The General's Daughter II: In the Past, We Met
Prologue
The truck sped along the rain slick road.
"Why are they chasing us?!" The young mother clutched her three-year-old son while her daughter slept in between her and her husband. "Who are they?! Is that information so god damned important?!"
"Yes," said her husband calmly. He cast a glance in the back seat, at the small pile of disks barely visible underneath the children's jackets. His eyes lifted to the dark car following them. "I can't out run them, not like this." She laid her hand on his shoulder and looked at the two children.
"Don't let them have it," she said softly. "If the war depends on it, then so does everything else. It cannot fall into their hands."
"But what about them?"
"They're futures are more important. They'll survive." He nodded and set the cruise control, then lifted his daughter into his arms. She yawned, sighed, and settled against her chest, her braids falling in her face. There was a slight jolt as they hit a metal guardrail, but no one noticed. He put his arm around his wife and his son repositioned himself on his sister's legs. She rested her hand on his head as if she wanted to push him away, but didn't have the required energy or strength. The front of the car slammed in the ground and everything went black…
The dark car stopped at the top of the cliff and surveyed the damage.
"Nothing could've survived," said the first one. "Not even the data for the suits." Suddenly, a sharp cry broke the night air. A second later, the wail of police sirens half covered it. "We can't leave any witnesses."
"Grab the kid. We'll come back later to look for the data," said another. The first pulled the crying child from the wreckage. Blood ran down the side of her face and her braids were a tangled mess on her shoulders. She clutched a thin chain with all her life.
"Momma!" she yelled. "Poppa!"
Chapter 1
"What is this place?" Jian looked around and up at the tall buildings in half awe, half fear. Duo just smiled and shook his head.
"This is a city," he explained. "It's like a giant version of your village." She nodded, swallowing tear. Those weren't pleasant memories, what had happened in her village.
"Where's WolfClaw?"
"It's okay. I left the carrier with some friend on a base outside town. Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her fully into the city. Her breath caught in her throat. So many places, so many people, so much going on at once. How did people live like this? How did Anjyl… She shook her head clear. Her sister had died. No one left the village and survived. Instead, she tried to focus on what Duo was saying to her, but that failed when she heard yelling over the din.
"Alright! This is a hold up! Give us all your moneys in da' bag!" She pulled free from Duo's grasp and raced among the crowd.
"Jian!" yelled Duo, chasing after her. "Where are you going?!" She leapt over a couch that people were moving and he stopped dead. He had known she was agile, but that took the cake. "Jian!"
"Stop!" shouted Jian. The door of the back closed behind her and three guys with guns turned to face her. "What did these people do to you?"
"They ain't done nothing," said the closest one to her. "And you ain't goin' anywhere."
"Really," she said. "Try and take me."
"Who do you think you are, babe, Sailor Moon?" asked the biggest one, the leader. He tried to grab her arm, but she dodged and got in between them and the main desk.
"What was that?" she asked. "Some sort of joke? Maybe you should have made sure I knew who Sailor Moon was first." The leader attacked and she knocked his gun away, then kicked firmly into his stomach, bruising a few ribs in the process. Then she took care of the second two as Duo finally caught up with her.
"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded solemnly, her trance slowly breaking. "Why did you do that? You could've been killed!"
"How?" she asked absent-mindedly. He sighed.
"Call the police," he told the only bank clerk who had enough sense to stand up. "Come on, Jian. We've gotta meet Hildi."
"What about the other Gundam pilots?" she wondered. He shrugged.
"I don't know, but trust me, we'll run into them." His eyes darkened slightly. "My life would be too easy if we didn't."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey guys!!" Hildi ran up to them, smiling. "I'm Hildi Schbeiker."
"Jian Bishop. It's nice to meet you."
"Okay. I'll see you two later." Duo turned to go, but Jian frowned.
"Where are you… going?" she asked hesitantly. He grinned.
"You'll be okay," he said. "She doesn't bite."
"I know…" But he was gone. "Damn it."
"Come on, Jian," said Hildi. "He'll be fine." Jian lifted her head and look at the tall building she was being lead to. She gulped.
