Lady Starfarer
By KatLady86
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing (though I'd like to…), but I do own this story and Minami Kamikaze Yoshiro. Don't flame me, but any other response is appreciated.
"These are the files you requested, sir." The underling set the folders down on the desk and saluted sharply, as though oblivious to the fact that his superior's back was to him.
"Are they the only copies left?" The question was made to seem casual, but it was undeniably rimmed with a sense of urgency.
"Yes, sir." The junior officer cleared his throat. "Any other copies were destroyed long ago, during the last clean-out, I believe."
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me, sir. It's a pleasure and an honor."
The man behind the desk made a dismissive gesture with his right hand, as though this was the sort of thing he heard all the time. "That's all I need from you, soldier. Dismissed."
The officer saluted again and turned smartly out, shutting the door behind him. Only after he was several minutes gone did Zechs turn to the desk and pick up the folder. He opened it, leafed through it for a moment, then found what he was looking for. It was the photograph of a young girl, no more that sixteen or seventeen years old. Her hair was long and dark brown, streaked with golden blond as though she had spent much time in the sun. She was sitting on a crumbling wall by a beach. It seemed as though the photo had been attempted to be taken without her knowledge. Despite the photographer's efforts, she was staring straight into the lens. But it was her eyes that caught and held him. They were deep, haunting blue, with splotches of teal green. There was a feeling of power barely held in check lurking behind those eyes.
"So," he whispered. "Are you really her? Are you my little Mina-chan?"
He searched the remainder of the folder, but still kept a tight hold on the photograph. He sighed, as though unsatisfied with what else the file contained. With a touch of reluctance, he returned the photo to the folder and tucked the folder in a drawer, locking it shut. Tucking the key into his pocket, he sank wearily into his chair.
He hadn't been there for more than a few moments when the young officer burst into the room. "Preventer Wind, sir!", he shouted, adding a sloppy salute as an afterthought. "There's an attack on the base ten miles from here! It…It looks like a Gundam, sir!"
Zechs launched himself from the chair. "Which one?", he demanded.
"Um…It's…It's not one we've ever seen before, sir. It's…It's a new Gundam!", the soldier stuttered.
Zechs took a deep breath. "A new Gundam," he murmured to be sure he'd heard correctly. "Well, then. It's time to see which side of the line this one is on."
Zechs had barely arrived in Tallgeese when the sixth Gundam began firing at him. "I suppose I expected as much," he muttered, and returned fire. The new Gundam was unlike any he'd seen or fought before. It was more maneuverable than the others, almost more so than his own. He leveled his beam cannon and fired, only to have the Gundam dodge smoothly out of the way.
The battle raged on for over an hour, but the new Gundam was gradually being penned in by Tallgeese and the Leos. "Gundam Zero Six!", Zechs yelled over the main speakers. "Surrender now! Things will go much easier for you if you give up!"
Suddenly, there was a soft chuckle and the comm-unit in Tallgeese flickered on. On the vid-screen, there was an image of a mobile suit pilot. The pilot wore a simple, battered brown flight jacket and tinted goggles over his eyes. "Come, come, Zechs. You don't really think I'm giving up, do you?"
Zechs gaped in shock. "Who…Who the hell are you?!? This is a secure line!"
The pilot chuckled again. "Was a secure line, Colonel. WAS. It's a pleasure to see you, sir, though I wish the circumstances were different. Forgive me, Colonel. Engage EMP."
The Gundam raised its arm, a panel slid aside, and something resembling a satellite dish rose out of the compartment. There was a strange sound and the Gundam swung the dish in a circle, aiming it at the Leos and Tallgeese . Not sure what the dish was but not liking it either, Zechs tried to move the suit out of the way. The controls didn't respond.
"What…What the hell have you done?!?", he demanded.
The pilot sighed. "Sorry, Mil. Just doing my job."
"Wha….What did you call me?", Zechs whispered.
"Do you really have to ask? I thought you of all people would remember me." The pilot tugged the goggles off his face to reveal….a pair of haunting blue and teal eyes. She smiled. "Hi, Zechs Merquise. Or should I say, Miliardo Peacecraft. Either way…It's really nice to see you again."
