"I'm hungry." Scarlet announced to the other New Generation Pilots. They all sat around waiting for the last half-hour to pass before the battle.
None of the others seemed to be hungry.
Scarlet sighed and stood, walking to the kitchen, the older pilots had gone to a "senior meeting", leaving her and the others…
"Better not eat anything…" she whispered to herself. "It'd suck to be ill in the helmet."
Instead, she drunk some water.
*~*
"T Minus Ten Minutes to First Assault, all pilots report to your Gundams." Came Lyla's voice over the intercom, Scarlet glanced up from where she had been sitting, playing with Flopsy on the table…
Kiyoshi drew himself up from his chair, rubbing the back of his neck.
Basim glanced up at the intercom from watching the other colonies in the distance, and nodded, heading towards the hangar.
Max too turned, heading for the hangar, following Basim.
Lian left his room, smelling of exotic incense as he walked to the hangar.
The pilots meandered in, Scarlet shaking with anticipation at her first REAL battle… she kept on trying to leap onto Kiyoshi's back.
"C'mon Kiyo! Chin up! No sweat, right? Just destroy a few of the first-line defenses and back here with a cool cola watchin' cartoons!" she laughed, but her laugh was shaky, and she wouldn't admit that she was scared out of her wits.
Of course, everyone thought she was out of her mind in the first place, not that it bothered HER any.
*~*
Lyla looked at the faces from the control room of Pod-Hopper II, her poker face on (and learning how to play poker from Duo and Heero, she knew exactly what a poker face was). Her face masked her worry and concern for the young pilots who had entered the cockpits of these massive war machines called Gundams, which she herself had designed and built for the most part.
Kiyoshi was un-afraid, or at least that's what his face said. His eyes wandered over the controls at he himself made the final check ups on the Gundam.
Basim though, was nervous. His hand shook slightly as he made sure everything was in order within Faris. Lyla had to smile slightly. He was so like Quatre.
"Basim, don't worry, Faris will take care of you." She said softly into the microphone that allowed her to speak to the pilots.
"I can't help it, Lyla, I'm not worried about Faris taking care of me, it's of the other suits taking care of Faris!" he insisted, and Lyla couldn't help but chuckle.
She turned off the mic.
"Quatre, your grandson is so much like you it's uncanny."
"Why, thank-you Lyla." Quatre replied, another smile wrinkle forming.
Turning back to the monitors, her eyes shifted to Max.
He sat, making his checks, just like Kiyoshi.
Her gaze drifted to Lian, proud of his sparkling white mobile suit, he made the final preparations.
And then there was Scarlet…
Lyla covered her face with her hands to stifle her laughter.
Scarlet, who had long before finished her final checks, was making faces at the monitor camera.
"Nyah!" she said, grabbing at the corners of her mouth and spreading them, sticking her tongue out.
"Duo, I didn't know you taught Scarlet your very own final check procedures." She said, straitening her glasses.
"I didn't teach her that! I taught her to moon the camera!"
"DUO!"
"I'm only joking!"
*~*
"Begin final countdown….
"Ten… Nine…"
This was too familiar to Kiyoshi; he closed his eyes and put his hands on the joysticks.
"Eight, Seven…"
Scarlet tightened the gloves around her hands, sliding her hands around the controls to Bran
"You ready for this, ol' buddy?" she said softly aloud to the massive Gundam.
"Six, Five"
Basim said a little prayer to himself as he made sure he was fastened in securely.
"Four, three…"
Max was patient, his thoughts focussed on the battle, no distractions.
"Two, one…"
Chen Lian opened his eyes as he awaited the final word - it seemed like the pause between one and the command was forever.
"GO!"
Thrusters fired, engines roared to life, and eyes glowed.
The first assault had begun!
*~*
Scorpion stood at the main deck of the Scorpio Colony, his watery eyes fixated on the void of space.
"They're coming." He said softly. "They will try… and they will fail." He smirked.
He walked to the inter-communicator of the colony.
"Ready all battle stations - they are on their way!"
*~*
"What does he mean "They are on their way"?" Dorothy blinked.
Relena sighed
"The Gundams… they're coming."
"Scarlet?" Treize asked.
"Yes, and Kiyoshi and Basim and Max and Lian." Milliardo the First replied, he glanced at Treize "How did you manage to put up with Scarlet and maintain your sanity, may I ask Treize?"
"Why, Milliardo, did she do something to your school?"
Lucretzia chuckled.
"Practically destroyed it within the first week." She affirmed.
"Oh, really? She seemed like such a nice child." Treize said. Lady Une rolled her eyes slightly; he still was too idealistic.
Dorothy sighed, and turned to Relena
"I hope our grandchildren are all right, Relena. Oh! It'd be horrible if…"
"I know, Dorothy, I know." Relena said.
*~*
The battlefield was ablaze, bathed in gold, red, and green light.
"Remember, don't hurt the colony proper, everyone!" Basim called out into the comm.
Scarlet spun the double-ended scythe around, slicing two dolls
"You worry about not harming the colony, Basim, I'll worry about watching yours and Lian's backs!"
It was true, for Lian and Basim were disarming the colony, while Scarlet, Kiyoshi who took out a dozen Scorpion Dolls with one blast from the Mega Beam Rifle, and Max who used his weapons to the full potential.
"Be careful in there, guys!" Scarlet said, "Bran's pickin' up…"
She glanced to the side, seeing the two Scorpion suits, Zephyr and Destroyer…
"…Something nasty. Great… just peachy." She scowled, then turned on the comm "Listen fellas, if you don't wanna suffer the wrath of one war-ready Goddess, I suggest you get your wimpy, traitorous tails outta here!" she growled… then pulled away from the group.
"C'mon and get us, Scarlet! Come get the guys who nearly killed ya!" she heard Nick's voice say… there was nothing from Zechs.
"SCARLET!" she heard Mr. Maxwell's voice come over the comm "Stay with the others! That is a direct or… CLICK!"
*~*
Duo's eyes opened wide behind the bifocals he wore, he growled and started yelling
"SCARLET! SCARLET ERIN MAXWELL THAT IS A DIRECT ORDER! DO YOU HEAR ME?! SCARLET! Scarlet…"
Too much, it was too much for the old man to take, with a flick of his gray braid; he grasped his chest, his left breast right over his heart, and closed his eyes… falling backwards from the work station that Lyla had set up for the trainer-pilots, dropping his comm piece from his hand.
Lyla turned in horror, hearing the sickening thump.
*~*
Scarlet turned to the main monitor as she clicked off the comm system, she knew it was dangerous, she wouldn't be able to call for help - that gave her the edge, she decided.
Zephyr came out, baring a heat-whip, and Nick sneered
"Piece of Cake, Zechs, this girl's gonna wish she HAD gone with me!" he laughed…
Zephyr pulled its arm back, the heat whip flicking slightly in challenge…
Bran responded as the communicator clicked back on, but solely for Nicholas Catalonia, as the black Gundam spread its wings in a mock invitation, spinning the two-headed scythe around, and pausing.
"What's the matter, Maxwell, you afraid?"
"I'm scared… terrified… but that's not gonna make me stop…" Scarlet thought to herself.
"I'm not scared of you, I'm gonna take you down."
*~*
In the control room, Lyla was frantic. Scarlet wasn't following commands, and Duo had a heart attack…
She gripped his hand in hers as Quatre retrieved the first aid kit…
"She is your daughter, Duo." She whispered slightly through tears, and held the pale, hot hand to her face. "Don't leave us…"
