I do apologize it's been so long, but I did warn you! That being said, updates should be happening much faster now that I've gotten the past (for the most part) written out. Yes indeed! XD
Already replied to reviews through the site, so we can get a move on! Bokmal14, unedebileditbonjour, BumblingLobster, and Serpent Tailed Angel. The lyrics are from a hauntingly awesome song by Vienna Teng titled "My Medea". Really fits the mood of the story. Highly recommend it!
Inside the labyrinth walls
There lies a tiny child who sleeps alone
And as the daylight falls
The wind becomes so wild across the stone
For I have made her prison be
Her every step away from me
And this child I would destroy
If you tried to set her free
For it's my thoughts that bind me here
It's this love that I most fear
And this child I would destroy
For I hold her pain most dear
For I must die for what I've done
A twist of fate, a desert sun
For I see what I destroy
Sweet reflection knife into me
For I see what I destroy
I can see what I've begun
Chapter 26: Serrated
(Kek's POV)
I follow the traces of blood on the floor that the others missed. After discovering the empty room where some of our most recent recruits should have been, I have a good idea of who is behind this.
"She's not covering her trail very well, is she?" I remark dryly. "So much for being one of the top in her league."
This is good. She's the mother of that whelp that clings to Afika's side. Ever since he returned from that prolonged mission he's been acting bizarre, disappearing for hours at a time. He's extremely protective of that stupid kid, telling him an earful of lies to convince the white-haired brat to kill. I would think it's just Afika lording over a hapless kid, on a bit of a power-trip.
And I would believe that except for one flaw: Her.
I've watched him sneak off to visit her. After discovering where he was going, I would hide nearby ahead of time, as I find it impossible to creep up on him. He never speaks to her or touches her. She'll plead with him in a loving manner. One time I hid in the perfect spot in the room on the other side of the wall, peering between a small crack in the tortured wood. Her words were tearing him in two. It was priceless. All of my strength was summoned so I would not burst into a fit of laughter at how far he'd fallen. They have each other by the heartstrings, neither bold enough to sever them nor reel the other in.
At last he has a weakness I can prey upon.
My ears detect hushed angry voices not far ahead. I can practically taste the fear radiating in the dry air. So someone caught them.
"Where is Minkah?"
She doesn't permit any alarm she may experience to show, not even in her tone. I'll give the bitch that much. Eager to participate in this upcoming bloodbath, I pick up my pace. The irony of the situation is revealed when I spot none other than my arch-enemy standing stiffly blocking her path.
"I won't let you harm them," she adds softly as if trying to reach the vulnerable wound she's opened in his brain.
"Would you look at this? She brings recruits and then takes them away," I grin stepping beside Afika who sends me a fierce look. He obviously wanted to handle this alone. "They had told us she left before. That she is a traitor."
"Let us pass," the Rabiya woman commands, no sentimental feelings shared for me.
"To where?" I taunt while drawing my knife from its sheath; rather surprised Afika hasn't drawn his own weapon yet.
"Where is Minkah?" She ignores me, in favor of squeezing information from Afika. "Malak?"
"Did she just call you a fucking angel?" I laugh, unable to control my amusement. No one has ever referred to him, or any of us, as angels. The very idea is ludicrous. Unless we're angels of death. Afika doesn't respond in any way to her words or mine.
"Which do you want, Afika?" I flash a smirk at him. "You know I like the kiddies."
Brown eyes fixate upon Dimah Rabiya as if no one else were here. "Fine by me."
"You won't touch them!" she hisses at us like a mother animal ready to defend its young from predators. Not far from reality.
"You sure you can handle her?" I verbally jab him. "I mean, she's sickly and all, but you've gone a bit soft, malak."
He tenses at the usage of the pet name she's given him. Just as quickly a darker shadow passes across his face in stony resolution.
"Just kill these fucking brats, Kek."
"With pleasure."
(Marik's POV)
"Come on, Mare!"
Any air that might have been in my lungs is forced out as someone thumps their fist on my back. I gag, inhaling sharply. The air is far too cold as it hits me. It's so cold that it burns. Black embers melt the snowflakes, replacing them in mid-flight, leaving hot ash to cover the snow on the ground. Horrible snaps and fractures sound off as the house caves in upon itself in blistering agony. Neither the winter elements nor the merciless fire offering any relief as the wind moans as it creeps through the devastated structure.
I'm being held in a sitting position, head spinning, eyes watering. The hand ruffles my hair affectionately like my brother and Yami often do.
"He's awake! Honda! Gramps! He's awake!" Jounouchi's unmistakable voice hollers excitedly.
"Get him in here, Jou!" Honda's voice calls from somewhere close by.
Jounouchi's face hovers over mine, wide eyes both relieved and terrified. "I'm gonna carry you, okay Mare?"
One arm slips under my knees as the other supports me near the shoulder blades. Leaning my weight against his chest, he grunts as he lifts me from the snow bank. Trudging through the deep snow causes a bumpy rocking motion that makes me sick to my stomach. I don't close my eyes though, gazing in wonder and bafflement at the monstrous vehicle that looks like something a science fiction writer would create. Honda is standing on the small platform outside the door high off the ground. He spares us a quick glance to see that we're all right before going back to whatever he was doing. His eyes move slowly across the forest, past the burning house as if he expects something to jump out at us.
"Any sign of 'em?"
"Nothing," Honda shakes his head, stepping to the edge of the platform so Jou can shuffle past and into the bowels of the armored vehicle.
"What do we do then?"
"Marik!" Grandpa hurries over as Jounouchi practically drops me onto a seat with no cushioning. "Are you all right? Marik?"
My attention averts quickly to Yami and Yugi. Both of them are here as well. Yugi is awake, glued to his brother's side. Yami looks worse than ever especially covered in ashes. Black is smeared across Yugi's face. I'm not sure if it's cinders or burns.
"Marik, answer me!" Grandpa implores taking my hand and rubbing it as if to warm it.
I cannot keep my eyes on him, moving on to Jou and Honda who are talking amongst themselves near the door. With reluctant nods they both take a hold of the door, slamming it with a thunderous bang that shakes the entire place. I swear I hear my bones rattling from the vibrations.
