Chapter 45. My life as a pet begins

Day ends, and still, nobody within the squad managed to finish their maintenance job on time just as Captain Isumi has expected. Thus, Captain Isumi ordered the squad to wrap thing up for the day, meaning, we are to have our individual hour until 5 tomorrow. Well, not me, since that is my punishment, one of the clauses made verdict by Captain Isumi and the big three over my insubordination.

In a meanwhile, Hayase was determined to get her unit ready, getting hard headed, stayed back and continued with her job whereas the rest of the squad either going to PX for supper or taking shower first then PX later.

With an oil smeared face, slightly blushed, Hayase called me over and gave an order as my direct superior and pet owner.

I, wasn't even surprise that I got held back by Hayase, receiving a request by her to help speeding up her job. I got that but… why Hayase allowed her mechanic to wrap up for the day but held me back?

The girls gave me some pondering look, disappointed for not able to join them for a lengthy talk over the supper. I couldn't help but apologetically wave them away, telling them "Tomorrow."

First Lt. Haruka stopped by and told us, Hayase and me, not to worry about the supper since she would reserve some for us. 1st Lt. Suzumiya, you are really an angel, though that thumb up 'good job' of her to Hayase had me slightly worried.

This day, I learned a new side of Hayase, that she could be very clumsy with OS and mechanical related stuffs. Well, I figured, she was only interested in fighting, fighting and fighting alone. It was no surprise if she's bad at everything else. Also, she's trying to keep her image as the ace of the Valkyries, not ready to show this weakness of her to the new guys. So, only Captain Isumi and her aides, known about this side of Hayase… and now, I'm a part of that group.

For a while, it was just me got to ordering Hayase around, stuffs like patching this to that, move this up, put that thing down, rewiring this part… all while messing around with the OS of her TSF. During that time, Hayase set her communication system on autopilot, alternating back and forth from "Wow", "Woa", "That's it?", "I see" to "Is this correct?"

Wearing only her sleeveless shirt with her jacket tied around her waist, Hayase with her sporty look was very efficient with her task, quick and efficient. I only need to give the instruction.

In my opinion, I actually prefer Hayase to stay this way forever, she looked cute in fact, unlike her usual demonic and violent demeanor. Hell, if she made full use of this side of her for appeal, she would be just as popular as 1st Lt. Munakata.

"Yes, that one. Open that box and get the MB out for me," I told Hayase while sitting in the pilot seat, fixing several remaining conflicted errors in the OS. Most of them were trivial, but there's still one glaring error which showed up when I ordered the machine to raise it right arm, it also moved its left leg. After running many checks over the software program and the new patch version of the XM3, I could not see any problem that lead to that. Thus, it lead me to suspect that there was either a wiring error with the MB's circuit during the previous rewiring.

"I got it," Hayase replied.

I immediately felt a weight pressing over my back and on top of my head. Without turning back, I could guess that Hayase was probably using the pilot seat to elevate herself up to reach the box. Soft, I thought. I used imagined Hayase to be… well… very muscular base on the physical strength she exhibit. But, looking up close, she's about as buffed as Ayamine, at best a little bit more. It made people could help but wonder where and how this girl could muster up that kind of inhuman physical strength.

Then, it hit me, that softness feeling pressing down from above my head as if entrusting its weight, it hit me with a déjà vu. It felt nice, magical, but at the same time, it had me extremely unrested, as though it was digging up some dreadful lost memory. I shivered, immediately crouching toward the HUD, away from the seat before any sort of undesired distasteful development showed up.

"Woa," yelped Hayase.

That softness and bounciness hitting against the back of my head full forced.

"That's dangerous. What the hell are you doing? Stay still, I can't reach it like that," Hayase voiced her complain.

Because I leaned forward Hayase lost her support, almost got herself fell over into the cockpit seat. Had that happen, it would be extremely awkward.

