Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Alpha and the Omega ❯ Four down, one to go... ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Alpha and the Omega

Chapter One

Four down, one to go...

* * *
Quatre walked into the large spacious room, happy that his lessons were finished for the
day. He paused in the doorway, and collected his thoughts.
He looked around at the furnishings, taking in the luxury that he had been encased in for
his whole life. The cool marble floors, the large oak desk, the black leather case with the
beautifully hand-crafted violin on said desk. He walked to the end of the long room, and
looked out the floor to ceiling length windows. He brushed aside the breezy fabric of the
curtains, noting with an ironic bitterness the soft silk of them. Quatre was irritated with his
whole life, and mostly with the activity-or lack thereof-in it.
He sighed.
The peace that pervaded the scene he beheld was almost overwhelming. The lawn
perfectly trimmed, the quite driveway arching up to the front door big enough to permit
several men standing shoulder to shoulder to enter without even the slightest hesitance.
The gardener working patiently on the already perfected flower beds. The clear sky with
out even a single cloud. The sun, warm and golden in his glory, arcing towards the
western rim of the valley...
It had been a few months of peace, and already he was anxious, restless beyond belief. He
hadn't fought or even flown in Sandrock that whole time, believing that perhaps...he
wouldn't have to for a while. The lack of activity surprised Quatre, as his own restlessness
toward it had. He sighed once more, and found that the act of sighing itself was beginning
to wear on him. He turned from the picturesque window, and the violin immediately
caught his eyes. It slid easily into his hands, and he started to play.
He poured his soul into the instrument. The sounds he made were that of a tortured man,
one anxious for that which he had fought so hard to put an end to.
"Beautiful. Although, I don't remember them ever letting me play. But, then again, I was
raised on an L 11 Colony. No friendly, familial overtures there." A female voice
complimented.
Quatre turned, shocked. What in the..He thought.
But she was already on him. And Quatre hit the expensive, tiled floor softly, not one of his
many guards aware of the intruder.

* * * *

Duo whistled softly to himself. He was repairing a small airbike, while Hilde dealt with an
irate customer at the front desk. He chuckled softly, And she thinks that I have the hard
job. He went back to repairing the bike, determined to get it done on time. The grease
covered his arms up to his elbows, and Duo ignored his apparent need of a cleaning up.
What's the use? I'll just get dirty again.
A large bike pulled up behind him, coming in a bit hot, but turning enough to throw the
velocity off. He could tell by the sound, a new X11. Expensive to buy, and expensive to
fix. He turned, wiping his hands on a rag, smiling. This will definitely be some good
business for the auto shop.
Duo was met with an alluring sight. She sat on top of the all black bike like a pro,
comfortable and naturally finding her center of balance. She was clad head to toe in black
riding leathers, the material clinging to her like a second skin. She pulled the decaled
helmet off, revealing a bright pair of black eyes, and red-gold hair tamed into a braid. Her
eyes met his, and Duo found himself being sized up. Duo took his time walking out of the
garage toward her, looking her up and down as he did so. Well, maybe I can get more
than just business out of this one...
"Can I help you, Miss?" Duo asked, approaching her, smiling warmly.
"Yes. You can. You see-"She got off the bike, "It makes a weird sound when I put it into
third."
She gestured toward the body of the bike, squatting to open the small engine compartment
door. Duo didn't miss the chance to view her from behind.
Dam-
"You see, I checked it out myself thinking that it was just a small mechanical problem, but,
I don't know. Do you think you could take a look?" She smiled back, and Duo was
interrupted mid-thought.
"Err...Well, let me see." Duo squatted down next to her. She leaned against him, clearly
having no compulsions about being close. It was hard to concentrate when she was
pressed close against him. Duo swallowed nervously.
"See anything wrong?" She asked, standing up and moving away slightly, as if sensing his
discomfort-or the overwhelming comfort- he had felt in her body being so close.
"Not yet..."Duo trailed off. It was definitely easier to work when she was not so close to
him...but like he had minded it all that much.
"You, know...I would've thought that....that this would've been harder." She said, behind
him. Her voice froze the blood in Duo's veins. He tensed every muscle, watching intently
the curvaceous shadow over him.
"What?" Duo asked playing innocent, while reaching for the wrench in his pocket, his only
weapon.
She squatted down beside him, smiling, a gloved hand on his arm. Duo felt suddenly
foolish for thinking this woman an attacker. Duo looked into those eyes, and lost himself
again.
She tilted her head to the side, with that disarming smile and proclaimed, "Catching a
Gundam pilot."
Duo felt the soft pinprick on his arm, and everything in front of him swam. Only years of
training kept him reacting, and he forced his arm to move, to defend himself some way.
The wrench flew weakly at her muscled, black leg. She caught it in an expert grip,
practiced and easy.
The last thing Duo saw was her, standing over him, a cold look of triumph playing on her
beautiful features.

