Part ten: An End of a journey
Note: lemon! That's what it is ( and I have one in this chapter. This might be a tad bit long, because I saved the best for the second to the last part- --while inspiration in the fandom is still alive in my veins. Raven and Van pairing.
----
"This couldn't be happening."
Irvine was right, he couldn't believe that their own comrade had given into- --no, not only his sexuality---but to Raven of all people. Thomas has followed the coordinates given to him, and followed the back up the colonel had sent. He was surprised that Irvine managed to persuade his brother to take the drastic step. After a short talk with the back-ups, he decided to observe and record everything closely in his DiBison-seeing how Van would react.
The two didn't even bother why the red-horn disappeared afterwards. Thomas called them to retreat. The blonde lieutenant has seen everything in his view monitor that he recorded: Raven had fallen to the ravine---Van followed him---Van fell down over him. The two did something else that Thomas can't even comprehend. Afterwards, the two seem to fall into one strange mud fight, or so what Thomas perceived---before the gray-haired pilot carried Van uphill!
Right now, camping with his brother's men and tightly holding a coffee mug with his sanity, the lieutenant debates what action to take next. There must be a reason why Van turned to like this, for it doesn't seem he would just collaborate with one of Zi's mercenary. Maybe love? Bah! Where that hogwash did came from? How could they be in love? Maybe Raven brainwashed him?
Aimlessly, Thomas continued to walk farther and farther from the camp, as if searching the ground for answers. After a few minutes, he was already in a middle of a marsh, probably several miles away from where his DiBison have been. Cursing mentally for letting his thoughts get the better of him, the lieutenant turned around to go back to camp.
"Got lost, Lieutenant? Can't recognize you without the bind on your head. Accidents always happen when you are around."
The voice from nowhere nearly sends Thomas jumping off from his skin. Whirling around to know where it came from, he saw a smaller figure sitting roughly by a fallen tree bark. In dim lighting, he only spot the rough grayish hair, when the face looked up, he saw the all familiar red-mark.
"Raven!"
"What I am doing here? I noticed the DiBison from the trees when the red- horn attacked us. I followed you." He icily replied, knowing that Thomas is going to say that question. He lazily stood up and advanced in quick strides towards the blonde, knowing that he posed no threat to him. The jaw of the lieutenant tightened.
"You bastard, where is Van! What have you done to him?"
"He is with me, and he is going back."
"Going back?"
"Yes, he is going back to the force. I'm assisting him to go back there. So don't let your men do anything foolish or you and your brother are toast!"
Thomas thought he might be missing a point, assisting Van? Why can't Van simply resist Raven and go with Irvine when he had the chance? Why would he let this gray-haired enemy escort him? Is he nuts?
"He can go with us!" Thomas retorted, trying to find a melee weapon in his pockets. Just in case Raven would attack. He noticed the genobreaker is nowhere near him, and he is unarmed. Good.
Raven paused for a moment. Yes, why can't he simply return Van to them? It would spare less trouble doing that, and the imperial army and the guardian force wouldn't be after his arse. But he felt something, a sense of possession, a sense of jealousy. He does not want Van to leave his side. If he let him go, it would be the end of everything to him.
Of course he can't tell that to Thomas. He had to do something the old Raven would do. Be cocky, intimidate him. If it means sounding like a stab in the back, he will do it to protect Van.
"He can't. He is under my control now. I can't believe how a little leak of information of his private life and a little seduction could bring him to what I wanted." He forced an evil smile. "I needed Flyheight so I can get the information that I need, you hear?"
"Y-you sick son of a bitch! So it is true!" The lieutenant said indignantly. He is breathing heavily, furious---and confused.
"What are you going to do Lieutenant? Tell big brother to bring more back ups to help you in your little assignment?" he taunted, "The genobreaker is no match for anything, I'll just blast them away."
Long silence followed afterwards that hung like a heavy fog, one looking to each other with murder in their eyes. After few minutes, it was Thomas who gave up. He furiously walked away, but without looking back.
"We are going to get you, Raven."
----
Raven felt like the biggest hypocrite in the world. He said what he doesn't want to say most---but probably could satisfy him several months ago. BUT things had changed. But it is the only way he knew so the imperial force could get off his hair. With that new found 'information', Thomas will be sending it along with some of the back-ups back to the military headquarters. It would buy him more uninterrupted time to be with Van, and to travel in serene bliss.
The past nights they spent are sleeping in the inns right now, the few days that they slept by the woods earned him a great embarrassment to his rival who became his lover.
He claims to know the stars very well, and at one night, by looking at the reddish sunset sky, he told Van it is not going to rain. Van argued with him for it telling him it WILL rain, betting he won't get any contact with casual loving for a day if it's not true. He persisted he was never wrong.
It rained.
Raven has spent most of the week after that with Van in the inns.
He wandered aimlessly, they can't sleep in inns forever---well, heck, he want to save some cash. So they weren't staying in one now, he just remembered---tonight might be their last night together. He wants it to be memorable. He want it beneath the stars he missed so much, but the spiky brunette would prefer the indoors---with his fluffy pillows and bed. Van always complained that the beds in the inns are always hard, if he only could sleep one night outside and still be safe from falling bird's dung, briars and the unpredictable weather. Then he came across a local town market, he remembered he will meet Van there for a short dinner by the bar.
Then an idea struck him.
"I'm going to make it damn memorable."
----
They had left the town market hours later, filled with drink and fresh food and fun. They were riding back to the inn to get Van's belongings when another red horn bearing the flag of the imperial first panzer division unit appeared near the bend of the river.
The zoid pilot in it never had a chance. Raven took one look at the red horn, roared an ungodly string of curses and commanded shadow to mobilize. Few minutes later when shadow fused with the geno breaker, it was already starting to charge up a particle beam. The red horn stopped cold, turned direction around, and ran away so fast it was almost as if it had never appeared.
Raven was in a better mood after that.
Soon the sun had slipped down behind the trees and the moon had risen in the dusky sky. The two went down the geno breaker, hid it and took a short walk. Raven turned away from the highway and over toward a grassy hillock.
"I thought the inn was this way." Van said,
"It is!"
He turned to the gray-haired pilot and followed. "Then why are we traveling this way?"
Raven nodded curtly, "There's a surprise." He said with an edge of challenge, and called shadow to his side. The dark organoid quickly clamped him in and spirited him further over the hillock.
"Hey, no fair!" Van called out, and ran after him. If he hasn't fallen for Raven, he wouldn't have been more touched when he saw the tent. It was the largest and finest tent he had seen. Made with sturdy, warm colored fabric, it even had pennants waving from the sharp peaks at the top and corners. But when he pulled back the flaps and saw all the pillows---stack of pillows to replace the ones he had lost in the rain, he threw his head back and laughed.
"Why are you laughing? I had thought to please you." Raven frowned, and the noticed there is a particular uneasiness in Van's short laughter.
"Yes, yes you do. But Raven---" he paused, "WHERE did you buy all of these?"
"Why should I buy it, when I can steal it?"
"No!"
"Of course not, you idiot." Raven smiled smugly and rubbed the other pilot's spiky dark hair, his indigo eyes gazing warmly at him. "If I stole it, do you think I have time to set all this up by myself?" His look was so intent, that Van's breath was caught.
"I'll leave you to sleep," he sighed, then pulled back the flap on the tent. Van stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Wait, where are you going to sleep?"
"Outside.", he said gruffly.
"This is a marsh land, Raven. There's a fog on the damp ground. You'll tarnish your getup."
