Hello, this is the 2nd chapter of my story. I'm taking a few ideas that I got from the first chapter reviews and combing them. I would like to thank anyone who submitted an idea and/ or review. I do not own Gundam Wing, so don't sue me. Please take a little time to read my Ronin Warriors story, Circumstances, if you could I would really appreciate it. The third chapter was mistakenly put into this category, so you've probably already seen it.
Just so you know, Zoekurau is a person a lot like Heero, she strives to be the perfect soldier and completes her missions to the best of her ability, she is definitely not weak. She is 16, and can take care of herself; in other words, she doesn't need saving, no offense to anyone. Also, she used to live in the colonies, and was told that all of her family and friends had died after she left, this was when she was 10. You'll learn more about all of this later in this chapter, so read on and please review when you are done.
Oh, and before I forget, Quatre has green eyes, not blue (or are they gray, I can't tell), like I said earlier and I'm think the pilots are about 16 or 17, not 15.
Okay, today is April 3, and I want to know who Quatre freaked out with that laugh of his and who thinks he's going insane. I believe both are true, he scared me, man, and don't think I'm a wimp, 'cause I'm not! That was just too freaky for me, it was just unearthly! This isn't the day I started to write this, that was about three weeks ago. I'm a spurt writer!!
Long Ago:
Battle Tactics
It had been three days since her meeting with the so- called Quatre she had run from, Zoekurau wasn't usually this upset by strange visitors. The Alliance, OZ, and Romeoff had sent them all the time, trying to add her services to theirs long lists, but never had they been so moved to pull something up from her past. Then again, as far as they knew she didn't have one, Zoekurau James had just suddenly appeared five years ago. Still, the fact that they had sent him to impersonate her best friend was far too despicable.
-------------------Lake Victoria Base------------
Another Aries dropped to the ground in a huge explosion. "Red leader One," a petrified man signaled his commander, "A strange mobile suit has just downed six Aries troops in ten minutes, what should we do?"
"Continue attack," Red leader One replied. This isn't possible, six Aries troops in ten minutes! "Are you sure that this is not a Gundam? It moves and acts just like one," he muttered the last words under his breath.
"Yes, the computer can find no gundanium alloy on the suit, although it was carrying large amounts before it was attacked" the man replied to his officer. Three more Aries exploded, as the screams died in the wind the strange suit stopped and the driver stepped out, thinking no one had survived.
"Hit him with everything you've got!" the commander yelled, the pilot turned as the troops launched their attacks. "Wait, he's got something in his hand, be careful," but it was too late, the pilot pressed the button on the device and the troops were nearly blown away, only two were left after the bombs were released from the ground.
"Run," one of the two yelled, but the strange suit's pilot had already reentered the suit and began to attack the remainders. In two easy laser shots, nothing was left of the Alliances Aries troops.
"That was easy enough," the pilot smiled, "now to get those files." Once again, the pilot left the suit, and began to run towards a deserted building, when the Leo back-up suits appeared. "Damn, can't complete missions as easy as you used to, huh. Oh, well, more practice for me. "Boom! A Gundam suddenly appeared on the horizon, immediately beginning to eliminate the Leos. "Great, more pretty boys to deal with, must be from OZ." Another shot, and the Leos had been destroyed, Wufei turned towards the strange suit inside his Gundam, its pilot had just entered the cockpit when he turned.
"Why are you here?" he sneered.
"To gather some information," a female voice came from the suit. Wufei looked on in surprise; a woman did all this?
"Who sent you?"
"A little bird," the voice mocked him, he hated to be teased.
"Surrender, you will pay for the damage OZ has caused!"
"Oh, I'm scared," there was no emotion in the pilot's voice. Wufei wondered if this pilot had any connections to Heero, she certainly sounded like him.
"You should be," Wufei could tell this was no OZ pilot, but then were had she learned to fight like this? Trowa touched down beside him. "Hey, you ever seen this guy before?"
"I don't believe that I am a guy, at least last I checked I wasn't," Trowa glanced at the stranger voice that was coming from an interesting suit. It wasn't terribly large, but good-sized, mainly a deep green color, and it had a large purple orb it the middle of it's body. There was a shield that held a sword like Heero's on its right arm, and a small cannon on the left, which apparently shot rather powerful lasers from them.
"Nope, I haven't, is it one of those new prototypes," Trowa began to scan the suit on his computer, but the computer couldn't find any info on it, or seem to be able to hook up to it.
"Oh, is your computer having trouble," the mocking voice asked.
"Who are you?"
"Who are you?"
"What's your problem?" Wufei's arrogance had begun to surface. The pilot stepped out of her suit, revealing a slender girl with dirty-blonde hair and a teasing smile played across her lips, her green eyes alive with mischief. She jumped down and began to walk towards the building again. A missile left Wufei's suit, hitting the building and completely destroying it.
"Shit! What was that for?" she glared at the Gundam, Wufei stepped out followed by Trowa.
"Just making sure you don't something that you'll regret," now a smile crossed his lips.
"You imbecile! I've been planning three months for this, three months! And then you go and blow the whole thing up! What the hell is wrong with you huh? I already told you that I'm just getting some information," she had practically exploded, only she hadn't, her face had remained the same, emotionless.
