AN- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Listen everyone, I'm sorry for my extended absence, but with Thanksgiving and my cable (which provides my internet) shutting down for no reason for three days, I was unable to get to my mom's to upload this, my new Primeval fic, Prey, and new Organoid OC drawings at DeviantART. Anyway, enough of my excuses, here is chapter 7- Disaster!! (uh oh, that doesn't sound good!! XP)
Oh, Lied's name is pronounced 'lead' or 'leed', like when you lead someone.
Btw, the italicized part takes place a year before the start of CC, after Raven received Shadow and his Zaber Fang, during winter. Just made sure ya knew. ;P
"He WHAT?!!" Ibeyla screamed, shock written all over her face. She was sitting up now, her jaw dropped as she stared at Karl, her glittering emerald eyes wide.
"He… he put him in the Pit…" Karl said quietly, his eyes down, looking at the floor.
"Why?!" she shouted.
"For destroying his Zaber Fang and punching one of the soldiers sent to retrieve him…" Karl answered, "… they had to sedate him just to get him into the Pit."
"Has Prozen finally gone mad?!" Ibeyla shrieked, "Those Organoids will eat him alive!! Has he forgotten what happened the last time he put a wounded person in there?!"
"I know… but I don't know how badly he's hurt, but Prozen forced me to help him put him in that place, and I saw how badly sedated he was. I swear they gave way too much, he was fully unconscious and he only moved once, and Prozen said they gave him enough to keep him under for hours…" Karl said quietly, closing his eyes for a brief second.
"I saw him before he went to the infirmary, he and Shadow came to me." Ibeyla said, "You know how he hates people poking at him and doesn't fuss about even a severe injury, so I made sure I he wasn't hurt. He had a bad gash on his side, from the Zaber's cockpit glass I think, but he wouldn't let even me do anything to help him. Karl, is there anyway to get in there without anyone seeing?"
"I… I don't think so… I'm not sure, I've always tried to avoid that place at all costs, after what happened…" Karl said softly, looking up at her.
"That's alright, Karl…" Ibeyla smiled, "… I think I know a way in anyway, but we have to get out into the west courtyard without anyone catching us, or else we'll be thrown in there and be the ones in need of rescue."
"You mean there's an unsealed exit out of the Pit?! Does that mean the creatures can get out?!" Karl asked, suddenly worried that the Organoids could sneak out into the palace during the night.
"The smallest male and the female can." Ibeyla said, confirming his fears, "I've seen her out a lot in the courtyard in the last few weeks, chewing on one of the flowering bushes, but she didn't look as threatening as the one with the orange eyes…"
"Well… we'll have to risk it because…" Karl trailed off, gulping, "… when I looked in to check on Raven, the red-eyed one came up to the door, and… its muzzle was covered in blood…" Ibeyla grew very pale, all the color draining from her face, looking as if she was about to faint.
"W-what? Bl-blood?!" she choked, a look of pure horror on her face.
"Unfortunately…" Karl said quietly, "… but I don't know which one got hold of him. That one could have just gotten blood on its muzzle without hurting him, or it could have attacked him… but what has me worried the most is that Lied, the sole female, the one that attacked me, hasn't been seen at the door since I lost contact with Raven."
"Lied? But, isn't that the one that saved Raven?" Ibeyla cocked her head slightly, her look of horror replaced by one of confusion.
"Saved? What are you talking about? Lied was the one that bit and hid him from us, he's got the scars to prove it." Karl questioned, wondering if the young Zoidian wasn't thinking straight from being woken up so early.
"Yeah, Raven told me everything that happened." Ibeyla said, "He said that after you guys were locked in there and fell asleep, Lied woke him up and played with him. He followed her back further into the room and was attacked by one of the other Organoids, the red-eyed one I think. He said Lied fought it off and helped him, and even fought off both of the other creatures when they came after him. After that, he said that he passed-out and Lied carried him to a protected part of the Pit and cared for him, until you and the soldiers tracked her down and found him."
"But, if she didn't hurt him, why did she attack us when we tried to help him? And attack me when I didn't do anything to provoke or anger her?" Karl asked, now the one confused.
