Why is it that no one reviews my well-thought out stories? It's like my
curse or something!
3. The Leader of the Marduks
Sanguine stepped out of the rotating hospital doors and did a double take at what was standing in front of her. On the roundabout driveway was parked a white stretch limousine in the most magnificent splendour she had ever thought possible.
She saw a man dressed fully in black look up from the photograph in his oversized, gloved hand as he stood beside the limo. He noticed her and began to approach her. She backed away and into the hospital door. The man stopped when he stood a foot away from her and she stared up at him in fear and surprise.
"Are you Sanguine, the one that pulled Duke Red from the wreckage of the Ziggurat?" he implored firmly in a gruff voice.
Sanguine nodded briskly and pushed herself further into the door, almost causing it to spin.
"Then you're to come with me," he said, grabbing her arm and dragging her to the limo. He opened the door, let go off her and ordered her to get in. She did so, and he slammed the door behind her.
Sanguine sat on the edge of her seat, glancing around uneasily. She was pondering who these men were and what they wanted. They appeared to be the bodyguards of Duke Red, but appearances could be deceiving.
*
The limo finally stopped when it pulled up in front of a once elegant mansion. The same man opened the door for Sanguine and she stepped out, taking off her sunglasses to ogle the sight. She stepped away from the limo and forward slowly up the walkway.
She gazed around at the wreck of a garden that had been destroyed by the flames of the Ziggurat nearby. It was beautiful, nonetheless. She came to the steps of the mansion and stood staring up at the large, white, wooden door.
"You're welcome to go in, you know," she heard someone say from behind her.
She turned to see the black-garmented man standing sternly behind her, prohibiting any chance of escape. She drew a sharp breath in and gave a curt nod. She turned back and pressed the button on the intercom. "H- hello? May I speak to the maid called Enmy, please?"
There was some static and then a gruff male voice replied. "Enmy? What for?"
Before Sanguine could answer, the guard replied. "She has been sent by Duke Red as the new Marduk recruit."
"And we know this, how...?" the intercom's voice trailed off suspiciously.
"Tiamat," Sanguine answered simply.
"'Tiamat'?" The intercom man repeated.
"Yes, Tiamat. That's what Duke Red told me to say if I needed proof of his statement," explained Sanguine.
"Very well, then. Qingu, you're her escort," the man ordered as the doors swung open to reveal an exquisite hall.
Sanguine stepped inside and then turned to the man behind her. "Qingu? Is that what your name is?"
"Yes, why?"
"Just asking. I need Enmy. Do you know where she is?"
"Follow me," Qingu answered flatly, as if extremely bored. He took the lead and strode down the hall.
"Oh, and Duke Red says to begin reconstruction of the mansion right away," Sanguine added innocently. The servants and guards that had been standing in the hall bowed before her and parted in different directions of the doorways.
*
Qingu knocked on a wooden door on one of the top levels of the mansion. "Enmy? Someone here to see you. Sent by Duke Red."
There was a shuffle and then footsteps before the door opened to reveal a brown-haired lady in a brown and white dress. She opened the door to full extent and peered down at Sanguine who was about and centimetre or so shorter. "Who? This young girl?"
"That's right, new Marduk recruit. Send 'er to Devin when you're done," Qingu replied as he sauntered away down the hall.
"Devin? Why Devin? Shouldn't Rock be the one to handle the training?" Enmy questioned, raising her voice to be heard by the man halfway down the hall.
"He's in the hospital. Kind of hard to handle it from there," Qingu answered as he turned to trudge down the staircase at the end of the hall and disappear from sight.
Sanguine looked back to Enmy, who sighed and shook her head at the man. She glanced back at Sanguine and motioned for her to enter the room. "Don't mind him. He's just a little annoyed I guess since Duke Red selected a female for the occupation of Marduk leader." Enmy closed the door silently and stepped over to the closet. "Personally, I'm quite fond of the idea. It'll make a nice change to have another girl around here for once. And in command, too!"
Sanguine simpered politely and made a small chuckle at Enmy's comment. "I can imagine...Too many men around here?"
"That's right," Enmy responded as she took something from a hanger at the back of the closet and turned to face Sanguine. "The only female ever around here had been Tima and the Duchess, but they're dead now," she adjoined, suddenly turning to a more sullen note.
Enmy moved to the bed silently to set the outfit down. "I've been saving this uniform for the day when we'd hopefully have a female Marduk leader, and my wish has finally come true. You're welcome to sit down on the bed, um..."
"Excuse my rudeness-I'm Sanguine," the girl replied, sitting on the bed warily. "Could you possibly tell me about the Duchess?"
"Sure, uh...could you take your jacket off, please? Put this one on instead," Enmy instructed, handing Sanguine a red bolero. "Well, she died shortly after Tima had..."
Sanguine took off her long mahogany jacket and fit the red one on. It was red with full sleeves that had been rolled up at the ends to reveal the darker inner lining. It had a stiff collar and the Marduk symbol on the left breast. "Oh?"
Enmy stepped back to survey how it looked on her. "Yes, yes that's good..." She looked up and indicated to a dressing panel on the far wall opposite her four-poster, curtained bed. "You see that? Take these and dress into them." Enmy handed Sanguine a neatly folded set of black and red garments as Sanguine gave back the red Marduk jacket.
