Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Sacrifice ❯ Carnage ( Chapter 2 )

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Sacrifice

By: Melissa Norvell

Chapter 2: Carnage

Night fell and the Rose Hip Club was bustling with people from the nearby city area of the town. It was the weekend, which made it all the more populated. Every type of person could be seen there, from the elderly singles to the young hormonal teenagers who just wanted to make a statement. They all littered the club, crowding it to where it could no longer hold anyone and people stood in line until they finally closed the doors, engaged in various activities that were all clean in nature. Some were making conversation. Some drank, some danced, but all gathered around when it was time for all of the bands to come out and start playing. All eyes were on Sub-72, who made quite the scene with their tunes and flashy light shows.

Up on the spacious and highly decorated stage, Sub-72 we're playing numerous hard rock songs and Ko's strong and feminine voice could be heard throughout the club.

And I really don't give a damn.

Because I can't be perfect like you!

Your face, it annoys me

Your voice, it bores me

You try to ignore me

Just get away, you abhor me!

You said you were my friend.

You said you'd be faithful until the end.

You told me you'd be there to hold me up and encourage me, so why am I here in this lake?

You let me fall down into the depths.

But this isn't water, oh no!

It's my growing hatred, kept secretly inside me.

But one day, your self-centered words are enough!

And I snap…

Your face, it annoys me

Your voice, it bores me

You try to ignore me

Just get away, you abhor me.

Ko sang into the microphone and played her red guitar as the music began to slow down, signifying the ending of another song.

At the crowded, white tables below, Fife and Undine sat across from each other, both with small glasses of bar drinks. The dark haired male turned to his friend with his trademark blissful smile.

"They're pretty good, huh?" The different colored lights flashed around the two and made his skin tone different pigments.

"Yes," Undine's voice was monotone on the matter, "I wonder if that song's based off of personal experience."

"I don't know," he closed his eyes and thought about that point. That perpetual smile was still plastered on his face. In fact, since they had met up, it never faltered or disappeared. He was remarkable, really. At this rate, Undine wondered if his facial features were even real.

"Is that the boy you like?" Undine pointed across the stage to Keiji's location. The boy was currently playing the drums, sweat made his lean body glisten in the lighting. His green hair clung to his face as he concentrated on keeping the rhythm to the song that was being played.

"Boy I like?" Fife questioned in intrigue. In what way did she mean `like'? He was a little curious as to what exactly Undine was taking his feelings as.

"You called him Keiji-kun…and teased him so easily," Undine pointed out. Fife had always been friendly, but there was something different about the way that he interacted with that male in particular.

"Oh, I was just picking on him because he was the only one not saying anything," Fife waved in dismissal. It was no big deal, really. Keiji was quiet, so he tried to make him come out of his shell. The blue-haired boy was simply just trying to make friends with all of the new people he'd ran into and Keiji stuck out because of his introverted nature.

"Oh…" Undine tilted her head down to look at her drink. Come to think of it, the topic really wasn't any of her business anyway. Why was she so interested in her friend's relationships with other people?

So go awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy! You abhor me! Ko finished the song and then thanked the crowd for listening, taking several bows before turning to exit the stage. The club lit up in hoots, hollers and applause. Some of the people who watched from the tables stood up and cheered and clapped.

"If you're looking for that song, its release will be on our new CD Parade of the Dead and-" Chichiri announced but was cut off by a failure of power.

After that, their moment of fame was short-lived when everything turned pitch-black. Commotion began to stir as terrified voices swept over the crowd. In the darkness the band members of Sub-72 looked around in confusion except Keiji, who remained calm. They could faintly make out movement in the darkness and the sound of some of the tables tipping over and glass breaking sounded in their ears. They hoped that the outage wouldn't last long. The crowd was in enough of a panic as it was. No doubt there would be a mess when the lights came back on.

Undine simply sat at the table, awaiting the power to return. If it was just a minor inconvenience then she didn't mind waiting a little longer. Honestly, she failed to realize what the big commotion was about. It was just a power outage, so there was no need to be so scatter-brained and careless about it all, right?

"Yay! It's dark!" Fife stood and threw up his hands, smiling in delight. There was no such thing as inconveniences! He could make a fun night out of anything bad that happened. All he needed was his positive personality to pull through a literal dark time.

