Episode One: The Introductions
Excitement rippled through the audience as the two spotlights flashed across the curtains on the stage at the front of the theater. The red velvet slowly parted, revealing a solitary figure in the centre of the stage, dressed in black with an odd golden prism hanging around his neck. Wild red and yellow hair framed his tanned skin, and the girls in the audience gasped.
The figure smirked as the lights centered on him, as he brought the mic to his lips, his voice ringing out, strong, confident and powerful.
"Ladies and Gentlemen..." he started, and an anxious silence settled over the audience. "Welcome to the season premiere of Gundam Wing Idol..."
*Very* suddenly, the crowds erupted in cheers, excitement no longer contained as the deafening noise shook through the theater.
A small smile crossed the sole figure on the stage's lips. He raised a hand to silence the crowds; a giant screen behind him enlarged his image. "My name is Yami Mutou, and I have the honor and privilege of conducting this series...I, myself, have starred in an anime, and I know just what it's like to be in the spotlight. So, without further ado, I will introduce the cast of Gundam Wing...our prospective idols!"
Once again, the audience shook with noise, cheering as the theme song for the anime series Gundam Wing sounded over the speakers.
"The five pilots!" Yami cried over the noise. "Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner, and Chang Wu Fei!"
The audience was on their feet, various homemade banners flashing in brightly decorated colors, portraying the names of personal favorites.
The five actors strode out on to the stage, dressed in their costumes from the episodes. Heero complete with spandex and yellow shoes, Duo in his priest's attire and trademark braid, Trowa with the traditional uni-bang and turtleneck, Quatre with his pink shirt and khaki pants, and Wu Fei in his blue tank top and white pants.
The gundams and various scenes from the episodes with the pilots flashed across the screen behind Yami as he introduced each of the pilots, and when he had finished with each of their names, he approached the five cautiously. "You don't have your guns, do you?" he asked with a short grin directed at the audience.
Duo returned the grin. "I know I don't, but I can't speak for trigger-happy Yuy over here..." He said, gesturing at Heero with his thumb.
Heero glared, and grunted an expected "Hn."
A ripple of laughter sounded through the audience, and again Yami smiled. "Let me introduce them properly." He waited for the cheers to subside before he gestured for Heero to step forward.
The messy-chocolate-haired boy flashed a small smirk at the audience, and was rewarded with another wild round of applause.
Yami calmed down the crowds with another wave of his hand. "I present to you, Pilot 01 of the Wing Gundam, the first pilot to master the zero system. Though his character is portrayed as a suicidal maniac, Heero has been created to be the perfect soldier...a soldier who does not fear death. Dr. J was his trainer, and he acquired Heero at a very young age. Isn't that right, Heero?"
Heero gave a short nod. "Yes, Yami, that is correct. My name is not, in fact, my real name. It was taken from a politician who enforced the peace, who was himself assassinated. My role in Gundam Wing was one of strength...and I feel that I depicted it very well."
"Relena seemed to think so!" Duo called from the sidelines.
Heero raised an eyebrow, and Yami shot a glare at the braided boy. "Your turn will come soon enough, Duo." He warned with a smirk. The audience chuckled slightly. "Now, Heero, I hear that in real life you are much like the character in the anime series...quiet, withdrawn, a calm exterior, seemingly relaxed...I also understand that you have a secondary job as a computer technician?"
Heero nodded. "Yes."
Behind him, Duo rolled his eyes. "He's a monosyllable guy, Yami...you've got to cut him some slack."
At this comment, the audience erupted into laughter and Yami himself cracked a small smile. "All right, Mr. Yuy, if you'll just step over here..." He motioned for Heero to step to the other side of the stage, and the actor did so. "I will now call on Duo Maxwell...your very own Shinigami..."
The cheers were louder this time, various fan-girls screaming at the top of their lungs for Duo and waving homemade banners that bore his cheery grin and cherubic visage. Duo flashed a wide grin at the audience, winking at a few of the closer ladies as he stepped up beside Yami, still waving at his fans.
Yami raised a delicate eyebrow, looking Duo up and down. "They seem to like you, Mr. Maxwell."
"Duo, please." The braided actor replied. "Mr. makes it sound so formal."
"Very well then, Duo." Yami replied calmly before he turned back to the audience. "This self-proclaimed God of Death, pilot 02, plays the happy-go- lucky pilot of the series, and with his trusty Deathscythe manages to-" Before Yami could finish his obviously script-style sentence, Duo cut him off.
"Kick OZ ass!" the braided actor cried, braid swinging with enthusiasm as the crowd erupted once again in cries of agreement.
Yami sighed softly before continuing to read from his script as the audience calmed themselves. He easily ignored Duo's comment. He was, after all, used to working with the actor who played Jounouchi Katsuya. "-defeat various OZ troops, effectively helping to win the war. With his trademark braid and easy going personality, Duo is a character we've learned to learn to love, and although he wears a cross around his neck and a priest's outfit, he seems to be quite attached to the ladies..."
His sentence trailed off as Heero gave a grunt of agreement, rolling his eyes.
Duo childishly stuck his tongue out at Heero, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey, at least I'm not a 'suicidal maniac'" he teased his friend.
The audience gave another bout of laughter as Heero reached for a gun that wasn't there, threatening with his trademark, "Omae o Korosu".
Yami glanced back and forth between the two. "Are you quite finished?"
With a nod from each of them, the 5000 year old pharaoh continued with the show. "An L2 colony orphan, Duo is quite good with lock picks that we believe he hides in his hair..."
Duo grinned mysteriously at this comment, offering no further explanation. Therefore, Yami had no choice but to continue.
"At home, Duo is a part time technician as well as ...a dancer?" he glanced curiously at the braided actor. "Care to explain?"
Duo's mysterious grin widened. "Not really."
"Alright..." Yami's eyes narrowed as he regarded Duo and he took a step away from the actor. "Have it your way. As you can see, he obviously enjoys the color black and although he is happy and cheerful most of the time, he can have his bad days just like anyone else...He also likes to drink both red and white wine..." Yami raised an eyebrow curiously, but Duo didn't seem about to explain that fact. "Anything else to add, Duo?" he asked rather tentatively.