"I was completing a mission," Wufei announced, rather proudly.
"Fine, I was just about to do the same thing," she sneered.
"Oh, for who?"
"The colonies, bastard!" she fired three lasers at Wufei, hitting his Gundam with deadly accuracy, knocking it to the ground.
"The colonies? What! Who are you?" Trowa's eyes bulged out of his face.
"Someone of no consequence, and who is the last person I can permit you to see."
"Well, we will be the last people you see."
"Ha! Arrogance is a waste of time."
"Watch your tongue, it could be your end."
"That's very likely, I'm sure," she still mocked him, Wufei's knew his arrogance could get the better of him if he wasn't careful.
"Anyway, if you don't mind, I'll just be on my way to the main computer to get any files you haven't destroyed," the girl turned towards another building a little farther off.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Trowa had been growing more curious as to who this girl was, and where she got off thinking she was better than he was, somehow she reminded him of someone he had briefly met a long time ago.
"You're Gundams, right?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Let's just say, that if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here right now. So, I'd appreciate it if you could it through your thick skull that I am an ally to the colonies." Another troop of Leos appeared in the distance, "and could ya take care of them while your pondering on whether to believe me or not."
"I guess," he slowly answered, Wufei had already entered his Gundam and was headed towards them as Trowa entered Heavy-arms and took off. The two boys quickly took care of the approaching suits, but when they returned the stranger had already left.
"How wise of a choice do you think it was to trust a woman?" Wufei's face appeared on the screen in front of Trowa.
"I don't know, but I guess we'll see soon."
"You ever heard of her before, or that weird suit?"
"No, she must have built it herself or something. Do you think she could be a Gundam?"
"She didn't look like one, but then again, who can really tell what anything is."
"Let's get back to the others and see if the others know anything." The two headed off as the stranger also took off towards her own home, towards a heavily wooded part of the region.
-----------With the rest of the guys-----------------
"That sounds like that story pilots tell other ones, kinda like a ghost story, that I once heard. It was about this strange mobile suit, that travels around like a shadow. No one really believes it exists because no one who has supposedly met up with it ever survives the encounter. They say that a girl will always be caught lurking around and demanding admittance to top secret military files before the thing appears, but the girl has never looked the same twice. They call it the Rebel Shadow and some used to think it was a type of early mobile suit. It usually is seen caring it around bunches of gundanium," Duo exclaimed, Trowa had just given a detailed description of the strange suit, its pilot, and what the pilot had done. As soon as they had reached their destination, Wufei had sat down on the floor in a yoga fashion and began to do what looked like meditating.
"Maybe, but what about the fact that she said she was from the colonies?" Heero noted.
"Could she be like us, sent to make sure the colonies stayed out of danger," Trowa looked up hopefully; he did not want an enemy like this to deal with.
"No, more likely she was sent by someone else, an unknown enemy, at least so far," Duo was enjoying himself, he always liked to meet a new girl, especially if she was cute. "So, what we gonna do?"
"Nothing, just leave her alone, she doesn't want anybody near her," Quatre spoke up, suprising the rest of the guys, until now he had just sat there doing nothing.
"What do you mean," Wufei questioned, "we can't just let her do as she pleases."
"Yes, we can, and we will."
"You know something, what is it," Duo nudged Quatre in his arm, hard.
"So, I know who she is and where to find her, that doesn't mean I'm going to betray her." Quatre began to walk out of the room, but Heero blocked his way.
"What are you talking about?"
"Look, she was my best friend back in the colonies, and she left to try and save them."
"What?!"
"What the hell are you talking about, you knew the bitch that caused all of that damage to my mobile suit!" Wufei was practically screaming, and he looked like he was going to take all of his anger out on Quatre.
"Dude! You know where she is, let's go." Duo jumped up to hold back Wufei, his face was contorted into a hilarious, going-to-split-my-sides expression as he did his best to hold the hornet in his arms.
"I can't," Quatre looked away from his companions, he knew she would most likely kill him if he did. "She isn't what she used to be, she never used to act like she is now."
"Is there anyone else with her," Trowa was looking towards the base he had just been at, " if there are five of us, we should be able to take one of her."
"Don't be to sure," Quatre truly did not want to take his friends to Zoekurau. "Zoekurau has deadly accuracy with guns, and she has two black belts, at least she did when she was ten."
"Zoekurau?" Trowa asked, as though he had heard the name before but couldn't place his finger on it. Where have I heard that name before?
"Her name is Zoekurau James."
"I've heard that name before, where was it," Heero pondered, "wait, she was a trainer at the base I was sent from. Zoekurau James… she was a master at weaponry."
"Yep, that was probably her."
"Well, take us to her," Duo still wanted badly to meet this amazing girl, who he hoped would develop a crush on him.
"I already told you that I can't."
"Why?"
"She wouldn't even allow me to get within ten feet of her three days ago."
"So?"
"She tried to kill me."
"I thought she was your best friend?"
"She thinks I'm dead."
"That is a drawback, but let's go anyway! What's the worst she could do?"
"She could gut us from head to toe and then hang us out to dry in about ten, twenty minutes flat."
