Chapter eight is already here. The stories are only going to keep comin. Review: Vile had just fought the whole crew of the Nirvana using her dark nightmare attack thanks to her berserk form. But she went out of control and Hikaru took her down. Dita met the spirit Hibiki claims to be his sister and somehow Georgia piloted the ship. Keep reading.
I don't own Vandread, but that won't stop me!
Vandread Stat Sheet:
Name: Yuki Kashino-
Yuki is pretty much a gentleman. He is also a cheery guy (not like a Dita) and will always protect his dear sister Hinoki from ever leaving him again. Living the life of an orphan didn't seem to traumatize him at all. He actually strengthened himself and tried to make the best out of bad situations. He also has learned much about Greek Mythology giving him the intention to make paintings out of Greek gods. He asks Meia to model for him for Athena. Could he have a crush? Maybe.
Chpt.8: Punch Drunk Love
"Hi everyone!" Bart greeted as he walked into the control station. "Just here to do my job."
BC tried to stop him. "Bart that's not such a..."
"Fwooop" he had already jumped into the puddle.
"My, my…" Magno sighed, "Were going to hear screaming after this aren't we?"
"Okay, everything seems normal," Bart said to himself, "I'd better get this puppy up and ready."
A slight yawn was heard from behind him.
"Oh….how do I ever get out of this thing?" Georgia asked herself yawning once again. "I wish I still had clothes on. It feels so creep…"
She and Bart's eyes fixed to each other's. They were shocked to see one another inside the thing.
"Eeeyyyaaahh!" Bart screamed.
"Aaaaayyyaaaahhh!" Screamed Georgia.
"Right on cue." Beldevere sighed.
Georgia was suddenly spat out of the thing and so was Bart. When she once again saw his face she screamed and ran away.
"Wait!" Bart cried, "I didn't mean to……crap. She must think I'm a total pervert now."
"Of course." Amarone huffed, "You saw her totally nude. That's enough to keep any woman away from you."
"Hey! I didn't mean to. And what was she doing in there anyway?"
"She said she used the power of her peixis to get in." Magno said, "But the problem was she couldn't get out."
"And you came in on her you peep!" Celtic yelled.
"I didn't even mean it!"
When this was happening…
Hibiki was repairing his partner. He needed it at the peak of its condition to face Hikaru again. He could still remember what had happened the night before.
"That guy's going to pay for what he did to Dita!" He mumbled to himself.
"Hey Mr. Alien." She greeted.
"Dita, should you be even around? I mean…your arm!"
"You don't need to be so protective Mr. Alien." She assured, "I'm fine. I'm just glad you're safe."
"CRASH"
"OW!" Cried a boy emerging from a tarp that had, in black letters, the words, 'No, Paiway's Do Not Cross' on it.
"You alright Mar?" Hibiki asked as the kid cradled his own head.
"Y-yeah…" He stuttered trying not to cry from the hit on the head, "J-just a little st-startled."
"Here, you forgot lunch today. Don't wanna see you dying on me" Said the humble voice of Sei.
Mar, still looking on the floor grabbed the tray and began to eat a cookie.
"I was wondering why I was so hungry. Thanks Sei-ayah!" He was shocked to see an identical body lying near him.
"Sei! Where's your black hair!"
"I took out the die. I wanted to be my old self."
"But…but won't we do that thing where we talk at the same time saying the same thing? That creeps me out."
Sei was too busy snooping under the tarp at his brother's project.
"Wow, you're making that all by yourself!" Sei gasped at Mar, "That's amazing!"
Mar was soaking up all his glory. "Hehe….well you know me. Hey! You're not even supposed to be looking at that!"
"I'm your brother. I have the right to look. What if you were making some death device in there?"
"What! You just wanna snoop some more."
Hibiki and Dita laughed at the two children as they bickered.
"I can't even tell who's who." Hibiki laughed.
Mar didn't like where this conversation was going. "Kinda like you and Hinoki, eh Hibiki?" Sei and Mar said at the same time.
"SHUT UP YOU TWERPS!" He hollered at the two children now chasing after them, "I'm going to smash your heads together!"
Rushing down the hall now, Sei and Mar hid in the reg central before Hibiki caught them.
"Come on out now!" He yelled.
"There you are." Jumped the voice of BC "There's a message for you from some one on Tarrak. He says he knows you."
"Who would be asking for me?" Hibiki asked.
"He says he's your grandpa."
"Gramps!" Hibiki said in shock, "If he's calling, he must be super pissed at me or something!" He then did the hundred meter dash to the control center with Dita chasing after him.
Hibiki burst into the room. "Okay! Okay! I'm here!" He panted, "Where's this message?"
"I was wondering when you'd get here." Jin (Hibiki's Gramps) laughed on the communicator. "You kept me waiting."
Hibiki scratched his head, "S-sorry."
Jin then became serious, "Hibiki, there is something I have to tell you."
"Gramps?"
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry for not telling you everything. And with such little time left."
"Who-what are you talking about?"
"I've been sent a message by my daughter. She's coming to escort me, and I fear she won't have anything pleasant in mind with my arrival."
"Daughter!"
"I don't think you ever will notice her. You were so young and she was almost as young as you. She blames me….for what happened to her mother, Macy."
"Gramps! You had a wife?"
Jin looked at the boy he raised. "If only your father were to see you right now and know how naive you really are."
"Gramps, I know I wasn't abandoned in the desert…..I know you lied to me."
