Chapter 2
Written By Illuminet
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to see it for yourself. Trust me, it's there.
Note: Just a small note here. From now on it's best to read the prefaces for each chapter concerning the previous chapter because it will most likely provide better backstory for characters and their lifestyles and other tidbits of information not shown in the previous chapter either.
"..."-Indicate Speech
'...'-Indicate Thought / Telepathy
------
[Preface (This time it's best to read through it. Don't worry though, it ain't too long.)]
Sol Badguy...
Unlike most of the Gears who come to Zepp, Sol has not come here to be with fellow Gears and be treated as a full equal. He has been released from prison to meet with his daughter, Dizzy Badguy. It originally had not been possible to get released from prison serving only thirty years as Sol did, because his original sentence was made to be a one hundred years of serving time in jail. During twenty two years of staying in prison, Sol was graced with his first letter ever by Dizzy, who claimed she had done researched and found that Sol was the father she had been searching for. After that, they passed letters to each other for the next eight years, getting to know a decent amount about the other. When news of these transactions of letters between father and daughter came to the attention of renowned war hero Ky Kiske, he was able to have Sol freed at his thirty years of imprisonment. Of course Sol was not let out on a whim, and he would have to be checked in by Ky himself regularly.
Many Humans had mixed reactions to the release of Sol Badguy. Since he was the Proto-type Gear, many Humans who resented the Gears thought it a very unwise move on Ky's part. In truth, the only real reason Ky actually did this for Sol was because he could sympathize with Dizzy's plight, even though he never really met the woman himself. He himself knew what it was like to grow up with out a true parent to be by a child's side. Even with the act of kindness Ky extended to Sol, Sol seemed uncomfortable with the Knight. It could be speculated considering Ky was the one to kill Justice Badguy, but this is simply theory.
Anyway, Sol was released and headed straight for Zepp, feeling a great discomfort of having to see his child for the first time. Sol ignored the discomfort in favor of remembering the promise he gave to Justice at the end of the Crusades. And so he made his way to Zepp, to fulfill his wife's dying wish...
------
[Main Story (See, what did I tell you about the Preface?)]
The Zeppian Mall
"Thanks for the ride, Potemkin. I'll call you when were ready."
Dizzy informed the giant. Potemkin gave only a small nod before speeding off in his jeep. Dizzy turned to look at Sol, who was looking at his wallet.
"You sure you have enough world dollars, dad?"
Dizzy asked him. Sol nodded.
"Don't worry about it. I got it from my secret stash."
Sol told her, referring to his duffel bag that was left at Johnny's. the two made their way into the mall.
'This place is pretty fucking huge. I should be able to find all sorts of shit to work with here and get that room back at Johnny's place in proper condition for my stay.'
Sol thought as he looked about.
"Hey Dizzy, lets split up. You go find some kind of bed and dresser. Make sure the color is either dark red or black."
Sol told her. Dizzy looked towards him.
"What are you going to do?"
She asked him.
"I got to buy some tools. Especially something to scrape off the fucking paint job on the walls and ceiling, or maybe just paints to cover the mess or something. I guess we'll meet in an hour back at this location."
Sol told her, giving her a sizable wad of money before he walked away. The two began to find the necessary things they would need for Sol's room. It was easy for Dizzy to find the things she needed to get Sol, but Sol's was a different matter.
"What a fucking idiot. He better hope these tools will work the wonders he mentioned or I'll cram them all up his ass."
Sol muttered. Because Zepp was mostly consisting of a bunch of junk, tools were not very cared for when pawned to the store to sell. Sol walked out of the tool shop, the timer in his brain alerting him that an hour was almost up. Sol would have made his way towards the entrance, until he caught a very catchy rock beat coming somewhere within the store. Following his ears, Sol made his way further from the entrance to the music. He soon caught sight of a very small crowd of Humans and Gears watching two people performing for spare change. The man dancing very well to the music by a tin can with some coins and dollars in it was wearing some traditional Japanese dancing clothing of a blue material. Small glasses fitted on his nose and his spiky brown hair was tied by some bandages of course cloth. The other person sitting against the wall had spiked out white hair and was dressed in all black. He wore a fishnet shirt and black baggy pants. around his neck was a leather choker strap similar to the one Sol himself had. He was the one who was playing the song on a white guitar, which although it looked like it was made from spare junk parts, still made good sounding music. The music stopped, however, as did the dancing person. Most of the crowd dispersed, some leaving money in the can before they left. Sol took this time to go talk to them.
"That's a fucking awesome blend of traditional Japanese music combined with heavy metal rock tune you just pulled off."
Sol said, surprising the two. The man with white hair smiled.
"Heh, you like that did you? You even knew I was combining the two types of music. Pretty impressive, man."
He said to Sol. Sol came up to the tin can and placed a dollar in it.
"Thanks a lot. We've been having trouble making ends meet, thanks to a certain gambleholic around here."
The man who had danced said, giving a pointed stare at the white haired man.
