This chapter is dedicated to Rocke&Roll for her lovely idea and her gentle pruning of the original chapter. Without you this could not have happened…oh yes, and Mark Kallan? Be prepared XD XD Now, let's catch up with the reviews you guys left for the chapter/s…
@Kallan: I'm making Bit a total perv. Most of the time his hormones are exorcised by piloting, but since they've entered a losing streak and aren't fighting so much, then I suppose it's all coming out now…Sorry it took so long ^^
@Tilly: Yeshyesh, they are a bunch of sillybillies, but things will be all right in the…oh, what am I saying? *evil laughter* The whole HelloKitty thing stems from an article I read back in one of the old MangaMax issues. One of those sound off things, where the writer is in the industry and has a go at someone or other…anyway, it was talking about her innocence…and how not even certain piercing could tarnish it. I saw a teen angst HelloKitty key ring and really wish I'd been able to buy it X( Damn you Petshop of Horrors…*screams* Don't worry too much about Harry. He won't suffer too much, I just like writing him as a head case.
@Paladin Dragoon: Well, Leena wants to see the world. I can guarantee you she'll regret it mind you…and I don't care if you're kidding…it is horrible!! *eyes bleed* I really, really don't like Leena…and I'm glad I've gotten the thumbs up from everyone *waves at Sh33p and Zinou* for the Pierce/Polta thing. Just one of those random ideas that stuck ^^ As for the Mute thing, there are so many things I want to say but I can't! *tremble* Just be patient. Be very patient. I will try to pull things together soon. And look, I simply couldn't leave Ambient out of this…he's too yummerific! (Yummerific? Buh? What did mother put in the stir-fry this night of nights? @.o)
@Rocke: You take all the credit, hon'. It was your idea. Like I said before, this fic would have been stuck if you hadn't come through for me. I hope you enjoy this chapter, as Mute is being especially mischievous. I tried to put in some more of what you spoke about *sly grin* hope you like. Plinket! That's a new one! :) I'm glad you liked the chapter after as well, I always felt Polta didn't get enough air time. Aww, what the hell, he was yummerific too. Don't worry about taking so long to review, hell, it takes me an age to write this stuff. I'll try and update again soon…
@Aardwulf: Glad you're enjoying the ride! If you've read the rest of my crap on this site you'll know I have a habit of twisting people's perspectives. Harry gets very crazy in this chapter…he has so much damn potential…as for Mute, you can ph33r him if you want, but provided you don't cross him, and sweet talk him with cookies he's a nice guy. Another Ambient-fiend! Yay!
@Maelgwyn: Nono, no DeathStinger. It's gone. It ain't comin' back. However, the production model which is around half its' size is available through special stockists, but you need a permit to fight in it as well as have a safety mechanism installed in case you go on a rampage in it – they can just access the core and shut it down :) However, yes, Leena is like one of those damn things. She gets even worse in this chapter. As for the mistakes, I check everything I write twice now. It's a bug in my program when I save it…it's irking me beyond control. Hope you like this one! (and that there's no mistakes in it o.O)
@This Guy: Hi there! Well, we have another chapter, hope you like it ^_^ I try to finish my Zoids fics, but sometimes Hybrid is hard…;; Wish me luck!
@Taltos: Well, mine was a burnt copy, so I don't have the track listing. Yeshyesh, that was the track ^.^ However, I might add that for universe reasons and such like it was a song that was LIKE Martemot Waves…but not the same thing XD XD Mute is a bit of a dance freak.
Wow! Now I've replied to each review *gives cookies to all reviewers and a signed piccy of Mute* read on my pretty dears to the next instalment of Hybrid…And yes, it's very scary…
Chapter Six: Table set for five
"Garçon!"
"Mute, shut up."
"Sorry Brad, but I'm bloody starving. I had no breakfast, too busy fixing your stupid Zoid."
"The FOX isn't stupid!"
"'Tis."
"T'isn't!"
"'Tis."
"No it'isnt!!!"
"Shut up you two. Are they here yet?"