It's not him I'm worried about. * * *
Duo sat at a table in the food court, staring at his soda. How long did it take to shop anyway?
"Come on." He felt himself being dragged from the table by Hildi. He barely grabbed his drink and followed. "She doesn't like the mall, so I told her to wait and I'd bring you."
"Where is she?" Hildi looked around and grinned.
"Jian!" A girl turned from a counter and smiled at them. Duo jerked back. It was Jian only… not. She still wore the same boots and the four feathers in her hair, but everything else was different. Her skirt was now simple green and a white tank top had replaced the tan one she had worn before and somehow, she looked less like Jian then ever before.
"Wow," he muttered as she approached them. "How'd you do it, Hildi?"
"Me? I did nothing," she said. "It was all Jian. For a girl raised in the jungle, she sure knows how to shop."
"Hello," said Jian when she met up with them. "Where are we going now?"
"Uh, what?" Hildi sighed and shook her head at Duo.
"Let's go get something to eat," she suggested. "I'm starving." Jian cast a worried glance out the main entrance of the department store.
"Um… do we have to go out there?" she asked.
"It'll be fine," assured Hildi. "They won't hurt you. Not with me and Duo… well, not with me anyway."
"Hey!" exclaimed Duo. "I resent that."
"They won't?"
"No." Jian still looked scared. "Come on. Trust us." Hildi grabbed her arm and pulled her into the mall. Duo followed, grinning. Halfway to the food court, though, Jian paused outside a shop. She looked into the front window and frowned.
"I'll be right back." She went in and came out five minutes later with a small bag that she dropped into the bugger one. She forced a smile. "Okay." Neither Duo nor Hildi said anything as they walked the rest of the way. They finally made it through the crowd to a table and sat down.
"What are those for?" asked Duo when Jian gently took out three black feathers. She untwisted the three remaining white ones from her hair and replaced them.
"For my family," she explained. "My father, my brothers, my sister, and my mother. All dead."
"I never knew you had a sister," said Duo. Jian frowned.
"She ran away to the outside… here, away from the village. It wasn't honorable and I'm not supposed to talk about it." A silence over threw them and Hildi sighed.
"I'm going to go get something. Duo, come on. It'll take two of us to carry everything back. What do you want, Jian?"
"Uh… surprise me."
"Okay." The two walked off and Jian looked around the mall full of people. People. Strangers. Those words had been the least used part of her vocabulary. Everybody in her village was 'family' and strangers only came rarely. Sighing at her own naivety, Jian pushed her chair back and inevitably ran into someone else's.
"Oh!" she said, standing up. "I'm sorry!" She turned and faced…
Herself.
No, wait. It wasn't herself. The new girl wore almost all white feathers in hair that was pulled into a tight ponytail. Fear and rage flashed in her eyes and she took off.
"Wait!!" Jian chased after her, trying to avoid running into other people. They turned a corner and collided with a boy their age, bringing them all down. "Ow!" The other girl scrambled to get up, but Jian grabbed her ankle and brought her down again. "Who are you?!"
"None of your business!" The boy pushed both girls off and stood up.
"Watch where you're going." He walked off and the new girl followed him with confused eyes. Where had she seen him before…
"I'm Jian."
"Anjyl."
"Anjyl… but then… you're…"
"Jian, you're skills at observation still amaze me."
"Why did you leave? Why did you run away?!"
"Because I hated being confined to the village. I hated not knowing about the entire world around me! You would've been too, Jian, if you hadn't been daddy's little girl."
"Anjyl… everyone's dead. Father, Mijan, Nicholas, everyone. I… I thought you were too."
"I'm alive, Jian. But that explains how you got here." They had managed to walk all the way back to the food court and saw Duo talking with the young man they had run into. "I knew it was him!!" Duo looked and saw two Jian's: One in the outfit she had bought that day, the other in black pants and a dark blue tank top. She had the same feathers, only reverse colors.
"Anjyl," muttered Trowa. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"At least you remembered my name."
"Jian, what's going on?" asked Duo. "Who is this?" Jian sighed.
"Duo, meet Anjyl, my sister."
"Sister?!" exclaimed Duo. "When did you get a sister?! I thought she was dead!"
