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Hello, everyone. It's been quite some time I've had this fic on my resume. In fact, we just passed its 5 year anniversary. Wow, 5 years. Long time to be dedicated to such a niche idea for a story.
For those who have stuck with it since its beginning, you have my everlasting thanks for your support. My mind has been elsewhere all these years, coping with lots of grief and overcoming many hurdles to better myself. As such, writing has taken a back seat. Now, however, I can safely say that my current standing in life is stable and I feel my passion for creativity churning once again. Honestly, I don't think I've ever been happier and more content with life than I am right now.
As such, I've decided that updates for Saw will continue on October 27, 2017 to coincide with the upcoming Saw film reboot. I feel there is no better time.
However, said continuation will be in a separate reboot fic as opposed to here. The reason for this is because I feel over the years I have honed my craft to the point where I can overhaul the entire narrative and as such, content I wrote in 2012 will contrast in quality to what I can compose now in 2017. If you're wondering why I don't just replace the chapters here with the new and improved ones, there are a variety of reasons. One of which being that many chapters here have been split since many were way too long. As such, if one were to read the reviews for a chapter that was originally whole, they may spoil themselves of what will happen in the second half. The structure will be thrown off completely, and as this is a rewrite, some of the reviews here I've gotten will lose context as many plot threads they elaborate on will be lost since some things were scrapped entirely. Lots of filler that plagued this fic has been done away with and I feel the story is better for it.
That being said, I'm going to leave this fic up as it is and as it has been for the last 5 years as a historical piece. As dated as I feel it is in comparison to what I can do now, I still feel it is a major stepping stone and represents a big part of my life and growth as a person.
In order to keep a good pace, updates for the rewrite will come on a monthly basis consistently and will continue to do so until the whole fic is complete. I find this will give me more than substantial time to ensure the story's quality all the while not having long breaks between updates. At the time I write this I have 9 chapters of material revamped and at the ready, and that is only going to rise.
Once the fic is completely written, the scheduled updates will be coming weekly as opposed to monthly.
I look forward to seeing you there in "Saw: The Trials of Minato Sahashi - Retrial"
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A/N:
Phen0m20:
Hey guys, it's been a while hasn't it? You're probably wondering where we've been and/or what we've been doing. Lets just say we had some trials of our own to work out before we were able to give this story our all. Now that they're taken care of and the leash has been let loose, we will be going all in on this story from start to finish. And I mean start to finish. I'll elaborate on what I mean by that in the ending note. Hope you guys all enjoy!
mordreek:
Grief is a luxury that some can ill afford...and grudges more so. The past can be a foundation or a chain, but which will it be for those who survived the last trial?
The Clown King of Chaos:
Salutations dearly devoted audience. Yknow, I have always wondered why authors use plurals in these. I mean, it's not like you're all reading this together. Then again, some of you may be in pairs so it might be appropriate. I've gotten off track here. We have returned, and are back on track. Good to be back in this saddle. I say "this saddle" because all of us have other projects on our minds, both group and solo. But worry not. This is priority number one.
Apprehension
3:05:12... 3:05:11...3:05:09...
Minato could hardly walk, his legs feeling like they were made of solid lead as he tried to wrap his mind around what just happened. .
First Kusano, now Kazehana. Not a half hour after rescuing her, she was taken from him. Right after he saved her, she had saved them both by giving everything she had left. Now she was gone and there was nothing he could do about it, no second chances or opportunities to make things right. Nothing but forge ahead and not fuck things up again. The rest of his flock needed him, they were counting on him and he had to remain strong for their sake. But that didn't keep the sorrow from flowing down his face at the loss of the woman that never judged him or expected him to change.
Tears poured from his eyes like wax down a melting candle, staining his cheeks with salt even as the next tears washed it further down. Even Benitsubasa's change of heart hadn't been enough to calm the young ronin, instead giving his mind something to focus on, his expression slowly but surely growing darker.
Benitsubasa's mind flashed back to the moment she offered Kazehana her antidote, a lump forming in her throat. The one they pulled out of that bloated corpse, the one she had been afraid to use and offered out of that fear. If Kazehana hadn't been so stubborn, so determined to make a point, if only she would have just accepted it, things probably would be different. She would have made it and the windba- Kazehana would be snuggling with her 'love muffin' even now.
But Kazehana put the team ahead of herself in every way possible. For the sake of Minato...and for her own. It bothered Benitsu that she couldn't repay the gesture, that she had to have this guilt and responsibility hanging around her neck like another shock collar.
She made an effort to walk along Minato's side with a hand upon his shoulder as a way of giving him consolidation, feeling the muscles in his back as hard as a wall from sheer tension. His hair hanging limply over his face which, combined with the ambient lack of lighting, kept his expression shrouded. She kept up her silent observations though, not wanting to risk him doing anything out of grief and loss.
As she did so in the hush, she came to admire that in spite of the recent tragedy, and the overwhelming sadness she could almost feel brewing in his bruised chest, he still kept going. If she had been told he had this determination at the start, back when they met on that bridge, she would have laughed herself sick in scorn.
Kami, that was only a few months ago, she found herself realizing with a start, And still it feels like so freaking long ago when all I had to worry about was everyone having a bigger chest than me and breaking the rules.
This brought her back to the spats she had only just had with Kazehana and the various...terms she had given her elder's endowments, making Benitsubasa wince. She couldn't help but feel petty and small now that the woman was gone, leaving her love to the brawler's protection.
She steeled herself and nodded. I guess making sure Minato gets out of this hellhole alive would be thanks enough. She gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze, trying to give him a bit of support that she hoped wouldn't be as patronizing as offering her condolences or some shit.
Then Minato suddenly halted his steps and stood in place. Benitsubasa had felt the shift in his body language, the surge in trembling that could only come from pent up emotion and energy.
She stopped with him, not letting go of his shoulder and dipped her head to the side in the hopes of getting a better glimpse of his face. "Minato?"
Minato's neck sank down and he tightly clenched his fists, "Benitsu...stop it." His voice was low, barely more than a whisper, but like its own, it too was tense and harsh.
"Huh?" Benitsubasa couldn't decipher what the ronin was asking of her, she hated when people made vague requests like that. She decided to wait for clarification and still kept her hand firm on his shoulder. "Stop what, exactly?"
"Stop acting as if you care!" His nails dug deep into his flesh as he shouted, his shoulder jumping in an attempt to buck her off. "GET OFF ME!"
Like a startled rabbit, Benitsubasa pulled her hand away and jumped back a good foot from him. Not since the trial he rescued her in was the venom in his voice so vicious and a part of her couldn't help but feel hurt that he felt that way about her again.
"What do you mean? I do care!" she protested half-heartedly, only to have this person she had come to see as a teammate continue to lose it,
She could see the tears continue to cascade down his features as he roared on. "No you don't! You never did!" he choked, causing her to wince at the pain in his voice. "You're just acting like this because you need me to help rescue your Ashikabi! You couldn't care less about the fact that Kazehana's dead! All you care about is yourself!"
"That's not true, Minato!" She couldn't hide the twinge of guilt his words evoked though, as that had been her outlook at the start of their partnership.
"Yes it is! Stop your fucking lies!" The strain in his voice was more than apparent, causing it to break and crack. Every word shouted ripped through his bruised ribs like a bolt of lightning she was sure but it didn't seem to matter to him, incomparable to the pain of his love's loss. "Don't you dare try to take advantage of the situation I'm in!"
"I'm not taking advantage of you at all, calm down! Please!" Benitsubasa was getting worried, none of the Discipline Squad were trained in grief counseling or any counseling really, so she had no idea how to handle Minato's outright meltdown and lashing out. She couldn't just bluster and threaten, else he might snap and take everyone with him.
"I will not calm down! I loved Kazehana! W-we were supposed to start a family together with the others, and n-now she's gone forever!" He began hiccuping and gasping, his breathing becoming more erratic the longer he went on. Benitsubasa felt her fingers twitch out of a lack of any sure options of how to calm him and she just hoped he would trust in her change of heart, speaking in a calm and what she hoped was a steady tone like she had seen on TV once,
"I know you loved her. And I'm sorry things turned out the way they had, I'm upset about her loss too."
That did not go over well with Minato, who immediately got right in Benitsubasa's face and seemed determined to melt her face through sheer outrage and infuriated yelling,
"No, you're fucking not! You even openly admitted to hating her during her game! Don't act as if you know my fucking pain and play off it thinking you'll be rewarded in the end with a happy ending with your bastard Ashikabi! Don't you fucking dare!"
"What was that, runt?!" Benitsubasa snapped, all thoughts of calming and comforting him gone with the verbal assault against the man she was Destined for. She grabbed him by the collar and slammed his back against the wall, causing him to cough. She leaned her face to his, so close that their noses nearly touch. "Bastard Ashikabi?! Alright, now you've gone too far!"
Although she balled her fist and held it at eye level, this didn't make Minato cower in the slightest. His tear-streaked expression exhibited no fear, in fact he welcomed her retaliation, lifting his chin in a blatant challenge. "Go on and hit me already! You know you want to! You've been wanting to ever since we were paired up so get it over with! But see how far that gets you!"
Benitsubasa's raged cooled and fast as she realized the tactic for what it was, using her to try to numb the pain of his grief with a new flavor. She still hated the insult to Natsuo but she wasn't going let it keep her from forgetting what needed to be done now.
