Seth gulped as He watched Jasmine close the door to the research lab and lock it. He knew he was going to die now. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it.
Jasmine grinned as she approached him. She had that look in her eye. That one that showed she had a blood lust.
"Seth," She cooed.
"Yeah Jazz?" Seth was sweating now. Jasmine continued to get closer. He could feel his panic build with each slow, deliberate step she took. What was he going to tell her? How was he going to explain this?
"I was just wondering…" she paused as she thought of how to place her question.
"Why you decided that you had to wait until I was asleep to kiss me?"
"I uh…wait… what?"
Jasmine giggled and took one last step. She was now right in front of him, a little too close for comfort. "I think it would be a little more fun if we were both awake, don't you?"
"Uh…" Seth blinked. Jasmine giggled and leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.
Seth could do nothing but blink for a moment, until he realized it wasn't a trick. But it was too late for him, and Jasmine pulled away. "Next time, just ask, OK?"
"Uh…" Seth nodded, still unable to speak.
Jasmine chuckled and let herself out of the room, leaving Seth there to ponder what had just happened.
~~~
"Everyone's busy right now," Joel said as he continued to push Indigo down the hall. "So I figured this would be a good time for our second date."
Indigo blushed when she realized the she and Joel were almost an official couple. She said almost because they had yet to tell everyone else about their relationship.
"So where are we going for our second date?" She wondered.
"You hungry?" Joel asked.
"Hun? A little, why?"
Joel didn’t' answer and pushed her down the hall to her dorm room.
"Wow, I haven't been down here in a while." She commented. "Sally's been keeping me in the infirmary for a while."
"I know, I figured you might want to get changed before we go."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Uh…out into the colony." Joel grinned.
"Oh, the typical dinner and a movie thing?" Indigo chuckled.
"Not really, something a bit more fun."
"Oh?"
"We're going to an arcade."
Indigo laughed. "See if we can't kick a few buts hun?"
"That's right," Joel winked.
Indigo giggled and rolled into her room to change. Joel waited outside for her. When she came back out, Joel's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
She had switched her wheelchair for her crutch, and was wearing tight black flared jeans and a tight black, low cut halter-top. The outfit complimented every curve in her body and made her look like she had a bigger bust. She had restrained from showing off her midriff since it was still covered in bruises.
She was wearing a pair of silver dagger earrings and she had put sparkles in her hair and on her eyelids.
"I didn't know you owned clothes like that." Joel commented with wide yes. He always thought Indigo was pretty, but now she was just plain hot!
Indigo giggled and gave him a quick kiss. "Let's go, I bet I'll beat your score on that MS simulator."
"We'll see," Joel chuckled.
~
When the couple arrived at the arcade Joel noticed Indigo getting a few looks form the other teens there. Of course, on the other end, Indy saw a lot of girls giving her boyfriend appreciate glances as well. Neither of them paid any attention to them.
"Hey Joel! I want to try the simulator first!"
"Oh really, and who would be dumb enough to face you?" Joel snickered.
"Well, besides you, I'm not sure, but I think I can find someone." She grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the machine. She sat inside and got money from Joel. The machine hummed and the screen turned on. She passed over the start menu quickly and started a game.
"Now go easy on me if I don't do too well. Remember, I'm kinda rusty at this."
"Sure, sure," Joel sighed. He stood back a bit to watch. He wanted to see her blow away the current high score before he stepped in and annihilated her. It took Indigo only twenty minutes before she double the current high score, and some bozo who thought he was the greatest decided to challenge her.
He called her something along the lines of 'a wimpy little girl' and Joel wanted to kill him, but he couldn't rob Indy of the pleasure.
Indy settled back down into her seat and her fingers twitched as she started up the game. The bozo was beaten in ten minutes, and another guy got in his place. "You got beaten by a tiny little girl with crutches!" His friends heckled him. Joel snickered at them and watched as more people challenged and lost to his girlfriend. He tried a few different games while he was waiting, but soon got hooked on a fighter jet one. He could hear people cheering from where Indy was, and he smiled. Soon he would show them. He was positive he could beat Indy in an MS simulator.
He jumped when Indy suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Indy? Are you done?"
"Yeah, leave the silly game and get me some food, I'm starved."
Joel grinned, the girl certainly knew what a boyfriend was for, paying for things.