"That's… not… good."
"Still, we need to find her and see if she'll join up with us, it sounds like she'd be a good member to have on the team," Heero announced as Quatre looked on with saddened eyes.
"Fine, but you have to let me talk to her. If she doesn't trust you, if she can trust anyone, you're dead meat. And you'll be dead in two seconds if you piss her off," Quatre took the guys outside, where they loaded up into a jeep and Quatre drove off to where he had run into his friend a few days ago.
------------------------------Rebel Shadow's base---------------------------------
Zoekurau arrived at her base in the woods an hour after she had left the demolished base, after pressing in a few commands the floor of the surrounding woods opened up, revealing an underground base. She landed Rebel Shadow and inspected its damage; then removing the files she had taken from the main computer she walked over to a computer and inserted the disk. Bringing up the saved information, she began the process of sending anything of importance to Dr. J, she also attached an e-mail asking if he had already sent the Gundams to Earth, and for any info he had on them to be sent to her. Zoekurau decided to try and track the pilots down, and get anything she could from them, Dr. J didn't tell her much in his e-mails.
At second glance, she saw her mobile suit had more damage than she thought and that it couldn't be taken out again until it was repaired. After searching through a pile of old parts, she found the hidden gundanium parts she had smuggled out of another base. Two or three days were needed to repair the suit, so she decided to work for half an hour and then do the rest after dinner.
--------------------------The waterfall-------------------------
"Cool, a waterfall!" Duo exclaimed as the five boys reached the waterfall where Quatre had met his friend three days ago. They spread out to look for anything that gave a hint as to which direction to go, Quatre hadn't noticed in the rush he had been in. "I think I found something! At least I don't think guns grow in forests."
"This looks like the one she had been carrying," Quatre looked hopefully discouraged in the direction it was leading.
"Well, let's get to it. Don't want to reach her to late in the day," Heero trudged on. The others followed him faithfully, except Wufei, who seemed to want nothing and everything to do with this Zoekurau James. He wanted to see this woman who had practically destroyed his suit, and yet, he was almost, that's right almost, afraid of what she might do if they found her. How would she react? Would she kill them all, like Quatre thought, or would she run from them like before?
In half an hour's time, they had reached the seemingly abandoned shack, where Quatre had left the pursuit of Zoekurau. Heero solemnly stepped up to the door and reached out to knock but was stopped by Quatre. "Remember, she has deadly abilities, and can do just about anything," Heero nodded in compliance, as he reached out and knocked lightly at the door. A slight rustle came from inside, but the door remained as it was. Slowly, Heero opened the door…
---------------- Fifteen minutes ago--------------------
I guess I might have been a little harsh on Quatre the other day. Wait, he's dead, and that impersonator deserved what he got! But if he should come back, perhaps I should just try and see if it is him. Dr. J hasn't always been intirely honest with me, who says he wasn't lying about this. He probably just wanted me to stop focusing on my family, and more on my skills as a soldier. Oh, if only I knew if you all were alive, I would give all this hopeless work. Zoekurau had been thinking about her family since Quatre had seen her, she couldn't get her mind off the fact that her family and friends in the colonies could still be alive, and that they were missing her. If only I could be sure. Huh, it's funny how worked up you can become over something you thought you lost, all these years I've been fighting to get revenge on the murders of my loved ones, but they had never really died. As soon as I learn the truth I will either run back to you all, or perish for you. Either way, I'll be with you soon, hopefully.
Man, am I hungry! Guess my half-hour is up, although I think that I've done 'bout an hour's worth. Well, I guess I might as well start dinner, although I don't see why, I'm not cooking for anyone except myself. She walked into the kitchen, leaving all of her work behind her. She looked into the small cooler that she kept as a refrigerator and pulled out a hunk of turkey. Pulling out a frying pan, she placed the meat into it and turned on the stove; she added carrots, onions, and a few green beans into the frying pan. A voice outside the door was mumbling something. Zoekurau quickly picked out Quatre and grabbed a 46 caliber; someone knocked on the door. She positioned herself in a small crate, about three feet in dimension, as the door slowly opened. Outside, a tall boy of about seventeen with brown hair that spiked out it all direction and brown eyes stood peering in at the sad site.
--------------Outside----------------------------
"Be careful!" Quatre whispered fiercely, "she's in there alright, I can sense her."
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Be afraid of a woman?" Wufei looked away arrogantly, he was not about to let the others know he was a little frightened.
"How can you know she's in there? It's so dark," Trowa asked as he played with a small camera he had noticed on the side of the building. A shot rang out as he hissed in pain; a bullet had grazed his hand, nearly taking it off.
"Leave that alone," a voice said. Trowa jumped back, wringing his injured hand. The others looked on in astonishment as the girl Trowa and Wufei had met up with stepped out of her hiding place, "I've worked to hard to have you destroy me, I don't have to miss, and next time I won't."
"I believe you and you know it," Quatre extended his hand towards Zoekurau, but she only sniffed haughtily at it. "Please, you have to believe me! Your family is alive and so am I. I'm standing in front of you right now, aren't I?"
