Chapter 2

Allman District, Montenegro,
Solaris City, Solaris VII,
Freedom Theater, Lyran Alliance,
July 11, 3067

It was almost midnight, and drizzle wetted the streets around Montenegro, illuminated only by dim neons. Mickey fastened his feet through the damp streets, looking over his shoulder once in a while. His feet trundled a puddle, but he didn't mind. No, it was not the rain or the cold he was trying to avoid. Many strange things happened in Solaris lately. Steiner and Davion loyalists kept bashing each other at every opportunities, and other factions like Kuritans or Liaos or even Clanners started to reek into Montenegro.

Not long ago Mickey heard some nasty people fighting and killing each other over a Clan schematic that was smuggled into Solaris. A Clan schematic got smuggled into Solaris? It didn't make any sense. But the fight was very real. People got killed for real. Whether they were fighting over a Clan schematic or something else, Mickey didn't know. He didn't want any part of it.

The drizzle lightened up, and Mickey pondered about his life. He was a product of FedCom civil war. Five years ago his father was sent to Kentares IV under Colonel Duncan Burke. It was supposed to be an easy job. Kentares people don't stand a chance against Lyran's mighty hands, Duncan Burke once said. One year later, news about Lyran's loss at Kentares reeked into the HPG, and neither Burke nor Mickey's father returned.

Now Mickey, already in constant clash with his step mother, immediately ran away. After 2 years of scraping off anything he could find to survive, he met Stan. Stan introduced him to Kilroy, who was looking for an assistant. So Kilroy took Mickey under his wing, but the apprenticeship didn't last long. Kilroy found Mr. Roboto, a tech robot, and the two quickly bond a lasting relationship. Reluctant to go back to the streets, Mickey asked Stan to teach him how to fight in the arena. Stan agreed, and Mickey started his career as a Solaris jock.

Mickey drew a deep breath when he finally arrived at his living quarter. It was a squat apartment building in Montenegro low-income neighborhood. He ran up the stairs to the third floor and punched in the code. Seconds later the door slid open, and he sneaked into his apartment. A girl was watching TV, and Mickey sneaked behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Mick! You're wet!" the girl squeeled. "Poor boy! Let me bring you some dry clothes."

"Hyolee, it's not that bad," Mickey stripped his rain coat and put it in the bathroom. "I'm fine."

Hyolee was another teen that Stan found in the street, scratching dumpster for food. Stan brought her in to help Major Tom with his needs. But Major Tom insisted he didn't need a helper, despite being constraint to a wheelchair. So Stan helped her to get a job as a waitress at Brit's Diner. Lucky for her, Stan brought Mickey in. The two hit it off, and when Mickey started earning money from the arena, he decided to rent an apartment so that she could live in with him.

"Change or you'll get cold," Hyolee handed in a towel and some dry t-shirt. "How's your day?"

"You know, we have a new member today," Mickey did as told. "Jeremy's the name, Jeremy Stewart. He's looking pretty good. Stan was to give him a test, but Mac took him over and fought him instead. That Jeremy guy sure can fight. He beat the crap out of Mac, although I think Kilroy had messed with his mech."

"Wow! Is he really that good?" Hyolee widened her eyes. "I mean, not a lot of people can beat Mac."

"You should see him," Mickey tossed his wet clothes to the bathroom. "I can tell that he has intense mech training before. I looked at his dossier, and he claimed to be the son of a kingpin somewhere in the periphery. That must be where he got his training."

"Will you be okay?" Hyolee asked, her eyes were full of concern. "Major Tom won't replace you with him, will he?"

Mickey understood her. She was worried about him being sidelined by a better mechwarrior. By nature, Mickey was not overly confident about his skill (like Mac was), so he should feel jittery, just like what Hyolee said. But for some unknown reason, Mickey didn't feel threatened by Jeremy. On the contrary, he liked the new guy already. He believed that Jeremy would be a great addition to the Ground Control stable.

"Don't worry baby," he kissed her forehead, "everything's gonna be alright."

"I love you Mickey," Hyolee rested her head on Mickey's chest. "Let me heat up some food..."

"Actually, I'm not hungry," Mickey leaned forward and kissed Hyolee passionately. "Let's just go to bed."

Ground Control Stable, Montenegro,
Solaris City, Solaris VII,
Freedom Theater, Lyran Alliance,
July 11, 3067

Stan put his legs on the coffee table in front of him, sipping his coffee while watching Jeremy's battleROM against Mac. He uttered a guttural sound once in a while, every time Jeremy made an unconventional maneuver. Deep in his heart, he admired the new kid. Major Tom was right to invite Jeremy to work for the stable. But something behind Jeremy's maneuvers made Stan uneasy.

"Good kid," Major Tom commented. "He reminds me of... us."