"I thought you'd find out soon." Jin sighed, "I didn't want to upset you."
Hibiki stared at the communication. "Grampa, did my family die on the ship?"
Jin looked surprised at this. "Why do you ask this Hibiki?"
"Because….they never came back for me……and even after a hundred years…..I was alone." Hibiki looked down at the ground but still felt nowhere he could look.
Jin took this all in. "Hibiki maybe I should tell you."
Something seemed to be moving outside the door of Jin's house.
"Grandpa! Behind you!" Hibiki cried, but it was now too late.
Jin turned to only see a warrior pounce on him in seconds. Then another warrior ran in and shot the communication off. No one knew what was going on.
"Gramps!" Hibiki cried and ran to his partner.
"Hibiki!" BC yelled, "Just where do you think your going?"
"To Tarak! I'm goanna save gramps!"
Hibiki thrusted his machine into overdrive, but still it would take too long to get there. They may have just returned into Mejere and Tarrak's system, but they still were such a distance.
"Need some help?" Meia asked whizzing to Hibiki. "If you use my dread, we may have a chance to save your Grandfather."
Both combined with brilliant light to create Vandread-Meia.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go before they leave!"
Meia nodded as the vandread went full thruster straight towards the planet Tarrak.
They were only minutes away from landing point when Hibiki noticed something.
"Turn around!" He commanded, "Go to that ship!"
Meia looked at the ship. It looked like a Tarrak cargo ship.
"That's just a regular carrier ship Hibiki."
"That's not any carrier ship." Hibiki said, "It just launched from the deserted area. No one lives there….except for Gramps."
Hibiki made the vandread kick up the pace. He went like a bullet toward the craft, but was caught by an unknown force.
"Well well…." Smirked Hikaru, "If it isn't my old sparing partner Hibiki. I wondered how long it would take you to catch up. I'm glad you made it."
"I'm in no mood for this!" Hibiki hollered splitting from Meia's dread, "Give me back Gramps!"
"The Lordeth of our planet did say to tell you thanks for helping her reunite with her father."
"Lordeth? What the hell is that?" Meia asked.
"It's a name we give to the main royal of our planet."
Hibiki didn't believe what Hikaru had said a moment before. "What? I didn't even help with this."
Hikaru gave an evil smile of delight. "Oh, but you did. Vile used her nightmare technique to read your mind. Lordeth was very pleased. She thought you had some connection with him. I mean….you do carry her last name of course."
Hibiki was shocked.
"Yes, Lord Andréa's full name is Lordeth Andrea Tokai. It suits her well."
"Liar!" Hibiki roared.
"It's no lie." Hikaru hissed, "She knows who you are. She knows all about the pain you've suffered in the past. She even knows who your family was. And she knows your true name."
Hibiki's eyes widened. It was unknown if it was rage or fear, but most likely both.
"Th-that's all a bunch of lies. You just don't want me to save Gramps!" He charged straight at Hikaru only to be thrown so easily back by one single punch.
"Your anger's blinding you." Hikaru warned, "You won't be able to fight me in such a mood."
Hibiki didn't want to hear anymore of Hikaru's rants. "SHUT UP!"
"Hibiki we have no time for this." Meia yelled. "We have to contact the Nirvana."
But it was no use. Hibiki was deaf to all around him. All he could hear was the voice of Hikaru just laughing at his foolish attempts.
"I'm goanna make you shut it!" Hibiki took out his sword and began to strike Hikaru.
Hikaru didn't seem to fight back. It seemed he enjoyed this show. He began to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"You," Hikaru laughed meningacly, "you're quite amusing to watch. I bet you'd make a perfect pilot for Castile. You'd get the extra boost you'd need." Hikaru took a glove off revealing a tattoo on the back of his hand.
"I know how you feel Hibiki. You feel like your family doesn't love you. It's almost as if they'd abandoned you."
"!"
"Vile could read your thoughts too. How's that nightmare when you're trapped and your mother doesn't come and get you."
"Quiet!" Miea was furious at Hikaru's evil speech. "Hibiki, don't listen to him. Hibiki?"
"I had nightmares like that too." Hikaru kept going at Hibiki. "Everyone was about my father abandoning me. I know how it hurts."
Hibiki was enraged by all of this. He hated Hikaru saying every thought in his head. He couldn't take it.
"YOU DON"T KNOW A SINGLE THING ABOUT ME!" Hibiki bellowed, "SO SHUT UP ALREADY!" He gave a right hook to Hikaru's robot.
"I bet you wished they died don't you? Then they had a reason for abandoning you like that."
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Hibiki want into a crazed state. All he could think about was killing Hikaru.
Hikaru realized that his vanguard couldn't take much more, so he began to thrash out too. He seemed to dodge all of Hibiki's attacks easily. He went for Meia's dread and bashed it repeatedly. Once he stopped, the dread lied there motionless.
"Meia! Meia!" Hibiki called out her name but no answer. She was bashed up from the beating and in a daze of some sort.
"DAMN! I WONT LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Hibiki yelled as he gave his all into every attack.
"I love seeing how you react to this. This is your true nature, you want me to die." Hikaru howled in amusement. "I mean, you did let me get away all those other times like when I attacked your ship and shot your girl it must have made you really ticked that you let me go. You had your chance to kill me but you didn't. Does that hurt to hear Hibiki?"
