Chapter 17: Bittersweet
Both Claire and Seth were outside the shop on the Hunter Deck, waiting for their trainees to arrive. Seth was in all-black leather armor, with extra padding on his legs, arms, and chest. The armor made him seem a bit more muscular than he actually was. Claire was wearing several layers of clothing that were stylishly militaristic. The outermost were two pieces of armor that protected the left side of the torso while the other looked like a metal loincloth. From her navel to her kneepads were green harem shorts. She had an equally puffy short-sleeved shirt, stopping above her navel, covering a see-through long-sleeved orange shirt.
"Did you bring enough guns?" Seth asked Claire sarcastically.
"Oh, ha ha," she replied dryly. "Very funny."
"You've been a acting a bit moody today," Seth noted, arching an eyebrow. "Almost as much as me. What's bothering you?"
"Just a guilty conscience," she sighed, sitting against a wall. "That jerk that works at the bar…worked at the bar…got killed a couple a days ago."
"What does that have to do with you?" Seth asked, detached as ever.
"That same day I was trying to get him beat up…or at least fired. Now, Ifeel like a jerk."
"Don't let it bother you," he consoled. "You didn't have anything to do with it. Someone else could have been after him, especially if he's like you said he was."
"Thanks," Claire said, feeling better. "…Looks like they're here." All three trainees arrived and greeted them.
---
Mina was also on the Hunter Deck. Deciding to avoid the awkwardness of running into Seth, she stayed at the Guild and took a quest. To her luck, the client was already there. It was a young blonde lady in a green and white government uniform. Apparently, she was off-duty.
"I'm Trekka," she said giddily, in a high-pitched voice. "I'm really embarrassed about this story, but listen to me. You know how Pioneer 2 doesn't really restrict us on food consumption, right?"
"Ri…"
"But certain types of foods are restricted," Trekka said, interrupting Mina, "especially sweets. But I love sweets! I was looking forward to landing on Ragol because it meant eating sweets! But the landing was postponed! And I really need my sweets!"
"You shouldn't be so loud about this!" Mina scolded, nervous that someone would hear. "Just settle down."
"Maybe you hunters," Trekka continued, ignoring her, "can go to Pioneer 1 to get some sweets."
"But…"
"Sorry that this quest sounds stupid," she interrupted again, "but I'm serious! I want to eat something sweet… very sweet." Mina stopped trying to talk to her and began her search.
"Hey, you," said a little maroon-haired FOnewearl in a white outfit. "Do you know who that was? She's famous for starting sweet mania! She's in great shape now, but she used to be…oops! I'll stop there. Don't want to embarrass her."
"I see," Mina said, understanding. "Um…do you know where I can find…you know…?"
"I'm not getting involved," she said, backing away. "There are other hunters doing the same quest, so they might have some information." Mina then approached a short purple-armored RAmar leaning his helmeted head against a wall.
"I don't know what to do," he complained out loud, not even noticing her. "My quest is to find three sisters, but there aren't any clues. I went everywhere on Pioneer 2."
"Wrong quest," Mina noted, walking out of the Guild. Then, she spotted a large green RAcast wandering near the hospital entrance. "Excuse me, but what quest are you doing?"
"I'm helping to find the 3 lost sisters," he replied friendlily. "They were bakers with their own high standards for baking. I don't understand why they'd leave the ship." A bearded man ran up to them after hearing what he said.
"Yes! I know who those sisters are!" he exclaimed. "They were looking for the perfect baking environment. They were professionals. So, their bread was very delicious!"
"That's not my quest," Mina said nervously.
"Oh, it isn't?" he responded, embarrassed. "Sorry about that."
"Wait!" she called out. "Did the sisters make any…um…sweets?"
"Probably," said the RAcast and the man.
"Okay, thank you," Mina said, walking towards the transporter. "If I can find these sisters, I might find that food. Now, then…what would be a good baking environment?" She decided to look in the Forest, not really knowing much about cooking.
