Medical Center -ONI (10:03 p.m.)
It wasn't as painful as she thought it was. She had stayed awake while the specialized doctors had sewed up the insanely large hole in her body. She didn't squirm or whimper when the hot needle pricked her insides, cauterizing the open blood vessels. She didn't scream or cry when the staples closed up her wound. She didn't even mind when they left her on the table like a slab of meat for three hours, just so they could go on their lunch break.
But what she did mind was being displayed for all to see. She didn't like the fact that when she opened her eyes, faces were staring down at her half-clothed body as if she were a cadaver. She didn't like that they were commenting on her, probably wanting to poke and prod her like they had a right to. She hated that she was so vulnerable to a room of people she probably saw beforehand, but never took the time to know.
Questions flooded her mind. As she lay there, she had to wonder what happened to her friends. What happened to Ayako? Were they safe or were they put into a cell and left there to rot while she and her uncle were committing an act of incest? She shuddered at the thought. No wonder her uncle was so obsessed with her. He wanted to consort with her! It was bad enough she had to endure the rape with Mike and now Lee? She felt dirty. She needed a shower and she needed something to wash out the after effects of Lee's kiss. A thought crept into her mind. She needed Heero.
Now, hours after her operation, she lay in bed in a white room. It reminded her of the rooms in an insane asylum. Not that she had been in one before, but the white walls, white tables, white chairs, white television set, and white bed were just too much. She wanted color, she wanted to see the faces of her friends- her heart skipped a beat. Her memory was blurry, but she knew for a fact that they had witnessed first hand, the Angel of Chaos. She shut her eyes, trying to block out the imposed images of her friends turning away from her in disgust. She didn't want to see them turn their back on her. She didn't want to know that they were ashamed or too afraid to be her friend. She didn't want to know that Heero would walk away from her, too.
She rolled to her side, tears falling from the corner of her eyes. She had never felt so alone in her entire life. No- that wasn't completely true. The death of her parents...no, not that either. Why couldn't she remember? She sighed and was determined to remember a time when she felt alone, like she was the only one in the universe.
She recalled a mission that had asked for herself, Shin, and Yume. They were going to an abandoned mine on Earth, setting up a base there for ONI. This was maybe five years ago, a few months into Kirin's promotion to General. Yume was setting up the explosives, Shin was making sure the mining tunnels were empty, and Kirin was going to cover up anything the officials of that area would like to investigate. It was a simple mission, not too dangerous. Except the fact that a few OZ bases were still in operation. But that wasn't their biggest problem.
There was an old town around that parts, one of which was a hospital and an orphanage. The hospital was empty, except for the few homeless that had lost their homes. The orphanage, on the other hand, was bustling with people, old, young, and invalid. They wouldn't leave. They refused to leave their home, some- the only home they had. Kirin had no choice.
Kirin had stopped by, everyday, to convince the people to leave. She had seen the children, faces glowing with happiness. She had seen them playing, saw them look at her and accept her, saw them being ushered away by parents who had labeled her the enemy. Hours before the explosion, Kirin had come by, one last time, to convince them to leave. She had tried any means necessary to get them out of the area. She had even talked to the children, the numerous amount of children who she had befriended, to try to talk their parents of leaving, going to another place where they would be happy. Kirin would have paid for homes for all of them. But as the hours turned into minutes, she couldn't do anything more. Kirin had no choice.
The explosives were set to go off at midnight. In the dead of night she had went back to the orphanage and sealed the doors and windows. Yume and Shin had accompanied her, wondering why this place was so important. Instead of questioning her, they had helped her, sealing up any crevice they could find with dynamite. Finally, nearing zero-hour, Kirin had placed the final dynamite into an open window but was startled to see pairs of wide eyes looking at her. Kirin had no choice.
She stepped away from the window, not allowing the tears to fall from her eyes. She ran back to the vehicle where Shin and Yume were waiting for her. She only looked back once, but that was enough to see that she had betrayed the children who had looked up to her in awe. As they drove away, the wails of the children echoed through the night. Screams began to rumble in the darkness. Kirin looked down at the detonator in her hand. The detonator for both the mine and the orphanage.
Kirin had no choice.
As she sat in the hotel room, much later in the night, she found herself in the bathroom, the water to scalding hot, hitting her body. Not even the temperature of the water effected her as much as the faces of the condemned. The mine and the building exploded. A blinding flash of light that rolled over the entire area in a radius of thirty miles. The aftershocks broke up the surface of the earth, making the mine uninhabitable for ONI's base. Yume had used too much force and Shin had made a slight miscalculation of residents in the area. All had made at least one mistake, but Kirin had paid the ultimate price.
Alone. Seeing the children laugh and play. Seeing them with their friends, their brothers, their sisters. Seeing them happy and seeing them live. All that she didn't have. All that she couldn't experience had made her bitter and alone. With Yume and Shin she felt complete, but she didn't live her life. But even if she did...she was alone.
Kirin heard the door creak open. She surged upright, cursing that her mind was spinning. She shouldn't have gotten up so fast. She turned her head, slowly, to look at the blurred figure. Now that she had been resting, the pain in her side was beginning to make itself known. Her eyes began to clear steadily and she recognized the figure. "What do you want?"
"I came to see if you were all right, my dear."
"Like you ever gave a damn." Kirin hissed. She slowly lay back down, thanking the pillows that surrounded her. "Now you've got me. What are you going to do with me now?"
"I'm going to let you go." Lee said pleasantly. "Remember that little demonstration we had? Well, you gave us enough data on you to last us for years. And speaking from experience, I know you won't like it if I keep you here for too long. I'm afraid you might start an uprising with your prolonged visit."
