Gundam Wing: Genesis Part 10
Quatre was thoroughly surprised when a hand closed over his arms and roughly jerked him into a side room. He spun quickly, ready to defend himself...
And stopped as he looked into Wufei's glowering face. "What the hell is the matter with you?" the Chinese man spat angrily, his tone as chilly as an arctic breeze.
Quatre Winner was not easily cowed, though, and he bristled at the look he was getting from his friend. "What the hell gives you the right..."
"It's no wonder they haven't told you, Winner! You're acting like a spoiled child!"
The stopped the blond in his tracks. "What? Who hasn't told me what?" He advanced on Wufei-
And promptly found himself flat on his back, with a man's weight sitting on his chest. "There was a reason why you were not on the team that found Madeleine Dumoulin, Winner! You want to know why? Because you're completely out of control! You're being pathetic!"
The blond was both stunned and angry. "Who hid that from me? It was Heero and Duo, wasn't it? I swear to Allah, I'll..."
"You'll do nothing, Winner," Wufei cut him off. "And just so you know, Duo had no idea. Yuy and Barton made that choice for us all."
Quatre's eyes went wide. "Trowa hid that from me..."
"Of course he did, you moron!" Wufei yelled. "To try and keep you from going crazy and actually succeeding in killing one of us this time!"
The blond began to shake. "I'm not crazy..."
Wufei eased some of his weight off of his friend, though he still kept the blond's arms pinned with his knees. "No- you're not. But you're not in control, either. Look- we all care about you and we don't want to hurt you, but we don't want to die, either, because you lost it when it really counts! Remember the Zero system!"
Quatre's eyes narrowed angrily. "That's it, isn't it? You don't think I can take it! None of you do!"
Wufei rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Nataku save us from over inflated egos and native stupidity! Are you trying to miss the point?"
"Don't call me stupid, Chang..." Quatre growled, attempting to throw the other man off of him.
Wufei gave a squeeze with his thighs, cutting off the circulation to Quatre's arms and driving his breath out. "God damn it, then, don't act stupid, Quatre! No one thinks you are stupid and nobody thinks you aren't up to this!" He let up on the pressure to let his friend breathe.
Quatre glared up at the Chinese pilot. "I thought you were my friends, but I see I was wrong."
Wufei couldn't contain his anger- he slapped the blond hard, knocking his temple hard against the floor as Quatre's head whipped to the side with the force of the blow.
A stunned Quatre was completely surprised to see tears in Wufei's eyes as he looked up again. "Think what you will, Quatre Winner," the Chinese man whispered, "but Heero almost gave his life for you, and any of us would do it to keep you from going through the Zero System again. If those aren't the actions of friends, then I don't know what you expect of us."
Wufei rolled off of his comrade and silently left the room.
Quatre stared, wide-eyed at the door for a few moments before he silently began tocry.
~*~
Wufei found Trowa, Heero and Duo in the Gundam hangar, sitting in a small knot in Wing Neo's hand. He quickly climbed up to join them, and everyone was silent for a few moments.
Trowa eventually asked, "How'd he take it?"
Wufei sighed. "As you said he would. We've either lost him, or not, but I can't be sure. He thought... he thought that we didn't think he was capable. Practically called us traitors."
"Jesus, Wu..."
The Chinese man shook his head. "I really hope I didn't screw up!"
"You didn't- I did."
They all spun around- Quatre was perched on Wing's arm, staring at them with mournful eyes. The blond continued, "I've been remarkably selfish and arrogant, and I apologize for that. You've all tried so hard to do what was right, and it didn't help that I was flying off the handle. I failed all of you." His eyes scanned over all of their faces. "I even almost convinced myself that you were all using me, even Trowa."
He clasped shaking hands together as tears spilled from his eyes. "Can you possibly forgive me?"
Heero stood and crossed to the blond, and simply stared him in the eye for a very long moment. The Japanese man finally broke the contact, a very slight smile touching his features. "You welcomed me back after doing far worse, Quatre Winner. It would be hypocritical of me to refuse you now. You have my forgiveness." He pulled the blond into a hug.
Quatre offered Heero a hesitant smile before he moved to stand in front of Duo. "No one should have had to risk your life like that because of me, Duo. I apologize."
Duo gave him a hard look, tempered by fondness. "Just don't let it happen again, okay? Come here, you!" He pulled Quatre close for a quick hug.
The Arabian pilot once again faced Wufei, and his face slid into a heavy frown. "I said some terrible things to you, Chang Wufei. You were right- I was being pathetically weak, and I offer my humblest apologies."
Wufei gave an accepting nod of his head. "You should never doubt what your heart tells you, and you knew we would never doubt you. Remember it." He gave a respectful bow, that Quatre echoed back at him.
Lastly, he stood face-to-face with Trowa, and the small blond clasped his hands together to calm his trembling as words deserted him altogether. "I... I'm sorry, Trowa. I so, so sorry I scared you and hurt you..."
