Chapter 2
NOTE: Just so the readers aren't confused, and yes I should have posted this on the first
chapter, this story takes place a few years after the games so the characters are a bit older.
Lorenzo's morning started off the way it normally did. With the sun reflecting off the mirror and shining on his face. Like a turtle going into its shell, he
pulled his head underneath the blankets and remained still until he had enough energy to pull himself out of bed. Running his fingers through his blonde
hair, he let out a yawn then grabbed a logbook and walked into the small hallway, stopping at Arik's door.
"It would be wise to get an early start on today, Arik" he said knocking.
When there was no answer he knocked again.
"Arik?"
Still no answer came so Lorenzo took it upon himself to wake up Arik.
"Rise and shine" he said walking to Arik's bed. He grabbed the edge of the green blanket and began to pull it off.
"If you want, you can do some fishing today...what the!" he said very surprised.
"Do you mind?" Tron's feeble voice said pulling the blankets back over her head.
"T-Tron?"
Lorenzo quickly walked out of Arik's room and found him laying on his front side on the sofa.
"Why is Tron in your bed?"
Arik just muttered a phrase incoherently, face-down into his pillow.
"Did you two sleep with each other?" Lorenzo asked flatly.
Upon hearing this, Arik quickly sat up.
"Dude, don't even go there! It rained last night so I asked her to stay. We didn't do anything else."
"I'm surprised that a pirate has some modesty" Lorenzo said.
"You don't even know her. Stop making these harsh assumptions" Arik shot back. "And keep it down, would you? I'm sure she's trying to..."
Before Arik finished, Tron was standing next to the kitchen table wearing a plain white t-shirt and black running shorts. She looked at both of them
with eyes halfway open since she just walked out of bed.
"Oh, good morning, Tron" Arik greeted her.
"Hi, Arik. I can tell your friend and I will get along just fine" she said with a low tone of voice, still trying to wake up.
"You can't blame me for looking out for my friend" Lorenzo told Tron.
"I understand but your best interests and my best interests" she said looking at Arik on the sofa "are two different things and as a pirate I
always fight for what I want."
"Looks like I can't win today. I hope you know what you're doing, Arik. I'll see you outside" Lorenzo said putting on his baseball cap
then walking out the door.
"Sorry about that, Tron" Arik said.
"It's alright. I'm used to making enemies although I don't know if he's quite at that level yet" Tron replied then yawned.
"I'm sure he'll grow out of that phase. Anyways, if you want you can stay for breakfast before you head back to your fortress or
whatever that was"
"What fortress?" Tron asked.
"Where we fought against Glyde? Wasn't that your home?" Arik asked confused that she didn't know what he was talking about.
Tron mused for a few moments.
"Oh that? Did that skull tarp make you think I lived there? I actually don't live on Kattelox Island" she replied.
"You don't? Where then?" Arik asked curiously.
"Umm...I guess you'll find out soon enough" she responded with a giggle.
Tron walked to the sofa and sat down next to Arik, putting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.
"So, what's for breakfast?" she asked.
"I don't have a whole lot. I have eggs, toast, some pancake mix, what do you feel like, Tron?" he asked her.
"All of the above sounds great" she replied, opening her eyes then kissed him on the cheek.
"Oh and are we still on for dinner tonight, Tron?"
"Yes. I can't wait to...oh no!"
"What is it, Tron?"
"I don't have a dress!"
Tron stood up quickly and began to gather her things.
"Are you sure you want to leave? I'm sure it can wait an hour, Tron"
"I really should go now" she said frantically. "Plus, Teisel is probably wondering where I'm at right now. We'll do
breakfast at some other time"
"Well, alright. At least there's tonight" Arik told himself.
"Where do you want your clothes at?" she asked from his room.
"Anywhere. I'll pick them up later" Arik responded.
Tron came out of his room, through the hall, in her normal attire.
"Thanks for letting me stay. Sorry I'm leaving on such short notice. I'll see you tonight...wait you still don't
know where I live"
Arik shook his head.
"Tell you what, I'll just come here at around 6:30" Tron said.
"Why can't I just go get you?" Arik asked.
"Because my 'home' doesn't stay in the same place for very long" Tron replied.
"Fair enough, I think" Arik said.
With that, Tron gave Arik a short kiss on the lips then departed, going out to fulfill her agenda for the day.
Arik decided to make a small breakfast with oatmeal and water. Since Tron was not there, he decided not to
make anything elaborate. About halfway through his meal, a voice from outside the window yelled:
"If you two are done with your alone time, I could use a hand here!" Lorenzo shouted.
Arik just sighed and shook his head. What was a casual breakfast turned into a race. He finished eating about 30
seconds after hearing Lorenzo calling for him. Quickly walking to his room, he put on a sleeveless gray shirt and khaki
shorts with a few holes in them. As Lorenzo was preparing the fish market, Arik finally made his away towards it, almost running.
