A/N: You guys know what's coming up! Review responses!
Hiead: This is so lame.
Nanashi: bops Hiead on the head with her scythe Watch it, buddy.
Hiead: glare
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Dennisud: THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO YOU because of your angst idea. Thanks! I'm not too sure how you wanted Ikhny to be characterized, but okay...Hiead was way too OOC in chapter four, so I'm thinking about re-editing it, so keep a watch out for a rather odd update sooner or later! I don't have Yahoo messenger, but I do have AIM! (Rather not post it on though. sweatdrop LOL!) Email me, kay?
Wolf Queen: Wow, thanks! Lol, love the list. Hope you like this chapter!
Kiki: Where's Santa Barbara? Mexico? Spain? No clue, but anyway, have fun! Munching on box of cookies Hiead tried to steal them but I sorta duct taped him to the AC. Wonder if he's frozen yet...hmm...
Lady Xiu Mei Phoenix: SORRY! Duei bu chi! starts saying sorry in every other language she can think of Good! I was thinking about the Chinese way to torture Unbridge, you know, the 10,000 flicks of the knife across the skin? It's brutal and I'm sorta debating whether or not she deserves it...it's kinda cruel...
Erica: Good OOC? Lol, that's new! I love Simon-he's named after my godbrother, just don't tell him that. dresses up Daniel Boone costume Pioneer? Where?
Lalita: WOW! HUGE REVIEW! I'm okay with SS/HG-weird but cute, nonetheless. Lol-I read this really funny fic about them-you have to read it. I'll add it to my favorite stories the second I fins it; I think you'll really enjoy it. It's kinda weird though...the plot's kinda like this one and I swear I haven't read it until like, after I wrote the third chapter of this. Their kid gores back to the past to try to get Hermione and Snape together. Different plot line though. I'm sure you'll love it! I'm really annoyed at the fact that Rowling doesn't change Draco one bit-good God! I threw the book at the wall when I read about it. I'm tempted to curse HER with the bat-boogey curse if she doesn't work on his character! ARG! I wish Sirius would come back... he's the best! Yes, that was the longest review ever. Thank you!
Jen wit 1 n: Lol...complete accident? Sure, I believe ya! Good riddance to him though! (I'm sorry about the shoulder thing). Hehe...I love Uncle from Jackie Chan. He's the best!
Erica: Yeah, Simon's from the farther future and Melanie's from the future. Okay, that made no sense. Let's put it this way: Melanie is from a different time than Simon is. They fell into two different black holes in different periods of time. You know what? Time is very confusing...sweatdrop You really sound like this one friend I have...he says pizza in the randomest times...I'm serious! I'll be talking about math and he goes and says "pizza" instead of the answer!
Kelsey: Lol! I was readying too many Harry Potter fics. Sorry! Glad you liked it though!
Kappy Locks: You'll see why Simon's Melanie is so different from the five-year-old Melanie later. Don't worry! Simon and Zero do seem alike, don't they? Hmm...
Maxine: Thank you! Hiead go evil again? Maybe...maybe not...grins
GoldenWings: FINALLY! THE FIFTH CHAPTER'S UP! Hope you like it!
Aurani: Yeah, I agree. Incredibly out of character in the last chapter. Think I did better in this one? I dunno...it's kinda hard to switch from mass OOC-ness to IC-ness...sweatdrop
SteveJester: HI! Hey, everyone! Meet my beta-reader, SteveJester!
Lalita: Yep! Lol! Well, tice is the charm! (Or was it three...hmmm...O.O) You'll see about Melanie, don't worry!
TaioraCrazedGirl: I love that new chapter you put out! Yeah, the orange juice was pretty random, but oh well! Nothing like inspiration from the present! I'm drinking grape juice right now...okay, that was random. Hope you like this chapter!
Skydancer1: Yeah, they do. They'll be leaving soon though...sniffles
Pretty Kitty1: Thanks! Enjoy!
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Disclaimer: pulls pockets out of pants HOOVER FLAGS! I'm poor! No money! If I owned Megami Koushosei, I wouldn't have Hoover flags!