"Mi….Mina-chan?…Mina-chan….Oh my God….Mina-chan!"
Something glittered in the girl's eyes for a moment. "Yeah, it's me. Good old Minami Yoshiro. Your Mina-chan…….I'm…I…I have to go, Mil…Good….Good-bye…" She swiped the back of her hand roughly across her eyes and cut the transmission.
Zechs stared at the vacant vid-screen in shock. "Mina-chan….Mina-chan!!!" Static answered him.
"Zechs….Come in, Zechs……Oh, God…Zechs! Answer me!!"
Zechs jerked bolt upright and looked around frantically. His eyes came to rest on the vid-screen, where a worried Noin was staring out at him. "Wha…Noin? What's going on?"
She gave an exasperated sigh. "Nothing…Just that all the Leos out there with you, and Tallgeese for that matter, are frozen stiff and refuse to respond to anything."
Zechs blinked dazedly. "What do you mean 'frozen'?"
"Exactly that. They don't move at all, not even the doors. The only things that do work on the suits are the communications system and life support. A team is on its way now to pry you out of there. After that….I think we need to talk."
Zechs's brows furrowed. "About?"
"….We'll talk when you get back." Noin cut the transmission.
"So…What did you want to talk about?", Zechs asked, leaning with one hand on the desk.
Noin worked at her lower lip with her teeth. "Who……Who is Mina-chan?"
Zechs stiffened. "How do you know about her?"
Noin took a deep breath. "When I opened the link to call you and let you know help was coming, you looked unconscious. And….and you were saying 'Mina-chan…Mina-chan' over and over. And you were crying when you said it. Now, Zechs…I know….I know I'm just….I know I probably have no right to pry into your life if you don't want me to, but I have to ask you again. Who is Mina-chan?"
Zechs sighed. "Mina-chan was my nickname for a girl I knew when I was younger. She never knew the truth about my past. I…I was going to tell her…but she moved away. Time went by, then one day I got a call. She had seen Miliardo Peacecraft on a vid-cast and was wondering if he'd ever known a girl by the name of Minami Yoshiro. That was the first time I'd talked to her in years. After that, we sent notes once or twice, just to let the other know we were still alive. But it's been almost a year since I've seen her….until today."
"Where was she?", Noin asked.
"Piloting that Gundam."
Noin gasped. "Oh my God."
Zechs went to the drawer, unlocked it, and removed the folder. Almost cautiously, he took out the picture and handed it to Noin. "That's her. I…I suspected this might be her…and now I know. I…I want to see her again…but…I wonder….It's been a long time….I wonder if we've changed too much…"
Noin grasped him firmly by the shoulders. "If she is as good a friend as you say….It'll all work out. Go see her."
He looked to her a moment for reassurance, then nodded.
The girl walked slowly into the restaurant, slid to the back, and took an unassuming seat at the end of the bar. She ordered a drink and idly traced patterns on the countertop until it arrived. After that, she twirled her straw casually, pausing intermittently to take a sip. It wasn't long before she noticed someone sitting beside her.
Almost apologetically, she picked up her drink and said softly, "I'm…sorry. I didn't know anyone was sitting down here. I'll leave you alone…"
She got ready to leave when the person asked, "What made you think I wanted to be alone?"
She shrugged and sat back down. "I don't know. Maybe since you were sitting down here where hardly anyone is. Maybe since I don't know how you got here in the first place. I mean, I know you weren't there when I sat down but I know you didn't just walk up. That means you were sneaky. Sneaky people usually don't want any company."
"How do you know I wasn't sneaky just so I could get down here to talk to you?"
She snorted and twirled her straw. "Because if you wanted to talk to me, you would have done it by now."
"What do you think I'm doing now?"
She opened her mouth, snapped it shut, then muttered, "Being sneaky, if you want my opinion."
