Just a minor warning that I forgot to put in initially, this fanfic will contain a bit of swearing. They'll come around every once in a while due to the main protagonist's personality. I apologize for not putting this warning up from the very beginning, and hope I haven't offended anyone!
Someone once told me that the 'key to happiness' comes from understanding everyone around you, and working together in perfect harmony. It must've been Mikey, reading all those books. It paints quite the pretty picture, don't get me wrong.
But I don't think they knew just how much fun beating up on someone was.
A satisfying crunch of metal resounds from the other mechfighter's suit as my fist connects with the thing's jaw. Upon connection with the other suit, my knuckle plates launch out with a vicious hiss and the kinetic energy of a speeding bullet. The poor minty goes flying backwards into the alley wall, and our captivated audience has to scramble out of the way. Sparks and dust explode out from the impact, and I grimace just a little before I grin. That'll leave a mark. The minty falls down to the ground again, amongst the roars of cheers and a few boos. Tons of dents marr the mechsuit's frame, and I've severely damaged a lot of important wiring for motor control from how unresponsive some of the parts are without the help of my helmet's scanner. I'm proud to say that I think I completely deactivated the minty's right arm. Andy, the referee, rushes over to start the countdown.
"One!" He shouts, trying his best to speak over the screaming crowd. "Two!" The other mech isn't even moving. I don't think the pilot could move it if he wanted to anyways. "Three! Four! Five…" This guy isn't getting up. "...Ten! Ladies and gentlemen, our Red Menace wins again!" Andy booms. The crowd responds with a cry of approval, and I raise my hands in victory. It wasn't really that much of a shocker anyways. Some little new minty comes fresh out the box and wants to fight in the big leagues from the get-go? Yeah, you're asking for a bruising there, buddy. My former opponent deactivates his mechsuit completely, and he has to work his way to get out of the beaten thing.
"Hey!" I call over to the pilot as others rush to help him out. "Nice fight there, but I think you should start a little smaller, yeah?" I suggest with a grin. The pilot, who looks like he had been hit with a train (Which he had been, in a way), only nods weakly in answer. I power down my own suit, completely satisfied with the easy match. It clicks and clatters away, transforming back into an innocent enough looking backpack. I breath in deeply once I'm out. Ah, just smell that dirty slum air. Andy walks over to me, prize money in hand, which instantly grabs my attention. My grin threatens to split my face as I swipe the dough from his hands.
"Whoa ho ho! Eager, are we?" Andy jokes as I count out the money. I only snort and pocket the cash.
"Cash is cash, Andy. And easy fights mean easy money." I point out. Andy rolls his eyes, clearly unconvinced.
"Maybe easy cash for you! No one gambles on easy fights, Nonie." I wave away the complaint. Not my problem, and I tell him as much.
"That concerns you, Andy, not me." Andy hurries after me as I start walking away. Persistent bugger.
"Hey hey! You ain't going for another round?" He frowns, disappointed when I shake my head.
"Nah, I'm good for today. Gotta get home and all that." I reply nonchalantly. "I'll probably see you tomorrow anyways, Andy. I don't wanna hog the ring too much anyways. Give some of the minties a chance to pound each other into rumble. I'm out." Andy halts and lets me pass, but I hear him grumble about my suggestion. Oh whatever, I get him more money than any of the other fighters anyways. The impatient boy can wait. I have a sister to get home to.
As I take the familiar trek home, I glance around at my surrounding. Large, mostly grey buildings rose high all around me, with bright but tacky neon lights lighting up the scene during the night. People milled about amongst the garbage out on the street, and some of the people were practically part of the garbage. The slums of Piltover. For a city so focused on technological advance, guess they didn't have time to focus on us hoodlums down in the backstreets, huh? I guess every city has it's dark little blotch though. It's not so bad anyways, or at least I keep telling myself that. If you knew not to go down a dark alley without any friends or some way to protect yourself, and you didn't accept any free "candy" from strangers, it was liveable. It also helped to earn a name for yourself, one that spelled you out as a grade-A, badass bitch. Being an ace fighter in the illegal mechsuit fighting rings definitely accomplished that. However, the thought makes me grimace a little with guilt.
