by Parker, Jack
"What's going on?" asked Gordan.
"Keep it down," she said in a hiss. "The two guys from the desert are here. I think they're still looking for me."
"Ray, you need to get out of there and head back to the base." The two men began walking towards the bushes, keeping quiet.
"Don't you think I know that?" she hissed irritably. "I'll head back as soon as I can, alright? I'm gonna try to get outta here." Gordan nodded to her, and she turned off the communicator. She was going to start moving away when the bushes were suddenly parted. She spun around quickly and looked up into the faces of her stalkers.
"Hello little knight," said one, a smirk on his face. Ray scrambled to her feet and took off on her skates, but the two men gave chase.
Ray sped down the paths of the park, and luckily, there weren't many people on them. She dodged the few that were. She was hoping to lose the two men, but it wasn't working. She glanced back and noticed that one was pulling out a gun. She cursed and sped up, praying he wasn't stupid enough to fire it off in public. Her prayers weren't answered.
The man fired his gun, the bullet coming only inches away from hitting her. She sped up and swerved, trying to stay moving so that they couldn't shoot her. After a while, no more bullets were fired. She thought she was in the clear. However, a loud crack soon echoed through the unpopulated area of the park. Ray felt a white hot pain sear through her upper left leg, sending her to the ground. She bit her bottom lip, holding back the cry of pain that had pushed itself up her throat. She ignored the bullet wound and began to get back up. She couldn't let them catch her. She had to get away.
"What're you doing?" asked one of the men curiously, watching as she forced herself to her feet, blood running from the wound on her upper leg. She quickly reached to her side and drew one of her daggers. She tossed it at one of the men and lodged it in his shoulder. He cried out in pain and quickly pulled the dagger from his body.
"Stubborn one, aren't you?" he asked angrily. He took the hilt tightly and slashed out at her with the dagger. Ray tried to step back, but her bad leg wasn't able to support her. The dagger ripped her flesh, leaving a large gash across her stomach. The man then thrust the weapon forward, lodging it in her midriff. She gasped as the pain ran through her, making it hard to keep her mind focused.
She fell to the ground, crumpling under the agony. She looked like a rag doll as she just laid there, her hand over the hilt of the dagger still lodged in her stomach. She tried to pull it out, her hand shaking the whole time.
A cry of pain escaped her as she removed the dagger from her battered body. She watched as crimson liquid began leaking out of the hole. Her chest was burning; her leg felt like it had been shattered into hundreds of pieces. She couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, the darkness closing in around her vision. She fell into unconsciousness, no longer caring about her fate.
"Over here!" shouted a distant voice, drawing the attention of the two men. "I heard gunfire!" Both men cursed under their breath.
"Let's get outta here," suggested one of the men.
"What about her?" asked the other, steeling a glance at Ray.
"Just leave her. Let her bleed to death on the pavement." Both men turned and ran, leaving Ray lying on the park path. Coming down the path were a few police officers, followed by a teenage boy, most likely around the age of sixteen or so. His head was covered in dark blond hair, and his brown eyes seemed rather sharp, as if they never missed anything. He was dressed in a simple pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black jacket.
"Are you sure it was over here?" asked one of the officers.
"Positive," answered the boy as he looked around the area. "I know I heard gunfire." The officers and the boy began walking around the area. The boy was just following the path. When he turned the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a small trail of blood before him, and it lead to a young woman, her face hidden by her silvery blue hair.
The boy ran to her, quickly bending down to see the damage done. There was a bullet wound in her leg and two knife wounds on her stomach. One was a slash, the other a puncture. The boy wasn't sure what to do. He looked around frantically for the cops, but none of them were nearby.
"Help!" he shouted, hoping to catch someone's attention. "Get over here! I need your help!" Not long after, two cops came walking around the corner.
"What's with all the yelling, kid?" asked one of them. His eyes soon fell on Ray, and both of the officers ran over.
"What happened?" asked the second officer.