---
Meanwhile, Seth and Claire were watching their trainees fight animals from a distance. Seth had a golden saber called Gladius, the most powerful of standard Sabers. Claire had a rifle with pinkish energy vial, signifying that high-quality gun was of the Beam variety. As Galactica finished off the last Booma with her Autogun, a handgun with a blue energy vial, the trainers went to their "students."
"So, whadya' think?" T-65 asked, raising his Rifle into the air.
"Pathetic," Seth sighed, disappointing the trainees. "We need to see more movement next time. Baka, we're going this way." The two Hunters went through another gate.
"What am I doing wrong, Claire?" Galactica asked.
"Don't call me by my real name while I'm in uniform," Claire said. "It's Gun Snipe. Anyway, your footwork is fine, but I don't see why you chose that weapon. Why not use a Rifle instead?"
"A handgun is more comfortable to hold," Galactica explained calmly.
"I know what you mean," the Ramarl replied empathetically. "But we have better options than that. You need more power than that. Give these Mechguns a try," she said, handing the Android two larger automatic guns with green energy vials. "Be careful with these things. They sorta have a kick to them."
"What about me?" T-65 asked.
"You need to move around a little more," Gun Snipe said, taking a battle pose with her Beam rifle. "Don't just stand there and shoot unless the target's waaaay out there. While those Boomas were starting to get in your face, you just sat there blasting away. Next time, look around and back up or strafe. What's the weapon you use for close range?"
"I don't know," T-65 shrugged.
"A shotgun!" she shouted, switching her rifle for a large crossbow-like gun. "The bullets only go so far and it hits more than one target. Now, what do you use for medium range?"
"Mechguns or handguns," Galactica said, raising her hand and getting a glare from T-65.
"Good," the RAmarl said positively. "And long range is…"
"Rifle," both Androids said.
"Good," she said, walking towards a gate. "Now let's move on to another skill."
---
Seth was standing at the gate, watching Xero struggle against a group of Goboomas and wolves with his green Saber. He was holding them off, although, getting smacked and downed a few times. Each time he got up, he fought harder. Soon, only a single Gobooma remained. Both Xero and the snarling animal clashed against each other, Saber to claw. Xero put all of his weight into it as the animal was starting to be pushed back. It stopped when its claw finally burned off, leaving Xero slash it across the face and finish it off.
"Ha ha ha!" Xero laughed at the fallen animal. "Can't handle this! Because I'm Xero dammit! I can do whatever I want dammit!"
"What exactly is your name supposed to mean?" Seth asked, stopping the ego trip. "Is it some bullshit alias you saw somewhere?"
"Wha…What're you talkin' about?" Xero said, trying to find the right words. "Xero's… 100…Xero."
"And unstoppable, right?" Seth said, putting away his Gladius.
"Yeah," Xero agreed approvingly. "Pretty much."
"Hit me," Seth said, walking up to Xero.
"What?" Xero asked, stepping back.
"Take a swing at me with your blade," Seth said calmly. "Let's see how good the mighty Xero is."
"I'm not hitting you with this," Xero said, holding back his Saber.
"Don't force me to attack you," Seth warned. "You might not get back up after I hit you."
"But…"
"Do it!" Seth barked.
"Okay, man," Xero warned. He made a vertical slash at Seth, who caught it with his right, gloved hand. "Whoa!"
"Now, tell me," Seth said dully, holding the energy blade without discomfort. "Why hasn't my hand exploded or even melted yet?" Xero didn't have an answer. "The same reason why it took so long to cut that animal's paw off. All hunter weapons draw their strength from their users. If the user is weak, the weapon is weak."
"Hey!" Xero said defensively, turning off his Saber. "If I had your saber, I could kill everything here in 5 minutes."
"Is that so?" Seth asked. "Prove it." He put the hilt of his Gladius in Xero's hand, taking the regular Saber for himself. "Let's move on to the next area."
---
"Alright, pay attention!" Gun Snipe whispered to the Androids in a fake dialect, as they hid in the bushes, close to the ground. "Now, what I'm gonna' do, is lay right here and wait for me prey to come on out into the open. This skill is called stalkin."
"How long does this take?" Galactica asked, seeing her take out her Beam rifle.