The person chuckled. The girl's brain raced. *Okay. Young male, roughly my age. A little cocky…like pilot cocky…..* She cut her eyes to the left. *Brown hair…long brown hair…Eye color indeterminate, wearing sunglasses…Hm, smart move…Doesn't appear to have brought any friends with him…Wait…Who's the blonde?*
She looked up as a young man about her age entered the restaurant and strode purposefully to the back. *Hm, spoke too soon.* "Nice meeting you," she said quickly, and headed for the front door.
"'Scuse me," she added, brushing past the blonde. He shrugged and took the stool she'd been sitting on.
"Who was that?", he asked.
"Beats the hell outta me, Quatre. Beats the hell outta me."
Wufei looked up slightly as the door to the dojo opened. A girl walked in, checking to the left and right as she entered. He cocked his head to one side, puzzled as to why she did so. Apparently satisfied with her quick appraisal, she strode over to the nearest punching bag and began firing high kicks at it. Unlike the other people in the dojo, with each attack, the girl said nothing. No shouts, no cries, nothing at all. Just the steady rhythm of her feet and fists striking the bag.
Almost without his notice, a man walked up beside Wufei. "Ah," he murmured. "So she came back."
"What do you mean?", Wufei asked.
The man shrugged. "She's one of our regulars….or irregulars, I guess you could say. She comes in every so often; sometimes every other day, sometimes only once a month. But she always comes. Sooner or later, she always comes."
"Does she have a name?"
"Not that we know of," the man replied. "Some people call her 'Kami', they say you'd have to be immortal to fight like her. Others call her 'Kamikaze', they say she takes too many risks."
"What kind of risks?", Wufei wondered.
"Nobody knows. It's just….after you see people who take constant risks like we do….you can pick up on the signs. Especially in her eyes…and the way she fights. It's always like she's paying someone back for something. Something hurts that girl…and she keeps going back for more."
Wufei watched her fight for a moment longer. Gradually, he realized she was watching him out of the corner of her eye. He cut his gaze away, aware that a smirk was gradually spreading across her face.
Suddenly, Kamikaze was standing next to him. "You interested in sparring?"
Wufei blinked in shock. "Um…I…Yes."
Kamikaze smiled. "I hoped so." Before he knew it, Wufei was down on the ground and Kami was standing over him, grinning. "I should have told you. I move fast."
Wufei snorted wryly and wiped a smear of red from the corner of his mouth. "Fast indeed," he muttered. Leaping to his feet, he threw a roundhouse kick at Kami's head. She smiled as she ducked and threw her shoulder to the floor, rolling out of reach. She shot her leg out, caught him around the ankles, and knocked him to the floor. With a smile of triumph, Kami scrambled to her feet and planted one foot on Wufei's chest.
"Thank you for a nice warm up, Shenlong's boy," she said softly. "Watch your back." The corners of her mouth quirked in a slightly larger grin. With that, she turned and walked out of the dojo.
Mina turned sharply right after leaving the dojo and headed for the beach. *I need to clear my head,* she thought. *I can't believe it! Three of them are here! Yes! This means everything can finally get in motion. We have a chance now. We can do this. I just need two more and this will be a very good day. *
She walked briskly down the shoreline, letting the waves come up to the edge of her feet. Letting her eyes wander down the sand, she spotted someone sitting just off the high tide line. Squinting a little, her suspicions were confirmed. *Four down, one to go.*
She walked casually further down the shoreline, kicking at the sand half-heartedly. Reaching the figure, she stopped, standing just behind the person's right shoulder. "Beautiful, isn't it?", she whispered.
Without looking back at her, the person replied, "Stay away from me."
Mina looked a little amused. "Oh, really? And why should I do that?"
"Because I'm a dangerous man."
Mina chuckled softly. "Dangerous man, hm? Dangerous boy, I could believe. But dangerous man…" She cocked her head to one side and studied him. "No…that's not right at all."
He turned and looked up at her, a puzzled expression written across his face. "What do you mean by that?"
She shook her head. "Nothing….nothing at all."
"What's your name, anyway?", he demanded.
