Hey you all! It's Alito here, and I gotta tell ya, college life is some hard work. I really am exausted. But because of college, writting fanfic is getting harder to do with not much time and exaustion. But now I'm back home and stuff, but I'm even more distracted because of my younger brother catching food poisoning (poor little seven year old) and I've got that on my mind. Sorry I'm taking so long though.
But my brother will be fine, he's a tough kid and he'll pull through.
Now ythen, enough into my personal life, here we go!
Disclaimer; I own NOTHING
Chapter Eight: carnivore's battle; A lost love
The orange mist ahead felt as though it was getting closer and closer to being unable to see the city it consumed from where the two Mercer Sekirei were sitting. Yashima sat at the exact spot Alex jumped from, while Kazehana paced back and forth impatiently for her Ashikabi to return.
"He's been in there for quite some time." Yashima noted with worry. "Do you…do you think something happened to him?"
"I doubt it. Mercer-chan's a pretty tough guy." Kazehana said with an assuring smile. But that smile quickly turned into a look of actual concern. "But what worries me is that he went into the orange mist without us…meaning whatever's in there must be very dangerous. Plus you saw the look he had when he said he was trying to protect us."
Yashima remembered the look well and saw that it was indeed a look of concern for them. She then thought maybe it really was something beyond their ability to handle. Meanwhile, Kazehana was too concerned for Mercer. She was never legitimately worried for many people, but when it came to her Ashikabi and new interest, she felt like a mother worried for her child.
Finally enough was enough. Yashima quickly stood up, while Kazehana strolled to the edge of the building with her.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" The raven haired Sekirei smirked.
The brown haired younger Sekirei nodded with a stern expression. "Yes. We must see if Mercer-sama is okay. As his Sekirei, we have to keep him safe too."
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Kazehana nodded as well.
The two then leaped from the building on to another and continued on to the fogged up city, in search for the one they care the most for.
XXX
All that could be heard throughout was the sound of the moans and groans of the infected beings who only knew by instinct, to hunt. But even amongst the killing and eating of the dead human bodies, there was another sound that echoed through the concrete jungle of death that the fog covered…metal. And not just metal in fact, but metal that was harshly slamming at each other with brutal intent to reduce each other to nothing.
The infected that cluttered the streets were being hacked to pieces and dismembered, all while these two metals were clashing with one another. The metals being a katana against a large mass of a blade; both being held by the top of their respectable food chains.
Karasuba and Mercer both ran down the street as their blades clashed with rapid speed and danger. But even as they constantly clashed blades, their carnivorous toothy grins never left their lips. Both were too busy enjoying the complete carnage that they were causing and felt too alive to let the high go to waste.
Both finally stopped with a heavy halt and charged right into each other! Both their blades clashed harshly with neither of them holding back anything at all. Sparks flew with every hit, and even then, their grins of blood thirsty lust were frozen as their expressions.
They jumped back as Mercer turned his giant blade into his claws, and ran at Karasuba with swift speed! He then slashed and swung his giant claws at the grey haired swordswoman who blocked all of his attacks and was swinging and hacking with her nodachi as well! The two were in a void of slashes as the very air began to form a spiral around them with each attack they did! Finally the void exploded into a gust of powerful wind at the last clash of their respective weapons as glass and even cars were being blown away like toys!
Both then held their blades in a heavy clash that caused the very ground to crumble below them.
"I can't lie. This is actually the most fun I've had in ages!" Karasuba said with a sinister grin. "You certainly know how to use that blade of yours."
"You're not so bad yourself." Alex said, sharing her sentiments with a twisted grin as well. "But even so, I don't expect you to last very long against me. So either join me in my goal, or be lunch to these Infected. The choice is yours."
"Interesting." Karasuba said, "And what, pray tell, is your goal?"
"Well judging from that coat of yours, you're probably not gonna like this one." Mercer replied, "I'm gonna kill your boss."
"Oh. Is that it? I could care less about that swine." Karasuba almost snickered. "Even if he ends up dying, I couldn't give two shits. All I want to do is fight powerful people and watch their blood paint the streets."
"You really are a crude person, aren't you?" Alex said sardonically.
"Takes one to know one." The two finally jumped away from one another, getting a few steps of distance from one another. "But before we continue on with this blood-induced battle, I would like to know what personal issues do you even have with Minaka?"
