Hey guys!!! I've finally created my first fanfic!!! I'm so proud! And who
would have thought that it'd be about Gundam Wing? That's what a twelve
hour marathon of GW will do to you I guess. Had this idea in my head and
I'm putting it down on paper. Just a few notes if you get confused that
will be explained in later chapters. The goggles that Shinri has on when
she is on the computer help bridge the gap between her sensory cortex and
her sensory neurons, the break of which make her unable to see. However,
they aren't powerful enough to do much except allow her to see a certain
wavelength of light, which is what the computer emits. Hope you like!
Review please!
Almost forgot! Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.as much as I wish I did.
The hum of the laptop before her filled the room, a quiet benevolent lullaby that soothed the girl's soul. The flickering light reflected off the round yellow sunglasses over her eyes, wired into the computer. The girl's eyes were closed for the moment, but her eyes moved beneath her lids, taking in information at a terrific speed. Her deft fingers flew over the keyboard, playing a piano that yielded astonishing results. Clicking her tongue in victory, she finally pulled off the glasses and opened sightless bright emerald eyes before stretching her lithe body.
"Alright then, there's another fire put out that no one even has to know about," she whispered to herself. Sighing, she finished stretching and donned her heavy blue jacket, relishing in its warmth. Carefully walking over to the window, she settled her outstretched hand on the frigid glass, taking in the ice into her hand. Her breath moistened the surface, and suddenly she whipped around to face the empty room.
"The Amazing Hakka-shinri has struck again!" She giggled, then pulled on cloth gloves and stuck her laptop beneath her arm. Picking up her walking cane, she stuck her papers and ticket into her pocket and proceeded on to the airport.
Tick tap tick tap. Her cane tapped the sidewalk in front of her, earning stares from the people passing her by. It was so rare to see a blind person these days. Unless you were born blind, there was a cure for almost every single disease that caused blindness. Shinri could feel their gazes on her and smiled. They always felt sorry for a blind person. But they were blind themselves. Picking up her pace, she entered into the bustling airport and walked straight to the security check gate. Placing her computer on the conveyor belt along with her cane, she walked through the metal detector with no problems. The guard there still approached her.
"Ma'am, do you need any help finding your gate?" he asked out of concern. She tilted her face upward towards the sound in his voice, and he gasped as she locked eyes with him. Feeling his discomfort, she lowered her gaze and smiled gratefully.
"No thank you. That's very kind of you, but I know this airport like the back of my hand. I'm going to gate 4E," she replied, pointing with her gloved finger at the gate to her far right. The letters 4E blazed above the opening in bright red neon letters. The guard handed Shinri her cane and laptop, and she continued on, pausing only once to listen to a news report.
"Officials say that the remnants of the White Fang who were sending mobile suits against the United Earth Nation was stopped midway by a computer virus that had hacked into its ship's mainframe. The mobile doll units it carried were deployed prematurely and proceeded to attack the ship. Doors locked behind them until their only exit was the escape unit. The White Fang troops were easily captured by the Preventors and are now in custody and will be questioned in the coming future. In other news."
Shinri smiled to herself and casually whipped a strand of her away from her face. In the next few minutes she had boarded a shuttle to earth to the Pacific Ocean.
Grandfather, I'll be home in a bit. Just wait for me, k?
Duo paced the room, hands stuck deep into his pockets. Heero leaned against the wall, eyes closed in thought, arms crossed in front of him. Noin soon entered the room.
"What's wrong, guys? Why did you call Sally and me to the Lake Victoria base? As much as I'm glad to be back, I'd hate to think that anything's wrong."
The two didn't speak for a moment. Then Duo stopped his pacing and looked Noin in the eye. She didn't like his expression. The usually cheerful grin that was on his face was replaced with a tight frown.
"Duo, what's wrong? Tell me, please!" she pleaded. Duo sighed and began to tell her about what had hit the news earlier today.
"Miss Noin, the White Fang seem to still be in business, but they aren't trying to free the colonies any more. It's being led under a new leader. A leader bent on taking over both the colonies and the world."
Noin gasped, but started chuckling. "Why should that be a problem? There hasn't been any news of any large metal orders or Gundamium orders. It seems to me that they won't have any mobile suits. And if it's a space battle they want, our defense force is more than ready to take them on. I don't see the problem."
Heero's voice suddenly entered into the conversation, but he still didn't open his eyes.
"There may have not been any large orders for metal or Gundamium recently, but the White Fang had mobile suits in their possession before the war in AC 195. They relinquished most of their artillery, but not nearly all of it. Not to mention, they didn't erase any of their data or information. They've been gathering metal and Gundamium little by little, out of both scraps in space and in small orders from other companies. I've looked into their records and it seems that they have enough supplies to build hundreds of mobile suits along with ten Gundams if they wished. And they still have the data on our Gundams and on the Epion, so they could in theory build a Gundam. I've picked up a few conversations between some of the companies that sent them their orders of metal and it seems to me that this organization in one that will make an all-out assault on the earth and the colonies at the same time." He finished his little speech and settled back into silence. Duo picked up from where he left off.
