DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GUNDAM
CHAPTER TWO
"I'LL DO IT!"
"So what do you have in mind?" I asked again and with a jubilant tone this time. I admit it was quite difficult to contain my curiosity and amusement. I was afraid the boy would notice my beguiled and mischievous expression, but he just ignored me and quickly ran up to Odette while she was busy talking to her father.
"Nee-chan! Hey Nee-chan!" He gently grabbed her left arm and poked her back.
"What, what, what? What the hell ya want, ya little turd? Quit bugging me! Can't you fucking see I'm talking to Dad here? You need to learn some fucking manners or I'm gonna pluck yer Goddamn nose hairs." My oh my. Odette may look like a refined and elegant princess, but when she opens her mouth, the illusion shatters. How can an exquisite-looking person like her be so incredibly vulgar? It's disappointing really.
"Nii-chan over there said he wants to make a wager to spice things up." He said with a beaming and radiant smile that is oh-so-full of childish innocence. Good lord. Did this boy just lied through his teeth? There was no hint of hesitation at all. Just who is this child and how is he related to Odette? I must take note of this.
"A wager, you say? Interesting." Odette crossed her arms and gave me a stern glare that made me shiver. "What kind of wager we're talking about here, Kashiwagi-san?" She raised an eyebrow.
I was about to protest and clear everything up with Odette, but Umeko beat me to the punch and gave me a conspicuous wink that made me worry about his future. This young and precocious scoundrel is quite the natural swindler and trickster. "Nii-chan said that if you win he'll work here as a waiter for a whole month without pay. You can order him around and treat him like a slave. We're talking about anything here, Nee-chan. You can physically abuse him or humiliate him until he breaks. Heck, you can even sell him to the Yakuza if you want. Anything you want, Nee-chan! That's what he said."
"P-Pardon me? Sell me? What?" I frowned. "I didn't say anything about making-
"I like the sound of that." Odette seductively pressed her lips with her pointing finger.
"Same here." Odette's father chuckled and then grunted happily. "Our cafe, Heureux Fortune, might not look like much, but we get really busy during the weekends. We really could use the help. A strapping and charming lad like you would make for a good waiter. Plus, you're not bad looking so you might be a hit with the bored and desperate housewives that hang around here during the day." He winked.
Greta slowly turned around and her expression was so scary that I nearly fainted. I definitely do not want to suffer her fury so I must quickly put an end to this farce. I loudly cleared my throat to get everyone's attention and stood up straight like I was about to give a grand speech. "Look here now, all I want is a friendly-
"So what happens if he wins?" Odette rudely interrupted.
"H-Hey!" I wagged a finger, but she ignored me again.
Umeko grinned. "If Nii-chan wins then he gets to go on a date with Yaeko-onee-chan this coming Sunday."
"WHAAAAAAAT!?" Both Odette and Greta gasped. Odette's father just chuckled again and shook his head.
"No! Why does he want to...No! Please! I don't want this!" Yaeko's face turned pale. She was clearly horrified. "No! Just...no!" She was trembling so hard that she nearly tripped when she hid behind Odette again, clutching her shoulders like a helpless child. Why is she so afraid of me? Is she still thinking about the smoking incident?
"Yes, yes, yes! Oh yes! That's the expression I wanna see! Yaeko-onee-chan, you're the best!" Umeko giggled with such immense pleasure that I unconsciously gulped and took a step back. This boy... This boy is...
"Is is true? You want to go on a date with Yaeko this Sunday?" Odette demanded an answer and she looked like she was about to tear me a new one.
"Hmm..." I closed my eyes for a moment and repeatedly stroke my chin, imitating my father's old habit. He has this peculiar habit of gently stroking his chin when he's feeling stressed-out or when he's deeply thinking about something. So when I see him sitting down on his favorite chair and giving his chin a nice petting while facing the wall then that means something bad must have happened at work or the family head reprimanded him and gave him an earful. Anyway, Yaeko does seem to be an interesting person to be honest and I do want to know more about her. Specifically, I want to know why she is so afraid of me. A date wouldn't be so bad I guess and she is quite easy on the eyes. Not as pretty as Odette here, but she is still quite the vision and a perfect example of a Japanese beauty. After a full of minute of thinking and debating with myself, I slowly opened my eyes and nodded enthusiastically. "Sure. I mean why not? I'm free this Sunday anyway." I snapped my fingers.
Greta took a deep breath as she calmly put down her glass. She then elegantly hopped off the bar stool and marched towards me while cracking her knuckles. "Young Master..." She hissed as she put me in a head lock. I struggled and helplessly flailed my arms, but she was strong as an ox. Oh curse her Special Forces training!
"What are you doing!?" I bellowed nervously. "Cease this at once! Have you gone mad!?"
"I demand an explanation, Young Master!" She tightened her grip and gnashed her teeth.
"Y-You're choking me..."
"Y-Y-Y-Y-You're breaking my heart!" She whined.
"Choking! I'm...you're...ack!"
"You're breaking my heart!" She repeated with a high-pitched voice this time.
"Vision...fading...body...starting...to...get numb."
"I have bigger boobs! Look at her! Look at her, Young Master! She's flat! Flat as a board! Flat chest is not justice! That is a lie! A damn lie!"
"Please...help..."
"Can she make you explode!? Can she!?"
"O-Oh...is that a school? Afterlife? SSS? Kill God? Angel? That all sounds so ludicrous and why is that person dancing and spouting random English words? Bah! Good day!"
"What does she have that I don't!? Tell meeee! I can make you explode, Young Master. I can make you explode. We will explode together. WE WILL EXPLODE TOGETHER!" Greta laughed maniacally. "And you will be making milky fireworks!"
