A/N. Oh. My. Puckin. Unicorns.

Because you guys know how grateful I am to you and how much I love you, I won't go on and on and on on how happy I am to be a part of FF. :) Highfive to GrimmGirlLover for being the 900th! Yaaarr! You get...four spoiler questions! (Man, I'm giving these away like hotcakes ;D) Congrats! Any four will be answered, just send me a PM! ^^

To any people who read part of last chapter, and stopped reading, but went ahead to read this anyways (why you'd do that, I have no idea): Sage is great. Sage is good. Bryant is horrible. Bryant is bad. It was Bryant who was in the car, and Sage wasn't there at all. :)
Again -I'm sorry you guys found that mean. But you guys say I should be smiley and happy, so I'll stop apologizing.

...OH! Yeah, people keep asking me how long this story will be -I promise. Less than 70 chapters. Because this is gonna end...April 24, maybe? Or May 4th (you know, I love ending things on the number four ;D). Don't worry though -you have the sequel to look forward to.

Guess how interesting my week was? So Monday, I finished watching "Okamisan and Her Seven Companions" (only 12 episodes T_T) and bought the ultimate "Mastering Manga" by Mark Crilley (am currently drawing up the SG characters -Red's my fave so far) in Miami. Then Tuesday passed by. I woke up at seven on Wednesday because my sister and I had an orthodontist check up (first time kind of thing :3) and I suddenly found out I'd get braces the next day (really surprising -I thought I'd get them in the summer). I had to wake up early AGAIN (made me really mad) to get my braces on Thursday. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt that all on that day. And today, I'm rolling around my bed, groaning that my teeth ache. Oh, and I finished watching Ouran High School Host Club in two days. (SO MANY LOVE TRIANGLES! I can't decide between Tamaki and Hikaru T_T) And right now, I'm watching Toradora. :)

What I didn't really think through was that I would become limited to certain foods. It was one of those anime moments where the character become white and they become a shell of what they used to be. It's depressing that it's hard to eat, to say the least. I was practically slurping my cornbeef and rice this morning because my teeth ache. DX

So...I've had a long week. Again. :3 Enjoy chapter 60!

Reminder: It was Bryant in chapter 59 who kidnapped Daphne-Sage is a good guy with perverted jokes, remember?

Chapter 60: Ambushed

A shiver wracked through my body as I stood in the freezing air, my jacket doing little to stop the cold from permeating throughout my body. Bryant stood a few feet away from me, his hands shoved into his pockets. He rocked on the balls of his feet, whistling quietly to himself. Off a little ways was James, looking incredibly bored and just as cold as I felt. One more other person was standing near James- the driver of the car. It seemed that Peter got his license recently –that explained why the ride was unpleasant. He caught me staring at him and he grinned. Immediately I turned my attention to the building we were standing by. Or rather, what was left of the building.

From what I could tell, it was the skeleton of a two-floor country house. However, the place looked like it had been through hell and back. The wood that was still standing was completely black and had some weird type of moss growing on it. Two sides of the house were still standing, also covered in the weird moss. Vines grew up one side of it, all the way up to the caved in roof.

Surrounding the decimated house was thick, dense forest. It disturbingly reminded me of the old warehouse we were at only a little more than a week before. A sudden gust of wind whipped my hair around my face, blocking my vision. As I raised my hand to push it away, the sound of an engine roaring came from the distance. My head turned in the direction the sound was coming from, and a moment later Mr. Firay's car entered my vision.

"Finally," Bryant complained loudly. "I was beginning to think he wouldn't show. Eh, Daphne?"

I glared at him for a moment before returning my attention back to Mr. Firay's car, which was now coming to a stop near Bryant's vehicle. I started for the car, but Bryant gruffly grabbed my elbow, pulling me efficiently to a stop. Once more I turned my narrowed eyes to him. He held me fast as Mr. Firay climbed out of the car, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.

"Good to see you!" Bryant chirped, using his free hand to wave at him. "How was the drive?"

