Salutations my good fellows, this is Sherlock. Though unfortunate, Master Steam was unable to present this new chapter to you himself, so he requested of me to do it for him. So, in his stead, may I present to you Chapter 10 of New Beginnings.

Myself and the other Medabots belong to Natsume, credit for Beta-reading and Miss Silverwind go to Master AproposFool89, and Master Steam retains credit for everyone else.

One other item Master Steam requested me to ask of you fine chaps would be to leave a review for him. He told me he greatly appreciates anything to be said about his writing.

One final note, this chapter is from Miss Natalie's Point of View.

Chapter 10

Classes the next day were relatively easy. I only had a Science class, but since it was the first week there was no Lab afterwards. As I was heading out, I remembered that I was supposed to meet Marcus and Calhoun for training in about fifteen minutes. Thankfully Sherlock was waiting outside the door for me to get out of class as we agreed to make a quick stop by our dorm to drop off my books. On the way there I passed by Inyo and Mallory and gave them a wave. I did however notice that there was a third with them. She was dressed in short denim overalls with a grey t-shirt underneath them. Her black hair was noticeably longer than mine, but shorter than Mallory's, as it was forced into a ponytail through the denim cap she was wearing. Something that intrigued me however was that she had a smudge or something black on her cheek and another on her forehead; she however seemed to have cared less that it was there… either that or she didn't notice. Mallory called Sherlock and I over to them just as we prepared to pass them. I was hesitant to say maybe later, but it'd be kinda rude to just keep going.

"Miss Natalie," Sherlock said, "We really should be on our way to meet with Masters Marcus and Calhoun."

"I know Sherlock…" I returned, "But I'm hoping this should only take a minute."

We turned back and met the three.

"Hey," I greeted, "What's up?"

"We just thought we'd say hey." Inyo answered.

"And we were wondering if you were free today." Mallory added.

"Well I wish I was," I sighed, "But I have to meet up with Marcus and Calhoun for training."

"So you guys got Calhoun?" The other girl asked, "You're lucky. We're stuck with that jerk Trigger since he requested to change teams."

"And you are?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm Isabella. Isabella Farris at your service. But call me Bella."

"Bella and I share the same English class," Mallory explained, "And since I ran into her today I thought I'd ask if she wanted to hang out with us."

A medabot poked at Bella's backside. I'm surprised I didn't notice him before, though with his all back body with silver accents it was a little difficult to see him at first. He had twin wheels on his leg that he used for propulsion and balance, as well as two large deflectors on his shoulders. He also had a large cylinder on the top of his head, though I was unable to figure out his model type. Bella turned to face him, and then nodded.

"This is Charge." She introduced to me and Sherlock, "My medabot, and short for Degoicharge."

He waved in a friendly manner.

"Interesting medabot," Sherlock replied, "What type is he?"

"He's a D51 class Steam Locomotive type. He doesn't look like much but he'll railroad you faster than you can drive a spike into the ground."

Ah, steam locomotive. Makes sense now that I can see the resemblance and notable features. Charge poked Bella again, only this time a little harder. She turned and nodded again as he pointed down the hallway.

"Well it seems I got a green signal." Bella finished, "So I gotta hit the mainline before it gets clogged and I miss my timetable."

"Alright, bye Bella." Mallory waved.

"Later Mals. Let's go Charge."

He followed as the two disappeared into the crowds of other students. I dunno about Inyo or Mallory, but I barely understood Bella. I checked my phone as Sherlock gave me another time check and said we really had to go. I waved Inyo and Mallory goodbye as Sherlock and I headed for the front gate. Well, so much for dropping my stuff off. We arrived at the front gate to find Calhoun, Chuu, and Aimflash, but Marcus was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Marcus?" I asked when we arrived.

"Still in class." Aimflash shrugged, "So we're here just killin' time."

"Alright, any idea on when he'll be out?"

"No idea."

Gee, THAT helps a lot. Ah well, I guess if I'm gonna be stuck waiting, I may as well go and kill some time myself.

"Well…" I said as I stretched, "I'm gonna go drop off my stuff and take a walk then. See you guys later."

That's it, play the cool and collected girl act. I headed back to my dorm and left my books on my bed to tend to later as I decided to explore the town some more. I passed by the guys again and left Sherlock with 'em; still no Marcus in sight. Ah, what am I worrying about? Everything will be just fine. It's still early into the afternoon, and medabots class doesn't start for another few hours. I passed by the park as I saw my brother walking out and turning the corner. Aha! Sherlock hasn't told 'em yet about what happens the next time Zack borrowed 'em without my permission, this is my chance to let 'em have it.

