Hey, it's been awhile. First, I'm sorry this is so late. I got caught up in school work and the cursed writer's block struck me for a while. I'll try to get the next chapter up faster. Anyway, on with the story. So, Elliot and Ash get the answers they seek, and a showdown ensures. Also, I couldn't resist letting Leo have a bit of screen time in here too, so...yeah.
Thank you, yet again to Person and Alliyse. Also thanks Rainstorm-Mosspath for another new reveiw. Thanks so much to all three of you!
I do not own Pandora Hearts in any way.
~Sucker Punch~
Chapter 9: Army Of Me
Ash was the first to wake up. Things around her were slowly coming into focus, and the back of her head still hurt from being hit with something.
'Oh yeah, Algood.' She remembered. Trying to move her hands, she found that they were bound behind her back, tied together with rope. Once quick glance at her surroundings and she noticed Elliot was next to her, unconscious like Ash had previously been.
The room around her wasn't large, it looked to fit about four people. If that was true, then Elliot and her were taking up have the space of the small room. She then assumed that they were in something like a closet, and Ash silently cursed that man, Algood.
Those words she had heard before she had been knocked out, and when Elliot had snapped and put his sword to Algood, Ash had known that their suspicions had been confirmed. She hated that Elliot's precious servant had been poisoned, an innocent boy now set to die. She hated the moment the stage collapsed, injuring Elliot in the process, and she knew it was sabotage. She hated Algood and his twisted ways, that man and his foolish desires.
She wasn't about to let this go, not till judgment would be passed upon Algood.
"You are the first to wake up then?" This voice entered the room the second the door swung open, and Ash glared up at the man who had entered; Algood.
"You damn psycho." She hissed at him.
"Ash Phero, I've heard quite an interesting rumor about you."
"What do you possibly know about me?"
"I think you know very well; the fact that you aren't what you seem."
Her eyes widened in shock. "How do you know about that?"
"I've heard tales is all, but I didn't think it was true till you appeared." He leaned against the doorway of the closet-like room. "And I'm surprised to now know you brought along a Nightray."
"That's none of your business." Ash was practically struggling to break free of the rope now. "You poisoned an innocent boy, and that boy just happens to be important to Elliot-kun, so tell me where the antidote is."
"I don't think so, Ash, holder of 'that power'." He snickered, irritating Ash even more.
"Why you-"
"You can't hide it forever; I'll expose you for who you really are."
She could only stare at him with a confused and shocked expression as he walked out and closed the door again. No one really knew about her secret, after all, they were only rumors, but this time, someone really knew about it. She didn't want anyone to know, and if Elliot found out…she'd be left alone again.
'Why?' She quietly wondered. 'Why?'
The sound of muttering caught his ears when he regained consciousness again. When his vision adjusted, Elliot saw that Ash was making these sounds, trying to pull her hands free of the rope that bound her hands (probably his too) together, all the while a cold glare in her eyes.
"Ash." He called quietly over to her.
She ceased her muttering and turned her head to him. "You're awake."
"Yeah, and let me guess, we're tied up, aren't we?"
"Looks like it."
Taking in his surroundings now, he found that he and Ash were in large room, the very same one where the stage had collapsed the previous afternoon, and the rubble was still there to prove it. Elliot then noticed that his sword was missing, the symbol of his place in the Nightray household. Ash looked at him silently as he muttered something under his breath, but he looked around the large room and then back to her.
"Why are we back here anyway?" By that, he meant the room.
"Actually, we were in some other room like a closet, until someone, probably Algood, dragged us out into here. I couldn't tell because I was half asleep at the time."
"Okay, forget that, we have to get free and find that antidote."
"That is what you seek then. It only seems most likely." At this voice, the two looked from each other and up to the man who had spoken; Algood.
"So you've reappeared." Ash spoke out before Elliot could say anything, but still holding an edge. "Mind telling us where it is now? We're pressed on time."
"Again, no, but you are right on one account; Time is swiftly running out."
"Stop with the damn head games!" Elliot finally snapped. "If you don't hand that antidote over, the second you untie me and Ash, I'll make you regret what you did to Leo."
