DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters with the exception of Kumi Yuy and Sette Devion.
This goes out to all of my friends and supporters: Snodin, Traci, Sam, Beekay, Ruby, Mylia, Ryla, GREETER 600, D-max, Stormy, Naz, Akuma, Kai, Enigma, Lily, Kit, Toynit, my entire 1x2x1 family and everyone who reads and enjoys this fic. *tackle glomps*
Special thanks to: My sister Snodin, for knowing I could do this; Traci, for being here from the start; Sam, for accepting a number of 'missions' for this fic's progression when I was torn between options, Stormy, for getting me in 1x2x1 when she read this; Akuma, for chibi Duo *cuddles chibi Duo tight*; Naz, for the kind words every episode; and Tora, for the continuous support. This fic wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.*MEGATACKLEGLOMPS* I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 49: Measure for Measure
by SkyLark
Quinze Khushrenadah walked his white Gundam closer to the winged pilots before him. The OZ leader smirked, "You look so surprised." Heero and Duo growled deeply as they looked to the modified version of TallGeese. The spikes in the walls went back inside until there was nothing left of them. The OZ leader snickered, "I won't need any help in destroying the both of you." Duo sneered, "Confident about that, ne?" Together, he and his partner flew quickly to the white Gundam, crisscrossing as they made their way to the OZ leader that was responsible for the war that brought so much pain and destruction.
As quickly as they were able to fly with their wings, the Heero and Duo were unable to reach the white Gundam before TallGeese's right hand aimed to the pilots and transformed into a large barrel that sprayed flames the moment that it was revealed. Taken back by this modification, both Heero and Duo barely managed to escape its path as they darted away and hovered above the suit. Looking down to it, they looked wide-eyed to the impressive sight. TallGeese's head turned up in their direction as Quinze chuckled deeply, "Sorry to frighten you with that one." Heero snapped, "K'so!" With his death glare, the 'Perfect Soldier' charged towards the OZ Gundam.
Quinze laughed, "Your bravery is to be admired, Yuy!" Saying this, he brought his suit to fly towards the angel-winged pilot to meet him before anyone knew what was happening. "Nani!?!" Heero shouted as he was a few short feet before colliding with TallGeese, its laser blade swinging ahead of it as the OZ leader was in perfect range to slicing him down. Heero managed to pull back just in time to spare his life from the sword. Duo was unable to move as he witnessed the close call from above. As his fiancee reached him, the braided pilot whispered, "He moves faster than we ever could." Suddenly, another round of flames shot for the Gundam pilots as they had to split apart to avoid it.
* * * * * *
Trowa was finally able to take out enough mobile suits that he could break through their defenses and reach the fortress where his friends were. The tall pilot wiped some sweat from his forehead with his eyes focused on his monitors as he told himself, "There hasn't been any contact from them in the last half hour." Quickly, Trowa typed at his controls and locked into his radars. While Heavy Arms was still a good several miles from the domain, the tall pilot managed to pick up his lover's signal. With wide eyes, the European pilot shouted, "Kumi hasn't even come close to reaching Mystia's heart yet!" Following the signal to where she was, Trowa brought Heavy Arms to fly towards the side of the facility. Once he reached the location, he opened fire until an opening was made for his suit to fly straight through.
Entering the dimly lit halls, Trowa looked to his surroundings of barren, metal walls, observation windows and think steel doors as far as he could see. Before he needed to look much longer, the tall pilot heard the sounds of crashes in one of the labs to his right and a few doors down. Just as he turned Heavy Arms in that direction, an armored, slender figure crashed through a glass window, hit the opposite wall and fell at great force to steel ground onto its side. While everything happened so fast and the figure's broken form hid their face, they were easily identified thanks to the silver hair that was splayed all around.
Trowa gasped loudly with horror in his eyes as he shouted, "KUMI!" The fallen pilot groaned softly as she forced herself to get up. Once she managed to hold everything above her waist off the ground, her Prussian eyes widened as she looked to Heavy Arms. At the top of her lungs, she screamed, "TROWA GET OUT OF HERE!" No sooner had this warning left her than the clone of Demetirs flew through the opening that his prey had made in the observation glass. With a loud cry, the black Gundamimum-winged pilot attempted to cut his enemy through with his lased blade swinging downward from over his head. Kumi managed to block his sword with her own, lifting it just over her brow.
Before anyone could blink, 'Demetris' growled deeply and pulled back, flapped his black wings and charged the silver-haired pilot as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. The force of his attack sent them plowing through the metal wall as they disappeared. Trowa was still in disbelief as he looked to the hole that bore the only proof that his wide eyes weren't failing him. "T-they cloned that monster," he whispered hoarsely to himself. Just then, he was met with gunfire from behind. Turning Heavy Arms quickly, Trowa's eyes narrowed as he was engaged in hand-to-hand combat against an army of OZ soldiers again. "DAMN IT!" he hissed as he went on to fight, "When the hell are we going to get a break!?!"
* * * * * *
Colony O72 continued to fall as the Gundam pilots were finally able to reach its atmosphere. After a grueling hour in Space as they fought off the first wave of OZ soldiers, their Preventer force had been hit hardest. Surprisingly, however, more than half of their unit remained. Working as one, they soared down to the threatened Colony as they were met by another large swarm of soldiers. Milliardo announced to his comrades, "We only have six hours to keep this place from crashing into the Earth!" Firing her Buster riffle, Sette growled deeply, "At this rate, we'll be lucky if we manage to get anywhere near the Colony's center in that amount of time!"
Delapan lassoed three mobile suits with Slither's snake whip and brought them to be crushed and within its grip. Turning to Calvary, she asked in concern, "How are you feeling, Zes?" The Queen of the World took out a handful of soldiers with the lasers that rested on each shoulder of her Gundam. Looking back to her red-haired comrade, she smiled and wiped some sweat from her brow as she replied, "I'm fine, Delapan. No need to worry." Catherine nodded as she smiled, "Just don't overdo it, alright." The young queen assured her, "I won't." The pilots returned their full attention to the fight as they plowed through the OZ soldiers that spread across the skies.
Noin shot down a good number of suits as she reloaded her bow at a rapid pace. Scanning the area, she informed her comrades, "We need to spread out more. At this point, the first ones to the Colony's center win." Quatre spun his Gundam to slice through the mobile suits that surrounded him. After hearing the statement made by Fire, he nodded, "Right now, we have to stay here and try and defend the Preventers until help arrives." Looking to one of the Preventer suits, the Arabian asked, "Lady Une, any word on when the first recruits will be arriving?" The young woman replied, "Not for an other hour yet." Wufei sprayed fire through the mobile suits as he stated, "Hopefully by then, we'll have a chance to break through OZ's defenses." Together, the Chinese pilot and his friends continued to battle the OZ mobile suits left and right.
* * * * * *
In the city that lied within one of the Colony's forests, the people gathered in the center watched the skies as they could just make out some of the battle. The middle-aged citizen with red hair scanned the buildings that lined either side of the streets. His blonde friend asked quietly, "Are you sure this is going to work?" The redhead nodded and replied, "Just keep still." All of their neighbors seemed to be on their toes about something as they looked to the guards that kept them at gunpoint. The clones never paid any mind, knowing that there wasn't anything that their prisoners could do to them. The redhead looked up to the clock tower that stood in the center of the town as it witnessed everything. In the bell of the tower, a hand stretched out as it caught the light of the artificial sun and flashed it quickly.
The tall, red-haired man caught this immediately and screamed, "GET DOWN!!!" At this, everyone of his friends and neighbors got to the ground, most screaming as they covered their heads as they stretched along the ground. This same instant, the windows of every house and building surrounding the sight were broken as guns fired upon the OZ guards. The soldiers screamed as they attempted to return fire, but they had no way to defend themselves. As their numbers were cut down, handfuls of men and women came from the buildings as they armed their friends in the streets. The red-haired man took a machine gun and stood atop a monument of a dove that was in the middle of the square as he shot the OZ soldiers that remained alive. Within minutes, all eighty soldiers were left down to one.
That last guard aimed for the redhead as his narrowed eyes focused on him. The civilian, however, was too quick as he fired three bullets into the soldier's chest. Panting as he looked around to his people while they got to their feet, the red-haired man shouted as he perched at the top of the statue, "Every child and anyone who can't fight, get into the houses now! Those who can fight, arm yourselves!" Jumping from the monument, he led an army of more than ninety-strong. Looking to one of the young men that came to the town's aid, the red-haired man asked, "What of the cities throughout the woods?" The other man replied, "They're being raided now. The people there should be joining us shortly." The redhead nodded, "Good."
* * * * * *
Heero and Duo were still working to somehow catch their enemy off-guard as they tried a number of tactics. The braided pilot shot just past TallGeese's head to catch Quinze's attention. It worked as the OZ leader focused on shooting him down, following him with every twist and turn that he made overhead, just beyond his reach. Heero took his laser blade and charged to the hatch of the cockpit as he swooped around from the back. It was just as the Wing pilot was feet from reaching his target when Khushrenadah noticed him and realized the situation. In a sudden move, he raised TallGeese's right hand up to capture Duo. There wasn't anyway the American could have prevented being caught. Immediately, the metal fingers around him began to squeeze tightly. A choked scream left the braided pilot as he felt his air being cut off.
With everything happening so fast, it wasn't until he heard his lover's cry when Heero realized that Duo was in danger. He froze and looked up with wide eyes to see his partner being crushed. Finding that he had the Wing pilot's undivided attention, Quinze hurled the braided pilot across the room. Duo limp form crashed into the wall and hit the ground forcefully. Just as Heero was about to fly to his koi's side, he heard something coming from behind. Turning quickly, the 'Perfect Soldier' was hit right in the chest with the back of TallGeese's laser blade. Heero's back slammed against the wall before the white Gundam. Somehow, he managed to remain airborne as his eyes were squeezed shut to the agony of the assault. The moment his eyes began to open, they widened as they saw Quinze's laser blade just feet from falling upon him.
Just as the blade was about to make its mark, Duo came from nowhere as he tackled Heero to the ground with him. Quinze's eyes burned with rage as he shouted out in frustration, sending a wave of flames from his suit's right arm after the pilots. The moment that they landed on their stomachs, Duo covered his stunned partner with his right demon wing to shield him from the fire that fell upon them. Panting and drenched, they looked to each other with concern in their wide eyes. "Are you alright?" Duo shouted. Heero nodded, "Yea. Are you okay?" Duo nodded back with a relieved smile. Once they felt and heard the flames pass, Duo's wing relaxed as he and Heero got to their feet. With the pilots glaring to him threateningly, Quinze sneered, "This is the first time I've been able to see you both fight first-hand. I finally see why you fit so well together."
Never losing his sneer, Khushrenadah raised his laser blade over head and stated, "But all good things must come to an end." At this, he dropped his blade at amazing speed. Before they could be cut down, Heero and Duo split to avoid the weapon just in time. Returning to their quick maneuvers and attacks, the pair found themselves in the same position they had been from the beginning. Only a handful of their assaults ever made their mark and those that did never phased the OZ leader and TallGeese.
After many spins and flips past the relentless OZ pilot, Heero finally managed to get a clear shot of the TallGeese with his Buster Riffle. Firing his laser, he watched as Quinze turned to see the shot coming for him. The beam missed by mere seconds as the white suit jumped out of harm's way. The Wing pilot hissed, "Damn it! He's too fast!" Duo charged for the cockpit with his laser scythe as Quinze was still recovering from the close call with the Riffle's beam. Again, just before he could be harmed, the OZ pilot managed to regain focus. He growled to the image of the braided pilot as he was a breath away from nailing his cockpit. Taking back of his Gundam's right hand, he swatted away the demon-winged pilot in one hit.
Duo managed to keep himself from colliding with another wall as he spread his wings out to catch an updraft. Heero and Duo pulled back a moment to try and catch their breath. The Wing pilot wiped some sweat from his brow and panted, "There has to be some way that we can get through his defenses." Duo panted and nodded, "There's always a way to get to your enemies." Heero said quietly, "Right now, I'm just hope Kumi's alright." His lover assured him, "If anything is wrong, Trowa will look after her." The pilots had to split again as the laser blade was swiped quickly in their direction.
* * * * * *
Outside, in the deserted city that surrounded the fortress, 'Demetris' had the clear upper-hand in the heated exchange against Kumi. The tall man landed a good few feet away from the silver-haired pilot as she lied on the ground, coughing and unable to catch her breath after he wind had been knocked from her chest. The scarred pilot worked to force herself back up. The black-winged clone chuckled deeply, "I find it difficult to believe that you destroyed the same man that I came from." One last, hoarse cough left his challenger as she glared to 'Demetris.' She rose onto her feet with a little difficulty, but soon stood tall and still as she raised her right arm.
Aiming the Buster Riffle for the clone, her eyes remained narrowed as she panted with sweat dripping from her face. Looking into the barrel of the laser, the clone laughed loudly and extended his arms and wings to either side of him. "Go ahead, Kumi!" he shouted. "Pull the trigger now and end it! Prove just what a great soldier you are!" Excalibur's pilot remained still and silent, right arm steady as she continued to point her gun to him for a long, silent pause. Her thoughts growled, 'Why can't I pull the trigger? He's practically begging me to shoot him. It would be such an easy kill.'
Just then, she gasped quietly as her eyes widened. They thinned again as she continued to stare to the clone. "I'd be no better than Demetris if I killed you this way," she stated. The other pilot lowered his hands and folded his wings a bit as he watched Kumi lower her arm. Never tearing her narrowed eyes from her opponent, the Japanese pilot unhooked the Gundamimum straps on her riffle. Once the weapon fell to the ground at her side, she deadpanned, "I'll kill you the same way I killed him." 'Demetris' sneered and unlatched his own Buster Riffle. Armed with only their laser blades, the two pilots charged each other again.
After another long round of hits and slashes, Kumi was slammed against the wall of another building. Despite the pain and fatigue that wore in, the silver-haired pilot rose yet again before her enemy as he hovered several feet over her. The clone glared to her and hissed, "Damn you and your determination." With a loud growl, he charged towards young woman as he fell from the skies. Kumi's eyes narrowed as she got to her feet and lifted her blade. Their swords collided and caught each other as the pilots pushed forward with all that they had. Following a brief standstill, 'Demetris' pulled back with a flap of his wings. The 'Perfect Soldier' took to the skies and lunged for the OZ pilot.
The clone and Gundam pilot battled without any sign of hesitance, fear or weariness though their fight had been going on for almost two hours now. Darting through the air and shooting through the city that had been falling on account of their bitter struggle, the pilots used any and everything to try and catch their enemy by surprise. Kumi searched for something to use to her advantage with the OZ pilot right behind. As she soared through the city, the 'Perfect Soldier' looked up to a building that stood nearly as tall as Khushrenadah's fortress. At the top of the construction, there was a long and flagpole with a sharp, pointed tip bearing a huge OZ flag. Her Prussian eyes narrowed as they locked on the end of the pole.
Not taking a chance in letting onto her plan, the silver-haired pilot flew right for a window on the second floor of the building as she sheathed her laser blade in her Gundamimum belt. Drawing her hands in front of her head, she shot through the glass without pausing. The shattered remains of the window didn't phase the Japanese pilot as she made her way through the inside of the building. 'Demetris' sped through the opening that his opponent made as he kept his eyes narrowed and focused on her. Thanks to the many floors of the impressive structure, Kumi was able to fly through one of its many, dark stairwells. As she neared the roof of the building, the scarred pilot could hear the clone just several floors below her.
Breaking through the door closing off the thirty-sixth floor, Kumi raced through the long halls and lapped every corner until she reached her target. She soared right through the glass sealing it off, never stopping as she stabbed through center of the flagpole, cutting it to where it was twice her height. As the beam fell, Kumi took hold of it and stabbed through the material of the flag until it collapsed to the ground far below. The long pole was practically weightless in the pilot's strong arms as she waited with its held before her. Eyes narrowed as she waited, her back was pressed against the wall below the broken window.
It wasn't long before 'Demetris' came flying through the opening. The 'Perfect Soldier' shouted loudly as she drove herself upward at great force. With the pole ready, she stabbed its sharp tip through the armor shielding the clone's right shoulder. The beam stabbed right through the other side of the OZ pilot's protected body as he screamed out in agony. It was clear that Kumi was stunned at the loud scream as she gasped and paused with wide eyes. 'Demetris' looked down to her with his own eyes burning in rage as punched her across the face. Reeling back just a bit, the Japanese pilot looked to the clone in wonder nonetheless. The OZ pilot growled deeply as he hovered a few yards from Kumi, facing her as his glare was still in place. Blood dripped from the pole that remained stuck in his right shoulder.
Looking to the weapon, 'Demetris' pulled the blood-coated beam from his body, eyes closed tight as he hissed in pain. Once the beam was removed, Kumi continued to watch with wide eyes as she looked to the clone and the large wound in his shoulder. Finally, a sneer crossed her lips as she said deeply, "So you don't have a Gundamimum heart." The clone's eyes widened as a loud gasp left him. The silver-haired pilot chuckled deeply, "Guess Quinze forgot to add that minor detail when he created you." At this, she removed her laser blade and charged 'Demetris.' The clone didn't stand a chance as the Gundam pilot unleashed an assault like none other, never holding anything back as she sent punch and slashes into him without remorse. Kumi drove him back, grunting and crying out loudly through her own rage as she handled the OZ pilot.
* * * * * *
As their fight raged, the Gundam pilots over Colony O72 remained thousands of miles over the surface as they stayed alongside the Preventers that aided them. Quatre shouted over the loud explosions, "How long have we been at this now?" Sette answered, "Two-and-a-half hours. And we still have no connection as to when the reinforcements will be arriving." Delapan growled deeply following an attack with her right arm's razor blade. Turning to her friends, she stated, "We don't have a choice in waiting now. These clones are crawling all over the place!" Milliardo nodded, "Just hold your ground. It shouldn't be much longer." Zes gasped loudly all of a sudden as she finished wiping out three suits with her sais. Grasping her stomach, her eyes slammed shut as she bit her lip and held in a groan of pain. Noin was the closest to the young queen as she held off a number of soldiers. Looking to Calvary in concern, Fire suddenly had a sick feeling in her stomach.
Noin destroyed her immediate treats and shot towards the brown Gundam until her suit and Zes's were side-by-side. Fire asked, "Are you alright, Relena?" Forcing a smile through the sweat that began to form on her brow, Zes nodded, "I'll be alright. Just startled, I guess." Her sister-in-law wasn't fooled as her eyes narrowed a bit. "You're less that three weeks away, aren't you?" Noin stated more than asked. Relena's eyes widened and before she could answer, Sally's voice patched in as she shouted, "She told you she was three weeks away!?!" Water shook her head as she sighed deeply, "Relena, I never should have allowed you out here in the first place." Brian and Milliardo shouted at the same time, "HOW FAR ALONG IS SHE!?!" Zes's eyes narrowed in anger and she shouted back, "I'M ONE WEEK FROM MY DUE DATE!!!"
The Gundam pilots froze as this cry hit them. Those Preventers closest to them were also left numb. Relena shouted with her eyes narrowed, "I knew that I would have been held back if I told you the truth! I wasn't about to sit back and watch the rest of you fight without me!" Brian's eyes were wide with shock and concern as he whispered, "Relena..." Sadly, he closed his eyes and lowered his head. Another sharp pain hit Zes as she cried out this time, doubling over. Noin shouted with wide eyes, "RELENA!" Wufei's voice interrupted as he announced, "Recruits coming in at twelve o'clock!" Everyone's looked up as they watched the first wave of relief pour to the battlefield.
Milliardo breathed a sigh of relief before looking to his friends and ordering, "Noin, the moment you're cleared, take Relena to the forest below and take care of her. We'll send Sally with you. Everyone else, this will be our chance to reach the Colony's center so keep your eyes open!" As the pilots continued to hold their own, Sera Makato picked something up on her monitors. With a loud gasp, she cried, "There's another OZ fleet coming up behind our recruits and they're twice in number!" Keiser screamed, "WHAT!?!" Focusing on his monitors, he's eyes widened as he watched the OZ mobile suits as they soared up on the only relief that they were about to have. Keiser whispered breathlessly, "God, not this."
Derek's eyes narrowed as he called to his fellow Preventers, "We have to cover them! Other wise, they'll swallow us whole!" Instantly, he shot his Taurus suit towards the reinforcements along with a large collection of his comrades. The OZ unit behind the recruits was gaining speed on them as they worked desperately to reach their friends. Zes panted as she looked her monitors. "If we lose them, we're lost," she told herself. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the OZ soldiers behind their relief. With a loud cry, the young Queen shouted as she darted upward. Noin screamed, "RELENA DON'T!" Taking off behind her sister-in-law, Fire was joined by Nataku, Mason and Euphoria.
Glaring to the image of the OZ soldiers behind the reinforcements, Derek growled deeply, "Just a little closer." Just then, Calvary shot past his mobile suit, blowing him back several yards as it came from no where. "WHAT THE-!?!" Anderson yelled as he looked up in utter amazement. Zes shot towards all of the recruits as they were suddenly met face-to-face. The Preventers of the unit shouted as they backed away from the charging Gundam. Derek continued to watch as he returned to flying towards the relief unit.
Zes brought Calvary to stop just beyond the OZ soldiers that made their way towards the Preventers who were now behind her. Watching with narrowed eyed as her enemies approached her, she growled deeply, "You'll have to get through me first." Saying this, the Queen of the World opened fire with her lasers. The great beam of the united cannons incinerated the first line of soldiers. Crying out loudly, Relena fired again and again until, darting and crossing the skies to avoid OZ's fire and to cut their numbers in more than one area. As the recruit Preventers turned back to see their enemies as the Zes continued knocking them out, Derek and his band joined them. The ex-spy looked to the brown Gundam in awe for a moment as it relentlessly went on in its assault. Breaking from his state, Derek shouted, "What are we just sitting here for!?! Let's give her a hand!" He shot forward to help Zes, leading the charge with the Preventers right behind him as they shouted and cried out.
The Gundams that flew after Relena managed to catch up and went to handling the OZ soldiers that she helped hold back. There was a long exchange between the two forces as there were now two battlefronts, one over the other and separated by nearly a thousand miles of sky. While there was a great struggle in handling the mobile suits, Wind kept an eye on his sister as she was driven in her attack. Derek reached Milliardo's side, motioning with his head to Zes's direction as he panted, "No matter what happens, she just helped save this war! All of our reinforcements would have been killed if she didn't get her when she did." Wind didn't have any doubt in this as he simply nodded and resumed his own struggle against the OZ suits.