"Depends on 'ow good you are, mate," the Human smiled as she crawled a little to the side. "Ohp! Here comes somethin now. Hush now!"
"Hey wait a sec," T-65 said, noticing his radar.
"Pipe down!" Gun Snipe whispered harshly. "I think I can tag this one. After its hit, you two jump out and finish it." She couldn't see her target very clearly, but she knew it was a small creature, maybe a Rappy. It stopped moving, sensing that something was nearby. As the RAmarl pulled the trigger, a dark purple cloud emanated from her target. As they heard the shot go off, T-65 and Galactica jumped out of the bushes with guns ready.
"Mom?" T-65 said, staring at the "target."
"Oops!" Mina said embarrassedly, her hand letting off purple smoke.
"Crikey!" Gun Snipe exclaimed, as the darkness moved to where she was and flashed into nothingness.
"Gun Snipe?" Mina said, hearing her from the bushes. "Are you okay?"
"Goddammit, Mina!" Claire yelled angrily without the fake accent, crawling out of the bushes and leaning in towards the FOmarl. "Look what you did to my gun! My… beautiful Beam… rif-llllle!" she cried, falling to her knees sobbing.
"I'm sorry!" Mina apologized in a panick. "I didn't know it was you! Don't cry! We can fix it!"
"You destroyed it!" the RAmarl sobbed, pathetically showing the remaining ashes slip through her fingers.
"Oh," Mina said, embarrassed.
"Couldn't you buy a new one?" Galactica suggested.
"Fat chance," Gun Snipe sniffled, drying her tears. "You don't just find something like that at some store."
"What are you doin' out here anyway?" T-65 asked the FOmarl.
"I'm on a quest for candy," Mina answered. "You wouldn't happen to know where…"
"Screw the candy!" Gun Snipe boomed, standing up. "No ones going anywhere till I get a new gun!"
"Mom," T-65 said, expecting something from her.
"Fine," Mina said, taking out her Soul Assaults. "You can have these."
"Oh, thank you!" Gun Snipe said, picking up Mina in another hug. "I love mechguns! And this Soul ability makes 'em worth more than my regular old rifle."
"I guess she does know what it's like to be squeezed like that," T-65 whispered to his sister.
"Indeed," she said back.
---
"Here they come," Seth said as he and Xero saw several Boomas dig out of the ground in front of them. Seth turned on the Saber in preparation.
"Hey, what's wrong with this thing?" Xero said, since the Gladius wouldn't activate. Seth ran ahead and quickly killed half of the Boomas with two slices each. He destroyed the remaining Boomas with a relatively powerful explosion of Rafoie.
"There's nothing wrong with it," he said calmly, decapitating two Boomas just before they completely rose out the ground. "You're the problem."
"What!" Xero exclaimed. "Me?"
"Did you listen to what I said?" Seth asked gruffly, killing two wolves as they trotted out of the foliage. "The weapon gets its power from the user. You, however, aren't strong enough to properly wield a weapon of that caliber." He then tossed the Saber to Xero, while backhanding a stray Booma behind him.
"Here ya go!" Xero said, tossing the Gladius to Seth. Seth ignored the weapon, battering the Booma with his fists and actually killing it. When a wolf dived at him, he gave it a swift kick to the nose to knock it on its side and finished it with a bolt of Zonde. With all of the animals defeated, Seth turned back to the Gladius that was on the ground, moving his hair out of his face.
"Thanks," he said, finally picking up the weapon. "Another lesson you should know is that you can't always rely on your weapons."
"Now you're just showin' off," Xero said, crossing his arms.
"Think of it as proving a point," Seth replied, smirking. Then, he looked behind him, sensing someone else's presence. "See something interesting, Yami?" he asked the figure.
"Some things never change, do they Seraph?" said Yami Megami, leaning on a gate on the opposite side of the area and armed with a scythe. "I see that you've finally found time to come out and play. Did you make a new friend?"
"Ha ha ha," Xero laughed a bit awkwardly. "My name's Xero. I'm just…"
"I'm training him," Seth said, ignoring what the HUmar said. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me by that title. It's outdated."
