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kaigouShattered: gwing analysis, eps 6 & 7
First, to get a minor detail out of the way, in terms of bad translations. While watching episode 7, it dawned on me that when Duo says to Heero (after joining him in the stolen shuttle), "I won't screw up this mission," that I couldn't think of an instance where Duo had done so. Checking the fansubs, the amateur translation lists the line as, "You don't want to screw up this mission, do you?" The fact that American companies insist on matching the lip-flaps is no excuse for such shoddy work, I say. And it does make a difference; Duo making that comment is hitting a sore spot for Heero, since so far he's 2-1, with his first mission being a failure, while Duo is 3-0, from what's been shown on-screen.
If the previous episodes set everything up, this is where it falls apart (for some) and comes together (for others). Beginning with Relena's return to earth--and her hounding by journalists--she's already being expected to take on some of her father's role. Ignoring the hyperbole endemic in anime (she's fifteen, for cryin' out loud), I get the impression Darlian's role is semi-inherited. It would certainly follow, given the emphasis in this world on aristocratic role models.
I'll begin with Heero's shattering, in these two episodes. One of the things that struck me the hardest when watching the first time (and again this time) is the moment where the kids are getting ready for the ball. He's watching from an upstairs window (high up, isolated) and he frowns at first, seeing them. This is consistent with his disdain for Relena's classmates, like when he fenced with one of her suitors. But then, even as he says, "I'm not involved"--which I take to mean, he's not involved with the issues they find so important, like dances or classes--he makes a little half-grunt, and a crooked smile. He seems both regretful, and amused at his own momentary longing, and it's a bit clearer then that his words are more to convince himself than because they're absolutely true and carry no doubt.
When Relena finds him, she pulls no punches. Her impulsivity continues, yes, but she's got a plan, and even with her limited information she's determined to find out more. Her curiosity is set up in direct contrast to Heero's willingness to avoid/ignore. Staring down the barrel of his gun, once again she gets proof he won't shoot her; if he were determined to kill her, he'd find a way regardless of her insistence that doing so would raise more questions. Based on J's words in the previous episode, I can't believe that Heero wouldn't know sixteen ways to kill her and make it look like a natural death, or to hide her body, and so on. Once again, he demonstrates that he'd rather threaten, and let the intimidation do the work rather than outright killing if it's avoidable.
While contemplating Heero's behavior, I couldn't help but think of the Alliance officers, speaking later in the two episodes. They're not just blooded; they're long-time, older, warriors who have been fighting for possibly twenty years now. That's a damn long time for an occupation, and a lot of loss. They're more than willing to find another way to solve the issues at hand, and it's as though they've gone past the point of accepting sacrifices to the point of being tired of having to make those sacrifices. They can see the costs are too high for the gains, and given Heero's actions, I wonder if we're supposed to see the distinction between the other Gundam pilots--experienced fighters with several missions under their belts--and his reluctance, due to his longer experience and general malaise with the debt and weight such actions bring.
Alternately, one could read his actions as that of just a reluctant kid, with a bit more heart. But Sally's list of injuries is extensive, in the hospital: over two hundred broken (if healed) injuries. Heero, we are to conclude, has been through hell. The other Gundam pilots are entering it, but he's buried deep in the heart and trying to find his way free.
This is where Relena begins the shattering process for Heero, although she's not the only one. When she invites him to join the party--whether she knows it or not (and she's a smart enough cookie, certainly perceptive enough that she just might)--she's giving him a chance to do what he secretly wished he could. Meanwhile, she's dumped the barest of information on him, but it's enough to throw him off-balance.
The next shots, of the two of them dancing, and we get Heero's look of shock again. It's not his look of wonder, in which the brows are lower though the eyes are opened wide; his eyebrows are raised just as much, and his mouth is open a tiny bit. He's completely and totally bewildered, and has no idea what's going on. Her calm words just throw him even more; when she tells him they're fighting on the same side, his response is a clear struggle both in tone and expression. He can't manage a convincing turn-down. He's too busy just trying to process what the hell is happening.
I know some use this point as the starry-eyed beginnings of twu wuv for Heero, but I don't think he's even close to that. He's more giving her a look like he's not sure whether she's a bomb that'll explode any minute when he could've sworn she was a girl, or like she's grown a third eyeball on the end of her nose. Heero has flexibility in adapting to mission changes, yes, but this scene illustrates just how little experience he has when it comes to the more subtle nuances of human interaction. Not even close to his forte.
Une attacks the school, and while we know she's gunning for Relena, Heero doesn't know this, and neither does Relena. Quite often I've seen the assumption, in discussions of the Heero-Relena dynamic, that Heero feels protective of her, and this scene is listed as earliest evidence. The problem is that he doesn't know Une's objective, and in fact assumes it's him. Why would the Specials be after Relena? Heero even says out loud that the Specials cargo jet is there because they know his location, and takes off for the fight.
Once again we reach another crux, where Heero is both fighting off the Specials, and battling with himself over whether he should kill Relena. His orders are to remove obstacles, as he states later in the series, so the real question is whether Relena is an obstacle. She'd just told him she's aware of his purpose, and is an ally. He doesn't realize Une was trying to kill Relena, so it doesn't occur to him that if he'd laid low and left the party, the Specials wouldn't have engaged him in battle. For all intents and purposes, to him, Relena is still an innocent bystander with no position in the game; as such, her death would only be of gain to him, and no one else. If she's willing to work with him (even if this consists only of keeping her trap shut about his other identity), then the cards are balanced between life and death: he gains silence by her death, but she's offering the same if she lives.
Really, for all Heero's repeatedly verbalized that she must die, when the chips are down, he finds the decision unbelievably hard because it's his own decision. At no point have we seen him get the mission: kill Relena. So that means this is a moment where he must consider a rather general rule, remove obstacles, and decide whether that applies in this instance. He can't. While watching, I remember that tired line, "guns don't kill people, people do." Heero is a weapon; this has been reinforced through a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle scenes in the first five episodes. As the metaphorical gun, he can't pull the trigger on his own. The problem for Heero is that he's not sure whether this is a good thing, or a bad thing; his self-image rests on assessing a failure or success.