He gave Van a long look, and then rubbed his finger over his red-striped jaw and across his lips. He tucked a knuckle under his chin and said, "If I stay in here, I'll tarnish more than just my getup."
The other boy closed his eyes, knowing that this decision was his. He opened them and looked at him. "This would be the last night, huh?"
"I know," was all he said.
"Tomorrow we might----"
"Yes."
The silence hung between them. Finally Raven started to leave.
"Raven!"
He turned back,
"I think you shouldn't leave. I mean---you can stay with me. They'll understand." He muttered, "You are not wh--"
A second later, Raven held the other boy upon his arms, his passionate mouth on his and then shoved him gently down to the pillows, kissing him deeply, lovingly---not wanting to stop. "Hush," he gasped, in between the feather of kisses, "you-don't have to say it. I know, and I love you." A silent mutual consent has passed between them, and slowly there clothes fall away, hands wandering, feeling and reveling at each naked skin bared, Raven's fantastic mouth consuming him---reaching him where he'll pleasure him the most, making the most of the moment while it still lasts. Then he stretched up to kiss Van again, pausing briefly to nibble at his chest. His mouth smelled of him, of earth and ocean, and the brunette felt the sweet darkness curl again in his belly. Surely Raven can't bring him to that place again. And yet he found himself responding to him, felt the wetness flowing in him as he slipped his tongue in and out his mouth, in the same sultry rhythm he had when he have knelt before between his legs awhile ago.
Van felt a hardness brushing him, and felt Raven poised there where his mouth have been, as if he were seeking out once again his wetness. He wanted that that hardness within him, a full joining with him. He arched his hips up to meet him, so that his muscled stomach press against Raven's and the gray-haired pilot pushed against the entrance of him.
"In Zi's name, you are so goddamned beautiful." He whispered, reaching down to stroke the hardened core of his pleasure again. "Everything about you, your look---your smell--- your taste." He made a choked sound as he pushed inside of him.
Raven says strange things when he is on a verge of passion, "I am not---"
"Yes, you are Van. You are----and everything as if you're--" 'almost pure' he seem to mumble those words incoherently, and inaudibly as he bent down and kissed him, his mouth gentle and warm, yet his hardness was still strong and insistent, beginning a slow, sweet rhythm inside him.
Van curled his hips up against the other teen and let out a soft moan. "Not anymore", he managed, and then reached up to kiss him, and he could say nothing. They danced together, legs intertwined, as he moved inside him with slowness and sweetness he thought would surely drive him mad. Raven's body was hard against his---not just the sexual part of him, but his arms that pinned him gently beneath him, down the roundness of his buttocks. He shifted position, propping himself upright on his hands, and he felt a jolt of pleasure as he moved inside him.
"Gods, Raven!" he gasped, "Yes, there!"
The indigo eyes fluttered open and Raven laughed softly, his hips quickening slightly. "Like that?"
As he quickened, he followed him, dancing the ancient dance---slowly getting lost to the uncharted bliss, opening the torrential waves of heated passion building inside them and enveloping them both in a smoldering whirl wind of a wild bacchanal trance. Raven's expression starts to look hard, he was biting his lip and he was grunting, gasping, as his breath comes in short and shallow intervals. In any minute now, he would be ready. He gazed down at Van, and noticed the submissive look on the expression as if he would pass out in any moment now. Raven neared his face down to him, gently licking the red stripe mark below his left jaw.
"I want you with me, Van." Raven whispered, and reached a hand to toy him, stroking him intimately and briskly as moved inside him, faster, stronger. "---and to hell to what anyone thinks, I want you. I love you."
"Raven---"
There are tears in his eyes
The tempo of Raven's body increased and Van could think of nothing but the feel of the other teen's hips thrusting against his. Clutching his shoulders, he could feel the moment Raven's body was gripped by a violence that seemed to possess him. With a moan of passion, he twisted his fingers in his dark black strands and cried out his name. The impact of it took Van over the edge with him. A moment later, his body shuddered and he felt his own body quicken in response.
*****
Several moments passed, with neither of them saying anything, with only their heavy panting breaths echoing to the walls of the tent. Raven wondered if he, like him, was afraid to speak, as if by doing so the closeness, the beauty of what they had just shared would be gone. And when their breath slowed and their naked slick bodies cooled, Van fluttered his onyx-dark eyes open that set's Raven's heart beat pounding like a hammer in his chest. In one silent motion, he then wrapped his long slender arms around the brunette and brought his lips to the ear.
"Ebony. Sunset made your hair shine in deep ebony." He whispered,
He smiled, "Does that it mean its going to rain?"
Raven laughed softly, "That is WHY I purchased the tent." He rolled off Van, and leaned to his left side. Propping both arms to his head, he made a deep sigh as he gazed above the tent. "I like this tent, but I missed the stars---these past nights in the inns were lonely. I missed the sound of your breath and the stars above us."
Silently, Van rose from their bed and grabbed his weapon. In a flash he cut a square flap in the top of the tent. Then, he went back and lie beside the taller boy, looking at the hole from the top and gazing to the starry night sky, how Raven would like to kiss and take him again---
"There are your stars, Raven."
*****
They slept, curled together, for what felt like a long time. The sliver of light from the open flap of the tent above widened, spilling over their skin and across their faces like a yellow gold water color wash.
It woke Van first, and he gave the gray-haired boy a nudge. "Hey sleepyhead, I think it's getting late."
Raven's indigo eyes opened, and Van felt his heart break with sweetness. The taller boy smiled, "Hello, lover."
The brunette's face grew gently warm with the attention he is getting and he smiled shyly at him. "It's getting late." He repeated, "Maybe there would be more people seeing the geno breaker if we don't leave now."
Raven yawned and stretched, and Van privately noted that the sight of the firm, slender and pale body was quite aesthetically appealing. So much so, in fact, that he regretted the notion of leaving the tent. It would be much nicer to stay there, to take pleasure with him again and then sleep again. Then his stomach rumbled angrily, chasing any notion of staying in the tent from his mind. They would have to leave, to find their way back where he belong---and Raven, back to his world. And it would be back to the usual rules and logical order the mercenary have long lived by. Trying not TO think that everything would be back the way it was before, he quickly stood up and starts to get dressed.
"We are going to leave now?" Raven said almost irritated, not wanting to let him go. "And you're dressing up in your uniform already?"
Van didn't reply immediately, "Yeah, I have an image to keep to."
"Sure you do, Lieutenant Flyheight," he mumbled, "--sure you do."
Raven is starting to feel jealous.
"I'm going to go outside now,"
"Sure, I'll follow shortly."
So that was love. It was what not he had expected. What they had done this time does not seem to be just a casual trade of pleasure that he was giving to him this past week. This time he found himself caring what he thought of him and hoping he was pleased by him---and it's just not about the sex, or how many times he made his knees weak with the passionate kisses he gave. Just as he realized that his feelings for Van have grown to something deeper and special, Raven noticed that he also have to face the harsh reality: Van will also eventually leave. They have their own different worlds, he belong to the side of justice and of the guardian force--- while he belonged to the dark world where he knew no rules, and chaos is just a part of daily routine, taking orders-destroying military fortresses and the like. Van would live a happy life even without him---with no regrets, and he, will succumb to insanity eventually with all the things in the past back to haunt him. He belongs in an isolated jail cell, and Van belonged to the outside world.