* * * *

The darkness of the circus tent comforted him. He was always most comfortable in the
dark, here, with the animals. Trowa leaned against the wall of the cage. He felt the soft
velvet of a nose underneath his arm, and he turned to pet the lion. He smiled. It had been a
long time since he had been to the circus...A long time since he head been remotely close
to normal. Since when have I ever been normal? A small voice piped up in a section of
Trowa's mind. He smiled, a smile tinged with more than a little bitterness..Yes, too long.
Since a real life.. Since Catherine...
A svelte silhouette caught his eye at the opening of the tent. He turned, and saw her back
as she fastened the tent opening back together again. Her shoulders drooped in a somber
manner. The errant curls bobbed beside her ivory neck in the soft, subdued light of the
tent. Trowa saw a single crystal on the edge of her hand as she wiped it away from her
face, and knew what had happened. She was crying again. She was turned away from him,
but he knew who it was. And he knew why she brushed the tears away impatiently, hating
herself for crying for him. She wheeled on her heel, and turned for another section of the
tent.
He followed her on silent feet. The evening had just fallen, and the section of the tent she
was walking towards was darker than the rest, and just around the corner of the large
cage. As he was about to round that corner of the cage, the lion reared up and growled
softly.
"Shhhh, boy. Everything is alright. Everything is okay." Trowa reached through the bars
of the cage to pet the lion, but he backed away and growled again.
"No, Trowa Barton, everything is not okay hard voice said from behind him.
Trowa turned too late. Lights blossomed before his eyes, and he fell forward onto the
cage's bars.
How? Catherine....Trowa forced his eyes open, and she was standing over him, her
shoulders no longer drooping, but held straight. As if she were proud.
The last thing he heard was the baleful roaring of the lion, and then, nothing.

* * * *

The wind ruffled the tops of the Miwa trees. The clearing was on top of a hill, and the
breeze was fresh from the hamidasu rains. The soft scent of the Miwa trees wafted over
the young man in the middle of that clearing, tall, slender, and clothed in a black silk top
and white pants. He flexed, threw the katana and opened his eyes. It had missed the target
on the dead Miwa tree by a fingerwidth. The young man's eyes narrowed irritably.
Chang Wufei picked another katana. He closed his eyes, and envisioned the target. He
readied every sense, tightened his muscles, and threw the katana with his readied expert
abilities.
He froze, and opened his eyes. In the dead center of the target, the silver katana stood,
perfectly at right angles with the ground.
"Very good, Chang. I am...almost jealous." The voice placed emphasis on the "almost".
Wufei turned, internally berating himself for not hearing the person approach. He turned
to the section of the woods where he thought he heard it come from. He edged that way
very slowly, the branches of the trees casting their shadows on his feet. He inspected every
inch of the visible forest, and felt little, if any, danger.
"Where I come from, that would be a thinly veiled threat." Wufei stretched his senses,
readying for an attack from behind, the sides, anywhere. He knew his last sentence would
most likely drive a man to just that, and he was ready for an attack. Besides, his exercise
were getting boring.
Oddly enough, being a Gundam pilot and all, he didn't think about an attack from above.
The intruder slammed into him on his left shoulder, striking him across the lower back at
the same time. Wufei rolled into a crouch, rising immediately, ready for his attacker.
She was standing a good ten feet away, clothed in black from head to toe. A black tie of
black material covered her hair completely. She arrogantly held a Miwa fruit, one hand on
a hip, both eyes on him. She had a predatory look on her face, and was smiling lightly, as
if Wufei amused her.
If there was anything Wufei hated more than OZ, it was being laughed at.
"You must be out of shape. The Wufei of awhile ago would have never let me get this far.
"She took a bite of the Miwa fruit, the flesh crisp and juicy on her lips.
Wufei tensed himself, sizing up the girl's weak spots. She was arrogant, and her loose
stance left her wide open for any hits. Must be an amateur with a lucky hit. Wufei thought.
"Well," She said, throwing the fruit to one side with an easy flip of the wrist over her
shoulder," Lets get down to business."
The wind blew lightly over the opponents. Wufei stood silent, ready and still. She stood
tall, with eyelids half lidded, her arrogance emanating from her in palpable waves.
Wufei attacked with a volley of lightning fast hits. She dodged them just as easily, and
Wufei lost his rhythm in shock. She sunk low, tripped him up and rolled clear of his falling
body. He went down hard. Wufei rolled to his feet, charging her immediately out of the
roll.
She expected this as well. She sidestepped him, turning easily, and the hunter quickly
became the hunted. Wufei ran onto the forest path, thinking to lose her and then track her
again, turning the tables as she had.
Wufei ran as fast as was possible in the Miwa forest. Giant roots would trip up the hurried
traveler, and broad leafed plants covered the ground, slippery with morning rain that had
yet to evaporate.
He checked behind him several times, prepared to turn and fight again if she was too
close. Each time, she was just behind him. She ran effortlessly, with a measured gait and
long, loping strides.
Wufei ran faster, faster than he had ever run before. He started to turn one last time,
checking behind him for the black ghost. If she was there, he had made it up in his mind to
attack. Chang Wufei had never run from a fight before, and this one wouldn't end with him
running either.
Only his harsh breath, coming in pants, broke the noises of the Miwa forest. No attacker,
no girl with untiring legs that seemed to lengthen every time he checked, closing the gap
between them. Wufei quieted, and tried to sense what had happened. He stumbled to a
nearby rock, and practically collapsed. He regained his breath quickly. His instincts told
him everything was okay, but something also told him this wasn't right. Attackers don't
appear out of nowhere, and then disappear the moment they start to gain on you. What the
hell is going on?
Wufei sat up suddenly. The forest had gone silent. Completely. Not even the wind dared
to disturb it.
Wufei felt the pinprick on his neck. He reached back to slap away the mosquito, and
brushed a foreign object instead.
"Chang Wufei, you are an idiot." Quiet laughter, easily recognizable in its arrogance,
danced into Wufei's head.
The muddy bottom of the forest floor rose up to meet him.

