Shadowwolf: I LIVE! Yes, that is one of my favorite phrases. But anyway, how's everything going for everyone? … That well, huh?
Brad: *rolls eyes* She's talking to herself again…
Bit: *nod nod*
Shadowwolf: DO NOT CRITICIZE ME FOR THAT!
Brad & Bit: O.o
Shadowwolf: *fumes* I'm just bored. And tired. And I have a bad case of creativity deprivation, which is where this came from! I got the idea while petting my cat, Buddy. Don't ask why that activity spawned this idea, because I really couldn't tell you. I just hope you all enjoy this, y'know, those of you that are reading. *sweatdrops*
Brad: *sips coffee*
Shadowwolf: Right! Thanks for reminding me. Disclaimer: I don't own anything I talk about and I never will. Don't sue.
Brad: How did that rem…never mind…
Shadowwolf: *raises eyebrow* Okay. This is Brad's POV when he's about 15 years old, at home, still. So, here it goes. Please enjoy and review!
BEFORE THE BLITZ
Good-bye
I sighed as I made little patterns in my mashed potatoes with my spoon. Looking up at the rest of my family around the dinner table, you'd never know one of us was about to leave. And wouldn't it just be my luck, that the one who was leaving was my favorite?
I looked over to her, almost expecting her to be gone already. But, there she was; Joon, my eighteen year old sister and idol. Seriously. Don't laugh. Joon looked back at me and winked during a break in the conversation, which I wasn't involved in. I forced a smile back to her and looked down at my food, which had no flavor and felt like nails going down my throat.
"So, Joon, what team are you going to join?" my mother, Cleo, asked innocently enough.
"Actually," my sister replied, looking around at all of us, then Dad, "I'm going to be a mercenary."
My dad nearly choked and set down his fork. "You're what?"
"I'm going to be a mercenary," Joon repeated firmly.
"And whatever gave you that idea, Joon? Mercenaries are nasty people, and I've told you enough times, my children are too good for the likes of them."
"Dad, it's not like that. You don't even know any mercenaries!"
"Yes I do. What about Jack Cisco? He's a mercenary, and a creep."
"He's only one out of hundreds. Besides, female mercenaries are rare, and you know sexism drives me nuts."
My dad paused, studying Joon's face with his eyes. We all knew how Joon felt about being the only girl in a family with three boys. She hated getting treated differently.
"James, I think it's a wonderful idea. She's right, there are very few female mercenaries," my mom chimed in.
Dad looked over to her in frustration. "But Cleo, there's a reason there are very few female mercenaries. She'll just be a toy to them, if you catch my drift."
"James, that is not appropriate. Joon can handle herself, and you know that better than anyone at this table," she glared at him and looked back to Joon. "It's fine."
Dad grumbled and shoved a chunk of chicken in his mouth while avoiding eye contact with anyone. I looked back down to my food and picked at it.
"I'm sorry this is such a problem, Dad…but it's what I really want to do. I'm not letting anyone stop me."
I looked up to her with a slight smile. This was what I really admired about her. She didn't let anything get in her way, and she never gave up. I'm sure that if Mom hadn't stepped into that argument, Joon would've fought with Dad until one of them dropped dead.
Dad nodded in defeat. "Okay. It's fine with me. Just watch yourself."
"I will, Dad, don't worry," she said with a smile and cleaned up the rest of her plate. Her small victory didn't help me any, though. This meant she was definitely leaving tomorrow. I sighed again and pushed my plate away.
"I'm full."
"Brad," my mom looked up to me, "you haven't eaten anything."
"Yeah I did. You just gave me too much."
"Well, all right…put the leftovers in the fridge and the plate in the sink, will you?"
"Okay," I said and picked up the full plate, then carried it into the kitchen. Joon came in right after me and started rinsing her dish off.
"Are you doing okay, Brad?" she asked as she set the plate down and got some containers for my food.
"Fine," I lied.
"Yeah, right. I've only had to live with you for all fifteen years of your life, I think I know when something's wrong."
I avoided eye contact with her. "I just don't want you to leave…"
She sighed. "You don't want me to leave? You mean, you'll miss me?" she asked somewhat sarcastically, that being the only way she knew how to talk.
"No…why would I miss you? Once you're gone, I'll be the oldest."
"Yeah, but Matt and Phil are gonna fight you all the way. You won't have me to back you up," she said with a smirk.
"Yup…"
"Come on, Brad," Joon said and turned me to her. "Please, I wanna help."
