A/N - So, another new chapter. This time say hello to Tao White, submitted by Titanic X. As some of you will notice, this chapter contains little action and that I have skipped over the battle where the Archangel enters Orb. I know, this is probably the second fight I have skipped. Then again, I assume we all know what happened in those, especially when they're pretty much the same as they were in series. However, do not be upset by the lack of action lately - I have a little surprise in the works...
„Wow, you people have really fun investigation missions. I don't think I've ever enjoyed myself so much while I was supposed to be looking for something." Juliet took a deep breath of the ocean air and leaned against the railings, in order to take a better look at the beach below. The sight before her certainly warranted the amount of excitement she felt. White sand beach, stretching for several kilometers on her left. To her right, the beach continued for a few hundred meters and then disappeared out of her sight, as it curved towards the inland, where a large bay was located.
As expected, the beach was filled with hundreds of people, to whom the only concern seemed to be making a choice on how to enjoy this sunny day. Some of them, mostly kids, were playing in the water, laughing their heads off, as they splashed water onto each other, like kids often did. Those who were older enjoyed the water in a slightly different manner, whether it was something as simple as swimming, surfing or any other of the myriad opportunities of water sports. A fair amount of people preferred to stay dry and relaxed by participating in various beach activities, ranging from sunbathing to beach volleyball.
Juliet cast a longing gaze at them, wishing to be able to slip into a bikini and join them. With a deep sigh she broke her gaze off the joyful scenery and went after her partner. She quickly closed the distance between them and was soon walking side by side with the guy she was supposed to do the scouting with. "Hey, slow down a little. Why are you in such a hurry?"
"We have a job to do." Yzak replied out of the corner of his mouth, while his eyes were looking at the city map in his hands.
"I know, I know. We must find the Archangel." Juliet pouted in annoyance. She glanced across the street at the various shops stretching along the beach-side of the city. Instantly her mind started wandering again. There were so many shops out there. So many types of clothes to buy. "C'mon, let's go check out the stores, we have lots of time and we need a break anyway." She took off her jacket and slung it over her shoulder. The heat didn't bother her much, but the humidity was unlike anything she had experienced. She was glad she had decided to go with her usual casual wear, not the grey technician coveralls the guys sported. Juliet glanced at Yzak, wearing not only a full collar jacket and pants, but also a cap and sighed. "How can you stand that? Doesn't the heat bother you?"
"No, it doesn't. And stop acting like a tourist, we're not here on vacation, we're here to do a job." Yzak kept his answers short and to the point, causing a scene due to some argument was the last thing he wanted. "I should have gone with Dearka." He added too quietly for her to hear. At least that's what he thought.
Juliet arched her eyebrows and leaned closer to him. "Oh? You don't like my company?" She was pleased to see him startle. "I have to say, the feeling's mutual. Besides, you know that Dearka's not feeling good today and had to stay at the hotel."
"He's probably faking. That was two days ago! There's no way his head is still hurting after that fight."
"I don't think so. Getting double tapped by a pair of 155mm cannon rounds is no laughing matter." Juliet shook her head in mild amazement. "If it weren't for that armor, he'd be dead. Of course, that armor also does a piss poor job of softening a blow, so maybe that's the reason why he's feeling so bad."
Yzak sighed and pocketed the map with a snort. "155mm is basically an artillery size weapon. If Dearka got hit by such an unwieldy thing, he deserves every bit of that headache. Especially if when he had more than enough time to evade, since that guy wasn't in a hurry to deploy it."
"I agree. On a battlefield you have to keep moving." They both paused for a moment, realizing that this was probably the first time they both agreed with something. "Hey, you know what? Let's take a little break. We've been walking around since morning and I need some time off." Juliet suggested. She pointed at the shops across the street. "Let's check those out. They look interesting."
"We're supposed to be looking for the Archangel. There's a naval yard not far from here, we have to check it out."
"Good, it's close and won't go anywhere. It'll still be there later." Juliet's eyes were now fixed on the traffic, searching for an opening big enough to make it across the street. "Besides, I need your help, I don't know if they accept gold coins."
"Gold coins? Why the hell do you have something like that?"
"Force of habit. Not everyone accepted the official currency back at Layered, so a lot of people used gold to pay for things. Furthermore, I heard they're still working out how to incorporate Utopian Dollars into Earth's monetary system. Until they determine the value, I'm stuck with these things." She pulled out a single coin from the pocket and showed Yzak a small gold coin, gleaming in the midday sun. "C'mon." She said and darted across the street, paying no attention to traffic rules.
Yzak watched the end of her braid disappear among the people like a panther's tail. "Damn it! Hey, wait up!" He started running across the street as well. "Juliet, wait up!"
xxxxx
"Look at all these Mobile Suits! I had no idea Orb was building such things." Daniel felt his eyes bulging out, as he surveyed the pieces of machinery around him. More than twenty Mobile Suits were lined up along both walls of the hangar, staring down at him with their dark camera eyes. Even without any weapons, the white, black and orange Mobile Suits looked very impressive and deadly.
The woman, who had introduced herself as Erica Simmons, smiled approvingly. "They're called the Astrays and they're the spearhead of Orb's power. The need to stay current with the advances of military technology forced us to develop these machines in order to ensure Orb's safety."
"That might be true, but it also caused Orb a lot of problems from the political standpoint." A new voice said from behind them. Kira, Erica and Daniel turned around and saw Cagalli approaching them with the usual defiant look in her eyes. She looked at the nearest Astray and sighed. "All in the name of Orb's ideals."
"Ideals?"
"Yes, Kira. Orb does not invade other nations, and neither does it allow other nations to invade it. Lastly, Orb does not get involved in the disputes of other nations. This will be the strength to allow us to hold on to those ideals." Cagalli explained. "Orb is, or rather was, a country like that. Unfortunately, it all changed when my father betrayed Orb and agreed to build those five units at Heliopolis."