It had been the Doc's idea. There was sometimes reasonable doubt as to wether the man was sane or no, but occasionally rational thought broke through. Or perhaps it was disguised over-protective father syndrome, either way, sitting in the Blue Moon was a rather ratty Brad, a starving Mute and a neurotic Harry who was (surprisingly) taking control for once. In a few minutes the game would be on and they'd have to keep an eye on things.
Brad didn't mind this. While Harry had come along for the ride, it wasn't quite as bad as he had first thought. He was getting to know the newest member on the team, someone who understood the value of a good Zoid, one's personal score and the value of perving on the opposite sex. He suspected that the only reason Mute was being disagreeable was because he was hungry – the boy needed some meat on him really. Only a half an hour earlier he'd been praising the FOX and its battle capabilities, the ride to the café had been long and fraught with red lights, stupid people, and one very sorry mime artist. The waiter bustled over to them and gave them the sort of 'yeah, you're customer but I don't have to like you' sort of look that became a genuine smile when Mute turned on the charm.
Bleedin' hell.
Brad stared in horror – it was Terry. Terry the Terror. The scourge of customers everywhere, who got orders wrong, made food arrive cold, and still, somehow, got a tip from you. Mute wouldn't stand a chance! He went to grab him, stop him from wasting his precious charm but-
"Hi there, it's such a great day, isn't it?! Great place you got here…worked long?"
Caught off guard, he watched the waiter twitch and fight with his own confusion. "…Uh, a year…"
"Ohh, you're studying. I get it. Must be hard balancing those two…"
"Well yeah…how did you know?"
"You're too young to be in this job" Mute grinned. "'Sides, I did that for a bit myself. Sorry for being so nosy and all…Look, I'm sorry to bother you with my order, because I can see you're in need of a rest, but it's still quiet. I could really do with one of your famous chicken burgers, hold the salad and the mayo' but with extra cheese, and a side order of chips. Plenty of gravy; can't have chips without gravy…Ohh, and a lemonade. Diet. Watching my weight." He finished with a coquettish smile and a bat of his eyelids.
Brad could only stare. It wasn't every day that Terry the Terror was lost for words and actually pandering to a customer. Terry was kept around because he was good with the accounts, and was able to get people to pay without too much of a fuss, simply because if the person wasn't happy with their meal and weren't going to pay, there would be some horrible scratches on their shiny new zoid/car/bicycle/wheelchair, and no one would own up. News like Terry got around. Even Brad himself wouldn't bother him. Clearly impressed by Mute's reaction to the death glare and the huffs of anger, he decided to say nothing, to see what would happen.
What did happen was quite a surprise.
Terry fumbled for words, his eyes bugging out as he sought to get his mouth under control, and he gulped noisily. "Yes sir."
Bleedin' hell. No sarcasm. No snide remarks. Terry was not himself.
Scrambling to fill the silence, Brad gave a hoarse laugh and shook his head. "Mute, you need to put it on, not keep it off. Uhh…Guess I'm peckish myself…" He looked at the menu and tried to think hard about what he should have, trying to ignore the warning throb of his injuries., and the fact that at any time Terry might snap back into bastard-mode again.
Mute made a strange noise in the back of his throat and grinned at the open and confused face of their waiter. "…Terry, is it? May I call you Terry, or does that bother you? Okay, Terry, what would you suggest for my companion? We're all here to keep an eye on a pair of friends of ours, if you know what I mean…setting up people is an exact science, you know…and Brad here…needs a meal."
"The ham and cheese on the Turkish Bread is good. The bread is lovely and fresh, we just got it in…" Terry blurted out, as if it were his first day on the job and he wanted to make a good impression. "We can toast it as well, it makes the cheese all melty and lovely…"#
Did Brad notice the strange smile on Mute's face? Clearly enjoying running rings around diner enemy number one. He carefully folded his menu and nodded. "Okay, I'll go on your recommendation. Harry, you want to order?"
Oblivious, Harry continued to kneel on the booth's seat, his stomach against the back and peering around the other booths. "…?"
