Gundam Build Fighters: Last Time
Chapter 6
Phantom Gale
After visiting a model shop known as The Plants, Ven had found someone he could actually have a pleasurable conversation about gunpla with. This clearly shy and rather youthful looking Kairi was able to bring out an unexpectedly humane side of our hero, but it seemed as if it was not going to last as someone Kairi had acknowledged as Coach Marsh had interrupted them. Rolling back the clock however, you'll find out soon enough that someone had been listening to at least a part of Ven's conversation.
"Welcome to The Plants madam. Is there anything I can help you find today?" the very same doorman that helped Ven asked as a new customer walked into the store.
"No thank you. I already know what I'm looking for." Laura said as she politely dismissed the doorman's offer.
Who but to walk in other than Ven's opponent from earlier in the day Laura Alicia, of whom seems to have not bothered to change out of her school uniform.
"Well than if the situation changes feel free to ask any employee you see wandering the isles. I don't know if you know this, but the owner's fiancee graduated from Clancy Academy, so we're always happy to put in a little extra effort for students like you." the doorman said with a smile.
"Coming on a little strong don't you think?" Laua thought though the employee's gesture of kindness was heartfelt none the less.
Though Laura's G-Arceus came out of the battle against Ven's Fate Noir MK2 mostly unscathed, she still needed to stock up on parts to finish what damage she did take as well as make another copy her gunpla's custom sniper rifle. She also needed to get out of the house metaphorically speaking as the result of her earlier battle sill left a sour taste in her mouth.
"I can always count on these guys having everything I could ever need for my gunpla." Laura thought as she placed a few small bottles of paint in her shopping basket.
Who could blame her for feeling that way? I mean how would you feel if you had victory in the palm of your hands only to have it replaced with defeat and than have even that snatched away? Irritated, angry, and disappointment would be one of many such things you'd be thinking about.
"Sigh... maybe I overreacted when I slapped him... it's not like he did anything wrong. Still... next time we fight it won't end in a draw." Laura mumbled to herself as she starts grabbing different model kits off the shelves.
"Really? What about the types of polycaps you used to attach the arm to the main body?" said a familiar voice.
"Great... now I'm imagining his voice." Laura thought as she shakes her head and focuses on the task at hand.
"Did you do the same thing for the legs too?" said the same familiar voice.
"No... there's no way it could be him Laura. I'll just walk over to wherever the voice was coming from and prove to myself it's just someone else that happens to speak with a French accent." Laura thought.
She could tell that the voice was coming from where the battle systems are located in this store, and now it's a simple matter of walking down a single isle to see whether or not her paranoia is justified.
"There you see Laura it totally isn't... holy crap it actually is him!" Laura thought as she found herself looking directly at Ven once she turned the corner at the end of an isle.
Laura practically hides behind one of the isle shelves on instinct, but thankfully Ven doesn't appear to have noticed her presence.
"What the hell is he doing here? Did one of the other club members tell him about this place?" Laura thought as she's still shocked by the fact that Ven is here.
"Oh umm... I used the same polycap, but after using some sandpaper to ground it to a slightly smaller size." Kairi explained.
"Is that a girl he's talking to?" Laura mumbled.
With her back against the isle, Laura carefully turns her head around the corner and finds that Ven is indeed talking to a girl... or Kairi to be specific. To see her suspicions confirmed surprises Laura, but not as much as actually seeing a smile however faint on Ven's face.
"Holy crap she's adorable and it looks like he's enjoying talking to her. I thought I was his special someone, so why is he... arghh... why are you even thinking about that? He said it himself that he didn't mean it romantically." Laura thought as she bangs her head against the shelves once she becomes consciously aware of the direction of her current chain of thought.
After taking a moment to calm her nerves, Laura once more carefully sticks her head around the corner as for a reason known to us but not to her she can't help but secretly gawk at Ven and Kairi.