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Chapter Five: Attack
Simon and Melanie opened he closet the next morning only to see their future parents sleeping peacefully in each other's arms. They grinned and gently shook the two of them up.
"Mum, it's MORNING! Uncle Zero was asking about you already. Eesh. GET UP, YOU LAZY BUMS!"
Ikhny opened her eyes sleepily and stretched, accidently punching Hiead in the jaw (sound familiar, anyone?).
"Oops. Sorry." she turned to Simon and Melanie. "You two are going to be grounded the second you get back to the future, got it?"
The two of them sighed. Great. Now the teenage Ikhny can predict how the future Ikhny will punish them. Oh the strange workings of time...(1) Hiead and Ikhny scrambled to their feet as they heard footsteps coming their way. Both of them split instantly and ran down the hall in different directions to get out of their pyjamas and into their uniforms. Class was about to start.
Azuma decided to mix up the pilots and the repairers that day to teach them how to work with different people just in case the worst can happen-something happens to the original repairer that prohibits her from helping the pilot. Some of these "happenings" are death (quite unlikely, but possible), fainting spells, panic attacks and the like. Each pilot must be able to quickly adapt to the new repairer just as each repairer must be trained to fix everything in any kind of situation. Although the best results come from the original pilot and repairer, similar results may come from mismatched pairs if they are trained correctly. The following people were mixed and matched:
Zero-Ikhny
Hiead-Saki
Clay-Wrecka
Roose-Tsukasa
Yamagi-Kizna
The pilots all trooped into the battle simulation as the repairers took their stations. It was rather awkward for many of them to be in sync with the different pilots. The key word is many. Zero and Ikhny got along rather well as did Clay and Wrecka. Hiead and Saki were both rather hot headed with Hiead not listening to a word Saki said and Saki yelling over the communication device to stop being so rash and listen to her. Roose was rather nice to Tsukasa, but Tsukasa was being rather quiet and only repaired, not really bothering to get to know the green-haired pilot (Is it green? In the DVD it was...). Yamagi was constantly yelling at Kizna for weapons and to increase his speed while Kizna was yelling back about something along the lines of expending all his energy and not thinking.
It was an "every man for himself" type battle where there were no teams. Every pilot was fighting against one another to try to increase speed, agility, and accuracy. Hiead watched as Zero and Ikhny exchanged jokes even during the battle. Zero seemed unconcerned about fighting but was doing magnificently well. He had already taken down Yamagi and Roose and was currently working on Clay, whom Hiead was trying to beat himself ("Two against one, that's not fair!" cried Clay as her saw the Pro-Ings fly toward him). The silver-haired teen felt a wave of jealousy rush through him as he saw Zero laugh again at what Ikhny said. He punched Clay hard in the chest. "That felt much better," he thought as he prepared to hit Clay again. The poor brown-haired pilot was beaten after Hiead's second blow to the shoulder and finally, it was just between him and Zero. The two top students of their year.
"Ready?" asked Zero, waving merrily at Hiead, who was raising an eyebrow. He didn't answer. "Fine, be that way. I have no clue how Ikhny puts up with you-you're impossible!"
Hiead froze.
I have no clue how Ikhny puts up with you.
Puts up with you.
Puts up...
She only felt sorry for him. She didn't care-she only felt sorry. Well, he didn't need pity. He didn't need anyone's pity. She put up with him because he was nothing more than her pilot. She only put up with him because she pities him and now that she knew his past, he was willing to bet that pity would increase. He was once again, blinded by a false security, a false haven-he had let his wall of ice down and look what happened. His face became blank again as he faced Zero.
"Prepare to be annihilated."