"Fine, Sethiroff," she complied. "Have you ever considered rejoining?"
"Never," he said gruffly. "My life's been ruined enough, thanks. But I'll bet you're enjoying every bit of it."
"What can I say?" she smiled slyly. "I like what I do. And right now, I have a job to do." Having said that, she turned her back on them and walked off.
"Who was that?" Xero asked.
"That," Seth said with emphasis, "was a dangerous Force named Yami Megami. It's time for us to go to Forest 2. Maybe you'll learn something there."
---
Meanwhile, Taya was at Misha's home. At the moment, she was talking to her newest friend from the tournament, Bea, on the phone. Taya was still in her purple school uniform, having just gotten home from school. Bea was in a purple fleece jacket.
"So you guys are hunters, too?" Taya asked.
"Yep," Bea replied. "In fact, we're part of ABC, a club for hunters."
"What's it like?" the little girl asked.
"Really fun," Bea said. "Most hunters are mercenaries and bounty hunters. But some just like to have the opportunities that a Hunter's License can give you. Sometimes, it's just about learning a skill or even just helping people. Even a kid can be a hunter."
"Really?" Taya bubbled with enthusiasm.
"We have a kid on our team," Bea said, as a door could be heard slamming in the background. "We call her Little T. She's a Newman Force just like me, except she's only one year old."
"She must have grown up really fast," Taya marveled.
"Nope," Bea shook her head, as voices could be heard in the background. "She's not even an adolescent yet. So you see, just about anyone can be a hunter…even you and Misha. Judging from the alignment of your ears," she said, noting Taya's somewhat horizontally perked ears, "I'd say that you'd make a great Force, a FOnewearl."
"What's going on over there?" Taya asked, noticing the commotion going on in the background.
"I'm just moving in with Jay," Bea replied. "He and his little group are helping out."
"Where's that photon atomizer?" Jay could be heard in the background, straining to carry something. "We ain't just gonna lug a whole piano around the house! It's too frickin' big!"
"So, how was your day?" Bea asked cheerfully, ignoring his complaints.
"Great!" Taya exclaimed with zeal. "The tournament got to the finals and it was a really good match! There were all sorts of cool monsters like Sanct Beasts, and Evil Fairies, and white dragons with the cuuutest blue eyes, and cool magic cards, and…oh! The special player for the championship was the creator of Phantasy Monsters himself, Escuro Coli!"
"Escuro Solearth Coli, the billionaire?" Bea asked excitedly.
"Uh huh!" Taya acknowledged. "He had some of the rarest cards like Legacy of the Damned, and Dark Force, and Profound Darkness, and…"
"Don't forget Dark Gundam!" Misha added, walking into the room. "He totally whipped Serenity! The match ended in like five turns, with a whole lot of super strong monsters out on his side… Not that she really cared."
"I don't think she likes Phantasy Monsters very much," Taya commented, "but she's really good at it."
"She's like that for everything," Misha said dryly. "She's great at just about everything: sports, math, science, plays, singing, poetry, but she doesn't like any of it."
"Then, what does she like?" Bea asked. Then Misha's sister, Daniela walked into the room in her cute white FOnewearl outfit with red and black trims. It was a strapless blouse with unattached sleeves. She also had matching skorts, shoes, and a large ribbon in her hair. She had lavender lipstick and some yellow face paint that looked like exaggerated eyelashes. A black collar held her Section ID.
"Hey, you two," Daniela said with her hand on her hip. "What flavor do you want for dinner? Steak, chicken, or fish?"
"Fish," Misha answered.
"Um, Misha?" Taya looked to her.
"That's right," Misha remembered, nodding. "You don't like that. Well, just give us the chicken. When's it gonna' be ready?"
"When Mom gets home," Daniela stated, exiting. "I'll be back in a bit."
"Who was that?" Jay asked curiously, slowly sliding onscreen as Bea rolled her eyes. "Your sister?"
"Yeah," Misha replied dryly. "Why do you want to know?" Jay then nodded over one of his assistants, a Gerudo.