"What the-?" Chichiri didn't expect something like this to happen. Maybe there was a storm outside or something. It was a little weird that the power would just cut off like that randomly. It was almost unnatural the way it all felt. Maybe the place was having mechanical failure…but, don't they usually check things like that

"What's going on?" Ko asked the blonde.

From his current position at the drums, Keiji could see something in the frame of the roof. His gaze locked onto this figure, studying it from afar. Whoever it was, they were certainly up to no good. No doubt they were the reason that the power had gone out like that.

"Did the power go out?" Ko was confused.

"What luck, I can't even see the crowd from here," Keiji continued to gaze out into the darkness, taking his eyes from the figure above. Maybe it was just a maintenance man trying to see if there were any blown fuses or loose connections. His suspicions could very well just be all in his head at this rate. After what happened earlier, he could have been suffering from after effects of the trauma he went through.

"Hm," Chichiri looked at his guitar in thought. He struck a few chords to see if he could get it to play, but no sound was emitted from it, "power's out here too."

'This feeling…' Keiji was all of a sudden hit with an emotional weight. It brought a sense of misery and dread through him and it was hard to focus his eyes. 'What's going on? I've felt this feeling when I was in that desolate part of town. What is this? No one was around me then. I thought this was just from being in a part of town that held this feeling but…This is much more than that…It feels like someone is ripping my body apart…This heavy burden and psychotic feeling…It almost makes you want to…' His thoughts were cut short by flashes of subliminal images in his head- of Hiroshima, then of the winged boy, then of torn off wings, then a beaten boy that seemed as though he was dying. 'Kill yourself.' The boy finished in a haunting tone.

As if by queue the power flashed back on. Everything was silent as shocked looks crossed the band member's faces. Their crowd of fans, minus Fife and Undine, were slaughtered. The bodies of the dead lay all around them; blood seeped into the wooden floors and dismembered appendages laid around them. The smell of blood and newly torn flesh permeated their senses, mixed with the sizzle of some of the food in the kitchen, it proved to be a nauseating combination.

"What?" Green eyes widened in horror as he observed the sea of carnage.

"…What happened?" The stunned Ko stood there, eyes widened and body paralyzed in fear. Her gaze fell to the table where Fife and Undine were seated. Fife looked puzzled and Undine was as serene as ever. 'That girl…She doesn't even seem like she cares. Did she do this?'

"I know they said to knock 'em dead, but this is screwed up," Chichiri inappropriately joked. There was nothing more he wanted to do then lighten the blow of what he had just seen. If he didn't do it now, there was no telling what kind of mental torture was going to assault his mind later.

He was soon punished for the remark as the female vocalist beat him to a pulp.

"All of those people just died and you're going to make a joke like that!?" Ko screamed in outrage. How dare he say something so rude right after a devastating even happened! What was he thinking? For all she knew, they could be next.

"Ow! Sorry!" Chichiri recoiled, covering his wounds with his hands. "I was trying to make you laugh. You know, lighten the mood a little." He really didn't see why she made such a big deal about it. It's not like they could bring them back to life.

"I wonder why we didn't die," Fife mused, too harmlessly for the situation. He found it odd that they were the only people who didn't fall victim to the unknown killer. He and Undine were sitting right on the floor, but were purposely left unharmed…but why?

The gothic Undine fell silent as the blonde's lifeless body flew past her and landed smack into the wall.

"Guess she didn't like my joke…" Chichiri cringed in pain.

"Inconsiderate bastard!" Ko raged.

"Is this the legend?" Fife wondered aloud. There were things about it that made sense, and yet this situation was different than the ones he'd heard of. He really wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Legend?" Chichiri blinked in question.

"Undine said that the winged boy came back," Fife educated him as his friend pointed at the dead bodies. All of them had feathers of either white or black sticking out from multiple areas. Perhaps that was a clue as to why their lives had been spared.

"He's back."

A woman ran past her and into Keiji. Upon seeing another being that was alive besides her, she began to plea for help. She grabbed his shirt in either of her hands clenching the black material tightly, a look of pure dread was written on her features and streams of tears were running down her face. Her eyes reflected panic and paranoia that ran feral. Furiously, she clawed at his clothes, hysterical with fear. Her pleads were shaky and loud.

