My Morphine

Chapter 15: Her Mirror.

Mizuno whistled innocently, dressed in Imperial garb, standing in front of a closet door. He looked nervously behind him at the sound of a few thumps.

"What the hell are you doing in there?!" He hissed to his sister.

"Fuck you! It's just a little dark and her outfit's not exactly a slip-on/slip-off thing!" She growled back.

With a few more thumps Mizuno cracked open the door a smidge to give her some light but instead 'Elise Lynette' tumbled out, pulling on her right boot.

"What the fuck did you do that for!" She snarled as he grinned.

"Temper, temper, Elise Lynette." He said as she glared and smoothed her clothing. She straightened her back and turned out her hands, brushing her hair from her face.

"C'mon-" Mizuno cleared his throat. "I mean…" She made her voice sweeter and added some pep. "I mean, Come along, now Lieutenant."

"Yes, ma'am!" He saluted professionally. They entered the main hangar and caught the workers by surprise.

"Miss Fiona!" They cried. "W-what are you doing, honoring us with your presence! So unexpectedly, at that!"

"I wish to inspect the Storm Sworder Stealth Type; the Triple S." Meara said through her false form.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Fiona? Will we be needing them? We can get them modified and improved--"

"Insolence!" She said, narrowing her eyes. "You will speak when I tell you to."

They looked between themselves and decided to nod.

"Good." Her lips stretched into an malevolent smile. "Lieutenant? Please inspect the Triple S-es."

"Right away, ma'am!" Mizuno said with another salute, giving her a look.

"Now…troops? Hm…what can you do…?" She pressed a manicured finger to her lips in thought. "I know. Let's see…I'd like for you all to spin around on your tippy toes like a ballerina."

The soldiers looked between themselves again then slowly obeyed. Meara cackled and threw her head back, then doubled over laughing moreso. Her brother smirked from the platform while equipping the two Triple S models. The slightly petty brunette gave them hundreds of commands until Mizuno cleared his throat.

"Ma'am? Time to put 'em to bed!" He called down as she pouted.

"And I was having so much fun. Oh well." She smiled wickedly and blew the troops a kiss. "Time to go beddy-bye!"

Her guise melted, leaving herself before them. As a falcon, she flew up to the second Triple S and Mizuno revealed his staff. The orb glowed at his touch and shimmery light covered the soldiers and they slumped in their places. Meara smirked and settled herself into the seat of the black Storm Sworder as the other settled in his.

Her slender hand clutched the radio. "Raven? Come in. Mission Complete. We are talking off. Over."

( ~…~ is intercom talk.)

Meara let out a excited shriek as she sped up, willing the Storm Sworder to do flips, dives and other aerial stunts that made her brother fuss over her.

"Be Careful!!!" He yelled, accelerating to catch up.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She laughed, scanning the maps.

~Meara, Mizuno, state your coordinates.~ Raven said over the link.

~We're gettin' there. Coordinates are G-A-203.~ Meara answered.

~Less than 13 minutes to target site.~ Mizuno added.

~Good, report in when you are 5 minutes in range, over.~

The two black Storm Sworders traveled on the brink of the sound barrier.

Meara opened the link again. ~Raven, come in, the Triple S-es are 5 minutes to Red River.~

~Good. We'll begin the assault now! Over and out.~

They continued on to the Red River base, surveying the Geno-Breaker, Dibison, and the Geno-Saurer battling fiercely with the Republican troops that were being deployed. They slipped past unnoticed, since no Pteras Strikers or Bombers were sent out. The Storm Sworders hovered gracefully over the roof as they set the Zoids up as Sleeper-Decoys. The two pilots jumped down and slipped into the building.

——

Fiona sat in a lavishly decorated sitting room, sipping a cup of salty coffee. A lowly soldier ran into the room, catching her attention.

"Miss Fiona! The rebels are advancing and preparing to attack us! We are in the process of retaliating, on your word!"

"What?! You fools! How dare you let them slip past our defensive lines!" She screeched, throwing the cup and saucer at him. "You Idiots, you imbeciles! How dare you ask me to retaliate! Nitwits! Of course you are to strike back!"

"Y-yes, Ma'am!" He fumbled racing from the room.

"Fiona! What's going on!?" Irvine demanded, entering with Van in tow.

"What do you think!? Raven and the others are attacking! I told you we should have killed them when we had the chance!" She spat venomously. "Now get out there and destroy them! Destroy them now!!" She commanded as Van hesitated.

"R-raven? Are you sure it's him?"

"Yes I'm sure, you moron! I said annihilate him!! Prove your devotion to me, Van!"

The pilot vacillated still, then nodded slowly, turning and going by Irvine. The mercenary narrowed his eye at her and she glared back.

"I said GO!" She barked as he turned hastily.

"Pfft. Fine, but not for you." He said staring forlornly at Van walking slowly down the hallway.

As soon as he'd left she brought her hands up to her chest and fled to her room. /They're here…if they penetrate my main line they'll be even closer to me…they mustn't prevail!/ She thought, crawling into her haven.

Irvine ran after Van and caught his arm.

"Hey…you gonna be okay?" He asked softly as he looked up to him….no through him. He gripped his arm tighter, staring into his dulled eyes. "Van? Van? Van?" The pilot blinked slowly and pulled away, climbing into the Blade Liger.

"Zeke!" He called, the Organoid merging with the Zoid.

/What the hell is going on?/ Irvine wondered, jumping into the Lightning Saix, following the handsome pilot.

The two Zoids raced onto the battle field to see the Geno-Breaker, Dibison, and Geno-Saurer tearing through their troops. The armor and parts of Zaber Fangs, Command Wolves, Gunsnipers, Shield Ligers, Godoses, Gogulases and several other types of Zoids littered the battle field and flaming Pterases and Redlars streaked the sky. They sped to the enemy Zoids and faced their foes.

