"H... *cough*... hurry!" Leona suddenly managed to whisper. "What!?" She was alive! "Leona, hang in there!" Mai lifted Leona's head to her chest and stroked her hair, she was still crying and pleading for Leona to stay alive. Of course Leona would have greatly appreciated the gesture but this wasn't really the time or place. "You can do it right?" Mai asked with a shivering voice. "Tell me..." "Sh... shut up you fool... run..." Leona said with a somewhat annoyed voice. Mai noticed Leona shivering and having trouble breathing. "F-for me... r-run..." She whispered before giving an _expression of sheer agony. She screamed and threw herself forward. "I'll get help. I'll go get Iori, just hang in there!" Mai cried to her friend as she could see her loosing to the Orochi. "Don't give in until I get back you hear!" Somehow Mai felt that there was no way that Leona would let herself do that but she had to hurry or else it would make no difference what she thought. Leona was now breathing hard and husky. She looked at the metallic warrior who had assaulted them. It was standing between them and the only safe exit in the room. It had thrown the rifle away and had its sword again. It seemed like it had some honor not attacking the ravaged Leona. Instead it waited patiently in a battle-stance. This seemed like strange acting, as it would have been a better idea to strike her down right then. Maybe the sudden Orochi aura had interrupted its attack. Mai knew that the only seemingly possible way to beat this thing in close combat would be by using the force of the Orochi; you can't beat a robot unconscious right? Leona however wasn't in a very good shape. She should've been dead from the injuries; it was a miracle just that she was still breathing. This Orochi character sure was careful not to let his warriors die without one hell of a fight. She figured that if she could find Iori he would surely recognize the metallic creature as his enemy even in Orochi form. "He was supposed to be waiting for Leona at her apartment right?" The kunoichi thought. "Guess what... you m... *cough*... monster..." Leona said weakly. "You just... fucked up... really *cough*... really... bad..." The machine looked at her as if she broke its concentration. "Ah! Ah! GAAAAHHH!!!" After another violent transformation the military woman quickly stood up and looked around with an animalic look. She looked at the cyborg with empty eyes and it seemed like she picked it to be her immediate enemy directly. Mai couldn't trust that Leona would help her but at least it seemed like she would fight the metal beast and not her. This was the moment to escape if she would ever get one; Leona was going to be all right for a while longer and at least she wouldn't mind Mai escaping for a while. Leona could see the cold shadow in front of her. Just another foe stupid enough to be in her way. Her blood boiled with rage as she felt her adrenaline build to inhuman levels. She hurled herself at the cyborg with extraordinary force and landed her feet at its chest while she grabbed its head with her hands. She pulled her right hand back and then punched with the full force of an Orochi. With a bolt of purple energy the metallic creature was thrown back. It crashed through the door behind and was hurled into a wall. Leona was soon over it again. She grabbed its wrists and after struggling for several seconds she registered a satisfying crack... as the outer armor cracked. "Feeble!" The cyborg roared and head-butted the Orochi. Leona was blinded temporarily but as she could see the cyborg going after Mai she registered something else. "MAI-SAANN!!!" She roared and again shot herself at the moving metal. She couldn't grab it from the behind as it turned around and struck her to the ground. Leona fell to her stomach and felt the sword stabbing into her back. All her senses were blocked by the agony. Her vision faded and her hearing was gone. But however much it hurt it couldn't block out one thing. Mai. "Protect... Mai... SAAAAHHH!!!" The cyborg pulled its sword back but soon the invincible force of the Orochi struck it once more. Leona's hand had lashed with blinding speed and there was now a large cut where the heart should've been. "IMPRESSIVE!" The cyborg grunted even though the cut wasn't deep enough to penetrate its armor. Leona wasn't done however. As long as the techno-chunk was mobile there was no way that she would leave it out of her sight. The little mind she had left told her that if she couldn't protect Mai she could as well die anyway. And the Orochi wasn't about to let that happen. She traced were there was most heat in the shadow in front of her. She grabbed the throat of the cyborg lifted it and smashed into the other wall. The machine grunted and grabbed her wrist, twisted it and elbowed her stomach with the other arm. Leona grinned and grabbed the cyborg's hand, pulled them in a 180 circle and slammed it into the wall one meter further down the corridor. The cyborg retaliated and punched at her. Leona slid under the blow and the force of the combatants had destroyed yet another wall. *** Ten minutes later in Desert Flower, Leona's room. Iori was beginning to wonder whether Leona was about to come back to him or not. Maybe she had decided to say with one of THEM!? He sat silently in the room that Leona had reserved. He had covered the windows as the sun had been giving him a headache and the room was quite dark. Iori sighed once again. She wouldn't do that would she? She wouldn't run of like a crazy teenager to be with another one. No, Leona wasn't like that. She had told him how interested she was in one of them, that "Mai" character. Okay so she was good looking but Iori only had eyes for Leona. She had something that Mai lacked. He didn't know what, but it was there. Anyway, Leona seemed equally interested in both of them, which Iori had no problem with, as long as she would return to him in the end. Iori was