Another Chance
Author's note: I hope you enjoy reading this fic as it's an insight into what I think happened to Rank and the cause of his mutation. Remember this is just my interpretation of him so don't be cut if it doesn't suit your view on him. Feedback would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy the fic.
There was the muffled sound of voices through the training base of the Vanguard of Justice and it seemed the atmosphere had grown from silence to furious and query, a mix of sadness also crept into some of the Vanguard pilots emotions. The technicians working there were unfortunate to hear the screaming and yelling that echoed through the beaming corridors and bays.
"I can't believe those annoying snakes took us down again!" Rank cursed loudly, throwing his helmet violently at a cushion on a sofa.
The rest of the Vanguard walked in, showing quieter shame at another defeat against the Shadow Dragons. Yoji restlessly slumped down on a chair, folding her arms in annoyance and spitting out mumbled pugnacious words and Serge crept to his own shadow of hiding, finding a barrel of a gun to polish to a shine.
"Vanguard that was a terrible outcome, the Dragons won 266 to 50, how could we get let down so much?" Wallis demanded with an impatient look.
"If Rank hadn't done that stunt we wouldn't have lost.." Yoji exclaimed, defying any fact that it was to her blame as well.
"What?! How was that my fault! You fired on the wrong person!" Rank shot back.
"Rank! I did not fire on the wrong person alright!" Yoji spat, claiming her argument.
Rank gave a dubious look and sulked, looking as he lost the argument but the Major only frowned, trying to establish his authority over the team as always. It was a common feud when the dragons beat the Vanguard as they would come home, angered by their failures and misleading their faults on others.
The Vanguard left each other to their own misery returning to a depressed state of mind, where the only cause for happiness was to come up with a plot to cheat in the next tournament. If the plot failed they would review it a thousand times and try a new tactic but as fortunate as it seemed the Vanguard still managed to stuff things up for everyone.
The next day was dark as ever, heavy rain pattered the windows and the inch thick steel doors wobbled from the intensity. Luminous clouds overshadowed the land, insane howling wind blowed throughout the dusty terrain and winding through mountainous canyons.
Rank had been quietly cleaning off the Mad Dog, when he broke into a raging argument with a technician about whether his Gear was equipped with the correct ammunition. His quarrels ended when he saw a shadow looming over him and he averted his eyes to look up to see Major Wallis glaring at him in disappointment, hands taloned over the rails like a predatory bird.
"Rank I'll see you in my office..now," he beckoned and walked solely away across the catwalk of the hangar bay.
Rank gave a short grumble and threw a oil-covered cloth to the technician by his side and staggered towards the immediate office where the Major resided inside, sitting at attention at a large desk with a few folders layered out in front of him and a terminal revealing data that the mutant man didn't understand a lot about.
"Uh Sir what is it? Are we going to kick those snakes one more time?" Rank pleaded but the Major remained quiet, directing him to sit and he reluctantly did so.
"Rank, Colonel Rika and I have been talking." the Major began and a loud gulp emitted from Rank and the Major continued, "Your performance lately has been rock bottom. You have on many occasions run into the field of battle without being aware of your team mate's and your behaviour has got you into trouble. I insisted that you get a second chance but the choice is left to you, you either start to act responsibly and as a team or you will be permanently kicked off the Vanguard." The Major finished letting the words trail into a whisper.
".But.but Major I haven't done nothing wrong, its those filthy snakes!" Rank objected rising to state his exclaim.
"The Dragons are not at fault as much as I despise them. They actually work as a team and at many times defeat us because of that advantage," Major Wallis reminded him.
"You support those snakes don't you!.Oh my, what a coincidence that we were being led by a coward!" Rank shot back, his rage bubbling at the top of his ignorance.
The Major was really caught off guard at the remark and gritted his teeth slamming his fist on the table and rising so high it made Rank look almost inferior to him. He began to speak his anger at him but held back knowing that he would be acting inappropriately if he yelled at him.
"Rank you have pushed the line way too far, you see your ignorance takes control when confronted with a decision to make. That is one of your faults when in combat and at one point it might even leave a team mate seriously injured or killed. Do you want that to happen? I have been stressing to a narrow point to keep you in the team and have tried my best to discipline you but your blind anger prevents you from ever learning from that mistake," Major Wallis suggested to him trying to calm himself down from unleashing fury on Rank.
Rank remained quiet for a while thinking over his commanding officer's words and struggling to bring them to the surface.
"You, you know what.you can find someone else! I'm finished, you can get someone better to take my job if its only me you only pick on all the time!" Rank yelled at the top of his voice and stepped back feeling overwhelmed with fear of screaming his heart out at the Major and started to run out of the office in anger.
The Major could only stand still, feeling guilt and whispered, "Rank." There was a cry of anger as Rank stormed into his Mad Dog, powering it up and stepping into the outside world, locking into secondary movement system mode and beginning to set across the desert, never turning to look back on the home he once had. Feelings of cold anger and sadness filled his mind and as much as he liked duelling he felt uncomfortable around his so-called team mates.
Back at the base Serge stood at a balcony, arms folded, scowling at the running Vanguard member. Serge was never one to make friends with those he didn't trust, and he really didn't like Rank's attitude at all, however he still retained some loyalty to the man despite his differences. Serge gave a saddened look as he thought this and turned away, walking back to his home of shadow inside the base.
"Sir? Do ya want me to go get him?" Yoji asked impatiently as she clipped her helmet on and prepared to board her Punk Fu.
Major Wallis gave her a shake and she cursed, taking her helmet off and wondering what ticked in her commander's mind. Even though Rank had seemed weird at times and absolutely crazy in combat, Yoji still felt the companionship of him being there with the team wether they were deliberately attempting to win a tournament or off duty. His presence was known to the vanguard and sometimes he accounted as a good friend to play a game of cards with or to discuss past battles, however they did seldom stay away from his temper when caution was required.
