I'm back in the U.S. Time for chapter 8. Yayee. I should be finishing Moby Dick… which is due tomorrow! AH! … it's okay, I'm good. I'll procrastinate. Procrastinate! …. Yes, now to the point. I've finally updated. As I mentioned before, this is chapter 8. Damn, it always looks so 'spaced out' when I load it in html format. Grr.. oh well. It's still readable, right?
Disclaimer: Shiro, Izumi, Drache are original creations.. Everybody else is credited to the creator(s) of New Century Zoids. You get the idea.
Despair
In the rain…
I am alone.
It was the most horrible feeling, to be alone and forgotten. She wanted to die. She walked without aim, for miles and miles in the rain until her feet slipped underneath her, and she fell against the desert ash turned to mud. There she lay, motionless against the cool, inviting earth, forgetting to breathe as the soft mud consumed her. The warmth of cold metal against her shoulder rolled her onto her back, and she opened her eyes to stare into those of a mechanical partner. Her violet eyes were beautiful, but she could only see through one. Her purple gaze had never been so sad.
"Hey, Dreigon…"
She saw her reflection in the dark metal and smiled, watching the Dreigon's cockpit open. It waited there, motionless as its jaw hung open, letting out a low croon, coaxing her into the cockpit, away from the rain. Izumi climbed in and on her side against the leather seat, "Dreigon, do you love me?"
I love you more than I love the rain.
I love you more than anything, my master.
Jamie ran through the halls of the desert base, panting as he burst through every door he came across until he ended up where he started – the tactics room, "Where could she have gone?!"
Bit was
lying on one of the cushioned benches, "Maybe she got tired of working for
us. Didn't you say her Zoid is missing
too?"
"Yeah, but… She wouldn't leave without telling us
anything, would she?"
"She's a mercenary."
"I guess…"
The two then turned their heads to watch the rain outside as it pounded against the windowpane. Thunder clashed immediately after as if greeting them.
"Hate to get stuck out in the rain on a night like this."
"Tell me about it."
Izumi…
Something is coming for me.
Is that you, my white rabbit?
"Shiro, any sign of the Drache and its pilot yet?"
"Not yet, Stigma, but I'm close. I can hear it, and it is crying."
"Say that again, Shiro? The storm is messing with the reception."
Shiro smiled in the darkness of the cockpit, her teeth almost gleaming despite the absence of light as she stared at the panels and screens around her, scanning the area as it was blurred by the rain. She had taken her time in the search and recovery of Drache Rebirth, and that annoyed her superiors, but she knew she would find her target before the end of the day. It was late, yes. It was pouring, yes.
"Lapin, let's meet with our new friend."
A distant roar shook the earth, and both Shiro and the Lapin Blanc knew it wasn't thunder. The cry belonged to an animal – no, a monster – and both seemed to laugh at the sound as if taking pleasure from the tone that denoted anguish and despair. It was bone chilling, yet it was the most beautiful sound, like a wolf crying to the moon, sorrowful but majestic at the same time. Shiro's hand reached to a clutch to her right, closing around it before yanking it back, causing the Lapin Blanc to growl before it quickened its pace to a hurried jog, building in speed until its clawed feet were almost gliding over the soft mud.
Eventually, the Lapin drew to a stop, lifting its head to gaze at its surroundings with its blood red eyes. It continued to growl as it searched the area. Shiro blinked at the screens around her as she removed her goggles, "What is it, Lapin? Do you see your brethren?"
Both pilot and Zoid felt it then, the presence of another as it stood in the rain and stared up at the dark sky with its mouth hung open as if to catch the raindrops with a non-existent tongue. Its fangs almost glared when slicked with rain, flashing especially bright whenever lightning shot down from the sky. Shiro squinted at the main monitor in front of her and blinked when she noticed the cockpit of the Dreigon was open, and the pilot was standing with her arms extended toward the falling rain.
I walk in the rain.
I am alone.
The Lapin Blanc lowered its head slightly as it let out a roar, warning and threatening the Drache at the same time as the 120mm twin cannons rose off of its back just enough to become operational. Shiro smiled as she lowered her goggles over the spectacles that were perched before her eyes. She waited for the glass canopy of the cockpit to open before standing from her seat, bringing her hands to either side of her mouth before shouting toward the other pilot as she stood motionless with her black Zoid, "Izumi! Hagime Izumi! Turn around and prepare to die!"
The black-haired woman barely moved as she turned, slowly, until her head was tilted so that Shiro could see the violet gleam of her left eye and the thin black strap that disappeared beneath locks of hair which fell over where her right eye would be. Even from where she stood, Shiro was taken off guard by the expression on Izumi's face. It was depressing and unsettling, and Shiro's eyes took every detail in until the sight was drilling into her stomach, making her sick.
"Lapin, fire!"
The white Genosaurer complied and fired two shots from its twin cannons. The first round struck the Dreigon's hind legs and it roared before the second round landed against its spinal area, the impact knocking its pilot from the cockpit.. There was no more protesting on its part as it fell to a crouched position, Izumi landing a few feet away with her face in the soaked earth. Shiro hopped from the Lapin Blanc and stumbled through the mud to Izumi as her Zoid approached the Dreigon and knocked it off its feet with a blow from its tail. It set one foot down over the Dreigon's side before tilting its head to glance toward the two pilots.
I walk in the rain.
I walk alone.
