A/N!: I've decided to kick reason to the curb and try an AU POV fic, as I want to use all of the characters I can, I want to make new connections between characters that never met, and most of all, I wanna play Adiane, Cytomander, and Guame, damn it! I have no idea where this fic is going. A plot will develop eventually. I'm just afraid that I might end up pulling an Ouran, in which every adventure doesn't have to connect.
To Avoid Confusion: Pre-Time skip, Kamina is alive, as are the Three Generals, and Nia is in the picture, still unaware that she was abandoned. This takes place a little while after they kill Thymilph. I guess you can say that this is a 'Kamina didn't die' fic.
+Is it Our Nature?+
A dauntless breeze brushed upon the rugged terrain, with every gust picking up a thicket of golden sand and tip-tapping against Byakou, or more accurately, the Dai-Ganzan. The ship ganmen was somewhat of a trophy for the Dai-Gurren Brigade, as they'd sacrificed so much to obtain it and still had no remorse for their actions. Simon's pleading tears and Yoko's lack of breath seemed to morph into somewhat of a cloud overhead, shielding the pouring rain that reminded them that this was a reality that night as they stared at their dying bro. Nothing more valuable could've been lost than their precious leader, the man who kicked all reason to the curb and let his headstrong manly beliefs guide his every whim. At times like those, the men could only question if something so terrible could be a reality. Why today? Why now? It just cannot be. The desperation in their spirits forced themselves to deny any fatal injuries on their beloved captain, and as they refused to give up, once more Simon had saved his brother from an imminent death. Kamina would not give on up life. He would not give up on the surface. He would not give up on Simon.
Now, as time had passed and all shaken guts from the triumphant crew settled, they relaxed within their quarters as Kinon ad Leeron navigated the massive reward towards the Spiral Capital. Rossiu joined Gimmy and Dari on the lower levels in light-hearted games, Simon and Nia exchanging ideas and human customs in the rear, and a heavy commotion within with the rest of the men from the crew.
"Like hell I'm gonna let you call any of the shots around here! I'm the leader, so you listen to what I say!"
"You think you're so smart! If it wasn't for me, you still would've been lying in the mud, bleedin' like a worthless animal carcass!"
"S'cuze me, big shot? I'm gonna make you eat those words!"
"Try it, tough guy!"
"Can you guys calm down and sort this out like men, or do I have to be a referee every damn day?"
From within the main control room, Kamina and Kittan again bumped heads. Since their big accomplishment with Thymilph, their overbearing and controlling natures made them one in the same, though it was hardly a good thing when only one of them could have a seat of power. Yoko, standing near the doorway, rested two fists on her hips, staring angrily at the two as if she were their mother. Blankly, they turned to face her, forgetting their argument as they were startled by an outside voice. The others had simply let them duke it out, so they weren't used to any voice other than a bellowing man's.
"Oh, come on, Yoko!" Kamina shouted, a whole-hearted smile beaming his confident face as usual, and he mocked her stance. "This is how men fight their battles!" The look that Yoko shot back to him made it clear that she did not agree, but instead of discouraging the man, he smiled wider, and pushed Kittan aside to stand in the middle of the room. "Can't you quit your whining for ten minutes and let the big boys figure this out?"
"Why you—" Kittan spat, stumbling towards Kiyoh and Kiyal, his two sisters who inwardly giggled and kept him from falling back and embarrassing himself further. Already, they spied a shade of pink across his angry cheeks. "Don't you push me!" Stomping towards his rival, he got as close as he could, a scowl on his face and their foreheads bumping, pushing back each of their bangs and slightly covering their eyes. "I can take you any day of the week!"
"Try me, I'd love to— Uhh!" Falling back, each of the men's riveting expressions changed to slight confusion as one of Yoko's hands rested on each of their faces. In between, she displayed a look of severe irritance.
"You guys aren't men, you're boys. Simon shows more maturity than you two combined, and he's just a kid." She sighed, then let them go. "It looks like he's more of a man than you two combined."
"She's got you there, macho man." Leeron sniggered from his seat, twisting around in a snake-like motion and winking a green-shadowed eyelid. The arguing men's jaws tightened as they inched slightly away from the creepy man woman.
