Suicide is not as much a longing to die, as it is a fear of living.
Something was different. It had only been a few hours after their arrival back at their temporary residence, and Kid noticed a strange change in the familiar house. It was Odin. The normally quiet and easily angered man seemed…happy about something…smug, almost. Kid wanted nothing more then to believe that it was because of him. He wanted to pretend that he was the reason that Odin was smiling, and that the man missed him while he was gone. As he settled down to type the mission report, Kid felt he was truly back…home. No, he would never have a home, but he would consider any place with Odin to be as good of one as he could ever get, and there was nothing better at that moment then the feel of his laptop's keys under his fingers with Odin near by.
"Hey, Kid…You ready for the mission tomorrow? I know…I think it's a bit early too, but once this is over…it will be the last." He smiled. Kid grumbled.
"Hn. Easy for you to say. Do I HAVE to wear that stupid costume?" Kid pointed at his already packed bags, on which lay tomorrow's clothing. The forest green tank top and black spandex shorts were picked especially carefully, as he had to look and act like Odin's "normal" child. The man finished polishing his silver pistol…the favored one the boy had never been allowed to touch, and carefully set it next to the rifle he was going to take with him the next day.
"Aww, Kid. It's not gunna bite! Hey, I actually really like that on you. It's…fitting…" Kid glared.
"No, honestly! Freaky touch-me-and-die-a-horrible-death blue eyes, green, and black. Make's you look deadly…well, it would if you weren't so cute frowning like that." Cute? Odin thought HE was cute? That was the first time that the young man had said anything about him personally that was not critical or casual…he seemed to actually mean it too. Kid didn't know how he felt about being CUTE…but he would work with it, since it was SUPPOSED to be a compliment. Although the tight shorts and long top disgusted Kid, he planned on wearing anything that Odin bought him…if only to make the other man happy.
"Odin. I'll look like a leaf." The man laughed as Kid eyed the clothing.
"Naw, Kid…You'll look fine! Besides, it was the only outfit that would work…unless you wanted pink?" He smirked as the boy wrinkled his nose.
"Odin Lowe?" The man at the counter in the shuttle port handed back the ID card Odin had given him. "You're a musician?" Odin grinned and patted the guitar case that held his rifle and explosives.
"Used to be. I'm retired now. I buy and sell old instruments…Right now, my son and I are traveling to get this one to the lab. An amazing find."
"Really?" The man looked at the case more closely. "My wife does that too… Maybe when you come back, I'll get you to meet her…I'm sure you would both have much to discuss."
"I would love to meet such a fine lady who understands the art of music. You must be very lucky." Odin winked and smiled again.
"Well, I won't keep you. Your shuttle leaves in ten minutes for L2…Hotel arrangement have already been made in the best part of town, so I think you're all set to go. If you will please put the case through the detector…"
"Sir, this piece of art must be…ages old. I don't think it could handle all the modern shit they work on it…all we have to do is get it to the lab…do you think that you could let us pass?" The man looked uneasy for a second.
"I don't know…We aren't supposed to let people do that…"
"That's ok…I'll just call the lab up and tell them I can't make it." Odin brought out a small phone.
"Fine, I'll let you pass…only because I know how fragile that stuff is. You should see the stuff my wife brings home." The man rolled his eyes.
"Thanks much, sir." Odin picked the case off the table gently, settling an arm behind Kid's back. As they reached the port, the assassin removed his arm and hissed under his breath.
"Sucker!"
After the shuttle landed, the boy and man found themselves waiting on the building's roof for the hourly patrol.
"Hey, Kid…" The boy looked up, offering nothing more then his gaze to encourage the man. "Kid…what do you plan on doing after this mission?" The boy was surprised. Of all the times he wanted to ask Odin, here it was offered to him, straight in the face.
"To get out of these ugly clothes." Odin smirked.
"No, don't! They look good on you. But seriously, what do you plan to do once our job is over?" Kid stiffened. He couldn't tell Odin how he really felt. He had been told that assassins could not have attachments, yet, he found himself wondering how he could live without the blond to show him the way through life. He had given up everything. Friendship, love, even happiness for the man, and would do it again just for that smile.
"Whatever you want me to do." It was an honest response. If Odin didn't want him anymore, he would find someway to at least be close to the man, but he would never try to upset him.
"Kid…" The man sighed. "Kid, I want YOU to choose what you do. Remember, you are NOBODY'S property. You don't have to follow orders from anybody…not even me. So tell me, what is it that YOU wish to do?" Kid opened his mouth to tell Odin. He would tell him how he wanted nothing more then to stay, be a family, and live like a "normal" child.
"Hey! You Two! What are you doing up here? This is off limits!" Two men in uniform came running up, guns held tight in their arms. Quickly, Odin grasped the knife hidden in his shirt's sleeve and threw hard, hitting one man in a spurt of blood. Kid ran fast toward the other man, veering out of the way before collision, snaking a foot under the man's legs. With a grunt, the officer fell, where Odin quickly silenced him with another knife.
