TO AKUMA: A SPECIAL THANKS FOR CHIBI DUO!!!! *cuddles chibi Duo close* He has help me get through a terrible round of writers block! *SUPERMASSICETACKLEGLOMPS* I LOVE YOU!!!!
DISCLAIMER: The Gundam Wing characters (other that Kumi Yuy and Sette Devion) and not mine.
I have to thank Traci, Sam, Beekay, Silver Star, Mylia, Ruby, D-max, GREETER 600, Lily, Ryla, Stormy, Naz, Akuma, Kai, Enigma, my entire 1x2x1 family and everyone who is enjoying this fic. This fic never would have happened without you! Everything goes out to everyone! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 44: Silent Killer
by SkyLark
NARRATOR: A week had passed since the destruction of Colony O22. All attempts to understand what had brought about its demise fell short after and were soon dropped. It became clear that the only way to the find the answers behind this grave incident would come when OZ would attempt the same course of action.
"Until then, the Gundam pilots and their friends decided not to bring up the topic again. It had been too long since they were all together... And time would only tell how long they would be able to stay that way. They were all too aware that Quinze Kushrenadah was out there somewhere, planning his next move. The pilots decided that for now, they would take the defensive side in the battle."
* * * * * *
Heero and Duo settled comfortably in the large tub of their bathroom on Pulsar. The pilots sighed very deeply in content, simultaneously as they closed their eyes and took in the pleasure of a nice warm bath together. With his braid wrapped in a bun to keep his hair from getting wet, Duo rested the back of his head against the cool tile of the wall behind him. Heero lied beside him, resting his head over the American's chest over his heartbeat. They both had their eyes closed and smiles on their lips. "I don't think Heaven van be any better than this," Duo sighed in content. Heero chuckled deeply, "Not even close."
Opening their eyes, the pilots smiled to each other lovingly. They leaned in and shared a sweet kiss and settled back into their original positions. "I think we've been doing a pretty good job in making up for lost time during this week," Duo smiled. His lover nodded, "It's a start. But you know I can never get enough of you." The American kissed Heero's forehead and replied, "Right back at you, koi." They closed their eyes and sighed deeply again, enjoying the warm water surrounding them. Their hands met and held onto each other as their fingers intertwined.
Nothing was mentioned of the war or anything other than just being with one another. It felt like an eternity for both of them since they were this safe and happy. The war would always be there waiting for them. Right now, they just wanted to enjoy the fact that they were in each others arms again. No matter what was to come, they were determined to never be separated again.
* * * * * *
Stacy Stanton made her way into the hanger of an OZ carrier. Once she entered, she rose to the third balcony of the large room and continued her journey. Looking down, the young woman looked to the countless mobile suits. A sneer crossing her lips, she growled deeply to herself in anticipation, "It's about time that we got to put these things to good use." Finally making her way to the end of the balcony, Stanton leaned over the balcony and smiled upon to her Gundam. Scorpio stood in all its glory as it rested for the battle to come. The black-haired General chuckled deeply to herself as she thought of her next mission.
"You look like a tiger ready to strike," a deep voice suddenly stated from behind." Stacy turned quickly to see her lover smiling to her as he leaned against the other railing. She shrugged and smirked to him, "Well, you know that I am never one to sit still for long." Carter chuckled deeply as walked to his partner. Kissing the General deeply and with his arms wrapped tightly around her, replied with a sweep of his brown bangs to reveal his green eyes clearly, "I know that all too well." Stanton broke from the embrace and turned to look at her red suit again.
Carter shook his head as he continued to grin wickedly. Walking beside his lover, he rested his arms on the hand rail, just as she did and leaned forward as they gazed on the Gundam. "I know that you're anxious, Stacy," he began without turning to face her. "But keep your head out there. You'll most likely be up against all of them, you know." The General sneered as she stated, "I won't fail with Scorpio. This is one fight that I will not allow to go wrong."
Her partner nodded and turned to look at her. "I understand that. I'm just reminding you not to get too carried away out there. Even with all of the planning that went into this, there really is no telling what will happen when they join the battle." The young woman looked to him in shock before she glared, "You think less of me than those Gundam pilots?" Carter shook his head as he assured her, "Not at all, but you know that I don't want to anything to happen to you." Stanton remained expressionless at this and looked away from him as she replied coldly, "You shouldn't doubt me. It's not becoming of you."
Carter smirked and responded, "Well forgive me if I try and look for you." Stacy turned her head until her blue eyes met her lover's green. Shaking her head, she told him, "I have to get ready to leave." The young man nodded and kissed the General's temple and said quietly, "Yea. Make sure that you remember my advice." The young woman made no move to respond to his words or the kiss. Instead, she simply continued to look to Scorpio. Carter left her as he walked down the long balcony again. From her post, Stacy sneered to her Gundam, "Not long now at all, my friend."
* * * * * *
Colony D490 was resting silently not far from Mars as the people there went about their normal routines. While the war was all around them, everyone attempted to continue with their every-day lives. They had been fortunate over the years, the colony had never been directly threatened during the first two wars. Still, this was something that the people did not want to rely too heavily on in believing that they were safe from harm. This was a different war, one where good could turn evil in a heartbeat... and the serene could turn into chaos in the blink of an eye. Overhead, a wide and thick display of star dust gathered together to form a hazy cloud of colors and sparkles as it observed all from miles away.
* * * * * *
The next morning, Trowa was waking from a peaceful sleep as he lied in the bed that he now shared with Kumi at nights. Lying on his back, a deep sigh left the tall pilot as he slowly brought his eyes to open. Those green spheres widened for a moment when he realized that there was something in his arms. Slowly turning his head to his left, he looked in wonder at the sight of his lover. Her long, straight locks splayed over them like a thin, second sheet.
It was the first time that Trowa got to see the silver-haired pilot in this way. Every morning prior to this, she was never there when he awoke. His eyes softened as a loving smile crossed his lips. Kumi was still sleeping peacefully with her arms wrapped around the European pilot's bare waist and her head resting over where his heart was beating. Trowa had never seen anything more beautiful and for a long moment, couldn't remember how to breathe.
Finally, the sleeping pilot took a small, deep breath that was released in a deep sigh. Kumi's Prussian eyes blinked a few times before focusing and turning up to see the angelic smile on her partner's lips. "You stayed," Trowa whispered breathlessly. The 'Perfect Soldier' gave a warm smile in return and moved up to kiss him gently. The kiss became deep as tongues met and embraces tightened until there was no space between the lovers.
Breaking only for air, Kumi smiled down to her koi and whispered, "I couldn't think of any place I would rather be." There was a brief pause as Trowa's eyes widened at the impact of these few words. He sat up, claiming his lover's love with his own into a searing kiss.
The need for air was all that broke them apart once again. They panted gently and locked eyes with one another. Trowa wrapped his arms around the other pilot as she rested her head under his neck and returned the embrace. "I love you," the tall pilot whispered. "I love you too," came the whispered response.
* * * * * *
At that time, a young woman was walking with her young son as they made their way down the streets of D490. Looking to the beautiful cloud of stardust hundreds of miles above the Colony, the little boy smiled brightly and pointed to it calling, "Mommy, look!" His mother looked up to where her son was pointing and looked to the haze in wonder. Many people were doing the same now as they looked and pointed in awe to the cloud of stars. "I- I never saw anything so beautiful," the young woman whispered breathlessly.
Just after these words left her, the cloud suddenly split in half as a golden beam shot from the break in the center. Before anyone could react, the sky was covered in a golden light that engulfed the entire Colony. The only response were the cries and screams of agony and shock that came from the victims. No sooner had the beam appeared before it was gone again, leaving nothing of Colony D490 but miles of debris.
* * * * * *
Kumi gasped in shock and pain loudly as she remained in Trowa's arms. Her grip around her lover tightened as her eyes squeezed shut and her breath became quick pants. Trowa's eyes widened as he shouted, "Kumi!?!" Her nails dug into the skin of his back as he gave a small gasp and winced at the pain. He held onto his partner tighter as he tried to soothe her.
