ThunderCats
Bio-Booster Armor Guyver
The Coming Darkness
Episode Twenty-Two
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Sweat beaded on his bare chest as the last kick in the kata ended. Sho's foot was elevated at the level of his head and remained there for several moments before he rotated his leg back to the mat. The gym was empty save for him and the thoughts he fought to keep ordered.
Missions for the newly established G-Corps were unlikely in the immediate future other than Lisker's which had resulted in the Berserkers getting a sound beating. Without leads as to the whereabouts of Grune there was little point in sending walking superweapons out on expeditions and Guard patrols did not need Guyvers hovering over them. Trade routes, he suspected, would be under close observation and dispatches to cover those was something he felt likely. Sho found himself looking forward to that for no other reason that being out of New Thundera where he could do some good not to mention rearrange a few ass-to-ears ratios. The door on the far wall opened as Sho was reaching for a towel and David walked in.
They eyed each other warily for a moment, both barechested for a workout. David walked in while rotating his arms. Despite himself, Sho recognized the gesture. He also noticed the other man's build and how defined his physique was. Slightly bulkier than his own; Sho put that up to different backgrounds given that they were of similar physical age.
"I'm not leaving," David said as he stepped onto the mat.
"Same here."
"It doesn't have to go this way."
"Tell you what," Sho said. "Talk to me. Tell me about the things we did. Not related to the power."
"Okay," David said warily.
"We knew each other. I get it. So, tell me some things."
"Like what?" David replied as he began to do stretches.
"We didn't just fight, did we?"
"Oh, hell no." David said with a short laugh. "The stories I could tell you." Sho caught a hint of pain in the smile. "Here's a good one. The grocery stores we raided." Sho dropped the dumbell he was lifting, which landed on his foot. Sho hopped on his other foot for a moment.
"WHAT?!" he exclaimed.
"Wal Marts, Sam's Clubs, smaller ones. Man, we did smash-n-grabs on SO many." David then did something that caught Sho completely off guard.
He laughed.
"It got to the point where we took teams of soldiers from SANDALWOOD."
"Wait," Sho said. "We teleported them?"
"And no amount of Dramamine would stop them from spewing," David said as he hefted his own set of weights. "They loved the food, but they hated the transport. And the cleaning staff just loathed us."
"Was it that bad?"
"Take my word, little brother. It was worse."
"How often did we do that?"
"When necessary," David said as he began hefting barbells. "Bro, do you even lift?" Sho grasped a long bar weighted with two hundred pounds of plate and hefted it over his head.
"What do you think?"
"I think I want to know what they feed you here," he said with a touch of admiration.
"Talk to Snarf."
"Again with that guy!" David said before tossing weights up and then catching them."What, is he some kind of food god? The coffee's great but…"
"He can take three paperclips, a Thundrillium power cell, some pepper, and a snail and make a multi-course meal for twenty. And it will be awesome." Sho said this without conscious thought.
"Like that guy on the TV show in the Eighties?"
"Nor sure who that is, but I guess."
"Sho, you need to be re-introduced to my cooking."
"You can cook, too?"
"Aw fuck me…"
"Rather not." David barked a laugh at that.
"Yeah, Sho, I can cook. I did it a lot for SANDALWOOD, but I had some help. I mean, do you know how many spice ailes I personally raided? I would have driven Gordon Ramsay out of his skull!"
"Who the hell is that?"
"Sorry."
"So what did I go after?" Sho began after.
"Poultry. Frozen stuff. Booze."
"Sorry, what?" Sho asked with the bar laden with weights halfway to his chest.
"Booze."
"Explain."
"SANDALWOOD was pretty self sufficient, but we couldn't do a lot for meat," David said before dropping to start push-ups. "Or distractions. Making hooch takes a while, and we did it, but we also had to procure it."
"And I did that?"
"Dude, you would appear in liquor stores and vanish with the whole stock. Pop in and all gone. They always loved that." David paused in his warmups. "But the docs on site kinda hated you for it. Y'know, for the liver damage and all. Not to mention the hangovers…"
"I get it," Sho said.
"But the barbeques…"
"I know soldiers were there. What did they do?"
"They weren't sent out on a lot of missions," David replied. "They had weapons, they had drive, but they were still vulnerable. A lot of missions were on you and I. We'd spend weeks in the field. Even months sometimes. Finding food wasn't always easy. You got pretty good with a bow, though."
"You're saying you taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow?"
"You didn't learn it from Tommy Oliver or Kimberly Hart."
"BURAI and MEI!" Sho exclaimed without thinking. He felt himself freeze at the emotions which suddenly felt as if they were bubbling up from the back of his locked mind. David's head rocked back as gales of laughter erupted from him. A stunned Sho inadvertently loosened his mental guard and felt a surge of genuine humor from the other before shutting it down again. David's laughter slowed after a few moments yet still left him gasping. Sho knew, however, that he had felt the activity in the link. The brief moment of connection warmed him and then vanished.