Kirin glared at Lee. "It sounds too easy. What about everyone else? You're just going to let all of us walk out?"
"Yes. Is it a problem?" Lee asked, sitting onto the bed with Kirin. His hand dropped to cradle her knee. "I'm sure we can negotiate something..."
Kirin slapped his hand away from her knee. "Don't you ever touch me again, you hear me?"
"I see." Lee grinned. "You still have a 'thing' about men touching you, don't you?"
"No." Kirin snapped. "I have a 'thing' about men like you and Mike touching me. Both of you are disgusting, despicable, and crazy."
Lee's hands suddenly came around Kirin's throat. "Don't you ever call me crazy, Kirin. Do you hear me? I spent nearly three years in an insane asylum. I lost three years of research, three years to think of what I could've done to you. I am not crazy."
"Get your fucking hands off me." Kirin growled.
Lee released her and turned on his heel. He came to the door and opened it. He turned his head and stared at Kirin. "I want you and your people out of here by morning. If not, I'll throw you all out myself."
Kirin scowled at Lee. "I won't stay here even if you dropped dead right now."
"I'm sure." Lee scoffed. He turned and shut the door behind him.
Kirin sighed heavily and slid out of bed. She walked to the window and pulled the blinds back, revealing earth. She laid her head against the five-inch thick Plexiglas and sighed. "I wouldn't stay here even if my parents were alive."
Day 4-ONI (7:06 a.m.)
Duo Maxwell felt the glare of the sun from the window. Groaning, he tried reaching for something to throw at the window. He rolled over onto his side and found a leather boot in front of his face. His fingers explored it and tried to pick it up. "Stupid..."
"Mister Maxwell, it's seven in the morning. Your ship is departing at eight-thirty."
"Eh?" Duo opened his violet eyes and stared up at the officer who looked down at him with humorless brown eyes. "Eight-thirty? That early?" He groaned again and sat up. He looked around the pure white room. "Where-"
"They're at the docking port. I'm here to escort you there." said the officer.
"Don't I get breakfast?" he asked, yawning.
"There is a roll call in the docking port. After that, you will be treated to breakfast before your departure." replied the officer.
"Great." Duo surged to his feet and lifted his arms above his head, stretching. His black revealed his pale abdomen just as he let out a loud groan. "Direct me to the docking port!"
The officer nodded and beckoned to the door. "This way, Mister Maxwell."
Duo shrugged. He had no arguments about being called 'Mister Maxwell.' He just felt really...old. He followed after the well dressed officer, decked out in white, down the hall. There were mysterious doors that were set on either side of him as he walked down the long and winding hall. A billboard caught his attention and he stopped, looking at the three pictures.
On the billboard were pictures of Kirin Shido, Yume Okinawa, and Shin Kin'Youbi. Each were wearing the typical white uniform; Kirin had five stars while Shin and Yume had medals. They were respected, feared, adored. Duo could tell why Heero was attracted to Kirin. She had that aura of arrogance, much like Heero, and she was a leader at heart. Yume, on the other hand, was like a cross between Kirin and Shin, kind of stuck in between.
Shin was much more of a vibrant person. She had her ups and downs, but most of all, she was always laughing. He found that to be the best feature on any woman. He had learned laughter was the best medicine for all types of handlings with people of Heero and Kirin's caliber and of someone like Wufei. He grinned at the thought. The only time he had heard Wufei laugh was when...actually...he never remembered when Wufei had last laughed. Now it was up to him to break Wufei's bad habit and at least get a small chuckle from him.
"Mister Maxwell, this way, please." said the officer, sounding a bit strained.
"Sorry." Duo took another look at the pictures, more so, Shin's, and followed close behind the officer.
They came to a pair of large, automatic steel doors. They opened revealing the massive pirate ship that rivaled any other ship on land, air, or sea. The ship, Zenith, was a beauty in itself. It could at least carry several Gundams as well as a few well compacted Mobile Dolls, give or take a few.
Off to the side were large crates labeled supplies. The space pirates who belonged to Zero, were busily packing the ship with those crates. Towards the head of the ship was Zero, sitting atop a crate, giving out orders to her men. Quatre stood beside her, holding a clipboard, probably a supply list.
Trowa was hovering over a stretcher with a body on top. Was it Kirin? Duo quickly took a few steps ahead of the officer to see better. He turned to the officer. "Where's Kirin?"
"She'll be joining you soon. The one in the stretcher is Ayako Meguri. She's going with you to Earth. Dr. Ikuza's orders."
Duo turned and saw Shin and Yume standing on either side of a pair of automatic doors, opposite the ship. He thanked the officer and floated up towards the two girls. "Morning."
"I thought you'd never wake up." Shin said, relieved. "How did you sleep?"
"I slept like a baby." Duo replied, winking at Shin. "Everything looks normal."
"That's what's bothering me." said Yume. "It looks normal, feels normal...but is it normal? There's got to be a catch."
Shin almost laughed. "Hard to believe you slept like a baby, Duo. You fell off your bed."
"I did?" Duo asked, incredulously. "I guess it was so comfortable that I didn't even notice..."
"What about the officer that picked you up?" asked Yume, sounding annoyed. "I'd think that you'd know if you were sleeping on a bed or on the floor, Maxwell."
Duo rubbed his head. "Like I said, it was probably too comfortable for me to notice."
Yume scratched the back of her head in an irritating manner. "I'm going to go see what's taking her so long." She breezed past Shin and Duo and disappeared behind the automatic doors.
"What's wrong with her?" Duo asked, noticing Shin rubbing her temple.
"We're both worried about Kirin. Lee said she went into surgery last night for the wound she received, but we haven't heard from her, yet. Not to mention Heero's out somewhere, probably worrying about her, too." Shin replied.
