Disclaimer: Surprise! I don't own Gundam. Who'da thought?
The Lost Girl
Part 9
The morning was crisp and clear - I was awakened to the sound of men shouting and engines running. I sat stiffly up, blinking in the golden rays that streamed in through the open tent flap.
Trowa was gone, his sleeping bag rolled up neatly in the corner like he had never been here, like I'd dreamed the whole thing. Most of the boxes and coolers were gone, and the table and chair were folded up in the corner.
I stood and walked over to the flap, wondering why no one had woken me up if we were leaving. My side still ached, but it was also kind of numb. The buzzing in my head had reduced, and I was able to think a little more clearly as I peered out over the camp.
Most of the tents were gone, as was the tank. There were only a few Jeeps and men here now, and Sally was over talking to one of them, Trowa standing beside her. I made my way over to them, and Sally glanced over as I approached.
"Morning," she said shortly. "We'll be leaving in less than an hour. You and Trowa will go with Lieutenant Binns. He's been undercover at the OZ base in Melbourne, and knows how they operate in that area."
I nodded, looking up at the young man. He didn't look that old, not more than 25 or so, with light brown-blonde hair, green eyes, and a smile that seemed eager to please. He looked oddly familiar, but I couldn't place how or why. It didn't seem like I was supposed to know him; maybe I'd just seen someone once before who looked like him. He looked like that type - typical young soldier, eager to get the job done and earn praise for it.
He nodded in greeting, and I did the same.
"Why don't you head for the airstrip now," she suggested suddenly, looking at her watch. "Go on ahead and we'll meet you near Sydney, all right?"
Trowa nodded, and the soldier saluted before directing us towards a nearby Jeep. Trowa climbed into the passenger seat and I managed to heave myself into the back without too much trouble. Or, at least, without making it look like too much trouble. I was almost beginning to see Relena's point, about my just sleeping until the whole thing was over, staying in bed and getting well.
Almost.
The picture of Duo that I could not escape from overrode that, and I sat silently in the back as Binns drove us deeper into the jungle, down a beaten path that didn't even really look big enough for a car to drive down.
Everything was a green blur, whipping by my window like my past had whipped me by, leaving me in its wake with no recollection of it. I wondered if I would ever remember. I hadn't had any more flashes, no recognition of instruments or weapons or anything.
It was almost scarier now that it had stopped.
"Trowa?" I suddenly asked, realizing what had been bothering me for the past five minutes.
"Hm?"
"Why aren't you flying there yourself? Where's Heavyarms?"
"In a carrier at the strip. I'll fly it over in a plane."
"Oh."
There was no more conversation until we reached the small airstrip in a clearing ten minutes later, seemingly overburdened with huge carriers meant to fly the group's equipment - and Trowa's Gundam - to Sydney.
"All right, here we are," Lt. Binns observed, parking the Jeep and hopping down. I climbed down slowly, watching one of the planes take off noisily into the sky.
"Where's the carrier?" Trowa asked, and Binns pointed to one of the larger carriers, and Trowa headed off in that direction. I stood there, unsure of where to go. Who would want me?
Trowa stopped suddenly, and turned around. "Well?"
"Well?"
"Aren't you coming?"
I sprinted as best I could - not very well - towards him and he turned and headed off again, resolute but maybe just maybe someone who trusted me.
I hoped so.
Flying to Sydney didn't take as long as I thought it would. That could have been because I slept most of the way, but I wasn't sure. Binns was the only other person in the carrier, and when I finally woke up as we approached the Australian runway, I got the idea that he and Trowa hadn't exactly been chatting the whole way over. Both their faces were tight and determined, and I was beginning to wonder if this was ever going to end.
We landed with no problem, and Trowa went down into the belly of the carrier to prepare his mobile suit as Binns went out to talk to his comrades and find out the latest plan to break Wufei out. I was left alone in the cockpit for a few minutes, before I finally decided to go find Trowa. I didn't like Binns all that much - he bothered me in a way I couldn't quite say. He just did.
"Trowa?" I called, trying to make out his shape against the huge bulk of his Gundam in the darkness here.
"Over here," he called, and I headed in the direction of his voice, finding him over by the right arm, checking the flipout blade there.
"Are you are you going in alone? Or are you going to wait for Sally's help?" I asked. If it had been me, I wasn't sure what I would do, but I was sure that neither Trowa nor Sally was really going to let me help much with this at all, despite the fact that I still felt the need to be there, to do something to help Wufei. But there was nothing I could really do, and I was beginning to, dismally, realize that.
"I don't know," he said.
Anything else he might have said was cut off as Lt. Binns ran down into the darkness, calling his name.
"Trowa! There's already a fight in progress - two Gundams are attacking the base now!"
"Heero and Quatre," Trowa said softly.
Heero must have gone to Hong Kong, I realized, and freed Quatre before coming here to help Wufei.
Maybe
Maybe everything would turn out all right in the end.
If we could only find Duo
"I've got to go," Trowa said, turning and hitting a panel on the carrier's side before climbing up the suit's arm towards the cockpit. The bay doors began to open, loudly.
"What about Sally-" Binns began, but Trowa cut him off.
