"Hanami wake up!" Kawa whispered as she shook her sleeping friend.
"Huh what is it Kawa??" Hanami asked sleepily.
"Come on we have to go…" Kawa said still trying to wake her friend up.
Hanami sat up in her bed rubbing her eyes. "Why?"
"We are on call again except Dr. Tai wants us at the base. We have to go quietly…come on the boys are waitin for us!!"
Hanami yawned and stretched. "OK fine I will be out in a minute."
Kawa sighed and left Hanami's room out into the hall where the gundam boys waited.
"She better hurry," Duo said. "If we don't we won't be able to get to the other base without being noticed."
Kawa looked to Rasid who stood in the hallway with them.
"I am sorry Rasid if Hanami and I hadn't come the new organization wouldn't have come here…"
Rasid smiled at the young girl. "Don't worry Ms. Kawa Oz new about this place as well…long ago"
Kawa nodded. "But I still feel bad."
Trowa put an arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her. Kawa looked up surprised by his action but smiled back.
Duo raised an eyebrow and nudged Trowa. Trowa looked at Duo and blushed but still kept his arm around Kawa.
Hanami emerged from her room looking fresh and a bright smile on her face.
"Alright lets go!!" she said cheerfully. All the pilots nodded and they all continued down the hallway to the trucks bearing their gundams in the holding area below. Rasid watched the seven pilots climb into the trucks, Trowa and Kawa in the first one, Duo and Hanami in the second, Wufei and Heero in the third and Quatre in the last.
"Wait Quatre!! wait for me!" Naeko yelled running up to his truck.
Quatre looked at Naeko. "How did you get in here??!!"
"Well I um…."
"Hey miss come back here!!"
Five guards ran toward her each one holding their guns ready. Quatre jumped out of his truck and stood in front of Naeko.
"Don't shoot its ok…she is my girlfriend!"
The guards stopped. "Oh…well she doesn't have a pass to get in….so we.."
"Don't worry about it guys." Quatre said smiling.
"I am sorry Quatre but I just wanted to go with you…please let me go!!" Naeko said.
Quatre turned and looked at Naeko.
"Hold on a second…" Quatre said.
Quatre walked over to the other trucks to ask the others.
"We really have to be going NOW!" Kawa whispered.
"Yes the troupes will be on to us if we don't leave now." Trowa added.
Quatre looked to all of them and sighed.
"Can't we bring her along?"
Hanami then spoke up. "Sure lets bring her…I mean if she is Quatre's girlfriend then she shouldn't tell anyone if he tells her not to.."
"But she might be a spy." Wufei suggested.
"Oh shutup Wufei to you all women are bad!"
"NOT SALLY!!" Wufei yelled.
The pilots rolled their eyes.
"Well let her come along" Kawa said.
Quatre smiled. "Thanks you guys!"
The pilots nodded a your welcome and went back into the trucks buckling their seatbelts. (safety first ~_^)
Quatre walked back over to Naeko who was leaning against the truck bearing Quatre's gundam.
"You can come." He said smiling.
Naeko hugged Quatre. "Oh thank you!!"
Quatre hugged her back and helped her into the truck.
Rasid opened the gates in front and watched the four trucks speed out into the desert.
"So you said this place was on an island right?" Duo asked over the radio to Kawa.
"Yes Duo that's what I said." Kawa said yawning.
"Well then what are we supposed to do drive underwater?" Duo asked.
Kawa rolled her eyes. "Dr. Tai has a boat waiting for us, that we will be able to stash our gundams on."
Duo nodded. "Alright roger that."
Kawa shook her head and heard Hanami laugh at Duo over the radio. Kawa smiled happy that they had meet up with the gundam boys. She looked over to Trowa. His head rested on the window and he was fast asleep. Kawa smiled once again and then turned to the road.
Naeko rested her head on Quatre's shoulder. Quatre smiled down at her and asked. "What do you do Naeko? I mean as a job?"
Naeko looked up into his handsome face. "I am a mechanic," she smiled. "I work on mobile suits, gundams are my specialty."
Quatre laughed a little. "Wow I guess its good we have you then!!"
Naeko smiled. "One more little surprise!!"
Quatre looked at her questioningly. Naeko picked up the walkie talkie and talked over it.
"Kawa my dear sister speak up."
"Hey Naeko!" Kawa responded.
"You two are sisters?!!" Duo yelled over the radio.
Kawa and Naeko laughed. "Yes of course."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Duo asked.
Then Hanami spoke up. "We hold many secrets." She giggled.
Trowa looked over at Kawa awakened by the laughing and yelling coming over the radio.
"I don't know if I can trust you" he said teasingly.
Kawa shrugged. "You will find out all of our secrets when we reach the base."
Trowa smiled and went back to sleep.
All the rest of the way the pilots were quiet often switching drivers to allow the other to sleep.
Hours later the pilots reached a wharf, a ship awaits them tied to a post. The captain watched them approach and had his crew help them load their gundams onto the boat.
Hanami walked up to the captain and saluted. "Good morning captain." She said.
The captain saluted back and smiled. "Good morning Ms. Hanami." He said.
Kawa came up behind her friend and smiled at the captain.
"Ah it's so nice to see you two again Ms. Hanami and Ms. Kawa." The Captain said.
The girls giggled.
"It's nice to see you again Captain Ricky." Kawa said.
Captain Ricky smiled and helped the girls onto the boat.
The five gundam boys came up on deck from the loading area.
"Where is Naeko?" Kawa asked worridly.
