Hey you guys…

Thanks you so much for the reviews. Very much appreciated.
And so happy you guys are still with me, awesome.

Well, next chapter.
Enjoy! ^^

Chapter 2

Phase one; preparation..

Kiwi was rubbing her chin while looking at the drone. She'd found it on one of the top shelves of the dusty cupboard in Braavos.
And it had given her an idea.
Stoker wanted her to lead this mission, wanted her to be the guy's eyes and ears out there.
But that seemed mission impossible since she wasn't coming along.
Mission impossible without having actual eyes and ears out there.
But it seemed she was looking at the solution as we speak.
Neo popped up next to her, curious where she was staring at for like, ten minutes now.
"What do ya want with that old piece of crap?", he asked when he saw the drone.
"Old? Crap? Honestly, if you think this is an old piece of technology, you should visit Earth someday", Kiwi replied absently, still rubbing her chin.
"Yeah, well, that was on my bucket list, but guess Limburger fucked that one up too", Neo sighed. "Anyway, it seems to me that you've got a plan. Care to share it?"

Luckily, Neo had giving no signs of disagreement whatsoever when Stoker had told him that it was Kiwi who would be leading this mission. He even congratulated her, and told her that he was gonna be there for her, stand by her side to help her with her first mission.
Jax and Flash immediately had joked that they didn't take orders from a woman, but of course, that was just a load of bullshit.
They supported her, no matter what.
Kiwi was happy she had this job.
Happy to have friends. Happy with this distraction.
Because the whole situation with Vinnie slowly started to become pressing.
Two months.
Two months had passed after that horrible day. And nothing had changed.
Nothing that showed that time was slowly starting to heal his wounds.
He was depressed as fuck, and nothing, absolutely nothing, could snap him outta of it.
Not even her.

It wasn't that he pushed her away.
Or that he pretended to be okay.
Or that he was angry all the time.
I mean, that was his usual way of dealing with things. The way she was familiar with.
But this time, it was different.
Oh, it was different, alright.
He was a zombie. Flat. Numb.
And that made her feel so powerless. The anger wasn't exactly a party either, but that was something she could handle.
This… this was different.
Kiwi wanted to help him so badly. But she didn't get through to him.
And it was starting to make her completely desperate.
So, being in Braavos to prepare mission Lost In The Echo (LITE), was just the distraction she needed.
And the company of her three male, furry friends / college's was a nice addition.

"... Mars to Kiwi…"
Kiwi's head jerked up, blinking a few times.
"Oh right, sorry, I zoomed out. You were saying?"
"I asked if you wanted to tell me what your plan with this thing is", Neo answered patiently, knowing that the human girl had a lot on her mind right now.
"Right. I was thinking, if we upgrade it with solar panels for power, a microphone, a camera with night vision, a GPS tracker and connect it with a sensor, we may be looking at our eyes and ears for this mission as we speak", she mused.
Neo rubbed his chin.
"I like that. I really do. Smart thinking. So, we connect the sensor at one of the bikes, and the drone follows them everywhere they go…"
"Yes! And while we're at it, we need to connect the device with our server, so we can also control it from here. Ya know, to use it as a explorer, some sort of scout, for if the guys need a heads up. Like when they need to go inside uhm… a cave! So we can secure the place for them!", Kiwi continued, waving her hands with enthusiasm now.
This was exactly what they needed.
She looked at Neo, a small smile curled her lips. It felt good. She didn't smile so often lately. There wasn't exactly a reason to.
But she finally felt a little spark inside. She just loved this job.
"So, you still think this is just a old piece of crap?", she asked, winking.
"Forget what I've said. This is brilliant, Kiwi. So, ready to pimp this thing?"
"Hell yeah. Let's do this."

