Chapter 2 - "What do you think?"

If someone was to ask Simon how many times he had traveled on a vehicle, he would say a handful. Well, if one didn't count the number of times he would use Lagann to travel around Kamina City anyway. But here, holding on to Yoko on a hover bike as she headed back to her island at breakneck speed...this was a whole other experience.

But then again, walking around the world for twenty years on foot could definitely throw one for a loop.

"You okay back there?" Yoko asked.

"Yeah. Sure." Simon replied.

"Sorry I'm going so fast. It's just that some of these students of mine..."

"It's okay. I can imagine."

In no time at all they finally got to Yoko's island, namely the school she taught at.

"Principal Yomako!" Called out one of the school employees.

"I'm here. Now what seems to be the problem?"

The faculty member explained, to which she then followed. Simon also tried to follow only for the faculty member to stop him.

"It's okay, he's a friend." Yoko said.

But no sooner did she talk did Simon then spot someone break into a run, to which he then gave chase.

"Wait-!" Yoko called out to her friend before breaking into a run with her staff following. At first they found nothing but then after a while they found Simon holding the runner down, who turned out to be a teenage delinquent.

"It was just harmless fun man!" Protested the boy.

"Well, that wasn't from where me and my friend were standing." Simon retorted.

"I'm so sorry about this Simon." Yoko said once the boy was taken away. "I didn't want you to see my island let alone my school like this."

"It's okay." Simon assured. "I've seen some pretty crazy stuff."

"No doubt." Yoko agreed. "Anyway, can you hang back while I take care of all this?"

Simon nodded and Yoko walked back to her fellow faculty members to overlook the damage and see what paperwork was needed if any. It would later turn out that it wasn't just a pulled alarm, but also graffiti on one of the school's walls. Fortunately the delinquent had used washable paint so it would come off easy. Unfortunately most of the janitors were on vacation and one was still sick with the flu.

Simon then asked if he could volunteer. Yoko protested at first but Simon insisted.

"Besides, I know my way around cleaning things. Just tell me where the materials are and I'll handle the rest."

Yoko sighed but even after so many years apart she knew her old friend was not someone to take no for an answer easily.

"All right, follow me."

It took a while, but Yoko then showed Simon the janitor's closet where all the necessary equipment was.

"I know it's not much, but-"

Before Yoko could even finish, the Digger had already reached in and started looking through some cleaning materials, nodding to himself and reaching for a cleaning apron, putting it on over his shirt and somehow removing his cloak in one fell swoop.

Okay, never mind. Yoko thought.

Soon Simon had grabbed a nearby cart with the cleaning materials that were needed along with a mop and pan.

"Lead the way Miss Yomako." He said with a small chortle.

In spite of herself the former sniper couldn't help but chuckle herself as she gestured for Simon to follow her to the graffiti.

"Are you sure you got this?" Yoko asked as she gestured to the vandalized wall.

Simon simply gave a small smile. "I'm sure." To which Boota also chimed in.

"All right. Just let me know if you need anything." Yoko said as she headed back to her office to finish the remaining paperwork.

"Boo!"

"Boota?" Yoko asked as she looked up from her desk an hour and a half later. She had just finished the last of what was needed paperwork wise and was just about to get some tea when Simon's pig-mole showed up at her office.

"Boo-boo!"

"Simon's done?" Yoko guessed.

The pig-mole didn't wait for Yoko to answer. Instead he just leaped forward onto Yoko's suit and on to his favorite place, gesturing forward.

"Okay, okay." Yoko acquiesced as she headed outside. No sooner did she get to where the wall was vandalized did her mouth drop in shock. Not only was the graffiti gone, but the wall looked a little more shiny than it had been in a while.

"Hey Yoko." Simon said as he used a rag to wipe off the sweat from his face. "It's not too bad I hope?"

"Are you kidding? It's better than before!" Yoko said as she tried to recover herself. "Thanks!"

"No problem." Simon said as he then took the cart he had been using and followed Yoko's lead to put away the materials and throw away everything else.

