((Revised: July 9, 2008- Any original dialogue will be signified in bold. Thanks!))
"No more hiding! Let's get dangerous!" Duo yelled. He slammed a balled fist against the control panel, de-activating his suit's cloaking device. With a series of commands Gundam Deathsycthe's large, black bat-like wings fanned out behind him. His scythe sprang to life and glowed an ominous neon green. The pathetic Leos he had ambushed didn't have a chance. Within minutes the opposition became nothing more than a pile of smoking debris.
"Heh… that was easier than I thought it was gonna be." Duo muttered to himself, half disappointed at the anticlimactic battle he had just participated in. "Oh well. Guess I was too much for 'em." He tapped a few buttons on the pulsing control panel before him and spoke loudly into the receiver. "This is Duo Maxwell reporting mission assignment 001 complete. Awaiting new orders." Then he logged off of the system and leaned back into his seat. His eyes scanned the flickering screens that flanked the interior of the cockpit. The images of fire and aftermath of massacre shone brightly through the screens. The corner of his mouth perked in a smile of accomplishment.
"Okay, Earth. I'm finally here. Bring it on."
Meeting on the Planet
Chapter One: Someday You and I Will Be Taking Off…
"All areas functioning. Will commence operations in seven minutes."
This trajectory is going to be rough… Heero thought as his deep blue eyes scanned over some of the atmospheric entry analysis. This transport pod won't be able to handle the turbulence along with the heat of entry… His thin fingers began tapping absently at the controls, commanding the computer to recalculate the route. It began to load a new system but then reverted back to the original plan. Heero's eyebrow twitched.
So they want me to come this way for a reason… He scanned the surrounding space.
"A civilian shuttle..."
He was coming within range of a civilian transportation shuttle. If they saw him it would compromise his mission. Was this part of the plan?
His eyebrow was practically having a seizure over a dark, narrowed eye. "I have to get out of here. Now. Before they see me." He attempted to override the transportation pod's autopilot but it was no use. It had been securely protected.
Damn them. I am not going to be so easily manipulated, he decided wryly. Then he smiled to himself and began flipping a few switches beneath the control panel. His mobile suit began to shudder as its engines warmed up. The cameras all flared to life to reveal the dull gray interior of the transportation pod. An alarm sounded on the radar.
He was getting dangerously close to the civilian transport shuttle. If he didn't do something soon they would detect him. The engines were at 70 percent. He knew that was all the thrust he would need to get out of their range. He strapped himself securely in his seat, slid his helmet over his thick mass of messy brown hair and grabbed the control levers.
"Relative speed to target: 01545. Engaging auto lock. Ready to shoot the obstacle down."
3…2…1…
Then he stomped on the thruster pedal. The engines flared to life and shot white-hot heat against the interior of the pod. The bright light filled the screens and blinded the suit's heat-detection scanners. For a brief moment nothing happened, but then with a violent shake the suit lurched forward and broke free from the pod. The panels broke loose and scattered in all directions as his suit tore through the hull and out into the darkness of space.
Then the radar buzzed and began to pulse a bright red.
"Earth's assault carrier?"
Fuck. Detected. He looked down at the radar and saw that he had drifted in range of the civilian shuttle. Another blip appeared on the screen. He scanned it.
His eyes widened in confusion. What are they doing out here in space? He sucked in a frustrated breath and without another thought turned up his boost as high as it would go. The engines had dropped to a mere 65 percent of operational status. It would have to work. He didn't have time. The OZ shuttle had begun changing its direction to pursue him.
"The Alliance is already onto me. Dammit."
The boosters lagged before shuddering to life, sending his suit, which was still in its shuttle-like bird-mode, careening towards Earth. As it entered the atmosphere it began to shake violently. The external temperature sensors began to reflect readings of over 2,000 degrees and they were still climbing.
"I'm finally here. I've made it to the Earth."
The radar pinged something heading quickly towards him. He scanned it. An OZ mobile suit!? He grit his teeth and hissed angrily, "Give me a damn break!
"I'll escape. No prob."
Suddenly a screen to his left sprang to life and a message began flashing on its glowing surface. His eyes narrowed and he grit his teeth in annoyance.
"Alter mission? That craft is carrying OZ mobile suits! Judging by its speed, there's probably three suits on board."
His original mission was to get to Earth at a predetermined spot undetected. Obviously he couldn't accomplish that goal. He would have to act.
"Roger that, Mission. I'll return right now to shoot down the OZ carrier."
With a slam of a hand the thrusters powered down. He began changing the coordinates in his navigation system when his suit shook violently. Once, then twice. A module on the control panel began to alarm frantically.
"Left drive system malfunctioning. He's good!" Heero saw the Leo in pursuit of him, along with two Aries suits.
You will regret this… Then commanded his mobile suit to transform. It turned around and the large sheets of thick gundanium began to detach and swivel. Within thirty seconds the shuttle-like appearance had been shed for the form of a human-type mobile suit, Gundam 01. Then he turned his suit quickly and began powering up his beam cannon. The tip of the cannon began to pulse with bright yellow light. A green bar flashed on the control screen. Heero grinned, then fired. The light shot across the darkness of space and struck both Aries suits. Once the light faded away the two suits had vanished, leaving nothing more than vapor in their wake.