"Grandmother, is that you? Oh no, no, no. I'm quite alright thank you. No boat ride for me." My face was turning blue and foam dribbled out of my mouth.
"KOMME WAS WOLLE, WIR GEMEINSAM EXPLODIEREN!" My maid screamed in German.
"Ah! She's speaking in tongues!" Umeko pointed.
"That was... That was German." Odette said. "That was German, right?"
"Yep." Odette's father nodded nonchalantly like nothing was happening. He then finished cleaning the last beer mug and carefully stored them in the cupboard below the bar.
I finally recovered and managed to squirm out of Greta's hold. "Mother of God... There is something seriously wrong with you, Greta." I said sharply while fixing my clothes and hair. "My goodness, woman. I thought I was done for."
"D-D-Did it feel good, Nii-chan? It felt good, right?" Umeko panted like a dog. His cheeks were brightly flushed and he was hugging his body while indecently shaking his behind. This boy is a pervert alright.
"There's something seriously wrong with you too." I said in a hushed tone and narrowed my eyes.
Greta then suddenly grabbed my hand and she was on the verge of tears. "Young Master, I had enough of this. Let us leave this place and go home!" She ordered ostentatiously with a booming voice and pulled me closer so she can hug me.
"Get a grip, Greta." I said while grimacing and she finally let go. "Your behavior right now is quite unbecoming. Calm down."
"No! I will not calm down! We're going home so I can finally take away your innocence and prove that I'm the better woman for you. I will eat you alive, Young Master, and you will like it. Victory is mine."
"Listen to yourself, Greta! Aren't you embarrassed? You should be ashamed." I scolded her. "My God..."
"Not. At. All." She licked her lips and my knees went weak. "We go home. Then we explode. Then victory."
"You guys...are the best." Umeko was crying tears of joy. Child, I truly worry about your future. Really. I do.
"Wow..." Odette was obviously disgusted. "You guys are freaks." She shook her head after looking away. "Look, are we still gonna fight or what? Don't make me wait here." She turned her head to face me again.
"Of course. The match is still on." I said. "I will prove my mettle, Mademoiselle. That I promise." I teased.
"But you're not gonna touch Yaeko!" She pointed. "I don't give a crap if you win or not. You are not going to take advantage of her. I'm not going to let someone like you take advantage of her. No dates!"
"Someone like me?" I was taken aback and felt slightly offended. She's quite extremely protective of her I must say. I wonder if they're very close and are more than friends. I know it's inappropriate and shameful, but I have this odd fascination with scandalous and taboo relationships, so the idea of these two girls being lovers is quite...delightful and intriguing for me. Two lonely and tragic souls, filling each other with warmth and love. Bah! Blast these lurid thoughts of mine! I need to focus here! Now that I think about it, my weird relationship with Greta is quite...scandalous too. Especially if I break and give in to her lustful advances. Nothing too major compared to same-sex relationships, but it will still raise some eyebrows. Plus, her older sister will probably kill me and keep my skull as a trophy. Heh. I can't help but be amused at the irony.
"Are we clear here?" Odette's voice was full of hostility and hate. "Are we clear?" She repeated in English.
"I assure you I will do no such thing. I merely want to befriend her." I said softly and bowed my head.
"I'll have you know that the Young Master here is a perfect gentleman." Greta said smugly and proudly and then she proceeded to unabashedly tell the story of her latest attempt to bed me. "Two weeks ago, before moving here from Tokyo, I snuck up behind the Young Master while he was busy brushing his teeth in the bathroom one night and I was naked as a jaybird save for the whipped cream covering my naughty bits. I hugged him viciously like a bear and started taking off his clothes like crazy. And you know what he did? He pushed me away after blinding me with toothpaste and gently covered my body with a towel. He then made me sit on the floor and lectured me about depravity and self-respect for a whole hour. I was so touched that I started crying like a baby and I didn't stop until he bought me cake and wine. Young Master is a very thoughtful and sincere young man. A perfect gentleman indeed." She slowly nodded her head approvingly.
"Out-fucking-standing." Odette clapped her hands. "I feel like I should call the cops."
"Please put me out of my misery." I covered my face.
"Oh boy..." Odette's father poured himself some wine. "I feel like drinking something strong after hearing that."
"Y-You people are weird..." Yaeko said under her breath.
"You are a goddess." Umeko shook Greta's hand and he was still crying tears of joy. "A goddess!"
I took a step forward and cleared my throat loudly again. "How about this: If I win then you two will become my friends."
"Friends?" Odette gave me a confused look. "The hell you talking about, you dandy?"
"Friends as in...friends. Comrades. Compatriots. Buddies. Chums. Mates. Consorts. Pals. Friends."
"Are you for real?" Odette laughed as she walked up to me and repeatedly poked my chest. "Are you screwing with me here? You want me and Yaeko to be friends with you? Are you fucking high or just plain dumb?"
"Hey blondie, no touching!" Greta growled. "I have two grenades and a piano wire here! I am not afraid to use them!" She threatened, but Odette just gave her the finger.
"Nii-chan, that's so booooooooring." Umeko rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "At least make them strip or something. I wanna see some skin and humiliation. Oh yes. I definitely wanna see some humiliation."
"Umeko-kun, do you want me to kick you in the nuts again?" Odette smacked him in the head.
"F-Friends? Y-You want to be friends with me?" Yaeko moaned dolefully and then she looked away to hide her blushing face. "I...this is..." She mumbled to herself and fidgeted.
"Yaeko, don't listen to him. This dandy asshole is up to something. I don't trust him." Odette held her hand and gave me the evil eye once again. This girl sure is stubborn, but that's what makes her interesting.
