Sorry on the delays, I_m very busy. I know no one believes me but I AM
GOING TO FINISH THIS! Even if it does go at the rate of one or two chapters
per year. Hell- when I finish it people won_t even remember Gundam Wing,
let alone look up fan stories on the Internet. If you guys stay with me for
that long then I will be flattered, truly flattered and if I ever get to
writing a book and you_re interested I_m sending free copies to your
houses. Seriously. And you_ll know you can take me seriously because I_ll
have actually finished what I_ve been promising to finish for ...oh God how
long has it been now??? Let_s see, started 12th grade in High School, now
I_m in third year of college....2001-2003 and only nine huge long ass
chapters. Well, I have trimmed up the number of chapters. It shouldn_t be
twenty now, I_m combining. Now it_s more like 17! Yay! About eight or more
left! I_m more than half done. OK- you_re tired of my rambling now. Here_s
the core:
Characters not created by me. Dialogue from the story from the show wasn_t written by me. Duh. But it will be in there a good bit because that_s the glue people. I_m connecting my story to it. And my hope is that if I have these characters so in character that you kinda have to remember what_s in the show from what I_m writing. Not that you just flip by. Let me know if that works out or not. :)
More German. It_s translated. let me know if you happen to speak German if I_ve mistyped. I don_t speak German. I don_t speak Japanese except for phrases an expert friend teaches me. Hablo un pequino espanol. Pequino. Muy muy muy pequino. Altavista babel fish translator is my very best friend. OK, I_m done. I promise. Enjoy the reading. (I hope) PLEASE REVIEW! IF YOU LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, I WRITE WHEN I UPDATE!
Neverending Story Chapter Nine
...The First Bite of the Apple!
Fellow citizens of the colonies! The time has come to fight back! Tuberov, the man opposing all of us, is now being confined by our comrades. There is no longer any need to take any orders from anyone. The Earth has burned up our power and resources but in the past we weren_t controlled by anyone; we were treated as equals. Let us stand up for our rights people! Together let_s establish peace in Outer Space!
"They_ve sure done it now," Duo sighed as his eyes narrowed as a grim reaper preparing for the harvest, "After hearing this, the colonies will jump straight into another chaotic war... What a bunch of fools!"
The darkness spread across Duo like a nocturnal robe. It groveled in his presence like a servant and shielded him completely; just as the void of space served Deathsycthe Hell. Yet power over the unknown was only one talent that the pilot shared with his gundam.
Or was it that the gundam shared with the pilot? Distinguishing one from the other sometimes proved to be impossible, even if one was a mobile suit and the other human!
People throughout the years have noted similarities between pets and owners through physical features as well as demeanor. There was no different a relationship between Duo Maxwell and his good _buddy,_ Deathscythe Hell. Both were darkly dressed and took up a lot of space. Both were stealth experts wheither it was by jamming comm signals or snagging the neighbor_s paper and the forbidden cookie before supper. They were also both excessively loud, even if this went against their stealthy stick-to-the- shadow nature. Whenever they allowed themselves to be seen they always got a lot of attention. It was impossible not to notice that odd couple! But the most serious and puzzling likeness that kept the two together was the fact that both fought for reasons that went beyond their reasoning. The Gundam itself fought for whatever Duo fought for. Being a Mobile Suit, it didn_t really choose, did it? And Duo fought because he had the Gundam. Both fought because they had each other. One had to ask, would Duo fight so hard if he had a simple mobile suit?
He would. But he wouldn_t be so determined to be strong himself. That gundam wasn_t only made of Gundaniam, it made the pilot Gundaniam too. The difference between fighting in a regular suit as opposed to a Gundam was the fact that the Gundam became the symbol of peace and reason for fighting. In a regular Mobile Suit, you fought for what you are told to fight for. There are mass produced, each one identical to the other. They don_t stick out. They don_t give any more or less than the other suits. A lot like the military pilots that control them. The same old blah, blah, blah. But the Gundams are each one of a kind. Piloting something so special forces one to think outside the militant norm of battle, i.e. "you_re on my side or theirs," and, "I_ll die for my leader... the almighty Captain BlahBlah!" What a gundam pilot will die for is their Gundam and their own individual codes that they have that Gundam defend. That may sound selfish, but these Gundam pilots cared more about the colonists than themselves or bringing anyone to power. So that_s what the Gundams themselves symbolized. It went Gundam, honor, peace, and then personal well-being. That_s what being a Gundam pilot meant and that_s what they would die for. Hilde just knew that through them, true peace would really be realized.
Through all this, Hilde only felt great pain. Far worse than any wound, the truth grabbed her more harshly then than the talons of a hawk on a small field mouse. She_d known it all along, felt it_s nagging presence with her as a lump hidden deep within the basement of her mind. It had been stored there ever since the day Duo first came here with her. At 9:37 p.m. Hilde stood with her arms full of groceries as that lump lunged with thorned wings from the back of her mind to her throat... only a frightful whisper away from spoken reality. She_d suffocate to keep that monsterful truth from coming out...
But why bother? It would be revealed anyway after her Death. This dreaded proclamation meant to rally the colonists to war could only lead to one thing.
Er verlieB. (*He was leaving.*)
He was a Gundam pilot fighting for peace. The Gundams were created to fight for peace long before the colonies were producing weapons. Now that the Colonies themselves were waging war, it was rather inevitable that Deathscythe and Duo would go do their best to end it. It was also obvious that Hilde wanted to go fight with him and obtain peace, achieve that sense of order, return home, get rid of the Gundam, buy a little black dog...
"This is terrible," Hilde squeaked. Her voice was just that above a whisper and her tears were blinked back and absorbed by that heinous lump lodged her throat.
Duo looked like he may have jumped a mile when he heard Hilde. It was almost as if the tiny sound of her voice was amplified to that of a fire siren.
"Hiya, Hilde!" he exclaimed throwing his hand to the back of his neck and scratching in his typical fashion "You sneak right in, don_t you?"
Duo had already talked about moving out of the house and into a rather neglected one between her own and Stan_s. He already _parked_ Deathscythe Hell at Hilde_s less and less as he rotated it between her house and Stan_s secret garage. He also thought she didn_t know about this. But she did. Stan_s girlfriend, Samantha, was a real gossip and thumbed through confidential paper after paper to relay every single detail she could to Hilde. Any fool with 3/4 of a brain knew he was leaving because he didn_t want Hilde or this colony in danger. But Hell! Even if she wasn_t in uniform, she was still a soldier! Hadn_t she proven anything to him?
She rushed to the kitchen to put away the groceries as Duo mulled in silence. One thought went through her mind as constantly as the cycle of brightness and darkness... It was a single weak wish that was as fluttery and slight as the flickering candle on the birthday cake... it wasn_t really going to grant her wish but she was compelled to chant it ceremonially in her mind at anyway...
Don_t speak...
She just wanted to know the truth behind the fact that he was leaving!! Though she doubted she_d believe it if she heard it from his mouth with his hand on a stack on Bibles in every known language and denomination....
Don_t speak...
How did Duo feel about her? Was he really leaving her in fear of her safety and to fight battles? What did she mean to him? Was she simply a safehouse... and nothing more? Was he unhappy with her and bored of this house? These questions joined collectively to form a merry-go-round in her head that swirled in the same disconcerting motion as she unsteadily took each inquiry by the rein... Saddled and impaled on a pole painted gold, their constant wavering motion never did her any good or gave her any answers. Don_t speak.........!!
The pilot rose from his seat on the couch, some of his features slid out from underneath the dark cloak to be brightened by the saddening glow of the news as he stretched. Hilde watched like a cat, fascinated by his every move as she wanted to understand why he moved the way he did, why he said the things he said, and why he kept it so secret.... Duo kept his past locked in a box much like Pandora_s. It was as if he believed that opening it to anyone would lead to all the lamentations and grievances of the Earth. One thing was for sure and that was she was enthralled my the mystery as well as the man connected to it. It was that enigma that made her want to unlock that box and read him like an open book.... to be a part of that man and his way of life and help him in every way possible till death did them part...
don_t speak.... He approached her with stalling steps that drug against the fuzz of the carpet... Peace on her own would be impossible without him....
don_t speak.....
Now in the kitchen,
his eyes latching onto each detail as if he_d never see it again....
This house would only be a shell, a fortress of sadness and sorrow....!!! don_t speak.....
An unrelenting source of confinement that she could not escape...
don_t speak!!! A terrible thing of torture....
don_t speak............!!!!
A vexing source of misery with chains of
augmentation, a past full of death, a present
worrying about death, and a future that looked to be
death itself..... And what if something happened to Duo? What if Death took him from her... just like everyone else she_d been close to through her life...
D o n _ t s p e a k . . .
Duo was behind her now. She could practically feel the burden of the news he was about to drop upon her shoulders. He turned momentarily to search the cabinets for a snack. To stall for time as he thought. . .
Hilde was still lost in thought herself.
_I feel like a plague. ...Black Death._ Her thoughts were angry and desperate for hope and happiness. _When can this end? All I wanted to do was bring some life and light to this world of mine somehow through fighting. But all that follows this efforts of mine seem to be bullshit. BULLSHIT._
"Yeah," Duo responds. "You_re right." Hilde_s eyes burst open wide as she looks at Duo incredulously. "Was I talking out loud?" "No." he replies. The weight of the air was more than a ton. Hilde felt like she_d collapse if she didn_t let it fall now..... "I know, Duo." Hilde whispers. She turns her head away slightly and bites her lip. Composes herself. She could not be weak now. After all Duo had gone though and all that was left for him to face, he needed something strong. She was going to be that force. She made the decision then not to waver anymore. She was going to live the life she believed in. It was going to be with Duo. The war would end. Their friendship wouldn_t. That was the important thing. Whether it brought something more or not was undecided and she couldn_t decide that alone. They_d decide it together later.
She turned again and smiled. "I know you have to go." Her whole demeanor had changed. She was no longer a fragile German girl that feared solitude. Now she donned her Gesicht von stark (* mask of strength*). He himself was taken back by her confession and sudden change in demeanor. It only lasted momentarily, however, before he laughed.
"Guess that was a no-brainer huh?" he replied.
"Yeah." Hilde smirked.
Duo opened his mouth to speak again. But Hilde also took those words from his mouth as they were better tasted by her own acknowledgment.
"I also know," she began slowly, "that you_re moving to another place near here in case anyone comes to investigate my house."
The winged demon emerged from the cavern of her mouth painlessly and dissapated in the breeze of the open window, no longer a problem, no longer a burden. There was only silence now as Maxwell paused to scratch his head in curiosity as he wondered if his friend had the telephones wired to listen to his conversations. How else would she know???
"Stan_s girlfriend does a lot of shopping." Hilde grinned as she filled in the hole to Duo_s Donut..
Duo began to laugh long and hard. Hilde laughed with him. Their laughter was a relieving sensation when compared to all the silence before. Hilde addressed him again after the final chuckle.
"I think it is a good idea, Duo. Just so long as....you keep in touch?"
That last part came out more like a plea than a question or simple comment.
"Hilde, there is no way in HELL that I wouldn_t keep contact with you around here. Where else can I get a great homecooked meal? Fast food is NEVER going to look the same."
"Duo..." Hilde growled.
"Damn-it, Hilde. You know what I_m saying."
Her annoyance diminished and she smiled. _Yeah Duo. I know."
"Thanks for understanding, babe," Duo began, "Wow! Hey, ya_ know... that sure is funny! Stan_s girlfriend and my g-"
Duo_s eyes widened and his body stiffened as he recoiled his words. It was as if he_d just been shot in the heart. He went back to finish his sentence as Hilde froze in shock, wondering what that word was that almost came from his mouth...
"...best friend." He completed, still mulling over what was almost exposed. "Thanks, Duo." Hilde replied, smiling as she strained to return her mind to the real subject on hand instead of pestering Duo about what he almost said, "You_re my best friend, too."
