Scarlet sighed as she hung suspended from the rafters, having a rock-climber's harness on, her tools suspended from the belt she wore as she opened Bran's thruster grating.
Kiyoshi watched from the catwalk before Raidon, the pilot's long braid hung from her shoulder, and as she turned upside-down to read something hung down like a very long tail.
"Aha!" he heard her yell to no one in particular, as she took out her screwdriver and started turning something inside the thruster. Kiyoshi pondered turning on the thrusters, thinking it would be interesting to hear her scream.
She latched the grating back onto the thruster and swung away from the Gundam, and swung back to the catwalk. She smirked.
"The Lady of Lost Souls has done it again!" she laughed, Kiyoshi looked at her blandly.
"What is this fascination with death, anyway Scarlet?" he asked her as he leaned against the rail of the catwalk.
"Oh, something I inherited I guess… a lot of life is predicable but death isn't. It's almost a barrier…" she sighed slightly, then smirked. "I was raised as the Daughter of the God of Death, but since I'm not blood I can only be nobility and not royalty, so I'm the Lady of Lost souls."
"What about Shi no Karasu?" He asked her.
"Nani, Kiyo-chan?" she replied with a question.
"It more or less means the Raven of Death." He said with a shrug.
Scarlet laughed as she ran a hand over her bangs, her hands wandering to the ribbon she tied her braid with, she tightened it and glanced at Kiyoshi as she turns.
"It fits me. I like it… mind if I keep it?" she smirked as she walked to the separate catwalk that led to the hatch of Bran.
"Hn." Kiyoshi answered as she slipped inside the cockpit.
Scarlet sighed as the hatch closed, encasing her in the familiar darkness of her Gundam. She pushed the trigger button, and glanced at the screen as it glowed dully.
She mummered the commands to herself as her fingers glided over the keys.
"Run training simulator, program Scarlet four, countdown twenty." She spoke softly as she typed with one hand and slipped her other around the joystick controls.
As the screen buzzed to live with the countdown she placed the other hand around the other joystick, slipping her feet into the pedal controls. She smirked as the enemies that had been programmed onto the simulator came on, identifying them as SCORPIO5.
The simulation had her take out the beam scythe as she flew to battle, the wings of Bran spreading angelically as the two beam scythe blades on either end came forth, the two ends separated at the half, creating a sickle for each hand. The power for the sickles was brought through the pads on Bran's hands, and with the green plasma blades glaring brightly Scarlet went into battle against the 20 SCORPIO5 suits.
The alarms went off on either side of her, but she stayed cool in the heat of battle, killing off the simulated enemies on the screen, her lightning-fast reflexes causing her to dart all over the place on the false battlefield. Her face was devoid of emotion as she concentrated, she knew if she was going to prove those boys wrong about her, she was going to have to be better than them.
The alarm beeped to live as another enemy came to the field, she pushed forward on the right pedal and backwards HARD on the left pedal causing the simulated screen to pan to the left as she fought the opponent head-on, she recognized this Gundam!
Its white angel wings glowed in the green light of the beam saber; it had a bright red shield wielded in its arm. The eyes glowed a dangerous green; the crest on the Gundam was in a strait V… this was…
"Wing Zero…" she breathed as she fought, blocking blows with the gauntlet shields on her Gundam and trying to get through to Zero. She knew that the other pilots, Kiyo, Lian, Basim, Max, they were all programmed in here, she even sparred against her self to see what she did too often. She didn't know that the TRAINERS were programmed in here!
Heero proved to be a tough opponent, not letting her get a shot in, her eyes darted around.
A window beeped open… "RUN SCORPIO SYSTEM?"
"Bran, what are you trying to make me run?" she asked between gritted teeth… in a flash she had hit the enter button.
The cockpit glared in negative colors as the screen glowed like a black light. Scarlet's eyes were little more than glowing fire in their sockets, her skin blue by the light. Her reflexes got upped, as she found herself fending off Zero, and winning.
With a mighty right blow followed by an uppercut with the sickle, the weapon pierced the head of Wing Zero; the internal cameras showing through he eyes as they dimmed.
The light in the cockpit faded to black…
*~*
The woman hit a button, her arms fresh and toned.
"Duo, mind handing me that lens? No, the OTHER lens!" she called, knowing that Duo was purposely picking up the wrong lens. It was a long-running joke.
"Aw Lyla, ya NEVER let me have any fun!" he complained as he handed the camera lens to her from the suspended catwalk. They stood before a black Gundam, the last Gundam that Lyla had designed. New Generation Gundam Deathscythe-Atermis Hybrid Death Raven-Type Gundam Wing Zero Two, she called it Bran for short. Duo had actually come up with the long name, figuring that maybe in ten years he'd be back in the pilot seat.
