See You on the Battlefield

Chapter Nine

It took three weeks of prepping for the trip, another thing Duncan found Courtney was useful for. He would never have been able to accomplish all of it on his own, while Courtney did it without any help from him. In fact, they rarely spoke for those few weeks, and when they did it was only to go over the details. Duncan didn't think anything of it, though. His main focus was Stone and the truck. He wasn't used to having to accommodate for two people, and his robot had to be in top condition. Every time Chris had called to schedule a match, Duncan had declined. He didn't want to risk Stone getting into too much trouble and damaging him before the tour even took place.

Gwen and DJ were supportive of his choice to do this. Though Gwen wasn't too happy about it just being him and Courtney. There was a hint of jealousy there, but Duncan didn't detect it. DJ managed to calm her down and convince her that this was what Duncan needed. They would keep in contact over the summer and attend as many matches as they could; that was good enough for the three of them.

It was late one afternoon during the last week of school when Duncan pulled his truck into the Beaumont courtyard. Courtney was standing at the top of the marble steps in sweats and a rangy t-shirt. She had a wide smile in her face-and not a fake, paparazzi smile- something Duncan found she didn't do often. Courtney looked excited for once, which did catch him off guard. A long with the fact she threw her arms around his neck when he approached her. They hadn't even really hugged before. He awkwardly returned it, though, gently patting her back.

"Come on, grab a bag!" She instructed, motioning to the shopping bags on the floor by the door. Courtney moved to yell inside the house to someone as Duncan inspected the bags. There were five in total, heavy in weight and each carrying something Courtney would call a 'necessity', though Duncan would argue no one needed that much shampoo.

A young girl, around their age, appeared in the doorway. Her blonde hair was singing behind her in a ponytail and her olive green eyes searched Duncan up and down. He felt as though he was under inspection as he unlocked the back of the truck for Courtney to put away her stuff.

"Duncan, this is my best friend, Bridgette," Courtney introduced, motioning her hands between them. "Bridgette, this is Duncan." He could see his partner pull a face to her friend as he gave a small wave to the girl. He didn't know what that meant, but he hoped it was good. He didn't want anyone thinking bad of him and changing Courtney's mind about the tour. Duncan may have found the idea crazy at first, but the closer the date to leaving came the more he found himself getting impatient, complaining to Stone that time didn't move fast enough. But here they were, two days before they finished junior year and one week before they left for their first destination.

"Been up too much today?" Bridgette questioned innocently, already gathering her best friends bags from the front door. Courtney had disappeared back inside the house.

Duncan nodded towards the bottom cupboard near the door of the truck; he had cleared it out to make room for Courtney. "Just school," he replied, eyeing up Bridgette's uniform. He knew she had Courtney attended the prep school not too far from the public high school Duncan attended. The uniform consisted of a white collar shirt, a red and black striped tie, red blazer, a pleated skirt with knee high white socks and black flat pumps. Duncan had never complained about seeing the prep girls walking the street after school and he was not when he had one in his truck, either.

Bridgette gave a small looked of surprise at Duncan. She hadn't expected him to be in school, he resized. A lot of people didn't, but he was used to it. It was also clear to him that Bridgette was here to interrogate him. No one trusted him alone with Courtney almost the entire summer- they would be returning one week before school started again.

"You go to Muskoka?" He nodded. Muskoka high school was the only one actually in Muskoka, if you didn't count the two private schools. "Any plans for college?"

"Not really," he answered honestly. "Probably just stick to fighting once I graduate next year." Bridgette nodded her head and from the side view of her face Duncan noted she was the girl who had been calling after Courtney that first night they had met, when she had introduced herself as Kelly Cole. He assumed Bridgette had seen him fighting, though she certainly didn't look very interested in the sport as a whole.

The two moved around in practical silence before Courtney reappeared with drinks. Bridgette kept sneaking glances at Duncan and he wondered if she was interested in him. Courtney slapped him side the head, clearly reading his mind and telling him she had a boyfriend who could knock him on his ass. Duncan just laughed. He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting used to Courtney's company and quite enjoying it. Though she was a stuck-up priss, she was different from DJ and Gwen- his usual company. It had been a long time since anyone else had wanted to be his friend; most avoided him at all costs.

