Sorry, I know I haven't been updating lately. I've been grounded,
ungrounded, and then grounded again. So that's my story since I've last
updated. I hope you understand my case here. Well here's the next update.
Really important!!!!!! Read this chapter very carefully!! Otherwise you wont understand the next chapter.
Disclaimer: Zoids is not mine. Ashley, Rachel, Danni, Sammy, King, Thorn, Scar, and Starlet are MY characters.
The Night Warriors
Far From the Past
Ashley sat in a chair, staring at the screen of a computer. For the past hour, she had been digging up files on different Republican soldiers; she was trying to keep herself busy until Rachel came back. Right now, O'Connell's file was open, and Ashley was carefully reading it as she drummed her fingers on the desktop.
While Ashley was still reading the file, O'Connell himself walked into the room. He saw her reading something carefully and came over to the computer to see what she was doing. He was a little surprised to see Ashley reading his file. "Why are you looking at my file?"
Ashley looked up from the screen to see O'Connell standing over her. "No reason . just needed something to do." Ashley went back to reading the words on the screen. Then something caught her eye. It stated that O'Connell no longer kept in contact with his family. "You don't keep in contact with your family?"
"No, not really," O'Connell said.
Ashley stared at him. "That's stupid."
"Why?" O'Connell asked.
"Because," Ashley responded, "I know people who no longer have a family."
"Who?" O'Connell asked.
Ashley continued to stare at him. "Me." It was O'Connell's turn to stare. "My mom died from cancer when I was eleven and my dad bled to death in battle when I was thirteen; my brother died nearly eight years ago in battle. I would give anything to have a family to fight with, to worry about me when I'm gone, to care about me."
O'Connell turned his head so he did not have to look into Ashley's eyes. He had seen tears slowly forming in her eyes; gone were the daggers to which O'Connell had become accustomed. They had been replaced by the dull blades of pain. He didn't like her like this. Though he barely knew her, O'Connell had come to like Ashley best when she was about to strangle one poor soldier or another.
Thunder clashed and rain began to bombard the base. "It was raining the first day I met them," Ashley whispered. O'Connell was surprised that Ashley was speaking again. He looked up at her; Ashley was staring out the window into the rain. She stared into the rain as though it held a hidden message that, if broken, would provide the answer to a long forgotten question.
Ashley wasn't paying attention to O'Connell; her mind was lost in the past, her past. Her mind was lost in a memory from some fifteen years ago.
An eleven-year-old Ashley stood out in the rain, unwilling to go inside the large base. It was larger than she had imagined. The garage door of the hangar was open and Ashley could easily see into the base. Her fifteen- year-old brother was already looking over one of the zoids and her father was talking to another man.
"Alex," Ashley's father called to her brother, "go get your sister before she gets sick."
Alex nodded and ran out to get his kid sister. Ashley's blond hair was being plastered to her head and face and her clothes were becoming soaked. It didn't take much for Alex to pick Ashley up, for she was small and lightweight. He dragged her inside the base then shook the water out of his black hair. Alex went back to examining the zoid.
"So how have your kids been, Borwick?" Ashley heard a man ask her father.
"My son, Alex, is doing okay, but Ashley I'm not really sure about," her father responded. "How about your kids, Schubaltz?"
"Great, considering my daughter, Rachel, loves to play tricks on Freedmen," the man Schubaltz answered. "Here she comes now with my boys."
Ashley turned robotically to where Schubaltz had indicated. Three kids were coming their way, one of the boys and the girl looked about her age and the other boy had to be around eight or nine. The girl was the first to reach her. "Hi, I'm Rachel," she said extending her hand for a friendly handshake. Ashley took her hand and shook it while looking Rachel up and down. She had blond hair and bright green eyes. "This is my little brother Thomas," she said while pointing to the younger boy, "and this is my twin brother Karl," she finished.
At that moment, Alex popped up out of nowhere. "I'm Alex and this is my sister, Ashley."
"Nice to meet you," Karl said while he shook Alex's hand. Thomas's bright green eyes stared at Alex's friendly face. The children's fathers smiled, glad to see their kids had already made friends.
A green haired man walked over to the small group of kids. "That's Freedmen," Thomas said.
"Freedmen," Ashley's father called out to his friend, "isn't your hair blond?"
Freedmen looked angrily towards Rachel. "I got it dyed thanks to Miss Schubaltz."
Rachel gave a small cry and took off running. Freedmen ran after her. Ashley noticed a small can of oil; without a second thought she dumped the oil in Freedmen's path. He slipped on the oil-covered tile for a few minutes before falling flat on his face.
As Freedmen began to get up, Rachel grabbed Ashley's hand and pulled her farther into the base. The fathers of the two girls laughed; this was going to be interesting.
"Ashley! Ashley!" O'Connell was gently shaking her shoulders and calling her name. Ashley shook her head and started to come out of the past. It had been a long time since she had taken the time to sit and think about one of her memories. "Ashley, are you all right?" O'Connell asked her.
"Alex?" she whispered, still half in her memories. O'Connell had kneeled down so he was eye level with Ashley.
