Junior gasped as the visor slid off of his face. He ignored all the people that had crowded about him and he unhooked himself and ran to the blackwing gundam and climbed up and opened the cockpit. He frantically ripped the wires away from Hera’s body and he unplugged her delicately.
“Duo…” She whispered weakly as she looped her hands around his shoulders when he hoisted her up.
“Yeah Hera, I’m here.” He said as he looked down at her. She frowned at his face.
“Duo what happened to your eyes?” She asked quietly.
“What happened to yours?” He asked as he looked into the green and Blue eyes.
“So it wasn’t a dream was it?” She whispered as she buried her face in his chest. He jumped down from the gundam and walked to the group. They all stood silently staring at Junior.
“What happened to your eyes, Junior?” Ai asked as she stepped forwards and brushed the bangs from his face. “One’s red.” She said.
“I think it’s….forget it…it’s hard to explain and I’m too tired to think right now.” He muttered as he walked out of the hangar towards the bedrooms. He put her in the bed and tucked her safely in and then curled up besides her.
“Junior…?” Hera asked weakly.
“Yeah Hera?” He yawned as he looked up at her. Her eyes where closed and a smile was spreading across her face.
“Turn out the lights.” She said as she opened her green eye and looked at him.
“tables have turned.” He muttered as he got up and switched the light off and then crawled back in bed and held her close.
They slept for 48 hours straight.
“We’ve got to get them up to prep for the mission.” Ai said as she walked down the hall.
“No! Don’t, we can prep them later!” Quatren yelled but it was too late, Ai had already walked in the room. She stared at the room, it was in complete disarray. “HOLY SHIT…” She yelled as she stepped out and slammed the door.
The door opened again and it was Quatren this time. “Sorry!” She yelled then slammed the door just in time to dodge the projectile aimed at her head.
Hera laughed as she kissed Junior’s neck. “We’ve gotta get up.” She mumbled.
Junior flipped her over on her back in one quick move. He kissed her collar bone and slowly went downwards. “I don’t want this to end.” He groaned into her chest.
“It doesn’t…it just has to be postponed…that’s all.” She smiled as she squirmed to get out from underneath him. She sat up and he fell off of her almost falling off the bed but she caught him just in time. “Get up lazy.” She mumbled as she let go, letting him fall completely out of the bed. She stood up and stretched. The sun cast a golden reflection across her satiny naked body. The black holes lined her spine, standing out against the whiteness of her skin.
Junior sighed as he looked at Hera. He put his chin on the bed and put his hands on the mattress. “I wish that I was a painter…” He said as he watched Hera dress. She twisted her graceful form and looked at him.
“Why?” She asked
He shrugged as he stood up. “Because I would really have a reason to paint right now…” He whispered as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her waste. “You better not leave me or else…” He muttered as he kissed her earlobe.
“And what will you do?” She turned her head and looked at him in the corner of her eye.
“I’ll build a big cage and put you in it.” He smiled.
“No, I really don’t think you’ll have to worry about that because we’ll both be dead if we don’t get out there and get prepped because you know what its like to keep Ai waiting.” She laughed as she stepped out of his arms and opened the door. She smiled at him and then shut the door.
She walked down the hall and into the kitchen. All of the pilots were there. They were all hunched over the table and pointing and arguing over maps. She stepped between Duo and Heero and pulled the maps off the table and set them on the abandoned seat. They all looked at her as she produced a black disk out of her pocket and put it on the table. She pressed the button and they watched her as she turned and opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk. She then became aware of the intent staring and silence of the room.
Her eyes widened as she looked around the group of eight pilots. “What?” She asked innocently.
Their gaze broke and they all looked at Junior who strolled in and took the glass from Hera and took a drink, he set the glass back in her hand and looked around at the others staring. “What are you lookin’ at?” He asked as he walked over to the table and looked at the hologram of the world that was being displayed.
“Okay, now.” Hera walked to the table and pointed to the globe to get everyone’s attention. “We will have to strike in space. Since I think their might have been an informant to the Alliance troops we’re gonna need a lot of help because they might have moved.” Hera touched the disc and a graph of the all of the clusters appeared.
“Is there anyway that you could hack it and find out Trevor?” Junior asked.
“Get me the disks and I’ll decode it…other than that, there’s no other way.” Trevor shrugged.
“I’ll get you the disks.” Heero said as he looked at Duo.
“YEAH!” Duo jumped up and waved his fists. “Gimme something to do! You guys get all the cool gizmos…” he said happily.
“No. I think that this is too risky for you two. I’ll get them…the technology makes the man today.” Ai shook her head.
Duo scowled. “Goddammit! No fun!” he muttered.
“Sorry Duo, she’s got a point, what if something happened to you guys…besides, we need you for the main event.” Hera smiled.
“Better be good.” Duo grumbled as he sat down on a chair.
“Trust me Duo, it’ll be the time of your life.” Hera smiled as she turned to look at Ai. “Are you up to this?” She asked quietly
“Hera, I feel that it’s my duty.” Ai smiled.
