Neo Gundam Wing - OVA -
Episode 7 - Illusions

Rena tied the dirty blond down to his bed before he got the chance to over power her and try to attack her. She looked over at Acht, who was busy screaming as Haruka started to pop his arm back into place since Quat had broken it as he got out of Acht's grasp. She then felt something wet hit her face and looked down at the tied boy as he laughed at her. She instantly figured out he had spat on her and wasn't going to put up with his annoying laughing anymore so she decided to punched him only to get bitten.

Rena: *looks at her knuckles then at Quat as he licked his lips and laughed at her again* What the hell are you laughing about anyway?
Haruka: *looks over at Rena* Don't bother he's not listening to you anyway.
Acht: God damn what the hell got into him? OUCH!
Duet: Hold still.
Acht: I'm trying! It hurts like hell though!
Rena: I think Acht brings up a valid question.
Haruka: It's nothing but a side effect.
Acht: And those mobile suits? Why'd they suddenly disappear when that gundam activated?
Duet: They probably got scared off.
Acht: Yeah but then Quat started to attack us!! He could've gone after those other suits.
Haruka: You were close by.
Rena: And why did we practically have to tear him apart from that gundam? We had a hard time getting it down and an even harder time trying to get the cockpit open.
Acht: And when we did he fucking attacked me and Rena! *thawap* OWWWW!
Duet: You don't need to use vulgar language.
Acht: I'm in pain, I got my ass kicked and you want me to keep my language clean? This is a trip.
Rena: What about Trina and Shen?
Haruka: Ling and Nova are taking care of them.
Rena: *death glares Quat as he starts trying to loosen the restrainments* Don't think about it.
Quat: *stares at Rena and busts out laughing*
Acht: Ugh! Make him stop!!
Haruka: What do you expect us to do? We have no real medical supplies and definitely no tranquilizers.
Duet: *covering her ears* It's getting annoying!
Rena: *growls and starts continuously smacking/punching Quat until he finally shuts up* There, problem solved. *gets up and leaves*
Duet: Well that's certainly one way to fix a problem.
Haruka: Acht, you can get to you're room correct?
Acht: Yeah, I still got legs. *smiles*
Haruka: Then leave.
Acht: Eh?
Haruka: That means, now.
Acht: *gets a questioning look on his face and shrugs slightly as he gets up and leaves the room*
Haruka: What do you think?
Duet: This isn't good, Haruka.
Haruka: I knew that already. I'm starting to question how he even got in that gundam.
Duet: No one can really be sure.
Haruka: No one except Kaze and she'd rather die or toy with me than tell me anything.
Duet: I don't know Haruka. I really don't know. This nightmare is starting all over again.
Haruka: With the exception that it's not Shingo, nor Zero, but Quat. There's only one option I have left now.
Duet: You wouldn't.
Haruka: I have to.
Duet: Give it some thought at least. It was only one time, we shouldn't judge what may happen based on this.
Haruka: Were you asleep the entire time Shingo was busy destroying buildings and killing people while he was inside of SandStorm?
Duet: No, I know that it wasn't his decision to do that and he had no control over what Sandstorm was doing while he was inside of it.
Haruka: Exactly. Quat has no control over this gundam either. It's just going to continue to use him for an energy supply and after he's worthless and dead it would've already killed all of those remaining on Earth and at least half of the colonies. I don't want to have him go though such a fate so we're better off killing him now. I'm sure Shingo would agree with me.
Duet: Since when do you make decisions for dead people? You have absolutely no clue what Shingo would do.
Haruka: And you would?
Duet: No, but I'm sure Ariel wouldn't like you just going and killing one of her kids.
Haruka: She's busy hallucinating. She doesn't even recognize us anymore. She wouldn't miss anyone in the current state she's in. Besides I know this is the right choice. *takes out a gun and points it at Quat*
Duet: HARUKA! Please! Please don't do this!! *tries to grab the gun from his hand*
Haruka: Shut up. *pushes her off of him*
Duet: Haruka, please!!
Haruka: This is the right choice. *fires the gun*
Duet: HARUKA!! *starts crying*
Haruka: *turns around and looks at Duet* Duet.
Duet: What?!
Haruka: You should look at this...
Duet: *looks up* What?
Haruka: *moves aside to show a bullet stuck in mid flight* I'm not really sure what the hell is going on here but I'm sure it's not good.
Duet: *gets up and stares at the bullet* How...But...*touches the bullet and watches it fall directly to the ground*
Haruka: I think that was more than luck and much more than someone watching over that boy. *picks up the bullet and looks at it* Some strange shit is going down here now.
Duet: Thank god for whoever or whatever kept that bullet from hitting him.
Haruka: God? More like the devil. *walks out the door*
Duet: Haruka...

