Wild ARMs: Off on a Tangent

By: Chibi-chan

Part 15: “The Good, the Bad, and One Ugly Mother…”

*

“You sure you’re all right, Jamie?” Cecil asked the bounty hunter. It was later that day, night already in fact, and James seemed to be doing quite fine. Still, Cecil was a bit worried. I’ve been so tired as of late, I’m afraid it might affect my magic sooner or later… he thought, trying to not to look as weary as he felt.

“For the last time, I’m just fine, Cecil,” James reassured him, starting to get a little irritated by the prince’s constant inquiries. What’s his problem today? It’s weird; he’s usually so gung-ho about everything, but now he acts as if he’s unsure of himself… he thought, trying to hide any trace of worry from his manner.

“Cute, aren’t they?” Allison said to Nicholi, gesturing to the two boys. “Reminds me of us back in the old days when we were still studying under Zepet.”

Nicholi shook his head. “Doesn’t remind me of that time, since James hasn’t tried to shoot the boy yet.” He paused, then added, “Well, not that I know of, anyway.”

“There was a time where, if things turned out differently, I could have been his mother,” Allison said, a little too slyly for Nicholi’s tastes.

The man gave her a “You’ve got to be kidding” look. “Ha, you wish. Not if you were the last woman on Filgaia, Allison,” he said.

Allison arched an eyebrow. “You say that now, but you would have said different twenty-two years ago, if I remember right, Nick.”

“I was young and stupid then,” Nicholi told her, “It wouldn’t have worked out anyway. You’d have driven me up the wall and then, well, my next shot wouldn’t have missed.”

“Pff, like you’re all that fun to be around, Nick. I’d be the one shooting,” the professor said to set the record straight.

*

In another room, Elmina was pacing back and forth while Zed sat on the bed and watched. “She was so close, Zed! That evil bitch who… everyone… Garrett… killed them or worse…!”

“Hey, hey, calm down! Remember, you’re the one who always said that revenge was a coward’s exercise,” Zed said, trying to reason with his companion.

Elmina sighed and flopped down on the bed next to the mouse. “You’re right, I know that, I really do, but… I thought I could handle myself when I heard it was her, but when I heard her voice, talking about Garrett… Damn, I hate feeling helpless!” she vented semi-coherently.

“Tomorrow, we take them down. All of them,” Zed told her, “Including her.”

Elmina said nothing. All of them… Hanpan too?

*

Meanwhile, at the Photosphere…

Tomorrow… the plans have been stepped up to tomorrow… a certain blue-haired Wind Mouse-eared-and-tailed Metal Demon thought. Emma screwed up, which upset Mother, which pissed off Zeik, who’ll be coming after me any moment to “vent”… If I’m lucky, the humans will just kill us all and then I’ll be rid of him…Rid of him? Oh gods, could I endure that…?

*

Later that night in Court Seim, while James was making his preparations to go along with Cecil and Elmina, he heard a knock on the door to his room. He opened the door and started, “Cecil, for the last time, I’m…”

“He’s still checking up on you, hmm?” the man at the door, obviously not Cecil, asked.

“Dad? Yeah, yeah, he is. It’s not like him to do so. It’s like he’s expecting his spell to go wrong…” James said. “So, why’re you up so late? Allison’s laugh give you nightmares? And what’s that you’re hiding behind your back?”

Nicholi smirked. “So inquisitive; too much like me. I’ll tell you, if you answer my questions.”

“Questions?” James asked.

“Yes, questions. After Allison and I make the repairs on ‘Ringo’, you’re going with them, aren’t you?”

James looked away. “Well, er, yeah. I mean, if the planet’s destroyed… that is, if it meant you’d die too… and them too… they need me…” he rambled.

Nicholi looked the other way. “And there’s nothing in my power that I can do to stop you, is there?”

That question was a bit easier for James to answer. “Not a blessed thing.”

“Hn…” After a pause, Nicholi held out the rifle-class ARM he was holding behind his back. “Then take this with you. You’ll need something a bit more powerful than what you usually carry. She’s served me well for years, and she’ll serve you well too.”

