Author's notes: *yawns and blinks* Oh...sorry ^.^" I just finished fixing this thing up at 3:30AM CST. *rubs head* My head really hurts...anyway! This is my first Gundam Wing fanfic! ^.^" Yes, I am very proud of myself! My third mutli-chapter fic that I may never finish! Whoo-hoo! Actually, I REALLY do plan on finishing this story! This first chapter took FORTY-TWO pages to write on paper O_O DANG! And so far, I have EIGHTY pages of the fic written on paper already *smacks forehead* oy...I really don't know why I got started but I did. Oh, well. Hopefully this will turn out to be very, very good...even if a bit cheesy ^.^ My lil sis helped me a lot with this fic so I really want to thank her lots for her help, though I'm guessing she wants to tease me about how I spelt 'shuttle' in my rough-copy of this chapter. -_-''' Ah, well...someone pass the crackers and wine! We're gonna need some, this thing is so cheesy! ^.^"
Disclaimer: I, in no way imaginable, own Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, Zechs, Noin, Lady Une, Hilde, Relena, Trieze(*pokes the name* aren't you dead? ...), or whoever is the Hell is in Gundam Wing(even though already DEAD people aren't in my fic! *pointed look at Trieze, who marches off, grumbling*). I do not wish to get sued, so I repeat myself...I own NO ONE!(...well, maybe Zechs ^.^")
Notes:emphasis/news/foreign language
letter
HEADLINE
Exiled Silence
After Colony 197: the age of Mobile Suits is at an end. To the people, this was a great relief and a near miracle; peace was once again known. To all who fought in the horrible battles, the peace seemed surreal and false. Old fears became known, and the former soldiers were wary. They did not fear attacks from Gundams, for all but one had been destroyed and even that one that had survived was a mere wreckage; a relic of the times of harships and turmoil.
There had been five pilots and yet none had come forward and revealed themselves. They did, however, keep appearances in newspapers and speculation. Many people who had been in the war would talk of the possibilities of there being real pilots; others wondered at who they had been. Relena Darlian, who had been rumored to have known the pilots in the war, denied any knowledge of their whereabouts.
"I do not know who they are or where they have gone," she said when interviewed, "but wherever they are, I hope that their lives are peaceful and that they never have to worry about being used as weapons anymore."
For two years, the pilots did just that in their own way...
AC 199:
"Are you kidding me?" a nineteen-year-old teenager demanded with a smirk. "This is too easy."
"It's the hardest thing I can think of," another boy said with indignance. The first boy laughed, waving a hand dismissively as he stood.
"You don't know how easy this'll be," the first said, facing the second and making his long braid of hair whip about his shoulders. The second one, looking insulted that someone dared to say his ideas were 'too easy,' crossed his arms with an annoyed look on his face.
"I don't suppose you have a better idea?" he asked the first, who looked thoughtful for a moment before chuckling.
"Actually, I don't--"
"Then shut up!" The second glared at the first. The braided-haired boy held up his hands in a sign of surrender and peace.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop, but it is easier than some of the other things I've done," he said, the laughter still in his voice. "I mean, getting my friend Heero to talk must have been next to impossible comparing it with this."
The second threw a pillow at his friend. "Shut up, will ya?"
"Aw!" exclaimed the other boy after he had dodged the thrown object. "But you know she--"
"She who?" another person asked, making the second blush furiously and the first to turn in their direction, grinning.
"Hey, Noma!" the first said cheerfully while his friend hid himself with the pillow he had planned to throw at the braided-haired boy. "I got something to tell you!"
Noma, the one who had spoke, looked curiously at the first boy as he almost bounced over. He whispered something in her ear, his grin never faltering as the girl listened, a look of surprise on her face. When he had finished, Noma looked uncertainly to the other boy, who peeked carefully around the pillow.
"Is this true?" she asked him.
The second boy looked hesitantly at the other boy, who nodded vigorously from behind Noma. "Yes?" he answered questioningly.
The brunette smiled brightly, and the braided-haired boy gave a thumbs-up behind her. "Great," Noma said brightly. "Pick me up at seven, 'kay?"
"Sure," he answered, dazedly.
Noma smiled brightly again before scurrying off, out of the room. The braided-haired boy crossed his arms and gave his friend a smug look before asking, "Now whose idea was better?"
"Wha--? You asked her?"
"Mm...hm..." the first answered, studying his nails in a stuck-up manner. "I told you it was easy. Your idea of going through all of that trouble was too much."
The other boy smiled in appreciation. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me! I just wanna see you crash and bur--" The second pillow hit him square in the face.
"Get out of here, Maxwell!" shouted the lighter- and shorter-haired teen. Maxwell smirked, catching the pillow as it fell from his face.
"Fine, fine," he said, bouncing the pillow in his hands. "I can tell when I'm not wanted."
He tossed the pillow back, but it was too fast for the other boy to block. The lighter-haired boy was hit in the face, causing him to fall off of the bed he had been sitting on with an "umph!" of surprise. Maxwell frowned, looking at his hands and arms.
"Eh...guess I dunno my own strength," he said sheepishly.
"Thanks, Duo," was the reply from behind the bed.
"I didn't mean to!" objected the still-standing teen quickly. "Don't be so mean, Jack."
"My name's not Jack, Duo," the other teen gritted out as he sat himself up off of the ground.
"You look like one." Duo shrugged.
"I do not!"
"Do, too!"
"Do not!"
"Do, too!"
"Do not!
"Do--hey! Nancy's undressing!" This made the other boy's head turn, and Duo made his escape, laughing to himself as 'Jack' cried out in outrage, having been tricked yet again by Duo Maxwell--the resident clown of pranks and jokes...who also happened to be Gundam pilot 02. The pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe.
Three years since he had been inside the cockpit of his beloved Mobile Suit and he could have passed as one of the happiest young men his age. Two years since Relena Darlian's statement and the young former pilot was living his life in peace, attending a college in the North American country known as the United Stated of America.
At least, that was what he and the people who knew him thought.
Walking down the sidewalk, having been 'chased out' by his roommate, Duo whistled a small tune and scuffed his shoe against the ground. He'd long since forgotten the astonishment he felt when he could go a day just being idle. He had been used to having to be ready for everything and being able to not await or anticipate anything was something he took full advantage of.
He just let his mind wander for a moment, thinking about his friends, school, the test coming up tomorrow--
"Oh, man!" he exclaimed, halting mid-step. "I can't believe I forgot about it!"
Grumbling to himself, he turned in place and set his foot down toward the direction of the Library only to hear a "Hey, stop!" just as someone rounded the corner on his left.
"Hey! Hold it--!" he tried to say but was knocked over as the person slammed into him, staggering only for a moment before giving chase yet again. Duo merely stared, propped on his elbows.
Two uniformed men ran after the person and only one of them stopped and looked at him. "You all right?"
Duo blinked. "Eh...yeah. Just got a bit winded," he answered, sitting up. "What was--hey, wait!"
Too late. The uniformed person ran in the direction his partner and the running person had gone. Standing up, the former Gundam pilot scratched his head, thinking.
"Wonder what that was about," he muttered, barely recalling that the running person had been a boy his age in blue jeans and a blue tank-top.
"Hey, stop!" one of the uniformed officers shouted, but that only made him pick up his speed. He was determined to keep away from anyone in those uniforms. He wouldn't be captured; he wouldn't be taken.
He quickly swung around the corner and, just as he looked back to see if they were still on his tail, someone shouted, "Hey! Hold it--!" He barely had enough time to look up before he barreled passed the long-hair, black-outfitted person that had been the one shouting.
'Don't think about it,' he told himself as part of him seemed to tell him that the person he had run into was someone familiar. He looked back once more and caught sight of the person on the ground, propping himself on his elbows as he stared dazedly.
The face was impossibly to forget.
'Duo...' He nearly stopped, but the sounds of the uniformed men kept him going. 'Can't stop. Have to lose them.'
And so he did. The faster of the two stopped to make sure Duo was all right while the other continued to persue him. 'Too easy.'
He ducked around another corner, heaved himself over the wall that made the corner, and froze as he landed in the corner, hidden by a bush. He held his breath, straining his ears as he listened.
"Where'd he go?" the faster officer demanded as the boy heard footsteps running to where the other officer was.
"He--I lost him," the second officer confessed. There was a moment of silence, so he strained harder to listen in. "Lady Une's not going to be happy, is she?"
'Lady Une,' the boy thought, his curiosity piqued.
"No. She wants pilots 01, 02, 03, and 04 at Headquarters before--"
"Why'd you stop anyway?" the second interrupted, annoyed. The boy froze, listening and imagining the first person chuckling.
"I found pilot 02," he answered smugly.
The boy's breath caught in his throat. 'So...they recognized him,' he thought just as he calmed hismelf. 'Better warn him then.'
Silently, he trailed the wall and headed in the direction pilot 02 was.
"Eh, better stop thinking of it, Maxwell," Duo said to himself, walking up the steps of the building with his hands shoved in his pockets. "I mean, it's not like it was--"
"Shinigami," a voice called from the young man's right. Duo looked over, blinking.
"Wha?" he asked in confusion.
Some bushes rustled; whoever was in them was coming closer. "Shinigami!" the familiar voice hissed.
"Who's calling?" Duo cautiously replied, eyeing the bushes warily.
Everything was quiet...
"Took you long enough," the voice said from behind the former pilot of Deathscythe, who jumped and spun around, barely managing to contain his scream of surprise.
"What do you think you're doing, sneaking up on me like that?!" the long-haired boy yelled loudly. "I could have--!"
"I highly doubt it," the other boy replied, monotonous. Duo blinked for a moment before coming to a realization.
"Hey...you're the guy that knocked me over," he said, and the other boy rolled his eyes.
"Is that the only thing you remember, Maxwell?" he asked with gruff annoyance. Duo paused, studying him carefully.
The boy's face was young, but the eyes spoke of horrors they had seen. Those were the very same that the former Gundam pilot known as Shinigami, the God of Death, saw everytime he looked in the mirror. The only difference was that there was no haunted expression, as if the boy had been used to seeing the horrors he had witnessed. Had been used to, or trained to ignore--
Trained...
Duo blinked, taking in the boy's other features. The dark hair was short, though some of it tried to hang in his eyes as if it was accusomed to doing that. It reminded Duo of someone, but he couldn't place his finger on it.
"Uh..." he stated, still trying to place the person.
The boy cocked an eyebrow, realizing that the braided-haired boy was having trouble identifying him. "Three years hasn't been long enough to change me very much."
Duo fumed. "Well, if you knew me so well, how'd you recognize me?"
The boy shrugged, arms now crossed. "Your face is slightly different, but your hair will always give you away," he answered simply.
"Wish I could say the same," the long-haired boy muttered, becoming frustrated.
The boy looked toward the steps of the Library cautiously. "We should continue this inside," he said, his eyes never leaving the courtyard.
"Wanted man, huh?" Duo asked as they walked into the building. The other teen's eyes narrowed as he watched the entrance.
