Dylan walks over to the other arena after watching his brother fight. He walks hand in hand with Laura to keep up the charade that they're in a relationship. Dylan was really nervous about it, which actually went over well, they look as if they were a new couple. Laura was acting really well. She always did get into her missions wholeheartedly, but this time it hurt Dylan. He actually liked this girl, and she was only acting, at least, he thought she was. He knew there was something in her for him, but that Ichika guy took her heart away from him. To be more straightforward, Dylan was jealous. His brother got the girl he loved, why can't Dylan? Did he even have a chance? Ichika was so much more in her eyes, how could he do that?
They reach the hangar and Dylan quickly got out of Lauras grip and walked away, balled fists at his sides. "Is everything okay Dylan?" She asks.
"Not really." he snaps, turning his back to her. "Listen, I know you like Ichika, don't deny it, you know denial doesn't work with me, but I have something that needs to be said. I had been at that place my entire life, when I should've been home, do you have any idea how hard it is to be away from your family and think that they just forgot about you?"
"No, not really." Laura looks down.
"Well it hurts, a whole lot. But I got through it because of one thing, would you like to know what that one thing was?" He turns his head around to look at her.
"Hope?" She replies.
"No!" He turns around. "I got through it because of you! Beautiful, strong, dense," he puts emphasis on that word, "resilient you. You teaching me things about this little project-" he raises his arm "-made my day worth it. I could get through it all, as long as you were there. I love you, Laura. You made me confident, practically everything I know is from you, you make me who I am everyday, I live because everyday I can't stand the thought of not seeing you. That's what's wrong. It's been too long for me to not say anything, and I can't take you acting like you're my girlfriend, that hurts more than when my arm was cut off."
"I-I…" Laura looks at Dylan, shocked.
"No, not yet, don't answer yet, think about it first." Dylan sighs, slightly relieved but also worried. "Wish me luck, okay?"
"Ich liebe dich." She nods her head and hugs him.
"Alright…" He shakes his head, not understanding what it meant, but believing that she had heeded his request.
"If only he knew german…" She thought to herself.
"Everyone! Please welcome the second Rookie debuting today, Dylan Wheeler and his Poison Hades!" Jacob yells. Dylan raises his fist into the air and then crosses his arms after. "And everyones favorite little dominatrix, it's Sickle!" Smith points towards the opposite end of the field, where a girl stands and looks over towards Dylan with a sidelong glance and grins.
Dylan already hates this girl.
Her pose just screamed cockiness. She looked at him through her peripherals, her hands on her hips, and a taunting grin on her face. She lifted up her hand and made the motion for him to come closer, made her IS appear, and pulled out her scythe and a large hammer. The scythe glowed a dark crimson, and the hammer pulsed a brilliant yellow. Dylan couldn't help but hate her. "Alright, she seems to be full of herself, I can use that to my advantage."
"Hey! You! Did you really think it'd be a good idea to come here for your first tournament?" Sickle laughed.
"Yes, yes I do believe this would be a good idea. I have my reasons, and those reasons will not be shared with you." Dylan looks at her calmly yet demeaningly.
"Hmm, seems like you've got some nerve too." Sickle grins.
"I've been told that, however I am not known for being overconfident. I don't exactly think that could be said for you, shall I fix that? Sorry, you have no actual say in the matter because I will be bringing you down to earth." Dylan grins.
"Oh really? I'd like to see you try." Sickle looks him in the eyes, that overconfident flare gone and replaced by rage.
"I won't try, I won't really have to." Dylan smiles, her rage is exactly what he wanted.
"Believe me, I am a very capable opponent." She rushes at him.
"Predictable." Dylan grins, grabs the scythe and hammer, and then fires a soundwave point blank into Sickles face. Sickle leaps backward and rushes again.
-In arena 3 later on- "So, you ready for this Jace?" Ralem says.
"Yes, let's put on a good show, okay?" Jace smiles.
"Yes. This'll be the first time you and I have sparred in a long time." Ralem returns her smile.
"Yeah, that was the first time we met." She pulls her hair behind her ear and turns her head slightly to the side.
"Back in the days when I was actually human…" Ralemtouches his arm and a metallic clang reverberates through the hangar...
-flashback- "It's alright Jace, he'll be back soon, and he'll be stronger than ever. We just need him to make the transfer to check if it works. He'll be perfectly fine, we just need to test out this new technology. We'll be able to sell it for any new projects we have, like your IS for example. Shadow assassin needs to be made, we need to have a third member to war machine, other than Leon Vance and Ralem. His brain will survive long enough for the transfer to be completed. He'll be a stronger version of himself, that's all that'll change." A woman in a skimpy red dress, with long blonde hair.
