Chapter Twelve:
A/N: please excuse the language, it can't be helped. I’ll try for other chapters to be more behaved.
#Millia:
Okay I admit, I was scared. I just met this guy a short while ago and now he expects me to just let him feel me up?
Not precisely, he only hooked up your bra.
Thank goodness he hasn’t found anything else.
Like the huge gash on your side?
Yeah..
And the painful rib that nobody knows about that got hurt in the accident?
Yeah.
I turned the water off with a wet hand and dried my face with the towel. In the mirror, a scared, pale girl stared back at me. his reflection joined mine in the mirror and I glared at it.
“I’m going to get you a pair of crutches, don’t open the door to anyone.” He stated, none of the perverted smirks were on his face this time.
“I wont.” Who do you think I am, snow white?
He watched me for an uncomfortable moment, and then silently left.
He’d left me alone again…
I can't blame him, he’s not exactly fond of me to stay as much…
I must be annoying.
Always
asking him to be nice and when he’s nice I push him away. What's gotten into
me?
”That’s
what bad little girls get!”
I almost
fell flat on my face. The floor reflected the lights too brightly…
I closed my
eyes and tried to concentrate on the way I placed my feet on the floor. My hand
reached for the small cherry that was placed next to the morning yoghurt, I sat
on the edge of the bed and looked at the small red fruit.
Red, plump,
shiny vulnerable delicate little
Bitch
I opened my
eyes from the flinch, feeling tension between my brows and watched small red
droplets crawl between my fingers. I’ve crushed it, killed it…
He killed
it…
He killed her…
A familiar
ache coiled behind my eyelids.
No I will
not cry…
I. Will.
Not. Cry.
I am a
soldier. Soldiers had no tears. Soldiers had no past. Soldiers had no future.
I was
a soldier… I had a past. I have no future.
A past I
ran away from, and a future I’m running away from. A present I can't even limp
away from…
I looked
down at a blurry leg and smeared the red color on it. Blood… Bleed… Bleed and
let me feel…
Let me
feel…
Something. Anything.
The door was
opened and I looked up immediately, torn away from my own world of reds and
grays.
A young
woman with blonde hair smiled at me. “Good morning, ma’am.” She greeted. “How
did you like your breakfast?” she looked at the table and then at me, then at
the table again before raising a questioning brow at my leg. “Are you okay?”
“Please
leave.” I shook my head, never taking my eyes off her.
“Ma’am, we
have the best doctors, they could help you if you are feeling ill.” She
explained and took a step forward away from the door.
“Leave.” I
ordered and glared at her. This doesn’t feel right. She will try to kill me
undoubtedly.
“Do you
want me to call them?” she took another step, her eyes innocent as ever.
“I said
leave!” I raised my voice and stood up, we were almost of the same height. I
took a step forwards and grabbed a silver utensil.
She looked
up fearfully, but then closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry, I was told to
see if everybody is feeling well.” She pressed a button on a device that hung
on her apron. “You don’t seem okay.”
The silver
cold object in my hand shone –it was a butter knife- and I threatened to haul
it at her. “Leave now! I’m fine!”
“You are
not!” her eyes darkened and she made a quick move.
Almost
instantly, I threw my weight towards her and stabbed the dull-edged knife into
her. Heat poured over my hands and I could feel the scorching moist between my
fingers and the scared look on her face. A bottle clattered to the floor and I
just knew it was a standard issue at the Guild. Sleeping gas. She made a small
voice when I pulled the knife out, more blood stained the already-red carpet
and the tainted metal clattered to the floor.
More blood
on my hands.
More blood
on my hands…
More blood…
On her head
on her dress on the floor on the mirror there was blood everywhere.
Blood!
I fell back
and felt the ice running in my veins, my hands touched the floor. The pain in
my arm bright as lightning shot through my head in pictures of her on
the floor and blood on his hands and on my face and…
Someone
walked through the door and gasped.
“What
happened!” they screamed and ran over to me. I looked up and saw hands reaching
out to hold me. I bit flesh as hard as I could and ignored the scream as liquid
metal passed between my teeth and I felt bone give way under the sharp edges in
my mouth.
