Ch. 7
Two more days passed and everyone was on high alert, clean up crews were working all over the base still cleaning up the debris from the attack. Van, Irvine and Wolf were in the hanger with Raven, Reese and Thomas and all the Organoids.
"Van we need to go after this guy now before he kills one of us, or gets closer to killing Daniel," Wolf nearly shouted.
"Mike," Van stopped him.
"Van you only call me by my first name when its bad news, what's happened?" Wolf said lowering his tone.
"Mike, Daniel died this morning at 0200 hours, the doctors didn't see it coming so there was nothing they could do, I told them I would tell you myself," Van said somberly as he watched his long time friend drop to his knees and let out a howl that would once again scare off a full grown lion before ducking his head to hide his red eyes. Clare had just walked into the hanger, when she heard the howl.
"Why does he do that?" Clare asked in a very hushed tone once she reached the group and saw Wolf on the ground.
"The last time any of us saw him do this first hand, was when your father died two years ago, I think he does this for anyone who dies in a less then honorable manner, but none of us knows exactly why he does, but that's because he won't explain his reasons for it," Irvine explained quietly. Clare walked over to Wolf who was on the ground crying.
"Sweetie why don't we go to our room, I'll make you some dinner and we can just sleep for a while," the blue haired girl said as she helped him up and led him out of the hanger.
"Did she say 'our' room?" Van asked as they left. This earned him a smack to the head from Raven and Irvine. The girls just sniggered at the bewildered look on Van's face.
It took a few days for Wolf to recover; Samantha and Clare were hell bent on getting him back in the fight. Wolf was checking over his Konig in the hanger when Samantha walked in.
"Hey Wolf, can I have a word?" the green eyed woman asked as he jumped down from the Zoid's leg. When he nodded she continued, "Wolf where should Daniel be buried, your mother said the base was where he considered home, but I don't know."
"I think his Wife should decide I'm sure he'd be happy with whatever she came up with, besides, he never did like the places I chose to go," Wolf saw tears in Samantha's eyes, he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting way.
"Will you, be here for the funeral?" Samantha asked trying not to cry her eyes out, as she pulled out of his embrace.
"No, I'm going after this Vailen character and nothing will stop me from ripping his head from his shoulders when I find him," Wolf said in a glacial tone, his eyes shining red as hatred filled his mind, before turning back to the Konig Wolf and Blaze.
"Van you guys need to get here fast, Wolf is going after Vailen on his own," Samantha said after finding the first person she could with a radio while keeping her eyes on the Konig Wolf belonging to her brother in-law.
"Alright we'll try and get him calmed down, maybe we can stop this before he gets started," Van said sounding as though he had started running.
"Keep him in the hanger if you can Samantha we're on our way," Irvine said also sounding as though he was running. Samantha was about to make a move to stop Wolf when the Konig took off in a high lope headed east.
"Guys he just left, I don't have a way to chase him," Samantha practically screamed into the radio.
"Find the hanger boss and tell him to give you a Redler or a Pteras," Van said panting.
Five minutes later Samantha, who had gotten the short and sweet on how to fly a Redler, was chasing a black and red Konig Wolf across the desert, while the others fought to catch up.
"Wolf you have to listen to me, you take this guy on you're going to lose and Clare may lose you forever, the same way I lost Daniel," Samantha said through the com link. She saw the Konig Wolf stop practically on a dime.
"Wolf, you're my brother in law, you may not think you're my worry, but I should be yours," Samantha screamed as she landed the Redler.
"I'm no one's worry, I can handle myself," Wolf said in the same glacial tone, the others had just gotten into radio range to hear all of this.
This was enough for a now approaching Moonbay.
"ALRIGHT THAT IS IT, WOLF I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU, GET OUT OF THAT COCKPIT NOW!" Moonbay screamed as she pulled the Gustav along side the Konig.
Two Blade Ligers, a Lightning Siax, along with the Psycho Genosaurer and Geno Breaker gathered around shortly after. Wolf obliged knowing he was likely to get hit by Moonbay when she got to him. Moonbay drew back a fist and Wolf stopped it mid flight.
"Don't hit me," Wolf said in a tone that made them all flinch while pushing Moonbay away by the fist, "My brother was killed by this asshole, it's my job to go after and do the same to him."
"Mike, you said you were nobody's worry, but that's not true, little Daniel who very much adores you, is in our quarters thinking his 'Uncle Wolf' won't come back," Fiona said with tears in her eyes.
"Wolf your like a brother to me and Irvine and like I do with my sister, I will always worry what will happen to you, dude I know how this sounds, but I do love you like a brother," Van said placing a hand on the mans shoulder Irvine nodding his agreement.
"I am not in this for someone I call a simple friend Wolf, I'm here for the man I love and I won't leave your side till this is done," Clare said as she hugged Wolf whose eyes had returned to their usual blue.
'What is it about her that makes me so calm?' Wolf thought as he hugged Clare.
"And if you lose who the devil is going to keep Van in check," Raven said with a chuckle as he leaned against Shadow.
Reese just stood there observing the scene. Noting that Wolf's emotions were nothing short of completely unpredictable, one minute he was angrier than anyone she'd ever known, the next he was calm or even happy with no trace of negative emotion.
"Look I know this isn't the time or place but I need a word with Clare, alone," Wolf said sounding a little lighter.
"Sure take your time and don't run off," Van said finally able to joke again.
"If we run off, none of you will want know why," Wolf said sarcastically.
The two walked over behind the Konig Wolf before Wolf started to say what he had on his mind.