"She's been shot here and stabbed here," the boy pointed out, his hands now trembling.
One of the officers got down next to Ray and placed two fingers against her neck. He searched carefully for a pulse, praying he'd find one. This woman was obviously the reason as to why they had come out here searching. However, it seemed that her attackers were long gone.
"Is she…?" asked the boy, his voice uneven. The officer pulled his fingers away and sighed in relief.
"She's alive," he responded, "but she needs medical attention."
"The hospital isn't far from here," said the boy. "We could probably take her ourselves." He took off his jacket, and the three of them wrapped her up in it. One of the officers gently lifted her, and they all took off down the path. The hospital was the first building at the exit of the park. They'd have no problem reaching it.
* * * *
Ray's cherry red eyes slowly opened, but she instantly shut them again to keep out the blinding light of the room she was in. She moaned in irritation as her eyes began to hurt, and the pain slowly returned to her body. Without thinking, she tried to sit up, but that had less than pleasant results. She hit the bed and breathed in deep as pain flooded through her chest. She decided to just lie there for now. It was far less painful.
Outside the room stood two doctors, one man and one woman. They were currently flipping through papers on a clipboard. They appeared to be looking for something but seemed to be having a few problems.
"Is this the patient they just brought in?" asked the woman doctor as she tucked a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear. The small name tag on her shirt read "Dr. Harris."
"Yes," responded her associate, a tall man with brown hair and black eyes. He was flipping through the papers on the clipboard.
"Look, Dr. Grey," Harris said, peering through the window with awe in her eyes. Dr. Grey stopped his search and looked through the small window on the door to the room. "She's already awaked." He only smiled and looked back to his clipboard.
"What do you expect from a knight?" he asked. Dr. Harris snapped her attention to him.
"A knight?" she questioned.
"Not just any knight," he informed her. "She's the knight, Rayla Cayden. She's the GRC's best Geno pilot."
"Amazing…she doesn't look any older than twenty." Dr. Grey just flipped through a few more papers and then sighed. He tucked the clipboard away and placed a hand on the doorknob.
"Well, let's see how she's doing, shall we?" he asked his associate.
"Doctor," called out a younger voice. Both doctors turned, coming face to face with the blond haired boy from before. "How is she?"
"She's doing fine," responded Dr. Harris pleasantly. "In fact, she's awake right now if you'd like to see her."
"That's alright," he assured them a bit nervously. "I don't need to."
"Are you sure?" asked Dr. Grey, his hand still on the doorknob. "I'm sure she'd like to thank you." The blonde hesitated with his answer, still seeming a bit nervous about this.
"A-alright," he finally said. Both doctors smiled as Dr. Grey opened the door, letting them all in.
Ray's eyes instantly went to the door as it clicked opened. Three people walked in, two of them being doctors. She wasn't sure who the third person was. He didn't look any older than sixteen, and his face was just a little red, perhaps out of embarrassment.
"Hello Ray," said Dr. Grey as he set his clipboard down. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," she answered as she slowly sat up. "When can I go home?" Both doctors just smiled, amused at her question.
"Well," Dr. Grey began, "if you think you're up to it, you can leave today." Ray just nodded as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She cringed as she remembered the bullet wound. The pain was a steady reminder.
"Just how did I get here?" she asked. "The last I remember, I was in the park."
"This young man found you," explained the Dr. Harris, motioning to the blonde. He seemed nervous as Ray's eyes landed on him. She just smiled kindly.
"Thanks," she told him. "The name's Ray. What's yours?"
"Chris," he answered rather softly.
"Well Ray, if you're leaving today, how do you plan to get home?" asked Dr. Grey. Ray was shaken from her tranquility, now having to ponder the question. This had been a problem earlier on in her day.
"I…haven't really thought about it," she said. She looked down at her communicator still on her wrist. It was smashed. She frowned deeply at the device and sighed. "Great. Just great. My communicator's busted! If it worked, I could call Gordan, and he'd arrange for someone to pick me up." She fell back on her bed, heaving an exasperated sigh. "This just isn't my day."
