All right! Back on track with the story, AT LAST! Again, my apologies for not writing much this whole week. I still blame the hot, hot weather for keeping me in (if you think the weather's an excuse for me not wanting to haul my lazy ass over to the library, then, well, you're close, but in truth the heat index on Thursday was at 115 degrees.

My thanks to Ikasury for reviewing my latest chapters, and in honor of her review I will write Chapter 3 in its original format. Be wary that the upcoming scene is in fact a bit rough, but hey! The military in Fullmetal Alchemist did it to that poor woman, so who's to say the military in Eureka Seven's no different? But don't worry, "it" doesn't happen. Despite my warnings, I hope that you enjoy the rest of the story. That is why I'm posting it up here, after all

CHAPTER 3

They're going to eat me! Eureka screamed over and over in her head as her captors tore at her dress and raided her skin with their tongues and teeth. She shrieked and scratched and tugged, but the soldiers' grips were too firm for her to pull away from. At last, two guards held her down, and the commander stepped forward, getting ready to ruin her, when the ground beneath their feet began to tremor slightly but warningly. All guards turned every which way until they saw a huge, godlike boulder descending Darnell Hill and rolling their way…fast.

"Get the girl and clear the middle, NOW!" screamed the commander as the troop split in two to escape to either side of the boulder. But the action proved itself futile, for the boulder suddenly skidded to a halt, mysteriously rose up from the ground, and hurtled itself into the squadron on its right.

The leftover guards glanced up in search of the source that made the boulder act the way it did to find a smallish figure darting down the hillside at an abnormal speed, his ocean blue hair and dark gray cape flowing with the breeze his pace created

Grabbing hold of his cape, Locus held it up in front of him to reflect all incoming bullets right back at the soldiers. And just like that, three of the final seven went down without resistance.

"DAH! There's no stopping him!" shouted the soldier gripping Eureka seconds before a bullet from his own cartridge entered his left temple. Another died from his own gun before Locus stopped at the foot of the hill, outstretched his arms, and commanded, with his eyes, the gravity to allow the last two guards to float up through its depths, and then slam into each other at a fatal speed.

Letting go of his grip on gravity, Locus somersaulted forth to the young girl he'd just saved.

I can't believe it! thought Eureka. He defeated all those guards by himself- and without a mech, yet with powers that surpass a mech's capabilities! And still a child. I wonder…am I not the only "strange one" here?

In response to the girl starting to recoil, the boy shot out his hand and called out to her, "Hold on a sec! I'm not with them, or any other evil corporation." He ran the final few yards to her tattered from. "I just want to make sure you're okay, and know why- well, never mind the latter part for now. I canclearly see you're not okay."

Indeed she wasn't. Her hair had been yanked on, with a few visible bald spots to prove this; her face, arms, and legs covered in bruises, scratches, and bite-marks; and the front of her dress reduced to ruin by several tears and dirt stains. "Here, allow me to clean you up before I give you the chance to talk," said the boy. With his eyes he made levitate several grains of sand that scattered about the girl, creating a dust cloud that shimmered in the sunlight.

When the glow dulled down enough for Eureka to see again, she observed her skin to be free of all blemishes, her dress fully mended, the pain that had throbbed throughout her body just moments ago…completely gone. She surveyed herself one moment longer, and then turned her lavender eyes up at her enigmatic savior.

"What… are you?" she hissed.

Sorry again for the chapter being so short, yet the damn computer's showing I'm out of time. I'm due to post more either later on today or on Monday. So be on the lookout!

I hope this chapter wasn't too rough (I didn't mean it to be anyhow). The action's not gonna be as intense as it was these first three chapters, but I promise it'll be worth your while!

Up next: Locus realizes that he and Eureka may not come from the same world after all, while Eureka discusses her reason for being so far out in the countryside alone.