Chapter Eight
Trigger warning: mobile suit battle, self-sacrifice and time skip.
Word count: 4759
Author's note: It's been awhile since I've updated. My mental health hasn't been the greatest so I struggled getting this one done. I still don't feel 100% but I wanted to finish this one so I could stop feeling bad about abandoning it for so long.
There's a lot going on right now. The country is burning and it sickens me that so many POC have-are—suffering. I believe in equality for everyone—not so much for those who don't think Black Lives Matter and who are racists in general. The media is focused on the riots to take everyone's attention away from the peaceful protests and why people are marching peacefully to begin with. Please don't get swept into the media's and the President's (ick) lies. Black lives are important, they are so important and precious. And fuck you if you think differently.
Also, if you are protesting please remember to be safe. Wear masks because Corona is still a thing and it is claiming more lives now than ever before. Be safe, I love all of you.
In an underground bunker a few miles away Ayame's rebels and The Maganac Corp delivered the gundams and a mobile suit in the dead of night. The bunker was filled with all the trinkets and weapons they could possibly dream up. Ammunition, maps, radar and rations. After going back and forth, the pilots and Ayame came up with a battle plan to defend the camp and the town. They were all tinkering with their suits, shouting at each other from across the acoustic chamber. Duo's attention was drawn away from adjusting his radio when he saw Ayame climb into an Arie's cockpit.
"What do you think you're doing?" He asked, crawling out of the cockpit and taking a seat on the hatch. He swung his legs over the side and tilted his to the side with an amused smile and soft eyes.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Ayame countered as she plopped down in her seat. The machine itself was beat up with large dents with patched up bullet holes. The original paint was covered in earth tones, customed weapons and her groups insignia painted on the shoulder.
Duo shrugged, his head tilting to the side, "preparing for a tea party."
"Funny." Ayame dead panned, doing her best to ignore his questions because she knew what was coming. She's heard them all before. Girls can't pilot a mobile suit, a woman has no place on the battlefield. She should stay behind to look after the children. It was one sexist comment after another.
"You can't be serious." Quatre's voice cut in, startling her when he suddenly popped over the edge. She didn't hear the lifting cable drop down, let alone veer up, "it's going to be too dangerous. Leave the mobile suit battle to us."
Ayame sighed dramatically, "who do you think you're talking to? I'm the leader of this camp. It's me Oz is after here. How can I look these people in the eye if I don't protect them?"
"That maybe, but it's still far too dangerous." Quatre pushed away a monitor and leaned in closer to her
"I've been piloting suits since I was eight. This Aries since I was twelve. I've trained a few of my men to pilot and how to shoot, so there's no need to worry your pretty blonde head."
Duo nodded his head in Quatre's direction, "can't argue with experience."
"Don't encourage her!" Quatre shouted, snapping his attention to the Deathscythe pilot.
Wufei approached Quatre from behind, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She'll fight with us."
Quatre rolled his eyes, releasing an exhausted sigh, "not you too."
"Surprising no one." Duo said under his breath.
"We'll need all the help we can get." Heero said from across the bunker. Ending the conversation. He had been so quiet they forgot he was even there.
Quatre gave up his fight when Trowa's vote for Ayame to join them. It didn't stop him from worrying, however. There was something in the pit of his stomach that made him nauseous. He thought sitting in Sandrock would make him feel better, but the closer the enormous Oz fleet got, the worse he felt.
"Everything will be alright Quatre." Trowa's voice soothed over him.
"I can't help but feel something bad is going to happen." Quatre said softly.
"It's her decision. You of all people should know there's nothing you can say to change her mind." Trowa reminded him of the long friendship they've had.
"Yes, but—"
"Quatre." Trowa said softly, but with a stern undertone. "You can't go into battle like this. Clear your mind and focus."
They were getting antsy, it probably wasn't normal to be excited about going into battle, but they haven't been in a real battle for months. They were simply happy to have something to do. They set out early, too early, but they wanted to be prepared. Trowa, Quatre and Wufei set up a line, a few hundred feet from each to watch the horizon. They would be in charge of shooting down Oz's earth mobile suit while Heero, Duo and Ayame circled the skies and shoot down anything that broke through the small perimeter.
