TITLE: The BattleGames 3/?
AUTHOR: Hana-chan gohana_chan@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Partially AU, TWT, yaoi, angst, occasional lemon, Sci Fi
PAIRINGS: None right now.
RATING: Varies. This part is PG I guess.
WARNINGS: None this chapter
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Gundam Wing. The story, and any characters that do not belong to GW belong to me.
ARCHIVE: Fanfiction.net http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=81835
Tales From the Death Scribe http://www.angelfire.com/sc2/deathfics/menu.html
NOTES: I don't know how fast the Gundams actually fly - I just stumbled across a Robotech site and went by some of their battleoid data. If anyone knows specifically, tell me and I'll change it.
+++ scene change ~emphasis~ //sign language//
The BattleGames
Chapter 3: The Test
"Wu. . . Wufei?" asked Quatre, shocked to see the Chinese pilot in this dimension. "What are you doing here?"
The man beside Sally raised an eyebrow, his only indication of surprise. "My name is Chang," he said. "How do you know that name? I haven't heard it since my childhood."
"You told me when we started fighting together," protested the blond in confusion.
"Sally is the only one who knows my birth name," he said flatly.
The glint in his eyes, made Quatre take a step back. "But. . ."
"It isn't him," said Duo suddenly. "Look at him, Qu. . .Rab. He's older, taller, and his hair is a lot longer. He's like the others."
Taking a closer look, Quatre finally noticed what Duo had seen. This Wufei was a few inches taller than the boy they knew, and he looked to be several years older as well. His glossy black hair was in a loose ponytail and fell midway down his back and something about him spoke of confidence and controlled danger - traits that his younger counterpart hadn't quite mastered.
The blond felt his face heating. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "You just look so much like our friend though."
"Is he a warrior?" asked Chang.
"Yes," answered Quatre. "He would probably be better suited to being here than we are." The last of his statement was said quietly.
"You aren't warriors then?"
"We are, but we tend to excel more as pilots than in hand-to-hand combat though I do know how to fence," he replied honestly knowing that the other man would find out about their abilities fairly quickly if he was training them. "Wufei, Heero, or Trowa would probably be better equipped to be here right now."
"You could say I've had training too," replied Duo cautiously. "Depends though on whether or not we're talking street fighting or formal stuff like Kung Fu or Karate."
Backing up a few paces, the Chinese man settled into a relaxed fighting stance on the practice mat. "Come at me."
Blinking in surprise the two pilots looked at each other then looked back at Chang. Glancing sideways at Duo, Quatre flicked a brief message with his fingers. //Do we fight?//
//Might as well. It'll hurt, but I'd rather get it over with. If worse comes to worse we can double team him.//
Quatre started moving cautiously to the right while Duo did the same to the left. The blond knew that he couldn't move fast because of the Mecho that Sally had mentioned, but he might as well give it his best shot. He didn't know what the rules were, but since the BattleGames were death battles, he assumed that it was an anything goes type of thing like when they fought with their Gundams.
Letting his gaze sweep quickly around the room, he didn't spot anything that was immediately useful. There were a selection of real and wooden weapons hung on the wall but he wouldn't be able to get there easily or quickly. There were some small free weights on the other side of the room, but again, they were too far for him to access before Chang was on him.
he thought. Gritting his teeth, knowing that any sudden movements would cramp his muscles he prepared to work through the pain.
Quatre dove and rolled, lunging up towards Chang's midsection. Chang avoided him easily, flipping him to the ground as he'd expected. The blond rolled, feet under him and he launched himself again, this time at his opponent's legs. He knew that he couldn't keep this up for long - already his muscles were spasming painfully. This time when he went down, he unhooked the toothed buckle from his belt. As he rolled he yanked the belt out, lunging again, and lashing out with the length of leather. It slapped loudly against Chang's arm, and was promptly ripped from Quatre's hands.
Now weaponless, he sprang up again, but instead of simply dodging, the Chinese man stepped aside and brought the belt down sharply on Quatre's back. Hissing in pain, the blond rolled into a crouch, panting for breath. He barely had time to register the kick that flew at his midsection before he was sprawled on the ground, right side aching. Struggling to his feet he wavered, wanting nothing better than to curl up and nurse his aching body, but knowing he couldn't do so yet. He saw the fist coming at him and tried to duck, but the mecho was dragging at him even more now, and he gasped as the fist stopped just brushing his neck.
