PLAGUES AND BANDITS

Van was appointed to his mission the next morning to a town to the west. He was glad that Raven was finally back in action but wondered why the Colonel paired them in the task. Van thought that raven might not need him around anyway. His took the journey to the west by himself. Schubaltz told him that his back up would be catching up sooner or later.

The small town wasn't bothered just by the unpredictable presence bandits.

A strange sickness was also spreading across every household, claiming lives already and Van won't just be going there to protect the town from sudden attacks, he was also delivering vaccines.

It was around noon when he reached the place and was appalled by the scene that he saw. The streets were empty except for a couple of men wearing masks to cover their noses and they were carrying corpses on the wagon.

The mayor of the town was expecting Van. He was wearing a gas mask as well and has told Van to wear one as well to protect his self from the virus in the air that he might inhale.

"The plague here has been going on for almost two weeks. " The mayor said. "I believe that the population in this town has drastically decreased and it is even affecting our livestock's."

"This is terrible." muttered Van.

The mayor nodded his head. "Exactly! And the people here are also terrified about the bandits. I don't know why they would still bother to come in this disease infested town."

As they paced along the side of the street, Van managed to take a glimpse at a young girl staring out of the window. He could clearly see the rashes on her neck. Then her mother appeared and took her away from the window.

"Mayor, I brought the vaccines." Van said.

The mayor seemed to look reassured, although, Van could also see on the mayor's face that it might not be enough. "I thought at first that the plague might devour every person in this town before we get to acquire the aid we need. Thank you for coming." He continued. "But you see, some of the townsfolk here are in worse conditions now. I'm afraid that the vaccines would not do any good to ease their pain. They need medical attention as soon as possible." He began to cough. A man who seems like his assistant came and asked if the mayor was all right. The mayor simply said that it was nothing to worry about.

"Pardon us for responding late sir." Van said, sounding disheartened.

The mayor kept pacing slowly until they've reached a small building built with wood. Van thought that it might be the mayor's office.

"Don't blame yourself, boy." The mayor told Van. "If only I didn't disregard what was really happening… I thought that there might just be someone passing around the fever and—and I didn't think at that time that it could be this fatal. I was a little late when I asked for help." He let out a deep sigh of disappointment. The death toll has already reached thirty. Others have fled to another town, but you know what's funny? We have no idea where the illness came from. It's like Death is having a killing spree in this town day after day."

Van couldn't think of any words to comment. It was sad to look at these people with hopeless looks in their eyes. He wished that he could do more for them, but the only help that he could give to them for now is giving them the vaccines.

They continued their conversation in the office. All windows were shut and personnel's were wearing masks even inside the place.

Van glanced out of the window where he saw a view of what looks like a small clinic and then asked the mayor about it, but it was closed. "Mayor, if I may ask, is there a doctor round here?"

"There was." The mayor said. "There are only two doctors in this town and only one clinic, but it's empty now."

There was a curious expression on Van's face. "What happened to the doctor's?"

"Take a guess." The mayor lit up his pipe.

Van was able to get what the man meant to say. "Since when did they—"

"Two days ago. They did the best they could but in the end, the plague got them too." The mayor grumbled. "Just call me Mathias."

The Lieutenant introduced his self as well. "I'm Van Flyheight, Sir."

Mathias's eyes grew wide as if it was about to pop out of its sockets. "Yes, yes, I've heard of you." He was trying to recall something.

Van was starting to get flattered.

"Aren't you the one who fought in that—that… what do you call that again?" Mathias said, sounding flustered and a little oblivious.

Van didn't mean to show off but he thought of helping out the mayor to remember. "We fought the Death Saurer." And I was the one who finished the job.

"Ah." Mathias nodded his head and leaned on his chair. Then raised a brow, pondering. "Hang on, what's this Death Saurer that you're saying? Didn't you fight against the Heavy Metal watchama-call-it…er…" he kept pondering for almost a minute, and then stared at Van again. "Didn't you say that your name was Voughn Freyhart?"

Voughn Freyhart? Who the heck is that guy? Van thought . "I think you've mistook me for someone else. My name is Van Flyheight."

"Oh. Van Flyheight. Sorry, my hearing is not that very good." Mathias said.

Van grinned at the mistake. I thought he actually knew about me. He told his self.

The mayor puffed at his pipe. "Did you come alone?"

"Yes, but my back up is on his way." Van said.

"Right, you'll be needing all the help you can get to defeat all those dirty bandits if they'll ever show up." Mathias told the Lieutenant.

