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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
- 5
- 6
- 7
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.

Thunder Falling
Chapter 5

Deep underground, a voice was
echoing in the dark. A
quiet whimper that echoed against the solid concrete around him. He was familiar with that voice, and he
twisted on the thin spring mattress, craning his head back. �Why are you crying?� he whispered.

The whimpering stopped, and
when he lowered his hand alongside the bed a cold nose pressed against the
inside of his palm. He smiled, and
turned his hand slightly to stroke the animal�s long head and behind its
ears. �Was it you?� he asked
softly. �I�m sorry. We might have been able to leave last time
and I�I messed it up again. Can you be
patient a little while longer?�

The animal whined piteously,
but when he gave it a tug, it leapt obediently up onto the bed with him. �I�m sorry,� he said again. �Just a while longer. Okay?�
When it finally settled down next to him he smiled, wrapping his arms
around its thick neck. He sighed. �Just�a little longer�.�

*~*~*

Ky took in a deep breath
as he finished with the fastenings of his uniform�though he was grateful to
Rosaline for having cleaned it for him, his shoulders were already complaining
from having to bear the added weight of his full cloak once again. He stretched and tried to find a posture that
would put the least amount of pressure against them. �Bridget?
Are you ready?�

�Yup!� Bridget
bounced over to him, already wrapped up in his fur-lined white winter
coat. He tugged the collar up happily
against his cheeks. �We get to take a
carriage, right?�

�Yes, it�s already
waiting.� Ky
reached for the door, but before he could open it glanced back, and was
surprised to see Testament clad in his own coat as well. �Testament?�

�I�ll walk you out,�
Testament said evenly as he finished doing up the buttons. �Maybe have a look around.�

Ky frowned.
Though it was true most every officer in the city would be at the
Memorial, he didn�t like the idea of Testament wandering Paris alone, where any number of people might recognize
him� But he still felt guilty about
having to leave him behind, and so wasn�t in much of a mood to deny him
anything. �All right. You�ll be careful, won�t you?�

�Of
course.�

The trio moved outside
together, where the carriage was indeed waiting for them. Ky viewed it with a
slight sense of dread, but when Bridget moved to his side it calmed him
somewhat. He turned back to Testament
once more. �I�m sorry,� he offered
sincerely. �The memorial will take
several hours, but you�re welcome to anything in the house.� He handed over his spare key.

�I�ll be
fine,� Testament assured again as he pocketed the key. His eyes were
vaguely dim that afternoon, and though Ky would have
liked to offer some other apology, the Gear turned to start down the
sidewalk. �See you later.�

Ky watched him a moment before spurring himself to move,
boarding the carriage that would take them to the memorial with Bridget just
behind.

*~*~*

Everything happened so fast,
that by the time Axl realized Venom had even moved he was already thrust
against the doorframe, the maid�s meal cart crashing to the ground with a
spectacular ruckus. �Hey�� He struggled to
right himself and nearly tripped over the maid herself in the process. He finally stumbled out into the hall only to
see Venom disappear around the corner.

�What the hell�.� Axl shifted anxiously on his feet, baffled
and indecisive. Whatever reason Venom
had for bolting off like that he really had no business doing so in his condition. The only explanation Axl could come up with
was that the assassin had somehow spotted his intended target, the man he had
mentioned the night before�.

Axl gulped, bending down
quickly to help the maid to her feet.
�I�m really sorry,� he apologized briskly before darting back into the
room. Venom had left his case beside the
bed and, most likely, whatever weapon he might usually carry. Axl snatched up his own travel bag and leapt
into the hall once more to give chase.
�I�m sorry!� he called again to the maid, who was shouting after him in
French. �I�ll be back�I�ll pay for all
that!�

Axl burst out of the inn at top speed, but
once he was on the street he was suddenly at a loss�Venom was nowhere in
sight. Cursing, he picked a direction
and started running. �Axl, what are you
doing?� he hissed under his breath as he went.
�This is so none of your business�.�
But he only pushed himself faster, determined to catch up.

