A Dash of Chili Powder

8

By the time Vell even opened his mouth to speak, the burning sensation and the images of seeing this bizarre black light overwhelmed Yuki and she quickly fell limp in his arms, going unconscious. The pain was too great for her small body to deal with, no matter how...fast it went away. The black tendrils seemed to recede and dive back into Yuki's body, it's branding work finished.

She lay there, repositioned in the Kakashi-look-alike's arms, unmoving and barely breathing. Her mind was blank, save for the continuous replay of what had happened this previous day. Getting into that brutal fight with Yasuo, losing Kiba, crying, killing Yasuo, traumatized.... 

More tears, she thought. She would cry for weeks, perhaps months or even years, over today. All that had happened was her fault and there was no way to reverse it. The guilt was strong.

A small sentence brought her back. "I take that back. Onii-san, you're a fucking dick." It made her chuckle, the randomness of it. It was completely out of place, but a little funny nonetheless. She didn't know who her carrier was talking about, or to for that matter. But she found comfort in his irritated words, amused by them. But now she wanted to speak, to reply to him.

However, her head began to pound again, the sharp pain targeting the middle or forehead. That dark light again... The black glow lit up her face, those same vines lapping at her skin, burning on contact. Her bleeding hands shot up to the spot the black tendrils touched and she let out a painful scream, feeling the scorching black etch a strange design into her skin. She began to cough and wheeze, her chest convulsing and her heart beating hard against her chest.

Her hands fastened to Vell's jacket, digging her claws into the fabric. She was hurting so bad....

Gracie

Put her out of her misery.

In Vell's mind there was always two conclusions, whenever he had to make a decision concerning someone else's life. Normally it occurred during missions, with his teammates, but it was happening now: that bi-polar reasoning. It reminded him of an adult telling a child what to do with a stern tone, pausing a minute, and then breaking to compromise with its stubborn offspring. This first conclusion was "Put her out of her misery". Vell waited half a second for the next option, swallowing at Yuki's claws in his chest and the blackness that had returned only a minute after being stalled.

Take her to Kakashi and see what he can do about it.

It made sense. Kakashi had had this girl since - did the midget say five? - well, for a long-ass time. He should know what to do. Vell decided to skip the hospital and take her to her father...his brother.

Vell was furious, nonetheless. As he started at a run, the pain of Yuki's scream and her claws and the black chakra eating them both alive nearly made him fall, but he continued. By cursing his brother.

It was a really useful technique. As he ran, Vell sent all his hatred at Kakashi. Swearing long and eloquently, Vell compared Kakashi's attitude unfavorably to a lackadaisical prostitute's, his face with unlikely and unhealthy body parts, and his intelligence with several species of farm animal.

Surprisingly, the pain was less acute.

They had just reached the hospital when Rage's head snapped back to the road they'd come from. His face was blank, but his orange eyes searched the crowd. Awaji saw the expressionless teen and frowned. "What do you mean, Vell-senpai's not following us anymore?" he squeaked.

Another half-second and Awaji's shoulders slouched. "Scythe-senpai said he'd catch up. I'm more worried about the lady Vell was carrying. She was hurt real' bad."

Rage still hesitated, Kiba hanging over his shoulder, gazing into the distance as if eager to see the wild haired Scythe coming up the road.