"Oh but in that case I used a slightly bigger one for the lower legs." Kairi explained.
"Hmmm... did uncle really build the Phantom Noir this way? Granted I never witnessed its construction, but this feels as though this was Kairi's perspective rather than his." Ven thought as he contemplates everything he's learned about the construction of this Phantom Noir copy.
"Is there something wrong Ventus?" Kairi asks as she was a little off put by our hero's sudden silence.
"No I'm fine Kairi... I just got lost in my own imagination for a bit." Ven politely explains once he's brought back down to Earth.
"They're on a first name basis?!" Laura thought as the upper half of her face seems to turn dark blue out of shock.
"Umm... sorry if this seems a little rude, but... umm you're a member of Clancy Academy's model building club aren't you? Don't get the wrong idea, but I could tell by looking at your pants." Kairi asks out of curiosity.
"Why were you looking at my pants?" Ven asks apparently getting said wrong idea.
"She's pretty bold too, and it's just made stronger by her shy exterior. Damn it, this shouldn't be bothering me so much." Laura thought as steam starts coming out of her ears.
"It's just... the school's logo is printed on the zipper... I swear that's the only reason I was looking there." Kairi nervously explained.
"If you say so. Why do you ask anyway?" Ven retorts.
"You must have met girls way more interesting than me... especially since as you can tell I have trouble talking to people to the point where I'm like some anime character." Kairi explains.
"There is one interesting one I've met, but I'd say your fare more pleasurable company than that battle ax." Ven said.
"I'm a battle ax huh? If you gave me the time I'd be more than... why would I even want him to give me the time?" Laura thought as she starts beating her head against the shelf again as hearts seem to start flying out of her body.
"Now... um I think that's... umm a little rude to say. I mean umm... whoever his person is can't be that bad." Kairi points out.
"I never said she was. I don't know how much of an accurate statement this will be since my gunpla battle experience is all but non-existent, but after fighting herself myself I'd like to think she's a good person underneath... in essence she's not completely hopeless." Ven explained as he surprisingly came to Laura's defense.
"It's alright Ventus... you know I've only just started getting into gunpla battles. I've only had about a month and a half of training, but I still have so much more to learn." Kairi said as she decided to reveal a detail about herself.
"Yes I'm not complete... arghhhh stop thinking about that and just get what you came here to buy." Laura yelled within the confines of her own mind as she starts shaking around as if she were having a seizure.
Laura's simulated seizure went on for several seconds, and would have likely lasted seconds more had someone not got her attention by placing their hand on her shoulder.
"What?!" Laura quietly yelled as she seemed quite annoyed with the fact that someone dared to bother her while she was in the middle of venting her frustrations.
"I'm sorry to bother you in the middle of... whatever this is, but do you know where the workbenches are? The last time I was here was before this store had renovations done, and... a few things seem to have been changed around." the person who bothered Laura asked.
"It's ju... ju... ju... you... yo... you..." Laura said as she starts stuttering rather profusely once she realized who she was talking to.
"Sigh... not again." this person mumbled as apparently this has happened to him before.
"You're... Jason Marsh... winner of the 11th Gunpla World Championship." Laura said as it takes her a great deal of self control to not yell that particular fact out loud.
It's none other than the older former American Gunpla Battle champion Brandon Marsh, of whom save for growing taller has not changed at all over the course of seven years. He's wearing a suit with the same shade of read as Raul and Kairi's school uniform with the ever mysterious GA Academy's coat of arms printed on the end of his tie.
"It's common knowledge that I only won because Meijin Kawaguchi was unable to enter that year due to a temporary illness. Now are you going to answer my question? Or do I have to find someone else more obliging?" Jason ask as he's starting to get impatient with Laura.
"No um sorry... just make a left right here and you'll have countless tables to choose from." Laura informed as she quickly regains her composure.
"Thank you for your assistance." Jason says out of necessity as he starts to follow Laura's directions.