* * * * * *
Fighting tooth-to-nail, 'Demetris' and Kumi darted through the skies, equally matched in every way. Both beaten and bloody, the winged pilots knocked each other through buildings, statues and anything else that stood in their path through the fight. They had been at each other's throats for almost three hours now. The only proof that they had been involved in anything grueling was the sweat that drenched them and their loud pants of breath. The blood and wounds on them, along with the pain, never truly hit either of them. In desperation to destroy his challenger, 'Demetris' wrapped his arms around the 'Perfect Soldier's waist as he hurled her backwards through another building along with him. Unable to break free from the giant's grasp, Kumi growled deeply as they penetrated seven walls of steel and stone.
Once they broke through the other side, 'Demetris' lost his hold on the Japanese pilot as she fell onto the jagged debris that covered the ground beneath them. Kumi fell onto her stomach at tremendous force over the stone and metal fragments as the clone fell onto his side several feet ahead of her. Wiped out in his own efforts, the giant moaned deeply as he rolled onto his back, panting as he tried to regain his strength and focus. The silver-haired pilot groaned as she stretched out and lied on her right side. Struggling onto their feet, the pilots worked every tired and aching muscle in them to be the first to stand again.
After some difficulty, 'Demetris' was the first to rise as he stumbled forward before locking his balance onto the shifty ground beneath him. Kumi's back was to him as she had just gotten herself to prop the top half of her body over the wreckage. The giant wiped some of the blood and sweat that merged on his face as he growled deeply to himself. Taking what looked like a small detonator from his belt, 'Demetris' pressed the button at the top. Finally, Kumi brought herself to stand. The scarred pilot's eyes widened the instant that her ears picked up the sound of a laser being charged some distance behind her. Those Prussian spheres narrowed as the 'Perfect Soldier' turned slowly to face her opponent.
Across the way, the clone chuckled deeply as he aimed his Buster Riffle for the silver-haired pilot. "You should have killed me when you had the chance," Demetris sneered as he held the weapon with both hands. Kumi growled deeply as she glared to the OZ pilot as he began to pull the trigger. Just then, her eyes widened again as she head another laser being loaded a good distance behind her. A sneer crossed her lips as she chuckled deeply. The giant's eyes thinned as he shouted in frustration, "What the hell's so funny!?!" Kumi's sneer remained in place as she deadpanned, "You'll know in about five seconds." At this, she shot into the air before the clone could blink. The moment she was airborne, 'Demetris' shouted loudly and fired at her. Kumi managed to avoid the beam by the skin of her teeth as she maneuvered past it.
In she same instant that the silver-haired pilot moved, the clone spotted something that had been standing behind her. Only after he fired his weapon did 'Demetris' have a good look at what that was. With a sharp gasp and wide eyes, he looked upon Trowa Barton. The tall pilot glared to the tall man as he aimed Kumi's Buster Riffle to him. Trowa sneered, "So I got a piece of you after all," and pulled the trigger. The clone gave a blood-curdling scream as he was incinerated by the shot. Nothing remained of 'Demetris' as the beam disappeared. Trowa sighed deeply in content as he lowered the gun and smiled as he looked to the lone space where the clone once stood.
Kumi lowered herself to stand before her lover as she smiled warmly, "I was hoping you'd come to finish the job." The tall pilot chuckled deeply, "It helps make up for not taking care of Demetris the first time." His smile faded quickly as concern filled his eyes. gently caressing his partner's right bruised cheek, he asked, "Are you alright?" His lover nodded and kissed his palm before whispering sincerely, "I'm fine." The pilots turned to the fortress as it stood in the distance. The tall pilot wrapped his arms around the silver-haired pilot's waist and whispered, "Ready, love?" A small, sincere smile crossed the his love's lips as she turned her head to him and nodded. Trowa kissed her forehead before running off to Heavy Arms. Kumi's large wings flapped to bring her to fly before the Gundam as they shot off for the castle together.
Inside of the fortress, Quinze looked to his side monitor as he watched the Trowa and Kumi in their flight while Heero and Duo were still unable to find an advantage in their heated battle. The OZ leader chuckled deeply, "They handled my surprise better than I expected." Running a hand through his hair, he mused, "I think it's time we progressed things." Having said this, Khushrenadah took TallGeese's right hand and smacked Heero cross the right side of the room and Duo the same to the left as through they were flies. Both Gundam pilots hit crashed against the walls at tremendous force. Stunned, they watched as the white suit shot through the ceiling. "SHIT!" the Wing pilot shouted as he glared up to where TallGeese disappeared. Duo growled loudly as he and his lover took to the air and soared after the white Gundam.
TallGeese plowed through the top of the fortress and flew through the city in the direction that the other pilots would be arriving. It wasn't long before he had a visual of Heavy Arms and the silver-haired pilot. Among the deteriorating city, Quinze landed the TallGeese as he looked onto the approaching Gundam pilots. Unlatching his harness, the OZ leader opened his cockpit and rose to walk onto the platform that it made. All the while, he smiled to his foes. Trowa's eyes narrowed as he looked to his monitors and growled, "What is he up to?" Kumi's own eyes were thinned slits as she replied, "He's smart enough to know we won't shoot anyone unarmed... I think he really does just want to talk." Glaring to the image on his screen, Trowa nodded, "I have the same feeling, but I'm holding onto my gun."
Heero and Duo reached their friends as Heavy Arms landed before TallGeese. Opening his cockpit, Trowa walked onto the platform as his comrades stood there with him. Chuckling deeply, Quinze wasn't phased by the threatening looks that he was receiving from the four pilots. Turning to Trowa and Kumi, he stated simply, "You are to leave Mystia." Taken back by this order, the glares on the pilots turned into shock and rage. The silver-haired pilot shouted, "So you can have Heero and Duo to yourself!?!" Quinze replied, "This fight does not involve you." Trowa hissed, "Like hell it doesn't! We're not leaving them behind!" The OZ leader shrugged, "Then I'll have to destroy Colony O72."
Instantly, the color in the pilots' faces drained as their blood ran cold. Quinze sneered, "And you would have a wonderful view from here." The Gundam pilots looked up to the clear sky of the ship. Their eyes widened as they could clearly see the Colony overhead. With a detonator in his right hand, Khushrenadah informed the pilots, "Mystia revolves around the O72 as its moon." Once the pilots looked back to him, the OZ leader continued, "You have a choice. You can stay together here and watch the Colony and everything on it go up in flames. Or, you can do as I say and spare the lives there a bit longer."
Duo retorted as he growled deeply, "What proof do we have that you won't take out the Colony from here once they do leave?" Quinze bowed at the waist as he closed his eyes and smiled, "You have my word that it will not be destroyed at my hands." He walked back to his cockpit as he announced, "You have five minutes to discuss it amongst yourselves. I'll return then to see what you've decided." Closing the cockpit as he sat in his seat, Khushrenadah took to the air and flew off, deeper into the city. The moment that TallGeese was no longer in sight, Trowa wrapped his hands around the back of his neck as he whispered, "My God... all those people..." Duo shook his head and shouted in frustration, "That fucking bastard won't stop at anything to cover his ass!" Looking to his lover, the braided pilot's fury passed and he asked with worry in his eyes, "Heero?"
Heero had remained silent as he took everything in. Hearing his fiancée's voice, he was brought back to reality as he looked to the other pilots. Finally, the 'Perfect Soldier' lowered his head lowered and closed his eyes as he sighed deeply, "We don't have a choice." Kumi shouted, "Bull shit!" The Wing pilot looked to his cousin as she shook her head with concern in her eyes. She cried, "I'm not leaving the two of you here with him!" Heero stood before her as their eyes locked. Calmly, he asked, "Kumi, what other option do we have?" The Soul of Outer Space moved to say something, but nothing came out other than a fain whimper. The Wing pilot placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Our friends need you and Trowa on O72. Duo and I will take care of Mysteria and Quinze." Kumi pulled back as she looked with a heavy heart to her cousin. Small tears filled her eyes as she quickly turned her head. Finally, she nodded without turning her head back.
Trowa said quietly, "Take care of yourselves." Duo hugged the tall pilot as he replied quietly, "Same to you, Trowa." Looking to Kumi as their lovers hugged, Duo turned her head gently to face him as a tear rolled down her cheek. Gently brushing it away, he smiled sadly, "Save those for when they're needed." The silver-haired pilot bit her lip and wrapped her arms around the American tightly. Duo returned the embrace and he kissed her cheek. As the embrace broke, the braided pilot made room for Heero as he walked towards them. The two cousins looked to each other in silence for a moment before the Wing pilot sighed deeply and whispered, "Come here," as he opened his arms. Kumi gave a small smile as she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
Kumi whispered, "I only say goodbye when I mean it." Heero smiled and kissed her cheek before whispering back, "Good. Neither do I." That was enough for the scarred pilot as she sighed deeply and pulled back. Looking to Heero and Duo, Trowa told them, "You kill that son of a bitch for the rest of us." Kumi added, "And get back home safe." The pair chuckled deeply and nodded to their comrades. Satisfied with that, the silver-haired pilot nodded in return and flew from the platform and Trowa walked back to his seat.
Heero and Duo watched as their friends flew off for the Colony until they were away from their sight. Before they had time to say something to each other, TallGeese returned and hovered ahead of the remaining pilots. Quinze sneered, "Shall we?" Heero and Duo glared to him as they soared to the Gundam, immediately picking up where they left off.
* * * * * *
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?!" Noin shouted as she looked up to her monitors. The Gundam pilots cast their eyes upward as they looked in shock to what looked like a moon just past the Colony's atmosphere. It was still a few hundred miles past the battlefield where Zes, Milliardo, Sette and Wufei were fighting. "I... I think it's Mystia," Wufei said quietly, in awe at the incredible sight. Milliardo said quietly, "It must have broken off of that false Colony." Sette grunted as she fought off more OZ soldiers, "Then stay on your guards. Once that thing goes up, anything that's left is going to pour right down in this direction." With this in mind, the Gundam pilots continued their fight with their eyes and ears opened for any changes in the moon-like ship.
Suddenly, rain of silver Flare Spheres fell from the skies as they sent great numbers of OZ suits to their demise. A Preventer carrier flew through the OZ forces and reached Euphoria. Howard's image appeared on Milliardo's screen as he announced, "You'll never reach the Colony's center in your Gundams. We'll hold them two at a time in here as you take smaller ships to the target." With a sigh of relief, Wind nodded, "That's perfect, Howard."
Patching into his friends' transmitters, he called, "Quatre. Delepan." After a moment to fight their way to their comrade, the two pilots requested looked to Euphoria. Milliardo informed them, "Rest your suits in the carrier and head to the center in a smaller craft. Noin and I will head down as soon as we can. And be careful." The pilots nodded and flew for the carrier. Before long, a small craft carrying Quatre and Delapan shot from the carrier. The shuttle flew through all of the fury and confusion with great ease as the pilots made their way to the Colony's center.
* * * * * *
In the thick woods below the battlefields of the skies, a large army of OZ soldiers gathered together after their mobile suits fell and crashed to the surface. Those who escaped with their lives took their weapons and spoke together. One OZ guard looked to his comrades and shouted, "Listen up! Since we can't get back in the fight with our mobile suits, our orders are to find every city possible and burn it to the ground! Do you understand!?!" There was a collected cry from the pilots as they began to make their way through the woods.
Since they had been station on the Colony for months, the soldiers knew exactly where they were going as they moved quickly through the area. While they proceeded towards the nearest city, the red-haired man that led the revolt in his town rose quickly from behind a brush with his machinegun in hand as he shouted, "NOW!" All around the OZ army, men and women came from their hiding in the foliage as they opened fire on the troops. Screaming and attempting to return fire, every member of the organization's unit fell at the hands of civilians.
* * * * * *
Quatre and Delapan made their way through the Colony's center as quickly as possible. Entering the control room, they ran to sit before two of several monitors that were stationed at opposite sides of the room. With their back to each other as they sat, the pilots typed as quickly as they could. The redhead was looking from her keyboard to her monitor and she informed her friend, "It's going to take a while to reconnect the lines." Quatre nodded as he continued to type, "We're not far from the Earth's atmosphere now, about two hours or so. As long as nothing interrupts us, we should be alright. Whatever happens, just worry about hacking into the system, no matter what happens." Catherine nodded as she kept typing, "Got it." In silence, they focused on their chore in unlocking the override on the colony's stability.
* * * * * *
Never losing her determination, Zes fought off the OZ soldiers surrounding her. Delapan's voice patched in as she announced, "We've reached the Colony's center and we're hacking into the system now." Sighing deeply, Relena lowered her head and whispered, "Finally." Just then, another sharp pain hit her as she gasped loudly. Holding onto her controls as tightly as she could, the young queen groaned quietly as she struggled to look up to her monitors. Through he pain, she hissed, "Not now..." As she fought off the contraction, an OZ Space Leo before her was sent into a fall of flames as it was hit by a Flare Spear. The explosion was too great and too close to Calvary for the Gundam pilot to avoid it.
With her eyes squeezed shut as another cry of pain left her, Zes lost her grip on the controls. Calvary began to plummet. Sette and Wufei were the closest to the suit when as they screamed, "RELENA!" Instantly, they shot downward after their friend. The Queen of the World was still lost in agony as she looked to her monitors with her eyes half-opened. She tried to take hold of the controls again, but at the speed Calvary was falling and the pain coursing through her, Zes wasn't able to find the strength.
Brian was flying towards his wife's suit as he shouted, "RELANA!" Before he could get anywhere near the Gundam, he was stopped by gunfire that he managed to avoid by the thinnest of margins. Now met with having to defend himself, the King of the World was at a loss as he watched his love falling past him. "SOMEONE HELP HER!" he screamed as he continued to fight. "We're on it!" Sette's voice assured him through the transmitter. Fighting off OZ soldiers all around, the young man watched as Nataku and Mason shot through the mobile suits, following Calvary as they fell behind it.
Concern in his eyes and sweat rolling down his face, the Chinese pilot worked desperately to catch up with Calvary. "Shit!" he hissed as he tried to push Nataku faster. "Comeon-comeon-comeon!" Sette growled deeply through gritted teeth as sweat threatened to pour into her eyes while they were locked on the screens. It was becoming all to clear in that terrifying moment that they wouldn't be able to reach the falling Calvary in time. They were just a few hundred stories over the ground now.
As they continued to fall, Wufei and Sette were passed by a streak that came from nowhere as it went straight for Calvary. Both startled by the hazy strip, the Chinese pilot and tomboy gasped loudly as they soon realized what fell from the skies so suddenly. Kumi shot for Calvary with her arms extended ahead of her. Eyes Prussian eyes narrowed, she focused on the gold jewel that covered the suit's cockpit. Once she was falling just before the gem, the silver-haired pilot through her right fist into it with great force and a loud cry to match. With that punch, she managed to unlock the seal and the cockpit opened quickly.
Not wasting a second, Kumi flew into the hatch. Zes's face was drenched as she looked up with fear and agony in her expression. That changed the moment she looked to the winged pilot. With wide eyes and a sharp gasp, Relena shouted, "Kumi!" The 'Perfect Soldier' removed the switchblade hidden below her right arm and cut away the harnesses that held her comrade as she carefully held onto her. Kumi managed to lift the Queen of the World from her seat and carefully lifted her into her arms as they locked eyes. "Hold on!" the winged pilot told the young queen. Relena tightly wrapped her arms around the other pilot's neck. Before another moment passed, the scarred pilot shot through the cockpit's hatch again.
Once they were in the air, Kumi and Zes watched as Calvary crashed into the woods below just a moment later. Both pilots were panting heavily as they looked down to the site of the collision. Another contraction hit Relena as she cried out in pain, her eyes slamming shut as her head was lowered. The 'Perfect Soldier' looked to the pilot in her arms with concern. Quickly, Kumi regained focus and quickly lowered them to the ground as fast as the angel wings on her back would allow.
The moment that the silver-haired pilot, touched ground in the thick wood, the pilots were surrounded by gunpoint all around as men and women from the towns within the forest rose from their hiding places. With wide eyes, Zes and Kumi looked around and protectively, the 'Perfect Soldier' tightened her hold on the young queen. The glares on the civilians' faces disappeared as they looked in wonder to the Gundam pilots. Slowly, they lowered their guns. Nataku and Mason landed in the clearing a few yards beyond the sight without anyone's notice as they continued to stare to Kumi and Relena.
The red-haired man that led the city's revolt was ahead of all his neighbors as he looked in amazement to the two pilots that fell from the skies. Beside him, his blonde friend looked to Zes with wide eyes as he whispered, "Queen Weatherall." Breaking from his shock, he quickly gathered two blankets that were wrapped in bundles not far behind him. A young woman with short brown hair and blue eyes joined the blonde and redhead as they took the blankets to the pilots. They spread one of them out as Kumi nodded and gently lowered Zes onto it. Looking to the three civilians, she said sincerely, "Arigato." The young brunette knelt before Relena and turned to her blond friend as she said, "David, my medical kit is back by the ammo storage." David nodded, "Sure thing."
The young man quickly went off to get the kit as Kumi looked to the leader of the people gathered. Another contraction hit the young queen as she gasped and cried out loudly. The brunette said gently, "It's alright. We'll take care of you, Your Majesty." Once the contraction passed, Relena gave a small smile as she panted, "You don't have to call me that... Thank you for your help." She gasped loudly as pain surged through her again. Throwing her bead back, Zes cried out.
Kumi remained by her friend's side and squeezed her hand. The tall redhead in charge of the assault against the OZ soldiers knelt beside the Japanese pilot and their eyes met. The brave man gave a firm nod and stated, "My name is Marcus." Motioning with his head to the young woman helping Zes, he continued, "Erin, here, is one of our best nurses." The silver-haired pilot relaxed a bit and she nodded, "Kumi Yuy." Marcus smiled, "I never thought I'd live to meet two Gundam pilots." David ran back with a large medical kit. Kneeling beside his friend, he said, "Here you go, Erin."
Wufei and Sette ran to the scene and froze when they saw the armed citizens of O72 around them. Seeing that Relena and Kumi were safe, their concerned expressions relaxed as thy sighed deeply and ran to them. Kumi rose and asked Wufei, "Any word on Sally?" The raven-haired pilot replied, "She's might not be able to get down here for a while yet." Sette added, "The battle's getting even more difficult up there. We'll head back right away." Kumi shook her head and told the two, "Stay here with Zes. She'll need to have familiar faces around her."
Looking to the Queen of the World, the 'Perfect Soldier' knelt beside her and brushed back a few sweat-soaked locks from her face. Fighting back the pain as she bit her lip, a small whimper left Relena as she whispered, "I'm sorry... I know that I shouldn't have lied." Kumi gave her a small, gentle smile and assured her, "Don't be sorry. You only wanted to help." Turning to Wufei, she informed him, "I'm going back for Brian. It way take a while to reach him, but he needs to be here." The Chinese pilot nodded, "Alright. Be careful." Kumi rose and looked to her comrades in concern as she walked ahead of them.
Marcus noted the look of worry on the pilot's face and gently wrapped his hand around her right wrist. When their eyes met again, the redhead assured her, "We'll take care of them, Kumi." At this, she gave a small, but sincere smile as she nodded, "Thank you, Marcus." Quickly, she turned and opened her wings to soar back into the skies with a strong wind blowing everything she left behind. From where he and his neighbors watched, Marcus chuckled deeply and shook his head, "Damn all of those kids are something else." He turned to the civilians around him as he ordered, "I want everyone spreading out and making a ring around this place. If anything moves out in those woods, shoot it." The others agreed as they ran off and disappeared to secure the area.
* * * * * *
An hour later, in his crib, Mirando cried loudly as he lied in the quarters where he and his parents stayed on Pulsar. Two thin hands wrapped around the baby as they lifted him to Marimaya's chest. Hugging the child to her, she whispered, "Shhhh. It's alright, Mirando." Kissing the child's head, she hummed quietly. He calmed in her arms and soon his sobs passed. Once she knew that the baby was still again, Marimaya led the two of them in her wheelchair through the halls of the large ship on her way to the control room. Stopping at one of the large windows there, she looked to the Earth, watching as Colony O72 continued to fall towards it. Taking a deep, shuddered breath, she turned and continued on her way.
Once she entered the room, the young girl turned to one of the Preventers as he worked at his station. "What is the situation?" Marimaya asked. The soldier turned to her and removed his headphones to answer, "As far as what is taking place on Mystia, we have had no contact from the Gundam pilots there. But on O72, we still have two fronts fighting in the Colony's atmosphere. Zes has been missing for more than an hour with no word on what happened to her." Khushrenadah lowered her head as she bit back her fear.
Looking up again, she questioned, "And has anyone reached the Colony's center?" The Preventer nodded, "Quatre and Delapan entered the base just before Zes's disappearance. Milliardo and Noin are with them as well." Marimaya nodded and the Preventer returned to his work. Looking to Mirando as she held him before her, the redhead said quietly, "Your parents are two of the bravest people I've even known, along with all of the Gundam pilots." She kissed the little boy's forehead and held him against her again as she said, "I know they'll get through this." As if he could understand her, Mirando calmed even more as he started to drift off to sleep in his Marimaya's arms. Turning back to the large monitor in the front of the control room to watch the fight on the Colony, Khushrenadah whispered, "They have to get through this."
* * * * * *
High over everything that was taking place in the woods, Brian Weatherall was beside himself as he struggled against the OZ soldiers that covered the skies. As he growled deeply, he took out his frustration on all those against him. Never letting up in his tactics of shooting and dodging, the young king suddenly stopped as a golden beam took out all the troops immediately ahead of him. Brian looked to the sudden light with wide eyes. Once it passed, Kumi flew before him as a shield from the OZ mobile suits who moved to strike back. The 'Perfect Soldier' looked over her shoulder to see his Taurus suit and addressed the pilot, "Brian, go to Zes. I'll take over from here." Not needing to hear anything more, Brian nodded, "Thank you." He shot through the swarm of soldiers, now having a cleared path thanks to the beam from the 'Perfect Soldier's' Buster Riffle.
Determination in his face, the Brian fell to the ground below as he managed to pick up where Nataku and Mason were hiding. Once his suit touched down between the suits, he opened the cockpit and jumped to the ground. That moment, he heard his wife crying out in the distance. Fear ran up his spine and spread throughout his entire being, causing his eyes to widen and his face to pale. Barely able to breathe, the young king whispered, "Relena." Following the cries as quickly as his feet allowed him, Brian sprinted through the woods, to where the source of the pain-filled shouts came from. The residents of the Colony that had been guarding the area watched from their hiding spots as they saw the King of the World making his way to the young woman he loved. Nodding to each other, they went back to their posts, relieved that Brian was able to make it down safely.
