Well, here is the long awaited update by me. I'm finally ready to slowly begin to end this story. Yeah…that made sense. Forgive me, I'm still finding the happy medium of my writing. I'm slowly getting there.
This IS a long chapter, and I am NOT exaggerating. I hope you're ready, because this is the longest fic chapter I have ever written, EVER! I'm telling you this in advance because I refuse to break this chapter in half. This chapter will be basically the entire mission, so be ready for it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Zoids, but I do own my happy agents…and the not so happy ones.
Without any further adieu, here's the second to last chapter of Destined for Loneliness!
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"Well, are you ready?" asked Risai. She, Bit, Leena, and Leon were standing in the desert just outside of the Backdraft's main base. The hover cargo was stationed quite a ways back so that the base wouldn't detect their presence. Bit and Leena were dressed in army uniforms for the Backdraft. Leon and Risai were in front of them. Their hands were handcuffed behind them and they looked as if they had been in a battle. It was all for their plan. This had to be convincing.
"We're ready," answered Leean, even though she wasn't sure of that statement. One wrong move and they would all end up dead. Slowly but steadily, they all began to walk towards the base. Leena and Bit kept Risai and Leon at gun point, making them walk in front.
"Good luck," whispered Leon. Bit and Leena would need it. This part of the plan relied solely on their acting skills. They were soon approaching the incredibly large front doors to the base where two guards stood, their shotguns in their hands. The four ZBC warriors walked up to the doors where the guards moved in front of them. "What are you doing back here so soon?" asked the guard. The other noticed Risai and Leon and his eyes widened.
"You caught them?" asked the surprised guard, his voice holding his surprise and admiration.
"Yes," answered Bit emotionlessly.
"We're bringing them directly to Rose," stated Leena. Both guards nodded and opened the doors, allowing the four of them to enter. Bit and Leena gave small sighs of relief as they made it into the base.
"Good, we're in," said Risai, looking around. "We need to find where Rose's room is."
"You two did well," said Leon with a small smile.
"It wasn't that hard. Apparently, Rose really wants you two," said Leena.
"Let's go," said Bit, pressing forwards. They all walked down the hallways, guessing as to where they needed to turn. The hallways were dark, lit by dim lights along the ceiling. It was just like what they had imagined. Luckily, they made it to Rose's office. There were two men standing outside the room, waiting. They nodded to Bit and Leena, who nodded back. The two men opened the door and allowed the four of them to walk in. Rose sat at her desk, her legs crossed and on top of the counter in front of her. She appeared to be bored.
"General," said Leena in a soldier like tone, catching Rose's attention.
"We brought you a gift," said Bit, his tone similar to Leena's. Rose's eyes widened slightly when she saw both Risai and Leon, handcuffed and now kneeling, guns pressed to their backs. Rose got up from her chair quickly and walked over to the two captives. She smiled widely, her eyes showing her amusement. Her smile turned to a smirk as she saw the look Risai was giving her. The thing was that the younger agent didn't have to pretend. She truly hated Rose and her expression showed it.
"Unbelievable," said Rose. She turned to Bit and Leena. "I'm very impressed. How did you find them?"
"They were out in the desert," began Bit. "It appeared that they were trying to ambush us by themselves."
"So we stopped them and brought them here," answered Leena. They were keeping it as simple as they could and praying that Rose would buy it. Just like Miharu said, Rose didn't care about the details. She bent down near Risai and Leon, her smirk widening.
"Why am I not surprised?" asked Rose. "That sounds like you, Risai. Running off to do what you want, ignoring regulations, and then dragging down someone else with you." She turned to Leon, who was also glaring at Rose. He didn't like the way she was speaking to Risai. Rose turned her full attention to Leon and noticed the look on his face. She smirked and then reached out, cupping his chin in her hand. She appeared to be studying him. "My, you're even cuter up close," she told him, earning her a death glare from Risai. Rose then leaned forward and kissed him, shocking him and the other three in the room. It took all of Risai's will power and then some to keep her from beating the crap out of Rose right there. She could tell that Bit and Leena were trying to restrain themselves as well. They weren't allowed to show any hate or resentment to Rose, but it was getting hard. Rose released Leon and then stood up, enjoying the look of pure hatred on Risai's face. "Take them away," said Rose. "Lock them in the prison." Bit and Leena nodded, knowing that if they spoke, their voices would give them away, since they would be full of spite. Bit and Leena nudged Risai and Leon with their guns, getting the two captives to their feet. They then all turned and began walking out of the room and down the halls. Risai's glare never left Rose once until they turned and headed down the hall. Risai was angry now, more so than she had been for a while. "I swear, I'll kill her if it's the last thing I do," she growled out.
