PART SIX:
Disclaimers: Since this story is set about three hundred years after the Gundam characters existed, there isn't much here I don't own. Except maybe any characters I use in flashbacks or the actual names of the characters, which pop up a few times. Some OOC, but no yaoi.
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There were quite a few gasps the next morning as Via entered the school with a black eye and a dark purple bruise covering nearly half of her face. Via continued to smile and most everyone she passed smiled back. When she saw Billy amidst the mob of her friends he winced and touched his own cheek in sympathy.
"Your uncle again"
Via shrugged and nodded. "Chance came over and he accidentally woke up my uncle. We were looking at the disks and we kind of had some sort of argument about one of them and the talking got my uncle's attention."
Billy gave a small half-smile. "Did he catch Chance?"
She shook her head. "He climbed out the window."
"And left you to take all the blame," Billy said with a frown. "Some friend. I told you he wasn't any good. If it had been me or Siri, we would have gotten in just as much trouble as you. And we'd have stuck around to at least get a bruise or two."
Via laughed, remembering the many occasions she'd been caught with her friends over when she was younger. Billy and Siri had learned their lesson since, and it was very rare that they came over anymore. "You would not have stayed. Sure, you would have used the door, but you would be gone just as quick as he was."
"Maybe, but maybe not. You never know."
They laughed, and then there was a long pause before Via went on. "He took my disks."
"Your uncle?"
"No." Via pulled Billy towards her math class where she could sit down- she was rather sore from yesterday. "Chance."
"Oh." Billy frowned. "Why?"
Via thought about telling Billy everything that Chance and Khans had told her but quickly decided against it. So she shrugged. "I don't know. Where's Siri?"
"Orthodontist. She'll be in late again." The bell rang and Billy looked up at the clock with a look of panic spreading across his face. "Gah! I'm late! See you later, Via!" With a final wave of his hand, Billy disappeared out of the door. Via sighed and settled down for another boring math class. She was only halfway surprised when Chance didn't show up for roll.
Hours later, Via entered Mr. Aristo's classroom. The aged teacher took in the bruising on Via's face with a frown, but he said nothing, as all good teachers should. When the class had all gathered, he cleared his throat, looked around, and opened his grade book.
"Pop quiz!" There was a collective groan as everyone pulled out pens and pencils. Mr. Aristo's pop quizzes weren't particularly hard, if a person had done the work, but they had only three questions on them- just enough to fail someone if they hadn't done the assignment. As Via had not. A paper was passed back among the rows, and Via looked at hers and sighed. Given her outside knowledge of the Gundam pilot's escapades, most people expected her to ace the course. Little did they know that when it came to the Eve Wars, she was close to totally clueless. Everything she had learned from the disks contradicted the book and were amazingly opinionated. Via could only wonder, based on what she had learned the night before, if there was a reason that the disks were so contradictory. Besides all that, Via knew nothing of the battles and events that Duo Maxwell hadn't known about or been part of and she wasn't about to read the book to correct that ignorance. It was easier to listen to her great grandfather ramble on about ceilings than to read about all the crap in her books.
"Question one," she murmured to herself. "The battle of meteor on September third, after colony 195. Name who involved in the battle and explain the name of the battle."
Via frowned. No answer for that one. Onto the next.
"Two. The original Gundam. What was it called, who created it, and who was the first one to pilot it successfully?" Again, no answer.
"Three. The so-called 'Great Destroyer.'"
Via tapped her pen against her chin. Obviously the great destroyer hadn't crossed paths with Duo very often. She couldn't remember him talking about any destroyers, much less a great one, and having only skimmed through the book once or twice, she wouldn't even know it if she had read it. She frowned. okay. Process of elimination. Who had Aristo mentioned so far in the unit? Zechs, Relena, Relena's dad, Trieze, Heero, Duo, Lady Une, and some guy named Otto. Who was known for breaking stuff up-who didn't already have a nickname? Zechs was the lightning count. Relena was the pacifist freak, so Via doubted she would be called the 'Great Destroyer.' Relena's dad was another peace out guy. Treize was the wizard of OZ, Duo was Shinigami, and Heero was the Perfect Soldier. That left Otto and Lady Une. Via raked her brains and smiled. Of course. Lady Une.
