Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Moments ❯ Contracts ( Chapter 8 )

DISCLAIMER: I Don't own GW!!!!!!!!!!!! But, and that's a BIG but, I do feel like I have the right to make Kid's and Odin's personality mine. Though technically it's Bandai and Sunrise that made them up (Heero Yuy and Odin Lowe), I think I gave them something they didn't and so this thing belongs to me. If you disagree, then sue me! I don't care; I don't have any money anyway... BWAHHAHAHA!!!

WARNING: PG-13.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ooh... some action... finally!

Naomi

CONTRACTS

* * *

AC 187.

Odin stumbled out of the shower, rubbing a towel against his head, drying his messy blond hair. He blindly made his way towards his bedroom, the towel covering his face almost completely, water dripping all over his face.

"I need a haircut..." He muttered, sounding irritated. "Humph! Might as well get the Kid one too, he's nearly blinded from that mop of hair..." And just as the thought of the little blue-eyed boy came to his mind, his ears were struck with the sound of his rolling laughter, coming for the bedroom.

Odin sighed, picking up his pace, and walked into the bedroom, ready to scowl at the boy. But, as many other times before, when he had tried to stay mad at the Kid, his effort had proven useless. For just as he walked into the small room, pulling the towel off his head, he was faced with the most heart-warming vision he had seen that week.

Sitting on the large double bed, surrounded by a mountain of fluffy covers, was Kid. He was sitting in the middle of the large bed, legs spread straddled to each side, his arms stretched forwards, clutching onto his little teddy as he swung it high up in the air, laughing along, eyes dancing as he looked up at the small TV set that rested in front of him.

Odin smiled, sending a glance over to the television, seeing that there was some silly Loony Tunes cartoon playing, which explained the boy's laughter.

Again the room was filled with Kid's bubbly laughter, and the blond man couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hey there, buddy," He called, walking over to the bed, throwing his towel aside. "Whatchya watching?"

Kid was too busy laughing, falling on his back, out of breath, and so he couldn't answer.

"I see..." The blond let out, settling down by the little boy, lying down while supporting himself with one elbow, looking down at the small child. The boy's laughter proved contagious and soon he found himself giggling as well. His smile broadened as two dancing cobalt eyes turned to face him, looking up at him with a smile.

"See? It's funny! You're laughing too!" Kid's little voice chipped happily as he pushed himself up, now sitting, eyes glued to the television set.

"That's great, kiddo, but didn't you forget something?"

"Nan desu ka?" The boy replied absent mindedly, most of his attention focused on the cartoon.

"Oh... you know... like the... time?"

"Huh?!" Now those eyes turned to look at him, confused. And then they widened in realization. The sweetest of smiles touched the boy's lips. "Oh... time for what?" He asked innocently.

"Oh... time for... bed?" The man replied smoothly, trying hard to keep a stern look on his face as the boy kept looking up at him pleadingly. "Now that face ain't gonna help ya, buddy."

The boy bit down his lower lip, big blue puppy-eyes shimmering as he continued pouting.

"Oh no you don't... you ain't giving me that look. Bed! Now!" He ordered, hanging on to his last shred of will power, trying to resist the 'puppy-pout'.

"Just another cartoon... pleeeeease. . ?"

Odin held back a chuckle. "No."

"Please please please please?"

It was getting harder not to laugh. "No."

Again that pout. "Oh... onegai Odin-san? Onegaiiiii. . ?"

That did it.

Damn him.

And his cuteness.

"All right, but just one more."

The boy sent him a wide grin, turning back to the TV.

Dammit, why was he so weak? He had given up so easily... letting the boy have his way with him...

"But on one condition."

"Nani?!" The boy whirled around, eyes wide. "What consion?"

"The condition is," He hurried to correct, "That you clean your room. That's the contract."

"What consract?"

"C.o.n.t.r.a.c.t." He corrected again, shaking his head. "Our agreement, a deal. You do something for me, and I'll do something for you."

"So I have to clean my room?"

Odin nodded.

"And then you'll let me watch?"

The blond chuckled. "No, I let you watch now, and in return you'll clean your room tomorrow. Got that?"

"Oh... uh... yes. Okay. Can I watch now?"

Again the man chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "Yup. Just one more, then bed."

"All right!" The boy called happily, turning back to the screen, hugging Yoshi tightly.

* * *

The next morning, Odin woke up to the sound of his laptop beeping like mad. He growled, turning in his bed, trying to ignore the constant noise.

But the beeping continued.

Groaning in annoyance, the blond man turned and pulled his pillow from under his head, slamming it down on his head.

But the beeping continued.

"ARGH!" He growled again, throwing the pillow in the direction of the annoying sound.

"Itai!" A small voice called, startled. "What was that for, baka?!"

"Huh?" Odin gasped and pushed himself up, looking around. He made a face, an unpleased one, as he saw Kid was sitting on his bed, wearing his pajamas, rubbing the back of his head. And, he was glaring at him.

Odin rolled his eyes and sat up, yawning. Kid had probably fallen asleep in his bed. He didn't remember falling asleep, but apparently he had, and before of Kid too. They had stayed up until late, watching some weird animated movie that Kid insisted on watching to the end. He was just too tired to deny the boy's request, and so he just lay there, watching it with the boy, until sleep engulfed him. The boy had probably fallen asleep while watching the movie, for the TV was still on.

"Well?" Kid's annoyed voice jerked him out of his thinking.

Odin looked up in question. "Well what? I didn't mean ta hurt ya."

Kid rolled his eyes. "I know that, baka! But the computer is still beeping!"

"Oh."

With a great sigh, he pushed himself out of bed and stumbled towards the annoying appliance. He opened it and read over the message that was flashing across the screen. Kid watched him carefully, trying to read his expression. He let his gaze down sadly as he saw a bit of anger flash in Odin's eyes, and then the man glared down at the screen and sighed.

Kid sighed as well. "Do you have to go now?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"I dunno. Probably two days or so."

"Oh."

The man sighed, closing the computer. He turned slowly towards the bed, seeing the little boy sitting there with his shoulders slumped and a sad look on his small features. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I know I promised you I'd take you to the zoo. We'll go some other time, okay?"

Kid sighed sadly, shrugging. "It's okay. I know you have to go."

"Yeah..." The blond let out heavily, walking to the door. He sent one more glance over his shoulder, seeing the boy was still sitting there, miserable. He forced on a smile and turned to the boy. "Say, how about I make you some breakfast, eh? Something sweet, like pancakes, huh?"

Kid didn't even look up at him and just shrugged. "Yeah, okay."

Odin let his gaze down and sighed. He walked over to the kitchen, his steps heavy. Kid had been waiting for this day for a long while, he knew that. It had been so long since he had took the boy out on some 'field trip'. Nearly two year to be exact. Two years of being busy with trying to get past the grief, trying to move on, to get away from all those Federation forces chasing after them, trying to keep up with all the 'jobs' the rebels gave him... He never had any time for Kid. And today was supposed to be their day out together... He had been looking forward to it too... But his job came in first.

