Chapter 14: The Awakening of a Massacre
The dark room was silent, the only thing that stirred the silence was the wind whistling and blowing against the window glass of the room. A figure sat in the bed of the room, his head up against the wall and his back lay against the silver railing. His forehead had a bandage wrapped around it and his neck was covered in more bandages. His left cheek had a cross shaped scar imprinted in it and on his right cheek, a small bandade stuck on. He had brown hair that went down to his neck with a white denim shirt. His eyes were closed with an expressionless face. Beside the bed, a slender figure sat on a chair staring at her bedridden companion with her light blue eyes. Her hair hung to her shoulders and shun through the dark room. She was propped on the rear end of the chair with her arms resting on top of the chair back. Strands of her hair hung at the sides of her forehead. Her light blue eyes were filled with sorrow and she couldn't help but stare at the figure that slept in bed. Wind...this is all my fault...if I hadn't been so careless...
"What are you lamenting about?" a calm voice interrupted her thoughts. The girl snapped to attention at the voice that came from the man in the bed. "Whats done is done...we can forget about the past and continue on with our lives as Ravens...nothing more." The man slowly opened his dark eyes wearing the same calm expression.
"But Wind, don't you remember what happened! I almost got us both killed! You should've just left me there...then you wouldn't be like this!" She looked away at the door trying to supress the tears that were coming.
"I don't understand anything these days...why are people so emotional? Why do you care so much about what happens to me, Sara?" Windbreaker closed his eyes once again and crossed his arms, now both covered in bandages as well.
Sara opened her eyes in rage and jolted upright, the chair fell backwards and she turned around to face Windbreaker. Her chest heaved heavily and her breath could be heard. Tears were rolling down the side of her cheeks and a burning rage could be seen in her once peaceful blue eyes. Strands of her raven black hair hung in front of her face. "Why! Why! I'll tell you why I care so much!" her voice raised with every passing word she said, "Its because I care about you! Its because I have special feelings for you!" the fervor in her eyes wavered and she regained her peaceful posture, her breathing normal once again. "Its because I love you...but...you never seem to return my love...ever...why? Is there something wrong? Does it have something to do with you losing your first girlfriend?"
There was a moment of pause, silence filled the room. "Why do you lament on the past...what's so special about the past?"
Sara wiped the tears from her eyes and approached her bedridden companion. She lowered her head to his level and gazed into his dark soul piercing eyes, she gave him a light smile. He merely glanced from the side of his eye, "The past, is what makes us who we are today. It helps us learn from our mistakes and become better people. We should never forget the past, Wind."
Windbreaker shifted his gaze towards the transparent windows. "Thats bull, how can something so distant make us who we are presently. Who you are is determined by what you do in the present, not what you did! You can't possibly be worried about what happened in the past."
"Yeah, okay...whatever you say. I'm just glad that your still alive! Thanks for trying to cheer me up...even though it was supposed to be the other way around!" she wrapped her arms around Windbreaker's neck and rested the side of her face against his head.
"Hey! Wait! No stop! It wasn't meant as a cheer up! It was meant as a freakin lecture!" Sara's long shiny black hair rubbed against his cheek. Its smooth...just like...hers... He supressed the urge to stroke her hair. Moments later, the door to the room opened with a click revealing a tall, well built man. His hair was silver and clear even through the dark and spiked in many directions. Small whiskers and a slight beard could be seen on his face. He wore a long grey coat with his hand in his pocket.
Sara spun around at the sound to turn to the man that stood at the doorway. "So...Jack...I suppose you've been too busy to shave eh?" Windbreaker said, retaining his calm posture.
"Yes, well...you and Vanguard do always have the knack for bringing trouble." Jack-O said with his usual calm voice.
"Jack-O...what is it this time?" The young female propped in a kneeling position on the bed.
"Hm, well, I hate to end this little...touching recovery...but it seems that one of a group of what seems to be Revelation's ACs went inside Fenris Dome again. Just recently, Kisaragi dug up some strange mech from the underground ruins of Fenris Dome. The last thing that Kisaragi could report was their excavation squad being picked off. Crest and Mirage are also very concerned with this matter. Crest, Mirage and Kisaragi have mustered all of their AC pilots around the dome to prevent the intruders from escaping, but they reluctant to send in their forces after what happened to their squad. I think you know where this is going."
