Courting The Jester
Chapter Four
He was waiting on the stairs when she finally walked through the front door. It had been raining all night and her long dark hair was drenched, clinging to her back appealingly. He failed to notice that however. She hadn't seen him yet, and she moved slowly across the floor, pulling off her jacket. She was walking like she was slightly in pain; he didn't fail to notice that. She shook her head, pushing dark strands back from her face. The dark room hid her features, but he could feel her from where he sat. He could feel her; he had felt her all night. He had felt everything. Maybe that was why he was shaking when she finally turned to come up the stairs.
"Have fun?"
The harsh voice in the dark startled her and she jumped. Then her eyes narrowed and she glared at the man sitting before her.
"Let me through. I'm tired."
"I'm sure you are." His voice taunted her cruelly. She flushed despite herself, anger reddening her cheeks even further.
"What I do is my own concern," she said sharply, moving to step around him. "You're no one to judge."
"No?'
"No." She took a step past him, surprised that he had let her pass with this little of a fight. Mentally she sighed. It had been a trying night, and all she wanted to do was retreat to the comfort of her own bed. These last several days had been rough, and with all likelihood the next were going to get rougher still. There was so much they had to do, so much that they had to face…A rough hand gripped her arm and stopped her, fingers clamping down like steel.
"True, what you do is your own concern. God forbid that you ever take anyone else's feelings into account. God forbid that you show one tiny ounce of compassion for anyone or anything that isn't yourself!" His voice rose angrily as she tried to yank out of his grip.
"Get off me! You have no idea, you have no clue why I do the things I do!" she snarled back, trying to keep her voice down so that they didn't wake the others. The last thing she needed was all of them seeing this and asking questions.
"You're right, I don't know you," he replied contemptuously. "All I know is that I've been up all fucking night because someone decided that they wanted roll over and play whore!"
A hand hit his face with a resonating smack but he seemed oblivious to it, dragging her closer and looming over her, fury in his eyes.
"Did it ever occur to you that I could feel everything you did tonight? Huh? That I woke up from a dead sleep to feel that! Not to mention I had no clue where you were or how to find you! Just that you were somewhere-"
She interrupted him by pushing at him as hard as she could.
"And that's MY fault? It's my fault that we're connected like that?" she yelled, unaware that her voice was getting louder with each word. "I never asked for this, you just did it! Against my will! So if you're finding out things that you don't like now, then blame yourself, you jerk. What you did was worse, so much worse than what you think I did tonight."
"Worse?" he roared in reply. "What worse then knowing play by play how your girl is screwing you over-"
"I'm not your girl! Get it through your head! You lost that chance, and I'm not sure that you even wanted to be with me! Not like that. You just wanted what you couldn't have. And when this is over, if we actually make it through, then I'm gone. I'm getting out of this nightmare, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"Fine," he said softly, releasing her arm with a little push. She stumbled back, reaching for the wall to regain her balance. He never moved to steady her.
"No problem." His voice was once again contemptuous, as if speaking to dirt. "When this is over I'll put you on the plane myself."
She stood there for a moment glaring at him, before she turned and started up the stairs. Behind her she heard him mutter under his breath.
"Hope it was worth it."
She paused at the top of the steps and hung her head, gripping the banister tightly. She almost turned around but then stopped, shaking her head. She topped the stairs and turned the corner to find another figure standing in the hall, arms crossed, leaning against the wall. She waited, readying herself for the next onslaught. The figure said nothing for a moment, just looking at her with those piercing eyes. Then he stepped forward and uncharacteristically placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It isn't what he thinks, is it?" he asked gently. She almost softened, almost leaned into his hand for support. This was so hard. Then her resolve hardened and she stepped away.
"Of course it is," she said harshly, moving past and down the hall to her bedroom. He watched her until her door closed. It was only after it shut that he murmured aloud.
"No Nikki, you wouldn't do that to him. So what are you doing?"
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"Nikki…Nikki, what are you doing?" the voice teased at her conscience.
"Huh?"
"What are you doing?" it pressed, whispering around her, brushing her face.
"Pretending that I didn't just get in a car crash."
"Why, little one?" Phantom fingertips touched her cheek tenderly.
"Because if I acknowledge it, it will hurt."
"It's supposed to hurt, little one, that's the fun."
"Fun?"
"Fun…pain's fun. It tastes good." The voice chuckled at the joke, fingers brushing down her neck. Her conscience tried to pull away. She didn't understand, but knew she was in terrible danger. Familiar danger.
"Wha...what?"
"I missed you…yours always tasted the best…"
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Nikki woke up screaming, jerking and flailing. Something held her down and she fought hysterically against it. She heard a voice weakly saying her name, but it didn't register in her mind. She felt invisible hands brush her neck and she clawed at them, fingernails tearing her own flesh in her frenzy. Then a sharp slap stung her face and her vision blurred.