"That's ex gambleholic thank you very much, Anji."
The white haired man said. Anji shook his head.
"Yeah, until you get your hands on some of sis's money, Chipp."
Anji told him. Chipp flipped him off.
"Aw bite me, asshole."
Chipp said.
"So was it you who made that guitar?"
Sol asked Chipp. The two men stopped arguing so Chipp could answer Sol's question.
"Nope. This is the work of famed Zeppian guitar maker, Baiken."
Chipp said. Sol looked confused.
"Baiken? The sword wielding Samurai chick from the Crusades? She's a guitar maker now? Your fucking bullshitting me."
Sol insisted, but Chipp shook his head.
"Nope. That Samurai chick as you call her went from making and wielding swords to making and wielding guitars. You didn't know?"
Chipp asked. Sol shook his head.
"Shit, that's unexpected. Still can't really blame me since prisoners doesn't really get news of the outside world."
Sol said. Anji eyed Sol peticularly before his eyes widened in recognition.
"Wait a minute. Aren't you Sol Badguy, the Proto-type Gear? You were released from prison weren't you? Not too long ago if I remember correctly."
Anji stated. Sol nodded.
"Well, you found me out...oh shit, I should get going, someone's waiting for me at the entrance. You guys come here often?"
Sol questioned them. Anji nodded.
"Yeah. We'll probably be performing here a while to pay off sis."
Anji told him. Sol nodded.
"Good. When I get some free time, why don't you introduce me to Baiken one of these days?"
Sol asked. Chipp nodded.
"Sure, why not? See you later man."
After Chipp said those words, Sol was off to the entrance to meet with Dizzy. When he got there, however, he found no Dizzy.
'Shit, I wonder if she went looking for me after I came back here. I'm about ten minutes late. Guess I'll just search her out with my Gear senses.'
Sol thought to himself as he closed his eyes to trace a signal from Dizzy.
'There.'
Sol thought and went off to find his daughter. He found her a while later, outside a store that sold beds, talking with a Gear in all black. The Gear's clothing gave Sol all the information he needed to know that he was a goth. His skin was pale, even paler than Dizzy's. His hair was jet black, similar to Sol's hair color, and was extremely long, that had it grown out about one more foot, it would probably hit the ground. His sleeveless black shirt hung loosely on his lanky frame, and was tied up by long, black leather belts. His black strapped boots were very high, going past his knee and covered most of his black pants. Sol made his way to the two. Dizzy had just laughed at some comment the other Gear made when her eyes went to Sol's.
"Oh, dad, there you are. Sorry I lost track of time, but I met my boyfriend here and well..."
She began, but left it unfinished. Sol came face to face with the Gear, noticing a large black Raven on his right shoulder with a steel collar around its neck.
"Oh...? It's been a while, Gear #138, Testament."
Sol said in a monotone voice, recognizing him. Testament mirrored his tone of voice.
"So it has, Gear#000, Proto-type."
Testament said. Many of the new generation of Gears had no creation number of their own, since the Gear population was no longer a securely controlled one as it had been in the time before and during the Crusades.
"Actually, it's Sol now. How about you? Still go by the name Testament?"
Sol asked. Testament simply nodded. Dizzy looked between the two.
"You two know each other?"
She asked. Testament nodded.
"Allies in the Crusades."
He said simply. Sol nodded.
"Yeah. That was a fucking long time ago."
Sol said. Testament turned to Dizzy.
"I'll see you tonight."
Was all he said, then he and Dizzy shared a quick kiss on the lips before he walked away.
'It's good to see you again, my friend of war.'
Sol heard Testament say to him in his mind.
'You too. Look, I don't mind you two going out with each other, but as the saying goes I think: You break her heart and I'll break every fucking bone in your body.'
Sol told him. He heard a mental chuckle from Testament.
'Understood. But if I did end up breaking her heart, I'd break all my bones myself.'
Was all he said as he got too far for the mental link to keep working. Sol turned to Dizzy.
"So, did you get the bed?"
He asked her. Dizzy nodded.
"Yep. Speed delivery for both the new bed and dresser. They should already be in your room once we head back. Should I call Potemkin to come pick us up?"
She asked him. Sol nodded.
"Yeah, go ahead."
He said.
------
Johnny's
Sol had spent the better part of the day scraping off the pink paint job on his walls, and then began painting it red. His bed and dresser were left in the middle of the room as he let the paint dry. During this time, Sol took the time to fine tune his custom guitar and play a few music pieces from his favorite rock music.
'Shit...Now that I'm on Zepp, I got to find a job. Better check for any job offerings tomorrow. I may be rich, but that doesn't mean I should just rely on that money.'
He heard Dizzy come into his room, probably to ask him something before she went to work.
"Dad? I know we really didn't get the time today, and I have to work tonight so I won't be seeing you for the rest of the night, but can you really tell me about mom maybe in the morning?"