Several minutes that felt like an eternity, the young man panted as he reached the small clearing where his wife lied. Sette was to her right and Wufei was at her left as they held her hands to try and relieve her during the contractions. Jessica was kneeling before Zes's spread legs as they were covered by a thin blanket. David was a few feet behind his friend, standing by for when he would be needed to help. The look of exhaustion and agony on his wife's face brought Brian's heart to stop. Finally able to take a shuddered breath, he ran into the clearing and called, "Relena!" Zes sat up a bit with wide eyes that softened as relief spread across her features. Breathlessly, she smiled and sighed deeply, "Brian!"
Sette smiled and allowed her brother-in-law to take her spot at the queen's right side. Brian kissed Relena's forehead as she bit back another loud moan. Taking her hand and squeezing it tightly, he smiled and whispered, "I'm here love." He brushed back the sweat-coated bangs from Zes's forehead gently as she smiled and whispered brokenly, "I was afraid you wouldn't make it." Her husband hugged and assured her gently, "I wasn't going to miss this for anything." Turning to Jessica and David, he said sincerely, "I don't know how to thank the two of you for everything." Jessica looked up and smiled warmly, "No need for that." Davis nodded, "We're just glad that we can help."
Hesitant, Brian asked, "Is everything-?" He was frightened to ask and Jessica nodded, "Everything is going smoothly. I had to induce the labor to move at a faster rate for the babies' sakes. Relena's already begun pushing." A small whimper left Zes as she fought another tremor of pain. Her husband squeezed her hand and held her with his free arm wrapped around her back. With several attempts, the young queen pushed. Thanks to Brian, Wufei and Sette, she was able to have all the support she needed. Finally, she gasped, "It's coming!" Jen nodded and told her, "That's it. Keep pushing, Relena. Just a little more." Relena pushed again, with a loud cry of pain. Just as she was finished, the sound of a baby crying was heard.
The young queen and king gasped loudly. Jen breathed a sigh of relief as she took care of the child. Once she had the baby cleaned and wrapped in a blanket, the child's crying stopped. Jen took hold of the child and handed them to David. Jennifer smiled to Zes, "It's a boy." Brian whispered, "We have a son." He smiled lovingly to his wife and kissed her temple. "We have a son, sweetheart," he chuckled deeply, fighting tears. David smiled as he walked the small boy over to his parents. Brian couldn't release his wife's hands, knowing that the delivery wasn't over yet.
Sette, instead, was handed the child for the rest of the delivery. She leaned close enough to her sister that she and Brian could have a good look at their baby. Seeing their tiny son for the first time, Relena fought tears as a small sob left her. She smiled and whispered breathlessly, "He's beautiful." Wufei kissed her forehead and chuckled deeply, "You're going to have a hell of a story to tell them when all this is over." Even through her exhaustion, Zes laughed loudly, throwing her head back a bit.
Just then, Relena was hit with another shot of pain. She shouted again and moaned through her gritted teeth, "I think the other one's ready now." Jen nodded, "It'll all be over with a few more pushes." Brian kissed Zes's cheek and whispered, "You can do it, love. Just a little more." The young queen nodded and took a deep breath. With another, tired cry, she pushed again. There were more pushes as the young queen shouted loudly. Then, with one more push, the sound of another baby's cries was heard as everyone around breathed a loud sigh of relief. Relena fell limp in her husband's arms, closing her eyes as she leaned against him, panting loudly. Brian kissed his wife's damp face several times with butterfly kisses as he whispered, "You did it," and other words of love and support.
Jennifer took to looking after the newcomer. Once she finished cleaning and wrapping the child, she informed everyone, "It's a girl." Wufei was handed the newest baby. He brought her over to her parents, smiling warmly to them. Sette dried her sister's face with a washcloth as Brian held the little boy. Once Zes was able to sit up on her own, she looked over to the Chinese pilot as he carefully placed her daughter in her arms. The new parents forgot how to breathe as they looked to their children. Those that had been a part of the delivery slipped away quietly to allow their friends time alone. "We're really a family now," the young queen whispered breathlessly. Brian kissed a tear that rolled down her cheek and nodded, still unable to speak.
* * * * * *
Sally was between a rock and a hard place as she, Lady Une, Sera Makato and Lieutenant Keiser fought off the increasing OZ troops. The head of the Preventers shot through the soldiers as she growled deeply, "I've never seen anything like this." Sally replied, "The moment we destroy five, ten more come in their place." Derek reached his fellow Preventers in his own Taurus suit as he asked, "Any word on Zes?" Sera shook her head, "Not since Kumi managed to land her on the Colony's surface more than an hour ago." Sally sighed deeply and shook her head, "I can't leave the rest of you up here, knowing how hard it is right now to hold these soldiers off." Keiser looked to his monitors as they beeped suddenly. With a look of dream in his face he shouted, "NOW WHAT!?!"
No sooner had he shouted this did the Gundam pilots and their allies watch as the skies were covered with a thick, wide cloud of Preventer suits as they fell from the sky towards the battlefield. Kumi froze as she looked to the thousands of reinforcements in wonder. Now finding themselves outnumbered, the OZ soldiers were trapped and at a loss as they were surrounded by countless Preventer suits. Lady Une panted as she looked to her monitors in disbelief as she whispered, "H-how?" Suddenly, Marimaya's image appeared on the screen of every suit as she smiled, "Mobile dolls... Something I picked up on thanks to my father's notes." Howard chuckled deeply, "We finally got them to work." Kumi, Trowa and their friends laughed in elation as they watched the OZ clones being shot down left and right by the mobile dolls.
Lady Une turned to Sally and smiled, "Better head down there to help Zes." Just then, Sette appeared on the screen as she smiled, "No need to worry about that. Wufei and I are just coming back from the delivery now." Her friends gasped and as they heard this. Sally asked quickly, "Is everything alright?" Wufei then appeared as he nodded, "Everything's fine. Brian and Zes have a boy and a girl. They're being taken to the nearest town's hospital now." Breathing a sigh of relief, Trowa whispered, "Thank God." Kumi stated, "Wufei, Sette, you and Derek get to the Control Center. They'll need all the help there they can get." With affirmative answers, the pilots went off to the facility.
* * * * * *
In the fading city on Mystia, Heero and Duo took refuge behind the remains of one of the fallen buildings as they caught their breath for a moment before the TallGeese found them. "He's still too damn fast...We have to lose some of this weight," Duo panted. Heero nodded and quickly stripping off the body armor that protected him. Duo proceeded to do the same. Soon, they were shed of all but their wings as the only metal on them. Their weapons remained firm in their grasps as their bruised and beaten bodies were exposed along with the torn clothing on them. Knowing the dangers involved in fighting like this, the Gundam pilots were in a desperate situation.
Both panting and soaked, they stood facing each other, listening as Quinze searched for them. As his breath calmed, Heero told his fiancee, "The moment we get a break, I want you to go down to Mystia's heart... Once you destroy the it, get yourself out of there and away from the ship as fast as you can." His partner looked to him with wide eyes as he asked in concern, "And what about you!?!" The Wing pilot answered, "Don't worry about me. I have to keep Quinze busy to make sure he doesn't try and escape."
Duo shook his head, "I'm not leaving until I know you're safe!" Heero cupped Duo's face and their eyes locked again. The Wing pilot said gently, "Listen to me, Duo... I promise that I'll do whatever I can to get out of here when you destroy the heart. As long as I know you're alive, that's all that matters to me." Small tears filled the American's eyes as he said quietly, "Heero, if anything happens to you-" Duo's words were cut off as Heero pressed their lips together. Duo gave a small whimper as the kiss deepened. Breaking the kiss for air, the 'Perfect Soldier' looked into his eyes and whispered, "I'll be alright, Duo. Just please do as I ask." The braided pilot bit his lip and nodded, "Alright." The Wing pilot smiled sincerely and caressed his lover's cheek. The American closed his eyes and leaned into the touch as he rested his own hand over Heero's.
The tender moment ended all too soon as the pilots could hear the white Gundam as it approached the crumbling city. Quinze chimed, "So you've reduced yourselves to hiding from me?" The OZ leader laughed, "I thought that such a method would have been the last that you would resort to at a time like this." The winged pilots' eyes narrowed as they turned in the direction of the suit. Climbing from their spot, they stood on the jagged debris. Khushrenadah turned to them and sneered, "Well, well, well. And you have removed that wonderful armor of yours." He chuckled deeply. The narrowed eyes of the Gundam pilots never changed as they glared to the TallGeese. Quinze licked his smirking lips and locked onto his enemies. "Nothing will be able to save you from me," he said deeply to himself. Quickly, he aimed his Beam Cannon and fired upon the pilots.
Before the beam could reach them, Heero and Duo took to the air and shot towards the OZ leader. The speed at which they moved was greater than it had been the entire battle as Quinze's eyes widened while he screamed, "WHAT THE-!?!" Heero and Duo flew around his Gundam with not only more speed, but much more agility thanks to the shedding of their protective gear. The young man was stunned as he suddenly found himself unable to prevent their blows and advances. Not long before this time, he was able to hold off both pilots in their attempts to catch him off guard. Now, he found himself their equal in speed and strength.
While he was able to prevent the more threatening attacks, Quinze was still receiving a great deal of hits in TallGeese. He growled deeply as he did whatever he could to lock onto the pilots. However, just as anytime the winged pilots tried to take him out, his efforts fell short when he would try and take them out. Frustrated, the young man held nothing back in his tactics. Spraying flames, firing his laser and swiping with his blade, Khushrenadah refused at admit that he was matched in this fight.
Heero avoided being shot as he dodged another gold laser beam with ease. Duo danced in the air as he spun around the laser blade at every thrust and swing at the OZ leader's command. Anytime the pair would find themselves being greeted with a wall of fire, they would fold one of their wings ahead of them as a shield as the other wing kept them in the air. Now that they were able to hit the white Gundam, they made sure not to get too close. While they were able to work at twice the speed they had been with their armor on, the lack of that protection also left them vulnerable. One hit would be their last if they weren't careful. Drawing too close to the cockpit had become out of the question for the time being. All that they concerned themselves with at this point was frustrating Quinze in their maneuvers.
* * * * * *
Colony O72 was now flying through the Earth's ozone. Back in the control room, the Gundam pilots along with Derek still to work to save the Colony. All around, there were sirens ringing to announce the situation. Quatre shouted, "We're in the Ozone, everyone! How much longer to we have until we reach the Earth's gravitational pull?" Quatre asked. Delapan locked into the coordinates as she answered, "Two minutes." The moment she said this, her monitor went out. Catherine's eyes widened as she gasped loudly. Trying to log back in, she shouted, "I lost the signal!"
Suddenly, all of the computers blinked off. The pilots all sat back and looked to their screens with dread in their eyes. The lights of the control room soon went out as well. The pilots gasped loudly as they were taken by the darkness. One minute later, the computers and lights came on again, bringing the room back to life as the frozen pilots turned immediately to their screens.
Delapan panted quietly, "W-what happened?" Sette tried trying a few more commands. The tomboy grew more and more concerned as she announced, "I'm not picking anything up over here!" Quatre responded as he looked in fear to his screen, "I'm having the same problem." Noin turned to the others and said calmly, "We're still in the Earth's Ozone... We won't have any word on what happened until we pass it." Milliardo lowered his head as he stated, "We've done all we could. Either we'll start floating back into Space or we'll fall."
For the next minute, everyone remained in silence as they couldn't move from their spots. Finally, all around, the lights of the control room flashed on and off as the computers beeped loudly again. The pilots looked around with frightened expressions as they prepared themselves for the worst. The system was back up and Quatre was the first to tap into it. Requesting the status of the Colony, he sat back as the confirmation came through. Closing his eyes, the Arabian whispered, "Please..." Looking back to his screen, his eyes widened.
The message there in red and bold letters read, 'COLONY STABILITY INITIATED' as it flashed on and off before reaching the other computers. Unable to breathe, Quatre whispered, "We did it." A huge smile spread across his face as he shouted to the others, "WE DID IT!" Instantly, the Gundam pilots jumped from their seats as they screamed and cheered. Derek fell back in his seat, lowering his head and covering his face with his hands as he gave silent thanks to whoever heard their prayers. Behind him, the Gundam pilots ran to each other in the center of the room. Quatre kissed Sette soundly before they embraced. Noin was taken into her husband's arms as they laughed and cheered. Wufei fell back in his own seat, wiping the sweat from his face as he smiled brightly. Entering the signal that reached the entire Colony, he turned to the microphone at his station. Still smiling in relief, he began, "To everyone on O72..."
Just beyond the facility, the Preventers and residents of the Colony were gathered as they took care of their wounded after the devastating battle. Along with them were Sally, Lady Une, Sera, Jason and Marcus. Hearing the announcement that rang and echoed all around, everyone stopped their activities and turned to the plant with anxious looks. Trowa and Kumi were at the other end of the forest as the declaration began. They ran to the edge of the wood to have a better look at the facility as is stood several miles ahead of them.
Finally, Wufei's voice announced, "Our stability had been regained." Everyone throughout the Colony began screaming and cheering the moment that this was heard. Smiling to each other, Sera and Sally embraced as Lady Une and Keiser hugged tightly and cheered along with everyone around them. Marcus pulled Jennifer into a tight lip-lock without any complaint on her behalf. As the civilians and Preventers around them celebrated, Kumi and Trowa sighed deeply in relief as their legs almost failed them. Looking up at the same time, they focused on Mystia as it was still in plain sight in the heavens. "It's all up to them, now," Trowa whispered. His lover nodded, still too fearful for Heero and Duo to be able to say much. The tall pilot held onto her hand and squeezed it.
Inside the facility, the Gundam pilots continued to laugh and cheer all themselves as they remained close in the center of the room. Derek still looked to the message on his screen as he couldn't process everything at the moment. Delapan smiled as she gently wrapped her arms around the ex-spy's neck. Derek smiled warmly and sighed in content as he wrapped his own arms around the redhead's. Catherine kissed her boyfriend's temple and said quietly, "Our friends are waiting for us." At this, Anderson's eyes widened. Turing his head to see the Gundam pilots, he watched their joyful exchanges through their celebration. A small smile crossed his lips as he said quietly, in awe, "I have friends." Catherine nodded and leaned in as they kissed deeply. Winking, Delapan smiled and whispered, "Come on." Taking the ex-spy's hand, she led him to the cheering Gundam pilots.
* * * * * *
Heero and Duo were still giving Quinze more than a hard time in their battle. After all of the abuse they had taken before they had an advantage, they came back quickly to repay each favor. Quinze was seeing red more and more as the struggle continued. Finding himself in this situation was not something that he planned on. And it was becoming increasingly aggravating knowing that while he had their movements memorized, the Gundam pilots still managed to catch him by surprise whenever they went on to strike his TallGeese. After a bitter exchange of hits and slashes, Heero and Duo could see the door opening for them as the cockpit of the white Gundam was becoming less and less shielded in Quinze's blind rage to kill them somehow.
As they were about to cross each other high over the Gundam, Heero told his partner, "I need you keep his attention." Duo nodded as he passed, "Alright. Whatever you have planned, be careful." As fast as he could, the braided pilot made another dive towards the OZ suit from half-a-mile over it. Quinze looked up and hissed, "You're mine now!" Focusing his hatred and frustration on the pilot that he could see, Khushrenadah poured everything he had into shooting him down. First, he fired with his beam cannon. Duo shot past the beam and continued to fall head-first towards TallGeese. Quinze screamed in rage as he shot with the flamethrower. The right demon wing folded before the braided pilot just in time to protect himself. Once the flames passed, the American didn't hesitate a second before charging downward again.
Khushrenadah's eyes narrowed as thin as they could as he looked to his monitors and watched his challenger closely. Bringing TallGeese to hold its laser blade in both hands, the OZ leader sneered, "At that speed, it'll be next to impossible for him to spare himself." He chuckled deeply, "That's it, you son of a bitch... Just come right to me." Duo's eyes narrowed as he was now a mere few feet from reaching the Gundam. Unshaken by the fact that he would be killed instantly if he should be hit, the braided pilot never slowed himself as he continued to fall.
A few beads of sweat rolled from Duo's face and his eyes narrowed as thinly as they could, waiting for the suit to move. With nothing holding him back, Quinze locked onto his target in his screens. Thrusting the blade upwards, he screamed and hurled the weapon right for the demon-winged pilot. Duo growled deeply and never budged, even as the blade made its way up to him. Finally, he grunted loudly and shifted the angle of his wings to catch an updraft that lifted him from harm's way at the last possible second.
"WHAT!?!" Quinze screamed as his Gundam only sliced through air. That same time, Heero charged from below as he shot between the Gundam's feet and up. Taking his laser blade, the Wing pilot stabbed it into the base of the suit's hatch over the cockpit, dragging the sword up with him. Khushrenadah's hands instantly left the controls as they began to spark in response to the damage. He shielded his eyes as he looked to the monitors as they flashed on and off to reveal the Japanese pilot as he pulled back after his assault. Together, the two pilots charged the Gundam and plowed into its chest with their right wings covering their exposed bodies. With their combined force, TallGeese fell backwards. Quinze was jolted in his seat as he screamed in shock and agony. Looking up, his eyes widened as he witnessed two building at either side of him being shot down to collapse onto TallGeese.
Heero turned to Duo and shouted, "Go!" Duo nodded with saddened eyes as he looked to the man he loved more than anything. Quickly, he kissed the Wing pilot's lips fully as he hugged him tightly. Heero returned the embrace and deepened the kiss, moaning sadly into his koi's mouth. When the kiss broke, Heero caressed the braided pilot's left cheek and whispered, "I love you, Duo." Duo fought tears and whispered back, "I love you, Heero." Quickly, he turned and flew back to the fortress as the Japanese pilot watched his departure until he couldn't see him any longer. Turning his eyes back to the fallen TallGeese as Quinze struggled to release his suit from below the rubble, Heero's Prussian spheres narrowed. Quickly, he soared from one building to the next, firing his Buster Riffle to bring each of them to fall upon the trapped Gundam.
* * * * * *
On O72, the Gundam pilots, Lady Une, Keiser, Sera and Derek had reunited since in the woods where the Preventers and their civilian allies were gathered far beyond the Colony's Center. Sitting together and secluded from anyone else, they rested for the first time in hours after a grueling fight that took more out of them than they knew they had. Each looking exhausted and concerned, they gathered at a campfire since sunset was approaching. A jeep driven by one of the Maquanauts pulled up to the group and stopped with enough time for Brian to escort Zes carefully from the vehicle. Rising from their spots, the pilots smiled and greeted the new parents with hugs and kisses.
"How are they?" Milliardo asked his sister as he embraced her. "They're fine. They're sleeping in the hospital now," Relena answered with a bright smile as she hugged her brother. Delapan asked, "What are their names?" Brian answered, "John and Dorothy." The pilots remained silent as they took the names in, both belonging to two of their friends that had been lost during the war. Noin broke the silence as she said sincerely, "They're beautiful names." At this, the others nodded and smiled sadly.
Zes took a deep breath and asked gently, "And Heero and Duo?" Kumi frowned as she turned and slipped from the group, walking with their back turned to her. Trowa watched her departure, knowing that there wasn't anything that he could say or do that would make his lover feel better. Turning to the King and King of the World, he answered, "We don't know... They're still on Mystia." Wufei continued with a concerned look in his eyes, "If it's destroyed, we'll be able to see it from here." Brian and Zes looked to each other with wide, frightened eyes. Turning back to her comrades, Relena nodded, "Then we'll wait." Together, the Gundam pilots went back to the campfire and sat close.
Kumi continued to walk through the wood, surrounded by Preventers and residents of O72 as they laughed and talked amongst each other. Walking towards the forest's edge, the silver-haired pilot looked up to watch the silver 'moon' as it hung in the skies, watching everything.
* * * * * *
Duo was already flying through the tunnels leading for Mystia's heart. His eyes narrowed and growling deeply, the American was finally able to see the end of the channel as the shoot broke off ahead of him. Entering the large room, the braided pilot looked to his surroundings. In an instant, he his cobalt spheres widened as they focused on the system that gave Mystia life. His shock and amazement passed as he shook his head. Duo aimed his left arm and prepared the Buster Riffle. "For all the pain you've caused," he said to the still room as his eyes narrowed.
Pulling the trigger, the American send his laser's golden beam into the ship's lifeline. Once the huge system went up in explosions, the braided pilot shot back through the way he came, never looking back as the flames chased him through the passageway. Giving his demon wings a large flap, Duo tried to gain as much speed as possible as they were catching up.
From their own place on Mystia, Quinze's face was drenched in sweat and blood as he cried loudly in his efforts to break TallGeese free from beneath the towering rubble over his Gundam. The white suit was also held back by thick chains that pinned its arms and legs down to the ground. Heero watched a few hundred feet above as he panted with his own face drenched after his strenuous task. Just then, the surface of the ship began to shake and growl as the explosions from within coursed through every passageway. With a loud gasp, the 'Perfect Soldier' watched as the buildings that stood in the distance fell left and right. Khushrenadah's eyes shot wide as he felt the quakes around him. Heero sighed deeply as he closed his eyes and threw his head back. "It's over," the Wing pilot whispered in relief.
Quinze screamed at the top of his lungs in rage as he threw all of his strength into pushing his Gundam forward. TallGeese shot from its prison as it sat up in the debris. With his eyes wide in terror, Heero was looking into the barrel of the massive laser belonging to the OZ leader. Khushrenadah sneered and growled deeply, "You're coming with me." Just as he pulled the trigger, TallGeese was blindsided by the beam of another cannon. As Quinze's weapon fell from his grasp, both he and Heero turned with stunned faces as they watched a dark figure with large demon wings flying to them. Heero shouted, "DUO!" The braided pilot smiled and cried, "Finish it, Heero!" The Wing pilot smiled back and nodded. Aiming his Buster Riffle to the helpless TallGeese, he fired. In seconds, the TallGeese was destroyed as the OZ leader cried out in agony. Heero lowered his gun and flew off to meet Duo.
All around, Mystia was deteriorating as flames shot through the surface and out into the atmosphere. Knowing that they would never be able to escape the massive explosion to come, Heero and Duo wrapped their arms tightly around each other the moment they met. Burying his head in his partner's chest and tightening his hold on him, the braided pilot whispered, "I love you, Heero." The Wing pilot tightened his own arms in return, closing his eyes as he whispered back, "Ai shiteru, Duo." The Japanese pilot's angel wings folded over the two of them as the American's demon wings did the same. Just as this happened, the OZ ship had seen its last moment.
