Howdy folks, I hope two weeks isn't too long for an update, I've been working way too much for my own good lately as well as slacking. Anyways this chapter will rap up a great introduction to the main character as chapter three or "deck three" will get this story moving along. Well, without further a do, a story.
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Deck Three: Two people met in a barIt was two in the afternoon; Edge had only gotten up thirty minutes before his date and his appearance showed it. His hair was half combed, ruffled to a T, and he had neglected relieving himself of his five o'clock shadow once more. He managed to throw on his five-year worn leather jacket, sporting his AC' emblem as a shoulder patch, a white shirt, and some long un-ironed blue jeans. A good night's sleep the day before betrayed him, and he was forced to race his Aoji 100cc bike from his apartment in Old Isaac, to the secure elevator to Neo Isaac. He slowly released the throttle off his bike as he turned on Falken Street, edging closer and closer until he reached a bar small building with an old sign on it. Edge knew it to be an Old Norse glyph of some kind. Edge had arrived at the tavern. He dismounted from the bike carrying his blue helmet with its reflective glare shield, to his side.
Heimdal's Tavern, The name of the bar Sharon had chose to meet him at was another one of the world's ironies. Some Viking god that watched over the bridge that connected the land of the gods to the land of humans was a reference to Neo Isaac 's large elevator to the Old Isaac; the crowning achievement that would bring humanity back to the surface. The tavern was only a few blocks away from Neo Isaac's main gate. Upon stepping through the tavern's open door, Edge found his eyes adjusting quickly to the darker luminance of the bar. Heimdal's walls, tables, chairs, and even the floor were made of dark, old polished wood fairly lit by old classic light bulbs hanging by old rusted chains from the ceiling; It was old and established, it had nothing to prove.
The tavern that afternoon was chock full of patrons, from government soldiers, and freelance mercs, to corporate businessmen, most of them looking to be in their thirties and above. Closest to the bar were many of the government soldiers, backs hunched over the table, their liquored faces easily in reach of more harmful drink. It was sad thing to see but Edge had been there and still hadn't left. The tables, to the left of the bar, however were filled with businessmen with there, suits, laptops, and conservative haircuts to boot. Most of them were busy sharing tales of their trivial lives over a few bottles of hard liquor. Edge knew it then, Heimdal served as a bridge between the warriors of the world and the peasants who built it. Sharon had some social taste, and if he could manage to find her he would tell her that.
Sharon had been as vague as she could be on her appearance. "You'll know me when you find me" she told him. Edge knew she had some character to her. She was a flirtatious smart ass with a soldier girl's flare. Sadly, though there were four other women like that in the bar. One, a brunette of about Edge's height, was seated around the middle of the bar. Obviously by the beat redness hugging under her cheeks she was plastered. For a bar jockey she came of as being homely with a rounder softer face with green eyes. Her body was slender, exhibiting small perky breasts, and incredibly perk butt by Edge's or anyone else standards. She could have been Sharon, but she was plastered and would probably be the last person he would talk to.
Edge glanced at the one smiling in spite of his feel of pity and moved further in the establishment the other girl he had seen was seated around the table with his other choices. Edge had nicknamed her red. She was short with nearly a foot shorter than Edge. Her European features weren't overly cute but they were good enough; short, slightly chubby, but large nice size rack. She seemed be the quiet one of the group, anything she said falling short to her own anxieties towards the women she was with. The woman in the middle was drastically different from here counterpart to the right of her. She was raven-haired, and her skin seemed of an Asian descent but her facial features gave away that she was Indian right of the back. She came off as most bitchy and very butch, not really the type who folded there legs to often. Her features were of the super athletic type, every muscle well tightened, thin stomach and well developed curves, not betrayed by over eating and lack of exercise. The several tattoos of plain animals, like the African plain animals long extinct like the tiger, the elephant, the lion around her arms and her red, white green, and yellow beaded earring added to her mystique. She had to be their leader and a damn good one at that. From there edge focused on the girl next to her. Her friend, the one next to her own right was of the squeaky type. She was definitely Asian, most likely of Chinese descent, her eyes and round cheeks gave that away. She was a less muscular version of her Indian friend, and sported exotic silver hair and a nicer body than the other five in the bar. She seemed to be the brains of the group probably the girl that held the three together. Prompt and well pronounced when she spoke, she seemed to be extremely polite. All in all the three seemed to be a tight bunch, but neither of the women that were talking, the Indian or the Chinese girl, sounded like Sharon at all. To make each of them all the more intriguing, the three of them were all still dressed in the standard earth government metallic gray uniforms, common to those serving in the mobile infantry division. Those women were pilots all right, and most assuredly one of them had to be Sharon, and since the two on the right side of the table didn't sound like Sharon, it had to be quiet girl.
