Intruder - Part Forty
The Culprit...
Heero still had his com-link on, and had heard Quatre's triumphant shout.
He smiled - the battle's tide was turning.
This had convinced him that it was time to bring this fight to a close, after playing with the rather disabled doll, he decided that the least he could do was to finish with a bang.
Activating the front thrusters, the leapt back from its pitifully weak saber, and took aim.
It flew up to him, intending to continue the confrontation, and he pulled the trigger. A yellow-white beam of light fired from the barrels and disintegrated it, the momentum leaving him in a shower of scrap.
"Heero! Heero? We beat them! We won!"
"Yes, but its not over yet. The others are still fighting."
On this, they both looked to the vid link screens.
Trowa showed nothing, which for him was a plus sign, he was winning.
Wufei was concentrating hard, but he looked a bit disappointed, so he was leading too.
Then there was Duo. He was currently silent, staring defiantly at his adversary, but his eyes gave away his true feelings.
They glittered with the excitement of the God of Death in full control.
They wondered how two personalities, could be so different from one another, yet they could exist so perfectly together as a whole.
As they watched, Trowa sighed, took his hand from the controls, and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked down and then immediately back up again, and looked at them, as he turned on the com-link.
"How long have you been done then?" he asked, flexing his wrist.
"Not long." Heero replied.
"Who was first?"
"..." Quatre didn't say.
"Quatre." Answered Heero.
Trowa smiled faintly, and nodded in appreciation. "Well done."
Quatre beamed.
The conversation ground itself to a halt. Surprisingly, it was Heero who stared it again.
"Ok, who do you think will be next to finish?"
"...Um...let me think for a bit." Quatre said, looking at the screens.
Both Duo and Wufei were still going strong, and both were clearly enjoying themselves.
"Neither." Trowa replied.
~ Oh, well that's positive. ~ Quatre thought to himself. ~ Hang on, he could be right...~
"What if they both finish at the same time?" he asked Heero.
Heero frowned, working it out. "The probability of them doing that is about-"
"I don't need to know."
"No, but he'll tell us anyway." Trowa pointed out.
"Alright then, I won't." he said, stubbornly "But they won't." he added.
"We'll see..." Trowa pushed, trying to catch him out. It didn't work. He was ignored.
*Humph*
Wufei was aware of this conversation, as he'd turned the audio back on after he was sure he could beat it. For some reason unknown to him, this little spark inside him glowed. It made him want to make sure that Heero's prediction was wrong.
He looked at Maxwell on the screen. They were right; it was as if two people were one.
The self appointed 'God of Death' was almost happily playing with his opponent, in total control. Realization dawned on him ~ Just as I was. ~
Well, if it was just as he had been, he would get bored of the weaker rival, and destroy them. So, it was merely a matter of time, until he did, and then they could both be simultaneously destroyed. Then he had an idea; he could use the message system, to transmit only to 02, just as Trowa had done earlier.
Duo was still fighting - well, actually no, he wasn't. Fighting wasn't the right word for it.
Fighting was when you did what you could to survive.
This was more like a game now, a joke. To him, destruction was one big joke.
No, that wasn't right either. If his friends were destroyed, that wouldn't be amusing, that would make him angry. But anyway, he was still trading blows with the mirror image of his own suit, although he landed the most and caught the least.
Something in the cockpit beeped, and brought him out of his thoughts. There was a short message on the top of 05's screen. It read 'Detonate it now.'
Detonate? He liked that idea.
*Sure* he said, and his wings spread wider as he lifted the scythe over his head.
Wufei glanced across at the Deathscythe, it loom out of the darkness, bathed in shadow.
The scythe went up, and the eyes glowed, and as it did he fired both Dragon Fangs, each grasping the respective sides of the enemy suit.
Quatre jumped in Sandrock. "Look!"
The double bladed scythe carved down, as if tearing a hole in the very fabric of space.
Then it hit the other Deathscythe, cutting it cleanly in two, for a moment it hung in space.
The double dragon fangs flew in opposite directions, and ripped their prey in half, the hole in the center provided the starting point for the split, for a moment it hung in space.
Suddenly there were two explosions as both remaining foes were mutually destroyed.
The re-activated com-link rang with Duo's cry.
"WHOA YEAH!! That's what you get when you play with Shingami!"
His face on the vid-screen was bathed in white light, which gradually faded. He blinked.
"Oh, Hi guys." He said, as he looked to his own set of on board monitors.
For reasons unknown, both Heero and Trowa were holding their heads with their hands, eyes shut tight. Quatre and Wufei however were not.
"What's wrong with them?" he asked, looking a bit miffed.