They got nachos and fries at the bar, and ate them quickly as they watched others trying to beat the high score Indigo had gotten. He shook his head at them; they had no talent. Indigo had set a score of over nine thousand points, and most people failed at around nine hundred.
"Those poor idiots, they can't even beat you…" Joel sighed.
"Hey!" Indigo smacked him and then laughed. "Like you could beat me!"
"I could beat you very easily." Joel said confidently.
"Hun, we'll see about that one, Joel." She grabbed him and pulled him to the simulator game. "Let's go," She hissed, "And don't you dare go easy on me!"
"But what about your ribs?"
"They're fine, they're healing very quickly." She promised. She sat down in her seat and pumped quarters into the machine. Upon seeing that the champion was back, another crowd gathered around to watch.
The game started, and both were off quickly. Indigo's hands twitched regularly as she controlled the 'mobile suit' with relative ease. She dashed for Joel, and aimed her beam cannon at him. Of courses, Joel knew what she was doing, and quickly countered. The two blasted away from each other, and then moved in for another attack. After ten minutes, they had both racked up tons of points, but it was clear the Indigo was winning, to her surprise. "Come on Joel! I told you not to hold back!" She screamed to him.
Joel smirked from his place on the other side. He knew it was extremely unlike him to give up his pride for someone else, but he couldn't help it. Beside, he didn't want Indigo to outdo herself since she still had those broken ribs that needed to heal. Still, he decided to pick it up a bit, and soon they were equally matched again.
"That's a little better, Joel." Indigo laughed. She couldn't understand why Joel would hold back for her, but it was cute. She swung at Joel and knocked him away, getting herself another hundred points or so. "Joel!" She screamed. "Why'd you let me do that?"
Joel sighed, might as well get it over with. He looked at his watch and saw that it was getting late. Noin would start getting worried soon. She was so much like a mother to them, more so than his real parents were. He would have to cut it short. He put all his effort into the battle and lunged at Indigo. He swiped at her and blew up her right arm. Indigo was in a panic as Joel suddenly put everything into the fight. She also picked up the pace, but was unable to keep up with Joel. He fired at her, and she wasn't quick enough to dodge. Indigo stared wide eyed as the screen changed and the multi-colored words 'game over' flashed on the screen.
"Joel! How could you do that to me! I'm in crutches!" She cried.
The crowd had now turned their admiring glances to Joel. Joel stood next to Indigo and smirked as he helped her out of her seat.
"You told me not to hold back,"
Indigo pouted and allowed him to help her. "We're not leaving already, are we." He nodded and showed her his watch. "It's late, and if we don't get back soon Noin is going to freak. And of course, let's not forget about your mother, my father, just about everyone else back at the base. They don't want their injured ones wandering around in the colony you know."
Indigo sighed and followed Joel out of the arcade. Their ride was waiting for them, and Joel drove them both back to the base in time to sneak in for lights out.
~~~
When Helen and Jason arrived back at the base, they were not prepared for the reunion they got. All the other Gundam pilots were there, new and old.
Helen got off the shuttle first and saw the crowd of people.
She suddenly realized how much she had missed the others. She squealed and dashed into her father's waiting arms; knocking him over with the force.
"We missed you over here, babe." Duo said.
"I missed you too dad." Helen grinned. "I guess it was pretty boring around here without me."
"You bet it was."
Jason stepped off next and his mother ran to greet him. "Jason! I'm so glad you're OK!" She cried. Despite his glum mood, Jason managed to smile as he returned his mother's hug.
Helen looked up and saw Indy standing next to Joel and smiling, leaning only on one crutch.
"Indy! Look at you! You're all better!" Helen ran and gave her friend a huge hug, still being careful not to crush her.
"Oh yeah, I'll be back in business really soon. You just wait till I get my hands on that Neo Zion scum! We'll show them who they're messing with!"
"Speaking of which," Joel cut in, "Did you two really catch that General Norris guy?"
Helen sighed, "No, he got away, our troops are still looking for him, but there hasn't been any luck. He just…disappeared. But not before he left his subordinate and daughter with us all alone."
"Hun, some father," Indigo snorted.
Jason heard the conversation and glared. "She was his adoptive daughter." He mumbled. They didn't realize how similar Brittney was to the rest of them.
