Author's Notes: This chapter ends up parting the group for awhile, with the exception of Heero and Quatre. I remember watching these episodes for the first time and I hope I've captured even a shred of the emotion I feel is present. Thanks, as always, to my faithfully reviewing friends:

Kaeru Shisho: Having you tell me that this version is a "much better" take on our dear boys' relationships is one of the best compliments I've received so far! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

snowdragonct: I do love my Heero and Duo reunions! The real story is always my framework, some places just have bigger, fatter holes to fill.

Sadie Woods: I'm so happy that you liked Hilde! It won't be the last you see of her either. I have to write Duo with mad skillz - he survived growing up on the streets of L2, after all. Each of the pilots have their own special gifts.

We'll follow Heero and Quatre in the next chapter and soon get to know a few other familiar faces... thanks for reading!

Chapter 12 – Hold On (Episodes 24 & 25)

o/ This world
This world is cold
But you don't
You don't have to go /o

Trowa was deeply grateful to the universe that he wasn't on duty when the news came in that an unidentified Gundam was threatening a colony. He overheard the buzz while eating lunch in the Lunar Base's poor excuse for a mess hall as a few men came in off of their shift. It's Quatre. It has to be. He listened for long enough to hear the word "Sandrock" mentioned and it was a struggle to finish his lunch before walking calmly out of the room. Since it was not a safe time of day to visit the other pilots, he went to see the group of scientists instead.

Chaos was already building all around the base by the time Trowa casually leaned against the wall outside their cell. After Duo's break-in, one of Lady Une's subordinates had confined the group of men here until her return, not sure how much they did or didn't have to do with the breach in security.

"Glad you decided to stop by," Dr. J muttered through the bars, obviously displeased with their current situation. "Something's going on."

Professor G appeared behind Dr. J with an equally perturbed expression. "They're sure panicking."

"An unidentified Gundam has declared its plans to destroy a colony," Trowa started and was immediately cut off by Dr. J.

"Unidentified?"

"Yes, it's a new model."

"What about its specs and weapons? Don't you have any detailed information?"

"They know it's associated with the Gundam 04, Sandrock…"

"Is it Quatre?" Instructor H asked a little bit anxiously from behind the other two.

"Could be…" There's no else it could be in my mind. "The other thing is that it has the power to wipe out a natural resource satellite. I'll go confirm what they know."

"Things are quickly spiraling out of control," Trowa muttered, glancing up and down the hallway. "I have only a few minutes before I need to collect Heero. The crews are already readying the Mercurius and Vayeate so that we can go after Quatre."

"We started to think you weren't returning," Dr. J responded, obvious curiosity in his eyes. Behind him, several of the other scientists were huddled around a computer, frantically at work on something Trowa couldn't see.

"Lady Une has not returned yet and I needed to prevent some of her subordinates from attacking Space Colony D 120, the last United Earth Sphere Alliance command station. Taking over the defenseless colonies would be like twisting a baby's arm, but I know that isn't what she wants. It's quickly becoming obvious that there is a growing division in OZ centered around the Romefeller Foundation and the argument about the use of the mobile dolls."

"Machines, not real soldiers," Master O interrupted, walking up to the bars to stand beside Dr. J. "We're well aware that OZ is building a mobile doll factory at this base with plans to take over the Earth by force."

"They won't take over the colonies, not if they don't need to…" Trowa shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest in frustration. "OZ isn't controlling them by force, but recommending they join a nation of the colonies. They're exploiting them for resources and man power, while making them think it's freedom."

"We still believe in justice," Master O said firmly, reaching through the bars to tap Trowa's shoulder. "Give this to the other two when you go to retrieve Yuy."

Master O was holding a small device between two fingers, which he dropped into Trowa's open hand. It was small enough to wrap his entire hand around it for easy concealment. "Of course…" Trowa paused for a moment with the sudden realization of how much was hanging on his shoulders at that moment. "If Quatre's new Gundam is strong… alongside Mercurius and Vayeate, with the addition of the rebuilt Deathscythe and Shenlong…we could…"

"Get to Quatre first," Instructor H spoke up, worry lines creasing his brow. "Before you make any other decisions." It seemed as if he wanted to say more, but a quick look from Dr. J kept him silent.

