Welcome to Chapter 15!!!
I hope all of you enjoy!!!
Sorry its been taking so long to update...I'm trying to write consecutively longer chapters...and I've done a fairly good job so far...(if I do say so myself)
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade…if I did, there would be a lot more plot, a lot less blading, Dranzer wouldn't have been destroyed and Hilary would blade too…
-x-x-x-x- (scene change)
x0x0x0x (P.O.V. or something akin to P.O.V. change)
Today, we shall start off wiiiiith..
.Max, Kai and our "friend" in the bushes!!!!!
-x-x-x-x-
Without another word to Kai, who thought that he should be in charge of the situation, Max crept stealthily towards the bushes. Kai pulled out his beyblade and readied it to launch.
'If someone is there, this should make short work of them,' he rationalized as he took his famed launching stance. Max glanced back at him, their gazes met, then both nodded in agreement, seeming to read one another's mind.
Taking a deep breath, Max pulled back a bunch of branches in one swift movement before crying out. Kai, unable to see, and thinking Max was in danger, released his blade. Spinning, Max blocker whatever or whomever was in the bushes and earned himself a fairly deep slash on the arm.
"Nani?!" Kai snapped as he recalled Dranzer to his hand. Quickly and efficiently, he tore off a scrap of his scarf and bandaged the cut. The blonde boy winced when he tied it firmly, but gently. Annoyed at his teammates' lack of communication, and that he got wounded, Kai shoved him aside (1) and looked into the bushes that had concealed a threat.
His own fiery grey eyes widened and he had to grip a nearby tree to keep himself from passing out.
x0x0x0x
(2) The suspense was killing me. I had to find out who or what was in the bushes, and I had to find out now. As far as I knew, it was whoever had been shot!
I knew if I had told Kai what I was going to do, he'd do everything to stop me, even if it meant physically restraining me. Apprehensive, I approached the bushes. Behind me, I half-heard, half-sensed Kai getting into his blade launching stance. Even though I was still pretty annoyed at him, it was good to know he had my back covered...
Fear about to override my worry for whoever might be in there, I plunged on before I completely lost my nerve, and let Kai do whatever he pleased.
Taking great care to try to hide the tremors in my hand, I gathered some branches and pulled them out of the way.
My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw what had been in the bushes. Initially, my reaction was to scream until my lungs ran out of air, but luckily, my thought process caught up with my impulse before I could act on it.
For all we knew, it could happen to us in the next few seconds...
Despite my thought process preventing me from screaming, I did still cry out. Of course, Kai, great emotional guy that he is, mistook that for a cry of alarm and launched his blade. I barely even had time to move to block it, and almost cried out again when Dranzer made a deep gash in my arm.
Gritting my teeth, I still hissed in pain. To my utter amazement, Kai tore off a piece of his scarf and bandaged my arm.
Why had he done that?
To me, it raised more questions than answers, and the fact that I had almost screamed when I saw what was in the bushes wasn't helping matters. Mastering myself the best way I knew how, I turned to Kai, an expression of forlorn confusion on my face.
"Kai, what do we do?!" I cried out, far closer to panicking than I had thought I was. My eyes searched his, and what I uncovered in his depths gave me no comfort. He was at as much a loss as I was...
-x-x-x-x-
"Well, well, well..." The man spoke as he regarded the group of teens.
Kira, who was emotionally in pieces, sat there with her eyes closed, shivering in fear. It was rare for her to loose her composure to the point where she was a quivering mass of fear, but after what had happened to her at the hands of this man, it was more than understandable.
"Ready to return to the pits of Hell," the man sneered, cocking the gun at Kira.
-x-x-x-x-
(3) 'Wake up,' a small and faint voice spoke in my head.
Shivering harder, I bit my lip and tried to remain still.
"Well, bitch?!" I could feel the hatred radiating off him in waves. Why wouldn't he hate me? I destroyed his life's work...but that doesn't justify getting Hilary and the others involved. "Of course, bitch, this time you'll have company..."
I could almost see the sneer on his face...I knew if I opened my eyes, there it would be, that sick expression of glee at frightening other human beings.
'Wake up!' The voice called more urgently. I fought harder to block it out.
"What, too afraid? The bitch afraid to die again?"
'Wake up!'
'No!' I shouted back at it mentally. It was too distracting. I couldn't focus...I couldn't do anything...
I opened my eyes a sliver and saw him leveling the gun at me from across the clearing. This is it...
'Wake up. Wake up! Wake up. Wake up! Wake up. Wake up! Wake up. Wake up! WAKE UP. WAKE UP!' The familiar voice screamed inside my head.
Almost blacking out from the pain the decibel of the voice had caused, I unsteadily lurched to my feet. A lifetime of hatred and anger came pouring from my heart as adrenaline rushed through my veins, chasing away the tremors and weakness, leaving a pleasant buzzing warmth in their place.
I narrowed my now-icy fiery grey eyes...and leapt right at the barrel of the gun.
