I'll try to update this now...but it might be a while before I can actually put it up. Well, here it is whenever it gets up, enjoy!
alpha2nd: I know I saidI would try to avoid the cliffies, but they're just always there. I feel so sorry for Eyes, I pick on him way too much, but I vow to do nothing too horrible to him in my new fic. And, no, John isn't going to die quite yet, I still need him. Thanks for reviewing!
CeTe: There's always trouble in my fics, you should know that by now. And I couldn't have Eyes being too mad at Kanone, I think the fact that he even apologized to Kanone shows how badly he was treated in the past and how much he appreciates Kanone. That's what I was going for, anyway. Glad I did a good job! Thanks for reviewing! Oh, and the Hunter thing will go a lot better than you think...afterwards though...well, you'll see.
Eyes and Kanone had met up with the others in the lobby of the hotel and now they were discussing what to do, "I'll call the insurance agency in a little bit." Kanone offered. The others nodded in agreement and then fell silent, each thinking about their own problems.
"Well, this is getting boring." Kousuke complained, earning him a kick from Ryoko, "Ow, what was that for?" He yelled, drawing unwanted attention.
"Idiot, keep your voice down." Was all he got for a reply. Kousuke grumbled and moved next to Kanone, figuring the other two men wouldn't be as abusive as Ryoko or Rio.
Kanone just smirked and looked to the others, "Well, you four should find something else to do while I'm on the phone, it could take a while."
Rio looked to Ryoko, "Hey, we should go see if there are any melon stands around!" Before she could object, Ryoko found herself being pulled out the lobby doors by the small girl.
Kousuke smirked and stood up, "I guess I should go watch those two, I don't think that Ryoko can handle Rio by herself. Besdies, I'll probably have to pay if they do find what Rio's looking for." Kousuke sighed and briefly wondered why he put up with Ryoko's abuse, but just shrugged it off and chased after the girls.
Kanone smiled at the three and turned to Eyes, "And what about you?"
Eyes looked up at Kanone, "What about me? I'm staying with you."
"Are you sure? It might be a while." Kanone thought about it and then nodded, "I guess it would be for the best, I don't really want you off on your own." Seeing the slightly hurt look on Eyes' face Kanone regreted what he said, "Not that I think you can't take care of yourself..." Kanone started, but Eyes cut him off.
"I understand, Kanone. I wouldn't want to leave you anyway."
Kanone smiled and moved towards the elevator that would take them back up to their room, "Let's go, then." Eyes nodded and joined him.
Several hours later after being on the phone with about 17 different agents and being put on hold for about half of the time, Kanone and Eyes reentered the lobby of the hotel in search of their friends. Eyes looked worried, "Shouldn't they have been back by now?" He asked, looking to his boyfriend.
Kanone nodded, "Yes, but I wouldn't worry; I don't think that they would split up and a Hunter oculdn't take them all out by himself."
"It happened once." Eyes pointed out and then quickly looked down when Kanone shot him an angry glare, "Sorry." He said quickly, mostly out of habit. Even though he had been with Kanone for many years, he still reverted back to his old behavior whenever someone was upset with him.
Kanone sighed and put his arm around Eyes, "It's okay, I just would prefer to forget about that whole incident." Eyes nodded in agreement and understanding; he wanted to forget it, too. They had walked outside and started looking around them for any sign of their friends. Finding none, Eyes turned to Kanone, "Where do you think they went? They couldn't possibly still be looking for melons for Rio could they?"
Kanone shruged, "I doubt it, but once Rio has set her sights on something, she rarely gives up until she gets it. You know how she is." Eyes smiled slightly at how right Kanone was, Rio could definitely have a one-track mind when it came to some things.
Suddenly Eyes spotted a mass of red hair, next to it he saw Rio and Ryoko. They were talking to someone that Eyes didn't recognize and he tugged on Kanone's sleeve, "Kanone, over there." He pointed to the group and saw Kanone narrow his gaze at the stranger; obviously Kanone didn't know him either. Besides the reaction he got from Kanone, Eyes could see that the other three were glaring at the man, "Hunter?" He asked softly.
Kanone nodded, "Could be." Before they could make a move towards the four, the possible Hunter took off, and a second later Kousuke was running after him. Kanone cursed the boy for his stupidity as Rio and Ryoko ran after him, calling for him to come back. He looked to Eyes, "Let's go." Eyes nodded and followed as they chased the others down. Kanone had considered telling the boy to go back to their room and lock the door, but he couldn't be too careful. The Hunters may have predicted he would do that and be there waiting for Eyes, and Kanone would not let that happen again. At least when he was with Eyes he could protect him. The two followed Rio and Ryoko and eventually caught up witht hem, Kousuke, and the other man. The three Blade Children turned to see their two friends and greeted them breifly before turning back to the man who had led them to the alley they were now in, "Who is this?" Kanone asked.
