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Thunder Falling	By : Croik Category: +G through L > Guilty Gear Views: 2276 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Guilty Gear, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Guilty Gear, its characters
and settings are property of Sammy Studios, and are being used in this fanfiction without permission. This fic is rated R
for violence and sexual content, and it contains yaoi
material.

Some actual Authors Notes!?

For this fic
I�ve incorporated some of the Sacred Weapons which have not yet really been
explained in Guilty Gear except for their names, so�I apologize in advance for
when canon rips this fic apart XD.

Yume no Zencho pointed out that I use �thin� and �thinned� a lot in
my description of eyes. And I realized�s/he�s
right! I really do ^^;;;. Thanks for pointing it out, I�m always trying
to improve my writing. And�I think it was Shetan
a while back who asked about Zato�since there are
times Zato-1 isn�t covered up, I like referring to him and Eddie separately
(even if he�s dead >.>). That�s
how you see him in the games so I figured it would help preserve the
image. I hope it�s not too confusing.

I just want to
give a shout out thanks to everyone who�s supported this fic. I really appreciate it, especially since I
know some of it�s a stretch. Especially Uzumaki and Shetan�you spoil me! Things start to get complicated in this
chapter, and I hope you like it.

Oh, and I still hate time
travel. Why do I keep writing it!? >.<

Thunder Falling
Chapter 9

Ky had been in a foul enough mood to begin with that
morning, and so when the report reached him only an hour into his duties that
his own headquarters was under siege he was livid. His carriage sped him through Paris�s
streets; the vehicle had not completely halted when he leapt from it, sword
drawn and shouting orders to the officers that had come with him. �Barricade the exits,� he instructed
them. �Whatever it is I�ll deal with
it�just make sure the intruders don�t escape.�

The officers nodded, pausing
briefly to check on the two felled guards before following their leader inside.

The scene was one of
confusion; several officers lay unconscious along the immense main hall while
the rest warily encircled the growling creature. If Ky
hadn�t been there to witness it himself, he might not have believed it. Though he had no doubts as to Eddie�s ability,
the thought that he would not only remain in Paris but attack the center of its
police power was absurd. And yet there
he was, throwing one of Ky�s
younger officers into the crowd.

With a cry Ky leapt at the creature; his
officers saw him coming and quickly retreated, but Eddie wasn�t fast enough and
took a hit from Ky�s lightning full to the
chest. He screeched as he was thrown
back, slamming hard against a marble pillar and sending cracks up its surface.

�Eddie.� Ky
advanced on him, weapon tightly brandished and expression hard. He pushed the thick material of his mantle
behind his shoulders. �Why did you come
here?�

�Kiske�� Eddie pushed
himself away from the stone, and abruptly the shadow beast melted away to
reveal Zato-1�s lifeless corpse. He
turned as if searching for the exit.

Ky quickly put
himself in his way, and the assassin retreated a step with a hiss. Despite the havoc he�d brought upon the
headquarters he now looked anxious. �Out
of my way, human,� he snapped.

�Why did you come here?� Ky demanded again. �I know you killed three of my men
yesterday. You should have known
better.�

�They were in my way,� Eddie
growled. Hearing the deep voice empty
through Zato-1�s pale and unmoving face was eerie. �And now you
are. Move before I kill you, too!�

But when Eddie didn�t back up
his threats with an immediate attack Ky�s
suspicions were confirmed�Eddie was worried.
It filled the officer with righteous malice. �I�ve been waiting a long time for this,� he
murmured. Thunderseal
began to glow within his grasp. �Today
you pay for the lives you�ve taken.�

He charged. Zato-1 turned, swinging his arm in a fast
arch that sent a wave of shadow at his incoming enemy. Ky�s
lightning diffused the magic with barely any effort as he barreled down on man
and beast. Zato-1 tried to dodge back
but Thunderseal tore flesh along his left breast,
just below his armpit. The dark matter
that slapped against the marble floor was not blood.

Eddie�s shadow body engulfed
its host once more, quickly sprouting leathery wings in hopes of propelling him
into the air. Having anticipated his
attempt to flee Ky was
quickly on him again, a sharp kick to his gut throwing him back into the
pillar. His sword followed; a heavy
throw embedded the blade deep into Eddie�s wing, and with a silent command from
Ky lightning raged through
his pinned body. The creature screamed
and struggled and finally slumped, panting hard.