*~*~*

Venom ground his teeth in
frustration as he pushed his way through another group of careless
citizens. The cleaning crews were still
working hard to clear the streets of the evidence of last night�s celebrations,
and all around people were just starting to move about themselves�nursing
hangovers as severe as his own. It made
them slow and difficult to maneuver around.
Further down the street he could still see the woman�Slayer�s
woman�walking easily along the sidewalk.
Just when he thought he was catching up he would lose sight of her for a
moment among the crowds, only to spot her again several blocks away. It didn�t help that his head was throbbing
worse than ever, threatening the return of his nausea. Breathing hard, he continued his chase.

A man stepped abruptly in
front of him, and Venom�s momentum carried him right into him. The pair was sent tumbling in a heap of green
and white fabric. Stunned by the
unexpected impact Venom was slow to react, but when he finally lifted his gaze
he was met with the cross-shaped front of a Holy Order uniform. Gasping, he scrambled to his feet once more.

�Hey, you.� The man
grabbed at his arm, and it took all his strength to wrench out of his steely
grip�Venom nearly fell over again with the effort. By then it was too late. As he tried to regain his speed he could hear
the man shouting behind him, and was certain his own name was in there
somewhere. He had been recognized. Several pairs of hands snatched at his limbs
and clothing but he ripped free, gaze unwavering from the form of the woman
several stores ahead of him.

Venom stumbled, losing track
of the woman once again for barely an instant.
The chime of a store entrance to his left caught him, though, and
without thinking he darted inside. His
appearance was accompanied by several startled gasps from the customers inside;
it appeared to be a small restaurant of some sort, with expensive drapes and
finely dressed patrons. Gasping for
breath, Venom scanned the tables for his quarry.

He was being a fool. Even if the woman he was chasing was indeed
the one he had seen accompanying Slayer on a few occasions, he had no idea if
she would be able to lead him to the creature.
What he would do once he reached him.
How he would fight when�he was just now coming to realize he had left his
weapon in the inn.

His concerns were forgotten a
moment later when he caught sight of a pair of red high-heeled shoes moving up
a small staircase to his right. Venom
pursued, knocking a waiter out of the way in the process. Gripping the rail for stability he charged up
the carpeted stairs to the second floor, through a pair of elegant glass doors
and into a decorated smoking room.

Several heads lifted; more
gentlemen and their trophy companions, so it seemed, gauging him with
disdain. This time Venom was easily able
to locate the woman. She was slipping gracefully
out of her coat with the help of a tall, bearded man in a charcoal suit.

Venom steadied himself
against the doorframe, his breath heavy as he tried to regain himself. �Slayer�.�

Slayer smiled thinly,
granting Sharon a small kiss on the cheek before turning to meet his
guest. �Ah, Venom. So you received my invitation.�

The surrounding men and woman
murmured to themselves at the mention of the assassin�s name; Slayer lifted a
hand to gather their attention. �My
friends, I�m sorry,� he apologized grandly.
�But would you mind terribly leaving us alone for a bit? This young man and I have business to
discuss.�

Venom glanced at the men and
women only briefly as they slipped past him to the stairs, not moving quite as
fast he thought they should have. When
the last woman passed she flashed him a grin, showing off polished fangs.

Venom stiffened. �Vampires�?�

�Surely you didn�t think I
was the last, did you?� Slayer chuckled.
He touched Sharon�s back, and she nodded, folding her coat over her arm
as she turned toward a door at the back of the room. �But please, pay them no mind. We were just celebrating the season
together.�

Venom pushed away from the
doorframe. He still felt unsteady with
his head pounding as it was, but he didn�t want Slayer to see that. �You brought me here,� he hissed. �Why?�

�Isn�t it what you
wanted?� Slayer straightened his shirt
and tie daintily. �You�ve followed me
over most of Europe, being quite the bother. I really have no favors left to offer you.�

�Favors?� Venom spat, stalking toward him. �How dare you��

Slayer moved faster than
Venom could follow, planting the heel of his shoe firmly in Venom�s unguarded
stomach. The assassin stumbled backwards
with barely more than a whimper and dropped ungracefully to his knees. Already aching and nauseous he couldn�t help
the sudden lurching of his gut; he vomited tea and bile weakly on the lush
carpet.