"He's annoying, he's putting millions of lives at risk with this mist, and he's bat shit crazy." Alex said, turning his claws into his giant massive blade and holding his arm blade on his shoulder. "Plus my walls gathering dust. It needs some decapitated heads to liven up the room a bit."
"Amusing." Karasuba humored. She then stared deathly at Alex, and pointed her long nodachi right at the hooded man. "But since I actually work for the fucking loon, I can't allow you to do whatever you want. If you really want to kill Minaka, then you'll first have to get through me to do it."
"Going through you isn't gonna be an issue then." Mercer grinned as he let his giant blade's tip hit the ground with an echoing sound. "Not even your best blade will protect you from me."
The two then ran at each other in full stride, clashing blades with one another in a fierce rapid battle of pure skill and bloodlust. Little did they know however, that they were currently being watched in the mist of their battle.
XXX
Perched at the top of one of the buildings was a spy who happened to be filming the two vicious fighters below with his customized video camera that had a focused lens on it.
"Are you picking this up, Higa?" Said Cross into his communicator on his ear.
"Yes. I see it all too clearly." Higa answered from the communicator. "It's like watching to wild carnivores killing each other off for dominance over the pride lands. How amusing."
"That's Mercer for ya." Cross said in remembrance. "He always was a carnivore by heart. I almost feel bad for this grey haired sword woman. She has no idea that Mercer's just playin' with her."
"I say let him have his fun." Higa said, "It certainly makes this fight rather enjoyable. And if he really is as strong as you say he is, I'm sure he'll be able to defeat Minaka without question."
"Not if that Heller man still roams." The ex-Black Light general said.
"Heller? Ah, yes. Minaka's lap dog. I wouldn't worry too much about him though. I'm sure Minaka's going to be in for a big surprise in a little while."
"Ah, you mean that spy you sent into Minaka's lab to discover his plans with Heller's wife." Cross remembered, while keeping an eye on the two fighting below, "Then you dressed him up as Blacklight so Heller can consume him and discover Minaka's true plans." Robert snorted with laughter and said, "You're one sick fuck."
"Sometimes with this job, you have to be a sick fuck."
XXX
"Hey! Slow down, damnit!"
No matter how loud she called for her dark skinned Ashikabi, he had no intentions of slowing down one bit. Every landing was hard and crumbling, while every leap was hard and left a crumbling mess.
"You know he's not gonna listen to you." Haihane told her pink haired companion. "He's definitely pissed and all he sees right now is red."
"Yeah, I can see that much, Haihane!" Benitsubasa exclaimed, "But we shouldn't be wasting time on Minaka, we should go find and kill Alex Mercer as revenge for Natsuo's death! I mean that's so much more important than some anger problem with Minaka!"
"Would you shut up for once?-!" Heller yelled back, "I got a lot more important things to be dealin' with right now then to hear some loud mouth brat yellin' in my ear!"
"Who're you calling a brat?-!" Benitsubasa shouted, "I happen to almost be an adult!"
"Hard to tell sometimes, Ms. Washboard boobs." Haihane snickered.
"Fuck off, Haihane!" Benitsubasa shrieked. "And anyway, why is going after Minaka now extremely important anyway?-!"
"Look! You don't have to follow me, Y'know!" Heller told the pink haired Sekirei, "You two can stay put or somethin' for all I care, while I go and rip that white suited asshole a new one! The choice is yours."
Benitsubasa stayed silent for a few seconds to think it over. She knew that she probably couldn't defeat Alex Mercer on her own. If his Sekirei were strong, then obviously he must be two times their level. She needed Heller, otherwise she'd get slaughtered.
"Ugh, Fine! Whatever!" Benitsubasa scoffed. "I don't even care about that white haired idiot anymore anyway, so him being dead makes no difference to me!"
"I guess you're stuck with us then." Haihane said dully, "Hope that's not a problem."
"Not at all." Heller said with a smirk, "The more the merrier!"
"Then I suggest we take care of those!"
Benitsubasa pointed at what was hovering over the sky. They were heavy armed helicopters that were ready to kill them the second they appeared in their sights!
"Shit!" Heller hissed.
"No sweat! Leave that to us!" Benitsubasa called as she and Haihane took the lead and leaped high into the air at the two helicopters!