"I'm serious here." I said with a disarming smile for added charm. The best disarming smile I could muster anyway. "I'm very serious here. Dead serious. I really want to be friends with you two."
"Oh! I have an idea!" Umeko's face brightened up and suggestively moved his eyebrows up and down while giggling like a ninny. Well, that sure was out of the blue.
"Umeko-kun, shut up." Odette smacked him again.
"Oh! I have an idea!" The boy repeated.
"Umeko-kun, kindly shut the fuck up."
"Oh! I have an idea!"
"DAAAAAD, BUTCHER KNIFE! NOW!"
"Please let's just hear him out." I said and held up both hands. "Goodness. No need for violence."
"Two versus two!" Umeko said before Odette could launch another fierce retort.
"Two versus two? You mean a team battle?" I cocked my head and put my hands behind my back.
"Yuppers." He nodded.
"Well that does sound interesting." I said softly. "Miss Odette, your thoughts please?"
"Heh." She cracked a mocking smile. "A two versus two team battle match, you say? That's gonna be cake. Me and Yaeko make a good team. We're gonna decimate you good and a side order of my foot up your frigging-
"I'm teaming up with you, Nee-chan." Umeko interrupted and Odette gave him bemused look.
So Yaeko plays Gunpla Battle too. A meek girl like her. Intriguing...
"The hell you talking about, Umeko-kun? Me and Yaeko-
"Nuh-uh." He shook his head. "Not this time, Nee-chan. This time it's you and me."
"Then Yaeko will..."
"Yuppers! Him and Yaeko-onee-chan will team up together. It's us versus them. Pretty neat, eh?"
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Odette violently grabbed him by the collar and proceeded to throttle and menace the poor boy while threatening to shove kitchen utensils up his nostrils. "Why do you want Yaeko to team up with this prick? Why!? Tell meeeeee, you little shit! Fucking tell meeee!"
"Miss Odette, you really need to cut down on the vulgarities. A lady shouldn't say such things." I said.
"I'm afraid she got it from her mother." Her father said and then finished his glass of wine. "Funny, really."
"Umeko-kuuuuun, answer me! Why do you want Yaeko to team up with him!?"
"B-B-B-B-B-Because..."
"Because what!?"
"B-B-B-Because I wanna see Yaeko-onee-chan's flustered and nervous expression! I wanna hear her whimper! I wanna watch her squirm like a worm! I wanna see the look in her eyes as she-
"Hahahahahahahahaha! Dieser Kind ist Wunderbar! Er is der bester!" Greta laughed and gave him the thumbs up. "Young Master, I love this kid."
"U-ME-KOOO-KUUUUUN..." Odette's eyes widened and her face twitched uncomfortably. Such seething fury is about to get unbridled and I doubt Umeko would survive this, but I guess he deserve it. Oh well.
"I'll do it!" Yaeko suddenly almost shrieked and everyone became silent including me. We looked at each other awkwardly as she took a seat in front of the bar and Odette's father poured her a glass of water. She downed it in one gulp and clumsily wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her blouse. She then turned her head to face us.
"W-What..." Odette's expression softened after realizing what just happened and slowly let go of Umeko. The boy quickly scampered away and hid behind Greta. My maid gently patted his head like he was a lost puppy and mentioned something about chocolates and unicorns.
"I'll do it." She said again, clearer this time. "I'll partner with him."
"Yaeko, what are you..."
"I'm just gonna stand next to him, right? I mean...he's not gonna touch me or anything." She bit her lower lip and played with her hair. "I think...I think this will...this will help me get over my fear of men. It's a start at least. I'm not expecting much, but... Also, I believe he's harmless. I think he really just wants to be friends with us. Let's...let's give him a chance, Odette. Please let's give him a chance. I think...I think he's a good guy. Y-You're...you're a good guy, right, Kashiwagi-san?"
"O-Of course." I nodded. My face was completely bright red.
So...that's why. She's afraid of men. She's Androphobic.
"Yaeko..." Odette approached her.
"I'm gonna be fine." Yaeko said. "Don't give me that look, Odette."
"Are you sure about this?" I asked. "Look, no need to force yourself. If you're uncomfortable with-
"I said I'm gonna do it." Yaeko raised her voice and that shut me up. I didn't say anything anymore and just nodded.
Odette let out a heavy sigh and then turned around to face me. "So you really just want to be friends with us?" Her voice was now somewhat empty and tired, it was pretty obvious she gave up and conceded with Yaeko's decision. I guess she's weak against Yaeko. "No ulterior motives or anything?" She sat next to her best friend.
"Yes." I nodded again.
"So you think this is going to help with your problem?" She turned to face Yaeko again and the trembling girl nodded too. Odette rubbed her forehead as she turned back in my direction again. She had this conflicted and frustrated expression on her face and it made me feel uncomfortable. "Okay, dandy boy, you get your match." She frowned that formed into a crooked smile. "A two versus two team battle. Me and Umeko-kun versus you and Yaeko. If we win, you're my slave for a month and I'll work you to the bone until you're nothing but chopped meat. If you and Yaeko wins, then we buddy up with you and live happily ever fucking after."
"Shall we?" I waved my hand and pointed to the battle table.
"Let's fucking rock, you bastards." Odette said. She really needs to do something about that mouth of hers. "Aaaaaand if you do anything funny to Yaeko then I'm gonna break your fucking legs and castrate you."
Really.
That mouth of hers.
Odette led us to a tall metal locker behind the bar and opened it after fumbling around with the key, revealing a large collection of Gunpla model kits and accessories. "Just a FEW models for the customers, huh? You can practically open a small shop with this collection." I joked, but the blonde girl didn't find it funny.