�You were weakened from your
fight with Venom, and yet you came here,� Ky
said lowly. Though Thunderseal
was no longer in his grasp it pulsed with every movement of his fingers,
obeying him perfectly to keep Eddie from resuming his fighting. �Neither of you would have come anywhere near
Paris unless you had good reason. What
are you doing here?� A swift movement of
his hand sent another wave of electricity through him.

�Stupid�bitch,�
Eddie hissed. His wing shuddered and
began to melt away. �I told her��

Ky frowned, and was
about to demand an explanation when a high, ear-piercing note split the immense
hall. The officers yelped in surprised
and covered their ears�the screeching tone echoed too well off so much stone
wall, sending a few of them to their knees. Ky
grimaced but held his ground. His
darting eyes soon landed on the source of the commotion: a red hat poking out
over the tops of his officer�s heads.

Ky had heard plenty
of stories by now about the �Musician in Red.�
Though their sudden meeting was unexpected, he had no qualms in facing
any of his enemies. Thunderseal
glowed with gathered energy, sending Eddie into another fit of screaming. Even without the direct contact of the
sword�s grip in his hand Ky
was able to harness his weapon�s magic, and with a grunt flung the bolt of
lightning streaking toward the still shrieking hat.

It never reached it; the
awful noise abruptly halted, but as Ky
watched his magic simply dissipated without having reached its target. He was still overcoming the surprise when the
woman rushed him.

She wasn�t what Ky had expected, but he snatched Thunderseal from its fleshy sheath and met her head
on. She parried his sword using her
guitar, and they exchanged several blows that way as the surrounding officers
regained their composure.

�It�s good to see you again, Sir,� I-no laughed as she twisted the
guitar�s handle in her grip. �Sorry
about the big fellow.� She tipped her
head toward Eddie, who was being helped away from the pillar by a familiar
youth in a red prison jumper.

Ky stared. �Zappa�?�

Zappa didn�t falter in his
support of the creature, though his head turned around�all the way around�to meet Ky�s gaze. The bones
of his neck creaked. �I�m very sorry,
Mr. Kiske,� Zappa said, and though his face was eerily
still, his voice held the innocent sincerity Ky had become familiar with. His head then finished its rotation with
another disgusting snap.

�For him?� A shudder of
anger swept through the officer. �You
raided my headquarters and attacked my officers for this boy?�

�Something like
that,� I-no replied smugly.

�Why? Why is he that important?�

I-no gave a little
shrug. �I honestly don�t know,� she
confessed. �Maybe I just feel bad for
him, being locked up like that�� She
tilted her head back. �Zappa, is it? Be a doll and help poor little Eddie out of
here.�

�You�re not going anywhere,�
one of Ky�s officers
immediately interrupted. He and his
fellows quickly blocked the hall.
�You�re all under arrest!�

�Ah, now that�s a
shame�� I-no�s lip curled, and without
warning she leapt at Ky once
more. He met her attack easily despite
the weight of her unusual weapon, though by then Eddie and Zappa were charging
into the men.

Ky growled under
his breath, and a sudden shift of his weight threw I-no back. He caught only a glimpse of how his men were
fairing; Zappa had thrown himself to the ground, and was scuttling about like a
spider to attack the officer�s legs while Eddie sailed over them. They were going to make it out. In frustration he attacked I-no with greater
fervor. He dented the guitar�s body and
landed a heavy punch to her midsection that sent her reeling.

He shifted his weight,
intending a side kick that would throw her into the pillar Eddie had previously
occupied. I-no managed to anticipate the
move long before it connected.
Displaying her flexibility she ducked beneath his leg by performing the
splits, and immediately afterwards drew her legs in and leapt at his back. Ky
made only a slight sound of surprise when a sharp jerk on his cloak spun him around. The woman�s heavy heel caught him in the back
and sent him crashing onto his stomach.