Clearly, the mayor has never heard of the young man's heroic deeds. Which was a little disappointing, but Van didn't mind because after all, he wasn't doing his job for fame anyway.

"Do you have any idea why they're pouncing on this town?" Van asked. "They might not have any idea that there's an epidemic here."

"If they ever set foot in this town, may the plague follow them wherever they go." Mathias articulated grumpily. "I'm not so sure, but I believe they are looking for a man named…" He puffed his pipe again.

Van anticipated to hear the name.

"I'm sorry, I forgot the name." Mathias replied without any sign of embarrassment.

A hopeless expression grew on Van's face.

"But a day before the epidemic started spreading in this town, my men said that they saw him leave the inn he stayed at. Now I think that those scum's still think that we're keeping him round here."

Whoever that guy is, I better find out more details while I'm in this town, thought Van. "Well, before they show up, I think that the people here should already take the vaccines."

The mayor agreed.

Many had fallen in line waiting for their turn. The staff in the mayor's hall helped in giving the syringes while Van made sure that those waiting at the back weren't trying to overtake one another. Some had already shown symptoms of the illness while others where already in their worse conditions. Only a few were children.

One of Mathias's staff had already told Van a while ago that there had been an evacuation order for those who had not been infected and had not shown any symptoms of the disease. But for some of the numbers who are waiting already needs direct medical attention. The vaccines would not be enough to cure them.

A dozen looked feverish, even the relatives who carried them looked almost as if the illness was starting to spread in their body.

Van couldn't stand staring at the children suffering like that. It's almost as if they were on a verge of death. I can't make these people wait…especially these kids. I've got to do something quick.

He grabbed syringes from the medical kit and went at the back of the line. He knew how to use them at least. There he saw a haggard looking mother carrying a child in her arms wrapped in a blanket. The child was having nose bleeds; clearly, the vaccines won't do anything to cure the child. There might be a chance for the little boy to make it if he were taken to the hospital immediately but the nearest city was probably miles away and it would take Van hours to get there even with his Blade Liger.

If only Zeke were around. The organoid went with Fiona to some sort of excavation with Dr. D. Thinking that he could handle the situation momentarily on his own, he took off, not thinking if his back-up would come sooner or later.

But what's the cause of the epidemic here? Van pondered to himself as he stuck the needle on the patient's arm. At least someone should know where it all began.

Hours past, the vaccines available were beginning to recede and the number of desperate patients were growing. It surprised Van to see how much mishap the illness had done to the populace of the town. There might only be a few who were lucky enough to flee from the epidemic.

But where on Zi was Van's back-up? If the vaccines run out, then what about the rest?

Moments later, Van counted that about twenty were left out without the treatment and it troubled him more than the bandits.

They might die soon. Van refused to think that way but when he saw a man collapse, it made him apprehensive that others would breathe their last.

Even the mayor had begun to feel slightly feverish and had to rest. Leaving the people distressed Mathias but it seems that he himself would not survive another week.

Now Van was starting to get impatient. He thought of returning back to base, get more vaccines, and return. But who will protect these people if the bandits do come out?

As he made his way back to the Blade Liger to try to attempt to contact the base, he noticed that there was a crowd huddled a block away from the Mayor's Hall. He approached the crowd and then asked a man what was going on.

"I guess there's still hope for the rest of us. I was goin' home when I heard that the vaccines just came in." He said.

Van sighed with relief, and then went closer to find out who have brought the medicine. A table was placed at the front lawn of a house. The amount of syringes in the medical kit would suffice the patients and perhaps the ones who are in a dire condition might have a chance to be taken to the hospital before sun down.

"Lieutenant Flyheight!" It was O'Connell, waving a hand to Van while he tended to the patients.

Van was glad to see him. "What took you so long?"

"We're awfully sorry that we came late." said O'Connell. "It's just that Irvine wasn't around when he was needed the most so I tagged along."

"And who's the other one?" Van wondered. He looked over O'Connell's shoulder, trying to figure out who the person behind the blocking crowd was. Then he noticed her blue hair. "Reese?"

Hearing her name called, the Zoidian made a quick glance at Van and drew a light smile on her face. "Surprised to see me here, Flyheight?"

"Actually, I am pretty surprised." Van stated with a delighted expression. "Where you assigned in this mission as well?"

"I guess so." replied Reese, sticking a syringe on a little girl's arm.

"Ow!" The girl yelped.

Reese flinched at the wee ones cry. Then she realized that she had to be gentler when she's dealing with kids who were afraid of needles as much as they think that there are monsters in their closets. "Sorry."

