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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
- 4
- 5
- 6
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
4

Bridget
started his day the same as always: at the first sign of light streaming
through the porthole in front of him. He
always slept on his right side so that he would be able to catch the sun as
soon as it peeked over the clouds. It
filled him with energy as he rubbed at his eyes and jumped lightly to the
floor. A quick glance at the bottom bunk
showed him that Testament was still asleep; adorably so, in Bridget�s opinion,
flopped on his stomach with the blankets drawn up to his ears. When looking at him like that, it was hard to
believe any of the mixed stories about Testament he�d heard from the crew. Grinning, Bridget changed out of his long
pajamas before crouching in front of the slumbering Gear.

�Te~stament,� he sang, suppressing giggles, as he tickled Testament�s
nose with a lock of his hair. �Wakie wakie.�

Testament�s
face twitched, but he didn�t sneeze as Bridget had hoped he would. Instead his hand snapped out without warning
to fasten around the younger boy�s wrist.
It hurt, but he managed not to wince as Testament�s eyelids slid
open. �What do you want?� he muttered
sleepily.

Bridget
twisted his hand slightly, and was quickly released. �It�s morning,� he informed his roommate
cheerily. He never did get a warm
reception for his early morning services, but his tenacity was
unwavering�Testament would grow to like him, eventually. �You should be up. It�s a big day today.�

Testament
grunted, slipping his hand back under the blankets as he edged away. �I�ll get up when I�m ready.�

�Okay.� Undaunted, Bridget popped up on his feet
again and trotted to the door. �See ya
at breakfast!� he called as he left.

Even
this early the Jellyfish Pirate Ship was bustling with activity; the night crew
was running about, finishing their duties before slipping off to bed, while
their replacements woke each other and hurried to breakfast. Bridget greeted everyone he met on his way
through the corridors; not even a month into his time here and he�d learned all
their names, to their delight. As one of
only two regular men on the ship he had been the focus of a lot of attention
when first coming aboard. Now, that
curiosity had worn off thanks to Testament and Ky joining them, but he still had a lot of fans in
the female crew. It was a good sign that
his progression towards manliness was going well.

First
stop was the galley, where Bridget reminded the ship�s cook Leap that now that Ky was awake, he deserved a
special breakfast with lots of healing nutrition. What that entailed he didn�t know, but he
trusted her to take care of it. Next he
visited the bridge to check in with Johnny for any assignments he might have
had for him.

�We
ran into a storm last night,� Johnny told him, jotting some notes on a piece of
paper. �We had to swing east to stay out
of it�no problems, but it means we won�t be in Rome until late in the
afternoon. Can I count on you to help
gather supplies when we get there?�

�Aye aye, sir!� Bridget chirped, saluting
at strict attention. �In the meantime, I
told Ky I�d help him move into his new room. Is that acceptable?�

Amused
by the boy�s enthusiasm, Johnny nodded.
�Take good care of him.�

�Sir, yes, sir!� If Bridget had at all resembled
a male sailor during his short briefing, it was spoiled by his childish grin as
he skipped away from the bridge once more on light feet.

Ky, thankfully, had a better
response to Bridget�s hair-waking technique.
His face screwed up boyishly before surrendering a quite sneeze. �Bridget�?�
He yawned and carefully stretched his weary limbs. �Good morning.�

�Good
morning,� Bridget replied happily, already beginning to tug the blankets off
him. �Do you feel all right? I thought I�d take you down to breakfast
before we get you settled in your new room�move you around a little.�

�That
sounds good,� Ky
agreed. He looked just as eager to be up
and about, even if his body wasn�t cooperating as well as it could have
been. It took something of a struggle,
but a few minutes later he was on his feet, dressed in fresh white
pajamas. They were soft and comfortable
but much too big for him�they hung comically off his shoulders, covering his
hands and heels.

�I
feel like a child,� he confessed.

