It was about 2AM and it was still dark. The wind blowing slightly brushed a
tree branches to the windows of the hotel; warning of a thunder storm. The
full moon was high in the sky and bareky visible through the gathering rain
clouds. All the creatures of the day were nestled in their beds and the
creatures of the night were out hunting.
One individual creature isn't classified as either one. An organoid softly walked through the backwoods of the small village trying to find something. It continued to search for anything it could find. Then it caught sight of a pink Gustav in the ZOID area and growled.
***************
Inside the hotel, Raven was dreaming. First he was beating some black- haired boy into the ground over and over again with a Sabre Fang. He seemed to be enjoying it emensly. Then he was facing a Command Wolf. Then after he got away, he was fighting the same kid. Only this time, the kid hit him and won. Then again, he was facing the kid with a new ZOID. He was winning at first, then he lost.
" Van!" He said sitting straight up.
Then he covered his mouth and looked over to make sure he didn't wake up Moonbay. She was sitting up and looking at him through sleepy eyes. A small flash of lightning allowed him to see concern in her eyes.
" What's up Raven?" She asked.
He shook his head and went to get some water from downstairs. Moonbay watched him go a little worried, but she laid back down assuming he meant he was okay. He was still a little hard to figure out. She tried to go back to sleep and not worry about it. Besides, he was still the enemy. He could always turn around and try to kill her when he was better. She had to make sure she didn't care about him enough that he would hurt her if he did.
She had her back her window and didn't see a shadow creeping up on the other side of it. A brief flash of lightning revealed it to be an organoid.
****************
Raven stood in the downstairs kitchen. He was holding the fridge door open as he drank from a water bottle. He wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and panted from the lack of air.
The memories had come back in a flood. He could remember the reason for wandering in the desert. He remembered Van. And that girl was a friend of his. A friend of Van's was an enemy to him. So he was going to kill her, then get Van. He squeezed the bottle at the thought of the Blade Liger pilot.
" I'll kill him." He muttered over the open door.
" AAhhh!!!"
Raven's head popped up at the scream. He wasn't for sure, but it sounded like the transporter girl. He could sense panic and fear in the scream. Without thinking, he bolted up to his room.
***************
Moonbay wasn't sure exactly what or who was in her room, but something was. It was on her bed and holding her down with it's feet on her arms. It was growling at her and it's sharp teeth were edging closer to her face.
" Get off me!" She yelled.
It roared in her face. But before it could attack, the lights were flipped on.
" Hey!!"
***************
It was Raven who turned on the lights. Moonbay was still surprised from them. Then she saw him in the doorway. He looked pretty pissed at whatever was on her. She looked up and gasped.
It was a blue organoid.
" Specular if you don't beat it I'm gonna beat you!" Raven threatened.
Specular, if that was it's name, jumped down off Moonbay and growled at Raven. Moonbay sat up and rubbed her red arms.
Raven and the organoid were glaring at each other. Both daring the other to move. She didn't dare move to break the silence that filled the room aside from the organoid growls.Raven wasn't too sure why Specular was here. He wasn't looking for Reese or Hiltz. He didn't need them to come and get him. He was no ZOID to be turned on and off at someone's wish.
" Last chance, or you're going back to Reese in pieces. BLACK and blue pieces." He growled.
The organoid roared and swung it's tail with a vengence. Raven jumped over it. That's when he saw the jaes full of sharp teeth come at him. Without a weapon, he used the next best thing.
His arm.
He growled in anger and pain as the metallic teeth suck into his flesh. He wouldn't allow this metal beast to beat him. As thunder roared and lightning flashed, he kicked the organoid across the room and into the wall near the door. Raven stood in front of Moonbay's bed holding his bleeding arm. Everything from the elbow down was cut.
Specular shook off the hit and ran at Raven. He knew he wasn't going to be able to defend Moonbay, much less himself with his arm like this. So he decided to make quick work of the blue organoid.
As Specular jumped at him with his mouth open, intending to rip his arm clean off, Raven grabbed his mouth. With one jaw in each hand, he fell back to the ground and put his foot to the stomach of the organoid. With all the energy he had left, he used his foot to launch the organoid out of the window he came in.
