Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction / Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction ❯ Urbania ❯ The Arena ( Chapter 6 )

Ryo pushed the door to his room open. Serena looked surprised. A smile crossed her face.

"What are you doing?" Ryo demanded. Serena messed with her hair.

"I just want to make sure I look decent."

"Forget decent. I'm ready to go. Let's get going."

"Sorry, sorry, I just wanna look nice," she went out and closed the door behind her, "I haven't been out in ages."

"No," Ryo corrected her, "Sally hasn't been out in ages. Relena hasn't been out in ages. You were out three days ago." Ryo led her out of the residence and up the stairs, through the Arms Room and out the door. Serena inhaled the air deeply. There were three cars waiting at the bottom of the steps for them. In the first car, Wufei drove with Duo in the passenger's side and Kento and Cye in the back. In the second car Trowah drove with Quatre in the passenger's side and awaited Ryo and Serena to get in the back. Heero stood around the second car. In the third car, Sage drove with Rowen in the passenger's side and two women in the back. Serena climbed into the second car and Ryo climbed in after her. Heero climbed on the back, where he could see clearly around for miles. Serena learned from Relena that there were people out to kill Ryo, and some even had a bounty out on his head. The small entourage started up and drove off. They were going in the direction of Trieze. Serena thought quickly.

"Can we stop?"

"Why?"

"I have to go to the bathroom." Ryo didn't hide his annoyance.

"You should have gone before we left."

"I didn't have to go then."

"You can wait til we get to the Arena. Stop arguing with me."

"No, I really can't. I-" Heero hit in the back of her head with the butt of his rifle. She gasped and grasped the back of her head.

"Jesus, woman! Just shut the hell up when he says shut the hell up! You need a little common frikin' sense knocked into you!" Heero fussed. Serena fell against Ryo, lying on his chest. He put his fantasies aside and looked away. A few minutes later, they stopped at the entrance to a parking lot. Two Guards stopped them and on peeked into the second car.

"Master Wildfire," Heero confirmed. The Guard nodded his head and gave them the 'go ahead' gesture. The three cars pulled into the parking lot and parked in their reserved spots. The Guards and the other Men and Women unloaded before Ryo and Serena. When they did, Ryo pulled Serena out by her wrist. Serena was still holding her head. Heero had hit her harder than Ryo knew.

They first entered a dark, crowded hallway. Light spilled from windows that offered a good look into the rooms on either side that hosted a variety of activities from arm wrestling to mud wrestling. The hallway was densely packed and noisy. A strobe light from nowhere flashed here and there, but didn't provide any helpful light in the stuffy darkness. Ryo pulled Serena through behind him, moving quickly but awkwardly, dragging her along by her wrist. Serena slipped her wrist out of his grip and replaced it with her hand. That felt strangely better. Ryo had warm, gentle hands, something Serena had just then discovered. It was nice holding hands with Ryo. Ryo pretended that he felt nothing holding Serena's hand.

Ryo and his group pushed their was to the end of the hall and into the room where Ryo had purchased Serena, only the chairs were cleared away and tables set up instead: it was a sort of flea market. Their community dispersed, except for Heero, who stayed within a yard or two of Ryo. Serena walked with Ryo to this table and that, looking at different things, both essential and trivial. He stopped at a jewelry table and picked up a necklace and held it to Serena's neck. Serena's face lit up.

"Are you looking for me some jewelry?" she asked warmly.

"No," Ryo replied coldly, putting down the necklace and investing his attention in something else. Serena looked around. There were dozens of other Men there, many with their Women, but none held their women's hands as Ryo did. They pretty much all just had their Women close, and the Women didn't' stray. But Ryo knew better that to trust Serena. She'd already tried to runaway once, and that was the first night. Heero approached Ryo with a rifle he'd just bought.

"Check this, Rye," Heero handed hi the gun. Ryo dropped Serena's hand to cradle the weapon.

"Oh, this is tight," Ryo commented with a smile. Serena didn't notice his smile. Serena noticed his hand. His hand that was not holding hers. In a public place. In a crowd. Where she could easily escape. He even had his back turned to her. Serena could feel herself take off running, right back through the crowded halls, pushing through people and dense darkness, pushing through the doors, inhaling the humid air that smelled like freedom…and she almost would have if she hadn't remembered Relena's warning:

"Relena, Ryo's taking me to that place he likes to go to." She'd said. Relena had dropped her dish back in the water and looked Serena in the eye with her serious glare.

