Signed, Anonymous : The Divine Stand Alone
A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I really just love this story too much to stop, even though not a lot of people read. But hey, whatever. Please, if you read this, REVIEW! I want to know what you think! Thanks.
I
Slash kicked open the only door at the end of the hallway. He fell into a stairwell that only went up, but he was soon lugged up by two big hands, his feet barely touching the ground as he was dragged up the stairs.
Hack huffed and puffed, his big face red when the reached the top. Slash kicked open the door, causing them both to sprint out into the cold air.
"Holy shit!" Winston wheezed, his eyes tearing behind his glasses. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit."
Rick ran his fingers through his hair, pacing on the roof. He didn't get the 'scared' rush anymore. Adrenalin only fueled him during sex and a job. He never got scared anymore. No... this wasn't scared. He was fucking terrified.
"Calm the fuck down!" He grabbed his rival by the ears, dragging down the big boy to his eye level. "Now, we've got to get a grip... because that guy was this close to killing us!"
Winston nodded, Rick letting go his ears so the big teen could sink to his knees, fumbling for an asthma inhaler. With one push, his lungs expanded, his entire body relaxing.
"Okay, I'm calm. I'm calm."
Slash bit his lip, walking over to the edge of the club, looking down three stories to the ground.
"Who was that guy?"
Hack panted, his hands covering his face.
"I thought you would know. I'm not one for close combat weaponry."
"Hey man, just because I've dirtied my hands doesn't mean that I know every killer in the goddamned world!" He needed to get some Monster. He needed to stay awake so that he would be able to run from that red-eyed freak. "Christ... did you see him?"
The Irishman nodded, his face pale.
"Yeah."
Both of the boys recalled how the man, clearly a trained killer, shook in the presence of the Ferry Girl. He was literally about to fall to pieces. Today was the wrong day to wake up.
"The real question is, what do we do now?"
II
"Youko." Yomi removed his headphones, leaning back in his chair. "I've found Kurama. His voice has come up on the grid."
The taller man who still had sight narrowed his eyes, running his fingers through his silvery grey hair.
"As in... the police?" Youko leaned down next to his friend. "Bring up the file."
III
Botan's voice was dying, her neck bruising under Hiei's hand, his fist wavering in front of her face. This can't be happening! He shouldn't be able to think of harming me! She squeezed her eyes shut, thin tears leaking out as her face began to turn red due to lack of oxygen.
"Hiei... please..." She hiccuped, her chest heaving. Her eyes fluttered open, black spots growing fast behind her irises. "God..."
She was suddenly flung aside, her body rolling on the floor. Her back hunched over, coughing as her hands flew to her throat. Her lungs burned as sweet, sweet air replenishing them. She turned to her side, her hands still covering her neck, so she could see Hiei Jaganshi.
Botan felt her eyes narrow as she saw him punching the ground, screaming as blood began to stain the floor and his knuckles. Over and over he punched the floor, his voice cracking when it became too hoarse.
"Stop it!" She swallowed some saliva. "STOP!"
She sighed as her bizarre magic worked, his fist stopping in midair.
IV
Mukuro panted, sliding out of the van.
"Your first objective is to obtain the President of the United States." Two dozen men in full SWAT gear stood in front of her. "Once that objective is clear, return to me." The Head of NSA frowned. "If you come under fire, I give you permission to shoot to kill, if necessary."
The team moved as one, moving out like the dark could they were.
V
Rick pulled out a cigarette, whipping out a lighter. He shook as he inhaled slowly.
"Christ... how long should we wait?"
Winston shrugged, adjusting his glasses.
"Eh." He stared at the smoke that left Rick's lips. "Those things will kill you, you know?"
Slash nodded.
"Yeah, I know." He flicked it away, watching it burn on the ground. "I've tried quitting."
Winston closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall. It was strange, and sure, he didn't like Slash, but sometimes, life called for these peaceful moments. Even Rick let his head drop backwards, his legs stretching out in front of him.
Let the waiting begin.
VI
Hiei's brain was shutting down. He could feel it. He couldn't see, his vision blurred and dimming fast. He heard her voice, the Ferry Girl's whimpers. Pleading with him. His code came in mind.
No women, no children.
That combined with his body's rebellious protest made him fling the girl to the side, slamming his fist right where her face would have been. Dammit, dammit, dammit! His fist collided into the tile, blood and bone weighing down his hand. He squeezed his eyes shut, sick to his stomach, bile rising up from her stomach.
I was... I was going to kill her. Jesus... I was going to kill her.
Spit dripped down from his lips. He couldn't try to redeem himself. He would have killed a woman. The beats of his heart matched his fist as it dug a hole into the floor.
"Stop! STOP!" Her voice chilled him to the bone, and his entire body turned to stone. His eyes opened, flickering to see her broken body curled up on the floor. A poisonous pain racked his soul when he saw her. She crawled over to him, her right hand still rubbing her bruised neck, the skin already darkening in color. "There's no need... for self-mutilation."
The way that she slowly crawled towards him, treating herself gingerly, now giving him a much more wary stare.
