A/N: Oh, wow...it's been a really long time. Haha...and a really wrong time for our PC to suddenly crash on me...ah, but I'm not really here to talk about personal problems, now am I...? Shout-outs!
Gojiro17 – Okay, this chapter's longer than I guess any other before it... :-) Of course, I'm really not gonna kill this fic, or any others that I've already made...though it's taking a long time to complete them all (or even only one for that matter...). Anyways, thanks and good luck on them classes! Sorry if this is rather late...haha. :-)
Brutal2003 – Yea, I'm gonna keep this fic going until the end...which is gonna come sooner or later (probably much later, at the rate I'm writing...haha :-) Thanks for the rev!
Godzilla2 – Character interactions...I don't think I'm delving into it very much as of these chapters; gonna get even more of that in the following ones. Anyway, it's great that you like it. :-) Many thanks!
F00l3Al2 – Well, this is the earliest I could've updated, and I didn't interrupt a lot of schooling. :-) Thanks lots for the review!
Azure – Haven't got any email, but it's okay. Those are good suggestions...I'm still considering what to make the fusions for Jai exactly...I particularly like the jouster idea, tho. :-)
Blissfully Unaware – Sorry for not updating as soon as any of us would have wanted to. Haha... :-) Anyways, a lot of people say that "few good Vandread fics". I think this one's just as good as others out there...(I'm VERY modest...harharhar!) :-) Anyways, thanks lots for the review!
CAMintmier – Yea, I tend to write long fics with short chaps...kinda weird, huh:-) Glad you find the plot captivating; you also have a good ability of reading ahead into it. Haha... :-) And Meia is MOST DEFINITELY CUTE! Much better than any of the other Mejale combined! (Well, except maybe for Ezra, but she's a mother...or something...already) :-) Many thanks for the nice review!
kayla - Many thanks for loving the story, and Vandread as well. :-) Very sorry for a delayed update, but...oh well. :-) Thanks again for the kind review:-)
And that's that for now. I know I said "month's end" the last time, but due to unforeseen, unfortunate circumstances...well, you know. I took most of the idea for this chapter from Manga Daisuki, "Vandread Vol 1, Act 1, First Contact"...therefore, it's not 100 original...but I kinda liked it, enough to adapt it here. I tweaked it considerably, though...hope it's okay. And, uh, enjoy!
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CHAPTER 10
Of Pride, Skill and Wits
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An hour had passed. It was then that Hibiki awoke, feeling mildly confused. "Damn that crazy..."
He looked around. Duero and Bart were sleeping soundly.
He snorted. "Lazy bums..."
Quietly, after making sure that he was out of the drug's effect, and that nobody was around in the corridor, he slipped out. He moved stealthily, though he was rather surprised that he was able to avoid causing any ruckus the entire time.
He laughed silently to himself. 'Haha! These Mejale are a joke!'
Nearing the end of a hallway, he was caught by surprise as a pair of women turned the next corner towards him. Instinctively, he did the first thing that came to his mind: he leapt into the nearest doorway.
It was only when the door had closed fully behind him that he realized that that wasn't the best move.
Inside the room were about ten or so of the crew who seemed to be training hand-to-hand combat.
'Great...just great...I gotta find a way to...' He thought, frozen in his tracks.
At once, several weapons, electrically-tipped training batons, were pointed at his throat from all directions, preventing any means of escape.
'Damn this...'
One of them, who he recognized as the cold Dread leader, Meia, approached him. "And what are you doing sneaking around, Tarak?"
Even in the situation, Hibiki had the guts to exude defiance. "You think you scare me? I was just walking around! That isn't a crime! Besides, you can't kill me! And I helped you guys out! At least show a little respect!"
Mentally, he kept repeating to himself, 'I'm a man! I'm strong! I'm not afraid!' although the impulse to run away screaming was very intense.
After a moment, Meia made a gesture for the others to lower their training weapons and get back to their practice. "You're so much trouble..."