The reason I specify that Heero, as the weapon, falters when making his own decisions, is because of the scenes interspersing with his private argument about whether to protect Relena--which he does, instinctively, from the falling building--or to let her die. The other major scene going on at the same time is Une, whipping her men into going after Relena, and she's just as desperate (if lower key) as Heero to complete her perceived mission, and insistent she won't fail. Yet after Heero decimates the five mobile suits, Treize contacts Une, telling her to withdraw. And he very specifically tells her, "do not think of this as a failure." It's a pointed remark, but more so when I think of Heero's concept that withdrawing from engagement counts as failure. Treize absolves Une of failure; no one is there to do the same for Heero.
Now, for the political aspect, as we shift into episode 7. Treize appears on his grand estate again, and we see him releasing two birds into the air while hearing a voiceover of his conversation with Une. In a comment I'd missed the first time, Treize observes that the Gundams have only attacked Specials installations (which, bearing in mind their work as production, means the Gundams are attacking his financial base, as well). The Gundams, in fact, are not targeting the Alliance except when they get in the way (such as Bonaparte); their target is much more specific than I'd realized when I watched the first time. It's OZ, and Treize.
When the Alliance generals gather to discuss the current earth-sphere situation, Treize is supremely confident that things will go as planned, but they don't. Part of this, I gathered this time around, is due to the undercurrent of tension emphasized earlier between the regular army and the Specials.
We've seen the colony leaders insist they want peace, and would not attack Earth, which delineates that the Gundams are acting on orders external/independent to the colonies' authorities, although they seem to believe (or were told) that they come bearing the colonies' vengeance. We've also seen that the regular army considers the Specials to be bloodthirsty and hankering for a fight where one might be avoided. Noventa's words in the meeting make it clear the army is not clueless about the cost, time, and effort required to continue a fight, and even Septem acknowledges this reality.
It can't be lost on the Alliance leaders that the Gundams are targeting OZ. It'd be rather obvious, really. They have no problem discounting the Gundams' attacks, therefore, and offering negotiations to the colonies (who have also verbalized wanting such), because the Gundams are doing their work for them. Treize was counting on the Gundams to scare the Alliance officers into a defensive position, and calling for increased military force to respond; he wasn't counting on the Alliance's distaste for his branch to be greater than their fear of the Gundams.
At that point, Treize must think fast, although he's aided by the Gundams' belief of his 'leaked' misinformation. Had Treize not intervened, it's possible the Alliance officers would have reached out with a white flag of truce, asking for a chance to negotiate. They're certainly at that point. It's worth noting that Septem asks several times, "what about the Gundams?" but is brushed aside by the others, and near the end seems to concede to the general consensus. I take this to mean the Alliance leaders are designating a line in the sand: the Gundams come as non-official fighters, to tackle someone the Alliance wants gone anyway. Let them fight, and meanwhile the Alliance will make peace with the colonies, and the two fringe groups can blow each other to bits.
Of course, it doesn't play out that way, and we get the fourth and fifth instance of shattering in the two episodes. The third, I'd posit, is a minimal crack, but it's an important one. On the way to the New Edwards Base, Duo and Heero share a shuttle. (Note also that when Heero disarms the guards, he takes them down bare-handed; once again, so far, he's yet to kill anyone not in a mobile suit.) The official translations, again, carry a note of Heero's disapproval towards Duo, as if Duo is already a screw-up in some way we've not seen. The fansub translations have a different nuance, in which Heero and Duo give us a bit of exposition--"this is our chance to level OZ, once and for all!"--but they're much more in agreement. Heero simply confirms for himself that Duo understands the importance, and Duo's not ruffled in the least that Heero is checking.
Then, though, Duo says, "after this is done, I can go home," (in the fansub version, he says, "we'll be able to go home") and stares up through the window, pleased. Heero's look, on the other hand, is somewhere between confused and somewhat exasperated. He's hitting the end of his rope, it seems, when it comes to unpredictable people. He just doesn't get Duo, and it's clear in his puzzled scowl.
Moving tangentially, one of the complaints I've heard from long-term Gundam fans is the fact that Gundam Wing is a 'super-Gundam' series. In the main U.C. Gundam series, a Gundam is a class of mecha, and not necessarily one that stands head and shoulders and torso above mobile suits. The Gundam Watch lists kill rates for pilots in all Gundam series, as observed and recorded by fans. The pilots from GW have kill rates, over forty-nine episodes, in the triple digits. Trowa clocks in at 157, Heero at 133, Wufei at 108. Quatre has a score of 105, and Duo at 100. Zechs comes in at 98; the next GW pilot listed is Noin, with 20. Scrolling down, the Gundam pilots from the UC are twenty or fewer kills. That's an unbelievable contrast, which to me says--going completely tangential now--that the enemy aren't really the focus in this series. They're just not a challenge to these Gundams.
That said, the New Edwards battle is one of the more vicious. At least three times we see Wing being slammed, tossed about, and generally taking a beating. Up until now, their missions seem to have consisted of getting in, leveling everything, and easily moving away. Little can challenge them, with the exception of Trowa running out of ammo when facing the Specials. Even then, he proved a formidable foe with his blade-attachment. New Edwards is a completely different battle; Heero and Duo find themselves completely out-ranked and out-flanked.
Treize's duplicity in putting the Alliance officers in an OZ-marked shuttle is foreshadowed, actually. Earlier, he and Une had been discussing the successful misinformation scheme, and he turns to stare at the golden lion, which appears to be OZ's insignia. The camera rests on that point for a good several seconds before starting the next scene, but it wasn't until Treize appears to have to think fast, and I saw the golden lion emblazoned on the plane that it dawned on me that no, he didn't think fast. He had that as a back-up plan all along. Not only is Treize willing to sacrifice living humans to his cause, but the destruction of property doesn't bother him, either, which harks back to his lack of interest in the Alliance reprimand for letting Zechs ditch the Leo.
The two shattering points at the end of episode 7 are some of the best-known. There's Heero's reaction when he finds out he's just killed all the Alliance 'doves' who had been planning to negotiate peace. But there's also Relena's reaction, which echoes his. She's at home--domestic scene--and putting flowers in a vase, an ornamental act done solely for the purpose of beauty. When she hears the news, she bumps the vase, which falls to the ground. The screen goes black and then we hear the sound of breaking ceramic. Her superficial, pretty illusions about Heero and his 'goodness' have just been shattered, as much as Heero's illusions about the rightness of his choice. The illusion they've lost is the belief that they could make the right choice based on their limited information.