She asked him. Sol sighed. She really wanted to know a lot about Justice. He really couldn't blame her though, and there was no doubt in Sol's mind that no Human or Gear on Zepp had ever really met with Justice during the Crusades personally to be able to tell her anything about the leading figure of the Gears. So Sol didn't let the question bother him.
"Yeah, tomorrow's fine. We'll meet here."
He told her. Dizzy smiled.
"Thanks a lot dad. I'll see you tomorrow then."
She said before walking out of the room. Sol nodded. He had been getting bored and the smell of paint was starting to give him a headache. Sol decided a stroll around town was in order. Putting his guitar back in it's case, Sol made his way to the back door of the former airship.
------
Construction Skyscraper
Sol looked out at the light filled Zepp City. The night air was chilly, but being a Gear, Sol paid it no mind. He had chugged his twenty fourth bottle of beer from the four six packs he bought at a drug store. Sol felt a slight buzz, but otherwise was still sober. It took a lot of alcohol to bring him down. Seeing Zepp City from so high up gave Sol a feeling of peace. Sol also reminisced about the past.
:::Flashback:::
The Crusades...
He was ready for battle. His red and black Gear armor made him taller than he actually was with it's stiletto like feet. He could manipulate the armor to form many stabbing and slashing weapons from his body. His black hair was the only thing that came out of the helmet. This armor was almost exactly like the white and blue armor Justice herself wore, but it still had it's differences. One was the helmet visor, while Justice's was almost triangularly spiked, his was smoothed out. His massive shoulder pads were also larger and had small spikes running along the top of the shoulders while Justice did not. On his left elbow was a very long thin curved blade, as was there another long blade on his right knee. His tail appendage was long and flexible, small spikes protruded randomly on some of the linked segments of it. Although his appearance showed him to be much more fearsome seeming then Justice, he was only the second in command.
"This is the last line of defense. We must hold it with our very lives. Justice is counting on us."
He said. The armor made his voice come out slightly dead pan and mechanical. A roar of cheering came from the Gears he was leading, all in their own armors. The Human army was already coming in view. Leader of the Human army dressed in the clothing of a Holy Knight. In his hand was a short rectangular blade. It was a weapon of the Outrage, named Fire Seal. The two units of combatants had a stare off at first, but with the raising of the Fire Seal, the Holy Knight initiated the attack. The Gear leader of his unit also rose his black clawed hand as a sign to battle, and complete chaos ensued. While many a Gear and Human fought each other, the two leaders were the most impressive of all. As it's namesake, the Fire Seal produced powerful flame magic under the command of the Holy Knight using it. But The Gear leader himself conjured up powerful weapons to thwart any of the attacks thrown at him. The two remained locked in a stand still.
"Gun Flame!"
The Knight shouted as he drove his blade into the ground to conjure a small wave of flames heading in the Gear leader's direction. The Gear leader simply back flipped, his tail created a small trail of fire to match with the ground projectile heading his way to cancel it out. The Knight charged at the Gear leader, but was knocked aside as the Gear leader manipulated his right arm into a large double bladed sword the cut with intense ferocity. the Knight blocked and then jumped high into the air to strike at the Gear leaders's head.
"Volcanic Viper!"
The Fire Seal engulfed into flames. The Gear leader brought his left elbow forward, letting his elbow blade guard the attack. The Gear leader countered the attack with a front flip towards the still airborne Knight, catching the Knight in with his right foot, which turned into a talon like weapon. He drove the Knight into the ground, keeping a firm grip around his neck.
"Not bad, but it won't be enough."
The Gear leader said. The Knight looked like he was ready to accept death but it never came. a Human's voice sounded in the Gear leader's ear, one that made his blood run cold.
"Justice has fallen at the Stairway to the Heavens! The Humans have won!"
Without a second thought, he released the Knight to speed off towards the location of Justice.
------
Stairway to the Heavens
It was raining. His armor began to manipulate so it almost looked identical to Justice's. He came on the scene. A Holy Knight with a long, thin broadsword Outrage called the Thunder Seal stood over the body. Even though he won, Justice had given him hell during their battle, and he looked ready to collapse at any moment. He turned his head to regard the Gear clad in red armor before him.
"You are...!"
The young Knight recognized him as the second in command. The Gear made his way to where Justice was.
"Stay back."
The Knight warned, but the Gear refused. He shoved the Knight out of the way to see Justice. He knelt down and picked her up.
"Breathing is minimal but still intact."
He confirmed giving her battered body a quick scan over. After that he removed his helmet. The Outrage prevented any wound from healing through regeneration like many Gears had, and it was the reason Justice was dying in his arm now.
"Come on. Wake up."
He ordered of her gently. To his relief, her golden eyes opened. She removed her helmet, letting it fall to the floor with a faint metallic clang.
"I...I'm so sorry...Freddie...I couldn't stay alive."
She said in a hushed whisper. He shook his head.
"Hey, don't say that. You'll pull through this."
He told her. It was a lie and she knew it, however.