O'Connell chuckled. "I thought you read my file. My first name is Brian." Ashley just continued to stare into O'Connell's eyes. How had she not noticed before that his eyes were the same purple-blue shade that Alex's had been?
Without even thinking, Ashley reached out and hugged O'Connell. At first O'Connell didn't know what to do. Ashley was holding on to him, almost in fear of what would happen if she let go. She was also crying into his shoulder. Crying for the first time in a long time.
After a few moments of sitting there feeling stupid, O'Connell reached out and hugged her back; Ashley's tears began to stop. Even when her eyes were dry O'Connell stayed with Ashley, listening to stories about the times she had shared with the Schubaltzs and her brother. The whole time O'Connell stayed with Ashley, he thought about what she said about his family.
Some hundred thousand miles away, a young man in his late twenties flopped down on a chair, groaning. Every muscle, bone, and fiber ached from the beating he had received that day. A song played on an old beaten up radio, one he didn't recognize; it had to be Travillain. Alex groaned again and closed his eyes trying to block everything out.
A cold cloth was placed on his forehead. Alex opened his eyes to see May Stiffer standing over him. "Are you okay?" she asked in a whisper. Alex nodded, pressing the cold cloth harder onto his forehead. May gave him a look while she rubbed her own neck.
"How hard did you get whipped?" a man named Ace asked, while taking a seat across from Alex.
Alex shrugged. "Not that bad." He had lied; they had whipped him until Alex was sure he was dead, but he couldn't complain without permission. Almost everyone in this Cravanian base was a slave.
May had been a Travillian nurse when Cravane had captured her. Unlike the soldiers, she wasn't used to the backbreaking work that she had to do here, but her talents to cure anything from cuts to illnesses were greatly appreciated. She was also very beautiful with her long hair and blue eyes, but everyone knew she liked Alex -- that is, everyone except Alex. 'She looks like my sister,' Alex had thought the first time he and May had met, 'but she doesn't act like my sister.'
Ace was the best air pilot the Republic army had ever seen, or that's what he said. He had a great sense of humor that kept everyone laughing. Ace's jokes were what kept everyone from going insane, and he knew it, too. Ace was also known for stretching the truth a little too far. Still, Ace loved telling stories of grand adventure and jokes that would make people laugh until their sides ached.
Suddenly the door swung open and Cravanian soldiers walked into the room. Four of them were supporting a Republican soldier and a young woman dressed in a black uniform; both the Republican and woman were unconscious. The other two Cravanian soldiers were Scar and Thorn, the two most feared spies in Cravane.
"What's up?" Ace whispered.
Alex scowled. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
Really important!!!!!! Read this chapter very carefully!! Otherwise you wont understand the next chapter.
Disclaimer: Zoids is not mine. Ashley, Rachel, Danni, Sammy, King, Thorn, Scar, and Starlet are MY characters.
The Night Warriors
Far From the Past
Ashley sat in a chair, staring at the screen of a computer. For the past hour, she had been digging up files on different Republican soldiers; she was trying to keep herself busy until Rachel came back. Right now, O'Connell's file was open, and Ashley was carefully reading it as she drummed her fingers on the desktop.
While Ashley was still reading the file, O'Connell himself walked into the room. He saw her reading something carefully and came over to the computer to see what she was doing. He was a little surprised to see Ashley reading his file. "Why are you looking at my file?"
Ashley looked up from the screen to see O'Connell standing over her. "No reason . just needed something to do." Ashley went back to reading the words on the screen. Then something caught her eye. It stated that O'Connell no longer kept in contact with his family. "You don't keep in contact with your family?"
"No, not really," O'Connell said.
Ashley stared at him. "That's stupid."
"Why?" O'Connell asked.
"Because," Ashley responded, "I know people who no longer have a family."
"Who?" O'Connell asked.
Ashley continued to stare at him. "Me." It was O'Connell's turn to stare. "My mom died from cancer when I was eleven and my dad bled to death in battle when I was thirteen; my brother died nearly eight years ago in battle. I would give anything to have a family to fight with, to worry about me when I'm gone, to care about me."
O'Connell turned his head so he did not have to look into Ashley's eyes. He had seen tears slowly forming in her eyes; gone were the daggers to which O'Connell had become accustomed. They had been replaced by the dull blades of pain. He didn't like her like this. Though he barely knew her, O'Connell had come to like Ashley best when she was about to strangle one poor soldier or another.
Thunder clashed and rain began to bombard the base. "It was raining the first day I met them," Ashley whispered. O'Connell was surprised that Ashley was speaking again. He looked up at her; Ashley was staring out the window into the rain. She stared into the rain as though it held a hidden message that, if broken, would provide the answer to a long forgotten question.
Ashley wasn't paying attention to O'Connell; her mind was lost in the past, her past. Her mind was lost in a memory from some fifteen years ago.
An eleven-year-old Ashley stood out in the rain, unwilling to go inside the large base. It was larger than she had imagined. The garage door of the hangar was open and Ashley could easily see into the base. Her fifteen- year-old brother was already looking over one of the zoids and her father was talking to another man.
