Ark 16 Episode 3: It's Been A While



Old Promises
SladeMars: -(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCYcHz2k5x0) During a bright and sunny day in a lively Kasaihana city, a bright purple and white motorcycle rolls down the streets at almost 125mph. (http://imagesci.com/img/2013/12/cool-sport-motorcycles-6777-hd-wallpapers.jpg) The rider of said motorcycle is wearing an all-black helmet with a matching black leather jacket with pants to boot. He lays low on the gas tank of the bike and moves in between cars like someone playing GTA and too impatient to follow the laws of the road. The engine roars like a lion in the pridelands, quickly headed towards the riders destination. Inside of the helmet a pair of bright golden multi-ringed eyes stare at the HUD system that his helmet visor gives him. On the top left corner of the visor is the GPS system that shows a huge red arrow pointing Southeast to the lower end of District Two. On the right shows the weather on a chart scale and Duke sees that there is a high pressure system sitting right over Kasaihana which means clear skies all day without a cloud in sight. There is a calm wind moving in from the west, allowing friction from the large city buildings to help give the surface a slight breeze of five knots. Within the next few minutes of driving across the city streets, the rider comes to parallel the Atlantic coastline. The bright sandy beaches leading into the warmer water gives a bright reflection from the Sun’s waves being bounced off the water. While driving next to the beaches of Kasaihana, Alfred’s voice pops up through his intercom system saying-“Sir, within one half mile you will reach a parking lot…Your destination will have been reached.”-Within the next few seconds the half mile would be reached and the rider turns into a small beach parking lot that is empty of civilians. This side of the Kasaihana beach had been an unpopular area due to its rocky beaches that don’t allow swimmers to really get into the water. The rider slowly pulls into a parking space and flips the kickstand down; leaning towards the left. He places his left foot down on the ground to stabilize his position and slowly reaches up towards the helmet with his hands. He grips the sides of his helmet with his fingertips and slowly lifts the helmet off of his head. With the helmet being lifted off of his body, his face and long black hair quickly become revealed. Long black spikey hair flows out of the helmet and down onto this man’s shoulders. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iajmTwRc_k) The signature Super Soldier tattoo over the right eye becomes viewable along with the sparkling golden eyes that only can be remembered on, Deucalion Gray. It had been ten years since Duke had been in Kasaihana and for a welcoming back, Duke Smiles looking out into the ocean horizon. He lifts his left leg up and over the motorcycle to stand straight up next to the bike itself. Once Duke had gotten off of the bike, the motorcycle begins to make a metallic shinging sound as if metal was rubbing against other metal. The sounds of mechanical parts being re-arranged as well echoes through the parking lot. The motorcycle begins to change as humanoid body parts begin to form from the vehicle! Two purple legs form with the white tribal markings giving off the familiar look of an old Yun creation. Within a few seconds, a human sized atomic robotic organism appears from the motorcycle in the form of the old Yun Robot, Alfred. His design looks the same as it was in his first form when he was with Donnie and Damian but now with his Vibertron body, his markings have been painted white and due to being a motorcycle in an alternate form, two motorcycle tires act as if they are his wings across his back. Over his mouth, two sharp metal pieces shoot out from his jaw to cover his metallic lips like a mask. With bright white glowing LED lights, he looks at Duke and asks-‘Do you think he will show up?...It has been ten years…”-Duke nods his head as he stands with Al-“I know he will.”-

