Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Shattered Remains ❯ “They’ve succeeded in a mission we’d deemed impossible.” ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two: “They've succeeded in a mission we'd deemed impossible.”

~Zechs Marquise, episode 3~

 

 

“You know I'm getting sick of this deja-vu stuff.” Duo mumbled out loud as him and the others wandered down the corridor from the landing pad towards the meeting room. They had arrived on the satellite moments ago, and now had to find Major Schuler.

 

“What do you mean?” Quatre asked him, barley giving him a look from around Trowa, who still had has arm around the Arabian boy, like he had the entire trip up there.

 

“First someone blows `um up, then there rebuilt, then we send them in to the sun, then bring `um back. Then we self detonate them, now we rebuild, AGAIN. Enough is enough. Next time, I don't care what `non armored' arrangements are made, I ain't blowing poor Scythe up, again!” he complained.

 

“Are you saying you don't believe peace will ever really come along?” Wufei questioned him suddenly.

 

“I'm just saying, I ain't blowing him up.”

 

“Under the premise that you'll just have to rebuild again?” Trowa turned to now question Duo's motives.

 

“Look, I'm sure that peace will remain, I'm sure I'll never even have to see Scythe again after this. But still, I don't want to blow him up again!” Duo was becoming more then a little aggravated now. He had started out by making a joke, sure it wasn't the worlds funniest, but a joke no less. Now he was suddenly forced to defend himself against his best friends. Heero placed a reassuring hand on to his shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze.

 

“I know where he's coming from. And I know you all do to. Peace or not, can ANY of us say that when this ends you are seriously going to turn around and blow your Gundam to pieces once more?” he asked them. He was met with three looks that told him everything he needed to know. No one would be destroying their respective `partners' ever again. Even if it had nothing to do with peace or not, no one was willing to put themselves through that again. And besides, looking in to everyone's eyes, Heero could also tell that they knew in their hearts no matter how much, or how long, peace resided on earth and in the colonies there always would be a next time. A next fight, a next war. Even if they managed to make this fight they were about to head in to the last for them, the last time death and destruction of war entered their lives, they all knew it wouldn't forever stay. The next generation, or the one after that would again see it.

 

“See! Nah!” was the less then mature response Duo threw them all as he stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry at his friends. But even as the laughter of his comments, and the residual taunting that it always ensured, followed them all along there way, in their hearts, they all knew his and Heero's words to be true. And none of them were ever ready to again press that self detonate button.

 

“God damn it! Shit! That hurt.” Were the first sounds that met the pilots as they stepped in to the main conference room where they were supposed to meet the Major. As they looked around though they couldn't pull out the source of the sounds as they entire room looked less like a conference room and more like a junkyard at the moment. Every surface and most of the floor space was pilled high with hunks of metal, engine parts, spare ammunition, and the such. Some stacks looked quite dangerously close to toppling over as well, considering that they were almost as tall as the young men themselves.

 

“Umm, Major Schuler…?” Quatre called out shyly as all five looked around for any sign of the woman who they knew had to have been the one to yell out when they had first walked in.

 

“AH FUCK NOT AGAIN!” was suddenly shouted out from behind a large pile of the metal just before it came crashing down. Almost taking out the woman who had just as suddenly leaped out from behind it. She eyed the fallen pile of cluster debris as it willing it in to a black hole with her eyes alone for a moment before turning to the shocked young men in front of her.

 

“Well, now that you're here, I expect all of this shit cleaned out of my room and placed back on those junk heaps of yours almost immediately. Got it?” she said in place of any introductions as she looked them up and down. They just stared at her questionably. There was no telling in either her voice or face if she was serious or not.

 

“Well?” she questioned them again, apparently expecting a response. Duo cracked in to wide, toothy grin, slapping his left hand to his forehead as if in a salute.

 

“Yes ma'am!” he exclaimed as his hand shot forward, but instead of ending in a normal crisp salute, it kept extending till it was straight out from his body, and in a sidewise peace sign now as well. His friends just groaned and shook their heads. Long since had they learned to all but ignore Duo's corny, opposite handed, peace sign salute.

 

“Just WHAT the FUCK was that?!?” the Major questioned him with a look of pure bafflement on her face. She definitely wasn't immune to Duo's methods as the others were.

 

“What?” he asked right back, still grinning like a manic. “A sandwich taught me!” he explained to her as he noticed her look hadn't changed. With his `explanation' it did though. Her jaw dropped and she stared at him as if he'd grown a couple of extra heads. Again, the others weren't phased in the slightest.