�You
look like one,� Bridget replied with a laugh.
�It�s because you�re so skinny�but it�s cute on you.� He reached up to fix Ky�s hair, actually making it appear more tousled
than it already was. �The girls love it
when I walk around like this. You want
them to like you, don�t you?�

�Well�they
are criminals �.�

Bridget
made a face at him. �If you�re going to
stay with us for a while, you�re gonna have to stop thinking like that,� he
admonished lightly, beginning to lead him towards the door. Ky
was still a little unsteady so he allowed him to lean on his elbow as he
chattered on about the ship. �This place
is really great. We all have a great
time, and everyone pitches in to do their jobs.
Usually I work down in the engine room, �cause
they need strong people�man�s work, you know�but they said it was okay for me
to look after you for a while.�

�I
see.�

Bridget
snuck a quick glance up at him, smiling happily. Ky
was looking even better this morning, which he took as something of a personal
accomplishment. He and Dizzy had been
mostly responsible for the man�s care the four days of his being unconscious,
keeping his fever down while changing his dressings and cleaning his
wounds. He�d taken it seriously, and the
results were enough to make him almost giddy with pride. Ky
was all right, and despite his lingering injuries even more gracious and noble
than Bridget had expected. He was
enjoying the change, after having spent his time sharing a bunk with Testament
who was always so dark and brooding.

Bridget
ducked his head slightly, blushing, when Ky
looked down at him. Though he had dealt
with other police officers in the past concerning his bounties, until now he
hadn�t met any quite as impressive. It
filled him with even greater motivation to become a man like that someday.

*****

Ky glanced about curiously as
he was led down the corridors toward what he assumed was the galley. Bridget prattled on the entire way, but he
was only partially listening. His sleep
the night before had been restless; he tossed uncomfortably when he dozed, and
in his dreams the faint images from his memories pursued him, preventing him
from feeling at all revitalized. Still,
he didn�t want to disappoint Bridget, as the boy seemed so intent on his
recovery. He kept his posture straight
as they walked, his face serene despite the tiny
tremors of pain in his yet-healing flesh.

He
was, however, by now somewhat accustomed to the familiar sting of burns
crossing his skin. He even imagined that
his body was becoming used to it. With
the sensation came old memories, and he had to fight
to keep his expression carefully even. Again
his mind was drawn to Sol, where he might have been and what he was doing. It was almost too much to think he might have
seen the report of Ky�s
disappearance, or that he would care.
However, if the man was targeting the Postwar Administration Bureau, as
he had intimated in their last encounter, their paths may yet cross�and
soon. It was a possibility that made
something in the back of his skull tighten as if in
preparation of a fight.

Ky was so lost in his reprieve
that he barely noticed whey they reached the galley. It was Bridget�s cheerful declaration that
alerted him. �Here we are! I told them to make something special today, just
for you.�

�You
didn�t have to do that,� Ky
replied, but he was smiling lightly as Bridget led him inside. �I am already in debt to everyone,
considering that under different circumstances I would be trying to arrest
them�.�

Ky trailed off when he was
finally able to take in the scene before him.
The galley was almost obnoxiously alive; there were girls everywhere,
bantering back and forth, now and again high-pitched
laughter rising over the morning commotion.
Though there were several older teenagers among them, many appeared much
younger than Ky had expected
to see there. Even if the Jellyfish
Pirates were famous for their youthful crew he noticed several that could not
have been much older than twelve.

What
drew Ky�s attention more
than anything, however, was a group near the center of the long dining
table. Testament was seated among the
lines of young women, looking ridiculously out of place in his black shirt and
pants, his shoulders higher than most of the girls� heads. He appeared to be calmly eating his meal
despite the trio of pirates swarming over him.
They were giggling among themselves as they spread out locks of his
thick black hair, combing it with pink and blue brushes. The youngest of the three appeared to be
braiding a strand of hair close to his right ear, her tongue peeking out of the
corner of her mouth as if dedicating herself to her task with great
concentration. It was an absurdly
heart-warming image: the way Testament continued on with his meal despite their
treatment; the affection with which his attendants smoothed and untangled his
hair. And to Ky�s even greater shock he could have sworn that the
Gear, just before lifting another spoonful of oatmeal to his lips, smiled
faintly to himself.