"You're bringing that up again? I already told you, it isn't like that. The fact that Morgenroete was designing and building Mobile Suits for Earth Alliance on the neutral Heliopolis colony was not known to the Chief Representative…"
"Oh, shut up!" Cagalli fiercely cut the older woman off. "You think an excuse like that will work? What kind of a leader has no idea about what's happening in his country?"
"Well, he did take responsibility for it, didn't he?"
"Resigning doesn't solve anything! My father is still the one calling the shots. Nothing has changed."
"Even if that's true, Orb needs a person like Uzumi."
"Do we really need a coward like him?" Cagalli snorted in disdain.
"You still talk about him like that? After everything he has done for you." Erica sighed, her words instantly silenced Cagalli, who was about to state another remark about her father. "On top of that, you even created a scene yesterday … He really doesn't have a lot of reasons to be happy, especially after having to slap you in the face for your horrible behavior." Both boys gave surprised looks to Cagalli, but the girl merely touched her cheek and ignored them.
"Now, leave this foolish girl and follow me, you two. I will show you the reason why I asked you to come here." Erica smiled at her victory over the tomboyish princess and led the way towards another set of doors.
After a brief walk, they all reached what looked like a control and observation room. Full of various computers and scientists, the room was pretty dark, making it hard to see any particular details. As it turned out, the semi darkness was specially created not to distract them from what they were supposed to test and observe. A massive pane of armored glass separated the control room from a massive underground testing hangar. In the middle of the hangar, there stood four more Astrays. "Ah, I see we're just in time. You will soon see the reason why we need your help." Erica picked up a pair of headphones. She then addressed what apparently seemed to be pilots of the Mobile Suits. "Asagi, Julie, Mayura, Tao are you girls ready?"
"Yes." A chorus of young and eager voices replied. Daniel and Kira were caught completely off guard. None of them had expected to find out that such young people were working as test pilots. Then again, they weren't much older themselves.
"Excellent, go ahead then." Erica ordered them to start the exercise. Orb's problem was made obvious the second the Astrays started to move. The Mobile Suits moved sluggishly and slowly, their movements were sloppy at best. Even Daniel, who didn't consider himself the best pilot out there, was certain he could take on all these Mobile Suits with his Pulverizer and emerge victorious.
His thoughts were shared by another person in the room. Upon witnessing the horrible performance of the four pilots, she let out a derisive snort. "They're horrible. There is no way they're going to last for long in an actual battle. I've seen drunks move with more grace and fluidity."
"Hey!"
"That's mean!"
"Do you have any idea how much work we've put into this?" Apparently the room's sensors had picked up Cagalli's words and, with the com-lines open, had transmitted them to the pilots. The resulting storm of exclamations was a definite proof of that. Despite that, Cagalli wasn't the one to back down.
"You all think the enemy is going to care about that? All that matters is whether you're good enough to defeat the enemy. And, judging from what I'm seeing here, you all are a bunch of walking targets."
"Look who's talking! You can't even pilot this thing." The female pilots weren't of the submissive sort themselves.
Cagalli took a step towards the window, as if trying to find out who said that. "Oh yeah? Is that all you have to say? You want me to give it a try? I could probably take you all on with one hand tied behind my back. "
The banter was not allowed to progress any further. Erica decided to step in and stop it before the girls started throwing more personal accusations around. "Okay, okay. Stop it … Calm down everyone. We're all here to solve this problem, not point out the flaws in others." She paused to see whether her words were taken into account. They were. Then she addressed the two boys in the room. "Now you see what I was talking about. As I said, this is exactly the reason why we asked for your help. We need you to come up with a Natural compatible operating system."
Even though he hadn't come up with an answer, Kira's mind was already searching for possible solutions and suggestions. He was fairly certain he could do it. Creating the system he used on the Strike hadn't been that hard. It had taken him barely a minute to work out the major flaws of the original program when he piloted the Gundam for the first time. A slightly longer and more detailed work had been needed to finish the work once the battle was done. As a result, he was very familiar with it. Working a bit more in order to customize it for Natural use shouldn't take much longer than a couple of days, in his opinion. Besides, it was the least he could do. After all, Orb had offered them shelter and the chance of repairing the Strike and the Archangel as well. Therefore, it was an easy choice for him.
Daniel watched Kira nod his assent and felt his confusion increase. "Excuse me, but why did you ask me to come, then? I don't know how to create a control program."
"I know, but as a Natural, you have the greatest experience in combating Mobile Suits. So maybe you could drop a few tips and share the experience." Erica replied kindly. She had known the boy's parents and felt very sorry for his loss. Not only had they been among the strongest forces that moved the project, they had been good people as well. The fact that the boy in front of her had to live without his parents at such young age was almost painful for her. Still, she didn't let those emotions leak out. Daniel seemed to be holding himself together pretty well, so there was no need to reopen the wound. Besides, there was another reason why she had asked Daniel to come as well. "And Orb is also interested in learning about the Pulverizer."
The confusion on Daniel's face disappeared very quickly and was replaced by the expression of self-satisfaction. With Erica admitting Orb needed his help to train their pilots, his ego received a boost he hadn't felt for some time now. "You want me to help train your pilots? Sure, I can do that."
"Excellent." Erica beamed; just like Daniel she paid no attention to the disgusted look on Cagalli's face. She was also happy about the possibility of studying Utopian technology. Orb had learned about Circ-City, and the events surrounding it, some time ago, but couldn't afford to spare the resources and effort to establish direct contact. Therefore, having an example of Utopian technology, though damaged, fall into their hands was enough to make Erica consider taking up religion. It was truly a gift from heaven.
xxxxx
Flay stared at the empty spot in the Archangel's hangar and frowned. She looked to either side and almost instantly began to question the usefulness of the action. If she couldn't see it the second she walked into the hangar, it meant it wasn't there. After all, the object she was looking for wasn't a needle or something equally small. The object of her search was the Strike, a seventeen meter tall Gundam. If she couldn't see it, then it obviously wasn't there. The realization that the Strike wasn't in the hangar made it clear to Flay that Kira wasn't on the ship. There was no one else capable of piloting it. Therefore she could easily discount the possibility of someone else taking the Strike.
