Ch 2: The Hidden Project
A sleepy Kira was walking to his locker with a look of satisfaction. The final day before spring break went well for him considering that he was up all night finishing his picture and took up all the time finishing his math homework. He was unable to finish it, but he did manage to leave only 4 problems blank out of 13.
As he looked across the hall once again he smiled at the posted paper on Lacus' locker. I'm sure she'll like it; I worked hard all night and day to finish it. He packed the rest of his material into the pockets of his bag and shut his locker with a smile. Then he tensed at someone tapping him in the back and spun around to see Flay holding a textbook in her arm and her backpack strapped up on her shoulders.
"Oh, you scared me there," he said with a sigh of relief.
Flay looked puzzled. "I tap you on the back and you get stiff? What kind of guy are you?"
"Well I'm sooooo sorry for being different. It's spring break and I was hoping nothing bad would happen right after school. Yesterday for example, Yzak ripped my drawing to shreds after you left."
Flay put a free hand over her mouth to catch her gasp. "Oh my, what happened?"
"Nothing, he attacked me and shredded it like I said he did."
"What for? You didn't do anything, did you?"
"Do you have to ask for a reason from Yzak, Flay? You know how he is, everyone does."
"Well, I guess you know what happens next then don't you?" Yzak was standing behind Kira with one hand by his face which smashed Kira into the locker. "No one talks down to me you shemale. Got that?"
Flay dropped her book, ran at Yzak and let her hand fly straight across his face. Even when he stepped back she didn't stop there, following up with a kick in the side and smashing her backpack into his head, making him stumble backwards. "Don't you DARE insult Kira in my face you bastard! Take your trash somewhere else and dump it there!"
Yzak was stunned. No one had ever dared to hit him before and now he felt a sting in his cheek for the first time. He looked back up with one hand smoothing out his slapped skin, his eyebrows almost crossing. When Flay didn't even flinch he took a few steps forward. Still he wasn't getting what he wanted so he walked right up to her for even a twitch.
Flay wasn't even sweating in the slightest, or shivering. She was staring down Yzak like there was no tomorrow with crossed eyebrows and a face of vengeance.
Yzak was the first to move. "Hey, THAT HURT!" He grabbed Flay by the collar of her button-up shirt and forced her back into the locker. The he started hacking at her punch after punch wherever he could. He wasn't smiling even when he heard his prey moaning in pain and didn't leave and ounce of mercy.
Flay was screaming in torment. Even knowing she brought it upon herself, she still couldn't take the fact she was the victim. She was always good and never had problems, and today she just snapped at a rude comment to a friend.
Why, what did I just do? What am I doing to myself? Guarding Kira like this…why did I do it?
"STOP IT NOW! JUST STOP!"
On that order, Yzak stopped and glared at Kira who was shaking in fear.
Kira had never seen Flay in such a pincer before and started sweating when he saw the bruises all over her face and the punch marks that crumpled her pink shirt. When Yzak let go of her neck, she fell to her knees and finally to her stomach as she groaned painfully, and Kira felt a surge of fear shove its way down his spine and spread like wildfire.
Yzak walked up to him with a smirk on his face. "If you really care so much about this tramp, why don't you show me?" When he saw Kira's eyes widen, he laughed. "Not like that! I'll give you two days to practice since we're on break. I'll race you in two days on rollerblades through a course I'll make during that time."
Kira's eyes grew in freight. "No, I don't have any skates."
"Then you better go out and buy some, because if you chicken out, I'll bust up your friend again the next time I see her. So you better show, ya' hear? Or you can expect a punching bag after we come back. It's Sunday at the old warehouse by this school at 9 P.M. Be there, or you know what happens." And he laughed before walking away while Kira ran to his fallen friend.
"Flay! Hey Flay wake up! FLAY!" He gently shook her, but she was still silent and still. "Oh god, I'm getting you to the nurse." He turned around and wrapped his arms around Flay's back, giving it the impression of a piggy-back ride. He noticed many of the others staring at him, but it didn't affect him and he ended up in front of the office. He carefully leaned forward and removed one of his hands to open the doorknob and shoved the door open before quickly replacing his hand.
The staff inside was surprised to see him with a girl on his back, but they immediately pointed to the room to their right when they saw her bruises.
"Nurse, please help," Kira breathed as he stepped in. The nurse in a rotating chair whirled around and gasped when she saw Flay. She got up and took her of Kira's back before laying her across one of the two beds.
"What happened to her?" she asked Kira.
"Yzak beat her badly; I…I couldn't do anything." He looked at his best friend with sorrow and shed his tears while the nurse got a wet towel and an ice pack. She dampened the bruises and dried them before setting the ice pack on one of them.
"OUCH!" Flay sprang up clenching her arm in pain. "That hurt you…wait, where am I?"
"Kira looked at her with surprise. She's one tough cookie, he thought, I would be completely out cold. "I brought you to the nurse's office. You've got bruises all over yourself, see?" He pointed with two fingers at her arm and head and she found a mirror in front to look at. All the black marks gave her a shock and she fell back on the bed.
"I can't believe this; how could he?"
