~~*~~~*~~* Episode 14: The Latency of a Coadjutor *~~*~~~*~~


A heavy snow still fell over the relatively small range of mountains. Mechanics in white coats hurried to get Pippa's mobile suit repaired. Duo and Shanell still stood watching from a distance and Pippa walked over to the head mechanic.

"Are you guys almost done?" she said in a bit of an irritated tone.

"Yes, just a few more minutes on the wing should do it."

Pippa walked back to Shanell and Duo, looking back at her suit every so often.

"How's it goin'?" asked Shanell.

"They said just a while until it's done" Pippa replied. Duo smiled a little, but it soon faded back into nothing. They all stood quiet for a while, thinking of how to put her suit in the carrier. But the thought that Pippa might just take off on her own came up all too often. Her suit, after all, was a flight model.

"I think that if my suit is up and in bird mode, it could fit in between Quatre's and Duo's suits." Pippa went over one of the possibilities.

"That sounds good" Duo said, "Just don't scratch up my suit too bad, okay?"

"Sure" Pippa said as she headed back to once again check on her suit.

"Well, one of us has to open up the lower cargo for her" Shanell said, looking back at Duo.

"And someone has to check on Quatre and Chantal. We might as well both go." Duo took Shanell's hand in his and headed back towards the carrier. "C'mon, you can check on them"

~~*

Quatre's eyes were wide after what Chantal had said. And Chantal felt embarrassed.

"Well... I... Thank you, Chantal" Quatre stuttered, flattered of course.

"I'm sorry if that sounded really corny or somethin'" Chantal replied, now thinking she sounded desperate fro a companion of any kind.

"No, it didn't. Don't worry about silly things like that."

The carrier's door slid open and the ladder fell down as Shanell appeared in the doorway after a few seconds. She climbed up into the carrier and looked at the two. They looked as if she had interrupted something important, or secret.

"I'm sorry, did I interrupt you two?" Shanell asked.

"No, no, it's okay!" Quatre smiled.

"Are you sure? I'm just checkin' in on you two before we head off and it looks like you two were discussing something"

"He already said it was okay! So either sit or leave" Chantal hissed.

Shanell gave Chantal a glare then sat in her usual chair. The cargo door burst open and Duo stood in the middle of the opening, waiting for Pippa to bring her suit.

~~*

"It's done? Great!" Pippa said, hitting the door switch on her Gundam. "I'll pay you after I get this thing loaded up."

"Sure thing" said a mechanic. The rope from the cockpit came down and Pippa clung to it. Her numb hands didn't help much with her slippery grip. Once in the cockpit, the two doors in between the huge grates locked shut. Pippa tapped several buttons and the screens lit up. She turned the camera on to locate a good take-off strip. Straight ahead. All of the mechanics moved away as the huge Gundam began to move. Pippa pulled a shift-stick towards herself and immediately after the machine began transforming into it's bird mode as an origami crane would have. The craft's engines glared yellow as it zipped off into the sky. Pippa folded in the wings as she turned back towards the carrier. Looking into a screen that showed what was below her, she saw a huge train of trailers and trucks near the pieces of Leos and Aries she had wiped out.

"Why are civilians all the way out here?" Pippa thought to herself.

The giant plane circled back towards the carrier. She began slowing down to land as Duo fled inside the cargo so as not to be crushed by the massive MS. Pippa began slowing more and more, and descending even faster. Before anyone knew it her Gundam was very carefully placed inside the carrier, with feet to spare between Quatre's suit, Duo's suit and her own. Duo hit a panel that lifted the cargo door shut and locked as he and Pippa both ascended back to the passenger area of the carrier, Pippa released a snicker as she sat.

"What is it this time?" Shanell asked Pippa, referring to her constant teasing and taunting.

"Oh, nothing" she had a light air to her voice, looking out the window with a smirk on her face.

Duo climbed up the ladder and shut the door with a huge slam. He tossed his black jacket aside and sat in the pilot seat. The engines roared and slowly the carrier began to take flight.

"Oh! You guys'll never guess what I saw!" Pippa piped. "There was a huge train of civilian trucks at that crash site! They looked like they were there to stay, not movin' or nothin'!" She mentioned this becasue it was already 8 pm.

"That reminds me, I'm hungry. Anyone got any food?" Chantal blurted out. Everyone stared at her. "Well, uh... we.. can, uh... stop at that, uh... those trucks?"

"Fine! Thats a great plan!" Shanell clapped her hands together. "And besides, Im hungry too, so lets roll!!"

"Okay then" Duo turned around, seeing as he had absent mindedly passed up their stop and got ready for a tricky landing.

