Nadesico Fan Fiction ❯ To Die or Not to Die ❯ Chapter 5

A/N: I forgot to mention in the preview for this chapter… We're at the perfect time for an interlude! ^_^ Occasionally we'll have these, just as a warning. Trust me, it is part of the fic, explains some of the things that are going on with the minor-y characters, and introduce some along the way. Anyway, yes, Akito and Gai do meet up again, and for those of you that have been reading it just for the Itsuki and Ryoko shmuff, let the flirtation commence! ^_^ This starts off at the end of Episode 12 and continues into Episode 13, but not the end of the episode 13 just yet. ^_^

~*~

(Ruri Interlude)

A small communications window popped up, only it didn't show a face, only words. Ruri looked down, trying to be discreet. The window read: "Those unforgettable days, for them, I live." Obviously a message from Omoikane. Ruri smiled. "Yes. How very true." The message changed, from its poetic thought, to a question.

"Ruri-sama, is my body near completion?" Ruri gasped slightly, she had nearly forgotten. She opened another window, showing Uribatake. "Uribatake-san? Omoikane wants to know if his body is nearly finished. Could you please tell me?"

Uribatake sighed. "Ruri-chan, I think you better tell Omoikane it's not going to be anytime really soon. I'm sorry. Perhaps after the new year he'll be done."

Ruri blinked. "I didn't expect it so soon… Thank you, Uribatake-san."

"No problem, Ruri-chan. No problem at all." The window beeped closed. Ruri placed her hands on the console again, relaying the message to Omoikane.

"Yay!" is what all the windows that popped up near her said. She had to fight to close them all.

"Calm down, Omoikane-chan. We can't have anyone else know you're still yourself until you're finished, then they can't do much of anything."

~*~

'Five months. Five months have gone by. In total… 13 months. A whole year and another month added on to that! What have I done? Nothing! I've just sat here on my ass and done nothing!' Gai continued to just sit on the floor, folding yet another paper plane to throw out the window as he thought back to about three months ago, when he was finally realized from Yokosuka hospital and sent to Itsuki's apartment.

~*~

"Itsuki, just what did you mean about my 'infatuation'? Gekiganger has been getting a little boring lately…" Gai had said in the car. The last two months had been a blur, of testing, resting, healing, and such.

"I wasn't talking about your fucked-up little robot anime, Jiro. Do you think that's why you want to get back to the Nadesico as soon as possible? Baka." Gai had glanced at her again. "Then tell me, oh wondrous psychic, why do I want to get back on the Nadesico?"

Itsuki had almost completely stopped the car. "You're just like me, Jiro." "What does that mean?" he had replied. She had just smiled.

"You know about me, I'm not a follower of the straight and narrow. Obviously, you aren't either."

Gai's eyes had bugged out of his head. "What?!? Okay, look, I know you're a lesbian, but just because you're gay doesn't mean I am."

She had shaken her head. "I've had more girlfriends than you could ever dream to have. You've never had one! Not one!"

"Maybe I'm not ready!" he had snarled at her. She hadn't even blinked. "Ready for what? Ready for sex? Ready for kissing? Ready for a relationship? Or maybe you're just not ready to be fucking serious for once! Goddamn it, Jiro. Most guys your age have fucked at least two chicks, dreamt about many, and said things like, 'Oh, damn, she's hot!'! You've never done anything of the like that, ever! And don't pull that, 'You were at the Lunar Theatre, you wouldn't know' shit, I know!"

It had taken Gai a few minutes to recover from her outburst. "…Where are you getting your evidence, Itsuki?"

Itsuki had started concentrating more on the road. "For example… you're always going on about getting back to the Nadesico… You've also told me just about everything there is to hear about that little Martian cook…"

Gai had looked out the window. "He's older than me, Itsuki."

"That's beside the point, and there you go again." Gai had glared at her again. "He's just a good friend!"

"Uh-huh. I've heard that before, out of my own mouth, in fact."

~*~

Gai shook his head, his dark brown hair getting in his eyes again. 'Crap, I need a haircut badly.' He took his newly folded airplane to the window, only to drop it as he saw something in the sky he never thought he would see again.

The Nadesico.

The door of the apartment opened and closed. Itsuki stood there, one hand on a hip. "That's not the only thing you should be excited about, Mr. 'You-wouldn't-know'."

Gai turned around to see she held a paper out, with UE stamping on it. "According to this, I'm being reassigned… Again." She sighed. "Only, I'm being assigned onto the Nadesico… To replace a certain Tenkawa Akito." She looked up and did her little smug smile. "Who is, in fact, being kicked off the ship because he's an amateur."

Gai's jaw went slack. "He… he's here?"

Itsuki smacked her forehead. "Not now you idiot. The Nadesico just got here, I need to go report, get my uniform and such. I'm already packed… Why don't you drive me over there? I'll help you out, and you can give Tenkawa-san a place to crash."

