Chapter 7

[The Aftermath]

A still quiet filled the field, as a small breeze blew through. The wind slightly tossed Angel's bangs as he sat, un moved by the wind. Eyes closed, he slowly stood up and assumed a fighting stance. In his mind, he imagined a figure, same hair, same clothes, but faceless. Looking at him fighting in the meadow would look as if he were doing a simple form. Training is what was being done. Small grunts were heard as Angel blocked and punched.

"Kiyaaaa…" Angel screamed as he threw a deadly punch and stepped back. In his mind was an image of his alter-ego rolling back, stunned. He stood and re-assumed himself into a bowing position, then opened his eyes. The field was quiet, the sound only ruffled with small breezes going back and forth.

"I worry too much…" said Angel as he walked toward the car and jumped in. He left the radio shut, and drove back toward the hotel.

"So many things…"

// How did we get dragged into this, I mean we're only in college… //

// Why did we get involved with this? //

// We're only… 18… //

// Age doesn't matter… but… we're trained killers just introduced into a war… Why were we pulled into this mess… //

// trained killers… //

Suddenly, in practically no time at all Angel pulled into his parking spot in the hotel. He walked into the hotel, and got into the elevator. Elevator music was ringing through the small enclosed box as he, got off at his floor. He walked over, and knocked on Anna's door. Then, Anna opened the door and suddenly she realized it was Angel.

"Ahh! I was waiting for you, hold on." She shut the door in his face and he knocked again. The door opened and she showed him in.

"What's up?" said Anna.

"Nothing… everything's been so weird lately I lost track of everything…" They both hugged and they walked over to the couch and sat down. Anna moved closer to Angel and they started to cuddle.

"I haven't been like this with you in a while…"

// Feels like forever… //

"I know…" Anna replied, smiling and looking in his eyes. Sitting there in the dim moonlight, the time passing by like eternity, they sat satisfied and cuddled on the couch. More and more time passed and they both fell asleep in each other's arms.

The dim light seeped through the heavy curtains of the room. Sobbing could be heard, and Claire sat, crying. Claire slightly pulled up the blinds and looked out the window. The small sandy pool area was between the area and the other side of the hotel, and whispers and loud talking could be heard in the room next door, which was Jonathan's. She sobbed more and more, and a small puddle of tears formed on the floor.

"Why did he have to die…" Claire sobbed as she pounded the floor. "The casualties of war must make you stronger, not hold you back…" She closed her eyes and looked at the floor again.

"War… is what will make me stronger…" Claire got up and lay on her bed. She shook her head and slowly mumbled her way into sleep.

A bright faint light came from the television, as Claude sat asleep in the bed. Looking lifeless, he was slumped upon a couple of pillows and the silent hum of the T.V. kept him asleep. Suddenly, the sleep mode on the T.V. shut off the television and Claude woke up, startled.

"Something's wrong," he said as he looked around. "Oh, the T.V.'s off…" Claude said again as he dropped his head on the pillow and drifted off to sleep.

The Next Day…

As the sun rose, birds chirped, and the pilots awakened to the hell that they were dragged into my the man they know as Mr. Perry. Angel and Anna, woke up, not realizing that they both fell asleep in each other's arms.

"Oh, oh…" Angel said as he looked around and saw that he still had his arms wrapped around Anna. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and then slowly got up, so he could get Anna off him and he could do something.

"I can't feel my legs," said Angel. "that's not good… is it?" After a few minutes, he regained feeling, but then Anna woke up.

"Oh, again…" He stopped moving as Anna moved her hands around and then she came to Angel's face.

"This is who?" said Anna. Angel smiled and he opened his mouth.

"Angel," said Angel. "Sounds like you had a really good sleep or something…" Anna got up and she hugged Angel.

"Good morning," said Anna. She then looked at her watch, then got up. "We have to go meet up with the other pilots and Sean soon."

"Yeah, I know," replied Angel. "Let's go down and get something to eat," as they both strolled down the hallway.

Sean tapped his boots against the floor lightly as he looked at his watch. Claude was in the breakfast buffet, getting food. Claire, was silently sitting on the couch next to Sean, waiting. Suddenly, Claude came back with two full plates of food and he jumped onto the couch.

"Hiya guys," said Claude. "Check out this food!" Claude smiled and then started to stuff his face. Claire looked at him, appalled about his behavior.

"What the hell," Claire replied in disgust. "Don't eat like a pig!" Several people turned to find the source of the quick outburst, and then Angel and Anna stepped out of the elevator, still looking in a dazelike trans.

"Finally," said Sean, as he sat down on the couch. "Look, we have a mission to go on in a couple of hours. Looks like some of you need to get awake or something," Sean looked around the room, then continued. "Meet back here in two hours, also, be on time…" right after Sean finished, the pilots automatically left and all wandered somewhere.

Angel and Anna were lethargically moving down the hallway to the buffet room, and they both were still in a dazelike state, half in and out of sleep. Anna moved to sit down, and Angel automatically went towards the coffee.

"You want a cup too?" said Angel.

"Yeah, please." Angel slowly walked back towards Anna, and he sat down in a seat. They both started sipping and sneaking looks at each other.

"Hmmm, so," said Anna, looking back at Angel. "What is upppp?"

"How many times have we ever said that in a conversation," replied Angel. "Nothing." They both smiled, and both began taking sips from their coffee simultaneously.

Claire sat silently in the lobby, her legs crossed, and she glowered straight at the wall. Feelings of many kinds drove through Claire's head.

