Things ain't nobody got time for:
#1: That
#2: Co-workers that make me wish to punch things
Eh, what can you do, I guess. Reviews!
Subject ZeroOne: Ehh, he might need a bit of luck, but he'll be alright. He has Plot Armor™! ...Kinda. Thanks for saying that it's a good first Chapter though, since, uh, technically my first actual draft aside from grammar check. Either way, thanks for the praise! I'm gonna try and keep up with the expectations.
Qruis: Appreciate the first part of your review man, but... ouch, that second part. Hittin' a little too close to home there, friend. Well, here's this Chapter to try and change that!
Onst with the tale! and if y'all are interested, I have a Discord! discord. gg/XtPKKd7
DISCLAIMER: In case the first Chapter didn't explicitly state this hard enough, I own precisely jack shit involving this world, as all of that is Geo's. Seriously, go support that guy.
Chapter 2: The Premise of the Promise
I groggily awake to the sound of heavy footfalls not far from my location, on the other side of the door that's held me hostage for the last... uh.
I don't know how long I've been here, come to think of it. There are no windows, so light entering isn't really a thing. Thank luck that my phone somehow still has a charge though. Maybe the electronics of my home world are just really receptive to gaining energy through whatever magic or what-have-you is around here? Who knows. I just know my phone's battery power hasn't dropped at all, and I've basically been using it non-stop. Weird that. And hey, maybe when I finally get ouut of here, I can figure out why the hell my hair's white, as I found out when I used the camera to see if I looked any different from the last time I checked the mirror at home.
I jump when runes around the door the door stop glowing and it slams open, revealing a large man in a hulking suit of gold-orange armor, his face shadowed, and a solitary red feather sprouting from the helm.
"All right, up and at 'em. The Queen wants you. No funny business." the man states, stamping over to my person and grabbing me by my ankle brace. I close my eyes and brace, expecting a yank to pull me out of the cell that I've been laying on the floor of for the last however-the-hell-long it's been. Instead, I hear a light snapping sound, and glance down at the brace, now being held by the giant of a man. I glance at the behemoth before me, a brow quirked in clear confusion.
"Doorway will zap you if I don't take it off. Don't think you can run off though. The whole castle's looking for you if you do, and they've all been authorized to attack to kill if you do." the man states. I sigh.
"Just because you took the brace off doesn't mean I'm gonna run, man. I've already kinda accepted that I'm gonna die, and the thing is, I wouldn't have been to this point if the person who made that threat wasn't a Queen. The only thing that I can hope she does is end my life quickly if that's what she decides to do. Hard for her to make it painless if I struggle and squirm the whole way down." I state smoothly, putting up a front of bravery in front of this man.
It takes everything I have to stop the shaking in my hands. What I'm feeling right now isn't bravery; it's courage. Many don't know the difference, so I'll simply state it here: Bravery is to face something without fear. Courage is to face something despite fear. And I'm ready to face the person who threatened my death with all the courage I can muster.
I tread forward, head held high, following the man who could easily be leading me to my gallows. I see all the others contained within the castle, each staring at me analytically; knowing I'm dangerous and ready to act if I make any moves, but still dutifully waiting.
I fail to understand why I'm dangerous, considering how badly the Queen kicked my ass that time back. Lady nearly knocked my teeth out in one kick, and had me unconscious in a grand total of four hits.
I realize that I'm out of time to think about much else than my impending doom, since I have just entered what appears to be the throne room. I pause in my step for just an instant, before soldiering forward. This is it.
The Queen sits before me, straight and upright. She's wearing what must be her royal attire, as it's entirely white with gold ornamentation on her hips, wrists, shoulders, and on her shoes, which are high-heeled now. Her face is a carefully controlled balance between disgust and deadpan, only giving the slightest hints of emotion away.
"Thank you for bringing him here, B-Top. Go ahead and start your rounds for the day. I should have this handled." The Queen states, her facial expression never once changing.
The so-called B-Top nods sternly, before turning on his heel and stomping away. An awkward silence pervades to room as she waits for B-Top to leave. The moment he's gone, however, she launches into action; moving forward so fast that I only have an instant to react. I see her leg rising in a roundhouse motion, so I snap my hands up and catch her leg. I put no pressure on it, and when she retracts her leg, I simply let go. A test? What is she testing, if it is?
"You blocked my kick. I'll admit, I'm surprised." She states neutrally, her face betraying nothing to fact or fiction on this statement.
"That so? And why's that?" I ask, tilting my head to the side slightly in confusion.
If Gwain had to be honest with herself, she'd never expect someone to react with as much composure as this human had to her attacking them. Even Geo had an air of unease whenever she was on the offensive against him, whether verbally or physically. This human, however...
He looked solemn, if a bit baffled.
"I'm surprised because you didn't take any chance to attack me after I left myself wide open, and you just let my leg go." She explains, being confused herself. "Why didn't you make any attempt to attack me back?" Gwain asks, trying to piece the enigma before her together.