"Alex," Ashley's father called to her brother, "go get your sister before she gets sick."
Alex nodded and ran out to get his kid sister. Ashley's blond hair was being plastered to her head and face and her clothes were becoming soaked. It didn't take much for Alex to pick Ashley up, for she was small and lightweight. He dragged her inside the base then shook the water out of his black hair. Alex went back to examining the zoid.
"So how have your kids been, Borwick?" Ashley heard a man ask her father.
"My son, Alex, is doing okay, but Ashley I'm not really sure about," her father responded. "How about your kids, Schubaltz?"
"Great, considering my daughter, Rachel, loves to play tricks on Freedmen," the man Schubaltz answered. "Here she comes now with my boys."
Ashley turned robotically to where Schubaltz had indicated. Three kids were coming their way, one of the boys and the girl looked about her age and the other boy had to be around eight or nine. The girl was the first to reach her. "Hi, I'm Rachel," she said extending her hand for a friendly handshake. Ashley took her hand and shook it while looking Rachel up and down. She had blond hair and bright green eyes. "This is my little brother Thomas," she said while pointing to the younger boy, "and this is my twin brother Karl," she finished.
At that moment, Alex popped up out of nowhere. "I'm Alex and this is my sister, Ashley."
"Nice to meet you," Karl said while he shook Alex's hand. Thomas's bright green eyes stared at Alex's friendly face. The children's fathers smiled, glad to see their kids had already made friends.
A green haired man walked over to the small group of kids. "That's Freedmen," Thomas said.
"Freedmen," Ashley's father called out to his friend, "isn't your hair blond?"
Freedmen looked angrily towards Rachel. "I got it dyed thanks to Miss Schubaltz."
Rachel gave a small cry and took off running. Freedmen ran after her. Ashley noticed a small can of oil; without a second thought she dumped the oil in Freedmen's path. He slipped on the oil-covered tile for a few minutes before falling flat on his face.
As Freedmen began to get up, Rachel grabbed Ashley's hand and pulled her farther into the base. The fathers of the two girls laughed; this was going to be interesting.
"Ashley! Ashley!" O'Connell was gently shaking her shoulders and calling her name. Ashley shook her head and started to come out of the past. It had been a long time since she had taken the time to sit and think about one of her memories. "Ashley, are you all right?" O'Connell asked her.
"Alex?" she whispered, still half in her memories. O'Connell had kneeled down so he was eye level with Ashley.
O'Connell chuckled. "I thought you read my file. My first name is Brian." Ashley just continued to stare into O'Connell's eyes. How had she not noticed before that his eyes were the same purple-blue shade that Alex's had been?
Without even thinking, Ashley reached out and hugged O'Connell. At first O'Connell didn't know what to do. Ashley was holding on to him, almost in fear of what would happen if she let go. She was also crying into his shoulder. Crying for the first time in a long time.
After a few moments of sitting there feeling stupid, O'Connell reached out and hugged her back; Ashley's tears began to stop. Even when her eyes were dry O'Connell stayed with Ashley, listening to stories about the times she had shared with the Schubaltzs and her brother. The whole time O'Connell stayed with Ashley, he thought about what she said about his family.
Some hundred thousand miles away, a young man in his late twenties flopped down on a chair, groaning. Every muscle, bone, and fiber ached from the beating he had received that day. A song played on an old beaten up radio, one he didn't recognize; it had to be Travillain. Alex groaned again and closed his eyes trying to block everything out.
A cold cloth was placed on his forehead. Alex opened his eyes to see May Stiffer standing over him. "Are you okay?" she asked in a whisper. Alex nodded, pressing the cold cloth harder onto his forehead. May gave him a look while she rubbed her own neck.
"How hard did you get whipped?" a man named Ace asked, while taking a seat across from Alex.
Alex shrugged. "Not that bad." He had lied; they had whipped him until Alex was sure he was dead, but he couldn't complain without permission. Almost everyone in this Cravanian base was a slave.
May had been a Travillian nurse when Cravane had captured her. Unlike the soldiers, she wasn't used to the backbreaking work that she had to do here, but her talents to cure anything from cuts to illnesses were greatly appreciated. She was also very beautiful with her long hair and blue eyes, but everyone knew she liked Alex -- that is, everyone except Alex. 'She looks like my sister,' Alex had thought the first time he and May had met, 'but she doesn't act like my sister.'
Ace was the best air pilot the Republic army had ever seen, or that's what he said. He had a great sense of humor that kept everyone laughing. Ace's jokes were what kept everyone from going insane, and he knew it, too. Ace was also known for stretching the truth a little too far. Still, Ace loved telling stories of grand adventure and jokes that would make people laugh until their sides ached.
Suddenly the door swung open and Cravanian soldiers walked into the room. Four of them were supporting a Republican soldier and a young woman dressed in a black uniform; both the Republican and woman were unconscious. The other two Cravanian soldiers were Scar and Thorn, the two most feared spies in Cravane.
"What's up?" Ace whispered.
Alex scowled. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."