"Look, Serena, that is a very crowded and free place. I know you, and I know you'll try to run away. It's not worth it. If you runaway, there are so many Hunters in that area, it's guaranteed that you will just be caught and cold and bought all over again. This time no one's going to bid five thousand on you, and this time they won't put up with your rebellious nature. Please, Serena, stay here. Stay here where I can protect you…" Serena didn't want to hear the rest of it. She had get ready to go. Remembering this, Serena didn't move. Quatre was suddenly at Ryo's side.

"Hey," he whispered, "I found a waiting room if you wanna toss Sir Talks-a lot in." he and Ryo looked at Serena. Serena didn't want to go in the waiting room.

"I'll be good," She promised with a smile. Ryo and Quatre looked at each other sarcastically.

Serena looked around the waiting room at the other Women. The waiting room was the size of the other activity rooms and had the kind of wooden benches one would find in a sauna. Serena had been lucky enough to find a seat. The room was unofficially full, and a few sat on the floor. Serena pushed her anger down and spoke:

"You know what," she said, "this doesn't make any sense. If we have to be in here for as long as the Men want us to, we might as well get to know each other. Hi," she shook hands with the Women all around her, "I'm Serena. Master Wildfire brought me here." A few women perked up.

"Are you the one he paid five hundred thousand dollars for and almost killed him?" one woman asked quietly.

"Word travels fast," Serena muttered, "And sloppily. It was five thousand dollars and I almost attacked him, but his Guard knocked me out."

A few anonymous sounds of awe were heard. The Guard outside opened the door.

"What'd going on in here?" he asked. He looked at every one of them.

"I sneezed," Serena lied, "They were saying 'bless you'."

"Uh huh," The Guard closed the door and turned his back to them.

"Bastard," Serena muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. The Guard turned right back around and opened the door.

"I know I heard talking that time. Who was it?" Nobody answered.

"Somebody better fess up, or you're all getting a beating.

"Ah, hell, it was me," Serena confessed, standing up.

"Who's Woman are you?"

"I am my own woman," Serena corrected him, "Now your Master Wildfire gave up a few grand to an auctioneer, and somehow, I don't know how, that made me his slave. But I am my own woman."

The other Women were astonished. The Guard left the room and less than a minute later returned with Ryo and Heero. Ryo marched into the room and stood over Serena.

"What have you done now?"

"She was talking." The Guard explained.

"How'd I know?" Ryo asked Heero. Heero shrugged, looking away and scratching his head.

"She smarted off to me," the Guard added, "I asked who she belonged to, and she fed me some shit about being her own Woman."

Ryo nodded angrily and snatched Serena' wrist. "I can't take this anymore. I'm selling you. You are so not worth it."

Ryo marched Serena back into the flea market. Ryo called loudly to get the room's attention:

"Anybody wanna buy a virgin?" Serena pretended not to notice what was going on. Ten or so Men wandered over and looked.

"How much?" one Man asked.

"One hundred," Ryo insisted. The Man looked at Serena.

"Is that the gal that attacked you."

"Well-"

"I sure am." Serena beamed.

"Shut-up." Ryo fussed.

"Ooh, no. I'm not buying her, she'll kill me."

"What? No, she won't, she's harmless, she didn't do a thing to me."

"Not while he was awake anyway," Serena flashed the prospector a dangerous look. The potential customer shook his head and wandered away with the rest of the once interested buyers. Ryo was infuriated. He grabbed Serena's throat. She choked and he banged her head against an empty spot on a table.

"Shut-up! Shut-up! Shut-up! Shut-up!" He jerked her up and let go, giving her a good slap. Serena wobbled. Ryo started to take her back to the waiting room. A voice came over the loud speaker:

"Attention, gentlemen! The fight will commence in five minutes. Five minutes."

"Ah, shit," Ryo sulked. He looked at Serena, who looked positively drunk. He dragged her on with him. They made their way to the Arena and found their seats.

