Julia's eye twitched as she finished using the last of the calamine-lotion-soaked bandages on her fellow 'mummy.' "There. How do you feel?"
Geese glared at Julia, half of his face covered in bandages. "Well enough to kick your ass for this."
Julia rolled her eyes. "So? You're just looking for any excuse to kick my ass anyway."
"If you weren't so stubborn and admitted defeat we wouldn't have fallen down the hill," Geese accused as his eyes narrowed. "And to top it off I had to carry your sorry ass all the way back here."
"You weren't complaining when you bathed me, pervert." She stared right back. "Or should I say when you tried drowning me."
"How was I to know you'd sink like a rock?" Geese asked rhetorically. "You'd think someone with those jugs in front of her would be able to float."
Julia stared hard and finished tying his bandage, giving it a rather HARD pull.
The man resisted the urge to wince, not to give her the satisfaction, and decided to change the subject. Maybe if he talked about something else he wouldn't have to resist the urge to kill this annoying woman. "You still hold back in your fighting."
Julia frowned. "You noticed?"
Geese snorted. "It is hard not to. The first time you gave me a good fight. After that your performance has been less than acceptable." He had tried time and again to convince her, sparring with him was like fighting for real, but she still refused to stop playing around and that cost her painfully each and every spar.
Julia stared Geese hard in the eyes. "You think my fighting is unsatisfactory?" She shook her head. "Well, why don't you just go off and find yourself a better sparring partner then!?"
Julia took fighting seriously. At least in her own views she did. What Geese said, hell, he'd have been better off insulting her looks.
Geese turned away in disinterest. "I believe you don't want to return home, then."
Julia sat up straight. "I do. That is my goal. To return to my family."
"You're not doing a very good job of it, then," Geese commented casually. "As I remember our deal included you and I training and my learning your techniques."
Julia nodded her head. "I have been teaching you, AND training!" She frowned underneath her bandages. "What did you think we did just then!? Play in the mud!?"
"I was fighting, and that is why I won, but you are just playing around and wasting my time," Geese said and sneered. "I didn't become the fighter I am now by sparring like a weakling. I have learned my techniques through battles to the death, and learning like that has made me stronger."
Julia frowned. "Fine then! When I get the feeling back in my legs, we'll fight. And I WON'T, as you put it, 'hold back.’" She nearly spat out as she stared, the fire in her eyes glowing.
Geese chuckled in amusement, having been able to get a rise out of her once again. "For a self-proclaimed controlled fighter you sure are easy to anger." Oh yes, Geese knew just what buttons to push.
Julia's eye twitched. "You'll see how controlled I am when I control the distance of how far I boot my foot up your ass."
The crimelord of South Town couldn't help himself. He laughed at Julia's words, a laugh full of true mirth. He ignored the way Lily was walking towards them, shivered at the laugh and turned around. All of his attention was in the redheaded mummy sitting next to him, who was proving to be a source of both good training and amusement. "We will see, woman. We will see."
To Julia it was difficult to know what caused her to become more angry. The fact that Geese was always insulting her for fighting carefully or the fact that he took her threats with a good laugh.
"Probably both," Julia told herself. But she knew one thing that bothered her. It was how Lily didn't seem to be enjoying herself on this trip like she should be.
It bothered her, as well, that now the girl was as nervous around her as she was with Geese.
She had to prove to the girl that she wasn't a monster like the man that had taken the role of looking after her. The girl reminded her so much of Gina. Shy, aloof, and needing assurance. To know what she was doing and the way she was living wasn't wrong.
---
Julia stared at Geese as she cooked the hotdogs over an open flame. "How many do you want, your worship?"
Geese rolled his eyes at Julia's attempt at sarcasm. It had been a pretty long couple of days, with him training all day long and Julia spending time with Lily. For him it was a complete waste of time so far. "Surprise me." At least the bandages came off. It was fun rubbing it on Julia that he healed faster than she did.
Julia nodded her head and put half a dozen on the stick. Maybe he wouldn't be able to do much if he felt too full.
