Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Burnout ❯ chapter 15b ( Chapter 18 )

Konnichiwa Minna!

Here's part two of chapter fifteen!

Enjoy!

And please let me know what you think.

^-^

Weissangel24

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Chapter fifteen B

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Quatre opened his eyes to find that he was alone in the room. Groggily, he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"You're up." Hiiro observed from the bathroom doorway, "Did you sleep any better?"

"I did." The smaller boy nodded gratefully.

"If you're going to shower, then get in there." Hiiro ordered. "We're to meet Relena in an hour and I want to do some surveillance first."

"Okay." Quatre frowned worriedly as his friend tried to stifle a yawn. "Hiiro, did you sleep at all?"

"Hn."

"Hiiro. . ."

"Don't worry about me, Quatre." The Japanese boy ordered, "Go shower."

"Hai. . ." The blonde complied.

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The horse was absolutely magnificent. A stallion of the purest white, pride of its Arabian heritage, galloped around its enclosure. He had the blackest eyes that Quatre had ever seen; eyes that seemed to look straight into the soul.

"What's his name?" He asked in a hushed whisper, as he carefully approached the beast, his hand open and stretched out.

Relena smiled, "To be honest, I can't pronounce his given Arabian name; so I call him Kunshu. Anything else doesn't seem to do him justice."

The blonde boy nodded, "It suits him." He smiled sadly as the horse approached him cautiously and began to nuzzle the boy's pale hand. "You don't ride him?"

Relena shook her head. "He proved too much for most of the girls. He's very spirited." She put a gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder, "But, I'm sure you'd be able to handle him, if you want to ride him."

Quatre smiled faintly, "If he is spirited, it is because he doesn't wish to be ridden."

The princess thought about this and then replied, "Or maybe he hasn't found the right rider? He seems to like you, Quatre. He's usually snapped at someone by now."

The blonde turned to the horse, stroking its muzzle, "Would you let me ride you?" He asked quietly.

Kunshu whinnied then snorted, stamping his hoof as his ears twitched.

"I don't want to upset you. . ."

The horse pressed its nose into the boy's palm, and blinked those deep black eyes.

Quatre sighed, "Arigato. . ." he whispered. He turned and walked into the stable to find a saddle and reigns. On his way in, he passed Hiiro as he led another horse out.

This one was of the darkest obsidian, a true rival of the Arabian. This one was an Anglo-Arab. He had a defiant air about him that taunted anyone to mess with him.

"Hiiro!" Relena called, "What do you think of our horses?" The Japanese boy glared at her for a moment before mounting the dark horse. "Kazan has a nasty temper, Hiiro." The girl said, keeping her distance from the animal. "I know you're a skilled horseman, but even the best have had a hard time with him."

"That's why I chose him." Hiiro replied, commanding the horse to proceed. The beast snorted and pawed the ground agitatedly before complying with the orders. The Japanese boy then guided Kazan around the warm up arena.

Relena sighed and shook her head slightly, before turning and addressing Dorothy. "Which horse have you chosen?"

"Ichigo." The blonde girl smiled before leading a strawberry roan gelding and a silver white thoroughbred mare over to the waiting princess. "I also requested Tenshi for you, Miss Relena."

"Thank you, Dorothy." The other girl said, flipping her auburn hair over her shoulder, before climbing onto the gentle gelding. "Is everyone ready?" She called, as Quatre trotted up next to her with expert skill on Kunshu.

"Hai." The siblings replied together, along with Hiiro's "Hn."

"Then let us be off." The princess said, leading the group out of the corral and out into an open field. "We'll go through the valley, up the ridge, stop for lunch and then head back home. . ."

"That sounds fine, Miss Relena." Dorothy purred.

Quatre gave his half sister a glare to which she merely smirked off.

"Quatre?" Hiiro beckoned to the blonde. Quatre turned and looked at the boy behind him, he then halted Kunshu in order for his friend to catch up.

"Nani? Daijoubu?" the blonde asked concerned.

"Daijoubu." Hiiro assured. "I want you to stay close to Dorothy."

The blonde blinked in surprise, "Demo. . . Doshite?"

"Because I don't trust her." The perfect soldier said bluntly. "And you know her."

"Yeah! I know her, Hiiro, because she's tried to kill me so many times!" Quatre hissed, "I'd rather keep my distance from her, thank you very much!"

Hiiro glared at him, and he glared right back.

"Quatre! You must come and see this!" The blonde girl's sing-song voice called from up a head of them.

The blonde pilot paled, as he sighed and broke his staring contest with Hiiro. "What is it, Dorothy?" He called as he urged Kunshu to catch up.

"Just this view!" Dorothy beamed, "It amazes me that this country is still unaffected by the war."

"It is lovely. . ." Quatre agreed. `Trowa would have loved to see this. . .' he thought sadly, his eyes tearing slightly.

"What's on your mind, my dear baby brother?" The girl purred.

"Nandemoni." He whispered, blinking back the tears, refusing to allow them to fall.

"Hm."

The rode in silence for a while. Quatre looked back every so often to see how Hiiro and the princess were faring. He smiled softly at the kind smile that Relena held for Hiiro. Even with his empathy being out of commission at the moment, he could still tell that she loved the Perfect soldier very much. `I wonder what Hiiro thinks of her?' He pondered for a bit. `Poor Duo if his equally devoted. . .'

