"A lost hope is the best kind."
They look at her in astonishment not knowing what to say to her response. She looks at them confused. To her they look like she had just said the most awful thing.
"Is that supposed to encourage us?" Says Wufei as he takes a step closer to her.
"You don't see? See that if we win this, then this will mark the end of all wars. In all of the other wars the good guys always came on top. Wars kept occurring because they were a sure thing, you knew who was going to win. If Oz had won, I bet you there wouldn't be any wars. Why? Because it was a lost hope for them, everyone knew Oz was going to fail. People would have been astonished to see that the Gundams had lost, that they would lose their spirit to stand up to Oz. If we win this, when we already lost, then no one will ever threaten the peace ever again. This is our chance to prove to the world that good will always triumph over evil." Hilde has such a fluent motion with her words and hands that everyone could not help but be impressed. There is so much emotion poured into her words that the light of hope seemed brighter. Sally smiles and nods. She moves over to where Hilde stands and turns to face the others.
"I'm with her. Let's not submit just yet. We still have the Gundams, well, the remains of them that is. But with the help of StarGate, I think we can have them up and running soon." Says Sally. Lady Une sinks a bit. She is waiting for the . . .
"What? What do you mean you still have the Gundams?!" Yells Wufei as he steps up to Sally.
"What? You think we were going to let all that go? No way. Besides, they are safer here than laying around just waiting for someone to find them."
"They were destroyed!!! Have you no honor?!"
"What . . . What does this have to do WITH HONOR DAMMIT?" Sally's yell startles Wufei . . . a bit. Then he remembers how she is now pregnant and it makes her harder to deal with, so he backs down. Sally seeing this, straitens up and looks over to Lady Une.
"Yes this is all good but there is one thing. Don't they have the technology to clone all the political leaders of the world? How can we protect all of them?"
"We don't have to. Just the ones that could cause a threat." Says Quatre as he moves over to Trowa.
"The US and Russia still have nuclear war heads. They are disarmed but that can change too easily. Trowa and I will take the US. Sally, because of your condition, will stay here as Wufei and . . . " A small pause.
"I will go to Russia with him." Says Lady Une. Sally and Wufei nod in agreement.
"Right. Duo and I can stay here to supervise the reassembling of the Gundams. Millardo and Noin, you need to warn Relena and find Hero if you can." Hilde turns and pushes the elevator's button.
"What about Genesis? Shouldn't we go after him? He still has a working Gundam." Says Noin.
"Yes but so does Hero. We don't know who Genesis is so we shouldn't bother with him. He is a lot safer than all of us so he is in no danger." Says Duo as he enters the elevator with Hilde.
"Alright people we have a plan. So lets get to work. Good luck to you all. Lets meet back at StarGate in three weeks. That should be enough time." Says Hilde before the doors close.
Trowa's Car
Hilde has the window down and has her eyes closed. She has not slept in three days and she is struggling to stay awake. She sighs thinking of all the work that is ahead of them, and all the long hours they are going to pull. Hilde looks over at Duo and sees he is nervous about something. He keeps giving her glances from time to time and it is making Hilde worry. "Is it because of his . . . girl . . . friend?" Hilde looks forward when she thinks this. It is very hard for her to admit she doesn't have a chance with Duo. "Oh well. Like I ever did. But still . . . He doesn't have to be worried. I won't care that he moved on. I'm happy for him. Yeah. Happy." She frowns as they pull up to their driveway.
"Please don't be home Amber. Please."Duo fumbles with his keys as he closes the car door. He looks ahead and sees his car and someone else. "Damn. Probable brought a friend over to trash my house for dumping her." Duo thinks as he walks toward the house. He can picture Amber and a friend doing immature revenge type things to his house and cringes at the thought. He takes a glace at Hilde, who is behind him smiling, to remind him that whatever happens is worth it "Everything for her.". Before he can put the keys in, the door flies open.
"Duo!" Amber jumps on him knocking him down. She covers his face with little kisses as she tells him how happy she is to see him and how much she loves him.