After getting Geese's dogs on the stick, Julia smiled as she looked over at Lily. "And how many would you like, Lily?"
Lily gave Julia a small smile, the woman had been very nice to her on this trip after she couldn't fight anymore, and asked for one hotdog. She was still shy as hell, what with having Geese Howard sitting not three feet away in an obviously sour mood and all. People tended to die when that happened.
And die violently if not just a bloody mess, she mentally added.
Julia was very glad to serve the girl another hotdog. She was already firing up one for herself anyway, but Lily could use it more than here. She wrapped a bun around it and pulled it off the stick. "Here you go," She said as she handed it to the teal-haired girl.
"Thank you," Lily said and dug in. As she did she looked up at the star-filled sky with a look of wonder. In the city she never got to see these many stars.
However, as the little girl was eating, little did she know she was the focus of a sniper-sight.
500 yards away, a man in black was preparing a shot.
Rumors of Geese Howard disappearing traveled fast. And with them, many sought a chance to get back at a certain crimelord.
Seeing him out with his ward would get another crime boss's message across.
In the campsite all seemed normal, so nothing could go wrong right?
And then he stepped on a twig.
Already Julia and Geese's attention were focused.
"Shit!" The man cursed and just took the shot while he still had the girl in his sight.
Lily winced when she heard the shot and then an incredible force hit her.
Julia had knocked her to the ground; the older woman atop her.
But there stood Geese before her...
The blond man was glaring daggers at the sniper. But he didn't glare for long. Instead he opted to rush after him.
"Geese!" Julia shouted after the man as he went running.
"Shit!" The Sniper shouted as he dropped the rifle and pulled out his handgun, taking a shot as Geese got closer.
Geese didn't even flinch as he approached the man. He simply blocked with his forearm, the bullet piercing into his skin but getting caught in between the bones.
… Only a couple of steps more.
The man was freaking out and shot again and again and again. He couldn't shoot straight since he was now losing his cool; he ended up hitting the crimelord all over.
Geese would've moved to dodged the bullets, he was more than fast enough, but something stopped him from doing so. Instead he continued to block as best as he could until he got close enough. Once there he stopped and planted his feet firmly on the ground as he raised his right arm forward. "REPPU KEN!!!" He lashed out with the violent wave technique.
"SHIT!!!" The Sniper shouted and then screamed in pain as he was hit by the Violent Wave... The force of the technique was enough to send him flying back... In two.
Geese breathed heavily as he let his right arm drop to his side. His left arm was dripping with blood from three bullets he had to block, while his right leg was also shot twice. All in all the crimelord was in quite a bit of pain when he turned to glare at Julia. "You idiot!"
Julia was tending to the girl, making sure she was all right. Hearing Geese call out to her, she shouted, "WHAT!? What did I do now!?"
Geese limped towards the women, all the time glaring at the redhead. "Not only did you force the issue when I told you this would happen. You were stupid enough not to dive for cover!" He would've been able to dodge those bullets if it wasn't for the fact Julia and Lily were in a straight line behind him.
Julia frowned. "I had been more concerned about Lily's safety... I was using my body to shield her..." She frowned as she saw the messy state Geese was in. "You're injured..."
"No shit," Geese grumbled as he stumbled closer. His left arm was dripping blood, as was his right leg, but that was nothing to the sniper shot he got in his chest shielding both Julia and Lily. A big red stain was forming on his hakama shirt already.
Julia frowned deeply. "Lay down! I'll help you." She told the crime lord as she motioned him to lay atop her sleeping bag. She turned to the little girl, and said, "Lily, get the first aid kit."
While Lily did as told, white as a sheet since she didn't like the sight of blood, Geese did as told. Not that he had much choice in the matter, his knees were already buckling on their own. If he was right that first bullet managed to pierce his lung.
Julia was already looking over Geese's wounds, taking off his shirt. Her eyes were looking over his critically, looking over every spot he was hit. "No way around this. These are deep. I'm going to need to cut."
