--Confusion--
"They must be eliminated." said the blond his cold blue eyes narrowing, "They are a nuisance."
"I know, but can't we have a little fun first. The God of Death enjoys a challenge every now and then." said the boy with the long braided chestnut hair, "Besides I'm the one giving the orders here. They did put me in charge not you."
"Doing nothing is a failure, a sign of weakness, Duo." said the Chinese boy glowering across the mess hall at a group of girls who were watching the three with ravenous looks, "We should at least do something."
"I agree with Wufei. We are getting nowhere. Everything we try to do is stopped by them how can the New OZ continue if they keep getting in our way!" said the Arab, "So if you want to play games you let us in on it. I'll kill them both myself if I have to, whither or not you give the order. No tricks, no games, just two clear shots it all I'll need."
"Why don't we just kill them outright, I don't understand why we have to 'have fun' first." complained Wufei, "I have to agree with Quatre on this one. Two shots. Bang. Bang. And it's all over, no hassle."
"Hey, Wu-chan, chill." said Duo giving Wufei a seductive smile, "There is no need to rush things. You guys need to learn to relax every now and again. Especially ice cube Kitten."
"And you need to learn to take your enemy seriously! This is not a game, Duo!" snapped Quatre giving Duo a look to kill.
"Aw, is Kitty having a temper tantrum." said Duo flashing Quatre a lecherous grin then reaching up his hand managed to make one run through Quatre's hair before it was roughly smacked away.
"Knock it off!" hissed Quatre glowering, "If you're in one of those moods why don't you take your pet, Hilde, for a walk and leave us the heck alone."
"You're no fun." said Duo pouting then turning to the girl who sat in the chair beside him and smiled a wicked grin, "What do you think Hilde? Wanna go for a long walk?"
The girl moved her chair closer to Duo's causing the silver cross, which hung on an almost dog- like collar to make a jingling sound. Her name was inscribed on the front of the cross and if one were to turn it over on the back the words Property of Shinigami would be sketched there. She was wearing a black tank top and skort, she smiled at Duo and reached over giving him a kiss on the cheek, "What do you think, I think?" She leaned forward again this time resting her head on his shoulder, her cross clattering against his which was inscribed, Shinigami.
If one were to look they would see a smaller cross replica to the one which hung on Hilde's collar pinned to Wufei's jacket pocket, but with his name etched on the front. It was partially hidden by the folded front of his jacket. That was something Wufei didn't want to talk about. EVER. Since then he has checked all his food for drugs that might have gotten slipped in there and never taken another sip of liquor. Duo was too crafty not to take extra measures to not repeat that mistake. Quatre wore a large thin silver cross openly displayed on a necklace but it was unmarked on either side. Some thought he wore it to annoy and taunt Duo since he was nobody's property but no one knew for sure why he wore the blank cross. Duo demanded complete obedience from his team but Quatre openly defied his ideas and pointed out exactly what was wrong with them even before Duo could finish and it infuriated him to no end. It was rumored that Duo 'owned' at least six people already and was out to make Quatre and one of the enemy part of his collection. However he was after the enemy even more so than anyone else he had managed to 'entrap' or was in the process of 'entrapping'.
"See ya later guys." said Duo cheerfully as he and Hilde left the mess hall kissing on their way.
"Feh." commented Quatre in contempt of Duo's actions then taking a sip of the cup of coffee sitting before him on the table.
"Nonstop gutter mind with him, huh." said Wufei, Quatre just nodded and took another sip of coffee, "Shall we convene in, say six hours? Perhaps shameless leader will be done by then."
"Sure, why no-...." started Quatre in his usual tone when suddenly his eyes took on a blank expression and then softened. He shook his head as if waking back up from a dream and looked around worriedly, "Wufei, where are we? Aren't they from OZ?! Where are the others, I can't sense them..."
Wufei quickly stood and took Quatre gently by the arm and stood him up before he could go into the twenty-question game like the last time, "Come on, Quatre. It's time to take your medicine again."
Quatre looked confused as Wufei lead him to the sickbay as if taking care of a little child, "I take medicine? Am I sick?"
"Yes, you are very sick. You're probably thinking that we are allies with 01 and 03 again. Ever since you had that accident you have these spells where you start hallucinating and thinking strange things like that. That's why you take your medicine." said Wufei calmly as if this was a speech that he went through more than once already, "Now hold still this is going to hurt just a bit alright?"
Quatre wasn't paying attention as Wufei filled the syringe with medicine he was still trying to figure out what Wufei had just said, "But aren't Heero and Trowa our friends? What accident? Was that went we were fighting the group of Oz soldiers and I self destructed Sandrock?"
"No, Quatre, you didn't self destruct Sandrock fighting Oz you were fighting with 03 when you did that. And yes, that's the accident where you started having these spells." said Wufei in the same calm voice as he rolled up Quatre's sleeve.
"But I don't remember it that way..." said Quatre more than confused now, "Why would I be fighting Trowa?" He felt the needle for a few seconds before his head went fuzzy and his eyelids started to droop.
"Get some sleep now. You'll remember everything when you wake up. The medicine will help you." said Wufei walking Quatre over to one of the sickbay beds and putting him in it.
"Ok,..." mumbled Quatre as he fell into a deep sleep. Wufei covered Quatre with a blanket before going over to the medical computer console to make another report. These spells were becoming more and more frequent. Perhaps he needed his medicine adjusted. Wufei just sighed at least Duo was gone when he had gone into another spell or Duo would be laughing at him for weeks for that display of ignorance. It really bothered him about how violent that some of their arguments got he was sure that one of these days Duo was going to find himself on the wrong end of Quatre's gun. Or worse Quatre would find himself wearing an engraving on that cross. Wufei just shrugged he wouldn't care so much if the missions weren't so effected by their bickering. They had almost screwed up a mission because of one of their arguments once. And he would not accept failure, he couldn't.
