***Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star or the characters...
Konnichiwa! I hope you like this chapter and the story so far! Please review!
Chapter Two
Aisha exchanged looks with Melfina in the rearview mirror and then looked at Jim. "Hey, what's with him?"
Jim only shook his and looked out the window. He didn't answer her, ignored her question. He knew exactly why Gene was so shocked. And he couldn't fathom what must be going through Gene's head right now. There wasn't a weird to describe it.
Melfina looked at Gene's crestfallen face. She wanted to reach out to him and find out what was wrong, but lately he's been so distant and she couldn't reach him at all. She couldn't reach him even if she tried with all her might.
"Gene," she said, holding back her arms from touching him. "What's the matter? Don't you want the Outlaw Star back? You should be happy that you have it back, since it was stolen, like you said."
He opened his eyes and turned to her. "The Outlaw Star wasn't stolen."
"What?" they all asked in unison.
He cleared his throat. "I hid it in space, so no one would find it. I thought no one would, but I guess I was wrong," he replied.
"Why would you hide your own spaceship and leave it in space?" Aisha asked. "If I had a spaceship hiding somewhere, I would be in space searching for the Catarl Catarl."
"Well, I'm not exactly a Catarl Catarl, now am I, Aisha?" he snapped, getting a glimpse of her scowling expression in the rearview mirror. "Now as I was saying, I hid the Outlaw Star deep in space so the Key Pirates and other outlaws wouldn't find it. But the thing is, I hid it there because I knew I would never go back into space. Frankly, I wouldn't mind if I never saw space again. Space if just a vast graveyard for people who like to like on the wild side of things. I left that side a while ago."
"I can't believe you, Gene," Jim said. "Space used to be everything to you. You would stand in the spaceport and just stare at the stars and at the spaceships taking off. You and Hilda-Wait, now I know for sure why you're acting like this."
"And why is that, Einstein?" Gene asked. "Give me your solution to the problem."
Jim turned around and kneeled on the car seat. "It's because of her. Hilda. That's what it is. You're afraid of having the same thing that was done to her happen to you," he replied. "What happened to her wasn't your fault. It would've happened if you were there, too. It was her time to go and you couldn't stop it from happening."
"It's not that, Jim," he said. "Everything I touch will end up dying sooner or later. First it was Hilda and then it was almost Melfina. How many more people have to die because of me, Jim? Huh? Better watch out, you could be next."
Jim shook his head in disappointment and turned back around to face the road. "What a idiot," he muttered through clenching teeth.
Melfina looked at him with sympathy. She couldn't believe that he thought that everything that happened in the past was all his fault, when it really wasn't. What happened in the past was out of his control, just like it was with the future. She leaned to his side and kissed his cheek. "It will be all right," she whispered softly into his ear. "Whatever happens to us on our journey isn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself for things that were out of your control."
He turned to her and started into his eyes. [How could I be so stupid to question my love for her? She's the only reason why I'm still in this world. She's my whole world.] He smiled. "I know, Melfina. I know."
"I don't understand it, Aisha," Jim said. "When I try to reason with him he's completely impossible, but when Melfina does he's reasonable."
Aisha smiled. "You'll understand when you're older, Jim," she said, and turned off the freeway. "Just wait until you have a girlfriend of your own."
Jim blushed. "I guess so," he said, and quickly turned to the window.
They finally reached the spaceport and parked in the parking lot. They stepped out of the car and stretched out. They immediately spotted Suzuka as she leaned against a steel pole with her head tilted to the sky. She noticed them and straightened.
"You're finally here," she said. "I was thinking you guys might have chickened out or something."
Aisha shook her head. "We're not that cowardly, Suzu. And of course I am a Catarl Catarl, after all."
"Are you always going to remind us?" Gene said, squinting due to the immense sunlight beating down on them. "It's not like we're going to forget."
"Shut up, Gene," she growled.
Melfina and Jim exchanged looks with Suzuka and then started to walk with her. But Aisha and Gene didn't notice that they had left. They were too busy arguing to notice anything.
"Make me," he said. "Come on, Aisha."
She lifted her hands, projecting out her long, sharp claws. "Let's go," she said, circling each other. "Suzuka, don't bet on Gene this time."
But no answer, just the sounds of boots hitting the ground.
"All right, Suzu?" she asked, but she still didn't get a response. "Wait, Gene."
