Usso held the coin Stripetail gave him in one hand, and the phone reciever in the other. He was in a phonebooth just outside the stadium, and although it was a short walk from where his seat was he felt like a million things had gone through his mind on the way over. He wanted to do this. He didn’t want to do this. What if this would only make him worse instead of making him better?... and what if it DID make him better? What about all that money that could be put to good use? What if he never made it home again?
With a heavy heart, Usso put all those thoughts aside slipped the coin into his pocket and dialed home. It only rang once before the person on the other line picked it up. Usso heard the voice of his long time friend and now-girlfriend, Shakti.
"Usso! I'm so glad to hear you made it there alright!"
"Yeah, I am too. How are you and Karlman?"
"I worried myself a little too much for you, but other than that I'm fine. Karlman's still in that teething phase, butWarren's been a big help-- he plays with him until he stops crying. Suzy too, although she doesn't have as much patience for crying."
"Is that right?" Usso said with a hollow smile. What if she liked this idea? How long would it be before he saw her and Karlman again?
'Karlman won't grow up the way we all grew up,' Usso thought. 'He won't be happy living a peaceful life when the world's starting to rebuild. He'll want an education, to travel... I can't give him those things. The League Militaire only has so many things they can give their pensioners-- they'd never be able to afford putting their soldier's kids through college.'
"Say hi to daddy, Karlman!"
"Hiiii!" A three year old's voice burbled from the phone. Even in his mood, it brought a smile to Usso's face. Karlman was neither his nor Shakti's actual child, but he loved him as if he were.
"Hey Usso! Glad you didn't crash into an asteroid!" Warren could be heard in the background, and a laugh that definitely belonged to Suzy. "Enjoying the races out there?"
"Yeah, just as spectacular as you said they'd be," Usso said as he squeezed the bridge of his nose. He didn't want Warren and Suzy around to hear this-- they believed too much in him to let him wimp out of this.
"Mind if I have a private moment with Shakti, guys?"
“Uh… sure, whatever you say,” Warren’s voice said, suddenly concerned sounding. Usso waited for the sound of footsteps, one after another, until he heard a door close.
"What is it, Usso? Did you have another panic attack?" Shakti asked just after Usso heard the other two leave the room.
"No," Usso said, "I got here without a hitch. Listen, uh... I met a guy over here in the stands."
"A guy? Someone I'd know?"
"I doubt it. He..."
Usso licked his lips as his mind wandered to Odelo's grave not far from the front yard of their house-- even more than his mother and fathers deaths, Odelo's haunted him the most. He was 15 when he died in the final battle of the war-- the same age that Usso was now.
"... He recognized me and offered me a security job."
"What? With the Gundam?"
"Yeah. He's offering me half a million a month. I… I’m seriously considering taking it."
There was silence on the other line-- he could hear Karlman squirming in his mother's arms. When she answered it was as if she had already read the worries in his heart to a Tóas if she had looked into his very soul. Shakti was like that.
"... Maybe you want to talk to Mrs. Marbet about this? She's in the same boat as you-- she's more qualified to say if you’re ready for this than me." Usso licked his lips.
"I don't want to put any more worries on her than I have to. And I was thinking-- with that much money, I could afford an education for Karlman and Marbet's son."
"...So that's what it is," he heard Shakti say. "I was wondering. I wouldn't think you'd get back into that mobile suit to fight again for any price."
"Yeah, but... think about it, think about Karlman and Denny. They may not want the hard little life we have now. Even if they do, think about the things that money could do-- we could rebuild Uwig just as it was before the massacre."
"Usso."
"And I could help out other LM pilots, you know? The League's barely able to get enough money anymore now that-"
"Usso."
He stopped, and listened into the silence of the phone. The voice that spoke through it was very kind and knowing.
"I think it sounds like you've made up your mind. Right?"
"... I was hoping you'd talk me out of it, I guess," Usso said and gave a nervous laugh. "I, uh… I-I remember what you said to me when I was starting to get used to flying in the V2 again, remember?"
"I do." She had the softest voice when no one else was around but him. His knuckles whitened on the phone and he gulped back a sudden gush of emotion he had been hoping to avoid. If he couldn't stop himself from breaking down on a phone call, what chance did he have when he was in that suit?
"We can't ever have a peaceful life here if we're still terrified of anything that connects back to the war. We all still have those demons-- you do, I do, Trace and Suzy do, and Marbet maybe the most of all. But a peaceful life is what we fought for, right? How awful would it be if after all that death, we wouldn't even be allowed that in the end?"
"I don't know how long I'll be gone."
"I know you'll make time to see us. If this is something that you think can bring you a little peace, Usso, I'll do whatever I can to support you, even if I'm on the other side of the Galaxy. Just promise me one thing: that you WILL come home."
Usso blinked back a few tears gave a weak smile. "There's nothing that'd stop me from coming back to you and Karlman."
"Then go find your peace of mind, Usso. Me and everyone else will be waiting for you when you come back. I love you."
This time he couldn't resist a sniff.
"I love you too, Shakti. I'll tell you more as soon I kn-know it. Bye."
"Good luck, Usso."
He set the phone on the receiver and started to furiously wipe the tears from his eyes.
----
As they waited at the bus stop, Junior bounced on the balls of his heels in a display of his typical impatience.
"How is Dixie?" Junior asked curiously. Diddy smirked. "She and what's his face keep complaining how boring it is on the island right now. DK says the same-- it's like he wants K. Rool to attack or something. Speaking of which..."
He looked hopefully at Junior, who shook his head before Diddy could ask his question.
"I haven't heard anything from dad or Kamek about him. Whatever he's out there doing right now, he's sure doing it quietly."
"I don't like the sound of that," the Kong said with a frown. "Not one bit. After we get back home, you wanna go spy on him and see what he’s up to?" Junior frowned.
“Want to? Absolutely. But I can’t--Dad's been getting suspicious lately. Anymore of these long trips out and I'll bet he'll start putting out spies to see where I'm going."
"Well that never stopped you before."
"Well, that and we're doing another kidnapping soon, and you know I'm not missing any opportunity I get to have another go at Mario." Diddy rolled his eyes with a titter.
"Well, I could just tell Peach ahead of time and stop you. Probably get a medal and a kiss, now that I think about it-- and the princess sure is pretty." Junior threw a dirty look at him.
"Well. You do that and I'll be gunning for you instead, knuckle dragger."
The bus appeared around the corner and the koopa let out a great sigh. “Ugh, finally! I hate public transportation.” The bus stopped in front of them and the two were about to jump in through the open doors.
Suddenly, there was a rushing sound behind them, and the two looked over their shoulders. Both their jaws dropped looser than a Christmas nutcracker.
----