"Remember what we're here for," said Leon, earning him a look from Risai. He turned to her and noticed the sad look on her face. He knew what it was from as well.
"It was nothing, forget it. Everything's fine now," he told her softly. Risai simply nodded and looked away. It was strange. She knew for a fact that she couldn't have Leon, but she didn't want anyone else to touch him. She silently prayed that they would be able to get the machine Taban had mentioned. However, the only way they would be allowed to use it would be to end the war. They had rules and they owed their lives to the ZBC. It was their decision to free the agents. They all walked along silently, heading towards the prisons. They eventually found the stairs that led down to where the cells were. The keys were hanging near the door, so they grabbed them and then went to the cells. There didn't appear to be anyone else down there, so Bit and Leena used the small key they had with them and removed the handcuffs from Risai and Leon. "Let's find Taban," suggested Leena. They began to walk down the aisle, realizing that all the cells were empty.
"What do you think happened to the other prisoners?" asked Bit.
"Maybe there weren't any," suggested Leon.
"Exactly," answered Risai. "Rose isn't the type to take many prisoners." They continued looking, but found every cell to be empty. Eventually, they got to the area they were trying to find. They looked into a cell to their lefts and saw Taban lying on his bed, seemingly asleep. Risai broke into a small smile and ran to the bars. "Taban!" she shouted to him. He shifted slightly and then groaned, slowly opening his eyes. He slowly sat up and then leaned against the wall behind him. His vision was blurry, forcing him to squint to see anything. He could just make out who was standing near the bars. "Risai?" he asked, his voice sounding tired. His sister nodded to him and he smiled. "It's good to see you again," he said to her as he slowly stood up, holding his newly injured arm. They all looked him over. He looked awful. His ankle was slightly swollen from his sprain, and his chest had a gash across it, which was still healing. He was limping from a bullet hole he had in his chest and his arm had a hole in it as well. He had blood all over him and his eyes showed just how tired he really was. His once silver blue hair was now caked with dirt and blood, and his soft blue eyes were now quite dull. However, Risai was happy to see that they still held his compassion and his hope. He walked to the bars slowly and noticed the looks they had. "My God…" whispered Leena, looking him over.
"What did they do to you?" asked Bit, his voice similar to how Leena's had been.
"I'll be fine, don't worry," said Taban. He turned his eyes back to his sister, who wasn't buying it at all. "I'm fine Risai, I promise. It'll take a lot more than this to kill me." Risai nodded slowly, her expression unchanging.
"We need to put the next step of our plan into action," reminded Leon. They all nodded. Risai moved away from the bars and allowed Bit and Leena to take over. They were to lock up Risai and Leon for now and then wait until the others made their move. They put Leon and Risai in separate cells, across from Taban's.
"Alright," said Bit. "It's time to go memorize this base." Leena nodded and the two of them walked out, hanging the keys back up. Risai, Leon, and Taban were now alone in the prison, praying that this would all work out.
******
Off in the desert, the hover cargo was stationed nearly a mile away. The cameras were keeping an eye on the Backdraft base. The other eight members of this operation were sitting in the main control room, watching and waiting. "How do you think they're doing?" asked Jamie. Miharu shook her head.
"I'm not sure," she told him. "I hope this works." There was a sad tone in her voice, one of longing.
"You really miss him, don't you," stated Meiyuu. Miharu seemed a little surprised at the sudden comment, but she realized it was hard to deny. She simply nodded, her blue eyes seeming distant.
"I really do," she said. "It's strange being away from him. We've known each other for years, even before the first war started. I've known both him and Risai since before I can remember."
"Even though you continuously deny it, do you love Taban?" asked Rick. Miharu blushed slightly and turned away a little.
"Yes," she answered softly. "I have for a long time, longer than any of you can possibly imagine. But my job was to come first, and so it did. I never told him, and now…I might not…"
"Hey," said Naomi, catching her attention. "We'll get him out. All of them will come out of there alive." Suddenly, the monitor began to beep and everyone tensed up.
"What is that?" asked Mattei. Doc quickly brought up a screen. A Zabat was flying overhead.
"It's from the Backdraft!" he exclaimed.
"Shoot it down now!" demanded Miharu. "We can't let it see us!"
******
The Zabat was flying through the air, scouting the area. It soon spotted the hover cargo, its cameras zooming in on the foreign object. "What is that?" asked the pilot. However, he didn't have time to ponder it any longer. One of the cannons on the hover cargo fired, taking out the zoid instantly.
At the Backdraft base, one of the men in the monitor room noticed that the camera went out. He quickly got on a com-link with the general's office. "General?" he called.
"What is it?" came Rose's uninterested reply.
