Perfect Sacrifice

by Parker, Jack

  "Ready!" announced Ray from her Geno, the black metal gleaming in the sun.

  "Alright, we'd better get going," said Gordan. "I'll see you around sometime, David." Dr. Solaris only nodded in agreement as the general turned and began walking away.

  "Bye you guys," said Ray as she began to walk after him in her Geno.

  "Goodbye Ray! Take care!" called Dr. Solaris.

  "Bye Ray!" shouted Chris as he watched her walk away. All three of the Solaris men stood there, watching as Ray's Geno disappeared into the large transporter. They stayed even to watch it lift off, flying across the vast blue sky. It didn't take long for the transporter to become nothing more than a point in the distance.

  "Well," began Dr. Solaris. "Let's head back in. It's rather hot out here." He turned and walked back into their dark, cool base, followed closely by a silent Chris.

  Leon stayed outside a little longer, watching as the point in the distance vanished completely. He hadn't meant what he had said. He would deny it to no end, but he really was going to miss the cocky ace knight.

  He pushed off of the outside wall of the base and walked into the hanger. He shoved his hands in his pockets after he hit the button to close the large doors. Goodbye Ray. Take care.

  * * * *

  Ray walked through the doors to the GRC headquarters. She had a smile on her face that said "it's great to be home". She walked down the hallways with a proud air around her, taking in the fact that nothing had changed. It was all just as she remembered it from a month ago.

  "R.C!" called Abby as she ran up to Ray, falling into step beside her. "I didn't get to say anything before, but it's great to have you back." There was a bright smile on her face which Ray quickly returned.

  "Thanks. It's great to be back," she said as she began looking around again. "I really missed being here."

  "But I'm sure the Solaris family wasn't bad company," said Abby as she walked with her hands behind her head. "I'm sure you'll miss them." Ray just crossed her arms, a scowl forming on her face.

  "I'll miss Chris and Dr. Solaris but not Leon," she stated. "He's nothing but an arrogant jerk." Abby just smiled, knowing that she was probably lying.

  "Not even a little?" questioned Abby. "Come on R.C, tell me the truth. Will you miss him?" Ray's scowl fell as she thought about the question.

  "I…" she began as she ran through the last few days in her mind. There was one day in particular a few nights ago…

  * * * *

  Ray awoke with a start, beads of sweat clinging to her forehead, matting her hair against it. She felt a chill run up her spine as the images replayed themselves in her head. Why was she having these nightmares, even after eleven years? It wasn't fair. She didn't need to see this anymore. The first time had been enough. Her brother, Lee…she had watched him die, watched as his eyes closed, his chest stopped rising. She had been there to hear his last words and see his last breath. It was too painful to relive again.

  "Ray?" questioned a familiar voice at her door. Startled, she snapped her head in that direction. She saw Leon standing at her doorway, his eyes swimming with a foreign emotion. She wasn't sure just what it was, but at the moment she didn't care. She didn't care about anything. All she wanted was a familiar face right now.

  "Leon…" she whispered softly, unaware that her voice was trembling. Her throat felt dry, and his name escaped her as nothing more than a pained plea.

  He walked into her room cautiously, the lights off seeing as how it was night. He was supposed to be sleeping, but he had stayed up to watch a movie on TV. He did that quite often without his father knowing. Despite the fact that he was twenty one, his father still had a curfew for him.

  "Ray, are you alright?" he asked her as he approached her bed. His eyes quickly filled with concern when he saw that she was trembling, her single visible cherry eye full of fear. She was clutching the sheets of her bed tightly to her chest, her knuckles turning white. Her silvery blue hair was matted to her face, beads of sweat clinging to her temples.

  Leon bent down a little so that he was at her eye level. Her eyes seemed to follow him, seeming bright even in the darkness. She looked lost, scared, alone…just the opposite of what she usually was. Or was this the opposite of what she was pretending to be?

  Before he could say or do anything, Ray turned away from him. She hung her head so that he couldn't see her face.

  "Please leave," she whispered weakly, her voice lacking any emotion. Confusion washed over Leon's face, but she couldn't see it. She didn't want to.

