Chapter 10: Axel's Promise

Axel walked to the end of Nautica valley, sitting on a ledge as he waited for the bus to come. He was exhausted in every sense of the word, and yet, his heart just wouldn't stop pounding.

"I finally have power!" He thought "And my dream finally came true! If that's the case then maybe just maybe today…"

His thoughts were interrupted by the blaring sound of metal scrap creaking below him. Sammy was standing outside of the bus waiting impatiently.

"The hell happened to you!" He said eyeing Axels tattered clothes." Yaknow what don't answer that" He said as Axel got on the bus "What happens in Nautica Valley stays the hell in Nautica Valley."

Axel got onto the bus finding a seat next to Miriya.

"23 times… but today..." Axel thought

"Don't even think about it!" She said pushing Axel away.

"Aweee cmon!" Axel groaned. He spent the rest of his bus ride contemplating when that dream would finally come true.

"I'll see you two lovebirds tomorrow!" Sammy said, closing the doors to the bus as they got off to their stop.

"Miriya…" Axel said blushing

"What? What is it?" She said.

"Why… why won't you go out with me?" Axel asked.

"Because I don't like you!" She said. "You're always getting in fights and then losing! I need someone who can protect me! I need someone who can win!" she said.

"Someone who can win…" Axel thought

'There's two types of people in this world Ax" A voice played in his head. "Winners and those who give up! You can be born a winner yeh that's true, but that doesn't mean someone can't become one! No one is born giving up! So choose which one you wanna be!"

"The light of the father..." Axel heard in his head

"Hey little girl, you're coming with us!" A man yelled, grabbing Miriya from behind. Two other men waited at the side of the road on their hovercycles.

"The same three from this morning!" Axel yelled "This time will make it 34, but it's going to be different this time!" He said cutting the man off.

"Hehe it's that kid from this morning!" The trio laughed. "When will you ever..."

Boom!

Axel blasted one of the men with a devastating right hook freeing Miriya from his grasp.

"Axel!" Miriya cried standing behind him.

"Your gonna pay for that!" The other two thugs said getting into position.

"Damn it!" Axel said. "I took one of them out with a sucker punch, but I have no water around me in this desert!" He said

"Your gonna pay for that kid!" they yelled

"This is bad!" Axel thought as the thugs ran across the street "I've gotta"

EEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

The sound of screeching brakes and a clunky transmission filled the streets.

The two men were smashed by an out of control bus that had drifted off its course and crashed into them.

A middle aged man lighting a cigarette stepped out shaking his head.

"Don't get the wrong idea you little turds!" Sammy said walking into a convenience store. "I wasn't waiting around till you got home safe or anything! I just forgot to grab me a pack of cigarettes! These idiots just happened to get in my way." He said walking into a convenience store.

"Ufff" The men said getting onto their vehicles still shell-shocked from the incident.

"What the hell are we going to tell Gille now?" One of the men said

"It's not just Guile we're dealing with here" Another answered. "Darius is gonna be pissed! Let's hit another district for a young girl later tonight!"

"Wait!" Axel yelled "Who is Gille? And who is Darius!" He yelled

The men looked back at Axel, with a look of mystification. It was as if they couldn't believe he didn't know who Darius was.

"Cmon let's get out of here!" The lead man said. And then the three rode off.

Miriya fell to the ground landing on her behind. Completely mind blown by the whole situation.

"Are… are you ok?" Axel asked, extending out his hand.

"You… you saved me" She said. "But I thought you had no powers…I thought you were weak"

"I was. But that was the past! Axel said, nodding his head. "I've awoken my powers and I'm going to get stronger! I'm going to join the SPA and find this Darius guy!"

"Why?" Miriya asked. "Why are you doing all of this?"

"Because it's my dream" Axel answered

"It's your dream to do all of that?" She asked.

"It's funny…" Axel said laughing. "I don't know if it's my dream… or someone else's...All I know is that I have seen it, and once I saw it I couldn't help but believe in it. My mother, she believed in it as well, and now I'm here explaining it to you."

"Well I believe in it too!" Miriya said, taking Axel's hand and rising to her feet. "I never would have dreamed that it would be you who would save me! Maybe the dreams we don't have can come a reality too!" She said laughing

"Dreams we don't have?" Axel thought

"Axel" Miriya said. "Do you want to go on a date with me sometime?" She asked

"What?" Axel asked blushing.

"Do you want to go on a date with me?" She said again, batting her eyes.

"Me on a date with you… Of Course! When she would go!" Axel yelled

"Let's go when you become an agent! It will be our celebration!" She yelled cheerfully "Here's my number text me sometime!" She said, taking Axel's phone.

"The dreams we don't have…" Axel thought "Even though I have had dreams of going on a date with her… I never imagined… That it would be her who asks me out!"

"Axel..." Miriya said softly

"Yes Miriya what is it?"

"Do you promise... to always protect me?" She said. Her eyes sparkled as she looked deeply into Axels.

"I promise" Axel said placing his hand on his chest. "I promise to protect you and also... to never give up! After all that's how a loser becomes a winner right?"

"That's right!" Miriya said. "If he was here to see it I'm sure the man who told you those words would have been proud!"

"Yeh" Axel said scratching his head. "He also woulda beat all three of those guys in one attack, I've got a long way to go!"

"Well, don't let me keep you! Cya tomorrow!" Miriya yelled

"Cya!" Axel said joyously.

Running back to his apartment Axel skipped and hummed joyously on his way.

"What a day!" He exclaimed as he came just outside of his home.

"What… is this?" he said eyeing a hovercycle parked outside of his building.

"No one here has a hovercycle accept…"

Axel's eyes flashed in terror. Hastily unlocking his door, he darted up the steps of his apartment.

Crash!

The sound of broken glass echoed through the inside of his house.

Axel dashed into his apartment. He looked around the small enclosed space finding no evidence of the intruder. After taking another look around the living room, he crept into his bedroom looking for the imposter.

"Your guards down Ax" a voice hummed. He looked to his right and saw no one there.

Wham!

The imposter dropped down from the ceiling smashing him into the ground.

"Vincent," Axel said looking up.

He could barely see with his head pushed down on the floor but holding him down was a slender man dressed in black and red. He was in his mid-20's with a neatly groomed face, deep scarlet red eyes and hair. Silver chains dangled out of his pocket to match his gothic figure. The last piece of his outfit was his black bandana that hung over his head also marked with a V.

"It's been quite some time, little brother"