Train Wreck

A/N: the first couple paragraphs are from chapter 9. It’s just there to remind you of what was said and what happened. Wow, I managed to update in a timely fashion for a change, I think. I amaze myself sometimes. Well Christmas break is fast approaching. Thank god for much needed rest. My next semester doesn’t start until Jan 17th. Oh yeah, a whole month to sit back and relax. Life is great! Well enough of my gibbering, here are the shout outs…

Miztikal_Dragon nsi~ You’ll know all in due time. Keep reading :)

Chocho~ Hola hermana. I don’t have to tell you cause you helped me figure it out. In case you forgot…READ! :P

the soul~ no problem. Here you go.

luciology~ ooo you pay attention to detail well. Read to find out. Haha :)

RSlover~ there was a lemon in the first chap. I’ll get another in at the end. :)

Disclaimer:: Don’t own in any way except story idea and a few made up characters.

***

Chapter 11~Crying Eyes

Haruna turned around so fast it was like a tornado swept through the room. She narrowed her eyes at him and screamed out, “Shut the hell up! What could you possibly know! I’m canceling the job as of now. So get lost!”

To everyone’s surprise the man just laughed louder and harder. Still twirling the shuriken around his finger and placing the other arm around his stomach as he continued to laugh. “No can do bossy lady. After the offer has been taken, there is no going back on the deal. Though you can try, but that’ll just get you killed. You see, this chick here wants to kill your partner and take you away to some secluded area. From there she can do whatever she wants while in the process getting ransom from your band mates. But of course if she keeps you around she’s sure to get caught so after the money is received, she’ll kill you. Instead of dirtying her own hands though, she decided to hire us to do the job for her so she can seem like miss innocent.”

“Stop it! That’s not true!” Haruna covered her ears with her hands and shut her eyes as a wave of fresh tears appeared. She shook her head and continued, “I didn’t want that to happen. Not like that!” Haruna pulled down her hands and opened her eyes, wiping a stray tear away.

As she opened her mouth to speak, Shuichi saw the guy out of the corner of his eye twirling the star around his finger, but without warning it flew from his finger and flew through the air like a bullet towards Haruna’s throat. It seemed to have been thrown with little force but managed to fly with great speed. As it sliced across Haruna’s neck, blood poured out in waves. It was like watching a waterfall of red water pouring out of a cavern.

The shuriken flew past Shuichi and embedded itself in the seat behind him, missing his head by an inch. Shuichi was in shock, frozen in place. That wasn’t a sight he expected to see.

Like out of simple reaction, her hands flew to her throat, trying to cover the gash and stop the flow of blood. Her face drained of color and her eyes rolled to the back of her head leaving only the white to be seen before she collapsed to the ground.

Shuichi stared at the spot where Haruna stood only moments before and blinked rapidly, trying to erase the image from his mind. Did that really happen? Shuichi thought it through in his head, replaying everything. A shrill laugh interrupted his thoughts and Shuichi looked up to see the man still standing in the same place, his eyes looking at her body like it was a work of art. Shuichi could see the look of glee that crossed his face and the satisfaction that played behind his eyes.

An unexpected shudder ran down his spine when the man turned his gaze away from Haruna’s bloodied body to lock dark eyes with Shuichi’s amethyst eyes only a couple of feet away.

A smile broke across his face when he saw the look of horror on Shuichi’s face. He began laughing and spoke mockingly, “Aw! Is it too much for your little innocent mind to handle?” He laughed again, but this time more loudly and continued in a loud tone, dripping with venom, “She was a stupid girl, someone that was a far cry away from reality. She was worthless. She gave us a job and then turned around and tried to get in the way after I warned her not to. She got what she deserved and now that she’s out of the way, I can finish the job without her interfering. But first I think I’ll take care of you. After all, someone else did give me instructions to kill you as well as both your band mates. I wouldn’t want to disappoint them,” he finished off in a low, evil voice and approached Shuichi one step at a time.