"Please, help me!"

"What?" Keiji looked a little stunned that someone grabbed him so suddenly. In fact, he was shocked that she was even alive.

"What's wrong?" Ko was concerned. She hoped that this sole survivor would tell them something. Maybe she knew who killed everyone, or why it happened.

"It's him. He's trying to ki-"The hysterical woman never finished her sentence as her eyes rolled back into her head. A sword stuck through her chest, as if she had been shish kabobbed, and her flaccid body slid down it excruciatingly.

"Fools," Hiroshima spoke, savagely ripping the sword out of its victim. The blade was covered in a thin coat of viscera as his cruel eyes stared at his newly slaughtered prey.

Keiji's eyes widened in realization as they met the glassy blue color of the legend's. His body seized in fear. There was something nostalgic about this, about those eyes. Why did this man seem so familiar?

"Keiji!" Ko yelled to her friend, who was entranced by this winged man. She tried desperately to knock him out of that fixation he had. If he didn't get away from him soon, she dreaded to even think about what was about to befall him.

'That feeling…It's back.'

'What the?' The singer thought as she realized who was standing in front of Keiji.

Hiroshima's his feet were slightly above the ground almost as if he was levitating. The man's powerful wings of black and white flapped every once in a while keeping him above the ground. His body hunched over slightly in a predatory stance that made him seem very formidable. The way the shadows fell on his muscle play made him seem twice as eerie and mystifying. There was no doubt from presence alone that this legend meant business.

'The legend…' Chichiri thought as his blue eyes fell upon the two different colored wings.

"So, that's him," Fife smiled at the man.

"How can you two just be fine with everything!?!" Chichiri turned to them. He knew Fife was perpetually happy, but this act of his was getting ridiculous fast.

"Who are you?" Keiji continued to stare into the haunting blue eyes of the angelic being. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move. Hiroshima could have easily killed him where he stood.

"I'm your worst nightmare, kid," a vicious smile slowly crept upon the winged-man's features as he promised a world full of pain.

"You're the winged boy," it finally hit Ko as to what the identity of this legend was.

"Is that the name of that stupid legend?" Hiroshima's gaze shifted to the petite girl. The was the most uninventive name he'd ever heard. The very words filled his being full of malice.

"It's been known to be called that," Ko pointed out the fact of the matter.

"Why did you kill them? Is this how you make your debut?" Chichiri questioned. What had all of those people done to him to make him do something so terrible? Did he kill them for the hell of it? Did he kill them to prove a point? If so, was he going to do the same to them?

"I didn't just pre-select this place, although I did hear you talking about the Rose Hip Club. I've just been on a killing spree," It wasn't as if Hiroshima had anything too pressing on his mind. A large gathering of people were ripe to be slaughtered and he saw opportunity.

"So you killed that cop?" Fife pointed a finger into the air.

Hiroshima's eyes narrowed. His happy façade sickened him but he kept his calm, "of course."

"Makes sense," he deduced.

"Time to die!" Hiroshima jabbed forward with the sword he held in his hand. Keiji looked terrified and tried to move but his body was still locked up. He had no choice but to screw his eyes shut as he awaited his eventual death or pain but it never came. A feminine body blocked the blow.

"Wait! Please don't kill him," Fife pleaded holding his hands straight out to either side, a slight hint of emotion flickered within his eyes. He had only just met this boy. It was wrong to have his life so meaninglessly ripped away from him. If there was something Fife would not stand for, it was that meaningless act of violence.

"You…" the green haired boy seethed in a defensive tone. What in the hell was this guy doing? Fife was going to end up getting himself killed with a stupid act like that.

"Mr. Legend, we're not like other people," Fife words were cut short by Hiroshima.

"Don't try to bargain with me."

"Well, do whatever you want," the boy smiled, "I for one don't think you're a bad legend at all."

"Surely you joke," Hiroshima chuckled. Words like that were uttered by few, and even fewer that were regarded as reflections of truth.

"No," Fife replied honestly. "There are so many things that I'd like to ask you."

Undine walked slowly over to the altercation. She wanted to get closer to the winged man as the conversation continued, and this was just the distraction that would allow her to make her advancement.

"Why should I spare this child's life?" The angel gestured his blade to Keiji. "I'm not indebted to you." He owed them nothing, and because of that, he wasn't going to comply to their demands.