"She'll get here too late. I'm going *now*."
I desperately wanted to help. But how? Trowa wasn't going to stow me in his Gundam - that would be stupid - and I had no other way of getting there. I had no suit, and even if they were to lend me one - something, anything — I didn't know how to pilot it. I wouldn't even know how to fix it anymore. I was a complete waste - worthless. I didn't even know how far we were from the OZ base, or what it looked like, or how to get in
I heard the cockpit panel slide shut and Heavyarms stood, just barely clearing the doors, and took one step out, then took off for the sky.
And I was left right here, with this stupid Lt. Binns, with nothing to do but wait, and be a burden.
"That!" Binns said, but didn't swear. Instead, he looked down at me and smiled. "Oh, well," he said lightly.
"Oh well?!" What was this guy, nuts? He bothered me; I didn't want to be around him any longer, and so I stomped out of the bay and into the sunshine, where there were men running around, stowing things in Jeeps and driving off.
"Great" I muttered, sighing. I hoped Sally would get here soon, and get this Binns off my back.
A shadow fell over me, and I turned to see the Lieutenant standing behind me.
"It must be hard," he said, "knowing you put them all in danger."
I blinked. What?! How did he
He gave me a quick, mocking salute and left. I stood there, unable to move for another minute.
What the hell had that been? How did he know what had happened, and why was
he so damn cheerful all of a sudden?
There was a sudden round of gunfire - close gunfire - and I whipped my head around to see something that made my stomach churn.
About ten yards away there was a struggle going on - Binns and a few other men, shooting at some of the other soldiers. What were they doing?
Binns' men managed to get the better of the others, and began tying them up. Binns himself happened to glance up, and I saw the grin on his face.
*He* was a traitor. He knew about me because he worked for OZ. He was so cheerful because he'd been planning to take over this base and recapture the Gundam pilots once they came back.
I had to get out of here - now. I turned and ran, my feet pounding on the pavement, each step sending a fresh shot of pain up my spine, through my chest. I didn't know if Binns had really seen me - if he even thought I was a threat - but I didn't want to hang around long enough to find out.
So I just ran, and wondered how on Earth I was going to find the pilots in time.
The strip was long, but the installation ended abruptly in a chain-link fence; on the other side lay a dirt road. Where was I supposed to go now? How was I going to get to my friends when I didn't even know where the OZ base was?
I turned to my left, and saw a small building, a shadowed, concrete structure. It looked a bit like a garage - maybe I could steal a Jeep, I realized, and at least put some distance between me and this mess, before Binns and his men actually thought to find me.
I headed for the door, pushing it open with some effort and stepping into the cool building. The heavy door swung shut behind me, cutting off the sunlight. I could hear air conditioners running, and it was pitch black in here. I fumbled for a light switch, silently praying that I would find one -
*Click*
The room was flooded with light as I flipped the switch, and I felt my mouth drop open.
Mobile suits.
The building was stocked with nothing but row after row of mobile suits. Grey, dark, they stood waiting for their pilots, for their chance at action.
"Aries" I whispered.
I blinked. Wait. These were Aries suits - I knew that like I knew night from day.
I grinned. It was coming back again. Maybe I could get in one, manage to get the radio working - call my friends.
I scrambled for the nearest suit, climbing into the open cockpit and sitting in the pilot's seat, running my hands along the panel, hoping - wishing - that I would remember
Radio radio
Radio! My hands stopped on the radio controls. I knew this was the radio. Better yet
I slid the headset onto my head, holding it to my ear with one hand since it was much too big. I flipped on the "open" switch, and began turning the dial, scanning the bands for any sign -
"*kzzkt* keep coming!"
"Heero! Look out!"
"Not a problem *kzz*"
"Nice shot."
"Thanks."
My mouth spread into a wide grin as I heard the familiar voices through the static. Maybe there was hope after all.
I jammed the "call" button so hard it hurt. "Guys! *Guys*!"
"*kzzzkct*lison? Did you guys hear her?" That was Quatre's voice. I grinned even wider.
"Quatre! Heero! Trowa! Listen - it's a trap here. Get Wufei out and don't come back here. That Lieutenant - Binns - Trowa, he's a spy *for* OZ. He just captured all of Sally's men!"
"*kkt* -nd how did *you* get out to call us?" Heero's voice was cold, level. Untrusting.
But I didn't have time for that now. He didn't have time to not believe me, because if he didn't he was going to get caught.
"I'm not lying, Heero! Come on! Please believe me! I don't know why he didn't care about me - he just grinned and went off, and the next thing I knew Sally's men were under attack. Listen, I'm not lying. Please. Don't come back here."
"There he is!" I heard Trowa's voice call, and there was more static and intermittent explosions over the radio. I sat, listening, hoping that Wufei would make it out all right
"*kacckct* took you so long?" Wufei's annoyed voice suddenly pierced the static.
I exhaled, not even realizing I'd been holding my breath. But now they had to believe me, had to keep away from here -
"Guys!" I yelled into the mike, hitting the button once again. "Guys, please, listen to me. Now that you four are together - you can't come back here. You'll just get captured again."