All
at once the dining room took notice of the officer, and a frenzied cheer rose
among the girls as they offered their greetings and made room for him at the
table. As they ushered him inside he
caught a few of the older ones straightening their outfits and hair. Feeling a little dazed, Ky took a seat at the table with Bridget just beside,
only once he was settled realizing he was just across from Testament. The Gear offered him only a glance before
returning to his meal.

�How
are you feeling, Mr. Kiske?� one�or maybe a few�of
the girls asked as several plates were pushed in front of him. �I hope you�re hungry.�

�We
made waffles�waffles are Swedish, aren�t they?
We heard you were Swedish.�

�Are
you going to arrest us?�

�Are
you all okay now?�

Someone
poked him in the back, and Ky
clenched his teeth against a wince of pain.
Thankfully, Bridget quickly shoed the offending child
away. �Thank you all, for your
concern,� Ky told them, and
the girls abruptly hushed to hear him.
It was almost intimidating. �I am
originally from France, not Sweden.
But�I do like waffles.�

He
would have mentioned that he wasn�t sure waffles were originally either Swedish
or French, but the girls already seemed delighted with his response, and he
thought it best not to interrupt them.
Moreover, he quickly found it more important to keep them from
smothering his breakfast in all manner of sauces and jams. Eventually they calmed, though still he was
the center of attention throughout his meal.

As Ky ate, he couldn�t help but raise
his eyes to Testament once more. The
Gear was eating his breakfast calmly, as if having paid no notice to the
commotion around. There was no trace of
the smile Ky had thought
he�d seen; he began to wonder if he had imagined it altogether. But there was no mistaking that Testament
looked content, despite the people touching and prodding him, and Ky watched his serene expression
with almost wonder.

Testament
leaned back suddenly, untangling the young hands from him as he shook his
head. The girls groaned in dismay as his
hair was tossed once more into a mess around his face. �Testament!� they declared in unison,
childish faces twisting in pouts.

�It�s
all messed up.�

�Now
we have to do it all over again,� the eldest chided.

Testament
lowered his head slightly, his now tousled hair hiding from everyone but the
man across from him another tiny smile.
�Sorry.�

With
muttered complaints the three returned to their work, gathering some attention
from the others as well as they clucked over Testament�s poor manners. Ky
lowered his head slightly, and finished his own meal in silence.

Too
many waffles later, Bridget escorted Ky
to the room he would be occupying for the duration of his stay. Bridget had selected a low bunk across from
what he later learned was Testament�s; clean sheets had already been laid, and
flasks of fresh water were within easy reach.
There was also some space at the back of the room with a table, chairs,
and bench--enough that Ky
would be able to move around at least.
Altogether he was pleased, as it would allow him to rest and recover his
strength equally. For now he was content
to relax at the table, stretching his legs to work some strength back into them
as he looked over the information he and Bridget had gathered the day before.

Bridget
excused himself soon after, claiming he had to meet
with May to prepare for when they landed in Rome. Ky
was grateful for the peace left in his wake; though he appreciated the high
spirits of the crew, it had been some time since he�d been around so many
children. It was exhausting, and not the
best environment for recuperation. He
was looking forward to a quiet morning on his own.

The
opportunity was short-lived. Ky had only just spread his papers
out across the table when the door to the cabin was opened again, revealing the
last person he was prepared to face. He
tried not to look uneasy as Testament slipped inside, didn�t glance up when the
footsteps paused and the door closed quietly behind him. There was silence, thick and awkward, and
then, �I won�t disturb you for long.�

Ky lifted his gaze cautiously
as the floorboards creaked beneath Testament�s boots. The Gear was moving past him, to a small
circular mirror mounted on the wall. It
was then that Ky at last
noticed the state of Testament�s hair: it was a mess, arranged in any number of
half-formed ponytails, sloppy braids, and loose knots. Had it been anyone else, Ky would have laughed good-naturedly at the antics of
the girls. But this was Testament
standing across from him, trying to loosen the complicated arrangements
covering his skull�a Gear with blood on his hands�and he had no idea how he
should respond to it.