"One more to go."
Quickly Heero scanned his radar. The Leo had made chase and was now close behind him. He knew that the OZ pilot was a formidable opponent. The Leo pilot had managed to take out his left drive systems in two well-aimed shots. He had yet to battle in his Gundam against any real opponents before now. All of his mobile suit sparring had been done in simulation. This pilot he now faced matched the higher difficulty level of his simulator.
As they entered Earth's gravitational pull the OZ suit used Heero's Gundam's massive bulk as a shield against the burn of atmospheric entry, causing damage to Wing Gundam's external control to weaken.
Shit… this isn't going to end well. Heero thought to himself as he warred with the other mobile suit. They cleared the harsh external stratosphere and mesosphere and were now entering Earth's primary atmosphere.
If I can transform now I can outrun him. He tapped in the proper input for transformation into bird-mode but his suit didn't respond. The damage to the external module was too extreme. Just as he was calculating an alternative plan something unexpected happened. The OZ suit grasped tightly onto his Gundam, tangling itself against Wing's extremities.
Heero immediately realized what had been done. He was rendered immobile by the enemy suit. He didn't have the thrust to fly away with the added weight and his maneuvering mechanisms were jammed by the well-executed tangle of metal arms and legs. His external camera caught the flash of a parachute being deployed.
The other pilot evacuated. He stopped trying to fight the inevitable. With a defeated sigh he relaxed against the back of his seat and closed his eyes. Mission failure. He slid open a small panel on the side of his seat and pressed the small red button there. Then he waited. Nothing happened. His eyes opened and he looked around himself at the radar monitors and screens that lined the cockpit. Nothing.
My self-destruct mechanism has been damaged as well. He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes searched out the control unit in front of him. Maybe the impact of landing on Earth will activate it. At least… it will kill me so I won't have to endure this hell any longer. He brought up a small readout on the corner of the main camera. Great… the ocean.
At that moment his suit slammed into the water, along with the attached OZ mobile suit. After impact it floated for a moment before sinking slowly into the dark, cold depths of the sea.
Once it reached the bottom it landed with a mute thud. The monitors within the cockpit flickered once, twice, then died leaving Heero in total darkness. The occasional bubbling sound of air escaping into the water was the only noise that he could detect.
He sat for a moment in silence and listened to the hum of the sea.
"I hate Earth…" He whispered angrily to himself. After a few moments of silence he had caught his breath. He groped around in the darkness for something under his seat. A flashlight. Once he retrieved it he flicked it on. Its wide, yellow beam revealed the dark screens and powerless inner workings of his Gundam.
This isn't how this was supposed to be… he reflected solemnly. He turned the flashlight's glow down to his feet and opened a small hidden hatch where he kept his personal belongings. He pulled forth a small piece of paper from within the hatch. It was a photograph. His dark eyes settled on the smiling face in the photo. Then he set it aside and pulled out his old SIG-SAUER hand gun from the shadow of the hidden hatch and held it up to his face.
"I would end this now… but I can't let them have my Gundam." He said softly. His eyes slid from the gun to the photograph he had set on the control panel. "You made it to Earth…" he whispered, his other hand moving to finger the photo gently. "I'm sorry I won't get to see you in action."
Heero set the gun on his lap. Then he grabbed the photograph and wedged the corner of it in a small groove at the bottom of the control panel so that it stood upright and was easy to see. He held the flashlight up and let the round halo of golden light shine on the glossy picture. He sat for a long time staring at it.
"I'm sorry, Duo." He whispered.
The flashlight dimmed. Then it died.
((Author Note: The inspiration for this second half of "Little Shinigami and Solo" is based off of the translated lyrics of "Meeting on the Planet", by TWO-MIX which first appeared on their album "Rhythm Generation" (1996).
These lyrics will be posted as chapter titles.
MEETING ON THE PLANET
TWO-MIX
"Someday you and I will be taking off
Looking for the place where we smile again
Time is round around
Here today so we say good-by to all we used to have
Someday you and I will be reaching out
To each other for love forevermore
Change is round around
Here today so we stay to be like how we used to be
Come with me to the star on your wing in your dream
It's now for departure
Take you out to the place that we can be alone
It's far and far away
Just!! meeting on the planet
Makes me feel so brave to be free there
Meeting myself who I know best
If I can be for my own
Just dancing in the stardust
This is what you've got to believe in
Give me your hand, don't be afraid
Filling your heart with my love
One day you and I got together, once
Longing for the life that we spent before
Time is round around
Here today so we say hello and get in love again
One night you and I got together, once
Looking up the sky that we had before
Time is round around
Here tonight but I wish to be with you over again
Come with me to the door for the world in my dream
It's now for departure
Take you out to the time that we can be alone
It's far and far away
Just!! meeting on the planet
Makes me feel relieved to be going to
Run on my feet, on the big ground
If I can be for my own
Just!! dancing in the stardust
This is what you've got to remember
Give you myself, won't be afraid
Filling my heart with your love"
End. On to Ch. 2 - Black-Haired Girl))