~*~
Trowa was finishing running through a damage report on Heavyarms when Heero came in. The Wing Zero pilot walked over to his Gundam and did a similar check only going over the most important damage. Trowa looked over at Heero and was about to comment on only checking for the worst problems when Sally Po walked in, computer in hand. She seemed miffed. Katherine followed behind her with a tray with two sandwiches and drinks. Sally slammed the laptop down on a nearby table getting the attention of both Gundam pilots. Heero raised an eyebrow but decided to let her go off on her tirade.
"I could not find anyone qualified enough to pilot the Gundams. There is nobody in Oz who could do so well, and with such new programming to get adjusted to. It's impossible that they could find people who could pilot so well. And from that last fight you guys were in I defiantly picked up biological readings from them so they are not being used as mobile dolls. I just don't get it!" said Sally letting her anger simmer to a low boil.
Katherine watched Sally stomp off leaving the laptop for them to look at, then she turned to the two pilots and handed Trowa the tray, "Please don't think anything of Sally, she is still in mourning..."
"I know." said Trowa quietly, "That was a loss that will never completely heal on any of us."
Heero just turned away feigning like he didnt care as he mindlessly went through the Gundam report again. Trowa waited until Katherine had left before speaking to Heero, "You miss them too don't you?"
"It was a mistake which should have never happened. If we had been more prepare we wouldn't have lost three pilots and given three Gundams over to Oz." said Heero covering up any emotion he would have displayed at the thought of his dead comrades, "What I don't understand is where the got the information of how to rebuild the Gundams so fast and where they got those pilots. I never thought anybody could fight so much like Duo, it's like I am fighting him. We have to find out who those pilots are and where they are getting all that information from." He looked up as if he was remembering something, "Hilde never came back from her mission did she?"
"No." said Trowa shaking his head, "I heard they caught and executed her too. Miss Noin is still on the records as alive and in the confinement area, if we can get her out we might find out the answers to our questions. Zechs is more than willing to go on a suicide mission to break her out of there."
Heero turned, "We can't afford to lose anymore Gundams or pilots so tell him to wait a bit. I have an idea, it might not work but it'll get us some answers. We have to slip somebody into the Oz base while one of us gets captured. That way we will get information from both sides, one from a prisoners point and the other from spying. What I am planning will include a breakout as why I need someone to sneak into the base."
Zechs walked into the Gundam hanger at that moment and Heero walked over to him to discuss his plan.
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Duo walked into the pilot lounge looking a bit more rumpled and unkempt than usual and he was still trying to get his hair brushed out from the shower he had just taken. Quatre once again gave him a contemptuous look and went back to the notepad in which he was writing his report. Wufei took a sip of his drink and watched Duo sit down and start braiding his hair, Wufei had to shudder at Duo's self satisfied smug look. After a few moments Duo had gotten his hair rebraided and looked at the others.
"Now what did we call this meeting for? Oh yeah, we're supposed to go over our Gundam reports. Ok, then let's get started." said Duo clapping his hands.
"Here, I've already gone over it for you and put notes next to the parts that you need to read. The rest of it is just the usual schematic read outs, which I am sure you know, by heart now. I highlighted the damage report and have already sent out for the parts that you will need to have it repaired." said Quatre holding out the report folder for Duo to take while using his other hand to finish writing in his own report folder.
"Thanks for freeing up my agenda for today." said Duo then leaning forward as if to take the report but instead grabbed Quatre's wrist and yanked him out of the chair sending both reports and pencil flying across the room and Quatre crashing to the floor in front of Duo who grinned evil, "How nice it is to be bowed to, also."
Quatre jumped to his feet trying to jerk his wrist free but instead slammed his free fist into Duo's face, "You are such an -"
Duo who was rubbing his jaw where Quatre had just hit him interrupted Quatre's insult, "Hey you didn't hit me as hard as last time. Did you take your medicine recently?"
"It's none of your business!" Quatre snapped and looked like he was about to go sulk. He started to go pick up his report when he found that Duo hadn't let go of his wrist yet, "Let go, Duo."
"No." said Duo then smiling his lecherous grin again, "You're going to have to make me."
"That is the last straw, Maxwell!" yelled Quatre then the two go into a really violent fight. Wufei just sighed, most meetings ended this same way. Just then the alarm went off and Quatre who had Duo pinned to the ground and was about to beat the living daylights out of him stopped and looked out the door at the red flashing lights. Duo took the opportunity to knock Quatre off him and stand up. He turned to the others; one of his eyes was already starting to swell up, "Intruder alert! Come on let's go!" He ran out of the room one of his arms hanging limp at his side followed by Wufei and Quatre who was wiping blood off his lower lip as they ran.
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Heero stood around and waited for the OZ soldiers to find him. Geez by the time they got here he would have had time to blow the place up five time over. Suddenly he felt three bullets plunge into his right leg. He fell. Who had... then something heavy slammed into his head even before he had time to turn around. Just before he blanked out he saw what resembled a familiar braid and heard someone yelling at another person.
"What are ya trying to do, Kitten-boy?! We're supposed to capture prisoners not kill them!"
"He's right, Qu-" That's all Heero heard before he fell into the deep sleep of unconsciousness wondering how they had managed to sneak up on him like that.
Heero slowly opened his eyes making sure that no one was watching him and looked around. He was laying ankles and wrists bound on a bed. He looked up and saw that he was on the lower bed to a bunk bed. He looked across the room and saw another bed but the way the sheets were tossed around it seemed that it had been recently slept in. Where was he? This seemed like someone's bedroom. He looked to see a blond someone sitting on the edge of the bed he was on reading from a piece of paper to someone else in the room. Stealthily he made to launch himself at his captor.
"This is stupid. You'd think the higher up would have sent word about what to do with him already." said Duo who was standing guard by the door.
"I know." said Quatre, "For once I agree with you having him stay in here with us is just way too dangerous for all parties concerned. Perhaps we should go ahead and move him to the detention area-" He didnt get to finish the sentence as a pair of bound hands reached up and slid about his neck catching it in a pincher move and dragging him backwards.
"Untie me." Heero hissed at his prisoner.
