Senior Year
By: Aux
Rated: PG-13 for language, and some situations
Disclaimer: If I owned this, there would've been an ending, and I would've waited until the manga was done before making the anime. Obviosly neither apply, so anything in it, isn't mine!
*I should point out, I've only seen the anime. If I get something wrong, tell me about it in a 'mature' manner.*
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Four weeks before graduation...
Zero Enna floated freely in the endless void known as space, upside- down. He opened his eyes and stared sleepily at an image of Zion and sighed.
"Maybe I'm finally used to this." He said to himself, then closed his eyes again...
Kizna Towryk stood on the outside of the container sheild, staring at Zero's sleeping body. "EX is at a controlled state," She said. "Amazing." She leaned on the wall and folded her arms, staring at his body. "Well, he was cute........now he's sexy." She said in awe. Of course a lot can happen to a adolesent body in three years: She herself grew taller, almost rivaling the height of Zero, and among other things, increase bust size. Zero had grown much taller, muscular, and more 'grown-up' in the sense of childish behavior.
Kizna didn't see them come in, most likely because she was daydreaming about Zero when Roose, Yamagi, and Clay wandered in. Clay wanted to see exactly what Zero was doing, and since there was nothing better to do (there wasn't any training exercises that day), Roose and Yamagi followed. "Interesting EX reaction." Clay said, and walked over the control panel. "Very intriguing. He's managed to control his EX, even in his sleep." "At least he can do something useful." Yamagi said. Roosee just leaned on the doorframe, and started looking around. He saw Kizna, nugded Yamagi, and pointed. "What's up with her?"
Zero entered into a different sphere of reality in his mind. He was in the PRO-ING hangar, sitting on a stack of boxes in front of his simulator. And he just sat there, anyone who passed by was totally oblivious of him. He sat and watched time go by as person after person went by doing their own things. He didn't know Kizna was working on his PRO-ING machine for a while. He knew what she did, but he never bothered to pay that much attention to her job to begin with. He walked over and stooped over her to get a better look at what she was doing. Her ears twerked, and she looked around quickly, but didn't find anyone. She shrugged and held a panel on the frame as she bolted it back into place. Then she stood up, picked up her jacket, and walked off. Zero watched her go farther and farther away until she turned a corner and was gone.
Zero yawned and started to wake up.
Kizna's ears started flicking. Only then did she realize someone was poking her shoulder saying "Helloooo, Kiizna. You in there?" She jumped and turned to face Clay. "W-what do you want." She stammered, blushing. Clay caught on rather quickly. "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know why you were staring at Zero like that.....that's all..." Clay tried to keep a laugh down; Roose and Yamagi were over by the door snickering, which made her blush even more. She shot them a dirty look, and kicked Clay hard in the leg. Clay fell on the ground and wrapped his hands around his shin. "What'd you do that for?" He asked, squinting. "For butting in on my business, that's why." She turned to the console, and looked at the brain wave monitor. "What the....that's not normal for sleep..." Kizna said. She lifted her head and looked in the container to see Zero staring back.
Clay got up to his feet and got out of kick range. "I think we should go." He said, limping out the door. Yamagi and Roose followed. "Hah, she kicked you.." Yamagi's voice echoed through the hallway. Kizna lightly kicked the base of the console, and flicked the switch that opened the container.
Zero watched the water line recede down through the steel grate panel in the floor, until the door slid open, then he stepped out of the container,sat down on the bench, and leaned back. Kizna came around into the room and threw him a towel. "Perfect. Not one spike in the EX reading." Kizna told him. Zero smiled. "Damn I'm good!" He said triumphantly. "Anyways, what'd you do to Clay?" He asked. Kizna blushed. "He was bothering me......so I kicked him." Zero squinted. "Ouch, poor guy. What'd he do anyway?" Kizna turned away, simply because she knew her face was too red. "Well.....I was....staring....at you......and he got......well......nosy." Zero laughed. "I see what he was getting at. I'll beat on him later." Nah, I kicked hard enough to make him limp." Kizna smirked, and they both laughed.
Azuma came around the corner. "I hope there isn't any fraternizing going on here..." He boomed. Kizna jumped to the other side of the room, and blushed again. "N-no sir. Just friendly conversation." Zero said. Azuma peered through his tiny glasses at Zero, then at Kizna. "Whatever, candidates. Enjoy the rest of the day." Azuma said, backing out of the room, and then turning to continue down the corridor. Kizna heaved a relieved sigh. "I thought he was gonna jump all over me for not wearing my jacket." Zero didn't say anything, just stared at the floor. Kizna was worried; it's an off day, why should he be down? Of course, she'd been his partner for the better part of three years, so she had a good idea when something was up. "Something bugging you?" She asked him. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "Whenever he comes around, he makes me think of graduation."
Kizna said, "Oh yeah..", and sat down beside him. "You don't mind, do you?" She asked him. Zero turned to face her. "Mind about what?" He asked. "Sitting here...?" Zero looked again. "Uh....no...I don't mind." Kizna softly smiled and leaned back also. "Just a month, then it's serious.." Zero said, barely loud enough for Kizna to pick it up. "I mean, I'm excited and all, being able to pilot an Ingrid, but I've been here too long, I'll miss too much of it." Kizna nodded in agreement to some of it. "But you wont miss me kicking you when you're a moron, right?" She said, elbowing him. "Yeah........I'll really....'miss'...it." He said. They both shared a laugh again, then Zero looked at the digital clock on the wall. "It's noon, lunch time!" He yelled.
Obviously, it's his favorite time of the day now.
"What?!" Zero said. "Yeah buddy! She was all dreamy and stuff!" Roose laughed. "And when Clay made her kick him?! Man, I didn't know you could get to that shade!" Yamagi said, laughing his head off. Clay fixed his glasses. "It was truly interesting, but it hurts like a mother." Clay said, rubbing his new bruise he received this morning. "Just leave it alooone." Zero said, trying to hide in his arms. Yamagi nudged him and asked, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear: "I think she likes you, dude!" Zero gave out an agonizing cry, and the other candidates laughed their hardest.
Kizna could hear their laughter, and when she looked, she saw Zero trying to hide from them. She slumped down in her chair. "What's with them?" Wrecka asked Kizna. Kizna sighed and said "They caught me staring at Zero." The other girls listened, then mixed emotions came from each of them. Some felt bad, some said "Ouch." Kizna slumped even further into her seat. Tsukasa spoke up. "So what if they caught you? It's your emotions." Kizna nodded. "But I don't know how to tell Zero."
The candidates and their repairers gathered on the space observation deck for a small party, if at that. Hiead was absent, as usual. But there was trouble brewing. Zero was sitting down in a chair, near the middle of the group, along the wall. Kizna was in front of him, back turned though, talking to Ikhny. Clay nudged Yamagi and Roose, who were still talking about that morning. Clay brought them together and whispered: "Let's do something to them, boys." Roose and Yamagi smiled in agreement as his plan unfolded in their ears. Then, Yamagi went between Kizna and Zero, where there was just enough space to fit in. Yamagi untied the knot on his shoe, and went on one knee to tie it. Just then, Roose and Clay started a pushing match. As soon as they got close to an unsuspecting Kizna, Yamagi hit Zero's knee. When Zero looked at him in anger, Yamagi said. "Watch out." Zero didn't know what it meant. Then Roose bumped into Kizna, causing her to lose her balance.
She was falling backwards, and turned halfway around after she hit Yamagi. Zero looked up in time to put his arms up and around Kizna to break her fall.
It happend very quickly,but was still visible. Zero closed his eyes and rested his head on his opposite shoulder, not wanting to bash heads when Kizna went by. Kizna fell on his shoulder with none too much force, but when she stopped moving completely, she had her lips pressed on Zero's.
The repairers looked on in anger as Yamagi, Clay, and Roose couldn't contain themselves. Zero and Kizna both opened their eyes, and when they saw the closeness, they both jumped up and away from one another, both the deepest hue of crimsom anyone has ever seen. They both stammered apologies that weren't exactly understandable, but it changed when Kizna recollected herself, and focused on the other candidates. They all froze as Kizna shot them the death glare and said "Run...fast...now..." They bolted down the stairs and towards the candidates' bunkroom, with Kizna one step behind them.
Zero fell back in his seat in shock. He didn't even notice the repairers leave, in search of Kizna before she beat the candidates beyond recognition.
He just sat, and stared into space.
"Poor girl." Saki said. Kizna had gone over to her bunk and had not made an offer to get up for more than an hour. "They ought to learn to grow up." Wrecka said, clenching her fist. They were about to degrade them even more, when the sound of someone running became audible outside. Each girl listened as the sound stopped right outside the door, opening it slightly, throwing a small, folded piece of paper into the room, then turning and ran back the way it came. Ikhny went over and picked up the note:
To: Kizna
Ihkny read it and turned to the other girls. "Someone get Kizna, it's for her." Wrecka stood up and bent over Kizna. "Hey, someone sent you something." Kizna looked up. "...who from..." Ihkny dropped the paper on Kizna's bunk. "We don't know." She sat up in bed, unfolded the paper, and read it to herself:
Kizna,
I know the perfect comeback that will set them all off. Meet me out on the deck, and hurry. Not much time until lock-down.
-Zero
Kizna jumped out of her bed and ran out of the room as the other repairers took their turns reading the paper.
Zero was against the wall, looking out through the glass into space. Kizna came up beind him and whispered: "What do you want?" Zero turned to face her. "Something's on his mind. I've never seen him this serious." She thought. Zero stared into her eyes and said. "If they want it, let's give it to them." Kizna looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?" She asked. Zero pushed himself off the wall. "If they think something is going on between us, why not have a little fun with it?" He said with a wink. Kizna became unsure of what to do. "Are you asking me out, Zero Enna?" She asked in her friendly tone. Zero smiled. "Lets just call it 'Friends, with benefits', but let's keep it a secret until they pull something like that again." "What if they don't?"Kizna asked. "Don't worry, they will."