"I knew you (kiss) loved me! (Kiss) That (kiss) you didn't (kiss) love her! (Kiss) Oh Duo (kiss) I knew you would (kiss) come back (kiss) to me!" Hilde glares at the two but then she turned her attention to a man at the door. He has sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. He is dressed in a dark blue suit with a lighter shade blue shirt and an even lighter shade blue tie. He glares at her then at the two on the floor. Duo, getting up after he finally got Amber off him, took notice to the man at the door and walks over to greet him.
"Hello. I'm Duo Maxwell. Who are you?"
Amber gets up and hugs Duo's arm. He tries to pry her off him as he tries to shake the man's hand. Hilde steps up and puts her hand on Amber's shoulders.
"I think he wishes you to let go."
Amber glares at her and withdraws. While Hilde and Amber are having a staring contest, the man at the door takes Duo's hand. The two men look at each other for a moment and then enter the house. Duo, who is smiling, gets the feeling that this night will be a long night. He looks over his shoulders to where Hilde and Amber are.
"Hey guys, lets go inside." Amber turns immediately to Duo and grabs his arm. She rests her head on Duo's shoulder as she glances over to Hilde with a smug look on her face. Hilde rolls her eyes as she enters the kitchen.
All of them stand around the kitchen table waiting for someone to move. Then the man sits down and gestures for Duo to sit. Amber lets go so he can do this and turns to Hilde. She puts one hand on Hilde's back and leads her out of the room.
"This doesn't concern you, my dear. Please wait here. We will deal with you later." She has a very scary smile plastered on her face as she leads Hilde to the TV room. Once Hilde is out of the kitchen, Amber retreats back. Hilde sighs and flops down on Duo's favorite chair. As she hits the chair, her senses are overwhelmed with Duo's sent. Hilde takes in a deep breath and smiles. "Still wearing the same cologne Duo?" Slowly Hilde drifts to sleep, the smell and the warmth of the chair make her body relax. She could never explain it, whenever she was with Duo, she felt safe. Sitting in this chair and being surrounded by the comforting smell of Duo's cologne make Hilde forget about everything and made her for one moment feel content and safe. But that would end all too soon.
"WHAT!"
Hilde jerks up from her sleep and looks into the kitchen. She sees Duo's back. He is standing up with his fist on the table and his chair on the ground. The man has no expression as he places a black leather suitcase on the table. Amber just smiles and tells Duo to clam down. He shakes his head and yells.
"Don't you dare try to trap me like this? Dammit Amber you can't do this to me!"
"Duo, there is one way for you to get out of this . . . take a blood test." Said the man as he takes out a blood test kit and starts to prepare it. Duo rolls up his sleeve and shows the man his vain.
"Fine doctor. Do it."
Hilde leaps up from her chair and runs into the room to knock the needle out of the man's hand.
"No! You will not touch him. Duo what the hell are you thinking! Don't you remember what I told you?!"
Duo looks at her then at Amber and the doctor then to Hilde. He hangs his head and in a soft voice he says.
"Hilde . . . I'm sorry . . . Amber is . . . she is pregnant. I maybe the father." Hilde looks at him astonished. She wanted to slap Duo and say she hated him but then she realized "Duo isn't mine. I'm acting like I am married to him.". Hilde takes a deep breath and looks Duo in the eyes. Her heart almost brakes when she looks into his deep purple eyes. There is so much sorrow and pain that she wanted to hug him and tell him it is all right that everything is fine. "But it isn't. Duo, you really messed up this time."
"Duo, don't apologize to me. Apologize to her." Hilde waves her hand to Amber's direction. Standing up, the doctor picks up the needle.
"Miss. This does not concern you. Please leave."
"Like hell I am. Duo is my best friend and I am not leaving."
"Oh, so you're "Hilde". I'm Amber. Duo's girlfriend and mother of his child. And hopefully soon his wife." She smiles over at Duo.
That got Hilde. She faces Amber with her hands balled up in fists.
"You bitch! How dare you use a child to trap Duo like that?! That right there proves you have no right to be a mother. I bet the kid isn't Duo's and your saying it just to save face!"