She stood in the hangar and felt her spirit dropping. She had decided to use the opportunity of the Archangel not being attacked to talk to Kira. The increasing rift between them was seriously starting to trouble her. Even though Kira didn't show it, Flay was no fool, she noticed the signs. With every passing day, they had less and less things to talk about. Every time Flay tried to bring the problem up, Kira stated that he had other, more important things to take care of and would talk to her later. Of course that "later" never happened. He either hung out with Cagalli or worked on his Mobile Suit until he fell asleep; leaving her all alone in the room they shared. It was as if he wasn't noticing her existence at all.
At first Flay was glad she didn't have to spend every moment with him. After all, she constantly reminded herself that Kira was supposed to be the tool of her vengeance. Kira was supposed to redeem himself for failing to protect her father by killing Coordinators who were responsible for it. What happened to him in the process didn't matter. He was a tool. A tool's purpose was to be used to its full capacity and then discarded. At least that was the plan.
Lately Flay had realized that it was becoming increasingly hard to hold on to her plan. She couldn't imagine why, but for some reason there were other feelings starting to surface whenever she thought about Kira. They weren't strong, but they were there, constantly interfering with thoughts revolving regarding her plan for Kira. She also could not identify them, for they, despite their near constant presence, were elusive and immaterial. They were like a mist, vanishing in the morning sun whenever Flay tried to take a closer look at them. Though she could not identify some of her emotions, she certainly felt their effects. Especially since they summoned other, stronger emotions in certain situations. Anger whenever Kira was around Cagalli. Depression whenever Kira ignored or didn't spend time with her. But what truly puzzled, and even scared her, was the mixture of joy and compassion whenever Kira was depressed. She wanted to smile, to laugh in his face and comfort him at the same time. It was so confusing that Flay could only stand there and watch him silently, too afraid to move or do something. She had no idea what she might do if she tried to intervene. Whether she would let her hate for him and his kind overtake her, or would she give in to the compassionate and caring side of her. There was absolutely no telling what would happen.
Flay had given it serious thought, thus the reason for her staying in her room all the time, and had decided to clear things up once and for all. Her plan was to find Kira and set things straight about pretty much everything. She wanted to be perfectly clear about her feelings, Kira's feelings and whatever else concerned them. There was just one problem. Kira was nowhere to be found, and now that she was standing in the empty hangar, Flay understood that her chances of talking to Kira were practically nonexistent.
She was about to head back to her room and wait for Kira to return when her eyes fell on a large shape further away in the hangar. Right next to the massive bulk of the Warchief tank stood the tall shape of the Dingo, its cheerful ginger-yellow and white colors in sharp contrast with Flay's current mood. Unlike Kira and Daniel, Jack hadn't been requested to go to the Morgenroete facilities and therefore had remained on the Archangel.
Perhaps for the first time in her life Flay took a careful look at the machine. All the time various matters had required her to concentrate on the pilots, not the machines they used. Now, with a strange numbness and confusion in her mind, Flay really looked at one of the guardians of the Archangel. And for the first time there wasn't a single thought about any of the pilots in her mind. Currently she had eyes only for the AC in front of her.
Her gaze traveled across the solid surfaces of the Dingo, practically feeling the protection the armor granted. A simple metal plate, whose sole purpose was to take blow after blow, after blow without falling apart or giving in to the punishment. To face full power of everything the world threw at it and not yield even the tiniest bit. All just to protect other parts of the machine lying underneath. Other parts that weren't as tough or hard to stand for themselves. Such an existence puzzled her. To be created for the sole purpose of facing destruction. It was like the only reason a person was born was to be killed. Flay shuddered. It had to be such a horrible existence, living a life filled with nothing but danger. She realized that lately her life hadn't been much different. Ever since that day on Heliopolis, she couldn't remember experiencing a moment when she had felt truly safe. Despite her efforts to ward off that horrible feeling, it remained a constant part of her mind and was always there whenever they were under attack.
Unlike the Dingo before her, Flay didn't have any power to defend herself. No deadly weapons to destroy everything that posed a threat. Weapons created to sow death and destruction on the battlefield, and bring death at an instant. Whatever problem there was, whatever threat faced them, it did not matter. All was blown away with pure force. A solution to each and every problem. It was exactly the kind of power Flay sometimes wished to have, the power to simply take everything that troubled her and make it go away, make it disappear in a cloud of smoke and fire.
A cold sensation settled on her hand. She looked down and started. Her hand was resting on the railing of the elevator next to the AC. Flay looked back and realized that she had been unconsciously walking towards the Dingo ever since she had laid eyes on it. The girl looked at her hand and quickly pulled it back, holding it to her chest as if she had burned it. Why had she done it? Why had she been so mesmerized by this machine? It had never happened before. She had seen the Strike, the Pulverizer and the Dingo a lot of times and had never gotten her attention captured like this. So why now? What was happening to her?
Flay took a step back, the question burning in her mind, and was ready to leave. However, she soon found out she couldn't. Not now, just not now. There was something … something fascinating about the machine towering before her. She looked up, her eyes almost instantly settling on the open cockpit. What if…? Flay shook her head, banishing the unfinished thought. It was a dangerous thing she had been thinking about. A very dangerous thing. Especially for someone like her. The experience with the Strike had showed it that these things were not meant for people like her. Only special kind of people could… What if it was just Sai? Another thought popped up. This time she made no attempt of banishing it, as it had summoned a series of new questions. What if it had really been just Sai? Did it really require a special kind of people to pilot these machines? After all, Daniel was just like her, but he was piloting the Pulverizer just fine. Jack also was different from Kira, but wasn't this his machine in front of her? What if… She placed her hand on the railing again. What if I am also special?
