An Angel's Tears

Chapter Four: Enter the Hunter


Ashes burned red and smoke billowed up into the night air when he took another drag of his cigarette, his intense gaze still trained on the girl collecting the pet carrier that her kitten had resided in during the flight from Japan. He glanced down at the emerald ring on his pointer finger and frowned. The green jewel was glowing brightly and that banished any doubt that he may have had about this girl being the one that they've been searching for. If she had been anyone else and not the one that Zeke wanted, his ring would not be reacting the way it was. That also went for the sapphire ring that his companion possessed.

"So… that's her, huh?" he asked the taller male standing next to him.

"Yeah, no doubt. Kyvon already confirmed it to Zeke."

He snorted and took another drag of his cigarette. "That mutt? I don't know why Zeke keeps him and those others around. If they couldn't capture this weak human, what use are they?"

"Do not underestimate Kyvon and his pack, Aaron. Nor the girl."

Aaron glanced up at his partner and frowned. "Is there anything that I should know about her, Nyall?"

Nyall's black sunglasses slid down and he narrowed his glowing blue eyes. "You already know who she is. Do I need to say anything more?"

Thunderclouds gathered and Aaron glanced up when he heard the rumbling of thunder. A cold breeze picked up and he felt the small drops of rain hit his skin, but this did not bother him. The girl, on the other hand, seemed to be more perturbed now that it was beginning to rain. Although, part of that could be because she was on her own and in an unfamiliar environment. Perhaps now she would be easier to catch? Or perhaps she would be even more difficult. He supposed that if she knew the truth, it would be harder to follow Zeke's orders and bring her to him alive. However, if she knew everything and she put up a fight… well, neither he nor Nyall would hold back.

"Aaron, come. She's leaving." Nyall ordered him.

Aaron trained his gaze back on the girl and his own sunglasses slid down his nose, revealing a pair of glowing green orbs. He watched as the -haired girl walked down the street towards a bus station and motioned Nyall to follow. The two men hid their unique eyes and quickly moved towards their target with sure and powerful steps. They were determined to bring the girl in to their leader and they would let nothing stop them. If the need arose, they would both be willing to sacrifice their lives if it meant fulfilling their ultimate goal. After all, sometimes sacrifices needed to be made.

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Cool waves lapped at your feet and you opened your eyes to see the full moon shinning her light down on the vast ocean. You heard a child's laughter and you gasped when you turned and saw your parents. Your father laughed and lifted a six-year old you up above his head. Your short hair fell into your eyes and you giggled when your father spun you around, your mother warning him not to make you sick and that it was time to go home.

Your father took her hand and they started walking farther along down the beach, but neither of them seemed to notice that you—or rather your past self—wasn't following. She called out for them to stop, but they just ignored her and kept going until they vanished out of sight. Her tiny shoulders began to shake and she turned around to stare at you with big, watery eyes.

"Why did they leave me? Why does everyone leave me?" she asked and then ran passed you in the opposite direction that your parents had gone.

"Wait!" you shouted and chased after her.

"Leave me alone!" she yelled.

Lightning flashed across the dark sky and the sand beneath your bare feet began to harden and crack like eggshells. The black ocean rumbled and roared until a huge wave raised hundreds of feet into the air before it started descending back down to the earth. A deep, dark laughter echoed all around and you saw your child-self stop and scream when the wave suddenly morphed into a humanoid face. The flesh peeled from its skull and dropped to the ground like black paint, while red eyes burned as it cackled maniacally.

The child wailed and reached her arms up to you. She cried out for you and you grabbed and spun her around, pressing her face against your chest and hunching over her tiny form in a desperate attempt to shield her. Cold water sprayed against the two of you, and you both screamed when the skull plummeted and swallowed you whole. Its mouth clamped shut and everything around you shattered like glass and you find yourself surrounded by darkness. You looked down and saw that the your past self had vanished and realized that you are all alone.

"Hello?" you called out.