"I didn't actually mean to rush you" Lorenzo said.
"It's fine. We have work to do anyways" Arik said in reply.
"Another thing" Lorenzo started as he put ice into the display shelf "I hope I didn't upset you this morning. I can tel
l Tron and I are going to get along great"
"Don't worry about it. I understand why you did that even though you forget I can take care of myself" Arik returned.
"Which I often forget. I'll try to be nicer when or if she comes back"
"She should be here around 6:30. That's what she told me" Arik said.
"Do you want to try your shot at fishing?" Lorenzo asked Arik.
"Yeah sure. Haven't gone out on the open blue for a while"
"You sounded like a pirate when you said that. The conversion has begun" Lorenzo said with a laugh.
"I'm not going to be a pirate. Even if Tron asked me to be"
"Anyways, the keys are right here to the boat. Be back in 3 hours. I'm going to try my luck with some shore fishing here" Lorenzo stated.
The two boys set out for another days work on the shore at their fish market.
After a few hours of searching and shopping discretely, Tron found her way back to a massive green airship known as the
Gesellschaft which was her place of residence and where the Bonne Family carried out most of their pirating operations. Upon
entering she was immediately greeted by one of her servebots.
"Miss Tron! You're back! Where were you?" the servebot asked.
"Number one...didn't we talk about this last night?" Tron asked a bit vexed since the servebot apparently forgot about their
conversation the night before.
"Oh wait...you mean that boy from the photo? I hope everything is fine" the servebot said in a happy tone of voice.
Tron let out a smile which grew with each passing second.
"It's more than fine, number one...I have a date! Considering the events that took place yesterday I'm surprised that
this is happening"
Servebot 1 then looked at the bags that Tron was holding in her hands.
"What did you buy, Miss Tron?"
"Some things for the date. Anyways I'm going to put these in my room and..."
"Tron!" a loud gruff voice yelled from behind.
Tron already knew who it was and kept her same facial expression since she knew she was about to get a lecture.
"Where were you, Tron? You know how I get when my little sister suddenly disappears!" Teisel said walking up
from behind.
"I can handle myself, Teisel" she replied apathetically.
Teisel then looked at the bags she had.
"You went shopping? Is that why you stayed out all night?" Teisel asked.
"No!" she shot back, almost trying to hide the bags. "They're just stuff I bought, okay? Look, I'm fine Teisel, alright? Nothing
happened, no one tried to kidnap me, and besides, I think our biggest threat really isn't a threat anymore since..." she paused
wondering if it was a good idea to give out Arik's name to her older brother.
Teisel put a finger on his green metallic chin and thought for a second.
"You know, you're right Tron! That one kid, really took it to Glyde that day. We would be unstoppable if he was on our
side!" Teisel said letting out a laugh of slight insanity.
"Good luck with that, Teisel" Tron replied, chuckling at her brother's laugh.
"Wait, why do you say that, Tron?" Teisel stopped then looked at her.
"Oh...uhh..." her mind raced quickly, trying to think of something to say "No reason, no reason at all!"
"Really, Tron? Is that the best excuse you could come up with?" she thought to herself.
A large metallic hand gently grabbed her from behind, almost hugging her.
"Babuu!" a massive orange humanoid machine said.
"Bon! I'm fine, really!"
"Bon was worried too, you know" Teisel said.
"I appreciate the concern, you guys, but really, there's nothing to worry about. Anyways I have to go to my room
and get ready...I mean put a few things away" she said laughing a bit nervously.
Teisel was not an idiot. He was starting to get an idea of what was going on.
"Ok, Tron, what's going on?" he asked crossing his green metallic arms.
"Nothing, Teisel!" she shot back.
"Uh-huh. It's that boy who fought against Glyde, isn't it?" Teisel said.
Tron opened both of her eyes wide. She felt backed into a corner and sighed in defeat since there was no point in
trying to hide it anymore.
"Yes, Teisel...it is" she said looking down at the floor.
"I knew it!" Teisel shouted out.
"Babuu!" Bon said, agreeing with Teisel.
"This is our chance, Tron!" Teisel said in a triumphant voice.
Tron looked back up at her older brother.
"Chance for what, exactly?" Tron asked with an eyebrow raised.
"To get him to join us! Think about it! No more police chasing us! No black market dealers and their ridiculous interest
rates for the simplest things! No one would be dumb enough to go against us if that boy was on our side!" Teisel
said ecstatically.
Tron just put her hand on her face, making a facepalm.
"What? You don't think so, Tron?" Teisel asked.
"I highly doubt he's going to join us. He already made it clear that the pirate life was not for him when I talked to
him" Tron replied.
"Darn! Well it was worth a shot" Teisel said sounding defeated.