They were
retreating, I knew I could allow retreat. I unclenched my jaws and opened my
blurry eyes to look at a uniformed man with a scared look on his face.
The whole world
went into a blur and I think I heard him call for help. I need to get out of
there…
”Run, hide,
and stay motionless. Even if your enemy was at arms length, never move a
muscle, never make a sound. Die right where you are and then live again when no
danger is present. Defy that, and you will never be a skilled warrior.”
I breathed
hard and ran out of the room, passing blurry red doors and stumbling on small
doormats and almost falling at every corner until I’ve reached a huge blue
door. I pushed it with pain shooting up my arm and I found myself at a fly of
stairs.
Hair, I
could use your help…
I placed my
leg carefully on the first step, the other, then did it again. Slowly like a
small toddler…
Commotion
behind the doors.
My heart
beat faster, my fingers shook and I had to get away from there and hide
somewhere…
No where to
hide! It’s just a fly of stairs!
My leg
slipped and watched in horror as each step came too close and then too far and
before I knew it, I was lying on my side looking up, I had stopped falling.
There was
someone climbing up the stairs, there was nowhere I could go, I’ll just kill
them off and run, nobody would know.
“Rage?” it
was a familiar voice, but throughout the faces and voices and heat in my head I
did nothing bit clamp hard on the hand that reached out for me. “Rage!”
Surprise…
anger…
he’s going
to hurt me…
Salt and
blood mixed on my lips, and I bit harder.
“Rage.” The
voice got softer…
No more
punishment?
Fingers in
my hair…
Gentle.
I let go.
“What's
gotten into you?” it was a whisper. “Millia?”
My name on
his lips…
My name on his
lips…
I cried,
and let go of reality.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
#Sol:
What the
hell happened while I was gone?
She fell
onto me and I held her lifeless head.
What in the
bloody hells happened while I as gone?
A door
opened next to us and an old lady stared at us like were aliens from mars.
I pulled up
the light bundle in my arms and calmly walked through the open doors.
I think I heard
the lady fall behind me.
“Rage, what
am I going to do with you?” I growled
and stepped up into the Elevator. The boy from yesterday staring again. “Down.”
It must
have looked weird. You know, me holding a bag, a pair of crutches, Fuuenken and
an unconscious woman with bloodied lips. Not to mention a wrist with teeth
marks.
This boy
must have been used to seeing stuff like this, he only stared at the shiny
numbers in silence.
Had he
spoke I would have made him eat Fuuenken.
I calmly
walked up to the reception, flicked the key, pulled Rage up on my shoulder and
pulled up my wallet to smack a couple thousands on the counter.
Damn this
city, I knew it was a miserable one…
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rage was
asleep on the passengers seat, in our new stolen Mercedes. I would sell my
headband to know exactly why she had tears on her face and why her hnds were stained in red…
Analyzing
air sample…
Blood.
Damn.
The
countryside passed by quickly, just sand and concrete. I’m getting me my own
place, and I’m gonna fix this little puzzle.
It’ll be
bothersome…
Sigh.
I glanced
at her again, she was still asleep.
”Watch the
road, sweetheart.”
”I know I
know, I was not born yesterday.”
”I’m just worried
about you, you know. Ever since I told you we were expecting, you just became
restless…”
”Restless?
Me? are you kidding? I’m just happy!”
My head
still ached… its been only two hours since I found rage at the stairs, she
hasn’t woken up yet. Every vital sign says she’s okay, but a gut feeling is
telling me she isn’t.
“DON’T!” I
was startled when she screeched, I thought I hit something. When I looked at
her she had a shocked look on her face, her eyes wide and her shoulders tense.
I touched
her face, her teeth marks still engraved around my thumb. “Rage, you’re okay.”
She
flinched away from the touch, “Where am I?” she breathed hard.
Female in
state of shock.
“You’re in
a car, away from the hotel.” I lit a cigarette.
“What
happened?” she looked at me, her eyes screaming for answers.