Duo snatched an apple and occupied himself temporarily by devouring it. The first bite was loud and hard to chew, but the rest was easy to swallow...
"Yeah, Hilde," he began after the long hush between them, "It_s a good thing I don_t have anything to pack..."
"Duo!" Hilde exclaimed suddenly, "You can_t be serious!"
"What? Ya_ mean you didn_t know? Well God-damn-it! Ya_ seemed to know everything else!"
"But... TONIGHT!" Hilde objected.
"Babe, babe! Think about it! What better time to sneak a wanted pilot out of your house than twelve midnight?"
"God Duo! When were you planning on telling me!"
"When ya_ got home like I did just now! When else?"
* * *
Duo was exasperated. How much notice did the woman want! He so often lived so on the wire that she really should be relived to be getting any notification!
"No sooner!?" she continued to press.
Hilde_s flesh began to flame bright red. And it wasn_t that cute kind of red like when he complimented her on her tanktop she blushed. Naw, he knew this sort of crimson color could only be the result of one of his antics which generally flustered her to a certain point of anger that was sure to raise the steam from her ears any second if he didn_t act quickly.
"Hey Hilde!" Duo exclaimed as he pulled Hilde on the couch with him, "It_s OK! Calm down!" he pleaded, draping an arm over her shoulder as she took a few breaths. "Now you know me. There_s no point in telling you a few days before _cause all you_re gonna do is be sad the whole time. Now haven_t we spent this time together a lot better than that?"
_Oh so so smooth..._ Duo complimented himself, _I am so much better than butter and smoother than silk..._
"Yeah," Hilde consented, "You_re right. But maybe before you leave for space you could give me a little more notice. Maybe by leaking it out through Samantha again. If you happen to know when you_re leaving, that is."
Duo smiled. She was really one nice piece of eye candy right now. Her eyes open wide as always yet there was some sort of a veil over them that hide her true feelings now. It was really appealing to Duo right now as it reminded him of his own plaster grin. Except for on Hilde right now as she was curled up so close to him it came across more like the veil of an Arabian princess. If only she could be wearing one of those revealing Arabian tops... just like those girls that danced for the Maganamac core.
*ahem!*
Never-the-less with another kick in his libido, Duo returned to the ever so important subject at hand.
"The God of Death will do his best to oblige ya_, ma_am." he responds in an old west manner with a tip of his imaginary cowboy hat, " but when that day comes, you_ll be the first to know and I have to warn you that it_s definitely going to be rushed."
"OK, Duo." Hilde responds with a smile. "I understand. Thanks for the advanced warning now."
"Only for you babe." Duo smiles. He was particularly pleased that she caught that, "But while we_re on the subject, did his girlfriend mention anything else to you?"
"No," Hilde stammers, confused, "that_s it..."
_Damn-it,_ Duo laments, _why in the Hell can_t gossips ever spread the news that_s hardest for me to tell?_
Duo had been having some nightmares lately. Wheither they were more side effects of Zero or just deeply hidden fears that he had yet to confront was unknown. Either way it went, this man didn_t take them lightly.
They were about Hilde of course. Him being gone and fighting far in space and the soldiers looking for any information they could get, finding Hilde, torture, rape, burning her to death with this house...
Duo wanted Hilde out of this place as soon as possible. It was beginning to shine like a beacon to their enemies and he didn_t want this woman to be another casualty to the mask of the Shinigami. He knew well that she wasn_t going to go easily and he was fighting an uphill battle. With a sigh he began to wage the conflict...
"Then that means that you don_t know about where I wanted you to go, then."
"Me to go!" Hilde sputters, "But why?"
She pulled away and began to prep the heavy ammunition. Hell, he could understand the reluctance. A home must not be an easy place to leave behind. But if he had to he_d use chloroform to knock her ass out and transport her that way. At least he was trying to do this with her consent first! He was being damn-well gentleman like! Now he began with what he knew would be a typically chauvinist male response...in the language she knew best.
"Sicherheit, Hilde!" Duo explained. "Wenn sie mich kommen hier, suchend und ich bin nicht hier Sie weiB, was sie tun! Wie kann ich den geschehen lassen?!" (*Safety, Hilde! If they come here looking for me and I_m not here you know what they_ll do! How can I allow that to happen?!"*)
"Duo! Ich weiB ! Aber ich verlasse nicht! Ich kann nicht!" (*Duo! I know! But I_m not leaving! I can_t!*)
"Was Sie sind, veruckt! Seien Sie nicht ein Dummkopf!" (*What are ya_! Crazy! Don_t be a fool!*)
"Nien! Aber-" (*No! But-*)
"Will ya_ hear me out woman!" he exclaimed in frustrated English. This German was getting too hard for a beginner. While he was finally learning to speak it well, it was another thing interpretting it and responding to it. A success though. She was obviously impressed by his superior male intellect as she seemed to understand everything he said this time.
"Where do you want me to go?" Hilde retorted, "With Stan? They_d probably search there, too! I don_t see how that_s safer...dieses Marken keine Richtung!" (* That makes no sense! *)
Duo paused, not bothering to interrprt that last part. He was pretty certain it was just insulting his logic and he got that all the time...
"Yeah, but he_s used to being investigated. However, I_m afraid that_s not the place..."
"Well, where is it?" Hilde prompted further.
She could be really impatient sometimes. It wasn_t like it was a real far ways away... Duo scratched the back of his neck pensively. I_m mean, honestly! It was only a day and a half away!
"Duo..."
There was that impatient thing he was referring to. Patience was truly an attribute that Hilde needed right now. I mean, he couldn_t possibly take the time to think about how to break to her how far off he wanted her to go while she continually distracted him..., not that it was far! It wasn_t!
The fingers began to tap on the table. God! He hated that sound! It was awful! Not quite as bad as nails on the chalkboard but still pestering. Very pestering. Why was she so upset anyway? Why, if he was his woman he_d be more than happy to go anywhere to please his man! Wait a sec- what was that thought that crossed his mind?
Shit!
She was in real trouble now! She really did have to go!
She turned his face toward hers. Now that got his attention. He loved when she got forceful.
"Wo bin ich aupposed, um zu gehen?" She asked more calmly now. (*Where am I supposed to go?*)
"L-3, Hilde." Duo replied in an almost trance like state.
"Sie sind geisteskrank!"She stood to her feet with that proclamation and Duo pulled her back down to continue the debate. (*You_re insane!*)
Aha! Duo knew that phrase without hinking twice! It was one of the first he_d learned!
"But Hilde," he objected, "that_s the safest place! They won_t look there and I_ve already got it all set up. Ya_ don_t have to do a thing!"
"Duo, I_m not weak! I_m a fighter, too! Ich bin stark!"
"Hilde, I know you_re strong," Duo began. His eyes pried into her own and he knew he always had her complete attention with that stare. "But destruction always follows the God of Death and I just want you out of it_s wake."
"But Duo," Hilde interjects, "It always follows me, too. That doesn_t mean that I should run or that you should fight alone. You_re not alone. You aren_t the only one that has been spared from death to watch those you love die!" she paused momentarily before whispering, "Wir beide solten nicht allein sein mussen..." (* We both shouldn_t have to be alone... *)
Duo just sighed, pulling Hilde closer. He didn_t really know why. He guessed it was more instinctive than thought out. She relaxed on his chest and listened to the sound of his heart...
"Hil..., ya_ just don_t understand." Duo sighed. "This place is just a house. If it goes down, ya_ don_t need to go down with it. You can live, buy a new place to live, and manage a business. You don_t have to smear your hands with fighting. If ya_ stay here-"
"You_re talking like I_m a casualty..." Hilde interrupted.
Duo stopped. Those words dropped a truth on him that he hadn_t thought about before. Quite frankly, he was shocked by the truth of that statement.
"I_m not dead," she began, "I_m not going to die... I_m going to live my life to the fullest for what I believe in."
The braided man smiled. He knew he_d lost this war and surrendered his flag.
"Those are powerful words that I suspect you_ll never let me forget."
Hilde grinned, "Sure won_t!"
"I_ll cancel the plans to get ya_ there Hilde. But I_m keeping everyone on standby." With that, Duo handed Hilde a folder with a cute smiling face sticker on it and some travel papers and tickets. She thumbed through it as he continued, "By the way, that smiley sticker peels off easily. Underneath it I wrote the new frequency you_ll need to contact Deathscythe Hell. Just promise me one thing, Hilde."
"Yes, Duo?" Hilde questioned.
"If it comes to your life and you have the chance, you_ll take that trip... and be careful."
"Oh, Duo." Hilde replies, "You know I will."
Duo smiled. Yup. It was too true. Hilde reminded him of himself. He hated to leave her but he wasn_t far right now. And if he ever worried too much on the battlefield about her, he_d just have to call Stan and have them tranquilize her and take her somewhere safer. After all, if the God of Death had the power and control to save one life then this would be the time to find out. Duo couldn_t think of anyone else_s life that meant more to him right now.
"Duo, she asked, "How are you going to pay for this place without being suspected?"
"Huh?" he stammered, "Well, I guess I_ll have to get another job!" He replied with a laugh.
"I_ll stop over there tomorrow and help. After all, I_m getting really good at finding elusive parts. I may as well look for hard to find part-time positions suitable for you."
"Yeah," says Duo, "That should be fine. But I warn you, if you tell me I have an interview at 3090 Summer St. and I find out that it_s Chip n_ Dales, I_m coming after you!"
Hilde laughed, "Duo! I wouldn_t send you to Chip n_ Dale_s! I_d send you to Snips n_ Curls!"
Duo_s mouth dropped like as comically as an anvil on a piano. "Why you-"
Hilde was laughing so hard she couldn_t breathe.
"You dare joke on sending me to a barber?"
There was no answer from Hilde, who was far too busy laughing at Duo_s reaction to talk.
He dumped his cup of water on her head and began to laugh himself as she gasped from the sudden downpour.
"Oh, that_s it!"
With that proclamation she yanked on his braid.
"OW! OW!! OW!!! Babe, not the hair!!! Never the hair!"
"I just wanted to save you the trouble of scissors cutting your scalp.....!"
Duo_s eyes slit as he seethed at that comment. His hair was gorgeous! It was an absolute violation of the God of Death_s sacred rules of worship to even think about removing, harming, or even touching the hair. It was on page nine, paragraph 4, line 3 down to paragraph 6, line 7, section 3a. It was written in clear and easily understood English. Violators had to be punished as law so clearly stated.
Hilde squeaked and leapt from the couch to run to her room. However, Duo was way ahead of her and before she reached her destination, he caught her and lifted her by the waist to the bathroom....
Hilde screamed, "Duo! No don_t! Nien!!! Let me go! Lassen Sie michgehen!" (* No! Let me go! *)
But it was too late. Duo began to fill the tub with cold water...
"Stop squirming you little worm...." he spat as he struggled to detain Hilde, "you_re gettin_ it for that!"
_Allright!_ he thought happily, _it_s wet-shirt time!_
He turned the water off as the tub filled and tried to shove Hilde in...
The woman was as desperate as an innocent man, but Duo knew better than to fall for that pity trap. She somehow managed to slip from his grip and, in a desperate last attempt, he snagged the back of her sweater to drag her over toward him. Seizing the sleeves, he prepared to hoist her into the tub...
Unfortunately (?) for Duo, at that very moment Hilde Schbeiker was clever enough to raise her arms and as a result, she fell straight out of her oversized sweater while the momentum sent the lost sweater, as well as Duo Maxwell, into the bathtub...
"EEEEOOOWWW!!! That_s COLD!"
Hilde didn_t waste any time to laugh at Duo_s predicament. With her hands shielding her breasts, she fled desperately to her bedroom and locked the door.