"Just shut up and pick something." She scoffed.
I chuckled and rubbed my hands as I scanned the various models, looking for something that would suit my fighting style. Most of them are High Grades and I only see a couple of Master Grades. "Ah." One caught my eye and I slowly and carefully lifted it up. It was an RX-78GP01-Fb Gundam Zephyranthes Full Burnern. It was sporting a grey and white color scheme with no modification or altercation of any kind save for the different paint job of course. "Perfect." I said with a wide and satisfied smile.
"I'm using this one!" Umeko grabbed an XXXG-01H2 Gundam Heavy Arms Kai. The Endless Waltz version, not the one designed by Okawara Kunio. "Nothing beats firepower and a crap load of firepower is what I need."
"You are such a kid." Odette smirked.
"Well I am a kid." Umeko stuck his tongue out. "Might is right."
"Well then... You two done? We don't have all night here."
"Y-Yeah." I nodded.
"Okey dokey then." She closed the locker and locked it.
"So you're going to use the Bertigo again?" I asked with a somewhat biddable expression.
"Yeah." She answered smugly. "Umeko-kun here didn't even land a single hit during the last fight so yeah my Gunpla is still good to go."
"I'm pretty sure I'm gonna land a lot of hits this time." The boy puffed his cheeks.
"What about Yaeko?" I tilted my head in her direction.
"Oh she's bringing her own personal machine. Don't worry about her."
"This...I gotta see." I smiled from ear to ear.
Odette activated the battle system and we all went to our designated positions. Yaeko stood next to me and nodded nervously. She struggled hard to smile and her body was still trembling. She looked like she wanted to change her mind and run away to cower somewhere, but she relented with all her might. It was a pitiful sight to be honest, but I can't help but admire her courage and determination. She wanted to change. She wanted to overcome her crippling fear of men and she took a risk by trusting me much to the dismay of her overprotective and stubborn friend. All I could do is give my very best and fight hard. I will prove to Odette that we can work together. I will prove to her that I can be trusted. I will win this battle and earn their approval even if I have to eat dirt.
Oh my.
That sounded so very noble.
Anyway, I discreetly turned my head while softly clearing my throat. I wanted to see Yaeko's Gunpla and I have no idea how to ask or approach her. I don't wanna upset her or anything and incur Odette's wrath, so I slowly slid towards her while pretending to check my own Gunpla. When I was in a reasonable distance, I slowly drew my face closer to the battle table and turned my head sideways once again. As if on cue, Yaeko put her Gunpla on the table so she can fix her hair and adjust her clothes. Oh ho! So that's her Gunpla. How very unexpected.
Yaeko's Gunpla was a heavily-modified GNZ-005 Garazzo. The forearms were bigger and a pair of the GOUF Ignited's four-barrel beam guns were skillfully mounted on the top. A smaller version of the Gundam AGE-1 Titus' beam shoulder emitter was mounted on the right shoulder. The left shoulder shield was bigger and probably houses an improved generator that emits a more powerful GN Field. The head was also slightly modified to mount a pair of vulcan guns and what I assumed to be some kind of antenna. The paint job was pretty much the same as Hiling Care's unit, except that it was lighter in tone and more shiny and glossy. All in all, I'm impressed. Did she build this? Wow. Perhaps there's more to her than meets the eye.
"Please set your GP base." The battle system's computerized voice said.
I inserted my GP base into the slot and straightened my posture. "Are you ready, Miss Yaeko?" I asked.
"I'm ready." She flinched at the sound of my voice and I immediately felt guilty. Was my voice too loud? I hope I didn't sound too harsh or strained. Well I better be careful and try to sound friendly as possible when I talk to her next time. Anyway, she took a couple of deep breaths and then also inserted her GP base into the slot.
"Beginning Plavsky Particle dispersal." The blue holographic monitor screens and the floating control orbs finally materialized. The tension was slowly rising as the Fighters prepare for the coming battle.
"I believe this will be the second time I'm going to see you play Gunpla Battle, Young Master." Greta stood behind me and rested her chin on her hand. "Break a leg and give me another good show." She cooed.
"Oh right... " I realized and remembered the first time Greta saw me in action. It was one month ago and she was genuinely impressed after I completely decimated my opponent. She then spent the remainder of the day convincing me to engage Gundam role-play sex with her and forced me to cosplay as Master Asia. I shivered as I remembered every sordid detail of that day. It was almost traumatizing. Heaven and hell indeed. The stains on my Haro plushie will never go away and they will serve as a horrific reminder of that accursed day. Oh woe.
"Field One, Space." The cold and hollow tone of the battle system's computerized voice snapped me back to the present and I quickly slapped my cheeks to get my focus back.
And now for our battlefield. Let's see what we got here...
Ah yes... I know this place.
The Debris Belt from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED! An excellent choice, Miss Odette! This Field will suit me quite fine. The countless junk and asteroids floating around would make for good cover and distractions for the enemy. There's also a few good sniping positions and ambush points. This will definitely do. Oh and there's The Graveyard, the makeshift colony Lowe Guele visited in Gundam SEED Astray, and the remains of Junius Seven. This place will definitely do. Oh I can't contain my excitement now. This just feels so riveting.
"Please set your Gunpla." And we all did. We gave each other acknowledging nods as the system scanned our machines. Umeko was tapping the battle table with his pointing fingers like he was playing the drums and he followed with a catchy hum that sounded somewhat familiar. A commercial jingle perhaps or the theme song of a popular anime? I'm not really sure, but it sounded pleasant enough and it helped me relax. Odette was still like a statue save for her wandering eyes and Yaeko continued trembling and fidgeting.