She paused, biting her lower lip nervously. *Should I tell him? Oh, God…He can't use it against me…He wouldn't know how…But still…Anonymity is a nice thing to have…No! No…I have to tell him the truth…I owe him…I owe him that much.* "My name's Mina. What's yours?"
He paused, uncertainty flaring in his eyes. *Ah,* she mused, *not surprising he doesn't trust me, either. I wonder what he'll say, though it doesn't really matter…I know without him telling me*
"My name is Heero."
"Got a last name?"
"Do you?"
Mina smiled. "I'll let you have that one."
Suddenly, she spotted motion out of the corner of her eye. Whipping her head to the right, she saw the boy from the dojo walking purposefully up the beach. "Heero!", he called. Heero looked over at him, nodded vaguely, then resumed watching the ocean.
Mina kept throwing nervous glances at the other boy. "Nice meeting you," she said hurriedly and sprinted down the beach, up the boardwalk, and on to the street. Heero watched her curiously as she left. Wufei walked up beside him. "That's the girl I met in the dojo," he said softly. "They called her Kamikaze."
Heero shook his head, ignoring the random connections part of his mind tried to make. "She has a name. It's Mina. At least, that's what she told me."
Wufei looked interested. "She talked to you? All she did for me was knock me on my ass."
Heero smirked. "You probably earned it."
Wufei sighed and shook his head. "Thanks a lot."
"You're welcome."
Mina skidded to a stop as she reached the street. From there, she walked slowly and casually, as to attract less attention. She headed down the street, feeling the now familiar shape of the key in her pocket. *I'll go home,* she decided. *I'll go home, rest, then I'll try and root out the last one tomorrow. After that, I'll tell them what they need to know. And then…I'll be on my way. One more mission down, and nothing more. Just another notch on the belt and another myth for the legacy of the great Kamikaze Yoshiro.*
She let her eyes wander at the closed shops along the boardwalk and almost missed it. It was an alley, nothing unusual there. There was a group of boys standing crowded in it; again, nothing unusual. But there was something out of place. They were beating something. Mina paused, sticking her head around the corner. She could see it better now. It was rather large, whatever it….Her stomach flip-flopped as she realized it was a person. The person, she could see it was a boy now, raised his head feebly, eyes half closed. She gasped softly as those eyes pierced her. They were a soft blue-gray that held her fast. She couldn't just leave him there…She had to do something…Her mind snapped back and forth, replacing the boy before her with another she'd once known and cared about. *I…I can't let him die…because…because they will kill him. I know they will…if I don't stop them.*
"HEY!", she barked, leaping into the alley. The boys' heads whipped around, then they began to snicker.
"It's a girl!"
"Whatcha gonna do, chicky? Beat us with your powderpuff?"
"No, no! Better one! She's gonna give us make-overs until we beg for mercy!"
She smirked. "You wish. Leave him alone or I'm gonna be forced to get out Misty."
This only made them laugh louder. "Misty?!? What the hell's that? Your attack poodle?", one in sunglasses demanded.
Before they realized it, she'd shot the sunglasses clean off the boy's face. "This," she said, gesturing to her gun, "is Misty; a 340 Mitsubishi special. Now, gentlemen. You all seem reasonable people of moderate intelligence. Perhaps I better get to the point and make this easier for you. Get the hell out of here before I put a bullet through your heads.."
It took no more urging on Mina's part. The group of boys tore out of the alley without a backward glance. Mina smiled and turned back to the beaten boy. Kneeling beside him, she wrapped her arms around him and helped him sit up. "I know this is gonna sound like a stupid question," she began, "but are you okay?"
He smiled weakly. "I'm…better, thanks."
"Can you stand up?"
"I…I guess….with help…"
"No problem. My place is just up the street. We can go there and get you cleaned up."
The boy frowned slightly. "What about a hospital?"
She cocked head to one side. "Do you really want to go to a hospital?"
He cut his eyes away. "No…"
"Too much paperwork, right?", she guessed.
He smiled. "Yeah…and too many questions."
She nodded. "I know what you mean."
******
That's all for now. You'll have to go to part two for more. I just love suspense, don't you?