"Sh," Trowa hushed him as he pulled him close, "I know. I understand." He hugged the blond close and buried his face in Quatre's hair. The others turned away politely to allow the couple a moment to themselves.
"Um, guys? Did you still want to go back over our plans for tomorrow?" Quatre asked, as a way of signaling that it was safe to turn back around.
Heero nodded soberly, once again all business. All five turned to walk out.
~*~
Relena's eyes flashed in concern. "Are you crazy? You'll be right over New Port City..."
Wufei nodded. "We're aware of that, Chancellor. We will keep civilian deaths to a minimum."
"And just how do you propose to do that?" she snapped. "Debris falling from the sky, fires, pandemonium..."
Wufei held his hands up, as if in surrender. "If we do it any other way, she'll know she's been set up and she'll kill Mariemeia immediately."
Relena sighed as she pressed her forehead against the cool glass of her office window. "Who will be on the decoy shuttle?"
"Maxwell and I. Diversionary tactics- we'll finish off as many of them as we can, after the explosion. Their shields should be weakened, so it shouldn't take too long," Wufei said.
Chancellor Peacecraft turned to look at the Preventer agent. "What's the rest of the plan, then? What happens next?"
The Chinese man shrugged. "Barton and a regiment of Manguanacs will be guarding over you and Dorothy, while a team comprised of Yuy, Winner and Lady Une goes after Madeleine herself. Sally will be at an undisclosed location to co-ordinate."
Relena looked worried. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have Quatre and Une working together? He seemed rather... um..."
Wufei shook his head. "Winner had some sense knocked into him. We'll have to trust him to keep it together. I have faith in him."
"Then that should be good enough for me, too," Relena sighed. She turned to face Wufei again. "Do you know where Duo is? I need to talk to him."
The Chinese pilot finally smiled. "Probably wishing Yuy good luck. I'll have him drop in as soon as he's free."
Relena smiled back. "Thank you- for everything."
~*~
Duo knocked on the office door uncomfortably- why would Relena request to see him like this? What could I have possibly done this time? A muffled voice called for him to walk in.
He shut the door behind him quietly and waited for her to turn. He watched with expressionless eyes as she stared at him. There hadn't been time for a social call before pre-battle prep, so he was already wearing his flight suit and combat gear.
Relena felt a pain in her chest, looking at the pilot at her door. She was no longer used to the sight of the pilots in their gear, but she remembered it well from the war, and she had to admit that part of her was relieved by it, even as the rest of her screamed about the danger of it. Duo was nervous- she could tell, even though he hid it remarkably well. Gathering her wits, she waved him to a seat. "Please- sit."
She didn't give him the time to get a word in before she began, leaning over the desk on her forearms. "Look, I don't like doing this, so I'll do it quickly. I've been... well, for lack of a better word, I've been a real bitch."
Duo's eyes were confused momentarily. "Miss Relena..."
She cut him off, though, "I went out of my way to be rude to you and to try and make you look bad, because I was chasing a dream. I caused you pain and I apologize for it, okay? I had to say it before..." She stopped short.
Duo gave her a gentle smile. "Before the five of us do our best to get killed up there? This is what we do, Relena, and we're all good at it." He took a deep breath. "I admit- I was worried coming in here, but... It was a good dream, but I think you'll find that you like your reality even better."
She gave him a hesitant smile. "You'll forgive me, then?"
Duo grinned as he stood and gave her a joking salute. "I'll put it on my to do list, right after kicking dumb French bitch ass!"
~*~
Madeleine glared at the girl, sitting in a hard wooden chair in front of her. "Thanks to your dear friends, the pilots, I get to spend this time with you, little one."
Mariemeia glared back angrily. "Forgive me for not jumping for joy."
Madeleine suddenly laughed. "Ah- a bit of both your parents in you, I see! Treize's wit and Une's genteel tact!"
The girl's glare darkened. "My mother's name was Leia, and I forbid you to speak of either of them!" She bit off her words, though, as Madeleine walked forward and ran a red-coated fingertip down her cheek.
The redheaded woman knelt down next to her, cradling her bandaged hand against her body. "I knew them all back then- trust me, ma chérie, Treize never loved anyone like he loved Une. Leia Barton only carried you because your mother couldn't." She stood again and gave a cruel little smile. "And now I have you- and there is nothing your mother won't do to get you back."
Mariemeia felt her eyes filling with tears, despite herself. Even if it wasn't true- and she had a sinking suspicion it was- Une would sell her soul to protect her, she was certain of that!
The Frenchwoman laughed at the look on her prisoner's face. "I hope she comes after you! I've been dying to see her, face to face!"
As her tears fell, Mariemeia decided that 'dying' was a singularly appropriate choice of words. Une... my mother... God- I have a Mom! Mariemeia would be damned if she let this bitch touch her mother!
