Gearshead

The Canary District basked in the soft glow of the setting sun, its quiet streets bustling with the humble energy of a farming village. Children darted between rows of corn and wheat, their laughter mingling with the faint clatter of tools from the distant fields. Overlooking the district was a towering wall etched with the names of countless soldiers who had fallen in the war against the Darthjaws. Above the names, bold letters loomed:“Death to All Gearheads.”



Bunga sat atop a rooftop, legs dangling over the edge as he stared into the horizon. From here, the boundary of Silva District was visible, its shadowy expanse a stark reminder of the task that awaited them.

“All that awaits us is death and despair.”

The wind ruffled his hair, carrying with it the faint aroma of food wafting from the base below.

“Hey, Bunga!” Julio’s voice called out from the ground. “Dinner’s ready! Stop brooding and get down here before Tanya burns the stew again!”

JULIO

“I’m coming!” Bunga shouted back, his lips twitching into a faint smile. He hopped off the roof with practiced ease, landing lightly and making his way toward the base.

Inside the dining hall, the air was alive with chatter and laughter. Soldiers gathered around tables, swapping stories and filling their plates with a hodgepodge of food. Tanya stood near the stove, glaring at Julio, who was pretending to inspect her cooking with a critical eye.

“Relax, Tanya,” Julio teased, smirking. “I’m just making sure it’s edible this time.”

TANYA

Tanya rolled her eyes, brandishing a wooden spoon. “Say one more word, and this spoon’s going where the sun doesn’t shine.”

“Now, now,” Bunga interrupted as he slid into a seat. “Play nice. We’ve got to conserve our energy for tomorrow.”

Julio plopped down beside him, grinning. “Tanya’s cooking might be the only thing deadlier than the Darthjaws.”

Tanya “You are going to be sleeping alone tonignt Julio”.

Julio drops to his knees, dramatically cries kissing her feet “No not the day before war babe, I may never see you again”.

Tanya soaks in his begging.

The room erupted into laughter, though Bonny, seated across from Bunga, nudged her plate closer to him, her cheeks tinged pink. “I think it’s good... You should try it, Bunga.”

“Thanks, Bonny,” Bunga said with a warm smile as he took a bite, eliciting a nervous giggle from her.

Meanwhile, Kine and Cidfree were arm-wrestling at the far end of the room, their shouts of encouragement drowning out the hum of conversation. Tanya joined in, cheering for Kine while Gray and Dream bet on who would win. Even in the face of tomorrow’s uncertainty, the soldiers clung to moments like these, finding comfort in each other’s company.

Later that evening, the soldiers scattered across the base, each finding solace in their own way before the battle.

In the hangar, Julio and Tanya worked on Julio’s roach. “You know,” Julio said, tightening a bolt, “I’m gonna miss tinkering with this thing if tomorrow’s our last ride.”

Tanya handed him a wrench, her usual sharpness softened by the quiet moment. “Don’t talk like that. You’ve got the best roach in the squad. Just focus on keeping it that way.”

Nearby, Kine and Cidfree tossed a makeshift football back and forth, their laughter echoing through the vast space. “Last game before we crush some Darthjaws!” Kine shouted, spinning the ball in his hands.

Bonny sat on a crate, sketching in a small notebook. Her pencil moved quickly, capturing the faces of her squadmates. She paused, glancing toward Bunga, who was seated a few feet away, staring at his roach. “Hey,” she called out, “do you think I’ll have time to finish this after tomorrow?”

Bunga turned, smiling faintly. “You’ll have plenty of time. Just make sure to get my good side.”

Bonny blushed and returned to her sketching, muttering, “Every side is your good side.”

Bunga’s cheeks visibly fire red.

Two other pilots, Dream and Gray took to the roof, watching the stars. “Think there’s anyone out there?” Dream asked, gesturing to the vast sky.

“Darthjaws are scary enough,” Gray replied, chuckling. “I don’t want to think about aliens too.”

The sky above the Canary District was a blanket of stars, their light reflecting faintly off the metallic frames of the roaches lined up in the base. Bunga and Julio sat on the edge of the hangar roof, their legs swinging idly as they looked out over the village. The sounds of the others celebrating in the distance had faded, leaving the two in peaceful quiet.

“You ever think about what’s next?” Julio asked, breaking the silence. He leaned back on his hands, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

“Next?” Bunga repeated, his tone neutral.