"I told you never to return to this place, do you wish to die?" Zoekurau turned and began to leave the room, but was stopped by Quatre putting his hand on her shoulder. She quickly one-eightyed and pointed her weapon at his head.
"Hey, he didn't do nothing to you!" Duo rang out, bursting in between Zoekurau and Quatre. He soon found the gun also pointed at him as well. He gulped a few times to calm his nerves.
"I told you to leave!" Zoekurau's hand nearly pulled the trigger when Trowa spoke up.
"What's your problem, we're not trying to hurt you." She glanced sideways at him, immediately recognizing him from the battle and from a memory. Smiling, she backed away from the two in front of her; she walked towards him.
"Don't you get it? I'm just the same as you are, only I don't allow mistakes to be made." She leaned close to him, almost as if she was going to kiss him, only she spat in his face. She had been speaking of their battle; he remembered how she had disappeared when he had returned. Zoekurau was mocking him, as she always had. "I don't allow enemies to escape, and I don't threaten those who are stronger than I am."
"I thought you said arrogance was a waste of time" Wufei snorted. Zoekurau turned towards him, letting a knife from a nearby counter go unnoticed into her hand.
"Yes, yes, I suppose did, but that is all you have. Time," she threatened him. The concealed object found its way to Wufei's collar, nearly catching a vital artery. Catching him off-guard, she quickly threw a salad fork into his thigh. He gasped in pain as he sank to the floor.
"I told you not to piss her off," an annoyed Quatre helped his friend to his feet, "now she's just going to get worse. You don't know how she can react when she's mad, it's one of the scariest things I've ever seen."
"Yeah, c'mon, her? Dangerous? Who's gonna believe that, she looks like an angel! How could anybody tha-" Duo's words were cut off by another shot form Zoekurau's caliber. The bullet had, once again, just grazed his throat, but it was close enough for him to know that she meant business.
"I'm no chick!" she retorted when Duo came out of the I-can't-believe-she-really-tried-to-kill-me! -Me-the-fabulous-Duo stage. "Look, either tell why the hell you came here, or get the hell out of my HOUSE!"
"Why don't you believe me when I say that I'm myself?" Quatre stunned her for a second with his begging.
"I already told you everything you need to know, or that you could know." She shoved Trowa out of the way as she made her way to Heero, who had backed into a corner, observing everything that had happened. "Heero Yuy, right?"
"Yeah, why do you care," he turned his head. Slightly shaking her head, Zoekurau walked away. Stopping two feet away from where she had started and turned back towards him. "Gotta problem?"
"No, I just can't believe one of my students would ever try to confront me," she smirked. Heero snorted at her. "I always thought I had taught you never to face something you could not defeat."
"Humph," he looked out a window at the small garden she had kept so she didn't have to appear in public. "You are not weak, that is true, but you do have your weaknesses."
"Really, what would you know of that?" she feigned a slight interest, wanting to know how well she had taught her students in the ways of deception.
"You have always weakened at the notion of your past."
"Good," she said thoughtfully, "but not enough."
"Humph."
"You always were quite thoughtful, I guess you were worrying about how to make your quest seem more worthy?"
"Worthy? What would you know of that?"
"I know that you are here to fulfil a mission, one that is very similar to mine."
"Oh, and what would your "mission" be?"
"Your friends haven't told you? I'm surprised, perhaps they aren't the cowards I thought them to be."
"Cowards? Who you callin' cowards?' Trowa jumped up, fire in his eyes.
"Oh, dear, have I hurt your feelings," she said smpyathetically, "good, now leave."
"No way," Wufei had risen to his feet, with the help of Quatre, "not… until… you … tell…us…who …you are."
"Zoekurau James, that's it, nothing else."
"Look, I already told them everything," Quatre smiled at her, but she did not return it.
Pursing her lips, she continued to try and get the boys out of her home, "Whatever, if you know everything, why are you still here?"
"Because, I want to know what happened to you," Quatre had emotions flowing out of his ears, not literally though.
"Nothing has happened to me."
"But you're so cold now!" tears began to fill his eyes as memories flooded into his mind.
"Yes, well, war does many things to a person."
"Isn't there anything that could prove to you that I am who I say I am?" he pleaded, trying his best not to lose his head.
"No…. well," she tilted her head in thought, "the Quatre I knew could always make me laugh. I haven't laughed since he died though; I can't laugh anymore because of it. I'm sure, if anyone could make me laugh it would be him, especially about that one time when we were five-"
"And we went into the teacher's lounge on accident, and somehow put an iguana in Mrs. Harris's purse. She ran screaming out of the room, and didn't go anywhere near it for two weeks, and we were never caught!" Both Quatre and Zoekurau began to giggle at the memory, along with the others.
"Oh, Quatre, my Quatre, why didn't you try to find me?" she ran to him, picked him up and suprisingly twirled him around a few times.
"I did, but there was no trace of you anywhere." They clang to each other as if their lives depended upon it. The others just stared on it amazement. They had never seen Quatre act like this, and Zoekurau definitely wasn't acting like she had been.