~~*

"Boy, I sure hope it stops snowing soon or we won't make our performance Wednesday." said the curly haired woman, looking out the window as she ate her dinner. The long-banged boy stayed silent, not looking up from his meal. A news program was on the television. The girl looked past her friend to a bed in the corner of their trailer. An injured boy lay there, unconscience under the cold window. "I hope your friend wakes up, Trowa.

"He will. Just give him time, Catherine." Trowa replied, still not looking up.

Catherine looked across the small table at Trowa. He hardly ever spoke to her and when he did, it usually wasn't a kind owrd. He reminded her so much of her younger brother, Triton. Well, not so much the gloomy attitude.

They just sat in silence. Talking was futile anyway, so what was the point of even attempting a conversation?

From outside arose a sound, a loud sound. Like a carrier.

"What in theworld is that?" cather said as she rose and looked out of the window. trowa lookedout the door. It was a carrier. And it was suspiciously low.

~~*

Shanell watched the ground for Duo as they near the train.

"Right over there!" Shanell pointed at a small field near the clutter. Duo saw the field and began descending in it. Out of one of the trailers came someone. They stood out in the cold, lacking a jacket. No one else came out, just peered out of their warm, cozy trailers. Pippa jumped up and put her jacket on, she would be the one to go outside and talk with the people, considering it technically was her idea.

Slowly, the carrier began to touch the white earth. Snow flew in all directions from the craft as it slammed down.

The door slip open and down came Pippa on a lowered rope. She hopped down as she near the ground andbegan walking towards the individual who dared greet her. He walked forward a littleto meet her.

"Hey! Do you have any extra space in there? My friends and I were wondering if we could bunk here for the night and havea little dinner! We're travelers!" Pippa yelled over the carrier's loud engines.

"How many have you got in there" asked the man, Trowa.

"Uhm... theres 5 of us."

"Sure... if you dont mind makeshift beds." He looked like he was in a daze.

"No problem." Pippa smiled at the guy the nstarted back to the carrier as Trowa headed back to his trailer. Pippa hopped on the ropeand up it went.

"Well, what did he say?" Quatre inquired of the newly arrived girl.

"He said all of us but you, blondey." Pippa looked around. "So ya'll get ready. Quatre looked a bit confused as everyone wasgetting their things ready to get out of that god forsaken carrier.

"She was joking, dude" Duo told Quatre, who immediatley blushed a little then went upon his merry way of gather his coat. Duo, once ready, helped Shanell down the rope as Quatre helped Chantal then went himself. Duo hesitatedto let Pippa leave last, thinking she'd Hi-Jack the plane, but she didn't. Shows what he knows!

~~*

"5 others?" Catherine exclaimed in seeing her guests exit the carrier.

"Yeah, we have enough room." Trowa said, opening the door.

"Well, I dont know about that...I mean, your friend here is really hurt." Catherine mentioned as she checked the boy's pulse. 'Wow! Finally! Some kindness!' Catherine thought about Trowa's actions.

Outside, Pippa walked far ahead of her companions. Shanell, cold for a reason, leached onto Duo's side. Chantal and Quatre walked side by side, next to Shanell. Through the dark and snow they could jus tabrely make out people peeking out their windows at them.

"I hope they have somethin' good to eat, like pizza' Chantal said abruptly.

"Yeah... or minestrone soup." Quatre added.

Up ahead, Pippa slip-slid a little bit on a patch of hidden ice.

"Hey, you guys better wa--" Pippa stopped calling to her friends when she realized what fun this would be. She grinned and evil grin.

"What?" Dup called at her.

"Oh, nothing, just talking to myself" replied a chortling Pippa.

Onward they walked towards the trailer, but not without a conflight, as always. Chantal slowly walked after Pippa, but was still having a little trouble.

"This ground feels a little.. frictionless" she said, looking down. Chantal took one step forward and -poof!- she was on the ground.

"Chantal!"Quatre said, coming to her rescue.

"HAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!" laughed Pippa at seeing Chantal.

"Oh, shut up, Pippa!!" Shanell snarled at Pippa, then said softly to Chantal: "Are you allright?" Chantal gave Shanell a look and had Quatre help her up. Galfway, Chantal slipped just a little...

"Eaph!" yelped Quatre with a thud. Chantal landed on him, falling to the ice again.

"Hahahahahahahhahah! Thats great!" Pippa cheered.

"Owwh.." Chantal said, seeing Quatre laying face down.

"Faceplant, Quatre? You okay, man?" Duo helped them up.

