Appleseed Fan Fiction ❯ Untold History ❯ Dawn ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Appleseed is the brainchild of Shirow Masamune and belongs in part to Geneon, Manga Ent., TOHO, Seishinsha, Seinsha/TBM, and Appleseed Film Partners. Twiknham only retains intellectual rights for this unique story-line and the original characters introduced herein and receives no monetary gains from this work. Please enjoy.

Chapter 3: Dawn

 

The men in the barrack watched with growing pride and anger as the two continued to pass by. Seto had been counting, and was up to fifteen. However, he didn't know when they started. Glancing at the man guarding the door, he knew Peta was right; but he really wanted to step in. Peta glanced over at him, as if he could read minds. “Don't do it man. They're bonding. You might see it as an initiation, but pay attention. They're matching strides. Before long, I suspect Deunan will even match her breathing to his.”

 

Daichi laughed. “It's a mating ritual. They're getting their bio-rhythms coordinated.” Eiji glanced out at the growing dawn, thoughtfulness running across his mind. “What is it Eiji? You're the thinker here.”

 

Eiji flipped him off, acknowledging that his muteness gave him plenty of time to listen and think. It was a long running joke. Seto was the talker, Ryoma was the lover, Eiji was the thinker, and Deunan was the beast. They once called her `the beauty,' but she took them all on over that one, and won…as usual.

 

After the next pass, Eiji turned to Tohru and started signing. The team knew all of his battle signals, but their normal conversation skills were not there yet. Tohru's grandfather had been born deaf, so Tohru was a natural interpreter. Since Eiji had only been mute for sixteen months, he still made plenty of mistakes. Tohru was able to understand him well enough to figure out his true meaning. He'd always re-state what Eiji signed, unless they were having a private conversation. If it wasn't what Eiji meant, he'd shake his head and they'd get it cleared up.

 

Getting impatient with Eiji and Tohru's extended private conversation, Seto grunted. Tohru smiled. “So impatient! Eiji says that there's obviously chemistry there. He also says that this man has finally met his match.”

 

Everyone chuckled, and watched as Deunan completed her thirty-first lap. They could tell by looking at her that she was beginning to tire. “How many laps now Peta?”

 

“I've counted twenty-two, and they were sprinting when I stepped outside to look for her.” She'd never been able to fool Peta with the pillow, but he'd never interfered with one of her midnight excursions. Most of the time she could be found sitting under the stars, thinking. He didn't know all of her past, but he knew more than anyone else on the team. He was also aware of the gaping holes in her memory from when her mother left her as a child. He glanced at his watch. “It's right at 6:15, they have to be almost done.” He chuckled. “One of us could be nice and military her bed so she didn't have to do that before breakfast.”

 

Shunichi hobbled over. The doctor had given him a shot of antibiotic in the heel. Combined with the laps of the day before, it was more than a little tender and he was coddling it hoping it would heal faster. Not saying a thing, he had the bed made and clean clothes lain out on top before anyone could stop him. Each of them had their strengths, and he was damned good with housekeeping and ventriloquism. Walking back to the window, he peered out in time to see a gazelle bounce by, one step behind a tank. “They do make one hell of an odd couple.”

 

Seto laughed. “Don't go there Beanpole. She's just proving that he can't best her in a pissing contest.” Smirking, he walked over to his own bed and started arranging the covers. “Just wait until he decides on a shoot-off. I'm actually looking forward to that one.” Grabbing his clothes and bath articles, he walked to the door. “Peta, if I give you my word that I won't interfere, will you let me out to take a shower? You know it takes me forever to do my hair.”

 

He stepped aside. Seto was out the door when strong dark fingers grabbed his arm. “If you try to interfere, you'll only make it worse for her.”

 

Seto saluted smartly before sauntering off. “Aye, Aye, Mon Capitan.” Walking straight to the Sento, he stepped inside to take care of morning ablutions.

 

ssssss

 

As Briareos rounded the corner of the fortieth lap, he started to slow. He would pay for this later. He could feel his legs protesting, and he was glad it was over. As much as he hated to give her a single inch, it appeared that she was going to be able to participate as an equal member of this team. Seeing the barracks ahead, he was surprised to see Deunan speed up and pass him. “What are you doing Knute?”

 

“Your challenge was for forty-one laps.”

 

“You've proven your point.”

 

“Not to myself. If you want to stop, go ahead. But I agreed to forty-one, and forty-one I will complete.”

 

Briareos looked at the sweat-soaked back of the woman running in front of him. She'd flung her jacket at the steps of her barrack before they even reached ten, and he'd had the unsettling thought of breasts jogging up and down for most of the last five hours. Realizing she'd deliberately upped the anti by taking 41 at a breakneck pace, he straightening his shoulders, setting out after her.

 

“Deunan, stand down. You don't need to do this.”