"You lose," said Chang.
Quatre let himself slump to the ground, muscles quivering painfully. He watched, expressionless, as Duo crept forward silently, arms held ready before him, a thin black line across the knuckles of one hand that Quatre could only see because of his position on the floor.
He watched as Duo threw a punch at Chang's face. The punch was easily blocked, but, unexpectedly, the boy's other arm came up silk cord now in both hands. In a flash it was wrapped around the blocking arm and Duo dropped to the ground. Chang was flipped over Duo's body, but he recovered almost before he his the ground, lashing out with a foot to catch Duo in the chest.
The blond winced as he heard Duo's breath leave his body a moment before the 'death' blow that stopped just before impact with his throat.
Slowly getting to his feet, Quatre made his way to his downed friend. Duo was just getting to his feet as he arrived.
"Not bad," was Chang's comment. "You both have good instincts, the move with the garrote was well done."
"Can they be made ready?" asked Milliardo.
"I doubt it," replied the Chinese man. "They're too slow. I won't train men to be slaughtered."
Quatre concealed his flash of irritated puzzlement. "I know that we're slow now," he said. "But Sally told us that was to be expected."
"Yeah," protested Duo, sounding a bit insulted. "The Mecho slows us down and cramps our muscles or something. She said that you could train us so it wasn't a problem anymore."
The warrior looked startled. "You've already been Shifted? I was under the impression that you were getting new Acquisitions." The last part of the statement was directed towards Treize and Milliardo.
"They are," responded the ginger-haired man. "They were accidentally Shifted 14 hours ago."
"Fourteen hours?" he exclaimed. "And they can. . ." He trailed off, pensive expression on his face. "If they're adjusting this quickly, it might be possible," he said to Treize. "It will all depend on their current level of skill, both armed and not, and how well they interface with their mecha. What weapons do the mecha employ?"
"He~looo," drawled the violet eyed pilot. "In case you hadn't noticed, we're standing right here." He waved his hand before the warrior. "Deathscythe uses a scythe, obviously, and Sandrock uses shotels. They also have shoulder vulcans as well. Why'd'ya want to know?"
Chang glanced at Treize, waiting until he nodded before answering. "Both warrior and mech use the same weapon," he said. "Shoulder vulcans would be useless because there is no corresponding weapon on the warrior."
"Can't you just, I don't know, think it or whatever?" asked Duo.
The warrior shook his head. "It would be like trying to imagine wagging a tail you don't have - your mind doesn't have the natural impulses to do such a thing."
"But. . ."
"You have enough to worry about without adding that to your list."
Duo sighed, and Quatre privately wondered if his friend's idea had any merit, but decided to think about it later when he and Duo had some time alone.
"So what happens now?" asked the blonde pilot.
"You seem to have lost your reluctance," commented Sally from where she stood with Treize and Milliardo. "You were adamant about getting back to your war before."
"We still are," commented Quatre quietly. "However, we aren't much use to anyone right now because of the mecho. . ."
She nodded and asked no more questions, to Quatre's relief. He didn't want to tell her that he and Duo would likely escape at the first opportunity that presented itself. These people didn't seem to realize that fighting for the entertainment of others here just didn't have the same pressing need that the war back home did - that if he had to die, he was going to die for a real cause like peace and freedom and nothing so trivial as these BattleGames.
"So, what now?" asked Duo who was glancing around the room at the various weapons on the walls.
"I'd suggest that you eat then sleep," said Chang. "It's a bit late to start training tonight, and you should allow yourself some more time to adjust to being Shifted. Tomorrow at dawn is soon enough to begin."
Quatre sighed and nodded. He hadn't expected to be able to sleep in, but getting up at dawn everyday would likely make for very long and draining days. Duo obviously felt the same way because he groaned audibly, earning a chuckle from Treize. "You hoped to sleep in?" the man asked.
"Me? Nah," the chestnut haired boy answered waving his hand vaguely. "I usually get up early. I was just thinking that it was going to be like going into battle everyday without a break - they don't have enough suits to force us do that very often. The times it ~has~ happened though have sucked big time."
"You fight inside your mecha," said Milliardo. "How hard can it be? There isn't any physical exertion like there is when fighting hand to hand."