Trina woke up to see Nova above her and hearing the common sound of a fight that had started up between Ling and Shen.

Ling: If you weren't so lazy you wouldn't have been beaten that easily.
Shen: What do you know? Nothing. *starts leaving*
Ling: *grabs him* Where do you think you're going? This conversation isn't done yet.
Shen: It is now, so you better let go of me if you know what's good for you.
Ling: Giving me threats now? What do you plan on doing? Hitting me? You're too stupid and slow to attempt something like that.
Shen: *hits Ling in the face* Was I too slow there?!
Ling: *punches Shen back* What do you think you are?! Doing something like that! I'm your father!
Shen: *mutters* My father doesn't exist anymore.
Ling: *picks Shen up and slaps him* If you're going to say something speak up. If not don't bother even talking.
Nova: Ling give him a break--
Ling: Keep out of this, Barton. If I need your help on anything concerning my son I'll ask for it.
Trina: Do you say that because you're afraid of what everyone will say? Because you know what you're doing is wrong?
Ling: This coming from someone that shouldn't even exist. If it weren't for Haruka's pity for you and that useless brother of yours you'd both be dead. I don't need anyone to tell me what I should or shouldn't do. Not Nova, not Haruka, not Duet and most defiantly not you. Now, pull yourself together boy and ready yourself for twelve hours of punishment for your disrespect. I make myself clear, correct?
Shen: *looks down* Yes.
Ling: And another thing, I don't want you around that Winner trash anymore. You have no business trying to get with any female right now anyway.
Shen: Yes.
Ling: Good. *leaves the hangar*
Trina: *gets up as Ling leaves and walks over to Shen* Shen...
Shen: Get away from me. Did you not hear my "father"?
Trina: He never said I couldn't get near you.
Shen: It's all the same. If you'll excuse me, I need to start my punishment as soon as possible. *gets up and walks to the door in a defeated manner*
Trina: Why do people have to hate each other so much?
Nova: I suppose it's human instinct.
Trina: I don't like it.
Nova: Not liking something is also a form of hate.
Trina: Do you think there's such a thing as normal, Nova-saa?
Nova: What is normal?
Trina: I don't know, I really don't know.

Rena laid down on her bed and eventually reached over to get a oversized teddy bear dressed in a familiar tank top she had practically ripped off of Quat and stared off while holding the bear.

Rena: You're such a pain in the ass, you know that? *stares at the stuffed animals dull eyes* Don't give me that look. I hate it when you give me that look. Can't you understand I hate you? Why can't you annoy someone else? Do I like you, what kind of question is that? If you know the answer why do you even bother asking? *frowns* Because you want to hear it, just once. You're such a stupid boy. Go to sleep. *places the stuffed animal back in it's place as she gets up and walks out the door to see Shen dashing across the floor with his pants rolled up and on his knees with only a towel that belonged to him in his hands to clean up the floor* Chores?
Shen: *ignores her and continues on*
Rena: I'm not going to pry into your personal life if you don't want me to.
Shen: Tell me, Rena, *stops at one of the buckets placed on each side of the hallway* what would you do in a situation such as mine?
Rena: To start off with, I would never be in a situation such as yours.
Shen: But if you were?
Rena: There would be no options for me to explore. The only decision I could make would be to do as I'm told or be perminately neglected until I'm needed for something.
Shen: Really? I was thinking of...
Rena: Of what?
Shen: Of leaving, running away, whatever.
Rena: And Trina?
Shen: I wouldn't take her anywhere without her consent but I wouldn't want to leave her here without my being here. None of the decisions I make are worth it. I wouldn't even know how to pull it off anyway.
Rena: You're better off finishing that floor before you jump to anything else.
Shen: I can always depend on 'good' advice from you, Rena.
Rena: Right...
Shen: Where are you going to go anyway?
Rena: That's none of your business. *turns the corner leaving a trail of dirt marks on the floor*
Shen: That's one confused woman.