The unspoken words echoed in her mind and a strange feeling of tranquility and peace came into existence inside her. It felt like these emotions had waited for a very long time, eternity, for her to reach and finish that thought. Surprised by the sudden rush of long forgotten feelings, Flay felt her resolve growing and tightened her grip. Hesitantly, expecting the sensation to vanish at any moment, she slowly stepped on the elevator and activated it.
The slight tremble at the start caused her to gasp, but she paid it no heed. All her attention was focused on the target. Flay watched the cockpit move closer and closer, and bit her lip in anticipation. She was still unsure how far she was willing to go, but it didn't really matter. At that moment she felt like she was living from moment to moment and there was no time or place for doubts or other thoughts. To her, at that time, the cockpit was the only thing that existed in the world. She felt like nothing could make her look away, in fact, no other thought existed in her mind, no other person even mattered to her. She could only see and think about the cockpit.
With another light tremble, the elevator stopped once it had reached the required height. The pilot's seat was right in front of her. All it would take was a single step and she would be standing not on the elevator, but on the footrest of the Dingo. A machine designed and built to face any kind of danger and emerge victorious. Flay was standing on the very edge of the elevator, trying to spot every single detail before making that step. It was like she had reached some kind of point of no return. The very edge of the abyss. Flay could feel it. She had no idea how or why, but she knew. If she were to take that single step, something inside her would change. She would be a completely different person. Better or worse, she had no idea, but certainly different.
She looked at the seat, noting that for some reason the padded parts had leather cover. She spotted a single keyboard and display, attached to one of the armrests and folded aside. Flay leaned over the edge and peeked to the left. Inside the cockpit. It was dimly lit, but she could make out several other types of controls. There were various witches, panels, displays, joysticks, pedals and screens. The amount of them was slightly intimidating, but Flay did not change her mind. If she was unable to move this machine, then the least she could do was to find out how it felt to be in its cockpit. To find out how it felt to have the power of deciding who lived or died at her fingertips. To find out how it felt to be completely safe from all harm.
She looked to the right, back at the seat again and took a deep breath. In addition to the large amount of controls, Flay had spotted another deterrent. A narrow opening running the entire length of the backrest. She knew exactly what it was for. Daniel's stories had reached her ears as well. "It looks like nothing in this world can be gained without paying a price." Flay muttered and felt her resolve slacking. The prospect of having dozens of needles slammed into her back wasn't something she was looking forward to. Maybe I shouldn't…
The girl stared at the opening, expecting the needles to pop out any second. Why not? You're not going to turn this thing on. You just want to find out how it feels to be a pilot. Another voice spoke up. Will you make the last step or will you go back to your room and cower under the bed sheets like you always do? This wasn't a voice she had ever heard before. Flay didn't think she was supposed to have any voices in her mind at all, but apparently she was wrong. This part of her not only talked to her, but it was also slightly disturbing. You can go back and keep living like the worthless coward you are, Flay. It was the mention of her name, in that cold and scary voice that did it. She reached out to grab the armrest and pull herself into the seat.
"I wouldn't do that." A voice from below made her jump and let out a short shriek. Flay jumped away from the seat and almost fell down when her back met the railings. She quickly recovered and, with her hands almost white from how strong she was holding on to the railings, she looked down. "Yeah, Flay, I'm talking to you. Touching what belongs to others without their permission is not nice, so I would like you to come down here." Jack stared at her, both hands on his hips.
Reluctantly throwing one last look at the cockpit, Flay activated the elevator and rode it all the way down. She stepped off the small platform and came face to face with Jack. "Why?" He said only a single word. Much to her relief, Jack didn't look to be angry, just surprised.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to … I don't know what came over me." Flay struggled to find an explanation.
Jack tilted his head and chuckled. It was so funny to watch this girl trying to explain her actions. She looked like a child caught red-handed. Suddenly he saw her eyes and a knowing grin flashed across his face. "It is an amazing machine, isn't it?" He looked at the AC, a move Flay mirrored.
"Yes." Flay admitted after a brief moment of thought. Part of her was still slightly upset about the missed opportunity, but was a passing sensation. By the time she spoke again, she wasn't upset anymore, just curious. "How does it feel to be a pilot?"
"It's like being a god." Jack's answer was short and simple. When Flay gave him a puzzled look he shrugged and gave a more detailed answer. "It gives you the feeling of complete and total invulnerability, the power to take on the entire world and type of freedom it's impossible to describe. It must be experienced to be understood … The first time is unforgettable." His voice became dreamy. Flay could only stare at him with naked envy. It was just like she had imagined. Just what she was about to experience for herself, but had been denied at the very end. It was so unfair! "By the way, who were you looking for?" Jack suddenly changed the topic in a more businesslike tone. Flay immediately felt her defenses going up and making her consider what to tell.
"What makes you think I was looking for someone? I could be just taking a walk around the ship and enjoying my free time. Does that mean I'm looking for someone?"
Jack flashed another one of those knowing grins. As if he had her all figured out and only had to prove it to her. "I think you are. You tensed up when I mentioned the search and you tried to deny it twice in the same breath. You walked past the galley three times this morning with a concerned expression on your face and you look too nice to be working in the hangar."
That last part caught Flay completely off guard. Was Jack complimenting her? "Uhh, thank you?" She said with a frown.
"I meant your uniform. It does not look like the type that would protect you during maintenance, especially those skirts you're wearing. Furthermore it doesn't look like the type that is supposed to be washed and cleaned very often." Jack explained. "Your hands are too delicate to hold heavy tools and I don't think you've held one at all. Not only is your hair too long, the hairstyle is very dangerous. Too easy for it to be caught by moving parts. Love the color though … beautiful. The combination of various fresh smells of bath products, tells me that you've been in the shower recently. That itself tells two things. First you're slacking off while other mechanics are repairing the ship. Second, I haven't met a mechanic who, judging by the smell, uses at least four different cosmetic products. That means you're not part of the hangar crew." Jack took a deep breath, obviously ready to continue with his observations. However, Flay had heard enough.