"Nikki! Calm down!" A voice said, much louder and commanding in her ears. Nikki recognized the voice and stilled, opening her eyes wider and looking around. Next to her Mia stood…upside down?
"Nikki, relax okay? I'm going to get you out of here," upside down Mia assured her. Nikki decided not to question why her friend chose to stand like that, or even how it was possible. Who was she to criticize?
"Ugggghhhh," Nikki groaned, shifting and feeling the muscles along her back and legs protest. "What happened?"
Mia face was in Nikki's briefly and then disappeared again, but her voice was clearly legible.
"We got in a car accident, and the car flipped over. You're stuck in the seat because of your seat belt and it won't come lose. I have to find something to cut it with. Don't worry I'll have you out in a second."
Even in her current state Nikki wasn't dumb. She looked quizzically at the direction of Mia's voice, or a quizzical as she could manage hanging upside down with a small trickle of blood running down...well technically "up" her face and into her nose. She snorted, a small burbly snort, which succeeded in not clearing the blood out of her nose. She sighed and decided to concentrate on other more productive things.
"Umm, just a question here," Nikki ventured. "But isn't it normal procedure in a car accident to leave the person that's been hurt alone until, say, the ambulance shows up? Just in case they broke their back or something? Just to be on the safe side?"
There was a grunt and the sound of broken glass falling down behind her.
"Sorry Nik…There's no ambulance. I'll explain later." Nikki thought about this than decided that she wasn't okay with the decision.
"That's okay Mia. I think I'll just wait for the ambulance."
"There's not one coming," Mia said softly, her voice extra calm. "I tried my phone but it's not working." Nikki knew that voice. It was the voice Mia used when she was especially worried. Nikki decided then and there that she needed to be out of the car right now.
"Mia, hurry," she muttered, the muscles in her legs hurting even more. Nikki realized that the car had scrunched up enough to have her half bent over, explaining the pain. Mia made a couple more clunking noises and then a sigh of relief.
"Found it," Mia said, returning to Nikki's line of sight, this time holding a small red utility knife. It was the kind that has little nail clippers, a tiny nail file, an itsy bitsy corkscrew, and one barely existent blade. Nikki sighed again. Mia to the rescue. Where was Ryo with his huge swords when you needed him? Well, maybe not Ryo. He tended to work with more power than finesse with those things. Sage might be more the one to take care of her problem. Of course he'd probably keep one of those blonde eyebrows raised in haughty amusement while he helped her, which had always bugged the crap out of her…
"Ouch!" Nikki yelped as the seat belt gave out under Mia's knife and she slid half out of it. "Be nice! I might have some serious injuries here," she grumbled.
Mia said nothing but did wrap her arms around her friend and helped to pull her painfully out of the car. On the last tug, Nikki came free and they both ended up sprawled in the grassy ditch the car had flipped over into. Nikki shook her head, feeling extremely light headed now that she was right side up. Staring at the still spinning wheels didn't help. Next to her, a dirty and scratched up Mia slowly rose to her feet, staring at the other side of the car. Personally Nikki didn't want to look. No one had been helping them, and there had been a huge amount of traffic at the time of the accident. It was going to be a horror on the other side of their car; there were going to be people hurt very badly. She'd never liked to see blood, and she wasn't about to start now. But…it was bizarrely quiet and Mia was simply standing there, not helping others in need, which wasn't like her. Carefully and hesitantly Nikki climbed to her feet. Once again her vision swum, and she grabbed onto her friend for support. Her eyes cleared and she turned to what Mia was staring at.
"Oh shit."
While Mia had never been one for cursing, she had to admit that the words were perfect. Nikki's jaw dropped, fingers digging into Mia's arm. It hurt but she didn't care. Pain reminded Mia that she was still alive despite…despite this.
There was no one there. No cars. No trucks. No ambulances, no fire trucks, no police cars, nothing. Just an empty road and their overturned car.
"Shit."
Mia agreed again. After a heady silence, Nikki turned to her. Mia saw that the girl's face was half covered in drying blood from a nasty cut on her head. There were also deep gouges at her neck where she had attacked herself. Mia wondered if she looked as bad.
"Okay. So. We're in Japan. We get in a car accident. If anyone hit us, then they definitely didn't stick around to help out. But logic says that there should be glass on the road, at least from our car, but there isn't. And your phone's not working. Did I cover everything?"
"Yes," Mia whispered softly. Nikki nodded calmly. Then she screamed at the top of her lungs. For the third time in a matter of moments, Mia agreed wholeheartedly.
It took her a while before she stopped.
