Chapter VII: The New-But Not Improved-Shuffle Alliance
The years passed. Everything remanded the same. Everyone forgot about how Haaz's Gundam had acted so strange. Life had gone back to normal in the Kasshu household. Until.
"Domon, if they're gonna fight in this year's tournamnet, they're gonna need more training. As much as you'd like to believe it, you're not the only Shuffle Alliance member, here," Rain told her husband one day. "I think that we should invite the others to come train Chikori, Haaz, Volta, Bunny, and Brad, too. The Gundam fights are only a month away!"
"All right, all right," Domon said. "I'll call them tomorrow."
"Good husband," Rain kissed Domon and patted his head like someone would pet a dog.
* * *
"What if they don't like me? What if they think I'm hopeless? What if no one is willing to train me?" Volta asked no one in particular as she paced back and forth across the dining room, waiting for the doorbell to ring and the Shuffle Alliance members to arrive. "What if they send me back home? What if I'm not good enough? What if-"
"Stop it, Volta! You're making me dizzy, walking back and forth like that," Haaz said as he leaned back in his chair. "Anyway, everything will be fiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeee!" he ended the sentence in a scream as the chair fell backwards.
"Who's more hopeless, you or me?" Volta asked and helped Haaz get up. "You're such an idiot! I think maybe I'll-" The doorbell rang. "I'll finish the threat later. Gotta go." With that Volta was at the door. The three other trainees were still in their rooms.
Volta looked around her. There was no one there. She heard a groan from beneath her, and looked down. There was Chibodee laying flat on the floor, a suitcase on top of him, and Sai Sici on top of that. For a moment or two, Volta just stared at them. Then she started laughing hysterically.
"What, may I ask, is so funny?" Chibodee asked from underneath the suitcase.
"You," Volta replied between laughs. "You-are. Do-you-have-any-idea-of-how- funny-you-look?"
"I could imagine," Chibodee replied. "Sai, since she isn't going to help me, will you please GET OFF OF ME!" he screamed. Sai Sici hurriedly got up and pulled the suitcase up with him. Both suitcase and thirty-six-year-old Gundam fighter went rolling down the stairs.
"Oh-Sorry, Mr. Crockett! It's just that-" Volta started laughing again, but first managed to help Chibodee off of the ground. "See, when I first got here, the exact same thing happened to me," Volta explained. "Except I was on top of the suitcase," she added and made her way down the flight of stairs to help Sai Sici. Chibodee stood at the top of the stairs, watching Sai Sici and Volta with a half-amused, half-comically-annoyed look.
"BUNNY!" Haaz shouted as he appeared at the doorway. "Get down here! Volta's started a luggage service and is gonna need a bit of help!"
"Coming!" Bunny replied as she scrambled down the stairs, jumped a few, practically flew over the staircase railing and landed with a thud at the doorway. "It's faster," she explained as she stood up and saw Chibodee and Haaz looking at her quizzically.
Bunny rushed down the stairs to help Volta. "Go on inside, everybody," she said. "Except you, Haaz," Bunny added as Haaz started to make his way inside, too. "Get down here. Whoever said that girls have to do all the manual labor?"
Volta, Bunny, and Haaz stared carrying the suitcases up the stairway. Soon, Argo arrived. "Here, let me take those for you, Mr. Guilsky," Volta offered and took four of Arog's bags, Haaz taking the over one.
Argo completely ignored the struggling trainees and made his way up the stairs, Natasha not far behind.
"Uh, that's gratitude for ya," Haaz comented.
Volta grunted. "What does he have in here? Weights?" she complained as she carried Argo's luggage up the stairs.
"Most likely," Bunny replied.
A taxi pulled up and George de Sand stepped out of it. "Father!" Bunny cried and dropped the suitcase she was struggling with on top of Haaz's foot.
"Ow," he said in pain.
"Father! Why did you take a taxi?" Bunny asked and embraced her father.