Mystia was taken in a loud explosion as a ring of flames shot from the foundation of the great ship. Nothing was spared as everything became nothing more than a burning inferno. The moment that the ship was destroyed, everyone on O72 could see and hear the results of the explosion. As the citizens that had taken part in the final battle looked up along with the Preventers, they all screamed and gasped as they looked in terror to the ball of fire just miles from their atmosphere.
Kumi spun when she heard the loud crash as it echoed all around the woods. Instantly, she ran past the edge of the forest where the people were shouting. Her comrades were not far behind her as they, too ran with frightened expressions. Once they reached the opening, they looked up to the fireball as it continued to glow thousands of miles overhead. Instantly, Kumi gasped loudly as her eyes shot wide as she screamed, "HEERO! DUO!" Trowa, Quatre and Wufei all stepped back, the first to be hit with devastation as they looked to the scene where their oldest friends had been fighting. Sette, Delapan and Zes were close together as they looked up in shock and loss. Without allowing a second to think, Kumi ran forward, giving herself a good amount of room to open her wings. Soon, she reached the debris of the OZ ship as it soared across the skies.
Kumi looked frantically through the remains of Mystia that fell from all around her as she searched for any signs of life, shouting, "Heero!?! Duo!?!" As she continued to soar through the debris, the silver-haired pilot was beginning to grow more and more fearful, seeing that there wasn't must left behind to look through. The winged pilot whispered to herself, "God, if anything happened to them-" She cut herself short, not allowing any room for that though. With even more urgency, she screamed the pilots' names again.
[Music to 'Just Communications' begins]
After several agonizing moments of silence and searching, the 'Perfect Soldier' looked up and a sharp gasp left her. Falling towards the Colony's surface, a mile above the Japanese pilot, was a round shield of black Gundamimum. The winged pilot didn't need a second look to know exactly what it was. With a huge smile that brightened her face, Kumi shouted, "They made it!" She continued to watch the descent of the ball as she laughed loudly. Swooping from the skies, she made her way towards the Colony's surface.
The Gundam pilots below looked up to see the black sphere as well. "THERE THEY ARE!" Quatre yelled as he pointed up. Together, the pilots screamed and cheered as they ran to some of the jeeps that had been waiting along the side. With elated smiles, they sped off in them as they drove in the direction where the sphere was falling, deep into the open valley beyond the forest. Sera Makato ran to the hilltop as she watched from where the young warriors just were. The Preventer shielded her eyes from the light of the setting sun as she continued to gaze upon the black orb. She smiled warmly and whispered as a tear rolled from her right eye, "That's our son, Odin."
[JUST WILD BEAT COMMUNICATION
ame ni utarenagara
iroasenai atsui omoi karadajuu de tsutaetai yo
TONIGHT]
The black devil wings from Deathscythe opened slowly along with the white angel wings that they surrounded. As the cocoon unraveled, Heero and Duo remained sleeping in each other's arms as though they were in their bed. The Wing pilot's back was perfectly flat as it faced the Colony's surface in their descent. Duo's head was resting over Heero's chest where his heart was beating. And their arms were wrapped tight and protectively around their love. With a slight wrinkle of his nose, the braided pilot's eyes slowly opened along with Heero's. With a few blinks, their eyes shot wide as they gasped loudly, 'sitting up' with their shocked gazes locked.
[nureta sono kata wo atatameru you ni daita
furueteru yubisaki wa nani wo motomesama you no?]
Looking below them over Heero's shoulder, they say the Colony's surface hundreds of stories below as they continued to fall. The pilots smiled brightly and looked back to each other. Duo laughed, "You gotta love Gundamimum! It's the toughest shit there is!" Heero laughed loudly, throwing his head back. They hugged tightly and looked into each other's eyes, lever losing their smiles. Slowly, they leaned in and kissed deeply. Never losing the kiss, they spun as they continued to fall until they needed air. Once they broke, they took each other's hands as they swooped over the surface to land softly on their feet.
Narrator: "The year is after Colony 196. Following what came to be known as the 'Dawning War', peace settled on the Earth and throughout Space yet again."
[togiretogirete mo tsutaete hoshii itami wo
sameta furisuru koto de otona ni nante narenai]
Already awaiting the couple and free of her armor and wings, Kumi ran to her friends as fast as her feet could take her. As she reached them, her smile was the widest it had ever been as she laughed loudly with them. Heero ran to his cousin and met her in a tight hug, lifting and spinning her. With her legs around the Wing pilot's waist and her arms around his neck, Kumi rested their foreheads together as they cheered and shouted excitedly to each other. The silver-haired pilot lowered herself after she and Heero pecked each other's lips. Duo smiled warmly as Kumi moved to greet him. They pecked cheeks and hugged tightly. The jeeps carrying their fellow Gundam pilots rolled up at great speed, coming to a halt just ahead of them as their friends jumped out.
[anata no manazashi mamoritai
kanashimi tsuyosa ni kaeru ai wo shinjite]
Narrator: "For the original eight Gundam pilots, they managed to survive another war. But the sacrifices and challenges this time were far greater than those that they faced in the first two wars combined. This was not only the case for the Gundam pilots, but for every life that they protected in Space and on the Earth. Had it not been for their uniting, and the addition of the three newest pilots, OZ would have prevailed without a question in anyone's mind.
"No matter what happened from this point on, nothing that would be said or done could ever take away the fact that they were the true defenders of all that was good and right. They would help piece together the lives that had been shattered. And the next time that a threat to peace would ever come, every soul knew who they could turn to."
Sette, Trowa and Delapan each removed a large bottle of champagne that they had been saving as they sprayed their friends in the midst of their hugging, kissing and cheering. Soaked and elated, they congratulated each other and continued to celebrate. Once all of the pilots had been able to catch up with each other, they were joined by Lady Une, Sally, Jason, Brian and Derek. Pulling up in their own jeeps, they jumped out and were welcomed immediately. It wasn't long before the Maqunauts reached the group. The celebration only continued to grow as a large number of Preventers along with the civilians of O72 made their way to the sight. The sun continued to set, making the falling debris visible as it streaked across the darkening skies.
[JUST WILD BEAT COMMUNICATION
nani mo osorenaide
kanjiaeru tashikana ima dare nimo ubaenaikara]
The people on the Earth were gathering together, all races, genders, and religions, from every direction as those streaks crossed their own atmosphere. Having seen this before during the Eve Wars, they knew that the OZ ship had been destroyed. Together, they hugged, jumped and cheered as they took part on a celebration that rang out to the furthest reaches of Space in every ship and on every Colony.
[JUST WILD BEAT COMMUNICATION
ame ni utarenagara
iroasenai atsui omoi karadajuu de tsutaetai yo
TONIGHT!]
Later that week, on Colony F32, the Gundam pilots helped a large number of Preventers and civilians of other Colonies as they rebuilt the Colony that had to be burnt to the ground. Sette guided a truck filled with metal rods and beams as it pulled into a construction sight. With her hardhat in place, the tomboy jumped into the back along with several Maquanauts as they gathered and lifted some of the beams together, taking them from the truck. Delapan, Quatre and Derek helped their friends in leading and carrying the beams to the side of the building where they were needed.
In a small valley several miles away, a hospital was being completed as the roof was being lowered carefully by cranes. Wufei and Sally worked together with the men and women building the facility in one of those cranes. Together, they placed the final touch onto the facility to have it secured. Climbing from their crane, Wufei and Sally took in the sight of the finished product that they had been working tirelessly on. The Chinese pilot wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders as they looked to what they helped build.
[tooi yoake made yorisotte sugoshitai yo
nanimokamo nakushitemo yasashisa dake nakusazuni
kotoba yori KISS de tagai no kodou kanjite]
Noin, Milliardo, Lady Une and Keiser overlooked several plans for one of the many cities as they assisted the crews there. Jason looked over the young woman's shoulders as she pointed to the blueprints and made suggestions. Smiling as they nodded, Wind and Fire headed off with their team. The Lieutenant kissed Lady Une's cheek before leading several volunteers to their next station. With a faint blush, the head of the Preventers smiled as she watched her boyfriend walk off.
In restoring the Colony's forests and plant life, Zes, Trowa and Kumi planted large, fully grown trees in the hills and countryside with their Gundams. The Preventers around them took to their mobile suits as they could see their work paying off at an incredible pace. Where the lands had been barren previous to their arrival, they were now surrounded by foliage.
Not far from them, two of their comrades just finished up their task. Heero and Duo sat beside each other on a small hill as they wiped some of the sweat that ran from their faces during their efforts. Taking sips from their water bottles, they looked down to the city that was completed. Smiles crossed their faces as they watched families hugging and kissing when they looked to their new homes and quickly went inside. Heero rested his hand on top of Duo's and squeezed it. The braided pilot's smile never faded as he leaned back against his fiancee, resting his head on his shoulder. The Wing pilot kissed Duo's temple and they continued to watch the people below.
[jounetsu wo hikiyoseru isshun dakedo eien...
setsunaku hageshiku mitsumetai
nakitai kurai ni anata dake ga itoshii]
That night, Sera Makato returned from another city after playing a large role in its construction. As she made her way towards the woods to reclaim her mobile suit, a familiar voice came from behind as it asked timidly, "Mom?" Stopping dead in her tracks with a loud gasp, the Preventer froze with her eyes widened. Lowering her head, she closed her eyes before turning back slowly. Heero and Kumi stood there, unsure of what to do when their eyes met. The silver-haired pilot stayed where she was as her cousin walked towards his mother, a look of concern and awe mixed in his face and eyes. Standing before Sera, Heero gave a small smile as tears filled his eyes. Sera threw her arms around him tightly as she sobbed in his shoulder. The embrace was returned as the Wing pilot's own face was damp with tear streaks.
Heero kissed his mother's forehead as they looked to each other. Hugging tightly once again, they turned to Kumi as she remained a few feet away. Biting her lip, as Sera walked towards her. Excalibur's pilot worked at trying not to become too emotional as she looked to her aunt. Makato ran a hand through the pilot's loose, silver hair, saddened as she looked to it. Kumi couldn't hold back the tears any longer as she bit her own lip. Sera smiled lovingly and whispered, "It's beautiful." Excalibur's pilot stifled a sob as she threw her arms around her aunt. As they continued to hug tightly, Heero wrapped his arms around the two of them, kissing their heads as he smiled warmly through his tears.
The trio finally pulled back enough to try and dry their faces when Sera noticed two others in the distance. Duo and Trowa watched with warm smiles as they stood in silence. Sera's smiled back to them lovingly as she motioned for them to come over. After being hugged and kissed by her adopted sons, Sera looked to the four pilots with pride and relief in her eyes. Heero wrapped his arms around Makato from behind as he whispered, "Welcome home." Sera turned to kiss his cheek. Together, the family spoke amongst themselves. They all knew that there was a great deal of catching up that needed to be worked out... And they all looked forward to it.
['Just Communications' fades out]
* * * * * *
Later that week, the Gundam pilots sat together on one of the tallest mountains on the Colony as they looked down on the cities and forests that surrounded the area. Not far from where they were, there was a flat plaque was embedded in the stone. The engraving read: 'In Loving Memory of all the lives lost here... May it never happen again' At the bottom of the plaque, the signatures of the Gundam pilots, including Novem's were carved. It was the last thing left after the pilots had to burn the Colony to the ground.
Lying her back against a flat slate, Sette sighed deeply, "Not bad, if I say so, myself." Quatre smiled and replied, "Not bad at all. It's hard to believe that just a week ago, F32 was nothing more than ashes." Milliardo stated, "It's hard to believe that this time last week, we were in the middle of a war." There was a brief, sobering pause in response. Wufei turned to Delapan, Noin and Zes as he told them, "And I have to admit, for three-" Duo interrupted as he called out, "Women!" Noin shouted, "Onnas!" Trowa yelled, "Bleeding hearts!" The Chinese pilot glared to the three pilots as they laughed along with their friends.
Finally, the raven-haired pilot chuckled deeply and admitted, "Something like that." Looking back to the three young women again, he said sincerely, "For the three of you to pilot those Gundams the way you did in this war, after never having been through that before, you did an amazing job." Relena, Noin and Catherine smiled back at this as the others chuckled deeply and nodded. Delapan smirked, "Coming from you, Wufei, that means a lot." Trowa wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulder as he said sincerely, "We're proud of all of you."
Zes smiled and asked, "So we're officially Gundam pilots?" Kumi replied, "Well, that's up to you. It's far more difficult to maintain peace than it is to obtain it." Heero added, "The next time someone comes to threaten it again, there are no guarantees." Sette announced as she raised her hand, "Other than the fact that it won't be another Khushrenahad! I checked with Marimaya to see if she had any more Uncles, Aunts, cousins, adopted brothers or sisters. We're in the clear!" The tomboy's comrades were all laughing hysterically by the time she was halfway through her speech. As everyone settled again, Heero smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Sette. At least that's one guarantee in our favor." Duo assured the three young woman, "Whatever you choose, no one will judge you for your decision. Being a Gundam pilot comes with a lot of sacrifices." Quatre nodded, "And you won't always be thanked or given credit for your efforts." Milliardo remarked, "We could go on for days on the cons of piloting those suits. But I'm sure you already know all of them by now. We'll support whatever you decide."
Noin, Zes and Delapan nodded as they took everything in. There was a brief pause before Fire smiled and said simply, "I'm in." Zes nodded as she smiled as well, "So am I." Catherine remained quiet with a look of uncertainty and soon everyone's eyes were on her. Trowa smiled to her and asked, "So what do you think?" Looking to the others, Delapan chuckled deeply, "Like you guys can get rid of me now." Her comrades smiled in relief. "That being said," Heero began as he rose and stretched. "Let's head home." Everyone agreed as they rose and walked towards their Gundams that stood in the distance behind them.
* * * * * *
In a dark office, Kumi Yuy was typing at her laptop as she sat at the desk provided there. As she finalized the report, a signal clicked into her channel and the image of a man in his late forties with short blonde hair and blue eyes appeared. The Preventer smiled warmly to the pilot, "Hello, Kumi. It's good to see you." The Gundam pilot's Prussian eyes widened as she said quietly, "Mr. Dawson." The man chuckled deeply, "My dear, you know you don't have to call me that. You and my son were practically married." The 'Perfect Soldier' smiled warmly and nodded, "Of course. Forgive me, Dad. I'm still trying to get past using formalities for friends and family." Her 'father' nodded and smiled back, "I know."
The Preventer's eyes focused on the crescent scar that spanned the right side of the pilot's face. Gently tracing the right side of his own face in the shape of the scar, Matt's father asked, "Demetris?" Kumi nodded, "A farewell gift to remember him by." Dawson smiled and nodded, clearly relieved and satisfied that the silver-haired pilot succeeded in killed his son's murderer. After a brief pause, the kind man asked gently, "And have you met anyone yet?" Kumi smiled and simple gave a nod. Dawson returned the smile as he replied sincerely, "I'm glad. Whoever he is, he better take care of you. And you'll introduce us, right?" The 'Perfect Soldier' laughed and answered, "Of course." The Preventer nodded, "Good."
"I hear that both you and Sette will be staying on the Earth," Dawson stated. The Japanese pilot nodded, "You heard right. It's best that we stay close with the other Gundam pilots for the next time we're needed." Dawson asked almost hesitantly, "And how long do you think this peace will last?" Kumi paused before she replied, "Marimaya said it best... History is endless waltz. The triple measure of war, peace and revolution goes on and on." The Preventer nodded, "And It'll only be a matter of time before revolution come again." The silver-haired pilot gave a small smile and a firm nod as she stated, "We'll be there when it does."
[Intro to 'It's My Life' Begins]
Kumi took hold of her Preventer coat and threw it over her shoulder as she said, "Heero's waiting for me. I promised him that we'd talk alone tonight." As the Gundam pilot walked towards the door, Dawson asked, "Making plans for the next time there's an attack?" The door to the room opened before Kumi as she replied, "No, something far more important than that..." She turned her head back and smiled, "I'm helping him plan a wedding." Waving to the wide-eyed Preventer on the screen, the 'Perfect Soldier' walked from the room. The door closed again and Dawson's shock finally wore off as he chuckled deeply, still smiling as the screen went black.
[This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud]
Walking from the Preventer headquarters, Kumi put her coat on and began to descend the tall stairway before the large building. As she neared the last steps, she stopped as she looked to the street ahead of her. Sette was leaning against a red Mercedes Benz Convertible with her arms and legs crossed and a pair of sunglasses shielding her eyes. The ex-queen smiled to her friend as Kumi waked towards her.
[It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive]
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life
The silver-haired pilot smirked, "Nice car." The tomboy chuckled deeply, "Why, thank you," and removed her shades. "I figured you could use a lift." The silver-haired pilot smiled warmly and shrugged, "Why not?" Sette quickly opened her door to jump in her seat at the wheel. Kumi walked to the other side and sat beside her partner. With the sun sparkling on its shiny red paint, the hooded Benz sped off into the countryside.
[This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky
Got to make your own breaks]
Sette lowered the hood on her new car and let the sun of the bright sunrise warm them. Since it was early fall, it was still nice out. This particular day was beautiful as not a single cloud covered the skies. With the wind blowing in her hair, the tomboy lied back in her seat as she sighed deeply, "You know, I have to hand it to Wufei... He might not be able to pick a winner in a bet, but he has a wonderful taste in cars." Kumi turned to the ex-queen and sneered with a half-cocked brow, "You're not planning on keeping this, are you?" Sette snorted, "No. A bet's a bet, but I have five others just like this back at H7. Besides, it's just good to know that I won." Turning to her friend, she smiled, "But, I figured a joyride was more than called for." The 'Perfect Soldier' replied with a small smile, "Hn," as she turned her head forward again.
[It's my life
And it's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life]
Sette lounged comfortable in her seat as she sighed deeply in content and smiled, "Life is good. Heero and Duo will be getting married in a few months. Brian and Zes have reclaimed their roles as King and Queen of the World. Quatre and I are staying in his mansion with the Maquanauts. Wufei and Sally are expecting their first child. Milliardo, Noin and Mirando are together. Delapan and Derek are working together as Chief Flight instructors for the Preventers. Lady Une and Keiser are in charge of the organization as partners. Sera has finally put the pieces of her life back together. And Marimaya is the Queen of H7." Turning back to her partner, she said, "That just leaves you and Trowa." The 'Perfect Soldier' informed her friend, "Trowa and I just found a place a few days ago. We'll be moving in this weekend." The blue-haired pilot smiled and nodded as she watched the road, "Yep... Life is good."
[Music bridge]
For a while, the pilots just drove in silence. Suddenly, Kumi chuckled deeply as she lowered her head and closed her eyes. Sette turned to her as she asked, "What is it?" Her friend looked up and shrugged, "I was just thinking. After the Marimaya Incident, when we were searching for the last three Gundams, we shot past the Earth and the L Colonies every night. To Heero and the others, they would have only seen us as a shooting star-" Sette chuckled deeply as she concluded, "Never knowing that they were looking to the very ship that would be bringing the weapons for the next war no one saw coming." Kumi nodded, "Pretty scary if you think about it."
Sette laughed, "So does that mean you'll jump every time you see a shooting star now?" The Japanese pilot chuckled deeply, "Of course not. We have all of the Gundams that were ever created, and the pilots to fly them." The ex-queen nodded, "Exactly. Nothing to be worried about." As they drove in silence for a brief moment, a shooting star shot across the skies above. The eyes on both pilots widened instantly the moment they saw it. Kumi and Sette looked to each other with their eyes still wide. After a tense pause, they broke into laughter. The red convertible continued to drive through the countryside's hills and fields.
[Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down....]
[It's my life]
A massive crowd erupted into cheers as they stood and gave a standing ovation before a large stage and podium. Standing at that podium, King Brian Weatherall smiled and waved to the crows that gathered in the huge atrium. He had just concluded his first public address since the war began. It was a relief for everyone to see him back where he belonged, a promoter of peace and the loved leader of the Earth. He turned his attention to his right and looked up and nodded to someone or something that couldn't be seen by anyone else.
[And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
The balconies that spanned both sides of the atrium at either side stood in witness and were trimmed the royal blue curtails that pulled back to reveal their vacancy, in all but one. Hidden in the balcony on Brian's right and the closest to the stage, Heero and Kumi Yuy stood behind either curtain as they looked down to the King with stern faces. The Gundam pilots stood straight with their arms crossed in their usual attire, Heero back in his green tank top and jeans and Kumi in her black top and running pants with her long, hooded purple cape. As the crowd continued to applaud their friend, the 'Perfect Soldiers' smiled warmly in pride for him as the stern looks softened. Never changing their stances, they turned and smiled to each other.
[I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)]]
Gathered in the mass before the stage, Lady Une, Sally Poe, Lieutenant Keiser, Derek Anderson and Sera Makato applauded with wide smiles as they looked to Brian. Marimaya had also joined them as she held Mirando in her lap. The little boy now had a full hear of hair as blonde as his Aunt Relena's as he smiled and clapped along with everyone around him. Lady Une and Keiser held hands and smiled lovingly to each other. Sally Poe cradled Dorothy in her arms with her stomach just beginning to show and Sera held John against her. Nothing could take the excitement that they held at this time.
[My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive]
The deafening cheers continued and Brian fought more emotions than he could process. It had been a difficult and long war. Thinking of all those who couldn't live to see this, the young King took all of them into his heart and dedicated this moment for them. Brian stood before the people, smiling and waving to them as he thanked them for their support. As he did this, the curtains that Heero and Kumi had stood behind were blowing gently without any sign of them.
[It's my life]
And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
Together, Heero and Kumi walked through the long hall leading from the auditorium side-by-side. As they made their way out, they turned to each other with relieved and satisfied smiles. They walked though the front doors of the assembly hall and out into the world that made no promises to anyone. Even still, they welcomed the uncertainty as they walked down the long, marble stairway in the front of the building. As they reached the bottom, they were joined by Duo, Trowa, Sette, Quatre, Zes, Delapan, Noin and Milliardo. Together, they continued to walk ahead without looking back.
[I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive]
Shoulder-to-shoulder, the eleven pilots walked off into the sunset ahead of them. Their Gundams were waiting as they stood in the valley where they were hidden. Breaking for the moment, the young pilots went to their suits and jumped into their cockpits.
As their friends entered their suits, two of the pilots remained on the ground as they watched, hand-in-hand. Duo smiled lovingly to Heero and asked, "Mission complete, Koi?" Heero chuckled deeply as he kissed the braided pilot's forehead. Locking eyes with Duo, he nodded, "Yea... Mission complete." The lovers smiled brightly and kissed each other before climbing into their cockpits. Together, the eleven Gundam suits shot into the night sky, darting off across the atmosphere as shooting stars.
['Cause it's my life!]