~*~
Back at headquarters, Sally settled into her seat and clenched her cold hands together before she flipped the comm switch to the pilots. "Alright, gentlemen. Here it goes- I estimate at least twice battalion strength in suits waiting for the attack order on New Port. We've got Relena to the secure bunker- we modeled it after Dekim Barton's Brussels palace, so it should be relatively safe. We still don't have a lock on the enemy command, so until we get that, we won't be able to go after the primary target..."
Primary Target- she isn't even a human being, anymore, just a target... Heero keyed his link. "01 to all- I will be joining the aerial battle until the lock is established."
"04- I copy and concur. Count me in as well."
Sally frowned. "When we get that lock, we're going to need you there to blast us in immediately, gentlemen, not when you choose to join us."
"01- understood. That's what the stealth equipment is for."
"03- will you need me there, as well?"
Sally grinned as Wufei replied, "05- negative. All of this is useless if anything happens to the Chancellor. 02 and I will back you up as soon as we are able to."
"Ha ha ha! I am the Dread Pirate Maxwell! There will be no survivors!"
Sally laughed, even as she felt a great wave of fear at the words 'no survivors.' "Duo! Be serious!"
His reply came back, "The day I go into battle serious is the day Wu-bubbles, here, dyes his hair orange."
"Kisama!" Sally was bent double laughing at the 'Wu-bubbles' comment.
"See? I told ya."
"01- when will you learn not to piss off your partner, 02?"
"02- when hell freezes and you put on a grass skirt to dance the hula!"
Sally hit the switch, her breath still hitching in her throat. "Gentlemen, please! As lovely as that image is, let's save it for later, okay?" She heard several laughs over the line, along with a mysterious growl that could have been from either Wufei or Heero.
She keyed the microphone again. "If there are no further comments of changes..." she waited for a moment, "then the countdown begins... Now."
~*~
Madeleine smiled as she watched the shuttle beginning its warm up sequence, the space catapult readied for a takeoff. She turned back to Mariemeia and nodded her head towards the computer display on the wall. "You know who's in there? Miss Relena, that's who." She leaned against the table. "I wanted to be the one to pull the trigger and blew that thing to pieces, but pilot 02 managed to change that plan." She sighed. "Pity. I'll have to rely on this." She pressed a button.
Mariemeia's eyes widened as another computer display opened from the far wall- it looked like an AI simulation! But what could she possibly... A gasp of dismay left the girl's lips. "You have mobile dolls out there." She started out of her seat, but stopped short as someone behind her forced her down by the shoulders.
Madeleine smiled. "Why control one suit... when I can control so many more?"
~*~
"T minus two minutes and counting." Both Duo and Wufei could feel the shuttle vibrating, ready to go.
Wufei toggled his comm switch. "Are you ready?"
The reply came back, "It's too late if I'm not, anyway. You?"
Wufei smiled- that had to be one of the most forthcoming answers Duo had ever given him, going into a mission. "The same. Um... Good- good luck up there, Maxwell."
"You, too, Chang. But don't worry- their shields have to be pretty weak by now. We'll kick ass."
Chang Wufei's mind flew back to the woman at Central Control and he frowned as he whispered, "I hope so, Duo. I truly hope so."
~*~
Heero clasped at something beneath his flight suit- Duo's cross was now warm against his skin. Damn it, Duo! If you dare to get yourself killed...
"Heero, are you okay?" Quatre's voice asked him over their private intercom.
The Japanese man gave a grim smile. "I'm fine."
"He'll be just fine."
Heero smiled- trust Quatre to know exactly what was bothering him. "Hai- thanks. I know. Trowa will be, as well."
"Roger that."
~*~
Back at the Central Command Center, Sally's stomach was twisted into intricate patterns, and her mouth felt dry as they entered the final countdown. "Thirty seconds, 29, 28, 27, 26..."
This is it... Oh God, be careful, Fei! Please don't get hurt up there...
Her hands clenched until her knuckles were white and her fingers ached where they gripped the table. "...Five, four, three, two, one. Ignition."
Sally's eyes were glued to the screen as a shuttle was catapulted into the sky, a graceful arch...
BOOM!
~*~
Madeleine was transfixed by the scene- the bright flash of the explosion and searing heat, a shockwave of energy flaring from the spot as her suits flooded into New Port City, like a plague of locusts...
Mariemeia stared at the oblivious redhead with a growing feeling of helplessness. There had to be something she could do...
But not until she managed to get rid of her guard. So... they though that she was harmless because she was small, did they? It was time to show them how wrong they were.
~*~
Still cloaked, Duo and Wufei timed their movements to a perfect synchronization as two beam weapons flared to life and their suits fired into a first attack run.
Laughter was bubbling up in Duo's throat, and he howled as he tore through a first line of Genesis suits- it was working! He could feel no resistance as the scythe's beam blade tore through armour like bread crusts...