"Major, what's wrong? Can't we get him back, what's he doing?" Yoji amended, trying to gain some information on the situation with Rank running from the base in a huff and puff.
"I don't know.," Major Wallis answered and after a few seconds contemplating he made up his mind, "Fine, Yoji you and I will go after him, the rest of you look after the base, Groonz your in charge until I get back," Major Wallis inclined and Groonz gave him a reassuring nod as he saw him put his helmet on and scampered into the King of Sting.
The Major activated his Gear, giving a brief assessment of his systems, fortunately the techs always checked that his Gear was priority in maintenance than the other's Gears. The Major sometimes took the time to be involved in looking after his Gear, a trait most accustomed with back in his early military career. Finally he caught sight of the Punk Fu moving in the direction of the doorway to the desert and brought his Gear to walk behind it, peering at the desert landscape before them.
The Major had a good idea where Rank had gone, giving the coordinates to Yoji who seemed reluctant to go because of the distance and lack of northern protection. On her vid screen she seemed contemptuous and unframed.
"Is there something wrong Yoji?" the Major asked.
"Uh.yeah, why would Rank hide here, its totally out of northern protection, no patrols venture there for any good expect to get drunk at its bars," Yoji refrained.
"That's nice of you to ask, we're going to Rank's home town remember? I did tell you when I first introduced him to our team," Wallis reminded her, giving her a quizzical look.
"I probably wasn't listening sir, I was more interesting in trashing some punks than anything else," Yoji remarked.
Wallis gave a small chuckle, "And even today you do the same thing." Yoji gave him a small grin and glinted as some of the sun's rays hit her eyes and she shielded them.
"We should be reaching there in about a few hours, just be prepared for a long trip," Wallis reminded her.
"Major I'm prepared for anything, even if that involves punking some punks," Yoji beamed as she raced her Gear to the town, wherever it may be in the desert.
~Are we really ready though, has the Vanguard really been ready for anything?~
Major Wallis thought through on this but as much concentration he thought into it, it appeared that he never came with a reasonable answer to his question. He was the leader of a team and he would keep them together no matter how bad their reputation is to the public of Terra Nova, he would find Rank and bring him back.
The two Gears set off across the sandy desert in search of Rank who had appeared to be beyond their scanner's range however because Wallis knew of his intent destination he had formed a plan already on getting Rank back. If the circumstances proved that he couldn't then he wouldn't know how bad the Vanguard would become from his absence.
The grotesque shadow of the Mad Dog was reflected on the wall of an old wooden house, tainted with dust as it stood for twenty cycles on the edge of the town. Tall obelisks still stood in the town centre where the hustle and bustle of this tiny town thrived peacefully. A small transport took off, its sounds of the thrusters rumbled in the sky and it seemed that the airport still worked as it had been in the past. A few more residential areas had been developed along the hills but it looked like the agrarian industry was in poor condition from the state of the wrecked fields along the borderline of the town. There was still a distinct smell of burnt wood and rubber, hence the prime logging and machine industry was still being used, despite the lack of supplies that go into the town. A couple of people walked towards a facto, dressed in old clothing, completely battered in dirt and oil as they carried a crate together inside. Rank piloted the Gear down town, watching the streets become alive again as people continued their busy lives, the most popular places was the trading centre and the fresh food markets a delight many people appreciated in the town. Even though the fields were in a bad state some foods were being grown despite the lack of precipitation as direct cause of drought and cracked soil. Rank was beginning to remember his home town, flickers of when he was a young boy running through the streets, haunted by the scowled looks people gave to his mutated form. It had healed a lot since then but it was a reminder of his troubled past and perhaps his reason to unleash his anger. He had never met his parents before since he had been told later on that they died from a mine shaft accident, a tragedy which he tried to forget at times. He saw the numerous outlets beside him, each labelled with their own logos and information. A couple of restaurants, a small machine shop, a pawn shop and resting at the end was one of the more famous of the bars in the town, the Misty Sands a contemptuous and vacant place to go for drinks and the occasional spy conversations. Rank remembered the bar all too well from his days, a place where he met his teacher who taught him how to pilot a Gear and become a duellist. He wondered how his teacher was living now, since it had been a long time when he had last seen him. He descended his Gear down the street in the direction of the bar in wonder id his teacher was still living in the town.
"Oh don't tell me we're lost already!" Yoji cursed loudly.
"We're not lost.we just bypassed that point several times," Wallis said dismissively. Yoji felt a little hot and took a quick drink from her canteen and analysed the map of the area.
"If only Northern Patrols had marked these parts with a bit more care we might be able to find something," Yoji exclaimed and then caught something she hadn't seen before.
"Sir I think I've found something," Yoji reported anxiously. Wallis shifted in his seat and turned to the vid screen, opening his own map on a separate screen adjacent to him. Wallis nodded his approval.
"That last bend we came across. There's a site about 30 km due east, it might have some answers to what we're looking for," Yoji explained. Wallis refrained from the hint of going to the site and Yoji speculated that the Major already knew something about it but held her words for later possibly in case she was asking far too much for her own good.
"We'll proceed to the site, keep an eye out for Rank, he may still be around here," Wallis finally decided and Yoji nodded as she brought her Gear to change course along side the Major's Gear. She had no idea what the Major knew about the site or why he seemed reluctant to go to it but she would see for herself the reasons for it being deserted and barely visible on the old maps but distantly hidden from the latest ones.
Rank parked his Gear away from the bar and jumped out, trolling towards the building until he reached the doors. He gulped before going in and gained the strength to go inside. He was hit by the sounds of conversations and the over powering smell of smoke and food. Rank was still wearing his helmet but people still managed to give him disgustful looks as if they knew him personally. Rank saw a figure sitting at a table in the deepest part of the bar, his face hidden from view by shadow. He moved towards the figure until he was nearly arms length away from the man and looked conspicuously at the figure until he took his gaze away from his drink and looked up to see a pleasant face. The figure was in his fifties, a tall sleek man with white hair and a moustache, a typical account for a former Gear pilot who had fought during the War of the Alliance. "Rank." he gasped, and Rank immediately sat down opposite to him. The man was still overwhelmed to see his student again but was unsure how his life had been since he had been offered a job by a Major in the Northern Army and left the town for the pursuit of hi duelling career.