"Clare, I know that this really isn't the time or the place for such things, but I need you to know whatever happens, I have never had a girlfriend like you before," Wolf paused long enough to inhale to his full lung capacity, "I want you to know that I, Michael Wolfgang Novis, love you with all of my heart and that you are the only person left on this planet that I feel comfortable enough with to open up to, and I want it to stay that way… forever, Will you be my wife if we come back from this?" the black haired man asked with hope deep in his eyes as he pulled the platinum ring off his pinky.
"Yes, Wolf, I will be your wife," Clare practically squealed.
"What's going on back here?" Moonbay asked as she and the others came back to find an extremely happy Wolf with an equally excited Clare two feet off the ground held in his arms.
"We're gonna get married, when we get back from getting this Vailen guy," Clare screamed as she bounced on the balls of her feet after Wolf put her down.
"We'll spout congratulations later, we just got word Vailen is on the move, coming this way and fast," Raven said making everyone rush for their cockpits.
"Samantha, you head back to the base, Blaze fuse now, he may not know that we have Organoids," Wolf said as his Organoid turned into his energy form and fused to the Konig Wolf. 'Almost gave up something I didn't want to,' he thought as the Konig came to life.
"Recommend everyone else wait till a little more time has gone by, that way no time is wasted," Van said as he called Zeke to fuse with the Blade Liger.
"Van, Reese and I will head for that rock formation, if he has back up we should be able to take it out from there," Raven said as he turned the Geno Breaker towards the cliff, followed closely by the Psycho Genosaurer.
"Moonbay, Clare, go with them, I don't want you in this fight," Wolf said in light tone.
"Wolf I'm staying," Clare said in defiance while Moonbay moved the Gustav in behind the two Genos.
"Lieutenant O'Connell, move that Blade Liger out of here, we can use you as a surprise attack to take out any stragglers," Wolf said making it an order for her to move.
"Yes Sir," Clare said in a rather disgruntled tone.
"Why so harsh Wolf?" Van asked on the private channels.
"It was the only way I could think of to keep her out of this, hopefully Raven and Reese don't miss anyone," Wolf replied before turning his radio to the frequency Raven used, "Raven, keep your eyes on Clare she's got an itchy trigger finger today, what ever you two do up there, don't miss anyone, I don't want her down here," he said in a serious tone to the raven haired man at the controls of the Geno Breaker.
"You got it Wolf," Raven said as he readied for a fight.
They hadn't waited more then five minutes after that conversation when a large group of Zoids appeared on radar.
"Now is the time, fuse your Organoids folks," Wolf said.
Polaris fused with the Blade Liger changing its appearance to snow white with pale blue whiskers and shoulder armor. Shadow and Specular fused to the Psycho Genosaurer and Geno Breaker.
"Well, well, well, it looks like you showed up to be slaughtered," A voice said through the com link.
"Vailen, you've done enough, we're here to stop you," Wolf said icily as his eyes turned red and the hatred he'd felt before returned.
"RAVEN NOW!" Van screamed as all the Zoids stopped in front of them.
A pair of charged particle beams tore through the field leaving only two or three lucky survivors who were cut down by a white blur created by Clare's running Blade Liger.
"Van, Irvine, stay out of my way," Wolf said as he charged towards Vailen's heavily modified Iron Kong Mk II.
Vailen swung the mighty fist of his Kong and the Konig ducked under and fired the sniper rifles on its back straight at the cockpit only to miss by mere inches.
"Well now you really must be angry, I don't remember you ever aiming for the cockpit," Vailen said with a slight chuckle. A video link popped up to show a perfectly calm red eyed Wolf.
"You killed two people in that attack on our base, one of which was very important to me, the other was an unlucky officer, you are under arrest for their murders," Wolf said tone so cold it could have frozen hell itself.
"You're surrounded Vailen, you may as well give it up," Van said from behind the Iron Kongs back, Irvine's Lightning Siax next to him.
"Fine you win, this time," Vailen said popping the canopy.
"Too easy," Wolf mumbled as he readied himself for a bigger fight.
"DEATH STINGER," the tall blonde haired green eyed man screamed still standing in the Iron Kong's cockpit. The ground beneath the Zoids began to shake and crumble.
"GET OUT NOW, WE'VE GOT MOVE," Van screamed as he pushed his Liger passed the Iron Kong, everyone including Raven and Reese ran right behind them.
A charged particle beam tore through the air narrowly missing Van and Clare's Blade Ligers.
"Great now what do we do?" Irvine asked as they ran through the desert.
"We stay away from the base for now we can't risk getting others hurt," Van said changing directions with the others following suit. When they finally stopped they were no where near the base or the newly revived Death Stinger.
"How did he get that Zoid, it was buried with Zoid Eve four years ago, without a Zoid Core if I'm not mistaken," Wolf said letting out long breath as his eyes shifted back to blue.
"Let's hope he doesn't plan to do what Hiltz and Ambient did with it," Van said holding Fiona who had started crying.
"It's getting dark guys let set up for a night fight, this guy doesn't have a sense of fair play," Wolf said sending everyone running for their cockpits.
They waited until the blackness of the night surrounded them; Wolf flipped the goggles down and turned on the night vision sensors.
"Thomas modified each of your Zoids with night vision sensors last month right guys?" Wolf asked sitting in the pale green glow of his cockpit.
"Yeah we've already flipped them on," Van responded while keeping his head on a swivel.
"Wolf I've got a problem, my Blade Liger never got that upgrade, I was on a mission," Clare said slightly panicked.
"Polar, show her how to turn it on if you please," Wolf said with the first genuine smile in days.
"Wow, when did you do this?" Clare asked looking all around at the night view.
"Explain later Wolf, we've got company," Raven said before "MOVE INCOMING FIRE," he screamed as he and the others scattered to get out of the way. A charged particle beam tore through the space Wolf's Zoid had occupied.