"This is the Fragaria Vesca, a plant that's able to survive and even grow without water. It only needs sunlight and you guys already know the taste, since we use this plant for our meals", Amira explained, showing them a greenhouse full with plants in the back of the courtyard.
Modo and Throttle nodded, taking a closer look.
Amira pointed at one of the leafs.
"The leafs have this characteristic shape of a lightning, you see? That's how you're gonna be able to recognize it out there."
"But Amira ma'am, isn't Mars completely uhm… dead?", Modo asked confused.
"Not completely. There are still a few plants who managed to survive. The Fragaria Vesca is one of them. And it's the only plant that's edible, remember that."
The two male's nodded, and Amira supressed a smile.
She couldn't help it to see a resemblance with two goody-goody schoolboys, eagerly listening to every word the teacher had to say.
Two very buff, good and badass looking schoolboys, that is.
"Anyway, I've made a whole stock with so called protein bars with this plant as its main ingredient. They carry enough nutrients that even you guys can live on one bar for a few hours at least. Also, I used the juice from its leafs to make drinks and added a few salts and minerals to make sure that your moisture content stays up to standard."

Modo was listening to her with awe, very impressed by her knowledge.
She really was something, alright.
"Good job, Amira", Throttle praised her.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Just doing my job to make sure you'll be able to survive out there."
She quickly continued, since being praised was always making her feel uncomfortable.
"Remember; this plant is the only one that's edible out there, okay? I just can't say it enough, because the rest of the plants you'll find, are high leveled toxic. If you eat only so much of a seed, you're dead. I'm telling you this because if you guys are gonna be out there for a long time, the moment will come that you're running low in supply. And then it's up to you to find the plant and use it to survive. You guys got that?"
Modo and Throttle shared a look.
"Ah well, just another day at the office, right, big fella?", the tan furred mouse smiled.
"So true, so true. Leafs in the shape of a lighting is green. The rest; red. Can't be that hard to remember…", Modo agreed while rubbing his chin.
"Good. I'll make sure you guys have enough for at least a month. Guess that'll be a good start."
Modo gently rubbed her cheek with his metal hand.
"You're the best, darling. Glad to have you aboard."
Amira lay her hand on his for a moment.
"Yeah well… Anything to help you coming back home safely…"

Throttle watched them with amusement. They really made a good couple.
And he was happy that the big fella finally had found someone. It was the least he deserved after mourning for so long.
He deserved a little happiness in his life and it was obvious the big guy was happy when she was around.
The loss of Rimfire had almost broken the gray furred giant, but it was Amira who'd managed to get him back on his feet.
He was still in pain, but at least he was able to see through the darkness when she was around him.
Throttle's smile faded. If only that could be true for all of them.
Especially for a certain, white furred mouse.

Everybody on the base was busy with preparing mission LITE. Everyone, except Vinnie.
The white furred mouse was lying listless on his bed, throwing a baseball that he took with him from Earth in the air.
He was supposed to prepare the bikes as instructed by Stoker, since he was kinda the mechanic of the group.
He was trying to get himself into movement for hours now, but no luck so far.
Usually, he would've been excited about the upcoming mission, seeing it as a challenge to upgrade the bikes with as many weapons as possible.
I mean, he was the master of disaster, after all.
But not now.
It all seemed so... pointless. Useless.
So, he just lay there, throwing and catching the baseball, over and over again.
Like a robot.
Because that's what he was since that awful day.
A robot. A zombie.
A shadow of the mouse he once was.
And there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could snap him outta it.
There was only darkness.

Throttle and Modo walked past the garage when Stoker suddenly rushed through the door, bumping into Throttle.
"Wow, wow, Stoke, watch it, man!", Throttle called out when he almost tripped over the metal tail. The hard material slammed against his knee and the tan furred mouse clenched his teeth in pain and annoyance.
"Whoops, sorry, rookie.", Stoker replied, but not with his usual cheerful voice. "Where's the punk?"
"He ain't in the garage?", Modo asked, his one eye narrowed.
Stoker looked up at the big fella, his brown eyes fuming.
"I just came back from the garage…"
"Really? Didn't notice..", Throttle muttered under his breath, rubbing his knee.
"... where I was supposed to find the punk working on the bikes. But all I found were the bikes at the exact same spot, untouched. One of them still covered in blood, for fuck sake!"
"Calm down, Stoke. You know why…", Throttle started, but Stoker cut him off.
"Oh yeah, I know why he's acting the way he is. But it's time he's gonna grab himself together. And I was just about to tell him that. So, if you'll excuse me…", and the brown furred mouse turned around and marched away.
"Stoker, wait!", and Throttle followed him.
"Come on, you can't just march in our room and yell at him…", but Stoker didn't stop.
"Oh no? Watch me."
"He's in pain, coach…", Modo added.
"I know. And he has every right to be. But the Fighters need him. Our people need him. Most of all; you need him. And enough is just enough."
"But…", Throttle tried, but it was too late.
Stoker kicked open the door from their room and stormed inside.
"He may be a few years older now, he sure hasn't lost his temper…", Modo mumbled.
Throttle threw his hands in the air in frustration and followed Stoker inside.

