Hello all! Again, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed - it means the world to me! hugs Also, there's a bunch of dialogue from the series in Duo's part, though a lot of it is my own as well. As always, I don't own the rights to GW or the song's I'm quoting, but I'm not making any money either. That's all for now, I think. Enjoy!!
Zombie - Part 2
But you see, it's not me, it's not my family
In your head, in your head they are fighting
- Zombie - The Cranberries
Wufei
"I want to be strong like you, Unca Wu!" Chyou cried enthusiastically. "Teach me to fight!"
"It is not my place to teach you," Wufei replied. "You should learn from your father."
"Please?" Chyou pleaded.
There was no resisting that face.
"I cannot teach you to fight, but I can help you become strong," Wufei capitulated. "Have you learned any exercises to practice?"
"No. Will you show me, Unca Wu?" Chyou asked, excited now.
"Of course. Here," he said, lifting her out of his lap and standing. "First, put your feet like this. Yes, right foot forward, shoulder-width apart. Good. Now, bring up your arms…"
Slowly, Chyou stumbled through the basic forms of Tai Chi. Every time Wufei thought to stop, she insisted on more. By the end of the afternoon, she was able to complete an entire exercise smoothly from start to finish. Wufei was deeply impressed. But what else could he expect of his wife's niece? Chyou was promising to be as strong and willful as Meilan had been. If only he had been able to appreciate those qualities when she was still alive.
Chyou's yawn brought Wufei back to the present.
"Looks like you're getting tired," Wufei said, smiling.
"No I'm not!" Chyou insisted.
"Of course," Wufei replied, tongue in cheek. "It's time to go inside for dinner, though. We can practice more afterwards, okay?"
"Okay!" Chyou agreed enthusiastically. Wufei hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for promising such a thing, as he wasn't sure how Sun and Lian would react to the lessons and if they would want them to continue. Hopefully, they wouldn't mind.
"Come on, Unca Wu!" Chyou called as she bounced inside, obviously ready to eat. Wufei shook his head at her antics and followed her inside.
As they sat at the table to eat, Chyou was fairly exploding with excitement. Mindful of her manners, though, she settled for looking pleadingly at her father instead of interrupting the silence.
After a short while, Sun smiled and asked, "Did you have fun today, Chyou?"
"Yah! Unca Wu is so fun! Guess what we did!"
"What did you do?" Sun asked, obviously curious.
"We did exercises! I'm going to be strong like Unca Wu!" Chyou said enthusiastically.
Sun looked to Wufei for clarification.
"Chyou asked me to teach her to fight. Of course, that is for you to do, so I declined. She insisted, so I taught her some basic Tai Chi."
Sun nodded, understanding dawning on his features. "Was it hard," he asked, turning to Chyou.
"Uh-huh! But Unca Wu says I'm good at it. We're going to do more after dinner!"
Sun looked questioningly to Wufei again, who swallowed, chagrinned. "She did show a surprising aptitude for the exercises. And I would be willing to show her more after dinner if you would allow it."
"We'll see," Sun replied, smiling to himself. "Chyou, if you want to do more, you'll have to finish all of your dinner," he instructed.
"Okay!" Chyou replied, and set to with a will.
It was a pleasant meal. The adults talked about inconsequential matters, filling Wufei in with the daily happenings since his departure, while Chyou ate diligently. Towards the end, however, her head was drooping noticeably, and by the time everyone had finished, she had fallen fast asleep in her chair.
"Looks like it's time for bed," Lian said. "You really tired her out," she continued with a smile.
"I hope it's not a problem. She insisted on practicing all afternoon."
"No, not a problem. I just wonder that she hasn't tired you out as much as the other way around!" Lian replied.
As if on cue, Wufei yawned. "Perhaps she has. I think I'll retire early tonight."
"A good idea," said Master Long. "Tomorrow will be a full day."
"Master Long?" Wufei said questioningly.
"Now that you're home, I would like you to help with the training of some of my students."