Kira gave her an "I-told-you-so" look. "Like I said, he doesn't need a reason Flay." He shifted slightly closer and took hold of her hand. "You'll be fine soon, but listen. I'm going to be busy for the next two days so don't bother me, okay?"
Flay gave him a weird look. Since when is Kira busy, and for two days? "With what?"
"Don't ask, please."
"Tell me Kira, come on." But an annoyed look from Kira told her he wouldn't say anything. "Fine, but take care of yourself. I'd say you're heading into a new world here."
Kira didn't even smile when he walked out. I wish you were wrong Flay. I really wish you were wrong.
So as to not anger her mom, Kira returned home before saying he had to go out to buy rollerblades. His mother was surprised and was going to talk, but a serious look in Kira's eyes made her back off. Instead, she gave him $50, but told him to return what he didn't use. Kira hardly cared for the money; he just wanted to avoid Yzak hurting Flay again.
He again stopped by the mall to find a store and stepped into a sports store just adjacent to Ripper Videos. One glance gave Kira the impression that it was a giant's store; the roof was high up and shelves were packed with sports gear, balls, bikes, and more. To his relief, he found the rack with skates just to the right of the entrance. It was packed with different bodies of the skates and packs of wheels and tools for adjustments.
Kira thought he was looking at gold; the radiance and shine of the gear drew him in. He examined each and every skate with care, stroking the wheels, checking the size and seeing which might work for him. He even checked the wheels and the tools for anything that would fit proper adjustment.
Suddenly he forgot about saving Flay and his mind set itself on those rollerblades in front of him. So he set the box he was holding down and decided to find a salesperson who could help him choose a good pair. He woke up from his daze when he found one looking at him and fell back.
The salesperson offered his hand to him. He had shiny blue hair and a fine cut face; he was dressed in a store outfit which was composed of a red shirt and black pants. The nametag on the shirt read, "Athrun". "Hey, you okay?" he asked, "Sorry if I scared you."
Kira looked at him for a minute before grabbing his hand and pulling himself back up. "That's fine, thanks," he replied.
Athrun looked at the racks. "So, you're into skates?" He was surprised when Kira shook his head. "Then why were you suddenly looking and touching every skate we've got?"
A shock struck Kira's spine. "I was? Man, I guess I dozed off." Hey wait, now's my chance. "Well I do need a pair of skates for something. Would you have any recommendations?"
Athrun strolled the rack and sighed. "Do you really need some…that badly?" He was looking at Kira with very dark eyes.
Kira hesitated for a moment. This guy's really scaring me. Well, it's this or Flay takes the rap. "Yes, as badly as anyone." He returned the look with interest which seemed to satisfy Athrun.
"Alright then, come with me." He started off before Kira stopped him.
"Aren't the skates here?" He pointed back to the rack and Athrun only shook his head.
"Are you just starting to skate?" Athrun asked him. Kira nodded and he only sighed. "Then if you need skates so badly, you should try some that I've got in the back of the store. Come on." He led Kira into the storage room and waved to some of the other employees inside. There was a door in a corner and Athrun took out a single key plated in silver. Then he whispered into Kira's ear: "This is the only key to the room; I was given special privileges to use this room for a little project that no one should know. What you see in there can't be spread too far as of yet, got it?"
Kira was confused. "Then why are you showing me? I need these skates so I can practice for two days before I have to really use them."
Athrun laughed out loud which made Kira jump. "Oh jeez, you really believed that?" Athrun asked. "Nah, actually the public already knows about this project." He laughed at Kira's annoyed face and opened the door with a few more laughs. "But seriously, if anyone asks you about these skates I'm about to show you, just run, don't tell them about me letting you try them. Got that?" When Kira nodded, he unlocked the door and shoved it open.
The room was stuffed on the sides with lots of boxes that apparently held wheels and tools for skates. However, in the middle of the room was a stand. The stand itself was black, but it also had a case on the top with a light shining from the bottom. And in the case was a pair of skates.
The skates had white laces instead of straps and small buckles on the side. The color was mainly grey with a large outline of black, but the inner outline was yellow as well as small square outlines of the clamps for the two white wheels.
The luster of the skates was outstanding and Kira could only feel the outside of the box which was disappointing. Athrun stood next to him and watched his amazement. "These are the new skates I'm developing," he explained, "They aren't like ordinary ones no matter how much they look alike." He took out a remote and clicked one of the buttons, releasing a lock on the case. Kira took a step back while Athrun removed the skates from the box, cradling them in his arms.
"You would be surprised what they can do," he continued, "I've had a few test runs with these things on and it was awesome. In my opinion, I'd say they're like wings on my feet."
Wings? Kira asked himself looking at the skates. "So, what do you call them then?" he asked Athrun.
Athrun looked at him and then the skates. "I don't know what to call them," he admitted, "Not yet at least." He looked over each part and gave a satisfied nod before handing them to Kira. "So, time for you to try them."
Afternoon was passing slowly for Flay. After she had endured Yzak's fury, she had to go through numerous questions from her parents who picked her up and was scolded for her actions.