Sure in his deductions, Edge pushed further past the bar keeping a warm stead gaze on the girl he had called red. Eager, he scooted his way past some of the other men standing in his path. His boot steps were silenced in the pure noise that had picked up in the bar. "Sharon" he shouted tying to pierce through the noise. The red head glanced over at Edge briefly, but she quickly turned her attention back towards her company. "She must not have heard or something" Edge believed. Edge finally neared the table really, close, and began to repeat his call again, but then suddenly heard a loud crash. The sound originated from edge's right, next to the bathroom. The raven glanced over behind him looking for some indication, and quickly found something, something of which that surprised him. On the nicely finished wooden floor beneath him, was a short red haired girl who looked like she couldn't have been older than nineteen, with her eyes, deep blue reflecting the ceiling light, and trapped in surprise stare towards him. Oh no did I trip her? Edge didn't know whether to be embarrassed for him or for the young girl.
"Are you ok?" Edge asked feeling worried, and still in shock
"I'm doing ok, lucky I'm not an old bastard like you, roboboy or I might not be getting up right now." The girl said.
"Sharon?" Edge asked.
"Yeah, Edge" she snapped sarcastically.
Edge couldn't help but laugh at the situation. The girl he had spent nearly five minutes searching for had been in the bathroom the whole time while he had been slowly deducting who she was. He only found her after she collapsed onto the floor. Edge paused in his laughter, which Sharon shared with him, to help pull the girl up gently by her hands. They walked carefully to an open table midway through the tavern. The two of them sat down, each of them lightly situating themselves, Edge placing his bike helmet down, Sharon brushing dirt off her clothes. Before they both took a seat, Edge subconsciously began to check Sharon's features from the waist. She was very pretty for her small petite figure that was well accented by the studded jeans she wore over her thin legs and the tiny blue shirt she wore that hugged her nice curves around her stomach. To fit with whole tavern theme though as not to seem out of place she wore and torn jean material sleeveless vest. She was casual and very energetic, as she seemed to literally bounce around in her chair and carried herself like she hadn't lived in the city too long. She was everything Edge thought she was, but tall.
"Hmm you know Edge you're pretty cute for someone so grizzled. Your file picture didn't do you justice." Sharon said, smiling beamingly, her country voice in full twang.
"You're shorter, for someone with your voice. " Edge cut back
"How so, you expected me to sound like some chipmunk? It's crazy I know but I inherit that from my Dad's side" Sharon said her defense waving her hand.
"No, it's just that all the women I know with a sultry voice like you are about my height. There's nothing wrong with your voice at all it gives you character." Edge replied brightly.
Thanks, for buttering me up Edge, I was beginning to feel kind of dry. I see you're really desperate for a cigarette and 40 ounce, don't worry I didn't forget our bet. " Sharon said, as she blinked an eye
"Huh I didn't win the bet. The foreign secretary was killed." Edge whispered in surprise.
"That wasn't in the bet, the number of Indies you could dispatch in five minutes was though. " Sharon said bending over the table with a devilishly cute grin. "You deserve these." Sharon dove and a hand into her to right fest pocket, struggling until she pulled out of package of unired regulars. She lightly tossed the small package over at Edge. As he caught them, he felt pitied, but accept the cigarettes right into his pocket.
"Thanks, Sharon," Edge replied, smiling "Speaking of which has the bureau's forensics team been able to find anything on who or what was responsible for dispatching the Foreign Minister yet?"
"No they haven't finished analyzing all the data yet. If you ask me though I was thinking it could have been a person rather than mecha, but it's incredibly hard to prove. We didn't find any traces of any other terrorists in there." Sharon recalled very
"Nor did I, all of the terrorist who invaded the facility were in mecha units. That explains why I had so much luck dispatching them, they were all just big targets." Edge added.
"So that leaves only one option then, there was a stealth unit in that facility." Sharon said, tapping her hand against the table.
"That's a biggie there, but still my bio sensor would have shown something. That's the one draw back to current stealth technology. Plus the only existing technology out there is sensor stealth, not optical. The Indies aren't capable of that." Edge contended
"Not if the area was vented with hot steam it wouldn't, bio sensors don't hold up that well under humidity. It's one of their major design flaws. " She argued
Edge suddenly felt beaten. "How could I have forgotten that, the furnace temperature and the steam must have wreaked havoc with my sensors. That would leave anyone else pretty much open to do anything". Edge pondered.
"Hmm, you keep up pretty well" Edge said, his voice trailing slyly.