"Are you done?" Mia asked. Nikki nodded. "Good. Because we have to get to my house."
"We are throwing out the idea that this was a normal accident, right?" Nikki asked for clarification. Mia just grunted as she grabbed what she could of her belongings from the trashed car. She was amazed they'd gotten out of there with only the small injuries they had.
"Just checking, you know. Remember you're the expert on these things. I'm just the nice hapless girl who gets drug into the situation because of her unfortunate taste in friends."
"Who ever said you're nice?"
"Bite me." At that the old Nikki came out and Mia couldn't help crack a smile. The girl had been in a little bit of shock after the accident. Understandably. Mia wondered if she herself still was in shock too.
Mia looked around and tried to get her bearings. They were out in the country, but not too horribly far from where she lived. It would be closer to try to walk there then to try to walk back to the city. There wasn't really any gas stations to stop at between here and home, so she figured they didn't have much of a choice.
"We're walking, aren't we?" Nikki asked glumly. Mia nodded and handed her what she'd been able to gather of Nikki's things. Most of their clothes were in the smashed down and impenetrable trunk so they didn't have much to carry.
"Hey Mia?"
"Yes?"
"I told you I hate Japan right?"
"Yes. Several times."
"Just making sure."
They chose not to talk about the accident as they walked slowly off, both limping. Each woman silently figured that sometimes it's better to pretend that you don't know that the world is about to go to hell all over again.
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"So…" Ryo ventured uncertainly from his seat at the bay window. White Blaze lay curled up at his feet and the Ronin of Wildfire absently stroked his fur. The tiger purred but kept watchful eyes on the room.
"So," Cye echoed his leader. Sage looked at both of them silently, arms crossed from where he leaned against the doorframe. It was the one sitting on the couch, systematically ripping apart a Pringles can, who was eloquent enough to put their emotions into words.
"So is everyone aware that we got our asses kicked by a voice back there?" Kento said suddenly. The others groaned at the tactlessness of it but the Ronin of Hardrock continued obliviously, stripping the can of the happily smiling cardboard face.
"I mean, we didn't just get our asses kicked, we got them handed right back to us. Cye couldn't stop throwing up. Sage just sat there like a lump out of water. I couldn't use my kanji orb to do anything, and even Ryo didn't lift a finger."
Cye cleared his throat uncomfortably, but Sage stared at Kento with unusual irritation.
"What do you mean "a lump out of water"? That's not even an analogy Kento!"
"Whoa, calm down man, that wasn't a personal attack. We all sucked. And lets see how good at analogies you are when you wake up at the top of a fifty-foot tree. And then fall."
"I did catch you," Cye reminded Kento mildly. Kento rolled his eyes.
"Sure Cye. Landing on you counts as being caught."
"Well at least you didn't wake up to someone smashing you!" Cye retorted angrily. Ryo continued to sit silently.
"Quit it guys, this isn't helping," Sage interceded, agitation apparent to those that knew him. "We have bigger things to worry about."
"Like what Sage?" Kento snorted, finishing off the can with one last mighty rip. "It seems to me that being helpless in the face of a new and twisted enemy might be at the top of the list. He wants to eat our hearts? Sick! At least Talpa only wanted us for our armors. This guy wants us for our bodies!"
"Kento, no one wants you for your body," Cye retorted almost absently. Kento responded by flicking the plastic top of the can at him with deadly accuracy, catching Cye right across the bridge of the nose. Cye jerked back and cursed, rubbing his nose and glaring at Kento. Sage looked about ready to start chewing everyone out when Ryo quietly spoke up.
"Sage means that we have no idea where Rowen is and if he's okay. I can't feel him, can you Sage?" Ryo asked. The warrior of Halo remained stiff for a moment, then seemed to wilt as he shook his head no. That made Cye and Kento look up in surprise. Sage could always feel Rowen. Rowen could always feel Sage; it was part of their close friendship. Each Ronin had a general idea of where each other was and what they were doing, but Sage and Rowen had taken it to the next level. If Sage couldn't feel Rowen…
"We need to find him," Ryo stated. Cye shook his head.
"Anyone notice that Rowen always disappears right when things get rough?" Cye grumped, earning himself a cold look from Sage. Cye just shrugged.
"Where was he when we got attacked?" Ryo asked.
"Probably at the university," Sage replied, looking at the floor. "He usually hangs out there until he comes for practice."
"We should probably check there first." Ryo decided. "I don't want to split everyone up this time. It's safer if we all-"
A slamming door across the house made them all suddenly start. Voices followed immediately.
"What the heck happened to your house? It looks like it got hit by a tidal wave."
