Something or Another
"Can you tell us about her again?"
A small girl asked her; a delicate face with large bright eyes and muddy-blond hair. Behind her sat six other younger children; three other boys and three other girls. The eldest appearing at age nine and the youngest at six; all of them looked on to a messy-brown-haired man in a red and white jacket with gray pants. The man rolled his eyes up in thought. He pulled together his memories and recollected what details he told them before.
"Alright then, what part do you want to hear?"
The children listened with great interest and each of them began a debate amongst themselves for the next part of the story. The white room was detailed with a short table that the children sat around and four round windows to the left side of the man. He watched warmly as the children debated; a small smile etched itself onto his face. He watched carefully as the oldest girl took charge and began convincing the other to listen to her favourite part again. They all turned to him with confident looks.
"The wedding"
"The wedding?"
"Yes, when you and her had your wedding"
The young girl said bravely. Once again the man dived into thought. He played the sequence of events cleanly and quickly in his head and began to start it off as he always has. A story – a beautiful story about a beautiful event, he was ready to tell it. And they were ready to listen to it.
"We just got off the tram and I remember Grandpa and the kids watching for us. Just the two of us got off and we went off to greet them. Our family, our children, and our future…"
Renton came out of the tram and held Eureka's hand as he helped her out the door. After looking and smiling at each other they both turned to look for their family. Family – Something neither of them had truly come to understand. But right now, they knew what it felt like. The children ran for Eureka and Renton calmly followed behind her. His grandpa did the same. It was the first time in two years since he'd last seen him and for a moment he managed to hold back his tears. But he knew he could never hold them back for long. Renton pulled himself into an embrace with his grandfather and hid his tears behind him. He grandpa understood his grandson's feelings and did not say anything, even his was glad to see them after so long. It was a long time before they broke off.
"It's been a while grandpa"
"Yes, a very long time. To think I would live long enough to see my great grandchildren, I'm a very lucky man indeed"
Renton almost blushed. He looked at the three children that had gotten bigger since the last time he'd seen them. Eureka was still trying to quell down their crying. Renton walked over to Maurice.
"Good job"
He gave a pat on Maurice's head. He acknowledged it was a sign of approval and friendliness. Renton had grown much taller in his one-year absence. He was now towering over his grandfather and could be comparable to Holland. Eureka has also matured, having grown taller and having more womanly features it was enough to make Axel question his grandson's control in the past year. Axel was now examining his new granddaughter-in-law. Axel pulled himself back into thought.
Just like always, the Thurston's taste in women in always top-notch
It was almost perverted but he wanted to see her for his own eyes. The first place they had gone to was the burger place Renton loved as a kid. Axel watched on as he remembered of all the times that he'd been here with Renton, this was the first time they had so many other family with them. Two turned into six. Just before Renton could take a bite of his meal, Axel dropped his foot on the floor and made a loud stomping sound. Sporting a serious look he glared at Renton for a while. The atmosphere was intense.
"You haven't done anything strange have you?"
Renton pulled back he head and tried to register the meaning of strange in his head. The answer came after a little while.
"N-n-n-no! Of course I haven't!"
Renton protested with extreme force. Axel stared into Renton's blushed eyes who felt uncomfortable and hostile at the glare. He continued to focus on him for a while before finally closing his eyes.
"I see"
Renton relaxed a little. Finally he had the chance to bite the meal he waited for so long to eat again. It was heavenly, the savoury sauce, the burning hotness, and the tender beef burger sizzling in it's own juices, the perfect blend of sweetness with a tangy and sour proportions was simply the best. Renton was almost in bliss.
The children were having trouble moving because of the amount of food packed into their small bodies and quietly sat there trying to digest their food.
"Axel… Sorry for not contacting you earlier"
"Oh just call me grandpa, and I understand. Things were hectic after that incident so I can't blame you if you could find a way to contact me"
Eureka nervously tightened up her body. Meeting him last time did not require the energy it did this time. But this time it was different, she was meeting not as the pilot of the Nirvash, but as the wife of Renton.
"So when is your wedding?"
"Huh?"
"Did you not hear me? When do you plan to have your wedding?"
