Chapter twenty seven- War
Duo was jolted from her sleep, when there was a rattle against her door. Groggily, she lifted her head from her bed and mumbled "Go away..."
She rolled over onto her stomach, and the door was pushed open. "Duo, we need you."
She thought about last night, and wondered if it was actually true. Deciding not to ask her question out loud, lifted her head again, and looked at the doorway. "Q man, can't a guy get his beauty sleep?"
The blonde haired youth frowned slightly at the analogy, but let it slide. He eyed Duo's attire, and blushed when he realize the boy had been sleeping deeply. Stammering, he blurted, "A rebel group has declared war against Earth. They also have the colonies on their sides. We have to go to outer space, and stop them from attacking Earth."
Duo sat upright in bed, wide awake now, "They? They who? Whose this rebel group?" Quatre sighed, "I'll tell you on the way."
Duo nodded, and hopped out of bed. She grabbed her jacket, and threw it on as she followed Quatre out the door.
"Tell me what I've missed Q man?" Quatre nodded, and they rounded the corner. "Remember the base you were supposed to infiltrate, and destroy. That's a fraction of the rebel group. They called themselves Shadow. The group called Shadow is declaring war against Earth's rulers, and their alliances." Duo shook her head, "Why?"
Quatre shrugged, "I'm assuming, they figured out who you were, and found you as a threat. And since you've been staying in the Cinq kingdom..."
Duo shook her head, "I've heard enough." They followed the long corridor that led to a pair of double steel doors. Pushing the door open, they entered the hanger, where Dr. J had kept the Mobil suits, and Gundams. The hanger was filled with rows upon rows of Mobil suite. Four shuttles near the entrance were being filled with their Gundams. Duo frowned, when he only found four. "Heero left early this morning to get his gundam. The guys and I are about to leave as well. We believe in this war that we will need everything we can get to fight them off. So will you join us?"
Duo paused slightly, and wondered what she should say to the question. She could leave now, and say goodbye to this hell. She shook her head dejectedly; no she couldn't leave. She was stuck in this war, and even if she could, she knew she wouldn't leave her friends behind.
She looked at Heero, and slapped on a grin, "Of course Q man, I'm the great Shinigami!" She pumped her arms in the air, "Lets move out!"
Quatre smiled, and nodded, "That's the Duo I know."
He then jogged towards the shuttle where Sandrock was being loaded. Duo nodded, and raced towards her own shuttle. 'Yea, I am the Duo you all know.'
She rushed up the stairs, and slipped into the seat at the cockpit. Memories of flying came flooding back to her mind. She flipped several switches, and turned on the power.
"You're all load up!"
She heard the latch of the shuttle click, and knew she was ready to go. Quatre's image filled her screen instantly. "Is there a certain place we are going to?" Trowa's image caused both images to shrink, each filling a half. "..." Wufei appeared at the bottom of the screen, causing it to split into thirds.
He replied, "Yea, Yui told me that there is a base in quadrant four, sector 8."
Trowa nodded, and his image vanished. That instant a shuttle's engine roared to life. Duo set the coordinates, and glanced at the screen. "We have to be on guard. If there is any sign of attack, warn the other. We'll go by gundam."
He gave a curt nod, and Wufei's image vanished. Another engine came to life, and Duo did the same. Flipping switched, and pushing up the lever, her shuttle came to life.
Quatre's image stayed on the screen. "Something wrong Q man?" She grinned slightly, wanting to lighten the mood.
Quatre shook his head, and his image blinked out.
Duo shrugged, and turned more switches. She glanced out the window in front of her, and pulled down a second lever. There was a blast behind her, and her shuttle shot forward.
It wasn't long after, that the front lifted, and soon she shot off into the vast sky heading for outer space. Ahead of her, she could see two tiny stars, and one white dot at her side. With her friends, she felt safe.
Duo was the last one, who landed. The base was hidden in an asteroid belt, between colonies L2 and L1.
Duo shut off the power, and threw on her helmet. Slowly she made her way to the hatch. She hit the red button, and the door became stairs. She descended, and was instantly pulled up, with the gravity force missing.
Duo glanced around, and found the other pilots, floating towards the entrance. Duo slowly let herself float towards them. Men in black suits, came rushing out, as the gates shut to the hanger. They were going to unload the Gundams.
She passed the other shuttles, and slowly worked her way to platform, where the others waited patiently. The door closed in front of her, and she saw that the platform was an elevator.
Duo dropped down in front of it, and held onto the bar, to keep herself from flying off. She held it tightly, and glanced behind her.