"This is Kanage," he said, pointing to a golden-eyed redhead of tan complexion. "Notice anything?"
"Yeah," Misha said. "She looks like my sister, just like the rest those ladies."
"Exactly," Jay said. "Are your sister's hair, eyes, and skin naturally that color?"
"Yeah," Misha said, not seeing the point. "So?"
"He thinks your sister might be a Gerudo," Bea explained disbelievingly.
"Hey, there's a chance!" Jay contended. "And that's not the only similarity I've noticed."
"Don't start with that again," Bea sighed, rolling her eyes again.
"Misha," Jay said, pushing Bea's face forward so that it covered the entire screen. "Take a good look at this pretty little face." Misha absorbed her features into her memory: her small nose, calm purple eyes, light freckling on her cheeks, and her long light blue hair. "Now take a look at your friend." Misha then looked to Taya and studied her face: a petite nose, placid blue eyes, a hint of freckling, and not-so-long sky blue hair.
"You two look a lot alike!" Misha said with some surprise.
"See!" Jay exclaimed. "You've gotta' be related!"
"I'm not saying there isn't a chance," Bea said honestly, backing up from the screen, "but you can't just expect us to be related because we look alike. Plenty of people look like someone else. Like the Guild girls, the Council scientists, military guards…"
"Oh yeah?" Jay said slyly. "What about that other Force that looks exactly like you. The only differences are barely noticeable, like her ever-so slightly darker hair. You've had a whole lotta' people askin' about that… Hey, ladies!" he called to the busy Gerudos. "Don't you think that Bea has a long, lost sister?"
"Don't know, don't care," one answered apathetically, walking by with a box. "Unless you're giving us a raise or a bonus, you'd better get back to work."
"Killjoy," Jay muttered, leaving to help them.
"Are you adopted too?" Taya asked Bea emphatically.
"No," Bea said casually, "just orphaned when I was born."
"Wait a minute," Misha said, just thinking of something. "How can you two be related if Taya's still a kid like me, but you're all grown-up?"
"That's a damn good point!" Bea said, not knowing how she missed it. "Hey, genius!" she called to Jay. "How can she be my sister if she's so much younger than me?"
"No one said ya had to be twins!" Jay yelled back. "Tell ya what! We'll have the team do an investigation. And I'll bet 20 bucks that you have a sister!"
"And if I win?" Bea asked looking in his direction. "…Oh…you're on!" she said, getting his off-screen message. "But just remember that this bet is separate from that one about Little T!"
"Um, I'll call you back," Taya said nervously, seeing that the conversation had flown off the handle.
"And you know you can't win that bet!" Bea said, still talking to Jay. Taya decided to just hang up.
"Do you think I might really have a sister?" Taya asked, looking to Misha.
"I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "Bea might be older, but she still looks a lot like you would if you were older. But either way, you don't even need a sister. If you had one, you wouldn't be as nice as you are. She'd be like, 'Taya, did you do this for me? Taya, did you go into my room? Taya, I get first dibs on the bathroom in the morning.' So don't sweat it."
"Thanks," Taya said, entertained by the imitation.
"Besides," Misha added. "You've got a brother who's kinda cool. Who needs a sister when you have him?"
---
"Quit callin' me a girl!" Xero shouted at Seth, as the rain poured down on them. It was a bit of a downpour, being that Xero could barely see through the mist and splashing water.
"I will when you stop fighting like one," Seth said coldly. "Since you're still a beginner, don't just run up to your enemy. Fight smart. Attack and back off. Use your Techniques."
"All I have is the ice one," Xero complained.
Seth sighed and replied, "Use that on groups and Hildebears. It's too weak for anything else. In the meantime, look for Zonde, Foie, and Resta." As soon as he finished his sentence, three Hildebears splashed down in front of them from a nearby cliff. "Here's your chance! "
"Crap," Xero cursed to himself, moving forward to approach the threatening mammoths. He focused his energy and formed cold air in front of him to prepare a Barta. Just as he unleashed it upon one of them, the other two spat fireballs at him. Much to his surprise, they did little to harm him, merely singing his suit. It was too wet for flame attacks to have much use. He made the split-second decision to move back just as one of them swung its fist at him. Then, he took a moment to concentrate, forcing out another Barta before the apes could attack again. They were only mildly irritated, with his Technique being so weak. He backed away again, repeating the process.