Amidst the confusion and embarrassing statement Renton found some words to answer his grandpa's question.
"We just got back and I'd like to know how everyone's doing and-"
"That's not an excuse. You don't have to worry about the paper work since I've done that already!"
Axel proudly took out the marriage license, the family confirmation records, citizenship records and an abundant amount of letters from each step of the process. Renton was surprised to see the amount of paper work done. He took up a piece of paper with his name on it and found under the 'spouse' was the listed the name 'Eureka'. Certainly, all the records were updated, all the paper work done.
"All that's left is the ceremony"
Eureka was equally surprised by the stack of papers Axel took out. She looked over the pages before looking at Renton with flustered cheeks. She was nervous and shocked she was crushing the paper in her hands.
"This is… A little too fast…" Eureka said.
"You don't need to worry about anything, I'll take care of it, and after all, this'll be the third time I'm doing this"
By the time they got home, Axel enthusiastically made phone calls and began the process of planning the ceremony. And before Renton and Eureka knew it, they were trying out the wedding clothes. Eureka had absolutely no concept of fashion and simply went along with everything the saleslady tried on her. For some reason, the saleslady was especially eager about try out clothes on Eureka. She kept citing 'No, this can't be it' and 'Still not perfect' and got Eureka to change over and over again. Renton wondered if it was the wings. He was looking at his own dilemma. He was dressed in pure white complete with white tie, white suit, white shirt, white pants and white shoes. It felt weird since he had never wore something like this before, it was mostly due to Axel getting him to work on machines that he became perpetually attracted to dirt and oil the moment he got into the house. Anything white would become black in a matter of minutes so he wore darker clothes to hide the oily stains and dirt marks there was guaranteed to find a spot on him. Still some nice clothes was good every once in a while.
"Looking good there"
A familiar voice bounced into Renton's ear. He turned to find Holland crossed armed and leaning against the wall. Everything was happening so fast Renton did not even realize Axel had made a call to Holland. Holland walked over and punched Renton squarely at the top of his head.
"What was that for?!"
"Coming back and not telling us! Serious, we thought you guys were gone!"
"I didn't have time! Grandpa pulled and pushed me all over the place and I didn't have time to tell anyone else!"
"You cheeky little brat!"
Holland had come to the realization that Renton stood almost the same height as him. His graduation from the Gekko-Go was certainly true. Before Holland could get his hands on Renton, a hand grabbed Holland by the ears and pulled him away.
"Honestly, we came here to get you something to wear!" Talho was still as feisty as ever.
"Ow, ow, ow! My ear's coming off, my ear's coming off!"
Talho finally cleared some distance as Holland recovered his ear from his wife's hand.
"But I remember I still have one from-"
"Don't you dare use that moth-invested thing in public!"
Talho threatened him with her almighty power over him.
"Yes, Talho"
Holland was unusually obedient. Holland finally realized Renton was watching the whole show but before he could say anything more, Talho's hand grabbed him by the ear and dragged him off. There was a wide grin across Renton's face.
"How is it?"
Eureka emerged from the other side of the dressing room. In the instance that Renton saw her, his face went flushed with redness. Eureka's wedding dress exposed her chest finely and she tensely covered it with her arm. Eureka's eyes could not meet Renton's and instead she placed them to the low right side. The dress contoured to her body's curves until the hips, where they spread out into an elaborative fluff. Eureka's cheeks were getting redder by the minute and all Renton could do was stare. A subtle noise from the saleslady brought Renton back to his senses.
"It looks nice"
Both their faces got even more flustered. The saleslady on the side looked rather pleased with their reaction and whispered something into Eureka's ear; an action that made her retreat back to the other side of the dressing room. Renton began to turn around when he noticed a very familiar shirt. He looked up to find Mathieu with a smirk on his face, his hand to his chin and nodding indecently. Just beside him was Doggie; cross armed and nodding in sync with him.
"She's grown"
"Yes"
"Those curves"
"That chest"
"You bum"
Hilda pounced on Mathieu like a tiger on its prey and within seconds, Mathieu was silent and did not move. Doggie shared a similar fate at Gidget's hands.
