29Ok, so sorry for the lack of updates, but there's a reason for that...procrastination, and i've been having writer's block,and laziness, and family issues, and money issues, and video games, so...sorry for that ^^; and also, if i'm going to make a soul calibur sequel...probably not, idk, depends on the mood and ideas for it, i've been fresh out of both lately. Anyway enjoy this long awaited chapter ^^
Chapter 16: The Pack Leader, Zell vs. Hayate
Takashi began to stir as he started waking up, his body aching from his fight with Tina and Bass Armstrong, mostly Bass. His head was swimming around as he was trying to move, but every bone that wasn't sprained or hurt told him to stay in bed and not move. A groan escaped his lips as he felt a cold rag place on his forehead, glancing to his right, he saw Lisa writing something down, along with an IV needle in his right arm and a heart monitor.
"Oh good, you're up" Lisa smiled when she saw Takashi looking at her.
"Wha…how long was I out?" the Kaido boy asked, groaning from the pain.
"A few hours, your body heals fast though, not many people can fight against Tina and Bass and survive with a few fractured bones" Lisa said as she went to the medical cabinet to get some more supplies, glancing to his left, his eyes bugged out when he saw Bass out cold on a much larger and reinforced bed to compensate for his size and weight.
"How did you…wait, never mind, I don't want to know…" Takashi stated as he sat up in the bed.
"What have I missed?" he asked the nurse.
"Well not much, you and Miguel are advancing in the next round, the others are taking a break, Zell and Hayate's fight will be next," Lisa explained.
"And...Kasumi?" the Kaido boy asked nervously.
"She's been worried about you a lot, came by a couple of hours ago to check on you, Tina too, after she got patched up" Lisa added, when a knock was heard, to Takashi, that knock was very familiar.
Kasumi stepped in, saw Takashi was awake, then ran over and hugged him close, causing him to blush from this, even though he had gotten used to her embrace, and the scent of strawberries she would be used to smell like.
"You're awake…" she whispered softly with relief in her voice.
"Sorry if I scared you…" Takashi replied as he rubbed her back and smiled at her face.
"It's ok…Though I'm surprised you can move after that fight with Bass, most men can't stand for a week after fighting him, or Tina together," Kasumi giggled a little from that statement.
"I'm not like most men…" Takashi blinked when he realized what he said, "That came out wrong" he added while scratching his head nervously.
"It's ok, I understand what you meant" the kunoichi replied and pecked his cheek softly. Takashi blushed but pecked her cheek in response.
"Um…did I miss lunch?" Takashi asked, scratching the back of his head in slight nervousness, and his stomach growled to show his hungriness.
"I wouldn't eat food after what you went through, you'll end up vomiting it up either way, just rest for a while and let your body take things slow" Lisa explained from the corner of the room.
"Ok…" Takashi looked at Kasumi, then the doctor, "then...can I see the next match?" he asked.
"Sure, there's a TV you can use over there" Lisa replied, showing where the large flat screen was, right in front of him, hanging from the wall, with the remote right next to his bedside table.
After smacking himself in the forehead, he grabbed the remote and switched to the channel that was showing the live feed of the fight, surprised, as was Kasumi, when they both saw Zell and Hayate entering the ring.
"Oh this won't end well…" Takashi stated as he leaned back in his bed. Kasumi nodded, but gripped the bed sheets slightly, nervous, hoping her brother would win, but at the same time wondering how Zell would do against her brother.
Zell himself was getting ready for his fight with Hayate, he knew the Mugen Tenshi's leader was strong so he'd have to be stronger too, which made it more complicated.
"Why did I have to be chosen to fight him?" the wolf asked himself as he rubbing his temples to try and get rid of the slight headache going on.
"Need a hand?" a familiar voice asked, forcing Zell to look up and see a water bottle with Ayane holding it, smiling slightly.
"Oh, thanks" Zell said, drinking the water, it didn't do much but it certainly helped with keeping his mind cool.
"I guess you're nervous about fighting Master Hayate?" Ayane aside while she sat down next to him, crossing a leg on her other leg.
"Very nervous…" Zell replied as he took another sip.
"I know, not as nervous as Kasumi is for him though, she wants you to win, but also wants you to win as well, she's a wreck," Ayane giggled with slight glee from that statement.
"I had a feeling you'd enjoy seeing her like that" Zell muttered to himself.
"That's beside the point, the point is you need to win, remember, we need to get Donovan, otherwise he'll keep hurting our clan like what he did with the Alpha, and Hayate, and Tarou," Ayane said.
"you know about him?" Zell asked, surprised that she knew of Takashi's elder brother.
"Takashi only told me what he knew, but I got a bad feeling that Donovan did something to him…" Ayane looked down a bit of sadness in her eyes, "Just…be careful ok?" she asked, looking at his eyes.
"Ayane, it's me, you know I'll be alright" Zell replied with a grin.
"That's why I worry about you sometimes, you know?" Ayane asked before hugging him tightly. Zell hugged back, squeezing her softly to reassure her before getting up to head to the arena.
"Well, guess it's time to see if Hayate deserves his rank as Clan leader," Zell muttered as the elevator went down and he walked into the arena, seeing Hayate coming up as well.
"Well, guess we got to fight, huh?" Zell asked Hayate nonchalantly.
"Looks like it, good luck ok?" Hayate asked as he shook Zell's hand.