"Don't be jealous, toots." Kamina started again, taking a hold of the red-haired woman's chin and lifting it towards his mocking face. Immediately, Yoko's expression changed from annoyance to shock, and she quite obviously blushed. This made Kittan's eyebrow twitch angrily. "Just 'cause I'm not paying attention to you doesn't mean I don't think about'cha."
For a moment, the two stood stationary, the girl's arms unsure of where to go and Kamina waiting for her to agree and accept him as her manly-man in his favor. Sadly, she regained her grumpy composure and shoved him off of her with minimal force.
"Don't flatter yourself." She grumbled, her voice displaying slight fluster. Kittan chewed angrily on his lower lip, crossing his arms and flexing them in a most manly way. Kamina was trying to upstage him!
"There you go again, using your chick as leverage." He huffed, pressing his lips together and furrowing his massive brow angrily. "You just can't look cool on your own, so you need to make it look like she's on your side. Phooey!" pointing a menacing finger towards Kamina, he raised his booming voice again. "You're nothing but a coward, like your weakling little brother!"
Now, a nerve had been struck, and Kamina finished his silent giggling to glare heavily at Kittan. Again, the two were face-to-face, and Yoko had lost all drive to stop them.
"Simon's no weakling!" Kamina roared, beads of saliva falling onto the slightly shorter man's face, though he did not even blink. "He's a helluva lot more of a man than you! He and I are partners, and you're just an underling!"
"I'm no underling to a freakin' pre-teen!" This had evolved into a duel of who could yell the loudest. "I could pilot Lagann double as well as he could!"
"I'd like to see you try, blondie!"
"Fine, than you will!"
"Then go!"
"I will!"
"You're still standin' here!"
"Wait 'til combat, smart one!"
"What about King Kittan?" Kiyoh blinked towards her brother, catching his attention. Knowing those two, this was no ordinary 'I'd bet' match. They would really go the lengths as to destroy Lagann just to prove a silly point.
Kittan grinned, and the two men pulled apart. "Simon can drive 'em!" He announced, a finger pointed towards the heavens in a matter-of-fact statement. "It's not something that little boy can't handle."
Kiyoh's eyes sank a bit. That sounded… mindlessly destructive. Nonetheless, she knew that there was no fighting her big brother once his mind was made up. With a sigh, she shrugged and turned back around in her swiveling chair.
Simon and Nia"What is that stuff dancing with the air?" Like an airy tune, Nia's voice rang pleasantly through her fiend's ears, though he could not bring himself to smile. She stared out the back of the balcony of the ganmen, hands on the railing as her long cloudy hair fell back into Simon's eyes, as well as a little sand. Accordingly, he rubbed his eyes lightly and approached the railing beside her.
"It's the surface." He replied. 'Sand' was not a word in his vocabulary, and he understood that it was not like dirt, something he was very familiar with. The boy's voice was coaxing to the girl's ears, and smiling lightly, she turned to face him and listen to his wisdom. "This is what bro and I saw when we came up in Lagann. It's all we've seen so far, and I think it's beautiful." Unable to hold back another grin, he turned to look towards Nia, discovering that she had been staring back. Again, he became a bit more reserved, biting his lower lip and scratching the back of his head. A nervous chuckle escaped him.
"Simon," Nia started again. She blinked quickly, excited by her best friend's company.
"Oh. Yeah, Nia?" He choked, fascinated by her total comfort with the situation. She seemed so careless, even though she'd been thrown off of a cliff in a box only to be attacked by a giant robot that she'd never even heard of before. He didn't understand that she trusted him so much to protect her, thus making her comfortable. Bro always made him take care of himself in a pinch, to muster his won willpower and not rely on the help of others.
"Why do you keep rubbing your eye?" She pointed lightly towards his one drooping eyelid. The sand was not letting up, and it was starting to blow rather hard. Squeaking lightly before he could answer, she slapped both hands on her eyes and took a step backwards. "My eyes are stinging! What's happening?"
Simon blinked after rubbing a bit more as he marveled at the girl. She was so undeniably cute, he just didn't understand it. Was it possible that she was an alien of sorts, or maybe even a beastman? Her eyes were certainly a strange color, as was her hair. She seemed to resemble nature. Upon realizing that she was in distress, however, he took a hold of her wrist and started trotting towards the indoors.