"GodDAMN!" David hooted after his laughter subsided. "Two thousand years and change later, and Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers makes a comeback!"
"Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger," Sho said with less heat.
"Sure, sure," David returned in a tone that said they'd hashed this out many times before.
"As cool as that is," Panthro said from out of nowhere. Sho and David both whirled to find Panthro, Tygra, Cheetara, and Myrlha present "I am not building a goddamned dragon zord."
"Dragon Ceasar!" Sho shouted before recognizing his teacher. "Sorry, Sensei."
"Not building that either."
"What about Voltron?" Cheetara threw an expectant look toward Panthro with Myrlha joining in.
"What about everything else Second Earth dreamed up?" he asked. "I'm an engineer, not a miracle worker."
"And now I am torn between McCoy and Scotty."
"David, you are not helping," Panthro groaned.
"And now we are completely off topic," Myrlha joked.
"You expect us to fight now?" Sho asked.
"After that Bio-Booster thing raised hell in here?" Panthro asked. "Hell no. Also, NONE of you are throwing hands in this colony while transformed." David almost asked how Panthro could stop him yet held himself back.
"I understand," he said instead. He made a note to check his more aggressive tendencies and then looked at Sho before reminding himself that those would do far more harm than good.
"Sho, honey," Myrlha said. "Liquor stores?"
"How much of that did you hear?"
"Mass barfing, mass theft," Cheetara said, "cleaning staff wanting you dead alongside doctors…"
"Massive teleport abuse," Myrlha continued.
"Not to mention what Pumyra and Siberias would think of all the alcoholism you promoted," Cheetara said.
"It was a different time!" David shouted and Sho found himself laughing. "Hey, you hit those! Not me!"
"How do I know that?" Sho countered. "I asked you about our past, remember?"
"Son of a bitch," David snarled.
"Hoist with your own petard?" Myrlha asked. David gave in and began to laugh as well.
"Okay, I admit," David said, "I did those, too."
"I don't see much choice," Tygra said as he entered the room.
"Look, the rank and file just couldn't go out like we could," David began. "With what Kronos can do, we couldn' t take risks. The food raids, hell, they loved them. Yeah, we wanted them to fight but the potential for Kronos to find us?""
"It had to have rankled them," Tygra said. With that, the mood darkened considerably.
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"You want to what?!" SnowKnight exclaimed.
"We have to," Lion-O said over the secure commlink.
"How did you know those doors were there?"
"We've uncovered information about the distant past of Third Earth," Lion-O said. He had to be careful. The culture of SnowKnight's people had rigid rules and boundaries. The first of which was that true names were not used casually outside of the family and none used the true name of the leader. While he knew SnowKnight's true name - and as a fellow leader and personal friend could do so - he was not allowed to use it lightly. It harkened back to an ancient belief that giving one's true name given from one's own lips gave power over that individual.
It hadn't helped that Mumm-Rana and Jagara had confirmed that. Though Lion-O possessed no innate magic, he had to respect the tradition.
"One can't keep a secret forever," SnowKnight said, "but since they can't be opened, no one has gotten through. Not to mention that no one has gotten through us and the mountian through force. But, my friend, I'm not sure how you plan to. The doors were sealed shut. Melted even."
"What?"
"It's true," SnowKnight said. "I don't doubt that any of your Guyvers could force them open, but any way to open them otherwise was long destroyed. Plus, I know of the megasmasher. I apoogize, but I will not permit that to be fired on our lands."
"It won't come to that," Lion-O said.
"I'll take you at your word. If I may speak personally?"
"Of course."
"Much is happening in regards to your new nation," SnowKnight said. "I won't pretend that these events have no effect on others."
"I regret this," Lion-O said, "but what else can I do? Things are happening that are beyond my control."
"You can tell me about them when I arrive." Lion-O took hope from those words. SnowKnight did not know everything and the information he would provide might set SnowKnight and his people on their side. It was the best he could hope for.
"If I might ask one thing?"
"Of course." [Here it comes…]
"How did you learn of this?"
"I apologize, my friend, but that's safer revealed face-to-face."
"I understand. Very well, I shall depart at once. Also, SnowMeow misses you," he added with a wink.
"I miss him, too," Lion-O said with a hearty laugh. "Panthro will meet you at the arranged spot."
"Unti then, my friend," SnowKnight said before signing off. Lion-O breathed a sigh of relief before making his next call. The image flared to life to see Turmagar sipping from a strangely-shaped mug. It was shaped like the images he'd seen of what the SANDALWOOD files had called pineapple grenades.
"How did it go?"
"He's on his way."