To everyone's surprise, Sara was the first one to respond with a quick jolt upwards, the same fervor as before was in her eyes, "What! You don't expect Wind to do anything do you! Can't you see the wounds he sustained! Why can't you ask another Raven to do this!"
"Unfortunately no. There are only a select few who know about the crisis to come, including you. Shade and Carom are too injured from the last mission and Vanguard is missing. We don't want to let the populace know about this and panic...it would do us no good."
"And Wind is an exception! You expect him to go fight in his current condition!" she stood in front of Jack-O looking up into his icy blue eyes.
"Since you put it that way..." Jack-O walked towards the window and stared out towards the dark night, his hands folded behind his back. "I guess the only choice now is to send you."
"What! Me! But I need to stay with Wind. I need to tend to his wounds."
"That's true but...isn't that why we have nurses in our hospital wings?" the administrator took one step and turned to Sara, his hair was illuminated by the moonlight.
"Yes, but nobody knows how to take care of Wind better tha-" the female was cut off by Windbreaker in his calm tone. His form still sitting in bed.
"Don't worry...I'll be fine." he said as he was rewrapping the bandage around his arm in a circular and smooth motion. "Besides, this mission is important. It would mean alot to the world if you accept it, and be wary of the unexpected." Sara stood with a blank stare at Windbreaker. "...and don't fail miserably..." he said in a mocking tone.
"Thanks, for worrying about me, Wind. But I'll be okay, and I'll come back! I promise!" she simply smiled at him with a slight blush strands of her straight black hair covered her cheeks.
I was afraid she would say that...just hope she doesn't come back. Windbreaker shrugged and closed his eyes. Jack-O tilted his head to the side looked at Sara with his blue icy gaze.
"So, does that mean you will accept the mission I will hand to you?"
Sara nodded, a note of confindence in her expression. She wore a face of determination, "I'm willing to accept. If its to protect those around me...whom I care for, then I'll do it!"
The administrator had a small grin on his face, "I've already readied a transport that will take you to Fenris Dome. You should get going now, time is of the essence."
She nodded in reply to Jack-O's statement. Sara swiveled around and turned to her fellow Raven in bed with a soft smile, "Hey, I'll be back really fast okay?"
"Hmph! Just be careful..." Windbreaker's voice had a hint of irritation in it.
"Thanks!" She waved her hand while running out the door. The door slammed behind her, leaving the two Ravens to contemplate on the events that would and will occur.
"She is...quite interesting. One minute she's filled with rage the next she's happy-go-lucky. I guess its a trait that women always have," Jack-O said chuckling to himself.
"I'll never understand that girl..." Windbreaker sighed.
"Oh? Does that mean you never understood yourself?" Jack-O raised a furrowed eyebrow at his statement.
"Whats that supposed to mean!" Windbreaker snapped.
The administrator merely chuckled, throughout all events that occured, he was probably the most cool headed. Jack-O had never shown any sign of regret or panic and only showed his easy going side. "I remember when you first came into the Ark...you were just like her."
"Huh, that was then...this is now! Why should I care if I was like her anyways?"
"Hmmmm...well, when you said "be careful"...were you showing a sign of concern...or a sign of warning?"
"I am only trying to advise her that she should be careful of anything." Windbreaker crossed his arms, the bandages on his arms ruffled up a bit.
"Be careful of anything?" The silver haired Raven widened his eyes in disbelief followed by the same chuckle he always made, "...or do you mean...be careful of...you."
"..." The bedridden Raven ran his hands in between his hair.
Jack-O broke the silence, once again wearing the same hardened and dark look on his face. "Do you think she suspects anything?"
"I highly doubt that. Her constant mood swings really hint that she knows nothing. Although I could be wrong," Windbreaker smirked.
"Well then...before any more trouble arises, lets take care of one of our troubles before attending to the other. I think its about time that you start your mission...your real mission, do try to bring back Omen in one piece this time...it really does cost alot to get it repaired." Jack-O walked out moments after.
"So...it begins..." the Raven spoke to himself in a soft and raspy voice.