Ky lowered his head once more,
trying to return to his work and put the matter out of his mind; but when
Testament shook his head suddenly, hair making a soft swish in the silent room,
he had to look back. He licked his lips,
idly fingering the silver cross necklace beneath his shirt as if it would grant
him strength. �They�seem pretty fond of
you,� he remarked, though he didn�t really expect to find any answers for
himself.

Testament,
busy unraveling a long braid near the back of his head, didn�t glance
back. �They�re little girls,� he replied
evenly. �They�ll look up to anyone. You�ve seen how they idolize their captain.�

Ky frowned slightly. �Do you mean May, or Johnny?�

�Whichever.�

�Still,
to let them do all that�.� Ky�s fingers curled into
fists. �I thought you hated humans.�

He
should have known better than to press the issue; it was only going to make
Testament defensive, or worse. He had no
intention of disturbing the peace on this ship, especially if Testament was
somehow contributing to it. It was his
own memories, however, that prevented him from remaining still, maybe even his
instincts. He hated to think that his
prejudice would resurface at a time like this, but someone like Testament, a
Gear and murderer, should not have been able to sit so calmly among innocents.

Testament
didn�t respond at first, though his hands did still in their work. After a moment he resumed clearing his hair
of obstructions. �I thought you hated
Gears,� he replied in kind.

Ky pursed his lips�this was
not going to end well. �I never hated
Dizzy,� he said carefully. �And�right
now I�m finding it difficult to hate someone who saved my life.�

�And
�right now� I�m finding it difficult to hate innocent children.� Testament�s eyes flickered to him through the
mirror. �Let�s just leave it at that.�

Of
course, Ky had no intention
of doing so. His stomach was twisting
nauseously, though he couldn�t be sure if it was in disgust for his present
company or for himself. There had been a
time in his life when he would have rather died alone in the rain than accept
Testament�s assistance; would, even now, risk his freshly healed life to
destroy the creature whose eyes were focused seriously on his. He could still feel shadows of that person
inside him, lingering in his mind and clouding his judgment. �I suppose that means�you still hate me, and
the rest of us�?�

The
Gear snorted bitterly. �That would
certainly make it easier on you, wouldn�t it?�

�I�.� Ky
paused, regretting his choice of words again.
But he would not be made out as the only guilty one here. �I�m sure you can understand that my concerns
are not ill-founded.�

�And
neither are mine,� Testament retorted, turning to face him properly at
last. His red irises seemed to gleam
more brightly in the dim light. �I have
every right to hate humans�they created me to be hunted and despised. Hate me, if you want, but don�t you dare
think yourself justified.�

Ky sat up taller in his chair
despite the strain it put on his back.
�One man was responsible for the creation of Gears,� he said
firmly. In this matter especially he
could not back down. �And the rest of
humanity suffered for it. We had nothing
to do with your creation and yet we were slaughtered; is it our fault if we
were raised fearing you?�

Testament�s
eyes thinned, but he was unable to counter Ky�s logic immediately. They seemed to have argued to a standstill;
both sides blamed, both sides innocent. When the Gear spoke again his voice was
considerably lower. �There was not only
one man responsible.�

�What
do you mean?�

�I
mean�.� Testament glanced away, his
fists tensing faintly at his sides.
�That one man didn�t make me. It
was your people�the Bureau that betrayed you.
We are both their victims now.�

�Testament�.� Ky
was at a loss for words. Before, he
might have protested, as the Bureau had always appeared more interested in
anti-Gear weapons, not Gears themselves.
Now, he could not claim to believe that with certainty. Whatever Testament had witnessed in the rain
that night may be proof enough that they were operating differently than in the
past.

