by Parker, Jack
"Nothing really," he replied. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your victory." His smirk only grew smugger as his eyes gave away the fakeness of his smile and the tone of his voice. "How many knights did you kill? Six? Or was it eight?"
"What do you care?" Aaron asked, now fully facing the man. Andy was standing behind him. Nathan wasn't his favorite official either.
"I was just wondering," Nathan began while shrugging, "how it felt to watch those eight die. Was it hard, or were their screams like music to your ears?"
"Just shut up!" he yelled angrily. It's not like Aaron enjoyed what he was told to do. He was only following orders. He hated having to listen as they died. It was horrible. It made him sick to his stomach. But orders were orders. No one defied Ramirez. Horrible things happened to those who did.
Nathan walked closer and moved towards Andy. There was a smirk still on his face. He was really enjoying himself.
"Well Andy," he began. "How does it feel watching the people you used to know so well die? It must be hard. You were once a part of their team, remember?"
"Leave him alone Nathan," threatened Aaron, drawing a glare from the other man. The lieutenant stood up to face his superior without fear and without respect. He didn't seem to care at all. He only answered to one man, and that was Ramirez. No one else could command him.
"Fine," he said after a while. "I have better things to do than talk to you two anyway." With that said, he left the room, leaving Andy and Aaron just standing there, both rather disturbed and angry. Aaron turned to Andy, looking down at the younger boy.
"You okay?" he asked, noticing the rather downcast expression on his face.
"Aaron, I…" he began, seeming on the verge of tears. "I don't care anymore."
"What?" questioned Aaron, really having to listen to hear what Andy was saying.
"You can…you can kill them, I don't care," he said a little louder. "They aren't my family anymore, so just do what General Ramirez says, okay? I don't…I don't care about them anymore." Aaron only nodded in response, though he knew that Andy was lying. Despite what he said, he still cared greatly about the knights and the GRC in general. They had been his home for over half his life after all. How could one not miss a home like that?
"Okay," he responded while turning around. He would just do what Andy said and not what he wanted. Besides, even if he wanted to, he couldn't defy Ramirez. No one could. After all, the silver haired devil always got what he wanted…or got rid of what he didn't want.
* * * *
It was another new day, and Ray was returning from her morning shower. She was happy to say that Leon hadn't interrupted her this time. Maybe because there hadn't been a spider. She shivered at the thought. She absolutely feared the black eight legged freaks of nature. Everything about them creped her out, right down to the stealthy way they moved.
Ray went to her room so that she could get dressed. The rest of the base was already up and currently watching a movie. She would probably join them soon. She just had to get some clothes on.
She quickly put on her undergarments and then pulled on a pair of blue jeans. Right when she was about to pull on her shirt, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Sitting near her window sill was a rather large black thing, and all rational thought still left in her was quickly lost. She screamed.
* * * *
All of the Solaris family members tensed when they heard someone scream, knowing that it was Ray. None of them moved at first, but they all turned to face her door. Without thinking, Leon jumped over the back of the couch and began running to her room.
"Leon!" called Dr. Solaris, but it was once again too late. He sighed, realizing that Ray might really pummel his son this time, depending on how bad his timing was.
Leon ran to Ray's room and placed his hand on the knob. Without really thinking this through, he threw open the door.
"Ray, what's wrong?" he asked, seeming rather concerned. He nearly stumbled out the door when she came running to him, hiding herself in his arms. "Ray?" he questioned, a little nervous now. "What is it?"
"Spider," she whispered, her voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. She pointed towards her window, and Leon watched as the large black spider scurried out her window. It was obviously smarter than the last had been. Leon only smiled as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Don't worry," he said to her softly. "It's gone now." Ray lifted her head and looked to the window, realizing that it really was gone. The threat had been eliminated, and she was calming down.
"That's a relief," she said. It was then that she realized whose arms she was in. She began to blush and quickly jerked away from him. "Leon, what are you doing here?"
"I came because you…" he began, but was quickly cut off.
"Turn around!" she demanded, her face burning with embarrassment. He quickly obeyed, finally gaining back enough sense to realize why she was mad. He had walked in on her again. All she was in was her undergarments and blue jeans. Her shirt was still lying on the ground. He was happy that he was facing the wall, since his face was also rather red.
Ray quickly pulled on her shirt, straightening herself out before glancing back at Leon. She had a small scowl on her face.
"You have the worst timing, you know that?" she asked him rather harshly.
"Well," he began, "maybe if you'd stop screaming every time you see a spider, I wouldn't come running. Here I think something might actually be wrong, and all it is is some measly bug."
"Hey," she began, turning to him since he was no longer facing the wall. "Spiders happen to be a big problem. I hate them! They're creepy!" Leon just smiled as she shuddered, probably thinking about spiders. She sure was a strange one. She wasn't afraid of near death situations, but when it came to a tiny, eight legged creature, she was terrified.
"Well then," he began as he walked over to her. He had a playful smile on his face. "I guess I'll just have to protect you." Ray narrowed her eyes, seeming rather skeptical of his claim.