"For Nataku!" Wufei yelled as he hit his boosters. Nataku-Neo shot through the foremost line of attackers as he slowly uncloaked- he could see the vague outlines of Deathscythe-Neo as Duo did the same- and he twirled the staff in the machine's hands...
"It's a Gundam! Two of them!" They could both hear the enemy yelling in surprise and fright, echoing the scores of OZ soldiers they had both faced in the past.
Duo felt his face spreading into a slow, evil grin as he hit the switch that controlled his external speakers. "Are you ready to look the devil in the eye? ARE YOU?!"
Wufei smirked as the familiar strains of Duo's battle music blared out over the panic-stricken city, and he smiled in satisfaction as Duo screamed and dove into the battle with the scythe raised. With a cry of his own, he followed suit.
~*~
Madeleine felt the discord in the battle, like a smack in the head. Gundams! But that had to mean... "That bitch lied to me! God damn it..."
Are you ready to look the devil in the eye? She shivered- they were attacking at full speed, and she was...
"Full attack! All units- full attack- and find where they've hidden Miss Relena!"
After that, all her attention was taken up by the battle, and she felt her body going tense... This was supposed to be easy! I will kill Mariemeia in front of Une's eyes! Oh yes- and make her suffer first...
~*~
Heero and Quatre watched in fascination as two lines of explosions rent the air and two suits began to take shape, hulking monsters with glowing eyes and deadly weapons in their hands. Even as they hit their boosters to enter the battle, they could hear Duo's voice booming out over the music-
The buster rifle on Wing-Neo swung up, and Heero felt a massive adrenaline surge as he pulled the trigger. A smile broke over his lips as he shifted aim and shot again, and again...
Quatre was yelling as he charged up the twin blades of Sandrock-Neo and attacked, spinning around in the sea of assailants and lashing out at anything dumb enough to come close. The speed, the control, the power... It came to him, as to the others, in a massive rush as his suit swam through the Genesis-class attackers.
"Duck, Maxwell," was all the warning Wufei gave before Nataku's Dragon Claw shot out, spewing death and fire.
Shinigami shot straight up, and Duo smiled again as he saw a bunch of suits braking off to trail him, straight into the upper atmosphere...
They were firing on him as he climbed, and Duo's smile slid to a frown as he was forced to dodge and swerve to avoid the hits. No one should have been able to track on him that efficiently, unless maybe Zechs was in one of those suits, or... His blood went cold.
Unless there were mobile dolls mixed in with the human-piloted suits.
He screamed in anger and frustration as he stopped short as the suits flew past him- he was breathing hard from the exertion as he watched them explode in the atmosphere, but he quickly turned back to the battle. "All pilots- be warned. Attackers are a mix of dolls and piloted suits..."
~*~
Sally jumped to her feet. "Yes! Got her..." She slapped her comm link. "To 01 and 04- we've trailed the fox to her lair. Let's go!"
~*~
Heero cursed. "Base, this is 01. There are mobile dolls out here!"
He watched with growing concern as Quatre was forced into a roll and dive to avoid a series of missiles launched in his direction- there were simply too many of them!
Sally's reply came back, "Base to 01- Understood, but we cannot wait. You must extract now!"
Heero Yuy felt his heart turning to stone in his chest, and it hurt. "Acknowledged. On my way." He disengaged from the battle, but his hand flew to his neck and the cross that hung there. God, if You exist, don't let him die...
~*~
Madeleine was cursing as she struggled to keep up with the battle- as good as those Gundams were, she knew that her numbers gave her a distinct advantage, as did the location of the battle...
She smiled as she watched 02 darting into the sky- that was the one piloted by the boy who had presumed to harm her hand- her doctors were still unsure about whether or not she'd ever recover full utility of it. "I've got you, you bastard..." Five suits broke from the main fighting to follow, and they were climbing steadily.
He was dodging her shots with what looked like perfect ease, and it was truly pissing her off...
"Ah!" she screamed quite suddenly as the screens flared and noise rocked through her brain- what the...
She growled as she hit her microphone again, giving her full attention back to the battle. "Heads up to all- they have some stealth weapon we don't know about!"
"Ma'am! We've found her! At least- there's a Gundam that hasn't joined the fighting, and it's got support troupes. Miss Relena's probably there."
Her smile returned full force, even as she made a crucial mistake by allowing herself to be distracted. "Good work, soldier! Let's get there, NOW!"
~*~
"Trowa! Incoming your way!" Sally yelled into the microphone.
The green-eyed man nodded, even as he felt energy spreading through his body. "I see them. Thanks, base! Manguanac corps- hold back for a moment, alright?"
As the acknowledgements of his order came through, he powered the boosters, not even bothering to cloak as he flew towards the enemy at almost supersonic speed. Even he smiled evilly as he armed the massive mounted machine guns and sighted briefly. He fired-
It was like looking at a Beam of Death. Streams of armour-piercing bullets sprayed through the enemy ranks, liberally mixed with tracer rounds to give the impression of a laser line of shots. Trowa laughed as the enemy scattered, only to draw back into their groupings again. Dolls? She sent the dolls over here? What a waste! They would have been far more useful over the city, where they would do the greatest damage and handicap Wufei and Duo much more... "The field is open, Manguanac Corps!"