Sanguine moved behind the screen and Enmy heard a shuffle of clothes before she continued to speak. "You see, Duchess Red's death was because of their only daughter, Tima's," she informed as she arranged some accessories she had laid out on the bed. "The Duchess was so heartbroken that she committed suicide, despite Duke Red's great attempts to console her. It was terrible-she poisoned herself with a glass of wine and would have done so to her husband, too, had he not left the room briefly. The cyanide entered and shut down her system unbelievably fast. She was dead on the floor when Duke Red returned a few minutes later."
Enmy looked up as Sanguine stepped out from behind the panel. She wore a collared black shirt with relatively short sleeves, black nylons and a red skirt of the same shade as the jacket. She was holding up the skirt which was loose, had belt loops and ended halfway down her thighs. She strode up to Enmy. "I hope this comes with a belt or something, or those Marduk men will be a lot more interested in their leader than their task at hand," Sanguine said with a worried look.
"Don't worry about that," Enmy laughed. She motioned for Sanguine to stand closer as she took some olive-green suspenders from the bed. She hooked them to the skirt, the two bands stretching across the front over the swells of Sanguine's chest and the one band down her back.
Sanguine let go of the skirt's waistband and scrutinized the suspenders, running her hands down them. "At least the skirt stays up, now, but it's still loose."
"That's why you have a belt," Enmy stated, looping the brown, gold- buckled belt through the rings of the skirt and clasping it at the front. She then attached a pouch to the belt-on Sanguine's left. She added one more thing to Sanguine's right; a gun holster, minus the gun.
Sanguine looked up to Enmy. "Shouldn't there be a gun in this holster?"
"Not yet. You need the target practice, first. That shall be given to you by one of the current Marduks. Then the gun shall be yours to own, yours to keep. Here, put these on," Enmy directed, giving Sanguine a pair of gloves.
No sooner had Sanguine put the black gloves on then Enmy handed her a pair of boots like those of Rock's Marduk uniform. Sanguine stepped into them, seeing that they came to just below her knees. She rocked back and forth in them, trying to get a feel and to see if they fit. Enmy then handed back the bolero, which Sanguine put on once more.
"Give me your arm," Enmy ordered, and Sanguine outstretched her right arm. Enmy fit a black armband with the red Marduk symbol over her hand and slid it up her arm over the jacket sleeve. Enmy adjusted it on her arm so that the Marduk symbol faced the outside, just as Rock's had.
Enmy stepped back and placed her hands akimbo. Sanguine turned around and spread her arms wide. "Well...? What do you think, Enmy?"
Enmy cocked her head to one side and reached to the bed again. "Undo your hair."
Sanguine pulled the blue elastic out and lowered her head for Enmy to reach. Enmy positioned the hat on her head so that the red jewel face the front. It was like the hat that the other Marduks (except for Rock) wore. Enmy then reached for Sanguine's sunglasses on the bed and fit them to her. She stepped back again to analyze her.
Enmy clapped her hands together and smiled. "I do believe that this is it! You look exactly like a female Marduk should. Like a female Rock, if I do say so myself."
Sanguine made a polite laugh again and returned the smile. She was then ushered out of the room by Enmy with her old clothes.
*
"You wait out here, okay?" Enmy instructed Sanguine as she opened a large steel door with turntable handle to step inside.
Enmy stood near the door and cleared her throat, preparing to raise her voice. "Men, I would ask your attention, please!" Enmy vociferated over the bang of gunshots, impact of targets and orders of the sub-leader. Almost at once, the four men in Marduk uniforms froze, lowered their guns and turned to the door where Enmy was standing.
'She may not look like it, but boy, is she loud...' Sanguine thought to herself as she listened through the crack in the door.
"Marduks, I would first like to say, that as you may know, your leader is no longer Rock," started Enmy.
There was a murmur among the Marduks at this comment. "Though that doesn't mean you are without a leader, for Duke Red has hired someone who he trusts-so he should because they are the one that pulled him from the wreckage. This new leader, since they have had no prior training, will be taking lessons from Devin for the next few days until they are up to your calibre, at which point they will take training with you."
"Euh, Enmy! What about Rock? What happened and where is he?" one of the Marduks asked.
Enmy cast a stern glance at him. "He's in the hospital being treated for his gunshot wound and other injuries from the destruction of the Ziggurat. So is Duke Red. And I'm sure that you all know it was Sam that inflicted Rock's gunshot wound," Enmy explained, casting an angered look at the brown haired, bearded, blue-eyed Marduk, who returned the scowl.
"Yes, and I hope you know that Rock dressed up as you to infiltrate the Ziggurat throne room?" the blonde, blue-eyed Marduk named Devin called. "How can we be sure that it's not you in there, Rock?"
There was uproarious laughter from all of the Marduks at this comment with a murderous glower from Enmy. "Laugh all you want now, but it will be short-lived. You may enter now, Sanguine."
The laughter slowly died away a brown-haired, blue-eyed Marduk turned to the one beside him. "'Sanguine'? What kind of name is that for a man?"
""Sanguine' is a synonym for 'blood'. Maybe that's what his parents were going for," the other one, brown-haired and brown-eyed replied.
"Yeah, but 'sanguine' also means bubbly and cheerful. God, I sure hope that's not the case with our new leader. If it is, or if he's a girl, I'm quitting the Marduks right away. There's no way I'm going to be ordered around by some...some..." the Marduk was silenced when he saw who stood in the doorway.
