Chapter 14: Derailed

Shadow looked around his new surroundings, memorizing the unfamiliar 2 lane bridge with tracks on both sides, he wondered what this structure was meant for, and if it was just to span water then why did it have these on them. An interesting place for a fight, considering you could slow down and possibly make your opponent fall by switching from track to track rapidly. It posed no problem for Shadow, but it gave Seifer a bigger disadvantage in an already disadvantaged fight.

"Ready to get your ass kicked?" Seifer spoke confidently, spinning his sword around in his left hand. He knew fighting here would be an inhibiting, but considering they were in FH this was the only place they could actually harbor a fight.

Shadow circled around him, studying him fully, everything from his posture to his scent. "Hn…" He didn't acknowledge Seifer's usual brash comments, in stead he continued studying him with a child like curiosity.

They were completely alone, Cho was at the nearest hospital with Nida, that meant there was no one to get in the way.

"I'll take that as a yes then." He said with a small smirk.

Seifer took a step a few forward to close the small gap between himself and Shadow with his sword to low to his side, almost letting the tip drag along the ground. He swung upward it in an uppercut directly beneath Shadow's torso, but the wolf easily jumped to the side to evade it. Pivoting forward, Shadow thrust his head into Seifer's stomach, hard enough to force him to stumble back. Catching himself after a few steps, Seifer came at shadow again, lifting his sword above his head and bringing it down on to Shadow.

Even with his speed he couldn't seem to hit him. Shadow jumped to the left just a hair short of Seifer's sword, then rammed his body into Seifer's legs, sweeping him off his feet. Seifer landed painfully on one of the metal railings, but ignoring the pain he rolling to the side and flipped on to his feet. All in one fluid movement he held on to handle of his gun blade with both hands and thrust it forward at the GF.

Shadow stepped back and evaded it easily, taking notice of his speed but knowing it was one he could easily match with a higher one.

Seifer ran forward and brought the blade down on to Shadow so close that he was sure he'd hit, but he moved to the right and out of it's way. As soon as the sword reached the ground Seifer dragged the blade along the ground, sweeping towards Shadow's legs.

Shadow jumped over the attack easily. Seifer tried to pull the Gunblade up from beneath Shadow and catch him while he was still in the air and couldn't dodge, but Shadow landed on the flat side of the sword before Seifer could do anything. With one paw in front of the other, it slid down the edge before Seifer could drop it.

Instead of attacking him then, Shadow jumped into the air passing just above Seifer's head. Rolling in a flip and kicking his hind legs in to the back of Seifer's head painfully.

"Uff!" Seifer dropped his gun blade unintentionally, knocked the ground and sliding to a stop a few feet away. He had to admit, Shadow was much stronger the he looked.

"Alright, I'll do it with out a weapon, it'll be faster." Seifer pushed himself on to his feet, rubbing the back of his head where he'd been struck.

Shadow only stood waiting for him, knowing he would do so.

Seifer went for another, leaving his Gunblade on the ground since it had gone to far to retrieve any way. He crouched down low, trying to grab Shadow. Shadow jumped up into the air, thrusting his head into Seifer's chin and making him fall backwards to the ground.

'Damnit.' He stifled a grown of pain, lifting his hand to the spot where he had been hit as he climbed to his feet, stumbling a little as he did so. A little disoriented but still willing to fight.

"Your not getting away from me this time!" Seifer sent a swift kick to Shadow's side. Shadow shifted lightly and blocked the blow with his shoulder, then rammed his head it into Seifer's other leg, knocking him to the ground again and sending him rolling to a stop on the next rail road track.

Seifer persistently pulled himself on to his feet, with a quick glance ahead he found that his weapon was directly between them the two of them. So he rush headstrong at Shadow again, picking his Gun Blade as he did so.

He lifted it on to his shoulder and slashed downward at Shadow, "Foolish." Shadow easily caught the blade in his mouth and with a sharp flick of his head sent Seifer flying through the air.