"She is looking at the gundams." Quatre said, "she wants to make sure they are all in tact and alright. She is also interested in the upgrades our five gundams have."
Kawa nodded. "That girl is always working on something!"
Duo yawned. "Well lets get some sleep."
Heero walked over to the ship's rail and looked out across the sea. "I'm going to stay up." Was all he said.
Wufei went down below clearly tired. Kawa and Hanami yawned together and laugh, then they followed Wufei down below.
Duo looked over at Heero, he sighed and walked over to him.
"What's wrong Heero?" Duo asked leaning on the ship's railing.
Heero looked up at the star filled sky. "Nothing…" he said.
Duo shrugged and looked up at the night sky and smiled. "The moon looks so pretty from Earth." He whispered.
"Even more beautiful from space." Trowa said from beside Duo.
Duo looked over at Trowa in surprise. "I didn't see you come over here." He said.
Trowa shrugged and continued to look at the sky. Duo looked from Trowa to Heero.
"You guys are so blah…." He said. "Always quiet and serious.."
Heero glared at him. "At least we aren't loud and obnoxious."
Duo sighed. "Well I make people laugh…you guys are so boring."
Trowa and Heero just ignored Duo.
"Fine just ignore me…" he said " You clown and you leg popper."
Duo yawned and went down below muttering to himself. Trowa looked to Heero.
"Leg popper??" he asked.
"Don't ask" Heero said.
Trowa just shrugged and watched the waves lap against the boat side as they sped off into the early morning.
The three gundam girls were awakened by a knock on their door. Kawa was the one who answered, after she climbed over her snoring sister and friend. When she opened the door she found herself looking at the bright smiling face of Captain Ricky.
"Good Morning to you Ms. Kawa the island is in site."
Kawa yawned. "Alright we will be up in a second." She said as she closed the door. Kawa turned and looked at the two snoring girls.
She cleared her throat and then yelled. "GET UP YOU GUYS THE ISLAND WAS SITED!!"
Hanami and Naeko practically fell off the bed with surprise.
"Not so loud." Hanami whined.
"Kawa has always been the loud one." Naeko muttered. Then she grabbed her head in pain. "Hey ow!!" the shoe that had hit Naeko's head fell to the floor and Kawa pretended to be busy picking out what to wear.
Naeko rubbed her sore head and stuck her tongue out at Kawa'a back.
Later that morning at breakfast the pilots and mechanic wolfed down their scrambled eggs and biscuits. The captain looked at all of them.
"You guys eat like you haven't seen food in years." He said laughing.
The pilots and mechanic shrugged and kept eating. Then as everyone was finishing a crewmember came down and saluted to all of them.
"We are approaching the island." He said.
The captain thanked the brown haired sailor and stood.
"Well we better get moving." He said
The pilots nodded and took one last bite and sip of their drinks. Then they followed the captain out the door and up the steps to the deck.
Duo slid down the railing on the walkway laughing all the way down.
The other pilots walked down the walkway giggling at Duo. Naeko had gone down to help with the unloading of the gundams.
Dr. Tai awaited them on the shore of the island and was greeted with hugs by Kawa and Hanami.
"Ah my girls how are you?" Dr. Tai asked hugging them.
Dr. Tai was a tall man in his 40's his brown hair going every which way and a shaggy beard covered his face. His blue eyes twinkled at the site of his two beautiful adopted daughters.
"Oh we are fine father!" Kawa said hugging him.
Hanami smiled and nodded. "Father these are our friends." She gestured toward the five gundam boys standing a few feet away.
Duo walked up and stuck out his hand.
"I'm Duo Hanami's boyfriend how are you doing?" he said smiling.
Dr. Tai laughed and shook Duo's hand. "I'm doing fine young man." He said he looked over Duo's shoulder to Hanami.
"A very lively fellow you found here." He said laughing.
Hanami blushed and smiled.
Kawa took Trowa's hand and brought him up to her father. "Father this is my boyfriend Trowa."
Trowa looked at Kawa surprised. He thought that maybe Kawa had feelings for him but wasn't exactly sure. But he stuck out his hand and smiled.
Dr. Tai shook Trowa's hand and smiled at him.
"Well it seems you are the opposite of Mr. Duo over there."
Trowa nodded and looked at Kawa smiling. Kawa smiled back and then introduced the other boys to Dr. Tai.
After all the introductions were made Naeko came running up from the loading bay not far away.
"Hello Dr. Tai!!" she yelled.
"Ahh I was wondering where my dear Naeko was."
Naeko smiled and hugged him. "How are you doing??"
"Well and you?"
Naeko smiled. "Well."
"Well that's good to hear. Now I am sure these fine boys would like to know who and what we are up against. Am I right?"
"Yes that is correct." Heero said.
Dr. Tai nodded. "Well follow me and I will show you."
The pilots and Naeko followed Dr. Tai to a cart, which took them to a set of iron doors hidden on the side of the mountain, which dominated the island. The doors opened and they followed him inside.
"Hey Kawa!" a young man said waving.
"Oh hi Duke!" she called waving.
The young man named Duke was about Kawa's age. His tan hair fell in front of his handsome face and an earring pierced his left ear. Duke came up and embraced Kawa in a hug.
"How are you? It's been so long!" he said smiling.
Kawa looked up at him and smiled. "Yes it has, let me introduce you to my friends." She said.
She turned and looped her arms around Trowa's. "Duke this is my boyfriend Trowa."