Mikey… She shouldn't have to deal with this. She doesn't belong down here, in this filth, with a sister competing in illegal activities. She belongs… I look up, past the dull, shabby buildings of the slums. There, past the pathetic neon glow, rise the big buildings of proper Piltover. There. There's where Mikey belongs. She belongs in the Piltover Academy of Technology (Usually called PAT for short), where all kinds of bright-minded nerds gather around to debate some techno-mumbo-jumbo. She shouldn't be down here, in a piece-of-crap house with a pathetic sister. She should-
"Hey, Nonie!" The familiar voice rips me, quite abruptly, out of the trance I had gone into. The dark-skinned boy dressed in thick, smudged clothing doesn't halt in his approach even at my annoyed look. "Just got back from another match, huh?" He inquires cheerfully. My annoyance fades away at the jovial air Gizmo always seems to carry. I hate how I can never stay mad when I'm around him. It's downright wonderful.
"Yeah. Got in two good matches, and then some minty showed up and tried challenging me. Pfft, idiot." I mutter, rolling my eyes. Gizmo laughs, hitting my shoulder playfully.
"Seriously? Man, he had to have some balls to go up against the fabled Red Menace, huh?" I snort, unconvinced.
"That or be such a nut-crunching moron to try and go against a vet." Gizmo only shrugs, and we walk in silent for awhile. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see his face shift to a forced nonchalant expression. Uh oh, here we go again. "Before you begin your spiel once more, Gizmo, I'm going to tell you that my answer hasn't changed. It never will." I comment drily. Gizmo sags, disappointed.
"Oh c'mon Nonie!" He pleads, glancing at me with big, brown, puppy-dog eyes. "We've been friends for ages! You've seen what the gang is like! Nitro would be so happy to have somebody with your brains and brawn-"
"Quit it, Gizmo." I growl firmly, shaking my head. "I told you a hundred times already! I'm not joining up with your gang, ok?" I meet his eyes with a glare, and he backs down instantly. It makes me sigh, suddenly exhausted to have this conversation again. "Look, I'm already in mechsuit fighting, ok? Mikey doesn't ask any questions when I come home with bruises the size of friggin' oranges, but that doesn't mean she hasn't figured it out! Mikey is smarter than anyone I know, and I'm sure she's connected the dots already to what I'm doing. You don't just raise enough money to send your sister to the PAT with a job fixing cars and stuff like that! It ain't possible, Gizmo. Unless you're doing something under the table." Gizmo waits a few seconds before pushing one last time.
"Yeah, but if you joined the gang, you wouldn't have to worry about that, Nonie. Nitro already agreed to helping your sister into PAT. Everybody loves Mikey! She's the sweetest thing about this place!" Gizmo says.
"She doesn't belong here, Gizmo." I snap. Gizmo holds up his hands in a calming gesture.
"Hey, I agree with you!" He assures me. "That's why I keep offering! If you join, Mikey could get outta here! She could go to PAT and get herself a real job, and a real home. She wouldn't have to be afraid about walking the streets at night." And here's the biggest temptation Gizmo's got. Mikey could get out of here, get herself into PAT and turn herself into one of those sophisticated geniuses up in proper Piltover. She could live her dream, be somebody.
But…. That means I'd get even deeper into the underground business. I'd be a gang member then. I could die, and then who'd take care of Mikey? If I joined a gang, wouldn't she be a target too? Wouldn't they hurt Mikey to get to me? I couldn't risk that. Mikey was everything to me.
"No way, Gizmo. I'm not doing it." I answer firmly. Gizmo's shoulders sag in defeat, and he knows me well enough not to ask me again. But there isn't a doubt in my mind he'll bring it up again tomorrow. Sometimes I seriously consider flattening the guy with my suit. As we finally near my house, Gizmo splits off with a wave goodbye.
"See ya tomorrow, Nonie!" He calls back. I only wave at him in response as I fish out the keys to my house. As I glance over the short, shabby little building mixed in with the other short, shabby little buildings, I correct myself. Hovel was more like it. The roof desperately needed fixing, some gear-grinder graffitied the wall, and don't get me started on the paint.