"I am NOT! Duo is the only man I've slept with. You're the bitch! You disappear for two years leaving Duo broken and then come waltzing back into his life expecting him to be waiting for you! Duo is mine and it will be a cold day in hell before I give him up to you!" The two girls glare at each other and a long silence take over. Until . . .
"Ladies. Please calm down. This can be settled with a simple blood test. Now Duo, give me your arm." Says the doctor as he grabs Duo's arm. With the needle that had fallen to the floor, the doctor readies to take blood when all a sudden, Hilde shoots the doctor with her gun she had hidden on her. The bullet enters the doctor's arm, making him drop the needle and fall to the floor. Amber rushes over to him and Duo grabs Hilde's gun. She does nothing to stop him as she looks at the fallen man.
"Hilde! Why did you do that?! Are you insane?!" Duo yells at her.
"What kind of doctor uses a needle that has fallen on the floor? No doctor. He is one of them and I bet she is too." Duo looks at Amber and the doctor. He points Hilde's gun to them both.
"Duo, w-what are you doing?" Amber slowly stands up with the doctor under her arm.
"Shut up girl. It's pointless. I guess the old models aren't as stupid as we thought." He pushes Amber down as he lunges at Hilde but is stopped by Duo who shoots him right in the chest. The doctor falls dead. Amber pushes herself up against the garage door. She looks up at Duo with a pleading look.
"Duo, you can't. I am pregnant. Please don't kill me." She starts to cry as Duo points the gun to her head.
"Don't do this to our child, to your child." She puts her hands on her stomach and cries harder as he takes a step closer. He pauses and puts the gun on the table. Duo turns his head to look out the window that is to his right.
"Get out. I don't want to see you." He says as he turns his back to her. Amber gets up and smiles a wicked smile.
"Sure thing love." She says as she opens the door and leaves.
"NO!" Hilde grabs the gun off the table and Duo grabs her arms and pins them behind her to restrain her from shooting Amber. By the time Hilde gets Duo off her and makes it to the garage, Amber had disappeared, taking Duo's car.
"Hilde? What the hell are you doing? She is pregnant! You can't shoot a pregnant woman! " Says Duo as he stands at the door to the garage.
"She can't be . . . if she is one of them. None of us can have kids."
"You mean . . . "
"Yes. We couldn't have any children." Long pause. Hilde is thankful she has her back to Duo or he would see her blush. "Did I just say "we," as in Duo and I, can't have kids? No, it looks that way but maybe Duo didn't . . . catch that." She looks over her shoulders to see him walking toward her. She stiffens up as he places a hand on her shoulder.
"Uh . . . Duo. What I meant was . . . "
"We should get cleaned up."
"Right." Duo looks at her, who still has her back to him, and nods. Hilde sighs as she hears him go inside. "Good. He didn't take it that way." But Hilde could not help but smile because she meant it that way.
Duo's Room
Duo has finished cleaning up and is now dressed in his sweat pants and white tank top. The events that had just taken place would have disturbed a normal person, but whoever said Duo is normal. He settles on the corner of his bed looking at himself in his mirror. Hilde is outback taking care of the body so Duo is alone to gather his thoughts. He remembers the letter ( wondering why it sounded like he should know what she was talking about.). In the letter she tells him about Brisk as if he had known, did she ever tell him? He thinks back and can't recall a time where she mentioned Brisk or anything like it. Duo lays down on his bed and rubs his face as he lets his mind wonder a bit. Then a lascivious smile crosses his face as he thinks of what Hilde said earlier.
"Yes. We couldn't have any children."
"She was talking about us?" Duo sits up as he hears a door close.
TV Room
Hirde places the bat next to the TV and smiles as she sees a crack. That crack is a sign that she hit the person just right on the head. Laughing a bit she dusts her hands off and straitens her black jacket. She heads off to the bedroom and before she enters she says:
"Night Duo."
"Night Hilde." Duo watches her as she closes her door. He smiles and thinks again about what she said.
"Why not. I mean I have to tell her sometime." He gets up and walks across the hall to Hilde's room.