* * *

"I made you some food, all you'll have to do is warm it up, okay?" Odin said as he kneeled down in front of the small boy, straightening his shirt's collar, as it slid under his green sweater, which had a picture of a brown teddy bear imprinted on it.

"Yeah, okay." Kid let out sadly, refusing to look up from the floor and into the blond's eyes.

"I'll be back in two days, maybe even less. Make sure you won't open the door to ANYONE, and stay home, okay?"

Kid nodded, still not looking up. He knew this speech by heart. He knew ever since he could remember himself. Odin always gave the same old speech before he left to his missions. His job was to listen, be good and nod his head, assuring the blond that he will do as told.

"If the laptop beeps again, don't open it, okay? Don't EVER open it." The blond continued, his hand still on the child's slim shoulder.

"Yeah, I know. So they won't track us down." The child murmured.

Odin nodded, thinking what else he had forgotten. He smiled slyly. "Oh, yeah, one last thing."

Kid looked up at him, confused. He was sure Odin went through all of the usual list of things...

The blond smiled at him, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "You have to keep your part of the contract."

"Huh?" Kid's mouth dropped open. "What consract?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "Our contract was that you can watch the cartoon if you clean your room."

The boy smiled shyly. "I thought you'd forget."

"I never forget." The blond answered smoothly. He took Kid's small hand in his, looking into his sad cobalt eyes. "And I didn't forget my promise. We'll go as soon as I come back."

Kid smiled at him, and the blond ruffled his messy chocolate-brown hair.

"You be a good boy now, you hear? No silly stuff." He let out quietly, eyes serious.

Kid rolled his eyes in annoyance. "It's not the first time you're going! I'll be fine... nothing can happen, ne?" He tired to assure the blond with a smile. But Odin still looked sad to him. "Hey..." He let out, putting his own hand on the man's shoulder. "You're going to be late." He said quietly. "Stop worrying like a big old baka. I'm a big boy."

Odin chuckled bitterly. Yeah, he was a big boy, and he knew how to take care of himself, but still... with Specials agents looking all over for them... he just didn't feel like leaving the boy all alone. He was worried, and he had a good reason to be worried. The boy had become his weakness. The Feds must know that. They could use the boy to get to him. And if anything ever happened to Kid... He didn't know what he would do with himself. It had become clear to him a while ago, that the boy's life will be in danger if he will stick with him. He had figured that when the boy fell terribly ill about a year ago. He knew he couldn't keep his little angel forever. And he'll be damned if he'll lose him to some damn Feds...

Sighing, he looked up sadly into those shinning and kind eyes, and forced himself to smile. "Guess I'm just a big old baka, then. Huh?"

"Aa." Kid answered with a playful smile.

Again he chuckled, but this time, it was in good humor. He got up, loading his backpack over his shoulder. "One more thing," He let out before turning to the door.

Kid looked up at him curiously.

"I got another contract for ya."

Kid made a face, and the blond had to keep himself from laughing. "Nah, don't worry. You won't have to clean anything. In fact, it's more up to me."

"What is it?" Kid urged him to speak.

The blond grinned, kneeling back down on the floor, in front of the boy. "You be a good boy, and wait for me, and I'll come back with a..."

"A present?" The boy jumped up and called, nearly bouncing in joy.

The blond smiled, tapping lightly on his head. "Be good." He said as he got up. He petted the boy's head one more time, and then left.

Kid grinned, looking up at the closed door, hearing Odin lock it from the outside. Odin was gonna get him a present! He couldn't wait!

* * *

About an hour later, Kid was standing with his head inside the fridge, looking for something nice to eat. And so, while his head is buried deep within the refrigerator, Kid couldn't see the knob of the living room window turn slowly, as a silhouette from the outside took a stand in front of the large window, located on the fifth floor of the building.

Kid hummed to himself, mindless of the fact that the window was slowly being opened, and someone was about to enter the small apartment. He looked through the fridge; making a face as he saw the food Odin had left him. He rolled his eyes and sighed, changing his small and quiet tune as he continued his search for something yummy to eat.

"Hora! Got it!" He called as his eyes caught sight of some left over pie. He reached for it.

That's when he heard something fall, from the direction of the living room.

The pie fell down to the floor and Kid's head jerked up, his eyes wide. Slowly, he peeked out of the fridge's door.

"Odin?" He called quietly, thinking maybe he had forgotten something and came back. The baka ALWAYS forgets something. "Odin?" He tried again, slowly closing the fridge's door.

But only silence answered his call.

Kid cursed himself silently, trying to remember where he had last stashed his gun. He didn't use it for so long... He wasn't even sure if he still had it. He looked around the kitchen, looking for something that he could use as a weapon. He could always tackle the man, but he felt safer if he knew he had other means to defend himself.

He quickly dashed towards one of the drawers and took out a knife, now highly aware of how silent the apartment was. He made his way slowly, carefully, around the kitchen counter, aiming for the living room. A quick and careful peek at it, told him the place was yet again empty. But the window was wide open!

Where would the intruder go? Was he lurking somewhere in the shadows, waiting to attack? Where could he be? Why was he so quiet? Maybe it was just Odin playing games again? Oh please let it be so... please... Where was Odin? Why did he have to leave him all alone again?

Kid snapped his eyes shut, trying to force himself to stop thinking that way. He tried not to be scared, but he was. He was very VERY scared. His mind kept replaying events from long ago; of another time that Odin left him all alone, after promising he would protect him. He wasn't there to protect him from Bad Man and he wasn't there when Linda died... why wasn't he here now?

Swallowing hard, Kid made his way out into the open, into the living room. He aimed towards the hall, now determined that the intruder was there. He was probably there looking for Odin's laptop, the one he ALWAYS said not to touch. With shaking feet and trembling hands holding his small weapon, Kid bravely made his way towards Odin's room.

* * *

"Ah... shit." Odin spat, tapping over his jacket's pocket. "I was sure I..." He mumbled in embarrassment, his hands searching every pocket he had. "Eh, c'mon..." He whined, feeling about a dozen impatient gazes fixed on him. He was in the spaceport, about to enter the terminal, where he was required to show his ID card and passport. The problem was, that he couldn't find his wallet. And, he was delaying the line!

"Sir, if you would please step aside for a moment," The bored looking clerk said, looking at him with annoyance. "There are other people waiting in line."

"Yeah, yeah..." The blond muttered, doing as told. "I probably forgot it in the car..." He tried to explain to the old lady behind him, who didn't stop glaring at him. She didn't answer, just kept glaring, and the silence was getting a bit awkward. Odin just sent her this uncomfortable grin, before stepping out of the line.

"Stupid old baka, getting senile... forgetting stuff in the car..." He muttered to himself, marching out towards the parking lot.

* * *

Kid stopped by the bedroom's door, holding his breath. He stayed close to the wall, small fingers clutched around the sharp knife. He forced himself to remain silent, and most of all- calm. He took in a deep breath, mustering all the courage he could get, and charged into the bedroom.

"Don't move, teme!" He roared, aiming his weapon forward.