Ky�s thick blue
mantle came loose, and with a satisfied grin I-no swept the heavy fabric around
her own shoulders. �Thanks, Kiske,� she laughed.
�It�s pretty cold out there.�

Ky started to push
himself up. �You miserable��

The attack came unexpectedly;
I-no was still staring down at him with disdain when a pair of broad jaws
clamped mercilessly around Ky�s
left upper arm. The teeth were sharp and
cold against the sudden welling of blood.
Ky jerked, but when
he twisted Thunderseal about to stab into his enemy
the blade cut through what felt like empty air.

The hall was filled with the
sound of I-no�s guitar, and Ky
glanced up just in time to see her fading into nothing with a playful
wave. Another jerk of his gaze caught
Zappa�s back as he ducked out of the main entrance behind Eddie. The canine-like growl from the creature attached
to Ky�s arm abruptly ceased,
and the black vapor-flesh, too, melted away.
Leaving only Ky with
a bleeding arm and several downed and injured officers.

Ky was helped to
his feet, but once there he waved off the assistance of his men. �Call in every available officer,� he ordered
briskly, his voice thick with anger.
�Ask for the veterans as well, if they�ll help. Search the city�no one leaves Paris until
they�re all apprehended!�

�Sir!� A man quickly
approached him as the others picked themselves up and began to form groups,
under Ky�s orders. �Sir, we have a message from the Records and
Communication�s building.�

�Not now,� Ky snapped, sheathing Thunderseal so he could take a look at his wounded
arm. The bite was deep, and it was
quickly soaking his uniform sleeve with blood.
He was swiftly approached by their healers.

�But sir,� the man
insisted. �Their security�s been
breached�by a woman in red with a guitar.�

*****

Most of the Colony showed up
to see the departure of Murase Yuuya. It was an anxious affair�most of the citizens
had never considered leaving their safe and beloved home, let alone bid
farewell to one of their most respected public figures. Yuuya assured them
with charming words of his well being, and promises that by the time he
returned, they would once again be recognized as the nation they were meant to
be.

As Anji
was forced to stay behind, still confined to the temple, Baiken
had come to the base of Anbashi Bridge alone. She stood off to the side during Yuuya�s speeches, his parting words with his father and the
other members of the Council. A group of
seven men and women had been selected to accompany him on the long trip to
Paris, and were engaged in similar and tearful goodbyes to loved ones and
friends.

Baiken snorted. It
looked like a funeral.

Despite her best efforts Yuuya spotted her, and at that point she had no choice but
to come forward. She set her hand on her
hip as she glanced about at the preparations.
�So.
Going by airship?� she asked brusquely.

�Eventually,� he
replied. �First we�ll need to take a
boat to Korea, and then a plane to Beijing.
From there an airship.�

�Well, watch yourself. It�s the outside world, after all�not like
what you�re used to.�

Yuuya regarded her silently a moment, his eyes almost lazy
as if indulging in some daydream. Baiken knew exactly what must have drawn his attention, and
she shoved him hard in the chest. �Stop
that.�

�I�ll be careful,� Yuuya replied belatedly, smiling. And then added, �I�m glad you came. I thought you still hated me.�

�I do,� Baiken
snorted petulantly. �I just don�t want
you getting your sorry ass killed out there.�
She hesitated. �We�ve known each
other a long time, after all.�

�Since I
was born.�

�Right�� Baiken shook
herself, and gave him another shove. �Go
on�get out of here. You�ve got the entire
Colony looking out for you, you don�t need my blessing.�

Yuuya smirked, and with a nod he turned to rejoin the rest
of his convoy. Baiken
stepped back. It was reasons like Yuuya that reminded her why she came back to the Colony as
little as possible�there were too many people that knew her.

A hand came down on her
shoulder, familiar enough that she shrugged him off instead of elbowed him in
the gut. Chairman Murase
looked just like his son when he smiled.
�Baiken.�

�Is this when you thank me
for my insight and intellect?� she challenged, shooting him a pointed
glare. �You finally realized I was
right.�

Murase�s expression softened almost humbly. �I�m still praying that you�re wrong,� he
replied. �About that man��

Baiken frowned. �And?� He would not
have approached her for idle talk.