Quickly, Hiead threw a series of punches at Zero, who was able to dodge only three of them. The rest were too fast for the eye to see. Zero fell to the floor (by Zero I mean Zero's Pro-Ing) only to feel another wave of kicks. He rolled across the battlefield as Ikhny quickly began to repair his Pro-Ing from the inside out. Zero got up and pulled out his beam cannon (no clue what they're called-just work with me here...). His hair glowed green as he rushed forward, energy beginning to form at the tip. When he was within firing range, all the energy collected became a rather nice-sized orange fireball. Zero pulled the trigger that made the ball come flying out, aimed directly at Hiead's head. The silver haired boy ducked and pulled out a beam saber that could cut through anything. Zero shot another energy ball at Hiead who was currently flying close to the ground toward him, saber in attack position. Before anyone could blink, Hiead passed Zero and landed in a crouched position just behind him. Moments later, the leg of the Pro-Ing fell off. Zero hopped on one leg and shot another energy ball at Hiead, who wasn't quick enough to block it with his saber. It hit his shoulder and caused him to fall back. He got up immediately, wincing at the pain he felt in his shoulder. Saki forgot to plug in the pain receptor. She was probably doing it on purpose as revenge for treating his original repairer so cruelly.
His shoulder throbbed as he picked up his saber once again. He swung blindly at Zero who was rushing toward him with his own beam saber. The silver-haired boy blocked it just in time; however, not without faltering in his step. He slid backwards as Zero began to push against his saber. Zero knew Hiead didn't have much energy left. That energy ball was designed to suck the strength out of the enemy slowly and return it to the one who shot it. It was a perfect weapon to defeat VICTIM, however, not for humans.
Azuma rushed into the room (he stepped out just as Hiead and Zero began battling because the top official guy called him out about some important matter). His eyes opened in surprise as he saw the discarded energy gun and the clashing beam sabers. He saw Hiead about to fall off the field and Saki simply watching, not bothering to do anything. He also noticed Hiead's half-lidded eyes as he struggled against Zero's death grip on his saber, trying to push him off the edge.
This is for Ikhny and everything you done to her!" cried Zero as his hair once again glowed green. This was the second EX reaction he had since the start of the battle, which had lasted thirty-five minutes so far. He felt a huge wave of energy rush through him as he pushed Hiead over the edge of the battle field.
"STOP THE SIMULATION!"
Azuma darted forward and flipped open the emergency switch and pressed it hard. Immediately, the simulation field disappeared and the only thing left were the two beat up Pro-Ings. Zero got out immediately yelling "What's the big idea! I was winning!" and waving a fist at Azuma. Hiead didn't come out. He was still inside the cockpit, eyes closed, barely breathing. His fingers loosened the controls and fell limply to his side. What Zero didn't know about the energy beam was that it should not be used on humans. It had a 99.9 guaranteed death rate, which was why it was so effective on VICTIM. Quickly, Azuma ordered Dr. Rill into the simulation room with a stretcher. The doctor and the two nurses worked diligently to lift Hiead out of the Pro-Ing as gently as they could and as quickly as they could. Saki was given detention for a month and 25 demerits for not trying to help Hiead and plug in the correct lines and systems when it was needed. If she had plugged in the agility line the second that energy blast formed, Hiead would have been fine. Zero was given 20 demerits for not listening in class about the beam cannon and how it should never be used in battle simulations. It would have been a miracle if Hiead, the ice soldier, could live through that attack. The nurses rushed him into the hospital wing where they hooked him up to a respirator and a cardiac machine. They had to buy time for the young pilot in order to find a cure. Unless he had the will to recover his energy, there was no hope. The doctor and the nurses set to work immediately trying to find something to counter the fatal ailment. They only had a little time left. Even the respirator and the cardiac machine could only hold him for a few days before the inevitable would happen.
Ikhny felt the tears rush down her face as she watched Hiead being rushed off to the hospital wing. If only she was his repairer for the battle! She felt like she was a traitor, after all, she was the one who gave Zero the beam cannon when he asked for it. She sent it immediately without thinking. She was so used to Hiead getting mad at her for not doing anything immediate that she was determined to prove that she could do anything in an instant. She followed orders quickly now and in the end, that was her downfall. That was Hiead's downfall for training her to follow orders without questioning them.
She visited him that night while Simon kept a close eye on Melanie, who cried non-stop after the incident. She refused to talk to Zero, who was by far her favorite uncle (or so Simon said) and isolated herself. Simon was pretty grim about the entire situation but refused to show it. He had to be strong for Melanie. It was his job as the older brother to.