She scribbled down her only answer as Mr. Aristo began collecting papers. She realized belatedly that this was the only answer she had offered, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She rested her head on her desk, hoping that Mr. Aristo would lose the papers between now and before he graded them.
Mr. Aristo got back up to the front and lay the papers on his desk, looking around at all of his students. "Billy. What was the Battle of Meteor?"
Billy hemmed and hawed nervously. "Um... Gundam pilot extraordinaire?" The class giggled and Billy looked over at Via, who shrugged and smiled. If it had been her, she would have accompanied the giggling with a bow, but Billy wasn't one to flaunt great stupid answers as she was prone to do.
"No." Aristo shook his head. "Siri."
"The Wing Gundam was thought at first to be a meteorite as it entered Earth's atmosphere. The battle was between Zechs and Heero Yuy and it marked the beginning of Operation Meteor."
Via rolled her eyes at her friend. Obviously someone had read the chapter.
"Excellent. Billy, you try this one. What was the original Gundam?"
Billy grinned and Via got the feeling that this was one of the ones he knew. "Tallgeese, made by all five of the alpha-doctors. It was piloted by Zechs Marquise."
"Good." Aristo nodded, looking around. He smiled. "Via. The 'Great Destroyer.'"
"Um..." Via hesitated. "Lady Une."
The class burst into wild laughter and Via let out a mock chuckle. Okay. One down. So who was the other choice? Otto? Even Mr. Aristo let out a chuckle before he spoke. "No joking now, Via. Name the 'Great Destroyer.'"
Before she could tell him that the Destroyer had obviously been Otto, there was a knock on the classroom door. A tall Chinese man entered slowly and Via pursed her lips. What exactly did Khans think he was doing here?
"Excuse me, Mister Aristo, for interrupting your class," he said in his quaint accent. Via could see most of the girls in the class looking towards him and melting as they caught a glimpse of his finely chiseled features. "Miss Maxwell had an early dismissal." Khans' accent, strangely, sounded more imposing to Via than it had last night, or even a moment ago. Strangely foreign, but not in a good way. Threatening, maybe.
Mr. Aristo frowned. "Do you have a pass for her?"
Khans narrowed his eyes, pointing a finger at Via's bruised cheek. "That is her pass."
Mr. Aristo examined Khans warily, then gave a reluctant nod. "Very well. Miss Via?"
If only looks could kill, Khans would have dropped dead by now. Between Via's accusatory glare and Mr. Aristo's disarrayed, displeased, and obviously annoyed smile, Khans would have been six feet under and pushing up the daisies.
Gathering her things together, Via tossed her hair pertly. "Whatever," she mumbled, stalking out the door behind Khans and ignoring the surprised looks she was getting from everyone. Usually Via was pleased to get out of class, no matter what it was for. As the door shut behind the pair, she moved to face him. "What do you want now, Khans? You've got the disks already. What else is there to take from me? My honor? My life?"
"It is really quite simple." Khans shrugged his shoulders haughtily, leading her quickly down the hallway toward the front door. "It will be best if you cooperate."
"With what?" Someone cleared their throat over by the wall, and Via swiveled to face them. She narrowed her eyes at the strange woman who stood in the shadows. "Who are you?"
The woman had dark skin and couldn't have been younger than thirty years old. She stood awkwardly against the wall, watching Via carefully. "She is the Maxwell girl? Isn't she a bit young?"
"Hello? Are you listening to me? Who are you?"
Khans cut in. "She's not even a year younger than the boy. She simply looks young."
Via stomped her foot. "Stop ignoring me! Who are you? What's going on?"
Someone else spoke up, but this voice Via recognized. "Her name is Natasha." Chance stepped forward. "Think of her as a friend."
"Chance?"
"You'll have to accept my apology later because there's really no time to explain everything. I'm sorry."
"But what--" Via started, but Khans interrupted her by forcing a cloth over her nose and mouth. One short breath and Via realized that this wasn't exactly a social call. Letting out a small cry, Via fell into total blackness.
--to be continued--