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yYMicbSf98 )Standing atop a mountain peak by his lonesome, with one foot propped on the peak, and the other lower for support, Densuke stood looking over the edge where the sky and the ocean meet. “. . .It doesn’t feel like I belong here anymore. Seems so…surreal.” Densuke exhaled through his nose, and listend to the sounds   of the wind and the ocean mixing together in a harmonious nature-beach melody. His clothing as casual as it was before. Simple shirt, and worn jeans, with boots. After his endevour with scorpion, things weren’t the same for him mentally. He felt bad..legitimately bad for what he did. And most of all it got him no where, not a clue closer except that “He’s alive”. “I..can’t quit the search. Or maybe you just don’t want to be found..is that it Keyth?” Densuke tilted his head up a bit in wonder. For the first time in a long time he like a kid again: uncertain of what his next move should be. A chime comes in on densuke’s watch. “Hey kiddo it’sOchigi. Dukes arrived on sight, you two were supposed to meet up right?” “Yeah. I’ll make my way over there.” Densuke would chime out and take one more look at the ocean, slowly descending down the mountain peak, with little to any enthusisim besides his jumping notions to make it down further. After a few minutes he’d reach the bottom and push a button on his watch. His old red hoverbike hadn’t aged a bit, as it pulled up to his position, and hovered there for a moment. Densuke mounted the bike, and reved it one good time before pulling off across the beaches shoreline outside of D2. The water skidding beside him ever so slightly. He picked up the pace at 150, figuring duke had arrived on the scene already, and wouldn’t you know it he had indeed. Densuke would pull up to the parking lot and park his bike next to where Duke was standing. “Heh….man do you ever age?” Densuke would chuckle as he got off of the bike, and stood up, brushing his hair out of his face, and smiling just a tid bit. He’d puff his cheeks out, and look at duke carefully. “Man it’s nostalgia city right about now. I never knew I’d see you again anytime soon. Though you left the city for good. For a while I thought I did too. How’s everything going with Daisuke, was his name? I think you told me once or twice.” Densuke would fold his arms casually, and listen intensely, wanting to catch up with his ally. After hearing duke’s answers of course, he would shift his tone a bit and ask a blaring question. “Not to spoil the moment but im guessing no word of Keyth on your end either…eh?”

SladeMars: -(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OjDgokYgy8) When he sees Densuke come into the scene with his hoverbike it was like a blast in the past for Duke. Alfred stands behind Duke like a bodyguard and this brings Duke to smirk a bit at how Alfred had reacted to Densuke’s presence. As Densuke comes to join Duke, the two share a proper greeting before quickly jumping into the nostalgia. When Densuke opens up with the joke about Duke’s aging, it brings the Super Soldier to laugh a bit as it were true. Due to the Super Soldier serums abilities, Duke looks today as he did ten years ago almost perfectly. There are slight differences in his body language and overall facial structure but for almost ninety percent of him, he looks exactly the same as he did ten years ago when he first left the city for a new beginning. As Densuke goes on to talk about not ever thinking they would have seen each other after Duke had left with Liana and Daisuke, Duke raises his right arm to rub the back of his neck. Duke then says to him-“Yeah….Kind of hard to believe it’s been a decade since we’ve seen each other. And Daisuke is doing really well…He takes after his mom haha. He’s a good kid, not like how Damian and I were when we were his age…He’s like Donnie when it comes to tech but…not when it comes to having a sick mind hahaha. Liana and I just had our first…”-He digs around in his pocket for his wallet and he quickly pulls out a small picture of a newborn child in Liana’s arms.-“His name is Slade…”(YEAHHHHHH!) Densuke would remember Liana as the daughter of Scorpion, the man who they still to this day believe had “Killed” Keyth with a sniper round. After filling Densuke in on the news of his newborn son, Densuke brings up the search for Keyth. At that moment, Duke’s face turns serious as his rings begin to swirl in his eyes.-“I’ve had my scout looking high and low…His name is Beak…He can go as far as reaching into short and long waves, picking up every signal he can find…We haven’t had a trace of Keyth in over three years…I’m sorry Densuke…”- He then waits to see how Densuke would respond to that before asking-“What about you? What’s been going on with that head of yours?”- Duke remembers that before he left, Densuke wasn’t exactly in his normal frame of mind after Keyth’s death and knowing how well controlled Densuke is; to get him as far along as this must be a huge vice on him emotionally and physically.-