"I don't know…" she shrugged, "… maybe she was trying to protect him?"
"I doubt it… before the incident she was pretty aggressive to anyone who got close to her, she even bit me, and I was even holding a lamp that had shooed away the other two. And in the last few months, she has been highly aggressive to everyone that even stepped foot in there; I even saw her attacking the other two Organoids for no reason. Shadow was even beaten into submission by her when Prozen placed him in there before he gave him to Raven." Karl shook his head, the two conflicting stories not adding up.
"Wait… more aggressive in the last few months? How so?" she inquired, a look of worry showing in her eyes.
"Well, she attacked a soldier and started eating him before we could pry her off him, she stole a washcloth that had been in my pocket, tried to escape, smashed another soldier into the wall, slashed another nearly open, killed another with the spines on her tail, rammed at the door for hours on end for no apparent reason, was bold enough to venture near the open door as they put Raven in, and even scratched and bit at me a week or two ago…" Karl answered, scratching his head as he tried to remember. He looked down at Ibeyla, who was now deathly silent. Her eyes were wide and she was ghastly pale, as if he was pointing a gun at her. This wasn't normal for the young Zoidian; if she fell silent, you knew she knew something awful. "Are you alright, Ibeyla? You're worrying me…"
"Dear Eve…" she finally whispered, "… Karl, we need to get Raven out of there. Now!" She shrieked, jumping off her bed.
"Ibeyla, what?!" Karl asked, now worried and very confused. Ibeyla ran over and woke Obscura, before running over to her closet, tearing through it.
"That Organoid, Lied…" she said more calmly, "… there's only one explanation for such a sudden and drastic behavior change in such a short amount of time…" she sighed, looking over at Karl, an almost sullen look in her eyes, "… Lied has nested…"
"Nested?" Karl asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion, "As in… a nest? Eggs?"
"I'm afraid so…" she said sullenly, "… and if that's the case, Raven is in grave danger. Organoid hatchlings have to eat, and so do mother Organoids. If Lied has laid, then she or her hatchlings could… could…" she started sobbing, tears dripping down her face at the thought of one of her closest friends being eaten alive by the vicious creatures. She wiped the tears from her eyes and reached up onto a high shelf in her closet, and pulled out her carefully wrapped cloak.
"Ibeyla… Ibeyla, he'll be okay, this is Raven we're talking about…" Karl said softly, trying to calm her down. Ibeyla looked over at him, her emerald eyes slightly reddened, but sobs no longer escaped her.
"You're right… but if he's going to be okay, we need to get him out of there." She said, her voice strengthening, "Karl, listen, if Lied has Raven and is nesting, she's going to be one cranky Organoid. I need you to go and get as many high-powered tasers as you can get, they're the only things effective against an enraged mother Organoid; even a full clip from your 9mil wont faze her." Karl nodded and hurried out of the room, leaving her to get dressed into her battle suit and armor.
Obscura, who had been standing in the corner, walked over to her and nuzzled her shoulder, purring softly. Ibeyla petted her snout, tears no longer streaming down her face. She knew, however, that Raven was in serious danger, and that if she and Karl didn't hurry, he could very well die.
'We have to hurry… Raven will die if we don't do something tonight, if he's not already dead…'
Raven still hadn't stirred, the slight rising and falling of his chest with each breath the only sign he was still living. With his ripped-open side, torn shoulder, sliced arm and bitten leg, he looked as if he should be dead. The sedative was still affecting him, keeping him in a semi-unconscious state, and completely at the mercy of Lied and the other Organoids. He was half-conscious at the moment, sensing the light of the lamp and the soft breathing of his Organoid guardian, wherever she was lying at.
He tried to open his eyes, but he was still far too weak. He had lost a lot of blood during the attack, and his body was using his little remaining strength to try and heal the massive injuries he had sustained. His side felt strange, covered in something slimy and cool, and he recognized the feeling of Lied's healing liquid. The presence of the liquid was reassuring, Raven knew Lied only used it when she had complete trust and was completely relaxed, so he knew Lied was going to watch over him until the soldiers came to retrieve him in the morning and wasn't going to hurt him anymore.
