The boat hit the soft, moss covered banks of the Seine, nudging its wooden tip into the moist ground slightly. The American stepped out, leaning the pole to the side of the boat, then securing it with a small rope to the side, which was wrapped through a rusted metallic hoop. The other two stood up slowly, stepping out of the boat as well, Darton almost tripped over himself, not fully recuperated, strength wise. His left arm was still useless, and his right's wound was securely packed and stitched, though it still hurt. His few scrapes and bruises over his entire body were slowly healing, not much of a problem or a hinder, but simply there left him with the thoughts of how and why he got them, more so than what he would do in the future about them. He seemed to dwell on things in the past, as Bianca noticed, as well as Darton knowing it true to himself.

His Seikishidan issue boot squished in-between the wet mud, leaving a print of it in the wake of when he walked forward, still wearing his Seikishidan outfit, though it was not his. When they rescued him, they stripped him while he was sedated, and outfitted him with a new First Class Private uniform, the lowest rank (Fourth Class was the highest class before a new promotion). The green trim and black notch on the cloth hanging between his legs was vibrant, the verdant color showing no signs of wear, no blood stains, no wrinkles and rips of years use. The white of the outfit was pure and clean, no smudges, no rips, no splashes of dried Gear crimson, and it was also starched, feeling nice to wear, and a bit stiff, but in that good way.

"Well, now what?" Darton asked, stretching a little.

"Now we get to Troy." Bianca responded.

"...How? We're still a few kilometers off. I don't know much about Troy, but I know it is on the French-Italian Border.

"Didn't I tell you? The pick-up crew is going to swing by and get us."

"Okay..." Darton said hesitantly, looking around to the barren plains, no life on them, except for the untended grass reaching knee high. "Uh...how?" he stifled out a question. Bianca turned to him, putting her hands on her hips, and sighed.

"Jeez, you always wanna know, always questioning. A little Doubting Thomas." she said with a false sense of disgust, instantly replaced with the warm smile she seemed willing to make for about anything. Quint couldn't help but find himself smiling back, the warmth of it filling a void he had missed for so long, since that day, and then the Seikishidan...

His thoughts were cut short by a low, thunderous rumbling. It was a clear early afternoon, the morning slowly transitioning to a brisk afternoon, fairly warm, a light breeze, and a clear sky, standard good French weather, a bit on the light humid side, as the normal weather allowed. The rumbling only got louder, his head looking across. The other side of the Seine had nothing on it, and the end of the river was seen a few hundred yards down, where the flow stopped and broke into a large jaw of rocks, splitting with weeds and growth untended, the water coming to a small stand still, a pond forming around the end of the rather large river, the ground around it moist and swamp like. Not many people had traversed this area in the past hundred years, the wildlife and foliage allowed to take over and grow, civilization razed, making way for cousins of Eden.

"Here it comes" Bianca whispered, her voice cut off by the dull thunder. It got louder every second, every moment the thunder filling more of their ears, until finally, it was on top of them. Low squeaks of mechanics and pressurized air blew out of the tires, rolling the giant truck to a stop.

"What the hell...an MT?" Quint said, a bit dumbfounded. Bianca knocked on the side panel cut out, the hydraulics lifting it down seconds later.

"Yeah, duh. You think the Seikishidan's the only lucky ones to get some technology?" She shook her head in a disappointment, a smile twanging at her lips as she did. She liked to joke, as well as act, her thespian moments broken by smiles and laughter, unable to hold herself in to her faux emotions, which served as humor for herself, and for those who weren't serious enough to be above it. "Nah, truth of the matter, this ain't a MT, close though, damn close. Got this little sucker, well, some materials and blue prints, from our friends in the sky" she said, pointing up.

"...Zepp?" Quint asked hazardly.

"Yeah, Zepp, who else? God? Pff, yeah, he'd definitely help us build a MT. Get yer ass on before you get yer ass left." she said, walking up the small doorway platform that had arced down from its locked position on the side paneling of the false MT and dug its heavy metallic edge into the soft ground. Quint walked up the side, small slats of metal extending out for foot grasp, just like a MT. After he walked in, he recognized the scenery. Hundred seats, each side, small hydraulic doors, folding up into the side frame of the truck, like the one he just walked up, every twenty-five seats, two drivers up front.

