Ch. 9
"I hate this, I want to go home and get to know my kids again, like Wolf and Raven did," Van complained as he stood to leave.
"Van, we all thought they were gone too, but there is nothing we could have done to stop them from coming back because they showed up at Red River unconscious," Herman replied somberly. "Look, I asked you to do this because I knew you would get the job done no matter what, I guess I shouldn't have told you about Wolf and Raven showing up though."
"I'm glad you did though, I've thought for ten years that every friend I had was gone, and honestly I was a walking zombie for almost all of it, now I feel a reason to get this done, but I really want to see them is all, the getting to know them can come later," the spiky black haired man said before walking out the door.
"I'll see what I can do, I here Daniel and Joyce are on a double date with their significant others tonight, If you can make it out that way in say two or three hours you might catch them," Herman shouted through the door not knowing if Van had even heard him.
Back at a restaurant near the base Daniel had the uneasy feeling he was being watched, he didn't know from where or by whom he just knew someone was watching him.
"Guys I'll be back in a minute," the spiky blonde haired man said before getting up to leave.
As he walked through the place he caught a few glimpses of someone who was moving with him. When he got to the door the other person was nowhere in sight, so he turned and headed for the restrooms, again that same person moving with him across the place.
Daniel got to the bathrooms and immediately entered them without hesitation, but quickly sidestepped away from the door and placed the wedge to keep it shut. About ten seconds after getting in the bathroom he heard someone slam into the effectively locked door, he knocked the wedge out from under the door grabbed the guy by the collar and threw him across the room.
"Who are you and what are you watching me and my friends for?" Daniel shouted. The man slowly got off the floor without answering him; he was a tall, spiky black haired man with a red rectangle on the left side of his jaw.
"I see you took to wearing my old uniform, and took some lessons from someone else in fighting," the man said quietly.
"I don't know what you're talking about, this is my father's uniform and he's dead and buried," Daniel shouted at his own father without realizing it.
"Well I guess I deserved that, but I'm not dead, just undercover for a really long time," the black haired man said as he took slow steps with his arms a little away from his sides, "Daniel Flyheight, your mother used to get angry at your uncle Wolf for listening and doing what he said when you never did for her," Van said using every ounce of calm he had.
"Okay but that's common knowledge, try something else," Daniel stammered as his mind began to unravel.
"Well when you were four years old you kissed Natalia Herman, when she and her father came for a visit at the Wind Colony," Van said smirking as he watched the light click in his son's head.
"Not even Natalia remembered that," Daniel said backing himself against the door before sliding down to the floor.
"Look, Daniel I know you want to scream your head off about seeing me, but you need to keep this under your hat for a while, if it got out I was still alive my cover would be blown," Van said getting a nod in return before he left, Daniel still sitting on the floor.
"Okay, what the hell just happened?" Daniel asked himself as he stared in the mirror, before splashing some cold water on his face and leaving the restroom to rejoin his double date.
Daniel returned to the table trying to appear as though nothing had happened, but he noticed Natalia and Joyce looking at him with slight concern before he sat down.
"So who was that guy who followed you?" Nichalo asked as he sipped his drink. Natalia and Joyce just seemed to be waiting for the answer.
"What guy?" Daniel asked as calmly as possible, though he failed spectacularly no one noticed or pretended not to.
"Tall fellow, black hair slightly gray on the sides," Joyce said quietly enough for only the four of them to hear her.
"Oh that, he wasn't following me he just happened to be heading the same place at the same time," Daniel said using a normal tone of voice.
After they finished eating they all left and headed back to base, a night of dancing, music and some very good food seemed to wipe out everyone. When they got back Joyce and Nichalo headed for his quarters while Daniel and Natalia headed for theirs.
"Daniel, tell me who that guy really was? Even I noticed him jumping between bushes trying to go unnoticed, seemed he pulled it off with everyone but the four of us," Natalia asked once they got inside.
"I can't tell you, his cover might get blown if it gets out he met with me," Daniel said a whole lot calmer then in the restaurant.
"I understand, but why did he want to meet with you?" the Captain asked pushing for any info she could get.