The next day went without a hitch. Azuma made the candidates assist the repairers in tuning up their PRO-ING's. Not one of the other four groups noticed Kizna and Zero sneaking glances and smiles. Lunch was the same as yesterday: Zero being alienated, and Kizna overhearing it all. Then the day was over. They gathered in the mess hall to play cards, and yet again, Hiead went off alone. Kizna and Zero both plotted to both be talking to one another for long periods of time; Kizna standing. Zero noticed when Clay got together with Yamagi and Roose, but they had to plan it differently, so neither of them knew what the three had in mind. Clay made a leisurely walk behind Kizna, while Yamagi and Roose started playing euchre with their repairers. Yamago flicked a card at Zero, which bounced off his head. Zero deliberately turned to look at Yamagi with the best anger face that he could come up with. That's when Clay made his move. He pushed Kizna hard enough so she lost her balance and fell onto Zero's lap. She held onto his shoulders as Zero snapped back around and threw his arms around her. Yamagi dropped his cards and started to pound the table laughing. Roose tried to choke down his laughter, while Clay did his best just to stand up.
Their eyes met, and they both felt the best they had in a long time. Zero thought her eyes were saying, "Never let go.", so he held her tighter, and didn't have any plans to ever do let go.
Clay stopped laughing to add one more thing that made the repairers even more upset: "Hey Zero! Why not kiss her?" Yamagi and Roose fell out of their chairs and sat on the floor, laughing uncontrollably. Clay held onto a table to keep himself balanced. The laughter stopped when Zero looked back into Kizna's eyes and said. "Don't mind if I do." He bent his head down and locked lips.
Jaws never dropped faster as candidates and repairers alike dropped them in equal fashion. Clay gasped in confusion. "What are you doing Zero?!" He demanded. Zero broke away long enough for him to say: "What couples do, naturally." The candidates gasped again.
Before returning to the bliss one another found, Kizna added: "Now who's stupid?"
Two weeks before graduation.....
Not much has changed in two weeks. Clay has found this new relationship in the ranks to be "Quite intruiging.", even though he still can't believe it.
Azuma stared down at his charts, then looked up at the candidates, who were standing at attention. "Good show today, candidates." Azuma said. "Dismissed." All the candidates, except Hiead left at the same time. "So Yamagi, I see you cut your head again." Zero laughed. "You moron! I cut my hair. Hair!! How many times will it take before you say hair?!" Yamagi yelled. "I know it's hair. I do it to piss you off, and it works." Zero laughed for a moment, then stopped. "I'm gonna go see what Kizna is up to guys." He said, turning around. "Zero, you always have to go see Kizna now! You've abandoned us buddy!" Roose said. Zero turned and started backpedaling. "I'll play cards or something when I get back!" He yelled, and turned down the hallway towards the observation deck.
He sneaked up on her and cupped his hands over her eyes. "Guess who?" He asked in a playful mood. "Oh come on Zero..." Kizna said, smiling. "....good guess...." Zero said. Kizna tuned around, and they shared a quick kiss, hoping the few in sight of them couldn't see anything. Then they sat down, holding hands, and both stared off into space. Zero said lightly, "Two weeks........two weeks and we'll be up there on GIS.." Kizna gripped his hand, and looked at him. "Yeah, but that's when it comes. I don't want to think about that right now." She shivered. "This damn place is always cold." Zero looked over at her. "Where's your jacket?" He asked. She shrugged. "I don't know where it is, do you?" Zero shook his head. "Well, it's getting late anyway. Let's go." Kizna nodded and they both got up and started down towards the bunk rooms.
Zero had his arm draped over Kizna's shoulder and was whispering sweet nothings in her ear, when Hiead came out of nowhere and almost knocked Zero on the ground. "Get out of my way." Hiead said, and continued walking." Zero was overcome with anger. "Hey, Hiead!" Zero yelled. Hiead kept going. "If you had half the emotions I do, you'd be a better pilot!" Hiead stopped, and turned slowly. "If you were half the pilot I was, you wouldn't make a fool of yourself every time you go out." "I'm all the pilot you are and more!" Kizna slapped him on the head and whispered in his ear. "What the hell are you doing?!" Zero turned his head and said, "Picking a duel." Hiead was facing Zero now. "You're asking for it boy." He said.
"Then let's go, novice!" Hiead got right in his face and said, "After lunch. Right here." He pointed towards the direction of the PRO-ING facilty. "Fine with me." Zero said cooly. Then Hiead walked off. Kizna and Zero started walking again. "I don't think this is a good idea, Zero." She said to him. Zero looked and smiled at her. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." Zero said, reassuringly. They stopped at the boys' bunkroom. Zero kissed her on the cheek and said their good nights, then he stepped inside.
Clay shoved a jacket in Zero's face as soon as the door closed. Zero pulled it off his face. "Who's is that, and why'd you shove it in my face?!" He yelled. Clay didn't say anything, except he unfolded the jacket and made Zero look at the ID card. "I dunno, you tell me, slick." Zero held on to both ends of the card so he could read it.
On it was the G.O.A symbol, and the number: 88.
Zero tried to cover for himself. "Uh, how did that get here?" He said nervously. Clay threw it down. "That's what I asked you!" Clay said, fixing his glasses. "The least you could do for yourself is just tell us how it got here.." Zero stuck with his story that he had no idea where it came from, then Clay tricked him. "If you don't tell us right now, I'll just report this to the instructor...." Zero snatched the jacket off the ground and held onto it. "Clay, I'd never forgive you for that!" Clay shrugged it off. "Either you tell us, or someone we know runs, all day, on his off day....isn't that right guys?" Zero saw Yamagi and Roose watching intently, nodding their head to Clay's words."Fine." Zero broke out. "We came back here, and no one was around. All we did was kiss, I swear." Clay stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Really?" Zero nodded quickly. "Really, really!" Clay frowned and said. "Okay then. I won't tell the instructor." Zero smiled. "Thanks man. I really appreciate it." Clay waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Zero sat on his bunk and told them of his incident in the hallway. Yamagi dropped his cards and said, "You did what?!", when Zero finished. "He's gonna tear you a new one!" Roose said. Clay sat in a chair and folded his arms. "The odds are against you, but that is if Hiead's pride dosen't blind him while your dueling..." Zero shook it off. "I don't care what you all say! I'm gonna open a case of whoop-ass on him!" Zero cheered. "Now, who's up for a game or two?"
The morning went fast. It was an off-day, and when the repairers asked Azuma if Hiead and Zero could use the PRO-ING system that day, he said "Don't let them kill one another." Zero was preparing to get into the 88 model, when Kizna grabbed him by the arm. He looked down at her. "Something you want?" He asked. "Don't go getting yourself hurt. Hiead isn't making a game out of this. It's all-out war to him." Zero took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. "I told you before, I'll be fine." He stepped into the liquid barrier, but before he dissappeared completely, he said to her: "Just keep talking to me out there."
Ihkny stood and stared in silence as Hiead prepared himself. He stood up and started toward the liquid barrier. "Good luck.." Ihkny said weakly. "Yeah." Hiead said, and stepped inside. Kizna tapped Ihkny on the shoulder as she passed by. "Come on, we gotta get up to the deck." Ihkny nodded in silent agreement, and followed her.
Hiead and Zero appeared across from one another as the simulation biome was loaded into the network. When it was finished, Hiead said, "Don't be too mad when I beat the shit out of you." Zero laughed and said back, "Funny, I was thinking the same thing!"
The simulation began.
Zero was knocked off of his feet quickly. "What the hell?!" He yelled. "Get up Zero!" Kizna yelled at him. Zero stood up and looked around. He saw Hiead running at him once again, so Zero followed suit and ran at him. Hiead moved to the left to avoid Zero, but Zero copied him, and socked him right in the jaw. Hiead staggered backwards, then tackled Zero. Zero tried to push him off, but Hiead had his arm in a lock. In one swift motion, Hiead was able to pop the joint in backwards on the machine and jumped off. "Never make fun of me." Hiead said sternly. Zero screamed as the nerve systems relayed the message to his brain that his arm just broke. "It's not real Zero!" Kizna screamed. Zero started going frantic for a moment. "No! I'm serious! Something happend to my arm!!" Zero yelled. Azuma, standing behind the repairers, started to tell Kizna that he was going to end the simulation. "Don't do it, instructor!" Zero yelled, wincing in pain as he got back up on his feet. He held out his arm and savagely beat the mechanical elbow until it popped back into place with a thud. Zero held onto his arm as he looked up, and saw Hiead upon him. Hiead landed blow after menacing blow that wrecked, scratched, dented piece after piece of armor and metal plating. Zero staggered back and jumped away from him finally.
He felt horrible, the nerve waves in the sim were too life-like. It's almost as if they were in a real fist fight. Zero took a stance, and when Hiead came in for another attack, he landed right hook after right hook, right on the face plating. Hiead caught his arm, and swept out his feet from under him. The he jumped up on the ridge, and jumped off, yelling, "It ends here, Zero!". Zero looked up at him as Hiead was falling. Right before he hit, Zero lifted both his knees and shifted his body upwards. Hiead's midsection came right down on Zero's knees, and blew the air out of him. Zero, gasping for the air that he couldn't get enough of, pushed Hiead's machine off of him and placed his foot on Hiead's chest in triumph. "It's over." Zero stumbled over to the lift as the simulation ended, and went down to the hangar.
Kizna jumped out of her seat and ran down to the hangar, while Azuma made the call to the infirmary. Kizna made it to the dock as soon as the 88 model slid to a stop on the runway and locked itself in place. Zero fell out of the badly damaged machine, heaving air. Kizna slid on the ground up to him, and overloaded his tired mind with "Come on Zero, you gotta get up!" Zero reached out with his hand opened, and started smiling and laughing when he had the air to do so. Kizna reached his hand and held it, then she too started to laugh a bit. She helped him into a sitting position as the medics came around and took great care about putting the pilot on the stretcher, and took him down to the infirmary.
Hiead held onto the edge of the liquid barrier, holding his stomache with his other arm. "I don't believe it...him....of all people......beat me......." He started to cough, sending small globules of blood through the air that splattered on random things. "Damn him..." He cursed, and he stumbled out onto the platform.
"How bad is it, doctor?" Azuma asked. Dr. Croford turned around. "Fractures in his forearm, and some cuts and bruises, but otherwise he's fine." Azuma sighed. "If only I could get a group of candidates that didn't bludgeon one another." "Easier for me, less people I'd have to treat daily." Croford added, attaching a metal frame to Zeros' arm. "There. Do not take it off, and it'll be as good as it ever was in a week or two." Zero stood up, slid off the examining table, and walked out. Azuma stopped him to say, "Good work today, candidate." Zero smiled and said, "Thank you, sir.", and walked out into the hallway.
