Hi, I'm back. Well, I've got some good news. Meteor II is only going to be
two, three at most, chapters more. There will be a squeal, but I probably
won't post it here. There's just not enough interest in this story. Well
this chapter is going to contain chapters 11-15. Well enjoy, and remember
READ & REVIEW.
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Chapter 11
Meteor II : Lunch and Identities
"Let's find the others, get out of this madhouse, and find something to eat," Deula suggested. Everyone nodded.
Una glared at her sister, "Introduce us," she demanded.
"Una, this is Zechs and Noin. Zechs and Nion, tjis is my sister, Una."
"Nice to meet you Una," Nion said politely
Una nodded, then replied crisply, "the feeling is mutal. Now we'll go locate everyone else and then we can leave, ne?" She smiled a brillant smile and slipped into the crowd.
15 minutes later
Una appeared, for the first time since she enetr the crowd, the rest of the group was following along. " Okay, now I've gotta go." Una said, walking towards the enterance.
"Why?" Madeleine called out to her new friend.
"A friend of mine is coming in from space to help with my mission tonight, and I promised them I'd come pick them up, so I gotta go. Bye!"
"See you tommorow, or Monday at school," she called. "Okay, where are we going to eat," she asked, "I'm hungry." Everyone laughed and the tension snapped.
When they got to the resurant Madeleine and Quatre were engaged in a heated squabble over who would pay for lunch,. Tired of the arguement, Zechs suggested that each of them simply pay half of the bill. They agreed, and the rather large group found a table to sit at. Deula found herself seated between Nion and Zechs. She was having a great time chatting with her fellow gundam pilots, and her "fellow sufferors.
Lunch was a bonding affair where many childhood stories were told. The female gundam pliots laughed at the boys war stories. Quatre was explaining the ZERO system to their new comrades. Madeleine winced, knowing what something like the ZERO could do when it was out of control, especailly to your emotions. And if you had emotions like Quatre did. Sighing she thought back to her brother, Danny's words about girls not fighting.
"So, what's so specail about youi girls?" Noin asked.
Deula released a heartfelt sigh, and looked at her friend. "Noin, you're a good friend, but impossibly dense. Each person here, and Una, was trained to pilot a mech, whether it be a Tarsus or a Gundam, etc. Most professors had two students, ane girl and one boy. They were secertly trained to work together and then a choice was made, only one pilot could be sent to fight OZ, the male set was chosen. We were understandably upset, we revolted and left the training areas. We each moved to a place we deemed safe on our own colonies. I became an army leader, Dragoness became a priestess, Una... well Una stayed Una. Silence became a pracitioner of the Zen arts. Madeleine retook her place, and we tried to live normal lives, hiding in plain sight. Little by little we regained our independence and freedom. Little by little we also formulated plans to get our gundams out of the hands of our former teachers. After a while, a long while, we agreed to work with the wacky scientists. Still, we were stopped from entering the war. Leaders on each colony fell to Lady Une's charms and we began to fight the war in our own way. At every opportunity we undermined Une and her idealisms. We did this whenever we could. OZ base functions stopped working, their computers crashed, the engines on on Une's ship blew out, and they caught the wacky guys. Where ever we could back up our male counterparts, through the war, we did."
All of the boys' eyes were on her as were Zechs' and Nion's. While riding out the surprize each female pilot mused about her actions in the war. Each person at the table had braved a graet deal to see the war ended, to see peace. A peace that was soon going to be shattered by the OZ/Whitefang Alliance.
A pale Noin looked up, "Is there anything else we need to know bout you girls?" she asked faintly.
Deula's eyes were full of sypathy as the locked on to Noin's and she nodded. "Yes, there is. You must know by now that Una is the unoffical leader of this band of merry woman in all battles, there are no expections. I may act like the leader but up in the air it's Una who makes the call. That's not just because she's pilot 012, that, however, is part of it. We all feel like in battle there's no one we can trust more than her. She's not going to elevate her own importance like some might. Rules are simple in a fight, do what Una tells you to. Madeleine and I are in command from the momment we touchy down to the moment we go back up again. We deal with everything relating to the press and other important things, like weapon and ammo suppliers. There is also on more Femme fatal, a young Lt. from my ranks trained by her life experience. She's an ace in air battles." Deula smiled. " That about explains all you need to know about us. WE really don't feel like explaining anymore at this point in time."
Heero nodded, " The release of too much imformation could compromise the mission." The statement was uttered in Heero's flat monotone.
Deula smirked, the translation of what Heero had just said, to someone who knew him well, went something like, ' Telling us too much could get you killed. And I won't stand for you doing things that could get you hurt.'
Deula laughed and looked at the others, one by one they nodded. Still smiling, she pished out her chair and stood. "It was great to finally meet all of you, but I've gotta leave."
Noin looked up questionly.
"I've got a five hundred word essay to write on the command structure of the 1st mercenary army. Here's the kicker, I can't let on that actually run the god-damn thing ang the command structure is so lose it's nonexistant. Bye!" Leaning over the table she kissed Heero's cheek, then Trowa's, turned, and walked out the resurant and into the street.
"I wonder how she's getting home," Duo thought out loud.
"Her car, my car, a taxi." The Dragoness suggested
"Maybe, but ya know, she's the leader of the biggest standing army around. I think she could do something more expensive." he commented.
"Perhaps," Madeleine said pulling a waiter aside and asking for the bill. He scurried back a few minutes later with the bill for lunch. She looked at it, and did some mental calulations while pulling out her chequebook and writing the date. She then proceed to fill in everything else and sign.Returning the bill to it's former state, she placed her cheque on top of it, overturned.
Pushing out her chair she said a fond good-bye to each of the pilots, the male pilots that is, and left the resurant. The other female pilots soon followed her example. Excusing themselves the left, saying they'd see the male pilots at school on Monday.
The male pilots,Zechs, and Noin sat there. Starring stupidly into space. To say their new teammates were mini whrilwinds was a gross understatement.
Quatre moved to pick up the bill and the upsidedown cheque on top of it. He looked mildly surprized. "She didn't.." he breathed
Looking over his shoulder Duo sighed, "I hate to say it but she did, buddy..."
Chapter 12
The song "Shining Star" belongs to the Backstreet Boys. I make no claim to owning it.
%~^- stuff inside is part of the song
Meteor II :Landing Bay
"Flight 7243, from L1, now docking," the computer voice intoned.
Una looked up, that was the flight her friend was on. Getting up she closed her magizine(sp?) and walked toward the docking bay. The crush of people nearly suffocated her, she had grown up in isolation, and people still made her nervous, aswell as that lovely boxed in feeling known as cholesterphobia she always got. Her eyes scanned the unloading passengers, looking for her friend. When she finally saw him she sighed in relief. She would never admit it, but she had been worried.
He walked, no swaggered really, up to her, "Hey ya, baby, ya miss me?" His whole attitude reeked of innocence.
She punched him on the shoulder, not a friendly punch, more of a 'how dare you ask such a stupid question' punch. "You had better have missed me, because I found myself missing you. And you owe me lunch."
"How ya figure that?" he asked, mildly curious.
" I had to miss lunch with my new friends and teammates to come pick your sorry carcas up," her voice was quiet, almost to soft to hear, "and, now, I'm hungry."
