Notes: I know most people would NEVER think of pairing Hiead & Kazuhi together. Believe me when I say I don't intend for them to be a couple, ever. Hiead would choose to be asexual if he had to reproduce. Glad to see I got some of you considering the couple, though… ::insert evil laughter::

Change

Chapter 13

Zero was no longer worried about Hiead trying to kill him, or any other person on GIS.

He was a bit concerned about what Hiead was doing to his Goddess, however.

It would, of course, do no good to simply corner Hiead and make him talk. Zero didn't feel much like picking up the bruises that would go along with such a confrontation, anyway.

But something would eventually have to be done.

Even if Omega Kallisto could handle the strain, somehow, Zero didn't think the other Pilots could…

* * * * *

"I can't BELIEVE him!" Roose shouted, throwing a shirt across the room.

Wrecka did her best to massage his shoulders while he began emptying his drawers. "Roose, please calm down. You can't-"

"I don't even know why I'm HERE anymore, Wrecka!" He yanked out a drawer and dumped its contents all over the floor, before tossing it against the wall with an angry yell.

"Don't talk like that. You're just upset right now."

"DAMN RIGHT I AM!" Roose roared. "There's no way I'm going to work alongside that egomaniac a minute longer! If he thinks he can take on the Victim all by himself, he's welcome to try! Maybe I should just GIVE him Megami Senshi so he can use her for spare parts!"

Wrecka turned her Pilot around, looked him straight in the eyes, and slapped him hard across the face.

Roose stepped back, more out of shock than anything else. "Wrecka-chan…?" he asked softly, his eyes tearing up.

"You will NOT dishonor our Goddess by talking about her that way. EVER! Do I make myself clear?"

Still in disbelief, he nodded slowly.

Wrecka sighed and cupped his glowing cheek gently in her palm. "I'm sorry, Roose-kun. I know you're angry. But you can't just quit. You were chosen for a reason. I wouldn't be any kind of Repairer if I just let you walk out on all this."

"But Hiead…"

"…is an asshole, I know."

"Wrecka!!!" Roose cried, clearly startled by her language.

She waved aside his outburst. "Well, he is. And not just for what he did today, either."

"But you don't know what it was like out there, Wrecka. The Victim were heading straight at him, and I was actually going to protect him with my shields. But then…then he used his OWN shields…"

"That must've been what Kazuhi was working on all this time," Wrecka mused aloud. "No wonder she was so tired. She's probably doubled the weight with all that extra padding."

"And it's not just that," Roose insisted. "When we landed, he gave me this look…as if to say it was only the beginning. I think he's going to copy the other Ingrids, too."

Wrecka shook her head. "Don't be silly, Roose-kun. Not only would he not be able to move with all that weight, the drain on his EX would probably cripple him after one battle. Besides, why would Kazuhi try to improve Omega Kallisto that much?"

Roose frowned. "So Hiead can be a one Ingrid army, that's why…"

* * * * *

Kazuhi woke up the instant they entered her room. Ironically, it was their trying to be quiet that made them even louder in her opinion. She had the decency to feign sleep for a few minutes before finally speaking.

"Hiead-san would not be pleased to find you here."

Erts jumped, nearly dropping the tray of tea. "Kazuhi-san! We didn't realize you were awake!"

"How are you feeling, Kazuhi?" Tune asked, rushing over to the bed to hold her hand.

"Much better," Kazuhi replied. "I should be able to get back to work soon."

Erts frowned. "I wish you wouldn't. That's how you ended up so exhausted in the first place."

She gave him a patient but firm look. "Then will you be the one to explain to Hiead-san why his request to upgrade Omega Kallisto has not been fulfilled?"

"If it's a few more hours that you'll stay in bed, then yes," he replied at once.

Tune looked concerned. "Erts, are you sure that's a good idea? He's probably still mad from the last time you interfered…"

"I know it's not a good idea. But I refuse to let him hurt my friends, directly or indirectly."

"Someday, you will realize that you cannot protect me forever, Erts-san," Kazuhi said.

"Which is why I'm doing all I can now, Kazuhi-san," Erts replied, handing her a cup of tea.

She accepted the cup, but did not drink from it. "You do know that I can do nothing to stop Hiead-san, should he decide to unleash his wrath upon you?"

Erts swallowed noticeably. "I'm aware of that."

Kazuhi sipped from the cup and lowered her head. "The last time Onii-sama spoke to me…he said that he would never forsake me. Now, I believe him."

Erts began to say something, but his voice was gone.

"If you don't mind my asking, Kazuhi," Tune said after a moment, "what exactly has Hiead asked you to do to Omega Kallisto?"

"He ordered me to make…certain improvements upon her design," Kazuhi replied. "Improvements that would borrow from the abilities of the other Ingrids."

"So that's why Roose was so mad," Tune murmured. "You copied Megami Senshi's shields first."

"Then which Ingrid will be next?" Erts asked hesitantly.

Kazuhi made a point not to look at him. "All these…drastic changes to Omega Kallisto may make her unstable. I sought first and foremost to protect Hiead-san…and then, to make him more aware of his surroundings. Only then can I safely incorporate the other attachments."