"Look, why don't you two just take a break from the pirate life. Since we're not in debt anymore and we have plenty
of money stored in this ship, you two should go take a trip somewhere"
"I don't know, Tron. I mean, we are kind of notorious everywhere" Teisel said.
"Just wear something that doesn't give you away. If I'm going to enjoy myself tonight, I don't see why you and Bon
can't. Maybe you can even find girlfriend...or a future ex-wife" Tron said teasing.
Teisel looked at her strangely.
"Future ex-wife...HEY!" he yelled.
"I'm just kidding. Well, I'm off to prepare for tonight!" she said sounding very happy as she skipped her way towards
her room swinging her bags back and forward.
Teisel, Bon, and Servebot 1 just looked at Tron as she got further from them.
"Wow, it's been a long time since I've seen her this happy for anything" Teisel said.
"Babuu!" Bon said.
"I agree, Bon. Maybe this new guy really is good for her. Let's just see what happens" Teisel replied then looked
at Servebot 1.
"Servebot 1. Can you find us a place to stay for a while where we won't be hassled for being pirates?" Teisel asked.
"Yes, Master Teisel! I'll get right on that!" Servebot 1 replied.
It was a rather quick day for Arik and Lorenzo at the fish market. Everything that was caught that day was sold.
"If you want, you can go get ready for your date" Lorenzo told Arik.
"This shouldn't take much longer" Arik replied.
"I insist. I can take care of the clean up. You have a big night tonight" Lorenzo said.
"Thanks, bro"
"Anytime"
Arik took his red apron off and walked back to the apartment. The scent of fish was all over him so he made his
way to the shower, lathering himself twice with soap, assuring that the smell would be gone entirely. A few minutes
later he walked to his room, opening his closet. Inside, on the far left side, was his black suit, pressed and ready to wear.
"I can't believe I'm actually going to wear this" he told himself.
On a box above where the suit was hanging, were black dress shoes. He inspected everything, making sure it was
flawless. It took about 20 minutes before he put everything on. Looking in the mirror he made a few adjustments to
his green tie. Outside his room, he heard Lorenzo walking in. After fixing his tie, he walked out to the living room.
"Well, how do I look?" Arik asked.
Lorenzo looked at him while drinking a glass of water.
"I think Tron is going to have to fight off a horde of women tonight. It's going to be interesting to see what she does
to the women that get in her way" Lorenzo responded.
"So that's a good thing then?" Arik inquired.
"Yup. Also if you bring her back here, don't do anything stupid" Lorenzo said.
"Like what...oh...that's not going to happen!" Arik responded, annoyed.
"I know. It's just fun to see you annoyed. What time is she going to be here?"
Arik looked at the clock which read 6:27pm.
"It's that time already? Shoot she'll be here any minute" Arik said.
"What does she drive?" Lorenzo asked.
"She doesn't" Arik replied.
"Then what?"
"I'm not sure myself. I'll just find out when she gets here"
By the sink was a window that looked out over the ocean. Lorenzo put a few dishes into it then turned on the
water. As he cleaned, an airship over the horizon caught his eye.
"That's the first aircraft I've seen here" he told himself.
The same airship caught his attention again as it got closer.
"Could that be...Arik! I think your ride is here!"
Arik came to the kitchen and looked at the massive green airship. On the front was the skull logo that was associated
with the Bonne Family Pirates.
"I think you're right. I hope she's not going to take that into the city" Arik said.
A hatch opened up on the bottom and a black mech jumped down which resembled Tron's red mech Arik saw back
at the bank, but this one was larger. The airship then flew away, leaving the black mech on the sandy shore as it
walked right outside the front door of the apartment complex.
"Good luck tonight" Lorenzo said to Arik.
"Thanks. It's already interesting and the date hasn't even started yet. See ya!"
Arik walked outside and stood in front of the large black mech. A hatch opened up on top, revealing Tron. She put
one on foot the edge and crossed her arms. Arik was taken back by her attire. She wore an elegant spaghetti-strap
black dress that came down to her ankles. On her feet were black stilettos and her earrings were no longer skulls but
actual red gems about an inch long. She had a small hint of a light purple eye-shadow and she also wore light-red
lipstick. It almost didn't look like Tron Bonne at all. The only thing that was the same was her hairstyle.
"Well, what do you think?" Tron asked looking down at Arik.
Arik just stood speechless, unable to come up with anything.
"Tron, I don't think there is a word that can describe how beautiful you look right now" Arik said.
Tron blushed then regained her composure.
"The same could be said about you" she said eyeing him up and down.
"Uh Tron, is this our ride to where we are going?" Arik asked looking concerned at the mech.
"Yup. This is the Gustaff II. It can accommodate two people. You never did tell me where we're going, Arik" Tron said.