 

“Just ignore him, and don't ask.” said Heero as he hung his head. Almost ashamed to admit he even knew Duo at the moment, much less was involved in a relationship with him.

 

“Please don't take offense, that's how he salutes everyone.” Quatre all but pleaded with the woman. Leave it to Duo to be the one to give them all a bad first impression.

 

“And non of us have ever been able to figure out the `sandwich' thing.” Wufei all but sneered in Duo's direction. Duo in turn responded by blowing him a raspberry. The major just looked at them all as if they should be committed.

 

“And its you five that I have to rely on to save my ass? Screw it, the fucking worlds done for.” She mumbled as she shook her head. Making her dark orange curls fall out from behind her ears. Her light brown eyes sparkled as she continued to look them over. The teens couldn't tell if it was in amusement or bewilderment though.

 

“Major Schuler, do you think you could show us to where our Gundams are being worked on?” Trowa finally asked when it appeared that the woman didn't have a clue as to what to do next. Duo's antics tossing everything else from her head.

 

“Blah! Don't call me that.” She said as she turned to face him. Trowa's bright green eyes widened a half a fraction in surprise.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Major, don't call me that. I mean come on, do I look all that military to you?” she asked with a knowing smirk on her face. The pilots took a good look at her then. She had gray coveralls on, pulled off to her waist to reveal an oil stained white tank top. Black combat boots were on her feet, and one was even unlaced. A black bandanna was twisted as a headband in to her hair, but it wasn't doing much good as her curls kept falling out of it. One cheek had large grease smudge across it. No it was quite evident she didn't look like your average military woman.

 

“What am saying? You wouldn't know, mot by what you look like.” She said through with a half laugh. And it rung true. The teens had forgone the Preventers uniforms. They were all wearing ragged jeans, Duo with a plain red T-shirt and the simple black base ball hat that he claimed was his `lucky charm'. Trowa with a light brown turtle neck, that had been the butt of many jokes about just what he and Quatre did on their last night on earth. Heero had on his customary green tank top, and Wufei his navy blue one. Quatre looked the most formal of them with a light blue button down and a tan vest over it. They could have been a group of friends ditching out on high school, not Preventers agents ready to climb in to Gundams and fight a war.

 

“Whatever. I'm told you're the best, so I'll take it at that. Anyway, call me Kade. I am in charge of you, you will get your orders from me, and I expect them followed. But other then that, I don't really give a rats ass about all that military junk, especially not the titles. So, just Kade, all right?” she told them.

 

“You got it!” Duo beamed brightly at her, again giving her his own unique `salute'. She just shook her head and started out of the room. Already knowing that she'd be certifiably crazy within a week if she didn't figure out how to tune him out.

 

“If you want your Gundams, you better follow me flyboys.” She called out behind her shoulder as she turned out in to the corridor. Four of them calmly followed after her. Duo started to before his excitement over came him and he glomped on to his boyfriends back, forcing Heero to either carry him piggyback style or to crash face first on to the ground, all the while screaming,

 

“I'm coming Scythe!” Kade could be heard groaning loudly from the front.

 

 

 

“FUCKING SHIT!” was the scream that echoed out almost in conjunction with the crash from the inside of the conference room slash office, that still looked more like a junkyard. In fact after two months now it looked even worse then it had before. At that wasn't making Kade a very happy woman. Which was evident as she all but flung herself out of the room and slammed the door, causing another crash from inside, with steam billowing from her ears. Wufei happened to be on his way to the kitchen at the moment, which meant he was standing in her path at this second. He took a moment to still in his steps while deciding weather he wanted to run for it, Kade was more then a little scary when pissed, or ask her if she was all right. His momentary pause though took the decision out of his hands.

 

“YOU!” she bellowed out at him suddenly, causing him to jump slightly, though he wouldn't admit it even other the threat of death, he still had his pride.

 

“Turn that pansy ass of yours around and get the fuck back in to that maintenance chamber. All of us are going to have a nice little chat, GOT IT!” she screamed out at him, daggers flying wildly from her eyes. Wufei bit his tongue on the thousand comments he had to her `pansy ass' remark, and closed the lid on the ones he had about taking orders from a woman, before complying with her demands. He did still have his pride, and for a vast majority felt all women were weak and had no place in war or military. But this one gave him nightmares at the same time, and weak or not he wasn't about to be the one to mess with her.