Knock-knock
"Come in." Duo opens the door and sees Hirde sitting at the dresser, brushing her long black hair. She has on a white sleeveless night gown that dips half way in the back. Duo smiles as Hirde moves her hair over her left shoulder, revealing her back and scar. He sits down on the bed right behind her. He puts his hand on her right shoulder. She turns to look at him.
"Hilde, we need to talk."
"Sure. About what? If it about what had just happened, I just have to say I'm sorry. I know you must have feelings for her but . . . "
"No. I'm sad to say that I never had any true feelings for her. I know this sounds disrespectful but, she was here just for . . . uh . . . comfort. It's about us. Hilde . . . " She looks at him in wonder. Someone had just been shot in his kitchen and he wants to talk about them! Shaking her head in bewilderment, she speaks up.
"Stop Duo. I know what you are going to say . . . " As Hirde talks, Duo, with his finger, traces her scar on her shoulder.
"First the line then a loop and the other loop . . . make the "B" . . . "
"I know how you feel . . . "
"Then the "M" . . . "
"Duo . . . what are you doing? Are you listening to me?"
"Uh . . . Yeah . . . " Duo smiles as he continues to trace her scar. He loves the feel of her skin and can't help himself if he doesn't hear her words. The touch of her skin would always make him careless.
"Duo. I don't feel the same way. I don't think I could ever love you." Hirde voice is becoming harsh. She knows he is not hearing her.
"Then the other line and the loop and the other loop . . . makes the "B" and that . . . that spells BMB."
She lowers her jacket to reveal the letters BMP carved in her shoulder blade.
"BMP? I thought you said they carved the letters BMB." Says Lady Une.
"He never finished." Hilde says with a smile.
Duo shoots up and moves back from Hirde. She stands up as well looking at him.
"What the hell did you do to Hilde?" Duo yells at her. She takes a step back and looks appalled.
"Duo? I am Hilde. Just because I don't love you does not mean I'm not her. Get over yourself."
"Don't fuck with me. I know that you're not her! Tell me, what is carved on your back!"
"BMB."
"Wrong lady! That's not what it should spell. Now, I will ask again. WHERE is Hilde?!" Duo's voice is cold and brutal. The reason being is that Shinigami has taken over. He steps closer to her. His eye's now have a red tint to them. Hirde looks at him disgusted but does not move. Instead a creepy smile imprints itself on her lips.
"The poor girl is with the doctor. She has a nasty bump on her head. A stupid fool she was. Didn't see me coming........ NO! That is impossible! I hit you hard enough to crack your head!" Duo turns to see Hilde, who is supporting herself on the door frame. She has a smile on her face as she aims her gun to the imposter.
"Guess we old models are tougher than you thought."
"Damn you. Why won't you die?!"
"Because you shit heads are careless. If you are truly better than us BMP's then you would have checked the bat for blood. But since you didn't, you'll die now."
Bang.
Like the doctor, the girl falls dead from a gunshot wound in the chest. She lands on the end of Hilde's bed and slowly rolls off to the ground. Hilde too, falls but never reaches the ground for strong protecting arms catch her, Duo. He picks her up and takes her to his room. He places her down on his bed, like so many times in his dreams. Duo looks at her and then turns to go to her room to take care of the body and the now bloody sheets.
Hilde can see Duo leaving but can't keep her eyes open. The blow to the head does have an effect on her and she is dizzy. For once she is happy that Brisk made her strong enough to survive a blow that would most certainly kill a normal human. She sighs as sleep slowly takes over. Trying to beat the feeling, she entertains herself by taking the time to look around Duo's room. She sees objects similar to the ones that once occupied her room. Then she sees stuff animals alined around the room. Turning her head to fallow the trail of stuff animals she sees two little black eyes staring at her. She focuses her eyes as best as she can and makes out what the eyes belong to. A black panther that Duo got her when they first went to the circus.
"Step right up boys and girls! Shoot the aliens and win a prize! Hey you young man! Win a panther for the lady?" Said the carne to a young couple. They giggle and walk away. The man crossed his arms and huffed as they left. Third time today he lost costumers. He was getting ready to give up and go on break when he heard a voice.