Sorrow
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXnWfx6bIVE ) Densuke smiled as Duke mentioned that Daisuke was doing okay. He also raised a brow at the mention of him and lana doing something. Only to have his eyebrows raise in astonishment at the new born baby picture. Densuke couldn’t help but let out a shrieked “Awww” sound, as the baby was adorable. These super soldiers really know how to make some adorable children that’s for sure. After a bit more catching up and some faces being familiarized, Densuke would nod and hope that Duke had an answer for his question, but alas…he too had a cold trail. Densuke hung his head a bit at the mention of the news. He’ d hoped of all people Duke would’ve been able to find something, but maybe as Densuke thought before, Keyth didn’t want to be found. With a long drawn out sigh, and a small shake of his head, he’d answer Duke’s question. “I don’t know Duke…these last ten years for me haven’t been enjoyable..As a matter of fact during this entire time span I’ve been hunting. And hunted. By scorpion.” Densuke would clenched his fist a bit still annoyed at the thought t hat he he left his own family for ten years, all for the sake of a cold answer. “It’s a conflict Duke. Ten years, I tracked, fought, and chased this man around the globe. Paris, Tokyo, Suadi Araibia….even peru, and some kind of way after it took to see I spent 2 years in Australia only to find out he’d hi tailed it back to fucking north America.” Densuke’s body language changed, as he paced back and forth with a slow stride making hand gestures to match his words. “And just when I finally catch him…ahhh man. I remember it like it was yesterday. Cornered him…in a cave. He told me I was annoying, and I told him to drop dead. We fought…and I took his life. He told me Keyth was alive, but he had no clue of his whereabouts. He did however not die in vien. He filled me in on his contract with Yani, shot me the credentials. Not that it helped…but it gave me something. Still the trail is cold…and now I feel like it was all for shit. 10 years I’ll never get back because of my selfish ambition. Keyth would kick my ass If h knew I pulled this stunt…and I’m doing that to myself mentally too, so it’s kinda hard jumping back into the norm when you’ve been gone for so long.” Densuke would let out a harsh sigh and look at duke again if he’d still been paying attention. “I will find him. But maybe I should let him be found…it’s funny I can’t even reach him telepathically…which only concerns me more.” Densuke would put his hands on his hips and kick a bit of gravel to the side, completely disappointed in himself and all he’d done to this point.

Rage
SladeMars: -Duke and Densuke’s conversation continued as the mood became more about business rather than catching up with each other’s lives. But in a sense, the business had been their lives for ten long years. Something so big that it could cause Densuke to leave his family and Duke to drop everything in Kasaihana to exile himself with his own family. But then, the mood quickly took a turn south when Densuke utters the words about Scorpion. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk5-G5BLxsQ) “We fought…and I took his life…. We fought…and I took his life…. We fought…and I took his life.”- These words rang through Duke’s head like a gunshot. His eyes widened to near popping out of his head as he couldn’t believe what he had heard from Densuke. To hear that Densuke killed someone was big enough but that Scorpion was the target he had killed. Even through everything Scorpion did, Duke knew he was a good hearted man…even if those who knew him only could see the bad. He instantly thought of Liana and how she would never see her father again. And that his son would never get to know his grandfather. His mind flashes back to the last time he had seen Scorpion. Duke had wanted to keep this incident from Densuke because he knew it would have only upset him. But during the ten years he had been gone, Scorpion had come to see Duke and his daughter while they were in exile from Kasaihana. *FLASHBACK*On their island off the coast of Kasaihana City, Scorpion and Duke stand next to each other on the sand with Liana and a teenage Daisuke in the backround. Scorpion is holding newborn baby Slade while Duke looks off into the sunset. Slade uses his little fingers to wrap around Scorpions index finger and at that moment, Scorpion begins to talk to Duke-“Listen here, Kid…You’ve come a long way from that rooftop in Kasaihana City…I know what I said…And I know you remember those words like scripture…But with age comes wisdom and…Ive aged enough to gain enough of that…Im happy for you, Duke…I really am…You seem to make my daughter happy and well, as a father I guess I can’t complain about who she chose to spend her life with…”-Duke simply listens as Scorpion speaks and Liana stares at the men with curious eyes.-“I need you to make one promise to me...”-Scorpion slowly turns his head so his good eye can look back towards his daughter.-“I need you to promise me that no matter what happens…Liana and your family will always be your first priority…and that you’d rather be sent to the gates of hell before letting anything happen to them…I need to know that I can count on you…Even if I am not around to see it…”-Duke looked at Scorpion with a confused look but knew that this was something that was important to Scorpion. So he looks into Scorpions eye and says in a confident voice-“I can make that promise…I love Liana and my Son more than life itself…They are my life…”-Scorpion gives a soft smile and the happy family continues their reunion*BACK TO REALITY* Duke’s eyes begin to spin violently as the emotions running through his body begin to build up with rage. His hands become fists and Alfred sees that Duke is growing angrier by the second. Duke then looks up at Densuke ready to charge but Alfred quickly raises his hand to stop Duke at the chest. Duke looks up at Alfred with burning eyes and then back at Densuke-“How could you kill him!? You were always the one that said that there is always an alternative to killing! How could you kill the grandfather to my child!?”-Then it all began to add up for Duke. The way Scorpion spoke that day on the island, he knew what was eventually coming to him. He knew that one day, Densuke would come and deliver him to the afterlife. Duke pushes Alfred’s arm away from his chest and while breathing heavily he looks at Densuke and asks-“What happened to you?...You were always the good out of us…The one who could never do what we did…”-The “we” in reference to Damian and himself from when they would ravage through their enemies as if they were nothing. And it almost seemed like they two have switched sides of the coins. Duke waits to see what Densuke has to say for himself and explain why he killed Scorpion.-