Duo blinked at the man then laughed. "You have absolutely no idea what it's like to fly a mobile suit, especially a Gundam. It's a good thing you aren't Zechs - I hear his Tallgeese gave him a heart attack and he's the best pilot OZ had. I'd like to see how you cope with flying at around 300 kph, coming to abrupt stops and maneuvering rapidly at high speeds, not to mention dealing with the concussion of weapons fire. I'm usually black and blue after every battle, and I've cracked ribs on more than one occasion, not to mention getting killer cases of whiplash. And that's on a good day!"
"He's right you know," Quatre responded quietly, looking at the slightly disbelieving faces of the other four. "My Sandrock isn't as fast as the others, but when I use the shotels I physically have to strain to get them to do what I want. It isn't as bad as the mecho, but it's still there - I've even increased the resistance on occasion to make myself stronger." He turned to the doctor. "You examined us didn't you Miss Sally? We weren't genetically altered because the scientists were bored one day. The five of us fly the Gundams because we're the only ones physically capable of doing it. Zechs is probably the only other person who can pilot a Gundam and survive, and as Duo mentioned, one experience nearly killed him. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he has some genetic manipulation done to him at one point as well."
Treize looked intrigued. "You mean that we essentially lucked out when we got you two?"
Quatre frowned at the thought. "From your point of view, I guess you did," he said. He didn't say the rest of his thought for fear that they'd get suspicious, but it didn't stop him from thinking it. Their world may have just lost its chance at peace.
+++
Chang watched as the two newcomers were lead to their rooms by Sally while Treize and Milliardo stayed behind in the gym.
"Be careful of those two," he said to the ginger-haired man. "They will try to escape once they've become proficient with their Shifted condition."
"What makes you say that?" Treize asked. "They said nothing to indicate such a thing."
"It is what was left unsaid that I'm concerned about," was Chang's firm reply. "They were in the middle of a war, and what may be your good fortune becomes their world's downfall. They may not have said it, but their people will likely lose their war if they lose two of their strongest fighters."
"The loss of two fighters, regardless of skill shouldn't cause ~that~ much damage to their reality," protested Milliardo.
"It sounds as if they are two of five or six people fighting against two other forces. Of course losing them will be devastating to their cause."
Treize frowned slightly then sighed. "Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it. We need them to keep ~our~ world from falling into chaos, we can't let the concerns of a mirror reality affect us in this matter."
"I was just making you aware of the facts of the matter. They ~will~ try to escape. They also communicate with their hands. I didn't recognize the signals, but before they attacked me they were communicating. Beware of that too."
Both of the other men looked surprised, and Chang was glad that those two hadn't been forced to fight in the Games as he had been - they were his friends, but sometimes they were not very observant, and that lack would likely have gotten them killed. The newcomers, however, were another story. He was looking forward to seeing exactly what they were made of.
+++
Duo sat on one of the narrow beds, looking around at the small, unadorned room. The room was thinly rectangular and consisted solely of two beds, two wooden closets with built in drawers, and a small window that Duo was sure he and Quatre could fit through if they chose. The bathing facilities were communal and located down the hall.
The blond was stretched out on his bed, staring at the ceiling and Duo watched him for a moment before sighing and flinging himself onto his back. "What now, Q-ball, or should I say Rab?"
Aqua eyes regarded him a moment before their owner chose to speak. "I guess we get trained by Wu - Chang. I think we should train in here - push-ups and sit-ups and what not as well."
"Conceal how well we're doing then? Sounds good to me. We should also find out more about those teleporter things as well - we'll need to use them to get back home."
"We also need to be careful of Chang as well," commented Quatre. "He seems to be as observant as our Wufei, and that could make things difficult."
"You noticed that too? I don't think we'll be able to hide much from him at all, especially if he pushes us as hard as I think he will,"
"I know," Quatre said as he turned to stare at the ceiling again. "Something you said earlier caught my attention though,"
"Really?" asked Duo trying to think about what it could be.
"Yes. It was what you said about using the shoulder vulcans. Chang said it was impossible because we don't have a corresponding body part, but I can sometimes use my space heart deliberately, and there's no corresponding body part, so why shouldn't we be able to use the vulcans as well?"
Duo frowned in thought. "That's generally what I was thinking." He shrugged against the mattress. "I'm willing to try it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If it does we've got a bonus. Shouldn't cost us anything but possible frustration."