Ikhny took a seat next to the white hospital bed that Hiead laid on. Everything in the hospital wing was immaculate, as was Hiead, whom the nurses had cleaned up considerably. His face was spotless but pale. There was no sign of life from him except the constant beeping of the cardiac machine. His silver lashes were closed and unmoving and his lips were set in a straight line, neither smiling nor frowning. He looked completely at peace.
She felt a tear roll down her face and drop off as she watched him chest rise up and down slowly and shallowly. Another fell. And another. Soon it felt like a flood had started pouring out of her eyes. She leaned over and lightly kissed those pale lips of his as the tears kept coming.
"I'm sorry, Hiead. It's all my fault...all my fault..."
She turned and ran out of the hospital wing, not knowing that a few moments later, those silver lashes would reveal tired crimson eyes. She didn't know that they were linked from the very beginning; that they were destined to be with one another through thick and thin. Little did anyone know that only the power of love could save the victim from the effects of the energy ball, and little did they know that Ikhny's small gesture of a kiss was what gave Hiead back his energy. The energy to live.
xxx
No one said anything for the next few critical days after the battle. Even Zero was upset and refused to be consoled by anyone. He couldn't have known and yet, he knew inside his heart that if he had not fallen asleep during that lesson, Hiead would still be his obnoxious self and all would be well. That night, without anyone knowing, he sneaked into the hospital wing and stood in front of Hiead.
"I'm sorry," he stated, listening to the cardiac machine beep monotonously. Hiead shifted under the covers.
"Heh," he said almost inaudibly, "Yeah right. Rematch, Enna."
Zero brightened up incredibly when he saw a small smirk cross Hiead's pale features. "You got it, buddy! The second you get better!"
Hiead simply turned his back to him.
"HEY! FACE ME WHEN YOU TALK TO ME! WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!"
And all was well on GOA. Hiead was out the next day and was required to "take it easy" as Dr. Rill said. He was not to fight in any Pro-Ing and could only participate in classes that did not require any physical work like running etc. Azuma and the rest of the staff were amazed at the quick recovery Hiead made after the energy ball attack but said nothing of it. Truly, this boy was inhuman. No one could have gotten better in a matter of three days from such a powerful attack as that.
When Hiead was finally allowed out of the evil clutches of the nurses, Ikhny immediately ran to him and enveloped him in a hug. Immediately, his face turned hard and he pushed her away. "Stay away from me, Allecto. I don't need your pity." Ikhny watched him leave with tears in her eyes but refused to let them fall. If he was going back to the cold, unemotional stone he was, then fine, let him. See if she cared. She wasn't going to waste her tears on someone who didn't care. She crushed all her feelings of guilt instantly and walked the other way. Some people were impossible to figure out. Some days they could be all open and everything and other days, they're real butt-heads. She growled in frustration as she started to run, wishing to shake the feelings she had for him off.
Melanie practically attacked Hiead and ran him over when he reached his dorm, where she had been staying. Simon stole his bed and Melanie stole Zero's bed after kicking him off and making him sleep on the floor. Hiead shook her off his arm, shoved Simon off his covers, and climbed in, pulling his bed sheets over his head. Those annoying children were really getting on his nerves. Melanie kept jumping around asking if he was trying to play hide and seek while Simon kept tossing questions at him about the battle. He didn't want them. Not if they were half Allecto's and her stupid pity. He let his wall down and she hurt him. Just like his own brother and sister. Every time he thought about it, his heart twisted in some odd way and it hurt. The wall of ice began to form again, making sure that there was no more room for love or attachment.
He passed her in the halls sometimes and she would be talking to Zero or Kizna. She would always be laughing too and making them laugh. Sometimes she even flirted with Zero when Kizna wasn't around and he would flirt back. Kizna didn't seem to mind too much for some odd reason. In fact, sometimes she even encouraged it. It was rather odd and to tell the truth, in the back of his mind, something was always screaming at him. Sometimes in the dead of night, he would wake up to Zero's snoring and feel empty even after a days worth of insults thrown at his rival. Other times jealousy ran through him when he saw how happy Ikhny was and how she was never like that around him. They two had cut off communications completely, only to speak when they had to and even those were in cropped sentences. Hiead felt himself float away from reality slowly until one day, he simply couldn't feel. He went from class to class, not feeling any emotion whatsoever. He insulted Zero and everyone else. He yelled at Ikhny for being weak after Pro-Ing simulations (Dr. Rill gave the okay after the week was over) and yet, he still felt empty like nothing was real.