"Why have you come back Rank?" he asked.
"I'm just not quite ready for duelling teacher Nesbeth," Rank answered, averting his eyes towards a cracked window at the back of the room.
"Why did you leave? I thought you would be happier with a professional duelling team," Nesbeth the teacher exclaimed.
"I know, but the Major told me my actions are under question, we haven't been winning many battles as of recently," Rank added.
"So I've heard. I think it would be best to open your mind and think about this for yourself. You can be a good duellist and I've seen that through your training under my guidance," he explained but added, "but you can be better and you just have to prove your hidden strength, you need to work little better with your team." "Understood.I still have those nightmares though," Rank whispered.
".I'm sorry to hear that, it's a side effect to your mutation but it should weaken over time," Nesbeth assured him.
"Thankyou teacher, what should I do?" he asked with an impatient look.
"Visit the home you used to live in while you were here and think about the decision your about to make. Just take your time," Nesbeth assured him.
"But what am I deciding upon?" Rank wondered.
"Whether you belong with the Vanguard or not," he simply put. Rank set silent for a moment and considered his options available. His mind was racing at the moment and the only thing he could think about was when he shouted at the Major a constant reminder that he may not be accepted into the Vanguard ever again.
"You better be off now Rank, You need somewhere quiet to think," Nesbeth suggested as Rank nodded and gave a small smile.
"It's good to see you again teacher, its good to see you up and kicking," Rank stated as he rose from his chair and left for the main door. Nesbeth gazed as his former student left the bar and climbed into his Gear.
"Oh Rank you have made me proud, but you have a lot to learn," Nesbeth thought aloud in a whisper and averted his eyes towards the drink in front of him, staring at its emptiness as the glass reflected the artificial light of the ceiling.
The Mad Dog was activated and it prepped itself before rushing off down the streets towards the residential areas. Th sun had grown more intense in the past hour and its rays reflected off windows and any form of metallic object that was clear of the sun's way. Most of the houses were old, barely refurnished and redecorated. The times of war still had a unresenting effect on the town even today. Rank even spotted an old abandoned tower on the south hill, a reminder of the troubled conflict with the CEF or perhaps the southerners. Rank looked on in disgust, since he had been brought up in a culture that resented the opposing pole of Terra Nova. He too loathed the Southerners or Snakes as he referred them as, but he enjoyed their company on the arena. It was better to have competition than live life of duelling in boredom as Rank would put it. Although he would never admit it, he did like the dragons in a way. Another alley of shambled blocks and littered streets until Rank nearly missed the street he was after. More memories came back to his consciousness as he saw little kids playing with a ball on a wrecked Antelope jeep that had been abandoned during the war. Indeed the very jeep still lay on its side in a mound of dirt, half of its end had rusted from time but its engine was in prime condition. Some kids still played in the dirt as they vaulted off the jeep and hide behind mounds of tyres. Rank felt something and looked down at where his Gear had stepped on. A small bike lay on the street, its form twisted from the weight of his Gear. Rank sighed and walked along the street until it came to a end, at which point Rank was going to turn around but he looked to his right and found a building slightly crushed from a bomb shell. It had a rusted iron roof and creamy painted walls although mildly scratched and torn. It was Rank's home from before he joined the Vanguard.
The two Gears reached a hillside overlooking a deserted and horrifying landscape of twisted metal and charred skeletons. Yoji held her breath and looked in disbelief at the destruction that was unfolded before them. The blackened chaos stretched beyond the horizon, a continuous path of doom. The Major showed similar anxiety of the area, turning his head awkwardly to avert his trapped eyes. They were both stunned by the enormity of the unpleasant atmosphere.
"Sir.What is this? What happened here?" Yoji asked in a shocked voice.
"It's not a mine, this is Ralus-974, a Northern experimental lab. Its secrets are well hidden from the public. There were seventeen of these labs across the polar territories both owned and used by many of the factions on this planet.they were doing all sorts of awful tests, even that of mutation. Ralus-974 was subjected to an extreme explosion, which resulted in the death of all the staff. Shortly before the disaster, Rank was born but as it proved out his parents were contaminated with a alien mutation which spread to the child. These labs are the core reason why we see many of the mutated people on the planet today although most of them don't live very long. It is even rumoured that that some can't even reproduce therefore is a possibility for the lack of mutants we see now a days," Wallis clarified.
"But what about Rank?" Yoji insisted with a frown.
"Yes he was born with a unknown mutation but I assure you he is as normal as any human. He lives by the sword or in this case he lives for fighting and nothing else," Wallis replied.
"Isn't that a bit misleading?" she said a little doubtful.
"Perhaps, but his early childhood led him to not only hate and fear the Southerners but to fight all he could achieve. That is the reason why I chose him to be a Vanguard member because he needed someone to look after him and give him a chance in the arena," Wallis included to her doubts.
"I understand now sir, why he fights those punks," Yoji stated and then turned to look at the debris in case she might find something.
Wallis gave a faint smile and then turned to look at the sky, which was beginning to get dark ,a sign that they had to move out.
"Yoji let's find the town before it gets too dark, there still might be hostile groups around here, scampering around for parts," Wallis informed her and she grunted following his lead as they left the mine site.
Just as Yoji's Gear stepped past a few scraps of metal debris, she didn't see the two grave towns resting under a pile of rubble, both of which had dried flowers resting at their base.
Rank stepped into the building where the dusty air clouded much of the corridors and rooms. The sky had gotten darker still and the flashlight he held in his hand was good enough at finding his way through the deserted house that he had once lived in. It brought much memories to him of his young lonely life where he had to provide his own food and fend of unwary burglars.
