Gir, the Hyperactive Mechanical Maid of the Future!

He was pushed out onto the hot training sands of the back arena, where all fighters were preempted before battle, (except for maybe the more important). He was just out here because they wanted to see how good his skills were and were to place him among the rankings. They also wanted to see what this wing of his was, and if it was of any use. He was handed a crummy old blade, rusted and stained with blood from previous battles. They placed him in a few battles against Heartless, wimpy ones at that, for about ten battles. Then they became harder, becoming more ruthless with every rank he gained. He thought these things might be random, considering that some before had been stronger than others now. But it didn't matter. Nothing did. All he had to do was beat these enemies and maybe he could get some peace.

Finally, in what would seem for ages, his last match finally came. It was finally a human, too. This man looked about his age, wearing all black with a white t-shirt under a black jacket. His hair was a dark brown, a silver chain around his neck with a medallion at the end. He carried a much better blade than Strife's, being all metal and looking like it had a trigger on the handle. As the match was to commence, the man held the weapon towards him, pulling that trigger and shooting Strife's right hand, his only good hand, and making him drop it.

"Sorry excuse for a weapon you got there," the man laughed, standing in ready for attack.

"Yeah, but what do you except from a Heartless-running place?" he stated, shaking his hand's pain off and spreading his fingers in the other. "Besides, I got my own weapon."

"You mean that hand of yours? What are you going to do, claw me to death?" he said sarcastically.

Strife just smirked, pulling off his cloak. "Something like that, but more along the lines of slitting your throat if necessary."

The man raised an eyebrow when he saw Strife's wing rise from his back. He just shrugged, saying it was his move. Strife smirked, taking the opportunity to finish this now. He stretched out his wing, leaping forward and gliding across the land at incredible speeds. He reached his arm out, swiping across and landing back on his feet past the man, not bothering to turn as the man dropped the 'gunblade' as it would be dubbed, falling on his knees and onto his face. Strife twisted around, walking past the man as he spoke.

"No offense, but I need some shuteye. Wouldn't have beaten you up so bad, but hey, guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do." He went over to the judges who were inspecting his moves, Strife folding his wing back up and putting his cloak back on. "So, what now?"

"Hmm...Give him last seed in the Pegasus Cup. Seems he has beaten all opponents within it. All right, that's it. Take him away."

Two guards came up from behind, pushing him along back to the dungeons. He would be placed somewhere else, somewhere deeper and darker than the area he had been in before. He was placed in a large, damp cell, shutting the iron bars on him. He tried going back up to them, but was caught with electricity, pulling away. He cursed as his left hand twitched, steam coming off from it. It didn't hurt, but the whole point of the matter was that it had gone numb.

He heard someone speak from behind him, sounding like the man from before. He turned and saw him sitting in the shadows, his arms crossed. It brought wonder to his mind how he got here before him, but it was probably because the medics brought him down right away to be healed, locking him away.

"Seems I'm stuck with you, huh? Would've rather been stuck with a Heartless, but seeing how your the only other person in this place with a heartbeat it just ended it like it," he spoke, shrugging. "Name's Leon. Yours?"

"Strife," he answered. "You were sold here too?"

"Nah, I was here before the Heatless came. They just force me to do this now and I don't get paid. Not to mention they took someone away from me..." He shook his head. "Anyway, they said there had been a half-human on the surface, which I suppose would be you. Were you a servant for a time?"

"Yeah, I was. But I was placed down here after they found out I had a wing, I guess."

"Let me guess, Hades brought you down here?" Leon questioned.

"How'd you tell?" he said sarcastically. "That guy's got some issues, I swear."

"You were excepting something else?" he smirked. "He'd been gone for a while there, but I guess he just came back." He frowned, narrowing his eyes. "But I wonder where that girl came from..."

"What? You mean Nevaeh?"

