C

C.5

Rukawa could tell that Sakuragi's face was moving towards his, by the hot breath that was caressing his face. He just tightened his grip on the other boy's back.

Then…

"RED ALERT!! RED ALERT!!"

"Shit!!"

Both the boys bolted up.

Not now!! Hanamichi cursed.

"What..?"
"It's the read alert, kitsune!! Let's go!!"

"I know."

"What the hell is happening here??!!" Akagi exclaimed, entering the room where all the teams were gathered. Hanamichi and Rukawa entered just a moment after him.

"We're under attack!! They're arriving!!!" a boy cried "It's all his fault!!" he screamed, pointing at Rukawa.

"No!!" Hanamichi yelled "He was with me all the time, even if he wanted to he couldn't have the possibility!!"

"Sakuragi is right." Mitsui said, reaching the red-head's side "He's telling the truth."

"Then how?" Ayako wondered.

"No time for this!!" Akagi exclaimed, regaining his command "Everyone be ready!! This is the last battle!! And we'll win!!"

"YEAH!!!"

"C'mon, kitsune!! This way!!" Hanamichi grabbed his wrist.

"I can walk."

"I don't need you to walk, I need you to run!!"

"Now… Sniper?" Akagi yelled over the screaming voices.

"Ready!!" Mitsui yelled.

"Heavy Artillery?"

"Ready!!" Miyagi cried.

"Commutations?"

"Check!!" Ayako nodded.

"Infirmary?"

"Ready!!" Kogure yelled.

"Good!! Now the storm-troops!!" Akagi turned towards Sakuragi and Rukawa "You two will be in charge for the command of the Blue Squad, I'll be the captain of the Red Squad and Yasuda of the Green Squad, okay??"
"Yes, sir!!!"

"Good, then… CHARGE!!!"

They got out of the base screaming like mad men, while the ones who had remained inside reached quickly their places.

"Hisashi." Kogure grabbed his hand.

"Yes, Kimi-kun?"

"I love you, Hisashi-kun."

Mitsui smiled and kissed tenderly his lover.

"I know. And I love you, too."

"Be careful."

"You, too."

Rukawa leapt in the air, avoiding his opponent's blow and slashed his troth with the combat knife he held in his left hand, with the other he held a light machine-gun. He could hear screams, explosions and shots around him.

He didn't care.

He was just flying, like a butterfly.

The men he was killing and the ones who were dying around him were only something he was taking care of just to reach the sky, to fly higher. He felt light.

Something hot spattered on his cheek and another opponent fell dead.

He wasn't seeing any of them, nor his alleys (was it Kiyota from the Kainan team that had just fallen to the ground?)… He just reacted on impulse.

He felt like shooting?

He'd shoot.

He felt like using his knife in a certain way?

He'd do that.

It was in his blood, it was in his soul.

But you're killing people here, some might say…

Then?

Since the life was, so was the fighting.

Fight to live, to prevent the extinction of a species… And fighting always leads to killing.

Yes, he was killing people right know. But he had to. If not, they would have killed him, of his Hana-kun.

Hanamichi blinked. Rukawa was moving very fast, now carrying the lead, and he'd killed so many soldiers in such a short amount of time.

But…

There was something in his fighting style, in his movements… the were graceful, like he was dancing, deadly graceful.

Death and grace.

The kitsune seemed absorbed by what he was doing, never mistaking a move, always killing at first blow.

He shivered.

What had he gotten himself into?

Mitsui aimed and shot another commander, killing him. He had to kill all the ranks first, just to confuse the troops.

He was about to shoot again when he saw him.

Rukawa.

Ahead of everyone. He was getting nearer and nearer the enemy. He just seemed not to care. He was moving fast, swirling around the opponents, killing here and there, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Hell! Now I understand why he's called the ice King!

"I have a bad feeling…" Uozumi said, while Kogure was treating his bullet wound (nothing serious, though).

"Why are you saying this?" Kogure said.

"It's too easy…" the captain of the Ryonan team said.

"Because Maki is the best!! Ow!!" Kiyota exclaimed.

"Don't move!!" Haruko cried "The wound is serious!!"

"Let me go!! I wanna go fight!!" the raven-haired boy shouted, trying to get free.

"But you'll die out there!!"

"I'll give my life for freedom!!"

"You fool." Uozumi spoke "If you go out now and get yourself killed you'll only waste your life. But if you let your wound and your body recover, you'll fight the next time…"

Kiyota stopped and lowered his head "I just wanted to be useful…"

"You are." Haruko told him, smiling "Now come here…"

"We're winning!!" Maki shouted to no one in particular.