"What do you want to eat, Harry?"
"I don't know." The youth replied, blankly. "I'm looking for Leena."
Brad rolled his eyes. "Same for him. Both of 'em toasted. And, uh, let's see…a coke. I need the caffeine. Harry too."
"You sure?" Mute asked with a smirk. "We don't want him too hyper."
"I can handle it." Brad replied, a little defensively.
"Suuure." Mute flopped back, and gave Terry a grin that would put the Cheshire Cat to shame. "As the man says. Thank you ever so much, Terry, a bright spark like you has lit up my day. There's a distressing lack of nice people in the world in this day and age…so expect a tip with my bill. You shall be rewarded."
Terry, grinning almost as wide as Mute was but much more vacant, walked off, feeling like something had happened but he wasn't sure what. Brad, however, felt something different. He was starting to feel uncomfortable. Apart from that, he'd never really liked cafes, being more of a home-cooked person. You could tell if the food had been spat on at home, because you were the one doing the spitting.
Harry slouched back against the desk and glared at the saltshaker, which didn't deserve it. With a snort, he poked it, then reached out for a menu, and looked over it. "We going to order or what?"
Sometimes, Brad really wondered.
He stared at Harry, and as Mute burst out laughing, Brad buried his face in his hands and looked at redhead from between his fingers. "Harry, we just did."
"Huh?"
"You were to busy thinking over what was going to happen. You're having a hot ham and cheese sandwich, okay?" Talk slowly so he'd understand. Brad thought. "Is that okay, or does that bother you?"
Harry stared at him as if he had two heads. "Uhh, fine…But I don't remember ordering it."
"You didn't. We did." Mute cut in, still sniggering a little.
"Then what am I ordering?!"
Brad sighed. "Shut up Harry."
With a growl, Harry stood up with a flourish and struck a pose. He was really, really embarrassing sometimes…but the poor bastard meant well. Any fool could see that. "You can't tell me to shut up! I'll have you know that I'm destined to be the King!"
"King of what, Harry?" Mute asked.
Lost for a moment and with the wind out of his brightly coloured sails, Harry simply stared at the lithe mechanic and scratched the back of his head. "I…I don't know."
"Well, maybe you should find out." Sniffing slightly, Mute relaxed back into the plush bench and surveyed the scene in front of him with the air of arrogance Brad usually associated with rich people. And cats. It was very unusual, and very unsettling to say the least, considering he was broke and had the sex appeal of a mop##. Nonetheless, he leaned on the table and looked over his own enfolded hands, wondering how to start the conversation.
Brad was a simple man. He wondered about his own interests, personal wealth, battling, and the odd sexual experience, but how could he talk about these things with a pair of guys who had probably never had a woman in their bed (Mute, while seeming to give off that vibe, most likely hadn't) and one was impossibly rich, the other bloody poor. And neither of them had shown considerable battle experience. At least, not while being conscious in Mute's position. What the hell could someone say?
Brad could be an amazingly boring and conceited person.
As was Mute, but he could hide it better.
A mischievous grin touched his features, and he purred softly. "What an interesting development this is. Bit Cloud and Leena Toros. It does not sound like a match made in heaven, yet here we are…"
Oh, Brad thought. Of course. The date. One of the eight wonders of the world – if this could be pulled off, pigs might fly…
"It'll never work out." Harry muttered. "They're like chalk and cheese! Like…like other stuff that doesn't go together!"
"Oil and water. Helic and Guylos. Zoidians and humans."
"Yeah…uh, what did you just say? Are you making fun of me?! Me and Leena, who will one day be married?! What the hell did you say?!" Harry snapped, completely on the defensive. His devotion to Leena was embarrassing, Brad thought, poking his napkin.
"Nothing, nothing." Mute yawned as he waited for Harry to stop whinging. "I hope they hurry up with the food."
With a soft sigh, Brad stopped molesting his napkin and looked up, locking eyes with the young redhead. Harry blinked at him but stared back, unafraid, almost…challenging. Ordinarily he would be going red and looking away, but today, it seemed, he was being a big brave boy and was ready for anything. Brad realised there was hope for him yet. "Harry, promise me you won't do anything stupid." He remarked calmly. "Please?"