"What now?" Jou is muttering to Honda nervously wringing his hands. "They could be anywhere, man! We could get ambushed at any time!"
Jaw set in resolve the brunette looks down at the gun he's holding in his hands. Jou doesn't have one. It's only now I see the blood covering them both. Fabric is tied tightly around Jounouchi's upper arm over a wound, explaining his difficulty in carrying me.
"Staying here only gives them a better opportunity to attack us," Honda states in a low voice, all the while gazing out one of the tinted windows. "Niu has the other vehicle like this. He's probably reached Minkah and the others by now, but I doubt they've resolved things yet." He casts a glance over his shoulder at Yami. "And we can't afford to wait for them."
Grandpa doesn't argue or comment on the blood. He doesn't say anything on the matter, focus upon me. I can't get a clear sentence to form to answer him. My mind is reeling with these events and all that I missed while I was unconscious.
"…are lucky you two came back when you did," Grandpa is thanking the duo in a tremulous voice as Honda makes for what I assume is the driver's room of the machine. "There was no way out of that place. The fire was all the way around."
"It was crazy how fast that thing spread," Jou marvels in agitation.
They stop talking as the entire vehicle begins shaking, the engine building a growl as it comes to life. Jou jumps, on edge like a hare alert of a stalking predator. Yugi wraps his arms around his brother and squeezes his eyes tightly shut as we begin to move. The entire thing teeters back and forth over the uneven snow. It feels like it should get stuck and sink but it plows on. The 'room' we're in reeks of smoke. We're all covered in ashes. Amazingly we're all alive.
"How…" The smoke lingers on my tongue as I speak. "How did you get us out then?"
Jounouchi offers a bleak smile. "We crashed inside with this." Beads of sweat line his forehead and he seems almost apologetic. "Just lucky we didn't run any of you guys over."
Grandpa clears his throat. "Yes well, you went through the wall of that far bedroom. Before you left we'd decided we'd stay in the main room."
"Luckily."
"Did you see anyone when you arrived?" Grandpa inquires as he stumbles across the aisle to check on Yami. "Any tracks?"
Jou nods, bracing himself against the wall to keep from toppling over as we slope severely to the left. I would have fallen out of my seat had not someone strapped me in.
"Watch it, Honda! Geez!"
"You wanna drive this thing?" an irritated Honda retorts from beyond my sight.
"Just don't tip us over!" Jou yells before replying to Grandpa. "There were all the tracks we'd made. But they'd been covered by snow somewhat. There was one set of tracks from a snowmobile..."
"Only one?" Grandpa puzzles. "But the amount of time and energy to set that up…"
"There could have been more," Jou waves this confusion of dismissively. "We weren't exactly looking at the snow," he adds wryly.
"I suppose not."
"Jou, give me a hand up here, will you?" Honda calls as we're joggled sharply again.
The blonde obeys without protest or whining. Grandpa has placed his hand to Yami's forehead and them pressing two fingers to his throat; the jolting around making it difficult to find a pulse on the wrist. The graven expression that covers his face speaks the fear he cannot. Yugi whimpers, clinging to his older brother who does not respond to his sibling's touch. My fingers curl into fists, nails digging into my palms.
We're out of time.
"What the shit?" Jou shouts from the front of the vehicle.
The contraption jerks sharply to a halt, skidding on the icy slopes of the wilderness road. Grandpa and Yugi grip the edges of the seats, bracing their feet against the floor so they don't go tumbling over. Honda is cussing loudly as he fights to remain in control of the vehicle.
"You're gonna hit 'em!" Jou screams. "Honda stop!"
(Minkah's POV)
"What's that supposed to mean?—what Kek said," I prompt, more on edge than ever.
Niu and Ryou are already down thanks to Kek. Now Malik is chasing him through the house, quite possibly running straight into a trap. While Malik has far more experience when it comes to combat than my brother or Niu, he is no match for Kek. Hell, I'm no match for Kek. And the bastard assassin's parting words only add to my agitation.
Afika stares at me unreceptively a long moment. There is light within those eyes. Life. But it's not the right life. This isn't the Afik I know. It's as if he died and someone or something awoke in his place. What is wrong with him? What happened to him during our time apart? He's never acted this way towards me before.
"Plain and simple. Just what I said. He's worried the grudge you hold against Ishtar will be greatest of all."
"I don't hold anything against him. Why Malik? He isn't even part of Apophis!" I object, wondering what kind of game Afik and Kek are playing now.
Although, I'm unsure if Afika sees it as a game anymore.
"The great secret. The find of the millennia!" he emphasizes a gesture with his empty hand. "Wouldn't the Rabiyas of all people be the ones who held the key?"
This is news to me. "You said before that Um didn't ever tell Apophis what they wanted to know."
"And she didn't…but that does not mean she didn't know." A fierce spark ignites his irises, dilating his pupils even in this frosted murkiness. "She made the choice to keep that secret; weighing it against everything else that she claimed mattered the most to her."
He doesn't need to spell it out. His tone and frightening demeanor tell exactly what he means: She chose to keep this secret even when my and Afika's lives were threatened as a result. I swallow thickly, forcing my heart back down my throat. Is that why he speaks of her so spitefully? Why he hid the truth from me? He didn't want me to know that her top priority was not her child's life?
It's nothing I want to imagine. That does not sound like the mother I remember. Perhaps he's forgotten her even more than I have. At any rate, the anger awakens in me.
When I find my voice it is steady but quiet.
"Even if that's true, Afik, what does Malik have to do with any of this?"
The corners of his mouth twitch.
"Malik might not have even been in the real world yet," I argue against nothing when he can't seem to find an answer. "He probably was still living in the…" My eyes widen and Afika's narrow in cynical affirmation.
The tombs.
I jump out of my skin when the door slams with a loud crash, twisting around. It was no draft from the house. Kek stands alone, knotting with lightning speed a length of thick chain across the doorknob. Not a moment of it being secure someone rams into it full-force.
"Minkah!" Malik's muffled voice shouts from beyond the room as he braces against the door. "Minkah!"
I'm in a daze, unable to get a coherent thought to register after the information Afik just revealed to me.
