Chapter Twelve: Night Terrors
Author's Note: Hey everyone! Long time no see! Currently, I'm in the middle of installing my laptop with all the fun little programs that I used to have on my main comp so right now, I'm writing this chappie on my school library computer…um…I'm sort of pressed for time so I'm not going to do shout outs this time…so I'll do them double on the next chappie! Oh, and this will be a Grey-centric chappie, because I feel sort of bad for neglecting him and don't worry…the action will commence soon…but please bear with one last quiet chappie before balls to the wall action kicks off again! Oh, and I'm trying something new with my writing style…one of my friends didn't think I could pull it off but let me know…
The screams and battle cries echoed through his mind as he sat in his tent on the top of the hill…metal against metal clanging through the mid afternoon gloom kept rhythm with the cracks of thunder and peals of lightning. He was antsy…nervously fiddling with his sword and meticulously re-tying his sandals.
He watched the Generals fuss over the map splayed in front of them…not that he cared…and finally, they seemed in agreement, deciding to use the plan that they had deemed "unsuitable" not an hour ago.
"Only two people can actually enter the palace and break the locks." The grizzled old man began. "Are you and your brother up for it?"
He grinned.
"Father, why wouldn't I be? Aeon and I are the best warriors in this whole army you know that…"
Agreements were made, and he walked out of the tent and looked down the hill at the battle below…his brother stood at the edge, calmly watching the ensuing. Aeon…younger by a year, and as ruthless, and fiercely competitive as his brother; his younger brother's jet black hair reached to his mid, bare back and hung in countless, tiny braids.
"Are they done?" Aeon asked.
"Yes…we're ready."
Aeon grinned. "Good…I don't want all these soldiers to hog all the fun…so what're we doing?"
"Storming the palace, and breaking the locks to let the others in."
"And it's not even my birthday…"
"Are you ready?"
"After you brother!" Aeon said, waving his hand out.
And together, the two rushed down the hill, and into the ensuing battle where-
And Grey woke up…
He sat straight up in his bed panting…his bare chest soaked with sweat…
What was that…
He didn't know…but he didn't like it…was it a dream? It felt too real…whenever Grey dreamed, it always had something to do with purple raptors on razor scooters who quoted Shakespeare with English accents chasing him through a jungle…and then of course…there were the standard sex dreams.
Speaking of which…
Grey looked down at the sheets and muttered a quick. "Down boy."
He felt restless…and for once in his life, he thought he'd be responsible by getting to bed at a relatively decent hour…and now…when it got right to it, he couldn't sleep. He looked around the room…it had a huge, four poster bed…silk sheets…big, open windows, a desk, a private bathroom, and a personal fireplace.
Too formal maybe…
Maybe it was too cold or sterile…it was something that Grey wasn't exactly used to. True, he used to live in a big house, but that big house was old, rickety, and had about twenty five other children in it. He could barely fathom the fact that he had his own bathroom…much less his own room!
He sighed and ran his hands blearily down his face…sleep wasn't going to come anytime soon, so he decided that he might as well explore Lee's mansion. Before leaving, he grabbed his lighter and pack of cigarettes off the night table…he ran his hand through the back of his hair, feeling the residual hair glue between his black polished fingers.
And so, without much else to do, Grey opened the door to his room, and stumbled out into the hall.
New Scene…
"While I've never approved of your choice of lifestyle I'm afraid I have a mission for you." Heihachi Mishima said, his eyes never leaving the computer.
"And what's that?" Lee asked, leaning against one of the computer tables…his eyes already flickering with interest.
"Grey…he needs a…special friend…" Heihachi said, struggling to find the right words.
"And how will that help us in the long run?" Lee asked.
"He's not that hard to manipulate at all…and with his family issues, he is the stereotypical foster child."
"Since when did you get into child psychology?" Lee asked.
"Grey needs to feel that someone cares about him…sure, I pretend I care for him in a fatherly way…but he needs…something more…something that will bind him to our cause." Heihachi finally turned. "And that's where you come in."
"So what? You want me to pretend to come on to him?"
"It never stopped you before…unfortunately, Grey may be an avatar…but he also is a rebel, and that little issue could severely destroy our chances of ever completing the Ritual of Triumvarence!"
"It wouldn't destroy our chances."
"No, but it would make it difficult…and I'd rather have everything go according to plan." Heihachi said.
"You do realize that he and I have a twenty year age gap don't you? He watched me on TV during the second Iron Fist when he was just practically out of diapers."
"And since when has age stopped you before?"
"Good point." Lee finished.
Heihachi continued watching the monitors for a bit…something that looked like an EKG reader was flashing across the screen.
"What's that?" Lee asked.
