Gundam Gear Solid
Quincy007
***Since you last saw him Millardo is now with Heero by the airport.***
"Heh, you look like the time Quatre put peroxide in Duo's shampoo."
"You kids are mean."
"What? Kids? You're only like 4-5 years older than me."
"Can we go? I'm in a hurry to get things done."
"If you rush into battle we will probably die."
"Right, right, you know what I meant."
"Any way, we can discuss on the plane."
I follow him. I have a small bag that has the guns and stuff. He had a smaller bag in which he managed to fit more stuff into. That is what comes from being raised to be an assassin. On the public flight in coach we talk about the plan.
"I pulled these from the US Government files. The facility on the island is an old nuclear warhead dissection base. These are the nice people who find out how to take apart nuclear weapons in a quick and final manner. But the floor plan shows holding cells and interrogation rooms here. So I think something more than a dissection base."
"I couldn't find out much either. The island is owned by a defense contractor but subletted to the American Government. I find that a bad sign."
"Yea. I brought some compact radios called codecs. The receiver stimulates the small bones of your ear, only you can hear it. I gave some pulse transmission equipment to Sally, Lady Une and Duo. They should be able to help. Support and all that wonderful trash."
"Did you bring more than two?"
"Yes. In case we find Relena and Noin, but can't rescue them we might be able to give them codecs so they remain in contact with us."
"Did you steal these from the Preventers?"
"Why yes, how did you know?"
"Because that's where I do all my state of the art technology shopping."
Heero had a plan, but I didn't put to much faith in it. Plans always change. Nothing ever goes according to plan, because then it wouldn't be battle. It would be a video game where the good guys always win.
We landed without much incident. I got a call from Sally on my portable. "Yea?"
"I did those blood tests you asked me to do, but yours doesn't match either. If there was a third of a combination of both then that's where you fit under. Why is this important?"
"Because it shows a flaw in logic. They searched our blood for the positive genes, the one I labeled good. And they found them in my blood without searching for the negative ones. So my brother has no positive and I have both. It explains a lot."
"You have a brother?"
"Part of that long story I promised you. Did Heero give you the radio stuff?"
"Yea."
"Call us on that later."
I'll admit that I'm confused by this. I was just concentrating on something I could control. Since I can't control my genes I could only worry about Family ties later. I began to worry about things. I was nervous. I am a damn good Mobile suit pilot, but only an average soldier. I might screw this up and end getting Noin or Relena hurt. Then I might have to kill myself or something. Heero must have noticed this because he gave me the most useful advice I've gotten from the suicide pilot.
"Millardo, just remember that whatever happens try not to get us all fucking killed."
A little miffed I answered honestly, "I'll do my best."
"Your best? Losers always whine about their best, Winners go home and fuck the prom queen."
"Noin was the prom queen."
"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yea." I left it at that.
*
We found a fisherman who was actually quite willing to take us out to the island. By willing I mean we paid him enough to buy a small house. Money really wasn't important at this point. We swam in sub zero waters about three hundred yards making me glad Heero brought two wetsuits.
The small dock we landed at wasn't guarded, which made sense. I don't think That Zechs was the type of person to have an army. But I was still worried. Life being as clichéd as I have already observed as soon as I say this is to easy life becomes a living hell.
Heero, not having my experiences says it for us. "It shouldn't be this easy, no…" He paused, and as an afterthought "…But mustn't complain."
"Damn straight."
The cargo elevator in the back came down with two guards in it. Figures we just caught them during shift change. I check the silencer/suppressor on the CZ, but Heero stops me, "Watch and learn grasshopper."
I swear he loves this, me not knowing as much as him. He crept up on one guy, and broke his neck. One hand on the chin and one on back of the head then twist. I can do that. He gave me a look and shook his head. Heero took care of the guards. "Why didn't you let me take care of the other one?"
"Better trained soldiers will be able to tell who killed a person like this, by height indications and such. If such a soldier comes here he will only think its one person. Besides, I can't have you screwing this up already."
"Piss off." I was a little offended. I can do this spy type shit as well as, well probably Duo or somebody.
I don't know if he has heard that before or if he spends to much time with the Zero system because he then told me, "Duo is almost as good at this as I am if not a little better but don't tell him I said that."
I sighed and walked into the elevator, this was going to be a long day.