Gene stopped and stared at her curiously. "What are you backing out?"
She shook her head. She looked all around them and realized they had left them while they were fighting. "Gene, they left us," she admitted. "They deserted us in the middle of the freaking spaceport."
"I guess they did," he said, looking around. "Well, I suppose we should continue our fight later and go look for them."
"All right," she said. "They're probably where the Outlaw Star is."
He nodded in agreement and they walked down the long terminal to where the ships were located. As they walked, they had the strange feeling of someone following them. Gene turned, but saw no one that appeared to be doing so. He tried to shrug the feeling off his shoulders, but he still felt it.
"Hey, Aisha," he whispered nonchalantly. "Do you have the feeling that we're being followed by someone?"
"You mean you feel it, too? I thought if was just me," she replied. "Maybe we are and we just can't see who it is."
"Get real, Aisha," he said. "If someone can see us, we can see them."
She rolled her eyes and casually turned her head to look behind her. That was when she saw him. A man dressed in black: trenchcoat and boots. He was muscular like a brawny bodybuilder. He smiled slyly at her, which sent cold shivers up and down her spine. She quickly turned her head to Gene and pulled him off to the side in a small abandoned hallway. She quickly covered his mouth with her hand and pushed him against the wall.
"Gene, don't say a word," she said. "All right?"
He nodded, looking at her curiously.
She removed her hand from his mouth. "Gene, there's a guy out there that's following us!" she said, trying not to be loud.
"What?" he asked. "Who is it?"
"I don't know," she growled. "This big bulky guy with an evil smile."
Gene reached for his gun in his holster. "I'm glad I came prepared for this type of thing," he muttered, and looked up at her. "Aisha, go to the Outlaw Star with the others. Tell them I'll be there soon, okay?"
Aisha shook her head. "Gene, I can't leave you alone to fight. Catarl Catarl never let anyone fight alone. It's a rule."
"Well, you're gonna have to break the rules sometimes," he said, clicking back the hammer. "And anyway, what good is it if we both die? Then who's going to protect them?"
"I guess you're right," she said, scratching her ear. "I'll go, but be careful."
"I'm afraid 'careful' isn't in my dictionary, but I'll try," he said.
"Bye," she said, and ran off down the long, dark hallway.
Gene watched her disappear in the darkness. He then turned around to see a man, just like the one Aisha saw, standing in front of him.
"Gene Starwind," the man hissed like a snake ready to strike. "I've been looking for you."
Gene grunted. "Well you found me. Now what?"
"I'm Leilong," he said. "I've been ordered by Lord Hazanko to kill you."
He laughed. "Oh really?" he asked. " Let me tell you, I've gotten through many fights where they vowed to kill me. And as you can see, I'm still alive, so good luck at succeeding."
"I don't need luck, kid," he said. "I'm naturally good at anything I do. So, you're the one who's going to need the luck."
"Whatever." He lifted his gun and rested his finger on the trigger. "Good-bye," he said, pulling it with force.
The bullet shot out like a rocket exploding into space. In an instant, Leilong fell to the floor, crouching over. Gene shook his head and put his gun back into his holster.
"You haven't seen the last of me, boy," Leilong said. "I promise you that."
Gene rolled his eyes. "You really shouldn't back promises you can't keep."
He started to walk down the corridor, his cape unfurling like a flag behind him. He reached the spaceport and found the Outlaw Star. Everyone stood, staring up at it as if it were a giant standing high above a small city. It was amazing. It was painted blood red, after his favorite color and it had blue stars painted on the sides of it. It shined like a ruby among other flawless gems. It reminded him of his childhood dream of going into space. It was the only thing he ever wanted, until he met Hilda. They traveled through space, collecting bounties and having fun. But when she was killed, everything had changed. He didn't want to go into space; he didn't want anything to do with it. But now, he wanted it. He wanted to go into space. He wanted to feel the same experiences he missed. He wanted to be reminded of her again.
"Gene," Jim said, turning to him. "Are you ready?"
He nodded. "I'll never be more ready in my life."
Melfina walked up to him and took his hand in hers. "Let's leave this place, then."
He smiled down at her and they walked down the long terminal. They didn't know it yet, but they were walking toward their destiny. A destiny that would change them forever.
--
To Be Continued...
Please review and tell me what you think!