Their radars went crazy with red blinking dots and alarms as the enemy finally broke ground. They appeared in the distant as black specks, growing larger as they raced towards the gundams and Ayame. A pack of Leo's fired first, initiating the battle, still the heroes didn't fight back. They were well aware of Oz's tricks and they refused to fall for them. Not this time. They couldn't afford to make this a losing battle. It had to be a victory, no matter what.
Heero and Duo kept getting swept up in a large swarm of enemy Aries suits, the same for Quatre, Wufei and Trowa. They panicked when they thought Ayame had already been shot down. An echoing beep rung over their heads just in time for Ayame's suit to de-camouflage from a sky blue to the earth toned paint it had at the beginning. She dropped down into the middle of the sky fight, shooting every enemy in the back until Heero and Duo were free and then flew to the aide of the others.
Duo whistled and then smirked wickedly, " damn are you guys seeing this? We're being upstaged."
"She fights like a veteran." Heero said, almost too stunned to fight.
"Guess you were worried over nothing." Trowa said, briefly fleeting his green eyes in Quatre's screen.
"Maybe, but…" Quatre didn't finish his thought, he chewed on his lower lip, the pressure of his woes were simmering.
Ayame threw a rock at Sandrock as she flew by, "You worry too much."
Quatre threw it back, but missed her, "No! I worry the right amount!"
"You are so cute." She rose in the sky, hiding disappearing in the sun's light.
"Ayame, there are new units heading your way." Wufei said, curtly.
"I see them." Ayame maneuvered through the enemy's random firing, she swooped behind them aiming her rifle to their backs, "oh look, their they go."
Wufei smirked in amusement, "you are having too much fun."
"Cut me so slack, it's been awhile since I've been in a mobile suit fight." Ayame said a little too carefree for Wufei's taste. There was a lightness to her voice that she didn't take on when she was in camp. None of them have heard such a sparkle in her voice, like another person has taken over her body and mind. Ayame's soul belonged to the battleground.
The fight continues, the enemy mobile suits dwindled more and more. The way they were disappearing off their maps was suspicious. It was one thing when they defeated an enemy suit and that heat signature disappeared. If Ayame was reading her screen correctly all the heat signatures were reforming up the hill where they first appeared. She flew up and high above the clouds so she wouldn't be picked up and spotted the enemy retreating far beyond their original post.
Ayame wiped sweat from her brow. Exhaustion was beginning to settle in. How long has the fight been going on exactly? Ayame lost track around the first hour mark. It was a large group, larger than any of them have faced. Ayame cursed when she realized their plan.
"I think Quatre was right to worry." Ayame said, releasing one hand to shake the tension away before repeating it in the other hand.
"What about? He's right about a lot things." Duo said, feeling the same tension in his shoulders.
"You're sensing it too?" Quatre pushed his goggles up his forehead. Sweat was beginning to form inside, making it hard to see out of them
"Do you guys wanna fill the rest of us in?" Duo asked.
"I'm not sensing anything, but I see it. Their heat signatures are disappearing at a quicker rate from before. It's unusual, unless one of us has sniper skills they neglected to inform us on." Ayame said chewing on her cheek. "I think they're building up to something big."
"They'd sacrifice their remaining men just to keep us busy?" Wufei asked angrily. Sacrificing men for the sake of a cause did not sit well with him. He knew they were soldiers and soldiers die in battle all the time, but this was like leading sheep to slaughter.
"Agreed, cover me." Heero said, leaving no room for arguments as he flew high into the air, passing Ayame. He dropped a keyboard into his lap and shifted his regular sensors to look for anything that was not normal.
Ayame and Duo circle Heero, shooting down anyone that approach them. Quatre, Trowa and Wufei drew as much fire as they could without depleting their dwindled ammunition, but the enemy caught onto their plan. This would have been impossible at the beginning of the battle, but now that the enemy was retreating Heero was able to find their hidden agenda.
"Oh no." Heero's voice was breathy and ominous. On their screen he was pale with parted lips and widened dark blue eyes.
