1.1 Chapter 6

Finally though, I can't take it any more. The rage is surging though my veins, I feel as if it has replaced the blood its self as I feel it pound in my head, "You." I whisper. I look up from her lap out to the crumbling city, "You did this to her! You took her away from me, and now you will pay!"

I run back over to my suit. I jump in the chair and close the hatch. I slowly let down Noin's mobile. The knees buckle, I leave it in a kneeling position. I turn around and face the city. The suits are spread out all around the city, I unseath the saber.

"I will make you all feel the pain," I say with spite though the tears. "You will all know how it feels!" I yell, I manipulate the controls, making Zero charge away from Noin, and towards the remaining soldiers. I don't notice the high pitch 'whoop whoop' sound, or the yellow glow emanating from the monitors.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

"Whoa, this is impossible."

Javier looks up at the soldier, "What is?"

"Zero just took out twenty suits in only a matter of seconds."

"What?"

"That's it, I'm going to assist them. Anne, is my Leo ready to go?"

"Yes sir."

Juniper rushes out of the room. Javier sits there, quietly watching the monitors. A few moments after Juniper has left he stands, and leaves after him. He catches up with him in the hanger.

"What makes you think you think that you were given permission to leave?" The sound of his voice makes Juniper stop cold.

"If I don't, we are all dead." Juniper replies, still facing away from Javier.

"No we aren't, we're going to win."

Infuriated Juniper turns and walks quickly over to Javier. He punches him square in the jaw. Javier hits the floor from the unexpected blow. He looks up to Juniper with bewilderment and anger.

"I'm sorry sir, but I should have done that a long time ago. Look around, if someone doesn't do something we are all as good as dead. If your father saw you like this." He is to disgusted to continue. He turns around and continues for his Leo.

"All I ever wanted was to please my father, to make him proud of me."

Juniper stops twenty meters away. He turns and faces Javier.

Javier sits up on to his knees. He looks up to Juniper, his eyes wide and wild. "But then he told me that I didn't have enough experience to help head up the operation. He told me that if I wanted, I could be on the bridge, watching the monitors. He wouldn't even listen to me, he kept insisting that I didn't know what to do." Javier is trying to suppress a cynical laugh, "So I shot him. I wanted to prove to him that I could do it."

"You killed your own father?" Juniper shakes with anger. This spoiled brat killed Alveres, he killed the one friend Juniper ever had.

Another piece of concrete falls, the muffled sounds of explosions are getting closer. There is no time to dwell on the details. "I'm still leaving."

"No! We will win!"

"Damn it look around would you? We've lost 70% of out global force, and haven't destroyed one single city! Leave your psychotic memories to yourself, I'll deal with you, and them, later." He turns and walks towards his mobile suit once more.

"He didn't believe in me," Javier continues, Juniper ignores his incoherent mumbling, "just like you he didn't believe me. I told him that I would do it, that I would kill him if that is what it would take." He raises a gun in his shaky hands, "And I'll do the same to you."

The echo of a single gunshot fills the hanger. Juniper stops with the sound. He's frozen, still facing away from Javier.

The sound of Javier's heavy, unsteady breathing continues after the echo fades. He is still sitting on the ground, the gun shaking in his hands, He watches Juniper with his wild eyes.

Juniper's legs shake. He crumples, falling over with a dull thud. A pond of crimson blood creeps outwards from his body.

Javier stands. He looks at the gun and lets it slip out of his hand. The gun hits the floor with a metallic clatter. He turns away from his fallen general and walks back to the bridge as if nothing has happened.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The whooping continues as I slash though yet another mobile suit. My eyes dart left and right as my pulse quickens. My breath is fast and loud as it comes from my mouth, like the fire of a dragon.

"You killed Noin, you must pay for killing Noin." I repeat.

Suddenly an image appears in front of my eyes. I see Noin's suit flung to the ground. The suits advance on her, she pushes the throttle all the way forward to escape. Her suit digs into the ground as it is thrust forward on a straight path for a more isolated part of the city. Suddenly the suit banks left from the destroyed vernia rocket on that side. She slams into the building.

I see, nearly in slow motion, as the suit impacts. I see the sparks, and flying shrapnel. Her body is thrown forward, then back into the seat. Now I watch as the other suits walk away, leaving her. I am even more infuriated.

I look around for more suits. I see a group trying to leave the city. I pull out the twin buster rifle and aim it at them. A huge blast of energy fans out from the two guns. They destroy the suits. There is a long line of smoking ground in the path between where the suits were and where I am. The path of destruction means nothing to me, I turn and look for more suits.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

"You must pay for killing Noin!" My threat echoes over the radio.

