Well, here we go. Sorry about the major cliffhanger. I hope I didn't drive anyone insane with it. I'm just a big fan of cliffhangers.
Anyway, happy Thanksgiving to those of you who will celebrate it^.^
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids, but I'm happy to say that I own Star and Josh. I like the two of them^.^
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The sound of a gun firing echoed through the hallway, but the bullet never hit. From the side came Josh, who quickly grabbed Leon and got them both out of the way in time. Star allowed herself a relieved smile as Ain looked on in confusion. Star quickly turned a little and kicked him in the chest, causing him to grunt and fall to his knees. She quickly got up and began to run down one of the hallways, heading away from Josh and Leon. She knew Ain would follow her. She couldn't let him find Josh.
Meanwhile, Leon and Josh were slowly getting to their feet. "Thanks," said Leon as he rubbed the back of his head where a bump was now forming.
"Don't mention it," said Josh. They were whispering, not wanting Ain to find them. Josh glanced around the corner and noticed that both Ain and Star were gone. He cursed under his breath and then turned back to Leon. He reached to his side and drew out a handgun. "Here," he said, handing it to Leon. He then pulled out a handgun for himself.
"What are we going to do?" asked Leon, curious as to what the plan was.
"We're going after him. I refuse to let him have his way with Star," said Josh, his eyes cold and hard. "If Ain sees me, he's not allowed out of here alive. I'm going to really need your help on this."
"Why me?"
"Do you see anyone else here? Besides, I trust you, Leon. I know you won't let anything happen to my sister." And with that said, the two of them began to make their way down the halls, looking for where Ain and Star had gone.
******
Star was running as fast as she could in high heels and a dress. Her hair had come loose and was now hanging to her shoulders. She was panting hard as she ran, trying to get as far away as she could. She knew Ain couldn't find Josh or the mission would be blown. She had already blown her own cover and she wasn't about to blow this one. She allowed a small smile to grace her face, however. Josh had saved Leon. She had been so scared that Ain would kill him, just like in her dream. Why she was so afraid of seeing him die was something she didn't understand completely, but she didn't have time to ponder it right now. She had to get away. She turned the corner and came upon a long hall. She sprinted, knowing that she had to get down it before Ain turned that corner. He'd have a clear shot at her if she didn't get down it quickly. When she was almost to the corner, she heard a shot ring out, but it didn't hit her. However, she did stop and turn to see Ain coming down the hallway, his gun poised. Star quickly ran and turned the corner, heading down a smaller hallway that led into a dark storage room. There were metal crates everywhere in the room so she quickly ran to a stack of them and hid behind them. She knew Ain was coming.
"Taki," he said as he entered the room. "I'm not in the mood to play games." He didn't sound like it either. He was completely serious right now. Star was trying not to pant, but she was out of breath from running. She was breathing deeply, but doing it quietly so that he wouldn't notice her.
"I know you're in here," he said. "I watched you come in. Why don't you come out so we can talk a little?" She listened as he knocked over a few of the metal crates, sending them crashing to the floor loudly. Star had to place her hands over her mouth to stifle a surprised yelp. Luckily, Ain hadn't heard her.
"I won't hurt you, Taki. I just want to talk," he insisted. She knew it was a lie. If she even moved, he'd shoot. She hadn't been trained for nothing. He obviously didn't know her. He knocked over a few more crates, but she didn't jump this time. Afterwards, it was silent. Ain no longer called out and she no longer heard his footsteps on the metal floor. She wasn't sure just what had happened, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he'd find her. She had to make a break for it. She decided to move, going around the side of the metal crates, keeping to her knees. She was crawling quietly, but when she turned the corner of the crates, she came face to face with Ain.
"Hello Taki," he said with a smirk as her eyes widened in fear.
******
A woman's scream echoed down the hallway, bringing both Josh and Leon to a halt. They were both shocked and a little afraid now.
"He found her," growled out Josh, now full of anger.
"I didn't hear a gun shot," noted Leon.
"I know. He won't kill her yet. Come on!" He began to sprint down the hall with Leon following him. "Ain can be a really sick man sometimes. He'll torture her before he kills her. I don't even want to think about what he might do to her." Leon had a good idea about what Josh meant. He had gotten a taste of what Ain was like that day in the city. Leon could feel himself fill with anger at the thought. Ain had no right to do something like that to a woman, and especially not to Star. 'If he touches her, I'll kill him,' thought Leon, more on reflex than anything. He was surprised at his own thoughts, but he meant it. If he found out that Ain did anything to her, he'd kill him personally.
