The Fight Continues

Author's note: Just filling in some blanks about Rally. I known none of the original Silent Mobius characters.

Two things quickly became apparent to Rally Cheyenne as she awoke from a comatose sleep; the infuriating beeping and an excruciating pain in her back and just below her breasts that radiated through her torso and ribs. Momentarily, she thought she had fallen asleep in her office yet again, the pain could be from being hunched over for a long period of time and the beeping was probably from her computer. That assumption quickly dissipated once she recalled the previous nights' events; the summoning by Ganossa Maximillian to the Tokyo Stadium and the heartbreaking battle between her and her sister Rosa. Rally winced and nearly gagged at the sickening remembrance of her and Rosa literally being skewered together. She hated the thought of hearing that on the evening news,

'Rally Cheyenne and her younger sister Rosa were brought into Aiiku Hospital after being stabbed and skewered with her sister by an unknown assailant."

Rally had yet to be debriefed on the status of her greatest accomplishment in life, the AMP. As far as she knew, all her officers were fine and the building and Tokyo itself were still intact.

She cleared her burning throat as her head fell to the side of her pillow. She could tell that at one point she was probably intubated. When she tried to clear her throat, (to no avail, the scratchiness and burning still remained) she could feel the residue of tape on the sides of her mouth that was used to hold the breathing tube in place. She wished someone had told the doctors that it was a fruitless procedure, as a Lucifer Hawk hybrid, she didn't need to breathe and when she did, it was only out of a habit she had picked up long ago. That being said, she'd kill herself if anyone besides a few select people and her AMP Team learned the fact that she herself was indeed a Lucifer Hawk hybrid.

After being awake for several moments, Rally finally opened her eyes.

"Well, I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever see get to see those pretty blue eyes!" An older nurse said in a cheerful voice. Rally wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"What day is it?" She rasped. Her once strong and commanding voice could barely rise above a whisper.

"February the 2nd. You have been in a coma for quite awhile, my dear." Rally was far to drugged to show any sign of dismay, but mentally, she was gawking.  

The nurse giggled, "They gave you the good stuff didn't they? I can tell because you didn't seem too phased by that!"

"What happened?" She croaked. Rally knew what had happened, but she wanted to see if the nurse had more information than she did.

Rally watched the nurse bustle around the hospital room, checking all the machines that kept Rally's body functioning. Her eyes widened when she saw all the tubes coming in and out of her body. "You and your sister were stabbed together. Literally stabbed together."

Rally rolled her eyes, 'At least she isn't sugarcoating it.' She thought.

The nurse continued on in a cheerful tone, "An old little man brought the two of you into Aiiku Hospital. Both of your injuries were far to severe for that hospital so you both were transferred here to Toho Medical for Internal Respiratory, Gastroenterology, and Cardiology. Your  pericardium, the sac that holds your heart," She made a gesture with her hands, balling them into fists and clasping them together, "was torn open and your heart's lower right ventricle was nicked. So was your trachea and your T7 vertebrae was shattered. We replaced it and you will be able to walk again, but you might be a little numb or tingly from there down for a few weeks. I like to think of it as being in love for the first time!" The nurse giggled, but then turned serious. "You were a bloody mess when you came in! We didn't think you'd make it. Actually, we were about to pronounce you dead several times, but you came back!"

Rally admired the fact that her nurse kept in a cheerful mood despite her dismal work environment, but sometimes (and this time was one of them), it really got on her nerves. She tried to clear her throat again. She was just so tired and in so much pain, she wanted to go back to sleep and fought the medication that did so, but she wanted answers.

"I'm a fighter," She replied sardonically. "Rosa is dead, isn't she?"

Rally remembered the vision, dream, out of body experience, what have you, that Rosa appeared to her in. Apologies were accepted, I love you's were exchanged and the slate was wiped clean for the two sisters. Rally was infamous in her inner circle for having bizarre and vivid dreams, but she knew this was real. It may not have been physically real, but it was spiritually. Whatever made Rally, Rally and whatever made Rosa, Rosa met together and cleared all the negativity.

Finally the nurse showed a new emotion besides cheer. "Now how'd you know that?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips in dismay.

"Call it sisterly intuition." Rally replied.  The pain in her upper body was getting worse. Every superfluous breath she took sent stingers of pain throughout every inch of her body. She wanted to stop, but she knew that would send the machines connected to her body into a frenzy, thus raising suspicions as to why she could remain conscious without breathing.  It seemed that all she did now was work, go into battle, and try to keep the secret of her linage just that, a secret. Rally quickly drifted back into a deep, medicated sleep as she pondered when she changed.
                                                                ~*~
Rally awoke sometime later feeling like a slightly smaller truck had hit her rather than the bigger one when she first woke up. She still felt like her body was being ripped apart vein by vein, nerve by nerve. She felt something cool just below her collarbone that wasn't there previously.

