Cassandra

------

"To see the other side
and to tell it to no one
lest it shall change
according to the will of Man"
-Anonymous
(Translated)

------

A Gundam Wing Fanfiction by Gray Warlock

Prologue

"What are these for?"

Duo Maxwell pondered on his current situation. He was inside the cockpit of the Wing Zero Gundam and he had his head connected to some equipment, evidently to test his brain activity.

"You are not in the position to ask such questions," answered Trant Clark, a Romefeller Foundation scientist, "Do only as you are told." He finished the adjustements to the various apparatus inside the cockpit.

"Yeah, whatever," Duo muttered to himself after the scientist returned to his observation shuttle.

He did not personally volunteer to do this. He only agreed when Trant, who piloted Wing Zero whe he "visited" Duo, pointed the Twin-Buster Rifle at him and threatened to destroy the colony if he did not abide. Many people had reasons to seek him out was because he was a Gundam pilot, one of the best and most feared Mobile Suit pilots around, and the scientist was one of those.

"Get ready for simulation," Duo heard Trant's voice through the communicator. Duo became a bit uneasy though he did not know why. He had a terrible feeling that something would go wrong.

"Begin simulation"

Four Taurus activated and attacked the Wing Zero at all sides. As they approached, Duo began to feel the effects of the Zero System, the mysterious computer system of the Wing Zero. His senses heightened. It was as if he could predict his enemies' next moves.

The first Taurus was easy. Some few Vulcan cannon rounds turned the million-dollar war machine into scrap metal.

The Zero system's side effects began at the second Taurus, and Duo was caught off guard. When he began to aim at his target, instead of seeing a Taurus, he saw his own Gundam, the Deathscythe. He could not believe his eyes. At first, he could not fire at it. He treated his Gundam like a brother.

He shook his head and tried to break through the illusion. "Stop it!" he said to himself. He regained his link to reality and fired his cannons at the now-real Taurus. Turning around, he saw the thrid Taurus rushing towards him with guns blazing.

Calmly, he fired the only armed weapon in his arse- nal, the Twin-Buster Rifle. The beam easily engulfed and disintegrated the Taurus.

He did not see the Space colony behind his adversary.

To his horror, the large particle-beam pierced the outer hull of the colony. The resulting explosion on the city inside created a massive shockwave that destroyed everything: toppling buildings, breaking property and killing people in its path. In his mind's eye, he saw a certain purple-bereted girl get caught in the shockwave.

"HILDE!" He screamed in desperation. Hilde Schbeiker was a young OZ recruiting officer who helped him get to the OZ Moon Base once. Just a few weeks ago, he met her again and became good friends. She was always willing to help him in any way she could. Until now, that is, since she is obviously dead along with the other inhabitants of the destroyed colony.

"What have I done?" He cried in anguish as he regretted his lack of thinking which resulted to the demise of his friend.

*****

Duo came back to his senses. He was relieved to know that it was all an illusion. He didn't use the Twin-Buster Rifle, but instead he used the Beam Saber to smite the foe.

When he saw the last Taurus, he shook his head again to check if he was seeing right. He re-checked if there was nothing behind it and prepared to fire the enormous particle cannon. "I can't afford to make any mistakes this time," he thought before firing.

The blast struck the enemy craft and it exploded.

Another vision came, as if triggered by the explosion. Unlike the first, which was continuous, multiple scenes flashed in his eyes. Each scene was quick, lasting only about 2 seconds.

*****

<...a purple Taurus exploding, exactly like the last Taurus, from a large laser blast at the torso...>

<...two vaguely familiar mobile suits: one red, the other, blue; both are similar to the MS Virgo...>

<...charred remains of the Taurus' pilot, curled up in fetal position, protecting something within his body...>

<...a data disk inside the remains, safe from the blast...>

<...the body's heat-resistant dog tag bearing a name...>

<...SCHBEIKER, HILDE...>

*****

Everything he saw seemed real, like a distant memory. Even still, he could not take anymore of this insanity. He quickly disembarked from the cockpit.

***

Trant took and used the Wing Zero to stop the Rommefeller Foundation squad who arrived to retrieve the Gundam. Empowered by the Zero System, he quickly dispatched them easily. Duo was surprised when Hilde arrived with Deathscythe Hell. He fought with the deranged scientist. Duo didn't have much of a problem because the Zero System ate away most of his foe's sanity.

***

Duo pondered on his last vision on the way home. "There's something different about that illusion," he looked at Hilde, who was currently manning the cargo shuttle. "I couldn't seem to tell myself that it's impossible, even though I know Hilde wouldn't do something like facing two Virgo with a Taurus..." His train of thought was interrupted when Hilde spoke up. Apparently, she noticed him looking at her.

"Is something bothering you, Duo?

"Uh...ah...N-nothing" Since she caught him off guard, he could only stammer a few words and look away. "I don't want her to know what I saw." He resumed his contemplative stance, "She'll think I _really_ need to be thrown into an asylum, assuming she already thinks I'm crazy."