The braided one nodded, flashing another grin at the audience as they cheered once more. "My character, Duo Maxwell, is easy to believe in. He fights for a cause, and he doesn't give up easily. I think we could all learn something from him, from the way he fights with a smile and doesn't give up hope."
Wufei coughed rather loudly from the sidelines, and the noise sounded suspiciously like "onna".
Duo shot a glare at his friend as Yami led him over to stand beside Heero.
The tri-color haired teen shook his head as he turned to the audience. "Next up, Pilot 03, Trowa Barton!"
The crowd cheered again and more colorful signs flashed, bearing letters of the word "Nanashi."
Yami welcomed Trowa to the middle of the stage with a slight smirk. "Seems you have a few fans of your own."
Trowa gave a short nod, glaring at the audience. Unlike Duo, he did not enjoy these...promotional activities that his agent so willingly agreed to.
"Trowa Barton is another of the Gundam Wing characters with a stolen name. Although his real name is long forgotten, Trowa went by "Nanashi" which is Japanese for "no-name" while working as a mechanic on the Gundam Heavyarms. His 'sister' Catherine, introduced him to the circus where Trowa is a talented acrobat, actually *allows* her to throw knives at him, and tames lions..." Yami shot a glance at the actor. Were the five of them all crazy freaks?
"His character is quiet, and friends with pilot 04, Quatre Winner. Trowa plays the flute in the series and obviously holds many, many secrets. At home, he considers acting his main job although he enjoys a hobby in gymnastics. This is one *very* flexible actor."
A chuckle rippled through the audience at this last comment, and Trowa had the decency to blush at the seductive look Quatre sent from where he was standing off to the side. Yami ushered him off to the side and then called the blonde himself over to the centre of the stage.
"Quatre Raberba Winner, Pilot 04!"
A long, drawn out, "Awwww....." Sounded from the audience as they examined the cuteness of the blonde Arabian. Quatre blushed, heightening his cute- level by a couple of inches, as he smiled shyly at the audience.
Wu Fei rolled his eyes.
"Quatre Winner is the heir of the Winner fortune." Yami explained, once again reading from the script. "The empathic Arabian is said to have a psychic connection with space and his heart can feel when one of his comrades are in danger. He does manage to master the zero system, but only after destroying a colony with the stolen Wing Zero and effectively losing Trowa in space."
Quatre's tear-filled eyes nearly overflowed at the memory, but with a shaky sigh he managed to calm himself and shot a watery smile at the audience.
A few fan-girls were actually crying at the outward display of emotion, clinging to each other in a group hug. They didn't want their Quatre-kins to suffer...If only they could jump up on the stage and let him join their hug...*then* he would feel better.
On the sidelines, Trowa bristled jealously.
Yami, oblivious to all of this, continued talking. "This musically inclined pilot plays the violin and the piano, I believe, and manages to befriend the other four quite quickly. He eventually becomes their leader in battle, using the zero system to guide him."
"At home, this blonde is a part time musician and enjoys acting. He admits that although he has money to spare in the show, his father in real life is not quite as fortunate, and therefore he was struggling to get by before he landed his role in Gundam Wing. He has also starred in the other hit anime series, Gravitation, playing the character of Seguchi Tohma. For sports, Quatre enjoys swimming and while attending college, he took part in the competitive swimming team."
The audience gave a murmur of approval at the image that formed in their minds of Quatre in a Speedo...
The blonde blushed again.
The audience released another "Awwww...."
Yami, Wu Fei, and Heero rolled their eyes. Duo and Trowa blushed. These last two had witnessed Quatre in a Speedo...oh yes, he was quite the swimmer with that cute little ass bobbing up and dow-stop that thought right there, Trowa Barton and Duo Maxwell, this fic *is* rated PG-13.
...
No, I will not up the rating. This fic is *staying* at PG-13.
Trowa and Duo simultaneously sighed.
Yami cleared his throat and pushed Quatre gently to the side to join the first three pilots. They needed to move on. The audience was starting to get fidgety.
"The last of the pilots is Chang Wu Fei, officially numbered 05. Worshiper of Nataku, he pilots gundams Altron and Shenlong. An L5 scholar, Wu Fei is a Chinese master of Katana sword fighting. At the end of the series he joins Preventers with Sally Po, adopting the official Preventer uniform..."
At the mention of the Preventer uniform, several fan-girls fainted and Duo gave a low whistle. Wu Fei glared at his fellow actor and muttered a 'cursed Onna' under his breath. Oh, Maxwell would die a horrible, painful, torturous death later. Especially when he, Wu Fei managed to win this silly competition. When his thoughts centered on the 'silly competition', he quickly added 'baka onna agent' to his list of "things-to-rant-about-when- alone-and-meditating".
"When at home," Yami's voice broke through Wu Fei's thoughts, and the Chinese actor snapped back to attention. "pilot 05 enjoys reading and various studies that he pursues. He has perfected his hobby of Chinese cuisine-"
"Unlike Maxwell who can't cook a box of Kraft dinner without burning down the whole house." Wufei added under his breath.
Yami ignored the audience's laughter and Duo's middle finger and continued with his script without missing a beat. "-his experience with a Katana are what landed him the role in Gundam Wing-"
Yami's next interruption could not be avoided. A blur of pink streaked across the stage and latched onto pilot 01's arm, a glass-shattering screech of "HEEEEEEEEEEEROOOO!!!!" causing a gasp and a wince from the audience as they moved quickly to cover their ears.
Wu Fei did the same, wondering if there was something wrong with the microphones before he noticed Relena...
Everyone cringed.
"How did she make it through the auditions?" Duo whined, one finger in his ear to try to clear it from the popping sensation Relena's voice has caused.
"How did *you* make it through the auditions?" Wu Fei replied with a growl.
"Funny, Chang, real funny." Duo replied.