"Uh… she's not and I've had a sister since I was born. She left because our father was too protective. I assumed she was dead."
"Dead? Do I look dead?" said Anjyl coldly. Then she sighed. "Sorry. Okay, where are you staying?"
"With me," said Hildi. "I have an apartment downtown." Anjyl looked at her watch.
"I have to go meet someone," she told them. "I'll find you later." She turned and disappeared into the crowd. Jian frowned.
"How do you know Anjyl?" she asked Trowa.
"She was a soldier-"
"No! Not Anjyl," said Jian firmly. "She wouldn't fight."
"She did," he shot back. "She fought against Oz for the colonies." Jian sat at the table and dropped her head into her hands.
"This is my fault… she didn't know…"
"Didn't know what?" said Duo gently.
"That… I have to find her!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Anjyl paused outside a hobby shop and looked in the window. A few moments later, a shadow fell over her reflection.
"You did well," said a voice. "You're acting was superb."
"She's my sister. This doesn't feel right." He turned her around and she looked into his deep brown eyes. Damn this!! She thought angrily. I can't complete my mission without Jia getting in the way!! He kissed her deeply, a feeling that always left her feeling sick to her stomach. But she forced embarrassment and joy, something she had become quite good at.
"Did that feel right?" She nodded, smiling softly. "You must make a choice, my dove. Her… or me."
"You know…" Would never betray my sister to a slime like you. But what choice do I have? The fate of the world is at stake here. "Would never choose anyone over you, Tylyr."
Chapter 2
"Okay, Jian. Ready?"
"All set." Jian sat in the cockpit of the DeathScytheHell and forced away all concerns over her sister. She had to concentrate! "Remind me why we're doing this in your suit and not the WolfClaw?"
"It's not finished yet. Howard's fixed the DeathScythe before, but not yours."
"They're Gundams. Aren't they the same?"
"Yours is one of the originals. Mine's been updated."
"Ah. Good point. Okay, I'm ready."
"I'm running you against some mobile doll data, just for a test, to see how you are."
"No problem." Duo started the program and the watched the data that came up. At first, she was getting slammed around, but then she got the hang of it.
Inside the mobile suit, Jian had to keep a clear mind. She created and emptiness that consumed all thought and left her sense sharp. Her eyes caught every movement as it happened and nothing was left undestroyed: her void annihilated thought, not emotion. The pain of losing her family kept her will strong.
Without thought, there is no need for emotion; Without motion, there is no need for thought. The two separate are deadly, but together they are worse.
Hildi sat down the cup and frowned at Duo's worried look.
"What's wrong?"
"She's amazing…" he said. "Her ability level is beyond belief. Reaction time, aim, skill, strategy, she's got it all. It's almost as if... I know my suit doesn't have the Zero System-"
"Zero System?" He nodded.
"It's the only thing I can think of. She's somehow created a natural Zero System in her mind."
"She was raised as a fighter and a hunter. Maybe it's a technique."
"You're probably right. The simulation ended and the front of the DeathScythe opened. Jian took a deep breath and rested her hand in her lap.
"How did I do?" she asked wistfully.
"How do you feel?" said Duo hesitantly. He didn't like the blankness in her eyes… Suddenly, she blinked and shook her head.
"What? I'm fine," she said. "Sorry. I haven't used that practice in a looong time."
"What was that?" wondered Hildi.
"Something my dad taught me. 'If a warrior can't find safe ground between the body and mind, then they must disown both and use what's left'."
"Who told you that?"
"It was my father's second favorite quote, next to-"
"Leave the village and you die." Anjyl walked from the shadows along the catwalk and gave Jian a forced smile. "Hey sis. Not a bad job in the tests."
"How'd you get in here?" said Duo. He was developing a severe dislike towards Anjyl. There was something about her…
"Please, Maxwell. I'm Jian's twin sister. We look alike. Use your head. Unless it's as ornamental as I originally thought."
"Anjyl, that's enough," said Jian, jumping out of the suit. "I owe him my life. Don't be so cruel."
"Do you honestly think he saved you for you? He saved you for the WolfClaw."
"How did you…"
"What? Know about the Gundam? I've always known. Ever since Father started the project, I knew."
