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Culmination	By : Croik Category: +G through L > Guilty Gear Views: 2646 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Guilty Gear, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Guilty
Gear, its characters and settings are property of Sammy Studios, and are being
used in this fanfiction without permission.
This fic is rated NC-17 for violence and sexual content, and it contains
yaoi material.

Culmination
Chapter
1

When Sol finally reached the place scheduled
for their meeting, he couldn�t help a groan.
It wasn�t that his supposed �mystery informant� had chosen a bar�he
could use a stiff drink about now�but it appeared to be one of those fancy
bars, with wine and menus with real food and, worst of all, dozens of upper
class yuppies reminding each other how great they were. There were more and more places like this
around, and he might have burned it to the ground if not for the effort that
would involve.

In
any case, he had no choice but to enter.
It was both irritating and satisfying that everyone in the place seemed
to glance up at his appearance, noting the unwashed state of his waist-long
hair, the filth clinging to his boots and the sword fastened at his hip. A few even dared to murmur. He shot a glare at some lady in a black dress
near the bar, and was a little surprised when she didn�t faint dead away. It might give these peacocks something to
talk about later, in any case�their brush with death at the hands of a socially
inept. He chuckled to himself as he
crossed the room to the far corner table.

Whatever
humor Sol had built up in the short walk to the back faded immediately when he
recognized the head of hair he was looking at.
He groaned again. �I should have
known only you would arrange something like this,� he muttered as he slipped
into a chair across from the man. He was
tempted to put his boots on the table, but he didn�t want to give the
waitresses heart attacks. �Are you gonna
buy me a drink, or what?�

Slayer
chuckled faintly, already filling a glass of white wine for his companion. He grinned when he saw Sol eyeing it
disagreeably. �My friend, you have no
class,� he chided gently as he urged the drink toward him.

Sol
grunted, regarding the offer a long moment before downing it in one
breath. Booze was booze, after all, but
he still scowled at his company, as if holding him personally responsible for
the taste. �Why the hell is a vampire
drinking white wine, anyway?�

�I
happen to have delicate tastes,� Slayer replied easily, tilting his own glass
in a mock toast before lifting it to his lips.

�But
that�s not why you called me here.� Sol
rolled his eyes, leaning forward so he could rest his chin on his palm. �Out with it.
I don�t have time to play your games.�

�Very
well, then.�

Slayer
reached into the front of his suit coat, removing a single sheet of stiff
paper. He slid it across the
table�slowly, like a bad movie clich�.
Sol glanced, already bored, at the intricate colored markings that made
up the letterhead. �It�s a report from
the Global Police,� he said unnecessarily, shifting his gaze back to
Slayer. �What�s it got to do with me?�

�That,�
Slayer explained grandly, �is the last report submitted by Officer Kiske to his
home office in Paris, France. He was in
northern Italy on an extended investigation.
I thought you would be interested.�

�Well,
you were wrong,� Sol retorted, meeting Slayer glare for glare. But the man only watched him patiently, as if
waiting for him to notice something, and with a resigned sigh he glanced at the
paper once more. �So, he�s investigating
it anyway,� he muttered, reading through the report. It was short, vague, and altogether
incomplete. That in itself made him frown;
it wasn�t like Ky to be anything less than completely thorough. �Maybe he�s learning,� he said thoughtfully,
skimming through the lines of text once more.
�He�s hiding his findings from his superiors.� But Ky would never be a good liar�the report
was too obvious, too suspicious, and it was only going to get him caught. �Damn brat.
And to think I even warned him.�

It
was then that Sol�s eyes fell on the date at the top of the finely printed
report, and his already displeased expression darkened further. �You said this was his latest report?� he
asked.

Slayer
continued to sip elegantly from his drink.
�I did.�

�It
was submitted almost five days ago.�

�Indeed.�

Sol
glared at him, but not even his harsh gaze was enough to shake Slayer�s
pleasant demeanor. He returned his
attention to the report once more.
Though he knew the Global Police operated different than the Holy
Knights he had once been a member of, he also knew that as the head of the
organization, Ky should have been expected to report his whereabouts and
activities more often than five days apart.
Especially during an investigation.