   Densuke observed the emotion on duke’s face, and as he could tell it wasn’t a positive spin on things. It was a somber mixture of sadness and anger. Fury. An emotion duke was infamous for, and judging by his cyborgs actions to hold him back, one that was surfacing rather quickly. Duke’s questions rang in densuke’s ears, as he looked away, almost as if he was ashamed…and he was. Densuke closes his eyes for a moment. Gathering his thoughts and compiling them into something…anything. To give duke the answer he needed. That he deserved. (http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=-mNNWivqU0g “Tetsu Ryoji..My father raised me to beilive that killing any evil, no matter how great the threat is wrong. That it makes you no better. For a while, I beilived him. A long time actually. Then I took my first life…that of Wilson Thomason. From the titan force. He tormented me, assaulted my friends, and even threatened death on the mother of my children. I fought him…as red dawn, and I took his life. Not out of spite…but out of prevention. So that he’d never surface again. “ Densuke would look duke in the eyes with a somber expression. “I am a good guy…but I’m no naive. I know..when life needs to be taken. The needs of the many outweight that of the few or so they say. But scorpion…Duke…he told me. To kill him.” Densuke gave him a moment to let that sink in. densuke’s eyes became dazed as he recalled the moment as if it were yesterday. “He said to me…after I cornered him…)”Go ahead. Do it, and take my life.” And I said…”You’re quite contempt about it…no regrets?” and then he started on about something..he said..he said “Kid. I’m a mercenary….my entire career I kill who I’m told, and go where I’m shipped. I’m an expendible. There’s someone out there younger and stronger who can do this job a lot better than me. If I win here, Yani or some other military prick will hunt me down..me and my family. I don’t want that Ryoji. The only thing..the ONLY thing I’ve ever had control over was starting a family, and falling in love. And I’d like to add my death to that list. I’m going to chose how I want to end my life…because it’s one more thing I can say I had control over. Don’t deny me that right.” Densuke grew quiet after quoting scorpion. “After that I backed off…he asked me if he could sit up and get a smoke in. I helped em up…sat em down on a log, and lit it for him. He actually….looked pretty cool.” Densuke was hoping duke was picturing scorpion as he was saying these quoates. “I stood behind him and I clicked the gun…cocked it. He told me he could feel my hesitance…and then he said. “Keyth must not be such a bad fellow. He’s alive you know…and he’s got friends like you and Duke hunting him thick and thin. Keep that bond. Instal it in the future generation. It’s time for my curtain call..the next act will be starting without me this time around.” Densuke swallowed hard for a second before breathing softly through his nostrils. “This wasn’t easy for me duke. If anything it was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. Taking a life to grant someone something they wanted. I couldn’t say no. I did what I had to do. I’m sorry it happened the way it did…but if you’re going to hate me. Hate me for the action I committed. Not the mercy I granted.

