Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Worlds ❯ Dead or Alive ( Chapter 4 )

Broken Worlds 4

Dead or Alive

Takato shook his head. "This does not make sense. Why us?"

"You've been chosen," Alice said.

"How did you know this?" Jenrya asked.

Alice stroked her giant dog. "My friend here told me. He's from the other world. He's one of the Devas."

Jenrya gasped, "One of them was a dog…"

{Author's Note: The Chinese Zodiac has a dog but I don't know if Dobermon was one of them or if the Tamer's already defeated it. I must've missed an episode or two.}

"Yes," Alice said, "but don't be frightened. He is harmless, like some of them. Others are mad, like the ones you've fought."

"What else should we do?" Takato asked.

"Find the gate. There should be someone there to help you. His name is Shibumi. He was the one who created the magical amulets you two have."

Takato looked at his red amulet, "this amulet? It was a gift."

"My sister made this necklace for me when we defeated the tiger," Jenrya said.

"I do not mean that necklace," Alice said.

"But I don't--"

Alice held out her hand and around Jenrya's neck, appeared a golden amulet with a giant emerald.

"How did you do that?" he asked.

"Now you have yours."

"I don't recall seeing the Midnight Fox with an amulet," Jenrya said.

"She hasn't proved worthy of hers yet," Alice explained. "But she will get hers soon."

****

Shuichon tapped her foot and looked at her half-empty mug. "I can't wait any longer. Where is Jenrya? Why haven't those bounty hunters returned yet?"

"Relax, Shuichon," Juri said. "I'm sure your brother is fine. I know Hirokazu and Kenta very well."

"Well, they were here long enough for you to get to know them," Masahiko joked.

"Hirokazu and Kenta are good bounty hunters. They've found many outlaws quickly. Kenta is a good tracker and he knows background about the different outlaws. Hirokazu is skilled with many weapons. Trust me, they'll find them. I know they will."

"I hope I haven't lead them in a trap," Shuichon mumbled, "If anything happens to those men, I'll never forgive myself."

"I know what you mean." Nikari agreed. Hirokazu is quite a catch, isn't he?"

***

"My queen, we don't need to fight anymore," Ryo said. "We are out of the arena now. We've left the gladiator life. Let's talk this out."

"No!" She shouted. "I am still the gladiator Queen and I'll never stop fighting!" She lunged for him and he sidestepped away. She growled. "Why don't you fight me? Let's finish our battle."

"We have finished it in the arena." He told her calmly.

"It only ends when one of us dies," she hissed. "And we are both alive."

"Stop this, Ruki. You don't have to fight anymore. You've fought too much. It's all you know."

"That's right, I've been fighting all my life!" she cried. "I will never stop fighting! Never! I am, and always will be, the Gladiator Queen!" she advanced on him and he backed away, not wanting to participate in battle. He tried to talk her down.

"Of course you are, but you don't need to fight to prove that." He backed up and his feet got wet. He looked back to see water. He had just stepped into a river.

There was nowhere to go but deeper and he couldn't talk to her with water up to his neck--or could he? Maybe if he led her in the water, he could stop her. He took another step back and another as he spoke. "You are still the gladiator queen. You are my gladiator queen. No one can take your place." The water now came up to his shins.

"How I tire of you calling me that!" she shouted as she followed him. She stood on the riverbank. "I am not your queen!" She took a step into the water.

"I am not like the men you have killed," he said, taking another step back. "Or the men you think you've killed. Some may have been madmen but others were fathers and husbands. Good men, Ruki. There are good men alive but there won't be any left if you keep killing every man you come across!" The water now came up to his waist, where he waited for her to come to him. "Stop this, Ruki! You have to stop."

Ruki walked into the water and stopped when it came to her knees. She thought about what he said. Good men? Did she meet any good men in her life? She saw one just today and tried to kill him too. He put his life in danger for his sister. Where there more men like that, men like that one brother?

"My queen," Ryo said, noticing her stop. 'Did it work?' he thought to himself.

Ruki shook her head, groaning. It started to throb and she put her hand against it as she pressed on into the river. "I will not stop! I will never stop!"

