Author's Note: And the next chapter is released for your pleasure. We do not own Gundam Wing. All we stake a claim on is our three wonderfully new characters. Enjoy, and let us know what you think! ~ Ciao
The lights flickered in the hallway. The power going out for short amounts of time that the control room had passed off as a result of the severe thunder storm raging around them. None were able to catch that during the small seconds of darkness two figures were moving. Not even the cameras caught the movement as with each flick of power the cameras stopped working for a few seconds.
The base was on lock down and with that setting, a false sense of safety fell over the soldiers guarding the compound. None even thought to question the flickering lights. No one in the command room thought to send out a patrol. No one knew what was going on right under their noses.
The two shadows seemed to be taking part of a dance, not only with each other but with the lights. The seemingly random outages were actually a set pattern that the shadows knew by heart. No words were needed as they silently worked their way through the hallways. They each had their own missions. One was to disarm the outer defense so the invading army would be able to invade. The other was to kill Commander Gallium so all the little secrets about Dakim Barton and what he was doing would remain secret. They split without a word heading to finish their respective missions.
The poor officers in the command center were at a lost when lights started flashing across the board and a monotone voice echoed over the speakers.
"Outer defenses have been disarmed and inner holding cells C 4-8 have been released." Followed shortly by the warning alarms of invaders. "The outer defenses have been breached, we are under attack." The following seconds of seemingly trying to gain control turned to minutes of pure chaos as the Commander could not been reached and the group of rebel gypsies that had been in the cells were running and killing any soldier they came across. The men were collecting the gun and fighting to gain freedom for their families that were following behind.
When the main doors opened the attacking army was shocked to find the halls overrun with revolt. A simple retrieval mission to gain the knowledge from a one Commander Gallium had turned into them rescuing the captured band of gypsies and the complete destruction of a rogue group of soldiers at least that was how it was going to be worded in the files.
The leading Commander walked slowly through the hallways. His boots hardly made a noise on the floor as he stepped over the bodies that littered the walkways. Some were soldiers while others were members of the captured gypsies. He shook his head at the wasted life about him and sighed when he spied the body of a small child pinned beneath the body of one of the soldiers.
"Mr. Treize. I'm sorry to report but it seems Commander Gallium was found dead outside of his quarters." His ever faithful aid informed him making this crazy mission now useless. Thankfully none of his men had fallen in the attack.
He gave another sigh as he turned back the way he had come placing his hand on the shoulder of the boy standing next to him. "Such a waste, listen my friend, battles and fighting show the true inner strength of humans. The beauty that comes during a fight is beyond anything that can ever be seen. This," he gestured to their surroundings. "This is the animalistic side of us humans; the side that comes out when we are backed into a corner. When one can overcome that main link in our human natures is when one truly becomes the perfect soldier."
The haunted look in the boy's eyes told the older man that he would not forget what he saw this day. He could almost see the past nightmares this boy had been through coming back to the surface. If he could harness that knowledge and gain control of his emotions to use that caged fire he would become a great soldier and maybe even a leader of men. 'There's hope for the boy yet.'
"Let's leave; now that our presence is no longer needed as Commander Gallium has been disposed of, we're no longer needed." The boy nodded and moved with Treize as they started back. However the slightest of movements out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.
Treize stopped a few feet beyond looking back at the boy. "What is it Zechs?"
Zechs didn't answer for a moment; his gaze was trained on the body of the child under the soldier. He quickly made it over to the body reaching down to check for a pulse. "Treize he's still alive."
Lady Une quickly made her way over to the boy, helping Zechs push the body of the dead soldier off of the child. She made a quick scan of the body before pulling out a small pack and removed a steroid shot to give the child a small jolt to wake him. However, before she could place the needle in the child an unearthly sound filled the hallway as another child maybe a year older then the boy came rushing at them from her hiding spot in the hall. Her clothing was rags and she was covered in dirt and blood. But the fire that was flashing in her eyes was caged even as she seemed to be out of control running down the hall.
She reached Zechs first pounding his body with her fist crying out for them to leave Pepeto alone. It was only when Zechs wouldn't let her go that she fully turned her attention to the boy holding her. For the brief second that their eyes met a deathly silence fell in the hallway. Treize watched with a fascination as he saw something seem to click between the two. He could only explain it as if two lovers in a past life had found each other in their new lives. However as suddenly as it happened it was over. The girl had been flung away from Zechs as he cursed cradling his arm against him. Treize's eyes widened as the flow of blood down Zechs arm came into view. His gaze quickly returned to the girl and noticed the small stiletto in her small grasp. He saw Lady Une rush to Zechs but he kept his full attention on this mysterious child. He had been watching the whole time and he knew he hadn't even seen her move to cut Zechs.
Treize took a small step forward and instantly the girl was standing over the body of the boy and she gave almost a hiss of some wild jungle cat barring her teeth at him. He instantly raised his hands to show he meant no harm. As he studied the child more he started to notice the smaller details. Such as her muscles lied about the upbringing she was acting at. While the dirt, blood, and muck gave her a sickly captive look he could see that in all truth she was one of the healthiest children he had seen. Even in the small second his eyes flicked to the boy she was standing guard over he could tell that the boy was just as healthy.
"We mean you no harm. We were just trying to save your friend." Treize took more steps towards the girl. "We were only waking him. We needed to make sure nothing had been damaged." He could almost see the choice happen as for one moment she was a feisty little cat warrior and the next he found her arms wrapped around his middle as she cried blubbering words out in Russian pleading for her Pepeto's life.