She shook him by the collar a few times to try and jostle some sense into him, "You don't honestly believe that all those times were me being serious, do you? Can't you tell when I'm just fucking with you?" Calming hadn't worked, so she might as well try direct confrontation, at least this way she was playing to her strengths
"You know what, no. I can't. I fucking can't!" he yelled, lips lashing out bullets of saliva onto Benitsu's face. "And that's due in part to you being so damn angry and condescending all the fucking time! You never let up with the insults towards me or anybody! You never try to get along with anyone! And FYI, you don't chuck a dead man's heart at someone if you're simply 'fucking' with them!"
This made Benitsu growl, not in anger, but in realization. Her fist shook and it sailed forward, to blast through the wall, missing his head by mere inches. She wanted to hit him, to snarl that he didn't know what she was talking about, but Minato was right. She had been rotten, both to the man who saved her and to his Sekirei. Sure she had a grudge against Kazehana, but here she is an ally.
Was, was an ally she corrected herself. Kazehana's death drove home something that had only been a possibility for Benitsu and Minato before.
That every person involved from Minato, herself, to everyone in the building, they could die at any time. Just because they complete a trial or two didn't mean their lives were assured. They were in Jigsaw's game, Jigsaw's world and would remain until they reached the end.
Any moments of freedom they experienced in the meantime would be pure illusions.
The embers of Benitsubasa's temper cooled and she relinquished her grip of Minato's shirt, letting him drop back to his feet. She couldn't blame him for lashing out, considering she'd been doing that since he had first set her free.
Minato simply turned on his heel and said no more, his teeth clenched in anger as he stormed off, whether at her punch or that she hadn't actually hit him it was unclear.
Benitsubasa kept pace with him, slow still despite his anger, and gave him his space as she did so. Hot tempered she might be but she did learn, and she rarely repeated her mistakes.
But she couldn't just leave things like this between them either, their fighting wouldn't do either of them any good, so she had to make up and make up fast. "Alright, alright, enough of the silence treatment. Point taken. Look, I'm really sorry. Honestly. I was just trying to get you moving along. You were too slow and I was anxious to get the cure."
And I couldn't stand feeling helpless again she thought to herself after, suppressing a shudder at the way her trap had been set and it still remained vivid in her memory.
"That doesn't justify anything." Minato retorted sternly. "And I'll go at my own damn pace." His voice was calmer now she notice. It was still seething with anger, but he wasn't jumping down her throat like earlier.
Benitsu noticed something else about her erstwhile partner. Although Minato was choked up, he wasn't blubbering. Why wasn't he? He just lost his Sekirei and yet from Benitsubasa's reckoning he was very composed all things considering,
"Ya know, you're handling this better than anyone would expect you to." This proved to be another dose of her foot as MInato whirled around to face her once more,
"Well how do you expect me to handle it?! Do you want me to break down?! Curl up into a fetal position and start rocking back and forth like an asylum patient?! Is that what you want?!"
"I never said I wanted you to do anything like that!" Benitsubasa argued, the light in his eyes worrying her deeply. She could see he would do it, if pushed hard enough, and a part of her felt impressed that he could still go on despite that.
"We all have our ways of dealing with death. I have mine, and you have yours. It's as simple as that." Minato began to turn away once more but stopped when she gave another stab at reconciliation.
"I get it, and I told you this when we first met up in this place, but I'm sorry. Again." Benitsubasa inhaled and breathed out a deep sigh. "I admit, when the two of us first paired up, I was only tagging along with you as a means to an end. Because I had no other choice. But the more I saw of you in action, the more respect I gained for you. Whether it be for putting your past grudges with me aside and saving my life…"
~o~O~o~
Minato walked over to the buttons on the wall, his hand hovering between them. "I will not forgive you..."
The broken bird cried out to him. "PLEASE! DON'T!"
...
After a moment of moral reflection, he made his decision. "...but I will not kill you either."
Minato drew his arm back and slammed his fist into the green button at the eight-second mark, ultimately choosing to spare Benitsubasa's life. Whether or not his decision was a wise one however, had yet to be seen.
Benitsubasa continued. "...or even stabbing that pigheaded dead-beat's hand in place so I could pound his face into oblivion."
~o~O~o~
She leapt onto the defeated henchman and began pounding his head into ruin. The helpless animal weakly reached for the crowbar he had dropped, only to be denied as Minato drove the tip of the field general's ebony knife through his palm, pinning the limb to the floor with his body weight.
"End it, Benitsu! Please!" he weakly shouted.
Minato immediately clamped his eyes shut and turned away as she savagely beat the boar's face into a pulpy mass of fractured skull and meat. His heart sank and eyes tightened with every violent thumping contact her fist made. Even when it was clear he was dead, she just kept laying into that snouted, greasey mass until her knuckles began to bleed beneath her fingerless gloves and his remains splattered upon Minato's body.
When her anger finally subsided, the unknown man's head was almost completely flat. Minato was thanking God the mask was still intact…he could only imagine what gory horror lay beneath it.
"I know it may not seem like it given the way I've acted and treated you, but I've grown to admire you a lot." she concluded.
Minato wiped away some tears from his bloodshot eyes with the swipe of his shirt's cuff. "If that's so," he sniffed. "then prove it."
"Then allow me to start with this."
Minato's eyes widened in shock as Benitsubasa threw herself at him, enveloping his body in a tight embrace. She didn't put her whole body into it, but the message was more than clear.
"Ow, not so hard, Benitsu! My ribs still hurt!"
"Oh, sorry." she let up a little bit, releasing the pressure of her arms around his abdomen. With her head nuzzling by his ear, she says, "I know I've been an ass to you and your Sekirei. A lot of the shit I've done was unforgivable, but I do want to try and make amends. That's why I was willing to give up my own antidote for your Sekirei's sake. I'm a miserable hothead, and I'm sorry for it. I'll do my best to keep that feisty part of me in check from here on out. But no promises. If something really pisses me off, you and everyone will hear about it."
She would be lying if a part of her didn't feel like she was cheating on Natsuo, but if there was one thing she took away from seeing Kazehana and Minato together, was that he cared. And right now, she needed that as much as he needed the support and venting.
Minato's body had frozen up the moment she said those words. He wanted to push her aside, to stay angry at her because she survived and his love hadn't...but that wouldn't be what Kazehana would want for him, for her death to leave him bitter and miserable. So as she began to wind down, he put his arms around her as well. They both needed someone now, a friend, a shoulder to cry on. He had a feeling that Kazehana would haunt him if he denied anyone, even himself, that comfort.
Then she said one more thing. "This might not mean much to you, but Kazehana was right about you, you're a real cutie. Especially that pretty fine ass."
Clamping his misty eyes shut, Minato snorted ruefully. Kazehana had never been subtle about how she found his body attractive, and he was in no way surprised that she had gossiped about him with Benitsu, despite their animosity. When he was able to collect himself, he spoke again. "Alright, I believe you. I'll give you another chance, I should know how hard it is to change overnight. And for the record, you're pretty cute yourself, I never understood why you felt inferior to the others."
Benitsubasa flushed a pink as bright as her hair, very thankful that the darkness kept it hidden for the most part. As much as she appreciated hearing the sincere complement, it still made her feel very mixed up inside. Why could he, a person that literally hated her not a few hours ago, find it so easy to speak well of her, to understand her, but the person that had made her heart race couldn't muster up the most basic of affection for her. She shouldn't be feeling anything for this man but respect, she reminded herself, and resolved to keep things professional between them.
She backed away from the embrace and patted her gloved hands upon Minato's shoulders. "Glad to hear it. Now let's move onto the next hellhole," she offers him her hand. "together."
Minato nods, clapping his hand into her gloved palm. Their thumbs intertwine, and the urban handshake pulls them in close, eye to eye. "Right, together."
The two wandered through the abandoned university hallways side by side, peering into every room that they pass by in search for some kind of clue or sign of the next 'level' in their captor's 'game'. Neither spoke, having worn themselves out emotionally after their mutual venting. The lights for the most part functioned, casting enough light to prevent the shadows from inhibiting their search, not enough to remove the gloom that seemed to permeate the building. It was easy to see the difference between the areas Jigsaw used for his tests and the parts his band of thugs couldn't be bothered to help with, the walls surrounding them either caving in or covered in peeling wallpaper and mold.
Minato was glad they had a timetable for once; prolonged exposure to these spores would not be good on any human system and he had no desire to test Sekirei lungs on them either...even ones that could do with a bit less yelling.
Although given some catharsis by their earlier incident, Minato couldn't help but worry about Benitsubasa's state of mind. Despite the fatal end it took, being reunited with Kazahana had given Minato something denied to his erstwhile pinkette partner, namely a respite from the worry and the stress over the fate of his loved ones. As much as he had fretted over the rest of his flock, having...her with him gave him a sense of comfort and support.
She's strong Minato thought to himself But no one can be strong forever.
XXXXXX
Benitsubasa had drifted ahead in the search, the unspoken agreement being that she'd take point in case of traps. The blowup earlier had an unintentional effect on her, namely a reminder that Natsu was waiting for her to save him. Seeing Minato lose Kazehana after they had worked so hard to bring her back reminded her she couldn't take his continued existence for granted and she needed to work her ass off to get him back.