He bent down partially and pulled a tanto (small knife) out of his dark boot and held it in his hand with the blade pointed up, still making his way over while Shuichi just stood staring.

Shuichi couldn’t think past the fear that crept through his mind. He was trying to process it all but his brain wasn’t working fast enough. He looked away from the man slowly approaching him to glance at Haruna who lay sprawled on the ground surrounded in a mass of her blood. Her neck was wide open to reveal all the tendons and muscles inside, sliced to shreds like ribbon on a present.

His mouth gaped open, trying to form words but no sound vibrated in his throat, he couldn’t utter a word of protest. Unconsciously, a tear slid out of the corner of his eye and slipped down his face.

This isn’t happening. It’s not real. I’m imagining all of it, Shuichi thought hard. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying with all his might to block out reality. He was trying to separate himself from everything around him.

Shuichi felt a gloved hand touch his chin and tilt his head up and the voice to match said tenderly, “It’s no fun when your eyes are closed.”

Shuichi slowly opened them an inch at a time and saw the ninja-like guy standing in front of him.

An unreadable expression on his face as his voice filled with evil happiness, “I enjoy seeing the life slip away, watching their eyes cloud. The realization that I won.”

Shuichi couldn’t suppress the sob that escaped his lips and more tears followed, spilling down both cheeks, wetting the hand on his chin. He thought of Eiri and Hiro and the others and what they would say when they found his body all cut open, the blood dried into clomps.

A short, soft laugh came from Shuichi’s mouth and he sighed as he closed his eyes and tried to dry his tears. He let a smile grace his lips and snapped his eyes open again to see a very confused ninja still standing in front of him. The man took a step back.

The man lowered his hand and bunched his eyebrows together, perplexed at the sudden change in Shuichi’s demeanor. Trying to recover his composure, he asked laughing, “Finally coming to terms with the fact your life is over, huh?”

Shuichi laughed again and wiped at his wet eyes and runny nose. “No, I was just thinking. If Eiri were here or anyone else, what would they say to me?”

Shuichi paused in which the man growled and answered in a serious final tone, “They’d have to say good-bye.” The ninja started to step forward with the tanto raised and was about to strike Shuichi in the chest. Unfortunately for him, Shuichi turned to an angle and kicked out hard with his foot right into the guy’s stomach causing him to drop the knife and double over, clasping his hands over his midsection.

“They’d tell me how stupid I’m being for letting you get to me!” Shuichi said loudly and turned around, running over the seats that were behind him, to the door that would lead him to the last car. The car in which he started out in.

~~**~~

Shuichi ran to the end of the car and without looking back, he jumped up to the doorway and climbed inside, quickly crawling across the walkway. Reaching the other door that was already open, Shuichi turned around and slid down backwards, feet first.

When his feet touched the ground, Shuichi turned and scanned the area around him, looking for a place where he could hide. To his left Shuichi spotted a stack of suitcases that had fallen on top of each other like a wall that protects the castle it surrounds. Shuichi dashed for them and ran around them to the other side, crouching low.

Breathing heavily, Shuichi looked to either side and found a blanket that had spilled out of an open suitcase to his left. He grabbed it and threw it around himself, covering up everything but his head.

After a few moments of silence, the adrenaline that coursed through Shuichi minutes before came crashing down to zero. He became tired and weak. Sweat poured down from his forehead stinging his eyes. At the same time a feeling of lightness engulfed him and Shuichi began to sway back and forth.

Shuichi squeezed his eyes shut once and shook his head trying to escape the feeling of collapse. Visions, kind of like snap shots, filled his mind. The whole day replaying itself in pictures before his eyes. A final tear fell from the corner of his eye, sliding down his cheek to drip onto the blanket around him before his vision went dark and he dropped to his side and passed out.