"At least he's learning," Seth thought, noting that Xero hadn't been hit since before the fight began. As Xero's pattern continued, he began to lure the animals toward Seth. "Don't even think about it," Seth warned. "If you run out of energy, drink a Monofluid and keep going until they're dead." Xero groaned in response to his plan being unveiled so easily and lured the animals away from his trainer.
"Seth!" called a female voice from behind him. He turned to see a short FOmarl in a purple dress sloshing through the deep, muddy puddles with a small blue Staff.
"Mina?" he responded, somewhat surprised as she ambled to him. She was completely soaked, with her bangs matted to her face while the rest of her hair hung limply. Her genuinely cute appearance combined with her persevering smile gave him a few butterflies in the stomach."
"What's up?" she asked, snapping him out of his trance. She blushed in realization of this.
"Training," he said, glancing back at Xero for a second, who was running from the tireless Hildebears. "What are you doing out here?"
"On a quest of course," she said. "Have you seen any girls baking things or selling sweets or anything like that?"
"Iie," he replied, shaking his head. "Nothing of that sort around here. This would be a terrible place for anything like that."
"Well, do you know where something like that would be?" she pleaded, stepping closer. "I need to get off this planet before sundown." Seth hesitated with his answer, turning to the side, trying to hide his blushing face. She had one of those faces that softened his heart and made him feel weak.
"Hey, guys!" Xero called out to them from some distance, being cornered by the now shivering Hildebears. "Little help!"
"Seth?" Mina asked, gently grasping his arm. Both were oblivious to Xero's pleas. "Please… Just tell me anything you know. You know more about cooking than I do."
"Please, stop it," Seth said, avoiding her pleading stare with pain in his voice. "Don't do that."
"Do what?" Mina asked, puzzled.
"Don't look at me like that," Seth said, still looking away. "You used to do that all the time… and you were the only one that would make me feel…"
"Oh," she said, blushing briefly. "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to open old wounds."
"You said it yourself," he said with bitter-sweetness. "We can't be that way around each other anymore… That's why I wasn't surprised when you started avoiding me." Mina sank into a look of guilt after hearing his words. "I'm sure it's been as hard for you as it's been for me."
"I thought it was for the best," Mina said sadly, now opting to look at the saturated soil.
"Guys!" Xero yelled with more desperation.
"Maybe it was for the best," Seth said more optimistically. "I still don't know. All I know is that we still haven't fully recovered. But as much as I hated it, like you said, we can still be…friends." The accursed word came out painfully. He looked directly at her, no longer hiding his reddened face. His expression softened immediately upon seeing her. "You should be able to find what you're looking for in the Caves. They're big enough to hide from the monsters and they have the right humidity for baking."
"Crap, crap, crap!" Xero exclaimed.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go rescue my trainee," he said as he opened a Telepipe for her before running towards the Hildebears, who were in close combat with Xero.
"Thank you, Seth," Mina smiled, teleporting away as Seth activated his Gladius. Before he could make a single attack, each ape collapsed one by one. Xero was standing there with his Saber breathing heavily, but unharmed.
"I got tired of waiting," Xero said, winded. "So I was liked 'screw it!' and I just used my Saber. That's how I got through this place before."
"I'm impressed, Baka," Seth said, with a smirk. "You took down three of the most dangerous variety of animal around, all at one time without getting a scratch. All you need now are more Techniques and a gun and you'll be done with your training."
"So're we done for today?" Xero asked, ready to go.
"Nope!" Gun Snipe announced, walking from behind them and being followed by T-65 and Galactica. "We've still gotta' slay the Dragon!"
"Aw!" Xero whined. "Do we have to?"
"Stop that!" the RAmarl snapped. "That's whinging bitch behavior!"
"Is that even a word?" T-65 asked.