Not that I have much of one to begin with She groused mentally, the thoughts of Natsuo returning her mind to a very well-worn rut. Maybe once I save him it won't matter. The others are never any help, all they do is laugh at me for wanting some fucking affection from the man I love. Why is that a crime?
Despite the broken record style thoughts winding their way through her brain, Benitsubasa was still using all 5, although some would say being a psychic race gave them six, senses to keep aware of what was going on.
Which led her to notice Minato's gaze on her and she glanced over her shoulder at him to inquire, "Hey, what's up?" She wouldn't let herself be called rude, but it felt like the kid had been staring at the for the past five minutes.
Minato thought about playing it off, but discarded the thought quickly. Last thing they needed was lies of any kind muddying the waters, "I was just worrying about you."
Benitsubasa gave a snort, rolling her eyes at him the while, "Save the concern for someone who needs it. Don't get me wrong, it's nice of you, but you and I got a lot more to worry about than each other."
Minato shrugged awkwardly, not really wanting to argue the point, "Fair enough I suppose. I guess I was just trying to distract myself from..." his voice faded away, not able to even mouth the words of his loss.
Benitsubasa sighed gently and made a 'come on' gesture over her left shoulder, "I can't blame you for that, but you think you could distract yourself by keeping an eye out like you're supposed to while we keep moving? Lot more people going to die if we don't, ourselves included."
And on that cheery note Minato narrated mentally, they continued on again, both a little more tense and a little more anxious as the thoughts they were trying to ignore pressed on their minds like the very walls of the building.
XXXXXX
After checking at least another dozen or so rooms, each one more broken down and decayed then the last, they finally came to stop at an T-shaped intersection. On the wall across from them was a large red arrow pointing down toward the east end of the hall, where the few working lights flickered fitfully.
The paint was bright and fresh to the point where the sight of it was jarring against the muted colors of the dying ediface like a fresh blood spatter on an old corspe. The unlikely pair looked at each other and a mutual nod was shared between them. Apparently Jigsaw was not expecting a great deal of mental cunning from them if this was the kind of 'subtle hint' they could expect. Without a shred of obscurity , the arrow pointed the two down the corridor like cattle to the slaughter.
Just like Jigsaw no doubt intended.
A set of large, steel double doors met them at the end of it. Above them lettering labeled the room as an 'auditorium', and smeared on the doors in gory Kanji was the message "Apprehension". Beyond its threshold was their next trial. It had to be.
Benitsubasa gave her neck a swift crack to the shoulders as her glance points toward the ronin.
"Oh yeah, I shouldn't kick down doors, right?"
"Wait a second." Minato nodded and scooted himself to the left. "By all means, squash anyone stupid enough to stand behind them...and in our way." he added with an exaggerated flourish.
Benitsubasa gave his a bloodthirsty, and dare she admit it, an approving grin as she popped her knuckles, "Don't mind if I do."
The door's metal hinges snapped as Benitsubasa's boot mercilessly slammed into the center of the double doors, the doors themselves falling to the ground with an reverberating *BANG!*. Once Minato removed the fingers from his ears, they both checked the edges of the fallen entrance, morbidly hoping to see some blood from an unsuspecting 'ham head' as Kazehana had idly dubbed them. Mildly disappointed by the clean floor they were confronted with, Minato and Benitsubasa wandered inside.
Fortunately for them both there was no rigged device placed to impale or blow them to bits, although if there had been such in the room they would have been triggered by Benitsu's...discrete move, so Minato supposed the point was rather moot.
Just above them on the wall was a timer, likely connected to the door that was kicked open. It started its countdown at twenty minutes, and to its left and right were two branching paths, both ominously silent and dark.
20:00...19:59...19:58…
Below the timer was a multitude of glowing red question marks and two arrows, one pointing to the left and the other to the right that lit up shortly after the timer itself, further cementing the fact that this was the latest 'game'.
"So, which way should we go?" Benitsubasa questioned aloud, voice echoing in the empty room. She could tell that even without a light, the room they were in was pretty bereft of anything inside it with the way her voice bounced all over the place. She felt pretty safe in assuming it was meant to make them feel small and unsure before the test, at least that's what time with the 'Professor' taught her.
"Something tells me we're going to have to split up." Even before she could grimace Minato continued on and voiced her pending objections, " Then again, that might just be Jigsaw playing with our heads considering the question marks. I'm not sure if it'll make any difference, but I say we head to the right. We don't have a lot of time and at the very least you can move faster than me and go back to the left side if we are wrong."
He gave a sour look at the steadily sinking timer, "Not like we have a lot of space to be picky."
Benitsu grunted, shaking her head in disagreement, "it's a nice idea in theory, but you're forgetting the puppet's penchant for slamming doors in place. So we can't risk us both going down the same path." Seeing Minato pause as the idea took hold, Benitsu kept going, "I think in this case we're over thinking things and you had it right the first time, we split up. Place is pretty damn empty so we should be able to hear each other, and if we're lucky Jigsaw'll have something so we can at least screw each other over clearly." She rolled her eyes at Minato lack of amusement with her gallows humor,
"We gotta laugh sometime kiddo."
Minato shrugged listlessly, "I'll laugh when I get us all out of here safe."
"Hey!" Benitsubasa barked, "'When we us all out of here safe', didn't we just go over this, we're a team remember?!" She didn't like that he was already starting to isolate himself, something she was gathering he did as a basic defense mechanism. Maybe out there it could work, but in here..."We already lost a minute here, let's just get to the end of these tunnels and if there's something we can use to talk great. If not, then we get to shout a lot."
With that she strode off to the left, leaving Minato to his initial choice of which path to take, her steps rapidly growing fainter the more she went further in.
"Yippee for shouting." Minato whispered to himself, before taking long and steady strides down his own tunnel, feeling the darkness closing in around him as he left the light of the timer and Benitsubasa's cadenced steps.
18:57...18:56...18:55…
XXXXXX
As they progress onward in their lonely walks, the two start to hear a very peculiar hissing noise coming from their left and right, respectively. Benitsubasa wondered just what kind of place it was, the ceiling and walls covered in pipes that seems to either run along the walls entirely, or disappeared into the depths of the building. Maybe we finally hit the boiler room she mused to herself dourly, and me without my pork dumplings.
Minato for his part just wondered how any of it was still running considering the level of entropy that seemed to be taking hold. Entropy that seemed to ignore the partition between he and his pinkette partner, if the shining edges at the top and bottom were anything to go by. Once again he felt so utterly confused, why was he worth doing this to? Why was it worth killing people like Kazehana to teach him a lesson. He pushed down the rising rage at that train of thought, needing all his focus and awareness for the challenge ahead. But when he got to Jigsaw, not if, when. When he got to the bastard, there would be a reckoning.
Both of the pair noticed that there was a spike in temperature, the further they went it. Said heat was radiating off a straight, rusty pipe that most if not all of the other pipes fed into, and along it were five evenly spaced valve wheels stretching down towards a dead end where a lever was placed. Minato and Benitsubasa didn't take long to figure out they were about to be in some seriously hot water with this 'game.' but the lack of screens or tapes left them at a loss as to how to proceed, made all the worse by their isolation from each other. It might not have been long, but their time in the 'games' had left them used to relying on each other to an extent, and the lack of that former presence made them...off kilter.
The lights, as usual, were either broken or dying. All this effort to torture us but kami forbid our eyesight should be safe from his deprivations, Minato whined. He knew it was a childish concern compared to everything else going on, but to Minato it seemed to sum up Jigsaw's spiteful inconsistency perfectly at the moment.
Minato took the time to inspect the surroundings further, being very careful not to touch anything initially. He couldn't see any slots or depressions that would indicate where a tape would be or the player, but that didn't mean anything in this pit. He worked his way to the wall to his left and quickly noted something was off about it. It looked...bumpy. He got closer and saw that it wasn't solid at all, but in actuality was a chain link fence. He moved slowly towards it, he didn't know how small the holes were in the links and there were plenty projectiles that Jigsaw could have rigged. Once he made it next to the wall, he gave it a good shake and quickly moved to the side out of any potential line of fire. After waiting for a counted twenty second, the most time he would allow himself, he moved back to the fence wall and peered in.
At first he couldn't seen anything but then leaned closer and saw the reason for the extreme heat that had been steadily dampening his clothes. Although he could barely make it out in the darkness, he could see a jet of scalding hot steam erupting from the pipe and outward into the pitch black void. He also saw some parts of the pipe looked thicker than others, almost like nuts or... plates or something. His lack of interest in engineering had to pick now to bite him in the ass of course.
Self flagellation put aside, Minato looked beyond the steam and darkness and thought he could see into the other side of the wall. The more he focused and his night vision adapted, the more he could quickly pick out a rapidly impatient Benitsubasa who was tapping her foot while glowering at the lever in front of her. And before he could shout at her that he could see her or get her to stop, Benitsubasa grabbed hold of the lever and pulled...
XXXXXX
(three minutes prior.)
Benitsubasa stomped forward, giving the tunnel around her a cursory glance now and again but otherwise letting her instincts take the fore as the fighter made her way further in. She knew Jigsaw wouldn't put any traps right now, not before he had a chance to wind them up a bit more.
