What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of Zero's Origin. A big thanks to Titanic X for the assist last chapter. Go on, say a few words to the crowd, X.
Titanic X: Good to see you are interested still, peeps! :) Hope this chapter will grab your attention! :3
Quick note: Most of the scenes with Origin will be in the first person point of view. So pardon us if you have trouble following along.
Now for the disclaimer: We do not own, except our OCs, Gundam or Familiar of Zero. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!
Zero's Origin
Chapter 2: Academy Life and the Challenge
Magical Academy of Tristain [Dorms]
Y'know, at first, I thought being an adventurer and the main protagonist would be fun. Unfortunately, that turned into a nightmare when my flesh and blood body became the cold, metallic form of my Gundam.
Was I surprised? Hell yes!
Was I happy? Fuck no!
Being a mobile suit had pros and cons after all. For instance, I can fight someone without having to worry about getting hurt, that's a bonus. I don't get tired or hungry or even need to use the bathroom, I suppose that's good too. Then came the downsides, the first of which renders my new frame unable to register any type of feeling. I can't sleep, eat, or drink. Not only that, but I don't have my manhood! Literally! How fucked up is that?! No dick means no sex! That is a fate worse than death!
"Hey!"
That familiar loud noise which came from this pint-sized little girl shook me out of my thoughts. Oh yeah, this brat's my 'Master' and the one who put me in this metal chassis.
"Yeah? What is it?" I responded. I don't know whether my new robotic edge in my voice was cool or creepy. Better the former than the latter.
"You've been quiet the entire walk." Louise glared up at me with a small pout. "What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing in particular." came my swift reply.
My answer didn't seem to make her any less curious, but she seemed to drop it. "My room is just around this corner."
"Oh goodie, I'm looking forward to that," I sarcastically said.
"Excellent, because you'll just love your new home," Louise replied, ignorant of my sarcasm. Had I been able to, I would've rolled my eyes.
Yeah, don't count on it...
We came to a stop at a door, along with a line of other doors. If this is some kind of academy then these must be dorms. Which means I must be standing in front of Louise's dorm.
The pinkette turned the knob and opened the door, stepping inside of a rather plain looking room. Heh, even for a noble, these guys aren't living in luxury. Unless their meals count as well...
"Hmm, pretty sucky living conditions," I remarked.
"Silence! I'm still a noble for your information!" The petite girl yelled, much to my new audio receptors' annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah, noble this, noble that. I don't care." I marched right past her and sat down on a bundle of straw that was placed near a corner. Don't know why, but it seemed the most secluded for me to get some peace and quiet. "All I care about is going home and back into my original body."
The pinkette gave me a confused stare. "Why do you keep saying that? I thought you said that you were a knight of your clan."
"Well, it's a lot more complicated than that…" I admitted. "You see... I was originally human, but when you summoned me, your magic must've altered my body into what you see right now."
"So… you're actually human?" She almost sounded disappointed.
"Not anymore." Came my reply. "I don't have any organs, blood, nerves, or even my senses. I think all I have is a soul." I looked down at my mechanical hands. "Still, I want to be human again even if this frame is nigh-impervious."
"You sound so confident in yourself," Louise remarked.
"Because I am. Your little explosion didn't even affect my chassis." I tapped my chest, getting a resounding ding from my servo touching it.
"I was trying to cast a fireball!" She yelled.
"Inside voice, brat!" I countered, irritated by the girl's yelling. "There are other people here besides you and me!"
That seemed to shut her up. Good, I can't stand loud people, especially girls that like to scream a lot.
"Now, while we're on the subject, let's- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" I exclaimed when I noticed the petite pinkette undress right in front of me.
"Undressing." She replied like it was a normal thing. Then she threw her shirt and skirt right at my 'face'. "I'm tired so I'm going to bed. And since you're here, I need you to do my laundry."
…
…
"Excuse me?"
Louise slipped a nightgown on then gave me this sort of tsundere look that only made her seem cuter for some reason. "I said, I need you to do my laundry because summoning you took nearly all of my magic energy."
"What the hell do I look like to you, a maid?!" This was my bratty siblings all over again. Making me do all the chores while they sat around goofing off. Ungrateful bastards...
"Have them done in the morning, please. I'm tired." She placed a laundry basket filled with dirty clothes then shoved them into my hands.
"There's no way that I'm-"
Why don't you obey her? Why don't you follow her every command?
For some reason, my vocalizer had stopped. I could feel my mainframe sending me commands that I would usually dismiss. However, it made me more… submissive? What the hell was going on with me?!
"Fine, I'll get them done," I replied robotically. I felt infuriated. Like something was controlling my mind if I was being disobedient or rebellious.
Without another word, I picked up the basket and left, closing the door behind me.
Now, normally, I'd be pissed as all hell. In fact, I am pissed as all hell! I'm nobody's servant! I'm a goddamn human being!
…
Well, technically, I'm not, but I've still got rights, dammit!
And where the hell am I even going!? I don't know anything about this place! I can't just wander this fucking hall forever!
"Um, excuse me."
I stopped then looked back. My optics were met with the sight of a lovely young woman with neat black hair, brown eyes, and light skin. She was dressed in the notable black and white uniform of a maid. For some reason, I noticed her features looked… Asian.
"Something you want?" Came my inquiry. Dammit, that's not how you talk to a woman! "Pardon me, I'm a bit disgruntled right now. I've no idea where to take these accursed clothes to wash."
The girl smiled up at me. Right then and there, I felt enchanted by her smile. "Oh, I'd be happy to help you."
"Thank you, young lady." I nodded my thanks to her. "Ah, I don't believe I caught your name."
"My name's Siesta. I work as a maid here." She replied, her smile brightened. "And you, good sir?"
"I am Origin." I gave her a pleasant bow. "An honor to meet such a beautiful maiden."
My optics caught a tinge of pink on her light cheeks. "O-oh, you flatter me, kind sir." Her chocolate orbs looked at me in recognition. "Are you perhaps the familiar that all of the young nobles have been gossiping about?"