In fact, that was the case with all four of the Marduk men as Sanguine entered the room nervously. She took off her sunglasses and stood staring at them with her hands clasped in front of her innocently. Enmy took one look around the room and smirked. "Say hello to your new leader, Sanguine. I'm going to leave now, so you boys play nice and make her feel welcome, alright?" Enmy taunted as she slipped out through the door. She then paused and lowered her voice so that only the embarrassed Sanguine could hear. "Don't worry, dear. If they upset you, tell me and I'll make sure Duke Red punishes them accordingly."
Sanguine gave a stiff nod and made a choked, "Yes" as Enmy closed the door entirely.
The second Marduk out of the pair that had been gossiping before leant over to the first and without turning his head, asked, "A-are you sure you want to leave the Marduks now, Patrick?"
"N-no, O-Orion..." the other Marduk replied, shaking his head vigorously. "I don't think so..."
Devin finally cleared his throat and made a gallant stride forward to the petrified teen. "Well, hello, there, Sanguine," he introduced, his voice thick and rather shaky. "As you may know, my name is Devin, and I will be giving you basic training on the handling of a gun. Heh-I'll make a rock-hard gunner out of you yet...get it? Rock-hard?" He laughed dryly at his own joke.
Sanguine didn't laugh or even smile politely, too preoccupied with staring in horror at the men gawking back at her that she was to command rather then paying attention to Devin's attempt to ease the tension. Devin scratched the back of his head nervously and made a small chuckle as he glanced at his fellow Marduks. "Well, then, I suppose we should get started, Sanguine?" He turned fully to the rest of the group, finally regaining his courage. "Sam, you're in charge while I'm busy. Continue target practice." With that, he ushered Sanguine out of the room.
Sam shook his head to return to reality and started to command the rest of the group. "Come on, ladies, you heard him! And not that Rock wasn't a good leader before, but now we have more purpose to commit to our commander!"
"Yeah-and how do we know that you aren't going to shoot our new leader like you did the last one?" Orion called out.
"He's not gonna shoot her, mate! She's too damn beautiful! Even Sam has a heart that could understand that! And I'll bet you if Rock had been a girl, he'd have spared him, too!" Patrick countered, earning another long wave of laughter among the Marduks.
*
"Here you go, your own gun. It was Rock's, but we can get a new one if he decides he wants it back once he's well enough to manage it," Devin said, handing Sanguine the gun that had belonged to the boy. "I picked it up when I went to carry him away before the destruction of the Ziggurat."
Sanguine reached out as Devin placed the firearm in her hands. She analyzed it curiously, holding it at arm's length as if it were to come alive and shoot her. "Um..." She was a at a loss for words.
Devin reached into his belt to pull out his gun. He aimed at the target in front of him. "It's simple, just copy me. Centre the target..."
Sanguine positioned the gun in her right hand so that her index finger was on the trigger while her other fingers and thumb curled around the but of the gun-just like she had seen in all the media. "Centre the target..." she muttered softly to herself, closing one eye to squint through the other.
"That's right, now when you're sure you have it, pull the trigger..." Devin cocked his trigger, causing Sanguine to make a small jump as the innocent, yet threatening pop sounded. It hit the wooden target in front of them dead on, which then sunk into the floor as another appeared to take its place, this time of a different robot model.
Sanguine re-aimed the gun, having lost the centre when she jumped. "Pull the trigger..." Another pop as she squeezed the trigger gently. Her stomach lurched and her heart skipped a beat as she was hit with the recoil from the blast.
The gun flew out of her hand and her to the ground. She stared ahead with wide eyes as the target in front of her seeped into the floor only to be replaced with a new one. Devin walked over to where the handgun had fallen and picked it up. He strode back to where Sanguine sat quite shaken on the floor and helped her up. He handed her the gun once more. "Here-try again. Only this time, maybe you should put both hands on the gun-just while you're getting used to the recoil. Otherwise, if you do this every time you fire a shot, you'll find that your target won't be the one going down."
Sanguine to the gun back with her quivering hand and mimicked Devin's actions. Both centred on the Albert 2 model and pulled the triggers of their handguns. With two black marks on its head, the robot sunk down into the floor as another appeared. They did exactly the same as before. "That's right...centre target, pull..." Devin chided softly. Soon target after target came up, and Devin stopped firing as Sanguine began to gain courage and speed.
Sanguine had fired one particularly rapid shot when Devin raised his hand to stop her. He stepped over to what seemed to be a control panel on the left of the room to press a button. "Now we move on. You must realize that you may have more than one target in robot dilemmas and that they won't all be enclosed in the same spot. This next training exercise will prepare you for that type of situation.
"Robot model targets will appear around the room, and you are to take them down. Keep in mind that you must also mind your partners, so to help you remember that, I shall be standing here." Just as Devin had said, robot targets started to materialize all around the walls of the room. "Very well, begin," Devin commanded.
Sanguine lifted her arms and aimed at the first target. She was about to fire when it went back down without being shot. She lowered her hands and turned to Devin behind her. "What happened?"
"Nothing. You weren't quick enough. Perhaps I failed to mention that the second trick to phase two is speed. Those robots aren't going to stand still for you to incapacitate them," he replied coolly.
Sanguine whipped back around and fired instantly, taking down the robot she hadn't before. She turned to the next one, aiming quickly and pulling the trigger. She whirled around and around the room, narrowly missing Devin's head once or twice, who stood completely still, watching her smugly.