"Of course. I will see you in the morning, then," Wufei replied. "Thank you for the meal." With that, Wufei stood and headed for his bedroom as Lian gathered up Chyou to put her to bed.
Wufei roused himself early the next morning so he could do his exercises before joining Master Long's students for training. While he had been unable to do them daily while on Earth, he had performed them as often as possible. It was important to hone both his discipline and his strength, and these exercises did both.
Centering his mind, Wufei began the first series of motions. While exacting, it was a relieving pursuit. Being able to exercise in the comfort of his home again was quite a relief, to Wufei's surprise. He hadn't realized how much he had missed it while he was gone.
Finishing up, Wufei wiped the sweat from his brow with a cloth, then gathered the things he would need for training. It wasn't much - soft shoes, a larger towel and a practice katana. Things in hand, he exited his room and made for the practice yard on the side of the Long residence.
There were a number of students already there, stretching in preparation for their lessons. Master Long sat to the side, observing. Wufei approached him and bowed.
"Good morning, Master Long. How would you like me to help?"
"Good morning, Wufei. As soon as Sun arrives, I would like you two to do a demonstration of hand-to-hand combat for my students. Please employ any techniques that you have learned during your absence, even if they are not traditional moves. The students need to see what fighting true enemies is like."
"Of course, Master Long. I'd be happy to demonstrate what I've learned," Wufei replied, wondering if he'd learned very much. His training had served him in good stead, preparing him well for the hand-to-hand combat he had engaged in on Earth. Further, he was apprehensive about facing Sun. They were a well-matched pair, but Sun had always had a slight advantage. After his experiences, Wufei would be expected to win the match, but he wasn't at all sure he would be able to.
Wufei suppressed his anxiety and grinned when Sun walked into the yard. Bowing slightly, he greeted his brother-in-law warmly.
"Good morning, Wufei," Sun replied. "Ready for the match?" Apparently, he already knew what was expected of them.
"Of course," Wufei replied, willing himself to be so. He had faced men who truly wanted to kill him; faced them and defeated them. He could face Sun and triumph as well, he told himself. Of course he could.
"Whenever you're ready," Master Long said to them. Sun looked to Wufei, who nodded, and they stepped out to the middle of the yard together. Immediately, the students stopped stretching and formed a loose circle around them.
After a few last stretches, Wufei readied himself, placing his feet just so, and waited for Master Long's command. Across from him, Sun fell into his ready stance.
"Begin," ordered Master Long, and the two men facing each other sprang into motion.
Sun had come at Wufei immediately, aiming a punch at his head, but Wufei had dodged him easily. He countered with a swift kick, which Sun blocked, then spun out of the way to give himself more room to maneuver. Sun followed him, attacking again, and this time Wufei blocked.
It went on like that for some time, neither seeming to have a clear advantage. Their breathing grew faster and sweat began to pore down their faces and still they circled, attacking, dodging, feinting, blocking.
Sun attacked with a series of blows, which Wufei blocked, and then backed off, preparing a stronger attack. As Sun advanced, Wufei saw his opportunity. Employing a technique an OZ soldier had used on him, Wufei managed to dodge Sun's attack while putting his leg out in such a way as to unbalance his opponent. As Sun wavered, Wufei swept his leg under Sun, tipping him off balance, then pushed him the rest of the way down. Lifting his elbow, he brought it down with force, stopping just before striking Sun's head. Sun gestured his surrender.
Panting, Wufei withdrew his elbow and stood, offering a hand to help Sun up. His brother-in-law accepted, grinning as he stood up.
"Good match," Sun said. "You've learned some new moves, I see."
"Good indeed," Master Long intoned. "Thank you for the demonstration. I hope it has been instructive for my students."
The students bowed in agreement and thanks, and Wufei nodded to them.
"Lan, Song, you will spar together. Tan, with Sungdo, and Tien with Lin. See if you can employ some of the new techniques you saw today," Master Long instructed, then turned to Wufei and Sun. "Sun, you may go if you wish. Wufei, I would like a word with you before you begin work on your Gundam."
"Of course," Wufei replied, as Sun bowed and took his leave of them.