"Really?" she asked him in doubt.
"Of course," he responded, as he turned towards her door. It was time for a subject change. This topic was getting a little old. "Come on," he said. "Let's go."
"Go where?" she questioned.
"I want you to show me," he told her, now seeming rather serious. Ray just smiled as she crossed her arms. What could he possibly want her to show him? A place to find common sense? How to have better timing?
"Show you what?" she asked, curious as to what his answer would be. To her surprise, he turned to her with a rather serious look on his face, showing that he meant business. He wasn't joking around at all this time.
"I want you to show me how to break the sound barrier," he stated, and she just gave him a blank stare. Had she heard right? Did he want Geno battling tips from her? True she was one of the only ones who could teach him, but was he really asking her?
"You already know how to break it," she said, mentally recalling the times he had. However, neither time he had been very successful.
"Not like that," he told her. "I want to know how to do without…well, losing consciousness or damaging my Geno." Ray crossed her arms, seeming to actually think it over. She really was rather intrigued by the idea. Breaking the sound barrier was a rather useful technique in battles, especially against Ramirez. If he were able to stay conscious while doing it, she wouldn't have to worry about watching him as closely.
"Alright," she said with a small smile, "I'll teach you."
"Great, let's go," he said, eager to begin his training. This was going to be fun, but in no way would it be easy. After all, a lot could go wrong when you were breaking through the sound barrier. That was something he already knew too much about. Hopefully this time would be different.
CHAPTER 22
High Speed Battle
Ray and Leon walked into the hanger of the Solaris base, slowly making their way over to their Genos. There was a big difference in the structures of them. Ray's was muc
h sleeker and a little smaller. It had been built for high speed battle after all. Leon's hadn't.
"First off," began Ray, catching Leon's attention. "The cockpit will have to be redone."
"Already took care of it," he stated as he began climbing into his Geno. There was a smile on his face when he noticed the confusion on Ray's. She simply crossed her arms, now thinking about this. If he had already had it done, then just how long had he been planning this training session? It was at least nice to know that he would take this all seriously. This was one aspect of Geno battling that needed one's full attention. So much could go wrong.
"Alright then," she said as she got into her black Geno. "Let's get going." They both quickly brought their Genos to life and left the hanger, heading out into the desert. It was a good thing that they had a lot of space to practice in. A lot of rock formations would just get in the way of the basics.
"What now?" he asked, opening the cockpit. Ray quickly opened hers and stood up, surveying the way Leon's had been redone. Everything looked to be done right. The seat had been adjusted, the proper gages had been installed, and the cockpit itself looked thicker and made of the same metal hers was. Overall, whoever had reformatted it had done a great job.
"Well," began Ray, "since you already got the cockpit done, there really isn't much to it. It'll just take a lot of practice. The ground form is probably the best to practice in, since it's a lot easier to maneuver. Not as much can go wrong. The air form is where you'll have some problems."
"Hey Ray?" he questioned, catching her attention. "This really isn't related, but just out of curiosity, what was your Geno before it became baseless?"
"An air base," she said with a smirk, rather proud of that fact. Aerial battle had always been her best aspect. She had even learned to break the sound barrier using that first. She always had done things differently from the other knights. "What about yours?" she asked. "It's a ground base, right?"
"Yeah," he said with a smile. "I liked the idea of being agile. It was either this one or a water base."
"I'll have to show you how to break the sound barrier in that sometime," she told him, thinking about how much fun it was. "Not in the desert of course, but in the ocean."
"Can all forms break the sound barrier?" he questioned out of curiosity, wanting to know exactly how much training he was in for.
"All but the humanoid one," she told him. "So don't worry. We'll only go over the ground and aerial ones, okay?"
"Alright," he responded while closing the cockpit. That's all he wanted to learn anyway. He was going to ready for the next time he encountered Ramirez in a battle.
"Okay," began Ray over the communication link. "The first thing to remember is keep your body straight. You don't want to get thrown back into an uncomfortable position. Also, moving your body around when going at those speeds is a bad idea. Try to keep yourself upright at all times. When you turn, only use the controls. I know it's a habit for pilots to lean into the turns, but that's a big fat no in high speed battles. It took me a while to break that habit. Also, if you feel yourself losing consciousness, then quickly stop. You should also stop if the gage to your right starts flashing red. It's a sign that your Geno needs a break. Running that fast is hard on the joints, and you don't want to fry them. Just remember all of that and you'll be fine." She gave him a smile as her screen faded, leaving him alone in his cockpit.
"Easy for you to say," he mumbled, unsure if he could remember even half of that. This was going to be harder than he had originally thought. He began to fear the training for the aerial battles.
* * * *
Dr. Solaris walked into the living room, deciding to head for the kitchen for a small snack. However, his eyes quickly wandered over to the window where he saw two Genos standing in the desert. He walked past Chris, who was sitting on the couch, and went right to the window. Leon and Ray were below in their Genos, apparently talking about something.
"What are they doing?" he questioned aloud, drawing Chris's attention. He walked over as well, looking down at his brother and Ray. A smile developed on his face.