But the room was empty.

Kid just gaped at the laptop, sitting quietly on the desk across of him. Was he wrong? Maybe he was just imagining this? Was there no one there? But the window was open... And he heard... he heard... something... it... it. . . it fell. . . and. . . he. . . he. . .

It was getting so hard to think... he was so tired. His mind barely registered the fact that he had dropped the knife. The sound of it cluttering against the floor was nothing but a distant ring of bells... He felt light headed. Dizzy. Tired...

A light moan escaped his small lips as his feet gave way.

Kid slumped down to the floor.

* * *

"God damn it!" Odin cursed as he drove, looking down at his wristwatch. His flight was in less than three hours. That left two hours to drive, get his wallet, come back to the spaceport, go through security check... find his informant, board the shuttle... Argh! There wasn't enough time!

Cursing again, he took a sharp turn, nearing the block their apartment building was at. From this distance, he could already see the unbelievably packed street. He groaned inwardly, just knowing he had about ZERO chance to find a parking space.

* * *

Kid looked up through a hazy screen of smoke, feeling as he was turned to lie on his back. His glazed blue eyes looked slowly up, and he just gaped at the tall figure towering above him.

"Ah... O... Odin?" His small voice spoke weakly, his fingers twitching as he tried to move his hand, but couldn't. "I fell..." He whispered, fighting to keep his eyes open.

Through the thick screen of smoke, he could see the figure's face, behind a gas mask, her eyes sparkling with a sinister gleam. He took in a deep and sharp breath, trying to keep himself awake. Something in the back of his head told him that something was terribly wrong, that he should fight and flee, but his body felt too heavy and tired to do it. He just let his head drop down, and his eyes close as he felt the tall figure scoop him off the floor and carry him out of the room.

* * *

Fiddling with his car keys, Odin ran up towards the building's entrance. He had to park a few buildings away, for he foresaw that there would be no parking space next to his building. He took a shortcut through the alleyway, running and looking down at his watch.

"I just know Kid is gonna scowl at me for this..." He muttered with half a smile, remembering all the other times he would forget something and come back home. He glanced back down at his watch and cursed again, beginning to run faster.

"Took you a while!" A voice suddenly called from ahead, and Odin looked up, a bit surprised to hear someone in the alley. And a female nonetheless. The voice was coming from another alley, connected to the one he was at.

"Sorry, darling, I had to play a little game of hide and seek." Another voice, a man, sneered.

Odin could hear the girl snort and a large door sliding open, probably a truck or a van. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Something was just not right about two people, a van and an alley. He hurried up, trying to get to them before they will head off.

He reached for his gun and found that it wasn't there. He had left it in the car. Baka! That's what you are! A big old baka!

"Ooh... what a cutey!" The woman's high-pitched voice echoed through the alley, and was followed by the sound of her clapping hands.

"Yeah, but they're only cute when they sleep." The man muttered, groaning as if he was lifting something heavy. "Here, have it." He spat and Odin could hear him walking away. A car's door opened, just as he reached the crossing of the two alleyways. His eyes widened and he stopped dead in his tracks.

He was right about the van. It was a large van, white and unmarked. By the driver's side, stood a man, a big bully from the looks of it. By the back door, stood a woman. A woman with screaming pink hair and a trashy outfit. And cradled in her arms, was Kid's unconscious body.

"HEY!" Odin called, glaring angrily at the duo. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Oh shit." The big man spat, slamming the driver's door shut. "Weren't you supposed to be in a shuttle by now?" He growled, marching towards the blond, pulling out a gun from its holster.

"And weren't you supposed to leave us ALONE?!" The blond man contradicted, cursing himself over and over for not having a gun. But that didn't mean he wouldn't fight. He took a fighting stance, which told the man that he was unarmed. The man stopped in his tracks and grinned.

"You'll never change, will ya, Lowe?" He mocked, looking down at the blond in disgust. He waved his gun at him, eyes mocking. He kissed his gun, smirking all the while, mocking eyes never leaving the blond. "Never leave home without it."

"Why you-" The man growled, preparing to launch forward and tackle the man to the ground.

"Uh ah uh..." The sulty woman warned, rocking the sleeping boy in her arms, as if he was her baby. "Careful now, handsome. We wouldn't want to hurt our angle, now would we?" She laughed, brining the child up to her face, kissing his forehead lightly.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU BITCH!!!" Odin roared, charging towards her. Her partner, who had slammed his foot in the blond's gut, stopped him. Odin crumbled down to the floor, cursing. "What do you want form him..?" He breathed, trying to get control of the pain. He looked up through his messy blond bangs, seeing the couple smirk.

"I think we should take him with us." The pink haired woman spoke in a low and sweet voice, brining the slumbering boy closer to her chest, still rocking him from side to side. "Make sure he won't be a bad boy..."

The bully just snorted and went to stand above the blond, pointing down at him with his gun. "C'mon, pretty boy, up."

Odin didn't take his eyes off the mad woman holding his Kid, glaring at her as if it would do any good. She just smiled wickedly at him, brining the boy up to her face, kissing his cheek softly, her mocking eyes never leaving Odin's angry blue eyes.

"I said up!" The big man called, grabbing Odin by his upper arms, lifting him up. "C'mon, we're taking a little trip..." He muttered, while cuffing the blond's hands behind his back.

Odin just kept staring at the woman holding Kid, grounding his teeth in anger.

The woman must have realized how angry he was and just smirked at him, this time bending down and licking the child's soft cheek.

Odin's anger grew and he tried to storm at her, ready to beat her cheap body into a pulp. The other man held him back, but he fought and tried to free himself, doing anything in his power to get to Kid. He ended up being knocked in the back of his head. The last thing he saw as he fell down to the ground, was that crazy pink haired woman carry Kid into the van, talking to him as a mother would speak down to her child, telling him a bedtime story.

After that, it was all black.

* * *

"And then the princess ran out of the castle, her hair flying out in the wind, and she ran towards her knight, calling out his name..."

Slowly, he managed to pull himself out of the thick and unwelcome darkness. He blinked a few times, but the darkness didn't sway. It remained, and he assumed that he was blindfolded. He moaned silently as he lifted his pounding head up, trying to get his bearings. He could tell that he was sitting, hands tied behind his back. His eyes were covered, and mouth gagged. And he could feel that he was moving, probably in the van. And where was Kid? Is he still here? Is he safe?! Where was he?!

"I think prince charming is awake." A bored voice let out from near by. Odin could tell that the speaker was sitting next to him.

"Oh good, maybe he can help me finish my story." A familiar and amused voice chipped.

Behind the blindfold, Odin rolled his eyes.

"What do you say, handsome?" The woman called again, jumping out of her sit. Odin could feel her come close and then suddenly, she was sitting on his lap. He could feel her long and cold fingers trace down his face and his jaw line. "You're good at stories, aren't you?" She teased with her sweet and sluty voice. "You're very good at stories..."

Odin shivered as he felt her rub her ass against his groin. He turned his head away from her touch and tried to push her off of him, disgusted.

