D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Oh, Dear. ❯ Chapter 4

Chapter 5:

 

Disclaimer: I do not own DN Angel.

 

Warnings: I know, I should have done this at the beginning but after such a long hiatus I've forgotten some of the protocol. Yaoi, slightly OOC, AU, mild language.

 

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys, I really appreciated them. I'm glad some of you seem to like what's coming out so far. Oh yes; Happy Chinese New Year and all the best for this year! As for my little question last time, it's not the parrot from Aladdin (I didn't think of that until someone actually answered it. Hint: Think Shakespeare, not Disney). On with the fic!

 

Dark shot down the corridor, growling at anyone who dared stand in his way. Ugh. First it's idiots telling me about magick, next it's people thinking I slept with said idiots. Rounding the corner, he slammed into something solid and warm. Out of pure instinct, he grabbed onto the thing in front of him, trying not to fall down. Great. Now I'm clumsy, too. Looking up, he caught a flash of red. Oh, hell no. Dark Mousy, journalist and self-proclaimed ladies' man, was in the arms of Daisuke Niwa, Guardian of Starlight Temple and protector of humankind. Well, clutching his shirt, anyway.

 

“You!” He barked, startled. He leapt backwards and looked at the other man. He seemed rather…distraught. The soft spot in Dark's heart wanted to comfort the redhead and ask him what was wrong, but the rest of him was screaming to leave. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Forgotten me already?” An amused voice asked. Dark looked up and sighed. Of course; it was Krad. He remembered the blonde getting hurt in that café fight, how, he didn't know. Perhaps his hallucinations had made him smash a glass on the guy's arm? Yes, that had to be it.

 

“Sorry about your arm,” he said rather carelessly. The blonde sneered at him.

 

“What makes you think you did it?” He touched the spot on his arm, then rolled up the sleeve. The journalist looked at the unblemished arm and rolled his eyes.

 

“I think I was stoned or being stupid that day,” Dark spat. He hated the lie, hated what it made him look like, hated the shield that it created for him. Krad raised an eyebrow.

 

“You? Stoned?” He sneered derisively. “Don't be an idiot. Daisuke and I both know that you happen to hate drugs.”

 

Dark blinked. “When did I tell you that?” He challenged the senior.

 

“When you told me about the fight with your boss,” Daisuke said softly. His eyes were fixed on Dark's. The purple-eyed man merely shook his head, determined not to let the farce go on for any longer.

 

“Look,” he said sharply, “I don't know what you've been smoking, Daisuke, nor you, Krad, but I don't believe a word you guys have come up with so far.”

 

“Hey now, when did I say anything funny?” Krad asked in an attempt to alleviate the tension. He received a glare for his pains.

 

“I'm happy, all right? I've got my story, I've got my things and I won't bother you again,” Dark hissed out. “Goodbye,” he savagely spat before turning around on his heel.

 

Daisuke looked up worriedly at Krad. “Hey, you should be in bed, shouldn't you? Who gave you the right to get out of bed?” Krad was about to reply when a nurse calmly tapped him on the shoulder.

 

“You should be in bed, young man,” she scolded him. Krad rolled his golden eyes and stuck out his left arm, which had been injured.

 

“Look, nothing here. As a matter of fact, my friend here,” he gestured at Daisuke, “came to take me home.” The nurse raised an eyebrow at the healed over wound.

 

“We-ell,” she said dubiously, “If you say so. Come with me, Mr…?” She looked expectantly at the zoned-out Daisuke.

 

“Niwa,” Krad smoothly answered.

 

“Mr. Niwa,” the nurse replied. The suspicious look on her face was still not gone and Krad decided to hold his tongue for the rest of his stay. Seeing that his friend was thinking about something and lost somewhere in the depths of his mind, Krad nudged him with his elbow.

 

“Wha..? Oh, okay!” Daisuke cheerfully walked after the nurse, smiling. Krad rolled his eyes mentally as he saw that the nurse was considerably warmer to his partner. It didn't hurt that Daisuke was doing his best to be nice and he was weaving a small charm to keep her happy until he could get his friend home. Krad looked at the large clock on the wall and almost winced. He and Daisuke were both going to be extremely late for class if they didn't hurry up.

 

Daisuke shifted impatiently as the nurse looked through the files at a snail-like pace. Come on! He thought, glancing worriedly at his watch. “Um, Miss?” he tentatively asked. “Could you please speed up a little? I'm in a rush to get to class…” To his dismay, the girl showed a great deal of interest in his lessons and kept asking questions. Not wanting to appear rude, Daisuke was forced to answer all of them. Meanwhile, Krad was stuck in his room, waiting for Daisuke to turn up with the discharge papers so that he could go home. He thought again about Dark and cursed the other man quietly, wishing he hadn't been such a jackass about things.