"I agree. Right now though, I'm going to sleep. Night." Rolling onto his side, Duo curled into a ball, one hand tucked under his face, the other holding his braid. He listened as Quatre's breathing slowed, and he allowed himself to relax. He couldn't help wondering, as sleep began to overtake him, what Heero and the others were doing in their absence.
TBC
Glossary
Acquisition Run: When armed mecha are sent to another dimension to capture the mecha and pilots for use in the BattleGames.
Acquisitions: People and mecha acquired during an Acquisition Run.
AG: The standard of time meaning After Gateway. Similar to the AC of Duo and Quatre's home reality.
BattleGames: An arena format where the Shifted fight to the death with their mecha. Used for entertainment as well as political purposes.
Contenders: Warriors who fight in the BattleGames usually for the benefit of wealthy patrons.
Energy nets: Nets used to capture mecha during Acquisition Runs. They are made of a special flexible wire that conducts energy similar to what the Gateways use. It temporarily shuts down all but the life-support systems of the ensnared mech making them easier to capture and control.
Gateway: Technology that allows people to travel between alternate dimensions.
Harvest Sector: A dimension were mecha and pilots are acquired.
Interfacer: One of the Shifted who interfaces with a mech.
Mecha/Mech: Large robot-like suits of armor that are controlled mentally by the Shifted for use in the BattleGames.
Mecho: Short for Mecha Echo, it is the drag the Shifted feels when he or she tries to move a mech. It feels like the interfacer is trying to move and fight in a higher g level. Much adjustment and training is necessary for the interfacer to achieve significant speed and agility while fighting.
Nanites: Microscopic probes that are injected into the blood stream. Once activated, they create a Shift, which alters the brain of the contenders so that they are able to control their mecha mentally - they set up an interface with the computer of the mecha to accomplish this. Once injected and activated, the nanites cannot be removed or deactivated without killing the host.
Passage: The term used to describe the use of a Gateway.
Pass Through: A small scale Gateway that transports people to different places within the same reality.
The Shifted: People whose brains have been altered or Shifted to accommodate the nanites which allow them to mentally control their mecha. Shifting is a very painful process, and tends to leave the newly Shifted incapacitated for at least twenty-four hours. The process is irreversible.
AUTHOR: Hana-chan gohana_chan@hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Partially AU, TWT, yaoi, angst, occasional lemon, Sci Fi
PAIRINGS: None right now.
RATING: Varies. This part is PG I guess.
WARNINGS: None this chapter
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything Gundam Wing. The story, and any characters that do not belong to GW belong to me.
ARCHIVE: Fanfiction.net http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=81835
Tales From the Death Scribe http://www.angelfire.com/sc2/deathfics/menu.html
NOTES: I don't know how fast the Gundams actually fly - I just stumbled across a Robotech site and went by some of their battleoid data. If anyone knows specifically, tell me and I'll change it.
+++ scene change ~emphasis~ //sign language//
The BattleGames
Chapter 3: The Test
"Wu. . . Wufei?" asked Quatre, shocked to see the Chinese pilot in this dimension. "What are you doing here?"
The man beside Sally raised an eyebrow, his only indication of surprise. "My name is Chang," he said. "How do you know that name? I haven't heard it since my childhood."
"You told me when we started fighting together," protested the blond in confusion.
"Sally is the only one who knows my birth name," he said flatly.
The glint in his eyes, made Quatre take a step back. "But. . ."
"It isn't him," said Duo suddenly. "Look at him, Qu. . .Rab. He's older, taller, and his hair is a lot longer. He's like the others."
Taking a closer look, Quatre finally noticed what Duo had seen. This Wufei was a few inches taller than the boy they knew, and he looked to be several years older as well. His glossy black hair was in a loose ponytail and fell midway down his back and something about him spoke of confidence and controlled danger - traits that his younger counterpart hadn't quite mastered.
The blond felt his face heating. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "You just look so much like our friend though."
"Is he a warrior?" asked Chang.
"Yes," answered Quatre. "He would probably be better suited to being here than we are." The last of his statement was said quietly.
"You aren't warriors then?"
"We are, but we tend to excel more as pilots than in hand-to-hand combat though I do know how to fence," he replied honestly knowing that the other man would find out about their abilities fairly quickly if he was training them. "Wufei, Heero, or Trowa would probably be better equipped to be here right now."