And thus you know the events that shall soon follow leaving us no choice than to resume with what will happen in the present. Jason confronts the (figuratively speaking) young love birds that have just hatched from their eggs and brings their conversation to an abrupt end.
"There you are... your sister and I have been looking for you." Jason said.
"Oh... umm coach Marsh I... umm didn't realize what time it was." Kairi pleads with fear clearly present in her voice, of which she wasn't the only one feeling.
"What the hell is this? I can see why Kairi's scared, but all of my senses are telling me to run away. This guy... even a beginner like me can tell... he's something else entirely." Ven thought as he starts to face a fear that goes beyond simply facing a strong opponent.
"Hey that's totally him." one of the other store goers said.
"Wow it's been a while since he's been here. Somebody go to the office and get the manager... she'll want to see this." one of the store employee orders.
One by one a small crowd of employees and customers starts to form around Jason, of whom are all curious as to his reasons for being at a place such as this. Whether they're consciously aware of it or not, the crowd still gives Jason a wide birth because of the tension he's giving off.
"I understand how the GA Academy has various clubs and teams despite its gunpla focused nature, and I've come to accept how your membership of the Academy's swimming team leaves you unable to attend all of the battle team's regular meetings." Jason said as he seems to start going off on the lecture that comes before the disciplining.
"I... umm... sorry... I lost track of time." Kairi said as she nervously addresses Jason.
Jason for some reason doesn't offer an immediate response but instead glances at Kairi, then at Ven, and then back to Kairi.
"I see... you are still a teenage girl after all so I shouldn't be at all surprised when some boy peaks your interest, but I wouldn't have pegged you for the type to act like a typical one." Jason sighs as he scratches the side of his head.
"Wha... that's not it." Kairi retorts as she rejects the obvious implications of Jason's observation.
"I'm a rather busy man and as such I expect you to honor the commitment you made when you asked me to personally coach you for the time you've missed." Jason said as he focuses in on Kairi.
"I don't know what kind of arrangement they have, but Kairi's a sweet girl just like how... anyways she doesn't deserve to be treated like that by this guy." Ven thought as he clenched his fist in frustration.
"Normally I would just increase the difficulty of your training to compensate, but I'm in a good mood today since my girlfriend aced her midterms. If you could kindly collect all of your belongings I'll leave it at that." Jason ordered.
"But umm... I was still um." Kairi tries to say as she glances back and forth between Ven and Jason for some reason.
"You may have already used all of your time to goof off, however I won't let you use mine. Now I suggest you hurry up before my mood decides to take a turn for the worst." Jason ordered hinting at that he'd already been in an irritable mood because of Kairi's tardiness.
"Yes sir... ummm thank you for your company Ventus, but I have to go." Kairi whispered to Ven as she starts gathering the things she had spread out over the workbench.
"I don't know why, but I know Kairi wants to stay. Damn it Ventus you might be scared of this guy for some reason but he's only human. It's not like he's the White Devil or the Red Comet." Ven thought as he makes the attempt to force his body to swallow the sensation of fear running through him.
One minute later.
"Are you done?" Jason asks as he's passes the time by tapping his fingers against his pants leg rhythm of Daybreak's Bell.
"Come on it's not like you have two hastily installed GN drives attached to your shoulder with a bunch of red shirts in mook mechs trying to kill you." Ven thought as he's irritated with how much Jason's presence is affecting him.
"Yes sir." Kairi said in a defeated tone as she followed the orders of Coach Marsh.
It had only been two maybe three seconds since Jason turned around to leave, but for a very particular reason his left arm seemed to refuse to go with him.
"Just what do you think you're doing boy?" Jason asks as he looks over his shoulder behind him.
Jason said that because he looked behind him and found Ven standing on his own two feet grabbing his wrist rather tightly.
"Ah damn my body moved on it's own... no I wanted to do this, and now I've gone past the point of no return I may as well see this through." Ven thought.