"It's an upscale restaurant in the city. The owner actually bought from our fish market. Not to mention he comes back
regularly. He was so impressed with our service that he offered me a free dinner for two at his restaurant. I told him I
couldn't do that but he kept insisting. Finally, we compromised when I settle for a discount"
"You turned down free food? Oh, Arik" Tron said shaking her head but smiling. "Well, let's go!"
The mech's hand picked Arik up and placed him next to Tron on the top. They both sat down and the hatch closed.
"You built this?" Arik asked impressed.
"Like I said, every machine that the Bonne family uses came from yours truly" she said proudly.
With hands on the controls, Tron commanded the mech to head to their destination. There was some slight shaking inside
from each step taken by the machine, but Tron engineered a way to reduce vibrations from inside the controls.
"Can't this thing fly?" Arik asked.
"Are you in a rush?" Tron asked back.
"No, but what do you think the people will think when they see a black robot marching down the main road? I mean, it's
not like I see mechs like this on the street everyday" Arik said.
"Meh, who cares what they think?" Tron responded.
Surely enough, Arik looked out of the small window to see people shocked by the mech's appearance as it walked by.
The sun was now below the horizon. All street lamps were on as Tron guided the Gustaff II into the city. Arik gave her the
directions he got from the restaurant owner. Eventually they arrived at a white building which resembled the Greek Parthenon.
White pillars surrounded the outside and on the other side of the pillars was the restaurant. A line of cars were outside the front
entrance as a group of men were working the valet parking. Men and women in formal attire made their way inside waiting in
line for a table. Soon it was Tron's turn to stop at the front entrance. The valet parking agent, was surprised to see this mech.
Tron and Arik jumped down. Tron then gave the agent the keys.
"Don't scratch it! I just painted this thing not even a day ago!" she barked at the agent who looked at her intimidated.
As Tron and Arik walked in, the agent looked up at the mech, wondering how to operate it.
The line to the host desk was a bit long. Unknown, to Arik and Tron, a special occasion dinner was being held at the restaurant this
evening. The restaurant was usually packed every night anyways, but on this particular night extra tables had to be brought in and
the spare seating areas opened up. The floor was like that of an Indian tapestry. The walls were white but the dimmer lighting made
them look more golden. Standing in front of Tron was a figure she was familiar with but it hadn't registered until she focused more
closely on his spiky brown hair.
"Megaman?" she asked.
The boy turned around and sure enough, it was the hero in the blue mechanical suit. On this night, however, he wore
a black tuxedo complete with a red rose hanging out of the upper left pocket on his top.
"T-Tron? Is that you?" he said not knowing if it truly was her since Tron was, for the most part, out of character with
the exception of her hair.
"Wow, I...didn't recognize you for a second there" Megaman said.
"Hello, Tron" a blonde girl, in a red dress that went down to her knees said, sounding rather displeased.
"Roll" was all that Tron said in reply.
There was a silence between the two for a few seconds then Arik spoke.
"Okay, you two, what's wrong?"
"Well I can't blame her for being a bit cold towards me. I did kidnap her a while back" Tron said.
"Tron?" Arik exclaimed.
"What? I'm a pirate. Those things happen"
"Hmpf. Anyways, who's your date?" Roll asked looking at Arik.
"This is Arik. He's new to Kattelox Island" Tron replied.
"Pleasure to meet you, Roll" Arik said extending his hand which Roll took.
"I would really love to know how you two met" Roll said in disbelief that Tron had a date.
Arik looked at Tron who looked back at him.
"I think you better explain this one, Tron" Arik said.
"What's the big deal? I was just robbing a bank when we met" Tron explained.
"Just robbing a bank?" Roll said closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Why am I even surprised? Let's
just try to have a good dinner tonight" Roll said.
"Hey, since you two are here now..." Megaman said looking at Tron and Arik "We should get a table for
the 4 of us."
Roll, Tron, and Arik all looked at Megaman, wondering if that was a good idea.
"I don't have a problem with that. Not sure about these two" Arik said quietly to Megaman.
"It's fine. Tonight is a good night. Why ruin that? Let's put our differences aside and enjoy the evening. We're
with the people we like so what more do we need?" Tron said.
Roll smiled upon hearing this and Megaman was impressed that Tron actually diffused what could have been
an awkward situation...at least for the time being.
Soon, the 4 reached the host desk.
"Table for 4, please" Roll said.
"Okay. That will be about an hour wait...oh dear!" the host said looking at Tron who looked at him upon
hearing 'oh dear.'
"Tron Bonne?" he said nervously "What I meant was, we have a table open right now"
"Huh?" Tron asked confused. "Wait, no I'm just here to have dinner..."
"Here! The hostess will take you to your seat. And take my money! Please don't hurt me!" the host said now
cowering in fear and holding out a small amount of money in his hands.
