Guilty Gear, its characters and settings are property of Sammy Studios, and are being used in this fanfiction without permission.  This fic is rated R for violence and sexual content, and it contains yaoi material. 

Culmination

Chapter 5

Several hours later, Ky was holding his breath behind tightly clenched teeth as the city of Rome rose into view along the southern horizon.  It was as he remembered; a charred, blackened landscape surrounding the shells of even darker buildings.  Already he was recalling why he had been against the idea of coming here; this city held memories for him, very few of which pleasant, and it pained him to see the deplorable state it had been reduced to.

"Pretty shabby, isn't it?" Bridget remarked next to him. 

"It…wasn't always that way."

They had gathered on the ship's bridge once Rome came in sight—by now it was deep into the afternoon, though the sky had not yet begun to soften its shade.  They were all excitable, peering at the fallen city as it drew nearer.  None of them regarded it with the same feeling of dread that Ky felt seeping into his chest.  Most likely because none of them knew its history as intimately as him.

Rome had once been a prosperous city, one of the dwindling numbers of large human settlements scattered across the globe.  Even up until the last years of the war it was a center for trade and civilization, harboring a population over a million strong and a modest military power.  All that had ended in the span of several hours.  The Gears that came from the north laid waste to the centuries-old metropolis, decimating its populace and leaving only rubble.  And Ky had been there.  He had tasted the smoke from its burning residences, had watched the stone walls crumble into poisoned ash.  He'd lost comrades to the dying city, and even now many of their bodies still rested beneath the earth here, unnamed though not forgotten.

The fact that Rome was currently inhabited did nothing to soften the bitterness of his memories.  In the years of reconstruction after the Crusades, Rome had grown strong once more in the hollowed shells of stone.  Airships came in and out of its ports daily with goods from around the world, nearly as impressive as before the tragic attack.  However, the new Rome's current citizenry was far less virtuous than that of its predecessor.  The fallen buildings and ancient structures had made the city something of a maze, and a perfect breeding ground for all manner of murderers, smugglers, and thieves.  It had always been Ky's intention to take the city by full force and make way for a community more suitable to Rome's long lineage, but so far his superiors had no interest in offering their support to such an undertaking.  The whole world was still recovering; there simply wasn't the necessary time or manpower.

"Will ya look at it?" Johnny said almost admirably, his lips curled in a slight smirk.  "Not even the Assassin's Guild dares step in a place like this."

"They don't?" Dizzy questioned curiously.

"The Guild's nothing but a collection of dogs.  They know better than to mess with real criminals."

"I don't know what you intend to learn here," Ky said evenly, shifting his weight a little against Bridget's arm.  "With how powerful the Bureau is, it doesn't make sense for them to associate themselves with common criminals."

Johnny crossed his arms, still grinning.  "Maybe not.  But half the people they're looking for are criminals—every outlaw ends up in Rome eventually.  All they have to do is sit by and pick them off one by one."  He shrugged.  "Besides, if any of those robots have been anywhere near here, the whole city will know about it.  We're bound to pick up information."

"And we need the supplies, anyway," May added.

"You're going down there?" Ky asked, somewhat alarmed.  He remembered then that Bridget had mentioned earlier he would be assisting the collection of supplies as well—he didn't like the idea of children venturing anywhere near the city.

"That's right!" May chirped.  "We get good prices."

"You police might not know about it, but the outer edge of the city is actually pretty peaceful," Johnny explained.  "It's the best place for acquiring goods, especially for an airship like this.  Don't make that face—we can take care of ourselves."

Ky wasn't entirely convinced, but he nodded slightly.  "When will we depart?"

"Ah, hold on.  No one said you were going with us."

The officer straightened, turning to face Johnny squarely—and not lose his balance at the same time.  "This is my investigation," he said pointedly.  "Not only can I not impose on you to do my job for me, but I want to be there to confirm the information for myself."  This mission was far too important to risk any misinterpretation of the facts.

"Are you gonna go down like that?" May shot back, resting her hands on her hips.  "You can barely walk!"

"I can manage well enough."

