Wufei: ::look of disgust on his face:: Immoral woman!!
Heart of Space, Dove of Peace
Back at the Gundam conference room in the Peacecraft estate back on Earth, Hilde and Noin rushed into the room.
Duo, who was lounging on a couch by the window grinned at them. "Hoi, Hilde, Noin! What's up?"
"We've got news for you boys," Noinsaid. "Our technicians now have your Gundams 70% complete . ."
Quatre, who was playing chess with Trowa, smiled. "That's excellent news, Ms. Noin." he replied.
Hilde slapped a manila folder down onthe table. "Is something the matter?" Trowa asked.
"We just got the report from my reconnaissance group we sent to Toulon." she answered.
"That's Toulon, as in Southern France, St. Ignatia." Wufei said, eyeing Duo.
Duo held his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay, I got it. Sheesh."
"What did they have to say, Ms. Hilde?" Quatre asked.
"Check out these pictures." Hilde answered, setting them on the table.
Duo looked at the first. "This is St. Ignatia, ne?" he asked, picking it up to get a closer look. "It looks totaled."
"Yeah," Hilde agreed, "but check out the second one. This one was taken 3 days after the first."
"The place has almost been repaired!" Quatre exclaimed.
"Our scouts say that the Dark Claw hasrepaired 54% of the damage." Hilde frowned. "That means they have the resources and man power to make repairs whenever necessary."
"If Heero had his memory back, he'd be kinda pissed right about now." Duo mused.
"That's another thing." Noin said, "We managed to gather up most of the remains of Heero's mobile suit. We found the remains of Heero's explosives, still inside the mobile suit."
"You mean he never used them?" Quatreasked.
"He probably didn't get the chance before he was attacked." Wufei frowned.
"Then if Heero wasn't the one whoi nfiltrated the St. Ignatia base, then who was it?" Trowa asked. They all looked at Hilde.
"Don't look at me like that." she exclaimed. "I didn't do it!"
Their gazes then turned to Sally. "Uh-uh, don't even try that. I didn't do it either."
"There's something else you should know as well," Noin replied. The others looked at her. "There's 2 more Gundams out there."
"Say what?" Duo blinked.
"One Gundam is in the Dark Claw's possession." Noin replied as she took out a picture of the Black Scorpio Gundam. "Heero managed to run some analyses on it before he was discovered."
"And what of the second?" Trowa asked.
"We have no photos of it." Hilde answered. "We were just told that 2Gundam prototypes were made: the Scorpio and another. The second has yet to reveal itself."
"Oh great," Duo muttered, "the plot thickens."
"It's a possibility that the person who infiltrated St. Ignatia might be the pilot of the mystery Gundam." Trowareplied.
"That's what we're left to assume."Wufei replied.
"Then whoever it is must be on ourside." Quatre said.
"That we cannot assume." Wufei said. "They may have their own reasons for fighting the Dark Claw. It may not necessarily be for the sake of peace."
"The point is that there's someone else out there who has managed to get past the Dark Claw's defenses unnoticed." Noin replied. "We have to keep our eyes open."
The others nodded.
Just then, a siren went off throughout the palace.
"What the heck is that?" Sally asked.
Hilde ran out of the room and thencame back in. "Reconnaissance says there's a bunch of black mobile suits heading towards us."
"Well," Wufei replied, standing up. "That's our cue."
"Yet another unexpected twist." Duo muttered. "Bummer."
"I'd thought you'd be happy you get to fight, Duo." Quatre said.
"Yeah," Duo replied, yawning, "but I wanted to be the one to attack them first. I was just getting ready to take a nap."
"Noin, would it be all right to take our Gundams out?" Trowa asked
Noin shook her head. "There's still some more work to be done on them, so there are some modified mobile suits you'll be able to use until the Gundams are fully operational."
"That'll have to do for now," Quatre said. "Let's get going."
With that, he and the other three pilots ran out of the room.
Milliardo, who had been silent the entire time, looked out the window after the pilots left. 'Amystery Gundam pilot . . . who could it be?'
~*~*~*~*~*~
Relena sighed inwardly. "I, Relena Dorlian Peacecraft, am a pathetic hypocrite."
A short, chubby man walked up to her. "You are not," he replied. "You're following your heart by doing what youfeel is right."
"I've berated any type of violence or fighting for years," Relena replied, "and now I'm condoning it."