 

“Ah hem!” he choked out loudly as he walked back inside the maintenance room where for the past two months now all of them had been piecing back together their Gundams. The fact he had announced his presence the best he could didn't stop the two in front of him though. Duo was currently pinning Heero to the floor in the middle of the room by straddling his waist with his knees and they were more then a little passionately exchanging very opened mouthed kisses.

 

“Damn it all you two!” he finally snapped when he realized they weren't about to stop.

 

“Sorry Wu-man. Thought you left for a break, so I decided we needed one tooo…ahhh…” was the reply Duo attempted to give him, barley looking up from devouring Heero, before the Japanese man decided that Duo's neck was just as good if his lips were busy talking.

 

“Yeah, well none of us are getting one.” He snapped venomously at the pair that looked about ready to start fucking right then and there.

 

“And why is…” Heero never had the chance to finish his question though as the ship wide intercom buzzed to life with his answer.

 

“ANY FLYBOY ASSHOLE WHO IS NOT IN THE MAINTENANCE CHAMBER IN THE NEXT TWO MINUTES WILL BE KILLED WHEN I GET MY FUCKING HANDS ON THEM! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE IN THIS FIGHT!” Kade's voice screamed over it. It was like an ice bucket on Heero and Duo. With a long drawn out whine Duo rolled off of his lover and to his feet.

 

“Damn it. She's in a fine mood.” Heero growled as he to clambered to his feet and silently cursed the woman to death. He and Duo hadn't had much time for anything lately. Working themselves to death from dawn in to the night trying to get their Gundams in working order as soon as possible. Meaning they went to bed to exhausted for anything but sleep, and captured moments like this were all they had.

 

“I hate that woman!” was the whine that Quatre of all people chimed in with as he ran panting in to the chamber moments latter, without a shirt and still trying to button his pants. Trowa was behind him, and even though he did have a shirt on, half the buttons were undone, and the other half were in the wrong holes. It was instantly obvious that the panting both were making wasn't just from running there at top speed. They too had been trying to grab even ten minutes of quality alone time, together of course.

 

The five of them didn't even get the chance to open their mouths to say anything about what `Major Bitch' might want this time before she came storming in to the room. And boy was she pissed. He hair was falling in every direction possible, her shirt was torn across the arm, she was favoring her left leg with her angry steps, and she was spouting a nasty bruise on her cheek. A cheek that was flaming red with the amount of blood that was rushing to it in anger.

 

“LINE UP!” she screamed out at them, and stifling as many groans as they could they fell in to a straight line in front of her, standing at military attention. They knew they were in for a reaming then for sure. She had told then on their fist day she wasn't all that military, and she wasn't. So when she called for attention from them it was either something very big had happened, new news of the growing problems with the back colonies, or they were in shit up to their eyeballs. This time there was no mistaking which one it was.

 

“I was just about fucking killed five minutes ago!” she bellowed out at them, “And do you know why?” that was a trick question and they all knew it. If they opened their mouths it would just make her yell more. Even Duo resisted the urge to speak.

 

“I'll tell you, my office looks like a fucking scrap yard for mobile suits. And when I tried to check the latest contacts, one of the fucking heaps you all left there, came falling down on me!” Everyone winced slightly as she leveled them with a glare deadlier then any even Heero had ever used. “I told you all in the VERY first conversation we had that I expected all of that shit cleaned out of my room and placed back on those junk heaps of yours immediately! But no, the shit has just expanded in size! Now, I'm putting it to you very flatly, in two weeks, the other two pilots are expected to arrive, and anything that is still in that office when they do is going to be tossed out of the cargo doors and in to space! NO EXCEPTIONS!” and with that she stopped screaming and gave an animal like growl, daring them to say anything. They just all snapped to full attention with hands at their temples in readiness to salute, not even beginning to argue with her, or doubt her level of seriousness. She responded in kind, giving them the crisp salute that marked her departure. They all saluted back, minus Duo. Throwing out his `normal' sidewise peace sign one. Kade looked at him for a second before grabbing double handfuls of her hair and yanking on it as she screamed before heading back out of the room.

 

“Why do you insist on pushing that woman's buttons?” Wufei snapped as he glared at the braided teen.

 

“Especially when she'd already pissed?” Heero added with his own glare.

 

“What? Its just who I am.” He told them with a grin as he all but twirled around to go back to work on Deathscythe. The other four groaned before following his example. Break time was now officially over, and any mood that had once been trying to surface was crushed down to oblivion.