“I can tell her what to look for.” Heero said as he looked at Ai. “I’m pretty familiar with this base.” Heero shrugged.
“Alright then.” Hera said as she took the disk and stuffed it in her pocket. “Until then, stay outta trouble and I want to have a little R and R.” Hera smiled at the group.
Quatre snapped his fingers. “Hot springs!” He said.
“Huh?” Hera looked at Quatre.
“Lets go to the hot springs.” He said as he got up.
“Sounds fun!” Quatren said as she stood.
The rest of the group groaned in detest.
“This completely inappropriate!” Ai huffed as she was dragged along by Quatren and Hera. They opened the door and Hera stared in disgust at the big white screen the divided the pool. Ai looked over Hera’s shoulder and smiled. “Well this isn’t that bad.” She shrugged as she walked passed the two girls and delicately got into the hotsprings. Hera and Quatren looked at the screen and then at each other.
“We’ve gotta do something about this.” Hera grumbled as she stepped into the pool, clutching her towel. Quatren followed and they waded up to the screen. They put their ears to it and listen to the boys laughing and talking. Hera looked up at the top of the screen and smiled wryly at Quatren. She nodded in mutual consent and they both reached up in the middle of the screen.
“What’re you guys doing! That was put there for a reason!” Ai yelled as the two girls pulled as hard as they could and the white screen, which was just a sheet tied tightly on a line, came down about them. But, as it came down, it landed on top of the two girls and they started to struggle and growl. Then there was a loud rip as Hera smiled with satisfaction as the sheet came down into the water, leaving Quatren and Hera out of the hole.
There was a loud laugh and Hera looked down to realise that she stood naked. She glared at the laughing boys. “What? Haven’t seen a girl before?” She said. Quatren dunked under the water, her face turning bright red, but Hera remained out of the water in all her naked glory. She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled. “I guess I didn’t miss much.” She dove under and retrieved Quatren’s and Hera’s towel and handing it to the blond she then wrapped hers around her body and swam over to Junior. She sat quietly as the others got used to their female company.
“So…” Duo said to break the silence. He swam over to Hera and sat besides her. “Can I asked you some questions about where you guys come from?” He asked as he looked at Hera.
“Sure.” Hera nodded.
“Did Relena survive?” He asked seriously.
Hera turned bright red. “She…she…” She stuttered.
“Did she survive the attack?” Duo persisted.
“Er…Yes.” Hera said
“Damn…” Duo muttered.
“Tell the whole truth Hera.” Junior looked at the girl and raised his eyebrows.
Hera scowled and looked at the other Braided boy. “She was assassinated.” She muttered as she looked at Quatren.
Duo frowned and Quatre, Heero, Trowa and Wufei swam to her to listen “By whom?” Heero asked darkly.
“Err…”Hera went into a coughing fit, which didn’t fool any of the pilots. Quatren got out of the pool and stood at the door to the change room.
“Hera…” Junior said as he glared at her.
“By me.” Quatren said quickly as she walked quickly to the change rooms.
“She? When?” Duo stuttered.
“Well, she had an alias…me.” Ai shrugged as she stood up and got out of the pool and followed after Quatren.
“WHAT?? HOW?” Duo yelled.
“Quatren’s specialties are political assassinations…silent deaths…she specializes in taming snakes especially poisonous ones…When Relena was sleeping, she slipped a cotton-mouth under the sheets and when they found Relena, she had hemmoraged to death.” Trevor said quietly from the corner of the pool.
“That’s sick…really…I know what that snake does and that death isn’t right for anyone.” Quatre said in disgust. “Why would she do something like that?” He asked Hera.
She sighed and shook her head. “Because she was going to let in the hybrids and everyone knew the were no good except for the Queen. Quatren and Ai acted on their own. Ai got the snake, Quatren tamed it and set it in the room and Ai got the snake out in time.” Hera muttered as she stood to leave.
“But why that painful of a death?” Trowa asked.
“Because I told her to. She tried to have me killed because Heero wouldn’t pay attention to her, but directed it all to me. She was jealous. Under that Sugar coated perfection lies a black witch who will not stop at anything to get what she wants.” Hera said as she climbed out of the pool and walked into the changing room
“Hasn’t she ever been bitten herself if she tames them? Must be awfully risky.” Quatre said as he slid closer to Trowa.
“She has an immunity to all poisons.” Trevor said. “Or she would’ve been dead a long time ago.”
The three girls walked back in and sat together. Quatren was between Ai and Hera. “I’m really sorry Heero…” Quatren muttered quietly.
“Why would you be ashamed? If anyone should, it should be me for putting you up to it.” Hera said as she put an arm around the blond girl.
“I don’t mind.” Heero said quietly as he swam to the girl. “If you would have killed her for no good reason, then I would have been angry…but, she had to go if she was trying to kill Hera and let those Hybrids in.” Heero shook his head as he stopped in front of her and put a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up at him and smiled. “I wish you were this reasonable in the future.”
“Yeah so do I…” Hera grumbled.