Face Behind a Mask
Chapter 10: Fearless Queen of Spades
"I watch how the moon sits in the sky in the dark night
Shining with the light from the sun
The sun doesn't give light to the moon assuming the moon's going to owe it one
It makes me think of how you act to me you do favors and then rapidly
You just turn around and start asking me about things you want back from me
I'm sick of the tension sick of the hunger
Sick of you acting like I owe you this
Find another place to feed your greed
While I find a place to rest"
- Place for my Head – Linkin Park -
"Hey! What's up Chibodee?" Mallory asked the next morning. He shrugged, not his same cheerful self. Sai was busy flipping pancakes and cooking omelets while Allenby and Rain looked on in interest. Argo sat quietly in a corner and Domon and Schwarz had left early that morning to train. Cecil has returned to where her brother was camping last night and that left Erin, who was working on her new weapon.
All throughout breakfast Chibodee was, oddly enough, very quiet. He was usually talking about gundam fights and boxing. But not this morning.
"Everyone, I'm thinking of leaving the highlands." He finally spoke.
"WHAT?!"
"But why?" asked Rain in a concerned tone.
"There's been an emergency back home. Cat and Bunny were attacked by someone and I need to know who," he says, his voice deathly serious.
"Couldn't you just have them come here? I mean, they are part of your team you know?" Rain suggested. Sai nodded in agreement.
"I might…but whatever happens…I want to deal with it on my own. Let's just say, I have a score to settle," he says. Chibodee stands and leaves. He silently returns to his tent and notices he had received a call during breakfast.
"Hey Chibodee, its Shirley. Sorry for the scare last night. Everyone is feeling a whole lot better. Please don't worry too much about us. Call back when you have time. Bye." Chibodee sighed showing a little relief as he dialed their home in America. The phone rang and continued to ring.
"Come on…please pick up." Chibodee muttered, his fears arising again.
"Eh? Who is it?" A sleepy voice replied on the receiving end of the line.
"Shirley? It's Chibodee, I got your call…and even though you say you're okay I'm gonna have you guys brought here."
"…What? Why?! Chibodee, are you trying to say that we can't take care of ourselves? We have our pride too! We're not going!" Click. Phone connection closed.
Chibodee sighed; he almost expected that kind of response. Sure, the girls grew up in the streets of New York City but they couldn't beat every obstacle. There was nothing he could do for them now, for himself either. There was no way to find who the attacker was or even go after them, so Chibodee did the only thing he could do. Let his emotions out through his fists.
- - - - -
Long hours passed as Chibodee practiced bowing moves and techniques, even so, he couldn't clear his head like usual.
"Why can't I help anyone?!" He yelled in anger as his rapid blows continued. Flashbacks of the riot he went through in the past, then a picture of the Battle Royale and finally a picture of the girls waving to him as he left for his 'vacation'. He punched a nearby tree with all his might, sending pieces of wood and leaves flying. A trickle of blood ran down his arm from where a piece of the tree had hit him.
"Dammit…" Sweat ran down his face and chest. "I have to be strong…for my friends, nation and this dream.." He clenched his fists and moved his hands to his side.
A sudden pain made him look at his right hand. His shuffle symbol for the Queen of Spades was glowing brightly and emitting a dull pain.
"What the hell is going on?" He questions to nobody in particular.
"Hey Chibodee, dinner's ready! Made by yours truly!" Sai approaches the American fighter with a broad grin.
"Okay Shorty." He says as he walks off leaving a fuming Sai behind.
When Chibodee approached the campfire he saw everyone eating in silence. Mallory waved him over and served him rice and teriyaki.
"Chibodee, are the members of your team coming?" Rain broke the silence. He shook his head in reply.
"I don't know…but that's okay! Why don't we all do something fun tonight?" He said, trying to sound more cheerful.
"Like what? This isn't exactly the liveliest place in the world." Erin raised an eyebrow.
"I read somewhere that tonight you can see Mars in the sky. Why don't we go star gazing?" Allenby put in her two cents.
"Sounds good to me." Mallory replied. The other girls nodded. The guys seemed hesitant but decided to go as well.
After eating, cleaning up and a giant water fight between Chibodee and Sai Sici the group headed to a grassy hill where they could all sit. They had to walk for quite some time before finding a suitable place. As many know, the Guyana Highlands were damaged pretty badly during the fight against Devil and Master Gundam. After that things were renovated on the island. Half of it was now modernized with a large hotel, a few restaurants, etc. Most Gundam pilots were staying there. They had sacrificed the purity and peacefulness of this place for money…still; on the north part of the island everything was still as it had been for the past hundreds of years. Free of population and pollution. Rain had chosen the place to stargaze; it was halfway between civilization and wilderness. So if you looked to your right you'd see buildings and lights and to your left you'd only see trees and unscathed land.
Just as the group began to settle in, the sounds of birds taking flight captured and held their attention. Standing in the middle of a small forest was a Gundam. It was dark but still seemed vaguely familiar, especially to Chibodee.
"Wait…isn't that…a gundam of the original Shuffle Alliance?!"
- - - - -
Nuriko: Woo. Another cliffhanger. Don't you love those? Just kidding, please don't kill me. This chapter seems awfully…short. Anyways, hope to get another one up soon!
Kenji: ^^ For my birthday?
Nuriko: I hope ^^
Kenji: Wai!