a very patient man when it came to things like this, and he was definitely not prejudiced; if you didn't count his more or less infinite hate towards the Kusanagi's that is. Leona would come back, she had promised, he was just losing some his patience that's all. Iori lay to his back in the couch and tried to sleep. His sensitive nose (He is partly Orochi, okay?) recognized some of the smells from the piece of furniture. Leona, he smiled, and one other. Must be from the night she was talking about Iori thought. The crimson haired man was too tired to care however and soon felt sleep beginning to embrace him. "Iori! Thank god you're here, come quick!" The Yagami barely moved as he heard the voice. "What now? Leave me alone!" He replied harshly. "You got get to Mary's apartment, Leona and..." "WHAT!" Iori quickly stood and looked around. One of the windows was now open and in it a shadowy figure sat and looked at him. The light was too strong for him to recognize who it was; he could only make out the glowing eyes. "Leona! What has happened!" He cried. The shadow jumped into the room and Iori recognized the person, Mai. "What have you done to her!?" "I haven't done anything, she... called me to her hideout and all of the sudden there was this crazy robot of some sort that tried to kill us. I think it was after me since it called my name all the time and..." From her tone of voice it seemed like Mai was almost as worried as the Yagami was beginning to feel. *** The cyborg crashed into another room and turning around it faced Leona drop kicking. Leona pushed hard and she landed at the machine in the same position as before, she leaned forward and they both crashed through a window, three stores high. Leona fought hard to stay on top of her foe. The cyborg lashed at her several times injuring the Orochi's front as well. Hopefully none of that would matter in a couple of seconds. Leona received a bruise from the large blade in her arm, but then they crashed into the ground. Maybe she had succeeded. Leona grabbed the head of the cyborg. It had tried to hurt Mai. It had tried to kill Mai. Leona's blood boiled still. Despite the fact that she should've been dead long ago from her injures. Despite the fact that she was almost rendered unconscious from sheer blood loss. She had won. It was NOT going to hurt Mai, but just to make sure... "You... hurt... ma... Mai... sss... san... fo... for that... I'll kill you... HOOAAHH!" She grabbed the head of the robot and smashed it into the ground. It felt good, very good, and in an orgy of literal brain- smashing Leona slammed its head into the ground again, again and again. The cyborg didn't do anything to retaliate. Leona screamed while she charged her Orochi power to the maximum and channeled all of the force through the lifeless, metallic body. The explosion made a great crater in the ground and her opponent seemed finished. Leona panted and looked around her. A mass of people had gathered around her. The Orochi tried to think but soon she could hear a familiar voice. "Good my child. Here is your reward. Kill them... Kill them all and feel the joy..." Leona grunted and stood up. Her wounds didn't bother her anymore. She felt nothing. She was Orochi, it had taken all of her mind. After another savage roar she took a quick look. So many bodies. So much blood. She smiled and rushed towards the mass. Leona had forgotten about the cyborg and began chasing the people around her instead. *** "What did you say!?" Iori almost screamed. "You left her! What kind of a friend are you anyway???" Mai gasped as she heard Iori's hard words. "I... I didn't know what else to do. I had to get help." Iori turned to his side. "No use in arguing now, tell me quickly. A cyborg you said?" "It's something mechanical at least. It's made all out metal. You can't strike through its armor. You would..." "Okay!" Iori disrupted. "I don't care anyway. If the bastard has cut one strand of Leona's hair he will need plastic surgery to put him together, that is, if they manage find all the missing pieces!" "Actually..." But Iori was already gone. Maybe it would not have been such a good idea to tell him that Leona took a full clip of bullets to save her after all. Mai knew one thing from this: Unless you're a Kusanagi, DO NOT mess with a Yagami, and if you are not looking for a certain death, don't even THINK about messing with a Yagami's beloved. Mai sighed and disappeared out the window. *** Many fled in panic as Leona hunted them down, one by one. Everyone she couldn't reach she threw either a Orochi projectile or her moon shaped hairpiece at. Efficiency. She stabbed several men in their backs. She enjoyed how easy it was to strike them down. Anyone she didn't kill with the first blow she quickly finished with another. This was life, this sweetness of power. She used it. She was far from the place where she had landed but she noticed several shadows running away from her. They had hidden behind her. She had run past them. Leona wasn't about to let her mistake run away. She roared and turned around. 