I ignored the screams produced when it went off, and ploughed right into the man who had made what little life I had had a living hell.
"Hilary! NOW!" I shrieked as loud as I could. I heard a blade being jammed onto the launcher and a rip cord slicing through the air as it was yanked from the launcher.
"BLACK DRANZER!!!!" Hilary called, her voice shaky, but determined.
'Yessss,' I cheered mentally as I rolled away from him and ended up on my hands and knees. Everyone, save me, stared at the spot where the man had been laying. I shuddered. I was glad he was gone, but I didn't quite have a morbid enough curiosity as to look where he had last lain. 'I'm free...finally free...' I thought with a lazy smile, then immediately stopped.
I've got enough problems without people questioning my sanity...and smiling right after someone was killed, even if your prayers had been asking for him to die, was not appropriate...
I heard running footsteps, and looked up, despite my shaky limbs. I froze and vanished once I spotted the only person who could be my undoing.
I really had wanted to say good-bye to Hilary, Brooklyn and the others...
-x-x-x-x-
(4) I was still frozen with indecision when Kai started tearing his scarf to shreds.
"What are you doing," I hissed as he knelt down.
"What does it look like," he returned just as sharply. I winced when Mariam softly cried out in pain. (5) "Get down here and help!"
Gulping softly, I knelt down and started trying to tie bandages around the worst of her cuts. My eyes widened further when I saw the bullet wound in her right shoulder, and I found I was seeing my world through blurring vision.
A sharp tap to my shoulder prevented me from fainting. Not taking his eyes off what he was doing, Kai motioned for me to move away if I was going to pass out. Annoyed now, I grabbed another piece of scarf and began deftly wrapping a fairly deep scrape on her arm.
Kai gave me an eye-smirk and continued working. More annoyed at myself than him now, I scowled at him before continuing to bandage her.
I had just finished tying the final knot when another gunshot rang out.
"Hilary! NOW!" Was echoing through the forest. Kai and I exchange wide-eyed glances before he picked Mariam up and both of us raced towards the shout. The next shout shook both of us.
"BLACK DRANZER!!!!" Hilary's voice shouted. I almost froze, but reminded myself that there had been another gunshot, and someone else was probably hurt. How had Hilary gotten a hold of Black Dranzer?! I quickly shoved that question to the back of my mind, to be answered much later.
We skidded into the clearing to see BEGA and Hilary staring numbly at a huge scorch mark...one in the shape of a human body. A gun burnt almost beyond recognition lay, smoking, and still slightly red from intensive heat, on the edge of the outline. I thought I saw a girl who looked slightly familiar but when I glanced back to where she had been, she was gone.
I decided my mind was playing tricks on me.
"Hil!" I shouted and ran over to her, almost tackling her in an overenthusiastic hug. That shook her out of her stupor.
x0x0x0x
Hilary stared at the over-exuberant boy for a moment before giving him a tight hug back. That broke the stupor all the others had felt and they all shuddered before turning to identify the new comers and regroup.
"Max...?" Mystel questioned.
"Hiya Mystel," he chirped.
"What happened," Kai growled, looking around the clearing. Besides the smoldering gun and the flash-fry mark indicating someone had been just that, nothing was amiss. A silver and blue blade, slightly different from Kai's own, leapt into Hilary's outstretched hand. (6)
"...where's Kira?" Brooklyn's eyes widened as he quickly glanced around the clearing. Hilary squirmed out of Max's hold, horror on her face.
"She was shot! When she dived at that guy...where could she have gone?!" Soon Mystel, Ming Ming, Crusher, and Garland began scouring the surrounding bushes for her.
"Who's Kira," Max wondered aloud.
"The person who's saved my life about twice now," Hilary replied, distracted, as she continued to comb the nearby foliage.
"Twice?" Kai's tone had evident surprise in it. Apparently Hilary wasn't distracted enough to forget she was mad at him; she glared and narrowed her eyes before answering.
"Yeah...although I did save her once, too..."
"Zombies?" Brooklyn paused to inquire; Hilary nodded before both resumed their search.
After another hour, they all ceased and plopped down in the center of the clearing.
"I just don't get it!" Hilary grumbled as she crossed her arms huffily. "She was shot! There's no way she could get that far OR go anywhere without leaving a trail of blood!"
"There's no logical explanation for this one," Garland agreed.
"It's not like she can just disappear," Ming Ming added.
"...what did she look like," Max finally put his two cents in.
"Blonde hair with blue highlights and grey eyes," Hilary supplied immediately.
"Then apparently she can vanish into thin air...'cuz one minute I saw her, and the next she was gone," he replied.
"I'm going to the town," Kai interrupted. "Mariam needs treatment if she wants to keep that arm." Said cold Russian teen stood; he covered his surprise when all the others rose with him.
"We're coming too," Hilary informed him icily and led the way. Smothering smiles, the other teens, minus Kai, followed. Scowling, Kai picked up the rear.
-x-x-x-x-
Daichi kicked his feet as he sat on the too-big hospital chair, bored out of his mind. Well, he was more than just bored. He was worried, uncharacteristically so.