Hibiki went into a full furry and was blinded by rage. Hikaru dodged his frontal assault and began to stab him repeatedly with his sword. Hibiki felt the surges of electricity were tearing his insides. Hikaru only stopped when the vanguard stopped functioning. Even the oxygen tanks stopped.
"I win." Hikaru said in triumph as he pulled out one of his guns and aimed it towards the vanguard's head.
"Hikaru," Said a voice on Hikaru's communicator, "Hikaru, leave him."
"What? Why not?"
"I'm amused with this boy." Said the voice humbly said, "Do not disobey me."
"……as you wish my lord." Hikaru lowered the gun. "We'll settle this later Hibiki."
"Get back here quickly." The voice commanded, "I'd like to see my father when all are accounted for."
"Alright."
"N-n-nnnn-no…..let gramps….go." Hibiki barely made out these words as he tried to reach out his hand but it failed.
Hikaru stared at the boy. He almost felt sorry for what he did, making the boy suffer through his memories. "I'm always here for a rematch." He then went back to the ship.
The ship shortly after went into some kind of warp and was gone. Hibiki wanted to follow them, but he felt weak after the beating he took. He was loosing air at a fast rate.
"Grampa….I'm sorry" he whispered and everything went into a blur.
"My lord." Said a messenger bowing at Andriea's presence, "The ship has arrived back. All are accounted for. Including the man you sent us to get."
She sat in a seat in the middle of the command center of the 'Beast'. She could see all from here place. Everything was going her way.
"Good." She said in a pleasant tone, "I think I'll go pay a visit. He's still in the cargo hold I take it."
"You're a mind reader." The messenger said happily.
"Would you like me or the other guards to escort you there?" Asked a battle guard who ran up to her? He hoped that she would agree but she refused.
"I'm quite alright by myself." She laughed. "Lord Amith, you take control while I'm gone."
A man in a green robe came to her side. He wore an amulet on his neck that said 'Lord of the peace' on it. He seemed very humble and much older than the lordeth was.
"As you wish." Amith humbly said and took her seat, "You should get up more often. Your seat is very comfy."
She smiled and began to walk down the hall. Everyone stopped to bow at her as they crossed paths with her.
"Does it get boring?" Ask a blonde man with spectacles. He looked very handsome and only looked a little bit younger than she was. He also wore a robe but this one was dark red.
"What?"
"Everyone bowing to you, it does get boring to me."
A man who entered the hall flipped and dropped his papers when seeing the two. He immediately bowed.
"Yeah….it does." Andréa sighed, "How long has it been bugging you Maxwell?"
"Ever since I was announced as the Lord of the war." He moaned showing her his amulet he kept on his neck. "Quite bothersome."
The two arrived at the docking bay. A huge room with dozens of dreads and vanguards there. In the center of it all was the newly arrived ship. Two men came out restraining an old man.
"I'm an old man; I can't go anywhere or fight you." The man protested, "So you don't need to be so ruthless."
The men stopped at the front of the Lordeth and Lord. The old man didn't understand until the young woman talked to him.
"It's been quite a while, hasn't it father."
He stared at her and gave a smirk.
"Hello Andriea, I see you've been doing well from the look of this place. How's your mother?"
She grew enraged and slapped the man.
"She's dead because of you!" She snapped.
"How? When did this happen?"
"A while back. I've been alone ever since."
The man felt uneasiness, "I'm so sorry. If I'd know I'd-"
"What! What would you do! Send flower's to her grave! It's your fault that she's gone!" She gleamed her green eyes at him, "Send him to the brig Maxwell. I'll deal with him later,"
Maxwell bowed to her and commanded for the guards to lead him.
"I never thought I'd see you Maxwell. My, haven't you grown."
Once they were out of Lord Andriea's sight. Maxwell dismissed the guards.
"I'm sorry Jin." Maxwell sighed, "She's been like this ever since….well….she's been like this for quite some time."
"And she blames me?"
"Yes." Maxwell looked very depressed at this moment. "And what's worse, she's quite interested in Hibiki. It is the same Hibiki, right?"
Jin couldn't stand to stare into the boy's sad eyes.
"Yes."
Maxwell took the time to consume all of this. "I see. You're not going to like what I'm going to tell you. Hikaru's awake too. He's now a pilot sent out to destroy the Nirvana."
"!"
"I'm sorry, but I must do as lord Andriea says. I have to put you in a cell."
"It's alright Maxwell." Jin assured.
"I just hope that Hibiki will be alright." Maxwell sighed and showed Jin to the cell.
'Hibiki…..Hibiki….' a faint voice called to him. 'Hibiki…. Why are you so angry?'
The blonde sat next to him by the tree with a swing on it.
He leaned next to it, clenching his teeth. "Sis, I want you to leave me alone!"
"But little brother, I want to help"
"YOU CAN HELP BY GOING AWAY!" He barked and throwing dirt in her face, "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, DAD, AND MOM! YOU LEFT ME! AND YOU NOW COME BACK LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED! WHY?"
"Hey kid SHUT IT!" Someone cried.
Hibiki awoke from being hit with some mug a Castile soldier was drinking from. The liquid was now pouring all over his head. He rolled of the bed he was laying on and hit the metal floor.
"What the?"
"You're in a Castile police force ship." The guard informed staring at the boy with dark blue eyes, "This ship's goanna bring you and your friend to the Castile big house for your crimes against the kingdom."
"What! You better let me out of here right now before I start beating all of you!"
"How kid? Your ships are all beaten up and out of commission. There's no way of even getting off without transportation. But don't worry kid; we'll keep it safe for ya….while you rot in prison."