We got a call from 'mission control' as Heero put it. He has either no or too much imagination. "We're here. What?"
"You certainly are testy early in the morning Millardo."
"Hello to you too Duo."
Heero ended any banter, "What do you got?"
"Well, satellite photos show a few more guards than expected. And we have counted three Leos. Since I doubt you buy them in odd numbers there is at a minimum four, but there could be as many as 12"
"Why a maximum of 12?"
"Because I doubt whoever this is bought more than a squadron's worth because you can get them in grosses, squadrons and single units single units is too expensive if you want more than one so…"
"We copy. Any good news?"
"Well, The price of gundanium went up three thousand dollars"
"Pertaining to the mission, but sell square lot of gundanium though."
"Right. Big D out."
I shook my head. This was going to be a long day indeed. Heero nodded.
The front gate was heavily guarded. A single Leo and about three guards. Odd numbers seemed to be a thing with this guy. The front gate would be locked, plus knocking wasn't the highest and brightest idea on my list. There was an air duct on the ground floor and one on the second floor. We agreed on the second floor.
I led us down the right side of the clearing. Ducking behind an exchanger box to avoid the Leo's searchlight. I saw the duct, and one guard. We waited for him to pass the alcove we hid in and scrambled for the duct.
Air ducts are now added to my list of places I hate going into. I hit my head three times before I got the hang of navigating in the dark. I heard two guards talking near the Mobile suit hanger.
"I moved the Vice Forgien minister to the cell in the first floor basement."
"What about the vent shaft cleaning?"
"They just took the covers off, they're about to start spraying for rats."
"Keep your eyes on that woman in the cell, don't get careless now."
I looked back at Heero. He nodded and we moved on. I hit my head three more times, before we found an open vent. Climbing down I swore under my breath. The hanger had two Leos in it. I counted spaces for four so that was that then, four Leos. There was a catwalk running the perimeter of the room, and stretched across to the Leo's hatches. Heero led us to a staircase, which we climbed down. He was looking for an elevator. Or more stairs. So the guards patrolling had to go.
"We're running out of places to hide the bodies."
"I know. Just hope they don't replace the guards every few minutes."
I found the elevator near the north end of the room. Three floors 1, B1, and B2. They said first floor basement. So…
"Heero, over here."
"Right."
I hoped for this to be over quickly, but I knew you don't have this kind of security for two women and one psychotic leader. Something big. The elevator opened into a hallway. A door labeled interrogation on our left and one that looked very holding cell-ish.
The door was locked with an electronic card reader Not having a card to read we walked around the corner, finding an open vent. Shit. I hope this was shorter than the other one we crawled through.
I was a little proud of myself not having hit my head once when we hit the cells. Noin and Relena were in separate cells, and each had a vent cover. I used the Multi-tool to open it and fell though into Noin's cell.
Not very sanitary for a prison cell, but what did I expect? I started to turn around, and I was punched in the face. Thankfully my nose held. Noin looked pissed, "All right Zechs-no you're not?"
"No it isn't. Its Millardo."
"How do I know that?"
"Well, He would have used the door. I was told he has black hair. And I've been your friend for the longest of times. I brought Heero with me, he is in the next cell, freeing Relena."
She looked down. BDU pants and a tank top really did work for her. I walked closer hoping she wasn't going to hit me again. When I was close enough she pulled me into a hug. "Sorry I took so long to get here." I almost wished we wouldn't have to stop anytime soon.
"Its okay. At least you're here."
"We need to get out of here."
"I have some bad news."
I was a little nervous at that sentence. It couldn't be that bad in my eyes though, Noin was here, with me and unhurt. "I'm sure we can get through it."
"Zechs, that's who did this, wanted blueprints on the Tallgeese. I didn't want to talk, but drugs…and torture…"
"Its okay. I'm going to kill him. Its over now." I was fuming. This son of a bitch, my brother presumably, dared to hurt her. I meant it when I said I'd kill him.
"I talked. I wanted to be strong, but then he threatened Relena…"
"I'll make it painful. Don't worry."
"He is going to build a nuclear armed Mobile suit."
This was bad. Not nearly as bad as torturing Noin, but bad enough to warrant his death again. "We'll get him. I'm sure Heero will want a piece of him too."
We stood there for a few more minutes holding each other. I was almost as nervous as when Heero and I started this whole mess. I heard the door unlock and a soldier was standing there, "What the Hell?"