"Perfect. Right where I want all of you." Kek pats the door with a grin as he turns his focus to Afika and me. "Persistent, isn't he?"
Something stirs in my gut as I realize I have two people to protect and have no idea who I should be worried the most about attacking us. How am I supposed to choose an opponent when I don't know whose side I'm on? Hell, they know better than I do about whose side I should be on! Afika has automatically assumed I am with him, as I always have been. Kek knows better. He sees my doubt without the delusions impairing his judgment. He has delusions the plenty all his own though.
"So…" Kek pulls a second gun from his side; another of Niu's. "What did I miss?"
Afika is on edge. He had been hoping it would take Kek longer to return. I am standing in the open space, the two of them across the room from each other. Ryou and Niu are near me. If Kek moves to strike I cannot protect them both.
I'm sick of being forced to choose.
"So you still haven't told him," Kek remarks with foul delight. "He's not out for blood. Yet."
"He already told me about Malik," I reply evenly, detesting Kek more with each passing second. Even if I don't know if I believe my own words, I hope Kek does. "That's why you wanted him out of here. You didn't want me to side with Afik for my mother choosing the lives of the tomb keepers over ours. You were also afraid of Afika attacking Malik, prompting me to attack him before everything could be 'resolved' as you wanted." I hold my head high to try to deceive them and myself of my confidence. "She kept that secret for her own reasons. Neither Malik nor Marik…nor any of the other tomb keepers were to blame. It was her choice to make."
I dare cast a glance at the other assassin who has not stirred, listening raptly, hanging upon my every word so I can feel the weight. He's pulling me down. It feels like he's dragging me down just by staring at me. Whether my words had any effect on Kek, I don't know. But they worked on Afika. He's enraged. Malik is shouting, continuing to pound on the door incessantly. Kek is unimpressed with my answer, a frown of both distaste and boredom etching his lips as he waits for me to finish. My guard increases at this. This isn't like him.
He's too calm.
"What now?" I place my feet in fighter's stance, hips angled so I can move quickly in any direction. Both of my arms rise in one fluid movement. The gun aims at Kek. The khepesh at Afik. Now I wait. They will come to me. I won't leave Niu or Ryou open to an attack.
Kek cocks his head to one side as if to get a different view of me. Perhaps the world has indeed turned sideways, dislocating reality from its proper place. There's a click as Afika draws his own gun slowly, making me fully aware of the dangerous waters I just dove into. Afik rarely uses guns. His preference has always been blades. Hardly would he bend his own rules for Kek or me. He already has his knife out. It's not enough. Not when Kek and I have our own weapons as well as Niu's guns. The three of us are fully armed…
…no.
They still have something I do not. Something that could change my perception of anyone at any given moment. I hate this lack of control. Biting down on my tongue, I am fully aware of Niu bleeding to death on the floor before me; my brother propped on the couch not faring much better. I don't have anything worth trading for their lives.
Is the knowledge of her death worth that much to me?
Is it worth Ryou and Niu's lives?
As the odor of blood from the two of them reaches me, her smiling face flickers in front of my vision. Um's enchanting voice swathes me from this impending storm in an invisible embrace.
"Ohebak simsimah."
"Weighing your options. That's good," Kek hums as his eyes flick over our weapons calculatingly taking a deliberate step forward. He's cautious nonetheless, taking into account all factors. "You're deciding whether it's worth it. But Bakura…" He uses the name I most detest, and it causes my blood to boil just like he predicted. "Can you afford not to know? It's difficult to know who to trust when they keep such things from you," he adds shooting a smirk at Afika.
Um, what do I do?
I forgot her once already…made her into some demon that I followed without question…
But if Um wasn't telling me to do those things, then it must have been…
Afika is rigid, glaring at Ryou and Niu's motionless forms…My heart twinges as I wonder what Um would think if she saw us now, ready to slaughter one another. Regardless of whether what Afik said is true, she loved us. She must have.
"No."
Without a thought in my head my complete attention is upon Kek. The killer in me is fully awake and prepared. More than prepared. Eager. He doesn't look the least bit surprised at my choice but his composure does not waver. I don't want anything from him but blood. The answers reside with Afik. I don't need Kek or the saccharine lies he offers.
"Afika," I say loudly, hoping Malik will take a hint for once and get out of this place. If there's any chance of calming Afik, it must be done quickly. I'm the only one that can do it. "I made a mistake. I wasn't completely honest with you. There are a lot of misunderstandings regarding the Mutous, Ishtars, and my brother. Can we put that aside for now? Just help me…"
My body goes rigid as the small metal object whistles by my ear close enough that several hairs leave with it. Kek dodges to his left, able to react as he can see Afika from his viewpoint. The bullet buries itself in the doorframe. Every muscle is tightened as I stare at the small hole in the otherwise unblemished wood. Due to its size it appears innocent enough.
Kek and I both know better.
Attempting to swallow the fear, I turn slowly with my adrenaline pumping through me like a drug. Afik is breathing heavy, chest heaving as his maddened eyes dart from one person to the next in hate, unable to decide who should be the first to die.
Kek was expecting this. No. Planning. He knew this would happen. It was just a matter of plotting and the right dynamics. He's learned over the years through his observations and bloody interactions with Afik what makes him tick.
"It took long enough to get you unhinged," Kek grins, looking like some poorly produced monster with Niu's blood drenching his chin and chest.
I hold the gun up again aiming straight at Kek while staring at my lover, beseeching an explanation from him. The door shakes at this moment as Malik rams into it again. He's panicked after hearing the gunshot.
"Minkah!" he shouts from the safety he doesn't want. "Minkah, answer me!"
Afika's features twitch, his fingers curled around his weapons jolting slightly with each sound, each syllable as if they were hypersensitive to any noise Malik makes.
"The whelp knows the truth about Ishtar," Kek mutters while reaching with one hand for the chain wrapped around the doorknob. "It didn't stir the reaction I feared. Why not let him back inside?"
At all costs, Malik must not come back in here now. Afik is ready to kill. The blonde is the perfect target to unleash his rage upon.