Van noticed that she was sincere when she apologized. "Not good with handling kids, are you?"

There was an impassive look on Reese's face. Her mouth opened but didn't say a word.

Van thought if she might not be interested to talk about it or if she just couldn't think of a word to say. "So where's Specula" He asked, changing the flow of the conversation.

"I left her back at the entrance with my Geno Saurer. Neither of us wanted to scare the people here and give them heart attacks." replied Reese.

With a stifled laugh, Van left her for a while so she could concentrate on what she's doing.

Moments later, O'Connell approached Van. He was prepared to take about seven people who were in need to be hospitalized.

"Is Reese going to stay here with you?" asked O'Connell.

The Zoidian wasn't present at the moment. She was tending the mayor, who was last to take the vaccine.

"You need to take these people as soon as possible. I think Reese is capable enough to handle a couple of bandits." Van said confidently. "And she's still busy anyway."

"Luckily, the town at the north only has those bandits to worry about, but I worry about Raven too, you know. He might end up wrecking everything." said O'Connell.

Van snorted. "All you need to do is trust the guy." His imagination actually contrasts his words. He was imagining Raven and his Geno Breaker assaulting the Charged Particle Beam mercilessly at the bandits roaring, "DIE! DIE! DIE!" and it's only in the end that he realizes that he had turned the town which he was suppose to be protecting into ashes. What if that really happens? He thought with concern.

"Well, I must be on my way now. We don't want to waste precious time." O'Connell stated.

Van agreed.

Afterwards, Reese came out of the mayor's house just as when O'Connell has left. Van took a jug of cool water and handed it to her, noticing how tired she was. "Thirsty?"

Reese didn't decline the offer. "Thanks." She mumbled with a hint of shyness in the tone of her voice, but Van didn't notice.

Van stared at the orange streaked sky. There might be a chance that those bandits may not show up after all. He thought reassuringly. While his mind was bottled up with thoughts, he suddenly heard Reese coughing lightly. "You all right?"

The Zoidian simply nodded her head. "It's nothing."

The mayor had denied feeling unwell earlier, could it be that Reese was also infected?

"Are you sure?" Van ensured. "I think you should take the vaccine as well."

Reese coughed again, rougher than before. Breathing suddenly became a difficult thing for her to do, as if her chest was getting tighter and tighter. This time, she couldn't deny Van about it.

He quickly made his way to get the medical kit. He remembered that there was one left and hoped that it was still there. All of a sudden, the bell tower began clanging to warn the residents that trouble was coming. "Bandits?" Van exclaimed. "Why now?"

"Hurry up and get to your Zoid!" Reese managed to yell. "I can handle myself here."

Protecting the town was his primary task and the bandits showed up in a bad timing.

The enemy was fast approaching. Van calculated that there were three black Saber Fangs and two grey Command Wolves. "This should be easy." He told himself.

The bandits stopped at the presence of the Blade Liger blocking the entrance of the town.

"Nice Zoid." One of them hissed with interest. "How's about handing it over?"

"Not a chance." declared Van. "What do you want with this town?"

"Mind your own business!" Another one snarled. "We've got an appointment here with the mayor now step aside if you don't want to get hurt."

"Hey look what's parked over there!" A bandit riding the Command Wolf said, referring to the blue Geno Saurer nearby. "Now that's a horrid color for a combat Zoid. Just what kind of dim-witted pilot would—"

The Command Wolf blew off and its system immediately froze. The bandits were dumbfounded at the sudden attack. "Hey! Who blew me off?"

Van knew that it wasn't him. Then he realized the Geno Breaker move facing the bandit's direction.

"It's that Tirranisaurus Zoid!" One of the bandits piloting a black Saber Fang hollered.

"That's a Geno Saurer you moron!" Another one of them growled. "Hey Grover! Whatdya' wanna do with the strange looking Shield Liger and that blue Geno Saurer?"

Van wasn't sure if Reese should go on and deal the bandits with him. But Van could see that the insult struck her and she was more than motivated to destroy the bandits even with her condition.

"Take 'em both down! I guess today's our lucky day!" Grover hollered haughtily. "Craig, take care of the guy piloting that Geno thingy."

"I guess it won't just be the rich feller's gold we'll be taking home with us!" guffawed Craig, having no idea who he was dealing with.

Reese gritted her teeth with a sneer in her eyes, focusing her canons at the Saber Fang's cockpit. "Say your prayers." She muttered.

