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Black Flecked Snow	By : tinyvoice Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 660 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
In the
safety of his simple room complete with: a bed, a dresser, a hamper, and a
desk; Wufei meditated over the events of the day. Looking at it as an outsider,
it would seem very confusing. In actuality, what it all really came down to was
that the scene upon his arrival had been, probably, what it would have been
like five years ago before anyone had so much as an inkling as to his
intentions of phasing out of public life. Everyone was still playing their old
roles. Quatre remained ever the peacemaker, Duo was the noisemaker, Trowa the
withdrawn, and Heero was still the enforcer. Where did Wufei the sardonic fit
in?

"Why haven't they changed?" he asked aloud. Five years had passed,
and things were supposed to be different.

Things were supposed to change and develop. But then, there were some things
that never change, and that's when, supposedly, one must ask oneself whether he
or she would ever want it to change. If there was a system that worked, then it
only made sense that it'd stay around for a very long while.

Wufei didn't bother to open his duffel. It'd be shamefully stupid to do so
since he'd more than likely be leaving the next day.

To bide his time, a thought crossed his mind to check for bugging devices. He
decided against it, though, contradicting his natural instinct to just tear the
room apart. He did not trust the Alliance, and as the years dragged on, his
faith in Relena Peacecraft dwindled into almost nothingness. Not that he'd ever
had much stock in her to begin with.

The system wasn't working.

It was as apparent as the cheaply painted lavender molding running along the
low-set ceiling.

++

"It's like he hasn't come back to us," Duo pouted, picking at the
remainder of his dinner.

"He was never 'with us,'" Trowa reminded him

"Ah�that's right�" Duo exclaimed, scratching his head with the
revelation. "I guess you can't win them all." He'd never thought of
it before, but it now made sense. Wufei had always been adamant in his
reluctance to join them in anything.

"He was�and still is with us," Quatre declared quietly, but still
drawing attention. "The war was not won with four pilots. You've forgotten
that this is the way that things were back then. The four of us would converge
on one spot while Wufei would fine some other place to be, somewhere less
suffocating. However, he was perfectly willing to carry on a conversation or
sit in silence with one of us. He's with us, but not with us." Having
brought this point to light, Quatre took a long sip of his tea as if he hadn't
said anything at all.

Heero sat at the far end of the table soundly suppressing a smile. He didn't
want to appear too amused.

++

There were only so many things to do for a full day in a ten x eleven box.
Wufei spent his time alternating between meditation, exercise, and listening to
his headphones. Though the monotony was a little bothersome, he decided that it
felt better to be alone than to feel lonely.

The choked sound of the comm. Around eight in the evening interrupted his
concentration when he was trying his damndest to balance one of those cheap
hotel bibles on the tip of a pen. It tumbled off of the desk onto the floor in
an uninterested heap of bent up paper and leather binding.

A white strip of paper began to flow out of the metallic face of the comm. When
it had finished, the machine just hung dormant with the paper protruding out
like a tongue.

Resigned, Wufei stalked over to it and tugged the paper out careful not to rip
through the text.

He read it, sniffing lightly. 'Pilot05. Wing 54, room 446. Bring belongings.
Departure at 22h00.'

Grabbing his duffel, he took a quick study of the map posted next to the door
then headed out.

++

He found the room with little trouble. Next to the door was a small tag with
engraving that read: Militant Affairs Conference Room 14. It was a little more
than a sneaking suspicion now that perhaps, the Alliance wasn't as inclined to
pacifist policies after all. Pacifist, a most detestable word.

Switching his mind over to objective mode, he inserted his ID into the comm,
having learned by this time to keep it in his hand and ready. The interface
flashed green, and the door shot open.

All the other pilots had already gathered at the far end of the table flanked
by various representatives from the colonies. At the head of the table was
Relena Peacecraft.

Wufei's lip curled a little seeing her, but then his face smoothed out again
into the businessman mask he was accustomed to wearing now a days.

He took that only empty seat between Quatre and Heero in respectful silence.
The meeting began with introductions all around, a small briefing on the
importance of everything, and other little details. All the wonderful frills of
the Alliance.

"There is a small colony in this section of our galaxy," Relena said
getting up from her seat and poking the touch screen at the front of the room.

A map of the far fringes of ESA space overtook the whole of the wall.

"How they have survived, if they have, without help from the Earth Sphere
Alliance, will soon be found out. And also, how they've managed to stay
unnoticed for so long. The gundam pilots are to establish contact with the
colony. Then to request disarmament and assist should the colony have any
weaponry. Whether the colony chooses to accept or not is irrelevant. They are a
part of ESA space, and therefore fall under our jurisdiction. All arms must be
put to rest and dismantled. If they refuse to comply with the set of tasks put
before them, the pilots' task shall be to take control by force. This mission
should be simple for you. Little more than a mere continuation of your
Preventers work, which I might add, we are all extremely satisfied with."