 

 

 

“So, its any time now isn't it?” Trowa asked as he handed out the fresh beers in his hands. The others just nodded their agreement from around the table. They all knew what he was talking about, the expected arrival of the others pilots. The two weeks they had been told to expect them in were drawing to a close. The Gundams were all just about ready to go, save only a few minor tinkerings with the computers here or there before they would be able to set out for the fight. And Kade's office was now in pristine order, with no sign of spare parts anywhere. Which caused her temper and moodiness to all but vanish off completely, much to everyone's relief. They now had the free time to do as they pleased, without worrying about her jumping down their throats for it. Which was what brought them to where they were now.

 

All five were stretched out around the large table in the dinning area of the ship, happily working their way in to the hidden beer stock Duo had somehow managed to get on board. It was late and no one else was around to bother them, which was what they needed. They all had been putting off this conversation in favor of the repairs to the Gundams. But now with only days left, there was no more putting it off.

 

“So who do you think they are? I mean maybe ones a real hot Chinese guy and we can finally hook Wu-man up!” Duo piped up, grinning like the Cheshire cat. Wufei nearly choked on the beer he had been trying to swallow.

 

“Fuck no Maxwell!” he finally shot out after he stopped coughing. “I have no taste in men and you very well know that.” He shot out at the braided teen.

 

“I guess that's a good thing, otherwise with just five of us there would have been some serious love triangles. Or then again maybe just some steamy three ways.” His grin only widened in intensity as he spoke. His words though caused everyone else to have choking fits similar to Wufei's.

 

“Duo!” Quatre finally got out in surprise, but even he was smiling. It was nice for all of them to able to have a few minutes to relax and joke around like they used to do all the time only three months back. Before the bomb shell of another war had been dropped in to their laps.

 

“I don't really care who they are, only what they are.” Heero said suddenly, causing some confused stares to pass his way.

 

“What do you mean by `what they are'?” Wufei asked him.

 

“I mean if their capable pilots or not. No one knows anything about them except that they were in the back colonies during both the last wars. Just because they fought then doesn't make them good enough to fight this time around. This isn't the out skirts of space, this is in full view of everyone. If they happen to be no good, then what?” he explained to the group. Everyone seemed to understand where he was coming from as they all nodded in agreement. No one knew anything about how bad things might have gotten in the back colonies last time. They hadn't even known there had ever been enemy troops there until recently. So just because they were fighting there, didn't mean they were any good at it. Hell, it didn't even mean they won there fight, when the five Gundam boys took out the threat to earth and the main colonies, the forces in the back stopped as well. Meaning that they could have been ready to call in their defeat back there, and no one would have ever known it. But now they were suddenly meant to be the foremost experts at how to handle this battle, and that didn't sit well with anyone.

 

“I for one am more concerned about what they are going to be piloting.” Trowa spoke up from his seat. “If they are only accustomed to space battles, then it's a good bet that they have only ever used Taurus suits. And if we end up on the surface, then that will become more of a problem then anything else if they cant cut it there.” He explained. The others nodded in there agreement.

 

“What if they don't even have suits?” Quatre asked in worry, “I mean, most of the mobile suits were destroyed after last time, even ours. If they have to try and get new ones, or build them, then even if they could be help to us, it'll take them so long to come in to the picture that by the time they do, it wont really matter.” His eyes were filling with tears almost at the thought. His heart too gentle to take much more of the pain it had already seen too much of.

 

“And against mobile dolls, Zero is the only thing that can keep up most of the time. In regular suits it won't matter how good they are, they won't stand a chance.” Wufei added. The idea of getting new team members had never been a wanted thing to any of them, but now the more they talked about it the worse and worse it became. They couldn't tell if they'd be handed help, reinforcements, or just another problem to deal with.

 

“There's always the chance that they won't even pilot this time around though.” Duo spoke up as he headed to the cooler in the corner to refresh everyone's now empty bottles. “I mean, who knows how official and military they are. They could just becoming in to hand out the orders. Only relying on their expertise of the enemy and former strategies from when they did fly.” That was a grime possibility that none of them had yet looked in to. Not actually getting any help on the field, only bossy know it alls at the base. They had entered this knowing that they would be following the Preventers leads, but still able to fight on their own. Duo's suggestion though opened up the door that that might not be the case anymore. Silence fell around the table then. No one knew what to say anymore. This wasn't something that was going to chance no matter how much they talked it over. It was just something that they had to wait and see about. And that was the part that was putting all their nerves on end.

 

“Well, it's late. We had better all turn in for now. We still have work to do before they show up anyway.” Trowa said as he stood, and helped a very shaky and possibly drunk Quatre to do the same.

