Minmi and doctor Owen were holding hands, The couple had become close they walked hand in hand to Greet Max and Zoe. Minmi spoke up, "No oh look they came up for air jokes you two." Doctor Owen spoke up, " This is important, We lost power in one room of the earthship, a fuse switch broke, Now we can fix this one of two ways, Go to the back up power generates minmi has turn them on and run cords to the room to replace it's plugs or go to the trader's market down below and hope we find the part to fix it." The couple nodded getting what their ask was.
The aunt handed over a bag for food to Max and Zoe to go trade, The couple then headed down the path. It had officially been one year's time. They turned back to see Doctor Owen and Minmi making out. Zoe smiled Max carrying the bag and she insisted they switch after awhile as she said, "hard to believe it's been one year as the news broadcasts talk about... This is kind of scary, we maybe safe warm and feed for now but a broken part is big deal man. it's a reminder the earth ship probably want last the full our life time this ice age is going to last." she said blinking, "If one year of use is broken fuse. Sooner or later all hope of repairing it will be lost...wait the teleporter we can teleport next time a random wild happens and stock pile them. ...That's buying more time."
Max nodded as Zoe took the bag as they headed down the trail in the snow, "This time last year we were on a grand global adventure seeing the world, now it's the ice age, Your family is different, so is mine, And plus even if we do lose the fuses Sanjo is going steam punk we can probably just move back their." Zoe nodded. They soon came to the sight of people.
Over the year the world was not forgiven, people form the town's on the mountain had to dig out or die and change, Sanjo's steam also made it worst for the mountain, it made clouds covering them making it darker and colder. The people who couldn't go to Sanjo, as Angel was strict on who would be allowed in or not, No one with criminal records, no one who was a bigot, No one who was a killer who would murder to become king. She was working under logic the next generation doesn't need to be poisoned in worlds end. Right now they had a sign pointing to the trading market. This sight was all over to get attention on it.
The Market was not a safe place, Minmi's new bracers were a good thing as more hands free. The Market was loaded with people the city didn't want and people who had given up on getting in the earthship. It was not a safe place or a nice place. The place in question had animal hide roofs and tents built up, around now useless cars and other recycled structures , fallen and rotten wood chipped up covered the ground making a floor that was kind of muddy between their stands. The people cast out for one reason or another or had just gone to mad lived by trading with no mads, that passed, or with the earthship.
Now our couple looked around for one reason, they had a bag of food for payment if they found it, an item that was in old world terms like walking around with the cartoonish giant bag of money. The couple remained close as they looked for the part in question. Some of this cast outs had useful skills that they made use of. The use in question they came too was a man in his pick up truck who could repair machines. Max pulled out the fuse putting it down, "Got one or can fix it?" The guy looked at it and said, " Don't got one but Can fix it to about seventy percent it will worked but not as long as last time, Food first." Max took some out and said, " half now half when you finish take it or starve." The man nodded taking the deal and eating an apple. " Deal kid deal, Give me an hour and come back with the rest of my payment!" he said shoveling what he had to eat down before getting to work beside the truck.
Zoe then looked to Max as he pulled out something else from his pocket, "It's a bag of jerky, I figured we could get more for our time as we came to this shit show." He said looked around as Zoe nodded and they walked to look for something to buy or trade for as case is. They looked around to kill time, and that's when it happened Jim with his Russian accent "krasotka, never before I seen such beauty." Max growled as he grabbed Zoe's hand, the ginger right away pulled back hissing at it.
Max stood between Zoe and the man, "the woman is spoken for!" Jim chuckled and said, "I am son of a captain of a snow pirate ship, I have jewels to spoil her and can take what ever she needs what does you have?" Our hero tapped his head, "Oh like I am going to gloat about what I have to a pirate, yeah that sounds real smart...What do you take me for an idiot." Jim with to draw sword, "then I just take woman." Zoe's eyes widened but to her shock Max blocked the swing with his mittens shocking them as Max landed a kick to his side making him fall. " They are blade proof Fool!" Jim had dropped his sword and couldn't pick it up as Max dove to grab it first dragging it by blade to his hand. As the hero held it in hand. " A pirate with our his sword...What you going to draw a gun? chances of Ammo one year into worlds end is unlikely, If you have a fire arm it's probably home made using a rock as ammo."
