GW: Here it is (along with the other chapter of 'Nolita Starmancer: Dawn'). The conclusion to Mission III with an epic battle between good and evil. Enjoy!
Mission III, Part Two
When a Psycho Strikes, Make Sure to Guard Your Weaknesses
Meanwhile, with Orihime, her eyes had fluttered openly as she moaned a bit softly. What happened? All she could remember was trying to help Uryu heal when the Homunculus knocked her out.
"I'm glad you're awake," a female voice said in relief. "I was afraid you might've been dead." Orihime finally looked to see where she was and who was with her.
She seemed to be tied to a chair in an underground torture chamber. Various weapons and tools lined the walls as dried blood littered the ground. The air was heavy with death.
Opposite Orihime was a girl in the same position as her. She was short with large sky blue eyes, long and wavy chestnut brown hair that was in a ponytail, freckles, and was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt under a hot pink top, dark blue jeans, white and pink sneakers, and silver earrings. Also it seemed her right arm was missing. The girl was also a bit bruised on the face as if she had been in a fight.
"Wherever I am now, it might be better if I was dead," Orihime joked in a flat tone. "Where is this place?"
The girl replied, "Well, we are currently in the lair of Sadism, a dangerous Homunculus. He's been killing girls around town by bringing them here, then dumping them somewhere else. It's apparent we're his new toys. I'm Sadie, by the way."
"Orihime," the orange-haired girl chirped, considering the circumstances. "How long have I been here?"
"Almost an hour," a snide voice replied before Sadie could. The girls turned to see Sadism entering the chamber, holding an automail arm. This must've been Sadie's missing arm. "I thought you wouldn't wake up. So, do you like the place? Those stupid comrades of mine said I couldn't use my room as a torture chamber anymore, so I discovered this place, the old Sonozaki underground torture chamber. I'm not complaining in the least."
"You…you're a fruit loop," Sadie hissed. Sadism sighed in exasperation, "That's what that stubborn little brother of yours said as well. Little alchemist, you talk big for someone without her weapon." He swung the piece of metal in the air, making Sadie growl. "I heard that. The little kitty's got claws."
"WHAT!!? I'm 15 years old; don't treat me like a child!!" Sadie shouted, making Orihime sweat-drop. 'She's a bit like Edward,' the teen noted.
"Now, now; your face becomes ugly when you scream like that," Sadism scolded playfully as he dropped the arm at Sadie's feet before going to his wall of weapons. Orihime suddenly noticed a nail sticking out haphazardly on her chair. She managed to wrench it out of its confinement as she began to saw through the rope with the nail's sharp edge.
"Hmm, this looks fun to use." Sadism lifted a rusty yet still sharp machete. "Maybe I could use the pliers, too…"
Inoue, fed up with Sadism and frustrated that her escape process was going slowly, shouted, "Hey, don't get cocky! You'll get caught eventually and, Homunculus or not, you'll get yours!"
Sadism whirled around to face Inoue, his pupils dilated and holding his jagged blade, and said in threatening voice, "Really? You actually think someone will save you in time?"
He began walking towards Orihime as she gulped, "Stay back!" while hastening her sawing of the rope. When the villain stood directly in front of her, he asked her in a dangerous, quiet voice, "Do you really want to know why I kill?"
"Not particularly." Orihime's eyes shot open as Sadism stabbed her arm, almost making the girl drop the nail in the process. "Orihime!" Sadie screamed in panic.
Orihime closed her eyes, working faster to undo the rope, which made the ropes less tighter. Sadism leaned in close and whispered with a cruel smirk, "It's because it's who I am. The feeling of taking a life makes me feel stronger, like I have meaning in my life. And making each kill sadistic than the last just makes my day! Heck, you know what? I bet anyone could kill if driven."
"No…" Orihime said meekly. Almost there with the rope… "Leave her alone!" Sadie shouted back.
"Oh, it's true, little girl. Me, I kill because it's who I am; but anyone, even the nicest person on the earth could kill if they really wanted to. It's like riding a bike, only with more fulfillment."
"You're wrong…not all people are like you," Orihime said in determination. Suddenly, the rope broke as Orihime stood up and gave Sadism a good sock to the face, making him drop his blade in the process. "I'll never believe you!!"
Inoue grabbed the blade and ran to Sadie, freeing the girl from her restraints as well. Sadie grabbed her automail arm as Orihime, still holding the blade, and she ran off into the catacombs of the chamber.