 

Her response was panted back. “I haven't given you liberties to use my first name. I'm Officer Knute to you, Commander Paieon.”

 

“If I ordered you to stop, would you do so?”

 

“That would be a dishonorable action on your part, Sir. We're not at war, and I do not have to obey orders that are counter to our objective. Our objective was 41 laps.”

 

“Only after I raised it one in spite.”

 

“Than that is for you to wrestle with. If you'd shut up and run, this last lap would be less painful to you.”

 

Briareos blinked, she was concerned for his welfare? Doing as she suggested, they finished the lap out in silence. When they reached the barrack, she stopped. Bowing to him, she turned and went inside doors held open by two angry men. Deciding that nothing would be gained by setting his foot down before breakfast, he walked away; trying not to show that he had a stitch in his side.

 

Eiji caught the slight hitch, and signaled to Tohru. Tohru laughed. “Serves him right, what a jackass.” Turning, he noticed Deunan was standing in front of her bed.

 

“Who made my bed up?” No one spoke. “If the person who did this doesn't come clean in the next fifteen seconds, I'll make all of your beds tomorrow.”

 

All nine guys started at her. She was the slowest at military prep. If Deunan had to make all their beds they'd either have to get up an hour early, or she'd have to skip breakfast. Shunichi slowly raised his hand. “I was trying to help.”

 

She smiled at her friend. “Okay, but tomorrow I'm getting yours. Remember boys, I'm your equal in every way. No special treatments from here on out.”

 

Ignoring their concerned looks, she gathered her clothing and bathing materials and headed to the Sento.

 

ssssss

 

As Deunan looked at her plate, she wondered how she was going to get it down. The food smelled delicious, but her stomach muscles were protesting the morning workout. She hadn't quite broken the news to her body that there was more, because she was severely afraid it was going to desert her in justified protest. Starting with her tea, she finally got the clench to ease enough to get down about half of her serving. Nobody made a comment, but most of them recognized that she was off her feed.

 

After breakfast, they walked out to do morning calisthenics. Briareos was a slave-driver. By the end of warm ups, the guys were cursing him. Deunan was silent, too tired to protest but too proud to give in. She watched with burgeoning respect as he did them along with his team. She knew he had pulled a muscle earlier, his pace had altered during the second climb on lap thirty-seven. However, he was doing the same bending and stretching exercises as the rest.

 

“Twenty laps, Seto sets the pace.”

 

Everyone looked at Deunan. She glared back. “Get running you lazy asses. Twenty laps means we can eat lunch, I'm starving!” Recognizing it for the lie it was, Seto started out.

 

“Shunichi, not you. The medic informed me that you got bit because you were sleeping outside with your shoes off. Not only is it dangerous from a wild-life standpoint; if the enemy ambushes us, they're not going to wait for you to put your damned shoes on.” He looked at the retreating backs of the other nine. “You're to do situps for the first ten laps, and pushups for the second ten. You stop before they do, and everyone starts over.”

 

Shunichi, praying that Seto wasn't too slow today, turned over on his back and started doing full military sit ups. He lost count at seven hundred, and barely heard Commander Paieon tell him to switch to pushups. Although he was a wiry individual, and had less body mass than the others, his arms were still shaking by the time he was told to stop. Sitting up and stretching protesting muscles, Shunichi watched the team crest the rise and circle back into the quadrangle. All of them were together, including Deunan.

 

ssssss

 

As Briareos sat down at lunch, he looked up to find Commander Niwa walk over. Scooting over to make room, he waited. It didn't take long. In between bites of Soba, Niwa looked at him. “Working your team a little hard today, aren't you?”

 

“Our schedule's been updated, and there's a small problem to be ironed out.”

 

“Hmmm. Rumor has it that said small problem kicked your ass this morning.” Briareos decided that silence was the better part of valor. “Kami, forty-one laps, what were you thinking? Why don't you go easy on the kid?”

 

Briareos slammed down his chopsticks, turning to glare at the man beside him. “Do you HONESTLY think that those damned hybri-borgs are going to make concessions for a woman?”

 

Niwa held up both hands. “Calm down. Sorry, didn't realize I'd touched a soft spot.”

 

“I don't want to bury any more of my soldiers. I especially don't want to bury any because they just couldn't hack it in the field.” He turned back to his plate, missing the looks that were passing along the table.

 

An older gentleman sitting at the end of the table spoke up. “Can I make a suggestion?”

 

“Always, Admiral Hanageta.” He was in charge of the camp, and ruled through respect instead of fear.

 

“Take them to the range this afternoon, see what they can do.”

 

Briareos stood, his meal finished. “Yes sir, sounds like a good idea.”

 

When he left, Niwa looked over at the old man. “Does he know about his `small problem's' shooting ability?”

 

Hanageta smiled before tucking in to eat. “Let him find out on his own, it'll help him put his perspective back in order.”