"A Hunter." Kousuke replied, glaring at the man.
Kanone sighed, so he had been right, "And you followed him because...?"
"Because the idiot got mad at something he said and chased after him." Ryoko replied.
The Hunter smirked at them, then turned to Kanone, "You must be their leader. You're name is Kanone if I'm not mistaken. And you must be Eyes."
The Hunter took one step towards the now frightened boy and Kanone was on him. He pinned the Hunter against the alley wall, "You stay away from him, if you ever do so much as look at him funny again, I'll put you through the same torture that your friend got."
The Hunter glared at this, "So you were the one. I heard about that...I've got to say, it must have taken a lot of guts to barge in there blindly like you did. There was another Hunter in there, did you not see him?"
Kanone faltered at this, "Another Hunter?" He thought. Had he been that concerned with rescuing Eyes that he missed the other man presence? Kanone shook his head and gave the man the advantage he needed. He kneed Kanone in the gut and sent him flying against the other wall.
Then the Hunter immediately raced to Eyes before anyone, even Ryoko, could grab him. He jerked the boy around in front of him and grinned, "Another step and I'll finish what we started." They all hesitated as Kanone stood back up and joined them, fear and hatred mixed in his eyes as he glared at the Hunter.
"If you know what's good for you..." Kanone started.
"You'll let him go." Rio finished for him.
"Now, you bastard!" Kousuke added.
Ryoko was the only one who stayed silent, she usually stayed silent around the Hunters, instead concentraing on their movements, looking for an opening. The Hunter smirked and pressed Eyes closer to him, making the boy wince at the pressure on his still injured shoulder, "Looks like you got some friends, boy." The Hunter whispered in his ear and then licked it. Eyes tried to struggle away but the Hunter just laughed.
Anger was boiling up inside Kanone, but he stayed silent, letting Kousuke cover the outburst, which he did, "You sick freak! LET HIM GO!" This just sent the Hunter into a fit of laughter, while amazingly never letting his guard down.
All of a sudden the laughing ceased and the Hunter slumped down to the ground. Eyes was released and turned around to look at his savior. The man in front of him grinned, "Dad?" Eyes whispered. It was indeed John. He had the knife in his hand that he was stabbed with earlier, having stuck it in the back of the one who had done the stabbing.
"Hello, Eyes. It looked like you were in a bit of trouble." Eyes couldn't speak, just nodded and blinked back a few tears. His father had saved him. Why? He didn't care or want to know. His father, the one who had made his life a living hell, had just saved his life.
Eyes finally found his voice, "Thank you..." John just laughed and put an arm around Eyes, leading hiim to his friends.
Kanone was, of course, the first one to meet the two and immediately took Eyes into his arms, "Are you alright?" He asked, wiping away a stray tear that had managed to escape. Eyes just nodded and hugged Kanone who was now glaring at John, "And why are you here?"
John just smiled, "I heard shouting, so I figured I would come and check it out, I had actually hoped it would be this bastard." John said, nudging the now dead Hunter with his foot.
"Why do you have that?" Kanone asked, motioning to the knife that was still in John's hand, "And why were you after him?"
John explained how the Hunter had come to his apartment and stabbed him, then told him to keep out of his way. John figured that he would be cominng for Eyes, so John made his way over to the hotel he (somehow) knew Eyes was staying in. At hearing this Eyes pushed away from Kanone and walked over to his father, gazing at the bloody spot where he had been stabbed, "Are you alright?" Eyes asked, gingerly touching the sore spot.
John winced and grabbed Eyes' hand away, I'm fine. Just a little sore. What about you?"
"I'm fine. Thank you." Eyes said polietly and then looked away. John ran his hand through Eyes' hair and down the side of his face, grazing his cheek affectionately. This put the others on edge, but knew that the man wouldn't be so stupid as to try anything here. But apparently they were wrong. John gripped Eyes' cheek painfully and grinned as the small boy creid out in pain. Kanone raced over to them but not before John slammed Eyes' head into the nearby alley wall with a deafening crack. Eyes slumped to the ground and John ran, knowing Kanone and the others would be too concerned with Eyes to chase after him.
Hahahaha! And I shall end it here! Poor, poor Eyes, I'm so terrible to him. Don't worry though, he's not dead (though, technically he probably should be). And jsut a little preview of next chapter Kanone sends Kousuke to track John down. What will happen when he finds him? I can only wonder...(pain pain pain pain pain!) Review!