 

Dark:

 

Dark glumly looked at the surface of the table. He'd dropped into his favourite café, looking for a pick-me-up kind of drink that did not contain alcohol. Unfortunately, the manager had taken his favourite drink off the menu, thus forcing the journalist to settle for an iced tea. I bet I just won the prize for being the world's Biggest Retard, he miserably thought. Without warning, a scream came from out of nowhere, startling the purple-haired man out of his self-pity. Running over, Dark was horrified at what he saw-a large, black dog with glowing red eyes was attacking a young child. Even from three feet away, Dark could already smell the beast's sulphurous breath and see it's dripping fangs.

 

“Someone help him!” Dark shouted. “Please!” He couldn't understand why no one was even reacting to the child's obvious dismay. Even the parents seemed to be totally oblivious to the infant's plight. Looking around, the journalist felt a sinking in his heart. In the back of his mind, something stirred. Cold realization hit him and Dark thought, There's no one here to save him now. No one but me. Taking a deep breath, he ran towards the scene and landed a solid kick in the animal's ribs. It staggered backwards, taking a chunk of the child with it. Dark threw himself recklessly at the hellhound, punching and kicking every part of it that he could reach. Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his shoulder and he knew that he'd just been bitten. “Oh no you don't,” he roared, twisting and flailing. “No you DON'T!” He jabbed blindly, desperately looking for the dog's eyes. His fingers suddenly met something soft and the creature howled, releasing its hold on his shoulder. Dark stood up, panting. The dog looked at him, fury blazing in its red eyes. Blood gushed out of one eye socket and it snarled again before leaping towards him. The journalist felt it hit him, felt its fangs sink deep into his chest. With a last, painful effort, he suddenly thrust his hand out, palm open. Why he did so, he didn't know. As he did, a burst of heat filled him and he passed out, the hound's howl ringing in his ears.

 

“…crazy…3 ribs…bite marks just like that…” Dark swam in and out of consciousness, panting for breath. He felt as though he were underwater and rapidly running out of air. I'm going to die, he thought, panicking. I'm going to drown and no one's going to save me. I'm going to drown…A rush of oxygen filled his lungs and Dark took deep breaths, greedily gulping the life-giving element. Still, he could not open his eyes and his limbs felt like lead. Slowly, he sank back into the murky waters of sleep.

 

That evening:

 

Riku switched on the television in preparation for the news. Not only did she need the background noise, she also wanted to be kept up to date with current events. Nowadays, it was all too easy to be lost in a world of academics, books and education. She quietly set to chopping the vegetables briskly and efficiently, all the while keeping an eye on the pot of water after what had happened this morning. Wonder what happened to Dark, she mused. He was actually okay, once you got past the crazier part of him. Sighing to herself, she dropped the carrots into the now boiling water. A squeal sounded from the living room and the short-haired twin looked out into the living room to see Risa lean back into the couch in shock. “What is it?” she called from the kitchen.

 

“I-It's Dark…” The younger began. Riku frowned.

 

“What are you talking about?” She demanded.

 

“He's been hurt…” The knife slipped and Riku snatched her other hand away just in time to avoid losing a digit.

 

“What?!”

 

“He's in hospital…” Risa only got this far before bursting into tears. Riku hastily turned the stove off and rushed out to comfort her twin. Dinner be damned; she had to watch the rest of the news and comfort her distraught twin.

 

“I'm sure he's fine…” Riku began, but was cut off by the sight of a stretcher being borne into the back of an ambulance. After that, both sisters sat glued to the screen until the news flash ended, Risa sniffing all throughout. I wonder if Daisuke knows, Riku thought.

 

Krad:

 

Krad leaned over the counter, enjoying the feeling of just being a normal person instead of a part-time employee at the store or even a Guardian. His eyes skimmed over the television sets, each one playing their videos. Without warning, he felt his crucifix grow hot against his skin and he bit back a yelp. Hastily turning towards one of the large screens and hunching over slightly, he fished the piece of jewellery out. It was glowing bright red. Daisuke had better be feeling this too, he thought as he headed out of the store and ran towards his battered motorcycle.

 

Daisuke:

 

Daisuke stared pensively into the depths of his glass, the warm brown liquid not offering any support or aid whatsoever. He mulled over the day, wincing at the memory of his less-than-pleasant encounter with Dark at the hospital. Krad had offered to kill him, but Daisuke felt that highly unnecessary. I just wish that he would believe me. I wasn't lying; even he saw that snake!