�You�re not so difficult to
understand, you know,� Slayer drawled as he moved slowly away from him. �A man like you was never up to the task of
ruling my Guild. All you�ve ever wanted
was its ruin.�

�That�s�� Venom coughed hoarsely as a chill spread
through his limbs, hugging his bruised midsection. �That�s not true�!�

�And that�s just what I�ve
given you, isn�t it? Now your
obligations to your master are complete.
Save one, maybe.�

Venom lifted his head, and
there his heart skipped and nearly stopped.
The form of a man was stalking clumsily through the doorway Sharon had exited a moment ago. His steps were halting and heavy, dark
clothing tattered and long hair a dull, tangled mess around his pale face. He stopped just beside Slayer with a shudder.

Venom�s breath came shallowly
as he struggled upright. �Lord Zato�.�

The form shifted�rather, its
shadow did, sliding up the man�s body to curl around his shoulders and
neck. From the dark mass protruded a
pair of gleaming eyes. �You did well,
Nightwalker,� it hissed its begrudging approval.

Slayer�s lip curled. �Naturally. Good luck with him.� He turned to leave.

Venom stared between the
pair, stunned and bewildered. �You�re�what�s going on?�

�You�re annoying,� Slayer
replied easily, not bothering to turn back.
�So I arranged to have you dealt with.�
He chuckled. �If you kill each
other the very last of the Guild will be dissolved. It�ll save me the trouble.�

�Don�t worry about me,
Slayer,� the beast Eddie snarled, the black shape of its head splitting in a
toothy grin. �We�ll be seeing each other
soon enough, to settle our own score.�

Slayer chuckled again. �Indeed.�
He waved briefly over his shoulder and disappeared through the exit.

Venom gulped, grimacing at
the sour taste in his mouth as he retreated several steps. �Lord Zato�.�
The man didn�t look any different than when Venom had seem him last,
several months ago; his colorless face, though turned toward him, bore no
expression. Abruptly Venom�s fists tightened, and he planted his feet as he faced the
creature. �Eddie. You still dare disgrace my master.�

Eddie laughed; it was a deep,
horrifying sound, like jaws through bone.
�This pitiful corpse?� A thin tendril of shadow curled around
Zato-1�s chin to turn the head back and forth.
�He�s been dead some time, you know.
He�s beginning to reek.�

�Damn you!� Venom charged, ignoring his lack of weapon as
he closed with his enemy. Despite
Zato-1�s seeming immobility the corpse abruptly twisted as he approached,
attacking in a series of swift kicks that Venom barely avoided. Just when Venom thought he�d found an opening
the shadow perched on Zato-1�s shoulders struck as well. Though he blocked he was thrown heavily
backwards by the impact of cold flesh against his forearms�into one of the
sitting room�s cushioned chairs. He tumbled
along with the furniture to the ground.

�I�ve been looking for you,
Venom,� Eddie drawled. Slowly his form
began to stretch and slide over Zato-1�s corpse, engulfing and covering it
until only shadow skin and gleaming red eyes remained. �To finally finish you.�

�Stop!� From the glass
door entrance appeared several men from the lower floor, one of which the Holy
Order veteran Venom had plowed into on the street. He held his sword at ready. �You both are��

�Leave us!� Eddie snatched up the nearest chair, flinging
it into heavily into the group. They
scattered but one of the men was caught full in the chest and sent
reeling. A moment
later Eddie himself was upon them with claws bared. Venom turned away, trying not to listen to
the cries of the men as the heavy odor of blood filled the room. He grabbed for the first weapon he could
find: a bottle of wine that he broke against the edge of a table.

�Pathetic,� Eddie growled,
advancing on the last man still on his feet�the Holy Order veteran, already
bleeding from a wound across his forehead.
The rest of the men that had followed him up were sprawled across the
ground, but whether they were living or dead Venom didn�t bother to check. As he watched Eddie snatched the officer by
the throat, flinging him through the glass doors and onto the staircase.