"Quatre?"

"Huh?" He blinked glancing up at the owner of the voice, "What is it Dorothy?"

"Nothing really." She shrugged, half-heartedly, "I was just wondering exactly How well do you ride?"

Quatre shrugged, "Why do you ask?"

"How familiar are you with armaments?"

"What? Why?"

She shrugged again, and flicked a finger at her eyebrows, "I was just wondering, if that red light on your shirt was one of those. . . what are they called? Laser sights?" She smirked as the boy paled when he looked down at his shirt. "If it is, then how well you ride a horse, might determine whether or not you live. . ."

"The assassination attempt wasn't for Miss Relena. . ."

She chuckled pleasantly, "Think of it as for old time's sake."

"Damn you, Dorothy!" The blonde swore urging Kunshu into a fast paced gallop, just as the first bullet whizzed by.

The girl laughed, "Run, run, run. . . as fast as you can!" she mocked.

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`It's a sniper rifle. . .' Quatre's mind calculated as the boy urged the horse to go faster. `Depending on what model . . . it has either 5 or 10 rounds. . .' Another bullet whizzed by the blonde, "That's two. . . I've got to get off the trail. . ."

Abruptly, the blonde turned the stallion from the path and down the hill. `It sounds like an automatic. . .' another shot cracked a tree branch to the left of the pilot, "DAMN IT! WHERE'S HIIRO?" He leaned down to avoid being clipped by a low branch, `It could be a Barrett M-82A1. . . if it is then I'm screwed. . .'

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"Where did Quatre go?" Relena asked curiously.

"Nani?" Hiiro frowned looking for the Arabian, "Quatre?"

"He was right there with Dorothy. . ." The princess frowned.

"Shut up." The Japanese boy snapped, listening intently.

Relena raised an eyebrow towards him, "What is it?" She mouthed silently.

A swift whistle followed by a sharp crack, caused the Perfect soldier to leap into action. In one fluid motion, he leapt off his dark horse, grabbed Relena and had her safely on the ground; hidden in the tall grass.

"Hiiro!?" she hissed, "What is with you?"

He clamped a hand over her mouth, "Shut. Up." He ordered, giving her a death glare. "Sniper."

Relena gasped, "Dorothy! Quatre!" she whispered frantically, "What about them! They'll be shot!"

Hiiro glared at her and listened intently. Another crack sounded. `It's further away. . .' Hiiro frowned. "Stay down and don't move." He commanded, as he rolled down the embankment and dashed through the tall grass that lined the trail.

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Quatre cut back a scream as the sniper managed to hit his shoulder. `Damn it!' he swore, falling off of his horse and leaning against a tree. `It's defiantly a Barrett. Which means that it has a changeable clip. . . he can keep this up longer then I can. . .' He grimaced, as he gripped his shoulder, ". . . keep running. . .Damn it. . . Where are you Hiiro?"

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Hiiro's keen eyesight scanned the area. Dorothy was standing next to a tree, binoculars in hand, watching something with absolute glee. Following her line of sight, he barely caught a glimpse of the blonde pilot duck behind a tree.

Another loud crack clipped the air.

Following the angle, the Japanese boy eyed the sniper. Adapting his `mission accepted' mask, he crept up behind the gunman, his own pistol ready.

"You picked the wrong target." Hiiro said coldly, leveling the weapon at the back of the assassin's head.

"I don't pick `em." The shooter protested, "The clients do."

"Who hired you?"

The sniper grinned, "That would be telling. Bad for business."

"So's being dead." Hiiro glared, pulling the trigger.

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"Quatre?" Hiiro called.

"I'm here." The boy replied with a grimace as he gripped his arm tightly.

"Daijoubu ka?" Hiiro demanded, accessing the condition of his friend.

"Been better." Quatre offered a small smirk. "It's not bad."

"Quatre!" Relena cried, running over to the boys, "My God! Are you alright!"

"I'm fine." The blonde assured the princess. "Where's Dorothy?"

Relena blinked, "Dorothy? She's getting the horses. Why?" She asked as the Gundam pilots exchanged a glance.

"We should get back to the school." Quatre murmured, his head bowed so that his bangs covered his eyes. "It's not safe out here."

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Off in the distance, Dorothy pouted. "Someone always seems to rescue you, my dear little brother." Movement amongst the grass caught her eye, and she reached out and swiftly caught a cute little mouse. She watched it with mild amusement before wrapping her long fingers around its fragile body. "One of the days, you'll be alone, and vulnerable, Quatre. . ." She smirked, squeezing her hand. The mouse squeaked out in protest, and then shrieked with desperate panic as its life was stolen from it. "I can't wait."

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To Be continued. . .

A/N My sister Darkangel2y has written her first fic (I co-wrote/beta'd it)

Please take some time to read what she has written. It's called "Hell's Angels".

Arigato,

Weissangel24

Kunshu means Sovereign

Tenchi means angel

Ichigo means strawberry

And

Kazan means evil, rebellious or something like that (I forgot ~-~;;. )