It took a moment for the 'Perfect Soldier' to relax as she slumped in Trowa's arms, her face relaxed but her eyes never opening. The tall pilot held her close to keep her from falling together. Grabbing her shoulders, Trowa held her up before him as he called, "Kumi!?!" His lover slowly opened her Prussian eyes and whispered gravely, "It's happened again."
The European pilot blinked before asked gently, running a hand through Kumi's silver locks, "What's happened again, love?" The Japanese pilot replied as she locked eyes with him, "The same thing that happened to Y453, V10 and O22... and so many others..." Trowa's eyes widened as he gasped, "You know what destroyed all of them!?!" The other pilot shook her head, "I can only see and feel it happening for a brief moment, as it's happening. I don't know what it was that is responsible."
The tall pilot closed his eyes and lowered his head as he whispered sadly, "And another Colony was just joined the others." Kumi nodded and answered simply, "Yea." Trowa wrapped his love tightly in his arms and the embrace was returned as the 'Perfect Soldier' closed her eyes and buried her head in his chest, finding comfort and warmth there as she always had.
* * * * * *
Lieutenant Keiser was waiting in his office on Pulsar not long later, sitting at his desk with his hands folded before his face with a look of loss in his eyes and all over his face. There came a knock at the door and the Lieutenant lowered his hands as he looked to it. "Come in," he called. The door opened as Heero and Kumi entered the room side-by-side. Keiser sighed deeply in relief as he rose and greeted, "Please, make yourselves comfortable. The two pilots walked to the chairs waiting for them before the desk. Sitting straight in the chairs, they watched as Keiser returned to his own seat.
Heero asked, "Which Colony was destroyed this morning?" Keiser's shock at this was clear as his head snapped up to meet the Wing pilot with wide eyes and a pale face. "H-how did you know-?" Realizing that the answer didn't matter, he stopped himself. The Lieutenant closed his eyes and lowered his own head as he said quietly, "Colony D490." Neither pilot moved to answer with words. Their saddened expressions said more than enough. Heero sat back in his chair and Kumi's head lowered, knowing that their fears were justified... They were able to protect another Colony and the lives of the people there.
Keiser cleared his throat and looked back as us he said, "We, uh... Just received word an hour ago." Holding up a file in his hands, he informed his friends, "These pictures we received have pinpointed what caused the destruction." Two pairs of Prussian eyes widened as they focused on the stack of photos in the young man's hands. Leaning forward, the 'Perfect Soldiers' allowed Keiser to remove the images from their folder as he explained, "These are pictures hat had been taken by Preventers throughout Space. They were taken from as early as a week after the war began to a week ago today."
The pictures that were spread across the desk revealed images of a massive cloud of star cloud. There were black-and-white images as well as colored shots. All the while, they showed generally the same cloud. The Lieutenant allowed the Japanese pilots to look through the images before taking a colored image to hold it up as he informed them, "This shot was taken just seven days ago, by a Preventer stationed on Mars's orbit." Heero took the picture into his hand and looked to it closely with Kumi doing the same as they leaned closely together. It only took a moment for them to absorb what they were looking at before their eyes narrowed. Keiser nodded as he asked, "Look familiar?"
The silver-haired pilot ran her finger over the image of the cloud as she noted, "It's similar all of the other clouds, but it shifts and moves like any star dust would." Keiser replied, "That's what OZ wanted us to think." Removing one last photo, he stated, "I had that image magnified after we received it this morning with news of D490's destruction." The magnified image revealed a very large black, round gap hidden within the haze of dust. Both pilots looked to the image in shock mixed with rage. Kumi growled deeply, "A laser." Heero hissed, "Those bastards managed to find a way to deflect attention to it by camouflaging their weapon to appear like a normal star cluster." Keiser nodded and replied, "A silent killer."
Heero sat back in his seat as he stated, "It's twice the size of the Barge Cannon. It could easily take out five Colonies in one shot." Kumi shook her head and said in her usual monotone, "OZ has been taking their time to enjoy torturing us. They're using this as a way to flush us out of hiding." The Lieutenant responded, "Exactly. It's more than reasonable to say that the laser will be making its way through the Colonies to slowly wipe them out." The Wing pilot asked, "Have there been any more reports on this cloud?" Keiser shook his head, "Not as of yet, but every Preventer craft and Colony has been alerted to inform us if they find anything that looks similar to the clouds here.
Satisfied with this, the two pilots relaxed a bit and looked to each other. Kumi crossed her arms across her chest and crossed her legs as she told her cousin, "We'll need to split the group in case something should happen anywhere else in Space when the laser is located again. It's a large ship, too, so you'll need to take at least five others with you." Heero nodded, "I'll take Duo and Milliardo. They were both a part in taking down the Barge Cannon in the Eve Wars. I'd like to take two more, but I wouldn't want to put you at a disadvantage and I wouldn't be able to choose the last two that I should take."
The silver-pilot replied, "You won't be leaving anyone at a disadvantage. You should take Sette and Delapan." Both Keiser and Heero looked to her as through she had two heads. The Wing pilot asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kumi shrugged and deadpanned, "They're a good team when they're fighting the same enemy." The Wing pilot smirked at this and nodded, "Alright. I trust your judgment." Keiser smiled in relief as he rose from his seat and said, "I'll inform all of you the moment we hear any sightings on the laser." Heero nodded, "We'll be waiting," as he and Kumi rose as well. They shook the Lieutenant's hand before stepping out of his office.
Making their way down the hall, the 'Perfect Soldiers' remained in silence as they remained side-by-side. After a brief pause, Heero closed his eyes as he lowered his head and chuckled deeply. Kumi looked to him in uncertainty as she asked, "What is it?" The Wing pilot chuckled deeply, "Just thinking about how we've changed over the years... Trusting others enough that we place our lives and the lives of those we're trying to protect in their hands." The silver-haired pilot chuckled in response, "And not wanting to kill ourselves every chance we got into battle." Heero smiled and nodded, "Yea... That kind of stuff."
Kumi chuckled deeply. Sighing deeply, she echoed, "Yea." There was a brief pause between the pilots again as they continued to make their way down the halls. Just then, Heero sneered wickedly to his cousin, "Race you to the lounge." Kumi sneered back without a second thought, "You're on." The broke off until a full run as they laughed and loudly while lapping the ship as fast as their feet could carry them.
* * * * * *
The Gundam pilots, with the exception of Wufei, gathered together not long later in one of the ship's lounges. Sette and Delapan were playing a few card games at the end of one of the long table that rested in the center of the room. At the other end of the table, Kumi was working on her laptop as Noin and Milliardo sat with their coffee and tea, discussing anything other than the war.
Mirando was playing with building blocks by the couches as Heero and Duo smiled and watched the six-month-old. Together, they laughed and played along with him as they helped with his construction as they all sat on the floor. Occasionally, Mirando would knock over the blocks if he wasn't happy with the way that they looked, instantly bringing his two Uncles into loud fits of laughter along with him.
Trowa and Quatre took to their music at the other end of the room. The tall pilot played with his flute and the Arabian played his violin, filling the large space with their sounds. Zes and Brian were sitting on a couch together, listening to the beautiful songs as they watched the two musicians. The Queen of the World was now the healthiest she had been in weeks, prior to her fainting spell. While her stomach had been growing with along with the tiny lives inside, Relena was still able to manage on her own without any difficulty.
Sette and Delapan continued to play their round of 'War,' throwing their cards down and both sides gaining and losing a fair amount of cards each turn. Together, they threw down their cards and looked quickly to what was on the top of their stacks. "Gottch 'ya, Sette," Delapan chuckled deeply as she took the tomboy's pile. Sette sneered, "The game's not over yet, Monkey Girl."
They continued their game as Noin and Milliardo chuckled deeply from where they watched. Noin turned to her husband and said quietly, "Off all the games they could be playing, you would think that they'd pick something other than War." Wind smiled and kissed her forehead before chuckling deeply, "Just be glad they're only playing with cards." Fire gave a wide smile and nodded as she looked back to the young pilots, "This is true."