1, 4, 5... a family maybe? She didn't care. She slammed her hands into the ground and ran after them on all four. She grabbed the largest of them, slammed him into the ground and with a satisfying noise she felt his ribs breaking and his heart stopping under her strike. Leona gasped of joy as she confirmed another kill. She felt blood in her mouth. The sweet, sweet taste running down her throat. Four more, she soon grabbed another one. With her sharp claws she ripped his throat to shreds; he would die soon. Three more. She caught two of them. She stabbed one in the back, turned the other around and just for fun she stabbed the real knife into her instead. One more, a small one. Leona managed to grab her as well and the little girl screamed. Leona had no regrets however and annoyingly easy the girl's neck napped. Leona looked around. All dead, no one around except for a possible to the left. Leona gazed in that direction and noticed two shadows. The cyborg and... Mai? The energies where the same, but... That was enough. Leona hurled herself against the cyborg, grabbed the woman and barely avoided being cut in half. So the cyborg was still alive? Leona's control slipped back somewhat, the pain returned as she managed to suppress the Orochi a little. The metallic hunk was obviously not happy with Leona interrupting, again. It roared and suddenly it fought every bit more efficient than it had before. The metallic killer swiped its sword all over just barely missing every time. Leona knew that she wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer, and if she lost what little control she had the Orochi would surely leave Mai behind just to get away. She carried the woman and all the time protecting her with her body. Anyone would be amazed by the amount of punishment the Orochi woman could take. Leona didn't think however, she hadn't been for a long time. She acted on instinct, and her instinct told her to protect Mai no matter what. Leona gasped as another strike was dealt to her back. She couldn't fight and protect someone at the same time. Damn, why would Mai have to be there... no it wasn't Mai's fault... Leona hadn't been able to finish of the cyborg; it was her fault. Leona felt herself losing her Orochi powers and slowly turning back to normal, she would have to rest soon or she would surely die... fending off the cyborg was too much... she had taken more wounds and blows than she had ever done before... this wasn't good. She placed Mai in front of her... "Good bye... my dear... k-kunoichi... Run..." She quickly kissed the kunoichi, sighed and attacked the cyborg once more in a desperate attempt to buy Mai some time. The Cyborg didn't bother to fight her at first but as she grabbed its waist as it tried to pass her it made a roaring noise and raised its sword to finish her off once and for all. "Leona!" Mai cried. The military woman slipped and fell lifeless to the ground. With this the cyborg brought its attention towards the kunoichi. It grabbed the falling Leona and sent her flying several yards before lowering its blade. It looked around quickly before running at its target. The girl that Leona had been holding also ran away from her and the kunoichi was very confused as she recognized the girl's ki to be very similar to her own. She hadn't the time to think about this however. "Come here, quickly!" She called to the girl. Behind the kunoichi another character appeared. He had seen what happened and he was not very happy. He wasn't the sensitive type and although Leona meant the world to him Iori was still quite calm. "Okay Mai, this is obviously for both of us, keep that girl safe and I'll take care of this mister no-better-than-spare-parts here." He turned to the cyborg and lifted his hands. "Let me explain a few rules from Yagami's bible of life. You're a Kusanagi, you die. You hurt a Yagami, you'll die. You hurt my Leona, and I'll personally make sure that hell will appear as a playground for kiddies compared to what you're about to experience! SHI-NE!" Iori cried and sent a purple wave hurdling towards his opponent. The ground was ripped apart as a powerful fire wave crushed through it. The cyborg easily evaded the flame and walked towards Mai. Before it reached her however Iori got in its way and lifted his hand. In his palm another flame was created. The cyborg's one eye blinked and the whole machine wheeled to the side as Iori sent another wave of fire in that direction. Iori had been expecting that and quickly followed up. He turned at blurring speed and kicked the cyborg's head. Its body went down a bit but the metallic assassin quickly retaliated. Its sword cut through the air and Iori barely evaded it. He ducked and then run into the chunk of metal. "Let's see how you like this!" He grabbed its throat, sent the machine into the ground and channeled a stream of fire into its body. The cyborg grunted but soon sent the crimson haired man flying with a mighty uppercut. "KA-CHO-SEN!" Mai cried and a fan struck the Cyborg's chest. It bounced off and the living metal chunk quickly moved towards her. "Don't!" Iori said harshly. "Keep away! If it gets you it'll surely disappear again. Go check Leona instead!" Mai hesitated but then moved away from the fight. She kneeled before Leona and gasped as she saw how badly injured she was. She was still Orochi, that was the only reason she could live. The kunoichi stroked Leona's cheeks and whispered to her. She whispered some of all the hundreds of reasons why she wanted the military woman to survive. She whispered all of the loving words she came to think of. "And as for you!" Iori said calmly and placed his hand on the cyborg's shoulder "We're not done yet!" The thing... seemed to remember this and quickly ducked to get his hand away. An explosion of purple fire ripped through the air. The cyborg turned around and speared its sword. Iori avoided this and hit the machine's head with all his might. "OUCH!!! I'd like to see a Kusanagi perform that move." He said sarcastically and avoided yet another blow. The robot lashed with its sword and threw it up into the air. It kicked Iori's leg, grabbed his back and pushed him down, right into its knee. With a smack the Yagami's head met steel. Dizzy but still capable of fighting Iori rolled away as he knew what was coming. Soon the sword hit the ground where he was supposed to have been. The machine picked the blade up and lashed again. "Hey, we have to do something about this armor!" Iori shouted to Mai. He could see the kunoichi touching the lifeless body of his love. She stroked the chest of the pale Leona as if to find something that could bring her back. "It was like Leona said then." The Yagami thought. "It is for real." Lost in his thoughts Iori didn't see a kick coming. It hit his belly and he bent under the blow but threw