Not fast enough von Stubsii ================================================================================ Kapitel 1: Part One ------------------- It was dark again. Once again his teal hair was pulled roughly and his face was dragged under the cold surface. It was cold. It was cold and it hurt. How much longer did he have to go through this? He didn’t know where the others are! Fran had joined the Varia barely a month ago so why did they try and get the information out of him?! Who were they anyway? His kidnappers. They drugged him so it was impossible for him to concentrate and use his illusions to escape. But that didn’t matter anymore. It wasn’t necessary any longer. The kidnappers had tortured him for so long already; Fran didn’t even know what day it was anymore. He had lost count of time a long time ago. Finally his head was back from the dark hell and the illusionist started coughing, trying to get some air back into his lungs. But it was no use. Soon he was pulled under the black surface again. - I’m scared – - Come safe me already – - - - - - - - - - - The storm guardian was yelling angrily. His shouts could be heard from all over the place. “What do you mean you can’t find him?!” The characteristic grin was wiped off his face. “You useless fucks! The prince is going to find him on his own then!” “But... But Bel-chan…” Bel didn’t even hear Lussurias protests anymore. He had just shut everyone out. Slamming the door behind him he ran off into the darkness. On his way he tried to recall every information they could gather until now. Fran hadn’t contacted them in two weeks. He should’ve been back a week ago. Frans mission shouldn’t have been that hard should it? He just had to have a “talk” with one of the opposing families. Nothing big. But something went wrong along the way. On his way to Sicily Belphegor got in touch with one of his favourite contacts again. A Person who knew nearly everything. There wasn’t a single thing that he couldn’t find out. Just like Fran, Belphegor was on his way to Sicily. The only difference being that Fran never reached his destination. Bels contact suggested checking out a deserted district in south Italy. “Wait for me Froggy. The prince is coming to save you.” - - - - - - - - - - One more time Froggy had to live through the torture. He was getting weak, could barely keep his eyes open. - I’m drowning … - One last time Froggy had to live through the torture. - Stupid prince … - --- “Fuck! Stay away! For fucks sake you killed him!” - - - - - - - - - - Fran was pulled out of the water. He didn’t breathe. A tall man took him by the collar and threw him in the corner of the small room. Then he faced the smaller one. “Do you have a single idea how much trouble you are in right now?!” The smaller one was scared. He was sure that he was going to die now. Which was true. There was no chance he would get out of this alive. He had killed one of the most skilled illusionists on earth. A gunshot killed the silence. The smaller one slumped to the ground. Fran slowly gained back his consciousness and opened his eyes only to see the dead body lying right in front of him and the weapon thrown next to it. There was still one bullet left. The taller one had just realized that the illusionist was, in fact, not dead and hurried to grab the weapon but he was too late. Fran took it and aimed it at his own head, smiling. “W-Wait! We can figure this out, okay? We won’t hurt you anymore. I promise!” Fran didn’t listen. - - - - - - - - - - Bel just reached the district when he heard the gunshot. “Now that wasn’t professional, was it?” The prince carefully sneaked inside the seemingly empty building. Searching in every room for his beloved frog he only met one or two people. They had never heard of the Varia or a captured illusionist so they were dead now. They were of no use so why keep them alive? No matter what they said he still had the feeling he was in the right place. - - - - - - - - - - At the end of the last hallway was a single door. It was old and rusty. Belphegor hurried to reach said door and tried to open it but it was locked. “Bingo.” The prince was grinning again. Soon the lock was broken and the door opened. Bel couldn’t move. What he saw made him freeze. - - - - - - - - - - The door had swung open and right in this moment Fran pulled the trigger. - I don’t want to accidentally tell them anything. – - Forgive me stupid prince. – The frog helmet was long ago gone and Fran just slumped to the ground with a quiet sound. “No.” The frog was smiling. He looked so innocent. He looked like he was just sleeping. If you could ignore the hole at the back of his head that is. Bel had finally found him. Finally… The prince was smiling. “Froggy?” Of course he didn’t receive an answer. Bel broke down next to his beloved Frog and started crying, screaming. He hugged the dead body of the person he most loved in this world. The one he wanted to protect. “I wasn’t fast enough…” Kapitel 2: Part Two ------------------- It was bright again. Days have passed since the other Varia members found Bel and Fran lying on the floor. Bel hasn’t spoken a single word since. Today Fran was going to be buried. Bel didn’t attend the funeral. The prince couldn’t bear with it. Seeing the grave and the coffin would mean that his Frog never came back. He’d be gone. Forever. Instead he visited the grave two weeks later, when he had gotten back to work and sort his thoughts. Bel just sat there in front of the grave. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t even think. Everything was a big mess again. - - - - - - - - - - - Stupid prince don’t just sit there – - Say something – Fran didn’t know how but it was possible for him to watch the lover he had left behind. Fran wasn’t sitting on a cloud with cute white wings like books and movies tried to tell. He was standing right there, next to his prince, in his usual clothes. Nothing fancy, just the Varia uniform. - How stupid of him to come here and not say a word – The frog couldn’t reach his lover, couldn’t talk to him, couldn’t touch him. He wasn’t even able to touch his surroundings to leave a message or something else to tell Bel that he was okay. That he didn’t blame him. No matter how hard he tried it was like he was isolated from everything surrounding him. It was like a prison made out of a one-way mirror. He could see everything and hear everything but he wasn’t seen and he wasn’t heard. - - - - - - - - - - Hours had passed since he had arrived at the grave and his body was screaming to get food or sleep or both. Bel didn’t