The woman, Lyla, fastened the lens cap onto the camera inside the eye, she had little time left and the last Gundam, her masterpiece and brainchild, was nearly finished. She heaved a sigh, yes this was her brainchild, but her real child was still un-born, hidden even from its father. She smiled softy, she knew that Duo would never set foot inside this Gundam to fight… the Preventer force was upped, new recruits pouring in from Earth, the five colonies, and Mars. She herself had been offered a job there, but had politely refused; she was going to retire back to Scorpio…
She laughed sadly.
The boy with the chestnut brown braid looked at her as he climbed to the shoulder of the Gundam.
"What's so funny, huh Lyla?"
"Your face, Duo." She grinned as she leaned back, and looked at him, smiling softly. "Thinking about how funny it is, I'm twenty-one, I've been working for five years… and I'm retiring."
"Yeah, that IS kinda funny." He laughed, then he stopped. "Wait… retiring? But Lyla, I thought you were going to stay around a bit?"
"Well… you know, Heero's marrying Relena, Dorothy and Q-tip are probably going to get married… I could always go and pull Wufei's pigtail because everyone thinks he should hook up with Sally Po… but then Sally might get angry with me." She laughed slightly at the thought. "And I'd like to see Trowa find a girlfriend sometime…"
"And what about yours truly?" Duo pouted. Lyla hated it when he pouted. He looked so god-damn-cute. The God of Death… cute… another irony she supposed.
"Mine truly has to keep an eye on the other pilots and make sure they don't get TOO settled." She smiled, and ran a hand through his bangs… should she tell him? He has the right to know about the baby. Maybe she should stay… "Besides, Duo, I have to get back to work." She sat on the shoulder of Bran with him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead softly, and smiled nuzzling her short hair.
"We certainly are the odd couple, ne Lyla?" he laughed. "Shinigami with long hair and Shi no Megami with short hair."
"D… Duo… I'm no where NEAR a goddess of Death!" she defended, giving a flirty tug at his braid. He laughed, rubbing the back of his head.
"OK, OK, so you're not the Goddess of Death… how about… Ai no Megami?" he said, racking his brains to think of the right way to set that. It's been a long time since he learned Japanese to figure out exactly what Heero had been calling him.
"What?" Lyla blinked.
"Goddess of Love." He said, and kissed her on the lips softly, slipping an arm around her waist.
"Duo! No… I… I can't!" she said, pulling away… crying. "I'm finishing Bran, and them I'm returning to Scorpio. Alone." She said, anticipating Duo's whine of
"I WANNA GO!"
"Duo…" she thought, then turned away. She stood and leaped to the catwalk, and ran off. Duo looked after her, and sighed.
"What do you WANT from me, Lyla? What have I done?" he asked himself.
*~*
Why am I remembering this? What does this have to do with me? Who is that Mr. Maxwell is talking to? The builder of Bran? Bran, why are you showing me this?
"Scarlet."
No answer came from the redhead.
"Scarlet." The voice repeated… still no answer.
"SCARLET."
"GAH!"
"Hn."
Scarlet rubbed her head, scowling.
"How can you manage to talk in capitals but still have a period?"
"Hn?"
"Nevermind, Kiyo."
*~*
Scarlet sighed as she slipped on the new glasses that Relena had kindly bought for her as she stood and got out of bed. It's been too long a lull for her; she needed some excitement.
She shed her pajamas (she still insisted on wearing the black silk ones - Milliardo Peacecraft had sent all the students things to his sister's house on a favor) and pulled on a pair of black jeans and a black tank top. She ran a hand through her hair, still loose as she pulled her dark blue shirt with the silver and red raven (she had as many shirts as she possibly could in the same print, different colors) and slipped it over the tank top. She took the ribbon from around a worn-out black cat toy that she had brought with her from L2. She smiled as she slipped down into a chair and took out a brush, brushing out her long, wavy locks.
Her reflection stared back at her in the mirror, and smiled back at her.
"I'm a Gundam Pilot, but I'm still devil-may-care." She informed herself. She sighed, running a hand through her hair to part it. She started to braid it, braiding it tightly to make sure it didn't come out. She tied the ribbon tightly, then stood, running her fingers through her mass of bangs. She slipped on a cap over her head, making sure her glasses were secure. She slipped on a pair of thin, leather tech gloves, which completed the tough attitude suit she was wearing. She tied her boots, and on her way out she grabbed two pistols, slipping them on the holster she wore beneath the long, dark blue shirt. She smirked at her reflection now, tough… not a powder-puff girl who wanted to be tough, but tough.
