Chapter 2: Dual of the Opposites
As class resumed to normal, Jackson mind went elsewhere.
"Fuck," he thought, "I promised myself I would never fight again, and now I've broken that. Along with that I picked said fight with a sniping prodigy. When I fought the instructor I won because I moved fast and kept the match close quarters. But now she'll be trying to keep a distance. Then there's the fact that I have only used an IS once, while she has her own personal IS," he used his hollow desk to bring up specs on Alcott's IS, "Blue tears, a third gen IS designed for long range sniping. Main armament is a Starlight medium-range laser rifle equipped with an auto-focus scope. The IS armament consist on 4 optical drones or 'bits' and two missile pods also with auto locking feature. Well…..I'm fucked."
When the bell for lunch rang he walked over to Houki.
"Miss Shinonono could I join for lunch," he asked trying hide his constant nervousness, "I have a few things I want to talk to you about. If you have the time that is."
"Um… sure," she said slightly curious.
Once they got their lunch and began to eat in a slight awkwardness.
"So Jackson what did you want to talk about?"
"Well first I asked Miss Orimura and she said that currently there are no rooms available, so for the time we are roommates."
"Oh," she said with a small blush.
"If it makes you feel better I can stay on the balcony," he said trying to cheer up.
"No it's ok, but I have a few ground rules," she said getting strict.
"Of course," he said understandingly.
"First I'll use the shower between seven to eight, you can have eight to nine. Second, if one us needs to change the other steps out of the room."
"Fair enough, we can have a sign to hang on the door when one of us is out to ensure that we don't walk in on each other. The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable," he said still sounding reasonable.
"Is that all you wanted to talk about?"
"No I…I…I wanted to ask for your help."
"My help?" she asked sounding confused.
"Yes you see my anger got the better of me when I accepted the dual with Miss Pricy Pants. I've only operated an IS one time, and I learned that with a base model I'm good at close range. But Alcott is a sniper with her own IS."
"Yeah you did seem to bite off more than you could chew. Why did you do that anyway?"
"I hate being called that word," he said squeezing his chop sticks.
"What word was that?"
"Dog," he said in a painful whisper as he tried to fight off memories, "I'm not a dog," he said as he pulled his collar up till it almost hit his chin.
Houki looked at him almost caringly. This boy perplexed her; he was nervous almost frightened around women, then he said something about a dark past, but in class she saw him standup to Cecilia like he was ready to fight, and now here he feared being compared to a dog. What all happened to him in his past? Aside from having one name, being male, and being from America, she knew nothing about him.
"But Miss Shinonono," he said breaking her out of her train of thought, "what I need help with is operating an IS. I know you're smart and talented, and I just wanted a second opinion on it."
"Well," she started before she was interrupted by a new girl walking up.
"Hey you're the one everyone is talking about," the girl said leaning against the table trying to pose but Jackson was looking away, "so I heard that you're taking on Alcott for Class Rep. You know if you need any help."
"He's fine,"Houki said aggressively, "I'm helping him."
"You? But you're a first year too, where I'm a senior."
"I'm Tabane Shinonono's sister," she said proudly, "so your help is not needed."
With that the older girl left in defeat.
"That was impressive," Jackson said while Houki had a winning smile.
"Yes, now afterschool meet me in the kendo dojo," she said as she got up and left.
"But I don't know kendo," he said quietly.
Houki stood in her kendo training gear as Jackson walked in carrying a gym bag.
"You're five minutes late," she said annoyed.
"I know I had to get my training gear. Now can I change?"
"Fine the locker room is over there."
Jackson walked in and not even five minutes later came out. Houki was thankful for the helmet for hiding her blush. He had on a pair of old dark blue trunks and a form fitting black under armor shirt that showed his carved muscle build, and around his neck was wrapped by medical tape.
"Ok I'm ready," he said as he pulled an object out of his bag.
"Whatever, now pick up your training sword," she said still annoyed.