"What?!" Wufei sounded suspicious.
"I don't think we can trust her," Heero said shortly.
"*I* think we can," Trowa said decisively. "Relena did, Sally did, and I do."
"I do," Quatre put in.
"I'm not lying," I repeated. "You've got to get out of here go after Duo. Please." My voice suddenly threatened to give out as I realized that now, he was the only one missing. That maybe this would be the way it was from now on.
No. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be. I didn't know that, and I couldn't go jumping to conclusions like that. It was silly. I'd been over this. We'd get him out. Or I'd get him out. But he would be fine. He would be.
"*kkt* don't even know where he is," Wufei said.
"What about you, Alison?" Quatre asked. "Are you all right?"
"I'm still at the base. I don't know how to get out. I found a bunch of old Aries suits. I'm in one now - I'm using the radio."
"*kckt* piloting?!" the second half of Wufei's question asked.
"I don't know how to pilot!" I veritably yelled. "I'm just sitting in here! The only thing I remembered how to use was the radio, all right?!"
"We've got to get you out of there," Trowa said evenly.
"What if she's the traitor?!" Wufei asked angrily.
"I'm *not* a traitor, Wufei!" I yelled at him, not caring how loud I was, not caring if Binns and his men found me. Only caring that they believed me, that they didn't get themselves caught, that they would help me go after Duo.
"Stop it. We'll get her out of there and then we'll discuss this," Quatre said, his voice suddenly firm and commanding. I didn't think I'd ever heard him sound like that, not in the brief time I could remember him.
"Quatre!"
"Listen, Wufei. Let's get her out, okay? Please. She's our friend. Not a traitor."
"*kzzct*ne. Fine."
"Good. Alison, can you remember how to work the suit at all? Anything?" Quatre asked, his voice suddenly gentle and kind again, softer.
I looked around the cockpit, and the foreign-looking controls. Let's see. I got the radio to work
There was the power readout. And the weapons display.
There was the flight stick. The ignition. The main navcomputer console.
Maybe I slapped my head with my hand lightly. "Come on work!" I whispered fiercely at my brain. "I know you know how to do this come on!"
There was the compass, and the gimbals. And that was the commlink with the other suits.
"Alison?"
"Yeah. I I might be able to get it out of here," I offered weakly. "I I don't know how far I could get." I looked at the cockpit around me again, my stomach churning just a bit. Was I really going to try and get this suit out of here without getting myself or anyone else killed?
"You can do it," Quatre said definitely. "You know how to."
"She's no pilot -"
"I know that, Wufei," Quatre's voice became a little more strained now. "So she won't be pulling any impressive maneuvers. Get over it. Alison, can you do this?"
I took a deep breath, and flipped the main power switch, then the ignition. The other panels around me sprang to life, lighting up, telling me all sorts of information, only some of which I could decipher.
"Yeah," I said. "Or I'll die trying. I'm not sitting here and letting them come and get me, even if I can't really remember how to use this thing."
"It's just like a video game," Quatre said. "Meet us at these coordinates, all right?"
A latitude and longitude flashed up on the screen. The navcomputer quickly spat out a trajectory and ETA of 20 minutes.
I'd have to fly this thing for 20 minutes.
That wasn't so bad right?
"Right," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Which was not confident at all.
"*kzz* Good. And good luck," Quatre said, and then static hissed in my ears.
I took my hand off the earpiece and the headset fell around my neck. Okay, I told myself, taking a deep breath, okay. Just like a video game.
I slid the cockpit panel closed, sealing myself into my possible deathtrap. I slid my arms through the shoulder straps and buckled myself in.
All right.
First, I had to get out of here. And I couldn't see a door. So..
I hit the "fore missile" button, and suddenly the building had no wall. Sunlight streamed through the massive hole I'd just blown as I grabbed the flight stick, and eased it forward.
This wasn't so bad
Gunfire. The panels to my left told me someone was shooting at me - ground-based men, no suits, automatic weapons.
I could take care of that.
I quickly scanned the weapons board and shot off some high-aimed warning rounds with my own automatic before deciding my best course of action would be to get the hell out of there.
I really didn't want to kill anyone.
But then there they were - a Jeep, heading right for me, one man leaning out with a bazooka rifle, taking aim -
I closed my eyes, hit the missile button -
*BOOM!*
The explosion rocked my suit, and when I finally dared to open my eyes, there was no Jeep. There were no men.
At least, none alive. There were three men lying on the ground, and by the looks of them, they were dead.
The gunfire had ceased.
Oh God.
I just killed someone.
I just killed three people.
It was probably more than that.
Oh God.
Get me out of here. I just killed someone. Get me out of here.
I could barely see as I hit the "flight" mode on the console and the suit took off, slamming me down in my seat with a force that I hadn't expected.
Oh God.
Just get me there, please tell me there's an autopilot -
I found it, hit the switch, and then the only thing I was aware of was the sky, rushing by, and the silent tears running down my face.
AN: Sorry it took me so long to post! I was out of town and then I couldn't get onto the fanfiction.net server. I think it was Heero's fault. But now I'm back on, so here's some more!
Continuing thanks to those who love and review!