Unsure with Reese's intentions, Van was feeling uneasy with what was about to happen. "Reese, don't…" Van didn't manage to finish his words when the Geno Saurer suddenly fired. Specula watched about twenty feet above the ground, waiting until Reese asked for assistance.

The seizing Saber Fang managed to swerve at the side, hitting its leg instead. Realizing where the Geno Saurer's canon was aiming at, he angrily fired back. "Are you tryin' to kill me?" Craig barked.

The Geno Saurer fired another shot, this time, a Charged Particle Cannon.

The Blade Liger had already begun maneuvering at the remaining Zoids in front of him. A Blade attacked managed to bring down another of the Command Wolves. The two remaining Saber's pursued the Blade Liger, relentlessly chasing and firing without a care if they hit the town. Van tried to have them chase him at a safe distance, declaring to Reese to do the same thing.

She finished him off with that blow. She thought that she was seeing double before firing the attack but at least she didn't miss. Reese panted hard as if the oxygen inside the Zoid was growing thin. The ground seemed to be moving as well as if something was shaking underneath the ground.

Specula was starting to notice that something was wrong with Reese.

Reese couldn't keep herself still, as if everything in her path was swaying. "Specula, what's going on?"

Nothing was wrong out there.

Reese felt her head burning. She wanted to get out of her Zoid to cool herself and breath. The blue organoid landed next to the Geno Saurer waiting for her mistress to come out. Minutes later, the canopy opened and the Zoidian fell on the ground after loosing her balance.

Specula grew alarmed, racing to her partner and checking how she was. Reese was panting every breath and couldn't keep herself on her knees and her cheeks were red. Specula could notice the tiny red bumps on her neck tracing beneath the suit she wore.

"Where's Van?" She wheezed.

'Save your breath, he's still dealing with the other bandits. I need to get you out of here.' said Specula, supporting Reese's weight as the organoid aimed to glide within the town.

With only a few yards further from the outskirts of the town, a townsman was visible just by the entrance, waving his hands above his head. "Please hurry!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

The anxious expression of the man signaled Specula that there must be trouble going on within the town itself. Have the bandits intended to keep anyone who would stand in their way occupied this whole time?

The man approached the organoid as soon as it landed on the ground, carrying the ailing Zoidian. He was the mayor's secretary. He checked Reese's pulse, and then her temperature and any signs of the plague's symptoms. "She's got it too." He muttered. "This is very bad. We must take her to the clinic at once before that hoodlum sees us. He's already causing a ruckus at the market square." He said.

They made a pretty good plan by not attacking all at once, but no matter, once I get Reese to safety I'll deal with the rest. Specula thought, following the man to the clinic within the panicking inhabitants on the streets.

The bandit Grover was furious at his defeat, and yet, wouldn't confess what they really intended to do with the town. He wasn't clearly the boss; he was just bossing around the other weak bunch of his little group. Finding out that Van was a part of the Guardian Force made him tremble but still, he answered conceitedly.

It was the other bandit named Sid who surrendered after realizing that there was no other way that any of them could escape. He also looked cowardly in Van's eyes. Both bandits were tied up with an unbreakable knot, facing Van for a little confrontation.

"We was told 'bout a guy who was travelling here." explained Sid. "I think he's got something, a key, I think."

"I thought you were here because of the gold." Van queried sternly.

"That is the award. We were told that if we find that guy, the big boss would reward us some huge amount of money. That's why every mercenary is chasing after him." Grover said.

"Then who is this person you're talking about—the one who has the key?" asked Van.

The two bandits eyed each other, and then shrugged. "We don't know his name. We were told that he had an awful scar on his face though."

Van had no clue who might that be, but at least he has some leads now.

He turned his gaze back to the town's direction once more. There was no sign of the Geno Saurer anywhere. She must've gone farther. Van thought, but she would have already taken care of the bandits by now. Where could she be?

All of a sudden, Van noticed a smoke coming from the town's direction. He faced the two bandits with a glare.

"You're a little too late boy." Grover grinned malevolently. He got on his feet and then set his bounded arms free with a hidden dagger.

"This is all a set up…" Van finally realized, preparing himself for any attacks.

Sid crunched his knuckles. "That's why you Guardian folks, never underestimate us mercenaries slash bandits. We're not like those wimps behind bars right now."

" 'Cause we're smarter. Faster. And—" Grover, despite his bulky stature, managed to make the first blow at the back without making Van realize that the man was already there. "—faster."

Van hardly flinched. He fell instantly on the ground, his body completely paralyzed. He heard the malicious laughter of the two mercenaries and slowly drowned into darkness.