"Getting that frosty bastard out of his lair isn't a small feat," Turmagar said from his guest quarters. "Also, my men have integrated with your Royal Guard. I'm sorry I could not provide more…"
"It's fine, friend," Lion-O said. He did not ask about the Tuska weapons being brought to bear. He'd seen their effectiveness first hand. "I'm expecting a report on that later today."
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David entered the cafeteria and was impressed at what he saw. The eatery area was neatly organized and the smells were incredible. He marched through the dining space in which several were still eating to the kitchens in the back. Along the way he noted several things; how the neat rows of tables seemed to be made to seat far more than the people he had seen in his time here. How neat every surface was. Whatever the status of New Thundera, it was obvious that it was expected to grow.
"And you're David," said a voice from around his knees. David hopped back to see a squat being with red-and-gold fur looking up at him.
"And you're Snarf," he said. [Fuck, they're this fast?]
"Well, let me give you the grand tour."
"I get it," David replied. He also noticed that no other workers in the kitchen were nearby. "I need to see your spices and herbs."
"I know," Snarf said as he led the human through rows of ovens and stoves. David ran his eyes over racks of tools, pots, pans. Everything was polished chrome and gleaming granite with rich woods for cutting surfaces. A surgeon's operating table could not have been much cleaner.
"This is one hell of a setup up you have." David felt himself impressed at the smaller creature's fiefdom. They approached the rear end of the kitchen which held a carved wooden rack that stretched from floor to ceiling.
"By. The. Spirits…" David said in near awe. It was of carved lacquered wood and extended from floor to ceiling. An extendable ladder rested at the bottom left corner. On each shelf was a row of glass vials each filled with a dazzling array of powders and leaves. Some of them he recognized while others he had never seen before. But there was something…
"Sho made this," he said softly.
"What gave it away?"
"He took up woodworking as a hobby way back when," David said as he took in the vast array before him. "He got really good with shelves and such. Seems like he never lost his touch." David recalled the cabinets the other had made for the rank and file in SANDALWOOD. Simple constructions yet… elegant. This rack, though… Sho had put his heart into it.
The thought put a needle of fear into him. Sho was remembering. It was coming out in peaceful ways, as suited the man, but it was coming. "He even put his name on it." David pointed to carved kanji in the wood.
"That?" Snarf asked. "You mean that's his name?"
"Fukamachi Sho," David said. "He always did sign his work." David ran his hand over the lacquer covered kanji. "I'm surprised you didn't know this."
"I don't read Japanese," Snarf said, "and I don't speak it. I guess you do."
"I though so until I met him."
"What?"
"You gotta understand, I learned Japanese from watching subtitled movies and anime. Yes, animation and don't call it cartoons."
"Okay…"
"I thought I had a handle on it. Sho… he taught me otherwise."
"I get it, he can't slip anything past you."
"Not bad!" David gave a short laugh. "Yeah, he taught me."
"Telepathy helps."
"It beats a dictionary," David agreed.
"I have no idea what half of these are," David said to cover the momentary silence.
"Worry not. Teach you, I will," Snarf said in muppetly wisdom.
"Did you just…"
"I saw it in some ancient movies," Snarf said.
"I wanted to be a chef way back when," David said after choking down laughter. "Mostly taught myself from old shows. I loved Mom, but cooking wasn't one of her talents. Dad knew his way around a grill though."
"Can't go wrong with fire and meat," Snarf said. "But there's a lot more than just that."
"Rubs, marinades, temperatures…"
"Not to mention wood," Snarf said.
"You don't use electricity?"
"For most things. I mean, you can't escape it. But, if you really want it done right…"
"The old ways are the best ways," David said. He found himself warming to Snarf. "So, what kinds of wood?"
"Depends on the cooking," Snarf said as he led David farther into the spacious kitchens. David cast his gaze about at the ovens and range tops, the banks of refrigerators and freezers. The sheer array of food storage and prep stunned him. Snarf clearly had an established empire here, and David liked the sight of it. At long last, a wooden door stood before them. Snarf rose up on the tip of his tail and pulled the latch.
The smell of woodsmoke was nearly overpowering as David followed Snarf into the dim room. Several levels were dug into the earthen floor. He emerged into a haven of meats being smoked and cooked in the most traditional arrangement he had ever witnessed. His own ancestors could not have devised a better setup. As he descended the smells of the meats rose to him and evoked memories and taste buds.
"I am gonna be hungry all day now," David said.
"No worries. Plenty of food." Snarf strode up beside him. "But there's some meats we just can't get."
"Let me guess," David said on thinking about Tabbots, "pork."
"But, we get plenty of leaner meats. Not to mention fish."
"Snarf," David said, "this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Your padawan, I gratefully become."
"Look, I like the movies, too, but can we not with that?" Snarf asked as they emerged from the pit.