"Sorry," I replied, looking up and passing Hayase the screw driver she has just dropped on my laps, "Here, you drop…"

Hayase was balancing herself atop of the back of the cockpit seat. The hem of her sleeveless shirt fluttered about, revealing her well defining abs through the fainted light of the HUD. I gulped, unable to finish the rest of my sentence, staring, not Hayase's abs, of course.

Barely contained inside the sensual black brassier, they were round and beautifully-shaped, full and rich, captivating, the twin snow-like peaches lightly wobbled as Hayase tried to balance herself. Dear god, what a sight to behold.

It was this very moment, I realized that Hayase is a girl. It eluded me until now but Hayase's a girl.

Up until now, Hayase's equal to a torturous circle of violence, pain, and humiliation for me. Hayase is my boss. Hayase is my bane, my nemesis as well as someone I aimed for. Hayase is violence in shape, misfortune in body and destruction incarnate… So far, that's my impression of Hayase.

Up until now, the fact that Hayase was a girl, a beautiful girl in fact, has never reached me. Hayase's a girl, a girl, a freaking girl, just as my thought reached there, I felt strangely conscious.

Hayase's body aroma mixed with cologne and sweat entered my nostril, sweet, ticklish and felt erotic for some reason. It made me felt hot in the face.

"Hey, are you going to give it to me or not?" Hayase's impatient voice managed to snap me out of it.

"Sorry," I replied, for this and that, too. Hurriedly tearing my sight away from that bewitching sight. Dear god, my face felt hot. I must be blushing like crazy now.

I immediately immersed in my job to drive away my shameful thought, deleting the unforgettable picturesque snow peaches from my memory against my better judgment while keying codes into command screen…but in reality, nothing came to mind. Really, all of the codes that I had learned thus far simply vanished, poof, nothing at all. It took me a while for me to realize that I was merely entering a bunch of garbage texts on the monitor screen, to make it look like I was busy.

"Done," Hayase chirped, "What should I do next?"

"Right, next…" I tried to compose myself, "Ah, see those red and blue cables?"

"Yes, so, we need to cut them, right?" Hayase asked with a peppy voice

"Yes, but…" I replied, "That comes later…" and warned.

My warning came a bit too late, or rather, Hayase was too fast and hasty with her decision making. She cut the wire as soon as the word "yes" came out of my mouth. Thus, the light went out exactly when the word "but" came out of my mouth, leaving the cockpit in a state of total darkness.

"Otherwise… this happens." I added, feeling the cramp inside my stomach. First Sumika with her hacking job, now this… God, what am I going to do with these technology illiterate girls? Yes, I have my share of responsibility in this, but the source of evilness was those bewitching peaches, no, actually, it's my fault but… Why can't Hayase be like… handier with technology and stuffs like Yuuko sensei, Mikoto or 1st Lt. Haruka? Where is her freaking common sense? Of freaking course, if she cut that freaking line, the entire thing would be powered off like this. Poof, there goes primary and backup power, poof. Is that not obvious? She could have at least waited for me to open the cockpit door first. Dear god, this couldn't end well.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Captain, what was your best result in the SS course in a one against 3 setting?" Haruka asked, resting her chest on the separator of her shower booth.

Isumi turned off her shower, turned and asked, "What did you said? I could not hear it." Her shower booth was directly next to that of Haruka's but because of the running water noise, she could not catch up.

"I asked what was your best result in a handicapped 1 against 3 setting in the SS course?"

"Ah that… What is it this time? Did Hayase break another record?" Munakata joined the chat, cutting in. She has finished her shower before everyone, wrapping herself in a wool towel and busied drying her hair while sitting comfortably on a wooden bench.

"No, not her," Haruka denied.

"So, it's him," Kazama joined with a rather listless voice, just finished her shower, drying herself with a towel, "Did you let him try that while we were running check up with our TSFs?"

"I did, that's why I'm asking if you all remember your best result?" Haruka wrapped her towel on her hair, drying it.

"I have never got that far. I had my hand full with two. The last time I tried, I got Tae and Hayase as my opponents. And that was the new version, the one with the XM3 installed. That one time, I didn't last through half an hour," Kazama sighed, "What about you Misae san?"

