Perfect Sacrifice (72 page)

"Hey Leon," she greeted softly with a small smile present on her face.  "Welcome back."

"Ray, what happened?" he asked out of pure concern.  "You're…covered in blood."

"It's not mine," she assured him right away, not wanting him to worry.  "Well, maybe a little is, but I'm fine, honest."  She was happy to see that he believed her.  She watched as some of the worry washed out of his eyes.

"What happened?" he asked her.

"They attacked us," she stated.  "There were probably about thirty of them.  Some managed to escape.  I was able to draw away most of them, but…tell me, is Chris alright?"

"Yeah," responded Leon.  "Just a shoulder wound.  He was worried about you, so he sent us this way."

"Us?" questioned Ray, glancing around the room.  "I don't see anyone else."  Leon seemed a little confused, but he took a glance around the room only to find that his dad had left.

"He probably went to check up on Chris," he explained.

"Let's go then," Ray said as she began to stand up.  She was a little unsteady on her legs, but that's why Leon was there.  He held her up as she regained her balance.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked, still a little concerned.  There was rather a lot of blood on her.  It couldn't all be from her enemies.  Quite a bit of it had to be hers.  The only problem was that he couldn't see any injuries.  Then again, it was next to pitch black in the room.  He could only make out the silhouettes of most of the objects in the area now that his flashlight was lying off on the floor.  In his haste to see if Ray was alright, he had dropped it.

"I'm fine," she assured him as she skated towards his discarded flashlight.  She quickly picked it up and turned it on.  She then shined it towards him, flashing him a small smile that he could see.  "Let's go."

They walked down the hallway, being careful not to trip over the many bodies that littered the hallway.  Leon had never experienced a massacre quite like this.  It was hard to believe that his brother and Ray had managed to hold back all of these men.  The darkness of the base had probably played a big part in their victory.  After all, no one knew the base quite as well as they all did.

Just as Ray and Leon were about to turn another corner in the hallway, they heard a gun fire.  They froze dead in their tracks.  Only when a frightened cry sounded from Chris did they both break off into a sprint towards the living room.

"Dad!" they heard him shout, and they both feared the worst.  Ray reached to her side where she had another pistol, similar to the one she had dropped back in the weight room.  She prepped it, and the second they reached the living room, she aimed and fired.  The bullet pierced the last remaining soldier in his back just before he was about to shoot at Chris.  Instead, he dropped the gun and fell to the floor, never to rise again.

"I can't believe one of them was still alive," said Ray, sounding a little disappointed in herself. 

"Dad!" shouted Leon as he saw his father lying on the ground, covering a hole near his shoulder.  The man had shot him near his right shoulder but closer to his chest.  It was a pretty bad injury, and it was pouring blood onto the already stained carpet.

"I'll call an ambulance," began Chris fearfully as he went to the phone.

"That'll take too long," stated Ray.  "A Geno can get there much faster.  We'll take him ourselves."

"It's not safe out at night," Leon reminded her.  "What if we're attacked?"

"What if the ambulance gets attacked?" Ray questioned back, knowing that her plan was better.  Leon obviously knew that too, but she couldn't blame him for questioning her.  His father's life was on the line.  "You have to trust me on this," she told him softly.

"Alright," he said, "but we're all going, alright?"

"Fine," she said as she began heading for the kitchen door.  "Pick him up and let's get going.  Torran is a good hour away from here if we use the humanoid form."

"What exactly do you want us to do?" Leon asked as he and Chris lifted up Dr. Solaris, who was now barely conscious.

"I'm taking my Geno, and I want both of you to as well," she stated.  "I'll carry him, since my Geno rides the smoothest.  We don't need to risk putting him in any discomfort."

"Alright," said Leon, seeming to agree with the plan.

Ray ran down the stairs to get her Geno ready.  They had to hurry.  Time was of the essence here.  She had to keep Dr. Solaris alive.  After all, she couldn't help but feel that this was all her fault in a way.  If only she had been more cautious and had paid more attention, she wouldn't have made the mistake of leaving one of the men alive.  If it hadn't been for her carelessness, Dr. Solaris wouldn't have gotten hurt. 
Just hang on Dr. Solaris.  You can't die yet.