"Not for any crime I've committed," he answered, his voice hard and void of any emotion.
"When I joined this, I never said I'd go back into a Mobile Suit!" a uniformed young man shouted at a blonde woman. The young man looked to be of Chinese descent; his dark hair sleeked back into a small rat-tail, and his dark eyes narrowed in anger and outrage.
"Lieutenant Chang," snapped the blonde woman, "if you do not control yourself, you'll be demoted back to a Private and will be ordered into that cockpit!"
"And I'm not being ordered now?!" demanded the Lieutenant angrily. "Damn it! I thought I made it clear I wanted no part in your Mobile Suit testing!"
"That you did, Chang," the woman replied, "however, you are the only one--"
"Bullshit, woman! There are other capable pilots!" He slammed his hand on the desktop, eyes narrowing further. "Why--?!"
"It is the Lady's orders--"
"Une can go to Hell! I will not pilot these monstrosities! You cannot force me!" Chang shouted, his fury being heard by those who were passing by the office.
Now it was the woman's turn to narrow her eyes in anger. "Wufei, this is important. We need your skills."
"Get the other Gundam pilots," the boy said, never looking away.
"We are rounding up the other as we speak. In fact," the woman said with a sort of smug expression, "the locations of pilots 01 and 02 have been confirmed."
Chang looked stunned. "Yuy and Maxwell?" he asked, before his expression fell into one akin to horror. "You're insane! They'd never pilot!"
"I'm afraid," the woman said, tossing something onto the deasktop, "that they will have very little choice."
Chang Wufei could only stare at the newspaper that had the pictures of the two wanted pilots and the headline: PREVENTERS SEEK GUNDAM PILOTS.
"So...give me a hint?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"You've got to remember yourself."
"...how 'bout now?"
"No."
Duo slammed his fists on the desk. "Damn it! Tell me who you are!"
The other boy eyed the braided-haired boy dully before answering in an equally monotone, dull voice, "No."
"Urgh!" Duo exclaimed, slamming his head to the desk. "Why torment me with the Guessing Game?"
"Because you know who I am. You're just stopping yourself from coming to the answer," the boy answered and was about to say more when he noticed two uniformed men talking with the Head Librarian. "Shit. We have to move."
"Huh?" Duo managed to get out before the boy grabbed his arm and pulled him into a run, alerting the soldiers to their presence.
"Run faster!" the boy shouted at the other as they headed toward the older section of the Library.
"What the Hell is going on?!" Duo demanded as a long BANG sounded and some people screamed in terror.
"Preventers," answered the boy. "They're after you and I both."
"I didn't do anything!" A bulled wizzed passed his ear and embedded itself into the wood of a bookshelf.
"You remember being a pilot?" the boy asked with a touch of sarcasm as they continued to run.
"Yeah, but--"
"They want the Gundam pilots," he continued, ducking around a bookshelf, followed by Duo. "I don't know why, but Une's determined to get us."
"Us?" Duo questioned before something clicked. "Wait! Heero! You're Heero!"
"Took you long enough," the boy known as Heero Yuy muttered gruffly as he sped passed two teenagers making out in a corner.
"Well, excuse me, but you don't look like how you used to!" Duo shouted back in indignance as he caught up top his friend's side. "And you sound different, too!"
Heero grunted. "I guess three years does change a lot," he said, seeming to be talking to himself.
"So why are we being chased?" Another bullet came close to hitting one of the two boys. "Do you have a gun?"
Heero grunted again. "Lost it. They shot it out of my hands when I tried to shoot them down."
"Une hasn't been slacking in the aiming department then," Duo commented dryly as another bullet graze his braid. "Hey!"
"Just concentrate on running, Shinigami," Heero said, grabbing his friend by the arm and swinging him down an aisle of bookshelves filled with people before turning down it as well, a bullet hitting the bookshelf as he went. Duo, who had stopped amongst the people, grabbed the former pilot of Wing Zero.
"Are you crazy?! They can use these people as hostages!" he exclaimed, shaking the other boy.
Heero shoved him away, eyes narrowed as he pulled something out of his pocket. "So can we."
Duo stared, slack-jawed at the hand-held explosive that sat innocently in Heero's palm.
"Where's Chang?" Lady Une demanded of the blonde woman who had spoke to the Chinese boy just minutes before. The blonde looked down, ashamed.
"He escaped. Knocked five soldiers out before disappearing," she said and winced when the other woman slammed a hand against a panel.
"I told you the Gundam pilots aren't enemies! You are not to use force aginst them! Who's in charge of this operation?!"
"That would be me," a man spoke up from the other side of the room. Lady Une spun toward him, anger evident in her expression.
"Who told you to threaten the Gundam pilots?" she demanded.
"Threaten?" questioned the man quietly with confusion. Une did not believe his tone for a moment.
"Guns? I have been informed that two Preventers were firing weapons in a college campus library where pilots 01 and 02 are," she said loudly.
The man stood, a look of astonishment on his face. "Did they? I am sure I told them about fire-arms."
"Oh, I'm sure you did--"
"Lady Une! One of the pilots are holding people hostage in the library!" shouted one of the people at the counsels. Une went and leaned over the young man's shoulders.
"Sounds like a stunt 01 would pull," she said, watching the data report. "What are his demands?"
"He wishes to be able to escape freely without anyone following."
"Grant it," Une said quickly before turning to the man. "Yout men drove Gundam pilot 01 to turn innocent college students into hostages!"
"My men? I am not the one running the Preventers," the man countered quietly with an odd tone to his voice.
Une fumed. "They were under your orders--!"
"Temper, temper," the man reprimanded with an eerily calm voice. "One would think one of your status would have more control over one's emotions."
Une merely gave him an icy look before turning to the young man at the counsel. "Current status on the pilots?"
"They're not moving!"
"Uh, Heero..." Duo said, watching the hostages, who were all on the ground against the bookshelves. "Why aren't we escaping?"
"They've got men outside," the shorter-haired boy said as if it was was well-known fact. Duo looked to Heero in surprise.
"They do?" he asked in astonishment.
Heero looked to him and answered, "They are giving themselves away. Can you hear them?"
"Um...no," the braided-haired boy replied before looking to the officer who had a radio with him. At the moment, the officer was listening to the radio before suddenly turning to the two pilots.
"Pilot 01," he said, getting Heero to look over to him, "Lady Une wishes to know why you will not take your conditions."
"My conditions," the pilot told him coldly, "were that no one would follow us or threaten us as we exit the building. There are Preventer soldiers outside of the library and they are armed. I don't believe that qualifies as coming to my demands."
The soldier looked surprised but consulted his radio.
"Jeez...how can you hear that there was people out there?" Duo asked in a low voice.
"Where do you think?" Heero asked blankly.
"Oh..." Duo scratched his had, not really understanding why his friend was making everything difficult.
"Pilot 01," the soldier called, gaining the pilots' attention, "the lady has ordered the soldiers to throw down their weapons. They will not try to harm you."
"Tell your Lady," Heero responded, "that she has my thanks."
Just as the boy said this, he pressed a button on the hand-held explosive and it began to beep. The hostages cried out in alarm, and Duo tried to stop Heero from tossing it but failed. The small object was flung toward the soldiers, who were scrambling. When it hit, however, it didn't explode. Instead, the small 'explosive' released a white fog that encased the aisle and then the library.
"Come on," Heero said, pulling Duo out of the aisle.
"Wha--?" Duo asked, still shocked that the explosive hadn't been an actual explosive. "A bluff?"
"Of course," the former pilot of Wing Zero said gruffly. "I swore off killing."
"Oh."
And so, the two former Gundam pilots escaped the grasp of the Preventers, though Heero felt as though there was something admist. He was proven correct when Duo lead them to his dormroom.
"Jack should be out, so there's nothing to worry about," Duo assured his friend as he used a key to open the door, only to freeze when he saw that his roommate and his now-girlfriend was in there.
"Duo!" Jack exclaimed, standing to his feet. "What the Hell is going on?"
The Gundam pilot looked confused at the question. Jack couldn't have heard about the Library Incident yet... "What do you mean?"
Noma stood from her seat and came over, holding out a rolled up paper to him. Duo blinked but took the newspaper and unrolled it. He nearly dropped it when he saw his own cheerful visage staring back at him in black and white ink.
"So that's it then," Heero's voice said from the long-haired boy's left, "we're wanted men. We can no longer live in peace."
Duo's grasp on the paper tighteneed as anger welled up inside him. "Damn them. Damn them all!" he shouted before throwing the horrifying object to the ground. "Why can we be left alone?! Haven't we paid for our crimes by nearly getting ourselves killed to achieve this peace?! Damn them all to Hell!"
Jack and Noma looked stunned at the young man's small speech, almost disbelieving that their usual care-free friend could become so angry, so upset. "Duo..." Jack tried to say, but Duo brushed him off.
"I've got to leave," he said, looking away. "I can't stay here anymore."
Jack nodded numbly. "We've already packed your clothes--"
"And all of your things," Noma added, turning to lift a duffle bag that was big enough to fit everything.
Duo looked up at his friends and smiled, though it looked strained. "You guys are the best. Good luck with the relationship and be sure to send me an invite." He winked.
Jack chuckled. "Sure thing, Duo."
The pilot nodded and took the duffle bag. "I'll see you guys some day," he said before turning back toward the door and Heero. "Come on. let's get going."
Heero nodded and also turned to leave but paused when Noma called, "Take care of Duo for us, Heero Yuy!"
For a moment, the mask that Heero had become accustomed to fell and he nodded. He could feel the couple's pain, having to watch their good friend be chased out into exile. It also hurt to see Duo become so saddened by having to say an impromptu goodbye. For just a second, Heero's expression told the innocent couple that he understood their pain before the mask was on again and he left.
"Forgive me, Lady, it shall not happen again," a soldier said with a bow. Lady Une gave him a look of disgust as he stayed bent in a form of respect, though the term was questionable in this instance.
"You're lucky I didn't have you court-marsheled," she said coldly, turning her back to him. "Get out of my sight."
"Yes, my Lady." The man scurried off and the woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on.
"You know, you should have listened to my objections," another feminine voice said, causing Une to turned and see Sally Po leaning against the doorway.
"Come in or get out, General. I am in no mood for games."
Sally came into the office and shut the door before replying, "Nor am I. I'm worried about pilots 01 and 02. If Sklavenka hadn't--"
"Well, she did," the other woman snapped irritably, "and I was a fool for leaving her in second command--no. I was foolish for putting Sloh in command!"
"I have to admit, I agree," the Chinese woman said bluntly, "but we can't dwell on that. Right now, the pilots consider us enemies--"
"Perhaps we are," Lady Une interrupted quietly. "They are too determined to keep the peace they've created for themselves, and yet we are trying to put them in a place that makes them remember the war. Those Mobile Suit cockpits."
Sally Po was quiet for a moment before replying, equally quietly, "Something is brewing...and soon the Gundam pilots won't have any choice...unless they want to see everything fall apart."
