I came to the conclusion Saturday night, that I'm weird in regards to how I write. This chapter is much bigger than the others since this is really where the first real turn in the games begins. Because the chapter was so big, I actually outlined what was going to happen. I don't usually do that. So here I am, laying on my bed, writting an outline by the nightlight I keep plugged in for late night reading of manga, and I finally decided that I liked what I had. The next morning, I realize that some of it doesn't feel right. Later that night, I look again and it feels right again. That's when I realized, I do by best writting at night. So anyway, I guess that just goes to show you that everyone writes differently. I do. And I have a weird way of doing it that takes place more in the planning stages. Alright, enough chat, let's get to the chapter.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It came as no surprise to anyone that, the days following the fire were uneventful. It just seemed to go that way with the attacks. The last one had been, by far, the most brutal thus far. Rose had her hands full with all the injured still, and it showed no signs of letting up. Vent and Aile on the other hand were, once again, bored out of their minds. At times like these they spent most of their time either talking with Prairie (which Aile was tending to avoid more and more with Prairie's constant prying at her personal life) or simply in their room. Today it was quiet. Vent sighed as he sat on the top bunk staring out the window. After a moment, he hopped down and fully approached the window. After a few moments, Aile looked up at him and saw something she hadn't seen in awhile. The sharp look in Vent's eyes. They were tinted with sadness however.
"Vent? Are you okay? Something on your mind?"
"Hm?"
"I said is there something on your mind?
Vent didn't respond. Aile figured that she'd get nothing out of him. She went to leave until Vent spoke.
"Do you ever think about your mother, Aile? That day?"
"What brought this on?"
"Do you?"
"...Sometimes...yes...what about you?"
"Everyday of my life. What do you remember about that day?"
"Chaos everywhere. Mavericks. I was crying up until Boss...Giro found me...what about you?"
"Well..."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Evacuation alarms blared. Mavericks ran freely attacking whoever fit. A young Vent, running as fast as he could next to his mother.
"Mommy! We're not going to make it! The Mavericks are catching up to us!"
"Just run, Vent! We can't do anything else! We-- aaaaaaaah!"
Vent's mother tripped. Vent ran back to go get her, but a large purple Maverick cut him off and knocked him upside the head. Vent blacked out. When he woke up, he was in the middle of a nearly abandoned area. People moaned in pain. Corpses lay strewn about. Vent's mother was nowhere to be found. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew. A voice came from behind him.
"Are you okay?"
"Wah! Wh-who are you?"
"My name is Giro. You survived the raid and we brought you to a more remote area to get you away from the damage."
As much as he didn't want to ask, he had to.
"Where's Mommy?"
Giro sighed and looked away.
"It's...hard
to explain."
"I'm ten.
Don't give me that...she's dead...isn't she?"
"...I'm sorry..."
"It's not your fault."
"What will you do?"
"Daddy is dead. He died when I was young."
"If you'd like, you can come stay with me."
At first, Vent didn't like the though, but he felt something warm from this Giro character. Vent nodded.
"O-okay."
"Y'know, I found someone else who's about your age. Care to meet her? Aile?"
A young girl, who had been hiding behind Giro peeked out from behind him. Giro smiled.
"This is Aile."
Vent nodded.
"Hi, Aile...I'm Vent. You wanna be friends?"
"...O-okay..."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The next few weeks passed without much trouble. Giro quickly realized that caring for those two was going to be a handful. They were, however, easy enough to handle when they were together. The two would sit in the backyard and play. Or at least play as much as a ten year olds would.
"Hey, Aile?"
"Yeah?"
"Have you gotten over what happened?"
"N-no...I don't think I ever will be completely. What about you?"
"No. I'm in the same boat as you are."
"...Oh..."
"Let's make a promise."
"Huh?"
"Let's promise never to let anything bad happen to one another."
"...Alright..."