Ah, so I'm the talk of the town, eh? Don't know whether that's good or bad. Probably bad since they'll mock me or something. Well, I could always take it as a reason to practice my spine-ripping.
"Unfortunately, yes," I replied with a grimace.
"That is rather unfortunate. I serve lady Louise every so often," Siesta giggled softly. "I don't think I could do it. Be a familiar, I mean."
"Trust me, I dislike it very much." Came my reply. Don't know whether to blame Louise for making me like this or to curse her world's magic for turning me into a machine.
"Well, why don't you follow me? I'll take you to get these cleaned." Siesta took the laundry basket from me and continued down the hall while I followed her from behind.
Along the way, she asked me questions about who I was, where did I come from, and everything that came to mind. I answered as best I could. Though somewhere along the way, I asked her about herself.
We chatted for quite some time, especially when we came upon the laundry room. Thankfully, Siesta and I were the only ones there. So I watched her clean my young charge's clothes since I didn't know the first thing about cleaning lady clothing without a washing machine and a dryer.
"I'll get these dried and ready for Ms. Louise in the morning," Siesta told me.
"You don't really have to do that," I interjected. I've already burdened her enough with my problems.
"No, but I want to." She said, smiling that wonderful smile of hers. "You're my friend, Mr. Origin."
"Please, call me Origin. Mr. Origin was my father." I joked, earning me a giggle of amusement from the young maid.
"You're so funny," she said, her tone filled with mirth. "I hope you have a good night." Siesta gave me one last smile then ushered me out.
I wondered to myself that if I were human, would I have been smitten with that girl's unmistakable charm? If her smile was any indication, I most certainly would've been taken by such a beautiful girl.
I glanced out a window, noticing that it was late in the evening with twin moons over- TWIN MOONS!?
Gaping in silent shock, I stood there as two large moons sat in the midnight sky with nary a twitch. There was no doubt about it that I was in another universe or maybe even an alternate dimension.
I need to find some way to calm down, or else I'm gonna lose what little mind I have left in me to this madness.
…
A quick glance at my back and the protrusions that hid many verniers gave me an idea…
I always did want to try my hand at flying.
Opening the window, I carefully stepped onto the edge, balancing myself as I prepared to make a dive.
Okay, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Just imagine myself flying and the rest should come naturally. In the words of one of my favorite movie actors: Time to nut up or shut up!
With a leap, I kicked off from the windowsill, spreading my arms and legs for flight…
...only to plummet to the ground a second later while screaming. "FUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKK!"
THUD!
…
…
"Ow." Even though I don't feel pain or register to it, I couldn't help but voice my muffled discomfort.
With a strained grunt, I removed my face from the dirt, wiping away grass and soggy earth from my optics and mask until I was met with a perfect indentation of my Gundam's face.
"This is gonna take some time to do…" So much for flying free as a bird.
However, I didn't really want to embarrass myself again so I returned to Louise's room, identifying the area after making a mental map of this joint.
Romania Trail [Miles from Tristain]
The darkness was perfect.
A soft hum escaped his chest as he peered through the brush, his keen optics picking out the sight of the trail. He flexed his wings a bit, feeling the urge to take flight, but he refrained as he needed to keep the element of surprise.
He shot a brief glance at the runes inscribed on his right upper arm, and he wondered if he should use his abilities, but then he dismissed it, preferring his own sensors and scanners for this. While it was useful, he admitted, he wasn't about to let his military experience become rusty because he relied too much on it.
A soft scuffle caught his audios and he perked up, crouching down as he scanned using his night vision.
"Bingo…" he whispered softly. His wings flexed outwards a bit from underneath his cloak, and he watched as the bandit group started to come into view.
They were clearly coming back from harassing a group of travelers if the goods they carried were any indication. No doubt just a few kilometers back. He waited patiently as they came, laughing and congratulating each other on their success. As they drew closer, he gripped his beam magnum in one hand and his shield in the other.
"All right… time to move," he muttered to himself.
The dark-colored figure leaped out of the brush, landing in front of the bandits as he splayed his arms and legs in a fighting stance. "All right! You'll go no further with those goods!" he snarled.
The bandits looked at one another in confusion before they burst out laughing. "You idiot! You honestly believe that you are a match for us?" one of them mocked, a grin crossing his face.
"... More than you know," he muttered, his wings flexing outward from underneath his cloak to show his imposing wingspan. His optics flashed beneath his hood as he aimed his beam magnum. "So I'd do as I say, or else!"
The first man simply rolled his eyes and tossed one of the goods to another bandit. "So you claim," he sneered. "So I'll tell you what. You beat me and my two best, we'll leave. You fail… we get the goods, and yours."
The mech rumbled thoughtfully, but he knew better than to trust anyone in this dimension. Even his partner, to some degree. "Fine…" he mused.
Two other bandits, both muscular and well built, stepped into the circle as they began to assemble. The others began to cheer on their fellows as the foursome began to circle one another. "Well… this should be interesting," he hummed.
The first man drew out a sword and charged at him, but the mech rolled to the side with surprising ease and he swung his shield around to block the second strike. The blade clanged off his shield and he returned the favor by pressing a button on his beam magnum and a small metal bayonet popped out. He whipped his gun around for a bayonet slash, and the blade met with the sword as the man pushed back.
He grunted, pushing back against him and causing him to stumble back. His optics flashed briefly as he swung his rifle again, this time intent on inflicting an injury or two. The leader blocked again, this time lashing out with a kick as well. The blow connected with his chest armor, right below his Minovsky reactor. He staggered back from the hit, but he refused to go down. He regained his balance and looked up. "Not bad. But you're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat a soldier."
The mech charged at the bandit, this time jabbing his bayonet forward and gashing the man on the arm. He grunted in pain, but he didn't drop his weapon. Instead, he switched his hand and punched, but the cloaked form dodged it and landed on his feet lightly. He crouched on the metal balls of his feet before he sprang into the air, using his verniers to grant him a boost. He took the time to holster his beam magnum and his hand flew for the sword in his shield, pulling it out in a flash of metal and beam edges as he ignited them at the same time.