"Thanks for the complement, that reminds me, Edge, your ac does have visual recording system on it, does it not?" Sharon asked teeming with politeness
"Yeah it doubles has an auto mapper, but I always rig it for recording. Shit, I know what you're getting at, but I was so pissed yesterday at the entire situation I didn't even look at the disc." Edge yelled thinking aloud.
"Oh well, I was going to try and see if you had missed anything. It might help have helped us to look at the tape for an type of heat distortions within the steam." Sharon replied regretfully.
"Well don't worry about it, your bastard Lieutenant already had the disc taken for your bureau's records. They're probably figuring something out now." Edge replied irritably.
"You're right. You know Chalthu isn't that bad, when he isn't forced to let some hotshot ac pilot take complete control of the situation, he can actually be pretty normal. Besides, you were taking way to long to get in to that facility anyway." Sharon replied, mockingly pointing at Edge
"Chalthu, had it out for me from the start. He could have been hyped on some typed of happiness pill and still hated me. The guy just doesn't take to lightly to ravens, like most of you government types." Edge laughed
The operator waved over the only waitress on duty that afternoon and ordered two beers. After a few moments of mild gabbing about armored cores and life in the bureau, the waitress returned with two beers tapped off with the light amount of foam that Edge favored. He had discovered plenty of interesting things about Sharon, she was a huge arena fan and supposedly it had a huge underground following amongst many bureau officers. She also told him about many of bar patrons seated around the front stools. Most of them were actually a bunch of retired MT jocks whom seemed to enjoy the bar because it' looked like bars from the early days of the Mars Terraforming. It was the last thing remaining from a past many people didn't remember. She also been trying repeatedly to transfer into an armored core division but had little success. Her enthusiasm about mechs though, was she shined, talked about hem mostly using her hands and seemed to know her stuff well. This part of her interested him.
Edge sipped on the local brew light trying to get a taste for it while Sharon easily downed a third of it. It had a nice smell and seemed almost if the brew had some type of citrus in it, but Edge simple shrugged any further thoughts of it. It was soothing and didn't taste like crap, that's all that mattered
"So Edge, how did a sweet old bastard like yourself become single?" Sharon asked, staring at Edge with a flirtatious look, She seemed to be trying to most certainly match eyes with Edge. He could tell she was interested him for more than just the legend. Edge found her to be attractive, but wasn't entirely into the operator; she seemed too young, and felt like she was in completely world apart from him. Answering the question wasn't something he felt like doing much either. It was too deep, opening fissures in the solid barrier his psyche created, and tearing through instantly to his lost Samantha. Suddenly depression had begun to settle into him again, he wanted to leave, but felt he had to stay and humor the person he called there. He couldn't blame Sharon though for what happened and felt he had answer to excited flirtatious glare with the truth. She certainly didn't' seem ready for it
"You could say I'm sort of male widow. My wife died during that Indie uprising in Old Zam five years ago."
"I'm sorry I mentioned it" Sharon said.
"No, don't worry about it, you're like me, having to know and analyze everything. It can be quite a burden sometimes." Edge began to preach down a third of his glass
"So did you become of Raven because your wife had died" Sharon asked, her mood diminishing
"No, I was raven about five years before all of that, but I can say that I don't feel sorry for the Indies much because of the whole thing." he said
"Bitter too" she replied laughing
"No, lack of a sex life, and a crappy nine to five job makes someone bitter, An astute sense of observation, in a dangerous paramilitary job makes someone edgy " he agreed,
"But, full of surprises, and an intact sense of humor nonetheless." Sharon said happily
"Yeah, you could say that" he replied calmly
Sharon's mood was surprising to Edge, instead of quieting herself after he told her about Samantha, she continue to speak with about the same energy she had when they started. "She dodged Samantha fairly well, yet she doesn't seem jealous, or unwilling to talk now either, it's like it doesn't bother her, strange for someone her age." Edge thought.
"Wow speaking of Edgy, I could really go for a unired right now you coming with me?" Sharon asked
"Hey now you're speaking my language, kid." Edge hummed
"Hey I'm no kid you know, I'm twenty-five for your information" Sharon yelled
"Well you certainly could have fooled me, you're a still kid to me though" Edge
"What do you mean by that?" Sharon asked, her voice pitching as if she was offended
"I'm thirty four." Edge answered calmly
"Yikes" Sharon squeaked.
"Don't worry though I'm sure your overwhelming female sense of maturity makes you more like thirty". Edge reassured Sharon as he threw his arm over her shoulder.
