AN - Well... this is a plot filler chapter. I apologize in advance for its shortness. I've been working on my new Halo/DOA3 fic (in the Halo section) check it out!
Anyways, Leon/Hitomi has been scrapped. They'll become friends, and good ones though. However, yes, you're right. The age thing. (BTW, Helena's 21... that a'int much older than Hitomi). Same goes for Bay/Lei. This is going to be action/adventure. If you want real hot romance, go see another story ^_^. May I suggest The Storm Before the Calm, by Gloob2K? .
And sorry about the huge delay between chapters, I've been busy writing my Halo story . and plus my laptop is screwing up… but I hope this will keep the dogs off me until I can scrap together a decent chapter 3!
Anyways, here it is.
Disclaimer - I do not own anything except for a cardboard box. Everything else is copyright by other people, like Microsoft.
Mission of Duty - Chapter 2 -
"Take cover!" Leon yelled. He dismounted and hit the sand. Bayman did the same. Their steeds galloped off, frightened by the sudden noise of AK-47s.
"Maybe a gun wasn't such a bad idea," Leon commented as he swung his weapon around. He clicked the safety off, made sure it was loaded and everything was ready, and squeezed off a few shots in the general direction of their assailants. Two of them, he saw.
"Pretty nice shooting," Bayman said, as he fired off a few shots of his own. They were off target, but they served the purpose of making the attackers duck for cover, thus buying them more time.
"Hey Bayman, they're advancing..." Leon said. True enough, the mysterious attackers would sprint a few meters towards them, and then hit the sand again, just like the professionals.
"They are well-trained," Bayman muttered, firing off a shot that went barely an inch over his target's head. His target ducked, fazed for a moment.
"Yeah... hey, Bayman, what happened to our ammo?" Leon asked, watching his ammo gauge drop.
Bayman froze and muttered something in Russian, before turning to Leon, "They were on our camels..."
"Great. Just great," Leon said sarcastically, noting that he only had two more shots left. If he had known that they were short on ammo, he would've been more conservative.
"Well, comrade, do we save our last shots?" Bayman asked.
Leon watched one of them sprint to within ten meters. Smiling slightly, he threw his gun up into the air with all his strength.
"Hey! That gun cost lots... of..." Bayman trailed off, watching the gun's trajectory.
The gun made a prefect arc in midair and crashed down on the first attacker's leg. A brief cry of pain could be heard as the gun left a huge bruise on the man's leg.
Bayman couldn't resist but chuckle a bit at his friend's innovation, "Well done, Leo. Have you ever tried shot-put?"
"Never had the time," Leon said, getting ready to fight with his bare hands. He rolled up his sleeves and got ready.
Bayman shot off his last three rounds, "I'm out, Leo..."
Leon gestured to Bayman. Bayman, nodding, threw Leon his weapon. Leon pitched the gun at the second attacker, missing by inches.
"Well, it was a pleasure serving with you," Leon said, preparing to fight with two armed men.
"Don't call us finished yet," Bayman replied, hoping against hope that what he saw on the horizon was actually what he saw.
***
"Hurry!" Leifang screamed. Spooked, the camel ran faster. Hitomi was right behind her.
***
Bayman crouched, his hands balled up into fists. As soon as his enemies came over that ridge...
There was one. Bayman sprung up and gave him a good hard knock on the head before he knew what was going on. He threw him to Leon, who gave him a vicious clothesline. Number one was out, his neck broken.
The second one watched his partner get tossed around before coughing loudly. Bayman and Leon looked up. There he was, with a AK in his hand. It was impossible to rush him; he was at least seven meters away. Smiling slightly, he elevated the gun so that it was pointed at Leon's chest, and fired.
***
"Almost... got... him..." Hitomi muttered as her camel galloped closer.
"Wait... dismount... we're getting too close. He'll hear us."
"Quick! We've got to do something! He's lifting his gun!"
Leifang gestured to Hitomi, "Hop in,"
Hitomi, with a slightly puzzled expression on her face, jumped ahead of Leifang on her camel. Leifang whispered something to Hitomi. Hitomi paled but nodded.
The timing was perfect. Leifang set her steed in motion again with a swift movement of the reins. Hitomi gritted her teeth and started to stand up. Leifang cupped her hands and Hitomi put her left foot into them, her right foot planted on the saddle.
"Here goes nothing..." Hitomi muttered.
Leifang pushed Hitomi's foot with all the strength she could muster. Hitomi pushed her foot off Leifang's hand with all the strength she could muster.
The term human bullet would've been appropriate. Hitomi soared through the air. In the split second that she had to think, she focused all her energy onto her shoulder.
His grip on the trigger tightened...
"I'm not going to make it..." Hitomi thought to herself.
Time slowed down as Hitomi hit the gunman a split second before he fired. The impact was enough to knock over a semi trailer. The shot went wide.
