CHAPTER 33b- WHAT HAPPENNED ON THE GROUND

*Note -this takes place at the same time as the previous chapter*

(Aquarius launches)

<Phantom,from gallery>: Good luck, guys....I wish I could come along....but I'm needed here.

[PEACEMILLION CONSTRUCTION YARD]

<Howard>: Careful with that beam! Ready.....ready....OK, Quattre! That's great!

(Crane lowers beam girder onto foundation)

<Quattre>:This is one big ship, Mr Howard....

<Howard>:Not big enough.....

<Quattre>:Say, have you seen Dorothy anywhere?

(Howard shakes his head):Isn't she quarantined or something?

<Sally writes on clipboard>: What is this device, Doktor J?

<Doktor J>:It is something Crimson salvaged from Mercurius.....he calls it the Super Shield. I'm not sure what kind of shield it is,though. Crimson left before he could tell me or the others.

<Sally>:Judging by his other inventions, I guess this one is gonna be pretty useful.....what ever it is.

(Super Shield machinery stands there, humming)

<Sally>:Noin, are the holding bays secure?

<Noin gives thumbs up>:Secure!

(Sally tells constructor suit to weld there)

*torch sound*

<Sally>: Someone remind me why we're building this thing?

<Ma>:Well, it all started with the David Tua-Lennox Lewis fight.....

<Noin/Sally>:????

<Ma>: I taped it, but the VCR got all screwed up and I ended up recording some speech by the colonoid politician Victor Quinze.

<Noin>:He's starting rumors around here.....he's preaching colonial nationalism...but he doesn't seem to have strong military backing. So people generally disregard him.

<Ma>:Rumour is.....he HAS backing now....so we're making ourselves ready for anything. Hence the Peacemillion.

(Ma looks up at Peacemillion)

<Noin>:How ironic....we're building a giant warship to avoid war.

[CASTLE GROUNDS]

(Deathschythe Hell steps forward)

<Duo>: This is more like it!

(Jauhara Gundam steps forward,draws scimitar)

<Rose>: Scimitar ON!

(Jauhara and DS charge at each other):Yaaaaaaa!!

[CAMPUS GROUNDS]

<Mafia Monster>: Wow! Look at them go out there in space! (witnesses explosions)Sure wish we were out there....

<Mafia Monster 2>: Hey, they got their job, we got ours. (Lights cigarette)Let'z jus' stick to it.

(Dropship tumbles infront of them)

<Mafia Monsters draw guns>:Who goes there?

<OZ Pilot>:D-d-don't shoot! I surrender,Isurrender!! Don't shoot me...

<Mafia Monster>: Well, just a LITTLE action is OK. Hands up, sucka.

[PEACEMILLION YARD]

<Howard>: Alright, Scorpio. Fill in that circuit with cobalt clips.

<Scorpio>:Cobalt clips? They'll polarize the system, Howard! I suggest using graphite clips. They don't distort a magnetic field too much.

<Howard>:hmm....good idea [How did he learn that?]

<Scorpio inserts pins>: There. Servo-1 operational.(Wipes forehead)

<Howard>: For a terrorist, you sure know your engineering.

<Scorpio>:Thanks, Howard, but Crimson taught me most of this stuff. I was just the commanding brass hat before I learned how to fix stuff.

<Howard>:You never worked at Baikonur, did you?

<Scorpio pauses>: Baikonur......?Um, no...

<Howard>: Ah, those guys were the best in their field. Well, for their side anyway.It's a pity their Mobile Suits were used for conquest....

and a bigger pity that they were killed in the early stages of the coup...

<Scorpio welds a junction>: A pity....a tremendous pity.

<Howard>:Konstantin Mardyev AND Thomas Walker....(hands on hips) They'd be a great help now....

(Scorpio sweatdrops)

[CASTLE GROUNDS]

(Duo and Rose battling it out)

<Duo>:Not bad, for a flower power guy!

<Rose>: "Shinegami" my ass. You slash like a granny.

<DS Hell swings schythe>: Hah!I'll show you who's the granny!

(Jauhara Gundam attacks schythe): You're not so focused, Duo! Someone you're thinking of?

(Duo fires vulcans,Jauhara shields)

<Duo>: This focused enough for you?

<Rose>: Really, man. (Swings downward, DS Hell blocks with scythe)Someone's on your mind. Don't lie to me now. Nobody ever gets away with it.

<Duo>:Nobody, man! (pushes Jauhara off fiercely)

<Allenbi>:Touchy, touchy.....

<George>: Oh no, another "Macho Domon" complex....

<Duo>:This is Death you're talking to! (twirls scythe)

<Rose>:Pschaw! (Throws Nobel Ring, scythe flies away)

<Rose holds scimitar to DS' Hell's neck>: Touche, I believe.

<Duo>: Huh! No way!You think that Xena move can stop me? (charges at Jauhara)

(Jauhara trips him over)

(Rose comes out and drops a pink rose on DeathScythe Hell)

<Rose>: Innocence, love.....it all makes us weak in the knees....and we LOVE it!

(Rose laughs)

<Duo>: I give, I give! The blood and gore I can stand, but not the POETRY!(holds hands to ears mockingly)

<Rose jumps down from Gundam>: Open up,Maxwell! Seems you need to share something. I won fair and square, boy! Come out!

(Deathscythe's cockpit opens)

<Duo>:Ah,well....maybe I'm just tired from all the fighting.

<Rose>:Or tired of fighting?

<Duo closes cockpit>: Maybe. If OZ fall, then the colonies will be safe. Let's hust hope Heero and the others can beat Dermail up there.