Yet even as he heard the familiar battle cries of the Manguanacs, his mind went out to his fellow pilots. Come on, guys! You can do this! Quatre- I know you'll hold it together...
Scowling fiercely as something managed to hit him, he turned and fired off several rockets. "Come on, damn you! Show me what you've got!"
~*~
Mariemeia tensed- she could tell her guard wasn't paying her much attention- his eyes were drawn to the battle on the screen and the fierce power of the Gundams as they beat back scores of attackers. I am Lady Une's daughter. I am Treize Kushrenada's daughter. I am not weak! I can do this- I've seen Wufei do it a million times...
She slowly began turning around to face her guard.
He was looking in the wrong direction. A smile lit Mariemeia's face.
~*~
"Rock and roll!" Duo yelled as he darted straight through a cluster of enemy suits, scattering them and damaging several as he pulled up in mid-dive and swiped at them with his double-bladed scythe. He almost wished he was carrying the buster rifle, though. It would be nice to be able to do one of those neat swirly thingies and just end this... Messy, though. Yeah- not a good idea over a city!
Evading left, he smirked as he lined up a perfect shot for Wufei and turned to descend on the other pilot's attackers like a demon with an attitude. "Wu-man, Trowa's gonna need help!"
Wufei calmly bisected the suits in front of him before answering, "I know, but we have to finish up here, first. Sally, any word from the other group?"
Sally's voice came back to them, "Arrival at destination in about another minute. You're looking good, by the way."
Duo laughed. "I bet he loves it when you tell him that, Sal!"
"Maxwell!" Wufei yelled, as he stabbed his staff blade straight through an enemy suit and let it sit for a moment before the suit exploded off the end.
Duo frowned in annoyance as something hit him again, and he turned his machine guns on the offending suit, smiling in satisfaction as it exploded. "Sheesh, Wu! I was just making a statement!"
~*~
Trowa's initial excitement had worn off, and his eyes now darted around his battlefield in a perfectly expressionless face. "Suits this fast should be using their speed to their full strategic advantage, but they're hanging back in fear of some weapon they've never seen. I'd hate to disappoint them." His eyes glittering intensely, he armed the missiles located on Heavyarms-Neo's left shoulder and fired.
~*~
Madeleine shrieked again as her suits exploded violently- what was happening? She had seen the test results- those puny rockets should not have been able to put a dent on Genesis! But the suits were almost falling apart on contact... Idiote! If they could hide these suits from you, who's to say they didn't guess you out and give you faulty information, as well? She scowled- "All units to the Chancellor's bunker- there's only one of them there! We can beat him easily..."
BOOM!
She shook her head bewilderedly. Just another explosion in a set of explosions, but this one...
BOOM! They very room around her was shaking at the intensity of it...
She snapped erect. Someone was attacking the building! Snatching the helmet from her head, she turned-
The guard was out cold on the floor, and she caught a flash of Mariemeia's red jacket as the girl ran out the door. With a curse, she dropped her helmet and tore off the VR glove on her hand to take off after her prisoner.
~*~
Taking down the enemy command Center's guard force had been child's play for Heero and Quatre, and the blond had hung back to allow Heero to make a door for them. He smirked as the Japanese pilot blew a hole in the building. We're in! Allah- I hope Mariemeia's alright! He followed the other suit in.
Heero had popped his hatch and was jumping down, already shooting down the guards stupid enough to challenge them as Une crawled from a second hatch on Wing's chest. Quatre jumped down to join them, silently sprinting to Heero's side and waiting as the other pilot ejected his spent clips and loaded up fresh ammunition. "How are we doing this?"
Heero turned his bright gaze on the other pilot as Une joined them. "I'll take point- Une will back me up directly and you will bring up the rear. Understood?" Quatre nodded.
Without another word, Heero turned and sprinted down the hallway, neatly avoiding the bodies that blocked the way, guns spitting death at anyone who got in his way. Une and Quatre shared a look and a nod before they took off after him.
~*~
Shinigami and Nataku fired after the retreating suits as, to a man, the enemy pilots turned towards the Chancellor's bunker. Wufei cursed. "They're all leaving! Cowards! Bastards! Trowa, you've got incoming!"
Heavyarms' pilot responded dryly, "Including you two. Just as long as you don't attack me, I won't have to shoot your ass."
Duo chuckled. "We're on our way in behind them and picking at them as we go. How are you doing?"
"You mean- am I out of ammo yet?" came Trowa's response. "I'm doing great, Duo."
The braided pilot smiled. "Glad to hear it. Sally, what about the others?"
She sounded uneasy. "They've left the Gundams behind- they must be inside. They will be fine, Duo!"