"Don't you dare touch my partner!"
"You should be thanking us kid. If the lordeth didn't order us to take you into custody, you would have suffocated without air." A beeping noise came from the guard's watch and he seemed to be relieved by this, "Thank god! My shifts over kid have a fun time talking to HIM for me."
"HEY! GET BACK HERE! I wasn't done! HEEEEEEEEY!"
"Save your energy Hibiki." A voice said coming through from the next cell, "We need all we can to get out of here." It was none other than the voice of Meia.
Hibiki slumped by the wall, "Guess I pretty much screwed up things for us didn't I?"
"There's no changing what had happened, all we can do now is try to get ourselves out of this mess and get back to the Nirvana."
"I'm not going anywhere without Grandpa!"
"That's useless Hibiki. We don't even know if were going the same way as the ship that took your Grandfather."
"I'm still not going! I have to know if he's alright!"
"He's fine for the time." Said a sly voice getting closer to them both. "Our Lord just wants to have a nice chat with him."
The man stopped in between them both. He had violet hair and silver eyes. He was also wearing a pilot's uniform that was like Hinoki's old one.
"Allow me to introduce myself." The man said with a polite bow, "I'm Lucas Heart. I hope you haven't forgotten me yet."
Both Nirvana pilot's eyes widened.
"Lucas!" Meia wispered.
"Ah, you do remember!" He said joyfully, "I was hoping a woman of your beauty would remember who I was!"
"How can we not!" Hibiki snapped grabbing on to the bars that bound him inside of his cage, "You attacked us!"
Lucas seemed to be getting bored by Hibiki's conversation and went to Meia, "You look like a smart girl. Why don't you and I talk a little more privately, over lunch?"
Hibiki was getting pissed, "Hey! I'm still here you know! And I want some answers!"
Lucas yawned at this and realized something. "No wonder you're still talking! I forgot to put on the electric field." Lucas pressed a button on what looked like a remote and made Hibiki into a lightning rod.
"Eyyyyaaaaaahh!" Hibiki let go of the bars, "How come this keeps happening to me?"
"I'm going to have fun with this!" Lucas said joyfully and sat in the old guards chair.
"You're a berserk pilot, if what Hinoki says is true, you shouldn't even be here." Meia began, "Why deal with a guarding mission on a police ship?"
Lucas pulled out a bottle of liquor from his bag and looked at her with an evil smile.
"Because we know what you're capable of and we don't want any funny business before we execute you."
"Execution?"
This is where the ship was seen last mam." A young vanguard pilot said to the commander, "There is a sign of a fight but there is nothing here. Maybe if we ask for help from-"
"Its alright Honda." Magno said, "Tell the others to return."
"But mam! We can still-"
"That's an order!" BC commanded.
The boy's face went into depression, "Yes. Over and out." The screen went blank.
"Two of our best pilots disappear just like that?" Magno asked herself, "I fear the worst is upon us."
Georgia looked on the screen at the starry sky. She could feel a great power from her necklace beckoning her to do what she didn't want.
'I could try it and it could point us to them….but…'
She clenched on to the white stone with the purple outlines.
'Here goes nothing.'
She ran to the puddle and jumped into it. Everyone in the room was shocked.
"She did know that Bart was in there, right?" Amarone asked.
"I think so." Beldevere said confused, "What is she thinking."
"What's going on up there?" Bart asked but would regret finding out. He suddenly noticed that there was another body in the room. He turned to see Georgia, flustered, distressed, and flipping out.
"Why the hell are you h-"
"TURN AROUND!" She screeched turning all red, "DON'T LOOK!"
"WHY ARE YOU HERE ANYWAY? THIS IS MY JOB!"
"I-I'm going to help l-look for the pilots." She said with a embarrassed voice, "But I can't help with someone looking at me they way I am right now."
"Well I can't work with someone else in here! Especially a woman!"
"Please! Just turn around!" She whined waving her left arm in the air and hiding her upper body with her right.
Bart did as he was told but he wasn't very happy about the situation.
Georgia put her hands together and began to chant something.
"What is this all about?" Beldevere asked.
"Is she just singing or what?" Celtic went and said.
The ship suddenly shook furiously.
"Gyaaah! What did you do!" Bart said panicky.
Georgia didn't pay attention to anything, she was in her trance searching through the galaxy for the pilots. As she got near the whole ship glowed brightly and a strange light soared throughout space.
"What is that?" BC asked.
"Whatever it is, it's got a lock on Hibiki and Meia." Parfait said on the screen. "The beam is pointing the way."
"Bart follows that beam!" Magno ordered.
"Right!" Bart said and the nirvana raced through the stars.
"We have a lot to thank you for young lady." Magno said to Georgia.
She felt embarrassed at this. "N-no…. It was nothing…. really."
"Are you crazy!" Bart said happily, "You made the whole ship lead us to them that's so awesome."
She turned even redder at this. "Y-you really think so?"
Bart faced her this time. "Yeah! You rock!"
"Hehe….thanks." Georgia suddenly then noticed that Bart was looking at her.
"EEEEEYYYAAAH! TURN AROUND!"
While this was happening, Hibiki and Meia were sitting in the cells listening to a drunk's ratings.
Lucas took another chug from his liquor and went on.
"So…..I went back to my ship….hick….and there was this squirrel. A squirrel of all things…HICCUP….and it was wearing a cowboy hat and it was in my cockpit. So I began to chase it outta there….Hick…. and it ran right under a woman's skirt. I went for a dive to catch it and I got to see some really cute panties. Hick!"
