I know I don't always reply to reviews, favs and alerts - but to those who did, you guys are amazing. I love y'all. How's the summer going for those at the Northern hemisphere? If it gets any colder here at the South, I'll be shattin' ice cubes.
Anyways. Hopefully this chapter didn't turn out too choppy. Enemy face-off scenes and...ugh, romance – were never my strong point. Happy reading!
Rescue
"We're going right in!" Neil warned, whipping out a pistol from his pocket. "Anyone who's unarmed, stay behind!"
Marie and Allelujah dutifully retreated to the back, watching as Tieria shuffled to the middle. Neil and Setsuna took the lead, their shoes thudding loudly on the silent hallway.
"Level Two and Three security cleared," Tieria announced, fingers flying over the keypad of his device in a blur. "The next door will take us directly to the Proctor's office."
Neil grinned, removing the safety of his gun with a pop. "Alright, here we go. Everyone ready?"
Marie laughed shakily, watching as Allelujah positioned himself in front of her so as to shield her from any potential attacks if necessary. She was not ready for this – but there was no chance of backing out anymore.
Tieria pocketed his device, grabbing out a Taser instead. Setsuna, like Neil, carried a gun on himself where ever he went – and today was of no exception. He fluidly pulled out a gun, briefly checking to make sure it was loaded.
They approached the door, careful and apprehensive.
"Ready?" Neil asked Setsuna. Setsuna nodded, his lips pressed together in a thin line.
Tieria gasped, suddenly aware of a painful fact. "Stop! What if there were traps beyond the door? We should try an alternative..."
It was no good. Tieria's warning went unheeded. Setsuna and Neil charged in with a deafening yell, slamming the door against the wall with so much force that Marie thought it would be ripped off its hinges. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for bloodcurdling screams, gunshots, blood – anything that would have appeared on an action movie.
However, when all that met her was silence, she decided to sneak a peek.
And regretted it almost instantly.
The first thing she saw was the destruction – and there was quite a lot of it. An entire glass case had collapsed, its contents lying on the floor in bits and pieces. A table had been overturned and flowers from a vase had toppled out, lying haphazardly on the rug.
The next thing that could be seen was a young man with glowing eyes, smirking devilishly. He stood arrogantly, arms crossed, over something – or someone...
And finally, the most horrendous scene met everyone's eyes. It was the sight of a broken, twisted Feldt lying on the ground, covered in glass and blood. Feldt's normally neat pink hair fanned around her, framing her pale face. Her eyes were closed, but even from a distance, it was clear that she was in pain.
"Feldt!" Marie screamed, rushing forward. She had to reach for her – she had to! As if anticipating her reaction, Allelujah pulled her back almost roughly, his face was twisted into one of sadness.
"No."
"Let go of me!" Marie cried, attempting to release herself from his hold.
"No, Marie. I can't let you get hurt," Allelujah stated firmly. "Calm down. Neil and Setsuna will do something about this."
As much as Marie hated to admit it, Allelujah had a point. She bit her lip, hoping that the warmth prickling the corners of her eyes weren't tears. It wasn't the right time to cry, after all.
"Welcome, fellow students."
The monotone that came from the man made Marie jump. Allelujah's grip on her arm tightened – she was certain it was going to bruise later.
Neil and Setsuna watched the pale-haired man warily, their guns aimed at him. Setsuna growled. "You are not just a Proctor, are you?" The urge to run to Feldt was strong, but Setsuna knew that it was unwise to rush to a comrade's aid when the enemy was still in sight.
History was the best teacher, after all.
The man's eyes glowed in an eerie fashion for a few more moments before finally fading back into a striking fuchsia. He cocked his head to a side in mock confusion, feigning innocence. "I'm afraid I do not understand. I do happen to be your Proctor – you may call me Ribbons Almark."
"Ribbons, was it? You might as well cut the crap," Neil said. His tone was jovial, but the expression on his face was anything but that. "We've got you cornered. I hope you noticed that."