Mirando had given up on his block building and proceeded to crawl to where Heero and Duo were sitting on the floor with him. The braided pilot smiled brightly as he rose and gathered the child into his arms. Looking to the construction of blocks that Mirando made, Duo smiled to him, "Your parents might not want you to pilot a Gundam, but you'll be one of the best designers out there when you're older." Mirando laughed and began to play with the long braid that fell over Duo's shoulder. His laughter was matched with Deathscythe's pilot.
Heero smiled lovingly to the sight. Just then, the American turned to face him and smiled, "Why don't you try holding him, Heero?" The Wing pilot's eyes widened at this request as a hint of nervousness met his features. "I don't know how," he said quietly. Duo continued to smile as he replied, "I'll show you. You'll be fine." Heero nodded and rose to stand before his partner.
Duo demonstrated, "Just have one hand to support him against you and one to protect the back of his head." Heero gave a nod and said, "Alright. I'll try it." Duo handed the child over to his koi and smiled warmly at how easily Heero managed to get past his nervousness. Mirando smiled brightly as he laughed and wrapped his arms around the Wing pilot's neck. The 'Perfect Soldier' quickly found a comfortable position for the both of them and began to walk around the room with the child. Duo watched with a warm smile as Heero took the child around the room.
Heero felt his own concerns vanish as Mirando continued to laugh and wave to everyone around him. He couldn't help but smile, himself, at how easy it was to handle one so small. On would never know that this was the first time that he was with a baby. Kumi stopped her typing to look to her cousin as he held Mirando. Smiling to herself, she nodded and returned to her work on the laptop. Heero rejoined his lover in the middle of the room and asked him, "How am I doing?" Duo's smile never vanished and he whispered, "Perfect."
The door to the lounge opened as Wufei and Sally Poe entered. Only then did Trowa and Quatre stop playing the music that they had been lost in, since they were the closest to the door. The blonde pilot smiled, "I was wondering where the two of you were." Wufei replied, "Well, Sally and I had something that we needed to... discuss."
At this, the door to the large room opened again as Lady Une and Lieutenant Keiser joined their friends. Both Wufei and Sally seemed be relieved with their arrival as they watched them enter. The other pilots made their way to them as they got the feeling that something was up. Sally smiled to all of them, "Well, we wanted all of you together so that we could tell you..."
Looking to the Chinese pilot as he nodded, Sally and Wufei turned and announced simultaneously with bright smiles, "We're married." Everyone before them gasped and gave looks of elation as this news set in. Milliardo and Noin looked the least surprised as they watched the others cheer and hug the newlyweds tightly. Together, Wind and Fire quickly snuck into the lounge's small kitchen.
Once everyone got over their shock and managed to congratulate Wufei and Sally, Zes asked, "When did this happen?" The Chinese pilot answered, "About a month ago. Milliardo and Noin were our witnesses." Sally explained, "We didn't want our marriage to be a big event. And we wanted to tell you when you were all together and ready." Quatre smiled, "Well, would it be alright if we have a celebration when the war is over? The two of you deserve it." Wufei and Sally smiled to each other before nodding to the Arabian. Wufei replied, "Thank you, Quatre. That's a nice offer."
Milliardo and Noin entered the lounge again with a sheet cake large enough for everyone present. Wind informed the others, "Noin and I knew that the announcement was going to be made today, so we made a this for the occasion." His wife smiled and shrugged, "It's the least we could do for now." Wufei and Sally looked to them with shock that soon faded into gratitude. Everyone made their way to the table and began cutting the cake as they took their cups of tea and coffee. Together, they spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing about different things. But of all of these topics, not one of them mentioned the war.
* * * * * *
Quinze Kushrenadah sipped a mouthful of blood-red wine from a crystal glass as he looked to his best soldier as he sat across the table. Demetris took up his own glass of wine and looked to it questionably before gazing to his commander. "You're aware that Stacy is now on her way to complete her task." The young man smiled and nodded, "I am fully aware of that. She always was good at following orders when they were given."
The tall man nodded and took a sip of his wine before lowering the glass again. He paused and looked to the liquid, spinning the crystal base on the table surface to cause ripples in the wine. "It won't be much longer before one of the two sides arises victorious, Your Excellency," he noted with a tone that was as empty as his expression with every word he spoke.
Gazing to his best pilot with a smug grin, he asked, "Why the uncertainty, Demetris? You doubt that we will be victorious ones?" The giant looked to him and shook his head, "No, I don't. But the Gundam pilots now have Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell again. While I know that we'll be able to stop them, you know as well as I do that they won't make the win an easy one." Lowering his head, he continued, "I respect your wish not to kill either of them while they were in our possession... But if we had killed them, the Gundam pilots would not be the greater threat that they are now."
Kushrenadah sighed deeply and shook his head, "And all this time, I thought that you were a man who enjoyed a challenge. Apparently I had mistaken you with the man who had been the greatest match to Kumi Yuy, the man who would never sleep until he knew that she and every Gundam pilot like her was destroyed." Just the mention of that name caused the giant's eyes to narrow as his boiled within him. He growled deeply and squeezed the glass in his hand enough to crush it. The OZ leader chuckled deeply and sneered, "That's more like it." Demetris's right hand was covered in the wine as the glass remained in small slpinters on the table.
The red liquid ran from his finger tips down his forearm, giving the impression of thick blood. His anger never faded as Quinze smiled, "Now, get yourself cleaned up and we can discuss our next plans of action in my office." The this, he rose from his seat and walked from the room without looking back.
Demetris looked down to his hand, still glaring all the while as he saw the red ooze that painted him. Clenching his fist as tightly as he could, he hissed, "You won't slip from my grasp again, my dear..." He chuckled deeply, "It will be your blood on my hands when next we meet." The wine continued to spread on the floor and down the giant's arm as his chuckle grew into a loud and maddened laugh.
* * * * * *
By the time that all of the cake had been finished and everyone began to clear the table, Lady Une looked to her watch and turned to Keiser. "We should get back to the control room." The Lieutenant nodded and made his way back to the lounge doors as they smiled and waved to their comrades, who returned the gesture. Sette and Delapan offered to take care of the dishes as they walked into the kitchen with the plates, forks and knives that hadn't been gathered from the table. Meanwhile, the lounge was slowly emptying as the pilots made their way to accomplish other tasks to keep them occupied.
In the kitchen, Sette and Delapan were washing and drying the everything that they gathered. "So you are certain that it wasn't a Holocaust that was used on O22 last week?" the redhead asked as she wiped another fork clean under the running water. The tomboy nodded as she dried a white plate, "Holocausts don't have the power to crush Colonies until they're only rubble. They're simply used to... exterminate." The last word was said quietly, gravely and with difficulty on the young queen's behalf. Placing the plates back in the shelves, Sette sighed deeply, "Kumi and I have seen and worked around Holocausts since the Marimaya incident. They never get any easier to deal with."
Catherine asked, "Why hadn't we heard anything of them up until the beginning of this war?" The tomboy replied, "It was a different war. No one on the Earth or in the Colonies close to it were in danger. So it was decided that it would be best not to mention of the Holocausts once Kumi and I thought that they had all been destroyed, along with their designs." Delapan nodded, "Makes sense. So what do you think destroyed O22?" The blue-haired pilot shook her head, "Not a clue. There are too many possibilities as to what might have happened." She finished putting away the last of the plates and moved back to the sink to start drying the silverware.
As they continued to work through their chore, Delapan chuckled deeply, "If anyone had told me over a year ago that I would be piloting a Gundam suit, I never would have believed it." Sette laughed, "Same here. You sucked at it when you began your training." The redhead turned to glare to the tomboy at this remark. The other pilot shrugged and smiled, "What? You did." Catherine sneered, "Well, I never would have thought that anyone as childish as yourself would have made it as a Gundam pilot, either." The pilots gave each other their classic death glares to each other with the faucet water making the only sound in the room for a moment.