And it appears Malik, is in fact, the focus of said rage. I myself don't know what to think, haven't had enough time to process everything. Even if I fail to hate Malik for my mother choosing the lives of the tomb keepers' over my own, Afik will not. If anything his hatred for Malik has only intensified.
"Don't!" I warn Kek, noting which gun he's pointing at us. Niu showed them to us back at the mansion. This gun's contents explode on impact. It will do far worse than any regular bullet.
"Or what?" he sneers, large hand slowly unraveling the chain creating metallic clinks as it loosens. "What do you have to threaten me with? You can't even decide who's worth protecting! You're the most clueless one here! Even techie Niu knows more than you do, brat!" A gleam in those merciless eyes. "You surprised me already by not blaming Ishtar. You've pulled yourself together…somewhat." He taps his finger on the chain purposely in indecision. "I wonder who you would turn that gun on…" He swerves, aiming at Niu's body sprawled on the floor. "And perhaps this time you'll stay still long enough to listen."
(Honda's POV)
"Get them to the emergency choppers pronto!"
We watch anxiously as the soldiers load Yami, Jounouchi, and Marik into one of their transports, speeding off down the road leading out of these God-forsaken hills. Yami is at death's door. All of the color has left his skin. He looked dead as they strapped him onto an emergency stretcher. We had Marik go with due to his lapse of unconsciousness from smoke inhalation. Jounouchi was terrified of going with them and had refused even though he has the gunshot wound to his arm.
I understand his fears all too well. Little do these soldiers know we just murdered a bunch of their comrades. It's not something I'm proud of. Who are we supposed to put the blame on this time? I shook my head at Jou, telling him to remain quiet about that incident.
They had threatened us at first. I had nearly hit them with one of their own vehicles after all. It did not help with Jou and I being covered in blood. All of us are coated in ashes. I'm sure we're quite a sight to behold. Mr. Mutou had been able to convince them we are not their enemy, though I silently am deliberating that. I'm not sure whose side these men are on.
"We received a message from one of our soldiers several hours ago," a lieutenant who calls himself Manzo informs Mr. Mutou and Yugi as we stand outside of our vehicle. "It is unclear whether the private who made the call was able to receive our reply. We have been unable to contact any of our men since that mottled message."
"We have not heard anything from the army for a while," Mr. Mutou replies in an even tone while wrapping an arm around a tremulous Yugi. "They did not reply to our calls. As I said earlier, several of the boys went looking for them. They came upon them amidst what appeared to be a fight between Apophis and your soldiers. Several of the boys were taken."
"Do you know where they might have gone?"
Grandpa shakes his head solemnly. "I'm sorry."
The man's angular jaw tightens. "It will take time to comb this forest. With such individuals it will be especially difficult to locate them if they do not wish to be found. Of course, if our troops here have been decimated we might be able to catch Apophis with their guard down."
Unlikely. Even if they're not expecting these guys there's no way the assassins will be caught completely by surprise. And if they find themselves cornered who knows what they'll do? I feel sick imagining them using Ryou as a human shield. What has befallen Malik, Minkah, and Niu?
'They found them,' I reason. With Minkah's tracking skills and Niu's technological knowledge there's no way even the likes of Afika or Kek could hide from them. Whether they can hold their own against the assassins is another story entirely. My eyes sweep over the new arrivals who are pumped for battle. They have brought a smaller vehicles more suited for speed. They are like armor-plated snowmobiles that can hold two men. The loud bulky vehicles like the one we stole are good for battle, but not are not suitable if you need to give chase. They aren't here to rescue their comrades or our friends. These men are here for one purpose: To hunt down the assassins and eliminate them.
While I don't know where they are, I know how to find them. Niu had the airwaves open between the two vehicles we acquired. Someone with knowledge of how they operate could easily track the other vehicle using the one we're standing beside. It will lead them straight to our friends. It just needs to be driven back a few miles to pick up the correct frequency.
"You will give us descriptions and names," he orders Mr. Mutou tersely while motioning for one of his men to approach. "Keep in mind rescuing your family is not our priority."
"I understand," Mr. Mutou manages hoarsely.
They give us little hope. Then again, all he said is that they are here for the assassins. Should I point them in the right direction or let them wander the hills until the others are safe? But what if they are trapped? What if Minkah and the others need help? I swallow a knot in my throat at the sight of the powerful guns they are loading onto their machines. If I don't send them, what if my friends die? If I do send them will they kill my friends alongside the assassins?
The droning of helicopters announces some of our friends being taken to safety. At least they are away from this battlefield. It leaves me with a deleterious predicament covered in thorns. No matter what I choose blood will be drawn.
"Move out!"
(Ryou's POV)
I keep my eye a mere slit as the harsh realities unfold before me. There is nothing I can do to help my brother, no way to consol or reassure him. How do I show him support without getting both of us butchered?
"Don't!" Minkah snaps at Kek who is on the other side of the couch out of my line of vision. Even so I can hear the chain links move. He's letting Malik back in here!
'No no no!' I urge someone to stop him. They can't let Malik back inside. I saw Afika's face when he told Minkah about his mother and the tomb keepers.
He blames Malik for what happened. We had thought his animosity for Malik had sprung from the romantic incident between him and my brother. I think that hatred was already present though, only kindled by that act. According to Afika, Minkah's mother chose to guard the whereabouts of the tomb keepers instead of protecting Minkah and Afika.
"…Even techie Niu knows more than you do, brat!" Kek mocks with a guttural laugh. "You surprised me already by not blaming Ishtar. You've pulled yourself together…somewhat."
Oh god, what do I do? Minkah could have another meltdown! If he does who will stop him? Would anyone stop him?
"I wonder who you would turn that gun on…"
Suddenly I notice the object right next to my head. Amidst the chaos I forgot. It's sticking out of the couch. In seconds I recall what it is.
"…And perhaps this time you'll stay still long enough to listen."
Mustering all of my willpower, I stare at my arms covered by Afika's coat. I have to be ready to move.
I need to move!
"He's at death's door," Afika sneers as I attempt to bring feeling back to my limbs through sheer willpower. "Go ahead and shoot him. It would be merciful at this point."
My muscles tighten. I can feel just barely. Who are they talking about?
"Don't you dare!" Minkah is incensed by these proposals.