Trowa was certain that some piece of information was being left out, but he was already out of time. "I am sure that Quatre already has a plan," Trowa stated confidently. Working together, this will be the end of OZ. He nodded to the group of scientists and headed for the room that the other pilots were being held in. A security team was already waiting for him, and he followed the two soldiers into the room, trying to catch the eyes of Wu Fei or Duo. Come on, I need one of you to connect…

"Get out, No. 1," one of the soldiers snapped, gesturing rudely.

Duo stood up, approaching the soldier angrily and completely missing Trowa's expression. "Why him again? I'm a better pilot than No. 1! Let me in on the next battle!"

" Not in your shape," Trowa stepped forward, meeting Duo's eyes and looking him up and down with an overly haughty expression. Can I get him to throw a punch at me? That would be enough contact… "Even a Gundam pilot might get himself killed this time. Because you're up against a Gundam."

"What?" Wu Fei snapped, jumping up and glaring at Trowa in suspicious disbelief.

"Apparently it's a new model," Trowa kept his eyes on Duo, but noticed Heero get to his feet out of the corner of his eye. "He wiped out a whole OZ division with just one suit."

This doesn't sound good at all. "What are its specs and weapons?" Heero asked, glancing at Duo's troubled expression and Wu Fei's mistrusting gaze.

"No wonder you're a secret agent," Trowa nearly sneered at Heero. "The engineers asked the same questions."

Heero saw right through Trowa's act, but could also tell that the other pilot didn't think this mission would actually be any trouble at all. Heero wasn't sure he had that same confidence. Something feels off. "Okay, let's go," he finally relented, taking a step forward. "With the red one, Mercurius, this should be quite a fight."

Trowa's eyes flickered over to Duo as Heero was speaking, letting his expression soften a little. He didn't know Duo very well at all, but from the way he and Quatre had fought together in Singapore, trying to send a message of unity to the pilots, he felt certain that the braided boy had to be perceptive. When Trowa spoke again, his words were directed at Heero, but his eyes were still on Duo. "You're coming, like it or not," he snapped.

"So you'll just stand back and watch as two Gundam pilots fight!" Duo swaggered in Trowa's direction, just barely catching the slight nod of the brunette's head at his actions. He's too over the top; not at all the way Quatre or Heero described him. What is he trying to tell me? He'd run so many stings with Solo and other friends growing up that reading in between the lines was a natural ability for Duo, and he decided the best option was to match Trowa's over the top performance with one of his own. Turning to Heero, he summoned up every bit of the street rat in him as he yelled. "Hey, No. 1! Don't do it!" He turned to glare maliciously at Trowa. "It's probably a suit performance test! Don't help them out!"

Trowa took the opportunity for what it was and stepped forward to punch Duo hard in the gut as "punishment" for his behavior and even without their eyes meeting, the hand-off of the device happened so smoothly that Trowa was sure that the soldiers hadn't seen it. "You guys keep quiet," he muttered, stepping back and waiting for Duo to meet his eyes again. "You'll get your turn eventually." Turning quickly, he walked out of the room with Heero right on his heels.

Heero had caught the lightning-fast hand-off during Trowa and Duo's melodramatic fight scene, but he couldn't question it until they were alone, pulling on their spacesuits in preparation for their departure. "Nice bit of role-play back there," he finally poked at Trowa.

The green-eyed boy glanced around to be sure that no way was close enough to hear or see them clearly before smiling a little and dropping some of the mask of the hard-ass soldier. "Lucky I had such a dramatically talented partner."

Heero raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth as if to protest, but found it wasn't the compliment to Duo as much as Trowa's choice of words that bothered him. "…yes." He glanced away and tried to appear busy with his zipper.

Trowa looked up from zipping his own space suit to catch Heero's awkward expression and bit back a chuckle. Is there something going on between those two? Deciding it would probably be wiser and safer not to tease the other pilot, Trowa composed himself and decided to answer the obvious unasked question. "I handed him a tiny projector with schematics for the new mobile suits."

Heero nodded and then followed Trowa into the hangar, deciding that the other boy hadn't meant anything by the odd comment. "This new suit is really confirmed to be a Gundam?"

"Yes," he replied. "I think the opportunity has finally arrived." Not wanting to say anything more revealing in the presence of other soldiers, Trowa waited until their shuttle had taken them outside the Lunar base to the boarding platform for their mobile suits.

"What's this?" Heero asked as they carefully maneuvered from the shuttle to the large metal platform. They were alone again, now that they were out in open space. The rest of the team going with them was already loaded into their suits and carriers.