"More like a shock wave. If I find out Rowen's been practicing again outside again I'll…" The voice trailed off as two women stepped through the door and saw the four Ronins standing there, white and colored under gear glinting in the open sunlit room. Mia stared open mouthed at them, surprise quickly turning to worry on her pretty face. She looked awful. Her long red hair was messy, and dirt and grime coated her arms and some of her face. Several raw red scratches ran down her arms. They all instantly jumped up.
"Mia! Are you alright? What happened?"
"Mia, what the-"
"Who did this? I'll kill him!"
Mia shook her head and smiled slightly. "Relax guys, I'm fine. We got in an accident. I don't…" her voice caught before she quickly smoothed it over, forcing a small smile on her face. "I don't know who caused it so you can't kill them Cye. But thanks anyway."
"We?" Sage asked suddenly, and Mia stepped aside, letting Nikki come into view. The guys stared at her for a moment, seeing the dried blood on her face, then stared at each other, realizing that they were all wearing their battle attire.
"This is Nikki, guys," Mia said quietly, gesturing to the dark haired woman behind her.
"Hi," Nikki said uncertainly. She looked at them, realizing their level of discomfort as they shifted back and forth. She gave a sort of sarcastic smile. "Hey listen, normally I'd give you guys hell about the matching costumes and such, but I just had my head split open and I'd like to go clean up and crawl in a hole to die right now. So if you'll excuse me, I'll just let you go back to your slumber party."
The guys stared at her. Mia just smiled and shrugged. Nikki was Nikki. The dark haired girl turned and headed up the stairs. Mia seemed to come to herself and called over her shoulder for Nikki to go to the third room on the right, but Nikki had already disappeared.
Mia turned back and looked at them all. They didn't look much better than her or Nikki. They had all removed their gear and were in normal clothes now, but none of them looked relaxed. White Blaze stayed curled up at Ryo's feet but purred in her direction. The tiger also watched her carefully.
"Hello Ryo," Mia said quietly. The black haired man remained where he was standing across the room, but he nodded at her silently.
"Wow, that was close," Cye said, "We're lucky she didn't press us about our gear." Mia smiled non-committally. She moved into the room and sat on the arm of the couch, giving both Cye and Kento a quick hug as she passed by.
"So what's going on guys?" Mia asked seriously. "Why are you all here and armed? What's happening?"
"You're hurt, shouldn't we take you to the hospital?" Sage asked, ignoring her question. "Both of you?"
"We're fine," Mia whispered, smile fixed on her face. Cye was staring at her carefully, as were the others.
"You're not fine," Cye said shortly, "but I'm not sure what is wrong with you."
"Cye!" Kento said sharply, "That's a rude thing to say to Mia." The warrior of Hardrock plopped down on the couch next to her and grabbed her up in a big bear hug.
"Been way too long, Mia!" he grinned, squeezing her ribs and making her winch through her smile. "Glad to have to around again."
"This is my house Kento," Mia reminded him gently. Then she looked around. "Speaking of which…what happened? None of you guys look too good and neither does this place."
"Listen Mia," Ryo said suddenly, voice hard, "you need to get that girl and get both of you out of here. Something bad's going down, and we need to make sure we can concentrate."
Mia's eyes immediately narrowed and she didn't even try to retain her smile.
"Listen Ryo if you think you can just cryptically order me out of my own house then you have another thing coming-" Ryo interrupted her bluntly.
"Don't argue, Mia. It's not safe. Blaze, take Mia and get her out of here." White Blaze stood and looked uncertainly at his master. Then he padded over to her. Mia jumped up, fully angry now.
"How dare you?" she demanded furiously. "You can't just kick me out-"
"Guys," Sage tried to intercede, but the owner of the establishment was not paying any attention to him, and neither was his leader.
"I can do it because it's the right thing to do," Ryo snapped back. "You can't help us and I don't want you getting hurt because you're in the way again."
"In the way? Again?" At this Kento and Cye both edged back.
"Guys?" Sage once again tried to get everyone's attention but they ignored him. Mia pushed past White Blaze and stalked over to where Ryo stood stubbornly.
"Listen mister," she started, only to hear a voice behind her say,
"Hey Mia, I don't know where you're keeping your extra towels now. Can you…what's going on?" Nikki stared confused around the room. She had the blood scrubbed off her face but still looked rough for the wear.
"Mia," Ryo was still saying, "don't argue this time! There's nothing you can do, so it's just better if you leave."
"What is wrong with you?" Mia demanded angrily. "Why do you always act this? Why can't you for once-"
"Guys!" Sage yelled this time.
Both of them turned towards him and spoke simultaneously, "What!"
"Rowen's back. I just felt him."
In the doorway Nikki went slightly pale and swung around, only to find a tall blue haired man standing directly behind her. His dark blue eyes were flashing and he glared furiously at her. Nikki took a step back.
"You…" Rowen growled.