As soon as Mr. Firay got close enough to reach me, he grabbed my arm, forcing it out of Bryant's grasp. In a blink of an eye Mr. Firay's fist was in Bryant's face. A startled gasp escaped my lips as Mr. Firay brought his fist back and punched Bryant again, this time knocking him to the ground. Bryant smirked up at Mr. Firay, wiping the edge of his mouth, which already had blood on it. Mr. Firay struck him again, using as much force as he could.

"Three," Bryant stated, not even bothering to defend himself. "Keep them coming, Matt."

"What the hell are you counting for?" Mr. Firay demanded, pausing in his assault.

Bryant's smirk grew wider. "Why don't you let James show you?"

My eyes flew open when I felt a fist connect with my jaw. I stumbled to the side, turning to gawk at James, who was approaching me menacingly. I staggered backwards, bringing a hand up to rub my sore jaw.

"Daphne!" Mr. Firay shouted, taking a step towards me. Bryant quickly clamped his hands around Mr. Firay's ankles.

"One," he commented in a casual tone, keeping a vice-like grip on Mr. Firay.

James swung towards me again. This time I ducked to avoid his fist, but he brought his other hand up, smashing it into my gut. I doubled over, gasping in surprise. Before I had the chance to straighten myself, I once again felt a blow to my face, this time sending me sprawling into the dirt.

"Three," Bryant counted off.

"Daphne!" Mr. Firay shouted again, trying to break free from Bryant's grasp.

I stayed on the ground, sucking in as much oxygen as I could. Having the wind knocked out of me twice in one day definitely wasn't good. I waited for James to hit me again, but nothing came.

"Daphne, are you okay?" Mr. Firay shouted at me.

I turned to him, struggling to push myself off the ground. "I'm fine."

Mr. Firay turned his attention back to Bryant. "What the hell are you playing at?"

"Let's see how quick of a learner you are. You should catch on quickly- you are a teacher after all," Bryant commented, finally letting go of Mr. Firay's legs. "What will you do?"

Mr. Firay once again punched Bryant face. "Shut up!"

This time I felt James coming at me. I dodged his fist, making sure to keep an eye on his other hand so he couldn't use a cheap shot like last time. James swung his fist at me again and I barely managed to stop him from hitting my face by blocking with my arm. Pain spread through my forearm at the contact of his strike. I took his moment of surprise from my block to return one of his punches. A look of surprise crossed his face as I managed to nick him pretty good on the jaw. However, in my elation of hitting him, he ended up striking me back in the nose.

I cried out in pain, my hands automatically shooting up to my nose. When I pulled one away, I could see blood covering it. Panicking slightly, I leaned forward to let it drip out.

Mr. Firay started towards me again, but Bryant quickly grabbed him. "Four," he said in singsong voice.

"What are you counting?" Mr. Firay demanded, trying to kick his leg free. "Let go, damn it!"

"You can't figure it out?" Bryant asked in a mockingly disappointed voice. "Wow. Daphne might end up dead before you do."

I stared at Bryant in surprise. What was he talking about? And whatever happened to the not hurting me part? Mr. Firay looked at, his expression probably mimicking mine.

"What shit are you spouting out now?" Mr. Firay demanded, glaring down at Bryant. "What do you mean by that?"

Bryant shrugged. "You figure it out."

Mr. Firay stayed quiet for a moment, staring down at Bryant with a hard expression. Bryant stayed on the ground, not even attempting to stand up. There was blood trickling down the edge of his lip, much like the blood that was still coming out of my nose, staining the ground below me.

"You're a bastard, you know that Bryant?" Mr. Firay suddenly growled, bending down to grab the front of Bryant's shirt. In one swift movement, Mr. Firay had him on his feet.

"Have you figured it out?"

"What do you want?" Mr. Firay demanded, ignoring Bryant's question. "Tell me, Bryant. Before I kill you."

Bryant laughed loudly. "If you kill me, Daphne dies."