"Can't you take it to a repair shop?" asked Dr. Harris
"Believe me, I've tried," she said as she sat up. "None of them ever have the right parts."
"So you've broken it before?" asked Grey.
"Yeah, and Gordan said this would be my last one. I've broken a few too many." She just gave them a sheepish smile.
"Um…" began Chris hesitantly. "If you want to, you can see my father about it. He has a lot of rare equipment, and he's a mechanic. He can probably fix it for you."
"Really?" she asked, seeming interested.
"Yeah." Ray smiled and stood up, making sure not to put too much pressure on her wounded leg. She grabbed her jacket and swung it on. Her shirt was gone, but bandages covered her upper torso. Her jean shorts were still intact at least. She quickly slipped her boots on, her roller blades still attached.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked cheerfully, ignoring the rather unsure looks she was receiving.
"Are you sure you're up to this?" asked Chris, eyeing her skeptically. People didn't normally get out of bed an hour after being shot and stabbed. This girl was definitely a strange one.
"Of course," she responded, taking a few steps to prove her point. She cringed a little when she put too much pressure on her injury. However, for the most part, she seemed to be okay.
"Alright then," he told her. "Let's get going." He turned around and walked out the door. Ray skated past the doctors as she followed after him.
"Thanks guys," she said. "I'll see ya later."
"Hopefully much later," said Dr. Harris with a smile. Ray returned it before finally leaving the room, following after Chris. Hopefully his dad would be able to fix her communicator. After all, she really didn't want to face the consequences if he couldn't.
CHAPTER 2
Doctor Solaris
The car stopped, and Chris got out, grabbing the keys from the ignition. The passenger door opened as well, and Ray stepped out, being careful of her injuries. She had to try and take it easy for a while. She closed the door gently, her eyes on the huge building before her. It was one of the largest above ground complexes she had ever seen.
"This is where you live?" she asked in awe.
"Yeah, this is our base," answered Chris as he walked towards the complex. He flipped up a small panel on the side of the wall and typed in a code. There was a soft beep, and then the doors began opening. They were huge, spanning nearly the whole middle section of the wall. They led into a big open room, a storage area to be exact.
"Is it just you and your father?" she asked him.
"No. My brother lives here too," he responded. He took a step in, and she followed, skating slowly behind him.
Once she was completely inside, she couldn't help but notice two familiar machines. In the far corner sat two Genos. One was in its feline form while the other was shaped like a bird. The feline was white with green glass eyes while the bird was red with blue eyes.
"Are those the basic forms?" asked Ray, looking over the two massive machines. Chris turned to look at the two Genos.
"Yeah," he answered. "Mine's the red one." He walked over to a rather large staircase, the stairs leading to a small catwalk and then a door. "Come on." Ray followed after him, walking carefully up the metal stairway. It was a good thing she was used to walking with her skates on, otherwise such a thing would be highly difficult.
When they reached the door at the end of the small walkway, Chris kindly opened it for her. It led into a kitchen, one you would normally find in a lavish mansion. The floor was tiled with white marble, and there were cupboards and counters along every wall. The kitchen connected to a carpeted living room with chairs, a sofa, a television, and a large window that spanned most of the far wall.
"Amazing," said Ray as she glided slowly through the kitchen. "This base is beautiful…and so nicely kept."
"Thanks," said Chris as he tossed his keys on the kitchen table. "We do what we can."
"Chris?" questioned a deep voice coming from a hallway near the living room. A man walked out into the large area, turning to go into the kitchen. However, when his eyes landed on Chris and Ray, he stopped. He was a rather tall man with grayish brown hair and dark, very perceptive looking blue eyes that were framed by a pair of glasses. His attire gave the impression that he was some kind of scientist, what with his white lab coat accompanied by a brown shirt and navy colored pants.
