Disclaimer: I don't own Iria (though I wouldn't mind it….) and I'm not making any money off this. (If I was, do you think you'd see this disclaimer?) The only thing I own here is this story and Shiv. She's mine, do you hear me? Mine! *laughs nervously* Okay…on with the show…..
Rating: PG-13 - language, violence
Ghosts of the Past
Part 5: Bountiful
Sleeping arrangements were something to behold. Iria retained her bed, while Shiv slept in Fujikuro's. Fujikuro took the couch, and Akira could not be swayed from making a pallet on the floor by Fujikuro's bed. "It's where I need to be," he said, and no one could think of a reason to tell him otherwise.
One morning, several hours before dawn, the warning alarms sounded. Iria and Fujikuro raced to the console. A few moments later, Akira came skidding in, minus his shirt. Iria raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Right behind him came Shiv, wearing the missing shirt. This time, Iria and Fujikuro both raised their eyebrows.
"What?!?", she demanded. "My tank's bloodied to hell, all I really had for a shirt were Band-Aids, and if you think I'm running out her topless, you're nuts!"
Fujikuro cocked his head to one side, as though pondering the idea. Shiv let out a playful cry and leapt forward to slap him, but was restrained by Akira.
"Can we just get to why the damn alarms went off before she pummels me to death?!?", Akira yelped, dodging Shiv's flailing arms.
Abruptly, she stopped struggling, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and replied, "Okay, Akira. Whatever makes you happy." She slipped free of his arms and began typing on the console, while Akira could only rub his cheek in confusion.
Bob sighed. "You four are hopeless. Anyway, the reason I wanted you up is because there's a new contract out."
Shiv looked up from the keyboard, irritation written plainly across her face. "You woke us up for a contract?!? Bob, run a diagnostic, 'cause, honey, you're damn nuts."
Bob sighed again. "Thank you for the commentary, Shiv, but there's more to it than that. The contract is for Akira."
He stiffened and Shiv's hackles raised. "What for?", she asked, voice icy.
"Contract evasion. He signed up to see that Iria and whoever wanted her alive were eliminated. As you three are still alive……" Bob let his voice fade. "It's a dead or alive contract. Preferably dead. Tedon Tippidai means business."
Shiv looked over to Akira. "If it's war they want, then, by God, they'll have it. I think I need to chat with Mr. Putubai again. He is a very reasonable man, after all, with a little persuasion."
The others had gone back to bed, but Shiv and Akira remained, leaning against the other on the couch.
"Do you really want to go to Tedon Tippidai? For me?", he asked.
She paused a moment, then replied, "For you, yes. For Iria. For me. But mostly, for someone I loved very much…..that they took from me."
"Who was he?", Akira wondered aloud.
"How'd you know it was a he?"
Akira shrugged. "Just a feeling.
"He was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He knew everything about me, and I about him. If there's anything called soulmates, that's what we were. And then we took a contract for Tedon Tippidai……And everything changed. He died….but he didn't have to. Every morning when I wake up, I curse them for putting him in danger like that, and I do them same every night when I go to sleep. He was everything to me."
She looked over at Akira, then laughed shortly. "Listen to me, blathering on like….like…God knows what. You must be bored to tears."
"No, I'm not. I understand."
"I'm not so sure you do, but thanks all the same. It means more than you can know."
He wrapped his arms around her, as she did around him. They fell asleep in the other's arms and no one dared wake them when morning came.
******
Well, people, you know how I said I'd be posting only three chapters today? Well...I realized that chapter five is kinda short, so I'm posting chapter six too!! Consider it an early (or late) birthday present.
PS: Next chapter, special appearance by a character who is actually one of the oringinal Iria characters and not one of mine!! Can you guess who it is???
~Kat-chan~
Rating: PG-13 - language, violence
Ghosts of the Past
Part 5: Bountiful
Sleeping arrangements were something to behold. Iria retained her bed, while Shiv slept in Fujikuro's. Fujikuro took the couch, and Akira could not be swayed from making a pallet on the floor by Fujikuro's bed. "It's where I need to be," he said, and no one could think of a reason to tell him otherwise.
One morning, several hours before dawn, the warning alarms sounded. Iria and Fujikuro raced to the console. A few moments later, Akira came skidding in, minus his shirt. Iria raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Right behind him came Shiv, wearing the missing shirt. This time, Iria and Fujikuro both raised their eyebrows.
"What?!?", she demanded. "My tank's bloodied to hell, all I really had for a shirt were Band-Aids, and if you think I'm running out her topless, you're nuts!"
Fujikuro cocked his head to one side, as though pondering the idea. Shiv let out a playful cry and leapt forward to slap him, but was restrained by Akira.
"Can we just get to why the damn alarms went off before she pummels me to death?!?", Akira yelped, dodging Shiv's flailing arms.
Abruptly, she stopped struggling, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and replied, "Okay, Akira. Whatever makes you happy." She slipped free of his arms and began typing on the console, while Akira could only rub his cheek in confusion.
Bob sighed. "You four are hopeless. Anyway, the reason I wanted you up is because there's a new contract out."
Shiv looked up from the keyboard, irritation written plainly across her face. "You woke us up for a contract?!? Bob, run a diagnostic, 'cause, honey, you're damn nuts."
Bob sighed again. "Thank you for the commentary, Shiv, but there's more to it than that. The contract is for Akira."
He stiffened and Shiv's hackles raised. "What for?", she asked, voice icy.
"Contract evasion. He signed up to see that Iria and whoever wanted her alive were eliminated. As you three are still alive……" Bob let his voice fade. "It's a dead or alive contract. Preferably dead. Tedon Tippidai means business."
Shiv looked over to Akira. "If it's war they want, then, by God, they'll have it. I think I need to chat with Mr. Putubai again. He is a very reasonable man, after all, with a little persuasion."
The others had gone back to bed, but Shiv and Akira remained, leaning against the other on the couch.
"Do you really want to go to Tedon Tippidai? For me?", he asked.
She paused a moment, then replied, "For you, yes. For Iria. For me. But mostly, for someone I loved very much…..that they took from me."
"Who was he?", Akira wondered aloud.
"How'd you know it was a he?"
Akira shrugged. "Just a feeling.
"He was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He knew everything about me, and I about him. If there's anything called soulmates, that's what we were. And then we took a contract for Tedon Tippidai……And everything changed. He died….but he didn't have to. Every morning when I wake up, I curse them for putting him in danger like that, and I do them same every night when I go to sleep. He was everything to me."
She looked over at Akira, then laughed shortly. "Listen to me, blathering on like….like…God knows what. You must be bored to tears."
"No, I'm not. I understand."
"I'm not so sure you do, but thanks all the same. It means more than you can know."
He wrapped his arms around her, as she did around him. They fell asleep in the other's arms and no one dared wake them when morning came.
******
Well, people, you know how I said I'd be posting only three chapters today? Well...I realized that chapter five is kinda short, so I'm posting chapter six too!! Consider it an early (or late) birthday present.
PS: Next chapter, special appearance by a character who is actually one of the oringinal Iria characters and not one of mine!! Can you guess who it is???
~Kat-chan~