Jim got up smirking, 'And I takes it like your Mittens the rest of your outfit is Armored, You have armor better then my weapons, Very nice treasure." Max's eyes widened he did gloat to a pirate. Zoe's eye twitches as she said, "you meant well honey you meant well, and tried. He is just a professional weasel." Max held the sword out and to Zoe's shock Max went to swing it at Jim who avoided it. Zoe got it he was now a danger of pirate attack. It's world end you got to do what you got to do. She was blushing as she knew what Max was thinking, What he had to do was for her.
Jim avoided the blade and pulled out a knife to block with a swing or to push it out, the knife had brace knuckles on it giving him more block and hold on this short blade. " dermo. You fight with skill and training in the way of the Blade." Max said one thing using strikes, "Kendo." Zoe tiled her head she had no idea her boyfriend was a swordsmen or was samurai trained. One year in and still learning new things. Now Max's moral code was his enemy here he could summon any lighting dinosaur but he didn't view Jim as enough of a threat level slash didn't want to destroy the market. However That's when the alarm went off the timer, Zoe waved, "I am off to get the part back" she said with good bag, "Meet you back home!" she said leaving to get as far away from Jim a she could and hating the fact she left her boyfriend in a fight.
Now our pirate had a smaller blade so needless to say he was losing and was just avoiding, Your striking range can decide a lot in a fight. Our Pirate who wanted to take Zoe Away Had informal training, Max had formal training, While the sword was different from what Max was use to he could adjust quickly to it. Both had similar builds. It was range and training. Formal training and Range gave the double edge to Max. In fact was also smarter than Jim. The hero throw the wood chips mixed with Snow at Jim's face blinding him Allong Max to knock him down and step on his knife hand holding him down, people watched as Max held the blade up ready to thrust it down into the pirate. Jim's eyes widened at Max's face, no hint of regret, No hint of remorse, no hesitation, His eyes and face had a wicked Glee at what he was about to do to a Man who wanted to take his Zoe away, "You should have stayed away from my Wife!" He said not catching he said wife not girlfriend.
In Fact the only thing that saved Jim was the prehistoric whale ancestor alpha the Gavro summoned, The thing coming in Max Max jumped back to avoid it's artic water blast, the water however landed on Jim's arm and he hissed in pain running his knife falling out of his hand as his arm wint limp. The pirate could only run cursing under his breath as he knew frostbite would mean he would lose his left arm. Max quickly used the badger to get Chomps card and slash it and the armor card, To summon Armored chomp, who he used the move card, "Lighting strike!" lighting traveled through the jet stream of cold water as it hit chomp. The result one shocked and fried whale, While Chomp fell over with frostbite becoming a card, a draw. Max collect the cards and pocketed Jim's knife. he saw the bracer and got a text from Zoe, A picture of her with the fuse at the earth ship she made it home safely. he smiled turning to leave but he then realized what he said, " wife...I called her wife..." he held his face with his free hand carrying the sword in hand, and knife in his pocket. he saw someone selling jewelry and he saw it a simple metal ring. he dropped his jerky on it, " jerky food for ring." the person selling it took it and Max pocketed the Ring. " Maybe not yet but Soon." he then headed off leaving the market some stunned other's not giving a shit as it's dooms day fucked up shit happens on Doomsday.
Later on, the ship Jim growled holding his missing arm in a mirror growling all he could think about now was that Boy who's name he didn't know and his declared wife. He would have that woman just to spite the bastard who dared to strike him down, but what haunted him was that smirk and look in his eyes when he was about to die. The boy our Max gave was that of someone who was totally okay with killing at this point. Jim and his crew would eat slaves that died, but not even one of them had that look. Jim didn't know it but the Most dangerous people weren't scum like him, It was good people driven to survive and protect their loved ones at worlds end. Jim could never be as big a monster as Max Taylor.
The pirate would learn this the hard way as his snow ship sailed along. His father's blue spectral star was attracting Gavro who was waiting and watching. Gavro was an idiot , but even he knew If you got two people you hate make them hate eachother and you can suck up what's left when it's over and done. For this Gavro flow close to the ship on the side and whacked it making it change directions towards this. " This will be easy, kids beat up pirates. Gavro collect Spectral star in the sword. Gavro fly away scream. Gavro has spectral star. Pirates don't know Gavro exit Pirates can't back stab like what happened with Foolscap, Gavro no fight direct Gavro no die like Goma."
To be continued