Ribbons chuckled. "Ah, Neil Dylandy. Always trying so hard for others, aren't you? The same could be said when…oh, I remember – it was your family that was killed in the horrible accident years ago, wasn't it?"
Neil's gaze darkened, and his grip on the smooth pistol tightened.
Ribbons ignored him, turning to face Tieria instead. "Tieria Erde – you are no doubt truly skilled in the art of hacking. It truly is a pleasure to finally meet you."
Tieria huffed, refusing to respond to the compliment.
"However…" Ribbons said, pausing for several seconds before continuing, "...is this what you truly want?"
A look of confusion crossed the purple-haired man's face. "...I'm afraid I do not understand."
"You realize, don't you, that you could use your abilities for so much more?" Ribbons asked. "I do wonder why you stay with your little group of helpless friends when you would be valued so much more in the military…"
"They're not my friends," Tieria replied testily. "I just happen to benefit from them in my own way."
Unfazed by Tieria's response, Ribbons now advanced towards Marie. "Marie Parfacy – how convenient for you to be here! I do apologize for the mess. Do understand, though, that your best friend would not have been injured had you paid more attention to her."
Marie opened her mouth and shut it again, bewilderment written across her face.
Allelujah slung an arm around her protectively, glaring at Ribbons fiercely. "Leave her out of this."
"Ah. Allelujah Haptism – you are quite an interesting one. How long will you be able to protect your beloved, when she is so intent on wandering into danger herself?"
"I will protect her as long as I have to. Especially from those of the likes of you."
"Of course, of course." Ribbons laughed again, shaking his head like he was humoring a child. Finally, he turned his attention to Setsuna. "And you, Setsuna F. Seiei! You are our university's very own prodigy – do you not feel proud?"
Setsuna remained silent, refusing to allow any form of emotion to show on his face. It was clear that Ribbons was a manipulative menace who picked on the emotional weaknesses of individuals, and Setsuna refused to be provoked by him.
"Smart, talented, adored and wanted by many females on the campus," Ribbons whispered, leaning dangerously close towards Setsuna. "How many know of your true past, or what you are capable of? You are a true killer, Setsuna."
"I know," Setsuna replied simply.
"But I assume this girl here," Ribbons paused, motioning to Feldt, "Already realizes that, doesn't she?"
That was it.
Setsuna calmly pulled the trigger, allowing the bullet to ram into the spot where Ribbons' heart was. Ribbons' eyes widened and he staggered back, flailing helplessly for a few seconds before landing onto the floor with a loud thud.
"We should have done that ages ago," Tieria muttered, watching as Setsuna rushed to Feldt's side. "I suppose we have to clear this mess up…"
"There's no time," Setsuna said sharply, pressing what seemed like an oversized handkerchief in order to stem the bleeding on Feldt's head. "We have to go."
Neil threw a look of disgust at Ribbons, who was lying face down in a pool of blood. "We didn't manage to get much information out of him, but at least he's dead. The fact that he knew our life story irritated the hell out of me, though."
"He must've had some brilliant intel," Allelujah chipped in.
Setsuna placed his pistol away, scooping Feldt up effortlessly in his arms. She was still breathing, he noted. Feldt may have been bruised, hurt and battered – but at least she was still alive.
And that was when the laughter began.
Everyone paused in horror – realizing that the peals of laughter were coming from Ribbons, who was supposed to be very, very dead. They watched, dazed, as the pale-haired man pushed himself up from the floor, patting and dusting himself in a casual manner.
"W-what?" Marie gasped. "That's impossible…Setsuna hit his heart!"
Marie was right. There was a large patch of blood on Ribbons' chest, staining his dress shirt to a dark crimson – and yet Ribbons stood up and smiled calmly, not a shred of pain on his face.
Setsuna grasped the meaning behind this as quickly as the others did – that Ribbons Almark, whoever he was, was by no means a normal human being.