Raven didn't like not being able to move or see; it made him feel vulnerable, which was just another word for weak, which he hated to feel. At the moment, however much he hated to admit it, he was too weak to even move his hand or open his eyes, let alone anything else. He knew he wouldn't be able to stand on his own for a few days at best, but walking wasn't going to be an option for at least another week. The blanket Lied had laid over him had helped to keep him warm, which helped his injuries begin to heal quicker.
A slight shuffling from somewhere to his left caught his attention, momentarily breaking his thoughts. Lied's unmistakable growl broke the silence, the soft rumble not at all threatening. Raven sensed more than heard Lied move close to him, the ebony and cream Organoid sniffing him, her warm breath ruffling his hair.
"Li… L-Lied?" Raven wheezed, even though he knew it was her. Lied growled softly, climbing down off of the bed. Before he had a chance to even react, Lied crooned loudly and licked his face, her soft wet tongue dragging across his cheek, making him open his eyes slightly. Lied was standing over him, her long tail wagging back and forth, a grin seeming to stretch across her muzzle.
Lied cooed and gently nuzzled his cheek, closing her eyes and purring softly. Raven couldn't help but laugh, which made Lied purr louder and wag her tail harder. If this had been Shadow or Obscura nuzzling him, he would have smacked the Organoid and yelled, but this was Lied, the only one he would let lick and nuzzle and nose him. She stopped for a moment, licking him again, before she continued to nuzzle him.
Raven laughed quietly and pulled his left arm out from under the heavy blanket, reaching up and laying his hand on Lied's neck. Lied growled softly, licking him again as she continued to nuzzle him, being very gentle with him. Raven slowly ran his hand up and down her neck, feeling the bumpy streaks of ivory on his fingertips through the leather glove. Lied purred louder, licking his face again before nosing his shoulder gently, careful of his wounds.
Lied growled softly and laid down next to him, softly nosing and licking him. Raven smirked and playfully pushed on her snout, catching her off-guard. Lied snorted in surprise, blinking her glowing milky eyes in confusion. Her look of confusion faded, and instead a mischievous glow entered her eyes, and a sly smirk crossed her face. She growled evilly and swiped at his side with her clawed hand, the sharp talons just touching him. Raven laughed loudly, the dangerous claws lightly brushing against his ticklish side. Lied sneered and, using both her clawed hands, kept tickling him, careful to not hurt him with her powerful talons.
Raven was laughing for the first time in years, squirming as the large Organoid tickled his side with her talons. He was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe; cursing Lied remembered his one weak spot. As if sensing that, Lied stopped, letting him get a good breath of air. Raven was gasping, still laughing as he tried to even his breathing. Still breathing heavily, he reached over and rubbed Lied's snout, smiling slightly. Lied purred loudly and closed her glowing eyes, arching her neck and pushing her muzzle into his hand, much like a housecat. Her spined tail tip swooshed happily across the smooth metal floor, her sharp silver claws splaying and retracting, again like a cat.
Partly drowned out by the ebony Organoid's loud purring, a quiet scratching caught Raven's attention, coming from the bed. He patted Lied muzzle a last time, looking over at the bed, looking for the source of the noise. It appeared to be originating from a pile of blankets, the green fabric seeming to be carefully wrapped around something. As he listened, he saw the blanket move very slightly, as if something underneath it was moving.
"Lied? W-what's making that noise?" he asked, looking over at the marbled Organoid. Lied opened her eyes, blinking and listening. Her bright eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet, running over to the bed, hovering over the bundle of fabric. Raven was very confused by this point, not knowing why Lied was so interested in the noise.
He watched as she sniffed and nosed the green pile of blankets, her movements slow and careful. She was acting strange, she wasn't tearing through the fabric in search of the source of the noise like he had expected her to do, she was just smelling and prodding the blankets. She growled softly and pushed her snout under the top blanket, sniffing and probing something with her sensitive nose. As she did that, he picked up a quiet squeaking noise, a barely audible chirping coming from beneath the fabric.