"What was that, Jason?" Relena asked.
"Nothing," he sighed. He looked up and watched as Brittney was dragged from the shuttle. She was nearly unconscious, but still putting up a fight.
"Take her straight to interrogation!" Noin screamed. The guards nodded and pushed Brittney out of the hanger to the interrogation room.
"So, that's Norris's daughter is it?" Jasmine snarled from her position next to Seth. She didn't notice Seth sharply inhale when he saw Brittney being dragged out, nor did she see the exchange of looks between the two.
"What's going on?" Alexis wondered. "Who is this Norris guy?"
"Norris is the leader of the Neo Zion organization that is currently posing a threat to us." David explained.
"So then…the rumors were true. There really is a war going on."
"Yeah," Jasmine sighed. "Noin wanted to keep the public as calm as possible and ordered that the attack on L2 be reported as a terrorist attack."
"But, how does that help?"
"Believe it or not, people are a lot more comfortable with terrorists than all-out wars." Quatre said as he joined the conversation. "But I don't know how much longer she can keep this under wraps."
Jasmine nodded in agreement. "What if they decide to declare official war on the Preventors?"
"Then we're in deep shit." Helen growled as she joined the group with Joel and Indigo. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Jason made his way out of the hanger. He clearly had a destination in mind. Helen wondered if he wanted to go see that Brittney girl. She shrugged it off and turned back to her conversation with her friends. It was none of her concern anyway.
~
Jason stepped out of the hanger and into the hallway, running right into his adoptive father.
"Jason," Gary smirked, "I've been wanting to talk to you. How have you been, son?"
Jason stopped himself from wincing. It had been so long since Gary had called him that. In fact, it was getting close to a year now.
"I've been fine, pop, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I just wanted to make sure you were OK."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I got some help while I was on Earth."
"You know Jason, you don't have to do this if you don't want…"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you don't have to go out there and fight if you don't want to. I know that Heero is putting a lot of pressure on you and…"
"Dad! How can you say that?" Jason cried. "It's not just my dad that's putting pressure on me. Everyone is. The world depends on me. I can't just leave them!"
"But you deserve a normal life!" Gary argued. "Don't you want that? You could be happy as a normal teenager again, with me."
Jason sighed, "Pop, you don't understand. I know that no one has ever really taken me seriously, and I'm fine with that, but these guys do. They need me, pop, I can help them, and I want to."
"Someone else can take over that! I know you want to fit in, but this is ridiculous!"
"It's not about fitting in!" Jason screamed angrily. "It's about…its about fighting for peace."
Gary looked at Jason sternly.
"Shit…you really do think I'm doing this to get approval from the other guys here, don't you? Well, maybe you're right. I was doing it for them, at first. But I get it now, and I don't think you ever will. I don't want anyone else to do this. I'm the only one who should have to go through all this. Like my parents, I will sacrifice everything for peace."
Gary blinked, amazed at his son's words. Jason had never been so deep before. Gary's face hardened. "Fine, if that's what you want, go ahead! I can't stop you. But when you get injured or even killed, just remember that it wasn't my fault. That father of yours is to blame."
Jason glared at his adoptive father and stormed off. No one ever took his beliefs seriously. He expressed them so rarely that people thought they were non-existent. But he did have strong values about certain things. And he wasn't about to go against them. He was going to fight for peace, but first there were a few things he needed to sort out.
~
There was a young Preventor standing guard outside the interrogation room door. Jason approached him. "I need to talk to her." He said.
The young Preventor was confused. "I'm sorry, you can't see the prisoner without direct permission from Lt. Noin."
"Then call her," Jason snarled. "I need to talk to that girl, now!"
"Alright," The man sighed. He turned and picked up the phone on the wall beside him and dialed Noin's office. Noin's face appeared and the two exchanged a few words. The Preventor hung up and then turned to Jason. "Miss Noin has given you permission to enter," He said. He opened the door and let him in.
Brittney was sitting in the middle of the room at a table, and was shackled to the chair, which was bolted to the floor. Her head hung low, and she looked pretty beat up. She probably wouldn't get proper medical attention until her interrogation was over with. It was a good thing there were qualified doctors on the shuttle to treat her gunshot wound.
Brittney didn't even look up as he walked up to the table and sat across from her. He stared at her for a while before he spoke. "So…why'd you do it?"