Perhaps Raven could find a way to live in such a world, as well. The thought made him feel like a songbird choosing to go live in a cage. But how else would he be with Van? He was quite affirmative that he wanted very, very much to be with Van Flyheight.
The young lieutenant was kneeling on the ground outside, looking distracted as he ran his hands appraisingly within their things and found a couple of bottles of liquor that Raven stacked along the journey. "It's all her fault you know," he said, looking up at Raven with a smile on his face. "They say- --in wine there is truth. And sometimes the truth could be wanton---yet beautiful."
"She'll give your heart's desire or drive you mad with longing's fire." Raven replied, quoting a line in a poem. Van was astonished, his eyes widened as he looked at the taller boy, he never thought that Raven would be the romantic type. The gray-haired teen ignored the look and continued, observing him with the cool indigo eyes, "It's the truth isn't it? I think she's done both."
Van felt a shiver of pleasure that crept down to his bones. "Was what we did madness, then?"
"Absolutely," Raven said, sounding pleased. "You made me as mad as you are, Van Flyheight."
"You are already mad to begin with when we first met." He replied, shaking his head.
Raven didn't answer; he didn't know what's wrong with him. He should be retorting to his remark, but he felt unsure and nervous, afraid for the first time in his life that his happiness was about to slip from his fingers before he had truly known it. "Yes, I am definitely. But I'm much madder now, that's what I needed." He said, and then the brunette leaned forward to give him a quick and loud kiss on the cheek. "Hey, what did you do that for?" Raven roared, as the other boy stood up and ran.
"Come on and prepare your things Raven! I'm going to make you mad!" he teased, but averted any long eye contact with him.
Raven felt a stab in his throat, "Again?"
"Once we are near there, I'm going to let you escape with your geno breaker. As soon as everybody else sees you, just pretend we are into a fight and that you hit me in the guts and I'll pretend to be unconscious. Then you make your escape, get everything you got and just go. You can slip past my friends if you take the route above from the east, but there will be some hard offensive---but since you are pretty good in dodging anything that comes along your way, I guess you'll be just fine. "
Raven bit his pale lip. He wanted to cry out, to fall into Van's arms and beg him to take him with him. Even if he had to be put in jail, he didn't care. But there was no sense in behaving like an arrogant cynical hard case, if he conducted himself by shedding some of his sarcasm and his bad attitude, perhaps Van would see that he is capable of doing better things in life than destroying military bases and blasting zoids. To be a very dependable---friend. That was he wanted, wasn't it? To live by his side, and look after him---and share their secrets late into the night?
He only knew he could not bear to lose him now that he had realized his feelings for him, "Yes, you are right." Raven said, forcing a reasonable tone.
"Geez, Raven---are you alright? You don't regret what happened this whole week with me, do you?" He touched his cheek, and his voice was soft, a caress.
Raven shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut to force back tears. "No, of course not. It was---it was nice knowing you."
He smiled at that and gave him a mock punch on the shoulder, his face vibrant and alive. "That's what I was hoping you'd say. Look sharp then! We're heading home!"
They were dressed and moderately respectable-looking within twenty minutes. Raven took out his geno breaker cautiously and he has to keep his voice low when he called for Shadow. He helped Van pack quickly and managed to come up with enough space to where it would be all kept in. When the last bag was crammed in, and with one re-filled water container slung over one shoulder, he called him out. "Right then, off we go."
"Okay, let's hurry up. Remember what I told you!" Van exclaimed, and walk past the other boy's shoulder. He is smiling, and Raven sensed there is something wrong with it. The other boy is avoiding the conversation about the point where they have to part ways. /He is trying to act upbeat and positive---he doesn't want me to worry. He is just like me, he does not know what do from this point forward----/
"Look Van, maybe I did not have to do all those horseshit." He muttered, "I can get away, scot-free without blasting a zoid or two---they wouldn't suspect you a thing or two you know."
"Nah, it isn't your style Raven---" he said, pausing just in front of the cock pit, not turning around to face the other boy. His fists was clenched tight and he was glancing down the ground,
The taller boy took a few steps closer, lifting a slender eyebrow, "My style isn't what?"
"Fair---You always been not fair, right?" He tried to force a chuckle, closest to normalcy as possible. But he can't, and Raven noticed that the other boy's voice is trembling. "Van---"
The young lieutenant fell to his knees and punched his right fist to the zoid, "----not fair! It's not fair!" he cried, shutting his eyes to restrain tears from falling down his cheeks. "It does not have to end like this, Raven!" he said once again, as he pound his fist once more against the solid red steel. If shadow wasn't accustomed to Van's presence or if Raven hasn't been there, he could have set the red zoid to roll and crush Van right now.
However, the gray-haired pilot knows what the other boy feels, and come up to him, wrapping his long slender arms around him. "Hush---I know," he whispered against his ear, his own eyes in a verge of quiet tears. "I don't want this to end too---I can't---I just can't bring myself to leave you."
Van turned around and burrowed his face at the taller boy's chest, and he continued to cry, and Raven still holding him tight, stroking his dark spiky hair as he himself tries to choke back tears by looking up in the sky. Murmuring consoling words that he could think of, soon enough he find himself crying with him too.
He really realized now, that to really love someone he has to let it go. Van is right, what they did is madness. It is wonderful and painful at the same time. So painful, that he didn't know if he'll ever learn to feel the same madness again. He did not want to feel that pain---not anymore.
After several minutes, cradling each other tight, Raven is the first to break away from the grip. "Stop being a wuss, it's getting late." He tried to say stiffly, but his hurting gaze said otherwise. "Get your gear moving and let's go."
"Yes, I supposed you are right." The other boy agreed, and rubbed the tears away. He forced a reasonable smile, "There's no time to waste."
*****
They arrived near the military fort late that afternoon, and Raven's geno breaker did get some unwanted attention from passer bys and some soldiers--- dodging a couple of ammunition from some watch outs here and there until they ran out of fire. Raven and Van cared not, for they rode the same geno breaker, squeezed into one cock pit, stopping so very often to exchange kisses and lingering looks of love.
Raven anticipated that the worst is just about to come, just several feet away they spotted the all familiar lighting saix and di bison in their offensive.
"Beek must have detected the thermal presence of the zoid." Van said, "What are you going to do?"
"NOT kill them." Raven replied, with a small sardonic smile. In a quick move to impress flyheight, he have both pinchers of his geno breaker crunching both zoids in no time. He was tempted to fire them away but he didn't, and threw them aside instead.
"See, I told you." He said afterwards, feeling pleased with himself. "They are not so badly hurt as it looks, I'll do whatever it takes to bring you home and no one is going to stop me---"
"Raven---"
They arrived shortly by the military base, and it caused to sound some alarm, Raven cursed loudly as zoids and soldiers starts spilling from nowhere to get into positions.
"Raven, I'll take it from here." Van said bravely, "Just do what I told you- ---they won't hurt you as long as they see me safe."
"No." he said, his voice firm and set. "I'm not going to leave you, Van."
"Don't be stubborn!" the other boy protested, his voice full of anger and worry. "They will do what it takes to get you----you might even get yourself killed!"
Raven wanted to say, 'so be it.'
"You said it yourself---they won't hurt me as long as they see you safe." He said, looking at Van---his gaze slowly softened, "I want to see you safe- --even for the last time."
*****
"Colonel, Sir! The geno breaker is not attacking!"
Col. Schubaltz already knows why, "Yes it won't. Have all the troops in stand by for my orders."
"Sir?"