"Here, I'll make it go away," he gasped lowly, taking her inside to see Rossiu, Gimmy, and Dari. She entered the ganmen's interior and felt no more breeze as Simon shut the door behind her and leaned a bit towards her to try and inspect her eyes. 'I'll make it go away,' was such a perfect comment. Simon had made everything go away so far. He was like her protector, her 'bro' as he'd called Kamina. Maybe he was acting that way towards her to repay his 'bro' in an indirect way. Despite her naïveté, Nia was not stupid. She could but a psychological two and two together.
"It hurts, Simon!" she whined a bit more, rubbing vigorously with two closed fists. She felt each of Simon's hands holding her wrists and trying to pry them away, but he was too afraid to pull, as he saw her as delicate. She would not let up.
"You need to stop rubbing. We'll wash out your eyes." He promised, worry in his as he'd already gotten the sand from his eyes. Rossiu blinked, a bit confused at the situation.
"Did she get dirt in her eyes?" He questioned innocently, a bit afraid of intrusion. Glancing at the boy he hadn't noticed before, Simon's mouth made the shape of a little 'o'.
"Yeah." He responded shakily, then trailed his gaze to see Gimmy and Dari staring up at him with opposite expressions. Gimmy smiled almost as widely as Kamina, but Dari's face remained entirely nonchalant.
"Did you hurt her?" Gimmy asked, despite the fact that he'd already said what happened to her. "Why'd you hurt her, Simon?"
"It's not nice to put dirt in people's eyes." Dari added.
"Simon, you put it in my eyes?" Nia questioned. Eyes widening, Simon began to panic a bit.
"No, I didn't do it to you. I said I'd help you!" His voice changed noticeably to the temporarily blind Nia. She took a moment to slow her rubbing, then tried to open her eyes, but only accomplishing halfway as she took her fists halfway away. Oh,that's right, he made bad things go away. Smiling lightly, she nodded.
"I think I got most of it, Simon."
"But it's really be best if you.."
"I'll be fine!" The girl's voice became a bit more chipper as she flashed him a cheery smile and a giggle to accompany it. Staring at the white-haired girl, the boy was a bit taken back. There she went again, being inhumanly cute…
"Kamina and Kittan have been fighting." Rossiu started, catching the others' attention.
"Kamina's the man!" Gimmy roared, punching the air as he pretended to be his idol. "Kittan's got nothing on him!"
Simon nodded, smiling a little bit. "Yeah. He is." He said nervously, then sighed a bit. "I just know that if I go up there, he's gonna pull me into it."
"I think he already has." Rossiu giggled nervously. Uh-oh, it was time to worry.
"How do you know?" Simon questioned. He was dreading the answer.
"They were so loud, I heard them making a bet that Kittan couldn't pilot Lagann. I think he's going to steal your ganmen for a fight."
Sighing of relief, Simon smiled a bit once more. "That's not so bad," he laughed. "So long as he doesn't get himself killed trying."
"There haven't been any super strong ganmen out there," Rossiu shrugged. "I wouldn't worry."
"Thanks, Rossiu," Simon nodded to his friend. Starting up the metal staircase, he offered a quick smile and looked back towards Nia with a brighter one. "Are you coming, Nia? I was going to check on my bro."
Nia smiled back, still rubbing one of her eyes, and blinking the other profusely. Simon had such an obvious bond with Kamina that it was something more she admired in him. He was the underdog that the strong man believed in, and he had just as much spirit. Kittan didn't see it, but she and Kamina were the only two to believe in him. She believed in him more than she'd even even believed in herself. He'd become somewhat of an idol.
"Of course!"
Upon reaching the control room, Simon meekly opened the door. He could hear Kittan and Kamina, along with the occasional Yoko and dreaded the drama that would break out as he entered the room. Staring worriedly, he turned back to see Nia following close behind, her eyes still struggling a bit, but her posture as good as ever, as well as that enchanting smile.
"Go ahead, Simon. Open the door!"
Her words were always so inviting, always so positive. She believed in him, he could sense it, and he couldn't help but offer back a whole-hearted grin as he turned the knob.
"SIMON!" Kamina roared, knocking the grin off of the puny boy's face as an arm wrapped around his neck and began cutting off his breathing supply. "I've got another challenge for you, little bro! Tell me you're ready for this one!"
"Aniki, I—" Simon started, clenching his hands over Kamina's muscular arm and attempting to make him loosen up a bit so that he could breathe, but to no avail.