"I'll try." The man looked up to see a boy with a funny grin, purple eyes and a long braid. Next to him was a pixy looking girl with big blue eyes. She too had a smile but not so comical as the boy. The man was about to say yes when he took a long look at the boy. He had on a black cap and a priest outfit.
"HAHA! You? How would a man of god know how to use a gun?" He smiles as he leans over the counter to face the young boy better. All the boy does is smile and lean in closer too.
"Oh ye of little faith. You are right to think a man of god would have not the skill in shooting a gun but...I'm not a man of God, only the God of Death. Now give me the gun, my friend here wants a black panther and I plan on getting it for her." He looked over at the girl and she blushed. The man just stared at the two and shrugged as he handed the kid the gun. The boy smiled and tipped his hat. Then he turned to the girl and smiled at her.
"Now Hilde, pick which one you like."
"Um. I want...that one." She pointed to the biggest toy panther the man had. The boy laughed and nodded.
"Sir. My friend wants that one so take it down..."
"What? You haven't even fired a shot yet. You have to shoot down all the aliens to win that one boy. Good luck shooting one! HAHAHA..." The man's laughter ends quickly as the boy shot every aline with a shot each. The girl laughed as the boy blew at the gun as if it were smoking. He then, like so many cowboys in the movies, spined the gun and put it in an imaginary gun hoister. He turned to the girl and bowed as she clapped and laughed. He then turned to the man.
"Now, what were you saying?"
"Uh...sorry. Here is your prize."
The boy nodded and took the panther and handed it to his friend. The two walked off laughing and the boy placed an arm around her shoulder.
After Duo has changed the sheets to Hilde's bed he enters his room. He sees her looking at the black panther and smiles at the memory and at the fact Hilde is home. He sits down next to her and she sits up a bit to talk.
"They're getting more clever by the day. How did they copy the scar?" She looks at Duo.
"I checked it out. It was like a temporary tatoo, came off when I rubbed it." Duo pauses and stares at his hands. " Hilde...when I saw that clone die..I felt so horrible. I know she was not you but still...it hurt." Duo's voice is soft and painful. He did feel horrible when he saw the clone's face turn to a painful expression and then fall lifeless to the floor. Hilde is his world and seeing the clone die made him realize just how much he needs her. He loves her with all his heart and soul.
"Duo?" While Duo is thinking about how to tell her how much he loves her, Hilde asks him a question.
"Duo? Is this mine or is this Ambers?" She holds up the panther to his face.
"Cause' I know you don't sleep with stuff animals." She smiles but frowns when she sees Duo staring off to space. He looks like he is pain and she wants to slap herself for talking about Amber.
"It's yours. In fact all of this stuff is yours." Hilde takes a closer look at what he is talking about. All the little nicknacks that surround the room are hers. "When you left I took all your things and put them in my room. So I could remember you, always be surrounded by you. Hilde...I ..." She places a finger on his lips. She didn't hear what he said. His voice too soft that it seemed nothing more than a whisper.
"Duo, I just realized something. How did they clone me so fast?....Oh God. Duo. They must of reached the colonies! We have to get to work now! We have to..."
"Hilde! Stop it! Please relax. We can't do anything if we are exhausted! We need some rest, what's one more day. Get
some sleep. Tomorrow, after we get everything set up at StarGate, you and I can look into it. Ok? Get some sleep girl,
you need it." She gets up and heads toward her room. Duo lowers his head. He wants to tell her he loves her but decides
not to. Too much has happened today, now is not the time for him to confess his love to her. He sighs and heads off to
sleep not knowing what lies ahead of him, not knowing the danger, and not knowing that tonight might have been his
last time to tell Hilde he loves her.
**************************************************************************************** Coolness! Onto chapter 4 and 5. I will post them together because chapter 5 is reeeeeeaaaaalllllllyyyyy important! Hee Hee. So come back to read Chapter 4 : Genesis Found and Chapter 5: Homemade Applesauce! Ohhhh what could that title mean? Have fun and read on! R & R People! ****************************************************************************************