Kizna almost knocked him over as soon as he stepped out of the infirmary. After hugging him to the point of blanking-out, she let him go long enough to let him breathe again, and they started walking down towards the bunkrooms. "How bad is it, Zero?" She asked him. "Ah, none too bad. The doctor said it wasn't really serious, but I gotta keep this thing on for at least a week." Zero said, showing her his metal armware. "It still looks like a lot of pain, though." She added. "Not really, the doc gave me something to numb the pain somewhat." Kizna smiled. "Well, that's good to hear." They came up on the boys' bunkroom, and Kizna opened the door for him.
Clay was coming out of the door as Kizna cleared the way for Zero. She led him over to his bunk, and he sat gingerly down on his bed. "Man! You messed him up good!" Roose said, coming into the room with Yamagi trailing behind him. Clay fixed his glasses again and said, "Amazing, Hiead spends twice as much time as Zero does in the sim, and he still lost. Although it could be qualified as a low blow, it's pure genius!" Zero laughed and coughed since he was still trying to get a good breath. "Yeah.....it just hit me...." "Well, good job." Yamagi said, then he went over to his bunk. Kizna looked at him in disgust, until Roose came over and told her:
"He had his money on Hiead."
Five days before graduation...
Kizna was still busy repairing the damage from Zeros duel with Hiead. Even though most of it is done, there was still a long way to go. She had her head buried in the electrical wire that sat behind the right chest plate, an area that received the most punishment. Zero had just come up to the platform, and looked up the ladder. "Hello?" He called up to her. She pulled out of the opening where she was working and took the flashlight out of her mouth. "Hey there, Zero!" She called down to him. Zero lifted up his bear arm, and smiled. Kizna came down the ladder, and they met each other with open arms. "Nice to see that your not wearing that anymore." She said. "Yeah, me too. It was bugging the hell out of me." Zero said. He stoop on his toes and tried to look at what she had been doing when she stopped. "Doing anything important?" Kizna looked up and said. "Nothing that's in dire need of attention. Why do you ask?" Zero looke dat her and said, "Well, would you like to go spacewalking?" Kizna looked at him. "You mean you actually want to go out on your own initiative?" Zero nodded. "Only have five days left, might as well do it." Kizna put her tools down on the ladder step, and said "Let's go!" Zero said, "Okay.", and they went to the airlock.
"Hey now, don't do that!" Zero said, when Kizna tried to swing him off his footing by waving his air line around. "Sorry, I couldn't resist!" She laughed. "I know you couldn't." Zero said, sitting down on the hull of G.O.A.. Kizna sat beside him, and they both stared at Zion. "You know," She began. "Whenever I look at Zion, I feel happy, because it's so beautiful, even from up here." "Yeah it is something else." Zero said. "Which direction is your colony again, Kizna?" She looked at him, then pointed northwest of Zion. "About fifty-thousand miles that way." "What's it like in there?" Zero asked. "Well, what do you mean?" She asked back. "Like, what's inside, what does it look like on the inside?" She knew what happend to his colony, so she thought it best to describe it as best she could. "Well, it's really pretty, almost like the recreation vault. There's lakes, and waterfalls, and forests. We even have mountains in there...." She trailed off. "Something wrong?" He asked. Kizna shook her head and smiled. "No, nothing's wrong." Zero looked down at the digital display on his arm. "Didn't you say you had to go sometime after three?" Kizna nodded. "Yeah, why? What time is it?" She looked at her won display, and said, "Damnit! This'll put me behind...." Zero pat her on the back. "Oh it's only twenty minutes..." Zero said. "I'll tell you what, I'll help you do some basic things to catch back up." Kizna turned her head and smiled. "Thanks, I could use the help."
Graduation Day.
Zero looked himself over in his suit. "None too bad." He told himself. Today was the day that himself and the other candidates in the number range of 85 to 89 were sent up to GIS to begin their fight against VICTIM. Zero was psyched about this day because mostly, there isn't as many eyes looking around on GIS than there were on GOA, which meant more time with Kizna. The door slid open as Clay, in his uniform, came in to the small room and said, "It's time."
Kizna buttoned the top of her suit up. She liked the idea of graduating after three long years, but that took too long, and the proceedings were boring. She wanted to get right to the fun: the after- party. The only co-ed party the candidates were ever given (officially, anyway). She pushed the suit down so that it fit better and went out into the hall.
A private ceremony was held in the back end of the G.O.A. facility. All the senior candidates sat in the front row, with the newer candidates and the personnel of G.O.A. seated behind them. Azuma came out of a side door, and went up on the podium. He shifted the notecards and began his speech:
"All of you came up to G.O.A. with one goal in mind: becoming an Ingrid pilotor Ingrid repairer. Yes the trip was long and hard, but these candidates went through it with flying colors. And through these years, relationships developed that would have not of. The pilot, with their repairer behind them in support, is an unstoppable being, worthy of which to fight and destroy the enemy VICTIM."
"And without further delay, we'll start with the repairers. Please hold your applause until all the repairers have been called."
The pilot's shared words of encouragement with their repairers.
"Number eighty-five, Wrecka Toesing."
Wrecka stood up and went to the podium where she shook hands with Azuma.
"Number eighty-six, Tsukasa Kuscha."
Tsukasa went up and shook hands with Azuma, and hugged Wrecka.
"Number eighty-seven, Ikhny Allecto."
Ikhny stood up, shook hands, and hugged her fellow repairers.
"Number eighty-eight, Kizna Towryk."
Kizna pat Zero on the shoulder, then stood up, shook hands, and hugged her fellow repairers.
"Number eighty-nine, Saki Mimori."
Saki went up and madly shook Azuma's hand, then almost lost it hugging the others from excietment. The repairers started to move off the podium, until Azuma said "Would the repairers please stay on the podium." They stepped back into place.
"As I call out the names of the pilots, would you please stand beside your repsected repairer."
"Number eighty-five, Roose Sawamura."
Roose jumped out of his seat and almost ran up to the podium, shaking hands with Azuma, then standing beside Wrecka.
"Number eighty-six, Yamagi Kushida."
Yamagi stood up and went up to shake hands with Azuma, then being dwarfed as he stod next to Tsukasa.
"Number eighty-seven, Hiead Gnr."
Hiead got up silently, shook hands quickly, and stood next to Ikhny.
"Number eighty-eight, Zero Enna."
Zero stood up and walked to the podium with the proudest stride, shook Azuma's hands strongly, then went back and hugged Kizna before standing next to her.
"And number eighty-nine, Clay Cliff Fortran."
Clay adjusted his glasses as he stood up and walked to the podium, shook hands with Azuma, then with Saki.
Azuma turned back to face the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Senior class." He said, sweeping his hand backwards towards the candidates and repairers. The audience stood up and applauded the graduates for many minutes. Azuma turned to the group and said, "Dismissed!" for one final time. The now-pilots and repairers cheered and and congradulated their teammates and counterparts.
Ikhny was busy congratulating when Hiead tapper her on the shoulder. She turned around, and Hiead offered his hand. "Good work." Ikhny smiled softly and shook his hand.
They were still congratulating as the audience started to file out through the back, Azuma collected his things, and faced the graduates again. "You'll all meet out on the transport deck at 13:00 hours tommorrow. Until then, the night is yours to do whatever you'd like within the station candidate areas.Good day." Azuma stepped down off the podium and through the small door again. "Let's get out of here and into some better fitting clothes. This this is liable to split me in two." Yamagi said, pulling the bottom of his suit down. They all agreed and went back to their respective bunkrooms to change.
After-Graduation Party
The pilots made it into the room first. Yamagi and Roose fought over the stereo and what music to listen to. Clay kept saying, "That device wasn't meant to take such punishment!". Hiead went off into a corner, and Zero sat at a table and drank a soda. The repairers all came in in one large group. Roose looked towards the door and was getting ready to say something about how they always come in one big group, when Clay cut him off, saying "It's just their way, don't bother asking why." Roose looked at him and shrugged, then started to push Yamagi away from the stereo, like he'd been doing since he got there.
Zero stared as she came in. Kizna was wearing a tight blue shirt and long black pants, also tight. She came in and sat down next to him. They shared a quick kiss and said their hellos. Then she folded her arms across her chest. "What do you wanna do?" She asked him. Zero looked at her and said "Haven't a clue." He thought for a moment. "Cards?" "Kizna stuck out her tongue. "I've never been able to play cards, besides, it's boring."
Zero's eyes lit up as an idea came to mind. "Hey, do you wanna go to the recreation vault? It'd be just you and me." Kizna loved the idea before Zero finished his sentence. "Yeah, let's go!" Was the enthusiastic reply. Zero stood up, and went over to his fellow pilots. He leaned on Clay and Roose's shoulder, and said, "Well guys, I must be off. No telling when I'll get back..." , loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. The playful "Oooh."'s and "Aaah."'s were what he had expected out of the group, as himself and Kizna walked out of the room, hand in hand.
Yamagi waited until after the door slid shut. "This really blows, I say we follow them." Clay and Roose didn't find it a half-bad idea, and still thought that way even after the repairers shot them death looks. Yamagi sighed. "Stop messing, I know that you wanna know what's going on too, so don't give me that crap...". As the pilots and repairers fought back and forth with a barrage of "Do not!"'s and "Do too!"'s, Hiead silently slipped by and out the door.
He wanted to be the first to get a good look.
The giant door slid up to open, and a rush of fresh air blasted down the hallway until the pressure equalized. Kizna and Zero stepped inside, and the door creaked closed behind them. It was still the same as the last time, but it looked somewhat better each time either of them went in. They started to take a leisurely walk down the path, past the lake, talking about things that have happend lately. Zero asked suddenly, "What are your plans after we're done with all of this.....you know.....after serving with the Ingrid." Kizna stopped and stared out over the landscape. "Well, I don't want to go back to the colonies. It's too restricting, unrealistic being in there. Where I really wanna go to, is Zion." Zero nodded. "I want to, too..." Zero started to zone out, and didn't notice Kizna start off again. When she felt the resistance of his body weight, she turned to face him. "Is something wrong?" She asked. Zero shook his head, and looked her in the eye. "No, It's nothing......" She shrugged, and they started to walk again.