"Why bother them? If they have existed this long without any indication of
threatening action, there seems to be no logic in forcing ESA rules and
regulations on them. Besides, if they're heavily armed, we won't be able to
take them on in a delegation carrier," Heero asked nonchalantly, making
Relena falter.

"Well�umm�that is�They are a part of our space, and therefore, fall under
our rule."

Heero seemed to be extremely amused, though, by all outward appearances, he
seemed to just be listening in his typical "I appear not to care"
fashion. She didn't know how she knew it, but he was laughing at her.

Yet, she pressed on, "We have reconstructed the gundams for your
task."

Five sets of nothing short than confounded eyes locked on her. No one said
anything.

"�W-with a new team of scientists that will brief you on your individual
weapons systems�The blueprints for the gundams were never destroyed, so we, we
put them to good use."

The rest of the meeting passed quickly as if everyone just wanted to chuck the
gundam pilots into the void of space as quickly as possible. At its conclusion,
the five re-instated pilots were escorted to a car in the front of the ESA
mansion where they'd be driven to a different portion of the grounds.

++

"Something's up," Duo frowned. "They didn't tell us everything
back there." He sat bent over picking at his braid, fraying the end of it.

"Nothing is ever as easy as they would like to make it sound," Quatre
agreed, weaving his fingers with Trowa's. "That's why they make you accept
a mission before you actually learn about it."

"Relena's gone nutsot; ot; Duo furiously attacked a knot. "I thought
we were peaceniks. We're not supposed to charge in guns a blazing and expect
these people to do what we say."

Quatre sighed, "I wonder if she's doing alright lately�"

"Ugh�you're actually worried about her?" Duo said in surprise and distaste.
"I'd say that she's just getting bored. Five years without and and the
colonies playing 'kiss ass' is bound to do something to her ego."

"How so?"

"When you've got nothing to preach, the church is pretty much empty."

Heero typed on his laptop as if he were oblivious to their conversation. He was
finding some interesting files.

Wufei listened to everything, at the same time, absorbed in his own thoughts.
He wondered why ESA would deliberately tamper with a colony that, to their
knowledge, had never played part in any militant maneuvers since its
conception. It didn't make sense. Why bother?

++

About a thirty-minute drive away from the ESA mansion, there was a ware-house
like cluster of buildings that mhavehave spanned over a five mile radius. Bored
from the ride, the pilots piled our of the car hurriedly, luggage in hand, into
a well-lit garage.

Everything was bright white and impeccable clean. The valet, instead of driving
away, got out of the car and took lead of the pilots down many corridors into a
very large room. It contained very few pieces of equipment and there were a few
doors at the far end with post-it notes stuck all over them.

In the middle of the room, eight men dressed in white were bent over something
with their backs to the door.

The valet coughed loudly, making a few of them turn.

It was a little like walking into a teenybopper movie. All these men dressed in
stiffly ironed lab coats looked to be in their early to mid-twenties, and as if
they'd stepped out of the latest edition of Vogue. Some of their hair was
blotched odd colors and sticking up in every possible direction. All of them
looked moderately to extremely Asiatic, and extremely bright. A long silence
ensued as the pilots and the scientists sized each other up.

All too soon, the silence was broken. "These are the pilots? Great!"
the shortest man, probably just falling short of five feet tall, grinned
flashing his pearly white fangs at everyone. His canines seemed abnormally
large and sharp, hard not to look at. "Let's see," he continued
looking over each pilot with his appraising eyes. "I'm supposed to
tutor�you!" He pointed an accusing finger at Duo. "Nice to meet you,
Mr. Death. Come with me." He glanced at his wristwatch. "Sorry we
have to be fast with everything. No time to chit-chat and reminisce good times.
Oh! So little time!" He exclaimed, practically skipping away to some
unknown destination. "Walk this way!"

Duo barely registered himself moving to catch up with the strange little man.
He was simply fascinated by his energy.

A small cough brought everyone back to earth, recovering from the unexpected
cheeriness of the impish one and the bewilderment of Duo.

"That was Canine," the scientist that had coughed said. "I'm
Fair�I'm supposed to explain a gundam to one of you�Trowa." His gray eyes
fell upon the tallest pilot. "Follow me," he said shoving his hands
in his pockets and stalking off. Trowa followed obediently.