_What just happened?_ Duo wondered. It had all passed by so quick that it made his head spin. He cast aside the sweater as if it were a wet towel and sat sulking in the bathtub as the water continued to splash in waves over him. Like a wet dog, Duo didn_t know what he was doing in there, so very cold and soaking wet. All he knew was that someone was going to pay for that humiliation! He rose from the tub as if it were a coffin and he a zombie who sought flesh and blood. Without further thought as to what he was doing and without the knowledge that Hilde had no shirt, he rushed straight to her door and began to pound on it furiously...
"Get out here, Schbeiker! I_ve got a word or two to say to you!"
Hilde was laughing hysterically.
"Open up! Before I count to ten! And I warn you, the God of Death tends to skip several numbers when counting after being pushed in the tub....!!!" the braided man cautioned as he began picking the lock.
Hilde was still laughing.
"Duo...!!!" she managed to gasp.
"0ne hippopotamus....."
"Duo!" Hilde she shrieked, "Don_t! I_m not dr-"
"Ten hippopotamus!"
Duo threw the door open and was greeted by a swift slap as Hilde, with a small pillow pushed against her chest, slammed the door on him as swiftly as he opened it. Duo stood, facing the door for several empty minutes without doing so much as blinking his eyes. He wouldn_t let himself. How could any man want to blink that image out of his eyes? That was just beautiful, even if he didn_t really see anything... the potentiality of that whole situation was like one of his dreams...
Hilde opened the door to her room and walked straight into Duo, knocking him off balance and onto the floor. He blinked.
_DAMN-IT! I_ve still got it, don_t worry, the image isn_t lost, it_s not gone, it_s not gone, it_s not gone...._
"Duo!" Hilde exclaimed, "What were you doing standing there?!"
"Huh?" Duo questioned gazing up at his friend, who, sadly enough for him, had the decency not to emerge topless with that little black bra he_d noticed earlier....
"Are you O.K.?" she asked, leaning down to check out her friend (who still had a bright handmark across his left cheek).
"Yeah," Duo responds as he climbs to his feet, "It_s just that I_m sorry I barged in there on you like that."
Hilde was wearing a yellow short sleeved shirt with a slight V-neck. While not too much more revealing than the sweater it still looked nice with her black pants and cute beret.
"Oh, Duo! I_m sorry I hit you like that! I just panicked..."
"Hey babe! It_s O.K.! I should have paid more attention to the situation," he commented as he saw the tell-tale sweater floating in the bathtub.
There was a quiet knock on the door that startled them both.
"Wow!" Duo exclaimed, "Twelve o_ clock already! Boy does time ever fly!"
"Goodbye, Duo." Hilde says as she gives her friend a quick hug, "I_ll see you tomorrow around twelve and bring you some lunch. It is O.K. if I call to ask Stan for directions, right?"
"Sure is!" Duo exclaimed with a big smile on his face, "Hey, Hilde I want you to take this."
Duo pulled a gun out of one of his pockets and placed it in her hand.
"Duo!" she exclaimed, "you need this more than me!"
"No, I don_t." Duo began to explain, "I_ll get another one tomorrow. I want you to have this tonight. That way if something happens you won_t have to defend yourself with a rolling pin."
"I_d use an iron skillet, thank-you very much!" Hilde laughed. "Thanks Duo. I appreciate it."
"No prob, babe! Go ahead and let the man in while I grab something real quick..."
"O.K." Hilde replies without second thought, "Goodluck, Duo."
"No luck to it babe!"
Duo gathered his things together and hurried off into the night as the happiest man with a handslap on his face that had ever walked any colony or Earth. And the best thing was that he_d managed to sneak out a little souvenir... He wasn_t sure if he was going to give it back to Hilde or not. Why, that heinous sweater had been the cause of so much of his anger that he wasn_t sure he wanted her to wear it again when she had nice clothes that that tank top and yellow t-shirt.
No, it wasn_t bad to think about stuff like that! As far as Duo was concerned, his attraction to Hilde proved that he was capable of living a normal life. However, despite that excuse, Duo was still disturbed by it and somewhat leery. Starting something with Hilde would only cause more problems in her life. By Duo_s experience, death could only be loved by death itself because death always followed death all the way to the ends of the Earth. When everything alive feared death, death could always turn to death for comfort.
Duo paused after that thought. He felt he was getting a bit redundant. As a Gundam pilot, he really couldn_t make the time for anything like a relationship. Duo had enough worries on his mind dealing with himself. The Gundams were so powerful. Having one was a hefty responsibility that strayed far from any normal experience. He was given this chance to change the world and suddenly had the power to not only change it, but to rule it -if he so desired. But such flimsy cravings were the appetite of fools. Duo, like the other pilots, wanted peace. And in order to achieve it, they detached themselves from any military alliances. In all the come and go empires Duo had witnessed from OZ to Whitefang the Gundams were constant. Yet still, Duo had to wonder how anything with such a frightful amount of power possibly be the means of obtaining peace? If someone with such low respect for life like Trant ever got a Gundam, the results would be anything but peaceful! And even the pilots could be devoured by them! The two colonies destroyed by Quatre were testament to that. Could peace ever really come through these Gundams? They really seemed more like elements or physical manifestations of war itself than anything else. The real nonsensical element here was that no matter what the Gundam was, it gave Duo a purpose in life. He couldn_t let go of it or see past the war. It seemed things would remain like this forever to him.
That_s why he needed Hilde. She helped him to see an aspect of himself after the war. A man that could create things without starting a battle to wage peace. One that already had peace within himself that he could share with others.
Unfortunately that reason alone made him fear for her life. He was too close with this woman. He couldn_t let her die. Yet a part of himself already felt it was fated. Like Hilde said, he was acting like she was already a casualty.
He could only fight that fate he feared now and fight the forces that he felt bound peace from the the people. Duo was so tired of fighting... wheither it was the real answer to his problems or not was unknown. All he felt was that he needed to continue fighting.
He wondered where the other Gundam pilots were now and how they felt about everything...
*** The next day***
Duo had been pretty listless today. He was really a burdened soul with far too many concerns to stare at the ceiling and think about...
Hilde gazed up at the pilot now, "Hmmm, huh?"
He was still staring up there! She_d like to be reading that book he was writing on those walls!
"Huh?" Duo stumbles over his thought, "Oh, sorry. I_m done filing my stuff." he explained.
At times like this, Hilde was reminded of that day she took Duo to the circus. He_d been acting just like this and then he saw that clown, the other Gundam pilot. She knew his name now, it was Trowa. She wondered if he was still thinking about that incident since the guy didn_t seem to remember anything about Duo or a Gundam HeavyArms.
"Duo, you_re still thinking of that guy, aren_t you?" she questioned awkwardly.
Duo sighed, "It_s just depressing to think that could happen to a fellow Gundam pilot. And I_ve been wondering about what_s gonna happen to the colonies, too. It does kinda make ya_ think."
Wow, he had it bad. Hilde figured it was time for him to hear the line again...
"Why are you getting so depressed? You_re gonna live the life you believe in, right? That_s what you told me yourself." Hilde lectured him as she gazed skeptically toward him.
"Yeah, that_s right." Duo agreed as he stretched upward. "Well maybe I should start by finding a decent job." He placed a smile on his face and his hands on his hips as Hilde continued to click around on the little computer. "Look, here_s a new job..." she announced with a click click of the computer keys, "They_re looking for Mobile Suit workers at a Natural resources site.... Huh?" Hilde paused skeptically as she overlooked the information on the screen.
"What is it?" her friend inquired.
"Look." Hilde instructed, "The satellite belongs to the Winner family."
"The Winner family?" Duo repeated with some disbelief.
"I had heard that all operations had been suspended indefinitely ever since the owner was killed." Hilde added. It certainly seemed strange to see the family coming back up to speed so suddenly!
"Then it could only mean one thing!!!" Duo exclaimed so suddenly that it almost startled her, "The son in the family is back!"
"But the son is missing.... how do you know him Duo?" Hilde asked skeptically.
"Well, Hilde" Duo began, "I_d tell ya_ but it_s top secret..." he explains with a wink.
"Oh!" Hilde exclaimed. The son was a pilot! Maybe if Duo met up with him, he_d stop fighting alone!
"That resources satellite is only 355 miles above us... we could make it there by today." Duo contemplated.
"I_ll find a shuttle," Hilde nodded, "If you want to be there by today then we_ll make it!"
"Thanks, babe." Duo smiled, "Ya_ know, I think I_m finally hungry enough to eat lunch!" Hilde smiled. Finally! She could do something that really helped Duo out and reunited him with his comrades! She just hoped that the young Mr. Winner was more receptive than Trowa Barton. Duo really needed to talk to another pilot that could freshen his hopes, not dismantle them.
!!!! Caution! !!!!
Do not read the next part of the story if you don_t care to read more dialogue from that show freshened up with character thought or if you actually hate poor little Quatre. It is recommended, however for a fuller understanding!
* * *
Hilde and Duo came off the shuttle as they overlooked the place like potential buyers. Both had been on plenty of Natural Resources satellites before. But Duo beamed now as he realized that someone he knew wasn_t dirt poor and actually had possession of all this... and was still a Gundam pilot! That right there should have given him more hope but only succeeded in adding more smoke to the fire.
"Well, Duo." Hilde began. "We can both get as far as third floor without an I.D. After that you_ll have to be careful."
"What are you talking about! I_ve got an I.D.! Remember? I made it earlier!"
"Duo!" Hilde exclaimed, "Your fake I.D._s don_t even fool me!"
That was dirty! Hilde was refering to the incident where she_d thought she_d recruited him for OZ and caught him sneaking somewhere he wasn_t supposed to be. But that didn_t count on the accuracy of his fake I.D._s!
"Pshah! He was gonna let me by! It would_ve fooled you if you didn_t recognize me!"
"No, nien." Hilde disagreed, "I really don_t think so. Not with the picture you had on it..."
"Well, this one_s serious!" Duo exclaimed, holding it close to his chest as if it were a treasure that could be damaged by Hilde_s verbal assault. How dare her underestimate the power of his fabrications!! She didn_t think that was a real driver_s license he had, did she???
"I_ll manage to find it. I_ve certainly gone through worse mazes in my life!" Duo finished.
"O.K." Hilde remarked somewhat reluctantly and doubtfully. Duo figured that her doubt was allright for now. Afterall, in the end it was he that would be singing the "I was right and you were wrong" song. The two continued their journey onto the satellite, a big grin plastered on Duo_s face. There was another reason he was smiling....
He_d managed to talk Hilde out of the sweater and into the yellow shirt. What man wouldn_t smile after an accomplishment like that? Afterall, and oversized sweater says "poor and desperate" in public places like this. A cute yellow shirt says "I_m a close friend of one of your rich employers and you don_t want to bother me _cause it may be your mama!"
It was then that Hilde questioned Duo on what a fancy priest suit says to people in this environment.
"I_m holy and get out of my way before I take away your blessings!" had been his response.
"Duo?" Hilde inquired as they walked toward the building, "how did you know what I was thinking last night if I wasn_t talking out loud?"
"Huh?!" Duo asked, thrown for a loop on that one.
"You know, in the kitchen. You agreed with me, but I didn_t say anything out loud-"
"OH!" Duo remarked. She was talking about when she said that she felt like a plague... he had to say that he emphasized on that one. Even if she didn_t really say it..., "I read your lips." he explained simply.
"Hm." says Hilde, "That makes sense."
They began approaching the office building. "Allright, Hilde." Duo said, "It_s time to separate. I_ll pick you up on the third floor. Remember what I told you, if someone_s asking too many questions, lay on some heavy German."
"Ist mein English so schlecht? Konnten Sie das wiederholen?.... I know I_ve got it." (* Is my English so bad? Could you repeat that? *)
"Allright Hilde! See ya_ round!!"