himself back again as a fatal sweep that would have cut his head of came falling down. "Enough play!" He couldn't stand to see his love in that lifeless shape. He had to do something. He felt the Orochi roar inside him. Screaming for release. He felt the bonds that kept it hidden away in the bottom of his consciousness slowly breaking. Iori gave the robot's eye a test of might as he punched it with all of his power. Nothing happened however and the Cyborg retaliated by grabbing his hand. With a nasty throw the Cyborg sent the Yagami into the ground once more. The blade of its sword lashed against Iori's chest and this time wasn't able to avoid it. He screamed as he felt blood all over his shirt. "Very... bad... move!" He cried and tried to get up. He grabbed the sword and with burning eyes he kicked the cyborg away. He stood up and threw the sword away. As the raging half beast looked around the cyborg was already on its way towards Mai, and with Mai was Leona. Iori roared and with a low pose he ran after the machine. As he got there the cyborg turned around and let a left hook sweep through the air. Iori easily caught this and gave the metallic figure taste one of his own. This punch was strong enough to send the cyborg falling to the ground. The metallic assassin grunted and seemed surprised by the sudden strength of its opponent. It stood up quickly and after vaulting to its weapon and picking it up the cyborg lashed with the sword swiftly in a circle. The sword gave a strange glow and as it struck into the ground there was a powerful bolt striking through the sword and into the asphalt. Iori had been out of the way a long time. The machine seemed to sigh, lifted the sword and ran after Iori. Furiously striking with no stopping it seemed like Iori would soon be a mere shred of his former self, literally. As he tried to retaliate he was cut and injured severely in his side. The metallic creature was advancing faster than the Orochi could back off and soon Iori was grabbed in a painful arm lock. The cyborg quickly tried to finish the Orochi off but its arm was grabbed by the kunoichi. She was in the fight again, her eyes were red with anger and she couldn't watch any longer. She pulled with all her strength to hinder the cyborg from striking. It quickly made a change of plans and impossibly fast grabbed Mai's neck with its free arm. The kunoichi gasped for air as she was lifted. No matter how she struggled she couldn't get loose from the cyborg's metallic grip. As it was about to strike however Iori managed to grab it from behind. He roared and pulled it back and down. The machine's back was nearly broken while the Orochi pulled it backwards and into the ground. To regain balance the metallic figure loosened its grip of Mai and faced the Orochi once more. They stood and looked at each other for several seconds. Both took several steps backwards and snarled simultaneously. Iori thinking not of much else than what the Orochi told him to. The cyborg giving its unreadable expression. Orochi didn't understand how such a feeble and obviously low-spirited creature had managed to defeat one of its finest minions. It wasn't about to repeat the mistake however and decided to finish off the pesky nuisance as soon as possible. "Know your enemy!" a voice inside Iori's head said with an echoing mans voice. "WWWOOOOOAAAAAHHHH!!!" Iori foamed with rage. He screamed and rushed towards the cyborg. Suddenly his world was clear. He would do this... it was for Orochi... for Yagami... for Leona... and Mai... he couldn't help this... he was envious and wanted Leona for himself... nevertheless he would fight to the death for their future together... his... and theirs... The cyborg blinked, readied its sword and rushed as well. The two creatures met and there was a bloody collision. Iori's hand cut over the cyborg's throat and barely didn't tear the head with it. His rival had injured him again and his left arm was dripping with blood. Iori turned immediately and attacked again. He landed his hand at the Cyborg's shoulder and ripped a great chunk of metal with it. It seemed like the machine possessed several shells and that this was but the first. This didn't bother Iori the least however and he immediately followed up with another furious attack. With this he grabbed the cyborg's left wrist and nearly crushed it. The metallic being was still fully capable of fighting though and the sword made a large scar along the Yagami's chest. Iori rolled away to recover. He was still foaming and his eyes burned with rage. He wouldn't give up, pain was nothing he wasn't used to. He felt blood running through his throat and the Orochi let it run to its lips. Why didn't the cyborg attack? Because Mai was gone, it would have to find her first, the Orochi wasn't important. The cyborg began scanning the area; Leona was gone as well, and the "other" Mai. Iori used this and with a cataclysm of pure rage he stormed into the metal. He roared and struck it down. He was over it and ripped its chest open, the first, the second and the third shell. He couldn't rip the third so he began hammering on it, one, two, three blows. Hopeless, he roared and gave a final attempt. "HHOOOOAAAA!!!" The earth shattered as an explosion of raw Orochi energy was concentrated to one spot. The cyborg roared as its chest burst open. With a white light the soul contained within the shell exploded and vanished into thin air. Iori turned back to normal. He laughed. He laughed more and more with increasing density. Blood ran from his eyes, mouth and nostrils. "I-Iori?" It was Mai. "He... Mai... I'm fine! Where's Leona... ahhhh?" The crimson haired man grunted as he fainted and hit the ground with a *thud*. *** Mary's apartment, 12:35 AM Mary growled as she finally woke up. She looked around with a blurred vision and remembered what had happened. Where was Mai? Had Leona taken her. She had been knocked out for a long time. "Oh god, my