Specular fell through the tree outside he had used to get to the window in the first place and smacked into the ground. He really damaged his leg as he landed on it. He looked up at the window to see Raven glaring at him; holding his own arm.
" Get outta here before I get in a ZOID!" He yelled.
Specular limped away. Reese was not going to be very happy about this.
*****************
Moonbay was in total shock of what just happened. For one thing, an organoid had come to her room and attacked her. For another, Raven had spoken. And for another, he defended her at the cost of his arm! That organoid could have ripped her apart and he stopped him!
He was now seated on the window seat watching Specular go. He was still panting from the fight and he was trying to stop the bleeding of his arm. Specular really got him good. He turned to Moonbay.
" Are you alright?" He asked.
She nodded slowly. He nodded in acknowledgement and got up off the seat. He started to work to his bed, but fell on hers. She checked on him.
" What about you? Are you okay? How bad is your arm?" She asked.
" A little worse for wear, but otherwise fine." He said starting to stand.
" Oh no you don't!! You stay put Raven!!" She ordered pushing him back down.
He grunted and looked up at her in shock, then in anger. She glared right back at him; causing him to back down and look away. She got up and went to the bathroom. Curious, he leaned over to see what she was doing in there. She returned with a first aid kit and sat on the bed next to him.
" Alright, now take off your shirt." She said.
" What?! I'm not taking off my shirt." He said defiantly.
" Take it off!" She ordered.
He grumbled one thing or another as he removed his shirt. Moonbay was trying not to blush at the sight of his bare chest. Raven had a six-pack better than Van's! His skin wasn't so pale as it was before. He shivered a little at the cold air and waited for her to get started.
Moonbay was failing not to hide her blush. Her cheeks were crimson. She tried to concentrate on gently cleaning his arm, but her eyes wandered. Raven saw her blush and smirked.
" See something you like transporter?" He asked.
Moonbay narrowed her eyes and pressed the alcohol pad on his arm.
" Ah!!" He cried.
She seemed to enjoy her own sense of revenge. He held his arm away from her and turned away. Moonbay tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.
" Raven, you turn around and give me back your arm this instant!" She ordered.
He snorted.
" It's fine. Leave it alone and go back to sleep." He said.
" I most certainly will not! Turn around!" She said.
" No." He said.
" Turn around right now!" She said.
" No." He said crossing his arms.
" If you don't turn around right now...I'll...I'll..." She trailed; trying to think of something to threaten him with.
" You'll what?" He asked skeptically.
" I'll...tickle you." She said.
" What? That's stupid. I'm not even ticklish." He said.
Moonbay didn't believe him and poked his side with her finger. Raven jumped and yelped. She smiled smugly while he blushed.
" What was that?" She asked.
" Ne, nothing." He said.
" Really?" She said narrowing her eyes evilly.
She dug her fingers into his sides and Raven jumped to life. He howled with laughter and fell down on the bed with Moonbay still tickling him.
" Yamete!! Yamete! Yamete!! Onegai!!" He cried.
" Will you do what I say?" She asked; stopping momentarily.
" Masaka!!" He panted.
" Your disease." She said.
She continued her assault on him until he finally agreed to do what she said. Raven panted some more as he sat up next to her. Moonbay was grinning.
" You going to do what I ask now?" She asked.
" Fine. Just put 'those' away." He said pointing to her treacherous fingers on standby.
She relaxed her hands and leaned back. Then she resumed working on his arm. She hummed to herself while she was working.
Raven was thinking while she was doing this. He didn't know anybody so intent on helping him. Most people didn't care to give him the time of day. He'd have to fix his own cuts and bruises while Reese oogled him from the side. They didn't care to make him get bandaged when he had been in a fight. Why was she trying to help him?
" Transporter?" He said.
" Hm?" She asked.
" Why are you helping me? I'm dangerous. I can kill you." He said.
She shrugged.
" I dunno. I just do. I like helping people. That and making money. Lots of money. Lots and lots of money." She said.
He chuckled at her love of money.