Tron looked around, surprised that no one else, other than the group she was in, noticed the events
unfolding. She took the man's money then followed the hostess to the dining room. Arik gave back the
host the amount of money that he gave to Tron then followed her with Megaman and Roll following
behind. Chandeliers decorated the ceiling and stone statues of famous people from Terra were on the
walls. As the hostess led the way, a girl about Arik's age in a blue dress appeared in front of him and
stopped to compliment him.
"Wow, I must say you're one of the best dressed men here tonight" she said.
"Thanks" Arik said.
Tron turned around and walked to the girl. Lifting up her foot, Tron pressed her stiletto heel into the girl's
foot who yelped loudly. The people sitting around looked towards the calamity.
"Find yourself another man!" Tron yelled at the girl.
Grabbing Arik by the arm, Tron led him away following the hostess. Megaman and Roll were shocked but
didn't say anything as they continued to walk towards their table. The girl hopped back to her seat with a
stiletto mark on her foot. After what seemed like an hour of walking, they reached their round table. There
were many people around but they talked at room level. The 4 take their seats as the hostess gives them their menus.
"We have quite a few specials tonight on the back of the menu here" the hostess said pointing at Arik's
menu "Your server can give you more specific details about them and on that note your server will be right
with you" she said with smile then walked away.
"So, 'find yourself another man...' Does that mean what I think it does?" Roll asked Tron.
Tron smiled and blushed a bit.
"Maybe" Tron replied.
"I hope her 'maybe' means yes" Arik added.
"And you and Megaman, Roll?" Tron now asked.
"Maybe" Roll replied with a smug look.
"Hey, you can't do that" Tron said.
"Why not? It seems only fair since you replied that way to me" Roll said back.
"Well with that reply I think I know the answer" Tron said.
"See, wasn't that hard. So what's new with you? Kidnap anyone else lately?" Roll asked.
"No, but you're due for another one real soon" Tron replied almost glaring at Roll.
Arik turned to Megaman.
"Are they normally like this?" Arik asked.
"In the beginning they weren't but since Tron kidnapped Roll, even though Tron wasn't going to harm her, they
can barely tolerate each other. Plus Roll and I always being together didn't help" Megaman explained.
"I don't think the second thing you said should matter anymore" Arik said.
Megaman sighed.
"Yeah, just tell that to them now" Megaman said looking at Roll and Tron who were still engaged in conversation.
"Like you said before, Tron, let's just try to have a good night. Besides, I haven't even looked at the menu yet" Roll said.
"Yeah, Arik never told me what kind of restaurant this was. Let's see..." Tron said opening the menu.
Arik and Megaman followed suit, observing each item on the menu. While they looked, a server walked
to their table with a pen and a black leather notepad in hand.
"Hello. My name is Felix and I will be your server tonight. Our specials today are listed on the third page
in the menu right before the other entrees. Can I get you guys anything to drink tonight?"
"Lemonade" Tron said.
"I'll take a lemonade too" Arik said.
"I guess I'll go with lemonade as well" Roll said.
"I'll join the bandwagon and go lemonade" Megaman said.
"Well, that was easy" the waiter said with a smile. I'll be right back with those."
The waiter left, and the 4 looked back into their menus.
"I can't decide what to get" Roll said.
"I think pasta sounds good" Tron said closing her menu.
"You know, I think that's what I'll get too" Roll said, now closing her menu.
"I'm going to be deviant and not get pasta" Arik said.
Arik looked at the fish section for a moment.
"I bet some of the fish I caught are being served here tonight" Arik said.
"You really should get a free meal for that" Tron told Arik.
"I would feel bad if I did" Arik said back.
"But you worked for that. You should get some sort of reward" Tron insisted.
"Believe me, the pay is more than enough for a reward, Tron. At least I can pay our bill tonight"
"Wait...who said you're paying the bill?"
"Tron, don't even think about it. I got this covered tonight. This is your night" Arik said.
"My night? It's yours too" Tron shot back.
"And what did I do to have a night dedicated to myself?" Arik asked.
"You made a pirate very happy. Need I say more?" Tron said.
Roll and Megaman looked at Tron and Arik as they spoke to each other.
"She really does seem happy with him" Roll said.
"I know. That pirate demeanor is almost non-existent when she's with him" Megaman said to Roll.
"I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually happy for her. Maybe now she won't be as much of a pain as
she normally is" Roll said snickering.
Tron caught Roll's comment.
"Hey! I heard that!" Tron said almost yelling.
"Well it's true" Roll said.
"I suppose. Even if I do soften up, I won't take it easy on you, Roll" Tron said.
"Roll, if you hadn't said anything..." Megaman said.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not a hundred percent over the kidnapping and a few other events, Megaman" Roll said.
"Women" Arik said.
"What about them?" Roll and Tron said glaring at Arik.
"Uhh...they're..."
Their glares become a bit more sinister.
"They're...pretty. Yeah, they're really good looking"
"Oh...why thank you" Roll and Tron said at the same time again then glared at each other.