"G-Get away..."
She was foolish. Either that or just incredibly stupid or perhaps suffering from a mental illness. Hiei hissed when she touched him, wrapping her arms around him.
"Sh..." Her lips whispered against his temple, giving him a mixture of love and self-resentment flow through him. "I'm not responsible for the disappearance of Kurama." Her warm embrace and her soothing voice... it was enough to make any man crumble to her words, even if they were not true. But, deep down inside, Hiei's subconscious told him that she couldn't lie. "I'll help you look for him, but you have to give me a chance."
Hiei tried to nod, but his body was currently under the Ferry Girl's demand to remain still.
"O-Okay..."
"Good."
VII
Botan smiled, a bit sympathetic for the Mercenary that was in her arms. She knew the pain of love, especially that of friendship. Her eyes glazed over as she recalled that agony... when she laid her trust completely into the hands of Youko and Yomi.
VIII
"What are you doin' on the damn computer all the time?" Botan peered over the laptop screen. "Huh? Are you gonna answer me?"
Her Father never understood technology. Not even the cell phone. His mentality was that if it could be done by hand, then it truly mattered.
"Nothing."
"Don't use that tone with me!"
"I wasn't using one, Dad!"
She was in college, actually, she had just finished her four years at M.I.T. She was the top in her class, followed by Youko and Yomi, who tied for second. And she was only fifteen. She graduated with high honors and just about anything a girl could ask for.
But it didn't impress her father, because all of her accomplishments had to do with technology and computers.
She watched her Father storm out of the room, so she let her eyes return to the computer. Her fingers danced across the keyboard, and she hit enter.
Botan's pink eyes watched as the numbers in her Father's bank account doubled.
"Happy Father's Day..."
She shut the laptop, pulling on a sweatshirt as she slung a bag over her shoulder. Botan tied her hair up in a pony tail as she opened the door to her house, walking out into the cool summer night air. It was just ordinary, girl going out for a walk. But, her Father didn't know that Botan was never going to come back.
Botan jogged through her woods to the road. Youko and Yomi were in a car, waiting for her.
"Everything's done?"
The little girl nodded, opening up the back door and throwing her stuff inside.
"Yup." Botan got in, closed the door, and fastened her seatbelt. "Let's do this."
IX
Mukuro watched with dark eyes as the squad scaled the fence to the White House. They moved like a swarm, one never falling out of the beat. They just made it past the first hedges when the first gunshots began popping.
Her single eyes widened as she watched her SWAT team get gunned down in a matter of seconds, falling to the soft ground.
X
"Good."
Hiei grunted, wanting to move, but she still wasn't allowing him to. The Ferry Girl stood up, walking over to a closet and opening it. Inside was what looked like a wet suit, but knew that it had to be something else.
The Mercenary averted his eyes when she began to take off her clothes, opening the suit and slipping into it without any barrier at all. She deposited her clothes in the closet and closed it. The suit covered every part of her body, fingers, toes, and high on her neck. Her arms moved strangely as she slowly pulled back her hair into a ponytail.
"Stay here when I leave for thirty seconds. After thirty seconds, you can move." Hiei hissed, wanting to know more. "There's a cell phone on the table. Take it, and I'll call you when I find Kurama. You'll be the first person to see him, I promise."
He could only watch as she paused, her eyes scanning over the room, making sure that everything was in place.
"Goodbye, Hiei Jaganshi." She walked over, kissing his forehead. "Until we meet again."
Hiei shook, his heart stopping when he felt her warm lips touch his skin. His heart constricted, chemicals that had never once been released in his body were now flooding his senses. He was short of breath, dizzy spells making him nauseous and at the same time letting a sweet sensation run down his spine. If I didn't know any better... I'd say that it... no... it couldn't be...
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize that the Ferry Girl had already left.
XI
"Do you have the documents?"
Botan nodded, biting her lip.
"Passport, birth certificate, and all records of social security number." Botan handed him the backpack. "It's all here."
Youko took the bag.
"Good." They were by the Hudson River, the air cold and sharp. "Now... you wait here until we come to get you." Yomi was holding open a door that opened from the ground, leading into a dark place. "We'll be back after we settle the replacements and jobs."
"O-okay." Yomi kissed her cheek, Youko following his example just a few moments after. "I'll be right here."
"We won't keep you waiting long, Botan."
She was crying, not a lot, but enough.
"I love you. Both of you."
The two young men pulled her in for a tight hug.
"Just wait. We'll be right back."
She stepped down onto the dark, the door closing shut behind her. Her heart-rate increased as she was swallowed by the inky blackness, her sneakers stepping in damp puddles.
She sat down, facing the door, her pupils completely dilated as she brought her knees up to her chest, thinking, 'this isn't that bad'.
Then she began to hear the rats.
XII
"Dammit, I'm sick of this, let's get outta here—"
"Hold on!" The two boys turned to see the Ferry Girl panting, in a new outfit that clung tightly to her body. "Here are the blueprints to the White House." She jogged over to them, her arms close to the her sides as she handed them the rolled up map. "Get Koenma. Keep your phones, I'll call you, but get the President!"