"Is that her name? Well, whatever. I guess, if she has silver hair, two wings, and one bad attitude, sure, that's who I'm talking about. Why, were you the one serving her?"

He paused, soon nodding his head. Leon suddenly laughed, shaking his head.

"That must've been something! Jeez, I can only imagine what she did to you up there. Do everything for her, all her laundry that was probably blood soaked, give her foot rubs..."

"Actually, no. It was none of that," he said back.

Leon stopped, raising an eyebrow. "Then what did you do up there?"

"Nothing...I didn't do anything," he answered, putting his head on the wall and looking out to the hall.

"You're kidding," he said. "So you just sat there doing nothing for, what, seven months?"

"Something like that..."

A squeaky sound came rolling through the other side of the hall, Strife not turning to look. He just thought it would go away, as everything did, but as it got to it's loudest it stopped. He looked up, seeing a brace figure standing before him. It was wearing a dress attached to its body, a large mouth smiling at him as it held a tray. To green, digital eyes stared down, multi-colored wires sticking out of it's head as if curls of hair.

"Stop looking so down, deary! Here, have a drink!" it said in an animated girl voice, picking a glass of water from its tray and reaching through the bars, handing to him.

He drank it without a word, a gloomed look on his face. He saw Leon stand up, going to the bars and smirking. Oddly enough as he put his hands around them he was not shocked as Strife had been. Instead he reached out, the mechanical being rolling away as its eyes seemed to narrow.

"Aw, c'mon Gir! Just one glass!" he pleaded, a smirk still on his face.

"This is for people who deserve it, not for mocking twits like you!" it said, turning its head away.

"But I deserve it! I fought against this guy!" he replied.

"Really? And did he loose?" it asked Strife, who only nodded his head. The being twirled around in joy, smiling again. "Yipee! It's about time you got beat! YOU GOT BEAT! YOU GOT BEAT! Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!"

Leon sulked, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "This is what I get...The hyperactive defect of the future..."

The being glared, its eyes turned red and picking up a glass of water. When he thought he was going to receive it, the being suddenly splashing it into his face, shaking a finger. "It's Hyperactive Mechanical Maid of the Future, to you!"

"Whatever..."

The being rolled over to Strife again, smiling and its eyes going green again. "Now, where did you come from? I here you were a servant."

"Hasn't everyone..." he said shallowly. The being sounded like it sighed.

"Yes, well, news goes around fast here."

"'Specially with your mouth," Leon grinned.

"SHUT UP!" it suddenly shouted, Leon chuckling and walking back. "Yeah, you go back to your corner you sorry excuse for a human! Anyway, what be your name sir?"

"Strife..." he answered, handing the glass back up to her.

The robot went wide-eyed, taking the glass and looking like it was in shock. "Really? You mean Her Grace's Strife? Wow, I can't believe you're actually still here!"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, everybody's been saying Hades killed you because you got a wee bit too close to Her Grace. It's been a few days, after all. Oh, and I've heard that she's been taken out of the games because of her frailness right now, but I just spoke with her and she doesn't seem any bit weak. Strange, but in my own opinion I think Hades just has less turpentine to fuel his hair and is just in a mess about his prized fighter going soft."

"Either that or he has a bug up his-" Gir gave Leon a look, him smirking, "nose..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought!" It shook its head, waving a hand. "Best be off then. Hear there's another challenger climbing up into these ranks so they'll be coming for you shortly."

"Thanks," Leon said.

"No problem, guys! Just don't get beaten up too much out there, alrighty? TALLYHO!" With that, the being rolled away, squeaking off into silence once again.

And soon came the sound of clicking keys, guards coming around the corner. They spoke of Strife getting up, the crummy old sword in one of their hands. As he did stand, the gate opening, Leon said something, saying he could use the gunblade. He tossed it to Strife, him nodding in acknowledgment and walking out with the escort of the guards.

