Revised Edition with changed/added footage: 8-8-2006
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Chapter 19: Struggle for Survival
The fires raged, consuming the buildings and leaving nothing but ashes in their wake. Renkotsu smiled in satisfaction; things had gone smoothly- or so he'd thought. It was then that heard the voice calling out to him and saw the large figure coming towards him.
"Renkotsu no-aniki, we have a problem!"
"Kyoukotsu? Well, what is it?" He demanded while the other man caught his breath.
"Jakotsu…"
"What about him? Did something happen with that bad leg of his?" Renkotsu questioned, looking up at the giant man.
"I'm not sure, but there was something poisonous in a wound on his side. I think it was from that youkai," Kyoukotsu replied, scratching his head.
"A youkai?"
"Yeah, a youkai," He pondered, trying to remember the details Mukotsu had told him, "Tall, black hair and with a giant axe for a weapon. Mukotsu said to watch out."
Renkotsu frowned, "How serious is the injury?"
"Not sure. It looked like Suikotsu was trying to help him, but he wanted Mukotsu to look at it too so…"
"Jakotsu's hurt?" Ginkotsu asked, walking up.
Kyoukotsu hung his head, "I don't know how badly, but the youkai is still around here so we'd better try and kill it."
Renkotsu nodded, "Where's Mukotsu?"
"He'd gone to where Suikotsu and Jakotsu were," The giant man replied.
"Go find him. It's best we stay together in this situation. Suikotsu can look after Jakotsu; we might need Mukotsu's knowledge if we're fighting poisons."
Nodding, Kyoukotsu lumbered off back towards the forest edge.
Once he was gone, Ginkotsu spoke up, "Renkotsu? You okay?"
Renkotsu looked perplexed at the question, "Why do you ask?"
"No offense, but it's not like you to insist on sticking together like this."
The second-in-command looked off in the direction Kyoukotsu had left in, "Even I can't deny that each one of us plays a crucial part to the group. If this is truly a serious situation, those of us that remain must be alert."
Ginkotsu placed his large hand on Renkotsu's shoulder, "Yesh, things would be different if we lost someone. We are just like a family after all."
Looking up at his companion, he offered a slight smile, which quickly dropped as he sighed, "I suppose. Then again, I have always found families irritating."
"We'll aren't we a bunch of sentimental mortals," The smooth voice intoned, causing the two men to automatically prepare for a battle.
On seeing that this man matched the description given, Renkotsu quickly fired his canon and then instructed Ginkotsu to follow it up with his canons.
The three shots impacted, throwing up dirt and debris, but Gatenmaru quickly dodged. Seeing that it wasn't going to be a simple fight, Renkotsu released the wires from his hands, lighting fire to them and illuminating the night more so than the town aflame was already.
"Oh? A bit of a feisty one, eh? Let's see what you can do now!" The moth-youkai said, swinging his axe downward, causing to the two Shichinin-tai members to scramble out of the way.
Motioning to Ginkotsu, Renkotsu indicated to try and stop him another way. Nodding in understanding, the metallic-man shot out the whirling blades from his back, their fast movements and crisscross pattern slowing Gatenmaru to a halt, as he tried to avoid them.
The blades tore into the beams of the remaining pieces of buildings, the wires creating an intricate web in which the moth-youkai was now trapped. One wire, gripping about his throat was causing blood to trickle down his pale skin. Renkotsu smirked- they'd got him. Leveling his canon, the Commander froze as he saw the malicious look on Gatenmaru's face.
"Pathetic humans, you think this is enough to hold me?"
Moving his axe slightly, the sound of the wire snapping reached to their ears. Before they could react, the youkai had freed himself and his weapon and was rushing forward, intent on killing the one who had trapped him in such a predicament.
"Ginkotsu! Watch out!" Renkotsu yelled frantically, turning to go towards him.
The large axe sunk into Ginkotsu's right arm, one of the metallically enhanced man's few weak spots.
With a grin, Gatenmaru spit out the acid into the wound and jumped back, about to release another attack when he sensed something behind him. Quickly avoiding the blast, he glanced to Renkotsu, "You think toying with me is going to help him?"