She raised her hand to stop him. "Yes, you guessed right. I'm not a mechanic and I was looking for someone. Satisfied?" Truth be told, she didn't know what to think of all this. Jack was pointing out her flaws, stating facts about her, as well as complimenting her appearance and noting all the little things that were hard to notice. All at the same time. The last two were rather enjoyable, since Kira had never complimented her. Therefore, the mention of the unpleasant things went by unnoticed.
"Yes, actually. Who you were looking for anyway? I'm sure it's not me, however, given that fact that you were staring at the Dingo like a hungry Bloodback, I'm starting to doubt my assumption."
"Why should I tell you? It's none of your business." Flay retorted defensively.
"Hmm, let me guess. You're looking for Kira, right?" Jack completely ignored her. "Are some things not working out with him?"
Caught off guard by the accurate guess, Flay felt her jaw drop a little, just like her heart. "How, did you know? Did Kira tell you that?" She felt an increasing pressure inside her chest. Jack's words had shifted her thoughts on the path of depression and pain. A path she treaded very often as of late. A path that often left her balancing on the edge of a breakdown. So far she had been successful avoiding falling over that edge, but it was becoming increasingly harder to do and Flay couldn't tell when the day would come when she no longer had the inner strength to step away.
"Kira? Nah, haven't spoken to him for a long time … Regarding your question, I know it because I can see it. Whenever I see you two together, you're clinging to him with that desperate look on your face, yet the guy barely seems to acknowledge you're there. Even when he's not around, you look like you will start crying any moment. You avoid others as if they might attack you any moment. Of course, that is assuming you leave your room in the first place. It's as if you're afraid, no, terrified of something … It is things like that that tell me something's not right."
"Everything is fine!" Flay scowled at him, but was unable to work any kind of anger in it, quite the opposite, she felt a wave of despair well up inside her. After all, it was true. The realization that other people were noticing it, made wonders for ruining her mood. It was one thing to keep some problems inside, away from others. It was an entirely different thing when everyone was aware of them. It made her feel exposed and weak. It also hurt her pride, since such a vulnerable state inevitably led to pity, something she disliked intensely. In Flay's opinion, being pitiful was the worst thing that could happen to someone. That's why she had to remain strong. She could not afford losing her pride. She could not…
Flay realized her breath was trembling as she inhaled. A sensation of an invisible hand chocking her throat was becoming stronger with every passing moment. Her chest felt like it was about to explode and her vision became blurry. Flay felt her legs giving in to the emotional weight placed ion them and collapsed on her knees. She felt sick and so depressed she thought she was going to die. Raw emotions were clawing their way up her throat, desperate to break free from the prison she had tried to contain them in. She hugged herself tightly, trying to avoid falling over the edge she knew she was about to cross, but it did little to help her. "Everything is … fine." Flay repeated in a barely audible whisper. It was meant mostly for her than for anyone else to hear. An attempt to alleviate the sensation with words, not just actions.
During the very brief moment the words made it easier, she looked closely into Jack's eyes, expecting them to look at her with that dreadful emotion of pity. Seeing a girl so vulnerable, instantly led to her being pitied. She had seen that look in Sai's eyes and she had also seen it in Kira's. However, she didn't see even the slightest trace of it in Jack's. He was watching her with mild curiosity and confusion. It was that pitiless look, the complete lack of any sympathy or concern that made her realize it. He didn't pity her. At least one person on the entire ship was not looking down on her.
Then it became worse, much worse. Held back by the brief barrier, the pent up emotions had had enough time to build up strength and burst forward like a mountain river, easily smashing aside the dam that was Flay's self-control. Tears started flowing from her eyes, staining her cheeks and wetting her fingers when Flay tried to wipe them off. The tears turned out to be nothing more than the prelude of the nervous breakdown. Her sobs, unhindered by any attempts, soon turned into a desperate, agonized scream. Then came another one and another one. Kneeling on the ground, with her forehead pressed against the cold floor and fingers digging into her scalp, Flay screamed and cried without any constraint. She was barely able to draw a breath between the screams only for the fresh air to leave her lungs a second later in the form of another scream that left her throat raw and sore, as if she had swallowed a handful of razor blades.
Anger, fear, hate, despair, love, sorrow and many other emotions poured themselves out of the girl. All the emotions she had tried to hold back ever since Heliopolis. The fear of dying. Anger for her helplessness. Sorrow of losing her father. Hate for the ones who had killed him. Despair of being completely alone. Her love for… Another scream forced its way through her already abused throat. Only when she had no strength at all, did Flay stopped screaming. She simply wept in helpless desperation. Hoping, begging for it to stop. However, the tears did not stop. They flowed from her eyes in a seemingly endless flow, leaving her empty and numb.
She had no idea for how long she had been on the floor. Just like her emotional state, time had become chaotic and appeared to be flowing with varying speeds. But eventually, she heard rapid footsteps heading towards her. She felt someone place their hands around her shoulders and say something. She couldn't make out what; she did not have the strength to listen. The unknown person released her and appeared to be talking to someone as the sounds of at least two different voices reached her ears. A second later, a pair of strong arms picked her up from the floor and carry her towards an unknown destination.
At first, she stiffened, but eventually the feeling of anger overwhelmed her. She didn't want to be carried. She just wanted to be left alone. She didn't need any help! Flay tried to protest, but her overwrought throat was unable to turn her breath into words and resulted in a pair of weak, incomprehensible sounds crossing her lips. She tried to fight her way out of the person's grip, but it was too strong. Whoever was holding her was damned strong and seemed not to feel any of her fruitless attempts of escaping. Flay had no idea who this person was, her eyes were still full of tears and made it impossible to see clearly. Eventually she gave up; she had no strength to fight against it anymore. She just wanted it to stop. She simply wanted everything to go away. She just wanted to… Her eyes slowly closed shut; her over strained nerves slowly lulled her into the comfortable embrace of unconsciousness. However, just before darkness overwhelmed her, her eyes had dried up enough for her to get a single look.