"Thank you" said a grateful Quatre. "Yeah, thanks" snorted Chantal.

Shanell took Duo's arm once again and they walked on. Their walk was peaceful, full of gaity, until they reached another hidden patch of ice Pippa hadn't mentioned. Shanell decided to take littlesteps to avoid falling. But that failed. Shanell hit a rathr slick spot and let out al oud scream and she grabbed onto Duo's arm for support. To their dismay, Duo collapsed also. With a girlish scream of his own, might I add.

"Oh, are you alright?" asked a concerened Quatre, sliding over towards the tumbled two.

"We will be if you help us up!" Duo blurted. Quatre reached for Duo and tugged him up, then tugging Shanell up. What a talent. Chantal glanced back for just a moment, as she had continues forth. Pippa was already at the trailer and Chantal would be soon.

"Hey! Pippa! Wait up!" Shanell hollared, brushing her clothes off.

Pippa stopped in her tracks, but didnt turn to see where her friends were. Slowly Duo and Shanell got started walked with Quatre. Chantal had stopped and turned to watch her accomplises. Eventually, they all caught up with Pippa, soar back and butts.

"What took you guys? Your trip last a little longer than planned? chuckled Pippa heading inside.

"Why didnt you tell us about the ice??" demanded Chantal.

"Didn't feel like it." Pippa simply stated.

"Well, gee, thanks." Duo said sarcastically.

At the small, raised door stood a tall woman wear a loose yellow sweater. Her eyes were a sweet purple and her hair was curly and auburn. She held thet hin aluminum door open as Pippa, Chantal, Shanell, QuatreandDuo kicked tehsnow from their feet and gratefully walked into the warm dwelling.

"Hi! Hello! Welcome!" she said as they came in, shutting the door after the guests. The boy Pippa had talked to was nowhere in sight.

"Yeah.. hi..." said Pippa mindlessly.

"Oh, thank you so much for letting us stay here on uch short notice and this place being so small and--" Quatre shook her hand several times.

"Thanks is all I needed." she smiled, half recognizing the blonde man.
"Oh yeah, thank you!" chimed Shanell. "Thanks" Duo said.

Chantal just strolled in and stopped next to Quatre. "Thanks" she muttered. Pippa jumped over and onto the couch, watching the old TV. Duo and Shanell walked around the couch and sat far from Pippa as they could on the small couch.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself!" exclaimed Quatre. In the other room, Trowa had been gathering blankets, and heard their arrival. At hearing Quatre, she dropped the blankets onto a bed.

"Oh no. Not him." he said to himself.

"My name is Quatre Raberba Winner. Its nice to meet you... eh...?" he pulled off his coat and hung it on a coat tree. Chantal followed, dropped melted snow everywhere.

"My name is Catherine Bloom." Catherine smiled at the polite boy. "You can have a seat at the table, dinner is almost done."

"Thank you" Quatre sat. Chantal followed him and sat at the small, four chaired table, not speaking to their hostess.

"You three can join them, you know" Catherine said to those at the TV. The three heads perked up and looked back at her.

"Yeeaa! Thanks, lady!" Duo yelped, hoping back to the table and a chair right next to Quatre.

"Already? Thank you, uh..." Shanell walked around the couch and joined the trio at the table.

"Catherine" she said looked back at the couch at the lone brunette head. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

"Huhn? Oh, I will... not hungry right now, Cathy." Pippa said loud and clear.

"Catherine is fine."

"Okay, its your name." Pippa slouched down in the cushions, looking up at the ceiling, thinking.

The rest weresitting up straight, neat and carefully. Their elbows to their sides, their napkins on their laps. Well, except Duo, who was trying to make Shanell laugh by putting it on his head and making jokes about. Chantal looked at him disgusted, but in reality, she was holding back a smile. Soon, Duo challenged Shanell to a thumb war. She accepted. Chantal and Quatre watched them fight it out, with Shanell the victorand Duo pleading for a rematch.

"So wheres you're little boyfriend, Cath? That guy who was outside." said Pippa to Catherine.

"Please call me Catherine.." she corrected the girl. "You mean Trowa? He's getting linens for you five."

"Trowa? Trowa Barton?" perked up Quatre.

"Yes.. you know him?"

"Yes! Of course I do!" he popped up. "Can I see him?"

"When he comes out ya can, darlin'" she winked at Quatre. Quatre looked stunned at Catherine and he sat.

Everyone sat silent for a moment. A light racket rose from the kitchen as Catherine served up their meals, they were all cheering from hunger. In the other room, Trowa had all the blankets and sheets and pillows for his guests piled up on a bed. He was itting nowat a dsek, holding a small book in his hands. He was reading it once again.