"Was that Quatre?" Duo asks, alarmed.

"Yes, and they got Noin." Sally says solemnly.

"He might just be hallucinating, it sounds like Zero has gotten to him." Heero says, "I'm going over to check."

"Hold on, if he is being influenced by Zero you won't be able to stop him in that Taurus." Zechs says.

"What do you suggest we do then?"

"We need to find out if Noin is alright, if she is we may be able to talk him out of this." Une says before Zechs can voice an opinion.

"You mean for us all to head over to Osaka?" Duo says, "I don't know, I've heard stories of Quatre on Zero, and frankly, we don't stand a chance."

"There is no way that all of us will be able to make it there in time."

"David is right," Wu Fei says, "Only those in the immediate area could be over there in time to make a difference."

"So that's. Trowa, Sally and I." Heero pauses, then adds; "Trowa are you okay with that?"

"I don't have the choice to not be." He responds.

"Let's get going." Heero says, he takes off towards Osaka. Sally and Trowa do the same.

"Damn, this would be so much easier if we had another Gundam." Sally says.

"Can't Tallgeese take Zero?" Wu Fei asks.

"Yes it could, but I'm half a world away."

"That's convenient." Duo remarks sarcastically.

"How fast can you make it over there?" David asks.

"If I use the upper atmosphere, about an hour."

"I doubt that would be soon enough." Heero says.

"But we need all the help we can get, he should at least try."

"Sally's right, I'm on my way."

"Let's just hope we get there in time." Trowa says with closed eyes, "And that we make it back alive."

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Sally lands the Serpent next to Heero's Taurus. Trowa's image appears in her suit as she lands, "Good, you're here. Heero's been with her for about fifteen minutes now."

"So then she is alive." She says relieved.

"We need to hurry, Quatre is too unpredictable right now." He offers his Serpent's hand to give her a lift to Noin and Heero. Sally opens the hatch and climbs out onto the metal hand. She holds tight to the enormous thumb, as Trowa cautiously takes her around, to Noin's suit.

Trowa lets her down on the white Tauras's open hatch. Sally climbs off and waves to Trowa. She is grateful of the ride. Although she landed only about twenty meters away, the terrain was consisted of monstrous slabs of concrete, a result of Noin's collision. Trowa turns away from the carnage and goes back to his post, watching out for any mobile suits, including mine.

"How is she?" Sally asks. She leans inside, holding to the top of the exit so that she doesn't fall into the crowded cockpit.

"Alive." Heero responds, he doesn't look up from bandaging Noin's arm.

Sally knells, and takes a look at her, "If we don't get her to a hospital soon that will change."

"I saw one in the suburbs, about seven miles northeast. Those areas haven't been affected by the battle."

"Help me get her to my mobile. I'll take her to the hospital, you two try and stop Quatre."

Heero nods, he activates the radio, "Trowa we could use another lift."

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Heero and Trowa wait until Sally has taken off with Noin before they confront me. Sally's suit takes off to the northeast, and soon disappears.

Heero turns the Taurus to Trowa, "Better get it over with."

"Yeah."

They take off. It's not hard to find me in a city as large as Osaka; just follow the carnage. When they find me, I have just taken out an office district to demolish two mobile suits.

"Quatre, it's Trowa. Can you hear me?" Trowa says, flying into my view.

"Stay out of my way Trowa, I don't want to kill you." My tone of voice is shaky, yet strong.

"Quatre listen to me, you are being influenced by the Zero system, you aren't thinking rationally." Heero says.

"No, it's you who isn't thinking rationally. They killed Noin, so I must kill them."

"Noin is alive Quatre, she's okay."

I shake my head, I want to believe what Trowa just told me, but I can't. The images of her death are too strong. "No you're lying. You're just saying that so that I won't kill you." I yell. "You're-you're my enemy." Convinced, I aim the buster riffle at Trowa's suit.

"Trowa get out of there!" Heero yells on the radio.

"And everyone against me must die!" I fire the rifle, but Trowa had fair warning from Heero, he escapes the blast.

Heero gives it another go, "Quatre, Zero has you. You must block out the system. Remember what happened in space? Remember all the people who died from Zero? Don't you remember how it made you feel?"

I lower my head. Yes, I do remember. I remember all to well the pain it caused so many people. Still, Zero pushes on me, trying to alter the circumstances, so that I won't be weakened by the truth. I am aware now of what it's trying to do.

"Tell me something Heero." I ask, shaking from all the ways I'm being pulled, "Have I failed?" I look up, "Have I failed to protect Noin, to protect the earth?"

"You have done what any of us would have done."