She raised her arm to her chest, said arm felt like it weighed several hundred pounds from days without use. She hated the feeling of her dry hands against the gruff texture of her bandages as she was careful not to touch the wound. She grimaced at the thought of having to see it for the first time and the inevitable scars that would match her older ones.

When she felt the small metal pendant on a plain silver chain, she knew what it was. It was her pentagram talisman. She had many, as her own and her family's religious views skewed to nature based religions, but she could tell the one draped across her neck was the very first one she owned. She usually wore one that had gemstones on each of the star's points such as black onyx to protect her from negative energies. Her parents wore similar ones, depending on what gemstones they wanted. Rosa even had one, but never received it. It still lay, unworn in it's box in the bottom drawer of Rally's dresser. She always hoped Rosa would be able to wear it when she returned. Well, maybe she would be burried with it. The one Rally usually wore, hidden under her shirt (there were still zealots out there) she distinctly remembered, was back in her bedroom on her nightstand and she left this one at her parents house when she moved out years ago.

Rally and Rosa's biological parents did not raise them. Two married members of the Sorcerer's Guild acted as their parents. Their biological mother was a drug addict and a member of a Satanic cult that worshipped Lucifer Hawks. Rally and Rosa were conceived in a cult ritual between their mother and father. Her mother went willingly with delusions of grandeur about the Lucifer Hawk race, but Rally had met the woman who was her and Rosa's half sister whose own mother did not. Being raped by a Lucifer Hawk, Rally had one idea how the woman's mother was still sane, well-adjusted and unmedicated.

Rally was in her biological mother's care when Rosa was born, but had no memories of what it was like. By all accounts, it was absolute squalor. Rally was severely malnourished when the Sorcerer's Guild learned of her existence as a hybrid and of the birth of another. Those children could not thrive as humans, let alone as human-Lucifer Hawk hybrids with powers in that kind of environment. Subsequently, they were put in the care of Lennon and Rhiannon Bruin, the people Rally considered her parents.

Slowly turning her head, neck stiff and aching, she saw her parents asleep in the hospital chair next to her bed. Her mother, a small wispy thing, was sleep on her father's lap. He was a tall man with wild salt and pepper hair. They were a very affectionate couple who loved each other and Rosa and Rally deeply. They probably brought her the talisman when they heard the news.

Rally felt quite guilty for putting them through this. They had flown in from the States to be here with her.  Both hated flying, especially her mother. The stress of flying, Rally's injuries and Rosa's death weighed heavily on them. She could tell just by looking at them. Her mother didn't eat when she was overly stressed and her father got irritated and snapped at people. Rally could have managed on her own. She would be forty in a couple of years for gods sake!

Suddenly a machine gave a loud whine. Her parents jumped out of their slumber with fear in their eyes. Seeing Rally awake, greatly relieved them. They probably thought there was another death taking place.

"False alarm, she's ok!" Her father called into the hallway.

"You need to breath, Rally." Her mother said quietly so only the occupants of the room would hear, stroking Rally's hair.

Rally took a breath and the machine quieted down. "You didn't need to come." she said tiredly.

"Don't say that. We weren't going to leave you here by yourself. Once your doctors allow it, you're coming back to Ft. Collins with us to recuperate." Rhiannon said sternly.

"And don't say anything about work. Whatever happened, Mana can take care of it. There's no AMP with you dead." Lennon said.

"Do you know about Rosa?" Rally asked gravely.

"Yes." Lennon said solemnly as her mother began to tear up. "She's already on her way to Farlington. She will be burried with the rest of your mother's family." All of Rhiannon's family, the Andersons, that came from Halmstad, Sweden settled in a small town called Farlington and took up a good chunk of the cemetery.

"I'm sorry! I should have tried harder to save her!" Rally cried as tears streamed down her from her eyes. It was the most she had ever cried in a long time.

With tears forming in their own eyes, Rhiannon and Lennon carefully wrapped Rally in their arms. "Don't you say that! Don't you put her death on your shoulders! No one but Rosa could bring Rosa back from Nemesis!" Lennon said with a tear tightened throat.

"I tried. I'm sorry. I tried. I'm sorry." Rally repeated, nearly hysterically as she lost consciousness once again.

                                                              ~*~
Rally awoke dark and early the next morning, her usual time when she had work. She felt significantly better, her wounds only hurt when she moved. Next to her parent's sleeping forms, a bouquet of purple snapdragons sat on a little end table. Next to the flowers was a card propped open. Despite the darkness, Rally was able to read the words written inside.

"'Light in darkness can be found if one only remembers to flip the switch.' Thinking of you and your family. -DJE"

It was from one of Rally's favorite teachers from high school, who made the monotony and torment bearable for her. Rally smiled. She genuinely didn't expect flowers.

"Well good morning!" The cheerful old nurse said. "Ready to try to walk and have a real meal?"

