Chapter 79: Nothing Personal

[rosalefay]

Chapter 79: Nothing Personal


Part One:

Rinvak clung to the horse’s mane. Daniel hadn’t been lying when he said this wouldn’t be comfortable. The wind ripped at the area’s of her bare flesh, the borrowed cloak flying out behind her, her wings drawn close to her body.

“Daniel!” She shouted, giving the horse another kick. It gave a quick burst of even greater speed, and she was galloping alongside the other Exorcist. He didn’t seem to notice her presence for a moment, but she called his name again, and he looked over, grinning.

“Rin! You need something?” Her face darkened. “You’re not mad at me, are you? C’mon, don’t be mad. It’s not like it’s anything personal, I’m just doing my job…”

“Nothing personal?” Rinvak scoffed. “Nothing personal. Danny, I’ve been doing this longer then you and you want to know something? Everything’s personal,” She said, twisting the ring on her finger. “In this business, all of it’s personal.”

Daniel sighed. “Don’t call me Danny. Listen, Rin, anything you guys need, I’ll do it, okay? I don’t want this to be a huge thing.” She snorted. “Seriously, Rin! Anything you guys ask of me!”

“Where are the others being reassigned?” It was obvious to Rinvak that this was one of the subjects he’d been hoping to avoid. His next words were carefully chosen.

“I’m not allowed to talk about that.” Rinvak suddenly tugged at her horse’s reins. She veered into Daniel’s path. The other Exorcist gave a shout, and yanked his reins. The horse stopped short. “What the hell, Rin?!? Hey, Zane, wait a second!” He shouted to the other Exorcist, who halted a bit away.

“Tabby and I are being split up. It’s not just us, is it?” Rinvak had realized this during the first hour or so of their ride. Daniel avoided her eyes. “Daniel.” He looked up with a pleading look in his eyes.

“Listen; don’t shoot the messenger, okay? I even asked them-I did, really- not to split you guys up, but they think you’re all trouble. They fig-!”

“Where, Daniel?” Rinvak cut him off. He winced.

“Err… You’re going to Europe; Tabby’s off to Asia, Lyra’s being reassigned to the African Branch, Ying’s headed to Australia and Eny’s being sent to the South American base.” He confessed, raising his hands in a mock-surrender. Rinvak’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s not all of us.”

“Zane and I also have,” He said with an outtake of breath, “Three confirmations of death, one order to apprehend, and two notices of dismissal from the Black Order.” This was met with a stony silence from Rinvak. Quietly, she kicked her horse into a trot. Zane followed suit. Only when the pair had started to gallop again did Daniel urge his horse into a gallop. Great… He finally gets back and half the group was dead or MIA, Rin was mad at him and Tabby was the only one protecting what was left of the former North American base. This was shaping up to be an incredibly crappy day.

Part Two:

Tabby yawned, stretching and sitting up. “Gee, thanks for not wak-?” She stopped short. She’d been trying to thank Rinvak, but she wasn’t there. “Rin?” She asked the space where she’d been. “Rin? Dan? European dude?” Standing, Tabby strode to look out of the room and into the hallway. The other three Exorcists were nowhere to be seen, but the quiet and imposing presence of Ying was. Tabby raised an eyebrow. “Ying? Where are-?”

“Daniel, Rinvak and Zane left an hour or so ago,” She supplied, slipping a single paper out of the manila folder in her grasp. Tabby seized it from her.

Miss Brown- The letter began, in an unfamiliar script- Miss Rinvak, Daniel and I have begun a pursuit of the fugitive Sister Price. I am afraid this leaves you as the sole protector of the former base and its people. Miss Ying will give you the pager I left with her; please use this to keep in contact with us. Stay safe. Zane Dannover

“Stay safe?” Tabby spoke angrily to the paper, as if it could reach the others. “Stay safe, you stupid pompous ass? Pager, please?” She held out a hand to Ying. Nothing came. She looked over the note to Ying’s face. It was impassive, as usual.

“You can’t yell at them.”

“Watch me. Stay safe? He tells me to stay safe when I’m the only one not out there? Stay safe, and they could all be dying? But, no, someone has to take care of you lot,” She sighed finally. “I’m not gonna yell at him.” Ying raised her eyebrows. “I promise.” The medic nodded, and passed the pager to Tabby. “Tabby to Dannover, over.”

The device crackled, and the militant voice of Zane came over the radio waves. “Zane to Miss Brown, what is the problem? Over.” Tabby rolled her eyes.

“Tabby to Dannover, no problem. Just making sure these work. They’re pretty cool! Over!” Tabby prattled cheerfully, waving Ying away and walking on, holding the walkie talkie to her ear like a phone.

It crackled, and Zane spoke again. “Zane to Miss Brown. These are not toys. Only use them in emergencies. Over.” Tabby let out a gasp of annoyance, glaring at the pager like it was Zane.
“Tabby to Dan, over.”

