Whisper a Dream

[Author's Note: Related to my Note on chapter two, I'm not sure how well I did with the chars, so I hope fans of Duo and Trowa will forgive me! o_o;;; | This is in keeping with the Note from Chap One, the guys would know each other's names from ep 7 -- I'll just use my own brand of *Convenient* details. ;P | Oh, and Shinigami = God of Death = the Great Destroyer (stupid dub!!)]

"Quatre...Come in, Quatre."
That was Duo's voice! The blond-haired pilot looked to an image displayed on the upper corner of Sandrock's lefthand screen. Indeed, there was the familiar violet-eyed face, grinning at him.
"Quatre here."
"Hey! How's it going? Wondering if you happened to get a mission to a base in Kazan, Russia. I ran into Trowa on my way over here and thought I'd check in with you since you're relatively close."
"I'm headed there now."
"Great! We'll meet you in Samara, okay?"
"It's just the three of us?"
"Yeah, as far as I can tell."
Quatre refrained from mentioning that he could predict there would be a fourth gundam on the scene when they arrived. "See you outside Samara, then."
"Okay! Duo out."
He knew Alexa would be there. But he couldn't refuse a mission, no matter what. For the colonies.

~ Later... ~

"Huh?! Oh great!" Duo stared at the battle before him in dismay. They weren't even near Samara yet...
Heavyarms stepped up beside him. "Where's the--" Trowa began.
"He actually came alone! Ha!"
Trowa brought up the left gatling gun, then hesitated. "You're up. I might hit him."
"Just like him to start a fight without us!" Duo crowed, then fired up the beam scythe and charged down on the two-dozen-odd Leos surrounding a beleagered Sandrock. "Hey, Quatre! Wait for us next time before stirring up trouble!"
"Duo!"
Deathscythe sliced a path through the OZ mobile suits, freeing up one side so Quatre could breathe. "What's the big idea, anyway?" Duo teased, but then got serious. "You all right?"
"I've been better..." Sandrock took out two Leos at once, then backed up. "I didn't see this defense line until it was too late."
"Hmm. We can take it from here!" A swipe of the beam scythe made the enemy retreat backward, right into safe range of Heavyarms' missiles.
"I'm not that beat!" Quatre shot back, proving such by slicing through two more Leos and riddling a third with bullets from the vulcan guns.
"Hey, I believe you!" Duo diced up the last of the OZ line then turned back to Quatre. "Well, that was -- huh?" He stared in alarm at the sparks dancing along Sandrock's right arm. He modified what he had been about to say, "Well, that can't be good!"
"No kidding!" Quatre snarled as he attempted to move the controls for the damaged arm. The sparks stopped, but it wouldn't respond. He slumped back, sighing in frustration.
Heavyarms joined them in the middle of the destroyed Leos. "You should turn back...no good trying to fight with a damaged suit."
Quatre scowled, then thought of something. "No, wait...We still have time to carry out this mission, right?"
"Actually," Duo piped up, "We just might want to find a place to lie low, since, ah, we kinda made our presence known..." Deathscythe waved a hand at the bits and pieces of Leos surrounding them.
"Exactly," Quatre replied. "And I know where we can go." Thank you again, Alexa.