Quat heard something beep right next to him and opened his eyes to see the sun pour into the room. He stopped to think about what he had just seen. Sun? A window? He twitched as the sound got louder next to him and finally hit the machine breaking it when into the room popped a semi-familiar face.

Trina: Quat, what are you waiting for? Christmas? You took that long just to turn off your alarm clock, which I see you broke again. Mom's going to be upset with you now.
Quat: W-where are we? Why is there a window in here? I don't remember coming here.
Trina: *feels Quat's head* You're not warm. Are you feeling ok?
Quat: *stares at Trina's outfit that resembled something close to a school uniform and had her hair in curls* Are you?
Trina: I'm as fine as I've ever been. Maybe you should eat something, mom made pancakes and eggs with beacon. *pats Quat on the head* You better hurry if you want to finish breakfast for once before you go to school.
Quat: Yeah... *watches Trina leave the room and looks around* How strange... *goes to the closet and sees a bag of clothes at the bottom and looks though it* Gosh, this stuff looks weird... Isn't there any normal clothing in here? *sorts though the gothic clothes and finds nothing remotely normal* I guess it doesn't matter, does it? *takes out a shirt and pants to try on and goes to the mirror with various strange pictures on it mainly of vampires* Strangely this feels normal... *looks over at a table and notices a book with barbed wire around the edges, picks it up and opens it as pictures fall out from the inside pages* Eh!! *picks up the picture and looks though them* Is that...Rena? *flips though a few more images and notices one with someone that resembles Kaze with black dye on the tips of her hair next to someone else flipping the camera off* Well that's certainly attractive. *looks around the room and notices other pictures in strange frames and looks over them* Kaze, Kaze, Kaze, Kaze...Geeze, whoever that guy is with her must have some mental problems. Who puts marks on their faces like that? Are those earrings? Gosh I don't know if that's a guy or a girl now and why the hell do I have a weird... taste in my mouth? *sticks out his tongue and panics as he looks in the mirror at the object though his tongue* Holy crap! *moves his hair off of his ears and almost faints at the amount of piercing* Whoa, clam down... This is all just a nightmare... *takes off his shirt and breaths a sigh of relief as he finds no foreign objects anywhere and turns around to notice something black on his back* Please don't be something horrible... *turns around and attempts to look at the mirror to see two black wings* I hope that comes off, mom would freak out with all the stuff on me. *watches the door open and Ariel look in* EEPPP! *jumps into the bed*
Ariel: Quat, what the hell are you doing up here?
Quat: Nothing!
Ariel: Are you hiding something?
Quat: Erm... Just don't freak out, okay? *sticks out his tongue*
Ariel: What?
Quat: Aren't you mad?
Ariel: No, you said you wanted to do that. Don't tell me you don't want it now. We talked to you about that before you got it.
Quat: When was that?
Ariel: Six weeks ago. Dear, are you ok?
Quat: I'm not sure. *gets out of the bed and goes to get the shirt he had tossed aside*
Ariel: QUAT!
Quat: What?!
Ariel: I thought we told you no tattoos!
Quat: Neh?! You mean that doesn't come off?!
Ariel: It doesn't come off?! Ugh! I told you we drew the line there and you went and did it. When did you get that?
Quat: Uh... I don't know...
Ariel: Don't play games with me.
Quat: I honestly don't know!
Ariel: It was last night wasn't it? I knew you were up to something with that Kaze girl.
Quat: I was?
Ariel: Ugh... SHINGO get over here!!
Quat: *thinking* Shingo? Neh?
Shingo: *walks into the room with a pancake in his mouth* Wha?
Ariel: This is all your fault.
Shingo: What?!
Ariel: You told me, "Don't worry Ariel they're just going to study" and what happens? Your son goes out and ignores the rule we gave him.
Shingo: Nah... no that...
Ariel: Yes that!
Shingo: Wow! Let me see! Is it cool looking?!
Ariel: *glares* Shingo...
Shingo: Erm... I mean, what did we tell you about that, Quat?
Quat: I dunno!!
Shingo: I told you breast feeding him was bad.
Ariel: This has nothing to do with that!
Shingo: If you say so... But there's nothing we can do about it right now, eh?
Ariel: I suppose not. Just keep that get on a shirt and keep it covered. Especially today since your grandparents are coming to visit.
Trina: *passes by the door* Really? Which ones? Is Grandpa Trowa coming or Grandpa Quatre?!
Shingo: The ones on your mom's side.
Trina: Waii! When are they coming?!
Ariel: This evening.
Trina: Aww, I have cheerleader practice today...
Shingo: That's ok it's not like they'd get up and leave on their own eh? *laughs*
Ariel: Shingo!
Shingo: *thawaped* OWWW!
Ariel: Don't you have work to get to anyway?
Shingo: So? I'm the one that runs the place, it's not like they're going to shut down or something. Besides I'm still hungry!
Ariel: When aren't you?
Shingo: You should know that dear. *grins* Anyways, we better let the poor kid get dressed, eh? *shoos everyone out of the room and closes the door behind him*
Quat: *stares at the door* ...Whoa... *faints*

