-Part 4-

Disclaimers: Again, I own absolutely nothing.

Notes: When this part starts, Kazuki's already on her next mission, which is the investigation of the Wing Zero's crash into the sea. (Well, they don't know it's really a Gundam yet.) She's gonna meet Duo, too, in the fight against the Cancer and Pisces suits. I'll also speed up the next part, where Duo first meets Heero.

~*~*~*~

"It's so dark...." Kazuki murmured as she scanned the dark, underwater landscape. "How am I supposed to find anything down here?" she asked the Phoenix, receiving no answer, of course.

Last night's confrontation still stuck out in her mind, and Josh and the other 'Strikers had told her to be wary, as there would most likely be others interested in the mysterious object. The Alliance, under the influences of Oz, had told the newspapers and media that it had been a meteor, but it was more than likely that they didn't believe that themselves.

There was no sign of anything except darkness and the occasional fish swimming past, and Kazuki was getting more than a bit frustrated. Then she reminded herself of the task at hand, and her complaints faded away. She finally turned on the 'night vision' option and found that it was far easier to see, even if there was actually not much to be seen, except for...

"It's just... like mine." she whispered as she gazed at the immense mobile suit in front of her.

Despite the color differences and some small variations in the weapons systems, the other Gundam she now saw in front of her was almost exactly like her own. However, Kazuki had very little time to dwell on it, as she was suddenly alerted of an attack from behind her. Two aquatic mobile suits had come out of the darkness and her computer picked up two more; both that she could see were armed to the teeth in missiles and other such underwater weapons. Almost instantly, she was ready to fight. With a quick prayer as to the thermal beam sword's effectiveness underwater, she punched the controls for activating it. Thankfully, it did work. Normally, Kazuki preferred to use the Omega Rifle or other long-range weapons in battle, as she had doubts in her own skills in the area of close-range fighting, but down here, it was likely that those weapons would not work.

Switching on the communication systems, she addressed the two other mobile suits she could see with a clear and ominous message, "Please surrender immediately and disable your weapons now or prepare to be attacked."

In response, both suits opened fire, aiming missiles that Kazuki easily dodged, not that their weapons would have done much damage to the Gundanium alloy that protected her Phoenix suit. With a soft sigh and a heavy heart, she prepared to fight back. Only two of them to one of her, it would be a quick battle with only one possible conclusion. I'm sorry... she thought as she launched her own assault.

With one leap of the Phoenix, she was almost right on top of the suit that her computers confirmed to be a Pisces class mobile suit. A quick, downward thrust of the beam sword and it was all over for the unfortunate pilot within. Something inside her told her that it was wrong to kill, as it always did when she fought, but Kazuki went on fighting, fully intent on destroying the Cancer suit too. This one was a little harder to destroy, as she no longer had the element of surprise on her side. It fired another round of missiles at her, which almost missed the Phoenix, but not quite, hitting it in the arm holding the beam sword, surprising Kazuki enough to slow her down for nearly ten seconds. It took her two tries to get the Cancer, but on the second wide slash, she succeeded in slicing it in half. Now where were the other two?

~*~*~*~

Duo Maxwell, pilot of the Gundam Deathscythe was also investigating the mysterious crash. What he saw was a Gundam suit very similar to his own in design, as he put it "Even the self-destruct mechanism is in the same place."

He didn't have much more time to contemplate it though, because at that moment he was attacked by two aquatic mobile suits. Oz, his sworn enemy had arrived, and they would soon know the folly of taking on the Shinigami in battle...

Activating his thermal energy scythe, his favorite of the Deathscythe's weapons, he jumped into battle. The pitiful missiles they aimed at him barely affected his attack. One, two... With two quick slashes they had been finished off. Then, with his scythe he deactivated the self-destruct mechanism of the mysterious Gundam. "No use in wasting a good Gundam."

He would have left then, but another mobile suit came out of the underwater shadows, this one also much like his own. "Identify yourself." he ordered over the comm. system.

"..." A long silence, than the mystery pilot replied, "You first, but I'd suggest we get to the surface first. It's quite easy to be surprised down here, because it's so dark."

"Fine then..." Duo said, not quite sure of how to respond, ", but if you attack me..." he let his words hand ominously in the air.

"I won't if you won't." the other pilot assured him, although the Deathscythe pilot wasn't sure if he was trustworthy, but he decided to try his luck.

Of course I'll have to pay attention and be alert. You've known a lot of people you couldn't trust. Duo thought to himself, as they headed for the ocean's surface, his Deathscythe holding the other mysterious Gundam suit. But if that pilot attacks, he'll find himself at the mercy of Shinigami.

When they actually got close to the surface, the mystery pilot was the first to jump out of the mystery Gundam onto the dock. It was a girl. "WHAAAT THE H-" Duo couldn't stop himself from exclaiming, this was definitely not what he had expected, at any rate.