"Alright, beatiful. where do you want to eat." His stomach growled at him, "Because I'm famished. I didn't quite know what breakfast was on the shuttle. It was kinda grey, lumpy and gross." he stated.
"I say this on behalf of all of the world's tastebuds: EWWWWWW! YUCK!" then she continued, "the problem with your theory, genius, is that I don't know any of the resurants on Earth."
"Well, I know this great cafe about five minutes away," he offered, "we could eat there."
"Cool with me"
"Alright, let's go, by the way, where'd you park?"
%~^ You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime your near
You will always be my baby
Baby when you do the thing you do
I wanna be close to you
'Cause I need to feel your every move,oh
Baby I can never say how much
I need your touch, I can't get enough
Baby I can never say how much
I need your touch, I can't get enough
You're my shinind star
That is what you are
There's no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime you're near
You will always be my baby%~^
10 minutes of searching and a located car later...
"So what are we doing tonight, baby?" he asked opening in the driver's and getting inside. Una got in the passenger's side and smirked.
"Standard operation. 012 and ally will destroy an OZ/Whitefang Alliance base in the sub-artic of the country formally known as Canada, at exactly twenty-four hundred hours. And who told you could drive my car?" She lifted the keys into the air. They were clenched between her thumb and forefinger. For the full affect she raised a sardonic eyebrow.
Smilimg sweetly at her, he snatched the keys from her. "Well, honey, I'm the one who knows where we're going, so it only follows that I be the one who drives us there." He peeled the car away from the curb and headed into traffic.
2 1/2 minutes and a wild ride later...
Una got out of the car, not listening to her stomach as it told her it wanted to rid itself of the small amount she'd eaten so far.
"I thought you said FIVE minutes away," she accused the man exiting her car, curoius that he didn't look like his stomach was about to declare war on his backbone and other various parts of his anatomy. That didn't mean she wouldn't though, especially if her ever drove like that again with her in the car, or her car.
%~^ Baby you're as close as close can get
And baby you know I'd let
Every single part of me be yours, ooh yeah
It doesn't matter if the phone might ring
'Cause I won't hear a thing when I'm in your arms
'Cause you know what to do to turn me on
You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you
Angels everywhere
Everything you're near
You will always be my baby
I've never been so satisfied
With anything in my entire life
'Cause you are doing everything so right
Oh, oh, baby
I've never been so satisfied
With anything in my entire life
'Cause you are doing everthing so right
Oh, oh, baby%~^
"You, idiot, that was my car; you could have smashed it up really good," she stated.
"Your car was never in any danger and neither were you, so stop lookin' at me so funny," he curtly replied.
They glared at each other, over Una's car.
"Jason, don't you ever do that to me again. Speed in battle sistuations is cool with me, but the way you drive is just plain ... reckless." Her stomach growled and she sighed. "Now, let's go in and eat. I'm starving!"
Jason smiled and laughed, then made Una laugh by contritely saying, "Yes, mother, whatwever you say."
Arm in arm, and in charity with each other, they entered the corner cafe and sat down to eat lunch.
2 hours of food later...
Una sat back in her chair and smiled, "Okay, now I'm full." She stopped to think for a moment. "So now we ask for the bill and spilt the cost of lunch," she said cheerfully, her ealier humor restored.
Jason shook his head morunfully. " No. You can't pay half. Picking up my 'sorry carcas' caused you to miss lunch, so this is my treat. Don't, however, get used to this treatment. I maybe rich, but I'm no gentleman."
Una laughed. "Honey, I didn't expect this much. Remember how we met?" she asked.
"Sure, I do, sweetheart, I can't forget it or anything else about you. Girl, I think I maybe in love with you. So, now, I'm glad to be here to guard your back. No offense to your friends, but I want to be the one to be protecting your back. I want to be the one you come to with your problems. I'm pretty damn sure that's what it is to be in love, and therefore it follow that I'm in with you."
Una opened her mouth, several times. "Jason, honey, I don't know what to say. I care so much about you, I'll kill any girl that lookes at you."
"So what's the problem?"
"I don't know if that's just lust speaking or if it's something deeper. I never had a childhood, in the normal sense of the word, no loving parents to ask questions of. What I'm trying to say is I don't know what love is, and I's really like to not ruin what we have by saying... what I just did..." she stammered to a stop before plowing on, "but it needs to be said. I care about you, Jason, a lot. So much that it scares me sometimes. I just don't know if what I'm feeling is love. Can you understand what I'm saying," she quiered.
"Sure, Una, you need time. So time is what I'm goin' to give you. I won't mention the again 'til you think you're ready."
%~^ You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime you're near
You will always be my baby
You know I adore you
Wanna be there everyday for you
To satisfy your every needs my baby, baby
You know I adore you
Wanna be there everyday for you
To satisfy your every needs my baby, baby
You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime your near
You will always be my baby%~^
Chapter 13
Meteor II : Mission
*- denoted thoughts
Author's note: Remember timezones
Twenty hundred hours...
* Four hours is all we have. Gotta do this right, we don't get a second chance* Jason looked at the vidscreen in his mech. His mech was slightly more advanced that the Tallgeese II, almost a Gundam, almost.
Una sat in her cockpit, she had finished checks for the mission. Hitting the communication button, she waited for it to find the ferquency Lion worked on. When it finally coonected she spoke into the microtransmitter, located under her blood red helmet. "Are you ready for take-off, Lion?" she asked
"Yes," he never dallied with long reponses.
5 minutes after communication...
Both Dragon Rage and Lion were in the air and racing towards the target. There wasn't really anything to worry about, this was a simple find and destroy mission. It contained few risks. The limited risks wer the reason she was flying with Lion instead another pilot.
Twenty- two hundred hours...
Una sighed, "Simple," she muttered, "well it would be if we could find the god damned base."
"Rage, I have a lock on the target."
"Where is the god damn place?" she asked.
"Thirty miles north west of your current location. Lion, out."
Muttering obsurities under her breath, Una started to head towards the location of the base.
Thirty miles northwest of Una's last known location...
Lion was waiting, not very patiently. He was sitting in hos cockpit bitting his nails, or trying to, he'd already bitten them down to the quick. " Where the hell is she?" he asked himself. " It's only thiry miles, she should have been here by now. Where is she? That's it, I'll give her one more minute before I blow this place up and go looking for her. This is just not a good day."
Suddenly, the audio communicator crackled to life, and Una's voice came over it. " Lion, I've been detained by a group od moblie dolls: blow up the base and get out of here. Rage out."
The sounds of combat came over his audio communicator and were quickly followed by two great flashes of light, from between them flew a gundam, red as blood. Una had survived, but the mission wasn't yet complete. He fired his missles at the base and watched it blow sky high. They still had to get back and file a report, they weren't out of hot water yet. When the were at the safehouse with the report filed the mission would be truly over.
The gundam and the high specialized mech flew off into the night sky, a sky as black as pitch.
At 24 hundred hours both pilots were back at the safehouse. Una had been putting together her report as they flew home. Hitting send on her laptop, she smiled as she looked at the time 23:59. They had beaten the clock. Now as far as her superiors were concerned the mission was over. For her, however, the mission wasn't over 'til her ally and herself were safely on the ground. Relaxing to soon could get one killed. Of course, she had to know her partner, her Lion was safe aswell.