"One of our scouts has been taken out," he told her, sparking her interest.
"Where?" she asked, "and by who?"
"I'll send you the tape." Rose sat in her office as the screen rolled down from the ceiling. The last video footage was sent and she saw the hover cargo in the desert. She smirked widely. "Apparently they've come to rescue their friends. This will be the end for them." She got on the link with the monitor room again. "Turn on the sirens. I want all men to focus on that transporter!"
The sirens began to sound throughout the base as men began to head for the hanger. Leena and Bit were slightly confused. "What's going on?" asked Leena.
"I'm not sure," said Bit. Suddenly, a man passed them in the halls. He stopped and turned to them.
"You two," he said, catching their attention. "Get to your zoids now. We've spotted the enemy and we've been ordered to take it out. Move!" The man turned and left them. Bit and Leena were both standing in shock. Bit clenched his fists angrily.
"They've been discovered," he growled out.
"What should we do?" asked Leena. "We still don't know the base well enough."
Outside in the hover cargo, they all watched as zoids began to pour from the complex. "This isn't good," shouted Miharu as she banged her fists down on the console. "We've been discovered."
"What now?" asked Brad. They were all focusing on Miharu, waiting for their assignment.
"We have no choice but to fight," she told them. "We've come this far and I won't abandon them now. We're getting them all out no matter what." She turned to them, her eyes flashing with determination. "Rick, Brad, Meiyuu, Naomi, get to your zoids, but stay near the hover cargo for now." They all nodded and went to do just that. "I want you three to stay here with me. We need to monitor this battle and keep an eye on the base for any sign of the others. Our main goal is to get Taban out of there. I don't know if we'll be able to end the war today."
"Do you think we should call Bit and Leena?" asked Jamie. Miharu nodded and quickly got on a com-link. She had given Bit a transmitter so that they could keep in touch.
A beeping noise could be heard as Bit and Leena were making their way to the prison. Bit reached into his pocket and pulled out his transmitter. He pushed in the button and spoke. "What is it?" he asked.
"There's been a change of plans," said Miharu, getting right to the point. "You need to get them out of there now."
"But how will we lead them out?" asked Leena. "We can barely remember where the prison is."
"You'll have to think of something. Improvise."
"We'll try," said Bit. The line then went dead and he shoved the small black transmitter back into his pocket. Leena and Bit then began to spring towards the general direction of the prison. They eventually reached the stairs that led down into it, but they nearly fell when the whole base began to shake. The battle had finally started. The base shook again, but they both kept their balance as they made it into the prison area. Leena swiped the keys from the hook near the door and they both began to run to where the others were locked up. They soon reached the area and were now out of breath. "What's going on?" asked Leon. He and Risai were standing near the doors to their cells. Taban was back on his bed, leaning against the wall.
"Our plan is falling apart," explained Leena as she quickly opened the doors to the cells. Leon and Risai got out quickly, but Taban was having a few problems. Both of his legs were injured and he was having a hard time walking. He nearly collapsed but Bit and Leena caught him. "Taban, what's wrong?" asked Bit.
"It's nothing," he assured them. However, they all knew it wasn't nothing. Fresh blood began to come from his leg wound from the fact that he had moved it too much.
"You can't walk in this condition," noted Risai, worry filling her voice. They were all silent for a while, contemplating their next move. They knew they had to get out, but how was the question.
"Bit, Leena," began Taban. "You two get out of here. I'm willing to bet they could really use your help out there." The building shook once again to put emphasis to his words. "I know the way out. You two go now and hurry."
"But…" began Bit.
"I said go now. Don't forget. I'm also a commander in this war. Go help them and get the hover cargo closer so that we can have an easier escape." Bit and Leena nodded reluctantly and left Taban. They then made a dash down the hall and disappeared up the stairs. Leon and Risai got on both sides of Taban and helped him to his feet, his arms around their shoulders.
"Alright," began Risai. "Just tell us where to go."
******
Bit and Leena eventually made it out onto the battlefield, only to find that the hover cargo was already pretty close by. "Well, this saves us some trouble," said Bit. They quickly ran to the hover cargo, finding the emergency door they had installed. They quickly got in and went right for their zoids. "Hey dad!" shouted Leena over a com-link, catching everyone's attention.
"Leena?" asked Doc in shock and surprise.
"What are you doing back?" asked Jamie.
"We're improvising," answered Bit, also using his com-link.
"Where are the others?" asked Miharu.
"They'll be coming shortly," answered Leena. "Taban ordered us to come and help. He said he knew how to get out, so Leon and Risai stayed with him." Miharu gave a sigh of relief. She was glad that Taban was alright.