Hibiki sat on the far edge of his cell and let out a big sigh. It was like listening to Bart but this guy was way more annoying. Probably cause he was drunk.
Meia sat in a dark corner planning an escape. She was thinking for three hours about this idea and she almost had it.
"Oh man! You two gotta try this stuff some time. Best whole dang stuff on this ship!" Lucas laughed at Hibiki then took a big chug of it. "Not the greatest but its still good."
Hibiki tried to ignore this but Lucas wasn't going to give up on his new buddy.
"What's the matter kid? Don't wanna talk."
"You idiot! Why would I even want to talk to you! You threw us in here!"
Lucas gave an evil smile, "Aw, you're just cranky because you lost to Hikaru. Don't let it get to ya, happens to the best of us."
Hibiki clenched his teeth at this. "That's none of your business."
"Hehe, your probably right about that." He drank the last from his bottle "Oh man. I think I'm goanna pass out."
"You did drink a whole bottle, you should be dead!"
"That's the difference between me and you……I…" Lucas gave up on finishing what he was saying and passed out.
Lucas was now no danger to them both at the moment meaning they had the chance to escape. Meia was waiting for this.
"Hibiki, we can go now." She said.
"What do you mean go?" Hibiki asked hearing noises that sounded like it was coming from the ceiling.
The noises made its way to his cell and started bashing on the vent until the plating came off. From the whole emerged Meia giving Hibiki a hand.
"Just like I said, go."
Hibiki gave a smirk and was helped up into the vents. The only person left around there was Lucas who seemed to be in a sleep right now. Probably dreaming of some broad or maybe of Lord Andréa hitting on him. But maybe he wasn't even unconscious. Maybe he was pretending. And maybe he was waiting for them to escape, just because he liked to catch them. And if these things aren't true, then why did he have an evil smirk on his face and was now growing fangs.
Two guards were making their way through the hall. One was contemplating the other on what to give his wife for their anniversary. The other noticed that the ceiling was making strange noises in the vents.
"What in Lordeth's name is going on?" The first one asked.
The second put his gut to the ceiling and shouted, "Freeze, whoever is in there, come out now or we'll need to resort to painful measures."
"You want us to come down?" Said a voice of a boy. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." Hibiki burst from the ceiling on top of the two guards.
"You brat!" One of them yelled pulling out his gun but unknowing to him, Meia pounced on him knocking both guards out.
"It looks like we can't hide in the vents anymore." Meia sighed, "We're too loud it'll bring attention to us."
"Walking is better anyway." Hibiki smiled and ran of in one direction.
"Hibiki, we just can't barge around the halls like that. We'll be seen. And do you even know where you are going?"
"I'm going to find Gramps! There must be something on this ship that could give me a clue."
Meia had no time for her colleague to act like this, "I already told you Hibiki, it's pointless to go looking for him at the moment. We need to contact the Nirvana."
"Fffhhht" Went a laser bullet that almost hit Meia but instead hit the wall.
"Sorry, but there will be no need for that here." Said Lucas who seemed to come out of nowhere with an evil smile on his face.
He held a beautifully crafted gun, still smoking after the last laser bullet. He was a force to be reckoned with.
"Best to be in your cells right now."
"How? You drank all that liquor and you can still stand?" Hibiki couldn't believe it.
"In my berserker form I can drink to all of my liking. And as you can see, I can control it better than anyone else can." The tattoo spread across his face and his nails grew long. "I can even control it at its peak. I'm a very special guy." He then turned to Meia, "And I wouldn't mind having a very special lady."
"Any ideas." Meia asked Hibiki.
"Just one." Hibiki then began to flip and screamed, "EYYAAHH! WHAT THE HELL"S THAT!"
Lucas turned to where Hibiki was pointing.
Hibiki grabbed Meia's hand at this point. "RUN!" He yelled.
Lucas turned to see that his prey had already run off. "Oh shit! I feel sorry for them when my bullets land in their skulls."
Before the berserker could even turn around, the whole ship shook. It felt as if they were under attack.
"Lucas, the Nirvana crew is here." A woman said on a hologram by the wall. "There after the captives."
"I know I know…" Lucas moaned, "I'll get them…HICK"
"Good…and stop drinking! I can't stand your breath."
"And I can't stand being away from you for a minute."
The woman had no time for this, "JUST DO YOR JOB!"
Meia and Hibiki ran to every room they could find but with no luck. They felt the ship shake and now had their hopes up.
"The ship's under attack." Hibiki said joyfully.
"It's the nirvana." Meia said in relief.
"Meia do you copy?" BC said on Meia's communicator.
"Meia here, were coming your way."
"We've already sent some reinforcements; you should meet up with them soon."
"Behind you!" Hibiki yelped to the blue haired girl as a door opened.
Meia grabbed the figure and threw it to the ground, glaring her ring at him.
"He looks like Athena doesn't need rescuing after all." Said the man.
Meia moved her ring away, "Yuki? Why are you here?"
Yuki helped himself up from the floor and then explained. "I was a commander of my very own force against Castile, thought I could be of help."
"MR. ALIEN!" Cried another figure who embraced Hibiki.
"Dita, I can't breathe." Hibiki yelled at the red head.
"I'm so happy we found you." Dita squealed, "I knew that you'd be alright."
