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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
- 3
- 4
- 5
Guilty
Gear, its characters and settings are property of Sammy Studios, and are being
used in this fanfiction without permission.
This fic is rated R for violence and sexual content, and it contains
yaoi material.

Culmination
Chapter
3

Dizzy
was quiet as she and Testament shared dinner together early that evening. The rest of the crew was still out and
about, finishing their duties on the ship or simply visiting with their
friends. She envied them a little right
now. After all the events of that
afternoon Dizzy�s heart was heavy with sympathy for the man they had taken in;
not to mention the fear nestled in the back of her mind that had sprung to life
when that robot mentioned the names of her friends. If their enemy was strong enough to challenge even Ky Kiske
himself and reduce him to such a state, there was no telling what would happen
to this ship, or her companions.

She lifted her head slightly, glancing at
Testament across the table. She had
agreed to eat with him before the rest of the crew because she had been hoping
for some words of encouragement and reassurance. So far she had been disappointed. He had offered to protect her, as he always did, but she knew
better than to believe his words extended to the rest of the Jellyfish Pirates. She wanted to believe that he was
progressing--seeing him with the younger girls had warmed her with relief,
simply know that he was coming to accept these people, as she had. But all that hope seemed to have been
shattered in the single exchange with Ky.
According to those that had seen him, Testament had retreated to his
room shortly after the incident, and since then hadn't spoken a word to anyone
save Dizzy herself. Watching him know
now was no way to judge his emotions; whether he was frustrated, angry, or
simply indifferent. But he wasn't
meeting her eyes, which made her wonder if he felt guilty.

�Testament,�
Dizzy attempted softly, turning her spoon about idly in her stew. �You�were pretty harsh towards Ky earlier.�

Testament
continued to eat as if he hadn�t heard, and she was about to speak again when
he finally replied, �He needed to hear it.�

�But
he�s had a hard time.� At least he was
talking. �It must come as a tremendous
shock. Don�t you feel sorry for him?�

�Why
should I?�

Dizzy
frowned disapprovingly. �I thought you,
of all people, could appreciate what he must be going through,� she said
quietly.

She
got the reaction she had been expecting; Testament paused in his eating, and
for a moment his eyes looked hollow, as if having lost their shade. Though she knew it might have been cruel on
her part to be raising old memories in him, she hoped it would help him reach
some of the compassion he had shown these past few days.

�That�s
exactly why I can�t pity him,� Testament told her, just as quietly. �It was his kind that betrayed and hunted
ours. He has no right to complain if he
suffers from the same now.�

�Testament�.�
Dizzy sighed; this wasn�t going as well as she�d hoped. �You don�t have to pity him. But can you simply go easy on him? He has enough to worry about without you
trying to hurt his feelings.� She
hesitated, and when it didn�t look as if he would respond she added, �For my
sake.�

Testament�s
eyes thinned, and as she knew he would he nodded slightly. �All right.�

Dizzy
lowered her gaze. Though she had
technically succeeded in convincing Testament to go easy Ky, it was a hollow
victory if he was only doing it for her sake.
It was frustrating, and her heart ached for the cold man seated across
from her. �Testament,� she murmured,
barely aware she was speaking aloud.
�Won�t you ever stop hurting over the past?�

Testament
paused again, this time lowering his spoon to the bowl�s edge as if having lost
his appetite. Slowly he lifted his gaze
to her, and when the silence became too thick she had to look. She had seen that face on him before, and it
pained her; his eyes, usually so bright with the gleam of his magic, were dull
like dusty glass. It forced her to
remember how short her own life was compared to his, all
the things in his history she had been too afraid to ask about. For a moment she was speechless, and then he
lowered his head once more, returning to his meal.

�I�ll
go easy on him,� Testament promised, stopping for another sip of his
dinner. �As long as he�s on this ship.�

The
galley door opened suddenly, and Dizzy jumped a little in her chair as the
hinges creaked. Her eyes widened on the
unexpected figure there. �Mr. Kiske! You shouldn�t be out of bed yet.�

Ky
held his head up, glancing between the pair with a fresh light in his eyes�it
was nearly a match for Bridget�s own, who had supported the man in his walk
through the ship.