“Dad… thank you…” James said. He carefully took the ARM from his father. “Don’t worry. I’ll come back in one piece.”

“I’m sure you will,” the father said, “Just make sure that one piece is alive, all right?”

“All right, I promise,” the boy said with a little laugh. “Good night, dad.”

“Good night, son.”

*

The next morning came just like any other morning. The upgrading went by without a hitch. Allison said upon completion, “That should do it. The golem’s…”

*ROAR!*

Allison sighed heavily. “Ringo’s, that is, Anti-Phasing Shields should be able to neutralize just about anything you need it to.”

It was Nicholi’s turn to comment. “Even though ‘Ringo’ is a defensive golem, its shields can become an extremely dangerous weapon if used improperly. Make sure you’re clear of the shield when it activates or you might lose a limb to it or worse.”

“We’ll be sure to remember that, Nicholi,” Elmina told the man. “Isn’t that right…?” she said as she turned to look at her two younger companions. She stopped talking as soon as she saw the evilly-laughing prince being chased around Ringo by the very much irked bounty hunter. “Er, rather, I’ll make sure they know before we get there,” she corrected with, feeling tremendously embarrassed by being associated with the two boys at that moment.

Cecil diverted from his path around the golem and climbed up the titan’s foot. “So, Ringo, you still feel like helping us out?” Ringo roared determinedly in response. “All right then, LET’S GO!” the prince shouted in his best “Genki” tone. The golem moved in response to show enthusiasm too, but the sudden movement threw the boy on its foot off balance and sent him falling off to the side, where, as luck would have it, the boy’s “keeper” was there in time to catch him.

“This hardly seems fair,” Boomerang complained, “I always seem to be there to catch you when you fall, but the one time I fall, I ended up getting hurt!”

“Well, I can’t help that you’ve decided to be my ‘knight’, Jamie-poo,” Cecil said with enough cuteness and insincere innocence to gag a three-toed sloth. This resulted in the bounty hunter dropping him quite suddenly. “You have no sense of humor…” the prince groaned.

“Wish us luck, you two,” Elmina said covertly to the two ARMs meisters, “If these two jokers keep this up, we’ll need it.”

*

“’Give ‘em hell, kiddies!’

‘Be careful! Come back alive!’

‘Cecil… Elmina…Even you too, Jamie… Wherever you are right now, I wish you all the luck in the world right now…’

Garrett… I’m coming… Whatever she’s done to you, I’ll fix; I swear it!

So tired… But I won’t stop now! I have to continue!”

“Luci? Something troubling you?”

So many strong desires coming from those around the young master, but none from him. I’m no longer sure he’s the one, Ceilidh. But…

“But?”

The Innocent One. There’s a strange vibration from him. I could barely pick up on it back at Timney, but now I can sense it all the way out here.

“Hm. You will monitor him more carefully then?”

Of course. Fortunately, he is in good care for the time being. Time will tell if either the young master or the Innocent One will be able to help me…

*

The Photosphere. It was, in all actuality, a dome from what our heroes could see, but it still lived up to the first half of its name, for it indeed was a dome of light. A bright, shimmering force field surrounded the structure, obscuring the ruined exterior of the building. Factor in the building’s massive size, and it became a terribly difficult thing to miss. In fact, on the way to Court Seim when the group had first enlisted Ringo’s help, the group made a mental note of where the big shimmering thing was for future reference and, more practically, also made a mark on the map where it was.

Getting on with the plot, Ringo and its passengers stood before the Photosphere. “Dear Stoldark, we have to break into that thing?!” Cecil cried out before he knew it.

“Wanna back out now? There’s still time,” Boomerang said plainly.

Guardians, how I want to… Cecil thought. What he said was a different matter altogether. “Ha, and let you two have all the fun? No way!” He winked at the bounty hunter and added, “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Jamie!”

Elmina cleared her throat to get their attention. “Boys, if you’re done talking, I believe Ringo here has a job to do.”

“Oh, right,” the prince said, taking down the bravado a notch. “Hey, Ringo, you mind taking care of the barrier?” he asked of the massive golem. The golem roared and stepped forward. Everyone moved back, out of the way of the machine’s shield’s potentially deadly path.