"Lied, what i-is that?" he questioned, looking at her strangely. Lied pulled her snout from the bundle and looked over at him, an odd look in her eyes, as if worried and happy at the same time. She made a sighing noise and leaned back down to the lump, nosing away the top blanket. Raven watched as the blanket fell away, and his eyes widened-
For barely visible in the heavy fabric, were three smooth blackish-teal eggs…
"L-Lied… a-are those… eggs?!" he stuttered, staring at Lied in shock. She nodded slowly and covered them back up, walking over to him and leaning down, an almost sad look in her eyes. She mewed and nuzzled his shoulder, whining loudly, her eyes squeezed shut. Raven had never seen her so distressed, she had been calm as long as he could remember, and seeing her panicky made him nervous.
"What, girl?" Raven said quietly, reaching up and laying his hand on the Organoid's snout. Lied opened her eyes at his touch, looking him in the eyes, fear seeming to enter her eyes before she squeezed them shut again. Raven knew a scared Organoid was highly dangerous, so he tried to calm her down. He slowly ran his hand up and down her snout, trying to get her settled down.
"What's wrong, girl?" he said softly, continuing to scratch her muzzle. Lied seemed to calm down slightly, her milky eyes blinking open. She looked at him and growled softly, her eyes darting to her eggs before settling on him again. "What? The eggs?" he asked, confused on what the Organoid meant. She nodded slowly, nuzzling him again. "Is something wrong with one?" he inquired, beginning to worry. She blinked and growled a sad 'yes', pushing her snout against his chest.
"Lied, what's wrong with the egg?" he asked, slowly running his hand up and down her muzzle, trying to keep her calm. She tilted her head and blew cold air on his face, before pushing back against him. "One got too cold?" he said quietly, understanding what she was trying to say. Lied mewled and laid down, nodding and squeezing her eyes shut. Raven's heart sank, knowing that one of her eggs was likely dead. Seeing Lied so distraught was strange, he had never seen her sad, let alone completely broken down, like she was now.
Raven remembered what Ibeyla had told him about Organoid eggs. She had said they were very sensitive to changes in the environment, and that a sudden shift in temperature, even for just a few minutes, could kill the developing Organoid. One must have gotten too cold while she was playing with him and died; there was no other explanation for her behavior.
"Which one, Lied?" Raven asked, looking over at her nest. Lied lifted her head and got to her feet, slowly making her way to the nest. She rooted through the fabric with her snout, stopping and sniffing. Raven watched as she opened her jaws, carefully lifting one of the eggs, the smallest one, out of the fabric in her jaws. Lied carefully balanced the egg in her jaws, walking over to him. She gently laid the egg in his lap, nuzzling his shoulder before she walked back over to her nest.
Raven touched the large egg, tracing the distinct raised marking that covered the smooth surface. The egg's shell felt metallic, as if made from paper-thin metal. It felt cold to the touch, which he knew wasn't good. But, if what Ibeyla had told him was true, warming it up just might save it. He pulled off his blanket, wrapping the delicate egg in the warm fabric, trying to warm it up. It was smaller than the other two he had seen, and being smaller meant it lost heat quicker, which probably explained why the other two eggs were fine.
He looked up at Lied, who now was curled up around her remaining eggs. She wasn't moving, wrapped tightly around her two surviving eggs, trying to keep them warm. The two other eggs were nearly the size of footballs, but the one on his lap was only as two-thirds as big, if that. If the hatchling inside it survived, it no doubt would be much smaller and weaker than the other two.
Normally, he really wouldn't have cared whether the egg lived or died, but since it was Lied's and she had saved his life several times, he was concerned with it. He was cold without the blanket to keep him warm, but he didn't care, the egg needed it more than he did right now. If the egg made it, he knew there was a chance it be a runt and the other hatchlings could pick on it, and if that did happen, it would probably have to be separated.