As he came to his bedroom he found a bed that had been chewed away by mice and books that had been covered in dust. Part of the ceiling had cracked and much of the concrete debris was left sprawled across the floor. He saw a glint of metal on the ground and bent down, brushing away some dust from its surface. It was a medallion with the insignia of the Vanguard a remembered time when Rank had been unwilling to join the Vanguard until Wallis left him this medallion to think things through and change his mind. Rank held onto the medallion and pocketed it before standing up to look around again. He was beginning to regret leaving the Vanguard and his troubled life had caused him much pain at times. He began to wonder if he would be welcomed back in if he returned, however even he knew it was a difficult decision to make.
He returned to his Gear and powered its engine up before leaving the house, travelling back to the town centre and then following a truck that led him to a single house that stood level on a hill. Rank parked his Gear by a large oak tree and exited the cockpit, walking up to the door and tapping on the front window. Small muffled sounds could be heard from inside and then the door was slowly opened as a old man looked outside and saw Rank standing on his porch looking a little exhausted.
"Rank.you came back. Did you make a decision then?" Nesbeth his teacher wondered.
"May I stay for the night?" Rank asked.
Nesbeth ignored his student's reluctance to answer his question and gave a wry smile and unlocked the door chain, swinging the door open to allow him to enter. Rank thanked him as he walked into corridor and walked over to a chair and slumped down into the cushions.
Nesbeth swiftly closed the door and turned abruptly to Rank who was picking at the bowl of grapes on the wooden coffee table. He walked over and sat opposite to him, watching Rank finish munching away on the fruit and sit up, looking a little guilty and worried.
"Rank just let it out one bit at a time," Nesbeth assured him and Rank began to speak softly, slowly letting out what it was that he had thought about the whole time he left the Vanguard.
Slowly he tells his teacher and he listens intently, focussing on his emotions and his intensive attitude to be arrogant at times. The story begins to unfold as the sun finally goes away and all day is consumed by night, the only light see in the darkness is the street lights and the moonlight.
The next day woke people up with the bright sun as the town activities resumed into action. Morning paper boys ran to each house delivering papers and brochures. Yoji was nearly hit by a flying newspaper as she got out of her hotel room and she picked the paper up and read the headlines. Another room nearby opened and Major Wallis stepped out, feeling more refreshed from their trip.
"Anything worthwhile in there?" Wallis asked doubtfully glancing at the newspaper in Yoji's hands.
"No sir. I'll check the scanners," Yoji said dismissively and dropped the paper and climbed into her Gear and activated the scanners.
It took a long night for the two to find the town but a friendly trader by the road directed them in the right way. Wallis could see and feel inside the town that it was the right place. He just hoped Rank had enough time to talk with his old teacher as he believed that would be the first person for Rank to contact when he got to the town.
"Sir, I'm not picking anything he must outside his Gear," Yoji suggested, breaking his concentration.
"Understood Yoji, let's move out and find him," Wallis ordered and got into the cockpit of the King of Sting and powered its engines up, piloting it down the streets at a steady drive. Yoji was not too far behind.
Meanwhile Rank was exiting the house after saying goodbye to his teacher after a long exhaustive but important conversation over his troubles. He felt a bit more relaxed than he did before and a little more confidence filled his heart as he jumped back in the Mad Dog and piloted away from the building.
"Goodbye teacher Nesbeth, you gave me a reason to go back," Rank whispered and turned a corner, driving back to the outskirts of the town.
Just as he was coming down a littered street a large object came from his right at point blank range. Rank reacted as if it was a missile and ducked, rolling across the ground and preparing to fight his invader. Whatever it was, he had hit pretty hard but no damage came to his Gear.
"What was that?" Rank wondered and looked around until he saw a sprawled Gear dumped in garbage and old tyres. He refocussed on the Gear and noticed its familiar shape, the golden metal which he saw on the arena.
"Major! What are you doing here!" Rank exclaimed and pulled his Gear off the ground, waiting until he could brush off the dirt off.
"We came here looking for you," Wallis explained and Yoji appeared in the scene behind Rank.
"I thought you were another punk there Rank, I nearly had to scrap you," Yoji cursed as she put her auto cannon away.
Rank smiled and appreciated that his team were still looking out for him despite his attitude yesterday when he let loose. They indulged in a short conversation before deciding to head back to base, setting across the streets until they left the town and back in the windy desert.
"Sir I'm getting a message from Sergeant Groonz, he and Serge have come to pick us up in a Orca transport," Yoji reported after receiving the message.
The group became enlightened by the news since it would save them the long trip back, however Rank still seemed a little out of place despite his final decision to return.
A small speck in the sky gradually became larger as it descended to the desert, its thrusters beaming to bring it low and steady as Serge piloted the Orca to pick up the rest of the Vanguard. Just before the Vanguard could make out the Orca's shadow starting to loom over them Wallis sent a private transmission to Rank to cheer him up.
"Do not worry about Colonel Rika, she may be harsh but you won't be left out of the team."
The Orca came in for a low landing, its bay doors opening from hydraulic levers as it hissed its way to a balanced level. The three pilots gave similar expressions of relief as they looked behind them at the town and began to board the craft. Yoji went off to pilot her Gear up the bay door but Rank remained stationary, gazing into the foreground of the town area. Wallis turned and saw him unmoving and called for him and fortunately got his attention as he forced himself to go up the bay door. Just as Rank was half way up the bay doors, he was halted by the Major and he looked beside him to see his commanding officer. Rank looked at Major with saddened but determined eyes and waited for him to break the silence.
"Rank never forget that no matter how many battles we lose, we will always count on you..always," Wallis reminded him in a patriotic way and moved his Gear up the doorway.
Rank thought about the comment and smiled, wishing that he could have stayed a bit longer with his teacher. He was going out in the arena again and nothing would stop him and the Mad Dog from proving he was good at duelling except of course the champ but that is to be expected as always.
