Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sadly this is the last chapter that I've already written! However, thanks to the two people that reviewed so positively, and due to me re-reading this fic-I've regained interest in it! I'll definetly try to create more chapters on it alongside my other fanfic and hopefully come summer I'll be able to devote more time to them and write more! So here's the second chapter of Criss Cross My Dog Tired Heart! Enjoy!
~~~GW~~~
Chapter 2: Red Stained Glass
"Geez, and what a waste of time too. It's really too bad that old woman didn't have any more clothes ready for you eh Nill?" Bishop sighed and adjusted his black, round glasses. "Ah what a shame, you would've looked so cute-not that I could see!" The priest gushed as the mute girl tagged along behind him, her little white wings fluttering in her movements. The blonde haired man stopped in front of the double church doors and ran his hand over the door knob hesitantly.
"Actually Nill, I've got some business to see to. Why don't you go ahead in and I'll be back in an hour or so, hm?" He turned to face her and blindly noted her nod. "Good girl, I'm expecting Haine and the others for a visit soon so you shouldn't be alone for long." The angel winged girl clapped her hands together, a smile spreading across her face.
"Yes, yes-I knew that'd brighten your day. Well then, I'll be seeing you!" The priest threw a wave over his shoulder and continued down the sidewalk as Nill tugged open the heavy doors and slipped through. The inside of the church was dark with the only light filtering in from the tall stained glass windows that lined the side walls of the church. Even so, the light was weak and didn't even reach halfway down each pew. Nill's hand caught the first wooden bench on her left and from there she began feeling her way forward. Her shoes made a slight tapping noise on the wooden floor and she was halfway down the aisle when the noise changed to a faint splish and something wet slid under her fingertips. Nill froze and held her wet hand up to her adjusting eyes only to see a dark liquid smeared across her fingertips. Looking down she lifted her foot to reveal a small puddle of the stuff with a trail of spatterings leading down the aisle. Cautiously Nill crept forward, opening her eyes wide in an attempt to see better. The rows slowly fell away and as she approached the last pew the spatterings merged into little puddles until the liquid dripped off of the edge of the wooden bench. Giving the soiled pew a wide berth, she stepped into full view and froze in shock, her hands fluttering to her mute mouth.
"Damnit." Haine growled, snapping his cell phone closed. "He's not answering his cell." He informed a questioning Naoto.
"Why are you so worried?" She demanded, pulling her collar up against the chill wind whipping down the street.
"I dunno-there's just a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that him and the explosion today are related somehow."
"He's probably just doing his job now." Naoto responded unworriedly.
"Job?" Haine prompted, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"I asked him earlier to investigate something of mine but he just waved me off and said he had a job to do. I though you were in on it." She explained, watching his face closely.
"You wouldn't think it, but Badou doesn't tell me much. It's not like I'm babysitting him-besides he goes off on his own a lot…" Haine replied gruffly, watching as the first few raindrops began to fall. "He knows a lot about me…but I really don't know much about him." He continued quietly. Silence stretched between the two and they wordlessly hurried their pace as the rain began to come down in sheets. They crossed an empty intersection and set off down the sidewalk towards the sheltering church nestled halfway down the street.
A figure lay facedown, stretched across the wooden pew, perfectly still except for the slightest fluttering of their side as they breathed. The dimming light from one tall window fell across the figure and glinted off of a twisted metal shard that jutted from a bloodied leg. That's what the dark liquid was…blood. It pooled on the bench and dripped over the side, shining like red jewels in the light. The figure was a young man, long limbs draped idly on the pew, their jacket raised slightly to reveal two guns at their waist. What shocked Nill the most though, was the curtain of familiar blood red hair that hung shielding his face from her view.
Badou! The angel-winged girl thought and kneeled beside the pew, frantically shaking his listless arm as a wetness seeped into the front of her dress.
The rain poured down on their heads, seeping into their clothing and successfully soaking them thoroughly. The two slowed their mad dash and skidded to a stop in front of the church doors. Haine's hand wrapped around the wrought handle and he paused, noticing a bit of red on the door frame that was quickly being washed away.
"What are you doing? Hurry up! I'm soaked and it's freezing!" Naoto snapped and he tugged the door open, fingers reaching for the hilt of his gun.
"Shh-something's not right…" He muttered to her as they slipped inside the eerily quiet church.
"What is it?" Naoto whispered back, hand resting readily on the hilt of her sword. Haine shook his head causing wet strands of hair to stick to his face. He held a finger to his lips, wondering if she could see it and willing his own eyes to adjust to the gloomy light, as a faint rustle came from the front of the church.
"Nill?" He called into the darkness while drawing his gun.
"She's mute genius-how's she supposed to answer?" Naoto hissed in his ear.
"Will you shut up!" He whispered back as a very noticeable rustle sound answered his call. A frantic slap-slapping noise erupted from the front of the church like someone was smacking one of the wooden benches with their bare hands. Suddenly Naoto grabbed his shoulder, causing Haine to jump and turn towards her.
"What?" He growled, following her downward pointing finger to the trail of blood dotting the floor along the aisle.
"Nill! Bishop?" Haine called louder, gun at the ready as his worries that something was wrong became affirmed. "Bishop?" No that was stupid. If the blind priest were here he'd have answered by now-unless…unless the blood was his! That couldn't be it either though. Like him, Bishop could heal-he'd be fine by now. Was it Nill's blood? She couldn't call for help-was she lying in the darkness somewhere bleeding? New determination arose in him as he thought of the angel-winged girl hurt and he purposefully crept forward with Naoto backing him up. The two were midway down the main aisle, the blood pools beginning to grow larger, when a sudden rustle from in front of them caused both to halt in their steps, and Haine felt his heart freeze as Nill staggered into sight-blood soaking the front of her dress and tears streaming down her face.
~~~GW~~~
Author's Note: Wow! I just realized what a cliffhanger I left everyone with! Lmao, err-sorry 'bout that! Aha. Anyways, please REVIEW! It really motivates me and hopefully I'll find time ta write some more for this! It really makes me annoyed that Dogs isn't that popular. Hopefully the release of the Dogs anime will bring it some of the attention it deserves!