�I
am on my way to the bridge,� Ky said precisely, nodding to Dizzy briefly as a
show of gratitude for her concern. �But
first, I would like a brief word with Testament.�

*****

Baiken
groaned quietly as she lowered herself to a rounded boulder, already reaching
inside her ragged kimono for her pipe.
Her stomach was bruised, as was her left shoulder, and her ankle and
foot were bleeding from all the rough treatment. She held up the offending foot expectantly; ever the gentlemen,
Anji had no qualms in dumping a bit of fresh water over it to clean the wounds. She hissed quietly as it stung in the early
evening air. �So.� Succeeding in lighting her pipe, she raised
her gaze at last to Sol. �I guess I owe
you, or something.�

�You owe me a drink,� Sol replied smartly, nudging one of
the fallen robots with the tip of his sword.
�Whatever you have with you, and we�ll call it even.�

Baiken
scowled; all they had with them was one jug of sak��expensive stuff that
she had been saving for when they reached a town with a place to stay. Anji raised an eyebrow at her as he dabbed
some medicine on her lacerations. But Sol
was watching her expectantly, and with a sigh she dug into her travel
pack. �Take it,� she grumbled as she
tossed the bottle to him. �Though I
wasn�t that grateful, you know.�

Sol
regarded the label critically. Baiken
snorted, about to tell him he could give it back if he disapproved, but he
abruptly twisted the top off and drank a quarter of it down on one breath. He sighed.
�Not bad. I haven�t had a good
drink in a while.�

Baiken
rolled her eyes, her foot jerking a little at Anji�s treatment. �Yeah, well, you�d better enjoy it.�

Sol
wandered over, sitting heavily down nearby as he took another long gulp. �Aren�t you two the happy couple,� he
remarked wryly. �A little far out for a
honeymoon, aren�t you?�

She
was sure that if she�d had her other eye, she could have very well killed him
by glare alone. It didn�t help that
Anji blushed and laughed like an idiot.
�Since you�re so curious, we�re on our way to Rome,� she informed him
gruffly. �We�re traveling together
�cause it�s convenient.�

Sol
shrugged indifferently. �Rome,
huh? �All roads�, I guess.�

Anji
glanced up at him with a frown. �What�s
that mean?�

�Hm? Oh.
Guess it�s before your time.� He
smirked bitterly around the bottle as he enjoyed his reparations.

Looking
perturbed by his attitude, Anji turned his gaze back to Baiken�s foot. �Well, where are you going, then?�

Sol
snorted. �None of your business.�

�Then
I guess we�ll see you there.�

Sol
shot him a glare. �Not likely.� He didn�t let Anji gloat over his slight
victory for long; his tone was still light but something hardened behind his
dark eyes. �Did you find what you were
looking for?�

Anji�s
posture became rigid, his eyes darting as if trying to avoid Sol�s gaze. When they finally stopped their shifting
they were held by Baiken�s. He was
going to say it�she knew he would, because he was so damn honest, and she
interrupted before he could make that mistake.
�No. No, neither of us did.�

Sol
frowned slightly. She could feel his
eyes moving over them both, judging the sincerity of her words. Whether he believed her or not, he didn�t
comment on it again. With a grunt the
man pushed to his feet. �Thanks for the
drink,� he said, shaking the already half-empty bottle. �Don�t get yourselves killed out here.�

Relieved
that he was leaving, Baiken relaxed a little to suck on her pipe. But he turned back suddenly; her body tensed
as if expecting an attack, but he only cast an easy gaze in her direction. �Hey.
Have you heard anything about the kid that�s missing?�

�Kid?�
Baiken echoed. �You mean that
officer? Kiske?�

�Yeah.�

She
and Anji exchanged significant looks, but the latter merely lowered his
head. There was a gleam of uncertainty
in his face that she didn�t like. �Just
that he is missing,� Baiken replied for the both of them. �But if you�re looking for information, Rome
really is your best bet.�

�I
didn�t say I was going,� Sol muttered as he turned again to leave. �See ya.�

Baiken�s
expression darkened as she watched the man depart, kicking his way through the
waste left by the destroyed robots. It
wasn�t until he was nearly out of sight that she was finally able to relax; she
cursed through a puff of smoke as she leaned back.