"Then why not stand still and let's…?"
A gun goes off. This is followed by shouting and bellowing from everyone. Eye darting to the floor I see Niu was not the victim of the shot. I don't feel any new pain, so it's not me either. Not knowing who is alive or who was hit, I slowly raise my right arm. I do my best to ignore the outcry and crashing as bodies are slammed about the room knocking furniture over. My numb arm trembles dreadfully and I'm certain it will simply fall limp at any moment. It moves higher, wavering right next to the object before my hand lands on it: the knife Afika had been whetting down to nothing. The one he threw so close to my head. With gritted teeth I curl my fingers around it, wondering how tight a hold I have, if any.
I can't wait around. Afika or Kek could spot me awake and decide to target me. I wasn't much of a threat when I was unconscious. Taking a shuddering breath, I jerk my body to the left, trying to throw myself over the edge. The only reason I know I'm moving is because I can see I'm moving. Twisting my legs as much as I can, I budge inch by inch, tumbling unceremoniously when I jolt at more gunshots much closer than before. Hitting the floor hard without catching myself, I pray I didn't start the bleeding again, having landed on the bad side of my face. Not waiting to find out, I scoot forward on my stomach using my elbows. Pain lances my side from the beating I took from Kek.
The way Niu's jaw is jutted to one side is sickening. I do my best not to look at the remains of his tongue close by. His breath is making this noise as it passes through his destroyed mouth. I can't even pick a word to describe it. Maybe a mixture of a hiss and a whimper all at once. Like air leaking, whistling from a hole in a metal pipe. Not coming from a living, breathing person. Sweat is drenching his face as his limbs shake. I need to rouse him as I barely have the strength to move myself.
Niu.
My chapped lips form his name but nothing comes out.
Niu! Wake up!
Steady footfall approaches and I quickly go limp. Playing possum seems like the best option until I know who is standing over me. I make sure to turn my wrist so the stub of a knife is hidden under my arm. Whether it will be effective as defense, I don't know. It takes all of my willpower not to shudder as something ice cold and sharp slides perilously across my throat.
(Dimah's POV)
It can't be put off any longer. For weeks I have futilely sought to redeem this child. A child of Apophis myself, I should have known better. Once you've made a pledge to protect yourself—and others—through killing then it will forever remain so. You may try every other option and method in an earnest effort to change but it will always end the same.
Blood is the only way.
Mustering my remaining strength I lunge at the boy, snatching the thin wrist as he skillfully swings the khepesh at my abdomen. I slam my battered fist across his face as we grapple for the curved ancient sword. He grunts but otherwise fails to react to the hit.
Lashing out his heel connects with my stomach. The bruising of the torture by Fida and Nimr have left their marks, and the kick does not go unnoticed by my abused torso. The fighter in me that I suppressed in the boys' presence is awakening. There is a churning in my veins that I last felt when Charles appeared at the house and tried to kill our son.
We roll across the floor in a frenzy, neither relinquishing their grip. Whoever possesses the khepesh will be the victor. We are both too experienced with weapons for any other outcome. And neither will run away or surrender.
He is muscular and agile for a child his age. And his wrath only adds to the potency of his actions. The concept of mercy is foreign to him. Hell, it usually is to me as well. I must end this quickly. I'll use the tactics Apophis taught me to overpower him.
Brown eyes widen in shock as the blade slices into his stomach when I violently twist his arm holding the khepesh. To my surprise I'm thrown backwards by his weight ramming into me. He wheezes as the curved steel travels up his torso cutting tortuous trails. With straining muscles he's able to rise to his feet, hunched over with the blade still lodged in his side. I keep my grip on his arm, feeling his bones giving under the pressure as I lay on my back twisting the small wrist with all my might.
"Let go!" he hisses, crimson seeping between his bared teeth.
I increase my shaking grip, subsequently causing the knife to dig deeper into his abdomen as my knuckles whiten. If this had been a more modern weapon he would already be dead. But the khepesh are meant for slashing not stabbing. Even though it is wedged in his body it isn't deep enough to kill swiftly. Not fast enough. I need to push it in further. He coughs but doesn't budge.
Just a little more…
"I think…you should," I pant, clenching my muscles. He's a true child of Apophis refusing to relinquish his weapon despite the increasing amount of pain.
"You can't have him!" Afika snarls, fingers twitching around the hilt as the circulation is cut off.
'Drop it.'
I won't let Minkah be like him. Even if I die as well, Afika won't be brainwashing my son. There's still a small chance I can get my son out of here. I know now Afika cannot go with him.
He must be left behind in the darkness, forgotten like so many others. I love Afika as if he were my own. It's too late though. It was too late when he came to us and it was too late when I tried to change him. The only thing I can do now is grant him mercy the only way I know how: a departure from this world of men where everyone is a pawn to be used by someone else. Where no one is significant and worth is measured by your 'uses'.
At the very least I can give him this.
The horrible snapping of my knee breaking when his foot finds me again is like an explosion in this almost mute fight. I tumble to the ground; dragging the modern blade down his abdomen in the process. The lower half of my left leg is jutting outward in a grotesque display. With a rumble in his chest Afika somehow manages to pounce atop me.
I barely perceive the pain throbbing up my leg and spreading like fire to the rest of my body. Staring in shock at the boy astride me, I listen in shock at the sharp clanging as the blade hits the ground beside us.
He actually…!
With his free hand his grips me by the throat, legs locked on my waist. Before I can react he violently flips us away from the direction he allowed the weapon to fall. We roll over at least twice before we halt. He's atop me once more. I keep my fingers clenched in a dead grip around his broken wrist, not wanting to find the consequences if I loosen my hold.
"Malak…" I choke as his slender fingers constrict down on my throat, eyes watering from deprivation of oxygen.
The animalistic gleam dissipates as he glares down at me. His eyes remain hard nonetheless. We both notice it as his nails dig deep.
My pulse.
The beats are erratic. It should be racing due to this clash, but it has slowed down considerably. Only as I lay still at last to I realize my breaths become shallow. Dark splotches blur out areas of my vision and I must squint my eyes in order to view the angry face hovering above me.
It's inevitable now.
