The Devil's Deck ch 5

Chapter 5 A Painful Reunion, A Wilting Rose

Fevered dreams filled his head and his body tossed and turned in response. The horrible scenes continued to torture his sleep. The sights of the battle mixed with various memories and thoughts finally cause his eyes to shoot open.
“Who!?” Domon tried to sit up but pain shot through is body and he couldn't move. “Who...who was that?”
The outburst had  caused the other people in the room to look over at him. A blonde haired woman hurried over to the bed and smiled.
“Oh good! You're awake!”
Domon blinked slowly, sure he must have still been dreaming. The woman looking down at him belonged to the team of girls that made up Chibodee's crew. However, the last place he remembered being was in a fight not to far from Paris.
“Are you feeling alright? Oh! I should get a doctor.”
“How did I get to America?” Domon gave the woman a groggy look.
“America? Oh, you're not in America.” The blonde turned away from the bed to call for a doctor.
“Janet...right?”
She turned back around and looked down at him. “Yeah?”
“What do you mean I'm not...”
Domon's question was cut off as Rain came running into the room.
“Domon! Oh, you're awake!” She hurried over to his bedside as Janet stepped out of the way. “How do you feel? Are you in pain?”
“Rain?” Domon's mind was swimming in confusion. “Where are we? How did I get here? Why is she here?” He shot a glance in the direction Janet had walked off to.
“That's not important right now? Are you feeling well? Do you need any pain medication?”
“Rain, what happened? The last I remember I was in a fight with this mysterious fighter and...”
“I know. I was so worried. It's over now and you need to rest.” Rain smiled reasurringly at him. “You've been out for awhile. I was starting to worry you weren't going to wake up.”
Domon was about to say something else but paused when her heard her. “Been out? For how long?” Rain’s worried face looked down as she rubbed her hand over his. Turning it up, Domon took her hand and pulled her a little closer to him. “Rain. How long was I out?”  Tears had begun to form in her eyes. “About a week an a half.” Domon coughed out of shocked. “Let me get you something to drink!” Rain stood up and was about to run off when she felt her arm being held back. She looked at Domon as he held her arm. “Rain what happened?” She didn’t want to tell him. It was so horrible. “Rain, please.” Rain looked down but sat back on the edge of his bed. “I don’t know what happened. At least with your fight.” She looked up at him as a tear ran down her cheek. “George was attacked. Right as you were flying to save him. Neo France found him a good foot from his gundam. I didn’t see it, but, Oh Domon.” She put her arms around his neck only to pull away he when jerked from pain. “Oh sorry!” Domon forced a smile and pulled her closer to him. Slowly the two hugged.
“What do you mean they found George a foot from his gundam?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see his gundam but Raymond told me that George was ripped from his gundam. Right from his gundam’s chest.”
“Ripped out like a heart...”
Rain looked up at Domon. “What?” Domon looked down at her and smiled softly. “Don’t worry about it.” He sighed as he rested his chin on her head. “And...me?”Rain was quiet for a moment but took a deep breath. “Your gundam’s head was crushed and torn right off.” A flash memory of a glowing dark hand coming towards him passed before his eyes. ‘That’s right....’ “I was so worried, I thought you were going to die. Your leg was broken.” Domon raised a brow. “I noticed.” Rain sat up some. “The doctors say it’s a clean break though and that you’re lucky that’s ALL that was broken.” “Expect for my pride.” He said sourly. “OH really now Domon. What’s pride have to do with anything? You’re alive! If you think...” Domon could only laugh. Now he had done it. Pulling Rain down quickly he let his mouth touch her’s, giving her a tender but much needed kiss. At first she was shocked but Rain let herself relax into him and kiss him back. “I was so worried about you Domon.” She whispered as she let her head touch his. “I know...I’m sorry Rain.” He closed his eyes as he let his hand run through her hair. A familiar voice cleared it’s throat and then spoke up. “You two want to be left alone for a while, uh?” The two looked towards the voice to see Chibodee Crocket resting in a bed right across from Domon’s. There was a bandage around his head and his arm was in a sling. Right away Domon and Rain blushed until Domon realized something. “What the hell are you doing here!?” Chibodee smiled. “Well I’m glad you’re alive too.”
“We were watching TV, until you started yelling.” Another voice chimed in before Domon could say anything else. “You wake up like that all the time?”
Turning his attention from Chibodee, Domon looked to the new speaker.
In a bed next to Chibodee's, Sai was sitting up slightly. From what Domon could see, he had bandaged wrapped around his chest.
“Sai?! What's going on here? Where are we? How did you two get here?” Domon glanced to Rain for answers.
She wasn't sure what to say. After a moment she tried to explain. “They were moved here, just like you. It's safer here.”
“Safer? Moved where? You still haven't told me where we are!”
“Hey,  keep it down. I've got a headache and you ain't helping.” Chibodee reached up and rubbed his forehead with his good arm. “Just relax, you just woke up. Save twenty questions for later.”