Before he could sit down, he was pushed out of the way by Bianca, who took a step outside, her head peering through the open doorway.

"Thanks Garth! Next month, I'll pay you a nice sum for all your help, but you be here, and you be on time!" The American tipped his cowboy hat, then pushed off of the bank, turning his boat, and headed back upstream in the small wooden skiff. Bianca took a step backward as the door closed upward in front of her, the hydraulics hissing and a few holes on the ground by the door emitted a small puff of air, as Quit could feel rustle across the cloth covering his ankles. Bianca found a seat not far from the door, Quint sitting down next to her. He surveyed the length of the truck, it being about half full. Ranging from old men to young children, the truck was full of people, sitting by objects they had found, holding them, small purses with items, kids running down the small aisle yelling and playing, all inhabitants of Troy that came out for the external excursion.

The door shut with a loud thud as the sides sealed into the frame of the fake MT, the slow thump of it throwing itself forward, a thunderous roar from the engine deafening everyone inside. A few children ran by Quint, playfully, playing tag or something, he surmised. A few minutes later, he could see the mother ahead, on the opposite side and thirty seats to his left calling them back, at which they could see her calling, though not hear. On their way back, one of them kicked Darton in the foot, and kept going, not caring or minding, in his own world of childish euphoria.

"Damn kids..." he mumbled to no one but himself, since no one else could hear from the massive noise blasting through the huge length of the MT. A few people gave him awkward looks, due to his Seikishidan uniform, but he just stared them right back with cold eyes, and eventually, they turned away to whatever it was they were doing on the confines of the MT. Sorting through found items, stowing away what they'd need, checking themselves if they had left anything, it was rather full, despite the number of people being only about half of full capacity. The people seemed to be mixed with a ragged clothing to a sort of mildly up kept demeanor, from old suits kept nice, to tattered rags, soiled from years without wash and neglect of the fabric.

They looked odd together, Quint sitting in a brand new, starched Seikishidan first-class private uniform, left arm in sling, right hurting under the surface. He had a few bruises and minor cuts all over his torso, arms, and legs, though those required nothing more than a few days to heal and scab over. Next to him sat Bianca in a perfect looking A.A. uniform, white and new, no stains of blood, no marks of grass or dirt, every piece of the nurse-like uniform in top shape. They looked a bit like a costume ball couple, coming as the soldier and the medic. They might of well expected a large amicable lady to walk up dressed as Justice and hand out drinks.

Quint reached down to look at his leg for a second, knowing he didn't break the skin, but maybe a bruise when his hand brushed against something under the seat. He reached lower, straining against the twinges of pain shooting through him from moving his arms, and grabbed the object. He brought it out and up, sitting on his lap, and extending over Bianca's too, who sat with her head looking off in another direction, unaware and uncaring. The weight of an object on her lap instantly shook her from her day dreaming. Before she could respond, Quint unraveled one side of it, the object flipping over itself in wrap, then revealing what it was.

He slowly removed the top layer of cloth wrapped around it and saw a reflection of himself in the metallic surface of the blade. He turned to Bianca, one eyebrow raised.

"And what were you going to do with this?"

"Uh...sell it?" she said with a slight laugh that died out under Darton's seriousness.

"Think again."

"Come on...what else have I got from this excursion then?" she said, pouting. Darton sat back for a second, thinking, rubbing his right hand over the cloth, shining the blade a little, then he leaned forward again, looking her in the eyes.

"I know." he said mysteriously. With his left arm in sling, he slowly curled the fingers, like a come here sign. She leaned to him, turning her head to hear his whisper. "You got me." She shot back, looking at him like he had said something insane. He smiled back, then looked down at his sword, wrapping the cloth over it again, lifting it up, and leaning it on the side of him, the tip on the floor of the MT, and the grip up by his shoulder so he could lean a little.