Algood just stood there and laughed at the two teens who were currently tied up. "You must be in a rush then, considering your time has been reduced to a mere eight days."
Elliot's eyes widened in shock. "What?" He then turned his attention to Ash. "I thought you said we had a little less than two weeks?"
"I did, honest!" She exclaimed. "I must of miscalculated it."
'Dammit. Then that means…' The answer clicked in his head, and the realization sunk in. Ash had miscalculated by nearly twice what she had predicted. To put things simply, this day really was the only chance they were getting, and yet, why were things so close, but so far away?
"Tell me," He growled, looking at Algood now while tugging at the ropes that bound his hands. "How did you even manage to get it to my home."
"Alright then," He replied pulling up a chair from a nearby table. "Since there is nothing left to hide, I'll tell you."
Algood glanced at Ash, who seemed to tense up at that, then back to Elliot. In the Nightray's mind, of he could keep Algood distracted by this conversation long enough, he could get free of these ropes so he could retrieve his sword (where ever it might be), find the antidote, and end all of this.
"So, you gonna tell me or not?"
"Ah, yes." Algood began. "You see, back then I had just discovered the poison Valily. My colleague and I discussed the possible effects, and we knew we had to have some sort of cover. That's when we realized it, from a past experience."
"The first Headhunter case." Ash interrupted.
"Right you are. I was near the scene of that particular incident, and so, curious, we decided to get closer, at the same time still looking for a potential subject for Valily." He paused and cleared his throat before continuing. "My colleague was an acquaintance of one of the Nightrays, and he took me along as a chef. It was there I spotted the servant, Leo as you call him. Everyone passed this boy by as he sat alone, reading. That's when it hit me, and I talked it over with my college and we agreed. No one seemed to care about him anyway, so why would he be missed?"
"You obviously forgot about me." Elliot growled, still tugging at the rope.
"Like I was saying, we then proceeded with our plan. I prepared the meal, and I made sure that the one going to your servant had the poison in it. Valily looks like a seasoning, so it would be unrecognizable.
'Meaning no one would take notice.' The ropes around Elliot's hands felt looser now.
"Looks like it worked, considering that servant is slowly dying." Algood finished with a grin. "There had been another case of poisoning not too long ago, so people will think it was the Headhunter."
"You're sick, Algood." Ash sneered, a dark glare in her eyes.
He just laughed at them. "Then why don't we try negotiation?"
"Negotiation?" Elliot looked at Algood as if it was some kind of joke.
"Yes, seeming as you must be almost free of your bond by now." Elliot froze and his lips contorted into a frown, that sentence about him being true.
"What do you want?"
"Simple," He stood from the chair and pushed it out of the way. "I want you to fight against me, Elliot Nightray."
"Huh?" Elliot and Ash said in unison.
"Oh, come now. I'm sure it's worth it for the prize if you win; the antidote."
Ash looked at Elliot with surprise, wondering what he would do. Knowing him, he would accept this, the antidote beings the prize in question. However, there was something about that offer that had seemed suspicious to Ash; she didn't trust in Algood's words. Still…
"Do it, Elliot-kun." She said to him in a hushed whisper.
He nodded. "Okay, but untie the rest of these ropes first, and untie Ash too. Also, give me back my sword, I know you took it."
"Reasonable enough." Compiling to the request, Algood untied the two teens and led them into another large room, similar to the first, another stage there too. On the way here, Ash had noticed a open door that led into a room and inside there were shelves filled with bottles, making her every interested and now formulating an idea.
"So, here?" Elliot asked, now getting impatient.
"Yes, but with real swords." Came the reply, Algood now getting two swords out of the weapons cabinet, one of them being Elliot's. In a word, yes this was a real sword fight.
"You can't be serious about this." Ash piped up as Elliot was given back his sword.
"What's the mater, Ash? Worried?" Algood teased her. "It's just a friendly game is all."
"Yeah, but now that I have my sword back, just get some foils already." Elliot interrupted, not wanting to risk getting hurt himself.
"You want that antidote? Then we use real swords."
"I don't see the point in using real ones."
Everyone fell silent.
