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Chapter Text

(The following is a non-profit fan based literature. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and all associated  characters, ideas, concepts and storylines are the property of Sunrise Inc, TV Asahi, Kodansha Ltd., and Bandai Namco Entertainment.  Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon and all associated characters, ideas, concepts and storylines are the property of Sentai Filmworks, Sunrise Inc, ComicWalker, and Bandai Namco Entertainment. Please support the official release)

(This story follows the continuity of the primary GW series albeit with a separate timeline following the defeat of White Fang)

The view of the Earth from space was really something else. As a kid, Duo never had much time to look up at the Earth. He had been too busy trying to figure out where his next meal was going to come from. But with peace, he found himself not only with a full stomach but more free time than he knew what to do with. It had been three years since the end of the Eve Wars and in that time it had been relatively quiet. 'Relative' being the key phrase. While Treize's plan for the most part had worked and the majority of humanity had lost its taste for war, humans were by nature stubborn bastards. Be it embittered remnants of OZ, White Fang, Romefeller, the Alliance Military, or some military industrialist not willing to give up his bottom line; it always seemed as if there were a fire sprouting up somewhere that needed to be put down.

Which is where Duo and the others came in. Despite the mess of politics and warring factions that had dominated Operation Meteor; the Gundams and their five pilots were still regarded as vigilantes at best and terrorists at worst. But with some help from friends in high places, a deal had been made. In exchange for pardons, the five of them were drafted as agents of the Preventers, a counter-insurgency organization meant to defuse explosive situations before they could escalate into something serious. It wasn't a bad gig overall. Sure Duo and the others were still soldiers but now they were allowed to serve on their own terms. Trowa and Duo had both divided their time between their missions and day jobs at the circus and the junkyard. Quatre spent most of his time running the Winner corporation which had become the Preventers' chief source of technology while Wufei was the only full-time member from their group. Which was probably a good thing considering at times the pilot of the Gundam Altron Tianzi could be even more intense than Heero. If it weren't for the Preventers, Duo sometimes worried Wufei would have fallen in with one of the dissident groups. To no one's surprise, Heero was the only one who had rejected the offer, opting instead to remain on standby to make sure the Preventers wouldn't go unchallenged if they ever turned into another OZ. Still, he managed to keep tabs on what was happening and if a situation was serious enough, he'd come to their aide. Like the incident with the Barton Foundation or Noin's brother. As a result, Lady Une had drafted documents for the ESUN Parliament claiming Heero was an undercover operative so they would leave him alone. I bet Relena was happy to hear that, Duo smirked. After a brief time spent walking the Earth, Heero had settled down in Sanc Kingdom and was now working as her bodyguard. You'd better propose to Relena soon Heero, Duo mused. I am NOT losing that bet with Quatre.

Behind him, the door to the observation deck opened and in the reflection of the window, Duo watched Lady Une and old man Howard appear. In the years since the war, the former right hand of Treize Khushrenada had been appointed head of the Preventers while Howard had become their Chief Engineer. As to be expected, Une's uniform was immaculate and perfectly fit to her slim frame. The very model of professionalism. Howard on the other hand with his shorts and Hawaiian shirt looked more like he was on vacation than supervising a test run of the new systems installed into Deathscythe Ahriman.

"We're almost at the testing site Duo," Une announced. When they had first met, Une had actually been slightly taller than him. But in the three years since the Eve Wars, Duo along with the other pilots had undergone a growth spurt and he now found himself looking down her. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah just taking in the sights," the young pilot answered. "The Earth sure is beautiful from up here." Stepping up to the window, Howard leaned back against the glass.

"You okay Duo? You seem kind of out of it."

"What are you talking about? Do I look worried to you?"

"No and that's just it," Une agreed. "We've known you long enough to know that the more cheerful you act Duo, the more you're trying to hide something."

"Problems with Hilde again?" Howard guessed. "I'm guessing she didn't appreciate us pulling you away out of the blue again. Ah don't worry. I'll tell her it was my fault and let her take it all out on me. That should get you out of the doghouse."

"Not this time," Duo sighed. "We both decided to end it. It just wasn't working out." The two adults looked to each other before Une came forward to join them.

"What happened?" she asked. "Was it because of your missions?"

"Hilde knew about my arrangement with the Preventers when I first moved in with her," Duo said. "But I guess between her constant worrying about my safety and me always leaving her to handle the junkyard by herself it just got too much for her. It's something that's been building up for a while now so I really can't say that I was surprised."

"I'm sorry kid," Howard said. "Hey you know, my salvage crew is doing some work off of Tijuana. There's a strip club there with women you wouldn't believe. And they don't check for ID either so..."and Howard immediately shut up when he noticed the cold glare Une was giving him. Actually that's not the worst idea I've heard today, Duo thought.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Une asked. "Every time I called you in you answered without hesitation. I could have gotten Trowa or Wufei instead." A look of realization crossed Une's face. "Or is something else going on?" Duo hung his head as he gazed back out at the Earth.

"You ever feel out of place?"

"What do you mean?" Howard asked.

"I became a Gundam pilot because I didn't want anyone to go through what I had. Having to see everyone around you die for no reason while you keep living, it does something to you. Everyone else is moving on. Heero has Relena. Trowa has Catherine and the circus. Quatre has all his sisters and their company. Wufei, well, he's Wufei of course. Maybe it was because Hilde and I were never very stable to begin with, but I just didn't feel like the life I had with her was going anywhere. And so long as there's still people out there willing to start up another war for stupid reasons I can't ignore that either."

"You know," Howard said, "if anyone would have trouble adjusting to peace I always thought it would be Heero."

"Rub it in why don't you. The point is, the war's over, we got everything we fought for, and I don't know what to do anymore. I tried to start a normal life with Hilde but that didn't work out. And being a Preventer is starting to feel more like a job. But with what's at stake I can't just quit either. It's a brand-new world and I feel like I don't belong in it." Feeling a warm presence beside him, Duo looked up just in time to see Une rest her head on his shoulder.

"I understand how it feels to face an uncertain future," she told him. "There are times I look back at how I used to be and I wonder if I have any right to be alive at all. So many people died, a good many of them by my own hand. But like you I just can't ignore those who would destroy the peace for their own ambitions. To do so would insult the memory of those who are gone so I live on as best I can. Just like you are. You're young Duo. You still have a future so maybe after this you should take some time to yourself. Because if anyone deserves the chance to be happy it's you and the others." Duo looked down at the Director of the Preventers and still found it hard to believe that this was the same woman who once threatened to nuke entire colonies just to bring them in.

"You know Director," he joked, "this could be considered sexual harassment." Une looked at him with an annoyed frown.

"Didn't the birthday incident teach you not to make jokes like that?" she asked.

"Don't remind me," he groaned as he rubbed his jaw. For someone who was both a dainty princess AND a pacifist, Relena had a surprisingly nasty right hook. At that moment, a sudden buzz from the satchel at Une's hip caught her attention and she pulled out the palm sized Personal Assistant on her belt.

"Yes?"

"Director, we've arrived at the testing site. Hanger reports Deathscythe Ahriman is ready to launch."

"Understood. Engineer Howard and I will be up shortly." Pocketing the device, Une turned back to Duo. "We'll talk more about this later. For now, let's just focus on the test run."

"Fine with me. I could use a little excitement to take my mind off of things." After a brief stop at the locker room to change into his flight suit, Duo floated down the corridor and arrived at the primary Mobile Suit Hanger. As this was a test flight and not an official mission, only one unit was in attendance. Standing before his longtime partner, Duo gazed up at the gunmetal black armor of Deathscythe Ahriman. An upgraded version of the Deathscythe Hell, the Ahriman had most of the armament and features of its predecessor albeit with some considerable upgrades. The dual beam scythe had been redesigned into a beam halberd with the upper blade fixed to vertical position, creating an L-shaped energy blade with a far greater cutting surface than before. The Active Cloak had been modified so that instead of mounting over the unit's shoulders it now mounted on its back. Inspired by the changes Heero had made to Wing Zero, Duo had requested Howard create something similar for him and the co-creator of the Talgeese had more than delivered. Instead of merely folding over the chassis like before, the wings were now able to fold over and back the same way Zero Angeles's did. This made the Ahriman far better suited to fighting in closed-in environments than Hell without sacrificing either the defensive abilities, the mobility, or the intimidation aspect. Professor G himself had consistently drilled into Duo the importance of psychological warfare. Unlike Hell however, Howard had removed the Buster Shield and replaced it with a variation of the Crash Shield used by the Mercurius. It could still generate a short beam blade from the forward end, but the flat now housed something special, a prototype particle shield generator capable of blocking both beam fire and ballistic shots. Rounding out the arsenal were the standard issue head vulcans and a pair of beam canons mounted in the clavicles. Slower in firing than a machine canon but with power drawn from the Gundam's core reactor, they had nearly infinite use so long as Deathscythe still had fuel. But the greatest change was the Lightwave engines. Smaller, more efficient, and more powerful than the standard issue rocket boosters, the Lightwave engines used electromagnetic waves rather than jet propulsion to generate thrust. One benefit of the new peace was that resources once devoted to weapons development were now used for more productive means. EM engines had long been regarded as purely theoretical but now there was talk of even using them in a planned colonial settlement of Mars. Deathscythe Ahriman was equipped with three of them. One in the back, one in each calf, plus a series of mini thrusters in the underside of the Active Cloak. Being a Preventer certainly did have its perks.

"Everything ready?" Duo called.

"You're all set," one of the mechanics saluted as he floated past. "Good luck with the test. Can't wait to tee the Lightwaves in action." The engines aren't what concerns me, Duo thought as he rose up to his Gundam's cockpit. Deathscythe had one more upgrade installed in it and that was the only one Duo had any doubts about. Sealing the hatch after he climbed in, Duo settled into the pilot's seat as he began powering up the systems.

"Everything okay?" Howard's voice asked over the radio.

"10-4," Duo answered.

"Then lets begin the test," Lady Une's voice interrupted. "All personnel clear the hanger. We are commencing launch." Outside the Gundam, hanger technicians dropped what they were doing and gathered up their tools so they wouldn't get sucked out into the vacuum of open space. "All personnel accounted for. Depressurizing the hanger." Audio scanners detected the low hiss of the atmosphere being sucked into the storage tanks. "Opening hanger door. Unit Deathscythe Ahriman okay to launch when ready." Well here we go, Duo thought. The massive hanger doors spread open, revealing the star pocked void of outer space. Let's do this partner.

"Deathscythe Ahriman," Duo broadcast. "Launching now!"

From the bridge of the Peacemillion II, Director Une and Chief Engineer Howard watched as Deathscythe Ahriman emerged from the ventral hanger beneath them and flew off past the bow, the black finish of the Active Cloak making it invisible against the void of space save for the bluish light emanating from the Lightwave engines. A good deal smaller than its predecessor, Peacemillion II was only a little larger than one of the Libra's quadrants with an arrowhead shape to its hull. The smaller size had been deemed more efficient and cost effective for the vessel's role as a staging ground for interventions rather than a mobile battle station. Especially since its mobile suit payload had been reduced by half in accordance with the peace accords.

"How's it handling so far Duo?" Howard asked.

"Smooth as silk," Duo replied. "These Lightwave engines are something else."

"You've got about 10,000 meters before the obstacle course," Howard said. "Let's try out how they do in pursuit mode."

"Adjusting the cloak now." On the forward monitor, footage taken from the surrounding satellites fed the video of the broad wings of the Active Cloak spreading out like a giant bat before they began to close and fold into each other as they swiveled around to the back. With the mini thrusters in the Active Cloak now focused to a single point, the Deathscythe began to pick up speed, moving at a pace that nearly rivaled that of Zero Angeles. "Woohoo!" Duo howled. "I'd like to see Heero beat me in a race now!"

"Well he seems to be enjoying himself," Howard chuckled. Director Une however was less than impressed.

"I still don't think we should be using a Gundam for this test. It almost feels like we're trying to trigger a new arms race."

"You forget," Howard said, "the strength of the Gundanium alloy that makes up their frame makes them perfect for pushing new gear to its limits. And if the Mars Colonization project is going to be successful than we need to make sure the Lightwave engines can take the strain. Even with their velocity, it'll take about two months of continuous propulsion for the colony ship to reach Mars. There's also the particle shield generator. Mars's environment doesn't offer the same protection the earth does. If mankind really is going to settle the rest of the solar system than we need to make sure we have enough protection to get ourselves situated."

"I know that," Une admitted. "But was it really necessary to install Seraphim into Deathscythe Ahriman? The ZERO system is one of the most powerful and dangerous weapons ever made. I'd rather not subject anyone to that if possible."

"The Seraphim isn't the ZERO system," Howard reminded her. "Keep in mind that the original five Gundams were all based on Wing Zero so an incomplete version of the Zero System was installed in all of them."

"Yes I know. The imperfect ZERO system only received data from the pilot's neural impulses, allowing the CPUs to learn and adapt to their pilot's fighting style."

"And the Seraphim is the middle ground between them. Like the True ZERO System, it can both receive and transmit data. But I've designed it so that it doesn't overwhelm the pilot with probability data. It helps them focus on what's happening now rather than what could happen. And it's not just military applications that the Seraphim could be good for. Rescue missions in hazardous conditions, complex surgery where precision can mean the difference between life and death, communication. All of it could be revolutionized by the Seraphim. It might even prevent further conflicts by promoting true understanding between people."

"I never pictured you as one who believed in that old Newtype theory," Une said.

"Well anything's possible," Howard shrugged. "Look, I installed a limit on the Seraphim to make sure Duo doesn't get too overwhelmed by it. And Duo is the best overall pilot of the entire bunch. That's why we asked him to do this test in the first place." Meanwhile, the image on the screen showed Ahriman spreading its wings back open as it approached the obstacle course, the wing thrusters breaking its momentum as it hovered in place. "How'd they do?"

"No problems on my end," Duo confirmed. "Sending the data now. Just give me the signal to start the next test."

"Receiving data now," Howard answered. For this next test, Deathscythe was going to be sent on a prepared course through the debris field hovering in low orbit around the Earth. A mass of scrapped satellites and broken off chunks of meteorites that had managed to avoid getting caught in the planet's gravitational pull, with the advent of space colonization, the debris surrounding Earth had been cleared away for processing or herded into permanent orbit over Siberia where it posed the least danger to launching ships or human settlements planet side. During the time of the Alliance, the debris field had been a key testing site for prototype space-based mobile suits. OZ itself had performed its initial run of the Taurus here. "Alright Duo. This one is going to test the mobility of the Lightwave engines as well as the reaction time of the pilot with the Seraphim installed. Just give me the signal when you're ready."

With a great deal of reluctance, Duo keyed in the command code for the Seraphim. While he didn't doubt Howard's technical skill, the thought of being subjected once again to something even remotely similar to the ZERO System made him uneasy. Besides, he didn't even think he needed it. Deathscythe wasn't as fast as any of Heero's suits but it's mobility and reaction time was second to none. Coupled with his piloting skills, the only one who came close to matching Duo in close combat was Wufei thanks to his martial arts training. But as Howard had told him in the debriefing the Seraphim could have other uses besides combat so if something better than killing people could come out of it then Duo was willing to give it a chance.

"Duo here," he broadcast. "Ready to go when you are."

"Mobile workers have already set up the course," Howard told him. "Go ahead and give us a show."

"I aim to please. Seraphim, activate." Around Duo, the interior of the cockpit suddenly faded into a world of light and then it was like he wasn't in the cockpit anymore. It was like he was floating in open space wearing nothing at all. His body felt heavier, larger, and the chill of the void sent shivers all over his body.

"Duo report!" Une ordered.

"I'm okay," Duo gasped. "Just got a little disoriented that's all." So this is what Hero feels like when he uses ZERO, he thought. Unlike the time Trant had used him as a lab rat, Duo didn't feel as if his mind was being torn in a hundred directions at once. There was no confusion, no visions of potential death, just an increased awareness of everything around him. "This...this is some feeling. It's like me and Deathscythe are one."

"Don't waste time Duo," Howard reminded him. "The clock's ticking and you've already wasted 30 seconds."