"Hey, Zack!" I called.

I could see the kid jump almost three inches off the ground as he turned to face me. I motioned him over my way as he hesitantly complied.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Let's talk." I replied as I ushered 'em back into the park.

"About what?"

"You know what."

I felt him tense up.

"I'll give you a hint." I said, "He belongs to me, and you BORROWED him again without me knowing."

"Aw come on Natalie," He whined, "You know I don't have a medabot of my own. Why can't I just use Sherlock until I do?"

"Because of two reasons… Three, actually now that I think about it. Firstly, I bought Sherlock with my own money that I EARNED myself and saved, so he's mine; not yours to use whenever you please. Secondly, if you keep using Sherlock you're never gonna buy your own bot. THIRDLY…"

This next point was the biggest reason why I hate it when Zack takes Sherlock.

"You only use him as is and not equip any attack parts. You're such a purist."

"That's because I don't have any medaparts, let alone attack parts."

"And why do you think that is?" I retorted.

"Cuz I don't have any money…" He mumbled.

"You can fix that you know."

"But it'll take me forever to be able to afford a medabot of my own and get everything I need."

"That's because all the stuff you NEED are things you WANT, when in reality you only need to get three things."

"But then I won't be unbeatable! I don't wanna start from the bottom and be the loser!"

"Life sucks, I know it; but you can change that."

"How…"

I sighed as I handed him a twenty.

"You spend this on anything else and not save it for a set of medaparts, a medal, and a tinpet, and that's the end of any generous donations from me. Capeesh?"

He nodded as he put it in his pocket.

"One other thing," I said, "You take Sherlock again without me knowing, and I'll make sure Mom and Dad have your head on a platter for Thanksgiving."

"You'll never get 'em to do that." He challenged.

Oooooh… A challenge is it? Heh heh… Alright, two can play that game; and I'm the queen of it.

"Oh believe me…" I grinned mischievously, "I can be very persuasive…"

Ha Ha! The look on his face when I said that, priceless! That was totally worth it, though I really should be a little more lenient in my wording if I don't wanna get chewed out for it later by my parents…

"Alright," I sighed, "That was a joke, but I won't be so nice the next time you borrow Sherlock and robattle with him without asking."

"Alright, I get it…" He muttered, "Gosh why do big sisters have to be so vicious?"

"We're only vicious if annoying little brothers like you make us that way Hun." I teased as I started back for the campus.

Oh how he hated it when I called 'em that… Hehe. Well, I had my fun for today, I hope Marcus is out of class so we can get to training. I arrived to find Calhoun and Chuu missing, though Aimflash was still there. This was disappointing.

"Where IS everyone?" I asked.

"Marcus just messaged me about five minutes ago." Aimflash replied, "He said that his teacher pulled a surprise test on 'em and he won't be out for another thirty minutes."

Hmm… Well that sucks…

"After I told Calhoun and Chuu, they left to go do something; I dunno what though."

"And Sherlock?" I inquired, not seeing him here.

"He wanted to head back to the dorm for a little while until you called 'em and said Marcus was out. So here I am… all alone… so lonely…"

Ok, I'll give Aimflash an award for comedic relief… He's doing such a corny job sounding sad and depressed that it was funny, so I couldn't help but giggle. Aimflash apparently heard me.

"So I got a laugh outta ya huh?" He jested, "I always thought about going into comedy when I retired from robattling."

"Well whatever the case." I giggled, "You can keep me company while we wait."

"What? Really?"

"Sure."

"Uhh… ok."

We sat on a bench in silence for a few minutes before I said I felt like going for a walk again. Aimflash tagged along as we started down the street and passed by the pizzeria.

"So…" He began, "Uhh…"

"What?" I asked.

"Ah, nothin'. Just wondering if I should ask this."

"Ask what?"

"Well uh…"

"Come on Aimflash," I assured, "You can tell me. I don't bite."

"You ready for it now?"

Ok, what's he trying to ask me?

"I guess." I responded.

"You sure?"

"Just say it already."

"What do ya think of Marcus?"

… Ok… I didn't see that coming.

"Well…" I began, "He seems nice; I'll start there."