Standing off to the side of the group, Testament snorted quietly, drawing their attention.  "And how will it look when the head of the police, missing for almost a weak and accused of shirking duties, appears in Rome among pirates?"  He tilted his chin up a little.  "Not that it'd be safe for a police officer entering Rome under any circumstances.  Every man and woman in that city will know your face."

"But still…"  Ky pursed his lips thin, hoping to clearly convey his unwillingness to back down on the issue.  "I must know for myself."

Bridget piped up suddenly from his side.  "You'll have to go in disguise."

Everyone turned to stare at him, and the boy straightened.  "Hey, what?  It's a good idea!  We could dress him up really well—he's so handsome, no one would believe he's really a police officer."

May rolled her eyes.  "Hmph—handsome?  You can't even say that with Johnny standing right here."

Dizzy giggled, and Johnny made a bemused face before replying himself.  "If we can get him to dirty himself up a bit, it might work," he said. "I'd be curious to see that, at least."

Ky lowered his head a bit, irritated that all of them seemed to have thought this through more carefully than him.  "If you think it best, I have no qualms in disguising myself for the purpose of investigation.  Though…I hope you have nothing too outlandish in mind."  He turned a significant eye on Bridget, who blushed.

"Don't worry," he assured.  "I'll be good."

"Anyway, we're not going anywhere near the inner city tonight," Johnny told them, bringing the focus of the discussion back to him.  "Not even I am reckless enough to challenge the streets of Rome in the dark."  When it looked like Ky might protest he continued anyway.  "We'll take the rest of the day to gather supplies and fix the ship up after the storms we've been getting.  That way Ky can rest up, and maybe we'll even get around to finding something he can wear that fits him."

Ky flushed a little in embarrassment; he was still wearing the oversized pajamas that Bridget had selected for him earlier that morning.  "I would appreciate it."

"All right, then," May declared suddenly, gathering herself up.  "We're landing in less than an hour, so everybody better be ready.  Johnny and I are going into Rome to—"

"And me," Bridget interrupted happily.

May shot him a glare.  "And Bridget," she amended, "to get supplies.  Ky stays in bed or no field trip tomorrow.  Testament and Dizzy guard the ship.  Got it?"  Though neither Ky nor Testament seemed entirely satisfied with their assigned duties she was speaking again before either could think to protest.  "Good.  Now everyone off the bridge—I've got a ship to run, here."

As everyone filed off the bridge Ky turned briefly to Bridget, giving his elbow a tug.  "Bridget.  You won't pick anything…odd…for me, will you?" he asked with some concern.  He spent so much time in his uniform he wasn't used to wearing much else, and his mind was conjuring all sorts of bizarre attire the boy might select for him to wear.  He eyed Bridget's sailor suit especially with apprehension.

"Oh, don't worry," Bridget assured happily as he led them back in the direction of the room they shared.  Out of the corner of his eye Ky caught a glimpse of Testament, who had started to turn down the same way but paused when he realized the two blondes had beat him to it.  He disappeared down another corridor, and Ky frowned slightly to himself.

"It'll be really good," Bridget continued, having not noticed the Gear.  "Something cool, like Johnny, but not too gaudy.  We should get you some dye for your hair, too, just in case."

"Dye?" Ky echoed, his attention drawn back in full.  He didn't like the sound of that at all.  "Let's try to keep it simple…."

"Too simple and you'll get caught.  Just leave it to me—you'll be perfect."  Bridget giggled, which did nothing to reassure the officer as they went.

---

True to his word, no more than two hours later Bridget was digging through a long rack of various black-leather clothing articles.  None of them seemed to be just right, but he was optimistic, as could be gathered from his light-hearted humming.  Already impatient with his shopping adventure, May was quick to scold him.  "He's not exactly a fan of that sort of thing," she pointed out from the sidelines, arms crossed.  "What makes you think he'll wear anything like that?"

"It's black leather," Bridget replied as he delved deeper, pushing several pairs of pants and a few corsets out of his way.  "It's manly."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."  Bridget paused to inspect another pair of pants, but it had too many straps—not good for a fighter like Ky.  "Testament wears black leather."