He
closed his eyes. �I�don�t hate you,� he
said quietly, his words measured and sincere.
He felt Testament�s gaze slide back to him but he didn�t look up. �When we met in the tournament over a year
ago you were under the influence of Justice.
When we fought in the forest you were merely protecting Dizzy, with good
reason. Just recently you saved my
life. So�until I find evidence that you
mean to do harm against innocents, I have no reason to hate you.�

Silence
followed for nearly half a minute, and then Testament shifted his weight
slightly, replying, �I don�t hate you, either.�

Ky sighed, more relieved than
he thought he would be from hearing those words. The ill ease in his stomach dissipated at
last as he nodded to himself. This was
progress�the kind of resolution he had been hoping for�and he was proud of them
both for it. He would have said more,
something perhaps encouraging or insightful, but Testament was suddenly next to
him, one palm pressed to the table as he leaned over it. Ky
pressed his lips and fought the urge to lean back.

�What
is this?� Testament asked, indicating the papers strewn across the table with a
nod of his head.

�Um�something
Bridget and I were working on,� Ky
answered, arranging them a bit more neatly on the table. He glanced briefly at Testament, and his eyes
were drawn to a lock of the Gear�s hair that hadn�t yet been straightened. It appeared to be the last remnants of a braid. �It�s a list of names recovered from that
robot.�

�Trying
to find a pattern?� Testament assumed, nodding thoughtfully as he scanned the
lists.

�Yes. Hopefully we�ll be able to figure out exactly
what the Bureau wants from us.� Ky�s lips pursed as his gaze
returned to Testament. He reached out
almost cautiously to slip his fingers through the locks. Testament jerked his head back, fixing him
with a pointed glare.

�You
missed one,� Ky explained
quietly.

Testament�s
eyes thinned, and he passed a hand self-consciously
through his hair to make sure it was straightened this time. �Anyway,� he prompted.

�Anyway,�
Ky quickly continued,
embarrassed, �we were able to find a few patterns. Most of the names on the list of people meant
to be apprehended are Japanese. Some
others are practitioners of Japanese fighting styles. A few, however, seem completely
unrelated. Such as Millia Rage.�
Ky rested his chin on
the back of his palm. �Her bounty should
have been cleared by now, and I can�t imagine what they would want with a
former member of the Assassin�s Guild.
Unless she has some knowledge of the organization they want suppressed.�

�Or
just her fighting skill,� Testament pointed out. �Her strength comes from the Forbidden Beast
she carries, which was originally developed as an anti-Gear weapon.�

�True. Though by that explanation shouldn�t they be
looking for Zato-1 as well?�

�If he�s even still alive.�

Ky nodded vaguely. �Then there�s Johnny,� he continued. �Other than being a substantial pirate, he
doesn�t seem to have any outstanding offenses�nothing remarkable enough that
the Bureau would want him killed.�

Testament
was silent a moment, considering his words as if they held some significance
for him. �What about me?� he asked
guardedly. �Am I in there?�

Ky flipped through the
papers. �There was something strange,
when we asked it about you,� he admitted.
�And Sol, as well. The robot said that, according it its orders,
neither of you were to be approached.
Only that the Bureau was to be notified of your whereabouts, and to
await reinforcements.�

Testament
snorted quietly, the closest to sounding amused as he ever did. �I wonder if that means they thought normal
robots couldn�t handle us.�

Though
Ky was not usually
susceptible to something as base as jealousy, he couldn�t help but be somewhat
perturbed. �Sol, at least, I can
understand,� he murmured. �But I�ve
defeated you before, and they didn�t mention anything like that about me.�

The
Gear cocked an eye at him, and for a moment Ky was worried that he might be offended, but he
moved past the issue quickly. �And
Dizzy?�

�They
have no orders regarding her, apparently.�

�I
see.� Testament straightened, trying to
be inconspicuous as he checked his reflection in the mirror. �It�s not much to go on, is it? You might have better luck looking for the
origin of the robots, rather than their intent.�

�Maybe�.� Ky
watched, a little subdued, as Testament moved away once more. Though it seemed they had reached a truce he
wasn�t sure how he was expected to react to him from now on. He felt as if he should say something, to be
certain that this bizarre encounter had even taken place. Just as his lips parted to speak, however,
Testament turned abruptly to fix him with an even stare.