What happened next was awe-inspiring. There was absolute silence as the golem lifted its arms. A beam of light, narrow at its starting point of Ringo’s head but wider the further out it went, spread out before the party and hit the Photosphere’s force field. The light wall from the golem overpowered and spread through the force field. The light stopped coming from Ringo’s head, its power lingering a little longer, then fading as well. This was not without repercussions, however. The shimmering shield of the Photosphere changed into different colors, then panels of light vanished, and finally the “frame” of the shield vanished too.

“… wow. Good work, Ringo,” Cecil muttered, blinking in ashtonishment.

*ROAR! ^_^-<3*

*

Inside the Photosphere was a technological wonderland Allison would have killed to take a look at. The floors, the walls, the ceiling; all metal. The walls were covered with circuitry no one in the group could make head or tails of. Ahead of them lied pressure-sensitive panels, ready to end 10,000 volts through whatever unlucky or unwary soul who stepped on them, and the generators that powered them nearby on raised platforms to either side of the panels.

“… now what?” Zed asked. “The door’s beyond those flashing red panels, and you know flashing red panels have got to be booby-trapped…” The Wind Mouse suddenly noticed that all eyes were on him. “Uh, no. Nonononononono. HELL no. Don’t even…”

*

Hanpan watched a monitor. “So, they’re here. Better keep an eye on them…”

“Yes, I will. You have your orders,” a male voice stated from behind.

“Yes, Lord Zeikfried…”

*

One thrown booby, er, Wind Mouse, several boomerang-destroyed generators, and many floors later, the crew found themselves at an impassible hallway. There were many more of the glowing red panels, and their respective generators were far out of reach of any boomerang trying to hit them. They had passed another door, but it was locked tight.

“… try the door again?” Cecil suggested.

“Maybe if I kicked it this time, it’d open…” Elmina thought aloud.

*

Elmina didn’t have to kick anything. This time around, Hanpan was leaning against the door, smoking a cigarette. He coolly turned his head and looked at them all. “So, we meet again. You’re very determined creatures, you humans, aren’t you? I’m impressed.”

Boomerang reached for his namesake weapon, but Cecil stopped him. “Wait, hold up, he’s helped us before,” Cecil said. Boomerang’s posture gave the impression of him being confused, but the price paid him no further mind. “So… uh…”

“Hanpan,” the Hiadan reminded. “It’s been a while. You looking for the Tear Drop? It’s behind this door. Well, not directly behind this door, but the way to it is.”

“And why are you telling us this?” Boomerang demanded to know, not trusting Hanpan as far as he could throw him.

Hanpan took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled slowly. “Because… nephew…” he said with equal tempo, “I don’t particularly like my superiors or their plans. Isn’t that enough?”

The bounty hunter took a step back. “’N-nephew’?! How…?!?”

“How do I know? Because I was watching from a safe place when your mother, my older sister, finished off Belselk at the Volcannon Trap. I heard them talking before he offed him. Strange lady, your mother. Maybe that’s why she always was my favorite sister…” the Hiadan replied slyly.

“Momma’s alive…” Boomerang whispered. “Alive…”

“Anyway, you wanna get the Tear Drop or what? There’s not much time before Mother sends this thing to the skies. Get the Tear Drop, and the power’ll be shut off. Can’t go anywhere, and the path’ll be clear if you do,” Hanpan said, getting a little impatient.

Cecil and Elmina nodded. “Yeah, we’d better get going. Would you please open the door, if it’s not too much trouble?” Elmina asked.

Hanpan smiled. “Anything for a nice lady like you, my dear,” he said before doing what was requested. “Ladies first,” he said with a bow.

Elmina giggled a little. “Why, you’re so gallant! Thank you!”

*

In the monitor room, Zeik put his fist through the monitor before him. Needles to say, he was pissed. “’Anything for a nice lady like you, my dear,’ ’Why, you’re so gallant!’” he quoted mockingly, imitating the respective voices. “She dies first after Mother’s taken care of, if Mother doesn’t get her before I do.”