Lied lifted her head and looked at the door, her eyes wide, a deep growl rumbling from her throat. Raven looked at her strangely, but she was completely focused on something other than him. Her eyes were wide and glaring, as if frightened of something…
Suddenly, the base was rocked with a loud explosion, making Raven shout and Lied roar. Raven heard a loud electric buzzing and popping before it stopped, signaling the power had been disabled. The telltale metallic clanging of a Zoid came from outside, and he realized the palace was under attack. He knew the Pit was in a relatively isolated section of the palace, so he hoped no stray shots would hit. Lied was in a panic, roaring and flicking her tail in agitation, as if trying to scare away the noise.
"Lied! Lied, you and your eggs are fine!" Raven shouted over her loud roaring and another explosion, "Stop moving or you'll hurt her eggs!" he added, and instantly she stopped, looking over at him with her brightly glowing eyes. She growled curiously and cocked her head, blinking her eyes. "I don't know what's happening, but the power's out…" he said, sighing loudly. He knew that meant the door was locked in place until power was restored and the security lock rebooted, and that could take days, even weeks, and in his condition, that could be fatal.
As if sensing his distress, Lied cooed and uncurled her tail from around her eggs, using the spines that armed the tip to tickle his side. Raven laughed, momentarily forgetting about the continuing explosions and that he was trapped. He smirked and grabbed her tail farther up, away from the spines, not letting her pull it back. She snorted and narrowed her eyes playfully, and used her tail tip to tickle his side again. Raven laughed again, his grip on Lied's tail slipping, letting the Organoid pull her tail away.
Lied growled evilly, digging her tail tip into his ticklish side, making him laugh even harder. Raven was unable to stop her, laughing so hard his eyes were close to watering. He wasn't at all worried about the lethal spines pressed against him, knowing Lied was only playing and wasn't going to hurt him. Even though Raven knew Lied was a naturally caring Organoid, he was surprised with just how gentle and careful she could be; the spines that were tickling him were the very same she had used to kill a soldier who hit her with a single swat, it was amazing how she could change such a deadly weapon into a harmless play toy.
Another loud explosion brought them back to reality, Lied looking down at her nest again. A look of distress and worry entered her once happy eyes, making her look as if she hadn't been happy for years. Raven was also distressed, worried about being trapped in the Pit and about Shadow, Ibeyla and Karl, whose quarters were in a more exposed section of the palace. He shook his head slightly, dismissing the dark thoughts, and looked down at the delicate egg wrapped carefully in his blanket.
Raven unwrapped a little of the fabric, pressing his fingers against the now-warm surface of the egg's shell. The egg felt much warmer, which was good, meaning the hatchling could still have a chance, if it wasn't already dead. To his surprise, he thought he could feel what felt like a heartbeat, the weak pulse vibrating through his leather-clad fingers. He wondered for a moment if that was just his own heart, but he wasn't sure.
A soft yawn from Lied made him look up, carefully rewrapping the small egg. Lied was curled up around her two other eggs, sighing loudly and closing her eyes, looking like she was starting to fall asleep. Seeing her like that made Raven sleepy, the combined effects of the sedative and blood loss making him drowsy. He yawned quietly, his amethyst eyes starting to close as he grew more tired.
Raven closed his eyes and leaned his head back, drifting off into a deep sleep, despite the egg on his lap and the attacks on the palace…
Ibeyla fastened her silver armor to her arms and shoulders, knowing she would need the protection. Already she had dressed herself in her deep sapphire battle suit, made from the same material as Raven's grey and violet one. She figured wearing her battle suit would be better protection than normal cloth, since the fabric was designed to help protect against glass, to some degree, so maybe it would help against an angry Organoid's claws or spines.