"!" Seifer crashed in the railing at the edge of the bridge and slid on to the ground, landing painfully on his side. He was sure he'd left a mark in the concrete. 'Where he hell did that come from?'

"Oww.." He groaned softly, rubbing the back of his head for the second time as he watched Shadow approach him. As hard as he tried, Seifer couldn't get up fast enough before Shadow pinned him down with a single paw on his chest.

"You are clearly out matched, your too slow to land a blow, probably to weak to make a difference even if you did, yet you keep attempting to attack me." He said, a questioning tone underlying in his voice.

"Yeah, that's me." Seifer tried to throw a punch to the side of Shadow's head, just like everything else it didn't end well.

Shadow lowered his head under Seifer's arm, grabbing his shirt collar with his mouth, removed his paw and flung him aside. Seifer didn't go as far this time, landing a few feet away and sliding over a protruding metal rail onto the other rail road track. "This behavior is strange." Shadow comment, circling around the downed Seifer.

"Not really." Seifer grunt, sweeping his blade along the ground towards Shadow. Shadow lunged at him, easily evading the sword. Seifer rolled to the side evadingly, then thrust his sword forward at Shadow while he was still in the air. Shadow pressed paw against the blade's dull edge and agilely pushed himself backwards, avoiding the attack.

As soon as he landed he sprang at Seifer, pressing his front paws in to his chest and knocking him back down into the ground before he could even get up. Then Shadow jumped up, landing on his stomach. "Usually humans run." Shadow told him, sitting down on him.

Seifer sent his knee upward in to Shadow's stomach, but Shadow climbed off of him before Seifer could hit him. Seifer flipped on to his feet, driving his blade forward at Shadow. Shadow stepped back and avoided it once again, he was amazingly quick. "I'm not one of them!" Seifer said fiercely, drawing his arm back throwing his sword at Shadow.

Shadow narrowly avoided it, the Gun Blade planting itself in the ground only inches from Shadow's face. He wasn't sure if Seifer had missed or didn't intend to hit him with such a critical blow. Ignoring that face for a while, Shadow ran up the blade, spring off the handle and pouncing on Seifer so fast that the boy didn't even know it was happening until he was knocked to the ground and Shadow landed on his chest again. "You see I can kill you, yet you stay and fight. You don't attempted to escape like the others."

Seifer pressed his hands against Shadow's chest and pushed him off, abruptly rolling over and pulling his sword out of the ground. Once again he shakily made it to his feet, panting in exhaustion and barely restraining himself from staggering. When Shadow hit him, he hit hard. "Heh, you think I'd run from you? Never in a million years." Seifer smirk with that same arrogant one he always had, undeterred by that fact that he was losing the fight.

A golden aura washing over his body as he reached his limit break.

Shadow became intrigued at the nature of that sudden energy, watching carefully as Seifer charge at him for the countless time. Instead of doing one of his usual ones, he poured all of the energy from limit break into his sword, making it glow a bright gold, using an entirely different one.

With a small grunt he thrust the sword forward, his movements were a lot quicker, more so usual and more then expected. Shadow just barely stepped to the side, looking up questioningly at Seifer as of asking were did that come from. Another thing he'd have to figure out about this strange new human. Out of all the all the one's he encountered, this one was the most interesting one…

"Damnit." Seifer growled in annoyment, having his attack failed he pulled the sword over shoulder, attempting to slash Shadow with it now that he was in range. Shadow crouched down under the blade and ran past Seifer's side. Kicking him in the back with his hind legs and sending him farther then before, "!" Seifer even had time to get in a thought or two, noticing that he had just flew past Cho before he crashed painfully to the ground on his stomach.

He couldn't lie, that hurt like hell.

"Oww..." Seifer slowly rolled over, it had apparently taken longer then he thought since when he finally did he saw Cho and to his surprise a heavily bandaged Nida standing over him.