"I have to move on, I can't sit here like this…" Claire mumbled, her eyes surrounded with small bags from crying practically the whole night. "The strength to move on…" She got up and moved into the elevator, pressing the button of her floor. Stepping out, she walked back into the room, and opened the door. She looked around in suspicion, and she stepped into the bathroom. Slowly stripping herself, she jumped into the shower, and steam started to fill the room. Slowly it came to Claire that someone else was in the room. She put on a towel and she slowly stepped out of the bathroom. Everything seemed to be okay, but something was too wrong. Suddenly, an unknown figure tried to put her in a sleeper hold, when she retaliated. Not realizing there were two men in the room, she automatically went into a mode where she would not snap out of until they were gone. Punches and kicks were thrown and blocked.

"Stupid bitch, die!" One man ran at her with a tazer from behind when she was fighting the other man. Like instinct, she reacted quickly right before she was shocked and she kicked the man with the tazer. Nailing him in the genitalia, he collapsed to the ground in pain, and left only one to deal with. She blocked his punch, and held his arm so she could break it in one swift movement.

"Who sent you!" screamed Claire. She forced his arm a little bit farther so he would scream in pain. Claire looked behind her at the man who was knocked out. He started to move, so she kicked him in the face, and then in the stomach. She concentrated again on the man who attacked her first.

"Who sent you!" she screamed again, as she kneed him in the genitalia. The man screamed in pain, and she re-straightened him by forcing his arm farther.

"Who sent you!" she repeated, her firmness building up. Claire once again turned around and kicked the man so he would stay down.

"Okay, okay!" said the man. "I was sent by Perry!" Her eyes widened at the sound of his name. She broke his arm, and the man screamed in pain and collapsed to the floor.

"Get out!" Claire shook the other man awake, and just then Claude entered the room.

"Claire? What the hell?!" Claude looked around, not knowing of what just happened.

"Perry's assassins… luckily I didn't get killed…" Claire smiled, then kicked both the men, as Claude smiled. Claire and Claude both walked out on the attackers to join the others. The time was 9:50.

Sean was once again waiting in the lobby, sitting by the bar. Drinking a martini, he did not notice that the pilots were standing by him until Angel tapped him on the shoulder. Sean almost fell off the chair when he was tapped, and then he acknowledged their presence.

"Follow me." Sean said.

"He sounds like Mr. Perry…" said Claude, cracking a smile. The pilots followed Sean into the van, and they drove off towards the installation. Once again, déjà vu filled the pilot's minds as they approached the massive hangars that concealed their Votals. Claire looked around, then smiled.

"Home… the battlefield…" Claire smiled and looked on in a daze. The pilots, including Sean, arrived in the hangar. They all stepped out to come into view of their Votals.

"The base you once visited in Pluto has been destroyed. You, including me, will head back to the installation and survey the wreckage. A couple of ships will accompany us, so we will not be alone. We will leave soon. Get ready." Sean looked at the Votals. "Suit up in your Votals and we'll leave soon." The pilots split up and ran towards their Votals. Angel, looking at the luminous size, climbed up the ladder.

"I'll make that up to you, Mr. Perry…" Came from Angel before he disappeared into the cockpit.

The sudden jolt of movement shook Angel awake as he realized that he was still in his Votal.

// Where do I belong? In Anna's arms or on the battlefield… //

// alter-egos… // The sudden sound of a voice came on his headset.

"Get ready, we're going to be near the installation soon and we will be launched," said Sean, in his calm-sounding voice. A couple of minutes later, another jolt of movement occurred as Angel realized that he was now in full control of his Votal. He spread the Votal's wings, and armed the beam katanas.

"Approaching the base… arm your weapons…" Sean said, again. Suddenly, the entire armada of EvA Votals and a large number of unknown types were over the colony.

"They knew we were coming?" Looking down toward the once-whole installation, small bits of ammunition fire came back up and hit a couple of Votals, but it rarely damaged it. Suddenly, a batch of missiles rushed up and destroyed a number of EvA Votals.

"There's still people in the base?" Sean questioned, then turned toward the large fleet.

"Attack the EvA's. Attack the unknown Votals too. Defend the base…" said Angel as he charged into the fray. Suddenly, the other pilots joined battle as explosions rang out and the pilots tore through the unknown Votals and the EvA's with ease. Suddenly, the enemy Votals started to back off and retreat. Angel turned toward the large carrier-size ship that held the Votals. Sean, turned his view and started toward the half-destroyed installation. Upon landing on the ground, Angel turned the View camera around, and then noticed the surroundings looked dramatically similar to the ones that appeared to him in his dreams. A loud scream came from Angel's Votal and he was grabbing his head in pain.

// I can't take this… it's too similar to the dream… //

"Agh!" Angel screamed as he grabbed his headset and then the screaming suddenly stopped. He closed his eyes and he noticed that not many people were killed. Sean found that most of the installation's crew was killed, though less than a fourth survived the missile blast. Suddenly, the remaining survivors were moved to the carrier, and then the pilots, except for Angel, started off for the carrier.

// too similar…I don't know if I can stand the consequences of war… // Suddenly, the jump-jets on Angel's Votal flared up and he headed toward the carrier.

"There's always tommorow…"

The pilots were all in their separate rooms, all doing something quietly, be it sleeping, reading, or staring at the ceiling. Silence filled the room as Angel lay on his side, looking at a picture of his family.

"I'm so sorry…" said Angel as he drifted off to sleep.

The time was 3:00 in the morning.

The carrier shook and slightly rolled, upon re-entry and then once landing. The quick breeze of fresh air blew through the exit of the carrier, where the pilots were standing. Once again, returning to the planet they would eventually call home, they got back into the van that escorted them to the base. Sitting in the car half awake, were Angel and Anna, looking like they never let go of each other. Claire was sitting in the front, staring out the window into the fields surrounding the base. Claude was already asleep in the backseat, sprawled out almost all over the seat. Sean sat in the front, driving the car. Driving back to the hotel in twilight, the pilots sat asleep, waiting for another hectic day.