"That doesn't give you any right to assume we're only taking care of Jian for her suit," said Hildi. Anjyl shrugged.
"I don't really care either way," she said. "Jian shouldn't be out here in any case. Civilization is too much for a daddy's girl villager. She jumped off the catwalk and disappeared into the shadows of the unlit hanger below. Jian made a small sound and sat on her knees.
"She was never like this," she said. "Never. Anjyl defended everyone, not cut them down."
"You said she left three years ago. A lot can happen in three years," said Duo. Jian nodded.
"You're probably right," she said. "I just wish I knew what was wrong…"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Something grabbed Anjyl's wrist as she ran out of the hanger. She turned and Trowa blocked her attack before she hit him. "You," she said coldly, tearing her arm away. "What do you want Barton?"
"An explanation," he said. "Why are you back all of a sudden?"
"I'm back because I have to be," she told him. "It's none of your business. You almost fucked things up once. Don't get in my way again." She started down the hallway.
"Anjyl." Despite her mind telling her she was being stupid, she stopped. "Be careful. You don't know what you're getting into." Her eyes flashed and she kept going.
I know what I'm doing, she thought. Trust me. You owe me as much.
Chapter 3
Jian tossed in her sleep. What was wrong with Anjyl…?
She wore black while Anjyl was in all white, but there was a collar around Anjyl's neck.
"I'll defeat, Jian," she said. The collar glowed. "For my love."
"Who is it, Anjyl? Who has your soul?" whispered Jian. She felt a weight on her arm and lifted it up. A set of blades, like the claw on her Gundam. Anjyl ran at her, a red-hot glaive raised, and attacked. "What the- Stop!" Jian tried to block, and the claw moved on it's own. It sliced through Anjyl's robes and into her chest. "NO!"
"Nice… Shot…"
"No!" Jian bolted up, her leg on fire. "Owowowowowow." She carefully rubbed the scar until the pain dulled, then went away completely. Quietly, she got out of bed and slipped into the living room. It was too early for Duo and Hildi to be up, but she wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon. The kitchen clock showed five minutes to five a.m. I've never slept so late. It's almost nice. She sat and watched the sunrise through the window, then got up and made a pot of tea. Just as she sat down again, Duo walked in, yawning.
"Morning," he said. "Did you sleep well?"
"Well enough," she told him. "You?"
"Not bad. I like not having to get up early."
"I used to get up early everyday," she said as he sat down. "I've been up since five."
"Five? Whoa. I don't think I could ever do that, even during the war. What made you get up that early?"
"The usual nightmares." She closed her eyes. "I need to find out what's wrong with Anjyl. She told me in my dream that she has to defeat me for her love."
"You should talk to Trowa. He knew her during the war. Although, how he knew her is beyond me."
"I still can't believe that Anjyl fought." Jian sighed and stood up. "It can't be her fault."
"Then who?"
"Don't know, but I'm gonna find out. I'll be back."
"Where are you going? You haven't been here for a week."
"Duo, think. I was raised to pay attention to my surrounding. I'm going for a walk downtown. I need to find something."
"At least let me go with you."
"No." She walked out the door and disappeared.
The city was amazing and, at the same time, disgusting and dirty. But if you paid attention to the beautiful, the it received its full glory: the hundreds of people, all trusting of those around them, the tall, yet never falling buildings. Jian thought of the towers her sister and her had built as children. The highest they had ever gotten was eye level and they were six at the time… but then their training had become and such things became childish.
If we had held onto our innocence longer, would you still be like this? wondered Jian, walking into a small shop. "Hello?"
"Welcome. Can I help you?"
"I need a map of South America, the Amazon specifically, and a map of Romefellar bases from A.C. one-eight five to… one-nine-zero." The woman looked around until she found the maps and put them in a bag.
"Twenty seven fifty." Jian handed the woman her credit card and waited patiently. Since her father hadn't used his bank account in twelve years, the interest had built up. And Jian and Anjyl both shared their mother's first name: Samara. Samara Jian Bishop and Samara Anjyl Bishop. It was a family name.