"You guys can play house later." Barnette said coming out of the room with Jura at her side, "We need to get out of here. This is a Castile ship, there could be Berserkers running around."
"You don't know the half of it." Hibiki moaned at the thought.
"Brrhhck" Went a metal door as it was blown away. Smoke had emitted from it and so had a man emerged from it, bearing his gun right at their heads.
"Hiya!" He said and went gun crazy at them shooting floods of bullets everywhere.
The nirvana team scattered to another room with the door sealed shut. Lucas moaned at this problem.
"Aw come on! I wanna fight! You know there's no way out of that room you'll have to come on out sometime."
"Who the hell is that guy?" Barnette asked.
"He says he's Lucas Heart, one of the four berserkers." Hibiki moaned, "You should try talking to him when he's drunk, he's even more of a nuisance then."
"LUCAS!" Jura yelled, "THAT IDIOT THAT COPIED MY DREAD? THE IDIOT THAT CALLED ME A BITCH! EEEEERRRRRGH!" Jura pulled out her sword and let it shine in its glory, "I'm goanna teach that guy a lesson!"
"Me too!" Barnette cried pulling out her machine gun that slung over her shoulder (She fancied that one a lot!), "That guy doesn't even know how to use a gun properly!"
"You'll be giving him new targets if you go out there!" Meia sternly said. "What we need now is to think up a plan."
"Yeah but we don't have much time for that!" Hibiki pointed out, "He blasted the last door, what makes you think he can't do it to this one?"
"Are we going to die Mr. Alien?" Dita asked getting closer to him.
"If we actually think about it, there's no place to actually run." Yuki said staring at the shut door. "If we stay here, he'll probably bust the door down and if we try to escape he'll gun us down easily."
"Just what are you thinking?" Meia asked.
"Just something plain and simple Athena." He said silently as he made one of his hands a fist. "Fight fire with fire."
Lucas was not the most happiest with waiting. He tried to amuse himself with cleaning off his guns but he was still restless. He stood up from the wall he was leaning on and went to the metal door keeping him away from the prize. The door suddenly began to slide open. Lucas gave a smile he did so many times before when he had triumphed.
"So ya give up?" He asked to the dark room.
A lead bullet whizzed past his head and cut some of his hair off as it hit the wall. Barnette came out of the room with Jura at side.
"We'd never surrender to the likes of you!" She hollered as bullets flew everywhere.
He dodged each one leaving a trail of holes as he moved. "I love this! I absolutely do!"
"My turn!" Jura yelled attacking with her sword. She thrashed it each way she could.
Lucas enjoyed this thrill. He finally grabbed her hand with the sword still in its fingers. He looked at her carefully and then said in a surprised goofy voice. "Hey! Your that girl with my dread."
"Grrh! It's my dread! You're the one with the copy!"
"We have so much in common!" He said happily, "You wanna get a drink after this? I know this really great restaurant that makes really good Italian! Wanna come?"
Jura didn't know what to do. There stood the enemy but also her ticket to a baby. He was just throwing himself to her but he was also a warrior of Castile.
"Jura! What the hell do you think you are doing!" Barnette yelled, "Finish him!"
"B-but…I….he….ooooh! He's my ticket and he's also the enemy! What to do? Oh a woman's life is so complicated!"
"She makes everything complicated." Hibiki muttered under his breath.
Lucas noticed a power source he knew quite well. A green peixis power was in his midst and it was so close too, but very faint. He had an idea on who it was and took a guess.
"Yuki, are you there?" He asked, "Commander Yuki of the resistance group Lone Wolf, are you with these people? Oh come on I know you're here."
Silent footsteps were heard by all as Yuki walked out of the room. He still wore his commanding uniform and carried the old hat in his pocket. But he did not carry his smile with him or his goofy way he acted. He acted so serious right now.
"I knew it was you!" Lucas said joyfully letting go of Jura. "No one gives off a weak peixis power supply like that. Soldiers of Castile give off a great source but you….you experimented on yourself just to see how it would go. What would happen if a resistance group could use it, and now look at you. Nothing more than a berserker yourself."
Yuki revealed his hands. They did show a faint tattoo on them but they still were visible and glowing.
"I'm not a berserker. Berserkers are slaves to the royals that greedily take power from the peixis to boost up skills. I used it on myself because I didn't want anyone to carry a burden like that. To become a madman whenever you have a mood swing, whenever you get angry, whenever you begin to loose, and when all hope fails."
"How bout you and I duke it out? Berserker against berserker, how bout it?"
"I don't have the power to become such a horrid beast." Yuki admitted taking off his jacket, "But I'd be happy to battle you, Castile against Castile."
"Agreed. All weapons we have on we can use, no using anything else."
"Hitting vital points are legal too. We can use any type of combat we desire."
"Fine by me." Lucas said reloading his gun.
"I also am humble by this." Yuki agreed loading a gun.
"What the hell? We don't have time for this!" Barnette yelled.
"Don't worry," Yuki assured, "This will only take a minute."
Lucas held out his gun on Yuki's shoulder and Yuki did the same.
"In the name of the planet of Castile, let our sacrifices not be in vain." Lucas preached.
"Let the victor go without regrets and the loser rest in peace." Yuki preached.
"One"
"Two"
Both held their guns out at the ceiling. "Castile!" They both cried letting a single bullet from both guns hit the ceiling. Then the both went on a waging war.
"Has everyone gone crazy?" Jura asked, "This honestly makes no sense. First he asks me out now he's fighting Yuki! Who does he care about more!"