Footsteps approached and the snap of a finger illuminated you and a young boy, no older than seven, in a light as pale as the moon. The boy was tall for his age, with short and messy black hair and the coldest eyes that you've ever seen. They were the color of blood and radiated with such superiority that it made you shiver.

"Who are you?" you asked him.

He closed his eyes briefly and then asked, "Who are you?"

"I don't understand."

The boy smirked cruelly and raised a brow in mockery. "You don't know? Hah! Laughable. How laughable."

"What do you mean."

"We're the same," he continued, "You and I."

"The same?" you repeated.

He nodded and screamed, "The Damned!"

Cold hands grabbed you and you screamed when you saw their skeletal frame. The bony fingers dug into your skin and peeled the flesh off to reveal bloody bones and tissues.

"Hey, you! Wake up. This is your stop."

"Eh?" you open your eyes groggily and see hazel eyes peering down at you.

The girl points out the bus window. "This is where you get off, right?"

You look around and realize that you were dreaming. "Oh! Thank you!"

She moves and lets you get up, waving and saying, "No problem! See ya!"

You waved back and stepped off the bus, moving to the side and watching the vehicle it vanished. Gently, you touch your shoulders where the hands had grabbed you and wince. It had all felt so real…

Kyo poked his up out of your bag and mewled, drawing your attention back to the present and you looked down at the address your sensei had given you. Thinking about your farewell to him at the airport made you feel extremely lonely. You'd never been alone like this and you were thankful that you at least had Kyo with you. You weren't sure what state of mind you'd be in if you didn't at least have him with you.

"Now let's see… wait a sec. This is the place I'm supposed to go to?" You checked the address again and gapped at the building in front of you. "The Love Planet… is Takashi-sensei out of his mind? This is a strip joint! There has to be some kind of mistake."

Your shoulders drooped and you sighed, knowing in your heart that there had been no error. This really was the place that your sensei had meant to send you to, though you had no inkling of an idea how someone from such an… establishment as this could possibly help you. Wasn't this the sort of place men and women would—wait, you didn't even want to go there. Instead, you would just grit your teeth and head inside the place. Who knows, maybe it won't be all that bad.

Kyo ducked inside your bag when you slung it over your back and crossed the darkened street. You could hear the sound of your footsteps and just as you reached the entrance to the Love Planet, you caught a glance of two men walking down the sidewalk towards you. Two very familiar men who you remembered following you from the airport and onto the bus that had just dropped you off. You hadn't put much thought into it until the girl sitting next to you had mentioned that they kept staring at you. After that, you'd continually glance back at them, growing more nervous by the second until they'd gotten off at the previous bus stop.

The men paused a good 30 feet away from you, but you didn't hang around to see what they'd do next—for all you knew, they may want to kill you! So instead, you rushed through the double doors of the Love Planet and your jaw dropped immediately when you saw the interior this place. There were scantly dressed women either serving drinks or up on stage dancing erotically to the beat of the music playing. Some of the customers were also dancing to the music, while others lingered at the bar drinking and chatting, but none of that made you feel any more comfortable. This entire atmosphere was so different from what you were used to in your life and you really felt out of place right now.

God, why me?

"Well, hello there, beautiful," a sultry voice whispered into your ear, which made you yelp and almost trip over your own feet.

Turning around, you saw a woman in her early twenties watching you with a playful smirk and amused green eyes. She was a very attractive woman with curly brown hair, full and painted red lips, and a nice figure. Like many of the other women, she was dressed very scantly, but she appeared to be decked up in some type of cat costume, complete with the ears, tail, and painted whiskers on her cheeks. Unlike your skirt, which fell an inch below your knees, her own black one was extremely short and she was wearing a tight, silver tube top that revealed a large amount of her cleavage and a butterfly tattoo above her navel. And—wait, was she… was she checking you out?!

You felt your face grow warm and you looked down at the floor, awkwardly wringing the ends of your blouse until the woman's soft hand cupped your chin and tilted your head to look at her. Her green eyes shone mischievously, making you feel even more awkward, and she curved her lips in a small smile before saying, "Now, now, beautiful, no need to grow all shy on me. I don't bite… much."