'I can't believe...why...I don't get it...' A confused jumble of thoughts and half formed ideas chased each other around inside his brain.
He could hardly believe what had happened, but after he had been questioned by the police, it all seemed so much more than just a dream. Now he knew for sure it wasn't...he had been hoping it was, even though the pinch test had failed. (7)
So here he sat, in a pure white hallway by the emergency room. Tyson and Kenny sat beside him, both also uncharacteristically silent. Both were still in shock, the paramedics theorized. After all, they had every reason to be. It isn't every day that one of your best friends tries to strangle someone inside your own home.
Daichi snuck a glance at his blue haired friend, knowing that this was hitting him a lot harder than it appeared. Not only were Max, Kai, and Hil gone, but now Rei was too. Never mind the fact that Rei was the one who had done this. Thinking of what he had done made Daichi shudder.
'Why would Rei do that?' Daichi questioned for what must have been the thousandth time that minute.
"Daichi..." A voice called him out of his thoughts. He turned to see that Kenny was the one who had addressed him. His green eyes widened when Kenny explained why Rei had done what he did.
"You mean...he was jealous?!" He half shouted. Kenny dove at him and covered his mouth.
"Shhh!" He cautioned Daichi with a finger to his lips.
"Oops..." The red head sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish and apologetic manner. "I did say that kinda loud..."
"...everyone's gone..." Tyson murmured softly, finally moving for the first time since they had sat down in the chairs hours before.
"Nuh-UH!" Daichi got right up in Tyson's face. "I'm still here and so is Kenny! We're not goin' anywhere, so snap out of it!"
Tyson's eyes widened as he blinked and stared at his beyblading partner. A weak smile danced across his face.
"You're right..." Tyson shook his head.
"'Course I am," Daichi replied huffily as he hopped back up on his seat.
"Friends of Mariah Wong?" (8) A nurse called. All three hopped to their feet and hurriedly chased after the nurse.
"Hey Daichi..." Tyson whispered.
"Yeah," Daichi muttered back.
"Thanks," Tyson mumbled.
"Anytime," Daichi told him, giving him a quick thumbs up.
-x-x-x-x-
(9) I sighed softly again as I watched them from my position in the bushes. I knew this was all for the best, but that did not prevent disappointment from welling up. I really had been hoping they would find me...
I then brightened as an idea came to me.
Maybe, just maybe, this could work for me...
A grin crept onto my face as I silently followed them through the dark forest back towards human habitation.
I frowned as the fog returned, then shrugged. It wasn't hurting me, and it was helping them, so I let it go. I would have plenty of time later to be bothered with the unnatural anomaly that was repeatedly occurring in my area of habitation.
I love big words...don't you?
-x-x-x-x-
(1)- he didn't go "FUMOFO", shove him and knock him on the ground or anything...he just kinda gave him a push you'd give a friend, so he'd be out of the way...
Oh, and he bandaged Max quickly because...well...we'll find out soon enough, won't we:snickers evilly:
(2)- sorry, but I felt the need to do that scene from Max's P.O.V...it just fits, ya know?
(3)- this is Kira's P.O.V...I felt it'd make more sense from hers than anyone else's.
That and I don't fancy anyone going "YOU HAVE A MOFOING MARY SUE!!! BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!!!" Urgh...go shove it if that's all you've to say.
(4)- still Maxie's P.O.V.!
(5)- our "evil" "friend" in the bushes was actually, Mariam, yeah...
(6)- I forget if I gave Hilary's blade a color...if I did, disregard that part ;;;
(7)- you know, people pinching themselves to find out if it hurts? Hurts-not a dream, doesn't hurt-dream. That.
(8)- chibi beyblade character plushies if anyone can tell me Mariah's last name!
(9)- Kira's P.O.V...again.
Another note: I'm wrapping up this story in the Epilogue...(a.k.a. chapter 16)
Then, with a few adjustments (and searching) I shall begin the sequel!!! Truth be told, I have three planned, but I need to finish this one, and flesh out the second before I can even finish my "plans" for the third.
Kae's note :muahahahaha: I am evil! I am all-powerful! I am-
BEING RE-LOCKED IN A CLOSET:ties her up and chucks her in...starts snickering when she hears muffled profanities:
Arin's note: OO''' well now...HEEEEY! YOU FORGOT MARIAH AND REI!!!! I WANT FLUFF!!! FLUFF I SAY, DAMN YOU!!!
OO;;; Nuh-uh:chucks her in the closet with Kae:
Immi's note :sigh: I've done nothing of consequence so far...I guess I'll help with the sequel...:ambles off:
Okay then...I'm outta muses here...oO
Hope you all liked one of the twists surrounding my OC...(to anyone who saw it coming, pat yourself on the back! Oh, and take this :throws collection of chibi blader plushies at you: )
OTHER NOTE: Chapter 16 miiiight take a while...it's going to be long...one of those monster chapters. :cackle:
BYES!
Emma