Blank Reflection-

Blank Reflection-

By Archangel

[Chapter Five]

Allenson EPO Base

Base Hospital

September 1, 3085

1:15 am

Merian slowly awoke to see ceiling lights rolling by.

// …What the? //

Suddenly, Merian felt a hand upon his arm, followed by a sweet voice.

"Is he going to be okay?" Mena looked at the doctors who were pushing him down the hallway.

"He won't stop bleeding, along with the concussion he has." Merian felt a slight prick in his arm and also at the same time felt something put over his nose and mouth. Another voice came into his head.

"Breathe deep, Merian." His eyes slowly fluttered open to see Anna, Mena and a couple of doctors wheeling him down the hallway.

// Am… I dead? //

A jolt hit his body and pain surged throughout him as he tried to cry out in pain.

"Err…" Merian tried to move, but Anna restrained him. Bright lights flooded his vision, and he tried to force them shut.

"He has a really bad concussion, Ms. Klein." He felt a hand over his head. "He still may be passed out, I'm not sure…"

"Am I… dead?" Merian looked around and he felt weighed down.

"He's alive!" Mena interrupted Merian as she took a sigh of relief as she stepped back and let the doctors do their work.

"O…ow…" Merian felt something stinging on his head, and he tried to wiggle around.
"Stop, someone hold him down!"
"Ahhh…ag…g…rr…." Merian closed his eyes in defeat and he relaxed himself. Heavy bandages were being wrapped around Merian's head as some other doctors put other clothes on him to replace the large bloodstain from the battle. The last thing Merian remembered was Mena looking down at him, and all of a sudden, everything turned into black.

Allenson EPO Base

Base Hospital

September 4, 3085

8:38 am

Merian slowly came out of sleep as he heard a couple of voices around him.

// I'm dead, aren't… I … //

"He'll be okay… he should be out later." The voice sounded like Anna. Suddenly, Merian felt a warm hand touch his face and then hold back. Hi s eyes were still closed, but he was trying to be aware of what was happening around him. When he opened his eyes, he could see Mena looking down on him with her deep blue eyes.

// She's still… here? //

"How long…" Mena smiled, and put her hand to his face.

"Three days." She looked at his badly injured body. "I want to thank you, Merian."

"For what?"

"For saving me…" She looked at him again and put her hand to his head. Merian slowly picked up her hand and pulled it off of his head.

"It was one of those reactions…" She smiled and sat down in a chair next to his bed.

"What happened to me?"
"You've been out for the past few days. When you pushed my Votal out of the way, you got struck by the energy blast that was aimed towards me."

// That was the dream… //

Merian's face suddenly changed to a blank look and Mena suddenly looked surprised.

"Are you okay?"

"Y…yeah… I'ts.. noothing." Merian looked towards Mena. "I'm okay." A knock at the door startled both of them and Sean slowly stepped in.

"Y..yo, are ya okay Merian?"

"Gomen ne for scaring you, Sean." Merian tried to make a bowing gesture as Sean slowly held him down.

"All I need to know is that you're fine."

"Yeah, all I have are a couple of scratches and bruises."

"No, when they dragged you out of the wreckage during the battle, you were covered in blood…"

"You took a really hard hit from that energy blast." Mena interrupted. "You can't be just okie-dokie after that hit you took." She looked toward Sean and he nodded in agreement.

"You should get some rest, Merian." Mena got up and they both walked out of the room.

// Shit… was that really a coincidence? That was so exactly like the dream I had earlier… //

Merian turned on his side and he felt a jolt of pain surge up his arm.

"O..ou.ch.." He turned back and he held his arm. "Damn that bastard who shot me…" He fell back on his pillow and he closed his eyes.

// It'll be okay… like it always was… //

Allenson EPO Base

Base Hospital

September 7, 3085

11:00 am

Before anyone came into his hospital room, Merian was already up and dressed in his other clothes. Slowly opening the door, he peeked out to see anyone who was standing guard. Down the right end of the hall were two Military Police who looked like they were on lunch break.