She herself had had no experience dealing with a mother Organoid defending her nest, but she knew it wasn't going to be easy. Ibeyla remembered some of her parents teachings about nesting Organoids' behavior, but during most of their lectures she had been daydreaming or staring off into space, and now she wished she had paid closer attention to their words, because now her friend's life hung in the balance. She knew there was going to be fighting in order to get Raven out, but she didn't want to anger or harm the Organoid or her eggs, but getting Raven out of there was her main concern at the moment. After all, Raven had been her friend ever Prozen had brought him back after finding him…
Flashback
Ibeyla sat next to Raven, Obscura and Shadow lying at their feet. The soldiers were prepping their Zoids for a winter training mission, so they had decided to wait outside for them to finish. It was early in the morning, but the sand was covered not in dew, but in a thick blanket of snow. The rare snowfall was a welcome break to the never-ending cycle of blistering heat and bitter cold, though now it seemed the cycle was stopped on the bitter cold part. She didn't care, wrapped up in her heavy black sweater-like cloak, whose hood was lined with tan fur-like threads to keep the drifting snowflakes from reaching her eyes.
Raven, on the other hand, was wearing nothing more than his normal violet cloak, despite her arguments for him to wear something more weather appropriate so he wouldn't catch his death in the biting temperatures of Zi's short but fierce winter. He never listened to her advice, and of course he was sick now with a cold, but he didn't show it outwardly, knowing she would nag him about it for not listening.
The only ones of them not bothered by the frigid temperatures or biting snow was Obscura and Shadow, for they couldn't fall ill from the climate, and honestly didn't care. Obscura's pale robin egg blue coloration blended into the icier patches, save her black and violet throat and stomach and the barbed horn that adorned her head. Shadow's coloration, however, made him stick out like a Zaber Fang in a pack of Helkats.
"Hey Raven, what do you think of all the snow?" she asked innocently, looking over at him. The ebony-haired teen beside her opened his amethyst eyes, looking out at the surreal landscape.
"I hate snow." Raven muttered, closing his eyes again and tightening his arms crossed over his chest, shaking slightly.
"How can you hate snow?!" Ibeyla said in shock, "I mean, what is there not to like?!"
"Its cold, wet, slippery, blinding, and it sticks everywhere…" he complained, shaking his head slightly to rid his hair of the snow that had collected. Ibeyla sighed loudly, shaking her head in disagreement.
"C'mon Raven, snow is great! Watch…" she argued, walking out into an untouched patch of snow under the farthest branches of the juniper tree, laying down and making a snow angel. Raven got up and walked over to the thin trunk of the desert juniper tree, watching her try to make a snow angel.
"All you're doing is getting your cloak wet, Ibeyla…" Raven said, pulling his thin cloak tight around him. Ibeyla ignored him and got to her feet, looking at her creation happily.
"See Raven? Isn't that neat?" Ibeyla said, motioning to her 'slightly' lopsided snow angel. Raven glanced at it and scoffed, not at all interested in it. Ibeyla huffed in frustration, her patience wearing thin with the black-haired teen. In a last-ditch effort, she reached down and packed a snowball, throwing it at Obscura. The white clump exploded when it hit the Organoid's face, making Obscura yelp and snap her head up in surprise.
"That was pathetic." Raven laughed, and Ibeyla's patience final ran out. She scooped up another handful of snow and fashioned another snowball, this one a little larger and heavier. She threw it at Raven, hitting him in the chest. He stopped laughing, giving her a mean look, though it didn't affect her in the slightest.
"Happy now?" she snapped, crossing her arms, narrowing her emerald eyes slightly. Raven smirked and leaned down, making a snowball of his own. Ibeyla watched him closely, knowing he was going to throw it at her. As soon as he threw it, she put her arms up to protect her uncovered face and the open neck of her cloak, but the snowball sailed harmlessly over her head.
"You're aim is terr- ahh!!" she was cut-off as a large amount of snow fell on top of her from the branch over her head, which Raven had hit with his snowball, making it cascade onto her and knock her to the ground, covering her in snow.
"Now I'm happy." Raven said, busting out in laughter. Ibeyla dug her way out of the mound of snow and staggered to her feet, brushing the sticking flakes from her black cloak, glaring daggers at Raven, who was doubled over in laughter. While he was busy laughing, she picked up a clump of snow and lobbed it at the branch over his head, making a miniature avalanche of snow fall on him, knocking him to the ground with a shout of surprise in a reply of what he did to her.