Zero pointed off to the left with his free hand at an opening in the trees and undergrowth. "Let's stop here." He said, and they both sat down on the grass, side by side. Where they were at, they had a magnificent view of the waterfall, which the mist from it carried over for a small distance, making the clearing nice and cool. Zero laid back and stared up, as Kizna laid on her side, staring lovingly at Zero, who would give sideward glances of the same approach back at her. She still thought he was acting weird, so to liven things up, she started laughing. Zero looked over at her and asked, "What's so funny?" She told him, "N-nothing!" between laughs. Zero got up on his side, "Tell me what's funny!" She didn't give him an answer, mostly because she was laughing too hard. Zero smiled wildly and said, "Come here you!", as he jumped on Kizna, and they both rolled over and over, both laughing until they stopped rolling, Kizna on top. She played with his hair and asked, "What's eating you?" Zero started to say something, but then shook his head and stared her in the eye. "Well, I got you something, and I think you might love it." Kizna's ears perked up. "What'd ya get me?" Zero reached around in his pocket. "Well...I got you a....." He continually spoke more quiet when he couldn't find what he was looking for. "Damn!" He said. Kizna got off of him as Zero got up on his knees and started looking around on the ground.
"What a loser." Hiead said, onlooking from behind thick underbrush. He rolled under the door as it was closing, and followed them at a great distance. "Now do something important, so I can make you the laughing stock..."
Azuma peered into the room as he came in. "Instructor, sir!" Yamagi yelled, from behind a table that was on its side. "What is the meaning of this?" "They got us cornered, instructor!" Roose said, looking out around the corner. Clay pulled him back behind by the collar. "You fool! They're gonna hit you if you look out there!" It was true, the repairers had the pilots pinned down in the corner...and they had several heavy objects in their hands. Clay spoke out from behind the table. "We were trying to convince them! Honest!" Azuma raised an eyebrow. "About what...wait..." He made a quick scan of the room. He thought something didn't look right, something amiss. Then he figured it out. "Is Enna behind there also?" "No, sir!" Clay yelled.
"And what about Towryk, is she hiding here somewhere?"
"No sir. The 88's have gone to the recreation vault." Wrecka said.
"That's what I was trying to tell you! We were talking them into following them!" Clay yelled again. "Well, Gnr isn't here either. Either you all disgusted him, or he wandered someplace..." Azuma said. "You said the recreation vault, yes?" Clay stuck his thumb out over the table, then brought it back down quickly. "Well, if you wanna see something, then follow me. I'm gonna rain on their parade." Azuma slid out into the hall. Clay stood up and held his hands in a 'T' formation. "Time out, time out! I think in all interest, we should go to offer defense for our friends." Saki pegged him with a issue-boot and said. "We better go. Besides, knowing him, he'll rip Zero apart, then make him run laps all night." The repairers left the room, and when the pilots thought it secure, went out also, Clay rubbing his head.
Kizna had stood up and watched Zero skitter across the ground, looking for whatever he lost. "Can I help?" She asked. "No, no. It's your present, it wouldn't be the same if you found it then if I didn't give it to you." Kizna folded her arms and said, "Well, okay." Zero thought his efforts were futile, until a golden metallic glint caught his eye. He reached up, and grabbed it. He got on both knees and used his back as a wall as he polished the metal. Kizna couldn't help but try to look around him, but he grasped the thing in his palm, got on one knee, and started saying, "I know this is really sudden...."
"Ah yes. I see. Very good blackmail...." Hiead whispered as he stared on...
Azuma walked down the center of the path and looked around. He could see nothing, and as far as he could tell, no one. He reached the lake, and scanned the brushline. There he saw Hiead, on his hands and knees, in a cul- de-sac made by the growth. Azuma came up behind him, and Hiead never flinched. He kicked at his shoe, and Hiead turned his head to look up at him. "What are you doing down here, Gnr." Hiead partly grinned as he pointed through the foilage.
Zero stopped. "But, I wanna know something." Kizna looked at him and asked, "What do want to know?" Zero grabbed her hand and unclenched his other hand, then flipping the object so he could catch it in-between his fingers. "Kizna Towryk, repairer, lover, and most of all, friend...."
Azuma knew that it was required in his protocol that he had to do something, but couldn't find the urge to do so. He turned his head to hear the running of the seniors, coming up the path, then kicked Hiead's boot again. "Levae them alone, pilot. Give them their privacy.." Azuma turned, put his hands in his pockets, and started walking back towards the entrance.
Clay reached Azuma first, and asked. "Did..you..find..them?" He said between breaths. Azuma pointed over his shoulder, "Back there. Try not to disturb them much.", and he kept walking.
Kizna almost fell over. "W-what, Zero?" Zero looked her in the eye. "I asked if you would marry me." Zero noticed the confusion in her eyes, and started to panic. "Of courseifyoudon'twantto......."
She composed herself. "Yes, I will."
"........I'llcompletelyunderstandandasksometimelate.......what?" Zero looked back at her.
"I said, 'Yes', Zero." She smiled.
He jumped up and yelled in delight, as he swept her off her feet and gave her the longest kiss.
Clay and the others just stood there. "I would not have predicted this." Yamagi was stuck in the back, and wandered beyond the bush-line to get a better look. Tsukasa caught him by the collar, and pulled him back around the corner. "You moron! Leave them alone!"
Zero broke off, and let Kizna down. Then he slipped the ring on her index finger. "I'm sorry it's not top-dollar, but I couldn't do any better on such short notice." Kizna hugged him and said, "It's all right, I understand." They put arms around each other, and walked back out on the road.
Zero yelled in surprise when the repairers ran up to Kizna. He fell down on the road as his fiancee disappeared among the crowd. Yamagi helped him to his feet. "Good move, my friend." Roose said, holding out his hand. Zero reached out and shook hands with him. Clay fixed his glasses while saying, "I knew it was gonna happen sometime between pilot and repairer, you were second on my list." Zero looked at him. "Who was the first?" He asked. Clay pointed at Yamagi. "Him." Yamagi said, "That's not funny.", and shot him the finger. Roose asked, "Who was last?" Clay nodded over his shoulder. "Hiead." "Dumb question." Roose said, and the gropu started moving down the pathway.
Hiead sat on the ground a broken man. "Another chance.....another opportunity.....blown....."
Kizna slipped into the repairers' bunkroom, not before whispering in Zeros ear: "Meet me here in ten." She said with a wink, then disappeared into the room. Zero caught back up to the crowd, and Clay asked. "Where's Kizna, Zero?" Zero made a cover-up. "Oh......she...went to the bathroom." He said, not looking Clay in the eye. Clay just looked at him and shrugged. Why should he care what she was up to? He's not the one engaged to her, after all. They filed into the room, and repairer was picking on their respective pilots with "When are you gonna ask me?", or "Get it over with, and just ask!". Zero caught his chance and snuck out of the room.
Ikhny stalled at the recreation vault door, and waited for it to close before she turned around and headed back. Hiead was still sitting on the ground, cursing and swearing silently. Ikhny bit her lip and kneeled next to him. "Hiead, sir?" She asked. No response. "I just wanted to say.........I think..........I think I'm in love with you." She said, closing her eyes and turning her head. The thought of him telling her to not get in his head went through her mind over and over, but nothing ever happend. She turned to look at him. He had stopped swearing, but still just stared at the ground. Ikhny shook her head, got up and walked away.
He didn't know what to do. He had barely any emotions, and he didn't want any. This new feeling, that of warmth, scared him. Who could care so deeply for the welfare of someone who hates people? His mind raged back and forth, as he contiuned to sit on the ground, and stare at it.
Zero looked down the hallway, both ways, before coming inside. He slipped silently into a dim room, that turned pitch black as the door slid and shut. He couldn't see, he had no idea where to put his hand to find his way arounfd, but something sweet was all over there air. "Strange, smells like, perfume, almost.." He said to himself. Then a small light came on, just barely enough to illuminate the shapes in the far corners of the room. He squinted as he looked around to see something familiar, when someone came up behind him, and grabbed his shoulders. Zero stood up straight, and asked into the darkness, "Kizna?" "Yeah, it's me." She said, and leaned her head on his right shoulder. He felt the warmth of her body as she got closer to him, then he felt two objects, exactly perpendicular to one another, barely touch his back. Zero turned his head, "What are you wearing?" He asked.
"Why, does it matter?"
"Feels like barely anything to me."
"I told you it didn't matter. I was wearing Wrecka's clothes anyway, so they were kinda tight."
"Well, I guess that's understandable."
She leaned over and started to massage his neck. She whispered, "I told them to party all night, so we could have our privacy." Zero turned his head again. "Kizna, I respect you, so I'm not gonna make any moves on you." He looked back out into the darkness. "I just wanted to say that first." "I wasn't planning on seducing you into having sex, Zero. Just to unwind, you know, cuddling, things like that." Zero sighed happily and said. "Good, it's too early anyway." Kizna took her hands off of him. He stood up and popped his neck. "Damn, that felt good." He said, then found his way to a bed, and laid out on it, leaving enough room for Kizna to follow suit. She laid down with her back to him, and he pulled the covers over both of them. She scooted backwards as Zero put his arm over her and pulled her up against his body. "I'm incredibly tired, aren't you?" Kizna asked him. Zero said, "Yeah, I am too.", as he was rubbing behind her ears. She shifted around a bit to show her content, then she looked over her shoulder, and said "I love you, Zero." He looked her in the eyes and said, "I love you too, Kizna."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
They kissed, rested against one another, and slowly fell asleep.
They collected on the launchpad with all their belongings stuffed into one bag that they each carried. Azuma looked them over as they slunk across the room to the elevator, which would take them to the transport heading for GIS. "They seem tired today." He said to Dr. Croford. "You and your co-ed parties keep them up all night, no wonder." Azuma continually watched as Kizna and Zero walked normally by, without bloodshot eyes. Croford elbowed Azuma in the ribs and asked, "Why do they look like they had a full nights' sleep?" Azuma shrugged. He knew of possible reasons, they've happend before, but saying so would throw the doctor into a fit. "They're the leaders. They have to have some sleep to function for the good of the team." Croford nodded. "Good enough for me." She wrote down something on her notepad. "Well I have to go back down to medical, since your running those PRO-ING simulators again." She left. As soon as all of them were in the elevator, he pressed the door close button. Before it closed and started on its way up, he said: "Good luck."
The elevator ascended into the sky and stopped at its highest point, then it let the group out into the tarmac that took them to the awaiting transport that took them to GIS.
The future now lies in their hands.