Duo grinned. "I'm sure Kirin's fine. She's a tough girl, she can handle it."
"I know she can...but I'm just so..." her voice trailed off as she remembered the night before.
"Tired." Duo finished. His smile was half gone and his voice sounded serious. "Tired of everything that's been happening, right?"
Shin nodded. "Yes. Last night...when Kirin...it terrified me. I wanted to break out of my shackles and shake her. I wanted to understand why she was doing such a thing. Why was she doing it to herself? Couldn't she stop herself?"
"There's only one person who can tell you that, Shin." said Duo. He glanced at the others before returning his gaze to Shin. "Do you want to know what I think?"
"Please?" said Shin. "It would help."
Duo sighed and buried his hands into his pockets. "Well, what I think is...Kirin couldn't stop herself. There's was a part of her that did want to stop and another that didn't. Sometimes when that bad feeling is so great, you can't do anything but ride it out. She was probably so fed up with Lee and everything he did to her that she just let herself go. The consequences didn't matter to her anymore and she buried all rational thought into herself."
"But why?" Shin wailed. "She's stronger than that. She's stronger than him! Why would she do such a thing?"
"Shin..." Duo put a reassuring hand on Shin's shoulder. "Have you ever thought that Kirin was afraid, too? That she was scared of what she might do? Do you ever try to see through her eyes? What she goes through?"
"No..." Shin sighed. "Not really. I'm always trying to...I'm trying to make her feel that she isn't alone. She's got me and Yume. She's got us. If she let go, then she'd let go of all of us!"
"Don't let her be right." Duo said sadly. "Don't let her think that if she becomes that other person, if she really lets herself go...that she'd lose all of us. She needs us now more than ever. She's our friend. And we're not going to give up on her."
Shin gave a relieved smile. She turned to Duo, feeling tears well in her eyes. "Thank you, Duo. That was really sweet of you."
"I'm just saying what I'm thinking. I am after all, Duo Maxwell. I may run and hide, but I never tell a lie."
Shin managed a laugh at that moment. She clasped the hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Duo. I can't say how much you've made everything seem so clear to me."
"You know, if you ever need to talk..." Duo winked at her again. "I'm always here."
Shin felt a surge of happiness. She dropped Duo's hand and, instead, wrapped her arms around his neck. "You've done so much for me, Duo! Thank you!"
Duo blushed, grateful that Shin didn't see it. "You're welcome." His stomach protested loudly. "Uh...when's breakfast?"
Shin chuckled softly. "Oh, Duo..." she linked arms with him. "Breakfast is in the mess hall. I'll show you."
"What about roll call?" asked Duo. "If I know Heero, he'll be mad if we're not here in."
Shin bit her lower lip. "I suppose we can wait..."
"I can wait." Duo said, fighting the grumbling in his stomach. "As long as you're with me."
Shin blushed furiously, green/violet eyes sparkling with amusement. "Duo, stop it, you're making me blush!"
"You look so pretty when you blush..." Duo grinned, enjoying his sweet torment on Shin Kin'Youbi.
"Oh, shut up, Duo!" Shin cried, playfully bumping into him.
Quatre smiled at the interaction between Shin and Duo. They looked adorable together. His attention went back to the clipboard in his arm. The sling wasn't bothering him too much, just a little uncomfortable. He looked up at Zero who was pointing to several smaller carts. "Are those ammunition crates?"
"Yeah." Zero replied. She stamped her foot as one of the pirates tripped over another's foot, sending thousands of bullets tumbling in all directions. "You idiot! Go and pick up ever single one of those bullets! With your teeth, you moron!"
Quatre winced at Zero's language. He remembered reading a book about manners. So far, Zero was the epitome of everything a lady SHOULDN'T do in public. "Um, Zero?"
"What?" she yelled. Her bright green eyes suddenly widened and she cleared her throat. "Yes, Quatre?"
Quatre had to smile at Zero's attempt in trying to act like a lady around him. "Is it really necessary to yell and to use such language to your men?"
Zero felt as if she were being set up for an execution. She couldn't understand why she was bending over backwards to be nice to Quatre Winner, heir to a fifty-billion dollar estate. The things she could buy with all that money. But, out of respect, not only for herself but for Quatre, too, she wanted to seem that she was well educated and not some illiterate pirate. She was going to prove to every single one of those snot-nosed, rich brats that she could be a lady. When she chose to. She sat down on the crates, her legs over the side. "Well, Quatre...it seems to me that the only way I can get my ship stocked and out of here faster is when I yell."
"Would it hurt to say it in a nicer tone and say 'please'?" Quatre suggested.
"Nicer...tone?" Zero repeated. She could just see it now, all her pirates would look at her as if she grew another head and begin laughing at her. Then she'd have to bring out her specialized pistol and shoot everyone that laughed Yes, she'd very much prefer that. And to say PLEASE? "Uh...um...well..."
Quatre looked sympathetically at the pirate who was picking up bullets with his teeth. "You can start with that one."
Zero turned to the pirate who was on hands on knees picking up several five inch long bullets with his mouth and dumping them into the exposed crate. As she clenched her fists and settled them on her sides, she turned her head slowly and swore she was only doing this to get closer to Quatre and his riches. "Fallon."
"Yes, captain?" said the pirate. He lifted his head and waited for the next words to come out of her mouth.
"Could you..." she glanced at Quatre who nodded his head. "PLEASE...hurry up?"
Fallon looked worriedly at his captain. She was telling him to hurry up and she said please. "C-Captain...?"
"Do it, now!" Zero snapped. She heard Quatre's tsk-tsk sound and saw the shaking of his head. "Do it, now, please."