*

After a short trek, the Tear Drop lay within reach. Well, more like floating over a pedestal within reach, if you want to get technical. Suddenly, there was a sharp jolt, shaking the entire structure and sending Cecil, Elmina, and Boomerang to the floor. “What the HELL was that?!” Cecil exclaimed.

“Must have been that take-off that Hanpan guy warned us of!” Boomerang answered.

“Damn, then we really gotta hurry this up!” Elmina said, “Princey, get the Tear Drop and let’s end this as soon as possible!”

“Right…” Cecil said, getting to his feet and moving towards the pedestal. He reached out and gently too the crystal. “Mother’s last gift… I finally have it back…”

*

Hanpan kneeled before Zeikfried. “Sir, I’m back. They’ve got the- ACK!“ he started, cut off by Zeik grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up to look him in the face.

“Just what was that back there?! Talking with that human woman like that?!” Zeik growled, glaring daggers at the man before him. “What, you think you’ll run away now and the humans will accept you? That she’ll accept you? Then keep dreaming. Your only hope of survival is to stay here, with me. Understand that?”

“Yes, sir,” Hanpan said, looking away as best he could and sounding a little defeated. He grinned suddenly and turned his face back to Zeik, his glasses flashing briefly in the light as it turned. “But that doesn’t mean I like it, or, for that matter, like you, you old pervert!” he told him defiantly.

Zeik dropped the fellow. “Just you wait until I get a free moment, wretch. I’ll show you just how much of a ‘pervert’ I can be.”

“Yes, sir!” Hanpan said, adding a mocking semi-salute.

*

“This vibration… the Guardians know what’s beyond this door…” Cecil murmured, clutching the Tear Drop tightly.

“This is it, boys, the final showdown,” Elmina said, a touch of solemnity in her voice.

Where’s Lucied? She should be here… Boomerang thought. “Well then, let’s get going, shall we?” The others nodded, and all three went through the door to face destiny…

*

Meanwhile, on the Sweet Candy…

“What’s that?!” a nearby sailor exclaimed, pointing out a very large falling object in the sky.

“Holy…!! That’s the Photosphere! Dammit, Laine, why didn’t you TELL me things were at this point already?!” Lina yelled at her seasick companion.

“What, do I look like Sylvia Brown to you?! I didn’t know!” Laine countered, momentarily forgetting her seasickness.

“Man, if your friends are on it, they’ll wind up drowning when that thing hits the water and sinks down far enough,” Lina commented. “That is, if they’re still alive…”

“…! Cecil! Elmina! James! We gotta go tell them to get closer! Come on!” Laine ordered, dragging Lina with her towards the helm.

“’We’? Hey, they’re your friends; I don’t even know them! Hey, stop pulling…!”

*

Cecil, Elmina, and Boomerang were in Mother’s room of the Photosphere. Each was ready to fight. A little too ready for Mother’s tastes, as she would soon find out. “Pitiful humans, why do you fight the inevitable? Your sun is setting; our sun is rising, rising! We will rule all! We need only to get rid of-“

That was all she was able to say before she was shot, sliced, diced, blasted, flamed, and flash frozen twelve ways ‘til Sunday. “Maybe… I should have taken the route of ‘agile Amazon goddess’… rather than ‘sedentary child-producin’ momma of extreme authority’…” she thought aloud as she dodged the best she could but slowly taking a lethal amount of damage from the party of “pitiful humans”.

There, in her favor, was a lull, produced by the impact of the Photosphere on the ocean. “HAAAAhahahahahahahaha! It may be too late for me, humans, but it’s also to late for you! We’ve just hit the ocean, little ones, and this place will start flooding soon, drowning you all like miserable rats!”

“I am NOT a rat! I’m a MOUSE, dammit!” Zed protested.

“Zed, this is no time for schematics! We’ll all die if something doesn’t go our way soon!” Elmina chided him harshly.

“HAAAAhahahahahahaha! Die, die, little rats! Di- URK!” Those were Mother’s last words before her own death.