By: Aux
Rated: PG-13 for language, and some situations
Disclaimer: If I owned this, there would've been an ending, and I would've waited until the manga was done before making the anime. Obviosly neither apply, so anything in it, isn't mine!
*I should point out, I've only seen the anime. If I get something wrong, tell me about it in a 'mature' manner.*
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Four weeks before graduation...
Zero Enna floated freely in the endless void known as space, upside- down. He opened his eyes and stared sleepily at an image of Zion and sighed.
"Maybe I'm finally used to this." He said to himself, then closed his eyes again...
Kizna Towryk stood on the outside of the container sheild, staring at Zero's sleeping body. "EX is at a controlled state," She said. "Amazing." She leaned on the wall and folded her arms, staring at his body. "Well, he was cute........now he's sexy." She said in awe. Of course a lot can happen to a adolesent body in three years: She herself grew taller, almost rivaling the height of Zero, and among other things, increase bust size. Zero had grown much taller, muscular, and more 'grown-up' in the sense of childish behavior.
Kizna didn't see them come in, most likely because she was daydreaming about Zero when Roose, Yamagi, and Clay wandered in. Clay wanted to see exactly what Zero was doing, and since there was nothing better to do (there wasn't any training exercises that day), Roose and Yamagi followed. "Interesting EX reaction." Clay said, and walked over the control panel. "Very intriguing. He's managed to control his EX, even in his sleep." "At least he can do something useful." Yamagi said. Roosee just leaned on the doorframe, and started looking around. He saw Kizna, nugded Yamagi, and pointed. "What's up with her?"
Zero entered into a different sphere of reality in his mind. He was in the PRO-ING hangar, sitting on a stack of boxes in front of his simulator. And he just sat there, anyone who passed by was totally oblivious of him. He sat and watched time go by as person after person went by doing their own things. He didn't know Kizna was working on his PRO-ING machine for a while. He knew what she did, but he never bothered to pay that much attention to her job to begin with. He walked over and stooped over her to get a better look at what she was doing. Her ears twerked, and she looked around quickly, but didn't find anyone. She shrugged and held a panel on the frame as she bolted it back into place. Then she stood up, picked up her jacket, and walked off. Zero watched her go farther and farther away until she turned a corner and was gone.
Zero yawned and started to wake up.
Kizna's ears started flicking. Only then did she realize someone was poking her shoulder saying "Helloooo, Kiizna. You in there?" She jumped and turned to face Clay. "W-what do you want." She stammered, blushing. Clay caught on rather quickly. "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to know why you were staring at Zero like that.....that's all..." Clay tried to keep a laugh down; Roose and Yamagi were over by the door snickering, which made her blush even more. She shot them a dirty look, and kicked Clay hard in the leg. Clay fell on the ground and wrapped his hands around his shin. "What'd you do that for?" He asked, squinting. "For butting in on my business, that's why." She turned to the console, and looked at the brain wave monitor. "What the....that's not normal for sleep..." Kizna said. She lifted her head and looked in the container to see Zero staring back.
Clay got up to his feet and got out of kick range. "I think we should go." He said, limping out the door. Yamagi and Roose followed. "Hah, she kicked you.." Yamagi's voice echoed through the hallway. Kizna lightly kicked the base of the console, and flicked the switch that opened the container.
Zero watched the water line recede down through the steel grate panel in the floor, until the door slid open, then he stepped out of the container,sat down on the bench, and leaned back. Kizna came around into the room and threw him a towel. "Perfect. Not one spike in the EX reading." Kizna told him. Zero smiled. "Damn I'm good!" He said triumphantly. "Anyways, what'd you do to Clay?" He asked. Kizna blushed. "He was bothering me......so I kicked him." Zero squinted. "Ouch, poor guy. What'd he do anyway?" Kizna turned away, simply because she knew her face was too red. "Well.....I was....staring....at you......and he got......well......nosy." Zero laughed. "I see what he was getting at. I'll beat on him later." Nah, I kicked hard enough to make him limp." Kizna smirked, and they both laughed.
Azuma came around the corner. "I hope there isn't any fraternizing going on here..." He boomed. Kizna jumped to the other side of the room, and blushed again. "N-no sir. Just friendly conversation." Zero said. Azuma peered through his tiny glasses at Zero, then at Kizna. "Whatever, candidates. Enjoy the rest of the day." Azuma said, backing out of the room, and then turning to continue down the corridor. Kizna heaved a relieved sigh. "I thought he was gonna jump all over me for not wearing my jacket." Zero didn't say anything, just stared at the floor. Kizna was worried; it's an off day, why should he be down? Of course, she'd been his partner for the better part of three years, so she had a good idea when something was up. "Something bugging you?" She asked him. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "Whenever he comes around, he makes me think of graduation."
Kizna said, "Oh yeah..", and sat down beside him. "You don't mind, do you?" She asked him. Zero turned to face her. "Mind about what?" He asked. "Sitting here...?" Zero looked again. "Uh....no...I don't mind." Kizna softly smiled and leaned back also. "Just a month, then it's serious.." Zero said, barely loud enough for Kizna to pick it up. "I mean, I'm excited and all, being able to pilot an Ingrid, but I've been here too long, I'll miss too much of it." Kizna nodded in agreement to some of it. "But you wont miss me kicking you when you're a moron, right?" She said, elbowing him. "Yeah........I'll really....'miss'...it." He said. They both shared a laugh again, then Zero looked at the digital clock on the wall. "It's noon, lunch time!" He yelled.
Obviously, it's his favorite time of the day now.
"What?!" Zero said. "Yeah buddy! She was all dreamy and stuff!" Roose laughed. "And when Clay made her kick him?! Man, I didn't know you could get to that shade!" Yamagi said, laughing his head off. Clay fixed his glasses. "It was truly interesting, but it hurts like a mother." Clay said, rubbing his new bruise he received this morning. "Just leave it alooone." Zero said, trying to hide in his arms. Yamagi nudged him and asked, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear: "I think she likes you, dude!" Zero gave out an agonizing cry, and the other candidates laughed their hardest.
Kizna could hear their laughter, and when she looked, she saw Zero trying to hide from them. She slumped down in her chair. "What's with them?" Wrecka asked Kizna. Kizna sighed and said "They caught me staring at Zero." The other girls listened, then mixed emotions came from each of them. Some felt bad, some said "Ouch." Kizna slumped even further into her seat. Tsukasa spoke up. "So what if they caught you? It's your emotions." Kizna nodded. "But I don't know how to tell Zero."
The candidates and their repairers gathered on the space observation deck for a small party, if at that. Hiead was absent, as usual. But there was trouble brewing. Zero was sitting down in a chair, near the middle of the group, along the wall. Kizna was in front of him, back turned though, talking to Ikhny. Clay nudged Yamagi and Roose, who were still talking about that morning. Clay brought them together and whispered: "Let's do something to them, boys." Roose and Yamagi smiled in agreement as his plan unfolded in their ears. Then, Yamagi went between Kizna and Zero, where there was just enough space to fit in. Yamagi untied the knot on his shoe, and went on one knee to tie it. Just then, Roose and Clay started a pushing match. As soon as they got close to an unsuspecting Kizna, Yamagi hit Zero's knee. When Zero looked at him in anger, Yamagi said. "Watch out." Zero didn't know what it meant. Then Roose bumped into Kizna, causing her to lose her balance.
She was falling backwards, and turned halfway around after she hit Yamagi. Zero looked up in time to put his arms up and around Kizna to break her fall.
It happend very quickly,but was still visible. Zero closed his eyes and rested his head on his opposite shoulder, not wanting to bash heads when Kizna went by. Kizna fell on his shoulder with none too much force, but when she stopped moving completely, she had her lips pressed on Zero's.
The repairers looked on in anger as Yamagi, Clay, and Roose couldn't contain themselves. Zero and Kizna both opened their eyes, and when they saw the closeness, they both jumped up and away from one another, both the deepest hue of crimsom anyone has ever seen. They both stammered apologies that weren't exactly understandable, but it changed when Kizna recollected herself, and focused on the other candidates. They all froze as Kizna shot them the death glare and said "Run...fast...now..." They bolted down the stairs and towards the candidates' bunkroom, with Kizna one step behind them.
Zero fell back in his seat in shock. He didn't even notice the repairers leave, in search of Kizna before she beat the candidates beyond recognition.
He just sat, and stared into space.
"Poor girl." Saki said. Kizna had gone over to her bunk and had not made an offer to get up for more than an hour. "They ought to learn to grow up." Wrecka said, clenching her fist. They were about to degrade them even more, when the sound of someone running became audible outside. Each girl listened as the sound stopped right outside the door, opening it slightly, throwing a small, folded piece of paper into the room, then turning and ran back the way it came. Ikhny went over and picked up the note:
To: Kizna
Ihkny read it and turned to the other girls. "Someone get Kizna, it's for her." Wrecka stood up and bent over Kizna. "Hey, someone sent you something." Kizna looked up. "...who from..." Ihkny dropped the paper on Kizna's bunk. "We don't know." She sat up in bed, unfolded the paper, and read it to herself:
Kizna,
I know the perfect comeback that will set them all off. Meet me out on the deck, and hurry. Not much time until lock-down.
-Zero
Kizna jumped out of her bed and ran out of the room as the other repairers took their turns reading the paper.
Zero was against the wall, looking out through the glass into space. Kizna came up beind him and whispered: "What do you want?" Zero turned to face her. "Something's on his mind. I've never seen him this serious." She thought. Zero stared into her eyes and said. "If they want it, let's give it to them." Kizna looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?" She asked. Zero pushed himself off the wall. "If they think something is going on between us, why not have a little fun with it?" He said with a wink. Kizna became unsure of what to do. "Are you asking me out, Zero Enna?" She asked in her friendly tone. Zero smiled. "Lets just call it 'Friends, with benefits', but let's keep it a secret until they pull something like that again." "What if they don't?"Kizna asked. "Don't worry, they will."