"Leon must have asked her," he said, earning him a confused glance from his father.
"Asked her what?" he questioned, curious as to exactly what they were doing.
"Leon wanted Ray to teach him about high speed battle," explained Chris as he watched, waiting to see his brother break the sound barrier.
Dr. Solaris watched at well, seeming shocked at the idea. High speed battle was hard on the body, and not just anyone could do it. It required a lot of training and practice, and he knew better than anyone that Leon wasn't the most dedicated person. However, this technique was incredibly useful, and if there was one thing Leon loved it was winning. Breaking the sound barrier was probably one of the most powerful weapons in the world of Geno battling, second only to a four point cannon, something that wasn't even supposed to be around anymore. This would come in handy the next time Ramirez showed up.
Dr. Solaris just smiled as he deciding to leave and get his snack. He didn't have any doubts that Leon would be fine. He was in Ray's hands. She wouldn't let anything happen to him. She was careful…for the most part. When it came to dealing with another's life she was. Maybe not with her own, but that was another story. Either way, he was just happy that they were spending more time together. Leon really didn't get enough human interaction. He was always so secluded, mainly staying at the base. Having a "friend" would be good for him. Very good for him.
* * * *
"Ready?" questioned Ray.
"Yeah," he responded in a voice that said differently. He was very nervous right now. He knew the consequences of screwing up. He'd just have to remember what Ray had told him. Keeping his body straight was probably the most vital of the information. He would focus mainly on that.
"Go!" she told him, and he was off. He flipped the switch for the boosters and then the one for breaking the sound barrier. He was quickly forced back into his seat, very aware of every nerve in his body. All of them seemed to be screaming at him as the desert flew by at impossible speeds. He had to keep his mind focused, and he had to keep from becoming unconscious.
He decided to turn around, remembering what Ray had told him. He couldn't lean into the turn. He had to keep himself as straight as he could. He turned, going rather slowly in making his way around. He was now heading back the way he came, and he took the time to watch as the desert sands swirled out of his path. Everything was going by so fast. Genos were incredible things, being able to keep you from getting crushed at speeds this high. Whoever had originally designed the mechanical creatures had been a true genius.
The gage Ray had mentioned was beginning to flash red, so Leon quickly reached out and flipped the switch again. Gradually, his Geno began to slow down, eventually coming to a full stop. Someday he would have to try stopping the way Ray did. She was always so abrupt, spinning in the sand to turn around and face her enemy.
"Congrats," said Ray as she walked over to him. "With more practice, your Geno will be able to last longer. You'll also be able to do more fancy maneuvering. Your turns won't take quite so long. Watch." Ray's black Geno took off, kicking up the sand as it ran along. She flipped the first switch to turn on the boosters and then the second to break the sound barrier. She took off, the sand swirling in a torrent of wind and dust as she ran by. Her Geno was going in a perfectly straight line until she turned. It was perfect and very tight. It would be hard to hit her like that. She began jumping as she ran, landing each one perfectly. However, to Leon her Geno looked like nothing but a black blur. It was hard keeping up with something that moved that fast.
Before she reached him, she stopped, spinning into a halt. When her Geno had fully stopped, she turned and began walking back over. Her Geno's legs still appeared to be fine, even from those tight turns and that stop.
"See?" she said while opening the cockpit. "The gage doesn't even blink for me anymore. The last time it did was during that battle at the
excavation site…and I hadn't been paying attention then. Otherwise, I can last for quite a while."
"But my Geno isn't like yours," stated Leon as he also opened the cockpit. He stood up and stretched his arms. "I don't know if I'll ever be quite that good."
"Yeah," she said, not seeming all that down about it, "but you'll be able to get pretty close with practice." She smirked and rubbed her hands together in anticipation, making Leon seem a little nervous. "Okay, now I'm going to teach you about aerial high speed battles." Leon groaned in protest and sat down. He hadn't thought it would take this much work. How was he supposed to remember two sets of rules? Why couldn't he wait a while?
"Do we have to right now?" he asked in a slightly tired and whiney tone. His body was already aching, and he had only gone through it once.
"Come on Leon," she said. "You wanted to learn, so you're going to pay attention. Okay, first remember that you can only aim forwards or up. Never aim towards the ground, because that's like signing a death wish. And like before, always keep your body straight, but it's okay to lean into the turns when you're going up, but don't lean when you're turning around, and you have to be careful not to turn too hard, or the wings will break, and…"
Leon just sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips. This was going to be one long day, and it would probably last for a few after that. What have I gotten myself into? He began to zone out as Ray just kept talking. This really was going to take a while. At the rate Leon was going, a very very long while. It'll be worth it. The next time I see Ramirez, I'll be ready. I won't get in anyone's way. Not this time.
* * * *
It was a beautiful day in Torran, and a certain young genius couldn't help but notice. Andy walked down the streets of Torran, heading for the normally unpopulated park. He needed to relax for a while and get away from the dark, slightly dreary base. Torran had always been his favorite city. He used to live there with his parents until they moved to the GRC base. He was wishing they had never made that decision.
