Chapter fourteen:
Matt swears he sees a glimpse of what he is chasing and he tries to pick up the pace as he continues running but then stops at a four way direction place of the alley.
Allen catches up to Matt panting slightly. "What's gotten into you?"
Matt glances to Allen then looks around trying to figure out where to go. "I….. I thought I saw Near." He says a little softly. "But maybe I was mistaken and the shadow only looked like him because I wanted to have my friends back…." He lowers his head closing his eyes in sadness. "I want to know that they're ok….. That they are alive…. Anything…. I just want to know."
Allen looks sympathetic at Matt then goes over and puts an arm around the red heads shoulders. "It's ok Matt." He says as the other turns to look to him. "I understand that you're worried about your friends. I'm sure we'll find them and that they'll be ok."
Matt glances away again. "But Near's hurt." He says a little softly.
Nether notice a smirking figure secretly watching them then the figure leaves.
Elsewhere…
Mello and Near have been walking for a little bit and are nowhere closer to finding out which way to go to get out.
Mello groans in annoyance as they continue. "Fuck. This almost seems like a lost cause." He grumbles.
"Don't give up Mello." Near says glancing to the blonde for a moment then glances away slightly brining a hand up to the area of one of his worst wounds that are bandaged but winces slightly when he tries to touch it.
Mello glances to Near and notices this. "Near? You ok?" He asks.
Near lowers his hand with a small sigh. "My wounds are just stinging." He says.
Mello stops and Near does too turning to the blonde.
"Mello?"
Mello gently guides Near to sit on a log. "Let me take a look."
Near removes his shirt and puts it on his back pack that is sitting by the log beside Mello's back pack.
Mello notices some blood has soaked through. "We'll need to put new bandages on these. We can't risk an infection and new bandages should help with the pain." He says going into the backpacks grabbing the medical equipment.
"It's ok. I can stand it." Near says knowing how important their medical stuff when they can't restock while in the forest.
Mello snorts slightly. "I'm not taking chances of you getting an infection." He says as he gets ready to remove the bandages. "Just bear with me." He says.
Near nods and clenches his teeth tensing for the pain of removing the bandages.
Mello begins with the worst ones to get it out of the way.
Near hisses quietly in slight pain but doesn't complain as he lets Mello work.
The first one is off and Mello grabs the clean bandages wrapping up the wound.
He continues this for all of them until it's done.
Without much of a choice they burry the garbage.
"Thank you." Near sighs in a way that lets Mello know he's feeling better as he blonde packs the medical stuff.
Mello smiles. "Told you." He says.
"You did." Near gives him a smile back.
"We'll rest here for now." Mello says moving to sit next to Near.
"Ok." Near says and slightly leans against Mello.
Mello blinks not expecting that then he turns to his former rival who is no longer his rival.
Near closes his eyes letting himself relax.
This makes Mello smile a little at seeing the other looks so relaxed now after worrying that something was wrong when his wounds acted up.
Mello turns to the sky and blinks as he suddenly gets an idea. "Hey Near. I think…." He turns back to the other only to see the other is possibly asleep. He gently moves Near trying to not wake him if he is asleep. He then heads for the closest tree and begins climbing. He steps on a branch when he gets to a higher point only for it to break under him almost making him fall but he keeps his grip on the bigger thicker branch. He tries to pull himself up as he uses the trunk to try to gain some footing. He scrambles but manages to pull himself up only to rest for a moment panting a little. He looks down then looks up finding he still has a little to go. He starts to continue climbing.
Near in the meantime blinks open his eyes finding he is laying against the log and sees someone standing by him dressed in black like how Mello would wear back at Whammys. "Time to go Mello?" He says then sits up only when he looks ahead with the person in black standing diagonally behind him. He blinks only to widen his eyes as he sees a beast. He gasps and tries to scramble back. He glances to the direction he thought he saw Mello in…. only it's not Mello.
It's a teen wearing black and he has brown emo hair as his green eyes narrow only for him to release a growl.
Near looks around himself but can't find Mello. He starts to feel panic rise up in him as he has the log behind him, a beast blocking one way and a human under beast control blocking the other way. He grabs the two backpacks and as the beast moves closer he swings one backpack at the beast hitting it in the jaw.
The beast snarls and takes a step back shaking it's head.
"MELLO!" Near calls hoping the blonde is close by as he turns quickly scrambling over the log with the beast snapping at him just barely missing his foot.
Mello gets to the top and sees the town. "I see it!" He says happily.
"MELLO!"
Mello's eyes widen as he hears Near. He looks down and sees Near trying to escape a human in beast control and a beast. "Near!" He scrambles down as the beast and the human start climbing over the log as Near tries to run but finds behind himself is trees too thick to go through.
He ended up going to the place where the trees blocking the way are too thick.
Mello tries to get down faster as the beast and the human under the beast control begin advancing as Near is backed against the tree trunks with the two bags ready to use to hit them if needed.
Near glances to each side trying to calculate the best way to escape.
If he goes one way he risks getting caught by the beast with the other way being the same but with the human under the beast control.
Mello growls as the beast gets closer. "Don't you dare touch him!" He snarls jumping down and landing on the beasts shoulders.
The beast screeches and thrashes trying to get Mello off as Mello holds on for dear life.
"Mello!" Near is happy to see the other but also worried for him.
"Run Near!" Mello commands.
"Not without you!" Near calls back and turns to the human under the beast control that is advancing towards him with a smirk. "Oh no you don't." He swings one bag throwing the human into a rock top of the head first. He turns to the beast and sees Mello being thrown off only to hit a tree. "Mello!" He rushes over to the blonde.
"The cat's gone and took the salad." Mello slurs a little as Near crouches beside him.
"He's out of it." Near realizes out loud.
There's a roar and Near turns to it.
The beast is glaring pretty pissed off.
Near turns back to Mello. "Not much choice." He says as he quickly shifts Mello from being upside down to right side up. He then turns around doing his best to maneuver Mello onto his back. He finds he has to stay hunched over a little in order to carry the other. "No time for anything else." He begins running off into the woods away from the danger.
The beast lets out a horrible screech as Near hurries to retreat.
Near keeps running as he thinks they'll get away…. Until there is crashing sounds making him know that the beast is charging after him. He tries to pick up speed but finds he can't run as fast with Mello on his back though he figured as much. He keeps pushing himself as his wounds start to give him a little trouble. "Come on. I can do this." He tries to encourage himself.
Up ahead is a tree made archway with bright light blocking the sight on the other side.
He heads for it and the brightness takes over his sight for a moment. He finds himself in a nice clearing, like the one from Mello's dream, with four ways to go including the one backwards.
The beast roars indicating it's coming.
He rushes to the other archway straight ahead and goes through another blinding light for a second. He then blinks as he emerges out of the forest finding he's found what looks like a waste land with nothing but rocks and cliffs. He has to skid to a stop before he goes over a cliff accidently knocking a few rocks down to the long drop below. He is panting and is exhausted but as he glances back he can see the form of the beast approaching the archway as if trying to figure out which way he went. He only has a few seconds. He looks around himself trying to figure out where to go…. What to do.
AN:
Yay update!
And cliff-hanger. Sorry guys.
I promise I'll work on the next chapter ASAP.
Anyways thanks awesome reviewers and for everyone there is a little box for reviews. But Flamers will be used to make cake.
Mello.