“You tell
me.”
“Blood…”
she brushed back her hair and looked a her hard-covered arm. “BLOOD!” she
screamed like it was her own arm torn in half and bleeding. “HER BLOOD!”
“Calm
down!” I raised my voice over hers, she was an assassin, what’s gotten into
her?
“There’s
blood on
I sighed
and drove into a motel. Finally, someplace to stay. I left the crazy woman in
the car and headed over to the small office.
A half-bald
man looked up at me from his magazine.
“How much
tonight?” I slammed a hand on the desk.
“1400 with
the hot water, 1200 without it.” he stated in a monotone voice.
“That’s a rip
off.” I grumbled and stubbed my cig on the table.
“Take it or
leave it.”
I slammed
1300 on the desk and tore a key out of his old hairy hand.
I opened
the door and met Rage’s empty gaze. Her eyes were rimmed in red. “Lets go.” I
opened the back door and pulled out the crutches, handed them to her and pulled
out Fuuenken and the bag that had the sling and bandages.
There was a
clutter behind me and I saw her standing out of the car looking down emptily at
the two wooden object on the ground. I groaned.
This’ll be
a long hellish day.
I didn’t
have the programs to ignore it, either.
Without
meaning to, I held her arm too roughly and shook her. “Get yourself together!”
she looked up at me with those miserable empty eyes and I almost smacked her for
it.
It made me
feel guilty.
Don’ bother
with her… just do it, damn it.
I sighed in
frustration and grabbed the crutches along with Fuuenken under my arm before I
scooped her up. Not gently.
She felt
boneless in my arms and her skin was cold, her head was heavy on my shoulder.
I struggled
with the key, and when it finally twisted in the hole I dropped everything but
the girl.
Gently,
like I’ve never done to anyone before, I rested her on the creaky double bed
and brushed back her hair.
“Rage.”
“Blood.”
She whispered, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.
I sighed
and got up to close the door. I turned around a took a good look at what I’ve
paid 1300 for.
The small TV
was an instant turn-off, to start with. Then there was the double bed with old
wood and fresh sheets, Rage was half-dead on it. to the side there were two
doors, one was open to a bathroom and the other to a kitchen. There was an old
dusty-blue couch in front of the TV set with a folded blanket and pillow.
Thank
goodness. At least now we wouldn’t have to share the bed like last night.
Then again
last nigh we haven’t ‘shared’ the bed, we only stumbled into it and fell
asleep.
I sighed
and looked back at the subdued woman. What the hell happened?
Who the
hell cares?
I sat on
the old blue couch and turned the TV on, a lame Bounty-guide program was
airing.
“-Foot
eight, Blonde hair, brown eyes. He probably speaks with an accent.” There was a
picture of a blonde man with fair skin.
Hmph… I’ve seen this guy before…
Oh yeah,
now I remember, I took him to the Holy Orders. It wasn’t much of a reward on
his head, it was fun to kick his little russian ass,
though.
“This guy
is like a virus, catch him and he’ll just disappear! Like he spreads
around in a thousand pieces!” the Mexican guy in the screen screeched.
No kidding,
made me catch a cold.
“He’s
escaped again, the bounty isn’t that much this time.”
“Yeah!”
squealed the bimbo next to him in the screen, “Seems the big boys had enough of’em, but they’re still willing to pay 23000 to whoever
catches him!”
Of course it’ll be some stupid bounty hunter, I’ve had
enough of that man. I snorted and changed the channel.
“Put that back!” the woman’s voice surprised me, was
she out of her trance?
I put it back in confusion and saw a picture of a
bearded man with black hair and blue eyes.
“Someone you know?” I looked back at her, her eyes were
still fixed on the screen. “Someone from the Guild?” He was Russian so she
probably met him.
She nodded slowly and her gaze turned to her hands. I
sighed and the tuned it off, walked over to where she was sitting and lit a
smoke.
“What happened back there?”
She rested back on the pillows and I could tell she
was avoiding looking at me.
She was also avoiding looking at her arm.