Yami sighed and took hold of Relena's arm, pulling her away from Heero with surprising ease. His eyes widened in Horror as the girl regarded him with a calm gaze, her eyes raking over his thin frame and he immediately dropped her arm, shoving her away as if she was some sort of she-demon (which isn't entirely un-true).
Trying desperately to ignore the girl, Yami turned to the audience with an apologetic smile. "Now that we're finished with the pilots, I'll introduce the rest of the cast, starting with the females..." He gestured sideways at Relena as the five previously introduced boys trooped off the stage. "First I would like to present to you Miss Relena Darlian."
The audience clapped and cheered...mostly because they didn't want Relena to start crying. Now *that* would be an awful sound.
Yami, speaking rather hurriedly to finish with Relena and get her off of his stage, started her introduction. "With her pink limousine and chauffeur, Relena pulls off an image of a strong girl. She discovers Heero's secret, that he is one of the Gundam pilots, and when her father is killed by Lady Une, she discovers that she is in fact Relena Peacecraft, princess of the Sanq Kingdom, Milliardo Peacecraft's little sister. She becomes the Queen of the Earth Sphere and unites the Earth by destroying all borders...effectively playing a major role on the route to world peace. At home, she enjoys a hobby of painting and runs on her city's track team. She tells us that she was not fond of the costumes she was forced to wear in Gundam Wing, but that she managed...somehow." He paused, glancing again at the girl who pulled, frustrated, at her pink vest and white shirt.
With a rough shove and a look of mild annoyance, Yami pushed Relena aside, hissing at her to get off of the stage. With dreamy eyes, the blonde obeyed with a meek nod.
Flustered, the host ran a hand through his hair before turning back to the audience. With a barely noticeable shudder, he called forward the next contestant...
"Miss Dorothy Catalonia..."
The audience erupted into another cheer...and it was uncertain whether it was for Dorothy herself or if it was at the relief from having Relena off the stage.
Dorothy stepped forward from the shadows, her forked eyebrows glinting in the spotlights, her blonde hair emitting a near radio-active glow. She was wearing the same uniform that Relena had sported only moments before, and her lips twitched into an evil smile as she looked Yami up and down.
The host gulped nervously. "Uh...yes. Dorothy is loyal to the Peacecraft family in the series, servant first to Relena and secondly to Milliardo. She wields a fencing sword at the private school that Relena attends at the beginning of the series, and in the final battle actually stabs poor Quatre while using the Zero system. She has a love for war, and believes that people need to fight to survive..." He shot her a frightened look. Apparently the pilots weren't the only ones that were crazy...what were the people who wrote this anime thinking?? Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Yami moved on. "At home, Dorothy considers acting her main career, but enjoys a hobby of painting?"
Dorothy nodded. "Oh yes, I paint abstract art."
Yami raised an eyebrow. "I see..." he paused and then gently moved Dorothy aside. "If you'll come this way Miss Catalonia, we'll introduce the rest of the competitors..."
Dorothy nodded, flashing another grin at an audience that wasn't really paying attention to the blonde. Most people were leaning together, glancing at each other with cautious looks and whispering. "Abstract??"
Yami cleared his throat as soon as Dorothy had been removed from the stage, regaining the attention of the audience. Flashing them a slight grin, he welcomed the next competitor to the stage. "Miss Hilde Sch...Sch..."
"Schbeiker." Hilde supplied in a timid voice as she stepped forward.
Yami raised an eyebrow. "Well, for pronunciation purposes we'll stick with Hilde." He said, smiling. Hilde giggled. The audience sweat-dropped.
Yami suppressed a tired sigh and turned back to his script. "Hilde plays an important role for Duo Maxwell in the series. Not knowing that he is in fact a trained Gundam pilot, she suggests to him that he should apply to become an OZ soldier. She ends up saving his life as he makes his escape, and later on in the series she retrieves some information for the pilots and is seriously injured in the process. After the series ends, she starts up a junk yard with Duo. At home, Hilde is a renowned film producer, having taken up this profession after starring in Gundam Wing. She also enjoys teaching German as a part time job in one of the public schools."
Hilde beamed at this last comment, allowing Yami to lead her off the stage. As the audience exploded into a round of applause, obviously pleased at having cockroach-eyebrows off of the stage. However, they were soon to be disappointed as the second forked-eyebrow-cast-member was announced...
"Next up, we have Milliardo Peacecraft and Treize Kushrenada!" Yami announced, pleased to get away from the female cast for a while.
The girls in the audience were out of their seats, jumping up and down and screaming for the OZ lieutenant with the long blonde hair and the cold, ice blue eyes...both of which were now quite hidden by the silver helmet that he wore on this occasion. The two men strode onto the stage, both of them hovering over Yami, who was obviously facing height difficulties, along with the rest of the teenage anime characters aired in the states.
Yami stuttered nervously for a single second before he took a step back along with a deep breath. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you two of the pilot's most powerful enemies, the lightning count and His Excellency." He paused, taking another breath as another round of cheering came from the audience. "We'll start with Milliardo Peacecraft, also known as Zechs Marquise. The older brother of Relena Peacecraft, and prince of the Sanq Kingdom, Milliardo hides under the guise of Zechs during the first war. He wants nothing more than to destroy the gundams at the beginning of the series, but after an electric rivalry with Heero Yuy, comes to respect them as fellow pilots. He pilots both the Tallgeese and the Epyon, eventually learning to master the zero system. He becomes leader of the White Fang colony rebels, and opposes his former commander, Treize in the last and final battle of the war. At home, Milliardo lives comfortably. He's happily married-" Yami was cut off as several moans, groans, 'boos', whimpers, cries of anguish, and other negative comments (some of which are unrepeatable writing) were shot out from the audience.
Milliardo raised an eyebrow.
Yami waited for the noise to subside before he continued "-to ... Well, you haven't actually told us, Mr. Peacecraft. Who *are* you married to?"
A secretive smile spread across the aristocrat's features. "No comment." He replied, his voice silky as he fingered the ring on his left hand. "My agent doesn't want me to let that information out just yet."
Yami paused. "Ah. I see. Well then, moving on, I understand that you enjoy the game of chess, and that your favorite type of wine is red?"