Serena's world was spinning, threatening to go dark again. Heero had hit the back of her head and probably put a slight fracture in her skull. Then that expulsion of Ryo's anger had succeeded in damaging her head, probably. She felt the worse headache any person could imagine having. She was pushed down in a seat and told to be quiet or she'd be thrown in the ring with the dogs. Dogs? They were going to a dogfight. Serena didn't like dogfights, she thought they were cruel. She could tell Ryo that her head was hurting too badly for her hold it up. The world was getting gray. For a moment, she was still awake, but couldn't see. She panicked, turning her head too quickly, and she lost consciousness the moment the dogs were released. Ryo gave a loud whoop and Serena fell to the floor.

"What the hell…get up. You're embarrassing me." Serena didn't move. "Heero, take her back." Heero reluctantly got up and gathered Serena. He walked as quickly as he could back to the waiting room.

Only a few had left since Serena had and there weren't any newcomers. Heero walked in with Serena in his arms.

"Oh, Serena!" some Woman exclaimed, making her way to Heero. Other Women came to him and Serena to see what the matter was. Heero was disgusted to have to hear them.

"Hey!" he yelled over the dull roar. The Women all stopped and looked at him. "What the hell? Why is there all this talking? Be quiet." He left. The Guard gave them a reinforcing look and closed the door. The Women inspected Serena.

"Oh, my goodness! She's bruised on the back of her head!"

"Maybe she needs some ice. Hey, Laney, do you still have that bottled drink?"

"Yeah, and it's still cold."

"Get it under her head."

Serena's head was propped up under the cold bottle. The Women crowded around her and held her hands. She opened her eyes in a few minutes. "Serena…"

"Huh?"

"What's your name?"

"Serena…" she muttered.

"What color is your hair?"

"I'm blonde."

"Who's your master?"

Serena gasped. "Oh, my God, you mean, it's real? I've been sold? I though it was just a nightmare." Serena sat up.

"Hey," The Guard poked his head in, "No talking."

Serena waited quietly in the car for Heero to return with Ryo. Quatre and Trowa were on edge, knowing that Serena's engines were going to start up at any moment. But Serena stayed relatively quiet. Inside, she was screaming at herself to jump out of the car and run to Trieze's; there may have been Hunters in the area, but not so many that she wouldn't be able to reach Trieze. Ryo jumped in the car, derailing her train of thought, and Heero jumped on too. Serena was next to a gigantic Rottweiler.

"What is-" Ryo smacked Serena's tender spot good and hard before she got any further. She gasped as pain moved from the spot and wrapped itself tightly around her whole head. Tears rose in the brim of her eyes. But she didn't cry. Not in front of Ryo and Heero. The car jolted, bumping the front of her head against a panel, and causing her even more pain. She felt like giving up at that moment more than ever. I save you because you still have that hope, that fire of hope that you will survive to live happily. I lost that fire a long time ago. Once you lose it, you don't get it back. Serena squeezed her eyes shut, pushing the tear down her face, and vowed never to give up, for herself and her friends.

The ride was peaceful for a few seconds. Ryo petted and praised his new dog Riley, the winner of the dogfight, and rubbed his ears. Serena stayed quiet. A big sedan pulled up next to them, lingered, then drove ahead. A back window opened and shot at them, almost hitting Serena.

"Ah!" she let out a short scream.

"Get down! Get down!" Ryo and Heero both shouted at everyone. Ryo got down on the floor, covering Serena and Riley. Heero leaned out of the window and shot off his gun a few times. The sedan doubled back and shot at them with several separate guns many times. Quatre and Trowa joined Heero and Duo and Wufei in the crossfire. Ryo and the other Men were ducked down, except for Kento, who fired with his handgun. They hit their attacker's tires, but the attackers kept going, this time to get away. As they escaped, the sunroofs opened and hands were shown, all five fingers brandished on one hand, and L-shape on the left and the pinkie sticking out. The sedan disappeared in the distance. Ryo shook his head. Heero pulled himself back into the car and the three cars continued on home.

"Loyal Six," Ryo said, shaking his head. Serena was still on the floor, petrified. Ryo took hold of her waist and pulled her up. "Shoulda known he'd try something like that."

"Who was that?" Serena whimpered.

"Tenchi Masaki," Heero answered without looking at her, "Most call him Loyal Six."

"What does that mean?"

"He has six whores. They like him. So most people call him Loyal Six."

Serena didn't go on with her inquiry. She didn't say anything for the rest of the ride home or the remainder of the day. Ryo began to wonder of he'd broken her. He didn't get his hopes up.