"Well I guess I'd better get to work then." As if in response to his thoughts, the Lightwave engines sprang to life on their own as he felt himself fly into the debris field. All around him, ruined colony parts and half crushed meteors floated by on currents of gravity and stellar radiation; sometimes slamming against each other; other times seemingly changing direction of their own volition to crash into him. But with the Seraphim, even at the speed he was going and the span of the Active Cloak, it was almost as if the world was moving in slow motion. Deathscythe's sensors fed to him every location and movement of the debris, allowing him to weave in and out without so much as a scrape along his Gundam's hull.

"Flight mode looks okay," Howard checked. "Now let's try open combat." From their perch on some of the larger obstacles, the mobile workers grabbed pieces of the debris field and chucked them at the Gundam as it passed. Bits of rock and lumps of metal closed in on him from all sides but Ahriman's sensors detected each threat as they closed in. Reaching behind him, Duo pulled the beam halberd from its recharge port on the rear skirt, the dual scythe blades erupting from the end to create a blazing whirlwind of energy that sliced its way through the barrage like a blender. Deciding to shake it up a bit, Duo triggered the beam canons and alternated between slicing up the larger pieces that came in within range of the halberd and blasting those that kept their distance. Finally, the end of the debris field loomed before him and the final trap was sprung. From refitted defense satellites, a barrage of flare missiles launched towards him. In response, Duo cut loose with the vulcans, shooting them down in blinding flashes and allowing very few to get close enough to trigger a self-detonation. With the way now clear, Duo gunned the engines and blasted free of the debris field. With still 45 seconds left on the timer, Duo came to a halt and shut down the Seraphim, the world returning to normal as the cockpit reappeared around him.

"Well done Duo," Une said. "However, you missed about 40% of the flare missiles."

"Hey, if those were real bombs the blasts from the ones I did get would have triggered them to explode," Duo argued. "We both know that's how a real pilot handles a situation like that."

"He's right," Howard agreed. "Nice job Duo. Now we just need to do the defense mode and the stress test. Just give us a minute to attach the packs." From out of the debris field, a trio of mobile workers floated out towards the Deathscythe. Duo closed the Active Cloak around himself so the first two could begin attaching their gel packs to the armor plating. The third attached a parachute to his upper back right over the primary Lightwave engine.

"Are you sure about this?" Duo asked. Orbital drops were never one of his favorite things and even a Gundam could be seriously damaged from the heat of reentry. Heero's desperate move to detonate the last block of the Libra before it could strike Earth had nearly torn Wing Zero apart.

"Don't be such a baby," Howard mocked. "The defense generators in the active cloak should be able to take most of the heat. If it does get too hot, just trigger the ablative gel and you'll be fine."

"Fine let's just get this over with," he groaned. Once the gel packs and his chute were secured, Dio checked the timer and saw that the three-minute cooldown of the Seraphim was nearly over. "Moving into position."

"Hope you had a light lunch," Howard chuckled. Not helping, Duo grimaced. "Preparing to drop. Activating Seraphim." Again, the cockpit faded away and in its place was the freedom of open space. Duo was just about to fall earthward when something wasn't right. He shook his head, expecting it to be just his imagination but it was still there. "Something wrong Duo?"

"I don't know," he answered. "Deathscythe just picked up a signal but I can't tell where it's coming from."

"Duo we did not copy," Howard said. "Repeat that."

"I said I'm picking up some kind of signal. It started when the Seraphim turned back on." Une looked to the communications officer, a young woman her age with dark green hair and glasses over her brown eyes. "Anything?"

"Nothing Director. I'm monitoring all frequencies but I'm not detecting anything within range." Une didn't like this. It had to be some kind of hallucination caused by the Seraphim. Best not to take any chances. "Duo, listen. Shut down the Seraphim and abort the test. Let the autopilot take you back to the ship so we can look both you AND your Gundam over.

"Hold on a second," Howard interrupted. "Duo, send the data directly to us."

"You got it." Over by the communications terminal, the radio officer adjusted her earpiece and frowned.

"Director, there's a signal piggybacking on the transmission from the Gundam. But it doesn't match any pattern I'm familiar with."

"Run it through the translation hardware," Howard ordered. The technician typed in the commands and after a few seconds was taken aback. "What is it?"

"I think you should hear it yourself." The channel switched to intercom and a high-pitched shriek echoed around the bridge.

"Is...is that an animal?" Une asked. It didn't sound like anything she ever heard before. It was like a mix between a reptile's screech and an insect's chirp. "Why can't we trace it?"

"It has to be the Seraphim," Howard theorized. "It works by syncing the CPU of the mobile suit with the neural impulses of the pilot's brain. Somehow the two of them in tandem are able to pick it up."

"So how do we locate the source?"

"I have an idea," Howard said as he turned back to this radio. "Duo. I want you to cut all non-essential systems save for the Seraphim and the radio. Boost the excess power to the Seraphim and see if you can use it to zero in on the source."

"Just give me a minute." On the monitor, the Deathscythe's engines cut off as did the light in its optic sensors. "Okay, nothing so far. Hold on. I think I got something. Yeah, it's definitely getting louder." From the bridge speakers, a white noise began to manifest and quickly rose in volume, drowning out even the crew's thoughts. "Ow! Damn it! What the hell is this!? Someone make it stop!" On the monitor, the Gundam grabbed its head as if the unit itself were in pain, red lightning beginning to arc and crackle across its armor as a pulsing light began to shine out from it.

"Duo!" Une yelled. "Cut the Seraphim now!" Now the pulse had increased to a blinding glow, forcing Une and the others to look away when a with a final flash, it faded away. What was that? Une wondered as she looked up only to see empty space where the Deathscythe Ahriman had floated just a second ago.

"Duo!" she cried. "What happened? Where is he?"

"Director," radar said. "He's gone."

"Scan the area," she ordered. "Check every channel. I want him found!"

"You don't understand," the technician explained. "Whatever that light was it wasn't an explosion. If there were we'd find debris, leftover radiation, or any other kind of trace."

"What are you saying?" Une demanded.

"I'm saying that he vanished into thin air."

In a darkened office, the curtains drawn to ensure privacy, a lone figure examined the image displayed on her terminal's screen. Such technology had been deemed obsolete centuries ago but due to her "condition" she was forced to rely on it. Thankfully, the confidentiality of her position ensured that very few were privy to that knowledge. And those that did were made abundantly aware that if they disclosed what they knew they and their entire family would reap the consequences.

Leaning forward, Entiè pushed aside a strand of her shoulder length brown hair and adjusted her glasses for a better look. Approximately five minutes ago, an unidentified object had suddenly appeared in the upper atmosphere over the Arzenal quarantine zone. If it was a meteor the security satellite would have detected its approach. And while the heat from atmospheric reentry along with the speed it was traveling had distorted its appearance, Entiè could make out the outline of a humanoid figure wrapped in some kind of armored cloak.

Is that a Para-mail? she wondered. As one of the few people even aware of their existence it was the first thing that sprung to mind. But it couldn't be. The design was bulkier, stouter, and while she couldn't be sure it looked as if it were three or even four times bigger. But where did it come from? Could it be a weapon made by those barbarians? she wondered. It was certainly possible. After all they had formed an alliance with the Norma before so it would make sense that they would try to deliver such a weapon to Arzenal.

Running some calculations, Entiè determined that its trajectory would take it towards southern Misurugi where one of her most capable agents just happened to be on assignment. Taking up the phone next to her terminal, Entiè dialed in the number. "Azrael," she ordered, "There's a small town about 200 kilometers south of your location called Jamil. Something has landed there. It's possibly an insurgent weapon. Take your squad and recover it immediately." Hanging up the phone, Entiè removed her glasses and coldly smirked at the image. Whatever you are, she vowed, wherever you came from. I will not allow you to sow Chaos in Master Embryo's world.

Preview:

Awakening planet side, Duo finds himself in unfamiliar territory, facing wonders that he never could have imagined. Lost in a world that is identical yet completely different from his own, the lone Gundam pilot will come face to face with the dark secrets that this seemingly ideal world hides beneath its facade of peace. A peace based on heartless cruelty and the suffering of innocents. Next time on Cross Ange: Rondo and Waltz. The World of Mana.

Gundam! Strike down the injustice of the world!

Author's Notes

So here we go. My next big project. I've seen a few crossovers between the various Gundam series with Cross Ange but none involving Wing. Let's begin with some stats first, beginning with our hero

Duo Maxwell

Age: 18-19

Height: 5' 8 (he's grown a bit in the three years since the end of the series).

Build: Slim, athletic

Occupation: Preventer agent, junk dealer, mechanic

Bio: As previously mentioned, this version of Duo follows the series continuity albeit on a different timeline following the Eve Wars. As the Gundam Pilots were pressed into service as Preventer Agents in exchange for pardons, the events of Endless Waltz and Frozen Teardrop never occurred. However, the time he spent away on assignments placed an extra strain on Duo's relationship with Hilde leading to their breaking up. I usually have rules against breaking up canon couples but considering how the various side materials show their relationship as being prone to an on and off pattern, not to mention how the various sequel and side materials can be interpreted as AU's, I figured I could get away with it. Especially since I'm still deciding which Cross Ange girl to pair him off with or even if I might even be able to pull off a polyamory scenario. At this point even I don't know so we'll just have to see.

And now for his new machine:

Gundam Deathscythe Ahriman

HEIGHT: 16.3 meters

WEIGHT: 7.5 tons

ARMAMENTS:

-Beam Halberd: The primary weapon, an upgraded version of the dual beam scythe based on the Glory of Losers version with the upper beam emitter fixed at a 90-degree angle to the lower, creating an L-shaped beam blade for a wider cutting surface or either one by itself for precision slashing or stabbing. When not wielded, the haft can be collapsed for easy storage on the rear skirt.

-2 x Vulcans: Mounted in the temples, the vulcans are primarily a defensive weapon useful only against smaller and weaker opponents though they can be used to damage especially vulnerable spots such as the eyes.

-2 x Beam Guns: Mounted in the clavicle, the beam guns have the same output as the Mercurius's beam pistol. They have a slower firing rate compared to machine canons and far less range and power than a proper beam rifle but near infinite use provided by the Gundam's fusion reactor.

-Crash Shield: Mounted on the left forearm, the shield no longer can be launched as a projectile although it does retain the ability to extend a beam blade from its forward end for close range attacks. The shield is also equipped with a particle shield generator which provides not only defense but can also be used in a charging bash attack.

-Freeze Bullet Launcher: A weapon from the Cross Ange world used by Para-mails to flash freeze DRAGONs, which will be equipped to Deathscythe by the Arzenal technicians. Deathscythe's version will be mounted on its right forearm with a magazine of three bullets.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

-Active Cloak: Like the EW version, the active cloak is mounted on the back instead of the shoulders. Unlike the series and film, instead of merely closing around the Gundam, the wings can also fold into themselves to allow for easier mobility in tighter confines as well as converting the Deathscythe Ahriman to a high-speed pursuit mode. Like in canon, they are equipped with electromagnetic field generators on their exterior that can generate a protective cocoon against beam weaponry or an invisibility cloak when closed.

-Lightwave engines: An experimental propulsion system mounted in the calves, the back, and in the underside of the Active Cloak's interior. More compact and efficient than traditional rocket boosters, the Lightwave engines used by the Deathscythe were based on a larger design meant for the Mars colonization project.

-Particle Shield Generator: A prototype defense system meant to protect settlers of the Mars Colonization project from hazardous conditions of deep space travel and settlement. Built into the flat of the crash shield, the Particle Shield generator generates a circular field of antiprotons (the antimatter equivalent of protons) As antiprotons have greater mass than electrons but the same polarity charge; rather than destroying each other on contact as positrons and electrons do, the Particle shield repels electrons in both energy blasts and those forming the exterior of solid matter atoms, allowing it to deflect both beam weaponry and ballistic projectiles.

-Seraphim: A variation of the ZERO system, the Seraphim serves much the same function although without the overwhelming probability data of the original, analyzing the present instead of possible futures and allowing instantaneous interaction between the pilot and his mobile suit as if it were an extension of his own body. As a safety precaution, Howard programmed the Seraphim with a five-minute limit of continuous use before shutting down followed by at least a three-minute cooldown.

Chapter Text

The melody of birdsong pulled Duo back to his senses as his eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness of day. What happened? he wondered. The last thing he remembered was that transmission Deathscythe had picked up, his brain nearly tearing itself in half, and then a sensation like being launched from a mobile suit catapult before a jumble of images and a pressure like being crushed by an invisible weight. Rising up, Duo looked around and saw that he was back on Earth. Behind him, Deathscythe Arhiman knelt on the ground, its bulk having carved a brand-new clearing in the woods where they landed. Bits of charred ablative gel still clung to its armor but it looked like between that, the Active Cloak, and the parachute there wasn't any serious damage. After he landed Duo must have stumbled out in a haze before collapsing.

"Better call for a pickup," he decided. Director Une and Howard must be worried out of their minds for him. Climbing back into the cockpit, Duo activated the radio to make contact. "Peacemillion II this is Duo. Anyone there?" No answer, even when accounting for the lag time so Duo tried other channels. "Director Une. Howard. Anyone. Come in." No answer. Something about this wasn't right. For that matter, why wasn't he picking up any other signals? He couldn't even find a music station. Diagnostic shows that it's working, he noted. Could it be some kind of magnetic interference? If so it had to be one hell of a solar flare.

"Well I can't just sit here," he decided. Preventer missions were carefully censored for public release and a Gundam spotted out in public was the wrong kind of publicity for a government dedicated to pacifism. Getting Deathscythe to its feet, Duo looked around from over the treetops. To the east he could see the coast along with a town about 20 clicks or so to the north. Even better, in the same direction was a lake that looked wide and deep enough for Deathscythe to lay down in. "I'll leave you there buddy. Just sit tight and I'll be back soon." After hiding his Gundam, Duo made his way through the forest to where he had seen a highway leading towards the town. I just wish I had something better to wear than a pilot suit, he thought, carefully adjusting the gun and flashbangs he had stashed in the pockets. Though Duo knew he had no reason to carry a weapon in public anymore, old habits were hard to break.

As he made his way through the forest, Duo tried to take stock of where he was. The original plan was to drop down to the troposphere, then land at the Preventer Base in Hawaii. But judging by the topiary and climate he was somewhere on the east coast of North America. How could he have blown so far off course? Finally, Duo emerged from the woods and onto the side of the highway. He could already hear the cars as he approached but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next. The vehicles that drove by him were unlike any he had ever seen before. They didn't have wheels but rather floated over the ground as if by magic. Glowing lines ran along their surface, the fluctuations of which seemed to control direction and velocity. "What the hell?" he wondered. He had never seen technology like that before. And that wasn't the only surprise. Further down the road, a holographic screen floated in the air, directing the flow of traffic towards one of two destinations. "Endurant? Rosenblum? Where's that?" That didn't sound like any nation he had heard of before. And where were the screens being generated from? It didn't look like there were any posts nearby that could be projecting them.

A sudden beep from behind caught his attention and Duo looked back to see a floating truck bearing down on him. Duo stepped aside to let it pass and once it did, it slowed down to settle along the edge of the road. The driver's side window slid down and a man's head stuck out. He was middle aged, burly, and had such a prominent chin it was nearly an underbite. "Hey there!" he called. "You alright?"

"Uh yeah," Duo called back. "My car just broke down so I had to hike." The trucker looked at Duo as if he had gone crazy but finally shrugged.

"Get in. I'll give you a ride." Inside the cab however, even more surprises waited for Duo. There were no controls, not even a steering wheel. Just a panel adorned with more of those glowing lines which the driver laid his hands on to work the engine. Another one of those holoscreens projected over the dash, playing what sounded like smooth jazz. But most shocking of all was the trucker's hands. They glowed with a soft green light and from what Duo could tell, it enabled the driver to mentally connect with his vehicle, controlling it seemingly though thought alone. "So what's the deal with that getup?"

"Huh? Oh I'm just on my way to a costume party."

"Good thing I came by when I did. I don't think you'd impress anyone if you were covered in sweat."

"Yeah no kidding," Duo agreed. Finally, the truck arrived at the outskirts of the town and Duo climbed out onto the sidewalk.

"Take care of yourself okay," the driver said. "And watch out for Norma."