Duo wandered around the abandoned hangar, poking at random equipment and generally ignoring the fact that Quatre and Trowa might need his help. "Nice place you got here, Quatre! But does any of this stuff work?" He was now staring into a bin full of discarded hand weapons. He fished out a machine gun and tested the safety.
"Duo!! Don't touch anything!" Quatre yelled from his perch on Sandrock's damaged arm. He growled aloud in exasperation and attempted to return his attention to reattaching a cable that had been knocked loose within the suit's forearm.
"Nevermind him," Trowa called from inside the gundam. "He probably wouldn't be of much help anyway."
"True," Quatre chuckled. He lowered the casing over the repaired cable. "Try it now." He felt the arm shift beneath him then slowly lower to the ground. He jumped down and watched critically as the arm swung up then out, then reach back for a heat shorter...then emitted a shower of sparks at the elbow.
Trowa immediately paused. He lowered the arm inch by inch just enough so it could be worked on again. Then he climbed out of the cockpit. "Let me see what I can do. You go find Duo before he gets into trouble."
"All right...Thanks." Quatre started toward where he had last seen Duo, sighing. Now he had a moment or two to think about Alexa. There was no sign of anyone having been at the hangar in days. So he was still left wondering...where was she...and was she still...
The thought he didn't want to continue was interrupted by a metallic clatter, coming from the direction of where he remembered a small pantry resided. Duo, he realized, and took off at a run to see what chaos the braided pilot had created.
Duo was fumbling to close a cabinet full of pots and pans when he arrived. "Uh, sorry," Duo offered sheepishly. "Just hunting for food." He grinned, an expression equally sheepish.
"And I doubt you will find any," Quatre scolded, but he helped search the rest of the wooden cabinets anyway. He found dishes, dust, a mouse, and the mugs his party had used when they were last here. He picked up one, running a finger along the rim. The dust told that no one had used it since then. He sighed and started to place it back on the shelf when he noticed a piece of paper stuck into a cup in the back of the cabinet. He reached for it, having to stand on tiptoe before his fingers closed on it.
"Find somethin'?" Duo inquired, stealing over to look over the blond boy's shoulder as Quatre unfolded the paper. On it was one word, 'Other' and three sets of four numbers, seemingly random. Duo raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Can't eat it, not interested!" He laughed.
"Other? Other what?" Quatre mumbled aloud.
"Use other cups first," Duo quipped. He was about to laugh at his own lame joke again, but Quatre shot a look at him that silenced the notion.
"Other...other..." The blond pilot paced toward the door, studying the numbers thoughtfully. They weren't that random, actually. They looked like...coordinates! Coordinates to what, though? Other...Alexa has another... "Her other base!" he finally exclaimed out loud.
"Huh? Her?" Duo questioned, but Quatre had already left the room, heading back to the main hangar and silently hoping Abdul had left the comm monitor in working order...
Duo frowned after him. "Don't anyone tell me anything, that's okay!" he grumped. With a sigh he reached for another cabinet door and met the mouse Quatre had seen earlier. They had a staring contest that lasted several moments; then the rodent squeaked at him and grabbed the last crumb. Duo waved it off. "Yeah, yeah, well, your cousins on the colonies aren't as tough!" The mouse squeaked again, as if laughing at his bravado, then disappeared through a crack in the wall. The braided pilot sighed again and decided to retreat back to the main hangar, grumbling all the way.