"There's no...need to...hide the...truth. The Humans...are simply blessed with much better fighting prowess...than us mere Gears..."
She said softly. He could feel an annoying sting of tears in his eyes but he refused to let them fall. She grasped the back of his head and brought it closer to hers.
"Promise me...find HIM and make him pay...and find our daughter...she is still out there...lost in the world...take care of her Freddie, please..."
She told him. He nodded slowly, his eyes showing resolve.
"I promise...sleep well."
He told her, reassuring her fears. Justice gave him one more smile and they shared a final kiss. Her body went limp soon afterwards.
:::Flashback:::
'What would it have been like...if you had survived?'
Sol wondered, taking his final swig of beer before tossing it into the box it came it. He lit a cigarette and continued to think back on the past.
:::Flashback:::
Jail Cell...
"Sol Badguy, the Proto-type Gear. It's time."
He looked up at the guard ho had opened his cell. Sol Badguy was his true name now, but it had not always been that way. As a Human he had been born as Frederick Sol Mercury II. His first name came from his mother's maiden name, which was also his middle name now. As for his last name, it was also one that came from his past as a Human. Before she was a Gear, Justice was named Justine Aurora Badguy. She was also Frederick II's fiancee. It was her family name he now took as his own. Sol stared at the guard and got up from his bunk wordlessly.
'Why do I have to stand trial? What's the fucking god damn point when all I'm going to be found is guilty anyway? What a load of bullshit!'
He thought to himself. He had been right too. Once his trial came to an end, he had been found guilty for being Justice's second in command and for killing so many humans in the war. And now he would be shipped off to Japan, the nation with the strongest and greatest prison to hold Gears in. Even when he got there many problems risen for him. The biggest one being that he beat the living crap out of anyone who tried to remove his head piece. It was his visor fused together with Justice's visor as a reminder to him and so, it had a lot of value to him, regardless if it looked like just a random piece of crimson colored metal strapped to his fore head. It was finally decided after many failed attempts by the guards the Sol could keep the metal piece on him.
:::Flashback:::
'That MAN...I'll make you pay for what you did to the both of us. I don't give a shit if you were once my biological father as a Human. I'm a Gear now. And once I find you...'
Sol didn't even think fully on it, unless his anger and rage got the best of him. He struck the side of the metal column he was sitting by, leaving a sizable dent in it. Sol kept his anger and power in control. The last thing he wanted was to have trouble with the law for destroying the entire structure and making it collapse upon itself.
"You know smoking can be very hazardous to your health and the health of others around you."
A squeaky voice said. Sol looked around until he saw an extremely tall, lanky person hovering in the air like Mary Poppins with an umbrella. The man also had a paper bag over his head. Sol eyed him curiously.
'Okay...maybe I'm more fucking sloshed than I originally thought...'
Sol thought to himself. The tall man landed near the other side of the pole Sol was sitting on and closed his umbrella. Although Sol's Gear senses were a bit out of tune thanks to the beer, he was able to get the height of the man at an impressive nine feet and three inches or so.
"Shit, your pretty fucking tall. Basket Ball player?"
Sol inquired, but the man shook his head.
"Nope, I'm an aspiring doctor at the Zepp clinic. Anyway, as I was saying..."
The supposed doctor began but was interrupted by Sol.
"Hey I know, but I'm a Gear. Smoking doesn't do anything to me like it does for Humans, so just shut up."
Sol told him. As a Human, he was a doctor as well for a long time until he met with his fiancee. That was pretty much ancient history of course.
"So anyway, got a name, or should I just call you doctor-who-rides-an-umbrella?"
Sol asked.
"Doctor Faust Baldhead at your service. You can call me Faust, though. Could I interest you in buying an alcoholic beverage from me?"
He asked after introducing himself with a dramatic bow of his body.
"I guess so. Now tell me something...what's with the paper bag on your head?"
Sol had to know. Faust looked deep in thought.
"Well..."
He put down his umbrella and took his leather briefcase and opened it. Form within he produced a large flashlight the size of a human head. He turned it on and then removed his paper bag, shinning the flashlight on the back of his bald head. Sol had to put up a hand to cover his eyes.
"Damn, turn that flashlight off before your shiny head blinds someone."
Sol told him. Faust obliged and put his paper bag back on and turning the flashlight off. He then took a six pack of beer cans from his briefcase and took a can out of the plastic ring before tossing it to Sol, who caught the can in one hand.
"Alright, fifty world dollars."
Faust said. Sol narrowed his eyes.
"Alright, how about twenty five?"
Faust said again. Sol's eyes narrowed further.
"Fine, five then."
He said. Sol's eyes were like slits now.
"Geez, okay, one dollar."
Faust told him. Sol smirked.
"Now that's more like it."
...To Be Continued...
Note 2: Hey, I was able to get this chapter up faster than I thought I would be able to. It's still mostly random, with some of the cast from the game making an appearance. Oh well. Until next time.