See ya next time! Ja ne! ^_^ \/
KatLady86
By KatLady86
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing (though I'd like to…), but I do own this story and Minami Kamikaze Yoshiro. Don't flame me, but any other response is appreciated.
"These are the files you requested, sir." The underling set the folders down on the desk and saluted sharply, as though oblivious to the fact that his superior's back was to him.
"Are they the only copies left?" The question was made to seem casual, but it was undeniably rimmed with a sense of urgency.
"Yes, sir." The junior officer cleared his throat. "Any other copies were destroyed long ago, during the last clean-out, I believe."
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me, sir. It's a pleasure and an honor."
The man behind the desk made a dismissive gesture with his right hand, as though this was the sort of thing he heard all the time. "That's all I need from you, soldier. Dismissed."
The officer saluted again and turned smartly out, shutting the door behind him. Only after he was several minutes gone did Zechs turn to the desk and pick up the folder. He opened it, leafed through it for a moment, then found what he was looking for. It was the photograph of a young girl, no more that sixteen or seventeen years old. Her hair was long and dark brown, streaked with golden blond as though she had spent much time in the sun. She was sitting on a crumbling wall by a beach. It seemed as though the photo had been attempted to be taken without her knowledge. Despite the photographer's efforts, she was staring straight into the lens. But it was her eyes that caught and held him. They were deep, haunting blue, with splotches of teal green. There was a feeling of power barely held in check lurking behind those eyes.
"So," he whispered. "Are you really her? Are you my little Mina-chan?"
He searched the remainder of the folder, but still kept a tight hold on the photograph. He sighed, as though unsatisfied with what else the file contained. With a touch of reluctance, he returned the photo to the folder and tucked the folder in a drawer, locking it shut. Tucking the key into his pocket, he sank wearily into his chair.
He hadn't been there for more than a few moments when the young officer burst into the room. "Preventer Wind, sir!", he shouted, adding a sloppy salute as an afterthought. "There's an attack on the base ten miles from here! It…It looks like a Gundam, sir!"
Zechs launched himself from the chair. "Which one?", he demanded.
"Um…It's…It's not one we've ever seen before, sir. It's…It's a new Gundam!", the soldier stuttered.
Zechs took a deep breath. "A new Gundam," he murmured to be sure he'd heard correctly. "Well, then. It's time to see which side of the line this one is on."
Zechs had barely arrived in Tallgeese when the sixth Gundam began firing at him. "I suppose I expected as much," he muttered, and returned fire. The new Gundam was unlike any he'd seen or fought before. It was more maneuverable than the others, almost more so than his own. He leveled his beam cannon and fired, only to have the Gundam dodge smoothly out of the way.
The battle raged on for over an hour, but the new Gundam was gradually being penned in by Tallgeese and the Leos. "Gundam Zero Six!", Zechs yelled over the main speakers. "Surrender now! Things will go much easier for you if you give up!"
Suddenly, there was a soft chuckle and the comm-unit in Tallgeese flickered on. On the vid-screen, there was an image of a mobile suit pilot. The pilot wore a simple, battered brown flight jacket and tinted goggles over his eyes. "Come, come, Zechs. You don't really think I'm giving up, do you?"
Zechs gaped in shock. "Who…Who the hell are you?!? This is a secure line!"
The pilot chuckled again. "Was a secure line, Colonel. WAS. It's a pleasure to see you, sir, though I wish the circumstances were different. Forgive me, Colonel. Engage EMP."
The Gundam raised its arm, a panel slid aside, and something resembling a satellite dish rose out of the compartment. There was a strange sound and the Gundam swung the dish in a circle, aiming it at the Leos and Tallgeese . Not sure what the dish was but not liking it either, Zechs tried to move the suit out of the way. The controls didn't respond.
"What…What the hell have you done?!?", he demanded.
The pilot sighed. "Sorry, Mil. Just doing my job."
"Wha….What did you call me?", Zechs whispered.
"Do you really have to ask? I thought you of all people would remember me." The pilot tugged the goggles off his face to reveal….a pair of haunting blue and teal eyes. She smiled. "Hi, Zechs Merquise. Or should I say, Miliardo Peacecraft. Either way…It's really nice to see you again."