"Come, I want to show you something!" she ran towards a door at the back of the kitchen, which stood slightly ajar. The others followed, right behind her, down a flight of stairs, and into a large underground base. The mobile suit she had been piloting lay on the ground with a number of parts and tools near it. The five pilots stood in utter amazement at the size of the base, and that Zoekurau was the only person who used it. "Well, do you think I've done all right for a loner?" her voice was filled with joy, as she turned around, arms spread open.
"I'll tell you as soon a I get over the shock of seeing this," Quatre managed to say; he and the others also turned around, but not to show off. One, at a time, they all regained their senses.
Noticing the e-mail on the computer, Heero was the first to speak, "You know Dr. J?"
"Yes, he is the one who first sent me into training, to Earth, and sends me my missions." Zoekurau smiled for one of the first times.
"Hmm, why exactly are you here?"
"Well, I'll tell you when that hazing thing happens…"
A haze covers the screen; it clears in Colony 3, six years ago…
"Who are you?" a ten-year-old Zoekurau asked the image on her computer screen. A few minutes ago, a strange man with long white hair and goggles over his eyes had appeared on the monitor. He was saying something about going to an academy and becoming a solider for the colonies. She had listened in silence, until now.
"My name is not important, I need you to do as I say though. The Alliance will never suspect a female spy. Please come to the main computer at 800 hours tomorrow morning, a man in blue will show you into a car, go with him, he will lead you to me. The colonies are depending on you." The image disappeared; it had not been on long enough to track.
She sat in silence for a minute, thinking about what she had just been told to do. How does this man know me and why does he want me to go away from my family? I don't want to leave them all behind, but if the colonies are depending on me then I have to. But what about mother and father and my brothers and sister? What about Quatre and Gwenyth and John? What about school and, and, and everything else? No, I must go, but how will everyone take it? I don't want to hurt anyone! I will leave a note for them, that's it! A note! Well, I guess I better prepare myself to go to the main computer office tomorrow. Hmm, I sure am gonna miss everybody!
S he began to pack a small backpack with clothes, pictures of her friends and family, and a little star locket that Quatre had given her for her last birthday. She treasured this more than anything in the world. It had a purple orb n the middle, surrounded by a blue ring, and green tips. Inside there was a picture of her best friend and on the other side was Gwenyth, another friend.
Gwenyth was the same age as she was, had electric blue hair, and bright amber-colored eyes. Their friends often called her and Zoekurau twins because they had always been seen together. John was a year older and her orphaned cousin, but still had a lot of fun hanging out with her and her friends; he had short black hair and hazy blue eyes.
The next morning, Zoekurau got up before anyone else, she took her backpack and left a note saying that she had gone to try and save the colonies and that no one was to try and follow her. She quickly made her way to the main computer, arriving half an hour before she needed to be there, so she waited, all the while fingering the locket, thinking of how she would miss the people she was leaving behind.
A black convertible drove up to where she was sitting, a boy stepped out. He couldn't have been more than twelve years old; his hair was a medium-brown, which covered his left eye, and green eyes. His suit was a midnight blue, including his shirt and tie. "Zoekurau James?" he asked, his voice had a curious note in it.
He must not know why I'm here Zoekurau thought to herself. "Yes, that's me, are you the man whose supposed to pick me up?"
"Yeah, please step into the car and we can continue on our way," he turned and opened the door for her.
As she stepped in she asked, "Where are we going?" The question had been nagging at her since she had gotten the order to come here.
"I'm not sure, I'm just following orders. The driver knows, but he doesn't seem to talk much," the boy replied as they sat down inside, and the car drove off.
"Hmm, what is your name?"
"Trowa, Trowa Barton. I know who you are, but why you're here…" he made a circling guesture with his hand as he said the last part, ending with it pointing at her.
"Don't ask me, I'm just following orders, too."
"So, do you know why Dr. J wants you?"
"Dr. J?" she was getting confused, who is Dr. J?
"Umm, never mind. Where are ya from?"
"Well, we're actually passing my house right now," she pointed at a home which had police cars swarming all the front lawn, "oh, mother must be worried sick."
"Don't worry about it, she'll be fine. At least you have someone who is sorry your gone," he looked at the house with sadness filling his eyes.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, I'm sure your mother misses you," she placed her hand on his arm, he looked at it.
"No, I don't have a mother, I'm an orphan."
"Oh, umm, sorry, I didn't know. I don't mean this pityingly but, I'm sorry." She smiled at him, he returned it, and for a moment she thought she might kiss him, but was stopped by the driver.
"You two behave yourselves, Dr. J won't like it if you fool around with his solider, Trowa."
"Yes, sir." Trowa looked at his feet, blushing.
"Soldier? Who's Dr. J's soldier?" Zoekurau asked, she still felt that everyone knew the answers except her.
"You are, he wanted you to be trained as a soldier," Trowa looked at her puzzled.
"What?! I'm no soldier!"
"Well, he seems to thing you'd make an excellent one. Dr. J has been watching you for the last two years or so."
"Really? Huh, just one weird thing after another today."
"Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Hey, we're here!"