Hibiki ignored the comment, though it bruised his ego a bit. He scoffed, then, walking around, took one of the training batons on the wall. "You use these for training?"
"So you got bored in your room and decided to take a little walk..." Meia said indifferently. "Although you are allowed to move about, you shouldn't be allowed to stray inside the ship by yourself, much less go where you're not supposed to go or just do anything you like."
Hibiki was starting to get a little more hotheaded. "Hey, it's not my fault that there's nothing to do there...and you Mejale think you're all so great. Don't go telling me what to do, you hear?"
"You did lose the first battle with us and are technically POW's. I don't see why you shouldn't comply; it is only fair." Meia remained calm, which made Hibiki even more annoyed.
"And another thing..." she added, "...don't act as if you're the strongest one here. You have yet to prove anything."
This made him really blow his fuse.
"Are you mocking me! Who needed whose help the last time!"
"The black Vanguard...Jai...got you out of the ship, and Dita got you your current rooms. Face it; you can't to anything by yourself. You haven't proven anything."
He raised his club and pointed it at Meia. "That's it! Get ready, Mejale! I'm not going to take that from you or anybody else!" With his last exclamation, he lunged forward without even waiting for Meia to turn and face him.
It seemed, however, that she didn't even need to. In no more than five seconds after charging, Hibiki found himself landing face-first on the hard, steel floor.
"And you're also demonstrating your cowardice..." she muttered, retracting the leg she had used to trip the Tarak.
Hibiki quickly got to his feet. "I'll show you!" He yelled as he lunged again, flailing his weapon. The strikes were avoided with little effort on Meia's part, and Hibiki remained on his feet only four seconds longer than before.
Again and again, Hibiki rushed into attack, approaching from different angles. Nonetheless, Meia easily dodged and sent him to the floor with a countermove...sometimes with the business end of the electric-baton. A small circle of girls gathered around, watching the fight intently.
"I'm...n-not...done with...you...yet..." he muttered for the umpteenth time, finding it quite difficult to stand.
Meia looked as if she hadn't exerted any effort at all. She simply sighed in response. "You still don't understand..."
In a single jump, Hibiki threw his weight forward one last time and swung wildly.
Even then, it wasn't enough to change the outcome, as Meia only sidestepped and knocked the back of his head with the electric tip of her baton.
He couldn't get up.
'Damn! H-how...what could I...' Hibiki thought gravely, though still holding on to one last strand of confidence in the fight. Before he knew it, he noticed Dita at his side, trying to help him up, it seemed.
And then one of the other crew members called out. "Hey! Jai!"
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It was midday, Mejale time.
Jai had finished eating a few hours before, and was loitering around the ship, getting acquainted with the place, as well as with the people. While there were still those among the pirates who didn't really seem to trust him, the general atmosphere was accommodating enough to actually be comfortable. Besides, he was making sure not to do anything that might be out of bounds.
He had reached what appeared to be a training room. Several of the crew members were practicing hand-to-hand combat. Among them were Meia and Hibiki; and it wasn't really difficult to see who was on the losing end...Hibiki was getting clobbered easily. A few others were encircled around the match, somehow signifying that this wasn't exactly commonplace. Nonetheless, it made it easier for him to get nearer unnoticed.
But still, he was eventually noticed.
"Hey! Jai!" One of them shouted out. He instantly recognized her as one of those who had greeted him earlier that morning, after he had left his own room.
Immediately, all eyes were turned to him. Even the fight between Meia and Hibiki was called to an abrupt end, with Dita kneeling right beside a dazed Hibiki, who was lying on the floor.
"Uh...hey," Jai stammered, as the sudden turn of events rather caught him off-guard. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything...just looking about the ship..."
Instantly, the Tarak sat up and pointed at Jai. "See! How about him! How come he gets to wander like that while I end up getting maltreated!"