"Perfect timing-looks like it's time for lunch." Yoko remarked as she looked at her watch.

"It is? Didn't feel like it."

"Tell you what-let me treat you this time." Yoko said.

"You don't have to-" Simon said but Yoko raised her hand.

"Simon, you treated me to breakfast. It's my turn now."

It didn't take long for the two to find a spot to eat lunch, but then again Yoko knew every inch of the island like the back of her hand. Once they found Yoko's usual place the two chowed down and talked. And talked some more.

"Now that's what I call lunch!" Simon said after they were finished.

"Glad you liked it." Yoko said.

"So, Simon, I really have to know - how did you know how to clean off the graffiti?"

"Well, when you travel around long enough, you pick up on a few things. Especially if you're low on funds and need to get someplace."

"Where did you go to exactly?"

"Honestly, everywhere." Simon answered. "It's tough to explain, but when I left you guys I didn't really have a concrete idea, just a feeling to dig new paths for other people. And it pointed me where I needed to go and where I needed to be. Met a lot of good people, stayed with them for a while, helped out, learned...and then I was on my way."

"That was it?" Yoko asked.

"Not everything. I did manage to see a lot of interesting places and cultures."

The school principal smiled and tried to fight a tinge of envy.

"You know, I still find it hard that you didn't do your own traveling." Simon remarked.

"Well, I kind of did, but not to the same extent as you." Yoko said.

"Well, it's definitely an eye-opener." Simon added. "Way more than I realized. Almost makes me wish I had done that first before helping build Kamina City."

"Lord Genome was defeated Simon." Yoko pointed out. "The people needed a place to start fresh again. Besides, given that you and Rossiu had everything under control at the time I felt I needed to strike out on my own."

"Yeah..." Simon agreed.

So the two talked even more before heading back to Yoko's house.

"What do you think?" Yoko asked.

"I gotta say - I've been around the world a few times, but this island is something else." Simon replied. "I can't believe I never came by here."

"Well, first time for everything." Yoko said. "Anyway, I'm going to take a shower. The TV's right there if you want to watch anything."

"Okay." Simon said as he sat down and grabbed the remote.

As she got ready to wash up Yoko couldn't help but feel a lot more...chipper than she usually would be. Was it because she ran into an old friend again, especially Simon? To the former sniper it had to be, because it certainly wasn't because of dealing with yet another delinquent during the summer.

Once she was finished she then noticed Simon wasn't in the living room. Panicking and wondering whether he was an illusion this whole time Yoko then looked around.

"Simon?" Yoko called out. "Simo-"

The principal couldn't finish. For there, just outside her fenced-in backyard was a shirtless Simon, practicing what looked like combat moves of some sort. But that wasn't what had Yoko's attention. What did was the former Dai-Gurren leader himself.

Now Simon was always in shape, and Yoko had seen him shirtless before, but now...granted, it was not the frame of a bodybuilder, but Simon was definitely ripped. And it seems that over the past two decades Simon had gotten some more muscle mass while at the same token keeping a lean frame.

For how long Yoko was standing there she didn't know, but then she was able to snap herself out of it and continue back to her bathroom to pick up her towel.

"Hey," Simon remarked as he noticed Yoko coming up to him a while later.

"Hey yourself." Yoko said. "Well, you definitely have some moves there. Never saw you use those before."

"Yeah." Simon said sheepishly. "It's called 'kata'. I learned it while I was traveling. It's a martial arts practice to help warm up and whatnot."

"Hmm." Yoko mused before mentally snapping herself out of her own daydream. "So, would you like something to eat?"

"I know this isn't much, but..." Yoko said as she reached into the freezer and took out what looked like TV dinners.

"Don't cook all that much, do you?" Simon asked.

"With my schedule these days, hardly." Yoko replied. "Even during the summer time."

Simon took a look at the TV Dinners with an amused/unsure look on his face. While there had been occasions where he had to resort to eating such things, he wasn't one to make a habit of it.