Anji
glanced up at her hesitantly as he began to wrap her foot in some gauze. �You didn�t let me tell him,� he murmured
thoughtfully. She didn�t like the way
he was watching her, a mixture of puzzlement and gratitude. It made him look even more na�ve. �About what I��

Baiken
took in a long breath and let it out slowly, not meeting his gaze. �Do you know what he�d do, if you told him
what you told me?� she asked evenly.

�Well�no�.�

�Then
it�s a good thing you kept your mouth shut.�
She tapped her pipe lightly on the rock. �You may be all into your knowledge, but I guarantee a man like
Sol Badguy doesn�t give a shit. So
watch yourself, especially once we get to Rome.�

Anji
nodded solemnly. He had been quiet
lately�she didn�t blame him, as she knew he had much to consider after his
recent encounter. Even now there were
times she paused to watch him, noting the subtle strengthening of maturity
behind his eyes. It was the price one
paid for truth, and it made something tighten deep her chest, as if in
mourning.

Baiken
scowled, tugging her foot out of Anji�s hands so she could tie the gauze off
herself. She wiggled her toes; her foot
was sore, but nothing was numb. �You
haven�t seen my sandal, have you?� she changed the subject. �We should get away from here in case
someone comes looking for their robots.�

�You�re
probably right,� Anji agreed, shaking out his long pants as he stood. �Will you be able to walk on that foot? It looks painful.�

�No
shit.� But it held her weight, and even
if it throbbed it was good enough to last until nightfall. With all the gauze it almost felt as if she
were wearing a shoe anyway. �I�ll
manage. Besides, we have to find
shelter before dark.� She held her pipe
between her teeth so she could heft her things over her shoulder. �Are you all right?�

�Yeah.� Anji quickly hunted around for his own pack,
tugging it over his shoulders before trotting back to her side. �Are you sure you can walk like that?�

Baiken
gave him a shove to get him moving.
�Shut up�I said I�m all right.�
She started across the scorched landscape in the direction Sol had gone
earlier. Though she didn�t like the
idea of following him across the damn country, it seemed they were headed
toward the same place after all. �All
roads indeed,� she muttered, glancing back only briefly to make sure Anji was
following. If Sol was already on the
move, she doubted he was the last familiar face they would come across.

*****

Testament
didn�t look up right away. Instead he
watched the ripples progressing slowly across his soup bowl, as if deeply
engrossed in their shifting patterns.
He had been wondering all afternoon how best to react to Ky when he saw
him again, whether it be with cold condescension or calm indifference�despite
his recent promise to Dizzy, sympathy might not yet be an option. Though indifference seemed to be the easiest
choice, when Ky made his appearance in the galley something of his earlier
relief tugged at the back of his skull.
It was impressive to see Ky walking about so soon after waking, and it
indicated his recovery would be swift.
It was good news he could not claim to be unaffected by.

Testament
let the spoon slip from his fingers.
�What is it?�

�About
the night you found me.� Ky�s voice had
returned to the serious, formal tone he was used to hearing from him. �Bridget said you mentioned there was
another man there.�

�I�m
not sure what I saw,� Testament admitted, tossing his hair over his shoulder
with a flick of his head as he at last met the man�s gaze. �It was only a moment, but it wasn�t one of
the robots. It was a man.� His fingers curled against the table. �Or a Gear.�

Ky
considered this for a long moment, and Testament took the chance to look him
over. He was standing more or less
upright, and though his hand was settled on Bridget�s shoulder, he didn�t
appear to be depending on him too severely.
He appeared much calmer now as well, though Testament couldn�t tell if
it was because he�d decided to accept his situation or deny it outright.

�Can
you tell me anything else?� Ky asked.

�I
couldn�t see it very well. But it was definitely
a man�his eyes were dark.� Testament
shrugged slightly. �That�s all I know.�

�I
see.� Ky was silent again, and then
straightened, his eyes focusing solidly on Testament�s. Their intensity was somehow
captivating. �Then there was only one
other thing. I wanted to thank you
properly for having saved my life.�

Testament
turned his head down once more. �I
already told you why I did it,� he replied shortly, trying to ignore the way
Dizzy was watching him. �There�s no
need for that.�

�Still,
I know it could not have been easy for you,� Ky persisted. �And given our�respective histories�I still
think it necessary.� He nodded
slightly. �You have my thanks.�

Testament
glared down at the rest of his soup, as if it would somehow supply him with an
appropriate response. When it failed
him, he had no choice but to answer, �You�re welcome.�

Dizzy
smiled at him across the table as if proud, and that, oddly, only confused his
feelings further. It was not as if he
were incapable of accepting gratitude.
He might have even been pleased that Ky would go to such lengths to
express his appreciation; he�d thought for a while that Ky would be too proud
to thank a Gear, savior or no.