"No. You are going to stay like that until we take you to the detention area." calmly said the blond forcing his speech as Heero tightened his grip, "This is a very unwise thing that you are doing."
"How so?" asked Heero making his grip tight enough to cause his victim to pass out. Suddenly he got and elbow connecting with his ribs and his prisoner turned around to face him looking slightly annoyed.
"That's why." Said Quatre, "I want to kill you but I'm not supposed to but if you push the point I might be persuaded to ignore those orders."
Heero blinked and his eyes became wide. Wasn't he dead?! Quatre slipped out of Heero's relaxed grip and resumed reading the book he had been before Heero tried to choke him, "As I was saying-" Then he got a double fisted punch in the back. He turned around his brow creased in sever annoyance, "You are about to step on my last nerve. What is it, why don't you just go to sleep..."
Heero found himself staring into Quatre's eyes and his began to close as they were and when they finally shut he went to sleep.
"Hey ya gotta teach me that one, Kit Cat." said Duo who had watched.
"What do we do now, Duo?" said Wufei, "Weren't we supposed to question the prisoner when he woke up not but him back to sleep."
"We wait again. And this time, Kitten please don't put him back to sleep. I'd hate to have to give you another sedative today. You sure do get irritable don't you?" said Duo going over to sit by Quatre who was calmly ignoring him while reading. Just then Duo grabbed the book from Quatre and after a few comments concerning being jumped and dragged backwards by the prisoner, started another fight. Wufei just walked out of the room toward the sickbay. He was going to get two light sedatives. Why was he the one who always had to do this job?
When Heero woke up again he saw Duo sitting on the bed across from him his arm wrapped and put in a sling, a wrap on his leg, several bandages on his arms, and one on his busted lip. He had several large bruises on his face and two swollen black eyes. Still he smiled brightly as he noticed that Heero was awake again. He said something and Heero saw Quatre who was still sitting in the side of the bed turn toward him. He saw that the busted lip he had noted earlier was bleeding again but it seemed that Quatre didn't care; along with it he had a large bruise on his right cheek.
"You awake?" he asked.
Heero muttered something but kept from looking into Quatre's eyes, he wasn't about to go for another trick like that.
"Feeling any pain?" he asked.
"How could he?" Duo asked, "He has enough pain killer to slay an elephant."
"No." said Heero being just enough distraction that Quatre didn't get up and start trying to kill Duo again. For this Wufei was grateful. It was embarrassing to have such people part of your team.
Quatre made a note in the report, "That is good. So you are Heero Yuy, are you not? Pilot of 01 or is it...Wing Zero now?"
Heero didn't answer. This was just too weird.
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Zechs Merquise walked down the halls to the new OZ building. He had his hair in a ponytail and safely hidden inside his trench coat, hopefully no one from the old OZ would be there. He saw many corridors and rooms and soon became lost. That's when he saw them. He blinked. Weren't they dead? Zechs rubbed his eyes as he saw them come closer. Wufei was walking alongside Duo who was chattering away, however, both of them were wearing the standard uniform jackets. Wufei seemed a bit uncomfortable about most of what Duo was saying. Then Duo looked up and saw Zechs staring at them. He walked over to him followed by Wufei. Duo pointed and Zechs thought for a moment that his cover was blown when he heard.
"Oooh, pretty hair!" said Duo in a trance like voice, eying Zechs' hair. Wufei just sighed and Zechs looked confused.
"Come on Duo, we done have time to stop for a chit chat. Remember we're in a hurry." said Wufei but Duo seemed to be ignoring him and staring obsessively at Zechs' hair, "Shinigami needs repairs remember!"
Duo seemed to snap out of a trance, "Oh, yeah!"
They both went back to walking down the long hall. Zechs had almost convinced himself to follow after them when he heard a very cold voice speak up from behind him. He turned around to see a very cold calculating Quatre staring at him with eyes cold enough to burn through rock.
"Are you lost or just new?" he asked again as Zechs seemed a bit surprised.
"A little of both actually," he lied, "I was looking for the mess hall when those two strange boys ran into me."
"Oh." said Quatre his eyes looking a little less harsh, "The mess hall is this way Mr.?"
"Peacecraft. Milliardo Peacecraft." said Zechs extending his hand but frowned slightly as Quatre just turned and walked in the direction that he had previously pointed in. Zechs took it as a sign to follow him.
They ended up in the mess hall and Zechs was now even more confused. They had taken so many twists and turns to get here that he was completely lost. There was no way that this mission was going to be simple but with Heero's life hanging there he'd have to find a way. He stood there for a moment thinking when he heard Quatre speak again.
"You really should sit down. You're attracting a crowd." Quatre pointed to a group of girls who were staring at Zechs.
Zechs cursed and sat down wondering what he was going to do next and was considering following Quatre when the pilot left the hall when surprisingly enough Quatre sat down across from him. In just half a moment after he had sat down a waiter walked by and sat a cup of coffee in front of both of them. Quatre took a sip then looked over at Zechs.
"I assure you Mr. Peacecraft, it's not poisoned."
Zechs felt as if he were looking at a more sinister version of Heero Yuy. He took a sip and watched Quatre who was now reading over some file or something. He tried to see if he could tell what it was without being too suspicious but couldn't even manage a glimpse. He had condensed his guesses to two choices. Either these were really amazing look alikes of the Gundam boys or they were way off their rockers as in crazed. Then he heard the folder shut.
"Sorry." Quatre sighed, "I'm just so used to trying to ignore Duo that I guess I started ignoring you."
"That's not a problem." said Zechs who had a sinking feeling that this was no look alike so he decided to find out, "If you don't mind me asking but what is your name?"
"Quatre Winner." said Quatre taking yet another sip of coffee, "Why you ask?"
"I don't know anyone here, I was just transferred here from the Argentine group." lied Zechs doing his best to imitated Quatre's manner as possible, "I don't even know my way around yet."
"Hmm, is that so. Then why were you so interested in what I was reading a few minuets ago?" asked Quatre keeping his face bored looking.