 

His mobile rang. Shifting so as to make access to his pocket easier, Daisuke plucked the device out of his jeans and flipped the cover open. “Hello?”

 

“Hey Dai, it's me. Riku. Did you see the news?”

 

“Uh…no?” Daisuke tensed up, hoping something funny wasn't going on.

 

“Dark's been hurt. He's in the hospital now. Apparently a large dog or something mauled him…he had three broken ribs and various bites.”

 

Daisuke quickly processed the information. “Oh, okay. Thanks Riku,” he said before hanging up. Heat shot through the chain he wore and Daisuke hastily patted it, his mind's eye seeing that it was a bright green. Crap. The redhead threw a stack of bills down onto the table and left.

 

Dark:

 

He looked around the apartment, old memories resurfacing. He turned around, knowing exactly what was behind him. There was the old oak shelf, the one where Mother placed all her precious objects. There was the scratch in the wallpaper, where he'd accidentally scraped it with a folder after waving it around. There was the picture Mother said that Father had bought for her after they'd gotten married. A sound came from behind him and the journalist whirled around just in time to see himself, five years old again, run into the room clutching a book in his small chubby hands.

 

“Mother!” The child shouted. “Mother! Look what I got!” He held out the book to the lady who had just come in the door. The child waited expectantly, violet eyes wide with innocence and hope. The woman opened the book, flipping through the pages.

 

“Is it this one, Dark?” She asked the child fondly

 

“No!” The child made a face at her, laughing when she did. “Here! It's this one!” A chubby finger pointed at the page.

 

“Wow, Dark! I'm very impressed!” Dark walked over to the pair, wrapped up in their own little world. He looked over his Mother's shoulder to see what he'd been pointing at and blushed with embarrassment. It was an essay with a sticker on it from the teacher.

 

“Hey!” He said out loud, smiling. Mother and son did not hear him. “Hey!” He reached out a hand, trying to tap his Mother on the shoulder. It went right through. Oh Lord, he thought, this is like some bad flashback thing. The apartment then melted and wavered and Dark looked on in shock as he watched his mother and his five-year old self dissolve. He shut his eyes, feeling dizzy from watching the swirling colours.

 

Dark blinked as he realized that he was now sitting in his old bedroom, on the single bed. Looking around, he smiled wistfully and reached out to touch an old poster fondly, remembering. “Dark.” His head whipped around and Dark could only stare as he realized that his mother was standing in front of him.

 

“M-Mother?” He could hardly believe his eyes. She nodded, her hair swishing, eyes calm as ever.

 

“W-what?”

 

“Hush. Just relax…you'll be fine.” Dark slowly relaxed and the next minute found himself lying snugly in the little bed, tucked in amongst the warm blankets and listening to the rain outside. His mother was sitting at the end of the bed, smiling at him. Feeling truly at peace for the first time in years, Dark shut his eyes and snuggled deeper into the blankets. I want to sleep and sleep…

 

Hospital:

 

“Crap! It's flat!” The surgeons hurriedly adjusted the face mask on the patient's countenance. “Hurry up!”

 

A nurse ran over, dragging a machine behind her. The surgeon picked up the two paddle-like parts of the machine and rubbed them together. “Three hundred.” The nurse nodded and the man jammed the paddles onto Dark's chest. The body flew into the air with shock, then landed on the table with a lifeless thud.

 

“Three eighty!” The charge was raised and the surgeon hit the body again. Again it flew into the air, again it landed with a sickening thud. This time, though, the machine bleeped, indicating life in the body. Everyone breathed out a small sigh of relief, including the surgeon. “All right guys, let's get to work.”

 

Dark:

 

Dark gasped, a constricting pain emerging in his body. His ribs and shoulder throbbed with pain and he felt as though he was being pumped full of electricity. He tried to thrash around, but the blankets held him firmly down. Something slimy brushed his cheek and his eyes snapped open to look at his mother, only to find that a tentacled monster was brushing his cheek softly. “AAAGGHHHH!” Then…darkness.

 

Krad:

 

The blonde tore down the streets on his motorcycle, intent on getting to the hospital. Please, please let me get there in time, he fervently thought.

 

Daisuke:

 

Daisuke ran through the doors of the hospital, a small part of his brain wryly observing that he seemed to be seeing a lot of the hospital these days. He arrived at the reception panting. “Please,” he wheezed out, “Is there a Dark…uh…” He trailed off, trying to remember the man's last name.

 

“Was he taken in recently?” Daisuke nodded vigorously.

 

“Oh, I'm sorry, he's in the ER right now. Perhaps you'd care to wait?” Daisuke stared in shock and numbly walked over to the chairs. The receptionist watched with sympathetic eyes and shook her head before returning to her work.