The crowd cheered loudly as the two acrobats took their final bows. It had been a wonderful night for the group of entertainers. They had sold all of their tickets, had made all the customers enjoy their stay, and they even managed to pull off their 'Death-Defying Dance' as the Finale. All of them smiled brightly at their success.
All but one.
"Wave a bit," the female acrobat said, nudging her partner, who had been the one to truly defy Death in the Finale. The young man, who no longer wore a mask in his performances, merely looked at her before raising a hand in the air, making the ladies in the stands scream louder.
His partner giggled at the reaction.
"And now!" shouted the Ringleader as he bounded over to the duo of performers. "We must bid you all farewell! Have a safe trip and happy hunting!"
With that, there was a puff of smoke and, with it concealing their movements, the trio headed toward the back of the tent where their trailors were. The girl was a bubble of excitement as she continued to speak of the 'great, marvelous, stupendous' show they had performed. The Ringleader chuckled heartily while the young man remained silent, thinking of the uncomfortable feeling he was getting.
The pull of his arm made him realize someone had latched onto it, and he looked down to see his sister holding it captive in her hug-like grasp. "Come on, Trowa. Give me a smile. I know you had fun," she said mischievously.
Inwardly, Trowa was chuckling at her behavior; outwardly, his expression remained the same: stoic and emtionless. "It was entertaining," he said simply, his usual soft voice almost lost to his sister, who eyes him critically.
"Well, I thought it was positively magnificent!" she said, grinning at him. For just a moment, the passive expression on his face tried to pull itself into a smile. His sister saw, laughed, and hugged him.
"Oh, we'll make you a human yet!" she exclaimed brightly, making Trowa shake his head in his way of showing amusement. He stopped, however, as his ear caught the sound of conversation.
"...in the newspaper. They were just kids!"
"Ai. 'Tis a sad times when the innocent are forced ta fight the corrupted battle."
Intrigued by this statement, the young acrobat detached himself from his sister's embrace and went over to where the two elder men were, leaving the girl confused and calling out his name.
Trowa ignored it and came up from behind the first man, who was just saying, "...of what sort of horrifying sights they must've seen--"
"Pardon me," he spoke up, interrupting the elder man, "but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. What was it that was in the newspaper?"
"'Twas a headline," answered the other man, who held a pipe between his teeth and spoke through the side of his mouth. "Them Preventers are looking fer two of them Gundam pilots."
"Pilots, huh?" Trowa murmured quietly, quickly keeping his face schooled into a mask of small interest.
The pipe-man nodded. "Them Preventers want them fer summating. Rumor has it that them Preventers have new Gundams built in them buildings of theirs."
"Gundams?"
"Ai. Here. Have a look-see," the man said, handing the younger man a newspaper clipping that had the headline screaming, PILOTS 01 AND 02 OF GUNDAMS REVEALED and PREVENTERS SEEK GUNDAM PILOTS.
Just looking at the pictures of his comrades under those captions made the boy's stomach clench. If they were after Heero and Duo, it wouldn't be long before they went after him as well.
"Well, boy?" questioned the other man, causing Trowa to look up. "Recognize them or something?"
Trowa looked back down at the pictures; Duo's grinning, happy-go-lucky face as well as Heero's mild glare at whoever was taking the photo. "I'm afraid not. It's just a shock at how young they were."
The pipe-man nodded. "Ai, that's what got us all. We all are 'shamed fer thinking that them pilots were men that shoulda known better than ta start a war. Them boys...them were too young ta know better."
The tall former pilot of the Gundam Heavyarms silently nodded before quietly muttering, "Indeed they were...at one point."
"I can't believe I'm doing this," muttered Duo as he and Heero crouched behind a luggage cart, watching as security idly stood on the landing platform, waiting for the shuttle to come.
"You stole a Gundam and just held at least twenty people hostage--"
"That second one was you, Pal." The long-haired boy looked to his friend and continued with a bit of a grin. "besides, the Doc told me to steal it."
"Hn," was the grunted reply, making Duo's expression fall.
"Why I hang around you, I'll never know," he muttered to himself before Heero tensed beside him. "What?"
"I didn't know whose shuttle that was," the former terrorist answered quietly. Duo gave him an odd look which he didn't acknowledge.
"Whose is it?" the braided-hair boy questioned.
Heero was silent for a moment before he spoke, his eyes never leaving the descending shuttle, "Relena..."
"It's tragic news. To learn that these poor boys are being hunted like dogs," one of the men accompanying Relena Darlian said quietly as they watched the newest news flash. The young woman didn't reply and merely watched the screen where the two Gundam pilots' faces were frozen.
"...whereabouts. Preventer Leader Lady Une claims that she had no intention of using fire-arms against the young pilots and that such acts were made by men under Major Sloh's command. Continuous--"
Another man, this one much older than the other turned off the televsion. "This is all too depressing. It sounds like the Crusades, only the Gundam pilots are the prize," he said gruffly, glaring at the innocent-looking television.
"Please, Senator," Relena spoke up, "do not refer to them that way."
"That is what they are in the eyes of the military," the old Senator responded sharply. "First section that finds them, gains more power over the rest. War will ensue--"
"The pilots will not get caught," the young woman said, equally sharp with a command in her voice. "They are trained terrorists--"
"How is it that you know this?" the younger man questioned quizzically.
Relena gave him a small smile. "Because...one promised to kill me once."
This confused the men greatly.
"Oh..." Duo said with a smirk. "Your...'lady-friend's' up there, huh?"
Heero didn't reply.
"So..." Duo looked back to the shuttle. "Doesn't that make this easier?"
"No," was the short reply.
"Oh," was the only thing he could think of to say.
The two stayed crouched behind the luggage cart, watching the sleek, white shuttle land and then slowly lower its loading ramp. Dup wasn't sure, but it seemed as thought Heero was holding his breath. Why the other pilot would do such a thing left the boy confused and bewildered.
"Come on," Heero said suddenly before springing up and over the cart. Duo watched with surprise as the other teen sprinted toward security and then took one of them out with a jump-kick to the neck.
"Hey! Wait up!" the still-hidden boy shouted, following Heero's lead as he took down the second security guard.
"Forget about them!" Heero called. "Make for the shuttle!"
"Go it!" Duo shouted back as he sped toward the loading ramp, where the three occupants stood, watching with awe at the sight of the two boys.
"Trained terrorists..." murmured the elder man while Relena smiled.
Heero, however, quickly relieved the two uncoscious men of their weapons just as two more arrived on the platform. He fired a couple of rounds of each gun, aiming only at the legs and arms, before he shouted, "Duo!"
The running pilot skidded to a stop as a gun came sailing his way. He quickly jumped and caught it, grinning as he patted the barrel. "Been a while," he said and nearly forgot about the shuttle until Heero passed him, firing bullet after bullet at the massing guards.
"Get moving, Maxwell!" he shouted, shooting an elder guard in the knee. Just as the man cried out in pain, Duo started his running once more, reaching the loading ramp before his friend.
The younger man jerked a hand into his jacket, and the young terrorist aimed his weapon at him. "Whoa there, Buddy," he said, a grin on his face. "Hands out where I can see them."
The man quickly did as asked, and the other man tried his chance to get his weapon. Duo was the quicker thinker, however. "If you want me to kill your friend, I suggest you keep on doing what you're doing."
The man froze, a startled look on his face. Duo gave him another grin. "Okay, now get your gun and his and toss them to me, one at a time."
The elder man was forced to comply and soon the Gundam pilot possessed three weapons: one tucked into his belt and the other two in his hands. "All right. Back in the shuttle," the teenager commanded, gesturing to the entrance.
Both men headed in, but Relena stayed. Duo tossed her a wink. "Long time no see, Princess."
Relena returned his wink with a smile. "Former Queen, please."
Duo chuckled. "Forgive me. My memory's been suffering as of the late," he responded kindly before turning to the landing platform and shouting, "Oi! Hurry it up, Heero!"
Just as he called for his friend, the young man jumped the railing on the ramp and turned to fire at the men on the platform. "Get up there," he told the other pilot who nodded and gestured for Relena to enter before following.
Heero followed him soon after, shutting the shuttle's door behind him. He stayed there for a moment, catching his breath before he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He quickly spun toward the person, aiming the weapon at their face.
"Whoa!" Duo shouted in alarm as the other boy began to pull the trigger. "Hold it, Heero!"
Heero froze, the adrenaline flushing out of his system. He quickly realized what he had nearly done and was shaken by how close it had been. He didn't move, however, and neither did Duo, who looked shocked as well.
"Heero..." The boy lowered the fire-arm quickly, looking away. He knew how horrified the two men and Relena were by his actions.
"Go pilot the shuttle, Duo," he said, his voice giving the image of calm and emotionlessness when, in fact, the boy had scared himself slightly.
He waited a moment, expecting the longer-haired boy to go; but when he didn't, Heero quickly aimed the gun at the other boy's head again. He didn't look up to see Duo's reaction. If he would have, he would have seen that the other boy was slightly concerned and slightly shocked at his actions.
"Go. Pilot. The shuttle," Heero gritted out.
For a moment, Duo almost went but didn't.
"Maxwell!" Heero snapped, looked at him. "I will shoot. Don't test me."
Duo gave a small snort of laughter, falling back into his 'easy-going' state. "You wouldn't kill me."
"No," Heero replied, his voice dry, "but you'd be surprise at what you can live through."
Both were quiet for a moment, staring at one another while the three now-hostages waited for something to happen. No one moved.
Then Duo cocked his head to the side. "Ya know...this seems familiar."
The armed teenager then followed his friend's example and cocked his head slightly to the side. "One of the times you were captured," he answered, sure of himself.
Duo blinked and looked thoughtful before laughing. "Oh, yeah! I remember!" He continued to chuckle for a moment before taking the barrel of the gun and shoving it downward. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have a shuttle to pilot."
With that, the long-haired pilot left the passenger area and headed for the shuttle's controls. Heero stood there for a second, wondering how the other boy had managed to diffuse the situation so easily. When he couldn't figure it out, he lowered the weapon to his side and looked to his hostages.
"Hn," he grunted, sitting down.
Eventually the others followed his example.
"Welcome to Duo Airlines!" a bright, cheerful voice chirped over the intercom. "I would like to thank you all for not screaming as me and my friend took you as our hostages--"
Heero looked toward the captain's cabin and called, "You're not out of range, Maxwell!"
"Eh?" the voice said on the intercom as Duo understood the implications. The door slid shut.
"Damn it! What the Hell are they doing?!" Lady Une shouted, hearing the news of the shuttle. Sally Po calmly watched everything from the far wall, waiting for the outcome of the situation.
"Seventeen injured. No casualties," one of the men at the counsels called, and Une shut her eyes, sighing.
"At least 01 hasn't killed anyone," she said in relief and turned to a woman with a set of headphones on her head. "Where is their destination?"
The other woman consulted her computer before answering, "L3 Colony."
