"Put your hands in the air and don't move!" one of the soldiers yelled to her.
The pilot smirked and made as if to put her hands in the air.
"I'm warning you..." the soldier started, but was cut short by a bullet in chest.
Hanami blew the smoke from the end of her silenced pistol and averted her gaze from the fallen soldier to the other.
"Don't worry about your friend. He's alright, but you won't be unless you drop that gun."
The man looked to his groaning partner and then dropped his gun on the floor.
The pilot grinned and sauntered over to trembling soldier. "You guys are smarter than I thought."
The man gulped, "What do you want?"
"I already have what I came for." Hanami said patting her pocket. "But it would be a lot better if you didn't remember me..."
"I won't say anything! I promise!"
"Of course you won't." Hanami smiled at the man and gave a swift karate chop to the back of his neck, knocking him unconcious.
"I better boogie, I can't afford to have another encounter!"
With that decision in mind Hanami set off the way she came in, through the hanger. But, when she got there she quickly changed her mind.
"Shit, where did all these guards come from?"
The hanger was filled with Oz soldiers each of then tending to their own task, running from here to there as a red light flashed above.
"I better get out of here fast...Ikasu won't be able to hold this much longer!"
"Hanami where ARE you?!"
Hanami jumped as Kawa's voice yelled through her headset. And she quickly concealed herself in the shadows as two soldiers marched by.
"I'm still inside, there's too many of them! It's like being a juicy bug inside an ant hill."
"I know what you mean. But you better get out her fast, Ikasu can't keep this up much longer..."
"What happened Kawa?"
"Nevermind that! You have a job to do!"
Hanami swore to herself. "It's that bad huh?"
Kawa's reply was distant, "Try the vents, I'll meet you on the roof."
The pilot sighed, "10-4" and then looked to the ceiling. "Now why didn't I think of that?"
She quickly took a look around and then jumped up grabbing the grate with her fingers. She then eaisly slide the grate open and hauled herself up in the shaft replacing the grate back into it's rightful spot.
"It's time like these, " Hanami said to herself. "I wish I had a spiffy laptop...or at least a map. So I could know where the heck I'm going!"
The female pilot started to crawl never the less. She figured that as long as the vent slanted upward...it ment she was going upward.
Soon enough Hanami reached a grate that faced toward the twinkling stars above and she gave a grin.
"Who needs maps anyway?" she said to herself as she climbed out, and was almost immediatly greeted by Kawa who was flying the helicopter overhead.
Hanami waved and backed up a step as a rope ladder tumpled down to her. As soon as the ladder settled Hanami climbed up into the 'copter and rolled it up behind her as Kawa sped off away from the base.
Hanami heard a groan from behind her, and she turned to see her friend Ikasu laying there beside her, her head and right arm bandaged.
"Oh my...Ikasu what happened?"
Ikasu gave her a smile. "I was overwhelmed...but I ended up beating them all..Lunarlancet saved me..."
"How?"
"I fell unconcious and she fought on, she fought on for me."
Hanami looked down sadly and grasped her friend's hand, "I'm sorry I took so long...I should of been more careful, then none of this would have happened."
Ikasu squeezed her friend's hand, "We are all soldiers in a brutal war Hanami. We are each ready to give up our lives for the idea we defend, or want to uphold. There will always be wounded or casualties, and soldiers, good soldiers, should never worry about themselves. The important thing is that you carry out your mission succesfully. Did you get the information?"
Hanami pulled out the disk in her pocket, "Yes."
Ikasu nodded and closed here eyes, "Good Job. Wake me when we reach home."
Hanami nodded and covered Ikasu with an extra blanket in the 'copter , and sat in silence the rest of the way. Being a soldier was not all it was made out to be.