Ash didn't know what to think at this point. Was he trying to use this as bait? Would Elliot still fight against him, even when there was the real chance of him actually getting hurt? Would he do it for Leo?
She was thinking about all these things when she was snapped out of her wondering by seeing something in the corner of her eye and-
"Ash!" She heard Elliot's call as she barely missed the blade of another sword, however, it still clipped her, making her fall back and clutch her side when she had been hit.
Shocked, Elliot kneeled down next to her and looked at her face which was scrunched up in pain. Her hand was pressed firmly to her wound, now staining her clothes.
He then looked up at Algood. "Why the hell did you do that?"
"Motivation is all." The other man replied. "Will you fight now?"
'What's up with this guy? I don't trust him, but Ash, she's hurt and…'
His thoughts were broken when Ash pulled him down suddenly, her eyes open and their faces extremely close.
"Do it. Distract him." Ash hissed quietly.
"What? But, Ash-" He started to whisper back to her, but he was cut off again.
"I think I know where it is." He knew what she meant by that; the antidote. "Go, I'll be fine."
That was why she had been lost in wonder on the way in here, she had gotten another idea, and it was a pretty good one too. Ash might be wounded right now, but she was strong and perceptive. Besides, Leo's life was on the line here.
"Alright, we'll fight." Elliot sat Ash up, who seemed to be stable, as for now.
"Good to hear that."
. . .
Elliot glared at Algood from the opposite side of the stage, ready for the fight. He knew this would only be a distraction so Ash could go off and find the antidote, and he was perfectly find with that, as long as that wound didn't kill her.
"We gonna start or what?" Elliot called over to his opponent.
Algood only smirked, and it began in an instant.
His first action was to raise his sword in defense, blocking the attack. Elliot was able to push him away and then he charged at the taller man himself, his attack now being blocked. Elliot tried to find an opening. This was way different than simple fencing, and if the blade struck him, it might be fatal and it wouldn't be pretend.
He took a quick step back as his opponent's sword was swung at him again. Catching a glimpse of where Ash was supposed to be, he found that she was indeed gone, now searching for the antidote where she thought it was.
"So, what's running through your head of yours?" Algood asked as Elliot brought another attack on him.
"I'm thinking that you'll pay for everything you've done!" He proclaimed, his sword clashing with Algood's.
"That seems obvious, I could tell that from when you first walked in here."
Elliot took a step back. "You knew who we were?"
"Of course, but I wasn't sure, so I had to test you to drag out the answer." He replied. "If you remember the stage collapse, I weakened the main support earlier. That was the test and you confirmed it."
'Ash was right then.' Elliot realized. 'That really wasn't an accident.'
"What do you even know of that girl though?" Algood asked, a menacing grin on his face as their two swords locked with one another.
"Don't you think she might be hiding something else?"
They pushed away from each other. "No, Ash is trustworthy enough!"
"You don't know her full story then."
"Shut up! She knows what's right and wrong, and she has become a good friend to me and Leo, so leave her out of this!"
Algood chuckled in response. "Then what about the servant boy? What exactly is he to you?"
"He's my best friend!"
"Come on, come on!" Ash muttered, desperately looking through each of the cabinets, glancing at each of the bottles. "Where is that stupid thing?"
After slipping away durring the fight, Ash had come back to this room. She knew she had to find that antidote, and quick. She had already been struck, and even though it wasn't a deep wound, it was still bleeding and causing damage, seeping through her hand that was pressed against this. If Algood was that merciless with her, then there's no telling what he would do to Elliot, seeing as he wasn't only fighting for his own life, but Leo's as well.
Ash didn't want to draw out the power of that bird, but if Algood dared to harm Elliot, then she would use it.
As she started searching a desk, her eyes fell upon some notes, about Valily most likely. After glancing at the notes, she found a box hidden away in the corner. This automatically perked her interest and she used her one free hand to pull it towards her and open it.
Inside was a bottle with a cloudy substance inside, and attached was a note that read 'Reverse Valily'.
"The antidote!" Ash exclaimed in a hushed voice, realizing the meaning of 'reverse' in this situation. Taking it out of the box and stuffing it into a pocket of her blouse, she fled from the room, knowing all they had to do was finish off Algood.
