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Jaaku na Gundam

(English Translation The Evil Gundam)

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Chapter 2

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Not One Bit

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When they got back to their shuttle Heero asked Wufei to pilot them back to the Central ship. When he partnered with Duo, it was Duo who did most of their piloting. For he and Duo had established long ago that Duo was better at doing the driving leaving Heero free to use the computer for research and setting up their arrangements or generally just thinking.

With Wufei their roles were somewhat reversed. Wufei was a good thinker and rather apt at making preparations. They realized that they would have to share certain tasks.

Their four-man shuttle was only used on short flights giving the officers only a day or two of provisions and very limited medical facilities. This was probably why Sally felt her skills could have been better suited elsewhere.

"I want to get this report to Une as soon as possible," Heero told Wufei pulling off his dark blue preventor jacket and sitting in front of the communications panel.

"Take my cam," Wufei said with a grimace. "Sorry but I think I got you spewing in parts of it."

"I can't believe I threw up," Heero mumbled. He didn't realize he had spoken out loud until he heard Wufei answer him.

"That's because you ate all my dim sum for breakfast," he said sourly. "You like to think you are different from Maxwell but you both have a lot in common. That wretch had did the same thing to me."

Heero's face became unreadable at Wufei's comment. He knew that Wufei was curious as to why he joined alone so suddenly.

"Duo was always skittish at such things," he said tightly. "Only he would make a face and complain rather loudly about how grossed out he was but he would never hesitate."

"No, he wouldn't hesitate," Wufei said his dark eyes thoughtful. "He curled up right next to me when he thought I was dead that time they tried to suffocate us in our cells."

Heero flashed him a look of surprised. He didn't know that. He knew that Duo and Wufei had grown close after their capture. He didn't know all the details about what had happened after he left, Duo had never told him that he thought Wufei was dead that he had laid close to him. Heero averted his face before Wufei could see the wistful longing he felt at his words.

"However, this would cause any one to hesitate," Wufei continued not sensing Heero's mood. "That suit is bad."

"What do you mean," Heero asked his dark blue eyes curious.

Wufei glanced at him giving him the strangest look. He turned back to the controls and continued to pilot a few seconds before speaking. "Off the record Heero and I mean off the record cause if you tell anyone I said this I'll deny it."

"Okay."

"I didn't like that machine," Wufei said softly. "Just looking at it was disturbing. I mean, I felt some trepidation with Wing Zero and even Epyon but this machine I wouldn't want to get in that cockpit. I didn't even want to touch that fleshy looking paint job."

"I know what you mean," he said quietly.

He could still see the hatch as it opened. Ron was no longer sitting in the chair, wires and metal had him suspended in a macabre display of circuitry. The inside was dark with blood as if someone had just finished painting it and the sickening metallic scent filled the air.

The mechanic's body was no longer full size since the pressure of the implosion seemed to have squeezed every bit of fluid out of him. However that wasn't the worst of it. The most horrible part was that the live wires were now imbedded in his muscles and tissues. The pulses of electricity kept his body moving in a parody of life.

"Let me tell you something about Nataku," Wufei said then he paused. "This is also off the record."

Heero nodded somberly before Wufei continued. He knew that many things in Wufei past had been kept very quiet. He was no different. There were a handful of people who knew they were Gundam pilots although many more suspected.

"Nataku was to have been someone else's suit but they died before-before I took up the fight. I always believed their soul had gone into that suit." Wufei looked at Heero his eyes full of emotion. "Sometimes when I was alone in the hangar with my suit I could feel it trying to communicate with me. Wing was the same only, it was like a stranger, unknown and foreign."

Heero knew what he was talking about to a point. He had sensed that too especially from Wing Zero, only he believed it wasn't truly the suit but his interpretation of the suit. That suit almost had a life of its own-almost. Many times he felt that it was communicating with him on a human level. The Zero system was made to be that way it was the genius of the scientists they had worked with.

"I believe suits have souls and this one is no different," Wufei continued shuddering slightly. "Only, I didn't like it, I didn't like it one bit."

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TBC

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