Just as the veteran tumbled
out of view down the stairs Venom attacked.
He drove the jagged glass with all his strength into Eddie�s side,
grimacing at the dulled impact it sent up the length of his arm. Eddie bellowed and nearly tore Venom�s throat
with a swipe of his claws. But all Venom
could think of was the creature�s destruction, and he drew his arm back to stab
again.

Eddie spun, the back of his
clawed hand catching Venom in the jaw and sending him again to the floor. �Miserable wretch,� he snarled. The shadows rippled and stretched to cover
the hole Venom had carved, unaffected.
Venom swung the bottle again as clawed hands reached toward him,
succeeding in slicing another gash across Eddie�s palm only to watch it seal
over again. �Do you really think you can
defeat me?�

�Goddamn monster,� Venom
spat, grabbing at the nearest chair to help him upright. �I swore I�d kill you.�

Eddie snorted. �I�m waiting.�

With a vengeful cry Venom lunged,
this time aiming his jagged glass for Eddie�s throat. The gleaming red irises were, for that
instant, the center of his world, and as his weapon neared its mark everything
else seemed to fade at the edges. And it
was then, just inches from his target, when he felt sharpened claws slide into
his midsection.

*~*~*

Axl was just giving up hope of finding his lost roommate
when he came upon the commotion outside a small, overpriced French bistro
several blocks down from the motel. A
group of men and women had gathered in the street, staring up in confusion at
the second floor windows. Trying to
regain his breath after his long run he managed to gasp to a woman next to him,
�What�s going on?�

�There�s a criminal up on the
second floor,� she replied, clasping her coat closed against her chest. �Some officers went up after him, but�.�

�A
criminal?� Axl glanced up at the window and heard a
man�s pained voice ring down�the crowd cringed away. �Damnit��
As Axl slipped through the group of people and toward the door he jerked
his travel bag in front of him.

*~*~*

Venom�s fingers went numb
around the neck of the bottle. He
couldn�t feel the injury�only the blood that slid, thick and warm, down his
abdomen. The thought that the wound was
certainly lethal didn�t deter him. With
a choked growl he continued the arch of his weapon, driving it deep into
swirling shadow.

As soon as the blade caught,
however, Venom was deafened by an enraged bellow against his ear; the claws
still imbedded in his torso twisted and thrust him harshly away. Feeling rushed abruptly back into his body
when he fell�he cried out brokenly, a searing pain striking all through his
torso and burning his lungs. Curled
weakly on his side his fingers probed the outlines of four circular claw stabs
just below his left ribs. He couldn�t
breathe, and in a panic he tried to cover the wound.

�You�pathetic�.� Venom couldn�t see, with his hair sticking to
his sweat-dampened face, but he heard Eddie stumble away, hissing curses. Something thick and wet smacked sickeningly
against the carpet nearby. �I�ll tear
your throat out!�

Venom gagged weakly on the
floor as a pair of hands�human hands�curled around his throat. He tried to push them away but his body was
already growing cold, and he couldn�t put any strength into his struggles. He was forced roughly onto his back, the
parting of his hair over his face allowing him a full look of his attacker. The shadow had fallen away to reveal Zato-1�s
pale visage once more; a chunk of flesh had been torn from his neck but the
wound did not bleed.

�Die�� Zato-1�s lips were parted as his hands
tightened around Venom�s throat, though it was not his voice that echoed
through them. �It�s what you want.�

Venom fought to keep his eyes
open. Even in death Zato-�s face hadn�t
changed. He still bore the same firm
lines in his jaw, the stern curve of his lips.
Venom couldn�t lift his hand or speak his master�s name but if he were
to die, at least he could do so by Zato-1�s own hands. It was already so cold�

*~*~*

Axl grimaced as he darted around the bodies of the fallen
officers and into the smoking room. By
then he had jerked his pair of short scythes out of his bag, and as soon as he
took in the situation he let one fly.
�Get off him!�

The blonde that had been
choking Venom released his victim and fell back to avoid the swinging
blade. Axl�s weapon snapped obediently
back into his hand. �Hey, you�re��

Zato-1 straightened, and to
Axl�s shock turned to bolt for the window.
As he ran his body was covered in melting shadows, flaring out behind
him to form a pair of leathery wings.
Axl didn�t even attempt to give chase; amidst a shattering of glass the
creature was gone, inciting a few screams from the crowd below as it flew
awkwardly away from the scene.