Sadism, getting up as he grabbed a machete, shouted in joy, "Man, did I grab some fiery ones today!"
The girls were beginning to pant as they maneuvered through the chamber. Deeper and deeper, the girls were beginning to get nervous.
"Why didn't we go out the front door when we had a chance!?" Sadie yelled. Orihime darted into a left corridor, with Sadie following. "Trust me, Sadie; we would've been caught. At least if we stall a bit, my teammates will come and get us soon."
Suddenly, the girls barely missed a blast of fire that came right in front of them. When the blast faded, Sadism slashed his machete at them, forcing the girls to run back.
"I'll get you! You can't hide on my home turf!" Sadism cackled wickedly as the girls ran the opposite way.
"Now you take my advice to run out the front door!" Sadie retorted as she grabbed her arm and thrust it into her joint. As the nerves connected, she stopped and shouted in pain, falling to her knees.
"Sadie, come on!" Orihime urged her new ally as she tried to help the in-pain girl to get up. Finally managing to get Sadie up, the girls turned to continue their escape when someone back-flipped in front of them. Sadism tried to cut both girls with a machete and a butcher knife in his other hand as Orihime used the jagged blade to block while Sadie used her weak but still useful automail arm.
Sadism then bicycle-kicked the girls in the stomach as they fell to the ground in pain. Orihime could see the exit only a few feet away as Sadism hovered over the duo.
"Hmm, you two have proved to be an interesting catch," Sadism sneered as he dropped both machete and butcher knife as he wrenched the jagged saber from Orihime's hand. "But now, I'm finished with you. I'll tell your loved ones where your bodies are."
The saber was about to be brought down...when Sadism was pierced by an arrow. The shock made him fall as Orihime and Sadie looked in relief at Hero, Rukia, Uryu, Allen, Setsuna, Kaede, and Marcus running towards them.
"You guys!" Orihime said happily as Sadie sighed in relief, "Marcus, you came."
"Of course, silly," Marcus smiled at his sister as Sadism got up, glaring at the arrivals. Hero ordered Setsuna and Kaede in a serious tone, "Girls, get Inoue and Sadie out of here now."
"Yes, Hero," both girls nodded as Setsuna scooped Inoue up while Kaede grabbed Sadie. Setsuna suddenly sprouted white wings and both girls darted out with their rescued as fast as possible. Sadism was about to give them chase, but Hero blocked the way. "Not so fast," Hero said, a deadly glint in her eyes unlike anyone's ever seen before. "I'll make you pay for the suffering you have wrought on us."
"Hmmph, so you've come to fight?" Sadism smirked as the heroes got ready. "I hope you're ready."
"Don't worry; I'll make sure to beat you to a bloody pulp this time." Marcus glared at the Homunculus.
"Let's start!" Sadism snarled as the heroes shouted, "Let's finish!"
Sadism and Allen went head to head as Allen countered Sadism with his Anti-Akuma arm, jumping back to avoid the saber as Sadism prepared to fire blast the exorcist.
Suddenly, his arm froze up into an icicle. Sadism snarled as Rukia glared at him while swinging her zanpaku-to at him. Sadism broke the ice as he faked a punch at Rukia before surprising her with a harsh slap to the face. Rukia fell to the ground as Sadism hissed at her, "You…I haven't forgotten about."
Soon, Allen was trying to claw Sadism with his Anti-Akuma arm while Uryu continued piercing his arrows at him. Unfortunately, these attacks have no affect on Sadism as he grabs Allen's arm and flung the white-haired teen into Uryu, knocking both boys down.
"Finally, you idiots just don't know when to-Argh!" Sadism felt his back open into a bloody wound as Hero sidestepped him and went in front of her friends.
"You deserved that for killing innocent lives," Hero said quietly. She then used the hilt of her Keyblade to bash Sadism's face in. "And that was for hurting my little brother."
Sadism merely chuckled the pain off as he said darkly, "Pretty noble for some girl. Why don't you run along before you get burned?"
Hero snapped, "Sorry, but I can't chat for long." She held her Keyblade horizontal as she called out, "Fuhen no kokoro, mayonaka no shoku," before the surrounding went pitch black.
"What the-!?" Sadism shouted as he tried to find any light source at all. Suddenly, the lights turned back on as all of the heroes but Marcus were gone. "That was a pretty dirty trick. Oh, looks like my plans went to hell. Guess I better make an exit."