~*~*~*~

Shuichi’s eyes scrunched up and a yawn shook his body. His eyes slowly came back to normal and began to open. Blinking a few times rapidly, Shuichi looked up and then to each side. First the left where he saw the luggage stacked and then to the right where his eyes meet with golden yellow.

Shuichi flew up, the blanket spilling in his lap and lunged at Eiri, enveloping him in a crushing hug. “Eiri,” was all he breathed into his ear.

Eiri wrapped his arms around Shuichi, hugging him back and breathed the same into Shuichi’s ear, “Shuichi”.

Shuichi sobbed into Eiri’s neck, inhaling his unique scent. “I’m so glad you’re here, Eiri.”

“Idiot. What are doing here in the first place? You should have been on your way to Kyoto right now,” Eiri said softly, kissing Shuichi on the cheek. “What were you thinking?” Eiri whispered as his hold around Shuichi tightened. He had been so worried about his baka and now finally here he was, waiting for him to say it was all going to be okay.

Eiri pulled back a little, looking Shuichi in the eyes and giving him a smile that only he ever got to see. Shuichi’s eyes filled with tears again in response and he whispered back, “I love you Eiri.” Shuichi leaned in again, placing his ear against Eiri’s chest to hear his heart beat.

Eiri wrapped his arms once more around him and put his head on top of Shuichi’s saying a soft, “I know,” in reply. Eiri pulled back again, looked over Shuichi with both his eyes and hands. Not a single spot was left unexamined by Eiri’s expert hands.

Unable to shut down his brain from other thoughts of what Eiri’s hands could do, a blush formed across Shuichi’s cheeks. “You’re not hurt?” he heard Eiri ask with relief in his voice. Shuichi shook his head happily, a wide, beautiful smile gracing his lips. The kind of smile that could melt Eiri’s heart.

A small laugh came from Shuichi’s mouth and he wrapped his arms around Eiri’s waist, leaning his head on his shoulder. Shuichi sighed. “I thought you’d be mad at me.”

An irritated growl came from Eiri and Shuichi pulled his head away looking up at Eiri. “What’s wrong?” Shuichi asked looking concerned.

Eiri rolled his eyes and said angrily, “Baka, I am mad at you! I’m mad that you were so stupid as to follow me and get caught up in this train wreck where there were, by the looks of it, hardly any survivors.” Eiri stopped his rant to place Shuichi’s head back to his chest and then continued softly, “But I’m glad you’re okay so for now I’ll be nice. There’s plenty of time to get on your case after we get home.” Eiri kissed the top of Shuichi’s head and stroked his hair back to kiss his forehead, then his nose. Shuichi tilted his head back some and Eiri bent down to kiss his lips.

As the kiss began to deepen, a sudden impact of metal could be heard behind them where the open expanse of track was. Eiri whipped his head to the sound and saw the end of the train car smash inward, which caused them to fly forward with the impact. The sides of the car started to bend inwards and the metal started to crack open in certain areas where the pressure was too much. The car began to shake violently and then it seemed as if they were moving. The sound of the metal train scrapping the side of the mountain echoed inside the car. It was like someone crushing a pop can but only magnified by a thousand. Everything inside shifted sending anything left up high crashing down with the rest of the debris.

Shuichi held Eiri close on the ground where the fell, lying on their sides. His hands clamped around his shirt and his head buried in his neck. His eyes were shut tight against the noise. Eiri had his arms wrapped protectively around Shuichi, his head resting on top of his.

On instinct, as if he suddenly remembered them, Eiri looked up at the stack of suitcases that Shuichi was hiding behind and saw them shaking and shifting in place. When realization hit, Eiri’s eyes widened and started to get up, yanking Shuichi with him. “We have to get out of here,” he said in Shuichi’s ear who nodded in response.

Hearing luggage fall with a thud that was lost in the sound of metal, Eiri swung his head up and saw the suitcases were beginning to fall in their direction. Eiri held his breath and pushed Shuichi forward out of the way just as the luggage fell on top of him.