"I suggest you get the med bay ready," said Bit. "Taban needs some serious medical attention."
"I'm on it," said Jamie as he went off to do just that.
"We're ready," said Leena.
"Alright," said Doc, preparing the catapult. In no time at all, both the Gun Sniper and the Liger Zero were out on the field. The six warriors split up, going off in different directions to battle their enemy.
******
Inside the base, Leon, Risai, and Taban were slowly making their way down the halls, making sure not to shift Taban too much. "Turn here," he instructed, his voice sounding tired and his eyes half closed. This didn't go unnoticed.
"Taban…" whispered Risai in concern.
"I'm fine," he assured her, even though it was obviously a lie. They turned the corner and began to head down another long hall. Everyone was out of the base and on the battlefield, so there was nothing to worry about. They wouldn't get caught. However, Risai couldn't help but wonder where Rose was. It was possible that she was on the battlefield as well, but for some reason, Risai doubted that. Everything was turning out the way it did in her dream. Their mission had been messed up big time and now they were improvising. She knew that she would face off against Rose and part of her really wanted to. In fact, with every fiber of her being, she wanted to be the one to finish Rose. She touched the hilt of her sword, which they had picked up before leaving the prison. Her handgun was at her other side. She could do it. She could destroy Rose. "Turn here," instructed Taban as they obediently listened. However, right now, Taban and Leon needed her. Risai looked to Taban's exhausted face and watched as his breathing became hard. He was panting. "Stop," demanded Risai, causing Leon to stop and look to her. Her eyes were on Taban. "What's wrong?" she asked him.
"I…I said I'm…fine," he panted.
"You're exhausted," she told him.
"I…I just need to…get some rest. We need to get…to the hover cargo." His eyes were beginning to close all the way. Risai noticed that his leg wound was leaving a trail of blood.
"Taban, just how much blood have you lost?" she asked him, her tone showing her worry.
"Not much," he told her, once again lying. "My injuries aren't…that bad. I'm…just…fine." His breathing began to slow and his muscles relaxed. His head lowered and his eyes stayed closed. Risai and Leon nearly dropped him since he was now completely limp.
"Taban?" asked Risai, but he didn't respond. He was unconscious.
"What now?" asked Leon, turning to Risai. She thought it over. She knew Taban would be safe with Leon.
"Take him," she instructed, handing Taban over to Leon, who was now supporting the man's weight. He would have to half drag him out of the base. Risai turned around and looked down the hallway. She then turned back to the direction they had been heading. "When you get to that corner, turn right and you should end up in the hanger. From there, it should be easy to get out."
"Don't tell me, show me," he told her. "You're coming with."
"No," she said softly. "I'm afraid I'm not leaving with you."
"What?" he asked in disbelief. Risai lifted her eyes to his, her cerulean orbs flaring with determination, but her expression showing her uncertainty.
"I have to finish this now," she told him. "I have to end this war."
"What do you mean?" he asked her, confused. It then hit him and he was overcome with worry. "You can't," he told her. "You'll get killed."
"I have to do this," she told him, her eyes showing it more than her voice. "I have to pay her back for what she's done. Rose can't have her way any longer. If I don't do this, no one will. I'm sorry Leon, but I'm staying here."
"I can't leave you."
"You have to. The main point in this mission is to get Taban out. I want you to do this for me. Please save my brother and let me handle Rose. It's time I finally put the past to rest, and the only way is to confront her myself."
"Risai…you can't." He was honestly worried about her and he had every right to be. She knew this was going to be a hard battle and there was a slim chance that she would actually survive, but she had to do it.
"I'm sorry Leon, but this is how it has to be," she told him sadly as she walked closer to him.
"But Risai, you…" He was cut off by her lips against his as she kissed him. He was surprised to say the least. He kissed her back gently, savoring just how good it felt to feel her lips on his, knowing it was possibly the last time she'd be this close to him. She eventually pulled away, her eyes slowly filling with tears.
"I love you Leon. I'm not supposed to say things like that, but I do, so stay alive and I'll do the same, alright?" And with that said, she turned and ran, not letting him get in another word. He simply watched as she disappeared around the corner.
"I love you too, Risai," he whispered as he turned and began to head towards the hanger.
******
On the battlefield, things were really heating up. "Risai and Leon better hurry up," said Bit. "We can't hold them off forever."
"I know, but we have to try," said Leena. They were currently battling a ton of Rev Raptors and Hellcats. There were just too many enemy units. In the hover cargo, they were all monitoring the battles, keeping track of their zoids. "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 are 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." It was true. The Kaijin wasn't out on the battlefield. Miharu kept her eyes open and watched the hanger of the base. She then saw two figures emerge from it and her eyes widened. "It's Leon," she exclaimed as she began to make her way to he storage area of the hover cargo. They would be coming through the emergency door soon. She arrived just as Leon got into the hover cargo, dragging Taban with him. He looked exhausted. Miharu quickly ran to them. "Leon, thank God you made it out."
