Notes: There is a certain process Pilots go through before they are officially paired with an Ingrid. Falling or getting into one does not automatically make you the Ingrid's Pilot (if that was true, Zero would be Pilot of Eeva Leena). It is highly unusual for one person to ever be inside more than one Ingrid, and once you are officially paired with one, you cannot simply switch to another. In short, Hiead is not the Pilot of Ernn Laties, nor can Zero switch to Tellia Kallisto. And if that doesn't make the direction of this chapter terribly obvious for you, I don't know what will.
Warning: Hiead gets mean later on. Um…sorry if I offend any women.
Change
Chapter 8
"He doesn't look so good," Kizzie observed, prying open Zero's eyelid with her fingers.
"No," Kizna agreed, absently batting Kizzie's hand away. "He doesn't."
"So…is this in the plan?"
"No."
"Oh." Kizzie considered that for a moment. "That's not good, huh?"
"Not really," Kizna sighed.
"Then…should we do something?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know." Kizzie shrugged helplessly. "I just think we ought to do something. Like…"
"Help him?" Kizna suggested.
"Well, no. We can't. He's just…out. All we could do is sit here, talk, and wonder if he can hear us."
"So…you think we should definitely do something, but you have no idea what?" Kizna asked.
"Um. Right." Kizzie nodded firmly.
Kizna hid her face in her hands. "No offense, but I think I'm starting to get why we're trapped in here."
* * * * *
The news that Ernn Laties was back had spread rather quickly throughout GIS. Exactly how she was back took a bit more time to spread, since no one could really believe it the first time they heard it.
Apparently, some half-mad Candidate had stolen a shuttle, flown out to find the Goddess, and brought her (and himself) back to GIS safely. Or so the story went. Since no one had actually seen the return or the Candidate, most of it was just speculation.
Ernn Laties had little damage to speak of, though upon closer inspection, it was revealed that she had been exposed to some very extreme temperatures that no one could account for. Considering she had been left in an ice field, it was very odd to find that some of her joints had nearly been fused together.
Once it was confirmed that Ernn Laties was still in mostly working order, attention turned quickly to her Pilots. Some argued that Zero was still her Pilot, but others murmured that perhaps this strange Candidate had earned the right to be Top.
Anyone foolish enough to question the other Pilots and Repairers on the matter got nothing but steely silence. They were tending to their own right now, and talk of replacing anyone was simply not welcome.
* * * * *
Kizna had only left Zero's bedside once, and that was to see if Ernn Laties was really back. Even then, she had ordered Erts to remain there no matter what.
Zero was definitely alive. According to the doctors, he was merely sleeping now, regaining the strength that he had to have lost ejecting from Ernn Laties. Zero did appear to be asleep, and most of his color had returned, but gave no sign that he would be waking up anytime soon.
All the same, Kizna felt horrible, knowing on some level that this was all her fault. She had almost broken down and told Erts, but decided against it. Somehow, Erts seemed to be taking Yu's death harder than anyone, even if he had stopped shedding tears over it. Adding to the weight on his heart did not seem wise.
Roose & Wrecka visited frequently, but they never stayed for very long. They seemed wary of running into someone, and Kizna got the impression it was Kazuhi. They shouldn't have bothered worrying: Kazuhi had spent all of her time between Yu's room and her own, sorting through his belongings for anything she would keep. She had been seen carrying Yu's swords and some of his clothing so far. She had not once stopped by to visit Zero, and no one was sure what to make of that, nor could they really blame her. Yu was the most important person in her life, and not even death would change that, it seemed.
* * * * *
Ihkny was fairly surprised that Clay did not question her about Saki. She refused to believe that he hadn't heard about Hiead's stealing the shuttle by now. As composed as Clay seemed to be, Ihkny couldn't help wondering just how worried Clay should've been. After all, he and Saki had been partners.
But then, so had Ihkny and Hiead. Sort of.
