The Guardian Vesuvius: Chapter 4: Anger and Agony
Misaro found himself in a very strange frame of mind the next morning. He couldn't understand it. Incredible things had happened these past few days. His most heartfelt wish ever seemed to have come true in the form of Vesuvius, a man of extraordinary power who had told him that they were going to save Fayth. His life, which had crumbled into pieces, had a hope again, and for once it was something real, something possible, not the dreamer in him inventing some fantastic scene were things went right. This was actually something occurring right now.
Yet, as he went up and down the house cleaning, trying to make the terrible place a little presentable, Misaro noticed that he was still so sad. Was it because Vesuvius hadn't told him anything of the plan? Was it that he stood and watched Fayth run from him crying? Perhaps, he thought, he had become so used to being this sad when he was alone, he just was. He secretly yearned to see Vesuvius again and not just so he could find out how saving Fayth was going.
There was a person in his life, someone who had talked to him, someone who had come to him to see him. It had been so so long since he had the company of anyone. Misaro shook his head to stop himself from fantasising too much.
"Come on, Misaro, Vesuvius is only here to help Fayth, so stop it! It's not like he's your friend or anything. He just..."
Misaro was interrupted by a noise from upstairs. His heart filled with excitement, another frame of mind he didn't understand, but this was one he didn't want to question. For once he had no questions running through his mind, just happiness. He rushed upstairs. "Vesuvius? Is that you?" However, when he reached the top of the stairs, he saw it had been nothing more than a brush he had leant on the wall earlier falling over. His smile, along with the happiness inside, disappeared as quickly as it came. He didn't even know whether or not Vesuvius would be coming back, anyway. He started to make his way back downstairs when a voice broke the sombre silence.
"Hey, kid! Are you here?"
Misaro turned to see Vesuvius at the top of the stairs. It was a wonder his fragile little heart could take all this emotional whiplash. Even though he tried not to show it all, the little boy's joy was clear to see. Misaro noticed the gash on Vesuvius's arm, bandaged in a blood-soaked tear from Vesuvius' cape. Misaro gasped in horror. "Oh my god...l..let me clean that up for you."
"Don't bother!" Vesuvius's tone was harsh, like he had more important things on his mind.
Misaro insisted, "But it looks really ba..."
Vesuvius interrupted him. "I SAID, DONT BOTHER!"
Misaro fell silent, his eyes turned down slowly to the floor. He didn't do well with being shouted at and Vesuvius had quite a voice to shout with. Of course, there was something else that bothered Misaro when Vesuvius was angry with him. Vesuvius sighed, "Gah! If it'll wipe that stupid face off you then show me where you keep your first aid kit. I'll sort it out myself." Misaro cheered up and led him into the kitchen where the first aid kit, decades old, was kept. Vesuvius eyed the old chemicals with a worried expressions and put them well aside. Cleaning and bandaging his wound as best he could, Vesuvius wandered upstairs and into Misaro's room.
Vesuvius sat inside. It was broad daylight now and Vesuvius needed to keep hidden so he could not sit on the window as usual. Misaro, ever the dreamer, saw it as a sign that they were closer now. Usually Misaro would doubt that anyone would want to be his friend, so it may have been that he wanted to befriend Vesuvius so much he just believed it to make it easier on himself. It was something he did for many things he wanted. Misaro thought he might try to learn more about him, finding it a little easier to speak to Vesuvius now.
"So... where do you live, Vesuvius?"
"You don't need to know that." Vesuvius replied quickly and bluntly, as usual.
"But... why wont you let me know anything about you? We're a team now, aren't we…?"
Vesuvius regarded the nature of his plan. No, they weren't a team at all. "We're both helping Fayth, that's all, so stop acting so buddy-buddy with me. That's not why I'm here."
Misaro was deeply hurt by those words. Vesuvius seemed to be able to see what Misaro was thinking and was quick to put a stop to those thoughts. Misaro's voice spoke his troubled feelings. "Oh... of course."
With that he retreated to his thoughts, so much that he even turned away from Vesuvius. What was I thinking? Why would someone like Vesuvius want to be friends with me? I can tell that he already thinks I'm just a pathetic loser… and he's right too.Misaro finally turned back to Vesuvius, his voice now much quieter.
"S-so… why are you here?"