He landed on his feet and, with a burst of thrust, he dashed for one of the men and swung his sword, only to have it blocked by the leader's two best fighters' weapons, an ax and a lance.
The mech pulled back before he looked at them, his mind racing as he pondered his options. One of them was to rely on his fin funnels, but he didn't want to expose the extent of his armaments or his abilities to anyone else. Then again… he wasn't given many options right now, was he?
Had he been able to, he'd have gritted his teeth in frustration. But then again, being a soldier sometimes required thinking outside the box. And he was known to be very creative at times.
As he started to circle, his foot brushed against some loose mud and soil, and an idea came into his processor. Yeah… That would work.
"So… let me ask you…" he began. "Does your mother often sleep with pigs? Because I can smell you from here."
That got the man. "What did you say?!" he blurted.
The mech chuckled to himself. A classic trick. Anger the opponent and they wouldn't think clearly. "You heard me," he said. "Your mother slept with pigs because you stink."
The bandit growled as he hefted his sword. "That's it!" he shouted. "You are going down!" He ran at the mech, but he simply stood his ground. He felt a smug purring coming from his reactor as he stood there… and then he lunged to the side and bashed the man in the back with his shield.
A yelp came from the bandit and he landed face first in a mud puddle as he was tripped at the same time. His sword landed blade first in the ground beside him.
The mech stood up, brandishing his sword as the man with the ax came at him. He simply leaned his head to the side as the ax head barely missed his hooded helm. He flashed his optics before he suddenly moved, darting away as the man with the lance tried to impale him. He whipped his sword up in an angled cut, the blade meeting with that of the lance and the two struggled against one another for a brief instant. The mech's frame tensed as he pushed, shoving the lance upwards and slamming his shield into the bandit's face, cracking his nose and knocking him out cold.
The ax-wielding bandit saw this and swung his ax for the mech's neck. But he saw it coming and brought up his shield, deflecting the ax and swinging his sword. The blade cut into the metal handle, but the bandit pulled it away before he lost the ax itself. He glanced at it and snarled. "This was a family heirloom!" he growled.
"Shame. I'm sure whoever that belonged to is sorely disappointed in you," the mech retorted. "Now… I'll offer you a chance to back off and get away unharmed, or you can continue this and face defeat."
The group looked at one another, hesitant about facing down someone who had taken down two of their best. It seemed a bit too easy, the mech mused, but then again, these guys weren't soldiers like he was.
They started to retreat, leaving the goods behind only after he took a step towards one of the men who tried to sneak off some gold. They didn't even bother to grab the two men he had taken down.
"Too easy," he muttered. "But then again, I did serve in the military." He paused a moment. 'Or have my abilities…' he thought to himself. 'And truthfully, I didn't even need them this time.'
He looked at the sky, the twin moons glimmering. "Hmm… Wonder what's happening down in Tristain…"
He brushed it aside though as he flexed his wings and took to the air to get out of sight for when the robbed travelers came down the road.
Tristain [Next Day]
Sleep was uneventful, considering I couldn't sleep anymore. Time seemed to pass like a speck of dust flowing against the wind. Before I knew it, the sun had risen, signaling the start of a new day.
I glanced over to my little partner, noticing how she snoozed softly under her blanket. Despite her age, she still looked to be the size of a little girl. In a way, she almost could've been the little sister I never had, and probably don't want to have.
Well, time to wake the brat up.
"Hey, Louise, get up," I said, nudging her bed.
She only groaned in annoyance, obviously having a good dream.
If I still had eyes, they'd be rolling right now. So I decided to nudge her shoulder with a bit more force. "Hey, wake up!"
The pinkette groans again as she sat up groggily, her eyes half open as she looked around then at me. "Who are you?"
"Are you daft? I'm the guy you summoned yesterday, remember?" It seems this little girl was gonna annoy me at every ounce of the day.
She gave me an inquisitive stare then simply said, "Oh…"
The fuck is that supposed to mean? Is she disappointed again!?
Louise stretched her arms, ignorant of my present irritation. "I hope you managed to wash all of my clothes before you went to bed."
"Can't sleep, remember?" I pointed out then gestured to the pile of neatly folded clothes. "And I already got someone to do it for you."
That got the pinkette. "Who?!" she blurted.
I raised a nonexistent brow. "A maid named Siesta."
Louise pursed her lips. "I see…" she mused. "At least you got the laundry done."
For some reason, I thought I noticed a faint look in her eyes. It could've been my imagination, but I had no experience with women's feelings at all. Understanding them was a pain…
The pinkette shuffled out of her bed and outstretched her arms. "Dress me."
…
"No fucking way."
"And why not?" she asked, irritation flickering in her eyes.
"I am not dressing you! You're old enough to do that yourself!" Came my pissed off response.
Louise growled. "Fine! But make me breakfast instead then!" she huffed.
"No way! I'm not your damn servant!" I shouted, storming out of the room and slamming the door behind me.
After I had left Louise behind, I stormed past any noble or commoner that got in my way, glaring at them with my optics if they so much as complained about me.
God, that girl makes me so fucking mad! And the sheer audacity that she thought I would dress her? That pissed me off even more!
Man, I can't wait until this whole thing passes over and I can get the hell out of this- Oh, looks like I'm outside…
Well, I might as well enjoy the fresh-
Oh… right…
Fucking mechanical body...
"Kyuu!"
Huh? Looking above me, I noticed a blue… dragon? Yep, a living-breathing dragon was flying overhead until it noticed me and landed right all up in my personal space.
"Kyuu?" It cried a bit cutely.
"Uh, hello…" Came my awkward response.
The dragon looked at me curiously then gave me a few sniffs. It kinda reminded me of a cat or a dog. And like either animal, they were curious about many things. Turns out I'm one of them.
Now, this may get me potentially killed, but I actually wanted to try this forever. I mean, who can say they met a living breathing dragon that's not trying to kill them?
