Here Without You, Baby
Chapter Eleven 2: He Who I Hold Most Dear
By: Sci-Fi Raptor
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids or Battletech/Mechwarrior
This short half-chapter is dedicated for Amy. This half-chapter explains why Amy didn't show much emotion last chapter (think of it as happening as chapter 11 happened), and what she was doing (it barely mentions her last chapter. It does diverge from the story a lot, so that's why I'm making it a half-chapter. But don't fret! It does have something to do with future chapters.
Cameron city. Not wasn't a major city, but it had a good nightlife. Excellent jazz wherever you turned and dance floors known to get really wild. Corruption ran high and there was barely any semblance of a police force. The only reason you didn't get robbed was if you could make that month's protection money. It was also the closest friendly city near the Rogues' base.
The alleys were the most dangerous. Blocked off on three sides by old, crumbling wall, if one were to get trapped, there was nowhere to run. No God to turn to.
"Hey, this is the hottest stuff out," the thug said, trying to hustle some of his drugs. The potential buyer just nervously walked away, obviously trying not to get messed up with that kind of business. The hustler sighed and took another drink from his bottle of beer, stalking back into the darkness of the alley. He sat down with a thud; business had gone sour ever since the bar hustlers came into the picture. Protection money was too much and all he got were the leftovers. He took another drink.
Between gulps, he noticed something going around him. The air had the faint smell of ozone. Suddenly, lightning started dancing in the wind (which shouldn't have been there in the first place) and the nearby dumpster started sparkling. A long dead light bulb suddenly illuminated and exploded as the gas within superheated. All became dark once again. The thug finished his last gulp. And then the glowing red eyes stared at him.
Amy just ran. She couldn't think of anything else so she followed her first instinct; she took flight. She took a jeep and headed for Cameron city, and here she was, in a bar trying to drink her problems away. She stared at the empty glass before her. She was about to order another drink, but the waiter gave one to her.
"Compliments of that gentleman," he said, pointing to a man in a dark corner. He got up and sat next to her.
"Thanks for the drink," she mumbled.
"You look like you really needed it. You wanna talk?" he said. These city people are so low, Amy thought. He thinks I'm a poor defenseless girl that will do anything for a shoulder to cry on.
"No," she said flatly.
"Well, I would," he said.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Amy said coldly, sipping at her drink.
"You know, you remind me of someone I used to know," he said, and got up. Amy stole a peek at his face. It seemed old, even tired from this close. His eyes were obviously those that used to burn with passion, but now they were dull, dead. He had a thin smile on his lips.
"Wait," Amy suddenly said, holding onto his hand. What am I doing?
"I thought so. You wanna talk somewhere a little more private?" I knew it! He pointed to an empty table in a dark corner. Oh…
The two slowly walked to the table and the man pulled out Amy's seat for her, like a real gentleman. He took his own seat and lit a cigarette.
"You know, those things aren't good for you," Amy said. He took a deep puff and let go away from Amy.
"That's right, you probably've never smoked before, have you?" he said. "It a lot safer then drinking, I'll give you that. At least you still have control over yourself." He offered a fresh one to her. She accepted and inhaled deeply. She felt like her lungs were on fire and coughed for a full thirty seconds.
"Don't matter 'bout me. I'll be dead before my time anyway," he said as Amy was recovering. "You on, the other hand, still have your whole life ahead of you."
"Speak for yourself, you don't seem that much older then me."
"Well, I'm about… let's see…" he started counting his fingers. "Twenty seven last month."
"You still have your whole life left too, you know!" Amy said. He just looked back at her with those tired, dull eyes. He seemed like he was ready to die. As she stared into them, she felt a degree of safety and familiarity. Like a father figure almost. Amy was suddenly reminded of all the people she had lost.
"Must have been very hard on you," he said. Amy felt something wet going down her cheeks.
Amy talked with the stranger till nearly three in the morning. Around that time, he gave innuendos that she should leave, and he escorted her to her jeep, after making sure she was sober enough. She had really opened up to him, explaining how she first met Crass all the way up to seeing him with that woman, not caring that he could get her caught. Surprisingly, he took it well, as if were something everyone else knew. They agreed to meet in the same bar around eleven and they had been drinking together ever since.
She found out that his name was Zephyr Cathul, and he was part of the government's special unit known as the D-Knights. She had no idea what that was, so she assumed it was something very covert. He assured her that she was not exposing herself, and something in the way he looked at her compelled her to believe him; at least for now.
He also opened up a bit. He was a seasoned veteran and had lost someone very important to him a few years ago, one of his comrades; his lover. He kept commenting how similar Amy was to her and how easy it was to talk to her. Amy said she was already married, thinking that he was making a move on her, jeopardizing the relationship they had just made. It was then that he said this one odd comment to her: That when you make those wedding vows 'Till death do us part,' to never give up hope on it and to see it through to the bitter end. He said it in a way that made it sound like he knew something and wasn't telling her, but that was impossible. She had just met him and there was no way he could know more then she told him.