The next day went without a hitch. Azuma made the candidates assist the repairers in tuning up their PRO-ING's. Not one of the other four groups noticed Kizna and Zero sneaking glances and smiles. Lunch was the same as yesterday: Zero being alienated, and Kizna overhearing it all. Then the day was over. They gathered in the mess hall to play cards, and yet again, Hiead went off alone. Kizna and Zero both plotted to both be talking to one another for long periods of time; Kizna standing. Zero noticed when Clay got together with Yamagi and Roose, but they had to plan it differently, so neither of them knew what the three had in mind. Clay made a leisurely walk behind Kizna, while Yamagi and Roose started playing euchre with their repairers. Yamago flicked a card at Zero, which bounced off his head. Zero deliberately turned to look at Yamagi with the best anger face that he could come up with. That's when Clay made his move. He pushed Kizna hard enough so she lost her balance and fell onto Zero's lap. She held onto his shoulders as Zero snapped back around and threw his arms around her. Yamagi dropped his cards and started to pound the table laughing. Roose tried to choke down his laughter, while Clay did his best just to stand up.
Their eyes met, and they both felt the best they had in a long time. Zero thought her eyes were saying, "Never let go.", so he held her tighter, and didn't have any plans to ever do let go.
Clay stopped laughing to add one more thing that made the repairers even more upset: "Hey Zero! Why not kiss her?" Yamagi and Roose fell out of their chairs and sat on the floor, laughing uncontrollably. Clay held onto a table to keep himself balanced. The laughter stopped when Zero looked back into Kizna's eyes and said. "Don't mind if I do." He bent his head down and locked lips.
Jaws never dropped faster as candidates and repairers alike dropped them in equal fashion. Clay gasped in confusion. "What are you doing Zero?!" He demanded. Zero broke away long enough for him to say: "What couples do, naturally." The candidates gasped again.
Before returning to the bliss one another found, Kizna added: "Now who's stupid?"
Two weeks before graduation.....
Not much has changed in two weeks. Clay has found this new relationship in the ranks to be "Quite intruiging.", even though he still can't believe it.
Azuma stared down at his charts, then looked up at the candidates, who were standing at attention. "Good show today, candidates." Azuma said. "Dismissed." All the candidates, except Hiead left at the same time. "So Yamagi, I see you cut your head again." Zero laughed. "You moron! I cut my hair. Hair!! How many times will it take before you say hair?!" Yamagi yelled. "I know it's hair. I do it to piss you off, and it works." Zero laughed for a moment, then stopped. "I'm gonna go see what Kizna is up to guys." He said, turning around. "Zero, you always have to go see Kizna now! You've abandoned us buddy!" Roose said. Zero turned and started backpedaling. "I'll play cards or something when I get back!" He yelled, and turned down the hallway towards the observation deck.
He sneaked up on her and cupped his hands over her eyes. "Guess who?" He asked in a playful mood. "Oh come on Zero..." Kizna said, smiling. "....good guess...." Zero said. Kizna tuned around, and they shared a quick kiss, hoping the few in sight of them couldn't see anything. Then they sat down, holding hands, and both stared off into space. Zero said lightly, "Two weeks........two weeks and we'll be up there on GIS.." Kizna gripped his hand, and looked at him. "Yeah, but that's when it comes. I don't want to think about that right now." She shivered. "This damn place is always cold." Zero looked over at her. "Where's your jacket?" He asked. She shrugged. "I don't know where it is, do you?" Zero shook his head. "Well, it's getting late anyway. Let's go." Kizna nodded and they both got up and started down towards the bunk rooms.
Zero had his arm draped over Kizna's shoulder and was whispering sweet nothings in her ear, when Hiead came out of nowhere and almost knocked Zero on the ground. "Get out of my way." Hiead said, and continued walking." Zero was overcome with anger. "Hey, Hiead!" Zero yelled. Hiead kept going. "If you had half the emotions I do, you'd be a better pilot!" Hiead stopped, and turned slowly. "If you were half the pilot I was, you wouldn't make a fool of yourself every time you go out." "I'm all the pilot you are and more!" Kizna slapped him on the head and whispered in his ear. "What the hell are you doing?!" Zero turned his head and said, "Picking a duel." Hiead was facing Zero now. "You're asking for it boy." He said.
"Then let's go, novice!" Hiead got right in his face and said, "After lunch. Right here." He pointed towards the direction of the PRO-ING facilty. "Fine with me." Zero said cooly. Then Hiead walked off. Kizna and Zero started walking again. "I don't think this is a good idea, Zero." She said to him. Zero looked and smiled at her. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." Zero said, reassuringly. They stopped at the boys' bunkroom. Zero kissed her on the cheek and said their good nights, then he stepped inside.
Clay shoved a jacket in Zero's face as soon as the door closed. Zero pulled it off his face. "Who's is that, and why'd you shove it in my face?!" He yelled. Clay didn't say anything, except he unfolded the jacket and made Zero look at the ID card. "I dunno, you tell me, slick." Zero held on to both ends of the card so he could read it.
On it was the G.O.A symbol, and the number: 88.
Zero tried to cover for himself. "Uh, how did that get here?" He said nervously. Clay threw it down. "That's what I asked you!" Clay said, fixing his glasses. "The least you could do for yourself is just tell us how it got here.." Zero stuck with his story that he had no idea where it came from, then Clay tricked him. "If you don't tell us right now, I'll just report this to the instructor...." Zero snatched the jacket off the ground and held onto it. "Clay, I'd never forgive you for that!" Clay shrugged it off. "Either you tell us, or someone we know runs, all day, on his off day....isn't that right guys?" Zero saw Yamagi and Roose watching intently, nodding their head to Clay's words."Fine." Zero broke out. "We came back here, and no one was around. All we did was kiss, I swear." Clay stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Really?" Zero nodded quickly. "Really, really!" Clay frowned and said. "Okay then. I won't tell the instructor." Zero smiled. "Thanks man. I really appreciate it." Clay waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Zero sat on his bunk and told them of his incident in the hallway. Yamagi dropped his cards and said, "You did what?!", when Zero finished. "He's gonna tear you a new one!" Roose said. Clay sat in a chair and folded his arms. "The odds are against you, but that is if Hiead's pride dosen't blind him while your dueling..." Zero shook it off. "I don't care what you all say! I'm gonna open a case of whoop-ass on him!" Zero cheered. "Now, who's up for a game or two?"
The morning went fast. It was an off-day, and when the repairers asked Azuma if Hiead and Zero could use the PRO-ING system that day, he said "Don't let them kill one another." Zero was preparing to get into the 88 model, when Kizna grabbed him by the arm. He looked down at her. "Something you want?" He asked. "Don't go getting yourself hurt. Hiead isn't making a game out of this. It's all-out war to him." Zero took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. "I told you before, I'll be fine." He stepped into the liquid barrier, but before he dissappeared completely, he said to her: "Just keep talking to me out there."
Ihkny stood and stared in silence as Hiead prepared himself. He stood up and started toward the liquid barrier. "Good luck.." Ihkny said weakly. "Yeah." Hiead said, and stepped inside. Kizna tapped Ihkny on the shoulder as she passed by. "Come on, we gotta get up to the deck." Ihkny nodded in silent agreement, and followed her.
Hiead and Zero appeared across from one another as the simulation biome was loaded into the network. When it was finished, Hiead said, "Don't be too mad when I beat the shit out of you." Zero laughed and said back, "Funny, I was thinking the same thing!"
The simulation began.
Zero was knocked off of his feet quickly. "What the hell?!" He yelled. "Get up Zero!" Kizna yelled at him. Zero stood up and looked around. He saw Hiead running at him once again, so Zero followed suit and ran at him. Hiead moved to the left to avoid Zero, but Zero copied him, and socked him right in the jaw. Hiead staggered backwards, then tackled Zero. Zero tried to push him off, but Hiead had his arm in a lock. In one swift motion, Hiead was able to pop the joint in backwards on the machine and jumped off. "Never make fun of me." Hiead said sternly. Zero screamed as the nerve systems relayed the message to his brain that his arm just broke. "It's not real Zero!" Kizna screamed. Zero started going frantic for a moment. "No! I'm serious! Something happend to my arm!!" Zero yelled. Azuma, standing behind the repairers, started to tell Kizna that he was going to end the simulation. "Don't do it, instructor!" Zero yelled, wincing in pain as he got back up on his feet. He held out his arm and savagely beat the mechanical elbow until it popped back into place with a thud. Zero held onto his arm as he looked up, and saw Hiead upon him. Hiead landed blow after menacing blow that wrecked, scratched, dented piece after piece of armor and metal plating. Zero staggered back and jumped away from him finally.
He felt horrible, the nerve waves in the sim were too life-like. It's almost as if they were in a real fist fight. Zero took a stance, and when Hiead came in for another attack, he landed right hook after right hook, right on the face plating. Hiead caught his arm, and swept out his feet from under him. The he jumped up on the ridge, and jumped off, yelling, "It ends here, Zero!". Zero looked up at him as Hiead was falling. Right before he hit, Zero lifted both his knees and shifted his body upwards. Hiead's midsection came right down on Zero's knees, and blew the air out of him. Zero, gasping for the air that he couldn't get enough of, pushed Hiead's machine off of him and placed his foot on Hiead's chest in triumph. "It's over." Zero stumbled over to the lift as the simulation ended, and went down to the hangar.
Kizna jumped out of her seat and ran down to the hangar, while Azuma made the call to the infirmary. Kizna made it to the dock as soon as the 88 model slid to a stop on the runway and locked itself in place. Zero fell out of the badly damaged machine, heaving air. Kizna slid on the ground up to him, and overloaded his tired mind with "Come on Zero, you gotta get up!" Zero reached out with his hand opened, and started smiling and laughing when he had the air to do so. Kizna reached his hand and held it, then she too started to laugh a bit. She helped him into a sitting position as the medics came around and took great care about putting the pilot on the stretcher, and took him down to the infirmary.
Hiead held onto the edge of the liquid barrier, holding his stomache with his other arm. "I don't believe it...him....of all people......beat me......." He started to cough, sending small globules of blood through the air that splattered on random things. "Damn him..." He cursed, and he stumbled out onto the platform.
"How bad is it, doctor?" Azuma asked. Dr. Croford turned around. "Fractures in his forearm, and some cuts and bruises, but otherwise he's fine." Azuma sighed. "If only I could get a group of candidates that didn't bludgeon one another." "Easier for me, less people I'd have to treat daily." Croford added, attaching a metal frame to Zeros' arm. "There. Do not take it off, and it'll be as good as it ever was in a week or two." Zero stood up, slid off the examining table, and walked out. Azuma stopped him to say, "Good work today, candidate." Zero smiled and said, "Thank you, sir.", and walked out into the hallway.
