Perfect Sacrifice (30 page)

"Who did this?" he demanded angrily, looking around the area for the culprit.  He was going to make sure to take care of the person responsible.  No one had the right to do this.  The GRC official responsible for this battle was nowhere around either.  Leon hoped against all odds that he had made it out alive.

"I did," responded a cold, unadorned voice.  Leon whirled around in his Geno to find the source, all the while believing he had heard it somewhere before.

"Where are you?" he demanded angrily.

"I'm right here," responded the voice as a Geno stepped out from behind another rather large sand hill.  Leon's face paled when his eyes fell on the midnight blue Geno.  It gave a mighty roar, its dinosaur like tail swishing back and forth.  Its demonic red eyes were fixed solely on Leon and his feline shaped Geno, which was slowly backing away.

"Ramirez," he whispered in fear.

"Exactly," responded the general.  "It's nice to see you again, Leon."  Before any of them could do anything, Ramirez and his Geno charged.

* * * *

The sirens were going off like crazy at the GRC base.  Red lights flashed through every hallway, and it was hard not to hear the fire like alarms that sounded everywhere.  Officials were flying down the hallways, all gathering in the main command room where Gordan currently stood, watching the monitor.

"What's going on?" called Ray as she ran into the room, followed closely by Abby.  Brian turned to look at the two of them from his spot at the computer console.

"It's Ramirez," he told them.

"It's
always
Ramirez," stated Ray as she looked to Gordan.  "What did he do now?"  Gordan glanced back at her, trying to keep most of his attention on the monitor.

"We got a call in that he was interrupting a battle," stated Gordan.  "We lost contact with our official right after the message.  Only a few moments ago did we receive another one, giving us the exact coordinates of his location."

"What field?" asked Abby, looking over the grid displayed on the overhead screen.

"And what battle?" asked Ray, curious as to why Ramirez would bother with a simple battle.  He had more important things to be doing.

"Field section ten, area four D.  The first Geno to arrive has already been taken out.  The second is…"  Brian's expression fell a little as he read the name.  "Leon Solaris."

Ray's eyes widened in both fear and surprise.  It was then that she remembered her promise to Dr. Solaris.  In an instant, she turned and bolted down the long aisle, and Abby followed after her.

"R.C, wait!" she called out, but Ray refused to slow her pace.

"I have to go," she stated as she made her way down the hallways towards the hanger.

"I'll come with," suggested Abby as she fell into step beside Ray.

"No," stated Ray, her eyes narrowing.  "This is my problem.  I'm the only one who can stand up against Ramirez."

"Why not wait until we can send a whole division?"  Ray turned to Abby, her eyes burning like fire.

"It'll be too late then!" she shouted angrily before looking away.  "I made a promise to Dr. Solaris that I wouldn't let anything happen to Leon.  I'm not about to break it."  With that stated, she picked up her pace, pulling away from Abby.  She had to get there fast.  She wasn't about to let anything happen to the eldest Solaris son.  She had made a promise.  She intended to keep it.

Leon was thrown to the ground again as Ramirez's Geno batted him around.  He wasn't even allowed to counter.  Ramirez was just too fast.  Every time he would shoot at him, Ramirez would pull away.  The general would even occasionally break the sound barrier to shove Leon even further away.  Pieces of the armor were beginning to break off, and inside the cockpit, Leon was panting.  He was being jostled around like a rag doll.  His head had already slammed into the console twice, a small stream of blood running from his forehead, dripping from his chin.

Inside the transporter, Dr. Solaris and Chris were helpless to aid Leon.  Chris would only be taken out, and Dr. Solaris couldn't think of a way out of this.  Running wasn't going to work.  Ramirez would catch them.  He had sent out a distress signal not that long ago, but he had yet to see anyone from the GRC.  No one was coming to their aid.