When she had finally terminated all of the robots, she lowered her hands and placed them on her knees, bending over to catch her breath.
"Not so easy, is it?" asked Devin, smirking.
Sanguine shook her head, not raising it so that she kept staring at the floor. She paused a moment longer before taking one huge breath in and clenching her hand in a fist as she turned to Devin. "But I'm ready for more!"
"Okay then, if you're sure. Follow me, then," Devin instructed, shutting the systems down and leading her out of the room.
He took her back to the other target room, where the other Marduks were. When they entered, the other Marduks froze and looked up at them. "We're back, and I have a new Marduk recruit with me. She's ready to join our skilled ranks now-thinks she can handle it," he told the rest of the group. He turned to her. "You ready? I'm heading off to the control room, so go to Sam-he'll explain the exercise to you."
Sanguine nodded and stepped up to the bearded, blue-eyed man. "Devin said you were to explain to me the exercise," she said simply.
Sam, who had had his attention elsewhere whipped around with a start. "Oh...well, basically, virtual targets will appear around the room and you have to shoot at them with these simulation guns. They'll move in the exact ways that a malfunctioning robot would, and they fire back, depending on the type of robot they are. You're still able to shoot other Marduks, though unlike the real thing, they won't die. It's a recreation of what would happen exactly on the field."
Sanguine placed Rock's gun in her holster and took the simulation gun from Sam's outstretched hand. She turned as she heard a countdown from Devin in the control room and glanced at the other Marduks. They were standing before her, ready to receive orders.
"You being the leader, have to tell us what to do," Orion informed.
"Oh-right!" She held the simulation gun out in front of her ready to fire at the first robot she saw and her voice suddenly became deep and loud as she gained her first taste of command. "Alright men, spread out. Guns at the ready and fire!"
Suddenly, the environment o the room changed from throne room-like appearance to an area in Zone 1 in flames. Albert 2 models and other waste disposal models were going haywire. Sanguine saw one of the robots toss a large, heavy object her way. She ducked, and it flew over her head. She then lunged forward and fired at the one that had attacked first. There was a loud clanking sound, then a small explosion within the robot, and then it froze in mid-step, steaming.
On seeing her triumph, Sanguine moved on to the next target that was beginning to approach her. She ducked in and out of the other Marduks as they passed by her. No one shot each other and they were progressing well.
Sanguine felt comfortable in this new light, now. She felt as if the recoil of the gun was like a comforting, yet firm arm slap instead of a petrifying, vengeful death sentence. "Centre target...pull, switch...centre target...pull, switch..." she kept mumbling to herself throughout the exercise.
*
Before stepping out the doors of the mansion, Sanguine turned to the doorman. "Duke Red wants every able-bodied person in the city to be working on the reconstruction of Metropolis and the Ziggurat 24/7. Got that?"
The doorman nodded and Sanguine, satisfied, strode down the steps. She swung her Marduk hat back on after having taken it off to fan herself with it and replaced her sunglasses in front of her eyes to shield them from the bright orange setting sun. As she walked down the long pathway that led to the main gate, she massaged her arms which now hurt from handling the gun all afternoon. Her original streetclothes were nestled in the crook of her arm since she was wearing her new Marduk uniform, ready to flaunt it at any chance she got. A stroll through the streets of Metropolis was definitely one of the good ways to do it.
As she exited through the front gate, she turned when someone called her name. "Sanguine! Sanguine! There you are!"
She could see that it was a boy-shorter and most probably younger than her but still a good friend. She turned to fully face him. "Yeah? It's me, Sanguine. What is it, Kenichi?"
Kenichi froze when he had finally reached her and realized what she was wearing. "Euh... Why are you dressed like a Marduk? Namely Rock?"
"Ah, well, you see...that's because I am a Marduk. Namely Marduk leader."
Kenichi's mouth dropped open. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you, I really am, but I thought that you were on our side..."
"I am, I am, but I can be a Marduk, can't I? Think of it as extra protection-I can handle a gun, now! And, since I have absolute control over those Marduk men, I can command them not to harm you or Tima-once she's built."
"Oh..." Kenichi replied, sounding slightly discouraged and distant as he stared at her new garments. After a few more moments, he began to chuckle.
Sanguine took off her sunglasses and glowered at him. "I fail to see what's so funny."
"If I didn't know that Rock was in the hospital, I'd say that he was under that outfit," he managed to say before his laughter became uncontrollable.
That only made her scowl even more. She walked past him and down the street to where she had been staying with Kenichi. "Watch your mouth, or I'll be having a lot more fun with my new firearm than expected, Kenichi!"
Kenichi calmed down and started to traipse after her, still having small bursts of giggles. "Is that a death threat? I thought it was extra protection you were granting me?"
"That is extra protection. If I kill you first, then the Marduks can't get you, can they? Nor can anyone else, so you're safe from death. Now will you please just zip it and show me your wonderful surprise?" Sanguine asked rather matter-of-factly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ugh...Two words...too much swearing...Zero would have been enough...But the Marduks are "evil", aren't they? Normally in these sorts of things, evil guys swear-mind you, good guys do, too, but... Oh yeah-sorry, I made a mistake before on the profanity count for Metropolis. I made a mistake by counting the time Rock said, "Gods". It turns out that he wasn't cussing, but praying. Whoops-sorry, Rock, so there are only three profanities in Metropolis.