vMegatron: -(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5xuir8VvHQ) Duke could only listen to the story that Densuke was telling him. He took it as the truth by having trusted Densuke, even in hearing this knowledge. In all reality it did seem like something Scorpion would have done. He had no shortage of moxy and pride. But in hearing that someone who was practically a father to him, die the way he did…his emotions quickly turned from rage to sorrow. He wouldn’t let Densuke see it, his body and soul wouldn’t let him, but water begins to well up in his eyes as Densuke finishes the story of Scorpions death. Alfred looks over at Densuke and he nods to him to try and reassure him that Duke knows what Densuke did was the right thing. A lot of people were after Scorpion and he knew that as long as he was alive, Liana could be used as a bargaining chip to get closer to him. His life was being chased by anyone who was willing to take tha challenge. Duke looks down at the ground, grinding his teeth to hold back his sorrow. The images of Scorpion training Duke in Gun Kata pass through his mind along with the memories of him with Slade. Even though both he and Liana knew just what kind of guy Scorpion was, they were always able to see the good. Duke only wished he could have helped Scorpion in some kind of way, even though deep down he knows…Scorpion chooses what happens to Scorpion. After a few seconds, Duke looks back up at Densuke with strands of black hair coming across the center of his forehead. He asks his friend-“So where do we go from here? Scorpion was your golden ticket to Keyth…How do you plan on finding him now?”-While he asks this question he can’t help but think about Liana in the back of his mind. He would have to be the one to tell her about what had happened to her father. He couldn’t make Densuke have to tell that story twice, especially to the daughter of the man he killed. So much had come to hit Duke like a tital wave within these short few minutes of meeting up with Densuke. Duke waits to see what Densuke will say, wondering how far they could go to achieve this ten year hunt for their long lost brother in arms.-

Densuke let out a hard breath, and shook his head as he could see duke was taking the story hard. Who wouldn’t? duke looked at Scorpion as a father figure of sorts, and it was a great thing. To have that kind of relationship. Even though he did the right thing…it didn’t feel gratifying. Or remotely satisfiying to say the least. Hee took a momement to gather himself, and fold his arms out of concern. After duke seemed to come to terms, he spoke to Densuke about where we were to go from here. Densuke scratched the top of his head, and exclaimed. “Well it’s not like I haven’t been thinking about it..but I know keyth isn’t dead. Maybe that’s all we need. Maybe the best way to find Keyth is to let him come home on his own. Let’s be honest…I’m certain he wont be killed by any true means. If he was I’d feel it, as odd as that sounds…I’ll get Ochigi to work on some more man made global spy planes, but for now I think we should let the course of time do it’s job. He’ll be back. Eventually.” Densuke glanced at the ocean for a second, before sitting down upon his bike and looking back at duke. “what are you gonna do in the mean time?’

vMegatron: -When Densuke asks what he is going to do in the meantime, Duke looks off into the ocean knowing that he has to start over again in this city. Duke says to Densuke-“Well to be honest, I am here tohandle some business that Colt needs taking care of…and I want my family to be happy. Daisuke has some goals of his own for Kasaihana City…He’s like Donnie. His ambitions have no limit. But for now, we have to just play by ear. The days of us roaming the streets of Kasaihana like superheroes has passed…Just like Scorpion said, there will always be a younger enemy ready and more willing to do what needs to be done. For now, until something changes…I guess you can say I am a family man…”- Duke looks over at Densuke with a smile, even surprising himself with that kind of answer. The once animal of Kasaihana city now calls himself a civilized family man of all things. The world continues to get stranger and stranger as the days go by.-