Leon's Geno was thrown to the ground again after a feeble attempt to slash Ramirez's Geno with his claws.  This time, however, he showed no signs of getting back up.  His Geno just lied there on the sands as the raptor Geno drew closer.  In his cockpit, he could barely manage to keep his eyes open.  His head hurt, and he was getting tired of being thrown around.  He just couldn't keep this up anymore.  Ramirez was just too powerful for him.

"Now then," said Ramirez as he aimed one of his cannons right at the cockpit of the white Geno.  "I think it's about time I ended this."  He was about to launch the shell when stray fire pelted the ground in front of him.  He managed to jump away before any of the shelling could damage his Geno.  He scowled deeply as his eyes scanned the area, searching for the threat.

From the side came a silver Geno, red and black streaks running down the sides and legs.  It instantly got in front of Leon.  It crouched down and growled at the raptor, as if ready to pounce at the enemy machine.  Everyone was a little shocked at this development.  Even Ramirez had to admit that he hadn't expected this occurrence.  His eyes narrowed in distaste.  He recognized that Geno.  There was only one like it.

"Ace knight," he sneered in disgust as her Geno held his in its white glass eyes.  "Did you come to defend him?"

"Just shut up Ramirez," she said angrily.

"Exactly what are you doing here, Ms. Cayden?" he asked her curiously.  "Is that boy really that important?"

"I made a promise," she stated as her Geno growled throatily.  "And I intend to keep it."

"Ray?" questioned a drowsy Leon over the communication link.  Ray looked to the screen that revealed the inside of his cockpit.  He was a mess, blood dripping down the side and center of his face.  There were a few random cuts here and there, but he was more or less alright.

"It's okay," she told him softly.  "I'll take it from here."  He nodded once before closing his eyes, slipping into a state of unconsciousness.  Ray shut off the link and turned her attention back to Ramirez.

"You'll pay for this," she stated angrily.  "Your battle is with me now, Ramirez."  She flipped two switches, one that sent her Geno barreling towards him and the other that allowed her to break the sound barrier.  She streaked towards him at lightning speeds, preparing her claws.  However, he moved away at the last second, but Ray fired one of her guns at him, lodging a bullet into his Geno's right arm.  He cursed as he watched her Geno spin into a hault.

"Damn you," he said to her.  "I see you've picked up a few new tricks."  He pushed in a small button, and a compartment on his raptor's chest opened up, revealing a rather large cannon.  "However, so have I."  The cannon only took about five seconds to charge before it launched off a beam of white light.  It was heading right for Ray.  She used her boosters to jump high enough into the air that it wouldn't affect her.  When she landed, however, he charged her, and their close range combat match began.

Dr. Solaris was sitting in the transporter, watching the battle ensue.  A beeping on the console before him drew his attention away, however.  He pressed a small black button, bringing up a screen.  In it were three people, one being the general of the GRC.

"Hey David," he greeted, a grim expression on his face.

"Hello Gordan," Dr. Solaris said in the same manner.

"Is Ray there?" he asked curiously.

"Yes," responded David as he watched the battle out of the corner of his eye.  Gordan sighed deeply.  "Why didn't anyone come with her?" questioned Dr. Solaris curiously.

"She wouldn't let me," stated Abby with a shrug, a slightly disappointed expression upon her face.  "She wanted to go alone.  Something about a promise."  Dr. Solaris quirked an eyebrow at that, but he soon remembered his conversation with Ray a while back.  Her words echoed through his mind.  "
I swear, on my honor as the ace knight, that I won't let Ramirez get to Leon."
  She was really determined to uphold that promise.  She was fighting Ramirez with all she had.

"How is she doing?" asked Brian curiously.

"They're currently fighting in close range," explained Dr. Solaris as he turned his attention back to the battle. 

Ramirez and Ray were really going at it.  Guns were out of the picture now.  They were using nothing but their claws and teeth to inflict damage on each other.  It was Ray's feline against Ramirez's raptor.  It was unclear at the moment who would win this battle.  Both were equally determined.  Ray was doing a good job at keeping him away from Leon, however.  A promise is a promise, after all.  Ray had no intention of breaking it.