(Malik's POV)
Damn it! I haven't landed a single blow! When I burst through the door I managed to knock one of his guns away. That still leaves a nasty looking knife and another of Niu's guns. Minkah and Afika have begun their own fight. I have to keep Kek over here.
If these two battles mingle we're all dead.
I run my tongue along my back teeth, at least two of my molars wiggling severely from a punch he landed to my jaw before drawing that serrated blade. It looks more like a saw with a hilt than a knife. Blood seeps from my gums and the inside of my cheek. Bastard. I should be grateful the blow didn't shatter my jaw.
"Would I venture to say you heard everything, tomb keeper?" Kek sneers at the wounds he's already inflicted.
"No, and I don't give a shit," I retort causing pain to erupt in my jawbone.
When he smirks Niu's blood chips from his chin like flakes of dry paint. "Then you haven't been as misled as Minkah…or Afika for that matter."
"You let your mouth run a lot," I remark before charging at him again.
The room spins as the back of my head slams into the wall and my gun goes off, finger accidentally squeezing the trigger from the brute force. Toppling over in pain and disorientation, he's already coming at me. Depending solely on my hearing, I miraculously manage to evade his booted foot, rolling several times to put some distance between us. This does not help my swimming vision at all. I definitely have a concussion. My breath catches when his foot makes contact with my stomach sending me tumbling again. All the while I hold onto the gun for dear life.
As Afika and Minkah shout at one another heatedly, I wonder what has become of Ryou and Niu. Blinking quickly to try to clear my vision, my wandering hand falls upon something sticky and gelatinous. This shapeless mass could fit in my palm. The unmistakable stench of blood makes vomit rise in my throat and I quickly let go of the mangled tongue. That means…
My eyes catch Niu and Ryou sprawled an arm's length away. I swear my vision is fucked when one of Ryou's eyes cracks opens. Is he…? Kek does not give me a chance to act further. The jagged knife is positioned along my throat. He pulls and I'm forced to lean my head back so as not to have my jugular slit. It's like having a giant razor blade pulling at my skin.
Kek is grinning down at me while carelessly stepping over Niu. "Now then, what game shall we play, tomb keeper?" He allows the barrel of his gun to slide easily along the side of my skull, indecisive as where to shoot. This guy isn't one to dish out quick painless deaths. "I could tell you like I did Niu. But, as you can see, there is a price for such information."
"I don't want to hear any of your fucked explanations!" I snarl.
It's true I don't. I don't want to know any of it, regardless of whether it's the truth. Some truths are meant to be buried, memories erased or covered with lies. Hell, I've done so with my brother in order to shield him from our past. Whatever Kek has been itching to tell us, it's the worst news he could bestow.
"Very well."
My bones crack like twigs under his foot as it comes down hard on my hand holding the gun. My broken digits are useless. Kek carelessly kicks the gun across the room where it stills in the doorway. He shoves his gun in its hoister, as I am no longer a threat. I've blocked out Minkah and Afika completely, centered here with this bastard. He picks what I can only assume are bits of flesh from the knife with his dirty fingernails while regarding me.
"I really do owe you, Ishtar. Your presence has sped up the process for me, much to my own surprise."
"Save it for someone who gives a shit," I ground out, mind reeling as I attempt to figure a way out of this. At the very least I need to take him down with me.
I seriously underestimated this thug. He's a lot smarter than I gave him credit. It would no longer surprise me if he knew people perceived him as all muscle, no brain. Everyone takes into account how dangerous he is physically, not imagining what a threat he poses psychologically. Like Niu, he was fully aware that it would be people like me and Ryou that would set Afika's temper off. At the same time he's found a way to mess with Minkah's mind as well.
Much more clever than I assumed.
Twisting my torso sharply I force him to jump backward in order to avoid my feet from kicking him. His knife misses my jugular. Barely. I can feel the warmth of blood gliding down my neck, a premonition of what's to come for me. Panting I remain crouched on the floor. I only have one hand to fight with. There are two guns on the floor across the room. I'll never make it that far. Chuckling, Kek closes in on me, towering high above with that frightening knife raised.
"I'll give you this: You put up more of a fight than Minkah. Even if your methods are a bit…unorthodox."
He bellows in surprise and fury, lurching so all of his weight is put on one side. The giant is so accustomed to pain that it is not even the first thing he reacts to. As he staggers off balance I see Ryou lying on his stomach before the assassin. The hilt of a small dagger is sticking out of the back of Kek's muscular calf, blood spurting from the wound. With a mighty snarl Kek lunges at Ryou. I already saw this coming, throwing the full weight of my body against the muscular man sending us both careening to the floor.
"Ryou, get out!" I yell. At least, I hope I did. Perhaps I merely thought it.
Hopefully he got the message regardless. The teen can't save anyone but himself now. He's already injured badly. There's no way he can drag Niu out of here. Neither Minkah or I can help him. All I can do is impede Kek for as long as possible.
My ears ring as his massive hand grabs a fistful of my hair and slams me face-first to the floor. Then it happens again. It's like an electrical current through my body, pain rippling through every nerve. I gasp for air as my head is smashed to the ground again, unable to breathe through my nose. Colors flash in the darkness and I cannot discern whether or not my eyes are open.
I could have sworn I heard my name. Is someone calling me?
I cannot see anything. The pain is gone. In its absence is a pleasant numbness.
No one is here.
Is this the Afterlife? This is all it is? Whispers and reverberations from the world I knew? Isn't there supposed to be something more? I've never been religious, but even so, I'm finding this to be very disappointing. I always had hoped it would be more blissful…restful. I would like to rest. It's been a long time since I felt relaxed.
That would be with Yami. He's the only one who can soothe me and take away my worries for a while. Damn it, I was going to set everything right between us. I promised him I wouldn't leave him again. Instead I went and got myself butchered. Now I'm here…wherever here is. It's not lonely despite being alone. I cannot focus on anything long enough to grasp it. Not long enough to feel any one emotion.
'Sorry guys,' I apologize to the emptiness engulfing me…just in case they can hear me. 'I did my best. I did what I could.'