She headed for the park next and was side tracked by a farmer's market. The fruits were limited, but a lot she hadn't seen, so she bought a couple to try.
Food sure is different here, she thought, settling under a tree in the park. She spread out the three maps and discovered another purpose for fruit: corner holders. Then she pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket. "Okay, my village was here," she said out loud to herself, taking a bite of the apple. A sweet, sharp taste filled her mouth as she laid a small rock on the coordinates written on the paper. "And the base was here." She wasn't surprised to see they were the same spot exactly. "Anaconda." That's what it had been named, after a giant snake. Snakes were known for their ability to hide before striking and killing their prey and Anacondas killed by crushing, with brute force. Why didn't anyone tell me… I'm not just a child. I could've handled knowing, especially since my father converted to pacifism. And what about Anjyl? What part does she play in all this? Did she know… Jian finished the apple and gathered up the maps. It had been almost an hour. I had better get back before Duo gets worried. She smiled at the thought of Duo worried about something other then himself of his suit. No, scratch that. Just his suit. Duo wasn't selfish. Not entirely, anyway. Why did I have to fall for a Gundam Pilot? she wondered. And why am I even debating this with myself? He's with Hildi… at least I think he is anyway… A sudden feeling of apprehension came over her. She looked around, at the faces of the strangers around her and felt alone. If something happened, none of these people would help. What's wrong with me? I can take care of myself! She kept walking, but the feeling didn't go away. Her blood was pounding in her ears by the time she reached a corner and then she knew what was wrong: she was being followed by soldiers of all people. There was the roar of a motor as her would-be assailants picked up their pace, realizing they had her trapped.
"Jian!" yelled Anjyl. "Come on!" She tossed her sister a helmet and Jian climbed on the back of the motorcycle. "Hold tight, little sister. We're gonna lose both tails." Jian looked behind her again as they moved forward. A military jeep was following them now. Had been following Anjyl. "They didn't know which one I was."
"Why are they doing this?"
"It's the WolfClaw. It's a curse, like all Gundams. Trust me."
"If they want it, they…" She was going to say they could have it, but it came to her that it was her suit. Her father had wanted her to have it, that's why he had said the access code so many times. "Bastards! They can't have it!" Anjyl grinned.
"That's the wolf I knew. Let's lose 'em."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Anjyl stopped near the cliff's edge and gently pried her sister's hands from her waist, then stood up. Jian sat on the bike, clenching and unclenching her fingers trying to regain some feeling in them.
"I come up here to think," said Anjyl, sitting on the ground. She brushed her hair back and let the feathers fall in her face. There was only one white one now. "What were you doing walking around by yourself?"
"Must everyone know what I do all the time?!" Jian cried. She buried her face in her hands and sighed in frustration. "If you must know, I was comparing. Did you know our village was a military base?" Anjyl nodded.
"I learned everything I could when I came out here. Romefeller cut off our supplies after a month: father converted to pacifism when he learned that there was no way we could return to civilization. War's kill people: the hunter hates war, but the prey enjoy it."
"Who said that?"
"It was something father told me. I think it means that the hunter enjoys killing only if there is a reason. The prey enjoys war because the hunter is no longer hunting."
"Why did you fight? You were a Hunter."
"I fought to stay near… that doesn't matter. I had my reasons for fighting." There was a screech of tires and four men jumped out of a jeep. Two grabbed Anjyl and pinned her to the ground while Jian fought her own. "Hey! Let her go! She has no part in this!"
"Master Tylyr wants her."
"Tylyr?!?! You tell that half human bastard to go to hell! We have no use for him in the world of the good!"
"And you're good, Anjyl? Since when?" She struggled against her captors, as effort that sent her reeling backwards when they let her go. Her footing slipped on the rocks and she fell over the edge.
"ANJYL!" screamed Jian. "No! Let me go! I can't believe you let her die- stop it!" They dragged her to the jeep and drove off, with her still screaming and ranting in the back seat.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Anjyl took in deep breaths and forced herself not to look at the fall that had almost killed her. She knew the cliffs like the back of her hand, but falling from them was a different matter then climbing them.