* * * *

Leon, Chris, and Ray sat in the waiting room of the hospital in Torran.  This was the second time this week they had been there.  It was kind of depressing really.  Someone they knew was always getting hurt, and it could all be traced back to one man.  Ramirez.  He was like a thorn in their side.  He just couldn't leave them alone, could he?

Out of the three of them, Ray seemed perhaps the most depressed.  She sat there in a new pair of clothing, one that wasn't marred with blood.  Her elbows were propped up on her legs, and her head was resting in her hands.  She was staring at the floor as hundreds of thoughts tried to filter through her mind.  Unfortunately, only the bad ones kept returning to her.  There was no doubt in her mind that this was her fault.  In fact, everything was her fault.  It just wasn't fair.  Why couldn't Ramirez just leave her alone?  Why did he have to make her and everyone she knew suffer so much?

Ray sighed deeply as realization finally hit her.  Everything that had happened to them could easily be blamed on her.  If she had never met them, if she had never gotten so close to the family, Ramirez never would have found out about them.  They'd still be at their base, living normal lives.  They'd still be just your normal battling team, one without a madman after them.  It just wasn't fair.  This was all her fault.  She was to blame for all of their misfortunes.  Why did the people closest to her have to suffer?

Ray looked over at her two companions.  Leon was also staring at the floor, but Chris had his eyes closed, his head lulled in a deep sleep.  It's not like she could blame him.  His day had been anything but boring.  He had nearly been killed at least twice within the course of the evening.  He currently harbored a few bandages on his right arm where a bullet had just grazed him.  Nonetheless, it had probably hurt pretty badly.  He wasn't used to being shot.  In fact, Ray was probably the only one who was used to it.

Leon and Ray both looked up as a nurse approached them.  She was familiar to say the least.  Then again, after all the times they had been there, they knew the staff pretty well.  She was currently flipping through a few pages on her clipboard.  When she couldn't find what she was looking for, she just sighed.

"Never mind," she said.  "I know who you are, so I'll just tell you.  Dr. Solaris will be fine.  In fact, he's awake right now if you'd like to see him.  I know it's past visiting hours, but we can make an exception."

"Thanks," said Leon as he and Ray stood up.  They would let Chris sleep for now.  He needed it.  If his father would be alright, then there was no point to wake him.

"Follow me," said the nurse as she began leading the two of them down the hallways.  The hospital was probably one of the biggest complexes in the city, and yet for some reason, whoever they were visiting was always stationed on the first floor.  Perhaps it just made things easier, or perhaps it was separated into different sections.  Maybe the upper floors were used for less critical conditions or something like that.

They arrived at an open doorway, and the first thing they saw was Dr. Solaris sitting in his bed, reading a magazine.  It was as if nothing had happened, as if he had never gotten shot.

Ray and Leon walked in, and Dr. Solaris quickly noticed them.  He put down his magazine and smiled brightly.  Both of them returned it.

"Hey dad," greeted Leon.  "Glad to see you're alright."

"You really scared us for a moment there," added Ray.

"I'm sorry I worried you," he told them, the same smile still playing on his lips.  "Where's Chris?"

"He's sleeping in the waiting room," Leon answered.  "We decided to let him rest for now."

"That's probably for the best," Dr. Solaris said with a small sigh.  "He had quite an adventurous night."  Ray looked just a little ashamed.  She knew that this was her fault.  If she had never met any of them, this never would have happened.  Then again, if she hadn't met them, where would she be?  She'd still be miserable and alone, and she wouldn't have Leon.  Then again, if things kept going the way they were, the Solaris family wouldn't live for very long.  Ramirez and his attacks were becoming more dangerous and a lot more common.

"Well," began Leon.  "Since it's obvious you'll be alright, I'm going to head over to the parts shop and see if they'll fine tune my Geno for me.  I don't think I did a very good job fixing it up the last time."