"He was talking about me, Roll" Tron said with clenched teeth.
"Perhaps" Roll said. "Maybe if you wear different clothes once in a while, you would get compliments more often"
"There is nothing wrong with my clothes! At least I don't wear a hat that's too big for my own head!" Tron exclaimed.
"My red hat is not too big for my head!" Roll said patting the top of her head only to find her hat wasn't there.
"Wait...I'm not wearing my hat? I'm so used to wearing it that I forgot I left it at home" Roll said.
"What was that about wearing the same clothes? Tron said smugly.
"Ok fine. I'm sorry. I guess that was hypocritical" Roll said in defeat.
"Oh look, our lemonade" Arik said as he saw the waiter walking towards them with four beverages on the tray.
The waiter gave them their drinks then took their orders. Tron and Roll ordered the same type of pasta but Tron
ordered hers with a creamy alfredo sauce while Roll chose a meatball marinara sauce. Arik ordered a teriyaki chicken
breast with broccoli on the side and Megaman ordered crab filled ravioli. The waiter wrote the last order down
on the pad then walked to the kitchen.
"Where are you from, Arik?" Megaman asked turning towards Arik.
"A planet called Earth" Arik replied.
"Wait, you're not from Terra?" Tron asked.
"Uhh...no. Did I not mention that?"
"No you didn't. It didn't register to me at the time when you were talking about that one man from another planet
who trained your father. How did you get here?" Tron asked.
"A spacecraft my mother built" Arik returned.
"Spacecraft?" Tron, Roll, and Megaman all said at the same time. Other people looked at them for a brief moment
then returned to their conversations.
"Arik, people on this planet have been trying for years to get into space" Tron said quietly.
"Why then did you come to Terra?" Megaman asked.
"It was arbitrary for the most part. I just graduated from high school and my mother convinced me that I needed to
venture off into space before continuing my education. This was the first hospitable planet my friend and I found so
here we are. What are the odds I would find inhabitants identical to human beings?" Arik told everyone.
"You do realize that if other people were to find out about this, it could bring trouble." Roll stated.
"Then let's not let that happen" Arik said with a grin. "Let's keep that on the down-low for now. I'll tell you guys
more later" he said looking around, seeing if anyone else was looking.
About a hundred feet away from their table was a stage, covered by a red curtain. A set of stage lights turned on as
the curtain opened, revealing a jazz quartet. A calm tune began to play, creating a soothing ambiance inside the
large restaurant.
"The tunes are a nice touch. Say, what made you guys come out here tonight?" Arik asked looking at both Megaman
and Roll.
"Ever since the days of searching ruins and warding off certain, pirates..." Roll started looking right at Tron who looked
back with a blank expression "Megaman and I have been doing work for the city. Mainly engineering type work so
after a while the city gave us some coupons for this place and we decided to come out tonight"
"If you have any left you should give me one" Tron said.
"Now, Tron, I said I have this taken care of" Arik said.
"I'm going to keep trying until something happens" Tron said looking back at Arik.
The music slowed down a bit as the saxophone and bass played.
"I know you want to keep it on the down-low but I'm really interested in this ship of yours. Do you think you could
tell me a few things about it?" Roll asked Arik.
"I suppose. What would you like to know?"
"What kind of ship is it?" Roll asked.
"It's...well...to be honest I have no clue. To get here we had to take a smaller ship from the main ship. I can tell you
that the main ship is a bit large for just two people."
"What kind of propulsion system does it use?" Roll asked.
"Again, no clue but there are no after burners or fire for that matter." Arik explained.
"No fire propulsion system? What does it use for fuel?" Roll asked in amazement.
"It has no fuel. It's self-sustaining. My mother created it with tools and parts I have never even heard of so I just
smiled and nodded like an idiot as she explained all of it to me"
"Is there a chance we can see the ship?" Roll asked Arik.
"Uhh...I'm going to have to think about that, Roll. It's not a home I can just show off to people. Getting there would be
a pain anyways since our planetary ship can only fit 2 people; 3 if you want to squeeze in tight."
"Well that won't be a problem, I'm pretty fit, and so is Megaman. Tron's hair could be a problem though" Roll said
giggling slightly.
"Your hat is about the size of my hair, Roll" Tron said back.
"And who said I would be wearing it on that day?" Roll asked.
"You know you can't go anywhere without it" Tron said.
"Yeah...you're right." Roll said.
"If all else fails, you can ride in the cargo bay." Tron said taunting Roll.
"Girls!" both Arik and Megaman exclaimed.
Both of the girls turned towards their dates, surprised from the sudden spurt.
"First of all this isn't set in stone; I'm referring to my ship. And second, please save the banter, if you can even call it
that, for another time." Arik said, sounding almost commanding.
After about half an hour of talking and enjoying the ambiance, their food was served. The meal went without incident.