“Yeah Bro, I can't hear the TV.” Sai laughed but then winced and crossed his arms across his chest.
Rain smiled and shook her head. “Am I going to have to get you something for that, Sai?”
“Huh? Oh! No... I'm good...really.” Giving her a sheepish smiled, Sai slumped down in his bed a bit.
Rain laughed lightly and turned back to Domon. “Do you need anything?”
Domon was glancing around the room but when Rain spoke, he turned his attention back to her. “Yes, there is something I need.”
“What is it?”
“I need to know where we are and how I got here,” he said rather flatly.
Rain gave a sigh and shook her head. “It's not important right now Domon. You should just rest. That's what everyone else is doing.”
“Why is everyone else here? Where is here?”
“Domon, please.” Rain gave him a worried looked. “You just woke up, you should just rest. Don't be difficult.”
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “Rest? I've been out for a week and half and you want me to rest?”
“Being unconscious and resting are two different things, and you know that.” Rain shook her head. He had always been stubborn, that was never going to change. “Just do me this favor and relax. Are you hungry?”
“I'm fine, thanks.” Domon sighed and continued to stare up at the ceiling. “Rain...”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Is anyone else here?”
“Well...”
“Raaaain?” Domon moaned in annoyance. She sighed and looked at him. “Alright alright. Everyone is here. Argo, George, their crew members.”
“And mine.”
“And my lovely ladies.” Sai and Chibodee spoke in. Domon looked confused. “Ok but where is this.” “Geez Japanese, haven’t you figured it out yet?” Domon scowled and shook his head. Sai laughed a little. “We’re in a secret base.” “Why the hell are we here?” Chibodee yawned a little. “To keep us safe and help us back to health.” “And to fix our gundams.” Sai added. Domon frown. “Are we on earth still?” Rain nodded but then frown. “Domon I really think you should...”
“Is a government helping us?” “Well duh! Neo Japan is. After all you guys DID win the tournament.” Chibodee smirked. Domon was still confused but Rain smiled. “Don’t worry about it right now. Just rest some and I’ll explain everything to you later. I want to go and check on the others.” Domon frown but finally nodded. He watched her leave the room but smiled as he noticed the way her hips moved. Chibodee gave a whistle. “Never knew what she saw in you, you jackass.” Sai laughed hard but then moaned. “Stop it bro, you’re making me hurt.”
“Bruised ribs?”
Sai looked up from rubbing his chest toward Domon. “Broken.”
Domon raised a brow and looked at Chibodee. “What about you?”
“Hit my head pretty hard. Factured my arm. Nothing serious.” Chibodee laughed slightly at his statement.
“What happened to you guys? I know you were attacked, but what exactally happened?”
The room fell silent. Neither Sai or Chibodee really wanted to talk about the fights they had been in. However, they both knew that the details would have to come out at some point.
“Sai? Chibodee? Come on, I'm sick of being out of the loop on this.”
“It came out of nowhere.” Sai looked down slightly, thinking about his fight. “I was just laying around outside. I thought I heard something and then it appeared.” He looked up slightly and toward Domon again. “It was going to attack the temple. I didn't wait for permission to get my gundam, I didn't have time.”
Domon thought about his attack, how the mysterious gundam that attacked him seemed to come out of nowhere as well. “Did it just attack you?”
“Not at first. I asked who was there, then it attacked. Whoever it was...they...” Sai trailed off and looked down again. The images of the battle haunting his mind as he recalled the events.

“They what? Sai, what happened? Anything you guys know could help us get to the bottom of this!”
“They were faster than me. I couldn't land a single hit. Then I got knocked down. When I looked up, the other fighter pulled out a staff weapon that looked like mine. Before I could move they rammed it down through my chest, just missing the cockpit.” His voice became shaky as the memory seemed to make the pain in his chest flare up again. “I thought I was going to die. That's all I remember... then I woke up in a hospital.” Domon wasn't sure what to make of the story. However one fact disturbed him, that the fighter was faster than Sai. In all the fights he had been in and seen, Sai was one if not the fasted fighter he had met. For someone to be faster than him, it was almost impossible to picture. After a moment he turn to look at Chibodee. “And what about you. From what I hear you were the first attacked.” Chibodee frown, mostly from the fact he was the first to fall and so easily. “Like Sai, it came out of nowhere, but it started to destroy the city. It didn’t stop until I showed up. That’s when I knew it was trying to toy me out. It wanted me to fight it.” Domon watched Chibodee’s face. He hadn’t seen it so serious like that in a long time. Chibodee went on. “It was strong. Real strong. At first it just kind of stood there but then it began to attack. For a while I had the upper hand but, well, I got cocky I guess. It took one punch to send me to my knees. But then it did things I can’t explain.”“What do you mean?” Domon asked in a concern tone. Chibodee looked up at him. “Well, as I tried to get up and fight back, it..well it hit me again. But that’s not what’s so odd. It’s what it hit me with.” “What’s that?” Sai asked now concerned. Chibodee scratched the side of his face with his good arm. “You know how the armor on my gundam turns into boxing gloves to give me mega punches? Well...the other gundam did the same thing. Some of the armor became gloves. His attacks were almost like mine!” Domon frown. “After that it beat me to a pulp and ripped my gundam’s arm off and crushed my legs. And then it just flew off. Just like that.” He snapped and then frown. “This really sucks.” Sai nodded and then looked at Domon. “What about you Domon? What happend?”