Seeing Heero's Gundam on screen, Relena's forced to realize that he does kill, and quite thoroughly, and not just against attacking mobile suits. Heero, meanwhile, is facing the same choice as he did with Relena: in the absence of specific targeting orders, is he capable of making the right choice? He was told to attack OZ, but his target was the base, and not a specific plane taking off. He acted impulsively, on his own, leaving the other Gundams behind to strike out, and his choice will have irreparable consequences. Where Relena's idealism and naivete are shattered, Heero's faith in himself is now equally ruined.
While all this is going on, there's a second plot running concurrent, which Treize had arranged ahead of time. Once again, Zechs uses duplicity to achieve his ends, telling the Nairobi base that they're on training maneuvers. (It's also worth noting that Une arranged for him to be at that base, which Treize remarks is a less important base, implying possibly that Zechs might be of more use at a more tactically worthwhile location. Une has apparently maneuvered to put Zechs in a less worthwhile position--while she'll be at Treize's side, in the thick of things--and Treize seems aware of it but unconcerned, accepting her explanation. Again, he uses their competition--however one-sided it seems so far, mostly from Une--to his advantage.)
Noin, who's been identified as preferentially pacifist by both herself and Zechs, accompanies Zechs, and assures him she's perfectly willing to do battle. Zechs, on the other hand, doesn't seem too thrilled with the whole situation. In fact, his thoughts can be pretty much summed up with: "we'll welcome the new boss, same as the old boss." Zechs doesn't appear ignorant of the hypocrisy, either: Noin is willing to go against her beliefs to support him, but his support of Treize in turn doesn't reflect that. He's doing it because it's orders, not because he's necessarily embraced Treize's grand plan.
Even when Zechs is done talking to the soldiers after the Specials' coup is complete, he remarks, rather dryly, "well, that didn't go too badly." Almost as if, had they been beaten back, he wouldn't have been too surprised, either. He's definitely a bit along for the ride, and it's a side of his personality I simply hadn't noted before: he's aware of his limited power, he's aware of the essential emptiness he feels when it comes to the orders he follows, and he's even somewhat cynically aware that he's manipulating pawns as easily as Treize does to him.
And speaking of Treize, there are a number of notes in these two episodes that are actually rather chilling, for all that he's often labeled as an 'honorable man' by parts of the fandom. First, he releases the birds, while talking to Une. These aren't representative of characters, though it could be argued they're foreshadowing on his treatment toward Zechs and Une later, but the important detail is that the birds come back. Treize regards them with a satisfied smile, as if he fully expected this: "You're happier here, aren't you?" He honestly believes that people, things, creatures, are happier when in captivity, when given rules and boundaries. His position is of the god-blessed king, who rules by divine right. The birds' return is just one more piece of evidence that his benevolent dictatorship is giving creatures what they truly want.
Another chilling point, for me, is his disregard for Darlian's assassination. While Une is busy trying to cover her tracks and make up for her failure to take out the witness--Relena--to her acts, Treize counts Darlian's death as the necessary beginning of a new era. Again with the cycles: Heero Yuy's asssassination began twenty years of martial law; Darlian's assassination might be, in Treize's perspective, the next step upward, going from occupation to all-out war.
For this reason, the translation of Une's words before shooting Septem ("We can't have bloodstains in Mr. Treize's wake") doesn't ring true. After all, he's indirectly responsible for a crapload of blood already. In the fansub, she says, "I can't have your blood anywhere near Treize," which sounds more like she's willing to do the dirty work so Treize doesn't have to. Next image: Treize elsewhere in the plane, looking satisfied with himself. Everything is going according to his grand plan.
This is where the contrast really came home for me, between Treize and his two subordinates. Treize is not truly a blooded leader. He's intellectually and geographically separated from the action. We constantly see Zechs out and about, at this military installation or that one, or in a military cargo plane or submarine, on the front lines, as it were.
Une is closer to Treize, acting as buffer at the same time she's providing vicarious blooded-state, like Zechs. One is subtle manipulation; the other, a sledgehammer, but both separate Treize from the position of actually making a decision on who lives or dies. He doesn't even say, "kill Darlian," he says, "do something about Darlian." He doesn't tell Une, "don't kill Relena," but "withdraw from this fight." He's the chess-master, but the lack of direct battlefield experience, based on the contrasts with other characters, seems to be possibly the main reason for his disregard for life except as an intellectual pursuit.
The first lesson of Gundam Wing is already coming down the pipe: those who lead from afar do not understand the true costs of war, and may even let war linger because to them, soldiers and weaponry are all statistics, not a reality.
It's important to keep in mind that the original creator of Gundam Wing has, in all his Gundam and non-Gundam series, continued to harp on one continuing theme: war is bad. From what I understand, however (and I could be wrong), G-Wing was the first Gundam series to raise the spectre of total pacifism as one solution. G-Wing was created in the first half of the nineties, broadcast in '95, at a point when Japan was beginning to question its externally-enforced position as a pacifist nation.
With the plays on both Napoleonic imperialism and WWII themes, I wonder if Treize is an amalgamation of Napoleon--who constantly strove for more, and more, with apparently little care as to the cost in countrymen or resources--and Emporer Hirohito, who passed down proclamations from on-high but never went into battle himself. (Hopefully I'll remember to consider that later to see if the metaphor holds, once Treize becomes more of an active player, as opposed to moving vicariously through Une and Zechs.) About his demand that Une withdraw: it appears to be as a favor to Noin on behalf of Zechs, who's worried about his sister. But Treize seems altogether too calm and pleased about this, which makes me wonder if instead of thinking he's done an altruistic thing--let a young girl live who could potentially finger Une as her father's murderer--perhaps instead Treize is thinking, I have one more thing to hold over Zechs' head. Given his manipulation elsewhere, I wouldn't be surprised if the reason Zechs didn't speak to Treize directly is because he sees Treize as far more of a threat than Une, and her attempts to kill Relena.
The contrast for Treize, in these episodes, is actually Quatre. Twice we see him--and he's the only pilot we see doing this--at the computer actively seeking out the other g-pilots. He's proving to be as much of a big-picture person as Treize, but he also stands in contrast to Heero, who shies away from interaction. And in turn, Heero's reluctance towards Duo and Relena is presented as outright hostility in Trowa. Compare Quatre's scenes of seeking out the other pilots, and wondering what they're doing, with Duo's scene of only considering Heero and what he's doing. Quatre is focused on everyone; Duo on only those he knows.