"There's an ice cream shack about a mile from where you live. We can stop there on the way back." Tron said to Arik.
"If you want sure" he replied, wiping his lips with his napkin.
"Will we be seeing you around then, Arik?" Megaman asked.
"Probably. I live in a small town here on Kattelox island. Ask around for a beachside fish market and you'll find me" Arik replied.
The waiter placed the bills on the table. Arik opened it up, then Tron took a hold of it.
"What are you doing?" Arik asked.
"I'll take care of it" Tron returned.
"No. I can pay for this" Arik said back.
"Let go of the bill!" Tron said trying to pull the bill out of Arik's hand.
"I will pour ice cream all over you if you don't let me pay for this!" Arik retorted.
"And I will rob you if you don't give that bill to me!" Tron exclaimed.
Roll and Megaman just watched, laughing to themselves as Arik and Tron fought over who was going to pay the tab. The
waiter came by to pick up the bills but was a bit confused when he came to collect the bill from Arik and Tron.
"Sir, take my money to pay for this!" Arik demanded.
"No! I'll give you a tip for half of our bill if you take my money!" Tron said trying to convince him.
"I'll give you a hundred percent tip!" Arik said.
"Well, I can't argue with that" the waiter said taking Arik's money.
Tron glared right into Arik's soul as he grinned at her.
"I win" he said to her.
"You're a big jerk, you know that!" Tron said still upset.
"You can pay for ice cream if you want. Plus, now it won't be poured on your head!" Arik said.
Tron still looked mad but then couldn't contain her laughter upon hearing the ice cream comment.
"Ok, Arik. Deal" Tron said to him.
"We need to hang out more often. You two are a riot." Roll said to Arik and Tron.
"Why thank you" Arik and Tron said in unison.
The 4 stood up from their table and walked to the front entrance by the valet parking booth.
"It was nice meeting you, Arik" Megaman said.
"Thanks, it was great seeing you again. Nice meeting you, Roll" Arik said to her.
"The pleasure is all mine" she said back.
Tron was talking to the valet parking agent.
"Why are you nervous? What did you do?" she exclaimed.
"Well...we...we couldn't figure out how to operate that robot...so we took it forward for about a hundred feet before
it fell over" he said shaking.
"I guess that's not so bad. Is it still there?" Tron asked him.
"No. The police came and impounded it" he said.
"WHAT?" Tron yelled grabbing him by the neck, almost trying to choke the life out of him.
"Tron, what's wrong?" Arik asked walking over.
"Our ride has been taken by the police!" she said still choking the valet parking agent.
"What are we going to do?" he asked a bit concerned.
"We're going to get it back! Right now!" she said finally letting go. "NO TIP FOR YOU!" she yelled right in his face.
"Tron, if the police have it, how do you plan on getting it back?" Arik inquired.
"I've done this before. It shouldn't take long" she said back.
They got to an intersection at busy street.
"Wait here" Tron said.
In a few minutes Arik heard the sound of several police sirens going off.
"That must be her" he said to himself.
Sure enough, the Gustaff II made a mad dash down the street stopping right in front of Arik with the police in pursuit.
"Quick! Hop on!" Tron yelled.
Arik jumped up and set himself down inside the cockpit. Tron hit a command and the black mech took to the air, where
the police could not chase them.
"Fancy dinner, and running from the police. I'll admit, that was a lot of fun" Arik said.
"You see! Maybe you should become a pirate and join the Bonne family!" Tron said back.
"Oh. I..." Arik started.
He thought about what Lorenzo said and what he told him. There was something about this evening that had Arik thinking.
"I don't know, Tron. I feel like I would betray many people if I did" Arik said.
"Who exactly? And it's not like you're going anywhere" she said.
Arik just stared blankly at her.
"Are you?" Tron asked.
"Remember what I said Tron, about going out into space? It was meant to be temporary. I was only planning for being
on Terra maybe a year...two years tops"
Tron looked down at the controls, feeling hurt. She thought she about to lose Arik.
"Of course, I never planned on meeting someone like you, Tron." he said looking out the small window. Tron looked at
Arik with a hopeful look. Outside, the city lights were passing below.
"Come to think of it, life would have been pretty boring here if you hadn't showed up. Spending two years doing nothing
but selling fish and going out once in a while...goodness I might have gone insane" Arik said then looked back at her.
"Does this mean...you're staying?" Tron asked.
Arik smiled then took a hold of Tron's hand.
"Probably, yeah." he said.
Tron was overjoyed. Never, had someone made a major decision to be with her. She climbed over into Arik's seat and kiss
him passionately. Taking his arms behind her back, he brought her in closer and returned the favor. They stayed like this for a few minutes.
"Tron wait, aren't we getting ice cream?" he asked.
"Do you still want to?" she asked him.
"Not really" Arik said.
"Good. Me neither" Tron said back.