�June
told me to tell you that she would be coming by soon,� he said. �If you�re going to be moving around more
you�ll need to get your wounds cleaned and your bandages changed.�

It
wasn�t anything like what Ky
had been expecting to hear, and he only managed to nod blankly. �Um�yes, of course. Thank you.�

Testament
nodded back, and before Ky
could think of what he�d wanted to say, he had slipped outside the room once
more.

---

When
Dr. Leona Mariot was called over by one of her
technicians to receive a call, she wasn�t surprised by the low, gravely tone of
the voice she was met with. She was
relieved, even�several days had passed since the report had reached her of the
incident in Genoa, and even if the man�s greeting was less than hospitable it
put all her fears to rest.

�Mariot. Give
me your report.�

She
waved the technician away, unconsciously straightening the front of her dark
suit coat. �We have been operating
smoothly and without incident since your departure.� Her response, as always, was clear,
rehearsed, and to the point. �Another
thirteen units were cleared for active duty this morning, and there are
currently seventeen undergoing Final Phase programming.�

�Good. We�ll need them as soon as possible. We�ve suffered massive causalities�I�ve
already sent a unit with the report.�

Leona
nodded faintly, though she would have appreciated a better explanation. But she dared not question the man,
especially when he was speaking so quickly, a clear sign of the agitation he
was famous for. �All thirty units will
be deployed before nightfall, along with the extra dozen we predict to be ready
by then,� she promised. �Fully armed and operational, as always. Though we�ve updated their
parameters.�

�I
see. Then he�s arrived.�

�Yes.� Leona wandered across the large chamber she
had been working in before the call, the tap of her heels echoing hollowly from
the dull metal floor. Half a dozen
technicians were buzzing around her, drifting from consol to consol, reading
off and imputing new data. She joined a
pair of them at the far end of the chamber where a long, metal, slab-like table
bore the fruits of their latest labor.
�We lost three units earlier this morning when he recovered from the
effects of our drugs too quickly,� she reported, eyes skimming over the man
imprisoned there. �Since doubling the
dosage he�s given us no problems. And
don�t worry,� she quickly added. �Your
test results won�t be affected. He�ll
just sleep here until you return.�

�There�s
been a slight change of plans,� her superior on the other end said
abruptly. She could just imagine his
dark eyes narrowing to match his tone.
�I was unable to dispose of Officer Kiske in
Genoa. Someone else interfered. He�ll have to be dealt with before we move on
to the next phase of the project.�

�I
see.� Though it wasn�t promising news,
Leona had expected as much. The man may
have been a genius in his own right, but even he had failed to realize it was
still far too early to be challenging an enemy as formidable as Ky Kiske. She made no further comment. �Where would you like the new units deployed
to, Sir?�

�Rome. I�ll be there myself soon. And be careful�we�ve lost an unusual amount
of units in the last seven days. Someone
may be closing in on your location.�

�Understood.� There was any number of people
who could be responsible, and none of the possibilities were promising. Though operational, with so many of their
�children� being put so quickly on active duty as per their superiors� orders,
there were very few left to guard the factory.
�I wish you luck as well, sir.�

There
was a pause at the other end of the line, and after a long moment the man
gruffly replied, �Don�t be ridiculous.�
And the line was cut.

Leona
sighed quietly, slipping the device into the hand of a waiting technician as
she turned back to her newest subject.
�It�s no wonder he gave us trouble, really,� she said thoughtfully,
drawing her fingertips over the curve of a sculpted bicep. �Though he�s not even
native Japanese. What good can he
do us at this stage?�

�Ma�am?� One of the lab-coated men on
her right watched her curiously. �We can
begin any time.�

�Yes,
of course.� Leona snorted quietly,
ruffling the youth�s pale hair. �Let�s
see what this boy can do for us.�
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Culmination