Quat quickly wakes up to a gun pointed in his face and looks further up at the girl it belonged to and gulped.

Quat: ...Rena-chan...
Rena: Quat.
Quat: ...What's with the gun *tries to move* and my being unable to move?
Rena: You're such a pain. *puts the gun away and sits down on the bed* I was going to kill you but I must have forgot to put the bullets in.
Quat: Did you really or do you not want to?
Rena: You ask too many questions.
Quat: Do I?
Rena: Would you stop asking so many questions? It's always questions with you. Don't you ever think that maybe there isn't an answer to them?
Quat: ...I'm sorry I asked then.
Rena: Why?
Quat: Because it made you mad. I don't want anyone to be mad at me or anything.
Rena: You're a little late on that one then.
Quat: Why?
Rena: You attacked us, why?
Quat: I attacked you guys? How?
Rena: You got into Sandstorm and piloted it for a good three hours until Acht and me figured out a way to trap you. Unfortunately for Acht you broke his arm while he was trying to hold you down. Then you bit me and kept laughing hysterically.
Quat: I can't believe I did that... Any of it. But it must be true since you said it. Everyone's mad at me then.
Rena: More like afraid of you.
Quat: That's worse. I don't even know why I even did any of that. Everything went so quick. First I'm looking for that ghost, then I see Kaze, we go to the gundam hangar and then I wake up here. I'm not even sure what went on between then and now. You believe me, right?
Rena: I don't know yet, but I do know you're too stupid to pilot a gundam.
Quat: I suppose that's good enough... So when do you think you can untie me from this? *gives "the look"*
Rena: Ugh! I told you about that! Besides that's not for me to decide.
Quat: Oh well, I was hoping you would. The only thing is...I'm really hungry now.
Rena: Hungry? Well you're going to have to wait.
Quat: But Re-chan!
Rena: What?
Quat: *puppy dog look* I'm hungry now...
Rena: Damn you and that look! I told you to stop that! I hope you're not like this later on in life.
Quat: *smiles widely* You do want to get married!
Rena: What?! That's not even remotely what I was trying to say!
Quat: Wow, now I can start thinking about names for our kids... If it's a girl I think Robin would be a good name. Maybe Doujima... Hmmm... Or-- *hit in the face with a pillow* OWW!
Rena: I hate you! *storms out of the door, leans on the wall and tries to get her face back to it's normal tan color* How dare he embarrass me like that!! I didn't even mean to say that...or did I...?