"Okay, then, its a promise!"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vent sat down and continued to stare out the window. Aile's eyes began to sting. All of the talk of the past had gotten to her. Vent heard her sniff.
"Aile? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine...its just...thinking about my Mom...now Giro...I just...I just...!"
Vent stood and pulled Aile to his feet, still staring out at the sky.
"Its hard I know. But that's just the way things are."
"...Vent..."
Vent turned to face her, a small smile on his face
"But its not all bad, right? We still have each other...and our promise, right?"
Aile found herself moving closer and closer to Vent. She put her hand on his shoulder. She never realized how tall Vent was. He must have had five centimeters on her. She began pulling her self up towards his face, closer and closer.
"What exactly...are you trying to...say...?"
"What do you think...I'm trying to say?"
If she was going to say it, it had to be now.
"Vent, I--"
She was so close she could feel his breath on her lips. Just a little more and...
"I lo--"
Alarms began to blare and Prairie's voice came over the intercom.
"Vent! We need you on the command deck! We've got a lock on a new pseudoroid, and its vulnerable!"
Neither Vent nor Aile moved for a moment. Vent eventually frowned.
"Well, duty calls."
"Yeah."
Vent went to leave.
"Vent!"
Vent stopped and gave her his full attention.
"...I...be careful out there."
"You too, Aile."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vent cracked his neck and stretched as he headed for the command deck. The biometals had already regrouped from...whatever the hell it was they did when they weren't with Vent. Zero yawned as though he had just woken up.
"Damn alarms. I try to go into sleep mode and look what happens."
X floated along.
"Bah! It's better then when Alia and Signas waking us up."
"Oh lord, don't remind me. So, Vent, what's up?"
"A mission, what else?"
"No, you dumbass. With you in general. You seem kinda out of it."
The door opened. Prairie turned in her chair.
"What took you so long?"
"I'm here aren't I? What's the situation?"
"Well we have a lock on a pseudoroid that seems to be just...hanging around. We have no reports of any attacks near the lock, but we don't really care. We want you to get down there while the guard around him is minimal."
"Roger that!"
Vent transformed to Model Zx and ran for the trans-server room. As he warped, he'd failed to notice that Leviathan had been distracted by something and was left behind.
"Ohhhhh...Vent! Wait! How rude. He left with out me."
She sighed, now trapped in the trans-server room.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Elsewhere, the pseudoroid looked over a small monitor in his chamber. A small green blip began moving on it toward him.
"Come in! Lord Serpent? Do you read me?"
"What is it?"
"The eagle has left the nest."
"Come again?"
"The ball is rolling."
"Huh?"
"Uh...the show is on the road?"
"What?"
"The goddamn kid left the fucking airship! Jesus, do I have to spell out every little thing I say!?"
"..."
"Um...sorry, Lord Serpent."
"Whatever. So you're saying the blue Megaman is heading for your position?"
"Well, he's more red now but--"
"Spare me! Is he coming for you?"
"Well, according to the tracking device that Fistelo planted on the kids beam saber during their fight, he's gone, and it looks like he's coming my way, yes. I guess you're clear to launch the attack."
"Excellent."
"Sir? Was it really okay that we throw Fistelo to his doom just for this? I mean, we lost part of Model F because of it!"
"It matters not. I already have the passwords and I'm well on my way to the Model W core. Its only a matter of time. Besides, after today, the Guardians and the boy will no longer be a thorn in my side. I trust you can eliminate him?"
"Of course, Lord Serpent."
"Good. Serpent, out."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Back in the Slither Inc. Serpent's laugh chilled the Mavericks around him to the core. Prometheus snickered.
"The monkey is dead man, isn't he?"
Serpent laughed.
"More than likely. Like I said to him, it matters not. Prometheus. I want you and Pandora to go aid in our little...surprise party for the Guardians, alright?"
"Can I bring some heads back as trophies!?"