Returning to their own tasks, they worked in silence. After a very long pause, Sette finally shot, "I think somebody is missing her ape friends back at the circus-" Before she could continue her insult, Sette watched with wide eyes as Delapan grabbed the butcher's knife that was used to slice the cake while she screamed, "THAT'S IT!" The redhead raised the knife over her head and took aim at the startled tomboy.
Trowa ran into the kitchen and gasped as he looked in shock to the sight before him. He shouted to the blue-haired pilot, "SETTE, DON'T MOVE!" Sette remained frozen and Delapan's head snapped in the direction of the door, never lowering the knife she held. Trowa crossed his arms and shook his head to his sister with an angry expression on his face as he scorned, "Catherine." Delapan smirked and lowered the knife as she shrugged, "I was just going to see if my aim was still good." Her brother sighed deeply and made his way to the sink while Sette gave a sharp, "Humph," as she glared back to Delapan.
Catherine turned to the tall pilot before lowering her head and sighing deeply, "I'm sorry, Trowa. We were starting to talk about what happened to O22 and I couldn't think straight much longer after that." Sette lowered her own head as she nodded her agreement with this. Trowa understood their situation and told them, "You both should try and unwind elsewhere," he stressed, "in separate rooms. I'll finish the rest of this for you." Both Delapan and Sette gave the tall pilot looks of relief and gratitude as they dried themselves with the towels on the counter before leaving the kitchen, never looking to one another the whole time.
Witnessing the departure from the sink, Trowa sighed deeply as he finished washing the dishes that remained. Zes entered and made her way towards the European pilot. She smiled as she took up the dish towel and shrugged, "Well, they managed to get through a week without threatening each other." Trowa shook his head, "They're just getting nervous about what happened with O22 last week." Removing a cleaned plate from the sink, he continued, "The fact is that no matter how much we don't want to think about what happened, we'll never be able to really get past it." Relena nodded, "It comes with piloting a Gundam... Being protective for the Earth and Space is a constant concern."
The tall pilot nodded back with a smile of his own before he helped Calvary's pilot dry the remainder of the dishes. Relena bit her lip as she looked to her comrade and asked, "So, what is going on between you and Kumi?" Trowa's eyes widened as he fumbled the butter knives that he had been holding.
Managing to catch them just before they hit the ground, he looked to Zes with his look of shock still in place. Quickly, he ridded his face of that reaction as he cleared his throat and turned away to ask, "What do you mean?" Relena smiled and replied, "I managed to catch her calling you Koibito during the fight against Nebula." Caught again, the tall pilot looked to his friend and replied, "Well... I... We- uh..."
Zes's smile grew as she assured her friend, "I'm sorry, Trowa. I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's just that I thought it was sweet that she called you that." The tall pilot couldn't help but smile at the memory as he noted quietly, "It means a lot to hear that from her." Finally, he admitted, "We have become... close." The Queen of the World beamed and replied sincerely, "I know that you'll be able to share the great news with everyone when you're ready, much like Wufei and Sally and the announcement of their marriage just now. I'm happy for the both of you... The two of you fit well together." Trowa's smile grew now as he whispered, "Thank you, Zes."
Before Relena could say anything more, the sirens of the great ship sounded as the red lights flashed on and off. Instantly, the pilots lowered their towels and ran out to the lounge to reach the hallway. Knowing that their comrades would be in the hanger, that was where they headed. Entering the room as they continued to run, they saw their fellow Gundam pilots preparing themselves as they remained together in the midst of the Preventers that gathered there as well. Quickly, Trowa and Zes joined them as they watched Lieutenant Keiser step out onto a balcony overhead.
Looking down upon the massive fleet of soldiers, Keiser announced through the speakers, "We have just received word that an OZ fleet is now attacking the Earth." Everyone below gave some kind of reaction, whether it was a gasp or some kind of facial expression. Zes turned pale as her eyes went wide at this news. Brian was beside her as their hands wrapped around one another, both terrified to think of what could have been happening to their people. Delapan could be heard as she growled deeply, "It was only a matter of time before they would move to hit there."
They all continued to listen closely to Keiser as he continued, "It has been reported that the fleet consists of over eight hundred soldiers. Most likely, there will be more where that came from. Also, the Gundam suit known as Scorpio has been spotted along with the mobile suits." Quatre and Sette gasped loudly at this as they looked to each other with wide eyes for a moment before looking back to their Lieutenant. Keiser concluded, "We'll be fighting this one on our own, since there are no other Preventer crafts close enough to aid us for a while yet. Keep your eyes opened out there and good luck."
Duo smiled and turned to his friends as he announced, "Time to lock and load." Kumi nodded and suggested, "We'll use the new modifications on our suits. It'll be the best way of getting through the fight as quickly as possible." Everyone agreed and they spilt to run to their suits in the midst of the mass of Preventers that moved to aim themselves as well.
Relena turned to Brian and said, "I'm going with them." Brian looked to his wife with an initial look of concern and shock. It only lasted for a moment before he smiled proudly and nodded, "Be careful, love." Zes smiled and kissed him deeply before making her way to Calvary. Her comrades watched with relief and warm smiles.
Keiser was soon met by a Preventer who ran to him with a look of urgency and fear on her face. The Lieutenant looked to her and bent down as she motioned that she needed to tell him something. Over all of the noise, the young woman had to whisper into his ear to pass on the information that she had received. Keiser's eyes widened as he listened closely. The Preventer leaned back when the message had been passed and Keiser nodded to her. He quickly made his way to the balcony stairs.
Heero, Duo and Kumi remained on the ground with their Gundamimum belts in place as they watched their comrades enter their suits. Once everyone was ready, Trowa announced to the three of them, "We're ready when you are." The pilots nodded and pressed the buttons resting in the middle of the belts to initialize the modifications. Instantly, Wing Zero, Deathscythe and Excalibur shattered.
The metal knew exactly where it needed to go, forming armor around the pilot that the suit belonged to. Fully suited, Heero and Kumi's white angel wings were a mirror image of each other. The Wing pilot's body armor was white while his cousin's was black. Where Kumi's right arm bore her Buster Riffle and her left carried her laser sword, Heero's were just the opposite. Duo stood wearing his own black armor and massive demon wings. His right arm bore his own personal Riffle while his right carried a smaller version of his laser scythe.
Heavy Arms was given its black angel wings, Mason received its Buster Riffle and Euphoria its ability to act on Milliardo's thoughts all from Excalibur. Wing Zero's access Gundamimum added a huge switchblade into the right arm of Slither, a massive Samauri sword that rested across Nataku's back until needed and laser blade for Euphoria that was as large as the one Epion had in the Eve Wars. Finally Deathscythe's metal formed a hatch of heat-seeking missiles built into the chest of Sand Rock, a laser spear for Rampage and two large cannons hidden in the back of Calvary. The pilots looked to their new additions in elation.
Just then, Keiser ran to grab Heero's wrist and informed him, "We've just received a lock on the laser." The Wing pilot looked to him with wide eyes before nodding with a stern expression. He announced, "Duo, Milliardo, Sette and Delapan will be coming with me. I'll explain the details on the way to our target." Kumi continued, "The rest of us will be going to the Earth to handle the situation there." No one questioned the orders and understood what they needed to do. The Roman helmets of Heero, Duo and Kumi snapped down blue visors over their faces to provide all the oxygen they needed as they lead the pack to the hanger doors.
Once the metal entrance gave them a way out, Heero stepped to the edge and gave a flap from his wings. He shot off ahead with Duo and Kumi following in suit. Instantly, the Gundams took off behind them as they caught up and split into their groups. Heero and Duo gave Kumi a wave just before they turned to go their separate ways. The silver-haired pilot returned to gesture before turning towards the Earth with her team.
Keiser watched from the control room with Lady Une and Marimaya as the pilots shot into space along with the army from Pulsar. Lady Une couldn't help but smile at the proud expression on the Lieutenant's face as he watched the departure. She chuckled deeply, "Time to let the kids go again?" Keiser turned to her and smiled with a nod. Absently, they held hands tightly as they looked back to watch the flight of their soldiers.