"Right," David laughed. The scents lingered in his nostrils as they ascended the steps. "Speaking of food…"
"I'm hungry too," Snarf said. "Sandwiches? I make my own bread."
"I would be surprised to find otherwise," David said with total solemnity. "Lead on, my teacher."
"Okay, I'll accept that one," Snarf said as he led David to the upper levels of the kitchen.
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Council met that afternoon with a different dynamic than the previous meeting with Shadowmane holding the floor. ATAC had reported to him an hour before with results that both did and did not surprise him.
"Some of my crew have decided to stay," he said without preamble. "I have no issues with it. I'll miss them, but I respect their choice."
"That's good to hear," Lion-O said. "I hope we haven't taken too many who were critical for you."
"No one irreplaceable," Shadowmane said, "but losing them will hurt for a time. Some of my medical staff chose to stay. Not hard to understand why. You have a whole medical wing and barely a skeleton crew. Same with engineering. Sadly, my stocks won't give you what you need, but it's a start. Most, though, are rank and file. Folks who just want to settle down."
"And who have friends and family on Edea," Lion-O said.
"No doubt. We could build something big here between your world and mine, but it's not gonna happen overnight." Shadowmane reached into a pocket and pulled out a datapad. "This is a list of my crew that chose to stay, along with their specialties and skills. I had ATAC prepare it. As for any pay owed, there's not much I can do. You don't use PGF credits or any other interstellar currency." That it would be held for them was something he did not feel the need to say. "When I get back, I'll tell the council about this planet. I can definitely convince them to send supplies. As for people, well, I can't say for certain. It'll likely come to a vote among them. They're not our prisoners, but the bosses won't be happy about sending refugees into a potential meat grinder."
"We'll send a warning," Lion-O said, "about the dangers of coming here, but the decision must belong to our people on your world."
"I can guarantee that," he said. "Zarasha has some experience with medical. Her sister, Myreena, has trained a bit under Polgara. They're not experts in their fields, but those two Lionesses are willing to help."
"Define 'Not Experts'," Panthro said.
"They only joined my crew a year ago," Shadowmane explained. "Before that… they were waitresses." The ensuing silence was deafening. "Yeah, I know that sounds bad."
"Just a bit," Panthro chimed in.
"But, they're quick learners and they're earnest as all hell. Look, I know this looks bad, but they'll be a big help with enough seasoning. Besides, I put it to a vote. They chose to stay."
"Also," said the version of ATAC that was aboard the Zelgadis, "My copy will have all their records. What you do is up to you, but don't sell them short."
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"H…Hello?"
"Oh, welcome," said the Puma woman at the far desk who then rose. Her smile was radiant as she approached. "You must be Zarasha."
"I am, Lady Pumyra." she said without stammering.
"Okay, stop with that," Pumyra said. "This isn't the place for titles and ranks. If you insist, call me Doctor."
"Okay, Doctor Pumyra," the lioness said.
"Come on, I'll give you the grand tour." Pumyra looked this Zarasha over. A lithe body beneath a dark blue suit which left her tawny arms bare. She had been briefed on this new arrival along with her twin sister who was now likely in the depot. "Afterward, you can help me sort the Zelgadis personnel who are staying."
"ATAC has all the necessary files," Zarasha began, "but I assume you want to perform the exams personally?"
"No better way," Pumyra said as they walked into what was clearly a lab area. "And it's your turn."
"Me?"
"You're not the first today," she said as she approached a table laden with scanners. "I'll need a few moments to gather my equipment. While I'm doing that, you strip."
"Wh-WHAT?"
"You've been out in space and exposed to Jaga-knows-what on other planets. I AM NOT going to have foreign pathogens released on Third Earth. This is going to be a full physical, so get bare. I want this done before you get anywhere near those who are acclimated to this planet."
"Have you done this with Myreena?" she asked as she began to disrobe.
"Yes," Pumyra said. "She tested clean, and I expect you will also. But, I'm not taking chances."
"Yes, Doctor," Zarasha replied as she shucked her outfit. "I assume the others who are staying…"
"Yes," Pumyra said. "It's been a busy morning. Well, let's get this over with. I need all the help I can get as soon as I can get it." She turned just as Zarasha was fully nude. "I'll start with bio-scans and blood samples"
"Can't you do everything with those?"
"Sadly, no. When I said full exam, I meant it. Don't take this the wrong way," Pumyra said with a good deal more sympathy. "I don't enjoy this, but I have to do it," she said as she donned a pair of gloves. "Now lay back, please." Zarasha complied. "I promise, this will be quick."
"Yes, Doctor."
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"Fuck me…" Myreena said on entering the Depot for the first time.
"You're not my type," said a dulcet voice. Myreena spun about to see a human woman with blonde hair and - in her estimation - one hell of a figure, ease out from under a tank on a rolling board and come to her feet. Her features and coveralls were stained with lubricants and her blue eyes seemed to take all of the Thunderian in with a single glance. "I experimented a few times, but it wasn't to my liking."