Haihane's arms became smaller versions of Heller's red veined claws as she jabbed the blades right into the helicopter's window and ripped through its roof, letting the parts all fly off it and her cleaving through it like paper. Finally she reached the back propellers and grabbed it by the tail, just to whirl it around, hearing the sounds of the screaming Blackwatch men, and threw far into the distance! It then crashed to the ground in a fiery explosion as Haihane landed on her feet to the roof where Heller stood.
Benitsubasa had faced the Helicopter head on as her small fist turned into giant hammerfist that resembled Heller's but were a bit smaller. She battle cried as she slammed her giant fist right into in helicopter! But from there she jumped to the tail of it and threw it over her head to the ground! But before it hit the ground, Benitsubasa soared at it at top speed with her fist out and punch right through it, letting it exploded and fall in fire as she landed by Heller and Haihane as well.
"Wow…! This…! This is…really something!" Haihane said in amazement at her new claws.
"I can feel the power coursing through me!" Benitsubasa said with a grin on her face as she clenched her hammerfist tighter. "I feel like I can kick anybody's ass! No matter who they are!"
"Heh, not bad." Heller snorted with a smirk and his arms crossed. "But…"
Heller then turned his arms into his tendril arms and extended it to one of the last helicopters and soared into the air at it at top speed. He then made his arm turn into his giant blade and with it; he cleaved right through the helicopter! From there he soared at it again and turned his arms into his claws to slice through it once more! And finally he turned his arms into the tendrils once more to extend them at the remains of the chopper, but suddenly the organ like steams shot from the helicopter and attracted different things from garbage dumpsters, large trucks, and even the remains of the other choppers.
Heller finally landed with his arms back to normal and the items all crashing into the helicopter with a large explosion. "…You still got a lot to learn."
Both stood dumb-founded at Heller's skill. He certainly was their Ashikabi for a reason. Even so, Benitsubasa regained her composure and scoffed pompously. "W-Whatever! I could've done something like that too."
"Psh, Yeah, sure." Heller smirked.
"Shut up, I could have!" Benitsubasa exclaimed.
Heller chuckled as he ruffled the pink haired girl's head like a father would their child. "Yeah, yeah. Maybe next time, aaite?"
Benitsubasa could see Heller smiling with an honest smile for the first time ever, and couldn't help but let her cheeks burn up at the very sight of it. She then broke eye contact and got his large hand off her head as she scoffed with a Tsundere-like tone. "W-Whatever! It wasn't like I was trying to impress you or anything…"
"Too bad you lack style and actual power to do it though." Haihane snickered, "Maybe you can't do it because of your—"
"I swear, if you say ANYTHING about my breast, I'll slam your face in!" The pink haired Sekirei warned.
Haihane stayed silent for a few seconds before finally mumbling, "…small boobs."
"YOU'RE SO DEAD!-!"
"Later. Right now we got other shit to deal with." Heller ordered as he looked afar at Minaka's clock tower which was only a few building jumps away from feeling Heller's large blade. "And once Minaka's turned into mince meat, then we go after Mercer."
"Alright then, let's get it started!" Benitsubasa said, fired up and ready to go.
"I just hope this won't last long." Haihane said with a small smile, "I've got a show coming on soon and I don't wanna miss it."
"Well we can't let that happen now can we?" Heller smirked.
XXX
Minaka stood in his normal spot, over-looking the city and easily spotting the black skinned virus man with his two red clad Sekirei following behind from afar. Just as Minaka had anticipated. And with only him, no one will be able to stop him in claiming Minaka's head.
"Here he comes." Minaka said. "Why don't you go and greet him. After all, it's been quite a long time since you've seen him."
"Yes…it has…"
This mysterious voice then leaped from the building, and was high in the air, off to confront Heller from attacking the clock tower.
"Heh heh heh, this will be interesting to watch." Minaka grinned.
XXX
Heller and his Sekirei were just about at the tower and were ready to charge head on at it, until something came shooting at Heller out of nowhere! Heller instinctively activated his giant spiked wall of a shield to take the full assault of the attack that came at him! It felt like a large hammering strike that was a one hit kill!
Once the attack halted, Heller dismissed his shield and transformed his arm into his giant cleaving blade once again, ready for whoever it was that attacked him!
"What was that?" Benitsubasa questioned as she and Haihane got ready to fight.
However, it turned out the one who attacked had just landed to the ground in front of all three of them and stood back up. This new enemy was dressed in an all black jumpsuit and a grey jacket over the jump suit.
"No problem. It's just a woman." Haihane confirmed.