"Uh...ok..." Fallon looked at his hands. "Can I use my hands, now, Captain?"
"Yes, you c-"
"May." Quatre corrected her.
"Yes, you may." Zero said, plastering a smile on her face.
"Sure, captain..." Fallon then shrugged his shoulders and began to gather the inhumanely large bullets into his arms.
"There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Quatre asked, beaming at Zero.
Zero felt as if she had just walked- more likely dragged, on hot coals. She eyed Quatre who was smiling at her. It was that smile that warmed her heart. She shook her head, mentally warning Quatre that if he made her say that in front of all of her other pirates, they would think she had gotten soft and eventually try to overpower her. "Quatre."
"Yes, Zero?" Quatre replied pleasantly. He looked up from his clipboard and brought all his attention to Zero.
Zero squirmed under Quatre's pleasant gaze. She wanted to tell him that she was not going to be Miss Manners all the time. But the pleased look on Quatre's face made her knees feel weak. She was glad she was sitting on top of the crate. "I just wanted to say..." Say anything to discourage him from giving her more lessons on manners! Yell at him! Tell him that she was just using him for his money! Say it! Say SOMETHING! "Thank you." NO. That didn't work at all. That's not what she meant to say at all. What was wrong with her?
Quatre nodded softly. "You're welcome, Zero." He turned to Trowa who was now asking him where they should place Ayako.
"Is she awake?" he asked the tall pilot.
"She's still in and out of consciousness. I overheard two nurses saying she was still under the influence of painkillers. She'll be like this for another day or so."
"Then we shouldn't disturb her." said Quatre. "We'll place her in one of the guest rooms and station one of the pirates with her. Just in case she awakens. Is that all right, Zero?"
Zero, who had heard every word, looked grudgingly at Ayako. "I don't know why we still have to take her with us. She was going to get us killed."
"But she didn't, so it's ok." said Quatre. He saw the look in Zero's eyes. "She can't do anything now, Zero. She's unconscious. Besides, she's like us."
"She's not like us because she tried to kill us! I admit that sometimes I don't like it when Kirin becomes psychotic or the fact that sometimes she infuriates me, but I still consider her one of my friends and I wouldn't kill her! I even joke about turning her in, but do I?" Zero growled. All manners were thrown out the window.
"I'm not asking you to become her best friend, Zero. I'm asking you to put it behind you and accept her for who she is. She's lost and probably alone with ONI. Maybe this is a chance to reform her. We can't change her old habits, but we can try to teach her some new ones." said Quatre. "I gave you a chance...now, can you do the same for her?"
Zero rubbed her ears. Had she heard right? "You..."
"I didn't look at you like you were a pirate. I looked at you like the young lady that you are." Quatre said lowly. "I began thinking about our first conversation. I learned a lot about you, though I don't think you noticed how much you opened up."
Had she opened up? She remembered the conversation they had the day before. No...she didn't say anything too incriminating. "Quatre-"
Quatre shook his head softly. "Let me say this...I think you're a very beautiful young lady, Zero. But I think that sometimes you like too much attention. You yell because you feel powered. You like vulgarity because you don't like seeing yourself as someone who is dependent on others. You don't want to be that young lady because you feel limited on what you can do. I admire your independence and strength. But I know who you really are. You're lost and confused."
As a defense, Zero become angry and clenched her fists. "What do you know, Quatre? You don't know what it was like for me! You were born with the world in your hands! I was born with nothing! I had to get what I have now! Do you think this ship was given to me? I created this ship from a small shuttle! This is my home! This is my life! Don't you dare say you know what I like and who I am. You don't know a damn thing about me."
"That may be true, Zero." Quatre said softly. "But I'm willing to listen."
Zero was about to bite off his head again. She heard his last statement and dropped her fists to her sides. She relaxed them enough that she clasped her hands with one another. "I don't want to talk about it. Not now."
"All right." Quatre leaned close and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If you ever feel the need to talk. You can always talk to me."
"Yeah." Zero turned away from him and his hand. She wasn't going to drop her guard for some cute, rich, blonde-haired, blue-eyed young man who thought she was beautiful and blushed as he said it. No. She was going to keep her bad-ass attitude and walk away with her dignity intact. Then she'd go into her room and probably drown her sorrows in her treasure. After that, she'd probably start abusing her furniture to vent out her frustrations and the fact that Quatre Winner was getting under her skin. But, she did have to admit...he was cute and she was...a little fond of him. Just a little. Maybe a little was too much...
Quatre saw the slight confusion on Zero's face and decided to leave her alone for the time being. He hadn't really meant to say so much to Zero, but he was never one to hide his feelings...unlike a few of his friends that he knew. He set the clipboard next to Zero quietly and turned to the stone-faced young man at the front of the room.
His blue eyes were dark, as if he had been told the most devastating news in the world. His eyes washed over the scene. Shin and Duo were sitting on a pile of empty crates, talking in low voices; he had just seen Trowa cart someone on a stretcher into the ship; Zero and Quatre were standing close together, Quatre was slowly approaching him; he had just passed Wufei who was just retrieved by one of the ONI officer's, and he saw Yume storm past him, mumbling something about Kirin not showing up. He stepped further into the port and saw the ONI officer's cower into a corner. He wasn't in the mood for courtesies.
"Good morning, Heero." Quatre greeted him warmly. "Have you heard anything yet?"
Heero's eyes slowly turned on Quatre. He had spent the entire night and this morning trying to figure out what happened to Kirin. Yes, Lee had told them all, over the p.a., that Kirin had just had surgery. Yes, he said she was alive and conscious but she needed her rest. Yes, he also said that they would all be going home. And, yes, he wasn't going to stop them. He knew for a fact that Quatre wouldn't ask about Kirin if she wasn't already on board. He figured it was Ayako. She was the only other person who was seriously injured. That and he also heard the rumors that Ayako would be going with them back to earth.