"What's the matter, Trowa? You're quiet but not this quiet." Trowa turned his head to see his sister squatted down next to him. He watched her silently for a moment before looking away.
"It's nothing to concern you with, Cathy," he told her and waited for the expected reaction.
"Trowa Barton! You are lying to me! Look me in the face and tell me it doesn't concern me in any way!" she shouted angrily, frustrated with the younger boy, who turned to her and watched her steadily.
"If I told you I had to leave," he began slowly, "would you let me go?"
Catherine stared at him before shaking her head. "No, of course I wouldn't! Trowa...you're my brother, and I don't want you to go away again. After what happened four years ago--"
"That was a mistake on my part," the boy interrupted, his tone cold. "Don't blame Quatre for any of it. He wasn't in control."
"Still!" Catherine exclaimed, her eyes quickly becoming moist and glossy. "I don't want you to be in trouble! I don't want you to go!"
Trowa's eyes softened slightly and he quickly pulled his sister to him, letting her cry against him. He knew very well why she was upset. She hated what had happened to him; hated how it made him a soldier, though he was still a long way from being the 'perfect soldier' like Heero Yuy. He himself wanted to stay at the circus and live his life in peace, but there couldn't be peace for him if he was being hunted.
"I won't go," he told her, "unless I hear that the Preventers are beginning to seek me out and not just Heero and Duo. I'm not safe to be around and I don't want you or anyone else to be hurt because of me."
"Trowa..." Catherine said tearfully, pulling him closer to her. The young pilot merely looked at her before he tried to calm her by rubbing her back. His face didn't show it, but his eyes told how saddened he was that everything had come to this.
"L3 Colony, huh?" Duo asked his partner-in-crime, who had just entered the pilot's cabin. "Why exactly did you want to head there?"
Heero didn't answer for a moment and merely sat in the co-pilot's seat before answering, "Trowa's on L3. He must have heard the news and is getting ready to leave. We'll join up with him and try somewhere else to hide."
Duo nodded at the sensible answer. "Sounds good. What about Wufei and Quatre?"
"Wufei's already in hiding,. He probably heard the Preventers wanting Gundam pilots first," the shorter-haired boy said, watching as the Colony came closer. "Quatre has his Arabian friends that will help him hide like he did during the war."
Again the former pilot of Deathscythe nodded before pausing. "Wait...how are we going to get into the Colony?"
Heero's eyes narrowed and a wisp of a smirk appeared on his face. "Just how you think. Fly in. No stopping."
Duo watched him for a moment before grinning and turning back to the controls. "Better tell our friends in the back to buckle up. This is going to be a Hell of a ride."
Heero nodded once, stood and entered the cabin, the door swishing shut behind him. The three political representatives looked up curiously at him. Two of the three had an expression of wariness, while the last merely watched the young terrorist who eyed them all suspiciously.
"Strap into your seats," he told them, seating himself in a seat that faced them. "We're going in hard."
"In?" asked the younger man of the hostages, confused as the hijacker and the other two hostages pulled their safety belts on. "In where?"
Heero looked up and simply answered, "We're entering the L3 Colony."
The younger politician's mouth formed an 'O' as he quickly pulled the safety belt around him. Heero chuckled silently for a moment before he heard a, "Mr. Yuy?"
He looked over, saw who had addressed him, and nearly allowed his face to fall into the 'deer-caught-in-headlights' look. A much more mature and sophisticated Relena Darlian watched him carefully as he stared at her. Comparing himself to her, the young pilot felt filthy and unkempt.
"Yes?" he responded gruffly, as he recovered from his pause.
"Mr. Yuy...why are you trying to hide yourself?" the young woman asked calmly. The two male politicians looked uncertainly at her as their captor's face fell into an expression of indifference.
"None of the Gundam pilots want to be part of the Preventers' military edge," he answered, eyes narrowing. "All we wanted was peace."
Relena wasn't fazed by the hard glare directed at her and merely asked, "And that is why you hide?"
"What else does one do when they do not wish to be found?" he questioned and waited for an answer.
"Heero--"
"You sound as if you know me, Ms. Darlian," he remarked suddenly, suprising the two other men, "yet I do not remember encountering you before."
Relena bit her tongue and sighed. "Mr. Yuy, what do you plan to do with us?"
Heero rose an eyebrow and replied, monotonously, "If we must, we'll have to kill you."
A disquieting silence fell upon the captives. "You wouldn't," the youngest barely whispered.
Their captor looked passively at the men and then back at her. "I may not kill anymore, but I am not so sure about the others. 03 or 05 might have a twitch in their trigger finger."
Relena could only stare at him in disbelief.
"We're coming up to the entrance," Duo's voice said from the loudspeaker. "If anyone's hurt, it's Heero's fault. I told him to get you guys secured."
Heero smirked, leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed. He didn't know where they would go from here, but he knew one thing, if anything:
He would not be captured.
Trowa quietly walked down an empty alley that led away from the circus tent, a dufflebag slung over his shoulder. He turned one last time to look at his home of four years. He couldn't consider it his home when there had been war. Space and the earth had been his home then, and now they were calling for him to return.
"My home is turned into my battlefield and enemy," he said aloud, chuckling slightly. "How ironic."
With that, he turned back in the direction he had been headed in, not looking back. When he walked into the open, where people walked ungurriedly down the 'walks, a terrible wailing erupted from all around. Everyone stopped and looked around in fear. Trowa looked to the entrance of the Colony and saw why the alarms were standing.
A shuttle had somehow forced its way into the Colony.
"We're being invaded!" a foolish man cried, and the crowd erupted with screams of terror. They all ran toward their designated safe-house, shoving each other to get there. Trowa just moved aside whenever a person came close to hitting him. He never ran.
"Who would be crazy enough to pull this stunt?" he mused as the last few people abandoned the streets, leaving him as the only one standing there.
The answer came to him as the shuttle landed/crashed into the nearest intersection. The people who were in cars skidded to a stop and caused a large pile-up. Trowa continued to watch as the loading ramp fell and a figure dropped to the ground, two weapons in his hands and a braid following him from behind. The acrobat silently chuckled once more.
"I should have known," he said to himself, adjusting his duffle. "Only Duo."
He walked quietly, seeing that everyone had abandoned their cars and ran for cover and shelter. He continued to watch the scene with amusement as a second armed figure led three people down the ramp. The figure quickly pulled a second gun from his belt and aimed it at the approaching boy.
"You'd better stay where you are, if you know what's good for you," the figure called to him. Duo, who had his two fire-arms aimed at the three people, looked to the new arrival, who was hidden partial by shadows, and aimed one of the guns in his direction.
"Okay, Pal, out into the light," the braided-haired pilot called and Trowa complied, walking forward.
"This is a nice way of greeting one of your friends, Heero, Duo," he said, a bit of humor in his voice.
Duo lowered the weapon and sighed. "You always do that. Next time say something, will ya?"
"I will if there's no gun trained on me," Trowa replied as he continued to come closer. "Hijacking? Duo, that's not your style."
"Nah, that's why I stole the shuttle and Heero did the kidnapping," the other boy replied with a grin. Trowa's lips tipped into a small smile, something that seemed natural to do while around his fellow pilots.
"And was it coincidence that you've captured the former Queen of the World?" the former pilot of Heavyarms asked curiously, studying the young woman who seemed small compared to his tall frame.
"Let's get a move on," Heero's gruff voice said as the boy arrived next to his captives. He looked to Trowa and asked, "Are you coming?"
"Where else is there to go?" Trowa shrugged. "It won't be long before they come looking for me, will it?"
Duo shrugged. "I have no clue. Hell, I have no idea why they would want us in the first place."
Trowa rose an eyebrow which was hidden by his long bang. "You didn't even read the newspaper?" he asked.
"Mr. Brilliant here had to bluff his way out of a college library to get away from the authorities. Do you think we had time to look?"
Trowa frowned. "I heard from--"
"Trowa. Duo. Walk. Now," Heero ordered, being the only one who seemed to remember their situation. The other two boys looked to each other before complying.
"I know somewhere we can go until we find another shuttle," Trowa spoke up as they paused in a deep alley. "I was just heading there."
"Wait a minute," the young male politician objected, "just who are you?"
Trowa looked to him, a curious expression on his face. "No picture of me in the news yet? I'm disappointed," he chuckled lightly. "I'm Pilot 03, the pilot of the Gundam Heavyarms."
The man's face went white and he said nothing more, so Trowa continued, "The shelter's just this way."
Catherine awoke when she thought she heard a thump in the hall of the trailer. For a long while, she lied there, half-awake and half-asleep. Finally, realizing she couldn't go to sleep, she sat up and tiredly stood and went to the kitchen. When she got there, however, she froze. Something was missing...
Trowa!
With a cry of anguish, the young performer ran back to her brother's room, slammed his door open, and stared. Tears started to fill her eyes as she studied the near-empty room. Everything was gone. The dressers were empty, the desktops vacant...the only thing that she saw that was out-of-place was a flier of the circus on the bed.
Slowly, she approached the bed, sat upon it, and reached for the flier, her hand shaking as she picked it up. She turned it over and there, on the back of the advertisement, was Trowa's neat scrawl.
I am sorry for having to leave, Catherine, but I know it was the right thing to do. The Preventers want the Gundam pilots to pilot Mobile Suits, possibly even Gundams. I cannot allow myself to be forced into a cockpit.
I once piloted the Gundam for my own reason, but then my own reason become the world's. I took the name of the real pilot and am still identified with his name. Since the end of the war against Oz, Romefeller, White Fang--it is hard to remember who the enemy was--I have wanted nothing but peace. Trieze Kushrenada's daughter Mariemaia, the niece of the man of whose name I've stolen, prevented me from continuing my peaceful life.
Three years later, I've lived in peace and loved every moment, but yet again, I sense war is on the horizon. Space is calling for the Gundams to return. Yet they cannot. Only Wing Zero is left and it is almost completely destroyed.
I must answer my calling, sister, and I must prevent myself from being caught by my enemies--if they truly are my enemies. I hope you can forgive me, but I have told you I was not safe. Perhaps if I were No-Name once more, I would be.
Pray for me and the others, if you feel the need; but please, Catherine, do not follow.
Tout mon amour,
votre frère
Catherine sobbed as she read the closing. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she placed her finger where it said 'votre frère.' He hadn't used his stolen name...
Author's Notes: *yawns again and blinks* Hm? Why do I have to do closing notes? This is really stupid. Get one of the Pilots to do it *falls asleep* Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........*is poked at by someone and wakes up* Oh, fine. Be mean! Anyway, I have to say that I really like writing this story and YES! I DO have an explanation for EVERYTHING that occurred in this chapter. Including the part where Duo couldn't guess who Heero was. *glare at people who were going to ask*
*blinks* Oh, yeah...the last bit of the letter by Trowa is in French, meaning "All my love, your brother." Now this doesn't mean brother literally. Keep that in mind for now. Trowa is NOT Catherine's brother...erm...well...I can't really say that...URGH! Just ignore everything from the translation on, all right?