This guy is arrogant, and always asking questions. Jeez, so freaking irritable too. But, he's got some kind of odd charm about him, knows when to say something, but also, he has a terrible timing of when to say things, like he hasn't got a damn dime of sense. Eh, I like that, I guess, he's not perfect, he's a bit more real than the perfect people you see and hear about, like Ky Kiske. And, he actually came with me. I didn't think he would, when I went that night, I was going on whim. I told myself it was a waste of time, he was just a little bit out of his mind on Floor A, he doesn't know what he's doing, but I went back and asked him. I took a chance, took a risk, and he said he'd come. I don't know why or how, but I'm glad he said yes, I'm glad he said he would come to Troy. Damn him, I guess, it was his face when I saw him. When I saw him on Floor A in pain and agony, I couldn't get his face out of my head that night. I tried leaving, even got right up near Jack, but I turned around, I turned back to get him, I don't know why...I don't know why, but I am glad. He's...worth it, I guess.

The bumpy ride with the unignorable noise took about eight to nine hours, getting from the Seine river to the French-Italian border where Neo-Troy was built. They had to take a detour to avoid Lyon, which was swarming with Gears. If they even caught a wiff of the humans coming by, the convoy would have been ravaged and destroyed, every last one of them killed. A ride that would have taken five hours took nine because of the detour, but Quint slept through it all, somehow. Bianca couldn't help but find herself awake, as she was every time the truck returned to Troy. Every other time her mind was on her findings, what she could sell it for, what she could buy, but this time, it wasn't. She had nothing to sell, nothing to buy with the money she didn't have, she only had Quint, and no body would by an ex-Seikishidan private, she thought.

Small slats in the arcing of the roof of the MT, made of an inch think plexi-glass showed the dimming light, the golden rectangles of invading light turning amber, then purple, then a dark hue of black and silver, as to the point the on-board lighting lit up, small lights in a line on the top of the ceiling in dead center, casting an eerie yellow glow that was unnatural and discomforting. She looked around, seeing children sleeping in their seats, tired of the day, parents watching over children, looking at collected items, ranging from scrap metal to relics of a world gone by, looking to sell them for profit. Quint was looking for a knife, wonder if anyone found one. Eh, I'll look in the shops in Troy, no reason to get in people's business. She couldn't sleep, the noise was too much, as well as her thoughts simply devouring her.

Why ain't you sleeping, girl? What's the problem? You got that knight next to you on your mind? What's the big deal, he's a Seikishidan, you meet many of them, you sew a whole hell of a lot of them up too, big deal. You even got to see the great Ky Kiske, how's that for a trip? Alright, well, what's the problem? You're still thinking about him, eh? Quint Darton, he said his full name was. Why you so stuck on him? He's cute, sure, but most Seikishidan are, considering they don't gain much weight from all the fighting and training, so they're all in shape, and you got a good pick from there. Is it because he simply came with you? He put trust in you and actually followed you, is that it? No, I know what it is, I know why...it's simple really, because you needed somebody. You need somebody there, to fill a void in your life. The orphan card left you kind of alone, I know, but there are other things in the world besides finding another person. You've had no luck thus far, but you've kept your chin up, why stop now? Or, do you not want to have to hold your chin up anymore? Let someone else do it for you? So, he came with you, so you think that he might be something for you, eh? I can see why, he did something big, left the Seikishidan on a moments notice, to go with you. Maybe that's why, maybe that's why, but you got time, you got weeks, months, years to get to know him. In plus, he's been through hell and still ticking, so why not let the guy have some time, some peace of mind? You can know everything about him some other time, and he to you, but for now, you should take his lead, and sleep. Go on, just go, I won't tell anybody.