The human seemed to take a moment to consider his answer, before all he could offer was a shrug. "Well, I know that I'm already going to die at some point in the near future, since you yourself stated that you would only allow me to live the night that I first showed up, and never specified any further. The only information that I could have given you that actually helps you is already given, and you... not humans, but whatever you call yourselves, seem to be readily able to kick my ass at any time. I've already accepted that I'm probably going to die or go home, and the second seems like such an incredible challenge to do without literally killing myself that the first is the only logic conclusion. Why should I make it any more painful to those involved by struggling? You're a Queen, obviously, and thus the people here need you in good health, and I'm not about to rob innocents of what could be their entire lifestyle by actually attempting to kill the one who has promised, for all intents and purposes, to kill me. So, I guess to fully answer your question after this rambling... I don't think that I'm worth more than anybody here, and if I'm to die, so be it. It's not worth possibly destroying something important to hundreds, thousands, or even millions."
Gwain blinked in shock, having not expected this answer. He didn't attack her back... because he felt that he was guaranteed to die? That it was for some greater good?
She felt her brows narrowing in irritation.
"Pathetic."
I start as her voice rings the silence that settled between us in the moments after I delivered my tirade. Pathetic? What?
"What?" I ask, now further baffled.
"I called you pathetic." she growls, glaring at me in irritation. "The fact that you think so little of yourself sickens me, human. There are only a select few that could match up to you physically, and I am one of those very few. You have a startling amount of power to your name, and this is all without magic. The fact that you think so little of yourself is beyond infuriating to me, despite my hatred toward your kind. You think that you not fighting back is for some better good? No, it means you died pathetically, not wanting to fight back to preserve the sacrifices that it took to get you where you are today. So what if you're before royalty? So what if you're in some other world, far from home, where one of the most important individuals wants you dead? Prove them wrong. Fight for your life. Show those people who have given you their all, in spirit, that you don't think so little of them to just give up when there's no clear way out." the Queen states, and I can only barely react when her fist flashes up, attempting to catch me in the jaw. I only barely catch it, but she's already moving again, swinging her right leg up to try and catch me in the chin with a high kick. I react by letting go of her fist and leaning back, the gale of air causing my hair to ruffle violently.
"Now, prove to me that you won't just fall over and die, and maybe I'll let you live again."
I blink, and she's moved again, having teleported to my right. I swing my right hand out and catch her shoulder, as she was close enough to me to try and throw a swing at me, and I make my move. I grab her outfit in a fist, and swing my arm behind me, her clothes straining to hold out against my enhanced strength but managing to do so, and she only manages to barely keep herself upright, now facing me from behind. I then do the classic maneuver to those who were targeting someone and making a move to attack from behind unarmed: Make them S.I.N.G. as they hit the floor. Those who don't know this maneuver? Follow my lead: "S". Solar Plexus. I drive my right elbow backward, slamming it into the soft tissue immediately below her ribcage. The Queen exhales harshly as she keels over, her arms immediately going to her midriff, around my elbow, as she gets the wind knocked out of her. Step two: "I". Instep. I step backward smoothly while shifting my elbow forward, keeping her in the same spot she was as I move myself backward, obtaining a better angle for step three: "N". Nose. I swing my upper arm skyward, using my elbow as a fulcrum to perfectly drive my upper arm into the entire upper half of the Queen's torso, my arm connecting with her sternum and my hand (being open handed, I don't want to cause significant damage to this woman, so I keep the knuckles from coming out to play) to backhand her face. This makes her reel back slightly, straightening her out and making her instinctively release my arm from between hers, and allowing for the final step: "G." Groin. I swing my upper arm down, again using my elbow as a fulcrum, to drive my entire upper arm into her lower torso. I do, however, stop my fist from hitting her lady parts, as again, I don't want to actually hurt her.
And now you all know how to make them S.I.N.G. along. Take it with you wherever you may go.
"Well, there you go. I just gave you a demonstration of a series of motions designed to keep people from my homeworld safe from those who approach from behind, and thus, a method to keep them from making me just "keel over and die", as you so put it. We done?" I ask, keeping my to ne neutral.
Gwain stayed hunched over for a moment, attempting to regain her breath as the human spoke. She had to give credit, he had done exactly what she had told him to do, which was a fair bit better than Geo had, with his flippant attitude and refusing to follow her instructions. She took a moment to inhale deeply a few times, before nodding and standing straight.
"I'll give you credit human; you can at least defend yourself. So why didn't you do that as soon as I attacked you?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow and placing a hand on her hip as she stood.
The human shrugged, with a neutral look on his face. "I already told you, Queen. I didn't want to hurt anybody that could be important. That said, at this point, it stands to reason that I don't wanna hurt anybody. I already told you that night when we first met; I was never truly combat trained, and I only know some simple concepts to defend myself. On top of that, I don't like resolving problems with my fists, but rather with brains and logic. I tend to not fight if I can help it."
Gwain was silent for a moment, before she sighed. "My name is Gwain, human. I don't like people referring to me by title only."