"Would you care to explain further?"

I could feel my face heat up a bit.

"Not a chance." I retorted, "For all I know you could be recording this conversation to let him listen to later."

"No no," He returned casually, "No recording. I'm just curious."

"So… Marcus didn't put you up to this? He didn't ask you to talk to me?"

"Nope. Chief may be a great medafighter, but when it comes to girls he's on the South end of that scale."

"Is he now?"

"Eh, sorta. But I'll say this though, he seems to like you. Can't tell ya how many times in the last few days he seems to fluster every time someone brings up your name."

Now I know for a fact my cheeks turned red as I looked forward avoid eye contact and keep 'em from seeing.

"I mean," Aimflash continued, "It's just my honest opinion if you ask me. But I just wanted to know what you thought of 'em. He's a little carefree, but he's a really great guy once ya get to really take time to know 'em. Take it from me, and we've been best pals for over ten years."

I honestly had no idea on how to respond to that. Sure Marcus is a nice guy, but I really don't know. And now Aimflash had taken the initiative to say a bunch of great things about 'em, all without being asked. This is the sorta thing best friends do for each other, but a medabot? An artificial being? Taking the step for his medafighter? Aimflash glanced up at me as he waited for an answer. I can't just not say anything now, not with how highly he talked about Marcus.

"I can agree," I said at last, "At least, I can based on what I know of 'em so far."

"But do you LIKE 'em?"

"W-what?"

He pointed his Tripod at me, "Do you, like Chief?"

I really don't know… he's a really nice guy based on what I know thus far, but… I dunno.

"To be honest Aimflash…" I sighed, "I really don't know."

"Well… Do you wanna know?"

Aimflash's questions really seem to be getting to me. Normally I can answer people's questions pretty easily and quickly, but the ones Aimflash threw my way are really stumping me. Do I like Marcus? How do I really feel? I wish I knew… But right now I don't.

"Natalie?" Aimflash asked, seeing the blank stare in my face, "Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

"Oh, no." I responded, returning my head to reality, "I was just taken aback by your questions is all."

"Well as I said, do you wanna know Marcus better? You won't be sorry, trust me."

"I dunno Aimflash…"

"Come on, you're talkin' to a camera type."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I can read in between the lines so well it's like a second nature to me." He chuckled, "And the whole time we've been talkin', I've been seeing you scream that you wanna know Marcus better. And trust me, a camera never lies."

…I… I… wow… He really threw me for a loop here…

"I uh…" I mumbled, now at a sudden loss for words, "I guess it… I guess it wouldn't hurt to get to know Marcus better…"

"That's the spirit." He praised.

"But only as teammates." I reiterated, "Nothing more."

"Alright. Start small, no worries, take your time."

"Aimflash."

"What?"

"You're embarrassing me!"

"Well then let's make a bet."

"As in how?"

"If you fall for Marcus, and he you, you'll show him exactly how much he matters to you."

"And if we don't fall for each other?"

"I'll take back everything I said here and swear to have said nothing."

I was left silent as we stopped our walk.

"Ok," I agreed, "The deadline is midnight on Christmas. Deal?"

"Deal."

He held up his left arm Tripod as I shook it in a mutual bond.

"One other thing." I added, "Don't tell Marcus about this."

"You kidding?" He teased, "That'd ruin everything if we told 'em before then. Rest assured, my voice circuits are sealed."

I couldn't help but grin at the situation I just got myself into. Well… Lemme rephrase that… The situation I was talked into by a very crafty camera type medabot. From now until Christmas though, I'll have to really try and search myself as I know Marcus better. We reached the gate once again as Marcus finally made exited the building to meet us.

"Hey," He greeted, "So sorry I took so long. Right as everyone was packing up to leave class the teacher plopped a surprise test on the syllabus and course rules of the class on everyone's desks and said we couldn't leave until we finished it."

"N-no worries." I said, suddenly noticing I stuttered, "It's fine."

Marcus gave me a funny look.

"What's up with you?" He asked.

"Nothing," I returned, "Nothing at all, just tired from a long day of classes is all. Took a walk to try and clear my head."

I gave Aimflash a quick look as I turned and stretched.

"Ok… I'll have to take your word on that. So uh, where's Calhoun?"

"He left to go do something while he and Chuu waited on you," Aimflash answered, "I'll go ahead and call Sherlock real quick and let 'em know to meet us here."