Duncan showed Courtney around the truck and Bridgette nodded her approval. It wasn't the most ideal living space, but it would do. Duncan insisted that Courtney took the bed and he was fine with the work bench, with the added point that every other stop they had Courtney had booked a motel or hotel, a bed and breakfast or just somewhere for them to crash at night and so they could shower and freshen up. She also worried that staying hauled up in the truck for too many hours would rot her brain as it had Duncan's. She wondered when the last time he had lived in a proper house was.

By late afternoon it was just the two them and Stone. Geoff-Bridgette's boyfriend which Duncan agreed probably would knock him on his ass-swung by to drive her home, leaving Duncan and Courtney to occupy them. Courtney went over all of the details of what they would be doing during their summer of touring. She had every detail planned. Every fighting venue booked, every ticket practically sold out. People knew who she was and her name was selling more than Duncan and Stone's fighting. Not that he minded, or paid so much attention to Courtney's ramblings.

Courtney surprised Duncan when she hopped down off the work bench she had been sitting on in the back of the truck and held her hand out to him. Duncan was definitely hesitant to take it, but she pulled a face, urging him to trust her. So he did. And she pulled him through her mansion of a home, not bothering so much with a tour, and into a back room that brought nothing but a genuine smile to her face.

"This is the one place I will miss the most while we're away," she told him, glancing thoughtfully around her office. It was cluttered with all sorts of spare parts for a numerous amount of robots. There were tool lying freely and some placed on designated shelves. The room itself was plain with just a large window on the far side, a small wooden door beside it.

Duncan took a stroll around, admiring the view of the garden and taking in that Courtney had actually spent her life working in this room while he had been raised working in dingy Underworld back rooms. Oh, how the other half lives.

"I come in here to think and just escape." Courtney sighed. Duncan turned to see her running her fingers along a dusty desk. "It's been a long while since I had time to work on a new robot in here. I miss it. Waking up on a Saturday morning and just spending hours and hours toying with all the machinery." Duncan watched as Courtney spoke about her passion. The way her eyes lit up when she thought of a certain memory and the way the corner of her mouth tugged as if she wanted to smile some more but wouldn't allow her to do it, Duncan thought it was cute. Courtney obviously loved robot boxing a lot more than he thought. He assumed it was something she did for money and fame, or felt forced because of her family. But no, she genuinely loved everything about it.

"What's back there?" Duncan asked, nodding his head towards the door he had spotted earlier. Courtney chomped down on her bottom lip. Duncan regretted asking suddenly, but she didn't say anything. In fact, quite to his surprise, she strolled across the room, heaving another sigh. Courtney pulled a key from its resting place above the door frame and stuck it in the lock, turning it twice and sucking in a deep breath.

Upon entering the room Duncan found himself experiencing an emotion he had never felt before. His eyes bulged from his face and he was sure his heart didn't normally beat that fast. He was star struck. Courtney didn't look nearly as impressed, but she's seen it all before. This was how she had been raised. Duncan, on the other hand, had never been so up close to so many league robots at once.

Several glass cases lined the walls, each containing an at least seven foot tall robot. Everyone had a different colour and style; no two were the same when it came down to it. Duncan took in every legendary bot he knew of, naming each and every one of them from memory alone.

In the center of the back wall stood a slightly larger case with a velvet rope to section it off from the others. Forgetting all about Courtney, Duncan moved forward until he was stood as close as he could get without violating the carefully spaced area around it. Never in his whole life did Duncan think he would be able to stand this close to such a boxing legend. At seven and a half feet tall, weighing two hundred pounds and made entirely of black sheet, stood Con. Duncan couldn't believe his eyes. Sure, Stone used to fight at league matches back in his day, but he was nowhere near as well-known as Con was. Con was the robot champion of this generation and every generation to come, as Mr. Beaumont has expressed his want to keep the robot in his family for generations to come. Courtney was less interested in inheriting the robot.