Quatre took Heero's silence as a 'no.' He sighed. "Do you think Lee would actually hurt her?"
"No." Heero said finally. He voice sounded so raw. He cleared his throat and crossed his arms. "He wouldn't hurt her. I'd kill him first before he could."
Quatre nodded. "She's a strong young lady, Heero. She can't be taken down so easily."
"She won't be taken down." Heero replied. "I won't allow it."
Quatre knew that determined expression on Heero's face. He meant what he said with every cell in his body. It was amusing to watch his friends, Duo and Heero, both find young women that would suit them so well. Duo and Shin with their common love of laughing and Heero and Kirin with their... 'suicidal' tendencies. In a way it was good for them to find a significant other, at least their minds would be on something else. He wondered if he would find someone he could call his own. His eyes suddenly darted to Zero who was sitting quite seductively on the crate, still yelling out orders. He smiled, if there was one person capable of reforming her, it would be him.
The automatic doors opened, revealing Yume who was followed by an entourage of men in black suits. She looked half annoyed and half angry, but judging by the small casket behind her, it was Korin's body.
Yume turned to Heero and walked towards him. She beckoned to the casket. "Lee just announced that we're taking Korin's body. We can do whatever we want with it. However, when I saw him, he told me Kirin was already up and about. He had the gall to admit he didn't know where she was. The bastard..."
Whatever self-control Heero had, it was quickly diminishing. His hands dropped to his sides. "You're coming with me, Yume-"
"Don't jump to conclusions." said a voice.
Heero turned and saw the light to his darkness. She stood on the opposite side of the large docking room holding armfuls of papers. He saw a glimpse of blue and white. Blue and white usually meant 'blueprints.' He came forward wanting to know why his Kirin was already up and walking around as if she wasn't impaled by a spike the night before. "Kirin-"
Kirin's gold eyes never met his. "I know. Why am I walking around? You, out of everyone, should know that you just can't lie down when the world is passing you by." she handed the papers to Heero, giving him a fake smile that unnerved him. "Those are top secret blueprints, Heero. I trust you can put them in a safe place?"
"Hn." If Kirin was going to close up her emotions to him, he might as well do the same thing. He watched as Kirin floated past him to the clear-glass casket, still attended by the black suits.
Kirin's own gold eyes reflected back to her on the glass. Her hand, trembling with anger touched the smooth surface, as if trying to smooth the same silver hair of the young boy inside. His large, innocent eyes were closed, his hands clasped over the midsection of his abdomen. There was a gold cross that lay in the center of his chest. He wore white. She found it heartbreaking.
She leaned her head close, almost kissing the glass. The glass fogged up where her mouth was slightly parted. Hands clenched into fists and she looked angrily to the black suits. "And what has Lee said I do with him?"
The one closest to her spoke up. "He said to do whatever you want. He trusts that you will not come back here for he will surely humiliate you."
Kirin slowly stood up, her bangs flooding her face and obstructing her eyes. "Humiliate me? The only thing he's manage to do is piss me off." She lifted her head slightly, two golden orbs glowing with a dangerous fire. "And do you know what happens when I'm pissed off?"
The black suits slowly backed away, glancing nervously at each other before leaving out through the automatic doors. Kirin laughed darkly then turned back to Heero and the others who were watching her closely.
She tossed her hair back and turned to Zero. "Is everything packed?"
"Yes." said Zero. "Where are we going to put him?"
"I'll figure something out." Kirin called. She turned to Heero. "Do you mind putting them away now? We'll need those. They're from my office."
Heero looked up at the dozens of disarrayed papers. He glanced at Kirin before coldly turning away and walking towards the ship. She sighed fretfully. She had no reason to act so distant from her friends. Especially Heero. But she didn't want to get too close to them too soon. She needed time to think, time to gather and re-collect her feelings. She just lost a son for crying out loud! But what did that have to do with everyone else? Absolutely nothing.
Kirin then turned to the officers in the white suits. "Lee is letting us have breakfast here?"
"Yes, General Shido- uh..." one of the officers began to blush.
"So." Kirin sneered. She stepped to the officer who spoke up. "You're sympathetic with me and the Triad, huh?"
"Uh..." the officer looked at his fellow comrades. "Yes, General Shido..."
Kirin smiled. "Then you know that this isn't the end. For them or for us..."
"Yes, General Shido!" said the officers in white. "We have reports of an operation that will be executed by Lee's Elite."
Kirin found is suspicious that the men in white would tell her of the things Lee was doing. She knew now not to trust everyone she met. She would listen and feign acceptance. She'd lock it into the back of her mind and use it as a reference in case those white suits had told her the truth. If not, then she knew it was just a ploy to get her and her friends killed.
"And what is that?" Kirin asked mildly. "Surely you've researched it well enough to know whether or not it is just a decoy."
"Yes, General Shido." said the first. "It's called Operation: Chaos. There will be at least four shuttles for each colony, filled with at least three hundred and fifty of Lee's enhanced soldiers. That would make fourteen hundred soldiers total on each colony. They will evidently rule the colony since they are to resemble your expertise. During this time, the Elite will lead both a mobile doll and a mobile suit rally against Earth's defenses."
"And the purpose of this action is?" Kirin questioned, knowing Quatre and Yume were close by.
"As its name implies, General. Chaos."
"All this for chaos." said Kirin. She shook her head. "No. There's something more to this. Tell me what it is."