* * * * * *
Silently, a beautiful, large patch a thick star dust traveled through the ocean of Space... making its way to its next target.
TBC
DISCLAIMER: The Gundam Wing characters (other that Kumi Yuy and Sette Devion) and not mine.
I have to thank Traci, Sam, Beekay, Silver Star, Mylia, Ruby, D-max, GREETER 600, Lily, Ryla, Stormy, Naz, Akuma, Kai, Enigma, my entire 1x2x1 family and everyone who is enjoying this fic. This fic never would have happened without you! Everything goes out to everyone! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 44: Silent Killer
by SkyLark
NARRATOR: A week had passed since the destruction of Colony O22. All attempts to understand what had brought about its demise fell short after and were soon dropped. It became clear that the only way to the find the answers behind this grave incident would come when OZ would attempt the same course of action.
"Until then, the Gundam pilots and their friends decided not to bring up the topic again. It had been too long since they were all together... And time would only tell how long they would be able to stay that way. They were all too aware that Quinze Kushrenadah was out there somewhere, planning his next move. The pilots decided that for now, they would take the defensive side in the battle."
* * * * * *
Heero and Duo settled comfortably in the large tub of their bathroom on Pulsar. The pilots sighed very deeply in content, simultaneously as they closed their eyes and took in the pleasure of a nice warm bath together. With his braid wrapped in a bun to keep his hair from getting wet, Duo rested the back of his head against the cool tile of the wall behind him. Heero lied beside him, resting his head over the American's chest over his heartbeat. They both had their eyes closed and smiles on their lips. "I don't think Heaven van be any better than this," Duo sighed in content. Heero chuckled deeply, "Not even close."
Opening their eyes, the pilots smiled to each other lovingly. They leaned in and shared a sweet kiss and settled back into their original positions. "I think we've been doing a pretty good job in making up for lost time during this week," Duo smiled. His lover nodded, "It's a start. But you know I can never get enough of you." The American kissed Heero's forehead and replied, "Right back at you, koi." They closed their eyes and sighed deeply again, enjoying the warm water surrounding them. Their hands met and held onto each other as their fingers intertwined.
Nothing was mentioned of the war or anything other than just being with one another. It felt like an eternity for both of them since they were this safe and happy. The war would always be there waiting for them. Right now, they just wanted to enjoy the fact that they were in each others arms again. No matter what was to come, they were determined to never be separated again.
* * * * * *
Stacy Stanton made her way into the hanger of an OZ carrier. Once she entered, she rose to the third balcony of the large room and continued her journey. Looking down, the young woman looked to the countless mobile suits. A sneer crossing her lips, she growled deeply to herself in anticipation, "It's about time that we got to put these things to good use." Finally making her way to the end of the balcony, Stanton leaned over the balcony and smiled upon to her Gundam. Scorpio stood in all its glory as it rested for the battle to come. The black-haired General chuckled deeply to herself as she thought of her next mission.
"You look like a tiger ready to strike," a deep voice suddenly stated from behind." Stacy turned quickly to see her lover smiling to her as he leaned against the other railing. She shrugged and smirked to him, "Well, you know that I am never one to sit still for long." Carter chuckled deeply as walked to his partner. Kissing the General deeply and with his arms wrapped tightly around her, replied with a sweep of his brown bangs to reveal his green eyes clearly, "I know that all too well." Stanton broke from the embrace and turned to look at her red suit again.
Carter shook his head as he continued to grin wickedly. Walking beside his lover, he rested his arms on the hand rail, just as she did and leaned forward as they gazed on the Gundam. "I know that you're anxious, Stacy," he began without turning to face her. "But keep your head out there. You'll most likely be up against all of them, you know." The General sneered as she stated, "I won't fail with Scorpio. This is one fight that I will not allow to go wrong."
Her partner nodded and turned to look at her. "I understand that. I'm just reminding you not to get too carried away out there. Even with all of the planning that went into this, there really is no telling what will happen when they join the battle." The young woman looked to him in shock before she glared, "You think less of me than those Gundam pilots?" Carter shook his head as he assured her, "Not at all, but you know that I don't want to anything to happen to you." Stanton remained expressionless at this and looked away from him as she replied coldly, "You shouldn't doubt me. It's not becoming of you."
Carter smirked and responded, "Well forgive me if I try and look for you." Stacy turned her head until her blue eyes met her lover's green. Shaking her head, she told him, "I have to get ready to leave." The young man nodded and kissed the General's temple and said quietly, "Yea. Make sure that you remember my advice." The young woman made no move to respond to his words or the kiss. Instead, she simply continued to look to Scorpio. Carter left her as he walked down the long balcony again. From her post, Stacy sneered to her Gundam, "Not long now at all, my friend."
* * * * * *
Colony D490 was resting silently not far from Mars as the people there went about their normal routines. While the war was all around them, everyone attempted to continue with their every-day lives. They had been fortunate over the years, the colony had never been directly threatened during the first two wars. Still, this was something that the people did not want to rely too heavily on in believing that they were safe from harm. This was a different war, one where good could turn evil in a heartbeat... and the serene could turn into chaos in the blink of an eye. Overhead, a wide and thick display of star dust gathered together to form a hazy cloud of colors and sparkles as it observed all from miles away.
* * * * * *
The next morning, Trowa was waking from a peaceful sleep as he lied in the bed that he now shared with Kumi at nights. Lying on his back, a deep sigh left the tall pilot as he slowly brought his eyes to open. Those green spheres widened for a moment when he realized that there was something in his arms. Slowly turning his head to his left, he looked in wonder at the sight of his lover. Her long, straight locks splayed over them like a thin, second sheet.
It was the first time that Trowa got to see the silver-haired pilot in this way. Every morning prior to this, she was never there when he awoke. His eyes softened as a loving smile crossed his lips. Kumi was still sleeping peacefully with her arms wrapped around the European pilot's bare waist and her head resting over where his heart was beating. Trowa had never seen anything more beautiful and for a long moment, couldn't remember how to breathe.
Finally, the sleeping pilot took a small, deep breath that was released in a deep sigh. Kumi's Prussian eyes blinked a few times before focusing and turning up to see the angelic smile on her partner's lips. "You stayed," Trowa whispered breathlessly. The 'Perfect Soldier' gave a warm smile in return and moved up to kiss him gently. The kiss became deep as tongues met and embraces tightened until there was no space between the lovers.
Breaking only for air, Kumi smiled down to her koi and whispered, "I couldn't think of any place I would rather be." There was a brief pause as Trowa's eyes widened at the impact of these few words. He sat up, claiming his lover's love with his own into a searing kiss.
The need for air was all that broke them apart once again. They panted gently and locked eyes with one another. Trowa wrapped his arms around the other pilot as she rested her head under his neck and returned the embrace. "I love you," the tall pilot whispered. "I love you too," came the whispered response.
* * * * * *
At that time, a young woman was walking with her young son as they made their way down the streets of D490. Looking to the beautiful cloud of stardust hundreds of miles above the Colony, the little boy smiled brightly and pointed to it calling, "Mommy, look!" His mother looked up to where her son was pointing and looked to the haze in wonder. Many people were doing the same now as they looked and pointed in awe to the cloud of stars. "I- I never saw anything so beautiful," the young woman whispered breathlessly.
Just after these words left her, the cloud suddenly split in half as a golden beam shot from the break in the center. Before anyone could react, the sky was covered in a golden light that engulfed the entire Colony. The only response were the cries and screams of agony and shock that came from the victims. No sooner had the beam appeared before it was gone again, leaving nothing of Colony D490 but miles of debris.
* * * * * *
Kumi gasped in shock and pain loudly as she remained in Trowa's arms. Her grip around her lover tightened as her eyes squeezed shut and her breath became quick pants. Trowa's eyes widened as he shouted, "Kumi!?!" Her nails dug into the skin of his back as he gave a small gasp and winced at the pain. He held onto his partner tighter as he tried to soothe her.
