Chapter 9: The Weeks
Before the Tournament
All seemed
quiet at the school of St. Weatherby the battle between the two high ranked
pilots was not forgotten. But that
wasn't the battle to look for in the next upcoming days. It was another fight that took interest of
the school and its students. The fight
to determine who would accompany Lisa and Clyde in the tournament. However this fight wasn't between the
students but the instructors who taught them how to fight. They needed someone to keep watch on the
students and also to help them increase their chances of winning. The tournament rules allowed this seeming
three pilot combination the students and their instructor fighting for the
glory and total military supremacy. The
military would sure look at the school with the best pilots to recruit from,
and of course they would receive more money depending on how many students were
recruited. That's right these battles
between mobile suits were based on money, and money alone drove them to push
their pilots to the limits.
"You won't win Fitz!" Came a cry
from a communication signal on a standard mobile suit.
"Hmph,
that's what you think!"
A clash of
sabers erupted between two mobile suits, a pair of Soldati models fighting for
a chance to ride a new model suit. One
different than the rest one that would ultimately mean "Victory." When the sabers soon became a tiresome game
they switched weapons and unloaded rounds of armor piercing bullets from their
new machine guns. A new and improved
version of the 100mm rifle a new product courtesy of Mr. Weatherby
himself. Soon the pistols ran out of
ammo, and of course the saber game began again.
"Its time
to finish this! I'm tired of this game."
One of the
Soldati's brought their saber from the clash and brought it down on the others
hand and sliced it, the I-field breaking the neo titanium framing. This soon ended the battle as the hand with
the saber soon fell to the floor with a small rubble as it collided with the
Earth below.
"Enough!" A
communication signal rang for both of the production suits.
"The battle
is over! Fitz you have won this match!"
The suits
stopped their functioning and revealed their pilots. A rugged man came from the Soldati that was defeated. With only one hand still functioning. His fruitless battle had come to an
end. On the other side the cockpit
opened to reveal a handsome young man with a few scrubs of dirt on his face. Both slid down from the suit and
congratulated each other on the fight well done. Their "referee" went to look and see if they were doing
well. This young lady had much to care
for, since one of these instructors became an interest for her, and the fact
that she was one of the instructors didn't make it an easy way of expressing
her feelings. It was hard for her to
express anything except her happiness when she saw the person she was waiting
for was all right.
"That was
quite the battle you two."
"But I'm
glad no real harm was done."
The two
pilots shook hands and the second conceded his defeat. However he warned him that next time he
would be defeated that easily. Fitz
nodded and brought him the words "Bring it on my friend, I will be waiting." So it was decided Instructor Michael Fitz
would be the third in this new tournament.
The tournament that changed the view of life for everyone and was the
signal for the upcoming new age of "war."
~~
The next
morning the crowd at St. Weatherby's was crowding around one piece of paper
posted on the bulletin board. This
piece of paper listed the names of the pilots that would be participating in
this tournament. You know all three of
them already but this paper differed from what I have already told you. This piece of paper also listed the mobile
suits they would be using in this upcoming tournament.
Thus began
another grueling day for the young Matthews girl as she arrived at the school's
gate. Their waiting for her however was
a familiar face. Clyde Dalton stood on
the gate leaning against it as he waited for her especially.
"Bout time
you got here Lisa, I have some news."
"Well I'm a
late riser what's up?"
"I think it
would be better to show you, follow me."
"Ok then if
you say so."
Clyde got
up from his leaning position on the gate and walked into the school. Lisa followed him at every step trying to
decipher the look on his face. Was it
anger, surprise, sadness? She couldn't
figure Clyde out, at first he was friendly as always, but she figured it must
have been the news that must have changed him.
They continued walking until they reached the bulletin board that
everyone else was crowding. One person
turned around and saw the two people on the list, and shouted to the others to
let them through. The crowd then with
surprise and amazement that these two who looked like a couple would be
together at the tournament.
"Here Lisa
look at this…" Clyde points to the message on the board.
"What about
it?"
"Look at it
closely anything familiar?"
She looked
closer at the paper and saw the names of three pilots. Her own on the first spot, Clyde's on the
second spot, and a familiar name on the third spot. Next to the names was something different. It became a spot for mobile suits, empty now
but soon it would named with the suits they would participate with.
"Instructor
Fitz is on the list as well, your point?"
"That's not
what I meant, the mobile suit section is blank."
"And?"
"Well what
do you think they have in store for us?"
"Well…we'll
find out won't we?"
Lisa took
another look at the list and thought about it for a little longer. Instructor Fitz , Michael Fitz, same
person? She thought it must be, it was
the same guy she met that first day on the Earth. She didn't have much time to think since the bell rang and they
were given orders to head to their first class. However for Lisa and Clyde it was different, they were ordered to
report for the Combat bus.
The first training for the tournament was about to begin…