Chapter 5
"I've got action!" I yell into the radio.
"Same here." David informs us.
"I thought they weren't suppose to strike until tomorrow." Duo says.
"They must have advanced their plans." Noin says back.
"Is David in position yet?" Une asks.
"I'm almost there, I can see explosions from here."
"We can't wait. We must attack now!" Heero says sternly.
I take flight, transforming the Taurus into the fighter plane to save time. I push the throttle all the way up. The suit rockets towards the city.
This isn't what I expected. I wanted an underground battle, one free of senseless deaths. Now, though, I am forced to fight a long streets filled with panicked people. My heart is already aching from their pain.
~*~
"What the? Sir, it's an enemy mobile! "The soldier monitoring the radar yells.
"Only one?" Javier asks.
"It appears so."
"Sir, Cairo just radioed in, they also have confirmed an enemy mobile suit as well." Another soldier says.
"Are they the only ones?" Javier asks once more, he is still unfazed by their presence.
"No sir, the other bases are all reporting retaliations."
"A Gundam!"
"Where! What base!" Javier didn't expect this, his tone of voice shows that.
"In Seoul." The soldier answers.
"Another Gundam is reported in Mexico City."
"How many Gundams are there?" Juniper asks before Javier can.
"Only two have been reported." The first soldier replies.
"How can this be? They were supposed to be destroyed." Javier says under his breath. He looks and addresses his crew, "How are we fairing against them?"
"So far, we have the upper hand."
"I want numbers, give me some numbers!" He demands.
"So far we have lost twenty MSes. We haven't received any word from the other bases."
"Twenty? That's a tenth of our force. Surround that suit and wipe it out!"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
I hover mid-air firing down on the suits below. I easily dodge the enemy fire as I shoot. I juggle the dodging, firing, and avoiding civilian casualties all at the same time. I don't even try to repeat the strategy we used during the Eve War in 196. The main objective in this battle is to kill them before they kill the innocent civilians.
A Leo falls to the ground, crushing an apartment building. People scramble away from the appending wreckage, after the suit falls though, no one else come out from the building. I know it's impossible, but I feel as if I can hear the people screaming from my cockpit. /It was unavoidable, don't dwell on it. The more time you waste worrying about them, the more of them will die./ My subcontiousness tells me. I try to listen, I really do, but it still doesn't change the fact that those people died, and that it was my fault.
I push the tears back and continue my rampage. Another suit hits the ground from my onslaught. An indicator beeps loudly from my cockpit. Five suits are directly behind me. To save time I release the saber that I had Renford add. Grabbing it with the left hand I turn around and slice through two of the suits with one swing. The other three are destroyed before they know what hit them. Turning around again, I return the saber and revert to the beam rifle.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Noin has no choice, but to stay in the air. When it comes to Mobile Suits' controls the foot peddles are used for one thing, and one thing only; to make the suit walk. With her leg in its condition she is afraid that she won't be able to put enough pressure on the foot pedals.
A blast gets by her. It hits the left vernia hard. Alarms go off in the cockpit, the suit starts to descend. She feared this, she is forced to land and fight a land battle.
The Suit lands up right. She tries the pedals, the left foot moves forward, but the right one stays put. She can't even move on the ground. She resumes fire, doing her best to keep off the approaching suits. One lands a perfect shot from the back. The Taurus is slams to the ground. She flies forward; the harness is the only thing keeping her from hitting the monitors and controls.
She struggles to righten the suit. The suit creaks and moans at her attempts, but does nothing more. She brings up a display to see what is wrong. Some of the circuits have been fried. She looks back to her monitors. The enemy is closing in on her; it's only a matter of time before they are right on top of her. She is a sitting duck in her position.
"Quatre!" She yells desperately into the joint radio frequency.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
I look up from my attack, "Noin!" I yell back worryingly. I look back at the suits. Biting my lips, I try to choose between the 8,163,573 people of Tokyo, or my soul mate. My hand quivers on the transformation switch.
"Quatre, go help Noin." Heero says over the radio.
"What about the city?"
"I'm almost done, I'll finish up for you. Stay right there."
"Stay? What for?"
"I'm giving you Zero, it will be faster."
"Thank you Heero."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
"Gundam Zero is making a bee line for Tokyo." A soldier says.
"Why would he be doing that? Have several suits from Seoul follow it."
"Sir, Zero is a flight type, they wouldn't have a chance-"
"I'm the ones who gives orders here!" Javier snaps at the soldier.