"The carrier for the Vayeate and Mercurius," Trowa answered as he climbed toward Vayeate. Now that they were preparing to depart, he actually felt a little bit excited about his plans. Once we reunite with Quatre, this will be the beginning of the end for OZ. "We've got these two. And Duo and Wu Fei's Gundams have been upgraded." As he started to talk, his words got faster and faster, leaving no room for Heero to interject. "I'm sure the pilot of the new Gundam is Quatre. The time may have come. Once we join up with Quatre, we'll attack OZ!"

Heero was not at all convinced, despite the fact that he'd heard nothing but glowing praise from Duo regarding Quatre, and thought that Trowa seemed almost enamored with him. The scenario wasn't adding up to Heero at all, not with what he'd heard regarding the Gundam's intent to destroy a colony. "How do you know he's our ally? Assumptions lead to mistakes."

He was inside Mercurius now and Trowa's face popped up on the monitor, looking almost disapproving, but Heero continued. "Besides, we're piloting OZ's mobile suits. We may be forced to battle with him." Trowa opened his mouth to interrupt, but Heero shook his head sharply. "If he's a strong ally we might have the force needed to fight OZ. But if his Gundam is lacking in power we'll end up destroying it!" I want you to be right, Trowa, but I don't have a good feeling about this right now. "It'd be more advantageous for you to keep hiding within OZ until you can defeat Treize."

Trowa relaxed a little bit as he realized that Heero was just being his usual self and presenting all sides to the situation. Heero also hadn't missed the exchange Trowa had had with Duo. I get the feeling he backed down the day he came to destroy the new suits because he's always known I was undercover. "You knew."

Heero shrugged a little, as if it should be obvious that he'd known all along. "Either way, we'll know after this battle."

"You're right," Trowa answered. The monitor closed down and he settled in for a long wait, knowing it would be hours before they arrived at the area that Quatre's Gundam had last been spotted.

o/ Your days
You say they're way too long
And your nights
You can't sleep at all
Hold on /o

Heero didn't really sleep on the journey towards the new Gundam, too caught up in his thoughts about what was about to happen. He couldn't believe that any of the five Gundam pilots would destroy the colonies they were supposed to be protecting and it left him feeling deeply unsettled. He was actually relieved when the monitors started beeping to warn of their impending arrival and immediately afterwards, Trowa's face popped up on a monitor.

"You're awake."

"Are we there?" Heero asked. "That was quick."

"Our destination just changed," Trowa answered, hesitating a moment before adding. "We were too late to save that colony."

"Was it him?"

Trowa was slow to answer. "Yeah." He paused again, coming to a decision. "He said he'd be destroying a colony in this area next. This carrier sticks out. We'll proceed in the mobile suits." He keyed in the controls to release the two suits from the frame of the carrier. "Our objective is to find out how powerful the Gundam is. We'll fight only if necessary. Got it?" When Heero didn't answer him, Trowa felt compelled to say more, but he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Heero or himself. "It's Quatre we're up against. So we don't need to worry."

"Trowa, be cautious," Heero finally warned. "Something isn't right."

No. I know the reports say Quatre destroyed a colony, but he must have had a good reason. He's always believed in the five of us working together to protect the colonies in the name of peace. "What's the matter?"

"Remember, he just destroyed a colony," Heero cautioned. Trowa didn't respond, but as they approached the colony, he gave the order for Heero split off and guard the opposite side, as they did not know exactly where it would emerge.

Trowa waited patiently as several soldiers entered the colony to determine the new suit's location, but lost communication almost immediately. "Three suits in the colony are down," one of the soldiers came over Trowa's monitors, sounding quite fearful. "The Gundam's coming out!"

Finally… "Quatre, go ahead," he said softly, his eyes trained on the new mobile suit as it appeared. "Show me what that Gundam can do!" He fired a warning shot, which the other pilot avoided before proceeding to vaporize everything in the vicinity besides Trowa with an extremely powerful beam cannon. "So this is the new Gundam," Trowa grinned to himself in excitement, then whispered. "Heero, there's no worry. This Gundam is unparalleled!" He flipped a switch on his controls as he was flying towards the other suit. "Quatre, this is Trowa. Do you read me, Quatre?"