It took a moment for the 'Perfect Soldier' to relax as she slumped in Trowa's arms, her face relaxed but her eyes never opening. The tall pilot held her close to keep her from falling together. Grabbing her shoulders, Trowa held her up before him as he called, "Kumi!?!" His lover slowly opened her Prussian eyes and whispered gravely, "It's happened again."
The European pilot blinked before asked gently, running a hand through Kumi's silver locks, "What's happened again, love?" The Japanese pilot replied as she locked eyes with him, "The same thing that happened to Y453, V10 and O22... and so many others..." Trowa's eyes widened as he gasped, "You know what destroyed all of them!?!" The other pilot shook her head, "I can only see and feel it happening for a brief moment, as it's happening. I don't know what it was that is responsible."
The tall pilot closed his eyes and lowered his head as he whispered sadly, "And another Colony was just joined the others." Kumi nodded and answered simply, "Yea." Trowa wrapped his love tightly in his arms and the embrace was returned as the 'Perfect Soldier' closed her eyes and buried her head in his chest, finding comfort and warmth there as she always had.
* * * * * *
Lieutenant Keiser was waiting in his office on Pulsar not long later, sitting at his desk with his hands folded before his face with a look of loss in his eyes and all over his face. There came a knock at the door and the Lieutenant lowered his hands as he looked to it. "Come in," he called. The door opened as Heero and Kumi entered the room side-by-side. Keiser sighed deeply in relief as he rose and greeted, "Please, make yourselves comfortable. The two pilots walked to the chairs waiting for them before the desk. Sitting straight in the chairs, they watched as Keiser returned to his own seat.
Heero asked, "Which Colony was destroyed this morning?" Keiser's shock at this was clear as his head snapped up to meet the Wing pilot with wide eyes and a pale face. "H-how did you know-?" Realizing that the answer didn't matter, he stopped himself. The Lieutenant closed his eyes and lowered his own head as he said quietly, "Colony D490." Neither pilot moved to answer with words. Their saddened expressions said more than enough. Heero sat back in his chair and Kumi's head lowered, knowing that their fears were justified... They were able to protect another Colony and the lives of the people there.
Keiser cleared his throat and looked back as us he said, "We, uh... Just received word an hour ago." Holding up a file in his hands, he informed his friends, "These pictures we received have pinpointed what caused the destruction." Two pairs of Prussian eyes widened as they focused on the stack of photos in the young man's hands. Leaning forward, the 'Perfect Soldiers' allowed Keiser to remove the images from their folder as he explained, "These are pictures hat had been taken by Preventers throughout Space. They were taken from as early as a week after the war began to a week ago today."
The pictures that were spread across the desk revealed images of a massive cloud of star cloud. There were black-and-white images as well as colored shots. All the while, they showed generally the same cloud. The Lieutenant allowed the Japanese pilots to look through the images before taking a colored image to hold it up as he informed them, "This shot was taken just seven days ago, by a Preventer stationed on Mars's orbit." Heero took the picture into his hand and looked to it closely with Kumi doing the same as they leaned closely together. It only took a moment for them to absorb what they were looking at before their eyes narrowed. Keiser nodded as he asked, "Look familiar?"
The silver-haired pilot ran her finger over the image of the cloud as she noted, "It's similar all of the other clouds, but it shifts and moves like any star dust would." Keiser replied, "That's what OZ wanted us to think." Removing one last photo, he stated, "I had that image magnified after we received it this morning with news of D490's destruction." The magnified image revealed a very large black, round gap hidden within the haze of dust. Both pilots looked to the image in shock mixed with rage. Kumi growled deeply, "A laser." Heero hissed, "Those bastards managed to find a way to deflect attention to it by camouflaging their weapon to appear like a normal star cluster." Keiser nodded and replied, "A silent killer."
Heero sat back in his seat as he stated, "It's twice the size of the Barge Cannon. It could easily take out five Colonies in one shot." Kumi shook her head and said in her usual monotone, "OZ has been taking their time to enjoy torturing us. They're using this as a way to flush us out of hiding." The Lieutenant responded, "Exactly. It's more than reasonable to say that the laser will be making its way through the Colonies to slowly wipe them out." The Wing pilot asked, "Have there been any more reports on this cloud?" Keiser shook his head, "Not as of yet, but every Preventer craft and Colony has been alerted to inform us if they find anything that looks similar to the clouds here.
Satisfied with this, the two pilots relaxed a bit and looked to each other. Kumi crossed her arms across her chest and crossed her legs as she told her cousin, "We'll need to split the group in case something should happen anywhere else in Space when the laser is located again. It's a large ship, too, so you'll need to take at least five others with you." Heero nodded, "I'll take Duo and Milliardo. They were both a part in taking down the Barge Cannon in the Eve Wars. I'd like to take two more, but I wouldn't want to put you at a disadvantage and I wouldn't be able to choose the last two that I should take."
The silver-pilot replied, "You won't be leaving anyone at a disadvantage. You should take Sette and Delapan." Both Keiser and Heero looked to her as through she had two heads. The Wing pilot asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kumi shrugged and deadpanned, "They're a good team when they're fighting the same enemy." The Wing pilot smirked at this and nodded, "Alright. I trust your judgment." Keiser smiled in relief as he rose from his seat and said, "I'll inform all of you the moment we hear any sightings on the laser." Heero nodded, "We'll be waiting," as he and Kumi rose as well. They shook the Lieutenant's hand before stepping out of his office.
Making their way down the hall, the 'Perfect Soldiers' remained in silence as they remained side-by-side. After a brief pause, Heero closed his eyes as he lowered his head and chuckled deeply. Kumi looked to him in uncertainty as she asked, "What is it?" The Wing pilot chuckled deeply, "Just thinking about how we've changed over the years... Trusting others enough that we place our lives and the lives of those we're trying to protect in their hands." The silver-haired pilot chuckled in response, "And not wanting to kill ourselves every chance we got into battle." Heero smiled and nodded, "Yea... That kind of stuff."
Kumi chuckled deeply. Sighing deeply, she echoed, "Yea." There was a brief pause between the pilots again as they continued to make their way down the halls. Just then, Heero sneered wickedly to his cousin, "Race you to the lounge." Kumi sneered back without a second thought, "You're on." The broke off until a full run as they laughed and loudly while lapping the ship as fast as their feet could carry them.
* * * * * *
The Gundam pilots, with the exception of Wufei, gathered together not long later in one of the ship's lounges. Sette and Delapan were playing a few card games at the end of one of the long table that rested in the center of the room. At the other end of the table, Kumi was working on her laptop as Noin and Milliardo sat with their coffee and tea, discussing anything other than the war.
Mirando was playing with building blocks by the couches as Heero and Duo smiled and watched the six-month-old. Together, they laughed and played along with him as they helped with his construction as they all sat on the floor. Occasionally, Mirando would knock over the blocks if he wasn't happy with the way that they looked, instantly bringing his two Uncles into loud fits of laughter along with him.
Trowa and Quatre took to their music at the other end of the room. The tall pilot played with his flute and the Arabian played his violin, filling the large space with their sounds. Zes and Brian were sitting on a couch together, listening to the beautiful songs as they watched the two musicians. The Queen of the World was now the healthiest she had been in weeks, prior to her fainting spell. While her stomach had been growing with along with the tiny lives inside, Relena was still able to manage on her own without any difficulty.
Sette and Delapan continued to play their round of 'War,' throwing their cards down and both sides gaining and losing a fair amount of cards each turn. Together, they threw down their cards and looked quickly to what was on the top of their stacks. "Gottch 'ya, Sette," Delapan chuckled deeply as she took the tomboy's pile. Sette sneered, "The game's not over yet, Monkey Girl."
They continued their game as Noin and Milliardo chuckled deeply from where they watched. Noin turned to her husband and said quietly, "Off all the games they could be playing, you would think that they'd pick something other than War." Wind smiled and kissed her forehead before chuckling deeply, "Just be glad they're only playing with cards." Fire gave a wide smile and nodded as she looked back to the young pilots, "This is true."
