Nadesico Fan Fiction ❯ To Die or Not to Die ❯ Chapter 6

A/N: (yawn) Hoo, boy, I have one of the WORST cases of Writer's block all of a sudden, so if this sucks, Gomen. In addition, I decided to do a little Jun interlude.This is STILL in Episode 13, and isn't going to be any farther than that. (Episode 13 is a very important episode to this fic. Many things happen in it. Many nice things ^_^) Anyway, this has mucho interaction. Mucho. So, I suggest you sit back, relax, and squeal with delight. ^_^

~*~

"How are you alive, anyway?" The question caught Gai off-guard, but it wasn't the question that did it, it was the tone. Gruff, hard, almost cold. 'Detached,' Gai thought. 'Damn… what has this deception done to him?'

"I wasn't dead, I was suspended." Akito didn't look up. If he did, he was sure he was going to have a nervous breakdown. Gai took another turn. "Whenever I usually had a serious injury as a kid, things like getting knocked out, getting my tonsils taken out, anything that made me go unconscious, I usually went comatose."

"Why?" 'That's right Akito. Guard yourself; just keep asking questions, and you'll be fine.'

"I'm still not sure. Those idiot doctors here could never figure it out. But, the deal was, I got shot and I went unconscious, right? I'm sure they thought they lost a pulse, right?" Akito nodded, and the Earthling sighed. "I suppose it is part of the suspension… But hey, there has to be something wrong with one of the pair, even if it is as stupid as suspended animation…"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Surely, she told you." Gai glanced at the fry-cook. "Well, I guess not. Itsuki and I were… acquaintances when we were kids. Stupid perfect bitch."

Akito averted his gaze from straight ahead to out the window. The window just happened to be covered by a communications window.

"Hello, Akito-kun." Erina Kinjo Won's voice was sickeningly sweet, as if she was trying to make it sound nice. "We'd like you to come over here for a moment. We have some things to discuss with you." A second window popped up with a map of Kawasaki.

Gai looked at Akito. "You want to?" Akito didn't seem to like this woman, whoever she was.

Akito leaned back in his chair. "Sure, why not?"

~*~

(Jun Interlude)

Jun's dark blue eyes watered a bit with the last bit, but damn, it was smooth. It made all his problems go away. Jun felt as if he was in college again, and felt up to dancing, but, alas, no one to dance with. So, he sighed.

Uribatake looked up, his eyes glazed over. He was obviously drunk already. "Whassa matter, Aoi?"

Jun shook his head. "Nothing you'd be interested in. Girl trouble." He looked off into nothingness, suddenly wanted to pass out right there.

"Oh, jeah. A've bin wantin' ta ask ya, whaz between you and the Cap'n, anywayz?"

Jun leaned his head on the table. "We were engaged."

"Were?"

"Yes, were!" His voice quivered a bit. "Ever since we got on the Nadesico, it's all been downhill. Maybe, perhaps, she doesn't even like me anymore?"

Uribatake messed up his hair. "Shin up, Keed. Find shome udder woe-man to google, and you'll be fine."

Jun just nodded. "Okay."

~*~

Itsuki walked down the hall to the largest pilot room, the room of the Three Angels. Knocking on the door, she wondered just how she was going to seduce Ryoko. 'Perhaps a Christmas present…'

The person who answered the door wasn't the tomboy Itsuki was looking for, but, rather, the artist. "Oh, hello, Hikaru-san. Is Ryoko around?"

Hikaru gave her a warm smile and answered, "I'm not supposed to tell you, but she isn't here. I think she ran off to the cafeteria or something." Itsuki looked as if she was going to dart away, so Hikaru pushed up her glasses and stopped her with a quick question. "Itsuki-san… Why do you chase after Ryoko?"

Itsuki glanced at her. "You don't need to worry, now, Hikaru-san. I just need to talk to her."

Hikaru sighed. "Alright, Itsuki, she's in the shower, but she says she isn't coming out until Akatsuki-san's party." She looked into the face of the violet-haired pilot "You can talk to her there, can't you?"

"Sure, I'll see you later, Hikaru-san."

~*~

"I told Evelyn to marry Christopher. Marry Chris, Miss Eve…" Itsuki burst out laughing at Izumi's pun. Apparently, she was the only one who understood it. "My brother got arrested for stealing miniature cars. He said he only liked Hot Wheels." Itsuki giggled once again, Hikaru slapping Izumi on the back in attempts to shut her up. Itsuki didn't understand why she was doing that…

Until she saw Ryoko.

Ryoko was looking as if she was going to slap the blue-haired pilot across the face if she didn't stop. This was obviously a common war that happened, since Hikaru was doing her best to calm it.

'The best way to stop a battle,' thought Itsuki as she got up from her stool, 'is to settle differences on both sides. Hikaru can handle Izumi, I'm taking Ryoko.' She giggled quietly to her own pun.