"I'm not sure why, but remind me never to do it again," he said and hugged his daughter back.
"Where's mother?"
"She stayed in Neo-France. Duty calls," George explained.
"Come on in," she said and started up the stairs past Volta and Haaz.
"Bunny! You're not gonna leave us here with all of these bags, are you?" Volta pleaded.
"Of course not-" Bunny was cut off.
"I'll have Raymond carry them up," George intervened.
Volta and Haaz dashed up the stairs after Bunny and her father. "Be careful, Raymond!" Volta called back. "The stairs have something against us!"
* * *
Four days later, everyone was out in the backyard. "I want you to show them what you can do," Domon explained to his students. "So that everyone will know where to start teaching you. You'll each work with only one of them, though," he added. "Now go get into your Gundams. You'll be fighting each other. Nothing difficult."
All five rushed out to their Gundams and got in. "First up, Haaz and Chikori," Domon announced.
The fights lasted about five minutes each. Chikori beat Haaz pretty quickly, with only two assaults. Then Volta and Chikori battled. Again, Chikori won. Bunny fought Chikori, and won. Chikori faced Brad, but Brad defeated the Siren Gundam easily. After about twenty matches, Bunny and Brad were ready to fight.
"Gundam fight ready." Bunny started.
"GO!" Brad shouted.
Eagle Gundam rose high into the sky and dove down at Mirror Gundam. Bunny rolled to the side and dodged the attack. If Brad didn't use a particular attack, Bunny couldn't use her mirrors. She dodged again, jumping to the side.
"Wing Whirlwind Attack!" Brad shouted.
The attack zoomed forward and caught Mirror Gundam off guard. But Bunny had raised a mirror quick enough to send part of the attack back at her opponent. The attack fell back on Brad and hit his Eagle's wing. Now it was maimed and couldn't fly. Good, thought Bunny.
She ran head on at the Eagle Gundam. But Brad was ready for her attack and caught her with his other wing. "Ah!" Bunny screamed in surprise. Brad flipped Mirror Gundam over his shoulder. Bunny hit the ground with a crash. Brad had won.
"Ow," she moaned and got out of her Gundam. "Why'd you hit me so hard, Brad? It was just a friendly match. I mean, really-" Bunny was cut off my Haaz.
He was sitting on top of his Gundam, or, more like jumping up and down on his Gundam's shoulder. "Look! Look! Look at my hand!" Everyone peered at his hand. It was glowing. It was glowing with a crest.The Ace of Clubs! Haaz was the Ace of Clubs. "Look, look!"
Suddenly, Bunny fell to the ground. She looked at her hand. Her Jack of Diamons crest was glowing, too. Volta and Brad looked at their hands. "Oh, my god. I'm the Black Joker! I'm the Black Joker!" Volta whispered and gradually grew louder.
Brad stared at his hand in awe. Bunny looked at his hand, too. The King of Hearts. "Congratulations, Brad," she said.
He stared at her coldly. "Buzz off."
"I was just trying to be nice. Sheesh," she said.
"I'm the Black Joker!" Volta shouted. Bunny looked at the former Shuffle Alliance members. They looked quite smug and self-pleased.
Chikori looked at his hand, too. His Queen of Spades crest was also glowing.
"I'm the Ace of Clubs! The Ace of Clubs!" Haaz continued jumping up and down on his Gundam's shoulder. "I'm the Aceeeee ooooofffff Cccccllllluuuuubbbbbsssss!" Haaz finished as he fell backwards off his Gundam. He quickly got up and started jumping up and down again. "I'm the Ace of Clubs!"
"Black Joker is better," Volta said.
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Na-uh."
"Ya-huh."
"Naw."
"Yah."
"No it isn't!"
"Yes it is!"
"Yes it is-I mean, 'No it isn't'!" Haaz hurriedly corrected himself.
"Ha! You admitted it! I'm better than you are! I'm better than you are! Finally! I WIN!" Volta shouted so all the world could hear.