"I see," Myreena replied, caught completely off her guard. The clearly human woman gave a short laugh.
"I'm Ceres Mandora," she said with a smile.
"Myreena."
"Polgara's giving Panthro a tour of the Zelgadis along with Shadowmane, so it's just us for now." Mandora's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're relieved."
"WHAT?!"
"I was a cop not long ago. You learn to read body language, especially when you deal with different species. So, you two don't get along?"
"If you weren't Shadowmane or ATAC, you generally didn't," Myreena replied.
"Perfectionist, taskmaster, prone to outbursts, things like that?"
"You ARE good…"
"I've met the type. I even worked with a few. As for Panthro…"
"She's a total fangirl but her softer side doesn't go much past that." Both women shared a chuckle.
"Ive met that type, too. So, let's get you acclimated."
"You're a cop and an engineer?"
"Out in space, you aren't always near a repair station," Mandora said by way of explanation.
"That's true." She recalled several times where repairs had to be done with gratuitous amounts of ingenuity and improvisation. Not to mention all the times Polgara had bitched about it. She eyed the pair of dual-wheeled vehicles sitting on what was clearly a ready area for deployment.
"The ThunderCycles," Mandora explained. "Only two, though. Resources are at a premium and not everyone needs them."
"I can tell which one's Panthro's," Myreena said, pointing at the larger model. "The other's Sho's?"
"Got it in one." Myreena stepped over to the pair of vehicles and examined what she could see of their engines.
"Made for roads, but I'm sure this planet's short on modern roadways. I'm thinking gyro-stabilizers and adjustable tires for rough terrain. On anything approaching level, I bet they can go fast as hell."
"You're gonna fit right in," Mandora said. "Welcome aboard, Myreena."
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"Man, it's good to be outta there!" Steelwill exclaimed as he emerged into the common area where the other SilverHawks were gathered. They sat around a table above which floated a data readout that shifted between their first battle, PGF newsfeeds, and a blank section which only read Stand By.
"Remember that," QuickSilver said. "Maybe you won't find yourself in that spot again."
"Yeah, yeah," the hulking cyborg said. "Hey, I fucked up. I know it. But, who knew that Guyver thing could hit so hard?"
"You targeted his wife and daughter," Copper Kidd said in his whistling language.
"I did what?!"
"Hey, look," Bluegrass added, "we were going on incomplete inel. We've got more now."
"Mind giving me the infodump?" The others obliged and he saw the events after Guyver One had nearly turned him into a beer can. "Oh. Shit."
"That about sums it up," SteelHeart said. "And to top it all off, our intel feed is offline."
"I saw that," her brother said. "What gives?"
"Thorson has his reasons," QuickSilver said.
"Yes," the others replied in unison. None of them noticed TallyHawk's cybernetic gaze locked upon them. None of them were meant to.
"Our mission is unchanged," QuickSilver said. "We wait for orders." And that was that.
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"These new models are gonna be a problem," Stargazer said as he reviewed the recorded footage of the first match between Guyver One and the SilverHawks.
"Three Guyvers - not to mention the defenses gathered here - against four cyborgs?" Corman asked. "Gotta admit, it's looking good for us."
"You haven't mentioned what Thorson can call on," Tygra said. The available ThunderCats had convened in the Royal Hall but not out of a need to conceal. Rumors had a way of circulating and all present knew that they would be flying fast soon, if not already. Shadowmane's arrival had been hardly secret. "The PGF military is the dominant power in the region. None of us need to guess why."
"On the good news front, you're rather far away from the PGF's main sphere of influence," Quickpick said. "It will take Thorson time to get here."
"Also, he can't mobilize the whole fleet," Stargazer added. "He doesn't want to be noticed. Thing is, small forces can move damn fast."
"What about mercenaries?" Lion-O asked from his throne.
"What about them?" Corman replied. "You all took out Shiner. Trust me, EVERYONE saw how that happened. Well, an abridged version," he added in haste, "but the effect is the same. Shiner was the biggest fish in that lake, and you hooked him."
"Mercs can be brave, but they're not stupid. Besides, Shiner was third generation. His family's been mercs for decades. He didn't establish the family legend, but he damn sure built on it. You lot taking him down? It had an impact." Stargazer, after that statement, reached into his pants pocket. "Damn. Forgot I was outta cigars."
"Good thing," Siderias said. "What interests me is these SilverHawks. We'll meet them again."
"I think they'll be the vanguard force. Pun unintended," Claudis offered. "Thorson must know how the last encounter went."
"And that there are now three," Quickpick said. "This will not deter him. Disposal of evidence, you see. He rather goofed when breaking the laws regarding cybernetics."