"Come," Master Long requested, then turned toward the house.
They entered through a side door into a small sitting room. Master Long seated himself in a comfortable armchair, and gestured for Wufei to take a seat as well. Once Wufei sat, Master Long steepled his fingers and looked at him, thinking for a while.
"Wufei," Master Long began, just as Wufei was about to say something. "Your fighting skills have improved. You are stronger than when you left."
"Thank you, Master Long," Wufei replied, then waited, knowing there was more his mentor wanted to say.
"And yet you doubt yourself."
Wufei hesitated. What to say? How to explain it?
"I... fighting OZ has taught me many things. I have learned to fight better, yes. But... I was defeated by OZ's leader, Treize Kushrenada. He should have killed me, but instead he let me go. He let me go! I was so ashamed, I failed to join the other Gundam pilots in Siberia when they needed my help. It took a woman... a woman!... to convince me to fight again. Now, Nataku is even stronger than before... I may be stronger as well, but I'm not sure I have the strength to deserve Nataku."
Master Long looked at him for a long time before replying. "The problem is not your strength, Wufei, but your determination," he said.
Wufei thought for a moment, taken aback by Master Long's statement. His determination?
"I'm determined to fight OZ... but OZ is winning. How can that be, if they are evil?" he asked.
"Battles and wars do not determine who is right or good, Wufei," the old man replied. "They determine who is left. It is up to you to ensure that you fight with integrity and for justice. With those must you define the battle. Do not let the battle define you."
"I will try, Master Long," Wufei replied, trying to take in all that his mentor had said. Integrity and justice. He could fight for those things, fight with those qualities. Especially against an organization as evil as OZ. Yes, he could fight. He would fight.
Master Long contemplated the boy across from him, giving time for his words to sink in. Then he nodded.
"Good. That is all I can ask of you, and all you can ask of yourself."
"Thank you, Master Long," Wufei said with feeling. It never ceased to amaze him how a few words from this man could allay his doubts and fears. Yet again, he had helped Wufei understand himself and his own capabilities.
"You are welcome, Wufei," Master Long replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "And thank you," he continued, serious now. "Thank you for fighting on behalf of us all. You do much for one your age... much for any one person. We are very grateful."
Wufei was speechless. Never had he expected such a thing from Master Long. To be thanked in this way meant more than he could ever say. In response, he stood and bowed, showing his eternal respect for his mentor.
"It is my honor, Master Long."
Master Long chuckled. "Of course. Always the dutiful boy. Alright, that's all I need Wufei. You may go begin work on Shenlong now."
"Thank you, Master Long. Just let me know if you need anything. I'll be happy to help."
"Of course," Master Long replied, standing up. "Best of luck. There is a lot of work to be done."
Nodding, Wufei took his leave of his grandfather-in-law. A lot of work indeed. Thankfully, there were many capable hands to help Wufei with this work. Nataku would be complete in a matter of weeks. Then, he could fight again. For integrity, and for justice.
Another head hangs lowly,
Child is slowly taken.
And the violence caused such silence,
Who are we mistaken?
Duo
After they had escaped from the Lunar Base and wrecked as much havoc upon it as they could, Duo and Wufei had parted ways. He had no idea where Wufei had gone off to, but Duo had headed in the direction of the L2 cluster. He'd gotten into one scuffle with some OZ mobile suits along the way, but they didn't have any mobile dolls with them, so it was a cinch. He'd ended up on colony 0231, and was just setting up in a tiny little house (a converted trailer, actually) on a nice plot of land near the scrap yards when Hilde had found him.
He had no idea how the girl had tracked him down. He must have mentioned being from L2 at some point, but there were a half dozen different colonies in the cluster, so to find him so quickly was nothing short of miraculous. It was nice to have the company, though. One thing Duo couldn't abide was silence, and talking to himself got a little weird after a while. Besides, the girl was a decent mechanic, and was helping out quite a bit with Deathscythe.
