Disclaimer: I do not own Oban Star-Racers.

Seeing the lol didn't worked, it's now just the "lol" (yes between those things else it's a thought.) hehe.

Oh, and I upped the rating..

Chapter 4

Eva pulled her bivouac bonnet a bit lower and blinked at the faint iron smell of blood. Beneath the tree she was hiding in were a few Nourasions, standing guard.

For what, she did not knew.

Careful not to make a sound, Eva leant in closer to sneak more glances. She despised the Nourasions and everything about them, but damn the language could come in handy sometimes.

And then, all of sudden, they stiffened and Eva bitterly thought they had heard her. Some people came out of a building near by. So that's what they were guarding. Heh, don't need words to understand things.

Sometimes then.

"Please go home and get a shower, dried blood isn't that pleasant." Eva heard the words flow out of someone's mouth and because she was bored she tried to repeat them in her mind.

No success.

Eva closed her eyes tightly and muttered a very soft curse under her breath when some branch broke in her grip. They seemed not to hear it.

"All of you to the palace." The same guy said. Eva raised her eyebrows, it seemed like an order. Eva silently hoped they would run for it.

Unfortunately, one guy remained and he was looking around. She grinned. So someone had heard her. He just didn't had one idea where she could be.

When he turned around Eva silently landed on her feet behind the tree, and glanced. He didn't seemed to notice. Probably an underclass Nourasion. You know, a new one. Didn't knew better then to run. Probably here because he was just the youngest and he was always unlucky. Eva grimaced. Remembered her of someone in her young days.

Eva had been up to much in her thoughts, and bewildered she looked around. Where'd he go?

"You'd be dead." She heard behind her, a sharp object pressed in her back. She groaned. "You'd be if I knew you were with weapon in the first place." She argued and she turned around with one hand pushing the knife away gently.

He didn't object and let the dagger hang loosely next to him. "At least we don't kill without a fight." He coolly said. Eva made fists. "I'd be glad to make one!" she said, obviously ashamed of the offence.

He smiled at her, even though she couldn't see her. "You like to get in near-death experiences?" He asked, putting his dagger in a holster.

Eva frowned. "Yeah, it's my dream since I was a kid. I love the tension." She said dryly, waving her hand importantly in the air and he laughed. She really had to stop to amuse Nourasions.

Suddenly he walked away. "I've got more things to do then to chat with a human kid."

That did it.

Eva grabbed the back of his coat and pushed his hat out of his face. "I'm NOT a kid!" She nearly shouted, pressing the gun in his back and he turned around like she did, pushing the gun away.

"Now Miss, is that so smart?" He said, and Eva dropped her gun to her side with a groan. Great. The Royal of the market. Lucky her.

"Shouldn't you be bathing in your golden tub with milk now?" She said casually, leaning on the tree. He glanced at her. "I believe the Croggs have one of those. Horribly big too. I would be so alone. Care to join me?"

Eva flushed red. Of embarrassment of course. "Sorry?" She said. "I cant believe you! You're just like every book or tale. Just a snobby little mommy-prince!" She shouted at him, itching for the gun who was now in her holster again. Not all problems can be solved with it, Eva kept in mind.

He grinned at her, baring his fangs with it, and Eva couldn't help but stare at them a bit absent. "You're right, someone should really help me off that habit." He said, as a matter of fact. "Now you're here, please help me."

Eva groaned and balled her fists. "Get fucked!"

"Pleasure." He said, wobbling his eyebrows. Eva wanted to slap him. She wanted it so bad. Or punch him right in his face.

But she knew that'll only make a challenge he is asking for. Eva puffed her cheeks out at him, even though he might not see it through her bivouac bonnet, turned around and walked away, leaving him where he was.

Eva eyed the Croggs walking to their house as she did the same. Before one of them reached the door, Don Wei came out, smiling at his daughter and nodding professionally at the Croggs, walking towards them and bowing.

Bowing.

However, Eva did not took his smile as an order to go inside, and she sat down on the little stairs before her door, pretending she played with her skirt.

Sighing, Don came to Eva, and she raised her eyebrows in a question. The Croggs left, snickering, and Don sat next to Eva.

"What's wrong?" She asked, straight to the point. Don dropped his shoulders. "Eva.." He started.

Eva widened her eyes. "What? What!" She immediately said, panicking and standing up.

Don looked up at her sadly. "I have to go for a while." He said, as he was talking to a 5-year old. Eva's eyebrows went down. "Why?"

"I don't know. They gave me a word that they wont kill me or anything, but I wont come home for a while."

"You need to run."

Don looked up confused again. "What? Run? Eva, don't be so naïve."

Eva knew it was a stupid idea, but she wouldn't let the Croggs capture her father!