May turned her nose up disdainfully.  "Testament is not manly."

"Johnny wears black leather."

"That's…."  May's cheeks burned bright red as she glared at him.  "Ooh, forget you.  Just pick something already and come on—Johnny's waiting for us."  With a snort she spun on her heel, leaving Bridget behind in the shop, which was precisely what he'd been hoping for all along.

"Much better," he concluded as he returned to his search.  "She was ruining the atmosphere."

Rome had turned out to be quite different than Bridget had imagined.  The city outskirts they were traversing now were nothing like the labyrinthine corridors and darkened alleys from his brain's excited predictions; everything was brightly lit, being still fairly early in the evening, the shops seemed well tended, and all the people he'd met were pleasant enough.  A few looked like they might have been criminals, but to Bridget that was nothing new.  He even recognized a few bounty hunters, and though his greetings usually went without return that small fact did nothing to curb his enthusiasm.  Though the city was obviously still not in the best of shape, as many of the buildings were lying on their sides or at odd angles, it seemed that its new populace had learned to adapt around the bizarre scenery.  All in all, it was a lively town and Bridget was enjoying himself greatly.

The task of hunting up Ky a new outfit merely added to the boy's mirth; it was proving to be a particular challenge.   He'd spent some of his time earlier studying the outfit they'd found Ky in, though because of the fight it wasn't in any reasonable shape.  He would have to do the best he could to decide what kind of clothing would be best for relaxing and fighting in. 

Once Bridget had finished in that particular shop he paid for his purchases and hopped lightly out into the street.  From there, it was easy to spot Johnny and May further down the row of establishments; the former seemed to be haggling with the owner of a machine shop.  Bridget began to follow, but paused when his gaze caught on a man opposite his two fellows.  The stranger was dressed in thick, ragged cloaks, as if he might have been wearing some other attire beneath them, and a hood had been pulled up to disguise his face from any casual passer-by.  In Rome, a man of such suspicious appearance was commonplace, and normally Bridget wouldn't have given him a second glance.  But the man was staring in the direction of Johnny and May, judging by the direction of his hooded face.  Something shifted beneath the mass of coarse fabric.

Bridget trotted quickly forward, placing himself between the stranger and his pirate companions.  "Hey you two," he declared loudly, gathering a few stares from the people around.  "I finished with the leather.  What are you up to?"

"Will you cut it out?" May snapped at him, doing her best to prevent him from ruining Johnny's business transaction.  "We're busy here—why don't you go…act like a girl somewhere."

"Well actually…."  Bridget glanced over his shoulder carefully, but already the stranger he'd noted was turning away, continuing down the street.  He breathed a quiet sigh.  "…I think I will," he finished, snapping his attention back to May.  "I need to buy some new wire for my yo-yos, after all."

May rolled her eyes.  "Yeah, that is pretty girly."

"Better than an anchor," Bridget replied lightly, stepping back quickly to avoid a smack to the head.  With a laugh he turned to continue down the street ahead of them.  "I'll find you later!"  May replied by sticking out her tongue.

Bridget grinned, but by the time he had distanced himself from May and Johnny his expression sobered.  He could still see the stranger moving along the shops ahead of him, pausing at a few stands just to make it look as if he were showing interest.  Again, not necessarily suspicious behavior for an inhabitant of a city of criminals, but when the man turned slightly Bridget was clearly able to see a flash of richly toned skin and round, dark eyes.

"I wonder if that's…."  Bridget licked his lips, falling into step several meters behind the man.  He wasn't sure what he thought he was doing, but there was something about the stranger that was straining his senses, and as a bounty hunter he had always trusted his instinct.  Forgetting for a while about his companions—and his shopping duties—he continued down the street in the man's wake.

--

Ky managed to wince only slightly as he unwrapped the bandages covering his hands.  By now the burns, having been meticulously cleaned and cared for by the crew medic, were now a stretch of healing scar tissue and remaining scabs.  His gloves had managed to absorb most of the shock from the electricity, as always, and his natural ability for controlling the magic had helped as well—he could move his fingers with ease, even if there was still a sting of pain that crawled through the limb when he did so.  It would still be a few more days before he'd be able to hold his sword, though even then he wasn't sure he'd be able to wield it with any efficiency.  And there was still his back to consider. 