Quatre smiled at him. "I think they forgot to turn down their com-link volume."
Wufei laughed, a rare sound, but a good one.
"That broadcast? Oops...must be on auto." He grinned. "Sorry guys."
Heero recovered from his deafening blow.
"That was the worst hit I've had all day!"
Trowa cautiously took his hands away from his ears. *Phew*
"What do you mean, 'on auto'?"
"Well, when I'm in a battle, I usually take off the audio. When I finish, Deathscythe puts it back on for me."
"Right. Ok, well when we get back, you wouldn't let me make a few adjustments to that would you. Like making sure it can't transmit anything louder than speaking volume?"
"Uh, I could look at it."
"Maybe you should."
"Ok."
"Hold it right there you two. We're not finished here yet."
"We're not?" he echoed.
"No." Heero answered bluntly.
"We gonna blow it all up, right?"
"Right."
"Oh yeah." He smiled. "So, how do you suggest we're gonna do it Heero?"
"..."
While Heero explained his plan to them all, they kept watch for any escaping shuttles.
Their tormentor had not contacted them since the battle with the Virgo and Taurus had begun, and they were getting suspicious.
According to Heero's plan, the three with useable beam weapons, himself, Duo and Wufei, would attack the base. The other two would keep watch, for retreating ships and or the news cameras. They could also help power the two beam cannons, if possible, or shower the base in any remaining ammo.
Duo was to transfer any excess remaining power to his scythe, and was to attack and destroy anything and everything he could, a plan he liked very much.
It'd be just like the battleships on earth.
Wufei could transfer power reserves to his beam cannon, or use the plasma weapons in the dragon fangs, to burn it, as the base would have its own air supply.
Heero himself would blast away with his beam cannon, transferring remaining power from his saber. Trowa would help.
Quatre wanted to stay on guard. He thought it would be the most useful place for him.
"Ok then, let's do it."
They attacked the base with all remaining artillery at their disposal, which was basically the idea, behind all of Heero's fancy description.
It wasn't long till they had demolished all but three buildings on the asteroid.
"Stop! Stop! I will employ you! You can all work for me! I'll pay you anything!"
The destruction stopped, but only temporarily. They resumed.
"I promise, I'll never attack you again!"
Heero checked his scanner; the transmission was from the second building.
"Maybe we should hear him out." Quatre said. "I want to know who he is."
"As if he's going to tell us that willingly."
"He might be stupid."
"He can't be stupid if he's had us running from our own shadows."
"..."
"What harm can he do now?"
Their conversation was interrupted by a video transmission.
A silhouette of a man was portrayed on their screens.
"Hear me out, damn you."
He stepped from the shadows into view.
"Barret?!" Quatre exclaimed in surprise.
The other four looked at him dubiously.
"You mean to say you know this loser?" Duo frowned.
"Yes, I mean no, well, sort of."
"Sort of?" Heero pushed.
"He worked with Instructor H, but we all thought he died in the Alliance attack."
"I'm honored you remember me, 'Master Quatre'." He had a suspicious smile, and there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"How did you survive?"
"Simple. I switched sides."
"You traitorous -" He struggled with himself, wishing he could use Zero's beam cannon.
"Quatre, Quatre, Quatre," he tutted, "Mind your language, youngster. Honestly, kids these days. What would your father say?"
"You have no right -"
"I have every right. I am your superior, I decide what -"
"You decide nothing! You forfeited you responsibilities long ago. I'll bet it was you who betrayed us to the Alliance."
"My, you are a smart one. Even Instruct-"
"Instructor H had his doubts about you all along. He would have had you destroyed, but I told him that he shouldn't kill you unless he was certain."
"Am I to thank you for my life? You misunderstand me."
" You ungrateful dog! It is through my wishes that you still breathe!"
"Ah, well I-"
"And it is by my hands that you shall perish, as you should have done."
"Master Quatre, wait I-"
"Don't you dare patronize me! NEVER patronize me!"
He unhooked his twin blades, and threw them into the heart of the raging fire, destroying the power and the air supply at once. There was a resounding boom, and all three remaining buildings evaporated in the flames.
There was a ghostly silence, and for once, it wasn't Duo who broke it.
Wufei, meaning well and being perfectly serious said:
"I don't think he'll try to patronize you again."
Quatre couldn't help but smile.
"No, I don't think he will."
Duo burst out laughing, but more with relief than amusement.
"Ok guys, wha'd'ya say we go back now, huh?"
"I say we go home, the girls will be waiting." Trowa said.
"Alright, we'll go. I don't think there's much left to do here now anyway."
"Yeah, nice one Cat."
"Quatre." Smiled Quatre.
