
"I believe that's… Shina?" Kenji asked, squinting. Uriko's eyes widened, "But why is she here? What is Busuzima doing to her?! Why is she in that tank?!"
And so Chapter 3 draws to a close…
Life's been tough on our characters, and it'll only get harder. Will Alice and Yugo be able to enter the building of Busuzima without being caught? Will Uriko and Kenji be caught? And why is Shina in that tank? And… is that Jenny?!
Find out within the context of the next chapter.
Until then, see ya.