Side-note on Duo's contemplations while with the Sweepers. First, oddly, this puts Duo, Trowa and Quatre in the same boat (so to speak), as each returns to a group rather than staying on his own, like Heero and Wufei. Again with the contrasts: Duo uses his 'gang' as martial support, fixing his Gundam and using their room & board; Trowa uses his group only for room & board. Quatre's group is there for room, board, military support, and emotional support. For Duo and Trowa, only one person appears to act as any kind of support, and even that is kept at arm's length--Howard, and Catherine. Duo's contemplations, in the official translation, are a bit more vague, but in the amateur translation, it's more pointed. The moon, from a colony, looks like a graveyard, but from earth it's a beautiful thing (which brings to mind Darlian's words to Relena, that the earth is a beautiful place when seen from space). The other thing that caught my eye, checking the fansub translations, is that Duo specifically comments on whether Heero has any soul to actually even notice the moon. If there's one line that seems to have left the biggest impression on Heero as an emotionless automaton, it might be directly traced to the fansubs' translation of Duo's remark that Heero doesn't have the 'something' required to see beauty around him.
I hadn't really thought so the first time, but Trowa's characterization is actually pretty consistent. He attacks Quatre when they first meet, taking the same view as Heero: everything in range is an enemy, even if they seem to be helping. In fact, Trowa himself isn't unlike the lion at the circus (and don't forget that OZ has a lion as its crest, harking to the Barton-OZ connection); the writers go so far as to have Catherine say outright that Trowa reminds her of the lion: staring possible death in the face and not really caring--not even wanting death, completely unafraid, and definitely not caring. Recall that Trowa stuck his hand in the lion's cage, saying if you aren't a threat, the animal will know it. Quatre does precisely the same thing to him: appears, offers a hand, and just waits. Trust isn't gained instantly, and any newcomers have to go through the same treatment as well. In this he echoes Duo's attitude, of token respect to those he's met, and disregard for all others.
It's when Quatre presses this connection that Trowa balks. In fact, when Quatre appears at the shipyard by Trowa's truck, Trowa's expression is downright nasty. That is not the look of someone pleased, but in fact someone who's thoroughly pissed-off. I'm not entirely convinced they spent the night in a hotel somewhere (as some in the fandom argue). It's possible, however, since they appear at the base together, and their interaction at New Edwards indicates somewhere along the line, the dynamic shifted back to Quatre's favor. I can only say, given the change in their interaction, that they did spend time together, and at least see each other as allies. Trowa's later behavior indicates this doesn't mean friendship, but he doesn't strike at Quatre, either.
Quatre, it's been shown, is not only a good leader but one who--like Treize--is able to demand a good amount of respect from his troops, the Maganacs. Unlike Treize, he goes off to fight by himself, preferring to have them stay behind rather than stand between him as a buffer. The contrast between Rashid's regret and mild annoyance (and respect) at this action is striking, laid against Zechs' almost tired/fatalistic acceptance of his orders on Treize's behalf. It's also the first time we're shown that Quatre will not ask others to do what he can do himself, and would do himself.
The combination of Quatre and Trowa is, in some ways, a strong alliance, but unlike Heero and Duo--who are based in competition--Trowa and Quatre seem to be coming from the position of partnership. Trowa's earlier remarks indicating he's familiar with staged battles by multiple fighters dovetails with Quatre's emphasis on seeing the Gundam pilots as a combined unit, despite not knowing but one of them. The interactions are also a nice setup: where Heero and Duo snap at each other, and don't seem to listen/reply or consider the other's input, Quatre is clearly running the show between him and Trowa. It may be more of Quatre's born-to-rule personality (echoing Relena's, but with more experience), but I couldn't help but note the way he speaks to Trowa. It's just something in his tone, that I can't put my finger on.
When Trowa first strikes, he says, "You're all bunched up!" -- meaning they're grouped closely together, fighting in-close, back-to-back. For Wing and Deathscythe, this is not a problem; both have close-in fighting capabilities. For Heavywarms, it's a major problem, because it means everyone's in his line of fire, friend and foe. Quatre's reaction of "they're just like us" implies he sees potential allies, while Duo sees the newcomers and asks whether they're OZ's newest models. Duo's assumption of enemy-until-proven-otherwise matches Trowa's reaction, so when Duo retaliates for the missile strike, Trowa is quick to respond, and essentially it becomes one big robot pissing contest. Despite Quatre's yells to cut it out, it's not until Wufei's arrival that the two break up.
Wufei becomes the counterbalance. With the two pairs set up--one for alliance, one for competition--he's the both the voice of reason and the vengeance-driven push for snapping out of shock (and chaos). Quatre looks for the big picture, but Wufei looks for the lines of manipulation. Wufei comes across as equally imperious, but it's a mildly annoyed expression he wears, too: in-fighting is a waste of time. Heero arrives at this point, just in time to hear Wufei's message. While Quatre is upset, and Duo is pissed, Heero is just floored. He goes into shock. Trowa has no verbal reaction, but his expression is flat, almost like he's buckling down, but it's open to interpretation whether he's mad at being played, or annoyed with the fact that Wufei's disdain is for the high emotions he and Duo were displaying; Wufei makes no bones about the fact that in his opinion, this makes them less than excellent soldiers (and more easily manipulated).
Compare this to Heero's attitude, in which in-fighting is a side effect of the distraction of working with others. Trowa and Duo, by their fight, come across as the ones who strike anything unknown, labelling it outsider and therefore enemy, which may speak to their pack mentalities. And in considering the 'pack' mentality, I'm struck by the fact that both Quatre and Heero, at various points, are revealed to come from isolated backgrounds, while Trowa (with the mercenaries) and Duo (with the Sweepers and earlier, his 'gang') are used to group-interactions.
It's possible, as WindsorBlue pointed out, that the fight between Trowa and Duo is related to their position as part of a newly-formed sub-gang, but on second and third thought, I don't think so. Trowa is still too uneasy around Quatre (let alone everyone else) to really have formed such a respect for Quatre. Duo may swing from begrudging respect to outright fascination with Heero, but he's still a bit too uncaring what happens to Heero except where it directly impacts Duo. I think it's more likely that we're to see Trowa and Duo as the most aggressive ones in the group, equally ready to go head-to-head at the drop of a hat.
As Tayles mentioned in her critique, Trowa and Duo are fighting for essentially a petty reason. When Wufei tells them to cut it out, he's quite blunt, calling it a "meaningless fight" but he means more than just the immediate fight; he also means the fact that they've been striking the serpent's tail instead of going for the head. He's determined to go after the serpent's head, and destroy OZ from the top.