"I can't say, again it has to deal with his cover," the red eyed man responded still in a half state of shock.
"Look I just want to know if I have any competition or not, and if you can't answer that's fine but if you just don't want to then I think you need to spend the night alone," Natalia said sternly before turning to the door to leave.
"Sweetheart, your competition, that you've ever so greatly imagined, is mine and Joyce's father, he's not dead but under cover for the last ten years," Daniel said quietly from his place on the couch.
He hated to blow his father's cover like that but he had to tell her so as not to lose her. Natalia scoffed and walked out the door anyway, leaving a very guilty feeling Daniel sitting on his couch.
The next day he could hardly get Natalia to speak to him, and when she did it was to bark orders at him to leave her alone or go do something. Around five o'clock in the afternoon Daniel had just about had enough of her sour attitude, and had every intention of finding out why and how to fix it.
"Melody I need your help badly, Natalia's pissed at me and I need to figure out why, and how to fix it," Daniel said through the door to Melody's room.
When Michael opened the door instead of Melody he nearly ran off, but stood his ground instead since he'd already announced the problem.
"Melody is on duty, I've got an hour before I go on so if you think I can help I'm here," Michael said with a cheerful smile.
Daniel looked at the man very closely and it clicked in his head what must have happened the night before. "I'm going to guess she finally said yes to your proposal, or you got lucky one of the two," he said with a smirk as he walked through the door.
"Both actually but nice of you to notice, so tell me everything you four did last night," Michael said rather nonchalantly as he sat on the sectional.
Daniel sat across from him and told the whole story leaving out the fact it was his father who followed him.
"Okay, have you missed any anniversary by chance?" Michael said passing the whole restaurant over as the cause of this fight.
"No, at least I don't think I did, our six months was about a week ago, first kiss well that's been a while, and…" Daniel stopped mid sentence before flying off the couch and running to the control room of the base.
'He's figured out that Natalia's birthday was two days ago,' Michael thought with a short laugh.
When Daniel ran into the control room, he ran through and people were parting like the red sea for Moses.
"Natalia, I am so sorry I forgot your birthday," Daniel said on his knees in front of her.
"I beg of you to forgive me," the spiky blonde haired man said placing her hand to his lips. Natalia only turned beet red noticing all the people staring at the couple.
"Daniel, let's talk in my office," Natalia said leading a knee walking Daniel behind her.
"Daniel, I swear if you ever do…" the blonde woman was cut off by his lips gently pressing against hers, and his tongue begging for entrance. She gave in and let him kiss her fully enjoying every second of the time.
"Okay you're forgiven," Natalia said as she caught her breath. "Why can't I stay mad at you?"
"Because I'm just that charming," Daniel said casually before leaving the office on foot instead of knee.
Everything was going well at Red River base, the gentlemen had officially started a weekly poker game, and the ladies were enjoying a night in watching movies and girl talk just as their mothers had done before them.
"So who here hasn't slept with their man?" Natalia asked thinking she already knew with Sarah in the room.
"None of us apparently," the blonde said after nearly thirty seconds of non responsiveness.
"Okay, when and who was it Sarah, your only sixteen," Melody asked in a stern almost motherly tone.
"You remember when Daniel sent that Command Wolf pilot with me, well it happened on the way back home from that trip," Sarah said trying to shrink her body into the sofa she was sitting on.
"I have a bad feeling," Michael said mid deal without stopping.
"Well get over it and play it's your bet," Nichalo said as he slapped his friends arm. The game ended early when alarms all over the base started going off and the barracks halls shook from shelling.
"Get to your Zoids; we need to get a tally on the bandits," Daniel shouted once they had caught up to the girls. Once they were in their Zoids and out of the base the shelling immediately stopped.
"We only want that Blade Liger and the dark blue Zaber Fang," the voice of the one called Judge rang through the radios.
"You want us, you got us," Melody shouted with Joyce's agreement coming right after.
"Maybe you don't understand ladies, we mean to end those who ended our comrades," The Judge said through a video link that showed only his piercing green eyes and a black bandana across the man's face.
