"Sally! I'm relieved that you and Wufei are here!" Bruno Tsaku said, extending a hand out to her.
She took his hand but found herself in his embrace, resting her head momentarily on his shoulder. A loud "Ahem" could be heard and Sally looked up into Bruno's face. He smiled fondly at her and then released Sally. Wufei grumbled about something but wasn't audible.
"Glad to be here, Bruno. Now what's this thing that you've found?"
Bruno's eyes lightened at the mention of his discovery, and he took her hand again. He began to lead her away, and Sally looked back to Wufei.
"Wufei, come on!" Sally said as Bruno took her further away.
Wufei stared stonily into thin air, where Sally had used to be. He sighed and decided to "follow them in case those bakas and that onna get into trouble." A few minutes of a hot hike and a break later, they came upon a clearing in front of a temple. There were already a few men stationed at what seemed like an opening at the very bottom of the temple.
Bruno greeted the others and took a torch for himself and Sally as they entered the temple.
"Wow, is this thing real?" Sally asked, touching the walls.
"You'll see soon enough," Bruno said with a troubled smile.
Wufei entered the temple with a torch, looking about him. He snorted disgustedly as he saw Sally and Bruno, who was still holding Sally's hand, make a turn. This shouldn't bother me so much, Wufei thought. Whoever said it was bothering me?! His ego came into play and he followed behind them. More minutes passed by as they finally came to a stop. Before them was a very huge and empty room. Adorned on the walls were torches and relics. There standing in the middle of the room was a 17-meter high statue, Sally observed to herself.
"Unveil the terror!" Bruno said.
Much to her surprise, and Wufei's surprise who reached them as Bruno dictated the order, stood a gleaming
"A new type of mobile suit?" Sally asked herself.
Wufei's eyes grew wide at what his eyes saw. It couldn't be… they must be here for war, he thought.
Bruno shook his head and contacted someone on his vid talkie. Wufei paced around the machine slowly, surely, skillfully. Sally watched this ceremony of pilot and machine, taking a note that Wufei was graceful as a cat the way he moved. Like his presence was going to disturb this image, this machine's ability, if he didn't circle it the way that thing deserved.
He tapped lightly at the leg, listening to its music chime and echo throughout the room. He felt a giddy chill enrapture his soul, as if something long gone ago had just woken up. The machine stood tall and proud, a large blue cape cascading from its shoulder. It had a shield attached to its left arm, and as he observed closer, noticed a beam saber protruding from its back. He walked quietly to the right side, surprised to see no hand of any kind. Instead of a hand, there was a barrel of sort attached to it, six holes shining.
Wufei thought twice about peering inside those holes, and his better judgement won. He stuck a finger in the closest hole and felt around. Wufei drew his finger out as he brushed it against something sharp. Wufei stuck his bloody finger in his mouth, easing the pain. He took his torch and held it up, a bright gleaming metallic metal shining in his eyes.
"What is this machine's weapons? To what purpose does it serve to be placed on Earth?" Wufei asked out loud.
"We've been trying to figure that out ever since we found this place. The weird thing is," Bruno said, holding his breath a bit, "is that this temple isn't real. It's as if this thing had set it up, to hide it from everyone and only accessible by the person who sent it."
"This is a surprising mixture of iron, steel, titanium, and gundanium," Bruno said.
"WHAT?! Gundanium? How could that be? I thought all mines processing that metal had been suspended of further operation!" Wufei nearly shouted, his mind working overtime to process any information that would help unravel some strings from this ball of mystery.
"To my knowledge and what Lady Ann has told me, there should be four more."
"This sounds eerily familiar, Wufei," Sally said.
"It does, but where's the pilot at, huh?" Wufei retorted.
"We don't know if it's operated by man or controled by man from outside," Bruno said.
"Much help that is," Wufei said.
Bruno didn't want to start anything with this headstrong and stubborn man, so he said nothing. Sally wondered too, about this, but kept it in her mind.
"We could try and destroy this machine," Sally said thoughtfully.
"With what, woman?" Wufei asked irritably.
"The explosives we always have on board our shuttle!"
"We don't have that kind of time for that! Should have thought ahead about bringing things like that! Whoever sent it here could come for it at any given time. And we won't be prepared!" Wufei sputtered.
"Oh, so now what! Are you blaming me for not taking it along with us? What about you, huh? Have you ever thought about that yourself?!" Sally shouted at him, loosing control.
Bruno looked back and forth at the two, a sweatdrop appearing on his forehead.
"We can keep any intruders away for some time, we have enough ammo for that," Bruno said, "You guys can head back to your shuttle and get whatever necessary thing to blow the machine sky high for all I care," Bruno said, silencing the arguing couple.
Wufei contemplated for a second, knowing that this was the best plan offered at the moment. Sally looked intently at Wufei, then back at Bruno.
"Alright," Wufei muttered, "let's go now."
"Okay," Sally said.
Bruno walked them out and into the sun. Sally reversed the directions on the track device. Bruno went up to her and gave her a hug, kissing her cheek ever so slightly. No one saw Wufei's eyes bug out, for he was standing behind the tree, trying to avoid everyone else. Sally broke away and surprise was etched in her eyes.
"I'll be waiting, Sally. No matter how long it takes you," Bruno said, and with a final wave, he joined his comrades out in the field, near the fake temple.
Wufei closed his eyes as Sally came near, and flinched as she softly tugged at his shirt.
"We must go now, Wufei, and get this thing over with," Sally said, charging ahead.
Wufei got an uneasy feeling of the events coming ahead of them.