The first thought that ran through her head was the state of her legs. She hadn't shaved since she was admitted to the hospital. Her pride was soon shot too, having to practically learn to walk again. Weeks without standing or moving her legs had reduced them to jelly, barely able to hold her weight. Rally was only able to walk a few steps before she nearly fell. Knowing that once she could stand unassisted meant that she could bath properly. That kept her going.

Eating was another battle. She was only able to eat a few bites of chicken noodle soup before she felt sick.

"The pain medicine tends to have that effect. Once we wean you off it, you'll have your appetite back." The nurse said. Rally learned her nurse's name was Dolores Hutchins. Dolores was the nurse that had been there when Rally woke up and would be until Rally went home.

When she was finally allowed to shower, she first saw the wound and nearly fainted. It was red, swollen and the harsh black stitches that held her skin together only made it look worst.

A week after Rally awoke for the first time, all her friends came to visit her. They had all came together from the States and had went to school with Rally. There was Nicole Martin, Sarah Miller, Amy Smith and Lila Collins, Rally's oldest friends,  since they were all in school. Rally's only friends. Only Mana was missing. All of them were planning to make the trip home with Rally and her family.

Unfortunately, their visit was cut short for the day. The Emperor of Japan came to debrief Rally. Everyone but he and Rally cleared the room.

"What do you know?" He asked, gravely.

"Nothing, besides the fate of my sister." Rally replied, evenly.

"Lucifer Hawks have taken over AMP headquarters and the city. The building was destroyed by the satellite, Donald. The city was taken over by Lucifer Hawks and ransacked and evacuated. Officer Kiddy Phenil is dead. The rest of you team is in various states of injured."

Rally closed her eyes and covered her face with her hand. She knew it was bad, but not that bad. All her work and years of sacrifice was wiped away in the span of a single night. No, it wasn't just her work. It was her officer's work as well. It was everything that they all worked for. One officer was gone entirely. Rally didn't know what she was going to do.

No, she knew what she was going to do. She was going to wipe the dust off herself, stand up and fight again, even if it was only her. Rally Cheyenne never stayed down for long.

Rally didn't feel like seeing her friends and family for the remaining days of her hospital stay. As a hybrid, Rally healed quickly. The only good thing about being one, Rally thought. She was able to walk out of the hospital on her own power with no assistance. The clothes she had came in wearing were declared a biohazard due to the copious amount of her own and Rosa's blood on them, by the hospital and thrown out with the rest of the medical waste. It wasn't that Rally was intending to wear that set of clothing ever again, but she wanted them back. She wanted to remember that night, as if she'd ever forget.  In all honesty, she had no idea what she'd do with the clothes, put them on a mannequin and put it in her home office like some kind of war trophy? More likely, they'd be thrown in her garage and never leave the medical waste bag.

Lennon actually snuck around the hospital and found the clothes. The clothes were in pieces, the medical staff literally cut them off of her in their haste. The black skirt was frayed around the bottom, covered in dirt, but otherwise intact aside from the blood stains and cut right down the middle . The matching jacket was decimated right of her body early in the fight. Her red tie was missing the bottom half, cut off where she was stabbed. Holes were torn in the stockings she wore. Her heels were what survived the best, a little scuffed, but fine. Rally was happy about that, they were expensive. The worst was the white button up. It's sleeves were missing from the elbows down, torn and right in the middle on both the front and back was the bloodstained holes were Medium penetrated her body. From there down on both sides, the shirt was covered in blood.

Leaving the hospital with feminine business suit hidden, Rally left wearing the clothes her parents brought; a pair of jeans she hadn't worn in weeks (Rally wasn't sure when the last time she was able to dress casually, dressing casually meant she wasn't at work), loose-fitting shirt and jersey fabric jacket to keep her warm, or to make her look normal. As a Lucifer Hawk, she couldn't feel anything other than severe temperature changes.

Waiting outside was her sky limo to take her, her parents and friends the airport where her private jet was waiting to take them back to the states.

"Rally, I knew you were rich and powerful, but not this much,"Lila said in awe as she and the rest of them fiddled with the accoutrements of the limo and jet.

Rally only smiled at their wonder, she was still reeling from the Emperor's news.

"Rosa will be at the funeral home Tuesday. Thursday is the funeral." Lennon said to Rally on the jet.

"The morticians aren't suspicious, right?" Rally asked, a mix of her dark humor and seriousness. Her friends were looking at her weirdly, "Lucifer Hawks decay slower." She clarified.

Early Wednesday morning, after several, long hours of flight, they landed Stateside. Her friends departed for their own cars there, letting Rally know they'd be at the funeral in the morning and were only a phone call away if she needed them.

Being back in the United States, in the town she gradated from high school in, made Rally's skin crawl just thinking about it. Here, everyone knew her business and what she really was. Here, this was where the torture was the worst. This was the place Rosa made the decision to leave.

However, this was where everyone who loved her was. Her parents, her friends, her mentors from school…Still, despite all of this, Rally wished she had died with Rosa.