"I don't do kendo or swords. I'm better with these," he said holding his left hand open and a practice knife in the other.
"Oh please like a knife will beat a sword."
"Wanna test your theory?" Jackson asked as he pulled out a tube of red lipstick, "you see you'll know if you hit me, but with this," he began to mark the edges of the knife, "it will show where I hit. Ok I'm ready."
"About time," she said as they both got into a fighting stance.
Houki charged in first going for a quick overhead strike, but Jackson dogged by stepping back and then stepping forward and gave a couple of slashes at her center. He threw the knife as he grasped around her frame and quickly threw her to the ground. She let out a gasp, and he got up and off her.
"Oh shit I'm so sorry," he said with care, "are you ok?"
She took her helmet off and tried to get her breath back.
"Yeah just the wind got knocked out of me. What was that?"
"It was a side takedown."
"Where did you learn that?"
"Long story, but I know Silat and Brazilian Jujitsu, and looks like knife wins," he pointed to her stomach.
She looked to see two clear read slash marks where her kidneys are, and one spot near her belly button.
"Ok that's enough for today," she started to get up but Jackson offered his hand which she took and he easily lifted her up, "you can fight."
"But now you see my dilemma," he said sitting down on the edge of the training ring, "if it's close and if I have knife or something else designed for close range."
"You would destroy her," she finished sitting next to him.
"I'm fucked," he said as he flopped back making Houki giggle.
"You know you seem much more relaxed now."
"It's the dojo it reminds me of…happier times."
"Ok Jackson let's get to the room and start studying."
"Jacky," he said as he got up, "Call me Jacky if you want to," his nervous side came out again.
"You know I would prefer to be suiting up," he said as he and Houki waited in a hall way.
The week went by fast. Jackson and Houki studied together afterschool when Houki was done with her Kendo Club. Now Jackson waited doing stretches wearing the IS operator suit that showed his 6 pack, which Houki would occasion glance at and blush.
"JACKSON, JACKSON," they both looked to Miss Yamada running down the hall with Miss Orimura.
"Miss Yamada?" they both questioned as she stopped right in front of him.
"Jackson your," she stopped as looked right at his abs and started to blush.
"My what?" he asked trying to snap her out of it but with no luck.
"She was supposed to say that your own personal IS has been donated by the academy and is ready for you in the hangar," Chifuyu said as she walked up and saw what made Maya stop, "Now those are nice but he needs to go," she said pulling Maya towards the hangar. Jackson having recovered from a painful memory followed them in with Houki behind him. As he walked he saw an IS in a launcher, and walked closer.
"Th…this is your personal IS," Maya said partially recovered, "it's called."
"Knock Down," he said as he put his hand on the IS.
"Um….yes, but how did you know?"
"She told me," he said as he climbed up.
As he climbed up a visor seemed to set on the sides his face forcing him to remove his sunglasses and making a ruby colored visor form across.
"Miss Shinonono," he said as he handed her his glasses.
"S…sure," he said as she saw his golden eyes making her blush more.
"Now Jackson, Knock Down a close quarter combat IS," Maya said
"Perfect," he said with a smirk as multiple screens popped up showing different readouts even some data on Blue tears. But he went straight for weapons.
"Two spiked elbows, 2 forearm blades; extra weapons 2 tonfas and 2 parang machetes. I like the weapons."
"Now listen there's no time for you to format with your IS here, so you'll just have to do it during the battle," Chifuyu said.
"Roger that wish me luck," he said as he got into launch position, "Knock Down launch!"
He felt the kick from the launcher but kept it together as he launched out but landed on the ground instead of flying up to meet her.
"Oh so you decided to show up," Cecilia said smugly.
"You're right princess now let's dance."
"Five…four…three…two…one, begin match," Chifuyu said as a bell rang.
"Well no need to prolong this," she said as she fired her rifle.
Jackson waited then jumped to the side as it hit the ground. As the smoke began to arise he began to move fast dodging more shots making a smoke screen begin to build.
