So this is the last installment and I hope all of you guys like it!
Ticking Time and Saviors
With final sounding SNAP! the rope gave under the sharp glass, covered with crimson blood as crude, ragged cuts covered Riza's hands as her unprotected hands gripped the glass even tighter and began to saw at Nanao's bonds. Time was of the essence, there was not a second to spare.
Rushing around town, Roy and Shunsui were completely stumped on where to begin. Unfortunately they had no idea where to start. Their depression returning as they sat there with no Ukitake or Maes to urge them on. Glancing at the watch that wrapped around his wrist, Roy's eyes nearly bugged out. It was nearly 7 o' clock, they had 5 hours to gather the million.
By the time the money was collected, the last strand of rope had already been broken and all that was left were Nanao's wire frames, shattered glass, and torn pieces of rope laying on the concrete floor. Standing at the doorway they began to wander the long hallways for the exit, watching warily for their foes.
The clock was ticking for both parties as midnight came closer and the labyrinth that Nanao and Riza were in seemed to only lead them in circles. The black haired man with the eye patch looked in on the room to find that they were gone.
A smirk slowly stretched across his face instead of the expected fury that should've burned in his eyes.
"Aizen! They escaped. Now we can test the traps on them." Aizen smiled, his cruel brown eyes began to stare at the screens which were wired to cameras in the maze that the now endangered girls had stumbled into.
"Good. Bradley, we will soon become rich men."
It was now 10 and with only two hours the males began to pace once more, their heads wandering once again. Comically they had begun to create holes where they walked, by the time they had finished their insistent pacing the holes were nearly three feet deep.
"ARGH!" Screamed out Shunsui and Roy ready to bolt off to the warehouses to start searching for those kidnapping *censored*.
Bright flames danced, inches from their skin while Riza and Nanao edged carefully past them. A sigh of relief passed their lips. Already they had encountered arrows, a crocodile, and now a nearly impossible maze of flames.
"Who needs guards when you have deadly traps." Nanao darkly muttered. Riza nodded, in too foul a mood to reply. Suddenly with a rush of wind, sickly sweet smoke began to fill the room. Diving to the ground Nanao tore her shirt and covered her lower face with it to protect her from as much smoke inhalation as possible. Gesturing for Riza to do the same they managed to crawl out of the poisonous smoke.
"What's next?" Groaned Riza.
The chimes of the clock were heard all across the land as Shunsui and Roy skidded to a stop at the warehouses. The twelfth chime had just faded when the doors were slammed open by two angry men. Inside they expected the two men to be in there. Instead there were a set of doors that led down into darkness.
Creeping slowly down those steps, their minds more rational in the dark, their eyes searched constantly for a flash of topaz or sapphire. Creeping down the hallway the two men were greeted by smoke and a pile of rocks sitting just at the edge of that thick smoke. Bending down Roy wordlessly gripped a rock. It was smeared with bright red.
They dug into the sharp stones as bit by bit two bodies were revealed. They looked as if they were sleeping except they were covered in scrapes, cuts dark bruises were starting to form on their pale skin, and the deep gash . Cradling their bodies the two men began to walk back to the staircase only to be greeted by the two who had set their whole world upside down.
Setting the girls on the floor the men slowly turned back to face the two men; no…monsters that had kidnapped their beloved assistant's. The same oozing, oily voice came out from Aizen as a confident smirk spread across his face.
"Do you have the money?" Glares were all that met their "request."
"Oh. What a pity, must we do things the hard way?" Sighing Aizen quickly leaped down and faced off with Shunsui. Bradley silently following him, drawing the two blades which hung at his waist.
Flesh met flesh as Shunsui and Aizen fought back and forth their fists and feet jabbing out only to be blocked. Dodging all of his slashes and jabs, Roy kept himself from feeling the sharp steel that had yet to be imbedded in his gut.
Hazy eyes flicked open as Nanao woke to the grunting of men; her dull amethyst eyes watched them fight back and forth, uncomprehending until a groan of pain came out of Shunsui's mouth. Her eyes snapped to attention as Aizen took a lucky strike.
She leapt to unsteady feet to help the man as he clutched his stomach and his eyes took on a serious glint. Nanao leaped into the fray, her mind, clouded. Riza had managed to run back through the deactivated maze into control room to find her guns sitting on a table. A smirk on her pale face, Riza began to run as quickly as she could back to the battle field.
During the duel between them, Nanao had cleared her head somewhat and now was slowing circling around to face the back of Aizen. Hesitating only a minute, Nanao launched forward and swept his legs out as Shunsui took advantage of this distraction to pin the tall man down.
Narrowly dodging the quick darting blade, Roy wiped thick blood that wept from the scratches that now decorated his body. Quick pants came from his heaving lungs as sweat poured down his face. Growling, Roy leapt at Bradley once more, only to narrowly miss having his head sliced off.
Something seemed to barely graze Roy's skin as Riza stood there, her gun held in front of her and as the new scratch on Roy's face began to bleed. Eyes wide, Bradley stood there with his swords hanging limply at his side. Blood now covered the front of his jacket as Aizen fell unconscious with Shunsui's fist.
With the threat gone and the adrenaline fading from their bloodstreams, Riza and Nanao collapsed, everything fading to black leaving only the faces of their bosses staring helplessly at them.
Floating. Floating in complete black, darkness, they lay there drowning in the dark, there was nothing. No sound came to echo in their ears, no current of wind swept past their grasping fingertips, and worst of all was the blackness that seemed to cover their eyes like a blindfold that let not the smallest glimmer of light in.
A breathy, quiet voice seemed to whisper, "Relax." The two seemed to sink further as the voice whispered its condolences and assurances only to broken by the voices of two frantic men. Their names seemed to hook them in drag them from shadowy depths…to break into white light.
Chocolate and onyx eyes gazed fretfully as Riza and Nanao woke, slowly with pain grabbing at them every chance it got. Bandages, a steady beeping, concerned eyes, and white…everything was white. Tears shamelessly shed as the two men looked at their two assistants' who had such a close brush with death.
After their healing they went back to their bantering, fighting, and habits. Albeit there are times when Roy and Shunsui become serious, even if only for a minute, their faces straight and unsmiling while Nanao and Riza looks on suspiciously to break through their fake mask of smiles and laughter. Things aren't exactly the same but…they are better.
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