Zoe
Zoe leaned out the window, holding her homemade antenna in her right had, her elbow bent at exactly 95 degrees. She put the receiver down on the inside windowsill and leaned further out. The static that was coming through her headphones was breaking up, and she could almost make something out.
Just a little more... She leaned further, holding the headphones tighter to her head with her left hand. She changed her bent elbow to 86 degrees, and leaned to the left.
"Almost got it..." She leaned further out, the static giving in to almost comprehensible words every few seconds. Her bedroom door opened suddenly, and Duo walked in.
"Zoe, do you know where-" he started saying, but at just that second one of her feet slipped, and she was falling-
Then she wasn't. Duo had rushed forward just in time to catch his daughter by the legs as she was about to plummet two stories down to the ground below. He gently pulled her back in and sat her on the floor.
"Zoe, what did I tell you about hanging out the window while testing your spy equipment?" Duo scolded. "Actually, what did I tell you about spy equipment, period?"
"But Dad..." Zoe whined, "I was being careful! If you hadn't walked in-"
"If I hadn't walked in, you'd be a pile of flesh colored mush on the concrete outside." He gave her one of those 'fatherly' looks.
"Okay, graphic, ew." Zoe sighed exasperatedly. "But dad, i was intercepting a transmission from OZ to its troops on Earth! I HAVE to find out what's happening!"
"Like this?!" He motioned at the jumble of wires and homemade equipment that was currently situated near the window.
"You don't let me find out any other way!" Zoe stood up, and faced him eye to eye. True, she was a few inches shorter, but she straightened up as much as she could. "I'm going to find out what's going on whether you like it or not! The war's not going to end-"
"I'm not going to let you fight..." Duo interrupted gently. Zoe, taken aback, stood there, fuming. "You know I won't."
"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm not going to let Messenger turn into a pile of rust just because you don't want me getting hurt!" Zoe turned around fiercely and went over to her desk. She pulled out a taser, a switchblade, and her lock pick set, tossing them into the pockets of her cargo pants. She turned back to Duo, her eyes burning. "I'm going. Don't try to stop me."
"Zoe... don't," Duo said, getting desperate. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"I'm getting myself into a war that's going to decide who lives and who doesn't." Zoe stood firm, she was convinced that nothing would stop her now.
"Zoe, no. I don't want to lose you." Duo held her gaze.
"This is what i'm supposed to do, dad. You know it, I know it, and whoever left me that Gundam knew it too." Zoe started walking out. "It's what i have to do..."
Duo could only look after her. How could he be so powerless to stop her? Because he knew it was true... Because he knew. Zoe stopped at the door, just for a second, then turned around and walked over to him. She hugged him quickly, kissed his cheek, and whispered "I Love you, dad... don't worry..."
And she was gone.
Duo sat down on her bed slowly. He couldn't stop what was going to happen... Why did it have to be her? Why her?
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Zoe leaned out the window, holding her homemade antenna in her right had, her elbow bent at exactly 95 degrees. She put the receiver down on the inside windowsill and leaned further out. The static that was coming through her headphones was breaking up, and she could almost make something out.
Just a little more... She leaned further, holding the headphones tighter to her head with her left hand. She changed her bent elbow to 86 degrees, and leaned to the left.
"Almost got it..." She leaned further out, the static giving in to almost comprehensible words every few seconds. Her bedroom door opened suddenly, and Duo walked in.
"Zoe, do you know where-" he started saying, but at just that second one of her feet slipped, and she was falling-
Then she wasn't. Duo had rushed forward just in time to catch his daughter by the legs as she was about to plummet two stories down to the ground below. He gently pulled her back in and sat her on the floor.
"Zoe, what did I tell you about hanging out the window while testing your spy equipment?" Duo scolded. "Actually, what did I tell you about spy equipment, period?"
"But Dad..." Zoe whined, "I was being careful! If you hadn't walked in-"
"If I hadn't walked in, you'd be a pile of flesh colored mush on the concrete outside." He gave her one of those 'fatherly' looks.
"Okay, graphic, ew." Zoe sighed exasperatedly. "But dad, i was intercepting a transmission from OZ to its troops on Earth! I HAVE to find out what's happening!"
"Like this?!" He motioned at the jumble of wires and homemade equipment that was currently situated near the window.
"You don't let me find out any other way!" Zoe stood up, and faced him eye to eye. True, she was a few inches shorter, but she straightened up as much as she could. "I'm going to find out what's going on whether you like it or not! The war's not going to end-"
"I'm not going to let you fight..." Duo interrupted gently. Zoe, taken aback, stood there, fuming. "You know I won't."
"It doesn't matter anymore. I'm not going to let Messenger turn into a pile of rust just because you don't want me getting hurt!" Zoe turned around fiercely and went over to her desk. She pulled out a taser, a switchblade, and her lock pick set, tossing them into the pockets of her cargo pants. She turned back to Duo, her eyes burning. "I'm going. Don't try to stop me."
"Zoe... don't," Duo said, getting desperate. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"I'm getting myself into a war that's going to decide who lives and who doesn't." Zoe stood firm, she was convinced that nothing would stop her now.
"Zoe, no. I don't want to lose you." Duo held her gaze.
"This is what i'm supposed to do, dad. You know it, I know it, and whoever left me that Gundam knew it too." Zoe started walking out. "It's what i have to do..."
Duo could only look after her. How could he be so powerless to stop her? Because he knew it was true... Because he knew. Zoe stopped at the door, just for a second, then turned around and walked over to him. She hugged him quickly, kissed his cheek, and whispered "I Love you, dad... don't worry..."
And she was gone.
Duo sat down on her bed slowly. He couldn't stop what was going to happen... Why did it have to be her? Why her?
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