Who he saw was a girl, an inch or so shorter than he was, who seemed to be maybe fourteen of fifteen. She was actually very pretty, with a seemingly delicate build, and her blue-green eyes were as cold as ice. Her long gold-blond hair was tied into two rather childish unbraided pigtails. Duo also got out of his Gundam. Both pilots were silent for a moment, as if they were sizing each other up.

"Hey kid, I'm Duo, Duo Maxwell." he finally said, deciding that he could trust her just a bit. "That's Deathscythe." he said gesturing toward the water from which his suit would rise any moment now.

"..." she was silent for a moment, but then she replied softly, "then, Duo-san, I'm Kazuki, Kazuki North Seikage. My Gundam is the Phoenix."

~*~*~*~

Kazuki glanced at the other pilot, her eyes narrowing. He looked at least a little bit older than she was, and he had a long braid of dark brown hair, and brown eyes. He was dressed in black, while she was dressed in a white T-shirt, forest green jacket, and denim shorts. He was also taller than she was. All in all, he looked more the part of Gundam pilot than she did.

Neither Kazuki or Duo had much time to contemplate this new complication however, and there was another unusual scene playing out at the docks of the United Earth Alliance navy base. Two guesses as to who one of the main instigators of that other situation was. Yes, once again, to Kazuki's dismay, Heero Yuy was again being very suspicious.

He was now dressed in a very spartan fashion, in a dull green tank top and black shorts, and he had a gun aimed at another person. Relena Darlian, if she remembered correctly. However, the other pilot she had just met had been able to react much faster to this situation, "Okay mister, just drop the gun nice and easy."

Heero glanced at him, or rather at the water behind him; the Deathscythe had risen completely out of the ocean, carrying the mystery mobile suit with it. Then, the other boy charged, surprising Duo. Two shots were fired at him, but Heero Yuy didn't seem to feel those shots at all, and managed to knock Duo down. Then, she realized that that hadn't been his main objective, as she noticed what the Deathscythe pilot had been standing in front of. Missiles... the impact tolerance of Gundanium... he's insane! Putting two and two together, she realized quickly who the pilot of the other Gundam was. He wants to destroy the evidence that he was ever here...

Apparently Duo Maxwell had also realized Heero's suicidal intentions. "HEY! My Gundam's over there too!"

As he activated the missiles that sped toward the Wing Zero, Kazuki also noticed that he was standing much too close to the imminent explosion, at the same time as Relena. "HEERO!" the other girl called out before the explosion drowned out all other noise.

~*~*~*~

A few hours later, Duo had disappeared with both the Wing Zero and Deathscythe, Heero had been sent to a military hospital courtesy of Relena, and Kazuki had returned 'home', to the abandoned aircraft bunker she had been told to go to, where she could hide her Gundam.

"Hey, Tiny." was Nagi and Sarah's greeting, while Josh muttered something that sounded just vaguely like 'hello'.

"I'm not that short any more, you know." Kazuki said, smiling a little at the all too familiar nickname referring affectionately to her less than optimal height in the past. The memories they had came back as she glanced at an old photograph from A.C.190, sighing wistfully. On a backdrop of blooming cherry trees were five children.

"Ryan!" a thirteen year-old Sarah called as she ran toward Ryan, Nagi and Josh following closely behind.

Suddenly the picture frame toppled off the shelf, falling toward the tile floor. Instinctively Kazuki reached for it, even though she knew she would not catch it in time. It didn't shatter though, landing facedown on the ground instead; and they could only see that one large shard of glass had fallen away.

Finally, Sarah spoke, as the younger girl picked up the frame, "Well, I guess it's true that they don't make frames the way they used to. Believe me, I break plenty all the time... Remember when I broke the picture Murakami-sensei's family last month?"

"Ow!" a bleeding gash opened up on her hand as she dropped the frame again,although this time it landed face up.

"Are you all right?" Josh asked quietly as he got up, "Nagi can clean it up, I'll get the first aid kit."

"Hey! Hmph... Well, that is the longest sentence I've heard him say in quite a while. Indeed, 'Nagi can clean it up!' always so annoying." the other boy muttered as he swept up the glass.

Kazuki cast the picture frame a sidelong glance as Josh wrapped a bandage around her cut hand. Most of it was still intact, except it was kind of strange. Only a piece that had been over Ryan's face in the photo had broken off. The offending piece of glass was still on the ground, stained red with her blood.

As her thoughts wandered over this strange site, she had a thought, albeit an impossible one. Does this mean he'll hurt me in the future? That was impossible, though, because Ryan was dead, whether they liked it or not. She quickly dismissed the ominous thought, and let herself think about other things.

End Part 4

Notes: Finally done with Part 4! ^_^ Hitori has been lazy, hasn't she?