"What is it?" Quatre briefly glanced up at him before returning fire at a Leo that was hiding behind a large boulder.
"There's a bomb. A huge one." Heero explained, typing away ferociously.
"How big is big?" Duo asked, cocking an eyebrow. He wanted to make an inappropriate joke so bad, but he sensed all disapproving eyes on him.
"Big enough to take out this area five times over." Heero's eyes darted over the blueprints of the bomb and sent them the specs.
Ayame didn't waste a second glance towards Heero's screen. She rolled her eyes and mustered all the distain she could into, "a cyclops bomb. Wonderful."
"You've seen it used before." Trowa's eyes darting over the prints. This bomb, whatever it was, was intimidatingly impressive. Even with Heero's special and severe training there was no way he could disarm it.
"Once, when I was little. It wiped out my father's country." She didn't tell them it happened a few years after her mother died. Oz thought if they threatened to destroy her country the rebellion group would hand her over, but they refused saying they didn't negotiate with terrorists. In almost childlike behavior they destroyed the country anyway.
"Can we stop it?" Duo asked, returning his focus to the dwindling battle.
"No. People are going to die." Ayame said, hoping her poker face was convincing.
"We have to at least warn people." Quatre yelled.
Ayame rolled her eyes, of course Quatre wanted to warn the city. He didn't have to be dramatic about it. "You can try, but it won't change the fact people are going to die."
"We have to try." Quatre argued.
Ayame wasn't taking about the civilians. They would be fine, especially now.
"Do whatever you want." Ayame flipped Quatre's connection off, made her screen black and made sure no one else, but Trowa could hear her.
"What's wrong?" Trowa asked.
"I'm gonna destroy the bomb." Ayame said.
"But you said—"
"I know what I said. I lied. I didn't want Heero blowing himself up. I have a plan, but you have to keep Wufei and Quatre away." Ayame explained.
"What about Heero and Duo?" Trowa asked.
"Duo may be an idiot, but he's practical. And Heero is…Heero. Please, Trowa, keep them safe." Ayame pleaded.
"Of course."
Trowa corrals Wufei, Duo and Heero into helping Quatre alert the citizens about the bomb. Meanwhile, Ayame is fighting through the rest of the enemy who stayed behind to occupy the gundam pilots. Wufei happened to look at his screen when he realized Ayame wasn't anywhere near them. He searched through his screens, but he couldn't find her heat signature.
"Where's Ayame?" Wufei inquired, looking in Heero's direction. The Wing Zero's sensor system had a longer range and could hopefully find her.
"According to the readings, she's…" Heero's voice drifted.
"Where is she?" Wufei's demanding voice echoed in their cockpits, causing them to wince as if they were hearing nails on chalkboard.
Heero swallowed hard, making eye contact with Wufei, "she's right by the bomb." His steady tone didn't betray Heero, but the nervous twinkle in his dark eyes gave away the dread he was feeling.
"What?" Wufei turns towards Ayame's direction.
Trowa noticed and charged Wufei, bear hugging him and his gundam. The force of the motion knocked them both to the ground. Wufei's safety harness loosened enough for his head to bounce against a visual frame, creating a gash in his forehead. Blood smeared the grass scenery before him, his eyes coming into focus.
"Release me!" Wufei yelled, pushing against his ally, attempting to break free.
"I'm sorry Wufei, but I won't." Trowa apologized, his face as unreadable as ever.
"I don't care. Let me go to her!" Wufei glared at Trowa's face, black eyes shining with heat. Blood caressed the side of his face, making Wufei look more intense.
They struggled on the ground for a few more minutes, exchanging curses and punches. Wufei broke away, pushing Heavyarms off of him with the help of Duo and Quatre. When he was able to steady Nataku on her feet a large explosion shook the ground and their suits. Wufei shoved Trowa to the ground as he flew off in Ayame direction. . He dodged and maneuvered through the flying debris, various mobile suit parts and falling rocks.
Wufei is the first one to arrive on the scene and he is immediately horror struck. There are pieces of Oz's troops scattered around the area. Ground zero is a massive crater, larger than he thought, a scorch mark is all that remains of the bomb. Resting against a broken in half tree is Ayame's camouflage Aries. It's missing its legs, an arm and head and is sparking. The cockpit door is hanging on by a thread.