// Trouble is that they look back and forth… //

Merian felt a slight tap on his shoulder.
"Merian!" He jumped to his side and he turned around. It was Sean, followed by the rest of the pilots and Anna. Merian turned to see Mena with a small frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" Mena jolted up to meet Merian's caring gaze as she looked back down.
"I'm sorry… for making you be in this position."

"Why, you shouldn't…" Mena interrupted him in mid-sentence.

"I should be the one with the concussion. I'm the one who didn't realize what was happening."

"But I saved you…" Merian looked at her deep blue eyes.

"You don't deserve this…"

"It's in the past, Mena! Forget about it!"
"You still should be resting, man!" Sean put his hand on Merian's shoulder.

"I'm fine… really…" Amy walked up to Merian and put her hands on his face.

"Trouble breathing?"

"No…"
"Dizzy?"

"Not really…" She looked at him again, then turned around.

"Anyone have a flashlight?" She looked to see a small penlight lying on the bedside table that was next to Merian.
"Come here." She held it up to his eyes. "He's okay." She stepped back, and then a Doctor came into the room.
"You people shouldn't be in here…" Said the doctor, who was looking around. Anna stepped up to the doctor.
"I'm General Anna Klein. We're taking Merian out of here now." The doctor stepped back.

"Yes M'am!" He turned around and walked out as the other pilots followed.

"Thanks," said Merian.
"It's no problem. As long as I have you guys still here, It'll be okay." She looked around, then her hard glare hit the pilots.
"I'll debrief you later Merian. All of you can go back to your rooms." She walked off.

"Can… you help me, Sean?" Merian leaned up against the wall and started to slide down.

"Let's get out of here, the hospital smell is getting to my head." Sean put Merian's arm around his shoulder and they walked out of the Hospital into the daylight.

Allenson EPO Base

Small Living Quarters

September 7, 3085

12:15 pm

The cold, damp smell of cement once again filled Merian's nose as he sat up stiffly.

// Damn that man who shot me… //

He clenched his fists and suddenly Sean walked into the room.

"You're okay?" Sean sat down on the cot next to Merian and he looked him square in the eyes. "That was scary when you got hit…" Sean paused, and then he started to rub his temples with his hands. "After you got hit with that blast all there was, your Votal which was totally char black. When the medics got to you we all had no hope of you being alive, dude… we all thought you were dead and we still fought the other Votals even after what happened."

"Did you catch who shot me?"

"No, they ran so far away after…"

"What kind of Votal was it?" Merian interrupted Sean, with his cold glare.

"It didn't look like a Valkyrie, but…"

"What did it look like?" Their conversation was cut short by Anna, who was standing in the doorway. She walked into the room, arms crossed.

"Still reminiscing?" Merian and Sean sat in silence as they both began listening intently.

"I have to debrief you, so anyway," She looked at a number of papers, which she also had with her. "Merian, that will not be the last time that you will ever engage. I saw you out there, and you did excellent. And also saving Mena, I think that was good. But you can never be careless. After what almost happened to her and what happened to you I can't risk any of you pilots getting hurt. The Valkyries that attacked the base retreated and headed back to their base after what happened with you. The rest of the pilots tried to engage, but they came up with no other kills." Merian stood up, saluted, and when Mena returned the gesture, she walked out and Merian sat down again.
"You like her, man!" Sean laughed.
"Anna, no… I wouldn't think so…"

"Not her, Mena!" He smiled and he patted Merian's back.
"No… where did you get that idea?"

"You act so 'innocent' around her, it looks like you're trying to be sweet…"

"Wait… Wait a second!" Merian interrupted Sean, then pausing. He then calmed down and stopped talking.
"I told you!" Sean said, a smile still on his face. "You're blushing too, awww…"

"Shut up, Sean." Down the halls of the Bunker corridors, laughter could be heard as Sean would not stop the ensuing laughter.