Mirando had given up on his block building and proceeded to crawl to where Heero and Duo were sitting on the floor with him. The braided pilot smiled brightly as he rose and gathered the child into his arms. Looking to the construction of blocks that Mirando made, Duo smiled to him, "Your parents might not want you to pilot a Gundam, but you'll be one of the best designers out there when you're older." Mirando laughed and began to play with the long braid that fell over Duo's shoulder. His laughter was matched with Deathscythe's pilot.
Heero smiled lovingly to the sight. Just then, the American turned to face him and smiled, "Why don't you try holding him, Heero?" The Wing pilot's eyes widened at this request as a hint of nervousness met his features. "I don't know how," he said quietly. Duo continued to smile as he replied, "I'll show you. You'll be fine." Heero nodded and rose to stand before his partner.
Duo demonstrated, "Just have one hand to support him against you and one to protect the back of his head." Heero gave a nod and said, "Alright. I'll try it." Duo handed the child over to his koi and smiled warmly at how easily Heero managed to get past his nervousness. Mirando smiled brightly as he laughed and wrapped his arms around the Wing pilot's neck. The 'Perfect Soldier' quickly found a comfortable position for the both of them and began to walk around the room with the child. Duo watched with a warm smile as Heero took the child around the room.
Heero felt his own concerns vanish as Mirando continued to laugh and wave to everyone around him. He couldn't help but smile, himself, at how easy it was to handle one so small. On would never know that this was the first time that he was with a baby. Kumi stopped her typing to look to her cousin as he held Mirando. Smiling to herself, she nodded and returned to her work on the laptop. Heero rejoined his lover in the middle of the room and asked him, "How am I doing?" Duo's smile never vanished and he whispered, "Perfect."
The door to the lounge opened as Wufei and Sally Poe entered. Only then did Trowa and Quatre stop playing the music that they had been lost in, since they were the closest to the door. The blonde pilot smiled, "I was wondering where the two of you were." Wufei replied, "Well, Sally and I had something that we needed to... discuss."
At this, the door to the large room opened again as Lady Une and Lieutenant Keiser joined their friends. Both Wufei and Sally seemed be relieved with their arrival as they watched them enter. The other pilots made their way to them as they got the feeling that something was up. Sally smiled to all of them, "Well, we wanted all of you together so that we could tell you..."
Looking to the Chinese pilot as he nodded, Sally and Wufei turned and announced simultaneously with bright smiles, "We're married." Everyone before them gasped and gave looks of elation as this news set in. Milliardo and Noin looked the least surprised as they watched the others cheer and hug the newlyweds tightly. Together, Wind and Fire quickly snuck into the lounge's small kitchen.
Once everyone got over their shock and managed to congratulate Wufei and Sally, Zes asked, "When did this happen?" The Chinese pilot answered, "About a month ago. Milliardo and Noin were our witnesses." Sally explained, "We didn't want our marriage to be a big event. And we wanted to tell you when you were all together and ready." Quatre smiled, "Well, would it be alright if we have a celebration when the war is over? The two of you deserve it." Wufei and Sally smiled to each other before nodding to the Arabian. Wufei replied, "Thank you, Quatre. That's a nice offer."
Milliardo and Noin entered the lounge again with a sheet cake large enough for everyone present. Wind informed the others, "Noin and I knew that the announcement was going to be made today, so we made a this for the occasion." His wife smiled and shrugged, "It's the least we could do for now." Wufei and Sally looked to them with shock that soon faded into gratitude. Everyone made their way to the table and began cutting the cake as they took their cups of tea and coffee. Together, they spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing about different things. But of all of these topics, not one of them mentioned the war.
* * * * * *
Quinze Kushrenadah sipped a mouthful of blood-red wine from a crystal glass as he looked to his best soldier as he sat across the table. Demetris took up his own glass of wine and looked to it questionably before gazing to his commander. "You're aware that Stacy is now on her way to complete her task." The young man smiled and nodded, "I am fully aware of that. She always was good at following orders when they were given."
The tall man nodded and took a sip of his wine before lowering the glass again. He paused and looked to the liquid, spinning the crystal base on the table surface to cause ripples in the wine. "It won't be much longer before one of the two sides arises victorious, Your Excellency," he noted with a tone that was as empty as his expression with every word he spoke.
Gazing to his best pilot with a smug grin, he asked, "Why the uncertainty, Demetris? You doubt that we will be victorious ones?" The giant looked to him and shook his head, "No, I don't. But the Gundam pilots now have Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell again. While I know that we'll be able to stop them, you know as well as I do that they won't make the win an easy one." Lowering his head, he continued, "I respect your wish not to kill either of them while they were in our possession... But if we had killed them, the Gundam pilots would not be the greater threat that they are now."
Kushrenadah sighed deeply and shook his head, "And all this time, I thought that you were a man who enjoyed a challenge. Apparently I had mistaken you with the man who had been the greatest match to Kumi Yuy, the man who would never sleep until he knew that she and every Gundam pilot like her was destroyed." Just the mention of that name caused the giant's eyes to narrow as his boiled within him. He growled deeply and squeezed the glass in his hand enough to crush it. The OZ leader chuckled deeply and sneered, "That's more like it." Demetris's right hand was covered in the wine as the glass remained in small slpinters on the table.
The red liquid ran from his finger tips down his forearm, giving the impression of thick blood. His anger never faded as Quinze smiled, "Now, get yourself cleaned up and we can discuss our next plans of action in my office." The this, he rose from his seat and walked from the room without looking back.
Demetris looked down to his hand, still glaring all the while as he saw the red ooze that painted him. Clenching his fist as tightly as he could, he hissed, "You won't slip from my grasp again, my dear..." He chuckled deeply, "It will be your blood on my hands when next we meet." The wine continued to spread on the floor and down the giant's arm as his chuckle grew into a loud and maddened laugh.
* * * * * *
By the time that all of the cake had been finished and everyone began to clear the table, Lady Une looked to her watch and turned to Keiser. "We should get back to the control room." The Lieutenant nodded and made his way back to the lounge doors as they smiled and waved to their comrades, who returned the gesture. Sette and Delapan offered to take care of the dishes as they walked into the kitchen with the plates, forks and knives that hadn't been gathered from the table. Meanwhile, the lounge was slowly emptying as the pilots made their way to accomplish other tasks to keep them occupied.
In the kitchen, Sette and Delapan were washing and drying the everything that they gathered. "So you are certain that it wasn't a Holocaust that was used on O22 last week?" the redhead asked as she wiped another fork clean under the running water. The tomboy nodded as she dried a white plate, "Holocausts don't have the power to crush Colonies until they're only rubble. They're simply used to... exterminate." The last word was said quietly, gravely and with difficulty on the young queen's behalf. Placing the plates back in the shelves, Sette sighed deeply, "Kumi and I have seen and worked around Holocausts since the Marimaya incident. They never get any easier to deal with."
Catherine asked, "Why hadn't we heard anything of them up until the beginning of this war?" The tomboy replied, "It was a different war. No one on the Earth or in the Colonies close to it were in danger. So it was decided that it would be best not to mention of the Holocausts once Kumi and I thought that they had all been destroyed, along with their designs." Delapan nodded, "Makes sense. So what do you think destroyed O22?" The blue-haired pilot shook her head, "Not a clue. There are too many possibilities as to what might have happened." She finished putting away the last of the plates and moved back to the sink to start drying the silverware.
As they continued to work through their chore, Delapan chuckled deeply, "If anyone had told me over a year ago that I would be piloting a Gundam suit, I never would have believed it." Sette laughed, "Same here. You sucked at it when you began your training." The redhead turned to glare to the tomboy at this remark. The other pilot shrugged and smiled, "What? You did." Catherine sneered, "Well, I never would have thought that anyone as childish as yourself would have made it as a Gundam pilot, either." The pilots gave each other their classic death glares to each other with the faucet water making the only sound in the room for a moment.
Returning to their own tasks, they worked in silence. After a very long pause, Sette finally shot, "I think somebody is missing her ape friends back at the circus-" Before she could continue her insult, Sette watched with wide eyes as Delapan grabbed the butcher's knife that was used to slice the cake while she screamed, "THAT'S IT!" The redhead raised the knife over her head and took aim at the startled tomboy.