She was still in the dark about what Clay thought she could do here, and he had not yet offered to shed any light on the subject.
Clay himself seemed rather busy, though. Ihkny had nothing better to do than to follow him around, and he moved quite a bit. She was quickly growing used to the many dark corridors in the Department of the Observer, and decided that it wouldn't be so bad if she just had some purpose…something to carry her from day to day.
At some point, she became aware of Clay watching her more and more. He would never say anything when she caught him looking, nor would he appear embarrassed or even remotely uncomfortable about it. She felt very much like the subject of some experiment so vast she couldn't even begin to fathom it. Why else would someone like Clay take such an interest in her?
Out of the blue, he suddenly said, "This job may prove difficult for you. But I believe you can do it."
"Thank you," was all she could think to reply with.
He smiled, his glasses flashing. "I must ask for your forgiveness in advance, in case you find the task too painful." At the look on her face, he quickly added, "Emotionally, I mean."
"Oh." Ihkny considered that for a moment. "Is it anything that you wouldn't do?"
"Well, no. I only ask you to because a fresh opinion is required. I suppose I've been here too long to see the matter objectively."
"I'll do my best," Ihkny replied with a nod.
"I was hoping you'd say that." Clay led her to a small, dark room with a comfortable chair and a small table before it. There was a pen and a notepad on the table, but other than those, the room was bare.
"Is this a test?" she asked.
"You might say that," Clay replied mysteriously. He moved to the far wall and touched it briefly.
The entire wall seemed to flip over, and the next thing Ihkny knew, she was staring at an entirely new room. As opposed to the one she was sitting in, this new one was white all over, providing a sharp contrast. But the color change was not what caught her attention.
"I am sorry, Ihkny," Clay said softly, "but your task is to observe, and only that. You will not be allowed to interact with them at all."
"How can you stand there and say that?!" Ihkny wailed. "They're my—OUR—friends! I mean…it's Zero and Kizna! And he's…SICK!"
"I have reason to believe that Zero will be just fine," Clay replied calmly. "And I did apologize in advance. I know this is hard for you. But I am giving you a choice. You can either stay here, bottle up your feelings, and do the job, or…"
"Or what?" she nearly spat.
Clay shrugged. "Or you can leave. We only have room for people who are willing to do their jobs here, Ihkny. I know it's not easy, but wouldn't you rather suffer and still be able to see them?" He lowered his voice slightly. "What else is there for you? Where would you go? What would you do?"
She realized with a start that he was right. There was nothing else for her. She was not a Repairer anymore, and truly had not been one for some time, thanks to Hiead. That was what she had trained for, and now that it was gone, what could she do?
"I can never speak to them again?" she asked softly.
"Nothing is forever. You can't speak to them directly, no. Neither can I. I have frequent meetings with the Chief Repairer, and she wouldn't be opposed to passing any messages you might have. But you must limit yourself, Ihkny. The job demands it. Can you do that?"
"I…will try," she whispered, wiping at her eyes. "What do I have to do, exactly?"
"Observe, as I said. Make note of anything you consider significant. Anything big that happens in there, anyone that comes in, should be mentioned at some point in your notes."
"That's it?"
"I think you'll find that much will take up enough of your time."
* * * * *
Rei awoke outside himself, and for a terrifying moment, thought his body hadn't survived.
Then he looked down and found Zero resting peacefully. Immensely relieved, he opened up his mind, searching for Ernn Laties. He was pleased to find her in her rightful place, and not at all surprised.
She was weakened, as was he, and until they were reunited, they would both be a little anxious. But she was strong, stronger than the others, and would be fine until then.
There were, after all, more pressing matters to attend to.
Rei sensed a sudden flood of rage, sadness, and loneliness. It didn't take long to locate the source.
Tellia Kallisto was mourning the only way she knew how: by demanding vengeance for her lost Pilot. More than the others, she was a Goddess of War. It was her nature to crave battle, and now she would crave it more than ever, until her bitterness over Yu's death faded, if it ever did.