The woman just laughed, then slapped him, hard. He ground his teeth to keep himself from calling in pain as she ripped the tape off his mouth.

"That's better, no?" She asked, her fingers already touching his lips.

"Don't touch me, you whore."

"The name's Carla, or have you forgotten?"

He rolled his eyes. "Where's Kid?"

"Oh, he's here. Still sleeping, I think."

"If you harmed him I-" He was surprised when he felt her lift the blindfold off his eyes, and blinked a few times, adjusting to the dim light inside the van. Carla's smirking face was there to greet him. He glared at her. "What do you want?!"

He could hear the man next to him snort and saw him shake his head. His eyes narrowed in anger as he recognized the bully. Bad Man.

"What's so funny?" He growled.

"You. You always have to mess things up, Lowe. I told you that, ten years ago, when you went to work for them. But you didn't listen. And now, if you would have just minded your own fucking business..."

"Kid is MY business!"

"Humph! You were supposed to be out on a mission. We would have taken him and returned him with no harm done. He wouldn't have remembered a thing! Just taking a little nap. But here you had to barge in, making our lives much harder than they already are..."

"Don't feel so sorry for yourself, Boris. Your life were miserable as it is."

Carla burst out laughing.

"Shut up, bitch!" The large man roared.

Carla kept on laughing, putting two arms around Odin's neck.

"SHUT! UP!"

"Ahhh. . ." A small and tired voice suddenly moaned.

"Baby!" Carla called happily, jumping off Odin's lap. She bounced over to where the child was lying, clapping her hands like a little girl running downstairs on Christmas morning.

"Kid!" Odin called as he saw his Kid stir awake, lying on the seat across of where he was sitting. His heart clenched painfully as he saw that Kid too was blindfolded, gagged, hands behind his back. "What did you do to him!? He's just a ch-" The gag was suddenly back in his mouth, and he whirled his head around to glare at Boris.

The man just smirked.

"O--iin?" Kid's tried to let out weakly, but couldn't. He gasped quietly, head jerking up in fear. He looked around, left and right, but saw nothing. Frightened, he let out a small whimper.

Odin looked down in shame, forcing the tears to stop from coming. I couldn't protect you, kiddo. I'm so sorry...

Again the child whimpered, sitting up, looking around, but seeing nothing.

"Oh, baby!" Carla called in what sounded like over-done concern, hugging the boy closely, squeezing his face against her chest.

Odin could see Kid's body tense in fear. He tried to call out to him, wanting to tell him that everything was all right, but his voice was nothing but a muffled call. One that Boris hurried to hush.

"Ohhh... my poor baby..." Carla soothed, stroking the boy's hair gently, rocking him from side to side.

Kid tried to pull away. He was sitting in such an uncomfortable position, hands tied behind his back and he was half sitting, half lying against someone, his back all twisted. He was hurting, but the arms around him wouldn't let go.

"Oh, hush now, baby... Hush... shhh..."

Kid whimpered quietly, now really confused and afraid.

Odin's anger rose as he saw little crystal tears slide down Kid's tender cheeks. He was crying... his little angel was crying... He wanted nothing but to go there and wipe the tears away from that small face... to soothe him and tell him that everything will be all right... But he couldn't. He couldn't protect his Kid!

* * *

"Lets play another game!" Carla called, clapping her hands again.

"Oh, shut up woman!" Boris roared, disgusted. "We'll get there soon, so just SHUT UP ALREADY!"

"But I'm boooooored!" The woman whined, pouting. "We've been driving for like FOREVER."

Actually, it was more like two hours, as Odin calculated. All ride long he kept watching Carla and Kid carefully, making sure she didn't harm the boy. But all that happened were Carla's silly games and endless chatter, accompanied by her LOUD fights with Boris. Which was what was happening now, as they once again began one of their verbal fights.

Odin sighed and shook his head as Carla jumped up at Boris and began to punch the large man. He turned to look back at Kid, sitting silently by the window, his head turned towards it as if he was looking outside. But he wasn't, he couldn't, for he was still blindfolded. His heart bled as he saw a shiny stream of tears slide from under the black fabric. And those small lips, they were trembling, as the child tried so hard not to cry...

Odin looked away in shame, cursing himself over and over. What did those guys wanted with Kid? Why would they bother sending him on a fake mission, only to kidnap the boy? Why? What was he worth to them?

"GET OFF WOMAN!" Boris finally roared, pushing the laughing pink haired woman off of him.

Wiping away the tears of laughter, Carla slumped back to her seat, next to Kid. "Well," She sighed, looking up at the boy. "That was fun! What now?"

The boy didn't turn his head from the window, ignoring her.

"Umm... let me see..." Carla muttered, looking around, thinking. Her hand began to sneak up to Kid's slim thigh and she began to caress it absent mindedly, while thinking.

Odin tensed, straightening in his seat, eyeing Carla's hand carefully.

Carla caught his gaze and looked down at her hand, resting on the boy's leg. The small limb was all exposed, for the child was wearing short gray trousers, a white shirt and a green sweater. She smiled wickedly, looking back up at Odin.

The blond's eyes widened and he tensed even further as he saw her palm begin to move up and down Kid's slim white thigh, caressing him with slow and seductive motions.

"Mumph!" He called, trying to get up.

Boris hurried to push him back, pressing his hand against the man's chest, forcing him back against the seat. He too was looking at what the woman was doing, his eyes suddenly filling with some dark emotion as Carla kept running her hand up and down the boy's thigh, and slowly sneaking under the fabric, moving inside his pants.

Kid fidgeted, trying to somehow make that hand stop, to get out from under his pants. She wasn't reaching his groin, but still, it made him feel uncomfortable. He whimpered silent and in frustration, as his movements only helped the hand climb higher.

"...arla!!!" Odin tried to shout, but it came out all muffled. "MMUMM... MUMMPH!!!"

Carla smirked, beginning to move her hips back and forth in time of her caressing.

Boris smiled, eyeing her hips as they moved. He slowly licked his lower lip, his breath quickening.

Again Odin tried to pull out of the man's grip, anxious to get to his boy and stop this abuse. Kid was looked very uncomfortable, fidgeting in his seat, as if trying to pry that hand away from him.

Carla suddenly let out a small cry of pleasure, her hand beginning to move faster up and down the child's hip. She closed her eyes in ecstasy, thrusting her head back, biting down her lower lip. Her hips continued to move up and down more rapidly, and her fingers closed around the soft young flesh of the boy's thigh, moving up and down in rhythm with her hip motion.

Kid whimpered, looking around fearfully, not understanding what were all these noises he was hearing, and she was hurting him! She was hurting his leg!

"-op et!!" Odin cried, tears running down his cheeks. "-iid!"

"Ah!" Kid called in pain as the woman's long fingernails dug deep into his flesh.

"Ah! Ah! Nnnn..." Carla called out in pleasure, her movements increasing.

Boris began to pant heavily as well, his eyes not leaving Carla.