"Do you drink beer?" Yoko asked as she looked back from the fridge.

"If there's nothing else, but I don't care for it." Simon answered.

"Okay, let's see what's back here..." Yoko said as she continued to rummage through the fridge to find some other drinks.

"Are you sure you don't need a hand?" Simon asked as he got up to where Yoko was, trying not to focus on her shapely backside.

"I'm sure." Yoko insisted as she finally pulled out a gallon of orange juice. "Here we go."

"Wait-is that green onion? And mozzarella?" Simon said as he noticed some more ingredients in the fridge.

"I had gotten those a few days ago when I wanted to put something together. I just wasn't sure what."

Simon then glanced again at the TV Dinners to what he had seen in the fridge which also had a few more things he recognized. Then...he got an idea.

"May I...?" Simon asked Yoko as he peered through the fridge once the former sniper nodded.

As the Digger looked, he then noticed some other things like some cold cuts which fortunately were still fresh, along with a bag of salad.

With Yoko watching, Simon then went to work getting some things out of the fridge and putting them on the kitchen counter. It only took a few minutes that Simon then put some things together and then what followed was a dinner that Yoko never remembered ever having.

Essentially, it was a salad made up of diced tomato, iceberg lettuce, with shredded mozzarella cheese and honey maple turkey, and a couple of toasted bread slices. While Yoko would sometimes make a salad, more often than not it was just maybe a bit of lettuce with some crackers and cheese whiz. Other times it would be Pig-Mole rinds and a few cans of beer.

Bu this...this was something out of a high-class restaurant.

Or at least, it felt that way.

"So...how was it?" Simon asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"I don't think I remember having something like this in a long time." Yoko said with a smile.

"Never?"

"Maybe...once, but no." Yoko said. "Thanks Simon. It really was delicious."

Despite his age, Simon couldn't help but feel a bit of a blush. "You're welcome."

The rest of the evening went on with the two washing up the dishes and then turning on the TV to see anything at all. Fortunately there were a few funny shows which caught their attention - and more than a few laughs at that - and then the night was catching up to them to which the Digger asked if he could use the shower.

"Are you sure you have spare clothes?" Yoko asked.

"I'm sure." Simon replied as he reached into his knapsack and pulled out the clothes he needed before going into the bathroom.

"Just try not to slip in there, okay?" Yoko said jokingly.

"I've had worse." Simon assured as he turned on the water.

After a short while Simon finished washing up and then he then went into the spare bedroom Yoko had on hand. Up until that point the school principal never knew why she had gone ahead and purchased a bed for the bedroom, but now she was glad she did.

"Well...this was definitely one hell of a day." Yoko remarked.

"You can say that again." Simon agreed. "But even with the craziness there was definitely one highlight I liked."

"What's that?"

"Running into an old friend."

Now it was Yoko's turn to go red in the face.

"Are you blushing?" Simon asked.

"No!" Yoko said, embarrassed to which Simon just grinned in amusement.

"Well, anyway...good night."

"Boo!" Boota added.

"Good night you two." Yoko said as she headed to her own room to hit the sack.

"Well Boota, guess we won't have to worry about sleeping on the ground." Simon remarked to his pig mole friend.

"Boo." Boota agreed. "Boo boo."

"What?" Simon asked.

The pig mole then made some gestures, topping it off with him making a blush at the end.

"Boota you're talking crazy." Simon said. "Yoko's just glad to see an old friend."

"Boo boo."

"All right, good night." Simon said as he went to sleep, with images of a long-departed princess smiling at him, with other familiar friends long gone with amused looks on their faces.

Later as she laid in bed Yoko tried everything she could to sleep, but after tossing and turning on her pillow, along with trying some stretching exercises it was no use.

Seriously, what the hell is the deal? Yoko thought with a huff.

After spending some time counting imaginary Ganmen and picturing herself taking them out with her rifle on the ceiling sleep finally overtook her and Yoko went into a deep slumber...with the image of of a certain Digger doing his "kata" lingering in her mind.