Her gundam, now out, was down on one knee, as they tried to get him to stand. Duo shook her head, and smiled wryly. Her gundam. Hers no one else's. She broke out in a grin, at least there was one good thing that came out of all of this.
Suddenly a shrill, filled the hanger, startling her and the men in black. A read light next to her started to flash with light speed.
Duo looked around alarmed, had she hit something. "Evacuate the Hanger!" The voice came from an inter COM. "All personnel's in the hanger please evacuate. The enemy has spotted us. All gundam pilots please report to the hanger. We have to stop them."
Lady Une didn't sound to trilled, but sounded alarm. Duo had a bad feeling climb up her spine. Ignoring it, she started back to her gundam. Her arms swam through the air, like through water. She kicked her legs propelling herself faster. She grew close, and worked her way up to the cockpit. She hit the door with a thud, but threw it open, ignoring the pain in her wrist.
She climbed in, and shut the door behind her. She flipped the switches, and set the coordinates. Activating it with the red lever, she pushed it up. The gears inside grinded together, and flames erupted from the tail end. Duo hit button after button, and flipped open switches for later use.
Then she gripped the controls, and turned her gundam around. The gate to outer space opened up, and she could see the enemy. Thousands upon thousands flew towards her.
She crawled her gundam over, and slipped them into the levers. She heard the familiar click, and shouted, "02 ready!" There was a blasting sound, and her gundam was propelled forward, and thrown out into outer space.
Duo hit another button, and pushed the lever up all the way. The engine roared, and fire erupted again, and she was blasted towards the enemy.
Duo gritted her teeth, when the lack of gravity hit the gundam with a force. She unclasped her helmet, and threw it off. It hit the side, and rolled at her feet. She pulled out her scythe, and shouted through the inter COM, "You wanna a piece of me, well here I am!"
She hit a red button, and blasted towards the enemy Shadow head on.
Heero was coasting towards the base he had been told to meet up with the other pilots at. With swift and precise fingers, and hit several keys, and gripped the controls. He had an eerie feeling everything wasn't right in the world.
He blasted off towards the base, and still he had an hour of waiting. While waiting, he let his mind drift the puzzle at hand.
The last time he had seen Nanashi, was when Mamoru had shot her. He had been told she had died on the way. And the next day was sent on mission meteor. But then, he saw her again, after three years of believing she was dead. She was in Duo's room, with Mamoru, who tired to kill him.
Heero frowned. Mamoru had been the one at the hospital after Duo. Why?
He scowled, and cursed for going so slow. That eerie feeling was getting stronger.
Suddenly his calm crackled. He glanced down at it, and frowned. And image kept fading in and out.
"Q...out. We...more...wher...ero." "........."
"...well!!! Wat...out..."
"Ther...to...man..."
Heero frowned, and saw Duo's image flickered. But it wasn't exactly Duo. Not the face he usually saw at the end of his gun. Not the face he saw when Wufei chased him. And not the face that always tried to make a lousy joke.
"...ero...can...ear...me...we...eed...hel! Can...eep...the...ack...!"
Heero wasn't sure he understood all of it, but he knew he had to get there right away.
"amn!!!! The...ff...my...ar."
"Too man...oo stron..."
Heero hit the red button, and put more pressure on the fuel. He blasted into light speed. He could see the glints of a fight ahead of him. As he grew closer, he found Quattre's gundam floating, with Quatre pocking out to see if it was safe, then duck back inside.
"Heer...ere!"
Heero then saw Wufei not too far away, taking on two Mobil suits, with one arm missing. Trowa was far off in the distance-firing bullet after bullet into the enemy. He couldn't find Duo anywhere. He saw many suits that belonged to the rebel group lying around destroyed.
Heero pulled out his sword, and attacked the Mobil suits, piling against Wufei. Instantly they were shredded, and destroyed. Wufei came onto the screen. "Thank Yui."
"Where's Duo?" He glanced around quickly to see if he missed him.
Wufei frowned slightly and frowned as well. "He's been out here longer than we have been. And look how we are fairing. The last time I saw him, he was missing a leg. It was cut off at the knee. If he stays in that thing..."
Heero shook his head, silencing the other pilot. Another voice came in through the COM. "Got...ur...bac...owa."
"..."
Heero turned around with Wufei, and they saw Deathscythe, his back pressed against heavy arms. He was using a blaster. "Where the hell did that come from?"
Heero muttered, "Dr. J must had had it added on." Wufei scowled, "the lucky bastered."
Heero nodded, and raised his blaster. He fired at the other Mobil suits that were heading towards them.
