Author's Note: Hello again, long time no see! Sorry for the wait. I will be finishing this, eventually, but I can't gaurantee when the next update will be. Once I have the final chapter up and everyone who reveiwed me before reviews me again, or I recieve some other confirmation that all of you have read it, I will be removing this fic. Over the course of writing this, not only my skills have improved (though you can't tell it from reading this) but my grasp of the canon has also gone up, and I realize what a bad idea adding the Gundam pilots was. I hope to eventually revisit this and keep it a Saint Seiya / Samurai Troopers fic, probably entitled Saints and Samurai instead. When that will be coming, I have no idea, but there you go.

Life and Death

The roar of the gun mixed with an almost inhuman growl from Phoenix and reverberated against the metallic hall. The sound held Rowen fixed in place, watching in wide eyed horror as the somehow surreal scene played out. Ikki had in one motion both caught the bullet and hit its target.

Wha! Wha. . . What are you? Duo squeaked, watching the crumpled metal cylinder drop from the Phoenix's hand while a robot behind the Saint likewise crumpled and hit the floor.

Don't. . . do. . . that. . . again. Ikki answered. The blue-haired man glared for a moment at the gun Duo now had pointed at Phoenix's head in earnest before the Knight pushed past the trembling pilot as if nothing had happened.

You're pretty good if you saw that thing coming, even if you were facing it. It must have had some kind of cloak, right? I was only able to sense it. Rowen patted Maxwell consolingly, lowering the boy's arms and guiding him after Ikki. That wasn't the only one, as I'm sure you know, so we should probably keep going. We can talk later. Rowen reasoned wisely, somewhat amused by the pilot's stupor.

He. . . he caught a BULLET! With his BARE HANDS! He can not be HUMAN! Duo sputtered after a few steps.

I am a Knight of Athena, I am very human. Though we have certain gifts that are not normal to most humans, we are still human. Now, are you coming? Ikki shot back, hearing every word despite the fact Duo's half mumbled rantings were nearly unintelligible.

You'll get used to it, I'm sure. Rowen smiled mischievously.

Are. . . can you. . .Most likely. I've never tried. My opponents have never had guns before. They were a bit more. . . traditional. Rowen winked, feeling rather bad for the paling pilot. After hearing this, Duo stopped dead, facing Strata with wide, blue eyes. Which, for him, meant they took up half his face. He gulped, took a few deep breaths, and seemed to calm down.

So, you two are frea. . . superhuman, and I'm stu. . . blessed with you as my partners. So far we seem to be on the right side, so if I don't change that, we all get what we want, and I should just enjoy having less to do. Does that sum it up? Maxwell stumbled a bit, wisely curbing his usually sharp tongue for once.

Yep, sounds about right. Rowen nodded, not taking offense to the slips. Ikki made some strangled sound the Ronin assumed to be snort. Thus, Strata made certain, even when he and the pilot were catching up, that he could easily get between the two.

It's not that I don't trust Ikki. It's that I don't trust his temper. Especially while there's so much else to grate on his nerves.' Rowen rationalized silently, keeping a sharp, dark blue eye on each of his companions.

Before long, a rather apprehensive Duo slipped past Ikki to take the lead. And was closely followed by Rowen. Before Phoenix could question the change in traveling order, the pilot hacked open a small door in the side of the corridor.

We can get to where we need to be a lot quicker if we go through here. It's a system of easy access passages for maintenance personnel. We're going to be doing the maintenance of cleaning out that old hag and getting the people she has captive back to where they belong, so it's perfect. Maxwell was smiling, but his tone was hard and sober. The Knight examined the three foot opening with disgust.

We're supposed to crawl through there, where we can't defend ourselves, we can't be sure what's on the other side, we can't be sure if we'll be able to get out again, and we can't see our noses in front of our faces for the dark? Not to mention, we are in enemy territory where they have the upper hand anyway? This is your best route? I'd hate to hear about your worst. It was plain Ikki's accustomed rage was already simmering. Something had Phoenix really worked up, and it wasn't hard for Rowen to guess what. Phoenix's temper was about to go off if something didn't defuse it fast.

No, it's not my safest route, it's my quickest route, and right now time is of the essence. I don't like it either, nor do I have a death wish. But, honestly, I don't see what you're worried about with your special abilities. I'm the one who is very human here, even compared to my friends. But I want to do what I've come to do, and I do think this is the best way to do that. Duo's gaze leveled on Ikki, his normally jovial tone cutting through the air like a scythe.

Well, getting yourself killed in taking such a chance won't help, so how bout we use the runner up? We'll follow where you lead, but you're the one who knows what we're doing here. It would help us to keep you around. Rowen reasoned, then knelt quickly pushing Duo out of the way of an attack from the darkened opening.

That's not like the last one. Ikki growled appraisingly from across the hall. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed before his chest by the time Rowen had crumpled the mechanical scorpion.

The long way it is. Duo concluded shakily from his sprawled position on the floor. He was busy eyeing the metallic tail of the security bot that had nearly taken Maxwell's head off. The now-visible, grey metal had an eerie, purple glow at it's tip that told Duo the cut alone would have been the least of his worries had he been struck.

Rowen smiled while he helped the pilot push the scrap metal back into the tunnel and close the door.

I suppose this means they're closing in on us from every other angle, too. We'd best keep on our toes if this place has more than one model. The Knight offered, glancing casually down the hall in either direction.

I'll tell you what else it means, the security system is able to upgrade itself. There weren't supposed to be any other types of bots here. Duo explained, dusting himself off and taking off down the hall. If we're going around, we're going to have to move fast, we don't want to hold the others up. Maxwell called back to the rather opened-mouthed Knight and Ronin. They set off after him at a light jog, sharing an amused look at their new friend's definition of fast.

The corridors continued in straight lines, but the unending string of corners made them seem to twist and turn about each other. Ikki was having trouble keeping his sense of direction, and Rowen was getting a little dizzy. To pass the time, per Duo's request, the boys related to the pilot the events of the past with as much brevity as they could muster, not wanting to dig too deeply into many of the more painful memories. Then, once this was done, they fell into silence punctuated only by Maxwell's heavy breathing.

Does this place ever end? Strata asked, taking in once again the same smooth, white walls. He was vainly grasping for some way to tell those he now saw apart from the seeming millions that he had passed before.

Yes, it just takes forever and a day. That's why I wanted to use the short cut. It went just under the floor, so it could go in a straight line. The pilot puffed over his shoulder, his braid swinging in time with his gait and in front of his turned face like a poorly-weighted pendulum.

Now I can see why you wanted to take that way, too. Phoenix muttered.

No worries, we're almost there. Amazing there hasn't been any further activity from those creepy crawlers. Maxwell murmured to himself as he turned a corner and immediately regretted his lack of prudence.

Haven't you Gundam Pilots learned not to tempt fate, Duo? Rowen chided as he grabbed the boy's arm to pull the pilot behind him, away from the newest assailants. They had all three, needless to say, stopped dead in their tracks upon rounding the bend.

I'm a little slow when it comes to life-lessons, sometimes. I've always had too big of a mouth for my own good. Deathsythe's pilot agreed, looking rather pale while surveying the mess of trouble before him.

We've noticed. Ikki growled, although a small smile was on his lips. At least he'd get a chance to work off his aggressions.