by Parker, Jack
She flapped the large wings of her Geno, guns firing from under them. They let loose hundreds of little bullets as every gun fired repeatedly. The bullets made contact with most of the Genos, sending them plummeting to the ground, and the few who remained air born were about to suffer a similar fate.
The boosters on her back suddenly shot her off at full speed. Her Geno soon became hard to see clearly as she broke the sound barrier, and a sonic boom followed. The enemy machines were all shoved back by the force, their wings being bent to the point where there was no way they'd remain air born.
The Genos all began to plummet as Ray marveled silently at her work. She watched as they hit the ground, never exploding or compacting. The metal was strong enough so that the cockpit wouldn't be damaged too badly from an impact like that. She wouldn't have minded if they had exploded though. For attacking her like that, they deserved some kind of punishment.
Ray landed her Geno on the ground, switching it back to its ground form. The cockpit opened, and she stood up, but there was no smirk on her face and no air of pride surrounding her. She looked around at the mass of red birds scattered on the coliseum floor. Some of the cockpits were open, others still closed.
"Congrats," said Brian over the small speaker located in her ear. She had the earpiece, just not the microphone. "We'll be out there in a few minutes, alright?" She nodded even though he couldn't see and then continued to look around the battlefield. She was unaware, however, that one of the pilots had left his Geno, now getting closer and closer to where she was. In his hand was a gun, his finger near the trigger.
* * * *
The Solaris family watched in awe as Ray's Geno broke the sound barrier, causing a large sonic boom. The enemy Genos were all plummeting to the ground while Ray stayed air born for a while longer, most likely marveling at how easily she had taken them all out.
"Amazing," praised Dr. Solaris. "I've only seen a handful of Genos break the sound barrier."
"How's that even possible?" asked Leon. "Your body'd be crushed, wouldn't it?"
"Not in a Geno," he explained. "They're made for high speed battle as well as close range and long range combat. Genos are incredibly well rounded in all battle techniques. It's true that breaking the sound barrier is anything but easy on the body, but it's not impossible. People survive, as you can see." They watched as Ray stood atop her Geno, looking around the arena.
"She's an amazing pilot," stated Chris in awe. Dr. Solaris just smirked. He knew why she was so good at this. The ace knight of the GRC was rounded in all aspects of battle, including tactics. Her reaction time was crisp, and her eyes were sharp. She was good at predicting movements, and her strategies were often flawless. It would be hard to beat a knight like her.
"It looks like the battle is officially over," said the reporter, sounding slightly shocked at the speedy outcome. Ray didn't seem to be happy with her victory, however. She was still glancing around, as if looking for something. There didn't appear to be any more enemies though.
Dr. Solaris, Chris, and Leon thought it was really over, and they were all beginning to relax, but a single gunshot soon echoed through the coliseum. Ray suddenly cried out as a bullet hit her left arm, passing all the way through and knocking her off balance. Worry and shock quickly filled the eyes of the three Solaris men.
Ray cried out as white hot pain shot through her arm. It easily blocked out everything from her mind, and she wasn't able to recover her lost composure in time. The force of the shot shoved her back, and she quickly lost her footing. Before she knew just what was happening, she found herself falling backwards, and she wasn't going to be able to save herself this time.
She fell towards the hard, rocky ground, all the while trying to figure out what to do. However, this was one time where her mind wasn't fast enough. Even if she had been able to think clearly, she wouldn't have any options. Her fate was inevitable. She fell on her left side, a small gasp of pain escaping her lips as she felt her shoulder snap.
She didn't move from her position after hitting the ground. She couldn't. Pain was spreading through her entire body, and she was suddenly very aware of the wounds on her leg and midriff. Nothing else felt broken at least, but there was a throbbing in her wrist as well as her head.
"Ray!" shouted a familiar voice, but she didn't care to respond. Even if she had tried, she probably wouldn't be able to. The pain was just too overwhelming.
Leon and Chris were at the edge of their seats, their eyes fixed on the television set in front of them. Dr. Solaris was just as interested in what was going on, but he was leaning back on the couch, watching and waiting.
"The man who just shot our champion is now being apprehended by the GRC," announced the woman reporter.
"Come on already," said Chris impatiently. "Show us what happened to Ray." Leon agreed with his younger brother, wanting to know what had happened to their cocky friend.
On the television, the scene switched to Ray, who was currently being helped to her feet by Brian and Abby. She looked distraught, perhaps a little zoned out as well. She was covering the new bullet hole she had received with her hand, but the streams of crimson made it past her fingers and down her arm. The screen shot was up close, and Dr. Solaris took a good long look at the young pilot.
"Poor girl," he said, catching the attention of his sons. "She really got it this time."
"What do you mean?" asked Leon curiously. Other than the hole in her arm, he couldn't really see anything else that was wrong.
"She won't be battling for a while," he continued. He looked over her on the TV again as her friends were trying to move her away from the area. Her left arm hung differently than her right. "Her shoulder was dislocated," he explained to his sons. Leon took a quick glance at the TV to see for himself. "Also, her wrist is quite swollen. It's hardly noticeable, but it's definitely sprained."