3. The Leader of the Marduks
Sanguine stepped out of the rotating hospital doors and did a double take at what was standing in front of her. On the roundabout driveway was parked a white stretch limousine in the most magnificent splendour she had ever thought possible.
She saw a man dressed fully in black look up from the photograph in his oversized, gloved hand as he stood beside the limo. He noticed her and began to approach her. She backed away and into the hospital door. The man stopped when he stood a foot away from her and she stared up at him in fear and surprise.
"Are you Sanguine, the one that pulled Duke Red from the wreckage of the Ziggurat?" he implored firmly in a gruff voice.
Sanguine nodded briskly and pushed herself further into the door, almost causing it to spin.
"Then you're to come with me," he said, grabbing her arm and dragging her to the limo. He opened the door, let go off her and ordered her to get in. She did so, and he slammed the door behind her.
Sanguine sat on the edge of her seat, glancing around uneasily. She was pondering who these men were and what they wanted. They appeared to be the bodyguards of Duke Red, but appearances could be deceiving.
*
The limo finally stopped when it pulled up in front of a once elegant mansion. The same man opened the door for Sanguine and she stepped out, taking off her sunglasses to ogle the sight. She stepped away from the limo and forward slowly up the walkway.
She gazed around at the wreck of a garden that had been destroyed by the flames of the Ziggurat nearby. It was beautiful, nonetheless. She came to the steps of the mansion and stood staring up at the large, white, wooden door.
"You're welcome to go in, you know," she heard someone say from behind her.
She turned to see the black-garmented man standing sternly behind her, prohibiting any chance of escape. She drew a sharp breath in and gave a curt nod. She turned back and pressed the button on the intercom. "H- hello? May I speak to the maid called Enmy, please?"
There was some static and then a gruff male voice replied. "Enmy? What for?"
Before Sanguine could answer, the guard replied. "She has been sent by Duke Red as the new Marduk recruit."
"And we know this, how...?" the intercom's voice trailed off suspiciously.
"Tiamat," Sanguine answered simply.
"'Tiamat'?" The intercom man repeated.
"Yes, Tiamat. That's what Duke Red told me to say if I needed proof of his statement," explained Sanguine.
"Very well, then. Qingu, you're her escort," the man ordered as the doors swung open to reveal an exquisite hall.
Sanguine stepped inside and then turned to the man behind her. "Qingu? Is that what your name is?"
"Yes, why?"
"Just asking. I need Enmy. Do you know where she is?"
"Follow me," Qingu answered flatly, as if extremely bored. He took the lead and strode down the hall.
"Oh, and Duke Red says to begin reconstruction of the mansion right away," Sanguine added innocently. The servants and guards that had been standing in the hall bowed before her and parted in different directions of the doorways.
*
Qingu knocked on a wooden door on one of the top levels of the mansion. "Enmy? Someone here to see you. Sent by Duke Red."
There was a shuffle and then footsteps before the door opened to reveal a brown-haired lady in a brown and white dress. She opened the door to full extent and peered down at Sanguine who was about and centimetre or so shorter. "Who? This young girl?"
"That's right, new Marduk recruit. Send 'er to Devin when you're done," Qingu replied as he sauntered away down the hall.
"Devin? Why Devin? Shouldn't Rock be the one to handle the training?" Enmy questioned, raising her voice to be heard by the man halfway down the hall.
"He's in the hospital. Kind of hard to handle it from there," Qingu answered as he turned to trudge down the staircase at the end of the hall and disappear from sight.
Sanguine looked back to Enmy, who sighed and shook her head at the man. She glanced back at Sanguine and motioned for her to enter the room. "Don't mind him. He's just a little annoyed I guess since Duke Red selected a female for the occupation of Marduk leader." Enmy closed the door silently and stepped over to the closet. "Personally, I'm quite fond of the idea. It'll make a nice change to have another girl around here for once. And in command, too!"
Sanguine simpered politely and made a small chuckle at Enmy's comment. "I can imagine...Too many men around here?"
"That's right," Enmy responded as she took something from a hanger at the back of the closet and turned to face Sanguine. "The only female ever around here had been Tima and the Duchess, but they're dead now," she adjoined, suddenly turning to a more sullen note.
Enmy moved to the bed silently to set the outfit down. "I've been saving this uniform for the day when we'd hopefully have a female Marduk leader, and my wish has finally come true. You're welcome to sit down on the bed, um..."
"Excuse my rudeness-I'm Sanguine," the girl replied, sitting on the bed warily. "Could you possibly tell me about the Duchess?"
"Sure, uh...could you take your jacket off, please? Put this one on instead," Enmy instructed, handing Sanguine a red bolero. "Well, she died shortly after Tima had..."
Sanguine took off her long mahogany jacket and fit the red one on. It was red with full sleeves that had been rolled up at the ends to reveal the darker inner lining. It had a stiff collar and the Marduk symbol on the left breast. "Oh?"
Enmy stepped back to survey how it looked on her. "Yes, yes that's good..." She looked up and indicated to a dressing panel on the far wall opposite her four-poster, curtained bed. "You see that? Take these and dress into them." Enmy handed Sanguine a neatly folded set of black and red garments as Sanguine gave back the red Marduk jacket.