"Battle start." And the signal has been given and we finally start this dance we call Gunpla Battle.
Umeko quickly fired one of the Heavy Arms' double-barrel beam gatling guns after we all launched our Gunpla and Yaeko easily dodged all of the incoming beam rounds while I used a small asteroid for cover. I quickly spotted Odette attacking me from below and I did a back flip to avoid the two beam rounds from the Bertigo's internal beam rifle using the Zephyranthes' extra verniers mounted all over the body frame. I back flipped again and fired back three times, but Odette evaded them with no effort at all and fired her internal beam rifle again while dashing backwards. Thanks to the Zephyranthes' booster pods mounted on the backpack that allowed the Gundam to have superb acceleration and mobility, I managed to evade the shots with no effort too.
The Heavy Arms fired two homing missiles at the Garazzo, but Yaeko quickly used her beam claws to destroy the missiles before getting hit. Umeko fired three more and Yaeko used a large piece of debris as a stepping board to propel herself upwards. She then fired both of her wrist-mounted vulcan guns to shoot down the incoming missiles. Irritated, Umeko fired more homing missiles once again and followed with both gatling guns. Yaeko bit her lip as she fired her vulcan guns again to shoot down the new batch of missiles and wildly spun around as she hid behind a nearby floating debris that looked like a part of a ship. Probably from a ZAFT Nazca-class vessel based from the color and shape. She may act meek and terrified when talking to males, but Yaeko certainly has the chops when it comes to playing Gunpla Battle and she's going out in full force. Indeed. There is definitely more to her than meets the eye!
The Bertigo suddenly attacked me from behind after distracting me by shooting one of the bigger asteroids floating above my Gunpla and I quickly turned around and raised the flexible shield to block the shot that was meant for one of my booster pods. I'm guessing Odette wanted to do something about the Zephyranthes' mobility first before going in for the kill. She then angrily charged towards me after she was done firing her weapon and kicked my Gunpla right in the chest and followed with a roundhouse kick that nearly decapitated my Gundam. Without missing a beat, she fired both of her internal beam rifles while moving upside down, but I quickly raised my shield again in time. My oh my. She's not pulling any punches here and her attacks are sharp as her mouth. I supposed she's not all talk and has the skills and tenacity to back her claims.
"My turn..." I almost hissed and charged at her while repeatedly firing my beam rifle. The Bertigo bended backwards to avoid getting shot in the face and quickly boosted to the right after doing a complicated spin to avoid my second shot. I boosted up after kicking an asteroid and fired three more precise shots. Odette dodged the first two with ease and used her beam saber to deflect the last one. This girl is definitely no amateur.
I charged again after dodging more beam rounds from the Bertigo, but quickly stopped when I noticed a long metallic object floating to my right. The gears in my head started turning and clicking as I formulated a plan and kicked the object hard without warning once I saw the Bertigo preparing to shoot its internal beam rifles again, sending it flying towards my opponent. To my surprise, Odette fell for my distraction and I quickly took advantage of the small opening it provided for me. I destroyed two large asteroids to cover my movements with smoke and rock fragments and flew above the distracted Bertigo. I aimed the Gundam's beam rifle and it felt like time had slowed down for me as I concentrated on my target. Did I mention sniping is one of my fortes? I pulled the trigger and...BOOM! Half of the Bertigo's face, including the gaudy antenna-like ornament, was now completely gone! "Bastard!" Odette shrieked and I began to laugh like a madman. Oh this felt so satisfying. So very satisfying.
"Hahahahaha! Did that tick you off, Mademoiselle?" I taunted. "Come. Plenty more where that came from."
"You are so fucking dead, dandy boy." Odette was now extremely irate and I was loving every minute of it. But my smile disappeared when she unleashed all of the Bertigo's bits and I flew like the wind.
Meanwhile, Umeko was dashing backwards while firing both of his double-barrel beam gatling guns. He nearly collided with a broken satellite, but he managed avoid it by moving downwards. Yaeko suddenly appeared below him and fired her four-barrel beam guns, but Umeko managed to dodge her shots in time and retaliated with a dozen micro missiles. "Tch." Yaeko clicked her tongue as she took down the missiles with her beam claws and fired her four-barrel beam guns again at the Heavy Arms. Umeko launched another wave of missiles and she shifted her attention to the new incoming threat and shot them all down. "Y-You're too easy to read."
"You think so?" The Heavy Arms Kai suddenly appeared next to the Garazzo, catching Yaeko off guard, and opened its chest to reveal four more beam gatling guns. He snuck behind her while Yaeko was busy dealing with the missiles. "Scream for me, Yaeko-onee-chan." He fired all four and started howling.
"A-Aaaaah!" She gasped and quickly got moving to avoid getting annihilated. She managed to escape in time, but the left foot of the Garazzo got caught in the barrage and was now completely gone. Umeko continued firing and was now destroying everything in sight. The boy didn't even bother aiming and was just relishing the devastation. He also raised the double-barrel beam gatling guns and fired them too. "Oh no..." She whimpered.
"Yaeko-onee-chaaaaaan, I wanna see that look. I wanna see that flustered look! I wanna seeeeee!"
Yaeko found a very large piece of debris, probably something from Junius Seven, and used it as cover, but the Heavy Arms Kai's beam gatling gun barrage was just too destructive and the large piece of debris didn't last too long. Yaeko was exposed to danger once again and Umeko was just more than happy to bring down the hammer. He kept ranting about how delightful her flustered expression is while continuing to lay waste with his guns. Not only he can lie through his teeth, but the boy is a massive sadist. Quite a piece of work this child is. No wonder Greta is so suddenly fond of him. Birds of the same feather flock together.
