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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
- 8
- 9
- 10
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
8

Though
Ky had not expected so sudden an attack, his reflexes
were more than enough to catch the stranger�s blade against his own. There was strength behind that swing, a kind
he hadn�t faced in some time, and he quickly twisted his wrist to divert the
momentum away from him. But his opponent
was fast�he spun, bringing his sword about in another smooth attack. He and Ky traded
several blows before both broke away, gauging each other.

�You�re good,� the dark-eyed man compliment through a thin growl. He adjusted the grip on his sword and charged
once more. Ky
was again able to defend despite the unfamiliar weapon he brandished, and in a
flurry of passing steel he caught an opening.
Planting his foot he brought the blade around, landing a direct hit to
an outstretched forearm.

The
force should have been enough to sheer the limb from its body, and yet as soon
as the sword connected Ky felt a tremor run up his arm, like the resonance of
metal striking more metal. For a moment
he thought he had missed, or that the stranger had been able to bring his sword
about fast enough to deflect him, but when he looked he
clearly saw the blade of his katana drawing blood from the intact arm.

Ky
fell back to Testament�s side, his eyes sharp.
�You�re not human.�

�You
should ask Testament about that,� the man retorted, giving his arm a
shake. The thin incision quickly sealed
and left not even a scar behind. �Maybe
I should say the same about you. One of
Testament�s summons?
He�s getting better.�

Ky
snorted lightly, though he was fairly certain he was being complimented. �Perhaps.�

�Be
careful,� Testament warned at his side.
He still looked uneasy; there was no doubt this pair shared some
history, and though Ky was eager to question him this
was clearly not the time for it. �This
isn�t the greatest of his strength�he uses magic.�

�Magic?� Ky�s
fingers tightened bloodlessly around the handle of his katana as a heated
shudder passed through his already tense body.
�You�re a Gear.�

The
stranger�s expression hardened angrily.
�How dare you.� He lifted his
unoccupied hand, within his palm growing a pale, brilliant light. Ky�s heart skipped
faintly when he suddenly recognized the heat coming off it, making his back
burn and throb. He lifted his sword but
he had no defense against magic without Thunderseal,
and he tensed in preparation of a dodge.

He
wasn�t fast enough. The magic was
screaming towards him before he had a chance to get any leverage beneath him,
and he was preparing to take the blow when Testament appeared suddenly in front
of him. Something leapt from his voice�a
spell of some sort that Ky didn�t recognize�blazing a
seal of magic into the air before them.
Their enemy�s attack was swiftly absorbed in the spinning, iridescent
patterns of light.

�You
are better,� the man begrudgingly admitted as both their magics
faded. He felt back a step, lowering his
sword as well. �This isn�t the time to
settle our score.�

�Wait!�
Ky said swiftly, stepping in front of Testament once
more. �You are behind the robots,
aren�t you? Tell us what you�re
after! Who are you?�

Black
eyes regarded him silently, and when he spoke his voice was cold. �I am the new Order.�

Ky
ground his teeth together, and before Testament could halt him he charged
forward again, raising his sword in a lateral strike. Had it been Thunderseal
in his tight grip he was certain he could have incinerated the man where he
stood, but he overestimated the length of his blade�the stranger caught him
easily on his own sword, and again his free hand formed a swift ball of
magic. It was smaller than the first,
not even enough to singe Ky�s
clothing, but the impact of the heated spell against his chest sent Ky
reeling. It gave his opponent just
enough time to leap back, the simple jump taking him nearly a dozen meters in
the air to land on the side of a toppled building.

Ky,
who had been saved from being thrown to the ground by Testament�s strong arm,
cursed as he stared up at their fleeing target.
�Wait!�

�You�re
still with the Jellyfish Pirates, aren�t you?� the stranger called down to
them. �If you really want to know what
we�re after, ask their captain.� He
turned swiftly, disappearing behind the building before either could think to
follow with a flutter of shadow at his heels.