Rei did not bother to try and calm her, as he knew it would only upset her more. There was only one solution for that particular problem, and fortunately, it was not so far off. Tellia Kallisto would remain unbalanced for a while; he could even sense that there was less of her, somehow. Perhaps some of her really had died with Yu.
Zero would not take that news well, he knew. Better to get it over with quickly and give him more time to recover. The sooner they were back at full strength, the better off all the Goddesses would be.
* * * * *
Zero knew something important was missing the moment he woke up. Despite that, something kept him from bolting from the bed, and he remembered that he shouldn't be pushing himself too hard so soon.
Gradually, he became aware of something soft and warm tickling his neck. He found Kizna asleep beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. Smiling faintly, he stroked her cheek fondly with his fingers, and then let them fall away as he finally realized what was missing.
Yu.
An overwhelming sense of urgency filled Zero's body, and before he knew what he was doing, he had fled from the room, his heart pounding as fast as his footfalls against the hard floor. He had no idea where he was going, only that he needed to get there as quickly as possible.
Zero kept running until he found a certain door, and practically threw his weight against it, slamming the door open.
Kazuhi rose from her seat on Yu's bed, looking as if she'd been expecting him. "It is good to see you up and-" she began to say, but Zero didn't let her finish.
"Kazuhi-chan," he choked out, rushing to her. Zero's legs gave out as he reached her, and he fell to his knees, clutching at her legs. "I…I'm so sorry," he sobbed, shaking his head. "It's all my fault…please forgive me…I never thought it would…I'll never ask you for anything, never again…please, please forgive me, I'm so, so sorry…" He buried his face in her red kimono, too afraid to look up and see her eyes.
After a few seconds, he realized that she was stroking his hair, cradling his head gently to her. It was almost as if she wasn't angry at all.
"Rei-sama," she said softly but firmly. "Get up."
Zero's head snapped up at the title. "But I…"
"Rei-sama," she repeated, staring down at him. "Stand up."
Slowly, he got to his feet, more confused than anything else.
"I blame no one for Onii-sama's death, least of all you," Kazuhi stated, brushing the tears from his eyes.
"But…I distracted you…asked you to-"
"You asked me," she interrupted, "to do what any worthwhile Repairer should've been able to do. No amount of my attention could have saved Onii-sama. He knew he would perish this way, and chose to. If I could not stop him, no one could. The fact that he died after the same mission that you chose to abandon Ernn Laties means nothing to me. If Onii-sama had not died then, it would've been the mission after that, or the one after that. We both knew it was coming, and chose to accept it in our own ways."
"Then…you're not angry with me?" Zero asked uncertainly.
"Yes. I am disappointed that you would ever think of blaming yourself for Onii-sama's death, and that you would dishonor yourself by doing it in front of me." She cupped his face in her hands. "You are better than this, Rei-sama. I know you are, and Onii-sama believed you were. Please do not disappoint us again."
Zero's mind was still reeling when he got that same sense of urgency again. He understood at once that it had nothing to do with Yu or Kazuhi this time. Despite its weakened state, Zero's body cried out to perform, to be challenged. It took him exactly three seconds to recall the one person who could produce such a response in him.
"Hiead…"
Zero ran from the room so quickly, he failed to notice the odd look on Kazuhi's face. Odd because it was a look of exhaustion, anticipation, and above all else, fear.
* * * * *
Kizna could not remember what she had been dreaming about, only that it had been very pleasant. Even though she woke up to find Zero gone, she didn't panic. He had probably just woken up hungry and wandered over to the cafeteria, more than likely against every doctor's wishes. That was just like Zero, Headstrong When Hungry. Well, especially then, anyway.
Surely someone would've woken her if his condition had worsened, and he had been improving lately. Kizna rolled over and pressed her face into the sheets, unaware that the warmth and pleasing scent both belonged to Zero, but enjoying them both just the same.