"Whoever wrote this was young, but knew all about the colony's plans... and OZ" Trowa whispered to himself. All of the sudden, thedoorto Trowa's little room swung open violently, hitting a tableand shaking a lamp. Trowa shoved the little book under the blankets swiftly before his visitor couldsee.

"Ooh, sorry, Trowa? But ya got a call from the colonies..." Pippa said a bit loudly. She had answered the phone and knew the importance of it, having recieveda few of these calls before.

"Hnn?" Trowa stood up and walked past the girl to the TV room to answer the call.

"Hello, Trowa! Long time no see!" Quatre exclaimed at seeing the lean boy.

"So thats Trowa, hnn Quatre?" Duo mentioned. Trowa just ignored the two and picked up a little black phone.

"Yes? ... Tonight? ... Yes, yes I will" he hung up. Right at that moment, a small rigning sound came from somewhere in the kitchen. A cell phone. Everyone looked at Shanell, who was ringing.

"Oh! Thats me! Haha..." she reached into her pocket and pulled out her little cell phone and picked up the call. "Hello? ... Yeah... Yeah-- what? Right now?" Shanell glanced aroundat all the people looking at her. Two more cell phones went off one after another. Pippa and Chantal now. Chantal took her call in the bathroom andPippa just stayed in the hallway. Quatre, Duo and Catherine all looked at the chatting girls.

"No fair! They get cell phones!" Duo complained.

"Dont complain, Duo." Quatre took a sip of his tea. Duo looked aroundthe room kind of angrily nad noticed the small bed in the corner of the room.

"Hey! Whats with the bed?" he asked.

Catherine began to reply: "There's some--"

"Hey, I gotta fly! And I need the keys, now" Pippa tossed her phone back in her pocket and reach towards Duo for the keys. He handed them over wearily.

"Me too" said both Shanell andChantal, grabbing their jackets.

"Where ae you all going?" Quatre inquired. Chantal turned to face him.

"We all got missions, I guess. Maybe you should check if you got one."

"Okay! Come on Duo!" Quatre said to the braided man. Duo looked at him, as he had been spacing out. "Whuh?"

"Wegotta check our transmissions." Quatre got up and grabbed his coat and Duo followed and turned to Catherine. "Sorry, Vatherine, we gotta leave. See ya later!" He ran out the door with Quatre in tow.

"Bye bye! Dont be out too late!" Catherine replied.

"See ya" Pippa said hopping out the door. Chantal was ahead of her, with Quatre. trowa emerged spedily from the bedroom, coat in hand.

"Catherine, I'll be back later." he said, slamming the door behind him.

"Bye Trowa..." she said to herself.

~~*

The carrier's cargo doors slowly opened. Pippa ran into the carrier, towards her suit. Shanell and Duo walked up the ramp togetherand split when they reached the staircase-- Shanell went up and Duo went straight to his Gundam. Chantal dashed after Pippa, with her hand over her eyes. Quatre just kept the Carrier to a dull roar.

"Hurry up! We gotta get to Chicago! Get them Oz-ies dead!" Pippa jumped in her suit.

"Yeah" said pretty much everyone else.

Upon the balcony-cargo, Shanell was allready in her Gundam, ready to go. She needed to Quatreto lower the ramp so she could take off.

Down below, Duo started up his mobile suit and lo and behold, he had the same mission as the girls.

"Okay, Im gonna lower the top level first. Chantal, Shanell, are you ready to go?" Quatre said from the cockpit.

"Yeah" Shanell ok'd him.

"Uhm... I dont know if I should..." Chantal said, sitting in her mobile suit.

"C'mon, Chantal! Dont be scared now!" Quatre exclaimed.

Chantal sighed. "Okay."

The gian grate blocking the second level slowly slid down, blocking the first level. Shanell's suit rolled slowly on a conveyer belt towards the outside. Chantals soon followed on a separate conveyer. In the foggy night, the huge blue and black landed in the snow. Its glowing green eyes were all that could be seen. Right next to it, another humanoid dropped to its feet. Its glowing eyes lit up brighter and turned to the other set.

"Okay, Quatre! We're heading off" Shanell said through a transmitter.

"We'll catch up" Quatre said calmly.

First, Shanell, in her giant suit, jammed down a pedal, pulled al eveer and the suit jumped up, itsrockets lettinmg it hover. The arms and legs spun 180 degress and folded together. Two Giant blue wings flattened and its head turned and shifted int oa hiding place provided.

A flight model. It's long, masculine wings shifted and it ascended. The great triangular mech hovered high in the air.

