Prologue: It Begins.

The long days between missions drug on, slowly. Duo paced Quatre's floor impatiently glancing to the large computer screen that shone dully in the corner. No missions. No parties, no theater, no city, not even school! Damn this is boring... Duo plopped down into the large couch by Quatre.

"I'm bored." he sighed to the placid Arab sipping his tea. Quatre looked up from his drink to Duo.

"You should go browse through the library, Trowa found some very good books, even Wufei found something to read." he offered the pleading violet eyes.

"Hrmp... books, that's all you've got to offer, books? Lavish mansion in BFE and all you have to do is read!" Duo stopped himself as Quatre's expression began to fall. "Sorry, Quat. I'm just bored."

"That's Ok, I understand." Quatre sighed and returned to his book.

"Where's Heero?" Duo was struck with a sudden inspiration, the perfect soldier was always good for a laugh when there was nothing else to do.

"He went to the firing range, wanted to try the fifty caliber." Quatre replied. Duo smiled... Heero with a really big gun...mmmmm... that could be fun. He stood up and went to the window. Looking out he could see the range. He watched as Heero lifted the large riffle and took aim. The kickback threw the perfect soldier back a step and as the shot rang out the target exploded. This could be real fun, Duo thought and started for the door. He was still watching Heero when the boy piked up another, larger gun.

"How many rifles did you give him, Quat?" Duo mused as he opened the door.

"Just the one... why?" Quatre began to look worried. Trowa looked up from his book out the window.

"Oh, no reason..." Duo trailed off. Quatre jumped up and stared out the window to the dark haired boy taking aim with the other larger gun. Quatre ran past Duo towards the range. Trowa stood stoically up and sighing passed Duo in slow pursuit. Duo smiled... this could be fun, he thought as he caught up to Quatre.

"So what's the big deal, he took an extra?" Duo prompted.

"That's not just any old extra, Duo. That's a prototype."

"Oh, you mean like experimental weaponry."

"Yes, we took it from the Oz base last month, it's not been tested yet, we're not exactly sure it's safe."

"Oh, well, what is it?"

"It's a heavy artillery armor piercing supersonic high caliber electromagnetic rail gun."

"Ok... in English."

"Big gun."

"Oh, so."

"Hm, it's a late twentieth century technology. They first developed it in the US to launch spacecraft. An eight mile track can launch over eight tons in less than three seconds, reaching exit velocity in under one. A few years latter they tried making it on a smaller scale for weapons purposes. They made a few tanks but then were forced to ditch the project due to lack of funding. Still the theory was that a gun, say riffle sized, could be constructed using this technology to fire high caliber shells at supersonic speeds."

"Ooh, so how's it work?"

"Magnets." Trowa

"Hn?"

"You've seen the trams right? The trains that run on magnet rails, same principal. It uses the natural polarism of the magnets to push along the bullet. When fired the bullet, which is coated in a highly magnetic material, is forced into the barrel where it will first be pulled by the oppositely charged pole of the first magnet then pushed by the other as it pulled by the next... or so I understand, I'm not really all that sure how it works."

"Oh, so then what?" Duo asked, wishing he could test one, sounds real cool.

Heero braced for the kickback, a gun of this caliber could rip his arm off if he wasn't ready for it. He aimed, closed his eyes, then... click. Heero opened his eyes, raised and eyebrow at the lack of a massive kick and or sound. Then his eyes caught the explosion...

Thunder roared over the horizon, Trowa jumped and glared off to the range.

"That." Quatre answered Duo's question by pointing to the vorporal trail. The bullet, traveling at supersonic speeds had superheated the very molecules in the air as it cut through them causing them to split and tear, rather like a jet plane or lightning.

The three stopped in front of Heero, loosely holding the gun in one hand looking out over the destruction. Duo's eyes followed the thin white line from three feet in front of Heero to the target 100 yards away, through the large hole in the thick oak boards past the splintered tree and, if he could see that far, to the large brick wall into which the bullet was lodged a mile away. Quatre shook his head, Trowa stood placidly surveying the damage. Heero tilted his head to them, glanced back at the gun, to them, the gun. He smiled a devilish smile and handing the gun to Quatre he said simply, amusedly,

"Cool," and walked away. The others facefaulted.

