I sat on the edge of the bed in the little wooded cabin Naomi and I were "borrowing" to hide and rest in. I was exhausted. It had been three days since we took off. I couldn't help but feel guilty about Samantha, but…I won't give her up on only a possibility. How am I supposed to know she isn't crazy? I don't even know what's real anymore.
Naomi held out a plate of crackers.
"Eat." She ordered lifelessly, sitting down next to me.
"I'm not hungry." I wasn't, I felt sick, guilty and confused, food was the last thing I wanted now. She gave me a poke in the side.
"Eat, I know they taste like crap but you need to eat something." She repeated as I took one, defeated.
Naomi let out a sigh and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling and leaving the plate on her stomach. I looked down at her.
"Nani?" I asked as she opened her eyes slowly.
"I'm sorry.."
"Huh? Why?"
"For everything. I'm sorry that I took you away from your team, your friends, it's all my fault…I'm sorry…." She said as I pushed a piece of dark red hair away from her face.
"Naomi, It's no-one's fault. It was my choice to take you…you did nothing wrong." I told her.
"I still feel bad." She said as I shook my head,
"Don't. Look, I don't know what we're going to do. We have to leave this place soon, there's a small town about sixty miles from here, we can stay there a little, but after that…Nao-chan, we have to go back sometime…" I told her as she tensed.
"But…I don't want to leave you." She said sounding hurt as I took a deep breath.
"Nothing in this fucked up world makes sense, but…for sure, I know that we will end someday, everything good does, either in death, or life." Her nose crinkled angrily.
"So in other words your looking for a poetic, grand way to dump me now, right?"
"No. Uh!" I let out a frustrated sigh, "Naomi, I don't want to break up with you, but if you are Nakuru, and Samantha finds him…Nathan, I…I want you to go with him," Naomi's mouth opened and closed slightly as she looked for what to say.
"But, I'm not Nakuru, I can't be…"
"Naomi-chan, what if Sam is right, you don't know if she is or not. But…If she is…I want you to give up on me and go back to who you were. Because…I know Nathan loves you as much as I do." I told her, my hands clenched tightly, this was all so hard for me to say.
"Fine." She said quietly, standing up and scooping Morgana into her arms. "Let's go already."
—*—
I sat with Naomi and Morgana in the ShadowFox, Naomi hadn't spoken more than three words to me since our discussion. I couldn't bear to call it a fight. She just sat there, staring at one of the screens, not dazed, focusing.
"Slow down, look." She said putting a finger next to an abnormality in the brush. "We're being trailed. This is maybe the third time I saw it, not just my eyes, huh?"
"Who is it though? The ZBC? A search party perhaps."
"Nah, neither of their styles. They don't do sneaky, it's either independents or our favourites."
"The Backdraft." It wasn't a question.
"Hellcats in stealth, can you get an infrared?" She asked as I nodded, punching in the command. Naomi bit her lip, we were surrounded in a 'U' shape, leading us straight.
"Shit. Keep moving and look for a gap in their numbers and formation, run for it then ambush."
"Hn, Don't you think we're a little outnumbered?" I hissed as she shook her head.
"Nah, we've got stealth on our side, isn't that right ShadowFox? We can take 'em right?" The Fox let out a yip of assurance. "Just keep going, don't let them know we've noticed them, now go a little faster, looking for the gap, go past it then back, letting out the smoke, and take out some kitties."
I obeyed till she pointed to the break we were looking for. Smoke billowed from the ShadowFox's dischargers, as it plowed through enemy Hellcats.
"Ta-da, no Hellcats now go."
I looked at the rear monitors— there were many 'Cats following us. We were promptly surrounded.
"Oh…Shit…"I said as Naomi gripped my shoulder. I backed the 'Fox into the cover of a big tree.
"Who are you and what is your business?!" I demanded, seeing Polta before me on the vid-screen.
"Hand over the girl!"
"What do you want with her?!"
"I don't ask, I carry out my orders, now surrender her or die trying to protect her!" I shut off the link and turned to Naomi.
"Get out."
"Na-Na--Ni!?!?" She exclaimed falling back a bit.
"Get out, they're after you, I'll take care of them while you escape on foot, I'll meet you at the town as soon as I can. It's only about 3 miles from here."
"But Brad, there are too many of them for you to handle…" She started as I kissed her to make her stop.
"Go. I'll be fine. When I let out the flare, climb into the tree when I open the cockpit. Hurry." She nodded and climbed to the other side of me.
"Stay here." She said to Morgana who meowed, "Protect him."
I Let out the flare and jammed their systems and opened the cockpit, giving Naomi what I thought was to be our last kiss.
"I'll always love you." I whispered, watching her climb into the tree, cautiously. "Farewell" I said because I was not intending to survive.
—*—
I ran from the battle sire, through the forest. My heart pounded in my chest, so hard I could hear it in my ears, but I wasn't tired, not at all. I ran till I reached a small stream. I hunched over, breathing deeply, listening for sounds of machinery or foot-troops. Nothing, but the sounds of birds chirping and the wind in the trees. I knelt and cupped my hands in the water, bringing it up to my lips, pushing away all my health concerns like 'What pissed in this?' or 'What is really in this water?' and 'Do I really want to know what is in this water?'. I stood quickly, set to run another twenty miles, even though I only had about two to go. I hopped my way across the stream and jumped onto the other bank. I moved a bit, the mixed rocks crunching noisily under my feet.