"Don't worry I will," he agreed. Norma? What were those? Probably just some local superstition. Continuing on his way, Duo saw more of the strange technology as he walked the streets. Mostly more screens, many of whom displayed a girl on them. A really cute one too. Long blonde hair, bright ruby eyes, and a body that could melt ice at 50 paces. Must be some new idol, he thought. Still, she seemed strangely popular for fresh talent. And it wasn't just the buildings. All around him, people were reading the news, watching broadcasts, or browsing what Duo assumed was the internet on screens of their own. Though just like on the buildings Duo couldn't tell how or from where they were being generated. Then he saw something even more amazing. Across the street, a woman was walking to her car from a bakery. But instead of carrying her order, the cake box floated alongside her just like the cars, encased in the same soft green light he had seen around the trucker's hands. Duo walked a bit further and passed by a small park in which a group of children were playing soccer. One kid kicked the ball too hard and it seemed like it would go out of bounds when one of his teammates waved his hands and a barrier of the same green energy materialized in the ball's path to block it.

"Hey!" one of the kids on the opposing team yelled. "Using the Light of Mana is cheating!" Light of Mana? The more he saw of this place the stranger it seemed. Okay, let's think this through, he decided. I tried to trace that weird signal and everything went haywire. When I woke up, I couldn't contact the Peacemillion II. I was supposed to land in Hawaii but for some reason I'm off course by halfway around the world. There's countries I've never heard of, technology here beyond anything I've ever seen, and the people here have some freaky magical power called the Light of Mana. The more Duo thought about it, the more it seemed like the most absurd solution imaginable was the only logical answer.

He was no longer on Earth.

Duo leaned back against a building's front window as his head began to spin. The very idea was ridiculous, impossible, and also the only thing that made sense.

"Excuse me?" someone asked. That voice, Duo thought. It couldn't be. Duo looked up and watching him from the entrance of the storefront he was leaning against was a slim young woman with dark violet eyes, her blue-black hair cut short except for the bangs that fell over the right side of her face. She was wearing a knee length brown skirt and a white blouse, but even out of uniform Duo would know Lucrezia Noin anywhere. "Is everything alright? You look kind of pale."

"Huh? Yeah my mind just wandered that's all." She didn't seem to recognize him so it couldn't really be Noin. But then why did she look so much like her? It was then that Duo noticed the way she was looking him up and down. "What?"

"Sorry," she said. "It's just, your clothes are very strange." Duo looked down at his flight suit and guessed she had a point. If he had known he was going on a trip he would have dressed better. "Why don't you come in and I'll fix you up with something more stylish."

"I appreciate that," Duo answered. "But I'm afraid I don't have any cash." Noin II gave him the same look the trucker had given him.

"Cash? What's that?"

"You know...money."

"You're not from around here are you?" she asked.

"You could say that," Duo shrugged. She really couldn't be saying what he thought she was.

"Well I don't know what this 'money' is but I can assure you that here in Misurugi, you don't need it to shop."

"Really?" It seemed to good to be true. But if it was really free then what was the harm? His suit was starting to get a bit stuffy anyway. "Hey I was wondering. You wouldn't happen to be named Lucrezia would you?"

"Actually it's Catherine," she answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Er, you just look like a Lucrezia." The more Duo learned of this world the more it threw him off balance. He wouldn't at all be surprised if the next person he ran into was a version of Zechs who called himself Sally.

Azrael of the Purifiers was in a foul mood. First, his superior Director Entiè had sent him to Misurugi to investigate possible rumors of insurgent activity. Now he was being sent on a wild goose chase to find what he had no idea. The Director wasn't exactly known for being forthcoming in her debriefing, just demanding results. It still sickened Azrael at times that he was forced to take orders from someone like her. Classified to all but the highest members of the world's government, the Purifiers were an organization meant to ensure the safety of mankind from those that would cast civilization into chaos. It was a duty Azrael took exceptional pride in. Unlike Entiè who had betrayed those who once trusted her for the sake of her own benefit. But until the one who stood over all of humanity realized how unfit she was he had no choice but to follow her command.

Surrounded by the men he had assembled, Azrael stuck out among the trees and underbrush they were tramping through. In contrast to the flack jackets and combat gear of his subordinates, Azrael wore a white suit and fedora, a gray trench coat hanging over his broad shoulders. The ensemble complimented his blonde hair, blue eyes, and a face more than one female companion had described as ruggedly handsome. Azrael took as much pride in his appearance as he did his assignments. And if the insurgents were planning something, then Azrael would be the one to uncover it before they could put it into play.

"Lieutenant," one of the men called. "We've got signs of a disturbance up ahead."

"Move in and investigate," Azrael beckoned. They soon found themselves in a clearing that up to a few hours ago had been a dense cluster of trees. Something large had landed here, the weight breaking the surrounding trees like matchsticks on impact.

"What happened here?" another asked.

"That's what we're here to find out," Azrael answered. A short distance away, a depression in the ground and a mass of flattened brush stretched to a roughly eight by three meter area.

"Is something wrong Lieutenant?"

"Maybe," he murmured. The only thing even remotely close that could make in impression like this was a Para-mail. Except they weren't nearly as big as whatever left this. And why wouldn't they fly away instead of leaving a trail they could follow? Furthermore, what would a Para-mail be doing this far from Arzenal? If the insurgents were conducting maneuvers in the area why use something that would attract so much attention? A sudden call came through and Azrael opened a Mana window to answer. "Yes?"

"Sir," the dispatcher announced. "There's a disturbance in Jamil. A Norma was located and apparently, the police who captured her were attacked." That was all Azrael needed to know. Whatever had happened back in town, he had a feeling it and their prey were connected.

"You three," he gestured to the forward guard, "Continue the search. The rest of you, get back to the carrier. We've got a new target."

Duo took a moment to look over the ensemble Catherine had picked out for him. Black leather jacket, red shirt, black jeans, boots. She had even provided a backpack with which to carry his folded-up flight suit in. "It really suits you," she said.

"It does doesn't it," he agreed. He still couldn't believe that money didn't even exist in this world. How did that even work? The whole point of money was to help regulate the distribution of goods and services. If everything was free then how were they able to avoid completely depleting their resources? After finalizing his "purchase," Catherine gave him directions to a nearby deli so he could get some lunch. As Duo ate his Reuben and chips on the verandah, he found that he was starting to like this place. From what he could see there was no war, no poverty, not even crime; and all of it seemed to come from this Light of Mana everyone used. It was as close to paradise as anywhere he had seen.

With a full stomach and a clearer picture of his situation, Duo leaned back to consider his options. He knew Une and Howard were worried about him, as would Heero and the others once they found out. To say nothing of Hilde. They may have broken up but Duo knew she still cared enough to get worried sick about him if she ever found out he was missing. But with no way to contact them there wasn't much he could do. And until he knew just what it was that had brought him here it wasn't like he could go home on his own either. Une said I should take some personal time to figure out what I should do with my life, he thought. And I am overdue for a vacation. While he couldn't use the Light of Mana, so long as he didn't have to steal what he needed he doubted he'd attract much attention from the locals. That settles it. I'll hang out here for a while. Take in the sites. Grab a show. Maybe even have a fling or two. And who knew? Maybe he could find some way to bring this Light of Mana back to his world. First things first though, Duo had to learn as much as he could about this place. There had to be a library or a museum around here somewhere.

"Hey everyone!" someone yelled. "They just caught a Norma!" Duo looked up and saw a small mob running past him, looks of shock and dread on their faces.

"Hey!" he called. "What's the emergency?"

"Didn't you hear?" one guy answered. "They just found another Norma?" Norma? Wasn't that the thing the trucker had told him to look out for? His curiosity piqued, Duo followed after the mob and found himself on the outskirts of the crowd that had gathered in a nearby pavilion.

"Stop it!" a guy's voice yelled amidst the sound of a struggle. "Leave her alone she's not a Norma!" Another familiar voice. One which made Duo pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Excuse me," he said as he shoved his way through. As he finally reached the front, Duo couldn't believe his eyes. On the ground before him, a trio of what he assumed to be police had restrained a young man, pinning his arms behind his back and forcing him to his knees. But the appearance of the young man was what really struck Duo. Dark brown hair, Prussian blue eyes, and a build not to dissimilar from Duo's. Heero? he wondered. If couldn't be. Duo had sparred with Heero enough to know that if he wanted to, he could have thrown those guys off of him with no problem. Nor was he ever that emotional.

"Please," a girl's voice begged. "Don't hurt him!" Duo 's attention shifted and he received another surprise. Encased in a pyramid shaped barrier generated by two more cops was a girl with long honey blonde hair and Nile blue eyes. And of course there's a Relena here too.

"Step forward," one police man said. The girl hesitated and the officer gestured to his comrades. Beside the group hanging onto her friend, a fourth officer raised his nightstick to bring down on the boy's head. Wait a minute, Duo thought. Why isn't anyone stopping this? He didn't know what the deal was but that was going too far.

"Wait," she suddenly said.

"Jessica don't," the boy begged. The alternate Relena, or Jessica as she was apparently called in this world, looked to her friend and sadly smiled.

"Tommy...thank you." The girl moved forward and the moment her skin touched the barrier, the energy shattered like glass and vanished. All around Duo, the faces of the gathered crowd twisted into expressions of horror and fury.

"It's a Norma!"

"Filthy trash!"

"Get rid of her!" So that was a Norma? All she did was break the barrier. And only to keep her friend from being beaten. So why were these people howling for her blood?

"Under the Norma Control Act Article 1 section 3," the first officer announced. "I designate this Norma # 1203-75. Tommy Davis, you are hereby charged with aiding and abetting an unregistered Norma. Take them away." From his belt, the officer nearest the girl pulled a pair of handcuffs, another training his gun on the girl as if daring her to move.

"No!" Heero, or rather Tommy yelled. A surge of adrenaline gave him the strength to break free before the officers reasserted their hold and slammed him face first to the pavement.

"Traitor!"

"Filthy Norma lover!"

"Just put them both down right here!" As he watched the scene unfold before him, Duo's anger finally hit its peak. He still didn't understand exactly what was going on, but he had seen enough.

Tommy tasted blood in his mouth from where the police had slammed him into the sidewalk, the pressure of their weight nearly smothering him. He struggled harder but the officers tightened their hold as from the corner of his eye, he watched as two of them approached Jessica. No! he begged. I can't do this! I can't let them take her! A sudden flash followed by a crack like thunder overhead and Tommy felt the pressure on his back removed. With his ears ringing, he looked up to see that the light had blinded Jessica and the police, one of whom spun as if struck by an unseen force before falling to the ground. From out of the crowd, someone leapt forward and charged the police, a flash of gunfire from his outstretched hand taking out the two closest to Jessica. The surprise attacker then turned his attention to those by Tommy. Two of them raised Mana shields of their own to protect themselves as the third drew his own gun. For some reason, the assailant didn't raise a shield of his own. Instead, he slid across the pavement like a baseball player, his foot kicking at the exposed ankle of one of the defending guards. As his target fell, the attacker reached up to grab the baton from the officer's belt and cracked the shaft across the knee of the shooter, disabling him just long enough to strike across his jaw. In doing so, the ambusher found himself wide open to the final officer who punched him across his face. The blow didn't even seem to faze his opponent however as the attacker spun with the impact, bringing his elbow up to drive into the final policeman's nose.

"Tommy," a voice called from far away. "Tommy!" With the ringing in his ears finally dying down, Tommy looked up to see Jessica kneeling over him, her blue eyes wide with worry.

"Cover your eyes!" another voice yelled. Both of them looked up as their unexpected rescuer pulled a spherical object from inside his jacket. The item was hurled over one end of the crowd just before another flash and crack of thunder left Tommy nearly deaf as the crowd fell away. With their new friend leading the way, Tommy grabbed Jessica's hand and pulled her after him as they forced their way through. An alleyway appeared on their left and the one who saved them led them into the maze of back routes between the buildings. An empty alcove loomed on their right and their guide beckoned them to get inside.

"Tommy?" Jessica worried.

"I'm alright," he assured her. They then looked to their savior who was busy reloading his pistol as he scanned both ends of the alley for approaching threats. He was about the same age and build as Tommy, with back length brown hair that had been pulled back into a braided ponytail. Once he was certain no one was following them, he holstered the weapon and stepped towards them.

"You two okay?" he asked.

"Yeah thanks," Tommy nodded. "What about you? That cop really nailed you back there." The youth rubbed his chin and shrugged.

"Not really," he assured them. "My friend Relena hits a lot harder than him."

"Excuse me," Jessica interrupted. "Who are you? And why did you help us?" The braided youth frowned as he took another look down the alleyway they had just come down.

"I think we'd better save that for later. For now, let's just find someplace safe to lay low." Tommy and Jessica followed after their newfound ally and eventually found themselves back onto one of the main streets, staring at a parking lot just across from the alley entrance. "Can you work one of those?"

"Huh, yeah no problem." Tommy didn't understand why he couldn't drive himself but pushed the thought out of his head. The police had ID'd both him and Jessica. They'd have to find someplace they could lay low before any questions could be asked.

Upon returning to the carrier, Azrael and his men read over the report. According to footage taken from a security camera, a teenager identified as Tommy Davis, citizen of Rosenblum, had been detained by police alongside a girl named Jessica Wells, also from Rosenblum. The girl in question had been suspected of being an unregistered Norma but had managed to escape with her accomplice's help. However, before they could be secured an unidentified youth had managed to attack the officers, wounding five and killing a sixth. The very idea of a human betraying his own kind for a Norma was infuriating enough but to think that another had shown up and actually killed a fellow human.

"Sir," one soldier reported as he read the data off his Mana screen. "I've dug through every record I have access to but I can't identify the second assailant. It's like he never existed before today." So that was it. The boy was one of those insurgents. Odds were he had some ties to the thing they were looking for.

"I doubt they're gone far," he said. "Search for any reports of missing vehicles. Then access the car's positioning beacon. We'll track them down and bring them in."

Thankfully, the police were in total disarray by the surprise blitz from one lone assailant, allowing Duo and his new-old friends to sneak out of town without any trouble. If Duo had to guess, the lack of any real crime in this world had let them go soft. They were just lucky I'm not Wufei, he smirked. I doubt any of them would be getting up again after he was done. On the outskirts of town, the three fugitives found an abandoned farmhouse where they could catch their breath and decide their next move.

"So, Duo wasn't it?" Jessica confirmed. "Can you tell us now why you helped us."

"Before that there's something I need to know," Duo replied. "Why were those police attacking you?" Tommy and Jessica shared a hesitant glance before she finally answered.

"It's because I'm a Norma."

"Okay," Duo said. "So what's a Norma?"

"Are...are you serious?" Tommy asked.

"Look let's just say that I've been out of the loop for a while and need to be caught up."

"Oh, well," Tommy said, "Norma are girls who can't use the Light of Mana. You saw it didn't you? The way Jessica broke the barrier just by touching it."

"So they cancel it out," Duo realized. "But why did that mob turn so crazy?"

"Because they say Norma like me aren't human," Jessica said. "We can't use the Light of Mana because we're naturally savage and violent." Duo looked to her and wondered how anyone could think that. Jessica didn't just look like Relena. She exuded exactly the same kind and serene nature. "Because of that, Norma aren't allowed to live among humans."

"What do they do with them?"

"No one knows," Tommy said. "Any Norma they find just disappear." Well that didn't sound good.

"But you use the Light of Mana," Duo pointed out. "Why aren't you afraid of her?"

"It's a long story," Tommy said. "The short version is she's been my best friend since we were kids. Jessica's parents managed to hide her out in the country where they hoped the Norma Management Board wouldn't find her."

"And I'm guessing they got wise."

"They arrested my parents but Tommy managed to get me out in time," Jessica nodded. "We've been on the run ever since." Duo couldn't believe what he was hearing. Maybe from a pragmatic perspective there was justifiable reason to keep tabs on those who could disrupt the force which this world depended on for its subsistence. But to go to this extent was insane. How could they possibly think that an innocent girl was some evil monster just for how she was born? It went beyond anything that OZ or Romefeller had done even at their worst.

"We've heard rumors that a group of Norma Sympathizers had established a settlement up north so we set out to see if we could find them," Tommy continued. "We stopped in Jamil to pick up some supplies when we were caught by those police. If you hadn't shown up they would have taken us both."