"I read you, Trowa." Quatre's face popped up on the monitor, his eyes glassy and unfocused. His voice was dull and flat, with none of his usual sincerity or emotiveness. "Don't come any closer, Trowa." Completely ignoring Quatre's request, Trowa moved in closer. He smiled kindly at the other boy over the monitor and opened his mouth to speak, but Quatre cut him off, furious. "What did I just say?! Don't get any closer!" Angrily, he slapped at the controls, nailing Trowa with a blast from the beam cannon that instantly vaporized half of Vayeate.

Trowa was nearly blinded by the light from the beam cannon, the entire mobile suit shuddering violently around him. His head knocked hard against the back of his seat and he let go of the controls for a moment, completely stunned. Quatre… Quatre just… hit me? Taking a shaky breath, he reached to move a piece of metal out of his face. The monitors, some of which were winking in and out with crackles of electricity, told him that half of Vayeate was gone - the propulsion was mostly shot and the long-range communication system was down. He couldn't confirm it, but he was probably also leaking what little fuel was left, leaving him completely vulnerable to an explosion. Something is wrong with Quatre… He took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice calm and steady. "What's going on?"

"Trowa.," Quatre pronounced his name slowly, completely unaffected by what he'd just done. "Outer space has gone mad, so I'll destroy it all. I must destroy all the weapons that have accumulated here." He paused, regretful for a moment, but it took only Zero's reminder about what they had done to his father to re-ignite his need for revenge and blot out the regret. "The colonies are becoming armed, right? That's why the colonies must also be destroyed!"

This isn't happening… The pilot talking to him now was nothing like the boy he'd first met at all, nothing of the kind soul and brave heart that had inspired him. What had happened to cause this change? Trowa felt crushed in more ways than one. "What's the matter, Quatre?" he grimaced in pain, leaning towards the monitor. "This isn't like you." Snap out of it!

Quatre's voice remained flat and almost robotic. "Tell the others for me. Tell them to stay away. Otherwise… I'll kill them." Zero's monitors started to beep frantically, warning him of another approaching mobile suit and Heero's stony expression popped up on the monitor. Yes, Zero, I know… I can't let him get in the way… "I'm telling you not to get any closer!" Quatre fired on the approaching mobile suit, which easily deflected his attacks.

Heero had missed the beginning of the exchange between Trowa and Quatre, but pieced together enough to let him know that Quatre had attacked Trowa. It's as I thought… something is not right with Quatre. "Is that all you've got to say?!"

How could this happen? First the colonies had turned on the Gundams, and now a Gundam was turning on the colonies?! Old words floated through Heero's mind, conflicting with his feelings. –Don't worry about the colonies. Destroy them first. That's your responsibility-- He'd repeated that to himself so many times, but each time it seemed harder to swallow. Who am I even supposed to destroy? Who am I supposed to protect? Heero pulled out his beam saber at the same moment as Quatre and ground his teeth hard. "If everything has gone mad then I'll just fight, believing in myself." I can't let him blow up another colony. "Quatre, I'm going to kill you."

There was no response from Wing Zero besides a direct attack, and the two pilots parried back and forth, locking beam sabers and shooting at each other. As they retreated momentarily and Heero activated Mercurius' shield, he could already tell that Quatre's mobile suit was far superior. Even disarming him wasn't any help, as Quatre continued to shoot at Heero until the shield began to give. "The shield won't hold much longer." On the monitor, Trowa's eyes were closed and Heero wasn't certain that he was still conscious. Vayeate could blow at any moment… Quatre's monitor popped up again and though his eyes were still glassy, he looked far more distressed than before.

"Heero… why are we fighting each other?" Quatre paused momentarily, but Heero didn't answer him. I don't want Heero to be my enemy either, Zero. "The colonies have teamed up with OZ. The colonies are my enemies. They're your enemies now too, Trowa and Heero." The more he spoke, the more confused and dramatic he sounded. "People in space have lost all reason. That's why I'm gonna destroy everything. That's natural isn't it, Heero?"

I might agree that people in space have lost reason, but that doesn't automatically make them my enemies. Refusing to answer Quatre's statements, Heero simply attacked again, not surprised when Quatre used the beam cannon to deflect him.

"You'll die, Heero," Quatre started, then stopped. All he could see in his mind was Zero's images of destruction, the deaths of Trowa, Heero, the obliteration of all the colonies… I'm confused… I don't want to hurt the other pilots… "But I don't want to defeat my allies," he added desperately, torn between his own feelings and the powerful mobile suit system driving him to hallucinations. "Please Heero, get away from here. Are you listening to me?!"