"Did you see that? Some dude just grabbed Jason Marsh's arm." one member of the crowd whispers to another.
"That guy's got a lot of nerve." another member of the crowd whispers.
"What the hell are you doing you idiot? Are you seriously trying to provoke one of the world's strongest fighters?!" Laura thought as she's shocked and speechless by Ven's sudden behavior.
"You don't know who I am do you?" Jason asks as Ven lets go of his arm once he turns around to face him.
"I don't and nor do I care." Ven said as he hides his fear behind a deadly serious expression.
"Then I'll go back to my previous question... just what do you think you're doing?" Jason asks.
"I know I'm messing with affairs that aren't really my concern and I on't know what kind of arrangement you and Kairi have with each other, but I can tell... right now she doesn't want to go with you." Ven declared.
"Ventus..." Kairi whispered as the concept of seeing someone practically willing to fight for her is something she'd never had to deal with.
"What makes you so certain of this?" Jason can't help but ask out of curiosity.
"I've known someone exactly like Kairi for their entire life and maybe that's why I'm not willing to let this go, but because of that I know when a beautiful flower is blooming of their own accord and when they're being forced." Ven declared.
"A beautiful flower huh?" Laura and Kairi both thought coincidentally at the same time.
"Damn it, why don't you say the same about me? Besides all guys like women with big... arghhhh get... out... of... my... head." Laura thought as she starts banging her head on the shelf again whilst somehow temporarily transforming into a Power Puff Girl look-a-like.
"That's sweet... what the... I just met him... why is heart beating so fast?" Kairi thought as no one seems to notice her cheeks turn a cherry red color.
Jason doesn't offer a quick response... he just stands there as if using the silence to take it Ven's words more deeply.
"I can see it in your eyes... you truly believe what you're saying to me nor are you willing to let this go either." Jason said as an almost unnoticeable grin appears on his face.
"How can you tell?" Ven curiously asks as he seems surprised by Ven's observation.
"It's a skill you pick up as veteran of many battles. Very well... I can afford to kill 20 minutes. I'll expect her to avoid such tardiness in the future, but if you're able to defeat me than I shall let Kairi do as she pleases for the rest of the evening." Jason suggests as a now somewhat noticeable grin on his face.
"What the... coach Marsh is enjoying this." Kairi thought as Jason's behavior is apparently unusual to her.
"What are you talking about?" Ven asks as he doesn't seem to realize what Jason is getting at.
"I shall be more blunt this time. If you can defeat me in a gunpla battle then you're free to enjoy the rest of your evening with using your words 'flower', but when I win I'll take my student and go." Jason answered as calmly as ever as he decides to be more specific with his explanation.
"Then a gunpla battle it is." Ven declared as he signified his acceptance of Jason's challenge.
"That idiot... it'll be a freaking miracle if Ven is able to get within 5 centimeters without this legendary fighter allowing him to do that... just... just don't die to quickly and humiliate our school." Laura thought as she couldn't help but be concerned for Ven in this situation.
"Hey... someone get the manager! Jason Marsh is going to fight someone!" one of the store employee's who was among the crowd yelled.
Kairi heard it, Laura heard it, Jason heard it, the manager heard it, and given the growing size of the crowd surrounding Jason... so did everyone else in the store who didn't already know he was here. Ven however completely ignored the crowd as he, Jason, and everyone else watching them gathered around one of the empty battle systems.
"To hell with my inexperience... I'll beat this guy one way or the other." Ven thought as he reaches for his hand inside the leather case that contains his gunpla.
"Kairi, lend him the gunpla you were working on before I got here." Jason ordered.
Given her disposition, it takes Kairi a minute to get through the crowd surrounding Ven and Jason; however, when she does she offers this copy of the Phantom Noir to our hero in a manner akin to a knight presenting his sword to his liege.
"I have my own gunpla to fight with." Ven said as respectfully as possible.