"Oh, alright, but don't get any blood and/or oil on the floor. I just had it waxed."
"Wheeeee! Hehehehahahaha! Come on, Pandora. We got us a bird to ground...permanently..."
"...Yes..."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vent's face had fallen.
"The...biometal is...here...?"
"Vent?"
"Its nothing."
Vent proceeded through a massive carnival, once thought to be inactive. He wanted to get in and out as fast as he possibly could. About midway through, Vent ran into something one didn't see everyday.
"A giant mettaur. Wow. They were too weak so they made them big enough to step on people to compensate."
Zero was unusually silent.
"Vent, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing..."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Aile walked the halls of Guardian HQ, the moments prior to Vent's leaving playing in her head over and over. She wandered into the command deck and grabbed a seat next to Prairie. The pink clad commander looked to her friend and sighed.
"Look at you. Your wheel is turning, but the hamster isn't moving, is he? What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Okay, now, I know that's a lie, because I bugged your room the other day. It was getting kinda steamy in there before Vent left, wasn't it?"
"Oh...my...god...the nerve of you! I should beat you senseless here and now! You've pried at my life before, but how dare you do something like that!? That's a crime!"
"Isn't it though?"
"No! I mean literally! Its a crime!
"Oh yeah."
"Oooh! What am I supposed to do with you!"
Aile went to storm off to find what Prairie had bugged until the radio crackled to life.
"Damn it! It didn't have the biometal!"
Prairie jumped in her seat.
"Vent, calm down! What the hell is wrong with you!? You've been this way since the mission started."
"...This place...its where Mom and I were...seperated...I've been here once...ten years ago...I
"You mean when the Mavericks attacked was when...oh God...
Aile froze. She had been there too.
"Vent."
"I just remember being so powerless...thinking about it makes me wonder...what happens if I'm powerless again?"
Prairie found her voice.
"Vent...all I can think to say is...you're not alone. You've got us. The Guardians, me, Aile. You're not alone, you know that right? Remember, this isn't your fight to finish alone, okay?"
"..."
"..."
"Thanks, Prairie. Resuming mission."
Vent resumed radio silence. Aile returned with little microphones in her hands. She found every last one of them and promptly stepped on them. Prairie smiled.
"That little close call is really making you wonder what your feelings are saying, aren't they?"
"Don't you start!"
"I'm not. I'm being serious. Can I ask one question? Just one?"
"What...?"
"Can you honestly say, that there wasn't a single part of you that enjoyed that little moment?"
Aile didn't respond. Prairie's words may have had some truth to them. Her heart had been racing, her breathing had become heavier, and something inside of her had been urging her on with fierce determination.
"...No...I can't...Prairie? What is that?"
"What?"
"In the distance?"
"I don't know. I want a full scan of that thing! Radio frequencies, heat signatures, everything! Get on it! I want a library match!"
"You've been watching Gundam SEED again, haven't you?"
"Maybe, but in this day and age, those are real things! Level two battlestations!"
"Oi..."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vent opened the boss chambers and walked in. Before him was a massive gorilla like pseudoroid.
"Welcome, welcome!" he hollered.
"Let's get this over with..."
"Eh? You...look familiar, boy."
"What?"
"Oh! I remember you now! That day. Ten years ago.Yes! After the attack! I saw you with the blonde guy and the little girl! Yes!"
"What!?"
"You don't remember me? The Maverick who knocked you stupid?"
It all came rushing back. The Maverick who had seperated Vent from his mother. He had been purple.
"You...!"
"I remember your mother so well! Like it was yesterday! She was rather fun to toy with."
Vent held his head and accidentally clicked on his radio.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Prairie cursed under her breath.
"Haven't we identified that thing yet!? What is its distance!?"
"About 2,500 meters, Ma'am! Well have an ID shortly!"
The radio crackled to life.
"You bastard...!"
"Vent? What's--"
Aile stopped her.
