After the matter; a 'fanfic' by Gus

[Gus]

Chapter 9

***

Gus looked at the pendant warily. Within seconds, he'd formulated a strategy; to avoid any contact with that aura, and instead to try and talk Zinc into submission. He held out his hands, palm up, and spoke in a soothing tone. "So, Zinc... what's up? How's life treating ya...?"

Zinc gave a grin that was entirely free of any happiness or entertainment whatsoever. "Oh, so now you come back and ask me how I'm doing? Damn. Gus, I thought you at least would understand..."

Gus looked confused. "Understand what?"

Zinc glared. "That I don't want you trying to talk to me. Trying to be friendly with me. Don't you realize, I don't like you?"

Gus twitched, and a look of utmost fury came into his eyes. But for only a second; then it was gone. He gave an empty little grin, and spoke. "Ah? That's cold, boy. I always thought we had something. I thought we were friends, likkle bro? What's up, eh?"

Zinc spoke, his voice half furious and half patronizing. "Friends? My god. I've held a high picture of you for a while, but now I see I was wrong. I overestimated you. You for one should know the truth, that there is no such thing as a 'friend'."

Gus' eyes bilged. He looked down. Then he looked back up, and spoke with a halting voice. "You're screwed up, boy. I dunno who it was, but someone has been f*cking with your head. There sure as hell is such thing as a friend. If not, then why," At this he gestured to Geo, grappling with Mr. Trenchcoat across the hall, "Why is HE over here, helping me fight my foes? He saved my life, you know. Resurie coulda killed me. If there's no such thing as freindship, then why the hell would he do all this for me? He's driven, you can see that; friendship is strong enough to do that."

Zinc scoffed. "'Friendship is strong'? 'STRONG'?! Then why the hell did everyone leave me! As soon as the tourney was over, they all left! All my so-called 'friends' abandoned me, left me all alone! Those bastards didn't give a shit about me, I know that now! And you, you're to blame just as much as everyone! Even more! You saved my life, I thought that meant something! I THOUGHT YOU CARED!!"

Gus gave a little half grin. "Oh? Damn, you're one ingrateful little punk. You don't even THINK about the fact that maybe, just maybe, I actually had something to do? That maybe I didn't forget you? That maybe..." He rummaged through his trenchcoat pockets, and pulled out something small, and showed it to Zinc. Zinc's eyes widened in shock. "That can't be..."

Gus nodded, a look in his eyes that he'd just made a big point. "Yeah. You never considered that, didja?"

***

The pike sliced through the air, making an actual slice in the air. Flames leapt out, and danced around Geo like snakes. He dodged easily, and looked at Mr. Trenchcoat, eyebrow raised. "Heh, that's pretty real looking. You're getting good, Trenchie."

Mr. Trenchcoat blushed, looking quite proud. "Really? You think? I experimented with darkness for a bit, but flames had proved to be my fort- HEY! Whaddidya do that for!"

Geo looked at his pole. "You mean why'd I hit you with it? Well, we are fighting, and I figured..."

"Oh yeah. Well then... okay, carry on..."

They leapt back into the fight, and off to the side Biggs sweatdropped to see how it was going.
***

((Myesss..))

[zinc]

((How many people are willing to bet that it's the figurine that Zinc gave him after the whole Seigyoki ordeal? No takers?))

[Gus]

((SHUT UP!!!))

[RyuLover67]

gus said:

The small girl poked her hand out of the window of the small black volkswagon. She loved this, being out in the desert alone with just the dust and the music and herself. Suddenly, a boy appeared in the road ahead of her. She veered out of the way. As soon as she was about to screem at him for just standing in the street, he spoke.

"Minako. I want you."

(Nyaa...You wrote Minako so cool.Ariagato....great story so far and sorry I'm so late in replying.^^;
Great so far and keep on writing it!)

[Gus]

((Yeesh... I maked her like Ryu, cuz... you know...))

[Gus]

Chapter 10

***

It was small. It appeared to be made of some sort of clay, crudely handmade and roughly painted. It was a figurine, depicting a small boy with bright red hair and flowing brown robes.