Sanguine moved behind the screen and Enmy heard a shuffle of clothes before she continued to speak. "You see, Duchess Red's death was because of their only daughter, Tima's," she informed as she arranged some accessories she had laid out on the bed. "The Duchess was so heartbroken that she committed suicide, despite Duke Red's great attempts to console her. It was terrible-she poisoned herself with a glass of wine and would have done so to her husband, too, had he not left the room briefly. The cyanide entered and shut down her system unbelievably fast. She was dead on the floor when Duke Red returned a few minutes later."
Enmy looked up as Sanguine stepped out from behind the panel. She wore a collared black shirt with relatively short sleeves, black nylons and a red skirt of the same shade as the jacket. She was holding up the skirt which was loose, had belt loops and ended halfway down her thighs. She strode up to Enmy. "I hope this comes with a belt or something, or those Marduk men will be a lot more interested in their leader than their task at hand," Sanguine said with a worried look.
"Don't worry about that," Enmy laughed. She motioned for Sanguine to stand closer as she took some olive-green suspenders from the bed. She hooked them to the skirt, the two bands stretching across the front over the swells of Sanguine's chest and the one band down her back.
Sanguine let go of the skirt's waistband and scrutinized the suspenders, running her hands down them. "At least the skirt stays up, now, but it's still loose."
"That's why you have a belt," Enmy stated, looping the brown, gold- buckled belt through the rings of the skirt and clasping it at the front. She then attached a pouch to the belt-on Sanguine's left. She added one more thing to Sanguine's right; a gun holster, minus the gun.
Sanguine looked up to Enmy. "Shouldn't there be a gun in this holster?"
"Not yet. You need the target practice, first. That shall be given to you by one of the current Marduks. Then the gun shall be yours to own, yours to keep. Here, put these on," Enmy directed, giving Sanguine a pair of gloves.
No sooner had Sanguine put the black gloves on then Enmy handed her a pair of boots like those of Rock's Marduk uniform. Sanguine stepped into them, seeing that they came to just below her knees. She rocked back and forth in them, trying to get a feel and to see if they fit. Enmy then handed back the bolero, which Sanguine put on once more.
"Give me your arm," Enmy ordered, and Sanguine outstretched her right arm. Enmy fit a black armband with the red Marduk symbol over her hand and slid it up her arm over the jacket sleeve. Enmy adjusted it on her arm so that the Marduk symbol faced the outside, just as Rock's had.
Enmy stepped back and placed her hands akimbo. Sanguine turned around and spread her arms wide. "Well...? What do you think, Enmy?"
Enmy cocked her head to one side and reached to the bed again. "Undo your hair."
Sanguine pulled the blue elastic out and lowered her head for Enmy to reach. Enmy positioned the hat on her head so that the red jewel face the front. It was like the hat that the other Marduks (except for Rock) wore. Enmy then reached for Sanguine's sunglasses on the bed and fit them to her. She stepped back again to analyze her.
Enmy clapped her hands together and smiled. "I do believe that this is it! You look exactly like a female Marduk should. Like a female Rock, if I do say so myself."
Sanguine made a polite laugh again and returned the smile. She was then ushered out of the room by Enmy with her old clothes.
*
"You wait out here, okay?" Enmy instructed Sanguine as she opened a large steel door with turntable handle to step inside.
Enmy stood near the door and cleared her throat, preparing to raise her voice. "Men, I would ask your attention, please!" Enmy vociferated over the bang of gunshots, impact of targets and orders of the sub-leader. Almost at once, the four men in Marduk uniforms froze, lowered their guns and turned to the door where Enmy was standing.
'She may not look like it, but boy, is she loud...' Sanguine thought to herself as she listened through the crack in the door.
"Marduks, I would first like to say, that as you may know, your leader is no longer Rock," started Enmy.
There was a murmur among the Marduks at this comment. "Though that doesn't mean you are without a leader, for Duke Red has hired someone who he trusts-so he should because they are the one that pulled him from the wreckage. This new leader, since they have had no prior training, will be taking lessons from Devin for the next few days until they are up to your calibre, at which point they will take training with you."
"Euh, Enmy! What about Rock? What happened and where is he?" one of the Marduks asked.
Enmy cast a stern glance at him. "He's in the hospital being treated for his gunshot wound and other injuries from the destruction of the Ziggurat. So is Duke Red. And I'm sure that you all know it was Sam that inflicted Rock's gunshot wound," Enmy explained, casting an angered look at the brown haired, bearded, blue-eyed Marduk, who returned the scowl.
"Yes, and I hope you know that Rock dressed up as you to infiltrate the Ziggurat throne room?" the blonde, blue-eyed Marduk named Devin called. "How can we be sure that it's not you in there, Rock?"
There was uproarious laughter from all of the Marduks at this comment with a murderous glower from Enmy. "Laugh all you want now, but it will be short-lived. You may enter now, Sanguine."
The laughter slowly died away a brown-haired, blue-eyed Marduk turned to the one beside him. "'Sanguine'? What kind of name is that for a man?"
""Sanguine' is a synonym for 'blood'. Maybe that's what his parents were going for," the other one, brown-haired and brown-eyed replied.
"Yeah, but 'sanguine' also means bubbly and cheerful. God, I sure hope that's not the case with our new leader. If it is, or if he's a girl, I'm quitting the Marduks right away. There's no way I'm going to be ordered around by some...some..." the Marduk was silenced when he saw who stood in the doorway.
