Nika gasped and looked to the north.
Heero put his attention on her.
(Since Nika wasn't pretending to be K.C. Ishida anymore, she could dress the way she liked. Which was a camouflage shirt under a brown trenchcoat, and high-water jeans. Heavy duty boots, and a small belt strap was wrapped around her neck like it were a dog collar.)
"What's the matter?" He asked.
"Nothing." Nika replied and started walking again.
"It's not your fault." Heero called after her.
Nika gasped and stopped walking. She turned her head sideways and looked at the moss green haired boy. "Listen, I don't need anyone taking care of me, ok? Just go away and leave me alone."
Heero stepped in front of her. "Who said anything about taking care of you? Besides I know that you're lying. You don't really want to be left alone."
For a long moment, Nika starred into Heero's Prussian blue eyes, hoping to find something. Some answers.
Then, a car drove up next to them.
Nika looked at the car and gripped onto her gun in her back pocket.
The windows rolled down. Two girls and a boy looked out at them. The girl that was driving was chewing on some gum. Tan skinned, brown eyed, with black coppertone hair pulled back in a ponytail.
The other sitting in the passenger seat had her eyes closed. Also tan skinned and brown eyed, her hair was black, short, and had that puffy effect.
The boy in the back was analyzing them. Like the girls he had the tan skin, brown eyes, and a brownish-black flat-top hair.
The driver chewed her gum and made a bubble. "Do you need a lift?"
"No, we're fine." Heero replied.
"Excuse me, but don't I know you two from somewhere?" The boy asked.
Nika shook her head in reply. Still gripping onto and handle of the weapon.
The girl in the front seat eyes' flew open. She looked up at Nika, and squinted at her. Then her brown eyes became watery.
"Alexis, what's the matter?" The other girl asked.
"It's her, Elaine."
"What about her?" The boy questioned.
"Can't you see it, Daryl? You do know them from somewhere! it's Precious and Heero!"
"Precious? Heero?" Daryl said and looked at Nika and Heero again.
Both pilots were confused.
He looked at Alexis again. "Nah, that's not them. Precious and Heero disappeared---- Disappeared along time ago."
"But no one else has that wrist tan line."
Nika looked at her left wrist and covered up the mistaken tan line.
"So? A ton of people accidentally leave their watch on when they're tanning!"
"No, I'm for sure. I'm positive it's her."
Nika put away her gun and got closer to Heero.
"Precious, where have you been all this time?" Elaine asked.
"What does it matter..." Nika replied.
"You disappeared on us! One day there you were hanging out with us, then the next, you're gone!" Alexis said.
"I think your friend here is right.... Ever since I was a little girl I've been training to become a soldier." Nika started her walk again.
"Training?" They echoed.
"I told ya guys!" Daryl exclaimed. "This can't possibly be Precious!"
"Well, Trowa ---"
"Did you say Trowa?" Heero asked as he saw Nika stop and turn her head a little their direction to hear.
"Yeah... Don't you remember him? You, Precious, and him used to be very close friends, until all of you vanished one-by-one within a week." Elaine told him.
"Hmmm..." Nika murmured.
~*~*~*
A bit later, Alexis, Elaine, and Daryl had brought Heero and Nika in a ball room with lots of people inside.
"Don't be ashamed..." Alexis told Nika and pulled her to one direction.
"Just tell me where Trowa is." Nika said.
"Don't worry... There now, sit here. Hey No Name, look who else we found roaming around this colony." Alexis said as she showed Nika and Heero to two empty seats at a four person table.
Nika took off her trenchcoat and glared at the back of the person's head. "Trowa," she whispered, "this is your conscience..."
Trowa turned around from the other table and looked at the people sitting in front of him. Once he saw Heero and Nika sitting there, he almost jumped right out of his skin.
"It's Precious and Heero!" Alexis exclaimed with a smile on her face. "Don't you guys remember how very close all three of you were? Well, I'll leave you guys alone so that you can catch up with the times!"
The three of them exchanged glances in a silent and deadly way.
Just as Trowa got up to leave, Daryl sat in the fourth seat at their table and said, "Hey Trowa, where are you going?"
"I have to go."
"What? Go? Already?? Well, at least have one more drink!" Daryl slid over a glass of beer.
"No, I really must be going."
