by terre nymphe
as aforementioned in the summary, this piece borrows both characters and storylines from Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, and Dark Angel. I do not own, nor have any claim to, any of these shows and/or comics. I apologize for any perceived plagiarism and assure readers that it is not intentional.
While the furtive Director A was focused on Usagi, the other five Founders were deeply entrenched in the training and cultivation of their perfect soldiers. They often wondered and speculated as to the reason Director A kept himself and his boy isolated but didn't dwell too much on the man's eccentricity. They all had secrets; the fact was just accepted and ignored– there were more important things to attend to.
The boys' basic training regimen followed that of the regular soldiers, or the infantry as they were labeled. After their year in decontamination, they were sent to the nursery building. Each boy was given his own room; the Founders didn't want them to form the close bonds exhibited by the infantry. They needed to be able to act independently of other soldiers.
At age five, the five "perfects" began sharing a room. They completed the basics together and had meals together, but each boy's specializations were overseen by his specific Founder– isolated from the others. When each boy turned fifteen, he was given his identification tattoo (on his right pectoral), made eligible for fieldwork, and put into general population. Within the general population, they quickly rose to high-ranking positions. They were the Gundam Zero series and even the older infantry members had a great respect for them.
The first "perfect" to be born was Trowa, G0-0372. Trowa was a tall, muscular boy. His lean frame was perfect for the designs of his Founder, Doktor S, who believed that both stealth and dexterity, in combination with above average intellect, were key to a well-rounded warrior. This philosophy was the inspiration for Trowa's identification tattoo. He was given a simple but perfect outline of a circle. Within The Society, a small, secret pro-splicing alliance had been formed among Doktor S, Director A, and Dr. J. Doktor S had Director A to splice feline DNA into Trowa's genetic code to ensure extraordinary agility and speed. The fact that he could see in the dark and far into the distance were just added bonuses. While he waited for the other G0s to come of age, Trowa was a member of the traveling circus owned secretly by Doktor S. It was both an attempt to test his readiness as a covert agent and an operation to ferret out the identity of a double agent within the organization. Though the circus manager had no idea that he had Society members in his employ and the agents didn't know each other's identities, they comprised almost one-fifth of his staff. One of the men had been selling research to OZ. All Trowa had been able to determine was that the man was not an actual soldier; he had to have been a lab tech or trainer, etc . . . When the last "perfect" was approved for missions, Trowa was sent back to the base, though he was to return as soon as possible.
The second "perfect" born was G0-0147, Heero. He was Dr. J's prodigy. He, like Usagi, was expected to be emotionless and unconditionally obedient– and he was. Also, like Usagi and Trowa, he had feline DNA. Dr. J was equally, if not more, stringent about physical training as Doktor S. He was even stricter about Heero's intellectual nurturing. He trained the boy to be a proficient computer hacker/programmer; his skills were almost unparalleled. His identification tattoo was an infinity symbol. It was to be indicative of his intelligence and perseverance. While he was waiting for the other three "perfects" to turn fifteen, Heero helped the Founders design and program the newest mobile suits, the Gundams. His series had been created to fight with the special mobile suits, among other things, and Heero was determined to create a suit to fit his skill level. His most recent project was testing the Zero system, there were a few bugs to work out, but the project was to be put on hold for a while. He had a hand in the production of four of the other suits too. He would have liked to design the suit for Director A's soldier, but the Founder had assured him that his soldier had it under control; Heero was highly skeptical. He even went so far as to sneak into the production warehouse to fix the suit. The Society couldn't afford to have substandard equipment, and if he wasn't involved, the suit was sure to be substandard. To his ultimate frustration, the warehouse was protected by a complex security system, one he couldn't hack into. It was a very small comfort to know that someone on Director A's team was as good with a computer as he was. Maybe the entire fate of the Society didn't have to depend on his skill alone.
The third "perfect" was G0-0504, Wufei. From the time he was born, Master O instilled in him an overbearing arrogance and sense of pride. He also emphasized honor and tradition. This was represented by his tattoo; the dragon on his right pectoral embodied the history of his people, as well as, his personal strength and ability. Wufei took to heart the fact that he was genetically superior to almost everyone. Master O had searched all over China for the purest bloodlines. He was not amenable to the interspecies splicing; he wouldn't stand for his soldier to be defiled with animal DNA. He did put a great bit of effort into researching what genes he wanted manipulated before submitting the embryo to Director A and his lab techs; he was not against the manipulation of existing DNA strands. Master O wanted things the way he wanted them, and he was vocal in his quest to create a perfect being. This need for absolute control was passed down to Wufei, and it gave him the drive to be an excellent strategist. His specialty was; however, physical combat. He spent all of his free time training with his katana or challenging the other "perfects" to hand-to-hand combat. Wufei's pride would not allow him to fight those of lesser skill, except when ordered by a trainer. He knew that he was better than they were, and he found no honor in beating the weak.
