Hey all! This be my second fanfic but it's a continuation of the first "The Beast Within", so if you haven't read that one, I suggest you do, it makes life easier for everybody... yes even Bob down the street.
I do not own any of the Outlaw Star characters but I do own "Nick" AKA "Rotox" but I give consent in the event that anybody would for some ungodly reason want to use him in their fanfics...
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-1 Month Later after the incident at the Ruins-
"Gotta brush teeth...", He yawned as he stumbled down the dark hall half awake, running into things and occasionally stubbing his toes.
He saw the door was closed and light and a little steam flowed out through the space just between the door and the floor. He heard the shower running and a female voice singing. It was cold in is boxers and he really didn't feel like waiting so he risked it and tried to be as quiet as possible. He made it in and made a grab for his brush but being in the normal "I've-just-woken-up-and-am-incapable-of-doing-anything" mode, he knocked over the glass that he kept his brush in.
"HEY!" She wrapped herself in the shower curtain and stuck her head out
"HOLY SH-! Oh, it's just you Aisha", He said as he recovered from the shock with a hand over his heart
"Yeah it's just me! Cant a girl get a little privacy? Geeze Rotox, I swear...", she closed the curtain and continued singing as if nothing had happened
He was reluctant to leave the warm steam and go back into the cold hallway and hesitated for a second
"I didn't hear the door close Rotox..."
"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry", he ducked out before taking her out of her good mood
Rotox went to Aisha's room to get his clothes. He came to the shop yesterday because his own business had been a little slow and he thought that it was about time to check up on his friends anyways. Last night though, he and Aisha had gotten past being just friends. It was his first time and was somehow better than he had expected
He found his symbiotic clothes on the floor in a black puddle and picked up the semi-liquid form and it began to cover him. The rest of the crew, mostly Jim, had a blast trying to figure out his set of armor that he had picked up back at the ruins which was also symbiotic.
After giving the symbiot enough time to get him dressed he made his way downstairs to find that everyone else was already in full swing. Jim typing on the laptop while at the same time eating breakfast, Melfina was making something for Gene who was watching TV, and Suzuka was drinking tea.
"Good morning..."
"Good morning Rotox, would you like me to make you something?" Melfina asked
"No thanks, I'm not really a breakfast person", he said as he sat down at the table next to Jim. He peered over at the laptop to see what he was doing. Paperwork and bills... boring.
"So Jim, anything on the agenda for today?"
"Well, we just had the shop fixed up, got Gilliam a complete systems check and defrag, got all of our weapons stocked back up, paid for the ship's parking for the next month, and finally paid off all the debts we've had using the money from the Dragonite haul at the ruins. So, we could use a job, but we don't NEED one. It's getting boring around here without the usual running around..."
Gene turned the TV off and came to the table. "So, how YOUR business been going?"
"Alright I guess", he shrugged, "I've been trying to make a name for myself to get more clients, so I've been doing a few big jobs, mostly bounty hunting. I've tried not to use the "shifting" but it happened on two of the three missions so far, and it's hard to get a reputation when you leave no survivors to tell about it"
Aisha came down looking a little more energetic and happy than usual, which is hard to believe.
"What's up with you?" Gene asked raising an eyebrow
"Nothing", she said with a smile
"Yeah right...", Gene looked back over at Rotox who was practically bright red from blushing. "I don't suppose you know anything either, huh?"
Rotox knew alright but was more willing to be shot than to be the first to say anything about last night but his graceful response said it all,"Duh uh what? Who me? No"
Gene suddenly caught on and a stupid smirk crossed his face as he leaned over and put a hand on Rotox's shoulder, "Well pal, I see some of my charm has rubbed off on ya!"
Suzuka who hadn't been paying attention also suddenly caught on with the screech of someone taking the needle off a turn-table in her head
Jim was too busy working to listen
Aisha spun a chair around and sat on it backwards, "I have good news"
"Let's hear it then", Gene sighed, doubting it was anything actually good coming from her
"I'm leaving!", she said putting a fist in the air
Gene almost fell out of his chair and gasped, "Finally!"
Jim snapped out of his work, "What for?"
"Well it seems the Empire wants me back ASAP, they're sending a ship for me any day now"
Jim still didn't understand,"Yeah, but why do they want you back now all of a sudden?"
"Ummm Wellll..."
"What's the big secret Aisha?", Gene was starting to get agitated
"Ahh what the Hell", she thought, "I'll have to tell them sooner or later"
"As you all know, I report to the Empire every once in a while to let them know what's going on, you know, big stuff. Well, I told them about our trip to the ruins and the treasure and..."
Gene already knew, "And Rotox, right?"
"Yeah, I kinda sorta mentioned him"
"And I bet you kinda sorta mentioned the transformation, right?", Gene wasn't gonna let her live this one down, "and now the Ctarl want Rotox to cut up into little pieces and put him into test tubes, right?"
Rotox swallowed hard
"We Ctarl Ctarl aren't barbarians! And besides, I am taking full responsibility for his safety and wellbeing"
It was Jim's turn to make waves,"Aisha, you can barely take care of yourself let alone someone else!"
"Hey!", Rotox started waving his hands around, "Come on guys, I'm not five years old, remember? I can handle myself, believe it or not..."