Chapter 10: Fearless Queen of Spades
"I watch how the moon sits in the sky in the dark night
Shining with the light from the sun
The sun doesn't give light to the moon assuming the moon's going to owe it one
It makes me think of how you act to me you do favors and then rapidly
You just turn around and start asking me about things you want back from me
I'm sick of the tension sick of the hunger
Sick of you acting like I owe you this
Find another place to feed your greed
While I find a place to rest"
- Place for my Head – Linkin Park -
"Hey! What's up Chibodee?" Mallory asked the next morning. He shrugged, not his same cheerful self. Sai was busy flipping pancakes and cooking omelets while Allenby and Rain looked on in interest. Argo sat quietly in a corner and Domon and Schwarz had left early that morning to train. Cecil has returned to where her brother was camping last night and that left Erin, who was working on her new weapon.
All throughout breakfast Chibodee was, oddly enough, very quiet. He was usually talking about gundam fights and boxing. But not this morning.
"Everyone, I'm thinking of leaving the highlands." He finally spoke.
"WHAT?!"
"But why?" asked Rain in a concerned tone.
"There's been an emergency back home. Cat and Bunny were attacked by someone and I need to know who," he says, his voice deathly serious.
"Couldn't you just have them come here? I mean, they are part of your team you know?" Rain suggested. Sai nodded in agreement.
"I might…but whatever happens…I want to deal with it on my own. Let's just say, I have a score to settle," he says. Chibodee stands and leaves. He silently returns to his tent and notices he had received a call during breakfast.
"Hey Chibodee, its Shirley. Sorry for the scare last night. Everyone is feeling a whole lot better. Please don't worry too much about us. Call back when you have time. Bye." Chibodee sighed showing a little relief as he dialed their home in America. The phone rang and continued to ring.
"Come on…please pick up." Chibodee muttered, his fears arising again.
"Eh? Who is it?" A sleepy voice replied on the receiving end of the line.
"Shirley? It's Chibodee, I got your call…and even though you say you're okay I'm gonna have you guys brought here."
"…What? Why?! Chibodee, are you trying to say that we can't take care of ourselves? We have our pride too! We're not going!" Click. Phone connection closed.
Chibodee sighed; he almost expected that kind of response. Sure, the girls grew up in the streets of New York City but they couldn't beat every obstacle. There was nothing he could do for them now, for himself either. There was no way to find who the attacker was or even go after them, so Chibodee did the only thing he could do. Let his emotions out through his fists.
- - - - -
Long hours passed as Chibodee practiced bowing moves and techniques, even so, he couldn't clear his head like usual.
"Why can't I help anyone?!" He yelled in anger as his rapid blows continued. Flashbacks of the riot he went through in the past, then a picture of the Battle Royale and finally a picture of the girls waving to him as he left for his 'vacation'. He punched a nearby tree with all his might, sending pieces of wood and leaves flying. A trickle of blood ran down his arm from where a piece of the tree had hit him.
"Dammit…" Sweat ran down his face and chest. "I have to be strong…for my friends, nation and this dream.." He clenched his fists and moved his hands to his side.
A sudden pain made him look at his right hand. His shuffle symbol for the Queen of Spades was glowing brightly and emitting a dull pain.
"What the hell is going on?" He questions to nobody in particular.
"Hey Chibodee, dinner's ready! Made by yours truly!" Sai approaches the American fighter with a broad grin.
"Okay Shorty." He says as he walks off leaving a fuming Sai behind.
When Chibodee approached the campfire he saw everyone eating in silence. Mallory waved him over and served him rice and teriyaki.
"Chibodee, are the members of your team coming?" Rain broke the silence. He shook his head in reply.
"I don't know…but that's okay! Why don't we all do something fun tonight?" He said, trying to sound more cheerful.
"Like what? This isn't exactly the liveliest place in the world." Erin raised an eyebrow.
"I read somewhere that tonight you can see Mars in the sky. Why don't we go star gazing?" Allenby put in her two cents.
"Sounds good to me." Mallory replied. The other girls nodded. The guys seemed hesitant but decided to go as well.
After eating, cleaning up and a giant water fight between Chibodee and Sai Sici the group headed to a grassy hill where they could all sit. They had to walk for quite some time before finding a suitable place. As many know, the Guyana Highlands were damaged pretty badly during the fight against Devil and Master Gundam. After that things were renovated on the island. Half of it was now modernized with a large hotel, a few restaurants, etc. Most Gundam pilots were staying there. They had sacrificed the purity and peacefulness of this place for money…still; on the north part of the island everything was still as it had been for the past hundreds of years. Free of population and pollution. Rain had chosen the place to stargaze; it was halfway between civilization and wilderness. So if you looked to your right you'd see buildings and lights and to your left you'd only see trees and unscathed land.
Just as the group began to settle in, the sounds of birds taking flight captured and held their attention. Standing in the middle of a small forest was a Gundam. It was dark but still seemed vaguely familiar, especially to Chibodee.
"Wait…isn't that…a gundam of the original Shuffle Alliance?!"
- - - - -
Nuriko: Woo. Another cliffhanger. Don't you love those? Just kidding, please don't kill me. This chapter seems awfully…short. Anyways, hope to get another one up soon!
Kenji: ^^ For my birthday?
Nuriko: I hope ^^
Kenji: Wai!
