Well, once again, I'm sorry this took so long to get out.  It's been over a year now since I started this, and it still isn't done.  It's basically because I've gotten lazy.  I've been focusing on a few of my other fics, but I think I'm finally ready to work out this one.  First off, I was wrong.  There will be two more chapters after this one, because I got side tracked and realized that the next chapter will be long enough the way it is.  Combining it with this one would be a suicide chapter.  It'd be over 7,000 words and that's just too many.

Disclaimer:  I still don't own Zoids, but I do own the agents.  I love them^.^

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Night had come and everyone was getting ready to turn in for the day.  Rick was walking down the hall, heading towards Meiyuu's room.  He reached it and noticed that the door was open.  He walked into the doorway and knocked on the door, startling Meiyuu, who was brushing her hair.

"Hey, can I come in?" he asked with a smile.  Meiyuu also smiled.

"Sure," she said.  He walked in and Meiyuu stood up.  She moved over and sat on her bed.  Rick followed suit.  He seemed slightly nervous about something.

"Rick, is something wrong?" asked Meiyuu.

"Well, not really, but…I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay.  What is it?"

"Well, I know we've only been officially dating for about a year or so, but we've known each other since we were five.  Mei, I've always liked you.  I was just never sure how to express it."

"What are you getting at?" asked Meiyuu quietly, feeling a little nervous.

"I want to thank you for being so patient with me and for helping me through everything.  You've always believed in me and trusted me.  We've always been together and I want to stay by your side for as long as I can.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you more than anything, and I would be honored if…you would marry me."  Meiyuu was speechless.  She hadn't expected this, and now that he had asked, she wasn't sure what to say.  An unspeakable excitement and joy rose within her.  She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling.  She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Of course I'll marry you, Rick," she said happily.  Rick also smiled and hugged her back.

"Really?" he asked, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Really."

"That's great!  Oh, I have something for you."  He let go of her and reached into his pocket.  Meiyuu watched him intently, waiting to see what he had, even though she was sure she already knew.  Rick pulled out a small, black velvet box.  He opened it and showed it to Meiyuu, whose breath caught in the back of her throat.  It was a beautiful diamond ring.

"Rick…how…when?"

"Remember I said I had an errand to run this afternoon?  Well, this was it.  I've been saving the money that I got from zoid battles.  I wanted to buy a bigger one, but I didn't have quite enough."

"Rick, it's perfect."

"I'm glad you think so."  He took the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger.  It fit perfectly.  Meiyuu smiled at her new ring and then turned to her fiancé.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  When they broke the kiss, she rested her head against his chest.

"I love you, Rick."

"And I love you."  He then stood up and went to the door.  He gave her a genuine smile.  "Goodnight, Mei."

"Goodnight, Rick."  And with that, they parted ways for the night.

******

It was dark, just like it always was.  Risai was floating in the darkness once again and she absolutely hated it.

"What's going on?" she asked the darkness.  It just didn't feel the same.  Suddenly, a blinding white light flashed before her, blinding her.  She opened her eyes once it cleared and stared on in wonder.  She was watching a zoid battle between the Backdraft and their small group.  However, she could only see Bit and Leena right now.

"Risai and Leon better hurry up," said Bit.  "We can't hold them off forever."

"I know, but we have to try," said Leena.  The scene disappeared but quickly came back.  She saw the inside of the hover cargo.  Doc, Jamie, Mattei, and Miharu were inside.  They were monitoring a few things.

"How are the battles going?" asked Mattei.

"Fine for now," said Doc.

"Rick and Meiyuu are holding them off right now and Bit and Leena are moving towards the base.  Naomi and Brad and also moving up to back up Bit and Leena." said Jamie.

"They better get Taban out soon," said Miharu.  "They weren't supposed to find out about our plan until Taban was safely out."

"Our plans never go right," said Jamie.  "You should know that by now."

