SD Gundam Fan Fiction ❯ Hate, Love, and Flaming Roses ❯ Fatal Distraction ( Chapter 13 )

" So, what's the plan?" Zero asked. " Get me those swords." Zero glanced at him. " `Get the swords'," he repeated. " Easier said then done!"

" I'll distract them while you get them," Baku murmured so only Zero could hear him. Zero sighed. " Alright, but don't do anything drastic, alright?" Baku nodded. " I won't." He winked at Zero. " Don't worry. You can trust me."

" That's the thing, I don't trust you."

" I thought you said you loved me, Zero."

" Yes, but that doesn't mean I trust you." Baku would have tried to smack him if they weren't in a crisis. " Fine, fine, just …whatever!" Baku then stepped away from the knight.

" Okay, you want me, then come and get me you BAKAS!" Baku then started running towards Kikumon.

" BAKUNETSUMARU!!" Zero called. That insane musha's going to get himself killed!

Kikumon slashed at Baku, but he nimbly dodged out of the way. She slashed upwards with the other sword, but he flipped out of the way.

" Come on, sis! Do you think you can beat me like that? I taught you what you know!" Baku taunted. Cobramaru tried to sneak up on him in his stealth mode, but Baku sensed he was there. He threw a fist over his right shoulder, making contact with the snake Gundam's face. Cobramaru became visible, then fell down. " Who bad? We bad!" Baku chanted while doing a little moonwalk.

Zero watched for a moment, thinking that his sword less state has caused him to go temporarily mad. He then saw Baku making a pointing gesture towards Kikumon, but tried to make it look like part of his little dance.

" Oh, right!" Zero reminded himself. He's just acting stupid to make her open.

" Enough!" Kikumon then sliced the sword through the air, and made a little streak of purple fly at Baku. Bakunetsumaru ducked just before it would've made contact with his head. " Phew…"

" Now, DIE!!" She heaved both swords at him from the right, but he blocked them with his arms.

" You're making this too easy, sis!"

" SHUT UP!" Kikumon threw one of the swords back, then stabbed Bakunetsumaru in the leg. Baku choked out a scream while Kikumon laughed.

" Kikumon!!" Kikumon was suddenly kicked in the side of the head, and skidded on the ground. Zero got on the ground and pulled the sword out of Baku's leg. " Well," Baku said with a slight flinch. " That's one."

Zero nodded, then twitched. " Zero?"

" Gack…!" Zero fell on his knees, and put a hand on his bare shoulder. He pulled out a dart and looked at it.

Cobramaru laughed while hanging upside down from an old lamppost. " Gotchya!"

" Zero! Are you okay?!" Zero shut his eyes tightly while wrenching out the dark. " Y…yes…" he stuttered. He then slowly stood up. " Don't move!" Baku cried. " The poison will go through your system quicker!"

" I have no choice, Baku!" Zero snapped. Baku sheathed his sword, and held to steady Zero as his knees shook.

" Kikumon, now!!" Baku's head shot up as he saw Kikumon glow a dark pink color. His eyes widened.

Kikumon held her sword so that the tip pointed at Zero. " I've had ENOUGH of your constant interference!!! DIEE!!" The energy then started to flow to the sword. " DARK PHOENIX ATTACK!!!!" The energy shot off of the tip of the sword and flowed through the air towards Zero. For an instant, it looked like it took a form of a large bird.

" ZERO!" Baku pushed Zero out of the way, and braced himself. Zero hit the ground as the attack engulfed Bakunetsumaru.

" BAKUNETSUMARU!!" Zero screamed in horror while dropping his sword. The attack went right through an old building, and made it collapse. Kikumon smirked while tilting her head up slightly. Zero looked at the spot where Bakunetsumaru was, but didn't see him there. " B..B-Bakunetsumaru…??" His throat tightened, and his heart threatened to stop beating.

" The fool…" Zero looked up at Kikumon. She had a look of complete satisfaction on her face. " Oh well, he's gone and that's that." She then looked over at Cobramaru. " Let's go. The poison will kill him sooner or later." Cobramaru nodded. He then flipped off of the lamppost, and ran off into an alleyway. Kikumon threw her sword over her shoulder.

" It's a pity that the other sword is not gone…but one sacred sword is better than one, I suppose." She then snapped her neck to the right, making a cracking sound. " You will die a slow and miserable death now…" She turned her back on the knight, then started to walk away.

" K…" Zero's shocked expression quickly turned to that of hatred and rage. " Ki…" He then grabbed his sword and stood up quickly. " KIKUMON YOU BITCH!! I'M GOING TO SEND YOU BACK TO HELL!!!

Kikumon stopped, then turned around to face the knight. " You're as good as dead now, so why bother?" Kikumon smirked. Zero started to take in ragged breaths.

" You…you killed him…" Zero gripped at his sword tighter. " MY Bakunetsumaru…"

" Oh dear," Kikumon said sarcastically while holding a hand up to her face. " How terribly horrible I am to kill your bitch!" She then laughed.