This is a clear yes. Zero is determined not to loose me though. It tries to portray Heero and Trowa as my enemies. I look down trying to keep it away. "No.. stop." I mutter. My knuckles are white from gripping the controls. I squeeze my eyes shut, and throw my head up, "Stop it!" I yell.

Heero and Trowa back up, unsure of weather I am yelling at them. I have to get out. I have to regain control. I open the hatch, and stumble out of the Gundam. I walk on to the narrow platform; unable to keep my balance, I fall off.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

"90% of our Osaka force has been taken out."

"Both Cairo and Las Angles have lost all of their force."

"Only four bases still have mobiles standing."

The information floods Javier. He supports his head on three fingers, taking in the news. He weighs the situation and looks up, "Give the order to evacuate. Prepare the Ararat for launch."

"Sir, who will operate the Ararat? The general hasn't made contact." A scared officer asks.

"I will." Javier answers. He stands, "Not another word."

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

I open my eyes. I don't know how long I've been unconscious. All I know is that my whole body hurts. The pains are in various stages from the dull ache in my arms- strained from piloting. To the sharp throbbing pain that envelops my head and back. The whole world is a pounding blur. It takes some time for my eyes to regain the power to focus. My first view is of Trowa. He is kneeling over me, propping up my head.

My hand moves to my head. I quickly sit up, not thinking the action though. I automatically feel the consequences. The world begins to spin. The pressure in my head increases. I feel as if my whole head is filled to the brim with fluid. I begin to fall back. I lack the strength to sit up at this time.

Trowa's steady arm keeps me from falling back. "Take it easy." He warns.

I moan, "What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

I shake my head.

Trowa looks up, "You had quite a fall."

I look up where he is looking. The sun, still low in the sky is eclipsed by Wing Zero. I didn't, I couldn't have. I had to have fallen, but how am I conscious? The fall should have knocked me out for hours at least. I go over the numbers in my head: half way up a sixteen meter mobile; that's eight meters, twenty-four feet, three stories. How did I land, I wonder. From the pain in my back, I'm guessing that it took the full brunt of the fall. Did I break it? I doubt it, I can move it. I can't fathom how I didn't break anything after that fall, at least that I know of.

"Is it over? Did we win?"

"Heero defeated the remainder of the enemy; he's gone back to finish the task at Tokyo. The others have either won, or are almost finished as well."

"So it was a success, and Noin is okay?"

"Sally called in. She's in emergency surgery right now, she thinks that she will make it though."

"I'm sorry."

"Hum?"

"For what I did. I shouldn't of let Zero get to me, I should have had more control."

"Stop blaming yourself." He says sternly with a twinge of compassion. "Come on, think you can stand?"

I nod; it's worth a try. Trowa stands and helps me to my feet; unstable at first I nearly topple as the world swirls around me. Trowa holds me up, as I desperately wait for the spinning to stop.

The spinning eventually does stop; it's replaced with a violent shaking. "Is that me?" I ask, fearful that it's a new symptom and that I have done some unknown damage.

"No." Trowa says, trying to keep his calm. He's looking over to the left with a stunned look on his face. I match my gaze with him. The park in the next to the business district is disappearing, spreading apart from the center. This can't be good.

It's not. An extremely large device of some kind comes out from where the park use to be. It's at least the width of four mobiles, and three times as tall. It's a diamond shape, with rockets on either four sides half way up. The smoke and flame of the insterment of war envelops the sky scrappers. We turn away, blinded by the smoke.

"That's new!" I yell over the roar. Trowa is silent, either unable to comment, or not wanting to.

"We have to stop it!"

Trowa nods.

I look up to Zero. Trowa is also looking to Zero. I'm unsure of the strength it has, my guess is that it has the power to either destroy, or cripple, the earth. I would rather be safe and take Zero.

"Your in no condition to." Trowa replies to my silent planning.

"I have to, I can take Zero, you can't. We can't afford to have you being caught off guard."

"Wait for Heero, let him go."

"We don't have the time. I'm going." I bolt from Trowa and run to Zero with a slight limp. Once in the cockpit I start the startup sequence. The low 'womph womph' of the systems starting up fills my ears.

Trowa's image appears on my screen. "At least let me help you."

"Warn the others, make sure that the president and cabinet get off the earth."

"You're going alone?"

"We don't know how strong it is, we should try and keep the causalities to a minimum."

"Quatre, don't go making it a suicide mission."

"If it comes to that, tell Noin that I love her, and that I'm sorry this all had to happen."

"Qua-!"

I end the transmission, and cut the radio. I take off after the lightning quick weapon.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Heero appears on Trowa's screen, "What's that thing that just took off?"

"I don't know, but Quatre's gone after it."

"Is he crazy?"

"No, he's suicidal."