Still, the normally bouncing pilot of Deathscythe-Neo was unnaturally calm as he mercilessly chopped down anything stupid enough to be in his way. "Acknowledged." He was back to one words answers. "Shit."
~*~
Mariemeia could hear gunfire somewhere ahead of her, and she almost cried at the welcome sound. Mom! You're here! You came for me... She forced her tired legs to keep moving, even as she heard Madeleine somewhere behind her...
"You stupid little bitch!" She spun around in surprise, and found the redhead smirking at her as she raised a gun-
"NO!" Something collided with her as she screamed, knocking her to the side roughly as she heard shots being fired, and someone else screaming-
"Quatre! Oh God..." She looked up and froze- the blond man had her pinned to the floor and was protecting her with his own body- there was blood on his pale forehead, and the girl was struggling...
Heero rushed to them and gently moved his friend aside, nearly shouting for joy as he examined the wound- the bullet had only grazed the other boy, though the second shot had tagged him in the arm and it looked messy...
"Mei! Oh God, Mei, are you alright?" Une gasped, throwing her gun down as she fell to her knees next to Heero.
Mariemeia felt her heart leaping into her throat. "Mom!" She flung herself into the stunned woman's arms, hugging her tightly as she felt Une's arms closing around her and squeezing her tightly.
By the time Une pulled back, tears were running down her cheeks liberally, as they hadn't since she buried Treize. "You're alive and well."
Quatre groaned, and both Une and Mariemeia turned to look at him as Heero gave Une a pointed look. She nodded.
Heero stood and cautiously approached the prone figure of Madeleine Dumoulin, smirking slightly at her. "Bonjour, Madeleine. Tu te souviens de moi?" he asked. [Translation: 'Hi, Madeleine. Remember me?']
He didn't give her the change to answer as he knocked her sharply on the back of the neck, and her world went black.
~*~
Trowa grimaced as Heavyarms took another hit- with Wufei and Duo out there, using his cannons was a true risk... He didn't want to think of the revenge Heero, or Sally, for that matter, would exact on him, if he were to harm their respective mates, even by accident... Shrugging, he hit his boosters again to increase his forward attack speed and drew out a beam saber, the electronic thrumming it emitted sending a buzz to his brain. Smirking, he also drew the long blade attached to Heavyarms' left arm...
The only good thing about fighting dolls, in Trowa's opinion, was that you didn't have to feel bad about appreciating the artistry of your attack. His eyes glowed as he catapulted Heavyarms into the melee with a triple flip, beam and metal blades extended at its sides as it spun...
Duo watched with a smile of appreciation as he dove into a nest of suits, scythe raised. "Damn, Tro- talk about moves!"
"Glad you're amused, Duo."
The braided pilot smirked as he faced off with a Genesis doll and quickly ducked its attack to bi-sect it. "Time to climb, guys."
Wufei responded, "Roger- go ahead. We'll keep them occupied down here."
"Come on, you bastards! Take a piece of me, if you can!" Duo yelled as he hit his boosters yet again and smacked through a cluster of enemy suits, seven of them immediately taking off on his tail. He whooped as he streaked into the sky.
Wufei paused to wipe sweat from his brow and cringed as a loud booming sound came from directly overhead. Nataku! All I want is for this to be over!
~*~
Relena and Dorothy sat side by side, staring at their monitors in silence. Rashid watched them from his place by the wall- he could just barely make out the signs of Relena's trembling, and the way Dorothy's fingers stroked the other woman's hand ever so slightly in reassurance.
He directed his attention back to the monitors quickly, though, wincing as Nataku absorbed several shots and staggered under the pressure. What these young men were pulling off- it was nothing short of incredible, but even they seemed to be tiring...
He looked back to the Chancellor and was shocked to see her openly shaking by now. What the hell- we're safe here, and everyone knows it. It's probably what's bothering Relena the most- she's perfectly safe, while so many others are being put at risk. He pushed away from the wall and walked to her side, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "They are going to win, Chancellor. You know that."
She nodded, her eyes never leaving the screen. "Yes, they will. But this is what became of my peace. It's as though it was all a dream."
Dorothy squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "It was not a dream, and this is the proof of it, Lena. If it was just a dream, none of this would be necessary."
Rashid frowned, though, as he looked down at Relena Peacecraft's drawn face. Her dream is dying today.
~*~
"I'm getting tired of this, guys!" Duo yelled into his microphone as he took another hit that threw him roughly in his harness. He gritted his teeth as he spun and returned fire.
Trowa couldn't spare the breath to reply as he dodged yet another line of enemy shots, but his grunt of frustration and low growl was unmistakable. Wufei, too was growling. "So what the hell do you propose, Maxwell?"
The braided pilot cursed as he sliced his way through to Heavyarms' side and desperately tried to help his friend chop his way out of a cluster of attackers. "Do you guys still have your auxiliary oxygen and fuel tanks?"