"Then let's kill her and go on!" Benitsubasa smirked as she was about to charge in after her.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!-!"
The pink haired Sekirei came to a startling halt at the loud yell of her Ashikabi's order! She then looked back at James to find that…he was trembling? Not of fear, but of something else…something deeper than that.
Heller's eyes were held in shock along with him sweating profusely at this new female enemy whose arms turned out to be red vine like weapons just as Heller's red veined arms were but hers were the equivalent to spiked balls on chains but black light styled.
"No…Can it be…?" James breathed as he slowly edged his way to the woman. She was just as he remembered her to be; her hair kept in long black braids, her skin being a fair mocha chocolate tone, her eyes a dark brown color, and her beauty as radiant as he last saw her…alive that is.
"C-Co…Collette?"
Collette simply stared at Heller with a stern expression, before she whirled her chain armed mace at him and it quickly slammed right into Heller's side and sent him right into another building with a brutal crash!
"Heller!" Benitsubasa called. She then turned back to Collette and said angrily, "Alright, you asked for this!"
"No! Don't fight her!"
They all looked back over at Heller who broke himself free from the building and stood before Collette while the two Sekirei stood behind him. "I'll handle her. Besides, it looks like Blackwatch isn't gonna let us all get away that easily."
They were about to question what he meant, however their questions were answered at the coming sound of helicopters approaching them in platoons from afar. They knew that that many guns on them would be a hassle to deal with.
"Okay, we'll take care of the choppers over there, you be careful with this woman, okay?" Benitsubasa said with a slight worried tone mixed with her hot-head tone. "A-And…Just don't die!" She then leaped from the building with Haihane joining her as they ran off to deal with the coming helicopters in the distance.
Heller stood before the infected Collette as the two circled one another silently and slowly. Both kept are sharp eye on each other, not letting the other out of their sights for a second, both holding stern and focused expressions on their face.
"Jimmy…"
Heller felt himself tense up at the sudden mention of Collette's nickname for him.
"…Jimmy, I don't want to fight you…But I...I just have to."
"Why? You don't have to do this, baby." Heller almost begged while still holding his serious expression. "Just leave MBI, and come with me. We could go back to the way it use to—"
"—No…No we can't…" Collette said solemnly. "Look at me, Jimmy…look at what I've become…I'm a monster."
"No, you're not. You're not like those monsters, you're different." Heller insisted.
"Jimmy, please—"
"—You're not a monster!" Heller raised his voice. "You're Collette. The woman who I loved! The woman who I married! The woman who I had a healthy beautiful daughter with!"
Collette looked at Heller with such a pained expression that she felt her heart twist. She struggled to keep her sadness in and finally looked away from Heller's gaze. "Please…don't."
She then charged at Heller as she retracted her mace chains into spiked fist to punch with! Heller held his giant blade at the ready as Collette slammed her giant spiked fist right into the giant blade, creating a small rumble from impact!
"Collette, stop!" Heller called out. "You gotta stop this!"
"I can't!" Collette called back sadly, "I don't have any control of my body!"
"Yes, you do!" Heller exclaimed, "You just have to fight it! Fight this virus! You can do it!"
"I'm sorry Jimmy…but…you'll have to kill me."
The two separated from one another and got distance to scope each other out, however James wasn't focused on fighting, but more so trying to realize what Collette had just suggested to him. "W-What?"
"Please Jimmy…I-I don't want this…I don't wanna be a monster that has to fight you…I don't want to end up hurting innocent people…I just want to stay dead…"
"No…No…no, no, NO!" Heller yelled, "Don't make me do this! Don't you make me do this, Collette!" He turned his giant blade of an arm back into his regular arm and slowly walked to Collette. "I lost you once, and I'm not gonna lose you again! I miss you, baby! Maya misses you! Your mother, you father, everyone misses you!"
"James, stay away!" Collette yelled desperately as she instinctively shot one of her spiked ball arms at him, but Heller stepped out of the way of it and let it hit the ground behind him.
"I don't care if you're a Blacklight holder now, so am I. I can help you to control your powers." James said calmly, "I can help you to figure out around this."
"No! Stay away!" She warned as she shot her other spiked ball arm at him, only for it to swoop right past him and land behind him.
"Please…I can kill giant monsters, destroy helicopters, and even destroy warships…" James finally got close enough to Collette that he was able to place his hands on her shoulders and looked her deeply in the eyes with pure honesty, "…But I will never ever…have the power to lay a hand on you."