" Besides, anything can be dangerous. And anything can kill me. I could slip and fall in the shower and bleed to death. Or I could trip and fall through the broken window or get glass in my throat. Heck, I could die in the cross fire of a battle just passing through on my way to get to another job. I could drop dead right now, or in my sleep, or-"
" Stop, please!" He said.
" Sorry. But my point is anything or anyone could be dangerous. I know you could kill me." She said starting to wrap his arm.
" Then why aren't you afraid?" He asked.
She shrugged again.
" Something about seeing you when you sleep. You're so cute and innocent." She said.
Raven's cheeks turned cherry red at the comment. Sure, he'd heard it before from Reese, but she didn't mean it as a flirt. She meant it as a compliment.
" Thank you." He said.
" Besides, would you really get as close to me as you are now if you were going to kill me?" She asked.
" .No." He said.
" Then it's settled then!" She said tearing the bandage with her teeth.
Raven looked at his arm. Better bandage than he could have done. Moonbay yawned and hiccupped. It was almost sunrise.
" Wow. It's early. We'd still be sleep if it wasn't for that organoid. Who's was that?" She asked.
" Reese's. His name is Specular. Speaking of names, what's yours?" He asked.
" Moonbay." She said smiling.
" Moonbay." He repeated.
" Yep." She said stretching.
He nodded and stood up.
" Maybe you should get going." She said.
" What? Why?" He asked.
" C'mon. We both know you have better things to do than hang out with a transporter. You've got bases to destroy, people to kill and ZOID to blow up. Besides, someone might see and think you're trying to kill me." She said.
" How do you know?" He asked smiling.
" Hm?" She asked.
" I'm taking a break. I can do all that other stuff later. I'd like to come with you, if you don't mind that is?" He said.
" YOU wanna come with me? Well, I.I guess that's okay." She said.
" Great. Well, I'm going to get back to sleep." He said standing up.
Moonbay started to sit back down, but got up again. She approached Raven and kissed his cheek.
" Thanks for saving me." She said.
Then she went back to bed. Raven stood there shocked and scarlet. His cheek was tingling from her lips pressed against it. He touched his hand to it. When he turned to say something, she was fast asleep already.
" You're.You're welcome." He said.
One individual creature isn't classified as either one. An organoid softly walked through the backwoods of the small village trying to find something. It continued to search for anything it could find. Then it caught sight of a pink Gustav in the ZOID area and growled.
***************
Inside the hotel, Raven was dreaming. First he was beating some black- haired boy into the ground over and over again with a Sabre Fang. He seemed to be enjoying it emensly. Then he was facing a Command Wolf. Then after he got away, he was fighting the same kid. Only this time, the kid hit him and won. Then again, he was facing the kid with a new ZOID. He was winning at first, then he lost.
" Van!" He said sitting straight up.
Then he covered his mouth and looked over to make sure he didn't wake up Moonbay. She was sitting up and looking at him through sleepy eyes. A small flash of lightning allowed him to see concern in her eyes.
" What's up Raven?" She asked.
He shook his head and went to get some water from downstairs. Moonbay watched him go a little worried, but she laid back down assuming he meant he was okay. He was still a little hard to figure out. She tried to go back to sleep and not worry about it. Besides, he was still the enemy. He could always turn around and try to kill her when he was better. She had to make sure she didn't care about him enough that he would hurt her if he did.
She had her back her window and didn't see a shadow creeping up on the other side of it. A brief flash of lightning revealed it to be an organoid.
****************
Raven stood in the downstairs kitchen. He was holding the fridge door open as he drank from a water bottle. He wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and panted from the lack of air.
The memories had come back in a flood. He could remember the reason for wandering in the desert. He remembered Van. And that girl was a friend of his. A friend of Van's was an enemy to him. So he was going to kill her, then get Van. He squeezed the bottle at the thought of the Blade Liger pilot.
" I'll kill him." He muttered over the open door.
" AAhhh!!!"
Raven's head popped up at the scream. He wasn't for sure, but it sounded like the transporter girl. He could sense panic and fear in the scream. Without thinking, he bolted up to his room.