"Good luck..."
*** A few hours later ***
Duo felt now was a good time to think about the dictionary definition of guard. Funk and Wagnall_s standard desk dictionary defined a guard as someone whose priorities are as follows, " 1. To watch over or care for; protect. 2. To watch over so as to prevent escape, ect. 3. To control or prevent exit or entry through. 4. To maintain cautious control over........"
Why in the Hell were these people called guards!?!
There was another word for people like all the guards he_d encountered and that was SLACKER. Duo_d never met a guard worthy of the name. Nevertheless, he was one step closer to Quatre. He knew he was taking a rough shot at this, but the head guys office was usually big and on the top floor. The name on it wasn_t Quatre. It was a woman_s peculiarly enough. However, upon finding the violin and piano in the corner with Quatre_s name, he was pretty certain he was in the right place... unless he (Quatre i.e.) had a Quatre/sick sister in control.... he did have 29 of them that probably worried daily about him....
For now, Duo planted himself in the big ol_ chair. It was kinda nice. He_d have to get a desk job someday. But not someday soon. Maybe when he was eighty or so.
Duo began to hear some noises, one of which was Quatre_s familiar speech amongst a huge crowd of people following him around. It wasn_t the deep barreling voices of the Magnamac core, more like the rushing concerns of average businessmen. Duo wasn_t worried about them. As soon as Quatre entered the room though; Duo wasted no time rushing the dialogue along...
"Nice digs!" he exclaimed as he turned the huge chair to face 04_s pilot (He_d always wanted to do that, it was like in the movies!) just before he welcomed him, "Yo Quatre, how ya_ been!"
"Duo!" Quatre fled from the oppressive business men. He was just as eager to speak to another pilot as Duo was right now. They were the only ones of the group that seemed to be pretty gregarious. He ignored Duo_s hand (offered for a friendly handshake) and gave him a great big hug. Duo was never that gregarious...
"Hey pal!" Duo said, "What_s up?"
"Nothing much around this place!" Quatre smiled, "Please excuse me for a second."
"Sure."
Quatre left to dismiss the business men, promising to sign their papers later on. As soon as he shut the door, he promptly turned off his security camera.
"So Duo!" Quatre exclaimed, "Wow! What a surprise! Here I was looking for you guys and one of you finds me!"
"Well ya_ weren_t exactly hard to find." Duo explained.
"What have you been up to, Duo?! Have you made any progress?"
"To be perfectly honest," Duo laughed, "No. Well, that is to say, I_ve fixed up my new Gundam a bit and taken down some MS. No major destruction from the God of Death. The time is coming, though."
"Yeah," said Quatre. He began to contemplate the recent events of the colonies somberly. Duo felt an ice breaker was needed...
"What an impressive building." he started, "Your family_s really something. This is all yours now, right?"
"No, not yet." Quatre replied, "My sisters are managing all of the assets of the corporation right now. As far as anyone knows, I_m missing."
"Because you_re a Gundam pilot." Duo finished simply before moving on to his next question, "Quatre, where were ya_ anyway?"
"On the Earth." Quatre began to explain, "I went there with Heero to figure out what we should be doing. That_s the reason I went."
Duo grimaced at the thought of a long Earth journey with Heero. He wondered how many MS parts that guy had taken from Quatre since he was rich. Then he began to wonder if Quatre figured out the answer to his own million dollar question. What should he be doing right now?
"So did ya_ come up with anything?" He asked as he lowered his head a took a few steps closer to the wall.
"I think we gotta fight." Quatre replied strongly. He set his tea cup down firmly on the table surface. "That_s why I came looking for you guys. There are lots of kind people on Earth, Duo. And the same is true for the colonies." he paused as he looked expectantly out the nearby window. "I want to help build a world where everyone can live in peace. I want to protect the total pacifism upheld by the Sank Kingdom."
"Total Pacifism?" Duo scoffed, "Do you think that such a world is really possible?"
"Duo?" Quatre questioned, looking at Duo curiously as he paced closer to the wall before resting against it. Duo felt so lost. He didn_t consider Quatre_s answer an answer. More like an idealistic statement.
"I_ve been fighting for the colonies all this time and they should leave the fighting to me." Duo explained, "I should be the only one to suffer as much as I did but now the colonies have decided to start a war which means that a lot more people will end up dieing."
"Hm." Quatre sighed as he lowered his head and stared deeply into his tea cup, which he had picked up again a little earlier.
"Maybe I_ve lost faith in what we_re fighting for and in the future that we dreamed about." Duo continued, "Maybe in the end... peace is just an impossible dream."
"I made a grave mistake once..." Quatre interrupted raising his head from his now trembling tea cup. Duo figured he was referring to the Zero System. It obviously disturbed Quatre greatly, as his whole body stiffened with pain at the slightest memory of the incident. "I don_t expect to ever be forgiven." he continued, "But I_ll risk everything to show my remorse. And I_ll do that by fostering my hope for peace. Because once a dream is lost, then really, everything is lost."
Duo looked upward, some of the somber features lost from his face. Now that was a good perky statement. He_d have to try to remember it later on, "You may be right about that." Duo smiled, "Although a dismal future may be more suitable for the God of Death."
"Duo..." Quatre scoffed, disapproving of the joke. Quatre, like Hilde, really thought unity was extremely important. Duo didn_t deny it. It just wasn_t the right time yet to join up with Quatre. He wasn_t sure enough of his purpose in battle to be a strong support. Quatre knew it right now, too. Duo could tell by the crushed look on his face... poor guy.
Nevertheless, Duo certainly couldn_t keep Hilde waiting too much longer. He feined a quick stretch as he walked toward the door to let himself out.
"Well Quatre," he started, "this place is just a little too high class for me. I_ll see ya_ around buddy boy!" Duo waved.
However, he was stopped by the sadness that dripped from Quatre and filled the room with a suffocatingly somber ambiance. He couldn_t leave Quatre like this, with no hope. But he didn_t really know anything hopeful to tell him. Even if he was looking for other pilots, Duo didn_t know where any of them where... except for Trowa. But Trowa didn_t count. He didn_t even know what a gundam was anymore!!! .... Still, it was the only thing that might lighten the weight from Quatre_s shoulders....
"If you_re really gonna keep lookin_ for the Gundam pilots," Duo started, "then I guess you_ll see _what_s his name...._"
"Duo," Quatre exclaimed slowly "do you mean..."
The weight in the air began to lighten with Quatre_s hopes. Duo hated to bust them. He looked back toward Quatre and lowered his head.
"Yeah...., but Quatre, he doesn_t even know what a Gundam is! He has no memory. He_s working at a circus as a clown on L-2 right now. It_s the God- damn saddest thing I ever saw..."
Duo glanced back at Quatre and had to blink his eyes...was he crazy! This should be terrible news! Why was he squirming with happiness?! And-
Oh no.
Here comes another hug.
Shit.
"Oh thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you for telling me that, Duo! He_s alive! He_s well! I_m so happy!"
"Yeah, I couldn_t tell!" Duo squeaked.
Quatre finally let go.
"I_m going to leave right now!"
"Now?" Duo exclaimed, "Isn_t that a little sudden?"
"You don_t understand, Duo!" Quatre explained, "I thought I killed him! In the Zero-"
"That thing" Duo interrupted, "is evil!"
"I told him to back away... I was about to fire on another colony....but he kept talking and wouldn_t stop! I went crazy and it took me killing him to make me come out of it_s control! Trowa saved me. And he_s not dead!!! I must see him again!"
"Wow," said Duo, "So that_s how it went. Well, Quatre- by the time you got everything loaded up and all, I really doubt they_d be performing. You_ll probably have to wait till tomorrow."
"That_s O.K.! I can live with that! But we_ve got to get started right now!"
"Whoa!" exclaimed Duo, "we?! "
"Well, yeah." Quatre said. "Isn_t that where your Gundam is?"
"Yeah," said Duo, "I suppose it is."
"We may as well go together!"
"Yeah but-" Duo stumbled. He had Hilde with him! He didn_t want her getting more involved and offering more help!
And as it just so happened, the door opened just then with Hilde behind it.
"Duo!" she exclaimed, "I_m sorry, I just had to come and check!"
"Hilde!" he exclaimed, "How in the Hell did you get up here!!!"
"I took the stairs."
"What!!! But!!!! That is!!!! ARRRG!" Duo turned toward Quatre who had a smile as bright as a beacon on his face, "You call these people here security guards!"
Quatre laughed. "No." he explained, "But my sisters do."
Duo lowered his head in frustration.
"Hilde, ya_ do realize that we_re DANGEROUS MEN, right? GUNDAM pilots. Ya_ shouldn_t rush in like that. Why, I_m likely to pull my gun out and shoot you out of sheer habit and then I_d feel awful and ..."
"Uh huh!" Hilde said smiling innocently.
"But I_m serious!"
"I know!" she chirped.
"Then why are smiling!"
"Because you gave your gun to me when you moved out."
Duo lost himself in a jumble of stutters before moving on. Her stubbornness to stay involved vexed the unholy hell out of him. Why in the Hell couldn_t she just stay put! Now she knew two Gundam pilots! How was he supposed to save her from death now?!?!
"Ugh!" Duo exclaimed before slumping his shoulders in defeat as he made for a rushed introduction. "Allright, allright! Hilde, Quatre. Quatre, Hilde."
"Hello!"
"How are you," Sandrock_s pilot said with a smile.
"Oh fine!"
"Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" Quatre asked. (* Do you speak German? *)
"Ja! Woher kommen Sie? (* Yes! Where are you from? *)
As Quatre and Hilde continued their friendly conversation in German, Duo began to hope and pray that it would all turn out allright. Things were getting a little too jumbled for him to pay attention to right now. But at least she had on that yellow shirt...
*** *** Duo had parted ways with Quatre and Hilde earlier. He_d even introduced Quatre to Stan, as Quatre insisted on bringing Sandrock. But that was definitely the most Duo would let Hilde get involved. He sent her off as soon as he could to keep her from offering any more services. He did not want her getting in trouble. And now Quatre was at a nice little hotel and Hilde was home and Duo was here with Deathsycthe Hell. And that served him fine. He was perfectly happy with it this way. Everyone alone and safe. Now there was only him and his Gundam for conversation, just like the old days. He hoped Deathscythe hadn_t felt neglected...
"Hey, old buddy...whad d_ya_ think we should do?"
Duo questioned the Gundam as he contemplated what Quatre had said earlier about risking everything to show remorse by fostering his hope for peace. Once a dream was lost, was everything really lost with it? It made sense. But was that really a reason to fight? Personally, Duo was so tired of fighting himself that he could hardly think of any permissible reason beyond stubbornness.
"Can ya_ still fight?"
Of course the Gundam could still fight. It was made to fight. It_s purpose hadn_t ever changed. But Duo_s had. He was almost like a different man after the recent episode with the Zero System and seeing the memory-less pilot. He_d really been depressed a long time thinking about what would happen if he lost all the happiness he_d found here. Usually, he_d just dismiss it and leave it easily. But it was harder this time. This time there was Hilde.
"Yeah," Duo mused to himself, "I guess you gotta point. This isn_t like me at all, is it?"
With that verification, he dismissed his current thought and went back to Quatre.
"Wonder if Quatre got to see Trowa?"
"DUO!!" Stan exclaims as he bursts in from no where. His voice sounded as if a fire had recently engulfed the colony, "COME QUICK!"
"What_s wrong, Stan?" Duo exclaimed, "Are we under attack?!"
"No, no" he huffed as he caught his breath, "-just got word...."
"Word?" Duo asked, "Word about what?"
"Hilde." Stan exclaimed, "There_s a whole mess of Romefeller troops down there right now!"
"SHIT!" Duo exclaimed. He started to run out of the hanger when Stan grabbed him by the arm, "You can_t go, Duo! Seeing you there will only cause more trouble!"