"He needs help," stated Leon, handing Taban over to Miharu. The red headed agent quickly realized who was missing.
"Where's Risai?" she asked. Leon simply looked away from her.
"She stayed behind," he told her. Miharu's eyes widened with fear.
"My God," she whispered. "Don't tell me she went after Rose." Leon didn't say anything, which answered her question easily. "But why?"
"I don't know," he told her. "She said she wanted to end this now. She wants to put the past to rest."
"I understand," said Miharu sadly. "Please don't lament. I knew this would happen. I knew very well that she wouldn't come out of that building, but I had to send her in. Please understand that she may not come back at all." Leon raised his shocked eyes to Miharu's.
"How can you say that?" he asked her.
"Because it's true. Risai doesn't have much of a chance against Rose."
"She said she'd stay alive," insisted Leon, his voice slightly angry. "I know she'll come back." With that said, he walked off to get into his zoid and join the battle. Miharu simply watched him, slightly shocked.
"It's amazing," she whispered to Taban, who was still unconscious. "It's hard to believe what love can do to you." She began to walk back into the main area of the hover cargo, dragging Taban with her. After a while, she made it to the medical room where Jamie was waiting. He had just gotten it ready. He helped Miharu lay Taban down on one of the beds. He went off to get a few more things while she stayed with the unconscious man. She took note of the many injuries he had. She reached out and ran a hand through his silver and blue colored hair. He groaned a little and shifted, his eyes opening slowly. He looked to Miharu, who gave him a small smile.
"I'm glad you're alright," she told him.
"Miharu…" he whispered. "We…we need to get that machine."
"What?" she asked him. He was wasting no time getting to business.
"In the Backdraft hanger…there's a door to the left. It leads down into a lab area. There's a machine there, I've seen it. Just take the helmet and the black box hooked into the computer. It should be a cube, about a foot long. Please get it." Miharu nodded to him and then stood up to get on with her assignment. She passed Jamie in the hall.
"Take care of Taban until I get back," she told him. Jamie seemed confused.
"But Miharu, where are…?" She was already gone before he could finish. He just carried the medical supplies into the room and decided to start bandaging Taban.
******
The base for the Backdraft was an insanely high complex. Risai was currently on the sixth floor and she knew she still had a ways to go. It was about at tall as the hover cargo. She kept running up the stairwell, heading for the top floor. She could feel it. Rose was there. This would be the last battle. Risai would do her best to stay alive, but it was going to be hard. She knew as well as Miharu and Taban did that Rose wasn't an average agent anymore. She had been training since her disappearance and now she was probably stronger than even Taban. Risai couldn't help but feel afraid. She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword as she reached the top floor at last. It was a one room floor. The room was full of electronics. There was a center area. It looked like a zoid core, but it was different in some ways. This appeared to be the room that supplied power to the base. It was also one of the few brightly lit rooms. Everything in the base was so dim. Risai froze when her eyes landed on the woman she was looking for. Rose stood near the main console, watching the outside battle on the screens. The black haired girl slowly turned, her blue eyes as cold as ice, but her face was in a smirk. "Welcome Risai," she said with false enthusiasm.
"Just shut up Rose," growled out Risai, her hand clenching her sword tighter. "It's time to end this."
"I agree. It's time I get my revenge."
"Revenge?" questioned Risai, confused. It then occurred to Rose that she hand never told Risai her reasons.
"That's right," growled Rose. "You took him away. Rainer died because of you! I'll never forgive you!"
"This is about Rainer?"
"You took the one man I ever loved away from me."
"He was never yours to begin with."
"He could have been if you hadn't interfered. I'll make sure you feel the same kind of pain that I felt. I'll kill them all, every last one of those people out there. However, I'll start with you."
"Very well," said Risai as she drew her sword. "It's time we ended this." Rose smirked and drew her sword as well. At almost the exact same time, they took off, heading right for one another. They both swung, their swords clashing, the sound resonating off the walls. They were both trying to press the other back, but it wasn't working. The two of them were equal. They both jumped away and then went at it again, their swords clashing. This led to many different clashes as they both dodged and swung, matching hit for hit. Their footwork was elegant and it was more like a dance than a battle, even though both of them were flaring with resent and determination. Each had their own reasons for doing this and those reasons weren't all that different right now. They both wanted revenge. Rose jumped back, landing on her toes and then quickly stepped forward, catching Risai off guard. Risai cried out slightly as Rose's sword cut her down her left arm. She staggered back a little, but soon raised her sword and swung at Rose. However, she missed. Rose smiled as she took the opportunity to strike. She swung hard and knocked the sword from Risai's hand, sending it spiraling through the air and towards the far wall. Risai watched it and then turned her glare to Rose, who simply laughed. This battle was going to be much tougher than Risai had originally thought.