Milliardo shot a glance at Treize that should have gone unnoticed, but since everyone was watching him and his ring curiously, they noted it easily. "Yes, my favorite color of wine is red."
Treize smirked...and of course everyone noticed this as well. You can imagine the assumptions *they* were jumping to.
Yami cleared his throat and ushered Milliardo off to the side. "Very well, moving on, Treize Kushrenada, an OZ general, sends Lady Une out to do his dirty work while he basks in his bath with his..." Yami paused, glancing curiously between the two. Was there a conspiracy going on here? "... red wine..."
He trailed off as the audience gasped, but quickly picked up where he had left off. "And rose pedals. His Excellency is also seen hunting ducks [1]. He pilots the Tallgeese after Zechs finishes with it and moves on to the Epyon, and is eventually defeated by Wufei, his designated rival during the series." Yami paused again to catch his breath before continuing. "His favorite pastimes include ...." Yami raised an eyebrow. "Drinking red wine." He stated, un-amused. All right, this was starting to get old.
The audience gasped again. Treize smirked, and Zechs' lips twitched slightly. Yami frowned. There *was* a conspiracy going on here...he was sure of it. "All right then, gentlemen, if you'll kindly step off the stage..." He led the two men off to the side. The audience was strangely quiet, and Yami felt that somehow they had simultaneously decided not to cheer for these two in a conspiracy of their own...shaking away his disturbing thoughts, he swore to himself that he would never work in any of the Gundam Wing or mobile suit series *ever*...not even if his life depended on it. No, he preferred the sanity of his own comfortable duel monsters, thank-you-very-much.
"I will now introduce the last two competitors..." Yami stated as two familiar women stepped onto the stage. "Lucrezia Noin and Lady Une..." Again, the audience erupted in cheers, applauding loudly as the two taller women grinned. Noin was wearing her lieutenant uniform, while Une was wearing that of the colonel.
"Lieutenant Noin is the only actress lucky enough to actually fall in love during the series." Yami said calmly as the audience 'oooed and awwed'. "Or at least she is the only one to admit it. She ranks below Milliardo, and serves him without question. She protects Relena and fights alongside the Gundam pilots. At home, Lucrezia has adopted an African girl who turned five last month..." Again the audience 'oooed and awwed'. Noin smiled, and waved a thank you in their general direction. "...and she enjoys a hobby of drinking WHITE wine??" Yami turned to gape at her. "You're in on this too?"
Lucrezia smiled sweetly. "I'm in a wine tasting club."
Yami sweat-dropped. "Anyway..."
The host turned to Une. "Colonel Une is the character of two personalities." He started, pointedly ignoring Noin, who was looking rather amused. "One minute she works for Treize, and she's threatening to destroy the colonies if the pilots don't hand over their gundams, and the next she's talking of peace in her invincible spaceship. As soon as she puts on her circular glasses, you don't want to be within ten feet of her. Une gets shot and lives, piloting the original wing Gundam into space just in time to save Treize from being shot down by Libra's cannon. At home, Une has a part time job ...." He paused with a sigh. He should have expected this. "Serving wine as a waitress in a local restaurant. She considers this only a part time job, however, as acting takes up a lot of her time."
Une flashed another smile at the audience, which shuddered slightly as he glasses glinted in the spotlights.
The theme music for Endless Waltz sounded over the speakers as the rest of the cast grouped at the back of the stage, Noin and Une heading to join them. Yami gestured at the actors, smiling softly. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the cast of Gundam Wing!"
The audience jumped to their feet, swaying with the music as they cried favorites at the top of their lungs, banners waving madly, their bright colors flashing as the spotlights flashed across them in a wild attempt to excite the onlookers.
"And now, I present to you, the judges of the competition!"
Three more people trooped onto the stage, and if it was possible, the cries got louder. The three people were quite different from the competitors, and Yami seemed quite relieved to see them. "Honda Hiroto, Anzu Mazaki, and Seto Kaiba"
The three stepped forward as their names were called. Honda nearly tripping over his own two feet as he tried to check out/impress the ladies of the audience, Anzu smiling warmly at the contestants and trying to befriend the audience at the same time, and Kaiba looking downright sour.
Seto Kaiba looked over the audience and folded his arms across his chest. If it weren't for his damn agent, he wouldn't be here now...screw money, who needed it anyway? That was the only reason he was here...with a sigh, he rolled his eyes as the screaming continued. Oh, his agent was going to hell...after this condemnation, there would be no way for him to get out of it. His scowl darkened as he noticed Yami glaring at him. Apparently the 'pharaoh' was still upset that he had gotten a raise...oh well, nothing he could do about it. He smirked slightly, licking his lips, and Yami quickly looked away, a faint blush highlighting his features as he turned back to the audience.
"That's the end of our first episode!" Yami said, his voice slightly shaky from his brief, albeit distant, confrontation with Kaiba. "Your first round of votes will be accepted as soon as this episode ends. The first set of voting will be performed as your personal point of view, without the opinion of the judges, and it will be the only round of its kind! So please, don't hesitate to send them in! Title emails accordingly, ((addy vote4gundamwingidol@hotmail.com)) and label reviews! Tell your friends, spread the word! This competition depends on you, the audience!"
He took a deep breath as the theme music was lifted in volume. "Good bye for now, and we'll see you next time!!"
The spotlights faded, and the curtain closed. The audience was on its feet, *still* screaming.
*~*~*~*~*~*
TBC....
You heard him, tell your friends! Send in your votes! If I don't get enough, then this fic can't happen. So please, please, please cooperate with me, just this once. That's all I ask. I really want to write this fic! You have *NO* idea how fun that was to write...NONE. So, vote already!
Oh yeah, and for those of you that don't know, Honda is Tristan, Anzu is Téa, and Seto is...well, Seto. They're from Yu-Gi-Oh too.
[1] - someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but while he was talking to someone on that laptop he *was* shooting real ducks, was he not? And there were fake ones in the background, but then a real one flew up from behind the trees and he shot it and then sent a dog after it, right? 0.o I could be mistaken...