"Let go of me, old man! Hilde needs my help!"
"I_m sorry to do this..." Stan apologized before tranquilizing Duo, "But I can_t let you do this. You_re too important. We_ll keep an eye on the situation for you, I promise...."
"You...bastard......" Duo retorted weakly before the syrum knocked him unconscious.
Hilde was as good as dead. A victim of the mask. He shouldn_t have ever loved her. Now...she was gone.
Characters not created by me. Dialogue from the story from the show wasn_t written by me. Duh. But it will be in there a good bit because that_s the glue people. I_m connecting my story to it. And my hope is that if I have these characters so in character that you kinda have to remember what_s in the show from what I_m writing. Not that you just flip by. Let me know if that works out or not. :)
More German. It_s translated. let me know if you happen to speak German if I_ve mistyped. I don_t speak German. I don_t speak Japanese except for phrases an expert friend teaches me. Hablo un pequino espanol. Pequino. Muy muy muy pequino. Altavista babel fish translator is my very best friend. OK, I_m done. I promise. Enjoy the reading. (I hope) PLEASE REVIEW! IF YOU LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, I WRITE WHEN I UPDATE!
Neverending Story Chapter Nine
...The First Bite of the Apple!
Fellow citizens of the colonies! The time has come to fight back! Tuberov, the man opposing all of us, is now being confined by our comrades. There is no longer any need to take any orders from anyone. The Earth has burned up our power and resources but in the past we weren_t controlled by anyone; we were treated as equals. Let us stand up for our rights people! Together let_s establish peace in Outer Space!
"They_ve sure done it now," Duo sighed as his eyes narrowed as a grim reaper preparing for the harvest, "After hearing this, the colonies will jump straight into another chaotic war... What a bunch of fools!"
The darkness spread across Duo like a nocturnal robe. It groveled in his presence like a servant and shielded him completely; just as the void of space served Deathsycthe Hell. Yet power over the unknown was only one talent that the pilot shared with his gundam.
Or was it that the gundam shared with the pilot? Distinguishing one from the other sometimes proved to be impossible, even if one was a mobile suit and the other human!
People throughout the years have noted similarities between pets and owners through physical features as well as demeanor. There was no different a relationship between Duo Maxwell and his good _buddy,_ Deathscythe Hell. Both were darkly dressed and took up a lot of space. Both were stealth experts wheither it was by jamming comm signals or snagging the neighbor_s paper and the forbidden cookie before supper. They were also both excessively loud, even if this went against their stealthy stick-to-the- shadow nature. Whenever they allowed themselves to be seen they always got a lot of attention. It was impossible not to notice that odd couple! But the most serious and puzzling likeness that kept the two together was the fact that both fought for reasons that went beyond their reasoning. The Gundam itself fought for whatever Duo fought for. Being a Mobile Suit, it didn_t really choose, did it? And Duo fought because he had the Gundam. Both fought because they had each other. One had to ask, would Duo fight so hard if he had a simple mobile suit?
He would. But he wouldn_t be so determined to be strong himself. That gundam wasn_t only made of Gundaniam, it made the pilot Gundaniam too. The difference between fighting in a regular suit as opposed to a Gundam was the fact that the Gundam became the symbol of peace and reason for fighting. In a regular Mobile Suit, you fought for what you are told to fight for. There are mass produced, each one identical to the other. They don_t stick out. They don_t give any more or less than the other suits. A lot like the military pilots that control them. The same old blah, blah, blah. But the Gundams are each one of a kind. Piloting something so special forces one to think outside the militant norm of battle, i.e. "you_re on my side or theirs," and, "I_ll die for my leader... the almighty Captain BlahBlah!" What a gundam pilot will die for is their Gundam and their own individual codes that they have that Gundam defend. That may sound selfish, but these Gundam pilots cared more about the colonists than themselves or bringing anyone to power. So that_s what the Gundams themselves symbolized. It went Gundam, honor, peace, and then personal well-being. That_s what being a Gundam pilot meant and that_s what they would die for. Hilde just knew that through them, true peace would really be realized.
Through all this, Hilde only felt great pain. Far worse than any wound, the truth grabbed her more harshly then than the talons of a hawk on a small field mouse. She_d known it all along, felt it_s nagging presence with her as a lump hidden deep within the basement of her mind. It had been stored there ever since the day Duo first came here with her. At 9:37 p.m. Hilde stood with her arms full of groceries as that lump lunged with thorned wings from the back of her mind to her throat... only a frightful whisper away from spoken reality. She_d suffocate to keep that monsterful truth from coming out...
But why bother? It would be revealed anyway after her Death. This dreaded proclamation meant to rally the colonists to war could only lead to one thing.
Er verlieB. (*He was leaving.*)
He was a Gundam pilot fighting for peace. The Gundams were created to fight for peace long before the colonies were producing weapons. Now that the Colonies themselves were waging war, it was rather inevitable that Deathscythe and Duo would go do their best to end it. It was also obvious that Hilde wanted to go fight with him and obtain peace, achieve that sense of order, return home, get rid of the Gundam, buy a little black dog...
"This is terrible," Hilde squeaked. Her voice was just that above a whisper and her tears were blinked back and absorbed by that heinous lump lodged her throat.
Duo looked like he may have jumped a mile when he heard Hilde. It was almost as if the tiny sound of her voice was amplified to that of a fire siren.
"Hiya, Hilde!" he exclaimed throwing his hand to the back of his neck and scratching in his typical fashion "You sneak right in, don_t you?"
Duo had already talked about moving out of the house and into a rather neglected one between her own and Stan_s. He already _parked_ Deathscythe Hell at Hilde_s less and less as he rotated it between her house and Stan_s secret garage. He also thought she didn_t know about this. But she did. Stan_s girlfriend, Samantha, was a real gossip and thumbed through confidential paper after paper to relay every single detail she could to Hilde. Any fool with 3/4 of a brain knew he was leaving because he didn_t want Hilde or this colony in danger. But Hell! Even if she wasn_t in uniform, she was still a soldier! Hadn_t she proven anything to him?
She rushed to the kitchen to put away the groceries as Duo mulled in silence. One thought went through her mind as constantly as the cycle of brightness and darkness... It was a single weak wish that was as fluttery and slight as the flickering candle on the birthday cake... it wasn_t really going to grant her wish but she was compelled to chant it ceremonially in her mind at anyway...
Don_t speak...
She just wanted to know the truth behind the fact that he was leaving!! Though she doubted she_d believe it if she heard it from his mouth with his hand on a stack on Bibles in every known language and denomination....
Don_t speak...
How did Duo feel about her? Was he really leaving her in fear of her safety and to fight battles? What did she mean to him? Was she simply a safehouse... and nothing more? Was he unhappy with her and bored of this house? These questions joined collectively to form a merry-go-round in her head that swirled in the same disconcerting motion as she unsteadily took each inquiry by the rein... Saddled and impaled on a pole painted gold, their constant wavering motion never did her any good or gave her any answers. Don_t speak.........!!
The pilot rose from his seat on the couch, some of his features slid out from underneath the dark cloak to be brightened by the saddening glow of the news as he stretched. Hilde watched like a cat, fascinated by his every move as she wanted to understand why he moved the way he did, why he said the things he said, and why he kept it so secret.... Duo kept his past locked in a box much like Pandora_s. It was as if he believed that opening it to anyone would lead to all the lamentations and grievances of the Earth. One thing was for sure and that was she was enthralled my the mystery as well as the man connected to it. It was that enigma that made her want to unlock that box and read him like an open book.... to be a part of that man and his way of life and help him in every way possible till death did them part...
don_t speak.... He approached her with stalling steps that drug against the fuzz of the carpet... Peace on her own would be impossible without him....
don_t speak.....
Now in the kitchen,
his eyes latching onto each detail as if he_d never see it again....
This house would only be a shell, a fortress of sadness and sorrow....!!! don_t speak.....
An unrelenting source of confinement that she could not escape...
don_t speak!!! A terrible thing of torture....
don_t speak............!!!!
A vexing source of misery with chains of
augmentation, a past full of death, a present
worrying about death, and a future that looked to be
death itself..... And what if something happened to Duo? What if Death took him from her... just like everyone else she_d been close to through her life...
D o n _ t s p e a k . . .
Duo was behind her now. She could practically feel the burden of the news he was about to drop upon her shoulders. He turned momentarily to search the cabinets for a snack. To stall for time as he thought. . .
Hilde was still lost in thought herself.
_I feel like a plague. ...Black Death._ Her thoughts were angry and desperate for hope and happiness. _When can this end? All I wanted to do was bring some life and light to this world of mine somehow through fighting. But all that follows this efforts of mine seem to be bullshit. BULLSHIT._
"Yeah," Duo responds. "You_re right." Hilde_s eyes burst open wide as she looks at Duo incredulously. "Was I talking out loud?" "No." he replies. The weight of the air was more than a ton. Hilde felt like she_d collapse if she didn_t let it fall now..... "I know, Duo." Hilde whispers. She turns her head away slightly and bites her lip. Composes herself. She could not be weak now. After all Duo had gone though and all that was left for him to face, he needed something strong. She was going to be that force. She made the decision then not to waver anymore. She was going to live the life she believed in. It was going to be with Duo. The war would end. Their friendship wouldn_t. That was the important thing. Whether it brought something more or not was undecided and she couldn_t decide that alone. They_d decide it together later.
She turned again and smiled. "I know you have to go." Her whole demeanor had changed. She was no longer a fragile German girl that feared solitude. Now she donned her Gesicht von stark (* mask of strength*). He himself was taken back by her confession and sudden change in demeanor. It only lasted momentarily, however, before he laughed.
"Guess that was a no-brainer huh?" he replied.
"Yeah." Hilde smirked.
Duo opened his mouth to speak again. But Hilde also took those words from his mouth as they were better tasted by her own acknowledgment.
"I also know," she began slowly, "that you_re moving to another place near here in case anyone comes to investigate my house."
The winged demon emerged from the cavern of her mouth painlessly and dissapated in the breeze of the open window, no longer a problem, no longer a burden. There was only silence now as Maxwell paused to scratch his head in curiosity as he wondered if his friend had the telephones wired to listen to his conversations. How else would she know???
"Stan_s girlfriend does a lot of shopping." Hilde grinned as she filled in the hole to Duo_s Donut..
Duo began to laugh long and hard. Hilde laughed with him. Their laughter was a relieving sensation when compared to all the silence before. Hilde addressed him again after the final chuckle.
"I think it is a good idea, Duo. Just so long as....you keep in touch?"
That last part came out more like a plea than a question or simple comment.
"Hilde, there is no way in HELL that I wouldn_t keep contact with you around here. Where else can I get a great homecooked meal? Fast food is NEVER going to look the same."
"Duo..." Hilde growled.
"Damn-it, Hilde. You know what I_m saying."
Her annoyance diminished and she smiled. _Yeah Duo. I know."
"Thanks for understanding, babe," Duo began, "Wow! Hey, ya_ know... that sure is funny! Stan_s girlfriend and my g-"
Duo_s eyes widened and his body stiffened as he recoiled his words. It was as if he_d just been shot in the heart. He went back to finish his sentence as Hilde froze in shock, wondering what that word was that almost came from his mouth...
"...best friend." He completed, still mulling over what was almost exposed. "Thanks, Duo." Hilde replied, smiling as she strained to return her mind to the real subject on hand instead of pestering Duo about what he almost said, "You_re my best friend, too."
Duo snatched an apple and occupied himself temporarily by devouring it. The first bite was loud and hard to chew, but the rest was easy to swallow...
"Yeah, Hilde," he began after the long hush between them, "It_s a good thing I don_t have anything to pack..."
"Duo!" Hilde exclaimed suddenly, "You can_t be serious!"