All in all, he was not satisfied with his current recovery.  Even though it would still be a few days before Zepp came in range enough to attempt boarding, he was anxious to be combat-ready once more with so much already at stake.  The following morning he would venture into the interior of Rome, and he dared not meet those stone streets again without a sword at his hip he could be depended on to use.

Ky was awoken from his thoughts by a soft knock on the door, and though he was in no mood for company he sighed, and called, "Come in."

He had been expecting it to be June, checking up on him again, or even one of the crew members—a few had been around earlier to "check up" on him as well, which from what he could gather really meant teasing him about his pajamas and ruffling his hair.  He was surprised when he found it to be Dizzy's calm face staring at him from across the room.

"Mr. Kiske."  She stepped forward slowly, carrying a bowl with some bandages under one arm and a large thermos in the other.  "I…hope I'm not bothering you.  June is helping with some of the repairs around the ship, so she asked me to come look after you.  If…that's all right."

"No, it's…I mean yes."  Ky's jaw worked somewhat anxiously as she stepped further inside.  Even after all she had done for him there was still a part of him that shifted uneasily whenever she came too close.  He was ashamed of himself for it.  All the same he pushed back from the table a bit, welcoming her.  "Though I am feeling much better, thanks to everyone's support."

"I'm glad to hear it."  Dizzy strode forward, setting her things out on the table.  "June suggested that I change the bandages on your back," she explained as she emptied some of the thermos water into a shallow bowl.  "It's important that they stay clean to avoid infection."  She offered what was left in the thermos to him. "You should drink the rest of this.  Your body still needs the fluids.  At least…that's what June says."

"Yes, I know."  Though he wasn't proud to admit it, by now Ky had a very good idea about how to best treat burns.  He drank the water down obediently as Dizzy pulled a chair closer for herself.  He kept an eye trained on her as he finished, and set upon removing his shirt.  It wasn't that he didn't trust her—she had no reason to harm him—but he didn't like being so vulnerable in front of anyone, let alone a Gear of her power.

Ky sighed quietly as he at last set the fabric aside.  "Disgraceful," he murmured thoughtlessly.

Dizzy straightened, her eyes thinning somewhat with his remark.  "Mr. Kiske…?"

When he realized he'd spoken aloud he flushed in shame and embarrassment.  "Not you," he quickly assured.  "It's…me, I'm afraid."  He turned in his chair so that his back was to her.  "I'm sorry, you came here to help me and I'm being foolish."

Dizzy hesitated a moment before reaching out carefully, beginning to unwrap the layers of white gauze.  "It's all right," she replied softly.  "I understand."

"I…."  Ky sighed again.  "I know it's awful of me," he found himself continuing, even if Dizzy was one of the last people he should have been saying these things to.  "All this time I've been trying to convince myself that I'm not a vengeful person.  But I can't help…this feeling of uneasiness."

"Because I'm a Gear," Dizzy filled in needlessly, her hands slowing a bit in their work.  Her voice sounded solemn.  "You don't have to explain."

But Ky didn't want to accept that.  He had long since learned that not all Gears were evil; even now Dizzy was dressing his wounds, while his own people conspired against him.  Dizzy, whose life he'd almost taken for no other reason than her birth…and Testament, who despite the blood shed between them in the past had saved his life.  There should have been no reason left for animosity between them.  "I've been wrong," he said.  "About so many things.  You, and Testament…my own Order…."  He closed his eyes.  "I'm not pleased with this side of myself."

Dizzy was silent for a long moment again before responding; by now she had finished unwrapping the bandages, and she set them carefully aside as she dampened a small cloth to begin cleaning around the burns.  "If that's the case," she replied at last, "you should fix it."

Ky's lips curled in a thin smile.  "Yes, I suppose so."  He stretched his shoulders a bit, ignoring the sting—he liked the feeling of the cool water over his healing skin.  "At least Testament and I have reached something of a truce."

