Part II
Over the next couple of months, both fighters won every match they had. Marissa had an interesting encounter in Shinjuku with other fighters. Meghan never showed open emotion like she had with Marissa.
Two months before the Final Bout, Meghan arrived in NEO-Australia. She was surprised at how much warmer it was than NEO-America. Here, everyone seemed to be all smiles. Meghan as of late, had been catching herself looking about the crowds, searching for a familiar face. Stop it! This is stupid. She's just another fighter.
Many of the other opponents were friendly but just as ruthless as her. No one had been like the NEO-Argentinean fighter. At least none that Meghan had meet so far.
Once again, her eyes surveyed the crowd. WAIT! Her hair would stand out. I don't need to look for her. Meghan let out a heavy sigh. It was not in her nature to let something like that bother her so much for so long.
She finally leaned against a building resting, thinking and daydreaming. Staring ahead, she remembered her punishment for the loss. All because of her... Meghan suddenly had to do a double take as a pink-haired girl walked though the spot she was staring at.
Marissa skulked by, staring at her feet as she walked.
Meghan noticed Marissa's expression. She did not seem like herself. Something was wrong. Meghan rushed to her side, walking next to Marissa. "Geeze. Ya'd think ya lost yer Gundam's head."
Marissa suddenly stopped, turning to face Meghan. "Meghan!"
Meghan smiled at Marissa, then catching herself. Marissa weakly smiled back. "No. I'm still in. I ain't goin' anywhere."
Meghan grinned. "I want a re-match then."
Marissa shook her head. "I just had a match this morning. Alex is still working on the gundam." She looked away, thinking, looking sad. God! I gotta get this thing outta my head! She shook her head and smiled back at Meghan. "So... how have you been?"
Meghan just shrugged and looked forward as they walked. "Just fine. Haven't lost... since. I will make it to the Final Bout and win!!"
Marissa nodded. "Uh-huh. Not if me and my friends have anything ta do with it." Marissa's face brightened at the mention of her acquaintances. Meghan looked confused. Friends? In a Gundam Fight? She then voiced the question. "How can ya have friends in a Gundam Tournament?"
Marissa just shook her head and started to walk into a little café. Meghan, out of sheer curiosity, followed her in.
They sat at a window table, Meghan still waiting for Marissa to answer. Why am I so anxious for an answer?
After a few minutes of staring out the window, Marissa turned to Meghan, face full of sadness. "Why do you dislike people so much? I have meet some very nice, friendly fighters. You act as if people disgust you."
Silence followed for a few minutes more. A waiter came and went, taking barely audible orders. Meghan stared at the drink in front of her, twirling the straw around in it. "Why would ya care? Tis me own business. None a' yers." She sighed glancing at Marissa. "I didn't have that good of a child hood growin' up. I was taught ta hate me enemies." She sighed once again, leaning back into the chair and crossing her arms over her chest.
Marissa only shook her head. "I beat your definition of enemy is interesting. Cause so far people you consider enemies, I don't. They are just opponents." She paused staring Meghan straight in the eye. "Those that can become friends.
Meghan's mind flipped. "How can ya have friends in a Gundam Tournament? They're a distraction and make ya weak."
Their food arrived but neither was quick to eat. Meghan took her time, slowly eating. Marissa seemed to play with her food. She finally spoke up. "Friends don't make you weak. They make you stronger. They support you, help, and can cheer you up when you're down. Ya really should meet the ones I made. They may not seem like that great a' guys but ya gotta get ta know 'em."
Meghan shrugged as she put another fork-full in her mouth. "Whatever." At that moment, Meghan's cell phone went off. "Damn! What the hell da ya want, Shane?"
The voice crackled over the phone. "Where the hell are ya?! Have ya found an opponent yet?" Shane sounded very annoyed.
Meghan rolled her eyes. "No. I haven't found one yet. There aren't a lot around 'ere. Now. Can I have me lunch in peace?"
Shane growled then hung up, not giving a real response. "God! What a pain in the ars!"