"That, I think, I can work with," Stargazer added. "The tech may be newer than mine, but the strategy is old as dirt. That TallyHawk is the key. Get that thing, you get them."
"Great. So, what do you plan to do with them?" Lion-O asked from atop his throne. "It's not like we can shelter them for long."
"If I had a cookie, I'd give it to you," Stargazer said with an approving smile. "You're right. Fortunately, Hawk Haven is mobile and I've already tasked it to come to the edge of your stellar system. I've picked out good hiding spots here, and asked Shadowmane about resupply. It's gonna be dicey for a bit, but doable. So long as Hawk Haven remains undetected, which it should in the asteroid belt between here and the next planet, we have a base."
"If that sort of tech is illegal…" Cheetara began.
"This isn't PGF territory," Corman explained. "And they built it. That's evidence, and it's a card you can play."
"Cut the shit, Corman," Mandora spat. "We both know how that'll play out."
"Yeah," he replied in a dejected tone. "I saved all the old records, but any defense attorney fresh outta law school could shoot it down. Especially since no official records exist. Let's face it, we're off the fucking grid here."
"Thinking of jumping ship?" Mandora asked.
"No," Corman said with a surprising amount of resolve. "The PGF has done good things, but we've done a lot of bad shit, too."
"So, you're a revolutionary?"
"If you wanna call me that. The PGF's been losing its way for decades now. What do you do when you see it happening? An iron fist in a silk glove is still an iron fist."
"Kinda makes you wonder if anyone will ever get it right," Stargazer added, "but it still shouldn't stop you from trying."
"You two surprise me," she said with an appraising look. "You didn't try to recruit Sho
for CONTROL or the PGF, did you?" This she directed at Corman.
"Full disclosure: I knew he'd never accept. I had to keep up appearances. Sorry about the sleazebag approach, but it's the best camouflage."
"It certainly had Ceres convinced."
"Yeah, and I'm never living that down."
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David sat alone in his quarters as the sun set. Its fiery light shone through the window and cast everything in orange and black shades as he meditated on the events of the day and those to come. His legs crossed and arms folded in the position Running Wolf had taught him, he pondered his first real day in this alien society.
Meeting Snarf had been an unexpected treat. In the diminutive… Thunderian? His thoughts paused for a moment. Snarf looked nothing like the others. He briefly wondered about parallel evolution before abandoning that thread. He could learn from Snarf, and cooking had always been a passion for him.
Sho.
His thoughts would linger on that man for a long time to come. As such, he released his conscious mind as the old shaman had taught him. Running Wolf had always called it letting the spirits guide, but he'd never really bought into it. Still, he did find that it helped.
It did not work this time, and he knew why.
It wasn't just that Sho had forgotten him - which did hurt - but that he had moved on in ways David could never have anticipated. A wife and a child? David found himself smiling for Sho. The man deserved some happiness, especially in the face of the horrors he'd stared down. And blown to hell.
David hated the fact that he had to dump a steaming heap of shit on it.
He reclaimed the calm within himself.
Another war was coming, a new enemy, and Sho knew the power he needed was firmly in David's own hands. That was pissing him off. David could relate. In the reverse, he would feel the same; but that did not ameliorate the crucial fact that Sho would not understand. Even worse, he could not share his knowledge with the ThunderCats. It could not be leaked to him.
David paused at that. Could full disclosure be the better option? As he considered, it did have its merits. But the downside…
"You need this," David said, hating himself all the while. "I'm sorry." With that, he focused inward. He closed his links to Sho and to Lisker. He doubted either would notice. He focused farther inward toward the light and his own frustration. He felt it at once. It hoverd just out of reach. Power he could not touch, that he had stolen. Agito had made it, and had ruined it. He'd wanted it to exceed Sho's own, and for the life of him David was unsure if he had succeeded. He had called upon it numerous times, yet it had refused him. His only solace had been that the bastard Agito had been denied it.
But now, everything could depend on it.
It felt different. He could tell it at once though it still refused him. David bit back his anger and a curse at this. Even now, the power rejected him and he had no idea why. He had no clue as to how Agito had made it from the control spheres of the dead ship in Arizona. No idea as to what he had gotten right and wrong. The satisfaction he'd gained from stealing this weapon had long become frustration at its refusal of his call. The fact that he'd robbed humanity's worst traitor - aside from Hitler - of it had faded. David stilled those thoughts. He had been power hungry once, and he knew where that path led. It did not cease the frustration, but it did help his concentration. He envisioned it as a chrysalis which he knew Sho was seeing in dreams. It stubbornly refused to open, to give him any clues, yet it still felt different. Had it been his slumber? Two thousand years sealed in his control medal? He thought upon it and discarded it. He had no idea and as such could not formulate any solution…
What the hell?