"Heero," the next scientist said in a commanding tone. And, he need
say nothing more since Heero was already stepping on his shadow faster than any
reasonable person could blink. The two men disappeared down a latter, neither
bothering with the rungs.

Wufei caught a glimpse of what the remaining scientists were leaning over.

It was an owlish looking cat complete with wings. The plastic tank that it was
in muted its mewling and hampered its wing flexing ability.

It was surprising to say the least.

An extremely feminine looking man turned his head, then nudged the man closest
to him, and both turned around. Wufei knew instinctively who he was going to
end up with and waited for Quatre to walk off with the smaller, wiry one.

A curious young man with a pair of old, early-twenty-first century style
headphones fixed to his ears. Despite whatever audio was blaring into his ears,
he still manages to carry on a conversation with "pilot04" as they
walked away.

"It would seem�that you are last," the feminine man said in a very
smooth, unmistakably male voice.

Wufei would have shrugged with the typical "what can you do?" posture,
but was too tired to feign active indifference.

++

Duo marveled at the craftsmanship gone into building his gundam. It was sleek
and black with green bands outlining its joints and curves. Canine gave him a
computer pad with particulars and statistics regarding the suit. He talked very
animatedly about the adjustments he�d made while still keeping true to the
original handling and design. �It�s for more efficient and faster adjusting.
It�s all about familiarity. We were careful to tailor design to your individual
capabilities.� Canine flashed Duo a toothy grin and kicked the gundam�s
gigantic foot. Around the spot his shoe had struck, a box became illuminated in
green light. �That is where you retrieve your remote self-destruct control,
there�s also one you can access through your main computer. It�s mentioned in
your booklet. We were told not to install these, but we couldn�t resist. You
see�the Alliance is all about money. Losing one of these is like�losing a
little fortune. We all figured we�d do this to piss �em off,� Canine proudly
explained while Duo explored wiping an escapee tear of troublemaker�s bliss as
he did so. �So�what do you think?� he asked excitedly.

�Can I keep it?� Duo grinned.

Canine grinned back. �It�s been so long since we�ve had visitors here!� he said
after a pause. �I�ve missed it.�

++

�This is wing zero with a few adjustments,� the man indicated to a few key
spots on the gundam to explaining the differences to Heero. He adjusted his
glasses every now and then when he was explaining something crucial like
handling differences. �This is the hardest suit to pilot. You adapt quickly,
so�everyone figured we could give you some killer extras that we couldn�t
install on the other gundams. All the parts on wing are interchangeable with
other gundams. If you feel that something would suit someone else better,t
tt
take it off and pass it on. Then we come to the point of self-destruct. Against
direct orders from Relena Peacecraft, we have installed a self-destruct
program. Knowing your kamikaze methods, we�ve also installed a program that
hails all the salvageable parts back to you when you�re revived. Then they put
themselves back together. It�s a smart program that can also be copied to other
gundams. But when you copy it, you need to write it for that specific gundam
you�re giving it to.� The scientist clutched his clipboard to his chest and
knocked on the gundam�s palm. A box illuminated with a red light appeared,
�This is where you retrieve your detonation control.�

Heero looked appraisingly at his gundam, which was chrome colored, being the
last to be finished, and nodded.

The scientist ran his fingers through the pale streaks in his unruly hair and
sighed, �By the way, my name is Ryoukai.�

++

"So, my gundam is built mainly for smart program execution. Real-time maps
and battle plane assessment," Quatre nodded reading off the computer pad.
"Mainly short range weapons and adaptable armor, equipment for a defense
bot."

"You're the brains�so, yeah," the scientist said quietly, adjusting
the headset under his mop of feathery orange hair.

"I guess so�" Quatre mumbled humbly. "�Then there's the
self-destruct we already went over, maintenance, etcetera�so, that covers it,
right, Sunshine?"

Sunshine grunted an affirmative, making notes on his portable.

"Thank you," Quatre said smiling making Sunshine look up
self-consciously. His bright green eyes studied the smile critically for a
minute. Then, he smiled back slowly.

"You have the smile of a child. It becomes you."

++

"You have a past similar to someone I once knew," Fair commented
offhandedly as Trowa inspected his new gundam.

"Really?" Trowa replied nonchalantly.

"Yes, but rather than have bogs of men beating him, it was only one, his
father," Fair replied as if he were talking about the weather. "He
never defended himself even though he could have killed the old man in little
less than mere seconds. He'd have the worst injuries, but never fought it. He
just stood there and took it."

Trowa regarded the scientist, who was doing some last-minute programming on the
deck below him. The wire mesh was easy to see through, easy to see the truth in
Fair's face. "Why?" he asked quietly.