"What? Ya_ mean you didn_t know? Well God-damn-it! Ya_ seemed to know everything else!"
"But... TONIGHT!" Hilde objected.
"Babe, babe! Think about it! What better time to sneak a wanted pilot out of your house than twelve midnight?"
"God Duo! When were you planning on telling me!"
"When ya_ got home like I did just now! When else?"
* * *
Duo was exasperated. How much notice did the woman want! He so often lived so on the wire that she really should be relived to be getting any notification!
"No sooner!?" she continued to press.
Hilde_s flesh began to flame bright red. And it wasn_t that cute kind of red like when he complimented her on her tanktop she blushed. Naw, he knew this sort of crimson color could only be the result of one of his antics which generally flustered her to a certain point of anger that was sure to raise the steam from her ears any second if he didn_t act quickly.
"Hey Hilde!" Duo exclaimed as he pulled Hilde on the couch with him, "It_s OK! Calm down!" he pleaded, draping an arm over her shoulder as she took a few breaths. "Now you know me. There_s no point in telling you a few days before _cause all you_re gonna do is be sad the whole time. Now haven_t we spent this time together a lot better than that?"
_Oh so so smooth..._ Duo complimented himself, _I am so much better than butter and smoother than silk..._
"Yeah," Hilde consented, "You_re right. But maybe before you leave for space you could give me a little more notice. Maybe by leaking it out through Samantha again. If you happen to know when you_re leaving, that is."
Duo smiled. She was really one nice piece of eye candy right now. Her eyes open wide as always yet there was some sort of a veil over them that hide her true feelings now. It was really appealing to Duo right now as it reminded him of his own plaster grin. Except for on Hilde right now as she was curled up so close to him it came across more like the veil of an Arabian princess. If only she could be wearing one of those revealing Arabian tops... just like those girls that danced for the Maganamac core.
*ahem!*
Never-the-less with another kick in his libido, Duo returned to the ever so important subject at hand.
"The God of Death will do his best to oblige ya_, ma_am." he responds in an old west manner with a tip of his imaginary cowboy hat, " but when that day comes, you_ll be the first to know and I have to warn you that it_s definitely going to be rushed."
"OK, Duo." Hilde responds with a smile. "I understand. Thanks for the advanced warning now."
"Only for you babe." Duo smiles. He was particularly pleased that she caught that, "But while we_re on the subject, did his girlfriend mention anything else to you?"
"No," Hilde stammers, confused, "that_s it..."
_Damn-it,_ Duo laments, _why in the Hell can_t gossips ever spread the news that_s hardest for me to tell?_
Duo had been having some nightmares lately. Wheither they were more side effects of Zero or just deeply hidden fears that he had yet to confront was unknown. Either way it went, this man didn_t take them lightly.
They were about Hilde of course. Him being gone and fighting far in space and the soldiers looking for any information they could get, finding Hilde, torture, rape, burning her to death with this house...
Duo wanted Hilde out of this place as soon as possible. It was beginning to shine like a beacon to their enemies and he didn_t want this woman to be another casualty to the mask of the Shinigami. He knew well that she wasn_t going to go easily and he was fighting an uphill battle. With a sigh he began to wage the conflict...
"Then that means that you don_t know about where I wanted you to go, then."
"Me to go!" Hilde sputters, "But why?"
She pulled away and began to prep the heavy ammunition. Hell, he could understand the reluctance. A home must not be an easy place to leave behind. But if he had to he_d use chloroform to knock her ass out and transport her that way. At least he was trying to do this with her consent first! He was being damn-well gentleman like! Now he began with what he knew would be a typically chauvinist male response...in the language she knew best.
"Sicherheit, Hilde!" Duo explained. "Wenn sie mich kommen hier, suchend und ich bin nicht hier Sie weiB, was sie tun! Wie kann ich den geschehen lassen?!" (*Safety, Hilde! If they come here looking for me and I_m not here you know what they_ll do! How can I allow that to happen?!"*)
"Duo! Ich weiB ! Aber ich verlasse nicht! Ich kann nicht!" (*Duo! I know! But I_m not leaving! I can_t!*)
"Was Sie sind, veruckt! Seien Sie nicht ein Dummkopf!" (*What are ya_! Crazy! Don_t be a fool!*)
"Nien! Aber-" (*No! But-*)
"Will ya_ hear me out woman!" he exclaimed in frustrated English. This German was getting too hard for a beginner. While he was finally learning to speak it well, it was another thing interpretting it and responding to it. A success though. She was obviously impressed by his superior male intellect as she seemed to understand everything he said this time.
"Where do you want me to go?" Hilde retorted, "With Stan? They_d probably search there, too! I don_t see how that_s safer...dieses Marken keine Richtung!" (* That makes no sense! *)
Duo paused, not bothering to interrprt that last part. He was pretty certain it was just insulting his logic and he got that all the time...
"Yeah, but he_s used to being investigated. However, I_m afraid that_s not the place..."
"Well, where is it?" Hilde prompted further.
She could be really impatient sometimes. It wasn_t like it was a real far ways away... Duo scratched the back of his neck pensively. I_m mean, honestly! It was only a day and a half away!
"Duo..."
There was that impatient thing he was referring to. Patience was truly an attribute that Hilde needed right now. I mean, he couldn_t possibly take the time to think about how to break to her how far off he wanted her to go while she continually distracted him..., not that it was far! It wasn_t!
The fingers began to tap on the table. God! He hated that sound! It was awful! Not quite as bad as nails on the chalkboard but still pestering. Very pestering. Why was she so upset anyway? Why, if he was his woman he_d be more than happy to go anywhere to please his man! Wait a sec- what was that thought that crossed his mind?
Shit!
She was in real trouble now! She really did have to go!
She turned his face toward hers. Now that got his attention. He loved when she got forceful.
"Wo bin ich aupposed, um zu gehen?" She asked more calmly now. (*Where am I supposed to go?*)
"L-3, Hilde." Duo replied in an almost trance like state.
"Sie sind geisteskrank!"She stood to her feet with that proclamation and Duo pulled her back down to continue the debate. (*You_re insane!*)
Aha! Duo knew that phrase without hinking twice! It was one of the first he_d learned!
"But Hilde," he objected, "that_s the safest place! They won_t look there and I_ve already got it all set up. Ya_ don_t have to do a thing!"
"Duo, I_m not weak! I_m a fighter, too! Ich bin stark!"
"Hilde, I know you_re strong," Duo began. His eyes pried into her own and he knew he always had her complete attention with that stare. "But destruction always follows the God of Death and I just want you out of it_s wake."
"But Duo," Hilde interjects, "It always follows me, too. That doesn_t mean that I should run or that you should fight alone. You_re not alone. You aren_t the only one that has been spared from death to watch those you love die!" she paused momentarily before whispering, "Wir beide solten nicht allein sein mussen..." (* We both shouldn_t have to be alone... *)
Duo just sighed, pulling Hilde closer. He didn_t really know why. He guessed it was more instinctive than thought out. She relaxed on his chest and listened to the sound of his heart...
"Hil..., ya_ just don_t understand." Duo sighed. "This place is just a house. If it goes down, ya_ don_t need to go down with it. You can live, buy a new place to live, and manage a business. You don_t have to smear your hands with fighting. If ya_ stay here-"
"You_re talking like I_m a casualty..." Hilde interrupted.
Duo stopped. Those words dropped a truth on him that he hadn_t thought about before. Quite frankly, he was shocked by the truth of that statement.
"I_m not dead," she began, "I_m not going to die... I_m going to live my life to the fullest for what I believe in."
The braided man smiled. He knew he_d lost this war and surrendered his flag.
"Those are powerful words that I suspect you_ll never let me forget."
Hilde grinned, "Sure won_t!"
"I_ll cancel the plans to get ya_ there Hilde. But I_m keeping everyone on standby." With that, Duo handed Hilde a folder with a cute smiling face sticker on it and some travel papers and tickets. She thumbed through it as he continued, "By the way, that smiley sticker peels off easily. Underneath it I wrote the new frequency you_ll need to contact Deathscythe Hell. Just promise me one thing, Hilde."
"Yes, Duo?" Hilde questioned.
"If it comes to your life and you have the chance, you_ll take that trip... and be careful."
"Oh, Duo." Hilde replies, "You know I will."
Duo smiled. Yup. It was too true. Hilde reminded him of himself. He hated to leave her but he wasn_t far right now. And if he ever worried too much on the battlefield about her, he_d just have to call Stan and have them tranquilize her and take her somewhere safer. After all, if the God of Death had the power and control to save one life then this would be the time to find out. Duo couldn_t think of anyone else_s life that meant more to him right now.
"Duo, she asked, "How are you going to pay for this place without being suspected?"
"Huh?" he stammered, "Well, I guess I_ll have to get another job!" He replied with a laugh.
"I_ll stop over there tomorrow and help. After all, I_m getting really good at finding elusive parts. I may as well look for hard to find part-time positions suitable for you."
"Yeah," says Duo, "That should be fine. But I warn you, if you tell me I have an interview at 3090 Summer St. and I find out that it_s Chip n_ Dales, I_m coming after you!"
Hilde laughed, "Duo! I wouldn_t send you to Chip n_ Dale_s! I_d send you to Snips n_ Curls!"
Duo_s mouth dropped like as comically as an anvil on a piano. "Why you-"
Hilde was laughing so hard she couldn_t breathe.
"You dare joke on sending me to a barber?"
There was no answer from Hilde, who was far too busy laughing at Duo_s reaction to talk.
He dumped his cup of water on her head and began to laugh himself as she gasped from the sudden downpour.
"Oh, that_s it!"
With that proclamation she yanked on his braid.
"OW! OW!! OW!!! Babe, not the hair!!! Never the hair!"
"I just wanted to save you the trouble of scissors cutting your scalp.....!"
Duo_s eyes slit as he seethed at that comment. His hair was gorgeous! It was an absolute violation of the God of Death_s sacred rules of worship to even think about removing, harming, or even touching the hair. It was on page nine, paragraph 4, line 3 down to paragraph 6, line 7, section 3a. It was written in clear and easily understood English. Violators had to be punished as law so clearly stated.
Hilde squeaked and leapt from the couch to run to her room. However, Duo was way ahead of her and before she reached her destination, he caught her and lifted her by the waist to the bathroom....
Hilde screamed, "Duo! No don_t! Nien!!! Let me go! Lassen Sie michgehen!" (* No! Let me go! *)
But it was too late. Duo began to fill the tub with cold water...
"Stop squirming you little worm...." he spat as he struggled to detain Hilde, "you_re gettin_ it for that!"
_Allright!_ he thought happily, _it_s wet-shirt time!_
He turned the water off as the tub filled and tried to shove Hilde in...
The woman was as desperate as an innocent man, but Duo knew better than to fall for that pity trap. She somehow managed to slip from his grip and, in a desperate last attempt, he snagged the back of her sweater to drag her over toward him. Seizing the sleeves, he prepared to hoist her into the tub...
Unfortunately (?) for Duo, at that very moment Hilde Schbeiker was clever enough to raise her arms and as a result, she fell straight out of her oversized sweater while the momentum sent the lost sweater, as well as Duo Maxwell, into the bathtub...
"EEEEOOOWWW!!! That_s COLD!"
Hilde didn_t waste any time to laugh at Duo_s predicament. With her hands shielding her breasts, she fled desperately to her bedroom and locked the door.
_What just happened?_ Duo wondered. It had all passed by so quick that it made his head spin. He cast aside the sweater as if it were a wet towel and sat sulking in the bathtub as the water continued to splash in waves over him. Like a wet dog, Duo didn_t know what he was doing in there, so very cold and soaking wet. All he knew was that someone was going to pay for that humiliation! He rose from the tub as if it were a coffin and he a zombie who sought flesh and blood. Without further thought as to what he was doing and without the knowledge that Hilde had no shirt, he rushed straight to her door and began to pound on it furiously...