"It doesn't matter," she said, glancing at him. "If you don't wanna' do something, don't say it like a lazy-ass Coralian."
"Hey!" Xero said, offended.
"Say it like a Motavian!" she continued. "Like…'screw that!' or 'when I feel like it!"
"I got one!" Xero said enthusiastically. "… Who's we? You got a turd in your pocket?" Everyone frowned at his less than stellar timing.
"I think it's time to go now," T-65 said, following Galactica and Seth.
---
"Fucking dulces," Anne cursed as she walked through a dark alley. She and Miguel had taken the same quest as Mina and were searching for candy on the ship. Miguel was elsewhere, in a section of the city full of other Androids called Sector 13. Anne, on the other hand was in the ghetto of Pioneer 2, the infamous Sector 8. It was the most probable place to find an illegal product like sweets. Unfortunately, it also had the most unsavory types of people.
"Well, well, well," said a disembodied voice. "What do we have here? Una pequeña robusteza bonita." Anne looked around to see if she could spot the source.
"Looks like a robo-girl," said another voice. "And she's a hunter!"
"If we bag this one," said another voice, "those 'Droids won't have nothin' on us."
"Come out so I can see you!" Anne yelled, annoyed. "Pinché Newk" At least a dozen figures came out of the shadows. There were Newmans all around her, sneering. Some were even above her, hanging onto streetlights and balconies.
"You speak ma language, huh muchacha?" asked one of the males in front of her.
"Lo hablo mejor que usted, bendejo!" she yelled, keeping notice of the others.
""I wouldn't talk like that if I were you," said another. "You're in our territory now."
"This doesn't have to be so bad," said a female from behind, with too much sweetness in her speech to be a good sign. "If you turn yourself off, we'll just take you apart and you won't have to feel a thing. I think I'll take those pretty heels."
"Yeah, make it easy on yourself," said the original male, laughing. "Don't be such a pūta bitch."
"Why do I have to take shit everywhere I go?" Anne thought to herself. "I hope Miguel's having as much fun as I am," she thought sarcastically.
---
"You like drink, yes?" a large white Android asked Miguel, offering him a large bottle. They were in a lounge full of other Androids drinking to their circuits' content, with music blaring.
"Hell yeah!" Miguel shouted, grabbing the bottle. "You guys are alright! Booze, beer, and more booze!"
"You are welcome any time, my friend," he replied, patting Miguel on the back. "I am sorry for not finding candy. Would you like straw?"
"Use this instead," said a smaller, green female Android, handing him a funnel.
"A funnel?" Miguel asked, astonished. "Hmph, they say we Androids don't know how to party, and here you guys are having a bash during your break."
"We work hard, we play hard," she said smiling.
"Chug, chug, chug!" the rest of them yelled, as Miguel put the funnel to his barely visible mouth and tilted the bottle.
---
"So what's it gonna' be?" the Newman asked. "The easy way or the hard way?" Anne weighed her options. She could try to escape, despite the fact that the Newks had surrounded her. Or she could fight her way out. She liked the second option more. She hesitated for a second, then motioned that she chose "the hard way," taking a fighting stance.
"This is more fun anyway," the female said casually. Half a dozen Newks lunged after Anne from all sides, including the people that just spoke to her. Before they made contact, there was a burst of frost from a trap, freezing Anne's attackers in blocks of ice. She used a roundhouse kick to knock the frozen Newmans into the surrounding crowd and leaped onto the iced female Newman, riding the block as it slid through the gang like a bowling ball. She then grasped a passing fire-escape ladder and flipped up to the main platform.
"Don't let'er get away!" someone yelled from below. A man that had managed to make his way across the broken streetlights and fire escapes quickly greeted her. She dodged his immediate punch and countered with her own, knocking him off the platform. Two Newmans snuck up from behind her, having come down the stairs from a platform above her.
"Hey!" she shouted as one of them grabbed her from behind. She battered him with her large ponytail by looking right and left, breaking his hold. Then, she jabbed him in the chest and face, knocking him out with clanks of her fists. The other man caught her off guard with a sucker punch to the face.