It was half an hour later when the Gundam and the Tallgese like mech finished landing, touching down at the safehouse. being as late as it was, Una wasn't expecting anyone to be up. Any sensilbe pilot without a mission would be asleep. You slept when you could, you never knew what might come from the Mad Five, and you never knew when.
So, Ina was surprized when see saw Deula sitting in the living room. She was further astonished to see her sister and boyfriend engage in a death glaring competion. It was strange, to say the least, and vaugely scary. Finally, they nodded to each other, as if having decided something while Una's back was turned. It was unsettling.
The three trooped off to their quaters, like good like pilots. After all, it was only insanity that could keep one up this late, especailly after the day they had endured. Well, insanity, a mission, or meeting your sister's reclusive boyfriend.
Deula smiled as she quietly, her teammates were asleep, ascended the stairs. Deula would lead the team in anything but outright battles, so she needed her sleep. Una and the others, sans Madeleine, wouldn't knoe dipolmacy(sp?0 if it hit them upside the head. Deula after ran an army as a full time job, and she knew what she was doing, she needed sleep. *Leave the press to Madeleine* she thought, *those camera flashes make me queasy, besides she's a a people person and people skills. They didn't just train her to kill. She's definately the best choice for that sort of thing.*
10 minutes after everyone else was asleep...
Deula fluffed her pillows. Tommorow was a very special ady for her. She drifted into a light sleep and on the spiral downward she smiled, *Oh yes, tommorow's avery special day for me. Kinda like today was for my sister.*
About Seven hours later...
The feamle safehouse was a buzz the morning rituals of the girls who lived there. Morning rituals that foften ci\onflicted. It was during one shouting match over the bathroom that Una wokw up. She looked at her clock, it read about 8:30 am. It was late for her, but still early by normal normal standards. (AN: I'm not up 'til 9:30 on Sundays)
Sighing she got out of bed and streched, then headed down stairs for a cup of tea. It would be at least an hour before she would be able to get into the bathroom.
Meanwhile at Quatre...
Heero got quietly out of bed, so not to wake his lover. The house was silent. The pilots had talked late into the night about their new allies and most were still asleep.
A couple of hours later....
Una was racing around the house. "Damn it," she snarled, "I'm late. Damn it!" Running past the table in the hall she grabbed her motorcyle keys, penned a quick note to her still sleeping boyfriend and was out the door, barely remembering to shut it behind her.
On her way to her motorcyle she pasted Silence's Gundam which was being rebiult. It had been totaled in the same mission that landed Silence at Sally's. Remembering she was late she hurried on her way.
Chapter 14
The song "The Right Kinda Wrong" belongs to LeAnn Rimes. I make no claim to it.
*- denotes thoughts
%~- denotes lyrics
Meteor II : Sunday Ice Cream
Una couldn't believe her dumb luck. "Of all the ice cream shops on earth, of all the days to go to one, How could we both chose The Corner Shop on a Sunday? It's just gotta be my dumb luck."
Heero looked up, and saw her. He saw his sister, his Una. He walked up to her, an ice cream come in the hand he wouldn't need to draw his gun. "So, I see I'm not the only one that remembers and honours the traditions we built as childern"
"No," she replied quietly,"for a long time these tradtions," shesiad indictating her own cone," were all I had left of our family. It seemed wrong to dishonour you two by forgetting them."
Heero simply nodded, knowing Una understood that he felt the same way.
"Ice cream is always better when eaten in good company. Come on let's go outside and eat in the sun, or maybe under a tree. Besides it's way to crowded in here and if our esteemed sister shows up we'll be able to see her." Una pointed out.
Heero just nodded again, releived to have some room to breeth again.
They sat down outside, under a tree, none the less, and began to eat their ice creams. Heero valently tried to stop his strawberry cone from dribbling over his hand and lost horribly. His only concilation was Una was having even less luck containing her vanilla cone. Looking up Una grinned and motioned to the far corner of the parking lot, then motioned for Heero to be quiet.
% Know al about you, your reputation
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation
But I can't help it if I'm helpless everytime that I'm where you are
You walk in and my stregth walks out the door
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore
Oh, I know I should do, but I need your touch just too damn much
Lovin' you isn't really something I shoyld do
Shoyldn't want to spend my time with you
Well, I should try to be strong
But, Baby you're the right kind of wrong
Yeah, Baby you're the right kind of wrong %
In the far corner of the parking lot Deula sat on her moterbike waiting on someone. Just then a covertable, a red one, pulled up and Zechs Merquise, better known as Millardo Peace craft stepped out.
A smile graced Deula lips, a rare treat , Zechs knew. Though he had no idea why she was smiling he was glad that she did.
*He's here, he's finally here.* she inwardly rejoiced. She knew Zechs was glad that she'd shown up she coluld tell by the way he was standing. She'd told him she'd come and she'd never lie, fib maybe, but never lie.
"Hello beautiful. How are you doin' today?" Zechs grinned and that grin spread when he saw what she was wearing. Deula's clothing was simple, yet seemed to made espeacially for her. Adorning her legs where the tightest pair of black jeans Zechs had ever seen. An ice blue tee- shirt had the word 'COMMANDER' written across the front in royal purple. The ensemble was completed by a too big leather jacket. The jacket was too big because it wasn't really Deula's. She'd borrowed it from Zechs wardrode and never quite given back.
"Hey ya, handsome. I'm great, you?" she asked sweetly.
Zechs threw his head back and laughed. "Better now that I'm with you." Zechs still grinning sat down on Deula's motorbike. "Did you want to see me forr some special reason, or do you just enjoy my company, lovely."
% Might be a mistake, a mistake I'm making
But what you're givin' I am happy to be taking
'Cause no one's there to make me feel the way I feel when I'm in your arms
They say you're something I should do without
They don't know what goes on when the lights go out
There's no way to explain how the pleasure is worth all the pain
Lovin' you, yeah, isn't really something I should do
I should try to be strong
But baby you're the right kind of wrong
Yeah, baby you're the right kind of wrong %
"Both, and you know it," she said tartly, "but, first, we have to talk."
"More secret sharing. Zechs teased.
" International, highly confidental, state secrets," Deula replied, her smile was sugary sweet.
"Ohh, yeah, I know. Do I ever know," Deula laughed
"Smart ass," Zechs chided.
"Hey, that's not nice, Zechs. We both know that I'm smarter than you. We both know I'm perfect."
"Ouch, baby, that's hurt," Zechs said.
"Oh, you want me to kiss the booboo and make it better," said Deula, having the time of her life.
"Yeah, I do." Zechs said his grin returning.
"So, tell me, what to I have to kiss better? What did I hit?"
"My ego, would you believe."
"Well, I can't kiss that, so I guess I've have to kiss these instead," she breathed, moving to kiss Zechs lips. Suddenly, she pulled away and drew a finger across his lips. Then she leaned forward again and...
Meanwhile under the tree...
"I will kill him. He is as good as dead. No one touches my sister."
"Heero, relax. We can't do squat about it. Remember she's kissin' him." Una pointed out.
"Your point is?" Heero asked.
" I thought I just had my point," Una replied, "come on, let's go. If we don't we'll be acussed of sypining on her."
Heero rose, gracefully, and they walked back into he shop. Inside the shop the, they found a table and began to talk to each other about normal things.