Sherlock, Calhoun, and Chuu met us about five minutes later as we agreed to start training in the park.

About an hour passed before we agreed to take a small break. I must admit, Chuu's speed on roads easily rivals that of Aimflash, though because of the way his leg part is designed Chuu has less overall maneuverability. He however seemed to have compensated for that disadvantage well, and that'll be good for the team to have our bots move quickly. I'm hoping that when the end-of-semester tournament comes up, we'll be on a road or concrete type of terrain. I mean we'll have to put up with whatever terrain we'll be fighting on, but if it's anything soft like dirt of gravel then Chuu may have a serious drawback since he won't be able to move a lot. Oh well, we can only hope for the best until the actual tournament comes in a few months. Marcus noticed the blank stare on my face and returned me to reality.

"Hey," He said, "You alright? You're spacin' out there."

"Oh, sorry." I returned, "Just thinking is all."

"About?"

"About the team and our performance when the tournament actually comes."

"Well if you're afraid that we may lose, then I'll tell ya there's nothing to worry about; cuz when Aim and I lead a team, we lead 'em to victory!"

"You said it Chief." Aimflash added as they high-fived each other.

"Well we can see that team morale and determination certainly won't be lacking." Calhoun remarked.

"I can understand that," I answered Marcus, "But what I was most concerned about was our team speed. Aimflash and Chuu are pretty close in their speed on road-like terrain, and Sherlock's good on anything, but if we're fighting on something else in the tournament then we may be in trouble."

Marcus and Aimflash exchange looks before looking back at me.

"And what do you mean by that?" Marcus asked.

"I understand." Calhoun interjected, "Natalie's saying that if we end up fighting on anything other than a hard surface like concrete, then Chuu may prove to be a deadweight in battle."

"Not… Necessarily." I corrected, "True I'm worried about that factor, but I didn't say that Chuu won't be able to do anything; I only said that he may not be able to move a lot."

"She proves a point." Chuu agreed, "But I will assure you. Calhoun and I have battled on many terrains both hard and soft; and in all of them we have come out victorious without having to change parts. I do have a backup bipod type leg, but I rarely use it since I feel much more comfortable with my current leg. There is nothing to worry about, but I appreciate the concern. If it will assure you any further, then perhaps we should take our training to the grass terrain."

"I don't see any issue with that." Marcus shrugged, "Aim's pretty good on all terrain except sand anyway, so I'm up for training on grass and dirt. Natalie? Sherlock?"

Sherlock nodded in agreement as I said we could at least give it a try. Sure enough Chuu was right, even on grassy terrain he was still able to keep a good land speed. His turning was a little wide, but that was to be expected. Aimflash was able to keep up as well and still be able to fight easily, but I expected nothing less. I equipped Sherlock with left arm, DOG-13 'Battle Rifle', to show the guys that Sherlock's as capable in combat as he is in support. Sherlock proved his usefulness when he was able to snipe down targets as easily as Aimflash could. Chuu will be able to serve the role of the close-range fighter since both his arms use pole-arm based weapons. Eventually we took another break as I checked my phone. Medabots class started in thirty minutes, so we better get a move on. I alerted the others of the time, so we agreed to call it a night and head for class. Tonight's class session covered ranged attacking, such as rifles and lasers, and I'll admit that I learned quite a bit. Marcus on the other hand seemed kinda bored, but I guess if your bot specializes in ranged attacking, I sorta see why. Class ended around usual time as Sherlock and I headed back to our dorm, and the others heading to theirs. Mallory and Shin Saber joined me as we walked together. The whole time though, she was in a dazed sort of state with a dreamy look on her face. Seeing this, I couldn't help but giggle.

"Where're you at?" I teased.

"Cloud nine…" She returned.

"I can see that. Care to elaborate?"

"Inyo's taking me out this weekend, just the two of us."

"Sounds fun, any plans regarding that?"

"Not yet, but I honestly don't care where we go…Ahh…"

I giggled again as seeing this girl.

"But he's a really amazing guy," Mallory continued, "So I'm sure that it'll be a great time."

"I have no doubt." I returned.

"How long has she been like this exactly?" I heard Sherlock ask Shin Saber.

"Since the time she and Inyo shared their feelings." He returned with a shrug, "Naturally."

"It'd only make sense."