Zinc gagged. "It-- no! No! NO! It isn't! NO!!"

Gus stared at him coldly. "Yes. It is."

Zinc looked at it in horror. His body convulsed, and he looked as if he was about to throw up. Gus looked on, a dull coldness in his eyes. A lone tear crept down Zinc's bewildered face, but he wiped it off savagely. He turned to Gus, enraged. "NO! I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work! I don't need friends! And I sure as hell don't need YOU!"

He slashed at Gus with the pendulum, and the older boy barely dodged it. it cut through a bit of his coat, which was hanging off. A black mark emerged around where the aura had hit, and it began growing fast. Gus looked at it, angrily. "That's gonna spread, isn't it?"

Zinc gave a malicious grin, and nodded.

"Shit. I liked this coat."

Gus pulled off the coat in a wild swing, the heavy material knocking frail little Zinc back a bit. The scarf came off as well, leaving Gus' upper body completely uncovered.

His body was thin and muscular. Hideous burns covered his pale chest and arms, reaching about halfway up his neck before stopping. He wore pants made of some coarse black material, tied at the top with a broad red sash. In this sash were held an assortment of weaponry; knives of various sizes, a small black handgun, a red katana, and a small sack containing smoke bombs, bullets, and other small items.

Zinc stood up, looked at him, and lauged. "Idiot! You've just removed your oversouls! You're easy prey now!"

Gus grinned, and pulled out a small knife, which looked as though he'd stolen it from some fancy cooking set. He gave a little half-grin, and stared at it. 'Well, seeing as Kazad and Three are stuck in oversoul over there, I'll need another spirit... I'm sure you'd agree, Biggs?"

Biggs looked away from the battle between Geo and Mr. Trenchcoat, surprised. "Wha- Me? I... yeah, sure!"

Gus grinned, and gave a flying leap towards Zinc even as he screamed out, "BIGGS! OVERSOUL WITH THE KNIFE!"

***

Both Geo and Mr. Trenchcoat had stopped fighting. They were both looking at Gus, leaping at Zinc and laughing like one possesed. Mr. Trenchcoat spoke first. "Eh... well, that looks like a pretty interesting battle... Whatcha say, mate? Care to stop for a bit, and watch them?"

Geo shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Watching's less work for me, so... yeah, sure."

***

If anyone had been standing behind Zinc, they would have been amazed at what they would have seen. A shining white spine seemed to grow out of his back. It would only have seemed amazing, however, until they saw it for what it really was, and became horrified. It wasn't a spine, it was a sword. And the whiteness at the base weren't spikes either; they were fragments of bone. His spine, in fact. And the viscous red liquid coming out from around it was unmistakable; obviously blood.

***

He coughed, and a jet of blood shot out. It mingled with the blood flowing from the gaping hole in his chest onto the ground. He coughed again. He looked at Gus with a surprised look in his eyes, as if to ask, 'why did you do this to me?' Blood and saliva covered his chin. He finally spoke. "Gus... why...?"

The older boy looked up. His hands were blood-drenched, gripping the white blade as close to his chest as possible without actually entering his body. He stared at Zinc, a sad look in his eyes.

Zinc stared back. "Gus... I'm sorry... please..."

Gus looked at him, tears welling up in his eyes. "Yeah. Dunt worry. I forgive you... my friend."

The little boy gave a rasping sigh, smiled widely, and closed his eyes.

***

He stood up, wiping his hads on his pants. "Sorry I made you do that, Biggs."

But the little ghost didn't hear him. He was standing over the little body, shaking his head and crying spectral tears.

***

((EDIT: finished chappie. Sorry about that, Kenni...)

[RyuLover67]

gus said:

((Yeesh... I maked her like Ryu, cuz... you know...))