�So
Ky is missing. Is that what you brought
me here to say?� Sol asked gruffly, leaning back in his chair. �The kid can handle himself, Slayer, and more
importantly it has nothing to do with me.�

�Of
course it doesn�t,� Slayer replied smoothly.
�I merely thought you would like to know, that�s all. Especially since he might have been on to
something, to warrant such a disappearance.�

�You
were wrong,� Sol repeated. He pushed
heavily to his feet, glancing over the report once more to commit its contents
to memory. �I�ve got more important
things to do than chase that boy through Europe�I warned him, he didn�t listen,
it�s his problem now.�

Slayer
lifted a curious eyebrow. �Even if he�s
called the Bureau down on him?�

He
paused, brow creasing as he frowned down at the man. �For someone who doesn�t want to get
involved,� he accused tersely, �you sure have a habit of sticking your damn
nose where it doesn�t belong, Nightwalker.�
He started past him, by now tired of Slayer�s meddling.

�Then
I suppose you won�t be needing this, either.�

Though
everything in Sol�s nature was instructing him not to turn, to keep walking and
ignore whatever new worm the old man was dangling, he glanced back anyway. Slayer was holding a flat brown envelope over
his head, moving it slightly as if in invitation. �What is it?� Sol demanded, losing patience.

�It�s
the starting line,� Slayer replied evenly, not looking back. �The rest is up to you.�

Sol
scowled, but he snatched the envelope out of Slayer�s hand all the same,
stuffing it into his back pocket. �Drop
dead old man,� he muttered as he turned at last, striding purposefully for the
door. He could hear Slayer chuckling
behind him but he didn�t glance back.

*****

The
first sensation to reach Ky Kiske through the thick layers of unconsciousness
was the brush of human skin against the side of his throat. It was a soft touch, accidental, but he clearly
felt the course pads of the fingertips and the gentle scrape of worn
nails. Following came a feeling of cold,
soothing pains he hadn�t noticed before, spreading gradually through his body
and loosening the grip of oppressive heat from his weary limbs. He sighed quietly. Wherever those hands had come from, he was
grateful, and he fell soundlessly asleep once more.

It
was impossible for him to judge the amount of time that passed, but when Ky
awoke again it was with much more clarity.
He could feel the whisper of sheets against his cheek, and the lumpy
pillow cradling his sore head--now that his senses were retuning in full he was
keenly aware that every part of him was aching.
His hands and back, especially, throbbed with every beat of his heart. He was stretched out on his stomach beneath
thin sheets that reeked of sweat, cushioned on an old spring mattress. It wasn�t like a hospital, though; above his
own faint breathing he could hear the hum of machinery, like the engines of an
airplane. Curious, his eyes at last
fluttered open.

At
first his view of the small room was smeared and dark, confirming that he
hadn�t used his eyes in some time; gradually they adjusted to the fresh
lighting streaming through an open window.
A closer look showed it was actually a porthole; several of them lined
the walls. As his vision improved he was
able to make out another bed across from him that was empty, a table with a
bowl and some bandages, his bloodied uniform stuffed in a corner�and a
black-clad pair of legs just beside him, crossed at the knees. Frowning, Ky tried to shift so that he could
see whomever it was.

It
was a man�a moment of squinting passed before he could be sure of that, as the
stranger�s face was shielded by a thick curtain of black hair which matched the
color of his pants and button-down shirt.
His legs were crossed, hands folded easily in his lap, head gently
tilting forward. Ky tried to push
himself down the mattress so that he�d be able to see the man�s face, but when
his shoulders rotated it sent a quiver of pain down his back, and he gasped
softly, falling still again.

The
man stirred. Though logic instructed
that this stranger must have cared for him in his injured state and was
therefore not a threat, Ky couldn�t help but hold his breath. The man lifted a hand, pushing the hair from
his face as he rubbed at the back of his neck.
The first glance of his features proved Ky�s concern to be warranted; he
froze, lips parting slightly in surprise.
But he didn�t dare move, as if he wasn�t really awake, and if he were
quiet enough he could somehow remain unnoticed until he was ready to deal with
this new development.

But
Testament was obviously waking, even if he seemed to be taking his time; he
stretched his shoulders lazily as his mouth widened in a long, ungraceful
yawn. He combed his hair with his
fingers, licked his lips noisily. The
actions were so natural, so�human�that Ky couldn�t help but stare in
confusion. Someone like Testament
shouldn�t ball his fist like a child when rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

At
last Testament�s eyelids lifted, and the gleam of his red irises appeared less
threatening after the brief scene Ky had just witnessed. He glanced to the side and their eyes
met. �Oh,� Testament said plainly, sitting
up a little taller. �You�re awake.�

�Testament�?� By now thoroughly baffled Ky remained still,
watching the man�s every move.
�What�?� But then Testament was
pushing to his feet, and he tried again to roll onto his side with the same
painful results.