"You should take it Ventus Saurel. With your Fate Noir MK2 in its current state you're chances against me are an absolute zero." Jason interjects.
This statement shocks Ven, and who could blame him. How would you feel if someone you just met casually stated the name of your partner?
"I can tell what you're thinking. I know the name of your gunpla because you recently fought one of my other students." Jason explained.
In the past few days Ven has only fought two people. Laura would have said something if she was taking battle lessons from Jason, so that only leaves one other person it could be.
"Who is he... It's Raul Machado isn't it?! Then that would mean you're the coach of his school's battle team. You're my cousin's old friend." Ven exclaimed.
"Correct on all statements, but to call him my friend is a bit of a stretch. To me he's just my rival, an old friend of my sister, and my girlfriend's brother-in-law." Jason nonchalantly admits.
"Girlfriend's brother-in-law... then that would mean... you're Jason Marsh one of this country's strongest fighters." Ven said as he takes a step back out of shock one he realizes who he's dealing with.
"You're wrong about one thing... I'm not one of the country's strongest fighters.. I am the country's strongest fighter, and come this year's open tournament I'll be the world's strongest fighter." Jason declared.
The fear that's been coursing through every vein in Ven's body is only amplified once he has a face to a name, but not enough to get him to run away as though he takes a couple of steps back he still holds his ground.
"Seriously... this kid just now realized who he was dealing with? Oh that's too funny." one person in the crowd chuckles.
"Does the revelation of my identity make you want to run away? I don't blame you as you wouldn't
be the first person to runaway after realizing they were about to face me in a gunpla battle." Jason asked as he takes out a GP base hidden in an inner jacket pocket.
"No I started this and I'll see it through." Ven retorts.
"Hmphh... good... I'm actually starting to look forward to this now, so you had better not disappoint." Jason declares.
"Arghh this idiot is really going to go through with this. Alright... I'll cheer you on because you're a student of Clancy Academy and not because of what you said to me." Laura thought as she attempts to get as close to the battle system as she reasonably can.
With Laura's last thought in those ever familiar glowing blue particles of light rise from the top of this battle system, of which just happens to be a seven panel model. In any case the sight of these lights forces the once murmuring and excited crowd... out of respect into a state of absolute silence.
"I'm sorry for rejecting it earlier Kairi, but would you please let me borrow your gunpla?" Ven asks as now that he realizes who he's facing he knows he can't afford the risks a damaged machine would cost him.
"Um... it's alright... and here's it's matching GP base. Also... um good luck." Kairi said with a nervous yet big smile as she grant's Ven's request.
"When he was just some guy to me I thought I could win with the Fate Noir in its current state, but against someone like Jason Marsh I'll need every advantage I can get." Ven thought as he clutches this copy of the Phantom Noir tightly in his hand.
No more delays... no more side conversations... from here on in everything is about the battle that will follow.
"Gunpla battle combat mode, start up. Model damage level, set to B. Please set your GP Base." the battle system declared in that ever familiar auto-tone voice.
Once the Plavsky particles have gone as high as they go inside this shop, they start to attract their near by brethren and come together to form all kinds of shapes... They come together to form this fight's destined field.
"Field 8, Sky." the battle system declared.
Contrary to what this battlefield's name implies it simply wasn't an open blue or black sky, but rather a series of various kinds of floating islands... the kind one would normally only see in a fantasy world.
There were lush green floating islands, rocky mountain floating islands, barren dessert floating islands, islands with rivers floating across them, and a seemingly never ending number of large clouds running between them all like a heavy morning fog.
"Shoot... the battlefield is set late into the evening... that coupled with the clouds reducing visibility is something Ven doesn't need right now." Laura thought as she starts biting her nails in response to her observations of this particular battlefield.
"Please set your gunpla." the battle system ordered.
"Uncle, even if this is a copy of one of your custom gunpla... please let your legacy give me strength in this battle." Ven thought.