Fuck, how does Minato deal with having to get inside this sicko's head without becoming even more of a basket case? She mentally asked herself, once again grudgingly impressed with the guy she had originally seen as the avatar of Uke.
Shaking her head to reset her thoughts, Benitsubasa soon came to a similar set up to the one Minato had found himself faced with, only reversed so the valves were on the left and the chain wall on the right. A thorough but rapid search found her area bereft of any further clues or hints beyond the large floor lever smack-dab in front of her,
"Gee, I wonder what this does? Summon the pudding Kami maybe?" She snarked out loud to the empty hall. She looked up at the ceiling again and noticed a few areas where there were almost indiscernible seems, evenly spaced like lights or walls. If she hadn't been a Winged Sekirei, she probably wouldn't have noticed them, but she had and now she needed to decide if it was worth the risk to test out the lever.
Fuck it¸ she decided after a moment, We don't have the time to waste and I can always make a run for it a lot better than the pipsqueak. Yes she had promised not to call him that, but he was still tiny and made some amusing noises when pressed. Wiping the smile the memories of his 'eeps' had caused away, she braced herself as she reached for the lever. If something happened, she was going to be damn sure she was ready to move if everything went to shit.
*thunk* She gave a firm but not hard pull...and nothing happened, although Benitusbasa thought she heard Minato calling her-
Minato had tried warning her to stop her from pulling the lever, but she had evidently not heard a word. Minato cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. "Beni! Can you hear me?!"
"It's Benitsu!" Was the prompt and irked response from the Sekirei, as was the smack against the link-wall on her side
"Hah." Minato laughed to himself, I knew that would work. "Can you hear me now?"
"Yeah, yeah, just speak up so I don't have to strain over this fucking broken pipe ok? Why ya asking, is there a problem over where you are? Need me to kick another door down or something?" She peered through the barriers between them and saw that Minato at least looked unharmed. She felt a chill run down her spine when she realized that the lever could have done something to Minato if Jigsaw had been so inclined. She'd let her impatience risk their chances again.
Minato's words jolted her back into focus again, "No, not at all. In fact, here's another lever here just like you said there'd be! I think we need to pull them both at the same time." Minato saw Benitsubasa's expression brighten up only to immediately fall down into suspicion,
"You sure about this, pip-, er... I mean Minato? We'll probably be trapped like rats again, and if that's the case I won't be able to protect you from whatever hog-headed horror these levers might let out." Minato nodded at Benitsu's fear of being trapped but kept going,
"That's a risk we have to take, Benitsu. If that twenty-minute timer goes down to zero, I doubt the results will be pretty." Despite the grimace that distorted her features, Benitsu nodded in turn,
"Okay, fair enough."
The two of them met each other's eyes as they walked over to their respective levers, tension building as they reached out,
"Got a good grip, pipsqueak?" she winced minutely as she failed to catch herself this time.
"It's Minato! And yeah, I do.. On three, we'll pull them. Ready?" It was harder to see each other from their positions next to the levers, but Benitsu thought she saw Minato swallow nervously.
"I'm ready."
"Okay...One...Two...Three."
They yanked the levers back in unison. Not long after the sounds of gears shifted echoed around them, a blaring siren went off, and rotating beacon lights dropped out of the ceiling to revolve and flash above their heads. The assault on their senses had the pair covering their ears and squinting before their attention was shifted to a more troubling occurrence.
A series of five gates crashed down behind both of their corridors one after the other in rapid succession, but slowly enough for both to see that each space contained one of the valves they noticed earlier. Benitsu remembered the seams she had seen earlier and cursed that she'd been right about their being trapped, just what the hell were they going to have to go through now?
Hidden under the cover of the blaring siren, a third voice feebly called out from beyond their respective enclosures,
"Huh? W-what's going on?! Where am I?!" the new, gravely voice cried out, it's timbre would have marked it as female to anyone who heard it. Not that it mattered much as her moans were drowned out by the cacophony anyway. Not to mention Benitsu and Minato still had their hands tightly pressed inward on their ears it was so incessantly noisy. Benitsubasa's superior hearing made the ordeal twice as painful to endure and she wondered if blood was going to start dripping if it kept up any longer.
The metal wall behind the levers slid up to reveal various spotlights flaring to prominence in a square room with a single silhouette that was frustratingly shadowed from their eyes, the flashing lights rendering their night vision null and void. Both however, couldn't shake off the vague feeling of familiarity that crept up inside them as they watched the hidden figure struggle.
The siren's wail soon mercifully died down and their struggles to see were aided by a bright light directly over a very recognizable person to them both...
"Haihane?!" Benitsubasa shouts, slamming a fist into the chain fence to call her attention.
"Beni! Is that you?! What's going on?! Where am I? What is all this?!" The Blue Sekirei cried out. She was bound to a badly-aged wooden chair, much like Minato was when he first woke up, her tattered coat missing but her body still covered by her body wrap of bandages. Her hair was matted and greasy, suggesting she had not been allowed to clean herself for at least a half a day or more to Benitsubasa, who knew despite her clothes her coworker was fairly fastidious about her hygiene thanks to her habit of cutting herself accidentally.
Tears soon streak Haihane's pale complexion, the stress and confusion of her current situation getting to her. Letting out a loud shriek of anxiety she moved to stand up to better see her pinkette Discipline Squad member only to have her hands jerk to a stop with blinding pain after they reached a certain point vertically. She sat back down and carefully raised her aching limbs up to her line of vision... and saw the reason for her agony, "W-what happened to my hands?!" she demanded of the empty room around her, forgetting her audience for a moment as she examined her extremities.
From her fingers blood welled out from where they met her claws, her once familiar weapons having brutally turned upon their wielder . Red droplets steadily dripped into an ever growing bloody puddle at her feet, another sign that she'd been there for some time. Her hands twitched with painful shivers no matter how much she to suppress the urge, causing the flow of lifeblood to increase with every tremble .
Her saturated eyes tried to see her teammate, but the intense light from directly above and the rest of the room being cloaked in darkness made that a fool's attempt and increased the feeling of isolation that had come over her the moment she had awakened, Benitsubasa's response notwithstanding.
But she if she looked down and away from the light, she could see a message sprawled out on the floor in front of her in large crimson letters,
'DON'T MOVE'
The Kanji was at least a yard in length, the better to catch her eye once she awakened no doubt. Her mind told her body to obey, but the excruciating pain coming from her fingers made that impossible for it to perform, leaving her arms as conductors of her torture.
To Benitsubasa and Minato, they saw nothing but her signature claws in their usual spot at the ends of her hands. But the blood flowing out of them and down her always-bandaged arms was a sign that this was a very different story. One that stripped away the comedy of past interactions with the Sekirei and showed only a young woman hurting.
To Haihane, it felt like her flesh was being violated to the very bones of her fingers, metal scrapping every time her muscles convulsed and drawing helpless sounds from her chapped and dry lips.
Minato's eyes were filled with horror that increased the more he took in the scene before him. First thing he noticed about Haihane was that the studded black collar she always adorned was present her neck but that now a thick cable was hooked into the back of it, taunt and ready to pull back at any second if he was seeing things right. Judging by his own experience with Jigsaw's games and research into his past exploits, moving her head would start the horror show or possibly kill her, neither option having any appeal to Minato.
Four games in particular came to his mind in a flash in which, if memory served him right, had ended with at least 2 of the victims dying at the end of the games...very bad odds to be facing under the clock like they were at the present Minato thought to himself. This was going to be tricky to pull off and Haihane's mental state would not help, they needed to get her calm and fast or at least willing to listen.
He looked over to his companions side and was not encouraged by what he saw in her...
Right off he could see that a scowl had emerged on Benitsu's face as she chewed on her bottom lip, although that could have been simply from Haihane using the name but Minato doubted that. Something was clearly troubling her as the look she was giving Haihane at this moment was that of apathy, if not consideration. While Minato's interactions with them had been limited, he couldn't imagine what could have happened to cause them to go from teasing/bickering to this...utter lack of concern.
Minato couldn't dwell on the puzzle for long, as Haihane was starting to get more and more agitated,
"HAIHANE! DON'T. MOVE." Minato shouted as he curled his fingers over the links in the fence, overcompensating after the siege his eardrums had been subjected to.
"Who is that?!" Haihane's torso jolted forwards from her seat, her head swerving in all directions as she tried to make out the two shadowy figures in the blackened abyss before her. "How do you know my name?! Show yourself!" The voice was that of a male... And sounded vaguely familiar but her mind was too full of terror to firmly remember who he was.
She heard his voice again a moment later, his words...less than encouraging, "Listen to me! Keep your head straight and up and against the chair! And for the love of all that is holy, don't panic or struggle too much!"
At those words, the Blue Sekirei became hyper-aware of the coarse feeling on her neck, making her swallow reflexively. The collar around her throat was pulling her back, albeit slightly with how far she was from the back of the chair. She promptly thought of running her fingers along the collar to verify her suspicions, but the reality of her situation made that a moot point. No matter what sensation the her unwanted motif would give, it had zero chance of besting the agony in her fingertips. So she suppressed the urge and instead chose another tack.
She turned her head around, slowly in case movement triggered...something, and horror filled her eyes to the brim and overflowed in the form of fresh tears. From the collar she wore, a cable jutted from behind it and beyond that was a mounted razor. Below it was a basket ready to catch her severed head. Haihane's face drained of blood as she realized that she was sitting in a convoluted guillotine!
