Chapter 10
Judgment Call
A/N: I may be taking a chance by having this A/N up here, but who cares. This is a saved document for a reason. So, without further ado, the long awaited (…sure.) next chapter of A Hawk's Perch!
Oh yeah… Heart of Sword is an awesome song if you can actually listen to the full version.
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Two days later, and I still don't know why she dragged me outside that night. I had almost forgotten about whatever her hidden intentions were thanks to those two Hawks, but I'm too sharp to just forget something like that. I never miss these things. A person couldn't be in this business for long if they mishandled observations like that one. Virginia hasn't even attempted to explain why we took that walk, and it's making me nervous. I hate not knowing a person's motives. You can't read a person like that. You can't tell what they're gonna do, or who they'll do it too. There's nothing scarier than that, let me tell you.
However, there is one thing that can knock my train of thought of its tracks, and that's the smell of an actual meal. Sort of like the odor I'm detecting from the stairwell down the hall from this guestroom. A home cooked dinner is a rarity in this profession, and better Hawks than me have fallen prey to the whims of a good cook. I guess that has something to do with that saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
Damn…that train derailed quick….
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The creaking floorboard on the top step was the least of the family's problems. Though it would be a minor inconvenience to replace it, neither Shalte nor Tesla made an effort to have it fixed. Besides, it served as a quaint way of letting anyone in the kitchen know that someone was coming downstairs. The house just wouldn't be the same without it. So, for years it remained like that.
And once again, the groaning plank served its purpose, announcing Jet's descent down the stairs. The noise was the sort of thing that he would have noticed if he wasn't so preoccupied with the scent of a real dinner.
It seemed that the third time was the charm, because now that Jet had fought alongside Virginia at the manor, again at the city gates, and once more in the fields, Shalte and Tesla no longer appeared pensive around him. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," announced the girl's aunt, not once looking up from her work, but still with a smile. Jet had nothing else to occupy himself with, so he sat at table in the same spot as he had every day since he came to Boot Hill, content to merely take in the aroma of food.
To his left, he noticed a large stack of boxes and barrels against the wall. It wasn't the first time he'd seen them, but this was the first chance he had to get a real good look at them, seeing as he had nothing else to do. At first, he just passed them off as crates of food and such, or possibly some sort of commodity that the family dealt in. But then, Jet noticed what looked like the corner of a doorframe behind one of the boxes. Before he could move, speak, or even think more on the subject, the middle-aged woman called out "Dinner is ready!" and started to dish out servings.
And once again, Jet's train of thought made another unscheduled stop.
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After dinner, I tried once again to figure everything out, but I was having no luck. I couldn't go five minutes without being distracted in this house. So, I decided to go out into the fields for a while. Grabbing my boomerang and the Airget-lamh, I left my room, made my way down the stairs, passed through the kitchen, and walked outside. I didn't stop until I was a good ten minutes from the city.
The weather was rather calm that day, with a mild temperature that matched the equally mild breeze. Taking a casual look around, I spotted a tree about a hundred feet from where I stood. Looked like a good target, too.
Hefting my boomerang, I took a few practice swings before fully concentrating on the tree. For a second, I stood motionless, and then, with a yell, I sent the weapon flying through the air. It started gaining altitude as it sailed to the left of the target, and then immediately descended as it arced back in. The pull of gravity added a considerable amount of force to the boomerang, and thus it had no trouble slicing clean through the tree. While the top half of the dried oak tipped backwards off of its stump, I snatched my projectile out of the air by the strap attached to its backside.
Then came the applause…
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Taken by surprise, the boy dropped his weapon, and it imbedded itself about an inch into the dirt underfoot. He whipped around, wondering just who his audience was.
"Oh, Clive, it's you…."
"You've gotten better with that thing since the last time I saw you use it, Jet. Good job." The older man strolled over to the cleaved oak to examine the cut, while the younger man yanked his boomerang out of the ground. "A nice, smooth cut, too. Well done, boy." He said the last part with a chuckle.
"Get to the point, old man," Jet retorted, with a hint of a smirk on his face. "I know that you must have something else to tell me."
Strolling back towards him, Clive nodded. "You're right, I do. But if you don't mind, I'd rather we talked after I've had something to drink."
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The pub at Boot Hill was quiet as usual, only this time it was nearly empty as well. After ordering a round at the bar, the two men found a table in the far corner and sat down.
Jet spoke first. "Are you really going to make me wait for the drinks to get here, or are you gonna tell me what's going on now?"