Well, it's likely that Mal doesn't seem to care what Sherlock or Shin Saber said as she sighed dreamily again. We entered our dorm to find Alice taking a snack with her to her room.

"Hey Alice," I greeted, "Up to anything?"

"Several things." She returned, "You?"

"Nothing really for me. Mal on the other hand…"

She giggled distractedly as she skipped to her room to get comfortable; with Shin Saber following.

"She's losing her focus on what's important." Alice remarked.

"She's in love." I replied, "Give her a break. Let her enjoy to moment."

"Love's a waste of time. It does nothing but cloud your senses with false hope."

"Says who?"

Alice remained silent as a buzzing was heard from her pocket. She left to her room and closed the door, leaving me, Sherlock, and Natsu alone in the living area. Natsu gave me a look before turning and entering Alice's room and closing the door behind her. Was it just me, or was Alice hiding something? I dunno exactly, but it seems a little fishy to me. I glanced at Sherlock, who only gave me a hesitant shrug before waiting on me to decide what to do. After a few moments I headed to my room to change and then let Sherlock in when I finished. About an hour passed as I killed time surfing my Facebook page and whatever else I felt like doing. Mal knocked on my door after a while.

"Hey Natalie?" She asked, "Could you help me with something?"

"Sure," I returned eagerly, "What's up?"

"I needed help re-dying my hair. I wanna change colors."

"To?"

She held up a bottle of blue dye, and instantly I knew why she wanted the color change. I agreed to help her out as we headed to the bathroom to work. About ten minutes passed as I helped wash the red out and clean her brunette locks, dry, and comb it straight. Just as I started preparing to set the dye, Mal decided to start a conversation.

"So…" She began, "Been up to anything?"

"Well," I answered, "Ya know, classes, training, et cetera."

"I meant something else."

"Oh?"

"Have you 'met anyone' yet?"

I could feel my face heat up as she asked that. First Sherlock, then Aimflash, and now Mal. Goodness what is going on here?

"Not really." I returned.

"What do you mean by 'not really'?" She inquired.

"Just means I haven't met anyone yet."

She looked at me through the mirror with a nonbelieving look on her face.

"What?" I asked.

"You're hiding something."

"What could I possibly be hiding?"

"Oh I dunno… perhaps you DO have someone in mind, you just aren't saying it."

"Mal-"

"You know it to be true. Don't lie to me now."

Rats… She had me and she had me good.

"Alright, fine." I confessed, "There's someone in mind, yes. But I still haven't quite decided on what to think yet."

"And would this person be a certain Marcus Coleman?"

My face felt warmer as she just giggled happily.

"No use hiding it," She laughed, "It's really easy to see."

Darn… She's got me cornered. But… she's right.

"Is it really that obvious?" I asked.

She motioned with her fingers to tell me "Just a little."

Just… perfect.

"Well truth be told." I retorted, figuring there was no use hiding anymore, "You're not the first to force the truth outta me."

"Oh?" Mal replied, "And who was first?"

"I'll give you a hint. He's a very clever camera type."

"Aimflash?"

"Yup."

"Aww… Going out of his way to ask what you think of his medafighter, how romantic."

"You're only saying that cuz you're still in utter bliss."

Mal couldn't help but giggle, "I suppose you're right. But still, what'd you say to him?"

"We made a bet."

"As in?"

"Whether I liked Marcus or not."

"And?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out." I grinned, "Now hold still while I work with the dye."

We talked for another fifteen minutes or so as I finished with the dye and let it set. By the time we left the bathroom, all the red that was in Mal's hair before was now a sapphire blue, as well as my hands sharing the color. I washed what I could off and then headed back to my room.

"Hey Natalie?" Mal started.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Thanks for the help."

"No problem, glad I could help."

We went our separate ways and got comfortable in our own rooms before turning the lights out and getting some sleep. For about thirty minutes however, my mind wandered. Do I really like Marcus? Sure he's a nice guy, but… I just don't know yet. Maybe I will, but on the other hand maybe I won't; and I guess that's what's holding me back. Ahh… I'm sure it'll all come in good time. But if I am to get to know Marcus better, I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least see if he likes me back.

So it would seem that Miss Natalie is at war with herself regarding her feelings for Master Marcus. I do hope that their relationship becomes something good later on, Master Marcus seems like a nice and caring fellow.

As requested previously, Master Steam said that reviews are greatly appreciated.

More Medabots, more power.