% I should try to run, but I just can't seem to
'Cause every time I run, you're the one I run to
Can't do without what you do to me
I don't care if I'm in too deep
Know all about, you got your reputation
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation
But I can't help it if I'm helpless every time I'm where you are
You walk in and my strength walks out the door
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore
Oh, I know I should go, but I need your touch just too damn much %
Deula sighed, she looked up at Zechs, and sighed again.
"What's wrong, Duela?" he asked looking concerned.
Deula smiled, a radiant smile, "Just, please, don't put yourself in Heero's way for the next couple of days. He's bound to be pissed."
"Heero is HERE!" Zechs asked, stunned at the possilblity.
"Yep, him and Una just went inside the parlor. You got anything to do tonight, any missions?"
"No," he answered warily.
"Good, she sounded exuberant, "that means I can phone you tonight. But now..." she stopped morunfully, looked at her watch, and swore."I'm late and have to go."
Zechs got up off her bike and she started it and took off into traffic.
%Hey,yah, lovin ' you isn't really something I should do
Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you
Well, I should try to be strong
But, baby, you're the right kind of wrong
Baby you're the right kind of wrong
Baby you're the right kind of wrong
Yeah, baby you're the right kind of wrong %
Chaper 15
Meteor II : Memories
Deula now knew why her sister hated being late. It was no fun. She arrived at the Safehouse and changed into a tight fitting flight suit. She exited as queitly as she had entered, which was quiet indeed. It was unusual that she would run a mission during the day. It was easier to work in the protective cover of darkness.
Deula was still smiling when she reached her Gundam. She had been told, at four this morning, that she had a mission today and it started at ten thirty in the morning. Which was why she was running late. It was nine minutes after ten, and she still had to get to the meeting point.
It was ten thrity-nine AM when Deula arrived at the meeting point. She was surprized to see Trowa and his Gundam, Heavyarms, waiting for her.
"I thought," she said in her quiet voice, "that this was a solo mission."
"I don't know," Trowa replied,"I was told to be here for ten thirty. Doktor S never told me why."
"That's just how it is for us. We always have to figure the reason out on our own. Luckily for us this is just a recon mission of the OZ?Whitefang alliance's headquaters. It should be easy.
Trowa nodded and both enter their Gundams, having exited them before the conversation started. Both gundams blasted off and began to head east,
towards a small isolated island in the trpics. It was located there for sercurity purposes. It would make it hard to infiltrate, but not impossible. Not for two as skilled in the arts of being sneaky as Deula and Trowa were. For them very little was impossible.
Getting in was difficult, an unexpected vist for an apoosing general had caused everyone in the target to on guard, that had complicated the infiltration. Deula and Trowa were now safe and in positon to complete their mission. In a week, if they were lucky, they would have all the information they needed to succeed in attacking and destroying the base. Destroying the enemy's Earth HQ was the main reason the female pilots had come to Earth, everyone knew that it hadn't been simply for the chance to catch up. Therefore, the mission came first, it always had.
About 5 1/2 days later...
Stridding down the coridor Deula made her way to the major computer facility in the base; swiping her access card through the lock on the door, she entereed, looking like she belonged, which, of course she didn't. The interloper sat down at one of the terminals. The terminal, she knew through observation, was connected to the super computer. Painstakingly she started to copy vital files such as: attack plans, personal files, base floor plans, military weaponry, manpower, etc. One copy she sent to her aide-de- camp, via a sercure link, the other she copied to a series of disks. This way the intel would get to her allies no matter what happened to her. Destroying any evidence of her information gathering took more time than the actually gathering, but by the time she was finished only an expert hacker or a person who knew the system inside out would be able to tell that some files had been tampered with.
Meanwhile, Trowa reported to commanding officer of the base. Silently and discreetly, he surveyed her office. It was a clean, spartan affair, suited to her personality. As she sat behind her huge oak desk, she listened to him report in, and she studied him. For all her stern practicality she hadn't been hard to decive.
Late that night Trowa and Deula met in Deula's room to dicuss, what else, the mission.
"We've been here five days and the mission is complete, what are we going to do with the extra day."
" Getting out will be harder, Trowa. I can use that one day to make sure that everything is still going according to schedule. We can't have anything go wrong. It would be a disaster. Besides we don't want to blow our cover, it may be useful latter in the mission. I've arranged for leave for both of us. It starts tommorow at about five in the afternoon. We can walk out and no one will bw any wiser. Mission complete and no cumbersome battles to deal with afterwards. It will be a whole lot easier if we do it this way."
No one spoke for a while, the minutes dragged by in silence.Finally, Trowa nodded his head, silently rose and walked on cat feet back to his own quaters.
The next day...
Trowa and Deula walked out of enemy headquaters calmly. In fact they seemed almost serene.
"See, I told you that it would work. We still can come back here if we need to. It's the perfect plane to get us out of here quickly, quietly and without a huge attention grabbing fight. Capture at this stage of the mission id not an option. The only way we can live normal lives is to fight, so that's what we're going to do."
As it turned out they got to their Gundams without any trouble. Deula allowed hersel a moment to gloat, but stopped to avoid acquiring attention. Nothing happened as they lanuched and started over the ocean, back to their safehouse.
Deula let out a sigh of relief when she saw the ocean passing under her Gundam.
"Trowa," she called into the audio link.
"What?"
"Remember, it's safest to download and send the information to the others."
"I know, Deula. I was just starting to when you interupted me."
"Oh, sorry."
Conversation ended as both worked on getting their information safely transmitted to their teammates. It was best to do that now, so that they'd be free to fight, if the need arose, or something happened to them.
The trip was peaceful, even though they were flying through eneny airspace. Being in enemy airspace meant that niether pilot could set their Gundams on autopilot and go to sleep. With sleep out of the question there was only one thing to do, and that was talk.
Deula opened the communication channels and smiled. "So what are we going to go to pass the time?" she asked
"Don't know."
"Maybe we can talk?"
"Talk?"
"Yeah. It's an activity that requires the movement of lips and the creation of sound."
"Huh?"
"Well, when you wer little you used to talk a lot more, and in actual sentences, and all that good stuff."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, ever since, Trowa Barton, the first, took you in Doktor S had his eye on you as a potenial pilot. I looked out for you when you were still Nanshi. I could probably tell a couple of stories abot when you were a little Nanshi. Hmmm." Deula paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, and started again, " It was a wonderful day outside, not that you were paying any attention..."
Two hours later...
Trowa was suprized when Quatre's face appeared on his vid screen. Suprized that he had held out as long as he had.
"Trowa, what's wrong?"
"Deula is telling me stories from my childhood. Not only that, she's been doing it for at least two hours. I think I may just go insane."
"Oh," Quatre sounded delighted. "Can I listen too?"
Trowa released a heartfelt groan.
Forty-five minutes later...
Both Gundams touched down. Trowa and Deula jumped out. Deula immedeately went over to where Quatre was standing. They promptly started talking, drawing several strange looks from their fellow gundam pilots.
Heero took one look at Trowa, and pulled him off to the side. When they were out of hearing range he murmured, "Welcome to the family, " to Trowa. He then walked away laeving a mystified Trowa in his wake.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't expect any more soon. Though my teachers are going on strike and I will try to advance my writing projects. Which are this story and one called "Hunter of the Blood." Please read and review I like feedback, so don't worry if all you've got for me is constructive critism.