More crackling as Tabby sat down on one of the hospital beds. “Daniel to Tabs, what is it? Over.”

“Zane to Miss Brown and Daniel, I was serious Miss Brown, over.”

“I was serious Miss Brown,” Tabby mimicked, annoyed.

“Daniel to Tabs, you’re still pressing the button, over.” Tabby blushed, pulling her finger off the button, angrily dropping the communicator onto the bed and standing. As she walked away, she could’ve sworn she heard the device crackle, and Zane’s voice come over one last time.

“Zane to Daniel, I don’t really sound like that do I? Over.”

Part Three:

Lyra swore. Beside her, Madeline activated her Innocence, and Eny hoisted her gun onto her shoulder. That was stupid of them. How did they walk into a trap? They should’ve thought of that. “Innocence Activate!” Lyra let out a shout. Madeline was off, fighting one of the twins. The other Akuma danced out of the way of Eny’s bullets. She was firing off stunning shots like there was no tomorrow. Lyra sprinted behind the younger girl, firing off a single short burst of color- pink. The attack had not exactly been something they’d been hoping for.

Great, colorful shapes flew left and right- Madeline wanted this over with, and Lyra’s own Innocence wasn’t exactly the dullest thing you’d ever seen. Only Eny’s dark bullets sent streaks of black across the lobby.

As she ran behind it, the front desk flipped. The Akuma Eny had been shooting at had escaped her range- from over the Akuma’a shoulder, Lyra could see Eny hauling her weapon to an overturned table, sliding behind it and attempting to snipe the Akuma Madeline was dealing with. Lyra swung her staff, knocking the Akuma aside- it flew and slammed into a wall, but as she ran to meet up with Eny, she saw it get up. She baseball-playing, base-stealing slid to behind Eny’s table. Eny didn’t even look up. “This is… quite the hold-up.”

Lyra cracked a grin. “Yup, Noisy Munchkin. This could take a little bit.” Eny scowled at the name, loading another round of bullets into her gun.

“Madeline can’t do this alone,” She said, glaring at Lyra, who grinned and took off.

Part Four:

The horses slowed to a gallop as the trio came into the small town. “You!” Rinvak barked out to a passerby. He halted, looking awkwardly up at her. “Have you seen a little girl and two women?” She asked. “Girl’s whiny, ladies are pretty nice, and one has all this crazy jewelry…?” The man appeared to think, before nodding and gesturing in the general direction of the edge of town. Daniel and Zane hung back, until Rinvak urged her horse over to them. “They’re over-!”

Her voice was cut off, and Daniel shouted as a great blast shook them. Zane’s horse neighed nervously. The wall of a building in the direction the man had told Rinvak of had a hole blown in the wall. “There.” Rinvak finished unnecessarily. They exchanged glances, and trotted towards the inn.

Part Five:

Tabby sighed, playing idly with the walkie talkie in her hands. Ying was nowhere to be seen. All the survivors of the North American Order’s latest tragedy had been sent away: the Finders and medics were either reassigned, let go, or quit. Only Tabby, Riena, Ying and Zeren were left now. Keeping the walkie talkie clutched in her hand, she stood, sliding into the elevator, allowing it to bring her to the decrypted old church. Collapsing into a pew, she laid her head down on the back. She felt, for a moment, so incredibly old, staring out the dusty old windows at a group of young people passing by. They were laughing at some jest the youngest girl had made, poking at the younger male. One of the other girls was- none to subtly- attempting to strangle the youngest. The others laughed, calling her off. They passed out of Tabby’s sight. Other groups passed by, but those faces stuck in her mind.

She sniffled, laying her head in her hands. It seemed ages since they’d been like that. In that group, she’d seen another- a group that sat on a train, laughing, with no problems but green hair dye. A girl who was late for tacos with a big brother to come home to. A group that was now scattered in small pockets across the East Coast.

Tabby closed her eyes. Someday, they’d be like that again, she promised herself. She could almost see them- herself, gray hair, laughing, as an aged Rinvak ran her fingers through bright pink hair. Steph and Blade, still together after all the years, laughing at Rin’s plight. Zeren, fully recovered, smiling. Lione, grinning and old in his wheelchair. Madeline, a smile cracking across her ancient face. Ying, a smile, rare even in those years. Eny, bad-tempered in her old age, shouting at being outdone. Flames chuckling. Lyra, congratulating Tabby on her great prank.

Tabby snapped out of her daydream as her walkie talkie crackled and Daniel’s voice came over. “Daniel to Tabs and HQ. We’ve found them. Sending back up to stay with Tabby. They know she’s alone. Over.”