apartment!" The blonde cried as she stood up. "Leona, you will pay for this!" That's right. Mai. She had to find out where Mai was. Maybe she was at home? *** Meanwhile at Mai's training grounds. Leona and Iori were brought to Mai's training grounds. Mai called for Ibuki and they helped with carrying the lifeless bodies. A girl who called herself Whip had appeared and had lots of medical equipment with her. She insisted that she would take care of the injured rather than calling for an ambulance. Also by some unknown reason the girl seemed reluctant to ever leave Leona's side even though none of the people involved recognized her. Mai had got additional help from her friends Eiji and Ibuki to carry the injured. As they got into the bedroom the phone suddenly rang. "Yes... Mary... What's wrong? Leona, yes she is he... What??? I'm sorry but I am needed here. Please come by and we can talk ok? Thanks..." She put the phone down. "What is going on anyway." She thought to herself. Whip stayed by Leona's side and kept asking Mai questions about what had happened the military woman. The kunoichi didn't feel that this was strange as she seemed to know Leona. She answered the stream of questions as good as she could while helping in taking care of Leona's wounds. *** Mary apartment, 20 minutes later. Dark Mai sighed. Not only was she was tired from running from that cyborg but now Mary was gone. She was happy that her plan had worked despite the interference though. She still had enough energy to use some of her psychic abilities. Her legs hurt badly, never before had she had to use so much physical strength to evade being killed. She was thankful of Leona saving her but she'd rather not risk being spotted, not yet at least. "I mean that thing, it was EVERYWHERE!!!" She thought. "No matter where I hid it was there within like two minutes!" She felt she could really use one of Mary's treatments right now. Since she was such an expert in breaking people's bones and giving muscle aches maybe she would be good in the opposite. Dark Mai twitched her head as she felt on her wound she received from the raging cyborg's first attack. "What would the IQ be on such a thing? The only thing it seemed to know was, tracking, insulting and killing." She thought when she remembered the constant haggle of patronizing comments that the cyborg mumbled while chasing or fighting her. "Probably ten times that of Andy, HA HA HA HA HA, ngh!!!" The mimic moaned as she felt the pain return. It was a deep scar in her side, but at least it was not bleeding. Mai was a skilled medic it seemed she always took care of the wounded. Dark Mai had to take care of herself this time and it seemed fine. She hid the wound and the bandage under the suit and set off to finish what she started. *** Mai's training grounds 1:20 PM minutes later. As Mary rushed through the door she found Mai in a shape that seemed just fine. She was happy to see that she was okay. Something else made her change the temper however. "Leona! That damn bitch!!!" Ibuki managed to get grip on the bounty hunter. She barely could to hold Mary and hinder her from attacking the unconscious military woman. "Let me go! That bitch tried to kill me! LET ME GO! Leona, I'll show you who is the right one, just you wait!" She struggled like a wild animal as Ibuki desperately tried to hold her still. Even the young ninja's superbly trained body had trouble with this, however in Mary's injured state Ibuki and Mai was finally able to get her out of the room. "Calm down... please Mary." Mai said to her as Ibuki pulled away and sat down in a chair near the door. "Why are you so angry?" "WHAT!? She just HAPPENED to bust into my house, pull a gun at me and then turn into GOD KNOWS WHAT to proceed with beating the living hell out of me. And all this in a matter of minutes." Mai tried to reason with Mary and make sure that she wouldn't run off. The blonde seemed to be cooperative at the moment though and stayed as Mai let her go. "Its because she was mad at you for some reason, if she hadn't turned she would never have tried to kill you, I'm sure, she's not that kind of person." "WHAT!?" Mary cried sounding surprised. "So you're saying she didn't MEAN to bring a frigging... HAND-CANNON with her and shooting my whole kitchen to BLOODY pieces!? And that when she trashed my entire apartment that just HAPPENED to be a mistake from her side???" "She used a gun?" Mai asked in confusion. That's strange, she would never..." Mai really was surprised. Leona had told her that she despised the thought of using firearms. " "It's cheap and cowardly, guns should not determine a clean fight" she had said. "I've had enough of this! I'm going to talk to her and then..." Mai grabbed her as Mary was about to stand up again. Ibuki quickly stood up in front of the door to hinder any means of escape. "No don't! She is injured real badly! If you hurt her more she could die, please Mary stop it!" The bounty hunter hesitated for a moment, did she say "die"? "You were more lucky than she was... You don't know how many cuts and blows she took to... save... to... it... " Mai tried to think of anything other than how to explain Leona protecting "her". "She protected this girl, she was about to sacrifice her own life just to make her get away..." "Girl? You mean that one in the room next to her." Mary seemed to calm down. "No, that's Whip. One of Leona's friends. I never saw the one she protected clearly, she reminded somewhat of... me..." "NOT good enough!" Mary cried and threw herself at the door. Ibuki was already there however but she received punch against her head. She swiftly blocked this but she was struck by Mary's elbow a second later. Ibuki went down under the blow and lifted her hands to her face. "Ibuki!? Are you okay???" Mai asked worriedly. "I'm FINE! snf... she just gave me a nose-bleed, you have to hurry, I'll come right after." Mai nodded and hurried after the furious bounty