Chapter 7
Shards of the Heart
You know the drill; I didn't create Gungrave or its characters except for Zen and Aki. Here goes:
"Jolice!" Kenny whimpered as they ran. "Who the hell would've done something like that!"
"Just shut up and run!" Harry yelled. Zen ran, if she didn't, well, it wouldn't have ended well for her. Aki had said something about reporting this to her boss and said she would find them later.
"Here!" Harry took an unknown route into the sewers, the only safe place left to hide. Kenny and Nathan huddled together for warmth in the dark, dank place that would be 'home' for a while to come. Zen was numb, yet angry beyond words. She still clutched the cigarette butt for dear life in her hands, even knowing that it wouldn't bring him back.
With Aki:
She ran. Her favorite black pants (she wore them all the time.) were drenched and made it uncomfortable. Jolice, Jolice…Jolice! She thought over and over again. But, those sweet eyes she would never see light up again… She shook her head; she didn't need another psychotic episode to occur, not now. She barely remembered being twelve and couldn't afford to let that happen now.
A black car drove up swiftly beside her, the backseat window revealed a stern-looking Bear Walken. He raised an eyebrow.
"Need a lift?" It was more of a statement than a question. She slipped in beside him and explained everything. He nodded. She fell silent.
Now, what? She thought, gazing indifferently through the window of the tacky black car, out at the pouring rain. It didn't end…nothing ever did. This one death affected them like no other had. Of course, all other deaths had been people they were never really close to.
So why should their loss matter? The others' deaths hadn't. It reminded her of what a character from Final Fantasy VII said, a flower-girl named Aeris. 'Dilly Dally, Shilly Shally.' Life is passing us by. At least, that's what she got out of it.
Back with Zen and the guys:
Harry had been gone a while, hopefully he would bring back something to eat this time before she ate both Kenny and Nathan for whining. He came back alright, shot and bloody as hell. He soon fell unconscious.
"Christ, Harry…" Zen muttered bitterly. Brandon watched him breathe, hoping that that would be enough to keep his friend alive. "Relax; he'll be fine, okay?" She settled back on her heels to wait.
Brandon left for a time. Zen was worried and her stomach had a knot in it she just couldn't shake. Where the hell is he? Even if he went to see Maria…No, I have to trust him. But, Mad Dog is still out there. That made up her mind for her. Mad Dog was out there and she would find him. Harry awoke at her sudden movement and got up just as quickly, straining the bullet wound in his side.
He merely nodded and they all took off running for the exit, and Maria's home.
Aki (again…):
Aki raced her XK8 red Jaguar onto the freeway and raced for the slums of Billion. Hang on Zen…I don't know what good I'll be but, I'll protect you as best I can. A voice she hadn't heard from in a while spoke.
'You think you can stop Mad Dog, Aki? My foolish girl. How do you expect to do that? You couldn't stop Max from being killed, this will be no different.'
Yami… Aki thought back to her. I don't have time for you right now. Shutting the voice form her thoughts she raced for her best friends' life.
Zen (Last time, I promise.):
"Brandon!" Harry yelled. Brandon lay sprawled on the asphalt near Uncle Chester's body.
"You're in luck, Harry. I was just about to torture him until he told me where you were. But, here you all are." Mad Dog held a .44 Magnum gun with a two and a half inch barrel. It was pointed straight at Brandon's chest. Nathan and Kenny held Zen back while Harry stepped forward to try and talk things through with Mad Dog.
"I'm very sorry for the trouble we have caused your brother, it was my fault. Please, forgive me. It won't happen again." Harry gave a partial bow.
"Hmm. No good." Mad Dog shot Brandon in the arm.
"Brandon! Shit! You bastard!" Harry hollered.
"It's called family honor, though you bratty kids would-" Headlights blinded him momentarily as a Jaguar ripped around the corner. It barely stopped before Aki was out of it and her own gun pointed straight at him.
"Mad Dog! Surrender now or I'll else-ah!" She was cut short as a bullet bit its way deep into her shoulder, deadly near her heart. That was it for Zen. She fought free of her friends and sprinted towards Mad Dog, murder on her mind.
Nathan moved swiftly after her. "Kenny, give me your gun!" He snatched it. "Mad Dog! Die you murdering bastard!" Surprise lit Mad Dog's eyes. click Nathan looked horrified. "This is just a toy…?"
"Stupid. Real stupid." Side stepping Zen's kick, he shot Nathan and Kenny without mercy. Zen's cry was that of a wounded animal as she struck Mad Dog, hard, across the face. "I've got no problems fighting a woman." He shot Zen as well, but with her quick speed, it got her leg instead.
"Mad Dog Ladd, I presume?" Another car had shown up, and a man who must have been a heart throb in his day, stood over Uncle Chester. "This was a good friend of Big Daddy; he's not going to be happy about this." Out of respect, he closed Chester's eyes. He glanced at Aki and made an almost invisible face of anger before it vanished.
"I have my orders-" The man began.
"So do I."
"Are you going to talk?"
"We're men of the same job, would you if you were me?"
"…No, I wouldn't."
"Then you understand why I can't." Mad Dog tensed. "At least let me choose my place to die!" He leapt into action, firing at the man in black. Bullets cut through the rain even as it poured down. The man in black fired his own shots, hitting Mad Dog twice in the chest. He dropped to his knees rather ungracefully.
"Here," The gun landed at Brandon and Harry's feet with a click. "Take revenge for your friends." Zen, who had been forgotten up until now, leapt for the gun the same time Mad Dog did. But he was dead before he fell. Zen landed, hard, on her side, glaring at the man who stood so calmly with the smoking gun.
"Get a cleanup squad in here," He said to his subordinate.
"Yes, sir, Mr. Walken."
The man known as Walken, strode by the only three friends left alive. "Bunch of stupid, helpless brats." He muttered.
"Oh, spare me." Zen snapped from her place on the ground. This managed to get his attention. He merely analyzed her from behind his emotionless mask. "Do you honestly expect us to thank you? What are we worth anyway? Why did you even do it?"
"Uh, guys?" Aki called weakly, she was bleeding out on the street.
"We're just street scum, we don't mean anything to you. We're so far below you. You expect a favor in return?" Zen's temper flared viciously at this man, who knew nothing about them or their problems.
"I didn't do it for you." He replied calmly.
"Oh, of course. You did it for your boss. But, you're rich. You can have anything you want and you'll always get it. So what do you want?"
"…Guys?" Aki whimpered.
"Who said I wanted something out of you? Take what's given without complaint if it suits your purpose."
"But, you always want something in return. That's the way it works." She declared matter-of-factly. "But we have nothing to give you, so what will it be? All we have now is us. Plus, three-" Aki collapsed on the asphalt. "Make that four corpses."
"Grow up." He picked Aki up gently despite his gruff exterior and made his way back to his showy car. They drove off into the rain.
"…Shit." She hissed. Both Harry and Zen helped Brandon back to the sewer to patch up Brandon's wound and gather their wits as best as possible. After both men were asleep, Zen stayed awake, thinking about everything.
What to do, what to do? She thought, half insane. Where did it all go wrong? Aki is probably dead, too. Where did the problems start? An ugly mug dared show its face in her mind. Deed. This all started with him. Time to get even.
I am so sorry for the delay! I hope you guys still like it and are reading it! We still have a long way to go! Please stay tuned! begs on knees I will update a lot more once school is over, I promise! Thank you all so much! I miss Jolice, Kenny, and Nathan! A lot!
