ngg13

Mariemaia and Lady Une sat in chairs in the basement of the Kushrenada stronghold, a little stunned. Treize himself sat behind a worn desk.

Scarlet had changed from her formal wear back to a pair of black slacks, going back to her glasses over her contacts ("they made my eyes itch!"). She was wearing a black tank top, as she hung suspended upside-down working on the wing joint of Bran, her somewhat shorter braid not even going near the ground.

"So… you really are a Gundam pilot then?" Mariemaia asked, looking a little shocked at the massive Gundam Bran.

"Yeah, I am." She answered. They had asked her that question four times all ready. She was getting bored.

"Treize, why didn't you tell us that Mariemaia's daughter was a Gundam Pilot?" Lady Une asked, turning to the man at the desk.

"Look here, Lady Une, I don't get where you get the idea I'm Mariemaia's daughter, as far as I know my mother was dying of some disease on L2 and left me with my trainer. He raised me like I was his own kid, or well… grandkid I guess, and I fly a Gundam. Big whoop."

"It is to me! I will have no daughter of mine pilot one of those things! You could get hurt!"

Scarlet pushed against the leg of Bran, spinning her around halfway. She hung, swaying back and forth with a thoughtful look on her face, her braid swinging following her head

"Well… let me put it this way. Do you know what Shi no Karasu, or Shi no Megamihime means?"

Mariemaia looked stunned a moment

"Those are Japanese, aren't they?"

"Yeah, well Shi no Karasu means "Raven of Death". That's my Gundam here, Bran. Shi no Megamihime is me, the Princess Goddess of Death. Which means you don't have to worry about me. Now, if you excuse me, I have wars to win, Mobile Suits to fly, and an emperor to kill."

"Nicole!"

"My name is Scarlet Erin Maxwell, Mariemaia Kushrenada, SCAR-LET ER-IN MAX-WELL." She pronounced it, loud and clear. "I'm not Nicole Kushrenada, I'm not your daughter. I'm sorry if you thought I was, but I'm not. I need to get out of here, or else I will turn into Nicole Kushrenada… and if I do that then I don't know what I'll do. I don't have much family to protect, so I'm protecting everybody's families. If I end up dying… well that's too bad ain't it? If I end up killing people who are against me, that's also too bad, but it has to be done. But if Scorpion goes on killing innocent people like he's been doing, then that's me lacking in my duties. I'm a Gundam Pilot, and I'm trying to do what I do best. Beat back evil."

"Killing people? We haven't heard…"

"It's on the computer by Treize…" there was a beep… "Treize, are you playing my Space Invaders game?"

*~*

Lyla sat at a computer console in a van, a gigantic pair of earphones to her head. Her eyes closed as she concentrated…

"Are the boys ready with their Gundams?" she asked, lifting the headphones off her head.

"Yes." Heero said, looking at the monitors in the very cramped van. There were five of them, each with a number under them. 01 had Kiyoshi, poised for battle inside his Gundam Raidon, his eyes closed and his breathing slow. 03 showed Max, calm as ever staring patiently ahead, his thoughts anyone's guess.

Basim was showing in Monitor 04, his goggles over his eyes. He, like Kiyoshi, had changed from the tuxedos to their regular clothes, and everyone was waiting… waiting.

Lian sighed in his monitor, completely bored. He ran a hand over his hair and scowled slightly, wondering when the battle would begin. He was anxious.

"Do you think Scarlet will come…?" Duo asked softly, wrapping his arms around Lyla's shoulders, he remembered when they were young how he had often done the same thing when she was working. She slipped her fingers into his hand, grasping it gently.

"I hope so… the Raven Gundam Bran should be the key in this victory… I know the Scorpion dolls have a weakness to the Raven Wave."

"What's that?"

"Oh… well you know how Bran's weapons are charged through his hands?"

"Uh…. Yeah I remember."

"Well, the electromagnetic pules emitted through the plates in the hands which the plates on the weapons convert into the electroplasimic energy needed to operate the plasma powered Beam-Scythe/Sickles or the Bran Buster Beam Bow when NOT converted by the weapons is damaging to mobile suits without the specific type of armor which is specific only to the New Generation Gundams."

"Uh… in Lame-man's terms, Lyla?" Duo asked, rubbing his head a little.

"The Bran Death Wave is a pulse from the hands that kills of Scorps. Better?"

"You should have said that in the first place, Lyla. That way Duo would understand." Heero said nonchalantly, leaning heavily on his cane.

"Blah! Heero! That's just not nice!" Duo said, sticking his nose in the air.

Lyla blinked, then her face became concerned

"This is base to Raidon, over." She said softly.

"Raidon, what's wrong?"

"Kiyoshi… Bran isn't responding. Something's gone wrong."

*~*

Mariemaia looked up at a small siren…

"Nicole, I mean… Scarlet… what's wrong?" she asked, glancing at the redhead. Lady Une and Treize glanced up from the map they were studying.

Scarlet narrowed her eyes.