OWARI
This goes out to all of my friends and supporters: Snodin, Traci, Sam, Beekay, Ruby, Mylia, Ryla, GREETER 600, D-max, Stormy, Naz, Akuma, Kai, Enigma, Lily, Kit, Toynit, my entire 1x2x1 family and everyone who reads and enjoys this fic. *tackle glomps*
Special thanks to: My sister Snodin, for knowing I could do this; Traci, for being here from the start; Sam, for accepting a number of 'missions' for this fic's progression when I was torn between options, Stormy, for getting me in 1x2x1 when she read this; Akuma, for chibi Duo *cuddles chibi Duo tight*; Naz, for the kind words every episode; and Tora, for the continuous support. This fic wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.*MEGATACKLEGLOMPS* I LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Gundam Wing: The Second Chapter
Episode 49: Measure for Measure
by SkyLark
Quinze Khushrenadah walked his white Gundam closer to the winged pilots before him. The OZ leader smirked, "You look so surprised." Heero and Duo growled deeply as they looked to the modified version of TallGeese. The spikes in the walls went back inside until there was nothing left of them. The OZ leader snickered, "I won't need any help in destroying the both of you." Duo sneered, "Confident about that, ne?" Together, he and his partner flew quickly to the white Gundam, crisscrossing as they made their way to the OZ leader that was responsible for the war that brought so much pain and destruction.
As quickly as they were able to fly with their wings, the Heero and Duo were unable to reach the white Gundam before TallGeese's right hand aimed to the pilots and transformed into a large barrel that sprayed flames the moment that it was revealed. Taken back by this modification, both Heero and Duo barely managed to escape its path as they darted away and hovered above the suit. Looking down to it, they looked wide-eyed to the impressive sight. TallGeese's head turned up in their direction as Quinze chuckled deeply, "Sorry to frighten you with that one." Heero snapped, "K'so!" With his death glare, the 'Perfect Soldier' charged towards the OZ Gundam.
Quinze laughed, "Your bravery is to be admired, Yuy!" Saying this, he brought his suit to fly towards the angel-winged pilot to meet him before anyone knew what was happening. "Nani!?!" Heero shouted as he was a few short feet before colliding with TallGeese, its laser blade swinging ahead of it as the OZ leader was in perfect range to slicing him down. Heero managed to pull back just in time to spare his life from the sword. Duo was unable to move as he witnessed the close call from above. As his fiancee reached him, the braided pilot whispered, "He moves faster than we ever could." Suddenly, another round of flames shot for the Gundam pilots as they had to split apart to avoid it.
* * * * * *
Trowa was finally able to take out enough mobile suits that he could break through their defenses and reach the fortress where his friends were. The tall pilot wiped some sweat from his forehead with his eyes focused on his monitors as he told himself, "There hasn't been any contact from them in the last half hour." Quickly, Trowa typed at his controls and locked into his radars. While Heavy Arms was still a good several miles from the domain, the tall pilot managed to pick up his lover's signal. With wide eyes, the European pilot shouted, "Kumi hasn't even come close to reaching Mystia's heart yet!" Following the signal to where she was, Trowa brought Heavy Arms to fly towards the side of the facility. Once he reached the location, he opened fire until an opening was made for his suit to fly straight through.
Entering the dimly lit halls, Trowa looked to his surroundings of barren, metal walls, observation windows and think steel doors as far as he could see. Before he needed to look much longer, the tall pilot heard the sounds of crashes in one of the labs to his right and a few doors down. Just as he turned Heavy Arms in that direction, an armored, slender figure crashed through a glass window, hit the opposite wall and fell at great force to steel ground onto its side. While everything happened so fast and the figure's broken form hid their face, they were easily identified thanks to the silver hair that was splayed all around.
Trowa gasped loudly with horror in his eyes as he shouted, "KUMI!" The fallen pilot groaned softly as she forced herself to get up. Once she managed to hold everything above her waist off the ground, her Prussian eyes widened as she looked to Heavy Arms. At the top of her lungs, she screamed, "TROWA GET OUT OF HERE!" No sooner had this warning left her than the clone of Demetirs flew through the opening that his prey had made in the observation glass. With a loud cry, the black Gundamimum-winged pilot attempted to cut his enemy through with his lased blade swinging downward from over his head. Kumi managed to block his sword with her own, lifting it just over her brow.
Before anyone could blink, 'Demetris' growled deeply and pulled back, flapped his black wings and charged the silver-haired pilot as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. The force of his attack sent them plowing through the metal wall as they disappeared. Trowa was still in disbelief as he looked to the hole that bore the only proof that his wide eyes weren't failing him. "T-they cloned that monster," he whispered hoarsely to himself. Just then, he was met with gunfire from behind. Turning Heavy Arms quickly, Trowa's eyes narrowed as he was engaged in hand-to-hand combat against an army of OZ soldiers again. "DAMN IT!" he hissed as he went on to fight, "When the hell are we going to get a break!?!"
* * * * * *
Colony O72 continued to fall as the Gundam pilots were finally able to reach its atmosphere. After a grueling hour in Space as they fought off the first wave of OZ soldiers, their Preventer force had been hit hardest. Surprisingly, however, more than half of their unit remained. Working as one, they soared down to the threatened Colony as they were met by another large swarm of soldiers. Milliardo announced to his comrades, "We only have six hours to keep this place from crashing into the Earth!" Firing her Buster riffle, Sette growled deeply, "At this rate, we'll be lucky if we manage to get anywhere near the Colony's center in that amount of time!"
Delapan lassoed three mobile suits with Slither's snake whip and brought them to be crushed and within its grip. Turning to Calvary, she asked in concern, "How are you feeling, Zes?" The Queen of the World took out a handful of soldiers with the lasers that rested on each shoulder of her Gundam. Looking back to her red-haired comrade, she smiled and wiped some sweat from her brow as she replied, "I'm fine, Delapan. No need to worry." Catherine nodded as she smiled, "Just don't overdo it, alright." The young queen assured her, "I won't." The pilots returned their full attention to the fight as they plowed through the OZ soldiers that spread across the skies.
Noin shot down a good number of suits as she reloaded her bow at a rapid pace. Scanning the area, she informed her comrades, "We need to spread out more. At this point, the first ones to the Colony's center win." Quatre spun his Gundam to slice through the mobile suits that surrounded him. After hearing the statement made by Fire, he nodded, "Right now, we have to stay here and try and defend the Preventers until help arrives." Looking to one of the Preventer suits, the Arabian asked, "Lady Une, any word on when the first recruits will be arriving?" The young woman replied, "Not for an other hour yet." Wufei sprayed fire through the mobile suits as he stated, "Hopefully by then, we'll have a chance to break through OZ's defenses." Together, the Chinese pilot and his friends continued to battle the OZ mobile suits left and right.
* * * * * *
In the city that lied within one of the Colony's forests, the people gathered in the center watched the skies as they could just make out some of the battle. The middle-aged citizen with red hair scanned the buildings that lined either side of the streets. His blonde friend asked quietly, "Are you sure this is going to work?" The redhead nodded and replied, "Just keep still." All of their neighbors seemed to be on their toes about something as they looked to the guards that kept them at gunpoint. The clones never paid any mind, knowing that there wasn't anything that their prisoners could do to them. The redhead looked up to the clock tower that stood in the center of the town as it witnessed everything. In the bell of the tower, a hand stretched out as it caught the light of the artificial sun and flashed it quickly.
The tall, red-haired man caught this immediately and screamed, "GET DOWN!!!" At this, everyone of his friends and neighbors got to the ground, most screaming as they covered their heads as they stretched along the ground. This same instant, the windows of every house and building surrounding the sight were broken as guns fired upon the OZ guards. The soldiers screamed as they attempted to return fire, but they had no way to defend themselves. As their numbers were cut down, handfuls of men and women came from the buildings as they armed their friends in the streets. The red-haired man took a machine gun and stood atop a monument of a dove that was in the middle of the square as he shot the OZ soldiers that remained alive. Within minutes, all eighty soldiers were left down to one.
That last guard aimed for the redhead as his narrowed eyes focused on him. The civilian, however, was too quick as he fired three bullets into the soldier's chest. Panting as he looked around to his people while they got to their feet, the red-haired man shouted as he perched at the top of the statue, "Every child and anyone who can't fight, get into the houses now! Those who can fight, arm yourselves!" Jumping from the monument, he led an army of more than ninety-strong. Looking to one of the young men that came to the town's aid, the red-haired man asked, "What of the cities throughout the woods?" The other man replied, "They're being raided now. The people there should be joining us shortly." The redhead nodded, "Good."
* * * * * *
Heero and Duo were still working to somehow catch their enemy off-guard as they tried a number of tactics. The braided pilot shot just past TallGeese's head to catch Quinze's attention. It worked as the OZ leader focused on shooting him down, following him with every twist and turn that he made overhead, just beyond his reach. Heero took his laser blade and charged to the hatch of the cockpit as he swooped around from the back. It was just as the Wing pilot was feet from reaching his target when Khushrenadah noticed him and realized the situation. In a sudden move, he raised TallGeese's right hand up to capture Duo. There wasn't anyway the American could have prevented being caught. Immediately, the metal fingers around him began to squeeze tightly. A choked scream left the braided pilot as he felt his air being cut off.
With everything happening so fast, it wasn't until he heard his lover's cry when Heero realized that Duo was in danger. He froze and looked up with wide eyes to see his partner being crushed. Finding that he had the Wing pilot's undivided attention, Quinze hurled the braided pilot across the room. Duo limp form crashed into the wall and hit the ground forcefully. Just as Heero was about to fly to his koi's side, he heard something coming from behind. Turning quickly, the 'Perfect Soldier' was hit right in the chest with the back of TallGeese's laser blade. Heero's back slammed against the wall before the white Gundam. Somehow, he managed to remain airborne as his eyes were squeezed shut to the agony of the assault. The moment his eyes began to open, they widened as they saw Quinze's laser blade just feet from falling upon him.
Just as the blade was about to make its mark, Duo came from nowhere as he tackled Heero to the ground with him. Quinze's eyes burned with rage as he shouted out in frustration, sending a wave of flames from his suit's right arm after the pilots. The moment that they landed on their stomachs, Duo covered his stunned partner with his right demon wing to shield him from the fire that fell upon them. Panting and drenched, they looked to each other with concern in their wide eyes. "Are you alright?" Duo shouted. Heero nodded, "Yea. Are you okay?" Duo nodded back with a relieved smile. Once they felt and heard the flames pass, Duo's wing relaxed as he and Heero got to their feet. With the pilots glaring to him threateningly, Quinze sneered, "This is the first time I've been able to see you both fight first-hand. I finally see why you fit so well together."
Never losing his sneer, Khushrenadah raised his laser blade over head and stated, "But all good things must come to an end." At this, he dropped his blade at amazing speed. Before they could be cut down, Heero and Duo split to avoid the weapon just in time. Returning to their quick maneuvers and attacks, the pair found themselves in the same position they had been from the beginning. Only a handful of their assaults ever made their mark and those that did never phased the OZ leader and TallGeese.
After many spins and flips past the relentless OZ pilot, Heero finally managed to get a clear shot of the TallGeese with his Buster Riffle. Firing his laser, he watched as Quinze turned to see the shot coming for him. The beam missed by mere seconds as the white suit jumped out of harm's way. The Wing pilot hissed, "Damn it! He's too fast!" Duo charged for the cockpit with his laser scythe as Quinze was still recovering from the close call with the Riffle's beam. Again, just before he could be harmed, the OZ pilot managed to regain focus. He growled to the image of the braided pilot as he was a breath away from nailing his cockpit. Taking back of his Gundam's right hand, he swatted away the demon-winged pilot in one hit.
Duo managed to keep himself from colliding with another wall as he spread his wings out to catch an updraft. Heero and Duo pulled back a moment to try and catch their breath. The Wing pilot wiped some sweat from his brow and panted, "There has to be some way that we can get through his defenses." Duo panted and nodded, "There's always a way to get to your enemies." Heero said quietly, "Right now, I'm just hope Kumi's alright." His lover assured him, "If anything is wrong, Trowa will look after her." The pilots had to split again as the laser blade was swiped quickly in their direction.
* * * * * *
Outside, in the deserted city that surrounded the fortress, 'Demetris' had the clear upper-hand in the heated exchange against Kumi. The tall man landed a good few feet away from the silver-haired pilot as she lied on the ground, coughing and unable to catch her breath after he wind had been knocked from her chest. The scarred pilot worked to force herself back up. The black-winged clone chuckled deeply, "I find it difficult to believe that you destroyed the same man that I came from." One last, hoarse cough left his challenger as she glared to 'Demetris.' She rose onto her feet with a little difficulty, but soon stood tall and still as she raised her right arm.
Aiming the Buster Riffle for the clone, her eyes remained narrowed as she panted with sweat dripping from her face. Looking into the barrel of the laser, the clone laughed loudly and extended his arms and wings to either side of him. "Go ahead, Kumi!" he shouted. "Pull the trigger now and end it! Prove just what a great soldier you are!" Excalibur's pilot remained still and silent, right arm steady as she continued to point her gun to him for a long, silent pause. Her thoughts growled, 'Why can't I pull the trigger? He's practically begging me to shoot him. It would be such an easy kill.'
Just then, she gasped quietly as her eyes widened. They thinned again as she continued to stare to the clone. "I'd be no better than Demetris if I killed you this way," she stated. The other pilot lowered his hands and folded his wings a bit as he watched Kumi lower her arm. Never tearing her narrowed eyes from her opponent, the Japanese pilot unhooked the Gundamimum straps on her riffle. Once the weapon fell to the ground at her side, she deadpanned, "I'll kill you the same way I killed him." 'Demetris' sneered and unlatched his own Buster Riffle. Armed with only their laser blades, the two pilots charged each other again.
After another long round of hits and slashes, Kumi was slammed against the wall of another building. Despite the pain and fatigue that wore in, the silver-haired pilot rose yet again before her enemy as he hovered several feet over her. The clone glared to her and hissed, "Damn you and your determination." With a loud growl, he charged towards young woman as he fell from the skies. Kumi's eyes narrowed as she got to her feet and lifted her blade. Their swords collided and caught each other as the pilots pushed forward with all that they had. Following a brief standstill, 'Demetris' pulled back with a flap of his wings. The 'Perfect Soldier' took to the skies and lunged for the OZ pilot.
The clone and Gundam pilot battled without any sign of hesitance, fear or weariness though their fight had been going on for almost two hours now. Darting through the air and shooting through the city that had been falling on account of their bitter struggle, the pilots used any and everything to try and catch their enemy by surprise. Kumi searched for something to use to her advantage with the OZ pilot right behind. As she soared through the city, the 'Perfect Soldier' looked up to a building that stood nearly as tall as Khushrenadah's fortress. At the top of the construction, there was a long and flagpole with a sharp, pointed tip bearing a huge OZ flag. Her Prussian eyes narrowed as they locked on the end of the pole.
Not taking a chance in letting onto her plan, the silver-haired pilot flew right for a window on the second floor of the building as she sheathed her laser blade in her Gundamimum belt. Drawing her hands in front of her head, she shot through the glass without pausing. The shattered remains of the window didn't phase the Japanese pilot as she made her way through the inside of the building. 'Demetris' sped through the opening that his opponent made as he kept his eyes narrowed and focused on her. Thanks to the many floors of the impressive structure, Kumi was able to fly through one of its many, dark stairwells. As she neared the roof of the building, the scarred pilot could hear the clone just several floors below her.
Breaking through the door closing off the thirty-sixth floor, Kumi raced through the long halls and lapped every corner until she reached her target. She soared right through the glass sealing it off, never stopping as she stabbed through center of the flagpole, cutting it to where it was twice her height. As the beam fell, Kumi took hold of it and stabbed through the material of the flag until it collapsed to the ground far below. The long pole was practically weightless in the pilot's strong arms as she waited with its held before her. Eyes narrowed as she waited, her back was pressed against the wall below the broken window.
It wasn't long before 'Demetris' came flying through the opening. The 'Perfect Soldier' shouted loudly as she drove herself upward at great force. With the pole ready, she stabbed its sharp tip through the armor shielding the clone's right shoulder. The beam stabbed right through the other side of the OZ pilot's protected body as he screamed out in agony. It was clear that Kumi was stunned at the loud scream as she gasped and paused with wide eyes. 'Demetris' looked down to her with his own eyes burning in rage as punched her across the face. Reeling back just a bit, the Japanese pilot looked to the clone in wonder nonetheless. The OZ pilot growled deeply as he hovered a few yards from Kumi, facing her as his glare was still in place. Blood dripped from the pole that remained stuck in his right shoulder.
Looking to the weapon, 'Demetris' pulled the blood-coated beam from his body, eyes closed tight as he hissed in pain. Once the beam was removed, Kumi continued to watch with wide eyes as she looked to the clone and the large wound in his shoulder. Finally, a sneer crossed her lips as she said deeply, "So you don't have a Gundamimum heart." The clone's eyes widened as a loud gasp left him. The silver-haired pilot chuckled deeply, "Guess Quinze forgot to add that minor detail when he created you." At this, she removed her laser blade and charged 'Demetris.' The clone didn't stand a chance as the Gundam pilot unleashed an assault like none other, never holding anything back as she sent punch and slashes into him without remorse. Kumi drove him back, grunting and crying out loudly through her own rage as she handled the OZ pilot.
* * * * * *
As their fight raged, the Gundam pilots over Colony O72 remained thousands of miles over the surface as they stayed alongside the Preventers that aided them. Quatre shouted over the loud explosions, "How long have we been at this now?" Sette answered, "Two-and-a-half hours. And we still have no connection as to when the reinforcements will be arriving." Delapan growled deeply following an attack with her right arm's razor blade. Turning to her friends, she stated, "We don't have a choice in waiting now. These clones are crawling all over the place!" Milliardo nodded, "Just hold your ground. It shouldn't be much longer." Zes gasped loudly all of a sudden as she finished wiping out three suits with her sais. Grasping her stomach, her eyes slammed shut as she bit her lip and held in a groan of pain. Noin was the closest to the young queen as she held off a number of soldiers. Looking to Calvary in concern, Fire suddenly had a sick feeling in her stomach.
Noin destroyed her immediate treats and shot towards the brown Gundam until her suit and Zes's were side-by-side. Fire asked, "Are you alright, Relena?" Forcing a smile through the sweat that began to form on her brow, Zes nodded, "I'll be alright. Just startled, I guess." Her sister-in-law wasn't fooled as her eyes narrowed a bit. "You're less that three weeks away, aren't you?" Noin stated more than asked. Relena's eyes widened and before she could answer, Sally's voice patched in as she shouted, "She told you she was three weeks away!?!" Water shook her head as she sighed deeply, "Relena, I never should have allowed you out here in the first place." Brian and Milliardo shouted at the same time, "HOW FAR ALONG IS SHE!?!" Zes's eyes narrowed in anger and she shouted back, "I'M ONE WEEK FROM MY DUE DATE!!!"
The Gundam pilots froze as this cry hit them. Those Preventers closest to them were also left numb. Relena shouted with her eyes narrowed, "I knew that I would have been held back if I told you the truth! I wasn't about to sit back and watch the rest of you fight without me!" Brian's eyes were wide with shock and concern as he whispered, "Relena..." Sadly, he closed his eyes and lowered his head. Another sharp pain hit Zes as she cried out this time, doubling over. Noin shouted with wide eyes, "RELENA!" Wufei's voice interrupted as he announced, "Recruits coming in at twelve o'clock!" Everyone's looked up as they watched the first wave of relief pour to the battlefield.
Milliardo breathed a sigh of relief before looking to his friends and ordering, "Noin, the moment you're cleared, take Relena to the forest below and take care of her. We'll send Sally with you. Everyone else, this will be our chance to reach the Colony's center so keep your eyes open!" As the pilots continued to hold their own, Sera Makato picked something up on her monitors. With a loud gasp, she cried, "There's another OZ fleet coming up behind our recruits and they're twice in number!" Keiser screamed, "WHAT!?!" Focusing on his monitors, he's eyes widened as he watched the OZ mobile suits as they soared up on the only relief that they were about to have. Keiser whispered breathlessly, "God, not this."
Derek's eyes narrowed as he called to his fellow Preventers, "We have to cover them! Other wise, they'll swallow us whole!" Instantly, he shot his Taurus suit towards the reinforcements along with a large collection of his comrades. The OZ unit behind the recruits was gaining speed on them as they worked desperately to reach their friends. Zes panted as she looked her monitors. "If we lose them, we're lost," she told herself. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the OZ soldiers behind their relief. With a loud cry, the young Queen shouted as she darted upward. Noin screamed, "RELENA DON'T!" Taking off behind her sister-in-law, Fire was joined by Nataku, Mason and Euphoria.
Glaring to the image of the OZ soldiers behind the reinforcements, Derek growled deeply, "Just a little closer." Just then, Calvary shot past his mobile suit, blowing him back several yards as it came from no where. "WHAT THE-!?!" Anderson yelled as he looked up in utter amazement. Zes shot towards all of the recruits as they were suddenly met face-to-face. The Preventers of the unit shouted as they backed away from the charging Gundam. Derek continued to watch as he returned to flying towards the relief unit.
Zes brought Calvary to stop just beyond the OZ soldiers that made their way towards the Preventers who were now behind her. Watching with narrowed eyed as her enemies approached her, she growled deeply, "You'll have to get through me first." Saying this, the Queen of the World opened fire with her lasers. The great beam of the united cannons incinerated the first line of soldiers. Crying out loudly, Relena fired again and again until, darting and crossing the skies to avoid OZ's fire and to cut their numbers in more than one area. As the recruit Preventers turned back to see their enemies as the Zes continued knocking them out, Derek and his band joined them. The ex-spy looked to the brown Gundam in awe for a moment as it relentlessly went on in its assault. Breaking from his state, Derek shouted, "What are we just sitting here for!?! Let's give her a hand!" He shot forward to help Zes, leading the charge with the Preventers right behind him as they shouted and cried out.
The Gundams that flew after Relena managed to catch up and went to handling the OZ soldiers that she helped hold back. There was a long exchange between the two forces as there were now two battlefronts, one over the other and separated by nearly a thousand miles of sky. While there was a great struggle in handling the mobile suits, Wind kept an eye on his sister as she was driven in her attack. Derek reached Milliardo's side, motioning with his head to Zes's direction as he panted, "No matter what happens, she just helped save this war! All of our reinforcements would have been killed if she didn't get her when she did." Wind didn't have any doubt in this as he simply nodded and resumed his own struggle against the OZ suits.
