Melpomene
Part Eight: Run-Away





"We'll rendevous at Triangle Pass at 1500..." Karl adjusted his watch, now in uniform. "That should give us some cover for the escape."

"How long do I have to stay this way, Leon? I feel kinda.... tingly." O'Connell asked, looking at her body.

"I'll turn you male once we get to the route to Guylos. That's why Hermann and Nancy's packed your male uniform."

"I hope so....!" O'Connell begged and pleaded with Leon, before getting into the car.

"The things I do for my brother, I swear." Nancy grumbled before turning toward Leon, Karl and Thomas. "You're not like other Imperials that visit the bar, you guys got class... and heart."

"Well, thank-you." Leon smiled graciously, then ran his fingers through his slate-blue hair. "Thank-you again, Nancy. We owe you."

"Oh, don't thank me, sugar." Nancy smiled at Leon, her fingers caressing the cigarette lightly. "I'm just paying Robby back for all the times I snuck boyfriends in the house behind ma and pa's backs." The gun rolled around in her mouth. "Now you hunks get in your zoids."

"Yes, ma'am." Karl and Leon chuckled lightly, smiling. They put their uniform hats on their heads and walked for the Imperial zoids. Nancy stopped Thomas however, the cutey turned toward the beautiful lady and blushed.

"You, Thomas Schubaltz, has something your brother and lover doesn't." She pulled out a roll of something from between her boobs and handed it to Thomas. Thomas opened the roll to see an autographed picture of her, the autograph was a personal autographic to him. It said: "Dear Tommy, knock 'em dead, cowboy. I'm your biggest fan. XOXOXONancy HermannXOXOXOX"

"An autograph picture of me." Nancy winked at him, smiling.

"Whoa, thanks, Nanc...." Thomas smiled, this made his day a lot better.

"No problem, pilgram. Now get in your Zoid and make some miracles." She slapped him in the ass, causing Thomas to jump. The younger Schubaltz walked away, giggling, he entered his DiBison and put the autograph photo on the canopy. The Imperial zoids moved out at the crack of dawn, heading for Triangle Pass. Onlookers watched as the Iron Kong Mk-II, a black König Wolf with fancy patterns on it, and a DiBison lead 18 Molgas and two Dark Horns out of the city. Karl let out a big sigh of relief to be road bound for the Empire ago, his fingers slid through his light gold strands of hair. He looked at them with his tired green eyes and groaned with dismay. "I hate split-ends..."

They got to Triangle Pass and remained there as the fog began to collect. Karl switched his comlinks to Leon and Thomas and began to talk... in German."

"Ich habe ein schlechtes Gefühl über dieses, Liebe." Karl looked at Leon's comlink.
[Translation: I have a bad feeling about this, love.]

Thomas spoke up before Leon. "Ich nicht. Ich denke den Plan folge."
[Translation: I don't. I think the plan will succeed.]

"Ich wünsche mich teilte Ihr positives Denken."
[Translation: I wish I share your positive thinking.]

"Nehmen Sie Komfort, meinen kleinen grünen Augen Weißengel. Ich nahm die Extrameile und bildete O'Connell nett und würzig."
[Translation: Take comfort, my little green eyes white angel. I took the extra mile and made O'Connell cute and spicy.]

"Vertrauen Sie dem Exemplar, Bruder. Vertrauen Sie dem Exemplar."
[Translation: Trust the Exemplar, brother. Trust the Exemplar.]

"Leon, vertraue ich Ihrem Plan. Und ich bin traurig, wenn ich Sie umkippe, indem ich Sie bezweifele."
[Translation: Leon, I do trust your plan. And I am sorry if I upset you by doubting you.]

"Oh Karl Liebling, lassen Sie ein langer Weg bevor Sie wirklich mich umkippen." Leon smiled poetically, winking at Karl.
[Translation: Oh Karl darling, you have a long way to go before you truly upset me.]

"Leon... Ich liebe dich lieb..."
[Translation: Leon... I love you dearly.]

"Ich liebe dich auch. Immer und für immer."
[Translation: I love you too. Always and forever.]

"Ich hasse, diesen netten kleinen Moment oben zu brechen aber..."
[Translation: I hate to break up this cute little moment but...]

"Heiraten Sie mich, Karl."
[Translation: Marry me, Karl.]

"What?" Karl looked at the comlink, a cutely confused look on his elegant face.