"I…" I started and looked around the room, happy that the kitchen had a good solid wall and two doors separating it from the other rooms, "I am gonna miss you…you're my favorite person in the world, and you won't be around anymore…"
"Oh…Brad…" she hugged me tight, and I hugged back some. "I'll keep in contact with you, I promise. Don't be sad…"
"You won't tell the others, will you? Matt wouldn't care, but Phil wouldn't let me hear the end of it…"
"Psh, I won't tell them, if you don't tell them that you're my favorite." She smiled. I grinned.
"Okay. I won't tell."
"Good," she said, putting the last of the food in a container and setting it in the refrigerator. "Whaddya say to one last battle, you and Matt against me?"
"You got it. We'll win this time."
"Yah, right."
----
Matt and I stood next to each other, facing Joon in her blue Command Wolf. I was jealous. She got it as a present when Mom and Dad found out she was finally leaving. It was a scary Zoid, next to my Rev Raptor and Matt's Gun Sniper. We had practice, sure, since we did this once a week at least, but we needed better Zoids. At least these were free, courtesy of our Dad, the owner of the Zoid shop called The Bone Yard. He specialized in dinosaur type Zoids, so, here we were.
"Ready yet?" Joon called.
"Of course!" Matt called back.
"Then, I'll count down…"
Matt rolled his eyes at me over the comm. link. Joon had a habit of counting too fast…
"One-two-three, GO!" she shouted in her usual overly excited way. We charged forward at each other, and Matt attempted to take her left side while I took the right. This was an old move. A very old move, as Joon reminded us as she sped up and ran in-between both of us, causing us to collide. I raised my Raptor slowly and came up just fast enough to see Joon tackle Matt and shove him into the ground. I ran to the side to get away before she saw me just standing there, and a System Freeze signal came from Matt's Gun Sniper.
"Oh, great," I sighed, tensing up as Joon came at me fast. I pushed the Rev Raptor forward as fast as it could go, keeping just out of Joon's reach.
"Aww, come play with me! Nobody wants to play with me!" she teased, doing her impression of the abominable snowman in Bugs Bunny cartoons. I sweatdropped, then turned quickly and got behind her.
"Yes!" I shouted, as getting her in a vulnerable position was rare. Unfortunately, as was frequently the case, she pulled the same move in a slightly different way and slammed into my Zoid's side. My Raptor was sent to the ground and Joon placed her Command Wolf's paw on its side.
"I win."
I sighed as she celebrated. "Okay, okay…you win again…" She moved back and let me open the cockpit to climb out, while she jumped down to meet me. Matt walked over to us and pretended to sulk.
"You just have a better Zoid, that's all."
"Sure…" she said with a smirk, before checking her watch. "It's getting late, we should get to bed."
Matt nodded and started walking back to the hangar. Just as I stepped forward to follow him, Joon put a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, Brad…"
"Yeah?"
She reached around her neck and pulled off her only piece of jewelry, a long necklace with a ruby red crystal, a green bead, and a feather hanging down. She looked at it and put it around my neck. "I want you to have this."
I blinked down at it. I always assumed this must be special to her, because she never wore jewelry, and this was as close as she ever got to anything fancy. "You do?"
"I do. That way you'll never forget that I'm always here for you, y'know? You can talk to me anytime you want. Besides, it might be lucky." She shrugged.
"Wow…thanks, Joon…"
"You're welcome. But you have to promise me not to give up. Ever. Okay?"
I nodded quickly. "I promise."
"Good…let's get you to bed."
----
I slammed my hand down to turn off my alarm and missed, slapping the wood of my nightstand pretty hard. I groaned and sat up, then turned the alarm off more carefully.
"Aww, crap," I grumbled, throwing on some clothes and running downstairs and into the hangar to see that Joon was already set to leave. She was hugging Matt good-bye when she saw me.
"Bradley-Wadley!" she teased. She knew I hated that, but somehow, with her just about to leave, it didn't bother me so much. "Remember what I told you, okay? And we'll have to have a rematch when I come to visit again."
I nodded. "But I'll have a better Zoid by then, and Matt and I will win for the first time."
"Uh-huh, yeah…sure…" she chuckled and gave me a quick, tight hug. I returned it with more feeling than normal and smiled.
"Bye Mom, Dad," she said and hugged each of our parents before moving to her Zoid. We all watched as she climbed in, waved, lowered the cockpit, and moved slowly out the large hangar door. We all moved and waved as the Command Wolf picked up speed and kicked up clouds of sand across the desert. I bit my lip and went over to work on my Rev Raptor without a word to anyone else.
Shadowwolf: First chapter done! YAY! That leaves… *counts* some more. ^.^;;
Brad: You're going to hurt me again, aren't you?
Shadowwolf: Maybe, maybe not. I hope you all enjoyed!