"I guess it's a good thing I did," Duo admitted.

"Now," Tommy asked, "will you tell us why you helped us?" Duo smiled and gave a shrug.

"Because I think this whole Norma business is a load of crap." Duo wondered if maybe he had been brought to this world for a reason. Father Maxwell had told him that God had a plan for everything that happened, not that he had much faith in that regard. Even after bringing peace to the Earth and Colonies, Death still seemed the closest thing to God in Duo's eyes. "So let's just focus on what we need to do to get you two out of here. I've got a friend nearby that can help us but he's going to need some "special" transportation." Before he could explain further, Duo noticed how the birds outside that up to now were singing had suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Jessica asked.

"Get down and stay quiet," Duo ordered. Crouching to the floor, Duo crawled towards the window and peeked out over the ledge. Out in the front yard, an armored personnel carrier was parked from which half a dozen men, maybe more, had emerged and were taking position around the yard. From the cover of the carrier, a man dressed in white seemed to be directing the troops from one of those Mana screens.

This is going to get ugly, he realized. These guys weren't like those cops. They actually seemed to know how to handle themselves. Crouching behind cover, dispersing around the house so that every angle was covered, communicating via hand signals. All I've got is my gun and one more flashbang. No way I can fight my way out with that. Plus he also had Tommy and Jessica with him so he couldn't afford to be careless. But if he didn't do something now they were going to raid the house and either kill them all or take them prisoner.

"What's going on?" Tommy asked.

"What do you think?" Duo hissed as he crawled back from the window. He may have looked like Heero but he knew nothing about combat.

"Let's sneak out the back door," Tommy suggested. "If we're quiet we can..."

"They won't fall for that," Duo told him. "They probably have guys watching there already."

"Well then what do we do?!" Tommy panicked. "We can't fight back, we can't run, we're as good as..." before he could finish Duo grabbed him by the shirt collar and yanked him face to face.

"Don't even THINK of finishing that sentence!" he snapped. "Have you forgotten about Jessica? She's counting on you to protect her! If you're a man then you'd better be ready to act like one!"

"But what can we do?" Jessica reminded them. Duo had an idea but it wasn't one he was 100% certain would work. Pulling his gun, Duo handed it and the spare clip to Tommy.

"Do yo know how to use this?" Judging by Tommy's expression he didn't. "Chamber the round first. Press this button to switch off the safety. Squeeze don't pull. Aim as if you were pointing. And don't hesitate to shoot because they won't. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Tommy stammered. "I do."

"Then keep your heads down and don't come out until I tell you to. Above all, keep her safe." Rising to his feet, Duo pulled the PA from his jacket pocket and sent the command. To keep them from catching on, Duo wouldn't be able to check to see if the call would be answered so he'd have to stall them as best he could.

After splitting up from the main group, the three soldiers assigned to sweep and recon continued their trek through the woods. Just what were they supposed to be looking for? Judging from the trail they followed it was almost as if a giant had tromped its way through the forest.

"Any idea what this thing could be?" one asked. "The Lieutenant could have told us something."

"That's not our prerogative," another said. "All I need to know is that Norma sympathizers are operating in this area. They and the Norma are probably planning to burn this whole area down." The thought of innocent humans getting killed by a bunch of degenerate Norma-lovers was all it took to ease their doubts. In the distance, something sparkled past the trees up ahead and the recon team moved in to find themselves on the bank of a lake.

"So where did it go?" one asked. "The tracks end right here."

"Hey," another gestured. "There's something in the water." The team moved in on where their comrade gestured and saw something massive submerged in the lake. "You don't think..."

"Call in Azrael," one said. "I don't want to try approaching this thing until we know what it is." A Mana window was opened, just as a pair of eyes flashed beneath the water and the entire lake surface heaved as if a sleeping leviathan had awakened.

Slowly, Duo opened the door and stepped out with his hands raised. Immediately, his chest lit up with a series of red targeting lasers. "Hey!" he greeted them. "How's it going?"

"Tell the others to come out as well," the man in white ordered. "We know they're in there. Our scanners are picking up their heat signatures."

"And you are?" Duo asked, smirking a bit at the leader's irritation

"Azrael," he said. "Not that it matters. After what you did, you're never going to see the light of day again."

"Lieutenant let's just shoot him!" one soldier yelled.

"He's a traitor to humanity!" another added.

"All of you hold your fire!" Azrael ordered. "He has information we need. You..." he called back to Duo. "Where is it?"

"Oh you mean the car? We parked it in back. Tell the owners we appreciate the loan would you."

"You know what I mean!" he snapped. "What kind of machine can survive a fall from orbit and then get up and move under its own power? Where have you hidden it? If it's as big as I think it is then there's only so many places it could be. Sooner or later we're going to find it and when we do we will tear it apart to find out what we want to know." Duo's eyes shifted among the men aiming their guns at him. He could only stall them for so long. Where was the cavalry?

"Wait," one soldier interrupted. "Do you hear that?" A low roar carried over the treetops and Duo grinned in triumph.

"You want it?" he asked. "Well here you go!" A massive shadow spread over them and the soldiers looked up in shock as Deathscythe Ahriman dropped to the ground with the force of an earthquake, the optic sensors glowing as if enraged that they had dared to threaten its pilot. Taking advantage of their distraction, Duo grabbed the PA. Howard you are a genius, Duo cheered. Unfortunately, Azrael had seen him move and realized what was about to happen.

"Shoot him!" he yelled. "Shoot the boy!" Duo leapt over the porch railing and took cover behind a row of bushes as a barrage of bullets tore through the front of the farmhouse. Duo sent the command to Deathscythe, and the vulcans roared as they sprayed hot lead at Duo's attackers. The soldiers raised their Mana shields and managed to keep themselves from being torn apart but Duo tossed his final Flashbang into their midst and the shock disrupted their control, leaving them open to attack. Azrael however managed to avoid the barrage that annihilated his men, trying to take cover behind the armored carrier. "Fire! Take that thing out now!" The dual mounted gun atop the carrier swiveled on its mount and began peppering Deathscythe's hull, the bullets harmlessly bouncing off the Gundanium armor. Should have just run, Duo thought. Deathscythe's automated systems targeted the source of the attack and the vulcans unleashed another barrage, detonating the carrier in a ball of fire. As the smoke cleared, Duo surveyed the carnage and sighed in disgust. He didn't enjoy fighting an opponent that was so grossly outmatched but it was either them or the two innocents still taking cover inside.

"Okay you can come out now!" Holding on to each other, Tommy and Jessica emerged from the front entrance, their eyes wide with horror at the devastation that had been wreaked among them and speechless at the towering black figure who had saved them.

"Wha...What is..." Tommy stammered.

"Say hello my partner, Deathscythe Ahriman," Duo bragged. "He's the friend I told you about." The two of them continued to gape in astonishment. "Alright now listen," he told them. "These guys knew Deathscythe was hidden around here. And I wouldn't at all be surprised if they managed to pick him up on radar when I called him. They're probably sending reinforcements right now."

"What do we do?" Jessica asked.

"You mean what am I going to do," Duo corrected. "I'll draw their attention while you guys make a run for it in the car. They'll be so focused on Deathscythe they won't even notice you even if you pass right under them. That should give you a chance to get to that settlement you mentioned."

"Are you sure?" Tommy asked.

"Hey I can take care of myself," Duo told him. "You've got your own mission. Make sure Jessica gets someplace where these guys can't threaten her. You're all she has so you'd better get strong enough to protect her on your own. If anyone can do it, you can. Just trust me on that." Tommy stared at him for a bit longer but finally smiled in acceptance.

"Okay, take care of yourself alright." Tommy offered his hand and Duo accepted it. "And thank you."

"Don't mention it. And keep the gun. Right now, you have more need of it than I do." Once he was back in the cockpit, Duo gave a final wave to his two friends before the engines kicked on and the black armored Gundam rose up into the sky. A sudden alert on his left monitor caught his attention and three signals were identified approaching from northeast. Zooming in, Duo made out the image of what looked like a trio of flying transports. Like the cars, they radiated with the same pulsing lines of light. They certainly don't waste any time, he thought. Settling on an eastward course, Duo sent Deathscythe on cruising speed towards the coast. He could have easily outrun them but he wanted to make sure their attention stayed on him.

Shadows of the flying transports fell over them from overhead but Duo's plan seemed to have worked. With all their attention on him, the soldiers onboard had no time to notice two civilians driving underneath them.

"You think he'll be okay?" Jessica asked.

"I have a feeling Duo's going to be just fine," Tommy assured her. For now, they had to take advantage of their window. Inside his jacket, Duo's gun pressed against his chest. When Duo had given him the weapon, Tommy had nearly froze. The thought of possibly having kill someone was a frightening experience for him. But he couldn't deny that Duo was right. Jessica was counting on him to protect her. If he wanted to keep her safe he'd have to get strong. As strong as their savior was. Stay alive Duo, he prayed. I want to meet with you again so that next time, I'll be able to fight with you.

When the black titan had emerged from its hiding place in the lake, the recon team had fled back into the cover of the forest without delay. Thankfully, it decided not to pursue them and instead chose to fly north. In their shock, the team didn't even realize they had forgotten to report what they had found until the sound of gunfire louder than any they had ever heard echoed across the woods followed by the fireball that rose up in the distance. But when they finally reached the source, nothing could have prepared them for what they saw. All around them the remainder of their comrades lay torn to pieces amidst smoking craters and the flaming wreckage of what had once been their carrier.

"I've got a survivor," one yelled. A short distance from the remains of the carrier, a figure in white lay face down in the dirt. "It's Azrael!" Rushing to their leader's side, the remaining troops turned him over and were horrified at the damage that had been done to him. What exactly had happened here? Was the giant's power so great that not even the Light of Mana protect them? In the distance, EMV's blared their sirens as they responded to the disturbance while overhead, National Guard transports flew on in pursuit of the massive figure vanishing over the sea.

Preview

Escaping from his pursuers, Duo seeks shelter on a seemingly uninhabited island where he encounters another young man who has lost his sense of purpose. As the pilot of Deathscythe Ahriman comes to a decision about what action he should take in this strange new world, a new horror appears before him. Along with a group of girls whose destiny shall become intertwined with his own. Next time on Cross Ange: Rondo and Waltz. Ride of the Valkyries.

Gundam! Let your power become a new beacon of hope!

Author's Notes

So we've met a few more OC's. Let's start with someone who's going to be a major antagonist:

Director Entiè

Age: 22

Height: 5'5

Build: Slim

Occupation: Director of the Purifiers

Bio: A mysterious figure with ties to Embryo, Entiè is the Cross Ange world's counterpart to Lady Une albeit more militant in her actions. As with Duo, her presence will result in changes to canon. Her name is the French word for "whole" in contrast to Une which is French for "one." She has a secret that could potentially ruin her if it were revealed.

Chapter Text

(When Deathscythe Ahriman has its BDH moment, feel free to play Freedom Gundam's leitmotif.)

With a growl of disgust, Director Entiè hurled her coffee cup across her office to shatter on the far wall. How could Azrael have failed so miserably? Not only had he failed to capture the pilot of that machine, but footage of it had surfaced on social media. Already, conspiracy theorists were claiming everything from alien invasion to a Norma uprising. Even worse, witnesses had reported its flight path heading towards the Arzenal quarantine zone. Her only option now was to call on Rosenblum to send in their navy. But if she did that would only leave more witnesses as well as endangering the confidentiality of Arzenal.

"You certainly seem agitated." Entiè's heart skipped a beat as she turned around and saw a man sitting on her office couch. Having seemingly appeared out of nowhere, he wore a finely tailored green suit while his long blonde hair draped down his back.

"Master...Embryo." The man who had saved her. Who had given her a life she never could have had otherwise.

"Tell me what the matter is," he ordered. Entiè hung her head in shame.

"I offer no excuse," she said. "Not only did the insurgents escape, but I failed to capture their weapon. I accept whatever punishment you deem fit." Entiè awaited her fate. A strike across her face. Cast out into the street. Pain unlike any she could imagine. She heard Master Embryo rise and come towards her and she shut her eyes in dread. Instead, her glasses were gently removed from her face and a finger hooked her chin to lift her gaze up to his.

"My dear Entiè," he told her. "There's no need for you to apologize. You see, I fear it is my fault that you were forced into this situation."

"Master Embryo," she blushed.

"I was conducting an experiment with the dimensional resonator; trying to broadcast Aura's biorhythm through the singular. To my surprise, an unknown party somehow intercepted the signal and the resulting backlash brought our new friend to us."

"But...even still..."she murmured.

"What's done is done and now we must move forward. But this interloper is an unknown variable. We must gather more data before we can come to an appropriate conclusion as to what steps to take." Laying his arm around her shoulder, Embryo brought up a Mana Screen displaying a map of the Misurugi coast and the western half of the Arzenal quarantine zone. "Where was it last reported heading?"

"Here," Entiè pointed, being careful not to touch the screen. "This is where the pursuit team reported its position before I called them off. If it continues on its present course, then the first land mass large enough for it to land would be these islands here."

It was almost nightfall by the time Duo finally found some place to land. The Mana transports that were chasing him had given up an hour ago. The only logical answer was that he had crossed over into some other nation's sovereign territory so why hadn't he encountered any further opposition? Off of his three, an archipelago rose up out of the sea and Duo decided to settle there for the night. Landing on the largest island, Duo hid Deatchscythe in the shadow of the conical mountain that dominated the island's interior. By his estimate, he was about 1000 to 1500 klicks south southeast of that Misurugi place and judging from the climate somewhere around the subtropics. After powering down Deathscythe to standby mode, Duo ran a diagnostic. No damage to any of its systems, though the vulcans were down to 20% ammo capacity and his fuel reserves were down to a quarter. He hadn't exactly expected to be sent on a trip today so prior to the test run he had only filled up to minimum requirements. Plus he had no supplies of his own and after leaving his gun with Tommy, not even a weapon. With a groan of annoyance, Duo leaned back and considered his options.

Okay, I'm stuck on an alien planet, or rather an alien Earth, still trying to figure that one out. I have no idea how I got here, how to get back or even if that's an option. The technology here is completely incompatible with my Gundam. And my only allies as of right now are a pair of fugitives with even less resources than me. All in all, I've been better.

But there was something else bothering Duo besides the odds stacked against him. He remembered Tommy getting beaten down by those cops and how the crowd started howling for their blood just because of Jessica being a Norma. Duo didn't know how the Light of Mana worked or where it came from, but that bit about Norma being able to break it because they were violent degenerates was a complete load. How could the people in this world not realize that it was clearly some kind of physical reaction. And what about those like Jessica who hadn't been able to escape capture? Tommy had said that no one knew what happened to the Norma after they were caught. Just that they weren't allowed to live among humans. So either they were shipped off to some penal colony or...Duo didn't want to think about it. Just considering it was enough to make his blood boil.

Even if I could go home there's no way I could just walk away from this, he thought. I thought my fighting days were over but it looks like I've found a new war. That settled it. So long as he was here, Duo wasn't going to stand by and let this continue. It was time for the God of Death to come out of retirement. First things first, he'd have to find some way to resupply. Ammunition probably wouldn't be too difficult. The only ballistic weaponry Deathscythe Ahriman had was the vulcans. And the dual auto canon on the soldier's transport seemed pretty close in caliber. The real problem was fuel for the Gundam's fusion reactor. Hydrogen isotopes weren't that rare but refining them was a complicated process. And with the Light of Mana he doubted there were any facilities up and running that he could steal from.

A blip on Deathscythe's console caught his attention and Duo checked the scanners. Nothing on visual so he switched to infrared and saw that against the backdrop of the jungle, a human shaped blob was crouching in the underbrush. An enemy planning an ambush? But if so why was he by himself? Might as well say hello, he thought. A flick of a switch, and the parabolic lamp installed in the cranial sensor lit up the dim twilight of the jungle.

"Hey you!" Duo called. "I don't know what you're planning but you might as well show yourself." A rustle of a branch and a figure in a faded shirt and jeans stepped into the open. A kid? Duo thought. He was about the same age as him, similar build, maybe a little taller, with shaggy brown hair. He didn't seem to be armed but Duo kept his hands on his PA to open fire with the vulcans if he tried anything. Opening the hatch, he climbed out and the guy stared up at him in disbelief.