I pulled the gun, now was as good as any to start the en mass killing. Heero, however was on top of it, hitting him in the base of the skull with his pistol.
"Are you going to let me kill anyone?"
"He isn't dead, but if you want we could take turns?"
Noin shook her head. Already back into position of making sure we don't kill each other. "Have you two been like this the whole time?"
Relena shook her head. The tank top and BDU's worked for her too. Huah, stop it! Bad Millardo. Bad. She just said, "I'm sure they save it for when they are by us."
Heero grunted. He dug through the unconscious soldier's uniform. He came up with a key card and a machine gun. He kept the machine gun, gave Noin his pistol. "I'm staying with Relena."
"We have a problem. This guy is building a Nuclear armed MS based off the Tallgeese design."
"Well, we have to do something about it then, don't we? I'm still staying by Relena, I suggest you and Noin work together."
I glance at her, "You up to it?"
"Yea." Women and guns what a combo. Knock it off. Mission. Mission. Okay. Good to go.
So we decided that Noin and I would go play Spy Boy and Girl, while Heero was going to protect Relena and secure an escape route. He handed out the codecs and let everybody get situated.
As Noin and I left I could only hope it was all going to end well. Noin said that there was an armory in the second floor basement so we went down a floor.
"Relena told me how you were up in a moments notice and trying to find me. Thanks."
"I would like to think you would do the same for me. Besides I do care about you to much to let anything happen to you." I was honest, but I didn't really want to have this conversation now. The room was clear and we could wander.
"Maybe we should have this conversation later."
"Maybe. We do kind of have a lot to do yet."
There were more key-card doors and we only had access to grenades and C-4. The highest-level door had a stinger missile launcher in it. I called 'mission control' "Does anybody know how to bypass security doors?"
"Hinges or sliding?" Duo asked.
"Sliding."
Sally spoke up, "Wufei told me once that…"
I listened to her directions. I was a little wary the idea coming from psycho justice boy, but Sally thought it could work. I put the gun to the card reader, and Noin stopped me. If I don't get to shoot or maim something soon I swear to god…
"Try a little finesse here. Give me that multipurpose tool."
I give up. If everyone has a better idea on how to do things I should probably not bother at all. Grumble grumble. Shake it off, just trying to help and not get us killed.
Noin took the plate off of a lower access door and looked at the settings, next she took the plate off of the level 6 door and changed some settings. "Try the card now."
It opened. I pondered just for a second on how Psycho justice boy could ever think women were weak. I giggled a little as I picked up the small missile launcher. I'm a guy, what guy doesn't like High explosives?
Noin was talking to either Sally or Une because she said, "Yea, It's a guy thing."
I sighed and chided her, "You might change your mind once you blow something up."
"I'll keep that in mind."
I called Heero and told about the Stingers. He thought that was a good idea, and then gave me some new info. Apparently the Suit is being built in the old warehouse beyond the communication towers behind the Nuclear warhead storage building. Which in itself was across the way from the Mobile suit hanger.
"How many traps do you think there are in that snowfield?"
"They probably have a Leo patrol it. You really don't stand a chance against a Leo with what you have."
"I can deal with it."
"We can deal with it." Noin corrected.
So we were going to try and run by a Leo. How quaint. Then through the Nuclear Warhead storage building past the communication towers and then a giant nuclear armed Mobile suit. I hate my life. Stop that self pity crap.
"Hey, stop feeling sorry for yourself. We got shit to do and a guy to maim."
"Then kill. Right? We are going to kill him?" I hope she hadn't gone soft on me.
"If anybody gets to kill him, I do." Noin said quietly.
"We can argue about who gets to kill him after I've broken every bone in his body."
"For me? That's kind of sweet in a sadistical sort of way."
We banter like this when we're nervous. At least I do. Like debating my philosophies on war & peace in a battle with Heero, I was nervous as hell. Who wouldn't? I was scared of him, just by changing gundams he mastered the Zero system. That my friends is being in touch with your machine.
The hanger was a little bit emptier now, but I couldn't quite place why.
"Aren't there supposed to be four Leos in here?"
I must not be cut out for this, because I completely missed that. I look at empty space with a tad of wonder. I should have tried that sleep thing Heero talks about.
