Hanging outside the cockpit, Lowe watched as Kou’s fingers danced over the keyboard. “Man no matter how many times I see it, watching a Coordinator work a keyboard is something else.” The Junk Tech said in a good natured tone.
Kou looked at the Junk Tech, smiling a little. Something about the Junk Tech just screamed likeable and he didn’t carry the air of jealousy or hatred for Coordinators some of the Naturals Kou had met during his life. “Its nothing much really, I’m just reconfiguring the weapons systems to better suit my combat style and in preparations of the guys we’ll be running into. Besides you reconfigured the Red Frame to work flawlessly for yourself, and that was before a Natural-type OS for mobile suits had been developed.”
Lowe waved a hand dismissively. “Eight did most of the work with that part of it, without him I’d have been dead weight.”
“Who’s Eight?” Kou asked, wondering who would have such a name.
“My computer, he’s still jacked into Red-Frame uploading some new software into Red Frame.” Lowe answered as he thumbed over his shoulder at his personal MS.
“Hey Kou, how’s the reconfiguration going?” Erica called from down below.
”Shouldn’t take me too long, the OS really doesn’t need much tweaking. I mostly just need to reconfigure the combat perimeters so Gold Frame will work effectively against those three machines.” The young man called from the cockpit.
”You seem pretty familiar with the layout of an MS, you been around em’ often?” Lowe asked out of pure curiosity.
Kou nodded as he continued to type. “I learned how to operate the basic construction models when I was pretty young and got my hands on military simulators, and even snuck into a few GINN’s to test them out.” He explained, pausing for a moment to adjust a small error he had come across during his tweaking of the weapons set up. “I’ve just had a thing for big robots and machines in general. I’m not naïve to think mobile suits are toys like some kids do, but I also don’t believe they need to be purely destructive, even if they’re military designed.
Lowe nodded in head vigorously in agreement, a smile creeping up on his face. “I totally agree with ya’ kid; machines got hearts too, they don’t wanna be used to just kill or destroy needlessly. I believe mobile suits wanna protect and help mankind just like the original construction MS was designed to benefit everyone.”
Kou smiled up at the Junk Tech. “Well Mr. Gear I think we’ll get along pretty good.”
”Amen to that.” Lowe chuckles, before smirking as he remembers something. “So I heard you stole Blue Frame from right under Serpent Tail’s noses…pretty slick.”
Kou face-palms in embarrassment. “Oh God not my finest moment, considering what was at stake I’d do it again, but I didn’t feel all that hot stealing the mobile suit of a respected merc like Gai Murakumo.”
“Hey at least you planned to return it, and you took it for a good reason in the first place.” Lowe said encouragingly as he patted his shoulder. “Sides I know Gai, he’d understand.”
”Yeah, I kinda got that impression when I didn’t see him waiting for me with a loaded gun.” Kou chuckled.
“Hey shrimp are you done reconfiguring Gold Frame yet?!” Yzak called from below.
A large vein appeared on Kou’s forehead, throbbing. “BITE ME SCARFACE! I’m just about done!”
”Scarface?! I dare you to come down here and say that to my face punk!”
Suddenly Gold Frame’s eyes lit up and the right leg lifted up and hovered over Yzak.
”Whoa shit!! Down boy, down!” Yzak waved his arms frantically as the propect of becoming a stain on the bottom of an MS’s foot.
“Just remember who’s inside the big fifty-foot tall mecha dumbass!” Kou called down to him, while having Gold Frame flip Yzak the bird as he lowered the leg down.
Dearka just grinned at this sight. “Ya’know I should get a portable lawn chair for when those two go at it and kick back for the comedy.”
Miriallia would have given her opinion, but she was holding her sides and laughing too hard to talk.
************
In a darkened place a door swished open and a young woman walks in. She wears what at first appears to be a ZAFT uniform, but upon closer inspection we can see the overall color scheme is black with red trim and with the insignia of Obsidian Abyss on the shoulders. The woman looked no older than 17-19, she had long greenish hued hair done up in a ponytail. Her eyes were a deep cobalt blue, shinning in the darkened room as she saluted. “Lt. Tammy Bruin reporting sir,” she said to the figure behind the desk in the room.
The person behind the desk nodded and slid a folder across the desk. “Your next assignment is one you’re familiar with.”
Tammy took the folder and opened it, a wicked smile forming. “So Kou-chan has resurfaced…and making a pest of himself as usual. A woman could love that stubborn attitude if he wasn’t too young and in our way.” She looked up to her superior. “So I’m to capture him?”
“If an opportunity presents itself go ahead; however for now just follow him. I’ve heard he’s thrown in his lot with the Three Ship Alliance.”
Tammy raises an eyebrow, now she was frowning. “That is not good.”
”Exactly, tail them and find out what you can. If they truly pose a threat you are authorized to form a hit squad to eliminate them at the best possible time.”
Tammy held the folder to her side and saluted. “At once sir!” She turned on her heels and marched out of the office in a professional matter.
**************
“You going to be alright now Athrun?” Asks a worried Cagalli, when Athrun and Kira both got spooked she and Lacus dragged them off someplace more private for each couple.
The teen Coordinator nodded and rubbed his eyes. “Sorry Kira and I kinda flipped out for a second it was just…” He doesn’t finish.
“That was your friend wasn’t it? The one Kira killed that spurred you to seriously try and take his life?” She asked softly.
He nods, and she pulls him close into a hug. “Athrun, I can’t say don’t worry about it. He was your friend, and his death hurt you badly, and spurred you to do something you regret. But I will say you just need to remember the fonder memories of your friend, and not fixate on his death…and let it remind you of what you and Kira both lost and nearly lost even more.”
Athrun smiles a little, bringing a hand to cup her cheek. “When’d you get so good at cheering people up?”
She smiled back. “It’s a cycle between Kira, you and me. One comforts the other, and the other for the other and so forth. The cycle goes ever on.”
“Hmm dunno if I like it.” He says suddenly.
”Huh?”
”Call me greedy, but I want to be the only one to comfort you.” He says before kissing her lips softly, and then kissing her chin and going lower to her neck.
”At-Athrun...uuuuuuuggh!” She groans as he bites her neck softly.
”I’m just returning the favor for this.” He says before biting back down softly as he pulls back his jacket lapel to reveal the hicky she gave him.
Cagalli just shuddered and held onto him tightly. God this guy could make her melt, and he was all hers! And if anybody tried to take him, they’d have to get through her first!
**************
“ACHOOOOOO!” Lunamaria shivered from the intensity of her sneeze. “Wonder what that was about.”
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(Posted Sat, 30 Apr 2005 02:18)
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