So I decided to pat this thing on the head. Yeah, that's right! I'm petting a dragon.
I received a purr from the dragon. Seem I found a sweet spot. It nuzzled against my metal hand for more so I gave it another light scratch behind its 'ears'.
"You're a friendly little fellow, aren't ya?" I chuckled.
"Oh, Sir Origin." A familiar voice reached my audio receptors.
Glancing behind me, I noticed that it was my new friend, Siesta. "Oh, it's you again. Hello." I greeted with a nod.
The girl smiled at me. "It's nice to see you again." Her features garnered confusion. "But what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be with your mistress?"
A growl escaped my non-existent throat. "That's why I'm out here. Stubborn brat expected me to dress her when she's clearly old enough to do it herself then she had the nerve to have me cook breakfast for her!"
My left arm moved without my consent. I looked down to see the dragon nuzzling against my frame, possibly wanting more affection.
"Yes, yes, I know," I said, patting the dragon on the head.
"Wow Tabitha, I'm surprised she didn't bite him yet. She doesn't let anyone but you touch her."
The maid, dragon, and I turned at the sound of the noise. It was a red-haired girl with tanned skin and a voluptuous figure as evident by the fact her… assets were threatening to pop out of her top. Next to her was a petite blue-haired girl with glasses and carrying a staff with her along with a book. The blue-haired one had this rather creepy, emotionless look on her face yet her eyes held a sense of curiosity.
"Sylphid?" The bluenette spoke softly.
Is she talking about the dragon? "So that's your name?" All I received was a nod from the blue-scaled creature. "That's a nice name. I'm Origin."
Sylphid cooed then nuzzled me again before turning to its master.
The busty redhead spoke up with a sly grin. "Tabitha, your Sylphid seems to like Louise's golem."
...If that bitch calls me that again, I'm tearing her fucking spine out with my bare servos.
The shorter girl, Tabitha, went back to reading her book before she turned and walked away, "Come."
Before I knew it, the dragon immediately followed but before rubbing its large head against me one last time. Once the master and her familiar were out of sight, I noticed Siesta was still behind me. "Oh, Siesta, I shouldn't take up your time. You still have a job to do, right?"
The dark-haired girl gasped. "You're right! Please excuse me!" She gave me a bow then quickly hurried off to perform her duties as a maid.
Once I turned back, I was greeted with a pair of barely contained breasts that seemed to be pressing against my optics. "I must say, you're a rather fascinating familiar. You can talk, move, and think without a brain." The redhead spouted on. "Tell me, are you really a golem or are you some sort of mage knight?"
"Get your udders out of my face!" I yelled.
"Don't worry, I won't say anything. Did little Louise pay you to act as her familiar?" The redhead inquired.
"If she did, I would be out of here and back home with a flesh and blood body," I growled.
Apparently, she wasn't listening to me. "You don't have to lie to me, handsome." She laughed. "Did she really summon you?"
I had half a mind to bonk her on the head, but my mother raised a gentleman. I will not assault a lady unless she does something to me. "It's Origin. And yes, the girl did summon me."
She raised her brows at me. Maybe she was flirting with me because if she was then this was a waste. After all, no male anatomy means I can't have fun with this chick. And God in Heaven did I wanna have fun with her.
"Well, I am Kirche." The dark-skinned young lady said. "The person that just walked away with the blue hair was Tabitha. Say, why don't you come and be my familiar alongside Flame? I'm sure that I can be better company than Louise." She leaned forward, exposing a bit of her cleavage.
Sweet Jesus, why must the universe punish me for being denied such a prize? I won't say it out loud, but I was actually considering taking her offer. I mean, what did I get from that spoiled little brat beside a mechanical body and unending servitude that made me want to vomit (if I had a stomach) along with being taken from my home against my will. That whole Founder Brimir thing that Louise kept talking about made me want to find this so-called god and kill his ass a thousand times over.
The bastard…
So, with great reluctance on my part, I put my servos on her shoulders and give her a little push back. "Listen, it's not like I want to be the brat's familiar. Truly, I don't. And I'd like nothing more than to get a feel for those bazookas you call breasts." I admitted. "Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of doing that since… I'm not human anymore."
"Huh?" Kirche looked at me in confusion. "What do you mean by that last part?"
"It means just what it is…" My optics landed on my metal boots/feet. "Before Louise summoned me, I was a normal human man with blood, skin, hair, and organs. However, when I arrived I lost all of that. So now, I'm resigned to this… metal prison." I gave her a hard look, but with the face of a Gundam, it was hard to read an expression. "I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't even breath or feel anything!"
She backed away from me, seemingly afraid if her wide eyes and gaping mouth were of any indication.
"I'm not human anymore! I can't feel pain, sadness, happiness, or lust! I'm a soulless machine that was built for one thing: War!" My voice had risen. Almost to the point where I was ranting. "So how do you think I feel when I'm stuck in a land I have no clue about with people that I always have this need to destroy? To tear apart the fuckers who took me from my home, my body, my soul, and my identity!"
Once I had finished, I noticed that Kirche was cowering before me. Damn, I must've scared her…
I looked away from her. "Sorry…" I apologized. "I shouldn't have taken it out on you."
After settling her brief moment of terror, Kirche looked at me with a strange glint in her eyes. "Oh, don't worry about that. It wouldn't be the first time I had a few angry boys rant about their lives."
Apparently, she took it all in stride. It's like nothing phased this woman. "Right…" A dry response was all I could muster.
Something brushed against my left leg. Looking down, I noticed it was a giant red salamander and it seemed to be nuzzling my leg like a cat. "That's new…" I muttered.
"Huh, well if Flame like you, then you must not be all that bad." The buxom redhead remarked with an amused grin.
Lucky me...
"I wonder what makes you so different when a dragon and a salamander can approach you so easily?" Kirche wondered aloud with a small laugh, seemingly taken notice of my discomfort.
"Who knows." I shrugged, patting Flame's head with a cold servo.
