Hi again, everybody! I apologize for the wait. From here on out, I'm going to try to do things VERY differently from the way the show does them. Let's get this thing underway! (Note: I will be using a scene from the second manga, since I think it would be a crime not to. Also, there will finally be some major changes brought about by "my" influence soon!)
Chapter 4: The Real Adventure Begins
As the three of us flew through the air, I decided to strike a conversation with Renton to try and make him loosen up. He obviously needed some help with several things, not the least of which was the girl just a bit to our left.
"Hey, Renton…?" I asked, getting the ball rolling.
"Yeah?" he replied, turning around.
"When we get to where we're going, we need to speak. I think I can help you with," I lowered my voice now, "your girl problem." He blushed at that and turned around.
"I don't NEED your help…" he said defiantly.
"Maybe, maybe not. Anyone can clearly see the adoration in your eyes when she speaks, or does much of ANYTHING. That's pretty bad, considering you've known her how long? Not even a day? She's got you wrapped around her little finger already!" I replied.
"This is my problem, not yours. Bug someone else…" he responded and went silent.
"That's a slight problem in our current situation… There are exactly three people here. Me, you, and our pilot. Can't bug her, because she's the only one who can keep us from falling to our untimely deaths, and bugging myself would just be stupid." I joked, laughing as I did so. Luckily Eureka began speaking before anything else could develop on that front.
"Get ready to land! We're here!" she said, alerting us. Renton and I both looked out the window to see a massive flying ship. Its shape was very unique, and that's putting it lightly. Its sleek frame had what I assumed was the bridge up front, shaped much like a lizard head, and the 'neck' extended far back until it tapered out to form the ship's wings at the back. The majority of the ship was green and white, with the orange 'eyes' sticking out against that fact.
"That's… That's the Gekko! The ship of Gekko State!" Renton shouted, awed. I too was rather impressed at the hulking vehicle, though I hid it well. We entered through a hatch on the underbelly, and thus we had arrived at the Gekko. From here on out, the real adventure began.
Inside the Gekko
The first day was rather uneventful, though I easily met everyone of note, as I'll soon describe. When we arrived and got out of the ship, I looked around the hangar and was shocked at how big it really was. 'This place could take a while to get used to…' I thought as I scanned the area, noting such things as the stairs to the rest of the Gekko. I was about to start exploring the place, lost in my own curiosity, when a sudden shout caught my attention.
"Where do you think you're going, shrimp?" a woman yelled. I looked over and saw Talho there giving me one of her patented death glares. Though I'm usually not one to submit to intimidation, I felt that getting someone angry at me when I was on a ship thousands of feet in the air was a bad idea. Within a few minutes, everyone had done their introductions, and we headed out and about. Suddenly, I felt a pang in my busted arm, and decided to find where Mischa was so I could get proper treatment. In my wandering, I found Moondoggie, and decided to get directions.
"Can you tell me where the hospital here is?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's right down the hall and to the left. Can't miss it." he replied, and without anything else to say, I walked on. I found the room easily enough and went in. Really, there's nothing else to say about this first day. Truly, my story doesn't continue for about a month…
1 month later
Why is this time significant, you might be wondering? Well, it's today that we had to land at del Cielo…
That day had been rather mundane, me doing my assigned job of sweeping the halls and cleaning the rooms up, now that my arm was healed enough (Renton was running the shop on the ship. That's a fact I'd never really understood. Why would they SELL stuff to the ship's crew, when the ship's crew used money that the whole team got anyway? It was all basically going right back where it originated…). I was just doing my thing, when suddenly an explosion rocked the ship. I was thrown off my feet by the blast, and quickly got up and ran to the cockpit where everyone was. I listened to the exchange between the people manning the ship, having nothing else I could do.
'What was that blast…?" I asked myself mentally.
"We're under attack! The missiles appear to be military-issued!" Hap said to an intercom.
"How can the military know where we are?" Talho shouted in response on the other line, loud enough to be heard by everyone.
"The Compac Interferencer's working, so…" Jobs, one of the ship's techies, started, when the weapons specialist Ken-Goh interrupted.
"Enough about how! How's the damage?" he exclaimed.
"It's bad! We're hit in the starboard engine!" Hap replied. I saw Talho rush in and take her position during this moment.
"Launch some smokescreen rounds!" Ken-Goh ordered. "We'll have to land!"
"What? We can't land HERE!" Talho practically screamed.
"We can't afford to be picky! Take us down!" Ken-Goh ordered with a tone of finality that even Talho couldn't ignore. Soon, the ship landed and we were in del Cielo, where we would remain for a while. Holland looked his usual upset, and Talho was furious.
"That's what I call a buzz-kill…" Holland said with a sigh as he slumped in his chair.
"Oh, like I really wanted to come here either?" Talho snapped.