"The leader calls himself Rens, and he's got a lot of loyal soldiers close to him that don't want to give up their fighting days just yet. There is no place in the world left for them anymore. As much as they wanted peace, now that they have it, they just don't know what to do with it. I can't say that I don't feel the same way. It's hard not having to fight anymore. It's even harder to enjoy life in peace. We're just so used to fighting day in and day out. But I'm willing to go back into battle to retain the peace."
A voice appeared behind Noin, and she turned around to see Trowa walking into the room.
"I know what you mean, Duo. But this battle will be hard to complete. We have no idea where Wu Fei is at this moment, or even if he would help us. Quatre will be hard to get a hold of seeing as he's busy with his role as head of the Winner family and that if he fought, he would get publicity that would most likely hurt his family and corporation. Needless to say, he would still fight with us, but I'm reluctant to ask him to. With three Gundams, this fight could get ugly, especially if we have to split up to protect both the earth and the colonies at the same time."
Noin sighed, taking it all in. Finally she straightened up and brushed her hair from her face. "Well then. I guess will just have to tell Lady Une about this incident. She'll have some advice about what we should do, and she'll know how many reinforcements to send. We may not have any mobile suits left, but we do have some defensive ships that will be able to take out a good many mobile suits. I just hope that we don't have to deal with mobile dolls."
Heero's voice piped up again, monotone as always. "Knowing what tactics the White Fang used two years ago, I don't doubt that they'll use the mobile dolls again. Remember, we may be facing mobile dolls programmed with the Zero system."
"I guess we'll just have to hope for the best. I'll try and get in touch with Wu Fei and convince him to help us. I'll ask Quatre if he has any ideas about strategy on this one. He'll find out sooner or later about this, knowing his connections," Duo replied as he made his exit. Noin followed him out.
Trowa and Heero stood in silence for a few moments. Trowa finally broke the stillness.
"I guess this means that we'll be visiting space once again. We have to get our Gundams from Howard as soon as possible."
Heero grunted in reply then turned to the computer at the helm of the ship to contact an old acquaintance.
"We'll soon be entering the earth's atmosphere. Please fasten your seatbelts. Do not be alarmed if you experience any shaking. We are likely to run into minimum turbulence. Thank you and have a nice day," a sweet voice called out over the intercom. Shinri had her glasses on once more and was working furiously at her computer. She groaned to herself as she read the same information that Heero had encountered about the White Fang. Typing as fast as she could, she tried to hack into their mainframe once again. Suddenly the computer screen went black and emitted sparks. As the pungent smell of burnt rubber and metal reached her nose, she sighed.
"Dang, they put extra security on their mainframe. They must have an experience analyst working for them. I guess I'll just have to wait until I reach Grandfather's before I can work on destroying White Fang from the inside. I just hope that this won't have to take a job from the inside of the corporation. I really don't want to become a soldier again," she muttered to herself. The shuttle soon touched down in San Diego. Gathering her things, she walked briskly out of the airport and back on to the street. She took in all the familiar smells and sounds of the city, absolutely enjoying the day.
"Ah! How great it is to be back home! The colonies are great and all, and it's a miracle that we can live in space, but I'd much rather stay here on good ol' earth!" Taking a big whiff, she yelped in pure joy. "Miss Natalie's bakery is still open! I've really missed her muffins! I've got to go see her!" She ran down the street, the cane grasped in her hand, unused at the moment. Skillfully she dodged the people and skidded to a halt in front of the bakery. She burst in and was met by an onslaught of heavenly smells. A voice called out to her, obviously glad to see her.
"Shinri, is that you child? You've grown up so much!" Natalie, a slightly large woman with graying black hair and a benevolent smile, exclaimed. Shinri turned her face towards her voice and rushed over to her, jumping over the counter just as she used to when she was ten. She was soon enveloped in the strong embrace of the baker.
"You smell good," she said into her shirt. The arms relaxed their grip and Shinri could breathe once again.
"What was that child?" Shinri smiled up at her.
"I said you smell good," she repeated. Natalie laughed and brought the girl's hands up to her face. As Shinri explored her features, she giggled.
"You've got more wrinkles now than you did before, Miss Natalie!"
"That's what comes with age, my dear," she said ruefully, but Shinri could still feel the grin on her face. Taking her hands away slowly, she turned her head towards a new tray of muffins.
"Blueberry muffins, they're my favorite! I don't suppose I could have one, Miss Natalie?" The old woman chuckled and nodded, knowing that the girl could sense her movements. Shinri clapped her hands in ecstasy and grabbed a muffin. She was about to take a bite when suddenly she remembered her manners. She curtsied once, piped out a "Thank you!" and shoved the muffin into her mouth, moaning in pure happiness as the tastes filled her mouth.
"Flour, honey, cinnamon, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, and is that.a hint.of.ginger?" She asked. Natalie's head shook in wonderment.
"I don't know how you do it child. Just don't go blurting out my secret recipe to the whole world, ok?" Shinri nodded and walked over to a pitcher of water, reaching below the counter, feeling around for a glass. Finding one, she carefully poured herself a cup of water. Natalie picked up the thread of conversation.
"So, are you here to see your grandfather then, Shinri? He's missed you quite a bit, ever since you left six years ago."
Taking a deep breath to take in all the wonderful scents around her, Shinri nodded. She thought back to how her grandfather felt. Always wearing those sunglasses, his hair stuck out on two sides of his head, his bald scalp on top smooth to the touch. The lines around his mouth and eyes would be more pronounced by now.
What will he think of me now? Ever since he sent me off six years ago after all that training, I've wondered why he thought I wasn't suitable to pilot the Kiseki. Will he be proud of what I've done? Will he be proud of me as what I've become?
She jumped as the large hand of the baker's settled on her shoulder.
"Honey, he never thought you weren't good enough. The old mule was just too stubborn to let you get hurt. He would blame himself for every scratch that you would get. That's why he sent you away. That's why he wouldn't let you pilot. He was concerned for you're well-being, Shinri. Don't go blaming yourself for things that you never did."
"If you say so, Miss Natalie. Still, that's exactly what I'll keep on doing. Until I hear it from Grandfather, I cannot accept your words. I've got to go now. It'll take some walking to reach home," she sighed. Natalie spun her around.
"You're not thinking of walking ten miles now, are you? That's a long way away! You could get hurt out there! And the sun is going down!" she protested. A rueful smile flickered across Shinri's delicate features.
"Why should the night make any difference to me? In my mind, it is always dark." Natalie stayed silent, and the pressure of her hands on Shinri's shoulders increased. "It's ok, Miss Natalie. Everyone forgets sometimes, even me. Besides! I want to enjoy being back on earth! Ten miles will fly by if I'm having the time of my life!" With that, she hugged the baker tightly then jumped back over the counter and out the door, running as fast as she could back home, tears stinging her eyes.
Grandfather, with the earth and the colonies in danger, will you finally let me go? I promise I can take care of myself, Grandfather! I won't get hurt! I'll fight as hard as I can! All those years of training shouldn't go to waste! Grandfather! I'm coming home!
Duo leaned against the cold wall of the ship, arms behind his head, head tilted up in a carefree expression. He mulled over the information in his head, planning his next move. Quatre had readily agreed to help them, even said that it would not matter to him what his fighting did to the corporation. He always had followed his heart. Duo marveled at his compassion and kindness. But he knew that Quatre's company would still be hurt in some way by his fighting. He would have to ask Noin if there was any way that the United Earth Nation could help him or compensate him.
There was still no word on Wu Fei. Sally had said that he had disappeared a couple of months ago, claiming he needed spiritual cleansing. But at least they had Quatre. That meant two Gundams for each battle. It would still be tough, especially with the limited amount of mobile suits the Preventors had in use, what with disarmament and all. Still, they could always contact Zechs out in space. But even Noin couldn't find him at the moment.
What we need is another pilot! That, and another Gundam. I wonder if Howard knows anyone. He knew all those scientists after all.
The ship flew through some turbulence and caught Duo off guard. He fell down to the ground on his face, hard. Groaning, he mumbled something about how the god of death shouldn't have to stow away on a ship, or at least how the god of death should have some money. He grinned as he pictured Hilde saying something along the lines of, "Well, if the god of death would condescend to get a job, maybe he would have some money, you lazy butt!"
But it's just so much easier to steal. Besides, it's in my nature, and a man can't change his nature now can he?
He tasted the cold hard floor once again as the ship shook in the wind. Duo winced and wiped a trail of blood from his mouth. Grumbling, he sat up and crossed his legs, wishing he could just get off this ship and get to Howard. He was sure that both Trowa and Duo had already gotten there. He hated being the last one to arrive at a party.
Or should I say reunion? After all, this will be quite a reunion, assembling our Gundams together again. I, for one, am glad that Howard kept the remains just in case we should ever need to fight again. No one could have foreseen something this huge happen again.
But somehow, Duo was glad that he would get to fight again. His heart just didn't seem satisfied with living in peace.
The plane touched down in San Diego a little after nine. Duo quietly waited for the airport workers to begin to unload the cargo area. The door opened and he slunk into the shadows as light flooded the cavernous room. He skirted around some suitcases, stubbed his toe on a heavy box, and, trying to keep from swearing, and escaped out into the night.
Walking down the streets of San Diego, Duo envied Howard for living where he did. The ocean's soft whispers reached his ears, lulling his frenzied thoughts. The salty breeze teased his senses and the brisk wind chilled him to the bone beneath his priest's clothes. Unable to take the cold any longer, he called out for a taxi.
"Greybeard street, please," he told the driver. The driver acknowledged him and began his task. Lights flashed by, a blur of color that tantalized the mind. Grinning, Duo laid back, arms behind his head once again, dreaming of Deathscythe and the return of the god of death.
Gasping for breath, Shinri jogged down the street at a good pace, mind remembering all the twists and turns of the road. Still, thoughts swam around in her head, distracting her so much that she ran into somebody. That somebody yelped as he fell down beneath her.
Shinri groaned as she sat up, but soon realized that she was sitting on someone. She gasped and got off him as quickly as possible. Feeling around for a hand, she encountered a long braid.
"Sorry, miss, I didn't see you there!" she apologized. Feeling around some more for a hand to help the person get up, she reached a part that she didn't mean to. This was definitely not a girl. Quickly, she took her hand off of his pants.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Oh jeez, I really am sorry! I'm such an idiot!" she stuttered. She heard the guy get up. He chuckled and Shinri let out an anxious breath. So he wasn't mad with her then.
"It's alright, miss, no harm done, really," he told her. "Although I would have thought that you could see that I was a guy. Not to mention where your hand was. There are streetlights on." Judging by where his voice was, Shinri located his face and managed to lock eyes with him. She could always feel when she had locked eyes with someone. There was just a sense of connection that she couldn't ignore.
"I'm afraid the streetlights wouldn't help me see one bit. You see, I'm blind," she replied. She heard the guy take in a sharp breath, but before he could start apologizing, she interrupted.
"No, it's ok! Really! There's no way you could possibly know that! Besides, this kind of thing happens all the time. I'm used to it. Please, maybe I can help you get where you're going. My name is Shinri!" She stuck out her hand and smiled wider when his hand shook hers.
"Duo Maxwell, pleased to meet you!" The smile faltered on her face and he wondered if he had said something wrong.
"What is it Shinri? Did I say something that I shouldn't have?" he asked. The blind girl shook her delicate head but didn't release her grip on his hand. If anything, it tightened.
"Did, did you say that you're name was Duo Maxwell?" He nodded, but then remembered that she couldn't see.
"Yep, that's me! Duo Maxwell, I may run and hide but I will never lie!" he replied with vigor. She started to shake.
"Duo Maxwell, the Gundam pilot of Deathscythe?" she asked quietly. This time, his hand tightened on hers.
"Maybe, how would you know something like that?" he asked tightly. Alarms were going off in his head. Why would a blind girl know something like that about him?
"You must be here to see my grandfather then. I'll take you to him," she stated. With that, she released his hand and walked straight ahead. Already she could smell the familiar scent of her home. Hearing the frantic footsteps behind her, she stepped neatly out of the way when he tried to grab her shoulder. Recovering, Duo righted himself and stood in front of Shinri.
"Who's your grandfather, Shinri?" he demanded. She looked up at him, once again locking eyes with him. Sapphire bored into emerald. Duo wondered briefly in the back of his mind how she could lock eyes with him if she was blind.
"Howard. You're here to see Howard."
What is my grandfather up to? Is he rebuilding the Gundams? If so, maybe, just maybe, he'll let me pilot Kiseki.
Duo followed closely behind her as they entered into Howard's workshop. Taking the door on her right, Shinri called out for him.
"Grandfather, I'm home!" Sounds of metal dropping and someone swearing met this declaration. A few moments later, a door to the back of the room burst open and a sweaty Howard walked into the room, hand stuck into his mouth. He took one look at Shinri and swept her up into his arms. Giggling, she returned his embrace. Duo coolly watched this display in the corner of the room.
Finally, he put her down. Her hands were already on his face, exploring every nook and cranny.
"Grandfather, you have worry lines all over your face! What have you been worrying about lately?"
"Oh, little bird, I've been worrying about all sorts of things. Of late, I've been worrying about the rise of the new White Fang," he told her in a tired voice. Shinri burst out, unable to contain herself any longer.
"Grandfather, did you see me? Did you see what I did?" she exclaimed. She felt him smile beneath her touch.
"Yep, little bird, I thought that job had your signature to it. Mission accomplished, no casualties, destruction of the mobile dolls, not to mention a good bit of creativity!" he told her, spinning her around again. The sunglasses he usually wore had fallen off by now. Idly, Duo picked them up and began to spin them around in his hands.
"It's too bad that they raised the security on their mainframe. I tried to get in again to destroy it from the inside, or at least plant a virus into all the mobile dolls, but it fried my computer." Here she displayed her ruined laptop, still smelling faintly of burnt rubber and metal. She turned her head as two more people entered the room.
"So it was you who hacked into the White Fang mainframe then?" Heero said, more of a statement than a question.
"Hmm.reserved voice, regular steps. You must be Heero. And you," she turned towards Trowa, standing behind Heero.
"Also regular steps, no swing to your walk, no irregularity. That means you can't be Quatre, and it's unlikely that you've found Wu Fei, so you must be Trowa," she concluded.
Duo's voice spoke up from the corner.
"How is it that you can tell that just from someone's walk or voice? You haven't even met us before!" he exclaimed. She turned towards him again, resolute in her posture.
"I've been blind all my life, Duo Maxwell. You learn to adapt. I've known and read about you since your first missions. I know all your histories, including the ones that you've deleted and hidden away, even from each other. Not to mention, I've been trained, just like Heero, to be a soldier from the day I was born." Silence met this declaration. The awkward stillness grew until finally she faced Howard again.
"Grandfather, I don't suppose I could see the Gundams? It's been a long time since I've seen them. I don't want to miss their return!" she asked. She felt him nod and she followed him to his work space.
Almost forgot! Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.as much as I wish I did.
The hum of the laptop before her filled the room, a quiet benevolent lullaby that soothed the girl's soul. The flickering light reflected off the round yellow sunglasses over her eyes, wired into the computer. The girl's eyes were closed for the moment, but her eyes moved beneath her lids, taking in information at a terrific speed. Her deft fingers flew over the keyboard, playing a piano that yielded astonishing results. Clicking her tongue in victory, she finally pulled off the glasses and opened sightless bright emerald eyes before stretching her lithe body.
"Alright then, there's another fire put out that no one even has to know about," she whispered to herself. Sighing, she finished stretching and donned her heavy blue jacket, relishing in its warmth. Carefully walking over to the window, she settled her outstretched hand on the frigid glass, taking in the ice into her hand. Her breath moistened the surface, and suddenly she whipped around to face the empty room.
"The Amazing Hakka-shinri has struck again!" She giggled, then pulled on cloth gloves and stuck her laptop beneath her arm. Picking up her walking cane, she stuck her papers and ticket into her pocket and proceeded on to the airport.
Tick tap tick tap. Her cane tapped the sidewalk in front of her, earning stares from the people passing her by. It was so rare to see a blind person these days. Unless you were born blind, there was a cure for almost every single disease that caused blindness. Shinri could feel their gazes on her and smiled. They always felt sorry for a blind person. But they were blind themselves. Picking up her pace, she entered into the bustling airport and walked straight to the security check gate. Placing her computer on the conveyor belt along with her cane, she walked through the metal detector with no problems. The guard there still approached her.
"Ma'am, do you need any help finding your gate?" he asked out of concern. She tilted her face upward towards the sound in his voice, and he gasped as she locked eyes with him. Feeling his discomfort, she lowered her gaze and smiled gratefully.
"No thank you. That's very kind of you, but I know this airport like the back of my hand. I'm going to gate 4E," she replied, pointing with her gloved finger at the gate to her far right. The letters 4E blazed above the opening in bright red neon letters. The guard handed Shinri her cane and laptop, and she continued on, pausing only once to listen to a news report.
"Officials say that the remnants of the White Fang who were sending mobile suits against the United Earth Nation was stopped midway by a computer virus that had hacked into its ship's mainframe. The mobile doll units it carried were deployed prematurely and proceeded to attack the ship. Doors locked behind them until their only exit was the escape unit. The White Fang troops were easily captured by the Preventors and are now in custody and will be questioned in the coming future. In other news."
Shinri smiled to herself and casually whipped a strand of her away from her face. In the next few minutes she had boarded a shuttle to earth to the Pacific Ocean.
Grandfather, I'll be home in a bit. Just wait for me, k?
Duo paced the room, hands stuck deep into his pockets. Heero leaned against the wall, eyes closed in thought, arms crossed in front of him. Noin soon entered the room.
"What's wrong, guys? Why did you call Sally and me to the Lake Victoria base? As much as I'm glad to be back, I'd hate to think that anything's wrong."
The two didn't speak for a moment. Then Duo stopped his pacing and looked Noin in the eye. She didn't like his expression. The usually cheerful grin that was on his face was replaced with a tight frown.
"Duo, what's wrong? Tell me, please!" she pleaded. Duo sighed and began to tell her about what had hit the news earlier today.
"Miss Noin, the White Fang seem to still be in business, but they aren't trying to free the colonies any more. It's being led under a new leader. A leader bent on taking over both the colonies and the world."
Noin gasped, but started chuckling. "Why should that be a problem? There hasn't been any news of any large metal orders or Gundamium orders. It seems to me that they won't have any mobile suits. And if it's a space battle they want, our defense force is more than ready to take them on. I don't see the problem."
Heero's voice suddenly entered into the conversation, but he still didn't open his eyes.
"There may have not been any large orders for metal or Gundamium recently, but the White Fang had mobile suits in their possession before the war in AC 195. They relinquished most of their artillery, but not nearly all of it. Not to mention, they didn't erase any of their data or information. They've been gathering metal and Gundamium little by little, out of both scraps in space and in small orders from other companies. I've looked into their records and it seems that they have enough supplies to build hundreds of mobile suits along with ten Gundams if they wished. And they still have the data on our Gundams and on the Epion, so they could in theory build a Gundam. I've picked up a few conversations between some of the companies that sent them their orders of metal and it seems to me that this organization in one that will make an all-out assault on the earth and the colonies at the same time." He finished his little speech and settled back into silence. Duo picked up from where he left off.
"The leader calls himself Rens, and he's got a lot of loyal soldiers close to him that don't want to give up their fighting days just yet. There is no place in the world left for them anymore. As much as they wanted peace, now that they have it, they just don't know what to do with it. I can't say that I don't feel the same way. It's hard not having to fight anymore. It's even harder to enjoy life in peace. We're just so used to fighting day in and day out. But I'm willing to go back into battle to retain the peace."
A voice appeared behind Noin, and she turned around to see Trowa walking into the room.
"I know what you mean, Duo. But this battle will be hard to complete. We have no idea where Wu Fei is at this moment, or even if he would help us. Quatre will be hard to get a hold of seeing as he's busy with his role as head of the Winner family and that if he fought, he would get publicity that would most likely hurt his family and corporation. Needless to say, he would still fight with us, but I'm reluctant to ask him to. With three Gundams, this fight could get ugly, especially if we have to split up to protect both the earth and the colonies at the same time."
Noin sighed, taking it all in. Finally she straightened up and brushed her hair from her face. "Well then. I guess will just have to tell Lady Une about this incident. She'll have some advice about what we should do, and she'll know how many reinforcements to send. We may not have any mobile suits left, but we do have some defensive ships that will be able to take out a good many mobile suits. I just hope that we don't have to deal with mobile dolls."
Heero's voice piped up again, monotone as always. "Knowing what tactics the White Fang used two years ago, I don't doubt that they'll use the mobile dolls again. Remember, we may be facing mobile dolls programmed with the Zero system."
"I guess we'll just have to hope for the best. I'll try and get in touch with Wu Fei and convince him to help us. I'll ask Quatre if he has any ideas about strategy on this one. He'll find out sooner or later about this, knowing his connections," Duo replied as he made his exit. Noin followed him out.
Trowa and Heero stood in silence for a few moments. Trowa finally broke the stillness.
"I guess this means that we'll be visiting space once again. We have to get our Gundams from Howard as soon as possible."
Heero grunted in reply then turned to the computer at the helm of the ship to contact an old acquaintance.
"We'll soon be entering the earth's atmosphere. Please fasten your seatbelts. Do not be alarmed if you experience any shaking. We are likely to run into minimum turbulence. Thank you and have a nice day," a sweet voice called out over the intercom. Shinri had her glasses on once more and was working furiously at her computer. She groaned to herself as she read the same information that Heero had encountered about the White Fang. Typing as fast as she could, she tried to hack into their mainframe once again. Suddenly the computer screen went black and emitted sparks. As the pungent smell of burnt rubber and metal reached her nose, she sighed.
"Dang, they put extra security on their mainframe. They must have an experience analyst working for them. I guess I'll just have to wait until I reach Grandfather's before I can work on destroying White Fang from the inside. I just hope that this won't have to take a job from the inside of the corporation. I really don't want to become a soldier again," she muttered to herself. The shuttle soon touched down in San Diego. Gathering her things, she walked briskly out of the airport and back on to the street. She took in all the familiar smells and sounds of the city, absolutely enjoying the day.
"Ah! How great it is to be back home! The colonies are great and all, and it's a miracle that we can live in space, but I'd much rather stay here on good ol' earth!" Taking a big whiff, she yelped in pure joy. "Miss Natalie's bakery is still open! I've really missed her muffins! I've got to go see her!" She ran down the street, the cane grasped in her hand, unused at the moment. Skillfully she dodged the people and skidded to a halt in front of the bakery. She burst in and was met by an onslaught of heavenly smells. A voice called out to her, obviously glad to see her.
"Shinri, is that you child? You've grown up so much!" Natalie, a slightly large woman with graying black hair and a benevolent smile, exclaimed. Shinri turned her face towards her voice and rushed over to her, jumping over the counter just as she used to when she was ten. She was soon enveloped in the strong embrace of the baker.
"You smell good," she said into her shirt. The arms relaxed their grip and Shinri could breathe once again.
"What was that child?" Shinri smiled up at her.
"I said you smell good," she repeated. Natalie laughed and brought the girl's hands up to her face. As Shinri explored her features, she giggled.
"You've got more wrinkles now than you did before, Miss Natalie!"
"That's what comes with age, my dear," she said ruefully, but Shinri could still feel the grin on her face. Taking her hands away slowly, she turned her head towards a new tray of muffins.
"Blueberry muffins, they're my favorite! I don't suppose I could have one, Miss Natalie?" The old woman chuckled and nodded, knowing that the girl could sense her movements. Shinri clapped her hands in ecstasy and grabbed a muffin. She was about to take a bite when suddenly she remembered her manners. She curtsied once, piped out a "Thank you!" and shoved the muffin into her mouth, moaning in pure happiness as the tastes filled her mouth.
"Flour, honey, cinnamon, brown sugar, white sugar, butter, and is that.a hint.of.ginger?" She asked. Natalie's head shook in wonderment.
"I don't know how you do it child. Just don't go blurting out my secret recipe to the whole world, ok?" Shinri nodded and walked over to a pitcher of water, reaching below the counter, feeling around for a glass. Finding one, she carefully poured herself a cup of water. Natalie picked up the thread of conversation.
"So, are you here to see your grandfather then, Shinri? He's missed you quite a bit, ever since you left six years ago."
Taking a deep breath to take in all the wonderful scents around her, Shinri nodded. She thought back to how her grandfather felt. Always wearing those sunglasses, his hair stuck out on two sides of his head, his bald scalp on top smooth to the touch. The lines around his mouth and eyes would be more pronounced by now.
What will he think of me now? Ever since he sent me off six years ago after all that training, I've wondered why he thought I wasn't suitable to pilot the Kiseki. Will he be proud of what I've done? Will he be proud of me as what I've become?
She jumped as the large hand of the baker's settled on her shoulder.
"Honey, he never thought you weren't good enough. The old mule was just too stubborn to let you get hurt. He would blame himself for every scratch that you would get. That's why he sent you away. That's why he wouldn't let you pilot. He was concerned for you're well-being, Shinri. Don't go blaming yourself for things that you never did."
"If you say so, Miss Natalie. Still, that's exactly what I'll keep on doing. Until I hear it from Grandfather, I cannot accept your words. I've got to go now. It'll take some walking to reach home," she sighed. Natalie spun her around.
"You're not thinking of walking ten miles now, are you? That's a long way away! You could get hurt out there! And the sun is going down!" she protested. A rueful smile flickered across Shinri's delicate features.
"Why should the night make any difference to me? In my mind, it is always dark." Natalie stayed silent, and the pressure of her hands on Shinri's shoulders increased. "It's ok, Miss Natalie. Everyone forgets sometimes, even me. Besides! I want to enjoy being back on earth! Ten miles will fly by if I'm having the time of my life!" With that, she hugged the baker tightly then jumped back over the counter and out the door, running as fast as she could back home, tears stinging her eyes.
Grandfather, with the earth and the colonies in danger, will you finally let me go? I promise I can take care of myself, Grandfather! I won't get hurt! I'll fight as hard as I can! All those years of training shouldn't go to waste! Grandfather! I'm coming home!
Duo leaned against the cold wall of the ship, arms behind his head, head tilted up in a carefree expression. He mulled over the information in his head, planning his next move. Quatre had readily agreed to help them, even said that it would not matter to him what his fighting did to the corporation. He always had followed his heart. Duo marveled at his compassion and kindness. But he knew that Quatre's company would still be hurt in some way by his fighting. He would have to ask Noin if there was any way that the United Earth Nation could help him or compensate him.
There was still no word on Wu Fei. Sally had said that he had disappeared a couple of months ago, claiming he needed spiritual cleansing. But at least they had Quatre. That meant two Gundams for each battle. It would still be tough, especially with the limited amount of mobile suits the Preventors had in use, what with disarmament and all. Still, they could always contact Zechs out in space. But even Noin couldn't find him at the moment.
What we need is another pilot! That, and another Gundam. I wonder if Howard knows anyone. He knew all those scientists after all.
The ship flew through some turbulence and caught Duo off guard. He fell down to the ground on his face, hard. Groaning, he mumbled something about how the god of death shouldn't have to stow away on a ship, or at least how the god of death should have some money. He grinned as he pictured Hilde saying something along the lines of, "Well, if the god of death would condescend to get a job, maybe he would have some money, you lazy butt!"
But it's just so much easier to steal. Besides, it's in my nature, and a man can't change his nature now can he?
He tasted the cold hard floor once again as the ship shook in the wind. Duo winced and wiped a trail of blood from his mouth. Grumbling, he sat up and crossed his legs, wishing he could just get off this ship and get to Howard. He was sure that both Trowa and Duo had already gotten there. He hated being the last one to arrive at a party.
Or should I say reunion? After all, this will be quite a reunion, assembling our Gundams together again. I, for one, am glad that Howard kept the remains just in case we should ever need to fight again. No one could have foreseen something this huge happen again.
But somehow, Duo was glad that he would get to fight again. His heart just didn't seem satisfied with living in peace.
The plane touched down in San Diego a little after nine. Duo quietly waited for the airport workers to begin to unload the cargo area. The door opened and he slunk into the shadows as light flooded the cavernous room. He skirted around some suitcases, stubbed his toe on a heavy box, and, trying to keep from swearing, and escaped out into the night.
Walking down the streets of San Diego, Duo envied Howard for living where he did. The ocean's soft whispers reached his ears, lulling his frenzied thoughts. The salty breeze teased his senses and the brisk wind chilled him to the bone beneath his priest's clothes. Unable to take the cold any longer, he called out for a taxi.
"Greybeard street, please," he told the driver. The driver acknowledged him and began his task. Lights flashed by, a blur of color that tantalized the mind. Grinning, Duo laid back, arms behind his head once again, dreaming of Deathscythe and the return of the god of death.
Gasping for breath, Shinri jogged down the street at a good pace, mind remembering all the twists and turns of the road. Still, thoughts swam around in her head, distracting her so much that she ran into somebody. That somebody yelped as he fell down beneath her.
Shinri groaned as she sat up, but soon realized that she was sitting on someone. She gasped and got off him as quickly as possible. Feeling around for a hand, she encountered a long braid.
"Sorry, miss, I didn't see you there!" she apologized. Feeling around some more for a hand to help the person get up, she reached a part that she didn't mean to. This was definitely not a girl. Quickly, she took her hand off of his pants.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Oh jeez, I really am sorry! I'm such an idiot!" she stuttered. She heard the guy get up. He chuckled and Shinri let out an anxious breath. So he wasn't mad with her then.
"It's alright, miss, no harm done, really," he told her. "Although I would have thought that you could see that I was a guy. Not to mention where your hand was. There are streetlights on." Judging by where his voice was, Shinri located his face and managed to lock eyes with him. She could always feel when she had locked eyes with someone. There was just a sense of connection that she couldn't ignore.
"I'm afraid the streetlights wouldn't help me see one bit. You see, I'm blind," she replied. She heard the guy take in a sharp breath, but before he could start apologizing, she interrupted.
"No, it's ok! Really! There's no way you could possibly know that! Besides, this kind of thing happens all the time. I'm used to it. Please, maybe I can help you get where you're going. My name is Shinri!" She stuck out her hand and smiled wider when his hand shook hers.
"Duo Maxwell, pleased to meet you!" The smile faltered on her face and he wondered if he had said something wrong.
"What is it Shinri? Did I say something that I shouldn't have?" he asked. The blind girl shook her delicate head but didn't release her grip on his hand. If anything, it tightened.
"Did, did you say that you're name was Duo Maxwell?" He nodded, but then remembered that she couldn't see.
"Yep, that's me! Duo Maxwell, I may run and hide but I will never lie!" he replied with vigor. She started to shake.
"Duo Maxwell, the Gundam pilot of Deathscythe?" she asked quietly. This time, his hand tightened on hers.
"Maybe, how would you know something like that?" he asked tightly. Alarms were going off in his head. Why would a blind girl know something like that about him?
"You must be here to see my grandfather then. I'll take you to him," she stated. With that, she released his hand and walked straight ahead. Already she could smell the familiar scent of her home. Hearing the frantic footsteps behind her, she stepped neatly out of the way when he tried to grab her shoulder. Recovering, Duo righted himself and stood in front of Shinri.
"Who's your grandfather, Shinri?" he demanded. She looked up at him, once again locking eyes with him. Sapphire bored into emerald. Duo wondered briefly in the back of his mind how she could lock eyes with him if she was blind.
"Howard. You're here to see Howard."
What is my grandfather up to? Is he rebuilding the Gundams? If so, maybe, just maybe, he'll let me pilot Kiseki.
Duo followed closely behind her as they entered into Howard's workshop. Taking the door on her right, Shinri called out for him.
"Grandfather, I'm home!" Sounds of metal dropping and someone swearing met this declaration. A few moments later, a door to the back of the room burst open and a sweaty Howard walked into the room, hand stuck into his mouth. He took one look at Shinri and swept her up into his arms. Giggling, she returned his embrace. Duo coolly watched this display in the corner of the room.
Finally, he put her down. Her hands were already on his face, exploring every nook and cranny.
"Grandfather, you have worry lines all over your face! What have you been worrying about lately?"
"Oh, little bird, I've been worrying about all sorts of things. Of late, I've been worrying about the rise of the new White Fang," he told her in a tired voice. Shinri burst out, unable to contain herself any longer.
"Grandfather, did you see me? Did you see what I did?" she exclaimed. She felt him smile beneath her touch.
"Yep, little bird, I thought that job had your signature to it. Mission accomplished, no casualties, destruction of the mobile dolls, not to mention a good bit of creativity!" he told her, spinning her around again. The sunglasses he usually wore had fallen off by now. Idly, Duo picked them up and began to spin them around in his hands.
"It's too bad that they raised the security on their mainframe. I tried to get in again to destroy it from the inside, or at least plant a virus into all the mobile dolls, but it fried my computer." Here she displayed her ruined laptop, still smelling faintly of burnt rubber and metal. She turned her head as two more people entered the room.
"So it was you who hacked into the White Fang mainframe then?" Heero said, more of a statement than a question.
"Hmm.reserved voice, regular steps. You must be Heero. And you," she turned towards Trowa, standing behind Heero.
"Also regular steps, no swing to your walk, no irregularity. That means you can't be Quatre, and it's unlikely that you've found Wu Fei, so you must be Trowa," she concluded.
Duo's voice spoke up from the corner.
"How is it that you can tell that just from someone's walk or voice? You haven't even met us before!" he exclaimed. She turned towards him again, resolute in her posture.
"I've been blind all my life, Duo Maxwell. You learn to adapt. I've known and read about you since your first missions. I know all your histories, including the ones that you've deleted and hidden away, even from each other. Not to mention, I've been trained, just like Heero, to be a soldier from the day I was born." Silence met this declaration. The awkward stillness grew until finally she faced Howard again.
"Grandfather, I don't suppose I could see the Gundams? It's been a long time since I've seen them. I don't want to miss their return!" she asked. She felt him nod and she followed him to his work space.