 

“I think I'll take my leave as well. Good night.” Wufei replied as he too left the room. Heero was about to suggest the same, when he realized that Duo was getting yet another beer out for himself. It was his fifth easily. All of the rest of them had barley had three.

 

“Duo, don't you think you've had enough?” He questioned him as he watched the braided teen stumble twice before making it back to the table and sitting down.

 

“I've had enough when I can forget that I'm about to walk in to another war, that just happens to be targeting my old home.” He said, shining slightly glassy eyes across the table at his lover. “This just doesn't feel right Heero. Something is just really wrong here.”

 

“You mean besides the obvious?” Heero asked with sincerity as he reached over and held Duo's hand. Duo dropped his head on to the table with a drawn out sigh before answering.

 

“Well, believe it or not…yeah.” He mumbled.

 

“What ever it is, I'm sure we can make it through it together. You and me, and the five of us. We can do it, and this time we can make the peace stay, no matter what the cost.” He waited for a moment or two for Duo's response. He didn't get one.

 

“Duo?” he asked, giving the hand he still held a gentle squeeze. His only response then was a soft snore. He had passed out. A gentle smile floated across Heero's lips. As he moved around and carefully lifted Duo in to his arms, heading back to their room.

 

“We'll get through it together Duo, no matter what.” He whispered to the sleeping form in his arms as he placed a soft kiss on to his head. “No matter what.”

 

 

“NOO!” another scream in the middle of the night loud enough to wake Heero, and probably everyone else in the wing. And sure enough the first thing that met his eyes when he opened them was the shacking, tensed back of Duo Maxwell, wide-awake from another nightmare. Heero could have growled. Now was definitely not the time from him to have one of these.

 

“Duo?” he questioned out, sterner then he had wanted, but then again at the moment he didn't really care all that much.

 

“Heero, not now.” Was the almost warning that Duo responded with as he leaned forward to put his head in his hands.

 

“Yes, now. No offense koi but we both need to be at our best right now. And there isn't a lumpy as hell couch for me to sleep on to escape this time around.” He knew this was probably going to end up as a fight in the next five minutes, but he didn't care. What he said was the truth, they did need to be at the top of their game right now. And that meant not having to deal with those damn nightmares again.

 

“Yeah, I know Heero. Just don't though, okay? This wasn't one of those ones.” Duo responded with. He didn't want the fight, couldn't handle it, at this moment. That would take more out of him then the nightmares ever would.

 

“Then what was it?” Heero asked with a sigh.

 

“I don't know. I just, I, I really don't know. I think it was too much worrying, too much beer, and that nagging feeling I have. It just all rolled together.” Duo sighed as well then before lying back down in the bed. And tried to convince himself that that was the truth. But he couldn't be certain.

 

“No offense, but I hope your right. Neither one of us can handle it if your wrong.” Heero told him as he curled an arm around Duo's waist.

 

“Yeah, I know. I know.” He whispered back. He felt Heero slowly drift back to sleep behind him, but try as he might, he couldn't do the same. The dream, that he couldn't even remember, had only increased that feeling of unease he had. It was playing havoc on his mind and he couldn't get back to sleep. Thoughts chasing one another around in his head for hours, but none of them were making any sense. It was almost morning before he finally managed to fall in to an uneasy, restless sleep. Hoping Heero would have the decency to let him stay asleep come morning.

 

 

 

It was late in the afternoon when Duo finally did wake up. Heero had let him continue sleeping, and even taken the heat from Kade for him on that subject. His mind was still restless though and he didn't have the energy to leave his room. Instead he pulled out one of his only personal belongings, a very old and worn scrape book, and began to reminisce. Probably not the smartest thing to do after a night like he had, but something told him he just had to.

 

As he turned the pages of photos one by one he watched as the years seemed melt together in there images. Starting with the crumpled black and white shots aboard a ship much like this one where Deathscythe was built the first time and finishing off with a group photo of all five pilots taken last summer during a picnic they had. He watched from photo to photo as he grew up, becoming more then the `street rat' in the first shots to the almost man he was today. But no matter how many times he flipped through the dozen or so images, he always found himself back on the same one.