"Do what?" She hissed.
"Well, use me like that. You know, you're a very good actress."
Brittney looked up and glared at him. "You don't deserve to know." "Oh really? Why not? I think I have a right to know why you tried to get me killed."
"Not killed," She shook her head. "Captured. I wanted you captured so that my father could destroy the Preventors once and for all."
"Ah yes, Armand Norris. Was he going to give you a piece of Spain or something when he took over the Earth?"
"That's not it…"
"Then what is it?"
She shook her head again stubbornly. "I won't tell you. It's not up to me."
"Hun, well, you don't have much of a choice. We could lock you up for the rest of your life, you realize that don't you?"
"Armand will come for me," She swore.
Jason laughed at this, "Yeah right, after he just left you like that? Face it, Brit, he doesn't care about you."
Brittney looked truly shocked. "How could you say that? He raised me!"
"And he also ran off, like the coward he is."
"You're a liar, he didn't…he didn't leave me."
"Oh yes he did, Brittney. You have to face the facts sooner or later. That guy doesn't want anything to do with you. He just needed you to help him with his plan. The question is, why? Why would he need you're help? What do you know, Brittney?"
"I don't know anything! I just know that I hate you!"
Jason looked slightly insulted. "Why do you hate the Preventors so much?"
"Don't talk to me. You turned me in!"
"You turned me in first…"
Brittney snorted and refused to say anything more. There was a knock on the door suddenly before it slid open, and Jason squinted his eyes against the sudden light to see who it was.
"Do you mind if I talk to her for a minute?" The person asked. He closed the door again and they saw who it was, Seth!
"Seth? What are you doing here?" Jason sputtered.
"Never mind Jason, I think you deserve some rest. Why don't you go down to the dorms for a while? I just need to speak with her."
Jason nodded slowly and stood up. But he had no intention of going to the dorms. If Seth had some sort of relationship with Brittney, he could be an enemy too. He headed straight for the door so he could call Noin.
"Jason," Brittney's voice startled him for a moment.
"What?" He asked roughly.
"I…I really did like you. Maybe if you weren't a Preventor it could have worked out between us…"
"Yeah right," Jason snorted. "I don't want to fall for that one again. She's all yours Seth. Just be careful."
"Yeah, thanks." Seth watched him leave and then turned to look at the redhead in front of him.
"So, long time no see..."
~
Jason stepped outside of the door and went directly to the phone. He dialed Noin and waited for her to answer.
"Noin here," The woman's face popped up on the screen.
"Noin, why does Seth want to talk to Brittney?" Jason asked quickly.
Noin looked shocked and then smiled. "Oh that, Seth already talked to me in private about that. There's no need to worry, Jason."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, in fact, I just finished checking it out myself. He's got every right to talk to her."
Jason didn't look convinced. "What's the deal between him and the prisoner?"
"That's not in my jurisdiction to discuss. Perhaps you should talk to Seth about it."
Jason grumbled and then sighed, "Fine," He hung up and looked at the door for a long time before he decided to take Seth's advice and get some rest in the dorms.
~~
Brittney blinked at the boy standing across from her. "I…I wasn't expecting you to be here…"
Seth shrugged, "Well, I am, surprise."
Brittney glared at him, "I had hoped you weren't serious about becoming a Preventor."
"You knew I was, Brit," Seth sighed. "Don't try and tell yourself otherwise."
Brittney snorted and sat back in her chair. "You could have come with me you know, I wouldn't have minded you tagging along…"
Seth rolled his eyes; the girl just didn't get it. "Brittney, I told you before that I'm not going to leave my family just to chase after your stupid plot for revenge."
"So you would rather stay there with him? That jerk you call a father?"
"He's your father too, Brittney."
"SHUT UP! He's not my father, he never was!"
"And is Armand any better?"
"Of course he is! He loves me! Unlike that pig!"
"If he cared for you so much, then why on Earth did he leave you there?"
"He…he couldn't risk the mission for me. I told him that my revenge was more important than my life. I told him that! He had to go! And I know he'll come for me!"
Seth stared at her for a long time. He was trying to figure out what she was thinking. "Brit, I know you're upset about what happened to your mother, but that's no reason…"
"UPSET! I'm more than just upset, SETH! You and your stupid organization killed her!"