The Culprit...
Heero still had his com-link on, and had heard Quatre's triumphant shout.
He smiled - the battle's tide was turning.
This had convinced him that it was time to bring this fight to a close, after playing with the rather disabled doll, he decided that the least he could do was to finish with a bang.
Activating the front thrusters, the leapt back from its pitifully weak saber, and took aim.
It flew up to him, intending to continue the confrontation, and he pulled the trigger. A yellow-white beam of light fired from the barrels and disintegrated it, the momentum leaving him in a shower of scrap.
"Heero! Heero? We beat them! We won!"
"Yes, but its not over yet. The others are still fighting."
On this, they both looked to the vid link screens.
Trowa showed nothing, which for him was a plus sign, he was winning.
Wufei was concentrating hard, but he looked a bit disappointed, so he was leading too.
Then there was Duo. He was currently silent, staring defiantly at his adversary, but his eyes gave away his true feelings.
They glittered with the excitement of the God of Death in full control.
They wondered how two personalities, could be so different from one another, yet they could exist so perfectly together as a whole.
As they watched, Trowa sighed, took his hand from the controls, and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked down and then immediately back up again, and looked at them, as he turned on the com-link.
"How long have you been done then?" he asked, flexing his wrist.
"Not long." Heero replied.
"Who was first?"
"..." Quatre didn't say.
"Quatre." Answered Heero.
Trowa smiled faintly, and nodded in appreciation. "Well done."
Quatre beamed.
The conversation ground itself to a halt. Surprisingly, it was Heero who stared it again.
"Ok, who do you think will be next to finish?"
"...Um...let me think for a bit." Quatre said, looking at the screens.
Both Duo and Wufei were still going strong, and both were clearly enjoying themselves.
"Neither." Trowa replied.
~ Oh, well that's positive. ~ Quatre thought to himself. ~ Hang on, he could be right...~
"What if they both finish at the same time?" he asked Heero.
Heero frowned, working it out. "The probability of them doing that is about-"
"I don't need to know."
"No, but he'll tell us anyway." Trowa pointed out.
"Alright then, I won't." he said, stubbornly "But they won't." he added.
"We'll see..." Trowa pushed, trying to catch him out. It didn't work. He was ignored.
*Humph*
Wufei was aware of this conversation, as he'd turned the audio back on after he was sure he could beat it. For some reason unknown to him, this little spark inside him glowed. It made him want to make sure that Heero's prediction was wrong.
He looked at Maxwell on the screen. They were right; it was as if two people were one.
The self appointed 'God of Death' was almost happily playing with his opponent, in total control. Realization dawned on him ~ Just as I was. ~
Well, if it was just as he had been, he would get bored of the weaker rival, and destroy them. So, it was merely a matter of time, until he did, and then they could both be simultaneously destroyed. Then he had an idea; he could use the message system, to transmit only to 02, just as Trowa had done earlier.
Duo was still fighting - well, actually no, he wasn't. Fighting wasn't the right word for it.
Fighting was when you did what you could to survive.
This was more like a game now, a joke. To him, destruction was one big joke.
No, that wasn't right either. If his friends were destroyed, that wouldn't be amusing, that would make him angry. But anyway, he was still trading blows with the mirror image of his own suit, although he landed the most and caught the least.
Something in the cockpit beeped, and brought him out of his thoughts. There was a short message on the top of 05's screen. It read 'Detonate it now.'
Detonate? He liked that idea.
*Sure* he said, and his wings spread wider as he lifted the scythe over his head.
Wufei glanced across at the Deathscythe, it loom out of the darkness, bathed in shadow.
The scythe went up, and the eyes glowed, and as it did he fired both Dragon Fangs, each grasping the respective sides of the enemy suit.
Quatre jumped in Sandrock. "Look!"
The double bladed scythe carved down, as if tearing a hole in the very fabric of space.
Then it hit the other Deathscythe, cutting it cleanly in two, for a moment it hung in space.
The double dragon fangs flew in opposite directions, and ripped their prey in half, the hole in the center provided the starting point for the split, for a moment it hung in space.
Suddenly there were two explosions as both remaining foes were mutually destroyed.
The re-activated com-link rang with Duo's cry.
"WHOA YEAH!! That's what you get when you play with Shingami!"
His face on the vid-screen was bathed in white light, which gradually faded. He blinked.
"Oh, Hi guys." He said, as he looked to his own set of on board monitors.
For reasons unknown, both Heero and Trowa were holding their heads with their hands, eyes shut tight. Quatre and Wufei however were not.
"What's wrong with them?" he asked, looking a bit miffed.