Last night he told her not to give up on the bond between her and Crass. That if she waited long enough, he would come back to her. She found it hard to believe, seeing that he was truly in love with Marlene, but he said there was always a way. He told her, bluntly, 'confront your demons head on, lest you lose that which you hold most dear.' Again, she thought he was hiding something. She found it odd that he befriended her so quickly.
But she didn't care at all. She was in a very good mood, the best she probably had been for some time now. She didn't know if her friends noticed yet, but her step was a little lighter, her smile a little warmer. When she was with Zephyr, it was like she was in a state of pure bliss, as if she were with a lover…
It was ten forty-five and Zephyr was late. They agreed to meet at eleven, but he was always here before her. Screams filled the room as gas started pouring in. People covered their eyes as the tear gas was rapidly filling the room. A SWAT-like force was raiding the place. Reality is a bitch.
I knew it! Amy thought angrily. He sold me out! What was I thinking, telling him about the team? She thought back to those moments when he seemed to know more then meets the eye. I can see him now, laughing at the broken girl he was playing with the whole time.
"Get down!" someone whispered to her. All this time, she was still sitting on the bar stool as all hell broke lose. "Get down here now!" the voice said more urgently and grabbed her arm, pulling her to the bartender's side.
"Thanks-" she started and couldn't believe who she saw. "Zephyr?"
"Who'd you expect?"
"I thought you-"
"Sold you out? No way, I could never sell you out-" he said, his voice suggesting he stopped mid-sentence. He put his hands around her face, studying it thoroughly, as if he were trying to memorize it. He fixed his eyes with hers. His eyes seemed to pierce into her soul, captivating her in a very familiar way; its dullness was replaced by some passionate fire. "Come on, let's go," he said, motioning for them to go through the back door; there was a sudden sense of longing in his voice. Unfortunately, they were caught by one of the police.
"Halt!" he said, firing before the words parted from his lips. The two broke out into a sprint and ran through the alley. Amy held onto Zephyr's hand for dear life, willing him to keep up with her. They reached a fork in their path. "Which way do we go?" Amy said, desperate to get out of there.
"You go that way," Zephyr said, pointing to the left. "I'll wait for them and lead them this way, so you have a chance to escape."
"Wait, what about you?" she said.
"I'll just get court-martialed, no biggie," he said, his face saying otherwise.
"I can't just let you do this," Amy cried. "You can't just give up without fighting, Crass wouldn't…" she said, tears streaming down her face. Why did I just say that?
He held onto her in a vice-like grip, forcing him to look at his eyes once more. "Amy, you wont understand this for some time now, but you must survive. There are some forces that are at work, even the Xi'an-" He stopped. Amy's heart skipped a beat. "-and it all depends on you surviving this. Amy, forget me, I'm a dead man," he said, tearing. "As long as you make it out okay, this will be worth it. Amy, you don't know how much you mean to me."
"How did you know about the Xi-" she started, but he wraped an arm around her waist, pulling her in and suddenly kissed her. The embrace made Amy feel giddy like she used to feel, but he stopped as suddenly as he started. "You'll know about everything soon, just go," he said, giving her a slight push. She stood there, unsure about what to do.
"But… but I just found you!"
"GO!" he screamed, hearing footsteps approaching; he brandished a gun. Amy lingered for one last second and looked into those eyes. They were no longer dull or burning with passion, but content. Like he had done something he was waiting his whole life for. "Promise yourself you will survive!" he suddenly hollered. "PROMISE!" She ran away.
She hadn't run for more than fifteen seconds when she heard the gunshots. She was about to turn back, but realized it would have all been meaningless if she did. She ran to her jeep, a trail of salty tears followed her.
When she got back to base, Cathy knew something made Amy upset. When she tried comforting her, Amy just burst into tears. I've lost everyone, she thought darkly. I should just end it all now… she thought. 'Promise me you will survive,' suddenly popped into her head. I will, Zephyr, if only for you sake, she thought between sobs. Amy calmed down a bit and resolved not to give up, no matter how grim the odds became. Something also told her to never mention Zephyr to anyone else.
The man with the tired eyes was propped up against the cell wall, the gunshot wound on his leg still undressed. He stared longingly into the sky, trying to seek peace with himself.
I'm sorry for deceiving you Amy, but I couldn't tell you who I really was. May God forgive me for what I have done!
I just hope… I just… hope… that… that you will survive for me… I've already lost you once… I could barely take losing you again… he thought placing a hand to his smiling lips. The hand slowly caressed them and then fell, drooping on his side.
That night, a new star appeared in the sky.
~sigh~