"I have to leave too." Nika said.
"What?? Heero, not you too?!" Daryl sighed in disappointment as he saw Heero nod his head. "Boy, you guys suck. Hey, before you guys go, I wanna know something. What do you guys do for a livin'?"
Nika looked at the two Gundam Boys with a little grin formed on her lips.
~*~*~
A little later....
"A Gundam pilot!" Everyone exclaimed.
"Gundam pilots." Trowa said.
"Precious, do you know what the consequences are to being a Gundam pilot?" A boy asked.
"Yes, and I accept them. Risking my life when needed and to protect the two kingdoms and the colonies. Destroy ACE, OZ, TOSS. That's the path all of us have chosen. For the rest of our lives." Nika replied.
"But it's dangerous!" Alexis said.
"So? Danger is just another word in the dictionary to us. We love danger. That's because we are the danger that everyone fears." Heero told her.
That's when Trowa, Heero, and Nika got up and headed to the door.
"Wait ----"
"We really must getting going now."
"But where?" Elaine asked.
"Somewhere where you can get badly injured. We can't possibly go and risk your lives if TOSS knew that we were here. So unless you want to die, go ahead and follow us for all I could care..." Nika replied.
Daryl blocked the door. "I'm not letting you leave again, not here, not now!"
Nika slapped him across the face and held the tip of her gun to Daryl's forehead. "Don't ever go and try to stop a Gundam pilot! Now, let us through..."
"Precious, what has come over you? This isn't the old Precious I used to know."
Nika stopped and looked at Daryl. "That's right. This person right here." She pointed to herself. "Isn't the person you remembered."
"What happened to you? Why are you like this?" Elaine asked.
Nika sighed. "Something that cannot be explained. You wouldn't know what horror I've been living through, Elaine. Nicole, take care of Daryl." Nika replied and walked away.
Heero grabbed her by the tan lined wrist. "Nika, you can't just walk away from what you have been searching for your whole life."
Nika's eyes seemed to shivered. "Humph... What would you know about what I should or shouldn't do?" She replied, yanked her wrist out of Heero's grasp, and started to walk off.
This time Trowa grabbed her by both of her wrists. A chill fell down Nika's spine as she felt the cold hands. "But you can't live on with just a burden as your only past." He told her.
Nika turned around. "Alright then. Let's settle it right now."
"And there's only one thing that can settle the burden... One question.... Nika, who do you love more? Me or Trowa?"
Nika shook her head. "No, don't ask me that!"
"Nika, if you want this to get over and done with you have to answer the question!" Trowa said.
"Hey, go easy on her, Trowa. It's a hard decision if I were her."
"Yeah, well, you're not her, are you?! And if I hadn't met you, she'd still be with me!"
"Well, met me or not, Trowa, she would've someone else to love because you know what? We. Thought. You. Were. DEAD!!! Eight months passed, what did you expect her to do? Love a man that's dead for the rest of her life?"
Trowa snorted and walked over to Nika. "Well, who is it then? Who's the guy you want?"
"I'm not going to answer that question... You know why?"
"Why? Do you think that's it's goin' to hurt the guy you DIDN'T choose?"
Nika shook her head. "Because.... I.... I..."
"You what?"
Nika turned her back to both boys with a quick SWOOP of her long trenchcoat. "It's because... I love you both..." She whispered loud enough for both boys to hear before she ran off as fast as she could.
Trowa and Heero stood a bit shocked at the response. That meant when she was with Heero she still loved Trowa some way or another.
Heero took one step forward. "Nika..." He called, but his reaction to grab hold of Nika was far too slow and far too late...
~*~
"I want to train some more." Tori said panting heavily.
"Tori, we admire how you want train yourself to death, but you need your rest." Instructor Z. told her.
Tori sat down and wiped her sweat from her forehead with her arm. "Yea, I guess you're right. But tomorrow train me harder." She said.
"Why do you really want to train this hard anyways?" Dr. D. asked.
"When I fight I don't feel the way I used to a year ago. So I'm wondering if it's because I haven't been training at my normal pace." Tori replied.
Dr. D. giggled. "It's not because of your pace, dear Tori, but because of the time off you had when the battle was over and because you're getting older."
"Is that so?"
"Either that or you're gaining some weight. Which I highly doubt." Dr. D. said.