hunter. "Leona! Just you wait!" Mary thought while kicking the door in. The girl that sat next to the military woman gasped and turned around. "NO! Don't hurt Leona!" She cried and stood up. "Move out of the way silly girl, I'll teach that Leona of yours not to mess with me!" "No! Y-yyou ww... Y-you would have to get past me first!" She stood up and moved into Mary's path. Was she serious? Was she crazy? "Don't do this you fool!" Mary quickly turned to lock the door. She grabbed the girl and looked at her. She was a cute and probably teenaged girl smaller and obviously weaker than herself. What was she doing in a military uniform anyway? Mary pushed her out of the way and jumped up the bed were Leona was sleeping. "Now, you seem quite injured, and sleepy, so much the better!" Whip was panicking, she had to do something quick or else she would loose her savior. She quickly grabbed her bag and quickly poured out the things in it on the floor. "AHHH!!! What the hell!?" She turned around and faced the girl again. She had a whip rolled into her hands and she looked really nervous. "You... you... let her go... you meanie!" Mary laughed at this seemingly empty threat. "Meanie? Didn't I tell you to STAY OUT OF THIS!?" She slapped Leona's cheek with her palm. "You think you can stop me?" The girl swallowed and lifted the whip. "You leave her alone! Or else I'll... just... just... leave her... please?" Mary felt affected by this. What was with this girl, who was she? Before she could finish her thoughts though Mai blew the door open. Ibuki swiftly ran into the room and jump-kicked the blonde out of the bed with a sweeping motion. She then wrestled Mary to the ground and looked at her with cold eyes. "You! You... I..." Mary couldn't summon enough anger any more. She was tired and her adrenaline was thinning out. She struggled at first but she gave it up as Mai confronted her. She was carried out of the room and into Ibuki's bedroom on the other side of the building. Whip checked up on Leona and then followed, she wanted to know more about this attacker. "That was stupid! Don't you realize... You did the very same thing you said she tried doing to you! Do you still feel you have a right to kill her ne?" Mary stayed quiet. She wanted to pay back what Leona did to her, but with her in that state and with all their common friends it was hard. She snarled and relaxed under Ibuki's grip. "I think we should forget about this stupid dispute. Let's settle it right now, and here! What was this quarrel about anyway?" Mai looked seriously at her. "Just as you wouldn't know. Are you emotionally blind!?" Mary thought. She turned her head and looked away from the kunoichi. "What's your name again?" Whip asked. "Blue Mary! And don't you forget that one girl. I might be coming for ya!" "Hey, that's not a..." "Let her go Ibuki, you've done great, now if you'll excuse us. And bring Whip with you. Whip I am sorry for my friend's behavior. I'll sort this out and we'll talk later." "Hai!" Ibuki loosened her grip and Mary quickly pulled her hands away and sat up. Ibuki grabbed the girl and assured her that nothing would happen. "Mai is here, and she won't let Mary kill Leona-san. You want some ice-cream?" Whip looked strangely at her as she said this. Ice cream? "Well, that'd be good, I guess..." "Great! Right this way my dear lady." Ibuki said as she led the girl out of the room and into the corridor. "Which flavor do you prefer? I bet you like lemon?" "Chocolate!" "Of course!" Ibuki closed the door and Mai was left with Mary and an unconscious Leona. "Well?" Mai said breaking the silence. "Well what? There's nothing to talk about." Mary said with an irritated voice. "No? Then why this fighting? I don't get it. You never had a reason to hate each other and all of the sudden you go on a killing spree and try to finish each other off." "HEY! I wasn't the one who started it!" Mary said loudly. "SHE came to MY apartment. SHE blew it to pieces and tried to kill ME, and on top of THAT she kidnapped you and did god knows what while I was gone! You tell me that I have NO REASON to dislike her!?" "It wasn't like that, she just... We have to find out why she did that. Didn't she tell you anything, she must've had some reason to do something like that she is such a controlled..." "I know!" "But then what!?" "You!" Mary turned her gaze away from Mai to hide her expression. "What?" Mai asked startled. "You! She was jealous of me being with you..." "WHAT!? That can't be..." "Well, she said so. And then she started shooting." "But... But that doesn't make sense! Why would she..." "You remember yesterday morning?" "Nani? Well I do, but what do you know about that..." "You know! We had this conversation." "What are you talking about. I was..." "You don't remember??? Come on! It was yesterday dammit! I said something mean about Andy and you got really upset. We talked about it and watched a movie." Mai was getting confused. She was sparring with Andy. Was Mary delirious? "I was with Andy the whole day and..." "ANDY!?" Mary almost screamed. "You're still with him!? You told me he didn't mean ANYTHING to you!" This shocked the kunoichi who was caught off guard. She was really considering whether Mary had gotten insane or if she was just incredibly tired from all her fights. "WHAT!?" She WAS sparring with Andy. Mary hadn't called since they met in the cafeteria. Surely she would remember her being with Mary. "This is too weird!" She said. "OH YEAH!? Not a little appropriate... AMNESIA there!?" "What are you talking abo..." "You know DAMN WELL what I mean!" "No I DON'T" The kunoichi was getting frustrated as well as desperate. Mary was acting like a complete lunatic. What was this, why did Mary seem so hostile all of the sudden? And what would these accusations be good for? "HEY! I KNOW what I heard!" Mary said abruptly. "You're getting second thoughts RIGHT!? Maybe you don't WANT to leave Andy!" "Mary! What do you