"I can't give you a good reason; other than I don't want him to die." The boy said kindly, closing his eyes, "but I know you don't care about how I feel." He knew that he was taking a huge gamble, but he was willing to take that chance in the small hope that Hiroshima might have a moment of clarity and listen to him.

"What will you do if I kill him?" The angel found the whole situation amusing.

"Why do you save me when I treated you like crap earlier?" Keiji really didn't understand his actions.

"I don't care what happens to my life as long as you are safe."

"Spare me the sentiment," Hiroshima felt irritated at the kindness that was being shown. Why on earth would someone be so sickeningly sweet to him? He didn't know this smiling bastard, and Fife didn't know him either. What was the deal with him? Was he trying to save his ass, or sweet talk his way out of death?

"Just stop it," Keiji had an edge to his voice. He couldn't stand it anymore! He just wanted all of this anguish to end.

Above them, still in the confines of the frame of the roof the other angel stood, watching the events going on below. Miserable blue eyes held a bit of interest and query to them.

"He hesitated. That's not like him…" Tsurugi noticed that Hiroshima seemed a little off that day. "What's wrong with you, Hiro-kun?"

"Stop protecting me," Keiji's snappy voice ordered.

Fife stood his ground not ready to back down. After all, the angel could strike at any moment ending the boy's life behind him. Undine stood a few feet away from the angel's back, silently watching. She wondered if Hiroshima was actually going to go through with his actions. If so, then nothing good would come of this.

"So," Hiroshima smirked arrogantly." You don't want him to protect you anymore? What? Are you tired of being a weakling?"

A death glare was emitted from the drummer and his tone ran cold. "I don't want anyone taking care of me."

"Alright, then no one will," the angel thrusted his sword forward.

Green eyes widened in dismay as blood was splattered on the ground and the human standing behind. Ko screamed as the sword pierced Fife's torso and stuck out of the other side of his body. Blood seeped to the surface of his skin, staining his shirt. It coated the end of the blade of his sword, dripping from the cold metal and landing on the floor below.

Even the usually emotionless Undine was horror-struck stiff. "Fife-kun…" Her voice held deep sorrow. After all, Fife had been her best friend since he came to this town. She needed him.

Keiji had never felt so powerless. All he could do was watch as the horrendous events unfolded. The icy iron blade slit through the body of a teenager he was talking to only a few moments ago. His blood splattering upon the ground in abstract art blobs of red. That injured and flabbergasted look on his face as he realized that the sword was piercing his chest.

It seemed almost as though Fife's body was descending in slow motion and a haze of surreal horror. Keiji could make out everything down to the slightest detail as if the image was being forcibly burned into his mind. The way his hair and clothes waved in the breeze that wafted through the club, the way his eyes shone with the cold feeling of death, the way his blood sprayed from his chest and ran down the sword blade in rivers of crimson.

"Do you want to die slow and painfully or do you want to die silent and quickly?" Hiroshima inquired as the dark headed boy's body hit the ground with a loud thump that seemed like it echoed throughout the room.

"I don't care," Fife said in a whisper. Even while clinging to life, the boy still smiled. His smile seemed eerie now because of its disruption in the mood, something foreign, out of place. It was like something that welcomed death itself.

"What?" Keiji finally forced out in disbelief.

"Just as long as I die..." The wounded one continued in a feeble yet still content voice as the sword was pulled out and the angel drew back a second time, and home in on the kill.

But before he could get a strike in Keiji had grabbed Fife and turned him towards his body. His lean, muscular arms wrapped around the other boy securely and his back turned to the angel. A look of wrath was held within steely eyes. He couldn't take it anymore. Something had to be done, or Fife would depart this life.

"Stop it!!!" The emerald haired drummer screamed at the top of his lungs.

Hiroshima blinked and froze in place, staggered at the boy's act of courage. Then a sinful smile crossed his face.

"Oh?" Hiroshima was amused. "Being so brave now? Humans are such capricious beings. They say they don't care about something but when it's taken away from them or being jeopardized they regret their choice."

"Shut up," Keiji spat, his grip on Fife tightening. The other boy's head was now resting on his chest. Blood was running from his mouth in a small stream and his eyes were shaded by his bangs.