"I was only-" started Zechs as a slow sharp smile stretched across Quatre's face.
"You can stop lying any time now, Zechs Merquise." he said shoving a folder across the table to him, "All you had to do was ask."
Zechs took the folder frowning only to feel like a moron as he opened it only to recognize his old OZ record and see his picture displayed on the inner cover, "So you knew all along?"
"Yes, I've been watching you ever since you entered the building. It was no problem to find that file. Seems you were a very complex person Mr. Merquise." said Quatre leaning back in his chair.
"What are you going to do now that you know?" Zechs frowned and made ready to draw his gun for a firefight when Quatre leaned forward and just broadly shut the folder.
"Absolutely nothing." he replied taking another sip of his coffee.
"........" Zechs sat silently; he didn't know what to say about that.
"You see Mr. Merquise if you were to say oh, I dunno, break out a certain Miss Noin, which I am quite certain is the reason that you came here in the first place and get away with it, that would look bad on Duo's record. Real bad. Enough to get him demoted perhaps." said Quatre, "Then he would be so hung up on mission failure that in the end he would quit OZ."
"Why would you wish something like that upon your fellow pilot?" asked Zechs.
"I have my reasons which are really none of your concern." snapped Quatre.
"I assume you have you own plan in mind for this mission and terms to go with it." said Zechs trying to remember all he could about what used to be pilot 04.
"Correct assumption." said Quatre drinking a bit more coffee, "I can assure your escape or I can just shoot you now. It's your choice after all."
"But what's to stop me from shooting you first." said Zechs who was reaching for his gun even before he spoke. He was surprised to see an Uzi pistol planted between his eyes even before he could draw his own gun.
"You'll find that I'm much faster than you." answered Quatre his cold eyes boring holes into Zechs, "It won't cause any mental strain to pull this trigger." Without taking his eyes off Zechs, Quatre pointed the gun behind him and fired shooting a hole through the center of a dartboard, the mess hall became silent and the people closest to them moved away, "Have I made myself quite clear, Milliardo."
"Indeed." said Zechs getting up and following Quatre from the silent mess hall as the Arab walked out the door and down the corridor. He considered taking his shot right then while Quatre's back was turned but the moment he put his hand to his gun he found the Uzi pistol digging into the tender flesh beneath his chin.
"Please, don't try my patience Mr. Merquise." warned Quatre lowering his gun and returning it to the holster by his side.
"How did you know I was going for my gun?" Zechs asked.
"That is my little secret now have you decided yet? I must get this attended to as soon as possible." said Quatre resuming his trek down the corridor.
Zechs ground his teeth there was no way to avoid this and if he wanted to get Noin free, he had no choice at all, "What would your terms be?"
"You're going to have to do this exactly to the letter, if you can do that I can make sure you and Noin get safely away, no tracers, no tracking devices, no fatality. And for the other mission you are probably on, 01 has to stay here. You won't be able to rescue him if you want to get out of here. I won't be able to help you if you try to get him out in fact, I'd probably have to kill you. And I have a favor to ask of you..." said Quatre stopping just outside of a closed door and turning to Zechs.
"What is that?" asked Zechs finding everything but the part about leaving Heero here acceptable.
For once the sharp cold face took on a very tired and softened look, "I want you to take Wufei with you, under restraint of course but in time I'm sure he'll come to understand. The poor kid deserves better than playing babysitter for Duo and I besides he's helped me so many times I need someway of repaying him. I would ask you to take Duo as well but he'll be guarding 01 at that time and will be inaccessible. Hopefully this will take care of Duo as well. I'm sure you can hide Wufei somewhere on the colonies."
"Why are you trying to hand the other Gundam pilots over to us?" asked Zechs then shuddered as Quatre's face resumed its edge.
"They won't be Gundam pilots, I'll destroy those myself and if I hear of you making Wufei fight for your side I'll personally hunt you down and cap your ass!" snapped Quatre his brow creasing, "You'd better take good care of him."
"I will make sure that the rebels take good care of him, you can be assure." said Zechs an image of Sally Po popping into his mind, "But may I ask why you are getting rid of the other pilots."
"Don't worry, the New OZ Gundam force will be dealt with and destroyed. One way or another one faction must fall. And I believe that the rebels will offer a more peaceful place for Duo and Wufei to stay as noncombatants." said Quatre as he began punching a password into the panel by the door.
"If you believe that why are you part of New OZ?" asked Zechs deciding to ask the question that was chewing him through and through.
"They stay and fight for New OZ because they don't remember what they did before they were here." said Quatre, "Duo and Wufei are only doing this because it's the only thing they know how to do."
"No, I asked why you were with New OZ." said Zechs keeping mental notes of all that was being said to him about the other pilots, "You said that the New OZ Gundam force will be destroyed and you mentioned futures for Duo and Wufei but what about yourself? What do you intend to do
"You ask too many questions." said Quatre coldly as the door opened and they stepped into the Gundam hanger.
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"Yo, Kit, waz up?" Duo yelled from the cockpit of his Gundam with a maniacal smile as he finished doing one more scan through of his Gundam.
"The ceiling, Maxwell." said Quatre sighing in annoyance. Zechs saw Wufei and started to walk over to talk to him.
"Ouch, whose got fleas in his collar today?" said Duo jumping down from his Gundam and walking towards Quatre then putting an arm around his waist, drawing him close before he had the chance to move off, "Maybe you should get that treated."
Quatre gave Duo a swift punch to the gut causing the braided pilot to let him go and gasp for breath, "There's one less blood sucker attached to me."
Zechs stood by Wufei watching the whole exchange, "Are they always like that?"
Wufei shook his head, "Nope, usually Quatre doesn't even attempt to make a joking come back. Most of the time they just get into a fight. But if you mean Duo, he's like that all the time." Zechs frowned if this was Quatre in a relatively good mood, what was he like in a bad mood.
"So what's your name, I saw you come in with Quatre, are you friends?" asked Wufei resuming his work on a panel of AtLong.