Hugz
Shanis
____________________________________________________________________________ _
Chapter 11
Meteor II : Lunch and Identities
"Let's find the others, get out of this madhouse, and find something to eat," Deula suggested. Everyone nodded.
Una glared at her sister, "Introduce us," she demanded.
"Una, this is Zechs and Noin. Zechs and Nion, tjis is my sister, Una."
"Nice to meet you Una," Nion said politely
Una nodded, then replied crisply, "the feeling is mutal. Now we'll go locate everyone else and then we can leave, ne?" She smiled a brillant smile and slipped into the crowd.
15 minutes later
Una appeared, for the first time since she enetr the crowd, the rest of the group was following along. " Okay, now I've gotta go." Una said, walking towards the enterance.
"Why?" Madeleine called out to her new friend.
"A friend of mine is coming in from space to help with my mission tonight, and I promised them I'd come pick them up, so I gotta go. Bye!"
"See you tommorow, or Monday at school," she called. "Okay, where are we going to eat," she asked, "I'm hungry." Everyone laughed and the tension snapped.
When they got to the resurant Madeleine and Quatre were engaged in a heated squabble over who would pay for lunch,. Tired of the arguement, Zechs suggested that each of them simply pay half of the bill. They agreed, and the rather large group found a table to sit at. Deula found herself seated between Nion and Zechs. She was having a great time chatting with her fellow gundam pilots, and her "fellow sufferors.
Lunch was a bonding affair where many childhood stories were told. The female gundam pliots laughed at the boys war stories. Quatre was explaining the ZERO system to their new comrades. Madeleine winced, knowing what something like the ZERO could do when it was out of control, especailly to your emotions. And if you had emotions like Quatre did. Sighing she thought back to her brother, Danny's words about girls not fighting.
"So, what's so specail about youi girls?" Noin asked.
Deula released a heartfelt sigh, and looked at her friend. "Noin, you're a good friend, but impossibly dense. Each person here, and Una, was trained to pilot a mech, whether it be a Tarsus or a Gundam, etc. Most professors had two students, ane girl and one boy. They were secertly trained to work together and then a choice was made, only one pilot could be sent to fight OZ, the male set was chosen. We were understandably upset, we revolted and left the training areas. We each moved to a place we deemed safe on our own colonies. I became an army leader, Dragoness became a priestess, Una... well Una stayed Una. Silence became a pracitioner of the Zen arts. Madeleine retook her place, and we tried to live normal lives, hiding in plain sight. Little by little we regained our independence and freedom. Little by little we also formulated plans to get our gundams out of the hands of our former teachers. After a while, a long while, we agreed to work with the wacky scientists. Still, we were stopped from entering the war. Leaders on each colony fell to Lady Une's charms and we began to fight the war in our own way. At every opportunity we undermined Une and her idealisms. We did this whenever we could. OZ base functions stopped working, their computers crashed, the engines on on Une's ship blew out, and they caught the wacky guys. Where ever we could back up our male counterparts, through the war, we did."
All of the boys' eyes were on her as were Zechs' and Nion's. While riding out the surprize each female pilot mused about her actions in the war. Each person at the table had braved a graet deal to see the war ended, to see peace. A peace that was soon going to be shattered by the OZ/Whitefang Alliance.
A pale Noin looked up, "Is there anything else we need to know bout you girls?" she asked faintly.
Deula's eyes were full of sypathy as the locked on to Noin's and she nodded. "Yes, there is. You must know by now that Una is the unoffical leader of this band of merry woman in all battles, there are no expections. I may act like the leader but up in the air it's Una who makes the call. That's not just because she's pilot 012, that, however, is part of it. We all feel like in battle there's no one we can trust more than her. She's not going to elevate her own importance like some might. Rules are simple in a fight, do what Una tells you to. Madeleine and I are in command from the momment we touchy down to the moment we go back up again. We deal with everything relating to the press and other important things, like weapon and ammo suppliers. There is also on more Femme fatal, a young Lt. from my ranks trained by her life experience. She's an ace in air battles." Deula smiled. " That about explains all you need to know about us. WE really don't feel like explaining anymore at this point in time."
Heero nodded, " The release of too much imformation could compromise the mission." The statement was uttered in Heero's flat monotone.
Deula smirked, the translation of what Heero had just said, to someone who knew him well, went something like, ' Telling us too much could get you killed. And I won't stand for you doing things that could get you hurt.'
Deula laughed and looked at the others, one by one they nodded. Still smiling, she pished out her chair and stood. "It was great to finally meet all of you, but I've gotta leave."
Noin looked up questionly.
"I've got a five hundred word essay to write on the command structure of the 1st mercenary army. Here's the kicker, I can't let on that actually run the god-damn thing ang the command structure is so lose it's nonexistant. Bye!" Leaning over the table she kissed Heero's cheek, then Trowa's, turned, and walked out the resurant and into the street.
"I wonder how she's getting home," Duo thought out loud.
"Her car, my car, a taxi." The Dragoness suggested
"Maybe, but ya know, she's the leader of the biggest standing army around. I think she could do something more expensive." he commented.
"Perhaps," Madeleine said pulling a waiter aside and asking for the bill. He scurried back a few minutes later with the bill for lunch. She looked at it, and did some mental calulations while pulling out her chequebook and writing the date. She then proceed to fill in everything else and sign.Returning the bill to it's former state, she placed her cheque on top of it, overturned.
Pushing out her chair she said a fond good-bye to each of the pilots, the male pilots that is, and left the resurant. The other female pilots soon followed her example. Excusing themselves the left, saying they'd see the male pilots at school on Monday.
The male pilots,Zechs, and Noin sat there. Starring stupidly into space. To say their new teammates were mini whrilwinds was a gross understatement.
Quatre moved to pick up the bill and the upsidedown cheque on top of it. He looked mildly surprized. "She didn't.." he breathed
Looking over his shoulder Duo sighed, "I hate to say it but she did, buddy..."
Chapter 12
The song "Shining Star" belongs to the Backstreet Boys. I make no claim to owning it.
%~^- stuff inside is part of the song
Meteor II :Landing Bay
"Flight 7243, from L1, now docking," the computer voice intoned.
Una looked up, that was the flight her friend was on. Getting up she closed her magizine(sp?) and walked toward the docking bay. The crush of people nearly suffocated her, she had grown up in isolation, and people still made her nervous, aswell as that lovely boxed in feeling known as cholesterphobia she always got. Her eyes scanned the unloading passengers, looking for her friend. When she finally saw him she sighed in relief. She would never admit it, but she had been worried.
He walked, no swaggered really, up to her, "Hey ya, baby, ya miss me?" His whole attitude reeked of innocence.
She punched him on the shoulder, not a friendly punch, more of a 'how dare you ask such a stupid question' punch. "You had better have missed me, because I found myself missing you. And you owe me lunch."
"How ya figure that?" he asked, mildly curious.
" I had to miss lunch with my new friends and teammates to come pick your sorry carcas up," her voice was quiet, almost to soft to hear, "and, now, I'm hungry."
"Alright, beatiful. where do you want to eat." His stomach growled at him, "Because I'm famished. I didn't quite know what breakfast was on the shuttle. It was kinda grey, lumpy and gross." he stated.