He looked upon the connection again. There, there it was. Something different. He had no idea what it was. It couldn't be his link with Sho, it would have appeared thousands of years ago. A weakening with Agito? Possible. If neither… what?
No.
It wasn't possible.
He focused deeper and was denied again.
Damnit!
He focused again…
Oh, shit…
He felt it for the briefest moment. Just one instant.
David opened his eyes and took deep, gasping breaths. Conflicting emotions warred within him as his blood raced. Much as he fought, the feeling left him. He nearly screamed until a single glimmer of truth made itself known. Deep within, it had stirred. Just for an instant.
He meditated upon that for a moment, an hour. He refused to believe, and yet could not help himself. For one brief moment, it had recognized him. Just one moment. One second.
It was not enough to raise his hopes for the Dark, but if it had responded to him even that much then Sho…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
He knew it was the end. He had long accepted its coming and in quiet moments such as this even welcomed it. He had lived a long life, if not as fulfilling as he had hoped. He had never married, though he'd had numerous lovers over his long life. Hed seen Thuderian science explode, seen Thunderian exploration reach new heights…
And seen his home planet being destroyed just before fire blinded him.
He took another shot of bourbon. Another thing he'd miss.
Lynx-O had known his life was ending for some time; the signs had begun soon after having been discovered by the ThunderCats. The progression had increased slowly at first, yet had begun to accelerate in recent months. He felt the tremors in his hands, the weakness in his legs. His memories, once so clear, had begun to fade ito oblivion.
He took another sip and vowed it would be his last. He could not deny that he was on borrowed time and that each moment was precious. It could be months, it could be weeks, but the end was upon him with utter certainty.
He began to plan.
He knew the fate that often awaited those with his condition. The caregivers meant well, and certainly did their best, but it was not what he wanted for himself.
He felt no fear.
At his Naming, he had known he would never see his people rise to what they had once been. However, encountering Sho and seeing New Thundera rise had also been something he would never have imagined. Even at the end, life could be full of surprises. The thought brought a smile to his lips as his finger lingered over the screen prompt for recording.
Siberias would not reveal his condition. Not yet. Lynx-O had extracted that promise from him, mostly for Pumyra's sake. He had known her and Bengali from kittenhood and while neither would take it well, she would take it the hardest.
He had taken in Bengali after the death of his parents. Prominent smiths and jewelers, their family had befriended him long before and Lynx-O had agreed to care for the boy though he had already been in his fifties. He had taken up residence in the home of Bengali's family so as not to uproot the boy. With his own family dead and with no heirs of his own, he had sold the assets and taken up full time care of the young Tyger.
Meeting Pumyra had been an act of chance.
He had spotted her on the street, filthy and frightened, and his heart had gone out to her. When he'd spotted the men closing in on the terrified girl, his blood had begun to boil. The cruelty on their faces and the fear on hers had combined to tell her story entirely without words. He placed himself in their parth and stood firm. They were on the ground moments later in intense pain. She'd looked up at him with such an expression that his heart had broken. He had taken her to his home that day. He had learned that her family had been murdered, her own father ensuring her escape, and she had been living rough for months.
He chuckled at the memory of Bengali's first sight of Pumyra. The boy's eyes had nearly popped out of his head. He smiled at the memories of them coming to know each other. Her venture into medical school and his into a vocation had separated them for a time, but that first spark between them had not faded and had - at long last - resulted in a miraculous new life on a new home world. Such a thing would be a worthy capstone on anyone's life.
Yet he still lived.
He reviewed recent developments and a plan began to form. He would choose his own manner of passing and it would be of benefit to his people both Thunderian and Third Eather alike. It was, perhaps, vain of him but it was the end of his own long life and it would - the gods willing - be of his own design. He rose, a gnawing having maken itself known in his gut. Hunger was something which he had felt less as the years had marched on. When it made itself known, it more and more surprised him. He strode through the halls with practiced ease and trusted his nose to guide him along a path he knew by rote. He had no idea how many - or few - meals lay before him and he felt consumed by a desire to savor every last one. It was a funny thing to face the end of one's own life, after all.
He heard the door slide open and he stepped into a miasma of scents; sweets and fruits for dessert, meats which had been roasted to perfection. He eschewed the line and took a seat where, after a few minutes, he felt someone approach and leave a tray of savory-smelling broth before him paired with vegetables and meats. From reflex he reached for a fork and then heard Sho from an adjoining table. As he took a bite, he heard the now-familiar breathing of David drawing near. By the time he swallowed, it was obvious that David had drawn next to said table.
"I've been thinking," he heard the… younger?... human say. "Mind if I sit?"
"Plenty of room, Sho replied. The chair slid out, groaned a bit under the weight, and slid again.
"You're right about something," David said. "You do need to know."
"It's about damn time!"