 

“The sandwich.” He mumbled out to himself as he stared at it. Two little kids both doing their best to make the worst face imaginable at the person behind the camera. Duo was the one on the right, his braid wasn't as long as it was now, and he was so skinny that the clothes he had on were falling off. But his eyes were shinning bright, and his tongue was sticking out from the biggest smile he had ever worn up to the time of that shot. As he stared at it, the image of the girl next to him was what made him smile though. She was shorter by a mere inch or so, and had an arm thrown around Duo's shoulders, only to give him `bunny ears' behind his head. Her nose was scrunched up as she too stuck her tongue out, but her smile was even larger then Duo's. Her short hair was tucked behind one ear, and falling out from behind the other. She was one of the first friends he had ever made in his life. And together they had kept Doctor G, and Maverick, the woman in charge of making sure they behaved themselves, a run for their money.

 

“Not that old thing again.” Heero said with a slight groan as he came in to the room. He saw that Duo was finally awake, but reminiscing over his damn scrapbook again.

 

“Heero, I've told you once and I'll tell you again, before you I only ever had three things, and no offense but after you I'll still have them. My cross, my scrapbook, and my…”

 

“Your hair. I know I know.” Heero finished for him as he sat down on the bed and peered over Duo's shoulder at the picture. “But are you sure now is a good time to drag yourself back through this?” he asked as wrapped an arm around him and leaned his head on to Duo's shoulder.

 

“Now is as good as any. `Sides, something was just telling me I should.” He responded with as he shut it and turned to face Heero the best he could from their positions.

 

“You sure that just wasn't the hangover talking?” Heero joked with a smile across his lips and a twinkle in his eye.

 

“Positive.” Duo responded with his own laugh as he nearly tackled Heero backwards on to the bed. A much better position to grab a hold of his smiling lips with his own.

 

“Shouldn't you be finishing up on Zero? Not that I'm complaining though.” Duo managed to ask as he came up for air finally.

 

“Kade had the maintenance room shut down and off limits to everyone all morning. She just gave us the okay to head back in now, which was why I was coming to get you." Heero told him as he managed to get Duo's hand out from under his shirt.

 

“Wonder why?” was the best mummer that came out of Duo's mouth as it set to work on the pulsing vein on Heero's neck.

 

“We think that it has something to do with the new pilots. That maybe they came in late last night.” Heero attempted to explain as he had to stop yet another hand, this one trying to get in to his jeans.

 

“We? As in…”

 

“Wufei and myself. Trowa and Quatre haven't been out of their room since they heard the news.”

 

“Now that sounds like a plan.” Duo told him, his voice beginning to gain a husky edge to it.

 

“It would have been, if someone hadn't been asleep half the day.” Heero responded with as he attempted to sit back up.

 

“Hey guys! If we have to see what all this is about, so do you!” Quatre's voice echoed through their room in conjunction with a heavy knock on the door.

 

“Next time, WAKE ME UP!” Duo complained as he very reluctantly gave up his spot on top of Heero and stood.

 

“I'm holding you to that.” Was the half grumbled response he got back as Heero to stood and moved for the door. The two of them were greeted with a little overly flushed Arabian, a slightly smirking Frenchman, and a pissed Chinese guy when they opened the door.

 

“All right! I get it, no playtime now! Lets go then!” Duo chirped as he took it all in before leading the way down the hall. Two laughs, one `humph', and a slight growl were the response behind from behind him as they all fell in to step. None of them quite knowing what to expect when they walked in to the chamber. If it had been closed off, they must have been loading in the new guys' mobile suits. And that sent a vibe through all of them that they couldn't quite explain. If they had suits, then they would be piloting as well, but like Trowa had mentioned the night before, depending on the type they could possibly only make matters worse.

 

Duo was the first though the door, and he froze in the middle of his tracks as soon as he saw the inside of the room.

 

“What the hell Duo?” Heero complained as he crashed in to the back of him at such a sudden change. His movements though pushed the very speechless Duo through the door the rest of the way and allowed the others in as well. And that was as far as any of them made it.

 

“Oh my god.”

 

“Oh mon dieu.”

 

“Ara Kami.”

 

“Shinigami kiss my ass.”

 

“By Allah.” Were the only things that made it out of anyone's mouths as the saw what had caused Duo to freeze in his tracks.

 

“I'm like not hallucinating, right?” Duo managed to whisper out as his eyes never strayed from the sight before him.

 

“Not unless we all are.” Was the answer Trowa finally managed to bestow upon him. And that was the most conversation that any of them had the brain cells left for. Standing before them, in the middle of the room surrounded by the five mostly complete Gundams were what could only be the new pilot's suits. That they all had expected. What they hadn't expected though was the type of suits that they would be. And that was what was causing all thought process to drain from their heads. Because in the middle of the room stood two complete and damn fine looking machines. But they were more then mere machines. They were Gundams.

 

 

TBC…