Anyway, Yaeko then tightened her grip on the control orbs and took a massive risk by charging towards Umeko's Gunpla. As she drew closer, the left shoulder shield slid open and the Garazzo was then covered by a thick blanket of GN particles. She activated all of her beam claws and prepared to slice the Gundam in half. As expected, the left shoulder shield was indeed housing a much powerful particle emitter and the improved GN shield shrugged off the countless beam rounds like they were made of cheap rubber. While it may withstand the Heavy Arm's deadly beam attacks, the GN field consumes a large amount of particles and can only be activated for a limited amount of time so Yaeko really needs to finish this fast.
Yaeko swung her arms and Umeko stopped firing his beam gatling guns. "I...I got you now, U-Umeko-kun!"
"Crap." He gritted his teeth as he evaded all of her slash attacks. He moved to the left and fired his vulcan guns, but they were practically useless thanks to the GN Field. Unlike the TV version, the Endless Waltz version of the Heavy Arms Kai doesn't have a single melee weapon so Umeko needed to find some breathing space if he wants to get back on the game. Right now, Yaeko is making sure Umeko doesn't get that distance.
Back to me and Odette...
The Bertigo's bits surrounded the Gundam Zephyranthes and they all fired at the same time. Using my flexible shield and all of the Gunpla's verniers, I began a deadly dance of evasion and blocking. For a whole minute, I managed to evade and block all of the bits' gunfire, but little by little I was slowly overwhelmed and the Gundam lost its left leg. "Damnation." I said under my breath. "This is bad..."
"Hahahahahahaha! Who's laughing now, asshole!? Hahahahaha! Serves you right!" Odette screamed.
I turned to the left and managed to take out one of the bits with my vulcan guns. "Hah!"
"Don't get cocky, dandy boy." Odette stopped laughing and raised one of her eyebrows.
I took down another, but the Gundam's right shoulder got hit, destroying the verniers inside. "Aaaargh."
"Don't get fucking cocky, dandy boy."
Two bits attacked from behind and I quickly turned around to block the shots with my shield. Another one appeared from above and I did a corkscrew turn to avoid the beam round. I dashed to the right and fired my vulcan guns again, but I didn't hit anything this time. I didn't see the Bertigo charging from behind and I was too late to do anything. Odette pulled out one of her beam sabers and decapitated the Zephyranthes with one clean swipe. She then turned around and kicked the Gundam right in the chest again, sending it crashing to a nearby debris that looked like a hull of a space ship. My Gunpla stopped moving for a moment save for a couple of twitches and I was completely defenseless. Is this it? Is this end? "No..." I lowered my head.
"Game over, dandy boy." Odette raised one of her internal beam rifles.
The Garazzo suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked the Bertigo from below, damaging the left shoulder. "K-K-Kashiwagi-saaaan!" Yaeko shouted as the bits intercepted her Gunpla.
"Move, you infernal machine! Move! Move! I said move, you damnable toy! Don't fail me now!" After a few seconds of tinkering the control orbs and the main control panel, the headless Zephyranthes came back to life and I quickly shot down the three bits that were chasing the Garazzo with my beam rifle. The monitor screen to my left suddenly started beeping loudly after detecting four missiles coming my way and I quickly turned around to shoot them down before they could reach me. "That was very rude, Umeko-kun." I said.
Umeko came out from behind an asteroid and fired one of his beam gatling guns at me. "Yo Nii-chan!"
I charged forward while blocking his shots with my shield and fired my vulcan guns, hitting the Gundam in the face. It didn't do much damage, but I distracted him long enough for Yaeko to sever the arm holding the double-barrel beam gatling gun. She then elbowed the Heavy Arms in the face and destroyed one of the eyes. My oh my. I guess she was getting back at him for all the verbal harassment he had been giving her. I didn't realize Yaeko could get this aggressive, but I'm not really surprised to be honest. This sport is a good stress reliever and Yaeko has plenty of pent-up feelings to release. "Good one." I said.
"No fair! Double teaming me like that." Umeko groaned and I just smirked.
I then noticed the Bertigo moving in my direction. It was in flight mode and was moving really fast, maneuvering through the debris field like it was nothing. It transformed back to mobile suit mode when it got closer and drew out its beam saber. "Getting friendly with Yaeko already I see. You work fast, dandy boy."
"Jealous?" I said with a sly smile and we both locked blades.
"Why you..." Odette's face contorted with rage. "You fucking asshole!" Oooooh... That mouth! That dirty mouth!
"I'm jealous too, Young Master." Greta said in a monotone voice. "Super jealous."
"I see. Thank you for sharing, Greta." I rolled my eyes.
"I'll make sure you lose, dandy boy. I'm gonna make you work so hard and slap the bourgeois out of yer face."
"And I'm going to make you my best friend! A single soul dwelling in two bodies!" I laughed heartily.
"O-Oh my God! That is so creepy!"
"Aristotle is not creepy! Take that back!" The thrusters of my Gunpla roared as I slowly push her away. I would be firing the Gundam's vulcan guns by now, but alas.
"Fuck that! Not only you're a dandy, but you're creepy, creepy, creepy, creepy!"
"You...you...you fatuous philistine!" I shouted in perfect English.
"That's right, Young Master! That blonde girl is a fat fishing team!" Greta also spoke in English and clapped her hands like a giddy little girl.
"Just because you use fancy schamncy words doesn't make you any better, you fucking shit head!"
"S-S-S-Stop fighting!" Yaeko interfered and we both pull away. I was about to say something, but the Heavy Arms Kai suddenly appeared above us and opened all of its missile pods.