"Scorpion's keeping his vows… you know I kinda like it when a man's honest. Unfortunately I never lie myself." She smirked as she pulled a black cap over her forehead, and grabbing a hold on the lead rope to Bran. She started to sing softly

"Now it's time to say goodbye, to all my 'fam-i-ly' G, O, O… oh why oh why… D B Y… I don't exactly know E N O W."

With a short bow, the capped Goddess of Death took her seat in the cockpit. Mariemaia sighed as the hatch closed; she looked at Treize Kushrenada, and realized something. She was seeing her father, in person, for the first time. She shook her head, and turned to Lady Une who had been her foster mother after the Mariemaia army was disbanded.

"Lady Une, do you think we'll see her again?" she asked, looking back to the Gundam.

Lady Une smiled slightly though her glasses.

"Yes, Mariemaia Kushrenada, I do believe we'll see her again - after all she's a Gundam Pilot, and most of us have a bad habit of running into them."

*~*

Scarlet looked on the monitors as they switched on from right to left, her fingers unconsciously pressing putting, starting it, arming weapons systems, warming up the venire engines. She looked into the monitor up front, the one that swung out to let her exit the cockpit.

They were looking up at the Gundam in almost awe.

"Are they scared of me…? Mr. Maxwell, I know now you're gone, you didn't come to the party… I know you would have if you were alive. I miss you… Mr. Maxwell. I still need you to guide me." She closed her eyes, sliding her hands around the joystick controls, and slipping her feet into the pedals.

She saw a slight smirk on Treize's face… a smirk of revenge? Too late to think now, it's time to battle.

"You might wanna head upstairs, I'm planing on getting out of here real quick like. The flames from this thing can get quite hot… as in you're skin would melt?"

What a pleasant picture you paint. Something said to her. Scarlet blinked… then turned off the outboard comm.

"That you, Bran?

No. Yes. Trust me.

Scarlet winced helplessly… something was wrong with her beloved suit, but there was no time to run a diagnostic now.

As soon as the trio had cleared out… she pressed her left foot to the pedal, and pushed the pedal to the floor. The sudden burst of power pressured her head as Bran shot out of the hangar, taking the form of the Raven, the two "blades" of her scythe/sickles turning into the beak, the dober guns on the shoulders sticking out menacingly. After all, Death's Dark Horse has to be intimidating.

And deep in the back of her mind, she felt something… something evil laughing at her.

*~*

"Stop here, Zephyr. We'll send the dolls ahead." Came the message from Destroyer, and Zechs.

Nick smirked

"Aw c'mon Zechs, let's go have some fun, we'll take the Raven Gundam, take the girl, have some fun then turn them both over to Scorpion."

"Nick! You have one sick mind, you know that?"

"Yup, you bet Peacecraft. C'mon don't tell me you don't think about it…"

"Not with an enemy and certainly not without the consent of the lady! Honestly, Nick…"

"Shut up, maintaining radio silence."

The Scorpion duo laughed… another battle to win.

*~*

Who are you? What are you doing inside me? Where is Scarlet?

Scarlet is gone, I am your new pilot.

I ask again, WHO ARE YOU?

My name is none of your concern. I am the new pilot of this mobile suit. I will destroy you unless you obey my orders.

Like hell I will! I bend to no one's will.

That's so like you, Heero, to build a computer system that could battle me. Or was it Zechs? Well, you shall not win. Not against me.

Neither Heero Yuy nor Zechs Marquise constructed me. You know nothing about me. Leave my system at once. Scarlet… SCARLET don't go out to battle!

She can't hear you, Bran. I am in control now. And what's worse for you five Gundam Suits… I'm spreading.

*~*

Scarlet flew to the battlefield, going as slow as she could, waiting until her monitors picked up something. She was worried about Bran, but she pushed that to the back of her mind as she saw mobile suits coming - Scorpio Dolls.

Scarlet growled as she spun the Raven-mode Gundam around, reaching up and pulling the lever forward to command it to go into the Warrior-form. The beak, made of the two scythe blades went out and folded against Bran's back again, the wings went back into a dark angel's. The two sickle blades fell into Bran's hands, and seemed to glow a brighter green… then went out.

"What… what's happened to you, Bran?" she asked, and typed something in to the monitor… the ultra jammers were still on, Bran wasn't being picked up, reactor levels normal. She looked up at the screen as a new window opened on the main monitor… she looked into the inky blackness… then turned as both the monitors to the side winked out…

"Bran…?" she asked, a little scared now… "C'mon Bran don't do this… Bran… he's… not here!" she yelled in frustration.

"What are you? You aren't Bran! Get out! Get the hell out!"

"You, Scarlet, are a weak pilot. Your battle skills are below all of the others; that is why they abandoned you. They don't need you. I will not be piloted by a weak woman!" whispered a voice in her head, hissing softly… sounding much like Mr. Maxwell's voice.

"No…" she whispered… "No. I'm… I'm not weak! I'm a Maxwell… you're lying!" she bowed her head… "Bran… have you too killed me?" she said… then looked up. "Bran would never betray me! Get out of my Bran!"