"Oh?"  This caught Dizzy's attention.  "You spoke with him?"

"Yes, a little earlier."  Though it hadn't been the most pleasant of exchanges, it had left him feeling more confident for when he next had to face the Gear.  "I'm not sure how much we were able to resolve, but for the moment we've agreed there's no reason for us to fight any longer."

"I see."  Dizzy re-wet her cloth and returned it to his back. "I'm glad.  I…was a little worried about him."

"About Testament?"  Ky glanced over his shoulder curiously, and was treated to an expression on Dizzy's face he hadn't expected; she was smiling, but her wide red eyes were downcast and solemnly thoughtful.  Twisting in the chair, however, put an unnecessary strain on his back, and he turned forward once more.  "He seems to be doing all right."

"He does," Dizzy agreed slowly, "but still, I wonder if he's really changed all that much."

"He was fine with the children this morning—I think this place must be good for him."

"I'm…not so sure about that."

Another silence passed between them as Ky contemplated the meaning of those words.  It was not his place to ask—whatever relationship Testament and Dizzy shared it wasn't for him to know.  But he could not deny that he was curious, and at last he worked up the courage to ask.  "Is there something wrong with him being here?"

"It's…not that, exactly," Dizzy tried to explain.  She continued to move the rag over his back, but by now they could both tell she wasn't paying much attention to aiding in his recovery.  "I'm glad I got to see him again.  But he can be so sensitive—he doesn't approve of Johnny using the girls for his piracy."  She sighed quietly.  "And he's still so protective of me.  I appreciate his concern, but in his mind the two of us are still so different from humans.  All I want is to be a part of this crew, and…it's difficult, when in his mind he's protecting me from them."

"I see."  Ky frowned, wishing there were some words of comfort he could share with her.  "Testament…I believe he has a good heart.  He does care deeply for you.  It is merely our pasts that binds us."

He could almost feel the nod of Dizzy's head.  "Yes, I think so, too.  It's just difficult, trying to know what I can say to him.  I've already done all I can to move on, but as long as Testament is still wary of humans…."  Her voice lowered.  "I feel that by trying to be more human myself, I might be somehow betraying him…."

"Dizzy…."  Ky turned around in his chair so that he could face her properly.  He had never expected to hear such words, such complex emotions, coming from the voice of a Gear—for that brief moment he was able to forget the origin of the girl sitting before him, and he reached out, setting his hands over hers.  "He wants you to be happy," he said quietly.  It was the one truth he was perfectly certain of.  "If that means your place is here, with these pirates, I'm sure he understands."

"Yes."  Dizzy smiled slightly as her hands curled tentatively over his.  "Yes, I…I hope so."

Ky smiled thinly himself, watching her to see if his words had helped.  Before he moved to draw his hands back, however, he paused to better feel the warmth of Dizzy's palms against his own.  He could sense the magic circulating beneath her skin, and it seemed to bestow a new sense of vitality into his hands, similar to the grip of his own Thunderseal.

Dizzy followed his gaze, and she straightened somewhat.  "Mr. Kiske, would it—"

"You can call my Ky," he interrupted gently.

She blinked, then smiled, nodding.  "Ky.  Could I…try something?  I think I may be able to help you."

Ky frowned thoughtfully, unsure as to her intentions, but there seemed to be no harm in it.  After all the vows he had made to strive to trust Dizzy and her kind with greater sincerity, he wasn't sure he could refuse.  The prospect of a faster recovery was greatly appreciated as well.  "Yes, please.  If you have some idea."

"Yes…."  Dizzy took one of Ky's hands in both of hers, drawing her fingertips across his open, scarred palm.  Her eyes fluttered in concentration; the officer gasped quietly as gentle warmth flooded into the limb, soothing the ache of his burns.  To his amazement, some of the scarred tissue seemed to melt away beneath Dizzy's touch, leaving a few patches of clear, unharmed skin.

"Dizzy…."  He shivered, realizing that what he'd felt had been the heat of her magic—a Gear's magic—passing through his flesh.

Dizzy looked up into his face to see his reaction.  "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, not at all."  Ky drew his hand back carefully, inspecting the suddenly healed tissue.  "That's…I didn't know Gears could do that."

