Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to these characters in this or in any of my stories.
Forgiving Vengeance
Part 1: Chapter 2: Know thy Enemy (cont'd)
After twenty minutes of explaining almost everything, the four Gundam pilots all had completely different reactions.
"That's amazing." Quatre said in awe.
The one called Trowa asked two questions: "Who exactly are these aliens, why have they done this to the humans?"
"To answer those questions, I would prefer to show you one of their labs where some of the humans are kept." Hiro replied
"It's a story that's hard to believe, but if you say you can prove it," Duo shrugged, "Then I'll take your word for it," He paused giving Hiro a meaningful look. "For now."
Wufei, however was far less subtle. "What a bunch of shit! First off, if you humans in that world were so weak minded as to just trust anyone who came to earth, then you deserve your own fate. Secondly, I believe that any race who so foolishly lets themselves become completely dominated by another race should dig themselves out of their own hole."
Hiro who bristled at Wufei's words, managed to keep a calm face. "That is exactly what we are tying to do. And as I recall, your efforts were less than successful when you foolishly tried jumping over that table."
Wufei stiffened.
Hiro saw his reaction and said mockingly, "So much for the foolish and weak minded theory."
Duo busted out laughing. "I'd say he got you in a corner Wu-Chan!"
"And as I recall," Wufei answered back, "He got you…on the nose."
Duo stopped laughing, and tentatively touched his very sore, and probably broken nose.
"How do we know you're not a scab sent here to trick us into helping the wrong side?" Heero asked dryly.
Trowa answered for him, "He means to take us back with him."
"I would like to ask more of you than to just come with me, I'd like you to help us build Gundams of our own, and train soldiers to become Gundam pilots. Eventually, if you choose, I'd like you to fight with us. I know this is a lot to ask now, that is why I don't want you to reply until you've seen what my world is like, then and only then can you make a just decision."
Quatre for one, had just about made up his mind to help him. As he looked at this man whose every feature was stamped with strength and determination, he sensed that there was a certain exhaustion about him, a certain weariness that Quatre himself had felt once before, that was kept carefully hidden beneath his strong exterior. In the afternoon sunlight that cast a bronze glow on his face they could all clearly see the toll that war had taken on this man. You could now see the thin white scar that started from the outside corner of his left eye that curved inward and ended at his chin just below his lip, his skin was pale, probably from not seeing the sun as everyone here was free to do, and his eyes. Quatre saw something deep in their depths, some dim emotion that seemed to him like hope, and Quatre suddenly felt pity for this strong man, who had known such pain and misery.
Heero stood up and held his arm out to him as if giving something to him, Hiro opened his palm and his dog tags were dropped into his hand. "Come here at eight o'clock tonight. Anyone who will go with you will be there."
Hiro sensed he was being dismissed so he turned to Quatre and asked, "Is there somewhere where I can change?"
"Of course." He led him out of the tent and pointed to a smaller one across the campsite. "Thank you." Hiro said quietly, and Quatre gave him an odd look. "What is it?"
"It's just that you are so different from the Heero that we all know, it's odd to hear some of the things you say."
"Like what?"
"Thank you."
Hiro's face registered almost comical disbelief, "Heero never says thank you? What happens when you do something for him?"
Quatre laughed, "He just kinda…nods at you. If you do something that he really likes, then you get a 'Hmm' with the nod."
Hiro laughed.
"And he never laughs."
Hiro laughed harder.
I think the only one who could make the corners of his mouth lift in the beginnings of a smile, was Relena.
Hiro stopped laughing. "What did you…" He started to ask in shocked disbelief, but Quatre was already stepping back into the tent. Quatre couldn't have said what he just thought he said. He couldn't have. Relena was dead. She was dead he told himself bitterly, as he walked toward the tent Quatre had pointed out to him.
Still, after he had washed up, changed and decided to rest for a few minutes before he went back home, he found himself thinking about her as he relaxed on the small bed of cushions that was in the tent.
Relena, with her quick temper and her courage. He remembered her fighting with him, side by side against the Rykilions. She would go out with him on missions and she would be his cover. She was an excellent shot and one of the best swordsmen he had ever met. Before this war had ever started he remembered her laughing face as she would fight mock duels with him, and suddenly he remembered how she had died. Hiro shut his eyes to try and block out the memory but still it crept into his mind. Blood, oh God there had been so much blood.
Angrily he shut out that memory, he had to focus on what was going on now, he needed the Gundam pilots help and he only hoped they would agree, but even if they agreed to come with him, that didn't necessarily mean they would agree to help him. But as far as that point went, he intended to do his best to sway them. He would show them all the gruesome things done to the humans in those labs, he would show them how they were tortured and then used for grotesque experiments. Then he would show them the worst of it all, he would show them exactly why the Rykilions needed the humans…