"Mi….Mina-chan?…Mina-chan….Oh my God….Mina-chan!"
Something glittered in the girl's eyes for a moment. "Yeah, it's me. Good old Minami Yoshiro. Your Mina-chan…….I'm…I…I have to go, Mil…Good….Good-bye…" She swiped the back of her hand roughly across her eyes and cut the transmission.
Zechs stared at the vacant vid-screen in shock. "Mina-chan….Mina-chan!!!" Static answered him.
"Zechs….Come in, Zechs……Oh, God…Zechs! Answer me!!"
Zechs jerked bolt upright and looked around frantically. His eyes came to rest on the vid-screen, where a worried Noin was staring out at him. "Wha…Noin? What's going on?"
She gave an exasperated sigh. "Nothing…Just that all the Leos out there with you, and Tallgeese for that matter, are frozen stiff and refuse to respond to anything."
Zechs blinked dazedly. "What do you mean 'frozen'?"
"Exactly that. They don't move at all, not even the doors. The only things that do work on the suits are the communications system and life support. A team is on its way now to pry you out of there. After that….I think we need to talk."
Zechs's brows furrowed. "About?"
"….We'll talk when you get back." Noin cut the transmission.
"So…What did you want to talk about?", Zechs asked, leaning with one hand on the desk.
Noin worked at her lower lip with her teeth. "Who……Who is Mina-chan?"
Zechs stiffened. "How do you know about her?"
Noin took a deep breath. "When I opened the link to call you and let you know help was coming, you looked unconscious. And….and you were saying 'Mina-chan…Mina-chan' over and over. And you were crying when you said it. Now, Zechs…I know….I know I'm just….I know I probably have no right to pry into your life if you don't want me to, but I have to ask you again. Who is Mina-chan?"
Zechs sighed. "Mina-chan was my nickname for a girl I knew when I was younger. She never knew the truth about my past. I…I was going to tell her…but she moved away. Time went by, then one day I got a call. She had seen Miliardo Peacecraft on a vid-cast and was wondering if he'd ever known a girl by the name of Minami Yoshiro. That was the first time I'd talked to her in years. After that, we sent notes once or twice, just to let the other know we were still alive. But it's been almost a year since I've seen her….until today."
"Where was she?", Noin asked.
"Piloting that Gundam."
Noin gasped. "Oh my God."
Zechs went to the drawer, unlocked it, and removed the folder. Almost cautiously, he took out the picture and handed it to Noin. "That's her. I…I suspected this might be her…and now I know. I…I want to see her again…but…I wonder….It's been a long time….I wonder if we've changed too much…"
Noin grasped him firmly by the shoulders. "If she is as good a friend as you say….It'll all work out. Go see her."
He looked to her a moment for reassurance, then nodded.
The girl walked slowly into the restaurant, slid to the back, and took an unassuming seat at the end of the bar. She ordered a drink and idly traced patterns on the countertop until it arrived. After that, she twirled her straw casually, pausing intermittently to take a sip. It wasn't long before she noticed someone sitting beside her.
Almost apologetically, she picked up her drink and said softly, "I'm…sorry. I didn't know anyone was sitting down here. I'll leave you alone…"
She got ready to leave when the person asked, "What made you think I wanted to be alone?"
She shrugged and sat back down. "I don't know. Maybe since you were sitting down here where hardly anyone is. Maybe since I don't know how you got here in the first place. I mean, I know you weren't there when I sat down but I know you didn't just walk up. That means you were sneaky. Sneaky people usually don't want any company."
"How do you know I wasn't sneaky just so I could get down here to talk to you?"
She snorted and twirled her straw. "Because if you wanted to talk to me, you would have done it by now."
"What do you think I'm doing now?"
She opened her mouth, snapped it shut, then muttered, "Being sneaky, if you want my opinion."