The Gundam had only been about 80 complete when he'd stolen it from the Lunar Base, so there was a good amount of work to be done. Thankfully, he still had the little device that Trowa had given him, so he had all the detailed schematics of the new gear. He felt sorry that Wufei had to work without that aid, but the guy had studied the images so assiduously he probably had them memorized completely.
During the day, he and Hilde scrounged through scrap yards and mechanic's shops looking for the parts they needed. Of course they couldn't actually work on the Gundam during the daylight, and when they worked at night it was under the tarpaulin with flashlights. It was pretty annoying to have to work under the canvas cover, but annoying wouldn't even begin to describe it if they were discovered, so under cover it would be. They'd made a lot of progress, and he hazarded they'd only need another week, maybe less, to finish things completely.
Earlier that week, he'd managed to track down a fuel supplier and had ordered some more fuel for good ol' Scythe. Today, instead of sifting through piles of scrap, he was waiting around for said supplier to deliver while Hilde plied the scrap yards on her own. That girl really had been a big help, and Duo kept wondering what he could do to pay her back. So far, he'd come up with a whole lot of nothing, except making sure she didn't get killed helping him out.
A little after noon, Duo saw a big truck pull up in front of his yard. A heavyset man leaned out of the window and called down to him.
"You're the guy who needed vernier fuel for mobile suits, right?" he asked.
"Yah! Sorry to bother you!" Duo replied as he got up, watching the man get down from his truck. "You're payments over there, under those tarps," he continued, waving off to full trailer covered with canvas. "Genuine OZ products, just like you wanted. Just help yourself."
"Here, sign this form," the man said, handing Duo a clipboard before heading over to his truck and disconnecting it's trailer. Getting back in the cab, he backed it up to the trailer in the front of Duo's yard, then got back out to get the trailer hitched up. Without waiting for Duo, he got back into the driver's seat and turned on the engine.
"Just a sec!" Duo called. "Don't you wanna see what's inside?"
The man looked at him frankly before replying. "We'll never make ends meet if those guys completely take over. Until then I'm counting on you to do what you can, kiddo. I'm trusting in you. Just let me know if you need bullets. Contact me anytime!" With that, he drove off.
Duo was shocked. "The guy left without even taking the rest of my payment," he muttered in wonder.
"Duo!" he heard Hilde calling from down the street. He turned to see her jogging toward him.
"Couldn't find anything at the yards today. Is there anything else I can help with?"
"No, it's all under control. Wait for me at the trailer in front there, I'll be right back," Duo said, going to get an old truck he had parked in the back of the yard. Starting it up, he drove it slowly to the front and backed in front of the trailer the man had left.
"Hook it up for me, will you?" he called to Hilde.
"Sure thing!" She replied. Then, a minute later, "All done!"
"Thanks!" Duo called before putting the truck back in drive and steering it around to the back again. He'd have to wait till dark to get the fuel into Scythe, of course, but he was glad it'd come through. He hadn't been at all sure the reaction he'd get once the guy got here and found a kid taking the order. He certainly hadn't expected the reaction he'd gotten, though.
Turning off the engine and climbing down from the truck, Duo shut the door behind him and walked over toward where Hilde was standing.
"You didn't happen to have any luck with the transport plans did you?" he asked, referring to yet another task she was helping him with.
"No, not that either. I couldn't get any information at all."
"Ah well, it was worth a shot. OZ isn't that ignorant; they know you've defected so it's no surprise they've taken away your authorization. They're just being more cautious than before."
"Yah, I guess," Hilde replied.
"I woulda loved to destroy Barge right now, though. I guess I'll just have to put it off for a while."
"Sorry…" Hilde said, looking truly remorseful.
"Don't be," Duo replied. "Not your fault OZ is being smart for once. It really doesn't surprise me since I couldn't even hack into it. That's a good sign they're pretty serious about keeping it a secret. No worries, okay?"
"Okay," Hilde said, grinning at him. It really was that easy to make her happy.
"What are we gonna do for those other parts…" Duo mused to himself.
"Well, I wasn't able to go to all the scrap yards," Hilde said. "There are a few left still, I just came back in case you needed help with the fuel."