First, to get a minor detail out of the way, in terms of bad translations. While watching episode 7, it dawned on me that when Duo says to Heero (after joining him in the stolen shuttle), "I won't screw up this mission," that I couldn't think of an instance where Duo had done so. Checking the fansubs, the amateur translation lists the line as, "You don't want to screw up this mission, do you?" The fact that American companies insist on matching the lip-flaps is no excuse for such shoddy work, I say. And it does make a difference; Duo making that comment is hitting a sore spot for Heero, since so far he's 2-1, with his first mission being a failure, while Duo is 3-0, from what's been shown on-screen.
If the previous episodes set everything up, this is where it falls apart (for some) and comes together (for others). Beginning with Relena's return to earth--and her hounding by journalists--she's already being expected to take on some of her father's role. Ignoring the hyperbole endemic in anime (she's fifteen, for cryin' out loud), I get the impression Darlian's role is semi-inherited. It would certainly follow, given the emphasis in this world on aristocratic role models.
I'll begin with Heero's shattering, in these two episodes. One of the things that struck me the hardest when watching the first time (and again this time) is the moment where the kids are getting ready for the ball. He's watching from an upstairs window (high up, isolated) and he frowns at first, seeing them. This is consistent with his disdain for Relena's classmates, like when he fenced with one of her suitors. But then, even as he says, "I'm not involved"--which I take to mean, he's not involved with the issues they find so important, like dances or classes--he makes a little half-grunt, and a crooked smile. He seems both regretful, and amused at his own momentary longing, and it's a bit clearer then that his words are more to convince himself than because they're absolutely true and carry no doubt.
When Relena finds him, she pulls no punches. Her impulsivity continues, yes, but she's got a plan, and even with her limited information she's determined to find out more. Her curiosity is set up in direct contrast to Heero's willingness to avoid/ignore. Staring down the barrel of his gun, once again she gets proof he won't shoot her; if he were determined to kill her, he'd find a way regardless of her insistence that doing so would raise more questions. Based on J's words in the previous episode, I can't believe that Heero wouldn't know sixteen ways to kill her and make it look like a natural death, or to hide her body, and so on. Once again, he demonstrates that he'd rather threaten, and let the intimidation do the work rather than outright killing if it's avoidable.
While contemplating Heero's behavior, I couldn't help but think of the Alliance officers, speaking later in the two episodes. They're not just blooded; they're long-time, older, warriors who have been fighting for possibly twenty years now. That's a damn long time for an occupation, and a lot of loss. They're more than willing to find another way to solve the issues at hand, and it's as though they've gone past the point of accepting sacrifices to the point of being tired of having to make those sacrifices. They can see the costs are too high for the gains, and given Heero's actions, I wonder if we're supposed to see the distinction between the other Gundam pilots--experienced fighters with several missions under their belts--and his reluctance, due to his longer experience and general malaise with the debt and weight such actions bring.
Alternately, one could read his actions as that of just a reluctant kid, with a bit more heart. But Sally's list of injuries is extensive, in the hospital: over two hundred broken (if healed) injuries. Heero, we are to conclude, has been through hell. The other Gundam pilots are entering it, but he's buried deep in the heart and trying to find his way free.
This is where Relena begins the shattering process for Heero, although she's not the only one. When she invites him to join the party--whether she knows it or not (and she's a smart enough cookie, certainly perceptive enough that she just might)--she's giving him a chance to do what he secretly wished he could. Meanwhile, she's dumped the barest of information on him, but it's enough to throw him off-balance.
The next shots, of the two of them dancing, and we get Heero's look of shock again. It's not his look of wonder, in which the brows are lower though the eyes are opened wide; his eyebrows are raised just as much, and his mouth is open a tiny bit. He's completely and totally bewildered, and has no idea what's going on. Her calm words just throw him even more; when she tells him they're fighting on the same side, his response is a clear struggle both in tone and expression. He can't manage a convincing turn-down. He's too busy just trying to process what the hell is happening.
I know some use this point as the starry-eyed beginnings of twu wuv for Heero, but I don't think he's even close to that. He's more giving her a look like he's not sure whether she's a bomb that'll explode any minute when he could've sworn she was a girl, or like she's grown a third eyeball on the end of her nose. Heero has flexibility in adapting to mission changes, yes, but this scene illustrates just how little experience he has when it comes to the more subtle nuances of human interaction. Not even close to his forte.
Une attacks the school, and while we know she's gunning for Relena, Heero doesn't know this, and neither does Relena. Quite often I've seen the assumption, in discussions of the Heero-Relena dynamic, that Heero feels protective of her, and this scene is listed as earliest evidence. The problem is that he doesn't know Une's objective, and in fact assumes it's him. Why would the Specials be after Relena? Heero even says out loud that the Specials cargo jet is there because they know his location, and takes off for the fight.
Once again we reach another crux, where Heero is both fighting off the Specials, and battling with himself over whether he should kill Relena. His orders are to remove obstacles, as he states later in the series, so the real question is whether Relena is an obstacle. She'd just told him she's aware of his purpose, and is an ally. He doesn't realize Une was trying to kill Relena, so it doesn't occur to him that if he'd laid low and left the party, the Specials wouldn't have engaged him in battle. For all intents and purposes, to him, Relena is still an innocent bystander with no position in the game; as such, her death would only be of gain to him, and no one else. If she's willing to work with him (even if this consists only of keeping her trap shut about his other identity), then the cards are balanced between life and death: he gains silence by her death, but she's offering the same if she lives.
Really, for all Heero's repeatedly verbalized that she must die, when the chips are down, he finds the decision unbelievably hard because it's his own decision. At no point have we seen him get the mission: kill Relena. So that means this is a moment where he must consider a rather general rule, remove obstacles, and decide whether that applies in this instance. He can't. While watching, I remember that tired line, "guns don't kill people, people do." Heero is a weapon; this has been reinforced through a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle scenes in the first five episodes. As the metaphorical gun, he can't pull the trigger on his own. The problem for Heero is that he's not sure whether this is a good thing, or a bad thing; his self-image rests on assessing a failure or success.
The reason I specify that Heero, as the weapon, falters when making his own decisions, is because of the scenes interspersing with his private argument about whether to protect Relena--which he does, instinctively, from the falling building--or to let her die. The other major scene going on at the same time is Une, whipping her men into going after Relena, and she's just as desperate (if lower key) as Heero to complete her perceived mission, and insistent she won't fail. Yet after Heero decimates the five mobile suits, Treize contacts Une, telling her to withdraw. And he very specifically tells her, "do not think of this as a failure." It's a pointed remark, but more so when I think of Heero's concept that withdrawing from engagement counts as failure. Treize absolves Une of failure; no one is there to do the same for Heero.