A bulky helicopter flew through the hair. Its two blades spinning through the air at great speeds. Under its four small clamps was a large slender looking dark red AC, holding a sniper rifle in its right hand and a silver rectangular shaped grenade launcher in its left. The helicopter flew to a stop, hovering above what seemed to be millions of other MTs, some white, some blue, others a bright red. Dropping down to the ground from its transport, the red AC landed on the dusty ground with a loud thud. The mech turned towards the gigantic white dome structure in front of it. A blue hover type MT approached the newcomer, known as Crimson Tear, making a slight humming as it traveled.
"Great timing, Raven. We could really use your help right about now." A male voice had a hint of irish in it. "Two ACs went into the dome just recently, they took out all of the excavation crew."
"What? Why would they do that?" Sara asked, staring at the dome.
"We think its something that we just discovered. Kisaragi just recently dug up some artifact from the ruins underneath Fenris Dome. We don't know what the hell it was, but we were pretty certain it was made from some lost technology. Due to what happened to our crew, we're afraid that sending in another squad will lead to just a repetition of what happened to the excavation crew, so we called you in. Entrance to the ruins is located in a manmade tunnel right in front of the gates...its the only one so you won't miss it. What's more, they've also jammed up our communications so you won't be able to contact anyone outside of the dome."
"I'll still complete this mission, one way or another. I have to..." Crimson Tear raced inside the opening gates that led to the inside of the gigantic dome. The doors rumbled, closing behind the AC. A ruined city, lay inside the dome. The buildings had been torn apart and charred with black smears. A large tunnel curving downwards was stationed in front of the red AC. "A tunnel...guess that's it." She swallowed hard before moving her AC into the tunnel. To her surprise, the corridor of the tunnels had been lit with bright incandescent lights, making traveling in the tunnel much easier. The tunnel seemed to curve and snake in all directions, until a black door with a small blue insignia inscribed on it, could be seen. The insignia seemed to glow with an erie blue light. "This door looks special..." the doors immediately opened as Crimson Tear slid to a halt in front of it, glowing even more brightly than before. "It opened? Thats strange..." Inside, was a large room, filled with shining blue tiles filled with wreckages of what appeared to be MTs and ACs and other sorts of equipment. A gouge could be seen in the center of the whole room containing glistening glass. The gouge was huge and was perfectly rounded. The ceiling of the room was covered with glass, which seemed to have been shattered by a large object. Why does this room...seem so...familiar? A feeling overcame Sara, a feeling of fear and anxiety. It was only awhile later before Sara noticed a humanoid figure that stood on the other side of the gouged room, its sleek and curved outline could be made out. "What's an AC doing in a place like this?" she pondered, a male voice interrupted which seemed to come from the white AC standing on the otherside of the room.
"Hmmmm, I wasn't quite expecting someone to come in after what we just did to the excavation crew," it was a calm icy voice that spoke.
"Your the one that did this!" Sara asked, surprised that anyone was still here.
"Well...no, your a little late though. Enigma already obtained the Archangel Pulverizer. He showed a fraction of his power to the fools who continued to resist him." the male laughed meniacally. A malicious tone could be heard in his icy cold voice. "Of course...since your already here...I, Blaze, cannot allow you to leave here alive." A red light flickered from behind the AC, as it sped forward with its shield like arms formed in a cross position. Crimson Tear fired a grenade shell and moved to the left, the explosive shell made contact with the edge of the gouge as the white AC boosted up from the bottom of the gouge and jumped out lashing with its purple blades. The dark red AC, evaded with a curving overboost maneuver that seemed to throw Blaze off. The mech curved at an angle and a phenomenal speed while aiming its sniper rifle at its opponent. Blaze pulled his AC back in reverse and let the shots hit the tiled ground. Another volley of shots were made, this time hitting its target. Covering its core with its arms, the AC fell backwards while delivering a missile salvos that came from its NYMPHE back unit and its relation extension missiles. Sara maneuvered past the missiles by pulling up in reverse and curving to the right, followed by an overboost forward, leading the missiles astray and hitting the walls. "Haha! I have you now!" the white AC unleashed one of its blades and slashed in the traditional style, a slash coming from the bottom right to the top left diagonally. Sara was fast to react and boosted to the left at the last moment, the blade hit the small grenade launcher that was propped on the back of Crimson Tear. The unit was immediately dropped and exploded as it fell to the ground. Landing more shots from its sniper rifle as it boosted backwards from its previous experience, Crimson Tear managed to pierce the armor on both arms of its opposer. The arm units on the white AC exploded, sending Blaze's AC flying backwards and crashing into the wall. Through the foggy smoke was the AC, lying on the floor and staggering in its movements. "You're...too late...it is already coming...it will destroy you...one way or another...hahahaha!" Blaze cackles as the AC continuously explodes in various areas, until the whole core collapses and is consumed in fire and smoke. The battle was over, the missions had been complete, but the words that Blaze left behind made Sara uneased.