They pulled up to an abandoned carport. Zoekurau raised an eyebrow in an are-you-sure way. Up front, the driver pushed a tiny yellow button, causing a door to open. Trowa silently laughed at Zoekurau's surprised expression. They pulled in after checking to see if anyone was behind them. Trowa opened the door for her again, and they stepped out into a place that seemed as if it would fall apart at any minute. An elevator door opened on the other side of the parking lot, and the man with the white hair and the goggles stepped out. "Hello, Zoekurau. It is good to finally meet you in person. Come, I will reveal all." She followed him into the elevator with Trowa.
The elevator arrived a few minutes later on the seventh floor. Trowa began to step out and Zoekurau followed but was stopped by Dr. J. "What aren't we supposed to get out? He is."
"No, we have to go up another floor," the man replied. Zoekurau pursed her lips together, and said goodbye to Trowa, hoping she would meet him again, of course she never did although she always watched for him in the halls.
"Why do you want me to be a solider? I'm only ten," she questioned Dr. J when the exited the elevator. He turned down a small corridor.
"You have the natural skills of one, and it will be easier to bring you up as a solider." Opening a door on their left, he went into his office, she followed eagerly. Inside were a desk and a large computer that he stored all information in. A window looked out upon the training area, where many men were taking up different types of weapons and had begun to fight. Like most offices, a fern set on a high table was backed into a far corner and a file cabinet was its neighbor. "I need someone who won't be afraid to go to Earth and send back military files that we aren't allowed access to at the present time."
"Why me? I just want a normal life, I mean, I'm perfectly happy as it is."
"Then why did you come here?" He knew that even though she was happy on the outside, she had always felt she didn't belong where she was now.
"I…I don't really know, something just pushed me to come here." She stared out of the window to the training field; a small smile crossed her face. I almost feel like I belong here, why is that?
"You're just like your mother, you know that?"
"What?! How do you know mom?"
"She was a solider once, but your father brought her back to reality. She was very good, that's why I decided to watch you, to see if you had her spirit. I knew that if you did, all I would have to do is train it." He glanced out the window now, his love for the fair Glenisy came swarming back to him, she looks just like her mother, too, and whoever wins her will be very lucky. "Do you think you want to become a solider for the colonies, you'll most likely never see your family again."
"Umm," she looked down in deep thought. I don't know if I'm ready to do this. What if I'm not? What if I don't make a good solider? What if I…
"I know you must have about a thousand what ifs running through your mind by now." Dr. J chuckled.
"Yes, but I think I'm ready to help you the best that I can."
"Good, I'll take you to meet your roommates."
For the next year, Zoekurau spent her time training she was then sent to the academy where Heero had met her. After about two years teaching she was sent to Earth, where she began to steal secret files and send them back to Dr. J.
"That's where I remembered you from," Trowa shook his head in an approving way. They had sat down and listened intently to Zoekurau's reasons for being here.
"Who told you we had died though, I still don't understand that?" Quatre asked.
"Do you want to do that hazy thing again, or should I just tell you?" Zoekurau teased him.
"Umm, the hazy thing. It's really fun!"
"What's with that narrator guy? How come his lines are in bold!" Wufei snorted in jealousy.
Because I'm lucky and control the whole story, that's why! In the academy, after school, in her room…
"Hello, I'm calling for Dr. J," Zoekurau sat on her emerald green loveseat with the phone to her ear. This was the third time she had tried to call him in the last twenty-four hours; she wanted an up-date on her family.
"May I ask who is calling, please," the receptionist asked. She had a pleasant voice, and sounded like she had just started her shift.
"Kiara Kisen," Zoekurau answered, using her file name in case the line was being tapped. J had always had her do this, why, she didn't really know. Looking at the clock, she realized she didn't have much time before she had to go teach one of her classes.
She had learned many things in the last year, about how to fend for herself one Earth. Now, Dr. J had sent her to the academy to teach while they waited for the right time to attack. There, she taught self-defense, deception, and ways to out-smart your enemies. The class she was going to was one of the many technique classes she had begun to teach, one with a certain student named Heero Yuy. He had never really seemed to be paying attention in the class, but got the highest grades. She had always wondered where he had come from, being that he had just appeared one day, like her.
"Hello, Zoekurau. Is there a reason you have been trying so hard to reach me?" Dr. J answered the call with a smile on his face. Zoekurau had done very well so far, only, she thought of her family far too much. Earlier, she had made him promise to keep and eye on them and to give her up-dates on how they were doing. He thought that this would only distract her from what she was supposed to be concentrating on.
"Yes, I was wondering if you know how my family is doing, especially my new little brother, Teine."
"Oh, you haven't seen the news recently?" He asked, knowing perfectly well she barely ever watched the news or read a paper.
"No, why?" worry filled her voice.
"There's been another bombing, I'm afraid they've all died," his voice came clearly over the phone, but Zoekurau hardly heard it. She had expected this might happen at some point, but never like this. Of course everyone would have died, she thought, but why now? Why did Teine have to die so soon? "Are you still there?"
"Yes," she whispered through the pain that was ripping her apart, "I have a class, I better go now."
"Zoekurau? Are you going to be alright?"
"When have I not been," she joked.
"Wait, please you have to…" she hung up the phone and dialed the number of the main office.
"Hello, Main Office, how may I help you, Miss James?" the secretary's cheery voice only made Zoekurau sadder.