Odin closed his eyes tightly, looking away as the woman neared her climax, making all sort of crazy noises. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears, Carla's calls, Kid's cry of pain and Boris's panting. They seemed to over power him, smothering him with their growing intensity.

And then the car stopped, and the door open.

Carla gasped, then fell silent.

Boris hurried to hide the evidence of his excitement and sent a glare at Carla. The woman hurried to retrieve her hand out of the child's pants.

Odin looked up, face covered with worry, and checked on Kid. Aside of looking disoriented, the boy looked fine. He looked around, confused as to why they've stopped.

"What is he doing here?" A stern voice suddenly called and Odin turned to look at the door. His eyes widened and then narrowed in anger.

A man was standing there, wearing Federation uniforms. He was large in built, had a stern face and a short, military haircut. He was glaring at him and the others with disgust.

"We had a little trouble, boss." Boris apologized, getting up.

"I see..." The man let out in an unpleased manner, eyeing the small boy who was sitting in the far end of the van. He frowned, then looked up angrily at Boris. "What is the meaning of this?" He shouted, blocking the man's way for he was about to step out of the vehicle. "You were supposed to drug him! Not to tie him up and gag him!"

"Yo, chill, okay? We brought the brat, didn't we?" Carla sneered, stepping out of the car herself. She was dragging the frightened boy with her. "You're such a stiff..." She muttered, pushing the boy towards the man.

Kid gasped in surprise as he felt himself being pushed and then collide with someone. He looked up in fright, but as usual, he could see nothing.

The man looked down at the small boy and his gaze softened. The child was clearly frightened, but he looked like he was trying to hide it, biting down his lower lip to stop himself from crying, his body tense but yet trembling. Traces of tears were on his small cheek; a few new ones were streaming down from under the blindfold.

The man reached down and took off the blindfold, causing the child to gasp. He blinked a few times, looking around. He saw Carla smirking down at him, and when he looked back, he could see Boris-- no - Bad Man- pushing Odin out of the van. And while he was looking back at Odin, the man in Federation uniforms freed his aching wrists and pulled out the gag out of the boy's mouth.

"Odin!" Kid burst out crying, running towards his caretaker. The blond man kneeled down on the ground just as Kid reached him, throwing his arms around him, hugging him tightly, burying his face in his chest. "I was so scared Odin! I was so scared!" He cried into the man's warm body, holding him tight.

Tears ran down the man's cheeks and he wished with all his might that he could hug the boy back, soothe him and tell him it was okay now. But his hands were still tied and his mouth was gagged.

"C'mon now, the boss is waiting." The man in uniforms spoke and began to advance towards a nearby building.

Odin and Kid were forced to follow him.

* * *

Kid didn't let go of Odin as they entered the large and old building. He had attached himself to the man's leg, and had absolutely NO intention of letting go. How he wished Yoshi was here with him, so he won't have to be afraid. He wondered if his friend was all right. Just the thought of Yoshi being unprotected made the boy inch closer to his caretaker, hugging his leg tightly, making it hard for the man to walk. But even if he could, Odin didn't complain. He wanted Kid as close as possible. He might not be able to protect him, but he could at least try and make the boy feel protected.

The man in uniforms stopped in the entrance of some large room, which seemed like some sort of lounge. Carla and Boris pushed the two captures into the room, and a large door slid closed behind them.

"Welcome." A voice called, echoing through the large room. "I must say I am a little surprised to see you here, Lowe. Weren't you supposed to be on L4 by now?"

Odin snorted, rolling his eyes. He knew that voice. He DESPISED that voice. And his eyes narrowed as the owner of the voice walked into the room, his usual frown in place. He growled angrily as the man walked up towards he and Kid, looking down at the boy with a strange gleam in his eye.

"I told you that he will become useful one day, but you won't listen." He snarled, coming to stand by the boy. "I know you've been training him."

Odin just kept glaring, coming to stand in front of Kid, so the man won't be able to touch him.

The man just smiled at him with mocking eyes, and pulled back a few steps. "Sevichi!" He called, and the man dressed in Federation uniforms stepped forward. "Call the Doc, will you please?"

"Yessir!" The man saluted and hurried into the same dark hall the other had come from.

"Carla, darling, where are your manners? Is this a way to treat a guest?" The man sneered, looking at the pink haired slut.

"Sorry, boss." She muttered and hurried to rid Odin of his gag.

The man smiled. "Now, why won't you offer our guests a drink?"

"With pleasure..." She let out slyly, walking away.

Odin turned to glare at the man. "Quinze, what the fuck do you want?"

The white haired man sighed, shaking his head. "I had planned to be nice to you, but it seems that you can't appreciate that."

"You planned to kidnap him behind my back!" He shouted, restraining himself from launching at the man with his fists. It would do little good.

"It would have done no harm, he would have been asleep the whole time and returned with no memory of this happening." The man explained calmly.

"But what did I do?" A little voice suddenly asked from somewhere down.

Qunize looked down at the boy with annoyance. He had nearly forgot that the brat could speak. "Nothing, little boy. You did nothing. It's what you can do that is important." He turned to look up at the blond. "We only want to make a few harmful tests."

"Tests?!" Odin snarl. "What kind of tests?!"

"Oh, nothing special. You may think of it as a regular check up. That's all."

"I find that hard to believe." Odin snarled, taking a protecting stance in front of Kid. Kid, now feeling very much afraid, came closer to Odin, trying to avoid the white haired man's gaze. The word 'tests' made him feel very scared all of a sudden.

"Here you go!" Carla suddenly popped back into the room, carrying two glasses of water. She handed one to Kid. "You're probably very thirsty, huh baby?" She asked the little boy, ruffling his hair. "C'mon, drink up."

"No." Odin growled, coming to stand between them.

"Oh, it's just water!" The girl whined.

"I don't believe you."

"Here, try it yourself." She smirked, serving one cup to his lips. Odin eyed her carefully, but took a little sip. It tasted like ordinary water.

Carla smirked. "See? No harm done."

Odin rolled his eyes. "I want him to drink form the same cup."

"Fine... fine..." She muttered, bending down in front of the boy. "C'mon baby, drink it all up."

Kid took the paper cup, looking up uncertainly at Odin. Odin nodded his head, encouraging him to drink. After being drugged, he assumed the boy was thirsty.

Kid sent one last uncertain look at the glass, then sighed and brought it to his lips.

Carla grinned. "That's it, sweetie. Drink up. Drink it allllllll up."

Odin's eyes widened and he gasped. "Kid - NO!"

But it was too late.

The cup fell from Kid's limp hand, and the boy collapsed into Carla's waiting arms.

The woman smirked and got up, cradling the boy in her arms. She turned to Odin and winked.

"See? No harm done."

* * *

He watched helplessly as they placed Kid's unconscious body on a large dentist's chair, which was three times bigger than the little boy's body. They strapped his small arms to the arm sets and stripped him of his cloths, tearing and throwing the green teddy bear sweater he loved so much to the floor. He remained only in his underwear, looking so small and fragile. He was probably so cold... His little boy was cold... Why are they doing this to him? Why harm a little innocent child?