The years passed. Everything remanded the same. Everyone forgot about how Haaz's Gundam had acted so strange. Life had gone back to normal in the Kasshu household. Until.
"Domon, if they're gonna fight in this year's tournamnet, they're gonna need more training. As much as you'd like to believe it, you're not the only Shuffle Alliance member, here," Rain told her husband one day. "I think that we should invite the others to come train Chikori, Haaz, Volta, Bunny, and Brad, too. The Gundam fights are only a month away!"
"All right, all right," Domon said. "I'll call them tomorrow."
"Good husband," Rain kissed Domon and patted his head like someone would pet a dog.
* * *
"What if they don't like me? What if they think I'm hopeless? What if no one is willing to train me?" Volta asked no one in particular as she paced back and forth across the dining room, waiting for the doorbell to ring and the Shuffle Alliance members to arrive. "What if they send me back home? What if I'm not good enough? What if-"
"Stop it, Volta! You're making me dizzy, walking back and forth like that," Haaz said as he leaned back in his chair. "Anyway, everything will be fiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeee!" he ended the sentence in a scream as the chair fell backwards.
"Who's more hopeless, you or me?" Volta asked and helped Haaz get up. "You're such an idiot! I think maybe I'll-" The doorbell rang. "I'll finish the threat later. Gotta go." With that Volta was at the door. The three other trainees were still in their rooms.
Volta looked around her. There was no one there. She heard a groan from beneath her, and looked down. There was Chibodee laying flat on the floor, a suitcase on top of him, and Sai Sici on top of that. For a moment or two, Volta just stared at them. Then she started laughing hysterically.
"What, may I ask, is so funny?" Chibodee asked from underneath the suitcase.
"You," Volta replied between laughs. "You-are. Do-you-have-any-idea-of-how- funny-you-look?"
"I could imagine," Chibodee replied. "Sai, since she isn't going to help me, will you please GET OFF OF ME!" he screamed. Sai Sici hurriedly got up and pulled the suitcase up with him. Both suitcase and thirty-six-year-old Gundam fighter went rolling down the stairs.
"Oh-Sorry, Mr. Crockett! It's just that-" Volta started laughing again, but first managed to help Chibodee off of the ground. "See, when I first got here, the exact same thing happened to me," Volta explained. "Except I was on top of the suitcase," she added and made her way down the flight of stairs to help Sai Sici. Chibodee stood at the top of the stairs, watching Sai Sici and Volta with a half-amused, half-comically-annoyed look.
"BUNNY!" Haaz shouted as he appeared at the doorway. "Get down here! Volta's started a luggage service and is gonna need a bit of help!"
"Coming!" Bunny replied as she scrambled down the stairs, jumped a few, practically flew over the staircase railing and landed with a thud at the doorway. "It's faster," she explained as she stood up and saw Chibodee and Haaz looking at her quizzically.
Bunny rushed down the stairs to help Volta. "Go on inside, everybody," she said. "Except you, Haaz," Bunny added as Haaz started to make his way inside, too. "Get down here. Whoever said that girls have to do all the manual labor?"
Volta, Bunny, and Haaz stared carrying the suitcases up the stairway. Soon, Argo arrived. "Here, let me take those for you, Mr. Guilsky," Volta offered and took four of Arog's bags, Haaz taking the over one.
Argo completely ignored the struggling trainees and made his way up the stairs, Natasha not far behind.
"Uh, that's gratitude for ya," Haaz comented.
Volta grunted. "What does he have in here? Weights?" she complained as she carried Argo's luggage up the stairs.
"Most likely," Bunny replied.
A taxi pulled up and George de Sand stepped out of it. "Father!" Bunny cried and dropped the suitcase she was struggling with on top of Haaz's foot.
"Ow," he said in pain.
"Father! Why did you take a taxi?" Bunny asked and embraced her father.
"I'm not sure why, but remind me never to do it again," he said and hugged his daughter back.