* * * *

Relena paced. It wasn't like Quatre to miss a message. And this one was of vital
importance:

I need to see you. Its about the Gundams.

And that was all Relena had sent. She hadn't been able to get in touch with many of them.
As a matter of fact, the only one she could find was Quatre. And she knew that was
because he wanted to be found. All the others had disappeared, back into whatever
semblance of a life they led. She knew that most likely Quatre could find them, if he
wished, and Relena was not below using him to find all of them. She had changed in these
months.
Her life as Vice-foreign Minister of Earth and Intercolony Relations was long, hard hours.
But, she had been raised watching her "father" do exactly the same thing, and knew it
well. She was older mostly, and much more intelligent than others her own age. Only 16,
and a master diplomat. A well known and respected by all- well, mostly all- figure, and she
was happy with her job. She had been happy for the past few months. Until her
intelligence had reported back with something unusual.
A sighting.
Of a new Gundam.
Relena's first thought was of course, to Heero. And she hated herself for it. She didn't
know what it was about him. He was elusive, secretive, dangerous, powerful. Everything a
boy she was interested in should not be.
But did that stop her interest?
No.
And for the life of her, Relena couldn't think of even one reason why. He was handsome,
of course. But Heero was hardly the first handsome guy Relena had ever met. Maybe it
was because he had refused her in the beginning. But, this was the first time Relena had
been refused. But, in the end...
Relena still couldn't find a coherent reason why.
And it drove her almost to madness.
And so, Relena waited, accustomed to it.

* * * *

Heero reached down into the small knot of wires, maneuvering his able hands past it and
to the circuit behind the mass of colors.
He felt the break, a clean, easily repairable short. One that shouldn't be causing this much
trouble. And then, just as he was about to pull his hands out, he discerned the cause of all
the trouble.
A small, cold box, wired into the system. A box that he had felt before, once, and only
once. One that wasn't available in all the universe. One that should have-no, make that had
been-destroyed before his very eyes.
And the coolest, most collected gundam pilot was shocked.
This shouldn't be here.
And neither should he.
The semi-darkness of the garage hid the shock that was surely playing over his cool,
impassive features. He had worked here for a while. At least a couple weeks. Those few
weeks were more than enough time. He should be out there. Looking for her.
And apparently, when he had not begun his search, she had decided to find him.
He broke the small cube of alloy off the circuits, and slipped it into his jumpsuit pocket.
He finished repairing the aircar, an easy task that would have normally taken him less than
a minute.
And it had taken him near to five.
No, he did not belong here anymore.
He wiped his hands clean on a rag and jumped off the hood of the car.
"This one's all done Charlie. I'm taking the night off." Heero let the last remaining
mechanic in the dark garage know what was done and walked toward the door to the main
parking lot.
"Okay. You go on Kid. Go have a good time." The old grease monkey with frazzled gray
hair under a cap advised Heero.
"Sure thing." Heero didn't look back. He walked out of the garage and into the black
night, ready for whatever would happen.

* * *
There's chapter one. Like it? Hate it? Tell me! Mail me at angelflame111@hotmail.com