Then I do the unthinkable. I pray. I'm not really sure to whom. There isn't an actual deity I believe exists. I do it in the slightest chance that there is Someone or Something who can answer. It's too soon for them—for Minkah and Niu who have only begun to live again. For Ryou who has finally found his true family. For all of my friends and family who have fought so hard to remain together.
'Please…not just yet.'
A twinge of regret at the thought of Yami and Marik without me there. It's comforting that they are not here with me. I assume that means they are alive still. But then where's Otogi? Why isn't he here? Perhaps this is some sort of purgatory. He was a better person than me. Otogi never had to kill anyone in order to protect us. His hands and conscience were clean.
That alights a fear in me. Maybe I'm not good enough for a heaven with all of the people I've killed, all of the horrible things I've done. What if I'll forever be separated from Yami and my brother? That's the worst punishment I can concoct in my hazy mind.
Another person crawls into my subconscious and the revelation hits me.
He's not here.
He's…not here! At least I know then it's not hell. It's the only place he could go. That's where my father is burning for eternity. I've always dreamed of hell. Always pleasant dreams to watch him screeching like a flayed pig as he went up in flames. It was comforting to think he got what he deserved.
Amidst the unintelligible echoes and noises I lay quietly, a sense of calm washing over me. 'It looks like I didn't turn out like you after all, father.'
(Minkah's POV)
"He's at death's door," Afika states contemptuously in regards to Niu's fate. "Go ahead and shoot him. It would be merciful at this point."
"Don't you dare!" I growl at Kek whose smirk only widens.
"Then why not stand still and let's…?"
Kek gun goes off as the door crashes into him. Malik is grappling with Kek, having somehow knocked one of the guns from the giant assassin's hand. Kek recovers quickly from this onslaught, lashing out at Malik with his saw-like knife. I start forward to aid him before remembering another important participant.
My blood goes cold. Afika is standing directly over Ryou and Niu. My brother must have fallen off the couch amidst Kek and Malik's scuffle. Afik has put his gun away, the khepesh painted with my own blood remaining out.
"You won't do it?" he asks above the racket. The curved blade runs lightly over Ryou's neck in a most threatening manner.
I'm afraid to do anything. If I say 'no' he'll slit Ryou's throat without hesitation. I could try and jump him. But would I be fast enough? No. Not with Afik's lighting reflexes. He can discern when I'm lying to him too.
"I want a reason, Afik," I decide to reach for the rational part of his brain while drawing nearer. "Not the bogus ones from before that Um would have wanted it. Why should I kill him? He's not a tomb keeper. He's not Apophis." My heartbeat is erratic by the time I'm a yard from him, his back to me. "What way will you justify his death?"
He won't voice his reasons and I realize I already know. It's what he spoke of before.
His replacement.
Someone else for me to be close to. All of the people I've gotten to know, become friends with…They are the real enemies. They are infecting the world he's created for the two of us. The illusions are fading and he can't stop it.
Our khepesh clash as he swerves, making contact when I try to catch him off guard. From the other side of the room a gun is fired. Pure fury rages in his eyes like thunderheads as he throws me into the wall with violent force. Coughing, I manage to jump out of his way by mere millimeters, the wall cracking from the impact of his knife. This is a whole new level of betrayal I unintentionally chose.
"I won't kill people anymore," I pant, blood oozing down the side of my face from the impact.
"Not after me, you mean!" he hisses, crouched in a fighter's stance. "Face it, Minkah, we're both from the same crop. She was as well…"
"Shut up!" I shout slashing at him as he dodges. I'm sick of hearing them talk of her like that! "She was nothing like us…!"
He catches my eye with a sneer, features twisted in contempt. "She was every bit like us. You accuse me of being the cruel one?"
"You're still trapped in that mind frame—that killing is the only way," I growl as we slowly circle, both looking for an opening to strike. "And I can't save you when you're like this!"
"Save me?" He snorts a condescending, mirthless laugh. "From what? You?"
This catches me off guard. Who am I trying protect him from? Myself? No, I'm not the enemy here!
...am I?
My mind goes numb at the very notion. I'm the one fighting him, aiming to harm him with my knife. Kek hasn't so much as threatened him yet. While Malik wanted to fight Afik, he didn't. I'm the one after his blood.
When did I become the enemy?
"I see," he hisses, all signs of amusement vanishing on the spot.
Before either of us can act further Kek lets loose a howl of rage. I don't get catch a glimpse of what Malik did; Afik's khepesh coming within mere millimeters of my throat as I stagger backwards. He uses my surprise to his advantage, leaping after me as I can do nothing more than block his attacks while stumbling to remain on my feet. Blood seeps from the wounds he's already inflicted. A chair goes crashing to pieces as he kicks the furniture at me. This room is too small. It hasn't adequate space for hand to hand combat. And there are multiple fights it is containing.
I swing at Afika only to duck in order to avoid the curved serrated blade as it cuts a deep jagged wound into the wall behind me. Afika was forced to fall to the ground, already back on his feet as his lifelong adversary advances. Kek is limping, one of his legs bleeding heavily from a hole.
He is covered with blood. Aside from the leg injury, none of it is his. The list of recent victims is getting lengthy. The soldiers. The cat. The body doubles. Ryou. Niu.
Malik.
Where is Malik?
"Time to put an end to this, don't you think?" Kek smirks, red outlining all of his teeth, delving in the crevices.
His elbow connects with my gut, the sheer brute force of his body throwing me to the ground. I wheeze, eyes widening at the knife swinging down upon me like an axe. Metal clashes as it connects with a blade. I come out of my terrified stupor to find Afik's khepesh shaking just above my nose, Kek's blade pressing down on it with increasing force. Afika's arms are trembling violently in strain to keep Kek at bay.
Why did he save me?
No time to dwell on that. I quickly flip to one side so I'm out from under the deadly blades. Their weapons locked, both pairs of eyes are burning with bloodlust. Hatred is rampant and Afik's anger is unquenchable. Kek is high on power. He's fueled by acting out his plans that have been years in the making. Physically Kek has the advantage. He's always had that with his build. But Afika is the better fighter. He's faster and sharper.
