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Chapter 3
" ….. And that's what we know so far of the rebellion," Noin's tired voice came across the vidlink.
"Thank you, Noin" Lady Une replied, mind already fast at work on a strategy to deal with this new threat that sought to destroy the fragile peace that was the result of the Eve wars. Her heart ached, as she knew this threat to be bad enough to need all five of the Gundam Pilots if it were to be settled peacefully. The boys had already suffered so much, but she would do anything to protect Trieze's dream of peace. Anything at all.
She was distracted from her strategic planning by the entry of the five pilots. One by one, all five pilots had ended up working with the Preventers on at least a part time basis. Even Quatre Raberba Winner, whose family business was more than enough work for one man, had enlisted on a case-by-case basis with the Preventers. She waved at all the boys to enter and took a moment to contemplate the pilots.
The 5 years that had passed since the truce was declared had been kind to all of them. Heero Yuy had gotten a lot more bulk, all of it muscle. This was distributed evenly across his now 5'10" frame, which, while not short, tied him for the shortest of the pilots. The most radical change in Heero Yuy was in the face. Gone was the frozen, emotionless face with its glare of doom and perdition. In it's place, a slightly stiff, but mobile face was hesitantly trying out emotions.
Une next considered the reason for these startling changes in Yuy. Duo Maxwell had also filled out during the years after the war. He was still very slender, a throwback to his childhood years and the starvation that had accompanied it. But the now 6ft tall American had a very commanding presence due to his energetic and engaging demeanor. Heero Yuy had been good for Duo Maxwell too, as the berserker attitude that had once accompanied the grins and jokes was now history. She smiled inwardly as she noted that they were holding hands as they came in and immediately took the two chairs that were closest together.
She then turned her eyes to Pilot 05. Chang Wufei sat in the chair closest to the desk with military precision. His 5'10" body was all angles and chiseled muscle. His hair was still in its confining ponytail, but it had grown considerably in length since his piloting days. And the intense periods of brooding and guilt were gone, leaving a confident, self-assured young man.
His lover, Trowa, declined to take a seat, but leaned against the wall behind Wufei. At 6'5", Trowa was still the tallest of the Pilots. He was also the most unchanged, his body remaining that of a lanky gymnast. Even his hair remained the same, the chestnut waterfall that obscured one eye or the other as Trowa moved his head.
Une noticed the protective and possessive position that Trowa had taken with a raised eyebrow. That pairing had come as a shock and with no warning. Wufei had joined Preventers two months before Trowa enlisted. After taking care of 03's enlistment paperwork, Une had moved to assign Trowa to a room in the barracks, but he'd merely stopped her hand and said that he would sleep with Wufei as usual. When she had protested that the room Wufei was assigned to had only one bed in it, he'd replied, "I know," and left her office, leaving her door and her mouth hanging wide open. Since then, there had been little signs from time to time that the two were still a couple, but they weren't anywhere near as obvious as Heero and Duo were.
Une then noticed someone else
looking at the odd couple (sorry for the pun
). Quatre Winner was the most changed out of all of the pilots. He had gone
from a blond waif to a golden giant. Not only had he shot up more than a foot,
he had also put on a lot of bulk, to the point where he was probably the most
muscular of all of the pilots. Knowing how much paperwork and meetings the head
of the Winner Corporation had to attend to, Une was at a loss to explain 04's
physique. He remained pale and clean-shaven, but for that he could have been
mistaken for the leader of the Maguanacs, Rashid.
The other thing that had changed with the blond pilot were his eyes. They were still a brilliant aquamarine that could discern the depths of your soul, but they revealed nothing of the heart of the pilot who possessed them. It had not always been so, Une mused. Something after the wars had changed the pilot. But whatever had affected the Arabian, he had never mentioned it or allowed any kind of questioning on the subject. He would politely maneuver the conversation when asked until at last everyone gave up trying to find out. But such an emptiness, where before the pilot had shown a beautiful and trusting heart was disturbing to say the very least.
Une took one last considering look at the five young men before her and again her heart ached at the thought of having to send them out to once again save the colonies. But then she firmed herself and opened her mouth to speak.