AN: This came with two other new idea on my profile. It's one of those few ones that I know almost exactly what to write and how it will end. And hey, no major OCs! Yay!

Disclaimer: I don't own zoids.

Awaken

Chapter 1

Crash and Retrieval

It was a strange thing, death. It seemed to taunt those in its sights, like a boy with his dog. Now it's here, now it's not, back again, gone again. For Reese it wasn't something new, she'd seen death more times than most 16-year-olds.

She swallowed hard, not focusing on the possibility that they would both die right then and there. Her lime eyes glanced over at the one beside her, blood covered his face where the metal shards had cut him. Though the wounds were tiny, they bled a lot. She watched him closely, checking for any sign of life. His eyes were dull and closing, they seemed lifeless, bringing her to tears.

"Raven…" She sobbed, the movement causing another jolt of pain to surge through her aching body. "Please…no…"

There was scratching at the cockpit. The sound made Reese panic even more. Were they back? Did they realize they weren't dead?

'Reese!' Specula whimpered, trying desperately to scratch open the cockpit. She couldn't bear to think her partner was hurt. 'Are you okay?'

The woman nodded, forgetting her organoid couldn't see it. "Raven is dead!" She wailed and began choking on blood and tears. Her ribs had been damaged and now she was coughing blood.

"Reese…what can I do?" Specula asked and glanced over at Shadow beside her. Despite the news he stared with confidence into the cockpit.

"Go to the hospital! I need help!" Reese answered and began wheezing again, her cries of sorrow and pain easily audible outside the cockpit.

The black organoid watched Specula fly off and turned back to the half-destroyed red zoid. As if able to see through the metal shell he stared back at Raven. "Reese," He said calmly. "He's not dead."

"I'm sorry Shadow." She breathed, assuming the organoid was in denial.

"No, Reese, he's not dead. I can tell."

Back inside the cockpit Reese's eyes snapped open and she looked back over at the black-haired man. His eyes were now closed but his mouth was still open and dark blood stained his chin and neck. She followed the trail, his chest was covered in wounds just like hers and she sighed, seeing a small rhythmic rise.

Still crying the woman smiled, spitting out blood onto the broken controls. They had stopped slamming electricity through their bodies when the Genobreaker died.

"Specula's fast." Shadow reminded Reese, not sure why she was still crying. "Help will be here soon."

"What if they decide they don't want to help us after all we've done?"

Shadow made a sad throaty sound. That was almost exactly what raven would have said. Nobody knew how much the dark pilot hated himself right now. Even Shadow could only see the tip of the iceberg, and he was almost certain Raven would rather die than see the light of day again.

Shaking himself to rid himself of the sorrow he slammed against the cockpit, trying to open it.

"They're good people; they will help you – both of you"

"I don't deserve it…" She whispered, but Shadow heard it and growled at her.

"Don't youever say that again!"

The blue-haired pilot jumped and winced in pain. She hadn't expected such an outburst. "Sh-shadow…"

The tenderness in her voice made Shadow even more determined to get them out alive. There was a serious flaw in the legal system that lumped people like Raven and Hiltz together. People change, and people like Raven should be given the chance to make amends, not sit and waste themselves away behind bars.

Shadow tapped the cockpit, checking for weakness. The sound reminded Reese of a soothing heartbeat and she closed her eyes, letting the darkness take her in, at least for now. She didn't want to wake if Raven wasn't going to be there for her.

The organoid finally found weak spot and crashed through. Peeling the new opening back with his teeth he let the day's light shine onto Reese's red and white face.

The organoid watched as Reese's eyes closed and her head lolled back. She went silent but not cold, limp but not lifeless. Shadow seemed relieved. At least she would now stop worrying.

The black one curled up on the sand, waiting for the medics with deceiving patience.

"Yes? I see…where are they now? Okay, we'll be right there." Karl hung up and turned to his younger brother. "Guess who that was."

Thomas looked up. The younger one had surprise written all over his face. Then he realized the tone and began to worry.

"Who?"

"Jigura hospital." Karl answered and walked out. "Get ready. We're paying them a visit."

Thomas hastily followed his brother, still unsure of what exactly was going on. "What's there?"

"I'll explain on the way, I need to find Van."

Thomas bit his bottom lip. Whatever required the three of them could not be good. Usually one Guardian signaled danger to the public, who knows what they'll think when they see three zoids with the logo.

By the time Thomas entered the hangar he found Van and Zeke already there with his brother waiting for him.

"Jigura hospital called us to say that Specula had abducted one of their doctors. Only a minute after he was taken he communicated them and said that they needed two ambulance zoids as fast as possible."

"Why would Specula help anyone?" Thomas wondered.

"Exactly, which is we believe one of the ambulances was for Reese." Said Karl who climbed into his special Zaber Fang. The red and black feline zoid growled as its cockpit shut, the green eyes looking menacing.

"So why are we being called in if she's injured?" Thomas asked Van, a puzzled look on his face.

"Because the last time anyone saw Reese, she was with Raven." He answered and jumped in the Liger, Zeke following him obediently.

The youngest Shubaltz sighed and stepped into his Dibision. Beek, his artificial organoid, tried to comfort him.

"Don't worry about it." Thomas told the computer program dismissively and followed the others out of the hangar.