"Get out here, Schbeiker! I_ve got a word or two to say to you!"
Hilde was laughing hysterically.
"Open up! Before I count to ten! And I warn you, the God of Death tends to skip several numbers when counting after being pushed in the tub....!!!" the braided man cautioned as he began picking the lock.
Hilde was still laughing.
"Duo...!!!" she managed to gasp.
"0ne hippopotamus....."
"Duo!" Hilde she shrieked, "Don_t! I_m not dr-"
"Ten hippopotamus!"
Duo threw the door open and was greeted by a swift slap as Hilde, with a small pillow pushed against her chest, slammed the door on him as swiftly as he opened it. Duo stood, facing the door for several empty minutes without doing so much as blinking his eyes. He wouldn_t let himself. How could any man want to blink that image out of his eyes? That was just beautiful, even if he didn_t really see anything... the potentiality of that whole situation was like one of his dreams...
Hilde opened the door to her room and walked straight into Duo, knocking him off balance and onto the floor. He blinked.
_DAMN-IT! I_ve still got it, don_t worry, the image isn_t lost, it_s not gone, it_s not gone, it_s not gone...._
"Duo!" Hilde exclaimed, "What were you doing standing there?!"
"Huh?" Duo questioned gazing up at his friend, who, sadly enough for him, had the decency not to emerge topless with that little black bra he_d noticed earlier....
"Are you O.K.?" she asked, leaning down to check out her friend (who still had a bright handmark across his left cheek).
"Yeah," Duo responds as he climbs to his feet, "It_s just that I_m sorry I barged in there on you like that."
Hilde was wearing a yellow short sleeved shirt with a slight V-neck. While not too much more revealing than the sweater it still looked nice with her black pants and cute beret.
"Oh, Duo! I_m sorry I hit you like that! I just panicked..."
"Hey babe! It_s O.K.! I should have paid more attention to the situation," he commented as he saw the tell-tale sweater floating in the bathtub.
There was a quiet knock on the door that startled them both.
"Wow!" Duo exclaimed, "Twelve o_ clock already! Boy does time ever fly!"
"Goodbye, Duo." Hilde says as she gives her friend a quick hug, "I_ll see you tomorrow around twelve and bring you some lunch. It is O.K. if I call to ask Stan for directions, right?"
"Sure is!" Duo exclaimed with a big smile on his face, "Hey, Hilde I want you to take this."
Duo pulled a gun out of one of his pockets and placed it in her hand.
"Duo!" she exclaimed, "you need this more than me!"
"No, I don_t." Duo began to explain, "I_ll get another one tomorrow. I want you to have this tonight. That way if something happens you won_t have to defend yourself with a rolling pin."
"I_d use an iron skillet, thank-you very much!" Hilde laughed. "Thanks Duo. I appreciate it."
"No prob, babe! Go ahead and let the man in while I grab something real quick..."
"O.K." Hilde replies without second thought, "Goodluck, Duo."
"No luck to it babe!"
Duo gathered his things together and hurried off into the night as the happiest man with a handslap on his face that had ever walked any colony or Earth. And the best thing was that he_d managed to sneak out a little souvenir... He wasn_t sure if he was going to give it back to Hilde or not. Why, that heinous sweater had been the cause of so much of his anger that he wasn_t sure he wanted her to wear it again when she had nice clothes that that tank top and yellow t-shirt.
No, it wasn_t bad to think about stuff like that! As far as Duo was concerned, his attraction to Hilde proved that he was capable of living a normal life. However, despite that excuse, Duo was still disturbed by it and somewhat leery. Starting something with Hilde would only cause more problems in her life. By Duo_s experience, death could only be loved by death itself because death always followed death all the way to the ends of the Earth. When everything alive feared death, death could always turn to death for comfort.
Duo paused after that thought. He felt he was getting a bit redundant. As a Gundam pilot, he really couldn_t make the time for anything like a relationship. Duo had enough worries on his mind dealing with himself. The Gundams were so powerful. Having one was a hefty responsibility that strayed far from any normal experience. He was given this chance to change the world and suddenly had the power to not only change it, but to rule it -if he so desired. But such flimsy cravings were the appetite of fools. Duo, like the other pilots, wanted peace. And in order to achieve it, they detached themselves from any military alliances. In all the come and go empires Duo had witnessed from OZ to Whitefang the Gundams were constant. Yet still, Duo had to wonder how anything with such a frightful amount of power possibly be the means of obtaining peace? If someone with such low respect for life like Trant ever got a Gundam, the results would be anything but peaceful! And even the pilots could be devoured by them! The two colonies destroyed by Quatre were testament to that. Could peace ever really come through these Gundams? They really seemed more like elements or physical manifestations of war itself than anything else. The real nonsensical element here was that no matter what the Gundam was, it gave Duo a purpose in life. He couldn_t let go of it or see past the war. It seemed things would remain like this forever to him.
That_s why he needed Hilde. She helped him to see an aspect of himself after the war. A man that could create things without starting a battle to wage peace. One that already had peace within himself that he could share with others.
Unfortunately that reason alone made him fear for her life. He was too close with this woman. He couldn_t let her die. Yet a part of himself already felt it was fated. Like Hilde said, he was acting like she was already a casualty.
He could only fight that fate he feared now and fight the forces that he felt bound peace from the the people. Duo was so tired of fighting... wheither it was the real answer to his problems or not was unknown. All he felt was that he needed to continue fighting.
He wondered where the other Gundam pilots were now and how they felt about everything...
*** The next day***
Duo had been pretty listless today. He was really a burdened soul with far too many concerns to stare at the ceiling and think about...
Hilde gazed up at the pilot now, "Hmmm, huh?"
He was still staring up there! She_d like to be reading that book he was writing on those walls!
"Huh?" Duo stumbles over his thought, "Oh, sorry. I_m done filing my stuff." he explained.
At times like this, Hilde was reminded of that day she took Duo to the circus. He_d been acting just like this and then he saw that clown, the other Gundam pilot. She knew his name now, it was Trowa. She wondered if he was still thinking about that incident since the guy didn_t seem to remember anything about Duo or a Gundam HeavyArms.
"Duo, you_re still thinking of that guy, aren_t you?" she questioned awkwardly.
Duo sighed, "It_s just depressing to think that could happen to a fellow Gundam pilot. And I_ve been wondering about what_s gonna happen to the colonies, too. It does kinda make ya_ think."
Wow, he had it bad. Hilde figured it was time for him to hear the line again...
"Why are you getting so depressed? You_re gonna live the life you believe in, right? That_s what you told me yourself." Hilde lectured him as she gazed skeptically toward him.
"Yeah, that_s right." Duo agreed as he stretched upward. "Well maybe I should start by finding a decent job." He placed a smile on his face and his hands on his hips as Hilde continued to click around on the little computer. "Look, here_s a new job..." she announced with a click click of the computer keys, "They_re looking for Mobile Suit workers at a Natural resources site.... Huh?" Hilde paused skeptically as she overlooked the information on the screen.
"What is it?" her friend inquired.
"Look." Hilde instructed, "The satellite belongs to the Winner family."
"The Winner family?" Duo repeated with some disbelief.
"I had heard that all operations had been suspended indefinitely ever since the owner was killed." Hilde added. It certainly seemed strange to see the family coming back up to speed so suddenly!
"Then it could only mean one thing!!!" Duo exclaimed so suddenly that it almost startled her, "The son in the family is back!"
"But the son is missing.... how do you know him Duo?" Hilde asked skeptically.
"Well, Hilde" Duo began, "I_d tell ya_ but it_s top secret..." he explains with a wink.
"Oh!" Hilde exclaimed. The son was a pilot! Maybe if Duo met up with him, he_d stop fighting alone!
"That resources satellite is only 355 miles above us... we could make it there by today." Duo contemplated.
"I_ll find a shuttle," Hilde nodded, "If you want to be there by today then we_ll make it!"
"Thanks, babe." Duo smiled, "Ya_ know, I think I_m finally hungry enough to eat lunch!" Hilde smiled. Finally! She could do something that really helped Duo out and reunited him with his comrades! She just hoped that the young Mr. Winner was more receptive than Trowa Barton. Duo really needed to talk to another pilot that could freshen his hopes, not dismantle them.
!!!! Caution! !!!!
Do not read the next part of the story if you don_t care to read more dialogue from that show freshened up with character thought or if you actually hate poor little Quatre. It is recommended, however for a fuller understanding!
* * *
Hilde and Duo came off the shuttle as they overlooked the place like potential buyers. Both had been on plenty of Natural Resources satellites before. But Duo beamed now as he realized that someone he knew wasn_t dirt poor and actually had possession of all this... and was still a Gundam pilot! That right there should have given him more hope but only succeeded in adding more smoke to the fire.
"Well, Duo." Hilde began. "We can both get as far as third floor without an I.D. After that you_ll have to be careful."
"What are you talking about! I_ve got an I.D.! Remember? I made it earlier!"
"Duo!" Hilde exclaimed, "Your fake I.D._s don_t even fool me!"
That was dirty! Hilde was refering to the incident where she_d thought she_d recruited him for OZ and caught him sneaking somewhere he wasn_t supposed to be. But that didn_t count on the accuracy of his fake I.D._s!
"Pshah! He was gonna let me by! It would_ve fooled you if you didn_t recognize me!"
"No, nien." Hilde disagreed, "I really don_t think so. Not with the picture you had on it..."
"Well, this one_s serious!" Duo exclaimed, holding it close to his chest as if it were a treasure that could be damaged by Hilde_s verbal assault. How dare her underestimate the power of his fabrications!! She didn_t think that was a real driver_s license he had, did she???
"I_ll manage to find it. I_ve certainly gone through worse mazes in my life!" Duo finished.
"O.K." Hilde remarked somewhat reluctantly and doubtfully. Duo figured that her doubt was allright for now. Afterall, in the end it was he that would be singing the "I was right and you were wrong" song. The two continued their journey onto the satellite, a big grin plastered on Duo_s face. There was another reason he was smiling....
He_d managed to talk Hilde out of the sweater and into the yellow shirt. What man wouldn_t smile after an accomplishment like that? Afterall, and oversized sweater says "poor and desperate" in public places like this. A cute yellow shirt says "I_m a close friend of one of your rich employers and you don_t want to bother me _cause it may be your mama!"
It was then that Hilde questioned Duo on what a fancy priest suit says to people in this environment.
"I_m holy and get out of my way before I take away your blessings!" had been his response.
"Duo?" Hilde inquired as they walked toward the building, "how did you know what I was thinking last night if I wasn_t talking out loud?"
"Huh?!" Duo asked, thrown for a loop on that one.
"You know, in the kitchen. You agreed with me, but I didn_t say anything out loud-"
"OH!" Duo remarked. She was talking about when she said that she felt like a plague... he had to say that he emphasized on that one. Even if she didn_t really say it..., "I read your lips." he explained simply.
"Hm." says Hilde, "That makes sense."
They began approaching the office building. "Allright, Hilde." Duo said, "It_s time to separate. I_ll pick you up on the third floor. Remember what I told you, if someone_s asking too many questions, lay on some heavy German."
"Ist mein English so schlecht? Konnten Sie das wiederholen?.... I know I_ve got it." (* Is my English so bad? Could you repeat that? *)
"Allright Hilde! See ya_ round!!"
"Good luck..."
*** A few hours later ***
Duo felt now was a good time to think about the dictionary definition of guard. Funk and Wagnall_s standard desk dictionary defined a guard as someone whose priorities are as follows, " 1. To watch over or care for; protect. 2. To watch over so as to prevent escape, ect. 3. To control or prevent exit or entry through. 4. To maintain cautious control over........"
Why in the Hell were these people called guards!?!