Vinnie was lying on his bed, playing with his baseball. He didn't even look up.
Stoker stopped next to his bed and snatched the ball outta his hands.
"Aren't you supposed to be somewhere, punk?"
The white furred mouse looked at him, his face blank.
That made Stoker even more furious.
"You were supposed to upgrade the bikes. Then why are you still here?"
"The day is not over, oldtimer. Still got plenty of time…", Vinnie answered flatly.
Stoker had it. He grabbed Vinnie by his arm and dragged him off the bed.
"I'm about had it with ya, punk. I know you're in pain, I know you're upset, but it's time to snap outta it. What do ya expect to achieve with this attitude, huh? The war ain't over. You're one of our best soldiers. Your bro's need to know if they can rely on ya. So, can they?", he yelled, while pushing his youngest student away, giving him no other choice but to stand on his own feet.
Vinnie just stood there, staring at his feet.
Throttle and Modo shared a look and Throttle wanted to stand up for his younger bro, to let him know it was okay that he wasn't okay.
But Stoker had other plans.
"You think this is what Mireya would've wanted? If ya can't grab yourself together for yourself, then at least try it for her. That's the least... ", but Vinnie's head already jerked up, giving Stoker a warning look. Throttle did the same, but Stoker continued.
"... that's the least ya can do for her after what happened..."

He might as well have dropped a bomb.
Vinnie stared at Stoker, but the brown furred mouse didn't burge.
He studied the face of the white furred mouse, and saw a hint of something which he hoped to see.
Anger.
Suddenly, Vinnie clenched his fist and punched Stoker in the face.
Hard.
The coach stumbled back, rubbing his jaw. But his eyes were twinkling.
"You have no right to tell me what she would've wanted, you didn't even know her. So, never, ever, say that again, you've got that?", the white furred mouse threatened between clenched teeth, while poking his finger in Stoker's chest.
"Loud and clear, punk. Now, go do your goddamn job."
Vinnie let out his breath and with that, his face got blank again.
"Whatever", and he trudget outta the room.
"Stoker, I respect ya and you know it, but this…". Throttle started, but Stoker only smiled.
"Didn't ya see? It's still in there. I just needed to lure it out."
"What are ya talking about, coach?", Modo asked confused, scratching his neck.
"His anger. His attitude. His fire. It's still in there, maybe well hidden, but it's there. That's good news, mudpuppies. That means there's still hope for him. Now, I've got a meeting with Carbine, so see you guys later", and he walked outta the room without waiting for respond.
Modo and Throttle followed him with their eyes.
"I maybe question his methods, but I've gotta admit; he's got a point…", Modo finally managed to bring out.
"I guess you're right, big fella…", Throttle nodded.
Maybe there was still hope that one day, Vinnie was gonna be okay.
Maybe…

Modo was nervous. Real nervous.
The gray furred giant could drive into battles, ride his bike on full speed, eat Vinnie's cooking and fight the enemy without blinking.
Maybe even all at the same time. But this… This made him nervous.
He stared at the earring in his hand, the blue diamond sparkled in the light of the room he shared with his bro's.
Since preparations were almost finished, he knew he was running outta time.
Because tomorrow, it was D-day. Tomorrow, they were gonna ride out and start mission LITE.
And he had no idea how long he would be gone.
Tonight.
Tonight was the night.
His heart was racing in his chest, his hands were sweaty, well, one hand was.
Oh momma, this was twice as hard as fighting a war, alright.
That wasn't completely true, of course. The war was devastating. It had taken away too much.
So, it was important to focus on the small things that made you happy, even if you were living in a war, even if you were surrounded by sorrow and death almost every day.
And Amira made him happy.
He already knew that she was the one that day in the courtyard. That day when Rimfire told him he got promoted. And the way she had supported him after losing Rimfire only had confirmed that feeling. Because he would never have been able to get back on his feet if it wasn't for her. Without her, he was probably still completely broken. Completely lost.
A little like Vinnie, maybe.
His heart was still in pain, the sadness still giving pressure on his chest. But Amira was his rock. And it was time to make things official.
Because he loved her.
With his damaged and painful heart, he loved her.
The earring belonged to Cami, once. He'd kept it in a little box with personal belongings, the only things he actually owned.
And he had always kept it with the unspoken promise that no one would ever deserve to wear it.
No one else, but Cami.
But he was about to break that promise now.
Because if one thing was for sure; Amira deserved to wear it.