"FAMILIAR!" My banshee of a 'master' shouted.
And like that, my 'eardrums' are busted once again...
Kirche gave the approaching pinkette a look of annoyance. "Louise, you don't have to yell, we're standing right here."
Said girl violently turned to the redhead. "Why are you talking to my familiar?!" She demanded. Not even waiting for an answer, she turned to me. "And why are you talking to Zerbst?! Are you just going to wag your tail at every girl you come across, you dog!" She accused while pointing a finger at me.
Why the fuck is she getting so mad about it? It's not like I can do anything to her or any girl for that matter (due to my lack of genitals… stupid robot body).
"Geez Louise, calm down and try to be civil." Kirche gave the smaller, flat-chested girl with a saucy smirk. "Or is that even too much for you?"
For some reason, I could see steam rising from Louise's head. Her small hand grabbed my right hand and tried to drag me away. Apparently, she forgot I weighed a lot more than she realized as evident by my lack of movement. "Come on, familiar!" She yelled at me.
"Alright, alright! Don't get your panties in a knot, pipsqueak!" I shouted back, reluctantly following the enraged girl.
If my audio receptors were still working right after Louise's little tantrum, I would've caught the sly remark that Kirche sent my way.
Courtyard
After being dragged (more like followed) by Louise for a while, I noticed that many of the young nobles were seated outside while enjoying cakes and other sweets that maids brought to their tables as they chatted or gossiped the whole time.
However, when Louise and I came into view, they started whispering things that confused me.
"Zero's Familiar"
"Louise the Zero"
"Jester in a tin suit"
The list went on and frankly, it seemed to only upset Louise, but she persisted and dragged me all the way to a lone table with nary a soul willing to get near her. Like the spoiled girl I know she is, she sat down and gave me a look. Y'know, the look a girl gives you when they want something or have something to say that usually spells trouble...
"You are not to talk to that Zerbst anymore, do you understand?" Louise scowled.
"Is there a reason why?" I asked out of curiosity.
The pinkette had a look of absolute hatred. "It's because her family and mine are rivals. Her ancestor stole my ancestor's fiance with their shameless barbarism."
"So… you hate her because of what happened in the past?" Honestly, that was the stupidest thing I've heard in my entire life. They're rivals because a guy stole her many times' great grandfather's woman?
"And she tried to take you from me! I won't allow any Zerbst steal anything that belongs to me!" Louise declared.
"Didn't we go through with the fact that I'm not an object, brat?" I said dryly.
She didn't seem to be listening to me. "Now get me my tea and some cake!"
Oh, I'll give you a piece of cake alright, you little-
"As the lady commands," I replied sarcastically with a mock bow, reigning in my prideful anger as I stormed off. I don't know why, but I could feel her smug grin.
Curse my manners...
CRASH!
Shit. Seems I bumped into someone and knocked down their- "Siesta?" I exclaimed in surprise when I realized that the person I collided with was the Asian maid.
"Origin?" She spoke softly to me from her place on the ground.
"I'm so sorry about that. I didn't mean to-" I was cut off when she gave me a smile.
"Don't worry about it. Though I do admit, it's rather funny that we bump into each other once more."
I look to see a trolly loaded with cakes, pies, and other known sweets that would have my sweet tooth aching if I still had them. "I guess I interrupted your job again."
"It's alright. I'm actually glad to see you again, Origin." She giggled after standing back up and dusting her uniform to remove any dirt or grass. "Please excuse me." She gave me a bow then took hold of the trolly to deliver the treats to hungry nobles.
...
...
Crap! I should've asked for a slice of cake and a cup of tea! Now Louise is never gonna shut up!
Reluctantly, I returned to Louise's table and, just as I figured, she started ranting on how useless I was and all that shit. I tried my best to tune her voice out, but it was increasingly difficult not to explode in her face.
"You were talking to that maid! How do you know her?" She looked at me accusingly with narrowed eyes.
"I met her last night," I answered, just wanting to end this torment so I could get some peace and quiet. "I didn't really know my way around this place so she helped me get your dirty laundry clean."
"Did you do anything funny to her?" Louise asked dangerously.
Is she fucking serious? "How in God's name could I do anything 'funny' if I don't have a human body?" I shot back in irritation.
She froze then seemed to realize that I had caught her. "Oh…" Her cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment.
"Yeah, 'oh' is right." I glared at her. Well, tried to since my eyes are optic cameras and I don't have any eyelids. (My optics did flash, however)
The pinkette looked away, trying to save face despite her childish act. Good, now I've got some decent silence for once. And since I've got nothing to do around in this primitive landscape, I looked around absently to see if anything caught my eye.
Kirche being hit on by different boys? Lame.
Tabitha reading a book? Yawn.
Siesta setting a plate of cake in front of a blonde boy with a penchant for sniffing roses? Huh? She's speaking to him and placing a basket in front of him. Now some blonde girl with big curls in her hair is giving him shit for some reason. Then if that didn't help the poor kid, a brunette girl, who looked to be a year younger than the blondes, also joined the fray. Whatever the punk did seemed to have earned him a double slap to the face as the blonde girl and the brunette stormed off in tears.
Heh, that's what the dude gets for two-timing.
Smack!
Suddenly, the boy stood up and slapped Siesta across the face, sending her down to the ground with a yelp. The blonde started to yell at her.
Seeing my friend getting hurt by this punk ass kid made me angry. Well, angrier than usual. In fact, I felt the need to crack open his head and bleed him dry of all his life fluids.
My servos gripped the edges of the table so hard they literally shattered into splinters. Louise jumped in surprise and looked at me with a glare, but it would seem the death gaze I had seemed to stop her.
Had I been in Louise's shoes, I'd have been concerned by the shade of color my optics had taken.
Instead of gentle emerald… they were burning red.
[3rd POV]
"Seems you need to be taught a lesson in tact," Guiche said with a cold look as he waved his rose to summon two columns of dirt from the ground that hovered over the terrified maid.
