Chapter 7: Missing, presumed…?
"Van!"
The young pilot poked his head up, surprised to see Rhyss standing in the doorway. She looked flustered and upset. "Hey Rhyss…we were worried about you. Where have you been the last few days?"
"Um, around. Van, I just intercepted an emergency call from Dragon's Head base in which there's been a level three security alert…you're not going to believe this…Minister Prozen is gone."
Van dropped his spanner. "What?! How the heck did this happen and why weren't we told?"
"No one is quite sure. He abducted a Redler and managed to get away. The StormSworders were unable to catch him because of the weather conditions."
Van swore softly. The StormSworders were really great, but add turbulence into the equation and there was little chance they'd be able to do anything. Contrary to belief, they weren't invincible. A Redler was capable of getting through it, but the big delicate Sworders tended not to. Of course Rosso and Viola hadn't succeeded.
"Well, Rhyss, I'm pretty sure that he'll turn up with a few loyalists, and we'll go off and kick his sorry ass." Irvine yelled down from his Saix. "He can't hide forever."
"Yes…but…" She hesitated.
"Rhyss, are you ok?" Van put down his tools and strolled over to her. "You look paler than usual and tired. Are you sleeping enough?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry. I suppose I haven't been sleeping very much…I've been very worried about him."
"Look, Prozen's not the one for revenge, he won't go after you and Raven. Um, have you seen Raven?" Van continued, going back to the BladeLiger's foot.
"A few days ago. Why?"
"Um, no reason." Van said, hurriedly.
"We have to find him, Van." Rhyss snapped back.
"We will, in time." He gave her a funny look. "Why so eager?"
"Eager? Me, no!" She stopped wringing her hands. "I'm just nervous, that's all. He's a dangerous man, Van."
"Yes…he's a dangerous man…" Van intoned, pausing for a moment to stare into space. Then his thought processes caught back up with him and he smiled. "You have nothing to worry about."
"Hey Van,
throw me up a few more of those cables, will you?"
"Sure Irvine."
Rhyss watched a moment longer to see if her mental command had sunk in properly before leaving the hanger to search for Fiona, just to check up on her. She was sitting at one of the consoles patiently filing report after report with Zeke at her side like a guard dog. Standing at the door, Rhyss motioned to Zeke who came over, snuffling, as if, for food.
Rhyss smiled and looked into his magenta optical sensors. "You're going to protect Lynette, aren't you…you're going to do it because that's your job…don't forget that…" She stroked his head casing. "Because we can't trust the humans, can we? Oh no…Be a big brave organoid…because nasty old Requiem is coming back, and when she does all hell is going to break loose…"
"Hello Rhyss!" Chirped a familiar voice. She would destroy the world, and she had no idea about it. All those dreams and things…it was really quite delightful. Rhyss had been preparing her for most of her adult life for the task ahead.
"Hi Fiona. How are you feeling?"
"Great! So much information, it's hard to keep track of it all!"
"Do you want me to make some coffee for you, Fiona?" Rhyss smiled faintly.
"Yes please, that would be wonderful! Gosh, Van and the others are so mad at silly Thomas! Do you know he disappeared? He went out on patrol and never came back! Van says it's something to do with his…" Her dark eyes sparkled malevolently. "…Inability to cope with real life situations!"
"Oh my." Rhyss replied, not disturbed by the comment but rather Fiona's look. She was even more surprised when Fiona reached out and pulled Rhyss close so that they were nose to nose.
"Thomas is on the other side, Rhyss." She snarled suddenly. "I thought you said you were going to do the right thing and stop this once and for all. I don't want Van hurt, he will serve Fiona well after all this is done, but the others she cares nothing about and neither do I! Just make their deaths believable. Your stupid sex toy Raven is with him and I sense something going on between them…I think the moronic humans are forming the web our little Hertz needs to function properly…and that's not good. I know all about the little escape, and as far as I'm concerned, if you haven't captured Prozen before he makes the switch once and for all, our plan is finished, because there is a strong male who he might become…attached to…if the time comes. It doesn't matter what sex it is…as long as he can fuck it, he'll be a fucking adult. You can't break adult Rare Hertz, Rhyss. But a child is defenceless. Remember that. We wants him, Rhyss." And as quick as it had come, Kaiser slid back into the darkness of Fiona's mind. Until it had a body, it was stagnating inside the perfect host.
Rhyss sighed. The Kaiser was a part of her, too. It was part of all the Reapers, their answer to ZoidEVE, and from the time of the destruction of the DeathSaurer - the ultimate version, of course – it had managed to transfer itself back to it's mother, Lynette. It had every right to be pissed off.
"Is everything ok, Rhyss?" Asked Fiona. Rhyss fought the urge to kiss those innocent lips.
"Yes. Everything is fine."
~ to be continued.
*sings* shojo-ai for Naomi Hunter ^_^ I couldn't resist, chaps.