"Hey! What gives, Yaeko-onee-chan!? I was enjoying that!" Umeko fired ALL of his missiles at us and doesn't care even if Odette gets hit. What an idiot. The three of us quickly fired all of our guns to take out all of the missiles. The Bertigo's bits helped too and we all survived the onslaught without so much as a scratch.
Using the smoke as cover, I took the opportunity to kick the Bertigo right in the face without warning and attacked the Heavy Arms from above, completely destroying the head with my beam rifle. Now panicking, Umeko fired his chest beam gatling guns again, but he didn't notice the Garazzo sneaking up from behind and Yaeko severed both of the Gunpla's legs with her beam claws. I then sliced off the Heavy Arm's remaining arm with my beam saber and shot the Gunpla in the cockpit five times at point blank range. I kicked the limbless Gunpla away before it exploded and reloaded my beam rifle.
Enraged and humiliated, Odette came at me again while roaring after the smoke cleared out. Just in time for her to see the Gundam Heavy Arms Kai explode. She fired all of her bits and I did my best to evade them again. I found a piece of debris that was shaped like a rectangle, but the bits were too fast and my shield snapped in half after taking so much gunfire. Odette was about to turn me into Swiss cheese when Yaeko charged at the Bertigo from the right. The blonde girl quickly turned around and fired both of her internal beam rifles at the approaching Garazzo, but all of her beam rounds got deflected after Yaeko activated her Gunpla's GN field. The Garazzo then combined all of the beam claws of its right hand into one big beam saber and severed the Bertigo's left arm including the over-sized shoulder. While Odette was busy with Yaeko, I snuck from behind and severed the remaining arm of her Gunpla. I also damaged the Bertigo's back thrusters with my beam rifle.
Odette retaliated with her bits and the Gundam lost an arm and the beam rifle. I pulled out one of my beam sabers with my remaining arm and stabbed what's left of her Gunpla's head. The bits attacked me again, but I quickly pulled out my blade and started dodging like crazy. Yaeko repeatedly punched the Bertigo's upper abdomen and then boosted up so she can fire both of her four-barrel beam guns and wrist-mounted vulcan guns at the remaining bits, wiping them all out. She then activated the right shoulder beam emitter and rammed the now weapon-less Bertigo with extreme force. "You got her now..." I said and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"I-I-I'm sorry, Odette!" Yaeko said as she closed her eyes. Two of the emitter's beam blades pierced the Bertigo's cockpit and the Garazzo quickly sent the defeated Gunpla flying like a torpedo with a devastating roundhouse kick that made me almost jump upon impact. The Bertigo exploded after making contact with an asteroid and the battle was now over. I saluted playfully when the battle system announced the end of the match.
I now have two new friends. Or four if you count Odette's father and Umeko.
After Odette deactivated the battle system, we all just stood there and looked at each other silently for a while. Greta went back to the bar to enjoy a steaming cup coffee that was specially brewed by Odette's father. Odette narrowed her eyes while grinding her teeth as she took a seat next the battle table and began impatiently tapping the table with her fingers. I then walked up to Yaeko after gathering enough courage and offered my hand. "Let me introduce myself again and properly this time." I said with a soft voice and smiled. "My name is Kashiwagi Minoru and I'm a first year. I just transferred to Rigney Academy today. I hope we all get along now that we're friends."
"I...I..." The girl looked at Odette as if asking for permission and the blonde girl just rolled her eyes.
"It's okay. We promised after all." She said sharply.
Yaeko then took my hand and slowly shook it. "My...my name is Adachi Yaeko. I'm a first year too and...uh...and a classmate of Odette. It's...it's a pleasure to meet you, Kashiwagi-san."
"Likewise. And please call me Minoru."
"M-M-Minoru? Minoru. It's a pleasure to meet you, Minoru-kun." She blushed.
"Can I call you by your first name too?" I asked. "I mean I already did, but..."
"I...it's...a boy calling me...by...my...no." She then covered her face.
"Oi! Don't push your luck, dandy boy!" Odette stood up. "You now know her last name so stick with that."
"I apologize, Adachi-san. That was very rude of me." I bowed my head.
"Tch." Odette approached me from behind and vigorously shook my hand. Her grip was very strong. "The name's Deguchi Odette, but you can just call me Odette and don't add any damn honorifics."
"Oh. I can call you by your-
"Shut-up!"
"Mori Umeko! I'm a second year middle school student!" Umeko happily raised his hand. "My family lives next to Odette-nee-chan and her dad here."
"Greta. Greta Pletcher." My maid also introduced herself. "I currently serve the Kashiwagi family."
"Aaaaand my name is Deguchi Kenjiro!" Odette's father said with a booming yet smooth voice. "One of the most handsomest men in Yokohama City and a badass saxophonist. I also own and run this cafe with my baby girl."
"So...what happens now?" Odette crossed her arms and tapped her right foot.
"What do you mean? We're all friends now! We will begin engaging in various friend-like activities starting on Monday." I said as I dramatically moved my shoulders and tilted my head sideways.
"Ugh. You're so annoying." Odette frowned.
"Tell me, how did you all meet anyway?" Odette's father asked as he poured more coffee for Greta.
"Oh. I found them-
"At the school gate!" Odette quickly cut me off and had this nervous look on her face. "We bumped into each other in front of the school gate and he just started hitting on us all of a sudden. Wouldn't stop bugging us until I told him to piss off. That's what happened, right, Yaeko?"
Oh dear. What a naughty, naughty girl. Oh well. I guess I should let the smoking incident slide after all.
"Is that so?" Odette's father looked somewhat unconvinced, but didn't press any further and just chuckled. Greta would be reacting to Odette's pitiful lie by now, but since she also noticed something was amiss, she just kept quiet and focused on enjoying her coffee while giving me an amused look.