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Excitement rippled through the audience as the two spotlights flashed across the curtains on the stage at the front of the theater. The red velvet slowly parted, revealing a solitary figure in the centre of the stage, dressed in black with an odd golden prism hanging around his neck. Wild red and yellow hair framed his tanned skin, and the girls in the audience gasped.
The figure smirked as the lights centered on him, as he brought the mic to his lips, his voice ringing out, strong, confident and powerful.
"Ladies and Gentlemen..." he started, and an anxious silence settled over the audience. "Welcome to the season premiere of Gundam Wing Idol..."
*Very* suddenly, the crowds erupted in cheers, excitement no longer contained as the deafening noise shook through the theater.
A small smile crossed the sole figure on the stage's lips. He raised a hand to silence the crowds; a giant screen behind him enlarged his image. "My name is Yami Mutou, and I have the honor and privilege of conducting this series...I, myself, have starred in an anime, and I know just what it's like to be in the spotlight. So, without further ado, I will introduce the cast of Gundam Wing...our prospective idols!"
Once again, the audience shook with noise, cheering as the theme song for the anime series Gundam Wing sounded over the speakers.
"The five pilots!" Yami cried over the noise. "Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner, and Chang Wu Fei!"
The audience was on their feet, various homemade banners flashing in brightly decorated colors, portraying the names of personal favorites.
The five actors strode out on to the stage, dressed in their costumes from the episodes. Heero complete with spandex and yellow shoes, Duo in his priest's attire and trademark braid, Trowa with the traditional uni-bang and turtleneck, Quatre with his pink shirt and khaki pants, and Wu Fei in his blue tank top and white pants.
The gundams and various scenes from the episodes with the pilots flashed across the screen behind Yami as he introduced each of the pilots, and when he had finished with each of their names, he approached the five cautiously. "You don't have your guns, do you?" he asked with a short grin directed at the audience.
Duo returned the grin. "I know I don't, but I can't speak for trigger-happy Yuy over here..." He said, gesturing at Heero with his thumb.
Heero glared, and grunted an expected "Hn."
A ripple of laughter sounded through the audience, and again Yami smiled. "Let me introduce them properly." He waited for the cheers to subside before he gestured for Heero to step forward.
The messy-chocolate-haired boy flashed a small smirk at the audience, and was rewarded with another wild round of applause.
Yami calmed down the crowds with another wave of his hand. "I present to you, Pilot 01 of the Wing Gundam, the first pilot to master the zero system. Though his character is portrayed as a suicidal maniac, Heero has been created to be the perfect soldier...a soldier who does not fear death. Dr. J was his trainer, and he acquired Heero at a very young age. Isn't that right, Heero?"
Heero gave a short nod. "Yes, Yami, that is correct. My name is not, in fact, my real name. It was taken from a politician who enforced the peace, who was himself assassinated. My role in Gundam Wing was one of strength...and I feel that I depicted it very well."
"Relena seemed to think so!" Duo called from the sidelines.
Heero raised an eyebrow, and Yami shot a glare at the braided boy. "Your turn will come soon enough, Duo." He warned with a smirk. The audience chuckled slightly. "Now, Heero, I hear that in real life you are much like the character in the anime series...quiet, withdrawn, a calm exterior, seemingly relaxed...I also understand that you have a secondary job as a computer technician?"
Heero nodded. "Yes."
Behind him, Duo rolled his eyes. "He's a monosyllable guy, Yami...you've got to cut him some slack."
At this comment, the audience erupted into laughter and Yami himself cracked a small smile. "All right, Mr. Yuy, if you'll just step over here..." He motioned for Heero to step to the other side of the stage, and the actor did so. "I will now call on Duo Maxwell...your very own Shinigami..."
The cheers were louder this time, various fan-girls screaming at the top of their lungs for Duo and waving homemade banners that bore his cheery grin and cherubic visage. Duo flashed a wide grin at the audience, winking at a few of the closer ladies as he stepped up beside Yami, still waving at his fans.
Yami raised a delicate eyebrow, looking Duo up and down. "They seem to like you, Mr. Maxwell."
"Duo, please." The braided actor replied. "Mr. makes it sound so formal."
"Very well then, Duo." Yami replied calmly before he turned back to the audience. "This self-proclaimed God of Death, pilot 02, plays the happy-go- lucky pilot of the series, and with his trusty Deathscythe manages to-" Before Yami could finish his obviously script-style sentence, Duo cut him off.
"Kick OZ ass!" the braided actor cried, braid swinging with enthusiasm as the crowd erupted once again in cries of agreement.
Yami sighed softly before continuing to read from his script as the audience calmed themselves. He easily ignored Duo's comment. He was, after all, used to working with the actor who played Jounouchi Katsuya. "-defeat various OZ troops, effectively helping to win the war. With his trademark braid and easy going personality, Duo is a character we've learned to learn to love, and although he wears a cross around his neck and a priest's outfit, he seems to be quite attached to the ladies..."
His sentence trailed off as Heero gave a grunt of agreement, rolling his eyes.
Duo childishly stuck his tongue out at Heero, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey, at least I'm not a 'suicidal maniac'" he teased his friend.
The audience gave another bout of laughter as Heero reached for a gun that wasn't there, threatening with his trademark, "Omae o Korosu".
Yami glanced back and forth between the two. "Are you quite finished?"
With a nod from each of them, the 5000 year old pharaoh continued with the show. "An L2 colony orphan, Duo is quite good with lock picks that we believe he hides in his hair..."
Duo grinned mysteriously at this comment, offering no further explanation. Therefore, Yami had no choice but to continue.
"At home, Duo is a part time technician as well as ...a dancer?" he glanced curiously at the braided actor. "Care to explain?"
Duo's mysterious grin widened. "Not really."
"Alright..." Yami's eyes narrowed as he regarded Duo and he took a step away from the actor. "Have it your way. As you can see, he obviously enjoys the color black and although he is happy and cheerful most of the time, he can have his bad days just like anyone else...He also likes to drink both red and white wine..." Yami raised an eyebrow curiously, but Duo didn't seem about to explain that fact. "Anything else to add, Duo?" he asked rather tentatively.