"Alright," said Dr. Solaris.  "But come back soon.  Even in Torran it's not safe at night."  Leon just gave a small wave with the back of his hand as he left the room, leaving Dr. Solaris alone with Ray.

"You know," she began, pulling up a seat next to his bed.  "You really scared us.  We weren't sure if we'd get here in time.  I'm actually a little surprised that you survived the trip."

Dr. Solaris smiled at the ace knight, the girl that would probably one day be a part of his family.  She practically was already.  She did live with them after all, and she worried over him as if he was her father.  It's not like she and Leon didn't already act like a married couple.  One second they'd be bickering and the next they'd be sitting together watching a movie.  No matter what they were doing, it was obvious they both cared deeply about the other.  He could see it in their eyes.  Both of them looked so relieved, so unburdened.  It was something he had always wanted to see in both of them.

"Well," he began with a smile.  "You'll find that it takes a lot to get rid of me."  His smile only brightened as he looked her straight in the eyes.  "Besides, I can't die.  I have to dance at your wedding, after all."  He smirked a little when he saw an embarrassed blush cover her cheeks.  True, she hadn't known Leon for as long as she had some of her closest friends, but the two of them were already closer than she was to anybody.  He knew all of her secrets, and she had actually cried in front of him.  That was something not even Gordan had seen.  For some reason, she really trusted Leon.  She trusted him enough to be vulnerable when he was around.

"W-what do you mean?" Ray asked dumbly, slightly caught off guard by the statement.  Ray knew her face was red, and it was probably growing brighter by the second.

"I think you know exactly what I'm implying," he told her, his smirk still present.  "I know you'll take good care of him.  You always do."  He just laughed a bit when Ray's face lit up a little more, her eyes now on the floor.  It was so much fun to watch, since this was so unlike the Ray he knew.  The once hard and arrogant ace knight was now blushing out of embarrassment, and over what?  Over a boy. 
It just goes to show that nothing is impossible.

* * * *

Leon took a step outside of the hospital, walking out into the cold, brisk night.  He inhaled deeply, stretching his arms over his head.  It felt good to take in a breath of fresh air.  The hospital was always so stuffy.  He much preferred being outside.  The city was beautiful at night, after all, what with its lights.  The buildings all looked like nothing but shadows against the night sky.  Even though he preferred a star lit desert setting, this was alright for now.

He began to walk down the stairs, deciding to head out onto the street.  He hoped that the parts shop was still open.  His Geno needed a few repairs done, since he hadn't been able to fix all of damages from his last battle.  He was a good pilot, but mechanics just wasn't his thing.

"Leon Solaris," called a slightly familiar voice.  Leon turned towards the sound, and watched as a few of the bushes outside the hospital rustled.  He watched in interest as a man walked out from behind one of them.  Leon quickly placed this man's face with a name, and he glared in disgust.

"Nathan," he snarled, preparing himself for a possible confrontation.  However, the commander didn't seem to have any weapons on him.  Maybe he really wasn't there for a battle.

"It's good to see you again," said Nathan with a smirk.  Leon noticed that he was staring right at him, yet at the same time he wasn't.  It was as if he was looking right through him, as if he could see something standing behind him…or someone.

Leon began to turn, realizing that Nathan was probably just a distraction, but before he could see just what was going on, something hit him hard in the back of his head.  He could feel himself falling, but all feeling was soon lost.  He didn't even know if he had hit the pavement.  He had blacked out long before then.  He was left in complete darkness.

As he lied there, he could hear them speaking, but their voices were nothing but whispers to his throbbing ears.  He could have sworn he heard Ray's name mentioned, but that was the last thing that reached his senses.  He was now completely alone with no sight and no sound.  However, that didn't stop his mind from roaming.  He began to fear the worst for Ray.  He also wondered what his own fate would be.  If they brought him to Ramirez, what would happen?  Would Ray come after him?  He didn't even want to think about it.  The only thing worse than losing his own life because of his carelessness…was if Ray lost hers.