He had many questions for Ribbons – they were at the tip of his tongue, nagging to be spilled out. Still, Setsuna wisely refrained from doing that. Feldt's life was at stake. For now, her safety was of the highest priority.
If Ribbons couldn't be killed for now, then they would just have to leave him be until they could find a way to permanently destroy him in the future.
"Let's go!" Setsuna yelled, dashing through the doors.
No one, not even Tieria, disagreed.
The world was so dark.
When Feldt was younger, she often tripped over all sorts of items. Bruises were common, and she had even fractured an arm once by missing a step on the stairs. In short, she had experienced physical pain quite often due to her own clumsiness.
Still, the bruises always faded in time – and any fractures that impaired her mobility always healed up in the end. They weren't permanent. Pain wasn't something that would last forever – or that was what Feldt often said to herself.
Sometimes it just hurt too much to think, to feel – or to move, for that matter. It didn't matter whether the pain was physical or psychological – she was certain that it would go away.
It would definitely go away.
It would…
"Feldt! Feldt! Stay with us!"
Her name – that was her name, wasn't it? Feldt had to respond – it was only polite that she did, but the darkness continued engulfing her.
And then there was the stinging pain.
It hurt. It hurt so badly. The faint prickles were growing into full-blown stabs of pain, burning and coursing throughout her body like fire.
"Feldt!"
"Feldt!"
"Are you alright? Feldt! Answer me!"
The voices all belonged to different people. Feldt couldn't quite clearly identify who they were. It all sounded so hazy and distorted…
"FELDT GRACE!"
The deep voice roared in her mind, thrumming throughout her soul.
That voice. She recognized it. She loved that voice.
Gradually, Feldt opened her eyes…
…and found herself staring into Setsuna's dark ones.
"S-Setsuna…?" Feldt blinked a few times, idly wondering why his face seemed to be fading in and out of focus.
"She's awake!" Neil yelled, a triumphant grin crossing his face. "Thank goodness. We thought we've lost you for good!"
Feldt didn't have the energy to smile back. Her arms were heavy – she tried to lift them, but found that she was unable to. That was when Feldt realized she was in Setsuna's arms, and that he was running. That puzzled her – why was he in such a hurry?
Ah, it hurt too much to think. Feldt's eyelids began to droop – she just wanted to go back to that dark world, where nothing much made sense.
"Do not fall asleep on me, Feldt Grace!" Marie barked, sprinting up to Setsuna's side. "If you die on me, I will personally go to heaven and drag your sorry ass back to life!"
Feldt cracked an eye open. Marie sounded genuinely frightened, which seemed strange to Feldt. "Marie? W-what are you doing here? Are you on a date with…Allelujah…? And…I don't think…heaven exists."
"She's in good spirits despite the amount of blood she's lost. That's a good sign," Tieria commented, pausing to glance at his device. "Alright, we'll be out of the university compound as soon as we sprint another five hundred meters to the east."
"I hate these forests," Marie muttered. Her long silver hair was an annoyance at a time like this – it got caught too easily in leaves and branches.
The group clumsily shoved through bushes, shrubs, and more trees. The sound of leaves crinkling beneath boots and shoes caused a disturbance towards the forest inhabitants – squirrels, frogs and birds fled the scene in a flurry, their cries echoing throughout the verdant din.
"We need to get emergency treatment for Feldt," Neil called. "Tieria, where do we head to next? At this rate, I doubt we can just return to our normal university lives anymore!"
Tieria snorted. "There is a hospital a few blocks away after we exit the forest, if that is what you're asking."
"Will a hospital be safe after how we attempted an attack on the proctor?" Allelujah asked, swatting a fly away.
"At this rate, it's the safest place we can find," Tieria answered through gritted teeth. "Besides, Ribbons won't do anything as stupid as charging in and arresting us with a police force. It would be too easy for him."
