Aftermath of Sin: This Machine
chapter 5: Ariel: Jean's New Problem
"Whooooooa, check it out!" Matteas said, spreading his arms in a grand manner at the city laid out before them. They had been traveling for a week on the roads and Roy was dog tired. He flopped onto the ground and panted; he wasn't superhuman like the rest of them. He might be in Amestris, but sure as hell wasn't here! Jean blew hair out of his eyes and sat down, careful not to upset his uniform too much. They were Montague's finest, and with them on there was no doubt that he was a part of the Montague family.
"Lunar City... quite a site, isn't it?" he said quietly. "They say that the lights are never turned off, and it is akin to New York City in this respect... but it is a casino town for the most part. This is where anyone seeking a good time comes. However..." he got up and brushed his pants off. "We are not here to seek a good time. We must gather information... as much as we can. It would not hurt to keep a low profile. Posing as a Montague would be good," he said, looking directly at Roy.
Roy sighed. He was tired of posing as someone he wasn't... Riza, however, wasn't complaining as she dragged him off to her tent to turn in for the night. Matteas was impatient and ready to go, but Jean had cautioned that they stay the night away from the town. An entire lifetime as a guardian to the most famous family of New York had not rendered him senseless, and his words did well to be heeded.
"You are not a Montague, but I shall treat you as such," Jean had said to him earlier. "But do not push yourself with me." He was obviously still hurting over the fact that Windsor had forced him to leave. Roy thought he'd get over it in time, though.
ATmidnight,Matteas found Jean seated cross-legged on the hill again, surveying the town critically. "Got something on your mind?" he asked, sitting next to Jean. Jean shifted uncomfortably, then stilled. "I just have a bad feeling, is all... it's nothing. But... Matteas... can you remember anything before you were... changed?"
"Yeah, my parents, being a little kid, you know, stuff like that. What about you?"
Jean was silent. "I can't remember."
"Well... didn't you say you wanted to scout around the city? Take your mind off things, go have a little fun while you're at it too." Jean stood up and nodded, heading down into the city.
Jean walked through the streets of Lunar City, feeling completely out of place. The majority of the town was made up of gamblers, drunks, and the like... He did not slouch down, however, but walked as dignified as he could.Fun indeed... then again... they did seem to be having a good time...
He shook his head and headed for the bank; Windsor wouldn't mind a small withdrawal from his bank account, would he? The bank in question was covered in neon lights like the rest of the buildings, with substandard security and fat bank tellers and security guards as well. They couldn't stop a robber to save their life, which was being proven right at that moment. A small figure clothed in a pink bandana, black jeans, and blue tanktop came bolting out of the fourth story of the bank with a bag of money that was the same size as her!
Jean sighed and lifted his hand up, clenching it momentarily, then waving it downwards. There was a terrified squeak from above and the girl came plummeting down. The bag hit the ground first and she smacked down on top of it, looking up at Jean wide eyed. He put his hands on his hips and frowned. "You shouldn't steal you kno- wait a minute!" He scanned her for a second. "You're the one that tried to rob the Spire a few weeks ago!" She, however, was oblivious to what he was saying as hearts started to form around her head. Jean sweatdropped and turned quickly.
"What do I do now...?"
"Take me with you!" she cried. He's the only one who's ever caught me... and he's done it twice! What a man... she sighed longingly and Jean shook his leg a bit, uncomfortable. He remembered the incident well: It had been four weeks ago when the security system had detected a breach in the vaults sector of the Spire. Naturally, he had gone down as quietly as he could to see what was the matter and not wake the Montagues, but as soon as he got down there he saw a figure, the same figure he had apprehended now, bent over the goods and stuffing them into sacks. He had coughed rather loudly, and before she could turn, seized her by the belt loops in her pants and proceeded to haul her out of the Spire.
Normally he would have broken the thief's wrists and tossed them out the third story, but something made him unwilling to do that. He had instead tossed her out the front door and toldher not to come back or the consequences would be worse. Then he turned and hurried back to the security sector before Windsor got up to poke around the Spire and see what was wrong; he always seemed to know when something was wrong.
"Okay, look. You come with me as long as you don't swipe anything, got it?"
That was a tough one. Resist the temptation to steal or go along with him... hmmm...
She bounced up immediately and took his hand in hers. "Let's go then!" Jean muttered something under his breath that sounded like 'I just don't understand this...' and led her back to the encampment.
"Wow, that was quick... and you brought a girl home eh? What have you been doing all night?"
Jean twitched and flung himself away, pointing at the girl. "That's a GIRL? Those blood-sucking alien thingies?"
She stared at him. "Blood sucking alien thingies...?"
Roy rubbed his eyes tiredly and poked his head out of the tent.
"Whazzgoinonouthere...?"
"Jean's got a girlfriend."
"BLOOD SUCKING ALIENS! AAAAAAAAAGH!"
"Who on earth told you that girls are blood sucking aliens?" Matt asked, looking at the moment, very much like Maes Hughes.
"Lord Montague told me! He said they're all aliens! BLOOD-SUCKING aliens! I'm gonna dieeeee..."
"You aren't going to die, Jean. She just likes you."
"ALIEN!"
Matt sighed and smacked his hand against his face. What an idiot. "Look, how did Montague get married if all girls are blood-sucking aliens?"
Jean, by this time, was up in the uppermost branches of a tree. "Because Lady Montague isn't a blood-sucking alien!"
Matt leaned over to Roy. "I think he's girlaphobic..." he said, and Roy nodded in agreement, looking up at the tree Jean was clinging to. "I'm still trying to figure out how he got up into that tree."
Matt cupped his hands over his mouth. "Hey Jean, she's behind you in that tree!"
Jean screeched and fell out of the tree, hitting the ground with a loud thud. The girl looked over at him. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Then he fainted.
Matt leaned over to Roy again. "Told you he's girlaphobic. He hasn't been out enough."
"That's funny... I was never girlaphobic..." Riza pulled him back into the tent, muttering something about 'skirt-chaser...'
The girl sat crosslegged by Jean's head and pointed at him. "Why does he do that?" she asked, and Matt shrugged.
"He's a K-Series, you know."
"So? I'm an H-Series, so, whatever. He's cute though," she said, poking Jean's head.
"Got a name, kid?"
"Well, I'm H-101, but you can call me Ariel. Ari for short, if you want." A vein pulsed in her temple and she got up and kicked Jean in his head. "Wake up, you big jerk!"
Jean whimpered and opened his eyes again, and she grabbed his face in her hand.
"Just one thing; I'm not a blood-sucking alien."
Jean whimpered again; what on earth had he gotten himself into?
Ahahah! Finally, the introduction of a female protagonist, and she's got a monster crush on Jean Montague. Oh the humanity... and he's a girlaphobe too... -sigh-
-T A