"Judges keep the others at bay, the Boss and I will handle the Liger and the Zaber," The Judge said getting a hand full of voice agreements. Thirty Zoids came out of their hiding places, 15 white Stinger Special Guysak and 15 all black Rev Raptors.
"Oh great Melody, look what you got us into," Daniel yelled as he started downing enemies.
Melody squared off with the Judge himself in a Black Konig Wolf while Joyce measured up to a white Great Zaber that didn't look modified in the least.
"Let's see what that equipment gets you, I am Boss and I will be your opponent in this fight," a voice said in a told cold as ice.
"Boss, enough with theatrics and let's fight," Joyce said venom dripping off every word.
"I wish to see this fight, if you do not object I will abstain from fighting with you till their fight is over," the Judge spoke in a kind tone.
"I don't object, but why?" Melody asked with a confused look on her face.
"The Boss is our youngest member but a very skilled pilot, this will be his first chance to prove his skill," the Judge said with a small chuckle. The Judge turned his Zoid away from Melody towards the fight that was about to begin between Boss and Joyce.
The first thing Melody noticed was Michael had jettisoned his primary cannons and was fighting using only teeth and claws.
"Melody since that guy doesn't want to tussle, why not give us a hand out here, my guns over…" Michael said getting cut off by a blast to the side of his cockpit.
"MICHAEL!" Melody screamed as she set the blades and sliced down any enemy that got in her way.
She decimated what was left of the Rev Raptors and Guysaks before turning the white Zaber into minced meat, short the cockpit. As she ran towards the black Konig she spotted the right paw flinching just before it leaped into a run.
"You won't beat me so easily this time," the Judge screamed as he flew towards Melody's Blade Liger.
In the blink of an eye the two were on top of each other and pounding each other with the claws of their Zoids. Melody took full advantage of the movement in the paw, blocking or dodging every attack he launched at her.
"My, my young lady you're doing very well," the Judge said panting slightly.
"I won't lose," Melody said opening a video link, her eyes shown grey like wet stone.
"I know you won't, but I must say the chances are slim at finding out weather you will in the future," the Judge said as he turned the Zoid and vanished into the sunset.
When Melody saw this she ran her Blade Liger to where her fiancé's Zoid fell, Michael hadn't gotten out and the Zoid was still registering a functional command system. When she got to the Zoid she noticed a crack in the view screen, and blood smeared around the crack.
"Michael, please answer me," Melody said quietly with her eyes filling with tears. Daniel managed to limp his damaged Great Zaber over to Michael's fallen Command Wolf.
"Mike, please say anything to any one of us," Daniel whispered his eyes too filling with tears, knowing using the shorter version of his name would get his attention.
None of them were willing to move, Joyce never moved an inch from where her Zoid stood. Melody finally managed to pull herself out of the cockpit and stumbled her way to the Command Wolf's cockpit and opened it. Michael was laying there motionless and covered in blood from a wound in his head, he was still breathing so Daniel finally reacted and called a medical unit to the site.
When they arrived they hauled the totaled Command Wolf and Michael's wrecked and still unconscious body on to the Gustav, Melody just stood and watched in a state of shock. Daniel noticed a slight waver in her balance and managed to get to her before she hit the ground. Joyce finally moved her Zoid and Nichalo set the auto pilot on the Psycho Genosaurer and took Melody's Blade Liger back to base for her. Daniel carried her in his Great Zaber.
'I don't know if anyone is listening to my thoughts in the heavens, but please keep these two safe and sane,' Daniel prayed as he entered the hanger on base.
Over the next two weeks, Melody spent every second she could next to Michael's bed. The final medical report showed one broke arm and two ribs, and a lot of internal bleeding added to the gash in his forehead. Captain Herman didn't allow her to stay off duty, forcing her away from her fiancé's and his bed for at least six hours every two days. Daniel asked her why she was doing it that way; all he got in response was a shake of her head saying she wasn't telling him.
"Natalia, you need to at least tell us so at least we know what you're doing," Joyce said as her and Nichalo entered Daniel and Natalia's quarters.