“Yeah, after all this. When the Darthjaws are gone, and we’ve reclaimed Silva and Saffron. What are you gonna do?” Julio grinned, his usual cocky attitude softened by the moment. “Me? I’m gonna raise a family with Tanya. Teach our kids about how the Authariens rose from the ashes and built the greatest kingdom this world has ever seen.”

Bunga smirked faintly. “Big dreams, huh?”

Julio nodded, laughing. “You bet. And you? What do you want?”

Bunga shrugged, glancing down at his hands. “I don’t know yet.”

Julio tilted his head, his grin turning teasing. “Any pretty lady in mind? Come on, there’s gotta be someone.”

Bunga hesitated, his gaze flickering briefly before he spoke, the sun beams on his eyes as they sine an unnatural errie red but unoticed by Julio. “Actually, there is someone.”

Julio’s eyes widened, and he leaned closer. “Ooh, is it Bonny? She’s got that doe-eyed look every time you’re around.”

Bunga chuckled softly. “I can’t say.”

“Hey, we’re good friends, right? You can tell me!” Julio nudged him playfully. “How about this, after we claim Silva, you tell me who she is. Deal?”

Bunga looked at Julio for a long moment, his expression unreadable. As Julio turned to look back at the horizon, Bunga murmured under his breath, “Friends. I didn’t know we were friends.”

Julio didn’t hear a word. He stood, stretching his arms and smiling at Bunga. “Alright, I’m heading in. Big day tomorrow. Don’t stay out too late, dreamer.”

Bunga “Julio, who really is our enemy?”

Julio “What do you mean, the enemy is Darthjaws and Gearheads”

Bunga “But what about the nations the authariens were repsonsible for destroying, history shows that authariens cared little for the innocent, are we truly the Heros of this world?”

Julio “Bunga, that’s just propaganda pushed on us by the Grim family, I think they are the ones behind all the oppression on our people, in the ancient days The Authariens and the Grims were the strongest standing Kingdoms on the earth but the Grims were known for always instigating war even in times of peace. We use to be a nation of hundreds of thousands and in blink of an idea our family was slaughtered”.

Bunga “I understand, sometimes I question myself in times of war, ya know?”

Julio “We all do brother, take care of yourself”.

With that, Julio walked off, leaving Bunga alone under the stars. Bunga watched him go, a faint, bittersweet smile crossing his lips.

As the base grew quieter, Bunga returned to his room. The familiar hum of machinery outside his window was oddly soothing. As he sat on his bed, the air seemed to ripple, and Veldera appeared, her presence as ethereal as ever.

“You were quiet tonight,” she said, her voice a soft melody. She moved closer, her dark eyes locking with his.

“Just thinking,” Bunga replied, leaning back against the wall. “Big day tomorrow.”

Veldera stepped closer, sitting beside him. “Amanhã não importa. O que importa é o que vem depois. Com a minha ajuda, podemos fazer mais do que recuperar Silva. Podemos conquistar o mundo inteiro.”

(Tomorrow doesn’t matter. What matters is what comes after. With my help, we can do more than reclaim Silva. We can take the whole world.)

Her words hung in the air like a promise, her eyes gleaming with an intensity that made Bunga’s chest tighten. He leaned back, laughing softly, though the sound carried a tinge of unease “I don’t know what you just said, I’m black American, english lady, english” He nonchalantly jokenly points his finger in her face.

Veldera gently bites his finger. Bunga chuckles.

“Conquistar o mundo inteiro? Você tem grandes sonhos, Veldera.” Bunga said.

Take the whole world? You’ve got big dreams, Veldera.

Veldera “Your Portugese is getting better”.

Bunga “I learned from the best”.

She smiled, teasing him by continuing to speak Portuguese, She rubs her hands through his Afro. “Com você ao meu lado, eles podem se tornar realidade.” (With you by my side, they can become reality.)

Bunga shook his head, amused yet cautious, his laughter fading into the quiet of the night.Bunga chuckled, shaking his head. “You and your world domination dreams. You’re worse than Julio.”

She leaned in, pressing her lips to his in a fleeting kiss. When she pulled back, there was a smile on her face, equal parts mischievous and tender. “Don’t you want to make me happy?”

Bunga laughed again, this time louder. “Veldera my love. Whatever you want I will give it to you.”

As she faded back into the shadows, Bunga stared at the ceiling, her words lingering in his mind. Tomorrow loomed large, but tonight, he allowed himself a sliver of peace.