Wufei's heart beats loudly in his ears and his fingertips tingled and felt warm. He lands close to her machine and fixes his camera on the cockpit. His sensors don't pick up a human heat signature, he almost doesn't believe it until he zooms in until the picture blurs over. The cockpit is empty, there's no sign that she was ever inside.
The others finally arrive and gather around Nataku and the damaged ally suit. The atmosphere is stagnant, their words drying and cracking on their tongues. Tears began to dam Quatre's eyes, making it impossible for him to see the damage on his screens.
"Wufei, is she…" Duo lost the will to ask the rest of the question.
"She's not here." Wufei couldn't almost believe what he was seeing. Or rather, what he wasn't seeing.
"That can't be, she's got to be there. Her suit is half destroyed." Quatre is the first to open his hatch to get out and search her suit in person.
"There's nothing! She's not here!" Wufei shouted, stopping Quatre in his tracks.
Before anyone can suggest Wufei gets out and begins to search for her on foot. Maybe she jumped out and just got caught up in the debris? What if Aries's was too badly damaged before she reached the bomb? She could have gotten out and into another suit. That was possible. Anything was possible, except that. She couldn't be…no…there was no way someone as stubborn as her could go out like that.
Except there was nothing.
Nothing.
Wufei heads over to a rock pile that looked like it could shield a few people from the explosion. The others call after him as he shoves at slabs of concrete and throws rocks the size of his head out of his way. There was no way she was gone, the voice in Wufei's gone repeated over and over. She's just playing the sickest joke on Earth. That's what it was. He was going to move this last piece and she was going to pop up covered in soot with the biggest smile. She'd say something asinine and he'd call her an idiot. He would resist the urge to hug her and stand-by as Quatre chastised her.
"Wufei! Wufei! Stop!" Duo shouted as he pulled Wufei's hands away from the largest slab of sheet rock. "You can't move it Wufei. It's too big. You gotta stop, man."
With Heero's help, they were able to pull Wufei away. Wufei felt something wet and sticky on his hands. Peering down, he saw his fingers and hands were bleeding. Both sides of his hands were covered in cuts and his arms were beginning to feel like noodles from moving heavy pieces of rubble out of his way.
Wufei looked to Duo with weak, pleading eyes. "Where is she? Where's Ayame? Why can't I find her?"
Duo dropped to his knees with a hand on Wufei's shoulder. Duo pursed his lips and reluctantly met Wufei's gaze, "she's gone, Wufei. She's gone."
Three years later
Life after the war wasn't as boring as Wufei thought it would be. Not with all the drug and weapons busts, crime solving and fighting various rebel groups who despised the Preventers and the new reform for peace. Rebel groups that wanted the Romerfeller Foundation back in order. Wufei took on anything he could to keep himself busy, the more time he spent on a mission or in his office the less he thinks about Ayame. When he was alone in his apartment, in the darkness, he faded back to the last time he saw her.
Wufei should have said something to her before climbing into Nataku. Fuck, he should have kissed her like some sort of cliché hero. He has many regrets and hatred towards himself because he didn't, as Ayame called it, woman up. There were many things he would change, like trusting Trowa to look after Ayame. He blamed him the most out of everyone. Three years later Wufei still refused to speak to him unless he had to. He left the room as to not hurt him because Wufei didn't trust himself around him. He wanted to send Trowa through a wall.
Duo and Heero finally getting married was one of the good things to happen. No one was surprised when they admitted they had been dating—if you could call it that—during the war. The Gundam pilots always suspected they were together during the war. As everything calmed down the two were able to explore what they've wanted during the war and Endless Waltz. Trowa and Quatre live together, they weren't married, as far as anyone knew. They acted like one and were always together.
Quatre had his company build an apartment complex for the people who worked for the Preventers in every country and city. It was convenient for Duo to check in on Wufei. He lived on his own and rarely spoke to anyone, his apartment wasn't decorated except for the few art pieces and plants Quatre and Heero brought over.