"Sir, he is right."
"I don't need any lip from you either Juniper."
"But sir-"
"I don't want to hear it! Send some suits after it this instant!"
The soldier tries to remain calm, "Sir, all the suits at the Seoul have been destroyed."
"What? So soon?" Javier is hardly humbled. "Well then, we will just have to have Tokyo finish the task that Seoul failed at."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
It only take Heero about five minutes to get to Tokyo, not surprising for a suit like his. He lands right in front of the Taurus. We both open our hatches. His Gundam is quite a bit taller then mine. Heero jumps down on to the platform my open hatch has created.
"You better get going." He says calmly. He kneels in front of me and clasps his hands. With out questioning, I step on to his hands. He thrusts them upwards; I get enough air to grab a hold to his hatch platform. I swing myself up on to it.
"Quatre, remember not to let Zero get to you!" Heero yells up to me, a thought not realized until the last minute.
"Roger that." I yell back before climbing into the cockpit. Zero's hatch closes right after the Taurus's. I plot the course to Osaka. If I do this right I will be there in three minutes. A quick shot up to the upper atmosphere will make this possible.
I enter the course. Just before I take off an indicator goes off in the cockpit. It's a missile lock. I take a quick glance around, it's a Leo with a space bazooka aimed right at me. Zero can take that. I raise the shielded arm, preparing for contact.
Before the Leo has any time to fire though, the beam riffle on Heero's Taurus takes him out, "Get going Quatre, leave this guys to me."
"Thanks again Heero." I say as I take off into the sky.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
"The Gundam has taken off once more."
"Where is it heading now?" Javier asks.
"He's ascending, there is no way to tell just yet."
"What happened in Tokyo?" Juniper asks.
"Pilot switch."
"Pilot switch?"
"Yes sir, a solider was able to get footage."
"Relay those images."
An image of the two mobile suits come up. The camera cuts to a closer zoom, close enough to see the pilots.
"Winner is now in the Gundam." Javier says.
"I wonder. what is the status on the mobile suit attacking Osaka?"
"General sir, it was taken out."
"I bet he is coming here."
"How do you figure that?" Javier asks.
"Lucratiza Noin was injured correct? I'm guessing that she is the one in that fallen mobile."
"It is just a hypothesis, we will have to watch him to know what he really is doing."
Juniper eyes Javier. He fells so disgraced having to answer to him, the man is inexperienced and arrogant. The only reason why he is heading up this operation is because his father was the man who planed it. If Alveres Villa Signor had lived to see his vision, he would be dishonored at how his son handled it.
He only wishes that he could make this opinion heard. If he voices it though, it would mean immediate dismissal. He doesn't dare leave Javier unattended in this situation. That would mean absolute failure.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
I land the suit minutes later in Osaka. "Noin where are you?" My question is returned with a soft static. This can't be good. I bring up the infrared and begin to search for her. So much of the city is burning, though, that it isn't much help. Discarding the expensive, high-tech tool, I look with only my eyes.
After flying around for several minutes, I take in a stifled breath and begin to break out into a cold sweat. I believe I have found her, I hope to God that I haven't. A mobile suit has plowed though the street, turning up the asphalt and the soil underneath, giving the street the appearance of one large furrow.
I follow the trench to a collapsed building. Dust is still collecting around the toppled building. I can make out white metal under the brick and concrete. I recognize it as the left foot of Noin's white Taurus. I push the tears back as I gently pull her suit out of the rubble.
Her mobile is a good five meters off the ground, making the cockpit level with that of Zero. I open the cockpit and climb out. Leaning over towards her suit I press a button. Her cockpit opens. My heart pounds as I step onto her platform, and into her cockpit.
Her body leans limply over to the right. Her face is cast down, drops of blood and sweet fall from her hair. I kneel beside her, and cradle her head. With a shaky hand I begin to brush her hair out of her face. Her hair is a deep reddish-blue from the blood. The feel is so different between my fingertips, it's warm and gooey, and separates its self into clumps as I brush it aside, tangling between my fingers.
My eyes penetrate her face, "It's okay, they're gone, you can come back now." I tell her in a choked tone. I get no response, "I'm here, you can wake up, it's all going to be alright." The tears cannot be held back any longer, they spill over the rim. Two steady rivers run down my cheeks, the tears drip on to us both.
"It's not funny any more Noin! Wake up!" I yell at her, furious that she continues to play this game. I collapse on to her cold lap. Being here is strangely comforting, I stay for what feels like an eternity.