Modo cleared his throat and knocked on her door. He used his metal hand, because on his way over here he'd noticed his other was shaking.
Shaking.
Could you believe that?
Oh momma, he felt like a teenager in love. But no matter how old you were, love was the one thing that could make everyone feel insecure.
The door slowly opened and he looked straight into Amira's beautiful brown eyes, who immediately lit up when she saw him.
"Hey you! Come in!", and she stepped aside to let him pass.
Modo took a deep breath and walked inside the room, trying to leave his nerves outside.
But of course, that failed. Big time.
Oh momma...
"You okay, Modo? You look a little pale under the fur, hun", Amira asked while studying his face.
Here.
Goes.
Nothing.
"Ahum, I uh… Well, yeah, I'm okay, more than okay, actually, because I uh… I wanted… I guess… Uhm… I wanted to ask you something, darling", the gray furred giant stuttered, suddenly angry at himself that he hadn't prepared himself a little bit better for this moment.
Oh momma, he just rushed into this situation like Vinnie on a battlefield, alright. Talk about a stupid move.
But he was here. So, time to make the most of it.
"Well, ya know tomorrow it's time for us to leave and I… Well, before I go, I wanna tell ya how much ya mean to me… How grateful I am for what ya did for me after I lost Rimfire… That I wasn't able to get back on my feet without your support. I love ya, Amira ma'am. In this short matter of time, you became very important to me. That leaves me with only one question; Amira Esajas, will you marry me?"

It wasn't how he'd pictured it.
He saw her eyes grew big, her mouth fell open and she could only stare at him for a while.
Nope, it wasn't how he'd pictured it, at all.
It was even better.
A smile slowly curled her lips, her brown eyes twinkling.
"Yes! Yes, I wanna marry you, Modo Maverick. I love you too, I've started loving you from the moment I laid my eyes on you, that day we met on Earth. You have no idea how much this means to me…"
Modo felt how his body finally completely relaxed and he took the box with the earring outta his pocket, this time with his flesh hand.
He wasn't shaking anymore.
Gently, he tucked her hair behind her big right ear and replaced her own earring with his one.
She did the same by him, standing on her toes. Modo smiled and bend the knee a little, so she could reach his ear.
When she was done, he wrapped his arms around her and looked down on her with pride.
"It looks good on ya, darling", he smiled.
Amira could only sigh and smile back.
This was official the best day of her life.
And all the pain, the losses, the grieve, the misery… it all disappeared for now.
Now, it was only him and her.
Her and him.
He kissed her, gentle as the gentleman he was. She kissed him back eagerly, already starting to undress him.
The gray furred giant lifted her and lay her on the bed and they made love.
Gentle.
Fulfilled with promises.
Promises for the future.
And Modo finally felt whole again after feeling broken such a long time.

Kiwi was looking at the white furred mouse that was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She'd almost tried everything to get through to him, but no luck so far. And tomorrow, he was gonna leave on this mission and she wasn't gonna see him for god only knows how long.
After meeting the mice, she'd soon learned that worrying about them was a big part of living in a war.
Everytime they went out there, all she could do was stay behind and hope that she was ever gonna see them again.
With Vinnie in this state, staying behind was even harder. Because she had no idea if he was gonna be able to focus on his job.
To keep him and his bro's alive. To come back home safely.
He hadn't touched her. Ever since that horrible day, he hadn't touched her.
And she needed him. So badly.
Because sometimes, she caught herself on the thought that Vinnie seemed to forget that he wasn't the only one in pain.
Because he wasn't.
And she needed him to be there for her. So she could be there for him.
It's a circle. The circle of love.