Wufei nodded. "Yes, but what the hell are they good for?"
Duo smiled evilly. "Homemade bombs like my imaginary grandmother used to make."
~*~
Sally paled as she listened in on Duo's line. "Negative! 02- that many going off at once could fry you guys!"
Duo responded, "02 to base- not if we get out of the direct line of fire. Trust me- these suits can take it!"
"Trowa? What do you say?" Sally asked, her heart in her mouth.
The brunette was breathing harshly. "If we don't do it, we will eventually run out of steam. The blast... should be survivable."
"Fei?"
The Chinese man cringed at being called that at that moment. "I... I am not a scientist. I will do as Trowa and Duo decide."
Sally dropped her face into hands that were cold and clammy as she heard Duo relay the order- "Prepare to detach auxiliary tanks."
~*~
Enemy suits were closing around them rapidly as the three Gundams converged in one point and dumped their tanks, ignoring the alarms that doing so caused to go off in the cockpits. "How do we light them?" Trowa asked, as he dropped a last tank in the pile, trying to protect the vital parts of his Gundam behind Heavyarms' massive shield.
Duo frowned as he was forced to spin rapidly to avoid a well-placed shot, the movement increasing the pounding feeling in his head. "Buster shield launch should do it."
Sally interrupted. "You've got to practically power down to launch those things inside the atmosphere!"
"Yeah- but I've got Tro and Wu-babe to watch my back," he snapped back as he initiated the shield sequence, one system after another cutting to the lowest possible energy level to power the charging and launch of the shield on his Gundam's left arm. "Let's go!"
"Brace yourselves!" Rashid yelled, forcibly dragging both women to a safer position in the room. His eyes swung up again as enemy troops bore down on the three Gundams, emptying countless rounds of ammunition at them...
~*~
She almost couldn't see them shoot up through the middle of the rising clouds of smoke and debris kicked up by the attacks, but there they were. Three suits, and the black one in the middle reversing position as its left arm swung up and the entire machine shook...
Her eyes remained glued to the departing suits, even as the buster shield streaked towards its goal...
~*~
"Come on, damnit! Climb! Faster! Faster!" Duo yelled as power flooded back into all the other systems of his suit. Even for a Gundam, the speeds they were attempting were risky, but...
Far below the three, there was a rumbling, sonic boom, and Wufei cursed in every language he knew as he pushed the throttles and gritted his teeth- the shockwave would hit any second now...
He was expecting it, and even still it surprised him when it came, and the last sound that registered as his head slammed against an instrument panel and his vision blacked out was a high-pitched scream. Or rather, two screams, and a deep voice shouting something...
~*~
Sally froze in shock- she could feel it, a mile away quite clearly, the very ground shuddering with the power of the blast. Her monitors weren't picking up a thing, and all she could hear was static...
She sprang to the communications stations and desperately slapped at the controls. "Come on, please! God, please! Someone! Anyone, report! Trowa! Trowa, can you hear me? Wufei! Duo! Oh God- Fei, answer me!"
~*~
Quatre, Une and Heero looked up in sudden fear as a bright flash lit the sky on Madeleine's monitors. The blond's spaceheart was throbbing, but with what he couldn't discern, and he stared skyward...
Heero's mouth was dry as he stared- Please say that they didn't... that he didn't... he wouldn't! No! I know it! He wouldn't do it... He turned to Quatre, fear in his eyes. "Quatre! God..."
The blond was shaking- his own fear was so overwhelming, and accompanied by Heero's... He cried out as his hand shot forward- "Look! Look at that! Right there!"
Three sets of eyes focused on the video stream- there were bright streaks falling from the sky, and any pilot would have recognized them for what they were- the re-entry signature of a mobile suit.
The Gundams were still intact, then, but what about the pilots?
"Oh my God- she's waking up!" They turned to look- Mariemeia was inching back from Madeleine Dumoulin as the woman began to stir.
Quatre and Heero both stepped forward with violence in their eyes, but Une stopped both with a hand to the chest. "No- she's mine, gentlemen. And don't bother complaining! This part of the mission is mine!"
~*~
Trowa groaned as he forced himself to move and activate the hatch release. That had to have been the toughest re-entry he'd ever flown! And one of the other suits had plummeted...
As he climbed from the cockpit, it immediately became apparent which one that was. Duo was sprinting towards Nataku. The green-eyed man jumped form his spot, his own aches forgotten as he dashed forward. "Duo! You okay?"
The braided man spared him a weak smile. "I've been better, man. And Wu- he just plummeted..." They were at the hatch, and Duo roughly twisted the manual release, hands twitching at his sides as the cockpit shields slowly opened...
"Wufei! Dude- you're going to be just fine! Wu, can you hear me? Give us a sign, buddy..." Duo kept up a steady stream of words as they cut the Chinese man from his harness and pulled him from Nataku.