"You could say I've had training too," replied Duo cautiously. "Depends though on whether or not we're talking street fighting or formal stuff like Kung Fu or Karate."
Backing up a few paces, the Chinese man settled into a relaxed fighting stance on the practice mat. "Come at me."
Blinking in surprise the two pilots looked at each other then looked back at Chang. Glancing sideways at Duo, Quatre flicked a brief message with his fingers. //Do we fight?//
//Might as well. It'll hurt, but I'd rather get it over with. If worse comes to worse we can double team him.//
Quatre started moving cautiously to the right while Duo did the same to the left. The blond knew that he couldn't move fast because of the Mecho that Sally had mentioned, but he might as well give it his best shot. He didn't know what the rules were, but since the BattleGames were death battles, he assumed that it was an anything goes type of thing like when they fought with their Gundams.
Letting his gaze sweep quickly around the room, he didn't spot anything that was immediately useful. There were a selection of real and wooden weapons hung on the wall but he wouldn't be able to get there easily or quickly. There were some small free weights on the other side of the room, but again, they were too far for him to access before Chang was on him.
he thought. Gritting his teeth, knowing that any sudden movements would cramp his muscles he prepared to work through the pain.
Quatre dove and rolled, lunging up towards Chang's midsection. Chang avoided him easily, flipping him to the ground as he'd expected. The blond rolled, feet under him and he launched himself again, this time at his opponent's legs. He knew that he couldn't keep this up for long - already his muscles were spasming painfully. This time when he went down, he unhooked the toothed buckle from his belt. As he rolled he yanked the belt out, lunging again, and lashing out with the length of leather. It slapped loudly against Chang's arm, and was promptly ripped from Quatre's hands.
Now weaponless, he sprang up again, but instead of simply dodging, the Chinese man stepped aside and brought the belt down sharply on Quatre's back. Hissing in pain, the blond rolled into a crouch, panting for breath. He barely had time to register the kick that flew at his midsection before he was sprawled on the ground, right side aching. Struggling to his feet he wavered, wanting nothing better than to curl up and nurse his aching body, but knowing he couldn't do so yet. He saw the fist coming at him and tried to duck, but the mecho was dragging at him even more now, and he gasped as the fist stopped just brushing his neck.
"You lose," said Chang.
Quatre let himself slump to the ground, muscles quivering painfully. He watched, expressionless, as Duo crept forward silently, arms held ready before him, a thin black line across the knuckles of one hand that Quatre could only see because of his position on the floor.
He watched as Duo threw a punch at Chang's face. The punch was easily blocked, but, unexpectedly, the boy's other arm came up silk cord now in both hands. In a flash it was wrapped around the blocking arm and Duo dropped to the ground. Chang was flipped over Duo's body, but he recovered almost before he his the ground, lashing out with a foot to catch Duo in the chest.
The blond winced as he heard Duo's breath leave his body a moment before the 'death' blow that stopped just before impact with his throat.
Slowly getting to his feet, Quatre made his way to his downed friend. Duo was just getting to his feet as he arrived.
"Not bad," was Chang's comment. "You both have good instincts, the move with the garrote was well done."
"Can they be made ready?" asked Milliardo.
"I doubt it," replied the Chinese man. "They're too slow. I won't train men to be slaughtered."
Quatre concealed his flash of irritated puzzlement. "I know that we're slow now," he said. "But Sally told us that was to be expected."
"Yeah," protested Duo, sounding a bit insulted. "The Mecho slows us down and cramps our muscles or something. She said that you could train us so it wasn't a problem anymore."
The warrior looked startled. "You've already been Shifted? I was under the impression that you were getting new Acquisitions." The last part of the statement was directed towards Treize and Milliardo.
"They are," responded the ginger-haired man. "They were accidentally Shifted 14 hours ago."
"Fourteen hours?" he exclaimed. "And they can. . ." He trailed off, pensive expression on his face. "If they're adjusting this quickly, it might be possible," he said to Treize. "It will all depend on their current level of skill, both armed and not, and how well they interface with their mecha. What weapons do the mecha employ?"
"He~looo," drawled the violet eyed pilot. "In case you hadn't noticed, we're standing right here." He waved his hand before the warrior. "Deathscythe uses a scythe, obviously, and Sandrock uses shotels. They also have shoulder vulcans as well. Why'd'ya want to know?"