"Who are you?" he called. "Did Donovan send you? Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same," Duo countered. "And who the hell's Donovan?"

"Wait," the other said, "so then you're not from Sanctuary? But you're definitely not from Mana society either. Are you another survivor?" Riding the drop line, Duo lowered to the ground and extended his hand.

"The name's Duo. Duo Maxwell." The other boy stared at him for a few seconds before extending his hand.

"I'm Tusk."

"Tusk? That a code name?"

"Close enough," he said as his eyes turned to Deathscythe. "This machine. What is it? It's way too big to be a Para-mail. And the design is all wrong."

"Its name is Deathscythe Ahriman. It's my Gundam. Are Para-mails a type of mobile suit?"

"Mobile...suit?" Tusk repeated. "Look, it's getting dark and I've got something on the stove. You don't seem like an enemy so maybe we could continue this conversation back at my place?"

"Fine with me," Duo agreed. "It's about dinner time anyway."

In the middle of the sea, far away from humanity and all of its refinements, an island plateau rose out of the surf. Surrounded by a perimeter of stone reefs, a mountain spine ran along its northern edge while a tarmac for the launching and receiving of aircraft extended from a multilevel hanger built into the southern cliff. This was Arzenal, a place unknown to the rest of the world where those revealed to be Norma were gathered. Here, they were safely contained where their violent natures could be used in a way that actually benefited the world.

In the quiet of her office, Commander Jill, Arzenal's CO, put the final touches on the day's paperwork. A tall, beautiful woman, Jill had a hardened edge to her that made all she spoke to tread carefully. More than one newcomer had made the mistake of mouthing off to her only to wake up in the med bay the next morning. Dressed in the white and black trimmed uniform of command, Jill's long black hair draped down her back in a ponytail. A cape hung over her shoulders and when she sifted her balance, it fell open to reveal her right arm was a metal prosthetic from the elbow down, a reminder of her greatest failure.

Once she was finished, Jill leaned back, her violet eyes watching the smoke trail upward from the cigarette in her mouth. Another day had come and gone and nothing had changed. The Norma were still enslaved, their enemy still held the world in his hands, and Libertus was still in limbo. How much longer would she have to wait? Ten years had passed since the failure of the first Libertus. Ten long years of carrying the bitterness of defeat. At least the day had been quiet. Without any singulars, Jill wanted nothing more than to retire to her quarters and relax.

"Commander," Inspector Bronson's voice suddenly called from the intercom on her desk, "you are needed in the Command Center immediately." Spoke too soon, Jill thought.

"I'll be right there." Snuffing out her cigarette with an annoyed groan, Jill left her office and stepped out into the command center. At the upper desk, a bespectacled woman in a purple and white uniform stood waiting, her olive green hair tied up and tucked neatly beneath her officer's cap. As Arzenal's sole human resident, Inspector Emma Bronson's role was to keep a watchful eye on the Norma and make sure they didn't get any ideas about disobeying their human superiors. "What's going on?" Jill asked. On the lower deck, three girls in the blue tunics of base personnel worked the three consoles. From the middle station, a girl with long blonde hair turned to answer.

"We detected it about five minutes ago," Pamela said. "An unidentified object entered Arzenal air space and landed on these islands here." On the overhead monitor, a map of the Arzenal quarantine zone was pulled up and along the lower left corner, a red dot was flashing over an island Jill knew very well. The old Libertus base, she realized. Could Donovan be planning something? Jill had told the old fool that if he or his men came near Arzenal again she'd turn over Sanctuary's location to the humans.

"Could it be a transport from the mainland?"

"I highly doubt that," Emma said. "The next supply shipment isn't scheduled for another week. And the Committee would have contacted me if we were receiving a new arrival." At the left console, a girl with boyishly cropped red hair was running calculations.

"Whatever it is it's big," Hikaru told them. "Radar cross section estimates it's length around 15-18 meters."

"Olivier," Jill ordered, "establish contact. See if you can hail them." At the right console, a third girl with short green hair held back by a yellow headband was adjusting the dial on her earpiece.

"I've been trying to Ma'am. They aren't answering on any known frequency." Jill tched as she lit a fresh cigarette.

"Scramble First Squad," she ordered. "Send them out to do a flyby over that island and see if they can find out who that is."

Back at his cave, Tusk scooped out a bowl from the pot of soup simmering atop his clay stove. Over at the table, his unexpected guest was surveying the shelter that had been Tusk's home for the last ten years. Just who was Duo? That 'Gundam' of his didn't seem to be Mana tech so Tusk doubted he was one of Embryo's humans but neither did he know of him so Tusk doubted he was one of the Ancient Folk. Well, if nothing else it was nice to actually have company. Tusk had spent so much time on his own that he had almost forgotten what human contact was like.

"Here you are," he said as he offered Duo his bowel.

"Thanks," Duo said as he dug in. "Not bad. A little bland but the meat's good."

"It's freshly caught sea snake." Duo stopped mid swallow and looked down, but ultimately shrugged as he continued to eat. "So what are you doing out here?" Tusk asked. Reaching for the fruit bowel, Dup pulled out a banana and began to peel it.

"Long story short I was in a place called Misurugi," he answered. "I came across an angry mob that was trying to lynch a helpless girl. So I did something about it."

"This girl," Tusk interrupted, "was she a Norma?" Duo fixed Tusk with a hard stare as he took a bite.

"And what if she was?"

"I'm impressed," Tusk smiled. "Not many people would do that for one of them."

"Well I'm not most people. Now its your turn. What are you doing all the way out here? And why aren't you using Mana like everyone else?"

"It's a long story," Tusk said. "Look, if you're really sympathetic to the Norma then I can help you get in contact with people who feel the same way."

"Really?" Duo beamed. "That'd be great! But Deathscythe doesn't use Mana."

"Well luckily neither do these guys. It'll be a couple of days though so you're welcome to crash here until they can arrange something." Before Duo could answer, the datapad on his belt began to beep furiously.

"Shit!" Duo cursed as he shut it off. "Looks like they found me after all." Before Tusk could stop him, Duo ran out the door and through the jungle back to where Deathscythe lay resting."

"Duo wait stop!" he called. Already, he could see the running lights of a Para-mail squadron approaching in the sky. 10 years of laying low and now Arzenal was about to come banging down his door.

Across the Mana Screen, a cluster of lights emerged from Arzenal and made their way to the island where she had estimated the target would land. "It seems Arzenal is acting exactly as you predicted they would," Entiè noted.

"The confidentiality of its nature wouldn't allow them any other way," Embryo nodded. Entiè leaned against his shoulder as he opened a second screen and opened a line to the Dawn Pillar. "But what do you say we add a little something extra to make it interesting?"

Climbing back aboard Deathscythe, Duo frowned as he checked the scanners and counted eight aircraft heading towards their location. Not much of a threat to a Gundam so he'd take them out before they could radio his position. He had just finished start up when Tusk came running up to him. "Duo stop!" he called. "They're from Arzenal! They aren't enemies!"

"Are they the friends you mentioned?" Duo asked. By now, the aircraft were close enough for Deathscythe's optics to zoom in, revealing vehicles that looked like a cross between a fighter jet and a motorcycle. And judging from the thrust of their engine pods, they were equipped with EM drives same as him. What kind of machine are those? he wondered. They didn't even have a canopy to keep their pilots from falling out. Not only that but the frames were only partially armored, revealing a series of internal mechanisms that reminded Duo of a muscle system. Two of them were burlier than the others and mounted a pair of heavy cannons. A third was lighter and if Duo had to guess was designed for high speed interception. The remaining five looked like standard combat models though one yellow unit had a pair of long cannons similar to the two artillery units.

"No...I mean yes! Look, it's complicated. Just lead them away for now and I'll explain later." Before he could demand a further explanation, Deathscythe's systems began to scream. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Deathscythe's picking up some weird weather activity but it's not like anything I've ever seen before."

"Oh crap," Tusk realized. "Duo! We have to get back to the cave! It's coming!"

"What's coming?" No sooner had he asked than something like thunder began to crack in the sky overhead. Duo looked up as a patch of sky began to swell and pulse like a bubble, it's edges crackling with red lightning. "What the hell?" he wondered aloud as the bubble finally popped and a hole opened in the sky right above the oncoming aircraft. From out of the hole, a swarm of glowing projectile burst out to scatter them. One dark blue unit however wasn't able to evade and was shot through its cockpit. As it plunged into the sea, a shadow loomed on the other side of the hole as a massive reptilian head stretched through, followed by a gigantic purple scaled body carried by a pair of leathery wings that spanned across the sky. I don't believe it, Duo thought. It's an actual dragon. The surviving units regrouped and as Duo watched, began to shift around their cockpits, assuming a humanoid form as their underslung guns switched to a handheld mode and they opened fire on their attacker. In response, the dragon screeched in anger and Duo's radar lit up with dozens of new contacts. That's the same sound the Seraphim picked up, he realized. Those things are the reason I was brought here.

It was supposed to be a recon mission. An unauthorized craft had entered Arzenal airspace so Jill had sent them out to investigate. It was a mission no one was happy with as without any kills, the fuel they expended would be deducted from their next combat pay. Only Salia knew the real importance of this mission. As part of Jill's secret inner circle she knew of the island's role as the old Libertus base. But just as it came in sight, a singular had opened up right over their heads. First Squad had scattered with the first barrage but Naomi wasn't able to make it away in time and she plunged seaward in a trail of smoke and flames.

"Naomi no!" Salia heard Ersha call.

"Stay on target!" Captain Zola ordered. "If we don't deal with this first we're all dead!" As much as Salia herself wanted to fly after her, she knew Zola was right. With a flex of her control rods, Salia's Para-mail converted to its humanoid destroyer mode as all guns trained on the attacking Brig. Cannon and machine fire streaked across the sky as the Brig charged them, it's healing ability racing to keep up with the wounds they were inflicting on it. "Keep it up! It's almost weak enough to finish off!"

"Make him pay!" Hilda yelled as her crimson glaive spiraled around to its back.

"Oh shit!" Rosalie suddenly cried. "I've more contacts coming in!" From out of the singular, a horde of smaller pink DRAGONs emerged followed by another pair of Brigs.

"Category 4 encounter confirmed," Pamela broadcast from base. "Three Brigs and thirty Schooners!"

"We can't handle that many!" Chris panicked.

"Stay focused!" Zola yelled. "Backup is on the way. Meantime, split into three teams. Vivian! Keep the Schooners occupied!"

"Just leave it to me!" Vivian cheered. With her Razor in high gear, Vivian launched herself into the swarm, her boomerang shredding any of the smaller DRAGONs that got in her way as she began firing wildly in all directions. Despite the chaotic way she was fighting, each burst of machine gun sent one or even two Schooners plunging into the sea below.

"The rest of you split into two teams. Salia, take Ersha. Hilda take Rosalie and Chris. I'll handle the first Brig."

"Yes Ma'am!" With a battle plan established, the surviving members of First Squad spit up to engage their enemies. With the artillery units providing fire support, Salia and Hilda each took a Brig and began chipping away at their defenses. Standard procedure for a First Encounter involved the more skilled pilots distracting the larger DRAGONs while the weaker ones dealt with the Schooners. Once that was achieved, all of them could gang up on the Brig or Galleon and finish them off. However, that wouldn't work in this case. A category 4 encounter involving multiple Brig or higher class DRAGONs would require multiple squads and they were already down one unit. All they could do was try and stay alive until reinforcements arrived. From her underslung grenade launcher, Salia fired an RPG as her opponent raised a shield. The blast cancelled it out but it brought the Brig enough time to summon a second sigil that travelled the length of its body, lighting up its scales as they peeled off its body.

"Ersha dodge!" Salia warned. The razor sharp scales flew at them, one taking off Ersha's leg while another winged Salia's cockpit and tore off her canopy.

"Salia!" Ersha cried.

"I'm okay!" she assured her. "Just keep it up!"

"Salia watch out!" Zola warned. Salia looked behind her just in time to see the first Brig careening towards her. One wing smacked against the back of her unit and without the canopy, Salia was sent flying from her cockpit. Ersha and Zola both tried to chase after and grab her, but the barrage from the Brig she was fighting routed them before they could get close. No! Salia realized. Am I really going to die? Three Schooners had seen her knocked from her Arquebus and were diving in towards her, their mouths open and ready to tear her to pieces. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they closed in when a hail of bullets suddenly tore them to pieces and a pair of massive hands closed around her.

"Unit Salia contact lost!" Olivier announced.

"How could this have happened?!" The Inspector cried. "Why didn't the committee notify me of this?!" Behind her desk, Jill clasped her hands and clenched her teeth. Salia was one of her most trusted allies, one of the few she had left, and now Jill was on the verge of losing her. And all because of some trespasser. If she dies, Jill vowed, Donovan and Sanctuary are going to pay the price.

"Ma'am," Hikaru called out. "New contact established!"

"Is it another Brig?" the Inspector panicked.

"Negative. It's not coming from the singular. It launched from the island."

Zola cursed as she continued to spray her gun at the first Brig. All she wanted was a nice relaxing night with the girls. Instead, they had been sent on a wild goose chase only to be caught off guard by an unexpected singular. And now, she had lost both Naomi AND Salia, their ammo was almost depleted, and help was still at least ten minutes away. We've got no choice, she decided. It would mean time in the brig for her but it was better than watching her entire squad get killed.

"All units," she broadcast. "Get ready to fall back! We'll try to lead them to Second Squad." A sudden blip on her radar warned her of an incoming barrage of scales and she shifted direction to fire a defensive salvo.

"Zola!" Hilda yelled. A shadow loomed over her and Zola realized too late that she had been so busy trying to defend itself from its attack, she had allowed the Brig to sneak up behind her. A clawed wing pulled back to knock her out of the sky when a sudden arc of energy slashed across its torso. As it fell to the ocean below, something massive appeared behind the Brig and Zola's eyes widened in disbelief.

Hovering in the air before her was some kind of a humanoid machine, but far bigger than a Para-mail. Covered in black armor, spurs jutted from its knees and shoulders while a V shaped antenna sprouted out of its forehead. From its back, a pair of DRAGON like metal wings extended out as if in some kind of intimidation display while in its hands was the weapon it had used to slice a Brig nearly in half, a staff from which two curved energy blades set perpendicular to each other blazed like emerald fire. The entire battle ground to a halt as even the DRAGONs ceased their attack, shrieking in alarm at the unexpected arrival. Once the shock wore off however, the enemy turned its attention to the giant. Gunfire blazed from its temples and several of the remaining Schooners were cut to pieces before its ammo ran dry. One Brig attempted to circle around while its comrade launched another barrage, only for the scales to harmlessly bounce off an energy barrier generated by the coffin like shield on its arm. The canons on its shoulders fired a salvo of energy blasts at the incoming Brig, distracting it long enough to drop the barrier as the giant charged forward and a dagger like energy blade extended from the forward end of the shield to stab the DRAGON right through the heart.

"Captain," Rosalie gasped. "What the hell is that thing?"

"You don't think it could be the thing we were sent to find could you?" Ersha wondered. Whatever it was it had killed two Bombardment-type Brigs with hardly any effort. But just like with Zola, whoever was piloting it had gotten distracted by one enemy's attack and left itself open to another. The giant turned around just as the final Brig barreled into it, the huge DRAGON's jaws latching around the haft of its weapon. The last of the Schooners were quick to capitalize and swarmed onto it, raking at the hull with their claws and covering it in a mass of wings and scales.

"Everyone, check your ammo," Zola ordered. "Then, move in and assist. Ersha, Vivian, clear off the Schooners. The rest of you, with me."

"Are you crazy?!" Hilda cried. "We don't know what that thing is or what it wants!"

"It saved my life!" she countered. "That's all I need to know."

