Heero grasped his knees as the suit shot through the air. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he felt the bile rise in his throat.
“Hanging in there?” he heard Hera ask.
“Hn…” He grunted.
“No?” She asked. He felt the suit stop. He opened an eye and realised that the suit was hovering over the white clouds. “Wanna drive?” She asked. He looked up ad saw her looking down at him.
“Sure.” He grumbled. He panicked as straps went across his body. His chair straightened out and seemed to be stuck in mid air. Hera’s chair shifted besides him In the corner. “What do I do?” he asked as he looked at her.
“Figure it out.” She threw her head back. As she shut her eyes the power to the suit seemed to shut off and the suit fell through the clouds.
“HERA! THE POWER HAS GONE OUT!” He yelled at the girl.
She opened an eye and smiled. “No it hasn’t. You just have to direct the energy. Don’t think about anything but powering the suit. Just relax and calm down.” She laughed lazily and closed her eyes.
He shut his eyes and cleared his mind. He felt energy jolt through his body and he opened his eyes and the suit was hovering near the shore. He breathed deeply and slowly straightened his wrists, making the suit go forwards. It picked up speed until the clouds where just a white blur. He flicked his wrists and did a quick spin in the air. He jerked to a stop and shot upwards.
“Your really good at this Heero.” Hera said cheerfully.
He started to laugh with glee, midst the barrel roles and spins that he executed.
“Let’s rap it up, Heero.” Hera Yawned. “we’ve been out here for 2 hours.” She muttered.
“Okay.” He said, expecting Hera to take over.
“Take us down.” She muttered as he closed her eyes and fell back to sleep.
He smiled and lowered the suit down below the clouds. He stopped over the field and waited for the doors to open to the hangar. He lowered the suit down and cut the engines when he felt the shudder of the contact with the ground. His seat went back into sitting position and then Hera’s slid t the front.
She got up and the cockpit door opened. Heero followed her. He felt strangely light in the head and he tried to shake the weakness he felt off. He looked back and saw his seat had disappeared into the cockpit wall.
“Your welcome.” She said in a mock resentful voice.
“Hn…” He grunted as he grabbed the wire and rappelled down the suit. He landed and felt his knees buckle and turn like jelly. He saw dots and shook his head as the nausea swept over him. He stumbled and fell forwards and was caught by someone.
“Thanks Duo…” He mumbled.
“I’m Junior.” The braided boy said. “First time flying always leaves you with Jelly legs. Sit for a bit.” Junior smiled as he held the Japanese pilot up by the waste. He steered him towards the foot of his Gundam. Heero sat down and breathed slowly.
“Hee-chan, are you okay?” A voice asked as he stopped besides Junior. The two looked like one was standing in front of a mirror. The real Duo walked over and sat by him. “Too much fun, ne?” Duo laughed as Heero turned an unhealthy shade of green.
“Hey Duo.” Hera said cheerfully she walked over besides Junior.
“What did you do Hera?” Junior asked as Heero gagged.
“I took him for a ride. He was the one doing the crazy moves.” Hera cringed as Heero threw up.
“Get him up into his bedroom.” Junior said as he walked over and hoisted him up. Heero collapsed on him and Duo stood besides him as Junior stumbled under the weight. The two steered him up to his bedroom and got him safely into the bed. Hera followed quietly helping any way she could. Junior turned after they had him in the bed and looked at her angrily. “You knew that this was going to happen, why did you let him fly Blackwing?” He hissed angrily as she turned red from her own rage that was building inside of her.
“Why is he so sick from flying that Gundam?” Duo asked as he looked from Junior to Hera.
“He’s got an infection in his Ceribral Cortex because of a little hole in the back of his neck. It’s really not that serious, but it is a pain to take care of.” Junior said as he walked passed Hera and out the door.
“Why did you do that Hera?” Duo asked accusingly.
“I have my reasons and I don’t need to tell you.” She said as she walked out of the door and slammed it behind her.
Hera ran to her Gundam and up into the cockpit. She let the door slam shut as she sat heavily in the seat. She plugged into her suit and ordered her L.D player up. She looked at the screen and scrolled down the music lists and picked a favourite of hers, Limp Bizkit. All 75 songs came up on the screen, she picked her favourite, Generation Next. She ordered the volume up high and the music thumped into her head, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
It was 12:30 and Hera was still in the cockpit of her Gundam. He sighed as he slid under the sheets of the bed and dosed off into his dreamless dreams.