She walked out the door to her room, leaving a note she had written on the front table, and picked up a set of keys.
She smirked… Kiyo had a car, and instead of listening to Scarlet complain Relena made him get an old relic out of the basement…
It was a black motorcycle, Scarlet had been bent on repairing it, so she took out some different tools, a monkey wrench, a screwdriver, socket wrench… and something she had especially bought from the kitchen the night before.
With a mouth full of chocolate cake she set to work.
*~*
It was nearly finished. The bike hadn't been as damaged as Scarlet thought, it needed an oil change, and new tires, and a new motor, but Scarlet took care of it (by borrowing stuff from the spare parts in the hangar- it was too out-dated to use in their own Gundams). She had really made the bike her own, painted a red raven made of fire upon the gas tank, gotten a real leather seat. A week ago, Dorothy and Basim felt so bad about James breaking her glasses they gave her two hundred dollars to replace them - and two hundred dollars from each was not too shabby! But, Scarlet couldn't accept all of it, so she bought Basim a new vest and Dorothy a VERY expensive bouquet in thanks.
There were only crumbs now on the plate that once half a rich chocolate cake rested upon, Scarlet herself sat against the wall, looking very full and very content.
Kiyo poked his head in, and rolled his eyes.
"Scarlet, did you eat that WHOLE half of cake?" he asked.
Scarlet belched.
"Yup."
"That's gross." He said, and looked at the bike.
"What is? The fact that I belched or the fact I ate the entire half cake?"
"Hn." He gave her a sideways glance, then sighed.
"The bike looks good. Does it run?"
"How am I supposed to know? I haven't taken it out on its maiden voyage yet!" she laughed as she stood, and took a set of keys from her pocket. She sat herself on the seat of the bike (which, if you want to know, resembles a Harley Davidson in build) and slipped the keys into the keyhole. She turned the key, and revved the engine.
It roared to life then settled into a tiger's purr.
"Like a kitten!" she laughed. She hit the garage opener on the wall next to the bike, and as soon as the door was high enough to admit her, she took off barreling down the boulevard. Kiyoshi yelled.
"SCARLET! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WEAR A HELMET! SCARLET!"
*~*
Her red braid flew freely behind her as she sped down the streets of the L1 colony, feeling as if she had wings she turned and twisted between the cars waiting for a stoplight, going right to the front. She didn't know what the Japanese people behind her yelled at her as she passed, but she didn't care. She was free, with this bike she was free…
Finally, she did stop, in front of a pet shop. She glanced up at the sign…
"Going Out of Business…" she said softly, and looked at the window.
It had once said "RABBITS 4 SALE", showing a happy looking Easter bunny, but all that was left in there amidst the newspaper, carrot bits and sawdust was a very sad looking gray and white molted bunny with lop ears. Scarlet parked the bike, leaving the motor idling, and bent down to look at the rabbit.
She looked at it; it had bright brown eyes, and a little twitching black nose. Its fur looked soft, comforting. Scarlet stood, looked both ways, and sighed. She walked into the shop…
*~*
After a few frustrated tries, Scarlet finally got a cashier that spoke English, and walked back out, a bunny in her arms. She smiled as she held it up, looking at the lop-eared rabbit.
"Great, now that I've bought you I have to figure out a name for you! Well… we'll see." She laughed, rubbed her nose to the bunny's in an Eskimo-kiss, then laughed as she drove off back to the mansion, her rabbit under her arm.
*~*
"SCARLET! WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT?" Kiyoshi yelled as he walked into her room, and saw Scarlet in front of a large cage, filling it with fresh newspaper and carrots and straw.
"A rabbit hutch, Kiyo close the door, he might escape!" Scarlet called.
Basim and Max poked their heads in, followed by a curious, cursing Lian (he had been woken up by Kiyoshi's yell).
"What do you have NOW, Maxwell?" Lian asked.
The rabbit in question poked his head out from under Scarlet's bed.
"OH! It's a bunny!" Basim said, laughing "I thought that perhaps Scarlet had bought something strange home!" he walked in, Max followed and Lian followed, dragging in Kiyoshi. There was no way in hell he was getting caught with TWO rabbit-loving idiots.
"What's his name?" Basim asked, picking the gray and white rabbit up from the floor.
"Shi no Usagi?" Kiyoshi asked. There was a trace of a smile.
"Nope. Not Rabbit of Death (Usagi! Ha, ha! Meatball head!). His name's Flopsy!"
Kiyoshi fell over… Death-Girl had named a BUNNY… Flopsy?