"Oh Ryoko, calm down, will you?" Ryoko's stormy blue eyes moved their glare from Izumi to Itsuki. "Jesus Christ, it's just a few jokes. It's not going to kill you to laugh, is it?"

"You haven't had to deal with it for months on end." Ryoko looked away, but she was still bristling.

"Get off it, it isn't that bad. You just need to lighten up, Ryoko." She did that indecent smile again. "Have a little fun…" Itsuki's hand rested on her shoulder, then traveled down a bit, just to brush her breast. Ryoko pushed her hand away.

"Stop that."

"Aw, you really are no fun." Itsuki's bottom lip stuck out childishly.

~*~

Within the next ten minutes, the Aestivalis pilots were out in Kawasaki, attacking two giant Gekiganger-like robots that had apparently attacked a Nergal lab in the area. At the same time, all of the pilots had been utterly confused with the boson jumping without a chulip.

'Every time we try to attack it… it jumps somewhere else… So if, I attached to it and attack it from there, jumping will do it no good!' Itsuki smiled with her plan, and directed her Artillery frame towards the goliath.

~*~

Gai stopped the car in front of an expensive looking apartment building. Akito just had to comment. "Wow! This place is huge! Do you really live here?"

"Of course, dummy. Why else would I stop the car here?" Akito giggled and answered, "Maybe we're here to pick up your girlfriend of something, you never know…" Gai instantly flashed back to Itsuki's words three months ago.

'I've had more girlfriends than you could ever dream to have…' Gai shook his head. Akito just took this as a negative, as the Martian shrugged and got out of the car, grabbing his bag. Gai had to help him with his bike.

Once they were in the apartment, Akito noticed it was pretty bare. 'Oh, well, Kazamo-san's usual at the base, so putzing around her home must not be something she does.' Akito set his bag on the couch and started digging through it. 'Now where are those disks… Aha!' He pulled the box out slowly, as if afraid to shake it. "Gai-san, I'm sure you want these back, ne?"

Gai, who was turning on the radio, realized what he was talking about. 'Gekiganger tapes. God, what am I gonna say…' Akito dug out the projector as well. "Want me to set this up?" he offered.

Gai shook his head. "No, it's okay. You can keep those if you want."

"Huh?!? But you love Gekiganger! You said these were your only copies!"

"I was… naïve. I don't need Gekiganger to hide behind anymore."

Akito looked down. "You have changed. I was afraid that you did. We've all changed over the past year… but I had this stupid idea that you were still the same person." Akito put the projector back in his bag and started to put in the box.

A hand rested onto the box, covering Akito's. Gai had knelt down so he could look the sitting Akito face to face. "I'm still the same person, Akito. I just… I don't want to hide my feelings for anything anymore. It hurts too much." Akito opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the radio.

"-And now a special bulletin, the Kawasaki area is being attacked by the Jovians. Please, all citizens and tourists are warned to stay out of the area, as they will only hinder the attempted to stop the invaders."

Akito stood up, and started walking for the door. "I have to leave."

Gai nodded, understanding that the Martian was thinking of Erina's words, how he can still help the other pilots even if it was from afar. "Go on. Neither of us will disappear. I'll see you later."

Akito looked back for a moment. "I… I'll come back. I promise." Akito left on that note.

~*~

Itsuki followed her line up to the goliath's neck, and started blasting its head. "Jumping isn't going to do you any good if I'm still attached to you!"

Ryoko suddenly got a message from Erina. Actually, all the pilots did, but most of them ignored it. "Stop that pilot! She'll die if she doesn't let go!" One for duty, she immediately messaged Itsuki.

"Itsuki! Let go of the Jovian! If it jumps, you'll die!" Ryoko practically screamed.

Itsuki heard it though, and was cutting her line as Ryoko sent her message. She rushed her Aestivalis away from the goliath.

It jumped. Itsuki escaped with her life.

~*~

The wormhole in the sky closed, slowly, but it closed. And it had Akito in it. Gai had gone to the Nergal lab to see what would happen to Akito.

"Well, as the first earth human to successfully organically boson jump, he'll obviously be up for experimentation. However, Miss Frassange and I must get back to the Nadesico, if we are to pursue the issue further." Erina turned on her heel, but a hand stopped her. "What is it now?"

"…I used to be on the Nadesico. I have to get back, now. I'm one of the original crew." Gai looked Erina straight into the eyes, as if to stare her down. "I'm going with you, whether you like it or not."

"Fine, whatever. Unhand me this instant." Gai let go of her arm, as Erina stuck her nose into the air, and walked off with Inez.

"You didn't have to be so rude about it," observed Inez. Erina was enraged. "Well, why not?"

Inez chuckled. "He's good for experimentation too, as for your studies. However, I think putting him back on the Nadesico is a great idea. We usually do have a problem from lack of pilots…"

"Hmm."

TBC…

~*~A/N: Yes, I know, it stunk, but oh well. -_- I told you, bought of Writer's block brings bad chapters. I'll try to make it up to you all in the next chapter…