Ky
cursed again as he was released, already heading for the far wall where the man
had disappeared. �Come on�we can still
catch him. That bastard��

�No.� Testament stepped away from him, leaning his
back against nearest wall. �He�s gone, Ky. Let him.�

�But
that was him!� Ky shouted in frustration. When he turned back to Testament to protest
further he hesitated at the sight; the Gear had one arm slung loosely around
his stomach as if ill, his usually gleaming red irises pale and vague. Something in Ky
twisted, as if it were an expression he recognized. �You know him.�

Testament
wouldn�t meet his gaze. �Yes,� he
admitted at last. �I did. He�should have been dead by now.�

�What
does that mean?� Ky
advanced on him as the only one present on which to vent his anger. Usually he would have displayed more
restraint, but he was already weary and drawn taut with too many memories at
his surface, the city too real in his eyes and ears. Too aware that their
quarry, the man responsible for betraying and hunting him, was slipping further
away with each passing second.

�I�ll
explain, but not here.� Testament pushed
away from the wall, shaking his head slightly.
�This may be more complicated than I thought, and�we need to talk with
Johnny and Bridget, let them know we�re coming back.� He turned and headed for the mouth of the
alley once more as if there was nothing more left for discussion.

Ky
scowled faintly at his back, but there was nothing more he could do. With one last, frustrated gaze cast at the
path their enemy had taken he fell into step behind Testament, allowing him to
lead the way into the street once more.

Johnny
leaned against the bar, regarding his female company with a serious gaze. He didn�t know Baiken particularly well, but
her reputation proceeded her quite a bit, and he knew it best to listen to
whatever she had to say; especially if she had chosen to do so outside the
audience of her companion. �So? What is it?�

�I
want to come with you,� Baiken said clearly and to the point. There seemed to be no signs left of her
earlier intoxication. �You�re going
after those things, aren�t you? Whatever
they are they�re hunting me, too, and I want in on taking them out.�

Johnny
smiled grimly. �I can relate to
that. What about him?� He nodded his head back toward the table
they�d left.

Baiken didn�t look, but her expression softened a little, and Johnny had the
sudden feeling that he was seeing something particularly rare. �He can�t come. The truth is�.� She glanced away, trying to look annoyed with
herself for being sentimental. ��I�m
taking him back to the Colony. He hasn�t
figured it out yet, but he will soon.
Whatever that fuck told him has had him brooding like that for days, and
if he�s going to live on the outside he can�t be distracted like that.�

Johnny
understood, so he didn�t think it necessary to tease her about her taking care
of the man. Maybe it was unfair to Anji, but she had a point.
This fight wasn�t for the uncertain, let alone the innocent. �How can we contact you?�

�We�ll
be staying in Rome for a while,� Baiken said, waving
the bartender over so she could get from him a pen and a napkin. Now that they weren�t talking about Anji her voice and face returned to their normal,
infallible callousness. �I don�t have a
radio, but I can get one. Give me your
frequency.�

The
question of whether or not he trusted Baiken passed
through Johnny�s mind for barely a moment, and then he was nodding as he
scrawled the numbers out across the dull paper.
�We�re going to be doing some investigating in Zepp,�
he told her as he wrote. �It�ll be
overhead in three days, so on the fourth day give us a
holler. We should know something by
then.�

�All right.� Baiken
glanced over the numbers only briefly before slipping the napkin stealthily
into the front of her kimono.
�But leave that kid behind. She�s
worse than Anji.�

�He,�
Johnny corrected around a smirk, �but I�ll keep that in mind.� He gave Baiken�s
shoulder a tap, earning him a glare, as he started back for the table. �Come on, before they start to like each
other.�

As
soon as Johnny approached Bridget snapped to his feet, looking bright and eager
as usual. It was, however, somewhat
suspicious, and Johnny glanced between him and Anji
with a thoughtful frown. �Well, it was
nice meeting you, Mito Anji,� he declared, shaking
the man�s hand, �but we have to be going.
Take care of yourself.�

�You, too.� Anji
shared a look with Bridget, who giggled as they, too, shook hands. �Look out for each other.�

�We
will!� Bridget chirped, and with a grin he turned to start for the bar�s
entrance. Johnny shrugged, tipped his
hat to the pair, and followed.

