Chapter3

        Van drove into Sky Colony late in the afternoon. Sky Colony was on the verge of becoming a big city. It was still small by big city standards, but big enough to be called a city. It was in Republican territory and was not too far away from the inland sea of Europa.

        Van furrowed his eyebrows in confusion when he first came into the city. This was his first time visiting Sky Colony, but he knew the number of people here was more than what this city would usually have. He’d been in enough towns and cities to know that a city of this size could not have so many people.

        Van had trouble finding a place to park his truck, so he went to a more secluded part of the city and parked his truck in an alley; which he would have done anyway even if it wasn’t so crowded.

        Van was already out of the jeep when he saw Raven in the car. “Shit; forgot he was here,” he thought.

        Van actually contemplated on whether or not he should just leave Raven in the car. After minutes of debating, Van decided he didn’t want the possibility of his car being stolen; at least that’s what he told himself.

        “Get out,” he said, not expecting a response, but he was surprised when Raven got out of the car and closed the door. Van stared at Raven in surprise for a couple of seconds before a smirk appeared on his face. “Sit,” he said in a commanding voice and Raven plopped down on the ground, which looked slightly painful to do, but no emotion showed on Raven’s face. Van’s smirked widened. Amusing images flashed through his head. Oh, the things he could make Raven do...But, Van could feel a little tug of, he wasn’t sure what it was, guilt maybe?, and his smirk disappeared. Shit! There was his fucking conscience again. He scowled at Raven, who was still sitting on the ground. “Let’s go,” he said sharply before he turned and walked out of the alley without looking back.

        Not too long after he walked away, Van could hear soft footsteps behind him.

        Van found an inn called The Trigger, which was small and was filled with people. Van’s prospect of getting a room was very low. He walked up to the front desk anyway.

        An old man at the front desk smiled when he saw the two men. “Good evening sirs. A room for two?” the man asked.

        Van raised an eyebrow–this man wasn’t as stupid as the woman in Kalen. “Yes,” he said.

        “You’re lucky. A group of people decided to camp on the field so there are a couple of rooms free,” the man said. “I’ve hardly seen the inn this busy before,” said the man as he went to find a room key. “I don’t think we’ve had so many guests here. There’s going to be a Zoid tournament tomorrow at 2 pm. The Zoids are already at the location and some of the pilots are even staying here,” the man said excitedly.

        Van, who wasn’t listening to the man babble, turned sharply and stared at the man in surprise when he heard something that caught his interest. “A Zoid tournament?” he asked.

        “Yes,” the man nodded. “Pilots from both sides are here. It’s not really a tournament, mind you. It’s just a show of goodwill on both sides. They’re showing that even though the Empire and Republic used Zoids as tools of war, they can now use it to show unity between the two nations. It’s going to take place on the field I was talking about. It’s not too far from here. That’s why so many people are here; it’s the closest city to where the tournament’s going to be held.

        “There hasn’t been a tournament here in the history of this city. I bet you’re wondering why a place like this in the middle of nowhere would be chosen for a Zoid tournament.”

        “No.”

        The old man continued anyway, “That’s because the field was a place where a battle between the Empire and Republic took place, but it was also a place where a truce took place between the two sides fighting. It was actually the only truce in our history since the war ended. It’s a very interesting story, really. You see—”

        “I’m sure it’s a real interesting story,” Van said, obviously lying. “But just give me the key to my room.”

        The old man looked shocked at Van’s rude behavior, but he smiled shortly after. “You know,” the old man said as he got the key, “I piloted a Zoid myself for the Republican military years before you were born. It was a red Rev Raptor. It wasn’t the fastest Zoid; it didn’t even have that much firepower, but I loved it all the same.”

        Van, who was feeling a mixture of boredom and annoyance, was about to jump over the counter and get the key himself when the man asked, “How about you? Do you pilot Zoids? Is that why you’re here? To compete?”

        Van’s eyes were wide for a split second before they narrowed and glared at the man. “Can you just give me the key?” Van asked harshly.

        The man just smiled and held out the key. “Here you go. The room is on the first floor,” he pointed to the hallway to his left. “It’s the fourth door to the left.”

        Van took the key and walked in the direction of his room, with Raven trailing behind him. He scowled and lit a cigarette, the smoke filling his lungs as he breathed in deeply. That man was getting on subjects he didn’t even want to think about. “Damn it,” he said. “They can’t leave me alone.”

        “Who was that jerk?” said a girl, the man’s co-worker. She stared at Van––who was walking toward his room––in distaste.

        “Now, be kind, Meryl,” the man smiled, but then his expression turned serious as he also stared at the man. “I don’t think he knows who he is, he may have forgotten.” He looked sadly at the man, “I hope he remembers someday.”

        Van entered the room and dropped his backpack to the floor. He collapsed on one of the two beds and took another drag of his cigarette. He watched as the smoke rose and disappeared before it reached the ceiling. He did the exact same thing at Kalen. It was always the same.

        Except for the fact that one of the most dangerous people on Zi was standing by the door.

        Van could see Raven in the corner of his eye. This man was a constant reminder of his weakness for kindness and of his past. Which were the two things he wanted to forget the most. He stayed in bed, willing himself to not notice the other man.

        Two hours later, after three cigarettes were put out on the nightstand, he finally relented. “Screw this,” he said and got his bag and went into the bathroom.

        Van closed the door to the bathroom and began to undress. He figured he should take a shower since he was already in the bathroom and, thanks to his traveling, didn’t shower for two days.

        Van let the warm water wash over his body. His long hair was protecting his face from the water as he looked down. He began to think of what he usually did when he stayed in a hotel room the past six months. He would usually just stay in bed and smoke as many cigarettes he could until he fell asleep. But, thanks to Raven, he wasn’t doing that right now.

        This man was breaking his routine.

        Van was lying in the shower, his body having dried off long ago. There was no bath drawn; he was just lying there, staring at the showerhead as it let out a droplet of water every half a second. He didn’t know exactly how long he was there, but, as he watched the sky darken outside his window, he guessed it was more than two hours.

        He didn’t question himself why he was lying in a tub for more than two hours because he knew the answer. He just didn’t want to admit it. He didn’t want to see that person who was just outside that bathroom door. He didn’t want to see anyone.

        That old man...He scowled...That old man just had to mention Zoids. He just had to go to a place with zoids. Van closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He didn’t want to think about anything right now.

        Van opened his eyes and realized that he had been sleeping. He looked out the window and saw that it was morning. He got up and stretched his stiff muscles. He took his clothes out of his bag and began to dress, then he got out of the bathroom.

        What he saw as he entered the room was Raven sleeping on his stomach on the floor. Raven was laying one the same place where he was standing hours ago. He shook his head, “Idiot.” He guessed that Raven must have stood there for so long that he fainted.

        He stepped over the man and walked out of the room. He pushed the door to close it, but Raven’s boot got in the way so the door was left slightly open.

        Van put on his shades as he left the inn. Even this early, streets were crowded with people. He could see the excitement on the people’s faces. He glared at them, feeling annoyed by their excitement.

        He took out a cigarette and lit it, walking down the street. “Idiots,” he thought aloud. “They’re all a bunch of idiots.”

to be continued...