Forgiving Vengeance
Chapter 7: Hope and Blood
Trowa silently watched as the troops, his troops march below, as they passed the balcony he stood on they turned their heads and saluted the occupants, who were Hiro, Johanna, Max, who stood on a crutch, his arm in a sling, Yassa and himself. The new formal uniforms they wore were white pants that were tucked in their new shiny, black boots and a black long sleeved jacket.
Heero, Duo and the rest of his friends had each been placed in control of one battalion, and they now marched in the front of their respective groups. Four battalions had been chosen for the special purpose of learning how to fly a Gundam, each would learn using the Gundam that their new commanding officer now flew, except for Heero's group. They would learn using Trowa's Gundam, later four people out of each battalion, which consisted of fifty people each, would be chosen to learn on Wing Zero, these pilots would learn to master not only the physical but also the mental strength needed to successfully pilot the Zero system. These would make up the elite unit called: Pegasus.
The rhythmic sound of boots hitting the floor came to an abrupt halt as the soldiers stopped, they simultaneously turned to face the balcony and Hiro stepped forward. In a clear, strong voice that carried to the farthest ends of the large warehouse like building he began to speak. "I know that you are tired, I know that you want this war to end, and for the first time in many years the end is in sight. Look around you, and you will see the faces of our future. You and your fellow soldiers are our hope, you are our future. In the past there has been no time for hope, but now I tell you that times have changed, and it is our time now! No longer will we wait to live the life we all yearn to live!" Cheers and applause began to spread through the building. "No longer will we see our fellow man used and our race brushed aside! There is a passage that says to 'Rage against the dying of the light…' and I ask you now to find that rage, that emotion you have in you one more time! Because as I look at the faces standing before me, I do not see fear, I do not see weary soldiers! I see strength, I see soldiers who will not walk quietly into the night, I see soldiers who will rage! Who will fight! And who will win!" Thunderous cheers and applause erupted from below. Men and women threw up their hands in triumphant celebration as if they had already won, and Hiro smiled.
Down below Quatre watched the man who he had once felt sorrow for, but now as he witnessed the transformation Hiro had done, Quatre revised his opinion. He had taken a group of soldiers who had looked to Quatre, very weary and very tired and had turned them into the enthusiastic and newly determined group he now saw around him, and in the midst of the deafening cheering and applause, Quatre stood rooted to the floor, silent admiration in his eyes.
"Absolutely not." Hiro said quietly but firmly.
"But you taught me how to shoot and fence, what's the difference?"
"The difference is Johanna that from what I've understood the Zero system is very demanding on both the physical and psychological parts of the pilot who flies is."
"I can do it, I know I can." Johanna pleaded.
"The answer is no."
"If I was a boy, I honestly think you'd throw me in the cockpit yourself. I think that's what this whole thing is really about, it's because I'm a girl! And you say it is, I swear I will never talk to you again!"
"A welcoming thought at the moment."
Quatre hid a smile, remembering many dinners like this one with his family. Looking around he scanned the small room with its white walls where pictures of Hiro and his friends, and Johanna were hung. The wooden table where they sat was worn but it looked homey and quaint. Sitting in Hiro's private quarters again gave Quatre the impression that despite his outward strength Hiro was a family man, wanting nothing more than to live in peace with his family. Even though he was currently engaged in an argument with his family at the moment.
"What he says is for the better, Johanna." Wufei cut in. "After all, you are just a girl." A seven-year-old size fist full of olives hit Wufei on the side of his face. Instead of getting angry he only said smugly, "See you just proved my point. Women are too emotional to take criticism much less fly a Gundam." He finished brushing himself off.
Her eyes flashing with anger, she half rose out of her chair, "The only thing I've proved is that woman are too intelligent to listen to your backward, chauvinistic bullsh-"
"Johanna!" Hiro interrupted. "That's enough!" His voice softened at her stricken look. "Come here." Hiro smiled inwardly when she stood before him, she was so much like her mother. "I don't want you using words like that anymore do you understand?" She nodded, "Now, say good-night to everyone." Johanna obediently went around the table giving everyone a small kiss on the cheek. When she approached Wufei, she bumped the table knocking his cup of wine to the floor. "Sorry." she muttered to him as she knelt down and started to blot it up with a napkin. When she was finished she stood up and gave him a brief peck on the cheek and mumbled a 'good-night'.
A short time later they all stood up to leave for bed, only Wufei did not stand. "Hiro, I would watch that daughter of yours when you upset her."
Hiro arched an eyebrow at him. "Really, " He asked in an amused tone, "And why is that?"
"She's pretty vindictive."