"Hello? Are you losing it? God, you haven't slept in days have you?" she sounded worried.
"I tried that once, sleeping. I didn't like it so I didn't do it again. I live on coffee that's I.V.ed into my body."
"This is why you shouldn't get obsessed with things. You forget about taking care of yourself."
"I'm good. I got some sleep on the plane." Technicly true, but I don't count nightmares as sleep. I tend to wake up less rested then when I began.
"Right." She didn't believe me, but I'm not going to try to defend a lie.
We move to the back door, is probably the best term for it, a large steel plate that moved. It was unlocked through some form of elfin magic and we thus vacated quickly, into a small clearing covered in snow, and a Leo mobile suit.
Now was the time for me to come up with something brilliant. I've driven? Flown? Technically Leos don't drive or fly. I've piloted them before and I can't tell you our odds were good. I've only seen one Leo go down by human hand. And I don't have access to about three tons of rocks.
"So you have any brilliant ideas?"
I shake my head. I can do okay detective work, mediocre commando stuff, and I fly damn well, but I'm not an infantryman. The Leo spotted us, so we dived for a lose pile of rocks.
"We are in a serious shit storm here Millardo. I'm fresh out of ideas. Your turn to come up with something."
"Great." I have a brilliant idea. I put in a call to Lady Une.
"What?"
"Do you know what Leo rifle's are made out of?"
"Old models or new?"
I look at the Leo, I have a Fifty-fifty chance because the difference between the old make and the new make were internal.
"Old."
"I suppose it would be a titanium alloy, is this important?"
"Kinda."
"I'll try to find out."
I shake a glance around the rock. The Leo fired a few more rounds and actually spoke at us, "You two! Come out with your hands up."
I would have banged my head against the rock if it didn't hurt from crawling around in the air vents. I always wanted to know what happens when you blow up the rifle. I pick up that Stinger launcher we procured; about time I blew something up to make my day brighter.
"You aren't going to fire that recklessly are you? I really want to live."
"I have a vague idea of what I'm doing. Aside from possibly wreaking the Leo I'm also the diversion. So move around to his back and head for the Building across the way. " I shoulder the launcher and stand up, moving out into the view of the Leo, who promptly laughs.
"You want to try to take me out with a stinger? Go ahead you get one free shot."
The pilot tapped his chest for emphasis, but I chuckled to myself. Aim and fire. I launch a SAM at the Leo's rifle, and actually pray to god. Never the biggest believer I blame that on my childhood, but that's no excuse.
The missile was true to target; I blame the pilot of the Leo. I actually got penetration on the ammo can, and you've never really had a good day until you've blown something up with handheld explosives. God, I may have to do that more often. Explosion a tad bright though. The suit fell to the side. Probably because the shock killed the pilot, aw who cares, I won and I get to go on.
As I ran up to where Noin was waiting I saw her shaking her head. "What?" I asked indignantly.
"Men and high explosives. Its gotta be genetic."
"Next time, I'll let you try it. You'll see that it really brightens up your day."
"Uh-huh. Now, this is a nuclear warhead storage building, correct?"
I guess so, "yea, why?"
"Well, The American Government still has problems disposing of its own crap. The nuclear waste has probably corroded the cheap aluminum drums they keep it in and is all over. Knowing how lazy they are, it probably is still on the ground. If we use firearms or explosives, we could find ourselves more dead than just slightly exposed to radiation."
See, another thing I wouldn't have thought of. I need to expand my repertoire from just prevention of bad things and piloting mobile suits. I'm amazed at all the stuff I'm missing out on. "I knew that."
"I'm sure." She hit the door open switch. And we walked into another dank room. I hate it when we keep on switching from insanely sterile to hire-a-janitor. "Gee, Dank and unsanitary, harshly sterile, Dank, Sterile. This is a real rut I'm in."
"I didn't know you cared so much about how clean your surroundings are, given your desk."
"Have I told you that I was fired? Those uppity bastards went and found a replacement before even having a hearing."
"Oh, Sorry. I didn't know."
Great Like I need her pity. Like I have any room to complain, I haven't been kidnapped and tortured in the past week. "Its okay, I was getting bored anyway. You can only be so sadistic before you begin to…get all creepy."
