AN: This fic was originally written and posted when I was 15 years old under the alias -§- Black Pheonix -§-, you may remember it, you may not. I have taken an opportunity of sick leave and boundless boredom to rewrite my old fan fiction and make them something a bit more worth reading. I will not be deleting the original fics off my old account. I appreciate the reviews left on them and they will stay for posterity
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EARTHQUAKE DRILL
The earth rumbled and shifted, low groans dragged from the underbrush as normally solid earth and stone trembled began a gentle tremble Rustling leaves on shaking branches accompanied by gleeful cackles of joy and unmistakable chatter successfully destroying the concentration of the four other boys settled into the forest clearing surrounded by looming bulks of metal and camouflage nets.
Vibrating with pent up energy on the foot of none other than his best buddy Deathscythe, mouth moving a mile a minute, Duo recanted his last mission in epic detail to the pilot of Wing who, out of sight making repairs to shorted electrical systems within his own suits cockpit, firmly ignored him.
A short distance away Quatre was settled onto Heavyarms chest speaking with Trowa while the lithe acrobatic pilot leaned over the Gatling barrels in the Gundams chest, reaching down to inspect damage that was hampering the units firing capabilities. As usual, clear across the clearing from everyone else, the Chinese youth stood leaning against Natakus left foot, the Gundam laid down under tree cover to make best use of the surrounding natural camouflage. Stifling a long-suffering sigh, Wufei closed his eyes and tried to ignore Duo's incessant chatter and seek a moments rest.
More audible than gunfire came the sudden silence of the braided pilot as the world beneath his feet shifted. Four pairs of eyes swiveled towards the startled yelp that followed the sudden silence, taking note of the wide violet eyes staring at the ground some feet below him as Duo teetered and started to slip. "Uh guys, I don't mean to sound the alarm or anything, but I think we have a problem!"
From above, Heero leaned out of Wings cockpit to glare down at the toppling pilot, voice laced with unrepentant irritation as he spat screws out of his mouth into a grease blackened hand to bark out, "What is the problem now Maxwell?
Shit!" Heero turned his gaze from Duo, as the braided pilot tipped backwards to land on his ass on the ground, to the vibrating tree branches surrounding his suit as the world tilted and he was forced to latch onto the drag line to keep from following duo to the ground. A tree toppled to Wings feet as the roots gave way, the loud crash accompanied by the groan of stabilizing hydraulics from three upright Gundams, two startled cries, and Quatres panicked shriek of "Trowa!" as the earth gaily danced a drunken jig below them.
Wufei gave forth a startled yelp as Nataku was suddenly pulled out from underneath his resting back; minute movements dropping the Chinese pilot flat on his back as feet moved one way and mobile suit moved another with the rocking ground. What birds had not fled the tree tops in their merry dance, took flight to escape the dazed and creative Chinese soliloquy that flowed from Wufei's lips laced with venom and every swear his jostled brain could throw forth.
Across the clearing Trowa's shout echoed metallically in his own ears as Heero swung out of Wings cockpit hatch on the dragline only to collide with the Gundams leg and topple gracelessly to the ground in an indignant heap.
"QUATRE! GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
"I'M TRYING TO TROWA!"
Feet kicking above the red paneling of 03's chest, Trowa's world had been reduced to darkness, the sing of metal, and the thick stench of gunpowder and old smoke; firmly imbedded head first in one of the gun barrels in Heavyarm's chest, open doors rocking with the sway of the earth as if to laugh at the misfortune of his pilot. Quatre couldn't help but to flail and beg Trowa to be still as he tried in vain to catch one of the taller pilots legs to assist in pulling the brunette free.
Having scrambled back to his feet, Wufei shifted with his Gundam, stumbling with the rocking of the earth beneath his feet as he attempted to follow Shenlongs vibrated retreat through the forest, loud curses following in his wake.
"KISAMA! Get back here Nataku! INJUSTICE! Who chose this rest stop in the first place? MAXWELL!"
Dumbfounded, Duo pulled himself to his feet and looked around; what he saw took a moment to register: Heero sitting on his butt looking up at his gundam in mild confusion, Wufei running after his gundam as it disappeared through the trees and Quatre now standing on HeavyArm's chest trying to get a hold of Trowa's flailing legs to pull him from the gun barrel he was so thoroughly lodged in. Several moments ticked past before the braided pilot regained just enough composure to shriek and start running in frantic circles.
"EARTHQUAKE!"
Heero shrugged off his confusion and rose to his feet, brushing grease across his tank top in an instinctive gesture of knocking dust off his clothes. An annoyed grunt past barely parted lips as the otherwise stoic pilot placed himself in Duo's flight path reached forward and grabbed hold of the flailing tail of hair to issue a solid yank to drop the braided pilot back to the ground in stunned and somewhat pained silence.
" SHUT UP! Baka, We NOTICED ALREADY!"
" ITAI!" Duo yelped and snatched for his braid. In comical fashion, Duo and Heero were suddenly alerted by a rumbling behind them, the pilots swiveling their heads to look at Deathscythe as the rumbling earth shifted the gundam forward, scythe held out in a menacing fashion that if asked about later Duo would've sheepishly muttered "Well it seemed like an amusing pose at the time". Violet eyes locked with cerulean before Heero took off running, leaving Duo to scramble on all fours after him in an attempt to keep up since his hair was still clutched in Heero's grasp.
At the same time, inside Heavyarms, Trowa was starting to panic as the darkness around him started to take on an eerie red glow. Dread flowing through his mind Trowa watched, as the light around him got brighter and his mind shifted back to the hands of the small blond frantically attached to his legs trying to pull him free.
" QUATRE! Let go! LET GO!"
Quatre, hearing the muffled metallic cries of his best friend held on tighter as he leaned closer to the barrel to try and him.
"What? What was that Trowa?!"
Trowa's eyes widened, as he was suddenly shot from the gundam and sent flying straight up into the air with the golden pilot of Sandrock clinging to his legs in terror.
Duo and Heero stopped their flight long enough to see Trowa and Quatre take flying lessons before resuming their run to get away from the persistent Gundam that was moving closer, their own flight rather difficult due to the increasing severity of the shaking earth before the earthquake subsided as if nothing had happened in the first place.
Wufei's chase of Nataku through its departing slide came to an abrupt halt with the earthquakes end and with a triumphant grin Wufei walked over to him gundam and smacked the leg.
"Ha! I knew this thing couldn't go to far just because of an earthquake. I better get back to the... WHAT THE HELL?! AHH!" Realizing almost too late that they were on a hill, Wufei turned and ran as the unsettled earth beneath the mega tonne beast of his gundam let go and Natakus plating made a disgruntled groan as it started to slide in close pursuit of its pilot back towards the clearing and the other pilots.