"Wait. He can't hear us. Something's wrong."
"Oh, by the way, I'm Puprill! Say...now that I think about it. The little girl you met that day...I think I had a little playtime with her mother too!"
"You...you...!"
Aile's face fell. Prairie shook her.
"Aile? What is it?"
"Vent's...Vent's..."
"He's what!?"
"He's fighting the Maverick that killed our parents...its a pseudoroid now..."
"What!? Hack into the carnivals security system! I wan't that on screen!"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Puprill stood there. Vent hadn't moved. He was looking at the ground. Puprill shrugged.
"Well then, if your in that much of a hurry to join your mother, than I have no objections!"
Purprill charged. Vent was gone.
"What?!"
He turned and Vent was on the other side of the room. He was looking at Purprill now. His eyes were devoid of his usual kindness. The only thing visible was hatred and rage.
"You've signed your death warrant!!!"
Vent charged. Purprill jumped over him and began to fling bombs at Vent. He climbed the walls to escape. As he did Puprill dropped to the ground, and began spinning like a top as energy blades popped out of him. He began bouncing off the walls. As Puprill approached, Vent sprung off the wall and kicked him away. Puprill landed in a heap. On the monitor back at Guardian HQ Aile was just now seeing a side of Vent she never had. She'd seen him angry, but not like this. Hatred was all she saw. He fought like he had been possessed by a battle god.
"Vent...stop...this...this isn't like you..."
Purprill got up and began throwing more bombs.
"Little bastard!"
Vent's stance changed and he knocked the bombs right back into Puprill.
"Agh! Why I ought to...oh no...!"
Vent was up in Puprill's face, beam saber glowing.
"Burn in hell..."
Vent cut off Puprill's arms and head in one swift, brutal motion before plunging the saber into the stump that was his neck. As Vent jumped back Puprill exploded.
"It's over Mom. He's dead."
As Vent's usual look returned to him, X and Zero were in a mix of awe and horror.
"Vent..."
"Vent...that...that was..."
A voice called out from the smoke.
"Brutal. And if you don't watch it, it'll lead you down the same path as Serpent."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The monitor at Guardian HQ had been turned off. Aile stood there, shocked by what she had just saw.
"Prairie...what happened to him there?"
"Rage. Pure and focused rage. That's the problem with you humans, you let your emotions--"
"You humans? Prairie? Are...are you a...?"
One of the crew called out in a panic.
"We have a match!"
"What is it?"
"It's a Slither Inc. battleship! There must be nine or ten of them!"
"What!? Alert the crew!!!"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"So, X, the time has come?"
"Yes, Phantom. It has."
"The let us once again be mankind's sword and defend man yet again. You are Vent, correct? I'm sure you already know this, but my password is in two..."
"Yeah I know..."
A faint, weak laugh pierced the silence. Puprill's head lay in the corner. Laughing. Vent's eye's flared.
"What the hell is so funny!? You're finished now!"
Puprill's voice was weak.
"But...so...are your friends..."
"What!?"
"By now...Lord Serpent's fleet...has decended...upon...your little airship."
"No...this was a trick!"
"Yes...it was...while you're gone...Lord Serpent crushes...the Guardians...Without their little champion...they're doomed."
"But how did you know when to attack!?"
"Fistelo. He planted...a homing beacon...on your sword when you fought."
Vent looked at the handle and sure enough, a small red light was on it. Vent tore it off and crushed it.
"Damn it! We'll use the trans-server in back! We can still make it!"
"Fufufufufu...no you can't...I only have...a semi-trans-server..."
"You...aaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
Vent cut Purprill's head in two.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The moment Vent stepped out of the trans-server room in Guardian HQ he walked into a battlezone. Galleon Hunters everywhere, Guardians returning fire. Vent found cover and assisted them. By the time they were finished more had taken their place.
"Vent! Don't worry about us! Get to the command deck!"
"But--"
"Go!"