"I appreciate it," Duo replied, eliciting another grin from the girl. "We'll have to check out those other yards then. You up for it?"
"Sure!" Hilde replied enthusiastically. Duo just grinned and shook his head. That girl had an endless amount of energy. The only thing that seemed to get her down was thinking she'd disappointed him, and as soon as he let her know she hadn't, she was all bounce and excitement again. Sometimes, Duo thought she was even more energetic than he was… if that were possible.
Later that afternoon, Duo and Hilde were back in front of the house, sorting through their haul. They hadn't managed to get everything they needed, but it was enough to keep them busy for the next couple nights. If nothing else, Duo could ask that guy who'd delivered the fuel about the last few parts he needed.
"Are you gonna keep on fighting alone, Duo?" Hilde asked out of the blue. Used to this by now, Duo responded like they'd been talking the whole time they were working.
"What choice do I have? I've got no idea where the others are. So I'll just have to go it alone."
"Let me know if there's any way I can be of help Duo. I'll do anything," Hilde replied.
Duo knew she was hinting at fighting with him, but he wasn't too keen on the idea. The last thing he needed was another death on his conscience. So he made sure to avoid the subject.
"Okay… I wouldn't mind having a nice juicy steak for dinner," he said with an impish grin.
"Come off it, I'm totally serious!" Hilde replied indignantly.
"I know, I know. You're doing more than enough already."
"But…"
"No buts. You know what you can do once we're done working on Scythe here? You can stay safe."
"But Duo…"
"Hilde, I mean it," Duo said, giving up on the avoidance tactic. "Growing up on L2, I lost a lot of friends. You're one of the few friends I have now, and I don't want to lose you. So stay safe, okay?"
"Alright…" Hilde replied, somewhat mollified. "Wait, what's that…?"
A distant droning sound intensified into the sound of a huge motor, a motor only a mobile suit would use. Duo looked around, and finally saw one flying in their direction. As it got closer, he though it looked familiar...
"Wait a sec… it's a Gundam!!" he cried in surprise.
Immediately, Duo knew something was wrong. The Gundam looked a lot like Wing, but not quite, and he knew none of the other pilots would be flying one in plain view like this just to visit him… unless they'd gone bonkers. Could this be the new Gundam Heero had gone to fight? Did that mean Heero had lost…? And had it been Quatre…?
At that moment, the Gundam landed in the street in front of them and pointed its beam cannon straight at them, breaking Duo's chain of thought. The cockpit opened and an unfamiliar man stepped out.
"Freeze!" the man shouted at them. "Duo Maxwell, I demand that you come with me at once. Do it or you're dead."
"Hey!" Duo replied, trying to stay calm. "Do what you've gotta do, but remember the power of that beam cannon! You could completely demolish this whole colony!"
"I don't care," the man replied forcefully.
"What?!" Duo and Hilde cried in unison.
"I have no interest in what happens to this place, kid. This Gundam's system is the key to my promotion in OZ. I will make Tubarov's dolls a useless tool of the past; I'll do whatever it takes to make this system replace them. Now come here, Gundam pilot! You're the only one I want."
Ignoring Hilde's protests, Duo waked forward toward the man with the eyes of a maniac.
They were outside the colony now, near what Duo presumed to be the crazy man's shuttle. Duo sat in the cockpit of the strange Gundam, wearing a helmet attached to all sorts of wires.
"What's with all this junk you've attached?" Duo asked, fiddling with some of the wires.
"Don't touch those!" the man snapped, checking them to be sure they were intact. Duo stopped fiddling and waited for an answer, but none was forthcoming.
"Okay… what do you want me to do?" he tried.
"I want you to fight the mobile dolls with Wing Zero here. With real firearms, of course," the man replied.
"That's fine with me," Duo said cavalierly, wondering what on earth the man could gain from this. "But I might just escape during your tests."
"No, you won't. I've set it so Wing Zero's functions can be set from outside. Besides… I've programmed the mobile dolls to switch their target to that colony in case you decide to try something funny."