"Yea, you're probably right, but even though. I could use a little upgrade." Tori said.
"First thing in the morning we'll teach you some new techniques, ok?" Instructor Z. told her.
Tori nodded her head.
~*~
"HEERO!!!!! NIKA!!!!! TROWA!!!! Where are you guys?!?!?!" Bailey called.
"Huh?" Alexis asked and walked over to Bailey. "Excuse me, but did you say... Heero?"
"Yes," Bailey said and held out a photo of Heero, "do you happen to know where he is?"
Alexis looked down at the photo and nodded her head, "Yea, he headed to the airport."
"There didn't happen to be a girl with him, did there?" Holding up a photo of Nika this time.
"When they arrived here. I think she took off somewhere else though. Trowa mentioned something about getting his Gundam...?"
Bailey's eyes widened. "Thank you..." She said and ran off, but then Alexis stopped her.
"Please tell them --- especially Precious ---- not disappear like that again. They really got us worried."
"You knew Nika? How long have you known her?"
"Since we were babies." Bailey gasped. "Trowa and Heero I've known since we were about 8. Around the time the real Heero Yuy was assassinated. Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem. Thanks again and good-bye." Bailey replied and toward the direction Alexis had pointed.
"Oh and ask her if she's been working' out! She really gave Daryl a good blow to the jaw!" Alexis shouted after her.
~*~*~
'I know I'm suppose to get all three of them, but hey, I can't push it. Ok, so now, where's Heero?' Bailey wondered when she got to the airport. That's when she saw a boy that looked exactly like Heero stepping onto a shuttle. "Heero! Heero!" She ran to the gate but was stopped by the ticket collector.
"Do you have a ticket?"
"No, no I don't, but could you just let me talk with my friend? He's just right there!"
"I'm sorry, but if you don't have a ticket you can't board the shuttle."
"When's the next flight to..." Bailey looked at the board. "Sydney, Australia?"
"In three hours."
"Did that boy look like this?" Bailey asked holding up a picture of Heero for the man to see.
"Hmm.... why yes. That is the young man who just boarded the shuttle. But ma'am you'll have to move out of the way. There's still some people who need to get aboard." The man told her.
Heero put his attention on her.
(Since Nika wasn't pretending to be K.C. Ishida anymore, she could dress the way she liked. Which was a camouflage shirt under a brown trenchcoat, and high-water jeans. Heavy duty boots, and a small belt strap was wrapped around her neck like it were a dog collar.)
"What's the matter?" He asked.
"Nothing." Nika replied and started walking again.
"It's not your fault." Heero called after her.
Nika gasped and stopped walking. She turned her head sideways and looked at the moss green haired boy. "Listen, I don't need anyone taking care of me, ok? Just go away and leave me alone."
Heero stepped in front of her. "Who said anything about taking care of you? Besides I know that you're lying. You don't really want to be left alone."
For a long moment, Nika starred into Heero's Prussian blue eyes, hoping to find something. Some answers.
Then, a car drove up next to them.
Nika looked at the car and gripped onto her gun in her back pocket.
The windows rolled down. Two girls and a boy looked out at them. The girl that was driving was chewing on some gum. Tan skinned, brown eyed, with black coppertone hair pulled back in a ponytail.
The other sitting in the passenger seat had her eyes closed. Also tan skinned and brown eyed, her hair was black, short, and had that puffy effect.
The boy in the back was analyzing them. Like the girls he had the tan skin, brown eyes, and a brownish-black flat-top hair.
The driver chewed her gum and made a bubble. "Do you need a lift?"
"No, we're fine." Heero replied.
"Excuse me, but don't I know you two from somewhere?" The boy asked.
Nika shook her head in reply. Still gripping onto and handle of the weapon.
The girl in the front seat eyes' flew open. She looked up at Nika, and squinted at her. Then her brown eyes became watery.
"Alexis, what's the matter?" The other girl asked.
"It's her, Elaine."
"What about her?" The boy questioned.
"Can't you see it, Daryl? You do know them from somewhere! it's Precious and Heero!"
"Precious? Heero?" Daryl said and looked at Nika and Heero again.
Both pilots were confused.
He looked at Alexis again. "Nah, that's not them. Precious and Heero disappeared---- Disappeared along time ago."
"But no one else has that wrist tan line."