There was another word for people like all the guards he_d encountered and that was SLACKER. Duo_d never met a guard worthy of the name. Nevertheless, he was one step closer to Quatre. He knew he was taking a rough shot at this, but the head guys office was usually big and on the top floor. The name on it wasn_t Quatre. It was a woman_s peculiarly enough. However, upon finding the violin and piano in the corner with Quatre_s name, he was pretty certain he was in the right place... unless he (Quatre i.e.) had a Quatre/sick sister in control.... he did have 29 of them that probably worried daily about him....
For now, Duo planted himself in the big ol_ chair. It was kinda nice. He_d have to get a desk job someday. But not someday soon. Maybe when he was eighty or so.
Duo began to hear some noises, one of which was Quatre_s familiar speech amongst a huge crowd of people following him around. It wasn_t the deep barreling voices of the Magnamac core, more like the rushing concerns of average businessmen. Duo wasn_t worried about them. As soon as Quatre entered the room though; Duo wasted no time rushing the dialogue along...
"Nice digs!" he exclaimed as he turned the huge chair to face 04_s pilot (He_d always wanted to do that, it was like in the movies!) just before he welcomed him, "Yo Quatre, how ya_ been!"
"Duo!" Quatre fled from the oppressive business men. He was just as eager to speak to another pilot as Duo was right now. They were the only ones of the group that seemed to be pretty gregarious. He ignored Duo_s hand (offered for a friendly handshake) and gave him a great big hug. Duo was never that gregarious...
"Hey pal!" Duo said, "What_s up?"
"Nothing much around this place!" Quatre smiled, "Please excuse me for a second."
"Sure."
Quatre left to dismiss the business men, promising to sign their papers later on. As soon as he shut the door, he promptly turned off his security camera.
"So Duo!" Quatre exclaimed, "Wow! What a surprise! Here I was looking for you guys and one of you finds me!"
"Well ya_ weren_t exactly hard to find." Duo explained.
"What have you been up to, Duo?! Have you made any progress?"
"To be perfectly honest," Duo laughed, "No. Well, that is to say, I_ve fixed up my new Gundam a bit and taken down some MS. No major destruction from the God of Death. The time is coming, though."
"Yeah," said Quatre. He began to contemplate the recent events of the colonies somberly. Duo felt an ice breaker was needed...
"What an impressive building." he started, "Your family_s really something. This is all yours now, right?"
"No, not yet." Quatre replied, "My sisters are managing all of the assets of the corporation right now. As far as anyone knows, I_m missing."
"Because you_re a Gundam pilot." Duo finished simply before moving on to his next question, "Quatre, where were ya_ anyway?"
"On the Earth." Quatre began to explain, "I went there with Heero to figure out what we should be doing. That_s the reason I went."
Duo grimaced at the thought of a long Earth journey with Heero. He wondered how many MS parts that guy had taken from Quatre since he was rich. Then he began to wonder if Quatre figured out the answer to his own million dollar question. What should he be doing right now?
"So did ya_ come up with anything?" He asked as he lowered his head a took a few steps closer to the wall.
"I think we gotta fight." Quatre replied strongly. He set his tea cup down firmly on the table surface. "That_s why I came looking for you guys. There are lots of kind people on Earth, Duo. And the same is true for the colonies." he paused as he looked expectantly out the nearby window. "I want to help build a world where everyone can live in peace. I want to protect the total pacifism upheld by the Sank Kingdom."
"Total Pacifism?" Duo scoffed, "Do you think that such a world is really possible?"
"Duo?" Quatre questioned, looking at Duo curiously as he paced closer to the wall before resting against it. Duo felt so lost. He didn_t consider Quatre_s answer an answer. More like an idealistic statement.
"I_ve been fighting for the colonies all this time and they should leave the fighting to me." Duo explained, "I should be the only one to suffer as much as I did but now the colonies have decided to start a war which means that a lot more people will end up dieing."
"Hm." Quatre sighed as he lowered his head and stared deeply into his tea cup, which he had picked up again a little earlier.
"Maybe I_ve lost faith in what we_re fighting for and in the future that we dreamed about." Duo continued, "Maybe in the end... peace is just an impossible dream."
"I made a grave mistake once..." Quatre interrupted raising his head from his now trembling tea cup. Duo figured he was referring to the Zero System. It obviously disturbed Quatre greatly, as his whole body stiffened with pain at the slightest memory of the incident. "I don_t expect to ever be forgiven." he continued, "But I_ll risk everything to show my remorse. And I_ll do that by fostering my hope for peace. Because once a dream is lost, then really, everything is lost."
Duo looked upward, some of the somber features lost from his face. Now that was a good perky statement. He_d have to try to remember it later on, "You may be right about that." Duo smiled, "Although a dismal future may be more suitable for the God of Death."
"Duo..." Quatre scoffed, disapproving of the joke. Quatre, like Hilde, really thought unity was extremely important. Duo didn_t deny it. It just wasn_t the right time yet to join up with Quatre. He wasn_t sure enough of his purpose in battle to be a strong support. Quatre knew it right now, too. Duo could tell by the crushed look on his face... poor guy.
Nevertheless, Duo certainly couldn_t keep Hilde waiting too much longer. He feined a quick stretch as he walked toward the door to let himself out.
"Well Quatre," he started, "this place is just a little too high class for me. I_ll see ya_ around buddy boy!" Duo waved.
However, he was stopped by the sadness that dripped from Quatre and filled the room with a suffocatingly somber ambiance. He couldn_t leave Quatre like this, with no hope. But he didn_t really know anything hopeful to tell him. Even if he was looking for other pilots, Duo didn_t know where any of them where... except for Trowa. But Trowa didn_t count. He didn_t even know what a gundam was anymore!!! .... Still, it was the only thing that might lighten the weight from Quatre_s shoulders....
"If you_re really gonna keep lookin_ for the Gundam pilots," Duo started, "then I guess you_ll see _what_s his name...._"
"Duo," Quatre exclaimed slowly "do you mean..."
The weight in the air began to lighten with Quatre_s hopes. Duo hated to bust them. He looked back toward Quatre and lowered his head.
"Yeah...., but Quatre, he doesn_t even know what a Gundam is! He has no memory. He_s working at a circus as a clown on L-2 right now. It_s the God- damn saddest thing I ever saw..."
Duo glanced back at Quatre and had to blink his eyes...was he crazy! This should be terrible news! Why was he squirming with happiness?! And-
Oh no.
Here comes another hug.
Shit.
"Oh thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you for telling me that, Duo! He_s alive! He_s well! I_m so happy!"
"Yeah, I couldn_t tell!" Duo squeaked.
Quatre finally let go.
"I_m going to leave right now!"
"Now?" Duo exclaimed, "Isn_t that a little sudden?"
"You don_t understand, Duo!" Quatre explained, "I thought I killed him! In the Zero-"
"That thing" Duo interrupted, "is evil!"
"I told him to back away... I was about to fire on another colony....but he kept talking and wouldn_t stop! I went crazy and it took me killing him to make me come out of it_s control! Trowa saved me. And he_s not dead!!! I must see him again!"
"Wow," said Duo, "So that_s how it went. Well, Quatre- by the time you got everything loaded up and all, I really doubt they_d be performing. You_ll probably have to wait till tomorrow."
"That_s O.K.! I can live with that! But we_ve got to get started right now!"
"Whoa!" exclaimed Duo, "we?! "
"Well, yeah." Quatre said. "Isn_t that where your Gundam is?"
"Yeah," said Duo, "I suppose it is."
"We may as well go together!"
"Yeah but-" Duo stumbled. He had Hilde with him! He didn_t want her getting more involved and offering more help!
And as it just so happened, the door opened just then with Hilde behind it.
"Duo!" she exclaimed, "I_m sorry, I just had to come and check!"
"Hilde!" he exclaimed, "How in the Hell did you get up here!!!"
"I took the stairs."
"What!!! But!!!! That is!!!! ARRRG!" Duo turned toward Quatre who had a smile as bright as a beacon on his face, "You call these people here security guards!"
Quatre laughed. "No." he explained, "But my sisters do."
Duo lowered his head in frustration.
"Hilde, ya_ do realize that we_re DANGEROUS MEN, right? GUNDAM pilots. Ya_ shouldn_t rush in like that. Why, I_m likely to pull my gun out and shoot you out of sheer habit and then I_d feel awful and ..."
"Uh huh!" Hilde said smiling innocently.
"But I_m serious!"
"I know!" she chirped.
"Then why are smiling!"
"Because you gave your gun to me when you moved out."
Duo lost himself in a jumble of stutters before moving on. Her stubbornness to stay involved vexed the unholy hell out of him. Why in the Hell couldn_t she just stay put! Now she knew two Gundam pilots! How was he supposed to save her from death now?!?!
"Ugh!" Duo exclaimed before slumping his shoulders in defeat as he made for a rushed introduction. "Allright, allright! Hilde, Quatre. Quatre, Hilde."
"Hello!"
"How are you," Sandrock_s pilot said with a smile.
"Oh fine!"
"Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" Quatre asked. (* Do you speak German? *)
"Ja! Woher kommen Sie? (* Yes! Where are you from? *)
As Quatre and Hilde continued their friendly conversation in German, Duo began to hope and pray that it would all turn out allright. Things were getting a little too jumbled for him to pay attention to right now. But at least she had on that yellow shirt...
*** *** Duo had parted ways with Quatre and Hilde earlier. He_d even introduced Quatre to Stan, as Quatre insisted on bringing Sandrock. But that was definitely the most Duo would let Hilde get involved. He sent her off as soon as he could to keep her from offering any more services. He did not want her getting in trouble. And now Quatre was at a nice little hotel and Hilde was home and Duo was here with Deathsycthe Hell. And that served him fine. He was perfectly happy with it this way. Everyone alone and safe. Now there was only him and his Gundam for conversation, just like the old days. He hoped Deathscythe hadn_t felt neglected...
"Hey, old buddy...whad d_ya_ think we should do?"
Duo questioned the Gundam as he contemplated what Quatre had said earlier about risking everything to show remorse by fostering his hope for peace. Once a dream was lost, was everything really lost with it? It made sense. But was that really a reason to fight? Personally, Duo was so tired of fighting himself that he could hardly think of any permissible reason beyond stubbornness.
"Can ya_ still fight?"
Of course the Gundam could still fight. It was made to fight. It_s purpose hadn_t ever changed. But Duo_s had. He was almost like a different man after the recent episode with the Zero System and seeing the memory-less pilot. He_d really been depressed a long time thinking about what would happen if he lost all the happiness he_d found here. Usually, he_d just dismiss it and leave it easily. But it was harder this time. This time there was Hilde.
"Yeah," Duo mused to himself, "I guess you gotta point. This isn_t like me at all, is it?"
With that verification, he dismissed his current thought and went back to Quatre.
"Wonder if Quatre got to see Trowa?"
"DUO!!" Stan exclaims as he bursts in from no where. His voice sounded as if a fire had recently engulfed the colony, "COME QUICK!"
"What_s wrong, Stan?" Duo exclaimed, "Are we under attack?!"
"No, no" he huffed as he caught his breath, "-just got word...."
"Word?" Duo asked, "Word about what?"
"Hilde." Stan exclaimed, "There_s a whole mess of Romefeller troops down there right now!"
"SHIT!" Duo exclaimed. He started to run out of the hanger when Stan grabbed him by the arm, "You can_t go, Duo! Seeing you there will only cause more trouble!"
"Let go of me, old man! Hilde needs my help!"
"I_m sorry to do this..." Stan apologized before tranquilizing Duo, "But I can_t let you do this. You_re too important. We_ll keep an eye on the situation for you, I promise...."
"You...bastard......" Duo retorted weakly before the syrum knocked him unconscious.
Hilde was as good as dead. A victim of the mask. He shouldn_t have ever loved her. Now...she was gone.