"There, now we're even." Ibeyla huffed, before she began to laugh at him. Raven fought out from under the small hill of white flakes, his face red from both embarrassment and the cold. He quickly packed a snowball and threw it at her, hitting her in the face. She instantly stopped laughing and stared at him in shock, her mouth open in surprise from the unexpected blow.
"That wasn't funny, Raven!" she shouted, stomping her foot unhappily.
"It was for me!" he laughed, before a snowball hit him in the face, effectively silencing him. He quickly brushed the clinging crystals from his face with his gloved hand, obviously not expecting her to return fire. As soon as he cleared the snow from his eyes, he saw Ibeyla, glaring at him with one hand on her hip and the other holding another snowball.
"You wanna try that again?" she sneered, narrowing her eyes, tossing the snowball up and down in her hand.
"Gladly!" Raven answered, throwing a clump of snow at her. He missed, but Ibeyla's snowball didn't, hitting him in the face again. He wiped the snow away and got to his feet, beating the snow from his cloak.
Raven reached down to get some snow, but a well-aimed snowball from Ibeyla smacked into his head, making him jump back up. He snorted in annoyance and shook his head, shaking the snow from his hair. Ibeyla bent down and made a few more snowballs, keeping her eyes focused on Raven as he did the same. She stood back up and threw another snowball, but Raven was up as well.
He avoided the snowball and threw one of his own, hitting her shoulder. She laughed and tossed another, hitting his stomach. Raven smirked and threw yet another, but Ibeyla dodged and countered with one of her own, hitting him in the face again. He shouted and threw a snowball blindly, missing Ibeyla by a mile, but hitting Obscura right in her yawning mouth. The Organoid gagged and choked as it flew down her throat, jumping to her feet and coughing up the snowball. She glared at Ibeyla, but she pointed to Raven, who was too busy rubbing the snow from his eyes to see.
Obscura growled and made a snowball of her own with her large claws, packing it tightly. She snarled and lobbed it at the unsuspecting teen, hitting him in the side, the force of the blow knocking him over. He yelped as he fell to the snowy ground, not expecting a snowball to come from the side.
Shadow lifted his head at his partner's cry, blinking his sapphire eyes and looking over at Raven. He yawned and curled back up, not really caring that his partner was being beaten by Ibeyla and Obscura with snowballs. Obscura roared and stomped over to Raven, who was just getting to his feet, snow clinging to him.
She growled and narrowed her eyes threateningly, making Raven step away, his back to Ibeyla. Ibeyla seized the opportunity and nailed him in the back, making him spin around with a yell. He raised his arm, preparing to throw a snowball at her, but he was hit in the back again, this time by Obscura. The second he turned to throw it at Obscura, Ibeyla threw another, hitting him in the back of his head.
"This isn't fair, Ibeyla!" Raven cried, turning to throw a snowball at her, but Obscura grabbed him and stuffed a handful of snow down the back of his cloak, making him shriek in surprise. He pulled frantically at his cloak, dropping his snowballs, trying to get the snow out before it melted. Ibeyla laughed at him, and Obscura was rolling on the snowy ground in laughter.
"See Raven, isn't snow just great?"
End of flashback
A loud yawn from Obscura caught her attention, making her turn to face her Organoid partner. The pale blue Organoid was curled up on her bed, her violet eyes half-closed. That reminded her of something, and she was hit with an idea.
"Obscura… did Prozen restrain Shadow?" Ibeyla asked, wondering if Raven's Organoid was locked up. Obscura growled quietly, and Ibeyla's eyes widened. "He did?! Do you know where?!" Obscura growled again, and Ibeyla stared at her in shock. "They locked him in the prisoner cells?! We have to get him out!!"
Ibeyla grabbed and threw on her cloak, the dark blue fabric covering her armor and battle suit. Her silver switchblade was hanging from her pocket, her only weapon. She was highly against guns of any sort, so she never carried or used them, even if it was highly recommended she did so. She hated guns ever since a bullet nicked her leg in a training mishap with Raven, and she has never even touched one since.
