[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters in this fanfic, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.
Heart of the Dragon
Part 2
"Master O," Meilin stated. "I'm worried about Wufei. He hasn't returned yet from town."
"Don't worry, Meilin, he'll be back," Doctor O replied, not looking up from his laptop. She placed the tea tray down, and then turned to leave the room. She thought better of it, and then turned back towards her sensei, wringing her hands nervously.
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard the two of you arguing earlier," she pressed. "What was it about?" Master O stopped typing, and turned towards the girl.
"Meilin," he began.
"I deserve to know," she blurted out. "Wufei is very important to me." The man seemed to be considering something, and then sighed.
"I've trained you well, Meilin, but this ... It may be too much for you to handle," he stated hesitantly. He turned back towards his laptop. "You see Wufei, he's been ..."
"What is it, Doctor O," Meilin asked, a serious edge coming into her voice. "If it's about Wufei, you have no right keeping it from me."
"Wufei was caught by some renegade OZ soldiers, looking for revenge against the Gundams," Doctor O stated after a long pause. He turned the laptop towards her so she could see the screen. "They plan on holding him, in an attempt to get the other Gundam pilots to come for him."
"But, Master O," Meilin exclaimed. "Weren't the pilots trained not to rescue the other pilots, in the case they were captured?"
"They were," he replied. "That's where you would come in."
"Me," she asked. "How can I help?"
"You would have to impersonate Wufei," he stated, offering her a weak smile. "You would first have to pull off his personality perfectly, and then convince the other pilots to go on a fake rescue mission." Her eyes grew big, and he typed in some information on his laptop. "Here is the layout of Gundam Shenlong. Learn to pilot it." He pushed another sequence of buttons, and a picture of four teenage boys appeared in each corner of the screen.
"Those are the Gundam pilots," Meilin stated, studying the screen.
"You are correct," Doctor O replied. "Here is a record of each of their skills and personalities. Read it, learn it, and memorize it. Meilin, you must keep in mind that Wufei has spent months around these pilots. If your impersonation is not one-hundred percent accurate, they will know."
"I don't know if I can do this," Meilin said. "I've known Wufei all our lives, but I don't know if I can impersonate him. And I would have to convince others that have seen a totally different side to him than I have." She looked into Master O's eyes, studying his face. "Do the others even know he's been captured?"
"No, Meilin, they haven't received word, and they never will," he stated. "I came across this information purely by accident. And, I didn't tell you the entire truth."
"What do you mean," Meilin asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.
"The ones holding Wufei, they didn't plan on using him as bait, to get the others," Doctor O stated. "They planned on executing him, without alerting the others. They may not be too bright, but they're not stupid, either. They knew that if the other pilots knew they had one of their comrades, the others would attempt to rescue him."
"They'll ... kill him," she asked. He nodded his head.
"If you take this mission, you won't have much time to convince the other pilots to help you," Doctor O explained. "You'll probably have two weeks, at most. Do you accept your mission?"
"I do," she stated, serious once again, and without hesitation. Doctor O put a hand on her shoulder.
"Chang Wufei's life rests in your hands, Meilin," he said. "If you wish to rescue him, you know what you need to do. You leave for Earth at the end of the week." She nodded her head in understanding, and watched as he left the room. After he was gone, she sank to her knees.
"Please, Wufei," she whispered, steeling away her emotions as best she could. "Please, just hold on. I will rescue you, with or without the other's help." She wiped away unshed tears from her eyes, and turned towards the laptop, which Doctor O had left behind. With a heavy sigh, she began to memorize the information.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The following days, Meilin studied the information on the Shenlong, and memorized the skills and personalities of each of the Gundam pilots. She looked up from the screen she was studying.
"Meilin," Doctor O stated, entering the room. "It's time to test how much you've learned."
"Alright, Doctor, I think I'm ready," she stated.
"Who is this," he asked, holding up a picture of one of the pilots.
"Duo Maxwell of Colony L2, American pilot of Gundam Deathscythe Hell," she replied. "You and the other doctors redesigned the original Deathscythe, after it was destroyed by OZ."
"Good," he stated. "And this?"
"Quatre Reberba Winner of Colony L4, Arabic pilot of Gundam Sandrock," she stated. "His original Gundam was rebuilt after it self-detonated in order for the pilots to escape into outer space.