Duke smiled at Trowa. "Well it's about time Kawa has gotten a boyfriend." He said as he shook Trowa's hand.
Hanami stepped forward and cleared her throat.
"Oh Hanami!!" Duke yelled.
Hanami smiled and the two embraced.
"My, my all we need now is Naeko!"
Naeko tapped on his shoulder. Duke turned. "Well the gang is all here!" he said hugging Naeko.
The gundam boys looked at the four totally confused.
Duke laughed. "Forgive me. I am Duke the girls and I grew up together, they are like sisters to me."
The boys nodded.
Duke turned to Hanami.
"So one of these guys yours?" he asked his green eyes teasing.
Hanami poked him in the stomach. "Yes"
Hanami turned and took Duo's hand. "This one is mine." She said.
"My name is Duo." Duo said extending his hand.
Duke shook his hand and was introduced to Heero and Wufei.
"This is my boyfriend Quatre." Naeko said.
Quatre blushed and nodded.
Duke shook his hand.
"Well are we going to stand here all day hugging and talking?" Dr. Tai asked.
They all turned and looked at Dr. Tai.
"Well come on you young people follow me."
The pilots giggled and walked down the hallway following Dr. Tai. Duke, Hanami, Naeko and Kawa all walked together discussing what had been happening since their last departure.
Duo whispered to Trowa as they walked.
"Man for a minute there I thought old Duke there was a boyfriend of Kawa's." He said.
Trowa nodded. "I was relieved when he wasn't"
Duo looked at Trowa in surprise. "You confessed you love her!!"
Trowa looked at Duo and nodded. "Yes I do love her…why is that surprising?"
Duo shrugged. "You just never said it in words before."
The party continued down the long hallway passing many doors. They soon reached what seemed to be the main control room. Men in blue uniforms sat at the controls calling out reports and problems.
Dr. Tai stopped walking and turned to his party.
"This is the main control room where we track down our enemies."
"And just who are our enemies?" Wufei asked.
"They're an organization called the Black Wolves." Duke spoke up.
The pilots turned to Duke.
"The leader of this organization is a man by the name of Rothen Kushrandada.
"Would he happen to be a relative of Trieze Kushranada?" Wufei asked.
Duke looked over at Wufei. "Yes he is his cousin. Why?"
Duo spoke for Wufei. "Trieze and Wufei were friends I guess you could say."
Wufei nodded solemnly.
"Were you the one that killed Trieze?" Duke asked.
Wufei turned his back to them. "I do not wish to discuss it."
Duke nodded. "As you wish." (sidenote: rolls down hill Aaaaas yooou wiiiiisssshhh!!!)
Kawa looked at Wufei sadly and turned back to Duke. "Do you have anymore information on this man?"
Duke nodded. "Yes he's about the same height as Trowa he has brown hair and brown eyes…."
Hanami sighed. "What she means is what he does??"
Duke laughed, "Oh right, he wants to carry on what his cousin started. He believes in the same things as Trieze did."
Heero crossed his arms over his green tank. "Oh great here we go again."
"Does he have any special mobile suits we should know about?" Quatre asked.
Duke turned to Quatre. "Yes he has two mobile suits that are similar to the Tallgeese."
"If the machinery is the same, then there should be no problem beating them." Naeko spoke up.
"Yes well these mobile suits are much stronger…..some say they used Gundamnium Aloi."
"Then that makes them gundams." Hanami said.
"Not exactly. Here let me show you some clips from a battle recently fought some time ago by a former pilot of ours." Duke turned around and pressed a couple buttons.
"Former pilot Duke?" Kawa asked.
Duke nodded still typing something in. "Yes he was killed in this battle."
Trowa frowned. "What kind of mobile suit did he use?"
"A gundam much similar to the Heavy Arms."
The pilots gasped. "A gundam?? That thing destroyed a gundam??" they all yelled together.
Duke turned to them as he pulled down a screen. "Yes it is possible you know."
"Yes but….." Kawa started.
"Just watch the tape." Duke said as he pressed a green button on the remote device he held in his left hand.
The pilots turned their gazes to the screen. On it appeared a mobile suit the same size as a gundam. In its left hand it held a green beam sword, it's blue armor glinted in the sunlight as it watched its approaching opponent.
"The pilot in the gundam is a man by the name of Trenton Michaels." Duke said.
Hanami and Kawa's eyes filled with tears.
"Trenton?? He was a gundam pilot?" Hanami asked.
Duke nodded.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Kawa asked.
"He said he didn't want you to know…..for some reason or another."
Trowa and Duo comforted their sobbing girlfriends as they watched the battle.
Naeko jotted notes on the machinery used by each of the mobile suits.
"The problem didn't lie in the gundam that's for sure." She said. "It was the pilot."
Duke looked to Naeko. "How can you be so sure?"
Naeko sighed. "Look at the way he's fighting…I mean come on he can't even block…"
Heero nodded. "Indeed Naeko is right."
Kawa spoke up her eyes red from crying. "Trenton was never fit to fight in a mobile suit, he was a mechanic just like Naeko."
Hanami sniffed and wiped her eyes and turned to Duke. "Why did you let him fight??!!" she yelled.
Duke shook his head. "It wasn't my decision. It was his own."
"Why did you let him?!!" Hanami yelled.
"I couldn't stop him Hanami!!!" Duke yelled back.
Hanami started to cry again and ran down the hallway which they had just entered through.
"He must have been a good friend." Heero said.