"Don't even bother answering, Simon!" the man laughed. "I know you are! A man's always ready for whatever obstacles are laid in front of him!"
"Kamina, please," the boy's voice grew weaker as he choked out the minimal speech. Both Nia and Yoko held faces of slight uncertainty. Was he breathing? More and more, he began paling up a bit.
"You'll be piloting King Kittan to show that big-mouth how a real Dai-Gurren does it!"
"Kamina, I think you're hurting him." Dayakka finally spoke for the worried women, his face a bit entertained, but also a bit off-balance.
"NONSENSE!" The man roared, tightening his hold on Simon's neck and lifting him from the ground. The boy attempted to gasp, but could not make a sound. His face displayed pure struggle, and his hands were desperate to loosen Kamina's hold. Kamina was still unaware, as he stared at Dayakka as if to prove him wrong. Finally, Kittan to the rescue took Simon from the man's hands by the back of his jacket. The boy gasped greatly for air, placing hands by his throat as he panted in relief.
"If you kill 'em, we won't be able to prove who's the better pilot!" Kittan exclaimed, then poked the boy's back sharply, causing Simon to stumble foreword a little. "But there's really no contest. He's as tough as a marshmallow!"
"Simon is a hero!" Nia argued. Kamina, who had already stricken a pose, turned his attention to the little girl in surprise. Her face looked a bit insecure, but also very sure of what she was saying. "He can drive anything he wants to because he has fighting spirit!"
"WHAT THE GIRL SAYS!" Kamina bellowed, placing a hand on the girl's fluffy head. "He's a real man! More than we can say about you!"
Simon blinked in the direction of his two closest friends. Nia and Kamina, side by side, fighting for his honor. As touched as he was, he could not smile; he wasn't so sure about that.
"I don't know, you guys," he shrugged, looking to his feet and playing with his fingers. "I've never piloted anything but Lagann before, and I think I can only do that because I'm so used to drills."
"SIMON," Kamina growled, catching the boy's eyes. "Do I need to knock some sense into you again?! You're driving that good-for-nothing yellow junk-heap next time, and you're gonna show this loser how it's done, no questions! Where'd that fighting spirit?!"
With a slight pout, the boy lowered his chin and sighed. He had no choice in the matter. Looking towards first Kamina, then Nia who was still blinking and squinting, he nodded.
"Okay, I'll do it."
"THAT'S my bro!" Kamina laughed, slapping the boy on the back and nearly making him topple over again with a loud slap noise. Yoko shook her head; he was just a boy, but had proven himself more than once. She would not object. Besides, it's just one battle. It's not like they'd be fighting the Helix King next, as they were far from the capital. If they were in a pinch, she would be sure to have her rifle handy. Nia seemed to have a lot of faith in him. She looked so confident, and cute as always. Something was strange, though.
"Nia, are your eyes okay?" the woman questioned, lifting her chin a bit to further inspect. Looking up to Yoko, Nia was surprised to be asked such a question. After a moment, she gave a polite smile.
"Yes, Miss Yoko." She smiled widely. "Simon just got the surface in my eye!"
"Eh?" Simon blinked towards Nia. He got the surface in her eye? Didn't he make it clear that he didn't do that??
"SIMON," Kittan and Kamina again. Could matters get any more… ridiculous? Two two took either side of the boy, placing hands on his shoulders and pinching, causing the boy to wince.
"You got dirt in her eye?!"
"Why would you do that?!"
"You're supposed to protect the weak, not injure them!"
"What kind of man hurts a poor, defenseless girl??"
"I didn't do it to her, it was the wind!! How could I get to the surface, anyway??"
"Simon'll fix it!" Nia continued, her smile as sweet and vacant as ever. The three boys stopped their mindless quibbling and turned to her once more.
"Ehh?"
"Simon already helped me get most of it out. He didn't try to hurt me." The girl offered a giggle, a fist by her chin as she enjoyed the liveliness in the room. She was so adorable, the entire Dai-Gurren Brigade was smitten. "He's my 'bro', too!"
A/N!: Well, that's just setting up. It's gonna be fun making Kittan and Simon switch places, hurr hurr. Each chapter will alternate between good guys and bad guys. The next chapter will be Cytomander, Guame, Viral, and Adiane! 3