The young girl stood awkwardly behind Duncan. She was used to people fawning over the robot and forgetting we very existence; even her own father did it. Courtney learnt to live with it mostly, but this was Duncan. Duncan was supposed to be her colleague, her ticket to make a name for herself away from the fame of her father. Though she couldn't deny Duncan a chance to see Com up close, she wished he wasn't as interested as he appeared.

"When I first started fighting at Underworld, do you know what people used to whisper about me?" Duncan asked. He was watching Courtney's reflection in Con's glass case, gauging her reaction to his. She didn't look particularly happy, and Duncan understood completely.

Courtney shook her head and he turned to face her, though not meeting her eyes. "They always-always-used to compare me to my father." Duncan swallowed hard. "The amount of time I had to listen to 'he'll never be as good as Parker' or 'why didn't he get Parker's talents?' It was unnerving." Courtney reached her hand out, almost to place it on his arm in comfort, but he stood too far away. "But the worst? They used to compare me to my grandfather. And that always hurt the most. 'Shame he'll never be as great as Joe Wilson.'" Duncan registered Courtney's sharp intake of breath. Even she knew who Joe Wilson was.

Duncan raised his head to finally look at her. He wasn't telling her all of this out of pity or for sympathy. He wanted her to know that she wasn't alone in feeling alienated by the boxing community just because of her family. Duncan came from a well-known family too, and though they come from different ends of the spectrum, he still understood her pain.

"My point is, you've seen the way people at Underworld treat me now." And she had. Courtney had seen everyone there being chummy with him all the time. No one had mentioned his father or grandfather, at least not while Courtney was around. "They learnt to accept me as my own person, I guess. Though I may never be as good as my dad or granddad, I'm still not a bad boxer." He paused for a moment before asking, "Am I?"

Courtney gave the smallest smile and shook her head, whether to answer the question or just because of his way of cheering her up, Duncan didn't know, and he didn't really care. He was just glad that he had made her feel better. He didn't know why, but he hated to see her in any other mood other than happy.

"You know," she spoke in a whisper, moving cautiously towards him "my parents aren't home." Something in Duncan's nether region twitched uncomfortably. "I was wondering if you maybe...want to practice with me."

"P-practice?" He asked, running a shaky hand through his hair.

"Ew!" She swatted his arm. "I meant practice fighting, you perv!" Duncan let out a shaky breath of relief.

"I'm so glad you didn't make do anything uncomfortable there," he teased.

"Oh yeah," Courtney nodded skeptically. "I could see you were feeling very tortured over the idea." She shook her again, this time in almost disbelief. She turned away, grabbing a remote from the table behind her and unlocking all the glass cases with the push if a button, avoiding Duncan's gaze so her checks wouldn't start to give away her embarrassment. "Pick your bot," she said, moving towards once in the corner of the room. The controllers rested beside the cases and shelves and Courtney pressed her fingers to small pad stuck to the wall.

"You mean I don't get to fight my own robot against these things?" Duncan argued, slightly pouting. Courtney rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile at his expense.

"We don't want Stone to get damaged now, do we?" She replied with confidence, adding a quick, "But it's not like he'd stand much of a chance anyway."

Duncan held a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. "Stone could take every robot in this room. TWICE!" Courtney giggled. "And he'd still have room for more!" Another eye roll. "Seriously. After this tour I'm coming back here to prove my point."

Without another word, Duncan moved to the opposite side of the room, going for a slightly smaller bot than she had. He had seen every single one of these robots fighting and would never have even thought that he would get the chance to control one.

Courtney walked Scrap towards the empty back corner of the room. Duncan didn't know what she was up to, but followed behind with his pick, Rucker. She smiled at the robot he chose before turning her back on all three of them. She stuck her hand in the pocket of her sweats and drew out a small credit card like object. She swiped it across what Duncan and assumed a crack in the wall, but it caused the wall to slide in two and a metal elevator showed itself. Courtney continued to walk herself and Scarp on board. Duncan raised an impressed eyebrow and followed suit.