"You really shouldn't take it out on Holland, you know… Besides, it's just a ruined town, right? What's the big deal?" I asked.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" was the reply from Talho, and with that I decided to leave the immediate area. As I walked through the halls, I thought I saw someone walking around a corner. 'Huh? Wonder who's just walking around the ship like I am?' I wondered as I decided to investigate. However, when I reached the split, I saw nobody nearby. 'That's odd…' I thought as I decided to leave that be and return to the cockpit, where hopefully everything had cooled off. As I traversed the walk back, I saw Maeter, one of Eureka's "kids", dash past me. I decided to give chase, and we both returned to the cockpit within a few moments.
"Maeter? What's wrong?" Holland said as he observed her tear-ridden face.
"Mama… I can't… "she choked out through worried crying. "I can't find her anywhere!" As soon as those words escaped her lips, Renton could easily be seen rushing out, ignoring Holland's cries to let him handle it. I decided to follow; so that Renton would be safe should something happen before he could track down Eureka. I sighed inwardly as I did this, surprised that Eureka of all people would do something so foolhardy. Within seconds I caught up with Renton, though he didn't appear to notice.
"Eureka! Eureka!" he shouted, though receiving no response. Suddenly, I began to hear shouts. "Renton!" I yelled, getting his attention.
"Whoa! Since when were you there?" he asked.
"For a while. Less talking, more running! I think she might be somewhere near those shouts…" I responded as I resumed running, towards the commotion. I could make out bits and pieces of the exclamations.
"Why'd you have to come back?"
"Didn't you do enough the first time?"
"Purple-eyed devil!"
By this time, Renton had already run over to Eureka, and the people, who had been throwing rocks at Eureka, scattered, their excitement leaving them.
"Eureka! Why were all those people-" Renton began when Eureka half-heartedly said, "It's okay." Renton then shouted in response, "No it's not! Holland and the others are all acting strangely… I know I'm not the brightest, but even I can tell… What is it with this place?" As that went on, I decided to step behind part of a ruined wall and let Renton do the rest. 'This is something that only he can do…' I thought to myself as I observed.
"Back when we were in the military, Holland, me, and the others… We had an assignment here. It was nothing strange. We simply shot to hit the targets. I couldn't hear it then, but the targets screamed, and then stopped moving. However… They were more than just 'targets'…" Eureka began as she looked down as she told this tale. It was obviously hard on her, but she resumed nonetheless. "That's when I saw all of the people… I had KILLED people. I chose to rescue Maeter, Maurice, and Linck that day."
"What're… What're you talking about…?" Renton asked, unable to believe what he heard. I debated whether to try and help, but I held fast so I could allow him to do what needed to be done. 'Eureka… She needs someone to confide in right now, and I'm not it.' I decided as I resumed watching.
"You couldn't do something like that, could you?" Renton asked, still unbelieving despite the empty look Eureka wore. Almost instantly, she began to cry softly, and said, "I wish I were lying… I killed all of those people without feeling anything. I only wish that it wasn't real, that it-"
Renton, obviously trying with all he had to lift Eureka's mood, stated, "It's going to be alright… Kids grow up without parents a lot. Why, my mom died right after I was born, and my dad soon after… I was cared for by my Grandpa and my big sister Diane." he said. He then appeared to realize something, and with a small sigh, he continued talking.
"I've never actually SEEN anyone die before… I'm sorry… I don't know how you're feeling right now… I don't even know where to start…" he said as he obviously realized that just then.
"It's alright… I shouldn't have told you that." Eureka said sadly.
"Either way..." Renton began, having thought of what to say. He then hopped over the small part of a wall that Eureka was leaning against and which he'd been standing behind. "I'd still like to be with you, if that's alright." he finished as he lightly gripped her hand, trying to comfort her. This must have done something to her, because she began crying again, at first quietly. She soon pushed herself into Renton's chest and cried harder, until she let out an anguished scream and sobbed into Renton's body. Within minutes, she stopped, having cried herself to sleep. I chose then to reenter the scene.
"Is she alright?" I asked in a soft tone.
"She seems to have a bad headache, but at least she's asleep now... We'd better get back to the Gekko as soon as possible," Renton replied, picking Eureka up and onto his back. As we started walking, I heard faint sounds of…singing? When I looked behind me, I saw two sights I really didn't want to: Anemone, the psychotic pink-haired girl with the similar eyes as Eureka, and a certain military official known as Dominic Sorrel.
"Quite a burden you have there." Dominic said. He then spotted me behind Renton, and I thought I saw him gasp slightly, though I was not yet certain. Dominic then said, "I've been looking for you… Renton Thurston." and trained a pistol on Renton's head. Then, Anemone burst onto the scene, still singing.
"…if I only had a brain…" she sung as she stepped closer.
"Anemone… You can sing if you absolutely HAVE to, but at least help me out here…" Dominic stated, obviously annoyed by her antics.
"Help you hoooowww, Dominic?" she said, drawing out the last word. Anemone then turned and saw Eureka on Renton's back. "Well well well… That girl looks rather… Delicious, wouldn't you say?"
When Anemone was fully visible, I could tell that Renton and I were thinking the same thing… Anemone looks a lot like Eureka!
-End Ch. 4-
I know everyone who's been reading this likely hates me now, but you'd better get used to it, cuz this is how I ALWAYS am. Hopefully Ch. 5 will come out soon, though.