The image of the Dingo, standing proud and tall, displaying its bright colors for everyone to see, took up the majority of the image. Down between its feet, there was another silhouette, leaning against the railings. The silhouette was looking at her with a slightly curious and confused expression. Jack. A single thought shot through her mind. He hadn't moved from his place. He was not the one carrying her.
xxxxx
"It was supposed to be a short break. Ten minutes tops. So why the hell are we still resting more than three hours later? We have a job to do, if you remember." Yzak glared at the black haired girl browsing through what looked like a pile of tiny beads. He crossed his arms for additional effect, but it dawned to him that the gesture was wasted since Juliet wasn't looking at him.
Just like he had mentioned, their short break turned out into a three and a half hour shopping spree. Though truth be told, there wasn't much shopping going on. Something he was thankful for. He had heard stories about girls storming numerous shops as if they had carte blanche and leaving them with enough clothes to dress an entire family. How they managed to carry or where did they put all the things they bought was beyond him. Fortunately Juliet didn't seem to be that type. She had only bought a few things despite the confusion her gold coins had caused at first.
So far she had purchased a black leather belt for her shorts. The belt was a purely decorative piece of accessory, since it hung loose in the loops and didn't even attempt to fulfill the role it was made to do. The second purchase was a pair of shades. Another object with no practical use whatsoever. The round, mirrored lenses were too small, in Yzak's opinion, to provide adequate protection from the sun. Currently they were resting on the tip of Juliet's nose as she looked over them at a small bead she was inspecting. Or at least she was doing that until Yzak spoke. With a great deal of annoyance she turned her head towards him and replied. "The place you are talking about is a group of several piers, intended for private yachts and small boats. Pure recreation and nothing more. The previous shopkeeper told me that. Now stay quiet, I'm busy!" She focused her attention on the street vendor and his wares.
Yzak was about to say something about not sharing vital information, when his eyes fell on the last object Juliet had bought. He traced its movements and took a step back. The object of his concern was a rather heavy looking brass ring at the end of her braid. It did look nice, with the dark green middle, brass rims and similarly colored patterns weaving through the green field, however, it was also dangerous. Especially when someone like Juliet was wearing it. Due to her habit of rapidly swinging her head from side to side whenever she saw new things, the braid and the ring tended to act similar to a flail. Yzak had already felt the tip of her braid striking his mouth, cheek, chest, neck, throat and other locations earlier that day. He had no intentions to find out the potency of the weapon Juliet was carrying around. Hence the careful step back.
It did not, however, prevent him from continuing the conversation. "Why the hell you didn't tell me? We could be back at the hotel right now since that was the last place we were supposed to check today!"
"You didn't ask. Furthermore weren't you listening to the conversation? You were standing right next to me." Juliet replied and paid for a small paper bag, filled with two dozen glass beads. She wasn't using gold anymore; the change from the first time was more than enough for her to pay for the following items with Orb's currency. "It's not my problem you're not paying any attention to the surroundings."
"You two were talking about the weather and beaches, while you tried on all those belts!" Yzak hissed back. "How the hell was I supposed to stay sane without tuning out that bullshit you two were talking about?"
Juliet pocketed the small bag and turned to face him. "That's your problem, not mine. You were free to leave anyway; I'm not holding you in a leash." She pushed her shades back up with her middle finger, grinning when Yzak noticed the small detail.
"Leave you alone? Sure, why not? Of course then I would have a small problem of having to go look for you, since you'd be lost the second I'd take my eyes off you."
"Yeah, right." Juliet snorted. "Unlike you, I'm not an idiot. I know how to find my way."
"You got us lost three times during the five minutes you had the map. A map made for fucking tourists!" Yzak waved the item in question. "They don't get simpler than that! You have to be cartographically illiterate to get lost using this. Especially with all the important locations marked out." For the first time Juliet had nothing to say. Oh, he was fairly certain he was on the receiving end of a golden-yellow eyed death glare, but with the shades on, it was impossible to tell. At least they did something.
Not wanting to give her time to come up with a nasty reply and possible ruin his small victory, Yzak headed off. "Let's go. If we take this route, we'll be back at the hotel soon enough." He marked the approximate course, knowing very well that Juliet wasn't looking at it. He could hear her following close behind, which brought a wide grin on his lips. She was admitting her inability to read maps. Back in the Academy, even in his wildest dreams, Yzak hadn't imagined that something like this would help him win an argument.
With their minds full of savoring the victory or wallowing in defeat, depending whom you asked, neither one of them noticed a new problem until it was too late. The problem presented itself in the form of a hand being placed on Juliet's shoulder, as they were walking through the park.
"Excuse me; I could not help noticing that you two look like you're lost. It happens a lot with all so many tourists visiting our city, so how about I offer you some help, maybe show you around, hmm?"
Juliet slowly turned around and spotted the person talking to her. "Fuck off goldilocks!" She spat before her mind managed to come up with a proper response. In retrospect, the response wasn't actually that bad. Her pissed off mood was an excellent source for quick replies. It even allowed her to notice distinctive details about a person before they properly registered in her mind.
The person who had addressed her quickly withdrew his hand. He used it to brush aside the blond, curly hair from his eyes in order to mask the sudden startle he'd gotten when faced with the unexpected kind of response. "Excuse me?"
"What? You're deaf too? I said, fuck off goldilocks! I don't need your help." Juliet didn't feel the tiniest bit of guilt. She needed something to vent her anger on, and if a target willingly presented itself, she wasn't the one to argue; furthermore she wasn't the touchy-feely type. Having other people touch her was a surefire way of pissing her off. Besides, offering help was the last thing on this guy's mind. Maybe she couldn't read maps, but Juliet knew how to read people. Being able to read peoples' emotions and facial expressions was one of the reasons why she was such a dangerous opponent when it came to verbal sparring.