After a few minutes, however, she came to realize that the warm, tingly sensation inside her stomach was not exactly comfortable. In fact, it was fairly bothersome, like a hundred angry butterflies trying to escape her belly at once.
She began to rise and rush to the nearest restroom, but didn't get far when a great weight slammed into her neck from behind and pinned her down.
Kizna's first instinctive emotion was not fear, but anger. She heaved herself up, but couldn't manage to budge against whatever was holding her.
"Be sure to scream so everyone can hear you," rasped a terrifying voice that she knew all too well.
"Hiead?!" Kizna snapped in disbelief. "What are you DOING here?! Get OFF me!"
"No. Not yet." There was a dry chuckle behind her. "Do you do what it tells you? Are you a willing puppet? Or does it have to force you?"
She froze. "That's…none of your business."
"I'm MAKING it my business, Towryk. I won't stop until I've destroyed the Victim. ALL of them. Even the one in your pretty little head." Hiead leaned closer, his face pressing into her cheek. "I promise to make it slow and painful. That way, you'll know it suffered as much as you did."
"You wouldn't dare," Kizna whispered, fear finally creeping into her voice. "Zero would…"
"Mourn your passing, I'm sure. But he's not here now, is he? Why do you think I waited?"
"You're afraid of him," she said accusingly. "You SHOULD be."
"I waited until I could focus my EXs enough to finish him. Now that I have, nothing can stand in my way."
Kizna's reply turned into a horrified moan as something warm and wet dripped onto her neck. She refused to imagine what it might be, for fear of being right.
"It's win-win for me," Hiead continued. "I kill you, I get one step closer to my final fate. I kill you, and Zero crumples into nothing. Either way, it's the end for you, Towryk. Ironic how my first official act as a Pilot will be to murder the Top's Repairer, don't you think?"
"You're not a Pilot! You're a monster!"
"Flattery will get you nowhere." Hiead tightened his grip on her neck. "Saki says hi." With that, his other hand grabbed a fistful of Kizna's hair and tugged her head back roughly.
For a moment, Kizna thought he might snap her neck. But that was when she felt the warm sensation on her neck and head where his hands touched her. By then, they had gone from warm to hot, and from hot to burning. She instantly recalled Hiead's second EX and screamed in fear as she fought harder than ever under him.
Suddenly, there was a very loud crunching sound, and what almost sounded like Hiead growling in pain.
"Kizna!" a voice shouted somewhere behind her. "Can you hear me?! KIZNA!!!"
"Zero? ZERO?!" she cried, tears of pain and relief flowing down her face. "Help me!!!"
"NO!" Hiead roared. "She's MINE, Enna! You can't have her!"
"Over…my…dead…body!" Zero grunted.
"Don't you DARE tempt me noAAAAAHHH!!!"
Hiead's weight suddenly left her back, and Kizna buried her face in the pillow, still writhing in pain and fear. She could still hear the struggle going on behind her, and wished desperately for Zero to win.
"Kizna," said a gentle voice at her ear. "Oh, Kizna, are you okay?" A hand touched her shoulder.
"Wr…Wrecka?" Kizna sniffled, risking a glimpse and catching a flash of blue.
"Don't move, it…oh GOD what did he do to you…?!"
"Kizna?" At her other ear this time, now Roose. "Don't worry, Erts called for the doctors, and they—Wrecka, look OUT!"
There was a frightened squeal directly over Kizna's head, just before something heavy crashed onto her back.
"You're DEAD, Towryk!" Hiead screamed in her ear, locking his hands around her neck.
"No," said a voice somewhat like Zero's, but not quite. "This ends now, Hiead."
The last thing Kizna felt was searing heat and numbing cold wrestling on the back of her neck before she passed out.
* * * * *
"Hey. Wake up," a voice whispered.