Mr. Firay scowled. "What do you want?" he repeated.

"To see you get the shit beat out of you," Bryant responded simply, losing all signs of humor. "To see you get what you deserve."

"So you're going to use dirty tricks so I won't attack you?"

Bryant cocked his head to the side. "Pretty much."

"I thought you said you were going to fight fair!" I shouted at Bryant, feeling the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.

"I lied, Daphne. You think you'd be used to lying, wouldn't you?"

Mr. Firay yanked on Bryant's shirt, bringing him closer. "If I let you have me, are you going to let Daphne go?"

Bryant glanced at me, amusement flickering in his eyes. "You want to bargain with me?" He made a tsking noise, looking back to Mr. Firay. "I don't think you have the power to do that, Matt. I have the upper hand."

To prove Bryant's point, James grabbed me by the hair, yanking my head back. A cry of pain escaped my lips before I could clamp them shut. Just as I was about to retaliate at James, he let go of my hair. I quickly smoothed down my hair, taking a wary step away from him.

"What are you going to do with her?" Mr. Firay growled, his shoulders tensed.

"You really want to know?" Bryant asked. "Well first I'd punish her for landing me in jail... but actually, I was planning to do that with you still conscious-"

"Punish me?" I repeated incredulously. "Because you were in jail where you belong?"

Mr. Firay sent me a warning look. "Daphne, quiet."

"Daphne, jail sucks," Bryant responded simply. "And it's your fault I was there. You and your little antics."

"You belong there!"

"Daphne!"

"What?" I demanded, giving a hard look to Mr. Firay.

He returned my look with the same expression. "Stop talking back to him!"

"You're sticking up for me? Aw, thank you!" Bryant said, grinning. "But it's okay. That's what I like about this Daphne- she's feisty. It'll be fun when I..." Bryant paused, for a second. "Well, I rather not ruin the surprise."

"You're not touching her, Bryant," Mr. Firay stated threateningly. "If I don't kill you now, you're going back to jail."

"Kill me?" Bryant repeated with a scoff. "What makes you think you can kill me? I have back up."

Mr. Firay glanced at James, then at Peter. An amused expression flickered across his face. "I can handle them."

Bryant narrowed his eyes, but there was also an amused tone to his voice. "You sound confident. Tell you what, Matt. Let's fight one-on-one. Fairly."

"How can I trust you?"

Bryant glanced over to James. "James, go wait with Peter."

James grunted in response, moving away from me. He walked over to Peter and stood by his side, still looking menacing. With both of the other men a safe distance away from me, I felt more relieved. However the tense atmosphere between Mr. Firay and Bryant still kept me on edge.

"Alright," Bryant started, turning back to Mr. Firay. "Regular rules?"

Mr. Firay crossed his arms. "One-on-one rules. That means no help, and no involving bystanders." He sent a pointed look at me. "If you as much as take five steps in her direction, I'll resort to dirty tactics."

"Done and done," Bryant responded, taking a few steps away from me. "See? I'm moving away."

"Then let's get started," Mr. Firay said, clenching his hands into fists. "Last time we fought it took two minutes and forty-three seconds for you to go down. Let's see if I can beat my record."

Bryant chuckled. "You were always so sure of yourself, Matt." On the word Matt, Bryant sent his fist flying in Mr. Firay's direction.

A startled gasp left my lips as Mr. Firay narrowly dodged. Bryant swung out again, his eyes glued on Mr. Firay. Mr. Firay evaded the attack and countered, but Bryant quickly blocked it. After his block, he quickly brought his fist across, nicking Mr. Firay's nose.

"Mr. Firay!" I cried out, taking a step towards him.

"Daphne, don't come closer!" he shouted back, never taking his eyes of Bryant. "Go to the car-"

"Nope," Bryant interjected, glancing at me quickly. "Daphne, you stay there. If you try to go to the car, James and Peter will stop you."

Mr. Firay paused, his fists still at ready. "Why can't she leave?"

"You might not win," Bryant responded simply.