Saying nothing in reply, Renkotsu reached for the flask on his hip and took a sip of the flammable liquid; blowing out a wall of flame that sent the youkai retreating back to a safer position.
"You know, that girly-looking one of your boys ought to be dead by now and if you don't hurry, your friend over there will meet the same fate," Gatenmaru remarked with a laugh.
Renkotsu lifted his canon back to his shoulder and fired again, his enraged voice yelling out, "Shut the hell up and die!"
The youkai just laughed and dodged, "I'm sorry, did I anger you? Don't worry, you'll join them in death soon enough," He said, spitting out the silken strands.
Running to avoid the attack, Renkotsu fell to the ground as part of the strands stuck to his leg.
"Aniki!" Ginkotsu managed to say, struggling to make his way over to where he'd fallen.
"Ginkotsu, stay back! You're already hurt!" He said, glancing back over his shoulder to see where Gatenmaru had gotten to.
Standing with a smug grin on his face, the dark-haired youkai still had the other end of the silk hanging from his mouth.
"Renkotsu," The softened metallic voice intoned, causing him to turn back towards him, "Here, take it, you've got to get out of here." Ginkotsu said, indicating the sword hilted at his waist.
"Ginkotsu…"
"Please, hurry…"
Struggling to reach from where he was, Ginkotsu knelt slightly so that Renkotsu could get a better grip on the sword. Once he'd drawn it, Renkotsu quickly slashed his leg free from its confines. He staggered to his feet, placing a hand on Ginkotsu's left shoulder for support while he pulled the remaining strands off himself.
Gatenmaru just stood back and laughed, "Oh? So you want to play some more before you die?"
Renkotsu was about to retort, when he heard Ginkotsu wince.
"It hurts…" He said softly, causing the shorter of the two turn towards him.
"Ginkotsu," The bald man said softly, the concern in his voice evident. Then he leveled a glare at the one who'd caused the pain.
The youkai readied his axe for another attack, when a thick fog began to come over the area.
"Ginkotsu, Renkotsu no aniki- hurry out of here." Mukotsu's voice called out from somewhere in the area.
Beginning to head out, Renkotsu paused, and after some thought called back, "Mukotsu, be careful."
"Kyoukotsu's nearby, just get to safety," The poison-user replied, releasing a toxin directly at the moth-youkai as he tried to find his way out of the fog.
Not wasting their opportunity, Renkotsu and Ginkotsu made their way out of the town, headed towards the forest edge to be safely away from the poisons that were surely going to be released.
Once there, the heavy form of Ginkotsu slouched down against the first tree they came to.
"Renkotsu, I think you should just cut it off. You can make me another arm, just don't…"
"I'm not letting you die," He replied firmly, wiping the sword off on the grass, "Just stay still, I'm going to try cutting it out."
"Okay, Renkotsu."
Renkotsu sighed, looking to the gash that ran from just below his shoulder down his arm, and then kneeling beside his companion. He stabbed the sword into the edge of the wound, trying to separate the flesh that had already fallen victim to the acid from that which was still okay.
Ginkotsu jerked his arm in pain and Renkotsu steadied it. "Hang on; I'm going to cut it off before it spreads."
Proceeding slowly, he removed the edge of the flesh all the way around the gash, until it looked like none of the acid was left.
"Ginkotsu, let's move from here for now," He said looking to the way the acid he'd cut free burned into the grass. Reaching down, he pulled the larger man's arm around his shoulder and helped him stand. "Once you feel up to it, we've got to get back and check on Mukotsu."
"Thank you, Renkotsu."
He paused, looking up at Ginkotsu, "What?"
"I owe you my life yet again," He explained, and then smiled as best he could with the metal jaw, "I hope some day, I can return the favor."
"Don't worry about it. Let's just go back and finish that bastard off," Renkotsu remarked with a shrug.
"Yesh, Aniki," Ginkotsu replied.
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Back at the base, things had fallen completely silent as Bankotsu stared at the limp body in his arms. Shakily, he laid Jakotsu back down on the futon, his lips mouthing the name as a tear trailed down his face.