Oy...I've been listening to White Reflection for four hours(guess about the title of the fic ^.^) *shrugs* Oh, well...I'm a major fan, so it doesn't bother me. Maybe I learned the words by having it go over and over. You know, learning subconsciously? Anyway...I think I'll leave you all on this note! ^.^ Hope you tune in next time! ^.^ Ja ne! ^.~
Disclaimer: I, in no way imaginable, own Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Wufei, Zechs, Noin, Lady Une, Hilde, Relena, Trieze(*pokes the name* aren't you dead? ...), or whoever is the Hell is in Gundam Wing(even though already DEAD people aren't in my fic! *pointed look at Trieze, who marches off, grumbling*). I do not wish to get sued, so I repeat myself...I own NO ONE!(...well, maybe Zechs ^.^")
Notes:
letter
HEADLINE
Exiled Silence
After Colony 197: the age of Mobile Suits is at an end. To the people, this was a great relief and a near miracle; peace was once again known. To all who fought in the horrible battles, the peace seemed surreal and false. Old fears became known, and the former soldiers were wary. They did not fear attacks from Gundams, for all but one had been destroyed and even that one that had survived was a mere wreckage; a relic of the times of harships and turmoil.
There had been five pilots and yet none had come forward and revealed themselves. They did, however, keep appearances in newspapers and speculation. Many people who had been in the war would talk of the possibilities of there being real pilots; others wondered at who they had been. Relena Darlian, who had been rumored to have known the pilots in the war, denied any knowledge of their whereabouts.
"I do not know who they are or where they have gone," she said when interviewed, "but wherever they are, I hope that their lives are peaceful and that they never have to worry about being used as weapons anymore."
For two years, the pilots did just that in their own way...
AC 199:
"Are you kidding me?" a nineteen-year-old teenager demanded with a smirk. "This is too easy."
"It's the hardest thing I can think of," another boy said with indignance. The first boy laughed, waving a hand dismissively as he stood.
"You don't know how easy this'll be," the first said, facing the second and making his long braid of hair whip about his shoulders. The second one, looking insulted that someone dared to say his ideas were 'too easy,' crossed his arms with an annoyed look on his face.
"I don't suppose you have a better idea?" he asked the first, who looked thoughtful for a moment before chuckling.
"Actually, I don't--"
"Then shut up!" The second glared at the first. The braided-haired boy held up his hands in a sign of surrender and peace.
"Okay, okay. I'll stop, but it is easier than some of the other things I've done," he said, the laughter still in his voice. "I mean, getting my friend Heero to talk must have been next to impossible comparing it with this."
The second threw a pillow at his friend. "Shut up, will ya?"
"Aw!" exclaimed the other boy after he had dodged the thrown object. "But you know she--"
"She who?" another person asked, making the second blush furiously and the first to turn in their direction, grinning.
"Hey, Noma!" the first said cheerfully while his friend hid himself with the pillow he had planned to throw at the braided-haired boy. "I got something to tell you!"
Noma, the one who had spoke, looked curiously at the first boy as he almost bounced over. He whispered something in her ear, his grin never faltering as the girl listened, a look of surprise on her face. When he had finished, Noma looked uncertainly to the other boy, who peeked carefully around the pillow.
"Is this true?" she asked him.
The second boy looked hesitantly at the other boy, who nodded vigorously from behind Noma. "Yes?" he answered questioningly.
The brunette smiled brightly, and the braided-haired boy gave a thumbs-up behind her. "Great," Noma said brightly. "Pick me up at seven, 'kay?"
"Sure," he answered, dazedly.
Noma smiled brightly again before scurrying off, out of the room. The braided-haired boy crossed his arms and gave his friend a smug look before asking, "Now whose idea was better?"
"Wha--? You asked her?"
"Mm...hm..." the first answered, studying his nails in a stuck-up manner. "I told you it was easy. Your idea of going through all of that trouble was too much."
The other boy smiled in appreciation. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me! I just wanna see you crash and bur--" The second pillow hit him square in the face.
"Get out of here, Maxwell!" shouted the lighter- and shorter-haired teen. Maxwell smirked, catching the pillow as it fell from his face.
"Fine, fine," he said, bouncing the pillow in his hands. "I can tell when I'm not wanted."
He tossed the pillow back, but it was too fast for the other boy to block. The lighter-haired boy was hit in the face, causing him to fall off of the bed he had been sitting on with an "umph!" of surprise. Maxwell frowned, looking at his hands and arms.
"Eh...guess I dunno my own strength," he said sheepishly.
"Thanks, Duo," was the reply from behind the bed.
"I didn't mean to!" objected the still-standing teen quickly. "Don't be so mean, Jack."
"My name's not Jack, Duo," the other teen gritted out as he sat himself up off of the ground.
"You look like one." Duo shrugged.
"I do not!"
"Do, too!"
"Do not!"
"Do, too!"
"Do not!
"Do--hey! Nancy's undressing!" This made the other boy's head turn, and Duo made his escape, laughing to himself as 'Jack' cried out in outrage, having been tricked yet again by Duo Maxwell--the resident clown of pranks and jokes...who also happened to be Gundam pilot 02. The pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe.
Three years since he had been inside the cockpit of his beloved Mobile Suit and he could have passed as one of the happiest young men his age. Two years since Relena Darlian's statement and the young former pilot was living his life in peace, attending a college in the North American country known as the United Stated of America.
At least, that was what he and the people who knew him thought.
Walking down the sidewalk, having been 'chased out' by his roommate, Duo whistled a small tune and scuffed his shoe against the ground. He'd long since forgotten the astonishment he felt when he could go a day just being idle. He had been used to having to be ready for everything and being able to not await or anticipate anything was something he took full advantage of.
He just let his mind wander for a moment, thinking about his friends, school, the test coming up tomorrow--
"Oh, man!" he exclaimed, halting mid-step. "I can't believe I forgot about it!"
Grumbling to himself, he turned in place and set his foot down toward the direction of the Library only to hear a "Hey, stop!" just as someone rounded the corner on his left.
"Hey! Hold it--!" he tried to say but was knocked over as the person slammed into him, staggering only for a moment before giving chase yet again. Duo merely stared, propped on his elbows.
Two uniformed men ran after the person and only one of them stopped and looked at him. "You all right?"
Duo blinked. "Eh...yeah. Just got a bit winded," he answered, sitting up. "What was--hey, wait!"
Too late. The uniformed person ran in the direction his partner and the running person had gone. Standing up, the former Gundam pilot scratched his head, thinking.
"Wonder what that was about," he muttered, barely recalling that the running person had been a boy his age in blue jeans and a blue tank-top.
"Hey, stop!" one of the uniformed officers shouted, but that only made him pick up his speed. He was determined to keep away from anyone in those uniforms. He wouldn't be captured; he wouldn't be taken.
He quickly swung around the corner and, just as he looked back to see if they were still on his tail, someone shouted, "Hey! Hold it--!" He barely had enough time to look up before he barreled passed the long-hair, black-outfitted person that had been the one shouting.
'Don't think about it,' he told himself as part of him seemed to tell him that the person he had run into was someone familiar. He looked back once more and caught sight of the person on the ground, propping himself on his elbows as he stared dazedly.
The face was impossibly to forget.
'Duo...' He nearly stopped, but the sounds of the uniformed men kept him going. 'Can't stop. Have to lose them.'
And so he did. The faster of the two stopped to make sure Duo was all right while the other continued to persue him. 'Too easy.'
He ducked around another corner, heaved himself over the wall that made the corner, and froze as he landed in the corner, hidden by a bush. He held his breath, straining his ears as he listened.
"Where'd he go?" the faster officer demanded as the boy heard footsteps running to where the other officer was.
"He--I lost him," the second officer confessed. There was a moment of silence, so he strained harder to listen in. "Lady Une's not going to be happy, is she?"
'Lady Une,' the boy thought, his curiosity piqued.
"No. She wants pilots 01, 02, 03, and 04 at Headquarters before--"
"Why'd you stop anyway?" the second interrupted, annoyed. The boy froze, listening and imagining the first person chuckling.
"I found pilot 02," he answered smugly.
The boy's breath caught in his throat. 'So...they recognized him,' he thought just as he calmed hismelf. 'Better warn him then.'
Silently, he trailed the wall and headed in the direction pilot 02 was.
"Eh, better stop thinking of it, Maxwell," Duo said to himself, walking up the steps of the building with his hands shoved in his pockets. "I mean, it's not like it was--"
"Shinigami," a voice called from the young man's right. Duo looked over, blinking.
"Wha?" he asked in confusion.
Some bushes rustled; whoever was in them was coming closer. "Shinigami!" the familiar voice hissed.
"Who's calling?" Duo cautiously replied, eyeing the bushes warily.
Everything was quiet...
"Took you long enough," the voice said from behind the former pilot of Deathscythe, who jumped and spun around, barely managing to contain his scream of surprise.
"What do you think you're doing, sneaking up on me like that?!" the long-haired boy yelled loudly. "I could have--!"
"I highly doubt it," the other boy replied, monotonous. Duo blinked for a moment before coming to a realization.
"Hey...you're the guy that knocked me over," he said, and the other boy rolled his eyes.
"Is that the only thing you remember, Maxwell?" he asked with gruff annoyance. Duo paused, studying him carefully.
The boy's face was young, but the eyes spoke of horrors they had seen. Those were the very same that the former Gundam pilot known as Shinigami, the God of Death, saw everytime he looked in the mirror. The only difference was that there was no haunted expression, as if the boy had been used to seeing the horrors he had witnessed. Had been used to, or trained to ignore--
Trained...
Duo blinked, taking in the boy's other features. The dark hair was short, though some of it tried to hang in his eyes as if it was accusomed to doing that. It reminded Duo of someone, but he couldn't place his finger on it.
"Uh..." he stated, still trying to place the person.
The boy cocked an eyebrow, realizing that the braided-haired boy was having trouble identifying him. "Three years hasn't been long enough to change me very much."
Duo fumed. "Well, if you knew me so well, how'd you recognize me?"
The boy shrugged, arms now crossed. "Your face is slightly different, but your hair will always give you away," he answered simply.
"Wish I could say the same," the long-haired boy muttered, becoming frustrated.
The boy looked toward the steps of the Library cautiously. "We should continue this inside," he said, his eyes never leaving the courtyard.
"Wanted man, huh?" Duo asked as they walked into the building. The other teen's eyes narrowed as he watched the entrance.
"Not for any crime I've committed," he answered, his voice hard and void of any emotion.
"When I joined this, I never said I'd go back into a Mobile Suit!" a uniformed young man shouted at a blonde woman. The young man looked to be of Chinese descent; his dark hair sleeked back into a small rat-tail, and his dark eyes narrowed in anger and outrage.
"Lieutenant Chang," snapped the blonde woman, "if you do not control yourself, you'll be demoted back to a Private and will be ordered into that cockpit!"