"My name is Milliardo Peacecraft." said Zechs then casting a look over at Quatre and Duo, "I guess you could call me more of an fellow soldier than a friend."
"Oh, well I guess I should warn you of Duo's er,...flirtatious ways since it seems that your going to be hanging around for a while." said Wufei, "He means no harm...I guess...well,...see, he has a non-stop gutter party going on in his warped little mind. So you should be on the look out, I think he likes your hair so he's defiantly going to be following you around. Don't think too badly of him, he's a good person really, a good leader too. He just doesn't show it outwardly that much..."
"I see. I'll be careful then." said Zechs, "So how long can you remember being here?"
"Only two months...but I've been told that I've been here for three years. You see they told me when I woke up that I had been in a coma for a while and was suffering from sever amnesia but at least Ive relearned just about everything now." said Wufei.
"What if I told you that what you have been told might not be true? That someone falsified the information given to you. That you are not who you think you are." said Zechs.
"I would say that you must be lying because my records show that information clear as day." said Wufei.
"I know, I know." said Zechs taking a deep breath as thoughts ran through his mind, "But just ...pretend. It's like a 'what if' game."
"Oh, ok. I get it." said Wufei replacing a wire, "Go ahead and continue."
"What if, " started Zechs trying to remember how the game went, "You were really one of five Gundam pilots fighting for the rebels and you were all friends. Then one time you five were out on a routine mission nothing out of the ordinary when it turned out to be an ambush by the enemy. During that fight one of the pilots Gundams was destroyed by enemy soldiers using a cannon, another was surrounded and seemingly destroyed by the enemy, while another self-destructed his Gundam so that the others could escape. The three were presumed dead by their comrades but what really happened was that all three pilots were recovered alive, perhaps they fought but then again perhaps they were unconscious and near death but none the less were alive."
"But instead of killing them the OZ higher ups decided that giving the pilots a new memory would be better that way they could pilot their Gundams for the New OZ organization wiping out the other Gundams and the resistance. This was accomplished most likely by the used of some sort of drugs that would have to be taken on a regular basis. The pilots without knowing, were taking that drug and it kept their real memories from surfacing. To keep further suspicion covered up from the memory loss they concocted fake records and fake accidents for the pilots incase they ever thought different. One of these pilots was a very respectable warrior who fought for justice and honor, he piloted a Gundam that he had named Nataku, and for example sake let's say that the warrior was you. The other two pilots, one a mischievous yet dedicated young man who named his Gundam for Death, and the other a kind gentle person who hated killing. And for the same sake let's just say that these were your fellow soldiers, Duo and Quatre."
"Then one day the rebels decide to find out the identities of the pilots of the Gundams for they thought that that they were dead and that some New OZ soldiers were piloting them. So they send a young woman who is used to reconnaissance missions and another woman went with her to make sure everything went ok, but then they were both caught, one sent to a detention cell and the other subjected to the same drugs that the pilots were causing her to forget everything as well. Then several months later the rebels decide to see for themselves what went wrong and find out for certain who those pilots were. Both were pilots of a Gundam. When they got there they found their friends but also found out that they had changed from the people that they were. What would you think if you were that pilot and you found out this information?"
Wufei laughed and Zechs thought for a moment that he had just been busted again when
Wufei turned to him, "Now I see why Quatre brought you with him, you are very clever at thinking games. Not many could come up with something like that. It was a very interesting story."
"Yeah,..." said Zechs with a fake smile wishing that Wufei had understood but not wanting to expose his cover to anymore people, just passed it off as a 'mind game' as Wufei put it.
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"I hope you do not mind staying with us until you leave." said Quatre then whispered so low that only Zechs could hear him, "I couldn't arrange for you to have your own quarters without arising suspicion and you can't stay with any of the others because you might be caught."
Zechs nodded. If he was one thing this Quatre was thorough. He followed the three down the hall towards the living quarters. Duo was just bouncing along happily.
"So he gets to stay with us?" Duo asked, "What about-"
"Ah!" Quatre stopped walking and his eyes got wide, "I forgot! How could I forget?!" Without warning he bolted down the hall nearly skidding as he turned down another passageway. Wufei yelled after him then ran off trying to follow his fellow pilot. Duo just shook his head and kept walking normally.
"What was that about?" Zechs asked.
"Meowzer forgot that we were keeping 01 with us. I never thought I'd see the day when he would make a planning error but I guess that's ok, I mean he is waiting for them to adjust his medication so he's kinda off the wall today. So I can't blame him." said Duo acting serious for the first time that Zechs had run into him, "I guess I need to keep an eye on him and make sure he'll be alright until they get him his new medication."
"Medication?" said Zechs out loud then wishing that he hadn't said that for fear of being figured out.
"Yeah, but if you bug him about it I'll get mad. See, he's real touchy about having to take medication and no one is going to hurt his feelings while I'm around. Got it?" said Duo as he walked, turning down another corridor.
"Why does he have to take medication?" asked Zechs knowing that he had hit on something that might be a piece of the puzzle that he was trying to piece together.
"Well, ya see...." started Duo then turning and whispering so that no one could hear him, "See, Cat has,...well, he's schizophrenic. Ever since he self-destructed his Gundam he's been kinda off the wall so he has to take medication to keep his mind straight when ever he has a spell."
"Hmm,...how sad. What's he like when he has a spell?" asked Zechs.
"Very delusional." said Duo with a slight laugh, "He apparently thinks that we are part of the rebels, imagine that, and that we are friends with 01 and 03. He keeps asking why he can't sense them and a bunch of very duh questions, like: where are we? And aren't these people from OZ? It's like he forgets everything so he gets very upset when someone mentions his medication. So please don't. Hey, why don't you just forget that we had this conversation?"
"Sure." lied Zechs, "Oh, do you and Wufei have to take any medicine of sorts?"
"Nope, not at all. We are 100 percent a-ok." said Duo then he turned to Zechs with a smile, "Gee, you sure do ask a lot of questions, don't you."