Once
they were out on the street once more Johnny glanced at his companion with a
curious eye. �What was that all
about? You two talk about anything?�

�O~h, not really,� Bridget sang as he skipped along. �But I think he has a crush on Ms. Baiken.�

Johnny
laughed. �One might almost consider that
an accomplishment,� he said with a shake of his head. Whether or not he believed that was all the
two had discussed in his absence, he didn�t comment as they started back
towards the ship.

----

Ky was quiet as he and
Testament followed the path they�d taken through the streets, his eyes
downcast. His earlier tension had left
him, thankfully, but in its place was left dozens of swirling questions and
half-formed theories. Whoever that man
had been, Testament knew him. Whatever was going on, Johnny might know
something. Robots were involved, and
judging by the magic he�d witnessed being used by their enemy, Ki was being employed as well. It made sense with the number of Japanese
people being abducted. He was certain,
however, that there was still one missing piece to the puzzle, something
important that he hadn�t been able to catch yet.

�I�m
sorry.�

Ky glanced up, startled out of
his thoughts by the sound of Testament�s voice floating back to him. �What?�

�For
letting him get away.�
Testament didn�t look back, but he shook his head slightly, adjusting
his hair over his shoulders. �I know how
important this is to you.�

Ky frowned, but he had already
accepted Testament�s judgment in that regard.
�It�s fine,� he assured easily. �You were probably right to stop me�neither
of us seemed to be at our best, and it would be a problem if he had tried to
lead us deeper into the city this late.
We�ll have another opportunity.�

Testament
nodded, looking as if he were about to fall silent again, but it was then that Ky decided it might be best to try
his thoughts against another. He picked
up his pace just enough to bring him to Testament�s side. �He was using Ki,
wasn�t he? I recognized his magic�it was
definitely the same as what he used on me in Genoa.�

�It
seemed that way,� Testament replied somewhat hesitantly. �From what I remember�he didn�t used to use Ki before.�

�But
you said he used magic.�

�He
did.� Testament kept his gaze carefully
forward as they continued, clearly having no intention of answering Ky�s inquires directly. �I�ll explain everything I know later.�

Ky
frowned at him, dissatisfied with such a response, but a moment later he
reminded himself of how Testament had looked a while ago, shaken and
brooding. He could definitely understand
what it must be like for him to have old history dragged into the open once
more, and so he let it go. �What
about�what he said?� he tried instead, unconsciously sliding a hand to his
sword hilt. �About the
pirates.�

�I�m
not sure. It�s not strange to think they
know more than they�re letting on.�

�I
don�t like it.� There were too many mysterious
surrounding the Bureau already to have his own companions hiding
information. If they could in fact be
called companions.

Testament
shrugged slightly. �Then you can ask him
when we get back.�

They
reached the airfield just after the last bit of sun disappeared behind a jagged
horizon, a fresh chill borne on the wind raising goosebumps along Ky�s uncovered skin. He spotted Johnny and Bridget waiting for
them beside an old hanger, chatting idly among themselves. He couldn�t catch any of the conversation, as
both quieted as he and Testament approached.
Johnny waved a greeting. �Hey there. Glad to
see you made it back in one piece.�

Ky�s eyes narrowed slightly, but
he didn�t comment as he joined them.
�Did you find out anything?� he asked at once.

�You
could say that,� Johnny replied. Though
he was trying to sound casual Ky
could see the muscles along his jaw tightening a little, and his frown
deepened. �We met up with a few
celebrities�Baiken and Mito Anjji.�

�I
don�t suppose they knew anything?� Testament asked, folding his arms over his
chest.

