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Chapter 11-The Master Plan
Authors Notes: This chapters so packed, I feel almost like it was rushed. If it appears so to you all, I'm sorry. Now, I did keep some things the same from both respected Anime's, (As you noticed flip flopped between the boys and girls) But some things were changed, and those are going to be important to the development of the plot. I do feel like this is one of the best chapters though.
"Milliardo." She stood with her lips pursed, obviously displeased.
"Ah. Makoto," he smiled, releasing Wufei's ponytail with a forceful shove to his head. Wufei glared, ready to lunge, but was frozen with a glare from Usagi.
"I do prefer Zechs these days," he said cockily, his smile curling. Before he knew it though, he was pinned against the wall, his wind pipe compromised by Makoto's clutch.
"Really? I'd prefer to call you dead," she murmured, letting her face get dangerously close to his.
"Makoto," Usagi whispered, her eyes pleading with the brunette. Makoto glanced in Usagi's eyes a moment, before glaring into Zech's. Slowly, she let the man slide down the wall before releasing her grasp around his neck.
Resisting the urge to spit on her enemy, she backed up a bit, letting Usagi intervene. Zech's made no attempt to move, preferring to sit as he glanced up at the group. Quatre glanced to Makoto, and gaining approval, he advanced to Wufei, helping him up.
Usagi's kind eyes now held a swift coldness in them, as she drilled into the man before her. "Zechs," she said softly, nodding her head once. Zech's eyes scanned the blond, as he remained glued to the floor.
"Swearing my alliance to your party wasn't enough?" Zech's sneered. Usagi frowned, debating her words. "I think once you agree to be a spy, your intentions and honesty will always be questioned," she said softly, as her head turned to let her eyes fall on Wufei.
"As will your sisters," Rei's voice sounded from the doorway where she had appeared, Heero beside her. He glanced from Wufei to Zech's, obviously confused.
Zechs glared at Rei, the hate between the two growing. "And whom have you sworn your alliance to," he asked finally, looking Rei up and down.
Rei glared, gritting her teeth, "You and I both know to right these wrongs Relena must be in her rightful place. Getting her there and keeping her there is our job."
Zech's smirked once more, "Sally Po was a bit more welcoming."
Rei rolled her eyes, "Bless her soul. She isn't annoyed by your existence." "Do you want my help or not?" Zech's spat.
Rei continued gritting her teeth, before sighing finally. Zech's grinned, "As I'm sure your aware of, there's no way your team would win without an insider in Oz."
"How were you helping Wufei a second ago?" Usagi asked cautiously. Zech's frowned, "Wufei?"
Usagi glanced to the Chinese boy. Zech's smiled, "Oh."
Wufei glared, rubbing the back of his neck as Quatre prepared to pull him backwards.
Usagi glared. Evidently Zech's school boy crush on her was growing dangerous. "They're helping us," she said simply, clarifying the fact that Zech's was not to lay a finger on the boys. For the first time in this conversation the blonde's mediator position had shifted to one of anger.
"Helping you?" he raised an eyebrow. Usagi frowned at Rei.
Ignoring the exchange between the girls, Zech's sighed, "Une and Treize are developing new systems. I don't have an access card to get into the laboratory, and all the scientists are male. So good look sneaking your way into that."
Rei nodded, welcoming his information. He then grinned at Rei, "Perhaps you can ask your best friend, she has the master access card."
Rei glared, choosing to ignore his remark. He then turned his attention to Usagi as he looked her up and down. "Zechs," Rei snapped.
Zech's glanced to her, finally raising himself from the floor to meet Rei equally in the middle of the room. Rei raised her head with dignity. "My loyalties have already been proven. I swore I would protect your sister until she is able to rule. Sally Po did confide in me that you would be a valuable resource, and I have seen that for myself. I stop myself after I thank you for your help though. You and I both know if Oz catches you here, you'll be dead. I think it's time you take your leave," Rei said, turning her hair to the door.
Ami escorted Zech's out, with Makoto hotly at their heels to keep an eye out. Rei glanced Wufei and Quatre, and then to Heero.
"The other two?" she asked Usagi. Usagi frowned, "Pool. With Minako." Rei nodded, "We'll discuss this at dinner then. I've just been down to the kitchens and been told it will be a little less than an hour."
Usagi nodded, leaving the room. Rei glanced to Wufei, "I'm sorry for Zech's misguided hospitality. The only explanation I can think to give to you is that he's out of his mind," Rei shook her head.
Wufei raised an eyebrow at Quatre. Leaving the room, Rei brushed past Heero hesitantly. To her regret though, he followed.
She stopped in her tracks, turning to glance over her shoulder at him. Wisps of raven hair clouded her vision, and she had to turn to him. "You helped them?" he asked cautiously.