The braided one nodded, flashing another grin at the audience as they cheered once more. "My character, Duo Maxwell, is easy to believe in. He fights for a cause, and he doesn't give up easily. I think we could all learn something from him, from the way he fights with a smile and doesn't give up hope."
Wufei coughed rather loudly from the sidelines, and the noise sounded suspiciously like "onna".
Duo shot a glare at his friend as Yami led him over to stand beside Heero.
The tri-color haired teen shook his head as he turned to the audience. "Next up, Pilot 03, Trowa Barton!"
The crowd cheered again and more colorful signs flashed, bearing letters of the word "Nanashi."
Yami welcomed Trowa to the middle of the stage with a slight smirk. "Seems you have a few fans of your own."
Trowa gave a short nod, glaring at the audience. Unlike Duo, he did not enjoy these...promotional activities that his agent so willingly agreed to.
"Trowa Barton is another of the Gundam Wing characters with a stolen name. Although his real name is long forgotten, Trowa went by "Nanashi" which is Japanese for "no-name" while working as a mechanic on the Gundam Heavyarms. His 'sister' Catherine, introduced him to the circus where Trowa is a talented acrobat, actually *allows* her to throw knives at him, and tames lions..." Yami shot a glance at the actor. Were the five of them all crazy freaks?
"His character is quiet, and friends with pilot 04, Quatre Winner. Trowa plays the flute in the series and obviously holds many, many secrets. At home, he considers acting his main job although he enjoys a hobby in gymnastics. This is one *very* flexible actor."
A chuckle rippled through the audience at this last comment, and Trowa had the decency to blush at the seductive look Quatre sent from where he was standing off to the side. Yami ushered him off to the side and then called the blonde himself over to the centre of the stage.
"Quatre Raberba Winner, Pilot 04!"
A long, drawn out, "Awwww....." Sounded from the audience as they examined the cuteness of the blonde Arabian. Quatre blushed, heightening his cute- level by a couple of inches, as he smiled shyly at the audience.
Wu Fei rolled his eyes.
"Quatre Winner is the heir of the Winner fortune." Yami explained, once again reading from the script. "The empathic Arabian is said to have a psychic connection with space and his heart can feel when one of his comrades are in danger. He does manage to master the zero system, but only after destroying a colony with the stolen Wing Zero and effectively losing Trowa in space."
Quatre's tear-filled eyes nearly overflowed at the memory, but with a shaky sigh he managed to calm himself and shot a watery smile at the audience.
A few fan-girls were actually crying at the outward display of emotion, clinging to each other in a group hug. They didn't want their Quatre-kins to suffer...If only they could jump up on the stage and let him join their hug...*then* he would feel better.
On the sidelines, Trowa bristled jealously.
Yami, oblivious to all of this, continued talking. "This musically inclined pilot plays the violin and the piano, I believe, and manages to befriend the other four quite quickly. He eventually becomes their leader in battle, using the zero system to guide him."
"At home, this blonde is a part time musician and enjoys acting. He admits that although he has money to spare in the show, his father in real life is not quite as fortunate, and therefore he was struggling to get by before he landed his role in Gundam Wing. He has also starred in the other hit anime series, Gravitation, playing the character of Seguchi Tohma. For sports, Quatre enjoys swimming and while attending college, he took part in the competitive swimming team."
The audience gave a murmur of approval at the image that formed in their minds of Quatre in a Speedo...
The blonde blushed again.
The audience released another "Awwww...."
Yami, Wu Fei, and Heero rolled their eyes. Duo and Trowa blushed. These last two had witnessed Quatre in a Speedo...oh yes, he was quite the swimmer with that cute little ass bobbing up and dow-stop that thought right there, Trowa Barton and Duo Maxwell, this fic *is* rated PG-13.
...
No, I will not up the rating. This fic is *staying* at PG-13.
Trowa and Duo simultaneously sighed.
Yami cleared his throat and pushed Quatre gently to the side to join the first three pilots. They needed to move on. The audience was starting to get fidgety.
"The last of the pilots is Chang Wu Fei, officially numbered 05. Worshiper of Nataku, he pilots gundams Altron and Shenlong. An L5 scholar, Wu Fei is a Chinese master of Katana sword fighting. At the end of the series he joins Preventers with Sally Po, adopting the official Preventer uniform..."
At the mention of the Preventer uniform, several fan-girls fainted and Duo gave a low whistle. Wu Fei glared at his fellow actor and muttered a 'cursed Onna' under his breath. Oh, Maxwell would die a horrible, painful, torturous death later. Especially when he, Wu Fei managed to win this silly competition. When his thoughts centered on the 'silly competition', he quickly added 'baka onna agent' to his list of "things-to-rant-about-when- alone-and-meditating".
"When at home," Yami's voice broke through Wu Fei's thoughts, and the Chinese actor snapped back to attention. "pilot 05 enjoys reading and various studies that he pursues. He has perfected his hobby of Chinese cuisine-"
"Unlike Maxwell who can't cook a box of Kraft dinner without burning down the whole house." Wufei added under his breath.
Yami ignored the audience's laughter and Duo's middle finger and continued with his script without missing a beat. "-his experience with a Katana are what landed him the role in Gundam Wing-"
Yami's next interruption could not be avoided. A blur of pink streaked across the stage and latched onto pilot 01's arm, a glass-shattering screech of "HEEEEEEEEEEEROOOO!!!!" causing a gasp and a wince from the audience as they moved quickly to cover their ears.
Wu Fei did the same, wondering if there was something wrong with the microphones before he noticed Relena...
Everyone cringed.
"How did she make it through the auditions?" Duo whined, one finger in his ear to try to clear it from the popping sensation Relena's voice has caused.
"How did *you* make it through the auditions?" Wu Fei replied with a growl.
"Funny, Chang, real funny." Duo replied.