What she was able to read from his face, told everything he needed to know about this guy's intentions. Usually when someone offered help with that kind of look on his face it could only mean two things. Either the plan was to lure her and Yzak somewhere less private and rob them. Or else the plan was to convince Juliet to have fun with a different company. Especially if she appeared to be a tourist and, therefore, completely unaware of the local players. Juliet glanced at the two guys behind him. It was obviously the second possibility. All three of them looked like the type who had seen fights only on TV. There was no danger here.
The blond haired guy touched his hair again, a move that gave Juliet all the ammo she would need, and assumed an offended expression. "Why are you talking to me like that? I am simply offering my help. There is no need to be rude."
"Yes there is. The sole reason why you and your two goons are offering me help is because you hope that I'm so easily wooed that I'll look past those hideous abominations you three have for faces and be content with losing my pride by being seen with you in public." Juliet's blow landed quite nicely. All three of them looked like they'd been doused with cold water. Unfortunately for them she was just warming up.
"What the hell is going on here?" Yzak stepped up from behind. He looked at the opposition and instantly dismissed them as non-threatening.
"It's nothing. I'm simply having fun pointing out flaws in the locals. I only started, but there's a lot of ground to cover. I mean look at them! Three faces even a mother wouldn't love." Juliet snickered. "I assume you three always get paper bags for presents." Her words had little actual basis, as the three guys weren't ugly at all, in fact they were on the very opposite end of the scale. The extreme end. They were around her age, stood tall and straight, two of them were a little taller than her, whereas the one of them, a thin guy with black hair was quite a bit shorter. They all appeared to have spent some time at the gym, especially the redhead on the right, whose attempts of subtly showing off his muscles were downright pathetic and laughable. And all three of them sported what appeared to Juliet, even with her three hour experience, as the most expensive sets of designer clothes. In short, in the process of trying to look good, they had overdone it by a huge margin. However, despite their appearance, they gave her more than a few mild glares. Just like she had intended, Juliet had hit a nerve. Someone who put that much effort into effort into having an attractive appearance definitely had some self-esteem issues. The matters were made worse when Yzak looked them over with a slightly loathing look and chuckled at Juliet's words.
The leader placed a hand on his hip; an over exaggerated gesture that left Juliet and Yzak struggling to keep a straight face, and pointed his finger at Juliet. "How dare you! You obviously have no sense of style and class! I guess I made a mistake when I decided to offer you our company! … I shouldn't be surprised, someone like you can't probably appreciate the finer things in life! Just look at you! Where did you get those rags from? They don't even coordinated prop…"
"Is that lipstick?" Yzak suddenly dropped in.
"Lip gloss." The redhead replied. "Lipstick is for applying color to the lips, whereas lip gloss gives them a glossy luster." Unfortunately for them, his explanation made things worse.
"I don't know which one is more disturbing. The fact that you three are using it, or that you know the difference. What are you? Clowns or just some fucked up freaks?" Yzak looked nauseated.
"I don't need to listen to this crap from you, someone who walks around with dead skin tissue on the face. The only opinion I might actually listen to is that of a girl who can recognize high class and…" The blond leader was interrupted again when Juliet decided to go on the offensive.
"Hey, hey, pretty boys. Has anyone of you even been together with a girl? A real one not a blowup doll. Look over here." She bent slightly forward, revealing a bit of her cleavage and grabbed her breasts. "Do you even know what to do with these? Other than staring at them?" She grinned widely when she saw the look on their faces, especially when she gave her breasts a light squeeze.
"Why did you have to do that? Look at them; you just took away all the blood flow from their brains, they'll probably lose consciousness any second now." Yzak added his own firepower. It was time to finish this.
Juliet straightened herself and arched her eyebrows. "I think you're right … If you guys look like you're just about to blow, from a little thing like this, I wonder what you'll do when you actually get to the real thing?"
"I don' think they can do that." Yzak kept up the pressure, not letting them get off a single word. "They all probably traded away their balls for those ridiculous skintight pants."
"I'm not sure they had balls to begin with. There is no way such girly looking guys exist."
"Well, not naturally, you probably have to work real hard to reach this level. For example, look at that tan; I've seen fashion models with more natural looking tan. Could it be makeup?"
"Nah, probably the rub-on type." Juliet shook her head. "Though it makes me wonder, what kind of a person needs to have an artificial tan when they're living on a tropical island like this. It is impossible to remain pale. Maybe they're not from around here."
"You're probably right. Orb is supposed to have smart people living in it after all. Then again, every nation has a couple of…"
"Idiots?" Juliet provided. "Aren't they supposed to keep people like this off the streets? Must have been a mass breakout at the special needs center."
"Really special needs center. These guys are in a category of their own."
"Shut the hell up!" The blonde finally managed to get a word in. "You two can go fuck yourselves, you…"
"At least I'll get to experience something you never won't." Juliet shot back.
The guy looked at them, his glare filled with both anger and desperation from being unable to come up with a proper insult. "Fuck you!" He finally managed and turned around. His two friends followed him, sending their own glares over their shoulders now and then.
"You wish." Juliet yelled with a wide smile. She stretched herself, working out the tense spots in a few parts of her body and exhaled. "Ahh … like a nourishing balm to a wounded soul."
Next to her, Yzak sported a small grin of his own, also enjoying the small victory. "Pfff, such pussies. It was way too easy. Hardly any challenge at all."
"Yeah, they just kept handing us all the ammunition we would ever need to win this fight. They really have no experience at picking on others."
"I have to say, you really know how to pack a punch." Their eyes met for a brief moment and in that moment, for the first time, the feeling of comradeship and even slight mutual respect lit up inside them. "C'mon let's go, you rag covered creature."