�You
were going to the bridge?� Testament changed the subject abruptly.

�Yes�yes,
that�s right.� Ky straightened, as if
having pulled himself from some deep thoughts of his own. He looked pleased. �After tonight I�ll be moving out of that room, and possibly in
with you and Bridget for the rest of my time here. I hope neither of you will mind too much.�

�I
don�t mind,� Bridget giggled next to him.

Testament
frowned, but he nodded. �It doesn�t
matter to me.�

�Thank
you.� He threw the sentiment around too
much. �In that case, I suppose I�ll be
seeing you later.� He nodded to
Dizzy. �And thank you, Dizzy, for
caring for me.�

�It
was my pleasure, really,� she replied lightly.

�Good
evening, both of you.� Ky nodded once
more before slipping outside once more, Bridget waving his own goodbyes as he
followed.

�Take
care!� Dizzy called after them. Once
they were gone she returned her gaze to Testament with a grin. �See?
That wasn�t so bad, was it?�

Having
suddenly lost his appetite, Testament pushed to his feet and collected his
dishes. �I said I would go easy on
him,� he reminded her as he carried the remains of his meal toward the kitchen.

�That�s
not what I�.�

She
broke off, returning to her own meal with an almost solemn air. The sudden silence made Testament turn; it
hadn�t been his intention to upset her.
And as he had done nothing wrong, he could think of no way to
apologize. Ky had thanked him, he had
accepted�if she expected any more from him, perhaps she had been overestimating
him all along. One courtesy certainly
wasn�t enough to justify him being civil, let alone pleasant.

�Goodnight,
Dizzy.�

Testament
passed smoothly behind her, and though he could hear her licking her lips as if
to speak, he did not stop or turn as he left the galley.

*****

Ky
couldn�t help but feel somewhat accomplished as he and Bridget made their way
toward the ship�s bridge. Bridget
especially seemed abnormally pleased for having done nothing. He claimed it was because he�d been worried
about Testament�s reaction; though they had been bunkmates for several days
now, there was no way to predict his mood after the scene that morning.

�I
have to admit,� Ky said as they went, his arm hooked around Bridget�s for
balance, �I was a bit intimidated myself.�

�Y�see? He�s not a bad guy, but sometimes he�s kind
of scary.� Bridget hummed thoughtfully
for a moment. �You should have seen
him, though, when we brought you on board.
He seemed really worried about you.�

Ky
pursed his lips as he tried to imagine the scene, but he remembered even less
of that than he did of his fight in the city.
�Was he?�

�Yeah.� Bridget grinned at him broadly. �You two should get to know each other
better. Maybe you could cheer him up.�

�That�s�.�
Ky escaped the boy�s eyes, a sudden hollowness seeping into his chest. �Considering our history,� he said quietly,
�I�somehow doubt that.�

�Oh? What do you mean?�

�It�s
nothing.� Thankfully they reached the
bridge then, allowing Ky to change the subject. �Here we are. Thank you
for your help, Bridget.�

�Sure.�

Ky
entered, leaning a little on Bridget�s arm as he suddenly faced half a dozen
young female faces. It took him a
moment to spot the one he was looking for: May was leaning over what might have
been a radar screen at the far end of the chamber. Before he could call for her, however, a deep voice on his left
startled him.

�Can
I help you, boys?�

�Hey,
Johnny,� Bridget greeted cheerily before Ky could turn enough to see him.

�Yo.� Johnny, who was leaning easily against the
wall just to the door�s left, tipped his hat up. Though his voice was light Ky could see that his posture wasn�t
quite as relaxed as usual, as if expecting some confrontation after that
morning. �Didn�t except to see ya up so
soon, Kiske. Feeling better?�

�Much
better, thank you,� Ky replied crisply, hoping to calm any apprehension the man
might have had. He hadn�t come here to
start another argument. �I don�t want
to interrupt, but I have a favor to ask of the Jellyfish Pirates.�

Johnny�s
lips curled in a subtle smirk. �Then
you�d better ask their captain,� he replied, jerking his thumb back.