Nika looked at her left wrist and covered up the mistaken tan line.
"So? A ton of people accidentally leave their watch on when they're tanning!"
"No, I'm for sure. I'm positive it's her."
Nika put away her gun and got closer to Heero.
"Precious, where have you been all this time?" Elaine asked.
"What does it matter..." Nika replied.
"You disappeared on us! One day there you were hanging out with us, then the next, you're gone!" Alexis said.
"I think your friend here is right.... Ever since I was a little girl I've been training to become a soldier." Nika started her walk again.
"Training?" They echoed.
"I told ya guys!" Daryl exclaimed. "This can't possibly be Precious!"
"Well, Trowa ---"
"Did you say Trowa?" Heero asked as he saw Nika stop and turn her head a little their direction to hear.
"Yeah... Don't you remember him? You, Precious, and him used to be very close friends, until all of you vanished one-by-one within a week." Elaine told him.
"Hmmm..." Nika murmured.
~*~*~*
A bit later, Alexis, Elaine, and Daryl had brought Heero and Nika in a ball room with lots of people inside.
"Don't be ashamed..." Alexis told Nika and pulled her to one direction.
"Just tell me where Trowa is." Nika said.
"Don't worry... There now, sit here. Hey No Name, look who else we found roaming around this colony." Alexis said as she showed Nika and Heero to two empty seats at a four person table.
Nika took off her trenchcoat and glared at the back of the person's head. "Trowa," she whispered, "this is your conscience..."
Trowa turned around from the other table and looked at the people sitting in front of him. Once he saw Heero and Nika sitting there, he almost jumped right out of his skin.
"It's Precious and Heero!" Alexis exclaimed with a smile on her face. "Don't you guys remember how very close all three of you were? Well, I'll leave you guys alone so that you can catch up with the times!"
The three of them exchanged glances in a silent and deadly way.
Just as Trowa got up to leave, Daryl sat in the fourth seat at their table and said, "Hey Trowa, where are you going?"
"I have to go."
"What? Go? Already?? Well, at least have one more drink!" Daryl slid over a glass of beer.
"No, I really must be going."
"I have to leave too." Nika said.
"What?? Heero, not you too?!" Daryl sighed in disappointment as he saw Heero nod his head. "Boy, you guys suck. Hey, before you guys go, I wanna know something. What do you guys do for a livin'?"
Nika looked at the two Gundam Boys with a little grin formed on her lips.
~*~*~
A little later....
"A Gundam pilot!" Everyone exclaimed.
"Gundam pilots." Trowa said.
"Precious, do you know what the consequences are to being a Gundam pilot?" A boy asked.
"Yes, and I accept them. Risking my life when needed and to protect the two kingdoms and the colonies. Destroy ACE, OZ, TOSS. That's the path all of us have chosen. For the rest of our lives." Nika replied.
"But it's dangerous!" Alexis said.
"So? Danger is just another word in the dictionary to us. We love danger. That's because we are the danger that everyone fears." Heero told her.
That's when Trowa, Heero, and Nika got up and headed to the door.
"Wait ----"
"We really must getting going now."
"But where?" Elaine asked.
"Somewhere where you can get badly injured. We can't possibly go and risk your lives if TOSS knew that we were here. So unless you want to die, go ahead and follow us for all I could care..." Nika replied.
Daryl blocked the door. "I'm not letting you leave again, not here, not now!"
Nika slapped him across the face and held the tip of her gun to Daryl's forehead. "Don't ever go and try to stop a Gundam pilot! Now, let us through..."
"Precious, what has come over you? This isn't the old Precious I used to know."
Nika stopped and looked at Daryl. "That's right. This person right here." She pointed to herself. "Isn't the person you remembered."
"What happened to you? Why are you like this?" Elaine asked.
Nika sighed. "Something that cannot be explained. You wouldn't know what horror I've been living through, Elaine. Nicole, take care of Daryl." Nika replied and walked away.
Heero grabbed her by the tan lined wrist. "Nika, you can't just walk away from what you have been searching for your whole life."
Nika's eyes seemed to shivered. "Humph... What would you know about what I should or shouldn't do?" She replied, yanked her wrist out of Heero's grasp, and started to walk off.