"Ah! Hilda, Gidget! It's been along time!"
"We're here to keep an eye on these idiots. Just in case they do something stupid. I didn't think we'd need to act this fast. So, how have you've been doing?"
"Grandpa's been really into this whole thing and we've been going everywhere. I guess Eureka's a little bit tired too"
"Really? You should read the mood a bit better"
The way Hilda say it made it sounded imposing. Renton backed off about an inch to consider its meaning. By this point Mathieu and Doggie had recovered enough to steal Renton to a dark corner.
"Don't tell him anything stupid okay?!"
Hilda warned Mathieu with a threatening glare. Seeing the coast was clear Mathieu and Doggie got busy.
"Tell us, how was it?"
"How was what?"
"You know! How was Eureka?"
"What about her?"
"Listen Renton I'm asking if this got far"
"Huh?"
Renton had just understood the meaning of Mathieu's words. It was an absurd question that they were pressing for.
"I don't know what you're talking about?"
"You can't hide it from us forever"
"Yes, tell us"
"No! No I won't!"
"Yes, do tell"
Holland, who looked like he had just returned from hell, hung his arms around Mathieu and Doggie's shoulders. The heavy presence of Holland sent Mathieu and Doggie into cowardice. For a moment, Renton could sense the heat coming from Holland's rage. Holland slowly raised his head and there was a look in him that a father would have after his daughter tells him she is getting married; only this was ten times that rage.
"I didn't do anything! I swear!"
"Your lies will not work here"
The 'interrogation' continued for a long five minutes and topic had made Renton embarrassed and cornered. Of course, he later realized the entire Gekko State had returned to Bell Forest just to greet them again. Their return was a much celebrated event and many of their old allies and friends came to see them again. For a while, the streets of Bell Forest were filled with revolutionaries, reffers, and Tresor scientists. In spite of all this publicity, it appeared as though Axel had planned all this which made Renton a little uneasy about his grandfather's abilities. As the day drew nearer, things began picking us and before anybody realized it, Eureka and Renton were already at the altar exchanging vows.
"And do you, Eureka, take Renton as your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do"
Eureka rehearsed this line many times. In her first attempts saying it to herself, she could not help but blush and hide her face from the mirrors. Some how, the embarrassment was just too great, but now, she could say it confidently. She could tell Renton was tense as well. The wedding, set atop of Bell Forest's tower was filled with many people. They ranged from Renton's old schoolmates to important officials to military officers. It was awkward to see old enemies all dressed up at one place. Normally, they would be at each other's throats, but for today, they had a truce and the Gekko State could roam around without worrying about the past.
"You may now kiss the bride"
In the corner of Renton's eye, he could see Holland's fuming aura but he ignored it knowing Talho would probably subdue him. Slowly, Renton pressed his lips on Eureka's and held her close to him. Her lips were soft with a pleasant scent and though they did not want to, Eureka and Renton parted and looked at each other for a second. Eureka looked at her bouquet and remembered she had to throw it. Closing her eyes, she threw the bouquet with all her might.
Night; the tower was set up for the after party. Renton and Eureka held hands as they walked through the crowding sea of people. It seems everyone wanted to see them and they had spent a long time taking pictures with each of them. Renton certainly knew Eureka was not good with large events. Like a lost puppy in a foreign environment, Eureka held on to Renton's arm for support and Renton, who was equally unfamiliar with large events, could only agree to each and every request.
"You seem to be enjoying this"
"It's my grandson's wedding, how could I not enjoy this"
Axel used his usual harsh tone with Holland. They both watched the couple be swarmed with requests for pictures, questions and stories. It seems everyone was interested in Eureka's identity as a Coralian and her wings made if difficult to forget that fact. The bulk of the crowd surrounding the couple was made up of politicians who wanted to get support by being 'friends' with the two that saved the world.
"You're not going to save them?"
"Renton's not a boy anymore; he doesn't need me to make all his decisions. Besides, he has his friends to protect him"
"You seem rather confident with that tone"
"I can see these things"
Even Holland could see the next move. In a quick burst, Anemone had Eureka and Renton in tow while Dominic stood imposingly between them. It seems they gave up after seeing the *new* Commodore standing in their way. With defeated looks, they left.