***************
Moonbay wasn't sure exactly what or who was in her room, but something was. It was on her bed and holding her down with it's feet on her arms. It was growling at her and it's sharp teeth were edging closer to her face.
" Get off me!" She yelled.
It roared in her face. But before it could attack, the lights were flipped on.
" Hey!!"
***************
It was Raven who turned on the lights. Moonbay was still surprised from them. Then she saw him in the doorway. He looked pretty pissed at whatever was on her. She looked up and gasped.
It was a blue organoid.
" Specular if you don't beat it I'm gonna beat you!" Raven threatened.
Specular, if that was it's name, jumped down off Moonbay and growled at Raven. Moonbay sat up and rubbed her red arms.
Raven and the organoid were glaring at each other. Both daring the other to move. She didn't dare move to break the silence that filled the room aside from the organoid growls.Raven wasn't too sure why Specular was here. He wasn't looking for Reese or Hiltz. He didn't need them to come and get him. He was no ZOID to be turned on and off at someone's wish.
" Last chance, or you're going back to Reese in pieces. BLACK and blue pieces." He growled.
The organoid roared and swung it's tail with a vengence. Raven jumped over it. That's when he saw the jaes full of sharp teeth come at him. Without a weapon, he used the next best thing.
His arm.
He growled in anger and pain as the metallic teeth suck into his flesh. He wouldn't allow this metal beast to beat him. As thunder roared and lightning flashed, he kicked the organoid across the room and into the wall near the door. Raven stood in front of Moonbay's bed holding his bleeding arm. Everything from the elbow down was cut.
Specular shook off the hit and ran at Raven. He knew he wasn't going to be able to defend Moonbay, much less himself with his arm like this. So he decided to make quick work of the blue organoid.
As Specular jumped at him with his mouth open, intending to rip his arm clean off, Raven grabbed his mouth. With one jaw in each hand, he fell back to the ground and put his foot to the stomach of the organoid. With all the energy he had left, he used his foot to launch the organoid out of the window he came in.
Specular fell through the tree outside he had used to get to the window in the first place and smacked into the ground. He really damaged his leg as he landed on it. He looked up at the window to see Raven glaring at him; holding his own arm.
" Get outta here before I get in a ZOID!" He yelled.
Specular limped away. Reese was not going to be very happy about this.
*****************
Moonbay was in total shock of what just happened. For one thing, an organoid had come to her room and attacked her. For another, Raven had spoken. And for another, he defended her at the cost of his arm! That organoid could have ripped her apart and he stopped him!
He was now seated on the window seat watching Specular go. He was still panting from the fight and he was trying to stop the bleeding of his arm. Specular really got him good. He turned to Moonbay.
" Are you alright?" He asked.
She nodded slowly. He nodded in acknowledgement and got up off the seat. He started to work to his bed, but fell on hers. She checked on him.
" What about you? Are you okay? How bad is your arm?" She asked.
" A little worse for wear, but otherwise fine." He said starting to stand.
" Oh no you don't!! You stay put Raven!!" She ordered pushing him back down.
He grunted and looked up at her in shock, then in anger. She glared right back at him; causing him to back down and look away. She got up and went to the bathroom. Curious, he leaned over to see what she was doing in there. She returned with a first aid kit and sat on the bed next to him.
" Alright, now take off your shirt." She said.
" What?! I'm not taking off my shirt." He said defiantly.
" Take it off!" She ordered.
He grumbled one thing or another as he removed his shirt. Moonbay was trying not to blush at the sight of his bare chest. Raven had a six-pack better than Van's! His skin wasn't so pale as it was before. He shivered a little at the cold air and waited for her to get started.
Moonbay was failing not to hide her blush. Her cheeks were crimson. She tried to concentrate on gently cleaning his arm, but her eyes wandered. Raven saw her blush and smirked.
" See something you like transporter?" He asked.
Moonbay narrowed her eyes and pressed the alcohol pad on his arm.
" Ah!!" He cried.
She seemed to enjoy her own sense of revenge. He held his arm away from her and turned away. Moonbay tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.
" Raven, you turn around and give me back your arm this instant!" She ordered.