What did he mean...?
"Raven...please respond..." the same male irish voice that had been in the blue hover MT at the surface said.
"I...just destroyed the AC..." she said plainly.
"The AC must have been jamming our communications inside the dome, all radar functions have been restored," he said, with a tint of relief in his voice.
"Yeah..." Sara paid no attentions to anything, all that was left in her mind were the words that Blaze said before his AC blew up.
"Nice work Raven, mission complete...get back up here and-...wait! Unidentified unit has been detected approaching us..." Sara's attention was quickly drawn to his words.
"Unidentified? What is it?" she asked.
"Its a white AC...no...this...its not an AC...what is that thing?" silence replaced all, only the humming of the red ACs engines could be heard from the inside of the cockpit. No sooner was the silence broken, gunfire and explosions could be heard. The sound of energy blades swinging and people yelling out either death cries or cries of pain could be heard. Various MT pilots yelled simoultaneously, as if hell itself had broken loose. Sara could only widen her eyes in fear and disbelief at the cries for help.
"W...we need reinforcements now! T-this thing...its not human!" Several machine guns firing rapid rounds muffled out the voice.
Another male voice interrupted, "God! We've lost half of our forces already...what is that thing! Somebody help us!" Large, ear deafening explosions could be heard.
The last sentence that could be made out was from a pilot. The fear was prominent in his voice, "Its...Horizon...the Angel of Hell..." It was all of a sudden that silence, once again, replaced everything. Nothing could be heard, no gunfire, no explosions, no pilots yelling out.
"Hey! I-is anyone there! Can anybody hear me!" there was no reply. A sudden fear struck Sara, fear for what awaited her at the surface. What the hell happened!
"WARNING! UNIDENTIFIED UNIT APPROACHING AREA AT HIGH SPEED! SIX HUNDRED KILOMETERS TO THE WEST!" The feminine voice of the computer blurted out all of a sudden.
"What!" Filled with fear, she turned Crimson Tear around to face the doorway across the room, the one she had come through from.
"WARNING! UNIT IS WITHIN TWO HUNDRED KILOMETERS TO THE WEST! HIGH ENERGY RESPONSE DETECTED!"
It had been too late to contemplate whether to run or not. The two doors that was affixed in the hallway was suddenly flung into the air. Metal clanking against one another could be heard as the two, now twisted and broken doors, made contact with the ground. Smoke in the hallway masked everything, only two brilliant blue lights glowed in the smoke, as if evil itself was glaring out. As the smoke cleared up, a tall curved humanoid figured could be seen. Its head resembled that of a demon. Its shoulders were curved in a round spherical shape, attached to its shoulders were two wing like extensions. Jagged edges and a demonic contours was what described the body and legs. The figure stood there, and took a loud clunking step forward, its motions were humane and the giant itself seemed to breathe. Its pure white armor was illuminated by glowing blue outlines. The newcomer stood there, affixed in its position and seemed to glare at Crimson Tear, with a linear rifle in its right hand and a rectangular weapon in its left. On its back were two tall grey rectangular pillars. To Sara, the giant seemed magnificent and evil at the same time. She could only stare wide eyed and shocked at the mech that stood before her. It was only then that the feminine voice of the computer started talking once more.
"UNIT IDENTIFIED AS OMEN! HIGH ENERGY RESPONSE DETECTED, UNABLE TO IDENTIFY SOURCE. PART ASSEMBLY DOES NOT CORRESPOND WITH REGISTERED PARTS, UNABLE TO ANALYZE TARGET!"