Trowa ran into the kitchen and gasped as he looked in shock to the sight before him. He shouted to the blue-haired pilot, "SETTE, DON'T MOVE!" Sette remained frozen and Delapan's head snapped in the direction of the door, never lowering the knife she held. Trowa crossed his arms and shook his head to his sister with an angry expression on his face as he scorned, "Catherine." Delapan smirked and lowered the knife as she shrugged, "I was just going to see if my aim was still good." Her brother sighed deeply and made his way to the sink while Sette gave a sharp, "Humph," as she glared back to Delapan.
Catherine turned to the tall pilot before lowering her head and sighing deeply, "I'm sorry, Trowa. We were starting to talk about what happened to O22 and I couldn't think straight much longer after that." Sette lowered her own head as she nodded her agreement with this. Trowa understood their situation and told them, "You both should try and unwind elsewhere," he stressed, "in separate rooms. I'll finish the rest of this for you." Both Delapan and Sette gave the tall pilot looks of relief and gratitude as they dried themselves with the towels on the counter before leaving the kitchen, never looking to one another the whole time.
Witnessing the departure from the sink, Trowa sighed deeply as he finished washing the dishes that remained. Zes entered and made her way towards the European pilot. She smiled as she took up the dish towel and shrugged, "Well, they managed to get through a week without threatening each other." Trowa shook his head, "They're just getting nervous about what happened with O22 last week." Removing a cleaned plate from the sink, he continued, "The fact is that no matter how much we don't want to think about what happened, we'll never be able to really get past it." Relena nodded, "It comes with piloting a Gundam... Being protective for the Earth and Space is a constant concern."
The tall pilot nodded back with a smile of his own before he helped Calvary's pilot dry the remainder of the dishes. Relena bit her lip as she looked to her comrade and asked, "So, what is going on between you and Kumi?" Trowa's eyes widened as he fumbled the butter knives that he had been holding.
Managing to catch them just before they hit the ground, he looked to Zes with his look of shock still in place. Quickly, he ridded his face of that reaction as he cleared his throat and turned away to ask, "What do you mean?" Relena smiled and replied, "I managed to catch her calling you Koibito during the fight against Nebula." Caught again, the tall pilot looked to his friend and replied, "Well... I... We- uh..."
Zes's smile grew as she assured her friend, "I'm sorry, Trowa. I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's just that I thought it was sweet that she called you that." The tall pilot couldn't help but smile at the memory as he noted quietly, "It means a lot to hear that from her." Finally, he admitted, "We have become... close." The Queen of the World beamed and replied sincerely, "I know that you'll be able to share the great news with everyone when you're ready, much like Wufei and Sally and the announcement of their marriage just now. I'm happy for the both of you... The two of you fit well together." Trowa's smile grew now as he whispered, "Thank you, Zes."
Before Relena could say anything more, the sirens of the great ship sounded as the red lights flashed on and off. Instantly, the pilots lowered their towels and ran out to the lounge to reach the hallway. Knowing that their comrades would be in the hanger, that was where they headed. Entering the room as they continued to run, they saw their fellow Gundam pilots preparing themselves as they remained together in the midst of the Preventers that gathered there as well. Quickly, Trowa and Zes joined them as they watched Lieutenant Keiser step out onto a balcony overhead.
Looking down upon the massive fleet of soldiers, Keiser announced through the speakers, "We have just received word that an OZ fleet is now attacking the Earth." Everyone below gave some kind of reaction, whether it was a gasp or some kind of facial expression. Zes turned pale as her eyes went wide at this news. Brian was beside her as their hands wrapped around one another, both terrified to think of what could have been happening to their people. Delapan could be heard as she growled deeply, "It was only a matter of time before they would move to hit there."
They all continued to listen closely to Keiser as he continued, "It has been reported that the fleet consists of over eight hundred soldiers. Most likely, there will be more where that came from. Also, the Gundam suit known as Scorpio has been spotted along with the mobile suits." Quatre and Sette gasped loudly at this as they looked to each other with wide eyes for a moment before looking back to their Lieutenant. Keiser concluded, "We'll be fighting this one on our own, since there are no other Preventer crafts close enough to aid us for a while yet. Keep your eyes opened out there and good luck."
Duo smiled and turned to his friends as he announced, "Time to lock and load." Kumi nodded and suggested, "We'll use the new modifications on our suits. It'll be the best way of getting through the fight as quickly as possible." Everyone agreed and they spilt to run to their suits in the midst of the mass of Preventers that moved to aim themselves as well.
Relena turned to Brian and said, "I'm going with them." Brian looked to his wife with an initial look of concern and shock. It only lasted for a moment before he smiled proudly and nodded, "Be careful, love." Zes smiled and kissed him deeply before making her way to Calvary. Her comrades watched with relief and warm smiles.
Keiser was soon met by a Preventer who ran to him with a look of urgency and fear on her face. The Lieutenant looked to her and bent down as she motioned that she needed to tell him something. Over all of the noise, the young woman had to whisper into his ear to pass on the information that she had received. Keiser's eyes widened as he listened closely. The Preventer leaned back when the message had been passed and Keiser nodded to her. He quickly made his way to the balcony stairs.
Heero, Duo and Kumi remained on the ground with their Gundamimum belts in place as they watched their comrades enter their suits. Once everyone was ready, Trowa announced to the three of them, "We're ready when you are." The pilots nodded and pressed the buttons resting in the middle of the belts to initialize the modifications. Instantly, Wing Zero, Deathscythe and Excalibur shattered.
The metal knew exactly where it needed to go, forming armor around the pilot that the suit belonged to. Fully suited, Heero and Kumi's white angel wings were a mirror image of each other. The Wing pilot's body armor was white while his cousin's was black. Where Kumi's right arm bore her Buster Riffle and her left carried her laser sword, Heero's were just the opposite. Duo stood wearing his own black armor and massive demon wings. His right arm bore his own personal Riffle while his right carried a smaller version of his laser scythe.
Heavy Arms was given its black angel wings, Mason received its Buster Riffle and Euphoria its ability to act on Milliardo's thoughts all from Excalibur. Wing Zero's access Gundamimum added a huge switchblade into the right arm of Slither, a massive Samauri sword that rested across Nataku's back until needed and laser blade for Euphoria that was as large as the one Epion had in the Eve Wars. Finally Deathscythe's metal formed a hatch of heat-seeking missiles built into the chest of Sand Rock, a laser spear for Rampage and two large cannons hidden in the back of Calvary. The pilots looked to their new additions in elation.
Just then, Keiser ran to grab Heero's wrist and informed him, "We've just received a lock on the laser." The Wing pilot looked to him with wide eyes before nodding with a stern expression. He announced, "Duo, Milliardo, Sette and Delapan will be coming with me. I'll explain the details on the way to our target." Kumi continued, "The rest of us will be going to the Earth to handle the situation there." No one questioned the orders and understood what they needed to do. The Roman helmets of Heero, Duo and Kumi snapped down blue visors over their faces to provide all the oxygen they needed as they lead the pack to the hanger doors.
Once the metal entrance gave them a way out, Heero stepped to the edge and gave a flap from his wings. He shot off ahead with Duo and Kumi following in suit. Instantly, the Gundams took off behind them as they caught up and split into their groups. Heero and Duo gave Kumi a wave just before they turned to go their separate ways. The silver-haired pilot returned to gesture before turning towards the Earth with her team.
Keiser watched from the control room with Lady Une and Marimaya as the pilots shot into space along with the army from Pulsar. Lady Une couldn't help but smile at the proud expression on the Lieutenant's face as he watched the departure. She chuckled deeply, "Time to let the kids go again?" Keiser turned to her and smiled with a nod. Absently, they held hands tightly as they looked back to watch the flight of their soldiers.
* * * * * *
Silently, a beautiful, large patch a thick star dust traveled through the ocean of Space... making its way to its next target.
TBC