Winston took the map, tucking it into the inside of his jacket pocket. He had time to help Rick to his feet when the rooftop doors slammed open. The man from before stumbled out, his body jerking wildly, as if he couldn't control it. He had a sword out, it wavering slightly as he walked towards them.
"I-I-I'm not g-g-g-going to w-wait." Rick moved closer to Hack as the killer moved forward, his red eyes trained on the blue haired woman. "T-Take me with you!"
Slash and Hack moved back, towards the fire escape. Her pink eyes were calm, her smile gone, an air of wisdom poured off of her. Her legs moved, taking her closer to the edge of the building.
"Hiei... calm down." Her hair blew in the wind as she stood on the edge, her center of balance not wavering once. "Just wait for me, I swear to you, I'm going to get him back."
The killer, now known to the two boys as Hiei, shook his head with great effort.
"N-no, this is n-n-not up for n-negotiation!"
The Ferry Girl smiled, but it wasn't really a smile. No, a smile projects happiness and joy. Her lips were full of sadness, disappointment, and grief. Her pink eyes cast themselves downward as they swept out over the streets below them.
Winston suddenly realized what she was going to do.
"NO! Don't—!"
XIII
Hiei's heart dropped down to his stomach when he saw her jump. His hand reached out, as if he was going to stop her with his own sheer will.
But she didn't stop.
He watched as she turned, her hair rippling in the air, like she was in water. Her arms spread out, like she was flying. It was so bold and beautiful, and it was all in slow-motion. The two boys moved for her, their hands outstretched but falling short as she flew away.
Hiei shank to his knees, her entire body in perfect motion with the air.
Then time returned, her body falling.
XIV
Darkness. It was everywhere. At first, Botan heard nothing, but after an hour, she heard everything. The rats, the dripping from the ceiling, and it wasn't long before her own breathing began to sound like breathy whispers of ghosts.
Her stomach growled after the first day. On the second day, she began to cry and didn't stop. What if they were caught? What if Youko and Yomi were never coming back? Tears rolled down her cheeks in never-ending streams, her nose running and her lips chapped. Halfway through the third day, she gave up hope. She began to laugh as tears leaked out of her eyes, giggling at her Death the loomed in the distance.
On the fourth day, her eyes were glazed as dehydration took the feeling away from her limbs. Her chest rose and fell just because she had been breathing since the day she was born, not because she wanted to.
That was when God spoke to her. A light opened up before her, His great presence overwhelming her. She raised up her arms, her mouth opening.
"Please..." Her voice was so dry and low... she was reminded of E.T. when he was dying. "Save me... please..."
His big arms reached for her, His hair brushing her face.
"Don't worry, baby, we got you." The light was blinding her as God lifted her up, cradling her in His arms. "You're okay, you're okay."
"Don't leave me!"
He pulled her to the light, His steps long and graceful. She was surrounded by white, her eyes rolling back in her head, her mouth open and her tongue was dry. She remembered how her legs dangled like two limp rags. The only thing she could feel was His breath.
"How is she, is she alright?"
"No. We need those ice chips right away."
"Jesus, Youko. I can barely hear her breathing."
That was the day that Botan almost died. Her eyes began to work again, and the first thing she saw was Yomi's face, his eyes closed but his brows knit with concern. He opened her mouth, his hand slipping down her face so he could slip in something deliciously cold into her mouth. She sucked at it greedily, wanting more.
"More."
He smiled, the light coming into the windshield giving him a halo.
"I can't give you too much. You're stomach would reject it." Botan closed her eyes. "No, no. Stay awake." He pinched her face, wanting to know how Yomi was able to see her, then she remembered, he was blind. He saw with his ears. "Come on, girly, you can make it."
XV
Botan let her eyes drift closed as her memories faded away. The first time Youko and Yomi showed her how to fly, she knew that it was a love that she would never give up. Her eyes opened as the wind began to fill the clear pockets at her sides.
And she lifted into the air, like an angel.
Even though she couldn't see the three men behind her, she could imagine their faces. Hack would pale even further, falling to the ground. Maybe he'd faint. Rick would tremble, blinking as he shook his head in disbelief and amazement.
And Hiei... what would he do?
Botan sailed through the air, a smile working up onto her face. It would go something like this: Hiei would lose his ability to breathe. His heart would skip a beat or two as the wonderful feeling of bliss would settle over his body. The feeling that he was floating in a never-ending ocean.
Hiei Jaganshi, Mercenary, would wonder who she was. He would want to know who she was. He wanted to know everything that his body told him he knew, but his heart didn't. He wanted to see her again.
It was that thought that made Botan throw her head back and let out an airy laugh, its melody floating up in the air like bells as she flew on.
XVI
A/N: So... yeah. PLEASE review. I hope you like it, and I also hope that no one was OOC. Rick and Winston, are they okay? I want all criticism for anything! Seriously, if something seems out of place or just a bit sour, don't hold back! Love you! Review!
-mia