"Excellent," he replied. "And him?"
"Trowa Barton of Colony L3, as well as Earth," she stated. "His machine is Gundam Heavyarms. He lost his memory for a short amount of time, after infiltrating OZ and a battle that ensued between himself, Quatre, and Heero."
"And finally, him," Doctor O said, holding up the last picture.
"Heero Yuy of Colony L1, Japanese pilot of Gundam Wing Zero," she replied. "Doctor J built and designed his Gundam, and ..."
"No, Meilin, you're wrong," Doctor O interrupted. "Quatre Reberba Winner had this Gundam built."
"After his Gundam Sandrock was destroyed, and his father was murdered," Meilin added. "I'm, sorry."
"Of all the pilots, Heero Yuy will be quickest to realize you are not who you say you are," Doctor O stated. "Keep that in mind."
"Yes, of course," she stated, lowering her head.
"There's no time for regret," Doctor O quickly continued. "Get into the Shenlong, and show me how you handle it."
"Don't you mean Nataku," she asked, a small smile on her face. Doctor O looked at her, surprised, and then nodded his approval. "Good, Meilin," he stated. "Very good."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Are you prepared to leave, Meilin," Doctor O asked, as he came up behind her. She was standing in front of a mirror, running her hands through her newly cut hair.
"Was it really necessary to cut my hair," she asked, a sorrowful look on her face. "His hair could have grown in the two weeks he was here."
"Not that much, Meilin," Doctor O stated with a chuckle, and then growing serious once again. "This is a very important mission."
"I know, Master O," she replied. She turned away from the mirror, and pulled her hair back into the style Wufei usually wore. Since they were almost the same height, she could easily also wear his clothes, although they were a little big on her. She turned to face the scientist.
"You do almost look like him," Doctor O stated. "I don't know whether to be thankful, or horrified." She laughed, and then he grew serious once again. "You have one final task, before leaving for Earth."
"What do I need to do," she asked. He picked up the phone, and handed it to her.
"Call them, and let them know you're on your way," he replied. "If you can convince them now, you'll be able to do it when you come face to face with them." She slowly nodded her head, and took the receiver from him. Then, with shaking hands, she dialed the number. After a few rings, the other side was picked up.
"Hello, this is the Dorlian-Peacecraft residence. This is Quatre speaking," Quatre greeted. Meilin swallowed nervously.
"Damn, I was hoping to speak with the Peacecraft girl," Meilin thought inwardly. "That's why I called the main house."
"Hello, is anyone there," Quatre repeated. Meilin jumped, as she had forgotten she was still on the phone.
"Quatre, this is Wufei," she said, forming the words carefully in her mind. "I'm on my way back to Earth. I should be there in a few hours."
"Wufei, it's good to hear from you," Quatre exclaimed. "Well, have a safe trip."
"Hmph," Meilin snorted. There was commotion on his side of the line, and a new voice came onto the phone.
"Wu-man," Duo exclaimed. Meilin felt herself smile, however regained her composure.
"I wonder why this nickname bothers Wufei so much," she thought inwardly. "I like it." She cleared her throat. "Maxwell, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that," Meilin demanded.
"Ah, you haven't changed a bit, Wu-man," Duo stated cheerfully. "But you do sound different."
"Oh no," Meilin thought. "They know already!" She searched her mind for an answer. "Well, Maxwell, having to be around you again would do that to anyone," she stated.
"Ah, I missed you too, Wu-man," Duo said with a laugh. "I'll see you in a few hours." With that, he hung up the phone, leaving Meilin to stare at the receiver.
"Meilin, you did well," Doctor O stated. "You pulled it off fine. All I need to do is make a small adjustment on the voice mechanism, and you should be able to leave."
"Alright, Master O," she replied. He took the device from her, and made the adjustment. When he gave it back to her, she placed it on the base of her throat, hiding it behind the high collar of the shirt she wore. Then the two walked outside, and when they reached the Gundam, she turned towards her sensei.
"You will do well, Meilin," he stated. "Just remember your training, and do not ever panic. I know you can complete this mission successfully."
"Thank you, Doctor," she replied. She bowed to him respectfully, and then climbed up into Shenlong. He backed away a safe distance, and watched as she left the colony. "Please, let me be successful," she prayed silently. "For Wufei's sake."
To Be Continued . . .