"Get
up, you goddamn weakling!"
A foot came down over
Izumi's shoulder to kick her onto her back as a black pistol hovered over her
face. It belonged to the nameless
Backdraft sergeant who called herself "Shiro" because it's what the Backdraft
officials decided to call her. She
learned not to question, so she became a hard worker and a good soldier. She was about to kill a former ally – her
orders obligated her to do so without hesitation. It angered her that the prey refused to fight back. She kicked Izumi again.
"Get up! Get up! Damn it, get up!"
The safety had been removed and Izumi could barely make out the soft click of the gun through the rain that continued to pound from the sky. She knew Shiro was shaking because the weapon was jittering. The mercenary opened her eyes and stared up at Shiro. With her eyes open, all her other senses seemed to awaken as well, and she could hear the Drache Rebirth crying as it thrashed against the Lapin Blanc. It was almost pleading; Izumi had never heard the Dreigon beg. Why do you throw away your dignity, Dreigon?
Because I love you more than I love the rain.
Because I love you more than anything, my master.
Shiro blinked and reared back slightly with the gun still in her hand when Izumi suddenly moved. Her hand rose slowly as its fingers uncurled yet the movement had taken Shiro off guard. It was lifting toward her, and it appeared to be reaching for her pistol, its languid movements devoid of any hurry or panic, meaning it wasn't shaking or trembling, unlike Shiro herself. This woman. This woman looked freakishly cold and dead, and her left eye was a bottomless pit, a purple vortex into a soul that couldn't possibly exist.
"Are you expecting me to help you?!"
There was no response. Izumi's fingers twitched, and Shiro grimaced, kicking her again before backing away in slow, cautious steps, her body ceasing its annoying jittering while her hand only grew worse with the gun held in its fingers, index over the trigger. She was terrified now, and her terror was pierced by a sliver of sympathy for this woman.
"Damn it! Damn you!"
The sergeant threw down her pistol, and it hit the mud without a noise before slowly sinking into the wet soil. She then reached down and grabbed the mercenary's right arm while noting that the rain had soaked through her shirt. A yank brought Izumi to her knees with an erect spine, but as soon as Shiro released her arm, Izumi hunched over and nearly fell back against the mud. Shiro's grimace was exchanged for a scowl as she took a step back and stood there, watching the other woman, "You're such a weakling. I'm so disappointed that I'm sick to my stomach right now. You make me sick! You goddamn good-for-nothing-weakling!"
She rushed forward and sent her foot across Izumi's chin, knocking the lady mercenary onto her back. Another kick landed against Izumi's stomach as she was lying on her side again, yet she lay motionless and took the assault without protest. The rain never paused at any of this, and it continued to fall, like a cool curtain of purity that tried to wash away this ugly scene of imperfection. They hid this from the world, and they hid the white rabbit's tears as she screamed, her screaming falling on the deaf ears of a black dragon in despair, whose imaginary soul had been eaten away by years of absolute nothingness. That was the worst kind of pain – nothing.
"You deserve to die! I should kill you right here and now!"
"You're crying…"
"What?!"
Shiro stopped suddenly, her misted eyes widening with something that wasn't blind anger or hatred as she stared at the black dragon, "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"
"I forgive you…"
"Shut up!"
Her foot came down over Izumi's right cheek, burrowing its heel against pale flesh. The red caught Shiro's attention then, as if it hadn't been present up until this moment. She saw the blood on Izumi's face, its origin being her mouth. The trembling returned, followed by another scream. Shiro was screaming. She was screaming into the sky, into the rain, into a heaven that would not answer her. She continued screaming as she turned away and ran to the Lapin Blanc, who pushed away from the Dreigon to meet its pilot. She disappeared into the Lapin's cockpit before the Lapin disappeared into the distorted horizon.
This can't be our fate.
We can't be alone...
The Drache slowly rose to its feet and dragged itself to Izumi where it collapsed again, its metallic bulk shadowing the pilot. Neither seemed to notice a faint glow coming from the distance. The yellow glow grew as it drew nearer, and the Dreigon lifted its head to roar when it saw the hover cargo. The vehicle stopped beside the Dreigon, and its hanger opened to release the Liger Zero.
Bit Cloud emerged from the Liger's cockpit to gaze down at the sight set before him. He shook his head with a sigh before sitting down in his seat again, instructing the Liger to drag the Dreigon into the hover cargo as Jamie and Leena came running to retrieve Izumi, both hidden beneath identical yellow raincoats. Leena appeared surprisingly concerned with the condition of this introverted mercenary who seemed to alienate everyone in her life, even her teammates. They took the woman in their arms and carefully brought her into the dry and sterile environment of the hover craft.
Even in her current physical state, she could discern one voice from all the others. Brad was coming to meet Leena and Jamie, and he stopped in front of them to take Izumi, scooping her up into his arms without much effort before taking her from the hanger to a more comfortable room where she could rest.
"Brad Hunter…"
"… be quiet, Izumi. You shouldn't talk right now."
When she had been laid down in the spare room, Jamie appeared at the door with a bowl of warm water and a folded cloth, being insecure as he usually is when work is given to others. They never usually made any mistakes, but Jamie was a paranoid boy…
Brad was silent as he began cleaning Izumi's face with the cloth Jamie had brought with him, wet because he had dipped it in the warm water. Nobody said a word.
This can't be my fate.
I'm not alone, am I?