"Yes, but Squall! He'll be a robot! He'll be a self aware robot! Can you imagine what that's gonna do to him?" Jace pleads.
"Yes, but it is not my problem and he has agreed to let this happen. Will you deny him his wish?" Squall says. Jace had fallen for Ralem just days earlier, he was strong and dependable, he protected his comrades. He was also hopelessly dense sometimes, he has a one-track mind, if he's got a mission on his mind, preparation is the only thing that matters to him. They once decided to spar, and it ended when Ralems lips brushed past Jaces. She was so red and nervous. She ran away right after that and ran straight towards her bed in the barracks. She had looked so scared even though she was so happy. She was so embarrassed yet she was so happy. That was practically a kiss right? She couldn't stay there any longer but the thought was there. She ran right past Leon who turned around, lifted up his hand, reaching out for her, and said something, something along the lines of he has something important to say to her, she heard him but she didn't listen. She ran straight past him, and thought the same thing that Leon whispered, him talking about her, and her thinking about Ralem. "I love you." Leon put his hand down, and Jace ran away, giggling, not hearing what Leon said.
She layed down on her bed and hugged her pillow close to her chest. She started slightly squealing in happiness when the sound of knocking hit her door. Thinking it's another one of the girls, she opened the door to find Ralem there, panting. "Are you… alright?"
"Y-yeah… I-I'm fine. W-what are you d-doing here?" Jace stuttered.
"You ran away fairly fast, I was wondering if something had happened." He wiped the sweat off of his head and sighed.
"Were y-you worried about me?" Jace looked him in the eyes.
"Yes, you're my teammate, I have to be able to fight with and protect you." He said matter-of-factly.
"And that's the only reason?" Jace puffed up her cheeks.
"Do I need another reason?" Ralem looked at her confused.
"Yes! Yes you do!" Jace punched Ralem hard in the face and slams her door closed. Leon walks up to Ralem and sees the bruise Jace made.
"Wow, I've been trying to get her to like me for years and here you are being dense. How do you not realize what just happened?" Leon looked at him, unimpressed.
"She is angry with me?" Ralem looked at Leon.
"What do you think?" Leon leaned forward. "And that's not all dude. The way she ran away from you should have made it obvious."
"What else is there, she hates me now. This will not do well in a mission." Ralem grabbed his chin.
"Mission this, mission that, you need to open your mind to other things, like the feelings of your teammate." Leon crossed his arms.
"What do you mean? You're not making any sense." Ralem turned towards Leon and then remembers what Leon said at first. "No, there's no way that she could've developed…"
"Feelings for you?" Leon finished. "Well, obviously she has. Now she probably only just realized her feelings for you, considering she has never done that before. Why don't you ask her though?"
"A-alright." Ralem stuttered. "Umm, Jace. By any chance would you happen to have f-feelings for me?"
Jace busted through the door.
"Matters, why are you asking?" Jace said quickly.
"Well, y-you're my teammate, and I need to know about these things." Ralem grabbed his arm.
"Don't lie." Jace smiled.
"Okay, I have feelings for you too, Jace. You're dependable, strategic, smart, beautiful, and you know how to keep me sane. Just being around you calms me down." Ralem looked up at her.
"In that case, yes, I do have feelings for you." Jace hugged Ralem.
"Get a room…" Leon walks away, slightly angry at Ralem, but also slightly happy for Jace. "Well, better she be happy than I, right?" he looked up, asking whatever god existed to tell him if that was the right thing to do.
-Tournament- "Yeah… when you were human…" Jace sighs.
"Well, we should get ready. Remember, I have to be the one to move on, I have to face Jessica again. However, that doesn't mean you should take it easy on me." Ralem grabs Jace's hand.
"I know." Jace kisses Ralem, making him step back a little and blush.
"W-wha...W-why…" Ralem stutters.
"Because, you may be a robot but I can still kiss you." Jace smiles.
"J-just get back to your hangar on the other side…" Ralem blushes.
"Alright, Agni." Jace grins.
"And now! The third battle is beginning! Contestants! Get ready!" Smith yells.
Hey guys! Heeeeeeeeeere's my story *Peeks through a broken door.* So, it's been a long time, and one person voted… one person… And so, by default, his choice goes. Along with The fall of the golden pheonix, I will be writing A Bloody Revival. The first five chapters will practically be a rewrite of ROTRM but everything will change at chapter 6.