"Thanks Anemone, Dominic"
"It's the least I can do for the 'heroes' of Bell Forest"
"I owe two one, okay! Besides, you two need to be more decisive"
"Ah, I see you caught the bouquet"
"Yup, Dominic and I are going to get married after this"
"Heh? You mean you haven't married yet?"
"We wanted to wait for you to come back, but mostly because the military has been putting Dominic through his paces. Since they promoted him to Commodore, they've been working his ass off!"
Looking at Dominic in detail, Eureka could see the darken eyes and looked rather tired.
"Only I'm allowed to do that!"
"Now, now…"
"It has been a long time"
"Yup"
"Are the two of you ready to start your new life together?"
Renton and Eureka were completely taken by surprise by the question. They took a look at each other and said their answer together.
"Yes"
Dominic and Anemone smiled, it seems like both pairs were odd couples. The bonds they made with so many people did not fade and the close friend they made still burned strongly. Renton looked onto the girls that once stood on different sides as rivals. Back then they were trying to kill each other; now they were giving each other blessings. He thought it was amazing how humans can change and how bitter enemies can forge a friendship where enemies once stood. As they walked around the room, they recounted everything that happened. From their adventures in the Promised Land, to their eventual return to Bell Forest; a two-year journey that both Dominic and Renton took. While Renton recounted his and Eureka's tale, Dominic recounted his and Anemone's. The time had just reached eight-thirty three PM when they bumped into Holland and some of the Gekko State. Holland grabbed Renton to make sure he had no way of escaping. As the men of the Gekko State dragged Renton off in the far off distance, Hilda, Gidget and Talho took Eureka. Unsure of what just happened, Anemone and Dominic looked in the different direction their friends were taken to.
"I'll see what they're doing to Eureka"
"I guess I'll rescue Renton again"
With that, the couple parted ways as well.
"Like I said, I haven't done anything yet!"
Mathieu placed both his hands on Renton's shoulders.
"A perfectly healthy young man, alone with a beautiful girl with no parents, no friends around. How could he resist?"
"I was worried about getting back!"
"Renton, one year. It took one year for you to return. You're telling us you did not do anything in that one year"
"W-we - !"
Everyone leaned forward into anticipation of Renton's confession.
"We only kissed, okay!"
With Cheeks bright red, Holland's eye could only twitch. Mathieu and Doggie could only shake their heads in disappointment.
"Renton, that's not good! A man must not hold it back! At every opportunity, at every corner, at every stop you must seize that chance!"
"And we will teach you"
Renton looked at Holland to confirm his reaction only to find him cross-armed and nodding in acceptance Doggie's suggestion.
"Leader! You agree with us!"
"You are chosen by Eureka, but we will teach you how to treat her properly, I can't let you do anything to her until we've taught the 'arts'. Understood?"
"What are you guys doing?"
Dominic had come just in time to save Renton.
"Speaking of which, what have you've been doing with Anemone"
Completely caught off guard and completely unprepared for a return comment, Dominic knew he was being sucked in by the Gekko State's power. Truly a fearsome enemy has appeared.
"Dominic, you should hear this too. It will benefit your relationship with your girlfriend"
"Understood Holland, I will not fail you"
"That's a great response!"
Dominic was already whist away by Holland's swaying words. There was no backup and Renton's only ally was now part of the enemy. With no hope, Renton surrendered himself to the clutches of the Gekko State.
"You should be careful, Eureka. Men are beasts that are only after one thing. In order to keep them in check you must be able to control them. But before we begin, did he do anything strange to you"
Eureka paid careful attention to everything that Gidget told her. It would appear as though she would take notes if she had paper and pen. Eureka then pondered on the question but could not produce any answers.
"Like touching you in weird places or trying to do other things like that?"
"We slept together"
"Huh?!"
Hilda and Gidget jumped at the answer, even Talho displayed some interest in Eureka's answer but quickly realized the actual meaning of her words.
"You mean you and Renton 'did' it?"
"Is there something wrong with sleeping together?"