As if my life couldn't get even more turned upside down.

"You're a real cutie, ya know that?." She pressed herself closer to you and your entire body went stiff as a board. "Sshhh, relax, honey. Some of us women aren't here to just entertain the men… if, you know what I mean." She traced the curve of your jaw and you backed away with wide eyes.

"I-I, no, I'm sorry. You've gotten the wrong idea about me. I'm not here—"

"Oh, you don't have to be embarrassed, sweetie," she cooed. "Why don't you and I go somewhere more… private? By the way, my name's Lana and I promise to make our experience together an enjoyable one."

"Eh? I-I-I…" You were positive that your face was turning as red as a tomato, while your mind tried to process what this woman was saying. "I… I really have to go. I'm supposed to meet someone here."

"Oh?" Lana cocked an eyebrow. "Boyfriend? Girlfriend… perhaps?"

"N-No, an acquaintance… sort of. Um, do you happen to know someone named Candy?"

"Candy? Tsk, sweetie, you're wasting your time with her. She only entertains the male customers… I, on the other hand, am positive that I could satisfy whatever it is that you desire." She winked at you and went to trace your jaw again, but you backed farther away.

"No, please, I need to speak with her. It's very important that I do, so will you please tell me where I can find her?" Your eyes darted back and forth between Lana and the doors behind her. Would those men burst through at any second? Were they going to wait until you were alone again before they tried something? Or were you just being paranoid?

"Oh, very well, beautiful." Lana ran her fingers through her hair and sighed, disappointed that you wouldn't take her up on her offer. "See that woman over there at the bar? The one dressed in the Chinese outfit and yelling at the chubby Italian?"

You looked to the bar and nodded when you saw said woman. "Yes, I see her."

"That's Candy." Lana grinned and winked again. "Well, beautiful, I guess this where we part ways, huh? Such a shame, we could've had so much fun together."

She looked your body up and down before she turned and headed off to rejoin one of her co-workers on the dance floor, who was clinging to an amused man dressed in red and black leather. He was attractive, to say the least, and you knew that even Hanna would have been drooling at the sight of him. And then of course, if Nero had been here, she would have made some sort of comment that would have set Hanna off and the two of them would have been at it, leaving it up to you and Jiro to break them apart.

I really miss them…

Now, as you were lost in your own little world, it took awhile for you to register that the white-haired man had taken his attention off the blonde and was now staring directly at you. Even from where you were standing, you were able to see the man smirk and wink at you, while also giving your body a once over like Lana had. His behavior made your face flush and you ducked your head shyly, hurrying over towards Candy. However, just as you reached her, you cringed when she waved her hand menacingly at the man in front of her.

"Damn it, Enzo! How the hell many times do I have to tell you to keep your grubby hands off my ass?!" Candy shouted and was about to smack the Italian until your voice broke the process—making Enzo one happy man.

"Um, excuse me? Are you Candy?" you asked and fiddled with your hands nervously when blue eyes locked with your ones.

The woman, Candy, lowered her hand and you saw the Italian quickly scurry away before she could unleash her wrath on him again. You noticed that, like Lana, Candy was also a very beautiful woman and that she was dressed a bit more modest than most of her other co-workers. Like your mother, she had her black hair pinned up with a couple of chopsticks and she only wore a small amount of makeup that brought out her dark blue eyes. Unlike a few moments ago, Candy was now smiling and you felt more at ease than you did before. Her previous display had made you regret even approaching her.

"Yes, I'm Candy. What can I do for you, sweetie?" she asked and you sighed with relief.

"Um, well, my name's and I'm in a bit of trouble. My sensei told me to seek you out." You bit your bottom lip and glanced back at the entrance doors again. "He instructed me to speak with your grandmother, Aurora Heartland, and that I was to tell you his nam—"

"Takashi, right?" Candy interrupted and smirked at your bewildered expression. "Believe it or not, sweetie, but my grams already told me about you… sort of."