Heero looked over again, and frowned. Duo's gundam wasn't in good shape. The arm, that usually used the scythe, was gone, along with his left leg.
Heero sent out a link...
Duo aimed the blaster again, and gritted her teeth. She hit the button, and sent out another blast. The shock of it, rattle her gundam, and electricity licked her skin. Cursing, she raised the blaster again. Her arm groaned with protest, wanting to fall off with the extra weight.
She could hear Trowa firing bullets into the enemy, who had found a way to surround them. And she also knew they were running low on ammo.
She heard a sound, and chanced a glance to the left. A blast destroyed all the Mobil suits, in front of her. Her eyes widen with realization. The blast had licked the front end of her gundam.
Duo flipped on a link to Wing 0, "Are you crazy!!! You nearly hit us!" She could see the faint image of Heero, and saw his lips move. But there was no voice to it that went over to her COM.
Duo scowled, and glanced over, Trowa had gone to help Quatre, and Wufei. Duo heaved a sigh, and turned around to face Wing 0. but before she could, and blast slammed into her back, and she cried out in pain. Her gundam did a summer Sault, and she saw more Mobil suits. "Where do they keep coming from?" She turned around, and aimed her blaster. The three suits in front of her fired, at the same time she did.
This time the shock was too much. Instantly the cockpit was lit up in red, and a voice voiced over, "Evacuate immediately. Over ride in system, self detonate."
Duo frowned, and ignored the voice. She gritted her teeth, and fired again.
Heero heard the voice in his COM, and tried to yell at her, but for some reason it wasn't going through.
He glanced around, and found that the others were fine. Making a decision he chose to take a chance. He hit the red button on the side of his controls, and was blasted forward.
He gundam rounded Duo's with light speed, and darted off towards him. He saw Duo's shock face, before his gundam rammed into the front of his.
Throwing on his helmet, and climbed out of the seat, and hit the button to open the door. The lock released, but it didn't open. He kicked it three times, before it fell open. The lack of air outside sucked at his suit, wanting to throw him out.
He waited, and watched as Duo's door fell away after the lock broke free. Duo stood in front of him.
Heero reached over, and grabbed Duo by the hand. He forced Duo to jump with him, and they was sucked up by space, and thrown away from the Gundams. Seconds later an explosion rocked the area, and the after shock his Heero in the back, and they were thrown into the asteroid belt.
Duo was jolted from her sleep, when there was a rattle against her door. Groggily, she lifted her head from her bed and mumbled "Go away..."
She rolled over onto her stomach, and the door was pushed open. "Duo, we need you."
She thought about last night, and wondered if it was actually true. Deciding not to ask her question out loud, lifted her head again, and looked at the doorway. "Q man, can't a guy get his beauty sleep?"
The blonde haired youth frowned slightly at the analogy, but let it slide. He eyed Duo's attire, and blushed when he realize the boy had been sleeping deeply. Stammering, he blurted, "A rebel group has declared war against Earth. They also have the colonies on their sides. We have to go to outer space, and stop them from attacking Earth."
Duo sat upright in bed, wide awake now, "They? They who? Whose this rebel group?" Quatre sighed, "I'll tell you on the way."
Duo nodded, and hopped out of bed. She grabbed her jacket, and threw it on as she followed Quatre out the door.
"Tell me what I've missed Q man?" Quatre nodded, and they rounded the corner. "Remember the base you were supposed to infiltrate, and destroy. That's a fraction of the rebel group. They called themselves Shadow. The group called Shadow is declaring war against Earth's rulers, and their alliances." Duo shook her head, "Why?"
Quatre shrugged, "I'm assuming, they figured out who you were, and found you as a threat. And since you've been staying in the Cinq kingdom..."
Duo shook her head, "I've heard enough." They followed the long corridor that led to a pair of double steel doors. Pushing the door open, they entered the hanger, where Dr. J had kept the Mobil suits, and Gundams. The hanger was filled with rows upon rows of Mobil suite. Four shuttles near the entrance were being filled with their Gundams. Duo frowned, when he only found four. "Heero left early this morning to get his gundam. The guys and I are about to leave as well. We believe in this war that we will need everything we can get to fight them off. So will you join us?"
Duo paused slightly, and wondered what she should say to the question. She could leave now, and say goodbye to this hell. She shook her head dejectedly; no she couldn't leave. She was stuck in this war, and even if she could, she knew she wouldn't leave her friends behind.
She looked at Heero, and slapped on a grin, "Of course Q man, I'm the great Shinigami!" She pumped her arms in the air, "Lets move out!"
Quatre smiled, and nodded, "That's the Duo I know."