think..." "THAT'S the TRUTH, right?" Mary's blood was boiling, she didn't think anymore. Black, black jealousy had engulfed her mind long ago. "Stop it!" Mai pleaded, she was too confused and she felt enormously pressured by Mary's presence. "This is not the time!" "THAT'S what I told YOU when you kept telling ME to SHUT UP! Of course, ME asking YOU to leave your little childhood SWEETHEART was too much!!!" "STOP IT! I MEAN IT!" Mai couldn't handle this. She was both loosing her calm and as it seemed her dearest friend. She could only hope that Mary's irrational behavior had to with extreme lack of sleep or something in that category. "I ASKED you! But NOOO!!! You wanted to keep me as YOUR LITTLE PET that you could use WHENEVER YOU FELT LIKE IT!!!" "STOP! PLEASE STOP! Its not like that! I am telling you! Just CALM down, PLEASE!" Mai cried at the top of her lounges but it didn't seem to help. "RIGHT THEN! Who's it gonna be!? HIM, OR ME!" Mary grabbed Mai and gave her a cold look. "Mary don't do this! Not now!" Mai felt tears down her cheeks. This had to be the most horrible moment in her entire life. She felt so guilty in loving another one, beside HIM. She couldn't help it, and yet it hurt her so badly. And before she had got the slightest chance to verify her feelings Mary came along with all kinds of crazy presumptions and gave her an ultimatum. "I LOVE YOU MAI!" Mary shrugged as the words left her lips. She wasn't going to stop now however. "Please tell me I'm right! I love you and I want to tell the world. I love you and I don't care what he says! PLEASE say you love me too! TELL ME I'm not wrong! I don't care what you did or will do, just tell me that I'M NOT WRONG!" Mary grabbed Mary cheek and looked at her. Burning eyes, filled with agony, filled with fear, but mostly with hope. Mai gasped and stumbled as she tried to make out the words. "Please Mai, think of all this we can share. I promise we'll sort this out and I won't ask anything more from you ever again. Please! At least say you might consider it." "I... can't... leave... ah... Andy... I love him too much... you are acting like you're crazy... I'm sorry... so sorry... " Mai couldn't say anything else. Mary's eyes widened in shock. Her face went pale and her hand slowly left Mai's cheek. Mai tried to back off as she closed her eyes to await the response. This couldn't be true! All that emotion wasted on one person. How was she ever going to be able to repair this? Mary's breathing was ragged and she felt her heart beating at increasing rate. This wasn't happening! This was not true! It couldn't be! Yesterday... It was so real she could touch it... Why... Yesterday... It was so fine... she was so happy. It had all been thrown away like garbage in the matter of 3 seconds. EVERYTHING she had ever hoped for was gone, taken away from her without remorse. "You! You... you fucking bitch!" Mary screamed and she slapped Mai's cheek. Mai didn't even try to avoid it and it hit her hard. Mai's body bent slightly covered the red cheek with her hand. "Low-life dirt-eating creep!" Mary grabbed the kunoichi's hair and pulled until it hurt. She pulled Mai closer and yelled right into her face. "If I ever see you again! If I EVER... I'll KILL you! I NEVER want to see you again! You understand, if you will not move away I WILL!!! You... We are not friends as of today! You HEAR ME! I HATE YOU!!!" She spat in Mai's face and pushed her aside. The blonde stormed through the door and ran along the corridor to the floor below. Mai fell to the ground with no strength to aid her anymore. Mary's slap didn't hurt half as much as her words. Mai stretched her hand as if to reach out for something, it shivered and there was nothing to grab. All her control was slipping away and Mai lost all common sense, she felt that she just wanted to perish right here and now. She couldn't however, Andy was still here... "GAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Ibuki hurried back to Mai as she heard this and found her sitting on the floor, tears running down her cheeks like a flood. She was a mere wreck of herself and kept weeping and mumbling with no sign of concern for the smaller ninja's presence whatsoever. "Why Mary? *sob* ... I can't help it... *sob* *sob*... come back Mary plehehease! Mmmmhhh!!!" She moaned. "Maaaryyy! *Sigh*... *sob*..." Ibuki grabbed the kunoichi gently by her shoulders and tried to figure out what had happened. "M-Mai... are you okay...?" "Let me GO!" Mai cried and pushed Ibuki away. "Sh... Should I go after her...? M-Mai?" Ibuki tried in her friendliest voice. She couldn't stand this, there had to be something she could do. "NO! She... she won't come back... leave me alone!" "But..." "I said LEAVE ME ALONE!" "Y-yes... right away!" Ibuki quickly left the room confused by Mai's sudden rudeness, she wasn't angry with her, right? *** "DAMN!!!" Mary forced all her power into the wall as her fist struck the solid surface. "DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! FUCK! SHIT! DAMN!" She hammered against the wall until she was too tired to lift her arm. She bent her arm against the wall and pushed her head against it. She felt weak. So weak. Why!? She asked herself, over and over. Why was Mai so mean to her? Why this? She couldn't help her tears running. She was so mad. She felt so hopelessly weak. Maybe she should have stayed with Terry. At least he always came back to her. He was nice, and a good fighter. He used to take them to all kinds of fun places and they used to have such a great time. She didn't love him however, she loved Mai. Mary hissed loudly as she grasped her chest as if to tear her aching heart out to make it stop. She could go home, go home and forget this. Wait for Terry and... she cried again... her mind was burning and she banged her head into the wall in hopes of rendering herself unconscious. It didn't help however, she couldn't hit herself hard enough. Dark Mai finally found