"Please, Lord Guiche. Lady Katie only asked me to deliver the souffle as a surprise. I didn't know!" Siesta cried as the shadows of the dirt columns covered her. She could only look up in utter horror.
"Couldn't you see I was with someone else?" He scowled. "You just made those two ladies cry! How are you going to pay for this?"
"I… I…" She stuttered as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.
"Don't bother," Guiche said without a hint of remorse as he flicked his rose downward. Siesta could only cry out in terror as the columns descended upon her. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact that would end her life.
Immediately, the columns hit the ground with devastating force, sending dirt flying in all directions. Everyone around them watched. Most of them felt that Guiche had gone a little too far, but the girl was just a maid. They could always get a new one.
"That will teach you." The blonde boy said as he collapsed on his chair. He flicked his rose once more and the dust immediately settled. He expected to see a pool of blood below the columns of earth, but curiously enough there was nothing, not even a shred of ripped clothing.
Siesta's eyes were still closed as she waited. She waited and waited, but nothing seemed to happen. Gathering as much courage as she could muster, she peeked through her eyelids. Immediately, her eyes flew open as she looked up to see a very familiar face.
Origin held her in a bridal carry and both of them were a few meters away from the columns of earth. She gazed at her friend in wonder and complete confusion at what just happened. She believed herself dead, but somehow, Origin had managed to save her.
"O-Origin?"
He didn't seem to hear her. In fact, there was something off about him. As if a spirit of vengeance had possessed his metal form and gave him a silent rage begging to be released. She shrunk back a bit when he noticed that his optics were no longer green and filled with kindness. Instead, they were red and filled with a red-hot anger that could melt the very souls of humans.
Everyone present didn't even notice the Gundam move. Well, save for one. Tabitha slowly lowered her staff and dropped her book. Just as she was about to intervene to save Siesta, Origin has somehow managed to beat her to it. Even though her face didn't show it, she stared in wonder at how he moved so fast. It was almost as if he were the wind itself.
Guiche looked at the base of the columns of confusion before he looked in the direction that Siesta's voice came from. When he was greeted with the sight of Origin standing there with the maid in his arms, he narrowed his eyes at the audacity of the familiar.
"You dare interfere?"
Origin didn't respond. His optics flared like blood red suns that couldn't be cooled down.
"You seem like you need to be taught a lesson as well, familiar," Guiche said with a smug grin. "You should not stick your nose into things that don't concern you!"
"I'm going to kill you." The metal knight said coldly.
"E-excuse me?" The blonde mage flinched in surprise.
Origin set Siesta down on her feet, his crimson optics never leaving Guiche's face. "I said, I'm going to kill you."
The boy gulped then started to chuckle nervously while running a hand through his hair dramatically. "So you wish to settle this in a duel? Very well. We shall meet in Vestri Cout in an hour." He said as he turned, dramatically flipping his cloak in the process.
"You don't seem to understand what I just said. I'm going to kill you, regardless of your petty 'noble' duels." The Gundam stated. "In one hour, you will die. Pray to whatever god you worship because nothing will save you after you put your hands on my friend."
Guiche didn't seem to hear him. Or rather, he tried not to hear him. There was something about that familiar that filled his soul with dread.
"Origin, what are you doing!" Louise shouted, marching over to her familiar while the maid shuffled away.
"Where is Vestri Court?" The Gundam demanded, not in the mood for the girl's tantrums.
The pinkette faltered in her step. Shaking her head, she grabbed the mech's arm and tried to drag him away. "We're going to Guiche. You're going to apologize and hopefully, he'll still forgive you."
Origin jerked his limb out of her grip. "I will never apologize to that walking deadman." His tone bordered between venomous to vengeful. "I will see him dead for what he did and that is a promise."
"You can't fight a noble!" Louise countered.
"Oh yeah? Watch me. I'll bring back his head as a trophy." The white warrior passed by the girl and moved to Siesta. "Where is Vestri Court?"
"I-It's that way." The dark-haired maid gestured to a certain direction.
"Good." Black hands flexed with pure killing intent as Origin marched off, passing by many scowling nobles who sought to witness the familiar's humiliation.
Louise could only stare at her familiar's back in surprise and a hint of fear. The look in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine. She knew it from when her mother still served as a soldier in Tristain's military as the fearsome 'Heavy Wind'.
The eyes of a killer...
Vestri Court [One Hour Later]
Origin stood in the grassy field of the court with Guiche standing right in front of him. Guiche was waving his rose through the air in a dramatic fashion as he gave an elegant speech about the power of nobles and their superiority over commoners. A crowd had gathered to watch the duel when world traveled fast that Louise the Zero's familiar threatened Guiche.
Louise stood amongst the crowd, half-expecting her familiar to lose and half-afraid that he could be killed by Guiche. After all, he had no magic that she knew of and only had his metal body.
"I must admit, I didn't think you would show, familiar." Guiche taunted.
"I told Louise I would take your head as a trophy. I intend to keep that promise." The Gundam stated darkly.
The blonde boy narrowed his eyes. "This is your last chance to beg me for forgiveness. Doing so will only grant you a small beating."
A sinister laugh escaped Origin's nonexistent lips. "You stupid kid. You think I'm afraid of a meatbag? You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"I should be saying that to you, commoner." Guiche snarled.
"Oh, I know who I'm dealing with… a dead man walking." Origin's optics flared an icy blue. "I hope your friends are watching because this will be the last time they'll see you with your neck still attached to your body."
The blonde noble growled furiously. "You lowly familiar! I'll show you that we nobles are the ones blessed by the Founder Brimir while you useless commoners have nothing but the clothes on your back!" He swung his rose causing a single petal to detach. It gently fluttered down until it hit the ground and erupted in a small pillar of light.
Suddenly, a metal creature rose from the ground and stood directly in front of Guiche. Said creature resembled a female soldier with a spear clutched tightly in its metallic fist. It seemed entirely made out of bronze.