"I've got action!" I yell into the radio.
"Same here." David informs us.
"I thought they weren't suppose to strike until tomorrow." Duo says.
"They must have advanced their plans." Noin says back.
"Is David in position yet?" Une asks.
"I'm almost there, I can see explosions from here."
"We can't wait. We must attack now!" Heero says sternly.
I take flight, transforming the Taurus into the fighter plane to save time. I push the throttle all the way up. The suit rockets towards the city.
This isn't what I expected. I wanted an underground battle, one free of senseless deaths. Now, though, I am forced to fight a long streets filled with panicked people. My heart is already aching from their pain.
~*~
"What the? Sir, it's an enemy mobile! "The soldier monitoring the radar yells.
"Only one?" Javier asks.
"It appears so."
"Sir, Cairo just radioed in, they also have confirmed an enemy mobile suit as well." Another soldier says.
"Are they the only ones?" Javier asks once more, he is still unfazed by their presence.
"No sir, the other bases are all reporting retaliations."
"A Gundam!"
"Where! What base!" Javier didn't expect this, his tone of voice shows that.
"In Seoul." The soldier answers.
"Another Gundam is reported in Mexico City."
"How many Gundams are there?" Juniper asks before Javier can.
"Only two have been reported." The first soldier replies.
"How can this be? They were supposed to be destroyed." Javier says under his breath. He looks and addresses his crew, "How are we fairing against them?"
"So far, we have the upper hand."
"I want numbers, give me some numbers!" He demands.
"So far we have lost twenty MSes. We haven't received any word from the other bases."
"Twenty? That's a tenth of our force. Surround that suit and wipe it out!"
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
I hover mid-air firing down on the suits below. I easily dodge the enemy fire as I shoot. I juggle the dodging, firing, and avoiding civilian casualties all at the same time. I don't even try to repeat the strategy we used during the Eve War in 196. The main objective in this battle is to kill them before they kill the innocent civilians.
A Leo falls to the ground, crushing an apartment building. People scramble away from the appending wreckage, after the suit falls though, no one else come out from the building. I know it's impossible, but I feel as if I can hear the people screaming from my cockpit. /It was unavoidable, don't dwell on it. The more time you waste worrying about them, the more of them will die./ My subcontiousness tells me. I try to listen, I really do, but it still doesn't change the fact that those people died, and that it was my fault.
I push the tears back and continue my rampage. Another suit hits the ground from my onslaught. An indicator beeps loudly from my cockpit. Five suits are directly behind me. To save time I release the saber that I had Renford add. Grabbing it with the left hand I turn around and slice through two of the suits with one swing. The other three are destroyed before they know what hit them. Turning around again, I return the saber and revert to the beam rifle.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
Noin has no choice, but to stay in the air. When it comes to Mobile Suits' controls the foot peddles are used for one thing, and one thing only; to make the suit walk. With her leg in its condition she is afraid that she won't be able to put enough pressure on the foot pedals.
A blast gets by her. It hits the left vernia hard. Alarms go off in the cockpit, the suit starts to descend. She feared this, she is forced to land and fight a land battle.
The Suit lands up right. She tries the pedals, the left foot moves forward, but the right one stays put. She can't even move on the ground. She resumes fire, doing her best to keep off the approaching suits. One lands a perfect shot from the back. The Taurus is slams to the ground. She flies forward; the harness is the only thing keeping her from hitting the monitors and controls.
She struggles to righten the suit. The suit creaks and moans at her attempts, but does nothing more. She brings up a display to see what is wrong. Some of the circuits have been fried. She looks back to her monitors. The enemy is closing in on her; it's only a matter of time before they are right on top of her. She is a sitting duck in her position.
"Quatre!" She yells desperately into the joint radio frequency.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
I look up from my attack, "Noin!" I yell back worryingly. I look back at the suits. Biting my lips, I try to choose between the 8,163,573 people of Tokyo, or my soul mate. My hand quivers on the transformation switch.
"Quatre, go help Noin." Heero says over the radio.
"What about the city?"
"I'm almost done, I'll finish up for you. Stay right there."
"Stay? What for?"
"I'm giving you Zero, it will be faster."
"Thank you Heero."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
"Gundam Zero is making a bee line for Tokyo." A soldier says.
"Why would he be doing that? Have several suits from Seoul follow it."
"Sir, Zero is a flight type, they wouldn't have a chance-"
"I'm the ones who gives orders here!" Javier snaps at the soldier.
"Sir, he is right."