Now, for the political aspect, as we shift into episode 7. Treize appears on his grand estate again, and we see him releasing two birds into the air while hearing a voiceover of his conversation with Une. In a comment I'd missed the first time, Treize observes that the Gundams have only attacked Specials installations (which, bearing in mind their work as production, means the Gundams are attacking his financial base, as well). The Gundams, in fact, are not targeting the Alliance except when they get in the way (such as Bonaparte); their target is much more specific than I'd realized when I watched the first time. It's OZ, and Treize.
When the Alliance generals gather to discuss the current earth-sphere situation, Treize is supremely confident that things will go as planned, but they don't. Part of this, I gathered this time around, is due to the undercurrent of tension emphasized earlier between the regular army and the Specials.
We've seen the colony leaders insist they want peace, and would not attack Earth, which delineates that the Gundams are acting on orders external/independent to the colonies' authorities, although they seem to believe (or were told) that they come bearing the colonies' vengeance. We've also seen that the regular army considers the Specials to be bloodthirsty and hankering for a fight where one might be avoided. Noventa's words in the meeting make it clear the army is not clueless about the cost, time, and effort required to continue a fight, and even Septem acknowledges this reality.
It can't be lost on the Alliance leaders that the Gundams are targeting OZ. It'd be rather obvious, really. They have no problem discounting the Gundams' attacks, therefore, and offering negotiations to the colonies (who have also verbalized wanting such), because the Gundams are doing their work for them. Treize was counting on the Gundams to scare the Alliance officers into a defensive position, and calling for increased military force to respond; he wasn't counting on the Alliance's distaste for his branch to be greater than their fear of the Gundams.
At that point, Treize must think fast, although he's aided by the Gundams' belief of his 'leaked' misinformation. Had Treize not intervened, it's possible the Alliance officers would have reached out with a white flag of truce, asking for a chance to negotiate. They're certainly at that point. It's worth noting that Septem asks several times, "what about the Gundams?" but is brushed aside by the others, and near the end seems to concede to the general consensus. I take this to mean the Alliance leaders are designating a line in the sand: the Gundams come as non-official fighters, to tackle someone the Alliance wants gone anyway. Let them fight, and meanwhile the Alliance will make peace with the colonies, and the two fringe groups can blow each other to bits.
Of course, it doesn't play out that way, and we get the fourth and fifth instance of shattering in the two episodes. The third, I'd posit, is a minimal crack, but it's an important one. On the way to the New Edwards Base, Duo and Heero share a shuttle. (Note also that when Heero disarms the guards, he takes them down bare-handed; once again, so far, he's yet to kill anyone not in a mobile suit.) The official translations, again, carry a note of Heero's disapproval towards Duo, as if Duo is already a screw-up in some way we've not seen. The fansub translations have a different nuance, in which Heero and Duo give us a bit of exposition--"this is our chance to level OZ, once and for all!"--but they're much more in agreement. Heero simply confirms for himself that Duo understands the importance, and Duo's not ruffled in the least that Heero is checking.
Then, though, Duo says, "after this is done, I can go home," (in the fansub version, he says, "we'll be able to go home") and stares up through the window, pleased. Heero's look, on the other hand, is somewhere between confused and somewhat exasperated. He's hitting the end of his rope, it seems, when it comes to unpredictable people. He just doesn't get Duo, and it's clear in his puzzled scowl.
Moving tangentially, one of the complaints I've heard from long-term Gundam fans is the fact that Gundam Wing is a 'super-Gundam' series. In the main U.C. Gundam series, a Gundam is a class of mecha, and not necessarily one that stands head and shoulders and torso above mobile suits. The Gundam Watch lists kill rates for pilots in all Gundam series, as observed and recorded by fans. The pilots from GW have kill rates, over forty-nine episodes, in the triple digits. Trowa clocks in at 157, Heero at 133, Wufei at 108. Quatre has a score of 105, and Duo at 100. Zechs comes in at 98; the next GW pilot listed is Noin, with 20. Scrolling down, the Gundam pilots from the UC are twenty or fewer kills. That's an unbelievable contrast, which to me says--going completely tangential now--that the enemy aren't really the focus in this series. They're just not a challenge to these Gundams.
That said, the New Edwards battle is one of the more vicious. At least three times we see Wing being slammed, tossed about, and generally taking a beating. Up until now, their missions seem to have consisted of getting in, leveling everything, and easily moving away. Little can challenge them, with the exception of Trowa running out of ammo when facing the Specials. Even then, he proved a formidable foe with his blade-attachment. New Edwards is a completely different battle; Heero and Duo find themselves completely out-ranked and out-flanked.
Treize's duplicity in putting the Alliance officers in an OZ-marked shuttle is foreshadowed, actually. Earlier, he and Une had been discussing the successful misinformation scheme, and he turns to stare at the golden lion, which appears to be OZ's insignia. The camera rests on that point for a good several seconds before starting the next scene, but it wasn't until Treize appears to have to think fast, and I saw the golden lion emblazoned on the plane that it dawned on me that no, he didn't think fast. He had that as a back-up plan all along. Not only is Treize willing to sacrifice living humans to his cause, but the destruction of property doesn't bother him, either, which harks back to his lack of interest in the Alliance reprimand for letting Zechs ditch the Leo.
The two shattering points at the end of episode 7 are some of the best-known. There's Heero's reaction when he finds out he's just killed all the Alliance 'doves' who had been planning to negotiate peace. But there's also Relena's reaction, which echoes his. She's at home--domestic scene--and putting flowers in a vase, an ornamental act done solely for the purpose of beauty. When she hears the news, she bumps the vase, which falls to the ground. The screen goes black and then we hear the sound of breaking ceramic. Her superficial, pretty illusions about Heero and his 'goodness' have just been shattered, as much as Heero's illusions about the rightness of his choice. The illusion they've lost is the belief that they could make the right choice based on their limited information.
Seeing Heero's Gundam on screen, Relena's forced to realize that he does kill, and quite thoroughly, and not just against attacking mobile suits. Heero, meanwhile, is facing the same choice as he did with Relena: in the absence of specific targeting orders, is he capable of making the right choice? He was told to attack OZ, but his target was the base, and not a specific plane taking off. He acted impulsively, on his own, leaving the other Gundams behind to strike out, and his choice will have irreparable consequences. Where Relena's idealism and naivete are shattered, Heero's faith in himself is now equally ruined.