The Gustaff II landed outside of Arik's apartment complex. Arik and Tron both walked inside to find Lorenzo still up. He sat at the
kitchen table, writing something in a spiral notebook.
"Hey guys. How was the date?"
"Everything went better than expected" Arik said.
"You think so?" Tron asked.
"Of course" Arik replied.
"Well, I'm about ready to fall asleep. Try not to make too much noise" Lorenzo said grinning.
"Lorenzo!" Arik said glaring.
"What did he mean by that?" Tron asked.
"Nothing. Anyways where are you staying tonight?" Arik asked.
"I can stay here again if that's alright" Tron said.
"Of course. I'm going to change real quick and then you can have my room all to yourself" Arik said.
Arik changed into his sleep attire; a red t-shirt and black running shorts. He walked out of his room with his sheets and a pillow.
Tron then went into his room to change. Feeling the sleep spell come over him, he situated himself on the sofa and started to
doze off. A few minutes later a voice said:
"Where's my kiss goodnight, buster?" Tron requested.
"It's right here, waiting" Arik said.
Arik moved so that Tron could fit on the sofa. For the next few hours they enjoyed each other's company, talking quietly and kissing
to break the silence whenever it came.
At around 2:30 in the morning Arik woke up to see Tron, still lying next to him on the sofa. She was snoring rather loudly which
surprised him but got him to snicker a bit. He picked her up gently and walked into his room, placing Tron on his bed then pulling
the blanket over her. He walked back to the sofa and quickly fell asleep again.
About a year and a half had passed since the date. At the apartment, Lorenzo was packing his belongings getting ready to head
back home to Earth. As he walked by Arik's room he noticed that all of his belongings were still out. Finding Arik in the living room, he talked to him.
"We're leaving soon man. You should be packing" Lorenzo said.
Arik thought about the year and a half that went by. Tron had brought him so many good memories that no girl on Earth ever did.
"Lorenzo, don't have a heart attack, but...I'm staying here" Arik said.
"What?" Lorenzo couldn't believe it.
"I'm not staying here forever but I want to stay longer" Arik told him.
Lorenzo had a hard time trying to figure out what to say.
"It's Tron isn't it?" Lorenzo asked.
Arik nodded.
"Well, what are you going to do? The fish market is now closed." Lorenzo told Arik.
"I'm sure Tron has something I can do" Arik said.
"The Bonne Family are pirates, remember?" Lorenzo said.
"So?" Arik said flatly.
"SO?" Lorenzo was shocked.
"I've thought about it and you know what? I could use another adventure...as a pirate" Arik said.
"You can't be serious!" Lorenzo exclaimed.
"I'm dead serious. Of course I wouldn't harm anyone...anyone innocent that is" Arik said.
"What would your parents think?" Lorenzo asked.
"You would really rat me out?" Arik asked.
"No but still. Are you sure this is what you want to do, Arik?" Lorenzo asked firmly.
"I've made my decision. I'm staying on Terra with Tron. If I join the Bonne Family Pirates then so be it. I will make it
back to Earth eventually but I don't know when" Arik said.
"Like I said before...I hope you know what you're doing" Lorenzo said.
With that, Arik and Lorenzo shook hands and bid each other farewell.
"Oh and one more thing, Arik. Take this" Lorenzo said taking a glass case out of his bag with a round green object inside.
"What's this?" Arik asked.
"It's another ship. It's just like the one we took to land here on Terra but it has enough power to get you back to Earth
when you decide to come home. Don't lose it!" Lorenzo said.
"Thanks, Lorenzo. It's going to be strange without you here" Arik said.
"Well it's going to be strange going to Earth by myself. But you better come back or else!" Lorenzo said.
"Or else what?" Arik asked with arms crossed.
"Or else I'll take all your video games" Lorenzo said.
"You stay away from those! You can borrow if you'd like but they are not yours by any means!" Arik shot back.
"You know what you must do. Take care my friend" Lorenzo said.
"You too. Let me know when you get back" Arik said.
Lorenzo packed the last of his bags into the ship. He boarded the vessel and it made a hissing sound as the door closed.
Seconds later it lifted off from the sandy shore. Arik watched as it disappeared into the air. The large green flying vessel
that Tron called her home then appeared overhead. It stopped right above the apartment and Tron came down in the
Gustaff II. Landing in front of Arik, the mech walked until it was just feet from him.
"So, was that your friend just leaving?" Tron asked.
"Yes" Arik replied.
The sound of the waves crashing onto the shore made for a peaceful scene at the beach even with the mech on the
sand and the Gesellschaft overhead.
"So, there is room for one more in the Bonne Family Pirates" Tron said
A smile grew on Arik's face.
"I'll get my things" Arik said running back inside the apartment.
A new life was about to begin.
End
So...a sequel? If at least one person asks for a sequel I will do it and dedicate it to them. So leave a review!