Hello everyone and welcome back to HellFall!
I almost forgot to upload another chapter today, I thought it was Friday. My sister reminded me though, so thank you for that.
(IMPORTANT) Also, I noticed that the views for last week's chapter were lower than those of the character profiles which I posted a few hours later. I think some of you may have missed it, but I can assure you that I did not qualify last week's character profiles as a chapter. So if you haven't already, refer back to last week's chapter (if you missed it) or this chapter will be very confusing. Otherwise, enjoy the chapter!
Rocco charged, left fist raised. Barbed Gustav came out and I fired a few shots. His aura deflected all of them, and before I knew it he was on me. He certainly was fast for someone of his size. I ducked, avoiding his fist as it flew overhead. His knee came up out of nowhere, slamming into my chin and knocking me on my back.
"Urgh!" I grunted as I hit my back against the hard ground.
"Show me" Rocco said again. I looked up at him, standing above me. He stared hard into my eyes, making me shiver.
Slowly I pushed myself back up to my feet. I coughed, and blood dripped out of my mouth. Must have bit my tongue, I thought.
Rocco kicked me back down, "Show me" He said again.
I stared up at him, "Then let me" I replied, starting to push myself back up to my feet. I saw him raise his fist and rolled over, standing as I did so.
Rocco smiled, raising his metal fist and charging again.
This time I needed to be ready. I knew that I could use this as an attack opportunity…somehow. It was just a matter of how.
Transforming Barbed Gustav into a staff and extending the pitchfork end I readied myself for his incoming attack. As his fist descended I hooked it between the forks of my weapon, stopping it in its tracks. However, he swiped his right armadillo hand across my face before I could attack. I fell to the side, my face now bleeding.
"Show me" He said again.
"I get it!" I called, frustrated. I stood up easier, extending the curved blade from the other end of Barbed Gustav now. I just needed to fight him by the looks of it. No strategy, just speed and strength. If only Nicole could help, I thought, but she can't see in the dark, and even if she could she left her weapon in the car when we were yanked out.
Rocco turned to me, standing where I was. His fist came up again, but this time I charged, semblance activated and my eyes glowing. Surprise spread across his face as I raked Barbed Gustav across his gut, shedding blood around him.
He turned around, charging at me as I turned. I faced him, raising my staff and deflecting his fist. He punched again, another blow that I deflected. We fought for a while, switching between offensive and defensive, blocking some blows and taking others. Unfortunately, I was less experienced and even with my focus I was taking many more hits than he did, and soon I was on the ground, bloody and panting, my aura exhausted.
"Good fight," Rocco panted, obviously quite tired himself, "but not great"
I tried desperately to catch my breath, but I knew that he would likely kill me either way.
He raised his clawed armadillo hand, getting ready to stab me.
"Rocco!" Someone called, their voice following the sound of a loud clank!
He sighed, "I'm a little busy here" He said.
"We have a situation" The man said.
"What could be so important?" Rocco asked, turning around.
Just then Nicole appeared beside me, "Are you alright Grizzly?" She asked.
"How'd you find me?" I whispered.
"I followed your voice." She replied, "Come on, we need to get out of here"
"How?" I asked, "I can't even move"
She paused, "Where's Rocco?" She asked.
I turned, seeing him just a few feet away from me. He'd moved towards the man who'd burst in.
"There." I said, guiding Nicole until she was facing his direction, "Just about four feet away"
"Thanks" She said, starting towards him slowly.
"What are you going to do?" I asked.
"Something drastic" She whispered, walking until she was right behind him.
"Stop!" I said in a loud whisper.
Nicole stopped, then raised her fist. I held my breath.
"Rocco!" The man called, pointing behind him. Just then Nicole brought down her fist, hitting him hard on the back of the head and knocking him to the ground.
The man gasped, then turned towards the door, running through it and slamming it behind him.
"Let's get out of here" Nicole said, turning around.
"Shouldn't we investigate?" I asked.
"No," she replied, "you're too weak. We'll call someone as soon as we get home"
I nodded, standing up and limping towards the exit. "Come on" I said, glancing behind me and seeing that she wasn't moving. When I spoke she followed my voice.
I found where we'd first entered and put a few bullets into the trapdoor. A few rays of faint light fell through, allowing Nicole to see better.
"Let me get that" She said, stepping forward and reaching up. She was too short, so she jumped and knocked it open. "Get up on my shoulders" She said, crouching down.
I climbed up onto her shoulders and she stood up, allowing me to crawl up into the room. I looked down and lowered my hand.
"I got it" Nicole said, taking a few steps back, then charging forward, jumping, grabbing hold of the holes in the trapdoor, and hoisting herself up into the room. "Let's go" she said, picking me up and rushing outside.
