Disclaimer- I'm pretty sure we all know what goes here, but just in case (takes a deep breath) thegundamwingboysarenotmypropertytheybelongtowhoevertheybelongto. Iamusingthemformysickpurposesbutwillprobablygivethembackwheni'mdonewiththem. (Now that that's out of the way…)

Warnings – shounen-ai, war themes, language, slightly OOCness, AU, movie quotes (yes I'm serious, that requires a warning…), Relena's not exactly a pacifist anymore

Fight or Flight

Chapter One – Nature Appreciation Week

"Kushrenada is a neo-nazi, slave driver." Duo's face was bright red and he was slightly out of breath.

"You shouldn't speak ill of those older and wiser than you." Wufei's voice reeked of disapproval, though Duo didn't care enough to turn around and see.

Trowa looked at Duo then glanced behind him at Wufei. "Older and wiser? My 5 year old cousin is wiser."

Duo turned around to sneer at Trowa, then quickly looked back as he almost tripped. "Yeah, well we can't all be blessed with beauty and brains."

"Beauty?" Heero turned briefly to Duo a skeptical look.

"Yuy, you wouldn't know beauty if I bit you in the ass."

Quatre snorted and even Trowa looked like he was hiding a laugh.

"I have told you eight million times, Maxwell. I will leave you out here and tell Kushrenada you went M.I.A. Now shut up and march."

Quatre sped up and nudged Duo lightly, smiling and trying to put the boy in a better mood. "C'mon, just be glad we got out of the city, and school. We had a whole week to relax."

"Yeah, a whole week to get eaten by insects and eat crappy trail rations. Yay."

"Maxwell. If you do not stop this needless bitching, I am going to cut off the braid and use it as a gag."

"Ooo… Kinky. I didn't know you swung that way 'Fei."

Heero shook his head and tuned out the bickering; readjusting the backpack he was carrying and trying to ease the weight on his aching shoulders seemed more important than yet another argument between the American and Chinese boys. They had been arguing for the last week, ever since they had left their school and headed for the wilderness. All the groups at St. Noventa's Academy took turns proving their survival skills. The five boys had hiked several miles into the forest and had to set up a camp and provide for themselves for the last week. They were allowed minimal equipment and even less rations, and Duo had been complaining about the less than satisfactory fare nonstop.

He sighed internally and looked up to check the position of the sun. They had been hiking back from their campsite for the last day and he hoped to make the pick-up point by mid-afternoon. A school vehicle would be waiting for them, and from there it was roughly a two hour drive back to the school. If all went well, he would be in his own bunk by nightfall.

o0o0o0o

"Oh, thank God!" Duo threw his pack in the back of the waiting Jeep and collapsed in the back seat with a loud sigh. The others followed suit and soon they were flying down the small dirt road toward civilization.

Quatre sat in the front seat talking animatedly at Heero, who would grunt every once in awhile to show he was still paying attention. Wufei and Trowa were both asleep and Duo was starting to yawn. "Where are we?"

Quatre glanced around, then checked the map perched on his knee. "We should be coming into Redenville in five minutes or so, then it's another twenty miles to the Academy."

"DSL connection, here I come." Duo yawned once more, then raised his shirt to scratch idly at the black vest he wore underneath. "I hate these vests. I don't mind the weight anymore, but they're itchy as hell."

"I know. You know it's good for training, though."

"Yeah."

Each boy wore a vest that was, for all purposes, Kevlar with lead weights evenly distributed around it. The boys at St. Noventa's worked, trained and studied wearing the vests. The only time it was safe to take them off was in their barracks when they were asleep, and even then they had to be ready at a moment's notice. The punishment for being caught without it was harsh; more weight was added and they were assigned an instructor to help for a month's time. The last boy had washed out after three day's as the archery instructor's moving target. Even Duo knew better then to take the vest off while they were off campus. They never knew when Kushrenada or Merquise would pop up for a surprise inspection.

Heero ignored the discussion, his eyes fixed on the road. Something was bothering him, but he couldn't figure out what. The Jeep was in good working order, they had completed all training objectives in the past week and, despite various threats otherwise, all his teammates had returned safe and sound. He glanced over at Quatre, who was shifting uncomfortably in his seat and glancing around uneasily. He knows something's wrong too. What is it though? It was Duo who inadvertently answered the question. He leaned in between the two front seats and glanced at the clock. "We got lucky. The freeway's usually packed at this hour." Out of the corner of his eye, Heero saw Quatre jump slightly, and he realized that was the problem. The freeway should have been wall to wall traffic, especially at 5:45 on a Friday. Instead, they had yet to see another vehicle in either direction. The silence suddenly became unbearable and he flipped on the radio, but nothing came out. He changed it several times trying to find a news channel, but he was met with a quiet static on every station. He turned off the radio with a muttered curse and glanced over at Quatre. The blonde had a thoughtful look on his face, and Heero could see the thousands of possibilities running through his mind.

After several moments, Quatre shrugged. "They could be fixing the freeway. There could be an accident ahead. I mean, shit, there could have been an emergency lockdown in the city. I suggest you step on it Heero. I don't think there's a cop out here to pull you over either way."

Heero nodded and floored the Jeep, sending them flying forward. The lurch woke Wufei and Trowa, who were a bit quicker to realize the problem. Trowa glanced out the window looking supremely disoriented and Wufei merely raised an eyebrow. "Where are all the cars? And why is Yuy breaking traffic laws?"

Quatre turned to face the three boys in the back. "We don't know. Something is definitely not right, though."

The Jeep sped through Redenville, blowing down the deserted main street in record time. They saw no sign of life, only closed shops and buildings without lights. The closer they got to San Silvia, and the academy, the more worried they became. There was still no other life visible, but as soon as the city entered their sight, large plumes of smoke clouded the sky. The outskirts of the city were in ruins. Buildings were half destroyed, and scorch marks showed where plasma cannons and laser rifles had been fired. Cars lay abandoned in the middle of the street, and everything looked as if life had suddenly just stopped. The only signs of life came from Fortress Barge, nestled in the larger city barely visible to the east. The sight was not particularly reassuring.

"Why would anyone attack the city?" For once, Duo's voice was quiet, barely a whisper even in the still city.

Heero led them through the wreckage, trying to find answers to the hundreds of questions in his mind. "I don't know, but we need to find out." He pointed east, and they all turned to look at Fortress Barge. "Odds are that's where they're holed up."

"Who's they?"

Heero glanced at Duo sharply, then his shoulders sagged and he sighed. "I don't know Maxwell. But it is the most defensible position in this area. If I stormed this city, that is where I would set up command. C'mon. We need to make it to the Academy."

A/N:: hopefully some of you will let me know if you love it, hate it, think it should be buried in my backyard and never resurrected, I have quite a bit of it written already, but figured I'd see if anyone liked it (hint hint)… And I am debating whether to put in 3x4, and/or 5xS so drop me a line and let me know what you think.