***
Hey wait... I thought I was dead...
Leon thought he was hallucinating. Blood covered the sandy desert floor. The mysterious attacker...? There he was, fifty feet from where he previously was.
Then he saw Bayman. Groaning slightly, clutching his side.
Leon, slightly dazed, ran over to him.
"Comrade..."
"Bay! What?"
"He missed... shot me in the side..."
"You gonna be alright?"
"Flesh wound... nothing broken, I'll survive..."
"What... happened?"
"I... I don't know."
Leon turned around. He saw a rising dust cloud. And there was Leifang, mounted on a camel.
Leon rushed over, "Lei... how...?"
"Where's Hitomi?"
"Hitomi? She's here?"
"It's... a long story... oh... my gosh..."
Leon followed her gaze. A trail of torn fabric and disturbed sand was there, stretching out over a sand dune and disappearing from sight.
"You... you didn't try what I think you did, did you?"
"I'm afraid we did, Leo. Move out of the way!"
"I'm coming with you," Leon replied, mounting the camel as well. The steed buckled slightly but then started walking normally again.
"That was reckless, and stupid..." Leon muttered, as they went up and over the sand dune. There she was. Torn, tattered, but alive.
"Is... everyone... alright?" Hitomi gasped as the two drew up to her.
"Your arm..." Leifang said, jumping off the camel, "You've twisted it."
"Who cares about my arm?" Hitomi snapped, "Where's Bayman?", she asked, almost apologetically.
"He... he got shot, but he'll live," Leon offered.
"Oh... and the attacker?"
"He resembles road kill." Leon said. He wasn't exaggerating.
"Oh..." Hitomi gasped, as she slipped into unconsciousness from the shock.
"We've gotta get her back," Leifang said.
Leon stretched, "You okay with walking?"
***
"Ugh..." Hitomi groaned as she regained consciousness.
"Ah, you're awake," a Russian accented voice said.
"Bayman... are you alright?" Hitomi asked, propping herself up on her uninjured shoulder. There he was, lying a few meters away.
"Ah, I'll be fine," he said, gesturing to his side, "Just a minor wound... nothing serious, happy that you're finally awake though. What's that saying... misery loves..."
"Misery loves company," Hitomi finished.
"That's the one," Bayman nodded.
"Too true," Hitomi yawned, giving her legs a small stretch.
"Say, that was some stunt you pulled off there, wasn't it?" Bayman asked, a small grin on his face.
"It was her idea," Hitomi shrugged, "Where is she, anyways?"
Bayman pointed west, "They went to look for our rides... they have all of our supplies and stuff on them."
"Alright then," Hitomi nodded, "So, how did you get shot anyways?"
"When you knocked the guy over, he fired anyways, the shot hit me instead."
Seeing the look on her face, Bayman added, " If you hadn't intervened, Leon would've taken one in the heart."
"Oh," Hitomi said, not sure of what to say.
"You did good, Hitomi. That was worthy of a Nobel Prize!"
"More like Darwin Award," Hitomi giggled, before falling back and clutching her arm. "Oh crap, this arm hurts!"
***
"Hey guys, guess who's back?"
Hitomi rolled over. There she was.
"Hi, Lei!" Hitomi exclaimed. She raised her uninjured arm and drew in Leifang for a quick hug.
"Hey, Goldy, how are you holding up?" Leifang asked, obviously glad that her friend was alright.
"Let's just say that next time you're the one that gets to jump off the speeding camel," Hitomi grinned.
"Alright, deal," Leifang giggled, "You hit him so hard, he flew fifty feet in the air!"
"So I could roll fifty feet on the ground," Hitomi giggled back.
"Don't you two start again," Leon groaned. Too late.
"Have to be quicker next time," Bayman shrugged, watching with a slight smile on his lips.
***
"I love you, Rolande..."
"I love you too, Leon..."
The two kissed under the twinkling stars, his arms wrapped around her neck, her arms around his chest. Time stood still. There they kissed for what seemed to be an eternity...
***
Evening came around quickly. Hitomi, after a few hours, was walking again. Bayman could limp along and ride as well. They prepared to set off for tomorrow.
"You gonna be alright, Bay?" Leon asked, starting a small campfire.
"I shall survive, comrade," Bayman grunted, sitting down along with everyone else.
"Glad to hear it," Leifang said, also taking a seat.
"Yup!" Hitomi agreed, taking a seat beside Leifang.
"So..." Leon said, "How's your arm?"
Hitomi flexed it and then elbowed Leifang in the ribs once, making her giggle, "It works fine, thanks."
Bayman smiled, "I'm glad to hear that too."
Leon stretched and got up, "Well... I'm off to bed now... I'll see you guys later."
***
They kissed for what seemed like forever...
Little did they know, the night after this one, something beyond imagination was going to happen to the both of them. With one gunshot, two hearts would be broken.