The man straightened, the way
people did when they were gathering their courage to ask a favor of her. She had seen that look many times. �While Yuuya is
gone I want to keep the rest of the Colony focused and supportive. So I�m gathering an expedition team to go to
the outside�to see what is left of our country, and if it can be made livable.�

Baiken stared at him.
Though it was clear what he was asking, part of her rebelled
immediately; many years had passed since she�d crossed Japanese soil, and the
thought of going back now was not at all appealing. But the man�s serious eyes, the sincerity of
his request made her realize just what she had put into motion with her careless
warnings and complaints. Just as Anji had said, she wouldn�t be able to distance herself
now.

�I see.� Baiken glanced
away. �You want me with them.�

�As you are so fond of
pointing out to us, the outside world is very different from our peaceful
Colony,� Murase said.
�And if you are right, there are many who would wish our people
harm. I would trust no one more than you
to protect them.�

That time, Baiken had to laugh.
�You�re resorting to flattery, now, Murase? You must be pretty desperate.�

She smirked at him, but when
he returned her amusement with a steady gaze she faltered a little, and looked
away. �Fine,� she muttered. �I�ll go with them. I didn�t want to stick around here any
longer, anyway.�

It was Murase�s
turn to smile. �You have some time to
prepare,� he assured. �I�m afraid I
can�t let Mito go with you, though�the rest of the Council is still concerned
about him.�

Baiken waved her hand.
�You don�t have to explain�he�s got nothing to do with me.�

Murase lifted an eyebrow, but remained wisely silent on that
subject. He nodded. �Someone will be sent when the expedition is
ready,� he assured. �And if you would,
let Wakami know I�ll be home for dinner tonight.�

�Yeah,
whatever.� Baiken turned to
leave. �But don�t always think I�ll be
around to do your favors for you, Murase.�

She took several steps, until
when she glanced back she was sure Murase was no
longer paying attention to her. She
hesitated among the crowd to watch as Yuuya and his
seven men and women began their long hike up the red planks of Anbashi Bridge. She
sighed. �Kiske�you�d
better make sure Paris listens to them,� she muttered. With a shake of her head she started back
towards the temple.

*****

Another long and anxious
carriage ride brought Ky to
the Records and Communications building.
Its upper floors served as information center to the city, and also as
the formal seat of Paris�s Global Council�from there Ky would communicate with his superiors and
provincial governments all over the world.
Despite the importance and significance of those functions, Ky was certain disabling Paris�s
communications was not the goal of their female spy. She most certainly would have headed for the
basement.

Ky entered the
underground floor of the facility with several officers, and one Holy Order veteran
who had met with them along the way. He
instructed them to take up a defensive position at the bottom of the narrow
stairs; if the same woman was still present there was little chance they would
be able help to a fight in such strict confines, but at least they could stall
her from escape. With his arm roughly
healed and brandishing Thunderseal, he started down
the long hall to the last chambers.

At the end of the long white
corridor was a fork, branching into two directions with a small circular room
attached to each. Both rooms housed one
of the famed Sacred Weapons kept by the United Nations. As he approached closer, he heard spark from
the left fork, and the distressed hum of the guarding equipment. He quickly investigated.

As the reports had said, it
was again the woman in red�standing up on her toes to remove a wide white
mirror from its alcove in the wall. She
was still wearing Ky�s long
mantle, and as she stepped back he finally took notice of the gleaming sapphire
hanging at her hip. He ground his
teeth. �So that�s how you absorbed my
magic.�

I-no spun to face him, for a
moment her face reflecting surprise before she could hide it. Then she smirked. �Officer Kiske. You got here awfully fast.�

Ky remained in the
doorway, watching her with strict attention as she wrapped the mirror up in his
cloak and secured it to her back. �You
came for Zappa,� he said slowly, adjusting his grip on his weapon. �And now White Lake. What are you planning?�

�Oh, you know,� I-no drawled,
starting cautiously towards him. �A
little this, a little that��

�Who are you working for?� he
demanded. �The
Bureau?�

�The
Bureau?� I-no echoed. She laughed, throwing her head back. �Don�t you think if The Bureau wanted your
little toys it would take them itself?�

Ky ground his
teeth�after everything, being laughed at by this woman was nearly
intolerable. �Then it�s him,� he growled, his hands
tightening. �That
man.�

Some of the humor faded from
I-no�s smile, making her expression bitter.
She drew her guitar and let it rest in one hand. �You�re better off staying out of it, Kiske.�

�I thought you might have
known me better than that.�

Ky released a bout
of lightning, and as he expected it was swiftly absorbed by the jewel secured
about her hip. I-no flinched but in the
wake of the unsuccessful attack she charged.
This time Ky faired
somewhat better. Having caught a glimpse
of her fighting style earlier he was better equipped to dodge her twisting
kicks and limber attacks. He refused to
open her path to the door. And when she
turned, trying to distract him with another sonic attack from her hat his sword
skated along her hip, severing the sapphire from her belt. It fell to the ground with a clatter; Ky kicked it swiftly out into the
hall and far out of range to be useful.

I-no cursed, this time the
uncertainty in her face obvious. Ky give his sword a flick to draw
its power to full. �I�m sorry I can�t go
easy on you,� he said darkly, �just because you�re a woman.�

I-no glowered at him. �Wouldn�t have it any other
way.�

Ky snorted, but
just before he was able to unleash his magic I-no�s guitar smashed brutally
against the back of his neck. The savage
attack threw him to his stomach and nearly robbed him of consciousness. With a pained groan he rolled onto his side,
desperate to defend from whatever blow she might then throw at him. He was still wondering how she had managed
such a strike while still standing in front of him when a second pair of red
high heeled boots stepped into his line of sight. Though his gaze was swimming he lifted it to
behold his unseen assailant. �Wha�?�

The mirror-bearing I-no
regarded her twin with honest surprise. �I-no. I didn�t
expect to see you.�

�I did,� the second I-no said
grimly. Ky could barely make her out above her knees�her tall
boots were tattered and smelled of salt.
�Take the mirror and go��

�Why not tell her what�ll
happen?� another voice spoke up from somewhere out in the hall. It was familiar, and Ky shuddered as he tried to push himself up. �Then we won�t have to go through all this
trouble.�

�Because that�s not how it
works. Chipp,
grab the sapphire�we might need it.�

Ky staggered to his
feet, backing into the nearest wall so he could regain equilibrium. His ears had not been fooling him. The I-no he had been fighting was still
within the chamber, looking as baffled as he felt, and together they stared
down the bizarre trio at the room�s entrance�another I-no, Venom, and Chipp Zanuff.

Chipp waved sheepishly, carrying I-no�s
sapphire in his other hand. �Um�hey, Ky. It�s not
what you think, really.�

Ky stared, though
his attention was drawn quickly to Venom.
The man was no longer dressed in his Assassin�s
uniform, but rather a blue shirt and tie several sizes too big for
him. He was regarding the officer with
similar mistrust.

�Don�t try to stop us,� Venom
warned.

�You�� Ky
seethed, but unsteady as he was�and facing four formidable opponents�he kept
himself from attacking all of them head on.
�What the hell is going on?� he hissed.
His hand trembled against the wall.
�What do you want!�

�Ky,
you have to trust us,� Chipp started to explain. �We�re��

The worn I-no cut him off,
swinging her guitar at the officer again.
He blocked with Thunderseal but the force
threw him back, and a moment later Venom followed by jabbing the blunt end of
his pool cue into his solar plexus. Already
heavy on his feet the sudden force dropped Ky again to his knees. It was all he could do to send a burst of
lightning at the group to keep them back as he trembled, trying to draw air
back into his lungs.

�Ky!� Chipp started
toward him, but when Thunderseal sparked again he
kept his distance. �Venom�you didn�t
have to hit him so hard!�

�Paybacks,� Venom muttered
coldly.

�Forget him�I-no, get out of
here already,� I-no told herself, tugging her into the hall. �Take it to him, and don�t mention that you
saw us.�

�Well, I never could resist a
pretty face��

�Wai�� Ky
coughed weakly, clinging to Thunderseal as he
desperately reclaimed his composure.
�Venom�!�

He lifted his head, only to
be greeted with a deafening tone from I-no�s
guitar. Venom and Chipp
each took her shoulder as the music reverberations blurred their figures,
slurring them together. Ky threw another bolt of lightning
at the trio but by then they had nearly faded, and it slid through them without
effect. The last of them Ky saw was Chipp�s
guilty smile, and then they were gone.
- 9
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Thunder Falling