"But… how?" You brushed some of your hair behind your ear and frowned. "How could she have known about me?"

At this, Candy chuckled sheepishly and motioned for you to have seat at the bar with her. "Well, I can't really explain it myself, but my grandmother's always been a bit strange. My mother used to say that she was some sort of psychic, but I've never really believed in that sort of stuff. Well, at least until now."

"I don't understand."

"You see, a few days ago, grams told me that I'd meet a young woman with your exact description. She said that you'd be in some sort of trouble and that I was to send you to her immediately, but she didn't explain why." Candy smiled mischievously, reminding you a lot of Nero. "Of course, she never said that you'd be so small."

You blushed at this and your eyes darted down to your hands. "I-I-I, well—"

Candy laughed and ruffled your hair as if she were your big sister. "You're so adorable, ya know that?"

"Umm, thank you?"

Again, Candy chuckled and smiled at you. "So, sweetie. You want to tell me what sort of trouble you're in and why you're so far from home? 'Cause, correct me if I'm wrong, but the last I heard was that Takashi lived in Japan."

"Well, I—" your heart stopped and you felt the color drain from your face when you saw those two men from before enter the room.

"What is it?" Candy asked, alarmed by how pale you looked.

"Those men…"

Candy looked in the direction that you were staring at and she suddenly felt uneasy when she saw two men, dressed in black suits, standing at the Love Planet's entryway and scanning the place. The taller of the men was well muscled with thick brown hair tied at the nap of his neck, while the other was more lithe and had long red hair braided in a ponytail. She stiffened when she saw the shortest man lock his gaze on you and then nudged his companion's shoulder, silently pointing you out to him.

"Russel!" she yelled at the barkeeper. "Pen and paper. Now!"

…

You stood up with your heart racing when you saw that the men were approaching you. There was no mistaking that they were after you and you almost jumped out of your skin when Candy grabbed your hand, shoved a piece of paper to you, and all the lights went dim before strobe lights started flashing. Candy put her hands on your shoulders and pushed you behind her, making you lose your balance momentarily. She stood protectively in front of you and glared at the men who seemed to have paused in confusion.

"Get going, sweetie. Mix into the crowd and then get the hell out of here the first chance you get. I'll distract them for as long as I can." Candy glanced over her shoulder and you were close enough to see her grin. "And don't worry about me. Whoever these guys are, I don't think they'll hurt me. You, on the other hand, are a whole other matter."

"Candy… thank you," you said and took off.

The music playing in the Love Planet had a fast, rhythmic beat to it and men and women were all up dancing to it. Most of them were grinding and swaying sensually against their partner and you were grateful for the room being relatively dark—if you didn't count the strobe lights, that is—because it hid you somewhat from those men and you knew that your face was turning a shade redder each time you felt someone brush up against your chest or behind. This was definitely not the type of atmosphere you were used to. Actually, this would be more up Nero's alley—if you didn't count the whole 'people wanting to kill you thing.' You were pretty confident that your friend hasn't had anyone try to kill her before. Well, except for that one time when some girl tried to rip her eyes out for sleeping with her boyfriend.

A shoulder jabbed hard into your side and the next thing you knew, you tripped into someone and your face was pressed up against a broad chest. The smell of leather, cologne, and gun smoke assaulted your nose and you glanced up to see amused blue eyes—or at least you thought that they were blue—when you heard this stranger chuckle and wrap his arms around you, pulling you closer to him. As if fate just wanted to torment you, when you saw the white hair framing his face you realized that it was the man from earlier that had been checking you out. A sly grin spread across his lips and you vaguely became aware of how tall he was; the top of your head didn't even reach his shoulders!

"Hello again, beautiful!" a familiar voice shouted over the music, drawing both you and the man's attention towards the owner.

Lana had her arm swung around a redhead who was trying to nuzzle her nose against her neck, but she paid no attention to her. As she had told you earlier, you were cute and the way your face was flushing only reinforced her statement. A small part of her wondered what would have brought someone like you to this place, but she didn't bother asking. Instead, she would rather have some… fun.

