Zechs sat down on his Victorian couch in his room, exhausted from the day's
work. The girl was tough, but he had proven himself better. The fireplace
had been lit, and the fire was roaring filling the room with welcomed
warmth. He stared into the fire, watching the flames lick the logs,
causing them to crumble. Crumbling…Cinq Kingdom…Burning…Her…His mind
wander pulling out memories he had tried so hard to forget. Running…
Through a burning palace…everything crumbling…the girl…Stuck under the
ruins…get her out…running….The Alliance…gunshots piercing the air…Her
scream. Someone knocked at the door shattering all thoughts. He jumped up
and slowly walked over wondering who it was and what they wanted. He
opened the door and to find Haft standing there with his face filled with a
sense of urgency.
"What's the matter Haft? Zechs asked sensing that something was definitely wrong. He couldn't guess what it was.
"Gundam 02 is attacking mobile suit Hangar 13, and half of the Leos have already been destroyed!" Haft stated sweat trickling down his face and waiting for the realization to sink in.
"Hangar 13?" Zechs repeated the words, and then he remembered, "I left Lieutenant Lunata down there!" He silently cursed his haplessness and his impertinence for allowing pride to get the best of him.
He slammed the door shut and ran down the corridors right past Haft toward Hangar 14, where he knew there was more Leos stored for combat. "So what if she dies?" He thought running, "Why do I care, wasn't that my intention in the first place, to leave her to die? No, if she dies my hands will be stained with more blood, and I'll have the burden of losing another life as well as another soldier." He quickened his pace, now with a dozen of his own soldiers following him. All of them were breathing hard and he knew right away that afterwards he would have to drill them through more running exercises. Once he reached the hangar he wasted no time, he jumped in the nearest Leo and flew through the transporting corridor that connected the two hangars. He held his breath when he caught sight of the destruction. Hangar 13 had been set ablaze, and there were no signs of life. "What will my soldiers say after this? I'm sure it won't just pass as an accident," Zechs thought sweat dripping from the tips of his platinum blond hair. It was obvious that they were too late and Gundam 002 had already decimated all the mobile suits, leaving nothing but charred remains.
Duo grinned as he stepped into the room the five scientists had set up for them as a base, "Nothing like slicing a few M.S. and then coming home for bedtime!"
"But you never sleep!" Quatre commented while sipping some hot cocoa.
"So? You own a fortune, and yet all you always never fail to wear the same outfit!" said back walking over to Heero to see what he was up to. Quatre shook his head in confusion wondering what kind of comeback that was meant to be.
"Whachya doing?" Duo asked in a tone that he knew annoyed Heero, who was furiously typing at the computer.
"I'm setting up contact with Selene; you did give her the computer so that she could communicate with us?" Heero asked, intimidated. He kept typing as he spoke.
"Of course, of course" Duo answered, "though she was lying on the job." Everyone gave Duo a befuddled look; he always had jokes that no one understood except for him.
Zechs jumped out of his Leo, disheartened by failure.
"Colonel, all the Leos are destroyed," Dah reported, "but we didn't lose any soldiers." He stood saluting at his Colonel who looked quite uncomfortable with the situation. He wondered why, after all, at least they had not lost anyone.
"That's where you're wrong," Zechs sighed, "we lost Lieutenant Lunata, she was in one of the Leos when the attack took place." He clenched his fists at his side, waiting for the inevitable interrogation that would ensue.
"And would you please tell us *why* Lieutenant Luanta was unable to leave her Leo or attack back?" one of the soldiers from the training session questioned. He had never been very fond of Zechs to begin with and found this to be the perfect opportunity for retribution.
Zechs became ignored the burning in his cheeks and answered as coolly as he could, "I fail to see what you are trying to say."
"I'm saying that you are a murderer," the soldier answered defiantly.
"Mistakes are made in war, and this one is most unfortunate," Zechs stated, "but sometimes sacrifices are made." It wouldn't be enough, he knew. There was nothing to stop the chain events, nothing except…
"Excuse me *boys*, but don't you think it's past you're bedtime?" Selene grinned maliciously with her hands at her hips. She was fully enjoying the scene for she knew in her mind after this she might never have the upper hand again. The moment was precious and later on she wished she had had a camera.
"It's a ghost!" Haft shouted turning white.
"Where?" Selene asked in a voice drenched with sarcasm while looking behind herself.
Zechs walked forward and grabbed her arm as if making sure she was solid. "She's alive," he thought, half upset that the nuisance still existed and half relieved that he would not have to defend himself against those calling him a murderer.
"And what may I ask are you doing?" Selene stated with a twinge of annoyance.
"How did survive?" Zechs seemed rather shocked and interested to know how the girl he hated had cheated death.
"Death and I are allies," she answered tersely. She pulled away and walked off leaving Zechs to wonder exactly what she meant.