Kizna almost knocked him over as soon as he stepped out of the infirmary. After hugging him to the point of blanking-out, she let him go long enough to let him breathe again, and they started walking down towards the bunkrooms. "How bad is it, Zero?" She asked him. "Ah, none too bad. The doctor said it wasn't really serious, but I gotta keep this thing on for at least a week." Zero said, showing her his metal armware. "It still looks like a lot of pain, though." She added. "Not really, the doc gave me something to numb the pain somewhat." Kizna smiled. "Well, that's good to hear." They came up on the boys' bunkroom, and Kizna opened the door for him.
Clay was coming out of the door as Kizna cleared the way for Zero. She led him over to his bunk, and he sat gingerly down on his bed. "Man! You messed him up good!" Roose said, coming into the room with Yamagi trailing behind him. Clay fixed his glasses again and said, "Amazing, Hiead spends twice as much time as Zero does in the sim, and he still lost. Although it could be qualified as a low blow, it's pure genius!" Zero laughed and coughed since he was still trying to get a good breath. "Yeah.....it just hit me...." "Well, good job." Yamagi said, then he went over to his bunk. Kizna looked at him in disgust, until Roose came over and told her:
"He had his money on Hiead."
Five days before graduation...
Kizna was still busy repairing the damage from Zeros duel with Hiead. Even though most of it is done, there was still a long way to go. She had her head buried in the electrical wire that sat behind the right chest plate, an area that received the most punishment. Zero had just come up to the platform, and looked up the ladder. "Hello?" He called up to her. She pulled out of the opening where she was working and took the flashlight out of her mouth. "Hey there, Zero!" She called down to him. Zero lifted up his bear arm, and smiled. Kizna came down the ladder, and they met each other with open arms. "Nice to see that your not wearing that anymore." She said. "Yeah, me too. It was bugging the hell out of me." Zero said. He stoop on his toes and tried to look at what she had been doing when she stopped. "Doing anything important?" Kizna looked up and said. "Nothing that's in dire need of attention. Why do you ask?" Zero looke dat her and said, "Well, would you like to go spacewalking?" Kizna looked at him. "You mean you actually want to go out on your own initiative?" Zero nodded. "Only have five days left, might as well do it." Kizna put her tools down on the ladder step, and said "Let's go!" Zero said, "Okay.", and they went to the airlock.
"Hey now, don't do that!" Zero said, when Kizna tried to swing him off his footing by waving his air line around. "Sorry, I couldn't resist!" She laughed. "I know you couldn't." Zero said, sitting down on the hull of G.O.A.. Kizna sat beside him, and they both stared at Zion. "You know," She began. "Whenever I look at Zion, I feel happy, because it's so beautiful, even from up here." "Yeah it is something else." Zero said. "Which direction is your colony again, Kizna?" She looked at him, then pointed northwest of Zion. "About fifty-thousand miles that way." "What's it like in there?" Zero asked. "Well, what do you mean?" She asked back. "Like, what's inside, what does it look like on the inside?" She knew what happend to his colony, so she thought it best to describe it as best she could. "Well, it's really pretty, almost like the recreation vault. There's lakes, and waterfalls, and forests. We even have mountains in there...." She trailed off. "Something wrong?" He asked. Kizna shook her head and smiled. "No, nothing's wrong." Zero looked down at the digital display on his arm. "Didn't you say you had to go sometime after three?" Kizna nodded. "Yeah, why? What time is it?" She looked at her won display, and said, "Damnit! This'll put me behind...." Zero pat her on the back. "Oh it's only twenty minutes..." Zero said. "I'll tell you what, I'll help you do some basic things to catch back up." Kizna turned her head and smiled. "Thanks, I could use the help."
Graduation Day.
Zero looked himself over in his suit. "None too bad." He told himself. Today was the day that himself and the other candidates in the number range of 85 to 89 were sent up to GIS to begin their fight against VICTIM. Zero was psyched about this day because mostly, there isn't as many eyes looking around on GIS than there were on GOA, which meant more time with Kizna. The door slid open as Clay, in his uniform, came in to the small room and said, "It's time."
Kizna buttoned the top of her suit up. She liked the idea of graduating after three long years, but that took too long, and the proceedings were boring. She wanted to get right to the fun: the after- party. The only co-ed party the candidates were ever given (officially, anyway). She pushed the suit down so that it fit better and went out into the hall.
A private ceremony was held in the back end of the G.O.A. facility. All the senior candidates sat in the front row, with the newer candidates and the personnel of G.O.A. seated behind them. Azuma came out of a side door, and went up on the podium. He shifted the notecards and began his speech:
"All of you came up to G.O.A. with one goal in mind: becoming an Ingrid pilotor Ingrid repairer. Yes the trip was long and hard, but these candidates went through it with flying colors. And through these years, relationships developed that would have not of. The pilot, with their repairer behind them in support, is an unstoppable being, worthy of which to fight and destroy the enemy VICTIM."
"And without further delay, we'll start with the repairers. Please hold your applause until all the repairers have been called."
The pilot's shared words of encouragement with their repairers.
"Number eighty-five, Wrecka Toesing."
Wrecka stood up and went to the podium where she shook hands with Azuma.
"Number eighty-six, Tsukasa Kuscha."
Tsukasa went up and shook hands with Azuma, and hugged Wrecka.
"Number eighty-seven, Ikhny Allecto."
Ikhny stood up, shook hands, and hugged her fellow repairers.
"Number eighty-eight, Kizna Towryk."
Kizna pat Zero on the shoulder, then stood up, shook hands, and hugged her fellow repairers.
"Number eighty-nine, Saki Mimori."
Saki went up and madly shook Azuma's hand, then almost lost it hugging the others from excietment. The repairers started to move off the podium, until Azuma said "Would the repairers please stay on the podium." They stepped back into place.
"As I call out the names of the pilots, would you please stand beside your repsected repairer."
"Number eighty-five, Roose Sawamura."
Roose jumped out of his seat and almost ran up to the podium, shaking hands with Azuma, then standing beside Wrecka.
"Number eighty-six, Yamagi Kushida."
Yamagi stood up and went up to shake hands with Azuma, then being dwarfed as he stod next to Tsukasa.
"Number eighty-seven, Hiead Gnr."
Hiead got up silently, shook hands quickly, and stood next to Ikhny.
"Number eighty-eight, Zero Enna."
Zero stood up and walked to the podium with the proudest stride, shook Azuma's hands strongly, then went back and hugged Kizna before standing next to her.
"And number eighty-nine, Clay Cliff Fortran."
Clay adjusted his glasses as he stood up and walked to the podium, shook hands with Azuma, then with Saki.
Azuma turned back to face the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Senior class." He said, sweeping his hand backwards towards the candidates and repairers. The audience stood up and applauded the graduates for many minutes. Azuma turned to the group and said, "Dismissed!" for one final time. The now-pilots and repairers cheered and and congradulated their teammates and counterparts.
Ikhny was busy congratulating when Hiead tapper her on the shoulder. She turned around, and Hiead offered his hand. "Good work." Ikhny smiled softly and shook his hand.
They were still congratulating as the audience started to file out through the back, Azuma collected his things, and faced the graduates again. "You'll all meet out on the transport deck at 13:00 hours tommorrow. Until then, the night is yours to do whatever you'd like within the station candidate areas.Good day." Azuma stepped down off the podium and through the small door again. "Let's get out of here and into some better fitting clothes. This this is liable to split me in two." Yamagi said, pulling the bottom of his suit down. They all agreed and went back to their respective bunkrooms to change.
After-Graduation Party
The pilots made it into the room first. Yamagi and Roose fought over the stereo and what music to listen to. Clay kept saying, "That device wasn't meant to take such punishment!". Hiead went off into a corner, and Zero sat at a table and drank a soda. The repairers all came in in one large group. Roose looked towards the door and was getting ready to say something about how they always come in one big group, when Clay cut him off, saying "It's just their way, don't bother asking why." Roose looked at him and shrugged, then started to push Yamagi away from the stereo, like he'd been doing since he got there.
Zero stared as she came in. Kizna was wearing a tight blue shirt and long black pants, also tight. She came in and sat down next to him. They shared a quick kiss and said their hellos. Then she folded her arms across her chest. "What do you wanna do?" She asked him. Zero looked at her and said "Haven't a clue." He thought for a moment. "Cards?" "Kizna stuck out her tongue. "I've never been able to play cards, besides, it's boring."
Zero's eyes lit up as an idea came to mind. "Hey, do you wanna go to the recreation vault? It'd be just you and me." Kizna loved the idea before Zero finished his sentence. "Yeah, let's go!" Was the enthusiastic reply. Zero stood up, and went over to his fellow pilots. He leaned on Clay and Roose's shoulder, and said, "Well guys, I must be off. No telling when I'll get back..." , loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. The playful "Oooh."'s and "Aaah."'s were what he had expected out of the group, as himself and Kizna walked out of the room, hand in hand.
Yamagi waited until after the door slid shut. "This really blows, I say we follow them." Clay and Roose didn't find it a half-bad idea, and still thought that way even after the repairers shot them death looks. Yamagi sighed. "Stop messing, I know that you wanna know what's going on too, so don't give me that crap...". As the pilots and repairers fought back and forth with a barrage of "Do not!"'s and "Do too!"'s, Hiead silently slipped by and out the door.
He wanted to be the first to get a good look.
The giant door slid up to open, and a rush of fresh air blasted down the hallway until the pressure equalized. Kizna and Zero stepped inside, and the door creaked closed behind them. It was still the same as the last time, but it looked somewhat better each time either of them went in. They started to take a leisurely walk down the path, past the lake, talking about things that have happend lately. Zero asked suddenly, "What are your plans after we're done with all of this.....you know.....after serving with the Ingrid." Kizna stopped and stared out over the landscape. "Well, I don't want to go back to the colonies. It's too restricting, unrealistic being in there. Where I really wanna go to, is Zion." Zero nodded. "I want to, too..." Zero started to zone out, and didn't notice Kizna start off again. When she felt the resistance of his body weight, she turned to face him. "Is something wrong?" She asked. Zero shook his head, and looked her in the eye. "No, It's nothing......" She shrugged, and they started to walk again.