"Are you afraid she might pelt me with olives? Or has she done something else"
Wufei nodded, "She tied my shoes together."
Hiro choked out a horrified laugh. "She what?" Wufei turned and held up his legs, and Hiro saw the two ends of Wufei's shoes laces neatly tied in a knot. Everyone in the room tried not to laugh but in the end, they all did. Wufei got up and was just about to stomp out of the room when Hiro's laughing voice stopped him. "Wufei, " He looked back over his shoulder. "I would check your bed before you went to sleep."
When the laughter had died down and they were all about to leave the dinning room, Hiro had an urgent, unexpected visit from two of his officers. Hiro had asked Heero and Trowa to stay for the meeting he was going to have with them, and had bade the others good night. After, he introduced the officers as Lieutenant Jameson and Lieutenant Kaza.
From the moment he had seen the officers Heero knew there was something wrong, and one look at Hiro only confirmed his suspicions.
"They know." One of the officers said flatly.
Hiro froze the act of sitting in his chair, then slowly lowered himself into his seat. "Are you sure?"
"No, not really. But my sources tell me that they had gotten wind of it, and now, probably every scab around is going to want to get it."
"What are we talking about here?" Heero asked, puzzled.
"An enzyme." Lt. Jameson answered. Heero looked at the man with brown hair and light green eyes and he realized that the man was not merely scared, he was furious.
"And what is this enzyme for?" Trowa inquired.
"In order for Rykilion DNA to be transferred in our system, they inject, " Lt. Kaza paused, as if searching for the right word. "A virus. This enzyme blocks the mutation of human DNA, making it impossible for the Rykilions to the humans."
Lt. Jameson slammed his hand down on the table. "It was supposed to be kept secret, and then used on the Rykilions without their knowledge. That would've given us a huge advantage. But now…" His voice trailed off.
Hiro finished for him. "If the Rykilions got even a sample of this enzyme they would be able to study it, and that gives us the possibility that they could somehow come up with something that would counteract the enzyme."
Trowa leaned forward in his chair, "Do we know for sure that they know about it?"
Lt. Kaza shook his head. "No. But there is a strong possibility."
"Where is the enzyme now?"
"We brought the rest here to-"
"You WHAT!" Hiro almost shouted,
Both of the officers looked stunned. "We brought the remaining supply here." Lt. Jameson slowly repeated.
Hiro cursed violently when he shot out of his chair. Trowa and Heero were already at the door. The two somewhat bewildered officers slowly got out of their chairs, not quite knowing what was happening. "Hiro, I don't underst-'
"Does anyone else know you brought that here?" Hiro snapped.
Lt. Kaza began to shake his head in the negative when he suddenly remembered, "Yassa was at the loading dock when he saw us, he was the only one we told." Hiro started an entirely new string of curses. "I don't-"
"There's no time to explain it right now." Then turned and started giving rapid-fire orders. "Heero wake Quatre, Duo and Wufei. Tell Wufei and Duo to take Johanna down to the L-5 area, she'll know what I mean. Tell Quatre to get Max and do the same, and stay with Max." He transferred his gaze to the officers. "Cover all the exits in here and don't let Yassa leave, Trowa come with me."
Everyone immediate dispersed to do as they had been ordered. As they ran down the hall Hiro repeated an almost painful phrase in his head over and over. "Please don't let me be too late…please."
A shadowy figure raised the vile in his hand and the blue liquid almost glowed in his hand. He smiled in the darkness. 'I promised you I would come back Hiro.' He thought. "And this time it's going to be you that will suffer." A click of a gun that was pointed at his head froze the man. "Put it down." A familiar voice bit out. The lights came were turned on. "I said, " The man ground out. "Put it down." The man slowly lowered his hand and slowly cautiously turned around. He removed his hood and Hiro paled at the face before him. "Hello Hiro…"
A shot was fired, followed by a series of shots that echoed through the hallway and through the building. Heero heard the shots and ran toward its source. Suddenly it became deathly quiet. Stepping carefully into the lab the sight that greeted him was the last he would have imagined.
A body lay face down on the floor, and Hiro stood in the middle of the lab. Blood ran down Hiro's neck and in his arms he held Trowa's limp body. "Help him." He gasped. Just then someone else ran into the room. Purely out of instinct Heero pulled his gun and pointed it at the other person. "What the hell happened!"
"Not now." Hiro said re-holstering his gun and reaching for Trowa. "Get him," The man reached for Hiro just as he collapsed against the other man. With great effort Hiro lifted his head to thank the man who had caught him. Upon seeing the man's face he let his head drop. "I'm sorry Yassa, so sor-" He never finished his sentence. The room went black around him.