Another tall, bald man walked up beside her. "Sometimes you have tofight, to protect those you care about."
". . To protect those I care about . .." Relena repeated.
"Yes, that is why you wanted to do this in the first place, right? To protect those important to you."
Relena nodded, "Yes, that's right."
Just then, an alarm went off. The short and tall man both ran to the nearest computer console.
"Our sensors are picking up the Dark Claw mobile dolls." the short man answered, frowning.
"You can detect them from here?" Relena asked.
"Of course," the tall man answered,"our satellites can pick up their signatures easily."
"Where are they headed?" Relena asked.
The short man frowned. "They are headed straight for the Sank Kingdom."
Relena gasped, "No . . ."
Another man with gray, spiky hair walked up to the computer console. "The Gundams still are not fully operational." he said, grimly, "They will not stand a chance against the enemy dolls."
Relena frowned and walked up to the three men. "There has to be a way to help them!" she exclaimed. "Just tell me and I'll do it."
The three men looked at each other and then nodded, turning back towards Relena. "Come with us."
~*~*~*~*~*~
Quatre screamed in pain as a mobile doll threw his mobile suit back. Duof lew in with his suit and caught Quatre's before he hit the ground.
"You okay, Quatre?" he asked.
Quatre rubbed his head. "Thanks, Duo, I think I'm okay." Quatre answered. "Those things sure pack a punch."
"You're telling me." Duo frowned.
"These suits we've got just aren't doing anydamage." Wufei replied.
"What I wouldn't give to thrash them with my Deathscythe . . ." Duo gritted.
"We'll have to make due," Trowa said over the comm-link, shoving a beam saber through the head of Scorpio doll. "We can't afford to die here."
"They just keep coming though!" Quatre exclaimed. "If we don't come up with some sort of strategy soon, we're finished."
"Feel free to come up with one any time, Quatre."Duo replied.
Wufei let out a loud battle cry as he fired a round at some mobile dolls, only to have them dodge. "Blast! They're too fast."
"Nobody's too fast for the Shinigami!" Duo howled, charging towards the enemy. "BANZAIII!!!"
"Duo, wait!!" Quatre called to no avail.
Duo went charging at the dolls. He raised his arm to punch one of the dolls, but it grabbed his arm and swung him back towards the other Gundams pilots. Duo plowed into Trowa and Wufei, sending all three of them to the ground.
"Oi, Maxwell, you baka!" Wufei growled. "Get off of me!"
"I'd love to, Wu-man, but I can't get off of you until you get off of me." Duo answered.
"Stop calling me, 'Wu-man', you . . .rat tailed grease monkey. . ."
"Heeyy . . . you leave my hair out of this!"
"Would the both of you get off of me and stop arguing," Trowa replied, still stoic.
Quatre watched as the chaos unfolded with his comrades and sighed miserably. "We shouldn't be fighting at all . . ." he said to himself. He looked up at the dolls to see one of the maiming a beam cannon at the three entangled mobile suits. "Hey, you guys! Get out of there!" he yelled, running towards them.
Duo looked up to see what Quatre was yelling about. Seeing the beam cannon, he jumped up in his seat, trying to bring his suit upright. "Holy—"
CRUNCH!
"MAXWELL!" Wufei yelled. "Watch where you're putting that thing!"
Duo laughed nervously. "Gomen ne, Wu-man," he chuckled, "this thing must have a mind of its own."
"Injustice! Just you wait, American," Wufei gritted. "If we live through this, justice will be served . . ."
"Speaking of which," Trowa replied calmly, "we might want to move. Now."
The doll had just finished charging up its beam cannon and was preparing to pull the trigger.
Quatre's eyes went wide in horror. "Trowa, Duo, Wufei!!" he called out. There was nothing he could do. He closed his eyes and waited for the worst.
Nothing happened.
Duo blinked and scratched his head. "Are we dead yet?"
"No," Wufei growled, "but you will be when we get back."
Quatre brought his mobile suit up to the others, "Guys, are you all right?" he asked.
The other three pilots managed to get their suits to their feet.
"What happened?" Duo asked. The mobile suit that had been preparing to fire at them was still standing in the same place with its cannon aimed at them. It hadn't moved an inch.
"It's not moving." Trowa said.
Duo brought his suit forward. The mobile suit shook from the vibration and split into two pieces. "I think I killed it!"