�Stay
still,� Testament muttered somewhere above him.
�The burns on your back are still healing.� Ky felt something damp slide across the back
of his neck; a cloth he hadn�t noticed before, reminding him suddenly of the
feeling of fingertips he had thought was a dream. As Testament moved away he stared up at him
questioningly.

�You�re
on the ship of the Jellyfish Pirates,� Testament explained as he crossed to the
bowl Ky had noted earlier. �You�re lucky
they came along when they did.�

�Pirates?�
Ky echoed blankly. He relaxed a little
into the mattress, if only because the tension in his shoulders made his back
ache. �Why would pirates rescue a police
officer?�

Testament
dipped the cloth into the bowl, and a few remaining ice cubes clattered around
as he wet it and then squeezed out the excess water. �You can ask them yourself, I suppose.� He returned, spreading the cloth over Ky�s
neck.

The
cold shot immediately down his spine, and Ky shivered a little. It felt good, though; he sighed as his eyes
closed for a moment. When they opened
again Testament was moving away from him.
There was something about the way his hair swayed that reminded him of
the rain which had chased him into this state�and he frowned. �Were you taking care of me?�

Testament
paused a few steps from the room�s only door.
�You were feverish last night,� he replied somewhat hesitantly, as if
having been caught in a wrongdoing.
�Someone had to look after you, but the girls needed to sleep.�

Ky�s
brow furrowed. �The girls?�

Before
Testament could respond the door to the cabin opened slowly, and a woman�s face
peered through. Ky hadn�t thought his
situation could become any more complicated until he recognized who was
watching him; Dizzy, dressed in one of the pirates� sailor outfits and
accompanied by another member of the crew.
She slipped inside with a relieved smile, her companion just
behind. �Oh, Mr. Kiske, you�re awake.� She turned to the other girl. �April, could you go get May and Johnny? They wanted to know as soon as he was up.�

The
girl nodded brightly. �Sure thing,
Dizzy. I�ll be right back.� She flashed Ky a youthful smile. �Glad to see you�re doing better, Mr. Kiske,�
she chirped before disappearing through the door once more.

Dizzy
bustled into the room, relieving her arms of the bundle she�d been
carrying. �I brought fresh water,� she
said as she arranged her supplies around the room�s small table. �And some more linens, just in case. It�s a good thing�now that you�re awake, we
can get you properly changed. I�m sure
you�re not very comfortable right now.�

Ky
started to speak, but his brain was intending too many questions, and none of
them found their way to his lips. He
closed his mouth once more as he watched Dizzy bustle about with mixed awe and
confusion. Gradually, he pieced together
his situation, and what must have happened to find him in such a state. His memory was foggy at best; he could recall
the pounding of the rain against his shoulders, Thunderseal�s handle clenched
tightly in his fist, and above all else the explosion of blinding light. But when he tried to recall after that he
could conjure nothing but cold, seeping all through him, and his eyes leapt
unconsciously to Testament. The Gear was
standing out of Dizzy�s way, arms folded and face calm. Again he had to pause at the sight of him;
had he been asked before to imagine Testament at ease, he wouldn�t have been
able to do it. Now, the expression
looked as natural on him as the motherly tenderness Dizzy displayed in refilling
the water basin.

He
didn�t realize he�d been spoken to until Testament�s gaze flickered to him
curiously. �Excuse me?�

�How
are you feeling?� Dizzy repeated, moving closer to sit in the chair Testament
had abandoned earlier. She reached out to
touch his forehead, and at the time it didn�t occur to him to flinch away. �Ah, that�s good. At least your fever hasn�t come back.�

�He
was feverish last night,� Testament interrupted.

�Really?� Dizzy turned on him with a concerned
frown. �You were supposed to wake me if
he got worse.�

Testament�s
gaze escaped hers in favor of the porthole.
�It wasn�t serious.�

Dizzy�s
lips tilted in a pout, but she turned back to Ky without admonishing him
further. �At least you�re all right,�
she told Ky, smiling shyly. �We were
worried.�

Ky
found his voice at last. �Dizzy�you�ve
been looking after me, also?� he asked quietly.
He dropped his gaze. �I don�t
understand.�

�May
and Johnny will be here in a second,� Dizzy assured, misinterpreting his
remarks. �They�ll explain
everything. Now, are you feeling all
right?�

�I�� Ky sighed; it didn�t seem worth it to
argue. �Yes, thank you.�

A
moment later the door was opening again, and the familiar faces of Jellyfish Pirates
May and Johnny entered, followed by yet another crewmember�this one a bit older
than the last, her mouse-brown hair pulled back, her cheeks helplessly
freckled. Dizzy stepped back next to
Testament as the trio moved further inside.