"I guess there's no point in waiting, is there?" Clive cleared his throat before continuing. "It's about Rose."
Jet really wasn't sure why the man paused, and was getting annoyed. "Well, what about him? Ah, or her, I should say…"
"Yes, you should say 'her'. Maxwell Rose is indeed a woman."
"Wow, so that narrows it down to half the world's population…" Obviously Jet wasn't really impressed yet.
"No, no, you see, my informant knows who Rose is. Sort of."
Another pause. "Stop stalling, you son of a bitch! Who is she?!"
Clive chuckled at the young man's outburst, and then leaned over the table while motioning for Jet to do the same. Speaking quietly, he said "You see, I learned that "Maxwell" is Rose's last name, and so a friend of mine looked into the family background, and it turns out that one of the few remaining branches of the lineage lives right here in Boot Hill."
"And?"
"Well, what else can I say? The family is here, so maybe Rose is, too."
"Wait…."
"Jet? What's with the dumbfounded look?"
The boy sat back in his chair. "Are you certain that's right?"
Clive also assumed a more comfortable sitting position. "Yes, I'm sure."
Suddenly, all of his thoughts from the last few days overtook him at once. I was never able to read her… Suddenly, he shot up from his chair and headed for the door.
"Jet? What are you doing?"
Without so much as turning, he yelled back to the taller traveler "Stay right there!"
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I just knew there was something going on with this family! I knew it! And yet, for some reason, a part of me didn't want to think that this was the secret I'd been trying to find.
Out in the streets, there was a commotion going on as a crowd of villagers pressed towards the city gates. Not being one for mobs, I used a few conveniently place crates and barrels to climb onto the roof of the pub, and then made my way to the exit via rooftops and walls. From here I saw what everyone was all up-in-arms about; Virginia was making short work of a beastly looking monster. That really didn't surprise me at all, though, and I had to wonder why these folk made such a big deal over a simple kill.
Satisfied that the creature was dead, she gave one of her ARMS a quick spin before setting them both back into their leather, rose-pattered holsters.
Shit, how did I not see those before? Sitting right outside the city walls, I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the piece of evidence that brought me here in the first place. Without a doubt, the shred I held in my hand was identical to Virginia's holsters.
"You are Rose," I muttered, not really loud enough for anyone to hear me. Not wasting anymore time, I made my way through the dissipating crowd, and headed back to the bar.
Thankfully, Clive had done what I'd told him, and was still seated at our table in the corner; only now, our drinks had shown up. I took my seat back and downed the glass in front of me.
"Call the Ark, Clive. She's the one."
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A/N: It's unbelievable that it took me so long to write…well, this. Ah well, at least I finally hit a major plot point for once.
And Jet's boomerang is sounding like Sango's Hiraikotsu at this point…
CRRS for Chapter 9:
(Yeah, I miss mah carrot-underscore-carrot faces. Just pretend that they're in there somewhere.)
Teefa85: Yes, where was hero being led to? And for what reason? Suspense fills the air! Or not. Anywho, I can see Harry voicing Malik. I mean, they both are pretty creepy.
Black Waltz 0: Heh heh, ignorance is something that I can write well, as I have a lot of experience in that department! Oh, and… "I don't care if he is an attempted rapist, you never give a man a shot in the pills. It's just not cricket." Aren't quotes fun?
Hana no Kaze: Yep, losing/not having an ability lets you devote the extra attention to other abilities. I think, at least. Maybe I shoulda researched this 'mute' thing…eh heh…
psychedelic aya: I left a worse cliffie this time…for I am evil, and I feed off the anxiety of others! Mwa ha ha! Would a gob need a chew toy?
Hypes: I'm so sorry…I've been a bad boy lately… I don't think I've reviewed more than three times in the last two months, and I don't know why. Sorry…
(Heh, Ron and Harry do sound generic, but they were Ch 9's anime reference. I just really wanted to slip Outlaw Star's MacDougall brothers into a story somewhere. Just…without Harry's creepy stalking and raping.)
Skylark Starflower: This one is shorter. Am I gonna get thwacked?
JayJay-Sawada: Heh heh…I wonder who else I should have running around shirtless aside from Jet, then. Although…I really don't want to imagine someone like the Duke running around topless….ew…
Kei-kun: I'm glad you're enjoying it. I hope you like this chapter as well.
Lorena guerrero: It's one of my goals to keep them in character, even for an AU, and I'm glad that it's working so far. I just have to work on Jet and Clive a little more before I get them down right. Thanks for the review!