"Wake up," He pleaded, beginning to gently shake Jakotsu. "Please, wake up. Suikotsu will be back soon, so just hold on…"
Bankotsu leaned forward over him, shakily cradling the pale face in his hand. "You promised Jakotsu. You can't die."
Becoming more and more desperate, he looked frantically about, trying to see if Suikotsu was coming back. Seeing and hearing no signs of the Shichinin-tai's doctor, he returned his gaze back to Jakotsu.
Leaving his hand pressed against the cold cheek, he reached up with his right hand and pulled the hairpin out of the twist of hair, the sound of it rolling onto the floor the only noise in the room aside from Bankotsu's crying.
"Damnit Jakotsu, open your eyes," He slammed his fist down to the side, causing the hairpin to roll a bit further. "This is an order- damnit, wake up," His frustration was mixing with his distress.
The tear rolled down his face and splashed onto Jakotsu's cheek. Bankotsu promptly brushed it away with his finger. "Jakotsu…"
He looked back up, searching for any sign that Suikotsu had returned when a soft voice caught his ears.
"What are you crying for?"
His eyes widened as he looked down at the one below him who'd just opened his eyes. Without a word the two just looked at each other, almost in disbelief at what they were seeing.
Jakotsu began to open his mouth to say something when Bankotsu leaned down, wrapping his arms around the figure. A very muffled whisper coming from his lips, "Jakotsu, I'm scared too."
Using what little strength he had, Jakotsu reached up and placed his hand on Bankotsu's back, "Shhh, it's okay now. I'll be just fine."
"It's not fine!" Bankotsu protested, startling Jakotsu a bit.
"Bankotsu…"
"You're dying, Jakotsu," The faint whisper escaped his lips.
"I just need some medicine, then I'll be okay."
"And what if you're not okay? What if you don't get better?" Bankotsu anxiously questioned, pausing to take a deep breath. Then softly, he continued, "I don't want to be alone again."
"The rest of the guys will still be here," Jakotsu remarked absently, once again feeling the pain shooting through him.
"It's different," He muttered.
"Different?"
"I mean I care about them a lot and well I'd be really sad if they died, but…" He looked off to the side, his words so quiet they were almost unheard, "… I feel something else for you."
Standing abruptly, Bankotsu walked across the room. Pausing, he forced himself to take a few deep breaths and then returned to Jakotsu's side, picking up the damp cloth and placing it back on Jakotsu's forehead.
Looking to the wound, he tentatively reached out a hand, hovering his palm inches about the crackling white acid. Glancing over to the water basin, he grabbed up the other cloth resting in the water and pressed it into the wound.
Jakotsu winced, as Bankotsu tried to wipe the acid off the flesh.
"What are you doing?" He demanded.
"It was spreading itself across your skin. I've got to get it off so it'll stop," He replied, carefully wiping all the traces of the white substance from the wound. Inwardly terrified by how the acid ate away at the clothes he used. Once he was satisfied that it was clean, he stood, and threw the cloth into the flame of a nearby lantern.
Sitting back down by Jakotsu, he muttered, "There. Now there's no reason for you to die, you got that?" He said, almost as if it was an order.
"Okay, Bankotsu," He said slowly in reply.
The room fell silent, until once again Bankotsu moved. This time, he reached over and pulled Jakotsu's torso back into his lap like it was before. Sitting him slightly upright, he rested his head on Jakotsu's shoulder, holding him with his arm across his upper chest.
"Is it okay, even if I'm still confused? Is okay for me to want to hold you?" His soft voice said; a slight quake in it from his nervous state.
"You can hold me whenever you want, Bankotsu," Jakotsu replied with a slight smile.
Their eyes were both drifting closed, each of them tired from the long day. Bankotsu noticed Jakotsu still flinching every once in awhile from the pain, but once Suikotsu got back, things would be just fine. They had to be, Bankotsu assured himself.
"Then I'll hold you until…" Bankotsu stopped, noticing that Jakotsu had fallen asleep, and merely tightened his embrace.
"I'll hold you forever, if you let me Jakotsu," His mind quietly thought, as he too closed his eyes and drifted off.
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