******
On the battlefield, things were still basically the same. Leon had now joined the fray, but they were still outnumbered. "This is hopeless!" shouted Bit. "There's just too many of them."
"We can't give up," reminded Leena. "We have to keep going. This has to be the last battle."
"I know, but we're outnumbered here!"
In the hover cargo, Doc and Mattei were in the main control room. The door soon opened and Jamie walked in, half carrying Taban in with him. Taban was conscious and bandaged now, but his legs still hurt. Doc and Mattei turned and watched the two of them walk in. Taban appeared to be half awake, but it was enough. Jamie walked over and set Taban in one of the chairs.
"Taban, it's good to have you back," said Doc. Taban allowed a smile to grace his face.
"We've really missed you," added Mattei.
"It's good to be back," he told them. Even though he seemed tired, his blue eyes were aware and full of life. He looked to the battle and heard Bit complaining.
"This is hopeless! There's hundreds of them!" shouted the cocky blond. Taban quickly got on a com-link with the warriors on the battlefield.
"Don't complain," he told his friends. They were all shocked at hearing his voice echo through their zoids. The seven warriors didn't say anything. "Don't you remember anything I told you about battling?" he asked them. "It doesn't matter how many you're up against. These men are novices. They're simple soldiers who know nothing about real battles. You can win this. Remember, all of you are highly skilled warriors. It's the skill that matters, not the number."
"Taban…" whispered Bit.
"It's good to have you back," said Leena. "We've really missed you."
"Another beautiful speech," said Rick with some humor in his voice.
"No one could have said it better," added Meiyuu.
"It's just what we needed," said Brad.
"We're not about to give up," assured Naomi.
"I'm glad you're alright," said Leon, bringing a smile to Taban's face.
"Leon, you need to stay alive, understand?" he told the warrior.
"What?" questioned Leon.
"Just stay alive, alright? It'll be worth it."
"I never planned on dying. I have too much left that I want to do." Taban smiled and turned the com-links off. He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. He knew he shouldn't even be out of bed, but he needed to say something. He had gone without lecturing for far too long. He soon saw Miharu run from the base, carrying a helmet and a black box. Taban smiled. 'Good job Miharu. Everything will turn out, you'll see. It's been too long. I'm tired of these battles.' He watched as Miharu got to the emergency door. However, a few minutes later, she ran out and headed back to the base, drawing a confused look from Taban. He watched for a little while and then heard a familiar roar from a familiar zoid. His zoid, the Panther, walked out of the base with Miharu at the controls. He smiled, his eyes shining. She had saved his zoid for him.
"That's quite a girl you've got there, Taban," said Doc slyly, drawing the older man's attention. Taban looked startled at the proposition. He had never before considered Miharu as "his girl". He smiled slightly, a small blush coloring his cheeks. It was true. He knew Miharu was his and no one else's. He had known her all his life and he loved her more than anything. He watched as she loaded his zoid into the hover cargo and then took her Phoenix out. She was heading out into the battle now to take care of the air threat. Taban simply smiled. 'She really is amazing.'
On the battlefield, the warriors were filled with confidence. With the wise words from Taban, they felt more than ready to finish this battle. The Backdraft base was taking in some serious damage, but that was alright for now. As long as it didn't collapse, it didn't matter. Bit was much more relaxed now, no longer complaining. His mind was on something else.
"Hey Leena?" he asked her.
"What?" she questioned.
"When this is all over, there's something I need to ask you about, alright? So we both have to make it out of this alive."
"We will," she told him. They continued their battle, taking down more of the enemy zoids, completely unaware of the battle going on in the building before them.
******
Risai cried out as Rose's blade cut into her again and then again, bringing new gashes to her arms and her back. Risai jumped back and fell to her knees, whipping out her handgun and aiming it right at Rose, but not pulling the trigger. Rose simply smirked at the action. "What?" she asked Risai. "Are you going to shoot me?"
"That's the plan," said Risai, preparing to pull the trigger.
"You won't hit me," declared Rose.
"We'll see about that." Risai pulled the trigger, but Rose used her sword to block. The blade broke in half and Rose quickly threw the hilt towards Risai. The young agent cried out as the broken blade pierced her left shoulder. She quickly grabbed it and pulled it out, tossing the now bloody weapon to the side. She glared at Rose, her eyes showing her pain.