�Not
really. But between the four of us, we
may have come up with something. You two
get any info?�

�You
could say that,� Ky replied
in kind, something tightening at the back of his stomach. He was suddenly drawn all too keenly to all of
Johnny�s movements, the tilt of his hat that prevented too much of his face
from being seen, the light tone of his voice that contrasted how important this
information was for them. �We met the
man from Genoa.�

�You
met him?� Bridget echoed, straightening.
�You were supposed to tell us if there was trouble, you know.�

�It
wasn�t serious,� Ky assured
him. �We tried to question him but he
managed to escape. But Testament�might
have recognized him, so it could be a lead.�
He wasn�t sure why he added �might�, only that
Testament already seemed so uncertain talking about it�he didn�t want Johnny to
jump on that information the same way he had.

Johnny
nodded thoughtfully. �Looks like coming
to Rome was a good idea after all,� he declared, stepping away from the hanger
wall. �We can share notes back on the
ship. Is everyone ready?�

�Wait.�

Everyone
turned to stare at Bridget, who hadn�t moved yet. He has his arms crossed behind his back, a
tiny grin threatening to spread across his lips. �I got some information, too,� he said,
almost teasingly.

�Oh?� Looking quite amused, Johnny crossed his arms
and waited to hear what he had to say.
�And what might that be?�

Bridget stood a little taller, his chin tilting up in a gesture of pride. �I found out that Sol Badguy
is here.�

When
Bridget first said the name Ky
was certain that he had heard incorrectly.
It didn�t seem like the same name, spoken so simply in such a light,
innocent tone. But when Johnny and
Testament both sent sharp, startled gazes at the boy he gradually came to
realize that Bridget was telling the truth.

�Sol
Badguy,� Bridget repeated in response to their
baffled stares, and this time the name sent a long, cold tremor down Ky�s spine. �You know, that
famous mercenary? He was on his way here
a while ago�kind of exciting, isn�t it?
I�ve never met him.�

�Hey,�
Johnny started, �where did you�� He broke off when he realized Ky had turned, striding purposefully back towards the
city. �Ky,
where do you think you�re��

Ky ignored him. He saw only the dimmed outline of Rome�s
skyline before him, dark and cruelly inviting.
He knew better than this; finding Sol in a city like this would be
impossible, especially at night when its most malicious residents took to the
streets. Those thoughts didn�t pass
through the officer as he set his jaw and glared definitely back at the
entrance to the labyrinth of stone. All
he knew, in that instant, was that on those twisted streets walked the answer
to all his mind�s frenzied questions.

�Ky.� A hand snapped around his elbow. �What��

Ky twisted, jerking swiftly
out of Johnny�s hold and continuing without falter. �I�m going to find him.�

�Don�t
be ridiculous,� the pirate snorted.
�Find him in Rome? At night? This is
Sol Badguy, you know.�

�I
know that!� Ky snapped,
turning suddenly to face Johnny. Behind
him, Bridget and Testament were watching the scene with stunned confusion, and Ky quickly diverted his gaze from
them. Neither of them would understand
the sudden anxiety twisting in his stomach.
�But I have to find him.�

�Ky,� Johnny tried again to reason with him.

�He�s
here.� Ky stood his ground, and though his eyes had taken a
different shade their intensity had not diminished. Something fierce was burning at the back of
his skull, igniting all the frustrations he had been harboring and finally
bringing them into form. �We�re here, Baiken and Anji, the robots, the
man from Genoa�if Sol�s here, too, he must know something. He must be here for a reason.� He spun again, intending to march off without
further hindrance. �And I�ll hear it.�

He
had expected Johnny�s protests to continue, but wasn�t prepared for hand that
tightened, vice-like, around his wrist, nearly spinning him about as he was
drawn back. �Don�t be
a fool,� Johnny hissed, meeting Ky glare for
glare over the top of his sunglasses.
�That man and his robots are still in there�if you go back alone, as you
are, how will you fight them off? You
still haven�t��

�I
don�t care,� Ky interrupted
him yet again, drawing a scowl from the man.
�You don�t understand�I have to find him.�

�Well,
you�re not.� Johnny gave him a sharp
tug, and Ky stumbled a
moment over his feet as he began to get dragged back towards the ship. �I�m not letting you run off just so you can
get yourself killed.�

Glowering
in annoyance Ky planted his
feet, throwing his weight back so that Johnny was halted�nearly toppled�by the
sudden shift in force. �Let me go,� he
demanded icily, and when he wasn�t released instantly his voice rose. �Let me go!�

�Ky, please,� Bridget pleaded,
shifting from foot to foot in distress.
�I�m sorry�let�s forget it, okay?
Let�s go back to the ship.�

�No! None of you understand!� Ky
was finally able to rip his arm free, and he took several steps back, out of
Johnny�s range. If the pirate tried to
capture him again he was fully prepared to use all his force. Johnny must have recognized as much, as he
stayed still, his expression almost eerily calm. �I have to,� Ky repeated, his fists trembling at his sides until
they ached. �He knows something, and I
must know what it is. I won�t leave
until I do.�

Ky�s eyes danced to Testament,
expecting some kind of admonishment from him, as well, but the Gear remained
still. His eyes were wide and distantly
surprised, but there was also something softer in them. Something like�understanding, and that
justification only heightened Ky�s
determination. He returned his firm
glare to Johnny. �I�m going.�

�You�re
a damn fool,� Johnny retorted. He took a
step forward, and it was as if his entire manner had changed. Though Ky
could no longer see his eyes behind the dark glasses there was a threat in the
stern, downward curl of his lips, each methodical step. �And you�re not going. I won�t allow anyone to endanger my crew.�

Ky retreated a step, his hand
drifting once more to the hilt of his katana.
�I�m going.�

Johnny
was advancing on him in earnest now but Ky
didn�t back off a second time. �That
bastard and his fucked up robots could be on their way here right now,� the
pirate all but snarled. �Every one of us
here are their targets. And if we wait
for you to take your little field trip who knows how many he�ll be able to
gather!� Johnny snatched the collar of Ky�s vest, drawing him
forward. �You are not going to
endanger this ship!�

�I�m
going!� Ky retorted
strongly. He was all but shaking now
from too much emotion, and he pried ineffectively at Johnny�s thick
fingers. �Damnit, I have to see Sol!�

�You
damn fool, you�ll just��

�I
have to know if he�s betrayed me again!�

Johnny
was so startled by the other�s force that he let go, and Ky shoved him away before he could regain his
senses. The officer fell back, his eyes
wide and pained. He shook his head
fiercely against the words he had spoken.
�I�I have to know,� he panted, turning away from too many questioning
stares. �Sol warned me to stay away from
the Bureau, the robots�he knew something was going to happen. If he knew and didn�t tell me�.� He trembled, too infected by his own
injustice to allow for Johnny�s rationale.
�If he knew our entire Order was in danger of being wiped out and he
said nothing�.�

It
was too much. Ky wheeled about to face the city once more, standing
taller than he would have thought he had the strength for. �I�m going.�

�If
you go,� Johnny said evenly, �this ship will leave without you.�

�Johnny��
Bridget started to protest.

Ky shook his head. �Fine,� he retorted. �Go.
Maybe I was wrong to trust you all, anyway.�

Bridget
bit his lip, shivering a little as he tried to think of something more he could
say, but Testament�s hand fell heavily upon his shoulder. He jumped a little and fell silent as both
waited in anxious silence for the scene to play through.