Cho stared at him for a moment as if wondering what happen, and then inevitably erupted with laughter, "Who has the big mouth now!"

With anger was a driving point Seifer jumped to his feet hastily and glared down at the boy. "I'm not finished brat!"

'Yeah, he is.' Nida looked at the two and could only sigh and shake his head. Cho had explained everything that happened him in great detail, Cho had an amazing ability to describe things. It fit him, being the visual person he was. This added stress couldn't be good for his heart.

Nida had bandages over almost every part of his body, in fact it'd be easier to name the parts he didn't have them on. Which was his left leg and right arm, he was barely able to use crutches with the cast on his left arm. After a few x-rays, Nida found out that he'd broke 4 ribs and some light hemorrhaging, the bleeding was fixed with a little medication to help his blood clot. After he was bandaged from head to toe he was left alone in his room to rest, what a mistake that was. Nida was never one to like sitting around even when he was injuries, he'd get restless to easily. So he left, which was only made possible by Cho and his ability to sneak in out of places easily. Nida would have to say something about that later, he could only imagine what Cho did with that type of talent.

"What are you going to do, let him but kick your ass until he's too tired too move?" Cho shot, laughing even harder.

Shadow watched the exchange between the two in confusion. 'They appeared to be allies, yet they constantly bicker and argue like enemies. They seem to be enemies, but still they wont fight each other and are protective of one another. They talk offensively but hold no hostility in their words and are willing to put there own life on the line for the other...

And through none of this do they acknowledge my presence, they don't run like the others do, or fear that I will attack them…This behavior is puzzling.'

"You really did a number on him." Cho came from behind while the wolf was too busy thinking to care, petting Shadow on the head softly. He was about to get angry about the unwanted contact, that was until he found that it actual felt pleasant...

"Yeah whatever! He's lucky he gave up, I was just getting started!" Seifer shouted with heavy pants, sitting on the ground to catch his breath.

"So, you're the one I've been hearing so much about…" Nida said, looking over Shadow examiningly.

Shadow became suddenly interested, growing a little content because Cho had been talking about him. And some how he managed to feel sympathetic because he'd seen what happened to Nida and he saw now how it turned out.

He blamed Cho for that one.

"I thought your injuries were mortal." Shadow said rather coldly.

Nida only smiled, hardily able to believe who he was talking to. He really didn't care about the tone, from what he heard about Shadow he expected it. "Nope, it'd take more then that to kill me."

"It would seem so."

After a little bit of silent contemplation, Shadow had already decided, he wanted to feel what ever it was they felt. He was curious to see what it was like, he was curious about these humans. Why were they different then the others he'd encountered in the past? He thought all humans were alike, these one made him feel things he never felt before, but how? Why was the tall one call Seifer so brash and arrogant even against impossible enemies. Why was the smaller one he wanted so determined even if it meant death?

"Don't start spacing out on me now." Seifer walked behind Shadow, a small smile grazing his face as he began scratching behind the ear wolf's ear, "See, I could take him, I just didn't want to hurt him."

Shadow forced himself to pull away with a growl despite how it felt, now wondering how this particular human did that to him.

He wanted more of it…

"Well Seifer." Nida started, looking up strait into Seifer's eyes. "I want to thank you for protecting Cho, I'm sure you've found out how--"

"Stupid." Seifer interrupted.

Cho elbowed him in the side. "Hey!"

Nida rubbed his head, it was like dealing with Cho and an anti-Cho at once, it was much more stressful then dealing with them separately. "Well, for lack of a better word, yes, how stupid Cho can be sometimes."

"Hey! Watch it."

Nida extended his hand to Seifer, not being one to hold a grudge.

Despite trying to keep his usual composure, Seifer couldn't help but become visibly surprised at Nida's demeanor towards him at the moment. 'Why isn't he...' "Nida huh?" Seifer shook his hand, why not. "Aren't you Raijin's friend?"

Nida smiled. "Yeah...what happened to him?"

"He's fine."

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