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I'm starting to think this story will be longer than the orginal 10 chapters that I wanted
anyway, please Read and Review. I'll take any comments
*******************************************************************
Chapter 7: Secrets
Several weeks had passed since the 4 Horsemen had arrived at the base. Most repairs had been done from the fighting when the Ravens had attacked. People were still edgy, but felt more relaxed with the Horsemen around.
The days had flown by for Ryan. Everyday was the same, practice with Knight from the time he got up till he went back to bed. His skills had improved a great deal from what they were, but he still wasn't good enough. Ryan had begun to doubt he would ever be good enough to fight alongside the Horsemen.
Ryan was lost in thought so the knock on his door startled him. He jumped out of bed and answered the door.
"Oh, hello Ms. Everett. I see that you're doing better."
"Thank you Ryan. May I come in?"
"Of course!" Ryan stepped aside to let Crystal in. "What's on your mind?"
"I just wanted to check up on you, to see how your training was going."
Ryan looked down as he closed the door. "Alright I suppose. Fighting against Knight is exhausting. I've gotten better, but still not good enough. I can still barely manage to last more than a few minutes against him."
Crystal smiled as she sat down in a nearby chair. "Well that's a few minutes longer than most. You know, he's taking a liking to you."
Ryan looked up. "He has?" his voice gave away his obvious suprise.
"Of course. I've never seen him this dedicated to training someone. He was such a loner before. He seemed so distant from everyone, even the other Horsemen." Crystal gazed out the window.
Ryan sat on his bed, "Do you know why that is? You fought alongside him, so you must know more about him that most people."
Crystal looked at him and smile. "Well yes I suppose. I do know a little more, but it's not my place to tell his secrets."
"I see" Ryan said looking a litle dissapointed.
"Don't look so sad. I'm sure he'll tell you himself eventually."
A call came in from the monitor on the wall. "Ryan." it was an officer "your presence is required in the gym."
Ryan sighed. "Alright. I'm on my way." he looked over at Crystal "Pleaser excuse me Ms. Everett."
"Of course Ryan." Crystal got up to leave, and headed out the door, turning back for just a moment "Good luck"
"Thanks"
Ryan came into the gym, seeing Knight standing there, waiting for him.
"Junior Pilot Ryan reporting as ordered sir." Ryan stood at attention
"You're skills have improved as a pilot Ryan, but there is still more you need to learn." Knight turned to look at him. "There is more to being a good pilot than knowing the control of an AC. You must be physically able yourself, or your reflexes will suffer. Today, we will concentrate on your own abilities."
"Yes sir."
Knight readied himself in a fighting stance "Good, now come at me"
Ryan took a fighting stance. Finally something he was good at. Even as a kid, Ryan had always been naturally athletic, exelling in sports and martial arts. He quickly moved in to attack Knight. As Knight dodged his first attack, Ryan twisted his body to attack again. Knight countered with his own attack. Ryan was barely able to move out of the way to avoid being hit.
"Very good Ryan. Again"
They continued the fight for several long moments before stopping to catch their breathes.
"You quite good Ryan."
"Thank you sir."
"Now you just need to apply your hand to hand fighting to your piloting"
Ryan gave him a puzzled look, "How can I do that? Hand to hand and piloting are two totally different things."
"Are they Ryan?" Knight stood up "Do you see the way I fight when I'm in my AC? It's a part of me, and extention of my body, my very being. You have to think like that if you want to be the best. Feel the controls and the world around you. Don't pilot your AC like you would a machine. The movements may be a little slower, but your core is more capable that you might think."
"I... I think I understand. But, how can I really do that? I'm only human, no upgrades. I can't just jack into my core like the other pilots can."
"You don't have to Ryan. Upgraded pilots might be able to jack in to their core and understande it more on a mechanical level. But the upgrades take away the feelings they would have, limiting them more in a fight than really helping. They may be able to read their radars better, or aim a little more correctly, but they lose that gut instinct that a basic human is born with. Pilots with upgrades begin to lose their humanity, and thus the instinct to survive and adapt."
"So you're saying that having human plus upgrades is a bad thing?"
"I believe they can be over time. I see them more as a quick fix to problems that a person can overcome with time."
"I see. But what about you? You're upgraded aren't you? You're the best pilot ever."
Ryan was stunned as Knight actually laughed. "I guess I should let you in on the secret" he said.
"Sir?" Ryan gave him a puzzled look.
"Ryan. I have no upgrades. I don't believe in them. I never have. The skill I have now is the result of years of practice and fighting to survive."
"But... you're voice. It sounds so mechanical.And the things I've seen you do, they couldn't have been done by a normal person."
Knight just laughed again. "My 'mechanical' voice is because of this helmet. And the things I do can be done by any non-upgraded pilot given enough time." Knight walked up to Ryan. "The reason we push you so hard though, is because you have a natural gift that could make you the greatest pilot ever. Even greater than me."
Ryan looked at him with wide eyes. "Better than you?'
Knight nodded. "Yes. And right now we need a great pilot. Even by myself I don't think I could take on all the Ravens."
"What about the other Horsemen."
"Upgraded. All of them. When we go into battle against that radar, they will be as helpless as anyone else."
"I see." Ryan looked down. So much was riding on his abilities as a pilot. More than he had known.
"And you're almost ready for the final training."
"T.. thank you sir." Ryan stood back at attention.
"But before that, I have surprise for you."
"Sir?"
Knight undid the fastens on his helmet and slowly removed it. He stood in front of Ryan with the kind of grin only he was capable of.
Ryan's eyes were as wide as dinner plates...
"M... Mike?"
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to be continued...