�So,
Sleepy Beauty finally awakens,� Johnny chuckled, tilting his sunglasses down as
he leaned easily against the wall.
�You�re damn lucky, kid.�

Ky
tried to reply, but by then the brown-haired crewmate was beside him, checking
his forehead and pulse. With a calm, serious
demeanor she tugged his hand free to examine the thick bandages there, as well
as those crossing his back and shoulders.
He did his best not to wince, even though he wasn�t encouraged much but
the young age of his apparent doctor.
�Can someone please explain to me what�s going on?� he asked, growing a
bit frustrated.

�You
got beat,� May said, far too exuberantly for Ky�s tastes. �We just happened to be on our way south when
we got word from Testament here.� She
jerked her thumb at him, and he snorted and glanced away. �So we dragged you aboard�you�ve been out for
about four days now.�

�Four
days?� Ky repeated in alarm. When he
tried to shift once more onto his side, however, his back flared again,
reminding him that his injuries may indeed have been that serious. The �doctor� urged him back onto his stomach,
and he had no choice but to comply. �I
still don�t understand. All of you�.� He shook his head slightly. �I am grateful. However, if you think this entitles you to
lenient treatment from the law, I�m afraid you�re mistaken.�

May
and Johnny exchanged glances, and then burst out laughing. The other two girls giggled as well; Ky
stared at them all blankly, unaware that he had said anything warranting such
mirth. In confusion his gaze leapt to
Testament, the only one of them seemingly unaffected. The Gear�s eyes met his only briefly before
slipping away, his posture growing stiff.
And suddenly he was moving towards the door, ignoring the laughter from
their company.

Ky
watched him, something inside him recalling the events of that night, the rain
and the lightning. His eyes widened
slightly as they took in the subtle curl of Testament�s fingers. �It was you,� he murmured, and the room
quieted as Testament slowed to a halt.
�In the rain��

Testament
turned his head just slightly to glance at Ky over his shoulder. �It was a coincidence,� he said evenly, his
tone betraying neither approval nor disgust.
�I saw the explosion and I investigated.�

�Then
you�� Despite his best efforts Ky could
only conjure up fleeting images of the event, one of which being a flash of
crimson eyes against the dark. He licked
his suddenly dry lips. �You saved my
life.�

Testament
was silent for a moment as all eyes in the room fell on him. He shrugged his shoulders as if to rid
himself of them. �Thank Dizzy,� he
replied dryly. �I did it for her.� Before Ky could have a chance to respond he
continued on, closing the door softly behind him.

Ky
dropped his gaze. His mind was spinning
now, trying to remember, or to at least make sense of all of this. It was then that Dizzy returned to his side
to take the place of the doctor. She
seemed a little nervous, as if unsure of whether or not to speak her mind. �He asked Johnny to take you in as a personal
favor,� she explained quietly.
�Because�you spared my life once.
I think he wanted to repay a debt to you.�

�But
that�s�� Somehow, her explanation only
made Ky�s stomach sink further. There
should have been no debt attached to the sparing of an innocent life. If Dizzy had been a danger to herself and
their world he would have killed her�she had committed no crimes, and therefore
deserved no punishment. It should have
been as simple as that; Ky�s decision was one of logic and reason, and
warranted no return favors. He found it
all vaguely troubling, though he could not determine exactly why.

�Geez,
do you have to think so hard on it?� Johnny said abruptly, interrupting his
thoughts. �The man saved your life,
kid. Just be thankful and get over it.� He lifted an eyebrow. �Or are you that upset about having your life
saved by a Gear?�

�It�s
not that,� Ky quickly responded, though Johnny�s words did nothing to calm his
already unsettled mind. �I
merely�.� He had no words to justify
himself, so instead he lifted his eyes to Dizzy once more. �Thank you,� he said sincerely. �I am grateful for your compassion. All of you.�

Dizzy
blushed in embarrassment, and Ky couldn�t help but smile a little at the
expression on her face. It was innocent and
human�he suddenly found it easy to assure himself that he had made the right
decision in judging her.