******
Star fell to the cold floor, unconscious. Ain and slammed her hard into the wall. He put his gun away and walked over to her. "You're so beautiful, Taki," he told her, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. He bent down and touched her soft lips with his finger. "What I wouldn't give to have a woman as beautiful as you. It's a shame you'll have to die." He then heard footsteps coming quickly to the room. He stood up and watched as Leon came down the hall. Josh was staying around the corner. He wasn't allowed to be seen. "It's you again," said Ain in disgust. "You're the man from the city, the one who ruined my fun the first time."
"Get away from Star," he told Ain as he held the gun in his hands.
"Do you plan to shoot me? I take it that unlike this woman, you've never held a gun like that, let alone used one to kill." Josh cursed to himself as he heard this. He hadn't known that little fact. "It's easier said than done," continued Ain. He took out his own gun quickly and aimed it at the unconscious Star. Leon's hands tightened on his handgun.
"Unlike you, I've killed many with a gun," said Ain. "I won't hesitate to kill you or her. However, it would be a shame to let such innocent beauty go to waste like that. She really is beautiful, don't you agree?" Leon said nothing; he only tightened his finger on the trigger. "Are you going to shoot me?"
"If that's what it takes," answered Leon. Ain simply laughed and then turned his gun to Leon quickly.
"I think I'll get rid of you first. Then I can have a little fun," he said, a sick smile coming to his lips. His finger tightened, slowly pushing the trigger in.
"Leon! Move!" shouted Josh as he came around the corner. Leon obeyed and pressed himself against the wall, giving Josh a clear shot. Ain's eyes widened as he saw Josh.
"It's you," he said just as Josh pulled the trigger on his own gun, sending the bullet right into Ain, who fell back, releasing his gun. Josh ran to Leon, who was standing near the wall. Leon handed Josh the gun and then they walked further into the room, going over to Star, who was still unconscious. Josh looked down to Ain, who was still holding onto his life.
"You…" he whispered to Josh, "why?"
"Because she's my sister," he answered simply. Ain closed his eyes.
"I understand," he said softly.
"Any last words?" asked Josh, his eyes no longer angry. In fact, his voice was very soft.
"Yeah. Tell her not to cry and that I love her."
"I will." Ain allowed himself to let go, his chest no longer rising or falling. Josh turned his attention to Star. Leon was at her side, checking her for any injuries. "How is she?" asked Josh.
"Other than a hit to her head, she seems fine," answered Leon. Josh seemed to be lamenting over something. His eyes showed it more than his expression. Something began to beep and Josh reached to his side where a radio was.
"Josh?" asked the person on the other end. It was female.
"It's me," he said back to her.
"Ain went out tonight and he hasn't come back yet. He said he knew where the traitor was. Have you seen him?" Josh clenched his free fist before speaking, his voice pained.
"I'm sorry, but Ain is dead," he answered. "I just found him. He was shot by a member of the ZBC. The traitor got away. I'm afraid I arrived too late to help him." It was silent on the other end.
"It's alright," whispered the woman sadly. "Please, just get back to the base soon."
"I will." And with that, he shut it off and put it back at his side.
"What's wrong?" asked Leon. "You did the right thing…didn't you?"
"I hated Ain," said Josh as he turned away slightly. "But I don't believe that doing the right thing had anything at all to do with this. If there's one thing I've learned while working this mission, it's that you can't look at everything and come to conclusions like that. The concepts of right and wrong, good and evil don't mean a thing." He paused a little and met Leon's questioning eyes. "Did you know that Ain had a sister?"
"No," answered Leon, a little surprised.
"I know her quite well. Her name is Maria. She's a sweet girl, always wearing a smile on her face. Ain loved her dearly. The way he acted around her reminded me a lot of how Star and I are. She really idolized him. However, I did what I had to do to protect both you and Star, but…" He turned fully to Leon, his eyes showing his pain. "Now I have to face her and watch her suffer, knowing that I was the one who caused her pain. I have to live with it. Did I do the right thing? It's all a matter of opinion. There was nothing else I could do. To me, it was right, but when I think about facing Maria's pain, I start to wonder if maybe here had been another way. Perhaps I just didn't see it. You can't look at the world as things being either right or wrong or evil or good. You have to look at the consequences. I've seen the world through their eyes, and to them, we're the ones who have committed the crimes. It's just two sides to one story." Josh turned away and began to walk off. "I have to get back. I'm trusting you to take care of Star now."