Zero's eyes darkened as he started to walk towards her. She stopped laughing and looked at him. " What are you doing?" Zero ignored him and kept walking. He then stopped. He held his sword up parallel to his chest. " Mana…" he muttered. A little blue circle of magic started to form under his feet. The magic from the circle started to make his cape flop about behind him. Kikumon blinked.

" What are you doing!?"

Zero's cape suddenly flashed into a pair of white wings for an instant. He pulled his sword back to his side. " ANGEL'S PRAYER!" He then flung the sword's point in her direction, and a sparkling beam of blue erupted from the tip. Kikumon screamed while trying to get out of the way, but it was too fast for her.

The beam hit her left arm and a piece of her side, burning it off. She fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

Zero lowered his sword and the magic circle disappeared. He started breathing heavily, and his legs wanted to collapse. But instead, he staggered over to Kikumon. He leaned agsint his sword, and looked down at her.

" You…" she spat quietly. " You cannot kill me…"

" You're already dead," Zero finished. " I know…but that doesn't mean I can't send you back…" Kikumon craned her head towards him. Mech fluid spilling all over the ground and her body. " Sure you can, knight."
Zero held his sword shakingly towards her. " Now that you're still and can't defend yourself…" he tried to summon his magic, but he was too weak to do it. His vision started to swirl, and he started to stagger backwards. His breathing came in raspy gasps as he tried to breath. The poison was taking hold of him.

He dropped his sword, and soon fell to his knees. " B…Bakun…et…" Zero said under his breath before his head made contact with the ground, and his vision went black.

*****

Among the rubble of what was once a building, a hand suddenly shot up, and started to grope around for something to hold onto. A red and white arm soon followed the hand, and soon the rest of Bakunetsumaru emerged. He was dirty to say the least. He sat up and coughed.

" D…damn…how long have I been under there…?" He clambered out, and stood up. He staggered over the mess, and stood onto the street. " Where is everyone?" He scanned the area for signs of anyone. He soon saw something with red…

" ZERO!" Bakunetsumaru scrambled over to the unconscious Zero. " Zero…oh god.." He flipped Zero onto his back, and placed the knight's head on his lap. " Zero, Zero wake up! Can you hear me!? ZERO!!"

Zero flinched. " You…" He opened his eyes. " …don't have to be so loud…" Baku's eyes lit up. " Oh thank god. Zero, what happened?"

" Is…is Kikumon there…?" Baku glanced about. " No, I don't see her."

" S…she got away…" Zero coughed. " Damn…" His voice started to sound raspier. Baku hugged Zero tightly.

" Oh Zero…." Zero leaned his head against Baku and hugged back weakly. Zero wheezed.

" You okay?" Baku drew away from the hug and lied Zero back down.

" No…"

" Okay, well, just …just hang tight for a while and Cou-Lyn and Bell Wood could--"

" I…I can't…" Baku looked at Zero. " What do you mean? Of course you can." Zero shook his head with effort.

" No….I…can't…" Zero shut his eyes for a brief moment while Baku's widened in fear.

" Zero, that's….that's not funny." Zero looked up at Baku. He took Baku's hand and held it. " Who said I was?" Baku gave a little gasp.

" No, Zero, y-you can't!!" Baku gripped Zero's hand tightly. " Don't you dare do this to me!"

Zero looked at Bakunetsumaru sadly. " My dear, sweet firefly…" He slipped his hand out of Baku's grip and placed it on the samurai's face. " I'm sorry…I let the poison get through my circuits...and…I am drained of all energy…" Baku placed his hand on top of Zero's. Zero closed his eyes and savored Bakunetsumaru's touch.

" This can't be happening…" Baku muttered. " This…this is all a b-bad dream…" Baku blinked back tears. " You can't die, Zero! You just can't!" Baku sniffled. " H-here, we'll just get you back to the base a-and they'll fix you right up…" Zero shook his head again.

" I'm sorry, that won't help, Baku…" Baku blinked, and the tears started to flow. Zero moved his hand to wipe some off of his face.

" Don't cry," Zero said quietly. " Please don't cry…" Bakunetsumaru held Zero's hand under his chin with both hands shakingly. " Don't leave me Zero…" He sobbed. " I…" He drew in a breath.

" …I love you…" Zero's eyes blinked in shock. " Wow, that's the first time I've heard that…" he smiled. " I'm glad…." He coughed. Baku flinched.

" I….I love you….too…"
" Zero, please hang on…" Zero closed his eyes. He then used his remaining strength to summon a bright red rose. Baku took it and held it to his chest. " I'm…sorry……Whatever you do…keep living on…promise me…" His head then tilted slightly to the side as his whole body went limp. Baku yelped in terror.

" Zero!? Zero wake up!!" Baku shook Zero slightly. " Zero…wake up…." Zero the Winged Knight….dead? No, that wouldn't happen. He wasn't the one you'd expect to die like this. This was too sudden, and so unfair.

" ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Baku screamed into the sky, then slumped over Zero's dead body, cradling it as he cried freely in his grief.

` He couldn't be dead,' Baku kept telling himself. He was just asleep.

Just asleep…

For a very long time…

….Just asleep….