The fourth "perfect" was Duo, G0-0299. His Founder, Professor G, was also opposed to the addition of animal DNA to the embryos– out loud anyway. He really thought the idea was kind of cool, but since all of the other Founders were against it, he let the idea go. Duo was an unusual soldier. His personality was mischievous and playful– strange for an engineered killing machine. His identification tattoo was just as contradicting as his personality. He thought it was just too ironic to pass up; he chose an ankh– the symbol for life. Whether his long braid and loud mouth were part of a cunning veneer and carefully planned method of misdirection or simply his natural disposition, his Founder was unsure and didn't much care. Duo's appointed focus was weaponry. He was currently working to set up a secret base in the Rub al Khali desert in Saudi Arabia, and was having the time of his life. He had to make frequent trips to a myriad of foreign cities and he had a long list of girlfriends in each city. Though Duo's actions were totally inappropriate, Professor G took pride in his soldier's ability with women and subtly encouraged him.
The fifth "perfect" was Quatre, G0-0483. Instructor H was vehemently opposed to the mixing of species– not for moral reasons though. He thought it was a waste of time and money. He was sure that the experiment would fail, and the Society did not have time for failure– there was too much at stake. Deciding to focus on academics, Instructor H set about training his "perfect" to excel in intelligence. Quatre was the communications expert; he gathered, processed, and relayed to The Society so they could form mission objectives. He was also the best at field medicine. He would rather heal than hurt, so he put extra effort into the training. He even chose the caduceus for his identification tattoo. Personality-wise, Quatre was the strangest of the "perfect" group. Though he was trained to kill and destroy, his disposition was geared more toward pacifism. For each person he killed, he made a point to truly help two in people in return. His present mission was essential in his plan. He was posing as the long lost son of the Rabera Winner family of Saudi Arabia. He had access to limitless funds and he used some of the money to build orphanages and schools– it gave him some peace with what he was created to do.
The five boys, against the wishes and designs of their Founders, had created a bond. True, they could function without each other, but they preferred to work together. They knew that they were different from everyone else, even the infantry soldiers. It was more satisfying to be in the company of equals. Now, they had all returned to the base to give progress reports. At the moment, they were standing in formation with the infantry soldiers. It was the first time they had all been together in about six months, but they wouldn't be able to speak to each other until morning drills were complete. And as demeaning as they found the position, they knew better than to complain.
As soon as drills were completed, the boys were immediately ordered to the debriefing room. When they arrived, the six Founders were already seated. Taking their customary places at the end of the long conference table, the boys took turns sharing the information they had gathered.
Trowa was first. He was close to discovering the identity of the mole. He did express his reluctance to return to leave the circus to return to the base; he had been gone for a week and was sure that he was going to miss something.
"You needn't worry about something going awry in your absence. I sent G0-0630 in your place; perhaps my soldier will be able to find out the mole for you." Director A chose his words carefully– avoiding 'he' and 'she.'
"Yes, sir." Trowa was skeptical though. No one, barring Director A and his staff, had ever seen the youngest of the gundam zero series. G0-0630 would have just been cleared for solo missions within the past week, and Trowa was still confident that he would the one to find the mole– it was his mission after all.
Heero was thinking the same things. There must be something wrong with the sixth "perfect." No one had ever seen him or even heard his name; maybe he didn't have one. The Founders had given the "perfects" names to make them feel superior. If G0-0630 wasn't superior, he wouldn't have received a name. It was a curious affair and intrigued the gundam boys to no end.
Heero was the next to give an update. He announced the completion of the gundam prototype. Wufei wasn't in the middle of any mission, so he remained silent. Next, Duo told the Founders all about the desert base. Quatre was last. He informed the Society that the head of the Rabera Winner house had passed away the day before. The old man had named Quatre the heir to the family business and fortune. This news was pleasing to the Founders; now they had control of one of the most influential families on Earth, as well as, the space colonies.
When the debriefing was over, each Founder whisked his soldier away to conduct further questioning, etc . . . Instructor H wanted to know more about the inner workings of the Rabera Winner family. Professor G was interested in the blueprints for Duo's desert base. Master O needed to brief Wufei on his upcoming mission. Dr. J took Heero to the production warehouse; he wanted to see the prototypes for himself. Doktor S sent Trowa to pack his bags. He agreed with the boy; a week was too long to be away. He needed to get back to the circus immediately. Director A walked silently back to his corner of the compound, a smug smile was on his face. He knew that the other ten men that had been in the room doubted his soldier's abilities. They would find out how wrong they were soon enough. Usagi had already informed him that she'd narrowed the suspects down to three. She was going to "take care of it" and return within the week. Allowing himself a chuckle, he imagined the other Founders' faces when they found out that his soldier had done what Trowa could not. Usagi's time had come, and in that, so had his.