"Dr. Abel installed it for me…it's a program that allows me to watch Grey's sleep patterns…" The thin, green line danced across the screen…before making a sudden arc up. "This means that he's dreaming…a particularly real one too. Probably about his past life." Heihachi grinned.
Lee turned to look at the camera…Grey tossed, turned, before promptly getting up and walking out of his room.
"I'll go look after him." Lee said.
"I think you should." Heihachi replied.
(New Scene…)
It took him awhile, but Grey finally found a porch to sit at…it was actually right where the pool was…blindingly dazzling white tile and columns flanked the area…and as Grey surveyed the whole enclosure…he realized that someone could really throw some wild parties here. The pale moonlight rippled off the still water…and as Grey inhaled his cigarette smoke, he watched it curl off into the night sky…he stared at the waters edge…and seriously considered going swimming.
He'd always loved doing it…and he had made the Alcoa High swim team…and was actually pretty good…but his grades slipped and he was kicked off the team. He tapped the ashes in the ash tray and thought about swimming again.
He loved doing it…especially at night…truthfully, he was elated that he was staying at a place with a pool…the Orphanage didn't have one…and the other two alternatives were the nasty, pee-soaked community pool, or Norris Lake, where there were water snakes, scratchy seaweed, and fish that kept biting you.
He supposed he shouldn't bash Norris Lake too much though…after all, he had some great memories there. He wasn't wearing any swim trunks…only a pair of black, shorts to sleep in…he didn't want to get them wet…and besides, it was much more relaxing to swim without clothes getting in the way…he placed his cigarette in the ashtray…stood, and reached for his shorts…before the door opened.
"Going for a swim?" It was Lee.
Grey sighed, and sat back down. "Thinking about it."
Lee took a seat next to Grey, and they stared across at the placid water…Grey continued to smoke.
"Couldn't sleep?" Lee asked.
"Sort of…" He breathed out a line of blue tinted smoke. "It's a nice house…or mansion…or whatever you want to call it…I'm just not used to it being so…so…isolated…" Grey finished, finally coming up with the right word.
Lee chuckled. "You get used to it after awhile…I'm hardly ever here…I mostly live in my mansion in the Bahamas."
"Really?" Grey chuckled. "No shit…what do you do anyway?"
"Stock mostly…and the Zaibatsu tends to keep me busy."
"They should give me a job…I want a big ass mansion." Grey mused.
"When this tournament is over I could show you my home there…" Lee said, letting the offer hang.
Finally, Grey turned, and stared Lee full on in the face…he raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
"It's very nice…my own private beach…83 rooms…" He began, painting a vivid picture. "A kid like you would enjoy it."
"Hey, I'm no kid." Grey began defensively. "And I think I'll take you up on that offer."
Grey cocked his head to the side. "Question is…what do you want?"
"Excuse me?" Lee asked, playing innocent.
"Fine…if you're not going to give me a straight answer then let me answer it clearly…you're going to say that 'you're open to suggestions' and then we'll keep speaking in non committal phrases until one of us asks the question on both our minds, so let me answer for you…I don't have a preference of gender…I just like sex. I'm good at it…and I like it."
Well…certainly wasn't expecting that…
For someone whom Heihachi thought was easy to analyze, Grey was sure pulling a few curve balls. And unfortunately…Lee was starting to like his cool, confidence, and he did look good in the moonlight…hell he looked good anytime but here…without the make-up…and without his over the top outfits…he looked simple…and in the end, Lee kind of liked simple.
Grey shivered slightly…he wasn't used to the cold…and in that instant, Lee noticed certain innocence about him…and he almost felt bad for lying to Grey…for, Grey would never get to see Lee's Bahamas Mansion…
He would be dead.
Before they could say anything else, Lee's cell phone rang. He answered, and Grey listened to the conversation…Heihachi was on the other line and he sounded pissed.
"Dr. Abel's house has been raided! That stupid American and my grandson made off with an important data disc!"
"What! I'll take care of it!" Lee shouted.
Angrily he hung his phone and began to storm out.
"Wait," Grey called. "I'll go."
"No…I want to deal with them myself," Lee grinned. "Besides, Jamie still thinks I'm dead…I officially never got to fight him, so I want to see just how worthy he really is!"
Author's Note: Rushed I know…but I've now got five minutes to get to class so PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I'm sorry about the shout outs but I'll do double next chappie I promise! By the way…this chapter was a challenge by my friend Britney…she didn't think that I, being a straight male, could write a somewhat tasteful shounen-i…shounan-ie…oh hell I can't spell it…but you get my drift…and no there won't be any porn or anything…I think this is the extent I'll go, so if I offended I'm sorry…PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! READ AND REVIEW PLZ!