Axl sighed heavily in
relief. �Damn, that�s crazy.� He quickly sobered when he turned to check on
Venom�s condition. The assassin was pale
and covered in cold sweat, dark blood flowing freely from his injured
side. With a curse Axl knelt beside him
and covered the wound. The blood seeped
between his fingers despite his best efforts.
The feel of it pulsing against him was sickening. �Venom! Can you hear me?�

Venom wheezed, turning his
head to let the blood dribble from his mouth.
�I�m�still alive?� he croaked.

�Yeah. Yeah, you�re
alive�.� Axl glanced around; the smell
of blood in the room was so thick it was making him ill. But there weren�t any tablecloths or other material
nearby that he could use to bandage the wounds with. �There are more officers coming. Do you think you can��

�Officers?� Venom
shuddered, which may have been the closest to laughter he could manage. �Then�I am dead.�

Axl froze, drawing his gaze
back to the man. It occurred to him only
then how the scene would appear: three downed officers and an infamous
Assassin, already on the brink of death.
Even if an officer gave a thought to saving the man�s life he would only
be executed anyway. The thought sent a
cold shiver through Axl�s blood-warmed hands.
�Shit�shit, Venom.� He wasn�t one
prone to panic but this situation was far beyond anything he�d imagined in
inviting Venom to a drink.

Abruptly Axl�s resolve
hardened, and with a deep breath he drew Venom�s arm up around his neck. �Try to hold onto me. We�ve gotta go.� He began to lift them both to their feet.

Venom cried out softly in
pain as his injury was stretched by the movement. But Axl didn�t pause, forcing him to get his
feet under him. �Stop it,� he whispered
as he sagged against him. �Just leave
me��

�Not a chance.� Axl hefted the weight against him, grimacing
as the blood began to soak into his jeans as well. He drew Venom�s hand over the wound. �Just keep that covered, eh? We�ll�we�ll find a doctor. You�ll be all right�� He began to half assist, half carry Venom to
the back exit�it looked as if it were for the waitresses and busboys, and it
might allow them a way out other than the excited front door. �You can�t just die, here, right? Don�t you have�someone waiting for you? Someone you want to see again?�

Venom chuckled wetly. �I did.�

�See? Then come on�we�ll get you fixed up, and��

�That
creature just now.� Venom�s voice tipped with bitter humor. �That was him.�

Axl cringed, and struggled
without success for some kind of response.
�Venom�just hold on,� he replied instead, continuing away from the
stained carpet. �Okay? I�ll�jeez, I�ll think of something.�

Venom coughed weakly, but he
managed to get his feet firmly beneath him.
With a soft groan he did his best to keep up with Axl�s stumbling.

*~*~*

Testament hadn�t expected to
really enjoy his time wandering the city, and in that regard had not been
disappointed. The city was, for the most
part, rather quiet; everyone who wasn�t already heading for the memorial was
recovering from the celebrations the night before. He passed more sanitation crews than anything
else. It wasn�t even that difficult to
avoid being noticed. But whenever he
spotted a familiar uniform among the slow crowd something in him chilled, and
he ducked quickly out of sight. It was
that, combined with his exchange with Ky several hours
previous, which had been darkening his mood during his short outing.

He understood Ky well enough by now�or at least imagined he did�to not be
offended by their strange parting earlier.
To think that even after their experiences together he could be easily
accepted by the other, and visa-versa, was close to absurdity. At present, however, hiding in an alley from
the gathering crowd, he couldn�t help but be reminded of their differing
circumstances. There were officers
scattered among the people clumped anxiously outside the restaurant entrance
he�d happened upon, and Testament knew what kind of reception he would receive,
should he reveal himself. He wondered
what Ky might do in his defense, were he discovered
here as a Gear in the center of Paris. If he might be able, or willing, to do anything at all.