Written By Illuminet
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to see it for yourself. Trust me, it's there.
Note: Just a small note here. From now on it's best to read the prefaces for each chapter concerning the previous chapter because it will most likely provide better backstory for characters and their lifestyles and other tidbits of information not shown in the previous chapter either.
"..."-Indicate Speech
'...'-Indicate Thought / Telepathy
------
[Preface (This time it's best to read through it. Don't worry though, it ain't too long.)]
Sol Badguy...
Unlike most of the Gears who come to Zepp, Sol has not come here to be with fellow Gears and be treated as a full equal. He has been released from prison to meet with his daughter, Dizzy Badguy. It originally had not been possible to get released from prison serving only thirty years as Sol did, because his original sentence was made to be a one hundred years of serving time in jail. During twenty two years of staying in prison, Sol was graced with his first letter ever by Dizzy, who claimed she had done researched and found that Sol was the father she had been searching for. After that, they passed letters to each other for the next eight years, getting to know a decent amount about the other. When news of these transactions of letters between father and daughter came to the attention of renowned war hero Ky Kiske, he was able to have Sol freed at his thirty years of imprisonment. Of course Sol was not let out on a whim, and he would have to be checked in by Ky himself regularly.
Many Humans had mixed reactions to the release of Sol Badguy. Since he was the Proto-type Gear, many Humans who resented the Gears thought it a very unwise move on Ky's part. In truth, the only real reason Ky actually did this for Sol was because he could sympathize with Dizzy's plight, even though he never really met the woman himself. He himself knew what it was like to grow up with out a true parent to be by a child's side. Even with the act of kindness Ky extended to Sol, Sol seemed uncomfortable with the Knight. It could be speculated considering Ky was the one to kill Justice Badguy, but this is simply theory.
Anyway, Sol was released and headed straight for Zepp, feeling a great discomfort of having to see his child for the first time. Sol ignored the discomfort in favor of remembering the promise he gave to Justice at the end of the Crusades. And so he made his way to Zepp, to fulfill his wife's dying wish...
------
[Main Story (See, what did I tell you about the Preface?)]
The Zeppian Mall
"Thanks for the ride, Potemkin. I'll call you when were ready."
Dizzy informed the giant. Potemkin gave only a small nod before speeding off in his jeep. Dizzy turned to look at Sol, who was looking at his wallet.
"You sure you have enough world dollars, dad?"
Dizzy asked him. Sol nodded.
"Don't worry about it. I got it from my secret stash."
Sol told her, referring to his duffel bag that was left at Johnny's. the two made their way into the mall.
'This place is pretty fucking huge. I should be able to find all sorts of shit to work with here and get that room back at Johnny's place in proper condition for my stay.'
Sol thought as he looked about.
"Hey Dizzy, lets split up. You go find some kind of bed and dresser. Make sure the color is either dark red or black."
Sol told her. Dizzy looked towards him.
"What are you going to do?"
She asked him.
"I got to buy some tools. Especially something to scrape off the fucking paint job on the walls and ceiling, or maybe just paints to cover the mess or something. I guess we'll meet in an hour back at this location."
Sol told her, giving her a sizable wad of money before he walked away. The two began to find the necessary things they would need for Sol's room. It was easy for Dizzy to find the things she needed to get Sol, but Sol's was a different matter.
"What a fucking idiot. He better hope these tools will work the wonders he mentioned or I'll cram them all up his ass."
Sol muttered. Because Zepp was mostly consisting of a bunch of junk, tools were not very cared for when pawned to the store to sell. Sol walked out of the tool shop, the timer in his brain alerting him that an hour was almost up. Sol would have made his way towards the entrance, until he caught a very catchy rock beat coming somewhere within the store. Following his ears, Sol made his way further from the entrance to the music. He soon caught sight of a very small crowd of Humans and Gears watching two people performing for spare change. The man dancing very well to the music by a tin can with some coins and dollars in it was wearing some traditional Japanese dancing clothing of a blue material. Small glasses fitted on his nose and his spiky brown hair was tied by some bandages of course cloth. The other person sitting against the wall had spiked out white hair and was dressed in all black. He wore a fishnet shirt and black baggy pants. around his neck was a leather choker strap similar to the one Sol himself had. He was the one who was playing the song on a white guitar, which although it looked like it was made from spare junk parts, still made good sounding music. The music stopped, however, as did the dancing person. Most of the crowd dispersed, some leaving money in the can before they left. Sol took this time to go talk to them.
"That's a fucking awesome blend of traditional Japanese music combined with heavy metal rock tune you just pulled off."
Sol said, surprising the two. The man with white hair smiled.
"Heh, you like that did you? You even knew I was combining the two types of music. Pretty impressive, man."
He said to Sol. Sol came up to the tin can and placed a dollar in it.
"Thanks a lot. We've been having trouble making ends meet, thanks to a certain gambleholic around here."
The man who had danced said, giving a pointed stare at the white haired man.