"We need to talk." A voice came from behind him, and Odin turned his head, seeing Quinze approach the chair he was sitting in, still tied up, guarded by Sevichi.

"I have nothing to say to you unless you let go of my Kid." He growled dangerously, looking up at the man with hatred in his eyes. "I said I didn't want him to be any part of your games."

Quinze snorted, coming to stand in front of the man. "I promise you that no harm will come to him. We're just-" He stopped in mid sentence, looking up at the direction of the door.

Odin looked up as well; not understanding why was he looking up. He could hear something come from the dark hall, someone was approaching. It was the sound of steps, someone was walking heavily, and if he heard right, he was aided by a cane. The cane was probably metallic, for he could hear a metallic quality to the approaching steps.

"You're late." Quinze growled just as the figure stepped into the room.

"Well, well, always the cranky one... It was a long flight after all. And in my age... ah, well, you understand."

The white haired man rolled his eyes. "Just get to it." He spat, turning back to look down at Odin.

The blond was still looking up at the strange old man standing by the hall. He was a short and elderly man, who held a cane in one hand, and the other was... well, he had no real hand. It was more like a metal claw. The man himself seemed like some freaky cyborg or something, with one metallic hand and leg. But the most disturbing part of him, were his eyes. Or the lack of them, that is. He had a set of gray, empty and metallic glasses for eyes. He assumed that they were artificial as well. They gave him such a sinister and unnatural look that will give any six-year-old nightmares for life.

And this man was here to see HIS Kid?! There's just no FUCKING WAY that that was gonna happen!

"Well, get to it already!" Quinze snapped.

"Yes... yes... of course." The old man muttered, stumbling into the room. "Where is the boy?" He looked around, his eyes finally encountering the sight of a little slim figure lying on a nearby chair, deep asleep. "Well, a fine specimen indeed..." He mumbled to himself, looking down at the boy.

Specimen?! His Kid was a... a... a specimen?!!

"Don't you dare touch him!" Odin shouted, jumping off the chair. He tried to once again break the restrains holding his arms behind his back, but had little luck. "Don't you fucking touch him! Get away from him, ya hear?! GET AWAY!!"

He tried to run and tackled the crippled man to the floor, but Sevichi was soon on his tail, nailing him down to the ground. But he didn't stop struggling. He tried to push the large man off of him, kicking and screaming out long lines of cursing. The man slammed his head into the floor in return for his thrashing about, but the assassin still didn't give up. He turned around, causing the large man to fall of him and onto the floor. He hurried to jump up to his feet, and kicked the man over and over.

"CARLA! BORIS!"

Sounds of echoing footsteps echoed through the building as the duo came running into the room. Odin tried to fight them as well, but eventually lost. Boris and Sevichi held him back as Carla inflicted a few painful blows.

"Now! Be! Good!" She called as she kicked him, straight in the gut.

He held himself back from calling out in pain, looking up in Kid's direction all the while. He saw the freaky man, that so-called doctor, hover over him, checking and probing the small body.

And then the two men let go and he collapsed down to the floor.

Quinze's feet were soon in his line of vision. "Are you ready to deal yet?" The man asked in a bored and annoyed voice.

"Not until... you... get that... freak away fro... from my... boy..." He panted, eyes looking up at the sneering man, as Boris kept holding his head down on the ground, while sitting on him. "Get him outta my... sight... then... we'll... talk."

The white haired rebel frowned. "Well, perhaps we should have our discussion in some other room, where this freak will not be in your sight." He looked up at the man pinning Odin down to the floor. "Boris?"

"Sure do, boss." The man replied, jumping off the blond man and scooping him off the floor. "C'mon, pretty boy, we're going for another walk..."

"No! Wait!" He called desperately as they pushed him out of the room. He whirled his head back, looking over his shoulder, seeing that... that... doctor run some scan over Kid's head. "No!" He called, again trying to break free. But Boris saw it coming and hurried to hold him down, pushing him forcefully out of the room.

"No! Let go! KIIIIID!!!!"

* * *

They dragged him all the way to some other dark room, shoving him into some uncomfortable chair. He looked around, seeking the door, wanting to go back and be next to Kid. If he wasn't able to stop them, he should at least stay and see they weren't doing any harm!

He sighed, looking down in defeat. Who was he kidding? He couldn't protect the boy, no matter what he tried. He had never felt so helpless in his life!

And Quinze knew that. And, he was sure that he was going to use it against him.

The white haired man sat down by a small table, across from the blond assassin. He examined the defeated man for a while, then smirked to himself. He reached for a jug of water, pouring it to a paper cup. He handed it to the blond, sliding it across the table.

Odin raised his head up, looking at the man with accusing eyes. "Are you trying to mock me?" He sneered, rolling his eyes.

The other sighed and looked up at the bully standing behind Odin. "Boris?"

The man muttered something under his breath, something that sounded a lot like a curse. He bent forward and released Odin's hand.

"Leave us."

Again the man muttered something, but left nonetheless.

Quinze turned back to the assassin, who was rubbing his wrists, where the skin broke under the tight restrains. He took in a deep breath, and then looked up at the man again.

"We have a big job coming up. Bigger than any other job we ever did. Bigger than anything anyone had ever tried."

"I'm not interested."

"That's all right. We're not interested in you either."

Odin looked up at him, eyes narrow. "What do you mean?"

"One of my... associates, has a plan. A plan that will overthrow the Federation rule over us. A plan to free the colonies from Earth's control."

"What are ya gonna do? Drop nukes at them?" He snarled, shaking his head. "You rebels are crazy. There's no overthrowing the Federation!"

Quinze just smirked. "It can be done. With the right tools. And, the right weapons."

"With the right troops, you mean."

Again, the man smirked.

Odin snorted in disgust, shifting his gaze away, leaning back into the chair. "You're crazy. There's no weapon that can go against the Specials Mobile Suits. They have the latest models. And you don't have the money, nor resources, to duplicate them."

"I see you have little faith in our capabilities, Lowe." The man answered smoothly, crossing two arms over his chest.

"Ch! Whatever. What does all this have to do with me? And Kid! What do you want with him!?"

"We need inside information, and you have it. We need someone who has access to certain places."

"Humph! Why won't you ask your little Federation-boy Sevichi there, huh? I'm ancient history by now."

"You are a lot more valuable than you think, Lowe. Why do you suppose the Specials are still after you and your brat?"

Odin gasped, looking up at him. He hadn't thought of that.

"The truth is, Lowe," The man continued, leaning forward towards him, resting his arms of the table. "That sooner or later, they will catch you two. Do you think that as a bright future for your boy? With you gone, what will he do then, huh? That is, if they won't kill him too."

Odin lowered his head down in shame, closing his eyes, trying to mentally push the image of Kid's dead and bleeding body out of his head.

"What do you want then?" He whispered, defeated.

Quinze smirked, leaning back in the chair, a satisfied look on his face. "I propose a deal."

