Hi!

I just noticed a few errors in my former chapters and replaced them, but there's nothing new. So far our favourite Mako-chan is getting used to her new life - and new name. Or trying to. And I think I'll switch this to the action/ adventure/ romance category, as suggested by one of my reviewers, .... (Gotta love reviews...I'm lucky I haven't gotten flames yet ^^;), but I'm going to wait a little more though.

I'd like to thank those same reviewers for their positive reviews (and the ones wishing me luck especially!) ... and I hope you all enjoy the way the fic's coming out (it's my first ever...so I'm very protective over it ...)

Would you like me to respond to your reviews? Let me know.

Note: I'm not all that knowledgeable about gundam wing, so you'll have to forgive me if I mix up stuff. Just think of it as AU.

Enjoy the new chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. (Sob.) I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon, or any other anime (we all wish we did...*sigh*). I would like to proudly state that plot and storyline is my own (and as original as I can make it... I have a thing against plagiarism. My friend got plagiarised. Word for WORD. Practically the only things changed were names and places! Some people...oh well...). And I'd like to point out I'm not rich enough to sue...everyone wishes they were...

Now forget my little insane rants, and on with the story!

***

CHAPTER 4

"Leila?" Nothing.

"Leila?" Still nothing.

Milliardo snapped his fingers on front of her eyes. Still nothing. Then she blinked.

"Okay." She said finally. "Please tell me that's not my new science class."

"That's your new science class."

"Oh no..."

Currently, Leila was staring at what used to be a science lab. It now resembled a kitchen Minako had taken residence in. It was not a pretty sight.

"Expect Duo to screw things up." She said, shaking her head. The lab he had been working at had somehow crumbled to a bunch of black...stuff. "What did he do? I didn't think you could pull off stuff like that with school chemicals."

"You can't. I think he smuggled some in."

Duo's lab wasn't the only one damaged. There was black gunky stuff everywhere. Smoking black gunky stuff. Students were running around panicking, and the teacher currently had Duo by the ear, face red and eyes bulging.

Suddenly, Quatre's lab set on fire, exploding in a pillar of smoke and soot. "I don't think Quatre did that." Leila commented. Suddenly, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Duo had broken free of the teacher's grip. And was now running around like a headless chicken. Squinting through the smoke, she noticed someone chasing him. With what looked like a long, sharp -

"Oh good." Milliardo said. "Someone had the sense to grab the extinguisher." That someone being Trowa Barton. Quatre himself was currently hiding under a table, away from most of the labs. Smart Quatre.

Makoto was suddenly very glad she never went to school with Minako, who could cause damage like that without illegal chemicals.

Milliardo coughed. "As you know, these are the science labs. They have been built with the best materials and contain the best supplies needed." he intoned in a tour guide voice. "I assure you they have been equipped with the best safety precautions possible, and -"

"Stop being a jerk, Milliardo. Does Wufei carry a sword around?" If that was what she thought it was...

"Come on, it'll take the rest of the day to clean this up. I'll show you the library." That was an evasion.

"If you say so. Hey, didn't you say you saw my gundam?"

"It's actually incomplete, but I saw the schematics." Milliardo said, a smile growing on his face.

"Why are you smiling?"

"I'm not smiling."

"Yes you are! You're trying not to laugh. Okay, what's wrong with my gundam?"

"Nothing's wrong with it...it's just...different..."

~

"Ms Meiou?"

Setsuna looked up from her open folder. "Yes?"

"About the...new gundam...we've found a glitch in the plans we need you to fix..."

Frowning, she closed her folder and walked over. She'd checked that design at least eight times over. "No. That is not supposed to be a joint." She interrupted, predicting the question. "It's supposed to be there. Don't worry, just follow the plan. No misinterpretations, no getting creative, no doing it the normal way. You've come to me at least seven times with the same sorts of problems." She told him icily.

He gulped as she walked past him to the gundam. "I will ask you, and I will not put up with this again. Do you have a problem with my design plans?"

"Yes." A woman grumbled off to the side.

Setsuna glanced that way, and suddenly everyone was busy with their work.