"I say this on behalf of all of the world's tastebuds: EWWWWWW! YUCK!" then she continued, "the problem with your theory, genius, is that I don't know any of the resurants on Earth."
"Well, I know this great cafe about five minutes away," he offered, "we could eat there."
"Cool with me"
"Alright, let's go, by the way, where'd you park?"
%~^ You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime your near
You will always be my baby
Baby when you do the thing you do
I wanna be close to you
'Cause I need to feel your every move,oh
Baby I can never say how much
I need your touch, I can't get enough
Baby I can never say how much
I need your touch, I can't get enough
You're my shinind star
That is what you are
There's no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime you're near
You will always be my baby%~^
10 minutes of searching and a located car later...
"So what are we doing tonight, baby?" he asked opening in the driver's and getting inside. Una got in the passenger's side and smirked.
"Standard operation. 012 and ally will destroy an OZ/Whitefang Alliance base in the sub-artic of the country formally known as Canada, at exactly twenty-four hundred hours. And who told you could drive my car?" She lifted the keys into the air. They were clenched between her thumb and forefinger. For the full affect she raised a sardonic eyebrow.
Smilimg sweetly at her, he snatched the keys from her. "Well, honey, I'm the one who knows where we're going, so it only follows that I be the one who drives us there." He peeled the car away from the curb and headed into traffic.
2 1/2 minutes and a wild ride later...
Una got out of the car, not listening to her stomach as it told her it wanted to rid itself of the small amount she'd eaten so far.
"I thought you said FIVE minutes away," she accused the man exiting her car, curoius that he didn't look like his stomach was about to declare war on his backbone and other various parts of his anatomy. That didn't mean she wouldn't though, especially if her ever drove like that again with her in the car, or her car.
%~^ Baby you're as close as close can get
And baby you know I'd let
Every single part of me be yours, ooh yeah
It doesn't matter if the phone might ring
'Cause I won't hear a thing when I'm in your arms
'Cause you know what to do to turn me on
You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you
Angels everywhere
Everything you're near
You will always be my baby
I've never been so satisfied
With anything in my entire life
'Cause you are doing everything so right
Oh, oh, baby
I've never been so satisfied
With anything in my entire life
'Cause you are doing everthing so right
Oh, oh, baby%~^
"You, idiot, that was my car; you could have smashed it up really good," she stated.
"Your car was never in any danger and neither were you, so stop lookin' at me so funny," he curtly replied.
They glared at each other, over Una's car.
"Jason, don't you ever do that to me again. Speed in battle sistuations is cool with me, but the way you drive is just plain ... reckless." Her stomach growled and she sighed. "Now, let's go in and eat. I'm starving!"
Jason smiled and laughed, then made Una laugh by contritely saying, "Yes, mother, whatwever you say."
Arm in arm, and in charity with each other, they entered the corner cafe and sat down to eat lunch.
2 hours of food later...
Una sat back in her chair and smiled, "Okay, now I'm full." She stopped to think for a moment. "So now we ask for the bill and spilt the cost of lunch," she said cheerfully, her ealier humor restored.
Jason shook his head morunfully. " No. You can't pay half. Picking up my 'sorry carcas' caused you to miss lunch, so this is my treat. Don't, however, get used to this treatment. I maybe rich, but I'm no gentleman."
Una laughed. "Honey, I didn't expect this much. Remember how we met?" she asked.
"Sure, I do, sweetheart, I can't forget it or anything else about you. Girl, I think I maybe in love with you. So, now, I'm glad to be here to guard your back. No offense to your friends, but I want to be the one to be protecting your back. I want to be the one you come to with your problems. I'm pretty damn sure that's what it is to be in love, and therefore it follow that I'm in with you."
Una opened her mouth, several times. "Jason, honey, I don't know what to say. I care so much about you, I'll kill any girl that lookes at you."
"So what's the problem?"
"I don't know if that's just lust speaking or if it's something deeper. I never had a childhood, in the normal sense of the word, no loving parents to ask questions of. What I'm trying to say is I don't know what love is, and I's really like to not ruin what we have by saying... what I just did..." she stammered to a stop before plowing on, "but it needs to be said. I care about you, Jason, a lot. So much that it scares me sometimes. I just don't know if what I'm feeling is love. Can you understand what I'm saying," she quiered.
"Sure, Una, you need time. So time is what I'm goin' to give you. I won't mention the again 'til you think you're ready."
%~^ You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime you're near
You will always be my baby
You know I adore you
Wanna be there everyday for you
To satisfy your every needs my baby, baby
You know I adore you
Wanna be there everyday for you
To satisfy your every needs my baby, baby
You're my shining star
That is what you are
There is no one like you baby
Angels everywhere
Everytime your near
You will always be my baby%~^
Chapter 13
Meteor II : Mission
*- denoted thoughts
Author's note: Remember timezones
Twenty hundred hours...
* Four hours is all we have. Gotta do this right, we don't get a second chance* Jason looked at the vidscreen in his mech. His mech was slightly more advanced that the Tallgeese II, almost a Gundam, almost.
Una sat in her cockpit, she had finished checks for the mission. Hitting the communication button, she waited for it to find the ferquency Lion worked on. When it finally coonected she spoke into the microtransmitter, located under her blood red helmet. "Are you ready for take-off, Lion?" she asked
"Yes," he never dallied with long reponses.
5 minutes after communication...
Both Dragon Rage and Lion were in the air and racing towards the target. There wasn't really anything to worry about, this was a simple find and destroy mission. It contained few risks. The limited risks wer the reason she was flying with Lion instead another pilot.
Twenty- two hundred hours...
Una sighed, "Simple," she muttered, "well it would be if we could find the god damned base."
"Rage, I have a lock on the target."
"Where is the god damn place?" she asked.
"Thirty miles north west of your current location. Lion, out."
Muttering obsurities under her breath, Una started to head towards the location of the base.
Thirty miles northwest of Una's last known location...
Lion was waiting, not very patiently. He was sitting in hos cockpit bitting his nails, or trying to, he'd already bitten them down to the quick. " Where the hell is she?" he asked himself. " It's only thiry miles, she should have been here by now. Where is she? That's it, I'll give her one more minute before I blow this place up and go looking for her. This is just not a good day."
Suddenly, the audio communicator crackled to life, and Una's voice came over it. " Lion, I've been detained by a group od moblie dolls: blow up the base and get out of here. Rage out."
The sounds of combat came over his audio communicator and were quickly followed by two great flashes of light, from between them flew a gundam, red as blood. Una had survived, but the mission wasn't yet complete. He fired his missles at the base and watched it blow sky high. They still had to get back and file a report, they weren't out of hot water yet. When the were at the safehouse with the report filed the mission would be truly over.
The gundam and the high specialized mech flew off into the night sky, a sky as black as pitch.
At 24 hundred hours both pilots were back at the safehouse. Una had been putting together her report as they flew home. Hitting send on her laptop, she smiled as she looked at the time 23:59. They had beaten the clock. Now as far as her superiors were concerned the mission was over. For her, however, the mission wasn't over 'til her ally and herself were safely on the ground. Relaxing to soon could get one killed. Of course, she had to know her partner, her Lion was safe aswell.