Kawa nodded. "He was like a brother to us…"
Quatre turned to Naeko. "Why aren't you sad?"
Naeko shrugged. "I didn't know him…" she looked at Quatre's confused face. "It's a long story."
Quatre nodded and looked back to the battle on the screen.
The tallgeese type mobile suit ran its beam sword through the gundam and stood back watching it blow up. Kawa shut her eyes and turned away from the screen as the gundam pilot screamed.
"Rothen will pay for this." She whispered quietly.
Later all of the gundam pilots were in their rooms unpacking, resting or just thinking. Naeko sat on her bed typing on her laptop when she heard a familiar voice outside her door.
"Naeko-chan can I come in?"
Naeko smiled. "Yes Quatre come in."
Quatre smiled and opened the door and stepped inside shutting the door behind him. He held out a bouquet of flowers blushing.
"These are for you." He said walking to her.
Naeko blushed and smiled. "Oh thank you!!" she placed her laptop on her bed beside her and jumped into Quatre's arms giving him a kiss.
Quatre wrapped his arms around her still holding the flowers. Naeko pulled away and smiled at him.
"Quatre you're so sweet."
Quatre smiled.
Naeko took the flowers from Quatre and placed them in a vase on her dresser. She spoke to Quatre as she filled the vase with water from her bathroom sink.
"Quatre, what do you think you would be right now…I mean if you weren't a gundam pilot?"
Quatre sat on the edge of her bed and thought for a moment.
"I don't know…Naeko what would you be?"
Naeko shrugged as she set the vase down on her dresser. "I dunno..I guess its hard to tell when you specialize in one thing…"
Quatre watched her rearrange the flowers in her vase.
"I could see you being a florist." He said
Naeko laughed and turned to him. "Really?"
Quatre nodded.
Then she sat next to him giggling. "I could see you being an ice cream man!"
Quatre looked at her and laughed. "An ice cream man?"
She poked his stomach. "Yea cause you're so nice."
Quatre grinned and started to tickle Naeko.
Naeko laughed and tickled back. The two rolled off the bed and onto the floor tickling eachother unmercifully.
Duo walked in saying. "You guys we…" he started and stared at the two laying on the floor breathing heavily.
"Did I come at the wrong time?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
Naeko laughed and sat up. "We were just tickle fighting..what is it Duo?"
Duo pointed behind him. "You're needed in battle…." He said.
Quatre and Naeko jumped up. "In battle?!!"
Duo shrugged. "Yea Wufei wants more challenge in playing battle ship so he told me to find you guys…why do you look so tense?"
Naeko and Quatre laughed. "We thought you meant a real battle."
Duo laughed with them. "It'll teach you not to interrupt." He said.
The couple glared at him. Duo shrugged. "You gonna play or not?"
Naeko giggled. "Sure why not?"
Then the three of them left Naeko's room down the hall to Wufei's bedroom where the Battle Ship championship was being held.
"B-5…." Trowa said. He sat on Wufei's bed cross legged holding a white peg in his right hand. Wufei sat across from him also cross legged looking down at his battle ships.
"Miss.." he said.
Trowa sighed. "I knew it."
Kawa and Hanami were on the floor playing slap Jack.
"Hey ow!! Man Hanami you slap hard!" Kawa yelled shaking her hand.
"Hee hee sorry!!"
The door creaked open and Quatre, Naeko and Duo stepped in.
"Ah finally a real challenge." Wufei said.
"Why didn't you just ask Heero to play?" Duo asked.
Hanami spoke to Duo while slapping her hand down on the Jack of clubs. "He went to call Relena."
Duo nodded chuckling a bit.
"D-9" Trowa said smirking.
"Blast you!! You sunk my aircraft carrier!!" Wufei yelled.
Trowa gladly picked up a red peg and placed it in the designated spot.
Quatre sat on the floor with Naeko watching Kawa and Hanami play slap Jack. Duo leaned against the wall and peeked over Wufei's shoulder mouthing letters and the numbers to Trowa.
Wufei turned and caught Duo helping Trowa. "You fool!!" he yelled and he jumped up and tackled Duo. His arm raised to punch him as Heero walked in. Heero tripped over the two and laned right in the middle of Kawa and Hanami just as they slapped their hands down. The two girls strong hands slapped hard onto Heero's back and he grunted in pain. Quatre backed up in the nick of time before Heero's head slammed into a vulnerable spot.
"Oh sorry Heero!" Kawa and Hanami yelled together.
Trowa jumped off the bed and grabbed Wufei from around the waist pulling him off of Duo. Wufei swung his punches left and right kicking his legs.
"Let me at the cheater!!" He yelled.
Heero sat up and groaned rubbing his head while Quatre, Hanami, and Kawa surrounded him asking if he was alright. Naeko fell back and started laughing at the chaos that filled the room.
Duo ran out into the hallway laughing his head off as Wufei escaped Trowa's grasp and ran after him.
"You weakling come back here!!" Wufei yelled as he ran down the hall.
"I need some painkiller…." Heero mumbled.
"No time for that." came a voice from the doorway. It was Duke.
"What is it Duke?" Naeko asked standing.
Duke pointed to a red flashing light above him. "Its time for some real battle ship!" he said.
The pilots nodded and stood.
Kawa straightened her goggles on her head. "Well I'm ready for action!"
Hanami put her arm around Kawa's shoulder and thrust her fist into the air. "Me too!!"
Kawa smiled and the two ran out the door followed by Trowa, Naeko, Quatre and a groaning Heero.