Hilde smiled, but inside she was worried. "He's acting a little bit more strange today." She remembered his calmness when Trant pointed the Twin-Buster Rifle at him back in the city. He wasn't afraid that Trant would fire it until the lives of the colonists were in stake. "A little space action shouldn't have affected him this much," she took note of his serious behavior, "compared to what Gundam pilots experience."

***

Nightmares are a part of a soldier's life. With so much killing and destruction around, it is not unusual for a soldier to have nightmares about terrible moments in the past. Duo Maxwell, a Gundam Pilot who has killed hundreds, is no exception.

But this night's dreams are not like anything he has experienced in his life.

------
END PROLOGUE

Author's notes: I forgot a lot of parts of the episode "The Duel Between the God of Death and Wing Zero" so I was forced to improvise. Sorry for the spelling and grammatical errors in this document but point them out to me so I could fix them.

Disclaimer 1: Gundam Wing is owned by Studio Sunrise, TV Asahi and Sotsu Agency. Used without permission. I have no intention to gain any profit from this.

Disclaimer 2: This is NON - YAOI G.W. fanfiction. If you expect to see Heero/Duo or Trowa/Quatre pairings here, you will be disappointed. But if you like non-yaoi, go to "our" web page at:

Comments & Criticisms are welcome.

Off with the disclaimer crap, on to the story:

Cassandra
A Gundam Wing Fanfiction by Gray Warlock

Scene 1 : Restless

"In restless dreams I walked alone..."

I arrived home in the evening. I had just come from doing some routine checks on my Gundam Deathscythe and fixing some parts which had been damaged.

Earlier, I was blackmailed to be a guinea pig for a Rommefeller Foundation scientist, to observe the effects of the Zero System on pilots. The scientist, whoever he was, apparently became mad from using the Zero System himself and wanted to know more about this strange device. Somehow, he got a file on me. He found me in my friend's salvage yard and threatened to use the Twin Buster Rifle if I didn't follow him. At that time, I wondered how could someone think of using that crazy idea just to make me test pilot the Wing Zero.

But after knowing at first hand the effects of the Zero System to a person's mind, I now understood how he lost his sanity. I still feel a slight headache even though it has been a few hours after using it. What disturbed me more are the visions that I saw while under it's influence. The last vision made me very uneasy.

"Hilde..." I absent-mindedly said my friend's name as I remebered the weird visions of her demise.

In my remeniscing state, I oblivious to the fact that I had entered the kitchen.

"Yes..." Hilde, my friend and once the only tenant of this house, was cooking and switched her attention to me.

"..." I blinked before I noticed I had voiced her name. It was the second time today that Hilde caught me off guard.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She saw that I had zoned out like I had before. She frowned at me, wondering about my condition.

"Yeah, I'm okay," I quickly put my thoughts aside and changed the subject before she gets more suspicious. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Steamed fish and vegetables," She smiled.

*****

I headed to my room just after dinner. I was both exhausted from the day's work and the encounter earlier so I needed to get some rest.

I lay down on the bed. Sleep took over a few moments later.

*****

I dreamt that night. They were all familiar, similar to the vision I had when I was using the Zero System earlier; more like distant memories rather than mere dreams.

-----

<...lying on the pavement...>

<...something under me...>

<...Hilde!...>

<...surprised look on her face...>

*****

I woke up.

I don't know why, but I just woke up.

Lying on top of Hilde on a pavement.

*...*

That wasn't a bad dream.

I went back to sleep.

-----

<...in the park...>

<...walking towards a bench...>

<...Hilde sitting on the bench...>

<...sat beside her...>

<...started talking to her...>

<...realized something ...>

<...stopped talking...>

<...she stood up...>

<...smiled...>

<...took my hand...>

<...dragged me somewhere...>

-----

<...in the circus...>

<...wasn't interested...>

<...something caught my eye...>

<...someone familiar performing...>

<...Trowa!...>

-----

<...backstage...>

<...looked for Trowa...>

<...found him sitting alone...>

<...asked some questions...>

<...he looked at me...>

<...blank stare, not answering any questions...>

<...a girl appeared...>

<...scolded me...>

<...Trowa, still staring at me...>

*****

I woke up again in the middle of the dream.

What's happening?

It doesn't matter.

I just hope it doesn't happen again.

-----

<...outside Hilde's house...>

<...Hilde standing on the doorway...>

<...happily waving at her...>

<...saying 'just gonna visit a friend'...>

<...'be home early'...>

<...Hilde smiling back...>

<...strange smile, as if hiding something...>

<...turning and running off...>

-----

<...in front of a house...>

<...knocking on the door...>

<...a beautiful young woman answered...>

<...long red hair, medium height...>

<...telling her something...>

<...she thinks for a while...>

<...asks me to come in...>

<...willingly agree...>

<...I stop in my tracks...>

*****

Again, I woke up.