"He didn't believe in taking the risk," Fair replied simply tugging
at a lock of blue hair while he thought. "�damn�" he muttered when
the code came up red. "N.G."

++

"I designed Nataku for hand to hand combat. The body is thinner and more
flexible. There are serrated edges on the fingers of each hand," the
scientist explained, lighting a cigarette and indicating key parts of the
gundam. "You're an offensive player, so, you've been outfitted for weapons
for long range attacks. Smart caps and the like."

"You've studied my file?" Wufei asked reading over the Nataku bio.

"I studied the war," the scientist corrected him.

"How old are you?"

"Thirty-two."

"What is your name?"

"Ash. For obvious reasons."

"What is your real name?"

"Not telling. That's spoil the fun," Ash replied seriously. "It
doesn't matter anyway. You'd never be able to do anything with it. All the
people working in this facility�" he waved his hand around as if to
indicate roaring masses. "We're all ghosts." He dropped his cigarette
to the ground and dug into it with his heel, exhaling a puff of translucent
gray as he did so.

++

Everyone ate while being briefed on communications and simulation settings.

It would take a week to reach the colony space. Said week would be spent going
through virtual simulations to get used to the controls and overall feel of the
machinery. Sustenance would be fed from a tube into their bloodstream. No one
wasticuticularly keen on the idea, but no one raised any objections either.

After all the instruction was over, Duo asked, "So, what happens now? Do
we crash here for the night?"

Canine frowned sympathetically, "Nope�unfortunately�tonight we pack you up
and ship you off. Then, tomorrow, we go home."

"Ah! But I didn't even savor my bed last night!" Duo cried.

Quatre bit his lip to keep himself from laughing as his friend ranted on, even
throwing in the word justice once or twice for good measure.

"Wuffie, help me out here! You know more about justice and moral mumbo
jumbo than I do!" Duo tried to appeal to him.

Wufei shot him a death glare before going back to scrutinizing his gundam
particulars.

"Heero?" Duo pleaded, getting no response from his computer-absorbed
lover. "Quatre?" His friend shrugged helplessly.

Duo crumbled hopelessly on the dinner table. A muffled, and long drawn out
"no" came from his still form followed by a few pathetic sniffles.

Oh, the anguish.

++

For how much he whined, Duo was quite animated by the time everyone was getting
prepped to leave. He baited Wufei who was still reading and frowned when he got
no response. Then he struck up conversation with Quatre before being dragged
away by Canine. Heero watched them talk for a while before shrugging his
shoulders ancidiciding that the scientist was no threat to him.

"I feel antsy�" Quatre frowned, cradling Trowa's hand in his.
"I've got a feeling�Something important is going to happen. I don't know
if it's bad or not�I just�" he trailed off fumbling for words to describe
his angst, but found none.

"Don't worry, Kat," Trowa assured him, raising his hand to his lips.
He kissed Quatre's knuckles comfortingly then leaned him onto his shoulder,
using the steady pressure of his fingers to anchor him there. "If
something is to happen, it would be better to see what it is before
worrying."

Quatre leaned further into Trowa closing his eyes to breathe in his scent,
memorizing it. A week without knowing this contact would be sheer torture.

Wufei looked up from his study material to see the couple lean into each other.
The emotional intimacy of the moment made him want to punch something, an
outlet for his immediate hormonal distress. Instead, he got up and made a dash
for the safety of Nataku's cockpit.

An eternity later, everyone exchanged formal farewells, and the gundams were
launched into space.

++

Relena fought the bile that rose in her throat. She�d sent them on a war
mission, her Heero and the others. Her Heero might die. Ands she�d made a
complete mockery of herself during the meeting. A Peacecraft telling people
that they�re going to go start a conf as as if she were talking about going on
a picnic. For a few years, the Alliance had been the problem, and now she was
joining them. She was going to be another slimy looking photo in the funny
papers.

++

The simulation programs were brutal, almost inhumane, but at the same time,
sharpened long forgotten skills and tactics through the sheer intensity of each
fake battle. The interesting part of the training was in the design. After the
initial adjusting programs done independently, the other pilots were
incorporated as a part of the same simulation. No one ever won battles by
themselves, so, it was therefore not logical to learn fighting all alone.

On the sixth day of travelling and training, everyone was jolted awake by a
loud beeping. It had a pattern: high, low, high, high, low. Then there was a
pause followed shortly by the same set of sounds.

"I think we're being hailed," Quatre's voice came crisply over the
intercom.

"What'cha think we should do about it?" Duo replied, tiredly wiping
the sleep from his eyes. "'Heya, we're here to tell you that you're a part
of our Alliance space. Submit now. Resistance is futile?'"