"Please don't yell…" Heero mumbled.
"Huh what is it Kawa??" Hanami asked sleepily.
"Come on we have to go…" Kawa said still trying to wake her friend up.
Hanami sat up in her bed rubbing her eyes. "Why?"
"We are on call again except Dr. Tai wants us at the base. We have to go quietly…come on the boys are waitin for us!!"
Hanami yawned and stretched. "OK fine I will be out in a minute."
Kawa sighed and left Hanami's room out into the hall where the gundam boys waited.
"She better hurry," Duo said. "If we don't we won't be able to get to the other base without being noticed."
Kawa looked to Rasid who stood in the hallway with them.
"I am sorry Rasid if Hanami and I hadn't come the new organization wouldn't have come here…"
Rasid smiled at the young girl. "Don't worry Ms. Kawa Oz new about this place as well…long ago"
Kawa nodded. "But I still feel bad."
Trowa put an arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her. Kawa looked up surprised by his action but smiled back.
Duo raised an eyebrow and nudged Trowa. Trowa looked at Duo and blushed but still kept his arm around Kawa.
Hanami emerged from her room looking fresh and a bright smile on her face.
"Alright lets go!!" she said cheerfully. All the pilots nodded and they all continued down the hallway to the trucks bearing their gundams in the holding area below. Rasid watched the seven pilots climb into the trucks, Trowa and Kawa in the first one, Duo and Hanami in the second, Wufei and Heero in the third and Quatre in the last.
"Wait Quatre!! wait for me!" Naeko yelled running up to his truck.
Quatre looked at Naeko. "How did you get in here??!!"
"Well I um…."
"Hey miss come back here!!"
Five guards ran toward her each one holding their guns ready. Quatre jumped out of his truck and stood in front of Naeko.
"Don't shoot its ok…she is my girlfriend!"
The guards stopped. "Oh…well she doesn't have a pass to get in….so we.."
"Don't worry about it guys." Quatre said smiling.
"I am sorry Quatre but I just wanted to go with you…please let me go!!" Naeko said.
Quatre turned and looked at Naeko.
"Hold on a second…" Quatre said.
Quatre walked over to the other trucks to ask the others.
"We really have to be going NOW!" Kawa whispered.
"Yes the troupes will be on to us if we don't leave now." Trowa added.
Quatre looked to all of them and sighed.
"Can't we bring her along?"
Hanami then spoke up. "Sure lets bring her…I mean if she is Quatre's girlfriend then she shouldn't tell anyone if he tells her not to.."
"But she might be a spy." Wufei suggested.
"Oh shutup Wufei to you all women are bad!"
"NOT SALLY!!" Wufei yelled.
The pilots rolled their eyes.
"Well let her come along" Kawa said.
Quatre smiled. "Thanks you guys!"
The pilots nodded a your welcome and went back into the trucks buckling their seatbelts. (safety first ~_^)
Quatre walked back over to Naeko who was leaning against the truck bearing Quatre's gundam.
"You can come." He said smiling.
Naeko hugged Quatre. "Oh thank you!!"
Quatre hugged her back and helped her into the truck.
Rasid opened the gates in front and watched the four trucks speed out into the desert.
"So you said this place was on an island right?" Duo asked over the radio to Kawa.
"Yes Duo that's what I said." Kawa said yawning.
"Well then what are we supposed to do drive underwater?" Duo asked.
Kawa rolled her eyes. "Dr. Tai has a boat waiting for us, that we will be able to stash our gundams on."
Duo nodded. "Alright roger that."
Kawa shook her head and heard Hanami laugh at Duo over the radio. Kawa smiled happy that they had meet up with the gundam boys. She looked over to Trowa. His head rested on the window and he was fast asleep. Kawa smiled once again and then turned to the road.
Naeko rested her head on Quatre's shoulder. Quatre smiled down at her and asked. "What do you do Naeko? I mean as a job?"
Naeko looked up into his handsome face. "I am a mechanic," she smiled. "I work on mobile suits, gundams are my specialty."
Quatre laughed a little. "Wow I guess its good we have you then!!"
Naeko smiled. "One more little surprise!!"
Quatre looked at her questioningly. Naeko picked up the walkie talkie and talked over it.
"Kawa my dear sister speak up."
"Hey Naeko!" Kawa responded.
"You two are sisters?!!" Duo yelled over the radio.
Kawa and Naeko laughed. "Yes of course."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Duo asked.
Then Hanami spoke up. "We hold many secrets." She giggled.
Trowa looked over at Kawa awakened by the laughing and yelling coming over the radio.
"I don't know if I can trust you" he said teasingly.
Kawa shrugged. "You will find out all of our secrets when we reach the base."
Trowa smiled and went back to sleep.
All the rest of the way the pilots were quiet often switching drivers to allow the other to sleep.
Hours later the pilots reached a wharf, a ship awaits them tied to a post. The captain watched them approach and had his crew help them load their gundams onto the boat.
Hanami walked up to the captain and saluted. "Good morning captain." She said.
The captain saluted back and smiled. "Good morning Ms. Hanami." He said.
Kawa came up behind her friend and smiled at the captain.
"Ah it's so nice to see you two again Ms. Hanami and Ms. Kawa." The Captain said.
The girls giggled.
"It's nice to see you again Captain Ricky." Kawa said.
Captain Ricky smiled and helped the girls onto the boat.
The five gundam boys came up on deck from the loading area.
"Where is Naeko?" Kawa asked worridly.