But that was the truth. The enemy was backing even if the Rebels were outnumbered. They'd have won this battle then the war and everything would have turned just fine. Their lives would have become the same as they were before all this mess happened.

No more war, no more pain, no more hate.

Something is wrong here… Akagi thought. They're more than us, why are they loosing? Unless…

"EVERYONE GET BACK!!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs "IT'S A TRAP!!!" he repeated the same message at the radio "Evacuate the base!!! Everyone get back!! RETREAT!!"

He smiled when he saw all the Rebels starting to go back. He started to run back too, killing as much opponents as he could.

Then… he felt…

A hot pain in his back and fell to the ground.

Instinctively he brought a hand to his back and when he looked at his hand it was soaked with blood.

Shit!!

"Captain!!" he saw Yasuda running towards him, his shirt soaked with his victims' blood "Hold on!!"

"Go back Yasuda, you idiot!!" he growled (even if he's almost dead he can still growl, it's amazing!!)

"No, captain!!" the shorter and younger boy grabbed his arm and helped him to stand up. He half-supported, half-dragged Akagi when his left leg gave out under him and he slumped to the ground.

"C-Captain!!" he cried, holding his broken leg.

"Yasuda!!"

"Captain Akagi!! Yasuda!!" a voice shouted. Sendoh was running towards them, as well as Koshino and Fukuda.

"Go away!!" Akagi roared "I'm as good as dead!!" and with an amazing rush of strength he took his gun and started to shoot blindly at the enemies. He killed some but he got shot several times and fell to the ground, lifeless.

Sendoh, Koshino, Fukuda, Kakuta, who'd just arrived, and even Yasuda with his injured leg charged at the soldiers, just to get the captain's body…

Hanamichi stopped abruptly when he heard Akagi's shout.

A trap??!

But, even if he was very surprised and didn't expect this, he made a move to turn back when he saw that Rukawa was still running.

He hasn't heard the captain!!

He tried to call him with the radio but it was off. It was left only an alternative.

Just when he was about to reach the kitsune-eyed boy, the latter came at a sudden alt at the top of the hill.

"Kaede!! We've got to go back!!"

The other boy didn't even move, he just looked down with disbelief written all over his face.

"Kaede!! What's wro--" then Hanamichi looked and his jaw dropped.

In the great plain at the foot of the hill there were soldiers. But not just soldiers. They were millions. They extended as far as his eyes could see. Only a word came in Hanamichi's mind, seeing all this.

Endless…

Four hours later…

They were now safe, in the new refuge.

Safe.

What a relative word. They were safe for now, they were safe from the soldiers, but what would have come next?

They had Sakuragi, Rukawa, Maki and Hanagata as prisoners and only God knows what they were going to do to them.

And Akagi was dead.

Kogure couldn't believe it. But the truth of the events was just shouting it in his face.

All he could see around him were grey faces and sobs form a desperate Haruko.

The great Captain Akagi was dead. Yasuda, Kakuta and Fukuda died in the attempt to get back his body, Koshino was badly wounded and Sendoh was fighting for life.

With Fujima and Uozumi wounded, Maki held captive and Akagi dead he was the only one in command now.

He didn't know if he would have been capable.

A hand squeezed his tight.

He turned and found Mitsui smiling sadly at him, he smiled back.

"That's no use in crying!!" a voice echoed.

"Kiyota you should sleeping!!"

"And you think I would be just sat there and shut up?? It's not the end!! Akagi died, it's true… But Kakuta, Yasuda, Fukuda threw their lives to the wind just to have his body back!! And Sendoh and Koshino nearly died!! Not to mention all the others who died on the battlefield!! We mustn't waste their lives!! They gave them for us!! They gave them hoping that we would have built a better future!!! We've still a war to win and friends to rescue!! Then why are you standing here, pondering about some meaningless things!! Dead is dead! We can't change it and we don't have to forget!! We have to go on and fight for their memories and for the future, when they'll be reminded as heroes!!" (Wow!! Never thought the little brat would have said something like this!!) when he finished his speech he was panting hard and leaning on the wall to steady himself.

"That's right!!" Kogure cut in "We have to set up a plan!! We will rescue our mates and at the same time we'll strike that bastard of a ShinRa (He's the dictator!! Surprise!! Just a little cameo from FFVII, nothing more!!)!!"

There was a moment of silence in the room then they all cried a 'YEAH!!' at the same time.

I hope your lives won't be wasted, friends… Kogure closed his eyes, praying.

Comments: Sooooo… Here we are… This chapter is a bit sad. I suppose you can qualify this fic as a Humor/Drama one… pretty weird, ne?? Well Anyway C&C are welcomed, as well as e-mail and messages on my guestbook… Stay tuned!!