Its nice to hear her laugh, even if it's a throw away joke at my expense. The storage depot inside the building has warheads stacked up about four high six deep. I counted four stacks of that and we got enough plutonium to make Hawaii glow in the dark. Not we as in Noin and I but we as in the general populous, ah you could figure it out
I counted three guards in Chem-warfare suits. I was getting annoyed by the security. Hopefully they were mercenaries. Because you fear most the people who can inspire people to kill for them.
The elevator was on the second floor, not technically a floor more of a catwalk with stairs on it. One guy had the sole duty of patrolling that catwalk. Two were just wandering the floor. And I can't shoot them from afar; it'd be better to sneak by these two down here.
We did that sneak by them stuff, which, much to my dismay isn't as easy as it appears. I had to pistol whip both of them. As the second one was slumping to the floor Noin chided me, "You really need to work on your subtlety. They are going to be pissed when they wake up. And you almost got by that second one but he spotted your hair. Platinum blond isn't good for stealth."
"Yea, well Duo offered to dye it for me and I declined."
"I knew that braid looked familiar. Its kind of cute."
"I don't do cute. Terrifying, mysterious, sexy, not cute."
"If it wasn't for that braid Duo would look a lot like Quatre and he was voted Billionare magazine's best looking bachelor of the year."
"I look like Duo?" I feel myself shudder, the man is just too happy for me to resemble him.
"You deny it all you want but you aren't as much of a hard ass as you think you are, you are too cute."
Not now. Why now? It's an interesting conversation, but I'd prefer to not have it now. "Me? Cute? I always thought of myself exotic, sexy." I pause to break the neck of this third guard, "Sadistic. Scary, never cute."
"The timing on the sadistic word was cute." I cringed when she said that. She was being coy. It suited her. It really did. Ahhh, concentrate. Kill the bad men. Yes.
"At least I didn't screw up with the guard."
"You didn't get us all killed."
"I do my best." I saw her face and I realized I should have picked a better set of words.
"Your best? Loser's always whine about their best, Winners go home and fuck the prom queen."
"I do recall, taking you to the prom, and I believe you were the prom queen."
She stopped a minute and thought. She looked down, "Yea, I remember that."
I suppose I could play with her a little. "Now if that was an invitation, I'm sure I can oblige."
"You never took advantage of the chances, when you had some." Uh-oh she sounded a little resentful or maybe angry with me.
"Excuse me for not being a person to take advantage of another.
Point for me. And then the return fire. "Just how dense do you have to be to not notice any of the signs! Do you think you are Heero Yuy the way ignored me!"
"I'll be the first to admit I'm a little confused by our relationship. I never did anything because of two things One I was told it was unprofessional. Two, I knew that we were friends and I didn't want to fuck that up by trying to become more. I was happy were we were. Albeit I could have happier had we gone together, but still…"
"Who told you falling in love was unprofessional?"
"They blasted that into our skulls at Lake Victoria. Didn't they ever say anything to the girls?"
"No. Just don't get knocked up. I think that was the name of the seminar."
"Gee, talk about putting all the stress on the guys here."
"Umm… I hate to break this to you, but nobody followed that directive. Nobody."
"Oh, well don't I feel a little shafted. I missed out on some great opportunities then."
"Shut up. Maybe we should talk about our dysfunctional relationship after I've gotten to blow something up."
"Girl after my own heart."
"Go away."
We laughed at ourselves and walked into the elevator, and I was hoping that we got to discuss our dysfunctional relationship. Of course I never saw myself as an optimist either.
"By the way, both you and Heero have said that to me, I was wondering where it comes from?"
"The prom queen line? That was in a movie, The Rock. Sean Connery said that to Nicholas Cage."
"How did he answer?"
"Pretty much the same way."
"He-he."
The elevator dumps us out by an ornate hallway. There is a small map on the wall telling us that the commander's room is up to the north. There is a small office to the south. Gee, Lowly offices or the commander's room? I started to north, and Noin stops me. I look up to the ceiling and shake my head. "Why does everyone have a better idea of what to do than I do?"
I seemed to be asking a lot of why questions. Not knowing a lot is certainly pissing me off.
"What if there is some guards or something back there? We should check it out. I don't want to die because we missed something important."
"We aren't gonna die. I'm the narrator, if I die who's going to finish the story?"