"Umm, yes, umm, I'm afraid I won't be able to teach any of my classes for the rest of the day. Could you get a sub for me, please, I would truly appreciate it?" she held her head, it was throbbing in agony. Hanging up the phone, she leaned back into the couch. Her insides felt as if they would rip themselves in two at any second. "Mother, Father, Teine, who could they?" she cried, it echoed through the halls, alerting anyone within them. A surprised Heero knocked on the door; he had wanted to talk to her about an assignment he had gotten an A- on, not his best work.
"Miss James, are you okay," he asked through he door he heard muffled sobs.
Not a tear fell from Zoekurau's face as she answered unsteadily, "I'm fine, but I can't help you right now, so please come back later."
"You sure," he asked, knowing that she did want someone, but felt that no one could come.
"Damnmit you, just go away," she yelled. He slowly pushed the unlocked door open, showing her nearly hysterical form on the loveseat. She glanced at his form moving closer to her, but she didn't care. Nothing seemed to matter now that everything she had once known was dead or destroyed, there was no way to ever go home again now.
Heero placed his hand on her heaving shoulder, steadying it for a moment, "What's up?" This was one of his few "caring" moments. Sitting next to her, he put his right arm around her waist and his left on an empty shoulder. Zoekurau leaned against him, just glad that someone was there to hold her. Just like Quatre used to, she thought, her moans increased as memories continued to envelop her.
"My world is crashing down around me," she whispered. Heero looked at her funny, She's younger than me, has more experience than me, is teaching me, and has more problems than me! What else can she beat me at? He rubbed her back in a comforting way, hoping no one decided to look in on Zoekurau.
"What do you mean," he asked.
"I can't tell you, let alone anyone really," she sighed, and then quickly noticed that Heero was there and that it wasn't her imagination. "Oh, umm, I sorry you had to see-," she sputtered, standing up suddenly, "you should go on to your next class, I would go with you but I have something that I need to take care of immediately." She literally shoved him out the door and locked it behind him. After just staring at the door for a minute, Heero turned and headed off to his next class.
THE NEXT DAY…
"Zoekurau? How are you?" Dr. J's comforting voice came out of the phone.
"I'm fine, you?" she asked, fingering the cord in her hand. She had hoped she had just had a nightmare for the last twenty-four hours and that Dr. J had called to give her an up-date on her family, of course, she was wrong.
"I'm truly sorry for having to tell you that yesterday," he continued, it wasn't his problem that they had died, " but I do have some good news for you."
"Did they find one of them alive?" she knew it wasn't true, but she couldn't help wishing.
"No, we finally found a way to get you to Earth," now his voice filled with happiness, but Zoekurau only grew sadder.
"Oh," she said quietly.
"Yes, I've e-mailed you all the information, we'll be seeing you soon. Ta-ta for now!" the phone on the other end hung up, leaving Zoekurau with nothing but the content drone of the dial tone. She went over to the computer to download the emailed information.
And now! Back to the future!
"Ha, ha very funny!" Wufei snorted again.
Well I thought so, so there!
"Oh, shut up!"
I could kill you right now, you know that! Come 'ere you little…
"Hey, both of ya, shut up, this is my flashback!" Zoekurau yelled.
Both apologized, "Sorry! Sorry!"
"That's better, I'm done now." She said matter-a-factly. Duo and Trowa giggled, Heero stared into space trying to remember the day he had just seen, and Quatre looked at Zoekurau like she was an angel.
"I don't remember anything about being in your room," Heero said, deep in thought.
"Yeah, well, you were there. I have a pretty good memory," Zoekurau answered; she walked over to her mobile suit and picket up a socket wrench. As she worked on the left arm, Trowa came over and began work on its torso. "Thanks," she said to him, not sure if this was a good thing or not.
"It's okay, I'm not going to dismantle it," he answered.
"Looks like you need a new discombobulater thingy," Duo said after glancing at the suit that lay on the floor.
"A what?"
"Umm, never mind, I'll just take care of it," he said, blushing at the fact that he had just embarrassed himself in front of Zoekurau.
"You guys got anywhere to go tonight, like a place to sleep?" Zoekurau asked, hoping that they didn't so she could finally get a friend or two. Duo may be a total baka, but he's really sweet. Wufei is just too uptight and arrogant for his own good. Trowa is definitely a gentleman if I ever saw one. Heero is quiet, but that just shows that he is thinking and he's okay, except he needs to have more fun! So does Trowa! Hmm, if they I stay I can ruff 'em up a little! And get to catch up with Quatre, this almost seems to be to good to be true! She thought to herself as a smile dawned on her face.
"Not really, why?" Duo commented, seeing what she was getting at.
"Ya wanna stay here?"
"Sure," they all instantaneously agreed. She took them to another part of the base, into the rooms she kept for no reason at all, she just had this feeling she would need them some day, and here she was, using them. Noticing that they were one room short, she offered her room to Trowa, he tried to refuse, but she insisted.
"Are you sure, I mean, I don't want to force anyone out, except Duo that is," Trowa asked. He wasn't used to girls, even if Catherine did always hang around him.
