Chapter Two: It's a Gundam!… and Beef Jerky

While Heero and Duo drove cross-country, Relena and Hilde were left to watch their mobile suits in Heero's top-secret hangar.

"This is a drag," Hilde said as she sat back in a chair with a magazine. "Duo and Heero can't really expect us to sit here and watch their Gundams while they're out having a good time. It's not fair!"

"I guess you're right," Relena agreed. Then she smiled saccharinely. "But it's not like we can't have some fun while they're gone..."

"What do you mean?" Hilde sat straight up, causing her magazine to flutter to the floor. "They should've taken us with them!"

Relena wrinkled her nose. "What, in Heero's dirty old Mustang? As if! Where are they going, anyway?"

"I... I don't know. I guess they never told us, did they?"

"Hmph!" Relena flipped her long blonde hair back. "If they don't feel like telling us what they're doing, we won't have to tell them what we do, either."

Hilde tilted her head to look at Relena. "What are you getting at?"

Relena walked around the room, surveying Duo and Heero's mobile suits. "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pilot one of these?" She reached her hand out to stroke Wing Zero.

Hilde gasped. "You can't be serious! Steal our boyfriends' Gundams? But… you're such a goody-goody most of the time!"

Relena smiled wickedly. "What they don't know can't hurt them... Besides, what's the harm in one tiny little test drive?"

Hilde grinned back mischievously. "You said it, Princess." The two hopped inside the Gundams and headed for outer space.

Meanwhile, Duo and Heero had been driving for hours when they decided to stop at a gas station.

"Okay, here's the deal," Heero said, turning to his travel companion. "One of us gets fuel while the other buys food."

"Simple enough," said Duo. "I get the food, you get the fuel."

"That depends," Heero glowered, "on what you plan on getting."

"Well, I was thinking a couple of bags of Doritos, a box of Twinkies, some Pop-Tarts, and lots of Mountain Dew!"

Heero grimaced. "On second thought, I think I'll buy the food."

"Oh, no you don't! You'll get something weird, I guarantee it!"

Heero gave him the most innocent look he could muster. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just want something healthier."

"Fine. Tell me what you want and I'll get it for you, as long as I can still have what I want."

"Well, that also depends on how much money we have. I was thinking we should compromise on one thing and split it."

"Forget it, buddy! That ain't gonna work, so just tell me what you want already."

"Fine," Heero consented. "I want a can of V8, some beef jerky, and a couple of Power Bars."

Duo just stared at him. "Freak!" he cried. Nevertheless, they filled the gas tank, purchased their food, and were soon on their way. They still had quite a drive before they would reach Nevada, and would eventually have to stop somewhere to spend the night.

Back in Arabia...

Quatre was showing his friends around the marketplace. "There are all sorts of neat arts and crafts, magicians, and cool stuff to buy from merchants here!"

Trowa and Wufei, however, were not as thrilled as Quatre. Trowa was even stifling a yawn when an old, crotchety-looking man in a turban approached them.

"Would you care to have your palm read, sir?" he asked Quatre in a shaky voice.

Quatre looked at his companions and shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

The old man took Quatre's hand in his and started to look at it, then suddenly whipped out a paint brush and splattered Quatre's hand with red paint.

"There, now your palm is red! Get it? Would you like your palm red? Ha ha ha!" The old man walked away, laughing insanely.

Just then Rashid walked up to them, his eyes wide with concern. "Master Quatre, your hand! Are you all right? What happened?"

Quatre laughed. "Take it easy, Rashid. It's only paint. Oh, and you don't have to call me 'Master Quatre' all the time. Just Quatre is fine."

"Yes, Master Quatre! Now let's get you back to the house so you can clean up."

"Okay, Rashid. And I told you not to call me 'Master,' remember? I'm sixteen and you're thirty-something, so you really shouldn't be calling me that."

"Whatever you say, Master Quatre!"

"Rashid! I said don't call me that!"

"Right, Master Quatre!"

"CUT IT OUT!" Quatre's eyes turned bloodshot, and he clenched his fists. "If you call me that one more time, I'll..."

"Wow, Quatre, I've never seen you express your emotions so strongly," Trowa commented.

"Emotions are not strong, they are weak!" yelled Wufei.

"Are you questioning what I say, Wufei?" Trowa took advantage of the small amount of "power" he seemed to have over him.

"No, mighty pilot of the Heavyarms! I shall leave you now..." With that, Wufei excused himself to go for a walk. Trowa rolled his eyes, then guided a fuming Quatre back to his house.

Wufei ended up in Quatre's backyard, where his Gundam Altron, which he affectionately called "Nataku," was hidden behind some trees.

"Oh, Nataku, I am not worthy of piloting you," he called up to the inanimate object. "You are so much stronger than I, Nataku. I am weak! Even Trowa, girly-haired pilot of the Heavyarms, is stronger than I. Oh, Nataku, I have failed you! Nataku?" Wufei looked up at his Gundam, half-expecting it to talk back. He heard nothing but silence and sighed.

"Finally, you shut up for once!"

Wufei looked around, puzzled. "Where is that voice coming from?"

"Up here, bub!" Wufei looked up to see Altron moving freely.

"Y-you're alive! You can speak?"

"Yes, I can speak. Surprised you didn't know that. Oh, that's right, you never bothered to listen, did you?" Altron retorted sarcastically.

"Nataku, I'm so sorry... Please forgive me; I would have listened. Why didn't you ever try to talk before?"

"Because you never let me get a word in edgewise!" Altron raised its dragon at Wufei. "Now take that, you blabbermouth!" The Gundam charged towards Wufei.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH! HELP ME!" Wufei ran about like a maniac as Altron chased him into the marketplace.

"Look, it's a Gundam," people whispered in awe, ignoring Wufei's screams and pleas for help. Trowa saw what was happening from a window in Quatre's house and ran out to get in Heavyarms. Soon he joined Altron in the square.

"Look, it's another Gundam!" onlookers yelled.

"All right, Altron," he challenged. "I don't know how or why you've turned on your pilot, but you'll have to be stopped."

"Nooo!" Wufei screamed as the Trowa began to face off with Altron. "Stop these foolish games at once!"

The two Gundams fought until Trowa knocked Altron down. Altron's power seemed to die, and Trowa came out of Heavyarms. He found Wufei sitting beside Nataku, crying.

"Why, Nataku? Why? I am so weak!" He threw back his head and screamed at the top of his lungs. "YEEEAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!"

Trowa glanced around, a little embarrassed. "Come on, Wufei. Don't worry about it; this won't happen again."

Wufei stopped his sniffling and got inside Altron, while Trowa went back inside Heavyarms. He guided his Gundam back to Quatre's place with Altron slowly trudging behind.