"I don't think my past is any of your business Heero," she sighed.
Heero squinted, remembering the words Zech's had spoken.
"And your best friend? Was that the girl in the picture?" he asked finally. Zech's had given him enough doubt to question Rei's intentions. After all, she still chose not to confide in him about this war, and they had brought in to help.
Rei sighed again, "Noin is none of your business also. We'll discuss this at dinner." Heero blinked. So soon as she fell into his arms weeping, she pushed him away.
Dinner that night went no better though, as the pilots cleared their throats, glancing to one another. Usagi glanced around nervously, clearing her throat occasionally. She glanced to Rei finally, her eyes pleading for an end to this awkward silence.
Having missed the action, Duo and Trowa glanced to the others for some clue.
"I think after today's...events, it's dangerous to keep you all in the dark. I've spoken with Dr. J, and we believe that certain events have occurred, that our plan needs to be put into action much faster than we had planned," Rei said, her back rigid against the chair.
"The man some of you met today, Zech's Merquise, works with Oz, the organization we are fighting against," she continued. The boy's looked to each other with interest. Rei herself gritted her teeth.
She herself had no intentions of revealing any secrets to these boys. After her meeting with Relena and Dr. J earlier though, she felt forced. They had a slight chance of winning with these boys. They needed their powers on their side. Her dreams also pushed her forward. She had already gone forward with teaching Heero to fly. It's not like he didn't deserve to know.
"If he works with Oz, why was he here?" Quatre questioned.
Rei blinked, debating with herself before answering, "He had pledged allegiance to us, which puts him at being our spy. He can't do the whole thing himself though, partly because he'd be killed if Oz were to ever find out, and then otherwise because," Rei stopped, thinking of a way to put it.
"Otherwise because he's a twit," Makoto grumbled over her plate. Rei's smile threatened to show as she shot Makoto a look. Usagi snorted, taking a gulp of water. Neither Makoto or Usagi were very fond of Zech's. Usagi and Zech's because of Zech's death wish attraction. Makoto and Zech's because of previous encounters, when Zech's was still loyal to Oz.
Continuing, Rei cleared her throat, "Leading Oz right now is a man named Treize Kushrenada, and a woman named Une. They seek to gain control of the colonies, and basically, rule the world. For lack of a better term."
"Is Treize like Zech's? Personality wise?" Duo questioned, having heard Wufei's recount of the events.
Rei frowned. She disliked Treize rather more than she disliked Zech's. Her mind flashed back, although she willed it not to.
She and Noin had been rather close, before colony 1 had been destroyed. She remembered the little things. The big things. Noin had joined up with Oz though, after meeting Treize. She'd convinced Rei to after several months. Rei, young and naïve, believed they were truly trying to help the world. Meeting Treize cemented these beliefs though, as the older man developed an interest in Rei romantically. Their attraction turned fatal though, when Rei learned of the attacks planned on the colonies, and also on her own. After finding out of her plans to interfere, and tossing her from his mind like dirt, Treize had ordered Noin to kill Rei.
Noin, the traitor she was, willed herself to go through with it, leaving Rei for dead on a temple floor after the first attack. Though the only people who knew of these events were Treize, Zech's, Noin, and Rei, Rei still felt no need to inform the others of this. Not even Dr. J, the one who had nursed her back to health.
"Treize is smarter than he looks," She said finally. Seeming to accept the answer, the group nodded.
"So. Why were you guys trying to bring soldiers back from the past, if you already had Zech's help?" Trowa questioned.
Nodding, Rei took a sip of water before continuing. "Putting all of your trust into Zech's isn't recommended. We five have been stretched thin, and we need all the help we can get." She smiled, pleased with her answer.
Inside though, she couldn't bear to live with herself at the moment. She herself knew that this would be the final battle. Her whole life, gone in one flash after this. If everything worked out the way it was supposed to, with the help from these new friends, Rei was sure of it. She'd made up her mind two years ago that she needed to do this.
Usagi. Minako. Ami. Makoto. They didn't deserve to die. They would simply help the penetration of Oz, and Rei had decided she would take on Treize herself. Pulling Treize into her gundam with her, self detonation was the only way she could be positive Treize would die.
If she simply destroyed his Gundam, he still had a possible chance of living. Medical technology these days could also heal bullet wounds, and perhaps even bring him back to life if he was found. If Rei succeeded in self detonation, both of their beings would be scattered into space. A million fragments would create one peace.
Choosing not to speak of this to the others, she smiled, raising her glass for a toast, "If your all in, here's to one alliance. We'll do it together."
"Together," the others echoed, clanking their glasses. The boys had finally been won over.