Collette stared deeply into her past husband's eyes to see the honest truth that he spoke. He truly did want to help her. He was just like he use to be back then…he was still her husband.
"Jimmy…Look out!"
Collette's fist began to vibrate and came shooting right back in to her arms, but the fist had merged into a long blade that was coming right for Heller's head! Heller didn't budge at all, and didn't say a single thing…
All he could do was turn his arms in to his tendril arms…and thrust them deep into her gut.
The blade stopped just as it was about to cleave Heller and quickly fell to the ground. Heller looked back at his wife to find her gasping for air as the tendril's covered her stomach. However, he did it in a very slow manner that was enough to give her some time before she was truly gone.
"J-James…" Collette gasped.
"Shhh, I-it's alright baby." James said with sorrow in his voice. "I gotcha. Just…just give it time, okay?"
"O-Okay…" Collette breathed as she began to slowly drop to her knees along with Heller. The two looked each other deeply in the eyes, as Heller began to consume her.
She slowly rested her head onto his chest and closed her eyes, while Heller let his other arm wrap around her…
"Jimmy…Tell me…how Maya's doing?" Collette uttered.
"She's doin' good…" James said with a hitch in his voice. "Sh-She's makin' good grades at school…she's even got some new friends…"
"That's…good…Did you make sure…she brushes her teeth every night…? You always did…let her get away…with eating snacks…" She smiled.
"Every night…" Heller said with tears slowly welding up.
"Oh…and…did you take her…on the roller coaster…like she wanted?"
"Of course…every weekend…" Heller sniffed, "We go there…eat cotton candy…and even ride all the rides…till it got dark…"
"That's good…Ugh!" The tendrils were finally forming into her main body as she could feel her organs catch fire. "I-It's time…"
"Yeah…I-I kn…I know…" Heller sobbed, "I…I'm sorry, baby…I thought…I thought I could…I could make it all right again…we could be a family…we could be together again…j-just you know…"
"I know…but listen Jimmy…"
Collette, with the last of her energy, and her arms returning to normal once more, she placed a hand on the crying Heller's cheek and Heller's eyes, though filled with tears, stared into his wife's eye to see her smiling teary eyed face one last time.
"Please…take care of Maya…and remember…I may not…be with you physically…but…in some way…I'll always be with you…remember that…Jimmy…rem…rememb…er…"
Finally the tendrils had consumed all it could consume as her body faded into red mist that suddenly fluttered away into the sky.
Heller's arms returned to normal, as he now sat there, alone with no will to even stand back up anymore…The wind suddenly increased as a picture that was held in his jacket flew out and fell to the ground.
Heller saw it and tried to reach for it, only for it to flutter in the wind as he was about to even touch it. He then crawled for it but every time he got close enough it would go away from him…
However, it finally stopped once a boot stepped on it to prevent it from flying away.
Heller looked up to see two people standing before him, the two being Haihane and Benitsubasa, who's foot was on the photo. She bent over to get it from under her boot and got a good look at the picture herself.
"Y'know…Before she became…what she became…I thought she was just…evil…but in this picture…" Benitsubasa said with an honest smile. "…she seems like…a really great woman…"
Heller had taken in the pink haired Sekirei's compliment and lowered his head in remembrance of all the time he and Collette had been together. From the dinner parties, the get-togethers, her pregnancy, the arguments, their make-ups, Maya being born, all of it…replaying in his mind…locked in to his very soul forever more.
"Yeah…she is." Heller nodded, wiping his eyes for the last time. He stood back up on his feet and took the picture that Benitsubasa offered him back. He took a few seconds to really look at it again…the happy faces of him, Collette and Maya…a form of peace in all this sorrow.
He then placed it in his pocket and clenched his fist tightly. His eyes turned into burning passion and great anger as he stared at the clock tower from afar.
"Minaka…!"
XXX
Minaka stood proudly as his white hair flowed in the wind along with his cape. His grin growing ever wider as he saw before him just what he wanted from this battle.
Yes…! Come to me!" He offered his hand out and soon enough a red mist had appeared in his hand. It turned out to be the same mist that came out of Collette at that moment as it swirled in his hand and solidified into a round ball.
"Finally…!" Minaka said with a toothy sinister grin, "I now have the powers of a god…and soon, I will have two more…Mercer…and him."