"What was that? Did the ignorant scar faced thing actually say something?" Juliet returned and matched her steps with Yzak's. For a moment they simply walked, side by side, with satisfied grins on their faces. At least until the next argument two minutes later.
xxxxx
Surrounded by girls! Four girls, who were focusing their attention on him. It was a dream come true! Not only were the girls paying their attention to him, but they were very attractive too, Asagi, Julie, Mayura and Tao. He had lost count on how many times he had let his eyes wonder around and take in every detail he could spot. Considering that all four of them were wearing the same set of relatively tight clothes, it gave him a lot of details to feast his eyes on. There was just one problem. Daniel was outnumbered.
Usually he had to deal with only one girl at the time. Four were too many for him to handle. Not only that, but they were Mobile Suit pilots as well. They were fighters and though they didn't show it, they were capable of taking care of themselves. Another reason why Daniel found it hard to apply his seducing methods was the recent event with Cagalli. Finding out that she belonged to one of Orb's royal families and was practically a princess, drew a fat line across that path of relationships. She was so much out of his league it wasn't even funny. Therefore, heartbroken and frustrated, he was forced to cease his pursuit of Cagalli. As a result, it was no wonder Daniel was unable to perform his usual advances and pickup lines.
"Are you going to tell us anything, or are you going to stand there and stare at us?" Tao's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The girl was sitting on a large crate, her legs kicking idly, as she stared down at him. Daniel looked at the black haired girl and narrowed his eyes in frustration. Unlike her colleagues, Tao wasn't using a folding chair, preferring to stay above everyone else. Not that it really bothered him, but the black haired girl was a bit confrontational and seemed to enjoy taking a few digs at him.
Feeling the expectant looks other girls gave him, Daniel found his mouth unusually dry. Nonetheless, he tried to come up with something. "Okay, I'm not exactly good at this stuff. I haven't done this before, so I don't know where to start."
"Well, why don't you start with telling us how many battles have you've been in? And what kind of enemies have you faced?" Asagi smiled reassuringly. She could plainly see that the boy was having real trouble of playing the teacher, so she made it easier for him by asking specific questions.
Daniel was thankful for the help. "Thanks. I can't recall the exact number, but I think it is around nine engagements in total. I have fought against GINNs, Bucues and DINNs, the mainstay of ZAFT forces. In addition there have been times when I had to fight off the four captured Gundams and one Armored Core." He replied with a fair hint of smugness. He felt even better when he felt their impressed glances on him.
Except for Tao. She narrowed her brown eyes and smirked. "You said you've only participated in battles, what I want to know is know many enemies have you actually defeated? For all we know you could be one of those guys who simply stays in the background."
"At least five." Daniel instantly replied. He had lost the exact count, but he was more than certain he qualified as an ace.
Unfortunately, his reply failed to bring admiration in Tao's eyes. "At least five? You don't look like a guy who could do something like that. What were you fighting? A bunch of brain dead retards?"
Again with the retards. I don't suppose they have a Major for me to piss off around here as well. Daniel felt his confidence drop. Didn't anyone believe in his skills? Sure, maybe he couldn't do the same things Kira could, but he was good enough. Hadn't he body-slammed that white AC off the Archangel in the last fight? The brief memory of him ducking under a quick laser blade slash and then using the moment to slam into the enemy flashed in front of his eyes and he found himself feeling less sting from Tao's words. "No, they weren't retards. A retard would not be able to move a Mobile Suit normally."
This comment earned him a glare from Tao and Mayura. As for Julie and Asagi, the two girls let out a short laugh when they realized that Daniel was merely responding to Tao's insult. It was not his intention to belittle them at all. Unfortunately Mayura and Tao weren't the sort to take insults lightly. They both were the tomboyish types and didn't take lightly to guys insulting them. Furthermore, despite Daniel being a boy, he was in trouble, even if he didn't notice it. Though they were just test pilots, all four of them could hardly be called helpless and defenseless. All four of them had taken a few martial arts classes, especially Tao and Mayura, and were capable of taking care of themselves in most cases. Before anything physical could happen, Asagi rose from her chair and stood in between Daniel and rest of the girls. "Okay, I think we should calm down a little. We're not here to insult each other. We're here to talk." Asagi waited a few moments for the tension to drop. Then she faced Daniel and smiled again. "I can clearly see that you've been in actual combat, Daniel and I believe what you said about those fights … So could you tell us how exactly does it feel to be in the middle of an actual fight?"
"I don't know." Daniel muttered. "I mean it's hard to say." He quickly added when Mayura didn't exactly bother to hide a derisive snort. He paused to collect his thoughts. "You see, it is hard to recall everything once it is over. You tend to remember bits and pieces. Usually those which were very important." He started pacing back and forth. Now that his mind was in gear, he finally started to understand what exactly these girls wanted to hear from him. "There are times when you can't even think clearly. You simply tend to react … Often you don't have time to consider everything; you just do the first thing that comes into your mind … Even though you tend to plan things in advance or try to work out a strategy, it's not going to work. I've tried it. Once that battle begins a whole bunch of things you didn't even imagine happening, suddenly comes at you all at once … The enemy suddenly pulls out a sword and charges you … A missile salvo comes down at you when you're about to finish off your enemy … more hostiles jump out behind you, or an ally calls for your help. Nothing is certain."
He was certainly on the roll now. He recalled more and more details and didn't hesitate to pour them out. "You have to be ready for anything. I do mean anything. In most cases you only manage to plan two, maybe four seconds in advance, and even then it depends on the situation … What the situation is at one moment, can rapidly change a second later, forcing you to change and adapt instantly … Furthermore, luck is also important. There have been moments I survived just by a fluke a mere one in a million chance, so if you have any mementos or charms, I advise to use them. You never know when it might come in handy."
Careful, as to not disturb him, Asagi sat back down. She spared a quick glance at her colleagues. All three of them were paying attention to Daniel. None of them even considered dropping a remark or a snide comment, as Daniel continued to share his experience, his impressions, observations and even emotions. As it would later turn out, the experience they learned that day would later play a huge role in their future.