"I don't really remember much. It has been a while. But I think I did quite well with Asakura, Captain Isumi and you as my opponents. It's tough but I somehow managed to clean it up within lesser than two hours. Though, I guess, I could never get that result with the XM3 installed, it would be hella tougher," Munakata replied.

"The last time I tried it was around the rebellion, I had the two of you and Kashiwagi as my opponents. It was partly due to luck but well, I managed to clear it within less than an hour," Isumi said, continued with her shower.

"No way, tell me that you cheated," Kazama made a surprise face.

"No," Isumi answered, slightly loud in volume as though she was offended, "As I said, it was a bit of luck on my part but I did not abuse any glitch or anything like that."

"That was also Hayase's personal best result right?" Munakata tossed the baton back to Haruka with a quizzed look.

"Yes, but Hayase said that it didn't count since she had it easy with Asakura, Tae and Akane as her opponents," Haruka laughed lightly.

"That sounds like her," Isumi commented, "Back to the topic, what was Shirogane's result?"

"Twenty five," replied Haruka, almost monotonous.

"No way,"

"Not a chance,"

"It's a lie… right?"

"No, I'm not lying. He really cleaned it within twenty five minute," Haruka indignantly said.

"No way… who did he get as his opponents?" Kazama asked.

"Himself, you and Akane," Haruka replied.

"No way,"

"Was it such a lopsided battle, Suzumiya?" Isumi asked

"Yes and no, actually, there was many moments that he landed himself in extremely bad positions. But, he did well to dig himself out of it. So it wasn't entirely luck, I guess." Haruka scratched her cheek.

"The combat potential difference between a Shiranui and Takemikazuchi Type 00C is not nearly that large. But even so, that could not explain that kind of result," Isumi stated her opinion.

"I can show you the clip later," Haruka said, "But, you know, it looks like that he has some experience… no, lots of fighting experience with the Takemikazuchi. In fact, it's almost like the Takemikazuchi itself was made to be piloted by him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It's hard to tell how long it was since Hayase did an 'oopsie and teehee' on her TSF and shut off the entire thing.

"Now what?" Hayase gingerly asked, breaking the silence.

"You ask me…" I mumbled, not sure how to reply, fighting against the cramp inside my stomach, asked "First off, anego, do you have a torch or a portable monitor with you? I left mine outside,"

"Cut that anego stuff, why are you calling me that? And well, I don't have them with me either," Hayase replied, slightly embarrassed.

"Great… what now?" I sighed.

"Even if you ask me…" was Hayase's reply, "Maybe I should try connect the line together?"

"Please, spare me that. You will probably end up electrocuting yourself at any rate, doing that in this darkness." I replied almost immediately, fearing Hayase's hastiness might bring about yet another catastrophe. I absolutely wanted no part in doing the chest compression and CPR to Hayase, well… if I had to, I probably… no… definitely would, but I still wanted no part in doing that. It wouldn't end well, I suppose.

"So… what now?" Hayase repeated the very question that we kept tossing at one another.

"Indeed, what now?"

My mind seemed end up in a state of total disorder like Hayase, could not work up any solution or whatsoever. Normally, both of us are quick thinkers, while being instinctual at times. We might think of something sooner or later, I hope.

"For time being, we probably should sit still and cook up a solution to this," Hayase suggested the obvious.

"Well yeah," I agreed, sat back and began to think.

Silence worked its way into the darkened cockpit as I sat back to the cockpit seat, thinking. But even before the silence could sink in, Hayase just had to break it, "Hey, are you still there?"

"Right here. Where can I even go?"

"Okay, I just want to ask. That's all," Hayase awkwardly laughed, then returned the silence to the cockpit, not for too long, "Hey,"

"I'm not going anywhere,"

"No, not that," Hayase snarled. Her voice seemed deeply embarrassed, "It's just that…well… I'm sort of…" trailed off.

"What?" I asked impatiently.

"Want to ask you a question," was Hayase's reply with a voice as though she just came up with it.