With a bit of a sigh, Chantal jammed down the same petal and hit a button and her bright blue suit turned completely over. The two folded wings on it's back twisted and flatened onto its stomach area. Its legs and arms folded togetherand hid themselves under the wings.

Anotherflight model. yet, this one darted forward, past Shanell, into the fog.

"Hey! Wait up!" Shanell pulled up a video transmission with Chantal.

"Okay, are you two ready?" Quatre loewred the lower gate so the other two could set off.

"Yes" Pippa snorted.

"Are you coming?" Duo asked Quatre.

"Yeah, after you two leave. I'll head out... somehow.." Quatre said as the other two were ready to take off. Ever so carefully, Pippa flew backwards out the cargo door. Againt the snow, Pippa's black aircraft wa way too visible.

"Duo? You got got a flight model?" she asked him. SHe pulled upa video screen on the same frequency as Duo, Shanell and Chantal.
"No... Im probably just gonna walk it. Dont wanna waste fuel trying to fly." he replied.

"Duo! You have to hurry up!" Shanell said to him. "Just fly with Pippa!"

"What?!" Pippa yelled.

"He can just hold onto that bar on the bottom! Easy!"

"Okay... lets do this" Duo said to Shanell. "Dot drop me, Pippa"

"Right-e-o" Pippa said, hovering above Duo now. The Gundam Deathscythe had exited the carrier and was stadning below her now. Its giant arm reached up and latched onto a long metal bar on the undersite of Pippa's Gundam.

"Goodbye!" Quatre said on a audio transmission to them. Pippa sped off as he did. Quatre shut the cargo doors and started flying the carrier after the four.

"Hey! Duo! How far back are you?" through the video connection, Shanell asked.

"My radar says two miles." he replied.

"What about Quatre?" Chantal sounded concerned.

"He's headin' up the rear" Pippa laughed.

"Thats sick" Chantal commented.

"Anytime" Pippa smiled."Okay, Duo! Better make sure that suit is on nice and tight" she said to him.

"Why?" Duo held the control tight. The plane-Gundam carrying Duo sped off at t\at least twice its original speed to catch up. The dangling mobile suit brushed the tips of trees amd snow covered hills, almost falling a few times.

Shanell glanced out a window and saw the two mobile suits coming up at an alarming pace. Pippa's suit began braking and slowed down just ahead of Shanell's. 'No wonder she crashed' thought Shanell.

"Hi, Shanell!" Duo called to her. "How close are we now?"

"About 100 miles, not far. We should be there by 9:45.--Hey! Whats that!?" Shanell saw something on her radar not far from them. There was another plane flying not to ofar ahead, but it was alone.

"Thats not Quatre, is it?" Duo asked.

"No..Its someone else..." Shanell replied.

"And I think I know who." Pippa said, turnin her ship and speeding towards the unidentified object. She began adjusting her radio frequency to find that of the craft's.

"Who, Pippa?" Chantal said over the video.

"Just..I'll catch up" Pippa turned off the video and talked into the radio. "Hello? Hello?? Carrier, please Identify yourself"

"Man that is one high speed carrier" Shanell commented, watching the dot on the radar. "I hope he ain't OZ." Her radio cracked a little. "Hello? Who are You?"

"Chantal, did you get that?" Shanell asked of the girl.

"Yeah, I think that was the other carrier-- radio the others." Chantal said, then picking up the line again she replied to the mystery man. "Carrier, identify yourself."

"Im jus transporting goods. Why are you in a mobile suit?" the carrier replied. Pippa and Duo picked up the conversation and recognized the voice immediatley.

"I know that voice!" Pippa exclaimed.

"Then who is it??!?" Shanell was aggrivated by Pippa.

Out of the blue, Quatre joined in on the radio frequency."Chantal? Shanell?Duo?..Pippa. Are you there?" he called. Someone new picked up his call.

"Quatre? Is that you?" said the carrier.

"Trowa! What--" Quatre exclaimed.

"Are these your friends, with the mobilesuits."

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I knew it, I knew it!" sang Pippa. "It was Trowa! Hey, Trowa!" she called to the long banged man.

"What?" Trowa said.

"Are you a moile suit pilot, too?" she asked.

"Yes"

"I think we're all on the same mission" noted Shanell.

"Well, duh" retorted Pippa. She pulled her suit away from Trowa and sped up next to Chantal, Duo dangling for dear life. The quartet of mobile suitsand their accompanying carier flew off into the dense fog with Quatre a bit far behind.

"Only 20 more miles" Shanell broke the serine silence.



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