"So why do you want to be friends with us, dandy boy?" Odette changed the subject. "I'm curious. I mean a classy guy like you chilling with a bunch of rejects like us is kinda..."
"Hahaha... That is a good question, Mademoiselle." I waved a finger.
"And you better answer it."
"And answer it I shall! Why do I want to be friends with you? Simple! I find you two very interesting and funny. Hanging out with the two of you lovely ladies would certainly make my dreary and mundane school life all the more entertaining. You agree, right? I mean we just had quite a soiree just now and it was a...blast." I smiled.
"Hanging out with Nee-chan here would certainly make your life interesting if you know what I mean." Umeko snickered.
"Shut up, squirt." Odette hissed.
"You two should be honored." Greta put down her coffee cup and smiled contemptuously. "If it were up to me-
"Ahem!" I loudly cleared my throat to silence Greta and she just clicked her tongue in irritation.
"You're a pretty entertaining and interesting guy yourself, Kashiwagi-kun." Odette's father said and scratched his right cheek. "I mean beating my stubborn and violent daughter in Gunpla Battle and forcing her to be friends with you? You got some serious balls, kid! I'd give you that." He laughed and Odette just scoffed again.
"T-Thank you." I smiled sheepishly.
"He even got Yaeko-onee-chan to partner up with him. I bet he's a real skirt chaser!" Umeko giggled.
"Oh please..." I groaned.
"Young Master..." Greta stood up and pointed to her wristwatch. It was exactly ten o'clock and my eyes widened. "It's getting late I'm afraid." She said sternly. Oh how time flies when you're having a grand time!
"Right. Well everyone, I have to bid adieu. I enjoyed the match and the hospitality and thank you also for humoring my selfish request, Miss Odette and Adachi-san." I gracefully bowed.
"I-I-It's nothing." Odette blushed and looked away.
"Nice meeting ya, Nii-chan." Umeko raised his hand and gestured for a high-five. I energetically slapped his palm and quickly patted his shoulder. "Let's fight again." He said.
"Of course."
I finished saying my farewells and left the cafe in good spirits. After a few minutes of walking and idle chatter, I stopped to admire the moon's reflection on the flowing river. The sounds of crickets and frogs soothed me so well that I nearly fell into a trance. Greta then picked up a small smooth pebble and made it bounce across the water. She giggled and I giggled too. We stayed there for a while and played around and forgot all about the late hour. My first day might have started a bit off, but it ended pretty well. Well enough for me to fondly remember it in the future. I met interesting people and befriended some of them.
It was a good day.
A very good day.
"You guys are sooo late." A man wearing a battered ivy cap and a brown jacket grumpily greeted us in front of the house. His name is Toshio Ayasaki and he is a driver assigned by the current family head herself to serve me. Toshio-san is a happy-go-lucky man who can be a little obnoxious sometimes, but he is also a very dependable person and knows his way around the wheel. He's former JSDF like many of the Masachika Family's servants and has visited many volatile and war-torn countries during his career as a soldier.
"Lieutenant Toshio, what are you doing out here?" Greta asked with narrowed eyes and clenched fists.
"Waiting for you two and I'm not a lieutenant anymore so quit it." He crossed his arms and made popping sounds with his mouth. "The boss called an hour ago and was asking about the Young Master here."
"I'm surprised she found time to check up on us. Isn't the head busy with that little new project of hers?"
"You mean that hacker kid we caught a month ago?"
"Yeah." Greta nodded. I have no idea what they were talking about so I just continued remaining silent.
They continued talking for a while and when Greta noticed my sleepy face, she quickly grabbed my hand and led me inside the two-story western-style house Masachika Kimiko provided for me after mercilessly kicking Toshio-san out of the way. "Welcome home, Young Master." Another maid greeted me politely in the hallway leading to living room. Her name is Aomatsu Azuya and, unlike most of her co-workers, she had no military career prior her employment to the Masachika household. So yes, she's just a regular hard-working maid who happens to be a great cook. She was assigned to take care of the house and cook meals for me. Aomatsu-san is a gentle person who takes her work seriously. She was an aspiring novelist, but things didn't work out for her and so she's now working as a maid to pay off her debts. It's actually a sad story, but she's doing her best which inspires me to do my best too. Yeah, she has that kind of affect on people. Except for Greta because Greta is a very, very, very strange person.
I then retired for the night after taking a bath and wondered about the future while lying in bed. Of things to come. The challenges I will endure. The new people I will meet. The new enemies I will engage.
Oh I can't wait.
I think I'll personally pay a visit to the Gunpla Club tomorrow and finally confirm it. By now, she probably already knows that I'm here and she'll be waiting. Oh she'll be waiting alright.
Tomorrow will be the day I will declare war.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Hey I'm back! Man, I just had to take a break. Had a lot of crap to deal with and not to mention Tales of Xillia 2 came out. That game pretty much ate my time. I've sunk, like, over 150 hours. Yeeesh. It's not the best Tales game I've played, but I'm strangely addicted to it. Plus, I really needed to get away from fanfiction for a while after months of writing so I won't get burned out. And now I'm back! After struggling with so many first-world problems Muffin is here bring more stories.
Anyhoo...
Chapter two of Mono-Eye Magician. Minoru finally befriends Odette and...well...yeeeah Odette is kind of a tsundere. Oh and Greta is so much fun to write like Chika and Setsuna from Moving Forward. Umeko too. We'll be seeing the main antagonist next chapter so look forward to it.
Well I'll be writing Moving Forward next! If you have any comments, complaints, suggestion or anything then feel free to PM me. Laters!