"And I'm not being ordered now?!" demanded the Lieutenant angrily. "Damn it! I thought I made it clear I wanted no part in your Mobile Suit testing!"
"That you did, Chang," the woman replied, "however, you are the only one--"
"Bullshit, woman! There are other capable pilots!" He slammed his hand on the desktop, eyes narrowing further. "Why--?!"
"It is the Lady's orders--"
"Une can go to Hell! I will not pilot these monstrosities! You cannot force me!" Chang shouted, his fury being heard by those who were passing by the office.
Now it was the woman's turn to narrow her eyes in anger. "Wufei, this is important. We need your skills."
"Get the other Gundam pilots," the boy said, never looking away.
"We are rounding up the other as we speak. In fact," the woman said with a sort of smug expression, "the locations of pilots 01 and 02 have been confirmed."
Chang looked stunned. "Yuy and Maxwell?" he asked, before his expression fell into one akin to horror. "You're insane! They'd never pilot!"
"I'm afraid," the woman said, tossing something onto the deasktop, "that they will have very little choice."
Chang Wufei could only stare at the newspaper that had the pictures of the two wanted pilots and the headline: PREVENTERS SEEK GUNDAM PILOTS.
"So...give me a hint?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"You've got to remember yourself."
"...how 'bout now?"
"No."
Duo slammed his fists on the desk. "Damn it! Tell me who you are!"
The other boy eyed the braided-haired boy dully before answering in an equally monotone, dull voice, "No."
"Urgh!" Duo exclaimed, slamming his head to the desk. "Why torment me with the Guessing Game?"
"Because you know who I am. You're just stopping yourself from coming to the answer," the boy answered and was about to say more when he noticed two uniformed men talking with the Head Librarian. "Shit. We have to move."
"Huh?" Duo managed to get out before the boy grabbed his arm and pulled him into a run, alerting the soldiers to their presence.
"Run faster!" the boy shouted at the other as they headed toward the older section of the Library.
"What the Hell is going on?!" Duo demanded as a long BANG sounded and some people screamed in terror.
"Preventers," answered the boy. "They're after you and I both."
"I didn't do anything!" A bulled wizzed passed his ear and embedded itself into the wood of a bookshelf.
"You remember being a pilot?" the boy asked with a touch of sarcasm as they continued to run.
"Yeah, but--"
"They want the Gundam pilots," he continued, ducking around a bookshelf, followed by Duo. "I don't know why, but Une's determined to get us."
"Us?" Duo questioned before something clicked. "Wait! Heero! You're Heero!"
"Took you long enough," the boy known as Heero Yuy muttered gruffly as he sped passed two teenagers making out in a corner.
"Well, excuse me, but you don't look like how you used to!" Duo shouted back in indignance as he caught up top his friend's side. "And you sound different, too!"
Heero grunted. "I guess three years does change a lot," he said, seeming to be talking to himself.
"So why are we being chased?" Another bullet came close to hitting one of the two boys. "Do you have a gun?"
Heero grunted again. "Lost it. They shot it out of my hands when I tried to shoot them down."
"Une hasn't been slacking in the aiming department then," Duo commented dryly as another bullet graze his braid. "Hey!"
"Just concentrate on running, Shinigami," Heero said, grabbing his friend by the arm and swinging him down an aisle of bookshelves filled with people before turning down it as well, a bullet hitting the bookshelf as he went. Duo, who had stopped amongst the people, grabbed the former pilot of Wing Zero.
"Are you crazy?! They can use these people as hostages!" he exclaimed, shaking the other boy.
Heero shoved him away, eyes narrowed as he pulled something out of his pocket. "So can we."
Duo stared, slack-jawed at the hand-held explosive that sat innocently in Heero's palm.
"Where's Chang?" Lady Une demanded of the blonde woman who had spoke to the Chinese boy just minutes before. The blonde looked down, ashamed.
"He escaped. Knocked five soldiers out before disappearing," she said and winced when the other woman slammed a hand against a panel.
"I told you the Gundam pilots aren't enemies! You are not to use force aginst them! Who's in charge of this operation?!"
"That would be me," a man spoke up from the other side of the room. Lady Une spun toward him, anger evident in her expression.
"Who told you to threaten the Gundam pilots?" she demanded.
"Threaten?" questioned the man quietly with confusion. Une did not believe his tone for a moment.
"Guns? I have been informed that two Preventers were firing weapons in a college campus library where pilots 01 and 02 are," she said loudly.
The man stood, a look of astonishment on his face. "Did they? I am sure I told them about fire-arms."
"Oh, I'm sure you did--"
"Lady Une! One of the pilots are holding people hostage in the library!" shouted one of the people at the counsels. Une went and leaned over the young man's shoulders.
"Sounds like a stunt 01 would pull," she said, watching the data report. "What are his demands?"
"He wishes to be able to escape freely without anyone following."
"Grant it," Une said quickly before turning to the man. "Yout men drove Gundam pilot 01 to turn innocent college students into hostages!"
"My men? I am not the one running the Preventers," the man countered quietly with an odd tone to his voice.
Une fumed. "They were under your orders--!"
"Temper, temper," the man reprimanded with an eerily calm voice. "One would think one of your status would have more control over one's emotions."
Une merely gave him an icy look before turning to the young man at the counsel. "Current status on the pilots?"
"They're not moving!"
"Uh, Heero..." Duo said, watching the hostages, who were all on the ground against the bookshelves. "Why aren't we escaping?"
"They've got men outside," the shorter-haired boy said as if it was was well-known fact. Duo looked to Heero in surprise.
"They do?" he asked in astonishment.
Heero looked to him and answered, "They are giving themselves away. Can you hear them?"
"Um...no," the braided-haired boy replied before looking to the officer who had a radio with him. At the moment, the officer was listening to the radio before suddenly turning to the two pilots.
"Pilot 01," he said, getting Heero to look over to him, "Lady Une wishes to know why you will not take your conditions."
"My conditions," the pilot told him coldly, "were that no one would follow us or threaten us as we exit the building. There are Preventer soldiers outside of the library and they are armed. I don't believe that qualifies as coming to my demands."
The soldier looked surprised but consulted his radio.
"Jeez...how can you hear that there was people out there?" Duo asked in a low voice.
"Where do you think?" Heero asked blankly.
"Oh..." Duo scratched his had, not really understanding why his friend was making everything difficult.
"Pilot 01," the soldier called, gaining the pilots' attention, "the lady has ordered the soldiers to throw down their weapons. They will not try to harm you."
"Tell your Lady," Heero responded, "that she has my thanks."
Just as the boy said this, he pressed a button on the hand-held explosive and it began to beep. The hostages cried out in alarm, and Duo tried to stop Heero from tossing it but failed. The small object was flung toward the soldiers, who were scrambling. When it hit, however, it didn't explode. Instead, the small 'explosive' released a white fog that encased the aisle and then the library.
"Come on," Heero said, pulling Duo out of the aisle.
"Wha--?" Duo asked, still shocked that the explosive hadn't been an actual explosive. "A bluff?"
"Of course," the former pilot of Wing Zero said gruffly. "I swore off killing."
"Oh."
And so, the two former Gundam pilots escaped the grasp of the Preventers, though Heero felt as though there was something admist. He was proven correct when Duo lead them to his dormroom.
"Jack should be out, so there's nothing to worry about," Duo assured his friend as he used a key to open the door, only to freeze when he saw that his roommate and his now-girlfriend was in there.
"Duo!" Jack exclaimed, standing to his feet. "What the Hell is going on?"
The Gundam pilot looked confused at the question. Jack couldn't have heard about the Library Incident yet... "What do you mean?"
Noma stood from her seat and came over, holding out a rolled up paper to him. Duo blinked but took the newspaper and unrolled it. He nearly dropped it when he saw his own cheerful visage staring back at him in black and white ink.
"So that's it then," Heero's voice said from the long-haired boy's left, "we're wanted men. We can no longer live in peace."
Duo's grasp on the paper tighteneed as anger welled up inside him. "Damn them. Damn them all!" he shouted before throwing the horrifying object to the ground. "Why can we be left alone?! Haven't we paid for our crimes by nearly getting ourselves killed to achieve this peace?! Damn them all to Hell!"
Jack and Noma looked stunned at the young man's small speech, almost disbelieving that their usual care-free friend could become so angry, so upset. "Duo..." Jack tried to say, but Duo brushed him off.
"I've got to leave," he said, looking away. "I can't stay here anymore."
Jack nodded numbly. "We've already packed your clothes--"
"And all of your things," Noma added, turning to lift a duffle bag that was big enough to fit everything.
Duo looked up at his friends and smiled, though it looked strained. "You guys are the best. Good luck with the relationship and be sure to send me an invite." He winked.
Jack chuckled. "Sure thing, Duo."
The pilot nodded and took the duffle bag. "I'll see you guys some day," he said before turning back toward the door and Heero. "Come on. let's get going."
Heero nodded and also turned to leave but paused when Noma called, "Take care of Duo for us, Heero Yuy!"
For a moment, the mask that Heero had become accustomed to fell and he nodded. He could feel the couple's pain, having to watch their good friend be chased out into exile. It also hurt to see Duo become so saddened by having to say an impromptu goodbye. For just a second, Heero's expression told the innocent couple that he understood their pain before the mask was on again and he left.
"Forgive me, Lady, it shall not happen again," a soldier said with a bow. Lady Une gave him a look of disgust as he stayed bent in a form of respect, though the term was questionable in this instance.
"You're lucky I didn't have you court-marsheled," she said coldly, turning her back to him. "Get out of my sight."
"Yes, my Lady." The man scurried off and the woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on.
"You know, you should have listened to my objections," another feminine voice said, causing Une to turned and see Sally Po leaning against the doorway.
"Come in or get out, General. I am in no mood for games."
Sally came into the office and shut the door before replying, "Nor am I. I'm worried about pilots 01 and 02. If Sklavenka hadn't--"
"Well, she did," the other woman snapped irritably, "and I was a fool for leaving her in second command--no. I was foolish for putting Sloh in command!"
"I have to admit, I agree," the Chinese woman said bluntly, "but we can't dwell on that. Right now, the pilots consider us enemies--"
"Perhaps we are," Lady Une interrupted quietly. "They are too determined to keep the peace they've created for themselves, and yet we are trying to put them in a place that makes them remember the war. Those Mobile Suit cockpits."
Sally Po was quiet for a moment before replying, equally quietly, "Something is brewing...and soon the Gundam pilots won't have any choice...unless they want to see everything fall apart."
The crowd cheered loudly as the two acrobats took their final bows. It had been a wonderful night for the group of entertainers. They had sold all of their tickets, had made all the customers enjoy their stay, and they even managed to pull off their 'Death-Defying Dance' as the Finale. All of them smiled brightly at their success.
All but one.
"Wave a bit," the female acrobat said, nudging her partner, who had been the one to truly defy Death in the Finale. The young man, who no longer wore a mask in his performances, merely looked at her before raising a hand in the air, making the ladies in the stands scream louder.