The two newly found friends made their way out to the front of the tavern pushing their way back the out of the plushy timely wood furnished tavern to the outside. Stepping through the door Edge found the nicely overcast gray urban neighborhood to be completely drowned out by a harsh gloomy rain that began while he looked for Sharon inside the tavern. Despite the darkness caste upon the world outside, Edge felt his spirits had become higher, as he had left bar to smoke with Sharon. The two of them huddled under an awning alongside the building. He smoked for the purpose of connecting socially with her than the unireds calming effects. After spending a few more moments with the short red head, he had begun to realize that he indeed had things that had to get done back at Arc.
"Damn it, I have to go Sharon. The blade needs repairs and I have to be there to sign off on all of them." Edge stated, his voice fighting the raining beating above him.
"I see" Sharon said taking the cigarette out of her mouth slowly. "Maybe I should stop by later, get to check the old girl out. Who knows, maybe this old girl can get it to run better." She said. Edge still facing her, Sharon grabbed edge by the shoulders and kissed him gently on the cheek. Edge pushed himself not the blush, but forced out a smile. The kiss had caught him off guard.
"Yeah that and something else" Edge murmured
"See I knew you were a pervert Edge. All grizzled old bastards are" Sharon laughed, loudly
Edge parted from the operator and ran across the street to where had parked his motorcycle. He dawned his helmet, while he was looking back at Sharon who braced her against the cold with one arm as she puffed away at the cigarette with her other. He smiled at her and tossed his cigarette aside its heated ashes quickly becoming washed away from beating rain. He started up the cycle, and flipped up the cycle's kickstand, he throttled the bike for show and loudly roared off down the street. He couldn't help but feel that he might indeed hold a unique destiny with Sharon. His thoughts pondered this as he made his way back to the large transport elevator.
***
Leka pondered over the irony that her employer had presented to her over the past few weeks, while she waited for direct news of yet another job.
She was speechless, she had not only been out on four jobs within the last month for him, but they had all been to kill ravens: dangerous but treacherous, and unskilled ones at that. Her challenges had begun to slowly dwindle in her career as a pilot and se began to realize two things: she was either getting the low-end milk run jobs or perhaps she had become a greater pilot than many once envisioned her. The latter she had begun to believe.
A woman of African descent, Leka stood stiffly, yet seemed comfortable outside the office of her employer, General Marks, hero of the Earth Government and current preceding Isaac Bureau Chief. Her combat ready appearance in the military office setting was awkward. She was still fully suited in her combat gear, a white and purple jumpsuit that matched her ac colors and a pair of large square shaped pilot goggles that she hung over her shimmering silver hair. The government workers on the floor shuffled past her looking at the tall soldier in awe. Even though she knew that she would leave almost immediately for her next job she felt this time it probably wouldn't even be worth a clothes change. She was a Zealot, engrossed in the idea of a non-corporate society completely under open government rule.
Leka held great patience with the man, as waited for him outside of his office door. She knew the importance of Marks' position and didn't pretend at all to be his keeper. The General held too much respect under her eyes. She was like a child waiting for her father to come home after a long trip. Her relationship with the General was just like that. Leka's love for him though was silent; she didn't want to confirm the rumors about their relationship growing within the brass especially, since her father, another Earth Government General, Marks good friend, had died as the previous Bureau Chief. Marks was Leka's protector, lord, and savior; the one person she felt true loyalty to. Marks also entrusted with her with one of most dangerous and important job in the government, a job as a top-level government solider, a hunter. Whenever Leka thought back to this harsh responsibility, she didn't grumble in self-pity, instead she stood tall and smiled warmly. She knew it to be her job, why be bitter about it when it something she chose to do. Leka knew the man to her right though didn't think of the job in the same light.
He was bulky Caucasian man who sported sunglasses and held grizzled hunters flair. She knew the man has Sniper, but most people knew him by his raven call sign Daemon. They both knew each other as raven hunters or ravens hired by the government to hunt down the earth government's most dangerous criminals out laws, or political terrorists. Leka though was different she hadn't even taken a job that wasn't with the Earth Government. Sniper however, from what Leka knew, was a highly regarded raven that left himself in reach of corporate employers. It was that view combined with his seething bitterness in his features that kept Leka from feeling any type of camaraderie with Daemon, and as such she didn't carry on conversation with him as she waited.
A few minutes short of the time they expected him, General Marks approached them, walking dutifully and keeping his composure as he carried a small folder with him into his office. Leka matched eyes with the General, returning the smile that emerged from the tanned Caucasian man. Leka followed in the General's wake with Daemon following behind.