Luckily, the plants didn't need a lot of attention since he was rarely home. Especially towards the end and beginning of the month. They were in back to back meetings about the cases that had been closed and the ones that were still open. Quatre was going down his check list as quickly possible since it was Friday and they all wanted to go home. Except maybe Wufei.
"Oh." Quatre blinked wildly in surprise. "Wufei your sector has the best numbers. I don't think there's anything for you to do a few weeks."
"Then send me somewhere where I'll be of use." Wufei more demanded than asked with his arms crossed over his chest and face as still and empty as ever.
Quatre shook his head, "or you can go on vacation."
Duo chuckled, "you do know who you're talking to, right? I don't think Wu-man has taken a vacation in two-three years."
"Another reason why you should take one. It isn't healthy to work like this." Quatre tapped his papers together before resting them on the table and leaning his arms on them.
"Wufei, when was the last time you actually slept?" Trowa asked.
Wufei glared sharp daggers at him, "you know when."
Duo turned towards Heero with a hand cupped over his mouth and whispered, "awkward."
Everyone still heard him.
When Heero remained silent everyone swiveled towards him. He was staring off into space, lips slightly parted, eyes wide, pupils dilated and sickly looking. The teacup he was holding inches away from his lips was beginning to slip out of his grasp.
Duo waved a hand in front of his husband, "Heero what's wrong?"
Heero's lips didn't twitch.
"Ohmygod Heero do you smell toast?" Duo asked, jumping out of his chair. He gripped Heero's shoulders and shook him, his husband's head lobbed back and forth a little.
"Is he—is he in shock?" Quatre asked, standing and crossing over to Duo and Heero.
"Is there a safe way to bring him out of this?" Duo asked, cupping Heero's face in his hands.
"Not without sedation." Trowa replied.
"Try smacking him." Wufei joked while smirking.
"Would that work?" Duo asked seriously.
"Duo don't—" Quatre and Trowa said in unison.
"Ayame." Heero's voice broke through softly. Everyone immediately stopped speaking and returned their attention back to Heero.
"What about her, Heero?" Trowa gently asked.
Heero's cup slipped out of his grip, cracking on the floor. He pointed at the television sitting in the corner of the room, it was small and out of sight unless you were sitting in front of it like Heero was. If everyone were holding cups they all would have dropped them. Ayame was on the screen, only she didn't look like herself. Her skin was pale, almost sickly pale. Her once long and vibrant blonde hair was short, dull and darker.
"She's…alive." Wufei whispered, wide-eyed and stunned.
Duo scrambled over the table for the remote and unmuted it.
"Good evening. My name is Aurora Peacecraft, my uncle was King Peacecraft. I have been in hiding since the destruction of my country for far too long. I am saddened by the conflicts that continue to plaque our Earth. These disagreements, feuds, must end. I see a bright future for the whole world."
"The way she's speaking…" Duo said lowly.
"She doesn't sound like herself." Trowa finished.
"She doesn't even look like herself." Quatre added.
"That is why I am here today. To prove to the world The Romerfeller Foundation wants nothing but peace for our planet and colonies. They took me in when the Earth Alliance destroyed my family and country. As princess of the Sanc Kingdom, I invite you all to join my family and theirs on a joyous occasion. A union between myself and Caelum Romerfeller."
"She can't." Quatre yelled, covering his mouth with a delicate hand.
"I thought Oz and Romerfeller killed her family?" Duo asked, "that's why she told us, right?"
"Caelum, he's…" Heero felt his throat tighten up on him.
Wufei walked around the table, grabbed Heero by the collar and shook him out of his stupor. "He's what?" Wufei hissed between his teeth, black eyes narrowed focused.
"She has to know. There's no way she'd go through with this if she did." Quatre looked nervously at Heero, blue eyes watery with tears.
"What's going on?" Duo asked, separating Wufei from Heero.
Their attention was brought back to the television just as a tall and lean man appeared on the screen. He wasn't much older than they were, he was polished, with an equal mix of sharp and soft features. When he spoke his words were thoughtful and didn't sound rehearsed. Wufei clenched his jaw and fists when Caelum put an arm around Ayame's waist. He tucked her into him while her hands remained folded together in front of her. She looked weak and small, nothing at all like the girl they knew. Trowa muted the program when the news reporter flashed on the screen.