"Sorry, I'm just new. So I don't know about much of anything." lied Zechs feigning innocence.
"That's ok." said Duo as he opened a door, "We're all new sometime."
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Zechs entered the room that he assumed to be their living quarters and was very surprised at how small it was. He had assumed that since they were probably the best that New OZ had managed to get their hands on that they would have better quarters than this. In one corner of the room was a bunk bed and in the corner of the far wall was a single bed. Just beside the open door was a sofa seat. and beside the door on the wall along which it was stationed was a computer system, other than that the room was empty save for a closet door which was shut. Zechs frowned, what a place for them to live. On the bottom bunk he saw Heero sitting there with a leg bandage, Quatre seemed to be trying to think of something and Wufei was talking to Hilde. Zechs was surprised to see her too. She was supposed to be dead too, but then again he had assumed that she would be in the same state as the pilots since she could more than likely break herself out of a detention cell. Duo just smiled brightly.
"There's not enough space for another person is there, Meowzma?" said Duo, "Seems you kinda got a problem."
"Well,...If three of us get to sleep in the beds and one on the chair then perhaps another can sleep on the floor?" suggested Wufei.
"And get crushed by everyone else?" said Quatre raising an eyebrow, "I don't think so."
"Someone could share a bed." said Duo grinning an evil smile.
"No, Maxwell. I don't think that will work either." said Quatre giving Duo the disgusted annoyed look.
"For the room we have we could put 01 in the top bunk that way he'd wake us in case he tried to get away,...Duo can just stay where he is, and your friend can have the other bunk." said Wufei thinking.
"I think it would be better if Milliardo,...had the chair." said Quatre giving Zechs a look that would have stifled any arguments that he had.
"Wufei gets to keep his bunk so that means you're out." said Duo, "Now you have two choices. You can sleep on the floor or share sleep space with Wufei or me. So what's it gonna be?"
"I think I'll stand." said Quatre sharply.
"Stand?" said Duo, "You can't stand. I mean how are you going to sleep standing?"
"Coffee." said Quatre, "I won't sleep."
"You're not a machine, Cat. You're going to have to sleep sometime." said Duo crossing his arms.
"Someone needs to keep an eye on 01 unless you want to wind up dead tomorrow." said Quatre, "I'll be fine."
Duo frowned and for a moment he seemed to be thinking seriously then he walked over to Quatre, "Aw,...but it'll be cozy sharing sleeping space, besides..." Duo's voice faded off into a whisper.
Quatre turned a shade of pink.
"Duo!"
Zechs turned from his conversation with Wufei when he heard Quatre yell. Duo was grinning from ear to ear and laughing while Quatre appeared to be changing shades of red. He was about to ask what happened when Wufei put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look that said 'don't ask, you really don't want to know'. Zechs shrugged and looked at Heero who just looked back. Then a few seconds later there was a meow sound followed by a hiss. This time Wufei turned to see Quatre eyeing Duo with a look to kill and Duo was just grinning lecherously.
"I'm going to break your arm Duo, this time I'm really going to break your arm." hissed Quatre.
"You just play hard to get." said Duo then leaned forward smiling wickedly. He was rewarded with a meow hiss and an instant brawl. Duo was laughing the whole time as he received punch after punch.
"Guys!" Wufei yelled then put a hand to his head,"...how embarrassing....."
"Always?" asked Zechs.
"Always." said Wufei watching them.
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"Dipswitch." mutter Quatre at Duo who was smiling through yet another busted lip. Zechs and Wufei had managed to pull them apart after a few minuets of fighting.
"I know you love me." said Duo making a face.
"Feh."
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"Trowa, are you sure that you should do this? I mean, I thought Heero had this all planned out." said Katherine.
"I know, but I am sure that he will need some sort of help. I just know that these aren't normal people that we are up against. To pilot the Gundams with such skill." said Trowa, "Something big is underhand."
"Be careful Trowa." said Katherine as the Gundam pilot drove off with his motorcycle. She turned and went back inside. If something went wrong now the rebels would be left without any Gundam pilots no means to fight the ones from OZ. She frowned, why had Trowa chosen to be so reckless. Ever since they lost the other three in that mission he had started taking risks, especially when Heero or Zechs were concerned. It bothered Katherine a great deal but whenever she tried to talk to him about it he would just brush her off. In fact no one had taken the after effects of that mission well, especially Sally Po. Sally had just tried to cover up for it by acting angry all the time when she was really weeping inside, it was very clear however that she missed Wufei. Hilde had lost her life because she had decided to go infiltrate the OZ base and Noin had gone down with her. Zechs had been torn up forever when the knowledge came that Noin was a prisoner of the New OZ. Heero had just become more and more antisocial ignoring everyone and everything that could be avoided which was driving Relena crazy. Katherine couldn't remember if she had ever seen the Maganacs smile since then but they loyally followed the rebels for that is what, to quote Rashid, Master Quatre would have wanted.
She sighed and looked into the horizon wondering what had gone so very wrong, the way everything was now the rebels wouldn't last too much longer, "Be careful, all of you."
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Night came soon enough and Zechs went with Duo and Wufei to the mess hall for dinner, Quatre said that he would join them in a few minuets. He waited till they left then walked over to where Heero was sitting silently contemplating how he would plan his escape. From the looks that Zechs had given him, it was clear that one of the three knew who he was and about the plan. He looked up as Quatre stopped beside him.
"You alright?" he asked, "You haven't spoken in several hours. You're not getting sick are you?"
"No." said Heero silently keeping an eye on this one, for he knew that at a moments notice the pilot could go from kind to cold. He wondered for a moment why the Arab pilot seemed so pale like he was about to pass out for some reason, "I just have nothing to say."
"Alright then." said Quatre as he got up and walked to the door opening it. Just as he left he turned again, "Don't worry. You and your friend Zechs will be ok. Soon you'll be able to go home but not now. It's not time."