/Flyheight is with him, I know it. /
"But---" the officer protested, "The Di bison and the lighting saix are knocked out by that zoid, it could be very dangerous and we don't know what it'll destroy next!"
"AND I said, have all troops to stand by for my orders!" he barked, "Just make sure that Irvine and Lt. Schubaltz are safe---"
"Y-yes sir!"
He wasn't surprised what happened next, one of the soldiers was astonished to find Raven slowly dismounting from his cockpit---and that the missing Lieutenant is with him.
"Sir! Lt. Van Flyheight is with him! I think he is being held hostage!"
/ 'Collaborate' is a much appropriate term. / He can't forget the information his brother sent him to confirm his suspicion. It even involved an odd situation when Thomas even recorded Van and Raven happily tackling in the mud. He wondered if they have 'collaborated' in a different odd new level----
With a curse he shook the errant thoughts from his head, probably week long duration with Raven might have inflict Van with a Stockholm syndrome. / A common case of soldiers' captive in war./
"Men, hold your positions." He ordered, "I'm going out."
*****
Van's assumption was correct, everyone holds their offenses as Raven slowly dismounted from the geno breaker and helped him down, even pausing to hold him a moment longer than necessary. He truly does not want to let him go.
"You can cry now you know." He tried to joke to him, but Raven's indigo eyes narrowed immensely instead, frowning.
"I won't cry." He said tersely, "I would prefer fainting instead."
Van laughed.
The big metal fortress' gate's swung open and a bevy of red-horns bearing the imperial army's insignia and the flag of the 1st panzer unit with an iron Kong MK II trotted down the sandy ground and encircled them. Van noticed a gleaming metal is tugging along iron Kong, and he noticed it was Zeke.
"Zeke! Buddy!"
The metal organoid have its doubt running to him, and like a jealous child- it let out a small furious roar and stayed firmly beside the saber fang. 'Must have been Raven. I will get him to understand later.'
Some of the pilots dismount from their red horns to see if the lieutenant is okay, and they greeted Flyheight, relieved to see him okay. Then figure from the saber fang finally emerged from the cock pit, and came down the steps. "Colonel Schubaltz, sir!" Van saluted, and then rushed into him.
Raven went still as stone. His angry gaze met Karl's. Slowly he strode beside Van until he himself is facing the Imperial Army Colonel. The tension grew thick and hung like a fog in the air. Slowly, the other voices tapered off.
"Col. Karl Schubaltz." Raven snapped,
Karl's sharp green gaze didn't signal any cordial greeting for Van nor was it any good news for Raven. What he said that moment will be an eventual shock to everyone else with them right now.
"I have my duty to arrest both of you, and I mean, that includes you, Van Flyheight."
There was a moment of puzzled silence as Van looked to the ashen blonde colonel. His face fell and Raven could see his reaction, "Van has nothing to do with this." Raven said icily. "It's me that you want."
Karl ignored him, "How long have you been with him?"
"Just a week! B-but Colonel---"
"You resist the rescue team effort of your fellow GF team members, if what Lt. Schubaltz and Irvine said is true. Am I correct?"
Van felt a heated rush crawling to his face, is Karl accusing him of something? "Y-yes, sir."
"And all these time, you prefer to be with this mercenary?" He continued coldly, never removing his angry green gaze to what he is suspecting all along, "Do you know the penalty for fraternizing with the enemy and collaboration, Lieutenant Flyheight?"
"NO!" he answered defiantly, "It is not what you think it is! I'm not betraying anybody!"
"Arrest them."
"How could you?" Van cried, "How could you do this, Col. Schubaltz? Why don't you try listening to my side of the story?!"
"I had no choice, Flyheight. It was for your own good."
Raven had it, anger coursed into his veins---this damn Schubaltzes. Both Thomas and Karl, they just can't keep their heads out of other's business. He won't have it their way; no way are they going to take Van into prison--- even if they'll be together in it. He didn't belong there; he only got involved with him by accident. There is all to it.
Involved. Deeply and personally involved.
Thomas was right, he is relishing the thought of getting involved with Van Flygheight in every minute they spent. Raven never told the other boy about it, for the fear he might misunderstood what it meant. But he can't help it- --not right now.
He saw the group of imperial soldiers reluctantly forwarding to Van, "Stop!"
The soldiers froze; Raven is glaring to them like daggers in their throats. "Go any inch near him, and everyone will answer to me!"
/He is protecting Flyheight---the nerve, /
"You have the right to remain silent, Raven!" The colonel snapped, "If you and Flyheight do anything---"
Raven cut in abruptly with a sardonic laugh, "Ha!" and he gazed at Karl insolently, "Thomas is right; you don't want me to have him----old man!"
The imperial army colonel have it with Raven's arrogance and insult, and it was one of those scary moments is when he snaps---on which it RARELY happens for no one sees him do it before. He cursed and charged and then his fist hit Raven square in the chin and flattened him to the ground. "Van Flyheight is ours!"
"Fuckin' bloody hell, he is!" Raven roared up and tackled the bigger and much muscular Karl. They rolled in the dirt, punching and shouting, calling each other names that the other soldiers around them swore they could have never heard or seen from their stoic imperial army officer. Karl jumped to his feet and so did Raven. "Thomas has sent me everything you told him, you want to get involved with Flyheight so you can just access information and get anything you want! Don't you think WE don't know what you are thinking?"
Van gasped, Raven stared at him wordlessly, /No-----/
"YOU sent those damn red horns!" he gritted, returning Karl a darker glare.
The colonel wiped his mouth, "They have instructions to capture both you two but not to kill you."
Van winced, his expression ranged from hurting and confused. /WHAT the hell are those two talking about? / He felt a nudge on his shoulder, and he realized Zeke is there.
"Zeke---" he mumbled, "Help me put an end to this, buddy---"
He watched Raven see red and flew at Karl, and they tumbled again, each trying to get each other. Karl straddled Raven and had his hands upon his throat while he shouted.
"Stop!!!!" Van shouted, "Stop it both of you!"
The next thing they knew, a long metallic tail swerved at their heads. Zeke knocked Karl off from Raven and the silver organoid swerved again with a metallic roar, hitting the gray-haired pilot this time on the head. The colonel released his grasp at the other boy and coughed, rolling away to the ground, while Raven shook his own head to feel if it's intact and stared at Van.
Zeke ran back beside Van with an angry hissing sound, and the brunette glared at both of them.
"Colonel Schubaltz, no way I'm going to let YOU take me."
Raven grinned.
"And you can wipe that foolish smile off your mouth, RAVEN, because I'm not yours either!" His fists are tightly clenched and he was gritting his words as he speaks, while his deep-onyx colored eyes are so filled with disappointment and rage. They seem to penetrate like a swerving knife to their hearts. "I'm not some fuckin' zoid eve for you foolish men to wage war over! I don't belong to either of you!! Do you hear me?"
Both men stared at him in dumbfounded silence.
Van continued however, "---and you can cease your fighting because neither of you will win. I'm not going to anyone of you! Neither of you!! And Colonel, you don't have to arrest me---I'm going to leave the military and the guardian force myself!" And with that pronouncement he turned around furiously and ran inside the military base, with Zeke in tow following him.
Raven watched as the figure ran away until it faded into a distance, watched by the aghast audience of soldiers. And he never felt alone at that moment than he had ever in his hard solitary life. He felt words slip from his mouth unconsciously,
"I didn't mean to say it--- I thought---I'm trying to protect you."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
/Idiot---I told him I won't cry. /
-continued-
Note: lemon! That's what it is ( and I have one in this chapter. This might be a tad bit long, because I saved the best for the second to the last part- --while inspiration in the fandom is still alive in my veins. Raven and Van pairing.