Leka was no stranger to Marks' office, the constant darkness that Marks left hanging in the room lowered her mood but never seemed frightening to her. It was a place she found herself returning to since the beginning of her adolescent years. Marks was a definite neat freak; he was not one to leave any of his paper work out on the front of desk, or on top of the small row of file cabinets behind it. He walked behind his desk thumbing through a folder of paper work, most likely looking for some mission specific stuff. She stood in full military attentive stance while Daemon stood at ease. She found his lax, undisciplined nature to be quite irritable, and cringed." He should learn to respect a military officer." Leka shrieked in herself. Alas she knew his status as a civilian excluded him from having to do such.
"Ok, both you may take a seat this won't be too long" Marks ordered nonchalantly.
"Yes, General" The two ravens said in tandem as they took at seat in the chairs facing him.
"You both know the horrible abduction and assassination of the Foreign Secretary yesterday morning, correct." he asked the both of them, while he tapped a gold pen he had picked up from his desk.
"Yes" Leka replied, at the same time surprised at Daemon's silence. News of the Foreign Minister death had gotten out quick amongst all the media types. Leka knew, because she watched it on the holovision on board the dropship flight to Neo Isaac.
"We've have reason to believe that the Raven we hired to defuse the abduction operation went AWOL and was responsible in destroying the target. His name is…" Marks began to say
"Edge" Daemon finished.
"Yes, Daemon, or might I say sniper, I believe you two know each other." Marks said.
"We go back as far as six years ago, I knew the guy when he still seemed pretty green, I can't believe the idiot decided to go to work for the Indies. He must have found himself out of work. Despite anything I say about him though, the guys a freaking combat genius, a demon in freaking tin can. This is a hard target you're giving us General." Daemon loudly. He seemed to be excited about the new target but something about Daemon when he spoke of Edge seemed unnatural to Leka. She believed the two, hunter and target, had a sense of respect. His knowledge of this Edge seems helpful, but I'm not sure of their relationship, I certainly won't be putting trust in Sniper on this one.
"Well, the brass sees your knowledge of Edge to be crucial to his apprehension, and wants you two dispatched to go after him immediately. This is to be a clean job; no mistakes are to be made on this one. The brass wants this guy hauled off to a prison at Earth Central and on a freaking cross by next week. I expect only your best." Marks preached.
"Any suggestions on where to look, sir?" Leka asked, emotionless.
Marks smiled grimly, and shoved a large photograph of a large building, across the table towards Leka. Daemon glanced over. Leka barely noticed that there were three photographs attached to it. One of an emblem most like the emblem of Edge's armored core, some pictures of the inside of the building which seemed to be filled with ac 's and maintenance equipment. Leka easily identified it has a type of armored core garage.
"I recognize this, place it's the Heaven Arc, some dive of an AC garage in south Isaac." Daemon said.
"Yes, according to Intel, he's known to bide most of his time here. So this would most certainly be a perfect opportunity to disarm him and bring him in." Marks added.
"Hmm, don't worry about it, sir we'll get him alright, but I can't promise he'll come back in one piece." Daemon replied as looked from some notes. He finished up some notes he entered into his PDA and stood up from chair and began making his way out the door. Leka stood up with him ready to go but a question within her bothered her and she couldn't dare ask it Daemons presence. She waited for the door to completely close before stopping Marks.
"Leka, do you have a question?" Marks asked, raising his eyes from his notes
"Sir, I have but one question, don't you believe that the relationship between Sniper and Edge might jeopardize this mission." Leka asked
"It's a good question for you to ask my dear, but I feel that you have their relationship entirely wrong Daemon revels in his rivalry with Edge, but indeed hates him. Edge destroyed Daemon's life in the past, but it's more complicated than that, needless to say though Sniper will only be more motivated. You have no reason to worry, Leka" Marks answered.
Leka nodded and careful began to motion toward the door until, suddenly Marks called to her.
"You're smart, Leka I expect for you to do this job with same grace you have showed us before." Marks said, his voice full of trusting sincerity.
Leka nodded and left the room. She couldn't help, but feel full of purpose again in that moment. With her mentor's words fresh in her mind, Leka darted off down the hall in attempt to catch up with Sniper. " Yet another job given to me by the general, yet another chance to prove myself and save the world one traitor at a time. I will not fail." Leka promised her self.
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Voice actress of Sharon- Wow This Leka chick seems pretty determined, and Sniper an old rival of Edge is after him too. Our hero knows little of the world that approaches, him and the coming danger that lies in wait. Will Edge be able to hold off the impending onslaught, and misguided souls that seek to destroy him? We'll find out in two weeks hopefully in A high stakes game Deck Four: The Hunt
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