"Ruki, think of what you've done!" He called to her. "Please, think of this carefully. Think! Think about what you're about to do!"

She grinned at him. "I've thought about it a long time ago and I still will not stop." Ruki was just a foot away from him now and they stood waist deep in the water.

Ryo thought about stepping deeper in but another idea came to him. It probably would work. It just might open her eyes.

Ruki pulled her clawed fist in a punch underneath her breast, ready to run him through. She could not keep herself from grinning. Finally, she had the Gladiator King right where she wanted him. It was sweet.

"Good bye, my King!" she shouted madly and just as she pushed her fist forward, Ryo reached for her and pulled her into him in a tight embrace. She gasped in surprise and Ryo grunted in pain as the three long blades went though his stomach and out his lower back.

'No, that's not how it was supposed to be,' she thought. 'He was supposed to step away or just stand there or fight back. He wasn't supposed to help me kill him! This wasn't how I wanted it!'

Though already injured, Ryo pulled her closer to him and the claw went in deeper. It injured his vital organs and his blood was dripping into the water. Ruki could feel his warm blood sliding onto her bare stomach as he held her close. It dripped into the water.

"How does it feel?" Ryo asked weakly in her ear. Blood spilled from his mouth, staining her hair and face. "How--how does it feel, my queen? To be held in the arms of your dying king? How does it feel to know that he's about to die? That you've taken another life of a man, a good man? How many good men must die until you understand? Why--why can't you see? Why? Why did it have to get this far?"

Ruki flinched. A voice spoke to her. "Why don't' you finish him off for good? Then he'll stop talking nonsense. Rip off his head now. I'll give you the strength you need."

"No," she muttered, "You made me do this…you monster, get out of my head!" She closed her eyes and put her other hand to his back. "Ryo, I'm sorry. Forgive me, my king. I didn't mean to…he made me…I see now. Please, don't die!"

"Are we close, Hirokazu?" Kenta asked.

"Shuichon said something about a river," Hirokazu said. "I'm sure we're close. I hear water."

Ruki screamed and the two men heard it.

"Hirokazu, someone screamed! Midnight Fox might be here."

"That was a woman who screamed," Hirokazu said.

"She probably killed another man," Kenta suggested, "a woman's husband maybe."

After finding the river, Hirokazu dismounted. He stepped into the water and looked at it.

"Hirokazu what is it?" Kenta got off the deer.

Hirokazu touched the water and sniffed it. "Blood, Kenta…someone's bleeding. Upstream!"

Kenta cupped his hands and submerged them into the water, bringing up the blood-filtered water. He sniffed it and even tasted it to be sure. He spat it out. "You're right…ugh…"

"Let's get to work," Hirokazu pulled off his crossbow and walked out of the river. "Remind me to thank Shuichon when we get back."

Within moments, they found Ruki with Ryo. She had pulled out her claw from his stomach and was now trying to clean his wounds with the water. The river started to become red with his blood.

"What is she doing?" Kenta asked. "Hiding his body?"

"Whatever she's doing," Hirokazu said, aiming his crossbow, "It'll stop now. I'm not going to let the Midnight Fox kill again."

Ruki didn't know there were bounty hunters behind her. Hirokazu fired and a crossbow bolt got her in between her shoulder blades. She howled in pain and dropped Ryo in the water. Hirokazu shot her again, now in her left shoulder blade. As she whirled around, Hirokazu shot her thigh.

"Let's go!" Hirokazu shouted. "Kenta, get him. Maybe we can save him!"

Before Ryo floated too far away, Kenta got to him. He gasped when he saw him. "Oh my god."

"What is it?" Hirokazu shouted, trying to restrain Ruki with the three crossbow bolts in her body.

"It's the gladiator King!" Kenta exclaimed.

"Then get him out of here!" Hirokazu shouted.

Kenta grabbed Ryo by his armpits and pulled him out of the river as Hirokazu still struggled with Ruki. Even shot with three poisonous crossbow bolts, she still fought like a tigress.

"What's going on?" Hirokazu wondered out loud, "you should be paralyzed by now."

"You--you can't defeat me!" she snarled. "I'm the gladiator Queen!"