"She is looking at the gundams." Quatre said, "she wants to make sure they are all in tact and alright. She is also interested in the upgrades our five gundams have."
Kawa nodded. "That girl is always working on something!"
Duo yawned. "Well lets get some sleep."
Heero walked over to the ship's rail and looked out across the sea. "I'm going to stay up." Was all he said.
Wufei went down below clearly tired. Kawa and Hanami yawned together and laugh, then they followed Wufei down below.
Duo looked over at Heero, he sighed and walked over to him.
"What's wrong Heero?" Duo asked leaning on the ship's railing.
Heero looked up at the star filled sky. "Nothing…" he said.
Duo shrugged and looked up at the night sky and smiled. "The moon looks so pretty from Earth." He whispered.
"Even more beautiful from space." Trowa said from beside Duo.
Duo looked over at Trowa in surprise. "I didn't see you come over here." He said.
Trowa shrugged and continued to look at the sky. Duo looked from Trowa to Heero.
"You guys are so blah…." He said. "Always quiet and serious.."
Heero glared at him. "At least we aren't loud and obnoxious."
Duo sighed. "Well I make people laugh…you guys are so boring."
Trowa and Heero just ignored Duo.
"Fine just ignore me…" he said " You clown and you leg popper."
Duo yawned and went down below muttering to himself. Trowa looked to Heero.
"Leg popper??" he asked.
"Don't ask" Heero said.
Trowa just shrugged and watched the waves lap against the boat side as they sped off into the early morning.
The three gundam girls were awakened by a knock on their door. Kawa was the one who answered, after she climbed over her snoring sister and friend. When she opened the door she found herself looking at the bright smiling face of Captain Ricky.
"Good Morning to you Ms. Kawa the island is in site."
Kawa yawned. "Alright we will be up in a second." She said as she closed the door. Kawa turned and looked at the two snoring girls.
She cleared her throat and then yelled. "GET UP YOU GUYS THE ISLAND WAS SITED!!"
Hanami and Naeko practically fell off the bed with surprise.
"Not so loud." Hanami whined.
"Kawa has always been the loud one." Naeko muttered. Then she grabbed her head in pain. "Hey ow!!" the shoe that had hit Naeko's head fell to the floor and Kawa pretended to be busy picking out what to wear.
Naeko rubbed her sore head and stuck her tongue out at Kawa'a back.
Later that morning at breakfast the pilots and mechanic wolfed down their scrambled eggs and biscuits. The captain looked at all of them.
"You guys eat like you haven't seen food in years." He said laughing.
The pilots and mechanic shrugged and kept eating. Then as everyone was finishing a crewmember came down and saluted to all of them.
"We are approaching the island." He said.
The captain thanked the brown haired sailor and stood.
"Well we better get moving." He said
The pilots nodded and took one last bite and sip of their drinks. Then they followed the captain out the door and up the steps to the deck.
Duo slid down the railing on the walkway laughing all the way down.
The other pilots walked down the walkway giggling at Duo. Naeko had gone down to help with the unloading of the gundams.
Dr. Tai awaited them on the shore of the island and was greeted with hugs by Kawa and Hanami.
"Ah my girls how are you?" Dr. Tai asked hugging them.
Dr. Tai was a tall man in his 40's his brown hair going every which way and a shaggy beard covered his face. His blue eyes twinkled at the site of his two beautiful adopted daughters.
"Oh we are fine father!" Kawa said hugging him.
Hanami smiled and nodded. "Father these are our friends." She gestured toward the five gundam boys standing a few feet away.
Duo walked up and stuck out his hand.
"I'm Duo Hanami's boyfriend how are you doing?" he said smiling.
Dr. Tai laughed and shook Duo's hand. "I'm doing fine young man." He said he looked over Duo's shoulder to Hanami.
"A very lively fellow you found here." He said laughing.
Hanami blushed and smiled.
Kawa took Trowa's hand and brought him up to her father. "Father this is my boyfriend Trowa."
Trowa looked at Kawa surprised. He thought that maybe Kawa had feelings for him but wasn't exactly sure. But he stuck out his hand and smiled.
Dr. Tai shook Trowa's hand and smiled at him.
"Well it seems you are the opposite of Mr. Duo over there."
Trowa nodded and looked at Kawa smiling. Kawa smiled back and then introduced the other boys to Dr. Tai.
After all the introductions were made Naeko came running up from the loading bay not far away.
"Hello Dr. Tai!!" she yelled.
"Ahh I was wondering where my dear Naeko was."
Naeko smiled and hugged him. "How are you doing??"
"Well and you?"
Naeko smiled. "Well."
"Well that's good to hear. Now I am sure these fine boys would like to know who and what we are up against. Am I right?"
"Yes that is correct." Heero said.
Dr. Tai nodded. "Well follow me and I will show you."
The pilots and Naeko followed Dr. Tai to a cart, which took them to a set of iron doors hidden on the side of the mountain, which dominated the island. The doors opened and they followed him inside.
"Hey Kawa!" a young man said waving.
"Oh hi Duke!" she called waving.
The young man named Duke was about Kawa's age. His tan hair fell in front of his handsome face and an earring pierced his left ear. Duke came up and embraced Kawa in a hug.
"How are you? It's been so long!" he said smiling.
Kawa looked up at him and smiled. "Yes it has, let me introduce you to my friends." She said.
She turned and looped her arms around Trowa's. "Duke this is my boyfriend Trowa."