Mr. Firay cast his fist towards Bryant's face, but Bryant eluded it by leaning backwards. They continued a small match of swing and dodge for a few minutes. Neither of them landing any hits, nor having one landed on them. My stomach twisted uncomfortably every time Bryant came close to landing one on Mr. Firay. Bryant suddenly caught Mr. Firay's fists, quickly bending Mr. Firay's arm behind him. I gasped, wincing at the sharp twist of his limb.

"I say, Matt, jail really took a lot out of you, huh?" Bryant commented casually, forcing Mr. Firay's arm further against his back. "First you let me hit you with a shovel, and now you let me catch your arm."

Mr. Firay stayed silent, bending over with his arm so it wouldn't break. My heart was in my mouth as I watched helplessly. I wasn't expecting Bryant to get the upper hand in the fight. Without warning, Bryant briskly flipped Mr. Firay over his shoulder. Mr. Firay landed on the ground with a hard thump, emitting a small groan. Bryant stepped over him, putting a foot on each of his arms.

"Having trouble, Matt?" Bryant asked teasingly.

"I'm fine, thank you," Mr. Firay responded in the same tone.

Bryant smirked. Mr. Firay let out a huff of air, his arms twitching under Bryant's feet. It wasn't that hard to figure out Bryant was trying to crush Mr. Firay's fist. My eyes were glued to Bryant as he continued to smile smugly down at Mr. Firay. It didn't seem like he was going to stop until he broke Mr. Firay's wrists. A sick feeling spread throughout me as I stood by ineptly, unable to do anything to help.

"Does it hurt?" Bryant inquired when Mr. Firay let out a small groan. "I remember how you always used to be wary of your wrists. You never liked them being touched."

Bryant lifted one of his feet off of Mr. Firay's wrist. Relief washed over me- until Bryant abruptly brought his foot back down, stomping on Mr. Firay's wrist. A cry of surprise left my lips as Mr. Firay cried out in pain. Bryant lifted his foot up to do it again.

"Stop!" I shouted, watching him in horror. "Bryant! Stop!"

Bryant spared me a single glance before grinding his heel into Mr. Firay's wrist. "Sorry, Daphne. This is a fight."

"Damn it," Mr. Firay groaned, trying to pull his arm out from under Bryant.

My feet started moving before I had even told them to run. When Bryant went to stomp on Mr. Firay's other wrist, I leapt at him, tacking him to the ground, and off of Mr. Firay. We landed hard, Bryant somehow ending on top of me, and crushing me into the ground. His eyes were wide in surprise as he stared down at me, caught off guard.

"What are you doing?" he growled, putting his hand on either side of me, and trying to push himself back onto his feet.

I quickly wrapped my arms and legs around him, trying to keep him on the ground. His arms gave out from under him, and once more we fell back to the ground. Bryant scowled at me, trying to pry my arms off him.

"This is a one-on-one fight," Bryant enlightened me, pushing up from the ground again, taking me with him. "No help from bystanders. Or else we turn to dirty tactics."

I gave him a confused look, trying to figure out what he meant by that. What were dirty tactics to fighting? Bryant pulled his arms out from under him and my back hit the hard ground roughly, causing me to exhale sharply. Bryant gave me a knowing look.

"If you don't let go of me, I'll keep doing that."

"No you won't," a new voice interrupted. "Daphne let him go."

I shook my head. "No, Mr. Firay, you-"

"Let him go," Mr. Firay repeated, his tone hard. "Now."

Reluctantly, I released Bryant from my hold, holding my breath while he hovered over me. Mr. Firay appeared in my field of vision, and he kicked Bryant off me. Bryant rolled, swinging both his legs out, and somehow knocking Mr. Firay over. He landed half on me, half on Bryant. Bryant got a tight grasp on him, flipping him onto his back. I scrambled out from under his legs, reaching over, and grabbing Bryant's head. He growled in annoyance, letting go of Mr. Firay to grab my arm. Mr. Firay used this chance to rectify himself. As soon as Bryant shoved me away from him, Mr. Firay shoved Bryant back to the ground, straddling him. Bryant gave Mr. Firay a disgruntled look while Mr. Firay pressed down on Bryant's collarbone.