Shuichi stumbled forward, aware that Eiri had pushed him and caught himself with his hands as he fell forward. He then heard the sound of all those boxes falling on top of something with a grunt and was suddenly afraid to look.

~*~*~*~

The train had stopped moving and the shaking was only minimal but the echo of the mountain reached Kyoko’s ears. She had fallen into the car from the doorway once the train had started to shake and move. She slowly got up and stood on her feet, ignoring the pain that shot through her ankle as soon as pressure was applied.

She knew what that sound meant. The rocks were loosening from the top of the mountain, getting ready to fall again. She shot forward, limping but still determined to keep moving. She bypassed the two bodies of an old man, apparently still breathing and that of a young lady, obviously dead. Kyoko managed to work her way across the car and over the seats, gritting her teeth against the pain in her foot.

When she reached the other door in what seemed like seconds, Kyoko could hear the rocks from high in the mountain coming closer. She jumped up only using her one foot and grabbed the ledge, pulling herself up.

As she crawled forward, Kyoko suddenly heard crying and someone’s voice that she didn’t recognize screaming out. Quickening her pace, she scrambled to the other doorway and looked down to see a man she hadn’t met yet, clawing at a stack of luggage that had fallen over.

“Hey,” she called, but Shuichi didn’t answer.

“Eiri! Answer me! Eiri!” Shuichi cried out over and over again. He pushed the top few suitcases out of the way and finally managed to uncover Eiri’s face. When Eiri didn’t open his eyes or seem to be breathing, Shuichi went hysterical. Tears like a river filled his vision as he screamed out, “NOOOOOO!” and shoved at the rest of the boxes that covered Eiri’s body.

When Kyoko saw the face the man uncovered, her breath hitched and her eyes widened. “Oh no,” she whispered. Kyoko wiped the on coming tears away and jumped down, landing on both feet. With a hiss of pain, Kyoko limped forward to Shuichi and held him back before he started hurting himself, trying to get him to leave. “There’s no time. We have to get out of here. You have to leave him behind,” she shouted at Shuichi. It pained her to say that but she couldn’t let all three of them die, not when there was a chance that the two of them would live.

“NOOOOO! I’m not leaving him! Eiri! Eiri! Let go of me! Eiri! He’s still alive! Please! NO! EIRI!” Shuichi screamed, crying hysterically. His tears poured down his face and his wide eyes stared out but not believing what he saw. His face began to pale when still Eiri made no move.

Kyoko somehow managed to drag a crying and screaming Shuichi up and out of the car, though he kept trying to run back in whenever her grip loosened. When they finally got back into the car she was just in seconds ago, Kyoko and Shuichi turned around at the sound of boulders and rocks of all sizes falling closer just outside the metal frame.

Within seconds they struck the trains, crushing them and denting and bending in the sides even more just when you thought they couldn’t be. A loud screech of metal and the sound of something collapsing under the weight of the boulders hitting the frame reached their ears. It was coming from in front of them where Eiri still lay trapped. Then suddenly there was silence and everything began to settle.

Kyoko’s arms loosened on her grip of Shuichi and he took the opening to bolt back to Eiri. He had to make sure Eiri was safe, that he would be okay. Just as he was about to climb up, a sound of shifting rocks banged around just above his head and without warning came crashing down, sealing the entrance of the walkway.

Shuichi let go of the ledge and took a step back, in total disbelief. His face paled even more and his eyes were like huge saucers. He shook his head back and forth slowly at first while his mind began to process what happened. “No, no no no no. No! NO! Eiri! EIRI!” Shuichi screamed, his breath quickening to a rapid pace.

~*~*~

AN~I think I’ll end this chapter right here. HAHA! Merry Christmas everyone!! Or whatever you celebrate this time of year!! Oh, and Happy New Year!! See you in 2006! Anyone know what Chinese new year it will be?