Lucas shot a few bullets from his gun and as Yuki managed to miss the onslaught, Lucas hit him with another barrage that he didn't miss. It gave him a cut on the face, arm, and one bullet gave him a scratch on his ear making him bleed.
"Your too slow!" Lucas teased, "You cant beat me with such low agility, even with help from your tattoo wont help."
"I make up that with knowledge." He made a dash right at Lucas.
"Easy target!" Lucas laughed shooting bullets right for his head.
Yuki made a dive at the last moment having the bullets cut a few hairs. He then slid behind Lucas and tried to choke him. Lucas quickly put his back to the wall and began to bash him.
"Lucas is stronger and faster than Yuki." Hibiki said, "Even though he's smarter he's going to get his ass whooped."
"He knows." Meia gasped, "He knows that but he's giving us the chance!" She watched him take every blow. But he kept staring at her with a warm smile. "He wants us to run!"
"But we can't just leave him!" Dita cried.
Meia looked at Yuki again. He nodded his head at her. She felt something she didn't want to feel but she pushed it all back and grabbed Dita's hand.
"We're leaving. That's an order!"
Dita could see that Meia didn't want to leave either. Dita nodded and all retreated.
Yuki watched as they all left. "Be safe Athena." He said under his breath."
The last bash was too much and Yuki let his hands go as he fell to the floor. Lucas now pointed a gun at his head.
"Looks like your friends abandoned you." Lucas pointed out, "But don't worry, I'll round them all back."
Yuki unexpectedly swung his left leg and knocked the gun out of Lucas' hand scattering it on the far end of the hall.
"I don't think you'll be doing any of that without your weapon." Yuki said with his happy smile.
Lucas didn't know what he should do. He punched Yuki in the face and ran to his gun. He grasped it in seconds, he was going to shoot it a Yuki's direction but felt something cold on the back of his head.
The others ran though every hall that they saw. There legs grew tried of running such a great distance.
"Are we there yet?" Hibiki panted.
"The rendezvous point should be just around this hall." Barnette assured.
They boosted speed at the end and to their relief, Barnette was correct. There were at the end of the room were many of the nirvana crew soldiers.
"Ooooh I love you Barnette!" Jura said hugging the girl.
"It was nothing."
A male soldier ran up to them. "We have the dread and vanguard at the Nirvana. You can head back to the nirvana now. The only thing that's left to do is get any data from the ship."
"Hey. Wasn't there another with you?" Asked a female soldier.
"I-I'm here." Came the voice of Yuki who came out of another room.
"How did you get here so fast!" Jura asked.
"There was a shortcut through the locker room." He said in laughter but he then had to grab his chest in pain.
"So you defeated him?" Barnette asked.
"Nah. Just hit him in the back of the head with my gun. It'll conk him out for a while."
"You alright?" Asked a soldier.
"Yeah…just fine, probably a couple of bruises."
"Amber can take a look when you guys get back." The soldier assured.
"EEEyyyaaahh!" Shrieked a couple of soldiers who weresearching theship, and now where running to their comrades.
"He's too powerful!" One soldier cried.
"We have to get out! It's a berserker."
"Berserker?"A boy soldier gasped.
"Yeah! He's carrying around a gun and he's shooting it like some nut!"
CRASH! Smoke filled the rendezvous point.
"Oh God! He's here!"
"Hey! I'm still up!" Lucas said emerging from the smoke, "And only one can be left standing. What do you say Yuki?"
"F-fine then….lets do this." He struggled to keep himself up but managed to do a good job.
"How bout we use the ultimate attack?" Lucas suggested holding out his hands. The began to glow.
"I like that idea." Yuki said holding out his glowing hands.
"Let the strongest win."
"What do you think your doing!" Meia yelled.
"Giving you some more time, get out of here while you still can." Yuki replied, "A goddess as fair as Athena shouldn't just perish by a titan's quarrellings."
"Time's up!" Lucas said as he shot out a green beam.
"Go NOW!" Yuki cried to everyone as he shot a beam too.
Both green lights hit each other resulting in a giant explosion. The whole ship shook and parts began to fall. Jura was knocked back and so was Dita who landed her bottom on Hibiki's head. Meia and Barnette held on to the wall to keep balance. A light from the ceiling came right at Meia's head and a giant medal blade fell out of the ceiling right at Jura. Both kept their eyes closed, they didn't want their last sight to be the thing that kills them.
Meia seemed to have somehow been moved from the sight. She heard the loud clang of the light but felt no pain only the warmth of someone. Opening her eyes she saw that Yuki carried her in his arms away from her doom.
"Athena can't be destroyed that easily." He panted and put her back down, "She is an immortal and she will never die."
Jura noticed she was still living She opened her eyes to see the cold floor she also felt something on her face. Wiping it with her hand left a red smear.
"BLOOD!" She gasped. She looked beside her at a male figure that covered her from the blow of the blade like piece of medal. It was Lucas, the Castile soldier. His fangs and claws disappeared and so did his tattoo. Jura looked at the man in horror.
"Heh….From the way your face looks…I must look like shit." He laughed weakly as he pushed the metal off of them both. He howled in pain from the blade coming out of his skin. His shirt now spread with blood. He stood up and struggled to move away.
"I'll never change." He sighed as he tried to stagger to the wall. "I…guess I'll be g-going now…..no use staying….here." He looked at the floor as his vision got fuzzier, "I think I'm going to take a nap in the….captain's lounge…" He then collapsed in front of them all.