While all this is going on, there's a second plot running concurrent, which Treize had arranged ahead of time. Once again, Zechs uses duplicity to achieve his ends, telling the Nairobi base that they're on training maneuvers. (It's also worth noting that Une arranged for him to be at that base, which Treize remarks is a less important base, implying possibly that Zechs might be of more use at a more tactically worthwhile location. Une has apparently maneuvered to put Zechs in a less worthwhile position--while she'll be at Treize's side, in the thick of things--and Treize seems aware of it but unconcerned, accepting her explanation. Again, he uses their competition--however one-sided it seems so far, mostly from Une--to his advantage.)
Noin, who's been identified as preferentially pacifist by both herself and Zechs, accompanies Zechs, and assures him she's perfectly willing to do battle. Zechs, on the other hand, doesn't seem too thrilled with the whole situation. In fact, his thoughts can be pretty much summed up with: "we'll welcome the new boss, same as the old boss." Zechs doesn't appear ignorant of the hypocrisy, either: Noin is willing to go against her beliefs to support him, but his support of Treize in turn doesn't reflect that. He's doing it because it's orders, not because he's necessarily embraced Treize's grand plan.
Even when Zechs is done talking to the soldiers after the Specials' coup is complete, he remarks, rather dryly, "well, that didn't go too badly." Almost as if, had they been beaten back, he wouldn't have been too surprised, either. He's definitely a bit along for the ride, and it's a side of his personality I simply hadn't noted before: he's aware of his limited power, he's aware of the essential emptiness he feels when it comes to the orders he follows, and he's even somewhat cynically aware that he's manipulating pawns as easily as Treize does to him.
And speaking of Treize, there are a number of notes in these two episodes that are actually rather chilling, for all that he's often labeled as an 'honorable man' by parts of the fandom. First, he releases the birds, while talking to Une. These aren't representative of characters, though it could be argued they're foreshadowing on his treatment toward Zechs and Une later, but the important detail is that the birds come back. Treize regards them with a satisfied smile, as if he fully expected this: "You're happier here, aren't you?" He honestly believes that people, things, creatures, are happier when in captivity, when given rules and boundaries. His position is of the god-blessed king, who rules by divine right. The birds' return is just one more piece of evidence that his benevolent dictatorship is giving creatures what they truly want.
Another chilling point, for me, is his disregard for Darlian's assassination. While Une is busy trying to cover her tracks and make up for her failure to take out the witness--Relena--to her acts, Treize counts Darlian's death as the necessary beginning of a new era. Again with the cycles: Heero Yuy's asssassination began twenty years of martial law; Darlian's assassination might be, in Treize's perspective, the next step upward, going from occupation to all-out war.
For this reason, the translation of Une's words before shooting Septem ("We can't have bloodstains in Mr. Treize's wake") doesn't ring true. After all, he's indirectly responsible for a crapload of blood already. In the fansub, she says, "I can't have your blood anywhere near Treize," which sounds more like she's willing to do the dirty work so Treize doesn't have to. Next image: Treize elsewhere in the plane, looking satisfied with himself. Everything is going according to his grand plan.
This is where the contrast really came home for me, between Treize and his two subordinates. Treize is not truly a blooded leader. He's intellectually and geographically separated from the action. We constantly see Zechs out and about, at this military installation or that one, or in a military cargo plane or submarine, on the front lines, as it were.
Une is closer to Treize, acting as buffer at the same time she's providing vicarious blooded-state, like Zechs. One is subtle manipulation; the other, a sledgehammer, but both separate Treize from the position of actually making a decision on who lives or dies. He doesn't even say, "kill Darlian," he says, "do something about Darlian." He doesn't tell Une, "don't kill Relena," but "withdraw from this fight." He's the chess-master, but the lack of direct battlefield experience, based on the contrasts with other characters, seems to be possibly the main reason for his disregard for life except as an intellectual pursuit.
The first lesson of Gundam Wing is already coming down the pipe: those who lead from afar do not understand the true costs of war, and may even let war linger because to them, soldiers and weaponry are all statistics, not a reality.
It's important to keep in mind that the original creator of Gundam Wing has, in all his Gundam and non-Gundam series, continued to harp on one continuing theme: war is bad. From what I understand, however (and I could be wrong), G-Wing was the first Gundam series to raise the spectre of total pacifism as one solution. G-Wing was created in the first half of the nineties, broadcast in '95, at a point when Japan was beginning to question its externally-enforced position as a pacifist nation.
With the plays on both Napoleonic imperialism and WWII themes, I wonder if Treize is an amalgamation of Napoleon--who constantly strove for more, and more, with apparently little care as to the cost in countrymen or resources--and Emporer Hirohito, who passed down proclamations from on-high but never went into battle himself. (Hopefully I'll remember to consider that later to see if the metaphor holds, once Treize becomes more of an active player, as opposed to moving vicariously through Une and Zechs.) About his demand that Une withdraw: it appears to be as a favor to Noin on behalf of Zechs, who's worried about his sister. But Treize seems altogether too calm and pleased about this, which makes me wonder if instead of thinking he's done an altruistic thing--let a young girl live who could potentially finger Une as her father's murderer--perhaps instead Treize is thinking, I have one more thing to hold over Zechs' head. Given his manipulation elsewhere, I wouldn't be surprised if the reason Zechs didn't speak to Treize directly is because he sees Treize as far more of a threat than Une, and her attempts to kill Relena.
The contrast for Treize, in these episodes, is actually Quatre. Twice we see him--and he's the only pilot we see doing this--at the computer actively seeking out the other g-pilots. He's proving to be as much of a big-picture person as Treize, but he also stands in contrast to Heero, who shies away from interaction. And in turn, Heero's reluctance towards Duo and Relena is presented as outright hostility in Trowa. Compare Quatre's scenes of seeking out the other pilots, and wondering what they're doing, with Duo's scene of only considering Heero and what he's doing. Quatre is focused on everyone; Duo on only those he knows.