* * *

After a long discussion with the rebel's leader, Odin was still sitting in the dark room, his head hanging low, chin resting on his chest, eyes closed in defeat. After what he spoke with Quinze, it became clear to him that he must get rid of Kid. The boy had no place in his life any more. He did not belong to a world where crazy plans of war were planned. Where people worked in shadows, manipulating and working to build the Doom's Day weapon. As much as he loved the boy, he had to let him go. If he cannot protect him himself, he should bring him to a place where he was protected. Where he was far FAR away from evil men who wanted to use him for their own sick purposes.

It was time to let go.

He had to let go of Kid.

His Kid.

How the hell was he going to do it?

"He's magnificent! Absolutely spectacular!" A rough, but yet excited, voice called, as a figure burst into the room, waving papers and reports in her hands. "Amazing! He is absolutely AMAZING! Why his potential goes far beyond any others we've ever seen..." The figure carried on excitedly, hurrying towards the frowning Quinze.

Odin looked up at the crazy doctor, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. He was talking about Kid, now was he? Had they completed the... tests? Was Kid all right now? Was he safe?

"Calm down, old man!" Quinze ordered impatiently, getting up. "Come down and give me a full report."

"Yes... yes... of course..." The man muttered to himself, flipping through the many pages he was carrying. "I ran full body scans... and brain scans... I ran an MRI and a CCD and when I ran a full SAMS on him... ohh boy... you should have seen it! The readings were off the scale!"

Odin raised an eyebrow and looked over to Quinze, wondering if the man understood ANY of that, for he sure didn't.

Quinze just looked even more impatient than before. He folded his arms over his chest and glared at the man. "I thought I requested RESULTS and NOT your scientific bullshit!"

"Yes... yes... I apologize..." The man breathed, trying to catch his breath. After regaining his composer, still grinning like a child who had just found his long lost toy, he looked up at his leader seriously. "His physical condition is more than fine. He is healthy and strong. Pain tolerance is at a high level, and I believe that there is room for improvement. His potential is great. He is strong. Very strong. Reflexes are far above average. Motoric skill and coordination are superb. He can use both arms to the same level, I've heard of very few cases such as this. Especially up in the colonies."

Quinze raised an eyebrow, looking suspicious. "There are a few cases indeed. Such physical health is rarely found up in the colonies. Life in space has been harsh with us." He agreed, looking down suspiciously at the blond assassin. "Where'd you find this boy?"

Odin narrowed his eyes, not understanding what was the big deal. "In an L1 colony. Why?" He looked up and saw the doctor frown, rubbing his chin in thought.

"L1 does have good subsistence conditions, however, it is still rare for a colony-born to be in such a... vigorous condition. I can only assume that he was not born up in the colonies..." He looked up at Quinze, lips curling up in an amused smile. "So far for your colony-born, colony's own, rebel fighter, huh Quinze?" He sneered.

"Humph! I do not concern myself with such pity issues. Carry on."

Kid was from Earth? No way... he knew his mother was a delegate in the L1 embassy... he was from L1! He was sure of it... No. Wait a minute. He remembered now. Kid's father was from Earth. Heh, he nearly forgot. Kid's mother must be from Earth too, she must have fled up to L1 when she tried to get away from her ex-husband.

Odin smiled to himself. Now he and Kid had another thing in common. Not only were they both orphans, but also they were both from Earth. Heh, what a 'funny' way to find that out... There must be irony in here somewhere...

He looked up, continuing to listen to the doctor's words.

"...And his mental capacity... It's beyond anything I had expected! Especially for someone this young. The boy is gifted, there's no doubt about it. He is brilliant. The scans are not quite accurate, but if we run the right tests, I'm sure it will confirm that his IQ level is far above average. His potential is enormous. With the right training and edification he can achieve great things." His lips curled up in another sinister smile and he looked down into Qunize's eyes. "This boy is... perfect."

A similar smile began playing on Quinze's lips and he slowly turned to face Odin. "Perfect, huh? Well, Lowe, it appears our deal is on. Shall we seal the contract?"

Odin swallowed hard, but managed to nod his head. But inside, he was thinking something completely different. He will play along with them, on the surface. But his real decision was already made. He will not give them his Kid. He was going to give Kid away to someone who will take care of him, better than he ever could. The question is, how to do it so these maniacs won't be able to find him? How can he 'lose' the Kid without having to worry that they will track him down?

* * *

"Here he is, back as promised." Quinze spat as Boris dumped Kid into Odin's waiting arms. "The drugs should lose their effect soon. He'll have no memory of this day at all, as promised." He concluded, then turned back and began to walk towards the white van, parked in the dark alley behind Odin's and Kid's apartment building. Just before entering the vehicle, the man paused and turned to look over his shoulder. "We shall contact you soon, regarding our deal. You should also expect a few more jobs coming up." And with that, he climbed into the car and the door closed.

Odin watched the cursed van drive away, Kid's limp form still cradled in his arms. The poor boy was still wearing only his underwear. They didn't even bother to put his cloths back on. He knew how sorry the boy will be once he would find out that he had lost his favorite sweater.

But he had no time to dwell on it now. The important thing was that Kid was safe and sound. He hurried to cover the boy's shivering form with his own dirty and torn jacket, and hurried into the building.

Once up in their apartment, he rushed to place Kid in his bed, kneeling down by the small bed. He checked over Kid's body, making sure that he was indeed unharmed. There wasn't even a light scratch on the delicate and silky skin. No mark to stand as evidence to what had been done to him. He could only assume that nothing other than scans had been taken. Just like a regular doctor's check up... Humph! As if!

After dressing Kid in his night clothes, he covered the boy tightly, placing little Yoshi next to him. Usually, the boy would respond to his little friend's presence, but this time, he didn't. The drugs must have him deep under. And for some reason, it only made Odin sadder, not seeing his boy smile as he registered his teddy's presence.

After making sure the child had stopped shivering, Odin got up and left the room, turning off the light, but not closing the door. It was now late at night, and the small apartment was dark. He walked heavily into the living room, rubbing his aching wrists. What he needed now is a strong, hot, cup of coffee. He would have preferred an alcoholic drink, but God forbid if he ever starts drinking again. No. For Kid's sake, he had promised to himself that there would be no more drinking.

After heating up some water, he walked over to the living room's window. The large window was wide open, facing the fire escape. Cold wind was entering through it and he shivered, rubbing his upper arms to chase the cold away. He stood by the window, looking down at the dark alley, five stories bellow. It was empty now, all evidence of what had transpired gone. It all seemed like a far away dream now. It was so unreal. For the last three months they had lived quietly, comparing to how they had lived before. And now this, all of a sudden... life just wouldn't leave him alone. And now he was pulling Kid into his twisted fate... It just wasn't fair, that's all.

Sighing deeply, he closed the window and staggered back to the kitchen. On his way there his foot bumped into something and he cursed silently, looking down. He frowned as he saw that he bumped into a small Robot-like action figure that lay on the floor. He bent down and picked it up, looking at it with a frown. He looked at the window and then down at the figure. He remembered Kid playing with it two days ago. When he called him to the table, to have his dinner, the boy placed his toy on the windowsill and ran towards the kitchen. The figure must have fallen off. He placed it back down on the windowsill.