"I mean it! You can go.. anywhere! Stan has family hidden too! We can go tonight!" She said, waving her arms in the air.

Don stood up, and interrupted her ideas. "Eva. I'll be going." He said, walking back to the house.

Eva shut her eyes tightly to stop any tears that might show up after 10 years.

Damn it.

Eva shut the curtains after staring outside, and the long street which her father left too.

Luckily she was capable of getting her own money (plus they had money in the house as an emergency, quit much)

Eva dropped herself on the couch in the living room and crossed her arms.

Her father had made it very clearly that he didn't wanted to be 'saved', or that he wanted to run, or that he wanted any Croggs dead while he was there (how suspicious), and especially not that Eva left the town.

She puffed her cheeks out in frustration. This could not be happening. She heard a knock. "Open!" She shouted, and turned on the television. "Hey Eve! Where'd you're father go?"

Eva looked up. "I don't know Jordan."

Jordan knowingly whistled and stood right before Eva. She grunted. "Do you mind? I'm watching this."

Jordan laughed when he saw the program. "Fine with me Eva, but Stan told me to tell you that you have a new group assignment."

She tilted her head. "As in 'all-of-us-because-it's-too-dangerous'?''

"As in only a few."

Eva curiously watched Jordan walking to the door. "So, what's the problem?"

"Some Nourasions at another base of yours."

Eva looked at the people before her. Koji was, luckily, assigned to come with her. So she had someone who she could bug while their.. trip. The 4 others who where coming with them were.. rookies. From the other base, in fact it was the base for training.

Not that they sucked.. they just weren't as good as the team Eva was in.

Stan looked at her expectantly, and she straightened up. Right. Koji couldn't talk, so she had to do it. Heh, she hated that sort speeches, and the ones she gave were hated by the leader, al-mighty Stan. But hey, he would never throw her out.

"Yeah okay. Three rules, keep yourself on it, else you'll be quicker here then dead. You keep contact, you don't go somewhere alone, and you don't play hero. Especially not on your own. And keep your bonnet on. Oh, and leave the torturing. Please, we can do that another time. Understood?"

"Yes miss!"

Eva chuckled. Like she was training some sort of military. Though she loved being in charge.

1 hour later, Eva took the comment back, and she slapped her forehead as one shot at air because he was scared of something. Fortunate, Jordan's troop was there for back-up, in case there were too many.. or if one of her screwed it up.

Angry she walked up to the guy and grabbed his long rifle. "One action like that and I'll make sure that arm will neve rbe able to hold a gun again, GOT IT?" She said. He nodded at her, apparently scared.

Good.

"Now move. It isn't like no one heard that."

Another hour later, Eva grinned at Koji, even though they couldn't see that. One of the guys had slipped in the mud from earlier that evening. It was still quit slippery in the grasses, but the mud was dangerous. When he was on his feet again, Eva poked his back with her elbow and walked further.

And another hour later, Eva hold up her hand impatiently. They had to be quiet if they wanted to get in there successfully, but she had whispered that the 4 rookies had to stay in there and Koji would go with her. They could stay guard, she knew what would happen if they got in with them.

Eva nudged Koji and pointed to another hallway. He nodded and left, leaving Eva to the other ones.

Walking up the first she saw, she discovered an empty space and left. The second she took, was not that empty. She leaned in the doorway. She wondered if they really did not notice her, or that they were pretending to trick her. Walking up to one, the other noticed her and lifted an arrow.

"Stop!" she heard him mutter, though she had no idea what he said, so she pushed the knife in and out of the Nourasions throat quickly, looking ever so innocent as the Nourasion with the arrow looked at his fellow guard falling to the ground.

Firing the arrow, Eva dodged him and shot him in his head, looking around for something else. If it was good, there had to be some humans left here, but probably in the main room. Or in rooms that could be locked. Shooting a lock open, Eva went in the room next to her, finding a Nourasion looking up at her confused, and Eva sighed, shooting in his shoulder, letting the Drudger poison do the rest.

When she came back to the point she had started, Eva took the last hallway.

None.

Eva pushed her eyebrows a bit more down and closed her eyes a little. They were told there were whole troops. And they couldn't be in the room she sent Koji too, she expected the humans to be there.

"Calling for back-up!" she heard her beeper saying, and Eva straightened up. A trick. They weren't here.

Shit. Not caring if Koji was still down, Eva rushed up the stairs and was met with a little 15 Nourasions, and only 2 of the rookies. She reckoned the others were to careless, and Eva fell on her knees when a missing arrow got her leg. Quickly she pulled it out and dropped herself behind a big tree. They probably hadn't noticed her yet. Eva flinched when an arrow missed her on a hair when she turned to look. Or they did.