His partner giggled at the reaction.
"And now!" shouted the Ringleader as he bounded over to the duo of performers. "We must bid you all farewell! Have a safe trip and happy hunting!"
With that, there was a puff of smoke and, with it concealing their movements, the trio headed toward the back of the tent where their trailors were. The girl was a bubble of excitement as she continued to speak of the 'great, marvelous, stupendous' show they had performed. The Ringleader chuckled heartily while the young man remained silent, thinking of the uncomfortable feeling he was getting.
The pull of his arm made him realize someone had latched onto it, and he looked down to see his sister holding it captive in her hug-like grasp. "Come on, Trowa. Give me a smile. I know you had fun," she said mischievously.
Inwardly, Trowa was chuckling at her behavior; outwardly, his expression remained the same: stoic and emtionless. "It was entertaining," he said simply, his usual soft voice almost lost to his sister, who eyes him critically.
"Well, I thought it was positively magnificent!" she said, grinning at him. For just a moment, the passive expression on his face tried to pull itself into a smile. His sister saw, laughed, and hugged him.
"Oh, we'll make you a human yet!" she exclaimed brightly, making Trowa shake his head in his way of showing amusement. He stopped, however, as his ear caught the sound of conversation.
"...in the newspaper. They were just kids!"
"Ai. 'Tis a sad times when the innocent are forced ta fight the corrupted battle."
Intrigued by this statement, the young acrobat detached himself from his sister's embrace and went over to where the two elder men were, leaving the girl confused and calling out his name.
Trowa ignored it and came up from behind the first man, who was just saying, "...of what sort of horrifying sights they must've seen--"
"Pardon me," he spoke up, interrupting the elder man, "but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. What was it that was in the newspaper?"
"'Twas a headline," answered the other man, who held a pipe between his teeth and spoke through the side of his mouth. "Them Preventers are looking fer two of them Gundam pilots."
"Pilots, huh?" Trowa murmured quietly, quickly keeping his face schooled into a mask of small interest.
The pipe-man nodded. "Them Preventers want them fer summating. Rumor has it that them Preventers have new Gundams built in them buildings of theirs."
"Gundams?"
"Ai. Here. Have a look-see," the man said, handing the younger man a newspaper clipping that had the headline screaming, PILOTS 01 AND 02 OF GUNDAMS REVEALED and PREVENTERS SEEK GUNDAM PILOTS.
Just looking at the pictures of his comrades under those captions made the boy's stomach clench. If they were after Heero and Duo, it wouldn't be long before they went after him as well.
"Well, boy?" questioned the other man, causing Trowa to look up. "Recognize them or something?"
Trowa looked back down at the pictures; Duo's grinning, happy-go-lucky face as well as Heero's mild glare at whoever was taking the photo. "I'm afraid not. It's just a shock at how young they were."
The pipe-man nodded. "Ai, that's what got us all. We all are 'shamed fer thinking that them pilots were men that shoulda known better than ta start a war. Them boys...them were too young ta know better."
The tall former pilot of the Gundam Heavyarms silently nodded before quietly muttering, "Indeed they were...at one point."
"I can't believe I'm doing this," muttered Duo as he and Heero crouched behind a luggage cart, watching as security idly stood on the landing platform, waiting for the shuttle to come.
"You stole a Gundam and just held at least twenty people hostage--"
"That second one was you, Pal." The long-haired boy looked to his friend and continued with a bit of a grin. "besides, the Doc told me to steal it."
"Hn," was the grunted reply, making Duo's expression fall.
"Why I hang around you, I'll never know," he muttered to himself before Heero tensed beside him. "What?"
"I didn't know whose shuttle that was," the former terrorist answered quietly. Duo gave him an odd look which he didn't acknowledge.
"Whose is it?" the braided-hair boy questioned.
Heero was silent for a moment before he spoke, his eyes never leaving the descending shuttle, "Relena..."
"It's tragic news. To learn that these poor boys are being hunted like dogs," one of the men accompanying Relena Darlian said quietly as they watched the newest news flash. The young woman didn't reply and merely watched the screen where the two Gundam pilots' faces were frozen.
"...whereabouts. Preventer Leader Lady Une claims that she had no intention of using fire-arms against the young pilots and that such acts were made by men under Major Sloh's command. Continuous--"
Another man, this one much older than the other turned off the televsion. "This is all too depressing. It sounds like the Crusades, only the Gundam pilots are the prize," he said gruffly, glaring at the innocent-looking television.
"Please, Senator," Relena spoke up, "do not refer to them that way."
"That is what they are in the eyes of the military," the old Senator responded sharply. "First section that finds them, gains more power over the rest. War will ensue--"
"The pilots will not get caught," the young woman said, equally sharp with a command in her voice. "They are trained terrorists--"
"How is it that you know this?" the younger man questioned quizzically.
Relena gave him a small smile. "Because...one promised to kill me once."
This confused the men greatly.
"Oh..." Duo said with a smirk. "Your...'lady-friend's' up there, huh?"
Heero didn't reply.
"So..." Duo looked back to the shuttle. "Doesn't that make this easier?"
"No," was the short reply.
"Oh," was the only thing he could think of to say.
The two stayed crouched behind the luggage cart, watching the sleek, white shuttle land and then slowly lower its loading ramp. Dup wasn't sure, but it seemed as thought Heero was holding his breath. Why the other pilot would do such a thing left the boy confused and bewildered.
"Come on," Heero said suddenly before springing up and over the cart. Duo watched with surprise as the other teen sprinted toward security and then took one of them out with a jump-kick to the neck.
"Hey! Wait up!" the still-hidden boy shouted, following Heero's lead as he took down the second security guard.
"Forget about them!" Heero called. "Make for the shuttle!"
"Go it!" Duo shouted back as he sped toward the loading ramp, where the three occupants stood, watching with awe at the sight of the two boys.
"Trained terrorists..." murmured the elder man while Relena smiled.
Heero, however, quickly relieved the two uncoscious men of their weapons just as two more arrived on the platform. He fired a couple of rounds of each gun, aiming only at the legs and arms, before he shouted, "Duo!"
The running pilot skidded to a stop as a gun came sailing his way. He quickly jumped and caught it, grinning as he patted the barrel. "Been a while," he said and nearly forgot about the shuttle until Heero passed him, firing bullet after bullet at the massing guards.
"Get moving, Maxwell!" he shouted, shooting an elder guard in the knee. Just as the man cried out in pain, Duo started his running once more, reaching the loading ramp before his friend.
The younger man jerked a hand into his jacket, and the young terrorist aimed his weapon at him. "Whoa there, Buddy," he said, a grin on his face. "Hands out where I can see them."
The man quickly did as asked, and the other man tried his chance to get his weapon. Duo was the quicker thinker, however. "If you want me to kill your friend, I suggest you keep on doing what you're doing."
The man froze, a startled look on his face. Duo gave him another grin. "Okay, now get your gun and his and toss them to me, one at a time."
The elder man was forced to comply and soon the Gundam pilot possessed three weapons: one tucked into his belt and the other two in his hands. "All right. Back in the shuttle," the teenager commanded, gesturing to the entrance.
Both men headed in, but Relena stayed. Duo tossed her a wink. "Long time no see, Princess."
Relena returned his wink with a smile. "Former Queen, please."
Duo chuckled. "Forgive me. My memory's been suffering as of the late," he responded kindly before turning to the landing platform and shouting, "Oi! Hurry it up, Heero!"
Just as he called for his friend, the young man jumped the railing on the ramp and turned to fire at the men on the platform. "Get up there," he told the other pilot who nodded and gestured for Relena to enter before following.
Heero followed him soon after, shutting the shuttle's door behind him. He stayed there for a moment, catching his breath before he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He quickly spun toward the person, aiming the weapon at their face.
"Whoa!" Duo shouted in alarm as the other boy began to pull the trigger. "Hold it, Heero!"
Heero froze, the adrenaline flushing out of his system. He quickly realized what he had nearly done and was shaken by how close it had been. He didn't move, however, and neither did Duo, who looked shocked as well.
"Heero..." The boy lowered the fire-arm quickly, looking away. He knew how horrified the two men and Relena were by his actions.
"Go pilot the shuttle, Duo," he said, his voice giving the image of calm and emotionlessness when, in fact, the boy had scared himself slightly.
He waited a moment, expecting the longer-haired boy to go; but when he didn't, Heero quickly aimed the gun at the other boy's head again. He didn't look up to see Duo's reaction. If he would have, he would have seen that the other boy was slightly concerned and slightly shocked at his actions.
"Go. Pilot. The shuttle," Heero gritted out.
For a moment, Duo almost went but didn't.
"Maxwell!" Heero snapped, looked at him. "I will shoot. Don't test me."
Duo gave a small snort of laughter, falling back into his 'easy-going' state. "You wouldn't kill me."
"No," Heero replied, his voice dry, "but you'd be surprise at what you can live through."
Both were quiet for a moment, staring at one another while the three now-hostages waited for something to happen. No one moved.
Then Duo cocked his head to the side. "Ya know...this seems familiar."
The armed teenager then followed his friend's example and cocked his head slightly to the side. "One of the times you were captured," he answered, sure of himself.
Duo blinked and looked thoughtful before laughing. "Oh, yeah! I remember!" He continued to chuckle for a moment before taking the barrel of the gun and shoving it downward. "Now if you'll excuse me. I have a shuttle to pilot."
With that, the long-haired pilot left the passenger area and headed for the shuttle's controls. Heero stood there for a second, wondering how the other boy had managed to diffuse the situation so easily. When he couldn't figure it out, he lowered the weapon to his side and looked to his hostages.
"Hn," he grunted, sitting down.
Eventually the others followed his example.
"Welcome to Duo Airlines!" a bright, cheerful voice chirped over the intercom. "I would like to thank you all for not screaming as me and my friend took you as our hostages--"
Heero looked toward the captain's cabin and called, "You're not out of range, Maxwell!"
"Eh?" the voice said on the intercom as Duo understood the implications. The door slid shut.
"Damn it! What the Hell are they doing?!" Lady Une shouted, hearing the news of the shuttle. Sally Po calmly watched everything from the far wall, waiting for the outcome of the situation.
"Seventeen injured. No casualties," one of the men at the counsels called, and Une shut her eyes, sighing.
"At least 01 hasn't killed anyone," she said in relief and turned to a woman with a set of headphones on her head. "Where is their destination?"
The other woman consulted her computer before answering, "L3 Colony."
"What's the matter, Trowa? You're quiet but not this quiet." Trowa turned his head to see his sister squatted down next to him. He watched her silently for a moment before looking away.
"It's nothing to concern you with, Cathy," he told her and waited for the expected reaction.
"Trowa Barton! You are lying to me! Look me in the face and tell me it doesn't concern me in any way!" she shouted angrily, frustrated with the younger boy, who turned to her and watched her steadily.