"Well, it's just, we've worked on gundams before. And they do not work like this one does. Gundams are robots! They're not supposed to have human qualities! Like the legs. So you want them to be able to kick and do damage. That's fine. That's what a gundam does. But the foot isn't supposed to look human. And they aren't supposed to have -"

He took one look at the tall woman regarding him calmly, one single eyebrow raised. Madam P, brilliant gundam designer and technician. Head of various intelligence resources he couldn't even guess at. Supposedly one of the most powerful, influential woman in the Preventers. Her reputation was impressive enough to strike awe and a little fear.

The real woman behind the reputation impressed him a whole lot more. And scared him shitless.

"I'll just get back to work. Are you sure you don't want a stronger material for ...?"

"Trust me," Ms Meiou assured him. "You won't find stronger material than that for my purposes. A thin form of gundaniam alloy I mixed with...other elements."

Like metals from the Silver Millenium.

The man nodded tiredly as he returned to the team of technicians he was directing, as they slowly attached a gigantic - but cute - blue slipper with a small heel, on an extremely large metal foot.

~

"Quatre?" Duo asked softly.

Quatre sighed. "Yes, Duo?"

"You're not still angry at me, are you?"

"Despite the fact you almost killed me today?" But one look at Duo and he conceded defeat.

"I'm not angry at you, Duo. Just don't play around with my stuff. Like my experiments."

"Okay. I won't."

"Ever. Again."

Wufei rolled his eyes. "Look, Winner. I'll kill him if you won't," he offered. Trowa coughed politely.

"Heero got an e-mail. Madam P is stopping by this evening to inform us about our new team member."

Silence fell on the group. "New...team member?" Duo asked slowly.

"What do we need a new team member for?" Wufei demanded. "We're fine on our own. It's not like we need help."

"I have a feeling you will." Madam P's voice said calmly. Quatre whirled.

"Please sit and listen. I've had a very trying day directing thick headed technicians who simply won't accept what's obvious, and I really don't want to deal with you." She told them lightly. No one missed the undertones.

"Of course." Quatre said absently. "May I ask you a question before we begin?"

"Of course, mister Winner."

He fidgeted a little. "When you were talking to Dr. J yesterday, he mentioned something about 'your' gundam pilot," Quatre said finally. "Would that be one of us? I wasn't aware that anyone else was trained as we were. Certainly not for the required period of time."

Madam P sighed. "I thought this question might pop up. Yes, there is a new gundam pilot. No, my charge was not trained for the period of time you were, due to the fact that same charge had certain other training to complete before that. The last pilot - and the youngest, may I add - does have an amazing amount of potential, and with your help can probably improve rapidly."

There was an awkward pause. "Our help." Trowa repeated shortly.

"I had a feeling you would respond that way. But you will need an extra pilot. I would request you at least be nice."

"Right." Duo said, imitating Trowa. "Nice."

"Duo!" Hilde scolded from her corner.

"To my charge, you five are living myths." The doctor snapped, suddenly becoming irritated. "'My' pilot, as you so graciously put it, is inferior to you in many ways. Younger, less trained, less experienced. Never been in a gundam battle. My pilot was simply a trial for a theory I was testing, and I was not willing to bring -" she drew in a breath, "that pilot into this until I had fully ascertained that pilot would be needed as a gundam pilot. This pilot has gone through a lot of shit, and is fully expecting more from you, and is still jumping into this with two left feet, hands bound, and blindfolded. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!"

Silence. Duo sunk into his chair. "Yes, miss," he squeaked.

"If this gundam pilot is going to work with us, he's welcome to stay at my mansion," Quatre offered tentatively, always the kind one. "It would be more efficient if he used our gundam hangar, and he would have the added advantage of my maguanacs for maintenance and security."

"Thank you, Quatre. I'll consider it once the new gundam is completed." The woman said.

"You're still building it?"

"You mean you're sending a newbie into battle?! What are you thinking, onna?"

Madam P looked at him. "I don't quite know yet, Wufei. I'll get back to you on that. I just want to warn you to be on your toes. I believe I may have predicted a possible attack, but I need time to confirm it."

"Mission accepted." Heero said immediately.

"Where do you think they'll attack?" Duo asked.