<Duo looks up>:Ah, Heero. You can't self destruct now....

<Hilde runs to fallen Deathscythe>:Duo! Are you alright? You're still injured, you know....

<Duo flexes bicep>:I fine, Hildy! (beats chest) *oww*

<Hilde>:Don't hit him so hard, Rose!

<Rose>:Who,MOI???? All I did was throw a rose at him.....besides, he's got girl trouble....(turns round thumb points at Duo)You deal with it. (throws Hilde a red rose)

<Hilde>:Gee, thanks!

<Duo>:Girl...trouble??Hey,hey! hold on a goldarn minute! What girl?

(Rose shrugs, walks to Jahuara)

(Duo scratches his head)

[PEACEMILLION YARD]

(Quattre looks up at the clear blue sky dotted with explosions)

<Instructor L>:Are you alright, Master Quattre? You keep looking up at the sky....

<Quattre>:It's Dorothy....her grandfather is up there, you know.....I was just thinking....

<Instructor L>: That if we killed him, we'd be no better than him?

<Quattre>: Actually, I was thinking about how sad she would be.....I still have my sisters, but the poor thing only has Dermail....

<L>:Don't think about it, my boy. She is one of many. But if you really want to assure her of your motives, maybe you should see her?

<Quattre jumps down from crane>: If you say so. Can you take over?

<Instructor L>: I can't *koff*koff* ...my back...

<Quattre>:His back hurts but he can cough?

[DOROTHY'S ROOM]

(Quattre knocks)

<Quattre>:Dorothy...?Dorothy? Are you there? It's me, Quattre Raberba Winner.....

(Quattre knocks some more, pushes door slightly open)

<Quattre>:Pssst....you asleep, Dorothy?

(Door swings open, nobody is inside)

<Quattre>:She's gone!! (runs to yard)

<Scorpio bumps into Quattre>: Hey,hey,Winner! Easy on the hormones! Where are you off to?

<Quattre>:Dorothy's escaped!

<Scorpio>:Of course she escaped! We let her!

<Quattre>:Why did you do such a thing?

<Scorpio hands up>:Not my idea, it was Trowa's. He wants to convince Dermail that the attack force is coming from one direction, and attack from another.

<Quattre>: Trowa.....? Why....

<Scorpio shrugs>:Maybe he's jealous?:) Who knows... I gotta get back to work...

<Quattre>:Jealous?? Hey, I;m not....

<Scorpio>:Just kidding!!!EH! Some folks just can't take a joke.....

(Scorpio heads off to the hangar)

<Quattre>:Trowa and Dorothy up there...and I'm down here?Musyhkilah,musykilah......(Arabic-Problem,problem)

[MOBILE SUIT REPAIR CENTER]

<Rose>:Wow, you dented Jauhara good.....

<Duo>: My suit's neck is all melted coz you held your sword too close to it!

<Hilde, fixing a loose nut>: ?What's this, Rose?

(Cockpit opens, Hilde gets back)

<Duo>: Hilde! (catches Hilde)

<Rose>: I didn't say open......(Looks at side, George winks)

<Rose looks at Duo,who is blushing>: Um...put her down, Maxwell....

<Duo puts Hilde down>:Oh..oh yeah...*blush*...dammit what's going on here....?

<Hilde>:You're awfully cute when you blush, Duo...

<Duo walks off:Yeah, whatever....

<Hilde>:Something I said....?

<Rose to Jauhara>:Close, please. (Cockpit closes, George disappears)

<Rose>:You three keep it down!! You're suposed to be my Mobile suit, not my little helpers! Scat!

<Jauhara's eyes glow>: Do not follow the boy. Let it take its course.

<Rose>:Hey....who's the King of Hearts here?

[HALLWAY]

<Hilde catches up to Duo>:Duo! What's wrong? You suddenly up and bolted like a snake bit you or something....

<Duo>:I don't want to talk about it.

<Hilde tugs at Duo>: I don't want to hear that! Come on, you can tell me, right?

<Duo>:Hilde.....forget about it. I lost the duel.....I feel like I suddenly lost it...

<Hilde>:Not true! You helped win the Sanq Kingdom battle, didn't you?

<Duo>:Mr.Mardyev's field won it for us....I just cleaned up.......

First Lady Une,the Tragos troops,Crimson,and now Rose....I can't seem to beat anyone!

<Hilde spins Duo around>: You're just worried that you'll lose, just because your opponents outthought you! Don't worry, Duo.....now that you know how they think, you can win for the colonies!

<Duo>:I....I don;t know.

(Hilde slaps Duo)

<Duo rubs cheek>:What was that for?

<Hilde>:Waking you up....before all you care about dies because you couldn't pick your self up. (turns around) I'm headed back to the hangar.

<Duo to himself>: When it's you I care about, girl.....(Hilde walking away further)I really can't win....

(Duo stands there)

(Duo bumps into Scorpio)

<Scorpio>: My my...today is my day for close encounters! Hey, Lil' Death....something the matter?

<Duo>:I dunno....I feel....confused. You got a minute?

<Scorpio>: Sure. Come on, we'll talk about this over some good java.But after I deliver these circuits to Professor S...seems he's making a video game out of all this.

<Duo>: Okay (looks at hangar). See you there, Poppa Death....

<Scorpio eyes Duo>: Man...what's eating him?

<Rain>: I think I can tell you, Scorpio.

(Scorpio turns around)

<Scorpio>:Rain Mikamura? Ah yes, I understand...what happenned with Domon...

(Rain nods and leaves)

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