Heero was about to say something when Quatre walked out closing the door as Hilde walked in to watch over him. He just shut his mouth and thought more, watching Hilde as she watched him. She seemed bored, then she took out a deck of cards and began shuffling them to detract from her boredom. She had watched him earlier when the others had gone to repair their Gundams. She didn't talk to him then so Heero guessed that he would have to speak first if he wanted to talk to her. That mere fact annoyed him. Usually Hilde was a very talkative person just like Duo who Heero thought was almost as out of self as Quatre was. Whatever the New OZ people had done to his friends it seemed to draw forth the deeper more hidden personality of the pilots, the worst aspects of them. For Wufei perhaps the change wasn't too bad but it left him without his usual decisiveness and left him following orders for he knew not what else to do. Heero frowned; New OZ was going to pay for this. Every last one of them.
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Zechs sat down across from Duo and Wufei as they ate their dinner. He poked at his food not feeling much like eating for he didn't know if the food had been tampered or not. A chance that he wasn't going to take even if it meant going hungry. He looked up to see Duo and Wufei swallow a tablet.
"Medicine?" he asked.
"No, vitamin." answered Wufei.
Zechs just shook his head. That must be the drug that they are taking, they just don't know it. He thought. Now that he had all the pieces he would have to figure out what he was going to do with them. He was going to leave this base with as many as he could take with him, then they would figure out how to undo what had been done by the drugs. But with Quatre carefully watching him Heero was inaccessible. Still he could try. He nearly jumped when Quatre popped up unnoticed and sat in the seat beside him.
"The higher ups still haven't sent word to us about what to do about 01." said Wufei taking a bite of food.
"They are being to slow about this." muttered Quatre.
"Aw, don't worry. I'm sure they just got delayed. See there you guys go again. Getting all too serious and everything. Lighten up, guys." said Duo, "Besides I'm sure our guest doesn't want to be bored with seriousness. Geesh."
"I don't mind actually." said Zechs.
"Sure you do." said Duo, "Besides Gundams are much cooler things to talk about."
"Duo, don't start on how much better your Gundam is and how many times you've sliced something in half with the scythe. It's boring." said Wufei.
"But my Gundam is much better than the others." said Duo sticking his tongue out at Wufei, making a face, "It's a first wave Gundam, yours is second and Quatre's is mainly defense. So nayyaaa!"
Zechs just shook his head at such childish behavior. After much bickering and taunting of Wufei, Duo finished his meal then started making more faces at Wufei. Finally Wufei finished his meal, got up and left. He said that he was going to go to the Gundam hanger for a while. Duo frowned then looked over at Quatre. his next victim of today.
"Not hungry?" Duo asked Quatre who hadn't even touched his food, then looked over and saw that Zechs hadn't touched his food either, "It can't be that bad, guys."
Zechs had to admit that seeing Duo smile like he was frightened him more than Quatre with a gun, "I think I'll go join Wufei in the hangar." He got up and quickly went after Wufei.
"Now it's just you and me." Duo smiled, and then frowned, as Quatre seemed to be ignoring him. He waved a hand in front of Quatre's eyes then draped an arm around Quatre's shoulders. His face grew worried, "You feeling well? I mean this is where you're supposed to hit me and say, 'Maxwell, this is the last straw'."
Quatre looked up, "Huh?"
"Are you getting sick?" asked Duo putting a hand to Quatre's forehead, "Man, you're burning up! Let's go to the medical room, ok?"
"I'm fine." mumbled Quatre weakly shaking Duo off, "Just tired."
"Come on, Meow mix. We are going to the medic bay, now." said Duo taking hold of Quatre's arm.
"I'm fine!" hissed Quatre trying to yank his arm away, "I don't need any help!"
"Quatre!" snapped Duo, "Now!"
Sighing Quatre gave up and let Duo drag him out of the mess hall to the medical room.
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"Want to play a game of cards?" asked Heero watching Hilde shuffle them.
"Sure." she smiled brightly, "But I only know how to play 'Go Fish'....."
"That's alright. How about we have stakes?" said Heero.
"Um,...what kind of stakes?" asked Hilde.
"If I win, I ask you a question. All you have to do is answer. Not hard at all. And if you win you can ask me a question." said Heero.
"Ok." said Hilde smiling, then dealing the cards.
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Wufei was sitting in the cockpit of his Gundam checking control and basically anything else that he could do to not be doing anything. Zechs walked in wondering when he was going to get out of here, this place was driving him crazy. He wondered what kind of horrible monsters would subject the Gundam pilots to such drugs. It was warping them, but he would get them back. No matter what. He heard Wufei mutter something sadly then laughed weakly. He looked down and saw Zechs.
"I was thinking about what you said.....is it true?" asked Wufei.
"Yes, every word. Do you know who you are?" asked Zechs looking at the pilot for some hint of a joke.
"No, but I will soon." he said, and then holding out his hand showed Zechs the tablet.
"You didn't take it?" asked Zechs a bit surprised, "But I saw-"
"An act, incase they were watching. I'm just not sure about you,...but I'm willing to trust you. You seem honorable unlike most people I met." said Wufei sighing.
"What made you reach this decision? I thought you thought that I was making a joke?" said Zechs.
"Because you repeated some of the stuff that Quatre does when he gets his medication. So I thought about what the both of you said, that there had to be more than meets the eye. Your eyes told me that you weren't joking." said Wufei, "Beside if what you said was true....I should get some kind of effects from not taking this. A fool proof way to make sure I'm doing the right thing."
"Will you help me break 01 out when I free Noin?" asked Zechs hoping for an affirmative.
"I can't. I'm sure Quatre knows who you are and has talked to you. I won't go against any of the things that he says, and I know that he can not let you get 01 out of here...not until...." said Wufei trailing off.
"Until what?" asked Zechs.
Wufei just smiled, "Did you know that you ask too many questions?"
"I've been told." replied Zechs frowning and knowing that he wouldn't get the answer to that question.
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"Stay here, I'm going to get a doctor ok? Man, you don't look so well." said Duo making Quatre sit down on one of the medical beds, then rushing out the door to get someone.