"This is where I'm going to hide for a while. Its alot easier than hiding outside"
"Hide? What are you hiding from?"
"Stop asking questions!"
"I see..." Misaro couldn't take anymore of this blunt rejection, being shunned or shouted at for everything he said. Of course, he blamed himself for bieng annoying or intrusive he thought. Misaro left the room. Vesuvius heard him leave and waited until he closed the door, then shook his head and sighed.
Misaro had gone in the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He sat with his back against the wall. Usually he wouldn't need to hide there to cry, the confines of his house were always enough. But Vesuvius was there now. He felt what he thought was a hopeless desire to appear stronger to him and perhaps gain his favour, so he tried his best to mask all his weakness when he was around him. He felt so pressured around Vesuvius now. He had imagined that this powerful man, this answer to his prayer, would ease his pain, but Vesuvius only seemed to make him more ashamed of it. Misaro started thinking about what was happening. He didn't understand his role in this plan to save Fayth. Vesuvius seemed to know what he was doing but he hadn't told him anything. Was Misaro just to sit here day in and out completely in the dark? He wanted to go out there and demand that Vesuvius tell him about what his plan was but he knew he wouldn't, he wasn't assertive at all, most especially not to someone like Vesuvius. Misaro had begun to fear this man at times. He started to wonder whether this had been a good idea or not.
Suddenly there was a knock on the bathroom door. "Hey… Misaro, was it? You know, for someone who claims to love Fayth so much and who wants nothing more than to make her happy, you sure are taking a lot of this personally. Tell me the truth, kid, just what are you in this for, to save her or your own peace of mind?"
Misaro grew angry. Matters concerning Fayth seemed to allow him all manner of uncharacterist
ic behaviour. He would defend his love for her against anyone. He yelled back at Vesuvius "Like I said, I don't expect you to understand... understand true love" Misaro quietened his tone. "I don't care about anything to do with me, okay? All I want is for her to be happy...her happiness… and to see it. It's the only reason I stay here. I don't have anything else."
"There you are, see, this is all for you. You want to save her because she's your life's reason, you want her happiness to come back, just so you can see it again."
"THATS NOT TRUE!"
"Oh yeah? Then tell me, Misaro, why you found yourself content with the fake smile she's been showing for people like you?"
"I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS FAKE! ...AND DONT TALK TO ME LIKE YOU KNOW HER BETTER!"
"Ha! You know her, do you? You haven't even spoken to her, save for the night we met. In fact, the only things you know about her are what's written in that diary."
"OH, AND I SUPPOSE YOU SPEAK TO HER ALL THE TIME THEN, KNOW ALL ABOUT HER!?"
Vesuvius paused before he answered, he was venturing into things he wasn't sure he should talk about but he continued anyway. It seemed the only way to get the co-operation he needed from Misaro. "I knew about her troubles without reading that diary, didn't I?"
Misaro was silent. Vesuvius was right, he did know. Misaro hadn't realised just how odd it was that Vesuvius was able to speak about Fayth's terrible situation. Nobody could know about this, except for him. How could he know? "J-J-Just how do you know these things?" As Misaro spoke he unlocked the door and slowly opened it, his eyes still teary. He looked up at Vesuvius. The terrifying face the man usually wore seemed more gentle now.
"I know things about you too... Misaro."
Misaro gasped, his hands going over his mouth. He almost immediately started crying. He hadn't told anyone about anything, he had no friends and nobody talked to him. How could he know? It pained Misaro unbearably. Even though he already decided he couldn't impress Vesuvius, but if Vesuvius knew everything there was no chance and to see his chances disappear pained him. He couldn't believe that Vesuvius, of all people, knew all his secrets.
"Th-that can't be true..."
"Your mother... she was just like you, wasn't she? Weak, unable, so closed and guarded, so afraid of other people. Your terrible father only made her worse before he left, just days after you were born. Yet, like you, she was also full of love. You both had so many secrets from the world, had no one outside the house that knew you, no friends, no family that cared. While she was here, though, everything was fine because you had each other. You had no secrets from each other and you understood each other perfectly. You were both able to confide in each other. You needed no one else but each other, both so weak, but when she was here it didn't matter. Then she fell ill and died. You were left completely alone. No one in the world knows you, understands you or will be there for you, and you're so weak and unconfident that you know that it will be this way forever".