The officers all glanced nervously at one another. Surely that information was sufficient. Lee had told them to act as if they were on her side and tell her everything they knew about Chaos. They were to tell her who was involved, how many, and the purpose was. They knew the purpose was vague, but Kirin could fill in the details herself. "G-General Shido?"
Kirin gave a frustrated sigh. "Lee isn't flagrant without reason. No matter what he does, he has a reason to do things. It could be as easily as obtaining attention or as hard as creating soldiers that look like me. Nonetheless, he has a reason for starting this Operation."
The white suits swallowed hard. They were in trouble. They had to make up an excuse fast or else Kirin would kill them. They knew she was going to kill them because she was playing with something on her hip which resembled a pistol. Not to mention Yume was standing beside her, fingering a fairly large pocket. "The purpose of Chaos leads to the fall of Earth. If they are able to control the colonies, Lee will create a cannon that would be powerful enough to destroy Earth with a single blow."
"And how will they do that?" Kirin asked, feigning interest. Truth or untruth. That was the question.
"They will align the five colonies in five intersecting points that will lead to the core and eventually have the planet burst like a balloon." said one of the white suits.
Kirin raised an eyebrow. "Really. Don't tell me- the colonies will form a star sequence around Earth. Each cannon will point to the center of Earth and with the force of the cannon, it will not only penetrate Earth's surface, but it will also destroy everything in its path. Right?"
"Yes, General Shido!"
"Ok. Good." Kirin suddenly brought out her pistol. "Thank you for the information."
"Kirin, what are you doing?" Quatre cried.
"If I don't kill them, Lee will." Kirin replied calmly. She cocked the gun and aimed.
Yume's arms went around Kirin's waist. "I admit I want to knock their heads off, but I don't really want to kill them! Kirin, stop! No more! I don't want to see anymore blood."
Kirin slowly put her arm down. Yume was right. No more bloodshed. She hesitantly put back her pistol. "Return to Lee. Tell him that whatever he's planning, I'm going to stop him. And if he doesn't believe me...tell him the only chaos he's managed to create...is me."
The white suits made a quick getaway from Kirin's line of sight. She shook off Yume's hand and walked towards the automatic doors. She stopped long enough to say one thing. "After breakfast, we're leaving."
Mess Hall (7:54 a.m.)
All activity ceased. Hundreds of pairs of eyes looked towards the group that stood at the threshold of the mess hall. The beating of hearts could be heard, breathing, steady and slow, whistled through the air. Forks were upraised, frozen in place by arms that were trained in breaking necks. Mouths were turned to frowns and eyes were filled with hatred.
Kirin stood amongst the group, crossing her arms. Those people, those who looked up to her were now looking at her with hate. She wasn't going to take any of the glares lightly. If any one of those people breathed, looked, or even said anything the wrong way, she'd go off and literally string their necks and hang it up on Zenith's mast.
Apparently everyone knew what she was thinking so they continued their conversations, in lowered voices, and resumed their meals. An officer in white escorted the group to a cornered off section of the mess hall. Surrounding tables silently stood and left the area to go to another section. No one wanted to be around traitors.
Kirin slunk into a chair and crossed her arms, avoiding eye contact with her friends. They sat around her, each giving questioning glances at Kirin before turning their gazes at one another.
"So," said Duo, breaking the tense silence. "What's for breakfast?"
Shin followed in Duo's lead. "Well, we have a choice whether you want pancakes, waffles, eggs, or cereal. Everything is culturally diverse so whatever you want or how you want it is pretty much up to you."
"Sounds great." Duo beamed. "I think I'll have all four."
"All four?" Shin asked. She tipped her head back slightly, a gesture of remembering. "Pancakes, waffles, eggs, and cereal?"
"Sure, why not?" Duo rubbed his stomach. "I'm in the mood for a hearty breakfast."
"Uh, o-ok..." Shin searched the area and found several waiters coming towards them. "I think you'll need a separate waiter just to get all of your orders, Duo."
"That's just fine by me." Duo grinned.
Yume was quite annoyed. Not only by Shin and Duo, but Kirin and Heero as well. Considering that Shin and Duo aren't made from the Perfect Soldier Mold, Heero and Kirin knew how to hide their emotions pretty well. Kirin had her head down on the table while Heero has his arms crossed, staring off into space...she was going to knock their heads together. Soon.
Waiters surrounded the table, giving out special's of the morning, chef's special's, and the regular menu. True to his word, Duo had gotten his four separate orders of pancakes, waffles, eggs, and cereal; Shin had decided on just having pancakes; Quatre wanted some eggs and bacon; Zero chose the waffles; Wufei wanted coffee first before he decided on what to eat; Trowa settled for pancakes, too; Heero said nothing; and Kirin wanted cereal.
Another tense silence ensued. No one said a word even as the mess hall became louder and louder. Quatre's face was hurting because he had been smiling too much. Unfortunately, his happy-go-lucky mood wasn't working this time around. Someone would have to say something in order to get a reaction. A good reaction, he hoped.
Their orders came around even as Quatre was still contemplating what to say. Maybe they didn't want to discuss anything or maybe they didn't want to talk when so many people around. But he was so used to talking during breakfast that he was almost becoming frantic to break the silence.
"Hey, you all right, Quatre?" asked Zero. She was in mid-pour of syrup over her waffles. "You look kind of anxious."
"I-I'm fine." said Quatre. His smile seemed fake and plastered on. "Thank you for asking, Zero."
"Uh, sure." Zero shrugged. She eyed the other members of the table. They seemed to be so self-absorbed into their own little world. She was just curious. Besides, Quatre looked like he was about to pass out.