Quatre typed in the numbers again and again, in six different combinations, and none of them registered on the computer. He studied the rejection messages on the screen, leaning his head on his hand, and then flicked his gaze over the piece of paper. She hadn't encoded it, had she?? He laid his palm flat against his forehead, uttering a whimper in frustration. That would be a lot of combinations to try...But he had to find out if she was still fighting. He sighed. Might as well get to work. He typed as fast as his fingers would allow, silently thanking Trowa for his unquestioning patience.
Aforementioned other pilot was currently hanging upside-down on Sandrock's damaged arm, tweaking wires and other control mechanisms for the robotic hand. He threw his concentration completely into the work so he could stop wondering what had made Quatre so alert -- the blond pilot did not explain what he was looking for with the comm monitor, but only asked to be forgiven for not helping with the repairs. Trowa had told him not to worry; he had seen the urgency in his friend's eyes and realized he should leave Quatre to whatever was currently worrying him.
After adjusting one last panel, Trowa slid out of the arm casing and was swinging out to flip up onto the forearm when an overly cheerful voice called out, "You fix it yet?"
He lost his concentration for a brief second, but executed the flip anyway, landing in an unsteady crouch beside Duo, who grinned sheepishly. Trowa gave his version of an intolerant glare then brushed past him to leap down to the gundam's cockpit.
"It was only a question!" Duo cried, throwing his hands up in mock-defense. "Here we go again, nobody bothers to tell me -- whoa!" He was thrown off balance as the arm suddenly moved. He held on for dear life as it tilted too far up for him to remain safely standing. Then it jerked to a stop. Duo shook his head and took out the wrench he had stuffed in his pocket just before climbing up to bother Trowa. He slid down the forearm and disappeared around the side of the elbow. Trowa worried about what else might become broken in the minutes that ticked by while Duo remained out of sight. Two creaks, one yelp, five curses, and a clatter later, the braided pilot scrambled back up over Sandrock's forearm and gracefully leapt to the ground. "Try it now!"
Trowa was reluctant, however he brought the arm up all the way, then reached back for a heat shorter. No problems so far, to his surprise. Now he did not hesitate to lash out with the weapon, testing the arm's speed. No problem again. After re-sheathing the heat shorter, he let the arm rest against the gundam's side, satisfied with its performance. He stepped out of the cockpit, calling to Duo, "How did you..." He paused when he saw the braided boy's proud smirk. "...Nevermind..."
It was then that the comm monitor beeped and Quatre cried, "Finally!" in relief. The two quickly turned their attention to him.
Duo bounced over first. "So what were you up to all this time, Quatre?" He stared at the blinking Confirmed message on the screen.
"Contacting an ally," the blond boy replied with a broad smile.
"Nice to have connections," Duo snorted, though in a good-natured tone.
Trowa stood by, silently observing, but while Duo was oblivious, Heavyarms' pilot had seen that the worry was still present in Quatre's eyes.