"I believe they'll be targeting Her Royal Majesty while she returns to Earth by shuttle." The woman paused, considering. "This will be touchy. Very touchy. As a whole, the gundams stand for the colonies. But your prime role is to ensure the peace. Which is done by protecting Relena. Queen of Earth. Therefore the logical course of action to take is to set up operations on Earth so as to protect Relena. But the political implications could cause a war all too easily. But we can't stay on the colonies, because that would impede our ability to protect the queen." She said. "And our refusal to set up on Earth would insult them by implying we don't trust them."

"In other words?" Trowa asked.

"We're screwed." Duo answered. "Two ways of dying painfully."

~

"So it's a dilemma." Milliardo explained to her as they walked through the hangar. "We can't set up operations on the colonies, but we can't set up on Earth either."

Leila nodded. While he took her to the hangar, Milliardo had filled her in on the information she missed as an inactive gundam pilot.

"So, it's Relena or politics." she said, as they made their way to the mission room, where supposedly the other gundam pilots would be. I wonder what Ami would do. Or Minako. She really was the leader..."So who's in there?" She nodded to the room.

"The pilots, Noin, maybe Hilde. Pretty much everyone directly involved with the pilots, except Relena and Dorothy. Not counting you. You get to gatecrash."

"This'll be fun," she muttered. They waited for the door to slide open.

And she stepped in. To be met by a multitude of guns.

Oops...oh, I don't have time for this. She leveled a glare at the female figure in the lab coat.

"Mum," she said. "I'm pissed off at you as it is. Make them put down the guns."

"Makoto?" Quatre asked surprised. He lowered his gun.

"Leila," she responded. "Makoto's my middle name. I heard you were here mum, so I decided to come for that mother - daughter bonding you promised me? The one you planned for Wednesday?" Her tone was sugary sweet. And lethal.

For the first time ever, Leila received the satisfaction of seeing Setsuna uncomfortable. "Oh. Yes dear. About that..."

"I'm not very happy about me moving. Again."

"No one ever is," she fended off weakly.

"Milliardo told me I was getting bodyguards." The said person winced and moved away. Leila didn't notice the uncomfortable shifting of five of the room's other occupants "I didn't know I was getting bodyguards. Why would I need bodyguards?"

"Well," Setsuna said, flustered, "My work is..."

Leila began to notice the wide-eyed stares the occupants of the room were giving her. Or, more specifically, her flashing eyes. This sparkle stuff is good for something...

"About that bonding, mummy. You know, where you said you and I were going to talk about girls and boys and puberty and the effects of certain chemicals injected into me by OZ and the SIDE EFFECTS OF THEM?" If anyone decided to check that up, they could confirm her comments. One hand on her hip, she tapped the other against her forehead, pretending to ponder.

"You said it so quickly I almost didn't understand you," she added with a smile, all girly and innocent once more "But then you hung up before I could ask you what you meant."

"I'm sorry, Leila," Setsuna said, giving her a strained smile. "I was very busy today."

Big tactical mistake.

"Oh." She said with a pout. "Too busy for me?"

Everything froze. "Okay, everyone, let's take a break from our meeting for ten minutes." Madam P said, sounding the faintest bit panicky. "Remember to come back so we can go through the more complex details..."

Everyone got the hint.

"Now," Leila said, as she made sure the soundproof door was closed. "About my wings?"

Setsuna sighed. "You know, you just humiliated me in front of people who used to give me their respect." She pointed out.

"Setsuna. Are you telling you me care about that when you happen to be in the same room with someone who wants to hurt you very badly?" Leila said, advancing upon her supposed mother.

"So you're finally starting to become Leila." Setsuna noted.

"And nothing between us two?"

"I know you're feeling upset and angry. That's understandable."

"The wings, Setsuna. Talk."

Setsuna pulled out a chair and sat down. "They're the jovian form of puberty. Basically you have a wing day, which is very painful and bloody, where your wings literlly tear out of your back. You then go through the jovian form of PMS, which is akin to post-natal depression. Which is also why your temper is as short - fused and explosive as Rei's at the moment."

"I wonder why - wait a minute! You mean they're going to come any day or something?"

"Yes."

She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Do the other girls have this? Or is it just me?" It was really mean, but Makoto was hoping she wouldn't be the only one to go through the pain.

"Haruka does - she's the senshi of wind. Rei does too. I think it's because fire and air are compatible elements. They're not just ornamental like Serenity's either. But they'll be getting theirs in five more years. Their human forms slow down the process. But by slowing it down it intensifies it."

"In other words, they're going to go through a lot worse shit than I am."

"Well, yes."

That made her feel a lot better.

"Usually wing days are painful and sore, but bearable. Yours most likely won't be. It was delayed by about three years. The lucky part is that they're not your usual wings, so they won't take long to pop out, and the process is somewhat simpler."

They sat there for a few seconds. "Sorry about busting in on your meeting."

"That's okay. But you understand we won't be able to keep this a secret?"

"Didn't you say they were retractable?"

"Do you honestly think you can master that in a matter of hours? When you're going to be in serious pain for the next week or so after that?"

"Shit."

"We'll have to tell the pilots, obviously, since you're going to be working with them."

"Setsuna, can't we slow this down? I have enough to worry about. Look at everything that's happened in two days. Two days!"

"We'll get back to that. I'll be acquiring some balms from the Silver Millenium for you. But you'll have to get someone to apply them. I don't think you can reach behind your back that far."

"You mean...touch my wings?" She suddenly felt very shy about that.

"We don't have much of a choice. Because of the interference of your human form, your wings are going to grow very quickly at first, until they catch up their three years. Then it will gradually slow down."

"Right. That's all?"

"That's all."

"Now. How did you manage to pull this off? What happened to the others?"

"Makoto Kino had been captured by OZ as a child. They never met you."

"Okay. So they don't remember me?"

"No."

"I...see. Um, I think that's it. Now what am I supposed to do as a gundam pilot?"

"Fight the enemy."

"Let me rephrase myself. Why do you need me as a gundam pilot?"

Setsuna gazed at her. "The enemy is a faction of the negaverse which had gathered together the remnants of OZ, Rommefeller, and various terrorist groups, merging technology with magic. I believe they have made the mobile dolls organic beings by placing their essence into the dolls and their control systems. And the willing humans."

"Oh my...that is sick." Leila whispered, eyes wide.

"Usually they only control the doll, but if they wish, they may merge with it entirely, pulling off with the dolls a bit like what happened with the holders of the rainbow crystals. Remember what happened when one was removed from Hercules?"

Leila smiled. Hercules had been a fat but sweet cat with a crush on Luna, and a holder of one of the seven rainbow crystals. When it had been removed from him, he had turned into a cat-like youma.

"You mean the doll takes on feature of the youma? So say it was a blue skinned youma, would the doll turn blue?"

"Like that. But I don't mean just looks. I mean abilities, and powers."

"So I was free, and you figured, hey, might as well get a former senshi on the job," Leila mused out aloud.

"Exactly. This worries me, Makoto. Nothing like it showed up in the timeline. I had no premonitions, no warnings. And the senshi can't handle it - not mobile dolls, unless they actually touch down on Japan and start walking around."

"That's not going to happen. But that puts me at a disadvantage too."

"Not quite. Remember your magic is growing stronger. And, well...you know how you have a set of twenty magical fans?"

"Yes?"

"A few of them are doubles. You'll find you only have fourteen. The other six are attached to your gundam. Remember how you can adjust their size?"

Leila - or Makoto - thought it over. "This will be interesting. Can the other gundams handle them?"

"Yes. But a senshi is useful if they try anything outside of the mobile dolls."

"Gotcha. The negaverse in general, or the Dark Kingdom?"

"The negaverse."

"Was that why you got me bodyguards?"

"Actually, yes. The enemy may know your identity. Or your old one. Your new looks will throw them off, but not for long. They'll realise you're a jovian. They are not aware that senshi are taking active steps to stop them, but once they are, they'll work with human assassins. They're not stupid enough to send youmas. "

"You're right. If it's youma, the Preventers will try and recruit all of the senshi. They can't afford that. One or two alone they can deal with."

Setsuna nodded. "You can sit in on the meeting. You might need the information, and you can probably contribute something. Can you open the door and let the others in? Unless you have something else to discuss."

"No mum." She said automatically before stopping. Mum? Setsuna smiled at her. Shrugging, she opened the door.

Only to be presented with, up close...

"Maxwell."