"Good work, Kid. I'm gunna use the uniform to get into the building, but unfortunately, I don't think we have anything to fit your size…" He grinned and donned the garments before the blood could seep down to stain them. I'm gunna send you in to plant some bombs around this place…just in case our cover is blown. Meet me in the storage room when you're done. If anything goes wrong, try to get there as fast as possible. Same if anything happens to me, you know where I'll be, okay?" Kid nodded, already strapping the belt with a pouch full of explosives on. I'll see you soon. Good luck."
Kid made quick work of the explosives, placing and calculating until he thought his brain would burst with stress. 5 more to go…
Gunshots were heard from the floor below him, a good enough signal for the boy to come back. It meant that Odin's work was done, and it was best to leave as soon as possible. Men were dashing by him, obviously responding to the noise, so slipping past them was no problem. Finally reaching the basement floor where the men kept ammunition and food, Kid came up at a jog, waiting for Odin to call him.
"K…Kid? That you…?" The boy swung around, searching for the voice.
"Odin!" The man lay on the floor, grasping his heavily bleeding chest, his breathing coming in uneven gasps.
"Kid! Fuck, no…Get… OUT!" The man's face was twisted in pain.
"No, Odin…Let me secure an escape route…I'll get you out, and I've planted the bombs…"
"Kid, it's too late…you have to get out before they catch you!" The boy shook his head. He didn't understand WHO was after him or WHY, but he knew he had to get Odin out FAST.
"Right then Kid. Before I…go…I have to tell you a couple things…I'm sorry, for one. You won't understand now, but I want you to know, I never wanted ANYthing like this for you…and Kid? Do what your heart tells you. You are your own weapon. Let no one use you. Just….just follow your emotions…that's the right path…Once a fool took one shot, and it changed the course of history…It put people like you…INNOCENT people like you…into a world that might not survive." Kid didn't know what to say. His eyes glittered with unshed tears…tears that he would never let Odin see fall. Footsteps echoed loudly outside the storage doors.
"One over there! Have you tried the basement storage?" Odin lightly brushed the boy's arm, and his head swung away from the door to meet the man's light blue eyes.
"Kid…These last few years we've spent together…weren't so bad after all…
BANG!
The iron doors swung open and armed men filled the room, and the steady footfalls and tap of a cane followed them. Kid grabbed the gun Odin had dropped and began randomly firing. Men all around him fell to their knees, but only a second later the click of an empty gun sounded the death bell.
"Subdue the child." The boy felt a needle bury itself in his neck, and immediately his muscles loosened. Still he fought to reload the gun, and began firing at the doubles his blurring eyes sent him.
"NO! J, YOU FUCKING BASTARD! YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM! KID!"
"Odin…?" Kid collapsed, his hearing beginning to fade.
"KID! FUCK! LET HIM GO!"
"Shoot the man." A loud ringing was the last sound the boy heard before he lost consciousness.
Let the morphing begin!
REVIEW RESPONSE-
Shinigami Akumu-Hey, thanks…I hope that you like this quote…it's my fave…in fact, I ALSO hope you liked this chapter! Lol Hey, it's REALLY nice talking to you every now and then…We have a lot in common…Like Blowing Relena up…our feelings towards other people…blowing Relena up…Weaklings…Oh, and killing Relena. :-) Ok, I'll stop, lest I get bombed with lotsa Relena lover's hate mail…email me, k?
MissionWingZero-Quatre? Argue? Impossible! Lol…I'm NOT glad that I'm not Quatre…then I would be rich, and I wouldn't have to work 8+ hours a day trying to maintain my pony… (Who by the way hates my guts) And Man! Doesn't it just give you this great, warm, fuzzy feeling in your chest to just BLOW SOMETHING UP? .:sigh:. Funfun!
heeros n legends-Yeah, I thought that it would be a nice change that Kid didn't have to KILL a person to feel loss…Boy, that's gotta be one screwed up kid…Maybe I should just hand him a gun and put him in a privet room…And yes, I do plan on introducing ALL the pilots…but I can't seem to think of anything for Wu Foo! Any Ideas? I'd love to hear them! Please, feel free to email me…:-) I'm glad you like this fic, cause I'm enjoying writing it! Lol. And hey, thanks for reviewing…really, this should go out for all my reviewers…but I think that if you guys take the time to tell me what you think of my writing, The least I can do is answer questions and give thanks, so THANKS EVERYONE! (You too Hn'L!)
Zakai-Translating has GOT to be one of the toughest jobs…Well, I wouldn't know, but personally, I prefer labor jobs….:sigh:. My dad's been sick, (how sad! He missed father's day!) and so I'm taking the time to do some of the work around the house…like digging trenches, mucking out the pond (at the expense of my WONDERFUL pitchfork!) but it's cool cause it's summer, AND I get to write when I get in! And hey, You know, it means a lot to me when you like what I write…haha…half the time I do it for you, and the other half is for all my great reviewers! (ok, fine! I do most for my own satisfaction) Oh, and what I was wondering was, in what book/manga thingy does it mention Solo? I never saw anything about him…Well, I REALLY, REALLY Hope you get better…and WHAT are you doing at school, taking a test (which by the way I wish you luck on!) when you're SICK? Hm? Take a break! I'm sure it can't hurt a perfect record…gee…Don't turn into a Heero on me! (On second thought though…hmmm)