"Well, now. You better behave yourself, Dante, or beautiful there is gonna have a face as red as that jacket of yours."

You never got a chance to hear this 'Dante' reply because you pushed yourself out of his arms and made your way to the exit. This time, anyone blocking your way was shoved aside because you didn't want to linger in this place any longer than you had to. So the moment you got outside and the Love Planet's doors had closed behind you, you took off down the street like a 'bat out of hell' and your chest heaved with every pump of your legs. When you reached the end of the street and turned left, you thought that you heard someone behind you cry out in frustration, but you never stopped to check. You just kept running like your life depended on it—which wouldn't surprise you if it didn't.

When you got a fair amount of distance away from the Love Planet, you finally stopped running and looked at your surroundings. There were old looking street lamps that were flickering in and out and many of the buildings didn't appear to be in the best of conditions. From what little that you've seen of this town so far, you weren't very impressed with it so far. Everything here was so foreign and it made you feel homesick. You longed for those carefree days that you used to live. The ones where the only things that you had to worry about was school and how to prevent Hanna from killing Nero and being thrown behind bars for murder. Or where you'd have to listen to your mother and grandmother fuss over you and inform you that it was high time for you to start searching for a suitable husband. You knew that your grandmother was the one pushing for the whole 'husband' thing because almost every time that you visited her at the main house, there'd be some man—and always one from a prestige family—that she'd introduce you to and comment about what a fine match the two of you would make.

You walked over to a building and pressed your forehead against it, squeezing your eyes shut when you remembered those last moments that you'd spent with your parents. The three of you hadn't done anything extraordinary. No, you'd just sat down and had breakfast together while your father commented about how close it was to your graduation.

That's right. I'm supposed to graduate in a few weeks.

The tears started building again and you bit your bottom lip, feeling your throat start to constrict. Your shoulders shook and you began whimpering when the image of your father's severed head popped up. A choked sob escaped your throat after your knees crashed to the pavement and you felt Kyo scrambled out of your backpack. He nudged against your leg and you picked him up to hug him against your chest. You buried your nose into his fur and the tears fell like a never ending waterfall. What did you ever do to deserve this? There was nothing special about you so why did this all have to happen to you? You were a good person. Sure you might have made a couple of mistakes here and there, but did any of that warrant this? Your parents had been good people, so why did they deserve to die? All these questions were driving you to the breaking point.

"Kyo," you stroked his fur, "I want to go home."

"Well, lookey here," a man chuckled. "Boys, it seems like this is our lucky night."

You gasped and turned to see five seedy-looking men leering at you. The one who'd spoken was a buff, Caucasian man with auburn hair that was cut in a military fashion. His whiskey-colored eyes gleamed wickedly and your blood froze when you saw his lecherous grin. Even though you were 'innocent' to the more carnal things in life, that didn't mean that you stupid. All you had to do was take one look at these men to figure out what they wanted to do with you.

"Stay away from me," you ordered.

"Well, what do you know," the leader drawled. "The mouse has a backbone."

"Mouse?" You stood up and narrowed your eyes at him. Although you'd never been one for violence, that didn't mean that you'd just stand here and let these men have their way with you.

The leader took a step forward, but you still held your ground even though you were scared. You weren't like Nero, or even Hanna, who were both able to hold their own when it came to a fight. In fact, you suspected that the reason the two argued so much was because the both of them loved a good fight. It didn't matter if the fight was verbally or physically, the two just enjoyed fighting. Though when it came to fighting with each other, they preferred their fights to remain verbal. There had been a couple of times that it had gotten physical between them, but that had only been when Nero's taunting had pushed Hanna over the edge and the brunette lost her temper. However, Nero was usually the one to triumph in those kinds of fights. It had shocked you, Jiro, and Hanna that the flirtatious blond was skilled in 'combat.'

"So, mousey, what you doing out all by your lonesome?" The leader's gaze lingered on your chest and you held Kyo closer to you.