She slowly walked towards her bed, taking out her clothes in the process. When she stopped in front of the bed, she was completely naked.
Vinnie moved his gaze from the ceiling to her, but nothing happened. His eyes locked with hers, but still no spark.
Nothing.
But Kiwi wasn't one who gave up easily.
So, she slowly crawled on top of him and started to undress him.
He didn't stop her. He also didn't encourage her.
He did what almost become his new trademark… nothing.
She gently lay her hands against his cheeks, kissing him on the top of his nose. He closed his eyes while feeling her touch.
She started to plant small kisses everywhere.
On his nose. His cheeks. His neck. His chest. His stomach.
She could feel how his body slowly relaxed. Even if he acted down, his body was the complete opposite, his muscles tensed twenty four seven.
And when she took him in her mouth, finally something happened.

He breathed in sharply and his hands grabbed her head, his fingers weaved into her hair.
And Kiwi fighted the urge to jump off the bed and do a small victory dance.
He suddenly pulled her in his arms, and in one movement, she was lying under him. After letting out her breath, she looked into his eyes.
There it was. It was small. It wasn't like it used to be. But it was there.
A small spark.
He slowly made his way inside of her and Kiwi let out a soft moan.
While moving almost painfully slow, he leaned forward.
"Sweetheart…", he whispered in her ear, his voice lower than the past few weeks.
It was enough to make Kiwi almost melt like snow in the sun. Well, so to speak, of course.
His warm breath against her neck, against her ear, his movements, his hands still weaved in her hair…
She finally felt a little connection between them again, for the first time since that day in the chapel.
"I love you, you stupid mouse… Come back to me… I need you...", she gasped, her eyes closed.
Vinnie suddenly moved up the pace and Kiwi couldn't stop herself any longer. The wave of pleasure washed her away and shortly after that, Vinnie also reached his climax. His whole body tensed, his fingers clenched around the sheets and he bit his lower lip, while his nose wrinkled a little.
It was cute.
Heartbreaking.
Kiwi's eyes filled with tears and Vinnie rolled next to her, letting out his breath.
The human girl rolled on her side, leaning with her head in one hand.
And she could see the spark fade again, till there was nothing left but emptiness.
My god, was he ever gonna be the same again?
"Vinnie, please… please, promise me you'll come back to me…", she said softly, her voice thick of emotions.
Vinnie was staring at the ceiling again.
"Can't make promises I can't keep, babe…"
His toneless voice, his blank face, his empty eyes…
Kiwi suddenly couldn't take it anymore. She burst into tears and jumped off the bed, quickly pulling on some clothes.
Vinnie rolled on his side, turning away from her and she left the room without looking back. She needed to talk to someone.
She needed to talk to Throttle.
Right now.

"I'm sure it's okay to break the rules for once, gorgeous. I mean, you're gonna be away, probably for a long time. Guess that's enough reason to stay with me tonight… And I'm sure we ain't the only ones...", Carbine said softly against Throttle's neck.
She was sitting on her desk, with the tan furred mouse standing between her legs.
Throttle kissed her and leaned with his forehead against hers.
"Is this really happening? The stern General Carbine is almost begging me to break the rules? The ones she has come up with herself?", he teased her.
But then, he kissed her passionately and when he broke off the kiss, he smiled at her.
"They should try to stop me…", his voice now even more husky than usual and he claimed her lips again.
Things were starting to heat up, when all of a sudden the door opened.
They both froze and turned their heads towards the doorway, only to see a very sad human girl standing.
"Oh jesus, I'm sorry, I… god, I wasn't thinking, please… pretend this never happened, okay?", Kiwi stuttered, her face redder than a fully grown tomato, and quickly left the room again.
Throttle looked at Carbine, who gave him a sad smile.
"She needs you. Go."
"Trust me when I say this ain't over, babe", Throttle smiled back and after giving her one last kiss on the nose, he made himself loose and followed the human girl.