"Then…we're next?" Tune asked softly.

"I am sorry." Kazuhi handed her cup back to Erts. "I know neither of you is fond of Hiead-san. But he is my Pilot, and so long as that is true, I must serve him to the best of my ability."

"Do you think Yu would approve of this?" Erts asked suddenly.

Kazuhi closed her eyes, and it was clear that she had not been expecting such a blow, and certainly not from Erts. "Onii-sama…would expect me to serve any Pilot as faithfully as I served him."

"But Hiead is not your brother, Kazuhi-san," Erts insisted.

"No, he is not," she agreed. "But…he does not have to be. He is my Pilot, just as Onii-sama was. To ask me to give him anything less than my best is an insult to me, Hiead-san, and Onii-sama as well." Kazuhi opened her eyes, but did not look at either of them. "Thank you for the tea. Please leave me to rest."

Tune began to respond, but Erts caught her eye and shook his head. Wordlessly, they both left the room.

"Do you think she'll actually get any rest?" Tune asked once they were out of earshot.

Erts closed his eyes in frustration. "She'll be back in the docking bay before the night is through. There's nothing more we can do, Tune. It'd be one thing if it were just us against Hiead. But she's so determined to help him…"

"Maybe this will turn out to be a good thing," Tune reasoned. "Surely Hiead won't be able to handle an Ingrid that incorporates the weapons of all the others. Once he realizes that, he'll have to get rid of the new parts."

For some reason, Erts did not share her line of reasoning. Hiead had already proven himself not to be limited by normal standards. He and Zero were the only two people alive ever to synchronize with two different Ingrids. If anyone could be the Pilot of the one Kazuhi was building, it would be one of them.

* * * * *

Dr. Rivould was not accustomed to being approached by Pilots. They generally left the talking up to their Repairers and had little or no reason to see him more than once. More to the point, Pilots were trained to fight, not discuss. To enter into a lengthy discussion with one almost seemed unnatural to him, but not impossible.

Yet it was with great hesitation that he allowed Gareas & Leena to enter his office. He'd heard them coming from quite a distance away, after all. Leena had been trying to talk her Pilot out of it, and he, most predictably, had told her briefly but firmly to shut up in at least twelve different ways before they reached the door (which he pounded on rather unnecessarily).

While he was not exactly pleased at being disturbed in such a manner, Kuro did his best to remain somewhat pleasant, gesturing to the chairs before his desk as they entered.

Leena sat. Gareas did not.

"I want sanction," he said at once, marching up to the desk and planting his hands on it.

Kuro stared up at him carefully. "Of what sort?"

"I want to kill Hiead."

Leena was at the desk at once. "He doesn't mean that," she explained just before Gareas clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Yes, I do," Gareas insisted. "I want to kill him without any consequences."

"I assume there is more to this proposition?" Kuro asked in something like a sigh.

"He's becoming too dangerous. Too powerful. One day, he's going to do something even more drastic, and by then it'll be to late to do anything about it. That's why I want permission to kill him before that happens."

"So you want free leave to be able to stop any further extreme acts of violence and/or defiance. And you want this to apply solely to you, Gareas?"

"Yes. If you gave it to anyone else, I promise you we'd have a dead Pilot by morning."

"You'll understand if I hesitate. You certainly have reason enough to attempt to kill him the moment you leave this room."

Gareas scowled. "You're giving him too much power. Right now, he can have virtually anyone dismissed because of that stupid ruling, as long as he makes it look convincing. Meanwhile, Roose walks around with a hole in his gut and nobody does anything about it! Not to mention all the scars he's left on Zero!"

The older man chose not to comment on Gareas's observations. "How can I be sure you won't attack him without cause?"

"How can you be sure Hiead won't try to kill us tonight as we sleep?"

Kuro closed his eyes. "If I give you this privilege, Gareas, understand that it, too, works both ways. You have my permission to stop Hiead if he endangers the Ingrids, Pilots, or Repairers. If you abuse that right, you will be dismissed without question."

Gareas didn't say it, but the look on his face seemed to indicate that anything would be worth the price of ending Hiead's existence. "Fine." He turned and left without another word.

Leena stared at her superior uncertainly. "He's usually louder," she noted after a moment.

"I suspected as much. Try to keep him out of trouble. I would hate to lose either him or Hiead at this stage."

"No promises," Leena replied with a smile as stood up. "But I'll do my best, Dr. Rivould."

* * * * *

Kazuhi had almost made it out of her room when a hand came down on her shoulder.

"I wouldn't take another step if I were you," said a strangely cheerful voice.

Blinking, Kazuhi turned around to see Zero & Kizna grinning at her. Well, Zero was the one grinning, while Kizna just looked uncertain and hopeful.

"Not when you've got a perfectly good piggyback service!" Zero continued, stepping in front of Kazuhi and kneeling. "All aboard!"

Kazuhi stared down at him for a long moment before glancing at Kizna, who had covered her mouth and appeared to be suppressing laughter. "Rei-sama," she said slowly and severely, "this is not-"

"ALL ABOARD!" Zero repeated even louder then before.