Duke smiled at Trowa. "Well it's about time Kawa has gotten a boyfriend." He said as he shook Trowa's hand.
Hanami stepped forward and cleared her throat.
"Oh Hanami!!" Duke yelled.
Hanami smiled and the two embraced.
"My, my all we need now is Naeko!"
Naeko tapped on his shoulder. Duke turned. "Well the gang is all here!" he said hugging Naeko.
The gundam boys looked at the four totally confused.
Duke laughed. "Forgive me. I am Duke the girls and I grew up together, they are like sisters to me."
The boys nodded.
Duke turned to Hanami.
"So one of these guys yours?" he asked his green eyes teasing.
Hanami poked him in the stomach. "Yes"
Hanami turned and took Duo's hand. "This one is mine." She said.
"My name is Duo." Duo said extending his hand.
Duke shook his hand and was introduced to Heero and Wufei.
"This is my boyfriend Quatre." Naeko said.
Quatre blushed and nodded.
Duke shook his hand.
"Well are we going to stand here all day hugging and talking?" Dr. Tai asked.
They all turned and looked at Dr. Tai.
"Well come on you young people follow me."
The pilots giggled and walked down the hallway following Dr. Tai. Duke, Hanami, Naeko and Kawa all walked together discussing what had been happening since their last departure.
Duo whispered to Trowa as they walked.
"Man for a minute there I thought old Duke there was a boyfriend of Kawa's." He said.
Trowa nodded. "I was relieved when he wasn't"
Duo looked at Trowa in surprise. "You confessed you love her!!"
Trowa looked at Duo and nodded. "Yes I do love her…why is that surprising?"
Duo shrugged. "You just never said it in words before."
The party continued down the long hallway passing many doors. They soon reached what seemed to be the main control room. Men in blue uniforms sat at the controls calling out reports and problems.
Dr. Tai stopped walking and turned to his party.
"This is the main control room where we track down our enemies."
"And just who are our enemies?" Wufei asked.
"They're an organization called the Black Wolves." Duke spoke up.
The pilots turned to Duke.
"The leader of this organization is a man by the name of Rothen Kushrandada.
"Would he happen to be a relative of Trieze Kushranada?" Wufei asked.
Duke looked over at Wufei. "Yes he is his cousin. Why?"
Duo spoke for Wufei. "Trieze and Wufei were friends I guess you could say."
Wufei nodded solemnly.
"Were you the one that killed Trieze?" Duke asked.
Wufei turned his back to them. "I do not wish to discuss it."
Duke nodded. "As you wish." (sidenote: rolls down hill Aaaaas yooou wiiiiisssshhh!!!)
Kawa looked at Wufei sadly and turned back to Duke. "Do you have anymore information on this man?"
Duke nodded. "Yes he's about the same height as Trowa he has brown hair and brown eyes…."
Hanami sighed. "What she means is what he does??"
Duke laughed, "Oh right, he wants to carry on what his cousin started. He believes in the same things as Trieze did."
Heero crossed his arms over his green tank. "Oh great here we go again."
"Does he have any special mobile suits we should know about?" Quatre asked.
Duke turned to Quatre. "Yes he has two mobile suits that are similar to the Tallgeese."
"If the machinery is the same, then there should be no problem beating them." Naeko spoke up.
"Yes well these mobile suits are much stronger…..some say they used Gundamnium Aloi."
"Then that makes them gundams." Hanami said.
"Not exactly. Here let me show you some clips from a battle recently fought some time ago by a former pilot of ours." Duke turned around and pressed a couple buttons.
"Former pilot Duke?" Kawa asked.
Duke nodded still typing something in. "Yes he was killed in this battle."
Trowa frowned. "What kind of mobile suit did he use?"
"A gundam much similar to the Heavy Arms."
The pilots gasped. "A gundam?? That thing destroyed a gundam??" they all yelled together.
Duke turned to them as he pulled down a screen. "Yes it is possible you know."
"Yes but….." Kawa started.
"Just watch the tape." Duke said as he pressed a green button on the remote device he held in his left hand.
The pilots turned their gazes to the screen. On it appeared a mobile suit the same size as a gundam. In its left hand it held a green beam sword, it's blue armor glinted in the sunlight as it watched its approaching opponent.
"The pilot in the gundam is a man by the name of Trenton Michaels." Duke said.
Hanami and Kawa's eyes filled with tears.
"Trenton?? He was a gundam pilot?" Hanami asked.
Duke nodded.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Kawa asked.
"He said he didn't want you to know…..for some reason or another."
Trowa and Duo comforted their sobbing girlfriends as they watched the battle.
Naeko jotted notes on the machinery used by each of the mobile suits.
"The problem didn't lie in the gundam that's for sure." She said. "It was the pilot."
Duke looked to Naeko. "How can you be so sure?"
Naeko sighed. "Look at the way he's fighting…I mean come on he can't even block…"
Heero nodded. "Indeed Naeko is right."
Kawa spoke up her eyes red from crying. "Trenton was never fit to fight in a mobile suit, he was a mechanic just like Naeko."
Hanami sniffed and wiped her eyes and turned to Duke. "Why did you let him fight??!!" she yelled.
Duke shook his head. "It wasn't my decision. It was his own."
"Why did you let him?!!" Hanami yelled.
"I couldn't stop him Hanami!!!" Duke yelled back.
Hanami started to cry again and ran down the hallway which they had just entered through.
"He must have been a good friend." Heero said.
Kawa nodded. "He was like a brother to us…"
Quatre turned to Naeko. "Why aren't you sad?"