"Six years ago my father had a practice arena installed beneath the house," Courtney told him, breaking the awkward silence that lay between them. "It was somewhere he could fight in private and I've always loved coming down here and watching him and the others."

"Others?"

"His friends, companions, family members that enjoy trying to beat him. They never win." Courtney wasn't sounding so happy anymore. "Me and my brother used to use the room for fun. Not fighting robots, usually pretending we were robots and fighting each other." She sounded happier. Duncan looked across the two hunks of metal at her. There was another small smile on her face once again.

"I didn't know you had a brother," Duncan noted. As an only child Duncan had always grown up feeling as if he was missing out.

Courtney nodded in reply, but didn't say anything else. Duncan sensed there was tension in that department of Courtney's life. There was a lot of tension in a lot of her life, but she hid it well. When he first met Courtney-or even Kelly-he would never had guessed there was so much going on beneath the surface of the paparazzi smile.

The elevator came to a halt and Courtney stepped out first. Scrap followed her, but she didn't turn to look at him. She knew how to move a robot without even looking at them, that was how practiced she was. Duncan could do it with Stone, but with a new robot he made sure to walk him out first.

They both stepped their robots into the arena and took their respective spaces on either side of the ring. And they began.

They didn't keep count of how long the match went on, neither seemed to care. They were both enjoying just trying to pin the other. Courtney had the upper hand through most of the match, though. She could swing and side-step better than he could; however Duncan was better at pinning and getting Scrap to the floor. But, just as he thought he was winning, Scrap's leg swung out and Rucker landed with a crunch with his left arm. Duncan frantically pressed buttons, commanding him to get up, but to no avail.

"That was dirty!" He yelled over Courtney's countdown.

"Six, seven, eight."

"That's totally unfair!

"Nine!"

"I thought this was a league fight! That's illegal!"

"TEN! I WON! I ACTUALLY WON!"

Courtney's cheering was overridden by the loud, echoing clapping. Standing high above the arena in the balcony stood Mr. Beaumont dressed in a tailored business suit, watching the match as it came to a close.

"D-Daddy," Courtney managed to stutter as Duncan stood in shock. "We were-we were just-" Mr. Beaumont held his hands up to silence his daughter.

"Don't worry; I'm just here to announce that dinner is being served shortly." Courtney nodded her head, wanting to apologize for breaking Rucker's arm and using his robots without permission, but she held her tongue. It was not the right time for that. "Duncan, I do hope you will be joining us."

"I-uh...yeah. Sure. Um, okay." Duncan didn't know how to react to the sudden offer, but he knew better than to turn down Mr. Beaumont.

"Excellent." He clapped his hands once and turned to leave the two alone, but stopped last moment to speak directly to Courtney. "Oh, and Daniel's here."

A/N: Oh wow...

WHO'S DANIEL?!

Wait and find out ;)

Also, I thought this was as fluffy as DxC are gonna be getting for now, and I thought it was quite cute, actually! But maybe that's just me...I'd probably still find this couple cute if they committed homicide...XD

Sorry for the wait on this, too...I actually haven't done a lot of writing! I was so fucking hung up on Light! My heart still isn't healed...Probably never will be...But I'm willing to get back into writing and reading other things now :D

I have the beginning of the next chapter sort of sorted out in my head, but IDK when I'll write it! I don't wanna make any promises and I hope to make it as soon as possible!

Thank you to;

MeAndYouForeverBaby: Aw, you're such a sweet person XD Thank you :D

ThatSuperHotSexyBookWorm: haha! Well, sleeping and eating all sound so good to me right now...Thanks :D

acosta perez jose ramiro: I do like Mr. Beaumont's character, I hope to have some more scenes with him in (: Thank you :D

You guys RAWK!
I love ya'll ever so very much!

Thanks for reading, please review (:

Spellchecked by Word because my beta *cough* MADDISON! *cough* may have a broken wrist...

Love, ChloeRhiannonX