Author's note: I hope you enjoy reading this fic as it's an insight into what I think happened to Rank and the cause of his mutation. Remember this is just my interpretation of him so don't be cut if it doesn't suit your view on him. Feedback would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy the fic.
There was the muffled sound of voices through the training base of the Vanguard of Justice and it seemed the atmosphere had grown from silence to furious and query, a mix of sadness also crept into some of the Vanguard pilots emotions. The technicians working there were unfortunate to hear the screaming and yelling that echoed through the beaming corridors and bays.
"I can't believe those annoying snakes took us down again!" Rank cursed loudly, throwing his helmet violently at a cushion on a sofa.
The rest of the Vanguard walked in, showing quieter shame at another defeat against the Shadow Dragons. Yoji restlessly slumped down on a chair, folding her arms in annoyance and spitting out mumbled pugnacious words and Serge crept to his own shadow of hiding, finding a barrel of a gun to polish to a shine.
"Vanguard that was a terrible outcome, the Dragons won 266 to 50, how could we get let down so much?" Wallis demanded with an impatient look.
"If Rank hadn't done that stunt we wouldn't have lost.." Yoji exclaimed, defying any fact that it was to her blame as well.
"What?! How was that my fault! You fired on the wrong person!" Rank shot back.
"Rank! I did not fire on the wrong person alright!" Yoji spat, claiming her argument.
Rank gave a dubious look and sulked, looking as he lost the argument but the Major only frowned, trying to establish his authority over the team as always. It was a common feud when the dragons beat the Vanguard as they would come home, angered by their failures and misleading their faults on others.
The Vanguard left each other to their own misery returning to a depressed state of mind, where the only cause for happiness was to come up with a plot to cheat in the next tournament. If the plot failed they would review it a thousand times and try a new tactic but as fortunate as it seemed the Vanguard still managed to stuff things up for everyone.
The next day was dark as ever, heavy rain pattered the windows and the inch thick steel doors wobbled from the intensity. Luminous clouds overshadowed the land, insane howling wind blowed throughout the dusty terrain and winding through mountainous canyons.
Rank had been quietly cleaning off the Mad Dog, when he broke into a raging argument with a technician about whether his Gear was equipped with the correct ammunition. His quarrels ended when he saw a shadow looming over him and he averted his eyes to look up to see Major Wallis glaring at him in disappointment, hands taloned over the rails like a predatory bird.
"Rank I'll see you in my office..now," he beckoned and walked solely away across the catwalk of the hangar bay.
Rank gave a short grumble and threw a oil-covered cloth to the technician by his side and staggered towards the immediate office where the Major resided inside, sitting at attention at a large desk with a few folders layered out in front of him and a terminal revealing data that the mutant man didn't understand a lot about.
"Uh Sir what is it? Are we going to kick those snakes one more time?" Rank pleaded but the Major remained quiet, directing him to sit and he reluctantly did so.
"Rank, Colonel Rika and I have been talking." the Major began and a loud gulp emitted from Rank and the Major continued, "Your performance lately has been rock bottom. You have on many occasions run into the field of battle without being aware of your team mate's and your behaviour has got you into trouble. I insisted that you get a second chance but the choice is left to you, you either start to act responsibly and as a team or you will be permanently kicked off the Vanguard." The Major finished letting the words trail into a whisper.
".But.but Major I haven't done nothing wrong, its those filthy snakes!" Rank objected rising to state his exclaim.
"The Dragons are not at fault as much as I despise them. They actually work as a team and at many times defeat us because of that advantage," Major Wallis reminded him.
"You support those snakes don't you!.Oh my, what a coincidence that we were being led by a coward!" Rank shot back, his rage bubbling at the top of his ignorance.
The Major was really caught off guard at the remark and gritted his teeth slamming his fist on the table and rising so high it made Rank look almost inferior to him. He began to speak his anger at him but held back knowing that he would be acting inappropriately if he yelled at him.
"Rank you have pushed the line way too far, you see your ignorance takes control when confronted with a decision to make. That is one of your faults when in combat and at one point it might even leave a team mate seriously injured or killed. Do you want that to happen? I have been stressing to a narrow point to keep you in the team and have tried my best to discipline you but your blind anger prevents you from ever learning from that mistake," Major Wallis suggested to him trying to calm himself down from unleashing fury on Rank.
Rank remained quiet for a while thinking over his commanding officer's words and struggling to bring them to the surface.
"You, you know what.you can find someone else! I'm finished, you can get someone better to take my job if its only me you only pick on all the time!" Rank yelled at the top of his voice and stepped back feeling overwhelmed with fear of screaming his heart out at the Major and started to run out of the office in anger.
The Major could only stand still, feeling guilt and whispered, "Rank." There was a cry of anger as Rank stormed into his Mad Dog, powering it up and stepping into the outside world, locking into secondary movement system mode and beginning to set across the desert, never turning to look back on the home he once had. Feelings of cold anger and sadness filled his mind and as much as he liked duelling he felt uncomfortable around his so-called team mates.
Back at the base Serge stood at a balcony, arms folded, scowling at the running Vanguard member. Serge was never one to make friends with those he didn't trust, and he really didn't like Rank's attitude at all, however he still retained some loyalty to the man despite his differences. Serge gave a saddened look as he thought this and turned away, walking back to his home of shadow inside the base.
"Sir? Do ya want me to go get him?" Yoji asked impatiently as she clipped her helmet on and prepared to board her Punk Fu.
Major Wallis gave her a shake and she cursed, taking her helmet off and wondering what ticked in her commander's mind. Even though Rank had seemed weird at times and absolutely crazy in combat, Yoji still felt the companionship of him being there with the team wether they were deliberately attempting to win a tournament or off duty. His presence was known to the vanguard and sometimes he accounted as a good friend to play a game of cards with or to discuss past battles, however they did seldom stay away from his temper when caution was required.