"Of course I won't, I'll just do something to stop Leena from making the biggest mistake of her life!"
There was a snort from Mute, who was clearly enjoying annoying Harry. "What, going out with you?"
"Why is everyone against me?" Harry snapped as he thumped the table in his anger. "I try and act friendly, yet everyone seems to think I'm out to get them!"
Brad buried his face in his hands, trying to formulate an answer that would not offend the young Champ. He …just…a little messed up. "Harry, you cause trouble wherever you go. You ask us to go into battles for Leena's affection when it's obvious the only person she loves is herself. You think money is the answer to everything, which it's not, no matter how much your parents tell you it is. The world isn't against you, it's just ignoring you."
"No! Everybody hates me!" Harry wailed.
"I'm not against you. I'm against your fashion sense." Mute cut in, giving them both a dark look. "Harry, we both want this evening over as quick as possible, so just sit tight, enjoy your meal, and we see what happens next…it's not that hard." He smiled at them both in a warm and genuine way, and Harry sighed, settling down in a forlorn way.
"Sorry." He moaned. "It's just…I mean I…"
"We're just here to make sure that Bit doesn't take things too far, and that Leena doesn't do too much damage to Bit, the patrons, or heaven forbid, the restaurant itself. If I catch either of you playing silly buggers, I will do something very horrible to the two of you." Mute said, quite sweetly.
You could believe it too. For a moment at least, but Brad shook it off and scanned the restaurant again, wondering when their order would come, because he was hungry and thirsty. Almost as if on cue, he spied Terry returning with a slightly glazed look on his face, complete with drinks.
"Food will be here in another five minutes!" He said cheerfully, and then went away again, clearly sweating heavily. What was that boy's problem?
Leaning back, Brad sipped his drink and enjoyed the acrid taste. Maybe things would be okay tonight…provided, of course, that the other two behaved themselves. Harry was sucking furiously at the sickly pink straw, his bright eyes jerking here and there like a rabid ferret, his mind clearly on things other than said drink in front of him. Mute…Mute looked tired. Worn all of a sudden. Yawning tiredly, he sipped his drink too, smacked his lips, and rested his head against his hands as he gazed into space.
"Mute, are you okay?"
At first he didn't respond, but he blinked tiredly and gave Brad a brittle smile. "Kinda. Just have a headache brewing, that's all."
"But you seemed fine a minute ago…"
"I didn't get much sleep the other night, that's all." Mute's smile warmed. "Thank you for your concern, mind you…I appreciate it."
"Too much noise, eh?"
"No…just…having trouble sleeping."
Their food came a moment later, concern was forgotten, and indeed, the food smelt fantastic. Brad's stomach growled loudly in impatience as he started to tuck into his food, eager to quieten the beast that raged within. However, the beast that raged outside had suddenly spotted the object of his affection waltzing in to the café in a pretty strappy number complete with floaty bits* with one of those shoestring purses dangling at her side. They sat down and made their order, then began the customary conversation of two people who have no idea what to say. But Leena was flirting…either that, or that flower thingie attached to her strap was itchy.
Brad swallowed hard. Not because Leena looked especially attractive, but because he knew how much all of that had costed. He'd been dragged along with Naomi to shops before, and out of curiosity investigated the price tags and then dragged his companion kicking and screaming from the place in mortal fear of being declared bankrupt after one swipe of his bankcard. Harry was making similar choking noises, but probably because of her looks…but it then again, it was possible he was actually choking…it was so hard to tell…
Mute was unaffected by the entrance. Dipping a chip in the gravy, he ate it thoughtfully, and then casually thumped Harry hard in the back. A piece of bread went flying out of his mouth and hit the guy in the booth next to him in the back of his head, making him yelp.
"What the-?"
"Leeeeeeena!!"
"Harry! You'll blow our cover!"
Too late.