----
"This couldn't be happening."
Irvine was right, he couldn't believe that their own comrade had given into- --no, not only his sexuality---but to Raven of all people. Thomas has followed the coordinates given to him, and followed the back up the colonel had sent. He was surprised that Irvine managed to persuade his brother to take the drastic step. After a short talk with the back-ups, he decided to observe and record everything closely in his DiBison-seeing how Van would react.
The two didn't even bother why the red-horn disappeared afterwards. Thomas called them to retreat. The blonde lieutenant has seen everything in his view monitor that he recorded: Raven had fallen to the ravine---Van followed him---Van fell down over him. The two did something else that Thomas can't even comprehend. Afterwards, the two seem to fall into one strange mud fight, or so what Thomas perceived---before the gray-haired pilot carried Van uphill!
Right now, camping with his brother's men and tightly holding a coffee mug with his sanity, the lieutenant debates what action to take next. There must be a reason why Van turned to like this, for it doesn't seem he would just collaborate with one of Zi's mercenary. Maybe love? Bah! Where that hogwash did came from? How could they be in love? Maybe Raven brainwashed him?
Aimlessly, Thomas continued to walk farther and farther from the camp, as if searching the ground for answers. After a few minutes, he was already in a middle of a marsh, probably several miles away from where his DiBison have been. Cursing mentally for letting his thoughts get the better of him, the lieutenant turned around to go back to camp.
"Got lost, Lieutenant? Can't recognize you without the bind on your head. Accidents always happen when you are around."
The voice from nowhere nearly sends Thomas jumping off from his skin. Whirling around to know where it came from, he saw a smaller figure sitting roughly by a fallen tree bark. In dim lighting, he only spot the rough grayish hair, when the face looked up, he saw the all familiar red-mark.
"Raven!"
"What I am doing here? I noticed the DiBison from the trees when the red- horn attacked us. I followed you." He icily replied, knowing that Thomas is going to say that question. He lazily stood up and advanced in quick strides towards the blonde, knowing that he posed no threat to him. The jaw of the lieutenant tightened.
"You bastard, where is Van! What have you done to him?"
"He is with me, and he is going back."
"Going back?"
"Yes, he is going back to the force. I'm assisting him to go back there. So don't let your men do anything foolish or you and your brother are toast!"
Thomas thought he might be missing a point, assisting Van? Why can't Van simply resist Raven and go with Irvine when he had the chance? Why would he let this gray-haired enemy escort him? Is he nuts?
"He can go with us!" Thomas retorted, trying to find a melee weapon in his pockets. Just in case Raven would attack. He noticed the genobreaker is nowhere near him, and he is unarmed. Good.
Raven paused for a moment. Yes, why can't he simply return Van to them? It would spare less trouble doing that, and the imperial army and the guardian force wouldn't be after his arse. But he felt something, a sense of possession, a sense of jealousy. He does not want Van to leave his side. If he let him go, it would be the end of everything to him.
Of course he can't tell that to Thomas. He had to do something the old Raven would do. Be cocky, intimidate him. If it means sounding like a stab in the back, he will do it to protect Van.
"He can't. He is under my control now. I can't believe how a little leak of information of his private life and a little seduction could bring him to what I wanted." He forced an evil smile. "I needed Flyheight so I can get the information that I need, you hear?"
"Y-you sick son of a bitch! So it is true!" The lieutenant said indignantly. He is breathing heavily, furious---and confused.
"What are you going to do Lieutenant? Tell big brother to bring more back ups to help you in your little assignment?" he taunted, "The genobreaker is no match for anything, I'll just blast them away."
Long silence followed afterwards that hung like a heavy fog, one looking to each other with murder in their eyes. After few minutes, it was Thomas who gave up. He furiously walked away, but without looking back.
"We are going to get you, Raven."
----
Raven felt like the biggest hypocrite in the world. He said what he doesn't want to say most---but probably could satisfy him several months ago. BUT things had changed. But it is the only way he knew so the imperial force could get off his hair. With that new found 'information', Thomas will be sending it along with some of the back-ups back to the military headquarters. It would buy him more uninterrupted time to be with Van, and to travel in serene bliss.
The past nights they spent are sleeping in the inns right now, the few days that they slept by the woods earned him a great embarrassment to his rival who became his lover.
He claims to know the stars very well, and at one night, by looking at the reddish sunset sky, he told Van it is not going to rain. Van argued with him for it telling him it WILL rain, betting he won't get any contact with casual loving for a day if it's not true. He persisted he was never wrong.
It rained.
Raven has spent most of the week after that with Van in the inns.
He wandered aimlessly, they can't sleep in inns forever---well, heck, he want to save some cash. So they weren't staying in one now, he just remembered---tonight might be their last night together. He wants it to be memorable. He want it beneath the stars he missed so much, but the spiky brunette would prefer the indoors---with his fluffy pillows and bed. Van always complained that the beds in the inns are always hard, if he only could sleep one night outside and still be safe from falling bird's dung, briars and the unpredictable weather. Then he came across a local town market, he remembered he will meet Van there for a short dinner by the bar.
Then an idea struck him.
"I'm going to make it damn memorable."
----
They had left the town market hours later, filled with drink and fresh food and fun. They were riding back to the inn to get Van's belongings when another red horn bearing the flag of the imperial first panzer division unit appeared near the bend of the river.
The zoid pilot in it never had a chance. Raven took one look at the red horn, roared an ungodly string of curses and commanded shadow to mobilize. Few minutes later when shadow fused with the geno breaker, it was already starting to charge up a particle beam. The red horn stopped cold, turned direction around, and ran away so fast it was almost as if it had never appeared.
Raven was in a better mood after that.
Soon the sun had slipped down behind the trees and the moon had risen in the dusky sky. The two went down the geno breaker, hid it and took a short walk. Raven turned away from the highway and over toward a grassy hillock.
"I thought the inn was this way." Van said,
"It is!"
He turned to the gray-haired pilot and followed. "Then why are we traveling this way?"
Raven nodded curtly, "There's a surprise." He said with an edge of challenge, and called shadow to his side. The dark organoid quickly clamped him in and spirited him further over the hillock.
"Hey, no fair!" Van called out, and ran after him. If he hasn't fallen for Raven, he wouldn't have been more touched when he saw the tent. It was the largest and finest tent he had seen. Made with sturdy, warm colored fabric, it even had pennants waving from the sharp peaks at the top and corners. But when he pulled back the flaps and saw all the pillows---stack of pillows to replace the ones he had lost in the rain, he threw his head back and laughed.
"Why are you laughing? I had thought to please you." Raven frowned, and the noticed there is a particular uneasiness in Van's short laughter.
"Yes, yes you do. But Raven---" he paused, "WHERE did you buy all of these?"
"Why should I buy it, when I can steal it?"
"No!"
"Of course not, you idiot." Raven smiled smugly and rubbed the other pilot's spiky dark hair, his indigo eyes gazing warmly at him. "If I stole it, do you think I have time to set all this up by myself?" His look was so intent, that Van's breath was caught.
"I'll leave you to sleep," he sighed, then pulled back the flap on the tent. Van stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Wait, where are you going to sleep?"
"Outside.", he said gruffly.
"This is a marsh land, Raven. There's a fog on the damp ground. You'll tarnish your getup."