Quatre waited until he knew that Duo was clear of the door before he ran out and down the hall taking the lift to the higher levels of the compound. He stopped on the detention floor and walked in feeling lightheaded, maybe he was sick... Drawing on his reserve strength he cleared his identity with the guards then walked down the rows of cell passing them all by until he reached cell 1C. He knocked on the cell door and waited for an answer. After a few seconds someone walked over to the small barred window and looked out at him.
"What is it, Quatre?" asked a feminine voice.
"Can I come in and talk to you?" he asked stifling a cough.
"Sure, but I don't know why you bother to ask. I mean, I'm the prisoner here." said the voice backing away to the far end of the cell room away from the door.
"Cause you are a person, prisoner or not you might not want to talk to me on a particular day." said Quatre using and security card to open the door then shut it behind him hearing the door lock again.
Noin took one look at Quatre then rushed over with motherly worry, "You're sick again aren't you?"
"I'm fine." said Quatre then before he could say anything else Noin slapped him hard.
"Don't give me any of your stupid excuses, you should take better care of yourself." she snapped, "Now you sit down and rest or I'll ....I'll do something as soon as I think of it and it won't be nice."
Quatre laughed a bit, then started into a coughing fit as Noin took him by the arm making him sit in a chair. She frowned, this boy was the same. Drugged or not he still never took care of himself.
She hadn't seen hide nor hair of the other two but Quatre always told her about them. The part of him that was still the old Quatre was constantly fighting whatever they had given him to close off his memories and empathic sense, it made him get sick all of the time but he never cared. She didn't know how close the others were to themselves but she knew Quatre wasn't too far off. The fact that he had requested that she not be killed after she was caught was one point, that he made sure that she was well taken care of unlike the other poor prisoners was another, and that he kept visiting her and actually talking to her like a person on his level instead of like a prisoner proved very clearly that the Quatre that she knew was somewhere in there.
She didn't know what to think of what she had been told about Duo and the fate of poor Hilde. She just hoped that if they ever regained their senses that they wouldn't remember a thing. That was the most she could hope for. Apparently Duo was still a joker just more of a...perverted type of joker. She wonder how much or if at all he was like himself. Hopefully they were all redeemable and not lost to the New OZ forever. She wondered what Heero would think if he knew that Duo was here and alive. Perhaps he wouldn't care, then again perhaps he would. She was just glad that he wasn't one of the ones that got caught, if he had then the rebels would only be so many ashes right now.
For Wufei perhaps the change was a good thing, teaching him respect for others...or then again it might not considering Wufei. He was always a stubborn one about making changes. For better or for worse Chang Wufei was the most determinedly strong willed person that she knew. Noin frowned, from what she had heard the New Oz turned him into a low opinionated person. She just couldn't see Wufei like that, it almost seemed impossible. She turned her attention back to Quatre who was coughing again.
"Why don't you go see a doctor like a normal person instead of running and hiding in here with me every time?" asked Noin, "I can't help you."
"I don't need help." said Quatre.
"Well, is that just supposed to solve it all." said Noin giving him a death glare.
"I didn't come here to talk about my health." said Quatre, "I came to tell you to be prepared, Zechs has come to break you out. I'm going to leave the key with you...you should be prepared by tomorrow. If things go well you will be safe and sound by the next moon rise."
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No matter how simple minded that Hilde seemed to be, Heero could never win a game of 'Go Fish'. Suddenly Duo rushed in the door, he seemed to be searching for something. He looked over at Heero then walked back out of the room. Heero frowned, something was up. Things were about to happen and he was quite sure that they were going to happen soon. For better or worse. He growled in irritation.
"I win! I win!" cried Hilde in delight as she looked at her cards.
"Ask a question." said Heero in a hurry to get to the next game so he can try to get information about the base.
"Ok! Um,....how do you spell Yuy?" she asked. Heero just face vaulted.
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Wufei was walking with Zechs down the hallway when Duo showed up; he seemed very agitated and worried. Duo seemed to be in the middle of a search. Seeing those two walking up the hall he wandered over to them. Zechs had to blink twice; he had never seen Duo so serious. Duo looked behind them then back at Wufei.
"Do you know where Quatre went? He got sick, started running a fever then when I went to get a doctor he disappeared." said Duo frowning.
Maybe he went to hide with Miss Noin again. Said Wufei shrugging, Thats where he went last time.
Duo snarled in agitation then stalked off down the hall to the lift, Quatre was in big trouble this time. This was the sixth time now that he had evaded seeing a doctor. Duo just frowned as he walked, he was going to have to have a long talk with that guy.
.
Quatre stood up to walk out of the cell but as soon as he stood he felt dizzy and his knees suddenly went weak causing him to collapse. Noin rushed to his side to check on him. His eyes were half closed but he was as pale as a ghost and sweat was forming on his face. The fact that he didnt even make a effort to get back up worried her to no end, he wasnt one to accept help for anything. She checked his pulse to find that it was accelerated. She then noticed that he didnt seem to be looking at anything in particular. She tried calling his name but got no response. Picking him up she put him on her bed covering him up for he seemed to be shivering a bit. Noin put a hand to his forehead then drew it away quickly; he was hot. Quickly she found a rag and wet it in the cell sink in water as cold as it would go then laid it across his forehead, she did the same for a towel and wrapped it around his neck. When she was little thats what her mother used to do to treat fevers. For a few moments after that it seemed like he had fallen asleep then he started thrashing about in some kind of delirium, so she had to hold him down so he wouldnt do himself any harm. The fit soon became so violent that she practically had to lean over him to keep him still. When he started gibbering she put a hand over his mouth to keep him silent, this already looked compromising, she didnt need anybody walking in to see what the commotion was.
Shhh calm down, shhh. Whispered Noin in a soothing voice as if she was trying to put a baby to sleep, Its ok, its just me. Ill take care of you.
After a while he finally stilled and only rocked his head back and forth occasionally. Noin took her best guess of what his temperature was and noted that it must have gone down several degrees. She wised that he would go to a real doctor instead of her because it scared her when people got this sick.
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