May
laughed, slapping Dizzy lightly on the shoulder. �She�s been waiting to hear that all week,
you know,� she teased Ky, fixing him with a grin. �And don�t worry about us�we helped ya �cause
Dizzy asked us to. We don�t expect you
to go easy on us.� She looked to
Johnny. �Right?�

He
nodded easily. �Damn straight. He�s welcomed to stay as long as he needs to
recover.� When he looked to Ky, however,
his manner became abruptly serious. �But
you�re still an officer among pirates, and if you try anything on this ship,
I�ll easily put you back in your coma.�

Ky
smiled tensely. �I have no intention of
pushing the limits of your generosity.�

�Good! Then it�s settled.� Johnny stood, pushing his sunglasses higher
up his nose. �April went down to the
galley to get you a proper meal served up--it�ll help you get your strength
back. We�ll let you rest a while
longer.� He glanced at May, who nodded and
fell back to his side. �I�m sure June�s
going to want to change your bandages and get you cleaned up, then you can tell
us all about what happened to you.�

Though
Ky wasn�t looking forward to relating his story, he nodded, greatly relieved at
the thought of a meal; he could feel the proof that he hadn�t eaten in days
nearly branded on his stomach. �Thank
you.�

Johnny
offered him a lopsided grin and headed to the door with May just behind. �Take it easy, Blondie!� the latter sang as
they departed. Dizzy remained, offering
to help June in redressing Ky�s wounds.
As they went to work Ky settled himself more comfortably. Now that he at least had an idea of what was
going on, he found it much easier to relax.
For now, his investigation and the events following it could wait.

*****

Testament
kept his head titled slightly down as he moved through the ship. These past four days had been extremely
strange to him, living here on the pirate ship.
There were children everywhere of all ages, bustling about
continuously. There wasn�t a room on the
ship you couldn�t hear them laughing or yelling, and their footsteps echoed
endlessly through the corridors. It was
distracting, and Testament had found himself listening to them for long periods
at a time, as if trying to determine some pattern from the commotion. So far his attempts had proved ineffective.

He
had only seen Dizzy infrequently during his time here, due to her devoting her
attention to Ky�s well being. But when
he did her, her face alight with laughter and her eyes shining as she joined
the rest of the crew, he was nearly shocked.
He had been accustomed to seeing her at ease, perhaps even content, but
the blatant happiness in her manner�the almost reckless enjoyment�was something
entirely foreign to him. It was both
encouraging and sobering. During the day
the ache behinds his ribs would subside a little bit every time he saw her, but
in her absence it grew a little deeper, nestling into his stomach and spine.

He
had to admit, though, that his state of living had greatly improved since
coming to the ship. He had been granted
a room near the back of the ship for himself and one other, both being males
among the female crew�and May had insisted that Johnny be allowed to keep his
own room to himself. Though his clothing
had been damaged in the rain he�d been assured that it would soon be replaced,
and in the meantime he�d been given a few articles of Johnny�s to wear. The soft leather was too tight against his
thighs, and the shirt too large�the cuffs, which he refused to roll, crept down
to his knuckles, and the material swept uncomfortably against his stomach when
he moved. But at least he had something
clean, and a bed to return to at night.
He was even beginning to appreciate the calm and the stability, with a
room for himself and three prepared meals a day. Most of the girls were too afraid to approach
him, but those that did were awed; and though it seemed ridiculous to admit,
he�d been pleased beyond words when a few of the younger girls volunteered to
brush his hair for him every morning after breakfast.

Testament
knocked twice on the door to his room before entering. It was a mild courtesy to his roommate, even
if the other never bothered to do the same.
Presently Bridget was seated on the top of the bunk they shared, his
feet kicking lightly so that the fabric spread across his legs rustled. He was joined by two of the pirates, as
usual, who were watching him with great interest. All three glanced up as Testament entered.

�Oh,
hey,� Bridget greeted, the girls giggling next to him. Testament had to wonder if it was all right
for anyone to look that happy all the time.
�You were with Ky last night, weren�t you? How is he?�

�He
woke up a while ago,� Testament reported, slipping into his bunk under the boy
and his companions.

�Really? That�s great news.� Bridget leapt lightly to the floor, taking
the mass of fabric with him to display.
�And so�s this�ta-da!� He spread
out the leather, his grin wide with prideful accomplishment. �All finished. How does it look?�

Testament
crooked and eye, glancing over Bridget�s work.
Though he had resigned himself to the reality that he was going to have
to buy himself a new wardrobe, looking now he had to admit the boy�s sewing at least
appeared sound. He reached out, tugging
on a few of the straps. �I�ll have to
try it on to know,� he said after a pause, hiding his approval.