It was half an hour later when the Gundam and the Tallgese like mech finished landing, touching down at the safehouse. being as late as it was, Una wasn't expecting anyone to be up. Any sensilbe pilot without a mission would be asleep. You slept when you could, you never knew what might come from the Mad Five, and you never knew when.
So, Ina was surprized when see saw Deula sitting in the living room. She was further astonished to see her sister and boyfriend engage in a death glaring competion. It was strange, to say the least, and vaugely scary. Finally, they nodded to each other, as if having decided something while Una's back was turned. It was unsettling.
The three trooped off to their quaters, like good like pilots. After all, it was only insanity that could keep one up this late, especailly after the day they had endured. Well, insanity, a mission, or meeting your sister's reclusive boyfriend.
Deula smiled as she quietly, her teammates were asleep, ascended the stairs. Deula would lead the team in anything but outright battles, so she needed her sleep. Una and the others, sans Madeleine, wouldn't knoe dipolmacy(sp?0 if it hit them upside the head. Deula after ran an army as a full time job, and she knew what she was doing, she needed sleep. *Leave the press to Madeleine* she thought, *those camera flashes make me queasy, besides she's a a people person and people skills. They didn't just train her to kill. She's definately the best choice for that sort of thing.*
10 minutes after everyone else was asleep...
Deula fluffed her pillows. Tommorow was a very special ady for her. She drifted into a light sleep and on the spiral downward she smiled, *Oh yes, tommorow's avery special day for me. Kinda like today was for my sister.*
About Seven hours later...
The feamle safehouse was a buzz the morning rituals of the girls who lived there. Morning rituals that foften ci\onflicted. It was during one shouting match over the bathroom that Una wokw up. She looked at her clock, it read about 8:30 am. It was late for her, but still early by normal normal standards. (AN: I'm not up 'til 9:30 on Sundays)
Sighing she got out of bed and streched, then headed down stairs for a cup of tea. It would be at least an hour before she would be able to get into the bathroom.
Meanwhile at Quatre...
Heero got quietly out of bed, so not to wake his lover. The house was silent. The pilots had talked late into the night about their new allies and most were still asleep.
A couple of hours later....
Una was racing around the house. "Damn it," she snarled, "I'm late. Damn it!" Running past the table in the hall she grabbed her motorcyle keys, penned a quick note to her still sleeping boyfriend and was out the door, barely remembering to shut it behind her.
On her way to her motorcyle she pasted Silence's Gundam which was being rebiult. It had been totaled in the same mission that landed Silence at Sally's. Remembering she was late she hurried on her way.
Chapter 14
The song "The Right Kinda Wrong" belongs to LeAnn Rimes. I make no claim to it.
*- denotes thoughts
%~- denotes lyrics
Meteor II : Sunday Ice Cream
Una couldn't believe her dumb luck. "Of all the ice cream shops on earth, of all the days to go to one, How could we both chose The Corner Shop on a Sunday? It's just gotta be my dumb luck."
Heero looked up, and saw her. He saw his sister, his Una. He walked up to her, an ice cream come in the hand he wouldn't need to draw his gun. "So, I see I'm not the only one that remembers and honours the traditions we built as childern"
"No," she replied quietly,"for a long time these tradtions," shesiad indictating her own cone," were all I had left of our family. It seemed wrong to dishonour you two by forgetting them."
Heero simply nodded, knowing Una understood that he felt the same way.
"Ice cream is always better when eaten in good company. Come on let's go outside and eat in the sun, or maybe under a tree. Besides it's way to crowded in here and if our esteemed sister shows up we'll be able to see her." Una pointed out.
Heero just nodded again, releived to have some room to breeth again.
They sat down outside, under a tree, none the less, and began to eat their ice creams. Heero valently tried to stop his strawberry cone from dribbling over his hand and lost horribly. His only concilation was Una was having even less luck containing her vanilla cone. Looking up Una grinned and motioned to the far corner of the parking lot, then motioned for Heero to be quiet.
% Know al about you, your reputation
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation
But I can't help it if I'm helpless everytime that I'm where you are
You walk in and my stregth walks out the door
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore
Oh, I know I should do, but I need your touch just too damn much
Lovin' you isn't really something I shoyld do
Shoyldn't want to spend my time with you
Well, I should try to be strong
But, Baby you're the right kind of wrong
Yeah, Baby you're the right kind of wrong %
In the far corner of the parking lot Deula sat on her moterbike waiting on someone. Just then a covertable, a red one, pulled up and Zechs Merquise, better known as Millardo Peace craft stepped out.
A smile graced Deula lips, a rare treat , Zechs knew. Though he had no idea why she was smiling he was glad that she did.
*He's here, he's finally here.* she inwardly rejoiced. She knew Zechs was glad that she'd shown up she coluld tell by the way he was standing. She'd told him she'd come and she'd never lie, fib maybe, but never lie.
"Hello beautiful. How are you doin' today?" Zechs grinned and that grin spread when he saw what she was wearing. Deula's clothing was simple, yet seemed to made espeacially for her. Adorning her legs where the tightest pair of black jeans Zechs had ever seen. An ice blue tee- shirt had the word 'COMMANDER' written across the front in royal purple. The ensemble was completed by a too big leather jacket. The jacket was too big because it wasn't really Deula's. She'd borrowed it from Zechs wardrode and never quite given back.
"Hey ya, handsome. I'm great, you?" she asked sweetly.
Zechs threw his head back and laughed. "Better now that I'm with you." Zechs still grinning sat down on Deula's motorbike. "Did you want to see me forr some special reason, or do you just enjoy my company, lovely."
% Might be a mistake, a mistake I'm making
But what you're givin' I am happy to be taking
'Cause no one's there to make me feel the way I feel when I'm in your arms
They say you're something I should do without
They don't know what goes on when the lights go out
There's no way to explain how the pleasure is worth all the pain
Lovin' you, yeah, isn't really something I should do
I should try to be strong
But baby you're the right kind of wrong
Yeah, baby you're the right kind of wrong %
"Both, and you know it," she said tartly, "but, first, we have to talk."
"More secret sharing. Zechs teased.
" International, highly confidental, state secrets," Deula replied, her smile was sugary sweet.
"Ohh, yeah, I know. Do I ever know," Deula laughed
"Smart ass," Zechs chided.
"Hey, that's not nice, Zechs. We both know that I'm smarter than you. We both know I'm perfect."
"Ouch, baby, that's hurt," Zechs said.
"Oh, you want me to kiss the booboo and make it better," said Deula, having the time of her life.
"Yeah, I do." Zechs said his grin returning.
"So, tell me, what to I have to kiss better? What did I hit?"
"My ego, would you believe."
"Well, I can't kiss that, so I guess I've have to kiss these instead," she breathed, moving to kiss Zechs lips. Suddenly, she pulled away and drew a finger across his lips. Then she leaned forward again and...
Meanwhile under the tree...
"I will kill him. He is as good as dead. No one touches my sister."
"Heero, relax. We can't do squat about it. Remember she's kissin' him." Una pointed out.
"Your point is?" Heero asked.
" I thought I just had my point," Una replied, "come on, let's go. If we don't we'll be acussed of sypining on her."
Heero rose, gracefully, and they walked back into he shop. Inside the shop the, they found a table and began to talk to each other about normal things.