--Sometimes I can't believe that man. He thinks he's invulnerable. Yet he came be so charming when he tries. His heart is in the right place, but he isn't much of an all around soldier.--
"Okay so you proved your point." I hate it when authors get snippy. Oh well seriously now. So Noin and I are going to try the south door. Two guards I shoot from afar, because I mostly don't feel like being sneaky. Noin does that sighing thing that I've noticed women do when they think I've done something stupid, or well I think that's it. "What?"
"Oh, nothing. I have just noticed that you seem to be very violent today."
I have actually. I wonder why. "Sorry. I've been kind of frustrated as of late. I'm probably venting misplaced aggressions on these people, who I don't even know. Do you have any suggestions?"
"Well, stress classes might be in order, but maybe we could not kill people for awhile."
"They wouldn't hesitate to kill us."
"Eh, true, but still by killing them, don't we sink down to their level?"
"If we sank down to their level wouldn't they beat us with experience?" I knew the point she was making, but I was being difficult.
"Hmm. Maybe. Maybe I was just surprised that you can shoot that gun you're carrying around."
"Just because I'm a mobile suit pilot doesn't make me a poor general soldier, it's a lack of practice."
That shaking head thing again. I think it was exasperation. "Never mind. Lets just check out these rooms."
"Right." The area has several small offices around the one big one. Like cubicles with doors. I search the bodies and come up with a higher-level security card; this is good now we don't have to jury-rig the security card doors. I look into the cubicles and don't come up with much. Cold medicine, diazepam (That's a drug. Calms the nerves or something. I think snipers use it to steady their hands), but I didn't find much. Noin found some explosives and makes me wonder how long this building had not been used as an office.
"At least I don't have to worry about getting sick." I hold up the cold medicine.
"Aren't you the epitome of positive attitudes?"
"I could say we wasted our time, but I'm not to worried how far into construction can you get in two or three days?" I look at Noin and see something in her eyes. "I'm gonna hate this aren't I?"
"He's taking apart Leos for most of the parts and as thus the construction is very modular. He thought they could finish within three days."
"Dandy."
We move out of the office and north to the commander's room. I actually hope that he was in there. I would get to kill him sooner than expected. Oh, yes. I would enjoy that very much. You all realize I'm not that lucky. It was his office. I could tell. It reeked of orderly disorder. Everything appearing to be just strewn about but really it was all in a system of the main user's design.
"This looks like your office."
"My office was half this size at best."
"You know what I meant." She gestured to the mess.
"I keep on telling you people it's a system. It only looks messy. I bet this guy can find anything within two or three seconds."
"He is a psychotic. Not your best evidence. You're a sadist you don't count either. Normal people only."
"I am normal. I'm not a bona-fide sadist, it's a pastime."
"Sadism cannot be a pastime."
"Alright I have problems, I need help."
"I know."
We dig around the desk. Lots of guns. Lots. More pictures of Noin and Relena, a few of me. This was quickly becoming worrisome. Noin found his day planner. "Did you know that for today he put down, Torture and kill my long lost brother Millardo?"
"Something like that."
"You don't seem surprised."
"I'm not. Its only fair, I want to kill him."
"I meant the brother part."
"I don't doubt it. We were engineered together. Not my funest idea of a past, but it works."
"You have some 'splaining to do."
"Later. I already promised the story to Sally and at this rate I'm going to be telling it to everyone. The short version is that I have a brother named Zechs. Looks just like me only black hair. He is a very bad person, with no redeeming social qualities. We were genetically engineered together to make the perfect ruler of the Sanc kingdom. Yea, a complete failure."
"You had weird parents."
"Yup. I won't deny it. Weird family."
"Your sister isn't weird."
"Following the boy who threatens to kill her, encouraging him to kill her, Throwing herself between me and him. Umm…trying to kill, I always assumed, Lady Une on the first day she fired a gun. I haven't even got halfway through the series yet shall I continue?"
"So she has done unstable things. It all turns out in the end."
"And it doesn't with me? When I fuck up its over and done with?"
"You got the short end of the stick most of the time, rebuilding Wing, fighting Heavyarms, destroying half the search party, not dying in that huge fight designed to kill you, Leading a rebel faction to try to destroy the earth…Shall I continue?"
Point for the away team. "Alright so doing stupid, reckless shit is in the Peacecraft blood. But most of those turned out for the better."
"Except where you were presumed dead for almost a year. I was seriously depressed over that, you know."