"Home sweet home." I grumble as the door finally opens. I shut and lock it behind me, not that there's much to steal anyways. I head towards the kitchen, a little apprehensive about seeing Mikey. I hate it when I get home a little later than usual. It made the lying hurt even more. So I peek my head around the corner before entering, just to see if I might get lucky this time. The kitchen was clean, for how badly it was made. I think I've rebuilt the stove about seven times by now. Luck seems to be with me, because the kitchen's empty. I spot a plate full of food on the table, and my heart aches a little. As I take a seat, I notice it's mashed potatoes with gravy and beef. One of my favorites. What a way to make a girl feel loved and guilty as hell in one go. Just as I start digging in, a blue flash sparks right in the middle of the table. My knees painfully connect with the underside, and I glare at the hologram as I rub my injured joints. "What the hell, Sidney?!" I bark. The hologram, depicting a small woman dressed in a smart skirt, blouse and glasses with her hair neatly pinned in a bun, only stares at me.
"You're late, Nonie. Again, I might add." She points out instead, her voice crisp, clear, and authoritative. I roll my eyes and get back to eating.
"Yeah, well, I was busy working." Sidney only raises an eyebrow, knowing full well what I meant by 'work.' It was hard to keep a secret when she had to help me program the very suit I used. However, she agreed to keep it a secret from Mikey, just as concerned with her as I was. That, and she wasn't very approving of my extra 'job,' and didn't want Mikey to get involved with it.
"That may be, but your sister was quite worried. You know she hates it when you don't get home in time for dinner, especially two nights in a row." I grimace.
"Point taken." I mutter, pushing the food around on my plate in shame. "But… I couldn't just let the money go. We need every bit of it." I insist. Sidney only frowns at me, unconvinced. Noise reaches my ears from above, and I blink. Oh no… "Sidney, did you wake Mikey up?!" I ask accusingly. Sidney smiles, and my stomach plummets with dread. "Sidney, what the actual hell?!" I hiss, stabbing a piece of beef.
"Mikey requested that I wake her up upon your arrival home. I simply followed orders." She replies smoothly. I let go of the fork and lunge for the hologram, even if it did no good.
"Why you lousy piece of-"
"Nonie?" The soft, tentative voice, draws my attention like a signal flare in the dark. I whip my head over to spot my little sister, dressed in her favorite kitten pajamas that dad had gotten her when she was young. Her brown hair is disheveled from sleep, and her green eyes look glazed. The sight makes my heart simultaneously swell and ache, and I quickly withdraw my hands.
"Mikey! I'm sorry, did I wake you?" I ask, putting on a smile. Wait, cog-for-brains, of course you woke her! As I mentally slapped myself, Mikey entered the kitchen rubbing her eyes.
"Mmmm…. No, and it's ok. I asked Sidney to wake me up when you came in." She answers, walking up to me. I wordlessly open my arms and give her a warm hug, sincerely smiling.
"You didn't have to do that." I say, smoothing out her messy mane.
"Did you get a lot of work again?" Mikey inquires, the question muffled since she's buried her head into my shoulder. I glance at Sidney, and we share a look.
"Yeah. I'm sorry if I worried you." I lie. Mikey stays silent for a while, and I feel like a small part of me dies. I hate lying to her, but it's for the best. Even if she's probably figured it out already.
"Ok." Mikey finally responds, disengaging from our hug. She holds onto my hands though, and looks up at me with puppy-dog eyes. "Can you tuck me in?" She begs. Unlike Gizmo, Mikey's puppy-dog expression was unbearable. I just couldn't say no to that face.
"Alright then." I consent, and we head upstairs to her room. Her room is practically immaculate, without a thing out of place. Numerous books line her bookcase, and even more are stacked on top and around it. Nuts and bolts and other little pieces of machinery sit on her desk, with original blueprints pinned to the wall beside it. The lamp she made way-back-when gives the room a soft yellow glow from her nightstand. I smirk with pride as I regard my sister's little 'office.' She must've been the smartest thirteen year old alive.
"What are you working on now, little genius?" I question, creeping over to take a glance at her work. Mikey tugs me away before I can read the blueprints for it or get a good look at the lump of tech in the middle.
"It's not done yet." Mikey insists with a pout. I laugh at her secrecy, but I can't complain. After all, it'd be the pot calling the kettle black.