Quatre smiled at him. "I think they forgot to turn down their com-link volume."
Wufei laughed, a rare sound, but a good one.
"That broadcast? Oops...must be on auto." He grinned. "Sorry guys."
Heero recovered from his deafening blow.
"That was the worst hit I've had all day!"
Trowa cautiously took his hands away from his ears. *Phew*
"What do you mean, 'on auto'?"
"Well, when I'm in a battle, I usually take off the audio. When I finish, Deathscythe puts it back on for me."
"Right. Ok, well when we get back, you wouldn't let me make a few adjustments to that would you. Like making sure it can't transmit anything louder than speaking volume?"
"Uh, I could look at it."
"Maybe you should."
"Ok."
"Hold it right there you two. We're not finished here yet."
"We're not?" he echoed.
"No." Heero answered bluntly.
"We gonna blow it all up, right?"
"Right."
"Oh yeah." He smiled. "So, how do you suggest we're gonna do it Heero?"
"..."
While Heero explained his plan to them all, they kept watch for any escaping shuttles.
Their tormentor had not contacted them since the battle with the Virgo and Taurus had begun, and they were getting suspicious.
According to Heero's plan, the three with useable beam weapons, himself, Duo and Wufei, would attack the base. The other two would keep watch, for retreating ships and or the news cameras. They could also help power the two beam cannons, if possible, or shower the base in any remaining ammo.
Duo was to transfer any excess remaining power to his scythe, and was to attack and destroy anything and everything he could, a plan he liked very much.
It'd be just like the battleships on earth.
Wufei could transfer power reserves to his beam cannon, or use the plasma weapons in the dragon fangs, to burn it, as the base would have its own air supply.
Heero himself would blast away with his beam cannon, transferring remaining power from his saber. Trowa would help.
Quatre wanted to stay on guard. He thought it would be the most useful place for him.
"Ok then, let's do it."
They attacked the base with all remaining artillery at their disposal, which was basically the idea, behind all of Heero's fancy description.
It wasn't long till they had demolished all but three buildings on the asteroid.
"Stop! Stop! I will employ you! You can all work for me! I'll pay you anything!"
The destruction stopped, but only temporarily. They resumed.
"I promise, I'll never attack you again!"
Heero checked his scanner; the transmission was from the second building.
"Maybe we should hear him out." Quatre said. "I want to know who he is."
"As if he's going to tell us that willingly."
"He might be stupid."
"He can't be stupid if he's had us running from our own shadows."
"..."
"What harm can he do now?"
Their conversation was interrupted by a video transmission.
A silhouette of a man was portrayed on their screens.
"Hear me out, damn you."
He stepped from the shadows into view.
"Barret?!" Quatre exclaimed in surprise.
The other four looked at him dubiously.
"You mean to say you know this loser?" Duo frowned.
"Yes, I mean no, well, sort of."
"Sort of?" Heero pushed.
"He worked with Instructor H, but we all thought he died in the Alliance attack."
"I'm honored you remember me, 'Master Quatre'." He had a suspicious smile, and there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"How did you survive?"
"Simple. I switched sides."
"You traitorous -" He struggled with himself, wishing he could use Zero's beam cannon.
"Quatre, Quatre, Quatre," he tutted, "Mind your language, youngster. Honestly, kids these days. What would your father say?"
"You have no right -"
"I have every right. I am your superior, I decide what -"
"You decide nothing! You forfeited you responsibilities long ago. I'll bet it was you who betrayed us to the Alliance."
"My, you are a smart one. Even Instruct-"
"Instructor H had his doubts about you all along. He would have had you destroyed, but I told him that he shouldn't kill you unless he was certain."
"Am I to thank you for my life? You misunderstand me."
" You ungrateful dog! It is through my wishes that you still breathe!"
"Ah, well I-"
"And it is by my hands that you shall perish, as you should have done."
"Master Quatre, wait I-"
"Don't you dare patronize me! NEVER patronize me!"
He unhooked his twin blades, and threw them into the heart of the raging fire, destroying the power and the air supply at once. There was a resounding boom, and all three remaining buildings evaporated in the flames.
There was a ghostly silence, and for once, it wasn't Duo who broke it.
Wufei, meaning well and being perfectly serious said:
"I don't think he'll try to patronize you again."
Quatre couldn't help but smile.
"No, I don't think he will."
Duo burst out laughing, but more with relief than amusement.
"Ok guys, wha'd'ya say we go back now, huh?"
"I say we go home, the girls will be waiting." Trowa said.
"Alright, we'll go. I don't think there's much left to do here now anyway."
"Yeah, nice one Cat."
"Quatre." Smiled Quatre.