"Huh?" Jai was struck by the comment, immediately worrying that he might have done something he wasn't supposed to.
Meia very uncharacteristically began stammering, and her icy façade faltered a bit. "That is..."
Hibiki saw this as a chance to redeem his bruised...ego. "Ha! Where's your justice now, Mejale?"
"But that's different!"
"Is it, now!"
Meanwhile, Jai worriedly arched an eyebrow. A crew member to his right gave a quick explanation as Hibiki and Meia traded retorts. He then nodded, quietly thanked her, and asserted himself. "Excuse me..."
Again, everyone turned towards him.
"Well...if I wasn't supposed to have been walking about, then I'm really sorry; I didn't know about it...and I'll accept whatever consequence for it," Jai said firmly.
Hibiki scoffed, to the annoyance of most of the other people after Jai's assertion. "Then fight her. That'd be fair enough for me," he coughed, pointing to Meia.
"It's not exactly your place to say..." Jai started.
Meia interrupted, her composure now restored. "No; I'd also like to face you in at least a practice match...just to see if you're as good as when you were in that Vanguard."
Hushed conversations echoed through the room. The general idea Jai was able to pick up from whispers that floated his way was that Meia was the best in hand-to-hand combat, with Gascogne and Barnette at close second and third, respectively, and that this 'newcomer' was surely dust in a fight.
He just smiled at the notion.
"I really don't know how I was able to pilot that Vanguard," he said, wiping his glasses, "but I can assure you that I do know martial arts, armed or otherwise."
"Meaning...you can fight well?" Hibiki asked from one side of the room, raising an eyebrow.
Jai mentally noted that 'martial art' wasn't an all-too-familiar term in this time period. "Yeah, if I do say so myself."
"Then here..." the Tarak answered, tossing his baton towards Jai while not leaving his spot on the floor.
He caught the weapon, studied it a bit, raised an eyebrow, and then began looking around. "Uh...I'd rather use another weapon..."
"What's the matter now? Gotta use a longer stick to have an advantage? You're all talk and no action whatsoever after all! You'd better just..."
Hibiki was silenced by an intimidating glare from Jai, who spoke softly, yet warningly at the same time. "No; it's just that I'm not really comfortable with the expanded electric end...and most of the time when I fight, even in practice matches, I have this reflex tendency to throw shorter weapons..."
He suddenly hurled the baton back at the arrogant pilot; the electric tip just missing the latter's head by millimeters.
"...with deadly accuracy, just like that, and rush into punching range. I could easily take somebody's head off if I got carried away," Jai continued. "And one last thing, I don't really approve of sore losers, so please try to keep quiet for now. Admit it, you lost. Try to learn from that experience."
Hibiki did as was suggested and kept to his own. Meia nodded in response to Jai's explanation.
Jai sighed and once again began looking around, scratching the back of his head. Already, he felt his annoyance fading away; it was good that his tolerance level was very high, or Hibiki would've been in even worse shape by now.
He came across a mop. "Ah, this'll do..." he said, taking said cleaning apparatus. Again, the room filled with whispers and a few snickers this time around.
It was Meia's turn to wonder. "Are you serious? A mop?"
"Of course, I am. This'll do perfectly," Jai answered, carefully unscrewing the wooden handle from the head. The resulting stick was lightweight, rather solid, and about four feet long, twice the length of the baton.
"A significant reach advantage, but you don't have an electric tip," Meia stated.
"Don't worry. I'm not really going to use the whole length, and I really, really don't want the electric tip. Haha...but it's been some time since I last had a match with anyone." He then began whirling the stick, slowly at first, then with increasing speed until finally tossing it spiraling upwards and then catching it right before it hit the ground.
"Well, that's enough for a warm-up. Ready whenever you are..." he then said, moving opposite the Dread leader and giving a bow of courtesy.
A tense silence then followed. Even the spectators, Hibiki included, grew quiet.
Half a minute passed; neither Jai not Meia moved all the while.