In a panic, she ignored the pain in her hands and fingers and attempted to use her claws to cut the cable and free herself...but no matter how much she tried, her evidently dulled blades made no effect, amping up her terror with each failure, her breath panting out in gasps and grunts.
"Haihane! Please stop!" Minato pleaded, his eyes darting about the area, "If you keep doing that you might start the-"
The sound of electricity ripples through the air as a spotlight drags it's beam away from it's attempt to give Haihane a tan and goes off the side of the room seemingly at random... This illusion of chance is dispelled the moment it falls upon a life sized model of the dreaded Billy doll,
"...game." Minato's spine slouches in defeat, causing his forehead to rest against the fence. Too late to do any planning now Minato thought to himself morosely. He couldn't blame Haihane for getting scared and triggering the latest trial, but he'd be lying if he didn't feel that a chance had been wasted.
Benitsubasa on the other hand, was all too willing to blame her former partner, her gloves cracking under the pressure of her increasing grip. Once again, she was going to have to clean up after Haihane's mess, just like she always did.
Haihane's gaze homed in on the doll as it began its sardonic greeting, unaware of the various thoughts of her two potential allies,
"Greetings, Haihane, let's play a little game shall we? Thanks to the inception of the third Discipline Squad you've been given the advantages few others have enjoyed. The advantage of becoming the judge, jury, and executioner of those deemed as a threat to the Sekirei Plan's order, of those Minaka deemed unworthy of his own "Grand Plan". But through poor moral decisions you, as well as your colleagues have used these advantages to further yourselves in that self-same plan at the expense of your fellow Sekirei, and in turn, the innocent. Now it is your turn to be on the receiving end of punishment, to know the helplessness that you dealt out so slovenly and carelessly."
From far above, warm-colored lights beam upon Minato & Benitsu's chambers, causing them to shield their eyes until they grew used to the lighting and framing them to aid Haihane's ability to distinguish them,
"As you can see, you are not alone here, for the survivors of the previous tests are here to help you...Or are they?"
The twisted mockery of a puppet seemed to pause at this, giving the trapped Reaper a chance to fully comprehend her helplessness, "The moment they entered this room, a timer has been activated. You will have less than twenty minutes to convince these individuals that you are indeed worthy of saving, worthy of redemption. No doubt you have discovered the cable that runs through your collar. It is design to create so much tension and pressure, that when activated the collar you wear will decapitate you with the mounted razor located just beyond the nape of your neck."
Haihane's hyperactive senses immediately zeroed on the feeling of said razor, causing her tears to fall freely once more and her lips to dry in dread, "The only way to remove the collar, Haihane, is by reaching the opposite end of the stage in front of you and inserting the keys into the lock."
Another spot light drags itself several yards in front of Haihane, passing through five intense jets of white-hot steam that shot out of the floor in front of her the moment it passed by them. Upon the wall beyond them was the lock in theory, but this wasn't a normal lock. This one had ten holes set in a metal panel in the wall, five on each side corresponding to Haihane's fingers coming together in a seemingly innocent arc,
"Doing so will release both you and your would-be saviors. But this will be easier said than done, however, as these five jets of scalding hot steam block your path and will continue to do so as long as the game remains in play. The moment you move from that seat, on the other hand, a ninety second timer will begin signifying how much time you have to make it past the current steam block in your way." At this Haihane turned to the puppet in outrage at such an arbitrary and rapid time allotment, forgetting it was merely a prop she could not emotionally reach,
"The only way to reach your destination without having your skin seared off is with the help of the individuals who stand trapped to your right and left respectively in the rooms above. Inside their chambers are valves which can redirect the steam and allow you passage to your redemption." Haihane waited for the catch to this supposed break being offered to her...it was not long in coming,
"However, doing this will redirect the steam into their own chambers, and thus injure them instead. A degree of teamwork will be needed to accomplish this task, as the temperature of the steam can be cut in half if Minato and his accomplices turn their respective valves together." Haihane looked up and could only see two blurry figures above her, and guessed that the others Jigsaw was alluding too were farther back and out of her line-of-sight,
" I must stress, however, that not only are the valves directly linked to the pipes venting steam, they also act as a winch to open the way to the next valve. Only by turning each valve completely can you all hope to find success here. That is, if you choose to not wait out the twenty minute timer. Once that timer ends its countdown, it will be considered game over for you, Haihane. Minato and company will be freed and allowed passage to the next trial, but the collar will pull you to your grave." Haihane let out an involuntary whimper at the idea of whoever this "Minato" was watching her die, it reminded her too much of how Natsuo got sometimes when he and Karasuba were together on a job.
Minato… That name sounded familiar to the Reaper Sekirei but recognition still eluded her as her mind kept coming back to the fact that if she wasn't helped...she was dead and gone.
All spotlights focused on Haihane now, and more particularly her hands. Likewise the doll spoke up once more, removing any confusion as to what her immediate fate might be.
"Look long and hard upon your hands, Haihane, for the keys to your freedom are located on them; your very claws. You must insert your claws into the locks and twist them until the locks are undone. Doing so will earn your freedom, but there will be a price for your liberation. During the time you were unconscious, your fingernails were surgically rooted to the very claws you've used to hurt so many with, including yourself."
Haihane looked at her familiar weapons with something akin to betrayal. She was used to cutting herself with her claws out of apathy and distraction, but to know that in order to be free she would have to use them to torture herself was a revelation that made bile rise to the back of her mouth as the doll made its final declarations before falling ominously silent and still,
"So I ask you: Haihane, are you willing to fight tooth and nail for your freedom, or will the very form of the harsh discipline you've forced on others be your undoing? Will you live or die? Make your choice and let the games begin."
15:29...15:28...15:27...
With the messages relayed, the spotlights adorning the Jigsaw dummy swung over to illuminate Minato and Benitsu's respective chambers, while others turned off completely, giving Haihane a reprieve from the blinding she had been getting earlier. Haihane could now finally see the man who promised to save her,
"You…" she gawked in shock, trembling with incredulity and a smidgeon of outraged recognition, "You're that guy from the bridge…Minato... the one with the-"
Minato nodded in affirmation, interrupting the trapped Sekirei before she could bring up his recent loss, "That's right. Benitsubasa and I are here to help you, we'll get you out of there as quickly as possible." He looked over to Benitsubasa, who was giving off a very thunderous scowl. What was this about?
The answer wasn't long in coming,
"Help her?" she shouted in anger, "Are you joking, pipsqueak?! Why the fuck would we help this ragged sack of useless?!" she spat at her partner in a display of...vicious spite that Minato had yet to see from her, and at a target that simply made no sense,
"Joking?! What are you getting on about, Benitsu? That's exactly why we're here!" He yelled back, partly to be heard over the steam vents but also to try to reassure Haihane that this sudden argument one sided,
Haihane's vocal cords quivered as she sobbed helplessly, "Please..h-help me! Don't let me die here! " She hadn't felt this helpless before and Benitsu's hostility was pushing her to the point of a breakdown, "I don't want to die alone like this."
"Don't worry," Minato clawed at the metal chain links as he leaned in, hoping she could see and take comfort from his steady visage, "I'll get you out of there one way or another, I promise!"
Benitsubasa's voice rang out from his left, "Don't bother buddy, she'd just drag us down and get us killed!" she screamed her face almost red with the blood infusing it. Furious fireballs burning in the crazed stare above her biting snarl as she started at the woman below her.
"What?!" Haihane and Minato shouted in unison, unable to believe the words they just heard, although Haihane's reaction was coupled with a shiver running down her spine that wasn't sweat induced.
"You heard me, Minato! It's Haihane's fault that my Ashikabi is in this mess in the first place, that I was nearly filled with more holes than a thought of 88's! I left that fucking transvestite, Freddy Krueger wannabe alone for five minutes to watch over Natsuo, and the next thing I know he's chained up on an elevator ready to split him in half! Let the emo-bitch die!" Benitsubasa's voice grew soft and cold at the end, completely sincere in her vindictive desire.
Minato tried again to skim through their time together and figure out what exactly triggered this,
~o~O~o~
(FLASHBACK)
Earlier in the trials...
His gaze shifts back to her, "You must really love your Ashikabi then, don't you?"
With her lips sucked in, she nodded. "I do. I would do anything for him..." She sighed. "If only I hadn't left him alone at that damn doctor's office..."
"Is that the last time you saw him?"
...
"Was there anyone else keeping an eye on Natsuo before you left?"
"Yeah, Haihane was there, but she was too caught up playing her PSP to really notice anything suspicious."
Shrugging her shoulders once again, she let out one more heavy sigh. "...like I said, if it weren't for me leaving him behind, none of this would have happened. It's my fault."
He halted his steps, clenching his fists. "Don't say that!" the ronin snapped, taking her by surprise. "There was absolutely no way you or anyone else for that matter could have predicted something like this happening, so don't blame yourself any of this!"
Drawing her arms to her chest, Benitsubasa stared at him. "I...I guess you're right. Come to think of it, Haihane should have been more alert while I was gone. If it's anyone's fault, it's hers."