A small service door to
Testament�s left creaked open, and he blinked in surprise as a pair of bloodied
figures tumbled out into the alley.

*~*~*

Axl cursed as he pitched forward; he hadn�t expected the
step proceeding their escape, and the sudden catch on his
foot sent him and his charge careening into the open alley. The sound of Venom suppressing a cry
somewhere to his left made him wince in sympathy. �Sorry�shitty rubbish.� He pushed in frustration against the garbage
that had been left outside the door and struggled to his feet. �Are you��

Axl�s heart skipped almost
painfully when he lifted his eyes to find they were not alone in the alley; and
more importantly, that their company was as unfortunate as he was
recognizable. Kneeling beside the fallen
Venom was the Gear captain himself, clothed in familiar black, his eyes
downcast and attentive. As Axl gasped
after his lost breath Testament reached out, pressing the flat of his hand
against Venom�s open wounds. The
assassin gave a sharp gasp of pain.

�H�Hey�!� Axl scraped at his belt only to realize he�d
left his weapons thoughtlessly behind.
He curled his fist, preparing to use his fire. �Leave him alone.�

He advanced on the Gear, sure that he�d gone mad for what he was about to
attempt. Long before he could fully form
the magic Testament was on his feet, and a punch he never saw sent him slamming
hard against the alley wall. With his
concentration faltering the fire quickly extinguished from his hand.

�Don�t,� Testament warned him
lowly, wiping the blood from his hands across his coat. �There are officers in the street�they�ll
hear you.�

Axl groaned softly as he
pushed away from the wall. It took him a
moment to register what Testament had just said and what his words
implied. �What?� He looked down to Venom, shocked to see the
flow of blood from his wounds had ceased, even if the man were still pale and
breathing shallowly. �You�did you just��

�If you want him to live, I
suggest you find a healer,� Testament interrupted him coolly. �And a quiet one, at that. You do realize who this man is?�

�He�s�.� There were shouts from the windows above�it
seemed that someone had finally ventured into the second floor and discovered
the bodies. Axl shifted his weight back
and forth anxiously. �Why aren�t you
killing us?� he asked bluntly. If his
senses really had left him there was no sense in holding back. �You�re a Gear.�

Testament�s eyes narrowed,
and Axl was sure he was about to be squished like a small insect, but then the
Gear calmly replied, �The war is over.
What need have I to kill humans?�

Axl bit his lip. But there was no time to decide, and he was
out of options. �Take him,� he said
suddenly, already crouching down next to Venom.
By now Venom was barely conscious, and made only quiet protests as he
was propped up. �I�ll hold them off�take
him to a doctor. There�s got to be at
least one crooked bloke that�ll take him in.�

Testament frowned at
him. �Me? Why should I?�

�You already wasted your time
healing him, didn�t you?� Axl shot back, though there was a note of desperation
in his voice. He pulled Venom upright
once more and thrust him against Testament�s chest; the Gear supported him
instinctually. �Be a sport, eh? You don�t want to see the police get him,
either, right?�

Testament�s expression
twisted, and again Axl wondered if it was time to begin his life flashback, but
then he only lowered his head slightly in acknowledgement. With a sigh he hefted Venom into his arms and
turned toward the rear of the alley.
�Only as far as a healer,� he agreed.

�That�s the outlaw
spirit.� Axl smiled grimly as he watched
the Gear carry his injured companion to the wall at the alley�s end�and clear
it in a single, powerful leap. Though he
was already berating himself for trusting the mercy of a Gear, he had to admit
Venom could not have found a more capable caretaker. Even if the end Testament merely killed
him�it was the fate that would have awaited him otherwise. Guiltily, Axl knew that he would not have
chosen to place Venom�s life over his own, had the officers caught up to them
together.

�Maybe I�ll be lucky,� Axl
thought aloud, smiling to himself as footfalls thundered toward the exit he and
Venom had used. �And timeslip when it�s actually
convenient�.�

The door banged open with a
flourish as several officers appeared in the alley. Axl sheepishly lifted his hands in
surrender. �Or not. Y�got me.�

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Thunder Falling