"Alright," said Leon, his voice slightly unstable. Hearing all of that come out of a high ranking ZBC official was really something. He honestly hadn't thought about it like that before. Leon turned his attention to Star, who was still unconscious. He wasn't sure exactly what to do. If he took her back like this, they'd get suspicious. He'd have to wait for her to wake up. Maybe he would get lucky and Josh would explain what happened, which was exactly what the young man planned on doing. In a matter of minutes, the ZBC officials, followed by the other members of the Blitz team, ran into the room. The Blitz team went over to Star and Leon. "Josh told us what happened," started Leena.
"Is she alright?" asked Naomi.
"She's fine," assured Leon. "She was hit in the head, that's all."
"That's a relief," sighed Bit.
"Josh didn't tell us much," explained Brad. "He simply said that the three of you ended up in a fight with Ain."
"We did, but it's over now," said Leon, glancing at Ain's still body.
"Did Josh kill him?" asked Jamie quietly.
"Yeah," answered Leon, his voice holding some lament. He recalled what Josh had said and couldn't help but feel sorry. Ain had been the brother of a very sweet young girl. Leon knew that Star would cry for days if Josh died. Leon was a brother as well and he loved his little sister and he knew she loved him as well. She would most likely cry if he died. When looking at it like that, he almost wished that Ain hadn't been killed.
"We should get going," said Doc. "It's late and both of you should get some rest. You've had a long day." It was at this moment that Star woke up. She moaned a little and rubbed her aching head. She sat up slowly and looked around.
"What happened?" she asked. It all came flooding back to her. "Where's Ain?"
"He's dead," answered Leon simply. Star turned to Ain's still body, which was being taken care of by the officials. She frowned slightly.
"He saw Josh, didn't he," she stated and Leon nodded to her. "He did what he had to, I understand. I was hoping that there'd be a way for us all to make it out alive, but it looks like I was wrong."
"What do you mean?" asked Leena, confused. "Ain tried to kill you."
"I know, but I didn't really want him to die or anything. I would never wish that kind of thing on anyone, even a man like Ain." Doc stood up, followed by the other members. Leon helped Star to her feet.
"It's time to get home," said Doc. "I'm a little tired."
"I second that," said Bit as he yawned and stretched his arms. They all began to walk down the halls, back towards the main room. Leon and Star were walking behind everyone else.
"Are you going to be alright?" asked Leon.
"It was just a hit to the head," she told him.
"I don't mean that. You've been through a lot tonight."
"I know, but I've seen worse. I'll be fine. And Leon?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for coming after me."
"If it hadn't been for Josh, I probably wouldn't have gotten very far."
"I was so afraid," admitted Star. "I thought Ain was going to kill you…just like in my dream." Leon glanced down at her, noticing the downcast expression on her face. He hesitantly reached over and placed his arm around her shoulders, causing her to tense up slightly. A crimson blush painted her cheeks at the contact.
"It was just a dream, Star," he assured her. "Nothing will happen."
"But…what if they come after me again?" she asked, the blush still on her face from their proximity.
"They won't. Ain was the only one who knew about you. I'm sure there aren't any others. Don't worry. We're all here for you if you need us."
"Thanks Leon."
"Don't mention it."
******
They got home around ten that night and everyone was going to go right to sleep. It had been a long and tiring day. Star stayed up a little longer, deciding that she was hungry. They had all wished her goodnight before retiring to their rooms. She was up for nearly an hour after they had all gone to bed. She just wasn't tired right now. She decided to at least try and get some sleep, so she began to head to her room. She was being cautious. For some reason, the silence was disturbing her. 'It's too quiet,' she noted silently to herself. She eventually reached her room and slowly opened the door. The only light was the light of the double moons that were shining in through her window. She slowly closed the door behind her, not bothering to look around the room. Suddenly, something flew by her, hitting the door just an inch from her head. She was currently facing the door, but she was now frozen from fear. She glanced at the object in her door. It was a knife. She slowly turned around and saw a man standing there, clad in black. It was too dark to see his face, but she did see as he reached for something at his side. It was another knife which he quickly whipped out and threw at her. Star screamed out in pain as the knife pierced her delicate skin.
******
The doors to the rooms of Leena, Leon, Bit, Brad, Jamie, Naomi, and Doc all flew open. The members of the Blitz team were now standing in the hallway, looking around. The same sound had woken them all up.
"What's going on?" asked Bit.
"What was that sound?" asked Jamie.
"It sounded like a scream," noted Leena. They then heard what sounded like a gun being fired.
"Just what is happening?" asked Naomi.
"I'm not sure," answered Brad.
"Calm down," said Doc. "Let's think about this."