Damn dreams. I'm getting tired of waking up every time.

I really wish they would stop waking me up.

-----

<...slowly walking out of Hilde's house...>

<...sad...>

<...Hilde behind me...>

<...keeping her distance...>

<...following slowly...>

<...uttering something to her...>

<...without looking...>

<...outside now...>

<...turning to face her...>

<...she was silent...>

<...a hint of anger...>

<...wasn't wearing beret...>

<...frayed hair, signs of a struggle...>

<...announcing something to her...>

<...she smiled sarcastically...>

<...asking me...>

<...'Why?'...>

<...tunring on my heel...>

<...replying...>

*****

ARAARRRGGGGHHH!!! Woke up again!

The dreams are getting weirder.

Hilde angry at me?

*?!?*

So what? They're just dreams.

Yeah, and I really need to get some sleep.

Besides, I have seen worse things before.

-----

<...space...>

<...inside my Gundam...>

<...fighting...>

<...not alone...>

<...Gundam Sandrock...>

<...Quatre...>

<...two white Taurus...>

<...Trowa...>

<...a former OZ officer, Noin...>

<...red Gundam appearing...>

<...cutting through mobile suits...>

<...facing us...>

<...confronting it...>

<...losing...>

<...too strong, too fast...>

<...felt something in my head...>

<...Zero System...>

<...retreating...>

<...Noin calling the pilot of the new Gundam...>

<...'Zechs!'...>

*****

I woke up.

I wasn't surprised.

Only frustrated as hell!

I need to sleep dammit!

How can I sleep if I keep waking up?

*...*

If I wake up one more time, I'll...

<yawn>

I'll think of something.

-----

<...in space again, inside my Gundam...>

<...rushing through a battlefield...>

<...Mobile Virgo were firing at me...>

<...Because of my sheer speed, they miss me entirely...>

<...something odd...>

<...not rushing towards the enemy...>

<...something else was odd...>

<...weapons were armed...>

<...not aiming at the Virgo...>

<...ignoring them...>

<...a femenine voice coming from the speaker...>

<...garbled, radio systems of the source were badly damaged...>

<...trying to push the throttle beyond its full power...>

<...cursing, "Faster, Dammit!", over and over...>

<...frustrated about something...>

<...angry...>

<...afraid...>

<...moving away from the battlefield...>

<...small points of color in a distance...>

<...one was blue and the other was red...>

<...both moving fast...>

<...pursuing the third point...>

<...a slow purple spot on the horizon...>

<...closer now...>

<...blue and red points were some kind of MS Virgo...>

<...purple spot, a damaged MS Taurus...>

<...blue MS aiming...>

<...cursing desperately...>

<..."Hilde!"...>

/* I began to understand where this dream was going to */

<...blue firing its cannon...>

/* 'This is it! I've had enough with these dreams!' */

<...its shot connecting just mere seconds before I reached my goal...>

/* W A K E U P D U O ! */

-----

I forced myself to wake up.

It's ironic that I would want to wake up, considering that I didn't want to wake in the previous dreams.

There I lay on the bed, my shirt soaked in sweat. I sat up on the side of the bed. With my hands on my face, rubbing it to clear my mind, I began to gather my thoughts.

Are these dreams, visions? Or are they just hallucinations created by my mind?

Either way, I have to find a way to lose them.

Then I smacked my head when I realized that I had overlooked something.

Duo, you idiot! How can you forget your medication!

I remembered hiding some of my anti-hallucination pills in my duffel bag. I smiled inwardly, Now, I would get some sleep! I reached under my bed for the bag. I began searching for the drugs. It was dark so I had to feel the contents of the bag.

Clothes...

Gun ammo...

Lockpicking equipment...

Explosives detonator...

Ah, here it is!

At last, I found the white plastic container that held the solution to my insomnia.

Or used to, so it seems. It felt light in my fingers. A quick shake increased my suspicions. A final visual inspection confirmed it.

It was empty.

*sigh*

I throw the worthless object at a random corner of the room. Now I have two choices left. Either I sleep, get those weird flashes, and wake up again and again; or I won't sleep at all.

*decisions, decisions, decisions*

I shrugged. I stood up and left the room. I head walking towards the kitchen.

Coffee will do, for now.

Funny. Last time I checked, I still had a half-full container.

*****

As a result of living alone for a long time, Hilde had a habit of leaving the door of her room ajar to be prepared in case something would happen.

She awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of a door opening. Then, she heard footsteps. Finally, through the partially opened door, she saw the outline of Duo walking in the dark hallway. She looked at her alarm clock.

"What's Duo doing up at 1:27 in the morning?" she pondered on the situation. But her sleepiness was beginning to take over so she thought of the only possible conclusion.

"Maybe he just needs to go to the bathroom."

She shrugged and went back to sleep.

------

END SCENE 1

Written by: Kamui aka Gray Warlock
Edited by: Duo
Additional Ideas: Manji and Akira