(XD Yesh I know.Boy this is a bloody installment.I feel sorry for them.*mental note:stay on Gus's good side ^^; )

[zinc]

I think I can sum it up best when Zinc says:

Zinc: T_T

[Gus]

((yes, something I've always wanted to d--

oh, hello Kenni...

heheh, sorry 'bout that... as far as I've thought out, just about everyone dies at the end, so just be glad Zinc got a private death...))

[Gus]

Chapter 11

***

Silently they travelled, three giant figures of silver loping through the German hillsides. In a steady, tireless gait, they ran towards thier destination. They would be there soon, and then they would cast judgement.

The X-Laws were on the move.

***

The large man flew off, the wings sprouting from his coat flapping heavily to keep him aloft, as well as the small, limp form in his arms. A grim look was on his face as he set off into the night sky. He was sad.

Anyone would be sad, carrying one that they had known to his own burial.

***

Gus looked at Kazad, his face a mask of emotionlessness. He spoke. "Kazad. I'm gonna kill him, you know that? I'ma rip out that bastards neck and eat it. I swear to god, I will."

Kazad looked at him sadly. "Gus... he's a spirit. You can't kill him, and you know it."

Gus lashed out at him furiously. "NO! I can, and I WILL! That f*cker made me kill Zinc, and I'm gonna KILL him for it! I'll find a way, you watch me! I'll f*cking murder him! Then I'll bring bak Zinc, and I'll tell him, and he'll forgive me! THAT'LL show you! I'll teach you to believe what I say, you little bastard!!"

Kazad looked down, frowning. Gus didn't usually yell at him. He must be in a very bad way right now.

***

Geo looked at the crying ghost-boy beside him and sighed. "Biggs... people die. I mean, YOU died, and look at ya! You're better off than ever! Don't worry, Everything's gonna be fine. Just don't worry. We still have a lot to do, and we had better do it soon. Because Biggs, Gus only did what he did because he knew he had to. If Zinc didn't die, then Loki would just kill more people. So we gotta push on, so that Zinc didn't die in vain. C'mon, stop crying. You want a pear or something?"

The little boy wiped shining silver tears from his eyes, and shook his head. "Geo... He was only a kid! Younger than me, even! I just... couldn't Gus have found another way? Did he HAVE to kill Zinc?"

Geo said nothing. He wanted to reassure Biggs, but there was something that stopped him.

He had just been asking himself the same question.

***

The group was in a sober mood as they walked up the stairs. Gus was breathing hard and focusing hard on the door at the top of the stairs, while the others kept shooting sideways glances at him as they climbed. No one spoke.

They reached the top, and stopped. Gus looked at the others, questioningly, then stepped foward and tried the door. It came open with a rusty creak, and revealed a small room, like a closet. They stepped in, and looked around.

Gus saw something in the corner, and whistled. "Wow. Pretty snazzy. An elevator." He pulled the little handle he'd been staring at, and the door slammed closed. The elevator gave a little creak, and lurched upwards.

***

He sat crosslegged on the iron throne, twiddling his thumbs. He glanced out his window. They were still faint little shapes in the distance, but the silver shapes were growing fast.

He heard a noise from the elevator. It was moving. He grinned. Both of his parties of visitors were about to arrive. Soon, he would be one step closer to his ultimate victory.

***

The doors clanged open, and they stepped out. A ragtag bunch; two boys in thier mid to late teens, one wearing a bandanna around his mouth, the other sporting a bare chest. With them was a ghost, of another boy who appeared to be in his early teens.

They were here. The showdown was about to begin!

***

((EDIT: Finished teh chappie.

...

...wow, I actually gave Geo some thoughtful, sane lines. What's wrong with me?))

[Gus]

Chapter 12

***

The little German boy stood up slowly and grinned. "Hello, boys. How pleasant to see you all."

Geo looked at him warily. "Whoah. THIS kid is the one doing all that stuff? Wow... he's TINY!"

The little boy gave a mirthful lagh, and spoke. "Ah? Then how is... THIS!"