As if Duo didn't have enough to worry about, he also had to deal with the squirming girl on his lap. When he had launched, Duo had seen her knocked from her machine and managed to catch her before any of those smaller dragons could grab her. With no other option, he had pulled her into the cockpit before heading on to where the purple machine was about to be blindsided. Problem was with two people in the cockpit he couldn't safely activate the Seraphim. Consequently, he had just killed two of the larger ones when the third tackled into him from behind. The creature locked its jaws around the haft of his beam halberd and was attempting to wrench it free as they wrestled in mid-air. Duo fired his shoulder beam guns and managed to nail its wing and shoulders only to watch dumbfounded as the wounds began healing before his eyes. Oh that is just not fair! he fumed. Apparently, nothing short of a killing blow would stop this thing. Duo had just managed to maneuver his crash shield into position to impale it like he had done the second when the smaller pink dragons swarmed all over him.

"Do something!" the girl yelled.

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do!" Already, they had located the cockpit and were attempting to claw it open. If he had some ammo left in the vulcans he could have easily picked them off but with Deathscythe needing both hands to fend off the big one he couldn't even swat at them. Suddenly, something exploded upon the back of his opponent and Duo felt himself released. Through Deathscythe's optics, Duo watched as the smaller machines began circling around the beast like a swarm of angry hornets. Radar detected two more incoming and Duo looked up to see the orange machine pointing its gun at him.

"Hold still please?" the pilot of the orange machine said. Her gun fired and the pinkies swarming over him were picked off one by one. While she held position, the pilot of the pink machine flew around him like a dragonfly on caffeine, throwing a boomerang of some kind that sliced off entire groups of the smaller dragons with each pass. Meanwhile, the remaining big one had its wings full with its own enemies. Although small, they easily outmaneuvered the larger and slower opponent, riddling it with bullets and knocking it around with a combination of RPG and canon fire. Finally, the purple machine pulled back its left arm, extending a spike from the back of its forearm and firing it through a hole in its palm. The missile struck the dragon dead in the sternum and it screamed in pain as shards of ice erupted from its sternum. The others followed suit, their missiles hitting the creature from every side at once before it finally fell into the ocean, the pillar of water it kicked up freezing solid.

That's one hell of a weapon, he thought. While Deathscythe's Gundanium armor could resist most weapons; that freezing attack of theirs could jam servos, blind sensors, maybe even rupture fluid lines. And having to fight like that had nearly depleted what little fuel he had left. Already, the smaller machines were surrounding him, their weapons drawn in case he attacked.

"You there," the purple unit said. "You're trespassing in restricted space. Identify yourself immediately." Duo lowered his halberd but left the blades ignited in case things went south.

"'Scuse me," he said to the girl as he reached for the radio transceiver. "Easy there. I'm not your enemy. Not unless you force me to be."

"Is...is that a man?" the red unit asked.

"No way!" the yellow one with the long shoulder canons gasped.

"Oh well isn't this interesting," the leader cooed. "And what a sexy voice as well."

"Excuse me Captain?" the orange unit asked. "But Salia was knocked from her unit. She might still be alive."

"Hey is that your name?" Duo asked. "Here. Tell them you're okay." The girl stared at him, her face red as a tomato but finally accepted the transceiver from him.

"Everyone?" she called.

"Salia?" the pink machine gasped, who seemed considerably younger than the others. "No way. You're not a ghost are you?"

"No Vivian I'm okay. The pilot caught me when I was knocked out."

"Oh thank goodness for that," the orange unit sighed.

"Captain what should we do?" the green unit asked. Like the orange, this one had a pair of huge canons with revolving magazine chambers on its shoulders.

"Can I ask you all something?" Duo interrupted. "You're all Norma aren't you. Those machines of yours don't look like they use the Light of Mana like everything else in this world."

"And what if we are?" the red unit asked.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said. "Look, I don't want to fight you if you are. There's a row of islands right over there. I can drop your friend off and you can pick her up at your leisure."

"Sorry but I can't agree to that," the purple machine answered. "We've been ordered to bring you in for questioning."

"Yeah that's not going to happen," he told them. Hopefully they were just as depleted as he was and he could bluff his way out.

"Captain," the red unit said as she brought up her rifle. "I've got one RPG left and a clear shot at his rear thrusters. Just give me the word and I'll drop him." So much for bluffing.

"Just try it," he warned. Duo raised his halberd and the smaller machines backed away when Salia suddenly grabbed the transceiver.

"Everyone stop!" she yelled. "Captain, give me a moment. I'm sure I can convince him to come with me."

"Alright," the purple unit hummed. "I don't mind letting you go first. Have fun convincing him Vice-Captain." Salia flushed even deeper as her eye began to twitch.

"What's your name?" she finally asked, her head turned away from him.

"It's Duo."

"Well Duo. I doubt you knew this but you're trespassing in a restricted area. We were sent out here to find you and bring you back to base for questioning."

"I can appreciate that but I'm not too keen on the idea of being a prisoner. And I'm pretty sure your friends don't want another fight on their hands. Especially since I'm willing to bet that you're all running on fumes after being ambushed like that."

"Your guess isn't wrong," she countered. "But I've been looking at your monitors. Your machine is different from our Para-mail but I recognize a diagnostics screen when I see it. You're almost out of fuel as well. And we have reinforcements from base on the way that are going to be here in less than five minutes. Even if you defeat us, you won't be able to get away from them."

"So what do you suggest we do?" he asked.

"Come with us back to base," she said. "Explain your situation to our Commander. You've already showed that you have no intention of being an enemy and my Commander will take into consideration that you helped us. If you cooperate I can at least promise you'll be treated fairly." Duo thought it over. She could have been lying about reinforcements but he doubted it. If she and the others really were Norma, than judging from the way she described this base of hers it was definitely some kind of government facility. Most likely the penal colony where they were kept at. He might wind up a prisoner but it wasn't something he had never experienced before. Plus, he could use it as an opportunity to gather information. Shutting off his halberd, Duo contracted the haft and returned it to its recharge port on Deathscythe's back.

"Okay," he said. "You lead and I'll follow."

"Glad to hear it," the purple unit said. "Zola to Arzenal, we've secured the unknown craft and are escorting it home. Understood. Everyone return to base."

"Yes Ma'am." With his escort surrounding him, Duo spread Deathsythe's wings and followed. As he leaned back in his pilot's chair, he caught Salia staring at the sea as it passed beneath them.

"I'm sorry about your friend," he told her.

"Thank you," she said.

"Hey is everything alright? Your face is awfully red." Salia gave a tiny squeak and flushed even deeper.

"It's just...I've never met a man before," she murmured. Now that the fight was over and he was able to get a look at her, Duo had to admit Salia was really cute. Slender, long dark purple hair done up in pigtails. It was only then that he noticed the pale blue flight suit she was wearing and the open spaces over her bosom and the one that that ran the full length of her abdomen. "What is that?" she asked as she began to shift on his lap, which didn't help his situation.

"Is...is that really what you wear into battle?" he asked. As the realization sunk in, Salia's eyes widened in shock and she covered herself.

"Kyaaaaaa!" she screamed. "Pervert!"

"Hey watch it!" Duo yelled as she began to squirm wildly. "Are you trying to make me crash!" Outside, the rest of First Squad turned to look at the giant machine as it began to jerk like it was having a seizure in flight.

From the edge of the beach, Tusk watched as Duo flew off with the squad from Arzenal. When that one Glaive had been shot down, Duo hadn't hesitated to throw himself into battle to help. Which was a lot more than I did, he thought. Mom and Dad would be ashamed if they saw me. This wasn't the first time he had seen a first encounter, and more often than not they ended with at least one fatality. Almost ten years had passed since the failure of Libertus and all he did was watch and survive. Well it's out of my hands now, he decided. If Duo really was sympathetic to the Norma and had no ties to Sanctuary than Alektra was sure to make use of him. As he headed back into the jungle, Duo decided that at the very least he could contact Donovan and pass along what had happened. He had a feeling Duo was going to need as many allies as he could get.

Thoroughly satisfied with the results of the experiment, Embryo closed the Mana screen. The interloper's actions had revealed quite a bit. His fighting style was overwhelming force rather than finesse. He possessed pre-Mana technology. And he was sympathetic to the Norma. All of which suggested originating from a civilization not too dissimilar from those wretched primitives. "Master Embryo," Entiè said. "Should we be allowing Arzenal to take custody of him? What if Alektra tries to use him against you?"

"I expect she will," he agreed. "But having an unknown factor in the game can be good for us. It will ensure we don't get careless. Furthermore, I expect the dissidents will soon learn of him and seek to establish contact. Once they do, I'll finally eliminate the last of those vermin."

"Then the reconstruction is still going forth?"

"It is," he nodded, a wave of his hand opening a row of new screens. "But in the meantime, let's take a look into his world and see what we can learn of it. We might find something that could be of use to us."

Preview

Arriving at the island prison of Arzenal, Duo learns the fate that awaits those deemed unworthy of being considered human in this world. With Deathscythe Ahriman depleted of fuel of and with no other methods to support himself, Duo accepts the offer made by Commander Jill. But can even a Gundam pilot survive being the sole man on an island full of women. Next time on Cross Ange Rondo and Waltz:  The Island Prison.

Gundam! Seek vengeance for the forsaken!

Author's Notes

Time to introduce another OC:

Agent Azrael

Age: 25

Height: 6'0

Build: toned, muscular

Occupation: Agent of the Purifiers

Bio: As one of Entiè's chief operatives, Azrael will have a major role to play in later chapters. He's going to be the Char to Duo's Amuro as both have motives of death but different color schemes. (Duo wear black, Azrael wears white). As one of the Purifiers, his mission is to find and eliminate those who threaten Embryo's world; and both the Ancient Folk and Norma sympathists are at the top of that list. His name and temperament are a homage to Murata Azrael from SEED although physically I see him as an evil Mwu La Flaga.

Chapter Text

Finally, the lights of First Squad appeared on the horizon and Jill ground her cigarette into the ashtray on her desk. This day had been anything but normal. A category 4 incursion. That huge black machine. And judging by the conversation she had overhead over the radio, there was a man piloting it. Jill didn't even want to think about the kind of uproar that would cause. When they heard the pilot's voice, Pamela and the others had practically leapt out of their seats. Whoever the pilot was or wherever he came from, he'd be lucky if he wasn't jumped the second he stepped out of his machine.

"First Squad coming in," Zola broadcast. "Requesting permission to land."

"Permission granted runway is clear," Pamela confirmed. "Uh Commander..."

"I'll handle it," Jill said as she picked up her intercom mic. "Attention unknown unit. Proceed to the rear of the base. You will find a beach there that can accommodate your machine. I have multiple cannons trained on your position. If you deviate from your designated course, or if you try to run, we will shoot you down."

"Yeah yeah I get it." A collective gasp rose from the command staff.

"It really is a man," Olivier gasped.

"What's he doing here?" Pamela wondered.

"You think he's hot?" Hikaru added.

"Ahem!" Jill coughed. Immediately all three girls snapped to attention and turned back to their consoles. By now, the massive shape of the black machine was close enough to make out and Jill had to admit, remote footage of it was nothing compared to seeing it in person. With a wingspan that nearly stretched the width of the tarmac, the Para-mail flying beside it might as well have been its children. Zola led the way with Ersha, Hilda, and Vivian flanking it while Chris and Rosalie brought up the rear. As it flew by overhead, its shadow blanketed the command center in darkness.

"It's huge," Emma gasped as she adjusted her glasses. "No wonder it was able to kill those Brigs so easily." It's certainly powerful, Jill agreed. But it's the pilot that I'm interested in.

"Send out a recovery team to bring back Salia's Arquebus and whatever's left of Naomi's unit," she ordered. "Inspector, let's go meet with our guest." Departing the command center, Jill and Emma took the elevator to the utilities level at the very bottom of the base. "Tell me Inspector, have you any idea what that thing is?"

"Me? Of course not, though...well I admit it does remind me of something I once read about."

"Go on."

"Well, in the history books I read at the academy, when all of humanity was as prone to violence as the Norma were, several of the old nation states competed in various arms races. And that machine looks remarkably similar to some of the weapons used during that time period."

"So then it's not some new type of Para-mail? It doesn't seem to use the Light of Mana."

"I highly doubt that," Emma said. "Why the sheer amount of resources it would take to keep just one unit that size running would be far too impractical for mass production. Not too mention impossible to store in a facility the size of Arzenal." Jill's thoughts were the same. Any machine that didn't require the Light of Mana to function could only have come from one place and Jill had made it clear to Donovan that if his men came so much as near Arzenal, she'd reveal their position to the humans. The alliance between his people and hers had ended long ago and Jill had no intention of repeating the mistakes of the past. Still, the way that boy acted intrigued her. Perhaps he was a survivor from a colony besides Sanctuary. She supposed she'd find out soon enough.

As soon as her unit was docked, Zola leapt onto the tarmac. One by one the others disembarked as well while overhead, the giant machine flew on to its designated landing site, a gang of the Armorers led by Mei rushing out to have a look. First Squad however had other things on their mind. As their Para-mail mail were taxied away for maintenance and repair, the surviving pilots gathered around the two empty pads, one of which would remain vacant forever.

"Poor Naomi," Ersha whispered.

"There's nothing we can do," Zola said. "We'll arrange a funeral for her later."

"Are you sure you're okay Captain?" Rosalie worried. "You almost bought it as well."

"I was really scared," Chris agreed. Zola smirked as she wrapped her arms around her two subordinates and pushed their heads into her breasts.

"You two are so sweet. Don't worry. It's going to take a lot more than that to kill me. After debriefing, you both can come up to my room for a little post-encounter stress relief. But in the meantime, why don't we go say hello to our new friend."

"Typical," Hilda grumbled. "Fresh meat shows up and you're already chomping at the bit."

"Now now don't be jealous," Zola teased. "You can't tell me you aren't just a little bit excited about the prospects."

"Not at all," Hilda said. "Or are you all forgetting how he asked if we were Norma?"

"I don't think he was trying to antagonize us though," Ersha spoke up. "After all he saved Salia."

"And myself so let's be nice to him," Zola suggested. "And if he's nice to us then we can be REALLY nice to him."

Thankfully, his destination appeared just as the warning light for Deathscythe's fuel gauge flicked on. Rising straight out of the sea was a tabletop plateau with a launch deck designed for small aircraft jutting out of a multilevel hanger. So that's where the Norma are sent, Duo thought. And all so they can fight those things. After getting clearance and instructions for landing, Duo cast a gaze at the girl who hadn't said two words since she calmed down.

"Look," he said. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It's just...where you're sitting...it was a reflex it's not like I did it on purpose!"

"It's fine," Salia murmured. "I'll...consider it a compliment." Better to just land before he made it even more awkward. As he cleared the mountain range along the far edge, a triangular patch of sand appeared at the cliff's base and Duo brought Deathscythe in for a landing where a welcoming committee was already waiting for them. The first woman was tall, slim, and dressed in a white uniform with long black hair tied back in a pony tail. Judging by how she carried herself she was most likely the base's CO. Behind her was a second woman in glasses dressed in a white and purple. And Duo frowned as he saw one of those Mana screens hovering in the air before her.

"I'll let you get out first," he told her as he opened the hatch. "Show them you're okay." Hurrying off his lap, Salia grabbed on to the drop line and lowered down to the sand. Further up the beach, a group of girls emerged from the doorway and raced down towards her. Like Salia, they were all dressed in the same revealing plug suits. What kind of a base is this? he wondered. As they gathered around Deathscythe's feet, the woman in the beret called up for him to show himself. After taking a moment to set final precautions, Duo climbed out the hatch and rode down the lift line. Oh well. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The moment she touched down on the sand, Salia's legs gave out and she fell to her knees. Her heart was pounding like a machine gun. When Duo's machine had caught her, Salia had frozen when the hatch opened and she saw that a man was piloting it. But then he had pulled her inside and before she knew it the DRAGONs had swarmed them. But even that paled to the realization that she had actually felt "it." I was actually sitting on a man's lap, she blushed.

"Are you alright Salia?" Salia forced herself to calm down and picked herself up as she remembered that Jill was standing right beside her.

"Yes Ma'am," she answered. Casting a gaze back at the black machine she had ridden in on, Salia was able to better realize just how big it actually was. As tall as a Brig, its wings had been folded around its torso like some armored cape, leaving only the cockpit exposed. And on its rear skirt was the dual bladed scythe that had cut down a Bombardment-type Brig as if it were nothing. It's size and black armor gave it an air that was foreboding but not exactly malevolent. More a force of nature than a monster.

"God of Death," she whispered.

"It's a fitting name for it," Jill admitted as the rest of First Squad came running out the beach entrance.

"Salia!" Ersha cried as she ran up and threw her arms around her, nearly engulfing the smaller girl inside of her bosom. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Yeah thanks Ersha," Salia said. Captain Zola meanwhile looked up at the giant machine and whistled.

"Now THAT is a machine. Just imagining the kind of man that could pilot it gets me hungry."

"Your feast will have to wait," Jill said. "The Inspector and I want to have a word with him first."

"So cool!" Vivian awed. "Now I have something new to add to my list."

"How much do you think something like this even costs?" Rosalie wondered.

"All of you stand back," Ms. Emma ordered. "You. Whoever you are get down here immediately." At her request, Duo emerged from the cockpit and despite her initial embarrassment, now that she got a good look at him Salia had to admit he was actually rather handsome. Taller than all of them except Zola, Ersha, and Jill; he was slim but well built with dark blue eyes and long brown hair tied back in a braid that hung down to his back.

"Mmmm yummy, " Zola purred

Alighting onto the beach, Duo looked over the girls that had assembled before him. All of them were attractive to say the least, even the mousy looking silver haired girl in green. And with the exception of Salia and the younger one in pink, they were also very well stacked. Play it cool, Duo said. Just keep focused on their faces. "Uh hey," he said. "How's it going?"

"Excuse me?" asked the tall girl in the orange suit who had embraced Salia. She had long pink hair that draped to her hips and after the tall blonde in purple, she was the second most well-endowed among them. "Are you feeling alright? You're awfully flushed." Oh crap they're on to me, he realized.

"Huh? Yeah...yeah I'm great," he stammered.

"Are you sure?" asked the girl in yellow with the short orange hair. She stepped up to him and Duo's gaze kept slipping away from her face to someplace else.

"Well uh...you see..." it was then they finally noticed just where they were looking. Both Salia and the yellow suit jumped back blushing with their hands over the chests.

"What's up with you two?" their younger teammate asked as she cocked her head. She had short vermillion hair, looked barely older than fifteen, and the lolipop stick that dangled from her mouth didn't make Duo any less comfortable.

"What do you think?" asked another. Like Salia, her long red hair was done up in twin tails and she wore a suit the same shade. She too had caught on to what he was looking at and was shooting him a death glare that could have punctured even Deathscythe's hull. "You so much as try anything," she warned, "and you can kiss it goodbye."

"Hey!" he cried. "Don't get mad at me just because the way you dress is distracting!" Too late, Duo realized just what he had said as she glowered at him and cracked her knuckles.

"Stand down!" Jill ordered. The redhead cut a final glance at Duo but thankfully backed off. Hoping to salvage what little dignity he had left, Duo turned to address the two officers. They were dressed less provocatively so hopefully he could keep his foot out of his mouth by focusing on them.

"I take it you're the ones in charge?" he asked.

"That's right," the spectacled one answered. "Now tell me who you are and what you're doing here?" Duo smirked as he crossed his arms. Whoever this woman was she had the self-important attitude of someone whose role wasn't nearly as important in the grand scheme of things as she believed.

"Didn't your mother teach you it's bad manners to demand someone else's name before you give your own?" Duo's smirk broadened as her eyes widened in shock before she began to fume.

"You...young man I don't think you understand just how much trouble you're in."

"Let me handle this Inspector," the woman in the ponytail interrupted. "I'm Commander Jill. And this is Inspector Emma Bronson. I saw what you did for my girls and I appreciate your help. However, as you can understand we have quite a number of questions for you." Duo looked Jill over and realized he should stow the cockiness. There was a distinct edge to her that warned him she wouldn't hesitate to put him in his place if he stepped out of line.

"Yeah I figured as much."

"If you cooperate I can guarantee your safety for now. However..." and Jill paused as she threw back her cape to expose her prosthetic right arm, "if you don't then good luck getting away in one piece. Every girl here is a trained soldier. And I have ten guns within this cliff alone that have your machine in their sights." Duo scanned his surroundings. With the sun down and everything bathed in shadow, she could have twice that many and he'd never know until he took off. And while he doubted they'd do much damage, he was running on fumes and judging by how small and fast those machines were, they'd overwhelm him pretty quickly.

"Alright then," he finally decided. Pulling out his PA, Duo triggered the cockpit to close as the Active Cloak fully wrapped around Deathscythe. "But I'm going to warn you not to touch my Gundam. I've set the self-destruct to trigger if anyone other than me tries to open the hatch. And the reactor's still got enough juice in it to take out half this island."

"Fair enough," Jill said. "The rest of you, show's over. Perform your post-encounter duties and tend to whatever arrangements you need to make for Naomi. Dismissed."

"Yes Ma'am."

"Excuse me," the pinkette spoke up, "but you never told us your name."

"It's Duo," he said. "Duo Maxwell."

"I see," she smiled. "Duo, I just wanted to say thank you for saving Salia. Losing Naomi was a tragedy but if you hadn't been there it would have been much worse."

"Hey, happy to do it," he said. "And don't forget Deathscythe Ahriman. He did all the work."

"Mmm modest too. That's so cute!" Duo gave a slight jump at the sudden gust of hot breath in his ear. While he had been focused on the Commander and the Inspector, the blonde had taken the opportunity to sneak up behind him. She was slightly taller than him, and unlike the others the collar of her plug suit was undone which further emphasized her already ample cleavage. She leaned forward and Duo found his eyes drawn to the flower tattoo on her left breast. "I'm Captain Zola. And I was the pilot of the unit you saved. If it hadn't been for you I'd be dead too."

"Uh well...no big deal!" Zola licked her lips as she bent around to his ear, her luxuriant blonde hair caressing his face. Holy crap she smells good, he thought.

"Once you're done with the Commander, come see me and I'll show you my appreciation."

"I'll...keep that in mind."

"Enough Zola!" Jill warned. Zola pulled back and snapped a salute.

"Yes Commander. Everyone, report to the squad room."

Still mortified by her state of appearance, Salia hurried along with the others up the beach and back into the base. She had gotten so used to the flight suits they wore that she no longer noticed them. But now a man had set foot on Arzenal and she realized how revealing they actually were.

"So that's a man huh?" Rosalie mused. "I'll admit. He's not bad to look at."

"And totally awesome!" Vivian squeed. "I bet he could take on an entire army of DRAGONs in that super Para-mail of his!"

"Gundam," Salia corrected. "He called it a Gundam. And it's name is Deathscythe Ahriman." Gundam. It was a name that dripped with power and just thinking about it sent a shiver up Salia's spine.

"Does it even matter what he calls it?" Hilda argued. "If he stays here you can kiss any future reward money goodbye. Do you have any idea the amount of cash killing TWO Brigs by yourself earns you?"

"Okay I guess that does kind of suck," Rosalie agreed.

"Rules are rules," Zola said. "He killed those Brigs fair and square and so he's earned the reward. And we got one ourselves plus all those Schooners so the mission wasn't a total washout."

"Besides I don't think Duo would do that," Ersha said. "He seems really nice."

"Please," Hilda grumbled. "You saw the way he was looking at us. He's like a dog in heat."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Zola purred.

"You don't think he might actually try something do you?" Chris asked.

"I almost hope he does," Hilda said. "You can bet I'll make sure he lives to regret it."

With Commander Jill leading the way and the Inspector following after, Duo took a moment to study his new surroundings. With extremely limited space, the entire base had been carved out of the plateau's interior. Judging by all the pipes running along the walls and ceilings, the lower levels were devoted to utilities and maintenance. A guide sign along the way featured an arrow and the trefoil symbol pointing down an adjacent hall and Duo made a mental note to come back later for a closer look. They use nuclear fusion here, he realized. That means they either have a plant for refining hydrogen isotopes from seawater or they have stores of it shipped in. Either way, I could use that to refuel Deathscythe. Of course, actually being able to sneak around without being seen was going to be a challenge. More than a few of the girls gave him a second look in passing and it suddenly dawned on Duo that he was most likely the first man any of them had ever seen in real life. Finally, they arrived at an elevator and the three of them rode all the way up to the top level. Inside what had to be the Commander's office, Jill beckoned to a chair set before a desk as she took a seat behind it.

"So, Duo was it?" she asked as she lit a cigarette. "First things first, I want to know where you came from." Duo shifted his gaze between her and Inspector Emma off to the side. Should I tell them the truth? he wondered. Normally he would opt not to as they wouldn't believe him anyway. Even he still didn't believe his current situation. But following the encounter with those dragons maybe they would. And there was still a lot he didn't know about his world. For all he knew, they might consider him an enemy as well.

"I come from someplace...very far away." It was truthful enough.

"Don't dance around the question," Emma said as she adjusted her glasses. "You are trespassing in a restricted area. Now I'm willing to believe you were unaware of that but that doesn't change the severity of your situation. Furthermore, there's the matter of that machine of yours. Why is a civilian in possession of something like that?"

"Who says I'm a civilian?" Duo asked. "I work for a group called the Preventers. A security division of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. And it's our job to deal with problems before they start."

"There's no such country," Emma argued. "And what problems could possibly require a machine like that?"

"Well there's those dragons for one." The room suddenly became dead silent as the two women stared at him. "What?" he asked.

"How do you know about the DRAGONs?" Emma demanded.

"Doesn't everyone?" he said. "I mean, I thought they were a myth but apparently they're not." The inspector looked at Duo as if he had gone crazy.

"This Earth Sphere Unified Nation," Jill interrupted. "What sort of place is it?"

"Well," Duo said. "We're very far away from here and we like to keep to ourselves."

"I suppose that would explain why I've never heard of it," Jill nodded.

"Commander this is ridiculous!" Emma protested. "Even if what he's saying is true, and I highly doubt that, why would any civilized person go out and do something so incredibly reckless?" Duo leaned forward and shot her a dirty look.

"Yeah well unlike you I've got more self-respect than to throw innocent girls into the meat grinder."

"Excuse me?" Emma asked as Jill raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me," Duo said. "In the ESUN, humans and Norma live side by side and we get along just fine." Emma's mouth dropped open in dumbfounded shock.

"You...why...how could you...?"

"So let me see if I understand what you're saying," Jill interrupted. "You come from a political body independent of the six nations. One that not only rejects official world policy regarding Norma but also where they and humans peacefully coexist. Is that correct?"

"You got it."

"Oh enough of this!" Emma cried. "Commander, I insist he be thrown in the stockade. I'm going to call the Committee and have them send a transport to bring him AND that machine to the mainland. They'll get the truth out of him one way or another." Duo leaned back and shrugged.

"You could do that," Duo supposed. "And with Deathscythe out of fuel I doubt I could do anything to stop you. But that might cost you more than it's worth."

"What are you talking about?" Emma demanded.

"That Gundam isn't the only one of its kind. There are others, each one just as powerful. And my superior isn't going to sit back and let an asset like that fall into enemy hands." Creasing her brow, Jill swiveled in her chair towards the Inspector.

"He makes a valid point," she noted. "If word of this should get out I can only imagine the public outcry that would result. If we aren't careful, we could very well trigger a major diplomatic incident. Possibly even a war."

"A war?" Emma cried. "Between humans!?" Emma's gaze shifted to Duo with a disdainful look. "You may have a point. If these ESUN people are degenerate enough to coexist with Norma there's no telling what other sort of deviant behavior they're capable of." I'll consider that a compliment, Duo thought. "Very well. I'll write up a report for the Committee recommending he be kept here for now. I don't intend to let you out of my sight for one moment."

"Sheesh if you wanted a date so badly all you had to do is ask," Duo joked, making Emma flush in embarrassment as she walked off without another word.

"Well," Jill said as the door closed behind the Inspector, "that was certainly entertaining."

"Yeah I like to think I'm the funny one in my group," Duo shrugged.

"Though there is one thing that bothers me," Jill said. "You know about the DRAGONs and Norma yet you don't seem to know anything about Arzenal. That's rather odd to me."

"I might have been absent that day when we covered it."

"And that bit about DRAGONs being legends," she continued, "there are no legends about them. At least not in any of the ones that I've heard of." Snubbing out her cigarette, Jill leaned towards him. "I don't think you're lying but I don't think you're telling me the entire truth either. Especially since if you wanted to you could have already called in your comrades to come pick you up. You saved my pilots, including Salia, and I am grateful for that. But right now, I have a feeling you aren't nearly as untouchable as you claim to be. So if you want to make sure you don't wind up someplace even worse than Arzenal, I strongly suggest you tell me everything." Duo looked into her steely violet eyes and knew Jill wasn't bluffing. She wouldn't hesitate to throw him to the wolves if she felt it was in her best interests to do so.

"It's kind of a long story," he admitted. Jill smirked and knitted her hands together.

"Well, lucky for you time is the one thing we have plenty of here." And so Duo told her everything, or at least as much as he understood. How the Seraphim had picked up an unknown signal during its test run, and the resulting backlash when he tried to trace the source. "When I woke up I was here. After a few misadventures in a place called Misurugi I wound up on your doorstep." After he finished, Jill leaned back in her chair.

"So you're from the other side of the singular," she said. "Just like the DRAGONs."

"I guess so," Duo mused. "But we don't have them in my world. Or maybe a long time ago they tried to invade and that's where the legends of them came from."

"In any case," she said. "Don't tell anyone here about where you come from. Especially the Inspector. For now, make yourself at home. There's an old dock underneath the western cliffs that was used by the original construction team. It should be large enough for you to park that machine of yours and keep it out of the elements. I'll send someone by to help you get settled in."

"Thanks a lot," Duo said as he stood up. He turned to leave when Jill suddenly called out to him.'

"So is it really true that in your world humans and Norma exist side by side?" Duo looked to her and scratched his chin.

"Well, the truth is we don't have the Light of Mana in my world so technically everyone there is a Norma."

Taking a fresh cigarette form her case, Jill gazed at the ceiling as she thought over what Duo had told her. A boy from the other side of the singular. One from a world where the Light of Mana didn't exist. Embryo, she realized. He has a hand in this somehow. It's a shame we don't have a way to contact his allies ourselves. Just one Gundam was worth more than an entire Para-mail squad. The only thing that matched that kind of power was a Ragna-mail. Duo may not have been what she was expecting, but perhaps she could make use of him anyway.

As he shut the door, Duo gave a sigh of relief. At least he didn't have to worry about winding up in a prison cell. For now, he'd move Deathscythe into port and then try to get a better idea of the layout of this place. From the corner of his eye, Duo caught a sudden movement and he looked up to see three girls staring at him from a partially open door.

"Oh, hi," he said with a wave. Now that they had been seen, the three of them awkwardly stepped out into the hall. All three were dressed in uniforms of blue tunics with pleated skirts and white boots.

"Are you the pilot of that huge machine?" the green hair asked.

"Yeah that's right. The name's Duo."

"So hot," the red hair gasped.

"Uh...thanks," he said.

"Excuse them," the long-haired blonde spoke. "It's just...you're the first man we've ever seen."

"Yeah I pretty much figured."

"I'm Pamela," the blonde said. "And this is Olivier and Hikaru."

"Nice to meet you," Duo greeted, the three girls giving him wary looks. "What?"

"It's just," Olivier mumbled, "aren't you scared to be here?"

"Why would I?" he asked.

"Because everyone here is a Norma," Hikaru pointed out. "Why aren't you freaking out?"

"Oh that," Duo said. "Look, this whole Norma business is completely stupid. To me, Norma are just girls who can't use Mana. That's all. Look, I'd love to stay and chat but I have to go and move my partner off the beach. But we'll talk later okay."

"Oh um, sure," Pamela said. As Duo walked off, he could hear the girls whispering in excited glee.

"Oh my god an actual man!"

"And he likes Norma too!" Well something tells me I definitely won't be lonely here, he realized. At least the lower levels were mostly empty so Duo was able to get back to Deathscythe without being held up. Since his Gundam was nearly dry, Duo opted to walk it over instead of flying. The dock Jill mentioned turned out to be a cave along the tidal line that had been converted into a landing bay. And it was just large enough for Deathsythe to fit inside with the Active Cloak either wrapped around it or folded along its back. Inside were two more Norma. One was about the same age as the girl in the pink plug suit. Dressed in an orange coveralls, her black hair was done up in twin short tails and she was gazing up at his Gundam with stars in her eyes. The second was an older woman wearing a purple dress and half jacket that reminded him of a gypsy. Her dirty blonde hair was held up under a head scarf and by her side was a large yellow dog with a pilot's cap and goggles on its head.

