E.G.: I'm so sorry it took so long. Our computer crashed…

D.G.: She was being lazy

E.G.: The teachers have been piling homework on top of us…

Little E.G.: She was being lazy…

E.G.: And I have been trying to action off two annoying pests who wants them?

D.G. and Little E.G.: Hey!

Disclaimer: I don't own zoids, but Alex, Cat, and various Characters I create are mine

The Black Angel

Chapter 3

Plots

Thomas entered Alex's cell, a small bag was in his hands. Alex was staring up at the ceiling. "What are you doing?"

"Counting ceiling tiles," Alex said. "Now can I help you?"

"Yeah, here are some of your things. I'm also here to get to know you a little better," Thomas said as he sat down cross legged on the floor.

Alex stared at the blonde with a funny look on her face as she rummaged through her sack. Eventually she pulled out a comb and began to work the knots out of her hair. "You're here because of the information of the Imperial palace I had among my things."

"Well, yeah."

"Figured as much," Alex said. "Now listen very carefully Lt. Schubaltz. Dana will have taken the next step in what she thinks is the next step of the mission to assassinate Emperor Rudolph. It will be done at the ceremony for the war heroes in a few days. There will be family members of the heroes, like you and your brother, present. They will use the civilians as a way to get Emperor Rudolph to come with them."

Thomas stared at the young woman. His eyes were wide open in pure shock and his lower jaw just about hit the floor. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Because as Major Ford would say, 'only answer the questions you are asked.'"

Thomas quickly hand cuffed the girl and dragged her to the discussion room where he knew Karl and Herman would be. For the most part, Alex followed calmly. Only occasionally she would pull back because Thomas was pulling too hard on her cuffed hands.

"The Dessert Panthers are going to attempt to assassinate Emperor Rudolph!" Thomas said, almost out of breath. Alex calmly pulled her hands away and smoothed back her hair.

"How and when," Herman demanded.

Alex raised her chained hands. "I know all of that."

"We have about a third of the gang involved," Alex explained as she sat in front of a lay out of the palace. "Most of them will be down here to keep the soldiers busy. Some will be holding Madame President hostage so that the Republican army is unable to do anything. There will only be four who go after Emperor Rudolph: Eric, Mathew, Katie, and my oldest brother Chaz."

"Genius," Karl whispered.

"Thank you."

"Wait, you planed this Alex?" Karl asked.

"Yeah, that was part of my job. I gathered information. I devised plans. I rarely saw combat because I have a bleeding heart. Now Eric and Mathew are nothing without a gun, their more like snipers and are not very good at hand to hand combat. Katie is not a very good fighter, but she fights dirty so we are going to have to be careful with her. Chaz is going to be the most difficult, I have yet to beat him in a fist match and he will have more than a couple guns on hand."

Herman's face fell. "So we are dealing with a group of dangerous people in the presence of innocents."

"Please don't sound so depressing, Herman," Alex laughed. "It's a good plan, but there are to many what ifs. I never told anyone how many soldiers would be on duty, so if there are more than expected, they won't panic right away. Not to mention it has not been made public exactly how many soldiers there will be. Also, Herman, to protect Madame President, you need to stand right by her and be ready to fight. Because you are her son, no one will question your presence there. To protect Emperor Rudolph, I will hide among the family members and be ready to fight my old friends."

"How about I am the one to fight your brother and the rest of the group," Karl suggested.

Alex shook her head. "This ceremony is partly dedicated to you. If you're not in it, it will be noticed."

It took a while, but Alex's plan was accepted. Only difference was that some strange major would also be hidden among the family and friends of the ones being honored.

"You never fail to amaze me," Moonbay said. She was sitting outside the bathroom as Alex cleaned up.

Alex shrugged. "It's a gift I have."

"No, I don't mean about the plots and other things you can come up with," Moonbay said. "I'm amazed at how you can keep going after all that has happened to you. I mean you were really close to…"

"I don't want to talk about it," Alex interrupted. She walked out of the bathroom in a pair of formal pants and a shirt with sleeves much too big for Alex. It would do nicely to hide the handcuffs Alex would have to wear.

"You look nice," Moonbay commented as Alex proceeded to dry her wet hair. The normally curly brown locks would be straight with a slight wave to it when Alex finished with it.

"Thanks."