“I was on my way to warn George about the attacks.” Domon leaned back in his bed and looked up at the ceiling. “I was almost there, then it showed. Rammed into my side and sent me to the ground.” He shook his head lightly. “I didn't even see it approaching. I just kept trying to leave and get to George. It didn't attack though, it just kept getting in my way every time I took off.” Pausing from his story, Domon took a breath and sighed. “I finally tried to attack it, but it just threw me aside... and then...”
“It did something like you do? Didn't it, Bro.” Sai looked at Domon. “That seems to happen in all our stories.”
“Yeah, it copied my attack. It reminded me of Master Gundam's Darkness Finger attack. Only this wasn't just dark, it was heartless. I don't remember anything other than it coming right at me. It's black from there on, and now I'm here.”
“There's some crazy shit going down.” Chibodee shook his head. “And we don't know what they want.”
Domon smirked slightly. “Other than us being dead? Yeah, I don't have a clue.” Then it dawned on him. “Wait! Where are Argo and George? Rain said they were here too!”
“Do you have to keep yelling? Eh, Japanese?” Chibodee was rubbing his forhead again. “You're slowing down the healing process.”
Sai smirked, “I don't think a headache is your only problem up there.”
“Hey, now what's that suppose to mean, Shorty?
Domon gave an irritated huff. “Did you two hear me? Where are Argo and George?”
The two looked at Domon but it was clear on their faces something wasn’t right. Domon sat up some more. “What is it guys?” Sai spoke first. “Argo was in some bad shape but he woke up a few days after they brought you in. He told us his story, or..at least tried to but he ended up having a panic attack.”
“It’s not like him at all.”
“Not at all.”
Chibodee and Sai spoke over each other. Sai took a deep breath. “He has nightmares too, horrible ones. Natasha told us what she saw and it seems the gundam used the same kind of weapon and attack like Argo. Rain says Argo will be fine, he’s suffering from ‘shell shock’, I guess. I guess we all are.” The men were quiet for a moment, thinking of their giant friend and his problems. “And George?” Domon asked. Nither would look at him. “Guys?” He said in a more demanding tone. “George took the worst of us all.” Chibodee finally said. Domon didn’t say anything, but after a moment he frown and slowly began to move out of his bed. The other’s looked at him. “Hey what are you doing bro?” Sai asked as he began to move as well. “I wanna see George.” “You’re not gonna like it Domon.” Chibodee said as he slowly stood up and went to get a wheelchair. It was no use telling Domon he couldn’t see their friend. Sai let Domon lend on him, just enough for him to stand still but not enough to hurt Sai any. “What the hell is that?” Domon glared at the chair. “Oh come on! We’re not gonna carry you everywhere!” “Come on Domon, it’ll be quicker this way.” “The hell I’m using that!! I’ll walk there damnit!!” And he took a step. “EEEIIAAAHHHH!!”

“Look isn’t this better?” Sai said a while later as Chibodee pushed Domon down the hall. The three were able to get a better look at their surroundings, at least Domon was. It reminded him of a hospital but there were people in military uniforms. ‘I guess we really are in a secret base.’ The group came to a stop in front of a door. “Well?” Domon asked annoyed by the lack of movement. “Domon, listen. We have to worn you, it’s bad.” Domon frown. ‘How bad can it be?’ The door was pushed opened and as he was wheeled in, Domon looked for George. Where was he? Looking around he didn’t see anything but just a curtain. “Is this the right room?” “Yeah...” Sai said as he sighed and then pulled the curtain back some. Domon gasped at the sigh before him. “George...” Domon could barely speak. Before him, laid George. He had tubes attached to his body to keep check of his heart, breathing and any thing else he needed to keep him alive. On his face was an oxygen mask along with bandages over his cuts. He had a blacken eye, a busted lip cuts and bruises everywhere the eye could see. The room was silent expect for the sounds of George’s heart monitor and the oxygen machine that kept pumping air for George. “What happened to him?” Was all Domon could say after what seemed like forever. “Raymond said he was torn from his gundam. Ripped right from it’s chest. By the way his arms are broken the doctors say he was this crushed by the gundam.” Domon looked at Chibodee in shock. “It tried to crush him?” Sai nodded. “And then tossed him. I think George’s battle was the worst. We were all left for dead, but George’s attacker left him to suffer.” Domon looked back at the abused french man. “The doctors say, well, they don’t think he’s gonna make it.”