her. She could see the blonde thrusting her head into the wall and gasped. Why was Mary hurting herself??? "Oh no! Don't!" She hurried and grabbed the bounty hunter from behind and tried to make her stop. "Please stop, don't hurt yourself anymore, I'm here... calm down... I won't leave you!" Mary gasped as she could feel the hands around her. Mixed feelings, hatred and love. Anger and sorrow. She turned around and faced what looked like Mai. "I told you to stay away! Don't torment me! Let me go, I want to go home... *sob*... please..." Dark Mai looked at her lovingly and it didn't seem like she intended to let Mary go. "Let me... *sob*... go... I don't want you..." She continued weeping and Dark Mai found it unpleasant. She decided to end it, once and for all. "Mary... look at me!" Mary reluctantly did as the mimic said. Her cheeks where wet with tears and Dark Mai felt sorry for what she had done to her. She did her best to dry the tears away and to make Mary notice the changes in her. "Mai... You are not wearing the same clothes, right?" The bounty hunter said after a while. Not that she hadn't seen Mai change clothes in about ½ second but this was different somehow. "Right!" Dark Mai replied while she continued brushing the tears off Mary's face. "And you... you had red-like hair right?" "No." This was weird, Mary had not noticed the change in the hair before and now that she thought about it Mai did not often dye her hair, what was even weirder was that she remembered Mai having it like this the day before but not 20 minutes ago. "You're not Mai?" Mary asked. She was really tired and so emotionally exhausted that she wasn't even shocked as she realized something was VERY different. "No." Dark Mai replied and dried off the last tear and tasted it. "What are you?" Mary asked with a low voice. She couldn't summon enough power to make a feeling as it was right now. "I am... a, eh, well... a *mimic* should do." Dark Mai pronounced the word low as if she was ashamed of it. "A... mimic?" "Yes." "What's your name then?" Mary was too tired to care and didn't find this to be really strange, she didn't have the strength to reflect over the situation. "Hm, I'd prefer if you called me *Dark* Mai." "Why?" "Cuz... I'm not THE Mai." Mary thought this over for a minute. What the hell was this? "THE Mai?" She asked. "The one that you just had a fight with upstairs." Dark Mai said and smirked. Mary was really confused now. But the mimic seemed calm and she was too, for some reason. "And you are?" "The who told you she loved you the other day." The mimic replied calmly. "That's why..." "Mai didn't remember. That is correct, good girl!" "Hm, thanks, I guess. What are you doing?" "I'm trying to be your girlfriend." "My what?" "Your girlfriend. I really like you, and I really hate Andy." This sounded to good to be true and Mary nearly fainted. Both from exhaustion but also because the late shock she should've received two minutes ago. "Woooh! Don't faint on me." Dark Mai caught the bounty hunter and pulled her close. "Why? Why this?" Mary asked weakly. "Because I WANT you. I NEED you. Everything I said to you yesterday is true. I could fight a war for you if it would make you happy." Dark Mai tried hard not to begin messing with Mary's mind. She would fight this one fairly. "You would?" "Yes! I would do anything to make you happy!" "Yeah?" "Hm. Try me!" "Okay. Go steal a tank and blow this building up." Mary said and tried to get loose from the grip. "Its sad, but if it'll make you happy I'll do that for you." The mimic said and went down the hall. "Hey wait! I was just kidding!" "What? You don't want me to?" "NO!" "Okay!" The mimic sounded happy and wasted no time in getting back to hugging her lovely friend. "This is too frigging weird!" Mary thought. Yet she felt very secure in the mimic's arms. "This is not weird. I care for you, more than anything. Am I weird for that. Am I weird because I tried with all my might to get the one thing I desire in this world." Dark Mai moved her lips closer to Mary's and they brushed against each other. "Am I weird for treasuring you than my own life?" Mary couldn't say that this didn't have any effect on her. In fact she was feeling better already with this option. It still seemed like a dream however. "I am not dreaming...?" "No, I am here. I am here for you only." "I can't believe this. It seems so unreal. Give me a slap so that I will wake up." "But... You are not dreaming..." "Sure... C'mon, a really hard one to clear my mind... heh heh, haha ha ha!" Mary turned her head. "Uh... Mary... Are you sure this is a good idea?" The bounty was too convinced that she must've hit her head too hard against the wall though. She kept laughing and it looked like she was going insane. "This would be what they call a traumatic effect I guess." The mimic thought. "Well... if that is what you want..." Mary looked at her with turbid eyes and seemed rather dizzy from the excitement. "'sigh..." Dark Mai stretched back and slapped Mary with full strength to hopefully make her snap out of it. The blow sent Mary diving into the floor and she turned 180 degrees from the force. "OH MY GOD, MARY ARE YOU OKAY???" Dark Mai immediately crouched to examine her. Maybe she had hit too hard. "Mary, Mary talk to me!" "Oww... Christ! You sure know how to deal punches alright." Mary moaned and turned to her back. "I'm sorry, I am so sorry... I didn't think it would be that bad..." Mary shook her head however. "Its okay... I believe you, but we should talk this over however..." "I agree. I'll tell you whatever you want to know." Dark Mai replied and smiled as she helped Mary up. "Good, and promise me one thing..." "What?" "Don't EVER do that again." "Ah, yes... I'm sorry..." ________________________________________________________________________ END OF PART 3
Back to For the Love of Mary Blue Index - Back to King of Fighters Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction