AN: Thanks to all my readers.
"DUO!" Shinna screamed. "What do you think you're doing?"
"The same thing that I'm going to do to you," Wufei said; but before Wufei could announce the command, Shinna had reached into the back of her pocket, flipped the cover, and had pushed the 'on/off' button. Her wings shot down into the green, scaly wing tattoos on her back. Shinna was now defenseless if Wufei tried to grab her, but she had denied him the right to command her.
"Trying to keep away from us?" Jerome asked, a smirk imminent on his face. "What ya gonna do now? You can't fly away, can't use your weapons, how do you think you can possibly escape?"
"So this was all a trick was it? Pretending to care about us?!"
"That's not the case, Shinna," Duo said, a tear sliding down his cheek. "I love Trio very much, but she IS my daughter and I am looking out for her welfare."
"You're all jailers! You're keeping us locked up!"
"If you do what you're not suppose to, yes, we're your jailers," Ken added.
Shinna put her arms up in a defensive position. "You want me? Come and get me!"
Ken frowned, "You can't attack Wufei OR Duo, right?"
"Wrong," Shinna replied with a smirk, "The Gundam Rules only apply when the Gundam part of us is activated. Right now, it's not." Wufei pulled his body into an attack position. "And I'm ready to take you on, Dad."
"That's the worst mistake you'll ever make. I'll take you down, I don't care if you are my child, or a woman. Get ready. Here I come!" Wufei screamed and launched himself at Shinna. Shinna, smirked and waited until he was almost on top of her before dodging to the side. Ken leaped at her, trying to grab her. She shoved her elbow into his face. As Ken fell, he hit the back of his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious. Shinna paid him no attention as he fell or after he hit the wall. She returned her attention to Wufei, who was launching another aerial attack.
Shinna started to launch a low ground attack when she saw Jerome jump toward her. Scowling, she pushed against the ground harder, putting her behind Wufei before he could act. Shinna flipped around and shoved Wufei into Jerome, knocking Jerome senseless, but awake.
"Don't think I'll be that easy," Wufei said, rubbing his forehead. "I've beat stronger opponents than you."
"I don't plan on beating you," Shinna replied, reaching into a drawer, pulling out a knife. "If you try to capture me, I'll kill you."
Duo gasped, "Shinna?! Stop it! You . . . you can't! Don't do it! Please, stop!" He reached for her arm but she transferred the knife, cutting a shallow cut on Duo's arm. He yanked his arm back and immediately began to apply pressure.
"I can't kill you, Duo. But I can make it hurt. Don't get in my way." Turning back to Wufei, she set her face with the same scowl Wufei wore. "This is just like before. I'm fighting for my freedom. I'll fight EVERY one of you, and I'll win. I will ALWAYS win against my oppression!"
Shinna flipped the handle around, making the knifepoint away from her. She stood for a moment, but Wufei seemed unwilling to attack. Nodding, Shinna flung herself at Wufei. He seemed not to see her until the knife was plunging toward his arm. He jumped and pushed off the wall, landing behind Shinna, who hadn't turned around. He wrapped his arms around hers, pinning her. He hoped she had the knife turned, trusting her to, and kicked her legs out from under her, and him as well.
Both of them fell, hitting the ground beside Ken, who lay beneath Jerome. Shinna twisted, but could not get Wufei to loosen his grip.
"Let me go, you PIG!" Shinna screamed. The door cracked open as someone stepped in. Neither Wufei nor Shinna looked up but continued the struggle.
"What's going on?" Sherri asked. "Shinna? Wufei?" Sherri looked at Trio, unconscious with her black wings carefully spread out on the floor. "Trio? What's wrong?"
"They're trying to run away," Duo informed her.
"NEVER! Shinna!" Sherri looked down to see Shinna finally managing to get the knife handle up, pointing toward Wufei's soft belly. Sherri screamed. "Stop it! Shinna, NO!"
Wufei did not realize until it was too late why Shinna had been struggling so hard, did not realize why Sherri had screamed, until the cold metal plunged into his side. Blood began running down the wound that was 4 inches from the edge of his stomach. Grimacing, he refused to let go. Shinna realized this and pushed it farther than she had originally planned. Wufei gasped and screamed as he let go.
Shinna jumped up and looked at Sherri. Sherri backed away. "Call an ambulance. He needs help. GO!" Sherri fled from the room. Shinna looked down at Wufei, who was laying on the floor, his blood seeping into the carpet. Shinna scowled and ripped off her shirt, or what was left of it, and threw it at his face.
"You'd better stop that blood," Shinna commented as she walked around him, opened her closet, grabbed a dozen shirts, picked up an enormous bag, and stuffed the shirts into it. She reached up into the closet and grabbed socks, underwear and a few pairs of pants, which she stuffed into the bag. Sherri walked back into the room.
"I need money, Sherri. Quick." Sherri nodded, running back out of the room, carefully stepping over Ken and Jerome. Jerome had finally just given up staying awake and had fallen unconscious. Shinna walked between the fallen men and reached her bed, stuffing blankets and two pillows into the nearly filled bag. Sherri had returned by then, a large sandwich bag filled with dollars and quite a few silver coins.
"This is all I have right now, Shinna. The ambulance is on the way."
"Fine." Shinna grabbed the money and stuffed it into the bag, along with the knife, which was wrapped in a pillow sheet. Finishing with her menial chores, Shinna turned to Duo, who had pulled Trio under the window and out of danger.
"Wake her up," Shinna commanded.
"No," Duo replied, shaking his head. "You're not taking my daughter."
"She wanted to go," Shinna shrugged. "I'll take her from you if necessary."
"You said you wouldn't hurt me," Duo retorted.
"I said I wouldn't KILL you. There's a difference. Wake her up or I'll do the same thing to you that I did to Wufei."
"I'm not afraid of dying."
"But what will the other ex-Gundam pilots think? What will Trio think? Oh, more important, what will Hilde do alone?" Duo weighed the thought of his wife being alone to just letting Trio go. He did not think of Trio as a nuisance like Wufei thought, but rather, the child that he never had. It did not help that she looked identical to him. He looked down at the girl sleeping, by his command. She had one eye scrunched, like she was in pain.
"Fine," Duo consented. "But I'm placing her in your hands. If she gets hurt or captured, you'll be responsible for seeing she gets back to us, alive." Duo leaned down close to Trio's face. "Wake up."
Trio's eyes flickered a few times before cracking open. When she finally got her eyes to focus, she saw Jerome and Ken, one on top of the other, unconscious. Looking again, she saw Wufei lying on the ground, pushing a shirt against his side. Trio finally comprehended the red liquid seeping through the shirt was blood.
"What, what happened?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"Say good bye to Duo, and put up those wings. We're leaving, now." Trio sat up, consciously put up her wings and looked at Duo. A tear glistened in his eye.
"Trio, please don't go."
Smiling sadly, Trio shook her head and replied, "I'm sorry, Duo, but we think it's best. Take good care of everyone and make sure NOTHING happens to Shiro." A siren reached Trio's sensitive ears. "We've gotta go. Bye, Dad." Trio kissed Duo's cheek and stood up, following Shinna out the door. Sherri reached for Shinna, but her hand was knocked back.
"Make sure Wufei lives, okay? I may not like him that much but I don't want him to die." Sherri ran over to Wufei and helped to try and stop the blood, which was nearly stopped as it was.
Duo buried his face in his hands. 'Those kids are going to get themselves killed if they're not careful. Good luck, daughter.' The thought of calling her daughter triggered something in Duo's mind. Trio had called him 'Dad'. She had never done that before. She had acknowledged him as her father.
Smiling, he ran down the stairs and to the front door, which stood ajar.
"BE CAREFUL, DAUGHTER!" He screamed at the sky. Trio, who was almost a small speck, turned around and waved at him. He waved back before turning to motion the paramedics into the house.
"DUO!" Shinna screamed. "What do you think you're doing?"
"The same thing that I'm going to do to you," Wufei said; but before Wufei could announce the command, Shinna had reached into the back of her pocket, flipped the cover, and had pushed the 'on/off' button. Her wings shot down into the green, scaly wing tattoos on her back. Shinna was now defenseless if Wufei tried to grab her, but she had denied him the right to command her.
"Trying to keep away from us?" Jerome asked, a smirk imminent on his face. "What ya gonna do now? You can't fly away, can't use your weapons, how do you think you can possibly escape?"
"So this was all a trick was it? Pretending to care about us?!"
"That's not the case, Shinna," Duo said, a tear sliding down his cheek. "I love Trio very much, but she IS my daughter and I am looking out for her welfare."
"You're all jailers! You're keeping us locked up!"
"If you do what you're not suppose to, yes, we're your jailers," Ken added.
Shinna put her arms up in a defensive position. "You want me? Come and get me!"
Ken frowned, "You can't attack Wufei OR Duo, right?"
"Wrong," Shinna replied with a smirk, "The Gundam Rules only apply when the Gundam part of us is activated. Right now, it's not." Wufei pulled his body into an attack position. "And I'm ready to take you on, Dad."
"That's the worst mistake you'll ever make. I'll take you down, I don't care if you are my child, or a woman. Get ready. Here I come!" Wufei screamed and launched himself at Shinna. Shinna, smirked and waited until he was almost on top of her before dodging to the side. Ken leaped at her, trying to grab her. She shoved her elbow into his face. As Ken fell, he hit the back of his head against the wall, knocking him unconscious. Shinna paid him no attention as he fell or after he hit the wall. She returned her attention to Wufei, who was launching another aerial attack.
Shinna started to launch a low ground attack when she saw Jerome jump toward her. Scowling, she pushed against the ground harder, putting her behind Wufei before he could act. Shinna flipped around and shoved Wufei into Jerome, knocking Jerome senseless, but awake.
"Don't think I'll be that easy," Wufei said, rubbing his forehead. "I've beat stronger opponents than you."
"I don't plan on beating you," Shinna replied, reaching into a drawer, pulling out a knife. "If you try to capture me, I'll kill you."
Duo gasped, "Shinna?! Stop it! You . . . you can't! Don't do it! Please, stop!" He reached for her arm but she transferred the knife, cutting a shallow cut on Duo's arm. He yanked his arm back and immediately began to apply pressure.
"I can't kill you, Duo. But I can make it hurt. Don't get in my way." Turning back to Wufei, she set her face with the same scowl Wufei wore. "This is just like before. I'm fighting for my freedom. I'll fight EVERY one of you, and I'll win. I will ALWAYS win against my oppression!"
Shinna flipped the handle around, making the knifepoint away from her. She stood for a moment, but Wufei seemed unwilling to attack. Nodding, Shinna flung herself at Wufei. He seemed not to see her until the knife was plunging toward his arm. He jumped and pushed off the wall, landing behind Shinna, who hadn't turned around. He wrapped his arms around hers, pinning her. He hoped she had the knife turned, trusting her to, and kicked her legs out from under her, and him as well.
Both of them fell, hitting the ground beside Ken, who lay beneath Jerome. Shinna twisted, but could not get Wufei to loosen his grip.
"Let me go, you PIG!" Shinna screamed. The door cracked open as someone stepped in. Neither Wufei nor Shinna looked up but continued the struggle.
"What's going on?" Sherri asked. "Shinna? Wufei?" Sherri looked at Trio, unconscious with her black wings carefully spread out on the floor. "Trio? What's wrong?"
"They're trying to run away," Duo informed her.
"NEVER! Shinna!" Sherri looked down to see Shinna finally managing to get the knife handle up, pointing toward Wufei's soft belly. Sherri screamed. "Stop it! Shinna, NO!"
Wufei did not realize until it was too late why Shinna had been struggling so hard, did not realize why Sherri had screamed, until the cold metal plunged into his side. Blood began running down the wound that was 4 inches from the edge of his stomach. Grimacing, he refused to let go. Shinna realized this and pushed it farther than she had originally planned. Wufei gasped and screamed as he let go.
Shinna jumped up and looked at Sherri. Sherri backed away. "Call an ambulance. He needs help. GO!" Sherri fled from the room. Shinna looked down at Wufei, who was laying on the floor, his blood seeping into the carpet. Shinna scowled and ripped off her shirt, or what was left of it, and threw it at his face.
"You'd better stop that blood," Shinna commented as she walked around him, opened her closet, grabbed a dozen shirts, picked up an enormous bag, and stuffed the shirts into it. She reached up into the closet and grabbed socks, underwear and a few pairs of pants, which she stuffed into the bag. Sherri walked back into the room.
"I need money, Sherri. Quick." Sherri nodded, running back out of the room, carefully stepping over Ken and Jerome. Jerome had finally just given up staying awake and had fallen unconscious. Shinna walked between the fallen men and reached her bed, stuffing blankets and two pillows into the nearly filled bag. Sherri had returned by then, a large sandwich bag filled with dollars and quite a few silver coins.
"This is all I have right now, Shinna. The ambulance is on the way."
"Fine." Shinna grabbed the money and stuffed it into the bag, along with the knife, which was wrapped in a pillow sheet. Finishing with her menial chores, Shinna turned to Duo, who had pulled Trio under the window and out of danger.
"Wake her up," Shinna commanded.
"No," Duo replied, shaking his head. "You're not taking my daughter."
"She wanted to go," Shinna shrugged. "I'll take her from you if necessary."
"You said you wouldn't hurt me," Duo retorted.
"I said I wouldn't KILL you. There's a difference. Wake her up or I'll do the same thing to you that I did to Wufei."
"I'm not afraid of dying."
"But what will the other ex-Gundam pilots think? What will Trio think? Oh, more important, what will Hilde do alone?" Duo weighed the thought of his wife being alone to just letting Trio go. He did not think of Trio as a nuisance like Wufei thought, but rather, the child that he never had. It did not help that she looked identical to him. He looked down at the girl sleeping, by his command. She had one eye scrunched, like she was in pain.
"Fine," Duo consented. "But I'm placing her in your hands. If she gets hurt or captured, you'll be responsible for seeing she gets back to us, alive." Duo leaned down close to Trio's face. "Wake up."
Trio's eyes flickered a few times before cracking open. When she finally got her eyes to focus, she saw Jerome and Ken, one on top of the other, unconscious. Looking again, she saw Wufei lying on the ground, pushing a shirt against his side. Trio finally comprehended the red liquid seeping through the shirt was blood.
"What, what happened?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"Say good bye to Duo, and put up those wings. We're leaving, now." Trio sat up, consciously put up her wings and looked at Duo. A tear glistened in his eye.
"Trio, please don't go."
Smiling sadly, Trio shook her head and replied, "I'm sorry, Duo, but we think it's best. Take good care of everyone and make sure NOTHING happens to Shiro." A siren reached Trio's sensitive ears. "We've gotta go. Bye, Dad." Trio kissed Duo's cheek and stood up, following Shinna out the door. Sherri reached for Shinna, but her hand was knocked back.
"Make sure Wufei lives, okay? I may not like him that much but I don't want him to die." Sherri ran over to Wufei and helped to try and stop the blood, which was nearly stopped as it was.
Duo buried his face in his hands. 'Those kids are going to get themselves killed if they're not careful. Good luck, daughter.' The thought of calling her daughter triggered something in Duo's mind. Trio had called him 'Dad'. She had never done that before. She had acknowledged him as her father.
Smiling, he ran down the stairs and to the front door, which stood ajar.
"BE CAREFUL, DAUGHTER!" He screamed at the sky. Trio, who was almost a small speck, turned around and waved at him. He waved back before turning to motion the paramedics into the house.