"She was an enemy spy! She was trying to help Armand take over! And guess what? He left her, too…she died because of him."
"The Preventors killed her! It's your fault!"
"They didn't kill her, Brit, they captured her…"
"If that was all, she wouldn't be dead!"
Seth shrugged, "I looked into it for you Brittney, she died of natural causes last year. She had been sick for a long time. Armand lied to you when he told you she was dead."
"But…but…NO! I won't believe it! Armand would never do that!"
"Oh no? You tell me, Brit."
Brittney hung her head and Seth could hear her start to cry. Seth had no idea what to do after that. He wanted to comfort her. After all, she was his sister, but she was still the enemy.
"Brittney I'm sorry, but someone had to tell you…"
"Go away!" She snapped.
"Brittney, you're my sister and…"
"HALF sister!" She shrieked. "And I hate you! Leave me alone!"
Seth sighed and nodded. He stood up and left the interrogation room. He was getting somewhere with her, but he wasn't sure if it was good or bad. He stared at the floor as he made his way down to the doors to take a nap.
~
Once Seth was gone, Brittney dropped her head to the table and started to cry. She couldn't believe what Seth had just told her. Her mother had been alive all these years? If that was so, then she could have seen her, things would have turned out so much differently. And now look where she was! She was in the hands of the enemy, in the middle of a war that she helped create. Maybe Armand had used her, but why? What was so special about her?
She didn't know whom to believe anymore. She wasn't even sure about Seth, her own brother. Could she possibly believe what he had to say? But he was still so attached to their father it was ridiculous. He should have left a long time ago. No, Seth was a fool. But Armand would come for her. She was sure of that. And when he did come she would ask him about her mother.
But how had Seth found out? She had spent years researching her family, which was how she found her father again. She knew about Seth, and had met him when she visited them. He was kind to her, and seemed to care. So much so that Brittney had told him about what had happened to her mother. He had been unusually quiet, and she hadn't figured out why until she discovered about his dream to join the Preventors a few months later. But for some reason she still trusted Seth. But not anymore; now she didn't know what to think. She kept crying until she was exhausted and fell asleep with her head resting on the cold metal table.
~~~
"Trowa, I need to speak with you for a moment." Wufei said as he entered the small lounge. The silent pilot looked up curiously at his friend.
"Do you mind?" Wufei glared at him, motioning towards the door.
Trowa sighed and got up and followed Wufei out the door.
"There's something you need to see," Wufei explained. He figured the best way to break the news to Trowa was to show him. Trowa followed the Chinese pilot all the way down to the quad. Wufei headed straight for the willow tree, and stood across the stream from it. "It would appear that there is something going on between my son and your daughter."
Trowa raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?"
Wufei leaned against a tree and motioned with his thumb towards the willow. Trowa studied it for a moment and peered past its vine-like branches. Then, something very rare happened. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
Wufei sighed and waited for the storm to blow over. He could already picture Trowa's face turning red. He looked up and followed his gaze to where two teens sat, totally unaware of the two former Gundam pilots.
Indigo was sleeping against Joel's shoulder as he played with her hair. Indigo's legs were swung over his and she had her arms wrapped around him. Trowa looked like he might be able to contain himself, that is, until Joel leaned over and kissed Indigo on the forehead, earning an unconscious smile from her.
He started to storm over there but Wufei stopped him. "I already tried that, and it didn't work."
"How long have you know about this?" Trowa growled.
"Maybe a week," Wufei shrugged.
"A WEEK!" It was the first time Wufei had ever really heard Trowa scream. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I figured you would react this way." Wufei replied simply.
"Why on Earth would you tell me if you weren't going to let me do anything about it?" Trowa questioned angrily.
"I just thought you might like to know." Wufei was as calm as ever. Trowa turned his fury on the shorter man. "If your son so much as…"
"Calm down please, Trowa, you're giving me a headache." Wufei sighed. "I'll keep an eye on Joel. So long as you promise not to murder him."
Trowa seethed silently and watched as Wufei made his escape. As soon as Trowa could catch Joel alone he would be in for it. He decided the best way to do that would be to wait for the two teens outside the quad. No need for rash decisions. He would be able to better plan his attack with a cool head. He was now officially claiming war on the unfortunate Joel Chang.