"Let's face it Risai," said Rose as she drew her own handgun. "You're no match for me." They were now both being held at gun point. Both were about to pull the trigger. They then shifted their aim as each pulled the trigger at the same time. Both guns were knocked from their hands. Rose then ran for Risai and while the younger agent was still on her knees, Rose kicked her hard in the side. Risai fell to the ground and clutched her know throbbing side. She slowly pushed herself up. Rose was standing insanely close. Risai took the advantage and quickly tripped Rose with her leg. She then went for the broken sword and quickly stabbed it into Rose's shoulder. Risai moved away as Rose cried out. She reached to the dagger and angrily pulled it out, discarding it. Risai was still backing away, holding her injured side. A few of her ribs were obviously broken. Rose stood up and began to approach her, holding her now bleeding shoulder.
"You'll pay for that," she told Risai. She moved quickly and brought her foot down on Risai's ankle. She hadn't broken any bones, but that would leave a sprain. Risai hissed with the pain. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw her gun. In one quick motion, she went for it, grabbing it and then spinning around to face Rose. She pulled the trigger, but Rose moved enough so that it would only graze her side. Forgetting about the pain, Risai stood up and kicked Rose hard in the stomach, sending the woman flying across the room. She landed on her back and stood up, glaring at Risai, who now slumped against the wall, right under a window. Rose stood up and held her hurting stomach. She looked to the computers behind her and then smiled.
"Risai, I know for a fact that you don't care if you die," said Rose as she turned her back on Risai, who was still clutching her gun. She knew for a fact the gun was empty now. She had used a lot of the shots up on her way to the room. There had been a few men left in the base. "So," continued Rose, pushing a large button on the panel in front of her. "How about I kill you slowly…but first…I want to see your reaction."
"My reaction?" questioned Risai, confused.
"Just watch and see what happens." Risai pushed herself up and turned to look out the window. She was kneeling, her hands pressed against it. She could see the zoids below and her eyes landed on the red Blade Liger. Leon was fighting off a few of the enemy zoids and was holding his own well.
"I hope you kissed him goodbye, Risai." Rose pressed another button on the console. Risai watched as a panel near the window opened, revealing a large hybrid cannon. "Say goodbye to your precious Leon!" Her fist came down on another button.
Outside on the field, Miharu was monitoring the other battles, helping if she was needed. She hadn't planned on going outside at all at first. However, she felt she had to. She looked to the base, praying that Risai would walk out, but it wasn't about to happen and she knew it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something emerge from the base. It was a large hybrid cannon. "What's going on?" questioned Miharu to herself. She went in a little lower and watched as the cannon aimed downwards slightly. She followed its sight and her eyes landed on the red Blade Liger. Miharu gripped her controls and swooped down as the cannon began to charge. 'I have to make it. I won't let you die, Leon. You're too important to Risai.'
Risai watched as the beam fired, filling the entire area with a blinding light. She couldn't see what had happened, but she saw a large explosion. "Leon!" she yelled in despair. This was just like her dream. Now that the light had cleared, all she saw was smoke. She slumped to the floor, her forehead pressed against the cold brick wall. Tears began to fall from her closed eyes, rolling down her face and falling gently to the cold floor beneath her. He was gone. The only other man she had ever truly loved was gone, taken from her by Rose, who was now laughing.
"It's a shame," said Rose in false sympathy. "He could have lived longer if it hadn't been for you. You are destined to be alone for the rest of your life, Risai." The young agent slowly got to her feet, her head still down. Her body still ached from her broken ribs to her sprained ankle to the many flesh wounds she had. She turned to Rose, her head still down.
"I swear you'll pay for this," growled Risai. She began to walk towards Rose, going slowly at first. Rose simply laughed and reached for her discarded gun. It wasn't far from her. She quickly lifted it and aimed it at Risai.
******
On the battlefield, everyone had stopped fighting. They had watched as the hybrid cannon had fired, leaving the whole area blanketed in a white light. The cannon had been aiming for Leon.
"Leon!" shouted Leena as the explosion rang out.
"Leon!" shouted Doc from the hover cargo. They all watched in shock and fear as the red Blade Liger was absorbed in the explosion. When the light cleared, smoke filled he area where Leon had been. Leena could feel the tears welling up in her eyes at the thought of losing her brother. She hung her head sadly. "Leon…" she whispered. "He's gone."
"Look," said Bit, shocked. "What is that?" They all looked to the area and saw a pink colored shield. The smoke cleared and they all saw Miharu and her Phoenix standing in front of the Blade Liger, the shield up.