"Hey dad," greeted Chris, snapping his father from his small trance. "This is Ray."
"Hello," greeted Ray with a small wave of her hand and a smile on her face. Chris's father smiled as well.
"Well Ray, it's nice to meet you," he greeted kindly. "What brings you to our humble home?"
"I need your help," she told him as she slowly started moving forwards, a slight limp in her left leg, the one bearing bandages. She held out her wrist, showing him her broken communicator. "Can you fix this for me?" He studied the watch like device for a while, a look of pondering on his face. Hopefully he could fix it. There was no hope in her getting another one if he couldn't.
"Well dad, can you?" asked Chris, coming up beside Ray. Chris's father just smiled brightly at the two of them.
"I think I have the equipment," he said while turning around. "Follow me. I'll see what I can do." Ray just smiled and followed him down the hall. Chris tagged alone for a while but eventually went to his own room, not bothering to close the door behind him. He wasn't needed right now, so there was no point in going with the two of them.
Ray followed Chris's father into a large room at the end of the hallway. It was a circular shaped room, the walls lined with book shelves that touched the high ceiling. However, there were different tools and machines strewn all over the floor and center table. He walked to the table and motioned for Ray to come over. She complied, and he took her wrist, examining the device.
"This is a second model communication device for the GRC, correct?" he asked her, even though he already knew the answer.
"Y-yes," answered Ray, startled that he knew that. Most would just assume it was some sort of fancy, high tech watch.
"I'm pretty sure I have the right parts and equipment to fix it," he said as he began digging through his mess of tools and parts. Ray just watched him for a moment, still a bit dumbfounded. No one was supposed to know that much about this kind of device. After all, only the knights and Gordan were allowed to have them.
"How did you know it was a second model communicator?" she asked him. "Only the GRC knows about them. Just who are you?"
"Oh yes, how rude of me," he said, stopping his tool search and turning to face her. "My name is David. However, most call me Doctor Solaris." Ray's eyes widened greatly as that name rolled off his lips so bluntly.
"Y-you're Doctor Solaris?
The Doctor Solaris?" she asked in shock.
"Yes," he responded as he went back to rummaging through his tools. "And to answer your first question, when you've been around the GRC for as long as I have, you learn a few things. Isn't that right, Ms. Rayla Cayden?" Ray began to feel weak at the knees. It was just one shock after another with this man.
"How did you…?" she began, but she just didn't have the focus to finish her question, nor did she receive the time.
"Like I said," he cut her off. "When you've been around the organization enough, you learn a few things. I've heard a lot about you, the ace knight of the GRC." He motioned for Ray to remove her communicator, and she did so, handing it to him. Bye now, she had managed to get over her shock. She couldn't allow something to keep her surprised for too long.
"So…" she began as she started looking around the room, "you guys are a battling team, right?" He just smiled as he began working on her communicator.
"You saw our Genos, correct?" he asked her.
"Yes. They both look pretty modified. The standard black armor was replaced with white and red. Both are good armor types. I'm sure your team's doing well and that your pilots are capable." The doctor just smiled at the way she so plainly stated the facts.
"But not quite as capable as you, I presume?" he asked, glancing up at Ray over his glasses. It had been pretty easy to tell what she had been getting at. She just smirked in response.
"No one's ever beaten me before," she stated proudly.
"I can see why. Your Geno's amazing. It has no base form, so it's well rounded in all aspects. That and you have a mixture of every armor class there is. You've modified it beyond comparison." Her smile just increased as he praised her Geno, something she liked even more than praise that was directed solely at her.
"It's one thing I take a lot of pride in," she stated. That fact had been pretty obvious though.
"Yes, well, it would be nothing without a pilot, correct?" he asked with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you. Even without a Geno, you're a knight to be reckoned with." Ray began to fumble with her fingers, her attention currently focused on the ground. Her actions weren't out of coyness from the praise though. If anything, she seemed a bit troubled by something.