"Quatre. I'm not leaving," Heero positioned himself between Wing Zero and the colony with determination. I'll defend until he kills me. "Here's a colony that needs to be defended."

The next beam cannon blast hit Heero dead on, throwing him backwards so hard that his mobile suit drove a hole into the side of the colony. His helmet cracked and he pulled it off, blinking away the stars in his eyes from the severity of the impact, but not bothering to wipe the line of blood trickling down his forehead. Shaking the blow off, he dropped the helmet on the floor beside his feet and gripped the controls again, slowly maneuvering Mercurius out of the hole as Wing Zero flew in closer.

Quatre studied the depth of the hole in the side of the colony, but he already knew that injuring the other boy would not be enough to get him to back down. "I'd ask you to get out of your mobile suit," he started, trying to remain calm. "But you wouldn't. So I'll just have to kill you."

Heero was pretty damn pissed off at this point and glared at Quatre over the monitor. What the hell is wrong with him? What the hell is wrong with everyone?! "Then get it over with," he snapped. "I won't sit here and gab with an enemy." I've failed this mission.

"Sayonara, Heero." Quatre's heart tightened painfully in his chest as he aimed the beam cannon to deliver a final blow. Zero… why? Why does it have to be this way?

Silently watching the entire scene unfold through half-lidded eyes, Trowa had found himself sadly pushed to a conclusion he had not expected to reach. He understood Heero's frustrations with the swapping sides and Quatre's rage towards the injustice of it all, and yet, the world was continuing onward without them, it seemed. Why are we fighting each other? Why are we fighting any of what's happening?

Even knowing it would probably result in his death, Trowa couldn't stand to see someone he'd come to care for about to destroy someone else he cared for. Curling his hand into a fist, he slammed hard on the controls and Vayeate sputtered into life again, coming between the warring pilots just in time. "Quatre… Why don't you realize what a big mistake you're making?"

"Trowa!" Quatre cried out, letting go of his controls and gazing at the viewscreen in horror as the blast engulfed him.

"This battle is unnecessary." Trowa leaned towards the monitor with a sad smile, but everything was crackling and sparking so badly that his monitors were barely functioning.

It took Heero only a second to recover from Trowa's save before he was soaring out of the hole in the colony. It was far too easy to knock the beam saber out of Wing Zero's hand, and over the monitor, it seemed to Heero that Quatre was definitely losing it. The blond pilot looked stricken and near tears and… real, for the first time since they'd come face to face. Heero didn't know what that meant, but he couldn't be sure that Quatre wasn't about to attack them again. If I can use this distraction to disable Quatre…

Trowa directed Vayeate away from the colony and his friends, shaking his head to clear his vision, but he knew that the growing black around the edges wasn't a good sign at all. "Well. It's the end of the line."

Quatre sat frozen inside Wing Zero, afraid to even touch the controls again. Somehow, someway, nearly killing Trowa had overridden Zero's battle-driven hallucinations and brought him back to himself. The blond pilot was disoriented and horrified, knowing he had hurt his friend but not even sure how it had happened. "Trowa!" he yelled, his voice choking up with tears. What have I done?!

Without the controls in his hands, Heero's tackle took Quatre by surprise, sending them careening towards the hole he'd already made in the colony. "No, Heero!" he screamed over the monitor at the other pilot frantically. "Save Trowa!" With shaking hands, he grasped the controls again, but the weight of Mercurius was too much to break free from so easily and the pair of mobile suits went crashing even deeper into the hole, straight into the colony's docking bays. "Trowa!!"

o/ You're feeling sad, you're feeling lonely, and no one seems to care
But we all bleed the same way as you do
And we all have the same things to go through /o

Quatre's hysterical cries burned a hole straight into Trowa's soul, but he could do nothing but try and get as far away from the other two as possible. Please be well, Quatre… they need you so much. "Quatre. It doesn't matter how the colonies and OZ teamed up. We have to keep in mind that it marks the end to a war. It also means our missions have come to an end. It's too bad that the colonies we've been fighting for have changed their perspectives. But that's what happens in wars. We've got to accept that..."