"That's ex gambleholic thank you very much, Anji."
The white haired man said. Anji shook his head.
"Yeah, until you get your hands on some of sis's money, Chipp."
Anji told him. Chipp flipped him off.
"Aw bite me, asshole."
Chipp said.
"So was it you who made that guitar?"
Sol asked Chipp. The two men stopped arguing so Chipp could answer Sol's question.
"Nope. This is the work of famed Zeppian guitar maker, Baiken."
Chipp said. Sol looked confused.
"Baiken? The sword wielding Samurai chick from the Crusades? She's a guitar maker now? Your fucking bullshitting me."
Sol insisted, but Chipp shook his head.
"Nope. That Samurai chick as you call her went from making and wielding swords to making and wielding guitars. You didn't know?"
Chipp asked. Sol shook his head.
"Shit, that's unexpected. Still can't really blame me since prisoners doesn't really get news of the outside world."
Sol said. Anji eyed Sol peticularly before his eyes widened in recognition.
"Wait a minute. Aren't you Sol Badguy, the Proto-type Gear? You were released from prison weren't you? Not too long ago if I remember correctly."
Anji stated. Sol nodded.
"Well, you found me out...oh shit, I should get going, someone's waiting for me at the entrance. You guys come here often?"
Sol questioned them. Anji nodded.
"Yeah. We'll probably be performing here a while to pay off sis."
Anji told him. Sol nodded.
"Good. When I get some free time, why don't you introduce me to Baiken one of these days?"
Sol asked. Chipp nodded.
"Sure, why not? See you later man."
After Chipp said those words, Sol was off to the entrance to meet with Dizzy. When he got there, however, he found no Dizzy.
'Shit, I wonder if she went looking for me after I came back here. I'm about ten minutes late. Guess I'll just search her out with my Gear senses.'
Sol thought to himself as he closed his eyes to trace a signal from Dizzy.
'There.'
Sol thought and went off to find his daughter. He found her a while later, outside a store that sold beds, talking with a Gear in all black. The Gear's clothing gave Sol all the information he needed to know that he was a goth. His skin was pale, even paler than Dizzy's. His hair was jet black, similar to Sol's hair color, and was extremely long, that had it grown out about one more foot, it would probably hit the ground. His sleeveless black shirt hung loosely on his lanky frame, and was tied up by long, black leather belts. His black strapped boots were very high, going past his knee and covered most of his black pants. Sol made his way to the two. Dizzy had just laughed at some comment the other Gear made when her eyes went to Sol's.
"Oh, dad, there you are. Sorry I lost track of time, but I met my boyfriend here and well..."
She began, but left it unfinished. Sol came face to face with the Gear, noticing a large black Raven on his right shoulder with a steel collar around its neck.
"Oh...? It's been a while, Gear #138, Testament."
Sol said in a monotone voice, recognizing him. Testament mirrored his tone of voice.
"So it has, Gear#000, Proto-type."
Testament said. Many of the new generation of Gears had no creation number of their own, since the Gear population was no longer a securely controlled one as it had been in the time before and during the Crusades.
"Actually, it's Sol now. How about you? Still go by the name Testament?"
Sol asked. Testament simply nodded. Dizzy looked between the two.
"You two know each other?"
She asked. Testament nodded.
"Allies in the Crusades."
He said simply. Sol nodded.
"Yeah. That was a fucking long time ago."
Sol said. Testament turned to Dizzy.
"I'll see you tonight."
Was all he said, then he and Dizzy shared a quick kiss on the lips before he walked away.
'It's good to see you again, my friend of war.'
Sol heard Testament say to him in his mind.
'You too. Look, I don't mind you two going out with each other, but as the saying goes I think: You break her heart and I'll break every fucking bone in your body.'
Sol told him. He heard a mental chuckle from Testament.
'Understood. But if I did end up breaking her heart, I'd break all my bones myself.'
Was all he said as he got too far for the mental link to keep working. Sol turned to Dizzy.
"So, did you get the bed?"
He asked her. Dizzy nodded.
"Yep. Speed delivery for both the new bed and dresser. They should already be in your room once we head back. Should I call Potemkin to come pick us up?"
She asked him. Sol nodded.
"Yeah, go ahead."
He said.
------
Johnny's
Sol had spent the better part of the day scraping off the pink paint job on his walls, and then began painting it red. His bed and dresser were left in the middle of the room as he let the paint dry. During this time, Sol took the time to fine tune his custom guitar and play a few music pieces from his favorite rock music.
'Shit...Now that I'm on Zepp, I got to find a job. Better check for any job offerings tomorrow. I may be rich, but that doesn't mean I should just rely on that money.'
He heard Dizzy come into his room, probably to ask him something before she went to work.
"Dad? I know we really didn't get the time today, and I have to work tonight so I won't be seeing you for the rest of the night, but can you really tell me about mom maybe in the morning?"