She was awaiting Lily to bring her back the first aid Kit as well.
"Don't bother," Geese said as his mouth started to fill with blood. "Even if you take those out," he motioned for the right side of his chest, "I'll die chocking in my own blood from this one."
Great way for Geese Howard to die.
… Saving a girl and a woman...
…
…
………
… He really hoped Krauser never heard of this one.
Julia frowned. Steeling herself, she knew what she had to do... But she wasn't sure she could pull it off, she never tried it before. Hell! What she was about to try was a reverse of something she'd never done before.
Lily returned holding the first aid kit.
And just in time to see the redhead lunging forward. Julia kissed Geese on the mouth. Ignoring the taste of blood she was pushing as much of her energy into him as she could, sharing what chi was hers and willingly. But since she wasn't attuned to chi, all Lily could see it as was Julia kissing! With TONGUE!
Geese's eyes widened, but mostly because he could feel the chi flowing into him. Lily, on the other hand, was staring in open-mouthed shock.
Julia continued to force her life energy into Geese, trying to see if she could jump-start any healing processes he have and kick them into overdrive for a moment.
As it was, her attempt seemed to work... too well. Geese already had the rudimentary knowledge of how to heal himself faster. That was how he was able to recover from life-threatening wounds before. This time, however, he recovered too fast. So fast that the bullets were all expelled from his body.
And while the ones in his arm and leg simply flew away, the one in his chest flew into Julia's left breast. If it was going with any more speed it would've wounded her instead.
As it was it hurt like all hell.
"Ack!" Julia gasped, the kiss broken as she tumbled back onto her ass. Damn, that hurt like a bitch!
Geese blinked his eyes in shock. Okay... he mostly felt what happened... but still! It was unbelievable how he felt his body mend from such damage.
Lily just continued to stare at Julia in shock.
Julia sat up rubbing her breast. "Shit. That's going to leave a welt."
Geese sat up and managed to smirk at the sight of Julia rubbing her own breast. It was a good way to take his mind off what just happened. He didn't want to think he owed his life to anybody.
Slowing down the rubbing, Julia looked over at Geese. "Feel better?" She asked.
"I still say this trip was a mistake," Geese said in an attempt to avoid Julia's question. There was no way he was ever talking about what just happened ever again. Not only did he almost lose his life protecting Julia and Lily, but he also was brought back from the brink of death by the redhead.
Julia frowned. "It wasn’t a complete mistake. Lily here has gotten to see the great outdoors..." She stopped as she noticed the girl staring wide-eyed. "Lily? Are you all right?"
If Lily had her doubts before they were cleared today. Julia fought with Geese, but always managed to remain alive. Julia bathed naked with Geese. He risked his life for her and she did the same for him...
Julia frowned. "Lily?"
"Leave the girl alone, woman. You've warped her mind enough," Geese snapped and Lily took that as her cue to turn around and head for her tent. Maybe if she got some sleep she would wake up to find herself on her bed back in South Town.
There was no way the nice lady Julia was Geese's lover.
"I am not warping her mind!" Julia shouted back. "If anything, you've been warping her emotions, making it so she has none."
"Would you rather I left her where I found her?" Geese snapped angrily. "I bet she would've been happy as a child whore, satisfying old men with a Lolita fetish!"
Julia's eye twitched. "You are such a negative person. You'd take her in, but refuse to treat her like a kid?"
"She'll live in the real world, and so she won't be surprised when everything she holds dear turns to ash." Geese's words were somber, and it was easy to see he truly believed what he said. Sad.
Julia frowned. She placed her hand on Geese's shoulder. "As long as one has hope, nothing is out of reach."
"You can live in your fantasy world all you want, woman. I thrive in the real world," Geese said more calmly and in resignation.
Julia frowned. "It's a sad life for you..."
The crimelord batted her hand away and stood up, clearly uncomfortable with the current subject. "I'll make sure there's no more assassins out there." With that he walked off into the darkness.
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(Posted Sun, 13 Feb 2005 07:51)
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