Vent continued to hack and slash his way toward the command deck. When he opened the door, he leaned up against the wall.
"Vent! Where the hell have you been!? We're up to our necks in trouble."
"Where's, Aile?"
"What, she wasn't waiting for you at the trans-server? Oh lord. This is...Vent, look out!"
A Galleon Hunter had snuck up behind Vent. It was too late. Vent could turn around in time.
"...Damn..."
Without warning, the Galleon Hunter was cut in two.
"You need to watch your ass better."
Zero gaped.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Rewind! Why the hell does Leviathan get her body back!? I want my body back!"
Leviathan's voice sighed, but no mouth was moving.
"Relax, Zero, sweetie. I don't have my body back."
"Then...who...?"
Vent blinked and rubbed his eyes.
"...Aile?"
"Like I said, watch your ass better."
It may not have been Leviathan, but it sure as hell looked like the original. Instead of Model Lx's two head mounted thrusters, simply merging with Model L alone gave one. Sure, Aile was lighter armored, but with she was in what was basically an exact replica of the original Leviathan.
"Aile? How did..."
Prairie nodded.
"I'd like to know that as well."
Aile sighed and shook her head.
"Guys, now is not the best time to talk. We need to get Slither Inc. off of this ship. Prairie, give us an update."
The intercom sprang to life.
"Commander! This is Fleuve! We have another fleet of boarding parties inbound!"
"There's your answer. Get on deck and take out those parties."
"Right. Aile, are you going to be okay with just Leviathan."
"I think so."
"Here. Take Fefnir just to be sure."
Fefnir had no objections. In fact he just seemed delighted to be in battle again. Vent and Aile took off for the outside deck. By the time they arrived, it was already swarming with enemies.
"Well then, Aile...shall we?"
"Alright."
If Vent had been destructive on his own, with Aile watching his back the pair was devestating. It was a much better feeling having a partner to watch each others back. Once the enemies were disposed of next came the pods they came out of. Like the Mavericks, with two people working on the same one, it didn't take long to destroy them all. Vent sighed.
"That's all of them."
"Vent, behind us!"
"When did that get here!?"
It was another pod. This one opened up and revealed some familiar faces.
"Those two! Its Prometheus!"
"Who?"
"The guy who beat me after I fought Boss."
"Oh! Well let's get 'em!"
"Too late!"
The pair's radios activated.
"Vent! Aile! We have enemies heading for the engine rooms!"
Vent held his head.
"This is one hell of a day."
"Vent, you go. I'll take care of the other enemies."
Aile changed to Model F. Vent nodded.
"Okay. You watch yourself."
"You too."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Y-you stay away from the reactor."
"Pfffft. And who are you to stop us?"
"Why you!"
The Guardian escorting Prairie had headed off Prometheus and Pandora in the engine room. The Guardian fired to no avail. Pandora projected a shield that proved impervious to standard fire arms.
"Move aside..."
Prairie growled.
"This is bad!"
"Prairie!"
"Huh? Vent!"
"You alright?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
Pandora looked onto Vent with what appeared to be interest.
"You...the boy from before...Model Z and X...as one..."
Prometheus snorted.
"Or should we just say Model Zx now? We're on orders to kill you all here and now. And better yet I get to take some heads as keepsakes. Isn't that lovely? Still, such a waste. Let's see if you're worthy of being a sacrifice for Model W, shall we?
"Bite me, Bonehead."
"Prometheus...That's not fair..."
"Chill out Pandora...well...I guess you're always chilled out but...bah. Relax. I'll leave some of the fun...unless he's to fragile and I cut him up to easily."
Pandora warped away. Vent drew his beam saber. Prairie put a hand on his shoulder as though asking him not to do this alone."
"Vent..."
"Get back Prairie. He's mine. I've got a score to settle."
"...You had a score to settle with Puprill too it seems..."
Vent paused.
"I'm not too proud of that."