"That's none of your business." You took a step backwards and frowned. The only people in sight were a couple of homeless men and women, but you doubted that any of them would help you since they were already scurrying away when they realized what was going on. This town had such helpful citizens.

"Better watch that mouth of yours, missy." The leader smirked. "If you don't, I'll put it to good use."

"Leave me alone!"

"Hah! Why should we?" he asked. "It's been awhile since me or the boys have been with a woman and you're such a pretty thing. I also find the whole schoolgirl getup highly arousing. So be a good girl and we'll let you live after we've had our fun with you."

The man reached out and grabbed you, knocking Kyo out of your arms. He slammed you back against the building and you yelped from the pain. You struggled and yelled, "Stop it! Let me go!"

"Shut up, girl!" he roared.

"You better let her go bastard, before I force your ass to do so."

Both you and the thugs turned to the newcomer and you gasped when you saw it was the man that you'd bumped into at the Love Planet. He was casually walking up to you, as if he didn't have a care in the world, and you noticed that your assailant had loosened his grip on you. You weren't sure if it was because of the intimidating aura radiating from newcomer, or the large, black handgun that he was holding. Although you might have been wrong, you suspected that it was a combination of both.

The man who'd been holding you backed up towards his companions and narrowed his eyes at your savior (which is what you now considered him to be). He withdrew a large knife from the short jacket he was wearing and flipped it open. Apparently he wasn't too pleased with having his fun interrupted, judging by the tone of his voice when he asked, "Who the hell are you?"

"Doesn't matter who I am buddy, but you and your boys better crawl back to the gutters you came from if you know what's good for you." Your savior finally reached you and slung his arm over your shoulders, giving you a quick wink. "You alright, darlin'?"

"Um, yes?" you responded with an unsure look, but he just smirked and turned his attention back to the men.

"So what's it gonna be, dude? You gonna leave willingly, or do I have to kick all your asses?"

"Listen here! I'm Travis of the Black Hound Gang and if you know what's good for you, you'll get your arm of that lil' strumpet and keep walking." The brunette warned, and waved his knife to reinforce his word.

"That so?" the white-haired male yawned and pulled you up against him. "Well, 'Travis of the Black Hound Gang,' I'm Dante of the I'm About To Kick Your Ass Gang. So, unless you want me to live up to that title, you better get out of here within five seconds."

"Not without the girl." Travis withdrew another knife and motioned for his companions to do the same.

"Sorry, pal. I already saw her before you, so that means I get first dibs on her. Right, babe?"

"Wha… huh?" You looked up at him flabbergasted. Right now, you felt so confused because you thought that this 'Dante' was here to help you. Yet, from his last statement, you weren't sure if he wanted to do the same thing that the other men wanted to do to you.

"There you have it, boys. Seems she'd rather be with me, so scram." Dante aimed his gun at Travis and grinned like the devil. "So, what'll it be? Want to see if those butter knives of yours can stand up against Ebony?"

"Screw this, Travis. Let him have her. No woman's worth dying for," one of Travis' buddies commented.

Travis must have agreed with him because he nodded and put his knives away. "Whatever, do what you want with girl. We're out of here. C'mon boys."

The group wandered off and your face heated up when Dante tilted your chin up with his thumb. His warm eyes were twinkling in amusement and he grinned, showing pearly whites. "Well, darlin', you're quite popular aren't you? Looks like they're not the only ones who want you."

"What?"

Dante withdrew a silver gun to match the black one and closed his eyes. "You know, that warning I gave those dudes also apply to you and your buddy."

Two figures suddenly appeared in the middle of the abandoned street, as if they'd just fallen from the sky, and your eyes widened when you recognized the two men who'd been following since you got on the bus that'd brought you to this town. Unlike his solemn companion, the redhead had an agitated scowl plastered on his face and you inched closer up against Dante. Seriously, why was everyone after you?

"We're here for the girl. Hand her over," the brunette demanded.

"Sorry. As I said before, I saw her first." Dante moved in front of you and effectively shielded you from their sight. Unlike with the thugs, he seemed to have become more serious and cautious.