“I… I don’t want to die… not now… I promised Dad…” Boomerang whispered to himself.

“At least I accomplished something worthwhile,” Cecil said, eerily serene, brushing a lock of liberally white-streaked hair out of his eyes.

“Dammit, stop acting like we lost! We’re not going to die here!” Elmina scolded.

“These are your friends, Laine? I’m amazed they’re still standing, with that attitude.”

All three turned to the mysterious speaker. What they saw was Laine and a mysterious Naga girl standing a little ways off. “Lina, be nice. They’ve probably been under a lot of stress today,” Laine said quietly.

“Lina?! DRAGON SPOOKER! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Zed screamed, ducking into Elmina’s coat pocket.

“’Dragon Spooker’?! Why, I’ll…!” Lina started.

“Hey, hold it, Lina! Wait’ll we get off the sinking building, then abuse the rat!” Laine intervened.

“MOUSE!” Zed yelled from the pocket.

“Whatever. The Sweet Candy’s waiting; let’s MOVE!” Laine commanded.

*

About halfway out, Cecil faltered and fell to his knees. “So tired…” he whispered.

“Cecil!” Elmina called out, realizing he was lagging too far behind.

Boomerang backtracked to the prince. “I got him; keep going!” he yelled to the others. “Come on,” he said gently to Cecil, “None of us are going to die today if I can help it…” Scooping Cecil up off the floor, he rushed to catch up with the others…

*

“Me, Lina, Elmina, Jamie and Cecil… That’s everyone,” Laine said, making a visual check of everyone who escaped the Photosphere to the Sweet Candy. “Is everyone all right?”

“I don’t think anyone’s hurt badly, but Cecil…” Elmina said.

“Fine, I’m fine, just so very tired…” Cecil said, sitting on the deck. He indeed look exhausted, but, to a unknowing observer, her didn’t look as exhausted as much as he really was.

“You owe me, Laine,” Lina whispered to the girl, “You owe me big.”

“I’ll pay you later. Right now, we should relax for a while,” Laine whispered back.

“The blond… Cecil, right? He should especially. A magician’s hair should not be that white. Trust me, that’s a bad sign,” Lina warned.

“Elmina, I have bad news…” a familiar male voice said.

“Hanpan?!” Elmina asked, turning her attention away from Cecil.

“Yes, I…” Hanpan started.

Zeikfried appeared in front of him. “Thank you for your assistance, humans. You dispatched Mother brilliantly,” Zeik said all too casually. “However, you have far from beaten us.”

Emma appeared off to his right. “Ohohohoho, what magnificent puppets humans are; pull their strings and they’ll dance so effortlessly.”

Lord Harken appeared back and to the left of Emma. “Heheh, you’ll have to try harder if you expect to even give us a challenge.”

And finally, Calamity and Luc made their appearance to the left of Harken. “I pity we didn’t get our rematch yet, little girl. Soon, OK?” She winked at Laine and mimed firing a gun at her. “C’mon, Luc, time to prepare!” She vanished with Luc.

“And we’ll have to have a real match too, Red. ‘Til then…” Lord Harken said, vanishing thereafter.

Emma laughed again. “You still won’t get your little ‘friend’ back, young lady, but you’re welcome to try, if you’re stupid enough.” She vanished as well.

“Neither will you get my Hanpan. When I find a death suitable enough, I will be the one to kill you, Elmina. Oh yes, I will,” Zeikfried said, then teleported away too.

Hanpan looked up at Elmina. “Sorry… I’m not strong enough to leave…” He, too, left.

Lina muttered to Laine, “That Elmina chick’s not good at making friends, is she?”

“Neither am I, Lina,” Laine replied, looking at the place Calamity was, then to Boomerang, “Neither am I…”

*

“When the ‘circle of light’ falls from the sky, that will indicate the time for the confrontation is near.”

*

End Chapter 15

Chibi’s notes:

……………… @__@

Rudy: Don’t mind her; she just spent two nights, from 10:30 P.M. ‘til 3:00 A.M., writing out this chapter.

Intense… on a roll… Duuh, I like rice. *thud!* X_x