"Please... please stop…"
Vesuvius turned to walk away but Misaro grabbed his cape, his tear drowned face looked up at him, pleading. "Please... if you know these things... then you understand me, don't you? You know me?"
"Get off me!" Vesuvius pulled on the cape but Misaro held tightly and fell to his knees, his voice quiet and weak through his weeping
"Please don't go... I-I don't want to be alone anymore... If you know me... then wont you help me?"
Vesuvius's eyes widened. Those words, this situation, made him recall a deeply buried memory, a much younger Vesuvius had knelt in the very same position Misaro was now, had spoken almost those exact words, held onto someone and cried just like this, someone so dear to him. Vesuvius slowly reached out his hand towards Misaro. He could feel tears of his own slowly forming. Then he stopped. He frowned and forcefully yanked the cape from Misaro's hands, easily able to overpower him. The crying boy fell to the floor.
"Your wasting your breath kid!! I don't care about your petty problems, keep them to yourself. We're helping Fayth, not you. Just back off, because once this is over..." Vesuvius hesitated, "once this is over... you won't..." Vesuvius paused again, stopping himself from saying something he shouldn't, then suddenly left without finishing his sentence. Without another word or sound he was through the window and gone in a second. Clouds had settled over the sun, so it was dim enough for him to leave and hide elsewhere unnoticed. Misaro was left shaking on the floor, completely paralysed, it seemed, by his open crying. A near inaudible whisper escaped him.
"...just...just who am I in this for…?"
Vesuvius made his way up to the top of a tall building, where it would be safe to stay and not be seen. He stood a while, staring up into the sky. A few moments later he nearly collapsed onto his knees. His hand over his mouth, he burst into tears. This was the real reason he left the house, even he knew how ridiculous it looked, this powerful, daunting man, crying away like this. Just like Misaro, Vesuvius also wanted to mask his emotions from the other. Could he also be seeking his favour?
This confused him, but he quickly pulled himself together and stood up, his eyes wandering to the sky once again as a gentle rain started. He closed his eyes and let the rain fall on his face as he thought to himself, "What the hell is the matter with me? Why is this boy getting to me like this, I mean, come on.... eventually I… eventually I'm going to… Oh Misaro, somehow I feel even after we have saved Fayth and we part forever you will continue to drag my past before my eyes... perhaps for the rest of my life..."
Vesuvius had little time to let this bother him. He remembered that the next part of his plan was about to present itself and he had to be there to see it through. He leapt to the next rooftop and made his way back to the house he had destroyed the night before. He had to be there well before the target arrived.
The night had settled in by the time Vesuvius saw what he was waiting for. He was hiding in exactly the same place he did last time. A very expensive looking car pulled up towards the wreck that used to be a very nice and even more expensive house. Vesuvius got down lower, nearer to the ground and the car. "Ha! Just when I expected you. Time to realise someone is targeting you, Mr Funuchi... time to get worried and reckless."
Suited men got out of the car, followed by an obese man who was shouting furiously, though what he was saying was inaudible. Vesuvius had a good idea what he was so angry about, though. He smiled as the enraged men slammed the car door shut and stomped about. Vesuvius slid an arrow out from his backpack and his gauntlet whirred and hissed as it changed once more into its crossbow mode. Vesuvius carefully loaded the explosive-headed arrow and waited. He wanted Funuchi to be a safe distance from the car. Once the opportunity presented itself, he fired. The arrow flew through the roof of the car and detonated. The car erupted into flames, the doors and windows flying outwards in pieces as the vehicle was thrown off the ground, flipping over before smashing back down. Satisfied, Vesuvius made a quick escape away from the scene. Once a good distance away, Vesuvius turned back and smiled grimly. "The easy part is over now..."
Misaro hadn't moved at all from the spot where Vesuvius had left him. It had been hours. He was no longer crying, he simply lay there in silence, staring into space. A single thought seemed to have branded itself into his mind. A thought that Misaro felt selfish and stupid for ever having, especially, as Vesuvius had said, when it was Fayth they were supposed to be helping.
" I'm... I'm so sorry. ...I-I just ...I just wanted to... mean something to someone again."
Thank you all for reading *cuddles you all tightly* youre all so nice ^.^
Chapter 5: Live and Let Die
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