The person chuckled. The girl's brain raced. *Okay. Young male, roughly my age. A little cocky…like pilot cocky…..* She cut her eyes to the left. *Brown hair…long brown hair…Eye color indeterminate, wearing sunglasses…Hm, smart move…Doesn't appear to have brought any friends with him…Wait…Who's the blonde?*
She looked up as a young man about her age entered the restaurant and strode purposefully to the back. *Hm, spoke too soon.* "Nice meeting you," she said quickly, and headed for the front door.
"'Scuse me," she added, brushing past the blonde. He shrugged and took the stool she'd been sitting on.
"Who was that?", he asked.
"Beats the hell outta me, Quatre. Beats the hell outta me."
Wufei looked up slightly as the door to the dojo opened. A girl walked in, checking to the left and right as she entered. He cocked his head to one side, puzzled as to why she did so. Apparently satisfied with her quick appraisal, she strode over to the nearest punching bag and began firing high kicks at it. Unlike the other people in the dojo, with each attack, the girl said nothing. No shouts, no cries, nothing at all. Just the steady rhythm of her feet and fists striking the bag.
Almost without his notice, a man walked up beside Wufei. "Ah," he murmured. "So she came back."
"What do you mean?", Wufei asked.
The man shrugged. "She's one of our regulars….or irregulars, I guess you could say. She comes in every so often; sometimes every other day, sometimes only once a month. But she always comes. Sooner or later, she always comes."
"Does she have a name?"
"Not that we know of," the man replied. "Some people call her 'Kami', they say you'd have to be immortal to fight like her. Others call her 'Kamikaze', they say she takes too many risks."
"What kind of risks?", Wufei wondered.
"Nobody knows. It's just….after you see people who take constant risks like we do….you can pick up on the signs. Especially in her eyes…and the way she fights. It's always like she's paying someone back for something. Something hurts that girl…and she keeps going back for more."
Wufei watched her fight for a moment longer. Gradually, he realized she was watching him out of the corner of her eye. He cut his gaze away, aware that a smirk was gradually spreading across her face.
Suddenly, Kamikaze was standing next to him. "You interested in sparring?"
Wufei blinked in shock. "Um…I…Yes."
Kamikaze smiled. "I hoped so." Before he knew it, Wufei was down on the ground and Kami was standing over him, grinning. "I should have told you. I move fast."
Wufei snorted wryly and wiped a smear of red from the corner of his mouth. "Fast indeed," he muttered. Leaping to his feet, he threw a roundhouse kick at Kami's head. She smiled as she ducked and threw her shoulder to the floor, rolling out of reach. She shot her leg out, caught him around the ankles, and knocked him to the floor. With a smile of triumph, Kami scrambled to her feet and planted one foot on Wufei's chest.
"Thank you for a nice warm up, Shenlong's boy," she said softly. "Watch your back." The corners of her mouth quirked in a slightly larger grin. With that, she turned and walked out of the dojo.
Mina turned sharply right after leaving the dojo and headed for the beach. *I need to clear my head,* she thought. *I can't believe it! Three of them are here! Yes! This means everything can finally get in motion. We have a chance now. We can do this. I just need two more and this will be a very good day. *
She walked briskly down the shoreline, letting the waves come up to the edge of her feet. Letting her eyes wander down the sand, she spotted someone sitting just off the high tide line. Squinting a little, her suspicions were confirmed. *Four down, one to go.*
She walked casually further down the shoreline, kicking at the sand half-heartedly. Reaching the figure, she stopped, standing just behind the person's right shoulder. "Beautiful, isn't it?", she whispered.
Without looking back at her, the person replied, "Stay away from me."
Mina looked a little amused. "Oh, really? And why should I do that?"
"Because I'm a dangerous man."
Mina chuckled softly. "Dangerous man, hm? Dangerous boy, I could believe. But dangerous man…" She cocked her head to one side and studied him. "No…that's not right at all."
He turned and looked up at her, a puzzled expression written across his face. "What do you mean by that?"
She shook her head. "Nothing….nothing at all."
"What's your name, anyway?", he demanded.
She paused, biting her lower lip nervously. *Should I tell him? Oh, God…He can't use it against me…He wouldn't know how…But still…Anonymity is a nice thing to have…No! No…I have to tell him the truth…I owe him…I owe him that much.* "My name's Mina. What's yours?"