"I know, and that's why we're improvising," said Miharu.  "I just hope they're alright in there.  I don't see Rose yet."  The scene changed again.  It was of the inside of the base.  Risai looked out the window.  She was watching Leon, who was now in his red Blade Liger, fight off the enemy.  Rose stood behind her near the opposite wall.

"Say goodbye to your precious Leon," said Rose.  She pressed a button on her console.  Risai could only watch as a huge hybrid cannon came out from the side of the base.

"Leon!" she shouted, but he couldn't hear her.  The beam fired, hitting the Blade Liger, causing a huge explosion.  "No!!"

******

Risai shot up in her bed, a small scream leaving her mouth.  She was breathing hard.  She tried to calm herself, but she was having problems doing so.  'It's going to fail.  Our plan is going to fail.  What should I do?'  She placed her head in her hands.  'Do we save Taban?  Does…does Leon die?'  She didn't want to believe it.  'It was just a dream,' she thought to herself.  She kept repeating it, over and over, trying to calm herself down.  She felt as if her head would explode.  'It was only a dream.  This one meant nothing.  It meant absolutely nothing.  I'm just nervous about what will happen tomorrow.  That's all.  It's just my nerves.'  She eventually calmed down and her breathing returned to normal.  She fell back against her bed and closed her eyes.  'I need to get some sleep.  Tomorrow is a big day.'  And with that, she fell asleep again, returning to the darkness.  Once again, she was floating there, alone.

"What now?" she asked out loud.

"Hey sis," said Taban.

"Hey Taban," said Risai.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing.  Hey Taban, we're going to break you out tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so hang on a little longer, alright?"

"Don't worry, Risai.  I'll make it.  However, there's something else.  Rose has this machine that she threatened to use on me."

"What kind of machine?"

"It can reverse the transformation.  It can strip us of our agent abilities.  We can be normal again."

"Are you serious?!"

"Yeah, but getting it out may be difficult.  I'm not sure how big it is, or exactly where it is.  The only way would be to trick her into taking me there."

"Just wait, Taban.  Tomorrow, we'll find out.  I've got an idea.  Hopefully, it won't mess up Miharu's plans."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see, now won't we?"

"Yeah…hey, Taban?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me you won't die, alright?  I know Rose has hurt you.  Have any of your wounds been treated?"

"No.  I've gotten quite a few new ones as well.  They don't treat their prisoners very well here.  Every time I see Rose, I get another injury."

"Taban, don't ever give in, alright?  Once you get back to the base, we'll treat your wounds."

"That's not what I'm getting at.  That machine can't be used on me.  The only reason I'm still alive right now is because of the strength that comes from being an agent.  My wounds can't heal properly, I've lost a lot of blood, and I'm sure a lot of my injuries are infected right now.  Risai…if Rose uses that machine on me before I'm treated, I may die before you get to me."

"Taban…"

"So please…you must hurry."

"We will, Taban…we will."

******

The next morning, everyone was getting prepared to depart for their mission.  The zoids were having one last tune up and preparations were being made.  The hover cargo was being outfitted with the proper tracking equipment.  Miharu was standing with Leon and Risai, giving them a more in depth explanation of their mission.

"Alright, pay attention, because this is important.  We won't attack until you two retrieve Taban and are safely out of the base."

"What if our plan is discovered before we get out?" asked Risai.  Her dream was replaying in her head.  She had to know.

"It won't happen," said Miharu.  "This plan will be executed very carefully.  We won't be discovered."

"But what if we are?" pushed Risai.  She had to know that Miharu had a plan for this.

"If we're discovered, then we'll have to hold off the enemy until you guys make it out.  You'll have to be prepared for a battle as well, since the base will be crawling with guards."

"So in other words, we'll need weapons," said Leon.

"Exactly."

"And where will we get them if we're prisoners?"

"I don't know.  You'll just have to find them.  This is a very precise mission.  Everything will be carried out perfectly."