Leon and Chris took this all in and then turned to watch as Abby and Brian walked off with Ray. Both boys had a great deal of pity in their eyes. The cocky pilot didn't look half as animated as she had a few days ago. It really was a pity to see such an amazing pilot have to suffer like that.
CHAPTER 4
Battle Challenge
Ray cringed as Abby tightened her bandages. The black haired woman, along with a team of nurses, was currently tending to Ray's injured arm. The knight wasn't enjoying a single moment of the braces and dressings, along with the sling she knew she'd have to wear.
"You really got it good this time," noted Abby. "Your wrist is sprained, your shoulder was dislocated, and to top it all off, you were shot again." She tightened another area of the bandages, and Ray cringed once more.
"Don't remind me," she said with a sigh. At that moment, Brian came to the door, an unadorned look on his face. In his hand was a clipboard, one that Ray knew all too well. It was a list of battle challenges for pilots.
"Hey," he greeted, seeming somewhat nervous or perhaps disappointed. "This might not be the best time, but you've got a battle challenge."
"I accept," said Ray quickly, a determined look on her face. Her response caused everyone to stop and turn to her, looking at her as if she had lost it which wasn't a very farfetched insinuation. They all honestly should have been expecting such a statement from her. After all, this was Ray. She never turned down a challenge, no matter what state she was in. However, she had never gone into battle before with quite this many or this severe of injuries.
"R.C, are you crazy?" asked Abby out of worry. "Your arm was nearly broken! You can't pilot like this."
"Like hell I can't," she responded. "I've never turned down a challenge. When people wanna challenge the ace knight, I can't disappoint them. I rarely get to battle, so I have to take every opportunity."
"So…" began Brian, drawing her attention. "Should I set up a time?"
"Yes, three days," she said.
"Three days?!" yelled Abby. "You won't be better by then!"
"I don't care," responded Ray stubbornly. "I won
't be better in a week either, so what's the difference?"
"You shouldn't accept at all." Ray just glared at Abby and then turned back to Brian, who stood patiently awaiting her response.
"Set it up for three days from now at noon, alright?" He nodded and walked out the door, scribbling down a few notes as he left. It was hard to believe that he hadn't once argued the topic with her. Maybe he understood that it was a futile matter.
Abby just sighed out of annoyance and sat down on a nearby chair, watching as the nurses slipped Ray's arm into its sling. It was hard to imagine piloting a Geno like that. However, she seemed so sure that she could do it. Then again, this was Ray. Maybe she could pull it off. The smile on her face certainly seemed confident enough.
The young knight stood up, stretching her still good right arm. It was almost as if having one arm in a sling wasn't bothering her at all at the moment.
"You shouldn't battle," warned Abby, drawing just the slightest amount of Ray's attention. "You might get hurt."
"I'm already hurt, incase you haven't noticed," she responded. "I can still pilot, and I'll win. It'll just be a new challenge, that's all." Abby sighed, realizing that she wasn't going to win. Ray was far too stubborn to give in, and if she wanted to do something, she did it. No one ever tried to stop her, and when they did, they never succeeded.
Ray began heading for the door, walking right past Abby and the nurses. She stretched her arm over her head again, smiling to herself.
"I think I'll get some rest," she said. "I'm kinda tired." Before Abby could respond or try once more to dissuade the ace knight from her decision, Ray walked out the door, heading down the hallway towards her room. She really did need to get some sleep. After all, her day had been anything but relaxing.
* * * *
"Leon, are you insane?" questioned Chris frantically. His older brother was simply lounging on the couch, not seeming to care that he was practically pulling his blond hair out. Obviously Leon had no idea about the consequences to his most recent action. That or he just didn't care.
Dr. Solaris walked into the room, sipping a can of pop. He quickly noticed his younger son's distress. He walked over to Chris and Leon, a question on his lips.
"What's going on?" he asked, confused over the predicament. Chris turned to his dad frenetically.
"Leon challenged the ace knight!" he exclaimed. Dr. Solaris nearly spit out the pop he was drinking. He coughed a few times, clearing his liquid filled throat. He challenged Ray? He wanted to say it out loud, but he still needed to keep his promise.
"Leon," he began as calmly as he could, catching his son's attention. "Why did you challenge the ace knight?"
"I wanna see if I can win," he said simply. "I just want a challenge, and there isn't a better pilot than the ace knight." That made sense. There really wasn't a pilot who was better…except for Ramirez. However, he never came out to battle. He was always hidden away at his base, and no one had a clue as to where that was. Even if he did decide to participate in an official battle, he wouldn't get far. The GRC would arrest him on the spot.
"I see," responded Dr. Solaris. He knew his son didn't stand a chance against Ray and her well rounded Geno, a machine without a base form. It was built for a soldier, and it was given to a knight. However, it was possible that Leon would stand a chance at victory simply because of the timing. Ray's arm was more or less broken. She was at a serious disadvantage. This struck the question as to why she would accept the challenge. Sprains and dislocations didn't heal that quickly. Piloting a Geno with one arm was anything but easy.