I'm starting to think this story will be longer than the orginal 10 chapters that I wanted
anyway, please Read and Review. I'll take any comments
*******************************************************************
Chapter 7: Secrets
Several weeks had passed since the 4 Horsemen had arrived at the base. Most repairs had been done from the fighting when the Ravens had attacked. People were still edgy, but felt more relaxed with the Horsemen around.
The days had flown by for Ryan. Everyday was the same, practice with Knight from the time he got up till he went back to bed. His skills had improved a great deal from what they were, but he still wasn't good enough. Ryan had begun to doubt he would ever be good enough to fight alongside the Horsemen.
Ryan was lost in thought so the knock on his door startled him. He jumped out of bed and answered the door.
"Oh, hello Ms. Everett. I see that you're doing better."
"Thank you Ryan. May I come in?"
"Of course!" Ryan stepped aside to let Crystal in. "What's on your mind?"
"I just wanted to check up on you, to see how your training was going."
Ryan looked down as he closed the door. "Alright I suppose. Fighting against Knight is exhausting. I've gotten better, but still not good enough. I can still barely manage to last more than a few minutes against him."
Crystal smiled as she sat down in a nearby chair. "Well that's a few minutes longer than most. You know, he's taking a liking to you."
Ryan looked up. "He has?" his voice gave away his obvious suprise.
"Of course. I've never seen him this dedicated to training someone. He was such a loner before. He seemed so distant from everyone, even the other Horsemen." Crystal gazed out the window.
Ryan sat on his bed, "Do you know why that is? You fought alongside him, so you must know more about him that most people."
Crystal looked at him and smile. "Well yes I suppose. I do know a little more, but it's not my place to tell his secrets."
"I see" Ryan said looking a litle dissapointed.
"Don't look so sad. I'm sure he'll tell you himself eventually."
A call came in from the monitor on the wall. "Ryan." it was an officer "your presence is required in the gym."
Ryan sighed. "Alright. I'm on my way." he looked over at Crystal "Pleaser excuse me Ms. Everett."
"Of course Ryan." Crystal got up to leave, and headed out the door, turning back for just a moment "Good luck"
"Thanks"
Ryan came into the gym, seeing Knight standing there, waiting for him.
"Junior Pilot Ryan reporting as ordered sir." Ryan stood at attention
"You're skills have improved as a pilot Ryan, but there is still more you need to learn." Knight turned to look at him. "There is more to being a good pilot than knowing the control of an AC. You must be physically able yourself, or your reflexes will suffer. Today, we will concentrate on your own abilities."
"Yes sir."
Knight readied himself in a fighting stance "Good, now come at me"
Ryan took a fighting stance. Finally something he was good at. Even as a kid, Ryan had always been naturally athletic, exelling in sports and martial arts. He quickly moved in to attack Knight. As Knight dodged his first attack, Ryan twisted his body to attack again. Knight countered with his own attack. Ryan was barely able to move out of the way to avoid being hit.
"Very good Ryan. Again"
They continued the fight for several long moments before stopping to catch their breathes.
"You quite good Ryan."
"Thank you sir."
"Now you just need to apply your hand to hand fighting to your piloting"
Ryan gave him a puzzled look, "How can I do that? Hand to hand and piloting are two totally different things."
"Are they Ryan?" Knight stood up "Do you see the way I fight when I'm in my AC? It's a part of me, and extention of my body, my very being. You have to think like that if you want to be the best. Feel the controls and the world around you. Don't pilot your AC like you would a machine. The movements may be a little slower, but your core is more capable that you might think."
"I... I think I understand. But, how can I really do that? I'm only human, no upgrades. I can't just jack into my core like the other pilots can."
"You don't have to Ryan. Upgraded pilots might be able to jack in to their core and understande it more on a mechanical level. But the upgrades take away the feelings they would have, limiting them more in a fight than really helping. They may be able to read their radars better, or aim a little more correctly, but they lose that gut instinct that a basic human is born with. Pilots with upgrades begin to lose their humanity, and thus the instinct to survive and adapt."
"So you're saying that having human plus upgrades is a bad thing?"
"I believe they can be over time. I see them more as a quick fix to problems that a person can overcome with time."
"I see. But what about you? You're upgraded aren't you? You're the best pilot ever."
Ryan was stunned as Knight actually laughed. "I guess I should let you in on the secret" he said.
"Sir?" Ryan gave him a puzzled look.
"Ryan. I have no upgrades. I don't believe in them. I never have. The skill I have now is the result of years of practice and fighting to survive."
"But... you're voice. It sounds so mechanical.And the things I've seen you do, they couldn't have been done by a normal person."
Knight just laughed again. "My 'mechanical' voice is because of this helmet. And the things I do can be done by any non-upgraded pilot given enough time." Knight walked up to Ryan. "The reason we push you so hard though, is because you have a natural gift that could make you the greatest pilot ever. Even greater than me."
Ryan looked at him with wide eyes. "Better than you?'
Knight nodded. "Yes. And right now we need a great pilot. Even by myself I don't think I could take on all the Ravens."
"What about the other Horsemen."
"Upgraded. All of them. When we go into battle against that radar, they will be as helpless as anyone else."
"I see." Ryan looked down. So much was riding on his abilities as a pilot. More than he had known.
"And you're almost ready for the final training."
"T.. thank you sir." Ryan stood back at attention.
"But before that, I have surprise for you."
"Sir?"
Knight undid the fastens on his helmet and slowly removed it. He stood in front of Ryan with the kind of grin only he was capable of.
Ryan's eyes were as wide as dinner plates...
"M... Mike?"
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to be continued...