Author's Notes: You should read my 'Erts Epic' (otherwise known as "His Brother's Keeper" first.
I'm still new at writing fanfic for Candidate for Goddess, but I think I can pull this off without upsetting too many fans. I am not one of those people that believe just because two boys in an anime hate each other, they automatically qualify as a potential couple. Frankly, I'm quite certain that Zero hates Hiead's guts, Hiead despises Zero, and anyone attempting to put them together would most likely find themselves in quite a bit of pain…that is, if they still had feeling in their bodies at that point.
Disclaimer: This excellent series belongs to Yukiru Sugisaki, and I'm not getting paid.
Summary: When the Victim hit close to home, Zero is forced to re-evaluate his priorities, and his feelings for Kizna.
The Partners Trilogy, Story I of III:
Victim-ized
Nate Grey
Prologue
"Y'know, I think he's actually making an effort to keep from denting you now." Kizna ran her gloved hand over the smooth surface of the Pro-Ing's left arm. "I haven't had to do any real labor for almost a week. But I guess a quick wax wouldn't hurt."
"There's nothing quick about the way you wax, Kizna," Ikhny pointed out from the ground. "It always takes you at least an hour and a half, and that's only if you're not too busy talking to it."
Kizna shrugged. "Well, it gets lonely down here. Zero rarely comes to help; he's so busy bugging Hiead."
Ikhny blinked in surprise. "Zero…helps you?"
"More like hinders me trying to prove he knows more about the Pro-Ing than I do, but he tries, whenever he gets bored enough. The only thing I know he can't wreck is waxing, so I can bully him into it if he comes to check on me."
"What's it like?" Ikhny asked softly. "Having a Candidate who cooperates?"
Kizna snorted. "Zero Enna does NOT cooperate. Not on purpose, anyway. I've just gotten used to the way he thinks. It's better to just give him the ammo and let him charge in yelling his head off."
"It's more than that," Ikhny protested. "I've seen you two in the simulations."
"Well, I guess it's not exactly like that. But he pretty much does what he wants, no matter what I say. Fortunately, he's got a pretty long streak of dumb luck."
"And you don't think you being a good Repairer has anything to do with it?"
"I never said THAT," Kizna replied with a cocky grin. "We're riding that streak all the way to GIS, if I have anything to say about it."
"I guess I shouldn't be cheering for Zero, since he and Hiead have the same abilities, but…which Goddess do you think he'll get?" Ikhny asked.
"Dunno," Kizna said. "He keeps going on about seeing the White Goddess in his dreams and how it saved his life, but it was the Eeva Leena that he fell in. One of those, I'd guess. What about Hiead?"
"You think he'd tell me anything?" Ikhny shook her head, recalling the first and last time she'd tried to find out anything about her Candidate. "I consider myself lucky when he doesn't talk to me. At least then he can't curse."
"I've never met anyone so disagreeable," Kizna stated. "I don't know how you can stand it, Ikhny."
"I guess I keep hoping that if he sees you and Zero succeed, maybe he'll realize he needs me."
Kizna smiled at her. "Then we'll have to be quick about it, won't we? I don't want you around that jerk any longer than you have to be. How Zero can stomach him long enough to stalk him, I'll never know."
* * * * *
It was almost Kuro's job to understand the Victim. Almost, because even telepaths of the first order had trouble reading certain Victim types, and because he was an Observer. Or perhaps The Observer, as Teela said when she found it necessary to mention him before the other Pilots—which was extremely rare.
Kuro had exceeded in that task…to a certain extent.
He knew how the Victim came to be (in theory, anyway, but not why), why they were obsessed with destroying any and all traces of humanity (ultimately revenge), and why they didn't consider sacrificing themselves a hassle (when existence IS pain, death is sweet release).
He had come to see the Victim not as the enemy, but as a naturally occurring force that had to be dealt with. That was how long he'd been studying them, how long he'd literally observed them.
Kuro's data indicated that most Victim were a lot like babies. Without direction, they would stumble around blindly. Unlike babies, however, when united under a Top Victim, they became a violent, relentless force of destruction. In that respect, only Top Victim were the deadly ones. But even the babies, wandering around in space, would eventually encounter another Top. Because the Victim never ceased in their war on humanity. Wherever and however they reproduced, they were clearly very efficient at it.
That was why all Victim would eventually have to die if there was ever to be peace.
As far as Kuro knew, there were only two Candidates in GOA who could evolve past human limits. Only one of them could do that and still have the strength needed to eradicate the Victim.
Teela had expressed an interest in that Candidate being someone she almost affectionately called Rei.
But for the first time he could remember, Kuro disagreed with her. Teela was the brightest star in the universe, the ultimate light, and even she could not defeat the Victim. What hope did her Rei have?
As far as Kuro was concerned, another deeper, colder darkness was needed to destroy them. He was convinced that Hiead Gnr was the only being alive that could completely annihilate the Victim. And that was the only solution, because there was no reasoning with the Victim.
Rei would feel as Teela did, and wonder if he had the right to kill the Victim.
Hiead would simply kill: mercilessly, quickly, and completely. Where the Victim's existence was pain, Hiead's was to share and inflict pain. And fortunately for humanity, he was very good at it.