He then jogged towards the shuttle where Sandrock was being loaded. Duo nodded, and raced towards her own shuttle. 'Yea, I am the Duo you all know.'
She rushed up the stairs, and slipped into the seat at the cockpit. Memories of flying came flooding back to her mind. She flipped several switches, and turned on the power.
"You're all load up!"
She heard the latch of the shuttle click, and knew she was ready to go. Quatre's image filled her screen instantly. "Is there a certain place we are going to?" Trowa's image caused both images to shrink, each filling a half. "..." Wufei appeared at the bottom of the screen, causing it to split into thirds.
He replied, "Yea, Yui told me that there is a base in quadrant four, sector 8."
Trowa nodded, and his image vanished. That instant a shuttle's engine roared to life. Duo set the coordinates, and glanced at the screen. "We have to be on guard. If there is any sign of attack, warn the other. We'll go by gundam."
He gave a curt nod, and Wufei's image vanished. Another engine came to life, and Duo did the same. Flipping switched, and pushing up the lever, her shuttle came to life.
Quatre's image stayed on the screen. "Something wrong Q man?" She grinned slightly, wanting to lighten the mood.
Quatre shook his head, and his image blinked out.
Duo shrugged, and turned more switches. She glanced out the window in front of her, and pulled down a second lever. There was a blast behind her, and her shuttle shot forward.
It wasn't long after, that the front lifted, and soon she shot off into the vast sky heading for outer space. Ahead of her, she could see two tiny stars, and one white dot at her side. With her friends, she felt safe.
Duo was the last one, who landed. The base was hidden in an asteroid belt, between colonies L2 and L1.
Duo shut off the power, and threw on her helmet. Slowly she made her way to the hatch. She hit the red button, and the door became stairs. She descended, and was instantly pulled up, with the gravity force missing.
Duo glanced around, and found the other pilots, floating towards the entrance. Duo slowly let herself float towards them. Men in black suits, came rushing out, as the gates shut to the hanger. They were going to unload the Gundams.
She passed the other shuttles, and slowly worked her way to platform, where the others waited patiently. The door closed in front of her, and she saw that the platform was an elevator.
Duo dropped down in front of it, and held onto the bar, to keep herself from flying off. She held it tightly, and glanced behind her.
Her gundam, now out, was down on one knee, as they tried to get him to stand. Duo shook her head, and smiled wryly. Her gundam. Hers no one else's. She broke out in a grin, at least there was one good thing that came out of all of this.
Suddenly a shrill, filled the hanger, startling her and the men in black. A read light next to her started to flash with light speed.
Duo looked around alarmed, had she hit something. "Evacuate the Hanger!" The voice came from an inter COM. "All personnel's in the hanger please evacuate. The enemy has spotted us. All gundam pilots please report to the hanger. We have to stop them."
Lady Une didn't sound to trilled, but sounded alarm. Duo had a bad feeling climb up her spine. Ignoring it, she started back to her gundam. Her arms swam through the air, like through water. She kicked her legs propelling herself faster. She grew close, and worked her way up to the cockpit. She hit the door with a thud, but threw it open, ignoring the pain in her wrist.
She climbed in, and shut the door behind her. She flipped the switches, and set the coordinates. Activating it with the red lever, she pushed it up. The gears inside grinded together, and flames erupted from the tail end. Duo hit button after button, and flipped open switches for later use.
Then she gripped the controls, and turned her gundam around. The gate to outer space opened up, and she could see the enemy. Thousands upon thousands flew towards her.
She crawled her gundam over, and slipped them into the levers. She heard the familiar click, and shouted, "02 ready!" There was a blasting sound, and her gundam was propelled forward, and thrown out into outer space.
Duo hit another button, and pushed the lever up all the way. The engine roared, and fire erupted again, and she was blasted towards the enemy.
Duo gritted her teeth, when the lack of gravity hit the gundam with a force. She unclasped her helmet, and threw it off. It hit the side, and rolled at her feet. She pulled out her scythe, and shouted through the inter COM, "You wanna a piece of me, well here I am!"
She hit a red button, and blasted towards the enemy Shadow head on.
Heero was coasting towards the base he had been told to meet up with the other pilots at. With swift and precise fingers, and hit several keys, and gripped the controls. He had an eerie feeling everything wasn't right in the world.
He blasted off towards the base, and still he had an hour of waiting. While waiting, he let his mind drift the puzzle at hand.
The last time he had seen Nanashi, was when Mamoru had shot her. He had been told she had died on the way. And the next day was sent on mission meteor. But then, he saw her again, after three years of believing she was dead. She was in Duo's room, with Mamoru, who tired to kill him.