The car that Heishi had driven us here in was gone, so Nicole started running down the sidewalk.
"Focus on healing yourself" She told me as we ran.
"I'm working on it" I replied. Every time a little bit of aura returned to me I used it up, putting it towards the bloody wounds covering my body.
We ran for at least an hour before rain came pouring down, beating against us. Our clothes were soaked in seconds, causing them to stick to our bodies.
"Hey girly" A beefy man said, emerging from an alleyway. Without stopping Nicole leapt into the air, jump-kicking the man in the face and running past him.
"We don't have time for your crap" Nicole muttered.
"It's going to be more dangerous at night" I said.
"The day is almost here" She pointed out.
Another hour passed and the sun began to rise, shedding light on the streets and soon setting the world abuzz.
"Miss?" Someone called. Nicole stopped and turned. A woman stood in her doorway. "Is he okay?" She asked.
"No" She replied.
"Bring him inside" The woman said.
"I'd rather not get you involved" Nicole said.
"I don't care." The woman said, "Bring him in or you'll both catch cold"
"Go" I whispered.
Nicole took me into the woman's house, and I was laid down on a table. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but then again, right now nothing was particularly comfortable.
"How bad is it?" The woman asked.
"I don't know" Nicole replied.
The woman unzipped my footie pajamas to see. She gasped.
"This'll take a fair amount of energy" She said, pressing her fingers against my gut. I felt a shock move through my entire body. I shook, my whole body in pain.
"What are you doing?!" Nicole demanded.
"Saving his life" She replied, pressing her fingers deeper into my skin.
"You're hurting him!" Nicole said.
"No pain, no gain" The woman replied calmly.
Nicole sighed, watching me.
"If you can't watch, I understand." The woman said, "Otherwise take a seat. You can sit down anywhere"
"But I'm soaking wet" She said.
"Then stick to the floor" She decided.
Nicole looked at me one last time, shaking vigorously on the table, before she turned away and left.
The woman continued to press her fingers deeper into my body, and the pain only increased. I screamed in agony until finally I felt her fingers leave my skin. I shook for a little while longer, then settled down.
"There." She said, sounding out of breath. "Everything's healed. Now you just need rest. I'll get you some dry clothes so that you don't ruin the couches"
She stood and left. I didn't move, and even if I wanted to couldn't. My body was so weak and tired.
Nicole returned, looking over my body. Her face was covered by surprise. She pressed her hands where I assumed that the scars had once been. The woman returned with a stack of new clothes.
"Here" She said, handing Nicole some clothing.
"No, I'm fine." She said, "Thank you though"
"Take them." The woman said, "Whether you like it or not your clothes need to dry, and you'll be here for a little while longer"
She reluctantly took the clothes.
"Get me a wet cloth from the kitchen" The woman added.
Nicole returned shortly afterwards, and the woman cleaned the drying blood off my body.
"Go get changed" She told Nicole, who was still standing there.
She left, and the woman began to undress me. "You took quite the beating." She said, "I'll wash your clothes for you"
Once my pajamas were off she set them down on the ground before leaving and returning with a towel. As she rubbed me down with it Nicole returned, wearing worn out jeans and a brown T-shirt that looked too big for her. Her hair was tied back into an untidy bun and her scars were showing.
The woman turned around, "Good." She said, looking her over, before turning back to me, "He's going to be fine, don't worry"
"Thank you" Nicole said quietly, looking at me lying on the table in nothing but my soaked underpants.
"Don't mention it." The woman replied, "I'm happy to help" She stood up and held out her hand to Nicole, "Lagoon Demolles" She said.
Nicole shook her hand slowly, "Nicole Rozovyy"
Lagoon eyed her suspiciously, "Uh-huh." She said, "Finish up with him, Nicole" She emphasized her name, then left.
Nicole picked the towel up and finished drying me off.
"She seemed suspicious" I said.
"How do you mean?" Nicole asked.
"Of you" I replied.
She looked over at the stack of clothing next to me, "And rightly so" She replied.
"How do you mean?" I asked.
"We've all got secrets." She replied, sorting through the clothing, "She even got you some dry underwear"
"Great" I said.
Nicole took the underwear and replaced my wet pair with it. Afterwards she put the dry clothes on me.
"I haven't changed someone in years" She said.
"I thought you never had any children" I said.
Nicole paused, then said "I haven't exactly been honest with you Grizzly."
So there you have it. I felt like this chapter was a bit longer than the others, but apparently it wasn't. Same general amount of words and everything.
After this we'll be switching to Nicole's perspective. Not much will change, I know, but I want to get as many colors in this beginning segment before the story gets more intense.
Anyways, not a whole lot to say. As usual, favorite, follow, review, tell your friends, tell your enemies, or don't if you don't want to, and I'll see you all in the next chapter.