Marcus clapped his hands as he transmuted a whirlwind, pushing Sadism back. "Not so fast, Sadism. We still have a battle to finish."
Sadism sneered before his fists lit on fire and he tried to knock Marcus down. Marcus was actually keeping good pace as he sweep-kicked Sadism down, who roll-barreled out of Marcus' oncoming punch.
"You will never quit, will you Wind-Spirit?" Sadism shouted as the two competed in a punching/kicking match. "Ever since you met me, you've wanted to see me die!"
"Because, when I became an alchemist along with my sister, we swore to destroy scum like you!" Marcus retorted back, connecting a fist to Sadism's face. The Homunculus barely flinched as he said with a smirk, "Heh. So is this what it's come to, eh, Hawthorne? Will we be like Freakshow and The Dark Eagle, Harry and Voldemort, InuYasha and Naraku, forever locked in battle until one of us falls?!"
Marcus paused before shrugging as he said rather mildly, "Yeah, or you can just give up and crawl back to hell where you belong."
"Not a chance!" Sadism roared as he kicked the alchemist extremely hard in the stomach before kicking the boy's head and knocking him down.
"It seems I should make an exit," Sadism said as he panted a bit after hearing sirens out front. "Hope you and the CPIS run into me soon, Wind-Spirit." With that, Sadism took off deep in the chambers' catacombs at an alarming speed.
"Marcus!" The boy turned to see Sadie run for him. The members of the CPIS, along with the police, Mustang, and Hawkeye, entered the chamber and started to scout for Sadism, but it was no use: he was long gone.
"Are you alright?" Sadie asked her younger brother in concern as Hal is heard saying in frustration, "Crap! Why do all the badass and dangerous villains get away!?"
Marcus smiled at her reassuringly. "Yeah, I think I'll live."
Outside was chaos. Cops and officials kept civilians and media away, trying to keep this mess under wraps. Sadie and Marcus were seen talking with the CPIS and Mustang.
"Sorry he got away, Mustang," Edward sighed at the colonel. "We should've tried harder to stop him."
"It's my fault, Fullmetal," Mustang said solemnly. "I mislead you to a false conclusion and this mess happened. But if you're willing to take the blame, I'll right it up on your record."
"Lazy bastard," Ed grumbled as people chuckled. Roy and Riza saluted the group, who returned the signal, as the military drove off.
"Well, Hawthorne's; I must say you two were incredibly brave today," Hal commented to the siblings.
Just then, Marcus shook his head and said in a kind tone, "Thanks but no thanks, Hal. Sadie and I work for Mustang and ourselves. We're not exactly ready to join your organization yet."
Sadie then added with a smile, "But anytime we need you or vice versa, we'll help no matter what. Consider us allies to your work."
Hal nodded. "Understood. Take care now, and watch out for any psychos." The two siblings smirked as they walked off.
"Well, gang; we got some money from the Colonel," Konata said with a lazy smile. "What do you want to do now?"
"Karaoke and sushi!" Negi's students cheered as Anju added, "I could go for something good to eat right about now." As the CPIS headed for the van, Uryu noticed Inoue sitting by herself and looking down. He looked concerned, worried this horrible day might traumatize her for life.
"Inoue," Uryu said softly as he approached her. "We're heading off now."
"I know. I just need to take a breather for a sec," Orihime smiled weakly as Uryu kneeled beside her. "Uryu, don't worry about me."
"Inoue…" Orihime looked at him and smiled softly, "You're a good person and I know you did your best to help me, along with everyone else. I'm glad I'm surrounded by good people like you. Therefore, I'll do everything I can to help you guys and try to become more self-reliant to myself so others won't have to worry about me."
"Orihime…" Uryu said, only this time he had a soft smile on his face. The two smiled at each other in a perfect romantic moment…when the moment was ruined by the van's horn.
Stitch was honking the horn as he laughed madly while Lilo called out to them, "Come on! Stop flirting and get in already!"
This made the two teens blush a bit before the Quincy stood up and helped Inoue up as well before both teens walked to the van.
GW: Whoo! That was a flippin' sweet chapter! Now, Hero's battle move translation was 'Everlasting Heart, Midnight Eclipse.' Everlasting Heart is the name of her Keyblade and is one of three battle moves I'll make for her. Next episode will focus on Bunnie and Iris a bit with an appearance of a dangerous assassin and her chimera flunkies. Read, review, and suggest 'til next time!