Konnichiwa! I hope you like this chapter and the story so far! Please review!
Chapter Two
Aisha exchanged looks with Melfina in the rearview mirror and then looked at Jim. "Hey, what's with him?"
Jim only shook his and looked out the window. He didn't answer her, ignored her question. He knew exactly why Gene was so shocked. And he couldn't fathom what must be going through Gene's head right now. There wasn't a weird to describe it.
Melfina looked at Gene's crestfallen face. She wanted to reach out to him and find out what was wrong, but lately he's been so distant and she couldn't reach him at all. She couldn't reach him even if she tried with all her might.
"Gene," she said, holding back her arms from touching him. "What's the matter? Don't you want the Outlaw Star back? You should be happy that you have it back, since it was stolen, like you said."
He opened his eyes and turned to her. "The Outlaw Star wasn't stolen."
"What?" they all asked in unison.
He cleared his throat. "I hid it in space, so no one would find it. I thought no one would, but I guess I was wrong," he replied.
"Why would you hide your own spaceship and leave it in space?" Aisha asked. "If I had a spaceship hiding somewhere, I would be in space searching for the Catarl Catarl."
"Well, I'm not exactly a Catarl Catarl, now am I, Aisha?" he snapped, getting a glimpse of her scowling expression in the rearview mirror. "Now as I was saying, I hid the Outlaw Star deep in space so the Key Pirates and other outlaws wouldn't find it. But the thing is, I hid it there because I knew I would never go back into space. Frankly, I wouldn't mind if I never saw space again. Space if just a vast graveyard for people who like to like on the wild side of things. I left that side a while ago."
"I can't believe you, Gene," Jim said. "Space used to be everything to you. You would stand in the spaceport and just stare at the stars and at the spaceships taking off. You and Hilda-Wait, now I know for sure why you're acting like this."
"And why is that, Einstein?" Gene asked. "Give me your solution to the problem."
Jim turned around and kneeled on the car seat. "It's because of her. Hilda. That's what it is. You're afraid of having the same thing that was done to her happen to you," he replied. "What happened to her wasn't your fault. It would've happened if you were there, too. It was her time to go and you couldn't stop it from happening."
"It's not that, Jim," he said. "Everything I touch will end up dying sooner or later. First it was Hilda and then it was almost Melfina. How many more people have to die because of me, Jim? Huh? Better watch out, you could be next."
Jim shook his head in disappointment and turned back around to face the road. "What a idiot," he muttered through clenching teeth.
Melfina looked at him with sympathy. She couldn't believe that he thought that everything that happened in the past was all his fault, when it really wasn't. What happened in the past was out of his control, just like it was with the future. She leaned to his side and kissed his cheek. "It will be all right," she whispered softly into his ear. "Whatever happens to us on our journey isn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself for things that were out of your control."
He turned to her and started into his eyes. [How could I be so stupid to question my love for her? She's the only reason why I'm still in this world. She's my whole world.] He smiled. "I know, Melfina. I know."
"I don't understand it, Aisha," Jim said. "When I try to reason with him he's completely impossible, but when Melfina does he's reasonable."
Aisha smiled. "You'll understand when you're older, Jim," she said, and turned off the freeway. "Just wait until you have a girlfriend of your own."
Jim blushed. "I guess so," he said, and quickly turned to the window.
They finally reached the spaceport and parked in the parking lot. They stepped out of the car and stretched out. They immediately spotted Suzuka as she leaned against a steel pole with her head tilted to the sky. She noticed them and straightened.
"You're finally here," she said. "I was thinking you guys might have chickened out or something."
Aisha shook her head. "We're not that cowardly, Suzu. And of course I am a Catarl Catarl, after all."
"Are you always going to remind us?" Gene said, squinting due to the immense sunlight beating down on them. "It's not like we're going to forget."
"Shut up, Gene," she growled.
Melfina and Jim exchanged looks with Suzuka and then started to walk with her. But Aisha and Gene didn't notice that they had left. They were too busy arguing to notice anything.
"Make me," he said. "Come on, Aisha."
She lifted her hands, projecting out her long, sharp claws. "Let's go," she said, circling each other. "Suzuka, don't bet on Gene this time."
But no answer, just the sounds of boots hitting the ground.
"All right, Suzu?" she asked, but she still didn't get a response. "Wait, Gene."