Chang glanced at Treize, waiting until he nodded before answering. "Both warrior and mech use the same weapon," he said. "Shoulder vulcans would be useless because there is no corresponding weapon on the warrior."
"Can't you just, I don't know, think it or whatever?" asked Duo.
The warrior shook his head. "It would be like trying to imagine wagging a tail you don't have - your mind doesn't have the natural impulses to do such a thing."
"But. . ."
"You have enough to worry about without adding that to your list."
Duo sighed, and Quatre privately wondered if his friend's idea had any merit, but decided to think about it later when he and Duo had some time alone.
"So what happens now?" asked the blonde pilot.
"You seem to have lost your reluctance," commented Sally from where she stood with Treize and Milliardo. "You were adamant about getting back to your war before."
"We still are," commented Quatre quietly. "However, we aren't much use to anyone right now because of the mecho. . ."
She nodded and asked no more questions, to Quatre's relief. He didn't want to tell her that he and Duo would likely escape at the first opportunity that presented itself. These people didn't seem to realize that fighting for the entertainment of others here just didn't have the same pressing need that the war back home did - that if he had to die, he was going to die for a real cause like peace and freedom and nothing so trivial as these BattleGames.
"So, what now?" asked Duo who was glancing around the room at the various weapons on the walls.
"I'd suggest that you eat then sleep," said Chang. "It's a bit late to start training tonight, and you should allow yourself some more time to adjust to being Shifted. Tomorrow at dawn is soon enough to begin."
Quatre sighed and nodded. He hadn't expected to be able to sleep in, but getting up at dawn everyday would likely make for very long and draining days. Duo obviously felt the same way because he groaned audibly, earning a chuckle from Treize. "You hoped to sleep in?" the man asked.
"Me? Nah," the chestnut haired boy answered waving his hand vaguely. "I usually get up early. I was just thinking that it was going to be like going into battle everyday without a break - they don't have enough suits to force us do that very often. The times it ~has~ happened though have sucked big time."
"You fight inside your mecha," said Milliardo. "How hard can it be? There isn't any physical exertion like there is when fighting hand to hand."
Duo blinked at the man then laughed. "You have absolutely no idea what it's like to fly a mobile suit, especially a Gundam. It's a good thing you aren't Zechs - I hear his Tallgeese gave him a heart attack and he's the best pilot OZ had. I'd like to see how you cope with flying at around 300 kph, coming to abrupt stops and maneuvering rapidly at high speeds, not to mention dealing with the concussion of weapons fire. I'm usually black and blue after every battle, and I've cracked ribs on more than one occasion, not to mention getting killer cases of whiplash. And that's on a good day!"
"He's right you know," Quatre responded quietly, looking at the slightly disbelieving faces of the other four. "My Sandrock isn't as fast as the others, but when I use the shotels I physically have to strain to get them to do what I want. It isn't as bad as the mecho, but it's still there - I've even increased the resistance on occasion to make myself stronger." He turned to the doctor. "You examined us didn't you Miss Sally? We weren't genetically altered because the scientists were bored one day. The five of us fly the Gundams because we're the only ones physically capable of doing it. Zechs is probably the only other person who can pilot a Gundam and survive, and as Duo mentioned, one experience nearly killed him. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he has some genetic manipulation done to him at one point as well."
Treize looked intrigued. "You mean that we essentially lucked out when we got you two?"
Quatre frowned at the thought. "From your point of view, I guess you did," he said. He didn't say the rest of his thought for fear that they'd get suspicious, but it didn't stop him from thinking it. Their world may have just lost its chance at peace.
+++
Chang watched as the two newcomers were lead to their rooms by Sally while Treize and Milliardo stayed behind in the gym.
"Be careful of those two," he said to the ginger-haired man. "They will try to escape once they've become proficient with their Shifted condition."
"What makes you say that?" Treize asked. "They said nothing to indicate such a thing."
"It is what was left unsaid that I'm concerned about," was Chang's firm reply. "They were in the middle of a war, and what may be your good fortune becomes their world's downfall. They may not have said it, but their people will likely lose their war if they lose two of their strongest fighters."
"The loss of two fighters, regardless of skill shouldn't cause ~that~ much damage to their reality," protested Milliardo.
"It sounds as if they are two of five or six people fighting against two other forces. Of course losing them will be devastating to their cause."