I quirk my eyebrow, wondering what the hell brought that on. "What brought you telling me your name on? From the way you act, you don't want anything to do with me, and I'm fully expecting you to just lock me away again in your "let me live" statement. So what gives?"
The now introduced (to me, anyway) Gwain huffs, and crosses her arms while leaning onto her right hip and looking to the left, scowling. "I might hate humans with a passion, but... I can at least see that you're being honest with me, though I still hate how you were ready to just lie down and die. So, instead, I want a favor from you."
I balk at her, and my face must have shown total confusion because Gwain sighed again. "There's another human that has been around here, and he managed to stay alive through our first encounter because my daughter took a liking to him. That said, he tends to take things the brute force route, so it causes issues for myself, and sometimes, even my daughter. He's her bodyguard, so he needs to keep her safe, but... I honestly question if he can actually complete the task when a mentally difficult situation arises. So, I'm going to ask you, the only other human that I have ready contact with, for assistance, despite how much I hate to do so." Gwain explains.
I stare at her, before I pinch my nose and heave a slight sigh. "Really selling this job to me, there. All right, I'll bite. What makes it so that I'm more qualified to talk sense into him over you or your daughter?"
Gwain scowls and grumbles. "It's because you're a human. I wonder if your camaraderie would help him see logic, and I fail to see anything to lose."
I shake my head. "Considering your reaction to me, I think it's safe to say that a human looking over anybody isn't really a good move, especially if people follow your lead and treat me like garbage." I retort, and watch as Gwain pinches the bridge of her nose and exhale sharply.
"And that's why you'd need to keep that under wraps, kid." Gwain states, and I scowl back.
"Kid? I'm 22, held my own job, my own place, and my own personal belongings before I showed up here. I'm an adult, thank you very much." I state, glowering at Gwain. If there's anything I hate, it's being called a kid, just because I have less experience in a field than another, or just because of age. "And besides that, I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't take much for people to figure out that I'm a human. I have white hair and it shows no signs of going back to what it was, and that's the only thing that changed from home to here, yet it was enough to let you know what I was. People looking for it will know."
Gwain stares at me for a moment before groaning and slapping her hand onto her face. "Why are you fighting me so much on this?!" she growls angrily.
"Because I refuse to go clueless into a situation like-" I start in, before cutting myself off as I see a flash of pink hair behind Gwain. I don't even get a chance to say anything on the matter before Gwain gets bowled into from behind, a mass of white, pink, and beige clinging to her for dear life.
Gwain staggers as she finds herself slammed into from behind, and looks to her shoulder to see a mass of bright pink against her shoulder. "Ami? What's wrong?" she asks, dropping her ongoing conversation with the human to address her adopted daughter, who is now quietly weeping into her shoulder.
Ami speaks quietly, enough so that the human can't hear her, as is her habit, and quickly says "Geo's captured!"
"By who?" Gwain asks immediately, though she already has a guess.
"Luna..." Ami quietly murmurs.
"Damn." Gwain curses sharply, before turning to the human. "Come on, you're getting a trial by fire if you don't want me to kill you tonight." she barks at him, before turning on a dime and looking directly at Ami, who is now standing before her with her hands together and her head down, tears filling her eyes. "Where is he? Luna can't be allowed to have full access to him. We don't know what she'll do to use him."
I'm confused. Who the hell is Luna, and why is this my trial by fire? What's so bad about her?
I watch as Ami explains to Gwain quickly where she and Geo were - "Geo... isn't that the name of the guy that went missing some time ago in the city I lived in? ... Yeah, I think so..." - Before she turns to me. "Go with Ami and head to MoonTech HQ. I... can't help you due to a deal striken long ago with the person in question, but I can't let her have a human to experiment on. Who knows what she'd be able to find out? I'd rather not know. Ami needs to get Geo back, but you're gonna be the firepower to do it. Now go!" Gwain states, and both myself and Ami nod and turn toward the entryway.
"Ami!" Gwain calls as we walk forward, and Ami turns her head to her mother. "Get him back, and find out if... erm... if he's trustworthy..." Gwain trails, stumbling at the end as I realize something that makes me smile in genuine humor.
"I suppose this is a good time to bring this up, isn't it?" I ask, before turning and doing a flourishing bow toward Gwain. "My name is Chris. If I'm gonna be working with you, it's only proper you know my name. Here's to a long-lasting worker's relationship, and maybe, just maybe..." I trail, before shaking my head, standing straight, and turning back to the entryway, lightly jogging out of the throne room. "You may see me as more than just a menace to control another. I truly hope that we can become good friends, Queen Gwain!"
And that's a wrap on this Chapter! I'm gonna be honest, this is legitimately hard as hell for me to write. Coming up with something genuine for Chris to think, legitimate reactions from Gwain, more reactions from Chris, and getting the plot moving... hurgh. Well, I hope I at least got it established well enough that Chris means no harm to anyone, but will defend himself if need be. Next Chapter may happen soon, maybe not; we'll see if I can keep a trend going!
See ya when I see ya
-Phaazed