"Major, what's wrong? Can't we get him back, what's he doing?" Yoji amended, trying to gain some information on the situation with Rank running from the base in a huff and puff.
"I don't know.," Major Wallis answered and after a few seconds contemplating he made up his mind, "Fine, Yoji you and I will go after him, the rest of you look after the base, Groonz your in charge until I get back," Major Wallis inclined and Groonz gave him a reassuring nod as he saw him put his helmet on and scampered into the King of Sting.
The Major activated his Gear, giving a brief assessment of his systems, fortunately the techs always checked that his Gear was priority in maintenance than the other's Gears. The Major sometimes took the time to be involved in looking after his Gear, a trait most accustomed with back in his early military career. Finally he caught sight of the Punk Fu moving in the direction of the doorway to the desert and brought his Gear to walk behind it, peering at the desert landscape before them.
The Major had a good idea where Rank had gone, giving the coordinates to Yoji who seemed reluctant to go because of the distance and lack of northern protection. On her vid screen she seemed contemptuous and unframed.
"Is there something wrong Yoji?" the Major asked.
"Uh.yeah, why would Rank hide here, its totally out of northern protection, no patrols venture there for any good expect to get drunk at its bars," Yoji refrained.
"That's nice of you to ask, we're going to Rank's home town remember? I did tell you when I first introduced him to our team," Wallis reminded her, giving her a quizzical look.
"I probably wasn't listening sir, I was more interesting in trashing some punks than anything else," Yoji remarked.
Wallis gave a small chuckle, "And even today you do the same thing." Yoji gave him a small grin and glinted as some of the sun's rays hit her eyes and she shielded them.
"We should be reaching there in about a few hours, just be prepared for a long trip," Wallis reminded her.
"Major I'm prepared for anything, even if that involves punking some punks," Yoji beamed as she raced her Gear to the town, wherever it may be in the desert.
~Are we really ready though, has the Vanguard really been ready for anything?~
Major Wallis thought through on this but as much concentration he thought into it, it appeared that he never came with a reasonable answer to his question. He was the leader of a team and he would keep them together no matter how bad their reputation is to the public of Terra Nova, he would find Rank and bring him back.
The two Gears set off across the sandy desert in search of Rank who had appeared to be beyond their scanner's range however because Wallis knew of his intent destination he had formed a plan already on getting Rank back. If the circumstances proved that he couldn't then he wouldn't know how bad the Vanguard would become from his absence.
The grotesque shadow of the Mad Dog was reflected on the wall of an old wooden house, tainted with dust as it stood for twenty cycles on the edge of the town. Tall obelisks still stood in the town centre where the hustle and bustle of this tiny town thrived peacefully. A small transport took off, its sounds of the thrusters rumbled in the sky and it seemed that the airport still worked as it had been in the past. A few more residential areas had been developed along the hills but it looked like the agrarian industry was in poor condition from the state of the wrecked fields along the borderline of the town. There was still a distinct smell of burnt wood and rubber, hence the prime logging and machine industry was still being used, despite the lack of supplies that go into the town. A couple of people walked towards a facto, dressed in old clothing, completely battered in dirt and oil as they carried a crate together inside. Rank piloted the Gear down town, watching the streets become alive again as people continued their busy lives, the most popular places was the trading centre and the fresh food markets a delight many people appreciated in the town. Even though the fields were in a bad state some foods were being grown despite the lack of precipitation as direct cause of drought and cracked soil. Rank was beginning to remember his home town, flickers of when he was a young boy running through the streets, haunted by the scowled looks people gave to his mutated form. It had healed a lot since then but it was a reminder of his troubled past and perhaps his reason to unleash his anger. He had never met his parents before since he had been told later on that they died from a mine shaft accident, a tragedy which he tried to forget at times. He saw the numerous outlets beside him, each labelled with their own logos and information. A couple of restaurants, a small machine shop, a pawn shop and resting at the end was one of the more famous of the bars in the town, the Misty Sands a contemptuous and vacant place to go for drinks and the occasional spy conversations. Rank remembered the bar all too well from his days, a place where he met his teacher who taught him how to pilot a Gear and become a duellist. He wondered how his teacher was living now, since it had been a long time when he had last seen him. He descended his Gear down the street in the direction of the bar in wonder id his teacher was still living in the town.
"Oh don't tell me we're lost already!" Yoji cursed loudly.
"We're not lost.we just bypassed that point several times," Wallis said dismissively. Yoji felt a little hot and took a quick drink from her canteen and analysed the map of the area.
"If only Northern Patrols had marked these parts with a bit more care we might be able to find something," Yoji exclaimed and then caught something she hadn't seen before.
"Sir I think I've found something," Yoji reported anxiously. Wallis shifted in his seat and turned to the vid screen, opening his own map on a separate screen adjacent to him. Wallis nodded his approval.
"That last bend we came across. There's a site about 30 km due east, it might have some answers to what we're looking for," Yoji explained. Wallis refrained from the hint of going to the site and Yoji speculated that the Major already knew something about it but held her words for later possibly in case she was asking far too much for her own good.
"We'll proceed to the site, keep an eye out for Rank, he may still be around here," Wallis finally decided and Yoji nodded as she brought her Gear to change course along side the Major's Gear. She had no idea what the Major knew about the site or why he seemed reluctant to go to it but she would see for herself the reasons for it being deserted and barely visible on the old maps but distantly hidden from the latest ones.
Rank parked his Gear away from the bar and jumped out, trolling towards the building until he reached the doors. He gulped before going in and gained the strength to go inside. He was hit by the sounds of conversations and the over powering smell of smoke and food. Rank was still wearing his helmet but people still managed to give him disgustful looks as if they knew him personally. Rank saw a figure sitting at a table in the deepest part of the bar, his face hidden from view by shadow. He moved towards the figure until he was nearly arms length away from the man and looked conspicuously at the figure until he took his gaze away from his drink and looked up to see a pleasant face. The figure was in his fifties, a tall sleek man with white hair and a moustache, a typical account for a former Gear pilot who had fought during the War of the Alliance. "Rank." he gasped, and Rank immediately sat down opposite to him. The man was still overwhelmed to see his student again but was unsure how his life had been since he had been offered a job by a Major in the Northern Army and left the town for the pursuit of hi duelling career.