"Keiji-kun…" he whispered, almost inaudible in sound.

"Don't die Fife. You hear me?" Keiji's usually cold voice bled through with regret. He would never be able to forgive himself if someone else's death weighed on his shoulders.

"Please…" The other boy begged as his frail hand trembled and clutched some of his dark colored shirt. It was almost as if Fife wanted to die.

"I'd rather kill myself then let you die like this…No one dies protecting me," he glared down the injured one in his grasp.

"That can be arranged," Hiroshima replied in the same haughty and amused tone. If Keiji wanted to die with that kid so much, he wasn't opposed to sticking his blade straight through both of them. They could breathe their last breath of air together, like Romeo and Juliet.

"Hiroshima," Undine disrupted the situation.

"Who spoke my name?" Glassy blue eyes darted to the side as the angel looked over his shoulder to see the little girl standing only a few feet behind him.

"It's me."

"You…"

"What are you doing, Undine?" Chichiri shouted to her. "He's going to kill you!" The dumbest thing she could have done was confront the angel like that. She had some kind of gall, or a real sense of bravery. Did she not just see what he did to Fife? What in the hell made her think he wasn't going to do it to her?

"You should worry about yourself, human," Tsurugi stood behind Undine with a placid smile that held darkness. If Chichiri or any of the others were going to interfere, they would have a hard time even reaching Hiroshima before he would act.

"An angel?" the blonde questioned almost in disbelief. Not only was there one, now there were two. What the hell was going on? Which one of them was the legend? Were they both legends? They were going to get murdered, weren't they?

"I'm not like other angels," The tranquil voice noted.

"There are two of them? But no one said anything about this one." Ko looked at Tsurugi in question. She was wondering if this one also had some sort of legend behind him as well. If he knew about Hiroshima and worked with him, they he was probably a big deal, right?

"Don't kill them. They are my friends," Undine told Hiroshima kindly.

Hiroshima turned around to face the girl. His blood-covered blade was pointed downward and he stood straight. Keiji was still clinging to Fife a few feet behind him, glaring him down in case he decided to make a move.

"Undine…"

"I haven't forgotten," She reminded him holding up the feathers.

"How do you know him?" Ko was surprised that Undine had a connection with such a being. What in the world did she mean by `she hadn't forgotten'? What in the hell was going on?

"We met long ago," She replied simply.

"Tsurugi!" Hiroshima commanded. His deep voice carried through the now-empty club.

"Yes, Hiro-kun?" the dark winged one questioned happily, ready to take whatever order he was given.

"Quit tormenting them and come over here."

"No fun, Hiro-kun," His fellow angel pouted as he flew over to his comrade and landed. His chains clatter sent echoes through the building. Ko was shocked he could fly with so many of them hanging from his wings. How did he even fly?

"Who the hell are you?" Hostility still clung to Keiji's voice. He wanted explanations and he wanted them now.

Blue eyes calmly set sights on him before the dark winged angel spoke, "an angel…fallen from heaven."

"I'm assuming you're both angels of sorts."

"Well I am, but Hiro-kun isn't what I'd call your average angel." Tsurugi decided to explain at least a little of the situation to all of them.

"So," Hiroshima looked to Chichiri. "You're Undine's friends."

"Sure are," the blonde let out a radiant smile as he threw his arms around the small girl, "best buds." If that was going to save his ass, then he was going to cuddle up to that little girl all he could. There was no way he was planning on dying today.

"So please, can't you spare them?" The girl had worry in her once vacant eyes. She knew how unpredictable he could be, so either way she half way expected one extreme or the other.

A moist, pink tongue ran slowly across the iron blade, lapping up some of the spilled blood. "Since you're the only one who's ever given me a chance, I'll do this one favor…Consider yourself lucky." Hiroshima warned. He was only doing it because of Undine. That little group should have considered themselves lucky that she decided to step up to the plate for them. Without her, they would all be as good as dead.

Relief filled the girl's being. She was content that he would have pathos on her just this once. She knew how hard it was for him to resist such a thing, considering his blood-thirsty hobbies.

"Well, you must be important to Hiro-kun if he does such favors for you," the blonde angel smiled serenely. If she was good with Hiroshima, she was good with him as well. He would abide by her wishes, for now.

"Yes."