Trowa paused for a moment as all of his monitors went dark, but then took a breath and continued speaking. He was certain that Quatre could still hear him. "The only question is what happens to the soldiers. What happens within our hearts. With us Gundam pilots, we were trained to be too perfect as soldiers. When you put everything into a battle you start to think you can change the times by yourself. Quatre, you're not the only one who feels that way. We all do."

Inside Wing Zero, still tangled with Heero's Mercurius, Quatre pulled off his helmet, blinking furiously as tears rolled down his cheeks. Trowa's monitor had gone dark, but the audio was still working and Quatre felt as if that voice was wrapping around him and trying to soothe away everything horrible that had happened.

"But the kinder you are, the bigger toll it takes on you. We have to fight with ourselves, within our hearts. And we have to be strict to come to the right conclusions. Even if it means our battles to date are meaningless. We have to acknowledge the facts... The five of us have become redundant soldiers. So Quatre, let's accept it. Turn back into the kind guy you once were. I just hope something triggers you to calm down. Something triggers you…"

"Trowa!!"

As Vayeate exploded in a golden-orange fireball, Heero dragged the struggling Quatre further inside the docking bay until they were through the airlock and inside the colony.

"Heero, let me go!! Trowa's gonna die!!"

Heero had no name for the mix of emotions boiling in him as the docking bay doors shut away the sight of Vayeate exploding and he didn't think about his words at all as he snapped numbly at Quatre. "Yeah, and you killed him." Trowa… Trowa, do you really think we've become redundant? Are we now the ones standing in the way?

"Heero…" Quatre could easily sense the despair in the other pilot and he couldn't help but blame himself for it.

At hearing the other pilot's voice, Heero weakly tried to attack with his beam saber, but Quatre deflected it. "You've gone crazy. I'll kill you." Everything was starting to spin from the earlier impact he'd received and Heero growled to himself under his breath.

"Well, hurry and kill me. Then go and rescue Trowa!" Quatre yelled at him, but it was without venom. He knew they were far too late to help Trowa now.

"Pretty halfhearted way to fight! I guess Trowa's death was just a waste!" The arm blew off the side of the Mercurius and the suit collapsed to the ground as Heero let go of the controls. "Quatre… I'm… gonna… kill you!"

Quatre watched over the monitor as Heero's eyes closed and he slumped to the side in his seat, unconscious. His heart pounded in fear. "Heero!" he yelled. "HEERO!!"

o/ Hold on if you feel like letting go
Hold on it gets better than you know
Don't stop looking, you're one step closer
Don't stop searching, it's not over
Hold on if you feel like letting go
Hold on it gets better than you know
Hold on /o

At the end of the hallway, Heero could see a large, steel door and he knew with utmost certainty that he had to open it or he'd regret it forever.

"Don't help them out!" Duo yelled at Heero. He braced himself as Trowa stepped forward, but was surprised when, in the last second, the other boy pulled the punch. Still, Duo grabbed his stomach and doubled over to make it look as realistically painful as possible while still giving Trowa a moment to slip a small object into his hand.

"You guys keep quiet," Trowa muttered, stepping back and waiting until Duo met his eyes. "You'll get your turn eventually."

Hah, you fucking bet I will! Duo waited until Heero had followed Trowa and the door had slammed shut behind them before groaning. "Argh…"

Wu Fei walked quickly away from Duo, a displeased expression on his face. "That was no act," he growled, his back to Duo. "He might have betrayed us."

Realizing that their act had actually fooled Wu Fei, Duo could not keep the smug expression off of his face as he straightened up. "We don't need to worry about that," he peered at the small device, then tossed it from one hand to the other. "We can trust him."

"How do you know?"

Finding the switch to turn the device on, Duo shined the light of the tiny projection system on the wall in front of him with a satisfied chuckle. The image showed a full-body view of both of their new Gundams. "Because a traitor wouldn't bring us a gift like this." I knew I could trust Heero's judgment of Trowa… what an interesting guy.

"Hey!" Wu Fei turned to look first at Duo and then at the projection, complete surprise obvious on his face. That was quite an act those two put on. Before Wu Fei could say anything else, Trowa's voice came out of the tiny device.

"Duo Maxwell and Wu Fei Chang. Master O gave me this. Use it to kill time."

"What a guy…" Wu Fei murmured, impressed that Trowa had risked his cover to help them out.

Duo glanced over at Wu Fei, still a little bit playfully smug. "See?"