All conversations ceased again as several suits in gray entered the mess hall. They were from the records department, all things that pertained to the history of every single member of ONI. They came to the group and stood above Kirin who slowly lifted her head from her cereal and gazed at them knowingly. "Here are the files you requested, General Shido."
Kirin sat up straighter and held out her hand. "Did you do as I asked?"
"Yes, General Shido." said the head gray suit. "We've double checked all connections and cross referenced it to several different resources. Everything has checked out ok."
"Good." Kirin skimmed through the folder that was handed to her. She seemed satisfied with it. "Very good. You've done your job well. You're dismissed."
"Thank you, General Shido!" They saluted, turned swiftly on their heel, and left the mess hall.
"Hey, Kirin, what's that?" asked Shin.
"Some favors I called in." replied Kirin. She sat back in her chair and began skimming through the information again. The table went into a small conversation then quieted as each resumed their meal. Her eyes read over the documentation of birth. It was for Baby-girl Katsuragi. She flipped a few pages and came across an older version of documentation. It was three years prior and for Baby-boy Katsuragi. She quickly glanced at Heero and Yume. Yume was eighteen, like herself, though two months older than she. Heero, she knew from facts, was three years older. Heero and Yume's likeness wasn't coincidental. It was blatantly clear that they were brother and sister.
Kirin stood. All eyes went to her. She pulled out Yume's birth certificate, sealed with an official emblem of the department of records, both on Earth and in Space, and handed it to her. She took out Heero's birth certificate and handed it to him. "I can do a blood test if you want to be sure."
"Sure?" Yume stared at her certificate. "Yume...Katsuragi? Hinako Katsuragi. That's my mother's name?"
Heero's eyes swiftly washed over the document in his grasp. His eyes slowly moved as he read the name of his mother. He looked up and met with Yume's eyes, the same eyes that he had looked at once before and thought it was so much like his own. He turned to Kirin. "What is this?"
"Exactly what it says. A birth certificate. Evidence that you were born and registered." replied Kirin. She didn't want to sound sarcastic, but that's what it was. There was no forging birth certificates. DNA, fingerprints, and retina scanners were stored in all birth files. Everything in any of the records department had back-ups. It went as far back as After Colony 100. "Like I said, if you want me to do a DNA test, I'll do it."
"What made you do this, Kirin?" Yume asked quietly. "What right do you have, going into my- OUR business? You just couldn't bring yourself to think about the consequences, did you? Did you think that pulling out the carpet from under us would result in us thanking you for meddling into our lives?"
Kirin took an involuntary step back. "I thought that-"
"No, you didn't think!" Yume cried. "You always think that everything will be ok! Well it's not ok, OK?"
"I don't see why you're so upset!" Kirin growled. "I thought I was doing you a favor, helping you find your family and for this matter, your BROTHER! I was thinking! I was thinking about you and I was thinking about Heero! If there was anything that I wanted to do, it was to help you. I wanted both of you to be happy!" Kirin lowered her head. "My family is dead. My mother, father, uncle...son. You and Heero have each other, now. You're family...whether you like it or not you need each other. You need each other to survive. I'm sorry if I thought it was selfish of me to try and bring you two together." She stood turned away from them. She walked quietly away from the table.
Yume's hand clutched the paper tightly. She had no right to be upset with her. She was right after all. Was it just an automatic defensive response? Kirin had done the impossible, once again, and found her brother. Her own flesh and blood. She admitted, only to herself, that Heero looked strangely similar to her- and vice versa. She had always wondered about her own past and thought it would be exciting for her to find out that someone of Heero's caliber would be related her. And now when it was actually true, she had refused it all and practically bit off the head of one of her closest friends. One of her friends that had cared enough to risk life and limb for her just so she could probably meet her highly-suicidal brother, Heero Yuy.
Yume turned to Heero. "So, now what do I call you?"
"Call me?" Heero asked. He was still trying to adjust. He looked at his birth certificate. It said Odin Lowe, Jr. He remembered that name. It was hard to believe that the same man who had taught him how to use a bazooka was also the man who sired him.
"Yeah. Do I call you Heero or the name printed on that sheet of paper?" asked Yume. "Let me see it."
Heero looked up at Yume as he handed her the paper. "I'd prefer Heero."
"So would I. No offense or anything, but Odin doesn't suit you..." Yume was tempted to say it. "Bro..."
Heero narrowed his eyes at her. For one thing, how was he to act around her now? She was his sister. But to make sure... "We'll ask Kirin to do a blood test. Maybe it's just a big coincidence and-"
"Kirin doesn't make mistakes, bro. You, better than anyone, should know that." replied Yume. She was beaming. It was fun calling Heero her brother. However, she had to find out just how far she could push it.
"Before you get comfortable, I want that blood test." Heero growled. He searched the area. Kirin was nowhere to be seen. "And...I want you to apologize to Kirin."
"I know, I know. It was wrong of me to snap at her. I was just being..." Yume was at a loss for words.
"Defensive." Heero finished. He had to urge to shake Kirin as she brought his perfectly stable world crashing down on him. But he also had to be grateful. She cared enough to go through such measures to make him feel like he belonged in the world. Even if it was with Yume.
Duo had just finished off his cereal and was sitting back in his chair, patting his bulging stomach. "Ah, I feel good!"
"Let's go then." said Zero. She stood and finished the complimentary orange juice. "I don't want to stay here anymore. Too many bad memories."
"Sometimes the bad memories are the good ones..." Quatre said softly.
"And last night? With Kirin going crazy?" Zero asked.
"Well...that's one memory that should be forgotten." Quatre said sheepishly.
"I thought so." replied Zero.
The group arose from their seats and followed the same white suit who had stood around, waiting as they finished their meal. The suit guided them back to the docking port and waited as they piled inside.