He opened his eyes 2 hours later to hear the door open to his room. He heard a small sigh as Hera slide under the sheets. He felt her still and then her body come closer to his. He felt her press up against his back. Her hands slid around his waste, slowly but surely they stopped just above his waste line. He didn’t move a muscle, preying that she would stop. She already tested his nerves and risked her father’s life and now, she wanted to play around. Her cold hands slid slowly under the waste line of his pants. No more, he grabbed her hands and threw them away from him “Don’t.” He muttered. He felt the bed sheets rustle and the door slam. He cringed at the scene he had just caused. He shrugged and closed his eyes and didn’t think about what Hera was about to do.
Hera opened her eyes, sat up slowly and yawned. The sheets slid off of her body and she glanced down at the sleeping figure. She bent over and whispered, “Get up sleepyhead.”
The figure mumbled and turned over to face her. “What time is it?”
“It’s quarter past 8.” She smiled as she sat up and picked up her discarded clothes. The figure in the bed turned back over and sighed loudly. She let the clothes slide up her body and form into a pair of black shorts and green t-shirt. She stood and looked back down at the sleeping figure. The raven black hair spilled over the pillow. She sat back down and leaned over. “Ai, we’ve gotta get up.” She muttered in her ear.
Ai turned and looked up at her. She smiled and looped her arms around Hera’s neck. “Why can’t we just stay in bed?” She said in a thick sleepy voice.
“Ohh…because. C’mon and get up.” She slapped her thigh and got up, opened the door and into walked into the hallway, she took a deep breath in that smelled of eggs and bacon. Her stomach growled in protest as she walked down the hall to the kitchen.
She walked into the hall to the kitchen and looked in, Quatre and Quatren were literally up to their elbows in eggs, flour and pancake mix. Each laughing telling jokes to each other. She cleared her voice to get their attention, Quatren turned and looked her way. She smiled, “Hey Hera.” She said cheerfully.
“Hi, what mischief are you getting into today?” Hera asked cheerfully.
“Just making breakfast.” She turned and started fussing over the burnt bacon.
“How’s Heero?” Hera asked as she slid into a seat at the kitchen table.
“He’s okay…just really tired.” Quatre said as he flipped a pancake.
“Hera why did you do that?” Quatren asked as she turned to look at her with the spatula in her hand.
“I did it because, and don’t laugh, I have a funny feeling something might happen and I won’t be able to pilot Blackwing. It’s better to get him immune to the suit now, then when something very serious happens…” She said as she sat back and stretched. The door swung open and Ai swept in, she wore a look of contempt on her face.
“What are you smiling about?” Quatren asked suspiciously.
“What? Can’t I smile once and a while?” She said cheerfully as she sat besides Hera. Hera snorted loudly and buried her hands in her face.
“I guess you can.” Quatren muttered as she looked between Ai and Hera. She waved her spatula at the two and frowned. “I know.” She muttered and turned as Quatre hit her with a spoon to get her attention over the pancakes.
“You do?” Hera smiled as she moved over for Trevor to sit down besides them. He turned instead and kissed Quatren on the cheek and then sat down besides Hera. “Anyways, what’s on the schedule today? Shouldn’t we be getting back to the dorm?” She yawned and scratched her stomach.
“Yeah, we’ll get there at around four.” Quatre said as he put pancakes, bacon and eggs on plates for the five in the room. “Here.” He said as he walked over with his plate and glass of orange juice. He sat besides Hera and started eating. Hera got up and got hers and Trevor got his. The sat down and started eating quietly.
“This is really good.” Trevor said as he looked at Quartren.
She blushed, “Thanks.” She said as she stuffed an egg in her mouth.
The door swished open and a very disgruntled mess of braid walked in. “’morning.” He grunted as he looked at Hera and stopped. He closed his eyes and started to rub his temples. “D’you have any asprin?” He grumbled.
“Yeah…” Quatre said as he stood and walked to the counter and took out a little white bottle he threw it to him and walked back to his seat.
“Thanks.” He muttered and walked back out of the kitchen.