He gave Van a long look, and then rubbed his finger over his red-striped jaw and across his lips. He tucked a knuckle under his chin and said, "If I stay in here, I'll tarnish more than just my getup."
The other boy closed his eyes, knowing that this decision was his. He opened them and looked at him. "This would be the last night, huh?"
"I know," was all he said.
"Tomorrow we might----"
"Yes."
The silence hung between them. Finally Raven started to leave.
"Raven!"
He turned back,
"I think you shouldn't leave. I mean---you can stay with me. They'll understand." He muttered, "You are not wh--"
A second later, Raven held the other boy upon his arms, his passionate mouth on his and then shoved him gently down to the pillows, kissing him deeply, lovingly---not wanting to stop. "Hush," he gasped, in between the feather of kisses, "you-don't have to say it. I know, and I love you." A silent mutual consent has passed between them, and slowly there clothes fall away, hands wandering, feeling and reveling at each naked skin bared, Raven's fantastic mouth consuming him---reaching him where he'll pleasure him the most, making the most of the moment while it still lasts. Then he stretched up to kiss Van again, pausing briefly to nibble at his chest. His mouth smelled of him, of earth and ocean, and the brunette felt the sweet darkness curl again in his belly. Surely Raven can't bring him to that place again. And yet he found himself responding to him, felt the wetness flowing in him as he slipped his tongue in and out his mouth, in the same sultry rhythm he had when he have knelt before between his legs awhile ago.
Van felt a hardness brushing him, and felt Raven poised there where his mouth have been, as if he were seeking out once again his wetness. He wanted that that hardness within him, a full joining with him. He arched his hips up to meet him, so that his muscled stomach press against Raven's and the gray-haired pilot pushed against the entrance of him.
"In Zi's name, you are so goddamned beautiful." He whispered, reaching down to stroke the hardened core of his pleasure again. "Everything about you, your look---your smell--- your taste." He made a choked sound as he pushed inside of him.
Raven says strange things when he is on a verge of passion, "I am not---"
"Yes, you are Van. You are----and everything as if you're--" 'almost pure' he seem to mumble those words incoherently, and inaudibly as he bent down and kissed him, his mouth gentle and warm, yet his hardness was still strong and insistent, beginning a slow, sweet rhythm inside him.
Van curled his hips up against the other teen and let out a soft moan. "Not anymore", he managed, and then reached up to kiss him, and he could say nothing. They danced together, legs intertwined, as he moved inside him with slowness and sweetness he thought would surely drive him mad. Raven's body was hard against his---not just the sexual part of him, but his arms that pinned him gently beneath him, down the roundness of his buttocks. He shifted position, propping himself upright on his hands, and he felt a jolt of pleasure as he moved inside him.
"Gods, Raven!" he gasped, "Yes, there!"
The indigo eyes fluttered open and Raven laughed softly, his hips quickening slightly. "Like that?"
As he quickened, he followed him, dancing the ancient dance---slowly getting lost to the uncharted bliss, opening the torrential waves of heated passion building inside them and enveloping them both in a smoldering whirl wind of a wild bacchanal trance. Raven's expression starts to look hard, he was biting his lip and he was grunting, gasping, as his breath comes in short and shallow intervals. In any minute now, he would be ready. He gazed down at Van, and noticed the submissive look on the expression as if he would pass out in any moment now. Raven neared his face down to him, gently licking the red stripe mark below his left jaw.
"I want you with me, Van." Raven whispered, and reached a hand to toy him, stroking him intimately and briskly as moved inside him, faster, stronger. "---and to hell to what anyone thinks, I want you. I love you."
"Raven---"
There are tears in his eyes
The tempo of Raven's body increased and Van could think of nothing but the feel of the other teen's hips thrusting against his. Clutching his shoulders, he could feel the moment Raven's body was gripped by a violence that seemed to possess him. With a moan of passion, he twisted his fingers in his dark black strands and cried out his name. The impact of it took Van over the edge with him. A moment later, his body shuddered and he felt his own body quicken in response.
*****
Several moments passed, with neither of them saying anything, with only their heavy panting breaths echoing to the walls of the tent. Raven wondered if he, like him, was afraid to speak, as if by doing so the closeness, the beauty of what they had just shared would be gone. And when their breath slowed and their naked slick bodies cooled, Van fluttered his onyx-dark eyes open that set's Raven's heart beat pounding like a hammer in his chest. In one silent motion, he then wrapped his long slender arms around the brunette and brought his lips to the ear.
"Ebony. Sunset made your hair shine in deep ebony." He whispered,
He smiled, "Does that it mean its going to rain?"
Raven laughed softly, "That is WHY I purchased the tent." He rolled off Van, and leaned to his left side. Propping both arms to his head, he made a deep sigh as he gazed above the tent. "I like this tent, but I missed the stars---these past nights in the inns were lonely. I missed the sound of your breath and the stars above us."
Silently, Van rose from their bed and grabbed his weapon. In a flash he cut a square flap in the top of the tent. Then, he went back and lie beside the taller boy, looking at the hole from the top and gazing to the starry night sky, how Raven would like to kiss and take him again---
"There are your stars, Raven."
*****
They slept, curled together, for what felt like a long time. The sliver of light from the open flap of the tent above widened, spilling over their skin and across their faces like a yellow gold water color wash.
It woke Van first, and he gave the gray-haired boy a nudge. "Hey sleepyhead, I think it's getting late."
Raven's indigo eyes opened, and Van felt his heart break with sweetness. The taller boy smiled, "Hello, lover."
The brunette's face grew gently warm with the attention he is getting and he smiled shyly at him. "It's getting late." He repeated, "Maybe there would be more people seeing the geno breaker if we don't leave now."
Raven yawned and stretched, and Van privately noted that the sight of the firm, slender and pale body was quite aesthetically appealing. So much so, in fact, that he regretted the notion of leaving the tent. It would be much nicer to stay there, to take pleasure with him again and then sleep again. Then his stomach rumbled angrily, chasing any notion of staying in the tent from his mind. They would have to leave, to find their way back where he belong---and Raven, back to his world. And it would be back to the usual rules and logical order the mercenary have long lived by. Trying not TO think that everything would be back the way it was before, he quickly stood up and starts to get dressed.
"We are going to leave now?" Raven said almost irritated, not wanting to let him go. "And you're dressing up in your uniform already?"
Van didn't reply immediately, "Yeah, I have an image to keep to."
"Sure you do, Lieutenant Flyheight," he mumbled, "--sure you do."
Raven is starting to feel jealous.
"I'm going to go outside now,"
"Sure, I'll follow shortly."
So that was love. It was what not he had expected. What they had done this time does not seem to be just a casual trade of pleasure that he was giving to him this past week. This time he found himself caring what he thought of him and hoping he was pleased by him---and it's just not about the sex, or how many times he made his knees weak with the passionate kisses he gave. Just as he realized that his feelings for Van have grown to something deeper and special, Raven noticed that he also have to face the harsh reality: Van will also eventually leave. They have their own different worlds, he belong to the side of justice and of the guardian force--- while he belonged to the dark world where he knew no rules, and chaos is just a part of daily routine, taking orders-destroying military fortresses and the like. Van would live a happy life even without him---with no regrets, and he, will succumb to insanity eventually with all the things in the past back to haunt him. He belongs in an isolated jail cell, and Van belonged to the outside world.