She asked him. Sol sighed. She really wanted to know a lot about Justice. He really couldn't blame her though, and there was no doubt in Sol's mind that no Human or Gear on Zepp had ever really met with Justice during the Crusades personally to be able to tell her anything about the leading figure of the Gears. So Sol didn't let the question bother him.
"Yeah, tomorrow's fine. We'll meet here."
He told her. Dizzy smiled.
"Thanks a lot dad. I'll see you tomorrow then."
She said before walking out of the room. Sol nodded. He had been getting bored and the smell of paint was starting to give him a headache. Sol decided a stroll around town was in order. Putting his guitar back in it's case, Sol made his way to the back door of the former airship.
------
Construction Skyscraper
Sol looked out at the light filled Zepp City. The night air was chilly, but being a Gear, Sol paid it no mind. He had chugged his twenty fourth bottle of beer from the four six packs he bought at a drug store. Sol felt a slight buzz, but otherwise was still sober. It took a lot of alcohol to bring him down. Seeing Zepp City from so high up gave Sol a feeling of peace. Sol also reminisced about the past.
:::Flashback:::
The Crusades...
He was ready for battle. His red and black Gear armor made him taller than he actually was with it's stiletto like feet. He could manipulate the armor to form many stabbing and slashing weapons from his body. His black hair was the only thing that came out of the helmet. This armor was almost exactly like the white and blue armor Justice herself wore, but it still had it's differences. One was the helmet visor, while Justice's was almost triangularly spiked, his was smoothed out. His massive shoulder pads were also larger and had small spikes running along the top of the shoulders while Justice did not. On his left elbow was a very long thin curved blade, as was there another long blade on his right knee. His tail appendage was long and flexible, small spikes protruded randomly on some of the linked segments of it. Although his appearance showed him to be much more fearsome seeming then Justice, he was only the second in command.
"This is the last line of defense. We must hold it with our very lives. Justice is counting on us."
He said. The armor made his voice come out slightly dead pan and mechanical. A roar of cheering came from the Gears he was leading, all in their own armors. The Human army was already coming in view. Leader of the Human army dressed in the clothing of a Holy Knight. In his hand was a short rectangular blade. It was a weapon of the Outrage, named Fire Seal. The two units of combatants had a stare off at first, but with the raising of the Fire Seal, the Holy Knight initiated the attack. The Gear leader of his unit also rose his black clawed hand as a sign to battle, and complete chaos ensued. While many a Gear and Human fought each other, the two leaders were the most impressive of all. As it's namesake, the Fire Seal produced powerful flame magic under the command of the Holy Knight using it. But The Gear leader himself conjured up powerful weapons to thwart any of the attacks thrown at him. The two remained locked in a stand still.
"Gun Flame!"
The Knight shouted as he drove his blade into the ground to conjure a small wave of flames heading in the Gear leader's direction. The Gear leader simply back flipped, his tail created a small trail of fire to match with the ground projectile heading his way to cancel it out. The Knight charged at the Gear leader, but was knocked aside as the Gear leader manipulated his right arm into a large double bladed sword the cut with intense ferocity. the Knight blocked and then jumped high into the air to strike at the Gear leaders's head.
"Volcanic Viper!"
The Fire Seal engulfed into flames. The Gear leader brought his left elbow forward, letting his elbow blade guard the attack. The Gear leader countered the attack with a front flip towards the still airborne Knight, catching the Knight in with his right foot, which turned into a talon like weapon. He drove the Knight into the ground, keeping a firm grip around his neck.
"Not bad, but it won't be enough."
The Gear leader said. The Knight looked like he was ready to accept death but it never came. a Human's voice sounded in the Gear leader's ear, one that made his blood run cold.
"Justice has fallen at the Stairway to the Heavens! The Humans have won!"
Without a second thought, he released the Knight to speed off towards the location of Justice.
------
Stairway to the Heavens
It was raining. His armor began to manipulate so it almost looked identical to Justice's. He came on the scene. A Holy Knight with a long, thin broadsword Outrage called the Thunder Seal stood over the body. Even though he won, Justice had given him hell during their battle, and he looked ready to collapse at any moment. He turned his head to regard the Gear clad in red armor before him.
"You are...!"
The young Knight recognized him as the second in command. The Gear made his way to where Justice was.
"Stay back."
The Knight warned, but the Gear refused. He shoved the Knight out of the way to see Justice. He knelt down and picked her up.
"Breathing is minimal but still intact."
He confirmed giving her battered body a quick scan over. After that he removed his helmet. The Outrage prevented any wound from healing through regeneration like many Gears had, and it was the reason Justice was dying in his arm now.
"Come on. Wake up."
He ordered of her gently. To his relief, her golden eyes opened. She removed her helmet, letting it fall to the floor with a faint metallic clang.
"I...I'm so sorry...Freddie...I couldn't stay alive."
She said in a hushed whisper. He shook his head.
"Hey, don't say that. You'll pull through this."
He told her. It was a lie and she knew it, however.