Johnny
snorted, tugging his sunglasses off at last.
�Damn fool,� he muttered. �You
don�t even know what you�re up against.�

Ky�s back straightened, and
again his common sense failed him beneath the weight of too many recent
memories. His fists tightened. Slowly, he turned to glare at the man over
his shoulder. �But you do.�

His
tone was deadly, and even Johnny flinched a little as
he stared back. �What�s that supposed to
mean?�

�You
know something.� Ky faced the pirate squarely, rallying his courage
once more. He wasn�t going to back
down�not to anyone, for anything. Not
when the safety of his men, their very world and way of life, may depend on
it. �I�ve wondered about it for a while
now, and that man in the alley only confirmed my suspicions.�

�Oh? Is that so?�

�Stop
it, both of you!� Bridget tried again to interfere, pleading. But neither of them was listening to him now,
and he could only watch helplessly.

�You
just happened to be flying over Genoa when I was injured,� Ky began, gaining back a bit of his control. His voice lost a little of its manic edge,
though within it there still lied the stern, justified malice of a
soldier. �It was enough of a coincidence
that the robots were able to judge where I would land in that storm�that
Testament would have chosen it as his shelter.
But the Jellyfish Pirates as well?�

�We
were on our way to Rome,� Johnny began to defend himself, but Ky interrupted him and continued.

�You
knew immediately what the Bureau was up to.
All that talk about replacing the Global Police, defaming me�there is
still no evidence of that, but you never considered that you may be wrong. You knew about Author Galleon, and how to
make the robot work when there�s no way your adolescent crew could have subverted
the security system of such a delicate machine.� Ky�s
eyes narrowed dangerously. �And then you
led us right to Rome, where our enemy was waiting for us. He even knew I was with you.�

Johnny
continued to stare at him blankly.
Whether or not he was accepting Ky�s
accusations or found them too ridiculous to even be acknowledged, there was no
telling by his face. But there was anger
focused in the taut muscles of his jaw and below his eyes, making his entire
expression strained. �Do you really
believe all that?�

�And
then there�s May,� Ky
continued, stepping towards him. �If I
remember correctly, you�ve raised May since she was a child. She�s Japanese�in all that time, you must
have realized what she was capable of.�
Johnny�s eyebrow twitched, encouraging Ky on. �The
Bureau is after Japanese, after Ki, and you know
why. You�ve always known why.�

Something
in Ky�s words must have
reached him at last, as Johnny�s fingers began to curl stiffly in want of his
sword. The tension stretched, thick and
tangible, between them, as if either might draw at any moment. �Are you accusing me,� the pirate stated
stiffly, �of betraying my crew?�

�I
don�t know who you�re working for,� Ky
admitted. �But you know something. There are only two people those robots were
specified to kill�me and you. Either
it�s a decoy to make you look innocent or maybe you�re working for someone
else, but either way it means you know something. Something about May and the Japanese you
haven�t told us.�

Johnny�s
hand shot out, and again the men were dragged together, glaring each other
down. �You don�t know anything,� Johnny
growled, though they could all clearly detect the sudden desperation in his
tone. �Not about the
Gears, about the Japanese�anything!�

�Because you haven�t told me!� Ky
retorted in kind, though his anger was focused�righteous, even. Every gleam of the man�s eyes was
vindicating, and he was caught up in the flow of accusations and wrath. �You�ve been hiding it from the start! You know exactly what they�re after
and what will happen when they get it!
You�ve been manipulating your own crew all along!�

Johnny�s
shoulders crept up, his face contorting in a look of rage such that Ky hadn�t thought him capable
of. �How dare you!� he shouted. �I�ve been��

�You�ve
already betrayed me,� Ky
continued thoughtlessly. �I bet you
would have loved it if that bastard got his hands on us! Who�s next?
Testament?
May?�

�Shut
up!�

It
happened too fast, and Ky
was already too drawn into their verbal assaults to anticipate a real
attack. All at once he was spun about,
his feet nearly leaving the earth as he was flung bodily into the hanger�s
plated metal door. He managed only a
thin gasp of surprise as the impact stole his breath and sent bright lights
flashing across his eyes. Dimly he was
aware that his skull had struck hardest, that the scrape of bare skin against
metal had drawn blood along his lower back.
His body, already drawn tight with stress, gave out. With little more than a whimper and despite
the groping of his hands, Ky
sank gradually to his knees on the dusty airfield.