"Okay then..." Jai finally said, seemingly exasperated, "I'll make the first move if that's what you want..." He then assumed a fighting stance, his left hand gripping the makeshift staff at its center, and dashed forward. He was within range in a few seconds, and swung downwards, towards Meia's left shoulder.
She anticipated the lunge, and hopped to the right before thrusting the baton straight at her opponent's midsection...
But right before contact, Jai had leaned back and ducked under the blow, his head barely grazing the electrically-charged tip. Meia realized her miss at once, and brought the baton downwards...
Yet once again, Jai was able to leap back just before being hit, drawing gasps from some of those watching. Just as quickly, the Mejale retreated a bit and readied for a counterattack. None came.
Jai was once again standing several paces from her, though he was now spinning the stick in figure-of-8 motions around himself. "Wow...two close calls right at once. I'd better be more careful..." he said, smiling. He didn't seem to be worried at all.
This unnerved Meia a little. 'It's as if this is all a game for him...shouldn't he be at least a bit shaken up after those two near hits?' She then shook her head and concentrated instead on the fight. By now, the crowd was growing livelier.
Again, Jai took the same fighting stance when he realized Meia wasn't going to attack. "Oh very well...here I go again..." He charged, moving even faster now, and closed the distance in half the time.
'Huh...what the!' Meia didn't expect the sudden change in timing, and she found herself nimbly evading blows left and right. She was forced to raise her weapon to block a particularly quick blow to her upper side; but Jai swiftly altered the stick's trajectory and tripped her instead.
Though caught off-guard for a second, Meia deftly rolled backwards and to the side, putting considerable distance again between Jai and herself. While she was panting somewhat, her opponent seemed only very slightly winded, if not at all.
Jai was spinning the stick again in figures-of-8, this time with two hands. "Hey...you're pretty good. That trip usually finishes the match..."
"You're not using the entire length of the weapon..." Meia observed. Indeed, Jai had been holding the stick at its middle the whole time.
"Yeah, well...it's the fighting style I'm really good at. That's another reason why I didn't like to use the baton," Jai explained.
'In that case...' Meia thought, 'The reach advantage isn't a factor now. It'd be best to finish this fight as quickly as possible...' It was now her who ran forward and let loose a flurry of attacks. Everybody was cheering even louder.
"Haha...now it gets interesting..." Jai remarked, as he simply stood his ground and either blocked or dodged each of Meia's numerous strikes. The electric tip came as close as a centimeter to his face, but not once did it ever graze flesh and cause damage.
'Darn...' Meia cursed mentally, more out of frustration that actual spite, as she jumped backwards, all of her attacks having been eluded one way or another. '...he's really good...'
"Is that all?" Jai said tauntingly. He was again spinning the stick about himself, now faster and more intricately than before, as if to warn that the fight was nearing its climax. "I was sort of expecting a bit more..." He was provoking her, much like she had done to Hibiki earlier; try to get the opponent to let his or her guard down in the haze of blind rage.
But both Jai and Meia knew that the tactic wasn't really going to work. Perhaps it was just to teach a certain loser earlier a small lesson...
...in one corner, Hibiki sneezed suddenly. "Darn it..." he mumbled.
"I'm not going to hold back now," Meia said, grinning a little. Jai was good in combat; that much was now very apparent...even better than when he was piloting the Vanguard, she concluded.
'But victory isn't going to come all that easily, not even for him,' she also resolved, still not giving up the fight.
Jai let out a little chuckle. "Is that so? Then I won't either..."
This time, both lunged at the same time, with same intent: to put an end to the fight once and for all. Meia began the offensive, launching attacks in rapid succession. Jai seemed to anticipate the barrage, as he began stepping back almost immediately and evading each strike.
The whole time, the audience watched anxiously, including Hibiki and Dita.