"Who is this girl, Hiro-kun?" Tsurugi was a little curious. He hadn't mentioned her to him since they'd been traveling together.

"An old friend," Hiroshima's smile was playfully wicked.

"Why?" Undine asked.

"Why, what?"

"Why did you come back? Was it because of your promise?"

"I will not be confined to this purgatory of a village. All who oppose me will be condemned to death,” Hiroshima let her know loud and clear what his plans were. Sticking around this place made him ill. He longed to venture outside of the town that housed that pathetic legend about him.

"I understand," the girl nodded in return. "I'll always stick by you, as I have in the past."

"Hiroshima? Is that your name?" The lead singer asked.

"Yes. I am known as that," he informed.

"Just what is your goal anyway? Is it to kill everyone in this town?" It might have been brazen of her to propose such a question, but she had to know. Was the legend about him truly correct? Was he just some mass murderer or does he have a hidden motive?

"It's to get rid of the blasphemy that surrounds my name," his words were cryptic, and it made them question what he meant by that phrase.

"But won't you create more blasphemy by doing that?" Chichiri asked. It didn't make any sense to him. Why would Hiroshima kill people to get rid of the rumors of him killing people? It made no sense.

"Who cares?" The angel shrugged.

"We've been through many hardships and endured sin, deceit, and the lies of others. Betrayed, tortured, and put through many trials and tribulations we've suffered at fate's hand far too long to continue," Tsurugi informed them. No doubt there would be a ring of truth to some of what they were doing, but that was hardly their agenda.

"So you guys are the "I hate the world" type aren't you?" The blond stereotyped.

"We have some compassion," Tsurugi defended. It wasn't a stereotypical compassion that most people would have a picture-perfect definition of, but it was a glimmer of something that would entice hope into their hearts.

"How can angels be killers?" Ko only knew of the kind angels that were depicted in painting and holy places as being creatures who protect and aid in good and just causes. Were there a such thing as bad angels?

"I suppose it is sad, when angels deserve to die," Tsurugi's voice held a sense of sympathy to it. Such things were morbid to think of. Then again, all demons were once angels, weren't they?

Keiji picked Fife up bride and groom style. "I've got to get Fife out of here. The longer we sit and talk, the more blood he loses."

"There is a hospital near this location. If you want to save him," the black-winged angel told him kindly. "Hiro-kun and I can't go there but you can."

"I don't understand any of this," Ko sighed; confused beyond all recognition as to why they were helping her. What connection did they have to Undine? Where did everyone's loyalties lay in the first place? So much had happened since they'd met and here they were, thrown into battle on the very first day. Why should she even believe what Tsurugi was telling them now?

"Let's go. We don't have time to worry about minor details," Undine told them. The more they questioned the matter, the closer to death Fife was becoming. He could only lose so much blood before he would be beyond any help whatsoever.

"See you around Undine…" The calm, profound voice of the man left a haunting message in his friend's ears. "And we will meet again."

"Yes," his partner smiled placidly.

"Good-bye…Hiroshima." The diminutive girl waved to her angelic comrades before she turned to the group.

Glass-blue eyes looked to the two band members.

"If I were you, I'd get out of here," he warned as a fierce wind began to blow. It howled and ripped through the building, tearing at the infrastructure before shards of it were pried loose and flew around the room like tiny daggers, waiting to slice into their next victim.

This wind wasn't coming from outside. It was coming from Tsurugi's hand where a sphere of circulating air was being held and contained by the angel. It was whirling around chaotically. He was using wind magic in an attempt to make the building cave in on top of them.

"I bid you farewell," Tsurugi said calmly as his hair, clothes, chains and feathers rapidly fluttering with the wind's movement. "We shall cross paths again." With that, he lifted himself a few feet from the ground and spun his body with the sphere in his hand then upon complete rotation released it as it burst into tornadic winds that ripped apart everything within the building. Even the strong support of the infrastructure couldn't withstand it and gave way to its onslaught. A few of them even exploded on impact as articles and debris flew around the room in a haphazard manner.

The screams of Chichiri and Ko could be heard within the wind storm just barely. They were trying their best to keep their grips on anything around them so they didn't get blown away by the rushing winds. When the air beat against their skin, it felt like a painful derm abrasion, stinging like a thousand bee stingers.