Naeko shrugged. "I didn't know him…" she looked at Quatre's confused face. "It's a long story."
Quatre nodded and looked back to the battle on the screen.
The tallgeese type mobile suit ran its beam sword through the gundam and stood back watching it blow up. Kawa shut her eyes and turned away from the screen as the gundam pilot screamed.
"Rothen will pay for this." She whispered quietly.
Later all of the gundam pilots were in their rooms unpacking, resting or just thinking. Naeko sat on her bed typing on her laptop when she heard a familiar voice outside her door.
"Naeko-chan can I come in?"
Naeko smiled. "Yes Quatre come in."
Quatre smiled and opened the door and stepped inside shutting the door behind him. He held out a bouquet of flowers blushing.
"These are for you." He said walking to her.
Naeko blushed and smiled. "Oh thank you!!" she placed her laptop on her bed beside her and jumped into Quatre's arms giving him a kiss.
Quatre wrapped his arms around her still holding the flowers. Naeko pulled away and smiled at him.
"Quatre you're so sweet."
Quatre smiled.
Naeko took the flowers from Quatre and placed them in a vase on her dresser. She spoke to Quatre as she filled the vase with water from her bathroom sink.
"Quatre, what do you think you would be right now…I mean if you weren't a gundam pilot?"
Quatre sat on the edge of her bed and thought for a moment.
"I don't know…Naeko what would you be?"
Naeko shrugged as she set the vase down on her dresser. "I dunno..I guess its hard to tell when you specialize in one thing…"
Quatre watched her rearrange the flowers in her vase.
"I could see you being a florist." He said
Naeko laughed and turned to him. "Really?"
Quatre nodded.
Then she sat next to him giggling. "I could see you being an ice cream man!"
Quatre looked at her and laughed. "An ice cream man?"
She poked his stomach. "Yea cause you're so nice."
Quatre grinned and started to tickle Naeko.
Naeko laughed and tickled back. The two rolled off the bed and onto the floor tickling eachother unmercifully.
Duo walked in saying. "You guys we…" he started and stared at the two laying on the floor breathing heavily.
"Did I come at the wrong time?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
Naeko laughed and sat up. "We were just tickle fighting..what is it Duo?"
Duo pointed behind him. "You're needed in battle…." He said.
Quatre and Naeko jumped up. "In battle?!!"
Duo shrugged. "Yea Wufei wants more challenge in playing battle ship so he told me to find you guys…why do you look so tense?"
Naeko and Quatre laughed. "We thought you meant a real battle."
Duo laughed with them. "It'll teach you not to interrupt." He said.
The couple glared at him. Duo shrugged. "You gonna play or not?"
Naeko giggled. "Sure why not?"
Then the three of them left Naeko's room down the hall to Wufei's bedroom where the Battle Ship championship was being held.
"B-5…." Trowa said. He sat on Wufei's bed cross legged holding a white peg in his right hand. Wufei sat across from him also cross legged looking down at his battle ships.
"Miss.." he said.
Trowa sighed. "I knew it."
Kawa and Hanami were on the floor playing slap Jack.
"Hey ow!! Man Hanami you slap hard!" Kawa yelled shaking her hand.
"Hee hee sorry!!"
The door creaked open and Quatre, Naeko and Duo stepped in.
"Ah finally a real challenge." Wufei said.
"Why didn't you just ask Heero to play?" Duo asked.
Hanami spoke to Duo while slapping her hand down on the Jack of clubs. "He went to call Relena."
Duo nodded chuckling a bit.
"D-9" Trowa said smirking.
"Blast you!! You sunk my aircraft carrier!!" Wufei yelled.
Trowa gladly picked up a red peg and placed it in the designated spot.
Quatre sat on the floor with Naeko watching Kawa and Hanami play slap Jack. Duo leaned against the wall and peeked over Wufei's shoulder mouthing letters and the numbers to Trowa.
Wufei turned and caught Duo helping Trowa. "You fool!!" he yelled and he jumped up and tackled Duo. His arm raised to punch him as Heero walked in. Heero tripped over the two and laned right in the middle of Kawa and Hanami just as they slapped their hands down. The two girls strong hands slapped hard onto Heero's back and he grunted in pain. Quatre backed up in the nick of time before Heero's head slammed into a vulnerable spot.
"Oh sorry Heero!" Kawa and Hanami yelled together.
Trowa jumped off the bed and grabbed Wufei from around the waist pulling him off of Duo. Wufei swung his punches left and right kicking his legs.
"Let me at the cheater!!" He yelled.
Heero sat up and groaned rubbing his head while Quatre, Hanami, and Kawa surrounded him asking if he was alright. Naeko fell back and started laughing at the chaos that filled the room.
Duo ran out into the hallway laughing his head off as Wufei escaped Trowa's grasp and ran after him.
"You weakling come back here!!" Wufei yelled as he ran down the hall.
"I need some painkiller…." Heero mumbled.
"No time for that." came a voice from the doorway. It was Duke.
"What is it Duke?" Naeko asked standing.
Duke pointed to a red flashing light above him. "Its time for some real battle ship!" he said.
The pilots nodded and stood.
Kawa straightened her goggles on her head. "Well I'm ready for action!"
Hanami put her arm around Kawa's shoulder and thrust her fist into the air. "Me too!!"
Kawa smiled and the two ran out the door followed by Trowa, Naeko, Quatre and a groaning Heero.
"Please don't yell…" Heero mumbled.