*****

�Ky�.� Bridget
glanced between the pair, but with the sound of flesh striking metal Johnny
seemed to have been shocked back to his senses.
He was breathing hard now, a vaguely guilty expression marring his
features, but he didn�t look about to move.
After a moment�s hesitation Bridget scampered to Ky�s side. �Ky�.� He reached for
Ky�s shoulder. �Are you��

�Leave
him,� Johnny snorted overhead, and Bridget flinched, glancing up timidly. The man�s face had hardened once more, though
it was still distantly troubled. He
turned back toward Mayship. �We�re leaving. If Ky
wants to go back into Rome, fine, but we won�t be coming back for him.�

�But
John�� Bridget
shivered, looking between the pair with indecision: Johnny�s tall, turned back,
Ky gasping weakly in the dust�. �But I�.�

So
far Testament had watched the scene in silence.
He was admittedly stunned by the entire affair; Ky�s almost crazed desperation, his accusations, and
the wrath it had drawn from the characteristically calm and easy-going
pirate. Something had passed between
them all, and though he wasn�t sure how to sort out his own confusion, at
present his eyes were drawn to Ky�s
slumped figure. As Johnny passed he
started forward, watching with some morbid fascination the tiny quakes of pain
and bitterness sweeping through the fallen officer�s flesh. �Bridget.�

Bridget
stared up at him, revealing a young face just beginning to be marred with
frightened tears. Testament sighed. �Go with Johnny,� he instructed softly. Though he wasn�t sure what he was about to
do, he knew he would lose his nerve with the boy there. �Make sure he�s all right, and let Dizzy know
what happened. She�ll know what to
do. It�s all right�I�ll bring Ky.�

Bridget
nodded quietly, scrubbing at his face as he pushed shakily to his feet. �All right.� He lifted a hand, and Testament offered his
arm without thinking, allowing the boy to regain his balance before trotting
ahead to join his captain.

Once Bridget and Johnny had distanced themselves the Gear turned his
attention back to his intended charge. Ky had not yet moved, doubled over
his knees and breathing hoarsely. He
wasn�t sure at first what action to take�it had been much easier in Genoa, when
the man was unconscious and needed no comforting words. But he had already chosen this duty for
himself, and he knelt down carefully beside the man. �Ky.
Can you stand?�

Ky flinched away from him, but
his defiance didn�t last long. �With
help,� he replied with resignation.

Testament
didn�t reply; he reached out, slipping his arm under and around Ky�s to help tug him to his
feet. Ky groaned quietly but was able to hold his own
weight, and after a moment he retrieved his arm. Neither of them, however, moved to step away
from each other just yet, and Testament was faced with another decision. He frowned slightly. �Now�s your chance,� he said quietly. �You can try to look for Sol in the city, or
come back to the ship.� Silently he
prayed that Ky would choose
the latter, as he wasn�t sure what he himself might do otherwise.

Ky turned his head, taking in
the city�s outline once more. His eyes
were vague and his expression weary, and when nearly a full minute passed that
way Testament realized he wasn�t going to receive an answer. That was fine with him; if Ky needed him to make the right
decision for him, that, at least, he could do.

�Come
on.� Testament gave Ky�s arm a gentle tug, guiding his focus away from
Rome. �There�s�something I want to show
you.�

Ky didn�t reply for another
long moment, but when Testament nudged him again he at last turned to
follow. They returned to the ship in
silence, heads bowed as each considered the gravity of the evening�s events.
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Culmination