Parallax- Chapter 12

"Uh, no, we were here yesterday apparently, and he got some booze. And I'm going to see what he has in the way of heavy weapons..." she grinned evily.

"Yeah..." Steve said, not quite sure.

*Melchior looks at the kid oddly, but then shrugs*

"Whatever floats your boat, kid. This planet isn't too dangerious, why the firepower?...ergghh..."

*Mechior takes a long pause:*

'"C'mon Steve, give him his toy and the we'll search for Naomi..."

The Fronzok boy walked over to the refidgerators in the back and pulled out a green six-pack box, with 'ALMA' written in red across it.

The blue haired Cazanan girl began fiddiling with some of the weapons, "Steve, why are all of the weapons in here loaded? One would think that would be a bad idea."

"Yeah, well, I can fend for myself," he countered.

"And if they manage to slot you before you can get your railgun?"

He was silent.

The third, and final kid, with black hair, and what looked like Cazanan AND Human ears, looked at Melchior, "You know Naomi?"

*Spacing out again, he jumps back to reality and shoots a glance at the kid*

"Oh, yeah... She saved my hide earlier tonight, not sure why..."

He grumbled, "... Why save me for no reason?"

"What'd she save you from?"

*Melchior grinned*
"... Just a little thug issue..."
*He looked up and with a crazy-smiling expression*
"Hey, Steve, how much would you pay me if I took care of your Manson problem and found Naomi in one night?"
*He paused, and loaded his rifle*
"Crazy? I've done crazier..."

((AWW, YEAH! BA, response to the rescue. I won't be on again till 10 earliest tonight though.))

"That sounds about right. She really made a mass didn't she?" the girl said.

"You can try if you want..." Steve answered.

*looks a bit puzzled. These kids were starting to creep him out a bit*
"Wierd... Kids..."

*cough*

"I'll do it, I just want to confirm she's there. Know any places Manson peons seem to hang-out at?"
*He stops*
"And how much are you willing to pay?"

((Baseball game rained out... :( ))

"So who all did you come in contact with before Naomi disappeared?" the Cazanan girl asked.

*Melchior grinned*
"Just some Manson punks. Made a mess out of here 'till Steve broke out the big toys. I'll sort the rest of em out..."

"That all?" she picked up an AA-370, and extra clips.

Noticing Melchior and the others from the other side of Steve's, he walked over. "Hi Chiyoko, Ryan, Keenly." waving a little bit. "Harassing someone else, Chiyoko?"

*Still a bit disturbed by the gun-wielding school children, he responds to the child:*

"... Yeah, nothing to worry about, run along and, errrrr... Can you even afford that?!"

"I am now," Chiyoko said, "Got an idea?" she smiled evily.

"Yes I can, and I've also got about ten at home, and a ton more too! Now are you going to can it, or am I going to have to bring in my friends to can it for you?" the Cazanan girl, Keenly said, starting to get angry.

*Melchior easily blocks a few of her punches and twists her arm around her back. He lets go, but grimaces.*
*sigh*
"I wish there were more schools then ways to kill a man in this universe, but sadly that's an idealist's fantasy...*

*He walks out of the store, and heads straight for the first grimy bar he can think of that crime peons would hang-out at*

((Was that much god-modding? I just assumed a bratty-kid would do that is she got mad.))

((Well because of that...))

Keenly pulled out a phone...


Outside the bar Melchior was in, a pair of gray Firefoxes quickly dropped down, 'MARINES' written on the side. Troops piled out in full body armor, most with assault rifles and Firespreys. Two quickly put a charge on the door, and ran to cover, blowing the door off the hinges as the other thirty or so troops piled in, grabbing Melchior from his stool and dragging him out, and dragging him back the Steve's Stuff, where Keenly stood outside, radiating anger...

((This is a case of "The GM hates you" Syndrome, isn't it?))

*Still confused, Melchior gives up on trying to understand how it exactly happened and barks in a low, patient tone*

"Kid, will you just buy your damn gun and leave me be? I answered your questions, and defended myself when you acted childish. Not sure how you pulled out not your friends, nor the cops, but the FUCKING MARINES, but this is too much..."

*He motions to the marine*

"I'll take a night in jail, but I have a warrant for the gun."

"Well, speaking to SUPREME MASTER ARBITER OF THE ARMY, ERIKA KEENLY, in that type tone, or attacking my friends never turns out well. So you shut up, and tell me EXACTLY everything you know, before I turn you into a paste myself, got that?" Keenly yelled, people nearby stopping to see, then hurrying on...

Sergio walked out of Steve's, hearing Keenly yelling. Seeing Melchior held by the marines, "Wow, that's something..."


The marine holding his left arm looked down at him "Consider yourself lucky she didn't just hunt you down and kill you herself. Normally that happens before we hear anything about it."

*Getting back to Earth with himself, Melchior says*
" I'm more surprised the military takes private calls from grade-schoolers..."

*looks at Keenly suspiciously*

"Who the hell are you? A General's brat?"

"Steve, do you have some pliers?"

"Uh... Yeah, I'll go get them," he went back into the store.

"Good, I'm going to need them in a second..." she glared, walking up to Melchior, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground. She pulled out a wallet, and flipped it open, "Do you see that ID? Hmm? I AM A CAZANAN ARBITER! If you don't like that, then die. Got that?" she dropped him, and punched him in the gut, throwing him a couple meters back...

(( Don't worry, it happens to everyone at one point. It will end then fun can begin ))

((But for now, can I at least move the plot along without going to jail?))

*Cursing under his breath*

"Heh, an Arbiter? Before you even finished formal schooling. Cazanan's have a better sense of humor than liquor... But that punch, you remind me of someone I once knew."

*He motions to the Marine and walks to the door*

"Thanks, I needed a good blow to the get to get my brain going, I'll be going now if you're through with this childish need to 'get back' at me."

"Did I say you could leave?" Erika said, as Marines blocked him.

" Fine, suspicious behavior? Public enemy? Child abuse? resisting and "officer"? What's your fancy?"

* He said, as the marine breathed down his neck*

"But more importantly, who the hell are you?"