That was an understatement. Stan vividly remembered their days as Free World soldiers. The two were best friends, facing battles after battles as the right and left hand of a knight, one holding a sword while the other holding a shield. Sarna March 3057 saw the end of their collaboration. Major Tom's mech was shot badly, and although Stan managed to save him, the damage had been irreversible. Major Tom was permanently constrained to a wheelchair, thus ending his career in Free World League military.

Sometimes Stan blamed himself for not being quick enough to help his friend. Sometimes he blamed the FedCom for pulling the trigger. Other times he blamed Sun Tzu and his thirst for revenge. And sometimes he blamed the Free World League for being stupid enough to assist Sun Tzu at Sarna March.

"He's nothing like us," Stan grumbled. "We were good. Jeremy was... disappointing."

"Come on, Stan, he beat our best mechwarrior," Major Tom sighed.

"No, he didn't," Stan croaked. "If his Chameleon worked the way it should, he was beaten by Mac in two minutes. I can beat him in two minutes. He's a typical young mayfly: always wants to go to the top quickly. He said he wasn't, but I can see that he is."

"Malfunctions happen every time," Major Tom replied. "Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. Blaming on the equipments for your win or loss is not fair." Major Tom took a deep breath before continuing, "However, he's hiding something. He is not looking for glory or fame or money. He's fighting for something else."

"How do you judge him that way?" Stan frowned.

"The same way you judged Mickey and Hyolee."

Stan always had a soft spot for abandoned kids. When he met Mickey, he took the kid under his wing, taught him everything he knew about fighting in Solaris, so someday Mickey could be independent. The same thing with Hyolee. The two were like children he never had.

"No, it's not the same," Stan rose from his chair. "Mickey and Hyolee were desperate kids. I brought them here to save them. Jeremy is a rich kid. He is here for his ego. Look," Stan put the battleROM player in slow motion, just as Mac blew Jeremy's arm. "Jeremy can't fight. He rushed, therefore he made himself vulnerable."

"He's young, and his judgement is different from ours," Major Tom answered. "He has a lot to learn."

"How can't you see what I'm seeing?" Stan grunted in exasperation.

"How can't you see what I'm seeing?" Major Tom gave up a small smile. "Here's the deal: give him a chance. If he blows it again, we'll send him out. But if he improves, we'll keep him. That's the risk I took with Mickey when he first went to the arena. It's only fair if we give Jeremy the same treatment."

"Repairing the mech will cost us a fortune," Stan mumbled. "VEST won't be happy."

"Relax," Major Tom grinned. "We don't employ Kilroy for nothing."

Horziba Manor, Montenegro,
Solaris City, Solaris VII,
Freedom Theater, Lyran Alliance,
July 13, 3067

Horziba Manor was where upper-class mechwarriors spent their money on real estate. Ultra-modern condominiums and apartments decorated the streets, and although it was not the most expensive division in Solaris, a lot of stars had a property in the suburb.

Like the rest of the Ground Control mechwarrior, Amber Wang Chung had a cabin at the stable but she preferred Mac's apartment in Horziba Manor for late-night cavort. The atmosphere was relaxing. The air conditioner was superb, with perfect composition of moisture. Not to mention Mac's hot tub. And his shower. And his waterbed. And of course Mac's ingeniuous mouth kneading and stroking every inch of her skin. Boy, did Amber love having sex with Mac in his place.

Mac was the best lover Amber had ever had. He ravished her for hours; his lips and tongue suckled her erect nipples, unpredictably flicked and rubbed and swirled around them, until she squirmed and moaned with pleasure. Then he coaxed her to sit on his lap so he could slide his tongue up and down her ample flesh, running the tip of his tongue from the underside to the base of her nipple. Amber loved the delicate tickle of his mouth and tongue on her sensitive nipples. Her body wriggled on his lap, her toes curled, and her breaths emerged in shivering gasps as a wave of orgasm began to build.

Amber came from Wang Chung family, a respectable lineage at Styk. She was the mech prodigy in her family even at a tender age of 15. She was an accomplished swordswoman and martial artist. She was used to spotlight. And who knows, someday she would rise and took command of a well-known unit. However, Sun Tzu invaded Sarna March in 3057. Local warlords formed Styk Commonality to resist Capellan Troops, but his father decided there was no future in it. In 3065 he took his family out of Styk to become a Solaris fighter, but quickly got killed during his early career. Amber had no choice but to follow his father's step, and she fared much better fate, surviving the arenas up to this day.

All the thought of her past shattered when Mac caught her hard nipple between his teeth.

"Ow!" Amber yelped and arched her back. "Mmmhhh... Oh! Don't bite… stop!"