"I hope you're right, Miharu," said Risai.

Meanwhile, Leena was talking to Meiyuu.

"Do you really think we can pull this off?" asked Leena.  Meiyuu seemed to be off in her own little world, but she still answered the question.

"Of course.  I know we can.  We'll all make it out of this together," she said happily.  She then got a slightly dreamy look on her face.  Leena eyed her suspiciously.

"You know, we're going into another suicide mission and it's very possible that we may die in battle, yet you don't seem to care."

"Yeah…"

"Meiyuu, what is up with you?  You seem so…happy."  Leena then noticed that Meiyuu was playing with something on her finger.  Upon looking closer, Leena saw that it was a diamond ring.  Her eyes widened.  "Meiyuu, where did you get that ring?"  Meiyuu snapped out of her little fantasy world and looked at Leena.  She then lifted her hand and looked at the ring.  Leena examined it further.

"This looks like…" began Leena.  She then looked to Meiyuu, who had a smile that stretched from ear to ear.  Leena smiled as well.  "It's an engagement ring!" said Leena happily.

"I know, isn't it great?  Rick gave it to me last night," explained Meiyuu happily.

"This is great!  So, when's the wedding?" she asked slyly.  Meiyuu just smiled.

"We're not sure yet.  We'll decide once we get through this war," said Meiyuu.  "It's hard to plan anything when we have such an important mission coming up."

"Yeah, I know what you mean.  We should probably get ready."

"Yeah, let's get to work."

Meanwhile, the guys were all repairing their zoids as well.  Rick had finished up and was watching as Meiyuu talked to Leena.  Brad jumped down from his Shadow Fox and looked at the smiling Lightning Saix pilot.

"Well, why are you so happy today?" asked Brad.  Rick quickly turned his attention to Brad.  He smiled.

"No reason," he said.

"Hey Rick," said Mattei.  "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, bro," said Rick.  "What is it?"

"Did you ask her?" he asked slyly.  Rick only smiled more and nodded.

"Ask her what?" asked Bit, walking up.  "And who's 'her'?"

"It's nothing, Bit, nothing at all," said Rick nervously, waving his hands back and forth.  "Forget you heard anything."

"Rick proposed," said Mattei.  Rick shot a threatening glare at his brother, who only smirked in response.

"Why did you say that?" asked Rick.

"Because you're too big of a wuss to do it yourself," said Mattei.  "You'd just stand there stuttering and blushing."

"I would not.  I never do that!"

"Um…yes you do," said Bit.  Rick glared at him too.

"So, you and Meiyuu are engaged.  Congratulations," said Brad, walking over.

"You heard?" questioned Rick.

"Every word.  Mattei said it loud enough.  There's only one girl you would propose to."

"So, you're finally engaged," said Bit.  "I'm happy for ya."  Rick just smiled.

"Thanks."

"So, when's the wedding?"

"I don't know yet.  Once we make it through this, we'll figure it out."

"Hey Bit!" shouted Leena.  The ultimate X pilot turned to look at the red head.  "Come here!  Miharu wants to talk to us!"

"Coming!"  He quickly ran over to where she was standing.  They both walked over to Miharu.

"Okay, it's time to explain your part in this mission.  Here are your uniforms," she said, handing them two brown colored army uniforms.  "Here are your weapons."  She handed them a pair of guns.  "And here are your badges.  Now, I want to tell you that this is important.  It's your job to get Risai and Leon into the base without anyone being suspicious.  You will bring them there and explain that you two went out patrolling and caught both of them off guard.  You took them captive and decided to bring them to Rose.  Now, Rose is the type who won't care about the details.  She'll simply be happy that you found the two of them.  She'll decide to prolong their deaths and lock them up.  That's when you two explore the base.  You'll have to know how to get out so that you can give Risai and Leon directions.  Once you help them free Taban, you'll have to go to the security room and monitor the cameras.  You'll have to be very careful, because if they're caught, it's all over.  You'll have to be careful and convincing.  I hope both of you are decent actors, because this is all going to rely on how convincing you are.  Rose has to believe that you both work for her.  With those badges, you should be fine, since we confiscated all of this from two Backdraft soldiers.  If she doesn't believe it, you'll have to improvise."