"Where's mother?"
"She stayed in Neo-France. Duty calls," George explained.
"Come on in," she said and started up the stairs past Volta and Haaz.
"Bunny! You're not gonna leave us here with all of these bags, are you?" Volta pleaded.
"Of course not-" Bunny was cut off.
"I'll have Raymond carry them up," George intervened.
Volta and Haaz dashed up the stairs after Bunny and her father. "Be careful, Raymond!" Volta called back. "The stairs have something against us!"
* * *
Four days later, everyone was out in the backyard. "I want you to show them what you can do," Domon explained to his students. "So that everyone will know where to start teaching you. You'll each work with only one of them, though," he added. "Now go get into your Gundams. You'll be fighting each other. Nothing difficult."
All five rushed out to their Gundams and got in. "First up, Haaz and Chikori," Domon announced.
The fights lasted about five minutes each. Chikori beat Haaz pretty quickly, with only two assaults. Then Volta and Chikori battled. Again, Chikori won. Bunny fought Chikori, and won. Chikori faced Brad, but Brad defeated the Siren Gundam easily. After about twenty matches, Bunny and Brad were ready to fight.
"Gundam fight ready." Bunny started.
"GO!" Brad shouted.
Eagle Gundam rose high into the sky and dove down at Mirror Gundam. Bunny rolled to the side and dodged the attack. If Brad didn't use a particular attack, Bunny couldn't use her mirrors. She dodged again, jumping to the side.
"Wing Whirlwind Attack!" Brad shouted.
The attack zoomed forward and caught Mirror Gundam off guard. But Bunny had raised a mirror quick enough to send part of the attack back at her opponent. The attack fell back on Brad and hit his Eagle's wing. Now it was maimed and couldn't fly. Good, thought Bunny.
She ran head on at the Eagle Gundam. But Brad was ready for her attack and caught her with his other wing. "Ah!" Bunny screamed in surprise. Brad flipped Mirror Gundam over his shoulder. Bunny hit the ground with a crash. Brad had won.
"Ow," she moaned and got out of her Gundam. "Why'd you hit me so hard, Brad? It was just a friendly match. I mean, really-" Bunny was cut off my Haaz.
He was sitting on top of his Gundam, or, more like jumping up and down on his Gundam's shoulder. "Look! Look! Look at my hand!" Everyone peered at his hand. It was glowing. It was glowing with a crest.The Ace of Clubs! Haaz was the Ace of Clubs. "Look, look!"
Suddenly, Bunny fell to the ground. She looked at her hand. Her Jack of Diamons crest was glowing, too. Volta and Brad looked at their hands. "Oh, my god. I'm the Black Joker! I'm the Black Joker!" Volta whispered and gradually grew louder.
Brad stared at his hand in awe. Bunny looked at his hand, too. The King of Hearts. "Congratulations, Brad," she said.
He stared at her coldly. "Buzz off."
"I was just trying to be nice. Sheesh," she said.
"I'm the Black Joker!" Volta shouted. Bunny looked at the former Shuffle Alliance members. They looked quite smug and self-pleased.
Chikori looked at his hand, too. His Queen of Spades crest was also glowing.
"I'm the Ace of Clubs! The Ace of Clubs!" Haaz continued jumping up and down on his Gundam's shoulder. "I'm the Aceeeee ooooofffff Cccccllllluuuuubbbbbsssss!" Haaz finished as he fell backwards off his Gundam. He quickly got up and started jumping up and down again. "I'm the Ace of Clubs!"
"Black Joker is better," Volta said.
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Na-uh."
"Ya-huh."
"Naw."
"Yah."
"No it isn't!"
"Yes it is!"
"Yes it is-I mean, 'No it isn't'!" Haaz hurriedly corrected himself.
"Ha! You admitted it! I'm better than you are! I'm better than you are! Finally! I WIN!" Volta shouted so all the world could hear.