Chp.7

"Van!" Irvine yelled as the dark headed pilot slowly opened his eyes.

"I-Irvine?" Van said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, it's me. Thank god. For a while there we thought you weren't gonna make it. You sure lost a lot of blood," Irvine said. Van pulled himself up to a sitting position and looked around.

"Where am I?" Van asked a bit dazed.

"In the room you were in when we found you," Irvine said. Van focused his eyes and saw Moonbay rumaging through his suitcase to find him some clothes for him.

"uh-hey-get outta-" Van began, but he was a few seconds too late. Moonbay found the small box he would always bring in the bottom of his suitcase. He had bought a long time ago, but he never got the guts to present it.

"What's this?" Moonbay cocked an eyebrow and opened the little box, and her eyes grew wide. There was a beautiful ring in the box with a heart shaped diamond in the middle and two tiny ruby doves on the side. She looked up at Van who looked away with a sad smile on his face.

"I kinda bought that for Fiona when I was eighteen. I uh-never got the guts to give it to her," Van said.

"Oh, Van," Moonbay had the sparkly tear eyes that most girls would get when they heard something romantic. Moonbay wasn't one of those girls, but the moment was just too sweet and sad to pass up.

"Here," Irvine handed Van a white t-shirt, brown jeans, and some white tennis shoes. Van took them and slid them over his wrapped up body.

"I'm going now," Van said and started to leave.

"Hey! You're the injured one! You should stay here!" Irvine said sternly.

"I'm fine. I'm going to go find Fiona," Van said. Irvine opened his mouth to object but realised how useless that was. Van was persistant, espiacally when it came to Fiona, and he wouldn't let anyone stop him.

"Fine, but I'm going with you," Irvine said and walked up behind him.

"Me too," Moonbay said and walked up too.

"Alright, it's not like we have to leave the house or anything. He might be smart, but he ain't that smart," Van said and walked out of the room muttering. Zeke caught on and followed too.

~~~~~

"Poor girl," McMann said. "She's a lovely woman. How dare anyone treat her so horribly? I really hope Van gets here soon. If Hiltz finds us, who knows what'll happen?" He walked around the corner and sat down when she winced.

"No, Van," Fiona whispered in her slumber.

"Oh, Fiona," McMann said sadly. "He'll be here soon."

~~~~~~

"Damn, where is he?" Van muttered as he entered the ballroom.

"Looking for me?" Van looked up and saw Hiltz sitting on the stair post. Zeke growled at Ambient who just ignored him.

"Where's Fiona, Hiltz?" Van demanded angrilly.

"Yeah, and how're you still alive?" Irvine said angrilly.

"So you want to know how I lived through your attack, eh?" Hiltz grinned. "It's simple really. You destroyed the zoid core, but it was sort of an armor per say. It protected me enough from death though it did leave a very painful scar. It was only afterward that I learned about the reviving of the Death Saurer by the child of an Ancient Zoidian, and I decided I would get revenge while I was at it and take Fiona as my bride. It was a simple task of winning her over, and all I had to do was make her believe it was destiny and act like you."

"You used her?" Van's eyebrows narrowed and his fists clenched so tight his nuckles turned pale. "Let me tell you something about destiny…. Your destiny is to die here today by my bare hands!!!" Van was screaming and seemed like all but his usual self. "That was the final straw, and you just sent me off the deep end!" Van charged at him. "So burn in hell….WHERE YOU BELONG!!!!" Van punched Hiltz hard in the face. Hiltz even flew a few feet before landing.

Unfortunately, it only left him with a nose bleed, lip bleed, nasty bruise, and a very bad attitude. "Ambient," Hiltz signaled. Van turned around just in time for Ambient to whack him with his tail in the spot where he was injured. Van fell backward and bumped his head on the first three stairs before landing slanted with his head on the marble floor. Van cried out in pain as blood spilled from his side and the back of his head.

"Van," Irvine started to go over, but the spiky haired pilot staggered up again.

"No, I'm going to kill him," Van said. His breathing was heavy and his steps were weak, but he would not stay down. No one was positive if he was even still alive, or running of his anger and hatred for Hiltz. The trail of blood he was leaving kind of led that supision.

"Go ahead and try," Hiltz said getting to his feet and grinning like Van hadn't even gotten a hit out of him yet.

Van charged screaming out.

~~~~~

"Van!" Fiona rose up from McMann's arms. "Put me down," She demanded, and he did as told. "Oh, Van, you're killing yourself," She whispered as she ran down the hall leaving McMann baffled.

~~~~

Van hit the wall and slid down it, leaving a stain of red. He pulled himself up again. He was breathing quite heavily, and it shook quite a bit. "Hiltz…." He ran forward screaming again and kicked Hiltz against the staircase. "Die." He pulled his dad's knife out and held it in the air above Hiltz's heart. He stabbed, but Hiltz rolled out of the way. Van's reflexes were getting slower.

"No!" Moonbay screamed as Hiltz stood up and stomped on Van so that he fell onto the stairs. She ran over and pushed him out of the way with her head. Hiltz grabbed her arm and flung her across the room. She hit the wall and screamed out, then fell unconsious.

"Moonbay!" Irvine yelled and attacked Hiltz. He managed to get in quite a few good shots at his stomach, knee, and face, but Hiltz tripped him and kicked him over next to Moonbay.

"I guess that's that," Hiltz smirked.

"N-n-not quite," Van stuttered weakly as he pulled himself up on shaky legs. "I'll never die. Not unless you're goin' with me!" Van charged and butted him in the stomach with his head.

"I don't get it. Why won't you die?!" Hiltz yelled.

"It's called love. You wouldn't know anything about it. You hurt them. Irvine," He glanced at Irvine. "Moonbay," He glanced at her. "And Fiona," He looked back at Hiltz with a flame burning in his eyes. "Let me show you what love is all about!" Van lifted up his knife. It trembled in his weak hands, but he would not stop. He flung the knife down right into Hiltz's heart.