Kenta started to bandage up Ryo's wounds. "This should hold you until we get you to Juri."

Ryo groaned and looked over at Ruki fighting with Hirokazu. "What is he doing?"

"We've come to help you," Kenta said. "Hirokazu and I are bounty hunters. We got a lead from a woman Midnight Fox attacked."

"Please, don't hurt her!" Ryo choked.

"We're here to help you," Kenta said. "If we came any later, she would've killed you."

"No, she didn't mean to."

Kenta tightened the bandages on Ryo's body. "You're losing too much blood. You're not thinking straight."

Ruki tried to jab Hirokazu but he grabbed her arm. "I've never had this much trouble with women! Kenta, will you give me a hand here!"

"But you told me to--

"Forget what I said!" Hirokazu shouted, swirling around in the water, "Your blood brother is in danger here!"

Kenta sighed, stood up and got his own crossbow ready. They were moving too fast and he couldn't get a clear shot. "Hirokazu, stop moving! Hold her still!"

"I'm trying!" Hirokazu exclaimed. "She should be asleep right now. Why aren't the arrows working?"

"You men are all the same!" Midnight Fox shouted, she thrashed around and slashed his arm.

Hirokazu bit his lip and grabbed for her again. He pushed her in the water and pulled out his knife. "Dead or alive," he said. "Damn--and I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this. I was starting to like you too."

Hirokazu stabbed her in the ribs, pulled her out of the water and struck her hard across the face. She still writhed in his grasp. "No, Kenta!"

Kenta aimed and shot her in the chest. Finally, she stopped moving and the poison began to take effect. Hirokazu pulled her out of the water and tied her wrists and ankles together.

"Why did you do that?" Ryo asked.

"Because it's our job." Hirokazu retorted. "Can't I get a thank you?"

"We're bounty hunters," Kenta said more lightly, "It's our duty to capture outlaws and protect people."

"I loved her," Ryo sighed.

"She doesn't understand love," Hirokazu muttered, "If she did, she wouldn't have attacked Shuichon and her brother. This woman you loved killed a lot of good men. We've been on her tail for days. You should thank us. Good God, man, we just saved your life! An also the lives of many others."

Ryo groaned. If Hirokazu only knew how Ryo had gotten hurt in the first place.

"Is she dead?" Kenta asked.

Hirokazu shook his head, "No, she's still breathing." He heaved her over his shoulders. "Let's get back. Shuichon will be relieved to see us back. I bet she misses us."

Kenta pulled Ryo up and put his arm around him. "I'm sorry, but I had to."

Shuichon's deer came up and Kenta put Ryo on its back. They started to go back and Ryo fell asleep halfway there.

"Hirokazu, did we do the right thing?" Kenta asked.

Hirokazu grunted, "of course we did. Midnight Fox is crazy, even if he did love her. She wouldn't have tried to kill him if she understood that."

*****

Shuichon paced the floor. "I hope they're okay," she said. "Please be all right."

"I can't find Takato," Nikari told Juri, "I think he's with Jenrya."

"Good," Juri said. "Takato said that he looked familiar."

"If anything happened to them I--" before Shuichon could finish her sentence, Hirokazu and Kenta stepped in, supporting Ryo. "You're back!" she noticed Ryo. "Dear God--not another!"

"We got to her in time," Kenta said. "I bandaged his wounds but he'll need some rest and--"

Juri nodded. "I'll take care of it from here, Kenta. Thank you."

"Where's Midnight Fox?" Shuichon asked.

"In prison," Hirokazu replied.

She noticed his arm. "You're hurt! Did she--"

"Don't worry, it's not that deep." Hirokazu said. "I just had a hell of a time trying to get her under control. You were right, Shuichon--she is strong."

"Isn't that the Gladiator King?" Nikari asked coming closer.

"Yes," Kenta nodded.

"Let's get him up stairs," Juri said, "follow me."

Kenta and Hirokazu followed Juri but Shuichon went outside. She wanted a word with Midnight Fox.

"Set him down here," Juri ordered and the men did so.

"I did what I could with what I had," Kenta said. "He'll defiantly need some stitches."

"My cut stings," Hirokazu said. "Some ale should do it."