"Kiwi, wait up."
Kiwi stopped and turned around, her big blue eyes watery.
"I'm sorry, I should've known, it's the night before you guys leave, I…", but Throttle stopped in front of her and lay a finger against her lips.
"Ssshh… It's okay. What's wrong?"
He already knew the answer.
"I can't get through to him, Throttle… I've tried everything, but he's just… jesus, what if he doesn't come back?", and she burst into tears again.
Throttle wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, rubbing her back.
"Ah man, Kiwi…"
"I'm so scared of losing him, and yet, it feels like I've already lost him at the same time, ya know?", she sobbed against his tan coloured fur.
"I know, I know…", Throttle said soothing.
"Isn't it safer to keep him here? To give him more time?"
Throttle slowly untangled himself and gently took her by the shoulders, so he could look her in the eye.
"Listen to me, Kiwi. I know how hard this is, but you need to let him go. For now. Trust me when I say we'll have his back out there, that we'll do everything to bring him home safely. But… Sometimes, when you love someone, you need to let that person go. Do that for Vinnie, Kiwi. He needs this journey to find himself back. We all do, I guess…"
Kiwi knew he was right.
God dammit, of course he was right.
But letting her macho mouse ride out in this state, not knowing if she was ever gonna see that smile again, or ever gonna hear that voice again…
It was gonna be one of the hardest things she'd ever done in her life.
But there was no choice.
Only love.
And outta love, she needed to let him go.
And that's what she was gonna do.

The time has come to say goodbye…

"I'm gonna miss ya…", Carbine sighed, leaning against Throttle.
"Ah well… At least I'm at the same planet this time", the tan furred mouse tried to lighten up the mood.
"That doesn't make it easier, you know that right? I'm starting to get used to having you around me. Guess I'm being spoiled now..."
"I know… But I try to keep telling myself that if we were able to survive that, ya know, being so far away from each other, this is gonna be a walk in the park."
"Can't you just say you're gonna miss me too?", Carbine snapped at him.
Being sad always made her feel grumpy like a old lady.
Throttle lifted her chin with one finger, a smile on his lips, not impressed at all. He knew how she was.
"I'm gonna miss ya too, babe, and you know it."
Carbine sighed and her gaze landed on Vinnie.
"Ya sure you're gonna be okay?"
Throttle followed her gaze and let out his breath.
"At least I still have Modo to talk to…"
"You know that's not what I mean."
Throttle forced her to look at him.
"Ah Carbine… He'll be okay. Trust me. We all will."
He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince.
But he couldn't tell her that he wasn't sure if Vinnie was gonna recover from this. If he did tell, he would leave her behind with too much worries.
With too much insecurities.
For now, the only thing that mattered was that she needed to have a little faith.
"You're a bad liar, always has been", Carbine murmured and pressed her lips against his.
He held her even tighter and kissed her back.
Damn, he was gonna miss her.

"You better make sure you're gonna come back in one piece, otherwise there won't be a wedding", Amira sobbed, holding Modo tightly.
"That almost sounds like a threat, Amira ma'am", Modo smiled sad.
"It is."
"Don't worry, I wouldn't wanna miss it myself, darling."
The big guy was so happy that he'd found her. But the other side of this beautiful love story was that he needed to say goodbye now.
Saying goodbye was already hard enough. And without knowing if you were gonna be able to make it back… well…
Because no matter how good they were, there was always a chance that they would bump into someone who was better than them.
Okay, okay, what are the odds right? But still…
The risk was there. They all knew it was. And that's what was making this whole saying goodbye thing twice as hard.
Because you had no idea if it was a final goodbye.
"Dammit, this is so much harder than I thought it would be…", Amira sighed, almost guessing his thoughts.
She looked up at him, her eyes watery. Modo wiped away a tear that rolled down her face.
"I know, darling. But try to have a little faith. Believe me when I say I'm willing to do everything to come back to ya. I just got ya… No way I'm gonna lose ya already…"
Amira buried her face in his fur again, crying her eyes out.
But she did have faith.
Because this, them meeting each other, was meant to be.
So, faith, along with a little bit of destiny and hope, was gonna bring him back to her.
But there was always that nagging feeling of insecurity. But she tried to push it away.
You've just gotta have faith.