Yami sighed and took hold of Relena's arm, pulling her away from Heero with surprising ease. His eyes widened in Horror as the girl regarded him with a calm gaze, her eyes raking over his thin frame and he immediately dropped her arm, shoving her away as if she was some sort of she-demon (which isn't entirely un-true).
Trying desperately to ignore the girl, Yami turned to the audience with an apologetic smile. "Now that we're finished with the pilots, I'll introduce the rest of the cast, starting with the females..." He gestured sideways at Relena as the five previously introduced boys trooped off the stage. "First I would like to present to you Miss Relena Darlian."
The audience clapped and cheered...mostly because they didn't want Relena to start crying. Now *that* would be an awful sound.
Yami, speaking rather hurriedly to finish with Relena and get her off of his stage, started her introduction. "With her pink limousine and chauffeur, Relena pulls off an image of a strong girl. She discovers Heero's secret, that he is one of the Gundam pilots, and when her father is killed by Lady Une, she discovers that she is in fact Relena Peacecraft, princess of the Sanq Kingdom, Milliardo Peacecraft's little sister. She becomes the Queen of the Earth Sphere and unites the Earth by destroying all borders...effectively playing a major role on the route to world peace. At home, she enjoys a hobby of painting and runs on her city's track team. She tells us that she was not fond of the costumes she was forced to wear in Gundam Wing, but that she managed...somehow." He paused, glancing again at the girl who pulled, frustrated, at her pink vest and white shirt.
With a rough shove and a look of mild annoyance, Yami pushed Relena aside, hissing at her to get off of the stage. With dreamy eyes, the blonde obeyed with a meek nod.
Flustered, the host ran a hand through his hair before turning back to the audience. With a barely noticeable shudder, he called forward the next contestant...
"Miss Dorothy Catalonia..."
The audience erupted into another cheer...and it was uncertain whether it was for Dorothy herself or if it was at the relief from having Relena off the stage.
Dorothy stepped forward from the shadows, her forked eyebrows glinting in the spotlights, her blonde hair emitting a near radio-active glow. She was wearing the same uniform that Relena had sported only moments before, and her lips twitched into an evil smile as she looked Yami up and down.
The host gulped nervously. "Uh...yes. Dorothy is loyal to the Peacecraft family in the series, servant first to Relena and secondly to Milliardo. She wields a fencing sword at the private school that Relena attends at the beginning of the series, and in the final battle actually stabs poor Quatre while using the Zero system. She has a love for war, and believes that people need to fight to survive..." He shot her a frightened look. Apparently the pilots weren't the only ones that were crazy...what were the people who wrote this anime thinking?? Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Yami moved on. "At home, Dorothy considers acting her main career, but enjoys a hobby of painting?"
Dorothy nodded. "Oh yes, I paint abstract art."
Yami raised an eyebrow. "I see..." he paused and then gently moved Dorothy aside. "If you'll come this way Miss Catalonia, we'll introduce the rest of the competitors..."
Dorothy nodded, flashing another grin at an audience that wasn't really paying attention to the blonde. Most people were leaning together, glancing at each other with cautious looks and whispering. "Abstract??"
Yami cleared his throat as soon as Dorothy had been removed from the stage, regaining the attention of the audience. Flashing them a slight grin, he welcomed the next competitor to the stage. "Miss Hilde Sch...Sch..."
"Schbeiker." Hilde supplied in a timid voice as she stepped forward.
Yami raised an eyebrow. "Well, for pronunciation purposes we'll stick with Hilde." He said, smiling. Hilde giggled. The audience sweat-dropped.
Yami suppressed a tired sigh and turned back to his script. "Hilde plays an important role for Duo Maxwell in the series. Not knowing that he is in fact a trained Gundam pilot, she suggests to him that he should apply to become an OZ soldier. She ends up saving his life as he makes his escape, and later on in the series she retrieves some information for the pilots and is seriously injured in the process. After the series ends, she starts up a junk yard with Duo. At home, Hilde is a renowned film producer, having taken up this profession after starring in Gundam Wing. She also enjoys teaching German as a part time job in one of the public schools."
Hilde beamed at this last comment, allowing Yami to lead her off the stage. As the audience exploded into a round of applause, obviously pleased at having cockroach-eyebrows off of the stage. However, they were soon to be disappointed as the second forked-eyebrow-cast-member was announced...
"Next up, we have Milliardo Peacecraft and Treize Kushrenada!" Yami announced, pleased to get away from the female cast for a while.
The girls in the audience were out of their seats, jumping up and down and screaming for the OZ lieutenant with the long blonde hair and the cold, ice blue eyes...both of which were now quite hidden by the silver helmet that he wore on this occasion. The two men strode onto the stage, both of them hovering over Yami, who was obviously facing height difficulties, along with the rest of the teenage anime characters aired in the states.
Yami stuttered nervously for a single second before he took a step back along with a deep breath. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you two of the pilot's most powerful enemies, the lightning count and His Excellency." He paused, taking another breath as another round of cheering came from the audience. "We'll start with Milliardo Peacecraft, also known as Zechs Marquise. The older brother of Relena Peacecraft, and prince of the Sanq Kingdom, Milliardo hides under the guise of Zechs during the first war. He wants nothing more than to destroy the gundams at the beginning of the series, but after an electric rivalry with Heero Yuy, comes to respect them as fellow pilots. He pilots both the Tallgeese and the Epyon, eventually learning to master the zero system. He becomes leader of the White Fang colony rebels, and opposes his former commander, Treize in the last and final battle of the war. At home, Milliardo lives comfortably. He's happily married-" Yami was cut off as several moans, groans, 'boos', whimpers, cries of anguish, and other negative comments (some of which are unrepeatable writing) were shot out from the audience.
Milliardo raised an eyebrow.
Yami waited for the noise to subside before he continued "-to ... Well, you haven't actually told us, Mr. Peacecraft. Who *are* you married to?"
A secretive smile spread across the aristocrat's features. "No comment." He replied, his voice silky as he fingered the ring on his left hand. "My agent doesn't want me to let that information out just yet."
Yami paused. "Ah. I see. Well then, moving on, I understand that you enjoy the game of chess, and that your favorite type of wine is red?"