"He sounds like loads of fun. Give me his number." Marissa rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.
Meghan with out realizing it, started laughing and smiling. "Oh please." Her eyes widened and she tried to force herself to stop. She cleared her throat. "Well. Yeah... He's such an arshole. If he wasn't me mechanic, I'd kill 'em. At least ye and yer mechanic get along."
Marissa looked at her plate and smiled. "Well, it's easy with Alex. He's my brother. We've been training together for this for years."
Meghan lifted an eyebrow. "Really?" There was a long pause. "Why are ya fighting? Aren't really that many lasses as gundam fighters."
Putting down her fork and leaning back in her chair, Marissa smiled at space as her hands folded in her lap, rummaging through memories. "Our father wanted us to be a team and someday make it to the Final Bout of a Gundam Tournament. Thing was I wanted to fight and Alex wanted to be the mechanic. Fortunately my father didn't care. He was supportive either way." The smile disappeared and her eyes began to glisten with tears. "But... he died... a couple of years ago."
Meghan nodded, not showing any emotion. Wish mine would... "But ya still fight."
The pink hair bounced with the nod. "We want his dream to come true no matter what others think. My step-father thinks girls shouldn't fight. They're too weak and don't know how." Marissa's nose scrunched as if an offensive odor hit it.
"Men." Meghan rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "But ya still seem to enjoy it."
Marissa just gave a little shake of the head. "What about you? Why do you fight? Cause you really don't seem to have any fun."
The waiter came back and collected their dishes. He left the bill, setting it in between the two. They both looked at it then one another. Marissa pulled out money, just as Meghan. Both's bills fell on to the bill. Out of no where they both broke out laughing. With that they left the restaurant.
The silence between them lasted quite a while as they walked down the street.
Finally Meghan interrupted the semi-silence of the out doors. "My parents handed me over ta the government ta train as a fighter. I was practically forced ta fight people the way I do." She kept staring forward, not looking Marissa in the eye.
Marissa turned to her, shocked. Poor thing... She placed a hand on her shoulder. A bright forced smile spread on her face. "Hey! All ya gotta do is try to get ta know some people. Then ya decide whether they're worth bein' nice to. Not every one his cruel like that."
Meghan looked at the hand on her shoulder, brows lowered in confusion. At first, it felt funny and foreign. It was gentle and supportive instead of painful and scolding. After a bit, feeling became more comfortable. "I don't know..."
A beeping came from Marissa's pocket. She pulled out her cell. "Que pasa Alex?... mmm uh... okay. Great job. You're the best. Love ya... Adios." Marissa smiled as turned off the phone. "My gundam's done. So... it was great meeting up with ya again." She started jogging away.
Meghan smiled. "Hey, see ya in NEO-Hong Kong!"
Marissa stopped smiling. She turned and casually saluted Meghan. "See ya then... Meg!" With that she disappeared into the crowd.
Meghan was shocked. Meg? No one had every called her by a nickname and a cute one at that. A smile crept onto her face, and this time, she let it stay.

Marissa's smile didn't leave her face until the NEO-Argentina team was out of the country.
Alex chuckled, moving to look Marissa in the eye. "Is that thing permanent or what?"
Marissa giggled. "I'd like it to." She was quiet for a few minutes, then started talking again. "Hey, you remember the Irish fighter?"
Alex had turned back to the controls of the transport. "Ummm... I think... Yeah, I do. Wasn't very nice."
Marissa smirked. "I just ran into her. She's gotten a bit nicer. She really didn't have that great of a childhood. I think I'm getting her to open up."
Alex nodded and smiled. "You can do that to people. They can't help but smile around you."
Marissa stared out the window. Maybe I should introduce her to the guys... The other Shuffles... If I can't break her shell, then maybe they can...
A wilderness area appeared before them. Four gundam signals blinked on the radar, another approaching.
Marissa smiled softly. "I guess I wasn't the only one to have this idea."
The Guinia Highlands came up to greet the team as they landed.