"No, stay here," Juri said. "I'll take care of your wound too." She pulled out her card box. "However, you have to swear to me that what happens in this room, stays in this room."

"I don't understand."

The card began to glow as Juri held it over Ryo's belly. The solution went through the bandages Kenta dressed him in and started to clean up his deep wounds. Kenta gasped and put a hand to his mouth. Hirokazu just shook his head over and over again, thinking it had to be an illusion from his cut.

After the card stopped glowing, Juri took the bandages away. Hirokazu walked to him.

"He's healed," he said. "I don't believe it. Just a while ago he was bleeding."

"Hirokazu, give me your arm." She took his arm and pushed the card on it. "This will not hurt."

Hirokazu watched in surprise as the wound disappeared in front of his eyes. "How did you do that?"

"I'm a card mage," she explained.

"We should've taken you with us," Kenta said. "You could've stopped Midnight Fox."

"You healed Shuichon's brother the same way, didn't you?" Hirokazu asked.

She nodded, "he must have recovered quickly too. I'm not sure where he is. He might be with Takato."

"Juri! Shuichon, she's gone!" Nikari cried.

"What?" she asked.

"She left. I think she went to the prison to see Midnight Fox."

"We've captured her, what more does she want?" she groaned. "You two, stay and rest." She held on to her box of cards and left. "I'll take care of this."

****

"I'm here to see Midnight Fox," Shuichon told the guard at the gate. "Can you bring her out?"

The guard nodded, "wait here."

A moment later, he returned with Ruki in chains. He waited in the corner and supervised.

"You again," Ruki muttered. "What do you want?"

"I thought you weren't hurt again," Shuichon said. "I was gong to make sure Jenrya was the last but you couldn't stop, could you? You had to attack the Gladiator King!"

"You do not know my connection with him."

"Oh? I know he loved you. I wasn't there in the crowd but I saw it in his eyes when Hirokazu and Kenta brought him back."

"He lived?"

"Yes, he's still alive. Thanks to those men."

"You told them where to find me, didn't you?"

"So what if I did?" Shuichon demanded. "I had to make sure you didn't kill again. Tell me, Midnight Fox. How many men have you killed? How many sons, how many fathers," as she asked each questioned, her voice rose an octave, filled in resentment, "how many brothers? How many husbands? How many lovers? How many uncles? How many nephews? How many friends? How many, Midnight Fox? Tell me! How many?"

She didn't answer her.

"Answer me!" she shouted. "How many? Ten? A Dozen? A hundred?"

Ruki looked down and away.

"You don't' even know, do you?" she interrogated. "You've probably killed a thousand and you don't even care."

"I don't know," she said at last.

"Why did you kill those men, Midnight Fox? Were they lovers that left you?"

"No. I--just hate men. All men."

"Even the good men?" she asked. "Or just the ones that did bad, horrible things? You didn't' care what they did or who they were? What they meant to someone else. You didn't care if they were brothers or sons or husbands--you didn't care! You didn't care! I know there are some bad men out there and you think they're all bad, but they're not. My brother is not. He's not! You didn't care what kind of man he was; you tried to kill him anyway! And when he tried to protect me, you tried to kill me! And you came to the tavern to finish the job, didn't you? You kidnapped him!"

Ruki shook her head. "I didn't come after him."

"You attacked Ryo and it mattered not that he loved you, did it? You didn't want to be loved by a man. I want to kill you, Midnight Fox! You do not deserve to live!" She started to fight her again and a voice broke out.

"Shuichon, no!" she was grabbed from behind.

"Let me go!" Shuichon hissed.

"Shuichon, calm down. It's going to be all right."

"Jenrya?" she looked up to see him. "You're all right! What happened? Where did you go?"

"He and Takato were talking to a woman," Juri answered shortly.

"Who?"

"A messenger. All will be explained momentarily," Juri said. "We've come for Midnight Fox. Set her free."

"Why?" the guard asked. "She's an outlaw. An assassin. I'd be insane to let her go."

"It was not she who killed those men, "Juri said," but the demon inside her. The only crime she is guilty of is hating every man she came across and allowing herself to love any. I command that you let her go."