"I got it," said Bit.  "We won't let you down."

"You can count on us."

"Please, remember one thing.  The main objective here is to get Taban out.  We also hope to end the war this time, but we have to get him out, no matter what.  Don't take any stupid risks.  Everything has to be exact.  One false move, and we're all dead."

"We understand," said Leena.  "We won't mess anything up."

"To tell you the truth, it's not you I'm worried about."  Miharu stole a glance at Risai, who was talking to Naomi and Meiyuu.  It appeared they were talking about Meiyuu and her recent engagement.

"You're worried about Risai," said Bit.

"Yes, I am.  If anyone will blow this, it'll be her.  Risai will do anything to save Taban.  If our cover is blown before Taban is out, she may use herself as a distraction.  Also, she may decide to take on Rose, and if she does, she most likely won't win."

"Didn't you tell us that next to Rainer, Risai was one of the best fighters?"

"She was, but after everything that's happened, she's lost a lot of her fighting abilities.  Her mind has also been quite weakened.  The body and mind are connected, you know.  She used to be a genius when it came to battles, but Taban was the one who succeeded in outdoing Rainer.  Risai was also a great assassin, but you have to remember that Rose has been training since the day she joined the Backdraft.  Risai took a break from it all when she worked for Toran and developed her zoid piloting skills.  If she confronts Rose, the battle will be decided by three things: their sword skills, their gun skills, and their passions.  Whatever emotion is stronger at the time of the battle will decide the outcome.  Rose will be full of hate and revenge, while I'm not sure about Risai.  This is a battle of emotion.  Remember that.  Taban used to say that love would save us someday.  Now, it's time to see if he was right."

"We won't let anything go wrong, we promise," said Bit.  "It'll all run like clockwork."

"I hope you're right," said Miharu.  "I sure hope you're right."  Bit and Leena walked off to join the others.  Miharu stood there, watching all of them.  A smile came to her face.  'If anyone is going to die in this battle, it'll be me.  I'm sick of doing nothing but standing by and watching.  I was always one of the weakest of the agents.'  She clenched her fists.  'I'll prove to them that I can do this.  Risai…I won't let you risk your life this time.  I promised Taban that I wouldn't let anything happen to you.'

"Hey Risai!" called Miharu.  Risai ran over to her.

"What is it?"

"Listen, don't confront Rose, no matter what."

"Why not?"

"Because she'll kill you."

"Miharu…you should know by now.  I don't care about that.  I don't care if I die in battle.  I've lived a full life.  I've even been in love twice now.  If I die, I have no regrets."

"Risai…"

"But I understand that there are people who care about me.  I made a promise that I wouldn't die, and I don't plan on breaking that promise.  If I do confront Rose, I'll win.  Remember, no matter what happens, our main objective is to get Taban out.  I talked to him last night."

"About what?"

"He needs to be treated as soon as he's out.  His injuries are really severe right now.  He also told me about a machine that Rose has.  It can turn us back, Miharu.  We can be normal again."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am.  We have to get it."

"And we will.  As soon as Taban is out, we'll all bust in and find that machine.  I promise."  Risai smiled.

"Alright then.  I promise that I won't get into a battle I can't win.  You have my word."  She turned around and walked away from Miharu.  'Don't worry.  When I find Rose, I'll make sure I kill her.'

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The next chapter will be long, and I'm not just saying that.  Remember the second to last chapter of Premonition?  Yeah, it'll be longer.  It'll be their whole mission in one chapter, so be prepared for a long read.  It'll only take me a few weeks this time, I promise.  I'm a little more motivated right now.

Don't forget to review!

Bye for now^.^