"Hey…" began Leena. "Where's Star?" They heard another scream and it was obviously from Star. Leon was the first one to break away, heading down the hall. All of them were dressed simply in their nightwear. They didn't care, though. It didn't seem to matter right now. They reached Star's room, which was set a little ways away from the rest of the rooms. Leon was about to turn the handle when two more shots rang out. Everyone froze as complete silence followed it. Leon hesitated before turning the handle and slowly opening the door. They were all dreading what they might find behind the door. They saw Star standing there, her back to them. On the floor in front of her was a man laying face down, a pool of blood forming under him. Star's body was shaking and they could hear her sobbing softly. Leena was the first to notice that there was a small pool of blood forming under her, dripping from her chest.
"Star?" asked Naomi softly. Star slowly turned and they could see that she was clutching a gun in her hands. They were also able to see what had been done to her. She had been stabbed in the shoulder, the knife still in it. Her left leg was cut up and there was a bullet wound in her side and another knife wound on her stomach. Luckily, she wasn't bleeding heavily. The bullet wound on her side had simply been a graze shot. She reached up and pulled the knife from her shoulder, tossing it to the side. She looked tired and her eyes were wet with tears. This was too much for her. She felt her knees begin to buckle and she soon fell to them, now sitting on the floor. She could have been hurt a lot worse than this and they all knew it. Star had gotten lucky today. She had been in two battles and had made it out alive. Leena went to her, followed by Naomi. The two women knelt down by her.
"Come on Star," said Leena gently. "Let's get those wounds cleaned up."
******
It had been two hours later and everyone had finally settled down. They had called over the ZBC to come and take care of the man that Star had killed. He had been a Backdraft member, which had been pretty obvious already. They had checked up on Star, who hadn't said a word to any of them. It hadn't taken long to clean up her room and she had been sent back to it to get some sleep. Her injuries hadn't been too severe, so she didn't have to stay in the med room for long. By now, everyone was sleeping again…well, everyone besides Leon. Like Star, his room was a little further away as well, but not as far off as hers was. He was simply lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. A lot had happened recently and he wasn't enjoying any of it. Star had gotten hurt and he hadn't been able to help her at all. Josh had asked him to watch out for her and so far he hadn't been doing the greatest job. However, he wasn't just doing this because Josh asked him to. He really wanted to protect her. It was an odd feeling. He hated the idea of her being hurt and would do everything he could to keep her safe. This was what he wanted to do.
"Leon?" said a soft and light voice. He was a little surprised as he was knocked from his thoughts. He sat up and saw Star standing in his doorway.
"Star? What are you doing here? You should be sleeping," he told her gently.
"I can't," she said. Her expression was monotone and her eyes were filled with fear and worry. "I don't want to go back there, not now."
"Star, no one else will come after you, I promise," he told her.
"I know, but I just…I can't." He could tell that she was afraid. He didn't blame her. She had been attacked twice. She no longer felt safe here. There were members in the Backdraft group who obviously knew where and who she now was.
"Please Leon," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "If it isn't too much trouble…do you think I could stay with you tonight?" Leon froze at the proposal. She was asking to stay with him, in his room, sharing his bed. She seemed a little embarrassed, but she didn't blush like she normally did when things like this happened.
"You…want to stay here?" he asked, making sure he heard right.
"Please. I don't want to be alone in my room." Leon looked her over. He could see the bandages on her arm and her leg. She was dressed in a pair of pajama shorts and a tight pajama like top that didn't hide her midriff. He could see the bandages there as well and he began to feel guilty for allowing such a thing to happen to her. He could understand why she didn't want to go back to her own room. However, this would put him in a very odd position. He had never shared his bed with anyone else before and his bed wasn't exactly big. He looked to her, his eyes questioning.
"Why me?" he asked her.
"I want to feel safe," she told him. "And I feel that way with you." Leon nodded to her and then moved over, motioning for her to come in. She walked over to his bed and sat down, hesitating. Apparently, this was a little odd to her as well. She lied down next to him and then turned to face him. "Thank you Leon," she whispered as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to drift into a peaceful sleep. Leon reached down and pulled the sheets of his bed over both of them. He then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, trying not to think of who was next to him.
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Well? How was that? Wasn't it fun? Actually, it was a little depressing, but I didn't put in a cliffhanger…like I was going to. I just felt like being nice today.
I will get the next chapter up soon, I promise. This fic is so much fun to write and somewhere along the line, I forgot that.
I finally found my happy medium of writing, so now I can update everything at decent times without forgetting about a fic. I feel so good^.^
Anyway, that's all for now^.^
Bye for now^.^