Part Six:

Eny swore, backing up, her hands shaking as she attempted to lock in a new round of bullets. One of the Akuma headed towards her. Madeline and Lyra were busy with the other. She’d blasted a hole behind her, but that hadn’t helped. The Akuma grinned. Eny’s shaking hands dropped her bullets. The Akuma swept forward. She shrieked, but a hand on the back of her dress silenced her as she was hefted into the air. “Wha-?” She turned laboriously has she was plopped onto the bare back of a horse. Daniel grinned back at her, pointing his pistol at the Akuma, cowboy-style. “Daniel!”

“Militant Musician!” Lyra’s joyful voice rang out as Zane dismounted beside her. Rinvak galloped up behind Madeline. The Akuma twins looked at each other nervously. Eny loaded her gun, clinging to the horse’s mane to keep her balance.

“Maddy!” Rinvak’s voice was worried. She dismounted, running, pulling the horse behind her until she stood beside Madeline. “Quick, get the hell out of here! They’re from the European Branch. You’re to be apprehended!” Madeline stared quietly at Rinvak. “Madeline! Get on the horse!”

“I knew what I was doing when I left. I’m ready for this,” Madeline explained hoarsely as Zane, Daniel, Lyra and Eny dealt with the Akuma behind them. Rinvak looked with sad eyes at the reins in her hands, before holding them out again to Madeline.

“But we’re not ready, Mad,” She said finally. Madeline looked at Rinvak, who determinedly held out the reins again. Sighing, Madeline mounted.

“You’re not helping anyone, Rin,” She said down to Rinvak, who grinned devilishly, slapping the horse. It galloped away, Madeline clinging to its mane.

Part Seven:

The group was subdued after the battle. Zane and Daniel had explained their presence to Eny and Lyra, who had explained what they’d learn, and Rinvak lied through her teeth about Madeline’s daring escape. They sat quietly around a campfire. Eny yawned, nearly falling asleep on Lyra, who protested loudly. Daniel smiled, looking at the three across the campfire. “Zane,” He said suddenly. “I called for Ty to go stay with Tabs, m’kay?” Zane nodded slowly.

“I think,” He said slowly, “that I will go after the fugitive tonight. You follow with them.” Zane told Daniel, who nodded. He stood, mounted a horse and head off. Rinvak and Lyra caught each other’s eye across Eny’s head. Rinvak stood.

“Hey, Dan?” He looked up. She stood over him. “Can I see your Innocence?” He grinned. He’d wanted to show it off! He slid it out of his pocket, holding it out.

“Cool, huh?” He grinned up at her. She smiled.

“Sure, Danny.”

“Don’t-!” He started, but a swift kick to his knees made him let out a gasp of pain. He dropped his pistol. Rin grinned, crouching to pick it out of the dust.

“Sorry Danny. We’re going after our friends. It’s nothing personal,” She said sardonically, spinning his pistol in her hand. His eyes widened, and a look of true apology came to her eyes. “It’s just business.”

His world faded to black as Lyra knocked him unconscious.

A/N:

Again, sorry this took so long. Nine year olds are hard to take care of. xD I just assumed Zane and Lyra kknew each other from Europe.

[rhapsody blue]

omg why didn't i notice this earlier? oh well, i'm still the first post

the wait was well worth it. the interaction among the characters were entertaining and interesting. i might have to edit my chapter but it depends on rai's chapter. it's nothing major so it's not a big deal.

just one minor mistake; lyra is the one with pink hair not rin.

:: offtopic :: is the 9 years old a relative? i'm just assuming though babysitting a random kid is possible.

[Raijatsu]

so Rinvak is now with the rescue group?
and Zane whent after Madeline?

my chaper will be out on monday since I'm going on a weekend-trip on friday

[Schwindelmagier]

Great chapter.
I can just agree. The interaction was very interesting and the first part of your chapter sent chills downmym spine.
The NA Branch is really, really in trouble or rather in a state of complete depression as it seems.

So,
Rinvak, Eny and Lyra want to search for Steph, Blade and Flames.
Legno is still somewhere in Japan.
Tabby, Zeran, Riena and Yin are at the HQ.
Daniel got knocked out by Lyra.
Zane went after Madeline who intents to go where?
And Lione is "captured" by Anlen and is involuntarily appointed as a member of a pirate crew.

[kcampy]

Nice chapter sis. I liked how they knocked out Dan. Heh Heh. Thanks for hinting Ty as well.
And to answer snoogen the nine year old is a girl from New York. Our family is doing something called the Fresh Air Fund. It is where kids from New York get out of the city to get fresh air. She leaves Friday morning so ya! Ok again great chapter Rosa.

[ex_dreadz4444]

ah....
at last the entertainment after a half month full of test

whew... anyway thanks for the new chapter

it's a great chapter with so many character interaction
I can hardly wait the next chapter
I hope it didn't take to long since the original story is taking a long break to after chapter 129 (if I remember correctly)

[tune]

great chapter
there's so much happening! o.o

~final caught up~!