Milliardo shot a glance at Treize that should have gone unnoticed, but since everyone was watching him and his ring curiously, they noted it easily. "Yes, my favorite color of wine is red."
Treize smirked...and of course everyone noticed this as well. You can imagine the assumptions *they* were jumping to.
Yami cleared his throat and ushered Milliardo off to the side. "Very well, moving on, Treize Kushrenada, an OZ general, sends Lady Une out to do his dirty work while he basks in his bath with his..." Yami paused, glancing curiously between the two. Was there a conspiracy going on here? "... red wine..."
He trailed off as the audience gasped, but quickly picked up where he had left off. "And rose pedals. His Excellency is also seen hunting ducks [1]. He pilots the Tallgeese after Zechs finishes with it and moves on to the Epyon, and is eventually defeated by Wufei, his designated rival during the series." Yami paused again to catch his breath before continuing. "His favorite pastimes include ...." Yami raised an eyebrow. "Drinking red wine." He stated, un-amused. All right, this was starting to get old.
The audience gasped again. Treize smirked, and Zechs' lips twitched slightly. Yami frowned. There *was* a conspiracy going on here...he was sure of it. "All right then, gentlemen, if you'll kindly step off the stage..." He led the two men off to the side. The audience was strangely quiet, and Yami felt that somehow they had simultaneously decided not to cheer for these two in a conspiracy of their own...shaking away his disturbing thoughts, he swore to himself that he would never work in any of the Gundam Wing or mobile suit series *ever*...not even if his life depended on it. No, he preferred the sanity of his own comfortable duel monsters, thank-you-very-much.
"I will now introduce the last two competitors..." Yami stated as two familiar women stepped onto the stage. "Lucrezia Noin and Lady Une..." Again, the audience erupted in cheers, applauding loudly as the two taller women grinned. Noin was wearing her lieutenant uniform, while Une was wearing that of the colonel.
"Lieutenant Noin is the only actress lucky enough to actually fall in love during the series." Yami said calmly as the audience 'oooed and awwed'. "Or at least she is the only one to admit it. She ranks below Milliardo, and serves him without question. She protects Relena and fights alongside the Gundam pilots. At home, Lucrezia has adopted an African girl who turned five last month..." Again the audience 'oooed and awwed'. Noin smiled, and waved a thank you in their general direction. "...and she enjoys a hobby of drinking WHITE wine??" Yami turned to gape at her. "You're in on this too?"
Lucrezia smiled sweetly. "I'm in a wine tasting club."
Yami sweat-dropped. "Anyway..."
The host turned to Une. "Colonel Une is the character of two personalities." He started, pointedly ignoring Noin, who was looking rather amused. "One minute she works for Treize, and she's threatening to destroy the colonies if the pilots don't hand over their gundams, and the next she's talking of peace in her invincible spaceship. As soon as she puts on her circular glasses, you don't want to be within ten feet of her. Une gets shot and lives, piloting the original wing Gundam into space just in time to save Treize from being shot down by Libra's cannon. At home, Une has a part time job ...." He paused with a sigh. He should have expected this. "Serving wine as a waitress in a local restaurant. She considers this only a part time job, however, as acting takes up a lot of her time."
Une flashed another smile at the audience, which shuddered slightly as he glasses glinted in the spotlights.
The theme music for Endless Waltz sounded over the speakers as the rest of the cast grouped at the back of the stage, Noin and Une heading to join them. Yami gestured at the actors, smiling softly. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the cast of Gundam Wing!"
The audience jumped to their feet, swaying with the music as they cried favorites at the top of their lungs, banners waving madly, their bright colors flashing as the spotlights flashed across them in a wild attempt to excite the onlookers.
"And now, I present to you, the judges of the competition!"
Three more people trooped onto the stage, and if it was possible, the cries got louder. The three people were quite different from the competitors, and Yami seemed quite relieved to see them. "Honda Hiroto, Anzu Mazaki, and Seto Kaiba"
The three stepped forward as their names were called. Honda nearly tripping over his own two feet as he tried to check out/impress the ladies of the audience, Anzu smiling warmly at the contestants and trying to befriend the audience at the same time, and Kaiba looking downright sour.
Seto Kaiba looked over the audience and folded his arms across his chest. If it weren't for his damn agent, he wouldn't be here now...screw money, who needed it anyway? That was the only reason he was here...with a sigh, he rolled his eyes as the screaming continued. Oh, his agent was going to hell...after this condemnation, there would be no way for him to get out of it. His scowl darkened as he noticed Yami glaring at him. Apparently the 'pharaoh' was still upset that he had gotten a raise...oh well, nothing he could do about it. He smirked slightly, licking his lips, and Yami quickly looked away, a faint blush highlighting his features as he turned back to the audience.
"That's the end of our first episode!" Yami said, his voice slightly shaky from his brief, albeit distant, confrontation with Kaiba. "Your first round of votes will be accepted as soon as this episode ends. The first set of voting will be performed as your personal point of view, without the opinion of the judges, and it will be the only round of its kind! So please, don't hesitate to send them in! Title emails accordingly, ((addy vote4gundamwingidol@hotmail.com)) and label reviews! Tell your friends, spread the word! This competition depends on you, the audience!"
He took a deep breath as the theme music was lifted in volume. "Good bye for now, and we'll see you next time!!"
The spotlights faded, and the curtain closed. The audience was on its feet, *still* screaming.
*~*~*~*~*~*
TBC....
You heard him, tell your friends! Send in your votes! If I don't get enough, then this fic can't happen. So please, please, please cooperate with me, just this once. That's all I ask. I really want to write this fic! You have *NO* idea how fun that was to write...NONE. So, vote already!
Oh yeah, and for those of you that don't know, Honda is Tristan, Anzu is Téa, and Seto is...well, Seto. They're from Yu-Gi-Oh too.
[1] - someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but while he was talking to someone on that laptop he *was* shooting real ducks, was he not? And there were fake ones in the background, but then a real one flew up from behind the trees and he shot it and then sent a dog after it, right? 0.o I could be mistaken...
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