Melfina sighed, "It'll be strange with you two gone"
"Yeah, there goes the muscle of the crew", Gene hated to admit it
"Don't sweat it, I should be back soon if all goes well" Aisha said smiling
"So what do they want me for?", Rotox asked
"How should I know? They don't tell me anything, the information always goes one way in this job, from me to them"
---
The rest of the day passed slowly. Gene polished the caster then hit the bar. Jim was down at the launching fields checking up on the ship. Suzuka was meditating in her own room. Then there was Melfina, Aisha and Rotox who basically moped around. Aisha was in the living room sitting upside-down on the couch with her legs thrown over the top. Rotox was entertaining himself by twiddling his thumbs across from her and Melfina was cleaning random... stuff...
"Oh my God Aisha!", Rotox gasped suddenly with a smirk
"What?"
"Be careful with that couch, you might brake it and have to land another waitress job to pay for it!"
"How'd you know about those?", she said surprised as she turned right side up
"Gene gave me the jist of the crew's story and it came up... I find it hard to believe you a waitress"
"I'll have you know I made a GREAT waitress! AHEM Except for that restaurant I kinda... destroyed..."
Rotox burst out laughing and Aisha got up and started shaking a fist just as Gene came in
"Aisha, how long before I'm removed from your pleasurable company?", Gene asked sarcastically
"Screw you Gene! I'll be gone as soon as the Empire sends a ship"
Gene didn't like the answer, "And judging from our past experiences with the Empire and it's reliability, that should be how many years?"
Aisha sent a perfectly aimed magazine across the room and smacked him in the face
"TWO POINTS!", Rotox put his arms in the air
"Hey! Who's side are you on?", Gene blurted
"The winning side, duh. And you are currently two points behind", He said laughing
"Well then!", Gene said grabbing a cereal box, "Eat this!"
He chucked it at Aisha who narrowly deflected it with a box of tea bags, "Where the Hell did these come from?"
Suzuka rounded the corner and had a panic attack as soon as she saw her tea was in danger,"OHMYGODGIMMEMYTEA!", she shrieked as she flew across the room and snatched the box and in a flash was gone
The three sat in awe, they knew Suzuka liked her tea and was always drinking it but Daaaammmnn!
Rotox put his hands in the air again, "TWO POINTS FOR AISHA! THAT EQUALS FOUR POINTS TOTAL!"
"WHAT? This game sucks!"
"Gene, don't be such a poor sport", Aisha said stretching out on the couch getting ready to sleep
"We could go in my ship right now", Rotox said eating the cereal out of the box that had been thrown
"I hate you all, yer all plotting against me! You just want to- Wait what'd you say?", Gene picked Rotox up by his shirt
"A! The threads don't like people grabbin at em...", Rotox warned as his symbiotic clothes started to make a growling sound at Gene
Gene dropped him and shuddered, "Creepy... But you said you could go in your ship right now?"
"Sure", He shrugged
"Well then if I could ask my best buddy a favor..."
"Of course"
"GO NOW!", Gene yelled but then lowered his voice to a whisper, "I need a brake from her!"
"Ok then, no prob, but you owe me one", he turned towards Aisha,"Ok Aisha, let's pack up and hit it", he said heading towards the door
Outside--
"I'm glad to be getting away from him for a while, and I get to go home! I cant wait!", Aisha said as she left the shop and was practically skipping down the street
"Yeah, I feel pretty good about stretchin my legs too", he said while cracking his knuckles
After a short walk across town they came to the shop that Rotox had set up for his own business. It was three stories but needed fixing up.
Aisha tilted her head, "I thought we were going to your ship"
"We are. I kinda didn't feel like paying for parking so I just turned it to stealth mode and eased it right down through my bedroom then my other bedroom below that and then it kinda went through my living room and about 50 feet into the ground. Not a scratch though! A nice parking job if I do say so myself"
"ARE YOU NUTS? Didn't you think you could get caught? Could you even imagine the fines? How do you live in your house?"
"Settle down... First of all my ship is THE BEST, not one of the best, not second best, but THE BEST stealth ship around. Except for stuff braking, you'd never have known I was landing a ship there. Secondly, there are no fines when you don't get caught, and third... living is a little... cramped but it still works out and best of all no dock fees! I ought to publish my ideas, I'd make millions!"
"I think your having an off kinda day because you've been acting funny", Aisha was starting to get slightly nervous at his swaying back and forth
"I had some of Suzukas tea when she wasn't looking, and I think that's messin me up. I'm gonna have to ask her what's in that stuff cause things are kinda of spinny and it's getting worse and could you please stand still?"
"I am"
"I don't think I'm gonna be flying tonight", He started towards the house haphazardly but Aisha came over and supported him
"I'm always the one that ends up taking care of you"
"Yeah I know. Yer too good too me...", that must have been the first thing that he said that night that both of them knew he really meant
They made it inside and he said that she could take the single person bed upstairs and to make her way around the ship. He grabbed a blanket and laid down on the floor... if lying down was what you'd call it. It was more like he fell down with a thud and started snoring. Aisha shrugged and made her way up the stairs and noticed that they house's layout actually worked even with a 200 foot long ship parked vertically through it."Mabey he's got something goin for him there" she thought aloud. She finally found his bed and jumped in and quickly fell asleep.