He snorted.
" It's fine. Leave it alone and go back to sleep." He said.
" I most certainly will not! Turn around!" She said.
" No." He said.
" Turn around right now!" She said.
" No." He said crossing his arms.
" If you don't turn around right now...I'll...I'll..." She trailed; trying to think of something to threaten him with.
" You'll what?" He asked skeptically.
" I'll...tickle you." She said.
" What? That's stupid. I'm not even ticklish." He said.
Moonbay didn't believe him and poked his side with her finger. Raven jumped and yelped. She smiled smugly while he blushed.
" What was that?" She asked.
" Ne, nothing." He said.
" Really?" She said narrowing her eyes evilly.
She dug her fingers into his sides and Raven jumped to life. He howled with laughter and fell down on the bed with Moonbay still tickling him.
" Yamete!! Yamete! Yamete!! Onegai!!" He cried.
" Will you do what I say?" She asked; stopping momentarily.
" Masaka!!" He panted.
" Your disease." She said.
She continued her assault on him until he finally agreed to do what she said. Raven panted some more as he sat up next to her. Moonbay was grinning.
" You going to do what I ask now?" She asked.
" Fine. Just put 'those' away." He said pointing to her treacherous fingers on standby.
She relaxed her hands and leaned back. Then she resumed working on his arm. She hummed to herself while she was working.
Raven was thinking while she was doing this. He didn't know anybody so intent on helping him. Most people didn't care to give him the time of day. He'd have to fix his own cuts and bruises while Reese oogled him from the side. They didn't care to make him get bandaged when he had been in a fight. Why was she trying to help him?
" Transporter?" He said.
" Hm?" She asked.
" Why are you helping me? I'm dangerous. I can kill you." He said.
She shrugged.
" I dunno. I just do. I like helping people. That and making money. Lots of money. Lots and lots of money." She said.
He chuckled at her love of money.
" Besides, anything can be dangerous. And anything can kill me. I could slip and fall in the shower and bleed to death. Or I could trip and fall through the broken window or get glass in my throat. Heck, I could die in the cross fire of a battle just passing through on my way to get to another job. I could drop dead right now, or in my sleep, or-"
" Stop, please!" He said.
" Sorry. But my point is anything or anyone could be dangerous. I know you could kill me." She said starting to wrap his arm.
" Then why aren't you afraid?" He asked.
She shrugged again.
" Something about seeing you when you sleep. You're so cute and innocent." She said.
Raven's cheeks turned cherry red at the comment. Sure, he'd heard it before from Reese, but she didn't mean it as a flirt. She meant it as a compliment.
" Thank you." He said.
" Besides, would you really get as close to me as you are now if you were going to kill me?" She asked.
" .No." He said.
" Then it's settled then!" She said tearing the bandage with her teeth.
Raven looked at his arm. Better bandage than he could have done. Moonbay yawned and hiccupped. It was almost sunrise.
" Wow. It's early. We'd still be sleep if it wasn't for that organoid. Who's was that?" She asked.
" Reese's. His name is Specular. Speaking of names, what's yours?" He asked.
" Moonbay." She said smiling.
" Moonbay." He repeated.
" Yep." She said stretching.
He nodded and stood up.
" Maybe you should get going." She said.
" What? Why?" He asked.
" C'mon. We both know you have better things to do than hang out with a transporter. You've got bases to destroy, people to kill and ZOID to blow up. Besides, someone might see and think you're trying to kill me." She said.
" How do you know?" He asked smiling.
" Hm?" She asked.
" I'm taking a break. I can do all that other stuff later. I'd like to come with you, if you don't mind that is?" He said.
" YOU wanna come with me? Well, I.I guess that's okay." She said.
" Great. Well, I'm going to get back to sleep." He said standing up.
Moonbay started to sit back down, but got up again. She approached Raven and kissed his cheek.
" Thanks for saving me." She said.
Then she went back to bed. Raven stood there shocked and scarlet. His cheek was tingling from her lips pressed against it. He touched his hand to it. When he turned to say something, she was fast asleep already.
" You're.You're welcome." He said.