"Ok, ok. But I get to see it when it's done first, right?" I inquire. Mikey confirms it with a nod before she climbs into bed. I seat myself at the bed's edge, watching her get comfortable. She smiles up at me when she's done, and I tuck her in snuggly.
"Thanks Nonie." Mikey says. I smile down at her softly, and move her hair out of her eyes.
"No prob, sis." I reply. She giggles a little and then looks out the window. Her window has the best view. You can see a couple of the high rises from proper Piltover, and part of the PAT building. From the direction of Mikey's eyes, she's looking at it now. I glance at the PAT poster hung up on her wall, and then smile at her. "You're gonna go there, you know." I say. Mikey glances at me, a sliver of doubt in her expression. "You're gonna go there, and outsmart every one of those guys. You're gonna blow em all away with your big brain." I squeeze the top of her head for emphasis, earning a giggle. "I just know it." Mikey smiles, but then it wavers a little.
"Do you think… Do you think dad would've been proud?" I nod at the tentative question, leaning down to plant a kiss on my sister's forehead. She responds in kind.
"I know he would've. Mom too." Mikey smiles once more at my honest answer, and she snuggles further under the covers. "Good night, Mikey." I say, getting up.
"Night sis." Mikey replies. I close the blinds and turn off the lamp before heading out into the hall. Only then do I let my exhaustion catch up to me, and slump against the wall. That question came out of nowhere, but I could honestly understand it. Dad would've been so proud of Mikey, as would've mom. But me…
Illegal mechsuit fighting? Almost joining a gang? Lying to my little sister? Oh yeah, they would've been so proud of me.
I can't help but smile at the irony of that question before I head back downstairs. Sidney flashes to life again on the table as I return to finish my meal. "She's such a sweet girl…" Sidney sighs. I couldn't agree more.
"Which is why, " I gulp down the food I was chewing and dump the empty plate in the sink, "I have to do this, Sidney." I turn towards the hologram and she sighs, shaking her head.
"Fine. That doesn't mean I approve of this though." She states, and I only grin.
"You say that every time, Sidney. I get it. Now c'mon. The suit needs some work." I state, heading down stairs to my workshop. Sidney appears in little outlets the whole way, chiding me.
"Staying up even later is bad for your health, Nonie." Why did dad make his AI nag so much?
"Whatever, Sidney. If we work fast, I'll be in bed within an hour or two." I guess, ducking my head to avoid the little piece of ceiling that sticks out. Sidney turns on the lights for me, lighting up the haphazard mess that creates my workshop. I wasn't as clean as Mikey, but I had my own method to my madness. I shrug off my 'backpack' and place it into the armor stand. It activates immediately, morphing back into my suit as I boot up the computers.
"Isn't it about time you got a new paint job for this?" Sidney questions, appearing right beside the computer screens. I frown and glance over my mechsuit. I designed it to be as effecive and flexible as possible, and deadly too. It's got its own elbow spikes and all that sharp jazz, along with tough but light plating. I put in some other goodies too, but hid them. Always good to have extra options. The suit is still a blazing red, but I do get her point. A lot of paint has been scratched off the outside armor, and grinning devil face I put on the helmet has its own scars too.
"Maybe later, Sidney." I answer, opening up the suit via computer. "For now, let's just focus on fixing it up so I don't get squashed in my next match, ok?" I opt. Sidney consents with a shrug and takes over the computers. Information flies across the screens as she scans the suit, gauging the damage.
"There's been slight damage to the thrusters, and a bit to the left arm's retractable sword. Should I list the number of new scratches and dents?" I shake my head as I deposit my cash into a secret safe underneath one of my workbenches.
"We'll be here all night if you do that. Just focus on the bigger problems, and then we'll see if we have time for anything else." I answer, locking up the safe and hiding it with the panel once again. I grab a few tools on the way over to my mechsuit, and then get to work. I have a lot to do before morning comes.
Hello dear readers! I've had this story buzzing around in my head for quite some time, and I finally thought that it was appropriate timing to release it since my first fanfic is getting closer to the ending. That way I'm not spread too thin. Please, comment on how the chapter looks and point out any errors I might have made. I hope you enjoy my new Fanfic!
~Cheers,
Dr. Falter Walter