It was all too soon when Alex found herself sitting in an uncomfortable chair next to an older couple. The man had eyes that remind her of a cat's. The man glanced at Alex and snorted. The woman gently scolded him and turned to Alex. "I'm sorry dear, sitting and waiting is not his style."

"Don't worry, it's okay."

"My name is Amanda Schubaltz and this is my husband former General Caleb Schubaltz," the woman said kindly.

"I'm Alexandria," Alex said, wishing she could shake their hands, but the handcuffs had to remain hidden.

The ceremony started and Alex was spared any further conversation with the older couple. She paid more attention to the clock more than anything else. Right when it chimed three o'clock, the windows broke as the four bandits entered the room from different sides. "As I thought, Dana is all to predictable," Alex whispered to herself.

"Okay your Highness," Eric said pulling Alex, recognizing her for his leader's youngest daughter, to her feet and holding a gun to her head. "Come with us and this pretty little thing won't take a bullet to her head."

Emperor Rudolph looked to Alex, not realizing who it was, and began to allow himself be pushed towards the window by Mathew.

The plan was going perfectly.

Then a shot rang out and Alex fell to one knee, holding her middle. Chaz held the gun.

"We don't trust you anymore," Chaz said looking away. "I'll tell Dad you died fighting for our cause."

Amanda Schubaltz gasped and ran to Alex. Eric moved to intercept the older woman. Quickly pulling herself together, Alex knocked Eric's legs from underneath him and grabbed his gun. Mathew moved, leaving Emperor Rudolph with Katie, to assist Eric, but got shot by Alex.

"Well look at this Chaz," Katie said with a smirk. "The kitten has claws."

Katie charged Alex, keeping the spectators behind her so that Alex would not be able to shoot. Alex dodged a punch and realized she had also barley missed a wrist knife. Continuing to duck and throw no punches, Alex tried to find a way to use the handcuffs that were supposed to hinder her. Rushing the younger woman, Katie planned to send her blade home into Alex's heart. Instead Alex used the chain that linked her wrists together to pull the knife a way while bringing her knee to Katie's gut. Then hitting her at a key point at her neck, Alex sent Katie into the swirling blackness that was unconsciousness.

The hidden major took this as his cue to help his TRUE side. The major turned out to be one of the men hidden into the Imperial army by the Desert Panthers he made a break for the Emperor, but an older man grabbed him around the neck and threw him into a nearby wall.

General Schubaltz looked straight into Alex's eyes and seemed to understand the entire plan forming in her head.

"Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?" the General asked the injured woman.

Alex smiled despite her pain. "Not me, that's for sure."

Alex's peace was cut short when a bullet grazed her shoulder and shattered the window behind her. Chaz stood across the room from his sister holding the smoking gun. Another was pointed at Emperor Rudolph's head. "Nobody move and neither of them will be killed."

"That's low Chaz. That's something I would expect from Mathew, Eric, Katie, and people our father would hide in army, not from you."

"Shut up Alexandria!"

"You are better than this, and deserve better than this," Alex said as she tried to get through to her brother.

Chaz tightly closed his eyes and he seemed to be lowering both of his guns. Then his reality came back to him in a destructive wave.

The gun pointed at Alex fired and she was hit in the torso region again. Instead of falling to her knees, Alex charged, with much thanks to a burst of adrenaline, and took the bullet that Chaz fired at the teenager. It lodged itself into her right arm. Before Chaz could prepare to fire another bullet, he collapsed from a bullet from a gun in General Schubaltz's hand. He had taken the opportunity to get the gun that Alex stole from Eric. Alex had to drop the gun while fighting Katie.

Alex fell to her knees and someone caught her before she could land on her face.

"Make her comfortable!" someone cried. Alex was having trouble telling from which direction it was coming from.

An angry male voice began to yell from a radio. "Major Wolf! Report! What is going on?"

An even angrier sounding male voice responded. "A young female needs medical attention now! She won't be conscious for much longer."

Alex felt herself be laid down and something soft placed under her head. The room was spinning much to fast for her liking.

"Hold on a little longer dear," a female voice comforted. Alex thought it was her mother. "The medical crews will be here soon."

Slowly Alex slipped away into a dark place where she couldn't feel any pain, but that dark place was still cold. A warm bright light and welcoming people stood at the end of a long tunnel. Alex made her way towards them.