Author notes: Hello my happy peoples. So many people had said that they wanted to see the story continue that I decided to be nice for a change.

Little E.G.: Believe me, it's not normal.

E.G.: This is my little brother, Little Elephant Guardian. And he will be helping with my reviews along with my other little brother the Dragon Guardian. But he's not here so I only have one pest to deal with right now.

Little E.G.: I'm not a pest!

E.G.: What ever.

Disclaimer: I don't own zoids but this story is mine and so are Alex, Cat, and the Desesrt Panther Bandits

The Black Angel

Chapter 2

An Unexpected Turn of Events

Karl lay in a hospital bed, the one he had been in since the battle against the unknown, but powerful group of bandits. For some reason the lights were brighter than they normally were, and they hurt his eyes. He had begun to want to lay in the dark by a roaring fire. It seemed impossible to get comfortable on the overly stuffed bed. Karl remembered how Alex had tried to make him comfortable on the ground, it was perfect.

Alex, that name refused to leave his head no mater how many times Karl tried to erase it from his mind.

She was boyish and wore ripped up clothing. But that was her style which made her unique and worth remembering.

She was in an area far from any towns or cities, yet there she was there to save him. She had to be mercenary; maybe probably with the group that he had had to deal with the day he was injured. But she had saved him.

"Hey Schubaltz. Thinking about your Black Angel?" Herman asked. When Karl had first woken up, he had described his rescuer as a Black Angel. If for some odd reason Schubaltz did manage to forget Alex, he could count on the Republican Colonel would be glad to remind Schubaltz daily about his rescuer.

Karl groaned. Herman's joke about Alex was beginning to get very old very fast. "Herman, if you are here for a reason, hurry it up, I'm not in the mood."

"Bed riddance boredom getting you down?" Herman asked with an understanding nod. "Any ways, Moonbay and Irvine were thinking over your answer about a Black Angel and they have come up with a few names to fit the description, more like half the female mercenary population. But the part about the Black Angel's pet cat narrowed it down to a bandit by the name of Alexandria Claws. Her father, Jacob Claws, is headman of the Dessert Panther Bandits. The clue that Alexandria was your black angel was the pet cat. She apparently has an organoid in the shape of a Hel Cat which she has originally named Cat. That is the reason Irvine began looking for his own organoid. Alexandria and Cat are rarely put in actual battle, they are more often used as decoys or something else, but that does not mean they are crippled in battle."

"Get to the point Herman. Why are you telling me all this?"

Herman shifted his wait from one foot to the other. "Alexandria Claws has just turned herself in to us."

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Karl limped along on his crutch till he made it to the prison ward of the base. Sure enough there was a young woman, about his own age with curly brown hair pulled back and deep chocolate brown eyes. When she saw him approach her cell, her face lit up in a smile that you would not expect a bandit to wear, especial as a prisoner of the Republic and Imperial armies.

"Hello Karl," the woman said happily. "Do you know where Cat is? I'm a bit worried about her; she doesn't take kindly to strangers."

"So this is your rescuer," Herman stated. Karl was in too much of a state of shock to really respond to either person.

Alex looked Karl up and down. "You should still be in bed by the looks of it."

"His is none of your concern Ms. Claws," Herman said in a tone of voice that most others would take as a warning, but a Karl had concluded, Alex was not someone who was like most others. "The only person you should worry about is yourself."

"I've made Karl's well fare my concern."

Karl snapped out of his trance and shook his head; that was when he realized that he was missing his hat. "Colonel Herman is right. You will stay here until we are ready to question you tomorrow morning."

Both men waked away, leaving a very hurt Alex. After awhile Alex shrugged and went to go sulk in the corner of her tiny cell. She had a small bared window that was enough to let in a small sliver of the moon light. She lifted her face so that the moon light could hit it.

"You have a lot more in common with a cat then just your eyes, Karl," Alex whispered to herself. "You hold so many secrets yet you show them to us all. Hiding something in plain view is the best way to keep it hidden. You also like the darker side of life. You are so much like a cat, so much like me."

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"Where is Alexandria," Jacob Claws yelled as he stormed through his base looking for his youngest daughter.

"She had a briliant plan daddy. I told her to put the first phase into action," Dana said, stopping her father in the middle of his search. Her long brown colored hair tied back into a bun. "I know where she went, and I know what awaits her."

Jacob swore, loudly. "I had put Alexandria in charge of next attempt to assassination of Emperor Rudolph."

"She hasn't forgotten. In fact she's working on it as we speak," Dana said as she began to walk to the hangar. "It will not be long till we've taken care of our oh so dear Emperor."

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Alex played with her handcuffs as she listened to everybody around her argue. Half the reason she had left her bandit family was because of all the arguing. It had been tolerable for awhile, but then her mom was murdered and everything fell apart. The Desert Panthers did not normally associate with either the Republic or Imperial government, but a powerful blast had wiped away two of their bases, one abounded and one not, and the bandits turned their blame to the authorities.

"She's dangerous!" Herman said, hoping to end the argument.

Fiona shook her head. "If we can forgive Raven, then we can forgive Alexandria."

Examining the links, Alex began to see if she could break any of them. No such luck, just like most of her life. Being the youngest of nine children of a bandit family could be very dangerous. No body outside the mercenary business and very few people inside it knew how difficult Alex's life truly was.

"Raven and that girl are on two completely different pages," Irvine spat out.

"Shut up Irvine," Moonbay said with a careless wave of her hand. "You're just mad because Alex's older sister had made a complete fool of you and you were too big headed to listen to Alex's warning."

Karl lost his temper. "That's enough. This is a questioning, not a circus. Now Ms. Claws, why did you leave the Desert Panthers?"

"It was becoming too dangerous for me to stay there," Alex whispered. You had to hold your breath to have heard her. "The Claws family has always been the leader of the Desert Panthers. We were the original members of it. I have more brothers and sisters than I know what to do with, and all of them are older than me. If they think you are becoming too powerful, they gang up and make sure you can't get any stronger. It hurts to know they hate you. My Father has been the leader since his father passed on.

"My mother protected me, but she died when the base she was at was hit by a powerful attack. Since then the Panthers have been falling apart. They won't admit it, but we are. I'm surprised no one has challenged my dad for position as the head of the group."

"So Hiltz also hit you," Van said.

"Hiltz was behind that attack?" Alex was on her feet. Even though the handcuffs kept her from being a threat, Thomas still made sure he was ready to fire on the young woman.

Herman nodded. "Yes, was he a friend?"

Alex sunk down into her chair and began to sob. No one had expected that reaction, and they weren't really quite sure what to do. "Hiltz…that…that… Hasn't he taken enough from me? What else can I possibly give up to him?"

"We're done for today," Karl said with a sigh. "Lt. Schubaltz, there has been a room made ready for her. Escort her there then have someone bring her some food and a change of clothes."

Thomas obeyed his brother's orders, dragging Alex more than leading her to her new cell. After they got to the cell, Thomas removed the handcuffs and was about to leave the young woman alone when a thought came to mind.

"Thank you for saving my brother," Thomas said before exiting. Even through the closed door, Thomas could hear Alex's sobs.