Heero frowned. Mamoru had been the one at the hospital after Duo. Why?
He scowled, and cursed for going so slow. That eerie feeling was getting stronger.
Suddenly his calm crackled. He glanced down at it, and frowned. And image kept fading in and out.
"Q...out. We...more...wher...ero." "........."
"...well!!! Wat...out..."
"Ther...to...man..."
Heero frowned, and saw Duo's image flickered. But it wasn't exactly Duo. Not the face he usually saw at the end of his gun. Not the face he saw when Wufei chased him. And not the face that always tried to make a lousy joke.
"...ero...can...ear...me...we...eed...hel! Can...eep...the...ack...!"
Heero wasn't sure he understood all of it, but he knew he had to get there right away.
"amn!!!! The...ff...my...ar."
"Too man...oo stron..."
Heero hit the red button, and put more pressure on the fuel. He blasted into light speed. He could see the glints of a fight ahead of him. As he grew closer, he found Quattre's gundam floating, with Quatre pocking out to see if it was safe, then duck back inside.
"Heer...ere!"
Heero then saw Wufei not too far away, taking on two Mobil suits, with one arm missing. Trowa was far off in the distance-firing bullet after bullet into the enemy. He couldn't find Duo anywhere. He saw many suits that belonged to the rebel group lying around destroyed.
Heero pulled out his sword, and attacked the Mobil suits, piling against Wufei. Instantly they were shredded, and destroyed. Wufei came onto the screen. "Thank Yui."
"Where's Duo?" He glanced around quickly to see if he missed him.
Wufei frowned slightly and frowned as well. "He's been out here longer than we have been. And look how we are fairing. The last time I saw him, he was missing a leg. It was cut off at the knee. If he stays in that thing..."
Heero shook his head, silencing the other pilot. Another voice came in through the COM. "Got...ur...bac...owa."
"..."
Heero turned around with Wufei, and they saw Deathscythe, his back pressed against heavy arms. He was using a blaster. "Where the hell did that come from?"
Heero muttered, "Dr. J must had had it added on." Wufei scowled, "the lucky bastered."
Heero nodded, and raised his blaster. He fired at the other Mobil suits that were heading towards them.
Heero looked over again, and frowned. Duo's gundam wasn't in good shape. The arm, that usually used the scythe, was gone, along with his left leg.
Heero sent out a link...
Duo aimed the blaster again, and gritted her teeth. She hit the button, and sent out another blast. The shock of it, rattle her gundam, and electricity licked her skin. Cursing, she raised the blaster again. Her arm groaned with protest, wanting to fall off with the extra weight.
She could hear Trowa firing bullets into the enemy, who had found a way to surround them. And she also knew they were running low on ammo.
She heard a sound, and chanced a glance to the left. A blast destroyed all the Mobil suits, in front of her. Her eyes widen with realization. The blast had licked the front end of her gundam.
Duo flipped on a link to Wing 0, "Are you crazy!!! You nearly hit us!" She could see the faint image of Heero, and saw his lips move. But there was no voice to it that went over to her COM.
Duo scowled, and glanced over, Trowa had gone to help Quatre, and Wufei. Duo heaved a sigh, and turned around to face Wing 0. but before she could, and blast slammed into her back, and she cried out in pain. Her gundam did a summer Sault, and she saw more Mobil suits. "Where do they keep coming from?" She turned around, and aimed her blaster. The three suits in front of her fired, at the same time she did.
This time the shock was too much. Instantly the cockpit was lit up in red, and a voice voiced over, "Evacuate immediately. Over ride in system, self detonate."
Duo frowned, and ignored the voice. She gritted her teeth, and fired again.
Heero heard the voice in his COM, and tried to yell at her, but for some reason it wasn't going through.
He glanced around, and found that the others were fine. Making a decision he chose to take a chance. He hit the red button on the side of his controls, and was blasted forward.
He gundam rounded Duo's with light speed, and darted off towards him. He saw Duo's shock face, before his gundam rammed into the front of his.
Throwing on his helmet, and climbed out of the seat, and hit the button to open the door. The lock released, but it didn't open. He kicked it three times, before it fell open. The lack of air outside sucked at his suit, wanting to throw him out.
He waited, and watched as Duo's door fell away after the lock broke free. Duo stood in front of him.
Heero reached over, and grabbed Duo by the hand. He forced Duo to jump with him, and they was sucked up by space, and thrown away from the Gundams. Seconds later an explosion rocked the area, and the after shock his Heero in the back, and they were thrown into the asteroid belt.