Cross Ange: The Knight of Hilda

Chapter 7: Homecoming

As she flew Tusk's vehicle over the woods south of the Dawn Pillar, a flash off of Starboard suddenly caught Ange's attention. She looked over and flying up to them was an aircraft similar in design to Tusk's. Its pilot flashed at her with a signal mirror and gestured her to follow him. "Lady Angelise?" Momoka asked. "Who is that person?" Ange didn't answer. She had been lied to and betrayed too many times over the last few days to easily trust anyone, especially a complete stranger who for all she knew could have been hired by Julio to bring back her head.

"I don't know," Ange finally said. "But check Tusk for any guns. If this guy is a threat, he won't live long enough to regret it." It wasn't as if she and Momoka had a ton of options at the moment. Besides, she still had far too many questions that she needed answered. Turning the aircraft, she followed their guide as he led them east over the Dawn Gardens and past the Imperial Castle until the beach suddenly came into view. Around her, other vehicles joined them, including two which carried the helmeted man and woman who had charged the gallows when Tusk had cut her down. As they formed a perimeter around them, the pilot of the lead vehicle gestured for them to land and Ange descended onto the sand. The others followed suit as the pilot of the lead vehicle, a large and powerfully built man, gestured for them to hurry.

"Everybody move it!" he ordered. "We only have a minute window. I want these women out of here now!" From the lead vehicle, the woman from the gallows leapt off as did her accomplice who had ridden in with another woman. They stood next to Ange and Momoka as the others rushed over to where something had been hidden in the scrub and covered with a camouflage net which they pulled off to reveal a trailer of some kind. "You three get in now!" the leader barked. "And take Tusk with you. Rio, attach the Skyhook. Coordinates are already programmed into Auto Nav."

"Now wait a minute!" Ange said. "I'm not going anywhere until someone..."and Ange was cut off as the helmeted woman roughly grabbed her arm.

"For once 'Princess', would you not argue and just do as you're told!" That voice, and those violet eyes behind her visor. There was no doubt in Ange's mind anymore who it was underneath. Reluctantly, Ange did as she was instructed as both she and Momoka grabbed Tusk and dragged him across the sand towards the trailer. Hilda's accomplice meanwhile, mounted Tusk's vehicle when the guy in charge suddenly pointed a finger at him.

"We're not done!" he warned before he rushed back to his own aircraft. The three girls climbed in through a small door in the front, pulling Tusk in after them and laying him on the floor as the helmeted man backed Tusk's vehicle up to the trailer and connected with several loud clicks.

"Everyone buckle up," he called as the aircraft and the trailer lifted off the sand. Though the shuttered windows, Ange watched the others lifting off in their own vehicles before scattering in different directions. Soon, Misurugi was far behind them and they were safely flying low over the ocean. Inside the trailer, Ange had removed the tunic Julio had forced upon her and changed into a clean shirt she had found in an overhead compartment, finding relief in removing some of the filth that still clung to her. Even better, the shirt was large enough to fall over her hips and preserve her modesty. Next to Ange, deeply shaken by all that had occurred, Momoka sat wrapped in a blanket while across from Ange, Hilda sat with her helmet beside her, her red hair tied up in a single ponytail.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you my lady," Momoka half sobbed. Ange smiled and rested a comforting hand on her maid's shoulder.

"Don't be. I actually feel a lot better." Momoka looked up and Ange sighed in resignation. "I'm free now. There's nothing there left for me anymore." She then looked up at the girl who had been nothing but a pain in her ass ever since she had arrived at Arzenal. "Hey Hilda?"