"Are you ready to die?" Mr. Firay questioned, moving his hands to Bryant's throat.

Bryant laughed humorlessly. "You can't kill me, Matt."

"What makes you say that?"

Bryant's eyes trailed over to me. "Shouldn't you keep an eye on Daphne, too?"

My arms were suddenly tugged behind me, bending backwards painfully. I glanced behind me to see Peter grinning at me. He yanked on my arms harder, making me take a quick inhale of breath.

"What are you planning on doing?" I heard Mr. Firay demand.

"I'll leave that up to your imagination," Bryant responded in a wicked tone. "I'll give you a hint. Remember with the other Daphne-"

I turned back to the pair just in time to see Mr. Firay smash his fist into the side of Bryant's head. "You're a bastard," he growled, grabbing the front of Bryant's shirt to pull him up, only to punch him down again.

"Mr. Firay!" I called, trying to pull myself free. "Wait-"

He ignored me, continuing to pummel Bryant who lay exposed underneath him. Bryant didn't even bring up his arms to protect his face. It made me nervous. Why wasn't Bryant fighting back? Why was he just letting Mr. Firay batter him? Eventually Mr. Firay stopped hitting him, relaxing his shoulders.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" he asked.

Bryant shrugged, but before he could answer, a loud shout came from behind me. Mr. Firay's head snapped towards the noise, but I couldn't turn to look because Peter still had his hold on me.

"Bryant! The cops are on their way!"

Bryant's head turned towards the new voice, his face hardening. "What? How?"

"A little friend named Sage," Mr. Firay informed him, rolling his eyes. "Did you really think I'd come here unprepared, Bryant?"

Bryant narrowed his eyes. "Shit! We're out of time. Send out the others."

My eyes widened. The others? What others? Peter wrenched me around, making me face the old, rundown building. My heart stopped beating when I saw many men filing out the broken down door. At least seven of them came out, all looking intimidating and ominous.

"I told you I had back up," I heard Bryant comment. "I'll let them take care of you."

A/N. All right. Starting next chapter, I'm going to reply to reviews again. Hopefully I'll reply to (almost) all of them by the time the story ends –I can't reply to those anons after the story finishes. :3 Next update: Sunday (like, usual)

Any Ouran HSHC lovers? I just finished watching it! And (I think it was EoT who pointed it out) I do see the similarities between that anime and FTFT. :D That's so cool. But yeah –if you like anime, PM me! It's so much fun –I'm talking about Hetalia with and it's just…fun being random. :D I've recently watched, like, three animes within this year so far, so I'm going to add them to the list on my profile. Any recommendations?

Also! HELP WANTED: I have to make this poster thing in Social Studies class. We're all assigned an Amendment (I have the 12th one) and we have to draw something for it. My teacher said something that kind of describes it. I'm only looking for ideas (not answers, lol XD), so if you'd be nice enough to help, that'd be great. Here's some info if you'd like:

The 12th Amendment: Election of President and Vice President;
"The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and all persons voted for as Vice-President and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate." ~Cited from LawsConstitution(dot)com: An Overview of the 12th Amendment. (I don't want an plagiarism problems so this is exactly from the source –and I do not own anything)

I'm thinking of having two people labeled "President Candidates" and another two labeled "Vice President Candidates" with gaggles of people surrounding them (they have name tags which read the states names), each holding these boxes with two buttons on top of each of them (the President and Vice President they're voting for), but I don't know. It seems like I won't have much time for it (the due date is next Friday, but I'm busy next week –getting ready for Finals), so if you think you have a really good idea, share it. :D

…Man, I sound like I'm the one giving work. You really don't have to.

Now. My braces are hurting, so I'm going to go gargle some salt water. See you Sunday!

~Lara