In fact, that was the case with all four of the Marduk men as Sanguine entered the room nervously. She took off her sunglasses and stood staring at them with her hands clasped in front of her innocently. Enmy took one look around the room and smirked. "Say hello to your new leader, Sanguine. I'm going to leave now, so you boys play nice and make her feel welcome, alright?" Enmy taunted as she slipped out through the door. She then paused and lowered her voice so that only the embarrassed Sanguine could hear. "Don't worry, dear. If they upset you, tell me and I'll make sure Duke Red punishes them accordingly."
Sanguine gave a stiff nod and made a choked, "Yes" as Enmy closed the door entirely.
The second Marduk out of the pair that had been gossiping before leant over to the first and without turning his head, asked, "A-are you sure you want to leave the Marduks now, Patrick?"
"N-no, O-Orion..." the other Marduk replied, shaking his head vigorously. "I don't think so..."
Devin finally cleared his throat and made a gallant stride forward to the petrified teen. "Well, hello, there, Sanguine," he introduced, his voice thick and rather shaky. "As you may know, my name is Devin, and I will be giving you basic training on the handling of a gun. Heh-I'll make a rock-hard gunner out of you yet...get it? Rock-hard?" He laughed dryly at his own joke.
Sanguine didn't laugh or even smile politely, too preoccupied with staring in horror at the men gawking back at her that she was to command rather then paying attention to Devin's attempt to ease the tension. Devin scratched the back of his head nervously and made a small chuckle as he glanced at his fellow Marduks. "Well, then, I suppose we should get started, Sanguine?" He turned fully to the rest of the group, finally regaining his courage. "Sam, you're in charge while I'm busy. Continue target practice." With that, he ushered Sanguine out of the room.
Sam shook his head to return to reality and started to command the rest of the group. "Come on, ladies, you heard him! And not that Rock wasn't a good leader before, but now we have more purpose to commit to our commander!"
"Yeah-and how do we know that you aren't going to shoot our new leader like you did the last one?" Orion called out.
"He's not gonna shoot her, mate! She's too damn beautiful! Even Sam has a heart that could understand that! And I'll bet you if Rock had been a girl, he'd have spared him, too!" Patrick countered, earning another long wave of laughter among the Marduks.
*
"Here you go, your own gun. It was Rock's, but we can get a new one if he decides he wants it back once he's well enough to manage it," Devin said, handing Sanguine the gun that had belonged to the boy. "I picked it up when I went to carry him away before the destruction of the Ziggurat."
Sanguine reached out as Devin placed the firearm in her hands. She analyzed it curiously, holding it at arm's length as if it were to come alive and shoot her. "Um..." She was a at a loss for words.
Devin reached into his belt to pull out his gun. He aimed at the target in front of him. "It's simple, just copy me. Centre the target..."
Sanguine positioned the gun in her right hand so that her index finger was on the trigger while her other fingers and thumb curled around the but of the gun-just like she had seen in all the media. "Centre the target..." she muttered softly to herself, closing one eye to squint through the other.
"That's right, now when you're sure you have it, pull the trigger..." Devin cocked his trigger, causing Sanguine to make a small jump as the innocent, yet threatening pop sounded. It hit the wooden target in front of them dead on, which then sunk into the floor as another appeared to take its place, this time of a different robot model.
Sanguine re-aimed the gun, having lost the centre when she jumped. "Pull the trigger..." Another pop as she squeezed the trigger gently. Her stomach lurched and her heart skipped a beat as she was hit with the recoil from the blast.
The gun flew out of her hand and her to the ground. She stared ahead with wide eyes as the target in front of her seeped into the floor only to be replaced with a new one. Devin walked over to where the handgun had fallen and picked it up. He strode back to where Sanguine sat quite shaken on the floor and helped her up. He handed her the gun once more. "Here-try again. Only this time, maybe you should put both hands on the gun-just while you're getting used to the recoil. Otherwise, if you do this every time you fire a shot, you'll find that your target won't be the one going down."
Sanguine to the gun back with her quivering hand and mimicked Devin's actions. Both centred on the Albert 2 model and pulled the triggers of their handguns. With two black marks on its head, the robot sunk down into the floor as another appeared. They did exactly the same as before. "That's right...centre target, pull..." Devin chided softly. Soon target after target came up, and Devin stopped firing as Sanguine began to gain courage and speed.
Sanguine had fired one particularly rapid shot when Devin raised his hand to stop her. He stepped over to what seemed to be a control panel on the left of the room to press a button. "Now we move on. You must realize that you may have more than one target in robot dilemmas and that they won't all be enclosed in the same spot. This next training exercise will prepare you for that type of situation.
"Robot model targets will appear around the room, and you are to take them down. Keep in mind that you must also mind your partners, so to help you remember that, I shall be standing here." Just as Devin had said, robot targets started to materialize all around the walls of the room. "Very well, begin," Devin commanded.
Sanguine lifted her arms and aimed at the first target. She was about to fire when it went back down without being shot. She lowered her hands and turned to Devin behind her. "What happened?"
"Nothing. You weren't quick enough. Perhaps I failed to mention that the second trick to phase two is speed. Those robots aren't going to stand still for you to incapacitate them," he replied coolly.
Sanguine whipped back around and fired instantly, taking down the robot she hadn't before. She turned to the next one, aiming quickly and pulling the trigger. She whirled around and around the room, narrowly missing Devin's head once or twice, who stood completely still, watching her smugly.