(CURRENT TIME)
Minato cringed as he realized that he had more or less led Benitsubasa to that conclusion in trying to cheer her up. He had been too preoccupied to realize that she hadn't accepted the arbitrary nature of their mutual imprisonment, simply transferred the blame to another person. He mentally kicked himself for not heading that off before, as they had precious little time to work it out now,
"Natsuo?!" Haihane shouted as her heart jumped in shock, "Where is he?! What happened to him?!" she called out to Benitsubasa's silhouette.
"Don't bullshit me, Haihane!" Benitsu roared, "You were right there with him in the waiting room of the medical clinic! I remember it like it was yesterday, you sat to his left playing your PSP and I was on his right cling-uh, curled up to his arm! I went out for five minutes to go get a candy bar across town and boom, I find him chained up in this shithole and I was trussed up like a stuck pig waiting for the STUCKING! Gaming meant more to you than protecting our Ashikabi!" Pain and rage rang out clearly from the spunky pinkette's voice box
"That's not true!" Haihane hollered back, unable to take this and Benitsubasa's willingness to let her die lying down, "I care about Natsuo dearly! I have no idea what happened to him, I swear! In fact the last thing I remember before I lost consciousness was you leaving!" Haihane shot back, "But I guess your sweet tooth mattered more than Natsuo if you were willing to go across town for your fix rather than just get one at the concessions stand!"
Benitsubasa pounded a balled fist into the fence as she practically howled, "LIAR!" she pounded three more times for emphasis. "LIAR! LIAR! LIAR!"
She took a panting deep breath as Haihane realized this wasn't the time to snipe at her, "I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention Benitsubasa, but you think that's because I gave up, that I felt nothing for our Ashikabi? You aren't the only one hurting because he doesn't pay attention to us Benitsubasa, I just dealt with it differently. Please please, get me out of here and we can both save him!" She put every bit of her sincerity into her plea, making her sound much more passionate than Minato had ever expected to hear from her.
"Come on, Benitsu!" Minato yelled in support, "Whatever happened at the clinic while you were gone obviously had to be out of Haihane's control. She's more than capable of handling herself in a fight, so I highly doubt that you being there would have made a lick of difference! And even if she could, she doesn't deserve death for it! This is just Jigsaw pitting us against each other again, don't-" He found himself cut off
"Oh, can it, pipsqueak." she snapped at him, forgetting everything but her need to vent at the person she had counted on to keep their Ashikabi safe. Karasuba considered them all disposable at best and Benitsubasa couldn't be there 24/7, but did that matter to lil' miss gamer girl?
"I will not 'can it'! Be honest here Benitsu, you just want someone to blame and take your frustrations out on!" Minato slumped back, away from the gate. His eyes shadowed out by his hair. "So that's how this is then? You're just going to run your mouth and let one of your only friends die? What happened to our earlier conversation about fighting through this game together instead of fighting amongst ourselves? What happened to the trust?!" He wasn't going to bend on this, he got where Benitsu was coming from, but he'd die himself before he let another suffer like Haihane was and not do anything.
"Trust, shumst! I trusted Haihane to do one simple job and we wind up in this hell hole because she was too sucked into her games and anime! As far as I'm concerned, she can die here!" Benitsubasa's compact chest heaved with the intensity of her shouts, all the feelings she had been suppressing or had building up were boiling out the top.
Haihane's sobbing intensifies, as does the bleeding, "I'm sorry I'm sorry, please I don't wanna die, I'm sorry!" Minato's heart went out to the person he finally started seeing not as an enemy or rival combatant, but a young woman who had evidently reached her limit,
"That's enough, Benitsu!" Minato shouted from across the stage, unwilling to let this go on, "The poor girl is scared out of her mind! She can't think with you screaming down her throat like that!" He stared right into his 'partner's' eyes, daring her to argue,
Benitsu shrugged and crossed her arms tightly below her chest, unwilling to let go of her grudge and to meet his eyes, "Yeah, well this 'poor girl' nearly cost you your life back on the bridge! You can't honestly tell me she's worth your trust!"
Minato saw red for a moment, "You fucking hypocrite! Last I recall, you helped her that night and furthermore I saved you in spite of it! I could have left you to hang from that web of chains and watch you get liquified from the inside out, but I didn't! I saved you! That is what we need to do here, we need to go past what happened before if we want to survive, like we talked about before." he ground out despite his anger,
"Shut up, twerp!" Spat Benitsubasa as she flushed with embarrasment at being so effectively called out, "She was there, she has to pay!" she retorted stubbornly.
So much for "I'll do my best to keep that feisty part of me in check from here on out". Minato knew Benitsu had a short temper, but this was so much worse than the usual boob envy or need for attention. This wasn't the regular old hot-headed Tsundere everyone know and...well knows, this was a much darker side of Benitsu being directed towards Haihane. Benitsubasa was devoted to Natsuo to a point that few Sekirei matched, but even so Minato felt like something else was driving her here beyond her borderline obsession and feelings of being let down by Haihane,
In the end, both she and Minato had people depending on them and they had no time to waste with this. They could work out the blame game in between challenges like before, "Benitsu, enough." Said Sekirei looked at him in surprise as she heard the firm and authoritative tone in his voice, Just like I wish Natsuo talked to me with. She bit her lip until she bled at the thought, she was notHaihane, she wouldn't betray their Ashikabi. She kept an eye on Minato as he kept talking to her, even Haihane who could barely hear Minato leaned in a bit to catch the mini-speech,
"We do not have time for this. Your Ashikabi, my flock, all of our loved ones are depending on us. If you do nothing, Haihane dies and we have one less ally to face Jigsaw's future 'games' and more people could, and more likely, will die...even Natsuo. Should she have been paying attention, yes. But Jigsaw clearly did his homework on the both of you and knew when to strike when both of you, and Natsuo would be most vulnerable. We fall apart now, and he wins for good. Is that really what you want?" Minato and Haihane both looked at her expectantly as the words sank in...
Benitsu bit her thumbnail hard and turned away, knowing full well that Minato was right, but unable to accept it in the face of her own culpability and need to lash out, "Whatever. I'm still not helping. You can waste your effort on her on your own" She fell silent, hunching her body as she felt Minato's disappointment and resignation like a punch to the gut,
"Funny, Kazehana never said that about you...even though she had just as much, if not more, reason to...but I guess that was the difference between the two of you."
His quiet words ringing in Benitsubasa's ears, Minato diverted his attention from her and focused solely on Haihane, who was tearful as ever. He did his best to meet her eyes despite the distance between them and saw her lips quiver with the ghost of a smile. Running with the limited momentum he started coaxing her in a firm, but steady voice,
"Haihane, I know you're feeling vulnerable right now. Terrified even and you have every right to be, but from what that timer is saying you only have about fifteen minutes to make your decision. If you don't act soon, the decision will be made for you." He saw her look back at the cord tied to her collar and blanch, "Now I know the last time we saw each other we were on opposite sides, but that was then, and I don't hold a grudge and Kazehana... she can't anymore. I suggest we put that behind us, and I ask you to trust me to get you free. I swear on my love for the Sekirei Winged to me that I will not steer you wrong."
"B-But the message on the floor," Haihane stuttered, shaken by Benitsubasa's apathy to her imminent death, as well as the revelation that she only had fifteen minutes or less to live, "i-it says 'Don't Move'."
"Haihane you have to get up and play the game, or else you're going to die, Jigsaw will make sure of it. I don't care what Benitsubasa or anyone else says, your life is precious and you shouldn't just give up on it. I already lost...someone who meant the world to me to these games and I'll be damned if I watch anyone else die, not an enemy and certainly not someone I'd be happy to call a friend without these games in the way."
Minato's words stunned Haihane, and to a lesser degree, Benitsubasa. The Discipline Squad members unable to easily understand how Minato could be so open hearted after eveything each knew about what happened to him. Haihane's fear-glazed eyes widened as her mind caught up to the tail end of his assertion, "Friend? I'm y-your friend?..."
"Of course Haihane. I'll be your friend from this point onward." He gave her the best smile he could at the moment before he turned to his pink-haired compatriot, hoping she'd have a change of heart following his encouragement, "What do you say, Benitsu, can we count on you?"
Folding her arms around her torso, she glared at him weakly, "I say you can blow it out your ass." She couldn't bear for him to be right, not now. Her former partner had to pay for everything, why couldn't Minato see that? She didn't care about Natsuo, not like Benitsubasa did, she gave up a long time ago and they couldn't count on someone like that. But the kid was too damn selfless and noble and wouldn't give up on anyone he saw in need.
Unlike Natsuo a treacherous voice whispered in her mind, making Benitsubasa growl out loud and turn away from them both, "NO. I'm showing as much effort to help her as she did to keep Natsuo safe. Karma's a bitch and so am I, I guess."
Minato's shook his head sadly at her response, before shrugging with resignation, well I should have saw that coming from a mile away, he thought to himself. He knew that Benitsubasa could be stubborn and boy was she showing it now. But he wasn't the only person who heard her latest denial...
Forgetting her terror in the face of Benitsubasa's betrayal, Haihane bit down on her lip, drawing some blood and spat in fury, "You know what, fuck you too, Benitsubasa! You always were a self-centered cu-Oh shit!"
*Clink! ticktickticktickticktick noises started coming from the timer on the wall and it's second hand began to descend, stopping Haihane cold, literally in the case of the sweat now pouring down her back.