Perhaps Raven could find a way to live in such a world, as well. The thought made him feel like a songbird choosing to go live in a cage. But how else would he be with Van? He was quite affirmative that he wanted very, very much to be with Van Flyheight.
The young lieutenant was kneeling on the ground outside, looking distracted as he ran his hands appraisingly within their things and found a couple of bottles of liquor that Raven stacked along the journey. "It's all her fault you know," he said, looking up at Raven with a smile on his face. "They say- --in wine there is truth. And sometimes the truth could be wanton---yet beautiful."
"She'll give your heart's desire or drive you mad with longing's fire." Raven replied, quoting a line in a poem. Van was astonished, his eyes widened as he looked at the taller boy, he never thought that Raven would be the romantic type. The gray-haired teen ignored the look and continued, observing him with the cool indigo eyes, "It's the truth isn't it? I think she's done both."
Van felt a shiver of pleasure that crept down to his bones. "Was what we did madness, then?"
"Absolutely," Raven said, sounding pleased. "You made me as mad as you are, Van Flyheight."
"You are already mad to begin with when we first met." He replied, shaking his head.
Raven didn't answer; he didn't know what's wrong with him. He should be retorting to his remark, but he felt unsure and nervous, afraid for the first time in his life that his happiness was about to slip from his fingers before he had truly known it. "Yes, I am definitely. But I'm much madder now, that's what I needed." He said, and then the brunette leaned forward to give him a quick and loud kiss on the cheek. "Hey, what did you do that for?" Raven roared, as the other boy stood up and ran.
"Come on and prepare your things Raven! I'm going to make you mad!" he teased, but averted any long eye contact with him.
Raven felt a stab in his throat, "Again?"
"Once we are near there, I'm going to let you escape with your geno breaker. As soon as everybody else sees you, just pretend we are into a fight and that you hit me in the guts and I'll pretend to be unconscious. Then you make your escape, get everything you got and just go. You can slip past my friends if you take the route above from the east, but there will be some hard offensive---but since you are pretty good in dodging anything that comes along your way, I guess you'll be just fine. "
Raven bit his pale lip. He wanted to cry out, to fall into Van's arms and beg him to take him with him. Even if he had to be put in jail, he didn't care. But there was no sense in behaving like an arrogant cynical hard case, if he conducted himself by shedding some of his sarcasm and his bad attitude, perhaps Van would see that he is capable of doing better things in life than destroying military bases and blasting zoids. To be a very dependable---friend. That was he wanted, wasn't it? To live by his side, and look after him---and share their secrets late into the night?
He only knew he could not bear to lose him now that he had realized his feelings for him, "Yes, you are right." Raven said, forcing a reasonable tone.
"Geez, Raven---are you alright? You don't regret what happened this whole week with me, do you?" He touched his cheek, and his voice was soft, a caress.
Raven shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut to force back tears. "No, of course not. It was---it was nice knowing you."
He smiled at that and gave him a mock punch on the shoulder, his face vibrant and alive. "That's what I was hoping you'd say. Look sharp then! We're heading home!"
They were dressed and moderately respectable-looking within twenty minutes. Raven took out his geno breaker cautiously and he has to keep his voice low when he called for Shadow. He helped Van pack quickly and managed to come up with enough space to where it would be all kept in. When the last bag was crammed in, and with one re-filled water container slung over one shoulder, he called him out. "Right then, off we go."
"Okay, let's hurry up. Remember what I told you!" Van exclaimed, and walk past the other boy's shoulder. He is smiling, and Raven sensed there is something wrong with it. The other boy is avoiding the conversation about the point where they have to part ways. /He is trying to act upbeat and positive---he doesn't want me to worry. He is just like me, he does not know what do from this point forward----/
"Look Van, maybe I did not have to do all those horseshit." He muttered, "I can get away, scot-free without blasting a zoid or two---they wouldn't suspect you a thing or two you know."
"Nah, it isn't your style Raven---" he said, pausing just in front of the cock pit, not turning around to face the other boy. His fists was clenched tight and he was glancing down the ground,
The taller boy took a few steps closer, lifting a slender eyebrow, "My style isn't what?"
"Fair---You always been not fair, right?" He tried to force a chuckle, closest to normalcy as possible. But he can't, and Raven noticed that the other boy's voice is trembling. "Van---"
The young lieutenant fell to his knees and punched his right fist to the zoid, "----not fair! It's not fair!" he cried, shutting his eyes to restrain tears from falling down his cheeks. "It does not have to end like this, Raven!" he said once again, as he pound his fist once more against the solid red steel. If shadow wasn't accustomed to Van's presence or if Raven hasn't been there, he could have set the red zoid to roll and crush Van right now.
However, the gray-haired pilot knows what the other boy feels, and come up to him, wrapping his long slender arms around him. "Hush---I know," he whispered against his ear, his own eyes in a verge of quiet tears. "I don't want this to end too---I can't---I just can't bring myself to leave you."
Van turned around and burrowed his face at the taller boy's chest, and he continued to cry, and Raven still holding him tight, stroking his dark spiky hair as he himself tries to choke back tears by looking up in the sky. Murmuring consoling words that he could think of, soon enough he find himself crying with him too.
He really realized now, that to really love someone he has to let it go. Van is right, what they did is madness. It is wonderful and painful at the same time. So painful, that he didn't know if he'll ever learn to feel the same madness again. He did not want to feel that pain---not anymore.
After several minutes, cradling each other tight, Raven is the first to break away from the grip. "Stop being a wuss, it's getting late." He tried to say stiffly, but his hurting gaze said otherwise. "Get your gear moving and let's go."
"Yes, I supposed you are right." The other boy agreed, and rubbed the tears away. He forced a reasonable smile, "There's no time to waste."
*****
They arrived near the military fort late that afternoon, and Raven's geno breaker did get some unwanted attention from passer bys and some soldiers--- dodging a couple of ammunition from some watch outs here and there until they ran out of fire. Raven and Van cared not, for they rode the same geno breaker, squeezed into one cock pit, stopping so very often to exchange kisses and lingering looks of love.
Raven anticipated that the worst is just about to come, just several feet away they spotted the all familiar lighting saix and di bison in their offensive.
"Beek must have detected the thermal presence of the zoid." Van said, "What are you going to do?"
"NOT kill them." Raven replied, with a small sardonic smile. In a quick move to impress flyheight, he have both pinchers of his geno breaker crunching both zoids in no time. He was tempted to fire them away but he didn't, and threw them aside instead.
"See, I told you." He said afterwards, feeling pleased with himself. "They are not so badly hurt as it looks, I'll do whatever it takes to bring you home and no one is going to stop me---"
"Raven---"
They arrived shortly by the military base, and it caused to sound some alarm, Raven cursed loudly as zoids and soldiers starts spilling from nowhere to get into positions.
"Raven, I'll take it from here." Van said bravely, "Just do what I told you- ---they won't hurt you as long as they see me safe."
"No." he said, his voice firm and set. "I'm not going to leave you, Van."
"Don't be stubborn!" the other boy protested, his voice full of anger and worry. "They will do what it takes to get you----you might even get yourself killed!"
Raven wanted to say, 'so be it.'
"You said it yourself---they won't hurt me as long as they see you safe." He said, looking at Van---his gaze slowly softened, "I want to see you safe- --even for the last time."
*****
"Colonel, Sir! The geno breaker is not attacking!"
Col. Schubaltz already knows why, "Yes it won't. Have all the troops in stand by for my orders."
"Sir?"