"Just do what he says or he'll keep yelling like an idiot," Kizna suggested quietly. "No one will see if we get it over with fast," she added as a possible up side to this insanity.

Kazuhi frowned and made no move to climb aboard.

"Kazuhi, PLEASE," Kizna pleaded. "He's only doing this because he cares…and…well, he's an idiot…"

"CHOOO-CHOOOOOOOOO!!!" Zero bellowed without any sort of warning.

Her face bright red, Kazuhi finally slipped her arms around his neck. If they were a little tighter around his neck than necessary, not one of them seemed to notice.

Zero leaned forward and caught hold of her ankles before starting silently down the hall.

"We figured you'd be wanting to get back to work," Kizna explained softly, as if hoping that would draw less attention to them. "And Zero insisted on escorting you when you did go."

Kazuhi still did not seem pleased. "You will not be leaving me to my work, will you?" she asked.

Kizna was hesitant in answering. "Zero thought maybe we could help with that, too…" She raised her eyes to Kazuhi's. "Anyway, with all due respect, you were never exactly a pillar of strength, and you look even paler than usual."

Kazuhi supposed she should probably be offended, but she had to admit that Kizna was nothing else if not observant. "I am still a little tired," she confessed softly, letting her head drop to Zero's shoulder. "But Hiead-san has asked that the modifications be completed as swiftly as possible. I cannot disappoint him."

Kizna thought it far more likely that Hiead had ordered instead of asked, but didn't think it important to say so. "I figured he did. And it'll go faster if we did the work for you, wouldn't it? At least, the modifications concerning Eeva Leena?"

Kazuhi smiled slightly. "Unfortunately, Eeva Leena's style will be the last that I incorporate. To add them in any other order would place Hiead-san in even greater danger."

"Then you admit what he's doing isn't safe?"

"Being a Pilot isn't safe, Kizna-san. What he plans to do could be considered suicidal."

Kizna looked at Kazuhi in surprise. "Yet you're still doing this?"

"I must," Kazuhi replied simply. "I have no reason so far to doubt Hiead-san's sanity or EX ability. If he says that he will be able to control this new Ingrid, then I must believe him."

"You make sure he remembers you're not part of the Ingrid," Zero said. "If he breaks you, I'll fix HIM."

"Thank you, Rei-sama," she murmured, patting his neck affectionately.

"Uh oh. Looks like you might get to tell him that yourself, Zero," Kizna whispered as they reached the docking bay.

Hiead stood at the top of Omega Kallisto's ramp, glaring at them with his usual mistrust.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea, Zero," Kizna said, touching his arm.

"We're going," Zero said firmly, heading straight for the ramp.

Kizna kept her mouth shut and followed. She had no desire to be anywhere near Hiead, but she didn't think she'd be able to sleep that night if she just abandoned Kazuhi to deal with his wrath.

But she wasn't quite so sure it would've been wrath, she decided as she finally spotted the padded chair sitting next to the console.

Without even looking at Hiead, Zero strolled past and deposited Kazuhi gently in the chair. "Okay, where do we start, Kazuhi-chan?"

Kazuhi looked at her Pilot, and, when he didn't move or speak, gestured faintly at the Ingrid. "Do you see the black appendage that resembles a spike on the left shoulder? It is from there that the main pieces of shielding deploy. The next spike will be added to the right shoulder, and it will provide Hiead-san with improved awareness of the environment."

Zero nodded and looked at Kizna. "Let's get started."

Kizna glanced pointedly at Hiead out of the corners of her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Kazuhi's not strong enough to do it herself yet, and we volunteered to help. I'm sure Erts would do the same, except he's not as physically gifted as some of us." He struck a few bodybuilding poses to demonstrate.

"…let's just get started," Kizna sighed, pushing him out of the way and moving to the console.

Zero flashed Hiead a winning smile before looking over Kizna's shoulder.

Hiead frowned, but said nothing as the work to improve his Ingrid began anew. He was not concerned that Zero or Kizna would try to sabotage the work, as Kazuhi had put far too much into it, and it would've been a direct insult to her abilities. Also, they were probably too "honorable" to pull something like that.

Anyway, he WOULD be watching them. It wasn't as if Kazuhi would let them mess up, either. His gaze moved to her, and his frown deepened when he noticed that she didn't look much better than she had the previous night.

She seemed to sense his eyes on her, and when she looked up, he was standing over her.

Hiead leaned down so that his lips were next to her ear. "You haven't regained your strength yet," he stated.

"No, Hiead-san," she replied, keeping her eyes on Zero & Kizna.

He considered that for a moment. "Am I going to have to come into your room tonight and make sure you're sleeping, Hikura?"

Her cheeks colored slightly. "No, Hiead-san. I am sure I will have no trouble sleeping."

"See that you don't. I would hate to have to replace you so quickly."

Kazuhi couldn't help it; she had to meet his eyes. "Why is that?"

Hiead paused again, perhaps searching for the right words. "I am picky about my Repairers. Had I been given the choice early on, I would've selected you. Do not make me doubt the wisdom of that choice."

"I will not, Hiead-san."

"Nor did I think you would." He stood up straight…but did not move from her side.