That was when the nightmares started to come.
They were pretty indistinct at first, but then they started to change. His past began to come back even more rapidly and vividly that ever. He could feel each slap his mother dealt him. He could see the desire to die in Melanie's eyes as she went to sleep every night. He could almost hear Simon's joy in becoming a goddess pilot, and he could feel the tears that coursed down his face when that final letter about Simon came. They frightened him.
Badly.
He thought he had buried their memories long ago. They had come back to haunt him now. His future daughter cried whenever she saw him yelling at his supposed future wife. Melanie constantly reminded him of his own deceased sister. She was so happy when he wasn't yelling though and it bothered him. How could anyone be so happy? His future son always looked at him with disappointment. Finally, a month after the energy attack, he cracked. The wall that was once stone became cement and any thought of anything but fighting and becoming a pilot was no more. VICTIM attacked the week after that and left GOA rather vulnerable for another attack.
xxx
"All candidates repot to assembly room-I repeat-all candidates repot to assembly room," blared the loudspeaker. Hiead and Zero walked ahead as Clay and the rest walked behind. There was never an assembly during class times unless it was an emergency like a goddess pilot kicked. Perhaps-
It was too late to consider that. As they entered the assembly room, there were two coffins being prepared for a space funeral. Flowers overflowed from the oakwood boxes. The entire room was dressed in black and many people stared gravely at the beloved dead pilots.
"For many years Teela and Gareas have served GOA and protected the last star, Zion. Their bravery and chivalry will never be forgotten. Let them rest, knowing that they have protected the last paradise from the one evil that threatens humanity. VICTIM will fall one day and when that day comes, may all the pilots, living or dead, smile and rejoice-that their efforts shall not have been in vain."
All the candidates and the current pilots put their hands to their hearts as the two coffins were released into space. Two more have died for the protection of Zion. It seemed to be a hopeless cause. They were always defending and never attacking the actual base where VICTIM resided. All the teachers and leaders of GOA and Zion all thought it would be suicide to launch a massive attack on the VICTIM's headquarters, thus leaving Zion completely unprotected. No, the Goddesses could not leave. They were not allowed to leave.
Everyone headed back to their rooms in silence. They never thought Teela would fall. Ever. She was strong, cold, unemotional-but the greatest in battle. She believed in sacrifice, but they never expected her to sacrifice herself for the sake of humanity. She never believed in the worth of humanity. Life had treated her cruelly and she believed that people were not worth fighting for. Zion was not worth fighting for either, after all, it was only a planet. There were plenty of other colonies that people could live on. The only reason why she always fought was because her position as a pilot required her to fight and defend. Whether or not she believed in it was another story.
Gareas, on the other hand-his death was expected. He was so distant after Ernest's death that not even Leena could get through to him. Everyone knew it was him who was supposed to die, not Ernest. He never quite got over the fact that his best friend was gone and would never come back. Perhaps now he would reconcile himself when he sees Ernest again wherever dead people go after they die.
The scary thing was that even Zero was quiet during the walk back to their room. His usual sparkling blue eyes had lost their life and his smile disappeared. Something happened to Zero and it hit very close to home. Hiead observed him in silence. He wasn't quite used to such silence from Zero and it was unnerving. There was something in the air that was changing. Something big was coming. Something like-
The walls began to shake and the floor beneath them began to crack. Ceiling tiles were beginning to fall. Another VICTIM attack had begun just hours after the pilots had been killed. They were planning this. VICTIM was planning this from the very beginning. Sure, damage the Goddesses as best they could, kill off a few humans, and then POOF! Zion was theirs.