Huffing a little bit, Wu Fei gestured for Duo to continue and sat down on the floor, one leg out in front and one knee tucked under his arm. "Yes, I see. He's obviously not a traitor."

"Can't judge a book by its cover," Duo remarked cheerfully, sitting down on the stairs and clicking the button to bring up the next image. Duo was feeling decidedly more optimistic than he had in quite awhile as he flipped through image after image detailing all of the new features in their mobile suit upgrades. That unidentified Gundam has got to be Quatre… and he always has a plan! "This is pretty awesome." He turned the projector off, tossing it back and forth in his hands again excitedly. "I hear it'll be completed in one month. Now that Quatre is back, we're going to be busy again."

Trying to memorize the controls of his new Gundam from staring at schematics, Wu Fei closed his eyes against Duo's babble and tried to keep his temper in check. Does he ever stop talking? "I won't consider an unconfirmed Gundam an ally."

"But the Gundam is defeating OZ's troops," Duo protested, not bothering to mention how much he was certain it was Quatre or how much he had faith in Quatre. Does he always take the pessimistic viewpoint?

"It's gotta be an ally."

Relenting just a little, Wu Fei shrugged. "I certainly hope so… But I've got a bad feeling."

"Well, I…" Duo paused to gesture to himself for emphasis. "I have a good feeling. This is the beginning of our comeback! We're finally going to hand it to those OZ fuckers and--"

The rest of Duo's sentence was drowned out by a loud series of whirring and clicking noises and the two pilots looked at each other in confusion. Wu Fei jumped up immediately, craning his neck to look up to the ceiling where the ventilation fans were positioned. "I believe the air circulation system has been terminated."

"…what?" Duo was pretty sure he knew what Wu Fei was saying, but didn't want to believe it.

"Those fans have been running constantly since we arrived," Wu Fei added, his brows furrowing as he sat down on the step beside Duo. "Someone is attempting to kill us quietly."

Duo's eyes went wide, his mouth opening into a large "O" shape, and then he shook his head so hard that his swinging braid nearly clipped Wu Fei in the face. "No! Why?! Why would they do that out of the blue? It doesn't make any sense!" Not now, not when we're so close! Duo didn't want to believe it, but the room they were in was small and they weren't on Earth or inside a colony – they were on the moon! Without a constant replenishing air supply, they wouldn't have long to live.

"Calm yourself," Wu Fei said softly, trying to remain even-tempered in contrast to Duo's quickly escalating emotions.

"Calm myself? CALM myself?!" Duo dropped the device beside Wu Fei and jumped to his feet, turning to look up at the ventilation fans. They were too tall to reach, even they tried to stand on each other's shoulders. "How can I stay calm when someone's just signed my death warrant?!"

"Talking wastes air," Wu Fei answered calmly, reaching to pick up the projection device.

"Oh yeah?" Duo snapped back, his eyes flashing. Throwing his shoulders back, he sing-songed loudly. "No ooone tells the Goooood of Deaaaath when to diiiiieee! Maaaaaaybe I'll just find a waaaay to kiiillll myseeeelf fiiiiirst!"

Wu Fei twitched a little at the singing and muttered under his breath. "If it'll spare me, be my guest, Maxwell."

Duo ignored him, running and bashing his shoulder into the door instead. "Damn! What a dinky way to kill us off!" He coughed a little. It was already starting to feel difficult to breathe. "I wish I could've gone to battle, instead of Heero." Not that I'd wish death on my best friend, of course… but I'd rather be out in space. And he'd find a way out of this, because he's invincible…

The thought of not seeing Heero again made Duo's chest ache and he tried to shake it off, turning to watch as Wu Fei started scrolling through the projector images again. "What are you doing, Wu Fei? There's no sense studying that now. He walked over to crouch beside where Wu Fei was sitting, arms pointed straight out in front of him as he clicked the button quickly to change from frame to frame.

"Stay calm if you want to live a little bit longer," Wu Fei repeated himself, trying not to encourage Duo's antics any further.

"We're out of luck unless something drastic happens."

Wu Fei turned to look up at Duo, a fierce determination in his eyes. "I'm doing everything I can in case 'something drastic' does happen." That's right, loudmouth, I haven't given up yet even if I can clearly see that our chances are slim.