"No… It's just… That's so soon but I guess it would be expected from someone at Renton's age"
"She doesn't mean that kind of sleeping together"
Hilda and Gidget looked at each other when they realized that was probably what Eureka meant. Her innocence was both commendable and stupefying, but as the same time, it caused worry for all of them that she did not know anything about human reproduction. This time, it was Talho that placed her hands on Eureka's shoulders.
"Eureka, you need to learn. And we will teach you everything you need to know"
"Huh?"
Renton sat limp on a chair near the corner of the room. The things that Holland tried to pound into his head had burnt his spirit out completely. The blood still rushing through his face and the words still burning in his head; they did not relent, even for a second. It had taken every bit of energy in his body to escape Holland and with Dominic in hot pursuit of him, he would not last long. Certainly, he was extremely tired and wanted to go home and sleep. But now that he had some time to clear his head, he began thinking about things he did not realize before. He had never finished school nor did he think of anything else for his future. Everything in his life had always been about the now but he never gave a real and meaningful thought about the future. Eureka is now his wife, the kids are now his kids and Axel could not possibly keep going forever. His only skill was mechanics, but he knew he could never match up to Axel. With no plan for the future, Renton wondered how he would plan for the future.
Eureka was set free by Talho, who felt she had taught Eureka everything she needed to know. Walking around, her mind was in complete disarray. She had seen Talho pregnant, but never did she wonder about the idea of conceiving a child. The descriptive images of her and Renton together like that some how made her heart race quickly. She looked around, the crowd that once was, was now shrinking more and more. Her mind continued to elaborate on Talho's words; the string of events that would occur and how Renton would take her body. Seeking a way to cool herself down, she found a large glass of water with ice. Before taking a drink, the images once again generated themselves in her head; the sudden rush burning sensation made Eureka gulp down the large glass of water- only, it was not water she drank, but something else. Her vision went blurry and her balance was off. She placed her hands on her cheeks to find them burning and she could feel raw emotions surfacing and strong desires. Her breathing became heavy and she began to seek solution to her desires. In the distance, Eureka saw Renton by himself sitting in the corner. She began to walk unsteadily towards him. With every step she began to get more agitated, the burning sensation made her want to charge and run at him with full speed but she keep it down because soon, she would have him. Renton had not noticed her yet but she was a little more than a few meters way.
"Ren -"
"I found you!"
"Ah!"
Within seconds, Holland grabbed Renton and hauled him away before Eureka could even say anything. She looked in the direction that Renton was taken off to. Her breathing became heavy again. Taking in some air, she began walking the direction Holland had dragged Renton to.
"Don't think you can escape us so easily"
"Renton, we'll make sure you're educated. Every man must be a master at this field!"
"Renton, I did not pass the hero's seat to you so you can be half-assed about this"
"Renton… The whole human race and coralians are waiting for this. You are the chosen one; this is only something you can do"
It was cheesy. Very cheesy. Renton could see the look in Mathieu and Doggie's eyes. They were about to burst into laughter. He felt even worst because he was moved by it and was almost taken away. He looked at Dominic. He was completely taken by Holland's words. That would be him if he did not notice Doggie and Mathieu holding their laughter behind Holland. At the snap of Holland's fingers, Doggie and Mathieu prepared a white sheet with a projector and set up a presentation which Holland prepared his throat for the narration. Dominic sat next to Renton with complete attention and Renton who was the main target subtly looked for an exit or escape route.
"Remember, a woman's heart is like the sky and the sea. You never know when a storm will wash you away!"
Behind Holland was a picture of Talho going Kong on Holland and Hilda without makeup. Renton almost killed himself holding back the laughter.
"Yes… It can get ugly at times… But no matter what we must go on! The trick to braving the storm is timing. Yes, timing! Being able to –"
"– to?"
Holland slowly turned around. Talho was not amused that Holland was using their album pictures to teach Renton and Dominic about love. Holland turned his head back to Dominic. A powerful grip grabbed him in the back of the head; a cracking noise could be heard. Holland lost consciousness after that. Doggie and Mathieu met a similar fate at the hands of Gidget and Hilda respectively. Renton and Dominic sat up straight and did not move an inch; cold sweat ran down their faces.