His tiny figure erupted into flames, and a wild cackling was heard. As they grew smaller, his skin had been melted entirely, and reformed into a much larger shape. A tall, muscular man, his long red hair hanging down past his shoulders, blue flamelike tatoos running over his body. His chest was bare, and his legs covered with pants made from the skin of some animal, maybe an elk. We waved at Gus, and talked in a voice like a thousand voices. "Heheheh... is this better, Gus? More familiar? Hahah, like old times, eh?"

Gus clenched his fists, and glared at Loki angrily. "Guys... let me fight him. If anything happens, feel free to step in, but first give me a chance. I wanna try and prove this to myself, once and for all."

Loki gave an upbeat laugh, and clapped softly. "Ooh, our brave little hero! Well, then, I guess there's no putting it off any longer. I'd like you to meet my new spirit partner. He's a lot like me, you know. I found him wandering the world, and he followed me for my promise of food. Arise, my friend! Spirit of Fire, OVERSOUL!"

Half the wall behind him fell away as the huge red being rose. He leaped up, landing on it's head, and pointed to Gus. "Hahahah, quite the oversoul, eh? Let's see yours!"

Gus grinned. "Oh, yes. Kazad, I know that oversoul mode takes a lot of mana, but perhaps giving the environtment...?"

Kazad's eyes widened. "You mean...? Ah! An iron palace, of course! The ultimate aid! Yes, let's do it, Gus!"

Gus laughed chaotically, and yelled out. "Kazad! Ultimate Oversoul! STEAM GOLEM DAEDELUS!!"

The building bagan shaking. The floors and walls twisted and pulled away. A bright light spread through the room...

***

As the dust faded, Geo looked around in awe. The entire upper part of the building was gone, and he was standing with Biggs on an outcrop on the mountainside. Above them spread a giant iron behemoth, steam spewing from cracks and gears spiking out of its shoulders and various other areas. It was vaguely humanlike in shape, but crudely made. A bright red light gleamed where its left eye would be; obviously the oversoul's focus.

Gus stood on the head, the wild winds whipping his hair over his face as he grinned at Loki. "Heheh, yer own palace aginst you, eh? This oversoul would generally use up all my mana, but with all this iron around, it was a piece of cake. All I had to do was reform the material!"

Loki grinned, and nodded. "Ohoh, what initiative! That's the kind of thing I expect from you, Gus; sheer brilliance!"

Gus grinned. "Yep. I'm brilliant. And now, that brilliance is gonna kill you!"

***

She saw it first. She turned to her superior, and spoke. "Sir, something's going down. Shall we move in?"

The man behind her, his green hair pasted to his handsome face with the speed at which he was moving. "Yes. In the name of God, we shall destroy that abomination."

***

((Kinda short chappie, but... I wanted to give myself at least a chapter of fight before das X-Laws show up.))

[Vasuki]

"Brilliant" work Gus. You're keeping the pace very nicely. Nice work with the golem thing too, knowing Kazad, it was easy to imagine. I can't wait to read more, I am literally grinning with anticipation!

[Gus]

((heheh... I actually think Kazad may be a schitzo... his baisic oversoul, and most of his attacks, are wind-centric, but his most badass oversouls are all made of iron. Odd...

...as always, I value your insight. And as always, I value it even more when it's compliments.))

[Gus]

Nyeh, sorry for not writing more lately...

I just wanted to scan pics of the existing charries before adding new ones! So, in order of appearance... (except Geo... I screwed up the first one, so I had to redo it...) Here goes!

i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Gus71791/CHARRIESKETCHES1.jpg Faust, Gus, Alfons, and Lovely.

i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Gus71791/CHARRIESKETCHES2.jpg Jr, resurie, and Biggs.

i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Gus71791/CHARRIESKETCHES3.jpg Mr. Trenchcoat, Zinc, and Geo.

i5.photobucket.com/albums/y198/Gus71791/CHARRIESKETCHES4.jpg Gus' badass 'ultimate oversoul'.

[Secretofmana]

((OOC: Wow.....

Awesome Biggs oversouling....

Powerful spirits...

Gus awesomeness.....

THIS FANFIC ROCKS!!! XD ))