"Sorry. If it makes you feel better I spent six of those months in reconstructive surgery. Getting blown up has an extremely painful and slow process to recovery."
"Well, yea! What did you expect!"
"In all reality I expected to die!"
"Dumb ass. You're in mobile suit made out of Gundanium, under about a foot of it, and you expect to die? Do you even know what the impact tolerance is?"
"It's a lot. You need either a beam weapon, or a concentrated high explosive."
"About one million tons of destructive force per square foot. Its therefore likely to assume that a smaller explosion in a more concentrated form could destroy the armor plating. The skeletal frame of Epyon was found intact, aside from the head, and the cockpit was still pressurize-able. You however were absent. Which lead me to believe you were alive somewhere, but I couldn't prove it."
"Sorry. Next time I'll let Heero self-destruct. But then, who would have destroyed the last chunk?"
"So it did all work out, but still you faked your death. You could have called me and told me you were not dead."
"I…uh…alright so I didn't do some things I should have done. What else is new?"
"Why do we keep on arguing over things like this?"
"I don't know. My theory is we care to much to want to be hurt again, so we are trying to alienate each other."
"You think that because we care about each other, but we don't want to get hurt again, we are trying to piss the other off?"
"It's a theory."
"Well, maybe. Lets not worry about it."
This conversation lasted throughout our search of the commander's room. Not living type room, but office. The book shelves had lost of books on torture and death. I shook my head as I muttered, "Great, both of us are sadists."
"What makes you say that?" I was surprised she heard me.
"We both own copies of…Hey this is my book! That rat bastard has been in my library at the office."
"6001 and different levels of pain and how to make a person feel them."
"It was in the bargain bin. $3.99"
She looked at me dubiously. I nodded. She handed the book back and sighed. I ask her, "Did you ever wonder why you like me so much?"
"Every day of my life."
"Something like that for me. I don't need much reminding though, how about you?"
"I concentrate on your saving graces. I need to add dodging turbulent conversations to that list."
"If that was going to be a turbulent conversation, what were the last ones we had?"
"Pissing and shouting matches."
"Right. So. We need to find an alternate route to the communications towers. The overland route is blocked by frozen glaciers. Umm, aren't all glaciers frozen?"
"Probably but you didn't write the report."
"True. The report doesn't give another route though."
"Well the commander obviously had to be able to move back and forth between there and here. Maybe he has a secret passage."
I thought on this as I held the report. A secret passage. There could be a trapdoor, a sliding bookcase, and a switch revealing a ladder. The possibilities were endless. I leaned back on a bookcase, which coincidently slid backwards, dropping me on my ass, and opening a passageway. "I meant to do that."
"Yea, sure."
I picked myself up and shook my head, a habit I've had gotten to used to doing. Its almost as good as sighing but I don't have to say anything. Ugh. Cement hurts. Really. "Shall I go first or do you want the privilege?"
"Oh, by all means we all know you want to go."
"Dandy." The monotone rivals Heero's. I suppose it's my duty to go first I got us into this mess.
We walk out into what appears to be a cave. Only it has no ceiling. A small canyon as it were. We walk around a tad. Eyeing a good place to get across. There is a small hole that Noin fit through, and I was a little upset I could not. My shoulders are too broad. So I walk around to a crawlable hole back a ways and navigate some small tunnels filled with somewhat mean dogs.
I give one that got to close with its teeth a good kick in the chin. The rest stay back. I crawl another hole, and Noin seems amused. I mutter, "Gee I'm glad you're enjoying it."
"You shouted out like they were trying to kill you."
"They were. I had to kick one before they left me alone."
"You kicked one?!"
"Not the cute small ones the big ugly vicious ones."
"And that makes it all better?"
"No, but I was hoping it would justify it."
She did the eye-rolling thing and looked up at the sky. I knew what she was thinking or at least I thought I knew. She was probably thinking, why do I like a man who is such a raving lunatic? Or something along that effect. A little self centered but I haven't been completely off the mark yet.
"Let's go Millardo."
We walk through the door and into the longest hallway/corridor thingy I have ever seen. The comm. towers are at the end, but looks very bottleneck-ish Wide at our end and not so wide at the other. Or maybe that's just perspective for you.
"Aww, look mines."
"Claymores. Not hidden very well."