"R…Raven?" Van said, his voice shaky. "Raven is that you…? Raven please stop this…I love you…don't make me hurt you…"

Irvine trembled, feeling mortally wounded by the words he knew were too true. He clenched his teeth and charged blindly into their fire, leaving Van to weep. The Lightning Saix fired at the Geno-Breaker, catching a glimpse into the cockpit.

/What the hell!? It's empty! So that means….oh fuck!/ He thought as he rapidly opened a com link. ~Come in! The three enemy Zoids are decoys! I repeat, their cockpits are empty!~

Colonel Karl Lichen Schubaltz smiled inwardly, hearing Irvine's message. "All remaining troops, split up! Search this place from top to bottom! The radicals must be found and eliminated immediately!" He ordered as he directed them where to go. "The rest of you shall search with me."

The company set off and stopped in the storage area.

"Sir?" One said as the handsome Colonel turned around with a gas-mask safely fastened to his face. He raised his hand and from the air vents dropped a small ball, that billowed smoke. With coughs and gags the party fell to the floor. When the smoke left, he removed his mask.

"All right, the coast is clear."

One by one, came five outlaws.

Thomas jumped on his brother. "Phase two complete!" He said hugging him nervously. He separated and looked to his lover who nodded.

"Come on, we can't be fooling around." Raven said, already starting down the hall.

"Right. Karl are you coming?"

"No, I have to clean up here. Fiona was in her lounge. I'd hurry up." He said as they thanked him.

Meara looked intently at the Colonel, then pushed past him.

"Apology accepted." she said as Mizuno grinned.

"Told you she'd get over it." He said as soon as she was out of range. "Be careful, Karl."

"Why are you telling me that? You're the one who's going to be in danger." He hugged him gently and kissed him on the lips, spreading a cute blush across the other blonde's cheeks. "Take care." he said as Mizuno nodded.

"I will."

Raven lead the way, Meara by his side, Thomas and Reese close behind, Mizuno in the back, making sure they weren't being trailed. The brunette young woman pushed open the door to the sitting room and scanned it vigilantly.

"Show yourself you little bitch…" she hissed through her clenched teeth as she raided the room.

"Hold on, Thomas, Reese, stay here and search, Mizuno, Meara and I will search her room."

The three moved to her bedroom, checking the closets, bookshelves until there was nothing. Thomas and Reese followed them, reporting the same for the other room.

"Where the hell is she!?" Meara yelled in frustration from her spot, sitting before the bookshelf, then falling back onto the floor.

"Where else can we--" The brunette shushed them quickly.

"Shut up. Don't move." she snapped, creeping along the floor on all fours, her ear to the wooden boards.

She stopped at the foot of the pink and white linen covered canopy bed and stood quickly, jumping onto then over the side of it.

"Gimme a hand!" She said, lifting it, a bit, Raven and Mizuno helping.

There was a loud crack as the four posts that held the canopy broke as the bed was toppled over. Meara stood on the ground where it stood, tracing a fine line that divided the panels. She pulled a knife from her boot and used it to lever the trapdoor open. Beneath it lay a set of steep, narrow steps.

"Bingo." She smirked maliciously and tucked the blade away.

"So she's down there?" Reese asked as she nodded.

"I'd bet my nine lives on it." She said with a smile.

Raven stared down the hole, unable to see much.

"You know it's a trap, right?"

"No fucken shit." The girl said, rolling her eyes. "But I'm going, it's your choice whether or not to follow. I'm gonna end this one way or another."

"We're coming." Reese said, embracing her gently.

The five silently moved down the stairs. It was dark, cobwebby, and musty.

"Wow, for Elise Lynette I'm surprised it's so filthy down here." Reese mused.

"Eh, oh well." the other young woman answered.

After a while they reached the end of the staircase.

"Where are we?" Thomas asked, holding onto Raven's arm.

"Hey, Mizu?"
"Yeah, I know." he waved his hand and held his rod, the garnet orb glowing and casting an eerie red light on the walls.

Meara took a few cautious steps and lead the others down the narrow hallway that lead to another cavern.

"What the hell?…It.…it can't be…" Raven said softly as she growled.

"What the fuck is going on….this is the lair of the Dark Kaiser!" She glared at the blonde Zoidian who sat in a quite familiar throne.

"Why so surprising?" She giggled.

"Where's Prozen?! What have you done to him!?" Raven demanded as he heard a soft chuckle.

"Why, I'm right here, my little bird…" The tall, ashen haired man stepped out from behind Elise Lynette and smiled demonically. "Did you think I could actually forgive you for slaughtering my lover? Did you? Well, I have my ways…" he said with the same smile, chilling Raven to the bone. Stepping nearby was a tall, lanky man with bright crimson hair and piercing black eyes.

The maverick backed up slowly into a stalactite. "N-no…it can't be…Hiltz is dead…" He trembled slightly as his female comrade struck her staff's tip onto the rock.

"What is the meaning of this!? I killed you with my own hands!"

"And I brought him back to life." Prozen sneered as Elise Lynette cackled.

"Now! Time to have some fun!"

A fine mist began to rise around the rebels.

"W-what the…?!" Meara coughed, covering her mouth, her head swimming. She the last thing she saw was petite girl give her a mocking look.

[ To Be Continued …]

A/n: ooh cliffhanger! Sorry. I want the next one separate. The next one's gonna be a bunch of background stuffs. Flashbacks etc. It's gonna be long probably, too. Make that definitely.

W007.

-Naomi Hunter