* * * * * *
Fighting tooth-to-nail, 'Demetris' and Kumi darted through the skies, equally matched in every way. Both beaten and bloody, the winged pilots knocked each other through buildings, statues and anything else that stood in their path through the fight. They had been at each other's throats for almost three hours now. The only proof that they had been involved in anything grueling was the sweat that drenched them and their loud pants of breath. The blood and wounds on them, along with the pain, never truly hit either of them. In desperation to destroy his challenger, 'Demetris' wrapped his arms around the 'Perfect Soldier's waist as he hurled her backwards through another building along with him. Unable to break free from the giant's grasp, Kumi growled deeply as they penetrated seven walls of steel and stone.
Once they broke through the other side, 'Demetris' lost his hold on the Japanese pilot as she fell onto the jagged debris that covered the ground beneath them. Kumi fell onto her stomach at tremendous force over the stone and metal fragments as the clone fell onto his side several feet ahead of her. Wiped out in his own efforts, the giant moaned deeply as he rolled onto his back, panting as he tried to regain his strength and focus. The silver-haired pilot groaned as she stretched out and lied on her right side. Struggling onto their feet, the pilots worked every tired and aching muscle in them to be the first to stand again.
After some difficulty, 'Demetris' was the first to rise as he stumbled forward before locking his balance onto the shifty ground beneath him. Kumi's back was to him as she had just gotten herself to prop the top half of her body over the wreckage. The giant wiped some of the blood and sweat that merged on his face as he growled deeply to himself. Taking what looked like a small detonator from his belt, 'Demetris' pressed the button at the top. Finally, Kumi brought herself to stand. The scarred pilot's eyes widened the instant that her ears picked up the sound of a laser being charged some distance behind her. Those Prussian spheres narrowed as the 'Perfect Soldier' turned slowly to face her opponent.
Across the way, the clone chuckled deeply as he aimed his Buster Riffle for the silver-haired pilot. "You should have killed me when you had the chance," Demetris sneered as he held the weapon with both hands. Kumi growled deeply as she glared to the OZ pilot as he began to pull the trigger. Just then, her eyes widened again as she head another laser being loaded a good distance behind her. A sneer crossed her lips as she chuckled deeply. The giant's eyes thinned as he shouted in frustration, "What the hell's so funny!?!" Kumi's sneer remained in place as she deadpanned, "You'll know in about five seconds." At this, she shot into the air before the clone could blink. The moment she was airborne, 'Demetris' shouted loudly and fired at her. Kumi managed to avoid the beam by the skin of her teeth as she maneuvered past it.
In she same instant that the silver-haired pilot moved, the clone spotted something that had been standing behind her. Only after he fired his weapon did 'Demetris' have a good look at what that was. With a sharp gasp and wide eyes, he looked upon Trowa Barton. The tall pilot glared to the tall man as he aimed Kumi's Buster Riffle to him. Trowa sneered, "So I got a piece of you after all," and pulled the trigger. The clone gave a blood-curdling scream as he was incinerated by the shot. Nothing remained of 'Demetris' as the beam disappeared. Trowa sighed deeply in content as he lowered the gun and smiled as he looked to the lone space where the clone once stood.
Kumi lowered herself to stand before her lover as she smiled warmly, "I was hoping you'd come to finish the job." The tall pilot chuckled deeply, "It helps make up for not taking care of Demetris the first time." His smile faded quickly as concern filled his eyes. gently caressing his partner's right bruised cheek, he asked, "Are you alright?" His lover nodded and kissed his palm before whispering sincerely, "I'm fine." The pilots turned to the fortress as it stood in the distance. The tall pilot wrapped his arms around the silver-haired pilot's waist and whispered, "Ready, love?" A small, sincere smile crossed the his love's lips as she turned her head to him and nodded. Trowa kissed her forehead before running off to Heavy Arms. Kumi's large wings flapped to bring her to fly before the Gundam as they shot off for the castle together.
Inside of the fortress, Quinze looked to his side monitor as he watched the Trowa and Kumi in their flight while Heero and Duo were still unable to find an advantage in their heated battle. The OZ leader chuckled deeply, "They handled my surprise better than I expected." Running a hand through his hair, he mused, "I think it's time we progressed things." Having said this, Khushrenadah took TallGeese's right hand and smacked Heero cross the right side of the room and Duo the same to the left as through they were flies. Both Gundam pilots hit crashed against the walls at tremendous force. Stunned, they watched as the white suit shot through the ceiling. "SHIT!" the Wing pilot shouted as he glared up to where TallGeese disappeared. Duo growled loudly as he and his lover took to the air and soared after the white Gundam.
TallGeese plowed through the top of the fortress and flew through the city in the direction that the other pilots would be arriving. It wasn't long before he had a visual of Heavy Arms and the silver-haired pilot. Among the deteriorating city, Quinze landed the TallGeese as he looked onto the approaching Gundam pilots. Unlatching his harness, the OZ leader opened his cockpit and rose to walk onto the platform that it made. All the while, he smiled to his foes. Trowa's eyes narrowed as he looked to his monitors and growled, "What is he up to?" Kumi's own eyes were thinned slits as she replied, "He's smart enough to know we won't shoot anyone unarmed... I think he really does just want to talk." Glaring to the image on his screen, Trowa nodded, "I have the same feeling, but I'm holding onto my gun."
Heero and Duo reached their friends as Heavy Arms landed before TallGeese. Opening his cockpit, Trowa walked onto the platform as his comrades stood there with him. Chuckling deeply, Quinze wasn't phased by the threatening looks that he was receiving from the four pilots. Turning to Trowa and Kumi, he stated simply, "You are to leave Mystia." Taken back by this order, the glares on the pilots turned into shock and rage. The silver-haired pilot shouted, "So you can have Heero and Duo to yourself!?!" Quinze replied, "This fight does not involve you." Trowa hissed, "Like hell it doesn't! We're not leaving them behind!" The OZ leader shrugged, "Then I'll have to destroy Colony O72."
Instantly, the color in the pilots' faces drained as their blood ran cold. Quinze sneered, "And you would have a wonderful view from here." The Gundam pilots looked up to the clear sky of the ship. Their eyes widened as they could clearly see the Colony overhead. With a detonator in his right hand, Khushrenadah informed the pilots, "Mystia revolves around the O72 as its moon." Once the pilots looked back to him, the OZ leader continued, "You have a choice. You can stay together here and watch the Colony and everything on it go up in flames. Or, you can do as I say and spare the lives there a bit longer."
Duo retorted as he growled deeply, "What proof do we have that you won't take out the Colony from here once they do leave?" Quinze bowed at the waist as he closed his eyes and smiled, "You have my word that it will not be destroyed at my hands." He walked back to his cockpit as he announced, "You have five minutes to discuss it amongst yourselves. I'll return then to see what you've decided." Closing the cockpit as he sat in his seat, Khushrenadah took to the air and flew off, deeper into the city. The moment that TallGeese was no longer in sight, Trowa wrapped his hands around the back of his neck as he whispered, "My God... all those people..." Duo shook his head and shouted in frustration, "That fucking bastard won't stop at anything to cover his ass!" Looking to his lover, the braided pilot's fury passed and he asked with worry in his eyes, "Heero?"
Heero had remained silent as he took everything in. Hearing his fiancée's voice, he was brought back to reality as he looked to the other pilots. Finally, the 'Perfect Soldier' lowered his head lowered and closed his eyes as he sighed deeply, "We don't have a choice." Kumi shouted, "Bull shit!" The Wing pilot looked to his cousin as she shook her head with concern in her eyes. She cried, "I'm not leaving the two of you here with him!" Heero stood before her as their eyes locked. Calmly, he asked, "Kumi, what other option do we have?" The Soul of Outer Space moved to say something, but nothing came out other than a fain whimper. The Wing pilot placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Our friends need you and Trowa on O72. Duo and I will take care of Mysteria and Quinze." Kumi pulled back as she looked with a heavy heart to her cousin. Small tears filled her eyes as she quickly turned her head. Finally, she nodded without turning her head back.
Trowa said quietly, "Take care of yourselves." Duo hugged the tall pilot as he replied quietly, "Same to you, Trowa." Looking to Kumi as their lovers hugged, Duo turned her head gently to face him as a tear rolled down her cheek. Gently brushing it away, he smiled sadly, "Save those for when they're needed." The silver-haired pilot bit her lip and wrapped her arms around the American tightly. Duo returned the embrace and he kissed her cheek. As the embrace broke, the braided pilot made room for Heero as he walked towards them. The two cousins looked to each other in silence for a moment before the Wing pilot sighed deeply and whispered, "Come here," as he opened his arms. Kumi gave a small smile as she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
Kumi whispered, "I only say goodbye when I mean it." Heero smiled and kissed her cheek before whispering back, "Good. Neither do I." That was enough for the scarred pilot as she sighed deeply and pulled back. Looking to Heero and Duo, Trowa told them, "You kill that son of a bitch for the rest of us." Kumi added, "And get back home safe." The pair chuckled deeply and nodded to their comrades. Satisfied with that, the silver-haired pilot nodded in return and flew from the platform and Trowa walked back to his seat.
Heero and Duo watched as their friends flew off for the Colony until they were away from their sight. Before they had time to say something to each other, TallGeese returned and hovered ahead of the remaining pilots. Quinze sneered, "Shall we?" Heero and Duo glared to him as they soared to the Gundam, immediately picking up where they left off.
* * * * * *
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?!" Noin shouted as she looked up to her monitors. The Gundam pilots cast their eyes upward as they looked in shock to what looked like a moon just past the Colony's atmosphere. It was still a few hundred miles past the battlefield where Zes, Milliardo, Sette and Wufei were fighting. "I... I think it's Mystia," Wufei said quietly, in awe at the incredible sight. Milliardo said quietly, "It must have broken off of that false Colony." Sette grunted as she fought off more OZ soldiers, "Then stay on your guards. Once that thing goes up, anything that's left is going to pour right down in this direction." With this in mind, the Gundam pilots continued their fight with their eyes and ears opened for any changes in the moon-like ship.
Suddenly, rain of silver Flare Spheres fell from the skies as they sent great numbers of OZ suits to their demise. A Preventer carrier flew through the OZ forces and reached Euphoria. Howard's image appeared on Milliardo's screen as he announced, "You'll never reach the Colony's center in your Gundams. We'll hold them two at a time in here as you take smaller ships to the target." With a sigh of relief, Wind nodded, "That's perfect, Howard."
Patching into his friends' transmitters, he called, "Quatre. Delepan." After a moment to fight their way to their comrade, the two pilots requested looked to Euphoria. Milliardo informed them, "Rest your suits in the carrier and head to the center in a smaller craft. Noin and I will head down as soon as we can. And be careful." The pilots nodded and flew for the carrier. Before long, a small craft carrying Quatre and Delapan shot from the carrier. The shuttle flew through all of the fury and confusion with great ease as the pilots made their way to the Colony's center.
* * * * * *
In the thick woods below the battlefields of the skies, a large army of OZ soldiers gathered together after their mobile suits fell and crashed to the surface. Those who escaped with their lives took their weapons and spoke together. One OZ guard looked to his comrades and shouted, "Listen up! Since we can't get back in the fight with our mobile suits, our orders are to find every city possible and burn it to the ground! Do you understand!?!" There was a collected cry from the pilots as they began to make their way through the woods.
Since they had been station on the Colony for months, the soldiers knew exactly where they were going as they moved quickly through the area. While they proceeded towards the nearest city, the red-haired man that led the revolt in his town rose quickly from behind a brush with his machinegun in hand as he shouted, "NOW!" All around the OZ army, men and women came from their hiding in the foliage as they opened fire on the troops. Screaming and attempting to return fire, every member of the organization's unit fell at the hands of civilians.
* * * * * *
Quatre and Delapan made their way through the Colony's center as quickly as possible. Entering the control room, they ran to sit before two of several monitors that were stationed at opposite sides of the room. With their back to each other as they sat, the pilots typed as quickly as they could. The redhead was looking from her keyboard to her monitor and she informed her friend, "It's going to take a while to reconnect the lines." Quatre nodded as he continued to type, "We're not far from the Earth's atmosphere now, about two hours or so. As long as nothing interrupts us, we should be alright. Whatever happens, just worry about hacking into the system, no matter what happens." Catherine nodded as she kept typing, "Got it." In silence, they focused on their chore in unlocking the override on the colony's stability.
* * * * * *
Never losing her determination, Zes fought off the OZ soldiers surrounding her. Delapan's voice patched in as she announced, "We've reached the Colony's center and we're hacking into the system now." Sighing deeply, Relena lowered her head and whispered, "Finally." Just then, another sharp pain hit her as she gasped loudly. Holding onto her controls as tightly as she could, the young queen groaned quietly as she struggled to look up to her monitors. Through he pain, she hissed, "Not now..." As she fought off the contraction, an OZ Space Leo before her was sent into a fall of flames as it was hit by a Flare Spear. The explosion was too great and too close to Calvary for the Gundam pilot to avoid it.
With her eyes squeezed shut as another cry of pain left her, Zes lost her grip on the controls. Calvary began to plummet. Sette and Wufei were the closest to the suit when as they screamed, "RELENA!" Instantly, they shot downward after their friend. The Queen of the World was still lost in agony as she looked to her monitors with her eyes half-opened. She tried to take hold of the controls again, but at the speed Calvary was falling and the pain coursing through her, Zes wasn't able to find the strength.
Brian was flying towards his wife's suit as he shouted, "RELANA!" Before he could get anywhere near the Gundam, he was stopped by gunfire that he managed to avoid by the thinnest of margins. Now met with having to defend himself, the King of the World was at a loss as he watched his love falling past him. "SOMEONE HELP HER!" he screamed as he continued to fight. "We're on it!" Sette's voice assured him through the transmitter. Fighting off OZ soldiers all around, the young man watched as Nataku and Mason shot through the mobile suits, following Calvary as they fell behind it.
Concern in his eyes and sweat rolling down his face, the Chinese pilot worked desperately to catch up with Calvary. "Shit!" he hissed as he tried to push Nataku faster. "Comeon-comeon-comeon!" Sette growled deeply through gritted teeth as sweat threatened to pour into her eyes while they were locked on the screens. It was becoming all to clear in that terrifying moment that they wouldn't be able to reach the falling Calvary in time. They were just a few hundred stories over the ground now.
As they continued to fall, Wufei and Sette were passed by a streak that came from nowhere as it went straight for Calvary. Both startled by the hazy strip, the Chinese pilot and tomboy gasped loudly as they soon realized what fell from the skies so suddenly. Kumi shot for Calvary with her arms extended ahead of her. Eyes Prussian eyes narrowed, she focused on the gold jewel that covered the suit's cockpit. Once she was falling just before the gem, the silver-haired pilot through her right fist into it with great force and a loud cry to match. With that punch, she managed to unlock the seal and the cockpit opened quickly.
Not wasting a second, Kumi flew into the hatch. Zes's face was drenched as she looked up with fear and agony in her expression. That changed the moment she looked to the winged pilot. With wide eyes and a sharp gasp, Relena shouted, "Kumi!" The 'Perfect Soldier' removed the switchblade hidden below her right arm and cut away the harnesses that held her comrade as she carefully held onto her. Kumi managed to lift the Queen of the World from her seat and carefully lifted her into her arms as they locked eyes. "Hold on!" the winged pilot told the young queen. Relena tightly wrapped her arms around the other pilot's neck. Before another moment passed, the scarred pilot shot through the cockpit's hatch again.
Once they were in the air, Kumi and Zes watched as Calvary crashed into the woods below just a moment later. Both pilots were panting heavily as they looked down to the site of the collision. Another contraction hit Relena as she cried out in pain, her eyes slamming shut as her head was lowered. The 'Perfect Soldier' looked to the pilot in her arms with concern. Quickly, Kumi regained focus and quickly lowered them to the ground as fast as the angel wings on her back would allow.
The moment that the silver-haired pilot, touched ground in the thick wood, the pilots were surrounded by gunpoint all around as men and women from the towns within the forest rose from their hiding places. With wide eyes, Zes and Kumi looked around and protectively, the 'Perfect Soldier' tightened her hold on the young queen. The glares on the civilians' faces disappeared as they looked in wonder to the Gundam pilots. Slowly, they lowered their guns. Nataku and Mason landed in the clearing a few yards beyond the sight without anyone's notice as they continued to stare to Kumi and Relena.
The red-haired man that led the city's revolt was ahead of all his neighbors as he looked in amazement to the two pilots that fell from the skies. Beside him, his blonde friend looked to Zes with wide eyes as he whispered, "Queen Weatherall." Breaking from his shock, he quickly gathered two blankets that were wrapped in bundles not far behind him. A young woman with short brown hair and blue eyes joined the blonde and redhead as they took the blankets to the pilots. They spread one of them out as Kumi nodded and gently lowered Zes onto it. Looking to the three civilians, she said sincerely, "Arigato." The young brunette knelt before Relena and turned to her blond friend as she said, "David, my medical kit is back by the ammo storage." David nodded, "Sure thing."
The young man quickly went off to get the kit as Kumi looked to the leader of the people gathered. Another contraction hit the young queen as she gasped and cried out loudly. The brunette said gently, "It's alright. We'll take care of you, Your Majesty." Once the contraction passed, Relena gave a small smile as she panted, "You don't have to call me that... Thank you for your help." She gasped loudly as pain surged through her again. Throwing her bead back, Zes cried out.
Kumi remained by her friend's side and squeezed her hand. The tall redhead in charge of the assault against the OZ soldiers knelt beside the Japanese pilot and their eyes met. The brave man gave a firm nod and stated, "My name is Marcus." Motioning with his head to the young woman helping Zes, he continued, "Erin, here, is one of our best nurses." The silver-haired pilot relaxed a bit and she nodded, "Kumi Yuy." Marcus smiled, "I never thought I'd live to meet two Gundam pilots." David ran back with a large medical kit. Kneeling beside his friend, he said, "Here you go, Erin."
Wufei and Sette ran to the scene and froze when they saw the armed citizens of O72 around them. Seeing that Relena and Kumi were safe, their concerned expressions relaxed as thy sighed deeply and ran to them. Kumi rose and asked Wufei, "Any word on Sally?" The raven-haired pilot replied, "She's might not be able to get down here for a while yet." Sette added, "The battle's getting even more difficult up there. We'll head back right away." Kumi shook her head and told the two, "Stay here with Zes. She'll need to have familiar faces around her."
Looking to the Queen of the World, the 'Perfect Soldier' knelt beside her and brushed back a few sweat-soaked locks from her face. Fighting back the pain as she bit her lip, a small whimper left Relena as she whispered, "I'm sorry... I know that I shouldn't have lied." Kumi gave her a small, gentle smile and assured her, "Don't be sorry. You only wanted to help." Turning to Wufei, she informed him, "I'm going back for Brian. It way take a while to reach him, but he needs to be here." The Chinese pilot nodded, "Alright. Be careful." Kumi rose and looked to her comrades in concern as she walked ahead of them.
Marcus noted the look of worry on the pilot's face and gently wrapped his hand around her right wrist. When their eyes met again, the redhead assured her, "We'll take care of them, Kumi." At this, she gave a small, but sincere smile as she nodded, "Thank you, Marcus." Quickly, she turned and opened her wings to soar back into the skies with a strong wind blowing everything she left behind. From where he and his neighbors watched, Marcus chuckled deeply and shook his head, "Damn all of those kids are something else." He turned to the civilians around him as he ordered, "I want everyone spreading out and making a ring around this place. If anything moves out in those woods, shoot it." The others agreed as they ran off and disappeared to secure the area.
* * * * * *
An hour later, in his crib, Mirando cried loudly as he lied in the quarters where he and his parents stayed on Pulsar. Two thin hands wrapped around the baby as they lifted him to Marimaya's chest. Hugging the child to her, she whispered, "Shhhh. It's alright, Mirando." Kissing the child's head, she hummed quietly. He calmed in her arms and soon his sobs passed. Once she knew that the baby was still again, Marimaya led the two of them in her wheelchair through the halls of the large ship on her way to the control room. Stopping at one of the large windows there, she looked to the Earth, watching as Colony O72 continued to fall towards it. Taking a deep, shuddered breath, she turned and continued on her way.
Once she entered the room, the young girl turned to one of the Preventers as he worked at his station. "What is the situation?" Marimaya asked. The soldier turned to her and removed his headphones to answer, "As far as what is taking place on Mystia, we have had no contact from the Gundam pilots there. But on O72, we still have two fronts fighting in the Colony's atmosphere. Zes has been missing for more than an hour with no word on what happened to her." Khushrenadah lowered her head as she bit back her fear.
Looking up again, she questioned, "And has anyone reached the Colony's center?" The Preventer nodded, "Quatre and Delapan entered the base just before Zes's disappearance. Milliardo and Noin are with them as well." Marimaya nodded and the Preventer returned to his work. Looking to Mirando as she held him before her, the redhead said quietly, "Your parents are two of the bravest people I've even known, along with all of the Gundam pilots." She kissed the little boy's forehead and held him against her again as she said, "I know they'll get through this." As if he could understand her, Mirando calmed even more as he started to drift off to sleep in his Marimaya's arms. Turning back to the large monitor in the front of the control room to watch the fight on the Colony, Khushrenadah whispered, "They have to get through this."
* * * * * *
High over everything that was taking place in the woods, Brian Weatherall was beside himself as he struggled against the OZ soldiers that covered the skies. As he growled deeply, he took out his frustration on all those against him. Never letting up in his tactics of shooting and dodging, the young king suddenly stopped as a golden beam took out all the troops immediately ahead of him. Brian looked to the sudden light with wide eyes. Once it passed, Kumi flew before him as a shield from the OZ mobile suits who moved to strike back. The 'Perfect Soldier' looked over her shoulder to see his Taurus suit and addressed the pilot, "Brian, go to Zes. I'll take over from here." Not needing to hear anything more, Brian nodded, "Thank you." He shot through the swarm of soldiers, now having a cleared path thanks to the beam from the 'Perfect Soldier's' Buster Riffle.
Determination in his face, the Brian fell to the ground below as he managed to pick up where Nataku and Mason were hiding. Once his suit touched down between the suits, he opened the cockpit and jumped to the ground. That moment, he heard his wife crying out in the distance. Fear ran up his spine and spread throughout his entire being, causing his eyes to widen and his face to pale. Barely able to breathe, the young king whispered, "Relena." Following the cries as quickly as his feet allowed him, Brian sprinted through the woods, to where the source of the pain-filled shouts came from. The residents of the Colony that had been guarding the area watched from their hiding spots as they saw the King of the World making his way to the young woman he loved. Nodding to each other, they went back to their posts, relieved that Brian was able to make it down safely.