Wufei peered at the doll. "No you didn't," he replied, "it's been cut in two."
"By who, though?" Quatre asked. "There's no one else around."
"You guys, 6 o'clock!" Trowa's voice had a slight tone of surprise in it.
"6 o'clock? Tenchi Muyo is on!"
"Idiot! Look behind you!"
The four Gundam pilots turned their suits around to see another Gundam standing before them. The design of machine was very fantasyesque, but the pilots had never seen anything like it before.
(AN:For those of you, who have ever read the Magic Knight Rayearth manga, the Gundam's head resembled Eagle's FTO)
The Gundam's eyes were golden and its body was completely white, except for certain parts that were either blue, gold, or dark purple. On its back were large verniers resembling Zero's. However, they had a design etched onto them resembling wings. Attached tothe right hand of the Gundam was something similar to a crossbow. In the other was a large scimitar that was three-fourths the length of the Gundam itself.
"Are you guys getting this?" Trowa asked, running analyses on the new Gundam.
"I'm speechless," Duo murmured.
"There's a first time for everything." Wufei muttered.
"Is that the mystery Gundam Ms. Hilde was talking about?" Quatre asked.
The Gundam turned its head towards the other 4 pilots. "Are you all okay?" avoice asked. The voice was synthesized so that the pilot's voice could not be recognized.
"Yes, we're fine, thank you." Quatre answered. "Who are you?"
There was a silence at first. "I am Gundam Pilot 06, of the Gundam Arch Angel." Came the reply.
"Arch Angel?" Wufei asked. "You're a Gundam pilot?"
"I'm piloting a Gundam, am I not?"
"Ooh, he got you there, Wu-man!"
"I'd love to stay and chat with you boys, but I have to finish off these dolls." the pilot of Arch Angel replied. "Take a breather." With that, the Gundam took off, scimitar in hand, towards the remaining Scorpio units.
"I don't believe it," Duo said, "another Gundam pilot? Somebody pinchme."
CLANG!
The hand of Wufei's mobile suit slammed against the back of the head of Duo's mobile suit.
"Owwww!! Wufei!"
"Must have a mind of its own." Came the reply.
Duo was about to retaliate when Quatre's voice cut him off.
"Look at that thing go!"
Arch Angel flew with such speed towards the enemy it seemed as if it was materializing from one place to another. The pilots were having a hard time following its movements.
"Is it possible for a pilot to travel at such high speeds?" Wufei asked to no one in particular.
Arch Angel zipped past the dolls, causing them to stumble back. It came back around and raised its right hand and fired a thermal arrow through the head of a doll, causing it to explode. The remaining dolls were swiftly taken out by the Gundam's glowing scimitar.
"Whoa," Duo replied. "He's good. He's really good."
Arch Angel placed the scimitar on aholder on its back, between its verniers. It then hovered over to the other Gundam pilots in their battered mobile suits.
"That should be the last of them," the mystery pilot replied. "I don't think they'll try any more attacks for a while."
"Who are you?" Quatre asked.
"I do believe I've already answered that question." the pilot answered politely.
"I wouldn't really call that a sufficient answer." Wufei replied.
"True," the pilot agreed, "but it is the only one I can give you. I sincerely apologize. But you have to understand that I'm not here to fight you."
"Who are you here to fight then?"Trowa asked.
"I don't want to fight anyone." the pilot answered. "I am here to protect the Sank kingdom, and everything it stands for. You don't have to worry. I'm not your enemy." With that, ArchAngel's verniers kicked in, sending it soaring off into the heavens.
End of Chapter 5
Author's Notes:
Miss Chang Po: Well, there's another chapter hot on the virtual press. Thank you guys for encouraging me to write another chapter. I'm really glad you guys are liking this story as well as 'Boys Meet Girls'.
Wufei: Well, of course they like this story... it has me in it.
Miss Chang Po: ::remains silent for a moment:: Continuing on with what I was saying... for those who are reading 'Boys Meet Girls' thank you for being so patient. I haven't had a chance to write another chapter. Now that my chem final is over and done with, I've only got 2 more to take.
Wufei: ::raises an eyebrow:: How'd you do on the chem final?
Miss Chang Po: Uhm... ::scratches her head as a sweatdrop forms:: How well can you do when you guess on most of the answers...? ^_^;
Wufei: ::shakes his head:: Typical onna...