Duo gritted his teeth. He'd just have to play along, then.
"Right, commence," the man ordered as he strapped himself in beside Duo.
Duo surveyed the battlefield, then his suit. The obvious weapon was the beam cannon, but using it from this position could harm the colony… there, a beam sabre. That would do.
Duo charged the first doll, and was surprised by Zero's response. It was like having a second skin. He'd thought Deathscythe was good after being upgraded, but this was a different level completely. He dispatched the first doll with ease and turned to face the second.
"That's good… that's the way to fight! Show me exactly what you see before you!" the man shouted crazily.
Suddenly, Duo saw Deathscythe appear before him, poised to strike.
"What's this? No way!" Duo shouted, and the Gundam vanished, replaced by a mobile doll. Duo it engaged it and destroyed it with ease.
"So you saw it!" the crazed man cried. "You must tell me, what is the Wing Zero trying to show the pilot?!"
"How the hell should I know what it means?!" Duo screamed as he took down another doll. Turning, he was faced yet again with Deathscythe.
"Impossible!" Duo shouted.
"Nothing's impossible, Duo," came Heero's voice over the comm unit. "Now it's time to die."
Deathscythe flew at him and swung its scythe, but Duo deflected it with Zero's shield. Backing away, he raised the beam cannon and fired. Deathscythe was completely obliterated.
Coming to his senses, Duo was aghast. "What?! What have I done?!"
Instantly, the scene was gone, and instead he faced a mobile doll.
"Of course. My enemy," Duo intoned. He dispatched it with the beam cannon and turned to fire on another one. Too late, he saw the colony behind it. The beam reached the colony, and he could see Hilde in his mind's eye as she stood staring off after him after Trant had captured him, now dying in the explosion he had caused.
"Noooooo!! What am I doing?! What the hell have I been doing?"
Again, the world changed in an instant. In front of him was a mobile dolls, pierced through by his beam sabre, and behind it was the colony, still intact.
"No… no way… it couldn't be… there's no way! How could a person do this?!"
"It's possible, believe me it is. Anything is possible with this outstanding system," the man beside him ranted. "It's capable of altering human consciousness to another level! Anything is possible!"
"Lieutenant Trant," came a voice over the comm unit, interrupting the man. "Hand over the Wing Zero and surrender yourself. Orders from Colonel Tubarov. I repeat! Hand over the Wing Zero and surrender!"
"They're here," the man intoned, suddenly quiet in his intensity. Then he burst into action, unbuckling Duo from the pilot seat and flinging him out of the way. Unable to react, Duo flew from the seat as wires ripped from his helmut, and then Duo was being pushed out of the cockpit to flout in space. Spinning wildly, Duo experienced an acute sense of vertigo and panic.
What had happened? He'd been totally unprepared, and now he was going to die out here… Duo fought hard not to vomit, not sure if the vertigo or the panic had more to do with his sudden nausea. Trying desperately to center himself, Duo focused on the whirling blackness, willing himself to see something other than the distant stars.
Duo's spinning was abruptly halted when he bumped into something hard. Looking around as he rebounded, Duo saw a carrier shuttle. In a moment, a hatch had opened and someone was coming out on a line. The person bumped into him, and he immediately recognized her.
"Hilde!" Duo shouted, despite the fact that she couldn't hear him. She grabbed onto his space suit firmly, then pressed a button on the end of her line and instantly they were being pulled back in.
Hilde shut the hatch behind them, and once the airlock closed she removed her helmut.
"Duo!" she shouted, immediately at his side. "Are you alright?"
Duo stood, panting, unable to respond. That was possibly the most terrifying experience of his life. Never before had he free-floated in space, and he never intended to repeat it.
"Duo!" Hilde insisted.
"Mm'okay," Duo replied between pants. "Just… need… a sec…"
Duo tried to steady himself. The image of Deathscythe and the sound of Heero's voice seemed to be on repeat in his head.
"Now it's time to die."