With a burst of energy Kek uses only his right arm with the knife to throw Afika backwards into the wall. I watch in amazed horror as Afik barely manages to evade the next hit. He's panting, face pallid. Not only is he not wearing a coat in this frigid environment, he's been acting strange since I got here. Due to my own traumas over the past few days I had not realized how much weaker I am. Even when fighting Afik it didn't dawn on me. He still seemed so strong to me in my weakened state. Only now when he's facing off against Kek do I clearly see.
He's exhausted.
Kek catches him by the arm, wrenching it violently to the side. The gun goes flying from Afik's hand. The massive assassin jumps out of harm's way as Afika's khepesh grazes his chest. The arm might be broken. Afik is holding it awkwardly against his torso bent at the wrist. Kek grins, crouching down as if he were planning to tackle him.
"What's the matter? Don't tell me you wore yourself out in those little spats with Minkah's friends?" he mocks.
Afika doesn't respond to the jab, worn but poised. They've both landed blows but Kek's are more substantial. He actually managed to hold Afik for a split second and cause damage without receiving a lethal hit in return.
I dare not look away from them even though I want to see what has become of Malik. Given that Kek is here with us I fear the worst.
"I'm tired of getting interrupted. Now it's just the three of us." Beady brown eyes glint. "But let's make extra sure."
Neither Afik nor I have time to react in such a small space. There's nothing to duck behind. No means of shielding ourselves when we're up against the wall. Afika collapses following the first two gunshots. I gasp as a bullet cuts into my hand. My gun clatters to the ground. Kek is upon me, twisting the khepesh from my fingers and tossing it over his shoulder. He places his foot atop the gun, daring me to try for it. I still have the altered rifle slung over my shoulder. It's of little good here. I'd never be able to reach it without him taking action.
The khepesh is still clutched tightly in Afika's fingers. My heart skips a beat when he stirs, pulling himself up only to grimace. Blood gushes from his knees as he tries and fails to rise further. He sends Kek a fierce glare; the other assassin chuckling in response.
"Don't look at me like that, Afika. It may have been a bit underhanded, but you're not dead, are you?"
"Funny," his rival spits menacingly; direct hits to both kneecaps rendering him unable to stand. "And here I always thought you wanted to prove you were stronger than me."
He glares up at Kek who looms overhead, jagged knife ready should Afik try to use his khepesh. The mocking smirk playing upon Kek's lips does not waver as he shoves the gun into his belt. I edge away from them. There's nothing I can do here. And I'm no longer certain if I should.
This is not my fight. Just moments ago Afik was hell-bent on killing Ryou. He has a death wish for Malik and everyone else that matter to me. With an ache weighing in my chest I slink from them ever so slowly, slipping out of this a quietly as I can. I don't think Kek has noticed…
Afika recoils when Kek swings the blade at his face. I shout some inarticulate cry of protestation. Black-haired head bowed and turned away from me, I cannot see if Kek missed. Then the first crimson drop hits the floor. Afika lifts his head and my breath escapes me. A long uneven line is cut across his right cheek where the serrated edges tore the flesh away. Blood seeps from the open wound down his chin. My entire body quakes. That was no spur of the moment hit. Kek chose the right cheek to prompt a reaction from me.
"I've always been stronger than you," Kek laughs scornfully before his face hardens. " 'What's best for Apophis'," he mumbles spitefully in Arabic as if reciting a text. "That's what they always called you. You were always what was best for Apophis, weren't you?" I watch, trembling as his lifts the blade again as if to continue the pattern only Kek himself can make sense of. "Look at you now. Pathetic. You're nothing to anyone anymore. You're no use to anyone! Just a shell of what they made you out to be!"
Blood droplets fall slowly like tears from Afik's face. Kek turns to me with a grin. The lower half of his face is coated in Niu's blood, stubs of facial hair dyed darker than his skin. His teeth are a faded red. A nasty burn of some kind hides beneath the foreign blood. I hold my hand against my chest; the bullet having gone straight through my palm.
"And here I thought you wanted vengeance," he sneers, the reflection of the knife blade flashing in his eyes as he lifts it to his nose. "Don't look so spiteful. I wasn't the one who killed her, kid." He inhales heavily, gulping in the metallic odor of crimson. "Why not work on your past and work your way to present enemies, eh? That would be less confusing."
"As long as I get to slit your throat I don't care what order it falls!" I snarl at him, cursing his boot atop my gun on the floor.
"I'll give you a hint then, since you don't feel like being cooperative," he says lazily while glancing at Afik. "Her murderer is in this room."
(Dimah's POV)
I try to swallow but this only causes me to cough harshly. His fingers slacken but remain loosely around my neck; ready to constrict again should I recover. Warmth of his blood coats my front as it glides down his body. Unlike my slowing breaths he is panting heavily from the damage I inflicted with the khepesh. He's fighting it. Fighting the very essence of being human. Fighting to surpass boundaries man is incapable of but always strives to achieve.
"You'll…fail him," I hiss between clenched teeth and his fingers tighten around my neck at the treacherous words. "You will always…"
I choke on blood as it lines the inside of my throat. Droplets of red spurt from my mouth along with saliva as my reflexes struggle to clear my airway. They splatter over Afika's arm that is pinning me down like raindrops conjured from a storm.
He rips himself from my grasp, my fingers slackening. Ignoring his broken wrist, he steps away to recover the khepesh. In this sheer instant with his back turned I use my final rush of adrenaline. Unable to remain upright with my damaged leg I allow myself to fall atop him, catching his neck in the crook of my arm. We topple a mere arm's length from the ancient sword. He's left with the disadvantage of having only one functioning hand. I put all of my strength into this grip. His dilemma is whether to fight to get to the sword or try to loosen my hold before I break his neck or he suffocates.
Thin tremulous fingers reach out to the sword as he stretches his arm desperately. It's over. I knew he would make that choice. He will always choose the weapon.
"Afik!"
My body goes rigid at the familiar call. The slap of bare feet on the floor behind us… Afika's fingers close around the ivory hilt with ancient carvings.
"Afik!"
That voice…
Red explodes in front of my remaining vision.
...
See you guys next chapter! It should be MUCH quicker than last time! Conclusion to this fight is coming fast!
Please review!