There was only silence that followed, Ai stopped and looked at Hera who was still looking at the door in deep thought. They finished in silence. The atmosphere in the room was tense and hostile. Hera got up and looked at Ai uneasily and put her dishes in the sink. “Thanks guys that was really good.” She said quietly as she walked out of the kitchen.
Ai looked down at her plate. Her face was riddled with pain and frustration, that she was trying to mask. Quatren leaned over the table and looked her in the eye. “Go after her.” Was all she said as she sat down and waited for Ai to leave. Ai looked at her and then at Trevor.
She got up and put her plates in the sink. “Thanks.” She muttered as she walked quickly out the door. She walked out onto the porch to think about what she was going to say to Hera. She sat on the swinging bench and pulled her feet around her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something she could tell her friend.
“Hello.” A voice said besides her. She looked up and smiled.
“Hello, Wufei.” She said quietly as he sat besides her.
“What’s a wrong?” he asked quietly as he frowned at her.
“Life…the person that I love, loves someone else, I am just gathering the strength to let her go.” She said quietly. The tears built up in her eyes, she covered her face to try to hide the tears.
“oh…” he said quietly shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He stopped and looked at her, her face was covered in her knees that were pulled up in her chest. He sat closer and put an arm around her and held her close. She put a head on his shoulder and sniffled.
“Pity me?” she smiled and looked up at him.
He smiled and looked out across the lawn. “I know what its like to have to say goodbye to someone. Do you know that I had a wife?” He said quietly, still looking out across the lawn.
“No…you never did tell me that.” She said as she put her chin on her knee.
“Yeah, she died…she was so beautiful. Always smiled, even when she didn’t have a reason to. She was a lot like you, always looking for the good in things…war…justice.” He said as the tears welled in his own eyes.
“What happened?” She asked quietly, scared to find out.
“She was killed when our house was bombed. She was three months pregnant. It was a terrorist attack, left the colony in chaos. It was terrible. I should’ve been dead, I should be with her.” He whispered quietly.
“Jesus.” She muttered in disgust. “I hate being what I am. I hate being a soldier, but I do it because I have a lot of people depending on me and the others, the world…” She whispered. “Maybe what we’re doing, will change history for the good…but what’s the sense. We’ll just end up killing each other in the end if something else won’t do it for us first.” She said angrily as she got up.
“All you can do is hope that the people will learn from their mistakes…that’s all you can do Ai. Your not a god.” He whispered.
She smiled down at him and then put a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you father. I think I’ve just got up the courage.” She said as she walked into the house. She started to walk up the stairs when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Junior standing at the bottom of the stairs.
“What?” She asked.
“Can I talk to you?” He asked quietly.
“What about Maxwell? I have something to do.” She demanded turning to go up the stairs. She heard a step creak and a hand go on her shoulder. She stopped and looked at him impatiently.
“What’s going on with Hera? She’s your best friend and I know that she tells you everything.” He said looking up at her.
“Feeling better obviously.” She muttered, she grabbed his hand and threw it off of her shoulder. “I’ve got better things to do than talk to you. If you can’t keep her under control, then what makes you think that you can love her?” She asked and without another minute she turned and walked back up the stairs. She turned and went into her room, and slammed the door. Hera was curled up in the corner of the bed, her back was to her but she assumed that she was sleeping.
“Hera?’ She asked quietly as she crept over and crawled across the bed to her. She stopped in front of her and waited for an answer.
“What?” Hera whispered thickly.
“We’ve got to talk.” Ai said uncomfortably.
Hera sighed and sat up. She wiped her messy bangs out of her face and looked at the other girl. “About what?” Hera asked in a low voice.
“I…I don’t think that I can do this any more.” She whispered as she shook her head.
“Do what Ai?” Hera frowned.
Ai started to rock back and forwards. “You’ve been there for me since Tristan died…I think its time for us to move on.” She whispered, she couldn’t look at her friend’s face.
“Really…” Hera said, her voice sounding uncaring and far off. She snapped out of it and her facial expression changed to one of disgust and anger. “It’s funny, I’ve given everything to you and the others and then right when I’m in need of something, I’m alone. That’s really typical…” She said quickly as she got up and walked out of the door slamming it as hard as she could on the way out. She walked quickly down the hall and down the stair way. Junior was sitting in the living room as she ran out the front door. He got up and ran out.