% I should try to run, but I just can't seem to
'Cause every time I run, you're the one I run to
Can't do without what you do to me
I don't care if I'm in too deep
Know all about, you got your reputation
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation
But I can't help it if I'm helpless every time I'm where you are
You walk in and my strength walks out the door
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore
Oh, I know I should go, but I need your touch just too damn much %
Deula sighed, she looked up at Zechs, and sighed again.
"What's wrong, Duela?" he asked looking concerned.
Deula smiled, a radiant smile, "Just, please, don't put yourself in Heero's way for the next couple of days. He's bound to be pissed."
"Heero is HERE!" Zechs asked, stunned at the possilblity.
"Yep, him and Una just went inside the parlor. You got anything to do tonight, any missions?"
"No," he answered warily.
"Good, she sounded exuberant, "that means I can phone you tonight. But now..." she stopped morunfully, looked at her watch, and swore."I'm late and have to go."
Zechs got up off her bike and she started it and took off into traffic.
%Hey,yah, lovin ' you isn't really something I should do
Shouldn't wanna spend my time with you
Well, I should try to be strong
But, baby, you're the right kind of wrong
Baby you're the right kind of wrong
Baby you're the right kind of wrong
Yeah, baby you're the right kind of wrong %
Chaper 15
Meteor II : Memories
Deula now knew why her sister hated being late. It was no fun. She arrived at the Safehouse and changed into a tight fitting flight suit. She exited as queitly as she had entered, which was quiet indeed. It was unusual that she would run a mission during the day. It was easier to work in the protective cover of darkness.
Deula was still smiling when she reached her Gundam. She had been told, at four this morning, that she had a mission today and it started at ten thirty in the morning. Which was why she was running late. It was nine minutes after ten, and she still had to get to the meeting point.
It was ten thrity-nine AM when Deula arrived at the meeting point. She was surprized to see Trowa and his Gundam, Heavyarms, waiting for her.
"I thought," she said in her quiet voice, "that this was a solo mission."
"I don't know," Trowa replied,"I was told to be here for ten thirty. Doktor S never told me why."
"That's just how it is for us. We always have to figure the reason out on our own. Luckily for us this is just a recon mission of the OZ?Whitefang alliance's headquaters. It should be easy.
Trowa nodded and both enter their Gundams, having exited them before the conversation started. Both gundams blasted off and began to head east,
towards a small isolated island in the trpics. It was located there for sercurity purposes. It would make it hard to infiltrate, but not impossible. Not for two as skilled in the arts of being sneaky as Deula and Trowa were. For them very little was impossible.
Getting in was difficult, an unexpected vist for an apoosing general had caused everyone in the target to on guard, that had complicated the infiltration. Deula and Trowa were now safe and in positon to complete their mission. In a week, if they were lucky, they would have all the information they needed to succeed in attacking and destroying the base. Destroying the enemy's Earth HQ was the main reason the female pilots had come to Earth, everyone knew that it hadn't been simply for the chance to catch up. Therefore, the mission came first, it always had.
About 5 1/2 days later...
Stridding down the coridor Deula made her way to the major computer facility in the base; swiping her access card through the lock on the door, she entereed, looking like she belonged, which, of course she didn't. The interloper sat down at one of the terminals. The terminal, she knew through observation, was connected to the super computer. Painstakingly she started to copy vital files such as: attack plans, personal files, base floor plans, military weaponry, manpower, etc. One copy she sent to her aide-de- camp, via a sercure link, the other she copied to a series of disks. This way the intel would get to her allies no matter what happened to her. Destroying any evidence of her information gathering took more time than the actually gathering, but by the time she was finished only an expert hacker or a person who knew the system inside out would be able to tell that some files had been tampered with.
Meanwhile, Trowa reported to commanding officer of the base. Silently and discreetly, he surveyed her office. It was a clean, spartan affair, suited to her personality. As she sat behind her huge oak desk, she listened to him report in, and she studied him. For all her stern practicality she hadn't been hard to decive.
Late that night Trowa and Deula met in Deula's room to dicuss, what else, the mission.
"We've been here five days and the mission is complete, what are we going to do with the extra day."
" Getting out will be harder, Trowa. I can use that one day to make sure that everything is still going according to schedule. We can't have anything go wrong. It would be a disaster. Besides we don't want to blow our cover, it may be useful latter in the mission. I've arranged for leave for both of us. It starts tommorow at about five in the afternoon. We can walk out and no one will bw any wiser. Mission complete and no cumbersome battles to deal with afterwards. It will be a whole lot easier if we do it this way."
No one spoke for a while, the minutes dragged by in silence.Finally, Trowa nodded his head, silently rose and walked on cat feet back to his own quaters.
The next day...
Trowa and Deula walked out of enemy headquaters calmly. In fact they seemed almost serene.
"See, I told you that it would work. We still can come back here if we need to. It's the perfect plane to get us out of here quickly, quietly and without a huge attention grabbing fight. Capture at this stage of the mission id not an option. The only way we can live normal lives is to fight, so that's what we're going to do."
As it turned out they got to their Gundams without any trouble. Deula allowed hersel a moment to gloat, but stopped to avoid acquiring attention. Nothing happened as they lanuched and started over the ocean, back to their safehouse.
Deula let out a sigh of relief when she saw the ocean passing under her Gundam.
"Trowa," she called into the audio link.
"What?"
"Remember, it's safest to download and send the information to the others."
"I know, Deula. I was just starting to when you interupted me."
"Oh, sorry."
Conversation ended as both worked on getting their information safely transmitted to their teammates. It was best to do that now, so that they'd be free to fight, if the need arose, or something happened to them.
The trip was peaceful, even though they were flying through eneny airspace. Being in enemy airspace meant that niether pilot could set their Gundams on autopilot and go to sleep. With sleep out of the question there was only one thing to do, and that was talk.
Deula opened the communication channels and smiled. "So what are we going to go to pass the time?" she asked
"Don't know."
"Maybe we can talk?"
"Talk?"
"Yeah. It's an activity that requires the movement of lips and the creation of sound."
"Huh?"
"Well, when you wer little you used to talk a lot more, and in actual sentences, and all that good stuff."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, ever since, Trowa Barton, the first, took you in Doktor S had his eye on you as a potenial pilot. I looked out for you when you were still Nanshi. I could probably tell a couple of stories abot when you were a little Nanshi. Hmmm." Deula paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, and started again, " It was a wonderful day outside, not that you were paying any attention..."
Two hours later...
Trowa was suprized when Quatre's face appeared on his vid screen. Suprized that he had held out as long as he had.
"Trowa, what's wrong?"
"Deula is telling me stories from my childhood. Not only that, she's been doing it for at least two hours. I think I may just go insane."
"Oh," Quatre sounded delighted. "Can I listen too?"
Trowa released a heartfelt groan.
Forty-five minutes later...
Both Gundams touched down. Trowa and Deula jumped out. Deula immedeately went over to where Quatre was standing. They promptly started talking, drawing several strange looks from their fellow gundam pilots.
Heero took one look at Trowa, and pulled him off to the side. When they were out of hearing range he murmured, "Welcome to the family, " to Trowa. He then walked away laeving a mystified Trowa in his wake.
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Don't expect any more soon. Though my teachers are going on strike and I will try to advance my writing projects. Which are this story and one called "Hunter of the Blood." Please read and review I like feedback, so don't worry if all you've got for me is constructive critism.
Hugz
Shanis