"Look she needs time to heal her mind, thinking you're going to lose him isn't good for you or her, so I'm treating her the way I was treated when my brother died," Natalia said as she wrapped her arms around Daniel. Joyce and Nichalo seemed shocked at the situation, and Daniel just returned the hug Natalia was giving him.
Melody was laying on the bed next to Michael trying to get a little sleep, finally falling asleep to the bleeps of the heart monitor and the drone of the different machines in the room. When she woke she felt something different about her surroundings, she could hear steady breathing near her ear, and she felt a few hoses, and an arm wrapped around her waist along with another one with a cast on it under her neck.
Melody tried to rotate her head to see who was sleeping on her. It didn't take her long to realize that Michael woke up in the night and cuddled up to her. She wriggled her way out of the bed and went out to ask the nurse, when he had woken up.
"Nurse, when did Lieutenant Michael wake up? I woke up and he was wrapped around me," she asked when she got to the nurse's desk.
"He woke up around 2 this morning, and asked us not to disturb you; he said that he felt you watching over him while you were there and the emptiness when you weren't I'm not sure what to make of that. Is he resting now?" The Nurse asked as she checked a few things.
"Yes he is, could you tell him when he wakes up that I've gone for a shower, it should be any minute now if I know him," Melody said chuckling slightly.
"We will, and you know him better than anyone else," The nurse reminding her of all the stories Melody had been telling them.
When Michael woke for the second time he was alone in the hospital bed and had a sinking feeling in his chest, he pressed the call button on the bed and the nurse came in after a few seconds.
"Sir, did you need something?" The nurse asked with a smile, ignoring the cast and bandages.
"Yes, a little less on the pain killers, I feel kind of fuzzy, and a location on the beautiful girl I woke up next to a while ago," Michael responded with a groggy tone. The nurse walked over to the bed and adjusted the morphine drip.
"She went for a shower, she'll be back in a bit, she only left about two minutes ago," the nurse said as she left the room.
Michael laid there a moment before pulling the tape off the needles in his arm before pulling the needle out. Carefully he got out of the bed, feeling a little less fuzzy but no pain as he dressed himself careful not to hit the cast on anything. He was just leaving the room when a nurse caught on and tried to convince him to stay. He laid his broken arm on her shoulder and asked as politely as he could to take the cast off and wrap it tightly in a bandage.
"I don't like it, but you have to promise to not hit it on anything, you do at this point it's likely to break again," The nurse said as she led him to the room where she could take the cast off. When she finished taking the cast off she wrapped on a bandage tightly as she could.
Michael walked the halls, and made his way towards Melody and his quarters, every step he took brought more pain for him to get used to, and when he arrived at their quarters he heard Melody singing in the shower, he opened the door with his broken right arm and slowly as possible making sure he didn't hurt himself. As he walked in he heard the shower stop so he decided to wait on the sofa and let his body adjust to the pain he now felt. Melody continued to hum her song as she dried off, not knowing anything about Michael leaving the medical bay and coming back to their quarters. When Michael heard her coming into the living room, he stood forcing himself to use his broken arm.
"So I take your happy to see I'm okay then," Michael said with a grin across his face.
Melody nearly went through the roof of the base, letting out a scream of terror come out, causing Michael to cover his ears because of how sensitive they were. When Daniel and Natalia came flying into the room they saw Melody still screaming as she hit her fiancé repeatedly across the left arm he was using as his only defense. Daniel quickly grabbed Melody and pulled her kicking and screaming away from Michael. Natalia took her time grabbing an ice pack for Michael's arm, giving Daniel enough time to get the belligerent Melody out of the room.
"So what are you doing out of the hospital?" the captain asked wrapping the ice pack around Michael's left arm as he cradled his right.
"Trying to surprise my girl, whose mother attacked her father for doing what I just did," Michael said still grinning from ear to ear.
"Well maybe you should have remembered that before doing it," Natalia said with a comforting tone.
"Natalia, I don't know what Daniel thinks of the subject, but you will make a great mom some day, I mean look this, you taking care of me and trying to comfort a man who isn't even complaining," Michael said trying not to fall over on his right arm at the look on her face.
"Well I guess your right in a way," Natalia said kneeling back down next to him and replacing the ice pack.