"Obscura, we need to get Shadow, he'll know where Raven is." Ibeyla stated, grabbing a piece of Magnite from her dresser. She looked at herself in the mirror, and saw that her hair was still down. Normally, she would have pulled it back with a little hanging down to frame her face, but she really didn't care what she looked like at the moment, she was more concerned with Raven and Shadow. She grabbed her small communicator and flicked it on, tuning to Karl's frequency.
"Karl, Shadow is in the prisoner cells, we need to get him free. He'll be able to track Raven down a lot better than we can…" Ibeyla said, hoping nobody else was picking up the conversation.
"All right." Karl answered, "I've got the tasers, so I'll met you at the cells to free Shadow".
"Okay, Obscura, let's go get Shadow and Raven…" Ibeyla said, grabbing her black pack from her chair as she headed out the door. Obscura jumped to her feet and scrambled after her, closing the door behind her. Ibeyla kept very quiet and hid herself, trying not to draw any attention, though no people were in the halls. She knew the security cameras were watching her, so she tried to look as inconspicuous as possible, as if she was just getting up to do some late-night research in the library or repair her Zoid, which she was known to get up late at night to do.
As she turned a corner, she saw someone down the hall walking towards her. She about fainted when she realized it was Harding, she never believed a word she said and always got on her case; she'd never believe her story that she was just 'going to do a late-night spot check of Spectral's systems'. Harding looked at her as she walked past her, giving her a suspicious look.
"Ibeyla, what are you doing up so late?" she questioned, turning and looking at her strangely. Ibeyla slowly turned around, looking at her.
"I was just going to the Zoids hangar to run a diagnostic on Spectral's systems, I was losing sleep over it." She answered, praying to Eve that she'd buy it. She narrowed her eyes disbelievingly, which made her nervous.
"Didn't you do that earlier, Ibeyla?" she said suspiciously, making her even more nervous.
"Yeah I did, but I didn't check the weapons system…" she sighed, as if laughing at herself, "… I just wanted to make sure that laser bolt Spectral received during the fight didn't fry the Pulse Laser firing system and all."
"Well… hurry and run your test and get some sleep." Harding snapped, "There were some sightings of Republican soldiers nearby, and you'll need to be rested if they attack." She huffed before turning and walking away. Ibeyla waited until she was out of sight before she breathed a sigh of relief, happy she bought it. She started to turn to keep walking, when she froze.
"Republican soldiers…? Here?" she said, turning and looking out the glass wall to her left. The observation area she was in overlooked the desert, which was usually devoid of anything. She, however, could see something, a metallic glint glimmering in the moonlight. Her eyes widened, realizing that it was a Zoid, and not just any Zoid- it was a Republic Command Wolf.
"Obscura!" she whispered loudly, pointing to the barely visible Zoid in the distance. The blue Organoid's eyes focused on the silver shape, a deep growl rumbling from her throat. "C'mon, its just a Command Wolf, it can't do any harm. Right now, we need to go free Shadow and get Raven out-" before she could finish, a loud explosion erupted from somewhere in the base, shaking the very foundation. She staggered and fell to the ground, Obscura roaring and fanning her large crimson wings. The lights flickered and shut off, pitch black descending on the palace.
Ibeyla started to get up, but another explosion shook the palace, making her fall again. She hit her head against the metal wall, knocking her senseless. She collapsed to the floor, another blast ripping through the base. Obscura roared loudly, staggering to stay on her feet as the whole palace swayed beneath her.
Ibeyla struggled to her feet, turning and running down the hallway towards the prisoner cells, hoping Karl and Raven were all right…
AN- sorry the beginning was a little dry, but I've been sick the last few days, and I can't write as well when I'm sick. I loved the flashback, that and Lied and Raven playing. But, now the power is out, the palace under attack, and one egg possibly dead. Could things get any worse? Of course they could!! XP But, I hoped you liked this chapter anyway!! Thanks for reading and please review!! Oh, and I uploaded a newer, better picture of Lied to my DeviantART account!! Use the link in my profile page to reach it! Thanks again for reading!! ;D
~Ibeyla ^^