"Why have you come back Rank?" he asked.
"I'm just not quite ready for duelling teacher Nesbeth," Rank answered, averting his eyes towards a cracked window at the back of the room.
"Why did you leave? I thought you would be happier with a professional duelling team," Nesbeth the teacher exclaimed.
"I know, but the Major told me my actions are under question, we haven't been winning many battles as of recently," Rank added.
"So I've heard. I think it would be best to open your mind and think about this for yourself. You can be a good duellist and I've seen that through your training under my guidance," he explained but added, "but you can be better and you just have to prove your hidden strength, you need to work little better with your team." "Understood.I still have those nightmares though," Rank whispered.
".I'm sorry to hear that, it's a side effect to your mutation but it should weaken over time," Nesbeth assured him.
"Thankyou teacher, what should I do?" he asked with an impatient look.
"Visit the home you used to live in while you were here and think about the decision your about to make. Just take your time," Nesbeth assured him.
"But what am I deciding upon?" Rank wondered.
"Whether you belong with the Vanguard or not," he simply put. Rank set silent for a moment and considered his options available. His mind was racing at the moment and the only thing he could think about was when he shouted at the Major a constant reminder that he may not be accepted into the Vanguard ever again.
"You better be off now Rank, You need somewhere quiet to think," Nesbeth suggested as Rank nodded and gave a small smile.
"It's good to see you again teacher, its good to see you up and kicking," Rank stated as he rose from his chair and left for the main door. Nesbeth gazed as his former student left the bar and climbed into his Gear.
"Oh Rank you have made me proud, but you have a lot to learn," Nesbeth thought aloud in a whisper and averted his eyes towards the drink in front of him, staring at its emptiness as the glass reflected the artificial light of the ceiling.
The Mad Dog was activated and it prepped itself before rushing off down the streets towards the residential areas. Th sun had grown more intense in the past hour and its rays reflected off windows and any form of metallic object that was clear of the sun's way. Most of the houses were old, barely refurnished and redecorated. The times of war still had a unresenting effect on the town even today. Rank even spotted an old abandoned tower on the south hill, a reminder of the troubled conflict with the CEF or perhaps the southerners. Rank looked on in disgust, since he had been brought up in a culture that resented the opposing pole of Terra Nova. He too loathed the Southerners or Snakes as he referred them as, but he enjoyed their company on the arena. It was better to have competition than live life of duelling in boredom as Rank would put it. Although he would never admit it, he did like the dragons in a way. Another alley of shambled blocks and littered streets until Rank nearly missed the street he was after. More memories came back to his consciousness as he saw little kids playing with a ball on a wrecked Antelope jeep that had been abandoned during the war. Indeed the very jeep still lay on its side in a mound of dirt, half of its end had rusted from time but its engine was in prime condition. Some kids still played in the dirt as they vaulted off the jeep and hide behind mounds of tyres. Rank felt something and looked down at where his Gear had stepped on. A small bike lay on the street, its form twisted from the weight of his Gear. Rank sighed and walked along the street until it came to a end, at which point Rank was going to turn around but he looked to his right and found a building slightly crushed from a bomb shell. It had a rusted iron roof and creamy painted walls although mildly scratched and torn. It was Rank's home from before he joined the Vanguard.
The two Gears reached a hillside overlooking a deserted and horrifying landscape of twisted metal and charred skeletons. Yoji held her breath and looked in disbelief at the destruction that was unfolded before them. The blackened chaos stretched beyond the horizon, a continuous path of doom. The Major showed similar anxiety of the area, turning his head awkwardly to avert his trapped eyes. They were both stunned by the enormity of the unpleasant atmosphere.
"Sir.What is this? What happened here?" Yoji asked in a shocked voice.
"It's not a mine, this is Ralus-974, a Northern experimental lab. Its secrets are well hidden from the public. There were seventeen of these labs across the polar territories both owned and used by many of the factions on this planet.they were doing all sorts of awful tests, even that of mutation. Ralus-974 was subjected to an extreme explosion, which resulted in the death of all the staff. Shortly before the disaster, Rank was born but as it proved out his parents were contaminated with a alien mutation which spread to the child. These labs are the core reason why we see many of the mutated people on the planet today although most of them don't live very long. It is even rumoured that that some can't even reproduce therefore is a possibility for the lack of mutants we see now a days," Wallis clarified.
"But what about Rank?" Yoji insisted with a frown.
"Yes he was born with a unknown mutation but I assure you he is as normal as any human. He lives by the sword or in this case he lives for fighting and nothing else," Wallis replied.
"Isn't that a bit misleading?" she said a little doubtful.
"Perhaps, but his early childhood led him to not only hate and fear the Southerners but to fight all he could achieve. That is the reason why I chose him to be a Vanguard member because he needed someone to look after him and give him a chance in the arena," Wallis included to her doubts.
"I understand now sir, why he fights those punks," Yoji stated and then turned to look at the debris in case she might find something.
Wallis gave a faint smile and then turned to look at the sky, which was beginning to get dark ,a sign that they had to move out.
"Yoji let's find the town before it gets too dark, there still might be hostile groups around here, scampering around for parts," Wallis informed her and she grunted following his lead as they left the mine site.
Just as Yoji's Gear stepped past a few scraps of metal debris, she didn't see the two grave towns resting under a pile of rubble, both of which had dried flowers resting at their base.
Rank stepped into the building where the dusty air clouded much of the corridors and rooms. The sky had gotten darker still and the flashlight he held in his hand was good enough at finding his way through the deserted house that he had once lived in. It brought much memories to him of his young lonely life where he had to provide his own food and fend of unwary burglars.