"If I told you I had to leave," he began slowly, "would you let me go?"
Catherine stared at him before shaking her head. "No, of course I wouldn't! Trowa...you're my brother, and I don't want you to go away again. After what happened four years ago--"
"That was a mistake on my part," the boy interrupted, his tone cold. "Don't blame Quatre for any of it. He wasn't in control."
"Still!" Catherine exclaimed, her eyes quickly becoming moist and glossy. "I don't want you to be in trouble! I don't want you to go!"
Trowa's eyes softened slightly and he quickly pulled his sister to him, letting her cry against him. He knew very well why she was upset. She hated what had happened to him; hated how it made him a soldier, though he was still a long way from being the 'perfect soldier' like Heero Yuy. He himself wanted to stay at the circus and live his life in peace, but there couldn't be peace for him if he was being hunted.
"I won't go," he told her, "unless I hear that the Preventers are beginning to seek me out and not just Heero and Duo. I'm not safe to be around and I don't want you or anyone else to be hurt because of me."
"Trowa..." Catherine said tearfully, pulling him closer to her. The young pilot merely looked at her before he tried to calm her by rubbing her back. His face didn't show it, but his eyes told how saddened he was that everything had come to this.
"L3 Colony, huh?" Duo asked his partner-in-crime, who had just entered the pilot's cabin. "Why exactly did you want to head there?"
Heero didn't answer for a moment and merely sat in the co-pilot's seat before answering, "Trowa's on L3. He must have heard the news and is getting ready to leave. We'll join up with him and try somewhere else to hide."
Duo nodded at the sensible answer. "Sounds good. What about Wufei and Quatre?"
"Wufei's already in hiding,. He probably heard the Preventers wanting Gundam pilots first," the shorter-haired boy said, watching as the Colony came closer. "Quatre has his Arabian friends that will help him hide like he did during the war."
Again the former pilot of Deathscythe nodded before pausing. "Wait...how are we going to get into the Colony?"
Heero's eyes narrowed and a wisp of a smirk appeared on his face. "Just how you think. Fly in. No stopping."
Duo watched him for a moment before grinning and turning back to the controls. "Better tell our friends in the back to buckle up. This is going to be a Hell of a ride."
Heero nodded once, stood and entered the cabin, the door swishing shut behind him. The three political representatives looked up curiously at him. Two of the three had an expression of wariness, while the last merely watched the young terrorist who eyed them all suspiciously.
"Strap into your seats," he told them, seating himself in a seat that faced them. "We're going in hard."
"In?" asked the younger man of the hostages, confused as the hijacker and the other two hostages pulled their safety belts on. "In where?"
Heero looked up and simply answered, "We're entering the L3 Colony."
The younger politician's mouth formed an 'O' as he quickly pulled the safety belt around him. Heero chuckled silently for a moment before he heard a, "Mr. Yuy?"
He looked over, saw who had addressed him, and nearly allowed his face to fall into the 'deer-caught-in-headlights' look. A much more mature and sophisticated Relena Darlian watched him carefully as he stared at her. Comparing himself to her, the young pilot felt filthy and unkempt.
"Yes?" he responded gruffly, as he recovered from his pause.
"Mr. Yuy...why are you trying to hide yourself?" the young woman asked calmly. The two male politicians looked uncertainly at her as their captor's face fell into an expression of indifference.
"None of the Gundam pilots want to be part of the Preventers' military edge," he answered, eyes narrowing. "All we wanted was peace."
Relena wasn't fazed by the hard glare directed at her and merely asked, "And that is why you hide?"
"What else does one do when they do not wish to be found?" he questioned and waited for an answer.
"Heero--"
"You sound as if you know me, Ms. Darlian," he remarked suddenly, suprising the two other men, "yet I do not remember encountering you before."
Relena bit her tongue and sighed. "Mr. Yuy, what do you plan to do with us?"
Heero rose an eyebrow and replied, monotonously, "If we must, we'll have to kill you."
A disquieting silence fell upon the captives. "You wouldn't," the youngest barely whispered.
Their captor looked passively at the men and then back at her. "I may not kill anymore, but I am not so sure about the others. 03 or 05 might have a twitch in their trigger finger."
Relena could only stare at him in disbelief.
"We're coming up to the entrance," Duo's voice said from the loudspeaker. "If anyone's hurt, it's Heero's fault. I told him to get you guys secured."
Heero smirked, leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed. He didn't know where they would go from here, but he knew one thing, if anything:
He would not be captured.
Trowa quietly walked down an empty alley that led away from the circus tent, a dufflebag slung over his shoulder. He turned one last time to look at his home of four years. He couldn't consider it his home when there had been war. Space and the earth had been his home then, and now they were calling for him to return.
"My home is turned into my battlefield and enemy," he said aloud, chuckling slightly. "How ironic."
With that, he turned back in the direction he had been headed in, not looking back. When he walked into the open, where people walked ungurriedly down the 'walks, a terrible wailing erupted from all around. Everyone stopped and looked around in fear. Trowa looked to the entrance of the Colony and saw why the alarms were standing.
A shuttle had somehow forced its way into the Colony.
"We're being invaded!" a foolish man cried, and the crowd erupted with screams of terror. They all ran toward their designated safe-house, shoving each other to get there. Trowa just moved aside whenever a person came close to hitting him. He never ran.
"Who would be crazy enough to pull this stunt?" he mused as the last few people abandoned the streets, leaving him as the only one standing there.
The answer came to him as the shuttle landed/crashed into the nearest intersection. The people who were in cars skidded to a stop and caused a large pile-up. Trowa continued to watch as the loading ramp fell and a figure dropped to the ground, two weapons in his hands and a braid following him from behind. The acrobat silently chuckled once more.
"I should have known," he said to himself, adjusting his duffle. "Only Duo."
He walked quietly, seeing that everyone had abandoned their cars and ran for cover and shelter. He continued to watch the scene with amusement as a second armed figure led three people down the ramp. The figure quickly pulled a second gun from his belt and aimed it at the approaching boy.
"You'd better stay where you are, if you know what's good for you," the figure called to him. Duo, who had his two fire-arms aimed at the three people, looked to the new arrival, who was hidden partial by shadows, and aimed one of the guns in his direction.
"Okay, Pal, out into the light," the braided-haired pilot called and Trowa complied, walking forward.
"This is a nice way of greeting one of your friends, Heero, Duo," he said, a bit of humor in his voice.
Duo lowered the weapon and sighed. "You always do that. Next time say something, will ya?"
"I will if there's no gun trained on me," Trowa replied as he continued to come closer. "Hijacking? Duo, that's not your style."
"Nah, that's why I stole the shuttle and Heero did the kidnapping," the other boy replied with a grin. Trowa's lips tipped into a small smile, something that seemed natural to do while around his fellow pilots.
"And was it coincidence that you've captured the former Queen of the World?" the former pilot of Heavyarms asked curiously, studying the young woman who seemed small compared to his tall frame.
"Let's get a move on," Heero's gruff voice said as the boy arrived next to his captives. He looked to Trowa and asked, "Are you coming?"
"Where else is there to go?" Trowa shrugged. "It won't be long before they come looking for me, will it?"
Duo shrugged. "I have no clue. Hell, I have no idea why they would want us in the first place."
Trowa rose an eyebrow which was hidden by his long bang. "You didn't even read the newspaper?" he asked.
"Mr. Brilliant here had to bluff his way out of a college library to get away from the authorities. Do you think we had time to look?"
Trowa frowned. "I heard from--"
"Trowa. Duo. Walk. Now," Heero ordered, being the only one who seemed to remember their situation. The other two boys looked to each other before complying.
"I know somewhere we can go until we find another shuttle," Trowa spoke up as they paused in a deep alley. "I was just heading there."
"Wait a minute," the young male politician objected, "just who are you?"
Trowa looked to him, a curious expression on his face. "No picture of me in the news yet? I'm disappointed," he chuckled lightly. "I'm Pilot 03, the pilot of the Gundam Heavyarms."
The man's face went white and he said nothing more, so Trowa continued, "The shelter's just this way."
Catherine awoke when she thought she heard a thump in the hall of the trailer. For a long while, she lied there, half-awake and half-asleep. Finally, realizing she couldn't go to sleep, she sat up and tiredly stood and went to the kitchen. When she got there, however, she froze. Something was missing...
Trowa!
With a cry of anguish, the young performer ran back to her brother's room, slammed his door open, and stared. Tears started to fill her eyes as she studied the near-empty room. Everything was gone. The dressers were empty, the desktops vacant...the only thing that she saw that was out-of-place was a flier of the circus on the bed.
Slowly, she approached the bed, sat upon it, and reached for the flier, her hand shaking as she picked it up. She turned it over and there, on the back of the advertisement, was Trowa's neat scrawl.
I am sorry for having to leave, Catherine, but I know it was the right thing to do. The Preventers want the Gundam pilots to pilot Mobile Suits, possibly even Gundams. I cannot allow myself to be forced into a cockpit.
I once piloted the Gundam for my own reason, but then my own reason become the world's. I took the name of the real pilot and am still identified with his name. Since the end of the war against Oz, Romefeller, White Fang--it is hard to remember who the enemy was--I have wanted nothing but peace. Trieze Kushrenada's daughter Mariemaia, the niece of the man of whose name I've stolen, prevented me from continuing my peaceful life.
Three years later, I've lived in peace and loved every moment, but yet again, I sense war is on the horizon. Space is calling for the Gundams to return. Yet they cannot. Only Wing Zero is left and it is almost completely destroyed.
I must answer my calling, sister, and I must prevent myself from being caught by my enemies--if they truly are my enemies. I hope you can forgive me, but I have told you I was not safe. Perhaps if I were No-Name once more, I would be.
Pray for me and the others, if you feel the need; but please, Catherine, do not follow.
Tout mon amour,
votre frère
Catherine sobbed as she read the closing. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she placed her finger where it said 'votre frère.' He hadn't used his stolen name...
Author's Notes: *yawns again and blinks* Hm? Why do I have to do closing notes? This is really stupid. Get one of the Pilots to do it *falls asleep* Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........*is poked at by someone and wakes up* Oh, fine. Be mean! Anyway, I have to say that I really like writing this story and YES! I DO have an explanation for EVERYTHING that occurred in this chapter. Including the part where Duo couldn't guess who Heero was. *glare at people who were going to ask*
*blinks* Oh, yeah...the last bit of the letter by Trowa is in French, meaning "All my love, your brother." Now this doesn't mean brother literally. Keep that in mind for now. Trowa is NOT Catherine's brother...erm...well...I can't really say that...URGH! Just ignore everything from the translation on, all right?
Oy...I've been listening to White Reflection for four hours(guess about the title of the fic ^.^) *shrugs* Oh, well...I'm a major fan, so it doesn't bother me. Maybe I learned the words by having it go over and over. You know, learning subconsciously? Anyway...I think I'll leave you all on this note! ^.^ Hope you tune in next time! ^.^ Ja ne! ^.~