Home; Almost Alone
Dan stares at the empty training room. The Brawlers enter cautiously, staring at the training gear Shun wouldn't allow them to touch. A low chuckle draws their attention the shadowed figure sitting on an apparatus. Immediately, Claus comes forward with a curious look in his eye.
"Who are you?" Claus inquires, vaguely interested.
"Why?" the figure asks, displeased. "Can't you remember me? Are you that weak-minded?"
Realisation dawns on Claus and he smirks. "Ah, so it's you Roxanne."
"You sound surprised, Claus," Roxanne comments, hopping down onto the floor. "Why is that? I do so hope you weren't expecting someone."
Slowly, and with a feline predatory stalk, Roxanne advances on them. Out of all the Brawlers, Claus realises what she's going to do first. He pushes the others back, and away from her. Before they can get far enough away, Derrigan suddenly appears in front of them. He lurches forward, and into a crouch with his teeth bared and growls. Roxanne backs off slightly, and so does Derrigan.
"Alright then kids," he smirks. "This isn't a drill. Get out, before she rips you apart."
Immediately, they make a mad dash for the door. However, just as the door closes and they think they're in the clear, a baseball bat comes flying through the wall. Loud, undistinguished yelling permeates the halls. Immediately, they start running further away. Trying to get as far from her as possible.
"Wow," Julie gasps. "She's fierce, and not in a good way."
"I didn't expect to see that this morning," Marucho gasps.
"I can't believe they're up at it already!" Dan exclaims. "It's not even nine in the morning!"
"Yea, good point," Runo frowns. "So, why are we up at this time?"
Chan's eyes widen slightly when something catches her attention. Slowly backing away, she starts to notice it more and more. The places it starts appearing in are increasing and increasing too. She bumps into Claus, who, when looking over to see what the problem was, notices it too. Then, a blur darts past everyone unnoticed and suddenly clamps his hands down on Dan and Runo's shoulders. One reptilian eye stares out at them from under messy, haphazard bangs and he hisses menacingly.
Only to be whacked over the head with a stiletto heel. Roxanne glances over her shoulder to Derrigan who laughs and shrugs nervously in response. He then proceeds to haul the passed out half-reptile, half-human away from them. Roxanne scoffs irritably.
"What're you doing?" she asks, bored.
"We came here after leaving the training room," Alice replies.
"No," Roxanne murmurs. "That's not what I mean… Why are you still here?"
"Where else would be go? No one else's come back from wherever they disappeared," Dan shrugs. "Is this your way of kicking us out? If it is, then it's not-"
Without waiting further, Roxanne turns on her heel and disappears down the corridors. The Brawlers exchange worried, confused looks. Nothing was particularly making sense to them today. It's all just one confusing scenario after another, without a single break. Dan especially, wonders why they can't be cut a break, because they're not at Shun's level, or know how to deal with anything being thrown at them.
Roxanne stares at the small doodles on the outside of Elise's door. She can remember both her brother, and the little princess, sitting with their paint sets beside them. She'd thought, back then, that there might be a happy ending, but that was then. It was present day, and to Roxanne, her brother is an idiot. Tentatively, she places her palm against the door and sighs tiredly. Her hands form loose fists.
"Why?" Roxanne breathes. "Why are you so stupid, little brother? Do I still have to watch your back for you?"
She grits her teeth irritably, and pulls away. Though, instead of storming off, she strokes the wood one more time. Then she walks away, despite the door slowly swinging open.
In the distance, Roxanne can make out Derrigan yelling at the half-reptillian creature again. Albeit, it's completely human in appearance now. He looks rugged and like he's had sleepless nights on the streets, but he probably had. He notices Roxanne, and a pleading look comes into them, before he regains some sense and ignores her. She giggles lightly and turns at another corridor. Dark clouds in the sky above make her stop in her tracks to carefully look over them. Barely any light escapes the pitch black clouds.
With an exasperated sigh, Roxanne leaps up and onto the roof. Her eyes scour through the darkness, and somehow find the Brawlers. She races across the roof with a fierce, feral aura exuding from her. Which, somehow, Alice seems to pick up on. Alice turns to look up onto the seemingly barren rooftop, confused. All the same, she slides the door closed, but stays outside. She peers up as rain starts to pour down so heavily that you might think you were under water.
"Where is he?" Roxanne asks suddenly.
Alice flinches. "Who are you talking about?"
"Tell me where he is now, or I swear you won't be around to see the rain stop. Although, I'm supposing that's the point. For the rain to never stop," Roxanne snarls, stalking towards her. "So tell me now, where is Shun? Where is my little brother?"
Author's Note: You're just going to have to wait. Ooh, I love writing cliff hangers! I hate reading them, but love writing them. So, sorry my dear readers, you just need to wait until the next slot you're assigned comes up.
Thank you for reading, I love you for it!