"You can relax; we're just here to make sure these idiots don't screw up the minds of two innocent boys"
"Instead of getting advice from these failures you should try talking to them"
As Holland's body was dragged off Renton could see Holland's thumb go slightly up. It seems he did score a victory over Talho. All the knowledge had been passed down to Renton and Dominic in the form of dirty magazines.
"Geez, there's a limit to your stupidity"
Hilda continued to lecture Mathieu in his powerless state. He could not oppose her and simply listened to her eat away at his endeavours.
Through the constant yelling and screaming Renton finally found his chance to escape. He finally broke free and entered the long hall way and began walking down a random direction. The quietness of the hall was completely different from the noisy and crowded room he had just tried so hard to escape from. All in all, Renton was completely exhausted, the day had eaten away at his strength and he was just looking for a place to rest a little. At the end of one of the corridors he found a door that led to the outside. The sudden gust of wind released was strong and powerful. The top was windy and the ground sparkled. He had arrived at a platform near the top of the tower, just under the run way for ships. Finding his way to the edge he lifted his right hand into the air. He took a deep breath. The wind, the air, and the lights guided themselves between his fingers. With all of his five senses he could feel the trappar moving in waves. The lights coming from Bellforest sparkled and glowed, a sight his old self would refer to as boring. The wave that had come swooping down and washed him away to an adventure also brought him back home safely. Only this time, he had a much greater appreciation for it. Renton made his way to the door again; content with the view and with his own thoughts.
Eureka stammered down the hall way. The array of signs she had been reading blended and their meaning lost, but somehow, she still found her way to the hanger where the Gekko-Go was held. Snuggled between two Federation warships the catapult was open and several Terminus series LFO sat quietly under maintenance. The sight was completely unheard of when Holland and the Gekko State were on the run from the military. Partly due to the confusion laid out after the death of Dewey Novak and the truth about Coralian-Human relations, the public and military called for a ceasefire with the Gekko State to sort out the matter. While finding the reason behind the sudden disappearance was important, most parts of the Government were either stuck in relocating and providing for refugees or debating over how the earth land mass be divided. But none of that mattered. She slowly made her way to the Gekko-Go and slipped by the maintenance crew undetected.
"Even after a year this place never changes!"
Eureka heard a familiar voice; she increased her walking pace and made a hard right at the corridor where the voice had come from. There, just twenty meters in front of her was Renton walking further in through the main halls of the Gekko-Go. Eureka let out a small giddy smile.
"R-Renton!"
Eureka's cheeks were flustered. Renton stopped when he heard her voice and began making his way to her.
"Eureka, where did you go?"
"Ah…Um…Hehe…"
Eureka could not form words in her mind and played the magnitude of scenarios that would happen with what words she could choose.
"Are you alright?"
Eureka finally made up her mind; she pulled back and got ready to assault her prey.
"Wait! Renton! We need your help!"
Jobs quickly grabbed Renton by his arm and pulled him away leaving behind a long trailing phrase.
"I need to borrow him, sorry Eureka!"
Jobs and Renton were gone with the wind. Eureka felt something run throughout her body. A hot and uncontrollable sensation that she felt she had to fulfil. This time she did not follow where Jobs had taken Renton. Instead, she made her way in the opposite direction.
"I can't feel my cheeks…"
Doggie rubbed his incredibly sore cheeks. Gidget had slap, pinched and punched him so many times he lost consciousness and count of it. He could feel the puffiness and every time his heart beat, he could feel the cheeks pulsated. He had returned to the Gekko-Go and began phase two of Holland's operation; the operation to make sure Renton was properly educated.
"This is the most important mission of the Gekko State, the unification of Humans and Coralians!"
Doggie said to himself a loud. The plan was simple, while Mathieu and Holland track and capture Renton, he would set up a no-escape prison in the cafeteria to make sure they hammer all of their years of experience into the void of Renton's mind. Doggie felt proud of his involvement in Holland's plan. He could still hear his prep talk ringing in his ears.