Koji had got the message too, and run back up, instantly shooting 3 of the Nourasions. Eva smiled. Good old Koji.

Standing up and hoping her wound would recover, Eva turned and aimed for the first best Nourasion she could find. She had to kill the ones with the machines first, before they might call for back-up.. maybe from the Croggs, and then they either had to withdraw or also call for back-up.

Leaving Koji to the ones with the Arrow, Eva saw it has her duty to protect to new ones, and pulled her dagger out, pushing it in the back of the head of one. One of the humans, a girl probably, looked at her with wide eyes.

Not at her.. Eva turned around to see what was so terrifying, and angrily shot the Nourasion who bit down on the other human. Walking up to the rookie, this one was a guy, she looked closely at the bit, as Koji made the Nourasion withdraw.

Furrowing her brows, Eva shot the rookie in his head.

When she was sure there were no Nourasions around them, she shielded her gun and looked at Koji, and back at the one remaining girl. Eva could see through her bonnet that she was trying hard not to cry.

Eva sighed. "We're returning."

Stan watched with raised eyebrows when Eva threw her bonnet in a place in the room and sat down groggily. He sat down on the chair opposite of her. "So, what happened."

"What happened, was that you did not do your research good. Nourasions in the basis, my ass!" She said. "We don't have detectors for nothing. Couldn't you at least give a small warning that they were also on the main ground, waiting?" She accused, shaking her head violently. His hand went through his hair. "Sorry Eva, but we didn't detect anything."

"Really, or were you just to busy shagging to notice?!"

Not taking the comment to seriously, he shook his head. "Really. I even followed you and looked at the ones still on the surface." He looked at her for a moment. "Really."

Eva puffed her cheeks out. "Fine. Where's the medical kit? And where was Jordan's troop anyway?"

He handed her the kit. "They were being busy with 30 Nourasions."

Eva walked down the market, holding a bag closely to her. The market was known for thieves. Absently Eva walked to the last one she needed to be, and bought some fruit.

It didn't took her long or she was out of it again, walking to the orphanage to pay the long-waited visit to Zack. And the others. Eva numbed them up. There was Zack.. and Lisel, Bobby, Marleen and Lucy.

"Excuse me, I seem to be lost. Do you know where I can find your house?" someone said from behind her, and Eva turned, stopping the Nourasion immediately and he grinned cheekily at her. Eva widened her eyes. That was the Nourasion of the market. And of that night. Eva was too stunned with the fact he might recognize her, until he walked a little closer to her.

Eva stood her ground. "Excuse me?" She said, waving her worries away. He smiled. "I simply wish to know your name."

"I simply wish you would leave." Eva said, and turned to walk away. Unfortunately, he didn't took the message (or he ignored it, more likely) and walked after her. "I could follow you until your house, you know." He said amused. Eva closed her eyes a little. "Are you my new stalker, or is this just a hobby of yours?" She said, waving him away with her hand and he only laughed, and stopped before her. "What's your name?" He asked again. Eva huffed. "It's Bug-of!" She said, trying to walk past him. He blocked her again.

"You know, Croggs might get the wrong idea." He said. Eva turned her head to the Crogg guards at the beginning of the road, who were, like he said, gawking at them.

"There is no wrong idea in this!" Eva said, pushing him out of the way rather harshly. This only made him come after he again, before he waved of the Croggs who tried to go after the girl.

"My lady, that was mean. I'm deeply hurt." Despite the fact he was annoying, irritating, frustrating and childish, Eva escaped a little smile. "You don't know when to give up, do you?" She said, crossing her arm and leaning on one hip more then the other when she stared at him. He winked. "If I know your name you will hear mine."

Eva raised her eyebrows. "Let's see. A royal Nourasion. There a few royal Nourasions in this town with your.. age. It wouldn't be so hard to find out, you know." Eva spoiled his fun.

He smiled again. "And I could just let a Crogg follow you and search up your name by the hand of your address."

He got me. Eva let out her breath. "Okay, then do that. Bye now."

Eva smiled when she noticed he didn't follow her. At least he was of her back.. maybe only for a while. It wouldn't surprise her if he indeed searched her name up.

Too deep in her own thoughts Eva bumped into someone. "Watch were you-!" She stopped talking and stomped her feet to the ground. "Don't do that!" She shouted to the royal. He grinned his teeth bare. "Sure you must have been to busy thinking of me to not notice me sneaking up here."

"How did you do that anyway?"

"In exchange for your name I will tell you. And if it would help you, I'm Prince Aikka."

Eva couldn't believe he was still pushing around. "Eva." She eventually said. He smiled, he had made progress. "Eva who?"

"Just Eva."

And this time, when she walked away, he really didn't follow her.

Hehe. R&R!