Guiche threw his arm back with a dramatic pose as he reiterated, "I will show you the folly of your actions, familiar! I do commend your bravery for not running away, but that will not save you." He gestured to the metal golem which was already walking forward. "Behold, my lovely Valkyrie. She will be your opponent."
Origin crossed his arms across his chassis. "Is that really the best you have?" He snarked in disappointment. "I thought it would be more of a threat. That's not even worthy enough to be a decent warm up." His HUD began to detail weak spots and killing strikes on the Valkyrie. "And I thought you would fight me yourself, coward. Guess that's what I expect from you so-called nobles."
There was a hush of silence in the audience as Origin once again insulted a noble, and by proxy themselves. More murmurs began to roll through the crowd.
Guiche's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"
"You hide behind your constructs, which tells me that you're too afraid to face me like a man." The Gundam remarked with disinterest. "If this is how all of you nobles fight then you're as spineless as I thought."
A number of the young nobles glared at Origin as he continued to insult them. Guiche ran his hand through his hair and cast it aside dramatically, trying to quell some of his anger. "You don't seem to understand how nobles fight. You should be in awe of what I can do." He said before he flicked his rose at the mech. "Valkyrie, attack!"
The metal creature launched itself at Origin, a metal fist heading straight for his face. If he still had his eyeballs, he'd be rolling them at how useless and futile the attack would be.
"Vulcan!" At his command, the Beam Vulcan Guns on his helm released their payload of energy projectiles from their barrels and tore the bronze construct into molten scrap.
The Valkyrie fell to the ground in pieces. The metal it was made from melting due to the effects of the beam Vulcans.
Guiche gaped in silent shock as he witnessed his beloved creation fall. The rest of the class exploded with voices and activity when they witnessed such a spectacle.
"What was that?"
"How did he do that?"
"I don't know. It was like he cast magic."
"Did Louise summon a mage knight from a foreign land?!"
Louise and Siesta were staring at him, their mouths hanging open as they looked between Origin and the smoldering pile that used to be Guiche's Valkyrie.
Guiche the Bronze snapped out of his surprise and glared at the familiar. "How did you do that, commoner?" He demanded.
"Would you like to find out or do you have more cannon fodder for me to eviscerate?" Origin snarked, doing the equivalent of popping his neck and knuckles. "Either way, I'm hoping to at least make this last for as long as possible. You wouldn't like me when I'm bored."
Guiche felt his confidence waver slightly when he noticed the icy blue glow from the familiar's optics. He took one step back in fright before he glanced around. Everyone was looking at him, expecting him to best this familiar and show him his place. Trying to regain his composure, he flipped his hair to the side again, though a little shaky this time.
"Well, it seems that I underestimated you, golem. But just because you're able to spout out a few bits of fire magic does not mean you stand a chance against me." He proclaimed dramatically before he flicked his rose again. Six more petals fell to the ground before they each spawned more Valkyries all in a row in front of him.
Origin looked utterly unimpressed. The fool had no clue that a Gundam trounced anything he could throw at him. "Well, this should provide me with some modem of entertainment." He muttered to himself.
Guiche took a deep breath after regaining his pride and confidence. He waved his rose through the air flamboyantly. "You see now, commoner? The difference between you and me?" As he ranted, he failed to notice Origin constructing a new weapon in his right servo. "I can summon multiple entities to fight for me while you stand alone. Our magic means that we are above commoners. How can you possibly think you can defe-"
He was cut off when a brilliant emerald beam shot through the air and struck the head of one of his Valkyries. The construct fell to the ground in a heap with the remains of its head melting from the plasma.
Guiche looked down at his fallen Valkyrie then back at his opponent, who now held a strange musket in one hand that he'd never seen before.
"Shut your cock-gobbling mouth before I plant the next shot between your eyes." Origin growled. His optics flared between icy blue and burning red before settling back to blue.
The boy panicked slightly, but he waved his rose, causing his Valkyries to charge at the white warrior. Origin, however, expected this and blasted two more of them with his beam rifle, destroying them into molten scrap. He stepped back to avoid one of them from slashing his chassis with a bronze sword.
His empty servo went to his shoulder, which opened to reveal a hidden handle that he grasped and activated his beam saber. With a vicious swing of his arm, he bisected the Valkyrie in two.
The last two metal golems tried to get him at the same time, but a single swing of the Gundam's saber destroyed their weapons.
"I'm getting bored here. This isn't even much of a challenge." Origin remarked, sending his rifle back into its data form while holstering his beam saber. "I'll finish you both off with my bare hands." He entered a kickboxing stance and coerced his foes to attack.
The first Valkyrie tried to use its melted spear as a club, swinging it towards the Gundam's helm. However, the mech caught it with one servo and squeezed. A loud groan was heard due to Origin's augmented strength bending and twisting the metal in his grip. He reared his fist back then punched a hole clean through the construct's chest. With a dark chuckle, he shoved his other servo into the gaping hole then used both hands to slowly pull it apart.
Everyone present cringed and covered their ears as the bronze golem was quite literally torn in half by Louise's familiar. A couple of the students felt their stomachs churned when they imagined the act being down to a human.
The last Valkyrie got behind Origin and wrapped its arms around his chassis, preventing him from moving his limbs.
The Gundam struggled for a moment then an idea came to mind. It might hurt, but he's seen Deadpool enough times to know that he'll be fine.
Guiche grinned when he figured that he had the familiar trapped in his Valkyrie's grip until he paled and almost released his lunch when Origin turned his head all the way around till his face met with the face of his Valkyrie.
"Surprise, bitch." The Gundam mentally smirked then fired his beam Vulcans, destroying the bronze creature's face. Once its grip had slackened, Origin quickly got behind it, wrapped his arms around its waist, and with a mighty roar performed a German suplex that drove the Valkyrie deep into the earth.
Rising up back onto his feet, Origin placed his hands on certain sections of his head… then turned it back into place.
"Wade Wilson, eat your heart out." He comments, rolling his neck joint to make sure it still worked properly.