"Don't get me wrong," David replied. "When this comes out, memories are gonna come with it. Bad ones, and I would rather you focusing on destroying Grune, than the pain those memories bring you."
"No shit."
"And if Grune gets that armor… Not gonna lie, it's gonna be nasty. But you can beat it, Brother."
"I can give you an idea…"
"But I'm gonna do whatever it takes to stop that." Lynx-O could hear the silence in the commissary. "If it means I have to bury the hatchet with that motherfucker Agito, I'll do it. You. Have. My. Word." He could visualize the look on David's face. "This thing gives us an assload of years, but it doesn't make us immortal. After all this time, it's gotta be trying to leave him. Give the man a home, hot food, and a bevy of servants if that's what it takes. If it averts the future you experienced, I'll deal with it. But make no mistake, this power will emerge. And If, Grune spirits forbid it, obtains a Bio-booster, when your power comes out, Grune won't have a snowball's chance in hell against you." He heard David take in a breath.
"I've overcome that twice."
Lynx-O imagined David resting a hand on Sho's shoulder. "When this comes out, you will - and I shit you not - ram your foot right up his ass. No lube." Lynx-O heard general laughter at that. "It will come. You have made a fucking art of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. If this was a story, I'd say you have plot armor a mile thick." Lynx-O listened as a chair slid out and creaked with weight. "Sho. Not Little Brother, but Sho, please listen. Yeah, I know you hate that title, you always did. Please, I am asking… no, I am fucking begging you to trust me on this. Just for a while."
"My quarters. Now."
"I thought you were married," David said with a trace of laughter.
"I am and mind outta the gutter, Jackson." Lynx-O's ears perked up at that last. The pitch and timbre of Sho's voice changed at that moment. It was barely perceptible, yet still evident to his ears.
"Now." Another shift in tone that was subtle to the point of vanishing. Something had passed between the two Guyvers, something that they might or might not have noticed.
The change in Sho was there and growing exponentially.
It was hope. Even if they didn't realize it.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
David approached the door with Sho at his side, his nerves alight with tense anxiety, Here was his brother's new home, his sanctum, his family. It slid open at their approach and he followed the other man in. A massive picture window dominated the western wall which, he was sure, gave one hell of a view of sunset.
"Sho!" Myrlha exclaimed as she and a small child entered the main chamber. "Oh, I didn't know we'd have company tonight," she added on seeing David. "I'll order extra from the canteen." He could feel her nervousness - not quite fear - at his presence.
"And who is this little angel?" He asked with a smile as he knelt down to the girl's level.
"Leah," she said. Unlike Myrlha, she looked up at him with open curiosity. "You're like my papa."
"Oh?" David immediately squelched the unease which spiked within him.
"You're human, like Papa."
"Yes, I am," he replied. "My name's David."
"Are you friends?" The question tore at his heart, yet he answered honestly.
"For a long time, I called him brother." He felt Sho tense at that statement, then felt it break at the child's next words.
"Uncle Davey," she said at once before darting forward to wrap her arms about his neck, David froze for an instant until Sho began to snicker.
"You are not living that one down, Jackson," Sho said as his laughter bubbled then grew into cackles.
For David, however, it was drowned out by a multitude of factors, not the least of which was that Sho's own daughter was embracing him. That Myrlha had a beaming smile on her face. Even that Sho had built something so wondrous as an actual family or that in this moment he had addressed him with something other than naked suspicion. In this brief moment, everything seemed bright. Even hopeful.
While Sho had forgotten him, he had moved on. He had built something of meaning, of value, and he would fight to defend it. Sho was no longer the one he'd called "Little Brother" for so long, and David hated that it would take immesurable pain to fully complete the transformation. But here - now - seeing what Sho had become hardened his resolve.
"Leah, you are the only person anywhere who can call me that." Much as he hated nicknames, from her it fit. He fought down the memories of his parents, his siblings. The here and now mattered. The future could wait, at least for the moment.
"So…"
"In case you weren't listening, Fukamachi, only she can call me that," he said in a flat tone. "Even you don't get that pass."
"Fair enough," Sho said. "Still hilarious." David rose with Leah still in his arms. The kid was braver than hell. Given her adoptive parents, though, that was more than expected. David had a sudden image of her bringing her first date home to meet the parents and nearly laughed out loud.
"What?" Sho asked just as David realized his hold on the link had weakened a bit.
"She's gonna be a heartbreaker."
"They have to deal with me first."
"C'mon," Myrlha said, "if you scare them all away…"
David burst out laughing.
"Why am I holding a shotgun?" Sho burst out to Myrlha's bemusement and David's continued laughter.
"What's a shotgun, Papa?" Leah asked, staring up at him with her wide and innocent eyes.
"When you're older," David and Sho said simultaneously before glancing at each other and laughing.
As though they knew that such times were rapidly ending.