There it was, the horrible, evil laughter deep in the back of her mind… the screens of the monitors blinked on, and the face of another Gundam appeared, a black and maroon…

"Epyon…" Scarlet whispered, not believing it.

Spiraling, she felt herself falling into oblivion.

She threw her head back and screamed.

*~*

Basim blinked as he sliced through a doll, seeing an un-familiar blip on the edge of the screen, the ID on it was BRAN…

"Kiyoshi!" he said into the comm "Scarlet's here… but something's wrong, she's not coming!"

"She's probably afraid to fight, coward!" Lian growled, the double dragon claws on Shen-Li took out three dolls with the flamethrowers.

"No, something is wrong, Bran isn't responding… damnit, I can't take any of you out of the fight… just destroy the enemy I'll try and get through to Scarlet." Lyla's voice came over the comm system.

"Roger that, Lyla." Kiyoshi said… and the battle raged on as he sliced a doll in two.

*~*

"You and I make a great team, Mr. Kushrenada." Said a slimy, slithering voice, the voice of the Scorpion, there was a cruel chuckle accompanying the voice.

Treize said nothing, but held a glass of wine in his hand, not looking at the window at the battle beyond the boundaries of his property. He couldn't bear to think he had put a program of his Gundam, his brainchild, into his dear Nicole's mobile suit. He closed his eyes, thinking of the time on the island…

*~*

She had seemed to innocent, the very blossom of youth, yet there she was attaching antique LEO and AREIS parts to the massive, black-and-gray Gundam with the glowing eyes. She was sitting on the shoulder, a palm-pilot like computer in her hand, she went over it with a pen thing, and frowned slightly.

The aged Treize Kushrenada walked along the catwalk, the height making him a little dizzy. He looked at the frown that Scarlet wore on her face.

"Is something the matter, Scarlet?"

"The grasping mechanism isn't fitting in right, I may have to build that from scratch." She explained to him, glancing up. The light caught in her glasses, held together with a mixture of gauze and glue, reflecting on the worn blue coat of Kushrenada.

"Oh." He said, and knelt down looking into the girl's face. That's all she really was barely sixteen and already involved in a deadly war… lost it, lost any chance for a cultural humanity…

No, she wasn't lost at all… simply… misplaced.

"Scarlet, I was thinking, when you do return to the… outside world, you would look rather odd without an adult guardian, would you not?" he asked softly, looking down into her face.

Scarlet thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, I probably would, great idea Mr. Treize!" she smirked as she stood, balancing precariously on the shoulder and wing joint of the massive mobile suit she called Bran.

"May I recommend something to you, Scarlet? I would recommend you play the part of my Granddaughter, a sort of act in a play... surely you have seen plays?"

"Yea, living on L2 there wasn't much, but I did try to make a lot of the big, old Broadway shows… The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables… my favorite was always Phantom of the Opera though, I wanted to be Christine so badly when I was younger… Mr. Maxwell always told me I'd be nothin' but a freckle-face redhead tomboy, then laughed, hugged me, and told me I could be whatever I wanted to be." She brushed a few strands of her bright red hair from her face, and smiled.

"I really miss him, Mr. Maxwell I mean. He was a great friend…"

"Yes, there is a friend I miss as well, though he is long dead I suppose… I had heard once, over the radio he had been killed in the same battle as I had.

"Who? Maybe I've heard of him!" Scarlet smiled as she leaped easily to the catwalk, stretching.

"Zechs Marquis, or Milliardo Peacecraft. I don't suppose you've heard…"

"HEARD of him? Heck, he only practically killed me over something that I did at his school… I mean… well…" she blushed, rubbing the back of her head.

"Why? What did you do?" Treize smirked softly.

"Well… I flooded the girl's bathroom using cherry bombs…"

*~*

Treize was bought back to reality by the news that his virus had worked, and the Raven Gundam Bran had left the battlefield…

"You have done a great service to your Emperor, Treize Kushrenada. Or may I call you, Lord Treize?"

"I have done something without honor, and yet you try to honor me with the role of playing a Lord in your despicable army. How could I have bought myself to betray those who have bought me to light, to the realization that my isolation has only been harming myself? Someone who took me under her wing and cared for me, though to others it seemed the other way around? No, no Scorpion; I will not be a lord of this horrible, terrible world you have created."

"In that case, You may have made the right decision, Treize, only time will tell." Scorpion said, turning back to the window.

Treize Kushrenada sighed, and closed his eyes, picturing her delight at the single opera they had attended in London, the fateful day she actually adopted the persona of Nicole Kushrenada.

She had smiled at him, the sweet smile of innocence and love, and the joy of being loved… the smile of a child. The simplicity of a child's mind, combined with the cold instincts of a killer. He had vowed then to brush Scarlet Erin away, and leave just Nicole.

He had just now, seeing his plan carried out, realized how wrong he had been. Certainly, she had the mind of a child, a young girl beginning to discover herself, for who she is, but she did not have the coldness of a killer. She fought with the grim determination knowing that for peace, she would kill, but she would not kill needlessly.

And now he has killed both the childlike Scarlet Erin and his dear Nicole Kushrenada.