 

Five minutes later, Krad burst through the doors and headed straight for the receptionist. “Where is he?” he demanded. “Where's Dark Mousy?” Daisuke immediately leapt up and hastily dragged the blonde away, leaving a frazzled receptionist in his wake.

 

Two hours later:

 

Krad leaned against the wall, bored out of his mind. He hadn't thought of packing a book or anything to take with him, and he'd gone through the magazines on the rack three or four times already. One could only read year-old gossip for so long before feeling bored. He shot a glance at Daisuke, who seemed off in his own little world. Groaning to himself, the blonde looked around the room before noticing a young woman talking to the receptionist at the desk. She was dressed expensively, with long red hair done up in a braid. Raising an eyebrow, Krad smirked to himself before slipping a hand into the pocket of his coat and twiddling his fingers. The girl's voice was amplified twice to him now and he listened. Well, well. She was looking for Dark Mousy. Krad lowered his face hastily, hoping she wouldn't recognize him. He glanced up again, gold meeting ice blue. Oops. All pretenses to subtlety now gone, Krad shot up.

 

Daisuke jerked out of his seat in shock as Krad dashed past him in hot pursuit of a young woman. Preparing himself for battle, Daisuke `wandered' down the corridor. Once he was sure the receptionist could not see him, he sprinted after the pair.

 

Satoshi:

 

Satoshi was reading again, this time a book that one of his other colleagues had brought him from the office. Although he held the book, his eyes were glazed over, mind on the events of the day. He'd heard that a new emergency case had been brought to the hospital a few hours earlier, but it was none of his concern-he was sure that the patient wasn't anyone he knew. However, he was still uneasy and felt as though something were watching him. Shaking his head, he returned to the novel and soon became engrossed in it, not hearing the steps echoing through the corridor and the shrieks of the nurses.

 

Daisuke and Krad:

 

The two Guardians flung the door of the operating theatre open, ignoring the yells and cries from the doctors inside. Krad rushed towards the redheaded lady, pulling his fist back as he did so. He summoned a burst of magick and punched outwards, the ball of energy traveling through the air and landing solidly in her gut. The woman's expression did not change, despite the now gaping hole in her body. Icy blue eyes met Krad's and the Guardian felt a chill go up his spine as he lifted his hands for another, more potent spell this time. Meanwhile, Daisuke had dashed over to Dark and was desperately trying to revive him, prevent him from sinking back into the world that the lady had created for him using fragmented memories.

 

Dark:

 

Dark opened his mouth to yell, scream, shout, anything, but no sound came out of his mouth. He tried to squirm away from the tentacles that now slithered around him like so many snakes. The white-hot pain flashed through his senses and he shot up, fully awake. His shoulder and chest hurt like hell and he could still hear his mother's screams echoing faintly in his mind. “MOTHER!” He jerked upwards, arms outstretched and flailing like a windmill. He stared straight into a pair of familiar red eyes and stopped, feeling the reassurance coming through them. He was dimly aware of a pair of hands on his chest and he slowly exhaled, feeling a warm energy flowing through his veins. Tears in his eyes, he looked at Daisuke and buried his face in his hands as the salty droplets trailed down his face.

 

Krad groaned from amongst the wreckage of the tray that had held the surgeons' tools. He'd been flung backwards by her immense psychic power and was now starting to feel just a tad frustrated. So far, she had managed to counter all his attacks and he knew that he could not continue wasting magick. She smiled slightly at him and then turning around, leapt out the window. The blonde Guardian glared at the window and fumed before wincing; a scalpel was poking at his back. Slowly, he raised himself off the table and looked at the surgeons, who were all cowering in a corner. Smiling weakly at them, Krad hastily exited the room.

 

Daisuke hugged Dark closely to his chest, the urge to protect rising in him. He didn't want the man to faint again, and he knew that it was always painful when you were wrenched out of a fond childhood memory. “It's okay,” he soothed the purple-haired journalist, patting his back gently. “It's all right. She's fine. Everything's fine.” He sank down onto the table and allowed Dark to cry, ignoring the doctors in the corner.

 

All right, howzat? I hope this chapter was a bit better because there was more (poorly written) action and a little hint of things to come. I think things will start to heat up from here, and as for the Iago thing, I'll tell you guys the answer in the next chapter, seeing as I was being vague. Reviews please, I'm really trying here. Please, please PLEASE review, and thanks to the last reviewers. Like a friend of mine wrote, “I love reviews like a fat kid loves candy!” Please review, thank you for reading! Till next time!