�And
that�s me!� Ky turned just as May
advanced on them, her hands on her hips and chin proudly lifted. �You have business to discuss, you talk to
me. Got it?�

�Aye
aye, Ma�am!� Bridget chirped happily.

�Not
you.� May stuck her tongue out at him,
spoiling her captain-like air only a moment before turning back on Ky with a
serious gleam in her childish eyes.
�You may speak.�

As
he wasn�t quite used to such energetic antics, Ky had to pause a moment before
he remembered what exactly he had been preparing to ask. He tried to stand a little taller at
Bridget�s side to show May�or maybe just Johnny�that he was serious in making
this request. It was a little
unnerving, however, with the rest of the bridge crew watching him so
intently. �Captain May. I�d like to request that you allow me to
remain on your ship for a while longer.�

May
straightened, apparently determined to take him just as formally. But her voice was too young, too tipped with
excitement to be very effective. �And
why might that be, Mr. Kiske?�

Ky
swallowed hard. It had not been an easy
conclusion to arrive at, and even now he couldn�t rid himself of the
frustration gnawing at his stomach. But
he clenched his fist, determined to see his mission through if nothing
else. �I haven�t yet decided if
everything I heard this morning is the truth,� he said precisely. �I intend to find out. Until then I�ll need help investigating, and
on the chance that my life may be in danger, I�ve decided not to return to the
Global Police until I�ve found my answers.�
He paused only briefly. �Which
is why I�d like to remain on this ship.
These robots pose a danger to us all, and it is my belief that if we
work together, we�ll be able to discover their origins and hopefully solve the
problem for our mutual benefit.�

May
stared at him for a moment, as if trying to puzzle through his words�he caught
her gaze slipping to Johnny, but he couldn�t see what look the man returned it
with. �And what will you give me?� she
asked, crossing her arms. �If you stay
here, those Robo Kys might come looking for you.�

Withholding
his protests of the term �Robo Ky� he lowered his head slightly. �I have little to offer you,� he
confessed. �Separated from the police I
cannot grant you any kind of pardons or immunity, and until my strength returns
I can�t even promise you my protection.
All I have is my word that I�ll do everything in my power to repay you
when the opportunity arises.�

May
frowned, but brightened quickly enough.
�Well, I guess it�s okay with me,� she declared, giving up trying to
sound beyond her years. All around, the
other girls giggled among each other.
�Let�s just say you owe us and leave it at that. Besides,�
she looked again to Johnny, �we were thinking of hunting those things
down ourselves.�

�That�s
right,� Johnny replied. �We�ll have to
deal with them sooner or later anyway.�
He pushed away from the wall.
�So as long as you behave yourself, I�m sure we�ll get along just fine.�

Ky
sighed quietly in relief. His ill ease
hadn�t faded completely; even by asking to stay here he was admitting to the
possibility that he had been betrayed at home.
Moreover, once he had healed and their assistance was no longer
necessary, they would again be on opposite sides of the law. But for now, at least, he had a place to
stay while he recovered, and allies to count on as he gathered
information. �Thank you. You all have my gratitude.�

May
blushed a little, shook herself, and skipped to Johnny�s side. �You said before you were here to wait for
Zepp to pass over,� the latter remarked.

Ky
nodded, drawing himself out of his own brief thoughts. �Yes, that�s right. Whether or not Arthur Galleon is involved,
the people of Zepp are experts with this kind of machinery. If nothing else they may know of some
weakness the robots have, or what channels the parts to make them would have
gone through.�

�Well,
it�s still a few days away, probably.
We might as well do some poking around before then.�

Ky
frowned thoughtfully. �You have some
idea?�

May
grinned excitedly as Johnny answered, �Rome, of course! No place better for finding information,
don�t you think?�

�You
mean information for criminals,� Ky murmured, his brow furrowing in clear
distaste of the idea.

�Then
it�s a good thing we�re after criminals, isn�t it?� he returned, readjusting
his hat. �It�s good for us anyway, and
we can be there by tomorrow. Does that
sound like a plan to you?�

�I
suppose it does.� Ky took in a deep
breath, reaffirming his confidence as he faced his new companions. �All right.
To Rome, then.�
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Culmination