Two hours later Quatre stood outside the hangar watching the sky darken as night approached. There had been no sign of Alexa in all that time. He subconsciously held his left shoulder.
"This ally of yours stationed more than an hour away, huh?" Duo came up behind him carrying two mugs of coffee. The braided pilot didn't expect an answer, having seen the distant look on his friend's face. He followed Quatre's gaze to the horizon. Seeing nothing after a few seconds, he pressed a cup into the blond boy's free hand. "Here. It's starting to get cold out."
"Hmm?" Quatre looked at the mug in surprise. Where had he been the last ten minutes? "Ah, thanks," he called as Duo walked away.
"No problem. Just come inside before you freeze, 'kay?"
Twenty minutes later Quatre was still standing on the runway, and still holding his shoulder, the forgotten mug still clenched in his hand. This time Trowa went out to see what was so riveting about the northern horizon. He, too, saw nothing after waiting several minutes, but stayed there, silent as he briefly glanced at Quatre. There was a hint of pain in the other boy's intense stare. Trowa shifted his attention to Quatre's shoulder; the knuckles of his hand were turning white. Trowa scowled slightly in concern, although the expression was hidden by his hair. "You weren't hurt in that battle and didn't tell us--?"
"No, don't worry..."
"Then what about your shoulder?"
"It's nothing..." Quatre turned and started toward the hangar, protesting vehemently, "I'm fine!" But then he cried out; the mug fell from his hand and shattered across the ground as he staggered to one knee.
Trowa moved to help him up, chiding him quietly, "I think not." He supported him all the way back to the hangar, mindful of his shoulder. Once inside Trowa sat him down in a chair then left to find a first aid kit, leaving Duo to try to convince him to remove his shirt so they could check his shoulder. "Duo, I'll be fine -- it's too cold, blast you!"
The braided pilot crossed his arms in a stern pose. "You can't just wander around wounded, y'know. I'll cut the sleeve off if I have to." A pocket knife appeared in his hand, and he grinned impishly over the blade.
"What!! Don't you dare come near me." Quatre scowled and again held the arm that was currently causing him more grief than pain. He hadn't been hurt at all, it just...felt odd...
Trowa returned with a roll of bandages and a small bottle of painkillers. Quatre waved both away. Duo sighed theatrically. "Hey, we're just lookin' out for ya -- can't have you falling apart before the next battle, right?"
"I already said...it's nothing to worry about, I'm fine." Quatre glared, then gritted out, "And I can take care of myself." He dodged past them and reeled toward Sandrock.
Duo leapt in front of him. "Hey, just where do you think you're going?"
"Duo, get out of my way! I have to go find her! I have to..." He fell silent, gripping his shoulder. He closed his eyes and frowned. But I have no idea where she is... Then he felt someone shake him. He opened his eyes to find Duo's violet gaze an inch from his face. He jerked backward.
"Just who is this 'her' you keep talking about? Huh?"
Quatre felt offended. He pushed past the braided pilot, replying curtly, "You'll see if she gets here." He stopped short; why had he said if? He clenched his fists to hide the fact that he was trembling. She had to be all right, elsewise who had confirmed his message on the comm monitor? Again he gave pause; what if the coordinates he had used were real, but had contacted someone other than Alexa? Oh, sh...
"Hey! Shinigami does not like to be ignored!" Duo's chattering broke into his frantic thoughts. Then Duo took a step back upon seeing the alarmed look in Quatre's eyes. "Quatre...you're starting to scare me...We're missing something important about this friend of yours..?" He shifted out of the way as Quatre walked unsteadily toward the hangar's entranceway, where Trowa had gone to watch the sky.
"Guys...something's coming..." the taller boy warned.
Now they all heard the thunderous approach of an airborn mobile suit coming in for a landing. Quatre suddenly seemed much stronger as he dashed out onto the runway toward the green and silver suit that even now was crouching to let its pilot out more easily.
Duo stared. "It's a gundam...Isn't it?"
Trowa merely inclined his head, watching the figure that staggered from the suit. Quatre placed the person's arm over his neck and wrapped his arm around their back to support whoever it was as he helped them walk toward the hangar. As the two got close enough, Trowa saw it was a girl in green combat pants and a navy tanktop. Her head hung down weakly. A crimson mark blossomed under a bandage across her left shoulder...
Quatre smiled sadly before introducing them. "Alexa, meet Trowa Barton and Duo Maxwell, two of the other gundam pilots. Guys, meet Alexa Reaves." Duo and Trowa traded glances; Trowa only slightly raised an eyebrow, but Duo's jaw dropped several inches. The girl, however, did not look up. Quatre became concerned, murmuring, "Let's get you inside..."
Alexa slumped into the chair Quatre had vacated a few moments earlier. After a drink of water and swallowing a couple of painkillers, she seemed more alert but no less distracted. She hugged her arms around her, for it was far too cold to not have her sweater. Duo awkwardly placed a blanket around her shoulders, which she quietly thanked him for. She sat and shivered for a few minutes while the boys she had just met stared Quatre down with questioning looks.
"I - I'll explain everything...But could I first have a moment alone with her? Please?"
Duo and Trowa nodded at each other and retreated to the far side of the room. Quatre smiled gratefully, then turned with a more grim expression to Alexa. He knelt at her side and tried to find her face under the hair that had fallen in the way. "Alexa, what happened to your shoulder?..I felt it, too..."
She lifted her head only slightly, her eyes holding tears yet an apologetic smile graced her visage. "Did I hurt you again, Quatre? I'm sorry..."
"Don't be." He reached for her hand, but hesitated. "Just tell me what happened."
"I sort of...broke something in a battle just after you contacted me...Dislocated the joint and it didn't quite go back together cleanly." She chuckled wryly. Even as he drew a breath in panic, she raised a hand to silence him. "I'm all right now, I just need rest."
Quatre was torn. He took another sharp breath, but then only grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight, holding it to his forehead. Alexa gently pulled away and he stood, making his way over to Duo and Trowa to explain how he knew this girl. He left out a few minor details...all the while seeing in their faces questions about the shoulder wound which would remain unanswered.

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(c) 2000-2004 Autumn Loweck. This work may not be copied, distributed, or reprinted without the author's permission. Characters of Alexa and mech LunaAria are property of Autumn Loweck (aka Shiri) and may not be "borrowed" or mentioned in other works without notifying the author first. Characters of Quatre R. Winner, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, and the OZ organization belong to the creators of the GundamWing series, Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, Bandai, and whoever else in Japan involved in this most cool anime.