Scrambling over the table, Harry lunged towards Leena, and Brad howled as his dinner was also sent flying. Only just able to catch it in time, he heard the yells from the booth behind as the chap who'd got caught in the head with Harry's mouthful gave chase and grabbed Harry in the shoulder to spin him around. This was clearly not the thing to do.
"Oi, you, apologise!"
Brad cringed. Harry…oh, Harry, Harry, Harry…the boy was a powder keg waiting to explode. Years of growing up in such a rich and privileged household as the youngest meant a lot of things had been dumped on the red head. His desperate need to succeed had all come from one source, his older siblings above him striving towards the stars. And when he'd set his sights on Leena, he had believed, quite firmly, that he had met his soul mate. Of course, the poor sod was hopelessly wrong, but all that hoping and wishing had built up inside him over the year or two he had known her. Then Bit came on the scene. Bit who was brilliant at everything, except personal hygiene. Bit, who had done nothing but drift.
Harry snapped.
"Take your filthy hands off me, peasant!" He screamed. "While your father was rolling your mother in the dirt, my father was building a bloody empire! Building a future for his children and for his children's children! I will not apologise to someone with a room temperature IQ, a distressing smell of cleaning chemicals and a handlebar moustache that looks incredibly suspect!!" He took a breath. It was clearly a mistake!! I was choking, you horrible, horrible little man!!"
The man was by no means little. But he did smell, and he did have a suspect moustache. He also looked hurt. "Now look 'ere, there's no need fo-"
"Ohhhh, so you're going to back out now, are you?! Well good for you! Sit down!" The man complied, his eyes very wide. I might also add that he could easily snap Harry's wiry body in two and use him for a toothpick, had the temperament of a rabid Rottweiler, and was head of the local biker gang**, but he had a survival streak a mile wide and could see that Harry was clearly on the warpath.
Terry, on the other hand, could not.
As Brad watched in horror, speechless as the tiny stick screaming at the massive tree and getting it to do what it wanted, Terry stormed up to Harry's side and intercepted him just as he approached the table of Bit and Leena.
"Hi! I'm Terry, your waiter for this evening…welcome to the Blue Moon!" He said cheerfully as he strangled Harry from behind.
"Harry?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"No, it's Ter-"
"Shut up, idiot!" Leena stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Harry, what are you doing?!"
"Stopping you from doing a really, really stupid thing!"
"What, ordering the salad?" Bit butted in. Brad cringed. He really, really didn't know when to keep his fat mouth shut. "Shove off Harry."
"NooaaaAAAAARRRRGGG!!" Twisting violently, Harry tried to back away from Leena, who had reached out and grabbed his ear. Another vicious twist and he was putty in her hands.
"Outside, mister." She snarled.
"BRAAAAAAAAAD!!! MUUTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!! SAVE MEEEEE!!"
"Enjoy, old son." Mute sang back, putting down his burger and toasting Harry with his glass.
Brad turned bright red and slid down his seat until his nose was level with the tabletop. How embarrassing. How utterly embarrassing. Thank God Naomi wasn't here, that's all he could say. Nonetheless, listening to the yelps and howls outside as Harry was bashed into a mushy pulp were pitiful and sad. After all, he was only trying to…well, win her affection…
"Is life always this interesting for the Blitz team?"
"No." The food came to the now Leena-less table. Brad took a little bite of his meal and watched Bit settle down and eat his. Well, eating was a roundabout word…more like inhaling it. Pizza sandwich maybe, hard to tell, because one minute it was there, the next it was gone.
"Oh. 'Cos I was considering staying. Fancy a chip?"
"Yah." Brad reached across, missed, and then sat up as Mute pushed the plate across. Wow, he'd eaten a lot. Brad glanced at him for a moment, but only received a happy but sleepy look in return. "You okay?"
"Just happy being well fed. Doc doesn't keep much food on the base."
With a sigh, the taller of the two pointed in the direction of the dizzy blond pilot, as he started eating Leena's salad and steak with great delight. "Bit."