I'm not afraid of this, she thought coldly. I am not afraid. Nothing can destroy me as long as I don't let them see afraid. She started climbing back up. When she reached the top, there was a girl waiting for her.
"Need help?" she asked in a thick southern accent.
"Did you see which way that jeep went?"
"No, but it's a one way road. We'll find them, if you need ta'." Both girls got in the car and Anjyl instantly started laughing. "Stop that!! I tried, didn't I?" said the girl, her accent suddenly more English. "And you. I can't believe you let the Wolf get away."
"Not my fault. I tried too, but they were stronger then they looked. Deedre, we have to catch those bastards."
"I know, I know. Get on the wire and contact Tiger. Maybe he can help."
"Has he ever helped?"
"Of course not. But he is our boss."
"Damn you when you're right." Anjyl dug around in the dashboard of the black truck and found a pair of headsets. She handed one to the girl and put the other on herself. "This is Bird. Rrgghh… I always hated that name. Am I in?"
"There you are. Did you have a nice reunion with your sister?" asked Tiger(who was aptly named 'Tigger' by the younger members of their Organization).
"Nice isn't the word I'd use, Tiger," said Deedre. "We lost the Wolf."
"What about Zero-Two?"
"Zero-Two?" Anjyl looked at her friend, who had set her jaw and was concentrating on her driving.
"Leave him to me. Wolf's our first target, remember. The pilot can wait. We're following the soldiers to the base, Tiger. Hopefully we can get the girl and get out of there without being seen."
"Don't risk it, D.C.," said Tiger, using her codename. "You either, Bird."
"I always hated that name," repeated Anjyl. "Didn't we put in to get it changed?"
"You did, but you need another Organization member to verify the change."
"Deedre…" Deedre grinned evilly.
"Aww, come on, Anj. The name is so cute."
"Bitch."
"American Bitch."
"You two be careful. And don't go into that base."
"We hear ya'. D.C. and Bird out."
"What's this business with you and the Maxwell boy?" asked Anjyl, taking Deedre's headset from her. "I've never known you to give a damn about one person." Deedre hesitated.
"Anjyl," she said softly. "Do you remember when we net?"
"Sure. I was this lost little runaway and you were the annoying, scrawny member of the team of three put to train me." Deedre smiled weakly at her friend's joke.
"When I said I had no family, that was technically untrue… Zero-Two's my…" Anjyl put her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Oh, you poor thing," she said, feeling her own stupidity build up. Why had she never seen the resemblance?!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Hildi picked up the phone on the second ring and set her book in her lap. Duo was still walking around, trying to keep his mind off the fact that Jian hadn't come back.
"Hello?" she said.
"Maxwell." The caller paused. "Please."
"Okay." Hildi handed Duo the phone. "It's for you."
"Hello?"
"You know, you and that sister of mine have a lot in common. For one, you seem to find trouble."
"Ah. Anjyl. I've missed your cynical humor. Why are you calling here?"
"Is it him?" came an accented voice in the back round. "Is it?"
"Chill, Deedre. Later. Jian's our goal now."
"What happened to Jian?" Duo tightened his grip on the phone.
"Nothing that can't be fixed," said Anjyl. "But it's going to require six Gundams, a Virgo, seven pilots, and a lot of patience and faith on both our parts."
"Why? What's happened? What seven? Why seven?"
"You Gundam pilots, me, and… Deedre."
"Deedre?"
"Don't tell him!" shouted the voice. "You American Bitch!"
"I won't, I won't. We need all of us, Maxwell. All of us. Three days, fly boy, to get your team together. We'll meet in space."
"Space? Why space?" Hildi had picked up the other phone and was listening intently.
"You want Jian back like I do? Then we're going to space." Anjyl hung up the phone and turned to Deedre, who had stopped her spacing. "Don't be so insistent. He's too thick to get the basic clues."
"But we're meeting them?" Both girls started down the metal steps, their footfalls echoing around them. Anjyl paused at the bottom and looked at the two suits being prepared for space flight: Deedre's modified Virgo that had once been a doll and Anjyl's own Mecca, the Gundam scientists last "gift" to the universe.
FireGlaive.
A Gundam.
A/N: ~laughs evilly~ I love this fic…
The End.