Much like all gunpla, the eyes of the Phantom Noir copy lit up with life as Plavsky Particles permeated through every fiber and crevice of its plastic body. Now it's just a matter of seeing what kind of gunpla Jason will meet him head on with.
"Well done Kairi... this may be one of your best remakes yet. I almost regret having to damage it." Jason said as he quickly glanced at Kairi in a tone that contradicts his observation.
"Thank you for your kindness coach." Kairi retorts.
"Now let me show you my latest machine." Jason says to Ven as he reaches for something behind his back.
The latest machine of the legendary fighter Jason Marsh is the LG-GAT-X105 Gale Strike Gundam, of whom doesn't appear to have had any special customization done past its color scheme being changed to match the original Strike Gundam and its shoulder mounted beam sabers have the part where the actual blade is emitted sticking out instead of the pommel of the beam sabers.
"Impossible... the Gale Strike was never released as a 1/144 scale kit. For it to be standing here before me... this guy would have had to have built it from scratch the ground up. Every line... every curve in its armor matches the MG perfectly and then some. So... this is what it means to be a world class builder." Ven thought in shocked admiration as he couldn't help but mentally take apart Jason's gunpla.
"Battle start." the battle system declared.
"No time to worry about that now." Ven thought as he turned his attention back to the task at hand.
"Jason Marsh, Gale Strike Gundam, heading out!" Jason yelled.
"Phantom Noir Gundam, launching!" Ven yells.
The first oohs and awes are given off by the crowd once Ven and Jason enter this fog ridden night time battlefield, but now the challenge for the both of them is to simply be able to find each other under these current conditions.
"What the... according to my HUD I'm only using 50 percent thrust? But it already feels like I'm going at what should be the Phantom Noir's full speed." Ven thought as he decides to carefully test the waters with his borrowed gunpla.
Soon enough alarms start blaring inside of Ven's holographic cockpit signifying that Jason is approaching him at high speeds somewhere along the front of his borrowed gunpla.
"Where is he coming from?" Ven thought as the fog or rather the cloud coverage has rendered him able to only see a few feet in front of him.
Whether it was out of fright, trust in his instincts, and or some other factor entirely Ven chooses to ignore the information his radar gives and focuses all his attention into the blind abyss that these clouds create. Soon enough Ven starts to see a yellow light that is like guidance through the darkness, however this light is no symbol of hope as its only source could be the glow of the Gale Strike's eyes.
"Just how did he find me so quickly?" Ven thought as he prepares himself for whatever attack Jason is going to launch.
"If I were to put this in gundam terms I'd say a lot of effort was put in its sensors. Whether as a sniper like me or a CQC specialist like Jason; you'll need to know the enemy is at all times more so than other kinds of gunpla." Laura mumbled as if to coincidentally answer Ven's question not that either party could actually hear each other.
Ven sees the tip of one of the Gale Strike's "Wing Saw" swords just half a second before the rest of Jason's gunpla comes into view, but the fact that he chose to wait for even that long leaves our hero half a second less of valuable time to choose how to react.
"Come on... Ventus... block or dodge... my gunpla can handle that much even if it's used against someone like Jason." Kairi thought as she's surprisingly enough more worried about someone she's just met than a gunpla she's worked so hard to build.
Ven chooses to quickly dodge this oncoming attack to his right, however he doesn't react fast enough as one of Jason's swords punctures this Phantom Noir copy's left shoulder armor but thankfully he doesn't end up dismembering the limb being protected underneath it.
"He dodged it?!" were the collective thoughts of the crowd watching this fight Kairi and Laura included.
"So he dodged my first attack... what of it? It won't change how this will end." Jason thought as he seemingly predicted the mood of the crowd.
Just as Ven thought he was in the clear a small mass hit the Phantom Noir square in the back, and starts to seemingly drag him along the Gale Strike's flight path like a fish on a hook.