"I don't need any lip from you either Juniper."
"But sir-"
"I don't want to hear it! Send some suits after it this instant!"
The soldier tries to remain calm, "Sir, all the suits at the Seoul have been destroyed."
"What? So soon?" Javier is hardly humbled. "Well then, we will just have to have Tokyo finish the task that Seoul failed at."
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
It only take Heero about five minutes to get to Tokyo, not surprising for a suit like his. He lands right in front of the Taurus. We both open our hatches. His Gundam is quite a bit taller then mine. Heero jumps down on to the platform my open hatch has created.
"You better get going." He says calmly. He kneels in front of me and clasps his hands. With out questioning, I step on to his hands. He thrusts them upwards; I get enough air to grab a hold to his hatch platform. I swing myself up on to it.
"Quatre, remember not to let Zero get to you!" Heero yells up to me, a thought not realized until the last minute.
"Roger that." I yell back before climbing into the cockpit. Zero's hatch closes right after the Taurus's. I plot the course to Osaka. If I do this right I will be there in three minutes. A quick shot up to the upper atmosphere will make this possible.
I enter the course. Just before I take off an indicator goes off in the cockpit. It's a missile lock. I take a quick glance around, it's a Leo with a space bazooka aimed right at me. Zero can take that. I raise the shielded arm, preparing for contact.
Before the Leo has any time to fire though, the beam riffle on Heero's Taurus takes him out, "Get going Quatre, leave this guys to me."
"Thanks again Heero." I say as I take off into the sky.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
"The Gundam has taken off once more."
"Where is it heading now?" Javier asks.
"He's ascending, there is no way to tell just yet."
"What happened in Tokyo?" Juniper asks.
"Pilot switch."
"Pilot switch?"
"Yes sir, a solider was able to get footage."
"Relay those images."
An image of the two mobile suits come up. The camera cuts to a closer zoom, close enough to see the pilots.
"Winner is now in the Gundam." Javier says.
"I wonder. what is the status on the mobile suit attacking Osaka?"
"General sir, it was taken out."
"I bet he is coming here."
"How do you figure that?" Javier asks.
"Lucratiza Noin was injured correct? I'm guessing that she is the one in that fallen mobile."
"It is just a hypothesis, we will have to watch him to know what he really is doing."
Juniper eyes Javier. He fells so disgraced having to answer to him, the man is inexperienced and arrogant. The only reason why he is heading up this operation is because his father was the man who planed it. If Alveres Villa Signor had lived to see his vision, he would be dishonored at how his son handled it.
He only wishes that he could make this opinion heard. If he voices it though, it would mean immediate dismissal. He doesn't dare leave Javier unattended in this situation. That would mean absolute failure.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
I land the suit minutes later in Osaka. "Noin where are you?" My question is returned with a soft static. This can't be good. I bring up the infrared and begin to search for her. So much of the city is burning, though, that it isn't much help. Discarding the expensive, high-tech tool, I look with only my eyes.
After flying around for several minutes, I take in a stifled breath and begin to break out into a cold sweat. I believe I have found her, I hope to God that I haven't. A mobile suit has plowed though the street, turning up the asphalt and the soil underneath, giving the street the appearance of one large furrow.
I follow the trench to a collapsed building. Dust is still collecting around the toppled building. I can make out white metal under the brick and concrete. I recognize it as the left foot of Noin's white Taurus. I push the tears back as I gently pull her suit out of the rubble.
Her mobile is a good five meters off the ground, making the cockpit level with that of Zero. I open the cockpit and climb out. Leaning over towards her suit I press a button. Her cockpit opens. My heart pounds as I step onto her platform, and into her cockpit.
Her body leans limply over to the right. Her face is cast down, drops of blood and sweet fall from her hair. I kneel beside her, and cradle her head. With a shaky hand I begin to brush her hair out of her face. Her hair is a deep reddish-blue from the blood. The feel is so different between my fingertips, it's warm and gooey, and separates its self into clumps as I brush it aside, tangling between my fingers.
My eyes penetrate her face, "It's okay, they're gone, you can come back now." I tell her in a choked tone. I get no response, "I'm here, you can wake up, it's all going to be alright." The tears cannot be held back any longer, they spill over the rim. Two steady rivers run down my cheeks, the tears drip on to us both.
"It's not funny any more Noin! Wake up!" I yell at her, furious that she continues to play this game. I collapse on to her cold lap. Being here is strangely comforting, I stay for what feels like an eternity.