"Doesn't matter, half-breed!" the redhead snapped. "We're not going anywhere. So if you want to see another day, mongrel, you'd best stand aside."

"Mongrel? Half-breed? Jeeze man, can't you come up with better insults than that?" Dante aimed a gun at each man.

A breeze picked up and when you peeked around Dante, your jaw dropped open when you saw the redhead holding quarterstaff that was crackling with green electricity. He twirled it above his head with skill and dropped to a low crouch, while his companion held his arm out and a large broadsword suddenly shot out of his palm, crackling with blue electricity. The man rested the blade against his shoulder and the sight of him remaining unharmed only added to your shock. What in the world are these people? There was no way they could be human! They just couldn't! Were they demons? They had to be!

"Well, seems like you guys have some tricks up your sleeves." Dante grinned and you felt your heart sink when you realized that your savior was probably either insane or suicidal. "I've been itching for a good fight."

"Give us the girl!"

"Gotta go through me first, pal!" Dante yelled and then it happened.

In the blink of an eye, Dante had shoved you backwards and leapt at his foes, firing away his guns at the brunette. Your back hit the wall again and you shouted Dante's name when you saw the redhead swing one end of his staff at Dante's throat, while he was busy with the other man. Whether it was you who alerted him to the danger or not, Dante ducked and rolled off to the side. He'd already holstered his guns and withdrew a sinister-looking sword that he used to block the broadsword that was aiming to cleave his skull in half. Sparks flew from the impact of the two sword and Dante used all his strength to shove the man away when he saw the danger that you were in.

When the two swordsmen had clashed their swords against the other, the redhead had taken the opportunity to run and twist your arm behind your back. He had been so quick that you'd never stood a chance of dodging him and you screamed from the brutality he used on you. It felt like he was about to snap your arm in half and you tried to kick him so that you could maybe get free. Your kick struck home, but it was Dante who freed you. While your assailant hand lost his concentration from the sharp pain of your kick, Dante had taken the opportunity jump and deliver a kick into the man's side that sent him sailing a good distance away.

"Aaron!" the brunette yelled to his partner and ran to his side instead of attacking again.

He lifted him up and the redhead, Aaron, spat out a mouthful of blood. His glasses had fallen off and glowing eyes burned like emerald flames. He. Was. Pissed. No, he was beyond pissed. There was no way that he could've been injured by a half-breed so easily. He was one of the best fighters around and in no more than a couple of minutes against this mongrel, he was already coughing up blood. This was unacceptable! The half-breed had to pay! He had to die!

"Get out of my way, Nyall. He has to die!" Aaron growled.

"No. Now's not the time, Aaron. I sense the Exile's presence. We need to retreat." Nyall ordered.

Dante was about to fire his guns again, but instead he grabbed you and your cat and dodged out of the way when he saw the brunette hurl a ball of electricity. The ball missed and crashed into the building, sending debris flying and he hunched over you to shield you from harm. When it had settled down, he looked back see that both men had disappeared. He didn't bother with pursuing them and instead took a look at your arm to see how much damage had been done.

"Well, babe, I don't think it's broken. Might be bruised, but you should be okay in a few days." Dante brushed your hair from your face and quirked a brow. "Now, how about you explain why you have guys like that chasing after you."

"I—AH!" You yelped and your hand flew to your leg when you felt a sharp jolt of pain.

"Shit!" Dante cursed when he noticed the bloody gash on the calf of your leg. "You must've got hit by the debris. Alright then, I'll take you to my place and we'll get you cleaned up in no time darlin'. Then afterwards, we'll sit down for story time."

He picked you up bridal style and you leaned your head against his chest, softly stroking Kyo's fur as he carried you to wherever his home was. You saw the damage that had been done to the building, but neither you nor Dante noticed the two figures watching you both from the top of a roof. Neither of you were aware that they were the reason that Nyall and Aaron had retreated. Nor did you know that they would make a large impact on your lives in the future…
 

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Twilight Elf

Edited by Butterfly - May 2, 2008