"You're mad--"

"You leave me no choice," Juri said, taking out a card from her box she held it up and it shot a beam to the guard. Silently, he fell down.

"Did you--" Takato began.

"No," Juri said. "He's just asleep."

"What do you want with me?" Ruki asked. "You've put me in prison. You have your justice, what more do you want?"

"We need your help, Ruki," Jenrya said. "You have to join us. The messenger told us you are a demon seeker. You, Takato and I are. We've been chosen to save the world."

"I can't." she said.

"I am not going anywhere," said a different voice out of her mouth.

"It's the evil spirit," Juri reached for a special card.

"Are you going to draw the evil spirit out?" Takato asked.

"I'm going to try," Juri replied. She held the card out. It had an image of a cross. "Evil spirit, I command that you leave Ruki! Her body does not belong to you!"

The demon inside her began to laugh. Her eyes glowed red. Ruki could not control it anymore. It made her move how it desired.

"She has another purpose," Juri said. "Ruki is a demon seeker. You will leave her body now!" the card started to glow. Ruki got on all her fours and jumped towards them, but she was frozen in midair as the card took effect. A beam of bright white light held her body in the air and went off in waves. Juri struggled the card, for she never had to use it. "Leave her body now, demon!"

The demon inside her screamed in anguish and pain but did not let her go. "I cannot move!"

Juri moved the card and whichever direction she moved her hand, Ruki went. Her body hit the walls, floor and ceiling.

"I demon that you let her go!"

"Stop, Juri, you'll hurt her!" Jenrya pleaded.

"Better to be hurt while Juri is trying to save her than to have that thing in her forever," Takato said.

She made her drop the floor, but kept her frozen. The evil spirit stayed inside her body.

Juri pulled out another card to help her. It had the image of a broken heart. When the card took effect, Ruki screamed and held herself.

"Pain…all over," she said, her voice and the demon's mixed as one. "My heart…my neck my arms, sliced off. No! My back--back is burning! The fire! The flames! Make it stop!" She grabbed her chest, "My heart…my stomach…ripped out…everything is going black…bleeding…bleeding. Can't…make it stop!"

A dark fog started to pull out of Ruki's body as she screamed in agony and it flowed toward Shuichon. Shuichon gasped and tripped as she tried to step away. Just as it reached her face, it faded away.

"Was that the evil spirit?" Shuichon asked.

"I have no doubt it was," Jenrya said.

"I feel so…tired." Ruki said wearily, swaying side to side. "So…so very tired."

"Then sleep, Ruki," Juri insisted, holding up another card. "Sleep."

Ruki sighed and collapsed but before she hit the floor, Jenrya caught her.

"She's so cold," Jenrya stated.

"That's the effect of the demon inside of her," Juri explained.

"Will she be all right?" he asked as he lifted her up.

"She will now." Juri answered. "She needs rest. She hasn't rested for weeks."

"Juri, you were magnificent!" Takato praised. "How come you never told me that you were a mage?"

Juri sighed, "I just wanted it to be a secret."

"It won't be a secret anymore," Takato said. "Why don't you come with us?"

"Alice didn't say I was a demon seeker like you and Jenrya and the others." Juri said.

"But she knew you were a card mage," Jenrya insisted. "We need your help, Juri."

"I don't have an amulet," she nodded to Takato's amulet.
"Then I'll give you mine." Takato offered. Come with us, Juri."

Juri smiled, "keep it, Takato. All right, I will come. I just hope I don't end up in the way. I'm not very strong."

"You won't be in the way, Juri." Takato said, "I didn't even know I was an illusionist but you always knew you were a mage. Maybe you can help me with my powers."

"Very well."

"What were the cards you used on her?" Shuichon asked.

"The first one was called the Holy Card. It can take an evil spirit from a person's body but it was too hard for me to use without another. The second card I used was the Broken Heart card. It made her feel the pain from all of her victims."

"She even felt my pain?" Shuichon asked. "When I was burned?"

"Yes. And the last card was the sleeping card. She'll be in a very deep sleep."

"Is that the card you used on the guard as well?" Takato asked.

"Yes. Now let's head back. We'll have to tell Ryo when he wakes."