Ash was happy, because everything would be alright now; Leo would be saved and she could remain friends with them.
Hurrying back to where the two fighters were, she would have been expecting to see them still fighting, Elliot wielding his sword nicely…no. What she saw upon turning the corner was Elliot dodging another attack, but tripping up and stumbling back, trying to regain his balance.
Ash knew that when he did, he would be fully exposed to an attack, and Algood already had his sword in position and was about to drive it into Elliot.
'No, Elliot!' No, she couldn't let that happen.
*Bang*
"Elliot!" His cracked voice cried out that name as he shot upright in bed, only to have the light of the room greet him (the room was only semi-dark because the curtains were still drawn in). No one else was here besides him, and the only sounds the noirette could hear was his own rapid breathing, the ticking of the grandfather clock in the room, and the sound of his increased heartbeat ringing in his ears.
'A dream, huh?' He let out a sigh of relief and laid his head back to rest against the pillows once more. He started to wish there was someone else here with him, but, then again, he couldn't even muster up the energy to try and call for someone.
It had been three hours since Leo last woke up, and he was a bit surprised by how much his condition had worsened in that amount of time alone. It started when he couldn't even smell the aroma of his favorite tea. After that his cough had gotten worse, his throat so sore that it felt like it was burning. At times, he would find it impossible to talk because of the coughs that racked his aching body. He started to wonder at some point if, even though most of his afflictions had been caused by the poison, something else was affecting him. Gilbert had told Leo that he might have a cold, but he really didn't care at this point.
His aching body, coupled with the strange dream he had seen only moments before, were only making matters worse for him.
Speaking of dreams, Leo didn't like the one he had just seen. There was Elliot, of course, his sword drawn and a blazing look in his eyes. Off to one side was Ash, but something was wrong; there was blood staining her clothes, a hand pressed to her side to stop the flow of blood currently seeping out of her, and her twin chocolate eyes watched a battle as she lay up against a wall. He recalled seeing Elliot fighting against some person, and then…he was caught of guard, but in the distance, Leo heard the sound of a gun taking aim.
A gunshot rang out, and in the last second, he saw Elliot turn in his direction.
That dream made Leo worry, about what Elliot and Ash were doing right now, but it was only a dream after all. Besides, he had much more to worry about right now.
'Forget about the dream, I'm not sure how much more my body can take.' Leo closed his eyes and tried to drift back into sleep. 'Why can't all of this just be a horrible dream that I could wake up from? Why couldn't it be one where I would wake and Elliot would be by my side and he would tell me everything's okay?'
Leo tried desperately not to think about his current state, but at times he wondered how much time was left. He was only getting worse; he could barely sleep, he couldn't eat, his senses were starting to go, and he could hardly move now, sometimes overcome with pain. It was as if he could feel the poison creeping ever closer to his heart.
That's what scared him, because he didn't want to die. Leo wanted Elliot back here so he wouldn't be alone anymore; Elliot could save him.
'Please, hurry…Elliot.'
Time seemed to be frozen in place.
Elliot could only look at the scene with shock and confusion in his wide eyes. What had happened only a moment before…he still didn't quite believe it.
Blood seeped from the body that lay only a few feet in front of him, the dead body of Algood. Ash was facing Elliot now, her eyes slightly wide, but her face in a blank look. In her hand, she held a pistol, raised and still emitting smoke from where the bullet had exited, her free hand still pressed against her wound.
Ash had shot down Algood, but, there was something in the air; tiny embers.
Ash had appeared perfectly upbeat and normal up until this point, now his whole understanding of her had changed.
A symbol shone on her chest, shining through her clothes, and behind her…there was a faint outline of a bird on fire.
A phoenix.
So, Ash's secret is revealed (you've probably guessed it by now), and she isn't all she appers to be. Gosh this chapter was such a fail. Oh well. Only three more chapters to go. Next chapter Elliot is heading home, but not without a little backstory from Ash. Too bad this story is nearing is close, but I'll have a one shot up soon after based off this (I'll give the details in the summary for that). Until then, feel free to leave a reveiw.