When she had snapped at the pinkette, Haihane had forgotten where she was and she inadvertently leaned forward too far. The line hooking her neck to the timer pulled out and started her game.
0:90...0:89...0:88…
Haihane compulsively swallowed, eyes immediately seeking reassurance from Minato, only to have the words of Benitsubasa slam down on her like one of the brawler's punches,
"Oops," Benitsubasa mocked callously, "Looks like someone made a boo boo. Better hurry up, hun. Time's a wastin'." There was an ugly smirk on the girl's face, even if her eyes seemed much less certain of what she was saying.
Minato stared at her like he'd never seen her before, even on the bridge she hadn't been this vindictive,"How can you be so damn cruel?!" Minato's fingers clench to the flesh of his palms, as he turned back the valves on his side, "You know what, fine. I'll do it without you!"
Minato had to go to one knee to reach the valve, grasping the wheel firmly in the anticipation of turning it. It was hot, but not scaldingly so. Minato was morbidly certain that would change before long.
"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing, pipsqueak?!" Minato took no comfort in the smidgen of concern that laced Benitsubasa's demand, as the vast majority of her tone was of skepticism,
"Why do you care? he called back to her as he started turning the wheel to the left, a rusty squeak denoting the state of the device, "I'm not letting any more people die and you made it clear I was on my own!"
A jet of searing hot steam bursts into his chamber not long after, its force pushing him back and causing him to scream with pain as his flesh was assaulted by the scorching liquid. He momentarily let it go to use his arm to block the steam from his face, but quickly regained composure, keeping his grip firm and turning the wheel further despite the broiling temperature now filling the corridor. The gate to the next valve started to ascend, albeit at a snail's pace, forcing Minato to step up the pace.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Benitsubasa clamored from her new position of pressing herself against the links separating them, astonished at what the ronin would put himself through for someone who once threatened to take his life. Just like he did for me she thought to herself guiltily, unconsciously biting her lower lip in worry.
Minato ignored his hot-headed compatriot and continued turning the wheel, causing the steam and heat to grow even more, and his body to be drenched in both water and sweat. The gate leading to the next valve was almost up though, so Minato considered it a small price to pay. He looked over to the Blue Sekirei, who was more or less paralyzed, and braced himself and the valve so that neither would slip back as he called out to her,
"Haihane, please! You have to start moving!" Minato urged, ignoring Benitsu's inventive swearing going off in the background, "If you don't, you'll die! Please, for Natsuo if not for yourself, fight to live!"
That snapped her out of her daze and she took heart in the encouraging words of the scraggly stranger, "R-right!" I'll do it!" She advances towards the first series of vents, now barely giving off 3 inches of plumes, only to realize the cable attached to her collar strangled her more with each step she took. She reached back to pull at the cord linking her from life to death, and found that while it gave, it would take much of her strength and endurance to pull along.
No wonder he gave me so little time to do this, Haihane thought to herself as she began to slowly inch her way forward, Fucker set me up!
Blood trickled to the floor and formed a path in her wake as she clenched her hands harder around the cord and she had to hold back yelps of pain as she pushed onward, refusing to let this Minato's sacrifice be in vain.
After 45 seconds of gut wrenching and heart pounding effort, Haihane finally reached the vents. She was panting from the exertion but didn't let her momentum stop, the idea of being pulled back to the chair and being decapitated urging her forward. The vents were almost completely off, the heat coming off them enough to make her uncomfortable but thanks to her higher tolerance for heat Haihane wasn't hurt by the heated metal. She glanced up to try to see Minato again but the angle was too extreme for her to see him next to the valve and it caused a new sliver of worry to worm it's way into her awareness. Jigsaw said that the vents up there would only be tolerable if both sides turned theirs and 'Beni' was being her stubborn self and not doing anything...Haihane hoped he was ok or that her partner got her head out of her petite ass and helped him. Haihane didn't know whether or not she could handle someone sacrificing them self for her, the concept being alien after all her time in MBI and with Natsuo. She turned her gaze back ahead of her and kept pushing her way to the next series of vents, their geysers just as ominously tall as they had been when the game had started, boding ill for Minato's current state...
XXXXXX
Benitsubasa felt like a heel.
Yup, that was a pretty accurate summation of how Benitsubasa felt about herself at the moment.
She was still beyond pissed at Haihane and fully prepared to nurse that grudge like a very fat and angry baby, but seeing Minato flash-broil himself for someone he barely knew was too much after everything they endured. She growled at how much she was going soft with him around and turned back to see him trying to walk through the wall of boiling water vapor in front of him, causing her heart to leap into her throat,
"Great Kami Minato, you're going to kill yourself!" Benitsubasa knew that she had no sensible choice now but to help Haihane because if Minato kept this up, he would be too injured to complete anymore tests. Given how determined he was during their first teamwork trial to find a second key, she could only imagine the pain he'd put himself through to save a life, as evidenced by his trying for the third time to push through high pressured and heated steam, "Gah! Fine! Have it your way, I'll help! But not for Haihane. This is for Natsuo's sake...as well as yours." She whispered the last part, counting on the steam to cover up her admission of concern.
"Thank you...Benitsu." Minato muttered, clearly pained as he stumbled back from his latest attempt. In the style of his luck, the steam finally petered out and left Minato free and clear to head to the next valve. He rubbed the spots where his clothes hadn't been enough to protect his flesh gingerly, hoping the burns wouldn't be too bad.
Benitsu copied Minato's actions and spun her first wheel hard, almost wrenching it off in her haste to catch up. Since Minato had already taken the full blast of the jet, she was met with a free pass to the second one once the gate was up, feeling her stomach clench in guilt having made him take the shot on his own.
"Hurry, Benitsu!" Minato urged, bracing himself at the second valve, hands at 2 and 8 as the clock reads, "We don't have much time!" He could only imagine how Haihane felt, standing at the next line of steam vents having to pit her strength against the pull of death itself.
"Yeah, yeah I know that." She ducked beneath the opened gate and rushes to the second wheel., practically sliding next to it like a baseball player going for home, "Alright, now on three." She heard Minato before her eyes widened...there was only the one spot where there wasn't a solid wall between them right at the 'front'. This was going to make timing the valves a pain in the ass...or wherever the steam decided to assault,
Calling out as loud as she could, she counted off the time till they gave Haihane another chance to push forward,"One...two...three!"
On three they managed to both sync their turning well enough that the blasts of steam were strong but not enough to drive either of them back. Didn't mean both of them enjoyed the experience, Minato already susceptible from his previous efforts and Benitsubasa's outfit being poor defense tattered as it was.
Although given her strength it was no problem, but that didn't keep the scalding, white hot steam from causing her to jump back in pain.
"Gaaaaaaaaaah! Fuck!" she yelled, turning her head away from the hot blast as it erupted against her face like the breath of an angry god. She put her hands back on the wheel and continued to press onward, fighting through the pain like a real Sekirei would do, counting on Minato to do the same as her gate went higher and higher. Doing so lessened the steam and pressure for both of them, just like the Billy doll said it would, keeping them in discomfort but no longer in pain.
She growled as the epiphany that Minato had had earlier finally came to her. This wasn't just a 'game' for Haihane, no, this was yet another teamwork trial for the two of them to endure side by side together, now that Kazehana had fallen. Benitsubasa had the errant thought that maybe Kazehana had been in mind when this trial was created, fuck, her powers could keep them from getting scalded a lot easier if...She shook her head hard to snap herself out of the land of 'what ifs' and focused on getting the second valve turned all the way, reminding herself that they were on their own, and Minato was counting on her.
Had Haihane been able to read minds, she might have been shocked to find how little Natsuo figured into Benitsubasa's thoughts at that moment...
XXXXXX
"Don't let up, Haihane! Be strong!" Haihane started as Minato's voice called out to her, her eyes seeking out the geysers in front of her as they lowered with the release of pressure thanks to the efforts of the others. Gritting her teeth, she gripped the cord harder and started making her way forward once more, each step paid with blood and tears. Her claws made holding on even more difficult and she felt her heart leap into her throat each time she thought she felt the cord slip.
With some difficulty, Haihane passed the second jet of steam, and saw that the third hurdle was already starting to go down. Worried that Minato was pushing himself too hard, she called out to him,
"Are you okay, Minato?" She didn't ask about Benitsubasa for the pure and simple reason that if the pinkette wasn't alright...the next ward would know exactly how much she wasn't ok. It certainly had nothing to do with Haihane being bitter about her former partner's willingness to leave her to die, not at all. Minato was a human and therefore more vulnerable after all,
"We're fine." Benitsu spat, irritated that Haihane didn't bother to ask if she herself was alright, even if she saw the logic in checking on the pip-Minato. Stubborn he might be, but that was no defense against the laws of thermodynamics. She didn't like that she couldn't see him and make sure he was ok, for all she knew he was pushing himself harder to make sure the steam would mostly go to his side, it was the sort of thing she'd expect from the noble doofus.
Natsuo was never willing to go that for anyone except him that treacherous corner of her mind whispered before Benitsubasa stomped it down again. Natsuo wasn't gay or bitter over a dead lover, no matter what anyone said. He wouldn't have Winged her otherwise, he'd said so.