Allenson EPO Base

Small living quarters

September 7, 3085

2:20 pm

The warm summer breeze came through the Meiji shrine as tourists came through, looking at the majestic royal gardens and the shrine itself.

// It's only a replica… you've been here before. //

Merian pulled his hands through his blue hair and he looked at Sean. He then turned back to see Alec following, who was walking along with them.

"We're going to catch up on some stuff, right?"

"Yeah," Sean said, walking up to the shrine. Merian being Japanese, bowed in custom and then turned again to Sean. He sat down on the carved wooden steps as another breeze floated by. The afternoon sun gloated high in the sky, it's shades of orange and red dancing across the landscape, casting shadows and making everything look beautiful.

"Stand up." Said Sean, who started to fix his clothes.

"Wha?" Merian stood up with him, unknowingly following. Sean's eyes lit up with joy, then faded to seriousness.

"Let's spar." Suggested Sean, who started to strech. Merian looked back at Alec, who was sitting upon the steps of the shrine, happily reading a book.

"How long has it been…?" Merian shook himself and he formed a fighting stance.

"I don't know… maybe time has taken it's toll," Sean chuckled. "Do you still take it?"

"Enough talk, Sean. Let's go."

The duel began shortly, standing across from each other, shoulder to shoulder, eye to eye. Slowly bowing, they began their dance. Thoughts flew across Merian's mind as he pondered his moves.

// Should I… no… that?… no… //

All of a sudden, he was attacked. In less than a half second, he reacted quickly and deflected the kick that was aimed toward his kidney. Followed by that, were short jabs that danced across his face, which then landed on his arm. Merian fell back, and he regained his stance. Holding his mouth, he noticed a trickle of blood come down.

"That wasn't nice…"

"Who said sparring was nice?" Merian took a long glare at his opponent's eyes. Still thinking, he looked at his feet, which kept constantly moving.

// Get his feet… //

Dodging a quick punch that was easily deflected by Merian, he pushed Sean's fist to the side to begin his attack. Grabbing him, and tossing him to the ground, he kept his guard up. A trip from below, was luckily dodged by Merian as he brought his heel down on the soft spot between his shoulder and neck.

"Kiap!" Merian yelled as he jumped back to prepare his next attack. Sean grabbed his shoulder in pain, and he then charged Merian. A loud scream of rage engulfed the Meiji Shrine as Merian quickly subdued him and pushed him to the floor, holding his arm against his back.

"Ow!" Sean tried to move, but he flinched in pain. "Lemme go!" Wriggling like a worm, Merian let him go and he stood up again.
"I think that's enough," Merian checked his face for any other cuts, as he faced his opponent once again, and then he bowed in thankfulness. They both struggled to walk over to Alec, who was still reading silently. Merian collapsing upon the ground and Sean on the steps, they looked over to Alec who was unstruck by the phenomenal spar that just passed. Suddenly, the sound of a car pulling up the road to the shrine came to Merian's ears. A small, black convertible pulled up to the front of the shrine, and the cover slowly came up to reveal Mena, who was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Get in, Anna's going to call up a meeting soon." Wearily, Merian plopped himself in the front seat as Sean and Alec got into the back. Once again, the sweet breeze flew through the car as Merian lay his head back.

"You okay?" Mena asked, her eyes still fixed on the road. Merian held his arm and started to massage it, and he was jerked out of la-la land by Mena's question.

"Wha?"

"Are you okay?" Her strong French accent once again came into his mind.

"Y… yeah." Merian sat up in the leather covered seat, and he looked down the road to see the Allenson base coming into view. Merian looked on to see the busy base, and he began thinking to himself.

// Home sweet home… //

*Note:

Not too much action, I put this chapter in as a break. ( stupid! You never have any action at all! o.o; ) Anyway, yeah I should have some romance and action next chapter. Hee hee! Please read and review!