“I- I killed a woman.”
You are an assassin. “And.”
“And I ran.” She brushed back her disturbed hair.
I took the cigarette out of my mouth and passed a hand
over my face. The headache was getting worse. “Why.” It was a statement.
She shivered and shook her head. “She tried to kill
me.”
I sat on the creaky bed and rubbed my forehead. “How’d
she find you?”
I turned around when there was no answer, and found
that she was concentrating too hard on the bed sheets.
I can't believe I’m asking her this.
“You want to wash the blood off your hands?” I
frowned.
She only nodded silently.
I held her cold hand and placed the rubber handle of
the crutch in it before I went into the bathroom and turned on the hot knob.
The faucet jumped and coughed hot air before the water steamed up. I leveled
the cold and hot water and watched as she made her way slowly to the sink. She
leaned on me and the crutch lay motionless at her side when she put her hand
under the current.
“Its hot.” Her brows knotted.
No, its only your fingers, they are freezing.
She held the crutch with a wet hand and looked down at
her bloodied right hand.
I had to wash her fingers for her. They were cold even
under the hot water, and my fingers looked big and dark compared to her thin
shaking ones.
It felt weird.
A grown
woman like her unable to even wash her own hand.
“Thank
you.” She whispered, and for a moment I thought it was only a draft of wind
that came through the open windows.
“Che.” Don’t thank me, I only did it to stop that annoying
empty look you had.
She limped
over to the couch and let the crutch clutter to the floor.
“Watch it.”
I hollered from the bathroom, “That cost money!” Hmph,
women,.
For a long
while, enough for my cig to die and turn into nothing but a filter, there was
only silence.
I took a
deep, oxygen-filled breath, and walked out there.
Rage was as
loud as a dead body. The only indication that she was actually awake was that
her eyes were open, and unless she slept with her eyes open I’d say she was
thinking.
About what?
Who cares?
I put
Fuuenken in my lap and plopped on the other side of the couch. The metal in my
lap warmer than the woman on my right.
Fuuenken.
Do you remember the day you were born? Back when you were nothing but an old,
messed up sword that was left in a backwater junkshop? I bought you and took
you home, along with your brother, Furaiken.
Damn that
boy scout…
You burned
my fingers and scalded my face, but I made you what you are now. All flame and
glory and trust.
Better than
the freaky woman on my right.
Furaiken was instantly issued to Boy scout the minute I set
foot into the holy orders. You didn’t have enough time to work together in my
arms.
I always
wanted to try out the two-swords style.
Zessen were in good hands, with that Japanese. I couldn’t
have given them to a better person.
“Have you ever.”
I tore my eyes off Fuuenken and looked at the Russian woman, she was finally
speaking.
I kind of
liked the silence.
“Have you
ever felt like you hated somebody so much, you just wanted to kill them?” she
whispered.
I didn’t
know if she was expecting an answer, so I asked, “Who?”
Her mouth
opened, but then shut with a click. She silenced again.
Damn. if
you’re trying to bother me then congratulations, it worked.
“Zato.” She
voiced after a moment.
Isn’t he
dead already? “The blind guy?”
“Hm.” She closed her eyes, and spoke again, “He haunts me, I
can't kill him anymore.”
Is that why
you always woke up wide-eyed and shocked? You did that two times, anyway.
“And now I
can't even sleep in peace.” She rubbed her forehead.
I breathed
and leaned my head back.
I need
coffee.
I sat up
and headed to the door.
“Where are
you going!”
“To get
some coffee.” I placed a cigarette in my mouth and searched my pockets for the
lighter. “Why.”
She looked
up at me. “Don’t leave me alone! Every time you do, somebody tries to kill me!”
“Its not my
fault you worked for an assassination guild.” I narrowed my eyes and lit my
cigarette angrily. I can't let her keep me here, not when there was tension
in the air.
“Its not my
fault I worked for an assassination guild, either!”
“Che.” I turned around and shut the door behind. Of
course its your fault.
Damn.
End of
chapter twelve.
I’m not
very pleased with this chapter, but there you have it…