Gai could only nod numbly. 'Holy shit. Akito is going to be coming here! Here! Wait a second…' "He thinks I'm still dead. This isn't going to work Itsuki…"

"Sure it is. Trust me. This is perfect… Now I get to meet up with that beautiful, sexy pilot Ryoko…" Gai just rolled his eyes and grabbed Itsuki's keys.

~*~

"Um… so what are you going to do, Akito?" questioned Megumi, as if her entire decision weighed on his shoulders. 'Goddamn it, I don't love her, can't she see that?'

"Well, I wasn't really wanting to become a fully-fledged soldier, but -"

"Oh, you won't have anything to worry about," interrupted Munetake. "I won't?" 'I don't understand…'

"No. We just couldn't leave a giant robot in the hands of an amateur forever, and we've already gotten a superb pilot as your replacement." A click of heels, and then a girl around Yurika's height was standing by the UE Spacey officials.

"Lieutenant Kazamo Itsuki, graduated third in class at Kawasaki Academy, served at Kawasaki, Lunar Theatre, and Yokosuka Bay. Pleased to meet you, Captain Misumaru." She saluted, and then bowed to show her respect. She scanned the crew, as if looking for someone. First she smiled, smugly, almost indecently, and then she straightened up, as if duty smacked her in the face again. She walked with a clink of her new metal high heels to Akito. Itsuki held out a hand. "It's a shame we have to lose you, Tenkawa-san. Of course, though, you can see that this is the best thing for both of us." She smiled again. Akito did really not like her smile, but took her hand anyway.

"It's a shame I won't be able to try your cooking." She saluted him, and then leaned forward a bit. She whispered, so that only he could hear, "There's someone outside we both know, but you haven't seen in a while. I suggest that, when you leave, go with him. It'll give you a place to sleep, at least." She quickly stepped away and made a beeline for Ryoko. Akito was thoroughly confused, but went to collect his things anyway.

~*~

Ryoko wasn't really paying much attention to what was going on. 'Yeah… Tenkawa's being kicked off, but it doesn't really matter, I know his secret. And some girl's replacing him…' She was just telling the ever-teasing Hikaru and Izumi that she isn't interested in that retard, when, in a flash of red and purple, the new recruit was in front of her.

She looked out the side of her eye. "Um… hello?"

Itsuki smiled again. Then she looked at Ryoko from head to toe, as if she were checking her out. 'No way is she doing that though…' "Excellent. Exactly as I thought. A little toned, not too buff though. Uneven haircut, dyed vibrant green…" She smiled wider.

Ryoko's eyebrows knit. "What are you doing?!?" she growled.

A soft chuckle as the other two Angels left, possibly to leave them alone. 'I'll have to thank them later,' considered Itsuki. "Oh, nothing really. Just checking you out, is that so wrong?" Ryoko's jaw went slack, and Itsuki just smiled more, some of her perfect teeth showing this time. "I know much about you Ryoko. More than you know. You've made me obsessed before you've even spoken to me. Congratulations." Itsuki had grasped her hand somewhere in this monologue, and then brought it to her lips, kissing the callused knuckles.

Ryoko gasped, then ripped her hand from Itsuki's grip. "You… stay away from me!" she yelled, before running off. Itsuki's dark brown eyes gleamed, as if satisfied with the challenge.

"I will win you, Ryoko. I want you more than I've wanted anyone else."

~*~

Akito stared straight ahead as he walked his bike off the dock the Nadesico was at. Itsuki's words ran through his mind, about someone they both knew. 'But… there's only one person from this planet I know, that isn't already on the Nadesico, other than Saizo-san… But he isn't here…' A very familiar voice, a voice Akito thought he would never hear again, interrupted the Martian cook's thoughts.

"Hey, fry-cook. What's up?"

Akito gasped, then stopped walking his bike. He didn't turn around, however, just looked down. "I… I've told myself that I've let go of you." He took a ragged breath. "Gai Daigohji is dead… He's dead… If I find that the person behind me… isn't who I think it is… I will scream." All this, he whispered to himself, but Gai heard it too.

"It is, Akito. It's a long story, but I'm fine. I haven't seen you in a year… please turn around?" The tone of that voice was somewhat sad, a little hopeful, and something of a pleading tone.

Akito took a deep breath, and slowly turned around. He saw exactly what he thought he would.

Gai Daigohji. Yamada Jiro. Standing there with his arms crossed, but with a distant look on his face. Never looking better, as if he was never hurt at all. As if his death certificate had never been signed.

"Oh god…" Akito let his bike fall over, as he sank to his knees. Gai rushed over, and helped the Martian up. "You okay, Akito?"

"Gee, I just turn around and there's my best friend who's supposed to be dead. How do you think I'm feeling?" Gai giggled, and took hold of his bike. "I'm supposing Itsuki told you everything, or at least a few pieces of it, so let's get to the apartment then, shall we?"

Akito took another deep breath, as if to calm himself, then nodded.

TBC…

~*~A/N: Uweeheehee! I'm evil, yes. ^_^ Anyway, Itsuki seems to have a lot of lust going for Ryoko, doesn't she? And What's this deal with Omoikane? The next chapter will feature mostly Akito and Gai, so watch out for the cuteness, alrighty?