"Pro-Ings, NOW!" shouted Azuma, who had appeared out of no where. "No promises on who lives, though. Work together, got it!"
"Yes, sir!"
Repairers hurried to their stations as the candidates scrambled into their Pro-Ings. There wasn't much hope for the Goddesses, but at least the Pro-Ings had been upgraded. The spark of life was back in Zero's eyes and Hiead stared forward impassively as ever. Crimson eyes only widened as they saw Simon climbing into a Pro-Ing yelling something at Rome about being his substitute repairer since his real repairer was still in the future.
"Daddy?"
Melanie's face showed up on Hiead's screen inside the Pro-Ing. He raised an eyebrow. Melanie took it as a sign to continue.
"Mommy said you'd better come back alive and if Simon gets hurt it's on your head. Oh yeah, I LOVE YOU, DADDY! If you don't come back safe and sound, Mommy's gonna cry and then she said something along the lines of going to hell and killing you herself-Daddy, where's hell?"
Hiead blinked at her in confusion. Allecto had not spoken to him for the past month. Why would she say something like that now? "Tell Allecto that's fine with me."
"Who's Allecto?"
"Your mother."
"Oh. O-tay! Bye bye, Daddy! Good luck!" She saluted him and he nodded. He began his routine checks and clicked an okay switch.
"Candidate 87 ready!" rang out Ikhny's voice. Hiead wondered if that would be the last thing he'd ever hear from her. He knew how serious the battle was. If two Goddess pilots could die from one attack, then what chance would they have? Zero had more than a 75 percent chance of living, but what about him? His skills were the same as Zero, yes, but what about his enthusiasm? It was no where near the brown-haired blue-eyed candidate. His heart would soar during battle, but it never showed. Not like Zero. He hid his emotions and he hid them well. He refused to be hurt by death.
But would he hurt others with his death?
He pondered on this as he felt his Pro-Ing drop and rise to the gates. Ikhny always seemed to panic when they had to assist the Goddesses, but that's just her nature. No it would be better if he did kick, he decided, and she wouldn't care. "I've always been an ass to her anyway. She'd probably be better off without me."
With that mind set, he took off into space alongside Zero and prepared to fight to the death. For the good of Zion.
(I was tempted to end it here, but I'll stop being evil...consider this a present for my late-ness with this chapter. BLAME THE EVIL PE TEACHER!)
"Hiead, your left!"
The silver-haired boy swung around and blasted the VICTIM to pieces. It seemed like an all out battle again GOA and Zion. There were millions of them, swarms of them, some type A, some type R, some that they never even knew about...
Crimson eyes closed for a minute as a sense of impending doom rushed through him. His body fell slack with chill as his hands loosed the controls. Something was drawing him away from the battle. Something or someone didn't want him to fight.
He felt his world go black as he saw a gun being pointed at him. The figure holding the gun was dressed in a brown robe with a hood covering his or her face. The figure's head rose, revealing silver hair and crimson eyes. Hiead stared in shock. That was the same figure he saw when he first sat in the Pro-Ing simulation! But this time, there was no Ikhny to call him back to reality.
He watched on as the person who was supposed to be him walked toward him, still with the gun in his hand. The figure smirked and aimed.
"Hiead Gner, you are a fool."
The sound of a bullet rang out. Hiead braced himself for the pain the bullet would cause, but it never came. He looked down. There laid Ikhny on the floor, lying in a pool of her own blood. A small smile graced her lips as her lashes fluttered closed. Her arm which was reaching up to him began to fall to the ground limply. She laid still after that. The bullet had gone straight through the heart. He felt his wall crack at the image.
"Oh no, Gner, there's more. Look around you."
He turned and saw Simon and Melanie holding each other splattered in blood. Melanie's face was full of tried tears as Simon's held one of fear. To their left was Zero and Kizna. To their right was everyone else on GOA. All of them were lying in a pool of their own blood. Each one had a bullet right through their heart.
"You did this." said Hiead, glancing at the figure in the brown robe.
"No, you did, Hiead. I am you. You thought by pushing everyone away you could become stronger. You thought they can't hurt you anymore. Well, you were wrong. They can't hurt you anymore, yes, but do you know how much you've hurt them? Do you know how much you've hurt her!"