"Wait a second." said Yume. "Did you see-"
"General Shido's on the ship already." said the white suit.
"Oh. Ok." Yume ducked in front of Heero in hopes of catching up to Kirin first. She didn't want her dear brother to apologize for something she said. She'd rather do it in person.
Kirin was on the bridge, underneath the console. Zero had found her first and was now hovering above her. "What are you doing, now?"
"What's it look like? I'm removing the wires for the cameras like I said I would. The mission is over, isn't it?"
"Well...yeah." Zero sat down in her seat and watched Kirin. "You know you scared the shit out of everyone last night."
"I'm aware of that." Kirin replied. She pulled out the wires and set the on top of her stomach. "And what about you?"
"I already told you. You scared the shi-"
"No." Kirin moved from under the console. "What about you? You already said everyone was scared. In general. I want to know what you think."
"What I think." Zero repeated. She leaned back in her seat, hearing Kirin move under the console again. She eyed Kirin who was still busy pulling out wires. "You made me want to puke my guts out. I felt as if...I was responsible for having you act like that. Like you were venting out your frustrations on them instead of me."
"Is that all?" Kirin asked.
"No." Zero snapped. She wasn't really good at telling people of her feelings or emotions. She was just used to yelling. "I wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley!"
"Oh, really?" there was some humor in her voice.
"Don't patronize me!" Zero cried. "I'm trying to talk like a decent young lady and there you are laughing your ass off! Jeez..."
"I'm sorry." Kirin apologized. "But that last statement was just kind of...out of the blue. A spontaneous remark."
"Well," Zero scoffed. "That's how I feel."
"Good. Progress." Kirin said, pulling out for good from under the console. She stood and met with Zero's hard and questioning gaze. "Don't think I keep a blind eye or a deaf ear to any of my friends. You're trying hard to impress someone, aren't you?"
"What does that have to do with anything? I'm wondering why you said 'progress'!"
"Oh, that. Well...seeing as you're trying to impress someone and how you hardly express your feelings...I think that's progress."
Zero crossed her arms over her chest. "You know what?"
Kirin leaned on the console. She matched Zero's hardened face and crossed her arms. "What?"
"You're annoying."
Kirin let out a laugh then moved away from the console. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll think of something nice to say about you. Eventually."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Zero demanded.
Kirin walked towards the automatic doors. She stopped as she turned to face the Space Pirate. "Eh...you'll see."
"Kirin!" Zero called.
Kirin let the automatic doors close behind her. She looked down the winding corridor and decided that it was enough conversing with people for awhile. She'd find the first empty room and sit there until Zero's ship re-entered Earth's atmosphere. After that, she'd take over and find a nice abandoned parts factory and begin the reconstruction of one of the most feared weapons of all time...
The Gundams.
Lee's Office (8:14 a.m.)
"Are you sure it's wise?"
Lee Ikuza propped his elbows onto the desk and leered over his clasped fingers. "Are you questioning my authority?"
The advisor shook his head firmly. "No, sir. But...just letting Kirin and her company leave after setting up such an elaborate incident..."
"I know, I know." said Lee, nodding his head softly. "But do you actually think Kirin would put her friends in danger again?"
"Seeing as how she was so reluctant the first time..." the advisor drifted off.
"Yes." Lee grinned. "She's bold, crude, and reckless. Not stupid. She won't come back here. She knows the consequences of trying to come back here. She'll know what I'll do."
"And what of those men of whom you told your plans to?" asked the advisor. "I believe that they would follow their orders-"
"Yes. They'll do as I say. Now it all depends on Kirin. Whether or not she acts on that bit of information is the key. If she reacts, then she'll anticipate every move I make. If not, she and Earth, will never know what hit them. I've planned Operation: Chaos for years. I've waited for a time when Earth and the colonies were at its weakest and now that time has come." Lee leaned back in his chair and tossed his head back in laughter. "They were stupid enough to rid of the most magnificent machine of all time! And now look what happened...they're worthless."
"Sir, when do you plan on the construction of the Chaos Cannon?" the advisor held up a clipboard. "We have enough man power for construction, the parts are in, and the plans have all been laid out."
"Good." Lee pushed his chair back until he was staring upside-down at the wall of different screens. "Why aren't they gone, yet?"
"They're ready to lift off in ten minutes. Um, sir? Construction start date?"
"As soon as they leave." Lee sat up in his chair, looking darkly at the advisor across from him. "As soon as they're gone, start sending out the workers to the colonies. I want construction done within the month. On the verge of the second month, I want the cannon working, energized and ready to fire at my command."
"Sir? That would mean the workers would have to work nonstop for a whole month!" exclaimed the advisor.
"So? They are expendable. We'll just gather more workers from the neighboring colonies." Lee sifted through his papers. "World domination takes time. I've had three years to think. As much as I hate waiting, I can wait another month."
"And Kirin, sir?"
Lee raised a questioning eyebrow. "I'm starting to think you're just as obsessed with Kirin as I am. Let Kirin do what she wants. If she comes to confront me again and I'll go after her boyfriend. If she stays away, then she'll watch Earth take in a new ruler."
"Good plan, sir." said the advisory. He began writing furiously on his clipboard. He stood to leave. "We'll begin right away."
"Yes." Lee gave a heavy sigh. He laid his head on his desk and played with a picture frame that held Kirin's one and only baby picture. "Also, before you go..."
"Yes, sir?" asked the advisor. He froze just before the door.
Lee suddenly laughed. He eyed his advisor. "I want you to contact my Elite. Check any hospitals in the Sank area. I didn't bother to track them. But once you've located them, I want them brought back up here. We're going to prepare for WAR."