  "What?" he questioned just as softly.

  "Please leave…I want you to leave," she repeated.

  "Why?" he asked, refusing to let his temper take control. Her voice was still trembling, and he wasn't going to make it worse. However, he had no intensions of leaving just yet.

  "I don't want you to see me…like this," she said while burying her face in her sheets. She shifted slightly, her hair falling around her. "Besides, it was just a dream." Leon said nothing. Instead, he carefully reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. He was expecting her to pull away, but instead she moved closer. Not only did she move closer, she fell into him, releasing the sheet she had been clutching so tightly. She buried herself in his shirt, not caring anymore. She didn't care if he saw her at her worst. None of it mattered anymore. She just wanted someone to hold onto right now.

  Leon said nothing. He only wrapped his arms around her, deciding that that was best for now. He wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to do. Nothing like this had ever happened to him. He wasn't used to comforting people. It's not like she was crying or anything. In fact, he wasn't sure what the problem was. It didn't matter though. None of it mattered anymore. Nothing mattered…not a thing.

  * * * *

  Ray turned away from Abby, not wanting her friend to see her face.

  "I won't miss him," she stated again. Abby just sighed, realizing that Ray would never change her answer. After all, this was Ray. She was overly stubborn and too proud to admit anything remotely sentimental.

  "Fine then," she said. "I'll see you later, alright? I've got some work to do."

  "Okay," Ray said softly, almost as if she was daydreaming. Abby just smiled and fell out of step with her friend, picking up her pace as she went down the hall.

  Ray turned her attention to where she was walking, but her mind was now somewhere else. Why did she have to let Leon see her like that? Why hadn't he just left? More so, why had she thrown herself at him? She would have been fine. She hadn't needed comforting. However, she felt as if he understood, like he realized that this wasn't something to talk about. He hadn't mentioned the incident for the rest of her time at the base. In fact, he acted as if it had all been a dream.

  Ray shook her head, deciding that it was best not to dwell on it. She had better, more important things to do with her time. Her mind was needed elsewhere. She didn't need to think about the eldest Solaris son. He was just a waste of her time. She had better things to do than to think about the arrogant, cocky, good looking Leon Solaris.

  "I won't miss him," she repeated to herself, but her voice said different. "Not even a little."

  * * * *

  A good three days had passed since Ray had left the Solaris base, and now they were in another battle. Like always, Leon was taking the one on one challenge. He was far more experienced than Chris when it came to battling. Chris was much better at strategies like their father was.

  "Are we there yet?" asked Leon as he went at a normal walking pace in his Geno. He was tired of seeing nothing but sand. He wanted an opponent to fight.

  "Almost," responded Dr. Solaris as he maneuvered their square like transporter. Chris was inside with him, watching the desert pass by lazily. He had nothing better to do, after all.

  "Do your best, Leon," he said, sounding a little tired. This was the same as all the other battles. It was a one on one that his brother would dominate in. How long had it been since he had battled? Three months? He could
n't remember. It's not like he minded much; he wasn't one of the better battlers. However, every now and then he would enjoy having a battle.

  Leon kept his steady pace, waiting to reach the area assigned as a battlefield. There he would find his opponent and a member of the GRC to act as their judge. He sighed as he realized that something was missing. In his last battle, Ray had been there cheering him on. It was silent this time. He was really starting to miss her. The base was so quiet now, and the days seemed so much longer.

  "About fifty more paces," said Dr. Solaris. "Just over that hill."

  "Okay," said Leon as he continued at his pace, not in the mood to run over the hill like an excited three year old. He walked up casually, but the second he reached the summit, he froze. His opponent was there alright, but not in the way he was expecting. There was metal scattered everywhere from the armor of the Geno. The mechanical creature itself was in pieces. One leg was to his right while another was to the left. The other two were still attached to the main body, now looking like an animal that had just been hit by a speeding car. It was sickening just thinking about it.

  "My God…" he heard his father whisper in dead shock. Leon tightened his grip on the two control sticks before him. He scowled deeply as he saw the wreck of what was once a Geno. He didn't even want to think about what had happened to the pilot.

  "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 rap
tor'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.