"All Gears have a natural talent for healing," Dizzy explained, her cheeks a little flushed.  "And since we're able to project our magic when we attack, I thought…maybe we'd be able to project that healing magic, as well."  She ducked her head shyly.  "I've been practicing with it, here on the ship, so that I can be a better help to June and the rest of the crew."

"I see."  Ky curled his fingers, testing—they really did seem to have healed.  "That's…that's amazing, Dizzy," he said, truthfully awed.  It made something in his chest ache.  "That you can use your power in such a way…."

Dizzy smiled, clearly pleased by his praise.  "I can't do it very much," she admitted.  "I get tired out pretty easily.  But if you like, I could help your other hand, and maybe some of the pain in your back, before I finish bandaging it."

Ky nodded eagerly.  "Yes—yes, please.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."  Relieved, he felt no more apprehension in offering up his other hand to her care. 

---

He had only meant to return to the room for a moment; now that Bridget had left for the city he would be able to try on and examine the outfit prepared for him in peace.  But when Testament returned, the sound of a pair of familiar voices halted him before he could make his presence known.  And there he had stood, arms dangling at his sides and head slightly bowed, as he listened to the exchange within.  He was not yet sure what to make of all their talk—the remorse of Ky Kiske, the soft, sorrowful tone of his precious Dizzy.  The way they spoke of him with such contemplation and pity.  It nursed in him some deep, unnamed emotion, the effects of which never reached as far as his face.  Without a word or breath he turned, moving soundlessly away from the room so as to not attract any notice from the pair.

----

Bridget tailed the cloaked stranger for newly twenty minutes before discovering anything of interest—they were heading deeper into the city's interior.  He wasn't concerned yet.  As an experienced bounty hunter, and being remarkably cute, he'd always managed to sneak out of dangerous situations and places, and not even Rome herself held any fear for him.  He reminded himself of that a few times as they ducked down a side alley, and his quarry seemed to all but vanish.

"Man…."  Bridget pursed his lips in pout, scuffing at the ground with his toe.  "Lost him."  But then he was drawn by the sound of a voice from a nearby building, followed by the unmistakable whirl of gears from a machine.  Face lighting up once more he clutched his parcels to his chest and investigated, peeking through the broken glass of a dusty window.

The man was indeed there, still wrapped in his many cloaks, now surrounded by several hunched figures dressed in the same.  He couldn't see any of their faces.  As he watched, the stranger seated himself heavily at a table near the center of the small, broken-down room.

"He's here."  The man's voice was a low, harsh grumble, the sound of which made Bridget's flesh crawl.  "If the Jellyfish Pirates are here, he must be.  They were the only airship in range when we took Kiske down—they must have him."

The man reached up, tugging his hood to reveal a round, richly toned face and deep-set, obsidian eyes.  This time Bridget couldn't help a tiny sound of what might have been excitement—he'd found the man, the man with the dark eyes that Testament had spotted in the rain.  The man that had attacked and nearly killed Ky,.  But his momentary lapse cost him, and Bridget gasped again as one of the hooded figures turned sharply in his direction.  He caught sight of the glare of iridescent eyes before jerking away from the window.  They were Robo Kys, all of them, and Bridget turned to bolt from the alley in case he'd been spotted.

The sound of glass shattering chased him back out into the street; he glanced back only briefly, eyes widening as several of the cloaked robots tumbled out of the window and gave chase.  They were fast, and the first two were upon him long before he could put any speed into his run.  Their yellow eyes gleamed dangerously from beneath the thick hoods.

"Eek!  Stay away!"  Still gripping his bags in one hand Bridget yanked one of his yo-yos off his belt, swinging it a wide arch over his head.  Having not expected the attack the first of the robots caught the full force of spinning metal in the forehead, denting its cranium so that one of the glowing eyes popped grotesquely out of its socket.  But it kept coming, and Bridget ducked low, another jerk of the wire sweeping both robots off their feet.  His yo-yo snapped back into his hand as he was up and running again, another trio of mechanical Ky's only a few paces behind.