I halted again, hearing a rustle in a tree. I looked around and saw him. He was sitting in a tree, he was young, late teens--my age--or how I looked, maybe a little older. He too, looked up. The teenager had startlingly beautiful blue-silver eyes and dark brown hair pushed behind his ears with a few longer pieces in front, a lighter shade of golden brown. He wore simple blue jeans with a hole in one knee and a black T-shirt.
His eyes lit up when he focused on me, giving the impression of being sort of surprised.
"Nakuru?" He asked looking harder at me, pushing back one of the small pieces hanging in his eyes. "Is that you?" He dropped down effortlessly from the tree. He looked very tall, maybe 6 foot 4 or 5 but more long, and pretty skinny. I froze and shuddered a little. I could almost feel his eyes going through me. /Nakuru?!/
"It is you! That's your AM!" He exclaimed happily.
/AM?!/
"Nakuru, It's me! Nathan!" He smiled widely, stepping closer.
"No. My name is Naomi not Nakuru or whatever," I said as he shook his head.
"Nakuru…I've found you, after all this time…" I could see tears in his eyes and was not struck with a pang of guilt but a brick wall going 12o KPH.
I couldn't stop shaking as I backed up.
"N-no."
"It's okay, love, You just don't remember. I'm sure you don't remember anything about Kerodayvania or whatever happened before. Earth? Do you remember Earth?"
"I know what you're talking about, Samantha told me. I think you and her both are insane."
"Samantha? Then you've already disabled your AM?…" He went on trying to get closer as I kept backing away.
/'Samantha?' He doesn't remember his own sister? He doesn't care?? Something's not right…./
I backed up until my foot landed in the cold water and I drew it out hastily, jumping forward slightly. I looked him dead in the eye as another breeze came through and his hair blew away from his cheek. The scar was burned into my memory and it could only belong to one person.
/Him./
"Omae…" I hissed as he stopped and looked at me funny.
"Huh?"
"Cameron…"
"Really?" He asked as he gave a cold smile that look so out of place on Nathan's face. His shape began to change and modify itself, he grew shorter and his hair darker….
A young boy stood before me, he was familiar. I knew it well.
"Am I?" Cameron, now using Vega Obscura's body asked innocently. He grew again, shifting to Dr. Leyon, then Bit, Samantha, Jaime…he changed until he stood before me 'in his own skin' so to speak.
He was tall, though not as tall as Nathan was, and a bit stocky. The scar shone on his cheek, and a slight shadow of stubble lined his jaw.
"Hello Nakuru." He said narrowing is cold, dark eyes, in a voice that was drenched in hatred, evil and malice.
"Naomi."
"Oh yes, that's what you like to be called now, isn't it? So…what are you doing way out here? All alone, too…how sad. Humans are social creatures, you shouldn't be all by yourself, you know?" He said clucking his tongue.
"Bastard." I hissed as he smiled cruelly.
"Well at least out here, all alone, no-one can hear you scream.
I stood up taller, suddenly not feeling scared.
"Really? I can hear you just fine, and I'll relish every last one till you die." I moves my opened palm away from my leg and made a fist, concentrating on my target: Cameron. I crouched quickly then charged at him, quicker than he'd expected, my fist connecting solidly with his cheek. He stumbled back a step or so, and let out a low chuckle.
"Not bad but that human body is nothing compared to me." He said giving his cheek a slight rub for effect.
He swiftly made a move and disappeared. I turned, knowing he would attack from behind. My foot connected with his forearm, and I used his excess momentum to flip him. Cameron vanished again. I listened and saw him out of the corner of my eye and dodged quickly. He charged on foot this time , I timed it quickly, grabbing his arm and flipping him again. I took the opportunity to run, making it to the edge of the trees before he appeared before me.
"You stupid bitch!" He yelled, fuming, bringing his arm down. It was too late to duck. I hit the ground brutally, landing on my wrist and twisting it painfully. I held back a cry as he grabbed it, holding it tightly.
"Scream Nakuru, go ahead, no-one can hear you!!" He growled gripping it harder as I felt and heard one of the two bones in my lower arm let out a sickening snap, then the other gave out as well. Painful tears filled my eyes and through the haze I saw Nathan and Nakuru in their final embrace. My wrist throbbed, and pounded with pain.
"Never. I will never give you the satisfaction you sick FUCK!"
Cameron looked down at me and gave me an almost sad, thoughtful, look, trailing a finger down from y temple to my chin, then violently brought his other arm downward onto the other side of my head.
—black—
A/N: Naomi Hunter here. Chapter 13. Well what do you think? Feed back please, someone read!
DISC: I own nothing but Aki owns Sam, Nate, Brett, Brontie, Dawson, Snow Husky, Command Fox, We both own Cameron, I won Nakuru and Mystickal Thymes owns Morgana the cat. Nyo. Zoids itself is owned by TOMY, na?
Well Mata ne.
--Naomi Hun†er