"Hey!" Duo threw his pillow at him and Trowa easily caught it.
"Don't worry, there's a spare under it. It isn't as comfy though," she knew that Trowa wasn't a complete goody-two-shoes. He would take the bed, without her having to shove it down his throat, even if she was prepared to. Looking at her uneasily he accepted.
"Goody, I finally get to have a sleepover!" she yelled, the others just laughed at her. She was starting to come out of her hard shell and resurface, as the child she was buried as. Quatre thought to himself, why is she acting like this? It's almost as if she was ten again. Indeed she was, bouncing around in the kitchen while she was making dinner, hardly able to contain her excitement.
"What drugs are you on, I want some," Duo smiled at her, finally, someone like me.
"It's called finding your inner child," she came over to him and pecked his cheek. Duo stood in amazement that a girl had actually kissed him. "Earth to Duo," Zoekurau knocked on his head after he had just stood there for five minutes. He landed and smiled, then left to go tell Wufei about his experience and to gloat.
Quatre walked in as he left, looked at him as if Duo was an alien come to get his brain for scientific experiments, "What did you do to him?" immediately accusing Zoekurau. She always played tricks and made fools of people when she could.
Looking innocent, she replied, "Why, Quatre, what ever do you mean?" He sniffed in frustration, she never did own up to anything, he thought.
"Duo, what did you do to him, his brain seems to have shrunk even more."
"Ha, ha, very funny, Quatre," Duo retorted from the other room. Zoekurau and Quatre began to laugh, causing Duo to get even madder, "Yeah, just laugh your head off, Quatre, but your girlfriend here likes me, so there!"
"Girlfriend, who said she was my girlfriend?"
"Umm…"
"Uh, huh."
"Well, she still kissed me!"
"So, at least I got a good reaction out of you, some people," Zoekurau said, looking at Quatre, "run like hell is behind them if you kiss 'em."
"Hey, I was nine, girls were gross!" Quatre defended, but the battle was already lost.
"Yeah, sure!" Quatre chased after Duo, determined to stop the teasing.
Dinner wasn't everything the guys expected, but was still great. Zoekurau did her best to scrap together all she could, which was a couple hunks of turkey and vegetables. Duo complained the most; he was shut up by a sharp kick from Heero, who ate in silence. They chatted through dinner's meager helpings with smiles, about politics (would you be? I'd die) and missions. It ended on the topic of Zoekurau joining up with them and she agreed; she needed to be closer to humanity if she was fighting for it.
It was half past three in the morning when they decided to go to bed; they were going to help Zoekurau move out later that day. Trowa left the room to let Zoekurau change and came back to find right in the middle of it.
"Oh, umm, ah, I'm really sorry," he mumbled after walking in on her. She sat in a pair of blue drawstring pants, and she had just finished putting on her spaghetti strap tank top.
"That's okay, believe it or not, I'm kinda used to having no privacy. You wouldn't believe how many people walk in on you here, weird huh?" she laughed at the thought.
"I guess, doesn't seem like you would get many visitors," he agreed, sitting down on his bed.
"Freaky, yeah. But it's mostly the Alliance, OZ, or Romenoff, they're always trying to get me to forget why I'm here," she led down with her hands behind her head. Turning, she asked, "You gotta girlfriend?"
"No, why?" he raised an eyebrow at the question. Why would she want to know that?
"Just wondering, seems like you'd have girls swarming all around ya," a sly gleam entered her eyes, Trowa recognized them from earlier that day, when she first stepped out of her mobile suit and looked at him. She certainly is pretty, he thought, but quickly snapped himself out of the daydream he was about to enter, what am I thinking! I can't make a move on her, Quatre would kill me!
"Yeah, well, when you change schools every other week, they don't get much time to notice you," he couldn't believe he was talking about this. She's so easy to talk to, kinda like a best friend or sister, no wonder Quatre likes her so much!
"I know what you mean, I change schools every six months now, it gets easier the more time you spend here," she got up and sat down next to him on the bed. She, then, reached up and brushed her hand across his face, a bolt of electricity ran up Trowa's spine. Leaning in he nearly kissed her but stopped at the thought of Quatre and how he would react if he had seen them right now. Although Trowa stopped, Zoekurau didn't, her lips brushed lightly against his.
"We…can't…shouldn't…Quatre," Trowa mumbled uselessly, he knew he shouldn't but he couldn't stop himself. Wrapping his arms around Zoekurau's waist, he kissed her back, roughly. This was something he had never really done before, unlike Zoekurau, Trowa had never made love before. They lay down on the bed, exploring each other's bodies in between passionate kisses. Zoekurau teased Trowa by softly nibbling on his ear while he kissed her neck in amusement. He never noticed the knife handle hidden in her back pocket…
Okay, this is where I'm going to leave you whining for the next chapter. Trowa lovers, don't read the beginning of the next chapter! This will be your only warning! Please tell me ideas on what to do in the next chapter, because other than the first little bit of it, I have no clue as to what is going to happen. I'm 13, yeah, man, this rulz!! It was my birthday yesterday! Bye for now! Remember, you must give me ideas on what to do!! Read my Ronin Warriors story, Circumstances, I don't know what to do in that one either!