"You're not dreaming," another added. "Well, you are, but…"
She opened her eyes hesitantly, not sure what to expect.
"Hiya," said Kizzie, waving down at her. "You okay?"
"I…feel like I had a nightmare," she muttered.
"Well, you did," Kizna added quickly. "Horrible one. But it's all over, now, and we're all free."
"We…?" she asked uncertainly.
"Oh, she doesn't know about US yet," Kizzie whispered loudly. "Maybe be if we named her?"
"Good idea," Kizna agreed with a nod. "We'll call you…Partner!"
"Oooh, that's a GOOD name!" Kizzie chimed in excitedly. "Cuz HE saved us, and he always says that!"
Partner stared at her two new…friends, she supposed. "Um…who ARE you guys?"
"No one you need to worry about anymore," Kizna replied. "Um…in fact, none of us exists."
"Separately," Kizzie added before Kizna shot her a look. "Oops."
"Do I…know you two?" Partner asked suspiciously.
"Nope, complete strangers, that's us!" Kizzie said a bit too quickly. She looked guilty for a moment, before bolting out of sight.
"What…WAS that?" Partner asked.
"Don't worry," Kizna said, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "It all really was a dream. You'll see…"
* * * * *
"Mmm…not dreaming," Kizna murmured, shaking her head. "Get back here, you two…"
"Kizna?" Erts called softly.
She opened her eyes slowly. "Hi, Erts. Did they kill him yet?"
Zero's head popped into view. "I WISH!"
"Zero," Erts said severely, before turning back to Kizna. "How are you feeling, Kizna?"
"All numb," she answered truthfully. "Can't feel anything. Is it…really bad?" she asked in a tiny voice.
Erts looked at Zero, who seemed to be very interested in the wall all of a sudden. "Well, it WAS, but…"
"But what?" Kizna asked.
"Do you…remember feeling…hot and cold?"
"YES!" Kizna cried excitedly, startling them both. "I do! What WAS that?"
"Hiead and-"
"The IMPORTANT thing," Zero interrupted, leaning in close, "is that she's okay." He lowered his voice and stared at Kizna. "You are, aren't you?" he asked, looking far more concerned now.
"I'm fine," Kizna replied, smiling at him. Impulsively, she caught his hand and squeezed it, beaming when he returned the gesture. "You saved me, didn't you, Zero?"
A strange look passed over Zero's face. "Oh, no," he said quickly. "Erts is the REAL hero. You should've seen him, like a bat out of hell-"
"Zero!"
"Okay, angel out of heaven. But a PISSED angel!"
"ZERO!"
"Will someone tell me what happened so I know who to thank?" Kizna snapped.
"All of us helped, one way or the other," Erts admitted. "When I got there, Zero-"
"Kizna, you don't really wanna hear this now?" Zero asked, patting her hand. "You just woke up, and…you don't wanna think about this RIGHT now, do you?"
There was something in his eyes that worried her. "Zero, what is it? What are you trying to hide? You promised you wouldn't do that anymore. Remember?"
A pained look flashed across his face. "Kizna, I-"
"I'll tell her," Erts offered abruptly.
Zero paused, nodded, and returned to looking at the wall. He seemed so dejected that Kizna moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder and squeezing his arm. He glanced down at her, smiled briefly, and wrapped his arm around her, at least attempting to look somewhat happy.
Kizna caught Erts looking at them with a wide smile on his face. "Erts…?"
"Oh, right," he said quickly, blushing. "When I came in, I saw Zero trying to pry Hiead off you. I wanted to help, but I didn't want to risk him touching me, so I reached into his mind and…"
"And what?" Kizna asked.
"…did something unpleasant," Erts said with some finality.
Kizna smiled fondly at him. "Go, Erts!"
He blushed, looking away. "Well, he drove me to it. You're my friend, and it was clear that Hiead was really trying to-"
"Kill me. I gathered that, yeah," Kizna said quietly, wrapping her arms around Zero. "Thanks, Erts."