"Shut up, bitch," Mac ignored her, tracing the top curve of her nipple with his teeth. "I know you like this." His mouth captured each nipple between his lips and his tongue whisked and rolled it into rock hard firmness, making them swell till it was painful. Amber's agonized gasps encouraging him to nibble more insistently, gently at first but increasingly harder and faster. Each time Mac grazed his teeth across a nipple, she felt a delicious sensation ran through her. She rolled her head back, thrusting her breasts at Mac while screaming in ecstasy.

As Mac generously kissed, kneaded, licked, and made love to her breasts, Amber's lips curled into a smile. She hated Mac. She hated his guts, just like everybody else in the stable. When they first met, she was disgusted with his pomp, arrogant behavior. He looked down on everybody, including her. And he was a mafia puppet. Everything about him was against her principle.

But one day Mac convinced her to spend a night with him. Amber was pleasantly swept over to find out that Mac was gifted with hard abs, skillful mouth and hands, and exceptional stamina. Their 'lovemaking' was intense and protracted, and Amber had to muster all her martial art training to keep up with him, but nonetheless still got sore from those delightful spasms.

"Mmmmm ... Oh god! Mmmm… Hunh!" Amber cooed and bit her lip, fighting the need to cry out lest the whole complex noticed, but she had an awful hard time being quiet when she was in the heat of passion. His lips felt to hit a million nerves. Her nipples tingled with pleasure, creating a totally ecstatic experience embodying her body. Every touch, every suck, every lick felt like an electric shock and flashes of heat flared through her. She held her breath, but as she got closer and closer to orgasm, her self-control crumbled away and she cried out in carnal delight.

That experience turned her moral upside down. Now she couldn't wait to come to his bed, despite the fact that Mac was not a man of honor. Why? Perhaps it was physical attraction. Perhaps she was charmed by his sheer confidence. Or perhaps Mac was her most prolific lover to date. Amber had a number of lovers in the past, but they were pale compared to Mac in terms of satiating her and making her crave for more. She didn't know the answer. She just enjoyed the faux relationship.

Mac was aware that Amber was riding her orgasm, and he devoured her beautiful breasts with savage delight. Amber just got dizzy with pleasure. Her nipples, sore and swollen from sucking and squeezing and nibbling for hours, were teased heavily. Her body convulsed and gyrated. Her hands clenched his shoulders as she screamed, panting in ecstasy. Her eyes closed, her mouth opened, her breath came in gasps and whimpers. Her world exploded into a thousand pieces and she let the flood of take her over.

Just as the flood of pleasure started to take her over, Mac tossed Amber's leg aside. He grabbed his pants in a brisk, then walked toward the counter for a bottle of gin.

"What's wrong?" Amber moaned in protest.

Mac Storm, or Mac The Champ as he wanted to be called, took a swig from the bottle, ignoring Amber's call to continue their session. He was a native Solaris, born between bloodlust and greed to be the ultimate warrior. His father owned one of the top-20 stables, but he wrenched it from the old man's grip. But controlling a stable didn't satisfy him. He wanted violence and destructions.

Learning from anybody in the arena, Mac soon found out that the battle for glory and fame was not entirely fought inside Solaris arenas. Some champions and legends did not deserve the titles. He discovered that while Solaris Gaming Commission controlled the rank, it was the underground mafias that decided who was in and who was out. And Mac was a quick learner. He tapped himself onto Bertoli Mafia, one of the underground networks in Montenegro, then sat back and enjoyed his rank climbing the ladder with only minimal effort.

"You're still upset about the fight with Jeremy," Amber got up from the bed, wrapping the bedsheet around her body. "If it bothers you, then let me say this: It doesn't mean anything. Not to me, anyway."

"It doesn't have anything to do with Jeremy," Mac hissed, keeping his back on Amber. "He's just a lucky beginner. I'll get him next time."

"He's our ally now," Amber sat next to him. "Give him some slack. He deserves a better treatment."

Mac scoffed. Getting beaten by a newbie was never easy to take, especially a fresh punk like Jeremy. Worse still, and Amber was there watching him. Through his career Mac had beaten (and killed some) rookies and mayflies like Jeremy. The fight with Jeremy was not an official match, but Mac had never been beaten by a rookie in any engagement. Mac knew his skill was far above Jeremy's, and in a fair fight he would've killed Jeremy within a minute.

Was he afraid that one day Amber would leave him for Jeremy? And why would he care if Amber left him? Sometimes Mac wondered if his relationship with Amber was beneficial for his career. Amber was a good mechwarrior, almost as good as him, but she was just too conservative. She didn't share his vision about Solaris fame and the mafia. She slowed him down.

Perhaps it was his ego that was threatened by Jeremy.

"Come on, let's not worry about Jeremy right now," Amber tugged his hand playfully. "You're leaving me in the cold here."

"Just lock the door when you get out," Mac huffed and instead took his jacket. He scrambled out of the door and went to the street. The gin in his counter was not strong enough to soothe his mind. He needed something stronger, something that he couldn't have at home. Not even Amber.