"Except we can't tell which way the proximity sensor is."
"Can't you crawl up to them?"
"That's just in video games."
"Like this hasn't been real familiar to some video game players."
"It kind of reminds me of that really old game you have, Metal Gear Solid…"
"Yes, but I'm trying not to think about how much the author is ripping off already used plotlines."
"Give him some credit, there are no original stories anymore."
"So what can we do about the mines?"
"Try using your radio, it's a resource we aren't exploiting to its fullest potential."
I nod. I never actually thought about that. I call Heero up and I get Relena instead. "Umm Heero is busy in a firefight right now, can I take a messeage?"
"Can you tell us how to get by some claymores?"
"Land mines right?"
"Yes."
"Try throwing stuff at them until they explode."
"I was trying not to get myself killed. They are about three feet away from us."
"Oh, well I can't tell you much then."
"Thanks, Have Heero call us when he gets out of that fire fight."
A bust. Crap. I call Duo, he is our resident mechanic guy isn't he?
"Whazzup?"
"Claymores. Actually they aren't up, but I do have a thing against dying."
"Well, I don't have any good clues for ya'. Generally I just have the big D step on them."
"Do you know how big the cone of getting blown up is?"
"Range wise 170 degrees I'm not sure how deep."
"Thanks."
I look up at Noin. She looks cold. "You okay?"
"No. Its about, what, 40 out here?"
"True. I wish I could do something…"
"Well, I bet you didn't plan on this."
"No. I didn't." I ponder a bit more. I dig through the bag of stuff I brought. There is a small packet of stuff Heero gave to me. I check it out. Ah, here we go. "Try these."
"Chemical Hand warmers? I'm surprised Heero remembered to bring them."
"What makes you think Heero brought them?"
"You enjoy cold weather. Always have."
"Huh. Maybe. Duo says the cone of death is 170 degrees. That's barely one side."
"That helps us how?"
"Look at the shape of the lumps. They are oblong. They didn't make them uniform. If I pick them up from the side, they won't blow up."
"I really don't want to try this theory out Millardo."
"Worst case scenario, we all die."
"Best case scenario?"
"We don't."
"Are you usually this fatalistic?"
"No."
I tried my theory on the closet lump of snow. I pulled up a long metal bar. Probably steel. Not a claymore antipersonnel mine. Noin walked up next to me. "What the hell?"
"I don't know." I look around. Why would you not put claymores in a spot where it would be all too easy? This is prime mining real estate. To keep us here? No. We can always backtrack. If we thought there were mines here, we would try to disarm them to get by. Disarming them meant we had to pick them up, stand still. Why would we need to stand still, makes you an easier target. Target for snipers?
I snapped out of my deep thought and looked around. A red dot appeared out of nowhere. It was tracing Noin's chest. Down, down to her leg? "Noin! Get down!" I grab her wrist and pull her behind me. I pulled a little to hard though because I lost my balance and fell right where the red dot was flying around.
My arm felt a great deal of pain. So did the rest of me for that matter. In fact the rest of me hurt more from hitting snow covered cement than from being shot. I tried to stand and got my leg shot for that brilliant idea. "Noin! Get the hell out of here!"
"Millardo!"
"Just get out of here! Find Heero and Relena and get the hell off this island!"
"I can't just leave you here!"
"Do it! I don't care what happens to me."
"After you just risked your life to save me?"
"I think the snipers getting impatient. You have to get out of here before it he shoots me again."
"I'll think of something." She dived out of the door we just came in.
Here I am waiting for the sniper to come and finish me off, but to no avail. He walks up to me. I thought it might have been a woman, because they make better snipers, but it was him. Zechs.
"Hey Mr. Peacecraft. How are you doing? I know you are angry with me right now, but you will see. I bet your woman comes back with a sniper rifle or maybe that other boy you brought with you. Heero you called him? Well I have a surprise planned for him. A short sniper battle and maybe a few good hits to the back of the head. And we get to have a nice chat later."
"Great. I'm been taken hostage by a psychopathic killer."
"I'm not a PSYCHOPATH! That's what I was told the day I was born, buts it's not true! I am superior! I can prove it!"
I let my head hit the ground. I could feel the blood pour out of me. It was disconcerting; knowing that what was once inside of me is spread out under me in a sticky pool. I closed my eyes and prayed that I either pass out or die.