Had the Gundam done that to him? Was that what the system that man… Trant… was talking about supposed to do? Trant had to be crazy! No system was worth those visions!
Urgently needing to know what was transpiring, Duo looked around for an entrance to the cockpit. Spying one, he immediately leapt for it.
"Duo!" Hilde called after him. "What's going on, Duo?"
"That Gundam!" he replied, reaching the cockpit and looking out the window to the battle raging outside. "It's got a system installed in it, a system that enhances the pilot's ability, but it's crazy! Hilde, I destroyed the colony! The system's crazy! It's evil!"
"Duo, you're not making any sense!" Hilde nearly yelled, frantic with worry. "The colony hasn't been harmed!"
"I know, I know… the system make me think I destroyed the colony… make me see it. If I'd been in there any longer, I might have done it for real!"
"Duo, it's okay now, the colony's fine!"
"No! That man, he was crazy to start… once he destroys those mobile dolls, who knows what that system will make him do. I have to stop him!"
"Duo, you can't fight in the state you're in!"
"Hilde, this is a carrier shuttle. You brought Scythe, didn't you?"
"Duo, don't…!"
Knowing by her answer that he was right, Duo turned and ran for the cargo hold.
"Duo, stop!!" Hilde called after him.
"Don't worry, Hilde!" he called over his shoulder. "Remember, I'm a Gundam pilot!"
Opening the door to the cargo hold, Duo locked it behind himself and went straight for Scythe's cockpit. Strapping himself in, he checked to be sure Hilde hadn't made it through the door, then opened the hatch.
"That system's more than a human can handle," he thought to himself. "I've got to stop him…"
Powering on Deathscythe, Duo set the hatch to shut automatically behind him. Launching the Gundam into space, he surveyed the ongoing battle. Only a few mobile dolls were left to oppose the crazy man. He had made it just in time.
Duo flew straight for the other Gundam, scythe raised to strike. It evaded him with ease.
"Damn!! It's incredibly fast!" he shouted in frustration.
Attacking once again, Duo wasn't ready for Zero's countermove, which sent his scythe spinning into space. With nothing else for it, he locked Deathscythe's arms around the other Gundam.
"You're dead!" came the maniac's voice over the comm unit. "You fool! Haven't you realized that you don't have a chance against me?! Haha, this will do it!" he screamed as Zero's arms came around Scythe in turn, crushing with a greater force than Deathscythe could muster.
"You sure about that?" Duo demanded, reaching for the self-destruct device. "It might end in a tie!" Duo braced himself to press the button, but Zero suddenly broke free of Scythe's hold, destroying his opportunity.
"Nooo! Get away from me! I won't lose, not to the likes of you!" the madman shouted.
"You still don't get it, do you?!" Duo shouted in return. "If you lost, it wouldn't be to me! You'd be losing to the Wing Zero!"
"I won't lose! I can't lose! I can handle a system like… Aaaaaah!"
The silence following that bloodcurdling scream was deafening, and could only mean one thing. Duo tried to pursue, determined to capture the suit so it couldn't do any more harm, but Deathscythe had sustained too much damage during the fight and wasn't responding.
"Dammit!" he yelled, slamming his fists on the controls as Zero receded in the distance. That system was too dangerous to be in the hands of OZ… or the hands of anyone.
Later that night, Duo lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. Hilde had come to collect him not long after Zero disappeared, and they'd returned to the colony and his temporary residence. How Hilde had commandeered a carrier shuttle and gotten back into the colony no questions asked, Duo didn't know, but he'd been in no state to think to ask.
Deathscythe was extensively damaged, and he needed to reconstruct the thermal scythe, so it was essentially back to square one on repairs, but that wasn't what was keeping him awake.
He had destroyed Deathscythe, killed Heero, killed Hilde and thousands of innocents on the colony in the blink of an eye. It didn't matter that it hadn't really happened… what mattered was that he would have done it. He shuddered. He never wanted to deal with that system again.
"It's just too much for a human being to handle," he muttered to himself. "If anyone were capable of it, he'd be superior to the entire human race.
tbc