Side-note on Duo's contemplations while with the Sweepers. First, oddly, this puts Duo, Trowa and Quatre in the same boat (so to speak), as each returns to a group rather than staying on his own, like Heero and Wufei. Again with the contrasts: Duo uses his 'gang' as martial support, fixing his Gundam and using their room & board; Trowa uses his group only for room & board. Quatre's group is there for room, board, military support, and emotional support. For Duo and Trowa, only one person appears to act as any kind of support, and even that is kept at arm's length--Howard, and Catherine. Duo's contemplations, in the official translation, are a bit more vague, but in the amateur translation, it's more pointed. The moon, from a colony, looks like a graveyard, but from earth it's a beautiful thing (which brings to mind Darlian's words to Relena, that the earth is a beautiful place when seen from space). The other thing that caught my eye, checking the fansub translations, is that Duo specifically comments on whether Heero has any soul to actually even notice the moon. If there's one line that seems to have left the biggest impression on Heero as an emotionless automaton, it might be directly traced to the fansubs' translation of Duo's remark that Heero doesn't have the 'something' required to see beauty around him.
I hadn't really thought so the first time, but Trowa's characterization is actually pretty consistent. He attacks Quatre when they first meet, taking the same view as Heero: everything in range is an enemy, even if they seem to be helping. In fact, Trowa himself isn't unlike the lion at the circus (and don't forget that OZ has a lion as its crest, harking to the Barton-OZ connection); the writers go so far as to have Catherine say outright that Trowa reminds her of the lion: staring possible death in the face and not really caring--not even wanting death, completely unafraid, and definitely not caring. Recall that Trowa stuck his hand in the lion's cage, saying if you aren't a threat, the animal will know it. Quatre does precisely the same thing to him: appears, offers a hand, and just waits. Trust isn't gained instantly, and any newcomers have to go through the same treatment as well. In this he echoes Duo's attitude, of token respect to those he's met, and disregard for all others.
It's when Quatre presses this connection that Trowa balks. In fact, when Quatre appears at the shipyard by Trowa's truck, Trowa's expression is downright nasty. That is not the look of someone pleased, but in fact someone who's thoroughly pissed-off. I'm not entirely convinced they spent the night in a hotel somewhere (as some in the fandom argue). It's possible, however, since they appear at the base together, and their interaction at New Edwards indicates somewhere along the line, the dynamic shifted back to Quatre's favor. I can only say, given the change in their interaction, that they did spend time together, and at least see each other as allies. Trowa's later behavior indicates this doesn't mean friendship, but he doesn't strike at Quatre, either.
Quatre, it's been shown, is not only a good leader but one who--like Treize--is able to demand a good amount of respect from his troops, the Maganacs. Unlike Treize, he goes off to fight by himself, preferring to have them stay behind rather than stand between him as a buffer. The contrast between Rashid's regret and mild annoyance (and respect) at this action is striking, laid against Zechs' almost tired/fatalistic acceptance of his orders on Treize's behalf. It's also the first time we're shown that Quatre will not ask others to do what he can do himself, and would do himself.
The combination of Quatre and Trowa is, in some ways, a strong alliance, but unlike Heero and Duo--who are based in competition--Trowa and Quatre seem to be coming from the position of partnership. Trowa's earlier remarks indicating he's familiar with staged battles by multiple fighters dovetails with Quatre's emphasis on seeing the Gundam pilots as a combined unit, despite not knowing but one of them. The interactions are also a nice setup: where Heero and Duo snap at each other, and don't seem to listen/reply or consider the other's input, Quatre is clearly running the show between him and Trowa. It may be more of Quatre's born-to-rule personality (echoing Relena's, but with more experience), but I couldn't help but note the way he speaks to Trowa. It's just something in his tone, that I can't put my finger on.
When Trowa first strikes, he says, "You're all bunched up!" -- meaning they're grouped closely together, fighting in-close, back-to-back. For Wing and Deathscythe, this is not a problem; both have close-in fighting capabilities. For Heavywarms, it's a major problem, because it means everyone's in his line of fire, friend and foe. Quatre's reaction of "they're just like us" implies he sees potential allies, while Duo sees the newcomers and asks whether they're OZ's newest models. Duo's assumption of enemy-until-proven-otherwise matches Trowa's reaction, so when Duo retaliates for the missile strike, Trowa is quick to respond, and essentially it becomes one big robot pissing contest. Despite Quatre's yells to cut it out, it's not until Wufei's arrival that the two break up.
Wufei becomes the counterbalance. With the two pairs set up--one for alliance, one for competition--he's the both the voice of reason and the vengeance-driven push for snapping out of shock (and chaos). Quatre looks for the big picture, but Wufei looks for the lines of manipulation. Wufei comes across as equally imperious, but it's a mildly annoyed expression he wears, too: in-fighting is a waste of time. Heero arrives at this point, just in time to hear Wufei's message. While Quatre is upset, and Duo is pissed, Heero is just floored. He goes into shock. Trowa has no verbal reaction, but his expression is flat, almost like he's buckling down, but it's open to interpretation whether he's mad at being played, or annoyed with the fact that Wufei's disdain is for the high emotions he and Duo were displaying; Wufei makes no bones about the fact that in his opinion, this makes them less than excellent soldiers (and more easily manipulated).
Compare this to Heero's attitude, in which in-fighting is a side effect of the distraction of working with others. Trowa and Duo, by their fight, come across as the ones who strike anything unknown, labelling it outsider and therefore enemy, which may speak to their pack mentalities. And in considering the 'pack' mentality, I'm struck by the fact that both Quatre and Heero, at various points, are revealed to come from isolated backgrounds, while Trowa (with the mercenaries) and Duo (with the Sweepers and earlier, his 'gang') are used to group-interactions.
It's possible, as WindsorBlue pointed out, that the fight between Trowa and Duo is related to their position as part of a newly-formed sub-gang, but on second and third thought, I don't think so. Trowa is still too uneasy around Quatre (let alone everyone else) to really have formed such a respect for Quatre. Duo may swing from begrudging respect to outright fascination with Heero, but he's still a bit too uncaring what happens to Heero except where it directly impacts Duo. I think it's more likely that we're to see Trowa and Duo as the most aggressive ones in the group, equally ready to go head-to-head at the drop of a hat.
As Tayles mentioned in her critique, Trowa and Duo are fighting for essentially a petty reason. When Wufei tells them to cut it out, he's quite blunt, calling it a "meaningless fight" but he means more than just the immediate fight; he also means the fact that they've been striking the serpent's tail instead of going for the head. He's determined to go after the serpent's head, and destroy OZ from the top.
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Date: 16 Apr 2005 12:40 am (UTC)