Chapter Twelve

Dave's Story

(This is a flashback on Dave Sutherland's life… There is Violence, Alcohol use, Drug use, and strong language… If you like the story so far, you will like this chapter… Trust me… this is from Dave's point of view)

"Here is my story…" I said, "I was born in Neo Manhattan on earth… That is the center of the rebuilt New York City… My parents weren't the wealthiest people in the world. When I was just about five, they moved with me to The Neo New York colony. That was about twenty-five years ago… When I was about ten years old, the Iacavone family came to power… The took the colony over, and raised the cost of living there… My parents didn't have the money to repay the mob… so I watched them get killed there in the streets. The punks from the Iacavone family shot my father in the head and beat my mother to death… I can only remember my mother's screams for mercy… So then I went into hiding, I lived in rundown buildings, and when I was fifteen, I managed to get into the command deck, it was a wreck, but no one found me there… I lived there 'till I was about eighteen, then I moved back into the city… then I spent most of my time in bars… That's where this came from." I said pointing to the eye patch and scar.

"Ouch." Shimari said.

"Yeah." I replied, "A few months after I returned to the city area, I kinda got involved in a bar fight… I was defending a girl that walked into the bar, same way Miho did… From one of the Mafia members… her name was Rei Asani… She came from the Federation… She was on vacation, and made a stop over in Neo New York… When Marco Iacavone started being a sleezball… He tried to first get her to come home with him, and then tried to force her… I stepped in and nearly broke my hand on his head… He spun around dazed a bit then hit me in the jaw… That's when I knocked him over the bar and he came back with a bottle in his hand… He broke it on my arm, then cut me across the face… that is how I got these scars." I pointed to the three scars on the left side of my face. "He hit me again with the bottle and cut my left eye… That's when I lost it… I hit him and took his handgun… can't remember what type it was… but I shot him in the head. I can remember he was the one that shot my father… I shot him exactly how he shot my dad… then I made sure Rei was ok… she helped me get to a medical fidget that was near the colony… they fixed up my wounds, and we went back to Neo New York… I was gonna travel with her… but when we got back, I was getting my stuff from the old command deck, when I heard several gunshots… looked out and saw the punk Ryan Motono… He was only about twelve at the time… he shot her… five times in the head… and I never left the city… her ship is still docked in the spaceport… it's probably been raided by thieves, but it is still there… I saw it as we left…" I said.

"That's a sad story." Eppo said.

"So I just lived there from day to day… fight after fight… then you showed up out of nowhere… and here I am…" I said.

"But how did you end up in the United States Space Forces?" Bruce asked.

"Oh yea… forgot about that." I said, "well there were recruiters in Neo New York shortly after my fight with Marco… There were growing problems with the Sol Empire at the time, and I signed up to defend the colony… it is basically the only place I knew as home… so I became a pilot and they gave me a mobile suit… it got me out of trouble with the mob a few times… but got pretty banged up in the process… and I vowed to kill off the Iacavone family… in vengeance for Rei…" I said, "and Eppo, your in a world of trouble…"

"Why?" Eppo asked.

"You sent the mob boss to Neo Alcatraz..." I replied.

"What's that?" Mitsarugi asked me.

"That is the colony in the middle of the Sea of Tranquility on earth's moon. That colony is just a large prison…" I replied, 'they're gonna come lookin' for you."

"We'll help keep 'em off his back… and maybe you'll get your revenge…" Mitsarugi said.

"Maybe… maybe…" I said looking out the window.

We all went silent for a minute. "I'm tired… I'm gonna go get some shut eye." Shimari Said suddenly.

"Yea that's a good idea…" I replied.

"Hey Bruce, maybe tomorrow we can hear your story…" Mitsarugi said.

"Sounds like a good idea." Bruce replied.

We went to our bunks and went to sleep.

(End Episode Twelve)

Bruce: Hi… Tomorrow you get to hear my life… And all about how I got to this point… Next Episode: Bruce's Story…

Bruce: Don't Miss It!

(Ok… This chapter was somewhat a short episode; the next probably will be too… But then it gets really good… So just stay with me… okay?)