Trowa forced his hands to stop shaking as he lifted his friend and gently carried him to the ground. He didn't turn. "Duo, give me those supplies and go back to Shinigami. Call Sally and get a doctor out here. You got that?"
Had he wanted to, Duo doubted even he would have been able to challenge that tone of voice. Swallowing a sob of fear, he simply nodded and took off running.
Trowa looked up briefly and forced his own tears down as he watched Duo tearing back to his Gundam. He looked back down at Wufei and steeled himself. He'll be fine! Damn it all- he's going to be just fine! As he began checking the Chinese pilot over, he prayed that he wasn't lying to himself.
~*~
Heero gently pulled Mariemeia back from her mother as Une approached Madeleine with a clenched jaw and flashing eyes. The redhead was blinking her eyes as she came to, clearly confused as she tried to focus...
Her eyes landed on the tall woman approaching her, and she forced herself to smile, despite her growing feeling of fear. "It's been a long time, Une. I knew you would come."
Une's hand flew up and slapped across Madeleine's face with bruising force. "You bitch! You threatened my daughter, my child!" She watched with satisfaction as the other woman flew off her seat and onto the floor.
There was blood on Madeleine's chin from where she bit her lip as she fell- they saw it as she looked up again, her eyes glittering evilly. "I tested you and you failed- you broke, like the weak child you always were!"
Heero's eyes flew wide at the implications- it was what Doctor J had slammed into his head, all through his childhood. The thing that almost drove him to kill Duo, once upon a time. He growled as that memory surfaced. "Is that so? Then why are you the one cowering on the floor?"
Madeleine shot the Japanese pilot a venomous glance. "She traded your life for a mere child's!" She stopped with a grimace of pain as Une slapped her again.
Une was nearly quivering with anger. "You used me! You killed all those innocents! You- you deserve to die!"
Madeleine laughed. "So kill me! Go ahead- do it! I don't think you can! Weak, as ever, Une! Lost, without her Treize to guide her! Do it, if you have the guts, Une! DO IT!"
Another slap slammed the Frenchwoman into a wall with a thud. "Shut up! Damn you, shut the hell up!"
Madeleine turned pain-dazed eyes on Quatre Winner. "And you! Trying to pretend like you're a normal person! Because you can't face it- you're a killer, like the rest of them! Like me!"
Quatre shook with the effort of holding back. "No-I... I'm... I'm not like you," he whispered, fists clenching tightly. He forced himself to think of Trowa and the others...
Une stepped forward with a lurch. "Enough! Didn't I once tell you, Madeleine, that I would do anything for my child? I meant it. And you are a threat to her. A very nasty threat. It's high time you paid for what you've done..."
~*~
Duo forced himself to take a second or two to breathe as he flipped open every communications channel he could access. "This is 02, over. Come in if you read, over. Repeat, this is 02, over."
His palms were sweaty as he stopped to listen. For the love of God- someone has to pick up... Please! Sally, I'm so sorry...
~*~
Relena pushed her way from under Rashid's form- she could hear the radio chirping, and she sobbed in relief as she recognized Duo's voice hailing any frequency. "Rashid! Wake up! Please, wake..."
"Ugh!" the man groaned as he attempted to sit up- it was enough. The Chancellor pulled herself up and tripped across a floor strewn with anything that hadn't been nailed down when the blast hit.
She made it to the comm unit and pressed the [Transmit] key. "This is Relena. I read you, Duo, over."
The relief in his voice was plainly evident to everyone listening. "Thank God! Ojousan- we need a doctor out here ASAP. Wufei's hurt, over."
Dorothy stumbled to Relena's side. "Can you tell us where you are, Duo?"
"Just a moment," he said, and they got a moment of static before his voice came back, the underlying current of worry striking both women sharply. "We're about three clicks west of your bunker. Big crater-looking thing with three suits in the middle of it- you can't miss us."
They both bit back smiles. "Help is on the way, Duo. Hang in there."
"We did it, Relena-sama."
She smiled as she keyed the [Transmit] key again. "Yes, you did."
~*~
All eyes focused on Une as she drew a bottle from a pocket on her pants and opened it- the liquid inside was bright red. Madeleine's eyes went wide with fear as she recognized it for what it had to be.
Une's face was completely blank as she tossed the cap away. "You know what this is, don't you?"
Heero recognized it, too- it had to be the same sort of poison that was in Madeleine's nail polish! But how did Une know about that?!
The tall woman waved the small bottle in the air. "It seems only right to make you take your own poison, don't you think? Chang would call it justice." She stepped forward...
Heero turned and scooped Mariemeia into his arms as he left without a word.
Quatre and Une watched with expressionless eyes as the red liquid dripped down Madeleine's arm and into her gunshot wound.
The Japanese pilot, cradling a whimpering girl tightly against his chest, cringed as he heard high-pitched screams filling the air behind them. Hell is too good for you, Madeleine. I hope you like it there. He continued walking, and never realized that he was crying.
TBC...
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