Well, here I am again, your friendly author. I'm going to add a little bit in here. It seems some of you could think "Where did this girl get thrown in here for? What reason? What aim? Just to have a female in the story, a love part of it? That's not so true, and for many reasons. Come to the end of the story, and you'll see every character is relevant and important, and nothing is just there for the hell of it, which some may think this is. As I said, I am retelling a story that deserves to be known and told, and this is part of it, not part of my authorly intervention and license to change and add things as per my writing it, but this, Bianca, Quint, Ky, Gestahl, Sol, Justice, Testament...all of it, it happened. Exact events, maybe not, but the overall feel, life of it, happened. No denying or walking around it, that it happened. How...is it up to you, but this is the way I think it did, and that I know that in the end, the transpired events and things which happened a year past in 2174, these are them.

Yet, you could question my story telling, what happens, the final aim and the characters involved, since you might have known them, shown them to be different than how I portray or believed them, and in that regard, you, my reader, are allowed to argue and think differently, though the ultimate aim and procession of the story cannot be changed or argued, for in the end, what matters? The little details, how he walked, what he said, or what he did, how he fought, how he lived, how he died, what his past was? Define for yourself what really matters in story, the exact details, or really what happened? And with that in mind, you, my devoted reader, as you must be to still be reading this far, must see and know this, having seen it yourself. So, these things, like Bianca, her feelings, and every other part of the story may be small in the overall picture, but the big things that happen, those matter, but without small events, without the building bricks of a building, how do you reach a conclusion, a tenth story on a building?

She sighed deeply, thinking further, her own special conscious guiding and telling her. Through her years, she found that the best person to talk to or to be with was none other than herself, simply. No other person knew her better, knew how to talk to her, knew how to get inside of her thoughts, than her, so she solved her own problems and made way with what she could, herself. She let out a deep breath and scooted to her left in her seat, closer to Quint. His left arm, held up by sling and the grip of his sword tucked underneath his arm, his right cut, but sewed, found way as a small pillow for Bianca. She crossed her arms, and slowly laid her head upon Quint's right arm and shoulder, as best she could. She tried closing her eyes and sleeping, but ended up spending more time with her own self inside of her mind.

When her head touched Darton's arm, he awoke, a sense of pain shooting through him, enthralling him to emergency, a bit of adrenaline in his blood as his body remained calm, his senses still trying to catch up. Looking around, he realized where he was, looking down at his arm, he saw the top of Bianca's head, and started to relax. He didn't want to move to wake her, or move her.

Look at that, she's leaning on me. Ain't that sweet. I think Neo-Troy will be a pretty nice place, going as it is currently. Just...let her lie there, even if it hurts, you owe her a little, for taking you to Troy, considering without her divine intervention, where the hell would you be right now? Back at the Seikishidan camps, getting treated, waiting to go back into service. Yeah, you quit, but that doesn't mean anything, where would you go? What would you do? No...you'd be right there, back under private, fighting those tough missions and getting nothing, fighting to live and getting nothing for it but another day to wake up to. It'll be different here, I don't have to struggle and work for what I need, I can simply live, and do so without fear of anything to do in the back of my mind, I can live free. I let that go, I thought I did, hell, I made that decision, I...I punched Ky's hands, I made him let me go, I made myself die. Did I do it for him...hardly. I did it for myself. After that, after something like what happened...I did it for myself. I don't think I could have gone on after that moment, after what happened. What would life be like? Living under Ky Kiske then, after what I had said and done? I would have retired to some old city somewhere, unable to live, and slaughtered by a Gear one day. Or, back to the Seikishidan, fighting everyday again. I was supposed to die, I fell off, but he stopped it, he got in the way of God's plan for me, but I had to change it, I did it. I let those things go that haunted me, I could now, it was over, I no longer needed to really let them bear down on me and consume me. My hatred and my vengefulness had seceded, I had no more use for it, nothing to really do with it...I could die without worry or things left on my conscious, and I should have...I should have, damnit! But...now, things are different, it's changed. I got something new to live for, and I'm already "dead", right? I can start new, in a new city, with a new person, put that behind me and do something with my life, outside of the Seikishidan, outside of the revenge, outside of it all, start a new life, just something new...with her...