Treize frowned slightly then sighed. "Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it. We need them to keep ~our~ world from falling into chaos, we can't let the concerns of a mirror reality affect us in this matter."
"I was just making you aware of the facts of the matter. They ~will~ try to escape. They also communicate with their hands. I didn't recognize the signals, but before they attacked me they were communicating. Beware of that too."
Both of the other men looked surprised, and Chang was glad that those two hadn't been forced to fight in the Games as he had been - they were his friends, but sometimes they were not very observant, and that lack would likely have gotten them killed. The newcomers, however, were another story. He was looking forward to seeing exactly what they were made of.
+++
Duo sat on one of the narrow beds, looking around at the small, unadorned room. The room was thinly rectangular and consisted solely of two beds, two wooden closets with built in drawers, and a small window that Duo was sure he and Quatre could fit through if they chose. The bathing facilities were communal and located down the hall.
The blond was stretched out on his bed, staring at the ceiling and Duo watched him for a moment before sighing and flinging himself onto his back. "What now, Q-ball, or should I say Rab?"
Aqua eyes regarded him a moment before their owner chose to speak. "I guess we get trained by Wu - Chang. I think we should train in here - push-ups and sit-ups and what not as well."
"Conceal how well we're doing then? Sounds good to me. We should also find out more about those teleporter things as well - we'll need to use them to get back home."
"We also need to be careful of Chang as well," commented Quatre. "He seems to be as observant as our Wufei, and that could make things difficult."
"You noticed that too? I don't think we'll be able to hide much from him at all, especially if he pushes us as hard as I think he will,"
"I know," Quatre said as he turned to stare at the ceiling again. "Something you said earlier caught my attention though,"
"Really?" asked Duo trying to think about what it could be.
"Yes. It was what you said about using the shoulder vulcans. Chang said it was impossible because we don't have a corresponding body part, but I can sometimes use my space heart deliberately, and there's no corresponding body part, so why shouldn't we be able to use the vulcans as well?"
Duo frowned in thought. "That's generally what I was thinking." He shrugged against the mattress. "I'm willing to try it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If it does we've got a bonus. Shouldn't cost us anything but possible frustration."
"I agree. Right now though, I'm going to sleep. Night." Rolling onto his side, Duo curled into a ball, one hand tucked under his face, the other holding his braid. He listened as Quatre's breathing slowed, and he allowed himself to relax. He couldn't help wondering, as sleep began to overtake him, what Heero and the others were doing in their absence.
TBC
Glossary
Acquisition Run: When armed mecha are sent to another dimension to capture the mecha and pilots for use in the BattleGames.
Acquisitions: People and mecha acquired during an Acquisition Run.
AG: The standard of time meaning After Gateway. Similar to the AC of Duo and Quatre's home reality.
BattleGames: An arena format where the Shifted fight to the death with their mecha. Used for entertainment as well as political purposes.
Contenders: Warriors who fight in the BattleGames usually for the benefit of wealthy patrons.
Energy nets: Nets used to capture mecha during Acquisition Runs. They are made of a special flexible wire that conducts energy similar to what the Gateways use. It temporarily shuts down all but the life-support systems of the ensnared mech making them easier to capture and control.
Gateway: Technology that allows people to travel between alternate dimensions.
Harvest Sector: A dimension were mecha and pilots are acquired.
Interfacer: One of the Shifted who interfaces with a mech.
Mecha/Mech: Large robot-like suits of armor that are controlled mentally by the Shifted for use in the BattleGames.
Mecho: Short for Mecha Echo, it is the drag the Shifted feels when he or she tries to move a mech. It feels like the interfacer is trying to move and fight in a higher g level. Much adjustment and training is necessary for the interfacer to achieve significant speed and agility while fighting.
Nanites: Microscopic probes that are injected into the blood stream. Once activated, they create a Shift, which alters the brain of the contenders so that they are able to control their mecha mentally - they set up an interface with the computer of the mecha to accomplish this. Once injected and activated, the nanites cannot be removed or deactivated without killing the host.
Passage: The term used to describe the use of a Gateway.
Pass Through: A small scale Gateway that transports people to different places within the same reality.
The Shifted: People whose brains have been altered or Shifted to accommodate the nanites which allow them to mentally control their mecha. Shifting is a very painful process, and tends to leave the newly Shifted incapacitated for at least twenty-four hours. The process is irreversible.