As he came to his bedroom he found a bed that had been chewed away by mice and books that had been covered in dust. Part of the ceiling had cracked and much of the concrete debris was left sprawled across the floor. He saw a glint of metal on the ground and bent down, brushing away some dust from its surface. It was a medallion with the insignia of the Vanguard a remembered time when Rank had been unwilling to join the Vanguard until Wallis left him this medallion to think things through and change his mind. Rank held onto the medallion and pocketed it before standing up to look around again. He was beginning to regret leaving the Vanguard and his troubled life had caused him much pain at times. He began to wonder if he would be welcomed back in if he returned, however even he knew it was a difficult decision to make.
He returned to his Gear and powered its engine up before leaving the house, travelling back to the town centre and then following a truck that led him to a single house that stood level on a hill. Rank parked his Gear by a large oak tree and exited the cockpit, walking up to the door and tapping on the front window. Small muffled sounds could be heard from inside and then the door was slowly opened as a old man looked outside and saw Rank standing on his porch looking a little exhausted.
"Rank.you came back. Did you make a decision then?" Nesbeth his teacher wondered.
"May I stay for the night?" Rank asked.
Nesbeth ignored his student's reluctance to answer his question and gave a wry smile and unlocked the door chain, swinging the door open to allow him to enter. Rank thanked him as he walked into corridor and walked over to a chair and slumped down into the cushions.
Nesbeth swiftly closed the door and turned abruptly to Rank who was picking at the bowl of grapes on the wooden coffee table. He walked over and sat opposite to him, watching Rank finish munching away on the fruit and sit up, looking a little guilty and worried.
"Rank just let it out one bit at a time," Nesbeth assured him and Rank began to speak softly, slowly letting out what it was that he had thought about the whole time he left the Vanguard.
Slowly he tells his teacher and he listens intently, focussing on his emotions and his intensive attitude to be arrogant at times. The story begins to unfold as the sun finally goes away and all day is consumed by night, the only light see in the darkness is the street lights and the moonlight.
The next day woke people up with the bright sun as the town activities resumed into action. Morning paper boys ran to each house delivering papers and brochures. Yoji was nearly hit by a flying newspaper as she got out of her hotel room and she picked the paper up and read the headlines. Another room nearby opened and Major Wallis stepped out, feeling more refreshed from their trip.
"Anything worthwhile in there?" Wallis asked doubtfully glancing at the newspaper in Yoji's hands.
"No sir. I'll check the scanners," Yoji said dismissively and dropped the paper and climbed into her Gear and activated the scanners.
It took a long night for the two to find the town but a friendly trader by the road directed them in the right way. Wallis could see and feel inside the town that it was the right place. He just hoped Rank had enough time to talk with his old teacher as he believed that would be the first person for Rank to contact when he got to the town.
"Sir, I'm not picking anything he must outside his Gear," Yoji suggested, breaking his concentration.
"Understood Yoji, let's move out and find him," Wallis ordered and got into the cockpit of the King of Sting and powered its engines up, piloting it down the streets at a steady drive. Yoji was not too far behind.
Meanwhile Rank was exiting the house after saying goodbye to his teacher after a long exhaustive but important conversation over his troubles. He felt a bit more relaxed than he did before and a little more confidence filled his heart as he jumped back in the Mad Dog and piloted away from the building.
"Goodbye teacher Nesbeth, you gave me a reason to go back," Rank whispered and turned a corner, driving back to the outskirts of the town.
Just as he was coming down a littered street a large object came from his right at point blank range. Rank reacted as if it was a missile and ducked, rolling across the ground and preparing to fight his invader. Whatever it was, he had hit pretty hard but no damage came to his Gear.
"What was that?" Rank wondered and looked around until he saw a sprawled Gear dumped in garbage and old tyres. He refocussed on the Gear and noticed its familiar shape, the golden metal which he saw on the arena.
"Major! What are you doing here!" Rank exclaimed and pulled his Gear off the ground, waiting until he could brush off the dirt off.
"We came here looking for you," Wallis explained and Yoji appeared in the scene behind Rank.
"I thought you were another punk there Rank, I nearly had to scrap you," Yoji cursed as she put her auto cannon away.
Rank smiled and appreciated that his team were still looking out for him despite his attitude yesterday when he let loose. They indulged in a short conversation before deciding to head back to base, setting across the streets until they left the town and back in the windy desert.
"Sir I'm getting a message from Sergeant Groonz, he and Serge have come to pick us up in a Orca transport," Yoji reported after receiving the message.
The group became enlightened by the news since it would save them the long trip back, however Rank still seemed a little out of place despite his final decision to return.
A small speck in the sky gradually became larger as it descended to the desert, its thrusters beaming to bring it low and steady as Serge piloted the Orca to pick up the rest of the Vanguard. Just before the Vanguard could make out the Orca's shadow starting to loom over them Wallis sent a private transmission to Rank to cheer him up.
"Do not worry about Colonel Rika, she may be harsh but you won't be left out of the team."
The Orca came in for a low landing, its bay doors opening from hydraulic levers as it hissed its way to a balanced level. The three pilots gave similar expressions of relief as they looked behind them at the town and began to board the craft. Yoji went off to pilot her Gear up the bay door but Rank remained stationary, gazing into the foreground of the town area. Wallis turned and saw him unmoving and called for him and fortunately got his attention as he forced himself to go up the bay door. Just as Rank was half way up the bay doors, he was halted by the Major and he looked beside him to see his commanding officer. Rank looked at Major with saddened but determined eyes and waited for him to break the silence.
"Rank never forget that no matter how many battles we lose, we will always count on you..always," Wallis reminded him in a patriotic way and moved his Gear up the doorway.
Rank thought about the comment and smiled, wishing that he could have stayed a bit longer with his teacher. He was going out in the arena again and nothing would stop him and the Mad Dog from proving he was good at duelling except of course the champ but that is to be expected as always.