[Fic] The Beginning of All Commotions - Act 2
Title: The Beginning of All Commotions - Act 2
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Greece/Japan, mentions of other characters and minor pairings in later parts.
Rating/Genre: PG-15 for now, but may go up to M in later chapters / Mafia-AU, Humour, Action-Adventure
Warnings: Slight crack, gang warfare, language, booze & smoking.
In this act: In which Sadiq is a lucky bastard and Herakles requires a bit of rescuing in the form of a mysterious stranger. Greece, Turkey, Japan, brief mentions of China.
~.*.~
ii.
February 14, 2kXX. 09:32 AM
It was supposed to have been a relatively easy task. Yao's instructions were straightforward: Stay low and keep watch. If things get messy, go in and take everyone out. Kiku appreciated the simplicity of the plan, especially since his eldest cousin was sometimes prone to much melodrama (which was quite unnecessary, if Kiku was allowed to be truly honest about it). And while he usually meant well, Kiku couldn't help but feel somewhat exhausted trying to keep up with Yao's antics at times, and wished that his cousin would go about conducting his businesses with a better sense of calm and propriety.
A muffled yell, followed by several gunshots drew Kiku from his musings and back to the present. He shifted slightly, peering over the building from where he'd been standing for the past hour. There was a flurry of movements in the alley just below him, as the gathering of men - clad in black and grey and shaded glasses - scattered themselves now into groups two or three, throwing punches and kicking out at each other. Four of them had their guns drawn, and were firing shots at the fighting mob; bullets, which had missed flesh and fabric, ricocheted off the walls.
Kiku frowned, not taking his eyes off the tall blonde man he'd been observing diligently for the past hour.
He watched, crouching silently.
He waited-
-and then, gripping his sword tightly, he leapt down from the building and into the fray.
*
Herakles heard a loud, satisfying crack when his knuckles met the side of Sadiq's jaw. He would have taken the time to savour the moment, and maybe even throw a few more insults at the other man. But his feet didn't quite move quickly enough; Sadiq made sure to stamp on his toes. Hard.
Herakles hissed in anger, dodging another punch, before he caught sight of blurred shadows from his side-view and felt a strange sense of uneasiness in his gut...
He stopped midway in his tracks, his arm still held out as he finally became aware of his surroundings, and of how they had somehow managed to run smack into the middle of what looked to be two groups of men, all clad in dark suits and shades, and poised to attack.
"Hey, s'matter, brat? Finally lost ya balls, huh?" Sadiq began, before glancing about him, only to gape helplessly as realisation dawned upon his features as well.
"Well-"
"-Shit."
And it began raining bullets.
"Fuck!" Sadiq cursed as they both hit the ground, throwing themselves flat against the gravel in a desperate bid to avoid the bullets zinging through the air where they stood just seconds ago.
"Fuckity fuck fuck fuck!" Sadiq swore loudly as he covered his face with his arms, shielding his eyes from the debris flying chaotically all around as the bullets tore through wood, fabric and cardboard boxes from a pile of trash by the side of the alley.
Herakles had managed to crawl away of the direct line of fire, using the trash pile as cover from the unending torrent of white-hot lead and shells. He tried to call out to Sadiq, tried to get that idiot to move his ass.
A dark shadow fell over his line of vision. Herakles glanced up and-
And suddenly, suddenly-
-a blur of black streaked with red and violet and-
Another figure appeared, boots crunching against the gravel as he landed lightly before Herakles: his long black coat billowing in the wind; a sword held out in his right arm, red and violet silk cords casting shadowy trails.
When the newcomer burst into the scene, there was momentary silence as every man paused in their tracks to fix their gazes upon him.
Sadiq was lucky (or perhaps just really quick-minded and even more quick-footed). He saw an opening then, and took it.
"RAAAAAAHHH!"
Before anyone could so much as blink, he grabbed the lid of the nearest trash can, and swinging it wildly before him like a madman, bulldozed his way through and out of the alley.
Herakles was not as fortunate.
Coward, he thought begrudgingly as he glared after Sadiq's retreating back, before the sounds of resuming gunfire wrested his attention back to more pressing matters at hand - his survival.
The newcomer moved again as the mob surged forward, sunlight glinting off his blade as he twisted and twirled; a furious whirlwind lashing out at burly men two, no, three times his size. Herakles saw another flash, followed by an explosive bang before he was coughing, choking.
"Move."
His eyes and nostrils still burning from the smoke and ash, Herakles only realised he was on the ground again when he heard the soft, urgent voice close beside him. He looked up and saw the newcomer to his left (dark hair and dark eyes; dark like a raven's wing) - he'd pushed Herakles out of harm's way during the explosion.
Before he could speak, there was another explosive flash, lightning-bright, and the man moved again, this time almost crouching over Herakles. He hissed, flinching as if in pain. Herakles thought he saw streaks of crimson stain the ground beside them, but he couldn't be sure.
As he tried to stand, Herakles' fingers found their way around something cool and smooth to touch - a clear bottle filled with a thick black emulsion. Without hesitation, he grabbed the bottle, thrusting it into a nearby fire and lighting the cloth-wick attached to it.
He flung the bottle towards the mob-
-a third explosion rocked through the alley, debris and shrapnel soaring through the air.
When their vision was finally cleared of acrid smoke and choking vapours, the fighting mob could see neither Herakles nor the strange man with the sword.
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