After done making his coffee, he rubbed his eyes tiredly and sighed, looking down at the dark liquid with a frown. Suddenly, he felt this incredible fatigue and his hand turned limp. The cup slipped out of his hand and fell down to the floor, shattering. The dark liquid spilled all over the kitchen.

Odin just stood there, staring down at it numbly. His body was so sore and weak, so tired... he couldn't care less about the damn coffee. All he really needed right now, was sleep, not some stupid coffee!

He looked down at the shatters once more, and then he noticed the leftover pie lying scattered on the floor, by the fridge, the dark coffee getting soaked in the pie. He frowned, and thought of cleaning it up. That thought soon left his mind. Fuck that, he was too damn tired. Turning back, ready to walk out of the kitchen, he saw one of the drawers were open, and frowned again. Was Kid trying to make himself some lunch when he was taken?

Too tired to think it over, he decided to leave the cleaning up for tomorrow, and just go to sleep. Once he entered his bedroom, he stepped on something that cracked. Looking down, he saw that he had stepped on a knife. A kitchen knife. That's what he took from the drawer?

He kneeled down and picked up the knife, brining it up to his face. Kid... he tried to fight. He had taken the knife and tried to resist...

"Oh God, Kid..." He whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes as he looked at the knife and then around the room. His boy... he is strong. He was so brave today... in the van, and when they kidnapped him. He is a special Kid. Extremely special. But his gift... this boy, this wonderful boy, shouldn't be used as a weapon.

Odin got up and threw the knife away, and it hit the opposite wall, crashing down on his accursed laptop.

* * *

"Odin-san? Odiiiiinnnnn-saaaaannnnn. . . wake up now. . . Odin-san! Wake! Up!"

"Hummm?" Odin managed to muffle as he turned away from the insistent voice, snuggling deeper into the covers.

"Hey! Don't you turn away baka! Wake up!" The small voice called in annoyance and he could feel the bed shift as Kid jumped up on the bed, two small hands grabbing him by the shoulder, shaking him from side to side. "Wake. Up. Wake! Up! Wakeupwakeupwakeup!"

"Nnnn..." He moaned, covering his head with the blanket.

"Hey! No! Wake up! Hey! C'mon!" The boy called over and over as he hit the sleeping man, using Yoshi as a weapon. "Wakeupwakeupwakeupwakeupwakeup!"

Under the covers, Odin smiled to himself, happy to hear that usual cheerful tone. No matter how much the boy was pissed, his childish little voice always sounded amused when he was playing games with the boy. It was as if the last twenty-four hours had never happened... like there was nothing wrong and he could keep his Kid forever...

"Ne, Odin-san! We have to go, remember?"

Oh! The zoo! Kid thought they were going to the zoo! He had nearly forgot. That was the LAST thing that was on his mind after last night.

"Ne, Odin-san? Are you awake? C'mon, we have to go! You promised!" The boy called, jumping up and down, trying to pull the covers away from the stubborn old baka. "Come oooooooonnnnnn..." He whined.

Odin chuckled, pushing himself up tiredly. "All right... all right... I'm up!" He growled in mock-anger, mock-glaring at the grinning boy. He smiled back at the boy, and then yawned.

"Ch! How much can you sleep? It's half past twelve already!" The boy rolled his eyes and jumped off the bed, Yoshi still in hand. "You slept so much I already cleaned my room just like the consra-- the contract said!"

Odin couldn't help but chuckle, which earned him a quick glare from the boy.

"Sa," The boy continued. "I ate breakfast and I watched TV... AND I did the dishes and cleaned the mess you did in the kitchen... all you did was sleep and sleep and sleep!" He turned to him with the most adorable scowling face ever made, and Odin couldn't help but smile at him. Kid snorted and rolled his eyes. "Hn! Baka yaru... Now- Get! Up! We have to go." He prepared to run out of the room, when suddenly he stopped, whirling back to face Odin, one finger going up to his lips. "Ano... Odin-san? Did you see my green sweater? I wanted to wear it today..."

Odin swallowed, looking away from the boy. "Oh, um, sorry kiddo, I think I threw it to the laundry..." He muttered quietly.

"But I wanted to wear it today!"

"Sorry, buddy. Really, I am..."

Kid frowned, looking up at Odin as the blond dragged himself out of bed and towards the door. He looked so sad... or maybe he was tired? Was it because of the sweater?

"Nah, it's okay." The boy assured him with a smile. "But you get ready fast and then we'll go!" He called, running out of the room.

Odin leaned one hand against the doorframe, looking after Kid's retreating form. He smiled weakly at him and then sighed, letting his gaze down in shame. What will he do without that little angle making him smile?

* * *

Although tired, worried and depressed, he had taken Kid out to the zoo as promised. The boy was ecstatic, bouncing up and down as he ran from one spot to another, fascinated by everything he saw. He chitchatted happily as Odin forced his exhausted body to move and keep up with the excited little boy. But he ignored the fatigue and just smiled at him, happy to still be able to hear that cheerful little chirping voice in his ears. He was patient and answered the boy's questions about anything, though he wasn't very big on conversation that day. Kid just ignored it, reasoning that his caretaker was tired after watching TV till late. He did his very best to make the most out of that day, and to make Odin feel better.

The two had a lot of fun that day, at the zoo, the near amusement park and shopping center, where Kid got to pick out a few new toys. Odin just wanted to see his smile and hear his laughter as much as he could, so he let the boy do ANYTHING he wanted. He too had fun that day. He just wished to God that that day would never end. That he could keep his little angel forever. He would give ANYTHING... his life, his soul, anything... for his boy to come out of this mess safe and alive. He didn't care how, as long as his little angel will some how be safe.

"Ne, Odin-san? What are you doing?" Kid asked quietly as he came to stand by his caretaker, an icecream cone in one hand, Yoshi in the other. He found it odd when he saw Odin was standing by the fountain in the middle of the mall, just staring down at the water. He watched with interest as the man shoved his hand into his jeans pocket and dug out a coin. Odin then threw it into the water, closing his eyes slowly. Kid watched him silently as he just stood there, eyes closed, his mouth moving like he was talking, but no sound coming out.

When the blond finally opened his eyes, he kept looking down at the water, where the coin stood.

"Ne, Odin, what'd you do?"

"I made a wish." The blond answered softly, turning to look down at the confused little boy.

"Oh. Is that like a consra-contract?"

"No." He shook his head, smiling slightly. "It's more like a request."

"From God?"

"Yeah." He sighed, turning back to look at the water.

"Oh." Kid let out, licking his icecream. He turned to look up at his caretaker. "You made a contract with God?"

"I hope so." He answered quietly, closing his eyes sadly.

Somewhere up there, his prayer was heard.

OWARI.

Wow... was that a long fill-in or what? I wonder what made me write it... I just wanted to clear a few things I found confusing- like how the fuck does one sit around in some dark alley, asking kids in random if they feel like being Gundam pilots??? I mean, there must have been some early planning, ne?

Naomi

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