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? He likes a game," Tieria said, turning to cast a mild glare at the dark-haired man. "Besides, if all these were to be broadcasted to the public, it would cause a huge ruckus. That would most likely be the last thing he wants."
Allelujah fell silent, and they continued ploughing through the mass amount of growth. Feldt, who had tried her best to listen and understand, didn't seem to be able to keep up.
"Keep her talking," Setsuna ordered Marie. He didn't want Feldt drifting away again.
"Y-yes!" Marie said. "Feldt, are you aware of what's going on around you right now?"
Feldt craned her neck slightly, only to have Marie's worried face come into view. "Not really…but I think I get it all the same. It's…so sticky."
"That's blood," Setsuna answered automatically, glancing down at Feldt's tired face. The bleeding was slowing, which was a good sign. "Which you have lost a lot of."
"…Oh," Feldt replied after a few moments, distracted by the continuous sound of shoes shuffling on the forest floor. "Is that a bad thing?"
Tieria looked incredulous at the question. "Is she being serious?"
"Alright, Feldt, I'll just give you a run-down of what happened. Basically, we rushed in and found that you were out of it. There was some gun-shooting involved – Setsuna grabbed you, and now we're making a break for it," Marie explained in a rush, her words almost jumbling together.
"…Oh."
"And losing blood is a bad thing," Marie added after an afterthought.
Feldt sighed. Now she remembered what happened – she had attacked Ribbons, only to suffer the consequences instead. "Can I sleep?" she asked, curling up and closing her eyes.
The group's chorus was instantaneous and decisive. "No."
"Hold on, Feldt, we're almost there," Neil said. "See, we're out of the forest already."
Setsuna glanced at the pink-haired girl in his arms, urging his feet to pick up the pace. She was incredibly light – even lighter than what he had expected. He cursed when he felt more wetness on his arm – had the bleeding began again?
However, Setsuna was surprised to find that instead of blood, tears were spilling down her face.
"Why," he asked lowly so that no one else could hear him, "Are you crying?"
Feldt gasped. It was the same question Setsuna had asked when they were alone in a different dimension during the mobile suit's Trans-Am. But…was she crying? To her horror, Feldt found that she was. The tears were mingling together with the blood – it tasted awful on Feldt's lips. She hated it.
Feldt instinctively buried her face into Setsuna's chest. Despite the blood, dust and sweat, Setsuna's scent was comforting. "I…it hurts. Everything, Setsuna. Everything. That man, Ribbons, he…"
"Stop talking," Setsuna ordered. "We're taking you to the hospital. Do not think about him any longer."
"B-but…"
"You can tell me after you've recovered," he added softly, vaguely realizing that the hospital was just a few meters away.
Feldt chuckled lightly. "I wonder how l-long that'll take. But…Setsuna, t-thank you. Thank you so much."
The words felt odd to Setsuna. Being thanked was still something he wasn't used to. "Why are you thanking me?"
"F-for…saving me, once again." Feldt managed a weak smile, her breath hitching. "You…always do that. It was…your voice…I heard your voice, Setsuna."
Unsure of how to respond to such a comment, Setsuna could only watch as he handed her over to the medical personnel. They wheeled her quickly to the emergency room, their shouts echoing throughout the hospital.
Setsuna collapsed onto the chairs at the waiting area, realizing that everyone else had done the same out of exhaustion. Marie was in wrapped in Allelujah's protective embrace, while Lockon and Tieria were sweating and panting after such an exerting run.
His voice, huh?
All Setsuna had to do now was wait. Too many things had happened in a short time, but the facts were slowly but surely falling into place.
Setsuna was hit by a sudden realization. Everything had begun ever since he and Feldt had met each other. Life was so much more quiet before that, wasn't it? He laughed a little bitterly, ignoring the wary glances Neil and Allelujah sent.
Just how much had Feldt changed his life...or him, for that matter?
Ehhhh...[drops off into slumber] I kinda crammed this chapter in one entire Saturday. Overkill?
Read and review...
- Anne