"When you think about it, it is true" Selene thought walking to her room, "certain people have wished for my death from the day I was born. Yes, from the very beginning death has stalked me; yet it takes everything I care about first as if taunting me. Now the question remains: When will it take me?" She opened the door to her room and stepped in while taking off her OZ coat. The shirt under it was grey like smoke and trimmed with gold. She threw herself on her bed while half groaning in the misery of her location and stared at her clock…. 2:12 A.M… she closed her aching eyes and fell into a dreamy state, yet there was no rest in store for her because only disturbing nightmares came to her…. Of Death.
"What's the matter Haft? Zechs asked sensing that something was definitely wrong. He couldn't guess what it was.
"Gundam 02 is attacking mobile suit Hangar 13, and half of the Leos have already been destroyed!" Haft stated sweat trickling down his face and waiting for the realization to sink in.
"Hangar 13?" Zechs repeated the words, and then he remembered, "I left Lieutenant Lunata down there!" He silently cursed his haplessness and his impertinence for allowing pride to get the best of him.
He slammed the door shut and ran down the corridors right past Haft toward Hangar 14, where he knew there was more Leos stored for combat. "So what if she dies?" He thought running, "Why do I care, wasn't that my intention in the first place, to leave her to die? No, if she dies my hands will be stained with more blood, and I'll have the burden of losing another life as well as another soldier." He quickened his pace, now with a dozen of his own soldiers following him. All of them were breathing hard and he knew right away that afterwards he would have to drill them through more running exercises. Once he reached the hangar he wasted no time, he jumped in the nearest Leo and flew through the transporting corridor that connected the two hangars. He held his breath when he caught sight of the destruction. Hangar 13 had been set ablaze, and there were no signs of life. "What will my soldiers say after this? I'm sure it won't just pass as an accident," Zechs thought sweat dripping from the tips of his platinum blond hair. It was obvious that they were too late and Gundam 002 had already decimated all the mobile suits, leaving nothing but charred remains.
Duo grinned as he stepped into the room the five scientists had set up for them as a base, "Nothing like slicing a few M.S. and then coming home for bedtime!"
"But you never sleep!" Quatre commented while sipping some hot cocoa.
"So? You own a fortune, and yet all you always never fail to wear the same outfit!" said back walking over to Heero to see what he was up to. Quatre shook his head in confusion wondering what kind of comeback that was meant to be.
"Whachya doing?" Duo asked in a tone that he knew annoyed Heero, who was furiously typing at the computer.
"I'm setting up contact with Selene; you did give her the computer so that she could communicate with us?" Heero asked, intimidated. He kept typing as he spoke.
"Of course, of course" Duo answered, "though she was lying on the job." Everyone gave Duo a befuddled look; he always had jokes that no one understood except for him.
Zechs jumped out of his Leo, disheartened by failure.
"Colonel, all the Leos are destroyed," Dah reported, "but we didn't lose any soldiers." He stood saluting at his Colonel who looked quite uncomfortable with the situation. He wondered why, after all, at least they had not lost anyone.
"That's where you're wrong," Zechs sighed, "we lost Lieutenant Lunata, she was in one of the Leos when the attack took place." He clenched his fists at his side, waiting for the inevitable interrogation that would ensue.
"And would you please tell us *why* Lieutenant Luanta was unable to leave her Leo or attack back?" one of the soldiers from the training session questioned. He had never been very fond of Zechs to begin with and found this to be the perfect opportunity for retribution.
Zechs became ignored the burning in his cheeks and answered as coolly as he could, "I fail to see what you are trying to say."
"I'm saying that you are a murderer," the soldier answered defiantly.
"Mistakes are made in war, and this one is most unfortunate," Zechs stated, "but sometimes sacrifices are made." It wouldn't be enough, he knew. There was nothing to stop the chain events, nothing except…
"Excuse me *boys*, but don't you think it's past you're bedtime?" Selene grinned maliciously with her hands at her hips. She was fully enjoying the scene for she knew in her mind after this she might never have the upper hand again. The moment was precious and later on she wished she had had a camera.
"It's a ghost!" Haft shouted turning white.
"Where?" Selene asked in a voice drenched with sarcasm while looking behind herself.
Zechs walked forward and grabbed her arm as if making sure she was solid. "She's alive," he thought, half upset that the nuisance still existed and half relieved that he would not have to defend himself against those calling him a murderer.
"And what may I ask are you doing?" Selene stated with a twinge of annoyance.
"How did survive?" Zechs seemed rather shocked and interested to know how the girl he hated had cheated death.
"Death and I are allies," she answered tersely. She pulled away and walked off leaving Zechs to wonder exactly what she meant.
"When you think about it, it is true" Selene thought walking to her room, "certain people have wished for my death from the day I was born. Yes, from the very beginning death has stalked me; yet it takes everything I care about first as if taunting me. Now the question remains: When will it take me?" She opened the door to her room and stepped in while taking off her OZ coat. The shirt under it was grey like smoke and trimmed with gold. She threw herself on her bed while half groaning in the misery of her location and stared at her clock…. 2:12 A.M… she closed her aching eyes and fell into a dreamy state, yet there was no rest in store for her because only disturbing nightmares came to her…. Of Death.