"I'm going to sleep," announced Leon as he removed himself from the couch, heading to his room down the hallway. "I'll be heading out early in the morning, so don't bother cooking me anything."
"Alright," responded his father. Chris followed after him, heading to his own room. It really was late, and they all needed some sleep.
Dr. Solaris sighed to himself as he went towards his work room. She's such a stubborn girl, accepting a battle challenge in her condition. He realized that it couldn't be helped. The decision had been made, and all he could do was sit back and watch as the battle took place within the next few days.
* * * *
Ray walked down the long hallways of the GRC base. Almost everyone was still asleep since it was incredibly early to be awake. She didn't seem to care, however. She had things she wanted to do. Staying inside the base all day would cause an extreme case of boredom, not to mention the fact that everyone would be nagging her about the decision she had made. No one was going to change her mind, so she didn't even want to put up with it.
Casually, she walked through the doors to the main room where Gordan was currently sitting at a computer. He appeared to be working on something, most likely an update for their system. Ray walked up behind him, a smile on her face.
"Hey Gordan," she greeted. He stopped typing and sighed before turning around to face her.
"Good morning, Ray," he responded. There was a moment of silence as Ray rocked back and forth on her feet, a question on her mind. It's not like it was that hard of a question to ask, but she was really hoping that the answer would be yes. If he said no, she didn't know what she'd do.
"So…" she began, staring at the ceiling. "Did you…?"
"Yes," he cut in, placing an elbow on his desk, his chin resting on his palm. "It took all night, but we finished it." He ran a hand through his short hair and sighed deeply. "Ray, this isn't a good idea."
"Don't chide me," she told him with a smile. "Abby and Brian did enough of that last night."
"Look, battling is difficult with only one arm," he began anyway. "Even though we modified your Geno to compensate for it, you'll have to pull much harder on the controls to make it move how you want." Ray mockingly flexed her arm, her smirk still intact.
"I'm strong, Gordan, remember?" she told him with an overabundance of confidence. "I can do it, no problem." Gordan sighed as he placed his head in his hands. There was no arguing with Ray. When she wanted to do something, she did it. No one would ever be able to persuade her otherwise, not even him.
"Damn it, Ray," he whispered, knowing that she could hear him. "I know I'm not your father or anything, but despite what you think, I do worry about you. You can go into battle, I don't care, but if you get hurt, mark my words that you will be put on probation. You won't be allowed to battle for a long time."
"Understood," she said with a nod. "I won't get hurt, so there's no need to worry." She turned around and began to walk away. "I'm going to Torran for the day, alright? Call if you need me. Oh, and my report is in your office."
"Alright," he responded in a sigh as he turned back around in his chair to finish his work. However, his mind was currently floating somewhere else. He couldn't help but worry about the ace knight. There was no way she'd be ready for a battle in three days. Even for someone like her, a dislocated shoulder would take awhile to heal. Stupid girl. Why can't she listen for a change?
* * * *
Ray walked through one of the few unpopulated areas of Torran, one of the largest cities on the planet. She was currently heading to a place that not many people went to anymore. They either didn't have time to visit or they found it too hard to relive the memories that it held. However, despite how few people came out this way, there were always a lot of people there, and not one of them would ever leave their cold home.
Ray reached the entrance to the cemetery, the barred, metal gates hanging wide open, welcoming her to a beautifully decorated memorial grounds. There were grave stones everywhere, some nothing but a block of cement stuck in the soil. Others were magnificent statues, carved from polished marble or normal stone. They were all beautiful nonetheless, despite the simplicity of most.
She walked forward, her attention on one stone in particular. She knew exactly where it was, what it said, and who was under it. There wasn't a huge headstone or an angel carved statue shining in the light of God. There was only a small stone plate imbedded in
the ground, words and numbers etched onto the silver plating over the polished rock.
Ray stopped in front of it, staring down at the piece of rock and metal. Right now, she didn't care about the fact that the wind was pulling at her jacket, at her hair, or that it stung like ice against her skin. She kept her attention fully on the stone before her.
"Hey Lee," she said softly, a weak smile crossing her face. As she read the words and numbers over and over again in her mind, old memories started fading back from their resting places. She hated it, but she somehow found solace in those faded pictures in her mind.
* * * *
"Lee?" questioned a little girl as she pulled on the coat sleeve of a young man. He looked down at her, a smile playing on his face, reaching his soft black eyes. His golden locks fell just past his ears, his bangs partially covering his face. However, his expression was still easy to see.
"What is it, Ray?" he asked her kindly.
"What's that?" she questioned, pointing her five-year-old index finger at a large black cat made of metal. Even though it was just a machine, it looked so much like a real feline. The boy looked to the mechanical creature she was asking about, his smile widening.
"That's a Geno," he told her.
"Geno?" she questioned, her cherry eyes sparkling. Her long silvery blue hair was pulled into a ponytail, adding to the innocence she represented in her silky sundress and white sandals. She was just like all little girls were. She looked almost too blameless to be real, as if she was nothing more than a living doll.
"They're robots," Lee began explaining. "They can be a cat, a bird, a fish, or they can even look like us."