"Oi! We gonna fight or what!?"
Prairie and her escort left. Prometheus ignited his scythe.
"Let's do it!"
Usually Vent was the first to move. Prometheus was the one to move however. He moved straight at Vent and before he could do anything, kicked Vent straight into the wall.
"Ugh...so you have some fight do you?"
"Do I look like a pseudoroid to you?"
"I don't know. Let's see if you can get cut like them!"
Vent charged and swung his saber. Prometheus was better than he expected. He blocked everything. Vent eventually got the blades of the scythe and saber to lock.
"Heheheh...you've improved, kid."
"Yeah, I'm just getting started."
Vent pulled his gun and shot Prometheus straight in the chest. The skeletal reploid recoiled and Vent took that opening to slash him.
"You've really improved."
Prometheus rose off of the ground and began throwing purple fire at Vent. Luckly the flames were slow and easily dodged.
"Is that all you have, Prometheus?"
"Hardly!"
Not moving from his position of floating in the center of the room, energy spikes began springing from the walls. Vent caught a rather blunt one to the stomach. As Prometheus did it again, Vent jumped up and tackled Prometheus to the floor before getting a few more good slashes in. The next one would be at his throat.
"Gotcha..."
"Wrong!"
The skeletal being warped out from underneath Vent. Around that time, the door opened and Aile slipped in.
"Vent! Are you-- wait...is it over?"
Prometheus blinked.
"Well well well...another one. This is an unexpected development. I'll have to tell Lord Serpent about this."
"You're not leaving here alive, Prometheus."
"You're stronger than I gave you credit for. You combined the biometals for more power. Quite the nifty little feature. That woman sure knew what she was doing when she created them."
"Wait!"
Prairie barged in.
"You said 'that woman!' You're talking about Sis, aren't you!?"
"Oh, so you know her. Well, then you're waaaaaaaaay older than you look. You're not of this time. You must be a...yes. I see. Hahahaha...what a surprise. Quite the connection you two share."
Zero growled.
"What do you know about Cie--"
Prometheus ascended into the air. Vent pointed his blaster.
"I said you're not leaving, Prometheus!"
"Don't be so quick to bear your fangs little Megaman...Or I'll have to see to it you die like the Red Megaman did..."
"You son of a--"
Prometheus' expression turned to a glaring sneer.
"Be glad you're alive! Remember...I let you live. But if you insist on stupidity, then we're bound to cross paths again. Hahahahaha!"
Prometheus vanished. The intercom crackled on.
"Commander! The enemy fleet is retreating!"
"Good. Get a damage report and get the wounded to Myuget and Rose. I want them a priority!"
"Roger that!"
Vent and Aile looked to Prairie.
"Seems we need to have a little talk, doesn't it?"
"Yes. Come to the command center."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Is this about Prometheus' 'not of this time' statement?"
"Yes, it is, Vent. I'm sure you know that a long time ago humans and reploids were in a brutal war with one another?"
"Yep. Hundereds of years ago."
Aile frowned.
"Isn't that just history now?"
"Yes, Aile, however, I'm a machine of that era...made to look like a person. I'm a reploid."
Vent nodded.
"That makes sense, seeing as you made statements about humans that you didn't apply to yourself."
"Yeah. Sis, however...was human. She was a scientist that tried to protect Reploids when no one else could. When the war was over and everything was at peace, she created the Guardians because Maverick outbreaks still happened. The prupose of the Guardians, as I'm sure you know, is to locate the source of them and eliminate it. But...Sis...she's gone and..."
Vent rubbed his eyes.
"So...you've been fighting Mavericks for centuries compared to my last few weeks and Aile's 15 minutes...Fighting for those you love...just like Aile and I...course, you been at it longer."
"Vent..."
"Boss...Giro always said never give up. That I had something I needed to protect. To do that, we need to destroy Model W and the Mavericks. For Giro...for Aile's mom...my mom...your sister. Everyone."