"Ich wollte nie jedermann verbinden, weil ich immortal war und jeder sonst nicht waren. Aber mit Ihnen bin ich sicher. Ich liebe dich, heirate mich, Karl. Mit ich nehme Ihren Familiennamen, aber ich möchte verbringen eine lange Zeit Sie und gerade Sie."
[Translation: I never wanted to marry anyone because I was immortal and everyone else were not. But with you I am sure. I love you, marry me, Karl. I'll take your family name, but I want to spend a long time with you and just you.]

"L-leon...." Karl's eyes watered, he didn't make any attempt to hide his enthusiasm. "Leon! Ich werde! Ich heirate Sie!!!"
[Translation: Leon!! I will! I will marry you!!!]

Thomas smiled and he turned off his comlink, letting the screen go blank. He looked at the picture of Nancy, kissing his two fingers and planting them on her lips. "Happy day, Lady Luck. Don't fail us now."



O'Connell ran down the hallway of the base, her high heel shoes making loud clanging against the metal. Hermann was with her, wearing a business suit and glasses. His hair was not in the Guile-style and he was looking snazzy for a man going on leave-- permenant leave. They entered O'Connell's bedroom and looked around, the petite teal-haired beauty began rifling through personal effects until she got to a photo album. Looking through the pages of the photo album, O'Connell slid something from one of the middle pages. It was a piece of paper with a list of numbers and letters, she tucked it in her bra and stood up. "I found it, Hermann sir... let's go."

"Alright." Hermann nodded, smiling, they rushed down the hallway until they got to a car port. Hermann opened the door to the red convertable and slung their bags into the trunk. Getting in the car and buckling up, Hermann put the car into gear and they rushed off down the street. It stopped at the Officer's Club where Nancy was getting out of her Volkeswagon to go to work. She saw them in the convertable and smiled, her hand on her hip. The woman walked up to the car and leaned forward, grinning at the both of them. "You two make a cute couple. Good luck. Take care of Robby, Jake."

"I will, Nancy." O'Connell hugged Hermann's arm with both of her's. She rested her cheek on Hermann's arm, smiling beautifully.

Nancy kissed Hermann on the cheek and winked, then the bouncer opened the door. "Hey, Nancy! Come on in!"

"Be right there!" She directed her attention on Hermann, her hands on her hips. "You better scram before mother finds out that you're being a bad boy."

"Alright. See you around, Nancy. We'll call you when we get to the apple farm."

"So long, soldier." Nancy watched as the convertable took off for the open road.

"Weren't we supposed to meet Col. Schubaltz at Triangle Pass? The O'Connell apple orchard is not in the direction of Triangle Pass."

"We are, we'll be getting a private Imperial escort service courtesy of the Schubaltzes."

"You mean?"

"Yep." Hermann winked at her, his hands on the steering wheel. "You see, when they checked in with Rudolph, they found out they had some leave time. They decided to spend some of that time, getting our asses out of the frying pan..."

"That's so sweet of Rudolph! I didn't think for one second that Col. Schubaltz wanted to use his leave time."

"Considering that it IS Col. Schubaltz we're talking about, all he ever does is spend his time in the military. Accumulating all the holidays and sick days and vacation days together, he's accumulated 9 months of leave time, then add on the standard leave time a normal officer gets for his hard services.... Col. Schubaltz has basically a year and a half of leave time coming. So now he can piddle fart around as long as he wants."

"But what about his brother? His lover?" O'Connell asked thoughtfully, her head on his shoulder.

"I dunno about them. I just recently met Leon."

"I get it."

"Leon.... didn't he say his name was Aethelwulf?" Hermann thought for a moment.

"Y-yes, I thought he used it on a number of occassions." O'Connell looked up at her lover.

"Now I recognize the name... Leon Aethelwulf is the fucking Black Knight!!!"

O'Connell hugged Hermann's arm, her dark grey eyes looking into his with sorrow. "Don't be angry. After all, he is helping us, isn't he?"

"But he's an enemy of the Republic.... wait... what am I saying? After today, I might as well be one too."

"After all he's done for us, you still won't trust him now? Now that you know he's the Black Knight?"

"...you have a point, Jake..." He stroked her teal hair and smiled sadly. "Alright, love. I'll have faith in the Black Knight."

"Oh thank-you, Rob." O'Connell smiled and rested her cheek on his arm.

"Get some sleep, love. It'll be a long drive to Triangle Pass."

As soon as they were out of New Helic City, O'Connell closed her eyes.




-Continued-