Haruka walks past Rena and into the room as Quat stared around the place. Both stayed silent until Haruka decided to say something.

Haruka: You're sister was worried about you.
Quat: She always is.
Haruka: I realize that.
Quat: Anything else?
Haruka: Quat, I don't like to pry into other people's business but is there anything you'd like to tell me? Anything strange about yourself you've been hiding?
Quat: No.
Haruka: No objects moving on their own?
Quat: No.
Haruka: Strange dreams?
Quat: ....No.
Haruka: Hear anything strange?
Quat: No. What does that have to do with anything?
Haruka: I've seen a few things in my life that were beyond weird... especially in your family. If there's anything, please tell me now.
Quat: There's nothing.
Haruka: Well... I believe you.
Quat: You do?
Haruka: Of course. Why wouldn't I?
Quat: I don't know.
Haruka: Quat, I was thinking... Thinking of letting you pilot Sandstorm, that is if you can handle it a lot more better then you did earlier. I'm sure you can do it.
Quat: But I made a promise...
Haruka: Disregard it and pilot. That is after all what you did, right?
Quat: ....Yeah.
Haruka: Then pilot.
Quat: Just because I'm free from a promise... with you I can't ignore the other ones I've made based on the same subject. I have to honor those promises more so now that the ones that I've made them with are dead.
Haruka: I should have expected that I suppose. You're a good kid, Quat. A little less like your father but that's what I've been given to work with. I take it then you're no longer going to use Sandstorm then.
Quat: I'll tell you ahead of time, I'm not sure what I, or rather, my body is going to do between laying here and getting out of Sandstorm For that reason I request, no, I beg you to please do every and anything within you're power to keep me away from everyone especially Sandstorm
Haruka: *stares at Quat* Are you sure?
Quat: It's the only thing I can think of to do. I don't want to hurt anyone, least of all you guys.
Haruka: I guess it's for the best seeing how our enemy is most likely aware of SandStorm's awakening.
Quat: You have no idea.

Koubashii looked over the photos in her hand and grinned as she turned to the dark blue haired female next to her and handed the pictures to her.

Koubashii: A sudden energy surge came up and strangely enough Sandstorm came up. Truly a magnificent machine, don't you think so Cim-chan? I mean Hidama-sama.
Hidama: I told you about that name.
Koubashii: I'm sorry.
Hidama: We didn't deploy any suits did we?
Koubashii: No, why?
Hidama: Because if you look closely there are suits in these pictures prior to SandStorm's arrival. I've never seen any mobile suits like these... I take that back. I have.
Koubashii: What are you talking about?
Hidama: The underground base on the out skirts of the Sanq Kingdom we found two weeks ago, it was filled with these suits. They must have activated some how...
Koubashii: For being fifteen year old suits they knocked out every gundam in under five minutes with the exception of Sandstorm
Hidama: They seem to have ran away when Sandstorm came.
Koubashii: It would be fun to meet the person responsible for the creation of those suits. They made it easier for us to draw Sandstorm out. Speaking of which.... What are we going to do now that Sandstorm has surfaced?
Hidama: Eventually he's going to breakdown, we'll just have to wait for that to happen and once it does *pets Milliardo's head* Mill-chan will meet with him.
Koubashii: We're going to kill the pilot?
Hidama: No, simply give him a little convincing then if he declines our offer we'll have him killed and take Sandstorm for ourselves.
Koubashii: Merely knocking on the door when we already have the key to open it.
Hidama: We only have it in the event that he refuses to do it.
Koubashii: Then our waiting game begins.

Koubashii leaves the room and walks into another with pictures all over the place of various males. She took out some new photos and tapped them to a new spot on the wall. Shen, Acht, and most of all Quat. She then went over to a fog filled glass encasement and smiled as she touched the glass and pressed her face against the cold glass.

Koubashii: Very soon, my sleeping prince, very soon.
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Ok... that was odd... stranger then before... and very odd. I'm going to have to put this fic under hiatus until NGW is done so don't spoil the ending for NGW. ^_^;;

- ChibiChibi-chan