"There's no...need to...hide the...truth. The Humans...are simply blessed with much better fighting prowess...than us mere Gears..."
She said softly. He could feel an annoying sting of tears in his eyes but he refused to let them fall. She grasped the back of his head and brought it closer to hers.
"Promise me...find HIM and make him pay...and find our daughter...she is still out there...lost in the world...take care of her Freddie, please..."
She told him. He nodded slowly, his eyes showing resolve.
"I promise...sleep well."
He told her, reassuring her fears. Justice gave him one more smile and they shared a final kiss. Her body went limp soon afterwards.
:::Flashback:::
'What would it have been like...if you had survived?'
Sol wondered, taking his final swig of beer before tossing it into the box it came it. He lit a cigarette and continued to think back on the past.
:::Flashback:::
Jail Cell...
"Sol Badguy, the Proto-type Gear. It's time."
He looked up at the guard ho had opened his cell. Sol Badguy was his true name now, but it had not always been that way. As a Human he had been born as Frederick Sol Mercury II. His first name came from his mother's maiden name, which was also his middle name now. As for his last name, it was also one that came from his past as a Human. Before she was a Gear, Justice was named Justine Aurora Badguy. She was also Frederick II's fiancee. It was her family name he now took as his own. Sol stared at the guard and got up from his bunk wordlessly.
'Why do I have to stand trial? What's the fucking god damn point when all I'm going to be found is guilty anyway? What a load of bullshit!'
He thought to himself. He had been right too. Once his trial came to an end, he had been found guilty for being Justice's second in command and for killing so many humans in the war. And now he would be shipped off to Japan, the nation with the strongest and greatest prison to hold Gears in. Even when he got there many problems risen for him. The biggest one being that he beat the living crap out of anyone who tried to remove his head piece. It was his visor fused together with Justice's visor as a reminder to him and so, it had a lot of value to him, regardless if it looked like just a random piece of crimson colored metal strapped to his fore head. It was finally decided after many failed attempts by the guards the Sol could keep the metal piece on him.
:::Flashback:::
'That MAN...I'll make you pay for what you did to the both of us. I don't give a shit if you were once my biological father as a Human. I'm a Gear now. And once I find you...'
Sol didn't even think fully on it, unless his anger and rage got the best of him. He struck the side of the metal column he was sitting by, leaving a sizable dent in it. Sol kept his anger and power in control. The last thing he wanted was to have trouble with the law for destroying the entire structure and making it collapse upon itself.
"You know smoking can be very hazardous to your health and the health of others around you."
A squeaky voice said. Sol looked around until he saw an extremely tall, lanky person hovering in the air like Mary Poppins with an umbrella. The man also had a paper bag over his head. Sol eyed him curiously.
'Okay...maybe I'm more fucking sloshed than I originally thought...'
Sol thought to himself. The tall man landed near the other side of the pole Sol was sitting on and closed his umbrella. Although Sol's Gear senses were a bit out of tune thanks to the beer, he was able to get the height of the man at an impressive nine feet and three inches or so.
"Shit, your pretty fucking tall. Basket Ball player?"
Sol inquired, but the man shook his head.
"Nope, I'm an aspiring doctor at the Zepp clinic. Anyway, as I was saying..."
The supposed doctor began but was interrupted by Sol.
"Hey I know, but I'm a Gear. Smoking doesn't do anything to me like it does for Humans, so just shut up."
Sol told him. As a Human, he was a doctor as well for a long time until he met with his fiancee. That was pretty much ancient history of course.
"So anyway, got a name, or should I just call you doctor-who-rides-an-umbrella?"
Sol asked.
"Doctor Faust Baldhead at your service. You can call me Faust, though. Could I interest you in buying an alcoholic beverage from me?"
He asked after introducing himself with a dramatic bow of his body.
"I guess so. Now tell me something...what's with the paper bag on your head?"
Sol had to know. Faust looked deep in thought.
"Well..."
He put down his umbrella and took his leather briefcase and opened it. Form within he produced a large flashlight the size of a human head. He turned it on and then removed his paper bag, shinning the flashlight on the back of his bald head. Sol had to put up a hand to cover his eyes.
"Damn, turn that flashlight off before your shiny head blinds someone."
Sol told him. Faust obliged and put his paper bag back on and turning the flashlight off. He then took a six pack of beer cans from his briefcase and took a can out of the plastic ring before tossing it to Sol, who caught the can in one hand.
"Alright, fifty world dollars."
Faust said. Sol narrowed his eyes.
"Alright, how about twenty five?"
Faust said again. Sol's eyes narrowed further.
"Fine, five then."
He said. Sol's eyes were like slits now.
"Geez, okay, one dollar."
Faust told him. Sol smirked.
"Now that's more like it."
...To Be Continued...
Note 2: Hey, I was able to get this chapter up faster than I thought I would be able to. It's still mostly random, with some of the cast from the game making an appearance. Oh well. Until next time.