The wolf teen replied with a handshake as well as the bell rang and they both got into their fighting positions. Zell launched at Hayate and preformed a series of kicks and punches at Hayate, while the Mugen Tenshi leader blocked, then side-stepped and swung his leg at his side.
Zell got hit and winced from it, stumbling back in pain and holding his side, he quickly ran at Hayate and swept his leg under his feet to take Hayate off his guard, once he did he delivered a heel drop on him, causing the leader to be sent crashing into the ground, causing cracks to appear below him on the impact center.
"Ouch…that had to hurt" Takashi said when he saw Zell deliver the kick.
"Hayate…" Kasumi mumbled as she held her hand tighter in Takashi's worried for her brother's safety.
Takashi noticed this and decided to find a way to calm her down, then remembered one of her hobbies and had an idea.
"Hey Kasumi, can you tell me my fortune?" he asked as he looked at her.
"You mean a Tarot reading? Sure, I wouldn't mind that" Kasumi said, knowing why he suggested it, then went and left the room before returning a few minutes later with her cards, smiling happily.
Ayane meanwhile was watching Zell and Hayate fight, she wanted to cheer Zell on, but she thought she'd alienate her master Hayate. So far, Zell and Hayate were matched, each ninja trading another blow to each other, but both were sweating and panting hard from exchanging blows.
"Damn Hayate…never knew you were this good…" Zell panted, sweat dripping from his dirt covered face as he looked at the Mugen Tenshi leader.
"I'm the Mugen Tenshi leader, of course I'm good," Hayate smirked as he panted from exhaustion.
"Good, this means that I can be serious," Zell smirked before charging at Hayate and punching him in the face, then swept his leg under his feet and slammed his heel down on Hayate like before, crashing him down onto the ground, also like before.
Hayate gagged as he grabbed Zell's leg and pushed it up, then swung him around; Zell however twisted his leg and turned in the opposite direction, forcing Hayate to let go just as he got a foot slam into his face.
"Ooh that had to hurt," Zack cringed from seeing the impact.
Hayate stumbled back, but soon was assaulted by a barrage of kicks and punched from Zell, ultimately resulting Zell grabbing Hayate, swinging him onto the ground and punching him in the gut, causing a crater to form under him.
Hayate groaned in pain, unable to get up from the punch, and mostly since he thought Zell might've sprained a few bones…and broken a rib here or there.
"Ok…you win" Hayate groaned.
"Sorry about going all out on you man," Zell said as he helped Hayate up, then helped him to the stretcher and watched the doctors and nurses take him to the med-wing.
"Zell that was awesome!" Lisa chirped happily to him, then hugged him quickly, causing him to blush.
Zell glanced at Ayane, who shot him a dark look, then an envious look at Lisa, then walked away. Zell looked at her leave and then went after her once Lisa let go to let him chase her, "Ayane, wait!" he called to her.
The violet kunoichi stopped and then hugged him, to which he hugged back. "You ok?" Zell asked her softly.
She shook her head slowly.
"Worried for Hayate?"
She nodded.
"Want to go see him with me?" he asked.
"Yes" Ayane said softly, then held his arm and walked beside him to the infirmary, smiling softly.
"Come on Kasu-chan, one more fortune" Takashi pleaded to her as the two sat with the tarot cards on the table.
"Takashi" Kasumi giggled, "I already showed you all the fortunes you'd get, what more do you want?" she asked him with a little smile on her face.
The two had been reading tarots for a few minutes, occasionally stopping to watch the fight, until they brought Hayate into the room, groaning from his injuries but alive. Kasumi's sisterly intuition forced them to stop while she watched them fix up her brother, then let him sleep, so they resumed their reading, which had gone through all the readings of fortune, spirit, future, that stuff, except one.
Love.
"Please Kasumi, one more reading?" Takashi asked nicely.
"Oh fine…only because you said 'please'" Kasumi smiled and laid out the cards, then traced his palm.
Takashi watched her expression change, to one of happiness, to sorrow, then to a blush as she flipped the cards.
"Well?" he asked impatiently.
"W-well, you'll get married and have two kids, boy and girl, and a loving wife," Kasumi said softly, glancing away a bit.
"Awesome, what else?" he asked eagerly.
"Well…she's beautiful, and is great with kids," Kasumi added, trying to hide her blush as she packed the cards up.
"Well, who is it?"
"Who's who?" she asked him.
"the lucky girl, who is she?" he asked, thinking of a list of people he knew, which wasn't much.
Before Kasumi could answer, Zell and Ayane came in, then looked at Hayate as Ayane ran to him to check up on him while Zell watched.
"So, what's up? Feeling better?" he asked Takashi.
"Good, bones hurt but I'll heal," Takashi smirked.
"And you Kasumi?" the wolf asked the kunoichi, noticing her blush but pretended not to notice.
"Fine, did some tarot readings, well, um, I better head to my room now, take care Zell," Kasumi replied, kissing Takashi's cheek and hurried off.
"She ok?" the wolf asked the hawk, to which he shrugged.
"Got a deck of cards?" Takashi asked, to which Zell pulled out a deck an smirked.
"Poker anyone?" Zell asked with a wolfish grin on his face.
So Zell beats Hayate, Kasumi hints of Takashi's love life, and now there's poker involved, what'll happen next? well stay tuned...or R&R my stories while u wait...although if things go as they are that'll be a long time. Anyway, laters!