Seeing an opening after an extensive forward thrust of Meia's baton, Jai then took the offensive; this time using faster, though slightly more controlled, strikes that came in such quick succession that even Meia had a hard time blocking.
'This is even more difficult that before...oh shoot!' she thought, before one swing struck the baton and sent it flying from her hands.
Wasting no time, Jai swiftly dashed forward, to behind Meia, and held one end of the stick held across her neck, much like that of an assassin with a blade.
"Game over...there's no more escape," Jai whispered. In response, Meia simply sighed and lowered her head, signaling defeat.
Jai then also lowered his stance and, walking opposite his opponent, bowed once more, as he did at the start. "Nice match," he said, smiling.
"Y-yeah, you too..." Meia replied, slightly smiling back, though still a little out of breath.
Everybody was silent. And then, little by little, applause began until everyone was soon clapping and cheering.
'Haha...kinda reminds me of the reaction with the piano...' Jai mused as he put back the handle in its place.
He felt a pat on the shoulder, "Hey!" It was Hibiki.
"Er...nice work on that battle, man. I mean, you beat that Mejale monster, no problem," his words were unhurried, but excitement was in his tone of voice.
"While you couldn't?" Jai asked jokingly, though with a hint of sarcasm in his own tone.
"Hey; I'm not really all that concentrated, all right? Cut me some slack, sheesh..." he whined, although probably expecting the conversation to take this particular turn. He immediately decided to change the subject. "But in any case, I'd expect you to be as good when we're out fighting those Drea...uh, enemies, huh?" he said, almost mentioning 'Dreads' instead of their 'common enemy'...still not used to being allies with the Mejale.
"Agreed...if you learn to behave yourself more while on this ship," Jai answered. Though neither was actually in a position to harbor expectations, it was for the common, larger good anyway.
Hibiki made a face.
"He's right, you know..." Meia interrupted, perhaps listening in on the conversation.
Hibiki made an even uglier face. "Oh well...all right. But I won't go so far as to be a slave here or something...I've got my pride...wha!" He almost jumped in surprise as Dita pulled him in a tight hug.
"Hey, leader!" she hollered, though keeping a tone of respect, "I'd wanna show him around and stuff. Would that be okay?"
After some silent deliberation on her part, Meia shrugged. "All right...as long as he doesn't do anything stupid..."
"Yay! C'mon Mr. Alien!" Dita cheered. As he was being dragged out, Hibiki fumed, "Hey! Who are you calling stupid...?" He was cut off by the door shutting behind them.
"He's just too brash...a lot of potential, though. He just needs to focus more," Jai began, initially referring to Hibiki's combat skills. He then continued, addressing Meia this time, "Anyway, you fight really well. It's been really awhile since I've had to get a bit serious in sparring."
"But you still won. You're clearly much better," Meia answered rather cheerfully, compared to her usual self.
Jai laughed. "True...though maybe next time I won't be so lucky..."
Meia gave a wry smile. "Don't be silly; you weren't even trying earlier."
"So this means I could still walk about the ship and such as I'd please? Without doing anything out of bounds, of course..."
Her smile turned into one that was more pleasant as she looked at him straight in the face. "You weren't under any prohibition in the first place, so don't worry about it. Well, see you later...and...thanks," she said as she stood and left.
"Uh...thanks also..." Jai stammered after her; then he likewise left, heading for his own room, where a shower and nap awaited him; he had just about enough adventures for the day...
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Meia was met by Jura along the ship's corridor.
"You seem to be losing your touch, getting beaten like that...and by someone who is to be considered..."
The Dread leader simply walked on, ignoring her haughty crewmate.
"Hey! Weren't you even listening to me!"
Meia stopped and faced Jura. "It's not that I've become less that I already am...it's just that he was much more confident in himself than I was in myself. I'd do better to learn from him..." she said in a not-so-icy tone of voice, smiling as she did so, and then continued on her way.
Jura was slightly taken aback. "Wha...what the heck was that supposed to mean?"