"It would take a heavy artillery armor piercing supersonic high caliber electromagnetic rail gun to impress Heero." Duo smiled once they had recovered. Quatre sighed.

"You should wear earphones next time you do that." he told Heero as they headed for the hanger to return the weapons.

"Why, it didn't make a sound?" he asked casually. Duo gave the boy a funny look and Quatre seemed confused. Trowa took the gun from Heero and replaced it in the unlocked gun cabinet.

"Supersonic booms can't be heard from behind their source." he explained as he put the two guns up and held out his hand to Heero. The other boy shrugged and handed Trowa the key.

"That's how you got in." Quatre shook his head and glared, yes glared to Duo. "Don't teach him any more of your little tricks."

"Who, me? I would do nothing of the sort." Duo cooed trying to look innocent as possible.

"You're the only one here that can pick pockets!" Quatre was getting indignant. Duo smiled and shrugged apologetically. Little did they know the gun cabinet key still rested in Quatre's pocked, and three more copies were in Heero's spandex as they headed back to the house.

A few hours latter the afternoon excitement began to wear off and Duo was yet again bored. He stood digging through the large closet in the back of Quatre's study as the others quietly sipped their tea. Wufei had gotten tired of hearing Duo retelling the details of the new gun and sent him to find the five some entertainment. When Duo bounced back holding a small tattered box he began to regret the order.

"Who wants to play a game?" the American asked brightly. Over the past few weeks the five had gone through a number of Duo's ‘games' in order to stave off the boredom. The first week it was sports, from basketball to ice skating Wufei had always somehow managed to get hurt, usually by some fault of that big braided baka. He was still getting over the fall through thin ice. The second week they'd fallen to less strenuous activities as Wufei nursed his hypothermia. They'd played strip poker, Wufei lost. They'd played truth or dare... Wufei shuddered at the thought, he'd just now managed to get all the glitter out of his hair. The video games in the third week were a welcome reprise, then Duo had melted the system from seventy four hours of nonstop use, and before Wufei had managed to even get to play. Heero threatened Duo for melting his James Bond game, which he had conquered several time but never seemed to loose interest in. No, Duo's games were not Wufei's idea of quality entertainment at all.

"What have you got there?" Quatre asked politely eyeing the box with curiosity.

"I found it in the closet, under some old books and stuff, looks interesting... AD&D... You know how to play it?" Duo asked Quatre, after all it was in his house he should know.

"Umm, no. I don't think I've ever played it." Quatre answered almost apologetically. Duo's face fell for a moment then he smiled back.

"Oh well, I'll figure it out, so who wants to play?"

"I guess I will, it looks like a multiperson thing." Quatre offered the smiling boy.

"I have nothing better to do." Heero sighed and sat down nearer the rest of the group as Trowa nodded to Duo's pleading eyes.

"No." Wufei crossed his arms and glared at the boy as the violet plead fell on him.

"Aw, come on Wu-man, the more the merrier."

"No."

"Please..."

"No, I said last time I will never play another one of your games again and I meant it."

"Oh, come now, you were just kidding, that's all, we all know it, now come on it won't hurt."

"That's what you said about football."

"Yea um well..."

"Oh now Wufei, it's just a little box, it can't possibly hurt." Quatre offered.

"Yea Wu-man, what could possibly happen?"

"That's what you said about fishing." Wufei grumbled holding up the bandaged finger where they had to cut the hook out.

"It's just paper man, what are you afraid of, a papercut!"

"Hn, those hurt you know."

"Wufei's afraid of a little papercut..." Duo slipped into his bantering mode as Wufei began to sizzle.

"Fine! I'll play your stupid game." Wufei shouted grabbing the box from Duo. A book fell out from said box and onto Wufei's foot. "It begins..." he grumbled as he handed back the box picking up the book he sat down.

Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing © Sunrise, Bandai, and Sotsu Agency.