"Men, as you understand the fate of Coralian-Human relations rely on the shoulders of Renton. But! We as the Gekko State have the obligations to guide them in the right direction! We may not survive this mission, but you guys are the best crew I could ever have, but we have to make sure this goes through! Remember, when you stare in the face, just remember this: you sacrificed yourself for the sake of humanity"
Doggie with a grin in his face opened the door only to find that his field of vision disappear into darkness.
Holland had no success finding Renton and neither did Mathieu they finally gave up looking for him individually and decided to meet up in the cafeteria to plan their next move. Along the way Holland recruited Hap, Ken-Goh, and Stoner in his plans. As the group entered the room, they found a shocking scene. The lights were off and dangling in the middle of the room was Doggie. Bound, gagged and beaten.
"Doggie! Hang in there!"
"What a horrible thing to do"
Ken-Goh and Hap inspected the damage done to Doggie. He appeared as if he was swiftly taken out then left to dangle in the cafeteria. Holland was eerily quietly as he stared at the body. Doggie slowly got his consciousness back.
"It looks like they got me. Holland, be careful, they're good"
With that, Doggie was officially out of commission. Ken-Goh, Hap and Mathieu paid their respects and left.
"This is the work of an SOF operative"
Holland finally spoke.
"SOF! That's who we're dealing with?!"
"Consider it a calling card, who ever did this was smart and quick enough to sneak on to the Gekko-Go and take out Doggie quickly. This is not someone we should take lightly"
"What's the plan, leader?"
"I want all areas of the Gekko-Go secured; remember to travel in groups of two. Mathieu, stay here with Doggie in case they decide to 'finish' the job"
"What about you"
"They'll probably go after me last so if any of you get into trouble call for help. Ken-Goh, go with Hap and secure the bridge, we'll use the cameras and anti-personnel defences to flush them out"
The group gave a sharp 'roger' and broke off in their groups to complete their tasks. Holland quickly headed to his room. Dealing with former SOF operatives was a bother, even for the ace of the unit. The Gekko-Go was unusually quiet with the occasional creak; it was as though the ship was underwater and the pressure slowly squeezing the ship. He foot steps lightened, as if a ghost was wandering the halls. All senses fully awake and ever muscle ready to put all their effort in. The door of the room slowly opened. A pitch black backing, a perfect ambush stage; slowly the blackness engulfed Holland. He kept his back close to the wall as to not allow someone to get into his blind spot. He reached for the light switch and flipped it on. Nothing; the room was empty and nothing moved. Carefully, Holland inspected the corners of his bed then turned his attention to the closet. No one; again nothing could be found. Holland began to rummage through his SOF pack when he noticed something disturbing. It was searched.
"Damnit!"
Holland narrowly dodged the attack. But as he was hasty in his reflexes, he neglected to note the side of the closet was just next to him. He smashed his face into the edge with full force; the ace of the SOF self destructed.
"Thanks a lot Renton. You saved us a lot of trouble"
"It's no problem"
Renton wiped the oil and grease off of his head. As he got out of the hole in the engine room and took the chance to wipe clean a handle bar.
"I told you the adjustments were not going to work!"
"But the output is up by seven percent, and look the thing's purring like a kitten"
"Only because you found a good mechanic to come to your rescue!"
"Really, it's nothing"
The white shirt he wore was completely filthy now. No one could tell this was his wedding night. As a matter of fact, he was kind of refreshed at the change. Since he had come back he never got near a good piece of machine and hearing the humming and cycles of the machines made him feel right at home. He knew Axel succeeded in his goal. He had no other good qualities other than his ability with machines, but he knew there was nothing in his life to hate. After all, he went through a lot to get back here and after all that, he could finally appreciate what the town really is.
"I'm going to look for Eureka; you guys can handle the rest?"
"Ah, yes. It's fine, now go on"
Renton left the pair to their work as he entered the main hall of the Gekko-Go. Jobs and Woz continued their work on the Gekko-Go, ignorant to the threat that lurked behind them. Woz turned his head to the direction of the noise only to find Jobs missing; but within a few seconds, his vision became blank as well.