care. Then he spoke the first word after nearly three weeks. “Froggy?” - Yes sempai I’m here – Tears started dripping down the prince’s face. “Froggy please …” His voice broke. “… please, the prince is sorry.” Fran started crying too. Were ghosts even able to cry? He touched his face. Yes these were actual tears. Ghosts were able to cry. “Froggy, please come back. The prince misses you.” - - - - - - - - - - - Sempai … This is stupid and you know it – - There’s no way I can come back – - Stop waiting for me – - I’ll wait for you instead – - - - - - - - - - - After a long talk about how everything’s been in the Varia Bel finally decides to go back. Now that he finally sorted out everything he could finally think clearly and his brain told him only one thing: Revenge. He knew it was stupid to hunt them all down on his own but what could he do? He surely couldn’t expect any help from the other members. First he got back to the deserted district again where he found Fran but nobody was there. That would’ve been too easy anyway. Bel burned down the empty warehouses. It was still hard to think about his lost Frog so he tried to erase everything that reminded him of the fact that his Frog would never come back. He also locked away the frog hat. It hadn’t fit inside the coffin. The storm guardian got in touch with one of his contacts again to locate the family who caused his Frogs death. It wasn’t hard to find them. It was like they didn’t even hide. - - - - - - - - - - Bels contact gave him a list of hideouts belonging to this family. He had already worked his way through the list, blowing up some small buildings and burning the evidence. Not a single time the wanted man was there. That one person who had driven his lover into death. Now he stood in front of a rather large mansion. He had to take the front door – it was the only entrance. Stepping inside was risky. He couldn’t just take the back door and flee when things went downhill. Considering there was no back door. He could jump out of the window. The prince didn’t bother knocking – he just broke the lock and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. There was no going back now. - - - - - - - - - - - Sempai, stop it – - Are you that desperate to die – - There’s no way you can kill all of them on your own – Maybe the prince really wanted to die? Fran still acted as if he didn’t care for the prince. He still hid his feelings. There was no reason to do it, nobody saw him. Because he was dead. That behaviour really didn’t suit his fake prince. - - - - - - - - - - On his way down to the office, Bel didn’t encounter a single person. No bodyguards, no servants, nobody. Did his contact fail this time? Maybe there was no one there? But cars stood in front of the mansion so somebody had to be here. “Oh. Do you want to play hide and seek with the prince?” Bel snickered. “You better come out.” Bel laughed his typical laugh. “The prince hates losing.” Bel now stood in front of the office door. It wasn’t even locked. “This is too easy.” It wasn’t possible that this isn’t a trap but the prince didn’t care. He would take revenge no matter what. Throwing the doors open he stepped inside the room, facing the filthy boss of that filthy family. He wasn’t the one he searched for but he ordered his underlings around so it’s better than nothing. - - - - - - - - - - - Sempai, watch out – - Sempai look behind you – - Sempai turn around – Fran threw himself between his prince and the bullet moving towards said prince in disturbingly high velocity. But the bullet just passed him, like he didn’t exist. Well, he didn’t exist in this world. - - - - - - - - - - Just as he was about to murder this grinning bastard in front of him he heard a shot and pungent pain filled his side. “Wha– “ The prince dropped down to his knees. He wasn’t careful enough. Soon his sight blacked out. He didn’t hear the horrified screams of the filthy boss and his underling as the other Varia members stopped in merely seconds after he was shot. - - - - - - - - - - “Sempai?” “Froggy?” “Sempai, why did you do that?” “Because the prince missed you.” It was a bright place with lots of flowers a clean river and blue sky. Exactly what he imagined heaven to be like. But there was no way he’d end up in heaven, was there? He was a murderer, a liar. God didn’t like those people. “That’s stupid.” Bel started to laugh. He just did and now his Frog is standing there, in front of him, like he used to. The hat was missing though. “I know.” Bel looked at his Frog with pure joy. “Didn’t you miss your prince at all?” “I was there the whole time. Watched as you drove yourself into insanity.” “Oh. Sorry about that.” The place started to crumble down like it was made of glass and some assholes threw stones at it. “Is this an illusion?” “No.. But your time isn’t over yet.” Fran looked at his prince with tears in his eyes. “I’m happy I could see you again, Sempai. I will wait for you. Stop blaming yourself for my death…” “Wait. What do you mean by that? I won’t leave you!” Bel started to panic. He didn’t want to go. Didn’t want to leave his Frog behind. The place started to shake like it was hit by some sort of earthquake. The sky crumbled down leaving only the dark. “Wait! Stop! The prince will not leave you again. The prince will not go…” Bel tried to reach out for Fran but he was blocked by a wall of glass. “I’m sorry sempai.” No. No, this couldn’t be. He finally returned to his frog and now some asshole tried to bring him back to life. This wasn’t fair. He didn’t want to go now. “I love you– “ Kapitel 3: Alternate Ending --------------------------- "I was there the whole time. Watched as you drove yourself into insanity." "Oh. Sorry about that." The place started to crumble every now and then but nothing major. The sky started to look a little odd though. "Is this place an illusion?" "No sempai. It's a kind of bridge between the world of the living and the world of the dead." "Oh.. Then why does it look like it dies?" "That's because they are trying to save you." Bel only nodded trying to think of someone who actually wanted to save him. He didn't want to be safed. The place started to shake like it was hit by some sort of earthquake. "They are rather desperate, aren't they?" Bel snickered. "Let's go froggy." The prince took his Frog's hand and walked towards the gate that lead the world of the dead. "I love you." As they passed the gate the place was back to normal. Leaving behind mourning assassins, who are now crying over the loss of two members. Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)