"Of course. I managed to…stun Hiead long enough for Zero to knock him out…or at least, to the floor, where he stopped moving for a minute. While Wrecka & Roose were checking on you, he got back up and tried to finish what he started."
Kizna shivered noticeably, and Zero tightened his embrace slightly.
"This part is…really strange," Erts warned. "We all saw what Hiead had done to you before. It was…pretty bad, Kizna. I thought you might even have some brain damage, aside from the burns. The smell was horrible, and…and then it was all just gone. All the damage, the burns, all of it was gone…after Zero and Hiead touched you…together, at the same time."
"Are you saying that maniac actually HEALED me?" Kizna asked in shock.
"I…think I should take it from here, Erts," Zero interrupted, glancing pointedly at the door.
Erts nodded and patted Kizna's hand. "I'm glad you're safe, Kizna."
"Me, too." She pulled him into a big hug and kissed his cheek. "I won't forget this, Erts."
He smiled and left them alone.
"You're really okay?" Zero asked softly but anxiously. "It doesn't hurt at all?"
"No, I can't even tell I was burned, except that I KNOW it was real," she replied, staring at him uncertainly. "Zero…what did you do to me? For me?"
"I'm not exactly sure myself, Kizna," he admitted, looking uncomfortable. "I just know what Hiead was trying to do, and…that was enough. I couldn't lose you."
"Because I'm your partner?" she guessed.
"Forget that. I couldn't lose YOU," Zero insisted, as if it were a proven fact. "I wasn't trying to save my partner, I was trying to keep Hiead from taking you away from me."
"He wouldn't have played as nice as you do," Kizna murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Anything else?"
"I don't know HOW I know, but…you won't be spacing out anymore."
"Yeah, I know," she said quietly.
"How?" he asked at once.
"Just…a feeling," Kizna replied, a strange smile on her face. "Like it came to me in a dream."
"…you sure you're okay?"
She laughed. "Yeah, no matter how weird I sound."
"Then…I'm glad you weren't hurt," Zero said softly, kissing her forehead tenderly. "By either of them."
Kizna gave him a peck on the nose. "I'm glad you run REALLY fast."
* * * * *
The shackles were a nice touch, Hiead thought. They couldn't hold him if he'd really been trying, of course, but this way the staff of GIS could insist they'd done everything to stop him short of killing him.
He was not at all concerned about being asked to leave. Even if he was, there was no guarantee that he would leave quietly, or that he wouldn't be back inside a week. They could quote their rules and regulations all they wanted, but in the end, there was only one real choice for the next promotion.
Still, he had made some mistakes. Perhaps taking his time with Kizna had not been wise. But had he managed to kill her, Zero would've caused even more trouble. Now they couldn't call him a killer, only a madman. Perhaps forcing the connection with Ernn Laties had not been a good idea, either. The cuts circling his head chose the worst times to bleed, and he was almost positive he'd damaged her inner workings just as much as she had damaged his. Combined with the telepathic thrashing Erts had given him, Hiead wasn't even sure if he was in his right mind at the moment.
But then that had never really stopped him before, he noted with a grim smile.
The smile faded as a key clicked in the heavy lock, and the door slowly slid open. Several armed guards entered first, followed by a very tall man. Hiead was not impressed by the entourage, but made an attempt to seem uncomfortable. Playing to their egos often made them turn their backs all the sooner.
"I trust, Mr. Gnr, that you will now find coexisting with Ms. Towryk somewhat less challenging," the tall man said quietly. "I would hate to have to seek drastic measures of punishment, should anything of this nature reoccur."
Hiead thought that attitude was fairly lenient, but wisely chose not to comment on it. He wondered absently if the man was waiting for him to speak.
Apparently, his silence was enough. The tall man motioned to the guards, and they all left the room. Instantly, a young girl in a green and black kimono entered. Hiead was surprised to spot keys in her hand, but again, decided not to comment.