There lay a most powerful warrior at the crew's feet. His grave was his own blood flowing out, he'd die without attention.
"What are we standing around here for!" Hibiki growled, "Lets get outta here."
"I agree." Yuki said cheerfully, "And get Lucas medical attention. He showed us that he has compassion in his heart. And besides, we don't let the wounded die on us do we?"
"No sir!" The soldier cried.
"Is there anyone else on this ship?" Meia asked the first boy soldier.
"Information from the brigades tells me that there is no one else. Also most escape pods have been launched."
Meia stared at the bleeding pilot as they carried him away. "They must have thought that their pilot would win and he'd retreat too when he couldn't take anymore."
The ship was transported back to the nirvana for research and a single pilot watched this all happen, from his red vanguard. Hibiki looked out a window from the ship and noticed this figure, Hikaru, watching his victories today. But Hikaru knew it was no victory for the Nirvana vanguard pilot. Hikaru flipped a switch on his control panel.
"Nice work Hibiki." Hikaru congratulated him, "I can't believe you would actually do this…..if you want to talk there's a communicating phone on your left…yes I can see you….I always can see you."
Hibiki grabbed the communicating phone, "Why are you being so nice to me all of the sudden? You could have destroyed this ship whenever you wanted to."
"And face the wrath of a thousand other pilots….Hibiki, you're the only pilot that I want to fight, and for some reason, the only thing that would satisfy this thrill is challenging you, vanguard to vanguard, and without your precious back up. I think you rely too much on friends. Just like today, I enjoyed watching you fight in all your fury."
"Shut up!" Hibiki hollered, "Where's gramps!"
"Oh….Lord Andréa is having a meeting with him. I don't know if she wishes to kill him or lock him in a dungeon for all of eternity but the fact is you wont be getting him back."
"You'll see, all of you will see! I'll save all the people your enslaving!"
"Like you did today? Oh please…that was the worst excuse of a battle ever. Your rage blinds you too much. I only talked about all the things we have in common and you go mental one me." Hikaru began to laugh.
"We don't have anything in common!"
"Your so naive. Your hiding yourself from the truth. Trying to keep yourself in a happy world where everything you love stays the same. But let me tell you something: one, you cant defeat me without help, two, we have your gramps, three, I can do whatever I want and you can't stop me." Hikaru's laughter echoed through the whole ship.
"Don't forget Hibiki, I'm always here for a rematch." The communication was broken off after that.
Hikaru stared at the stars for a bit. He went back to that dream of that boy chasing after him. "He'll always follow me." He said silently, "And he shall follow to his doom." The vanguard then jetted off into the far reaches of space.
Hibiki hung the phone back on the hook and clenched his fists in fury.
"I'm nothing like him…..I can't be…..I can't…."
"Mr. Alien, he's lying." Dita assured coming closer to him.
"…"
"Its alright Mr. Alien." The red head assured, "You'll get him next time."
"It's alright Dita. I'm fine." Hibiki looked out the window gain to see the many stars, "I'm going to get gramps back, and I'm going to make them pay."
Meia watched as Hibiki left being followed by Dita.
"It seems like he has lost something very powerful in his life." Yuki said standing near Meia.
"He went into such a violent mood when Hikaru told him that they were alike. Hikaru also said he had nightmares about his parents abandoning him."
"It's just like Achilles' heel."
"Huh?"
"There was an old story about a man who was made immortal because his mother dunked him in the river Styx. She dunked him by holding on to one of his heels but forgot to dunk him a second time so the heel she held would be effected. His name was Achilles, the most powerful man in the world. It was said that he would never die. Of course everyone makes mistakes. He died of a poison tipped arrow that struck his heel. The same heel that was never touched by the immortal waters."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Meia asked.
"I thought that wonderful Athena would know this answer." He said with a warm smile.
Her face became red.
"Of course you never heard this story." He stared into her eyes with a glow, "It means we all have our weaknesses, for some it's harder to find."
A few days later….
Lucas put his hand to his head. It felt as though it was throbbing.
"Unnngh…." He moaned, "Did I over sleep again? Oh man….Captain Sheena won't be too happy about this."
He tried to get out of his bed but felt a sharp pain from his back. It all came rushing back to him. The attack….and he lost….but where was he now. He slowly got out of the bed and noticed his real clothes were sitting on a chair, he was wearing pajamas. He also noticed that his room had laser bars on it.
"OH FUCK!" He yelped, "I've been captured! Oh man! Lord Andréa will give me so much hell after this!" He sat on the floor and tried to think this out.
After ten seconds or less, for crying out loud he's got a low attention span, he decided to make the best out of the situation and looked for something very important in his jacket. But to his surprise….it was gone.
"EEEYYYAAAAHHH!" A scream was heard throughout the Nirvana.
"Looks like Lucas is up." Hinoki sighed and showed a happy smile, "I guess I need to deal with him again."
Lucas was flipping out, "WHO STOLE MY VODKA?"
Finally….chapter eight is done. Yay! (Doing a victory dance. Picture a guy that plays DDR really bad). Next chapter: The nirvana meets up with a Castile boy that hates the royals. But how does he know Laviene? Laviene's berserk is shown and some stuff about Lucas which Hinkoi will tell. Oooooh, and Lucas will try to deal with being sober for so long in a cell. How the hell does that happen? I mean, it's mostly the drunks that get thrown there. I made a funny!