Several minutes that felt like an eternity, the young man panted as he reached the small clearing where his wife lied. Sette was to her right and Wufei was at her left as they held her hands to try and relieve her during the contractions. Jessica was kneeling before Zes's spread legs as they were covered by a thin blanket. David was a few feet behind his friend, standing by for when he would be needed to help. The look of exhaustion and agony on his wife's face brought Brian's heart to stop. Finally able to take a shuddered breath, he ran into the clearing and called, "Relena!" Zes sat up a bit with wide eyes that softened as relief spread across her features. Breathlessly, she smiled and sighed deeply, "Brian!"
Sette smiled and allowed her brother-in-law to take her spot at the queen's right side. Brian kissed Relena's forehead as she bit back another loud moan. Taking her hand and squeezing it tightly, he smiled and whispered, "I'm here love." He brushed back the sweat-coated bangs from Zes's forehead gently as she smiled and whispered brokenly, "I was afraid you wouldn't make it." Her husband hugged and assured her gently, "I wasn't going to miss this for anything." Turning to Jessica and David, he said sincerely, "I don't know how to thank the two of you for everything." Jessica looked up and smiled warmly, "No need for that." Davis nodded, "We're just glad that we can help."
Hesitant, Brian asked, "Is everything-?" He was frightened to ask and Jessica nodded, "Everything is going smoothly. I had to induce the labor to move at a faster rate for the babies' sakes. Relena's already begun pushing." A small whimper left Zes as she fought another tremor of pain. Her husband squeezed her hand and held her with his free arm wrapped around her back. With several attempts, the young queen pushed. Thanks to Brian, Wufei and Sette, she was able to have all the support she needed. Finally, she gasped, "It's coming!" Jen nodded and told her, "That's it. Keep pushing, Relena. Just a little more." Relena pushed again, with a loud cry of pain. Just as she was finished, the sound of a baby crying was heard.
The young queen and king gasped loudly. Jen breathed a sigh of relief as she took care of the child. Once she had the baby cleaned and wrapped in a blanket, the child's crying stopped. Jen took hold of the child and handed them to David. Jennifer smiled to Zes, "It's a boy." Brian whispered, "We have a son." He smiled lovingly to his wife and kissed her temple. "We have a son, sweetheart," he chuckled deeply, fighting tears. David smiled as he walked the small boy over to his parents. Brian couldn't release his wife's hands, knowing that the delivery wasn't over yet.
Sette, instead, was handed the child for the rest of the delivery. She leaned close enough to her sister that she and Brian could have a good look at their baby. Seeing their tiny son for the first time, Relena fought tears as a small sob left her. She smiled and whispered breathlessly, "He's beautiful." Wufei kissed her forehead and chuckled deeply, "You're going to have a hell of a story to tell them when all this is over." Even through her exhaustion, Zes laughed loudly, throwing her head back a bit.
Just then, Relena was hit with another shot of pain. She shouted again and moaned through her gritted teeth, "I think the other one's ready now." Jen nodded, "It'll all be over with a few more pushes." Brian kissed Zes's cheek and whispered, "You can do it, love. Just a little more." The young queen nodded and took a deep breath. With another, tired cry, she pushed again. There were more pushes as the young queen shouted loudly. Then, with one more push, the sound of another baby's cries was heard as everyone around breathed a loud sigh of relief. Relena fell limp in her husband's arms, closing her eyes as she leaned against him, panting loudly. Brian kissed his wife's damp face several times with butterfly kisses as he whispered, "You did it," and other words of love and support.
Jennifer took to looking after the newcomer. Once she finished cleaning and wrapping the child, she informed everyone, "It's a girl." Wufei was handed the newest baby. He brought her over to her parents, smiling warmly to them. Sette dried her sister's face with a washcloth as Brian held the little boy. Once Zes was able to sit up on her own, she looked over to the Chinese pilot as he carefully placed her daughter in her arms. The new parents forgot how to breathe as they looked to their children. Those that had been a part of the delivery slipped away quietly to allow their friends time alone. "We're really a family now," the young queen whispered breathlessly. Brian kissed a tear that rolled down her cheek and nodded, still unable to speak.
* * * * * *
Sally was between a rock and a hard place as she, Lady Une, Sera Makato and Lieutenant Keiser fought off the increasing OZ troops. The head of the Preventers shot through the soldiers as she growled deeply, "I've never seen anything like this." Sally replied, "The moment we destroy five, ten more come in their place." Derek reached his fellow Preventers in his own Taurus suit as he asked, "Any word on Zes?" Sera shook her head, "Not since Kumi managed to land her on the Colony's surface more than an hour ago." Sally sighed deeply and shook her head, "I can't leave the rest of you up here, knowing how hard it is right now to hold these soldiers off." Keiser looked to his monitors as they beeped suddenly. With a look of dream in his face he shouted, "NOW WHAT!?!"
No sooner had he shouted this did the Gundam pilots and their allies watch as the skies were covered with a thick, wide cloud of Preventer suits as they fell from the sky towards the battlefield. Kumi froze as she looked to the thousands of reinforcements in wonder. Now finding themselves outnumbered, the OZ soldiers were trapped and at a loss as they were surrounded by countless Preventer suits. Lady Une panted as she looked to her monitors in disbelief as she whispered, "H-how?" Suddenly, Marimaya's image appeared on the screen of every suit as she smiled, "Mobile dolls... Something I picked up on thanks to my father's notes." Howard chuckled deeply, "We finally got them to work." Kumi, Trowa and their friends laughed in elation as they watched the OZ clones being shot down left and right by the mobile dolls.
Lady Une turned to Sally and smiled, "Better head down there to help Zes." Just then, Sette appeared on the screen as she smiled, "No need to worry about that. Wufei and I are just coming back from the delivery now." Her friends gasped and as they heard this. Sally asked quickly, "Is everything alright?" Wufei then appeared as he nodded, "Everything's fine. Brian and Zes have a boy and a girl. They're being taken to the nearest town's hospital now." Breathing a sigh of relief, Trowa whispered, "Thank God." Kumi stated, "Wufei, Sette, you and Derek get to the Control Center. They'll need all the help there they can get." With affirmative answers, the pilots went off to the facility.
* * * * * *
In the fading city on Mystia, Heero and Duo took refuge behind the remains of one of the fallen buildings as they caught their breath for a moment before the TallGeese found them. "He's still too damn fast...We have to lose some of this weight," Duo panted. Heero nodded and quickly stripping off the body armor that protected him. Duo proceeded to do the same. Soon, they were shed of all but their wings as the only metal on them. Their weapons remained firm in their grasps as their bruised and beaten bodies were exposed along with the torn clothing on them. Knowing the dangers involved in fighting like this, the Gundam pilots were in a desperate situation.
Both panting and soaked, they stood facing each other, listening as Quinze searched for them. As his breath calmed, Heero told his fiancee, "The moment we get a break, I want you to go down to Mystia's heart... Once you destroy the it, get yourself out of there and away from the ship as fast as you can." His partner looked to him with wide eyes as he asked in concern, "And what about you!?!" The Wing pilot answered, "Don't worry about me. I have to keep Quinze busy to make sure he doesn't try and escape."
Duo shook his head, "I'm not leaving until I know you're safe!" Heero cupped Duo's face and their eyes locked again. The Wing pilot said gently, "Listen to me, Duo... I promise that I'll do whatever I can to get out of here when you destroy the heart. As long as I know you're alive, that's all that matters to me." Small tears filled the American's eyes as he said quietly, "Heero, if anything happens to you-" Duo's words were cut off as Heero pressed their lips together. Duo gave a small whimper as the kiss deepened. Breaking the kiss for air, the 'Perfect Soldier' looked into his eyes and whispered, "I'll be alright, Duo. Just please do as I ask." The braided pilot bit his lip and nodded, "Alright." The Wing pilot smiled sincerely and caressed his lover's cheek. The American closed his eyes and leaned into the touch as he rested his own hand over Heero's.
The tender moment ended all too soon as the pilots could hear the white Gundam as it approached the crumbling city. Quinze chimed, "So you've reduced yourselves to hiding from me?" The OZ leader laughed, "I thought that such a method would have been the last that you would resort to at a time like this." The winged pilots' eyes narrowed as they turned in the direction of the suit. Climbing from their spot, they stood on the jagged debris. Khushrenadah turned to them and sneered, "Well, well, well. And you have removed that wonderful armor of yours." He chuckled deeply. The narrowed eyes of the Gundam pilots never changed as they glared to the TallGeese. Quinze licked his smirking lips and locked onto his enemies. "Nothing will be able to save you from me," he said deeply to himself. Quickly, he aimed his Beam Cannon and fired upon the pilots.
Before the beam could reach them, Heero and Duo took to the air and shot towards the OZ leader. The speed at which they moved was greater than it had been the entire battle as Quinze's eyes widened while he screamed, "WHAT THE-!?!" Heero and Duo flew around his Gundam with not only more speed, but much more agility thanks to the shedding of their protective gear. The young man was stunned as he suddenly found himself unable to prevent their blows and advances. Not long before this time, he was able to hold off both pilots in their attempts to catch him off guard. Now, he found himself their equal in speed and strength.
While he was able to prevent the more threatening attacks, Quinze was still receiving a great deal of hits in TallGeese. He growled deeply as he did whatever he could to lock onto the pilots. However, just as anytime the winged pilots tried to take him out, his efforts fell short when he would try and take them out. Frustrated, the young man held nothing back in his tactics. Spraying flames, firing his laser and swiping with his blade, Khushrenadah refused at admit that he was matched in this fight.
Heero avoided being shot as he dodged another gold laser beam with ease. Duo danced in the air as he spun around the laser blade at every thrust and swing at the OZ leader's command. Anytime the pair would find themselves being greeted with a wall of fire, they would fold one of their wings ahead of them as a shield as the other wing kept them in the air. Now that they were able to hit the white Gundam, they made sure not to get too close. While they were able to work at twice the speed they had been with their armor on, the lack of that protection also left them vulnerable. One hit would be their last if they weren't careful. Drawing too close to the cockpit had become out of the question for the time being. All that they concerned themselves with at this point was frustrating Quinze in their maneuvers.
* * * * * *
Colony O72 was now flying through the Earth's ozone. Back in the control room, the Gundam pilots along with Derek still to work to save the Colony. All around, there were sirens ringing to announce the situation. Quatre shouted, "We're in the Ozone, everyone! How much longer to we have until we reach the Earth's gravitational pull?" Quatre asked. Delapan locked into the coordinates as she answered, "Two minutes." The moment she said this, her monitor went out. Catherine's eyes widened as she gasped loudly. Trying to log back in, she shouted, "I lost the signal!"
Suddenly, all of the computers blinked off. The pilots all sat back and looked to their screens with dread in their eyes. The lights of the control room soon went out as well. The pilots gasped loudly as they were taken by the darkness. One minute later, the computers and lights came on again, bringing the room back to life as the frozen pilots turned immediately to their screens.
Delapan panted quietly, "W-what happened?" Sette tried trying a few more commands. The tomboy grew more and more concerned as she announced, "I'm not picking anything up over here!" Quatre responded as he looked in fear to his screen, "I'm having the same problem." Noin turned to the others and said calmly, "We're still in the Earth's Ozone... We won't have any word on what happened until we pass it." Milliardo lowered his head as he stated, "We've done all we could. Either we'll start floating back into Space or we'll fall."
For the next minute, everyone remained in silence as they couldn't move from their spots. Finally, all around, the lights of the control room flashed on and off as the computers beeped loudly again. The pilots looked around with frightened expressions as they prepared themselves for the worst. The system was back up and Quatre was the first to tap into it. Requesting the status of the Colony, he sat back as the confirmation came through. Closing his eyes, the Arabian whispered, "Please..." Looking back to his screen, his eyes widened.
The message there in red and bold letters read, 'COLONY STABILITY INITIATED' as it flashed on and off before reaching the other computers. Unable to breathe, Quatre whispered, "We did it." A huge smile spread across his face as he shouted to the others, "WE DID IT!" Instantly, the Gundam pilots jumped from their seats as they screamed and cheered. Derek fell back in his seat, lowering his head and covering his face with his hands as he gave silent thanks to whoever heard their prayers. Behind him, the Gundam pilots ran to each other in the center of the room. Quatre kissed Sette soundly before they embraced. Noin was taken into her husband's arms as they laughed and cheered. Wufei fell back in his own seat, wiping the sweat from his face as he smiled brightly. Entering the signal that reached the entire Colony, he turned to the microphone at his station. Still smiling in relief, he began, "To everyone on O72..."
Just beyond the facility, the Preventers and residents of the Colony were gathered as they took care of their wounded after the devastating battle. Along with them were Sally, Lady Une, Sera, Jason and Marcus. Hearing the announcement that rang and echoed all around, everyone stopped their activities and turned to the plant with anxious looks. Trowa and Kumi were at the other end of the forest as the declaration began. They ran to the edge of the wood to have a better look at the facility as is stood several miles ahead of them.
Finally, Wufei's voice announced, "Our stability had been regained." Everyone throughout the Colony began screaming and cheering the moment that this was heard. Smiling to each other, Sera and Sally embraced as Lady Une and Keiser hugged tightly and cheered along with everyone around them. Marcus pulled Jennifer into a tight lip-lock without any complaint on her behalf. As the civilians and Preventers around them celebrated, Kumi and Trowa sighed deeply in relief as their legs almost failed them. Looking up at the same time, they focused on Mystia as it was still in plain sight in the heavens. "It's all up to them, now," Trowa whispered. His lover nodded, still too fearful for Heero and Duo to be able to say much. The tall pilot held onto her hand and squeezed it.
Inside the facility, the Gundam pilots continued to laugh and cheer all themselves as they remained close in the center of the room. Derek still looked to the message on his screen as he couldn't process everything at the moment. Delapan smiled as she gently wrapped her arms around the ex-spy's neck. Derek smiled warmly and sighed in content as he wrapped his own arms around the redhead's. Catherine kissed her boyfriend's temple and said quietly, "Our friends are waiting for us." At this, Anderson's eyes widened. Turing his head to see the Gundam pilots, he watched their joyful exchanges through their celebration. A small smile crossed his lips as he said quietly, in awe, "I have friends." Catherine nodded and leaned in as they kissed deeply. Winking, Delapan smiled and whispered, "Come on." Taking the ex-spy's hand, she led him to the cheering Gundam pilots.
* * * * * *
Heero and Duo were still giving Quinze more than a hard time in their battle. After all of the abuse they had taken before they had an advantage, they came back quickly to repay each favor. Quinze was seeing red more and more as the struggle continued. Finding himself in this situation was not something that he planned on. And it was becoming increasingly aggravating knowing that while he had their movements memorized, the Gundam pilots still managed to catch him by surprise whenever they went on to strike his TallGeese. After a bitter exchange of hits and slashes, Heero and Duo could see the door opening for them as the cockpit of the white Gundam was becoming less and less shielded in Quinze's blind rage to kill them somehow.
As they were about to cross each other high over the Gundam, Heero told his partner, "I need you keep his attention." Duo nodded as he passed, "Alright. Whatever you have planned, be careful." As fast as he could, the braided pilot made another dive towards the OZ suit from half-a-mile over it. Quinze looked up and hissed, "You're mine now!" Focusing his hatred and frustration on the pilot that he could see, Khushrenadah poured everything he had into shooting him down. First, he fired with his beam cannon. Duo shot past the beam and continued to fall head-first towards TallGeese. Quinze screamed in rage as he shot with the flamethrower. The right demon wing folded before the braided pilot just in time to protect himself. Once the flames passed, the American didn't hesitate a second before charging downward again.
Khushrenadah's eyes narrowed as thin as they could as he looked to his monitors and watched his challenger closely. Bringing TallGeese to hold its laser blade in both hands, the OZ leader sneered, "At that speed, it'll be next to impossible for him to spare himself." He chuckled deeply, "That's it, you son of a bitch... Just come right to me." Duo's eyes narrowed as he was now a mere few feet from reaching the Gundam. Unshaken by the fact that he would be killed instantly if he should be hit, the braided pilot never slowed himself as he continued to fall.
A few beads of sweat rolled from Duo's face and his eyes narrowed as thinly as they could, waiting for the suit to move. With nothing holding him back, Quinze locked onto his target in his screens. Thrusting the blade upwards, he screamed and hurled the weapon right for the demon-winged pilot. Duo growled deeply and never budged, even as the blade made its way up to him. Finally, he grunted loudly and shifted the angle of his wings to catch an updraft that lifted him from harm's way at the last possible second.
"WHAT!?!" Quinze screamed as his Gundam only sliced through air. That same time, Heero charged from below as he shot between the Gundam's feet and up. Taking his laser blade, the Wing pilot stabbed it into the base of the suit's hatch over the cockpit, dragging the sword up with him. Khushrenadah's hands instantly left the controls as they began to spark in response to the damage. He shielded his eyes as he looked to the monitors as they flashed on and off to reveal the Japanese pilot as he pulled back after his assault. Together, the two pilots charged the Gundam and plowed into its chest with their right wings covering their exposed bodies. With their combined force, TallGeese fell backwards. Quinze was jolted in his seat as he screamed in shock and agony. Looking up, his eyes widened as he witnessed two building at either side of him being shot down to collapse onto TallGeese.
Heero turned to Duo and shouted, "Go!" Duo nodded with saddened eyes as he looked to the man he loved more than anything. Quickly, he kissed the Wing pilot's lips fully as he hugged him tightly. Heero returned the embrace and deepened the kiss, moaning sadly into his koi's mouth. When the kiss broke, Heero caressed the braided pilot's left cheek and whispered, "I love you, Duo." Duo fought tears and whispered back, "I love you, Heero." Quickly, he turned and flew back to the fortress as the Japanese pilot watched his departure until he couldn't see him any longer. Turning his eyes back to the fallen TallGeese as Quinze struggled to release his suit from below the rubble, Heero's Prussian spheres narrowed. Quickly, he soared from one building to the next, firing his Buster Riffle to bring each of them to fall upon the trapped Gundam.
* * * * * *
On O72, the Gundam pilots, Lady Une, Keiser, Sera and Derek had reunited since in the woods where the Preventers and their civilian allies were gathered far beyond the Colony's Center. Sitting together and secluded from anyone else, they rested for the first time in hours after a grueling fight that took more out of them than they knew they had. Each looking exhausted and concerned, they gathered at a campfire since sunset was approaching. A jeep driven by one of the Maquanauts pulled up to the group and stopped with enough time for Brian to escort Zes carefully from the vehicle. Rising from their spots, the pilots smiled and greeted the new parents with hugs and kisses.
"How are they?" Milliardo asked his sister as he embraced her. "They're fine. They're sleeping in the hospital now," Relena answered with a bright smile as she hugged her brother. Delapan asked, "What are their names?" Brian answered, "John and Dorothy." The pilots remained silent as they took the names in, both belonging to two of their friends that had been lost during the war. Noin broke the silence as she said sincerely, "They're beautiful names." At this, the others nodded and smiled sadly.
Zes took a deep breath and asked gently, "And Heero and Duo?" Kumi frowned as she turned and slipped from the group, walking with their back turned to her. Trowa watched her departure, knowing that there wasn't anything that he could say or do that would make his lover feel better. Turning to the King and King of the World, he answered, "We don't know... They're still on Mystia." Wufei continued with a concerned look in his eyes, "If it's destroyed, we'll be able to see it from here." Brian and Zes looked to each other with wide, frightened eyes. Turning back to her comrades, Relena nodded, "Then we'll wait." Together, the Gundam pilots went back to the campfire and sat close.
Kumi continued to walk through the wood, surrounded by Preventers and residents of O72 as they laughed and talked amongst each other. Walking towards the forest's edge, the silver-haired pilot looked up to watch the silver 'moon' as it hung in the skies, watching everything.
* * * * * *
Duo was already flying through the tunnels leading for Mystia's heart. His eyes narrowed and growling deeply, the American was finally able to see the end of the channel as the shoot broke off ahead of him. Entering the large room, the braided pilot looked to his surroundings. In an instant, he his cobalt spheres widened as they focused on the system that gave Mystia life. His shock and amazement passed as he shook his head. Duo aimed his left arm and prepared the Buster Riffle. "For all the pain you've caused," he said to the still room as his eyes narrowed.
Pulling the trigger, the American send his laser's golden beam into the ship's lifeline. Once the huge system went up in explosions, the braided pilot shot back through the way he came, never looking back as the flames chased him through the passageway. Giving his demon wings a large flap, Duo tried to gain as much speed as possible as they were catching up.
From their own place on Mystia, Quinze's face was drenched in sweat and blood as he cried loudly in his efforts to break TallGeese free from beneath the towering rubble over his Gundam. The white suit was also held back by thick chains that pinned its arms and legs down to the ground. Heero watched a few hundred feet above as he panted with his own face drenched after his strenuous task. Just then, the surface of the ship began to shake and growl as the explosions from within coursed through every passageway. With a loud gasp, the 'Perfect Soldier' watched as the buildings that stood in the distance fell left and right. Khushrenadah's eyes shot wide as he felt the quakes around him. Heero sighed deeply as he closed his eyes and threw his head back. "It's over," the Wing pilot whispered in relief.
Quinze screamed at the top of his lungs in rage as he threw all of his strength into pushing his Gundam forward. TallGeese shot from its prison as it sat up in the debris. With his eyes wide in terror, Heero was looking into the barrel of the massive laser belonging to the OZ leader. Khushrenadah sneered and growled deeply, "You're coming with me." Just as he pulled the trigger, TallGeese was blindsided by the beam of another cannon. As Quinze's weapon fell from his grasp, both he and Heero turned with stunned faces as they watched a dark figure with large demon wings flying to them. Heero shouted, "DUO!" The braided pilot smiled and cried, "Finish it, Heero!" The Wing pilot smiled back and nodded. Aiming his Buster Riffle to the helpless TallGeese, he fired. In seconds, the TallGeese was destroyed as the OZ leader cried out in agony. Heero lowered his gun and flew off to meet Duo.
All around, Mystia was deteriorating as flames shot through the surface and out into the atmosphere. Knowing that they would never be able to escape the massive explosion to come, Heero and Duo wrapped their arms tightly around each other the moment they met. Burying his head in his partner's chest and tightening his hold on him, the braided pilot whispered, "I love you, Heero." The Wing pilot tightened his own arms in return, closing his eyes as he whispered back, "Ai shiteru, Duo." The Japanese pilot's angel wings folded over the two of them as the American's demon wings did the same. Just as this happened, the OZ ship had seen its last moment.