But
Bridget saw right through him, and his cheeks reddened as if having received a
great compliment. �Good! You do that, while I go visit Ky.�

He
tossed the leather bundle haphazardly onto Testament�s stomach and reached up
to help the two girls down. Once on the
ground each of them snatched one of Bridget�s arms. Testament glanced away, frowning slightly to
himself; he would never understand how a boy impersonating a woman could be so
popular with girls. �Don�t stay too
long,� he advised. �He�s going to need
his rest.�

�Of
course�I just want to say hello.� With
another bright smile Bridget started toward the door, his friends in tow. �Don�t forget to try it on!�

Testament
grunted his reply, glancing back only once the door had closed behind
them. He sighed and held the leather up
in front of his face. Bridget had done a
good job despite his original reservations.
He wasn�t, however, quite motivated enough to try it on yet, and he took
just enough time to fold the outfit and set it aside before returning to the
mattress. He wasn�t exactly tired�as a
Gear it would take more than a sleepless night to exhaust him�but he was weary,
and a little confused. Four days was not
a long time, and yet he hadn�t yet been able to prepare himself for when Ky
awoke. He knew how to rationalize his
actions in saving the man�s life; it was simple to say it was for Dizzy�s sake,
not only for the life of hers that was spared but also because of the
compassion she herself had tried to show towards humans. He had imagined that she might even be proud
of him for it, and he was right. She had
greeted him with greater spirit than she had in a long time, and that alone
might have been worth the effort.

What
he had a more difficult time explaining away was the flutter behind his ribs
when he�d awoken to find Ky�s eyes on him.
He had been relieved, not only because it meant the end of the others�
concerns, but merely the knowledge that his charge was recovering. It reminded him of when he�d discovered Dizzy
after her meeting with Ky several months ago, and again after her ordeal with
the musician in red.

No,
it had started before that morning.
Testament would never forget the sweep of elation he�d felt when Ky
first sputtered back to life in his arms, that night in the rain. He should not have taken satisfaction in
saving the life of a single human, especially one such as Ky Kiske. But even if he denied it, he could still
remember how small the man had seemed, huddled and trembling, his burned and
bloodied hands groping the air for assistance.
It might have been what compassion felt like, caring for him, and he was
both pleased and disgusted with himself for his sentimentality.

He
had done the right thing�that was what Dizzy told him. For now his only choice was to believe that.

*****

Bridget
was all too pleased with himself as he trotted happily down the hallway leading
to where Ky was staying. The fact that
he himself had done very little to aid in the man�s progress was far from his
mind and had no effect on his enthusiasm.
Ky was better, Testament�s outfit was complete, and as far as he was
concerned nothing could be better with the world for now. Living with pirates was just as fun as he�d
thought�he�d never been part of a crew before, and was thrilled by how easily
he had made friends with nearly everyone on the ship. He was even pleased with his new outfit; a
blue and white sailor shirt with matching shorts, sandals that clasped at the
ankles, and a sailor�s cap that was a little too big for him and tilted
constantly to one side. Though he kind
of missed his old attire, he reasoned that his new clothing was much more
manly.

Bridget
had almost reached the room when he came across Johnny and Lucy, stopped in the
middle of the hall. He blinked curiously
and trotted up to them. Johnny was
reading from a sheet of paper�his face was grim. �What is it?� Bridget asked brightly, rising
up on his toes to see.

�An
official statement the Global Police are spreading around,� Johnny
replied. He thanked Lucy, who nodded and
scurried off, before folding the paper and sliding it into his coat. �We�ve got some bad news.�

�Oh? About Mr. Kiske?� Bridget frowned thoughtfully. �That�s a shame, now that he�s getting
better.�

�We�ll
give him a little more time to rest before telling him,� Johnny decided,
offering Bridget a slight smile. �Do me
a favor, and in about an hour fetch Testament for me. He should hear this, too.�

Bridget
saluted. �You can count on me,� he
declared. �In the meantime, I�m going to
see how Mr. Kiske�s doing.�

�All
right.� Johnny started off the other
way, adjusting his hat. �Just don�t worry
him yet�he�s recovering, you know.�

�Gotcha.� And with that Bridget continued lightly down
the hall.

To
Next Chapter

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Culmination