"Shit... I should have put some more distance between. I can't believe I forgot about the shield attached to the support arm." Ven thought as he looked over his shoulder to find that he's hooked on the Gale Strike's shield.
Suddenly and without warning Jason forced the Gale Strike to come to a complete stop, but before Ven could even make an attempt to escape Jason traps him rather easily. The Gale Strike's shield on the Phantom Noir's back prevents Ven from going in reverse, the tip of one of Jason's sword is pointed at the center of the Phantom Noir's chest, the Gale Strike's other sword is just centimeters away from the left side of the Phantom Noir's waist line, and just for icing on the cake Jason ignites the beam sabers still on their shoulder rack to make the decapitation of one's head a real possibility (In gunpla form only of course).
"I suggest you surrender with dignity." Jason declares as he opens a video conference to Ven.
"The hell I will!" Ven yells out of anger.
"Hmph... risk of decapitation aside if you attempt to force your way forward you'll only impale yourself on my sword, if you go backwards than my shield will stop you, if you attempt to shoulder tackle me then there are three ways I could destroy you easily, if you attempt to dash directly to your left than you'll bisect yourself upon my other sword, and if you go up or down it's a simple matter of spinning my gunpla around you as I follow your flight path. Besides you may be willing to risk the destruction of your own gunpla, but you don't strike me as the type to callously risk the gunpla of someone else. Of course if I'm wrong then feel free to make a move." Jason said as he pointed out every precarious detail of the situation Ven is in.
"Arghhhhhh damn it damn it damn it damn it!" Ven screams within his own mind as he comes to accept that his current situation has gone quite well beyond being between a rock and a hard place.
To summarize the obvious... short for someone choosing to join the fight themselves there's nothing Ven can do to escape his current situation.
"Concession signal confirmed. Battle ended." the battle system declared.
"Let's go Kairi... a bet is a bet." Jason ordered as he collected both his and Kairi's gunpla.
"Um... thank you Ventus... it was nice to see... that ummm child move, so... I hope to see you again." Kairi points out as she says her goodbyes to Ven having apparently enjoyed the time she spent with him.
"Damn it... I never felt so frustrated... so humiliated in my life. For the second time someone was counting on me to help them, and once again I was too weak to do anything... damn it!" Ven thought as it takes all his willpower to keep his frustrations in check.
As the battle system started to shutdown the crowd that watched this one sided slaughter all went there separate ways disappointed that Ven couldn't even put up a slight challenge.
"That's it? Man that's boring... I thought I would get to see Jason tear apart the battlefield like he does in his fights." one observer moans.
""Yeah well that's what that dude gets for trying to talk big." a friend of that observer said clearly referring to Ven.
"Jason Marsh!" Ven yelled as he called out the nane of the fighter that had just humiliated him so.
Ven had timed his decision to call out Jason's name rather well as by the time he actually chose to do so he and Kairi were almost out of sight.
"What is it?" Jason asks as he decides to turn around and humor the boy.
"I swear on my family name that I'll become strong enough to pay you back for this humiliation." Ven declared.
"Become strong enough to defeat this one and I'll consider taking your declaration seriously." Jason retorts as he points at Kairi having found Ven's words somewhat amusing.
Our hero remains where he is standing in front of the battle system where he had been so easily defeated, and chooses to stay there as he wallows in his own pit of self loathing but if Ven has any intention at all of backing his earlier declaration he can't stay in one place forever.
"Are you just going to keep staring Laura? Or do you have something you want to say to me?" Ven says revealing the fact that he was fully aware of Laura listening in on his conversation with Kairi as well as everything that had followed.
"Ha ha... when did you notice?" Laura asks as she emerges from her hiding spot.
"When you suddenly started hiding after you saw me here." Ven answered.
"Yeah sorry about that... I guess a part of me didn't want to disturb the mood." Laura explains.
"I'm sorry, but... mood?" Ven retorts.