The newfound warrior was brought out into the arena, soon facing his opponent. He wanted to laugh, seeing that it was only a boy, maybe a few years younger than he was. In his hand he held another blade, the boy narrowing his eyes in thought as he saw Strife. Or rather, the gunblade which was given to him, for it was as if the boy seemed to know who possessed it before him.

But it didn't matter. He'd get this fight over with, and go back to his cell as was supposedly meant for the rest of his life. He could see why now Nevaeh had been tired of so many fights, for it became depressing after awhile. Yet, he could only wonder how it must've been for her, for three years everyday without one ray of hope. He noticed, out of the brightness of the sandstone arena, that there was a patch of darkness in the corner of his eye. He had no time to look before the match started, which gave him initiative to win this, so he could look on his way out.

The boy came forward, swiping across. He easily sidestepped, swiping back and slicing him in the back. But the boy quickly stood back up, reaching quickly into his pocket and grabbing a potion. Strife grinned, wondering why he wasn't allowed to use potions. Then again, mostly everyone wanted him dead, so that was probably the reason. Again, the challenger came forward, this time casting an electric attack. Somehow it managed to hit him, but not do any significant damage.

However, it did manage to tick him off.

He threw off his cloak, gaining energy within him. He spread his wing to its fullest, leaping up into the air and dashing across the arena at full force, trying to hit his foe. But the boy jumped, gliding through the air in a distance he could not reach. When he came back down to his feet, though, Strife took the advantage, coming up from behind and knocking him half way across the other side, sending him unconscious.

With it, the fight ended, and he quickly looked up to what he noticed before. Strife's eyes narrowed in the unforgiving sunlight, but more in wonder than anything else. There stood his last, silver-haired owner, wearing a teal dress with dark blue pants underneath. Her hair was done back in a braid, pieces falling out and running over her face with her eyes unwavering. She stood out in the empty stands from where the dark essence grew, the blue flaming haired creature standing but not daring to go out into the light. He glared when he noticed he was staring at her, Nevaeh looking back. The creature said something Strife couldn't understand, but guards soon came to take him away. He pushed them away, scoffing and picking up his coat to walk on his own means back to his cell.

When he was gone, Nevaeh sharply turned away, walking out the other way. The creature known as Hades disappeared, reappearing when she was back in the shadowed halls not too far from the arena. Even though she knew he was there, she did not stop for a moment, and did not grant him a single glace.

"You're still mad at me, aren't you? Well what can I say, he was supposed to be the games, and the mishap just accrued," he stated.

Nevaeh stopped all of the suddenly, her eyes beginning to glow a white, as she turned with a cold gaze. "What are you trying to pull, Hades? I know why you took him away, everyone does!" she hissed. "You just don't want your number one fighter to get touchy, right? To be cold, heartless, all for your gain!"

"Aren't we forgetting something? Who brought you here, huh? Who took you away from that dying planet and brought you into this glorious world where you could have everything you want?"

"All but freedom..." she said dryly, her pale, green eyes casting a ruthless voice. "If I did not know of my past, if I had one scrap of evidence that my family was still out there, I would not be such a merciful person towards you Hades. Your campaign would be ruined if it was not for me, the whole race of Heartless would be gone for all I care, but for the only reason that you have information where my family is located do I stay. You're pushing this nonsense to the edge, and I am loosing my patience. Be warned, that if you do one more thing to harm that man, or myself in a mental perspective, your empire shall fall." She smirked menacingly. "And you know that I can do this. Without a doubt, I will."

With this, she moved back to where she was walking in the first place, back to her room to bask in the sunlight and gaze at the blue sky Strife had let her see. As for Hades, he grumbled in annoyance, his hair turning a red color as he faded into nothingness, back to his layer to consider such matters at hand.

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A/N So what did you think? BOOYA, is what I say. About time someone talked back, wouldn't you say? Thanks for reading and please review and stay tuned for the next chapter! (Oh yeah, and that kid was Sora....if you were wondering