Disclaimer: Yep, I own the Big O and everything else. Really. Trust me... Okay, well,
maybe not... (Bandai, Sunrise, etc. ownership; grovel, grovel, grovel)

Rating: G, Story

Summary: Thoughts of an average person on an average day in The City.


Inheritance (1/1)
By Sheryl Nantus

I can't remember the last time I had a day off. Or a vacation. Might as well wish for the
sun to shine in the middle of the night.

But I don't mind, not really. It pays good and after all it's better than having to live
Outside. That's one thing my Dad worked hard on; keeping us Inside and safe. So he
taught me and I teach my son.

'Cause no matter how much the city leaders might growl and whine, there's always work
for us. Workers to put the city back together again.

Especially the men who fix the streets. My Dad was one of the first ones to figure it out;
the mystery of laying down the concrete and the roads, how to keep the cars rolling and
the people moving.

And there's a lot to do when that Mega-Deuce comes around. Damned thing smashes
buildings left and right and tears up the road like tissue paper.

Oh sure it's done while fighting something else. And I gotta give the Mega points that no
one's really been hurt yet. The Sirens go off and we start evacuating and afterwards
someone's got to pick up the pieces and put the city back together. Sure as hell ain't gonna
be the cops.

So we lay down the rods and pour the soup and try and brace up the streets as best we can
without going Down. You never go Down under the streets and the City. I look down
there into the darkness and it scares me something awful. We never go Down; just get the
braces up and work as best as we can with what we have.

I've heard about people going Down; seeking out what's under the City. Fools. Whatever
they're looking for, it'll come with a price. Besides, the Deuce is down there and you don't
want to mess with him.

One time I saw the Mega close up; as close to me as I am here to you. It was a few years
ago when I was pouring the cement for the new highway here by the water. We were all
sitting around, taking a lunch break when it came up out of the water. No fighting; nothing
happening around us. I don't know if he was going somewhere or just taking in the cool
air or what but the damned robot was about to smack into the boards we had just laid
down and all the wet cement.

I must have been in the sun too long that day or just had too much on my mind, 'cause I
got to my feet and ran to the edge of the wharf; screaming at the top of my lungs.

"YOU GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY WORK! WE JUST LAID DOWN THIS
LINE AND I WON'T HAVE YOU SMASH IT UP BEFORE IT DRIES!"

Yep, stupid words. Dangerous words. I don't know if anyone's ever yelled at the Mega
before. Well, other than the criminals and we know what happens to them.

The Deuce suddenly stopped and turned towards me. I could hear the boys behind me
scrambling for cover. Me, I just froze. Those large eyes pinned me to the spot better than
an entire set of roofing nails.

I could hear the water sloshing up against the boards; not high enough yet to muck up the
work. Another foot or so and a day's work would be gone. Of course, I could be gone as
well.

Then I saw something... well, I think I saw something. None of the boys did; they were all
too busy trying to figure out how they were going to explain this away to my wife and
kids.

The Deuce...

The Deuce winked.

At me.

Yep, I know - they don't wink; they aren't human and they're just this shy of becoming our
biggest problem. But someone inside there heard my yelling; somewhere inside that metal
and plastic body.

Lifting one large hand the MegaDeuce waved at me and then made his way out towards
the deeper water, moving slowly. The waves that had almost destroyed my work got
smaller and smaller and eventually disappeared as the Deuce went lower and lower into
the water.

Finally it disappeared, leaving me standing on the edge of the wharf in my sweat and my
fear.

The boys couldn't figure out whether to congratulate me or toss me into the water for
almost bringing down the Wrath of the Mega on us. We settled for not saying anything to
anyone and finishing the job as quickly as possible.

I didn't tell my kids. I told my wife and got an hour of crying and threats if I ever did
anything that stupid again. Eventually it just fell behind us, like all memories do.

But sometimes I go back out to that wharf and stare out at the water. And I think about
my Dad who figured out how to rebuild the city from scratch and showed me how to do
it. And I wonder who showed the Mega's pilot what to do and who he's passing it on to.

After all, no one lives forever.

Except the MegaDeuce, of course.