"So you're the one who fought off an entire Category 4 incursion by himself huh?" the older woman asked as he rode down the drop line. "Have to admit that's one hell of a machine."

"You should see when I'm fueled up." Slowly, the dog came forward and Duo extended his hand to let it have a sniff. Once it seemed comfortable Duo scratched around its ears and it began to happily wag its tail.

"The name's Jasmine," the older woman said. "This is Mei. And the mangy fleabag is Vulcan. Jill told us your story and sent us to help you get situated."

"Good to know," Duo nodded.

"So big," Mei gasped as she stared up at Deathscythe.

"Yeah okay," Duo said. "So what I really need is ammo for the Vulcans and fuel. From what I saw you people run this place on nuclear fusion right?"

"You got it," Jasmine confirmed. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid we can't give you much. The Inspector wants to make sure you can't get fly off until she knows what to do with you. But Jill has a plan to at least keep you from being dragged off in chains."

"I'm listening," he said.

"I'll cut to the chase. You're not a Norma so we can't force you to follow orders. But, if you were to offer to help with further incursions, it's a good bet the humans will let you stay here so long as you don't try anything. They're more concerned with keeping the DRAGONs from overwhelming their own world than some boy who dropped in out of nowhere."

"So in other words," Duo mused, "I have to risk my life for people who won't appreciate it, don't deserve it, and who could care less if I live or die."

"You got it," Jasmine laughed.

"Well it's nothing I haven't done before," Duo sighed. "Alright. You can tell Jill I'm in."

"Great," Mei beamed. "There's a cargo elevator I can use to bring down some fuel tanks and ammo. It looks like those vulcans of your use the same caliber ammo as the Para-mail miniguns. I'd also like to see if I can equip one of your machine's arms with a freeze bullet launcher. I might even be able to fit on a magazine for multiple rounds."

"Sounds good," Duo agreed. "In the meantime, I need to figure out where I'm going to sleep."

"Already taken care of," Jasmine replied. "Oh and killing two Brigs earned you one hell of a payday. Let's go up and get you your reward."

Jasmine wasn't kidding. According to a chart on the bank wall, each category of DRAGON was worth a particular bounty. And killing two Brigs had earned Duo a whopping ten million. Even after deductions for supplies and maintenance, he still had about seven million left. "So the Norma have to pay for what they need to do their job with?" he asked.

"That's how things work here hon," Jasmine said. "Everything has a price. Even lives."

"What if something happens and they can't work or fight?" Jasmine cast a sideways glance and Duo got the message. And here I thought this world couldn't go any lower. "Does that mean the girls I came in with won't get paid?"

"Not for the ones you got. But they got a Brigg of their own plus plenty of Schooners so don't worry about it. Coming back from a Category 4 with only one fatality is worth missing out on the lion's share of the money."

"What do they do with the money they don't spend for fuel and ammo?"

"I was hoping you'd ask that?" she smirked with a gleam in her eye. A few minutes later, Duo found himself across from the hanger in what looked like some massive warehouse. Metal shelves stacked floor to ceiling were packed to collapsing with everything from food to appliances while erected barricades lined off specialty sections for things like clothes or firearms. One section had even been walled off to form an arcade complete with game cabinets, pool and ping pong tables, and a row of vending machines along one wall. "Welcome to the Jasmine Mall. Here you can get anything from lingerie to heavy artillery."

"Wow," Duo said as he looked around. "Don't suppose you have men's clothes here as well?"

"Yes and no," Jasmine said. "We do have the materials to make them. Just tell me what you need and I can hire a few girls to custom sew them for you." Well that was at least one problem solved. As the other residents shopped around him, Duo took note of their uniforms. Maintenance and mechanics wore orange coveralls like Mei while others wore the blue tunics worn by the three girls he met earlier. Base personnel if he had to guess. A minority of them wore midriff bearing white tunics with maroon trimmed jackets along with skirts, shorts, and pants of various styles and colors. And most of them were gazing up at one particular wall where dozens of giant weapons hung suspended overhead, meaning they had to be pilots like Salia and her friends.

"What do you call those machines anyway?" he asked.

"Para-mail," Jasmine said. "We have three squads here and each one takes it in turn to deal with the incursions."

"How often do they occur?"

"Usually about every three to four days. We weren't expecting the next one until tomorrow. And definitely not a Category 4 so it was a good thing you showed up. Having to replace an entire squad is a real hassle."

"I'm surprised anyone would even want to be assigned to something like that."

"Well it's not like we have much of a choice," Jasmine pointed out. "Besides, being a mail-rider has the highest payout of any position on Arzenal. And being able to buy whatever you want is the only real freedom we Norma have." Duo bit his tongue before he said anything that made him look like an even bigger jerk. "What about your machine? What do you call that monster?"

"Well," Duo said, "It's a Gundam. A type of mobile suit. I call it Deathscythe Ahriman. He and I have been partners for a long time."

"Mobile suit huh?" she asked. "Are they all as powerful as yours."

"Hardly. Gundams are special because they're made of Gundanium alloy. Nothing short of a tactical nuke will even scratch it."

"Not bad," Jasmine nodded. "No wonder the DRAGONs don't bother your world if they have things like that waiting for them."

"Speaking of which" Duo asked, "why do they come here? What do they want?"

"Who knows," Jasmine shrugged. "Only that they come from some world on the other side of the singular and they want to kill everything on this side. Luckily for the humans we Norma are here to stand in their way." Duo looked around at the girls shopping through the mall, most of whom couldn't be older than him. Duo was no stranger to child soldiers. He had been one himself. But the thought that these girls were forced into this life just for how they were born triggered something in him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It's not right." Jasmine looked to him and smiled.

"That's sweet of you kid," she told him. "And who knows, having a big strong man around might be nice. It certainly looks as if you're already quite popular." Duo followed her gaze and saw that a small crowd had gathered behind one of the barricades. Girls whispered and gawked while more than a few had gleams in their eyes. "Alright shoo!" Jasmine said with a wave of her hand. "If you aren't going to buy then quit taking up space!"

"Hey Duo!" a familiar voice cried out. Duo and Jasmine looked up and heading towards them was Salia and the pink haired girl. Their younger comrade ran ahead of them and skidded to a halt in front of him and Jasmine. They had changed out of their plug suits into the white tunics of the pilot uniforms though like the other pilots their personal styles varied. Salia's ensemble seemed to be the most formal with a long sleeved jacket and exterior half skirt over a pleated blue skirt with thigh high stockings. Her two friends in contrast had sleeveless jackets while the taller girl sported an orange wrap around skirt and their younger teammate a pair of pink shorts.

"Oh hey," he said. "What's up?"

"We're glad to see you're alright," the pinkette smiled. "We were worried you might wind up in trouble for coming here."

"Did Commander Jill say what was going to happen?" Salia asked.

"Well for the time being I'll be crashing here," Duo answered. "She said that if I help out with those DRAGON things then I should at least be left alone."

"Awesome!" the younger girl squeed. "I can't wait to see how much butt you can kick."

"Well then why don't we get better acquainted," the tall girl interrupted. "I'm Ersha. And this is Vivian. You already know Salia and you met Captain Zola on the beach. The girl who tried to fight you was named Hilda. And the other two were Rosalie and Chris. Chris is the quiet one."

"It's nice to meet you," Duo said as he extended a hand. Ersha gave him a confused look before she cautiously extended her own hand to accept it.

"My goodness," she said with a blush. "Your hand feels a lot different from a Norma's."

"Are the rest of your squad here?" he asked.

"No," Salia said as an annoyed look came over her face. "Captain Zola took them back to her quarters for...stress relief."

"Stress relief?" Duo asked. Ersha gave a nervous laugh which only confused him even further until it finally dawned on him. "Wait...so..."

"It's the standard here kid," Jasmine said. "Not like we have much options." Duo wasn't quite sure what to think about that. Not that there was anything wrong if that was what a person was genuinely into, but the fact was these girls weren't even being given a choice. On the other hand, the mental image Duo had of Zola and those other three going at it was...stimulating to say the least.

"Ahem!" someone coughed. Duo looked up and flinched a bit from the cold stare Salia was giving him. "Jasmine, we'd like to order a gravestone for Naomi. If possible, we'd like to have it ready by tomorrow afternoon."

"Consider it done," the older woman sighed. "Naomi was a good girl. Sweet, brave, she'll be missed."

"Hey," Duo suddenly spoke up. "If it's alright could I maybe swing by and pay my respects as well." The two older girls stared at him in shock before Ersha smiled warmly.

"Of course," she told him. "I think that would be wonderful."

"For now though," Salia interrupted, "we need to pick up a few things so if you'll excuse us."

"I hear you," Duo nodded. "I've got to get a few necessities myself but we'll talk later."

"See you around Duo!" Vivian chirped as they walked off.

"And welcome to Arzenal," Ersha added. Before they vanished around a bend, Salia cast a glance at him over her shoulder and her eyes seemed to have softened a bit.

"Is she always so serious?" he asked.

"You'd be surprised," Jasmine smirked. "Well come on. Let's get you a key for your room."

Exhausted and barely able to catch her breath, Hilda lay panting on Zola's bed. Her long red hair was undone and drenched in sweat while to her left and right, Chris and Rosalie lay passed out and spent. Zola had been even more aggressive in bed than usual and barely seemed sated at all. She loomed over Hilda, one hand on Hilda's breast as her eyes gleamed with hunger.

"Done already?" her Captain purred.

"Please," Hilda gasped. "I need a break." Zola gave an annoyed sigh and rolled away from her and off the bed.

"Fine." Grabbing her thin silk robe from the nearby couch, Zola threw it over her naked form and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Hilda asked.

"I'm still hungry," the older girl said. "You want to come with." Hilda frowned and shook her head. "Good. More for me." As Zola stepped out into the hall and shut the door, Hilda leaned back on the bed. She could already tell where the Captain was going. I can't believe a man of all things is actually here, she grimaced. The first few whispers had already started to spread but Hilda did not share their enthusiasm. Unlike most of the Norma, she had first hand experience with men and that was enough to last her ten lifetimes. Sitting up, Hilda wrapped her arms around herself. Even after all the years spent in Arzenal, she could still feel the policeman's arm around her waist as he dragged her to the patrol car before roughly throwing her inside, and the image of Mama running after them as they took Hilda away. That machine of his, she thought. That...Gundam. It flew all the way here from the mainland. That means it could fly back as well. But from what that Duo guy had said it had some kind of defense system that would blow the island sky high if anyone other than him tampered with it. I'll keep an eye on him, she decided. Learn as much as I can. And if I have to...well, it's nothing I haven't done before.

As it turned out, Jasmine got him a key for a dorm room on the lower levels so he could be close to Deathscythe. It was also sparsely populated on this level next to an unassigned shower and toilet room with its own onsen so at least he'd have some privacy. While at the mall; he also got a new sidearm, some bed linen, toiletries, a bottle of detergent, and a few books that might be useful. After busying himself with handwashing his clothes and hanging them up to dry, Duo plopped onto the bed clad only in a towel and began flipping through the book on DRAGONs. Apparently, in this world the term was an acronym for Dimensional Rift Attuned Gargantuan Organic Neotype and they were ranked on a scale of size. Schooners were the small pink ones, while medium sized Frigates and Corvettes ranged around 15 meters. The ones he fought were Brigs and they could be around 20 meters while the larger Galleons could grow up to 30. They were then further categorized based on their special attacks which the book went into great detail on. The book on world history however was less than helpful. Most of it was just shilling the Light of Mana and how much better their world was since it was discovered. It hardly explained anything about where it came from, how it worked, why Norma couldn't use it or even how the world used to be before. Textbook propaganda that Duo had seen more times than he cared to think about. With a grunt of disgust, Duo threw the book onto a nearby nightstand and laid back.

'I wonder if the others are trying to figure out what happened to me.' If he knew Howard, he'd try to recreate the accident that brought Duo here and hopefully that would mean Heero and the others could find their way to this world as well. As powerful as Deathscythe Ahriman was it wasn't built to be a one machine army and there was only so much Duo could do by himself. 'Well' he decided as he closed his eyes, 'I'll think more about it in the morning.' This had been an unbelievably long day and what he wanted more than anything was a good night's sleep to get his head in order.

Or that was the plan until someone knocked at the door.

"Yes?" he asked. No answer so he closed his eyes again only to be woken up by another knock. Now getting annoyed, Duo moved to the door, unlocking it as he cracked it open and was greeted to the sight a pair of ample, unbound breasts holstered in a red silk robe.

"Hey there." Duo looked up and found himself face to face with Zola. "I heard you were going to be staying here a while. I thought I'd just check and see how you were settling in."

"Oh...thanks," Duo stammered. "I'm fine so..." before Duo could close the door, her hand slipped into the gap.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" she cooed. "It's so cold out here in the hall." Duo's gaze shifted once more to the tattoo on her left breast and gulped. This couldn't really be happening could it? "Please," she begged. "You'll make me sad." His eye twitching, Duo opened the door and pulled her inside before she caused a scene.

"Look, what do you.." he tried to ask, only to be cut off when Zola suddenly pressed herself against him. Her perfume made him dizzy and her globular breasts were like two heated domes pressing against his chest.

"No but maybe I can help you," she purred. "I still owe you for saving me remember?" Duo was no stranger to sex. He was a teenage boy after all and he and Hilde had been intimate before their breakup. But between the circumstances he was currently in, not to mention Zola's aggression which was more than a little intimidating, it sort of put a damper on things. Steeling his resolve, Duo took a deep breath and shoved her back.

"Wait a minute!" he cried. "Just...stop okay!" Zola blinked in confusion.

"Why? I thought you liked Norma."

"That's not the issue! Look, you don't owe me a thing. And I get it. I'm the only and probably first man to ever set foot on this island. Besides, I don't have any protection so if something happens..."

"Protection?" Zola asked.

"You know, birth control."

"Is that what you're worried about?" she asked. Turning away, Zola undid her robe and dropped it down to her waist. All across her back and limbs, her skin was pocked with dozens of small pale scars. She turned around and across her stomach was one larger than the others that ran diagonal to her navel. "See that. A souvenir from when I was still a rookie. A piece of shrapnel lodged itself right in my womb. I couldn't get pregnant even if I wanted to." Duo stared at the scar and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I'm sorry," he finally said as Zola shrugged.

"Well, not like it matters. We all die eventually. Best to just live it up while we can." Was that why she was here? Were hedonism and pleasure the only things keeping her going? When Duo was a boy, cold and starving in the L2 colonies, death was the standard. He and the rest of the orphans he ran with did whatever they had to in order to survive. In a lot of ways, the girls here were better off than he was but in some ways they had it worse. If he hadn't been taken in by Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, would he have had to resort to the same measures just to stay alive? The more he stared at Zola, the less she looked like a brazen seductress and more like a hopelessly broken young woman desperately trying to find a reason to live.

"It's just sex right?" he asked. "No attachment or commitment?"

"What else is there?" she asked. "Though, here on Arzenal, you scratch our back and we'll scratch yours." 'Ah what the hell,' he thought. 'I did say I'd have a fling while I was trapped here.' And he had a feeling he'd need as many allies as he could get. As long as they were both honest about their intentions it should be alright. Moving past Zola, he sat back on the bed and gestured for her to join him. Zola smiled hungrily as she dropped her robe and perched next to him.

"I can't say how long I'll be here," he told her. Zola leaned in and pushed him down onto the mattress as she kissed him.

"No one ever does."

Preview

As Duo continues to adjust to his new surroundings, back in his world, his allies attempt to uncover the reason for his disappearance. Suddenly, a hole opens in the sky through which a horror never before seen emerges. As the monster descends onto a world that finally thought itself at peace, it comes face to face with another young man who like Duo, has found himself devoid of purpose in a world without battle. Next time on Cross Ange: Rondo and Waltz: The Two Dragons.

Gundam! Hold back the terror!