Kiwi was already crying. Again. Jesus, when was this gonna stop?
How was it possible she even had tears left to shed?
Vinnie was holding her, his chin resting on her head.
She could feel his heartbeat, and it was way too calm.
God dammit…
"I love you…", she whispered.
"I love you too…"
She looked up at him, he looked down on her.
His eyes were empty. Vitreous.
"I can only hope that you're gonna be able to find yourself back out there. Because obviously, I can't help ya with that. God, Vinnie… I just… Can't you see how much you're hurting yourself? And me? And your bro's?"
Vinnie said nothing. He didn't even blink.
"Please… I'll let you go, I'll leave it up to you, but please… come back to me…"
"Like I said, babe. Can't make promises I can't keep."
His voice was flat. Toneless.

Argh.

She suppressed the sudden overwhelming need to slap him in the face. That would only make things worse, she knew that.
But dammit, she just needed to get through to him. This was exhausting.
It made her feel desperate like never before.
It was as if she was talking to a wall, that happens to talk back once in a while.
Jesus, and they were always yelling at him that he needed to keep his big mouth shut. And now he finally did, she wanted to beg him, on her knees, to talk.
This was the world upside down.
She took a few deep breaths to control herself.
Arguing, yelling, slap him, it wasn't gonna make any difference, she knew that.
She knew what it was like to sink this far down in the darkness.
She knew that Throttle was right, that she needed to let him go.
To let him fix this by himself.
But dammit, that was hard, alright.

She grabbed him by the chin, her eyes almost burning a hole in his skull.
"Promise me this; if you decide not to come back, if you decide you're tired of fighting, whatever… Only make that decision if you have absolute peace with it. You hear me? Only then. So I can have peace with it too. You're not alone, Vinnie. Try to remember that."
"Guess that's a promise I can make…", he whispered.
Kiwi let out her breath and let him go.
No matter how hard this was, she knew it had to be his decision.
If he was too damaged, if he was beyond fixing… Why keep fighting?
She was the last person who would tell him to keep on going.
She had been there herself. It would be hypocrite to tell him not to give up.
But deep down, in the deepest of her heart, she knew he wasn't gonna give up.
Deep down, she knew he was still in there.
And she could only hope that this mission was gonna help him to swim back to the surface.
But yeah... Throttle was right. She needed to let him go.
This was his mission. His alone.

"Don't blame yourself for this, okay?", he suddenly said, his voice hoarse.
She looked up surprised. The intense look in his eyes took her off guard.
Ya see? He was still in there.
"Kiwi…"
He said her name.
Not only that, he said it with a voice thick of emotion.
Kiwi's heart cried and she looked back into his burning eyes.
"I won't… Just… know that I love you, with all my heart. And that I'll be here for you. Forever…"
"Forever…", he whispered and he kissed her.
It wasn't a kiss without promises.
And she suddenly knew, she just knew, that he was gonna come back to her.
The only question was when.
Not if.
When.

The mice mounted their bikes.
Vinnie had to admit, it felt like coming home. His bike beeped loudly, maybe even a little agitated because they hadn't been on the road for so long.
"I know, sweetheart, I know…", he mumbled while patting her side.
Kiwi kneeled down next to his bike, checking the sensor for the last time.
"Okay, you're good to go", and she pushed a button on his bike. The drone came to life and rose into the air.
"So, that thing is gonna follow us everywhere, Kiwi ma'am?", Modo asked, looking at the piece of technologie that was hanging in the air, a few meters behind Vinnie.
"Yep. Well, technically, everywhere where Vinnie's bike goes. But since you guys are inseparable... Remember, only use the frequency that is now set on your radio. You guys can hear each other, and so can I. I can take over control of the drone if you guys need a explorer."
Throttle saluted, so did Modo, both with a teasing smile on their lips.
"Oh you guys…", Kiwi sighed while shaking her head.
God, she was gonna miss them. All three of them. They were her family.
"Be careful out there, rookies. Keep us updated", Stoker smiled while clapping Throttle on the back.
"Will do, coach", Modo smiled back.
"Okay, partners, everybody ready?", Throttle asked his bro's, who both nodded.
"Very well, then it's time for us to rock and ride!"

Squealing tires. Smoke. Roaring engines.
And they were gone.
Their loved ones followed them with their eyes, all having one mutual thought.
Come home safely...

A little less action, a little more fluff and drama…
There will be action further on in the story.
But I didn't wanna rush it.
I can only hope it wasn't too boring, hehe.

Aaaaanywayz, feel free to leave a review, they always make me happy.
And till next time, my loyal readers! :D

Later!