She moved behind him, carefully unlocking each of his shackles with a different key.
Hiead watched her in silence, his curiosity growing when she walked out and left the door wide open. He stood up and followed her, even more surprised to find that all the guards were gone. Something was definitely very strange about all this, but he wasn't going to complain.
He was certain that she knew he was following, but not once did she stop, pause, or even glance back at him. It was as if she were determined to ignore the fact that he existed. Hiead found that odd, since most people wanted to know exactly where he was at all times, for their own safety.
Eventually, they came to the docking bay. Hiead paused in the doorway, more out of instinct than anything else. There was something about being near all the Ingrids at once that made his skin crawl.
If the girl noticed his discomfort, she didn't show it. Instead, she walked right up to Tellia Kallisto's console.
Hiead followed slowly, beginning to suspect why she had brought him here, but hardly able to believe it. He watched her type in various commands, before the console beeped and said, "Waiting for New Pilot Designate."
The girl said nothing, but looked at him expectantly.
"You're giving me access to the Goddess," Hiead said slowly, even suspiciously. "Why?"
"Tellia Kallisto is a Goddess of War," she replied simply. "Right now, her need to fight is stronger than ever. She has witnessed the power of your hatred, and she has chosen you to guide her wrath."
Hiead narrowed his eyes. "And how do you know what she wants?"
"It is not what she wants, it is what she needs and demands. As for how I know…" She touched the Ingrid almost reverently. "…she and I have always held a certain understanding."
It was just too easy, he knew. But he would be a fool not to accept her invitation. Tellia Kallisto was just the kind of Goddess he would need to show up Zero and carry out his promise to defeat all the Victim. She would feed on his hatred, combine it with her own, and together they could be truly unstoppable.
"Hiead Gner," he said at last.
The console beeped its acceptance. "New Pilot…Accepted. Awaiting New Ingrid Designate."
"Omega," Hiead said at once.
"Kallisto," she supplied, not missing a beat.
"New Ingrid Designate…Accepted. Omega Kallisto Now Online."
"This is the end," Hiead said faintly, staring up at the Ingrid…his Ingrid, now. "We are the last assassins. Let nothing escape our power, no foe escape our blade, no challenge escape our pride."
"Hiead-san."
He turned to look at her. "What?"
She drew out a thin package and held it out to him. "I thought you might desire a change of clothes." Her eyes trailed only briefly over his current GOA standard issue workout uniform, which had plenty of rips and tears in it.
Hiead reached out and placed his hands firmly over hers. "Do no think," he said quietly in a dangerous voice, "that I owe you anything. It was only a matter of time before I arrived here."
"Of course," she replied. "I am very pleased you were resourceful enough to arrive ahead of schedule."
"You're not afraid of me," he almost growled.
"I would hardly be a decent Repairer if I was, Hiead-san. My duty is to assist your career as a Pilot. I do not foresee any reason that we should not work well together."
For the moment, he was stumped. No one had ever talked to him like that, as if they were actually comfortable around him. No one…but Her. It was strange, new…maybe even disturbing. But for now, at least, he wouldn't have to break her to his will, if she was so ready to serve him. Perhaps this partnership would really be just that, instead of the dictatorship he'd had with Ihkny.
He finally took the clothes from her. "What is it that makes you…this way?"
"I have been sworn to the duties of a Repairer. I fully intend to ensure that you never have any reason to be displeased."
He almost smiled. "You'd practically be my slave."
She, however, did no such thing. "If that is what it takes," she said smoothly, her eyes locking on his.
Now there was definitely something like Her inside of this girl, Hiead knew. He couldn't put his finger on it, but somehow he knew this would all work out for the best when he looked into her eyes.
Kazuhi watched him walk away in silence, stroking the Ingrid absently. They had chosen well, she knew. What she didn't know yet was just how well they had chosen…