"I'm all ears," I replied, making it sound as sarcastic as possible. But, well, for some reason, it didn't reach Hayase.

"Actually, I want to ask you that…" As expected, Hayase pretty much had nothing in mind to ask.

"I'm listening," Still making my voice as fed up and sarcastic as possible, I replied but oh well, it didn't reach Hayase yet again.

"Oh, how did you got out of your TSF's cockpit last time? I heard that the canopy was jammed by a Fort Class or something. Instructor Jinguuji said something like that on the com," After a long "uh" and "ummm" and "well", Hayase finally came up with a question.

"I poked at the acid sag of the Fort class and let the acid eat all the way through the cockpit,"

"That's some crazy idea you got there," Hayase exclaimed.

"What choice do I have? Either way, there is no Fort class for me to poke at this time so we are still stuck," rebuked I, leading to a short silence in the air as neither of us know any better to say.

But once again, before silence could sink in, Hayase called, "Hey,"

"Yes?" I replied with a long yes, exhausted, giving up on spilling spice and sarcasm at Hayase since she just didn't get it or perhaps pretended not to get it.

"Ummm," Hayase went on a long ummm, apparently having nothing in mind and just calling me for no reason.

"Anego, don't tell me that you are afraid of darkness or something like that," I sighed, can't think of any reason behind Hayase's obvious restlessness.

Hayase's response was quick, hitting the back of the seat with a big wham, "What the hell! Who do you take me for? Are you out of your freaking mind? Also, what with that gangster like way of addressing? What have I ever done to you? Why are you calling me like that? For the last time, stop it. It's weird me out."

I for once really wanted to correct Hayase about the part that she has done nothing wrong to me. Seriously? She has done no wrong to me? Wow, I guess that all the nutrient Hayase absorbed thus far went straight to her chest and muscles and left her brain in a state of extreme retardation. Yup, right, that explains why she could cut that damn wires to begin with without open the cockpit first.

"Anyway, how about set the SOS beacon and wait for someone to rescue us?" I asked, turning the topic to a different direction to avoid further trouble with Hayase.

"No freaking way. Why the hell are you giving up so easily? There's no freaking way I'm going to do that," Hayase hysterically rejected the idea.

True, that would be seriously as embarrassing as hell. That's totally a walk of shame if people find out us-me and Hayase, actually dumb enough to get locked inside Hayase's TSF for no particular reason.

For Hayase, her image as the ace of the Valkyries will be questioned. For me… I don't even want to think about it.

"Well, we could wait, the air reserve of this machine can go up to 8 hours for one person, so it makes 4 hours for us. Hopefully, either Captain Isumi or 1st Lt. Haruka will be able to detect something's wrong and go looking for us during that 4 hours," I sighed depressedly, stating what could be the worst scenario.

…

There was a moment of silent, then some rummage noise behind echoed. It seemed that Hayase was trying to move around in this absolutely dark cockpit. Then, I felt Hayase's hand touching against my arm, touching and straddling all the way to my chest.

"What are you doing?" I asked, jerked backward, trying slap Hayase's hand away. But, Hayase' s hand keep moving, straddling up across my chest and heading upward, reached my neck. Within seconds, I found myself hauled airborne by Hayase by the neck.

"Why the hell are you giving up so easily? I said, try to think a way out. You heard? There is no way I can live through this. Haruka and that sadist Munakata will absolutely not let me live through with this," Hayase hysterically growled while hauling me in mid-air, shaking.

"No… wait… my bad… let...me down"

I should know better to not mess around with Hayase.

I tried to reason, but, no word come out right. With Hayase's iron grip clasping tight on my throat, the words that came out were barely recognizable. I struggled, trying to stop Hayase from breaking my neck with all that hauling and shaking. But her tightened fingers were like steel themselves, would not budge one bit despite my best effort trying to shake them off. Why does my relationship with Hayase always involve nothing but violence and violence? Why can't we have a normal beautiful kouhai-senpai relationship?

"You heard me? Say something?" Hayase was still obvious to my struggle, obviously freaked the hell out of her mind, still screaming.