"Yeah," Haihane could hear Minato panting hard, the wavering in his voice telling her his nerves weren't doing much better, "Just keep goi-"
"No!" Haihane cut him off before allowing him to finish, "I'll handle this next jet of steam on my own, you deserve a break, Minato." She gulped at the third set of vents in front of her. She didn't know if she could pull it off, but she had to try, she felt miserable enough knowing Natsuo was going through hell because of her, but Minato, someone she honestly hadn't thought about since the time at the bridge, risking himself for her made her feel even more useless.
"There are two people helping you, you know!" Benitsu's voice clawed into Haihane's ears, making the Reaper Sekirei roll her eyes at the brawler's need for attention, "Besides, that's not going to work. You heard what the doll said, Blue, there's no way you'll be able to pass unscathed. It's hot enough to melt your skin off, and I should fucking know!" As much as she wanted to snarl and ignore Benitsubasa, Haihane had to admit that Benitsubasa wouldn't lie to her. Spit on her and leave her to die a screaming and painful death yes, but Benitsubasa wouldn't lie...Talk about your priorities Haihane thought to herself sarcastically.
"Benitsu's right, Haihane. Trust me, Jigsaw knew he'd be dealing with Sekirei durability and immune systems and he...he made sure his shit would stick."Haihane picked up on the catch Minato's voice this time and dreaded to learn what happened to him but couldn't help being morbidly curious. She inched closer to the vents as Minato spoke to her again, "Plus the two of us won't be able to move on unless we turn the valves. They don't only direct the steam at us, but open the next chamber as well. Let us take care of it. Just focus on moving!"
Haihane nodded, forgetting they couldn't see her, and then called out, "Alright then, do what you need to do Minato. I trust you." she started pulling her way to the keyhole again, "A-and thank you!" She stammered as she shuffled forward once more, praying to spirits she had never cared about before that she could make it through this.
The timer continued to tick away as progress was made, the deadline growing closer and closer with each resounding 'tock'...
03:50...03:49...03:48...
XXXXXX
Minato felt as if his skin was starting to peel off as the next jet hit him and the Red Sekirei. He didn't know if it was hotter than the previous 3 or if he simply was running out of flesh to cook, but either way he was reaching his limit. From the creative and extensive compilation of curses Benitsubasa was giving off, she wasn't doing much better.
Benitsubasa growled out another anatomically impossible curse as she finished turning the fourth valve, yelling out along the corridor and hoping Haihane hadn't passed out or something thanks to blood loss,
"GO!" she screamed, and right after she heard a "Ok!" in response. Moving forward she yelled out again, "Minato, are you ok? How are you holding up"
She could barely hear him, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the faint, "Yeah Benitsu, I'm alright. Let's get the last one."
"Sure thing kid, and next time you take me to an onsen, make sure it's a decent one instead of a pit like this." Smirking at the joke she'd made, she made her way to the last valve, bracing herself in anticipation.
[0:41]
Haihane pulled forward again as the steam faded, her strength waning with every step and every pull of the cord. She heard Benitsubasa joke and shook her head, if she didn't know better, Haihane would have sworn that Benitsbusa was flirting.
Shaking the pure insanity of that thought out of her head, Haihane looked at the wall she had been making her way towards and gulped. At a distance the lock seemed innocuous but as she got closer she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something...off about the way it was shaped. It didn't stop her from giving her all to reach it though, but it did set a feeling of dread as she inched her way closer with Benitsubasa's 'encouragement' ringing in her ears.
"GO!"
[0:26]
"Fuck a bear with a drunken platypus!" Benitsubasa let out a snarl. She'd heard the cry from Minato's end and then the valve got a lot harder to turn, which could only mean one thing: Minato was out of it, she had to do this one alone. Benitsubasa screamed in agony as the full jet tore into her, yet she did not fall, Minato had endured this thanks to her vindictive stubbornness and she would not be weaker than him.
As she weathered the storm, she half wondered if her hair was turning yellow...Shaking her head in annoyance and pain she resolved to burn all of the shonen crap Haihane loved, it was starting to infect her brain at this rate. Give her a good rom-com like the first season of Tenchi any day.
Speaking of the anime buff herself, Benitsubasa hollered one last time and put her trust in a person who up till now she'd been all too willing to write off as flakiness personified, "I got the last one, Minato's out. You better make it cause if you die and take us with you I'm going to kill you!"
[0:11]
"I'm almost at the holes!" Haihane cried, ignoring Benitsubasa's illogical and rather hard to pull off threat. After all, it's the thought that counted right? she sourly observed,
"Then finish it!" Benitsubasa's shout came echoing down, her voice taunt with pain and worry. Haihane herself felt the same way, pushing herself harder so she could see if Minato was alright, her muscles tense with the pressure she was putting on all of them and her face running with sweat instead of tears.
Damn it, why does he have to be so noble? He didn't know her at all and yet he'd just given out trying to save her. She just didn't get it, she wasn't worth it so why did he do it? She hoped it wasn't just to have another warm body to throw at the games.
Haihane lurched forward the moment the last of the steam turned to wisps, uncaring of the way her feet grew too hot for comfort...she only had moments to go,
[0:05]
"You can do it Haihane, don't give up." Her eyes bulged as she heard Minato's voice, almost causing her to freeze in shock. It was faint, so incredibly so that if she were human she wouldn't have been able to pick it up, but it was there and so was he. Tears of relief dewed her lashes as she made another step closer to the lock, Minato's words boosting her like a second wind,
"Only five seconds left! Open the lock before the game kills you! Please! DO IT!" Minato loudly urged, with Benitsubasa's relief filled voice echoing the sentimen,
[0:04]
"Yeah, listen to the pipsqueak!" Benitsubasa added, "Don't let all our pain be for nothing! Put your damn fingers in there already!" Haihane let go of the cord when she was within two steps of the lock and was nearly ripped off her feet by the pressure and pull on her neck. She kept her balance though through sheer muscle control and determination although she knew her neck would be aching later, assuming there was a later.
[0:03]
"Alright I'm doing it!" Haihane responded, voice shaking thanks to the force being placed on her throat. With that she put the 'keys' into the lock and begins to twist them, her stomach roiling with nervousness and dread anticipation. As the locks began to turn, her fingers began to bleed anew, the crimson liquid dribbling out of the holes as though Haihane had wounded the building itself.
[0:02]
"Almost...almost..." Just another millimeter and they'd all be free she told herself, pushing through the agony shrieking through her nervous system, she couldn't fail them now...
[0:01]
With one final, wrenching twist Haihane finally heard that magical sound,
*Click!
"I-I got it...!" She cried out in amazement...right before she felt the collar on her neck yank her off her feet.
[0:00]
XXXXXX
BEEPBEEPBEEP!
Minato picked himself off the floor and staggered back to the end of the hall, the beeping noise urging him on as visions of Haihane's head flying from her shoulders flashed through his mind's eye, not knowing Benitsubasa was doing the same and making better time.
Benistubasa had bulled through the moment she'd heard Haihane's victory crow get cut off, and with how fast she could go, was able to see the middle and end of Jigsaw's twisted 'catch and release' program.
The strength of the cable, coupled with her claws being locked inside the mechanism made it impossible for Hiahane to escape. Haihane took several strained gasps, her feet scrabbling at the slick ground beneath her and causing the her blood to make thick splattering sounds as she kicked it up. As the cable wound back, her nails began to slowly pull out from the flesh of her fingertips, increasing the anguish Haihane was going through immeasurably. She choked on her screams as her instinctive struggles aided the torture, and before long they were pulled out entirely. The cable, now no longer having to fight against the lock, yanked Haihane so hard that the force turns her into a rag doll.
"No! Haihane!" Minato screamed as he made it to the fence, watching her helplessly being dragged back to her demise. His sight flinches away from what he was sure would be Haihane's final moments. A *snap* a *clink* and a *thud* later, he raises his gaze, fully expecting to see another victim of his weakness and incompetence.
Instead he took a breath of horrified relief as Haihane rose to her knees, staring into her mutilated hands as she held them before her eyes. She looked high upwards into nothing and gave out a heart wrenching wail.
A/N:
Phen0m20:
On to what I was getting at at the end of the beginning note. I and my cohorts have decided that considering the quality of chapters getting better and better with every installment, that it be best to go back and rework the previous chapters so their quality can reflect that of the newer ones. Not that the previous ones were bad, mind you, but we ultimately want what's best for our story, and to give everyone the best experience possible. This chapter marks the half way point of the story, so the next time you see an update, not only will every chapter have been redone, but the entire fic will have been finished as well. That's right, we're going to take this opportunity to push to the end and ensure that this fic gets updated on a steady deadline. Chapters will come once every week or two depending on length. It will likely take a little over a year to get this done, but mark my words, the next time you see an alert of this fic in your email, you'll know you're going to have a finished product. Till next time ladies & gents.
Mordreek:
Not going to lie, the delay is my fault. I was beyond picky with the pacing for this chapter and life kept adding some draining curveballs as well. But we got it done and I have to say I think it came out pretty well. We're going to revamp the earlier chapters to, for lack of a better term, smooth out the issues of the previous writers coming and going and make the fic more smooth and consistent. Hope you all enjoyed it and thank you for your support and patience.
The Clown King of Chaos:
Well then... bye-bye.