The close range battle ended when Ray pulled away long enough to fire a few rounds at Ramirez.  Her Geno was in worse shape than his was, showing the obvious difference in skill between the two.  Ramirez was a more seasoned pilot, and his modified Geno only accentuated his skill.  However, Ray had a promise to keep.  She wasn't about to let Ramirez get to Leon.

"Is the boy really that important?" questioned Ramirez.  "He's just an average pilot.  Why waste your time saving him?"

"I never break a promise," she stated fiercely, getting obviously sick of the battle.  Ramirez was getting on her last nerve.  They were currently just staring each other down, neither one wanting to make the first move.

Ramirez smirked as he opened the compartment on his Geno's chest again.  The large cannon started charging, and Ray prepared herself.  She was going to jump it like she had the last time.  However, at the last minute, Ramirez switched directions, aiming his cannon at Leon's downed Geno.  Ray's eyes widened in fear as the cannon prepared to fire.  In a split second, she was off at top speeds, ripping through the sound barrier.  At the last millisecond, she rammed into Ramirez's Geno, knocking the beam's course off.  It just missed the downed feline, only burning some of the armor along its back.

Ramirez growled in annoyance and shoved her away from him.  Her Geno rolled on the ground for a few meters until finally coming to a stop.  Ray glared in Ramirez's direction as her Geno slowly got up.

Ramirez, on the other hand, was watching his monitors as warning signals began flashing.  He had used too much of his Geno's power by using that cannon twice.  He glowered when he realized the course of action he needed to take.

"I think that's enough for today," he said as the compartment closed and his Geno turned around.

"Ramirez," said Ray as her Geno got fully to its feet.  He didn't give her time to finish, however.

"I'll finish you next time.  You and that Solaris boy," he stated.  With that said, he took off, disappearing into the desert at the speed of sound.

Ray clenched her fists out of anger as she watched him leave her there.  She hung her head, her hair falling around her face.

"Damn it," she whispered out of annoyance.  Ramirez wasn't going to stop.  He would come after Leon again.  This was all her fault.  "Damn it!"  She repeated the curse over and over, slamming her fist into the console with each time she said it.  It was only until her knuckle began hurting that she quit.  What was she supposed to do?  She had made a promise to protect Leon, but she couldn't while at the GRC headquarters.  It just wasn't fair.

Ray turned around and looked towards Leon.  His brother and father were already out of the transporter, now pulling the cockpit open.  Ray slowly approached them as they managed to fully open the cover.  Leon was still unconscious, the blood trickling down the side of his head.  He had gotten lucky this time.  The next time, Ramirez wouldn't be so kind.

Ray began to look over the damage done to her Geno, only to realize that it was a little more severe than she had thought. 
Damn it, I'm starting to slip.
  Her fighting style was slowly getting sloppier with each battle.  Normally a person's skill got better with repeated fighting, but it was the opposite.  It hadn't been like that before…not until she began worrying about other people.  She was often so blinded by anger that she forgot what she was doing.  This was no exception.  She began cursing herself.

"Getting so worked up…" she began softly to herself, "all because of that arrogant fool." 

She looked over Leon once more and couldn't help but feel sorry.  This was her fault.  Her insides twisted at the very thought, and a new emotion quickly overwhelmed her.  Was she afraid?  Afraid for his wellbeing?  Or was she feeling guilty for allowing this to happen?  Perhaps that wasn't it either.

"Do I really care…about that jerk?" she asked herself, but she received no answer.  Then again, she hadn't been expecting one.

CHAPTER 15

One More Mistake

Ray sat in the living room of the Solaris base, waiting for either Chris or Dr. Solaris to come back.  They were currently in the medical area of the base, taking care of Leon.  He had gotten hit pretty hard and had yet to reawaken.  For some reason, Ray felt responsible for this.  She was currently sitting on the couch, resting her head in her hands.  Her eyes wandered around the room since she was starting to get bored of waiting.