"...Yep...thanks, Vent."
"Let's get to it then."
Vent and Aile let out a whine. Aile put and hand on Prairie's shoulder.
"Prairiiiiiiiiiie! Come on! We just repelled a massive attack! How about we cut the crap and just celebrate. Just this once?"
"I don't know..."
Vent and Aile were completely in sync with one another.
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!?"
"...Oh, alright. Bunch of kids, I swear."
"Excuse me?"
"Just messing with you! Let's go!"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It came as no surprise that the party was so readily accepted by the Guardians. They had everything they needed, with the exception of pizza. Guardians were pulling out secret stashes of booze left and right. Three of them imparticular had their arms around one another, swaying back and forth singing nothing imparticular. Rose had hit her limit after two glasses and was passed out on the couch, red in the face. Vent, Aile, and Prairie sat together looking over their allies in all their drunken glory. Prairie laughed and shook her head.
"Hahahaha! To think, I command these goofballs."
"We're a quirky lot we are."
"I'm with Vent."
Prairie sighed.
"If you two will excuse me, I'm gonna go talk with the others."
Prairie left the two alone. Vent took a long draft of whatever alcohol he had gotten his hands on. Aile followed suit.
"Well, Aile, I guess I'm gonna have to teach you how to use the biometals...say, where are they?"
"Chattering amongst themselves."
In their usual manner, they were in a corner talking about Vent and Aile. Zero snickered.
"I bet you guys 200 energy crystals each that they get drunk and do it."
Harupia and Fefnir were in without a second thought.
"You're on!"
"I accept your bet."
Phantom laughed.
"Oh, alright. I'm with Zero though."
Leviathan nodded.
"Me too."
X sighed.
"For the sake of my morals, I'm with Harpuia and Fefnir."
"Gambling, X? I think that still goes against your morals."
"Oh why don't you just kiss my--"
"Cause I said I don't swing like that."
"ZERO!!!"
Aile sighed. Vent took immediate notice and inquired.
"What's wrong?"
"I...saw your fight with Puprill..."
"...I...I see...Aile, that was a moment of weakness, it won't happen aga--"
"And what if it does!? What then!? Phantom had a point. Keep this up and you may become like Serpent..."
"Don't say things like that."
"But it's true!"
"I...you're...you're right...sorry..."
"Apology accepted."
"...Want another beer?"
"Fuck that, I'm going up to wine."
"Then so am I!"
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vent woke up the next morning with a hangover.
"Holy shit...did someone get the license plate of that truck?"
Vent didn't move for a moment. Movement only aggravated his headache.
"Just how much did I drink last night?"
Vent felt something warm pressed up against his back. A soft pair of breasts. He didn't give it much thought for a moment until...
"Wait...who...!?"
There was a soft yawn next to him.
"Oh man...what happened? How much did I...? What the...who the...did I...?"
Vent slowly turned over...
"Oh god..."
...and was staring into Aile's eyes.
"...Vent?..."
The two slowly looked under the covers and quickly shut them before looking at each other again. What came next more that likely woke the entire airship.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
The door slid open almost instantly and Prairie dashed in.
"What the hell happ--"
She was met with the two sitting up right, eyes wide staring at one another. Aile held the blankets over her breasts. Prairie blinked.
"Oh god...this is...oh god..."
She turned and left. In the corner, Zero, Phantom, and Leviathan spoke in unision to Harupia, Fefnir, and X.
"Pay up."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Whew! Now THAT was a big chapter. Hope I at least caught a few of you by surprise by my curve ball. If I offended anyone with it, I apologize. I just had to do it. In fact, I had it planned since day one. Well, I doubt you'll see a chapter that big until we near the end, but that will come in time. Let's not rush, right? I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I liked writting it. I was looking very forward to this one. So much so that I had to post it now, and not wait 'till Friday. Until next Friday!