/Flyheight is with him, I know it. /
"But---" the officer protested, "The Di bison and the lighting saix are knocked out by that zoid, it could be very dangerous and we don't know what it'll destroy next!"
"AND I said, have all troops to stand by for my orders!" he barked, "Just make sure that Irvine and Lt. Schubaltz are safe---"
"Y-yes sir!"
He wasn't surprised what happened next, one of the soldiers was astonished to find Raven slowly dismounting from his cockpit---and that the missing Lieutenant is with him.
"Sir! Lt. Van Flyheight is with him! I think he is being held hostage!"
/ 'Collaborate' is a much appropriate term. / He can't forget the information his brother sent him to confirm his suspicion. It even involved an odd situation when Thomas even recorded Van and Raven happily tackling in the mud. He wondered if they have 'collaborated' in a different odd new level----
With a curse he shook the errant thoughts from his head, probably week long duration with Raven might have inflict Van with a Stockholm syndrome. / A common case of soldiers' captive in war./
"Men, hold your positions." He ordered, "I'm going out."
*****
Van's assumption was correct, everyone holds their offenses as Raven slowly dismounted from the geno breaker and helped him down, even pausing to hold him a moment longer than necessary. He truly does not want to let him go.
"You can cry now you know." He tried to joke to him, but Raven's indigo eyes narrowed immensely instead, frowning.
"I won't cry." He said tersely, "I would prefer fainting instead."
Van laughed.
The big metal fortress' gate's swung open and a bevy of red-horns bearing the imperial army's insignia and the flag of the 1st panzer unit with an iron Kong MK II trotted down the sandy ground and encircled them. Van noticed a gleaming metal is tugging along iron Kong, and he noticed it was Zeke.
"Zeke! Buddy!"
The metal organoid have its doubt running to him, and like a jealous child- it let out a small furious roar and stayed firmly beside the saber fang. 'Must have been Raven. I will get him to understand later.'
Some of the pilots dismount from their red horns to see if the lieutenant is okay, and they greeted Flyheight, relieved to see him okay. Then figure from the saber fang finally emerged from the cock pit, and came down the steps. "Colonel Schubaltz, sir!" Van saluted, and then rushed into him.
Raven went still as stone. His angry gaze met Karl's. Slowly he strode beside Van until he himself is facing the Imperial Army Colonel. The tension grew thick and hung like a fog in the air. Slowly, the other voices tapered off.
"Col. Karl Schubaltz." Raven snapped,
Karl's sharp green gaze didn't signal any cordial greeting for Van nor was it any good news for Raven. What he said that moment will be an eventual shock to everyone else with them right now.
"I have my duty to arrest both of you, and I mean, that includes you, Van Flyheight."
There was a moment of puzzled silence as Van looked to the ashen blonde colonel. His face fell and Raven could see his reaction, "Van has nothing to do with this." Raven said icily. "It's me that you want."
Karl ignored him, "How long have you been with him?"
"Just a week! B-but Colonel---"
"You resist the rescue team effort of your fellow GF team members, if what Lt. Schubaltz and Irvine said is true. Am I correct?"
Van felt a heated rush crawling to his face, is Karl accusing him of something? "Y-yes, sir."
"And all these time, you prefer to be with this mercenary?" He continued coldly, never removing his angry green gaze to what he is suspecting all along, "Do you know the penalty for fraternizing with the enemy and collaboration, Lieutenant Flyheight?"
"NO!" he answered defiantly, "It is not what you think it is! I'm not betraying anybody!"
"Arrest them."
"How could you?" Van cried, "How could you do this, Col. Schubaltz? Why don't you try listening to my side of the story?!"
"I had no choice, Flyheight. It was for your own good."
Raven had it, anger coursed into his veins---this damn Schubaltzes. Both Thomas and Karl, they just can't keep their heads out of other's business. He won't have it their way; no way are they going to take Van into prison--- even if they'll be together in it. He didn't belong there; he only got involved with him by accident. There is all to it.
Involved. Deeply and personally involved.
Thomas was right, he is relishing the thought of getting involved with Van Flygheight in every minute they spent. Raven never told the other boy about it, for the fear he might misunderstood what it meant. But he can't help it- --not right now.
He saw the group of imperial soldiers reluctantly forwarding to Van, "Stop!"
The soldiers froze; Raven is glaring to them like daggers in their throats. "Go any inch near him, and everyone will answer to me!"
/He is protecting Flyheight---the nerve, /
"You have the right to remain silent, Raven!" The colonel snapped, "If you and Flyheight do anything---"
Raven cut in abruptly with a sardonic laugh, "Ha!" and he gazed at Karl insolently, "Thomas is right; you don't want me to have him----old man!"
The imperial army colonel have it with Raven's arrogance and insult, and it was one of those scary moments is when he snaps---on which it RARELY happens for no one sees him do it before. He cursed and charged and then his fist hit Raven square in the chin and flattened him to the ground. "Van Flyheight is ours!"
"Fuckin' bloody hell, he is!" Raven roared up and tackled the bigger and much muscular Karl. They rolled in the dirt, punching and shouting, calling each other names that the other soldiers around them swore they could have never heard or seen from their stoic imperial army officer. Karl jumped to his feet and so did Raven. "Thomas has sent me everything you told him, you want to get involved with Flyheight so you can just access information and get anything you want! Don't you think WE don't know what you are thinking?"
Van gasped, Raven stared at him wordlessly, /No-----/
"YOU sent those damn red horns!" he gritted, returning Karl a darker glare.
The colonel wiped his mouth, "They have instructions to capture both you two but not to kill you."
Van winced, his expression ranged from hurting and confused. /WHAT the hell are those two talking about? / He felt a nudge on his shoulder, and he realized Zeke is there.
"Zeke---" he mumbled, "Help me put an end to this, buddy---"
He watched Raven see red and flew at Karl, and they tumbled again, each trying to get each other. Karl straddled Raven and had his hands upon his throat while he shouted.
"Stop!!!!" Van shouted, "Stop it both of you!"
The next thing they knew, a long metallic tail swerved at their heads. Zeke knocked Karl off from Raven and the silver organoid swerved again with a metallic roar, hitting the gray-haired pilot this time on the head. The colonel released his grasp at the other boy and coughed, rolling away to the ground, while Raven shook his own head to feel if it's intact and stared at Van.
Zeke ran back beside Van with an angry hissing sound, and the brunette glared at both of them.
"Colonel Schubaltz, no way I'm going to let YOU take me."
Raven grinned.
"And you can wipe that foolish smile off your mouth, RAVEN, because I'm not yours either!" His fists are tightly clenched and he was gritting his words as he speaks, while his deep-onyx colored eyes are so filled with disappointment and rage. They seem to penetrate like a swerving knife to their hearts. "I'm not some fuckin' zoid eve for you foolish men to wage war over! I don't belong to either of you!! Do you hear me?"
Both men stared at him in dumbfounded silence.
Van continued however, "---and you can cease your fighting because neither of you will win. I'm not going to anyone of you! Neither of you!! And Colonel, you don't have to arrest me---I'm going to leave the military and the guardian force myself!" And with that pronouncement he turned around furiously and ran inside the military base, with Zeke in tow following him.
Raven watched as the figure ran away until it faded into a distance, watched by the aghast audience of soldiers. And he never felt alone at that moment than he had ever in his hard solitary life. He felt words slip from his mouth unconsciously,
"I didn't mean to say it--- I thought---I'm trying to protect you."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
/Idiot---I told him I won't cry. /
-continued-