When she had finally terminated all of the robots, she lowered her hands and placed them on her knees, bending over to catch her breath.
"Not so easy, is it?" asked Devin, smirking.
Sanguine shook her head, not raising it so that she kept staring at the floor. She paused a moment longer before taking one huge breath in and clenching her hand in a fist as she turned to Devin. "But I'm ready for more!"
"Okay then, if you're sure. Follow me, then," Devin instructed, shutting the systems down and leading her out of the room.
He took her back to the other target room, where the other Marduks were. When they entered, the other Marduks froze and looked up at them. "We're back, and I have a new Marduk recruit with me. She's ready to join our skilled ranks now-thinks she can handle it," he told the rest of the group. He turned to her. "You ready? I'm heading off to the control room, so go to Sam-he'll explain the exercise to you."
Sanguine nodded and stepped up to the bearded, blue-eyed man. "Devin said you were to explain to me the exercise," she said simply.
Sam, who had had his attention elsewhere whipped around with a start. "Oh...well, basically, virtual targets will appear around the room and you have to shoot at them with these simulation guns. They'll move in the exact ways that a malfunctioning robot would, and they fire back, depending on the type of robot they are. You're still able to shoot other Marduks, though unlike the real thing, they won't die. It's a recreation of what would happen exactly on the field."
Sanguine placed Rock's gun in her holster and took the simulation gun from Sam's outstretched hand. She turned as she heard a countdown from Devin in the control room and glanced at the other Marduks. They were standing before her, ready to receive orders.
"You being the leader, have to tell us what to do," Orion informed.
"Oh-right!" She held the simulation gun out in front of her ready to fire at the first robot she saw and her voice suddenly became deep and loud as she gained her first taste of command. "Alright men, spread out. Guns at the ready and fire!"
Suddenly, the environment o the room changed from throne room-like appearance to an area in Zone 1 in flames. Albert 2 models and other waste disposal models were going haywire. Sanguine saw one of the robots toss a large, heavy object her way. She ducked, and it flew over her head. She then lunged forward and fired at the one that had attacked first. There was a loud clanking sound, then a small explosion within the robot, and then it froze in mid-step, steaming.
On seeing her triumph, Sanguine moved on to the next target that was beginning to approach her. She ducked in and out of the other Marduks as they passed by her. No one shot each other and they were progressing well.
Sanguine felt comfortable in this new light, now. She felt as if the recoil of the gun was like a comforting, yet firm arm slap instead of a petrifying, vengeful death sentence. "Centre target...pull, switch...centre target...pull, switch..." she kept mumbling to herself throughout the exercise.
*
Before stepping out the doors of the mansion, Sanguine turned to the doorman. "Duke Red wants every able-bodied person in the city to be working on the reconstruction of Metropolis and the Ziggurat 24/7. Got that?"
The doorman nodded and Sanguine, satisfied, strode down the steps. She swung her Marduk hat back on after having taken it off to fan herself with it and replaced her sunglasses in front of her eyes to shield them from the bright orange setting sun. As she walked down the long pathway that led to the main gate, she massaged her arms which now hurt from handling the gun all afternoon. Her original streetclothes were nestled in the crook of her arm since she was wearing her new Marduk uniform, ready to flaunt it at any chance she got. A stroll through the streets of Metropolis was definitely one of the good ways to do it.
As she exited through the front gate, she turned when someone called her name. "Sanguine! Sanguine! There you are!"
She could see that it was a boy-shorter and most probably younger than her but still a good friend. She turned to fully face him. "Yeah? It's me, Sanguine. What is it, Kenichi?"
Kenichi froze when he had finally reached her and realized what she was wearing. "Euh... Why are you dressed like a Marduk? Namely Rock?"
"Ah, well, you see...that's because I am a Marduk. Namely Marduk leader."
Kenichi's mouth dropped open. "Congratulations. I'm happy for you, I really am, but I thought that you were on our side..."
"I am, I am, but I can be a Marduk, can't I? Think of it as extra protection-I can handle a gun, now! And, since I have absolute control over those Marduk men, I can command them not to harm you or Tima-once she's built."
"Oh..." Kenichi replied, sounding slightly discouraged and distant as he stared at her new garments. After a few more moments, he began to chuckle.
Sanguine took off her sunglasses and glowered at him. "I fail to see what's so funny."
"If I didn't know that Rock was in the hospital, I'd say that he was under that outfit," he managed to say before his laughter became uncontrollable.
That only made her scowl even more. She walked past him and down the street to where she had been staying with Kenichi. "Watch your mouth, or I'll be having a lot more fun with my new firearm than expected, Kenichi!"
Kenichi calmed down and started to traipse after her, still having small bursts of giggles. "Is that a death threat? I thought it was extra protection you were granting me?"
"That is extra protection. If I kill you first, then the Marduks can't get you, can they? Nor can anyone else, so you're safe from death. Now will you please just zip it and show me your wonderful surprise?" Sanguine asked rather matter-of-factly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ugh...Two words...too much swearing...Zero would have been enough...But the Marduks are "evil", aren't they? Normally in these sorts of things, evil guys swear-mind you, good guys do, too, but... Oh yeah-sorry, I made a mistake before on the profanity count for Metropolis. I made a mistake by counting the time Rock said, "Gods". It turns out that he wasn't cussing, but praying. Whoops-sorry, Rock, so there are only three profanities in Metropolis.