Completely surprised by Wu Fei's answer, Duo smiled, actually respecting him a little more. Maybe I should take my own advice and not be judging him too quickly either. "Wu Fei! Sorry, but I'm gonna throw in the towel." But it's way too much fun to push his buttons. Falling over backwards dramatically and rolling around on the floor as Wu Fei watched him, Duo wailed loudly. "Oh, this is such a lame way to die! This is so "not cool"!"

o/ And you're not sure what you're waiting for, but you don't want to no more
And you're not sure what you're looking for, but you don't want to no more /o

Wu Fei didn't answer him this time and a few minutes later, the projection turned off and Wu Fei stretched out on the floor, closing his eyes.

Already starting to feel light-headed, Duo sat up slowly, reaching to pick the device up off the floor. Hunching over, he clicked the button to turn it on, staring at the image of his new Deathscythe Hell longingly as he whispered. "I never would've guessed I'd be dying like this. He flipped through images of Deathscythe's upgrades, wheezing a little as he squinted at the light. "Hey, Wu Fei. My Deathscythe is pretty cool, don't you think? I'd demolish OZ with this in no time!"

Duo glanced over at Wu Fei when he got no response, clicking the button to turn off the device. "What's wrong? Are you already dead?" he teased, but there was still no response. "Come on, Wu Fei. Don't go deserting me. Stick with me to the end." A little unnerved by the silence, Duo started inching towards Wu Fei until he was kneeling beside him, leaning over him in the darkness. Is he… no, he can't be… "He's totally stopped breathing. He's in a state of suspended animation," Duo mumbled to himself, feeling a sudden camaraderie between them that he hadn't expected was there. "This guy's unbelievable. He refuses to give up." Gotta admire a guy as stubborn as me.

Rolling onto his back, Duo looked up at the ceiling and blinked a few times, but everything was starting to look fuzzy. "It makes perfect sense," he whispered to himself. "Who'd wanna die like this?" He pointed the projector at the ceiling and scrolled through the images of Deathscythe one more time. It's not like when you're getting the shit kicked out of you and you're gonna die knowing you've fought it out to the end.

"The Gundams… The Gundams can't afford to lose at this point…" The projector slipped out of Duo's hands as his eyes closed and he knew he was close to losing consciousness.

In the middle of a battle, there's no time to think about anything but the fight for survival… but this… this is torture. All I can do is lay here and think about all the things I still want to do, all the things I haven't had the chance to say… drowning without the water.

A heavy screeching noise dragged Duo back to consciousness and he struggled to open his eyes, tilting his head back. The door to their room was hanging open, and silhouetted against the light, upside-down to the braided pilot's view, was a shadowy, but familiar outline. The face held the softest of smiles and Duo would never mistake that color of blue. Heero…? Blinking furiously, he rolled himself into his stomach, but there was no one in the doorway and the two guards in front of it were sprawled on the floor, unconscious. "Wu Fei…" Duo croaked, crawling into a sitting position, taking a deep breathe as fresh air flooded into the room. The ventilation system was on again too.

Wu Fei was already stirring as his body sensed the return of oxygen to the room and he sat up suddenly, his face cracking into a huge grin as he and Duo met eyes. "Something drastic has happened."

Duo burst out laughing and carefully maneuvered his hands into his jacket to snatch up his star hairpin. He picked his cuffs in ten seconds, dropping them onto the floor and moving on to Wu Fei's, barely able to contain his excitement. "No time to waste!"

"Our Gundams are not yet complete, however--" Wu Fei started.

"I say we steal 'em anyway!" Duo finished, holding out a hand to help Wu Fei to his feet, enjoying the startled expression he received in return.

I'm keeping company with a lock-picking thief. Nataku, don't think too badly of me. Grasping the hand firmly, Wu Fei let Duo pull him up. "Payback."

Duo grinned. "Let's blow this joint."

o/ What are you looking for?
What are you waiting for?
Do you know what you're doing to me?
Go ahead...What are you waiting for? /o

I've set them free, Treize. I know you would have wanted it that way…

Lady Une felt the bullet pass through her body as she crumpled to the ground, but she smiled with her renewed hope.

The charm of you pilots threw everything out of order. Your pure hearts are suffering in a world where answers cannot be found. Those that think tenderly about you in that situation realize just how powerless they themselves are. They become hasty, and are crushed. But please continue shining, brave warriors. And let me continue loving you.

Up Next: Chapter 13 - Clockworks