Zero pointed off to the left with his free hand at an opening in the trees and undergrowth. "Let's stop here." He said, and they both sat down on the grass, side by side. Where they were at, they had a magnificent view of the waterfall, which the mist from it carried over for a small distance, making the clearing nice and cool. Zero laid back and stared up, as Kizna laid on her side, staring lovingly at Zero, who would give sideward glances of the same approach back at her. She still thought he was acting weird, so to liven things up, she started laughing. Zero looked over at her and asked, "What's so funny?" She told him, "N-nothing!" between laughs. Zero got up on his side, "Tell me what's funny!" She didn't give him an answer, mostly because she was laughing too hard. Zero smiled wildly and said, "Come here you!", as he jumped on Kizna, and they both rolled over and over, both laughing until they stopped rolling, Kizna on top. She played with his hair and asked, "What's eating you?" Zero started to say something, but then shook his head and stared her in the eye. "Well, I got you something, and I think you might love it." Kizna's ears perked up. "What'd ya get me?" Zero reached around in his pocket. "Well...I got you a....." He continually spoke more quiet when he couldn't find what he was looking for. "Damn!" He said. Kizna got off of him as Zero got up on his knees and started looking around on the ground.
"What a loser." Hiead said, onlooking from behind thick underbrush. He rolled under the door as it was closing, and followed them at a great distance. "Now do something important, so I can make you the laughing stock..."
Azuma peered into the room as he came in. "Instructor, sir!" Yamagi yelled, from behind a table that was on its side. "What is the meaning of this?" "They got us cornered, instructor!" Roose said, looking out around the corner. Clay pulled him back behind by the collar. "You fool! They're gonna hit you if you look out there!" It was true, the repairers had the pilots pinned down in the corner...and they had several heavy objects in their hands. Clay spoke out from behind the table. "We were trying to convince them! Honest!" Azuma raised an eyebrow. "About what...wait..." He made a quick scan of the room. He thought something didn't look right, something amiss. Then he figured it out. "Is Enna behind there also?" "No, sir!" Clay yelled.
"And what about Towryk, is she hiding here somewhere?"
"No sir. The 88's have gone to the recreation vault." Wrecka said.
"That's what I was trying to tell you! We were talking them into following them!" Clay yelled again. "Well, Gnr isn't here either. Either you all disgusted him, or he wandered someplace..." Azuma said. "You said the recreation vault, yes?" Clay stuck his thumb out over the table, then brought it back down quickly. "Well, if you wanna see something, then follow me. I'm gonna rain on their parade." Azuma slid out into the hall. Clay stood up and held his hands in a 'T' formation. "Time out, time out! I think in all interest, we should go to offer defense for our friends." Saki pegged him with a issue-boot and said. "We better go. Besides, knowing him, he'll rip Zero apart, then make him run laps all night." The repairers left the room, and when the pilots thought it secure, went out also, Clay rubbing his head.
Kizna had stood up and watched Zero skitter across the ground, looking for whatever he lost. "Can I help?" She asked. "No, no. It's your present, it wouldn't be the same if you found it then if I didn't give it to you." Kizna folded her arms and said, "Well, okay." Zero thought his efforts were futile, until a golden metallic glint caught his eye. He reached up, and grabbed it. He got on both knees and used his back as a wall as he polished the metal. Kizna couldn't help but try to look around him, but he grasped the thing in his palm, got on one knee, and started saying, "I know this is really sudden...."
"Ah yes. I see. Very good blackmail...." Hiead whispered as he stared on...
Azuma walked down the center of the path and looked around. He could see nothing, and as far as he could tell, no one. He reached the lake, and scanned the brushline. There he saw Hiead, on his hands and knees, in a cul- de-sac made by the growth. Azuma came up behind him, and Hiead never flinched. He kicked at his shoe, and Hiead turned his head to look up at him. "What are you doing down here, Gnr." Hiead partly grinned as he pointed through the foilage.
Zero stopped. "But, I wanna know something." Kizna looked at him and asked, "What do want to know?" Zero grabbed her hand and unclenched his other hand, then flipping the object so he could catch it in-between his fingers. "Kizna Towryk, repairer, lover, and most of all, friend...."
Azuma knew that it was required in his protocol that he had to do something, but couldn't find the urge to do so. He turned his head to hear the running of the seniors, coming up the path, then kicked Hiead's boot again. "Levae them alone, pilot. Give them their privacy.." Azuma turned, put his hands in his pockets, and started walking back towards the entrance.
Clay reached Azuma first, and asked. "Did..you..find..them?" He said between breaths. Azuma pointed over his shoulder, "Back there. Try not to disturb them much.", and he kept walking.
Kizna almost fell over. "W-what, Zero?" Zero looked her in the eye. "I asked if you would marry me." Zero noticed the confusion in her eyes, and started to panic. "Of courseifyoudon'twantto......."
She composed herself. "Yes, I will."
"........I'llcompletelyunderstandandasksometimelate.......what?" Zero looked back at her.
"I said, 'Yes', Zero." She smiled.
He jumped up and yelled in delight, as he swept her off her feet and gave her the longest kiss.
Clay and the others just stood there. "I would not have predicted this." Yamagi was stuck in the back, and wandered beyond the bush-line to get a better look. Tsukasa caught him by the collar, and pulled him back around the corner. "You moron! Leave them alone!"
Zero broke off, and let Kizna down. Then he slipped the ring on her index finger. "I'm sorry it's not top-dollar, but I couldn't do any better on such short notice." Kizna hugged him and said, "It's all right, I understand." They put arms around each other, and walked back out on the road.
Zero yelled in surprise when the repairers ran up to Kizna. He fell down on the road as his fiancee disappeared among the crowd. Yamagi helped him to his feet. "Good move, my friend." Roose said, holding out his hand. Zero reached out and shook hands with him. Clay fixed his glasses while saying, "I knew it was gonna happen sometime between pilot and repairer, you were second on my list." Zero looked at him. "Who was the first?" He asked. Clay pointed at Yamagi. "Him." Yamagi said, "That's not funny.", and shot him the finger. Roose asked, "Who was last?" Clay nodded over his shoulder. "Hiead." "Dumb question." Roose said, and the gropu started moving down the pathway.
Hiead sat on the ground a broken man. "Another chance.....another opportunity.....blown....."
Kizna slipped into the repairers' bunkroom, not before whispering in Zeros ear: "Meet me here in ten." She said with a wink, then disappeared into the room. Zero caught back up to the crowd, and Clay asked. "Where's Kizna, Zero?" Zero made a cover-up. "Oh......she...went to the bathroom." He said, not looking Clay in the eye. Clay just looked at him and shrugged. Why should he care what she was up to? He's not the one engaged to her, after all. They filed into the room, and repairer was picking on their respective pilots with "When are you gonna ask me?", or "Get it over with, and just ask!". Zero caught his chance and snuck out of the room.
Ikhny stalled at the recreation vault door, and waited for it to close before she turned around and headed back. Hiead was still sitting on the ground, cursing and swearing silently. Ikhny bit her lip and kneeled next to him. "Hiead, sir?" She asked. No response. "I just wanted to say.........I think..........I think I'm in love with you." She said, closing her eyes and turning her head. The thought of him telling her to not get in his head went through her mind over and over, but nothing ever happend. She turned to look at him. He had stopped swearing, but still just stared at the ground. Ikhny shook her head, got up and walked away.
He didn't know what to do. He had barely any emotions, and he didn't want any. This new feeling, that of warmth, scared him. Who could care so deeply for the welfare of someone who hates people? His mind raged back and forth, as he contiuned to sit on the ground, and stare at it.
Zero looked down the hallway, both ways, before coming inside. He slipped silently into a dim room, that turned pitch black as the door slid and shut. He couldn't see, he had no idea where to put his hand to find his way arounfd, but something sweet was all over there air. "Strange, smells like, perfume, almost.." He said to himself. Then a small light came on, just barely enough to illuminate the shapes in the far corners of the room. He squinted as he looked around to see something familiar, when someone came up behind him, and grabbed his shoulders. Zero stood up straight, and asked into the darkness, "Kizna?" "Yeah, it's me." She said, and leaned her head on his right shoulder. He felt the warmth of her body as she got closer to him, then he felt two objects, exactly perpendicular to one another, barely touch his back. Zero turned his head, "What are you wearing?" He asked.
"Why, does it matter?"
"Feels like barely anything to me."
"I told you it didn't matter. I was wearing Wrecka's clothes anyway, so they were kinda tight."
"Well, I guess that's understandable."
She leaned over and started to massage his neck. She whispered, "I told them to party all night, so we could have our privacy." Zero turned his head again. "Kizna, I respect you, so I'm not gonna make any moves on you." He looked back out into the darkness. "I just wanted to say that first." "I wasn't planning on seducing you into having sex, Zero. Just to unwind, you know, cuddling, things like that." Zero sighed happily and said. "Good, it's too early anyway." Kizna took her hands off of him. He stood up and popped his neck. "Damn, that felt good." He said, then found his way to a bed, and laid out on it, leaving enough room for Kizna to follow suit. She laid down with her back to him, and he pulled the covers over both of them. She scooted backwards as Zero put his arm over her and pulled her up against his body. "I'm incredibly tired, aren't you?" Kizna asked him. Zero said, "Yeah, I am too.", as he was rubbing behind her ears. She shifted around a bit to show her content, then she looked over her shoulder, and said "I love you, Zero." He looked her in the eyes and said, "I love you too, Kizna."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
They kissed, rested against one another, and slowly fell asleep.
They collected on the launchpad with all their belongings stuffed into one bag that they each carried. Azuma looked them over as they slunk across the room to the elevator, which would take them to the transport heading for GIS. "They seem tired today." He said to Dr. Croford. "You and your co-ed parties keep them up all night, no wonder." Azuma continually watched as Kizna and Zero walked normally by, without bloodshot eyes. Croford elbowed Azuma in the ribs and asked, "Why do they look like they had a full nights' sleep?" Azuma shrugged. He knew of possible reasons, they've happend before, but saying so would throw the doctor into a fit. "They're the leaders. They have to have some sleep to function for the good of the team." Croford nodded. "Good enough for me." She wrote down something on her notepad. "Well I have to go back down to medical, since your running those PRO-ING simulators again." She left. As soon as all of them were in the elevator, he pressed the door close button. Before it closed and started on its way up, he said: "Good luck."
The elevator ascended into the sky and stopped at its highest point, then it let the group out into the tarmac that took them to the awaiting transport that took them to GIS.
The future now lies in their hands.