This time Trowa grabbed her by both of her wrists. A chill fell down Nika's spine as she felt the cold hands. "But you can't live on with just a burden as your only past." He told her.
Nika turned around. "Alright then. Let's settle it right now."
"And there's only one thing that can settle the burden... One question.... Nika, who do you love more? Me or Trowa?"
Nika shook her head. "No, don't ask me that!"
"Nika, if you want this to get over and done with you have to answer the question!" Trowa said.
"Hey, go easy on her, Trowa. It's a hard decision if I were her."
"Yeah, well, you're not her, are you?! And if I hadn't met you, she'd still be with me!"
"Well, met me or not, Trowa, she would've someone else to love because you know what? We. Thought. You. Were. DEAD!!! Eight months passed, what did you expect her to do? Love a man that's dead for the rest of her life?"
Trowa snorted and walked over to Nika. "Well, who is it then? Who's the guy you want?"
"I'm not going to answer that question... You know why?"
"Why? Do you think that's it's goin' to hurt the guy you DIDN'T choose?"
Nika shook her head. "Because.... I.... I..."
"You what?"
Nika turned her back to both boys with a quick SWOOP of her long trenchcoat. "It's because... I love you both..." She whispered loud enough for both boys to hear before she ran off as fast as she could.
Trowa and Heero stood a bit shocked at the response. That meant when she was with Heero she still loved Trowa some way or another.
Heero took one step forward. "Nika..." He called, but his reaction to grab hold of Nika was far too slow and far too late...
~*~
"I want to train some more." Tori said panting heavily.
"Tori, we admire how you want train yourself to death, but you need your rest." Instructor Z. told her.
Tori sat down and wiped her sweat from her forehead with her arm. "Yea, I guess you're right. But tomorrow train me harder." She said.
"Why do you really want to train this hard anyways?" Dr. D. asked.
"When I fight I don't feel the way I used to a year ago. So I'm wondering if it's because I haven't been training at my normal pace." Tori replied.
Dr. D. giggled. "It's not because of your pace, dear Tori, but because of the time off you had when the battle was over and because you're getting older."
"Is that so?"
"Either that or you're gaining some weight. Which I highly doubt." Dr. D. said.
"Yea, you're probably right, but even though. I could use a little upgrade." Tori said.
"First thing in the morning we'll teach you some new techniques, ok?" Instructor Z. told her.
Tori nodded her head.
~*~
"HEERO!!!!! NIKA!!!!! TROWA!!!! Where are you guys?!?!?!" Bailey called.
"Huh?" Alexis asked and walked over to Bailey. "Excuse me, but did you say... Heero?"
"Yes," Bailey said and held out a photo of Heero, "do you happen to know where he is?"
Alexis looked down at the photo and nodded her head, "Yea, he headed to the airport."
"There didn't happen to be a girl with him, did there?" Holding up a photo of Nika this time.
"When they arrived here. I think she took off somewhere else though. Trowa mentioned something about getting his Gundam...?"
Bailey's eyes widened. "Thank you..." She said and ran off, but then Alexis stopped her.
"Please tell them --- especially Precious ---- not disappear like that again. They really got us worried."
"You knew Nika? How long have you known her?"
"Since we were babies." Bailey gasped. "Trowa and Heero I've known since we were about 8. Around the time the real Heero Yuy was assassinated. Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem. Thanks again and good-bye." Bailey replied and toward the direction Alexis had pointed.
"Oh and ask her if she's been working' out! She really gave Daryl a good blow to the jaw!" Alexis shouted after her.
~*~*~
'I know I'm suppose to get all three of them, but hey, I can't push it. Ok, so now, where's Heero?' Bailey wondered when she got to the airport. That's when she saw a boy that looked exactly like Heero stepping onto a shuttle. "Heero! Heero!" She ran to the gate but was stopped by the ticket collector.
"Do you have a ticket?"
"No, no I don't, but could you just let me talk with my friend? He's just right there!"
"I'm sorry, but if you don't have a ticket you can't board the shuttle."
"When's the next flight to..." Bailey looked at the board. "Sydney, Australia?"
"In three hours."
"Did that boy look like this?" Bailey asked holding up a picture of Heero for the man to see.
"Hmm.... why yes. That is the young man who just boarded the shuttle. But ma'am you'll have to move out of the way. There's still some people who need to get aboard." The man told her.