Gene stopped and stared at her curiously. "What are you backing out?"
She shook her head. She looked all around them and realized they had left them while they were fighting. "Gene, they left us," she admitted. "They deserted us in the middle of the freaking spaceport."
"I guess they did," he said, looking around. "Well, I suppose we should continue our fight later and go look for them."
"All right," she said. "They're probably where the Outlaw Star is."
He nodded in agreement and they walked down the long terminal to where the ships were located. As they walked, they had the strange feeling of someone following them. Gene turned, but saw no one that appeared to be doing so. He tried to shrug the feeling off his shoulders, but he still felt it.
"Hey, Aisha," he whispered nonchalantly. "Do you have the feeling that we're being followed by someone?"
"You mean you feel it, too? I thought if was just me," she replied. "Maybe we are and we just can't see who it is."
"Get real, Aisha," he said. "If someone can see us, we can see them."
She rolled her eyes and casually turned her head to look behind her. That was when she saw him. A man dressed in black: trenchcoat and boots. He was muscular like a brawny bodybuilder. He smiled slyly at her, which sent cold shivers up and down her spine. She quickly turned her head to Gene and pulled him off to the side in a small abandoned hallway. She quickly covered his mouth with her hand and pushed him against the wall.
"Gene, don't say a word," she said. "All right?"
He nodded, looking at her curiously.
She removed her hand from his mouth. "Gene, there's a guy out there that's following us!" she said, trying not to be loud.
"What?" he asked. "Who is it?"
"I don't know," she growled. "This big bulky guy with an evil smile."
Gene reached for his gun in his holster. "I'm glad I came prepared for this type of thing," he muttered, and looked up at her. "Aisha, go to the Outlaw Star with the others. Tell them I'll be there soon, okay?"
Aisha shook her head. "Gene, I can't leave you alone to fight. Catarl Catarl never let anyone fight alone. It's a rule."
"Well, you're gonna have to break the rules sometimes," he said, clicking back the hammer. "And anyway, what good is it if we both die? Then who's going to protect them?"
"I guess you're right," she said, scratching her ear. "I'll go, but be careful."
"I'm afraid 'careful' isn't in my dictionary, but I'll try," he said.
"Bye," she said, and ran off down the long, dark hallway.
Gene watched her disappear in the darkness. He then turned around to see a man, just like the one Aisha saw, standing in front of him.
"Gene Starwind," the man hissed like a snake ready to strike. "I've been looking for you."
Gene grunted. "Well you found me. Now what?"
"I'm Leilong," he said. "I've been ordered by Lord Hazanko to kill you."
He laughed. "Oh really?" he asked. " Let me tell you, I've gotten through many fights where they vowed to kill me. And as you can see, I'm still alive, so good luck at succeeding."
"I don't need luck, kid," he said. "I'm naturally good at anything I do. So, you're the one who's going to need the luck."
"Whatever." He lifted his gun and rested his finger on the trigger. "Good-bye," he said, pulling it with force.
The bullet shot out like a rocket exploding into space. In an instant, Leilong fell to the floor, crouching over. Gene shook his head and put his gun back into his holster.
"You haven't seen the last of me, boy," Leilong said. "I promise you that."
Gene rolled his eyes. "You really shouldn't back promises you can't keep."
He started to walk down the corridor, his cape unfurling like a flag behind him. He reached the spaceport and found the Outlaw Star. Everyone stood, staring up at it as if it were a giant standing high above a small city. It was amazing. It was painted blood red, after his favorite color and it had blue stars painted on the sides of it. It shined like a ruby among other flawless gems. It reminded him of his childhood dream of going into space. It was the only thing he ever wanted, until he met Hilda. They traveled through space, collecting bounties and having fun. But when she was killed, everything had changed. He didn't want to go into space; he didn't want anything to do with it. But now, he wanted it. He wanted to go into space. He wanted to feel the same experiences he missed. He wanted to be reminded of her again.
"Gene," Jim said, turning to him. "Are you ready?"
He nodded. "I'll never be more ready in my life."
Melfina walked up to him and took his hand in hers. "Let's leave this place, then."
He smiled down at her and they walked down the long terminal. They didn't know it yet, but they were walking toward their destiny. A destiny that would change them forever.
--
To Be Continued...
Please review and tell me what you think!