He took notice of Guiche on the ground. Apparently, he had fallen in surprise when his last Valkyrie was beaten so viciously. The boy tried to get on his feet, but Origin didn't give him the time of day.
With a burst of speed, he reared his foot back and kicked Guiche hard in the hips. Several tons of metal came crashing into the mage's ribs with a sickening crack. The impact sent him rolling like a ragdoll and land in a heap on the ground, his rose flying from his grip.
Guiche coughed out a mouthful of saliva mixed with vomit and blood as he held his broken ribs. He looked up at the Gundam, who was slowly approaching him like a demon straight from hell. He frantically looked for his rose before he saw it a few feet away. He reached out and tried to grab it until a red and white foot stomped it into the ground. With a terrified gulp, the boy looked up to stare straight into the menacing icy blue eyes of Origin.
"Now you've no way to use your magic. So what does that make you?" The familiar taunted while flexing his right hand as if eager to spill blood.
Seeing as how there was no way out of this, Guiche lowered his head in defeat, his hands still clasped around his ribs. "I y-y-yield!" He gasped out.
Origin stared at him then grabbed the mage by the throat. He lifted the injured noble into the air as he struggled to remove the iron grip from his windpipe.
"What are you doing?! I yield! You have to stop!" He wheezed and gagged, trying to get air down his lungs.
"I think you're mistaking my intent during this so-called duel. You see, where I come from, a duel means to the death. There is no yield." Origin spoke softly. "A better question for you would be: Why should I stop when you tried to kill Siesta? Did you stop when she was beaten? What makes this predicament any different?"
The blonde stuttered for a moment. "B-because I'm a noble! She's a commoner. I'm above her, so you have to stop."
"What makes you any different now that you can't use your magic?"
"I-I-I have money, and my family has power." Guiche shuddered in fear when Origin's fingers started to feel sharp like claws.
"You don't seem to understand that just because you have magic," The Gundam lightly squeezed as his claws pierced the boy's flesh and allowed red blood to flow down his skin and uniform. "Doesn't mean that you don't bleed like any other human being."
Guiche tried to escape now. Fear overcoming his senses as he clawed at the metal hand gripping his throat. "Let go! Let go of me, you devil!"
"How would you like to die? Slow and agonizing? Or quick and painless?" Origin asked in a childish tone that only made him all the more terrifying. "Come on now, speak up. I'd like to get this over with already." He stood in silence for a moment then shrugged. "Ah, what the hell. I'll just tear your beating heart out."
"ORIGIN! STOP!"
The Gundam froze then slowly looked back at his 'master'. Louise stomped up to him, ignoring her fear of her familiar and the actions he was about to take. "As your master, I command you to stop now. Haven't you done enough? You've beaten and humiliated him in front of everyone. So just stop!"
Origin's optics flared dangerously. "You compare humiliating this pathetic waste of flesh over a person's life? Where were you when this piece of shit almost killed Siesta? Huh?"
The pinkette grimaced, but her mother's 'teachings' took over. "She is just a commoner. She has no important role as a noble does."
"Important, you say?" He spoke darkly, grabbing the punk by the back of his head to hold him up as an example. "And how is this… scum important? To me, he's nothing more than a womanizing, arrogant fool that made a mistake in challenging a Gundam." Origin slowly began to squeeze, threatening to crush the boy's skull as Guiche whimpered in both pain and terror. "What's stopping me from killing him?"
Suddenly, two arms were wrapped firmly around his other arm. The Gundam looked down to see that it was Siesta holding his arm. "Origin, please!"
His icy blue optics slowly returned to their gentle emerald. His grip on Guiche's skull went lax. "Why? He tried to kill you. I'm only returning the favor."
"It's fine. You won the duel. He won't do anything anymore. Please don't kill him." The dark-haired girl pleaded, looking up into her friend's eyes with her dark orbs. She knew that if Origin killed a noble, he would be hunted down like an animal. She couldn't bear to see him die for her sake.
Origin stared into Siesta's pleading eyes then back at the half-conscious Guiche being held in his grip. The Gundam forced the womanizer to look right into his optics. "You should be thankful that Siesta decided to show you mercy. Otherwise, I would've killed you right here and now." He dropped the boy on the ground, who yelped in pain when he landed on his butt. "Let this be a warning to you and any other fool who believes they can do what they want while I'm around. If you mistreat anybody you call a commoner then I'll drive the terror of the White Devil deep into your hearts until you die of fright. Understand?"
Guiche gulped and nodded vigorously. A dark spot appeared on the front of his pants after he soiled himself.
With his task done, he looked to Louise, who flinched when he turned his gaze upon her. "Louise, I will see you later. If anyone gives you trouble, come tell me and I'll tear off their arms for you."
"O-okay…" The pinkette said timidly as the Gundam marched off back to the academy. The nobles present parted to allow him to pass out of fear and respect.
The mech passed by Kirche and Tabitha, who were both watching him. Tabitha stared intently at the white warrior through her glasses; the only thing that gave her surprise away was the look in her eyes. Kirch also had a surprised look on her face… until it morphed into a seductive grin.
"Well, Zero's familiar sure is interesting… and handsome."
"Strong," was all the blue-haired girl said as she continued to stare at the Gundam's retreating form. She had no idea how he managed to summon a strange musket and a sword of light. It definitely wasn't magic because she would've sensed it.
Whoever Origin is… or whatever he is… he was dangerous.
A walking weapon with a cold outlook on life. A warrior without equal. A killer that would show mercy to no one.
A White Devil… as he called himself.
Still, that begged the question: How could Sylphid form an attachment to a golem that had no beating heart?
A/N: That's it for the second chapter.
Titanic X: And Origin has started to show his abilities, as well as cement a reputation for himself. ;)
Well, it's not like it wasn't expected. That's how most Familiar of Zero crossover fics are like. Louise's familiar beats Guiche and becomes the talk of the school.
Titanic X: So, get ready for the next chapter, peeps~! ;3
And stay tuned for future stories and updates, everyone!
Both: Ja ne! :D