He pointed at Ikhny, who was lying by his feet. Hiead's wall cracked some more as the robed figure laughed. "Gner, you are so stupid! You killed them, Gner, you killed them!"
A bright light came and the scene emptied, only it was still black. This time; however, there were no bodies or anything like that. Instead, there were only voices.
"Hiead, come on, let's go play outside! I'll teach you this cool trick I learned at school today!"
A scene began to form. There was a little boy, no more than three, following an older boy who was around ten. They were in a park and the older boy was showing the younger boy how to hang by his legs on the jungle gym.
"See, Hee-chan? It's easy! Now try swinging. I'll be here if you fall, don't worry!"
I'll be here if you fall...
I'll be here if you fall...
I'll be here...
Be here...
Another scene flashed through.
"There you go, all better!"
The same little boy looked up with tears in his eyes as an older girl bandaged his wrist which had been cut by glass. She smiled at him and hugged him.
"Don't worry, Hee-chan. I'll be there to protect you."
I'll be there to protect you...
I'll be there...
Be there...
"But where are you now?" Hiead found himself asking. There was no answer.
"Sir! Sir! Type B VICTIM headed your way!"
Hiead snapped back to reality when he heard Ikhny's panicked voice. Immediately, he dodged it and ordered Ikhny to send his beam saber. It appeared almost instantly in his hand and Hiead slashed the VICTIM right in half. He flew to where the rest of the group was.
"Partner up!" he heard Azuma scream over the intercom. Hiead was immediately dragged away by Zero as the other three teamed up.
"Listen to me, Gner. No matter how big of a bastard you are, we are going to WORK TOGETHER, got it?"
"Fine."
The two stood back to back and Zero received his beam saber from Kizna.
"Ready?" asked Zero as a group of VICTIM approached. Hiead nodded. Immediately, the two began to slash away at the VICTIM. They watched each other's backs and worked in perfect sync with one another. Ikhny and Kizna too were typing and punching away at the controls trying to keep the pilots up to speed and energy. VICTIM kept coming at them and they kept fighting them. VICTIM could not get through to Zion or GOA through the two of them. As if sensing their power, they moved toward Clay, Roose, and Yamagi. Hiead and Zero chased after them and joined up with the other three. The five of them began to form a barrier in front of GOA and Zion. Nothing went through. However, they were unable to detect one invisible VICTIM, who slipped silently through when Hiead and Zero started chasing after the other VICTIM.
Hiead heard a large explosion come from behind him. He turned around only to see part of GOA blow up.
"INFILTRATION!" he screamed over the communication network. Not waiting for reinforcement, he rushed back to GOA. The invisible VICTIM revealed itself. No one had ever seen anything like it before. It looked like a dragon with rows of long, sharp teeth and banana fan-like wings. Its tail began lashing at the shields by the time Hiead was close enough to hit it. The VICTIM drew itself away from GOA and only then did the silver-haired candidate notice the gigantic hole the VICTIM had made. Papers and pencils began flying out of the hole and was sucked away into space. Desk lamps and other things began to follow. Hiead hit the VICTIM with his beam saber, drawing it away even more. His eyes widened as he saw which room it was.
It was the control room.
The repairers were all clinging to their stations, fighting to keep a grip on the control panel. Just then did he see something come flying toward the hole. That something had light lavender hair and was curled up in a ball.
"Melanie!"
xxx
FOOTNOTES:
(1) This will be explained later. Hold on to that train of thought though, okay?
A/N: ducks from all the tomatoes being thrown Yes, evil cliffie, I know, but it's already eight pages long! This is the longest chapter I've ever written in my life! LOL. Well, do leave a review, please, and I GREATLY apologize for the mass lateness of this chapter. A big thank you to my beta-reader, SteverJester, whom I am currently sending this to now mainly because 1.) You guys are probably already going to kill me if I didn't get this out as soon as I finished writing it and 2.) Because my e-mail's not working. I'm going to try again now, so this will probably be edited the next time you check back! Hope you liked it!