He paused, uncertainty flaring in his eyes. *Ah,* she mused, *not surprising he doesn't trust me, either. I wonder what he'll say, though it doesn't really matter…I know without him telling me*
"My name is Heero."
"Got a last name?"
"Do you?"
Mina smiled. "I'll let you have that one."
Suddenly, she spotted motion out of the corner of her eye. Whipping her head to the right, she saw the boy from the dojo walking purposefully up the beach. "Heero!", he called. Heero looked over at him, nodded vaguely, then resumed watching the ocean.
Mina kept throwing nervous glances at the other boy. "Nice meeting you," she said hurriedly and sprinted down the beach, up the boardwalk, and on to the street. Heero watched her curiously as she left. Wufei walked up beside him. "That's the girl I met in the dojo," he said softly. "They called her Kamikaze."
Heero shook his head, ignoring the random connections part of his mind tried to make. "She has a name. It's Mina. At least, that's what she told me."
Wufei looked interested. "She talked to you? All she did for me was knock me on my ass."
Heero smirked. "You probably earned it."
Wufei sighed and shook his head. "Thanks a lot."
"You're welcome."
Mina skidded to a stop as she reached the street. From there, she walked slowly and casually, as to attract less attention. She headed down the street, feeling the now familiar shape of the key in her pocket. *I'll go home,* she decided. *I'll go home, rest, then I'll try and root out the last one tomorrow. After that, I'll tell them what they need to know. And then…I'll be on my way. One more mission down, and nothing more. Just another notch on the belt and another myth for the legacy of the great Kamikaze Yoshiro.*
She let her eyes wander at the closed shops along the boardwalk and almost missed it. It was an alley, nothing unusual there. There was a group of boys standing crowded in it; again, nothing unusual. But there was something out of place. They were beating something. Mina paused, sticking her head around the corner. She could see it better now. It was rather large, whatever it….Her stomach flip-flopped as she realized it was a person. The person, she could see it was a boy now, raised his head feebly, eyes half closed. She gasped softly as those eyes pierced her. They were a soft blue-gray that held her fast. She couldn't just leave him there…She had to do something…Her mind snapped back and forth, replacing the boy before her with another she'd once known and cared about. *I…I can't let him die…because…because they will kill him. I know they will…if I don't stop them.*
"HEY!", she barked, leaping into the alley. The boys' heads whipped around, then they began to snicker.
"It's a girl!"
"Whatcha gonna do, chicky? Beat us with your powderpuff?"
"No, no! Better one! She's gonna give us make-overs until we beg for mercy!"
She smirked. "You wish. Leave him alone or I'm gonna be forced to get out Misty."
This only made them laugh louder. "Misty?!? What the hell's that? Your attack poodle?", one in sunglasses demanded.
Before they realized it, she'd shot the sunglasses clean off the boy's face. "This," she said, gesturing to her gun, "is Misty; a 340 Mitsubishi special. Now, gentlemen. You all seem reasonable people of moderate intelligence. Perhaps I better get to the point and make this easier for you. Get the hell out of here before I put a bullet through your heads.."
It took no more urging on Mina's part. The group of boys tore out of the alley without a backward glance. Mina smiled and turned back to the beaten boy. Kneeling beside him, she wrapped her arms around him and helped him sit up. "I know this is gonna sound like a stupid question," she began, "but are you okay?"
He smiled weakly. "I'm…better, thanks."
"Can you stand up?"
"I…I guess….with help…"
"No problem. My place is just up the street. We can go there and get you cleaned up."
The boy frowned slightly. "What about a hospital?"
She cocked head to one side. "Do you really want to go to a hospital?"
He cut his eyes away. "No…"
"Too much paperwork, right?", she guessed.
He smiled. "Yeah…and too many questions."
She nodded. "I know what you mean."
******
That's all for now. You'll have to go to part two for more. I just love suspense, don't you?
See ya next time! Ja ne! ^_^ \/
KatLady86