"Aaah!" he yelled, shaking his hand from the pain of striking her.
"You fight like a bitch," she said, backhanding him out of the way.
"Then why don't you fight us?" said a girl flipping down from the platform above. Another girl kicked off the wall to jump to the platform from below. One was armed with a crowbar while the other had a sturdy-looking Stick.
"Not enough room!" Anne thought. She picked up one of the fallen men, using him as a Newman shield against their strikes. She maneuvered her way to the other side of the platform where the stairs were. She tossed the man at her pursuers as she ran up the stairs. She soon noticed that reinforcements were coming from above. She retracted her heels into her feet and leapt onto the guardrail, using it to leap to a windowsill on the opposing wall. She punched through the window and was able to climb through. She stumbled through an empty apartment and found her way to the front door. She peaked outside and walked through the dimly lit hallway.
"A 'Droid!" someone yelled from behind. She glanced back and upon seeing three Newmans take out Handguns down the hallway, she broke into a run and turned a corner as they started to fire. She used the transporter down the hallway to go to the main entrance. Fortunately for her, there was no one there. She peeked outside and exited the building.
"This is too much work over candy," she said to herself as she moved down the block. Then she heard voices from some distance away.
"You know where she went?" asked a male voice.
"Nah, but she couldn't a gotten far," said a female. Anne entered the nearest building, finding herself in a convenience store. The only person there was the sales clerk at the counter, another Newman.
"Oh no!" he said nervously. "I don't want any trouble! Take what ever you want; just don't hurt me!"
"I don't plan to," she said, looking out the window. "I'm not a 'Droid, just a…" She turned around to see him nervously holding a gun.
"Get out!" he yelled. "I'll shoot!"
"Sheesh!" she huffed as she ran out of the store and down the block, passing right by her pursuers.
"There she is!" one yelled. "Get her!" She tried to ignore them, focusing on getting away. A bolt of electricity suddenly stopped her in mid-stride, letting her fall to the metal ground with a clang. She was temporarily paralyzed from the shock, as all Androids were vulnerable to electricity. The Newmans all began to dive onto her to keep her from getting away.
"Get off me!" she screamed angrily, regaining her movement. There were three people on her, holding her arms and legs down, and holding her in a headlock. She strained her gears and muscles, beginning to lift all three Newmans in one mighty pushup. Soon, they all slid off of her and rolled to the ground. She got to her feet and identified the person who had shocked her…one of the girls she had encountered before who was holding a Stick. She had been standing off to the side, staying out of immediate contact. She prepared to fire another bolt, but Anne tossed her boomerang-like Slicer at the black-haired Newman, knocking the stick out of her hands and disrupting her concentration. Anne took advantage of her vulnerability and punched her in the face, knocking her into a wall as the HUcaseal caught her returning Slicer. The Android then turned in time to use her energy shield to block a crowbar that had been swung by the other female. Anne flipped backwards with a cyclone kick, knocking her opponent on her back. She then threw the Slicer at the other two Newmans, who had been standing back to let the females do most of the fighting. They jumped back as the Slicer slashed through their clothing, leaving cuts on their torsos.
"Screw this!" one shouted as they both ran off.
"Whew!" Anne sounded taking a moment to rest. Her moment was interrupted as she jumped out of the way to narrowly avoid a hovercar. It swerved into the air and made a U-turn, heading for her again. Two Newmans stuck their heads out of the window with guns. Anne also noticed that another hovercar was speeding from behind her.
"¡Mierda!" she cursed under her breath.
Notes: Ha! I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger. Let's review what's happened in this episode, shall we? Our Newman girls have just come back from school after seeing the creator of Phantasy Monsters totally destroy his opposition. Claire shows that she really likes her job. Seth and Mina talk about their past relationship. Xero proves that he's not atotal wuss. And Anne faces the consequences of stepping into bad territory.
On the next episode of PSO: Sidestory: We continue from "Bittersweet." Our heroes continue their quest for sweets. And our trainees take on the Dragon again. But things are a little different this time. It's the follow-up, "Sweet n' Sour." Don't forget to brush your teeth…Only Toonami!