Renton wandered around the Gekko-Go for about an hour. In that hour, he found no one and the whole ship was silent. Even the hanger crew looking after the LFOs had disappeared as well. The immense amount of time made the ship feel like a maze; the constant turns and dead ends and the ever present feeling that someone was watching him. Completely lost in thought, Renton found his way into Holland's room. He knew Talho spent huge amounts of time keeping the place clean so naturally the whole room was neat and tidy. Since no one was around, Renton took it to himself to satisfy his curiosity regarding Holland's room.
"What skeletons will I find in Holland's closest?"
Renton felt like a little kid again. He slid open the door. In the closet was something he could never wipe from his mind. Holland was stark naked, bound, gagged and struggling. Renton stared at him for a good two minutes before he snapped back to his senses.
"I did not see anything, I do not know anything, and your hobbies are your own hobbies"
The door slid close and Renton retreated quickly from the area.
"Holland and Talho's hobbies have nothing to do with me… Don't worry Holland I won't tell anyone about this"
Renton had been scarred for life and the images were so disturbing his needed to find a way to clean his mind.
Anemone dragged Dominic's limp body like some rag doll. Gulliver diligently followed behind her. As she cleared entered the room she was greeted by Talho who was actively looking for Holland. Upon seeing Dominic's soulless body she just looked at Anemone.
"I found him looking at dirty magazines so I disciplined him"
She then threw him against the wall where he bounced off and stood up tall. Like an obedient soldier Dominic stood there with his nose bleeding and swollen eye.
"Have you seen the guys?"
"I think they left for the Gekko-Go -"
"Who told you you could talk!"
Another swift blow landed on his head. His mind was fading and almost broken. Reality was harsh and the Gekko State's get women quickly plan failed him miserably. Now, in the teeth of the tiger, Dominic can only pray for his survival.
"I saw Eureka heading to dock-11 so maybe you'll find them there"
This time, Dominic fell to the ground. Having spent his efforts and energy, he was completely drained.
His old room; the former supply closet that had become his room during his stay on the Gekko-Go was just in front of him. It had been over a year since the last time he had ever been in it. The interior remained largely unchanged. It seems like it returned to its old services as several boxes were placed in it. A hiccup shattered the silence.
"Eurek-"
Renton did not have time to finish his sentence when she jumped on him and locked his hands in a pair of handcuffs. She was breathing heavily.
"Eureka?"
Taking a sniff, a familiar stench came from Eureka.
"Did you drink alcohol?!"
"Eureka?"
Eureka gave a giddy laugh. She lifted herself enough for Renton to finally see her. Her shoulders were exposed, the lower part of the dress ripped for and her chest on the verge of coming out. Her face was red and her eyes were unfocused.
"I finally caught you. Holland was just getting in a way again, but I took care of him. I took care of everyone that was interfering"
Eureka let out a hiccup. She rested her head on his chest. The feeling she had before was now filled with another feeling and like a child in a candy shop, she did not know what to do next. She got closer and closer to Renton and her breathing was slowing down. But before she could carry out her intentions, she fell on and did not move after that. Her breathing was now light and quiet. Renton knew what happened; she was asleep now. In the next hour or so, Talho, Gidget and Hilda came to his and the rest of the Gekko State's rescue. The so-called SOF threat was nothing more than Eureka ambushing and disabling everyone around the Gekko-Go. With Talho over seeing the explanations, the confusions were cleared up and the incident neatly packed up. In the dead of night, everyone parted ways and Renton took the kids and Eureka back home. While Eureka found out what alcohol was, she also found out what a 'hang over' was and became bedridden for the next day.
"…and every time I went to get something for her, I had to be extra quiet not to make a sound. When ever she heard a sound, her head would hurt"
"Fwa, I always like to listen to that"
"Me too!"
"But… Everything after that is a sad story, isn't it?"
The man looked at the girl who suggested the story but was now condemning the sad part that was to come.
"It was fun, wasn't it?"
"Yes… It was fun, but the ending is still kind of sad"
The End.
For those you reading the 'Returning Faded Memories" fanfic, I've decided to scrap that work and completely rebuild it bottom up. So far I'm only 1 tenth the way and with so many things coming my way, it maybe difficult to get it up any time soon. Consider this a teaser project and to all everyone reading this, R&R, it really helps keeping me motivated.