"I don't think they'd take kindly to that, Maxwell," Wufei said
annoyed.

"Do you wanna lie?" Duo shot back.

"Shove it," Wufei growled.

"I think we're supposed to have a password," Trowa said pointedly to
Quatre.

"We don't have a password�"

"We're going to fight," Heero stated soberly, leaving no room for
question.

His words proved true when the steady chorus of beeps flattened out to a long
sour note.

Out of the darkness of space, a mobile suit materialized. It looked similar to
Nataku, but of a lighter build and a more sleek anatomy. Its coloring was dark
red, like wine. The fact that it was alone was cause for some confusion. The
pilots quickly scanned for more suits, and found none. Was this one an escort?

That was soon decided when the red suit drew a long staff and eased itself into
a rather imposing position. Heero, not being one to pass up such an obvious
challenge, was the first to fly forward, drawing his light sword as he did so.

The red suit struck first. Faster than any of the pilots could register before
Heero struck back. The duel was unquestionably impressive, but seemed at the
same time, lacking. The red MS was holding back. No guns, no light blades, etc,
and it seemed to defend against 01's assault way too easily.

Wufei flew forward to alleviate his curiosity. He wanted to bring out the power
in the red suit. After his initial offensive, it was not surprising to him that
the red unit simply changed tactics. No matter how many times he lashed out,
the red suit would evade the attack while, at the same time, defend against
Heero.

"This is my fight," Heero said as he narrowly avoided a blow.

"I'm not here to help you," Wufei snapped.

Both pilots were silent thereafter. Wing Zero was dealt a crippling hit by the
red unit, but, instead of being finished off, it was merely ignored and no
longer a piece of any real importance.

Duo panicked and flew forward to join the fight, not completely sure about the
safety of 01.

Momentarily, Quatre followed after trying to get Duo to fall back, but to no
avail. Everything was shot to heck after the last of the gundam pilots joined
the melee to cover 04.

It was awkward to be ganging up on one mobile suit, but there seemed, at the
time, little else to do. The red suit proved to be more than capable of taking
care of itself. A few scratches marred its glossy exterior, the only proof of
combat. The gundams, to that suit, may as well have been flies pelting a raging
elephant.

By an amazing stroke of luck, the enemy suit sustained good damage to its arm.

Quatre fired at the red suit, sending it back into Wufei's domain. He, in turn,
dealt an impulsive strike to the unit's right arm.

The suit faltered a little before initiating a frightening flash of
retribution. It went head to head with Nataku, fending off other suits nearly
to the point of all out ignoring them just to go on the offensive to deal with
05.

It was horrifying how quickly the battle was finished after that.

The gundams were collected and lead away by the victorious red MS.

++

The pilots sat through a grueling, it no monotonous, six hours wondering where
they were going, and why they hadn't been finished off yet. They also wondered
who in the galaxy was piloting the red mobile suit. Definitely a very
formidable fighter that had gone out of his way to preserve the gundams. The only
gundam to sustain any serious damage was Nataku that had been on the receiving
end of the offensive barrage.

No one talked for the longest time until a familiar beeping pattern shook them
into the real world. There was a pause, and then an answering sequence of
beeps.

Quatre pulled up the windows on his vid screen and caught a glimpse of
something. It was almost liquid like, and reflected the vastness of space. Its
existence was almost questionable, save for the sheer dimension of it.
"Can you see it?" he asked over the comm. to the other pilots.

"What is it?" Duo asked in return, a little surprised at having his
friend's face pop up on his screen. "I don't see anything."

Tiredly, Quatre put his face in his hands, "Now we know how they stayed a
secret for so long."

"It's like a giant mirror," Trowa explained after finally getting
some images on his screen.

Duo pulled up some more images and began to make out the glassy lines of a very
large craft. "Oh�I see. So, is it like some sort of a humungous battle ship
or something?"

"We'll have to find that out later," Quatre frowned. "For now,
I'd really like to know how that pilot beat us, if there is a pilot in that
suit at all."

"I feel bad for Heero," Duo said, pulling up a screen of Wing Zero.
"I think his power was cut off. He would have self-destructed by now if he
could."

"Is that necessarily something to be sorry about?" Quatre grinned.

"Not at all, but I bet he's feeling sorry," Duo laughed, but then
sobered quickly. "I think we're all a little rusty on our fighting. These
gundams are awesome, but we're not."

�Yeah,� Trowa agreed eyeing his console. �But we don�t have to worry about that
for the moment, do we?�

�Nope, we�re all dogs on a leash for now,� Duo replied cheerily.

TBC...
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