Chapter Two: Just an Accident Waiting to Happen
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The loading area was ugly and gloomy, even with the ambience of workers doing their thing. Crates both small and large were stacked all over the place. Forklifts, construction mechs, and quite a few Zentraedi workers were all doing the main lifting work. Suddenly, a loud whistle blew. Break time.

"Okay, we're here," said John. "Did you remember to get yourself good and presentable?"

"Yes, yes, I did. Let's just get this over with; I don't want to humiliate myself any more than I'm going to trying to pull stunts like these."

John sighed. "Will you relax, man! You're going to do fine-please quit being such a damn pessimist. Now, let's go."

With John's carefully chosen alibi of "We're just going to look around for a bit," and a flash of their ID badges, they entered the loading area.

"Son of a…it's pretty hot in here!", said Tommy. "Must be the dark walls retaining all the heat that comes in through the windows."

"Just don't sweat so much you literally make a stinky impression, okay?"

"10-4. Hey, do you know where the workers take their breaks?"

John blinked. "Uh…what?" Tommy stopped and turned to him.

"You DO know where it is, don't you?"

"Uh…can I get back to you on that?", said John with a sweatdrop

Tommy's face twisted into anger. "WHAT!? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING!!??" He bopped John on the head.

"Oww! Hey, no fair, I outrank you! You can't do that!"

"Thanks. Thanks a lot, LEAD. You've really done it this time…!", said Tommy with a scowl.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Jeez…give me a break, will you?!"

Tommy sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up like that."

"No biggie. But we'd better start looking around…"

Meanwhile, in another part of the area, Kina was hard at work. Since the full-sized Zentraedi workers took their breaks two hours later than the humans and micronized Zentraedi, she and her friends were still doing their jobs.

"Okay, Kina?", said one of the Zentraedi foremen. Kina turned from what she was doing and faced the foreman.

"Yes?"

"I need someone to take these metal rods over to D Section. You up for it?"

Kina's eyes lit up. "Of course I am! You can count on me!"

"Uh…great. Get to it, then…"

"Right!" She immediately picked up the load and slung it under her arm.

"Please, please, please don't let her drop those things…!"

At that moment, Tommy and John were now lost in the loading area.

"John, this is really getting silly. Let's just get out of here. They're re-running Nadesico tonight; and I am NOT missing it!"

"You and your anime obsession…look, just a few more minutes, okay? If we don't find it, we'll punch out. Deal?"

"…Deal." They continued on. Suddenly, they felt a slight tremor in the ground.

"Hey, what's that?", asked Tommy.

"Dunno. Sounds kinda like footsteps," replied John. "But the only way that's possible is if there's a-" They turned. Right down the hall, they saw a female Zentraedi walking right towards them.

"-Zentraedi coming towards us," finished John. "Let's clear the path so we don't get stepped on."

"I hear that." They immediately got out of the woman's walking path.

As she walked, Kina still had that enthusiastic (and perhaps just a bit ditzy) smile on her face.

"They're finally starting to put some faith in me!", she thought to herself. "Maybe I really am getting less clumsy!!"

Tommy couldn't help but stare up at the giantess. John looked at him quizzically.

"Man, you're staring like you ain't never seen a full-sized Zentraedi before."

Tommy turned to him. "I have, but not this close. It's like…looking up at a Destroid, or a Valkyrie in soldier mode."

"True, but you still look like an idiot…"

Tommy gave him a slightly irritated look, and rolled his eyes.

Kina still had that smile. "Maybe I'll get transferred to a better job…or promoted to a better one! This is going to be so-" Her train of thought was cut off by the small puddle of water that had formed under a leaky pipe as she slipped on it.

"Not good!" said Tommy.

"Get back!", cried John. Kina's 40-foot-plus frame started to fall forward like a cut tree.

"Oh, no! AAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" She impacted the ground with an incredible impact that only her being a Zentraedi allowed her to withstand. "Ouch…", she whimpered, her voice muffled by the floor.

"Tommy, look out!!", shouted John. Tommy looked up…and turned white. Kina's load of rods was about to fall right on top of him!

"God help me…!", was all Tommy could manage to get out as the rods fell. He closed his eyes, threw up his arms instinctively (even though it was a futile gesture), and braced for the end.

"…Huh?" Tommy re-opened his eyes. He was still alive, though his heart was going so fast it could have outran an Excalibur. He looked up, and nearly fainted. The rods were seemingly hovering in midair…until Tommy noticed the set of gloved hands holding them up.

"Whew…I caught them!", said Kina. "That sure was luck-GAH!!!" Suddenly, one of the rods hit her right on top of the head, causing tears to well up in her eyes. "Eep…ouch again…!" She set the rods down, right behind where Tommy was standing, and rubbed her head. As she did this, her eyes suddenly focused forward…right on Tommy. They just stayed there, staring into each other's eyes.

"She's…beautiful…"

"Who is that…?"

Kina was the first to break the silence. "Uh…hey, are you okay? I'm really sorry about that, really! Y-you're not going to do anything like press charges, or anything, are you? I can't really afford a lawyer…" She continued on like that for about a minute before Tommy could speak.

"…Whoa, whoa…t-take it easy…I'm-I'm okay, don't worry!"

"…so if you'd just…huh? You're all right? Oh, I'm so glad!"

Tommy tried to speak again, but nothing came out. John quickly ran up to him.

"C'mon, Tommy, we'd better go. Uh, don't worry, Miss…?"

"Revdirgea."

"Revdirgea. He'll be fine, he just needs to get calmed down and whatnot. Uh…if it's not a problem…you didn't see us here?"

"Uh…okay."

"Thanks. C'mon, buddy, let's book it…"