I understand that I may have suggested a really bad idea, but Hayase is obviously freaked out too much.

My consciousness started whitening out, no oxygen. At any rate, I was going to be choked to dead and it was then, I let my instinct kick in, fought back against Hayase with everything I got. Hitting against her hands and arms, I desperately tried to open the lock on my neck. But it felt like I hit against steel beams. They would not budge. I immediately switched tactic before I completely passed out from the choke. Wrapping my legs around Hayase's body in a panic, I turned, putting weight into my back and slammed myself and Hayase into the cockpit seat to escape the choke grip.

Something went wrong with the move I used, but if you asked what went wrong, I just couldn't reply for I can see nothing in this pitch dark cockpit.

"Guh," I expelled, choking whatever inside my lungs out before I could even gulp the oxygen I needed. Something hard just hit my belly full force.

Wham

Before I could make out what is what, my head got knocked down, ringing, probably if not certainly head-butted.

"Gah,"

Instead of slamming Hayase down to the seat with me, I probably mistakenly threw her atop the cockpit with that blinded toss. Damn, I meant to toss her down, not up. That one wrong move resulted in Hayase flying, hitting the ceiling and landing on top of me.

"Gah, it hurts," Hayase seemed to say something but I can't hear it, my head was ringing with that earlier head-butt.

"Mmfff," at one point, while struggling to sit up right, I found myself suffocated, unable to take a breath.

"Kya, what are you…" Hayase screamed, leaping away from me, only to make a resounding 'goong' and then 'poff' sound, probably hitting her head against the wall and fell over the cockpit floor. I can only imagine that was the case from the sound. I could still see nothing.

"Atatatata," Hayase groaned.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly after finally able to find my breath, almost felt bad for Hayase if it wasn't all began with Hayase lost her cool and strangled me moment ago.

"It's fine," Hayase replied grudgingly in a voice that made me imagined a scene where she was lying on the floor, clutching the bump on her head with tears on her eyes.

Now I felt bad. I immediately reached out my hands, reflexively, trying to hold Hayase's arms and helped her to stand up. Then, I instantly regretted that impulsive decision, because I could immediately tell that whatever they were, the things that I grabbed was definitely not Hayase's steel beams like arms.

Okay, I'm dead. I told myself inwardly. Shit, I'm so freaking dead, like really, really dead, super-duper dead right now.

I froze, like literally, was petrified out of fear. Even without the light, I could already tell that I had just to touch… the things I should never ever lay my hands on even in dreams.

They're rich, heavy, more than a handful each. They're warm, incredibly soft, tender yet I could felt their firmness as my fingers have already sank deep inside that softness and firmness before being petrified.

No, no, no, no, no, why the hell am I describing them? I don't know. I seriously have no idea why am I describing them either. Shit, why can't I think of something better in what may be my last moment on earth? Why can't I think of something more beautiful? God damn it.

I froze but Hayase too, seemed to be frozen solid as well, neither making a faintest of sound or movement. I was scared shitless, forget to breath. It was silent, a dreadful and oppressive silence until saliva welled up inside my mouth, forcing me to an audible gulp. That gulp itself dethaw time from its solid like state and set everything else to motion, for me and Hayase.

My frozen-stiffed fingers cramped from the stress, reflexively almost like they had a mind of their own, sank deeper into that firm richness and warmth.

A sultry moan leaked, unintentionally which was immediately subdued at the end, Hayase must have used her hands to block her mouth, too late, far too late. It echoed, amplified by this sealed cockpit, making it extremely erotic.

Okay, I'm so dead. I'm so freaking dead this time.

"How long do you intend to grope them?"

If anything, that's the voice of the reaper himself. But no, that's just Hayase.

Low and subdued, filled with embarrassment and murderous intent in a ratio of 2 to 8 respectively, Hayase breathed out quietly.

That along with the incredibly pleasant sensation I felt with my hands plus a painfully heavy impact on my chest were the last thing I could remember. Oh, that swift and short fly to the very end of this darkened cockpit, too. They were hard things to forget.