Father of All Fathers



"Let him in for gods' sake - he's the pilot." 

Big ugly hands pull away from my braid and big ugly faces look at me in stupid 
surprise. But the shock wears off quickly and the usual taunts begin. Hell, by 
now I can practically write the script for these goons myself. I know all the 
lines and they're too dim to come up with anything new.

"This little girly boy???" 

"He's pint-sized - I could pick him up with one hand! And crush him with it, 
too!" 

"What were they thinking? Gundam's not a babysitter."

"Hey sweetie, whatcha doin' after the mission? Puttin' on your party dress and 
your curlers?" 

I turn and stare at them. I feel a smirk forming on my lips. I try to stop it, 
you know I try, but, kuso! it just comes. "Oi! Ya know," I drawl at them, "goin' 
for the hair again is so lame. You'd think with all of your little peabrains 
together you could at least come up with one original insult! Besides...you 
couldn't get to first base with me." The stupid faces hesitate a moment before 
realizing that the girly boy has insulted them in more ways than one. Then one 
lunges at me and I instinctively pull my gun from the top of my boot and fire. 
He's down and moaning on the floor of the hangar, but my aim was sweet - right 
in the groin, hah! He won't be using that weapon of mass destruction for awhile! 
As I walk past him I bend down and say, 

"Didya ever hear the one about how the length of a guy's hair is directly 
related to the length of.."

"Duo! Get over here now!", Dr. G barks.

I give the baka a classic Maxwell grin and step over him and his rescuers. I 
don't have time for that kind of jerk. I'm about to see the absolute coolest 
mech that was ever made, and it's mine, man, all mine.

I turn the corner, past an ancient-looking mobile suit, and there it is - 
Deathscythe. Huge. Shining. A powerful monster in silver and black, looking 
for all the world like the Grim Reaper gone metallic. I remember last night, 
lying in bed, wondering what this moment would be like. That's when the name 
came to me. Shinigami. The Shinto god of death, the bringer of darkness, the 
reaper of men's souls. 

I remember all of the people my enemy has taken from me. Everyone who was ever 
important to me has been killed by the Federation in some way. Either through 
force or ignorance, I've lost them all and now the only thing for it is to 
fight, man. Fight to the death if I have to, but fight it is.

Oh, yes...you and I will personally escort these bastards to hell, won't we ? 
We'll take them there, personal service, guaranteed, and I'll laugh to see 
them die. Remembering what they did to Father Maxwell...and all the others...

The lights glint off the tip of the huge thermal scythe and I look up at 
that face, that stern and powerful face. Wait a minute - where have I seen 
that before? There's something familiar...

...a church...the beautiful hushed quiet of the nave...the familiar and loved 
smell of dust and incense... I stare at the alter, wondering what sacrifice 
will be required to take death and hunger and fear out of my life... I wait 
for Father Maxwell...

"Duo, Sister Helen tells me you were fighting again today. You know the rules 
here, Duo. We can't condone violence of any kind. Why is this giving you such 
trouble, son?"

" They ask for it, Father! They keep saying I look like a girl, and that big 
ugly one always says the same thing - "BUUUUUG!" - then he stomps his foot 
and grinds it around on the floor, right in front of me! I know you want me 
to act nice, Father. I know God wants me to act nice. But I can't be a weakling 
like that - they'd eat me alive!"

"Duo, look at me." A strong hand grips my chin and he lifts my blood-streaked 
face to look at him. The truly strong fight only when necessary. Even God's 
chosen people have been faced with times that required them to wage war for 
the sake of good. And when that happened, they called on their most powerful 
ally, an ally stronger than any army. They called on their father in Heaven, 
Duo. If that time comes for you, He will give you the strength of ten thousand 
armies, and send the enemies of good into the fires of Hell. Keep your faith 
in Him, Duo, and you will never, ever be weak." 

Tears, then, from the exhaustion of far too many battles and far too few years. 
And the warm, strong comfort of deep black cloth that I bury my face in...
blackness that lets me hide until I can be stronger...

The blackness of Deathscythe's chest looks to me like it's swallowed all the 
light in the room. It's dark, so dark, and more beautiful than I could ever 
imagine. The stern samurai face looks out toward space, unconcerned with us 
mere mortals down here. 

"You and me, man." I whisper. "We're going to make space dust out of those 
Specials." Deathscythe is silent, but I know we're both cool with this - as 
sure as if that massive head had nodded it's agreement. "You see," I whisper, 
"I had these friends..." I tell gundam my story as last-minute preparations 
are made; about parents I never knew, about Solo, about Father Maxwell and 
Sister Helen and all those people who were in the Church when the Specials 
came. I tell it why my hair will always be long, and why I'm doing what I'm 
about to do. And I sense that something in the huge machine responds. Before 
I can even think about it, my head is bowed and I am praying. 

I believe you're in there somewhere, God, behind the alloy and the circuits -
 the Father of all Fathers. I'm asking for your help. And I stand here below 
you, your humble servant, ready to fight your battles. Your small, but 
eternal, grim reaper...

 

xoxox owari xoxox

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