"They're destroying this place!" Chichiri yelled with his hand to his forehead, trying to keep his golden locks from beating him in the face or blinding his eyesight.

"We've got to get out of here!" Ko shouted back.

Hiroshima was seated on a wooden table's edge and his partner stood on the other side of the piece of furniture, slightly behind him. The two watched as chairs, tables, and other things that were in the club flew past them.

"The time of destruction is at hand," Hiroshima spoke in monotone.

"Hey!" Ko looked to Undine.

"Altering fate isn't something that many people can do. Are you so sure you want to go up against such odds?" The girl questioned. Such things were a definite liability.

"We've been up against much worse. Fate is not something that is predetermined." Debris began to fall and flutter around them. Rocks, leaves and pieces of random objects fell to the floor, creating more destruction. Tsurugi's gentle yet sad gaze scanned over his shoulder at Ko. "It lies in the hearts and actions of all of humanity."

The girl stood in silence as the building around her came tumbling down in ruins. Explosions and the clatter of large chunks of infrastructure could be heard as loud as the reality that surrounded them, but to Ko they were muted out by the blonde angel's words.

"Farewell…" The black winged angel further spoke. "It's fated that we meet again."

His voice carried through the building as huge chunks of rock fell, smashing into the ground. The impact caused a decent sized earthquake that shook the girl's nerves, causing her to finally make the decision to flee and snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Why did he spare us?" The black-clad girl asked her affiliate as they ran to escape the collapsing building. "Does he have something planned for us?"

It was true. Hiroshima could have killed everyone there easily and if he didn't get them all in one hit his partner, Tsurugi could have killed them all with his cyclonic winds. It didn't seem that they were any more important than the thousands of others they had killed over their lifespan. Was this a part of something that would escalate over time? She wondered to herself as their legs tried as hard as they could to outrun large, falling debris. Ko had to stay on target, one wrong move and she would have ended up being crushed by something or trapped beneath the rubble.

A dark smirk formed on pale features. "You're so evil."

"Moi?" Tsurugi smiled playfully and gestured to himself by putting a hand on his chest.

"You pointed them to a hospital that's already been destroyed."

"It's part of my plan, Hiro-kun," He closed his eyes. He knew what he was doing. Why on earth would he try to save such wretched people? He could care less about someone his partner failed to kill and left to bleed out in some rubbish of a club.

The band members now out of the building continued to run towards their destination. Unaware of what they would find, they were determined to get their newly acquired and injured ally to the hospital. The building that was once known as the Rose Hip Club, known for its beauty, space, and class now tumbled down in an ugly disarray behind them. It was best if they kept trudging on and never looked back at what remained of their memories.

Keiji ran ahead of the rest, fierce determination flashing through the depths of his eyes in a fire that was untamed. "I refuse to let you die, Fife. Not like this. No one will lose their life because of me." Even if he ran his body to the ground, he was going to make sure that Fife arrived in time to be saved. He would right the wrong that had been done. This was what he swore on his heart.

"Well," Ko turned her sights to him. "Aren't you chivalrous?"

"I'm not doing this because I care." The boy shot back coldly and calmly as the scenery got worse and worse in condition. It was almost as if a natural disaster of mass proportion had hit the area, annihilating everything in its path. There weren't even dead bodies to identify or even take a death toll by, a sign signature of the infamous winged boy. It was almost as if what was left of the town were the remnants of a nuclear blast.

"This part of town looks destroyed," Chichiri stated the obvious. He wondered if the blonde angel was really telling him the truth. How could a hospital have survived the carnage in an area of town like this?

They ran down what seemed to be a main street, which had once been paved. It now was uneven in places and hard to walk on. There were cracks and holes in the uneven pavement and the group had to hop over debris of all sizes and types to get to their destination. It took them about a half of an hour to get to the hospital that Tsurugi had gave them directions to but found and to their shock and horror, that it was also reduced to a pile of rock and wood. The only thing that remained was a sign, designating that it was in fact, a hospital.

"What?" Ko questioned in disbelief. Shock flowed through her veins as she stared wide-eyed at their destination. Her body locked up, and she couldn't move.

"It's been destroyed!" Keiji yelled in a mix of emotions. This couldn't be happening! Now, Fife would surely die.

To Be Continued…