"He will be safe." Treize promised as he gently ran his hand over the girls tangled mass of hair. He nodded to Lady Une who had finished wrapping Zechs' arm to finish working on the boy. However, when she went back to the boy he was awake and slowly trying to get up. The boy groaned as he sat up and the girl turned from Treize to wrapping her arms around the boy. Her words seemed to be even more mumbled as he could no longer understand it as Russian but the boy nodded anyways as if understanding their secret language.
He was fascinated by the pair as a group of his soldiers appeared needing his presence for a moment. It was over an hour before he was able to get away. With Zechs and Lady Un at his side he went to meet with the group of gypsies that had been held prisoner and hoped to see the two children he had meet earlier at the same time. Yet after his meeting with the leader of the group Treize asked about the two children and was met with blank stares. As he gave a description of the two and said that they spoke Russian the leader denied any such children being in their group.
He couldn't believe it. They were gone. No one in the gypsy group knew a thing about them and none of his soldiers could even say if they had seen them after they had been dropped off with the group. He was left contemplating this as he sat in silence in his shuttle. When Zechs joined him after getting truly fixed by the doctor he asked what the boy's thoughts were about what had happened.
Zechs took his time before speaking. "They were different. As none of the gypsies knew who we were asking for, it's safe to believe that they were not a part of the group so that leads to the question as to how and why they were there. By the placing and looks of the bodies the boy took out the soldier who was actually on top of him…" Zechs thought. "He had a rising bruise on the side of his face with a cut on the forehead like being hit with the butt of a gun. So maybe the soldier attacked back and got one good hit in before he finally died. Giving a hit that knocked the boy out, but how would a boy that age; know how to take out a well trained soldier?"
A silence settled between them as Treize tilted his head in thought. "And what about the girl… It seemed you two made a small connection." He hid the smile as a slight flush crept over Zechs' face.
"I'd place her age around 9, 10. For one that age her muscles were too well formed for a common gypsy. Also everything she did fit, but felt slightly off. She seemed to drag you in only to bite when you tried to help. I think if anything different would have happened she would have, and might have succeeded in killing us."
Zechs seemed shocked at his own words as he looked up at the man he was beginning to admire for his military presence and strength. Nervous for a moment at saying he believed Treize could have been taken down by a mere female child.
Treize steepled his fingers in front of him while taking in Zechs' words. "I feel you're right. Given the change and if it would have been the best means of escape I believe the girl would have done as you said, and if given the edge of surprise she might have succeeded." Treize could see Zechs visibly relax at his agreement but he couldn't help making another small jab at the boy.
"She did get a mark on you now didn't she?"
"You did what?" The voice seemed to come out at an extra high octave.
"I slit my stiletto down his arm…" Kit-Kat nibbled on a biscuit as she wouldn't look up at Serene. Hearing the silence after that statement she reluctantly looked up so see the unbelief in her eyes, and Boy trying to keep from smiling. "What?...He just kept looking at me. I had to do something." She was getting defensive and she didn't know why, nor did she like it. She hadn't done anything wrong. "He was creepy, and that Lady was going to shoot Boy up with steroids. We don't do well on steroids." She said with finality that stated this subject was off limits. If only the other two would have heeded the warning.
"She made eye contact for a whole 11 seconds." Boy told Serene just able to keep the sarcasm from his voice.
"Oh no, a whole 11 seconds," Serene reached over and felt Kit-Kat's forehead, "Are you feeling ok? I mean, the creepy kid didn't do anything to you did he? To warrant being attacked like that he must have, oh I don't know… Tried to kiss you?"
There was no warning. One moment they were all sitting there, Serene's hand on Kit-Kat's forehead, Boy trying now not to burst out in laughter, and Kit-Kat glaring daggers before they were all in a mass wrestling as Kit-Kat tried to make Serene take it back and Boy just causing trouble.
The laughter filled the small empty tower room as the compound lay empty beneath them. They were free to truly be kids for at least a moment. Boy had never experienced anything like this. All he had ever known were the daily moving and watching one's back with Odin. He relished in this new found feeling. Even though he was in a hell hole, he would truthfully say he was happy.
It wasn't long before they were sprawled out gasping for breath as they started to whine down from the earlier activities. Kit-Kat ended with her head on Boy's stomach while Boy's head was on Serene's stomach whose head was on Kit-Kat's.
"How do you do it?" Serene whispered. "How can you take a life and still keep going?" Even as her question was asked in a whispered it seemed to echo in the quiet room. Boy just shrugged. He had never thought about it.
Kit-Kat gave a small sigh. "I can't let them win…" A slight trimmer ran through her hand and she felt both Serene and Boy grasp it joining the three of their hands together. "There's a voice that keeps echoing in my dreams saying 'Sweet pea, never let them win'." She looked over at their hands and realized while the whole time she had always thought herself alone she now had a family. Even if it was for just a short time. "So I don't, and the only way I can make sure they never win is to keep going. I follow their orders but I always try to find ways to fight against their stupid rules and keep them on their toes too. Keeping them guessing, keeps reminding them what I've done and what I'm still capable of. When they fear me, I'm not letting them win. And then one day I'm going to get out of here, and I'm going to make sure they're taken down, and pay for what they did. All of them."
Silence followed her words as they just laid there and retreated to their own thoughts. It was as the stirring of the morning from the compound below reached the high room in the tower that they finally retreated back to their cells.
Something had happened that night, making it different then every other night. They had changed. They had fully realized that even in their messed up way, they had back up. They weren't only and as long as they were together, one day they would be able to break free with their lives. They'd never let Dekim win.