"Hmph," Chifuyu chuckled, "so that's his plan."
"What is?" Maya asked.
"He's using the smoke from her missed shots to build a smoke screen. The screen in effect renders her scope completely useless as it can't tell what to lock on to.
"You coward," Cecilia screamed.
"She's 40 meters away, perfect," Jackson said with a smirk.
"Fine try these then," she screamed in anger as her bits deployed.
He waited till the bits were moving cautiously around 20 meters. Once they reached the mark, he flew up directly between the four bit and paused for a second as all four aimed at him. Right as they fired he flew up towards Cecilia at full force. The bits ended up shooting at each other.
"WHAT?" Cecilia could not believe what just happened.
"I can't believe that worked," Houki said as she released a breath she didn't know she held on to.
XXxxFlasbackxxXX
Houki and Jackson were in their room working on a plan to win.
"You know with her only defense being the four bits and two rocket launchers she wouldn't be able to attack and defend. It would be too much for her mentally," Houki said thinking aloud.
"You're right maybe if I could lure the four bits to a medium range and destroy them all in one go the shock would allow me the time to close the distance."
"But how would you be able to get all four in one go?"
"Hmmmmm," he thought rubbing his chin, "what if I position it so they shot each other?" he said jokingly.
XXxxEndxxXX
"What?" Cecilia noticed that Jackson was right in front of her and shooting his forearm gun at her feet, "I don't think so," she brought up her missile launchers up.
"Shit," he said as the missile hit point blank range.
"Looks like it's over," Cecilia said smugly.
"Nope," Jackson said as only an image flew out of the smoke cloud and delivered an ax kick to the top of blue tears forcing it to the ground.
"What," Cecilia looked up in awe at the sight of Jackson in a new looking IS.
It was black with dark red trim. Its legs were narrower and had a sharp point on the knees and toes. The gauntlets extended out looking razor sharp on the sides. Around his waist was a thick black belt, where the back ran up along his spine and connected to small shoulder pads and bicep guards. The wings were just that, black and red metal wings.
"Looks like format is completed," Chifuyu said while Maya was dumbfounded.
"Oh wow," Houki said blushing and amazed.
"No way he was able to hold off with the default settings," Cecilia told herself.
"Blue Tears meet Knock Down," Jackson said as he dived towards Cecilia.
"It's so fast," she tried to get up but was too slow to dodge the knee that sent her back to the wall.
Jackson called his tonfas out and began to knock down her shield in a flurry of weapon strikes, elbows, knees, and kicks. Cecilia could not even follow his movements to know how to dodge, and he was too close to use her missiles safely. Everyone watching was the same. Houki was most surprised.
"Is this what would have happened to me," she thought, "he's so fast and accurate."
He then unequipped the tonfas and grabbed her IS hips, pivoted to the left, and slammed her down hard.
"Time to end this," he said determined as he flew up fast and flew down ready deliver the final punch.
But as he flew down he saw Cecilia's eyes filled with terror, and suddenly and image of a young boys face bloody and bruised with the same eyes.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO," he said his punch landed and smoke was thrown up from the impact.
When the dust settled Knock Down's feet were next to Blue Tear's hips, and the punch landing above Cecilia's head. Everyone looked confused, none more so than Cecilia. Who looked up to see tears coming down Jacksons face as tried to control his breathing.
"That's it," he said taking his visor off and leaving his IS before it could enter stand by phase, "I quit, you win Cecilia."
The stadium was dead silent as Jackson left the area floor.
"What just happened?" Maya asked confused.
"You heard him," Chifuyu said still trying to process, "he quit," she reached to the microphone, "Winner by forfeit Cecilia Alcott."
AN: WTF did I just do?! Oh well ladies and gentlemen there you have it Chapter 2. Cecilia wins?! But it was in the bag. What was the face that Jackson saw? Why did it make him quit? What will the girls think? Wait for Chapter 3 A Past Enlightened. I'm such a Stinker. HD, popping smoke.