"Really? You didn't realize that totally ador... no forget it... I'm not even going to try to explain this to you." Laura was saying when she realized that Ven was as ignorant to the affections of women as one other certain members of his family not that she actually personally knew that one other member of course.
"I'm assuming you saw me how these Americans say... get my arse handed to me on a silver platter." Ven points out in somewhat of a depressed tone.
"Yeah I did. There was no need to ask, and don't worry about me saying anything bad about this as even I'm not the type to kick someone while they're down." Laura said she seems to actually be consoling Ven.
"That was a statement not a question, but the sentiment is appreciated." Ven retorts.
"I guess it was kind of expected for that fight to end the way it did. I mean how could you possibly beat a modern day world class gunpla with a homemade copy of a seven year old one? For one thing no way the copy's performance is as good as the original." Laura points out.
"No Laura... you're gravely mistaken about that." Ven interjects.
"What do you mean?" Laura asks out of curiosity since she originally expected Ven to agree with her.
"I know I only used it for less than a minute, but I'd say it doesn't just match the performance of the original Phantom Noir made by Ansel Labossiere... it blows it out the water entirely. In fact I'd say it has at least a 15... no 20 percent higher overall performance than my Fate Noir MK2." Ven shockingly revealed.
"You said it was built by your uncle right? Anyways you were able to keep up with me because of your gunpla's ridiculous performance, and your saying this copy was better?" Laura asks out of sheer disbelief.
"That's exactly what I'm saying." Ven exclaimed.
"Ah hell... if what you're saying is true... just how skilled of a builder is this girls?" Laura mumbled as she starts to worry about the implications of Ven's statement.
Meanwhile since The Plants was that big of model shop, Jason and Kairi had only just now got close to the store's entrance/exit.
"It's unlike you to leave your opponent alive Jason." said the store manager.
Jason stopped and looked ahead and found the store's manager with her back leaning against one of the isles and her arms crossed over her chest.
"Ah yes how is your daughter?" Jason asks the manager.
"She's finally asleep according to the babysitter, but don't try and change the subject." the manager retorts.
"I was actually just curious, but for the sake of your point it wasn't his gunpla Alice Castleton." Jason retorts.
"It's still Alice Guide for now since the wedding is a while off, and that didn't stop you 7 years ago when it was Alex and Emika you had to deal with." Alice points out.
"That's different and you know it. They were partners and not some kid talking to a girl in charge of a rental stall. Now I have a schedule to keep so is there any other reason you decided to stop me?" Jason asks.
"Just one. Our 3D printer will be done with the custom parts the GA Academy ordered around this time tomorrow if you want to pick them up, but I have to say I was a little disturbed when I saw the specs." Alice notes.
"Oh? Whatever for?" Jason smirks.
"You damn well why. Those specifications you sent me are almost a perfect match for that dark gunpla from the world tournament 7 years ago, but... it's my place to provide for my customers not to question them. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go take care of some inventory." Alice points out before nonchalantly walking away from Jason and Kairi.
"You hear that Kairi? It seems you'll be able to complete new gunpla for the national tournament ahead of schedule. Now it's just a matter of getting your control skills to the necessary level." Jason notes.
"Yes... you said my battle style was similar to his sir, so I figured that unit would be the perfect choice as the base for my first custom gunpla." Kairi interjects.
"Speaking of which, have you actually decided what to call the unit? Or am I being a bit presumptuous?" Jason asks out of curiosity.
"Tentatively speaking, I've... ummm... just decided to call it Project: DMK until I decide on a permanent name." Kairi answered.
To Be Continued
Ven: No not good enough... again.
Rodolfo: Oh no my opponent chickened out.
Laura: So what?
Rodolfo: You remember Athrun's exact words... if I don't fight at all no way he won't kick me out of the club even if I am the president.
Ven: Next time on Gundam Build Fighters: Last Time "G-Banshee"