It was hard for her as it was the first time she actually attacked someone. She was in her room tapping her pen against the desk and deep in thought. The school day flashed in her mind, scene by scene and her eyes grew glum and weighted. Why did I even do that? she thought, I don't hurt people. I don't fight. It was irritating and she was flustered with it and she threw herself onto her bed sprawled out.
She rested for a moment before her stomach growled, making her get up and walk to the kitchen. But just before opening her door, she recalled how Kira said he was busy and sighed. "Goodness Kira, what's so important? You're never busy for anything, not even art." And she left to satisfy her hunger.
The room that Athrun led Kira to was large. As expected, it had some halfpipe terrain and rails for grinding, but when Kira saw large walls parallel and far away from each other, he started to question if he would ever be able to skate wall to wall.
Athrun strolled through the room, checking every appliance for dents, scratches, any kind of damage. When he found none, he returned to Kira and nodded. "Alright then, put them on, but be careful when you stand."
Kira chuckled. Of course he had to be careful standing or he would fall for sure. So instead of sitting on the ground, he sat on the bench by the door while adjusting the laces. When the skates were snug on his feet, he clipped the buckles and carefully tried to stand with his arms on the bench.
Suddenly he heard a whirring sound and the next second his right skate lurch forward. "Whoa, HEY STOP, STOP…AAAHHHH!" Kira instantly fell back, but immediately used his hands to break his fall and his left skate hit the ground as well. Both skates them shot forward with great speed and Kira fell flat on his back. "Oww, what the heck was that?" he groaned rubbing his head.
He tried again, this time jumping to his feet. Like before, the skates began moving on their own and he had to struggle to regain balance. He finally managed to stand and gave a sigh of relief as he glided across the room. He looked up the next second and slammed into a wall, falling backward again. He didn't even bother to get back up and just groaned in pain. "Hey, Athrun!" he called, "A little help here would be nice!" But when he saw the worker, he gave an irritated look. Athrun was clenching his chest and bursting with laughter at him and he eventually fell to his knees.
Kira was suddenly furious and got up without a care for what happened next. Again the skates simply moved without his effort, but he was ready this time and crouched, preventing him from falling over easily. "Want to laugh now?" he yelled at the laughing Athrun.
He jumped once, and skated from side to side to stay standing from the fall. Then he attempted to turn in a circle, but fell over from the speed. That didn't stop him and he got back up, trying it again and again until he got it. He skated 5 complete circles in a row without falling and followed up with a leap on the halfpipe without any tricks.
Athrun wasn't laughing as hard and was watching with amazement. He finally stopped and stood up. "Keep going there, you're doing a great job!" he yelled.
Kira heard that and smiled while doing a 180 midair turn and landing on a rail. He stumbled and fell off, but he managed to land on one foot before it took off. Kira grounded his other foot and regained balance before jumping onto another rail. The skates screeched against the metal and sparks flew in all direction.
Kira blocked it all out and he suddenly felt happier than ever. These things are cool, he thought, Like Athrun said, it's like I'm flying. He jumped again, this time skating up one of the walls. He made it to the top and slid across the surface, causing the wheels to suddenly stop. He fell over again, but it barely hurt him and he just got back up. He blinked when the wheels didn't move.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, looking at the skates. He sat down and knocked on the sides, but nothing happened. He stood up again, but the wheels didn't move. "Come on, move already! He slammed the skates against the ground and then they launched forward, taking him with them. Kira was flying through the air and screamed as he hit another wall. He slid down the wall and collapsed on his back again, groaning.
"Oww, man that really hurt." Kira tried to get up, but he crumpled as he raised his arm.
"Well, for your first time you didn't do that badly." Athrun walked over to him and sat down. "I didn't exactly do as well either; I ending up having some bruises on my back and arms too. But you're getting the hang of it." He smiled in Kira's face before handing him a packet. "These are the instructions for the skates, how they work and how you can master them. Note this though, landing is not in there.
"Just remember that these skates are for entertainment," he continued, "You're only testing them at this point so you have access to the parts I have in the shed. If you need any, just call me and I'll have them ready for you. Any questions?"
Kira groaned. "Do I get any medical insurance for this?"
He wasn't surprised when Athrun just laughed. "Sorry, but no. But of course, the skates will be yours after you're done."
Athrun looked at the skates and then gasped before hitting his head. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. The parts for skates like this can wear out pretty fast so you should be careful how much you use them and how much pressure you put on them." He looked over the wheels and felt them with his finger before checking the other ends of the skates. "These parts will be fine for a little while longer, but I'll give you some part to take home."
He stood up, but Kira groaned again. "Hey wait, could you help me up?" he asked holding out his hand. Athrun sighed, but smiled as he grabbed Kira's arm and pulled him to his feet.
Kira was smiling too. He was sure he would pull this off. Yzak would never know what hit him.
Yeah, so there's the second chapter. I'm sure some of you (especially you spitfire if you're reading) can see I put Air Gear factors in this story. It won't have Air Gear's plot though, and you won't really see many of these skates. Sorry that Lacus isn't in this chapter, but she will be in the next one. Read and Review please! I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I have a summer project so it won't be easy. Good day!