"Thanks Miharu," said Leon, relieved that she had gotten there in time. The shield fell and Miharu smiled.
"What, did you think I'd let you die? You need to stay alive," she told him. "This isn't over yet." He nodded to her and they both returned to the battle, which was finally going in their favor.
******
"It's such a shame," said Rose, "that both of you will die here today." Risai began to sprint and at that moment, Rose pulled the trigger on her gun. The bullet pierced Risai through her stomach, passing all he way through, but Risai didn't flinch or stagger. She kept sprinting, going faster. Rose was shocked and before she knew it, Risai was up in her face, her cold blue eyes holding Rose's. Her hand shot out and grabbed Rose's wrist, crushing it enough to force the gun from her hand. Risai quickly caught it with her other hand as Rose began to back away. Risai's cold cerulean eyes never once left the other agent. She took the gun and aimed it at her sword that had been forgotten early on in the battle. She pulled the trigger, hitting the hilt of her sword directly so that it was sent into the air. It was falling towards Risai. The agent easily caught it in her other hand and then ran at Rose, her eyes flaring with vengeance, sorrow, regret, along with many other emotions. In one quick motion, Risai thrust the sword forwards, shoving it all the way through Rose's stomach. She released the hilt and jumped back. Rose's eyes were wide as a pain she had never before felt coursed through her body. She fell back, the sword still through her. She was now sitting on the ground, her eyes shocked and focused on Risai. The younger agent just now realized how much pain she was in. Her broken ribs were cutting her and her bullet wound was leaking crimson. She had a cut on her cheek and a large one down her back and both arms. She had many flesh wounds, plus her sprained ankle. She began to pant as the pain became unbearable. The handgun slipped from her grasp. She could have shot at Rose to begin with, but the other woman was incredibly good at dodging bullets. Rose lowered her head, confused.
"How?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper. "How is it that you won? You were fighting for the same reasons I was. How? I don't get it. What's the difference? What's the difference?!" She appeared to be frustrated.
"There's a big difference Rose," said Risai as she approached the older woman. "And this is it." Rose closed her eyes as Risai's hand came towards her, but she felt nothing. There was no contact at all. Rose opened her eyes and saw Risai's hand there, open and inviting.
"Give me your hand," said Risai, her voice emotionless.
"What?" asked Rose.
"Don't you get it? That core over there has been damaged. This whole room is going to blow soon and you'll go with it."
"Why do you care?"
"Look, do you want to die?" Rose simply turned away.
"Just leave me," she told Risai. "I've done too much. This is how it should be. I don't want to keep going like this."
"Just shut up and give me your hand." It was silent for a while as the foundation shook.
"This base is falling apart," said Rose. "Pretty soon, this whole building will be nothing but a pile of rubble." It was true. Pieces of the ceiling were already starting to fall. "Go Risai. There are people out there waiting for you." Risai still didn't move. "You know, if our positions had been reversed, I wouldn't have hesitated to kill you."
"That's the difference between you and me, Rose. I won't kill unless I have to. We were friends once, remember? I won't let it go."
"Even after all I've done, you're still willing to let me live." She laughed slightly, but it hurt her bleeding chest. "Leave Risai. I don't want to live any longer."
"What?"
"I'm tired of fighting, so let me rest. I've lived for nearly 200 years. I think that's long enough. I'm tired and I'd like to rest now, if you don't mind. However, you're still the same. You're still young, Risai, and have so much left to do. Go. Go be with your friends. The more time you waste here, the sooner your wounds will claim your life. Try and get out while you still can." The core began to spark and electrical currents were popping the screens on the monitors. "Go now!"
"But I…"
"I said go, Risai!" Hesitantly, Risai nodded and limped to the door, going as quickly as she could. She would have a lot of floors to get through before she could make it outside and her injuries were causing her a great deal of pain. She made it to the door as the core exploded, absorbing the entire top floor and knocking her off her feet, sending her down the stairs and onto the hard floor below. She cried out and clutched her aching side as she slowly sat up, staring at the now fiery room. "Goodbye Rose," she said as she slowly stood up. The battle was finally over. The war had been won. Now all she had to do was get out of the building before it collapsed, but what was left for her out there? Leon, the first man she had loved since Rainer, was gone. What did she have left to live for?
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MAN! Do you have ANY idea how long that took? That was…like…8,091 words long! That's more than I've ever written for a fanfic chapter! I must be insane…never mind.
Anyway, stick around for the last chapter. It'll be up soon, I promise, and then we must talk about a sequel…that is…if you want another.
I'm only here to please…and write…more for writing.
I have more to work on now. Please check out the prequel, seeing as how I updated it too^.^ I have found my happy medium! Yay me!
Until next time!
Audi^.^