Duo nudges Heero and Wufei into their sears and worries over his husband because he's never seen the Perfect Solider so disheveled. Quatre is back in his chair at the head of the table with his hands crossed over the files and reports.
"Our first task when we joined, Heero and I, was to go through all of Oz's old records. What we discovered was…"
"Horror." Heero said ghostly.
"You never told me." Trowa gripped Quatre's hand and smoothed over his pale knuckles.
Wufei slammed his fists on the table, "they never told us."
"We were ordered to keep it a secret." Quatre calmly rebuttal. He was back to business, the tears and shock long gone.
Wufei inhaled deeply, he was simmering. On the brick of exploding with every pent of emotion from the past few years. "By Une?"
Quatre and Heero shared the same uncertain look with each other until Heero nodded his head for the blonde to continue.
"Relena and Zechs asked us not to say anything." Quatre explained.
"Stop beating around the damn blush and tell us." Wufei's angry tone ricocheted off the walls, stinging their ears.
"Caelum's father was the one who destroyed Ayame's country with the cyclops bomb. The old leaders of her camp held her and her mother captive on his orders. They were…" Heero's voice drifted.
"They were what?" Wufei asked through clenched teeth.
"According to Zechs, Caelum and Ayame were—are—betrothed to one another." Quatre replied shifting nervous glances at Wufei.
Wufei relaxed, but only a little bit, when the realization hit him. "When she and her mother went to the camp it was to keep them safe. And with the Peacecraft line gone, Ayame was the only heir to the throne."
Duo interjected, "then how did Ayame become the leader of a major rebellion?"
"Her predecessor, he murdered his predecessor when he tried to, um, assault Ayame's mother. Her mother got caught in the crossfire and died. He took Ayame and the camp and disappeared." Quatre explained. "The only reason why she returned to her destroyed country was to defeat the Earth Alliance, Oz and Romerfeller. But…"
"We—I—lost her." Wufei said, defeated and exhausted into his hands.
Trowa, against his better judgement, placed a hand on Wufei's shoulder. "Wufei, it wasn't your fault."
Wufei swatted his hand away, "yes it was! I left her side! I shouldn't have left her with you!"
Duo lobbed his head backwards with an audible sigh, "Wufei we've been through this."
"I know!" Wufei shouted once more. "I remembered what she had Trowa do. That still doesn't change the fact that I never should have stopped looking for her!"
"There weren't any leads Wufei. She was gone." Duo said gently.
"Then who the hell is that?" Wufei jabbed a finger at the television. Ayame's picture with her new look was plastered on the screen. Her make-up had been done with light neutral tones, even with her hair short it was put in a half bun with braids twining around the base of the bun.
"They must've gotten to her after the explosion before we did." Heero concluded, "they had to be near-by because we were on the scene within minutes."
"Do you think Oz planned that whole battle just to get their hands on Ayame?" Duo leaned back in his chair laughing, but then quickly realized what came out of his mouth. "Holy shit you don't think Oz actually did that, do you?"
"Romerfeller probably did." Quatre agreed, "remember? Shortly after that battle Relena became Queen."
"Relena had her own plans, plans that Romerfeller didn't like. If the events hadn't gone our way the possibility of the foundation brainwashing Ayame into doing their bidding as a stand in for Relena after they killed her." Trowa theorized out loud and received gasp from around the table.
"You scare me sometimes, you know that?" Duo asked, his ghostly appearance matching everyone's around the table. He went back to watching the news, the camera was focused the married couple to be. Her once defiant eyes, now dead and having a staring match with the ground. "What did they do to her?"
" I don't want to think about that. I'd rather think about how we're getting her back." Quatre firmly said.
Their moods perked up a little bit hearing their leader's optimism. Quatre was already devising plans in his head. Who they'll need, what Une will have to sign off on. What their backup plan will be if Plans A-D failed.
Trowa gripped Wufei's shoulder, "let's bring her home."