"I see." Mute grinned. "Not just a pilot but a bottomless pit…"
"Hah. Yeah. That's him all right." Brad smiled sadly. "Which reminds me, where the hell did you put all of that?"
"All of what?"
"Your dinner! You're as skinny as a rake!"
A shrug was all the reply he got. "Metabolism?"
"I'm envious."
His answer was strangely tinged with regret. "Don't be." A pause. "Here comes trouble."
Trouble was indeed coming. Leena waltzed in, looking flushed as she rubbed her fist, but happy. People leaned away from her as she came in, almost afraid to eat lest they provoke her temper. Chairs moved, even a table was shoved to the side at the expense of the wine the couple had been drinking, colouring the nice white tablecloth a rich burgundy. Leena thought it was her looks. You could tell. She looked so smug. However, that smug and happy look faded when she reached her table.
She'd seen her plate.
Her empty plate.
"BIIIIIIIIIT!!"
She swiped at him, but he ducked away, still nibbling on some lettuce. He smiled at her in his usual vacant way and swallowed. "Back from pounding Harry?"
"BIT, YOU ATE MY FOOD!"
"It was just sitting there, Leena…" He batted his eyelashes. "It looked lonely."
"ARGH!!" Spinning around, Leena caught sight of some helpless waiter who had been trying to escape, grabbed him by the shoulder, and yanked him close. "Another beef and salad, creep. And Bit, you'd better be payin', or I'm going to tear you a new pie-hole."
"Yeah sure, whatever. Hey, speaking of pie…"
"NO."
Sweating in her grasp, the waiter proved he had about as much survival sense as road kill. "A-and how w-would m-madam like her st-steak?"
"Torn of a cow, cooked, then slapped on a freakin' plate you moron. How else d'you think I want it?!"
"Long, wet and hard." A cultured voice piped up. Brad didn't see Mute's lips move, but the grin proved the Blitz team's temporary mechanic had more talents to add to his disposal. Apart from having numerous ideas for throwing one's voice in daily life, Brad gawked and watched Leena drop the waiter and stomp towards a rather weedy young thing that was trying to eat his meal in peace but had suddenly realised the eyes of the world were on him and he's just won a one-way ticket to Painsville.
In a primordial growl as old as time, Leena caught his attention. "What did you just say?"
Brad's jaw dropped. Leena picking another fight? He went to stand, to try and stop it, just like the Doc has asked, but found himself unable to. His body was unwilling to move, as if his bones were made of jelly and couldn't support his flesh, and he slipped back into his seat, his look of horror only intensifying. But it all felt better when Mute winked at him and patted his hand in a friendly way that was kind of disturbing but nice at the same time. He was right – after all, what could Brad do, apart from hoping no one else would get hurt? Really?
This guy knew trouble when it was staring at him in the face. "…Uh…nothing…" He whispered, trying to edge away. It was not enough.
"Outside." Came the cold command.
A couple of minutes later, the Leena's dinner was served again.
And a couple of minutes later, it was gone. Bit sat back with a contented grin on his face and his hands patting his distended belly with pleasure. However, it was followed by a look of discomfort, and for a horrible moment Brad thought Bit was going to be sick, all over the table.
But ohhhhhh, no.
He undid the top button of his jeans, untucked and undid the bottom three buttons of his shirt, and settled back once more, pausing only for a moment to belch incredibly loud and grin at everyone, as if expecting praise.
And once more, Brad felt his cheeks heating with shame. Just think…the night was only really beginning. "Shoot me now." He moaned.
Because Leena had just come in once more.
"BiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!"
~ to be continued.
#Or yummerific. I think that's my new word for the day.
## I don't know if Brad's jealous or if the other characters do not feel the same attraction my beloved reviewers do. Nah, he's jealous. Someone's vying for his position of the 'really cool guy the fangirls/boys like' and Brad doesn't like it…
*Like men, I have little knowledge of fashion especially the new fangled stuff that can be worn as a top and a pair of underpants respectively since they're so short. Fashion and I don't get on too well.
**I know this is very stereotypical. Most bikies are actually really nice people.