"I've always thought about becoming a mom, but not yet, maybe when I'm out of the military," Natalia said in the same comforting tone. Melody reentered the room and took Natalia's place holding the ice pack as Daniel came back in.
"Okay how did they let you out of the hospital wing?" Daniel asked sitting in one of the chairs.
"I charmed one of the nurses into taking the cast off and walked out, not sure why they haven't come after me yet though," Michael said covering his head noticing a look in Melody's eye.
"Maybe they knew your pops pretty well huh," Natalia said as she sat in Daniel's lap.
After ten minutes of talking Daniel agreed to help with modifications to Michael's new Zoid, and they all headed for the hanger where two male nurses came into the hanger to make sure Michael would return to medical center as soon as his modifications were made.
"Look you two, you can make sure he goes in four hours, or help and get him there in three, your call," Melody said to the two men as they stood near the brand new Lightning Siax, shipped to the base shortly after the attack, from the president's personal escort team.
"We do humans, not Zoids ma'am," the bigger one said with a slight chuckle.
"Great means more time with my man before you haul him off," Melody said turning away from them with a grin from ear to ear on her face. After four hours they had made the modifications that could be made for the day, Daniel would paint the currently all white Zoid black and red later on.
"Daniel, Michael's official release date is tomorrow, let's paint this thing tonight so he'll have a nice surprise in the morning," Melody said as they walked towards the hanger door.
"Alright, Natalia and I will come back a little later and finish up the modifications the nurses wouldn't let him do too," Daniel said with a small smile on his face.
Melody stayed in the hospital room with Michael and the nurses allowed him to keep the cast off, so they were just there talking. 'Mystic, see what you can do with the sensors of the Lightning Siax, anything you can make permanent would be great,' Melody thought to the Organoid.
*It shall be done, and I can do quite a lot,* Mystic growled sounding almost offended. Daniel and Natalia were painting and finishing up the modifications to the Lightning Siax, when Mystic walked into the hanger and fused with the Lightning Siax. *I was under orders from Melody to make sensor modifications to this Zoid,* Mystic said after defusing from the Zoid, staring at confused faces.
"Okay then, couldn't we have done that Mystic?" Natalia asked as she turned her back on the Organoid.
*Not the modifications I made no, but you shouldn't have to make any more I finished all the loose ended ones,* Mystic growled as she left the hanger.
Daniel painted until well into the night, but when he finished it looked just like the one Irvine had his Command Wolf transferred into.
"Alright, it's completely finished, he had better show some respect to his future wife for this one," Daniel said before noticing Natalia was asleep on the already dry paws of the Zoid.
Daniel knew that they had a few hours before Michael would even be awake and a few more after that before his discharge time, so he carried Natalia to their quarters before lying down and falling into sleep. On the other side of the base Melody had fallen asleep in Michael's arms on the hospital bed, with Joyce and Nichalo in the chair bed next to the bed.
When the four woke up Melody immediately went about filling out the paperwork to get Michael out of the hospital wing. Nichalo helped Michael unhook all the machines while Joyce went to get Daniel and Natalia to the hanger for the surprise. Nichalo ducked out as Melody helped her fiancé get back into his uniform, and they left together. Melody was asking about what the nurse had told her when she woke up when they arrived at the hanger.
"Alright babe, are you ready for the surprise of the year?" Melody asked covering his eyes as they walked through main entrance.
"Umm, okay I'm already smelling fresh paint and Natalia's perfume, and Nichalo's shampoo, so I'm sure Daniel and Joyce are here, and my new Lightning Siax has been painted," Michael said as they all stood around him stunned.
"Can he name the paint though?" Daniel asked with a slight scoff.
"Well going by nose alone it's definitely black and red, shades are iffy," Michael said shocking every one again.
"I hate it when you do that," Nichalo said with an annoyed tone
Michael pulled Melody's hand off his face and saw all of them standing there in front of a black and red Lightning Siax; he couldn't help but tear up as he grabbed Melody in a bear hug.
"I love it," the brown haired man said quietly into her ear as his chin rested on his fiancé's shoulder.