Suddenly, they were both thrown out of their seats slightly, the entire MT jumping to a stop, people slamming up against the next seat next to them, items going flying by the sudden stop. Quint's sword fell to the ground, clanging in the covering cloth, and his shoulder taking the brunt of the force as he fell. He grunted in pain as the shattered collarbone seemed to make the pain livid, burning and pulsating, but he stood, a bit woozy, then fell back down in his seat. Bianca was next to him, rubbing her eyes, getting herself together.

"Oh...I guess I fell asleep." she said with an effeminate purr.

"Yeah, and your head put my arm to sleep too." he said, shaking it a little. She smiled, then stood up, stretching.

"Well, that's what it gets for not being soft enough."

"Yeah, yeah..." he said with a returned smile. It seemed no matter what and no matter how, that even in small little segments like that, they could end up smiling, not at the moment or words said, but at each other, just for each other. They both liked that quality.

"Well, we're here." she said, the end of her sentence coinciding with the hiss of the eight hydraulic doors, separated by twenty five seats a piece, a set of doors on each side of the MT. They slowly fell out of the side of the wall, arcing downward where they dug a small hole into the ground with their massive weight. Quint and Bianca were sitting next to one of the hydraulic doors, stepping out and down the side, the wet grass underneath feeling a lot nicer than the unforgiving steel of the MT and the concrete of the head quarters, which Darton could still feel in his steps, a slight ache in his heels from it.

"Whoa" was the words that seemed to choke out of Darton's lungs as he looked upon Neo-Troy from the outside walls, the MT next to him, waiting to be let in. The walls in front of him towered up to massive heights, reaching about six hundred feet off of the ground, a dull sandstone of the walls. The first twenty or so feet were marked with scrapes and bites, dents and cuts, chunks of stone missing, and small holes. Gears had tried attacking Troy, the bottom of the walls lined with bits of decay and rubble, though nothing severe. It seemed like the Gears had come, only to realize how useless it was before giving up, or killed from above. The walls cast off the clear sky silver moon off of them, a slightly orange hue from the walls, drainage pipes leading out of the walls at bout two hundred feet high, the small metal pipes lined with rust and mold, the edges disgusting, having never been cleaned. On the ground underneath where they would drain were small slime pits, a swamp like atmosphere, flies buzzing around and small bits of the bad-side of plant growth, along the lines of weeds, mushrooms, and other sporous parasites.

At each angle of the square city was a watch tower built onto the top, a small square jutting out further from the edge at the top, a guard in each, a small oil lamp on top, that if lit, would signify to the other three, and citizens below, that he saw something. Small bits of grass grew into the cracks at the bottom of the walls, ivy crawling up the sides, veering to get in, but confined to the walls, like Moses before Israel. Bits of graffiti were splatted across the walls, painted in myriads of colors and symbols, as well as flavorful language, Quint noticed in the pale moon light. A walkway at the top of Troy was lined with a railing, a few faces peering over to the crew coming back from the external excursion. The tops of buildings inside of the city could be seen above the massive walls, the tips of light and activity brimming over, like boiling water to a cup. Hums and dollops of sound echoed out from the confines of the city, laughter, yelling, chatter, the scream of bits of machinery, a dry fap of people walking to and fro...life itself, inside the massive walls, enclosing it. It was huge, it was amazing, and it left him dumbfounded. It was Troy...you're here, Darton, you're finally here, Troy. You can live now, be safe, do what you want with your life, you're safe, Darton, you're safe.

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Zeronova's Notes:
Woo baby! Characterization up da bung hole! We got a lot of good Quint/Bianca trappings in place, as well as a bit of her background, and more on Darton's shady one. This chapter was a bit more boring, but we finally have Troy, finally. And, we also have to get to Lyon in the next few weeks, ah the problems of 5k updates, eh? Oh well, I had 5k idea from the beginning, can't stop now. Keep it tuned, we got sooo much more coming for DG, it ain't even funny. I'd like to hear what you think of Darton ad Bianca's characters, both separate and together, since romance isn't my forte, and it really matters how they feel and act. Well...this surpasses the original DG, which was 113k, this now at 115k. Wow. Anyway, next Monday, next update, keep it tuned.
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