Mystia was taken in a loud explosion as a ring of flames shot from the foundation of the great ship. Nothing was spared as everything became nothing more than a burning inferno. The moment that the ship was destroyed, everyone on O72 could see and hear the results of the explosion. As the citizens that had taken part in the final battle looked up along with the Preventers, they all screamed and gasped as they looked in terror to the ball of fire just miles from their atmosphere.
Kumi spun when she heard the loud crash as it echoed all around the woods. Instantly, she ran past the edge of the forest where the people were shouting. Her comrades were not far behind her as they, too ran with frightened expressions. Once they reached the opening, they looked up to the fireball as it continued to glow thousands of miles overhead. Instantly, Kumi gasped loudly as her eyes shot wide as she screamed, "HEERO! DUO!" Trowa, Quatre and Wufei all stepped back, the first to be hit with devastation as they looked to the scene where their oldest friends had been fighting. Sette, Delapan and Zes were close together as they looked up in shock and loss. Without allowing a second to think, Kumi ran forward, giving herself a good amount of room to open her wings. Soon, she reached the debris of the OZ ship as it soared across the skies.
Kumi looked frantically through the remains of Mystia that fell from all around her as she searched for any signs of life, shouting, "Heero!?! Duo!?!" As she continued to soar through the debris, the silver-haired pilot was beginning to grow more and more fearful, seeing that there wasn't must left behind to look through. The winged pilot whispered to herself, "God, if anything happened to them-" She cut herself short, not allowing any room for that though. With even more urgency, she screamed the pilots' names again.
[Music to 'Just Communications' begins]
After several agonizing moments of silence and searching, the 'Perfect Soldier' looked up and a sharp gasp left her. Falling towards the Colony's surface, a mile above the Japanese pilot, was a round shield of black Gundamimum. The winged pilot didn't need a second look to know exactly what it was. With a huge smile that brightened her face, Kumi shouted, "They made it!" She continued to watch the descent of the ball as she laughed loudly. Swooping from the skies, she made her way towards the Colony's surface.
The Gundam pilots below looked up to see the black sphere as well. "THERE THEY ARE!" Quatre yelled as he pointed up. Together, the pilots screamed and cheered as they ran to some of the jeeps that had been waiting along the side. With elated smiles, they sped off in them as they drove in the direction where the sphere was falling, deep into the open valley beyond the forest. Sera Makato ran to the hilltop as she watched from where the young warriors just were. The Preventer shielded her eyes from the light of the setting sun as she continued to gaze upon the black orb. She smiled warmly and whispered as a tear rolled from her right eye, "That's our son, Odin."
[JUST WILD BEAT COMMUNICATION
ame ni utarenagara
iroasenai atsui omoi karadajuu de tsutaetai yo
TONIGHT]
The black devil wings from Deathscythe opened slowly along with the white angel wings that they surrounded. As the cocoon unraveled, Heero and Duo remained sleeping in each other's arms as though they were in their bed. The Wing pilot's back was perfectly flat as it faced the Colony's surface in their descent. Duo's head was resting over Heero's chest where his heart was beating. And their arms were wrapped tight and protectively around their love. With a slight wrinkle of his nose, the braided pilot's eyes slowly opened along with Heero's. With a few blinks, their eyes shot wide as they gasped loudly, 'sitting up' with their shocked gazes locked.
[nureta sono kata wo atatameru you ni daita
furueteru yubisaki wa nani wo motomesama you no?]
Looking below them over Heero's shoulder, they say the Colony's surface hundreds of stories below as they continued to fall. The pilots smiled brightly and looked back to each other. Duo laughed, "You gotta love Gundamimum! It's the toughest shit there is!" Heero laughed loudly, throwing his head back. They hugged tightly and looked into each other's eyes, lever losing their smiles. Slowly, they leaned in and kissed deeply. Never losing the kiss, they spun as they continued to fall until they needed air. Once they broke, they took each other's hands as they swooped over the surface to land softly on their feet.
Narrator: "The year is after Colony 196. Following what came to be known as the 'Dawning War', peace settled on the Earth and throughout Space yet again."
[togiretogirete mo tsutaete hoshii itami wo
sameta furisuru koto de otona ni nante narenai]
Already awaiting the couple and free of her armor and wings, Kumi ran to her friends as fast as her feet could take her. As she reached them, her smile was the widest it had ever been as she laughed loudly with them. Heero ran to his cousin and met her in a tight hug, lifting and spinning her. With her legs around the Wing pilot's waist and her arms around his neck, Kumi rested their foreheads together as they cheered and shouted excitedly to each other. The silver-haired pilot lowered herself after she and Heero pecked each other's lips. Duo smiled warmly as Kumi moved to greet him. They pecked cheeks and hugged tightly. The jeeps carrying their fellow Gundam pilots rolled up at great speed, coming to a halt just ahead of them as their friends jumped out.
[anata no manazashi mamoritai
kanashimi tsuyosa ni kaeru ai wo shinjite]
Narrator: "For the original eight Gundam pilots, they managed to survive another war. But the sacrifices and challenges this time were far greater than those that they faced in the first two wars combined. This was not only the case for the Gundam pilots, but for every life that they protected in Space and on the Earth. Had it not been for their uniting, and the addition of the three newest pilots, OZ would have prevailed without a question in anyone's mind.
"No matter what happened from this point on, nothing that would be said or done could ever take away the fact that they were the true defenders of all that was good and right. They would help piece together the lives that had been shattered. And the next time that a threat to peace would ever come, every soul knew who they could turn to."
Sette, Trowa and Delapan each removed a large bottle of champagne that they had been saving as they sprayed their friends in the midst of their hugging, kissing and cheering. Soaked and elated, they congratulated each other and continued to celebrate. Once all of the pilots had been able to catch up with each other, they were joined by Lady Une, Sally, Jason, Brian and Derek. Pulling up in their own jeeps, they jumped out and were welcomed immediately. It wasn't long before the Maqunauts reached the group. The celebration only continued to grow as a large number of Preventers along with the civilians of O72 made their way to the sight. The sun continued to set, making the falling debris visible as it streaked across the darkening skies.
[JUST WILD BEAT COMMUNICATION
nani mo osorenaide
kanjiaeru tashikana ima dare nimo ubaenaikara]
The people on the Earth were gathering together, all races, genders, and religions, from every direction as those streaks crossed their own atmosphere. Having seen this before during the Eve Wars, they knew that the OZ ship had been destroyed. Together, they hugged, jumped and cheered as they took part on a celebration that rang out to the furthest reaches of Space in every ship and on every Colony.
[JUST WILD BEAT COMMUNICATION
ame ni utarenagara
iroasenai atsui omoi karadajuu de tsutaetai yo
TONIGHT!]
Later that week, on Colony F32, the Gundam pilots helped a large number of Preventers and civilians of other Colonies as they rebuilt the Colony that had to be burnt to the ground. Sette guided a truck filled with metal rods and beams as it pulled into a construction sight. With her hardhat in place, the tomboy jumped into the back along with several Maquanauts as they gathered and lifted some of the beams together, taking them from the truck. Delapan, Quatre and Derek helped their friends in leading and carrying the beams to the side of the building where they were needed.
In a small valley several miles away, a hospital was being completed as the roof was being lowered carefully by cranes. Wufei and Sally worked together with the men and women building the facility in one of those cranes. Together, they placed the final touch onto the facility to have it secured. Climbing from their crane, Wufei and Sally took in the sight of the finished product that they had been working tirelessly on. The Chinese pilot wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders as they looked to what they helped build.
[tooi yoake made yorisotte sugoshitai yo
nanimokamo nakushitemo yasashisa dake nakusazuni
kotoba yori KISS de tagai no kodou kanjite]
Noin, Milliardo, Lady Une and Keiser overlooked several plans for one of the many cities as they assisted the crews there. Jason looked over the young woman's shoulders as she pointed to the blueprints and made suggestions. Smiling as they nodded, Wind and Fire headed off with their team. The Lieutenant kissed Lady Une's cheek before leading several volunteers to their next station. With a faint blush, the head of the Preventers smiled as she watched her boyfriend walk off.
In restoring the Colony's forests and plant life, Zes, Trowa and Kumi planted large, fully grown trees in the hills and countryside with their Gundams. The Preventers around them took to their mobile suits as they could see their work paying off at an incredible pace. Where the lands had been barren previous to their arrival, they were now surrounded by foliage.
Not far from them, two of their comrades just finished up their task. Heero and Duo sat beside each other on a small hill as they wiped some of the sweat that ran from their faces during their efforts. Taking sips from their water bottles, they looked down to the city that was completed. Smiles crossed their faces as they watched families hugging and kissing when they looked to their new homes and quickly went inside. Heero rested his hand on top of Duo's and squeezed it. The braided pilot's smile never faded as he leaned back against his fiancee, resting his head on his shoulder. The Wing pilot kissed Duo's temple and they continued to watch the people below.
[jounetsu wo hikiyoseru isshun dakedo eien...
setsunaku hageshiku mitsumetai
nakitai kurai ni anata dake ga itoshii]
That night, Sera Makato returned from another city after playing a large role in its construction. As she made her way towards the woods to reclaim her mobile suit, a familiar voice came from behind as it asked timidly, "Mom?" Stopping dead in her tracks with a loud gasp, the Preventer froze with her eyes widened. Lowering her head, she closed her eyes before turning back slowly. Heero and Kumi stood there, unsure of what to do when their eyes met. The silver-haired pilot stayed where she was as her cousin walked towards his mother, a look of concern and awe mixed in his face and eyes. Standing before Sera, Heero gave a small smile as tears filled his eyes. Sera threw her arms around him tightly as she sobbed in his shoulder. The embrace was returned as the Wing pilot's own face was damp with tear streaks.
Heero kissed his mother's forehead as they looked to each other. Hugging tightly once again, they turned to Kumi as she remained a few feet away. Biting her lip, as Sera walked towards her. Excalibur's pilot worked at trying not to become too emotional as she looked to her aunt. Makato ran a hand through the pilot's loose, silver hair, saddened as she looked to it. Kumi couldn't hold back the tears any longer as she bit her own lip. Sera smiled lovingly and whispered, "It's beautiful." Excalibur's pilot stifled a sob as she threw her arms around her aunt. As they continued to hug tightly, Heero wrapped his arms around the two of them, kissing their heads as he smiled warmly through his tears.
The trio finally pulled back enough to try and dry their faces when Sera noticed two others in the distance. Duo and Trowa watched with warm smiles as they stood in silence. Sera's smiled back to them lovingly as she motioned for them to come over. After being hugged and kissed by her adopted sons, Sera looked to the four pilots with pride and relief in her eyes. Heero wrapped his arms around Makato from behind as he whispered, "Welcome home." Sera turned to kiss his cheek. Together, the family spoke amongst themselves. They all knew that there was a great deal of catching up that needed to be worked out... And they all looked forward to it.
['Just Communications' fades out]
* * * * * *
Later that week, the Gundam pilots sat together on one of the tallest mountains on the Colony as they looked down on the cities and forests that surrounded the area. Not far from where they were, there was a flat plaque was embedded in the stone. The engraving read: 'In Loving Memory of all the lives lost here... May it never happen again' At the bottom of the plaque, the signatures of the Gundam pilots, including Novem's were carved. It was the last thing left after the pilots had to burn the Colony to the ground.
Lying her back against a flat slate, Sette sighed deeply, "Not bad, if I say so, myself." Quatre smiled and replied, "Not bad at all. It's hard to believe that just a week ago, F32 was nothing more than ashes." Milliardo stated, "It's hard to believe that this time last week, we were in the middle of a war." There was a brief, sobering pause in response. Wufei turned to Delapan, Noin and Zes as he told them, "And I have to admit, for three-" Duo interrupted as he called out, "Women!" Noin shouted, "Onnas!" Trowa yelled, "Bleeding hearts!" The Chinese pilot glared to the three pilots as they laughed along with their friends.
Finally, the raven-haired pilot chuckled deeply and admitted, "Something like that." Looking back to the three young women again, he said sincerely, "For the three of you to pilot those Gundams the way you did in this war, after never having been through that before, you did an amazing job." Relena, Noin and Catherine smiled back at this as the others chuckled deeply and nodded. Delapan smirked, "Coming from you, Wufei, that means a lot." Trowa wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulder as he said sincerely, "We're proud of all of you."
Zes smiled and asked, "So we're officially Gundam pilots?" Kumi replied, "Well, that's up to you. It's far more difficult to maintain peace than it is to obtain it." Heero added, "The next time someone comes to threaten it again, there are no guarantees." Sette announced as she raised her hand, "Other than the fact that it won't be another Khushrenahad! I checked with Marimaya to see if she had any more Uncles, Aunts, cousins, adopted brothers or sisters. We're in the clear!" The tomboy's comrades were all laughing hysterically by the time she was halfway through her speech. As everyone settled again, Heero smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Sette. At least that's one guarantee in our favor." Duo assured the three young woman, "Whatever you choose, no one will judge you for your decision. Being a Gundam pilot comes with a lot of sacrifices." Quatre nodded, "And you won't always be thanked or given credit for your efforts." Milliardo remarked, "We could go on for days on the cons of piloting those suits. But I'm sure you already know all of them by now. We'll support whatever you decide."
Noin, Zes and Delapan nodded as they took everything in. There was a brief pause before Fire smiled and said simply, "I'm in." Zes nodded as she smiled as well, "So am I." Catherine remained quiet with a look of uncertainty and soon everyone's eyes were on her. Trowa smiled to her and asked, "So what do you think?" Looking to the others, Delapan chuckled deeply, "Like you guys can get rid of me now." Her comrades smiled in relief. "That being said," Heero began as he rose and stretched. "Let's head home." Everyone agreed as they rose and walked towards their Gundams that stood in the distance behind them.
* * * * * *
In a dark office, Kumi Yuy was typing at her laptop as she sat at the desk provided there. As she finalized the report, a signal clicked into her channel and the image of a man in his late forties with short blonde hair and blue eyes appeared. The Preventer smiled warmly to the pilot, "Hello, Kumi. It's good to see you." The Gundam pilot's Prussian eyes widened as she said quietly, "Mr. Dawson." The man chuckled deeply, "My dear, you know you don't have to call me that. You and my son were practically married." The 'Perfect Soldier' smiled warmly and nodded, "Of course. Forgive me, Dad. I'm still trying to get past using formalities for friends and family." Her 'father' nodded and smiled back, "I know."
The Preventer's eyes focused on the crescent scar that spanned the right side of the pilot's face. Gently tracing the right side of his own face in the shape of the scar, Matt's father asked, "Demetris?" Kumi nodded, "A farewell gift to remember him by." Dawson smiled and nodded, clearly relieved and satisfied that the silver-haired pilot succeeded in killed his son's murderer. After a brief pause, the kind man asked gently, "And have you met anyone yet?" Kumi smiled and simple gave a nod. Dawson returned the smile as he replied sincerely, "I'm glad. Whoever he is, he better take care of you. And you'll introduce us, right?" The 'Perfect Soldier' laughed and answered, "Of course." The Preventer nodded, "Good."
"I hear that both you and Sette will be staying on the Earth," Dawson stated. The Japanese pilot nodded, "You heard right. It's best that we stay close with the other Gundam pilots for the next time we're needed." Dawson asked almost hesitantly, "And how long do you think this peace will last?" Kumi paused before she replied, "Marimaya said it best... History is endless waltz. The triple measure of war, peace and revolution goes on and on." The Preventer nodded, "And It'll only be a matter of time before revolution come again." The silver-haired pilot gave a small smile and a firm nod as she stated, "We'll be there when it does."
[Intro to 'It's My Life' Begins]
Kumi took hold of her Preventer coat and threw it over her shoulder as she said, "Heero's waiting for me. I promised him that we'd talk alone tonight." As the Gundam pilot walked towards the door, Dawson asked, "Making plans for the next time there's an attack?" The door to the room opened before Kumi as she replied, "No, something far more important than that..." She turned her head back and smiled, "I'm helping him plan a wedding." Waving to the wide-eyed Preventer on the screen, the 'Perfect Soldier' walked from the room. The door closed again and Dawson's shock finally wore off as he chuckled deeply, still smiling as the screen went black.
[This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud]
Walking from the Preventer headquarters, Kumi put her coat on and began to descend the tall stairway before the large building. As she neared the last steps, she stopped as she looked to the street ahead of her. Sette was leaning against a red Mercedes Benz Convertible with her arms and legs crossed and a pair of sunglasses shielding her eyes. The ex-queen smiled to her friend as Kumi waked towards her.
[It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive]
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life
The silver-haired pilot smirked, "Nice car." The tomboy chuckled deeply, "Why, thank you," and removed her shades. "I figured you could use a lift." The silver-haired pilot smiled warmly and shrugged, "Why not?" Sette quickly opened her door to jump in her seat at the wheel. Kumi walked to the other side and sat beside her partner. With the sun sparkling on its shiny red paint, the hooded Benz sped off into the countryside.
[This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky
Got to make your own breaks]
Sette lowered the hood on her new car and let the sun of the bright sunrise warm them. Since it was early fall, it was still nice out. This particular day was beautiful as not a single cloud covered the skies. With the wind blowing in her hair, the tomboy lied back in her seat as she sighed deeply, "You know, I have to hand it to Wufei... He might not be able to pick a winner in a bet, but he has a wonderful taste in cars." Kumi turned to the ex-queen and sneered with a half-cocked brow, "You're not planning on keeping this, are you?" Sette snorted, "No. A bet's a bet, but I have five others just like this back at H7. Besides, it's just good to know that I won." Turning to her friend, she smiled, "But, I figured a joyride was more than called for." The 'Perfect Soldier' replied with a small smile, "Hn," as she turned her head forward again.
[It's my life
And it's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life]
Sette lounged comfortable in her seat as she sighed deeply in content and smiled, "Life is good. Heero and Duo will be getting married in a few months. Brian and Zes have reclaimed their roles as King and Queen of the World. Quatre and I are staying in his mansion with the Maquanauts. Wufei and Sally are expecting their first child. Milliardo, Noin and Mirando are together. Delapan and Derek are working together as Chief Flight instructors for the Preventers. Lady Une and Keiser are in charge of the organization as partners. Sera has finally put the pieces of her life back together. And Marimaya is the Queen of H7." Turning back to her partner, she said, "That just leaves you and Trowa." The 'Perfect Soldier' informed her friend, "Trowa and I just found a place a few days ago. We'll be moving in this weekend." The blue-haired pilot smiled and nodded as she watched the road, "Yep... Life is good."
[Music bridge]
For a while, the pilots just drove in silence. Suddenly, Kumi chuckled deeply as she lowered her head and closed her eyes. Sette turned to her as she asked, "What is it?" Her friend looked up and shrugged, "I was just thinking. After the Marimaya Incident, when we were searching for the last three Gundams, we shot past the Earth and the L Colonies every night. To Heero and the others, they would have only seen us as a shooting star-" Sette chuckled deeply as she concluded, "Never knowing that they were looking to the very ship that would be bringing the weapons for the next war no one saw coming." Kumi nodded, "Pretty scary if you think about it."
Sette laughed, "So does that mean you'll jump every time you see a shooting star now?" The Japanese pilot chuckled deeply, "Of course not. We have all of the Gundams that were ever created, and the pilots to fly them." The ex-queen nodded, "Exactly. Nothing to be worried about." As they drove in silence for a brief moment, a shooting star shot across the skies above. The eyes on both pilots widened instantly the moment they saw it. Kumi and Sette looked to each other with their eyes still wide. After a tense pause, they broke into laughter. The red convertible continued to drive through the countryside's hills and fields.
[Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down....]
[It's my life]
A massive crowd erupted into cheers as they stood and gave a standing ovation before a large stage and podium. Standing at that podium, King Brian Weatherall smiled and waved to the crows that gathered in the huge atrium. He had just concluded his first public address since the war began. It was a relief for everyone to see him back where he belonged, a promoter of peace and the loved leader of the Earth. He turned his attention to his right and looked up and nodded to someone or something that couldn't be seen by anyone else.
[And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
The balconies that spanned both sides of the atrium at either side stood in witness and were trimmed the royal blue curtails that pulled back to reveal their vacancy, in all but one. Hidden in the balcony on Brian's right and the closest to the stage, Heero and Kumi Yuy stood behind either curtain as they looked down to the King with stern faces. The Gundam pilots stood straight with their arms crossed in their usual attire, Heero back in his green tank top and jeans and Kumi in her black top and running pants with her long, hooded purple cape. As the crowd continued to applaud their friend, the 'Perfect Soldiers' smiled warmly in pride for him as the stern looks softened. Never changing their stances, they turned and smiled to each other.
[I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)]]
Gathered in the mass before the stage, Lady Une, Sally Poe, Lieutenant Keiser, Derek Anderson and Sera Makato applauded with wide smiles as they looked to Brian. Marimaya had also joined them as she held Mirando in her lap. The little boy now had a full hear of hair as blonde as his Aunt Relena's as he smiled and clapped along with everyone around him. Lady Une and Keiser held hands and smiled lovingly to each other. Sally Poe cradled Dorothy in her arms with her stomach just beginning to show and Sera held John against her. Nothing could take the excitement that they held at this time.
[My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive]
The deafening cheers continued and Brian fought more emotions than he could process. It had been a difficult and long war. Thinking of all those who couldn't live to see this, the young King took all of them into his heart and dedicated this moment for them. Brian stood before the people, smiling and waving to them as he thanked them for their support. As he did this, the curtains that Heero and Kumi had stood behind were blowing gently without any sign of them.
[It's my life]
And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
Together, Heero and Kumi walked through the long hall leading from the auditorium side-by-side. As they made their way out, they turned to each other with relieved and satisfied smiles. They walked though the front doors of the assembly hall and out into the world that made no promises to anyone. Even still, they welcomed the uncertainty as they walked down the long, marble stairway in the front of the building. As they reached the bottom, they were joined by Duo, Trowa, Sette, Quatre, Zes, Delapan, Noin and Milliardo. Together, they continued to walk ahead without looking back.
[I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive]
Shoulder-to-shoulder, the eleven pilots walked off into the sunset ahead of them. Their Gundams were waiting as they stood in the valley where they were hidden. Breaking for the moment, the young pilots went to their suits and jumped into their cockpits.
As their friends entered their suits, two of the pilots remained on the ground as they watched, hand-in-hand. Duo smiled lovingly to Heero and asked, "Mission complete, Koi?" Heero chuckled deeply as he kissed the braided pilot's forehead. Locking eyes with Duo, he nodded, "Yea... Mission complete." The lovers smiled brightly and kissed each other before climbing into their cockpits. Together, the eleven Gundam suits shot into the night sky, darting off across the atmosphere as shooting stars.
['Cause it's my life!]
OWARI